#so i would like to give information in the notes on the “second” chapter which would be the actual first chapter which is not the prologue

[aparticularbandit]

This week I have a couple of things in my backlog that can go up on Monday, so once again, y'all get a choice!

I still have another chapter of Agatha and Stephen Go on a Trip done and now have...eleven fully complete chapters of Of An Endless Infinity done, of which you would get the first.

AaSGoaT is the multi-chapter sequel to Finding Family, which focuses on Agatha and Stephen traveling to Neverland to rescue America and Wendy. (If none of those words make sense: Agatha and Stephen travel to another universe to save America and the Wanda who comes from that universe. Who is also America's girlfriend. (This makes sense in context.))

OAEI is the Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc ending rewrite I keep mentioning and (how do I say this without game spoilers) focuses on the squad who are left as they continue their lives still stuck in the school.

[prodagustd]

surprise | myg

this is an extra chapter of the so it goes series.

—pairing: rapper!yoongi x reader

—rating: +18

—genre: established relationship, ex fwb, angst, fluff

—warnings/tags: implied smut, lots of angst, fluff, subtle talk about aborti0n, DON’T trust my poor knowledge in contraceptive methods and use condoms!! english is not my first language btw

—words: 7.6k

a/note: this is proof that if you ask me enough, I'll finish writing my wips!! it's been a long time but I finally get to post the surprise drabble I've been planning and it makes me sososo happy to come back to this couple 😭 I missed them so much I just hope you missed them as much as I did!! BTW I was planning to post this after two other drabbles, so if you read any additional information it's because this was intended to be posted after that, but i wanted to post this so badly😭 so here it is!! hehe anyway enjoy!!

A few years ago, when you and Yoongi were beginning to be a thing and you still lived with your best friend, Nayeon, while he lived alone in his big apartment, he picked up this habit of begging you to stay the night with him every time you visited, even though he knew you couldn’t. You used to say no, trying hard to ignore the way he kissed your neck and sneaked his hands under your blouse while explaining that, if you said yes, he was willing to wake up early and drive you to your first class the next day. You'd think that after the first or maybe even the second time he tried this, the effect would wear off, but you ended up agreeing every single time.

Back then everything was so new to him, he couldn’t remember the last time he liked someone that much, he didn’t know what was happening to him and why he wanted to spend every night with you, why he couldn’t keep his hands off you. Sure you were pretty, sure you were beautiful and funny, and your lips tasted like strawberries and you looked at him like one else ever did, maybe it had something to do with that, who knew? The only thing he knew was that he felt like a teenager everytime you kissed him, or every time you ran your fingers through his hair or every time you were naked under him, or on top of him, or anywhere close to him for that matter. 

It took Yoongi a few hits, ten drunk nights and way too many days to realize that you were the only thing that he needed, that the world only made sense if you were by his side. 

With time, Yoongi learned to kiss slowly, to make love slowly, to take things with ease; he learned that you were going nowhere, but there were still those moments where he felt he couldn’t get enough of you; like tonight, to be exact. 

You were sure that in the last four years of dating Yoongi you had made it clear enough that you were a city girl, and you were certain your boyfriend knew that. You loved the noise and the chaos—the people bumping into each other on the streets, the busy days and nights. It wasn’t something you planned to give up anytime soon; this was the perfect time in your life to embrace the city's hustle. You’d have plenty of time for a quiet life when you got older.

Yoongi liked the city too—he enjoyed the view from his apartment window and the convenience of ordering food at any hour of the night. But he also loved road trips and sleeping in the middle of nowhere in a tent, bonfires, fishing and swimming in lakes. Yoongi had always been into camping, but instead of planning a trip with his good old friend Seokjin, who didn’t mind sleeping in a tent and loved fishing, he invited you—someone who hated bugs and couldn’t stand the idea of walking more than three minutes to find a bathroom.

You were still trying to decide whether not being able to say no to Yoongi was a problem, but it was his last free week before going back on tour. When he looked at you with starry eyes and asked you to go on a trip with him, which included spending the last two days sleeping in a tent, you couldn’t say no.

It was only two days, you were sure you could endure not sleeping in a proper bed for that long if that made him happy, you made the effort of not complaining just for tonight, after all you only had tickets to go visit him on tour in exactly five weeks, you were going to miss him. 

It was easy not to complain when Yoongi’s plans for your last night together were exclusively romantic; he cooked for you, built a campfire and spent the rest of the night stargazing until it was too cold to be outside, and when you were inside the tent he made sure to have hot water bags under the blankets, but they were no use when he was determined to get you naked. 

Did you mention that it was still winter?

