#so i think i should. probably stop worrying about my ocs not feeling original enough and instead do what i want
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linawritesocs · 1 year ago
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something about me having the seth ships guide and two ocs in works is so funny. like yes, this is everything you need to know about seth's boyfriends. this is me giggling and kicking my feet because of how adorable they are. also here, have two new boys that are just as insane as all my other ocs. what do you mean you thought i was done.
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kanerallels · 2 years ago
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Fan Fic Appreciation Day!
I remembered that today is Fan Fic Appreciation Day, so I thought I'd make a post shouting out some of my favorite authors! This isn't in any particular order and it's probably mostly Star Wars fics, but you should definitely check all of these out! Oh, and I'm absolutely gonna forget some people, but I'm doing my best!
This got kinda long, so it's going under a cut! You can feel free to add on any fics that you'd like to talk about, of your own and others!
Okay FIRST is my girl @laughingphoenixleader!! She writes incredible Kanera fan fic-- Moonbeam: A Masterpiece lives up to the title for sure. She's so funny and incredible at writing the deep moments between Kanera! Plus she's come up with some spectacular OCs, and her way of portraying Kanera is clearly rooted in how much she adores the characters!
@chaoticdumbassrogue is so incredible at Kanera, too!! And she comes up with the BEST headcanons (I'm still low key in love with her Kanan as Mira's brother headcanon) and her au ideas are genius!! One of my favorites of hers is Cooking Lessons, which she actually gifted to me!! Super fun story!!
One series I didn't expect to get obsessed in would be the Empire Reimagined series by @musewrangler. It's very original trilogy centric, and the main characters are two Imperial officers, which definitely surprised me, so it took me a while to get into it. But then I started reading Rebellions Are Built On Hope when it was first being published, and I was won over so quickly by the kindness of the main character (Admiral Piett), and how he was very adoption oriented. My favorite part about these stories is how central a theme platonic relationships are-- I routinely lose my mind over Veers and Piett's friendship-- and how the author treats them with the same respect and care romantic relationships are treated with! (also Veers is hilarious and amazing and so ride or die for his best friend I love him so much)
An author I very recently discovered and became obsessed with is @jessicas-pi! She's one of two authors who have convinced me that Sabezra is actually a pretty awesome ship, her Quinlan Vos is hilarious, and her SWR time travel Time Heals All Wounds is slowly consuming my mind!! (seriously, I could NOT STOP THINKING about one of the cliffhangers, I was cackling like a deranged lunatic). Also she's SO funny
@hecckyeah is amazing for many reasons, not least of which is the fact that she's the first fic writer on here who I'm shouting out for non Star Wars reasons (that said, her Star Wars fan fics are AWESOME you should check them out). But! I'm a huge fan of scout and rainy, this incredibly adorable Dousy fan fic that I LOVE! (but also her Star Wars stuff is amazing and so deep and intense and I love it so much)
This collection would be incomplete without me mentioning @okadiah. They wrote one of the very first full length Star Wars Rebels fic I ever read, Blackbird, and so many other amazing Kanera stories!! Blackbird is amazing, incredibly intense, and overall just a really, really good read if you're willing to absolutely lose your mind over the tension but also DANG the message is good also Maz Kanata is there
There are two fic writers here that I'm gonna shout out, but honestly have not read enough of their stuff-- @winterinhimring and @sidesofmayo. I really love what I've read of their work so far, and I'm so excited to read more!! The former wrote an amazing RepComm series called Cin Vhetin that I'm slowly but surely tackling (don't worry, I promise I haven't forgotten!) and my favorite of the latter's was a fic that was posted on here, then ended up on AO3 with a second chapter! It's called Their First Place, it's Sabezra, and it's SUPER CUTE I'm gonna go read it properly after I post this
OOH JUST REMEMBERED ONE!! following a lover's path by @pontmercyingtil is easily one of my all time favorite Kanera fics, it's beautiful!! The Kanera is amazing and I just REALLY love the story. Plus the author's writing style is amazing!!!
There are a handful of other fics where I don't know the authors of on here, but I HAVE to shout them out anyways because I'm obsessed! (if you know the authors, feel free to give them a tag!) First is Morning Light by SweetSinger2010 (one of my FAVORITE Kanan lives aus I've ever read), & are we there yet? by iconocible (just. the feels. the angst. the V I B E S) Chess Pieces by Synapse (which I've definitely shouted out on here before but this ALSO has impeccable vibes which fit A New Dawn SO WELL) and An Unexpected Habit by Jillie_Chan (I particularly liked chapter five because Kanan and Ezra's father son relationship my beloved also you have NO idea how long it took me to find this fic)
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naughtyneganjdm · 3 years ago
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A Compromise - Chapter 10
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Summary: After her night with Negan, Y/N finds herself falling fast for him which makes her question all the things she felt before.
Characters: Negan, the reader (OC)
Warnings: Swearing, smut, angst, parental abuse, etc. 
AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27834154/chapters/84581761
Notes: Thanks to anyone who reads this for sticking around. I'm sorry real life has been so busy that this has taken me a while. I promise I will have the next chapter up soon!
There wasn’t a lot of things in life that surprised Y/N, but the way that she was feeling right now…that surprised her. After her night with Negan, that’s all she could think about. God, it was incredible. No one had ever gone so out of their way for her like Negan had. With Negan, she felt special. She felt on top of the world and nothing felt like it would bring her down. No one ever accomplished to make her feel that way.
While they were stopped at a red light, Negan’s right hand was settled on her knee and it made her smile. Stretching out her fingers, she curled them around Negan’s and squeezed them tightly within her grasp. Lifting her gaze to Negan, she could see that he was staring over at her. The way he looked at her warmed her heart. There was something in the way that Negan looked at her that made her feel like the only woman in the world. It was a feeling she never knew she craved. All she could keep thinking about was how unbelievable the last day had actually been for her.
It made her sad that they were almost home, but it also made her excited for their future adventures together. Never in her life did she ever think she would feel this way for someone. Being wrapped up so incredibly much by someone would have scared her in the past. Whenever she looked at Negan, her heart fluttered and everything in the world felt right.
There must have been something in the way she was staring at him that gave away she was deep in thought. It made a smirk press in over Negan’s lips and his eyebrows bounced. When he grinned at her, she felt her cheeks flush over and she turned her gaze away from him.
Without saying anything, Negan lifted her up hand up lazily to bring it to his mouth to deposit a faint kiss over the back of it. When her eyes connected with his again, he smiled one of those ridiculously charming smiles. One of those big toothy grins that brought attention to those already so gorgeous dimples. Nothing made her swoon more than those dimples she so often found herself staring at. It was strange how often Negan smiled, but damn it…she loved it. His smiles were contagious.
When Negan gave her a wink, it made her think about the person that she used to be. That part of her was still there and it wanted her to regret her decisions she made with him. It wanted her to think that the emotions and feeling she was having for Negan were wrong, but she didn’t. For so long she had this image of a stereotype of the kind of woman that she needed to be. Constantly in the past, her parents dug in this idea to her that with her career, she couldn’t have love. School and the career came first. It was a constant reminder that had be repeated to her time and time again. It just became a rule for her, but maybe Negan was right. The expectations her parents had for her were unrealistic. They thought that her having a relationship with someone would have her throwing her life away. But with Negan, she didn’t feel like that would ever happen. What was better than having everything she wanted while also having someone who cared for her like Negan did? Wasn’t the best of both worlds a good thing? Even at her best with school, she never felt this happy. With Negan’s support emotionally she felt like she could take on the world while still being happy about it. She genuinely felt that she could achieve greatness with Negan’s help. Now, she didn’t feel alone.
“What’s going on in that beautiful mind of yours? You’re either really deep in thought or…?” Negan tried to read her and she realized that she must have been so lost within herself for him to notice. “You keep staring at me a certain way and it’s making me wonder if something is wrong or I have something in my teeth.”
“No, I just am trying to determine if you are something my conscience came up with in order to make me a happier person or if you’re actually real,” she answered almost in a teasing tone, but often she wondered if this was some kind of daydream she came up with. Negan was too good to be true.
Reaching for her hand, Negan placed it over the center of his chest to let her feel the steady heartbeat beneath her fingertips, “Does that feel real enough for you?”
“I look at you and you are the realest thing I’ve ever had in my whole life,” she explained and her answer made him chuckle. What she just said to Negan, that was something in the past she would have rolled her eyes at hearing. If someone would have said that she would have thought the person saying it was stupid. But being with Negan, she understood it now. How fast she was falling for Negan probably wasn’t good. It was just something she couldn’t help. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around why someone like you would want someone like me.”
“I just do. I think you’re perfect,” Negan insisted trying to keep his attention on the road when he thought of what to say to her. The light turned green and he quiet for a moment, trying to gather his own thoughts. “I’m the one with the baggage. I’m just lucky that you finally decided to give this whole dating thing a chance between the two of us.”
“It’s hard to tell you no. You were so damn persistent and I’m glad that I did do this,” she declared with a proud smile thinking about the night that they shared together. “You…you’re incredible.”
“Is that your way of saying you liked the sex?” Negan teased her with a wrinkle of his nose, giving her a quick glance with his mischievous hazel eyes. A small chuckle fell from her throat and he watched her cheeks flush over.
“Obviously,” she felt him pat her on the thigh before caressing over it. A shuddering breath fell from her throat with the closeness of him and she bit down on her bottom lip. It was insane how fast her body reacted to just a simple touch from Negan. “I guess I should be worried if the sex sucked for you since I’m the one that doesn’t have as much experience.”
“Last night wasn’t about the sex. It was about the two of us trusting each other. It was us connecting on a level that shows we’re open to something more. It was something a little bit more than just sex,” Negan stated with a long sigh and she squeezed tightly to his fingers loving to hear him say something like that. “Last night was beautiful.”  
“Are you saying you made love to me Negan?” she inquired knowing that’s where is sounded like his comment was going. It almost looked like it embarrassed Negan when she asked him that and he sucked in a sharp breath.
“I guess that depends on if me saying that creeps you out or not. If you are open to the idea, yeah, we made love under the stars,” Negan suggested, his right eyebrow arching when he stole a quick glance at her. “If the idea of me making love to you creeps you out, then no…it was just something more than sex.”
“You’re adorable. You know that?” she was in awe of him being nervous while he talked about them making love. When all of this started with Negan, this wasn’t a version of him that she thought she would ever see. She didn’t know why, but their first few interactions made her think their encounters would be like some cheesy porno film. “First you come at me originally acting like this sexual deviant that is going to fuck my brains out and make me hate the day that I met you, but you’re really this gigantic teddy bear that just wants to be loved.”
“Can I at least be a gigantic sexy teddy bear that is really good at sex, but still wants to be loved?” Negan’s face twisted and it made her laugh upon hearing him ask of that. Negan had an image and she could tell that. Negan probably was often that sexually hungry person that she was talking about, but with her it seemed things were different.  
“Yes, you can be my sexy teddy bear,” she agreed to it and Negan’s deep raspy laugh filled the car. “You’re also my extremely sexy sugar daddy.”
“In public I’ll be that, but between the two of us…I’m your teddy bear,” Negan winked as he pulled into the driveway to his home. When the car turned off, she glanced over her shoulder to make sure that her parents weren’t there to see them if she got out. Negan’s eyes were hooked on hers noticing the anxious expression over her face. “What happens the day that your parents find out that we’re dating? It’s going to happen eventually. I’m surprised they haven’t noticed you sneaking over here to be with me.”
“I’d rather not think about that right now,” she explained with a frown. “It has nothing to do with you, but everything to do with them. My dad will not handle it very well. Trust me.”
“I think your parents need to stop treating you like a teenager. You are in your final year of undergraduate school. You should be able to date who you want without your parents getting involved,” Negan pointed out and he could see the way she tilted her head to the side. It was obvious in the way she always got nervous at the idea of her parents seeing them together that her parents still scared her. They ran her life for so long that she was just nervous about how they would react to things. “I know your parents have controlled you most of your life, but you’re a big girl. Who you are dating is none of their business.”
“I know, but…” she went to respond and Negan reached out to stroke over the side of her face with his rough fingertips. Drawing her to him, Negan’s lips meshed in over hers and instead of worrying if her parents would see them she kissed Negan back. Parting her lips, she allowed his tongue to brush up against hers and whimpered when he did it.
“Life gets a lot better when you stop worrying about what everyone else will think of you,” Negan slurred against her lips when he pulled away enough to stare into her eyes. “You are your own woman. You’re perfect. You’re beautiful and you are a badass. Anything you put your mind to, I promise you can achieve. You don’t have to worry about them anymore.”
“God, where were you all my life?” she reached up to brush her fingers through Negan’s dark hair. If she had someone like him in her life before, she knew without a doubt that she would have had more confidence in herself. Her parents were always in the back of her mind, but if she would have met Negan sooner maybe a lot of the negative emotions she was going through right now would have never existed.
“Come on baby, I’m hungry,” Negan deposited a quick kiss over her lips before getting out of the car. Quickly, Negan moved around the car to help her out before leading her toward the house. When Negan got through the door, she pushed him into the house and then slammed him against the wall. A grunt fell from Negan’s throat when he felt her pulling at the belt in his pants. “What are you doing?”
“I still never got to give you that blowjob that you won in the game of laser tag,” she reminded him and an amused smirk pressed in over Negan’s features. With an arrogant bob of his head, Negan reached for her hands and he shook his head. A hushing sound fell from his lips when she gave him a frown. “What now?”
“I don’t want us to be one of those couples. I don’t want us to just have sex all the time,” Negan answered her with a loud sigh. “We’ll still have sex, but I want us to be more than this Y/N. Plus, I told you. I’m hungry.”
“You’re still holding that sex over me, huh?” she bawled up the material of Negan’s shirt at the center of his chest and let out a disappointed breath. Shaking his head, Negan kept his hazel eyes locked on hers and smiled. “Here I was thinking that was all over now that we were together.”
“I’m still going to pamper my beautiful girl,” Negan curled his finger in underneath her chin to lift her gaze to his. Tipping down, he teased his lips over hers and a wicked smile pressed over his handsome features. “I just want to make things special because you deserve nothing, but the best.”
“Which is you. You’re the best,” she tipped up on her toes to bring their lips together so they could kiss. Negan hummed in approval before brushing her hair back behind her ear. “But I guess I can honor your wishes and keep my hands to myself for now.”
“Good girl,” Negan snickered, reaching for her hand to lead her toward the kitchen. “I’m thinking I want waffles this morning. What do you think?”
“Sounds good,” she followed him into the kitchen while he made her sit down so he could pamper her and make her breakfast.
It was hard not to stare and admire him while he went out of his way for her. No one would ever go this above and beyond for her. So the fact that Negan did really surprised her. It was something that was easy to get used to, but it wasn’t something that she expected. After sleeping with Negan, she knew she was falling and potentially too fast.
After they slept together, she had automatically assumed that things would have been strange between them, but it really wasn’t. Negan was exactly the same and that was a good thing. He was very sweet, caring and like he was before. Instead of being distanced, which she pictured could have happened, he wasn’t. There was a fear that she would have felt uncomfortable about their relationship, but she didn’t. She just felt more in awe of him which surprised her all the more.
When she had lost her virginity before Negan, she was repulsed with herself for having sex and hated the person that she did it with. After sleeping with Negan, she felt closer to him and didn’t hate that it didn’t bother her. Things were moving fast between them, but it felt right.
They had their breakfast and afterwards shared a shower together, but Negan stood his ground when it came to the no sex. She was allowed to touch Negan, but it was hard not wanting to be with Negan. Being with him felt good. The attention he gave her and the passion they shared together felt better than anything she had ever experienced.
While she wanted to have sex again with Negan, she also enjoyed just getting to spend time with him. With most people she found herself bored being around them. Maybe that made her an asshole, but she didn’t care. A lot of people didn’t keep her interest. With him, it was easy to be able to enjoy being with him. Getting to learn more about his past and him in general appealed to her.
Their day just consisted of them doing random odds and ends together. They just relaxed. They watched television. They talked about their lives. Had dinner and at the end of the night they were headed to bed together. Before they could finish getting ready for bed though, Negan had gotten a call from Sam who wanted to talk to him before going to sleep.
Negan was sitting on the corner of the bed talking with Sam and Y/N sat watching the way Negan reacted to talking to his niece. She got a kick out of the fact that her boyfriend’s best friend was his twelve-year-old niece. Sam had called when they were getting ready for bed, so Negan didn’t get to change into pajamas, but Y/N had. This was something special about Negan. His niece meant everything to him and she loved that about him.
“I’m not lying to you,” Negan snickered, giving Y/N a glance over his shoulder and he made a dramatic expression. “She told me herself that she liked the whole thing. You weren’t wrong in suggesting taking her to the place. Why would I lie to you? We went on the air balloon after and then laid under the stars the rest of the night.”
When Negan laughed, Y/N was charmed with the whole interaction. The fact he would talk about her to his niece really touched her heart. Considering his niece was very special to him and she knew that his family knowing about her was a big deal.
“Yes dear,” Negan pulled the phone from his ear and held it out toward Y/N. Her eyes surveyed the phone wondering what Negan wanted. “She doesn’t believe me, so she wants to talk to you herself. I don’t get why she thinks I would lie about something like that, but…”
Once she grabbed the phone from Negan, he dramatically threw his hands up in the air with a shrug and headed for his dresser to pull out some pajama pants. When he headed toward the bathroom, her eyes followed his movements. Talking to Sam was a bit daunting, but she wasn’t about to say no considering who it was.
“Hello?” she found herself stretching out to watch Negan further while he pulled his shirt from his body and her throat went dry watching him.
“Holy shit, you really are there!” Sam’s amused voice filled the other side of the phone and it made Y/N laugh hearing it. “I don’t know why, I just kind of felt like he might have been lying to me so that way I didn’t feel bad for him.”
“Why would he do that?” she questioned, her nose wrinkling when she turned her attention away from the bathroom when she heard Sam say that.
“I worry him about him being alone and sometimes I just thought he was telling me things to make me not worry as much about him. Things weren’t exactly the best for him after Aunt Lucille died, so to hear that you two are having fun and super happy just…I don’t know, I guess it makes me happy,” Sam explained and it made a warmth flood Y/N’s chest when she thought about what Negan’s niece was saying. “It’s the first time I’ve heard him sound happy in a long time. So, thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me kiddo. I should be thanking you,” she proclaimed seeing that Negan moved to the door to watch her while he brushed his teeth. He was leaning against the door shirtless and in his pajama pants while she talked to Sam. “It was apparently your idea to go to that place we went first and that was the most fun I’ve had in a long time.”
“Even after playing laser tag?” Sam teased making Y/N chuckle when she thought back to how seriously Negan took the game. “He gets kind of intense about that whole game. Try having him take you and your friends to play laser tag. At this point, I just always say it’s going to be me and him against everyone. Most of my friends will laugh because they think they are going to kill us. They don’t realize he's my secret weapon. After we absolutely crush them, they never want to play again with us.”
“Yeah, he is a bit of laser tag pro,” she admitted hearing Negan snort before heading back into the bathroom to continue to brush his teeth, “but I had a lot of fun with it. I can’t recall the last time that I had as much fun with anyone compared to the fun I’ve had with Negan.”
“That makes me happy to hear,” Sam admitted with a tired yawn and it made Y/N smirk. Taking a glance at the time, she knew it was late and wondered how late Sam’s mothers allowed her to be up. “I heard you weren’t a fan of the air balloon, but you liked the laying under the stars together?”
“The idea of falling out of the air balloon terrified me, yes,” Y/N recalled and it made Sam giggle on the other end. “I just kept picturing myself as a pancake and yeah, that was not my bravest moment. I tell you that. But the night under the stars was very romantic and I enjoyed it a lot.”
“It sounds romantic,” Sam confessed with another yawn and Y/N heard on the other end of the phone what she assumed to be one of Sam’s mothers urging her to go to sleep. Sam grumbled and obviously didn’t like being told what to do. “So when am I going to spend some time with the two of you again?”
“Well, I’m comfortable with you coming over any time you want. I think Negan and I will be spending more time together and I would have so much more fun going to the place we did with you I think,” she stated knowing that she had told Negan the same thing the day before, but it was true. “I think you would be able to probably help me when it came to the whole laser tag thing. Us girls against him.”
“Yeah, we’d like to think so, but he’d still kill us,” Sam giggled making Y/N laugh when Sam said it the way she did. Again one of Sam’s mothers was yelling at her to go to bed. Sam called out something and then came back to the phone. “But I would love to do that with the two of you! It was nice talking to you Y/N, but would you be okay with giving Negan the phone back? I have to say goodnight before I get grounded for being up too late on the phone. My mom is having a freak attack.”
“Sure thing kiddo. It was nice talking with you,” Y/N snapped her fingers to get Negan’s attention when he finished up brushing his teeth. “Sam wants to say goodnight. Her mom wants her off the phone or she’s going to get in trouble.”
“That would be Jane,” Negan informed her with a grunt and a roll of his eyes. When Negan said the name, she recalled all the information Sam fed her when she was here the first time. Elaina was Lucille’s sister and she was the calm on. Jane was the uptight mother that they spoke about. When Negan accepted the phone, she got comfortable in the bed and watched Negan pace. “Goodnight kiddo. I love you. I’ll talk to you soon. Bye honey.”
When he hung up, he turned to face Y/N and he could see the way that she was staring at him with a smirk, “What?”
“The two of you are just cute,” she insisted and cuddled her head in closer to the pillow. Negan turned the lights off and crawled in over her on the bed. Reaching for her wrists, Negan pinned them down beside her head while he hooked his fingers with hers. “I just think it’s charming you are like this tattooed, badass looking guy and your best friend is a twelve-year-old.”
“Well, that’s your first mistake. Sam is quite the badass herself. I wouldn’t fuck with that little girl,” Negan warned with a playfulness in his tone while he smiled down at her. Hovering his lips over hers, Negan teased her with the hints of a kiss, but didn’t allow her one. “I’m not embarrassed to have a twelve-year-old be my best friend.”
“You shouldn’t be, it’s adorable,” she lifted up to try and kiss Negan, but he pulled back enough to let out a snort when she whined. “The two of you together are something people wish they could have with their own kids.”
“Right,” Negan’s smile slowly faded and he swallowed down hard before biting into his bottom lip. “So you haven’t had any changes in your decisions with dating me? I was kind of waiting the first forty-eight hours to make sure you didn’t have a panic attack over this whole thing.”
“I should be having a panic attack, but nope,” she noticed that Negan allowed one of her hands to be released and she reached up to trace her fingers over the side of his masculine face. “I’m very much happy with the decision that I made.”
“Me too,” Negan slurred, finally lowering down to delicately trace his lips over hers. It caused her to shudder and over time the kiss got more passionate. Hooking her fingers into Negan’s hair, she felt him getting more comfortable over her and his tired eyes looked her over when they finally parted. “You’re beautiful.”
“Thank you,” she gave him a wink and it made him smirk. Peppering a few final kisses over her lips, Negan took his time to stare at her under him. There was something in the way he looked at her that gave her chills. Adjusting his weight, Negan dropped down beside her and wrapped his arm around her waist when she turned onto her side. Grunting, he realized he hadn’t turned off the light that was beside the bed. Lifting up, he outstretched his arm and tugged at the light to get it turned off.
Getting comfortable for bed was so much easier than it was before. Most nights, all it took for her to fall asleep was Negan wrapping her up in his arms and she was out like a light. Being with him she felt comfortable and safe. It felt amazing being wrapped up in his arms, but while she liked this…her mind was other places. Like where they were the night before. Biting into her bottom lip, she thought about what it felt like to have Negan inside of her and making love to her. It was a sensation that she craved again. It was drawing her to have goosebumps just at the thought of it. While she knew that Negan said he didn’t want to focus on sex, she couldn’t help yearning for just another time between them. Being this close to him had her body on fire.
Knowing that she promised to try to keep her hands to herself, she pulled her hips a bit forward. The warmth radiating from his body behind her was definitely having its effects on her. With Negan’s deep breaths filling the air, it was obvious that he had fallen asleep already. Which made her to cuss to herself because she wished he may have been having the same reaction to this that she was. Closing her eyes, she attempted to force herself to think about something different. She counted. Hell, that wasn’t working. Sucking at her bottom lip, she thought of trying to think of school things to help her, but that wasn’t helping either. Nothing was. This wasn’t exactly something she could control.
Oh hell. What was the worst that could happen? Negan could tell her no and then she would be forced to cool it?
Looking over her shoulder, she watched Negan sleeping, but her promiscuous side was getting the best of her. Sliding her hips back, she purposely brushed her bottom in over his groin and hummed to herself when she did it. Taking things slow at first, she took her time rocking her bottom over him. Watching his reactions over her shoulder while he slept was turning her on all the more. Originally, she wondered if Negan was even going to wake up. He wasn’t lying when he told her that he was tired. Yet, his body was reacting to her movements. The sound of his breathing hitched and she felt him tense up behind her when he finally woke up.
Instead of fighting with her, he stayed still and she wondered if he was attempting to pretend that he was still sleeping. Pushing harder back against him, she heard a growl escape his throat and his head lowered down to press a kiss against the side of her neck.
“You are relentless,” Negan slurred while she continued to rub herself up against him. The pressure she was using was much harder than that of what she started with. Sliding his palm in over the side of her hip drew him to moan when she ground back harder against him. “You were going to do this until you got what you wanted. Huh?”
“I’m good like that,” she turned her head so Negan’s lips could brush over hers. With his mouth eagerly covering hers, she knew that she could feel his cock hard against her ass while she took no time in continuing to draw herself back against him.  Cooing into Negan’s mouth when his tongue brushed between her lips, she knew that this was probably a battle she was winning which excited her. Gasping, she felt Negan’s hands tugging roughly at the material of her pajama pants while still keeping her on her side in front of him. The material stuck a bit, but Negan was determined to get them low enough to where he wanted.
“I think you’re very fucking naughty if you ask me,” Negan rumbled, pulling his lips from hers while nipping seductively at her bottom lip. She let him move her where he wanted on the bed. They were both on their sides, facing away from each other, but she was eager to move in whatever way he wanted her. Roughly, he pulled her hips back as close to him as he could. His masculinity was obvious beneath the material of his pajamas as it pressed against her bottom, but that’s not what he was focusing on. His arm curled around her hips, urging one of her thighs up just enough so he could caress his rough fingertips over her clitoris. “I think you need to be punished. Here I am trying to sleep and get some rest. You just won’t allow that, will you?”
“Negan,” she whimpered out his name feeling his fingers tracing the length of her body before thrusting one of his long, slender digits firmly into her body. Her eyes slammed shut when Negan inserted a second. Over and over again he thrust them inside of her, curling his fingers just right to hit the perfect spot. The friction from his palm rubbing over her clitoris was causing her thighs to twitch. Crying out, Negan seemed to nip harder at her jawline and she clutched tightly to his pajama pants. “Negan!”
“Nope,” Negan pulled his fingers away from her body, his thick laughter teasing against the side of her neck when he denied her an orgasm. A whine escaped her throat and he let out a proud sound. “You won’t let me sleep. I won’t let you cum.”
“Please,” she panted, reaching for his hand to try to lead it back toward her core again. “I’m sorry.”
“You like daddy’s long fingers inside of you?” Negan questioned and she immediately nodded. The warmth of his breath against the back of her neck caused her to shudder. A chill ran down her spine and hearing him talk like that sent a flooding warmth to her core. “Say it.”
“I love daddy’s fingers inside of me,” she repeated what he wanted to hear and soon enough his fingers were back inside of her, pumping away. Shuddering when Negan’s warm breath pressed in over her ear, she kept her eyes closed and listened to his loud breathing. Occasionally he would nibble at her earlobe, her jawline, her neck…little places that would drive her absolutely wild while he pleasured her with his fingers.
“Do you like the way that feels baby? Do you like daddy pampering you?” Negan slurred against her earlobe before pressing a teasing kiss over her flesh. “Do you want to cum all over daddy’s fingers?”
“Yes!” she cried out, her head falling back and resting against his collarbone when a flood of warmth filled her body. Reaching down to grasp at Negan’s wrist, she knew that she was desperate. Tensing up, she wanted to chase after the orgasm that he was building up inside of her, but a loud whimper escaped her throat when he pulled his fingers from her again. Negan was working her right up to the point where she was about to cum only to stop. “What the hell Negan?”
“I told you that you were a bad girl that needed to be punished,” Negan reminded her, lifting his fingers up to his lips to look them over. A wicked smirk pressed in over his tired, handsome features before he took the tips of them between his lips. Sucking at them in a seductive manner made her moan just at the sight while she stared back at him over her shoulder. Reaching back, she tugged at his hair to get him closer to her so her mouth could meet his and he hummed against her lips. “Do you want to have that orgasm baby?”
“So bad,” she purred when his tongue swept at the inside of her bottom lip which drew her to shake against him.
“Then you have to work for it,” Negan bucked his hips forward against her bottom and she cried out knowing that her body was already shaking in his arms with him spooning her from behind. “You can do whatever you want, you just can’t leave the position you are in now.”
“I can do whatever I want? That means I can use you in whatever way I please?” she excitedly tried to gather the details. Her response made an amused smirk tug at his lips when she looked over her shoulder at him. Nodding once, she let out a shuddering breath trying to determine how she was going to get things the way she wanted. “I just have to stay on my side?”
“Yes baby girl,” Negan growled, nipping at her jawline when she reached back to grab at his pajama pants. Dipping her hand beneath the waistband, her palm wrapped around Negan’s solid cock and she unhurriedly traced her fingers over his length. When she reached the tip, she felt the precum collecting at the tip and it made her smile. “You like that?”
“You know I do,” she purred with the warmth of his breath at the side of her neck. Releasing his erection, she attempted to pull the material down his hips with her free hand. When she was having trouble, Negan lifted his hips to help her. Getting the material just down below his hips, she bit at her bottom lip while stealing a glance behind her. The length of his masculinity traced over her bottom and she eagerly reached back to grasp at his body again. His thick cock was completely solid. The veins were prominent and she was in awe of him. “You know, you clearly want this just as bad as I do?”
“Oh, he does for sure. Me, I was sleeping,” Negan snicked, nuzzling his nose against the back of her neck when she led the tip of his erection to tease it over her most intimate parts. It drew his eyes to close and he grunted. “Now that I’m awake, of course I want what he wants.”
“I thought so,” she was amused with his reaction, licking at her lips while she traced the head of his cock through her wet folds. “I hope you realize the control you gave me here. Full control of this big guy.”  
“Condom first,” Negan pointed toward the nightstand after opening his eyes and she immediately shook her head. Snapping his fingers, he winced when she continued to tease him over the length of her body. “What do you mean no?”
“You just said I can do what I want with you, but I can’t leave the position I’m in. I want you inside of me like this,” she slurred and Negan’s eyes narrowed, his pupils dilating with desire. The way he was looking at her made chills run down her spine. “Are you going to go back on your own rules?”
“Touché,” Negan grumbled, his tongue clicking against the top of his mouth while keeping his stare locked on hers. “I guess I can’t go back on my word now, can I? What kind of man would that make me?”
Dragging her tongue over her bottom lip, she chuckled before lining up the root to his masculinity with her entrance. Negan’s Adam’s apple bounced in his throat when she pushed her hips back over him making him immediately moan upon her warmth surrounding him. A gasp fell from her throat when she pushed her hips further back over his hard cock taking maybe a little more of him than she was prepared for. She was wet enough, but that didn’t change the fact he was still big.  
“Fuck me…” Negan groaned from behind her and she looked over her shoulder to see that he was glancing down between them to see his length sinking into her. His palm reached down to squeeze at her bottom and she took notice of the way he was breathing. A surprised sound fell from her throat when he swatted playfully at her bottom. “That’s essentially what you’re going to do, right? Fuck yourself with my cock?”
“Yes,” she didn’t have much of a smart remark when Negan’s hand snaked up and around her to caress up underneath her shirt to squeeze at her full breast. He gave her permission, so essentially, that’s exactly what she was going to do. Lifting enough, she helped Negan pull her shirt from her body and the cool air around them caused her to tremor.
It took a minute for her to get accustomed to him. While she wanted to tell herself she could jump right into this, this was still the second time she had slept with Negan and she had to ease herself into things. Get used to the fullness that she was feeling with him inside of her.  
“Do you like the way that tight, wet pussy feels?” she used her dirty talk, making his eyes raise up to her and his lips were agape. The sound of his loud breathing filled the air around them. While the first time was more romantic and was them making love, this was very much a dirtier experience between them. “Much better than it did with that condom, right?”
“You are so fucking naughty,” Negan slurred with a wrinkle of his nose and he pressed his head in closer to her. Adjusting behind her, Negan pressed himself up against her back which led a significant amount of his cock to be buried deep inside of her. “Fuck.”
“Negan,” she reached for his thigh to dig her fingers into the warmth of his flesh. Crying out, she took in the sensation of him filling her and she never realized how much she would actually enjoy it.  Negan bit at her jawline, his growl falling from his throat when her hand caressed down his thigh. There wasn’t much movement between them yet, but just having him inside of her felt amazing. “You feel so good.”
With an uneasiness, she rolled her hips back and took him further into her before pulling her hips forward. The sound that Negan make drew chills to fill her entire body and while she wasn’t exactly sure how to do this right in this positioning, she was finding the way that things felt good for her. Negan wasn’t lying when he told her that she had to work for it. He wasn’t moving other than keeping his hand settled in over her hip while kissing over her jawline.
“Fuck,” Negan grunted when she found a movement that seemed to work for the both of them. Clutching to Negan’s thigh and using her grasp at the side of the bed helped her rock herself over his cock. “Damn baby girl you really want that orgasm, don’t you?”
The smacking of their skin filled the air and Negan’s faint moans were in tune with her cries while she used his body in the best way she could in the position that they were in. Nuzzling his nose against the side of her neck, Negan grunted against her flesh and it made her tremble. She wished the rules weren’t that she had to stay in this position, but she was making the most use of it that she could.
“You really wanted that dick,” Negan chuckled feeling his body tensing up and he looked down to watch her body sink down over his length down to the base and then pull up repeatedly. It was surprising how well she took him with it just being her second time with him. “Fuck…fucking…”
A whine escaped her parted lips when Negan nipped at her sensitive flesh. The warmth from her movements started radiating into her belly and flooded its way out through the rest of her, “please Negan…”
“You’re almost there,” Negan encouraged her noticing that she was shaking while her fingertips dug into his flesh. Noticing that she was slowing down, Negan started bucking his hips forward to meet her thrusts back onto his erection. Each movement had her mewling out in delight until he felt her tight walls contracting around him. When she clearly reached her orgasm, she went to pull her hips away from him in a moment of pure ecstasy, but Negan kept her where she was so he could experience her orgasm around his cock. “There you go…good girl.”
After allowing her a moment to come down from the high of her orgasm, Negan kept her where she was while pampering her with kisses over her neck and over her jawline. A gasp fell from her throat when Negan pulled his body from hers and then pinned her underneath him. A thin layer of sweat covered Negan’s body and his arrogant smile expanded over his features. Negan’s wet hair was in his eyes and a whine fell from her throat when his flesh smacked up against hers. One fluid thrust and he was inside of her completely, filling her to the brim. “One time sleeping with me and you’re already addicted to my cock.”
A crack of a smile tugged at the corners of her lips as Negan reached for her legs to put them over his shoulders. With his rough palms settling in over her bottom, she whimpered when he started thrusting into her again and again. Tossing her head back, she knew that her body was already so sensitive that it wouldn’t take much for Negan to get her to another orgasm. With the friction of his groin smacking up against her clitoris and his thick body stretching her in ways she never felt before, it had her crying out in absolute bliss. Tossing her head back, she reached for Negan’s wrists and wrapped her fingers tightly around them.