Now you were trapped in a tent with him, straddling him as he kissed you deeply and gripped your thighs, begging you to ride him against your lips. That was when you started to complain. 

You felt your whole body shivering when Yoongi’s warm hands pulled your t-shirt over your head, leaving you almost naked. You hugged your torso, attempting to cover your breasts as you sat straight on top of your boyfriend, who was comfortably laying on the sleeping bag, fully clothed. 

“Yoongi, I’m cold.” You whined.

“C’mon, it’s going to wear off” He tried to convince you, rubbing his palms over your shoulders to keep you warm. You shook your head, laying your head on his still clothed chest as he covered your bare back with the blanket. It was easy for him to say that when he was wearing sweatpants and a long sleeve t-shirt. 

You knew that Yoongi was already missing you. He was fully aware that after tonight, he wouldn’t see you for a whole month and he wanted to make it last as long as he could, to hold you and kiss you as much as you let him. He had gotten too used to you—used to sleeping and waking up next to you, having you all to himself—but it became a problem every time he had to leave for work, it was impossible not to miss you. You still had texts, calls and FaceTime, but he was also taking into account time difference, work, and the fact that all of that wasn’t the real thing. And if you were honest, you were already missing him too. 

“What if I catch a cold?” You mumbled over his shirt. 

Yoongi kissed the top of your head, running his hands down your bare back and sending chills to your spine. How was he able to get you almost naked but you didn’t even get the chance to take off his t-shirt? “It’s not that cold.” He said, not willing to give up. 

You raised your head to look at him, frowning “Says the person who’s still fully clothed.”

He huffed, flipping you over to leave you under him. Suddenly, warmth rushed over you as you felt his body hovering over your frame. He was quick to take off his own t-shirt, trying to make you happy, but he quickly realized that maybe you were right, it was fucking cold, but he wasn’t going to back down.

“Happy now?”

“No, it’s freezing out there!” You kept complaining “Why do we have to do it without clothes? I don’t mind clothes, I actually think that doing it while being dressed is quite hot.” 

You threw your arms around his neck, bringing him closer to you. Even though you were in fact turned on from the kissing and grinding session you had a few moments ago, you still were thinking about the logistics of fucking inside the tent. 

Yoongi scoffed, amused.  “And I actually think that you being naked is quite hot, too.” He said, sneaking his face in the crook of your neck to trail down little kisses, nibbling the skin softly. “C’mon, baby. I won’t see you for weeks, let me make love to you.”

You tried not to roll your eyes. “You had been using that excuse the whole trip.” And you’ve fallen for it every time. His plans for this trip were very simple: fishing, camping and fucking you on every opportunity he had. It was not like you were against it, it has been a long time since you and him had time only for the two of you. 

“But isn’t it true?” He gazed up, looking at you with his soft eyes, his hair falling like a curtain on his face. “I’m gonna miss you.” 

You took a second to observe the tenderness of his features, to take in the softness of his voice, and for a moment there you knew why it was so hard to say no to him, you just didn’t want to say no. 

You closed your eyes, scrunching your nose. “We are gonna make such a mess.” You whined, but he just chuckled, knowing he won.

“I’ll take care of it, I promise.” He said with a soft voice, reaching for your lips as he roamed his hands towards your chest. You didn’t exactly know how he was going to “take care of it”, but his hands were gentle, the kiss was slow and when he opened his mouth to let his tongue slip past your lips, you were too into it to keep protesting about it.

As you sat on the cold bathroom floor of the home you shared with Yoongi, you tried to remind yourself of two basic things that you hoped would stop the sinking feeling in your chest. First, three weeks without Yoongi never killed anyone, this was something you knew from experience, Yoongi’s job demanded him to travel all the time, you were used to it, or at least you were supposed to be. Second, you were an independent woman (right?). You have been an independent woman since you were eighteen when you moved to Seoul alone, since you started a new life in a new city on your own. You woke up at six am everyday, worked hard your whole shift, paid the bills every month and managed to keep your house in order every day of the week. Sure, you loved Yoongi, and he loved you, and you could never imagine a life without him, but you didn’t need him, you wanted him. He wasn’t an extension of you, you were your own person, but why did you feel like the world was about to end right now if he was not there?

Crying your heart out like a five year old kid, you remembered the only time you had to take a pregnancy test, and how it looked nothing like this. 

Four years ago when you and Yoongi still didn’t kiss in front of your friends, when he still thought twice before holding your hand in public but still had the nerve of sneaking in your bed. That seemed like a hundred years ago, a universe away, but no, it was not too long ago when you were stubborn and kind of irresponsible for agreeing with him as he kissed your neck and ran his hands down your thighs while asking you if it was okay for him to “pull out” that night, since both of you completely forgot about condoms. You winced at the memory, but in your defense, you were too far gone to say no, take a cold shower and kiss him goodnight. You agreed only for that night, but three weeks later you were three days late and losing your mind, the only logical thing to do was to take a pregnancy test that, of course, came negative, but to this day you couldn’t shake the anxious feeling that you felt in your stomach those minutes before the negative sign appeared, and you couldn’t forget how pale Yoongi’s face turned when you told him about it. 

And now you were there, one hand covering your face while the other held a pregnancy test—only this time, it was positive. 

The one on your hand wasn’t the only one, no. There were two other positive tests laying on the floor in front of you, and even if you wanted to not trust the results, they couldn’t be all wrong, right? The plus sign was very clear in each one of them and you were five days late. The problem was that you were on the pill, you had been on the pill for the last couple years and this never happened to you, this wasn’t something normal or a simple mistake. 

You breathed out, trying not to panic. You got up on your bare feet to look at yourself in the mirror. You were a mess, that was not a surprise at all, your face was all swollen for the amount of time you have been crying and your hair was a big nest above your head. You washed your face, attempting to remain calm and evaluating your options. You glanced at your phone resting on the sink, and an overwhelming urge to call your mother surged within you, but as you imagined how the conversation would go, you quickly realized it wouldn’t be a good idea.

Your mother was not nosy, but she could be a little dense, a bit complicated, and it was not what you needed right now. You were sure that calling her while having a mental breakdown was going to drive her crazy, and consequently, drive you crazy too.  She would want to know every single detail, date, place and hour to understand the situation better, and you would have to explain something you didn’t even understand yet. You could imagine the conversation, she would try to explain every contraceptive method like you were a teenager and ask why you didn’t use a condom, because you knew she would ask, and you didn’t want to explain to her how you went on vacation with your boyfriend to have a bunch of condomless sex, the thought alone made you want to vomit. 

Calling your mother was not an option, not only because talking to her on the phone was complicated enough, but because she was in a different city, which brought you to discard calling Nayeon too, who was on vacation with her boyfriend (yes, boyfriend, that sounded ridiculous to you, too.) 

The last option was something you couldn't even fathom doing unless you were desperate, but you know what they say, desperate times call desperate measures, so you blew your nose, brushed your hair and called the only person in this city who would come running without asking any questions, Jungkook.

Breaking the news to the person in front of you wasn’t easy, especially when the words you needed to say were as unreal as they sounded. You didn’t look much better, you spent the next thirty minutes that Jungkook took to arrive crying, as Holly, the brown fluffy dog, looked at you like you just went mad, the worst thing was that you weren’t far from it. It was difficult to keep it together when your mind refused to look at the bright side of things, when you couldn’t call your mom and Yoongi was in another country, but when Jungkook rang your bell and entered through the door, you tried your best to smile at him and act like you weren’t in the middle of a mental breakdown. 

Your act wasn’t convincing, your friend looked at you like you were about to tell him that you killed someone and you needed help to hide the body.

You would have never recur to a man other than Yoongi for this kind of situation, but you decided to trust your ten years of friendship with the man in front of you and hope that he could be of any help. 

“You are what?” Said Jungkook, standing in the middle of the living room with his eyes wide open, trying to understand the meaning of your words.

There, in your pajamas and your hands on your hips, you closed your eyes shut, sighing. “Jungkook…” You said through gritted teeth. 

“I’m serious.” He said, letting his backpack drop to the floor. “I crossed half the city to get here, are you not kidding me right now?”

“I’m serious, too!” You whined “I’m not kidding, I don’t know what to do.”

He slowly approached you, walking towards the couch to take a seat. He suddenly felt his blood pressure dropping, his stomach sinking and his mouth dry as if he was the one developing a human organism inside his body.  “Are you sure?” He murmured. “Are you not having one of those crises you had when you were a teenager? I remember that time in college when you freaked out when you thought you were pregnant because some guy-”

“Jungkook, I’m sure.” You interrupted him, already knowing the whole story, but this time it was not just you overreacting. “My period is late and I took three tests, all positive.” 

He gulped, letting the room fall silent for a few seconds as both of you contemplated what that meant. You knew he was trying his best not to freak out, so you were grateful for his reaction, at least he didn’t faint like you expected him to do, but he was still white as a sheet, trying to find a solution in his head as though you had told him he was the one who was going to be a father.

“What are we gonna do?” He said under his breath.