“Negan,” she cried out his name, opening her eyes enough to see that Negan was smiling as her body started to shake when he got her to another orgasm in no time. That was the look of a proud man. He knew he caused it and fuck he was cocky, but she loved it. Her second orgasm was intensified and it left her breathless.
Lowering her legs, Negan pressed in over her and she desperately clung to his shoulders. Kissing at the side of his neck, she felt his powerful movements over her and she was surprised just how good this felt with him too. It was definitely something she would have to get used to, but her body liked it and it liked it a lot. Negan was big and she felt it. Especially today. Dragging her right hand up, she sank her fingers into Negan’s hair. The breaths escaping Negan’s throat became more desperate and soon they became pants.
“I’m almost there,” he alerted her, his nose nuzzling against the side of her neck. With his groans vibrating against the side of her neck, she dragged her nails down his back which drew him to wince. Cupping his bottom in her palm, she appreciated the flesh flexing and relaxing beneath her touch while he pounded up against her. “Shit.”
In a hurry, he pulled his hips back to leave her with an empty feeling. The warmth from his release covered her lower abdomen while she clung tightly to him, not ready to let him go. Negan buried his nose against the side of her neck, his loud breathing causing chills to fill her entire body. The room was spinning around her and she felt like she was in a state of euphoria. What Negan had brought her to was absolute bliss. Her heart was pounding away inside of her chest. Everything was tingling and she ached, but God it felt good.  
Negan lowered in over her, cuddling his head against her shoulder while he caught his breath and she found herself stroking her fingers at the bottom of his neck teasing at the short curls of hair that were there, “Thank you.”
Pulling back just enough to look down at her, his nose wrinkled and he laughed, “Did you just thank me?”
“I sure as fuck did,” she confidently answered before tugging his mouth to hers while kissing him enthusiastically. Nibbling at his bottom lip, she took her time to enjoy the warmth of him over her and she shook her head. “I ache, but I feel so good.”
“You’re welcome?” Negan’s right eyebrow arched up and he snickered against her lips. Motioning her to wait, he got up from the bed and reached for the tissues that were on the dresser. When he returned, he sat on the edge of the bed. Taking a look at her abdomen lowering and rising made him smile. Reaching out, he traced his fingers over her ribs and it made her giggle when he did it. “You wiggle too much.”
“Sorry, I’m ticklish,” she apologized and it made Negan smirk. Taking his time, he took a few tissues and cleaned his release from her body. When he was tossing the tissues in the trash beside the bed, she reached out to squeeze her fingers around his thigh. “You didn’t have to pull out, you know.”
Telling him that made him smirk and his eyes looked her over while she was laid out in the center of his bed. Tracing his fingers from her inner hip, up toward her abdomen and between her breasts made a whimper escape her lips. Arching up toward him, she noticed him lowering down and he peppered kisses over her chest.
“I know,” Negan bit down on his bottom lip when he lifted his gaze to her. Getting up, he carefully lowered himself to lay over her in a way where his weight was balanced on his left arm so he wouldn’t hurt her. Resting his head against her shoulder, he couldn’t help but smile when she instinctively wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “It’s hard to read you.”
“What do you mean?” she stroked her fingers through his hair, nestling her head in next to his while he laid over her. With anyone else, she was certain that she would have felt claustrophobic, but with Negan she actually enjoyed this close contact with him.
“I mean, I want to be the man that wants to make love to you and be romantic with you,” Negan began with a long, dramatic sigh. Pausing to take a minute, he faintly kissed over her collarbone and traced his rough fingertips over her chest. “While I think you like that, I also think you would rather me be dirty with you.”
“I’m okay with a bit of both,” she blurt out with a snicker before leaning in to press a kiss over the top of his head. “Hey, you originally sold me on the whole dominant relationship with you here. You can’t blame me for being the slightest bit interested.”
“And what do you prefer?” Negan lifted his head, his right eyebrow raising to try and read her reaction to his question.
“It depends on the moment,” she palmed in over the side of his rough face, admiring him even more when he leaned into her touch. “I think both were great and depending on what’s going on, I’ll happily take either one.”
“So it’s all about reading a situation, huh?” Negan teased her with a smirk and lowered his head back down to cuddle it in over her. “I guess you’re always going to keep me on my toes then. Has this at all let you down in any way?”
“Sleeping with you?” she questioned and he nodded which made her laugh. “Negan, you have no idea how much I’ve liked it. The first time I slept with someone I didn’t understand why people liked it or wanted to do it. With you, I get it. Yeah, I ache, but it’s worth it. Plus…this…”
“What?” his voice vibrated against her skin while he kissed over her chest.
“Being in your arms. The way you look at me and touch me,” she brushed Negan’s hair back behind his ear. Her heart was still hammering inside of her chest. Nothing had ever enamored her like this had. She looked forward to every moment with Negan and she could never recall feeling that way about anything in her life. “It’s the most incredible, addictive feeling I’ve ever had in my life.”
Without a word, Negan lifted his head and stared out at her with surprise. The way his eyes narrowed made her nervous, but unhurriedly a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. Stretching out, his lips met hers in a delicate caress and her comment seemed to make him happy to hear. Kissing him was remarkable and absolutely took her breath away.
“Well I’m glad you feel that way,” Negan hummed against her lips, nibbling gently at her bottom lip, “because I feel the same way about you and I’m eager to do whatever I can to keep you in my life.”
“As if you have to try,” she cupped his squared jaw in her palms and eyed him over. “You’re perfection. I’m lucky that you even looked twice at me Negan. Someone would be crazy to let you slip through their fingers. You’re everything someone could want and more.”
Negan cuddled his head in next to hers and she felt on top of the world being with him. Negan was gorgeous. He was good with kids. He was fun. He was romantic. There were so many layers to him and she was excited that he was allowing her to get to discover them. For the first time in her life, with Negan she felt at ease at nights. Her fears no longer ruled her thoughts. Often, she would worry about tomorrow and the future, but with Negan, all she cared about was what was happening in the moment.
It was incredible how fast time flew with Negan. In the past, days were boring and long. There was always a fear of her future but getting to spend her time with Negan was phenomenal. She looked forward to it. Being with Negan changed her in a lot of good ways. Instead of being worried and scared all the time she actually looked forward to her days. Yeah, the thought of that schoolboard meeting that was scheduled was always on her mind, but that wasn’t the only thing for her anymore.
Over the next couple of weeks, they spent every moment together when he wasn’t working. Even when he was working, she found herself lounging around his home working on things for herself. There was no need for her to really go home to her parents. Of course she would stop by here and there to let her parents know that she wasn’t dead, but she had everything she needed at Negan’s home.
Y/N and Negan really didn’t have a lot of sex because there was never enough time in the day to get it all in. Actually, a lot of their time was spent with Sam. Multiple times Sam came over to hang out with them and it was really nice getting to spend time with her when things weren’t so tense. Together, she had a lot of fun with Sam. Negan’s niece was a good kid and reminded Y/N a lot of herself when she was younger. She wished she would have had a family like Sam because then she may have had a bit of happiness in her life. Sam was very loved and Y/N was very appreciative that Sam was including her in this life.
On this specific day, Y/N woke up in Negan’s bed feeling joyful. The night before they had just curled up and watched movies together before falling asleep. It was the simple things in life that appealed to her, but these were moments that she would have never found herself doing before dating Negan. Dating life scared the hell out of her in the past, but with Negan she found herself getting very comfortable with it. Negan had to go to work today and she didn’t often get up when he did. Instead, she would sleep in and get a little bit more rest. It was her phone vibrating on the nightstand that had woken her. Reaching out, she grabbed a hold of it to see that Negan had texted her to let her know that he left his wallet on the counter in the kitchen. Tonight, he was supposed to go out with a friend from work which meant he was going to need it. So he asked her to bring it to him while he was working.
Getting up was hard, but at the same time, she was excited at the idea of getting to see Negan at work. When she got up, she took a quick shower and then went to grab his wallet. The movement was quick and she ended up dropping it on the floor to have it flip open on the floor. Kneeling down she reached for it to see the photo that it had opened to was Lucille and Negan together. Stroking her thumb over the picture, she felt her throat go dry knowing that Negan’s late wife wasn’t something she often thought about. Maybe it should have been though since she was still his first picture in his wallet and he still wore his wedding ring, even this far into their relationship. Flipping to the next set of pictures she could see that he had multiple photos of Sam in his wallet. There was also a few random photos, but when she fell upon a photo of Negan with a very obviously sick Lucille, she felt her heart ache.
At this point, she knew a lot about Negan’s relationship with Lucille and his past, but she still didn’t know when Lucille died. How long ago had it been? Negan was very open about things before Lucille got sick, but he wasn’t exceedingly open about after she was diagnosed. Looking at the last photo in his wallet, she noticed that it was a photo of her with Negan and it made her smirk. Clearly Negan had a photo from his phone printed out to put in there and it charmed her. They were not even a month into their dating and she was already in his wallet?
Taking notice that something was sticking out, she reached for it to see that it was the photo strip that they had done with Sam at the mall the other day. Sam was sitting between the two of them and she found herself enchanted that Negan had kept it in his wallet. It was a fun day that they shared and the silly expressions in the pictures they took made her smile. Instead of spying any further on his personal items, she closed his wallet back up and headed to his work. The one thing his wallet made her realize is that she had so many unanswered questions that were still there about Lucille. Ones that she knew she would have to approach with caution, but her curiosity was getting the best of her and she knew that.
When she got to Negan’s work, she parked in the lot that Negan directed her to do. He told her to walk around the school to come and give him his wallet on the baseball diamond that they had. Part of her was nervous about approaching him at the school. She remembered how strict her school was about people visiting and it made her worry if she was going to get tackled just for being here without announcing herself. It was hard not looking over her shoulder every second just to make sure the security at the school didn’t go crazy on her just for being on the premises.
As she started approaching the baseball diamond, she saw that Negan was out in the middle of it talking to a few of the students. The rest of them were spread out all around except for the few that were surrounding him. When a few of the students noticed her approaching first, Negan looked over his shoulder and smiled when he saw her stepping in beside the gate that was near the dugout. Swallowing down hard, she knew this was the first time she had ever seen him working. He was wearing a baseball cap, a white t-shirt and athletic pants that made her bite at her bottom lip. If Negan would have been her gym teacher when she was in high school, she was certain that she would have been in trouble because she would have wanted to be in his class twenty-four-seven.
After a second, Negan turned toward her and started running toward where she was standing. As he approached, he slowed down and his smile expanded over his handsome features. It was one that immediately drew her attention to his gorgeous dimples. That was always something that won her over with Negan. All he had to do was smile and she had butterflies in her stomach.
“Hello gorgeous,” Negan approached her, outstretching his hands to settle them in over her sides. Surprised with his forward movements, she was tense as he lowered down to her to brush his lips over hers. Worried that he would get in trouble for kissing her, she had trouble kissing him back. But he didn’t seem worried which soon relaxed her. Curling her fingers around the back of his neck, she kissed him back and heard Negan growl when he pulled away. One of the students whistled which made Negan throw his middle finger up when they did it. Immediately she felt a laugh fall from her throat and a few of his students laughed. “I’m sorry you had to come here and put up with these little shits.”
“I’m not, it was nice getting to see you in this get up. Why don’t you wear those pants more often?” she whispered quiet enough so the kids in his class couldn’t hear them. When she said that, Negan’s head lowered and a wicked grin spread out over his handsome features. “Those are…nice.”
“You like them?” Negan sucked at his bottom lip and arched his right eyebrow in curiosity. “I’ll have to wear them for you at home then.”
“Are you wearing anything underneath?” she stepped close enough to him making an amused sound fall from Negan’s throat. Negan’s head did a cocky bob and he looked back over his shoulder to make sure the students weren’t paying attention to them.
“You’re naughty, you know that?” Negan slurred when she reached for his wallet to pull it from her bag. She lifted it enough for Negan to grab it and slide it into his pocket. “So…what are you going to do tonight?”
“What? You need to know where I’m at all times?” she teased him, reaching up to circle her fingers in over the center of his chest and Negan’s hazel eyes narrowed at her when she said it. With a tilt of his head, he smirked.
“Trust me baby, I’d much rather be home with you,” Negan reached up to wrap his fingers around her wrist. Something changed in Negan’s face and he lowered his stare from her. What was that? It was like a switch and she didn’t know how to read that. “This is just something…something one of my friends here wanted to do. I kind of couldn’t get out of it.”
“I understand,” she watched him take off his baseball cap to brush his fingers through his hair to slick it back. Noticing that his attitude seemed to change a bit, she lifted her hand to swipe her thumb in over the curve of his chiseled jaw. “I figured since I’ve kind of ditched my parents completely since I started dating you, that I would have dinner with them tonight. I guess my mom is making my favorite.”
“Aw, they missed you,” Negan winked at her, reaching out to loosely wrap his arms around her waist again. When he leaned in to kiss her, she pulled away and let out a nervous sound. “What?”
“Your entire class is watching the two of us,” she alerted him, noticing over his shoulder that every single one of his students was staring at the two of them together. When Negan looked over his shoulder most of them immediately looked away.
“You nosey little shits,” Negan called out with a laugh and he threw his hand up in the air. “Run the bases while I’m busy. Do something!”
“You can talk to them like that?” she was amused to see the students do what Negan told them. When he turned back to her, his nose was wrinkled and he was laughing. “You would think you would get in trouble talking to them like that.”
“Ah, no. We are chill. They know I’m a sarcastic shit and they give it back for the most part,” Negan informed her with a shake of his head when he leaned back in to pepper kisses over her lips making her laugh when he pulled her playfully in closer to his chest. “I hope you enjoy your time tonight with your parents. Are you going to stay over there tonight or are you coming back to my place after dinner?”
“Are you kidding me? Sleep in my cold lonely bed or sleep with your arms around me?” she acted like it was a hard decision and Negan snorted when she was being dramatic.
“You’ve been with me every day since we started dating. I didn’t know if you would eventually want alone time. I don’t have a problem with you in bed with me tonight though,” Negan insisted with a loud sigh and he pressed a loving kiss over her cheek. “I’m glad it’s Friday so I can sleep in tomorrow. It will be nice to have a break.”
“Getting to sleep in with you in the mornings is one of my favorite things,” she alerted him with a hum and tipped up to kiss him again which led to a few of the students letting out teasing sounds. “You better get back to work.”
“I’ll see you tonight,” Negan rolled his eyes at his students’ reaction to them kissing and stepped back away from her. “Thank you for bringing this to me. I’d be lost without you.”
“You know it,” she winked and watched him run back to the students where one of them started hackling Negan about his girlfriend. It made her laugh, but she knew she needed to leave before someone picked up on her being there.
Stealing one final glance, she enjoyed the sights of him interacting with the students. Negan was good with kids. Even if he was being a smartass with them.
Heading back to her car, she decided to go home to Negan’s. For a while she stayed at Negan’s place, but knew when it started getting toward the time she was supposed to go back home with her parents that she should head over to help her mother make the dinner.
When she showed up, her mother welcomed her with a big hug and it was nice to see that she was missed at least. Y/N had always thought that she could just disappear and her parents would never give a shit at the end of the day. Her mother alerted her to the fact that her father was working on something, but would join them when dinner was ready.
Going straight to helping her mother with dinner, they were rather quiet. There wasn’t much to talk about that she could freely do since she was dating Negan. So if her mother wanted to talk, Y/N would let her, but she wasn’t going to freely open up about details going on in her personal life.
Dinner was surprisingly quiet because her father didn’t say much. They just talked about random odds and ends. When they finished with dinner, her father said he would do the dishes since they had cooked the dinner. As her father left the room, Y/N could see that her mother was staring out at her. It was what she would consider a judgmental stare and it made Y/N look down to make sure that she didn’t spill anything on her during the meal, “What is it?”
“So, who is the guy?” her mother finally questioned after leaving her hanging after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence. Immediately, a warmth flushed into her cheeks and she looked away from her mother. “You were always here. Then you got this job and I can only assume you’ve met a boy. You actually look happy. It’s something I haven’t seen in a very long time. Usually you’re really tense. Today, I think I’ve seen you smile more than I’ve seen you smile before.”
“Wow,” she hesitantly laughed hating that her mother was so observant and sadly knew that there was a man in her life. Did she really give off that big of a vibe to other people? The old her would have been mad at the idea that she looked happier because of a man, but it was true. It was all due to Negan that she was like this and she knew it. “He’s a really good guy.”
“So it is a boyfriend?” her mother’s eyebrow arched and Y/N couldn’t help the smile that tugged at her lips and she nodded. She knew deep down that she had to keep things somewhat a secret now because of the fact that it was Negan that she was dating. “What’s he like?”
“I don’t know how to describe him,” she thought for a moment letting out a long sigh. “He’s the sweetest, most caring man I’ve ever met. He’s funny, charming, handsome…all of the best details you could put into a man. I’ve never…felt like this before and it’s because of him. I’ve never met someone who has encouraged me to be the best version of myself while also being happy. He’s perfect. Everything I could have dreamt of and more.”
“Wow, it sounds like you’re in love already,” her mother snickered, reaching out to place her hand over Y/N’s and it made Y/N’s heart flutter inside of her chest. Pulling her hand back, she didn’t know if it was too soon to be using a word like that. Love. That was a big word. “When will we get to meet him?”
“I don’t know mom. It’s kind of fast,” she reasoned with her mother and she swallowed down hard. “I’m still trying to determine if this a permanent thing. I mean, I consider him my boyfriend and I love every moment I’ve spent with him.”
“It sounds like a dream come true to me,” her mother pointed out and it made Y/N laugh before lowering her head. Negan was a dream come true. Fuck, being with him scared the shit out of her because she couldn’t believe the ways that Negan made her feel.
“He is pretty dreamy. I hate to admit it mom, but this man has proven to me that everything I thought about dating is bullshit. In the short time we’ve been together, I’m not sure anyone knows me better than he does. He wants to know who I am. He wants to help me become a better version of me. He pampers me, he takes cares of me, he is the sweetest man you would ever meet,” she continued to swoon about Negan knowing that even tonight she was disappointed that she wasn’t with him. “In his arms I feel safer than I have my entire life. I used to worry every day about my future. With him in my life, I’m not so much worried about it anymore. He gives me confidence that everything is going to be okay.”
“What does he look like?” her mother urged her further into details and it made Y/N uncomfortable, but she knew that she could be vague.
“I’m going to be honest with you mom, he’s older than me,” she admitted knowing that Negan was a bit older than her in general so she was sure that her mother would have been uncomfortable with that if she stressed the age difference. “He’s just…perfect. He’s tall, slender, hazel eyes, dark hair, gorgeous dimples…he has tattoos.”
“We might want to keep your dad from that information for a while,” her mother teased her with a smirk looking toward the area of the kitchen. It made Y/N more at ease to know that her mother wasn’t being so stressed about the idea of her having a boyfriend in her life. “I’m going to take it the two of you are having sex?”
“Mom!” she blurt out feeling an overwhelming sense of dread when her mother said that out loud. Lowering her head, she buried it in her palm and shook her head. “That is really not something I want to be talking about with you.”
“So that’s a yes,” her mother reasoned making Y/N groan out with displeasure. In her opinion, there was nothing worse than getting your parents involved in your sex life. That was the last person she wanted to talk about sex with Negan to. “All that I ask for you is to be careful. I want you to be happy, but I also want you to still have the future we always talked about. I don’t want you stuck in a situation where you are unhappy, pregnant and have no means to helping yourself.”
There was an uncomfortable silence that filled the air after she said that and Y/N wondered if that was how her mother felt being stuck with her father. There was that air of curiosity that got to her, but also the fear of hearing the answer to that. Because then there was the idea that her mother didn’t want to have her in the first place and getting pregnant with Y/N is what forced her mother to stay with her father. That was something she had never heard from her mother before, so it definitely shocked her.
“We’re careful,” she assured her mother and she shrugged her shoulders, letting out a long sigh. “If it puts your mind at ease, we haven’t slept together more than a couple of times since we’ve been together. I find that we spend more time hanging out together and enjoying each other’s time than we do being sexual.”
“Does that mean he’s not good?” her mother definitely went too far with her question and it made Y/N snort with disbelief. “I’m just saying, some men you love and you are willing to look over the fact that they aren’t very good in bed.”
“No, he’s perfect in the bedroom. He’s just romantic, very romantic. He wants to make me feel special and he wants our relationship to mean something,” she explained with a loud sigh knowing that she would have loved to have had more sex with Negan in the time they had been together, but Negan always wanted each moment to be good for her. “I know this is going to sound weird mom, but he really just wants to focus on what makes me happy. He wants me to feel pampered and like I’m the only woman in the world for him.”
“Then why the fuck are you so nervous about him?” her mother swatted the table after hearing that and it made her laugh. She had never realized that there was this side to her mother and she liked it. Why had she never seen it before? “I like hearing that you have a healthy relationship with someone. That’s all you ever really want for your child. For them to do better than you. Find someone that makes them happy and wants you to succeed in life.”
“I have confidence that he is just that,” she reached out to place her hand over her mother’s and she squeezed over it firmly. Thinking about Negan made her realize that obviously her mother had met him already and she was already swooning over Negan in the past. “Trust me, I guarantee you that you would really like him. I know he’s the kind of guy that would just warm your heart.”
“So that’s what you’ve been wasting your time doing?” the sound of her father’s voice pulled her attention from her mother and it made her jump. Shifting uncomfortably in her chair, Y/N lowered her gaze and her father scoffed. “Here I was thinking that you were actually taking things seriously after fucking yourself out of school.”
“I have my meeting with the schoolboard soon,” she informed her father with a shrug of her shoulders and she let out a shuddering breath. “I’m prepared for what is coming. You don’t have to worry about that.”
“I do actually. I thought I taught you better than this,” her father shamed her from where he was standing, his arms folded out in front of his chest and he looked absolutely disgusted with her. “We talked about the career. The career always came first because as soon as you focused on a relationship you were going to forget all about your future. People get blinded by fucking love and as soon as they are, they forget everything about their future and their potential. You already put yourself one step in the grave because of what you did with your professor and now you just laid yourself completely in after all of this.”
“I think you would be surprised,” she attempted to defend herself knowing that Negan had already helped her a lot as it was and he wasn’t the kind of person that wanted to hold her back from her dreams.
“What I’m surprised with is how disappointing you turned out to be,” her father snarled and she felt her heart sink when her father said that to her. For most of her life she had looked up to her father and he was the person that she had tried to get the acceptance from the longest. He was the one that urged her into doing law because she wanted to be like him when she was little. So to hear him say that broke her. “I thought I raised you right…”
“You did raise me right,” she stammered with a confused expression. “I’ve always done everything right. I worked harder than anyone. I graduated at the top of my class in high school. I worked my ass off on the first few years of college, but I stood up for myself with my professor. I did what I had to in order to protect myself dad. He tried to assault me. Would you have rather me just lay there and take what he did? I have put everything into all my classes. All my grades prove that. What he was doing to me was wrong. Altering my grades so that way he could blackmail me into having sex with him.”
“If I heard you correctly from in there, your boyfriend is apparently older than you?” her father repeated her words and it made her eyebrows furrow with fear as to where her father was going with this. “You have no problem dating an older man, but if an older man you’re not attracted to wants to have sex with you, it automatically becomes assault? If the person you are dating now was your professor, you would have fucked him, right?”
“That’s the nastiest thing I’ve ever heard you say,” she frowned not believing the things that came out of her father’s mouth about what happened with her and the professor. “It had nothing to do about attraction dad. It had everything to do with the fact that he was abusing his power over me to make me do what he wanted. Even if he was the most attractive man I have ever seen, I would have never allowed it. I would have still had the same reaction. It had nothing to do with attraction.”
“Right,” her father rolled his eyes and she could tell that he didn’t believe her which hurt her all the more.
“At this point I feel like you would have just rather me sleep with my professor instead of standing up for myself,” she pointed out and her father shrugged making her let out a disgusted breath.
“You’re going around being a slut anyways now,” her father stated with a dark expression, his eyes narrowing out at her. It made her stand up from the table, her heart was pounding inside of her chest and she felt like every part of her was on fire. “You could have at least been a slut and finished school instead of ruining your future and deciding to be a whore afterwards.”
“How am I a slut for dating someone?” she demanded an answer from her father, looking to her mother who was looking down and away. It was obvious that she was embarrassed by her father’s outburst, but her mother was saying nothing. That wasn’t rare. At this point her father could have said anything and her mother wouldn’t defend her even though her mother had seemed okay with everything before. “Wouldn’t I have to be sleeping around in general with everyone and anyone to be a slut?”
“Whatever makes you feel better honey,” her father moved around the table to sit on the corner of it, folding his arms out in front of his chest. “What you should have been doing is groveling. You should have been making up the work you knew that you were going to miss for the rest of this semester. Maybe you should have apologized to the professor. Begged him to forgive you. The schoolboard is not going to accept you back and you are so arrogant to think otherwise. You should have done everything in your power to get back into that school or find something else. Instead, you’re opening your legs to an older man. Sounds like you’ve taken this time to be exactly what I called you.”
“I should have known it would be a mistake coming here tonight,” she went to leave feeling her father grabbing a tight hold of her wrist as she went to leave. The yank he did jerked her back and his fingers had an exceedingly hard squeeze over it. “Let go. You’re hurting me.”
“You are an ungrateful little shit and I taught you better than this,” her father scowled, his eyes darkening while he looked her over. “After everything I have done for you over the years, this is the way you decide to pay me back, huh? All that money wasted.”
“I’m sorry I’m not your perfect image dad,” she snapped back, attempting to pull her wrist back, but he kept his firm grasp on it. “I guess I should have just let my professor rape me so you could be proud of your little girl and the woman she became.”
“You know, you have a really smart mouth and no man is going to be accepting of that little girl,” her father pulled her forward and she felt a nervous breath catch in her throat.
“Just because you’re an abusive shit that doesn’t like a strong woman doesn’t mean that the rest of the world is like you,” she scoffed watching her father’s eyes narrow and a moment later felt the firm smack of his hand across the side of her face. When he did it, her mother finally stood up from where she was seated and stepped forward. Reaching up with her free hand, Y/N felt her chest aching and she finally found the strength to pull her wrist from her father’s grasp. “Wow, not only am I not the person that you thought I was, but you certainly aren’t the man that I thought you were.”
“Y/N,” her mother tried to step forward and Y/N held her hand up to stop her mother from talking to her. “This just got elevated very quickly and I think if you sat down…”
“I’m not going to sit down here with him right now. I’m going out for a while and I’m going to let him cool down because I’m not going to sit here after he just hit me,” she insisted with a firm shake of her head, backstepping away from the table. “He’s not the man that I thought he was…”
“I’m not going to change my mind on how I feel you ungrateful little shit,” her father got up from the table and her mother stood before her father to press her hands into the center of his chest to stop him from moving forward toward Y/N.
“Then I guess I’ll be back later to get my things,” she swallowed down hard, hating to have to say that, but the things that her father said were just so unforgivable that she couldn’t stand to hear any more of it.
Instead of waiting for any other response from her father, she headed for the door and left. There was a sense of surprise that her mother didn’t come after her, but she didn’t know what she expected from her in the first place. While her mother had stepped up when she felt her father was getting too aggressive, she just let her father say those horrible things to Y/N. It was obvious that at this point in her life, her parents no longer accepted her or wanted to support her with her future, so Y/N was done with things. There was no point in trying with them anymore after her father’s outburst and she absolutely hated it.
Walking across the street to Negan’s home, she didn’t even care if they saw her heading that way. Their opinion of her was already skewed anyways so if they already thought she was a slut and a horrible person, who cared what they honestly thought about her being with Negan?
----
Tags: @slutlanna976​​  @nubbinrobin​​ @oreostars​​  @fuckthis-and-fuckthat​​ @jennydehavilland​​ @felicity291​​ @de-gabyconamor​​ @ibelongtonegan​​ @smallsadjellyfish​ @labyrinthofheartagrams​​  @msjamesmarch​​ @thebeautysurrounds​​ @hotfornegan​​ @redmercysugar​​ @caprithebunny​​ @iluvneganandjamie​​ @ninamarietwd @tuttifuckinfruitty​​ @emoryhemsworth​​ @a-girl-interupted​​​ @akumune​​ @stoneyggirl​​ @xsarcasticwriterx​​ @ritajammer21​​ @insertneganhere​​ @haleygreen23​
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talesofphantombandits · 3 years ago
Text
Zero to Six ~ I’ll Fight to be Apart of this Family - Edited Version. Part 5.
Characters: Four X Zero (OC)
Summary: Zero was the first person to be ‘saved’ by One, she was his first honorary Ghost. Her knowledge in tech meant she got the role of ‘Hacker’ she recruited new team members, looked for missions and locations and made sure every security measure was looked at. You know normal hacker spy stuff. But her tough up bringing meant that if needs be she could fight, she was maybe even better than some people on the team knew. But due to One’s protectiveness over her she had to stay hidden, she was more of an actual ghost than the rest of the team was. This didn’t mean she couldn’t have her fun though, over the months of being with the full team she had formed quite a passionate love/ hate relationship with the handsome Four. Who knows what sparks would fly if they were ever to meet. Warnings: Slight swearing, some suggestive flirting in later chapters.
Tagg list: (I know this is a edit of my original story but if anyone wants to be tagged let me know.) @raylan-c​, @angelic-demonss 
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“Are we just not going to discuss the stranger in the room? why is the bartender here?” Four smirked at Zero. She in turn just raised her eyebrow at the blonde haired beauty, daring him to continue. “And why is Five giving her first aid?” 
The room went silent, everyone was looking at Zero like she was the enemy, and in a way she was. This group of people were the closest thing she had to family and yet she was an impostor, an outsider who’s voice was the only thing the team had ever heard that’s the only thing they knew her by. She hoped One would forgive her for what she was about to do.
Zero coughed away any last nervous about coming clean. "You know for what you guys do, you are all so dumb sometimes."
Zero in return heard a hiss, her head snapped to the direction it came from. She was faced with One, his face and neck had gone completely red with how angry he was.  A look that told Zero to shut her gob if she knew what was good for her. 
"What?!" Was she really that surprised? It was One after all, did she really think he’d just let her spill the beans right here, right now when he’d kept her away for so many years. 
"She, she just stumbled in here after the bar fight, and the doctor couldn't resist helping her." Zero looked from One appalled, to Five who was just as taken a back as Zero was. Her eyebrows furrowed as she gave a concerning look between the both of them. 
Zero couldn't help but clock onto the suspicious glare that Two was giving her. She definitely knew the truth, she was an incredibly smart woman and Zero wouldn’t be shocked if she didn’t know the moment she walked into the room. She looked back to One who she could tell was getting more and more worried over the glances everyone in the room was giving Zero.
"Your name was Lilly right?" One asked marching up to Zero and grabbing her hand, but Zero shrugged it off "Come on I'll take you home."
Everyone was looking at One like he'd lost his mind, the team was supposed to be a secret so why would he offer to take a stranger home? The air was so thick in the kitchen that even a knife wouldn’t cut it.  To make matters worse Four was starring Zero down with such ferocity she thought those ocean blue eyes she’d only seen in photo’s would melt her to the ground. She just raised her eyebrows at the man again, more threatening this time. Zero was brought back by the tug on her arm, she hissed back at One but jumped down off the counter anyway. As she slowly made her way pasted Five she quietly thanked her for being there to help her as best she could for the night. 
“Who is she One?” Three pressed on, One looked like he would explode any moment, the man who never seemed to make such stupid mistakes had nearly revealed one of his biggest secrets. “No one, she’s no one. Just a normal bartender.” Zero stopped abruptly which also dragged One to a stop as his hand was still around her arm.  When he whipped around she took the opportunity to strike the man straight across his dumb face. 
One looked at her shocked, she herself was in shock at what she had just done. Had she actually just assaulted him? The man that had saved her life all those years ago, gave her food and shelter, she owed him everything and she had just straight up assaulted him. She looked at her hand that now slightly stung in shock, as did everyone else in the room.  One’s shock only lasted a couple of seconds before his face turned stony cold and once again he latched onto Zero’s arm and headed towards the door. 
After everything that just happened Zero couldn’t help but still be memorised as she approached Four, he was breath taking, a beautiful sight to look at. It was almost like looking into the blinding sun that eventually you had to tear your sight away from, in case of damage to the eyes.
She felt a wave of sadness overcome her suddenly, she had been so close to Four actually knowing who she was, she’d been close to the whole team knowing it was her. God even one normal conversation with him probably wouldn't have satisfied her enough but it would have been a start at least. Yet One just had to take even that away from her, while she was grateful for everything One had done for her, he was still in turn hurting her.  What she really needed was a real family and she had found that in these guys but One was always in the way.  If her only way was to fight to be apart of this family, then so be it.
"Hurry up" One snapped out angrily, there was definitely going to be consequences for hitting him and she knew it. But she was done being alone.
Zero looked back at Five who was still in shock and what looked like awe, she seemed to blink back to a little normality when she caught Zeros eye again. She gave Zero a ‘You’ll be okay’ look and a little nod, Zero was happy to know that she at least had Five to rant to afterwards when everything with One had settled. 
As Zero got closer and closer to the little blonde shit leaning on the door frame she swore she could see him smirking at her, she had to also fight the urge to slap him into next week as well, he’d just seen it first hand so he should be scared. But as she crossed the thresh hold of the hotel kitchen his hand that was hanging by his side brushed against hers and it felt like lightning shooting up her arm, across her shoulder and up the side of her neck.  She tried not to show the shiver it sent down her spine but the urge was taking over her. She met his eyes again and to her surprise she saw the same reaction but he quickly hid it.  A sudden desired to leave struck her so she decided to just keep walking after One, who had steamed ahead of her.
Once outside she felt like the mist in her mind had cleared a little, but as soon as she saw One angrily waiting beside his car she suddenly felt all the anger rush back. "What the actual fuck One?!" She screamed marching her way to the passenger door.
He opened up his side of the car. "Shut up and get in the car." He said calmly which scared her more than if he had shouted it at her, he got in the drivers seat but slammed the door shut which made her jump in turn. Zero just huffed, not wanting to get in more trouble than she was already in.
"Where are you taking me?" She sighed defeated.
"Home." He said shortly.
"Why?, why did you do that?"
"Do what? A better question is why did you hit me?!" He didn't look at her but she could tell with every word he spoke he was getting more angry.
"Okay in my defence, you were being a dick! you make me think I was finally becoming apart of the team, which then you revealed was just a ‘mistake’ I think you’d also feel like punching someone if you thought you were finally getting the family you deserved just to have them ripped away from you in the same moment!" I tried so hard to not to scream my lungs out at him but the more I spoke the harder it got.
"You knew that they weren't suppose to meet you! Why are you suddenly surprised. I told you when we first made the team that this was how it was going to be and you agreed!" One spat back.
"I did agree! but I was still in a bad place at that time and I wasn’t looking for friends let alone a whole family, I didn’t know that I was actually going to find a sense of security in these group of strangers did I!” The tears started to stream down Zeros face, she could taste the saltiness of her tears with every drop. “I want to go back! I want to complete the rest of the mission, I’ve come this far there is no way I’m bailing out now, just to go sit in that apartment manning the coms by myself for the rest of eternity." 
"No." He deadpanned, which made Zero even more angry. Had he not listened to anything she had just said to him? Did he not see just how much this mattered to her.
"One I’m not afraid to knock you out and drive there myself, I think I just proved that back in the kitchen." He just raised his eyebrows at her, like it was a challenge. "Come on One! why are you doing this to me? Why are you keeping me hidden? What do you gain from it."