“What am I gonna do?” You corrected him, sitting next to him “You are supposed to help me.” 

Jungkook took one hard look at you, looking terrified. “How?”

“God, I shouldn’t have called you.” You rolled your eyes. 

“No, I mean, what do you want to do?” He said. “Did you tell Yoongi?”

“Of course not.” You replied, feeling your eyes getting teary, but still trying to hold back. 

“Do you want to… tell him?” He continued to ask. 

You sniffed “I mean, I don’t know how.” You pouted “I’m seeing him in two weeks, I don’t know if I can wait that long.” 

He threw himself back against the couch, sinking in the cushions. It was like Jungkook’s life flashed before his eyes, how come he was discussing this with you right now? He still felt like you were kids, there was no way you were pregnant right now. “How did this happen?” He murmured to himself, looking at the blank wall in front of him. 

“Is it necessary for me to explain it?” You cried, snuggling closer to him as you rested your head on his shoulder. 

“Did you not use condoms?” He scolded you like he was your mother. 

You shifted your weight uneasily, eyes darting down to your socks. “We don’t… use condoms.” You cleared your throat, the words coming out hushed and hesitant. “I’m on the pill, I don’t know what happened.”

On second thought, that wasn’t something Jungkook wanted to know. It was like finding out how his parents had sex, he squirmed at the thought, shifting in his place. “Can you not call your doctor?” He suggested, his voice laced with uncertainty.

You paused, considering it. It was probably the most logical thing Jungkook could say, but you weren’t sure if your doctor could do anything about it.

“Even if I call her and tell her what's going on, it’s not like I can get a refund.” You huffed, a dry smile tugging at your lips.

He raised an eyebrow. “Well…” he began, dragging the word out. “In some way, you could get a refund.” You blinked at him, opening your eyes wide in surprise. “I mean only if you want to!”

You were so nervous you wanted to laugh. It wasn’t like the thought  didn’t cross your mind for a moment, but only when you tried to evaluate your options; if you were being honest, you couldn’t see yourself getting rid of the baby—or whatever organism had been living rent-free in your body for the past three weeks. Jungkook looked terrified that you might explode at him, especially when it seemed like you were on the verge of tears, but his question made you think, if you didn’t want to get rid of it, what was that you wanted to do?

You sank your shoulders, feeling completely lost. “That’s the problem.” You murmured “I don’t know if I want a refund.” 

Jungkook stood still for a moment, his eyes softening as he watched you. His thoughts swirled, trying to grasp the weight of your words. 

"Would Yoongi want a refund?" He asked, his tone lighter than before, but the sincerity in his voice was unmistakable. Despite the attempt at humor, his eyes betrayed the concern he was masking with the joke. 

A shaky exhale left your lips, the weight of uncertainty pulling you down. “I don’t know…” Was the only thing you could say. 

“But do you know if Yoongi wanted… kids?” He said as if that was a forbidden word. “I mean, do you want them?”

It wasn’t like you didn’t know what Yoongi wanted. You sighed, suddenly remembering all those times when the idea of a family came up in conversations, between drunken thoughts, before falling asleep, at dinner with his parents and on the ride home when he apologized on his mother’s behalf when she asked when you were going to give her grandchildren. His soft eyes, his hand on your tight and the view of the future laying in front of you like a promise. The thought warmed your heart for a moment, but the truth was that there was a difference between talking about it and actually having kids.

“We’ve talked about it…” You admitted. “But we’ve never planned it, let alone now that he’s on tour.” 

Jungkook hummed, still thinking. 

“But you both agreed to have kids at some point.” He affirmed, and you just nodded. 

It was in that moment where you realized you were crying again, tears slowly falling down your cheeks as you stood in silence, contemplating the overwhelming weight of the situation. 

“Fuck, don’t cry.” Jungkook said, rushing to wrap his arms around you, he enveloped you in a tight hug. As soon as you buried your face into his chest, something inside you gave away. You began sobbing against his hoodie, the tears flowed freely and uncontrollable, unable to hold yourself back. “C’mon, it’s okay, you’re okay. Nothing bad’s gonna happen.” His voice was soft but firm, holding you tightly. He pulled back just enough to look at you, his thumb gently wiping away a tear from your cheek, his gaze filled with nothing but concern. “You don’t need to have it all figured out right now. Let’s go step by step, okay?”

You nodded, feeling like a kid lost in the mall. “Okay, if you want to see him as soon as possible, you have to change your flight first.” He said, but you shook your head, trying not to panic. 

“He’s going to ask why.” You said, your voice hoarse “What am I going to tell him?”