"Because your job is best done in a flat somewhere, anywhere. Where no one can trace you."
"Bullshit!" Zero screamed which made One forcefully pulled the car over to the side of the road, the suddenness of the stop made her surge forward a little but luckily her seat belt prevented her from travelling any further forward.
"Please just tell me the truth." She said quietly, by this point she was drained physically and emotionally. "Why do you keep me away? and I don't want any of your bullshit. You and I both know I can do my work in any environment."
"I just want to keep you safe." One kept his focus straight ahead, staring out of the windscreen into the darkness.
"What do you mean? Since when have you ever cared about anyone's safety on this team?" I asked confused.
One had few rules, but one of the main rules that One lived by was if anyone gets stuck on a mission they are to be left behind. The team can never be exposed, so if one of them gets left behind because of capture or injury then it's just the price the team has to unfortunately pay.
"You were the first person I found." He slowly turned his head to look at Zero, this was the first piece of real emotion she’d ever seen from the man. She just looked at him confused and rightly so. 
"Why does it matter who came first? I thought you weren't meant to care about any of us?"
"I’m not." He shrugged now trying to seem like he wasn’t intrested in the conversation anymore, hoping she’d drop the subject. "But you were the first member of the team, You were in a very bad situation when I found you. I do actually have human feelings you know and I guess, In a way I grew fond of you."
Zero didn’t know what to feel, was she actually touched by this? She’d known One for a few years now and this was the most emotion she’d ever seen the man show, although she did think of him as closed off and cold he’d still saved her so in some way she rested him. "So why keep me away?"
"I didn't want you to ever get hurt, It would hurt too much to leave you behind if you got stuck. But it's a price i'd have to pay."
"Then don't, what you’re saying is that deep down, somewhere in that cold heart of yours you do actually care for this team you’ve created. So change the rule. We all need to be there for each other, especially now." I said reaching out to him.
"You know I can't do that. The mission comes first." His voice grew cold again and she knew she’d never see his vulnerable side again, shrugging off her hand he turned away to stare back out into the darkness.
"Then at least take me back to the team. I can work at the base, I don't want to be alone anymore One." He looked at her dead in the eye. "I’m starting to go stark raving mad staying in those apartments by myself not seeing anyone for years on end takes a toll on a person."
"You're hurting me more by keeping me away from them."
They both sat there for a moment in silence as Zero watched the cogs in One’s head turn, she thought if she pushed enough maybe, just maybe she’d get her way for once.
"Fine.” Did he just agree? “But I’m warning you now, if you get left behind on a mission, or injured I’m not coming back for you." He started up the car again, eerily calm It always annoyed her to no end that she could never figure this man out.
"I've known that since day one." He didn’t say another word as he turned the car around and sped off.
When they reached the base she was shocked to see just how many old and broken down planes One had collected over the years. "You’re still collecting them I see"
"Even got one or two that actually work." He mused.
It may have seem like a childish thought given the circumstances but Zero honestly couldn’t wait to explore every single aircraft in the graveyard. One had made it up the long dirt road by the time Zero came back to her senses, the car stopped and she could see a big crate in front of her and standing outside the only door was a great big dog. 
"Hey boy it's fine, she's with me." The dog then ran to One’s side and he started to pet him affectionately.
I just scoffed, raising my eyebrows at him. “What?” 
“So the dog gets your affection but we don’t?” Zero grabbed her chest, gasping pretending he’d hurt her heart but One just rolled his eyes at her and told her to stop being so dramatic. He then guided her up to an aeroplane that had a cartoon of a ghost with three lightning bolts shooting out of its hand near the entrance.
Zero laughed to herself. "I like that!" Pointing to the symbol.
"It’s in honour of you and your spooky shit." She looked at him shocked. “Don’t say I never do anything for you.”
She let him walk ahead of her so she could get her bearings, what came next was going to be a big shock to her system.
"One, you're back! I’m going to need you to spill, who was the bartender? Come on you’re never nice to anyone! Let alone giving a stranger a ride home." As soon as Zero heard that annoyingly sexy British accent she stopped dead in her tracks.
"I'll let her tell you herself."
Then there was silence. It finally hit her that she was about to meet the only family she’d ever known.
She was mostly scared because all she wanted was for them to like her, which she knew they already did but now, seeing and being with them in the flesh she didn’t want to mess their connection up. Especially with Four. She couldn’t deny that her and Fours connection even just through coms was a strong one, she just didn’t know what that connection meant yet but she was definitely excited to find out, she just hoped her feelings for him aren’t one sided.
She took a deep breath to calm herself, then rounded the corner.
"Hey guys." She smiled at all their awestruck faces, she gave a little awkward waving but internally scolded herself afterwards.
Everyone but Two looked at her in shock, she just had to laugh, that woman was too smart for her own good.  "Well darling, the anticipation is killing us." Fours dark eyes were trained on Zero as he leaned on the table, she swore in that moment her legs turned to jelly.
"Well if you'd actually let me speak you'd find out sooner, wouldn’t you monkey boy." Her words seemed to snap something in him as he shot straight.
Everyone else just laughed as the realisation of who they were meeting struck them. She just smirked at them all, finally she could be in on jokes, eat with them and just get to be around the people she cares about most in this cruel world.
"Zero?!" Three said enthusiastically, bounding towards her and scooping her up into a bear hug.
She felt like all the air was being squeezed out of her but she didn’t mind one bit. "Glad to see there are actually some smart people around here.” She chocked out. 
“Three can you please release Zero, you’re literally suffocating our only hacker.” One said annoyed while he was fiddling with some magnets. 
Three let her down and she just smiled, patting him on the shoulder to let him know she was okay. "Sorry! Sorry, I’m just so excited to finally meet you mami!" He proceeded to kiss both of her cheeks.
She just laughed at how adorable he acted in person, Three had always been one of her favourite ghosts. He wasn’t the smartest and most of the time made the worst decisions but he was sweet and funny and wouldn’t waste a single second if you were in trouble, he’d be by your side. 
"Well dam." Four was leaning with his back against the table, arms crossed and staring Zero down. Her eyes travelled to his and she couldn’t bring herself to look away.
Someone in the room, Zero couldn’t tell who coughed awkwardly which snapped both Zero and Four out of their intense staring competition. 
“So, the new mission?” 
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twistedtummies2 · 3 years ago
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Can I just ask how you make your ocs interesting? I’m trying to make my own Twst oc and he’s going to be a big eater himself, so what qualities could I give him to make him seem interesting?
Ooooh...okay, this is a HARD one to answer. So...buckle in, this will proooobably be long. 'XD First and foremost...I never SET OUT to make my characters "interesting." If...that makes sense? Here's the thing about writing advice from me: I'm bad at it. LOL It's not like writing is easy for me (it REALLY isn't) and it's not like there aren't certain things I try to keep in mind and ideas and concepts and even rules I follow...it's just that, in the moment of creating a character, I'm usually just...creating a character. And how that happens can work in a variety of different ways. Also, what makes a character "interesting" can be so many different things. It's not like there's some magic wand of interesting-making-power that I have. So...I guess what I can tell you is that there are a few things I keep in mind when I'm making my own TW OCs. The main ones, that is - including my preds and Chief Jehan (since he's the only recurring non-pred OC I have in my gallery CURRENTLY; I have another I'm actually planning to write about after I finish Nakoda's next big work, WHICH WILL BE DONE, I PROMISE YOU). First of all, I don't know if your OC is a TRUE OC or based on a Disney character. There are, of course, original characters in TW: Jack doesn't seem to come from anywhere specific, and it's hard to tell with several other characters. For example, most of the Heartslabyul students are clearly based on the Card Guards from Alice in Wonderland, but those characters in the film (and book) are really one solid unit, so they really do come across as original characters with a Card Guard motif beyond anything else. If your character is purely original, all you have to do is make sure they fit the style of this universe. If your OC is - as all of mine so far, and most in general, tend to be - a reimagining of a popular Disney Villain or other Disney Character, then you first have to look at what makes this villain who they are. All of the Night Raven students who are based on such characters - and that is the vast majority of them - have the sort of creative DNA of those characters in their personalities, motivations, and even appearance. Even with someone like Idia, there's a little something of Hades there; Leona takes a LOT from Scar; Azul goes in a somewhat different direction from Ursula (he's more like Mephistopheles or an old-time-gangster), but the basic idea of his modus operandi and elements of his look are found with her, as well. See what elements you think are most important to keep or throw out. And you WILL have to throw stuff out: the Disney Villains are usually pure evil. That's part of their appeal. Very few of them have much empathy or sympathy, what makes them interesting is usually just how much they ENJOY what they do, and how creatively they're handled, and how delectably they're voiced. No one watches Scar kill his own brother and try to murder a small child and thinks he's in the right; that's about the point where we stop finding him funny and instead think he's a right old git. But OH, how we love watching "Be Prepared," how we love seeing him toy with and tease people, and how we relish how much FUN Jeremy Irons is clearly having with every SYLLABLE of his dialogue. With Twisted Wonderland, the whole point of the "villains" of Night Raven is they really aren't villains at all. They're not always good people, but they aren't always bad, either. They all have sad and sympathetic origin stories, they all have understandable reasons for why they do the terrible things they do, and we like to see how they learn from their mistakes and even become friends and helpers to us. They are rounded, flawed people, not demons or lost causes. Your OC should be the same: someone the audience can understand on a fundamental level and find a way to latch onto. These characters can be dangerous, at times downright evil, but they should also be characters we care about: that's a BIG part of their identity, pretty much universally. Going back to Scar: with Leona, the first big change for his character is that he
legitimately cares for his family. Yes, he's annoyed by his nephew, and yes, he resents his big brother, but he makes it clear (perhaps without trying to, because Chernabog forbid he ADMITS having empathy) he does still love them. That, ultimately, above all else, is what separates him from his inspiration: Scar will kill and backstab anyone and enjoy it. Leona still has the capacity to care about other living creatures. Find what makes your inspiration tick, and then "twist" it up: if they're greedy, WHY are they greedy? If they're gluttons, is there anything you can add to that? If you can't find a way to justify your character, then you should probably consider trying a different one. Also, do try to stick with Disney characters. I guess there's nothing to say you can't do other franchises and such, but it feels like cheating to me to include non-Disney properties in a place like this. Then again, Disney freaking owns HALF THE BLOODY PLANET at this point, so that won't be too hard, I guess. :P Anyway...one last word of note: one very hard part is finding a way to make your character unique. I've come to find people have actually made a few different Kaa OCs, but none are the same as Nakoda. If you're familiar with people doing a lot of different versions of the same character, then make sure you're doing something that is truly your own: don't just riff off of someone else's work. Nako may be based on the same character as some of those others, but he's aaallllll mine. If you're not aware of it...then don't worry about it! Don't look it up, don't be discouraged, don't fret! Trust me, the more you freak out about if other people have had the same idea, the less inclined you'll be to try, and/or the more influenced you'll be. Just do what YOU like best. On top of that, be careful your character isn't too similar to other characters within the TW universe: one of the reasons I haven't and likely may not ever make a Shere Khan OC is because, as of now, I don't really know what I'd do with Shere Khan that other characters don't already have, on several levels. I love Shere Khan - he's one of my favorite Furry Preds - but I don't know what I'd do to make him all my own and make him different from both the canon cast and the OCs I've already planned or created. Again, you want your character to stand out and be all your own, as well as fitting for this universe. After all that...it's all aesthetics. Their powers, their designs, their names...maybe you have those ideas first, maybe you don't know yet. It doesn't really matter where you start - Billy and Nako both started with plot concepts, Eli and Reno both started with a desire to make OCs based on certain characters - but the basic idea is, what makes a TW OC interesting is this blend of elements: they need to be unique, and they need to be understandable, and they need to fit the rules and ideas of this world. I could say SO much more, but this post is lengthy enough, and I'm under medication, so I've probably been rambling for too long as it is. 'XD If you have any other questions I can answer more easily, you're always welcome to send them along.
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beewolfwrites · 4 years ago
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And When I am Formulated, Sprawling on a Pin - Chapter Twenty-One: Tread Softly
I’m sure some of you have been looking forward to this chapter. Some truths are starting to come out now :) 
I know I put this on every chapter, but if you’re new here, this is a Chishiya x OC/Reader fic, and i’ve put the link to the full fic on AO3 right here. 
Enjoy! And thanks so much for reading! You have no idea how much it means to me <3
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A shiver swept through me, and everything went still. The flames, the tendrils of smoke, the gunfire, they all blurred into nothing, and all that mattered was this very moment.
‘The other day, you asked me for the reason why you’re here,’ he said, ‘but the real reason had nothing to do with your usefulness to the Beach. It was because you were useful to me.’
He spoke as if he were telling a well-rehearsed story, as if he’d predicted this outcome all along. He wasn’t even looking at me, but simply staring off into the smoke.
‘From our first game together, it was obvious you cared too much about others. I was looking for a third person to complete the plan, and after the Tag game, when I brought you to that pharmacy, I knew you were perfect.’
Every word sent a new wave of disappointment washing over me, eventually settling and making way for numbness, as I realised how much he had played me for a fool. And the most devastating part was that I should have seen it coming. After all, he was the one who’d told me my naivety would be the death of me.  
‘And after that?’
‘Everything I did after that was all to gain your trust.’ When he finally looked at me, his expression was indifferent. Detached. ‘I was going to send you into the royal suite, just like Arisu.’
The wind shifted, and the cards grazed around our feet, settling once again on the rooftop. An orange glow had lit up the hotel windows, and as the fire spread, it sent embers floating up into the night sky. And in the middle of it all, was the million-dollar question.
‘So why am I still alive?’
‘Because somewhere along the way,’ he said, ‘I changed my mind.’
But... why?  
He was speaking in riddles, evading my question like he evaded everything, and quite frankly, I was tired of it. I just wanted out, and to not have to worry about whether he was going to throw me under the bus.
‘What are you saying?’
‘I’m saying I decided against the idea.’ He sighed, his expression darkening almost imperceptibly. ‘I’m not sure exactly when the decision happened. It crept up behind me, without me realizing it.’
I froze.  
‘It sort of creeps up behind you, and by the time you realise it’s there, it’s too late. You’re already trapped.’
Those words… they were mine, back from that time in the jewellery store. He knew how I felt, and he was still trying to get into my head and twist me.
My fists clenched. ‘Stop,’ I hissed. ‘Stop trying to play with me like this.’  
‘Play with you?’ His eyes shone with amusement. ‘Who says I’m playing with you?’
Hot tears spilled down my cheeks, and I squeezed my hands until the fingernails cut sharp crescents into my palms. The flash of pain offered little remedy. The fact that he was toying with me so casually... I didn’t know whether I loved or hated him.
‘You were going to use me for something else then,’ I said. ‘If not for your plan, I would have come pretty handy in a game. A human shield, maybe.’
He laughed, a soft huff of air. ‘The thought did come to mind, but like I said, I decided against it.’
Despite how much I wanted him to leave me alone and let me focus on finishing the game, there was still a part of me that childishly clung onto the hope that he was telling the truth. I despised that part... I wanted to stamp in into the ground until it was buried forever.
‘I can’t....’ I shook my head. ‘I don’t understand.’
For a long moment, he stared at the rooftop in quiet contemplation, and then he spoke. The words were low, slipping out as if they didn’t truly want to be heard, and something inside of me buckled.
‘You’re a train whistle.’
I cried, hard. Even while the wind scattered the cards around our feet, and the gunfire slowly ebbed away, I sobbed into my hands like a child because this was my dream, the vision that I had wanted for myself. Yet here he was, standing before me with his trickster smile and his cruel apathy, trying to steal it from me.
‘I’m sorry.’ I rubbed the tears from my face with the backs of my hands. ‘I just can’t believe you.’
His jaw tightened for a fraction of a second. ‘You can’t believe me, or you don’t?’
‘Both,’ I replied. ‘If you’re telling the truth, you’d have to find a way to prove it. And even then, you’ve lied so much, I just can’t trust anything you say anymore, even if I really want to.’
‘And if I found proof?’
I shook my head. ‘You can’t.’
That was the cold hard reality.
However, there was another reality, one that was surrounding us in swathes of smoke gusting from the windows downstairs. The fire in the hotel was spreading fast, aided by the cold breeze that seeped through the singed holes in the back of my hoodie and sent goosebumps across my skin. Chishiya didn’t seem particularly bothered by the flames. His impassive gaze was focused on the ground, and he seemed preoccupied with something else.
Probably whatever ‘proof’ he’s going to concoct.
‘We should pick these up and go back inside,’ I said, drying my eyes on my sleeve and eyeing the playing cards dotted across the rooftop. ‘We need to find the witch before we all burn alive.’
Chishiya was silent as he helped me collect the cards before the wind carried them off. Once we re-entered the hotel, I could hear his footsteps following behind me, but I didn’t turn. Until the timer on our phones ticked down to zero, we would be allies and nothing more.
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The halls were empty, and as we made our way to the balcony overlooking the lobby, it became clear why. All of the survivors were gathered here, including Aguni and the militants. Chishiya and I stayed close behind a pillar, remaining hidden on the floor above while watching the scene. The air was stiff as the survivors backed away, crying before the militants who waited with their guns poised.
‘Kill them all,’ Aguni said.
The militants readied themselves, adjusting their grip, all except one who shakily clutched his gun. ‘Jun,’ he said to the man beside him. ‘I can’t... I just can’t do this anymore.’
‘We’ve gone too far to stop,’ Jun replied. ‘There’s no way we can go back to our original lives after killing this many people’
I flinched as Aguni kicked Jun to the ground. ‘You heard me before, right? Anyone who goes against me is a witch.’ His expression turned dark, and he pointed his gun at Jun’s head.  
‘Shoot me then!’ Jun cried.
I bit my lip, my fingers tightening around the balcony as Aguni placed his finger on the trigger.
‘That’s enough!’
That voice… he’s alive.
A familiar face appeared from the sidelines, and the crowd parted to make way for Usagi, the girl in the yellow t-shirt from earlier, and a boy I knew to be named Tatta. Between them, they were supporting a heavily injured Arisu. Blood was smeared across his face and clothes, but I was glad to see that he had made it.
I should go down there, I thought. I should be supporting them.
I made a move towards the staircase, only for Chishiya to wrap a hand around my forearm. Glaring, I tried to yank myself free. He only tightened his grip in response and shook his head.
‘Let’s end this game!’ Tatta said, moving back to let his friend stand upright.
Arisu hobbled over to Aguni. ‘I was tied up by you guys the entire time, even before the murder happened. I can’t be the witch, and if none of you guys are the witch, there’s no need to kill me. Please cooperate with me.’
Aguni casually strolled over, then smashed his fist into Arisu’s nose. There was a crunch as he kicked him square in the chest, and Arisu’s body rolled across the floor. I recoiled, turning my head in the direction of the staircase – anything not to have to look at Arisu’s bloodied features. Chishiya’s fingers squeezed.
Once again, Arisu stood up to face Aguni, who advanced like a predator. Before he could swing a punch, Usagi lunged at him. He tossed her aside like a rag doll.
‘I see now,’ she said, scowling from where she lay sprawled on the floor. ‘The reason you attacked Arisu even though he’s the only one with an alibi, it’s because you’re the witch.’
There was a moment where Aguni hesitated. Something unreadable came over his face, then he spoke, confident. ‘That’s right. I’m the witch.’
The room filled with whispers. Several people took a step back, eyeing the guns of the militants and Aguni’s unwavering certainty. There was something about it that didn’t sit right with me. Aguni had more of a reason to kill Arisu and Usagi than he did Momoka. Not to mention Kuina had been guarding outside his room earlier. He had been in there all evening.
‘Why is he lying?’ I whispered to Chishiya.
His mouth tilted knowingly. ‘I have a feeling we’ll find out soon.’
I bet he already knows who the witch is.
I scanned the room, trying to figure it out for myself, but there were so many elements to this puzzle. Aguni wasn’t the witch, that was obvious. He probably murdered Hatter though, and I had a feeling there was more to it than just rising tensions. It was only when he walked towards the militants’ outstretched guns, daring them to shoot him, that the bigger picture started to come together.
He wants to die…
Hatter’s death, he felt guilty for it, and now he wanted to die. Could that mean they had been genuine friends before things at the Beach got out of control? But that still didn’t make Aguni the witch. If this was a Hearts game, the real witch was someone we’d least expect… a solution that would leave us distraught.
Apparently, I wasn’t alone in thinking this, as Arisu yelled, ‘don’t shoot him! Aguni’s not the witch!’ With Usagi’s help, he lifted his head from the ground. ‘This is a Ten of Hearts game. Killing him won’t help you win.’
He’s right, it’s a Hearts game, which means the witch will be hidden in plain sight.
The rules stated that we had to find the witch and burn her body. They never mentioned anything about killing anybody, and the rules never lied.
It’s a solution that that still involves burning a body…
My eyes drifted to Momoka.
‘He has an ulterior motive,’ Arisu continued, struggling to his feet. ‘The one you killed wasn’t Momoka… it was Hatter. I found out after I saw your eyes. They were the same eyes I had after killing my best friends.’ He stumbled into middle of the room until he stood face to face with Aguni. ‘If you had this many firearms, the militants would have gained control a long time ago. In reality, you and hatter were both helping each other. There was no conflict at all. You were best friends with Hatter in reality, right?’
With one subtle twitch, Aguni’s expression gave him away, and he crashed his fist into Arisu’s head. Several people jumped onto his back, but he shook them off easily, picking up Arisu by the scruff and socking him once again in the jaw. It was hard to believe he was still conscious as he writhed on the carpet.
‘Just who is the witch?’ Usagi cried.
‘I know who it is,’ Arisu whispered. He swayed as he got to his feet. Then he pointed across the room, and everyone turned to the body lying there. ‘It’s possible that the witch is Momoka herself.’
I looked at Chishiya who was calm as ever. ‘You knew this already, right?’
He smirked softly. ‘So did you.’  
For the tiniest second, there was something else in his expression, something I didn’t have a name for, and some of the pain I felt softened in response. But the moment disappeared, as down below, the room erupted into disorder.
‘What a joke!’ Aguni threw Arisu to the floor yet again. This time, the action sparked something as all the remaining survivors threw themselves at Aguni, swarming in an attempt to subdue him. With gritted teeth, he flung them aside one by one. ‘I’m the witch!’ he yelled. ‘It’s me!’
It was no use. They circled him in a mess of limbs, arms grabbing and pulling desperately. If they could take him down, or at least keep him distracted, there was a chance the game could finally be cleared. But then a new voice broke through the madness, and things took a strange, strange turn down the rabbit hole.
‘Listen up everyone!’ The girl in the yellow t-shirt, Momoka’s best friend, stood unflinching in the middle of the room. ‘I’m the dealer for this game!’
A bright red laser struck the ceiling and pierced her body. She dropped, limp against the floor.
A Dealer?
My mouth fell open in surprise, and at the same time, it all fell into place… the reason why certain games had others playing against us… why they seemed to be designed and run by gamemasters rather than computers. Were the people in this world split into dealers and players?
I glanced at Chishiya finding him equally taken aback. His fingers slackened around my arm, and seeing my opportunity, I pulled away, heading towards the stairs.  
The least I can do is help them carry Momoka’s body to the fire.
I didn’t get far. Chishiya’s hand grabbed my hood and dragged me right back. I staggered, trying to get away from him after everything he’d done, only to freeze when he said firmly, ‘not just yet.’
‘Why?’ I hissed. ‘So you can use me as a shield in case they see us?’
He didn’t reply, but the look on his face left no room for discussion. Everything inside me bristled as he kept his hand tight around my wrist. He had no right, no right whatsoever to do this, keeping me here without even telling me why. However, the sting was washed away when I saw Kuina stumble into the room, Ann by her side.
Kuina!
It was such a relief and a joy to see her alive and uninjured, although at the same time I wondered how much she was in on. Did she know that Chishiya had been manipulating me? Was she only friends with me because he had told her to be? She had mentioned once that he was the one who asked her to bring me food that time when we first met. The confusion was tearing me apart; I no longer knew what was real and what was fabricated.
Ann held up the missing knife from the body. ‘The fingerprints on the handle show a reverse grip,’ she said. ‘Momoka killed herself.’
It only meant one thing; she had committed suicide for the sake of starting the game.
Then in that case, they were both ‘dealers’, whatever that means.
I wasn’t sure how I felt about this now. Were they forced to participate, or did they choose to create all this mess themselves? If so, why would they want to do something like this? And why would the girl in the yellow t-shirt help Arisu if she was in on the game?
‘FIVE MINUTES REMAINING.’
The acrid scent of burning fabric filled the air, and everyone looked around, trying to pinpoint the source.
The fire!
I had forgotten all about it, and now there was no time to waste standing around like this.  
‘We only have minutes left!’ Kuina shouted. ‘We need to get her body onto the fire.’
Several people scrambled to lift Momoka’s body and bring this entire massacre to an end. No more deaths. No more blood. No more betrayal. However, this was just wishful thinking, cut short by gunshots bursting through the lobby. A familiar figure stumbled out through the smoke, and I instinctively took a step back.
Niragi’s alive?!
He’d wrapped his torn shirt around his head, and every inch of his upper body was blistered with glistening red burns. In his hand was a submachine gun, and with an animalistic growl, he unleashed a spray of bullets throughout the room.
Bodies flew back and tumbling to the ground, blood splattering the walls and carpet as people stumbled over one another in a frantic struggle to escape. I saw Arisu and Usagi duck, while others crouched low, covering their heads. Bullets ricocheted off the walls as Niragi aimed wildly in every direction, shooting everything that moved.  
And then he looked up.
Even through the charred skin and the tatters of fabric, that familiar glint shone in his eyes when they locked with mine. Teeth bared in unrestrained fury, he raised his gun.
I felt Chishiya’s hands on my shoulders.
It’s just sound and fury…  
He fired.
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mythandlaur · 3 years ago
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whatever the cost whether it works out or not i’ll follow you, i’ll follow you with my heart
OC-tober Day 1 - Journey Prompt list by oc-growth-and-development
Fandom: Warframe Canon Characters: Spoiler Character (Cephalon Fragments) Original Characters: Istha Merreth Warnings: None
Notes: Soooo, I’m doing this! Not sure how consistent I’ll be, but I at least want to throw out some short things for it. And no, this isn’t going in any main tags and I’m not mentioning the blog because hahahaha...haha...h a haha...
-
Things had never been terribly easy for them, it’s true--but their circumstances had only weighed harder on them in recent years, as the Orokin Empire’s growing stranglehold on the system and the clan’s deserted location made it harder and harder to keep people fed on their own. All they really had going for them was their steel and their freedom, and, though she did not wish to say it, she harbored doubts that the golden bastards wouldn’t come for both of those things sooner rather than later. The Orokin couldn’t stand anyone not under their control.
But that was a problem for the future. The current problem was supplies, which mostly came from other settlements on other planets. And, while they could occasionally pay passage on ships with “mercenary” work, it was harder to get into the heart of Orokin territory in such a way.
Which was why Istha is currently sitting in a shipping container in the cargo bay of a dingy Grineer mercantile transport vessel.
The Grineer were often chosen as ferries for goods within the empire, as they were less likely to sell said goods than the Corpus--and, for the purposes of herself and her companion, they were much easier to infiltrate. Not that she’d ever personally done it before, but he apparently had some experience with it, and she was willing to trust him on this.
What she wasn’t willing to trust him on was how long they were intended to stay in the damn boxes. Istha lets out a long sigh and tries not for the first time to shift into a more comfortable position; her feet hit the wall while her head hits the inside corner and she groans in growing frustration. It’s impossible to tell how much time has passed, but she’s starting to lose her patience, and kicks one of the metal crate walls as best she can, letting out a satisfying clang. She hopes that will serve as enough of an indication to her partner that she wants out.
There’s a long silence, and then a muffled, matching clang from somewhere nearby. Istha decides to take this as an affirmative and begins to push her lid open. The Grineer weren’t always the best at handling their cargo, and so her own crate had wound up on its side (luckily for both her and the Grineer who’d set down the box, as most fragile cargo could not brace its feet and arms into the walls and wait for a safe moment to crawl to the newly-reoriented ground).
It doesn’t take long for Istha to force the crate open, and she crawls out on her hands and knees into the cargo bay proper. The cargo bay isn’t much brighter than the inside of the crate, but in the emergency lighting, she can make out the glint of a crimson blade sticking out of the top of a crate in the next row, and she grins.
Yeah, she figured he was starting to go insane, too.
He hadn’t gotten as lucky as her with his crate’s orientation, so she watches as he laboriously pries the lid open and pushes it back so it’s barely balancing on one of the crate’s walls. The sword is thrown over the edge so he doesn’t impale himself on it, before he lifts himself over the edge as well, balancing awkwardly on his stomach and trying to get his hands to reach the ground. Istha covers her mouth to try and hide her snickering, but this quickly dissolves into full-on laughter as he loses his balance and tumbles onto the ground in an awkward somersault, ending up on his back.
It takes Istha several seconds to calm down enough to speak. “I am forever grateful that you chose to train me.”
He drags himself into a sitting position, glaring at her with a sort of muffled growl that just makes her burst out laughing again, doubling over on herself. Blood and bone, she thunks to herself, I was trapped in there too long.
“If you’re finished.”
Istha snorts, but slowly manages to pull herself together and sit up properly, though she still throws a smirk in his direction. “I liked the landing. Is it a new technique?”
“You know me, the notorious blade in a box.” He huffs a sigh, but she catches a quiet chuckle following it. “You all right?”
“Pretty much.” Istha stretches her arms over her head. “How do you do this?”
“Usually, about the same way we did it this time. Except once or twice when I went on these trips I was smaller.”
Istha wraps her arms around herself as the chill of the cargo bay hits her. At least the air is somewhat less recycled, but the ambient temperature makes her question just how much steel the Grineer actually put between the cargo bay and the ravenous void of space. “How far do you think we are?”
He shrugs. “We had an early stop, that was probably the Phobos station, and we should’ve translated once already. Maybe Europa?”
Istha winces, but looks away quickly to try and hide it. It’s not a big portion of the trip, but she already feels like she’s missed so much. She’d never seen a ship void translate before. “So a while yet to Uranus, then.”
“Yes. What’s wrong.” She can feel his piercing gaze on her and hunches her shoulders. Damn it, was she that obvious? “Body language,” he adds, again as if reading her mind. “You’re defensive. Lacking confidence.”
Istha scrunches her face up in frustration and makes a conscious effort to open up her posture towards him. Confident, but not stupid. You hold your chest high, but never, ever forget that it’s a target.
“...I’ve never been off-planet before,” Istha admits. She’d learned a long time ago that it was useless to lie to him; he was much too good at reading the little twitches and quirks of others. It was part of what made him as capable a warrior as he was--he could read his opponents like a book without even thinking about it, while she was often more...single-minded. “Mama told me that we used to move around a lot more. Pack everyone up on a ship and hop to another planet.”
“You know I can’t remember the last time we did that, either.” Right, she often forgets that he’s not really that old--not much older than her. “But I know that was when there were less of us, and there was more of the system out there.”
“Golden bastards,” she grumbles, and he nods in understanding. The Orokin had gotten a reputation for destroying most everything they touched, not that anyone would say it within earshot of a Dax. “Do you really think these trips will be enough?”
“For now, they have to be.” His tone is grim and brokers no argument. “What troubles you.”
Istha sticks out her tongue in his direction. Stubborn as a mule, all the better to match with her. “You’re not going to be dissuaded, are you.”
He smiles. “No.”
“Couldn’t we go up top? Smash a few heads, look out the window?”
“Let’s see, there’s about...a hundred Grineer on this ship, and two of us.” He tilts his head and raises an eyebrow knowingly. “We shouldn’t, not with those numbers. Wouldn’t want them to feel too bad about themselves.”
Istha barks a laugh, but it’s short-lived. “Seriously. We could handle them.”
“We could. But the Grineer like their manual ships, no fancy Orokin navigational system or what-have-you. Can’t risk the pilot dying.”
“Don’t you know how to pilot?”
His eyelids lower. “Istha. I wouldn’t be caught dead flying this kind of bucket.”
“Well...” She shrugs. “I could probably figure it out.”
“Don’t. For the sake of all that is still good in this system, don’t try to figure it out.”
Istha grins, languidly leaning forward so her chin rests on her hands. “Have a little faith in me, friend~”
“Absolutely not.”
“Are you worried I’d put you to shame?”
“I’m worried that I would be caught dead in this bucket.”
Istha lets the sly act dropp, shifting so her cheek rests on one palm. “Really, though. I don’t want to go my whole life without seeing the stars from here, you know?”
He presses his lips together into a thin line, and glances off to where one of the far walls of the cargo bay should be. Her eyebrows shoot up toward her hairline.
“...We’d have to wait,” he cautions. “Can’t risk springing something like that too early.”
“But you want to.”
“I may want to put some Grineer in their place. That’s all.”
He folds his arms, ostensibly shutting her down, but Istha’s eyes crinkle in amusement as he continues to stare into the distance--she knows she’s going to get exactly what she wants, and she’s not even going to have to drag him along behind her. He knows it, too, judging by the faint turn to his lips he tries to tamp down.
If waiting is his only condition, she’s willing to go along with it, just as long as she gets out of the cargo bay. Really, she doesn’t mind the waiting now that she’s out of that crate and with him, even if they sit in silence for most of it.
She’ll pass the journey entertained by the mental images of the surprised looks on the Grineer’s faces when they realize what they’ve done, and that’s quite enough for her.
And she isn’t actually going to try and pilot the ship.
...Probably.
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be-ready-when-i-say-go · 3 years ago
Text
The Hard Things--Alternative Ending
Doing the right thing is never easy. Calum and Freya have a lot going for them. But what happens when fear gets in the way.
Inspired by I Follow Rivers by Marika Hackman and Starting Line by Luke Hemmings.
Calum X Black Female OC. Angst with a happy ending. Because my characters should never be happy.
The Hard Things--Original Ending.
Materlist (on a semi hiatus)
___________
If Freya were going to be honest, she would admit that the second she saw Calum and his friends walk into the building she knew things were going to be bad. But Freya’s not being honest. Because being honest would almost include admitting just how too easy it was that day. How if those particular sequences of events hadn’t happened that specifically, then she wouldn’t be here--trying not to watch the quiver in his chin or the way he blinks rapidly. Then she wouldn’t be trying to forget the way his voice quakes.
But they did happen in that particular order. On a Thursday afternoon, he and his friends walked through the door. And here, here at this part, it’s easy to be honest.
Honestly, she is staring--way too hard and way too long at the rag-tag gaggle of people, but especially the man pulling up the rear of the group with a bright red hat snug on his head and covering his eyes, though not even the brim can hide the plump full lips pulled up into a tiny grin at something that must’ve been said. Because another guy, this one fairer-skinned in a hat too and a baggy t-shirt is also laughing. And of course, this group would enter just as Tre stepped away to check on the lanes already throwing. Vanessa wasn’t too far from the desk, but she was trying to help some parents figure out when they could schedule an event for someone’s birthday in the coming weeks.
This only leaves Freya as the only person available right now until rounds were completed to handle any new patrons. With a glance down to the clock on the computer, she could see that a couple more folks would be coming back to the front at any point. But clearly, that point wouldn’t come quick enough.
“Hi,” Freya greets flicking her gaze back up to the group with a quick smile. It’s the training. The fact that more than once she’d been told that customers liked her, especially the way she gave instructions but she needed to smile more. And if this weren’t the job keeping her afloat during her time of getting her degree, in addition to the administrative desk work she did at the university, she would leave here in a heartbeat. Possibly even in the blink of an eye. Whichever was faster.