He kept silent, his eyes fixed on a distant point as he was trying to come up with a solution. 

“Let’s not tell him.” He proposed.

“What do you mean let’s not tell him?”

“I’m leaving for tour next weekend, you should come with me and not tell him.” He kept going “Say that you missed him and you wanted to surprise him or some shit like that, and when you get him alone you talk to him about this.” 

Now you were reminded that Jungkook had to leave to join Yoongi on tour in just a few days, you completely forgot about that. It was not like you couldn’t get on an airplane alone, but if your friend was going to be there you were sure it would make things easier. 

You couldn’t believe it. After so many years you were there, sad and upset and still with the same idiot as a friend, willing to follow whatever plan he was going to make for you. You didn’t know if the plan actually sounded good or you were losing your mind for listening to Jungkook.

“Jungkook, Yoongi texts me all the time, he facetimes me everyday. It’s impossible to travel to another country without him noticing.”

“It’s not impossible, I’m gonna help you.” He insisted “If he texts you, you say you’re at home, if he wants to facetime you, you say you’re busy, turn off your location, it shouldn't be difficult.”

“It is difficult, what if he realizes I turned off my location?” You groaned, running your finger through your hair exasperatedly. 

“You say it stopped working or something! C’mon, I thought you were smarter than me.”

You threw yourself back against the couch, crossing your arms on your chest, it was almost comical that you were considering the idea. Your friend could sense the hesitation in every move you made, he could only hope that you agreed because his mind couldn’t come up with another idea if his life depended on it. 

“Jungkook, if he suspects anything…” You raised a finger, digging it on his chest. 

“He won’t suspect a thing,” He affirmed confidently. “When have any of my plans ever gone wrong? Never. Trust me, by the time you get back home, you’ll have already decided to name your baby after me.”

You rolled your eyes, unable to hide your laugh and punching him in the arm playfully. The tension was still there, and you still felt an inexplicable ache in your chest that wasn’t going away anytime soon, but being there with Jungkook made you feel that this wasn’t the end of the world, nor of your life, but the beginning of it.  

Jungkook's plan wasn’t the master plan he had been bragging about the whole airplane ride, but it worked. A few days later, after a few calls and arrangements to change your flight, after another three mental breakdowns and several crying sessions in the shower, you had somehow arrived in Berlin without Yoongi suspecting a thing. You had managed to dodge facetime calls and weird questions, maybe Yoongi missed you so much that he didn’t have time to question why you couldn’t wait two more weeks to see him when you arrived at the hotel and hugged in the hall, because, if he were honest, he couldn’t wait two more weeks to see you either. 

Yoongi was happy with the surprise, you went to see his show that night and after arriving to his hotel room he made love to you like he hadn’t seen you in a year, kissing your neck, grabbing your waist, murmuring things in your ear, saying how much he loved you, how much he missed you. For a moment it was like nothing changed, the two of you sharing what happened these last three weeks tangled between sheets, laughing between kisses as you ignored why you were there in the first place. 

“You can’t keep spending time away from me.” He said, hovering over you as he left a small kiss on your lips. “I’ll keep you in my pocket if it’s necessary.” 

You sighed, knowing that you couldn’t keep this a secret for much longer, but for tonight, you’ll let it slide. 

You didn’t know when you were returning home, but you promised yourself that before leaving for the next city, you would have to break the news to Yoongi, which was becoming more difficult by the second, because if you were good at something, that was procrastinating. It was absurd, a few days ago you were crying because all you wanted to do was to have your boyfriend by your side and now you couldn’t even look him in the eye without feeling like you were about to throw up, and your mind wasn’t helping at all. All those doubts invaded your head, attempting to drive you crazy, making you believe you were not ready to tell him yet.

Three days later, when you finished the last show in Berlin, Jungkook gave you a knowing look as you were leaving the arena holding Yoongi’s hand. He knew that you haven’t said a thing to Yoongi yet, he was all over you like he was your mother, asking you if you were okay, if you needed anything, when you were going to tell Yoongi, it almost made you regret telling him, but you knew he was right. 

A night was all you needed, just one night to gather your thoughts and practice what you were going to say. You couldn’t keep declining glasses of wine forever,  you could only hope no one noticed how weird you were acting, how sensitive you were since you stepped foot out the plane. Time was running out; you knew that when Yoongi invited you to an after-party before the whole crew left Berlin. Instead of telling him the truth, you simply said you weren’t in the mood to go, hoping that your time alone would help to gather enough courage to confess.