“Hey! We were hoping you had a couple of lanes for us.”
Freya counts the head. “Just you seven?”
The guy that spoke initially turns the man in the back with the bright red hat on. “Still no word from her?”
The guy shrugs. “Don’t sweat it.” And Freya clings to every syllable. The almost sleepy drawl to his voice lined with a twinge of an accent. She can’t place it at first. But all of them share slight variations in it. The man in the red hat’s voice is low but smooth.
“Yeah just the seven of us,” a taller man pipes in.
“Okay, we can only have two people throwing on a lane at a time. I can put you on neighboring ones but we’ve got very strict rules about how many people can throw at a time.”
There’s a murmur amongst the group but eventually, it comes back to Freya that they’re okay with it. She runs down the safety rules, the forms they have to form out, and checks their IDs. She notices the man with the red hat’s name is Calum and though she knows she shouldn’t, she tries to commit it to memory. It won’t last long. She forgets names all too fast, but she never forgets a face.
“Nessa, watch the desk for me!” Freya calls out as she collects the cases with the axes and directs the party to their lanes. There’s a table for convening and a separate for the axes to rest. “Alright,” she starts with a quick whistle to settle the group. They get chatty but are quick to turn their attention back to her. “I don’t want to kick anyone out, but I will. So one last recap of the rules.”
When Freya finishes, she has the entire group repeat the rules back to her. When they return it to her all correctly, she smiles. “I appreciate y’all already. There are several range officers. They monitor carefully from several posts,” and she points them out as she speaks. “The shift rotates out in an hour. Meaning you’ll have to pause let the old shift go and let the new shift jump in. You’ll hear beeps to signal you to stop and start. If you have any other questions or concerns, you can find me at the front or a range officer. And we’ll be happy to help. Let’s keep all fingers, toes, extremities, and eyeballs intact and we can have a great day together. Enjoy.”
Usually, in her safety spills and best way to throw, Freya makes sure to keep eye contact with everyone in the group. However, she places a purposeful gaze on Calum when she tells them to enjoy. It’s reckless--she knows that. A little flirting hasn’t hurt her. Besides, she knows the moment she walks away, he’ll forget about her. They always did and she likes it like that. Flirty enough to keep good reviews, but never too flirty to insinuate anything more.
In her departure, Freya feels eyes on her, lasting longer than usual. And maybe she put more emphasis behind the swish of her hips and maybe she hoped it was Calum watching her walk away. But she doesn’t dare turn around. No matter how much she hopes in a fleeting second that maybe she had flirted just a little too much, Freya does not turn around to confirm or deny anything.
Back at the front desk, Freya takes a look at the cameras. Anyone at the front can see the lanes too--it’s for safety when you have live blades. Her gaze travels over each one though just out of the corner of her eye she catches the bright red hat. A few guys clasp him on the back but she can’t hear whatever else is said. The rest of the afternoon goes by slowly. As people leave, few come in to replace them. The weekend will be busier--it always in. And Freya knows that soon too, once the afternoon becomes evening things will pick up just a little.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m here. Everything okay?”
Freya barely sees who it is talking before they’re out of the door. Calum, phone pressed to his ear. She watches him for a beat as he paces near the front windows of the establishment. Her gaze doesn’t linger long before something on the floor catches her eye. She sees it’s black and square. When she gets closer it looks like a wallet. Clearly used and loved by the creases in it. She glances back up to Calum to see him still on the phone and peeks at the ID just to make sure who it belongs to.
With the blank stare of Calum’s ID photo looking up at her, Freya takes it back behind the desk. She’ll wait until he gets off the phone. A minute or two later, the door chimes again with Calum reentering.
“Hey, you dropped this,” she calls out, stepping out from the desk to hold out the wallet.
Calum pats his pockets and a split second panic causes his eyes to go wide. “Oh shit, thanks. I-I didn’t even realize it fell out of my pocket.”
“No worries. Just glad to get it back to you.” Calum takes it and slips it into his pocket, hands patting the outside to make doubly sure it’s secure. “You guys doing okay back there?
“Yeah, we’re good. Though I think somehow the girls are kicking our asses.”
Freya smiles with a small tuft of laughter escaping her. “It’s power and finesse. You can tear down brick buildings but if you don’t get the release right so it’s not twirling over the axis too many times, you’ll come up with nothing.”
“So says the expert?”
Her cheeks heat for a second at the raised eyebrow Calum gives her. Running her tongue over her teeth to hide the smile, Freya nods. “Yeah, I’ve thrown an axe or two in my lifetime. So I guess that counts as me being an expert.”
Calum laughs. Whether it’s at her or not, Freya’s not sure. But she likes the sound of it. “Tell me what else the expert suggests.”
A moment passes where Freya’s watching his gaze. Wondering if an anime glint will twinkle over his brown eyes because it’s a smooth delivery. Smoother than some of the stuff she’s done. There’s no way he’s fucking real.
Freya takes a half step back, slipping through the threshold that separates the front desk from the main lobby and the hallway to the back where the lanes are set up. “This expert suggests that you try her advice and impress all your friends.”
“More finesse. In the wrist, right?”
“In the wrist.”
A shy smile is shared between the two of them. It borders telling everything and saying nothing at all, borders on giving away on how much Calum might’ve considered concocting a ruse just to get her attention and how much he did backtrack on his plan because it was his sister calling and that shocked him. The smile borders on Freya twirling the Havana twists around her finger and her rolling her eyes at Calum’s thinly veiled attempts at flirting.
Both of them are saved by the front door chiming and Freya gives a nod to Calum before turning her attention to the person now entering. But Calum watches the way she leans into the counter and smiles down at the small child standing next to their parent. “Oh my god, you’re getting so big,” Freya comments and then walks back around to settle next to them.
“No, Fre, I’m not bigger dan yesterday,” the kid responds.
“Huh, could’ve fooled me. Your dad will be out in just a second. Shift change had to wait for one more person. Anything cool happen at school today?”
Calum leaves then, though he can catch the small boy gush about the races he won at recess. It’s probably crazy of him to try and find some sort of way to come back here again soon, but Calum’s already trying to put together an excuse.
When Calum heads back to the front with the group, laughing at Michael’s utter disgust at the way the last few throws went, he does look for Freya. A girl with red hair is sitting at the desk instead. And though a little bit of disappoints settles into his stomach because he wanted to tell her how well her advice worked, he finds himself resolved and it wouldn’t be broken.
******
Calum told himself whatever Freya had to say during this talk wouldn’t break him. Hell, if he were honest, he didn’t think it would go like this. “You know, I used to say I was no good for people all the time,” Calum laughs. He sniffs hard and wipes his noses on the back of his nose. “It was a clean get-away line.”
“I’m not giving you a get-away line. I’m giving you the truth,” Freya returns.
“No, I’m-I’m not saying you’re giving me bullshit. You’re setting a boundary and a good one at that. I respect it. I’m just saying the irony. The same thing I used to tell others is coming back my way.”
“Karma’s a bitch.”
“I don’t regret it.” Calum shakes his head, not because he’s lying. But to emphasize his point.
*****
Calum doesn’t regret going to the Yelp, Facebook, or Instagram page of the business to see if she had liked it or appeared anywhere on their social media. And luck would have it, he manages to find her. The owners like to show off their employees. Their preferred form of employee appreciation appears, in Calum’s investigation, to be a quick bio of new employees along with a video of them throwing. He nearly misses Freya’s post because of his quick scrolls. The bottom of the page comes up quicker than the app could handle and just as the new page loads that he notices it. The thick twists and black lipstick sitting on her cool dark brown skin.
He doesn’t regret it when he followed the account that was tagged, or the message he sent her from his finsta, or the messages they exchanged for a few days. And he for damn sure can’t find himself to regret it when he came back to the place a couple of weeks later to see if Freya was working.
There’s no regret when she smiles at him and laughs. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m here to test your theory yet again. It worked last time. But I want to make sure that it wasn’t beginner’s luck.”
“You doubt me. You dare doubt me? I’m offended.”
Calum laughs briefly as he leans into the counter of the front desk. “It’s more like I’m testing a theory. Making sure the results can be recreated.”
“Oh, I promise you my results are valid.” She reaches out for his ID and every so gently their fingers brush. Calum can’t tell if that’s intentional or not, but it doesn’t the slight shiver that runs down his spine. “So just you today, huh?” Freya continues on, grabbing a clipboard, some forms, and a pen.
“Just me.”
“Rest of your friends scared.” Her gaze falls to the stack she’s gathering, checking something off on the top page and then sliding the ID back to Calum.
“They’d probably laugh at me if they knew I was here.”
“Laugh at you?”
“Tell me--why do you think I’m here?”
A moment passes between them. Though it takes up more like several seconds, time feels froze as Freya studies his face. Calum wants to reach up and readjust his hat out of a nervous habit. He wants to take it back. But more than anything, he wants to know if he has a shot. If it’s worth really pursuing.
“I think you’re here to test a theory. Maybe, just maybe you’re here because of Vanessa too,” she smiles as it says. Like she knows that isn’t the truth but she doesn’t want to give into Calum.
And while it’s not the answer he was hoping for, Calum takes it. She wants to play a game and he can be down for that.
*****
She wants to reach out for his hands. They sit next to each other in the lounge chairs Calum keeps lined around his pool. But Freya thinks twice about it. The bulbs dangle above them casting an amber hue onto the water, a stark contrast to the twilight pressing evening closer to night’s full darkness. Freya does regret it. She regrets not leaving her teasing response just to testing a theory. She knew what Calum was fishing for, what he was hoping to confirm when he came back by himself.
Maybe it was just where she was then. Then she thought she could give more. Now she realizes she can’t. She likes it when she’s dating someone and they can decide on a random Sunday for errand runs. She likes having them around. And not that Calum wouldn’t be around. Tours didn’t happen all the time. But they did run long. And who the hell knows where she’d be in eight months after she graduated. Her life wasn’t stable--she wasn’t tied to the West Coast like Calum was.
Her life was full of variables. Ones that she didn’t really plan on trying to solve until closer to Christmas in the spring right before graduation. And she didn’t want to give Calum any more false hope. It wasn’t set in stone that she’d be staying in LA and it wasn’t set in stone that she could handle the long departures. Calum deserved someone that was more sure of themselves.
“I think having regrets is no good anyway,” Freya says, finally breaking the long silence between them. “Having them doesn’t change what happened anyway.” But that doesn’t change the fact that you still regret this, Freya thinks to herself.
“I used to believe love could overcome any obstacle.”
Freya turns to look to Calum and catches thhe way the stubble on his chin from the few weeks he’s gone without shaving halos just a little in the lights. “Used to? The right person, the right love--”
Calum shakes his head. “Now I think people loving me means that they love themselves and they can tell me what they want or need. No guessing. No games.”
“Still sounds a lot of a hell lot like overcoming obstacles.”
“But it’s not a dream. It’s tangible. It’s not me daydreaming up in the clouds. It’s me--right here. Right now. Knowing seeing what it means more than anything else that all the shit I was thinking of as a kid really needed just to be put on the ground level for me.”
“What-what do you mean?”
“I mean as much as it fucking sucks that you’re telling me no, I know you’re doing it for the right reasons. I-there’s like this thing with me. I watch people. I don’t walk into a room of strangers and become the center of attention. I don’t like people all that much, but I care. You know? I care about the people I put into my life and I want them to do well and succeed. I want what’s best for them. It’s not always easy to want that, but innately, I do, I think. Deep down I want what’s good for people. And maybe love is doing the hard things, you know.”
He pauses. Freya watches the way he drops his head, fingers threading through the curls. She keeps quiet. There’s something more, something deeper to the words. “And you’re doing the hard thing. Whether it’s for me or not is debatable,” Calum continues. “But I think love is doing the hard things.”
“You said that having some space was important to you. And while I understand that, like you do need to be your own person in a relationship--”
“Your reasons or how you want to justify it to yourself for me isn’t something I need. You already said that you know what you expect and like out a relationship and that the touring would be too hard for you. Set boundaries for you. What good does it do to justify it to me?”
“So you know I’m not being an asshole, Calum. For fuck sake.”
“No, no, I-shit. I didn’t mean it like that. I meant--who are boundaries really for? What do they do?”
“I guess they do protect the person making them. But I’m not trying to be an asshole to you. I swear.”
Calum looks up from the cement of his background lining the pool to the glossy sheen coating Freya’s eyes. They’re black in the settling night. But Calum knows they’re more like a medium brown--dark enough to get lost in them, but when they catch the light just right, they can feel like an enchanting spell sucking him in.
“Freya, you are a sarcastic son of a bitch. But an asshole to those that don’t deserve it, never.”
She sucks on her teeth, swatting at his bicep. “Take that back.”
Calum leans onto his left elbow, closing the gap between them just a little. A smile lifts his lips gently. “Never.”
“We’ve both been burned. Is it bad I didn’t want that again?”
“No. I used to say love is a scam. So I don’t think I’m necessarily the poster boy for relationships.”
“But admit it, you hoped this was the one so you wouldn’t be the odd man out.” His brows furrow at her comment. Freya gives him a soft smile. “Two of the guys are engaged. But all three of them are in a relationship.”
He sighs, gazing dropping from her face. “Maybe I was hoping so. Is it bad of me to want to be in love?”
“No. I told some kids that my boyfriend was Shermar Moore,” Freya admits with a laugh. “I was working at a summer camp and one girl saw his picture on my phone. It was my lockscreen for the longest time. So I just went with it. Well, I was spurred in part because of Drew who was a fucking creep and wouldn’t leave me alone. But I did fantasize about it. Dream of being in love with some famous and the limelight. Shit at that point, I hadn’t even dated anyone either. So another part of it was a desire too.”
“Is that part of it too? Worried about what trolls and whatever will say?”
“Oh, no one who doesn’t know shit about it can make me get outside myself.” Freya laughs but reclines into the cushions of the chair. “But maybe it’s a little bit of it. That’s too many voices talking all about you. It’s a lot of noise and some of it has to bleed through you know. Even if you’re careful and you work not to take it in, some does, right?”
“I don’t think humans were created to be able to handle that much criticism or even love and adoration. Our brains can’t handle it. So yeah, a little bit seeps in. But you keep that door closed as much as you can. You talk to people that also get it. Fuck, you even get a therapist.”
“Or a dog,” Freya says before turning her head to watch Duke laying inside next to the back door.
“And a dog,” Calum corrects.
“Excuse me, you get a therapist and a dog.”
“Tell me something.”
“I’m listening,” Freya returns, looking back to Calum.
“Before you go tonight, tell me the thing you’re going to cherish between us.”
“Will you do the same?” Calum nods at the question but doesn’t respond verbally as he gazes at her.
“Do you want to answer now?”
“Are you leaving now?”
“I-I didn’t think you wanted me to stay.”
“I want you to stay as long as you feel comfortable. And then when you leave, the parting thing we have is the good, the best of us.”
“What if I stay until dawn?”
“Then you stay until dawn. Though, I think it’s safe to say both of us will pass out by 3 AM.”
“That was the most ridiculous thing I think I’ve ever done,” Freya laughs. Remembering the same she spent a Friday night after a shift at Calum’s place. He had a birthday party on Saturday along with a vet appointment with Duke. And then Sunday, Freya had we weekly lunch with her friends that she couldn’t miss. So Calum asked her if she wanted dinner Friday night at his place. Which she said yes to, but then it turned into them doing a movie marathon. Which then turned into Calum betting her that he could stay up longer than her. But they ultimately passed out around 3 in the morning on Calum’s couch.
“Thankfully, I did not miss Duke’s vet appointment that time,” Calum tacks on.
“Yeah, no thanks to me waking you up half an hour before it.”
“That darlin’ is what I call details.”
“No, I call that a very important fact,” Freya defends sitting up. “Duke would’ve been late twice if not for me.”
Calum giggles at her incredulous look. She always got heated fast, though she knew when it was serious things and when it wasn’t. “It wasn’t him paying for the visit.”
“So you ought to kiss the ground I’m standing on right now because you didn’t have to pay anything like a cancellation fee.”
“You’re not standing on any ground right-” the sentence doesn’t get the wind to complete itself when Calum watches her stand up. “Or maybe you are standing up.”
Freya hears him, but she gazes up to the sky. Trying to look past the twinkle of his backyard lights. There’s not much to see due to the light pollution. But the sounds capture her attention next. His neighborhood’s almost been mostly quiet. But with the twinge of the summer’s heat fading, Freya can hear the last bit of people outside. A dog barks into the night and there’s the crunch only tires on gravel and asphalt can give. There’s a hum in the night that Freya can feel in her bones.
It’s hard not to fall in love with the sounds of the night. It’s hard not to romanticize this, how possibly if things were different she could find herself at some point always standing in the middle of this backyard listening to the sounds of the night, having Calum beside her or maybe Duke when he’s gone and just letting herself go to the buzz. In all honesty, Freya craved stability. Always having something to come back was her dream. But in that dream it was a partner who would be there for every dinner. A shared space that was full with both of their presences.
“When you think about coming home what’s there?” Freya asks. “Like, in ten years, what’s in your home when you walk inside?”
Calum closes his eyes, bringing the picture to his mind’s eye. “Like, the truth of what I see?”
“The truth,” Freya confirms.
“Two kids, a dog for sure. Maybe two. A wife. A lot of laughs. Being knocked over with hugs. Maybe a movie that hasn’t quite been paused catches my ears. Maybe it’s summer and my mum’s over too. Because she wants to be around the kids as much as possible. And my sister--she comes over when she can too. So we have to figure out what to cook because it’s a family dinner night. I’m mostly likely in Australia. But I could be somewhere else. Just not LA. I don’t think I could have kids here.”
“That sounds lovely, Calum.”
“But I am scared. My parents divorced. What if it doesn’t work out?”
“That wasn’t your fault. And if we heal from our trauma before having kids then maybe some of our fears won’t come to reality.”
“And if it does.”
“Then we know the boogeyman is real and sometimes we can do our best but things that are meant to happen will still happen.”
“Your parents are divorced too, right?” Calum remembers her mentioning a distinction between her mother’s house and her father’s house. But she hadn’t outright stated that her parents were divorced, just alluded to it.
“Yeah. My dad remarried. He seems happy.”
“What about you? If you closed your eyes and thought about yourself in 10 years, where are you?”
“I technically asked what do you see in your home when you walk inside 10 years from now.”
“Oh, come off it,” Calum laughs, throwing a dismissive wave her way.
“But,” she giggles and then closes her eyes. The breeze blows across her face and she lifts her chin up to catch as much of it as she can. Then she speaks, “I don’t know. Home’s full of the people I love. And I feel stable. I’m not worried about what I’m going to do weeks from now when something inevitably has to change. Because nothing’s going to change. Or at least, I’m not anticipating change. I think that’s what I’m sick of. I’m sick of dealing with change and constantly moving around and not knowing what the next year is going to look like. I’m tired of looking over my shoulder and planning. I just want to be still.”
“You did the whole back and forth between houses, huh?”
“Yeah. I always felt like I was playing two versions of myself when I was younger. I had to be one way around my mother and one way around my father and according to my therapist, the constant games of charade fucked me up a little.”
“How often did you go between their houses?”
“Every weekend.”
Calum sucks in air through his teeth, “Yikes. Yeah, no wonder you want stability.”
“Oh, thank you Dr. Hood. Tell me something I don’t know.”
“Well this is a question so it’s not something you don’t know, but is the thought of me being gone for months at a time remind you of that? Like, you’d have to be one way while I was here and then another way when I was gone?”
Freya shrugs. But it’s right on the nose. “I’d have to learn to be with you and then be without you. And all I have are switches. No dimmers. I’m either on or I’m off. And I-I’m working on it. But I’ve got a long way to go.”
Calum scoffs, whispering mostly to himself. “All I have are switches. No dimmers.” It’s not a taunt to her. It’s not him blowing her concern off. It’s recognition that colors his tone. It’s the sigh when hearing something that connects so deeply it takes all the oxygen from lungs with it.
“And I swear to Christ, Calum, if you make a Lowe’s or Home Depot joke, I will extract your ankles from you right here right now.”
“Extract? What the hell?” Calum laughs.
“Broken ankles heal,” Freya returns with a smirk. Her face is lit mostly from above due to continued standing position but Calum catches the way her lips move.
“Remind me to really never piss you off. Between your ability to throw axes and the time you told me about putting ham on a girl’s car, I don’t think I want that kind of trouble in my life.”
“I only put the ham on the car because my friend was heartbroken and she was a cunt for cheating.”
“Yeah, see that’s what I mean,” Calum points out, his index finger swirling in a circle in front of her.
“I could’ve slashed her tires too.”
“I think ruining her paint job was more than enough.”
Freya places her hands on her hips, looking down at Calum. “I’ve got some anger issues too. Did I mention that?”
They laugh but Calum recovers first to speak. “I hadn’t noticed it before. Thank you for telling me that. But in all seriousness, Freya, the boundaries you have make sense. I hope you continue with therapy as well,” he states with a giggle. “But it’s not easy to look back at yourself and realize ‘Oh shit, maybe I don’t want that thing again because that actually fucking hurt’. And do something about it. That takes a lot of strength.”
“Thanks, Calum. And I will continue with this therapist for the rest of the school year because it’s free. Shoutout to some universities for having really accessible mental health resources.”
Freya finally sits, facing Calum. He keeps his gaze averted. But it doesn’t bother her. “What’s the intention behind telling me I can stay as long as I want? Is it to get me to change my mind? Just earlier both of us were near tears and now we’re walking down memory lane. Sharing things we hadn’t shared yet.”
“I want as much of you as I can get before you’re gone. Selfish, right?” The tears are back, she can hear them in his voice.
“No. A bit of your masochism showing, certainly.”
“You ever know something’s bad for you, but you want it anyway? You want the pain anyway?”
“I mean considering both of us are littered tattoos, pain’s not something we’re too worried about.”
Calum wishes he didn’t laugh, not even the short burst of laughter. “Someone’s coping with humor.”
“Someone’s self flagellating.”
“Can I be honest?”
“Of course.”
“I don’t want you to go. But I don’t want you to hurt yourself either.”
“Maybe love is doing the hard things. You said that yourself.”
Calum swallows hard and his voice only comes out in a whisper. “I know I did.”
Freya blinks away the blur of tears. But as soon as they clear, more replace them. Her voice is tight as she speaks. “Doing the hard things suck though. Don’t think this is easy.”
“It’s because it’s the hard thing,” Calum returns. He wants to smile and manages to get a small one but he knows. Freya’s going to leave. She won’t stay.
“My favorite thing,” she starts and Calum exhales hard. There it is--the confirmation. The sentence gets caught in her throat so she pauses to clear it, work the tears down to at least speak. God, why couldn’t it have been easy. “My favorite thing between us, about us, whatever you want to label it as, is that we could also be honest. And even if it was burning waffles or ducking paps to watch a movie for an anime that you had no idea anything about because I wanted to go desperately and you had to Google a summary during the previews, we were always honest with each other.”
“I want to put it out there that you only told me that it was for an anime as I was buying the tickets. So I had zero time to prepare beforehand.”
“I told you the name of it the Monday before we saw it.”
“And admittedly, I forget it the second after you said it.”
“Fair enough, Calum. Fair enough.”
Calum spins in the chair and takes her hand. The first time they’ve touched today. Normally, Freya was more than happy to give out hugs but when Calum opened the front door, she have a half smile and stepped inside. If he could go back to earlier, he’d tell himself that was the first sign.
His thumb passes gently over the butterfly on her left hand. “The thing I’m going to cherish is that you made me feel sixteen again. My entire life changed at sixteen and I felt pretty invincible. I was also scared and excited. I was going to be in a band, like a one with lots of records and I don’t know--I only had that dream to believe in because I damn sure did not have a back up. It was before the downs. And I don’t regret the hard times either. But you’re the first person in a long time that gave me those butterflies. Assumed I was just never going to feel them again and I wasn’t a good person before, not as good as I could’ve been. But you gave me something to be good for again. Getting your text made my whole fucking day. And you-god, you cared about so many things. I bought books you recommended and couldn’t wait to talk about them with you. I remembered the kind of person I want to be. So thank you. For making me feel sixteen again in the cheesiest way possible but also in the best way possible too. That things are worth giving a shit for and that we can let people in and it won’t always burn.”
“Just a little sting.”
Calum nods. “Just a little sting.”
Freya brings his hands to her lips, pressing a soft kiss to the right one. Her sniffle is loud amongst the hum of the night. “If it weren’t for the fact that my eyeliner is tattooed to my face it would probably be running. I’m sorry it has to hurt at all. But-but I’m hopeful.”
“Hopeful?”
“Hopeful that we’ll get what we need out of life.”
He nods again, watching the tears track down her cheek. “We will.”
Her hands gently slip back out of his grasp and she uses the back of her wrist to press under her nose. The tremors shake her hands, so she shakes them before standing. Calum cranes his neck up, words about to fall from his lips. But she cups his cheek and smiles at him. “Don’t. There’s nothing else to say.”
It happens just as he blinks. He sighs, eyes closing to steel himself. Because there’s always so much else to say. And then her lips are pressing to his forehead. It last long enough for Calum to take hold of her thighs instinctively want to pull her in closer to him.
Then she’s gone. His hand slides down the rough denim and Freya’s walking to the edge of the backdoor. Duke picks up his head but doesn’t move much else. “Oh yeah, you don’t need to move. You know everyone comes to you, huh?” She gives him a few pats and scratches. “I’ll send you something for your adoption day, okay, love? And you might hate wearing it or you might love eating it. But be on the lookout for the mailman. He’ll have something from me.”
Calum doesn’t say anything as she says her goodbyes to Duke. She kisses the top of his head too and he thinks she might’ve whispered something else but he’s not certain from his spot on the chair. The swish of the tassels on Freya’s jeans signal her and the click of her heeled boots tell Calum she’s walking farther from him. The latch in the fence clicks and the wood around the hinges creak as she presses into the door. There’s a soft thud as the door shuts and then Calum can’t hear anything over the cough he uses to try and cover the tightness in his chest, can’t see anything in the blurry vision of his tears
She’s just gone.
******
When the front door bell sounds, Calum doesn’t think much of it. It could be a package or someone selling something. So he pushes up from the kitchen table and heads to the door. There on his porch is a light blue box with white bones on it. The subscription box that Calum gets already came. But then he notices an index card with a handwritten address on it. He picks it up. Right there in the return address is Freya’s name. He sucks in a breath and then looks to see who it’s addressed to: Duke Hood + Calum.
“Duke,” Calum calls out, stepping back inside to the house. He closes the door with his foot. The click of paws let him know the old man’s heard his call. “A little early birthday present has arrived just for you.”
He walks deeper into the living room and sets the box on the coffee table. Inside holds an olive green harness, treats, and a card. Calum laughs as Duke presses his snout against the bag of treats. “Alright, alright. I get it.”
Duke happily munches on one of the chews from the bag and Calum opens the card. A different letter slips out into his lap. He can see the ink and lettering pressing through to the other side. His heart hammers, but he forces himself to turn back to the card. “Dear Duke,” Calum pauses to see if Duke responds but his investigation continues on the treat. “I mean, fair enough.” Calum continues to read the card written by Freya, “Even though only the universe knows your true birthday, this card, harness, and bag of treats is meant to mark you sticking it out with your pops for yet another year. To spare you the grumps about a very cute hawaiin shirt I, instead, got a badass harness. Now you’ll be the coolest guy on the block. Happy Birthday/Adoption Day. With Love, Fre.”
Duke, done with the treat, looks to Calum and settles next in front of his folded legs. “Oh, so much work eating a treat.”
But Calum reaches down to gently pats at his tummy. The front of the car is cute, Calum finally recognizes. A cartoon white dog is drawn on it with large pink glasses against a yellow background. There’s no telling where she found it at. Calum looks down to the handwritten letter on printer paper. What would Freya possibly have to say?
Calum hadn’t had the guts to press send on any of the texts he drafted in the three months since they last talked. He wasn’t sure if he could. He is sure that if Freya hadn’t wanted anything to do with him, she would’ve said so, and she wouln’t have sent this box for Duke. His fingers tremble as he unfolds the letter.
Calum,
I figured you heard me tell Duke he was going to get a gift. And I knew I couldn’t not deliver on my promise to him. But I do apologize if it crosses any line. Please let me know too--if it crossed any boundaries.
I hope you’re well. Congrats on the latest album too.
With Love,
Freya.
P.S. I saw you a couple times drafting a text to me but never seeing one go through. And if you’re asking why I hadn’t sent a text either, know it was fear too. And me not being sure if keeping it open like that between us would only do more harm than good. So I’m sorry. But I am here, in the sense that to the best of my capacities, I can try to be here.
*****
Her bag’s slipping off her shoulders but she finally gets the key into the lock and gets her front door open. She sighs as she falls into the ugly blue apartment door and all but flings herself into her place. The stack of mail in her hands barely makes it to the edge of the kitchen counter too. It was just one of those days and Freya couldn’t be mad at herself. Everyone had days like this.
Putting her keys up and getting her backpack next to the couch, she settles into the stools at the kitchen counter to sort through the mail. One’s a bill from the dentist she visited a few weeks back. The one thing her student health insurance didn’t cover. But she couldn’t complain.
There are few junk flyers that she immediately tosses. And it’s her name scrawled in a almost all caps that catches her eyes before she even gets finished with the rest of the pile. In the top corner for the return address she catches the name: Calum Hood + Duke
“Mail from Duke, what a surprise.”
But the real surprise is Calum’s name. It’s just a plain white envelope with a stamp and the city mark it was mailed from. Freya pops it open and sees a sheet of legal pad paper folded up.
Freya,
Thank you for Duke’s gift. The chews are a hit. The harness is much appreciated for our walks. Though, I think they’re more like walks for me. And Duke gets a little exercise in before he tuckers out. But I don’t fault him. No lines were crossed. So no need to worry about that.
I think I like the idea of mailing letters more than I do like texting. But I understand. Doing the hard thing sucks. It always has and always will. Do what you need to for yourself.
Thank you. I wouldn’t normally do this. But there’s a couple songs--they’re about you. I wanted to give you a warning before you listen to it. If you listen to it, I guess I should say.
Best of luck with your last year of school. You’ll have that Master’s in no time and then maybe soon you can take over the Library of Congress like all your evil plans have laid out. (I know, I know. Not what your Library Studies degree does. But I still think you should.)
With Love,
Cal
Freya chuckles at the Library of Congress comment. She picks up her phone and finds Calum’s thread. It’s easy to want to tell him that she can’t take over the Library of Congress and that she’s glad the treats went over well and that the harness was really more of an accessory to make sure Duke looks like a badass.
But she knows--she knows the ease got her into a pickle before. It’s why she stopped things before they got more serious. But was fear going to always predict what she was going to do in her life? Maybe the ease of things was a sign to continue. But if what if things got too far? WOuld be able to handle Calum being gone? Would she inevitably get her heart broken? And sure no amount of contemplation can predict things like this, but she did want to play with that risk no matter how fucking easy it was in the moment.
With a frustrated sigh, Freya drops her face into the forearms. Her phone is still in her grip with the movement. “It’s never fucking easy is it!” she shouts into her apartment.
There’s silence that engulfs her and then her phone chimes. She doesn’t halfway pay attention to it but her phone almost never makes a sound because she keeps it on vibrate. “Who knows what I’ve done now?” she mutters but doesn’t look. Whatever it was she should explain it away for sure. “Why wasn’t there a guarantee money back or some shit with love? It would make life a hell of lot easier for fuck sake. I mean the reward was a lot bigger if I did decide to date Calum. But the fucking risk. Where’s a genie or some fortune teller when you needed it?”
With the frustration dissipating with every shout, she finally lifts her hand and looks to see what caused the noise. Her fingers slip across the screen and she watches a message lift up before settling down with the delivered underneath it. “Whoops,” she mutters. And starts drafting a message in response. Sorry, didn’t mean to send that. Was just venting and must’ve hit something in my blind rage.
She sets the phone down without another thought and then goes back to sorting out her mail, though she glances down at the yellow page that Calum wrote his letter. She’d all her best friend in a bit to talk it out with them. A buzz sound--no doubt some sort of alert. She listens for how many buzzes. A text coming through.
Turning over her phone, Freya reads who the text is from. The name barely registers before her heart goes into a frenzy. Calum--New iMessage. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, why is he texting me?”
A warranty on love is definitely a new concept. I assume you got my letter. You made it clear that you still weren’t sure where the boundaries were, I just wanted to say thanks. Or Duke did, I should say. You said you cherished our honesty and I’m going to be honest. I wrote a lot of different letters before sending the one I did. I’ve drafted a text to you nearly every day but never sent it because I didn’t want to put you in a predicament. But maybe we’re both at a point where maybe the risk might not be all that bad.
Freya exhales reading the text. How do you feel about splitting a pizza at my place tonight?
The message lifts and then settles again. The moments stretch for minutes. The bubble pops up and she watches the dots cycle from light to dark gray. I would love to.
Her hands shake and for a moment she wishes she hadn’t quit cigarettes. They weren’t good for her and she knows that. But god, right now with the shakes, she needs something to bring her down from the edge. The picks at her pinkie nail, leg bouncing. A knock at the door sounds and Freya freezes. The pizza’s already delivered, arrived maybe two or three minutes before this knock.
Another moment, maybe two passes, and then another knock sounds. She pushes up from the couch and heads to the door.
“Hi,” Calum exhales.
“Hi,” Freya returns. “Oh, come-come in.” She steps aside and waves Calum further inside.
As he steps through, he turns, keeping his back away from her. The door closes and he unveils a tiny pot, a greenish-purple plant staring back up at Freya. “I know you’re sensitive to flowering plants--like sunflowers or carnations. So I went to a local nursery, one that my gardeners recommended and one of the workers recommended succulents. They told me the name and I have absolutely no memory of what it is. Echev-I don’t know.”
Freya steps closer, gingerly taking the terracotta pot from him. It sits in the palm of her hand. “Echeveria. I think this one is a Black Prince.”
“Yeah, yeah, that.”
“Thank you.” It falls from her lips in a whisper. “Really, I mean it. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“It shall live,” she says after a big exhale, “right here on the kitchen window sill.”
Calum grins a little watching her open the blinds to set the plant in. “How-how have you been?” He knows he came under the guise of pizza. But that’s not even close to the truth. So he closes the distance between them, crossing the kitchen. One hand settles on her hip.
Freya turns in the inch or two she has. His gaze is sincere but hesitant. Like there’s more he wants to say, but not sure if he can say it right now. His cheek is a little stubbly when she touches it, settles her palm into the warmth and squish of his face. She hadn’t expected seeing him in person would stir her gut like this. Maybe it’s because she was only giving excuses. Good ones, but still excuses. “Tell me something.”
“Anything.”
“When I asked you about what you say in your home 10 years into the future and you said wife, did you see me?”
It doesn’t shock him that she sussed it out. That even with his vague include of the term, Freya would still see between the lines. “Honestly?”
“I’m making you an honest man.”
“Yes.” He closes his eyes for a moment. Not out of shame or some need to hide from the truth. But to steel himself. “When I said wife, I pictured you. And two kids--who in my imagination definitely had your hair texture and that scared me.”
“Scared you?” Freya asks.
“I barely can do my own curls. Two daughters with your texture would feel like jumping into the deep end without a floaty.”
“But you, theoretically, wouldn’t have been in the deep end alone. Me, my hairstylist, my mom, and stepmom--a lot of Black women to teach you a thing or two. But specifically two daughters, huh?”
Calum nods, his second hand sliding up onto her right hip. He holds her waist and she holds onto his cheeks ever so gently. He smiles at her. “That’s not to say I didn’t ask to try for a son as a third. Now you tell me something.”
“Scouts honor.”
“Can you really give into the risk? If you can’t, I will walk out of here right now and I won’t bother you again. Because above everything, I want what’s best for you. As much as it’ll hurt not have you again, we can’t keep going back and forth. It’s not good for either one of us.”
Freya knows he’s right. Would she regret giving Calum up a second time? Was the universe trying to give her the ever elusive second chance? Getting into a defined relationship with Calum meant she would have to figure out what to do after graduation and if had to leave would he be able to handle that? Was the chance of heartbreak worth the moments of bliss?
“I want my PhD--and I don’t know where that’s going to take me. I might be leaving California and that would be years, Calum. Years of me in a different state. And I don’t know, California doesn't feel like the end game for me. And that could just be the now talking. Who knows? But a lot is in motion and uncertain right now, does that change how you feel? Because maybe--maybe I can take the risk for a few moments of bliss.”
Calum’s knees almost give up on him, but he squeezes her to keep himself steady. “When I said I wanted as much of you as I could have before you left, I meant it. I absolutely meant every word of it. I meant I would take days, hours, decades if I could with you.The last time I even thought about daydreaming about a girl was so fucking long ago. And when you asked me about my future, it shocked even me to see you. That’s when I knew. I knew I was a fucking goner.”
“But I don’t know if I can give all that to you.”
“I’ll take what I can get it, Freya. And I am sure that in the future one of two things is going to happen: it will either hurt like hell when you leave or we get more time. I don’t know how much more. But I do know that those are the two options. And I will gladly embrace whichever one of them comes our way.”
Freya doesn't miss the inclusion of the plural. “Our way,” she teases with a grin, stretching up just a little. “Our way, huh?”
“Yes, our way.” Calum watches just how close she gets before she pauses. Her breath tickles over his skin. “Now, either we’re kissing and then eating pizza, or we’re kissing and then--”
Freya’s lip sealing around his cuts off the sentence. They exhale into each other, Calum pressing in closer and pinning her to the edge of the counter. Freya slides up against his chest just a hair, hands sliding up and then tying her arms around his neck. As they part, Calum rests his forehead against hers. “What’s tomorrow?”
“Thursday. Why do you ask?”
“Because I wanted to gauge if I could keep you up until 3 AM again,” Calum giggles. “But not about a competition this time. Like possibly pissing off your neighbors.”
“But I have the 8 am shift at the office.”
“And homework that you’d kill me for keeping you from.”
“Not quite murder, but there is a paper I have about 5 pages left on and should submit because it is like a third of my grade.”
“But Friday night?”
“I’m free--I traded a Monday evening shift earlier this week to get Friday off.”
Calum kisses her, soft and slow. It makes his whole body electric, to feel her relax into his touch. “Friday night then.”
“Before a night of debauchery, do you think we should talk? What happens if it’s too much or not working?” Freya doesn’t want to be the barrier of bad news. But she does like having a plan, a clear path to follow.
Calum’s not way to think too hard about things, to worry about things until they come up. But he knows Freya’s not like him. Clearing his throat, Calum holds up his pinkie. “This a pinkie swear that on Friday when you come over to my place for a night of debauchery, we will talk all about contingency plans.”
“You make it sound--”
“No, I know. You want the air clear and you want it clear sooner rather than later. And though, I normally am very much against a lot of the feelings talk. But for fuck sake, I already admitted that I thought about marrying you, so I don’t think now is the moment to shy away from it.”
“When you put it like that.”
“Yeah, exactly.”
Freya hooks her pinkie around his. “But it is Wednesday. So, pizza and then if you want to stay after you can, I’ll just be working on that paper.”
“If you don’t mind the company, I would love to stay.”
“I don’t mind at all.”
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bangtanislife-0612 · 3 years ago
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Impulse~ Part 13
Group: BTS
Au: Superhero
Pairing: Jeon Jungkook x OC
Summary: Main Character has lost their job and needed money to pay for college, so they become a villain because it pays really well. The boys are a superhero group named Bangtan under organization named The Elite. The evil organization is called The Organization because I'm super original. Jungkook and OC are freshman  in second semester of college. Jimin and Taehyung are sophomores in college. Namjoon and Hoseok are juniors in college. Yoongi is a senior and Jin is graduated and working at The Elite. Basically Jungkook has a crush on OC in college, but doesn't know she's a super villain working against him so it's that kind of story.
                                               Impulse Masterlist 
I know I never wanted to become a villain, but I honestly kind of miss it. After The Organization was informed of everything that happened with the kidnapping situation(excluding Pyro’s involvement of course) I was told to take the next two weeks off. Unfortunately with Sunny taking the first week to stay home and recover I’ve had to go to school without her, and would likely be bored out of my mind if it weren’t for the boys. 
“Mina?”
I turn to the sound of my name to see Taehyung looking at me expectantly.
“Oh shoot I must have spaced out. What was that?”
I see most of the boys looking over with playful exasperated looks and can’t help but laugh at how quickly they’ve adapted to my spaciness. 
“I asked which superhero do you think is cooler. Phase or Riptide?”
I scrunch my eyebrows at the oddly specific choice and tilt my head up to the sky thinking my options over. Finally coming to a conclusion I look down to see Taehyung and Jimin waiting in anticipation for my answer. I can’t but giggle at their odd behavior; however, to give them credit it’s not too odd. These two are always asking me weird questions about superheroes. 
“It’s a pretty close call, but I would have to say Phase. My love for animals is too strong!”
Taehyung yells out in joy while Jimin falls back in fake anguish and the whole group can’t help but laugh at the two boys. 
“It’s your turn now! Ask us a question!”
We’ve been playing extended twenty questions for so long now I’m a little stumped for a good question. Deciding to stick with the super category we’ve stumbled upon I realize the perfect question to ask them.
“Who’s your favorite supervillain?”
It seems the question has thrown everyone off because all of the boys begin to look extremely uncomfortable.
“Why are you guys looking at me like that it’s just a question!”
Nobody looks willing to answer the question even after my statement and I almost decide to change the subject until Yoongi pipes in.
“I’d have to say Voltage, she’s pretty cool.”
I look up in surprise at his answer, and see his cheeks turn a little red at my facial expression. Then a flashback of the first time I talked to the whole group where they were teasing him for his crush on my alter ego pops into my had and I understand. I give him a tiny smile as the other boys give him teasing looks and nudges. He brushes it all off before continuing.
“Well since I answered you guys all have to come up with one!”
That seemed to have stumped the group and they each take a second the think over their options. Hoseok is the first to come up with an answer.
“Penumbra is pretty cool! It would be awesome to have a teammate like that for quick getaways.”
I can’t help but beam with pride from someone finally acknowledging how cool Jay is and his power. Most people overlook him since he’s usually a villain’s getaway plan like Hoseok mentioned.
Jimin voices his agreement and gives Hoseok a quick high-five. Jungkook follows up with a basic well-known villain who has a strength quirk like him, and Jin mentions a female villain that funny enough I’ve shared coffee with in the break room.
Last but not least we all turn to Taehyung, who has a thoughtful look on his face.
“I think I would have to agree with Yoongi and say Voltage is my favorite.”
I blink in surprise wondering how my villain persona has won over these boys. The boys tease him like they did with Yoongi; however, unlike Yoongi he doesn’t act embarrassed. I can’t help but notice the stare he seems to have leveled at Yoongi almost as if he’s trying to say something.
I turn to see whatever Yoongi is doing and I’m just as surprised as I was with Taehyung.
He looks scared.
Like the kind of scared when your parents catch you in a lie and you just know you’re in for it.
Feeling uncomfortable with the tension this stare off is causing I pull my gaze away and focus on the other boys who haven’t noticed whatever is going on between the two.
I turn my head to the side where Namjoon is sitting beside me, just now realizing he never answered the question. Part of me is curious about what his answer may be but something about the look on his face stops me. He looks concerned, but not at the boys like I was just seconds ago. 
I follow his eyeline down to where his phone was placed in his hands. I lean over just slightly to see if I can read anything but before I can my phone goes off suddenly.
I look away quickly as Namjoon, as well as the rest of the boys, looks over to my phone ringing. I quickly check the contact and feel happiness and just a tinge of worry bubble to the surface as I quickly answer the phone.
“Sunny! How are you doing, is everything okay?”
Out of the corner of my eye I see the boys begin to pay more attention to my conversation, probably wondering the same after listening to me worry about her condition for so long.
“I’m doing good, should be back to classes in a few days. Although, that’s not the reason behind my call.”
My eyebrows involuntarily crease in confusion and I quickly excuse myself from the boys. After walking a couple feet away I ask her what’s going on.
“There’s been a bit of a situation at work and Jay asked if I could call you to see how soon you could come by.”
My confusion and concern somehow increases at her words, and I quickly go over my schedule in my head before explaining I could come by after my next class. Sunny thanks me for the information and we exchange goodbyes. 
I walk back over to the boys and they quickly stop their conversation and look up to me, clearly waiting for an explanation of what the call was about.
“Uh that was Sunny, and before any of you ask she says she’s doing good and will be back in a couple days.”
A couple of the guys give encouraging smiles and surprisingly enough I see a few gives little sighs of relief. Honestly, I swear the more time I spend with these boys I realize how unbelievably kind they all are.
“Unfortunately she did mention that a friend of ours needs my help so I won’t be able to hang around after class today.”
The next reaction from the boys brought a smile to my face. Half of them were giving very exaggerated sad faces and Hoseok may have even been fake crying? I giggle a little in response until Taehyung pipes up with a question.
“Do you know what he might need help with?”
I open my mouth to answer, but stop myself once the words actually register.
“How did you know it was a him?”
I meant to ask it in a bit of a joking way, considering the likely explanation is he just assumed. However, I got a completely different reaction this time around. 
Taehyung stops still and almost looks like he did something he shouldn’t have, and weirdly enough all the other boys are looking at him the same way.
“Geez Tae just because she’s a cute girl doesn’t mean she has boys constantly asking for her.”
It’s an odd statement; however, it’s even more odd when it’s coming from Yoongi. My sentiment seems to be shared considering all the boys are looking at him like he’s crazy. Oddness aside I still feel my cheeks heating up in response to his words and I can feel myself smiling.
The boys notice my reaction and seem to find it perfect ammunition to tease Yoongi.
“What do you think you’re doing trying to flirt with Mina? You already have Voltage, don’t be so greedy!”
I can’t help but laugh at the boys as they begin to wrestle around before realizing class will be starting soon. I yell out a quick goodbye and begin walking off with a wave over my shoulder. Just missing the moment Jungkook joined the pile and Yoongi’s screech of pain. 
Hello! I know it’s been awhile but I’m hoping to start posting more now that I have some time to do so. Also be ready because next chapter I will be introducing a possible rival love interest??? 
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kookiesjoonies · 5 years ago
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all in | chapter sixteen.
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all in | chapter sixteen: spring break.
A/N: sorry for taking an extra day to upload, i just really wanted to get this chapter right! enjoy. xo also i skimmed this while editing so i may have missed a few grammatical things, oops. pls let me know if you spot anything major!
main pairing: rapper!namjoon x university student/bartender!reader
side ships: jikook, actor!seokjin x university student/bartender!oc, yoonseok, 
word count: 7.7k
warnings: fluff, language, smut, groping, dry humping, hand job, nipple play, multiple orgasms, squirting, praise kink, dirty talk, there’s like one spank, oral sex (f. receiving), unprotected sex (don’t do this pls), creampie 
— SERIES SUMMARY
you aren’t usually one to give out your number to strangers (let alone customers), but after you start talking to Namjoon and getting to know him, you decide that there’s no way you’re going to let him leave without it. however, he fails to mention that he’s one of the most popular rappers in South Korea. and it just so happens that one of your best friends ends up with an extra ticket to one of his shows.
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The drive to the beach was peaceful, relaxing. You sat in the back with Jungkook and Jimin, Jin driving, and Dani beside of him in the passenger’s seat. Jungkook had fallen asleep on Jimin’s shoulder, and Jimin followed suit, leaning his cheek onto the top of his boyfriend’s head and allowing sleep to capture him as well. Dani and Jin had their fingers intertwined on the console in between them, talking and laughing among themselves.
You were happy for your friends, of course. But you couldn’t help the sadness that started to creep its way in at the fact that Namjoon wasn’t going to be there with you. You knew that your friends would never leave you out, and they’d go out of their way to make sure that you felt included, but still, it pained you that he wasn’t there.
You pulled out your phone to check and see if you’d ever received any texts back from him, and you let out of huff as you saw that the only new notifications you had were from Twitter, and not from Joon. He was busy, you assumed. Probably rehearsing, eating lunch, maybe sleeping.
You decided to text him for the third time in a row since you and your friends had embarked on the five hour drive to the beach, simply telling him that you missed him. You always worried that you’d come off at clingy or needy when you texted him multiple times, and after you’d expressed such worries to Namjoon, he was quick to shut them down. He told you that he adored when you did things like that. So now, it was just habit. It was comfortable.
You made sure that your sound was on before stuffing your phone into your pocket, just in case Namjoon was able to find time to respond to your texts. You only had a few hours left in the car before you’d be at the beach house you and your friends had rented, so you decided it wouldn’t hurt to try and sleep. You crossed your arms over your chest and slid down in your seat the tiniest bit to make yourself feel more comfortable before you leaned your body over, resting your head on Jungkook’s shoulder and allowing your eyelids to droop down.
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The beach house wasn’t extravagant by any means. It was definitely older. Specks of paint were missing from the siding, the stairs up to the front door were creaky, and the once white tile flooring on the inside was stained a light shade of yellow from all of the heavy traffic. The wallpaper inside was out of date by at least forty years, you figured. And the sliding doors that led out to the balcony squeaked every time they were opened. But despite all of that, you were absolutely ecstatic that you were able to find a decent property right on the beach. The place only had to make do for a week anyway.
You all took turns deciding on bedrooms. Luckily there wasn’t much difference between the three of them. One of the rooms was a bit more cramped than the other two, and it had a normal full sized bed instead of a queen.
“I’ll take this one,” You stated, walking into the empty room and placing your suitcase down beside of the dresser, “I’ll be sleeping alone, anyway.”
You tried to sound nonchalant about it, you really did. But your friends saw right through you.
Jimin made his way over to you, letting his slender arm rest across your shoulders, “You can sleep with Kook and I, we won’t mind.”
“Uhm,” you turned your head to face him, cocking a brow, “I would mind. I don’t need a front row seat to what I know is bound to happen in that room. It’s bad enough I’ll probably end up hearing it anyway.”
Jimin just grinned, and you heard Jungkook chuckle somewhere off to the side.
“Well,” Jungkook started, the corner of his lips tugging and forming into a sly smirk, “Jimin, should we go and test her theory?”
“Absofuckinglutely.” He was quick to remove his arm from behind your head, walking over to his boyfriend and pulling him into the room that the two of them had claimed and slamming the door shut behind them. The one right beside of yours, because of course it was.
You shuddered and tried to shake the explicit images of what was about to happen in that room out of your head.
“We’re going down to the beach, do you want to come with us?” Dani asked as she walked out of the room she and Jin had taken over with him by her side, both of them already changed into their swimwear.
You took a second to think about it before shaking your head in response, “No, I think I’m actually going to just sit out on the balcony and read. I’ll join you guys in a bit.”
Dani frowned at you, and she knew exactly why you didn’t want to go down with them.
She sighed, “Yn, I know you’re sad that he isn’t here. But don’t let that stop you from enjoying your vacation, you know he’d be mad at you if you did.”
She was right. You knew she was right. Still, you couldn’t shake the disappointed feeling in the pit of your stomach. You’d feel better once you talked to Joon, or at least, you hoped that you would.
“I know, I know. You’re right, as always.”
“Obviously.” Dani boasted, and you just rolled your eyes at your best friend.
“Come on, babe. I want to work on my tan before the sun sets.” Jin whined, pulling his girlfriend toward the front door by her hand.
Dani called out to you in the midst of being whisked away, “I ordered a pizza for dinner, Yn. It should be here any minute, listen for the knock on the door, okay?”
“Gotcha!” You responded, unsure whether or not she’d heard you before Jin was pushing the front door shut behind them.
After they were gone, you pulled out your phone to check it again. Still nothing. No new messages, no missed calls. You let out a long, frustrated sigh. You knew this was part of it. You knew he wasn’t going to be able to be at your beck and call twenty four seven, but right now, you wished that he could be. No matter how selfish that was.
You decided it would be best to do what you’d told Dani you planned to do, so you hurriedly retrieved the book that you’d packed from your suitcase. You slid the creaky side doors open after making your way back into the living room, stepping out and onto the balcony. You breathed in the salty sea air, taking a moment to lean against the railing to admire the sea. The views from where you were stood were absolutely breathtaking.  
There was a light breeze blowing and you could feel it traveling through your hair, see it flow through the leaves on the palm trees below you. You were immediately taken over by a sense of calm, a sense of absolute relaxation. You were determined to make the most of this spring break vacation. So, you bent your legs to take a seat on the patio chair behind you and opened up your book to chapter one.
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You’d barely gotten through the first five pages before there was a knock on the front door. You let out a groan, not wanting to move from your current state of unwinding on the balcony. You waited a moment, hoping and praying that Jimin or Jungkook would do you a solid and open the door. But when you heard a set of knuckles tap against the wood again, you determined you were going to have no such luck.
You folded down the corner of the page you were reading to mark your place before shutting the book closed and setting it down on the glass end table beside of where you were sitting.
“Coming!” You called out, hoping that the delivery person would hear you.
You made your way back inside, spotting Jimin’s wallet on the counter. Your eyes perked up, and you giggled mischievously to yourself. This is what he gets for being too fucking horny to open the door. You pulled out a bill and placed your hand on the doorknob, twisting it to open the door. Pizza did sound delicious, actually. Your stomach began growling at the thought of it. You guessed you were hungrier than you’d originally thought.
When you pulled the door open, though, there was no delivery person. There was no pizza. Instead, there was Namjoon. With a suitcase in one hand, and a bouquet of flowers in the other.
You didn’t speak. You couldn’t. Not yet, at least. Your jaw dropped open and you just stared at him, and he let out a low chuckle at your actions. He grinned down at you, his adorable dimples on full display. And you were sure there was no way he was real. You were dreaming, and that was the only explanation.
“Babe, you in there?” He teased, waving his hand from side to side in front of his face.
You suddenly snapped out of your state of shock and your eyes were immediately glossed as tears began to form. Before you could even think, you were jumping up from the ground and wrapping your legs around his waist. Namjoon was quick to catch you, dropping his suitcase and the flowers. His hands cupped your bottom to keep you pressed against him and to keep you from falling back down to the ground.
You carefully pressed your palms to either side of his face, slowly dragging both of your thumbs along the tops of his cheekbones.
“You’re here.” You whispered, and he offered you a slight nod of his head in response.
“I’m here, baby.”
You pressed your lips against his so hard that your teeth momentarily collided with his, but neither of you seemed to mind. Your hands fell to his neck, fingers toying with the ends of his perfect blonde hair at the nape of his neck. He pushed his tongue past your lips with ease, and you eagerly opened up your mouth for him. His tongue moved hungrily around yours, twisting and curling around yours in a way that was maddening, that made you feel like you were floating.
You pulled his lower lip in between your teeth, and he let out a ragged growl. And you were sure you’d never heard anything sexier in your entire life. The sound alone had you vibrating a moan against his lips, and he gave your ass a tight squeeze in return. You moaned again, this time into his mouth. And he swallowed the sound, pulling back to drag his lips messily up your jawline.
“Hey, didn’t Dani say she ordered pizza—“ you barely even heard Jimin speak, hadn’t even fully registered his voice until he screamed, “Holy shit! My eyes! Get a room!”
He retreated back to his shared sanctuary with Jungkook, palms pressed tightly against his eyes as he hurried his way out of the living room and away from you and Namjoon.
He chuckled against your jaw, pressing one final kiss against your skin before he was pulling back. His forehead leaned to rest against yours, both of your eyes still closed. Both of your chests were rising and falling rapidly as you tried desperately to catch your breath.
“He’s such a cock block.” You panted out, and Namjoon couldn’t hold back his loud laughter.
He gave your lips another kiss. A sweet, loving peck that only left you wanting more.
“If I put you down now, are you going to be able to stand?” He was smirking, and you had half a mind to kiss that smirk right off his face.
Instead, you just offered him a dramatic, sarcastic sigh, “Put me down, if you must.”
He gave your ass cheek one last squeeze, this one much tougher than the last and it caused you to let out a surprised yelp. He only chuckled at you again, slowly setting your feet back down onto the floor.
“Here,” he started, bending over to pick up the flowers that he’d previously been forced to discard, “these are for you.”
You tilted your head so that your eyes could lock onto his, offering him an appreciative smile as he handed the flowers off to you.
“Thank you, you didn’t have to.” You said, bringing the flowers up to your nostrils and inhaling their sweet scent.
“I know I didn’t have to, but I wanted to.” He returned your smile with a grin of his own, pressing a quick kiss to your hairline.
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Once Namjoon had settled his suitcase beside of yours in the bedroom, the two of you made your way out and onto the balcony. The sun was starting to set now. The sky was dim with shades of pink and orange, the colors reflecting beautifully on the calm ocean below.
You were sitting on Namjoon’s lap, leaned back against his chest as the two of you looked out and over the water. His arms were wrapped loosely around your stomach, your own arms resting over his as your palms laid flat over his large hands.
“So, were you surprised?” He asked, his lips finding their way to the side of your neck to press a feather light kiss against your skin.
You nodded, leaning back and resting your head on top of his shoulder, “I really was, I had no clue you were coming. How did you pull this off, by the way?”
His fingertips had began to lightly trace over your stomach in circular motions, sending goosebumps traveling down your arms.  
“Dani helped me. I messaged her on Instagram and told her I had the first three days of your spring break off, so I wanted to show up here and surprise you.”
“I’m going to hit her, like, actually hit her.” You joked, and Namjoon snorted out a laugh.
He sighed, “I know three days isn’t much—“
You cut him off before he could even finish his thought, “Three days is better than none. I’m so happy you’re here.”
He nodded his head once in agreement, pulling one of your hands up and to his mouth, pecking his lips against the back of your hand.
“When you leave, where are you going?” You wondered, beginning to rub your thumb along the back of his hand.
He hummed at the comforting feeling as he replied to your question, “Tokyo.”
“You’re so lucky,” you sighed, “I’ve never left Korea.”
“Where would you go, if you could?”
“Paris,” you didn’t hesitate, “I’ve always wanted to go. See the Eiffel Tower in person. I can only imagine how beautiful it is.”
“It is,” he assured you, “I’ve been a few times. Twice, I think? It’s hard to keep track, really.”
“Where’s your favorite place that you’ve traveled to?”
He poked his cheek with his tongue, pondering your question for a moment before finally giving you a reply, “Italy, if I had to choose just one place.”
“I’d love to see pictures of all the places you’ve been, I’m sure you’ve taken a thousand.” You teased, shifting a bit on his lap so that you could face him and lift your arms to link around his neck.
“I’ll do you one better,” he said, “We go on a trip after you graduate from school in a few months. I’ll take you anywhere you want to go, to as many places as you want.”
You were quick to protest, shaking your head, “Namjoon, I can’t let you do that. That’s too much, and too much money. I don’t want you to think I’m using you for your fame or money or��“
He stopped your rambling with a quick kiss to your lips, “Yn, I know you aren’t using me. If I thought you were, I wouldn’t have offered. Please, let me do this for you. I want to.”
You chewed on your lower lip, weighing the pros and cons before finally emitting a sigh and flashing him a smile, “Okay. If you insist.”
He grinned, rapidly pressing messy kisses all over your face and causing you to erupt with laughter.
“So,” he finally said, “Paris, and then where?”
“Surprise me.”
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Once the air began to feel chilly, you and Namjoon made your way inside. Your friends were all gathered in the living room, spread out in front of the television and eating dinner that they’d ordered.
Dani spoke up when she saw the two of you enter the room, “Dinner’s on the counter. We didn’t want to disturb you two out there.”
She winked at you, and you couldn’t help but to roll your eyes at her teasing, “Thanks for that, Dan. And thank you for not telling me he was coming, rude.”
You glared at her as you made your way over to the kitchen counter, pilfering through the boxes of take out and grabbing a few things for you and Namjoon to share.
“Hey! Blame Namjoon, he told me not to.”
Namjoon rose his hands up, “I wanted to surprise her!”
You cracked a low laugh at them, shaking your head and walking toward the hallway where the bedrooms were. You stopped at the archway, turning toward Namjoon, “You coming?”
He didn’t need to be asked twice. He mumbled goodbyes to your friend group as he took a few strides in your direction, the two of you walking toward the bedroom that you’d laid claim over.
“They’re gonna do it, huh?” Jungkook whispered.
Jimin grimaced, “Shut up, Kook. Our room is right next to theirs.”
“Guess we’ll just have to drown them out.” Jungkook smirked, causing Jin to choke on the food he was shoveling into his mouth.
He groaned, looking over at Dani with his lips pushed out and into a pout, “Is it too late for us to get our own beach house?”
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You and Namjoon were eating dinner on your bed. You sat beside of him with your legs crossed and he was sitting up, leaning his back against the headboard. You shared the containers of food evenly, feeding each other bites here and there. You shared a drink as well, and you were happily surprised at how comfortable this was. It felt domestic, and like the two of you had been together for years already. Even though, you still weren’t even official.
Namjoon was rambling about his favorite art exhibits that he’d been able to see on tour, and you listened intently. You admired the way he spoke faster the more excited he got about something, the way he spoke with his hands and the sparkle in his eyes whenever a specific topic seemed to get him exceptionally riled up. You decided that you could listen to him talk for hours and never get bored.
“I’m sorry,” he nervously laughed, “I keep rambling.”
You shook your head, quick to dismiss his apology, “Joon, I could listen to you talk for days on end. I love the sound of your voice.”
His cheeks flushed a bright shade of pink, and you smiled at the sight.
“Guess it’s a good thing that the feeling is mutual, then.” He said, and this time it was your turn to blush.
The containers you’d been eating out of were empty now, and you began to pile them up on the nightstand beside of you, deciding they could wait awhile before you actually left the room to throw them away properly. You didn’t want to leave him, even if it was just to walk down the hallway to the kitchen. You’d been away from him for too long already, and in just a few days he’d be packing up to leave again. You frowned, head tilting down with your eyes fixated on your lap. You twiddled your thumbs, and Namjoon’s facial expression twisted into one of worry.
“Hey,” he said, using his fingertips to lift your chin up, “look at me. What’s on your mind?”
He turned your head to face him, and you risked a glance upward at him, “Nothing, I just—“ you sighed, “I keep thinking about how you’ll be leaving again soon. I just miss you.”
He leaned down to lightly peck his lips against yours, allowing your lips to stay still against one another for a moment before he pulled back.
“I miss you, so much. Just a few more months, and then I’m home for six months. I’ll be all yours.”
That perked you up instantly, causing your frown to morph into a smile.
“There she is.” He said, running his thumb along your chin.
You kissed him then, allowing your hands to make their way up and rest on the sides of his face. His hands found their way to your hips, gripping onto them ever so lightly.
He grazed his tongue across your lower lip, and you opened up for him without giving it a second thought. His tongue pushed its way into your mouth, twisting and gliding against yours with fervor. He was savoring the taste of you, and you happily let him. He pulled your lower lip in between his teeth and lightly bit down. You moaned against his lips and his grip on your hips tightened, fingertips digging into the fabric of your T-shirt as he lifted you up to set you on his lap.
You shrieked as he lifted you up, causing the two of you to lightly laugh against each other’s mouths. You straddled him, legs on either side of him. And when you felt the hardening bulge in his pants against your thigh, you moaned again, a long and drawn out sound. You wanted him, and you figured it was safe to assume that he wanted you just the same. So, to test your theory, you ground your hips downward. Slowly, teasingly.
Namjoon sucked in a breath at the feeling, hissing through his teeth and removing his mouth from yours, dragging his tongue along your jaw.
He pushed his hips up in an attempt to create more friction, his erection hitting your clothed clit beautifully. You whined, jaw dropping at the sensation that was now shooting electric bolts throughout your body and had you shamelessly grinding your hips at a quickening pace.
You let out a sigh as he moved his lips to your neck. He sucked on the skin just below your earlobe, eliciting a soft groan from your mouth.
“Fuck,” he sighed, swirling his tongue around the purple bruise that was beginning to take form, “the sounds you’re making are fucking incredible, baby.”
His encouraging words had you moving your hips at an even quicker pace. You seemed to hit your throbbing clit perfectly every time, causing a string of whimpers to make their way up your throat.
“Joon, I—“ his hands found their way down from your hips and onto your ass as he kept you steady, guiding your movements, “I want you, please.”
He stopped the assault on your neck and pulled back to look at you.
“You sure?” he was breathless as he spoke and his eyes had gone completely dark, “Yn, we don’t have to—“
The sudden feeling of your palm being pressed against his cock over his jeans cut him off. He groaned as he pulled his lower lip between his teeth as you gave him a gentle squeeze, using your thumb to stroke along his length.
He bucked his hips up and into your hand as you began to trail hot, sloppy kisses down his neck. You pushed your tongue out and licked along his Adam’s Apple before sucking on the skin there, causing Namjoon to let out the loudest, most beautiful moan. 
“Still need convincing that I’m sure?” You mumbled against his neck, nibbling your way up to his jawline.
He was quick to shake his head, “No, but if you keep this up I’m going to blow it in my pants.”
Your lips were pressed against his jaw as you giggled at his words, “As fun as that sounds, I’d much rather you blow it inside of me.”
You felt his cock twitch against your hand at the sound of your words, Namjoon letting out a shaky breath. He was quick to change your position, flipping you over and hovering above you. Your hands flew to rest above your head and he pinned your wrists down to the pillow, nibbling on your earlobe as his free hand found its way underneath your shirt.
You hissed at the feeling of his cold fingertips suddenly coming in contact with the skin of your stomach. He traced a circle around your belly button before slowly ascending his hand up and over your naked breast. You were silently thanking God that you’d decided to go bra-less.
Your hips were pushing off of the bed and into his, trying to create some sort of friction to ease the ache in your core. He reacted, allowing his hips to grind down against yours. You mewled at the feeling, causing him to growl right in your ear. The sound went straight to your already soaked pussy, and you were sure there was a wet spot taking form on your shorts.
He cupped one of your tits with his hand, giving it a firm squeeze before rubbing his thumb along your nipple in circular motions. You bit down on your bottom lip, arching your back up and into his hand.
He took your nipple in between his thumb and forefinger to give it a pinch and you shrieked at the feeling, squirming underneath his touch.
“Fuck, you’re so sensitive.” He was peppering kisses against your neck now, tongue poking it’s way out to lick and suck on your skin. He was determined to create bruises all up and down your throat, making sure that anyone who saw you would know that you belonged to him and him alone.
“If you’re this sensitive from me touching you up here, I wonder how sensitive you’ll be when I touch you...” he paused, slipping his hand from your breast and down to the waistband of your shorts, pulling it to give it a snap against your skin, “down here.”
You whined at the thought alone, nodding your head quickly, enthusiastically, “Please, oh god, please, Joon.”
“Whatever you want, baby.” He pushed the hem of your shirt up, and you quickly caught on. He released your hands and you lifted your arms, allowing him to free you of your top before he discarded it across the room.
He was practically salivating at the sight of you topless in front of him. Your breasts were perfectly perky and round, nipples poked out and begging to be sucked on. His mouth found its way onto your left nipple, tongue flicking quickly against the stiff bud. A high pitched moan made its way through your lips and your hands found their way into his thick blonde hair.
“Joon,” you sighed, your head falling back as be sucked your nipple into his mouth, effectively bruising it, you were sure.
He pressed a large hand against your stomach, pushing you back down to lie underneath him. He was fast in removing his own shirt, throwing it to join yours on the floor. You were staring at him, eyes raking in his bare chest and stomach. You bit your lip, allowing your hands to roam from his pecks down to his toned stomach. You ran your fingers along the thin line of hair at the lower part of his abdomen, all too eager to find out just exactly what he was packing underneath those jeans.
He didn’t give you too much time to think about it though, because his lips had found their way onto the top of your stomach and were quickly trailing down. His mouth moved downwards sloppily, licking and sucking his way to where you craved him most.
“Holy fuck, babe—“ his jaw dropped at the patch of wetness on your cloth shorts, “I’ve made you this wet already? I’ve barely done anything...”
He was amazed, absolutely fucking fascinated. He pressed his middle and index fingers against the wet spot with no warning, causing you to let out a choked moan.
“Shit, I’ve got to taste you.” He felt like he was high, listening to your moans and seeing you all worked up, just for him.
You were begging him to do so, a string of desperate pleas leaving your mouth. He pulled your shorts down your legs and you kicked them off, your panties quickly following behind them. You were completely naked in front of him now, but you didn’t feel the least bit shy. How could you? When he was staring at your pussy and licking his lips, offering you praises of how fucking beautiful you were. And how fucking gorgeous you looked like this, soaked and begging to be cleaned up.
And he was more than ready to do so. You allowed him to spread your legs, and he groaned at how your arousal glistened against your skin. You expected him to take his time, to tease you and drive you absolutely mad, but much to your surprise he just dove right in. Nose pressed tightly against your core as he dragged his tongue along your sticky folds. You let out a silent scream at the feeling, your hand falling down to tangle in his hair. He pushed his tongue through and landed on your swollen clit, your hips pushing up and off of the bed against your will, trying to get closer to him and away from him all at the same time.
He pressed a hand against your hip to flatten you back down on the bed and you whined as he began lapping at the bundle of nerves, slowly at first and speeding up all at once.
“God, Joon! Fuck—“ you released a string of loud whimpers at the feeling, “don’t stop, please don’t stop.”
He pulled your clit into his mouth and began to suck, all the while pushing his index finger into your tight heat. You cried out at the feeling, eyes screwing shut as you roughly bit down on your lip.
He began pumping his finger in and out of you quickly, his tongue moving in circles on your sensitive nub in tune with the pace of his finger. He added his middle one, pumping and curling against that holy spot deep inside of you.
“Oh! Joon, right there, please please!” Your hand gripped the cotton sheets around you in a poor attempt to keep yourself grounded, as he continued to curl his fingers and pound them against the same spot over and over again.
You were moaning so loudly you were sure the neighbors could hear you, and your friends could definitely hear you, but you couldn’t have given less of a fuck.
One strong press of his fingers and the lethal pace of his tongue against your clit had your walls clenching around his digits. Your orgasm washing over you and pulling your body up and off of the mattress as you squirmed underneath Namjoon’s hold on you. All you could see were the black spots swirling around above you, electricity shooting from your head and down to your toes, causing them to curl. You were pulling on his hair with such a force that it made his scalp sting.
He’d pulled his face away from you to admire the way that you lost yourself in your orgasm, his fingers continuing to fuck you through it as you completely covered his hand in your release. He was drooling at the sight.
When you finally came down, you did so with shaky breaths. You had to blink rapidly to get your vision to come back clearly, tilting your head down to look at Namjoon once it had. He looked so fucking good like this, face covered in your juices. He was staring at your pussy in awe, tongue sticking out to wet his lips.
“You’re staring.” You breathed out, your voice cracking from the dryness in your throat.
“Yeah, I am. That was beautiful, holy fucking shit.” He praised, finally removing his fingers from inside of you and you winced at the emptiness.
His words made your cheeks flush, “You’ve never seen a girl have an orgasm before?” You teased him, and he chuckled and shook his head.
“Of course I have. But I’ve never made a girl squirt before.”
And with that, your jaw dropped, “I— what?!”
“Mhm.” He smirked, eyes flicking down to the dampened sheets.