You weren’t trying to keep Yoongi with you, you told him a million times that he should go without you and that there was no problem with it. You hid under the blanket and hugged your body, watching him change his shirt into a black tee. He ran his finger through his hair in an attempt to tame it, looking at himself into the mirror and stealing a glance towards your reflection. He knew you too well not to notice the sad expression on your face as you scrolled through your phone, searching for a Disney movie to watch while he was out. He turned around, approaching the bed and kneeling beside you to catch your eyes. 

“Are you sure you don’t want to come?” He asked once again.

“Yeah, I just need one night.” You said, which was true. You needed a few more moments to finish fighting with your own thoughts. 

“But are you okay?” He continued to ask, cupping your jaw in his palm.

“Of course, why wouldn’t I be?” The words came out of your mouth with more emotion than you intended to, he couldn’t ignore it. 

“I don’t know… You look like you want me to stay.”

There was a beat of silence in the room. The sweetness of his voice broke your heart into a million pieces. You couldn’t say yes and make him stay just because you were feeling down and you really had no problem with him leaving, but you didn’t have the heart to tell him no either. You were full of contradictions, wanting to be alone but wanting to be with him at the same time, something in your chest pulled, wanting him close. 

“What makes you think that?” You murmured, fighting the urge to cry. God, you were too sensitive.

“Mmm… The Disney movie kinda gives you away.”

You huffled, playing with the fingers of his hands without looking at him. “I don’t want to ruin your fun… You should go, I mean it.”

He scoffed “You won’t, there’s going to be a bunch of parties until the tour ends, this one is nothing.”

“They’ll miss you…”

“You’ll miss me, too.”

“But do you want to stay, though?” You asked him a whisper. 

“Of course I want to… But you have to let me choose the movie.” He warned, automatically making you giggle.

Letting Yoongi choose the movie was the worst decision you have made in the last week so far, but you felt grateful he couldn’t see you as he hugged your waist and rested his chin on your shoulder, because as the ending of Inside Out approached, you were sure you were about to cry. 

When you arrived at the airport you promised yourself not to cry anymore, not in front of Yoongi at least, but your body was full of emotions you didn’t even know you could feel. It was certain that you’ve always been a sensitive person, you cried at the drop of a hat, Yoongi was familiar with that, but now it was impossible to stop it. 

You’d stopped paying attention to the screen entirely; one by one, your darkest thoughts crept in, pressing heavily on your chest. The feelings you’d tried so hard to bury rose up, churning uneasily in your stomach, and when you least expected it, tears began to fall down your cheeks.

A sob escaped from your lips at the same time the main character began to cry, making your boyfriend shift in his place. 

“Are you crying?” Yoongi suddenly asked, softly grabbing your shoulder to turn you around. He looked at your face, at first amused, thinking you were crying because of the movie. But his expression softened when he saw the sadness in your eyes and the damp lashes heavy with tears. You covered your face, unable to hold back, and the sobs came harder, each one swallowing the words you couldn’t say. “Hey, hey, what’s wrong?” He reached for your arms, attempting to pull them away from your face, but you turned away, burying your face in the pillow.

“Nothing,” You lied, desperate to avoid this conversation again. “I’m just… emotional, I don’t know.” Your voice cracked, hoarse, as the emotions you were trying to hide slipped through.

Yoongi was confused, but mostly worried. You had been weird since the day you arrived, he would be a fool not to notice. 

He turned the light of the lamp on the nightstand, illuminating the room with a soft orange light and turned the tv off. 

“Hey, look at me.” He softly said, brushing your hair with his fingers, it only made you want to cry harder. “I know something’s up, I’m not a dummy.” 

You turned to him, hitting him with the most heartbreaking sight he could witness, your face soaked in tears, nose and eyes red as you pouted at him. What was so wrong to make you cry like that?

“What do you know?” Was the only thing you could say, daring to be upset at him when he hadn't done anything wrong. 

He frowned at your tone. “Well, I know that you suddenly came here two weeks earlier just because. You are weird, you almost don’t eat, your suitcase is almost untouched like you’re going to leave anytime soon, you look… sad? I don’t know, baby, you tell me.”

You kept silent for a second, wiping the tears with the sleeve of your t-shirt. Uncomfortable, you sat in the bed, taking a deep breath as your mind completely blanked. You didn’t realize yet, but there was no way to get out of this one.

Contrary to popular belief, your boyfriend was kind of a dummy. You confirmed it when he decided to say the following words. 

“Is it because of Lily?” He said, making you dart your eyes at him. “You don’t like her being here? 