You propped yourself up on your elbows so that you could look, your jaw dropping further as you saw that he was right. The sheets were a mess, and so was his hand and your thighs.
“I didn’t—, I mean, I’ve never—,” you stumbled over your words, taking a small breath in to gather your thoughts, “nobody’s ever made me do that before. Nobody’s ever made me cum like that, especially not from going down on me.”
The smirk on his face only doubled in size as he listened to you speak, “I’m glad I’m the only one that has. And I plan to be the last one that does.”
His words sent a shiver down your spine, excitement coursing through your veins and going straight between your legs. He stood up momentarily to push his jeans down, kicking them out of the way. You admired the way his cock looked underneath his underwear, moaning at the sight. He peeled his briefs off and they joined his jeans on the floor.
You gasped at the sight before you, gaze locked onto the sinfully beautiful cock that was standing up and leaking precum. You figured he would be big, but this way exceeded your expectations. He was so thick, and so long. You were sure you wouldn’t be able to wrap your hand around it fully if you tried, and you were sure you’d choke on it the second it entered into your mouth. Those thoughts alone made your clit throb, you could only imagine the stretch your pussy was going to have to endure. You squeezed your thighs at the image, the thought of it making you dizzy.
You reached forward and gave a few teasing pumps, watching as Namjoon’s jaw hung open at the sudden contact. You spread the wetness that was leaking from the tip of his dick around the head and you’d never wanted to suck someone off so badly in your entire life.
Namjoon seemed to have different plans, however, because he was quickly batting your hand away from his member and crawling over top of you again.
“I was going to—“ you started, and he shook his head as he stared down at you.
His hair was sticking to his forehead from sweat and his eyes were hooded, “I can’t wait for the day I get to see that beautiful mouth of yours wrapped around my dick, but if I don’t get inside of you right now, I’m going to fucking lose it, Yn.”
You quickly wrapped your arms around his back and spread your legs for him, “Get inside of me, then.”
He lined the tip of his length up with your entrance, barely beginning to push the head inside of you. You whimpered at the feeling and he tilted your chin up with his index finger, “Look at me.”
You did as you were told and locked your eyes onto his, staring each other down as he slowly pushed his thickness in. Your mouth hung open at the stretch, and Namjoon hissed through his teeth.
“God, you are so fucking tight, babe.” He had a thing for praising you, it seemed. But you weren’t complaining.
He bottomed out and stayed still, allowing you to get adjusted to the feeling. You blinked your eyes a few times, your hips beginning to rotate at their own free will. You offered Namjoon a nod, and he took the hint.
He lifted one of your legs up to wrap around his hip, angling himself a bit deeper before pulling out and then pushing right back in. You moaned at the sensation, eyelids quickly falling shut.
“More, more— move, go— something, anything.” Your voice was completely fucked out already and you were breathless, pleading.
Namjoon happily obliged, pulling out and pushing in again as he began to set a pace that he was comfortable with. He paid attention to the sounds you were making, and the ways that your face would twist up. He was trying to learn what you liked, what made you feel the best.
“Harder—, please, oh my God, Namjoon.” The sound of you moaning out his name was music to his very ears, and he began to fuck into you at a harder pace, just like you’d asked.
You whimpered as his pace quickened, your cervix taking a brutal beating as his balls slapped against your skin. Your eyes rolled in the back of your head and Namjoon had taken to gripping onto your hips, keeping them still as he ruthlessly pounded into you.
The sounds of both of your moans echoed off of the walls, and you were so fucking glad that he was vocal during sex. Hearing the gruffly noises that were coming from his mouth as his jaw clenched were some of the most beautiful sounds you’d ever heard.
He glanced down to see where the two of you were joined, a loud groan falling from his lips as he listened to the wet sounds the clash of your bodies made as he fucked into you.
“You feel so fucking amazing, baby. So fucking wet for me, shit—“ He watched the way that your tits bounced, dipping his head down to tug a nipple in between his teeth and brutally biting down on it.
You yelped at the feeling, nails digging into the skin of his back as he changed the angle of his hips.
“Shit!” you hissed, “there, there! Fuck, just like that.”
You dragged your nails down his back, the skin underneath your fingertips puffing up and turning red.
His thrusts were ruthless now, hitting that perfect spot each and every fucking time. Causing you to release a string of wanton moans and whimpers. You could feel your stomach begin to tighten, toes already curling. You clenched your walls around his dick, eliciting a growl from the man above you.
You were close and he could tell. He loved the way you looked like this, cheeks flushed and body thrashing. You were the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. The sight of you beneath him alone had him close to losing his own mind, and he continued his brutal assault on your g-spot, chasing his own release as you were nearing your own. He was trying to keep his composure, making you cum was his top priority. He could wait.
He pressed his thumb against your clit, rubbing erratic circles over it that had your hips bucking. You grasped onto the flesh of his shoulder blades for dear life as your orgasm fell over you, the heels of your feet digging into his lower back. You were releasing a string of curses and strings of praises in Namjoon’s name, thousands of tiny stars circling above your head as you came, clenching around his dick in a way that drove him fucking insane.
He came at the same time you did, thrusts becoming messy and sloppy, spewing words about how good you were, how fucking lucky he was. He coated your walls with hot spurts of his cum and you clenched around him once again, attempting to milk him dry and capture all of his release inside of you.
You never knew sex could feel this fucking good, and even though you’d just had your second orgasm of the night and still weren’t completely recovered from it, you were ready for your third and fourth.
The two of you were heaving, breathless as your foreheads rested against each other. You finally opened your eyes to look at one another, Namjoon’s lips turning up and into a small smile as he stared down at you.
He whispered, bringing a hand up to trail the pad of his thumb along your cheek, “You okay?”
You nodded quickly in response, reaching for his hand and intertwining your fingers with his, “I’m absolutely perfect.”
“Good,” his smile grew wider and he pressed his to yours, “Me too.”
Your breathing was starting to even out now, and he finally pulled out of you as he felt his dick begin to soften. You groaned in protest at the loss of fullness, causing him to emit a chuckle.
The realization of what just happened finally hit you, and you had to blink a few times to fully process it, “Did that finally happen? Did we just have sex? Am I dreaming?”
He snorted out a laugh and shook his head as he rolled off of you to lay beside of you, tracing his fingertips along your lower stomach, “You’re not dreaming. It actually happened, babe.”
You grinned, sitting up quickly on the bed, “Let’s do it again.”
Namjoon laughed, sitting up with you, “You can’t be serious.”
But you one hundred percent were. You swung your legs over the side of the bed and stood up, making your way to the en-suite bathroom and pausing in the door frame. You leaned against it and crossed your arms over your chest, Namjoon’s brows lifting with curiosity.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to pee,” you answered honestly, offering him a bit of a smirk as you continued your thought, “and then I’m going to get in the shower. Care to join me?”
He was scrambling off of the bed in an instant, following behind you as you made your way into the bathroom. He gave your ass a loud smack as the two of you walked and you shrieked, giggling as you flipped the shower on.
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You lost track of how many times the two of you had sex while he was there. You stopped counting after five. Or, was it six? You honestly couldn’t remember, and you honestly didn’t care. But it was all coming to an end way too quickly, because he was leaving in the morning.
The two of you were walking on the beach together, hand in hand. It was dark and the moon was reflecting beautifully on the ocean beside of you as you walked with your bare feet in the sand, water coming up to greet your toes every now and then.
“I don’t want you to go.” You said quietly, but honest.
He rubbed his thumb along the back of your hand, nodding in agreement, “And I don’t want to leave, but I have to.”
You were pouting now, thankful that it was dark and that he couldn’t see. You knew this was part of it, you’d been through this before. But that didn’t make it any easier. It seemed like the closer you got to him, the harder it was for you to say goodbye.
“Come see me while I’m on tour for a weekend. Request some days off of work, if you can. I’d love to show you that part of my life, and have you be apart of it.” He suggested, and your heart began to melt at his words.
You wanted to, of course you did. But there was no way you’d be able to afford that.
You sighed, “I’d love that, but—“
“No buts, Yn. I know what you’re about to say, so don’t even let the words come out of your mouth. I’ll take care of everything, I’ll book every flight and everything in between. All you have to do is show up at the airport, okay?” He stopped walking and brought his hands up to cup your face, kissing you sweetly underneath the moonlight.
You melted into the kiss, into him. Your arms wrapped around his waist as you pulled him closer to you. You wanted to argue with him, but you knew that it was no use. So, you offered him a nod as you pulled away.
“Okay.” You smiled, and he grinned. You wanted to kiss those adorable fucking dimples of his.
His thumbs were running along the tops of your cheeks and he was staring down at you so intently, his smile never once threatening to falter, “Be my girlfriend.” He spit the words out so fast it took you a second to realize what he’d said.
You’d always wondered what those words would sound like coming out of his mouth, and now you knew. You couldn’t believe this was happening, that he was real and he wanted you.
After a few beats of silence, and you just staring blankly up at him, Namjoon coughed awkwardly, “Or, uhm— I mean, we don’t have to— if you don’t want this, I—“
You shook yourself out of your mind, resting your  palms on either side of his neck and kissing his lips repeatedly, mumbling the word “yes” in between each kiss.
You finally broke away from him and nodded your head, your teeth on display as you grinned up at him, “I will absolutely be your girlfriend.”
He lifted you up from the ground, spinning your bodies around and earning a string of giggles from you as he did so. You were dizzy, and so was he. When he sat your feet down, the two of you stumbled and landed right in the water. You both yelled at the sudden contact of the cold salt water now all over your clothes, immediately erupting with laughter. You flicked your fingers and splashed him with water.
“Hey!” He yelled, returning the gesture and splashing water onto you.
“That’s what you get for being clumsy!” You teased, and he offered you a playful scoff in return, splashing you again.
Even though you were fully clothed and soaked, the water around you was cold, and it was the middle of the night, there was no where else you’d rather be. 
And no one else you’d rather be with.
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A/N: if you’d like to be added to the tag list, just send me an ask, message, or reply to this post to let me know! thank you to those who have taken the time to check this series out, send me an ask/message and let me know what you think!
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talesofphantombandits · 4 years ago
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Zero to Six ~ An Unexpected Visitor - Edited version. Part 2.
Characters: Four X Zero (OC)  Summary: Zero was the first person to be ‘saved’ by One, she was his first honorary Ghost. Her knowledge in tech meant she got the role of ‘Hacker’ she recruited new team members, looked for missions and locations and made sure every security measure was looked at. You know normal hacker spy stuff. But her tough up bringing meant that if needs be she could fight, she was maybe even better than some people on the team knew. But due to One’s protectiveness over her she had to stay hidden, she was more of an actual ghost than the rest of the team was. This didn’t mean she couldn’t have her fun though, over the months of being with the full team she had formed quite a passionate love/ hate relationship with the handsome Four. Who knows what sparks would fly if they were ever to meet.  Warnings: Slight swearing, some suggestive flirting in later chapters.
Tagg list: (I know this is a edit of my original story but if anyone wants to be tagged let me know.) @raylan-c​​
Zero to Six ~ Part 1. Edited Version Zero to Six ~ Part 3. Edited Version. Masterlist.  
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“Hey, anyone there?” 
To say Zero was a mess would have been a big understatement. After she had shut off the coms she must have sobbed for a good thirty minutes before she picked herself up from the floor and decided that a glass of rum would help calm her nerves.  She knew that One would take his sweet time reaching out to her again, and wouldn’t let the others contact her either. So she waited, he mind was reeling but she knew technically Six’s death wasn’t her fault. She still felt to a degree that if she hadn’t of picked him he would still be breathing somewhere, maybe with the love of his life on a nice sandy beach.  But then again if she hadn’t of picked him she would have had to pick someone else, and that someone else would have been in that car dead instead of Six. 
So when Fours voice travelled through her speakers she immediately shot up from the floor, leaving her half filled glass where it sat and tripped her way over to the laptop.  Picking up her headset she tried not to sound so distraught. “Four, never thought i’d be so happy to hear your whinny little voice.” She tried to sound lighthearted but failed miserably. 
She could tell that he was also trying to mask how much he was hurting. “How are you Zero?” She was shocked, out of all the team Four and Six seemed to have bonded the most, probably due to their similar ages and interests. 
“How- how am I? Four, how are you doing? Out of us all you were the closest to Six.” She wanted to do nothing more than hug this man right now. 
“One just threw him into the sea, like he meant nothing. I really don’t want to talk about it right now Zero or I might just go out there and strangle One. But I wanted to at least make sure that you were okay.” Her heart started to beat so fast she thought it would beat right out of chest. He was worried about her in a time when he should have been worrying about himself. 
“I’m sure that’s not how it was, One cares about us deeply. But I’ll respect your wishes and we won’t speak about it, but I’ll be here when you’re ready to so. As for me, I’m fine. Shaken up but fine, You don’t have to worry about me Four.” 
“I know sometimes it doesn’t seem like it, but I do really care for you Zero. So do the rest of the team, but you tell any of them I said that and I’ll find out where One keeps you and murder you in your sleep.” 
She chuckled at the empty threat. “Yeah, good luck with that one. One would never give up my location willing or not. Plus what makes you think I’d succumb so easily with out a fight.” 
She heard the deep chuckle and knew some smart ass comment would follow it. “Believe me darling, from the moment I step through your door you’d be falling at my feet.” 
“OKAY as much as I’m glad to have the old cocky Four back, I’m cutting you off now. Get some sleep you idiot.” 
“Okay mummy.” He said in a mocking tone. 
She couldn’t help it and decided she would have the last laugh. “Is that one of your kinks Four?” 
“Wouldn’t you like to know? Maybe we can carry on this conversation when we meet.” She knew he was smirking. “Night Zero, dream of me. I know I’ll be dreaming of you.” 
She couldn’t say another word so she just shut down coms and slammed her laptop shut. “Stupid little shit,” Why did he make her feel like this, especially when he wasn’t here to do anything about it. 
She leaned back on her chair, stretching out her arms over her head her back clicked in several places which made it feel so much better. She needed to put a reminder on her fridge to do a work out tomorrow, she was starting to become so stiff sat at her computer all the time.  There were parts of her that really yearned to be out in the field with the rest of the team, even if it was only a one time experience, who knows she might hate it and want to come back to her stuffy flat life. Who was she kidding, she wanted adventure and a little bit of risk here and there and she wanted her family.  She would however have to have a little conversation with One about the safety of the team and about treating them better. Her heart had broken hearing how fragile Four could be. They might have been ghosts but underneath they were still human beings with feelings, and if One was going to crush that then she had a problem with it.  
Maybe that was why she was so interested in Four? 2 years with only One as her only physical human contact and it was starting to take a toll on her, Four challenged her every time they spoke. And she loved a good challenge. She sat at her desk for two more hours, despite scolding herself for sitting too long that her bones began to ache. But she had research to do which consisted of finding a new team member and the faster she got it done the faster she could send it off to One and she could stop beating herself up about potentially bringing in a new person just for them to die like Six did. After a while she decided that she couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer. She sent the research to One, saved all the documents then shut her laptop down and proceeded to walk to the bathroom to take a nice long hot shower. 
The warm water calmed her immensely, when she stepped out and put on her silk pyjamas she felt even more sleepy then she did when she was in front of the laptop. As soon as her head hit the pillow she drifted off to sleep. 
.........
She shot up in bed, heart racing.
The loud banging coming from the front door was real, she hadn’t just dreamt it. She suddenly thought of Four’s threat from earlier but quickly shook it from her head. Don’t be stupid, It can’t be Four. Her eyes snapped to her bedside table to see 3am blaring on the digital clock. “What the actual hell, who decides to go bang on someone’s door at stupid o’clock in the morning?!” 
She grabbed her gun from under her pillow, pointing it out in front of her, she was in full on attack mode. She exited her room and headed down the hall and towards the front door, all the while sticking to the walls.  She waited a while, gun pointing towards the centre of the door maybe whoever had knocked got the wrong flat and moved on. But then just as she started to lower the gun the door rattled and the knocking began again, only louder this time.
“Zero! open up its One.” 
Zero cocked her head to the side, was he actually serious?  She carefully walked towards the door, gun still raised. Peeking through the peephole she confirmed that it was in fact One at her door. She sighed rubbing her tired eyes but opened the door just wide enough so he could slip in. 
“Hey!” He made himself at home straightaway, walking past her to go sit on her couch.
She shut the door making sure it was locked, she then made her way to stand in front of him but not before setting down the gun on the coffee table. “Don’t ‘Hey!’ me you dumb ass, what the hell are you doing here?!” 
“Nice gun! is that new?” He leaned forward and inspected the weapon. 
Was he being serious right now? “ONE!” He’d woke her up just to come and annoy her? “I asked you a question.” 
“I came to give you your plane ticket.” He stood up slightly and pulled a ticket out of his back pocket, he extended his arm out to Zero. 
She took it off of him and examined it, it was a ticket back home. Home was also where their base camp was.  “You never come to give me my plane ticket in person, what’s really going on? Is this about Six?” 
He just rubbed his face in frustration, the first real emotion she’d seen from him since he’d entered her living space. “Can you at least get me a drink before we discuss this?” 
She just sighed and looked towards her kitchen. “I only have rum.” 
“Then we shall have rum!” She just rolled her eyes but continued through to the little kitchen. If she was going to stay awake through this she might as well poor herself a small glass as well. 
She handed him the glass and then settled herself in the seat across from him. “So, talk.” 
She took a sip of her drink but very nearly spit it out when he spoke. “I want you in the field for the next mission.” 
A thousand thoughts crashed through her mind all at once, that she found it hard to focus on One as he continued to speak. She was going to get her adventure, she was going to get to show the whole team that she wasn’t just some computer nerd, she was going to be able to breath the same air as Four, she was going to be meeting her family. 
“Zero! Did you hear me?” She looked to One who had leaned forward in his chair. 
“What?” 
“God I hope you weren’t dreaming up the perfect scenario of finally meeting Four.” 
She was still in shock but managed to ask. “Did you just say that I’m finally going out in the field?” 
“Just the once, with Six gone we need all the help we can get in the next mission and you are my best eyes and ears.” He looked so calm just sat there sipping from his glass when she was sat opposite him freaking out. “You will keep your identity a secret though, none of the team is to know that you’re there.” 
Just like that One had given her, her deepest wish and then crushed it right in front of her. “How will that work? They will know the sound of my voice anywhere.” 
“Not if you put on a accent.” This was cruel, even by One’s standards. “Listen it’s for the best that you don’t interact with any of them. You’re lucky that you have full anonymity.” 
“What if I don’t want that? What if I actually want to meet the only family I’ve ever had? I don’t get why you lock me away from them.”  
“It’s for your own safety, you’ll thank me one day. Look at what happened to Six, do you want to end up like that?” 
She was seething now. “You really hurt them today you know, Four got in touch with me. He wanted to see if I was okay after what happened to Six.” She had to pause to stop herself before her voice broke.
“I know you want us all to work as a team but some how distance ourselves from one another. We all maybe faked our deaths but were still human One, it’s human nature to care deeply for those that are closest to us.” The tears were welling up in her eyes now. “You just tossed him off the side of that boat like he was nothing. Is that what you’re going to do to the rest of us?” 
He just stared at her for a long second then necked his drink and slammed the glass down on the table next to where the gun still laid. She didn’t even flinch, instead she stared him down. 
“I think it’s time for me to go.” She just scoffed and looked down at her hands that were placed in her lap, she couldn’t look him in the eyes anymore. “I looked through your research before I came here.” 
He got up from the couch but didn’t make any move to the door. “I think Blaine is the perfect fit for number Seven. As soon as I land on home turf I’m going to recruit him and introduce him to the team. In a months time I’ll contact you with a meeting place to discuss your field work.” 
“Great, another person I picked for you that you’re going to rip from their family and make their life hell.” He didn’t say another word and she didn’t look up from her lap. 
All she heard was his footsteps walking towards the door, it swinging open and then slamming shut again. Once she was completely certain he had gone her head fell in her hands.  She rubbed her face and felt a sweeping wave of sleepiness draw over her, she stood up and picked up the gun that was still on the coffee table. She made her way to the door to lock it properly, she then made her way back to bed and placed the gun back under her pillow. She hoped that just as before the tiredness would over take her and she would fall into an effortless slumber, but as she laid her head gently on the pillow and closed her eyes all she could see was Six’s lifeless body and all she could think about was how she’d put him there. 
No way was she getting back to sleep.  
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arthemis-forge · 4 years ago
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Forbidden (Part I) F.W
Chapter One. “The boy of the train.”
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Paring: Fred Weasley x OC/ Draco Malfoy x OC
Summary: Lyra Nightstar is the first-born child of Adonis and Hecate Nightstar. One of the oldest and most powerful pureblood families in the magical world. Betrothed since birth to Draco Malfoy in order to preserve the status of both families as well to protect their bloodlines. She is raised under a series of very extreme concepts and values. What will happen the day that her fiancé and family find out that she does not share these ideas and that she has fallen in love with a certain redhead blood traitor?
Settings: None 
Author’s note: 
Hello!
This is my first job in a very long time. I hope you like it.
Another thing, English is not my native language, so if you find any narrative error, it would be very helpful if you let me know to edit the work. It should be noted that some events from the original Harry Potter saga may be modified for the purpose of this story.
Without more to say I hope you enjoy the story!
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Since the first moment I saw him I thought that he was the one. However, the day that I meet him I wasn’t that sure. For many years I lied to myself and burry the feeling that was blooming deep down in my heart.
True love it wasn’t a thing that I could permit to myself. Not when I was living in a racist pureblood family that would kill me first before seeing me marrying to a mudblood or blood traitor. And it’s not that I didn’t believed it wasn’t worth the sacrifice. But I couldn’t be that selfish. How could I have the audacity to put Fred or any of his family member in danger just because I loved him?
It was easier to stay with Draco…
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September 1, 1991
I wasn´t able to sleep the night before.  I couldn't stop thinking about the moment when I would step on that train.
Even mom was a bit upset with me when she found out that I wasn’t able to sleep all night.
—Ly this is unbelievable!  Look at those eyebags babe… —
She said with an annoyed and worried voice while she was closing the door behind her.
—I’m sorry mom I couldn’t sleep. I was so excited for today…—
I confessed as I get up from my bed. Mom usually was love and caring woman, but in situations like this she could be a bit troublesome.
—Good morning little witch!  How are you feeling today? —
Dad exclaimed as he made his way into my dorm.
—Lyra hasn't behaved very well today. She didn't sleep all night long. Also, ly’s trunk is over there, love—
She smiled at him while she pointed to my trunk which was placed on my desk. Seconds later she hugged dad to steal him a soft and tender kiss.
In moments like this I wonder If I could be as happy as them with my fiancé Draco.
Time flew by. Even though we got up early and leave everything organized, it wasn’t enough for us. Luckily, we made it to platform 9 3/4 on time and we managed to catch up with the Malfoy family.
As we approach them, I could see in my dad's eyes that he was a bit worried.
—Good morning, Lucius. We are very sorry for not arriving on time. I hope you and your lovely family haven’t spent a long time waiting for us. —
He said with some fear in his eyes.
—Oh, don’t worry Adonis. We also just arrived a few minutes ago. Isn't it Narcissa? —
He asked to his wife while she nod with her head.
—Are you alright? I was so worried you wouldn’t made it on time —
I head a voice. It was Draco who was talking to me.
—Yes, don’t worry. It just that I forgot to bring Rhiannon with me. So, we had to go back for her…—
I said with a quietly voice as I pointed to my white snowy owl. Who was resting peacefully in her cage.
He only limited himself to smile at me with his flushed cheeks.
—Come on, let's go now. Let’s find a nice place to stay —
He took me by the hand waiting for our parents to help us with our things to finally board the train, however Lucius interrupted him.
—Draco don't forget that once you get on that train Lyra it's your responsibility. Take care and guide her. Don't let her hang out with the wrong people. Do as I told you. —
He said with a threatening tone of voice.
— Please take care of her for me. She is my greatest pride and treasure—
Dad confesses while he bent down to give me a forehead kiss. Seconds later I was hugged at the same time by my mom and dad.
—I will. I promise you Mr. Nightstar. —
Draco answered him with a firm voice full of pride.
And with that last, Draco and I left on our way to the train.
I must admit that I was very nervous, but the warmth of his hand gave me the peace and confidence that I needed.
We spent a few minutes touring the train, observing the cabins. It took a little longer than we expected but finally we found one booth who was still empty. Apparently, Draco preferred that we were alone instead that we shared it with anyone else. It wasn't something that bothered me but like dad said. He was the one who would guide me and see for me.
We were tired so we didn't talk much we fell asleep in a matter of minutes once we snuggled up and shared the sheet that Narcissa gave us to share on the way to school.
A few hours passed and hunger invaded me. I had heard from my parents that on the train I would always find a lady with a trolley full of sweets. So, without thinking twice I got up from the couch.
I tried to wake Draco to see if I could bring him something, but he was even more tired than me. So, I took my money and left with the intentions of still bringing him something. Maybe some green apple flavored sugar quills.
With some care I closed the cabin door and turned in search of a trolley. Luckily for me, 7 booths ahead was the lady who was solling the sweets.
But just before I walked away, I was stopped by a girl with tousled brown hair and deep brown eyes.
—Sorry for bothering you. I am Hermione Granger. My friend Neville just missed his frog. In case you get to see it please let us know. We are next to your cabin. —
She smiled as she greeted me with a somewhat friendly voice.
—Sure, Granger. I will let you know if I see it. See you later—
I smiled back and once I said goodbye, I began to look at the floor in search of that frog. I was so involved in that search that I did not notice that someone was also coming in my direction.
It didn't take long for me to bump into him and fall to the floor. A small groan left my lips as my purse was opened dropping all my coins.
—Oh dear… I'm so sorry, pretty. —
Said a voice of an older boy.
Once I looked up, I found myself with the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen in my life. They were dark brown. The boy himself was red-haired and his face was covered in freckles.
It was the first time I had seen a boy who was not Draco or someone of my family. The more I looked at him my heart raced. At this moment I had lost the feeling of space and time.
—Hey? you're okay? — he asked me while he help me to collect the coins in my purse.
—This is a lot of money for someone as young as your little one. Be careful next time. Keep it well, someone can steal it from you—
He smiled and laughed at me. Seconds later he ruffled my hair with his warm hand and walked away as if nothing had happened.
What was that? I wonder as I walked while I steal could hear that soft cute laugh that came from his lips.
The worst thing is that the boy behaved in a very nice way without caring about my clumsiness and I didn't even have the courage to thank him for helping me.
Something dazed finally made it to the candy cart.
—Good evening, can you give me two of the green apple sugar quills, a package of lemon drops and a chocolate frog please. —
That last one for the redhead that I forgot to apologize with.
—Of course, beautiful. 5 galleons. —
The woman replied as she was placing everything in a small paper bag.
—Thank you very much, have a good night. —
I handed her the coins and headed to the cabin where probably Draco was still sleeping.
My heart was still pounding as I opened the door.
—Oh, here you are, Ly. I was just going to get up to look for you. —
He said while he yawns. He looked fresh and relaxed.
 —I went for some sweets. I brought you some green apple sugar quills. Like the ones you always buy at Honey Dukes ... —
I answer shilly.
—Thank you very much, Ly. —
The blond boy smiled, embarrassed but somewhat excited about the detail.
—By the way, why does your face looks so red? Did something happen? Are you okay? —
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cosmicmoved · 4 years ago
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FORMAL INTRODUCTION FOR KITAHARA KOJIRO
hi, for some bizarre reason unbeknownst to even me, this muse has been like half a year in the making (actually, it’s been 5 months but that’s close enough for to still feel shame), but he’s finally here. the ““ evil ”” witch oc! witch man who does murders! whatever you want to know him as! anyway, from now on you just know him as kojiro or koj bc that’s his name <3 please look under the read more link for more info! (WARNING: the following will touch on darker themes like death, murder and, to a lesser extent, abuse. this is a heavy character so please keep that in mind if you ever wish to interact!)
BASIC FACTS
firstly, this oc is mostly connected to tsukidate sho, my witch detective oc. the connection mostly lies in the fact they’re both witches who interact with crime/murder in some capacity but their families are also close.
his name is kitahara kojiro ( 北原浩二郎 ), known as either kojiro or koji by those around him. i haven’t decided his exact birthday yet but he was born in 1990 and is approx. 31 years old. (i understand this is ‘older’ by tumblr rp standards but, by normal people standards, early 30s is still relatively young so basically, if u make old ppl jokes, i will bite u)
technically speaking, kitahara is his father’s surname but he never really knew his father and was raised by a single mother. however, his mother made the choice of raising him with his father’s name in an attempt to distance the pair from her own family. i’ll explain why that is the case in the backstory section of this post.
kojiro is a witch. he’s not involved in any broader witching community nor does his being a witch have much bearing on his professional life but he is a talented witch, despite being trained only by his mother. what he DOES use his magic for, however, is to cause a lot of problems.
oh yeah, he’s also cursed. and he kills people. because he’s cursed. again, i’ll explain this in more detail further in the post but it’s kind of an important fact. he was cursed to die at twenty years old and he’s still alive eleven years later because the only way to hold off death is to kill other people <3 omg that’s awkward
in his normal everyday life, kojiro works as a cake decorator and does photography on the side too. he’s a creative person and tbh he developed a lot of stupid hobbies in his teens, thanks to the belief he was gonna die by the end of them, so he ended up making a living out of what he liked. he also didn’t go to uni because he didn’t see the point because, again, he thought he’d be dead by 20 and then, when he wasn’t, he stopped caring.
it’s also important to note that he, uh, doesn’t give off murderer vibes at all. he’s friendly and sociable (and not in the ‘this guy’s definitely a weirdo’ way). 
i kept calling him ‘evil witch oc’ while i was working on him but, as i’ve said before, i think that’s actually a little too simple and i wouldn’t actually call him evil. he’s NOT a good person but i don’t think evil is the right word for him either. he doesn’t believe he’s a good person either but he’s learned to justify his own actions as a means of survival. kojiro doesn’t enjoy killing people, he doesn’t take any pleasure from the act of murder, but he’s also relatively calm about it too. since he doesn’t have to do it on a super regular basis, he prefers to target shitty people and esp corrupt witches in positions of authority (not really in a self-righteous way, more just because they piss him off). he has specific personal reasons for this.
he has a pretty intense fear of death. you think he’d be over it, having spent his whole life knowing he was meant to die early, but the ability to push his death back sort of flipped some switch in his head and, over the years, he went from quiet apprehension to paranoid obsession.
why is this muse 30 years old? firstly, because i want him to be. that would probably be enough but also his age actually IS important. the vibe i’m going for with this muse is, as i’ve said like once before, is what happens to the hero of the story after they complete their quest? what if that quest doesn’t go as planned? kojiro’s quest was to hunt down the demon associated with his curse. that’s his original ‘story’. what i want to explore here is the aftermath of that, what happens after the weight of the quest comes crashing down on the hero and they return to normal, everyday life where they’re forced to shoulder it as though it’s nothing. a decade after his initial story, he’s worn out. he’s not the same person he was at the start.
BACKSTORY
this isn’t going to be written in a super formal or tidy way because i honestly just can’t be bothered turning this into a proper piece of decent writing. this is only going to be in paragraph form because i don’t like putting backstories into bullet points unless it’s super brief.
kojiro was born in 1990 as the first (and only) child of his unmarried mother (as yet unnamed) when she was just nineteen years old. she was raised in a strict and traditional witching family so the fact that she’d had this child out of wedlock AND that the father wasn’t a witch didn’t exactly land well. regardless, they let her stay in the family home but it would soon turn out that the child was cursed. according to a member of tsukidate family (i.e; sho’s family who, as i said before, are on good terms with kojiro’s family and who are also knowledgeable in the realm of curses), the curse determined that the child would die on the day of his twentieth birthday unless he was able to kill the demon associated with the curse.
as if the judgement from her own family wasn’t enough, the curse brought with it a lot of stigma from the witching community and so his mother made the decision to leave home by herself when kojiro was a year old. all she could afford was a small, one bedroom apartment but, so long as she and her son had a roof over their heads, anything was good enough. kojiro would live a relatively normal life, going to school with other children his age and away from other witches, but his mother would teach him what she knew. although she wanted to him to live as easily as possible, she felt she had to prepare him for his inevitable encounter with the demon. kojiro grew up knowing about the curse too. there was no way to keep it a secret --- even if weren’t cruel to hide it from him, the curse had left a visible mark on him (still working out the details of what this looks like and where on his body it is but it basically looks like a tattoo to most people).
when kojiro turns eighteen, he decides he’s old enough to face this demon and claim control of his own life (maybe i’ll write this as an actual drabble / piece of writing one day bc i’m reeeally brushing over it here). it had been trapped by his family and forced to lie dormant until kojiro would arrive to take it down. what the demon reveals to him, however, changes everything. there is no cure to this curse, the demon tells him, everything he was told is a lie. the curse, it turns out, has tied the demon to him and the only way to kill the demon is for kojiro to die along with it. the reveal is this: when kojiro born, they took him from his mother for a short time. i want to emphasise that her family are pretty shitty people because they decided this would be the perfect opportunity both to punish her and to solve a very specific problem -- getting rid of this demon. the same member of the tsukidate who ‘diagnosed’ the curse was the one who put it on kojiro. i’ll explain the actual curse and story behind it (and the demon) in more detail at a later date but the basic gist of it is that kojiro’s family lied to him and used him as a disposable means to an end. his mother, for the record, was entirely unaware of this. but what else does the demon tell him? although the curse cannot be lifted, it can be held off. this demon thrives off death and, through death, it can stay strong and continue to keep kojiro alive. if it grows weak and it is not sustained, kojiro will grow weak along with it and inevitably die. kojiro informs the demon that he will not kill anybody. that is out of the question.
a month before his twentieth birthday, kojiro kills a man. he had tried to forget about everything the demon had said, tried to forget that his own family had set him up for guaranteed destruction, but it hadn’t been easy. it had set him on edge and he’d become unstable. he’d fallen into a slump and his friends grew worried for him. yet, after a while, he came to accept it and tried to make peace with his life as it was. he put it to the back of his mind as best he could. but he’d discovered that the man his mother had been seeing over the past few years since he’d moved out to live on his own was abusive. so he killed him. everything the demon had told him risen to the surface and he’d asked himself does it matter if this guy dies instead of me? after all, kojiro was curious. he didn’t really want to die and he had wondered if the demon was telling the truth. to this day, kojiro doesn’t know what to believe but it’s much too late for all that now. he followed his mother’s boyfriend home and broke his neck in a dark alleyway. thanks to the magic he’d been taught growing up, he was able to ensure that nobody every traced him to the accident and, when the clock struck midnight on his twentieth birthday, kojiro broke down crying with relief.
he wasn’t dead. he still isn’t dead. he’d never wanted to die. over the years, the killing has gotten a lot easier. over the years, the answer to that question comes much quicker; if somebody has to die, why should it be me?
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coliverxxx · 4 years ago
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Titanic - Johnny/OC story
Summary: Johnny has never worked with someone who has said two pick-up lines on him in thirty minutes after they met him while working until her.
Pairings: Johnny x OC or Johnny x Reader or Johnny x She (whoever she is, really)
Genre: Friendship, Romance
Words: 5,876
Warnings: None, hopefully
A/N: First of all, the story has nothing to do with the infamous movie. It's just that I suck with titles. I wouldn't also call this angst but to anyone who's lighthearted, there is a bit of angst in here, okay? But I promise, things will be okay.
I was supposed to write 500 words yesterday because I just can't get over Johnny's long blonde hair. It does things to me. (I still haven't gotten over it.) But stories tend to write themselves and before I knew it, I have little less than 6,000 words all because of Johnny's long blonde hair. It's strange what inspirations can do. Initially, I wanted to convert this into a ship fic but then, I thought it's good as it is. At least for me, haha. (Might still do in the future though.)
Let's keep supporting NCT. Let's keep loving Johnny (I have this awful feeling that he deserves more love than he's getting I don't know) and the rest of the group. They received their first daesang recently, too. Congratulations, boys!
Titanic - Johnny/OC story
Johnny has never worked with her. It’s not to say that he’s bothered by her — he’s met people who are most troublesome, to say the least — but he has never worked with someone who is so obvious in their interest on him. He gets it. Not to be a dick but he knows he’s got good looks and a to-die-for body but no one in his professional years has said two pick-up lines on him in thirty minutes after they met him while working.
He arrives at the station with the other members that morning. Only a little after six which means it’s too early for him to be thinking too much about anything besides getting his makeup done for today’s performance. That’s why he’s more than surprised when the person putting foundation on his face says, “Titanic.”
He’s not sure if he’s being talked to because he’s pretty certain there’s this rule among the members and the staff that no talking is allowed before eight but when he looks at the makeup artist, she is looking back at him in all seriousness and Johnny just mutters “What?” even though he knows he heard her say ‘Titanic.’
“Sorry, bad icebreaker,” she solemnly says and continues on the foundation like nothing happened.
Johnny stares at her in the mirror because he can’t move while things are being put on his face. Then, he thinks about what she just said and oh.
Oh.
He laughs. Like loudly. Like something that shouldn’t be done when everyone is either on a state of half awake-half asleep, or entirely sleep walking through the morning.
He ignores the sharp glances from the other members and looks at her through the mirror again to see her looking back at him already with a grin playing on her face.
Johnny thinks none of that exchange. It’s still funny whenever he remembers it and when he tries explaining it to the other members when they asked him what’s so funny he had to drag their souls from sleep state forcibly but he thinks there’s nothing to do about it. Just a new makeup artist who is a little funny too early in the morning.
Then, he’s changing his clothes and there should be someone helping him but when he looks around, all the stylists are busy with the other members. He tries to look for someone and sees one of the staff just fixing their massive makeup boxes.
“Hello,” Johnny says. He just needs to know where the jacket he is supposed to be wearing is. The sleeveless top he is wearing isn’t exactly making him uncomfortable given that he’s been on stage with practically nothing but it’s winter and it’s cold. He’s human.
He immediately recognises her when she turns around and is about to apologise because even though he is desperate to find that jacket, he knows she’s a makeup artist. Not a stylist. He knows the line. He’s about to say so when she says, “Your name must be Adele.”
“What?”
“Because you had me at hello.’”
Johnny can’t help the smile that’s creeping on his lips that turns into a light chuckle until he is effectively laughing again. At barely seven in the morning. He shakes his head at her a little and proceeds to his original dialogue, “I was going to ask for my jacket but I don’t think you —“
“Here,” she answers, handing him out his jacket.
“Oh, great, thanks,” he says, a little surprised, immediately putting on the jacket with a light shiver. “Are you new here?”
“I only started today, yes,” she tells him.
“By the way, my name is not Adele. It’s Johnny,” he states with a smile.
He waits for her to respond but she just stares at him — you know, that stare that’s like stripping him without touching him — and for someone who he just met today, it’s a little awkward. He’s about to tell her that when she speaks.
“Did the sun come out or did you just smile at me?”
Johnny can’t stop another smile, the initial awkwardness leaving him entirely, even though he answers, “Definitely just the sun.” He begins to walk away while shaking his head again at the exchange to change his shoes, murmuring, “That’s three strikes.”
He’s not bothered about it. It will take a whole lot more to bother him at this point of his career than harmless pick-up lines from their new makeup artist who does a pretty good job on their faces, by the way, and does nothing more than make Johnny smile or laugh whenever she tries another line on him.
They are pretty close with the rest of the staff, all of their managers, the stylists, and the other makeup artists, but she and Johnny had become quite of a duo. She never fails on a line on him whenever he is on at least five meters radius from her and it has become quite normal for everyone around them to heat her say something like “Are you my appendix? I don’t know what you do or how you work but I feel like I should take you out.” to Johnny.
He is not one to get flustered merely because of such lines. He will admit he likes hearing them though because some of her lines are funny, even weird. He would always laugh whenever she pulls a weird pick-up line on him.
“Did you just fart? Because you blow me away.”
Johnny’s laugh can literally be heard in the entire station.
“Do your lines ever work in real life?”
She looks a little confused before replying, “Who says this isn’t real?”
“Right,” Johnny says, shaking his head again but smiling.
He becomes quite used to her lines and her presence, looking forward to what cheesy or weird pick-up lines she picks for the day, that it’s stranger when she’s focused — too focused — on how she puts eyeshadow in Johnny’s eyes that she’s not speaking a word.
Johnny doesn’t know what to say though. Does he ask her why she’s not saying any lines on him like she used to before? Does that mean he’s looking forward to her lines now? Will that be appropriate between an idol and a makeup artist?
His makeup is finished before he can put an answer to any of his questions and she moves on to the next member in line, not saying a single word to Johnny. Much more a single pick-up line. Who knows pick-up lines can be missed?
The silence continues until the end of the schedule and he just can’t go home without saying anything to her.
He corners her on one of the changing room when she’s helping out the stylists clean after the stage costumes. It’s probably unfitting but Johnny just wants to ask, “Are you okay?”
Her expression looks depressed in a moment before it turns surprised until she’s finally smiling even though just barely. He still considers it a win when she answers, “I’m okay, Seo. Do you need anything?”
Johnny stares at her for a second before he answers. “Give me your phone.”
“What? Why?”
“Just give me your phone,” he demands, looking behind him because one of the managers are already calling everyone to pile out. They’re leaving ahead of the staff; they always do.
Even though she’s confused, she pulls her phone in her pocket and hands it to Johnny. She watches him warily as he fiddles with it for a minute before returning it to her.
“That’s my number,” Johnny states, as if it isn’t clear enough on the new contact saved on her phone. “If there’s anything that’s bothering you,” he continues, looking away because he has not rehearsed this part of the conversation. He only wants to ask if she’s okay. This isn’t planned at all. But now he has one of their makeup artists have his number. If that’s improper, it’s already done. “If you need someone to talk to, you can call me or message me, whatever suits you.”
She looks at the new contact saved on her phone: seo johnny. Then, she glances up at the said person in front of her who is looking at anything but her. She clutches her phone to her chest and slowly nods. “Okay,” she whispers, looking down at the floor with rosy cheeks.
Johnny turns around because they’re leaving. He hasn’t took five steps when his phone rings. It’s an unregistered number but he answers it anyway, having a good feeling about it.
He hasn’t said hello yet when he hears a familiar voice on the other end of the line and on the person standing five steps behind him.
“I have 1% battery remaining. I chose to call you. Did I choose wisely?”
Johnny turns around and meets her eyes. “I’m literally still here,” he says with a fond smile.
She smiles back. Then, her eyebrows knit together a little again and she sighs, “I’m fine, or I’ll be fine.” She chuckles at herself, looking at Johnny’s eyes again. “Whichever,” she continues, “but the bottomline is I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me, okay?”
He still looks concerned but nods anyway. “I’ll see you tomorrow?” he asks.
She bits her lip before smiling again. “See you tomorrow, Johnny.”
They are just leaving the building when his phone buzzes with a new message.
12:39 pm to: seo johnny from: xxxxx aside from being sexy, what do you do for a living? >///<
Johnny has to stop for a moment to refocus his thoughts because he can’t be laughing by himself after receiving a one-line message in public. But the moment he glances at his phone to read it again, his shoulder begin to shake anyway.
7:27 am to: seo johnny from: xxxxx help, i’m lost!
7:27 am from: seo johnny to: xxxxx where are you?
7:28 am to: seo johnny from: xxxxx i don’t know but can you give me directions to your heart? :)))
7:29 am from: seo johnny to: xxxxx i thought you are really lost!!! -_-
He says that but he’s smiling a lot for someone who wakes up before five in the morning. He looks outside of the car — there’s still no horrible traffic and the sun is barely peaking out — and instead of sleeping like he always does, he thinks of how many minutes more before he sees her as he types another message to send her.
Johnny finds in her a comfortable friendship. And in a job that is as stressful as the one he has, having a friend nearby — someone that isn’t one of his members who also share the exact same stress as him and thus he can’t bother at times — who makes him laugh and smile and feel good all the time is heaven’s gift.
“On a scale of 1 to America, how free are you tonight?” she asks, appearing beside Johnny, when the group arrives at the set of that day’s first schedule.
He smiles and answers. “I think 0. But you know that, don’t you? You guys’ll be with us until the evening for tonight’s show, right?”
She looks at him for a moment and nods with a long sigh, “Yeah, today’s packed.” Then, she pulls out some utensils behind her and continues, “That’s why I prepared food. I’ve got all these chopsticks, forks, and knives. All I need is a little spoon.”
Johnny barely stifles a chuckle. And before his mind can process his action, his hand is already on top of her head. It’s such a gentle gesture but not one that happened to them before now. So he can understand if she flinches a little when he reaches his hand to her hair but she does not. She holds her beaming smile as she pats her head.
One pat. Two pats.
He pulls back quickly when he realises he’s probably acting unprofessional again. Even though he probably should have thought about that, too, when he gives her his number.
An entire day of schedule with her around means more than twenty pick-up lines in just half of the day. She always seems to have one around whenever Johnny is in the same breathing vicinity as her.
“Can I follow you home? Because my parents always tell me to follow my dreams,” she says to Johnny when they’re packing up from their first schedule to go to the next.
“We’re not going home yet though,” Johnny replies, chuckling and shaking his head.
“Is your dad a terrorist?” she asks after she’s done with Johnny’s makeup retouch on the second schedule. “‘Cause you’re the bomb.”
Johnny isn’t one to be embarrassed or to shy away from compliments, as weird as they come, but he’s learning to because of her pick-up lines. Even the other members are beginning to tease him about it, repeating what they heard her say to him at home. The worse thing is he’s not bothered by them at all. Not her lines. Not even when his members repeat it on him to tease him. He actually feels good about it. He thinks there must be something wrong with him.
He hears Jaehyun snickering with Yuta when they heard what she said, too.
The last schedule is just wrapping up. It’s a photoshoot for a cosmetic brand. Johnny already finished his part and is just waiting for the other members. He notices her standing beside him a few minutes ago, waiting for another pick-up line, but she hasn’t said a word.
He glances at her after a moment but she’s already looking at him.
“There must be something wrong with my eyes. I can’t take them off you.”
Johnny doesn’t know if it’s the light or the music that they’re playing on the set but the air is different that night, that time, that moment. When she says that, he thinks he can hear his heart thumping loudly, threatening to jump out of his chest. He has to force a laugh because he’s afraid she will hear how loud his heart is.
She doesn’t look away, not even when he laughs at her because he doesn’t know what to say. And Johnny can’t look away because she’s looking at him like she’s saying not just a pick-up line but what she truly thinks.
After what seems to be twenty-seven years of gazing at each other even though in reality, it’s only a minute at most, someone yells “Cut!” Every light opens and Johnny blinks, looking around them like he’s been caught doing something illegal, or improper. He lets out a deep breath he doesn’t know he’s holding and looks back at her.
She’s still looking at him. Then, she smiles at him for a moment before she turns to the members who just finished their shot, bowing at the photographers and director. “I’ll help them pack up,” she tells him, looking at him again.
“Oh, okay,” Johnny says, nodding.
But she doesn’t leave yet. She stands there for a second and says, “They say Disneyland is the happiest place on earth. Well, apparently, no one has ever been standing next to you.”
The lights have been changed and the music has already been shut. That’s why Johnny can’t understand what’s still different that he needs to remind himself to breathe after she walks away, leaving him there with a catapulting heart.
Those are still the same pick-up lines, aren’t they?
He has always been worried about Doyoung’s perceptive ability and his inability to keep his observations to himself but he doesn’t think he’ll receive the short stick of it until he does.
He can’t quite remember how the conversation begins — like most things that happen in our life that we want to forget. It just happens uncontrollably and goes out of hand in a split second. He just remembers talking to the other members until the conversation begins to get redirected, or misdirected to Johnny’s friendship with her.
“I think she likes you,” Doyoung states, yes, states, because there is no hesitation in his tone over what he is saying, “and you like her back.”
“What?” Johnny laughs, trying to keep his nerves in tact. “We’re just friends.”
“Really?” Doyoung raises a brow at him and even when he says that, it doesn’t sound like he’s confirming his thoughts but that he wants Johnny to confirm his.
He looks at the other members and sees them all waiting for his answer, expecting his answer. Then, before he can think it further, he laughs again and replies, “Really. As if I would date a makeup artist.”
Johnny expects arguments because even he wants to hit himself after he says that. He doesn’t know why he said that. There’s definitely nothing wrong if he falls in love with a bus driver, a bartender, or a makeup artist. He knows that but he’s nervous as hell because he thinks he’s going to get found out over something he’s not quite ready to admit to himself.
It’s been a lingering question ever since that time he feared his heart will escape from his chest. Does he really like her like that? Does he really like her as more than a friend? His makeup artist? Is that even appropriate?
But then, he hears nothing and as he searches for anything from the faces of the other members, he realises they are not looking at him but behind him.
Johnny turns to look behind him on the exact moment she’s turning around. He wishes he looked back a second later so he could have missed the way her eyes looks.
Hurt is an understatement.
Awkwardness is also putting is simply. Everyone has become used to their dynamics and when it suddenly stops, it’s like there’s something missing in the air. There are no corny or sweet or weird pick-up lines being said here and there. Johnny’s not laughing every time something is said to him, no matter if it’s honestly romantic or strange.
There are no messages like: Are you a parking ticket? ‘Cause you’ve got fine written all over you.
He thinks he misses the pick-up lines but he knows he misses her. Just her. Not the lines but the way her hand ghosts over his face carefully whenever he’s doing his makeup, the way she smiles whenever Johnny would laugh at her lines, or simply just stand there beside him if she could.
But he doesn’t know what to do about it. It doesn’t help that on their next schedule, a different makeup artist stands in front of him, holding up a brush.
Naturally, Johnny asks for her. Because she’s part of the staff. She’s been doing his makeup for months now. He also knows she’s professional. She even did his makeup retouch that time, when she heard Johnny, and she did it flawlessly even though she wouldn’t look at Johnny more than what’s necessary and she didn’t say a word throughout.
“She’s taking a day off,” the makeup artist who’s been with them longer answers, not even meeting Johnny’s eyes as she says so.
“Why?”
“I don’t know,” she simply shrugs and proceeds on Johnny’s makeup.
They said she’s taking a day off but when she doesn’t come for a week-long schedule abroad, Johnny can’t take it anymore. He walks up to one of their managers and ask if she already quit or something.
“She didn’t,” he just tells Johnny.
He is close to demanding “Then, why isn’t she here?” but he swallows it inside him because what’s it to him anyway? Can he even call them friends after what he said? Because he’s pretty sure what he said can also be translated to “As if I would be friends with a makeup artist.”
He’s obviously not in the mood because Jaehyun approaches him and says, “She’s watching her sister in the hospital.”
He doesn’t even deny it anymore. That he’s thinking about her. That he’s only been thinking about her. That when they say she, it just means her. “How did you know about it? Did she talk to you?”
“No,” Jaehyun shakes his head, sitting beside Johnny. “I heard from one of our stylists.”
“What happened to her sister?”
“They said it’s cancer.”
Johnny’s mouth drops. “Jaehyun, don’t —“
“I’m not one to joke around someone’s sick sister, Johnny,” the other immediately says, sighing. “Remember that time she looks so down and won’t say anything? I think it’s when they found out about it. She probably didn’t come this time because,” Jaehyun stops and Johnny understands. He doesn’t want to say it.
He stares at his phone. Should he call her? Will she answer? Is it the right time to bother her? She already has so much to think about. She doesn’t have time to think about Johnny.
Or that’s what Johnny thinks as he puts down his phone and firmly closes his eyes, no hint of sleep in his veins. He doesn’t want to bother. He doesn’t want to put more in her plate. But he wants to know if she’s okay. He wants to make sure that she’s okay.
11:11 pm from: seo johnny to: xxxxx if you were a booger, i’d pick you.
Johnny stares at the message. He deletes it, then types it again. He deletes it, and then he types it again. It takes him about four more retypes until he forces his finger to just send it. Then, he wants to undo it but it’s already been sent and he thinks he might have lost his one chance of making things okay between them again.
He dumps his head on his pillow and screams, fortunately not waking up Mark who has been assigned his roommate for the entire week. He glances at the younger on the other side of the room sleeping soundly while he messes up again in the middle of the night. Who does that? Only Johnny Seo.
It takes him more courage to look at his phone again and the conversation it is opened to than the first time he tried bungee jumping.
The message isn’t read yet.
He falls asleep staring at his opened conversation with the last message still unread.
He wakes up to his alarm and the moment consciousness hits him, he sits up on the bed and opens his message conversation with her again. It’s already read at 4:19 am but there’s no response.
He’s contemplating if he should send another message. What will he say? The pick-up line didn’t work. Not that it’s a good pick-up line but he figures it might make her laugh, or even just smile. He wonders if she’s smiling enough these days, with her sister in the hospital and Johnny hurting her like that.
Johnny sighs, sinking himself on the bed again and holding the phone against his chest. Six more days and he’ll definitely see her again. Then, he’ll talk to her, apologise, ask how she is, make sure she’s eating alright even though she’s staying at the hospital. Six more days.
The first three days drag long and the fourth would have, too, if his phone doesn’t buzz on a familiar but one that he hasn’t heard for a little too long assigned tone.
11:22 am to: seo johnny from: xxxxx that’s a really bad one, seo.
Johnny’s eyes widen and he reads her message over and over again and there are so many things he wants to say. Is she okay? How’s her sister? Is someone staying at the hospital with her? Is she still mad at him? Will she forgive him?
11:24 am from: seo johnny to: xxxxx how’s your sister?
11:30 am to: seo johnny from: xxxxx she’s fine.
He wants to call her. He wants to hear her voice but he wants to give her time. He knows she’s thinking of her sister the most and he doesn’t want to take that away from her. He’s thankful enough that she didn’t completely ignore him.
11:31 am from: seo johnny to: xxxxx can i visit when we come back?
11:31 am to: seo johnny from: xxxxx you know you can’t.
That’s true. It’s part of his predicament. It’s part of the job.
11:32 am from: seo johnny to: xxxxx i’m going to tell the company someone called.
11:34 am to: seo johnny from: xxxxx what? who?
11:35 am from: seo johnny to: xxxxx cupid called. he wants to tell you that he needs my heart back.
He stares at his phone for about ten minutes until they are being called to shoot the next segment, waiting for her reply. He dives to his phone the moment they finished shooting but there’s no reply yet. It’s read though.
The next few days are frustrating not because Johnny doesn’t enjoy what he does but because even though he does, he wants them to be over so he can go home.
He honestly doesn’t think he can pull it off.
He confesses to Taeyong and their leader helps him talk to their manager who helps him get to the hospital in a time when literally no one is there besides the doctors and the nurses.
Johnny stands outside the door that’s supposed to be her sister’s room, fidgeting. It’s around two in the morning. He has about two hours until he needs to go home if he doesn’t want to be late for their morning schedule and get him, Taeyong, and their manager in deep trouble. He takes a deep breath, puts his hand against the door, and is about knock when it opens on him.
She’s rubbing her eyes sleepily but they widen in full alertness when she sees who’s standing by the door.
“Johnny? What are you doing here?” she asks, poking her head out of the door to check at the hallway if someone catches an idol in front of her sister’s hospital room. She immediately pulls him inside, worried that someone will see him. “What are you doing here?” she questions him again when they’re already inside the closed door.
“I told you. I’m visiting,” he casually answers. “How’s your sister?” Johnny asks, looking past her to the woman lying on the bed, asleep, looking a lot like her but thinner, paler, and walks towards her sister.
She looks like she’s about to question his intentions again for a second but then, she sighs, and follows Johnny to her sister. “She’s fine,” she answers but her voice sounds as fragile as the patient.
He looks at her and notices dark bags under her eyes. He gently lifts his arm and brings the back of his hand to the skin under her eyes. “How are you?” he asks her this time.
She doesn’t flinch. She doesn’t move away. And Johnny doesn’t know what he’d do if she does any of those things. She just stands where her feet are and stares at him, searching for something. “I’m fine,” she finally says after a moment.
“Will you come to work anytime soon?”
“Did you come here to ask me to come to work?”
“No,” Johnny answers, shaking his head slowly. “I miss you.”
She takes a deep breath and just looks at him, like she’s looking for something beyond his brown eyes. He realises what she’s looking for and he can’t blame her after what he said. He realises he wants to make it right with her. He has to make it right with her.
“I was nervous,” he admits.
“What?”
“When they were asking me how I feel about you, I was nervous because I was pretty sure I was already falling in love with you but I didn’t know what to do about it. I said that and regretted it just as soon as it came out of my mouth. Even before I saw how hurt your eyes were when I found out you were behind me and you heard it. Because I’d fall in love with you whether you’re a bus driver, a bartender, or a makeup artist. I’d still fall in love with you.”
She opens her mouth to say something and then closes it again. She looks at Johnny for about ten years, or that’s what he feels under her gaze, before she speaks again. “Did you rehearse that?”
“Yes,” he confesses sheepishly. “I had to explain to Taeyong and to our manager everything. They need to understand what’s at stake here.”
“I can’t believe you told everyone you’re in love with me first before me,” she says, walking towards Johnny.
“No, I’m sure I told you first,” he argues, meeting her halfway.
“When?”
“When I said even if you’re a booger, I’d still pick you.”
She laughs, the laugh Johnny misses so much. The laugh Jonny loves to hear so much. “That’s not what you said,” she tells him, still laughing.
“It’s what I meant!” he says, wrapping his arms around her and when she wraps back her arms on his waist, he realises this is it. This is what he’s supposed to be feeling, light and happy and in love with her. He places a kiss on top of her head and mutters, “I’m sorry I was dumb and slow.”
She shakes his head and pulls him closer. “We’re both dumb and slow,” she whispers. “I should have told you I love you the first time I saw you.”
He pulls away, a little horrified in a good way and laughing. “Are you serious?”
“Why do you think I said all those pick-up lines to you the first time we met?”
Johnny visits her sister in the hospital as often as his schedule will allow it. She slowly comes back to work, too, one schedule at a time in the beginning to continue looking after her sister and fully when they find a donor for her sister. When she tells him over the phone that they found a donor at around twelve in the midnight, Johnny runs to the hospital just to hug her.
She tells him he shouldn’t have come over because she knows they have early schedule the following day but the way she clutches to his clothes when he hugs her — shaking because she’s so happy her sister is going to live that she doesn’t know how to put it into simple words — tells him he made the right decision to come.
He wants to share her happiness with her. He wants to share her worries, too. He wonders if that’s what love means.
His makeup is just about done. He’s already in his stage outfit but he comes back around and around to the mirrors where she’s still doing the makeup of the other members, checking himself over and over again.
“Hyung, you’re blocking the mirror!” Donghyuck exasperatedly complains at him the sixth time he comes back.
Johnny turns to look at the youngest and then at her who is still doing Donghyuck’s makeup, raising a brow at him as if she’s asking him what he is doing. He shrugs, biting his bottom lip, and walks away but not before saying, “Do you believe in love at first sight or should I pass by again?”
“Oh my god,” Taeil mutters from the seat beside Donghyuck, covering his face in embarrassment because it seems like Johnny can’f feel any.
But she smiles although she’s still completely focused Donghyuck’s face and Johnny considers it a win.
After the performance, he finds her putting the makeup pieces on the huge makeup box one by one, carefully, like each will break. He loves how much effort she puts in her job. He silently sits beside her and does the same after making sure that he’s already out of his stage costume and ready to go when they are called.
“Kiss me if I’m wrong but dinosaurs still exist, right?” Johnny suddenly asks.
Jungwoo who is within hearing distance hears it and gushes like he’s watching a romantic drama live while Jaehyun who is also within hearing distance loudly gags. “Someone stop Johnny please,” he mutters, faking another series of gags and walking away in distress.
She laughs at Jaehyun before turning to look at Johnny with a raised brow.
“I’m wrong, right?”
She shakes her head at him as well, still laughing. They have finished arranging the makeup in the makeup box and she stands up, him following after her. “Yes, you’re wrong, but there’s no consensual agreement over a kiss,” she tells him, walking past Johnny with a pat on his shoulder.
“Agreements are unnecessary with pick-up lines!”
They are just about to leave — everything’s already packed up and everyone’s already piling out of their waiting room. Actually, Johnny and the other members should have left earlier but they didn’t have any schedule after so they waited for the staff to have dinner together.
She looks around, checking if they left anything.
Then, her eyes land on the person in front of her. Johnny Seo.
She smiles at him, wondering what he’s thinking this time, standing and quiet like that. He has definitely not been quiet the entire day.
“If nothing lasts forever, will you be my nothing?”
They are in the middle of the room. Everyone is busy looking after things that they could have left but everyone turns silent when he says that. He doesn’t know if it’s weird fate or bad luck.
“Is that you asking her to be your girlfriend?” Doyoung asks with a tsk.
“Can't you just ask her that?” one of their stylists follows.
“And what do you mean will she be your ‘nothing,' hyung?” Mark questions, too.
“I know, right?” Jaehyun chimes. “Is that supposed to be positive?"
“What’s ‘nothing'?” Donghyuck confusedly asks, saying the word in question in English in an odd way of pronouncing.
“What’s so difficult with ‘Will you be my girlfriend?’” one of the other makeup artists shrugs.
Johnny’s face is burning and he could have answered all of their questions with “you know nothing” but his eyes are focused on her who is laughing her heart out at Johnny and his pick-up line proposal and at everyone for putting their cents in.
“Pick-up lines don’t work,” one of their managers says, shaking his head.
But she’s walking towards him and wrapping her arms on his neck and that would have been more romantic if they aren’t surrounded by people doubting and judging Johnny’s perfect proposal for her but it’s them and it’s enough and Johnny loves every bit of the moment. From the way she holds his neck towards him to the way she places a kiss on his cheek and softly answers, “Yes.”
Then, she pulls away a little to wink at him and adds, “Pick-up lines do work, right, John?”
Johnny grins and tightly hugs her, revelling on her scent and her warmth and everything her. “Of course they do, babe.” Then, he glances back at their manager and coyly asks, “Who hurt you, hyung?"
38 notes · View notes
lauwrite1225 · 4 years ago
Text
You’re my river running high, run deep run wild || Modern!Finan x OC
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Summary : It’s Saegyth’s first year at university and she didn’t count in the equation to fall for an handsome Irishman.
Warnings : A LOT OF FLUFF
A/N : WEEKS I’VE BEEN WRITING THIS! But god i’m happy with it! I thought it would be a good idea to write their meeting and how they ended up together in modern AU eheh. I hope you’ll enjoy!
Take Me to Another Lifetime Masterlist
You’re my river running high, run deep run wild
"I hope you're coming tonight." 
Saegyth paused, stopping to put her notebook in her bag. She frowned at her friend. "Coming where?" She asked confusedly. 
Gisela rolled her eyes as she grabbed her bag. "To the mentor meeting party, Saegyth." 
"Oh. Well…" She finished packing her stuff, searching how to answer her. "I'm not sure I'm in the mood to go out." 
"Of course you are!" Gisela snapped, a little upset. "Saegyth you've spent the summer away from every party, now is about time for you to go out." 
Saegyth sighed, walking past Gisela and climbing the stairs of the amphitheatre. Her friend was following her close, staring at her intently, in a way she hated : Gisela was right, Saegyth knew it and Gisela knew she knew it. And she hated that look. 
"Alright, I'll come." She exhaled and Gisela made a little enthusiastic jump. She couldn't help but shook her head in amusement. "But only because of the mentors. Some advice could be welcomed, I am already lost with this class." 
"Oh don't worry!" Gisela mischievously smiled. "I'm pretty sure your handsome mentor will be of good help." She winked at her as they headed to another class. 
Gisela had spent the rest of the day making sure Saegyth would come tonight and when she estimated that she was taking too much time to arrive, she harassed her with texts. Saegyth rolled her eyes at the fifth message she sent her since she had stepped in the subway before taking a quick look at herself in the window's reflection. It was strange to see makeup on her face after such a long time. 
She pushed the thoughts away, wanting to prevent the feelings to overtake, when she heard the voice announcing her station. She found Gisela waiting in front of the bar's door, a huge smile blessing her face. 
"I am so happy you are here!" 
"Like I had the choice." Saegyth pointed out but Gisela ignored her and kindly pushed her inside. 
The moment she made a step in, she felt overwhelmed by the music and the voices in the room. A young man immediately welcomed them, asking for their student cards and then handed them a box with small papers. 
"Pick one, it's the mentors' names, then you can search yours. They wear a badge with their name." He explained, pointing at his own. 
Saegyth took one and unfolded it. Quickly she felt her friend's eyes looking at the name above her shoulder. 
"Finan. Sounds pretty Irish." She noticed and then leaned to her ear to whisper. "I bet he has a very sexy accent."
"Do I need to remind you that you have a boyfriend ?" She tilted her head, and Gisela chuckled. 
"Go find your Irishman, and I'll go in search of a certain Hild." The brown woman waved her hand and disappeared in the crowd leaving her on her own. 
Saegyth took a brief look around, her fingers playing with the edge of her leather jacket, there were several small groups of people but she noticed one composed only of mentors. She walked in their direction and once she was close enough, she started to read their badges. Eventually her eyes fell on one written 'Finan' on. 
She looked up to see his face, he was half a head taller than her and at how large and strong his shoulders seemed to be under his shirt, she guessed he was athletic. He had dark hair that he must have struggled to keep ruled and a thin beard was covering his jaw. He was talking to another man and when he stopped speaking to take a sip of his beer, she took the occasion to make herself known.
"Excuse me, you're Finan, right?" 
He slowly turned his head to her and she noticed how his eyes seemed to spark. They were brown, a deep and dark brown, but somehow they seemed to shine. 
"That's me. I'm your mentor I guess?" He briefly looked at her from feet to head while she was cursing Gisela for being right again : he had an Irish accent, and it was kinda hot.
She handed him the small paper that he took, his fingers briefly brushing hers. He grinned, reading the name and stared at her again, and she felt suddenly weak in front of this bright smile of his. 
"Indeed, that's me. And so, ya're?"
"Saegyth." She smiled. 
"It's nice to meet ya." 
For a moment, an awkward silence settled between them, during which Finan rubbed his hand on his trousers. Eventually, he clapped it on his thigh before designating the counter behind him.
"Let me offer ya a drink?" He proposed.
Saegyth opened her mouth, but a brief instant passed before she was able to answer. "Oh no, I'll pay." 
He shook his head. "I'd insist. I offered a drink last year to the guy I mentored. I wouldn't want to create any inequality." He winked before mentioning to the counter. 
She resolved herself to follow him and gladly accepted the beer he paid for her. 
"So, why are ya in a law school?" He curiously asked, sitting on one of the high chairs. 
She sat next to him, thanking the waiter who put the beer bottle in front of her. "Well, I don't know exactly what I am going to do, but I'll say that my strong sense of justice led me here." She shrugged and it seemed to amuse him. "Really original, isn't it?" 
"Pretty common, indeed. But it was probably the same for me." He explained and she noticed light tension in his smile.
"But, you must have a better idea of what you want to do now." 
"Aye, I'd like to specialize in environmental law." He leaned back in the chair. "It's kinda far from my original idea, but I feel like I'll be more useful." 
Saegyth narrowed her eyes, taken by a sudden curiosity concerning the reasons of his studies choices, but she didn't ask any question, fearing it could be too private. And after all, she knew him for only a few minutes. 
Instead she led their conversation into a more academic one, asking him about the conduct of the first year. He was pretty comfortable while speaking, always smiling and she wondered if his cheeks would ache at the end of the night. But she couldn't deny enjoying how his cheerfulness was contagious. 
From the corner of her eyes, she caught Gisela walking toward them. "Gisela!" Her friend stopped next to her and awkwardly fixed Finan. "Finan, my best friend Gisela." 
Finan tilted his head. "Aye, I think I know. Ya're Uhtred's girlfriend." 
"And you're playing in the same rugby club than him, right?" Finan nodded and she chuckled turning to Saegyth. "The world is really small." She said, her eyebrows lightly rising.
"It seems." Saegyth climbed down the chair, her hands pulling the skirt of her dress to keep it in place. "Well, I'm not going to hog you much longer, Finan. Thank you for everything." 
"That's normal." He waved his hand before resting it on his phone. "Maybe I can give ya my number, if ya have other questions." 
Saegyth opened her mouth to reply that it wasn't necessary, that his email address was already on the paper, but Gisela spoke first. "Oh you should, I took Hild's. Emails are easily lost in a thousand others." She pretended to be exasperated, but Saegyth could see through her acting. 
She looked from her best friend to Finan, he was still staring at her, waiting for her answer. "Alright, why not?"
She took her phone and saved his number after sending him a 'Hi!'. He gave her a small smile when his phone rang. "Enjoy the night, then. And if ya've any questions, don't hesitate." 
"I won't." 
"Yes, I promise I'll come next weekend, Mom." 
Saegyth walked her way in the streets of Winchester to the bookshop. She had left the flat a few minutes ago and almost as soon as she stepped outside, her phone had rung, her mother's number appearing. 
It had been two weeks now since the first day of class and Saegyth hadn't taken the time to go back home, in Dorchester, to see her parents who were growing restless. This time, she guessed she didn't have other choices than be true to her words and plan to go back next week. 
"Mom, I have to let you, I'm going to the bookshop. I'll text you later." She said once she was at the shop's door. 
When she came in, it was calm and there was the usual smell of new books floating in the building. She walked between the shelves searching for some law books her teachers advised her. She was reading attentively each of the books' titles and startled when she heard someone suddenly talking to her. She turned quite abruptly and widened her eyes as she recognized the young man. 
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare ya." Finan apologetically smiled. 
She shook her head and chuckled lightly. "No that's alright, I just wasn't expecting you." She looked at his outfit briefly and noticed he was wearing the same jacket as other staff members and a pin with his name again. "Are you working here?" She immediately cursed herself for such a stupid question. 
"Aye, I do. I've to pay my charges." He shrugged and she nodded with a thin smile. "So… I was askin' if ya needed any help?" 
She hesitated a moment, looking back to the shelves. It was the first time she was seeing him since the party, and in fact, that she was speaking to him as well. She hadn't texted him and neither did he, and she kinda expected them to forget each other quickly. She eventually grabbed her phone and showed him the reference of a book. 
"I'm searching for this book, do you think you have it?" She kindly asked him. 
"Maybe in the storeroom." He frowned. "Don't move, I'll be back in a minute." 
She watched him disappear in a small alley and waited patiently. While he was away, she felt the same curiosity about him tickle her thoughts. He came back not long after with the book as promised. She thanked him when he handed it to her. She expected them to go back to their respective occupations, but strangely they both remained there in silence. 
"So, how's class goin' for ya?" He finally asked. 
She crossed her arms, the book pressed against her chest. "It's fine, really interesting. Though I'm a little bit lost sometimes. There's a lot of new notions." 
He chuckled and she found it as contagious as the last time, a smile growing unintentionally on her face. "The first month I thought my head would explode. But you'll see, everythin' slowly connects and makes sense." 
"I trust you, but I'd like it to come sooner." She admitted. "I'm totally lost with history." 