You couldn’t blame Yoongi for not understanding why you were crying, but the suggestion that you were jealous of one of his coworkers made you want to punch him. Lily was one of the new producers at Yoongi’s label, and a few months ago, Yoongi had noticed that you were starting to feel uneasy about the amount of time she was spending with him, which led him to realize that you were beginning to feel unexpectedly jealous of her. Yes, that was a whole deal back then, but it was water under the bridge now; the fact that she was touring with him and the boys didn’t faze you. The idea that he thought you were crying because of her was ridiculous. 

“Yoongi, are you kidding me?”

“No, I’m not.” He defended himself. “The last time I saw you we were fine, but now you’re here crying and I don’t have a clue what I did wrong.”

Suddenly, you felt your heart sink. He hadn’t done anything wrong; it was you who was an emotional wreck, struggling to keep your feelings in check. A wave of guilt washed over you for the mess you’d just created, convinced there must have been ways to prevent all this conflict. But now, all you could do was sit there, tangled in the aftermath of your own emotions.

You sighed, defeated. “You didn’t do anything wrong.” You said “And it’s not about Lily, I couldn’t care less about that… It’s just that- … Yoongi…”

“Baby…” He said in the same tone as you, “What is it?”

As Yoongi’s gentle question hung in the air, you felt a knot tighten in your chest. The truth sat heavy on your tongue, you glanced away, fidgeting with the edge of your sleeve, buying time as your thoughts spiraled. “Yoongi, my period is late.” You confessed, observing Yoongi’s eyes go wide, his brows lifting in surprise as he tried to understand what he just heard. “It’s been a week now, I don’t know what happened. I tried to wait, but I had to take a test”

 “A test?” he asked, voice low, surprise flickering in his eyes.

“A pregnancy test, Yoongi.” You said, trying not to roll your eyes. “I took three damn tests.”

“And what-... what happened?” He asked, his voice unsteady, eyes fixed on yours.

The room felt suddenly smaller, the air thick with unspoken fears and questions. A quiet stillness settled between you both, there was a weight to the silence, stretching out the seconds as you waited for whatever words would come next.

“I mean, guess what happened,” you whispered. Before you could finish the sentence, you got up and reached for the zipper on your suitcase pocket. Your hand closed around the large object, and you felt his eyes on the back of your neck, following you as you moved around the hotel room. Returning to the bed, you sat down and handed him the pregnancy test.

Yoongi didn’t know anything about pregnancy tests—he’d never needed to. He’d always been careful, using protection with every girl he’d been with, including you, until things had started to get serious. So no, he wasn’t familiar with the variety of pregnancy tests out there. But now, here he was, staring at a white stick with a tiny screen, showing a clear positive sign, which could only mean one thing.

Yoongi’s hands trembled slightly as he held the pregnancy test, his gaze locked onto the tiny screen, staring at it for a moment, speechless. His heartbeat thundered in his ears, loud enough that he thought you might hear it. Now everything made sense, how you said you were nauseous in the morning, each time you refused to drink wine, how you looked like you were about to cry when you saw a stroller with twins this afternoon at the park. How could he not notice?

You pressed your lips together, feeling the familiar sting of tears welling up once more. A small, shaky hiccup escaped your lips, breaking the silence and snapping him out of his daze. “No, no, no,” He murmured urgently, setting the test aside and pulling you close, lifting you effortlessly onto his lap. His arms wrapped around your waist as you buried your face in your hands, trying to hold back the tears. “Hey, there’s no reason to cry,” He whispered, gently guiding your face up, his fingers lifting your chin as he coaxed your hands away. “C’mon, look at me.” His voice was soft, reassuring, his gaze full of warmth and understanding.

“I don’t know how it happened.” You blurted out, your voice shaking with uncertainty.

“That doesn’t matter now, why didn’t you tell me?” He asked, you could tell he was trying to remain calm by the soft tone of his voice, but his face had gone as white as paper, like he’d just seen a ghost.

“I arranged the flight to see you as soon as possible, but... I was scared. I didn’t know what to say. I still don’t,” you admitted, your words barely a whisper.

“Baby, you don’t have to be scared, okay? You can tell me anything.” He assured you, his hand gently squeezing yours. But the uneasy feeling in your stomach refused to go away.

“I know, but… we haven’t planned for this,” you murmured, glancing down. “It just… came out of nowhere.��

“Well, it didn’t exactly come out of nowhere. These things can happen,” he said gently, a faint smile tugging at his lips. You groaned, burying your face in his chest.

“But it wasn’t supposed to happen,” you whined, your voice muffled against him. “I didn’t expect this at all. I was drowning in work when I found out. I’m stressed, I’m lost, I don’t know what to do… and I miss my mom.” The words tumbled out in a frantic ramble, and you were so caught up in your thoughts that you didn’t even notice the soft laugh he let slip.