"Maybe I could help ya, I don't work on sundays." He proposed, his fingers drumming on a shelf. 
Once again Saegyth hesitated, though something in her was screaming for her to accept. "Why not? But the university's library is closed on sundays." 
He nodded his head, giving her a point. "Ya can come to my flat if ya want." 
"Alright." She quickly replied, maybe too quickly. She pinched her lips and hugged the book more against her, suddenly wondering if it was a good idea. "Tomorrow, then?" 
"Tomorrow." He repeated with a smile. "I'll text ya my address." 
Later, when she went back into her small room in the university campus and called Gisela to tell her what happened, she thought she was going to have a heart attack.
"I talked to Uhtred about him, he told me he was single." Her friend said, and she could imagine her mischievous smirk even if she was trying to sound innocent. 
"And what do you want me to do with that information?" She asked, dropping her new book on the desk of her university room. 
"Oh, nothing, I'm just saying." Saegyth rolled her eyes. "Though he seems to be a nice guy. Have you heard that he was part of the group organizing the parties of the university."
"Then that explains why he is single. His bed must be occupied by too many different girls for an actual girlfriend to stay." She replied and Gisela sighed through the phone.
"Why do you have to make such easy conclusions?" She sounded exasperated, what Saegyth could  understand. 
Gisela had tried the whole summer to bring her out, to see other people and mostly forget one person. 
"Listen, what I want you to understand is that you can't just keep yourself from meeting someone nice because of your dumbass ex-boyfriend." She said with her mom's voice, and of course she was always right when using it.
"I'm not-" 
"Yes, you are." Gisela cut her. "He ruined your summer, he won't ruin your first year in university." 
Saegyth dropped on the chair, resting her phone on a pile of books and activating the speaker. "It doesn't mean it has to be Finan. I barely know him, Gisela." 
"No, but I have a good feeling about him." She said, confident, and it made Saegyth chuckle.
"If you do, then."
The next afternoon, Saegyth was in front of Finan's building's door. It was a rather old one and the red door was, well, not that red anymore. His apartment was in the old Winchester, but not far from the university, in contrast to the student residence she was living in that was in a much more recent district. 
She looked at the interphone, searching Finan's name but she couldn't find it. So she resolved herself to send him a message. After a few minutes, she heard the sound of the door unlocking and she finally got face to face with a delighted Finan. 
"Hi! Sorry for makin' you wait." He said, rubbing the back of his neck. 
Saegyth stepped in the hall, briefly taking a look to the staircase. "That's alright, it wasn't raining." 
Finan laughed kindly before telling her to follow him. They stopped at the fourth floor, Saegyth making a side note in her mind that it was time to go back into sport. He opened his door and let her in. Surprisingly, the interior of his flat looked much more recent than the building. It wasn't big, the door opening right next to the kitchen that seemed to have recently been renovated. Further there was a small living room and two doors that she supposed were leading to his bedroom and bathroom. 
"Ya can put your things on the couch." She nodded and dropped her bag and coat. "Do ya want to drink somethin'?" He asked when she was resting her notebook on the kitchen's table, already grabbing a glass on a shelf. 
"Water will be good. Thank you."
An hour later, the table was covered with books and papers, Saegyth taking notes as Finan explained her the role of the preator at Rome. Narrated by Finan, the lesson sounded much more interesting, he was undeniably a very good storyteller. And he seemed to enjoy it, adding even some extra details that he learned by himself. 
"You'd make a good teacher." She told him after he gave her some tips for her essay. 
"I doubt havin' enough patience for that." He chuckled lightly. 
"You had, with me." She replied, putting her notes back in her folder. 
Finan shook his head. "That's only because ya're a good student."
She turned her head to him and couldn't help but blush at how intense and hypnotizing his eyes were. He was smiling kindly and she wondered when was the last time she found a man's smile beautiful. Finan's one was handsome, but also childish, which she found endearing. 
She blinked and looked away when she realised it had been too long since she started to stare at him, chewing her bottom lips. "Thank you." She tried to hide her embarrassment, but Finan seemed happy with it, still grinning. 
Saegyth packed up her things back in her bag once they were done and Finan accompanied her down stairs. 
"Thank you again for your help. It's really nice." 
Finan waved his hands as if it was nothing. "It's alright, t'was a pleasure to help ya." He opened the door and she made a step outside. "We can do it next Sunday too, if ya want."
"Oh, I promised my mother to come back for the weekend." She explained, but she couldn't help but add when she noticed the ounce of disappointment on his face: "But maybe Friday, I don't have any classes in the morning."
"Alright then."
"How did you have such a good grade?" Osferth asked, leaning on Saegyth's table and taking a look at the paper. 
 "She has a private teacher." Gisela grinned next to her and their new friend looked at them confusedly, Saegyth elbowing her best friend.
Osferth had been sitting on the table in front of them in most of the classes and they eventually started to sympathize. He was honestly the sweetest man she ever met, always kind and smiling. 
"She's saying stupidities." Saegyth rolled her eyes. 
"Am I?" The reflection made her win another glare and she chuckled. 
But she wasn't totally wrong, in the past two months Finan had been helping her a lot with her lessons, to the point that she was spending every sundays afternoon at his flat, or fridays morning when she was going back to Dorchester for a weekend to see her family. And this, even when she had no problem understanding the class anymore. So they would just study together, and simply enjoy each other's company.
And Saegyth was undoubtedly appreciating Finan's company, he had always the good word to make her smile. But she liked even more to make him laugh, the way his dark eyes were narrowing, creating small crinkles in the corner of them, terribly endearing to her and making her heart flutter. Sometimes they would cross each other at University, have a small talk and as soon as he was gone, Gisela would tease her by saying she was blushing again. Which, in fact, was probably true.
"The boys have a match Saturday." Gisela told her one day during the break the teacher just allowed. "I'm going to watch Uhtred. But you should come... to see him play." She winked, not even bothering to specify who she was talking about anymore.
"I know nothing of rugby, Gisela." Saegyth replied, correcting something in her notes. 
Her friend rolled her eyes. "Do you think I know better? But Uhtred likes when I come, and honestly it's sight to be seen." She whispered in her ear, smirking, and Saegyth glared at her. 
"Please, keep your dirty thoughts for yourself." She chuckled, despite pretending to be shocked.
"Alright, alright! Though you owe him that. He's been helping you for two months now, I'm sure he'll be happy to see you there."
And that's how she found herself, a Saturday afternoon in the stands of Winchester's rugby field with Gisela. The boys were playing against Lunden's team, which seemed to be a good one as the score was tied the whole match. Saegyth easily recognized Finan, he was in front, always alert at where the ball was, ready to jump and catch it. She had always noticed how strong and large his shoulders were and didn't expect him to be so fast as he ran across the field. His teammates cheered him when he fell in the grass between the two pillars forming the goal with the ball. 
When the arbitrator whistled the end of the match, Winchester was 3 points ahead. She stood up with the other spectators, applauding them with a pride smile on her face. Gisela was even more excited, her hand curved around her mouth as she screamed that Winchester's team was the best.
"Come, let's congratulate them." She grinned, taking Saegyth's hand before she could protest.
They climbed down the stairs of the stands and approached the group created around the coach. Gisela cheered again when Uhtred started to walk towards them. She ran to hug him, but stopped when she noticed how sweaty her boyfriend was. Saegyth couldn't help but laugh as Uhtred sighed desperately.  She liked her best friend's man, he was two years older than them and already working to be part of the police. 
"Ya here, that's a surprise." 
Saegyth turned on her heels, startled by Finan's voice. He was standing right in front of her, his cheeks red, his hair messier than ever and his shirt sticking to his body, revealing the shape of his pecs and abs. She couldn't help but remember Gisela's words : a sight to be seen. And once again, she was right. 
"A good one, I hope."
His face broke in a smile as he ran a hand in his hair. "Aye, it is."
Her teeth sunk in the flesh of her lower lip, his eyes were detailing her silently, and she thought she would melt. "Congratulations!" She said, trying to ease the tension between them. "I don't know anything about rugby but I understood you played well." 
"Well, thank ya." He cheerfully laughed. He looked aside a brief moment when someone called his name, his teammates taking the direction of the locker room. He shouted that he was coming before turning to Saegyth. "We're goin' to celebrate at the bar tonight, d'ya wanna join?" 
She hesitated, looking around as if the answer would be written somewhere, but finally nodded. "Why not?"
The music in the bar was loud when Saegyth walked in with Uhtred and Gisela, the young man having proposed to drive them here. Almost immediately, Uhtred, that she learned in the car was in fact the captain of the team, was greeted by his friends. Their complicity really was heartwarming to see and she and Gisela laughed lightly. 
They both headed to the bar, Gisela ordering a virgin mojito, she promised she'd drive them back home, and Saegyth a not virgin one. She frowned when she felt her friend's eyes intently studying her with a smirk.
"What?" She asked before catching the straw of her cocktail between her lips. 
"Oh nothing, I just noticed you look particularly pretty tonight." Gisela replied, looking away. 
"Am I not always?" She raised an eyebrow, a grin pulling her lips. 
Gisela laughed. "Of course you always are." She kissed her cheek before sipping her drink. "But it's been a long time since the last time I saw you liked that. And let me tell you, I'm really happy about it." 
Saegyth smiled fondly at her best friend. She was right, she hadn't spent so much time preparing herself for a party in months. Fortunately, Gisela had always insisted on her having a party dress at her room in the campus, otherwise she'd have to content herself with a shirt and trousers. Saegyth loved this dress, last time she had worn it was at her birthday party, last year, for her 18th birthday. It seemed to be such a long time ago now. It was black with a soft fabric, the skirt falling just above her knees. 
"Thank you, Gisela." She squeezed her hand before looking above her shoulder, hearing the noisy team behind them. 
There was a line of shots on a table and a player, tall but thinner than most of the boys, was drinking them one by one. Saegyth quickly understood that he was called Sihtric as the others were shouting his name. She amusingly shook her head and as she did, her eyes caught Finan. She blushed, realizing he was already looking at her. He raised his beer in greeting, his usual grin lighting his face. He was wearing the same shirt that during the tutors' party but a different pants and she chewed her inner jaw, wondering how the hell she was remembering that. 
"I'm going to join Uhtred. You should go and join him." Gisela said in her ear before walking away. 
Saegyth sighed and started to walk towards the Irishman, her heart beating faster at each step. 
"Hi!" She smiled, raising her cocktail as he did with his beer before.
"Heya!" He clinked the tip of his bottle with the edge of her glass. "I'm glad ya came." 
"You doubted I would come?" She asked before bringing her drink to her lips.
His eyes followed her movement before turning to his friends. "Well, a loud rugby team isn't always the best company." 
Saegyth chuckled, looking as another guy was drinking his own shots, the others encouraging him. "Loud is the word indeed." She admitted as her clear eyes met his own again. "How long have you been playing with them?"
He frowned, thinking. "Two years? I joined the team when I arrived in Winchester, but I've been playin' since I'm a wee boy." He explained to her before drinking a gulp of his beer. 
"So it's not been a long time since you're here." He shook his head. "You must miss Ireland, no?" She asked but regretted immediately when his smile dropped for a minute. 
His jaw twitched nervously and he leaned more against the wall behind him. "Not really…" He grimaced. "T'is a little complicated." 
Now that they had broached the subject, Saegyth realized that when she had occasionally talked to him about her family, but he had never mentioned his own. "It's alright, if you're happy here, it's the most important." She said to ease him, not wanting to make the situation more uncomfortable for him.
And she was glad that he gave her a gentle smile, one that warmed her whole body. She hadn't felt that way in months, and even the last time she did, it wasn't as strong as with him. She stopped to breath for a moment when he brought his hand to her face, his fingers delicately bringing a strand of her hair that had fallen in front of her eyes, back behind her ear. His fingertips brushed her cheek and she couldn't guess if it was the blood suddenly rising or his touch that burnt her. 
"I should present ya to the others." He said, his hand falling back to his side. 
She was tempted to refuse, to say that she'd rather stay just with him, but it sounded immediately awkward in her mind. And being awkward was the last thing she wanted. So she nodded and followed him. He presented her to a few of his friends, including Sihtric, that she had noticed earlier, that Finan described as one of his closest friends with Uhtred. He was sympathetic, though the alcohol was making him speak loudly. One of the boys proposed to her a shot of rum, that she accepted, grimacing when the alcohol slightly burnt her throat. She put down the small glass and when she looked around, Finan wasn't by her side anymore, and she couldn't deny the disappointment she felt.
She kept talking with some of the players, each talking of their own studies or works until someone grabbed her hand. "Come dance with me!" Gisela prompted her, dragging her to the dance floor. 
"Slowly Gisela, I'm drunk." She laughed as she followed her, careful to not stumble. 
Once they were in the middle of the crowd, it was as if Saegyth's mind couldn't think of anything else but the music playing around them. She found herself dancing with her best friend on I Love It by Icona Pop, shouting the lyrics and jumping in rhythm. They probably looked ridiculous, but she couldn't care less. She was smiling so much, her cheeks were hurting while her head was spinning. Though she didn't stop, it had been so long since the last time she had so much fun. 
A few songs passed until Uhtred stole her Gisela to dance. She was out of breath and in need of a little break. She succeeded to find a way out of the dancefloor and she dropped on the nearest bench seat. 
"Tired?" Finan asked her with an amused smile, sitting next to her.
She shook her head. "I just need a break. Christ I'm thirsty." She sighed and he handed her his beer, half filled. "Do you drink only beers?" She asked him, gladly welcoming the drink.
He laughed, and maybe it was the alcohol but she was now sure it was the most beautiful sound she had heard in her entire life.
"I'm Irish." He grinned and she chuckled with him.
She drank a few gulps and gave him back the bottle. "I thought you had disappeared." 
Finan leaned a little toward her, his brown pupils mesmerising her. "Why d'ya care? Did ya miss me?" He raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth lifting, and she noticed his accent was thicker now that he was probably drunk too.
She leaned forward as well, holding his gaze and grinned. "Maybe." 
She knew the alcohol was probably the first to blame for the mess happening in her mind, but Finan was undoubtedly close. His knee was touching hers and it almost felt too much. She couldn't just stay here and simply stare at him, though she didn't want to leave him. She was about to speak but he was faster. 
"D'ya wanna dance?" He asked and she immediately nodded.
He stood up and gave her his hand, she looked alternately at his face and his palm a few times before grabbing it. When earlier, she had wished Gisela to let go of her hand the quickest possible so she could dance, now she wanted Finan to keep holding it, even when they were finally in the middle of the dancers. When he released her, I Follow Rivers was now playing in the bar. Saegyth loved that song, it made her want to dance but rhythm was soft enough to make her movements slow. She smiled at Finan who definitely wasn't the greatest dancer but seemed to enjoy the moment. He grabbed her hand and made her twirl, her laugh barely audible with the music.
After a few twirls, her head was spinning again, and she had to hold his shoulders to not stumble, his hands on her waist to keep her straight. The song was suddenly calm and they could now hear each other's chuckles. Finan leaned down to her ear, his hot breath caressing her skin. 
"Ya're beautiful." He said, his voice or the words, or maybe both making her shiver. 
He moved away but his face was still close to hers. Now the singer's voice was only accompanied by the piano, it was her favourite part, and her lips were instinctively forming the lyrics, but her whole attention was on Finan. She couldn't keep her eyes away from him, his eyelids half closed and his nose touching hers. It was like the time had stopped and all she could feel was his breath on her mouth and how she was craving for their lips that seemed to be attracted by an invisible force to finally collide. She closed her eyes when his hand moved to the side of her face, his thumb brushing her skin. His forehead touched hers and her heart was racing as fast the rhythm of the music that had started to accelerate. 
Then suddenly everything vanished. When she opened her eyes Finan wasn't looking at her anymore, but at his friend Sihtric, his arms around the Irishman's shoulders and his face as pale as a ghost. 
"Finan, I think I'm going to throw up." Sihtric stammered. 
"Fuck off." He grumbled and started to drag his friend to the toilets, letting Saegyth on her own in the middle of the crowd.
It took her a moment to realize what just happened, her breath slow and her gaze lost. She was feeling so empty, the suddenness blowing her clear. She went back to reality when she felt arms wrapping around her neck from behind her back. She blinked several times until she turned her head and recognized Gisela. 
"Are you alright?" She frowned.
"Yes." She breathed and her friend nodded.
"It's time to go."
Saegyth shivered at the cold water as she turned on the shower. Her head was hurting because of her hangover, but it could have been worse. She rubbed her face vigorously before untangling her hair with her fingers. As she washed herself, memories of the party came back to her mind until the moment she was dancing with Finan and she felt her cheeks grow hot. They were supposed to see each other, as every Sunday, today and she had no idea how she should react once she'd be with him. Of course they had been both drunk, but she had truly wanted him to kiss her. And now she doubted she could ever face him without feeling utterly uncomfortable. 
She hesitated to text Gisela about what happened, and when she finally did, she first received a mess of random capital letters. Eventually, she told her to try to act as usual, which Saegyth already knew almost impossible, and that another occasion would come soon enough. The blonde was doubtful, what if he only wanted to have fun? That this kiss that never happened meant nothing to him.
She reluctantly went to his flat at the usual hour and sent him a message when she was in front of the building. He quickly opened her and to her surprise, he seemed as uncomfortable as her. She couldn't tell if it was reassuring her or not. Once they were in his flat, she started to remove her stuff from her bag. 
"So, did ya like the party yesterday?" He asked sitting in front of her.
She briefly looked up to him and she felt like he was trying to read her mind. "I did." She replied, avoiding his eyes.
"I'm sorry for Sihtric, this idiot can't hold his liquor." He said, holding back a laugh.
She bit her lips, wondering if he was sorry for the interruption Sihtric occured or just for his presence in general. "It's alright." She smiled, still looking away.
"Good." 
They studied silently that day, for a moment she almost forgot his presence, until she raised her gaze and crossed his. His pen was twirling between his fingers in a practiced move and he seemed to take a deep breath. 
"What?" She carefully asked when his lips parted slightly to speak, but he hesitated.
He stopped to play with his pen and looked down to his notebook. "It's just… Yesterday when we were dancin'…" 
"Yes?" She cut him, her breath short. 
He raised his gaze and he stared at her for a moment before finally speaking again. "Well, I meant it when I said ya were beautiful. And I also intended to kiss ya, before this idiot arrived." He grumbled the last words. 
Saegyth was looking at him with wide eyes. Her teeth brushed her lower lips before she pretended to concentrate again on her work, when she actually just tried to hide her smile. "Thank you." 
He kept watching, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. "Aye, ya're welcome." He repeated, visibly destabilised.  
They worked silently again until this time it was the sound of rain that interrupted them. Through the window, Saegyth could see the dark sky and heavy drops crashing violently against the pane. She sighed, already imagining how wet to the bones she'd be when finally to her room. 
"Ya can stay here if ya want." Finan proposed to her. 
She shook her head. "I don't want to bother you." 
"I wouldn't propose if ya were." He said, tilting his head and kindly smiling.
And so she accepted. They both put their things away, judging they had worked enough for today and instead they started to work on their dinner. She took a look at the content of his fridge with him and they came to the conclusion that they should do pastas with cooked zucchinis. Finan declared that he could make the pastas, and Saegyth realized how what she thought was the easiest thing on Earth to cook could actually be difficult. 
"Oh my god Finan, didn't you watch the time?" She exclaimed after tasting a definitely overcooked pasta. 
"I forgot." He grimaced, staring at the disaster. He waved his hands when she gave him a desperate look. "What? I was distracted." He said in his defence. 
She huffed amusingly. "You were?" She raised an eyebrow. 
He nodded, leaning slightly above her. "Aye, but ya should watch your pan, or we'll eat burned zucchinis with my delicious pastas." 
She laughed before narrowing her eyes. "I'm not that easily distracted." She declared, crossing her arms. He raised an eyebrow again, challenging her. But she turned around and took a wooden spoon to turn the vegetables in the pan. "It's almost ready, maybe you can set the table." 
"Yes ma'am!" He said obediently and she rolled her eyes. 
Fortunately, the zucchinis weren't burned, but they still had to eat the overcooked pastas. Though, she succeeded to forget this fact as her whole mind was focused on the man sitting in front of her. She couldn't help but think about last night again, what he said earlier, and if it would happen again tonight. There would be no music and, thank God, no Sihtric to interrupt them. The thought remained in the corner of her mind, as they talked. 
This time their discussion seemed more personal than usual. In an hour she learned more of him than in the past two months. He, surprisingly, vaguely talked of why he left Ireland, saying he just wanted to get away from his family. She didn't push the discussion further, remembering his reaction last night, but felt honoured that he decided to share a little of it with her. 
When they finished dinner, it was still raining like it was the Great Flood. 
"You're sure I can stay here for the night?" She asked him, not wanting to take advantage of his kindness. 
He turned around, taking the plate she was handing him. "I'm sure." He confirmed before turning again and putting the plate on the pile on a shelf. 
"Thank you very much." She waited for him to face her to continue. "For everything you did for me since we met. You didn't have to." 
"That's where ya're mistaking." He replied, leaning against the counter. "I did have to." 
She confusedly frowned at him, there wasn't any smirk on his face and she suddenly got scared she had been mistaking on in fact everything. 
"I had to do all of this, not only because it felt right to do so, but also because I wanted to see ya."  
She felt like her heart had suddenly stopped to beat as she kept holding his gaze. He stepped toward her until she had to lift her chin slightly to look at him in the eyes. 
"So it wasn't pure charity." She teased and she felt satisfied as the sound of his warm laugh reached her ears. 
"Not totally." He admitted with a lopsided smile.
"We have a common point then." He raised a brow and she smirked. "I kept coming because I also wanted to see you." 
He chuckled again, his eyes sparking as he detailed her face. And slowly, despite the lack of music, the same tension that last night grew between them. His palm cupped the side of her face, his thumb grazing in the same tender way on her cheek as he leaned his face down to hers. When his nose touched hers, she closed eyes, his hot breath mixing with hers. And finally, she felt his lips against hers, his kiss so delicate she felt as if she was a masterpiece. 
When he moved away, she was smiling fondly, her whole body shivering at what just happened. She opened her eyes and was pleased to see the same expression on Finan's face.
"I feel like a girl who just had her first kiss." She confessed, blushing. 
Finan grinned, his hand sliding in her hair. "Let's not make it the last then." 
She gladly welcomed his mouth, this time more eager, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. There was something almost natural with kissing him, as if it had always been meant to be. His hands slid down her waist to rest on her hips, but he didn't go further. When they separated, both out of breath, Finan pressed a kiss on her forehead. 
"We should go to sleep." He said and she reluctantly nodded. 
Saegyth had obviously nothing to wear for the night, so Finan lent her a t-shirt and sweatpants. When she walked out of the bathroom, she frowned at him as he was dropping a cushion and a cover on the couch. 
"What are you doing?" She asked him, confused.
He turned around. "Makin' my bed." He answered, speaking slowly as if he was a child just being caught doing something foolish. 
"Finan, you just kissed me. I think we can at least share a bed now." She said with an amused smile. 
He sighed in relief and took back his cushion before walking towards her again. "Good, because sleepin' on this is pretty much like sleepin' on the damn floor." He explained, making her giggle before she kissed him lightly. 
Not long after, they crawled to bed, facing each other in the dark. Saegyth shyly let her fingers brush his bearded cheek until Finan turned his head to kiss her wrist tenderly. It wasn't the first time she was sleeping with a man, but never before it felt so intimate even though they were still fully clothed. In fact, a lot of things she thought she knew got swept away by Finan. What she had felt before suddenly sounding like only a prelude of what he would make her feel.
A/N: 7000 fucking words. Also, Finan playing rugby ? Highkey hot.
Tags: @geekandbooknerd​ @poguesmaybank​ @obipoelover​ @mrsalwayswrite​
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thegoodprincess · 3 years ago
Text
Together We Are Apart, but Apart We Are Together | KTH Ch. 6
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Author: thegoodprincess
Pairing: Kim Taehyung | Original Female Character
Genre: romance, fantasy, action, forbidden love, human KTH | angel of death OC, supernatural au
Word Count: 2.6k [series, ongoing]
Rating: N/A
Warnings: None
Summary: After admiring a handsome boy from afar, an Angel of Death reluctantly rescues him from his own demise. As a result of going against her better judgment she inadvertently invites him into her world.
Together We Are Apart, but Apart We Are Together
Chapter 6. Name For a Face
“Tigers die and leave their skins; people die and leave their names.” - Japanese Proverb
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While I was awaiting his return, I finished up the remainder of my tea. It had gone a bit cold since it was first poured. Nevertheless, I still drank it, savoring the sweet flavor as it slid down my throat. I decided to lay down on the sofa to rest my sore body. Sinking down into the cushions and staring blankly up at the ceiling, I wondered if I should have went to retrieve the boy’s wallet instead of Malachi. I didn’t want his willingness to help to be misinterpreted as him enabling my own foolish actions. Otherwise he would have been just as much at fault, if we were to find ourselves in the midst of chaos. He had always been eager to assist with whatever trouble I had found myself in, ready to bare the burden with open arms. It sometimes felt like he was too loyal to me, like he was just blindly complying to my wishes. I didn't want him to help me because he felt he had to, but because he wanted to. In turn it made me feel guilty about how I treated Malachi, as if I was exploiting the nature of our friendship.
Lost in the guilt-ridden thoughts of my conscience, it hadn’t even occurred to me that I had closed my eyes. I had fully intended to stay awake until Malachi returned, so I reluctantly opened them. However, I found it to be a struggle to keep them that way. Fatigue was starting to set in as I tried desperately to blink the sleepiness out of my eyes. The calming effect of the rose tea paired with the soothing sound of the logs crackling in the fire created a comfortable ambiance for me to relax to. Eventually my limbs began to feel heavy and my breathing slowed enough for me to finally lose the battle against the Sandman. Just like that, I readily drifted off into the unconscious.
It felt like Malachi was gone for quite some time before I was awoken by a small crashing noise that emanated from in front of the fireplace. Looking drowsily in the direction of the sound, I squinted to faintly make out Malachi readjusting a drying rack I had set close to the fire to dry the boy’s clothes. Through blurred vision I saw him carefully hang the articles back into their positions on the bars, spreading them out to ensure they dried properly.
“That damn thing needs to be moved. Why would she set that cursed thing right there? Stupid human boy and his stupid human clothes. What if I had fallen into the fire and burned my as—,” he whisper-yelled to himself irritated before he realized he had woken me up. “My apologies, I did not mean to wake you.” He bowed his head embarrassed of his crude outburst. I stretched and yawned, feeling the muscles in my back strain from the movement before sitting up. “It’s fine,” I waved my hand with blithe disregard for his unnecessary apology. “How long were you gone? I fell asleep waiting for you.”
“Not long.”
I rubbed the delicate skin around my eyes to get a better view of him. That’s when I took in his whole figure. Looking towards his legs I noticed that his pants were thoroughly soaked all the way up to his shins, from no doubt trudging around in the snow. “Oh my gosh, are you okay? You’re soaked. Here sit in front of the fire to warm up.” I quickly scrambled off the sofa and offered him my seat.
“I can assure you I am quite alright. I am nowhere in the condition you were in earlier tonight.” He assured with a sincere smile while taking a seat next to me. I awkwardly sat back down again.
Suddenly remembering why he left, I anxiously inquired, “Did you find it?”
“Yes.” He simply answered pulling it from his robe. The leather of the wallet was cold and stiff from getting wet. “And it did not take me long, it was just buried deeper than we originally thought. The snow has picked up quite a bit since we last left.” I held the wallet not ready to open it as he continued. “I also disposed of the gun and the patch of ice he fell through, you will be pleased to know it froze back over.”
“That’s good. No evidence. Do you think the old man will report the boy’s involvement.”
“No. I already took care of it.” I furrowed my brows confused. “I took the liberty of tracking him down and wiping his memory.” Malachi explained.
“Oh. Thank you. I didn’t even need to ask.”
“Yes. Well, you are lucky I am the best,” Malachi facetiously boasted. I rolled my eyes.
“What about the gun man?”
“Did I wipe his memory? No, I want him to live with the guilt until it consumes him.” The expression in Malachi’s eyes turned unnervingly dark. “And I doubt he will anonymously report the boy’s death. Not unless he wants to involve himself with the authorities or worse get caught by them. He will probably try to go about living his life as if nothing ever happened.”
“That’s horrible. But it’s good for us, I guess. Less of a mess to clean up. Not that I haven’t already jeopardized enough for us as it is.” I ashamedly spoke looking down at the floor.
“You are too hard on yourself.” He frowned concerned.
“I have to be. I can’t make mistakes. Especially when they effect those I cherish most.” I said looking purposefully at him.
“Ha, even a divine being such as yourself is allowed to make mistakes. And for as long as you allow me, I will always be there by your side to help you fix what is considered broken. Even if that means going against the rules of our nature.”
“Yes, but you said, if the consequences were dire then I was to take respons—,”.
Malachi promptly held a hand up to stop me, “I am well aware of what I said. However, if your actions do not bode well, I will still remain faithful to you, and only you.” He chided. He then took a second to soften his voice before continuing, “Allow me to clarify. It is my choice, and I choose to help you not because I feel it is my duty to do so, but because I want to help you. Why will you not understand that? We are as thick as thieves, even when that means cheating death,” he quipped. And with that he chastely kissed my forehead to put my guilty thoughts at ease.
I decided to steer the conversation away from my self-scrutiny, and brought our attention back to the wallet in my hands, “Did you look in it?” Immediately after the question left my mouth, adrenaline started to surge through my veins. I was well aware of the spike in my heart rate and the perspiration gathering on the nape of my neck.
“No, I thought I would let you do the honors.”
“Oh. Okay.” Nervous, I turned the wallet over in my quivering hands and reveled in the feeling of physically holding the piece of leather. The movement made it hard to undo the snap closure, and my slightly sweaty palms were doing me no favors as they slid against the leathery texture. Finally after a brief struggle I was able to open it.
There inside his wallet were some clear card holders with one containing a card with a small picture of him. Holding it closer to my face I realized it was his driver’s license. To the right of his picture, in printed text was the one thing on my mind that I had been wondering for months, his name. “His name is… Kim Taehyung,” I read aloud smiling. “Taehyung.” I repeated again letting the two syllables roll around in my mouth. I wanted to keep repeating his name like a mantra, giddy with excitement that I finally knew it.
“Well, now that you know the human’s name, I would advise you check on him. Speaking of which, I am surprised to not find you with him now. Why is that?” He eyed me suspiciously.
“I was waiting for you. He’s safe in my bed. I could hear the steady pace of his heartbeat from out hear.” This was a half truth, I also wanted to avoid the temptation of staring at his sleeping form. “You, however, were out there in the snow looking for something I needed, cold and alone. I was worried.” I may have been preoccupied with the probability of the boy’s, no Taehyung’s, life; but that didn’t mean I was any less concerned about Malachi’s wellbeing.
“Ah, so you do care,” he teasingly joked.
“Of course I care about you. You’re my friend.”
“As are you.”
“Thank you.” I sweetly hummed the sentiment for the fifth time tonight.
He nodded as to convey that it wasn’t a problem. “It was my pleasure little bird.” He patted me on the head. “You should check on the boy and get some rest.” He nodded towards my bedroom door.
“I will. I suggest taking a warm bath before bed. Goodnight Malachi.”
“Thank you for the recommendation. Goodnight my dear.” He said as he got up and walked towards the bathroom.
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After Malachi had left to run a bath for himself, I decided to put out the fire. I could instantly feel the temperature of the room drop several degrees. While blowing out the last candle, I looked towards the window. Through the glass I was able to clearly make out the moon. Its light that penetrated from outside was more than enough for Malachi to see when he came out to go to bed. As I made my way over to my bedroom door I counted my steps until I reached it. I walked with one foot directly in front of the other with my arms out to the sides of me, as if I was walking on a balance beam. I know I must have looked somewhat silly, but it was all in an effort to prolong the inevitable, as well as simultaneously calm my nerves. I ultimately didn’t want to seem too eager to see Taehyung. Finally reaching my door I briefly hesitated before turning the knob. I then walked through the threshold and quietly closed the door. Once the lock softly clicked into place, I leaned my head against the wood and took a few slow breaths in order to prepare myself. I didn’t want to look in his direction just yet because I knew once I saw him it would be difficult to look away.
Over on my bedside table was a candle that I wished to light. Using the moonlight, I repeated my odd ritual from earlier, deliberately looking straight at the floor as I made my way over. Except this time I made sure to walk with normal footing. I would have been mortified if I had tripped and potentially disturbed his sleep.
Placing Taehyung’s wallet on the table, I opened the drawer and blindly felt around for a box of matches. After a few failed attempts, I finally grabbed ahold of one. I plucked one match from the container and struck it against the side of the box. Not wanting the flame to go out, I quickly touched it to the tip of the candle wick and flicked the used match to put it out. Almost immediately my senses were flooded with the rich earthy musk of amber and sandalwood. Closing my eyes, I took a brief moment to appreciate the comforting aroma. The candle’s flickering light intimately lit up the small area around my bed causing our shadows to bounce on the wall. I then leisurely turned my head and saw him.
Tucked into my silk sheets, he laid flat on his back with his whole body, from the neck down, hidden under the blankets. I watched him sleep peacefully as I sat on the floor and knelt near the side of my bed. From under the silky blankets, I could make out the subtle yet steady rise and fall of his chest. If I listened close enough I could hear the sound of his soft inhales and exhales. Continuing my gaze upwards, it landed on his neck and the pretty curve of his jaw. From there I was met with the sight of his beautiful face, his expression passive. Slumber had made his features look innocent. The moles that were on his cheek, lip, and under his eye reminded me of the stars that sparsely dusted the sky on a cloudy night. They somewhat reminded me of a constellation and it briefly dawned on me that if I were to connect them, would I be any closer to navigating my zealous yet enigmatic feelings for him.
Against my pillows his head rested delicately. His hair was almost fully dry. A few locks in the front of his head curled around his face, while the rest fell elegantly onto the pillow like a halo. Its golden hues were complimented by the iridescent pearly sheen of my pillow case, and the sight created a picturesque scene worth committing to memory. I couldn’t help but be enamored by him. He looked otherworldly, almost like an angel. He could have very well been one of the ones that I had come across when I visited Heaven from time to time.
Finally able to touch his face in a way that wasn’t correlated to life threatening peril, I gently brushed my knuckles against his cheek and tenderly traced his jawline with my fingertips in curious fascination. Mesmerized by the feeling of the suppleness of his warm to the touch skin, I pondered how I got so lucky as to be this close to him, while also being able to reach out and touch him. It was almost intoxicating. And what was even better, is that now I had his name to go along with his face.
“So your name is Tae-hyung.” I whispered each syllable slowly more to myself than him, dramatically emphasizing the pronunciation of both. I smiled at the new found knowledge. “It suits you.”
Not long after admiring his sleeping form, I began to feel like my conscious reality was fraying around its edges. Walking a few feet on my knees to the end of my bed, I took a cotton blanket slewn messily over the end of the bed post and draped it over my shoulders. In my drowsy state I placed a gentle kiss against Taehyung’s forehead. I then turned to blow out the candle after my rash display of affection, but saw something that I thought was peculiar out of the corner of my eye. For what felt like a split second I could have sworn I had seen a brief flash of very faint light emitting from around his head in the dim candle light. However, I attributed it to being a trick of the light, after all I was exhausted and my blurry tired vision wasn’t the most reliable at this exact moment.
Taking one last longing look at his face in the moonlight after blowing out the candle [as if this would be the last time I saw him], I rested my head against my arm and was lulled to sleep by the rhythm of his calm breathing, hopeful for whatever tomorrow brought us.
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