“You miss your mom?” he asked softly, careful not to upset you further.

“Yes!” you cried, voice cracking. “I feel like a kid lost in the supermarket.”

He shook his head gently and brushed away your tears with his thumbs, pulling you closer. “Baby…” he began, his tone soothing.

“Yoongi…” you whispered, lifting your head to meet his gaze. His expression was still worried, but the warmth in his eyes was reassuring.

“You’re right, we didn’t plan this. But we’ve talked about it before, and you have options. Whatever you choose, I’ll be right here beside you, no matter what. You know that, don’t you?” He searched your eyes for confirmation, and you nodded, feeling the ache in your chest begin to ease.

As his words sank in, a new wave of emotions stirred inside you. The weight of worry and loneliness began to ease, replaced by a warmth that softened the ache in your chest.

“But… what do you think?” you asked softly. You knew that whatever you decided would ultimately be your choice only, but you needed to know what was going on in his mind.

He sighed, a hint of hesitation in his expression. “I mean… we’re not sixteen, baby. We’re adults, we’re about to buy a house together, and we love each other.”

“Well, those are just facts,” you replied, searching his face. “What I mean is… do you want this, now?”

It was hard for Yoongi to believe you were really asking this. There you were, sitting on his lap with swollen eyes and a red nose from crying, asking him if he wanted to start a family with you—as if that hadn’t been his dream all along. Of course he felt like the life he had been living was going to completely change from now on. It was terrifying, but he couldn’t help but feel excited at the same time. 

“I've always wanted it, are you serious?” He laughed, the sound light but filled with disbelief. “And I only want it with you, haven’t I made it clear enough?”

Those were the main differences between the two of you: while he was calm, always taking a moment to think before acting, you were emotional and, more often than not, let your feelings take control of your actions. It was only in that moment that you realized how irrational you’d been. There wasn’t a world where Yoongi didn’t want this, and there certainly wasn’t a world where you didn’t want it either.

“I want it, too,” you whispered, your voice trembling as you fought back tears.

“Then why are you crying, huh?” he asked gently, squeezing your face in an attempt to lighten the mood.

“Because...” you said, struggling to catch your breath. “Maybe you didn’t think it was the right time... You’re on tour right now.”

He frowned, his expression softening with concern. “I won’t be on tour forever...”

“I know, but... we’re not married. What would your parents think?”

He let out a laugh, clearly unable to believe that was a real concern of yours. “You’re not seriously thinking about my parents right now, are you?”

“How could I not?” you said, raising your eyebrows. “What if they force us to marry? God, I don’t want to be one of those couples who only marry because the girl is suddenly pregnant!”

He laughed even harder, shaking his head. “Oh my god, baby, no one’s forcing us to do anything!” He grinned, clearly finding your worry amusing. “If we ever get married, it won’t be because anyone pressured me. Trust me.” He paused, happy to see that the worried expression abandoned your face. “Besides, my parents love you, you have no idea how happy they’ll be once they know. Married or not.”

“Yoongi, it can’t be that simple.” 

“But it is.”

You sighed, feeling like all the mess you’d made was for nothing—and thank God it was. You’d been so caught up in your own despair that you hadn’t realized everything in your life was falling into place for this to happen. Yoongi was right. You were about to move into a bigger home, you had your job, Yoongi had his, and you loved each other. You've always wanted it, this was the perfect moment for this to happen. Why had you been so worried? 

“You’re right, it is.” You finally admitted, letting your body rest against him. 

Yoongi laughed, gently grabbing you by your hips and laying you on the bed, kissing you softly. “You don’t have to worry, baby, not with me.”

“I know.” You breathed out, feeling like a weight was lifted off your shoulders. “But I am-… I’m so scared. How am I gonna have a baby? It sounds crazy.”

“Of course it does, it is.” He said “I’m terrified, too, but we’re together, right? Nothing bad can happen if we have each other.”

You nodded, feeling your chest unclench. “I guess you're right,” you whispered, your voice thick with emotion. “I just... needed to hear you say it.”

Yoongi smiled, leaning down to steal another kiss from you, this time deeper, longer. “I love you, baby, don’t you know that?”

You brushed your nose against his, nodding. “I love you, too, bubba.”

“C’mon, baby, stop crying.” He said, making you laugh. 

[loving-barnes]

LOGAN HOWLETT - BONDING MOMENT

A/N: Here I am, once again, with another chapter. Chapter 8, my friends, is here and it is still sweet. I will not spoil anything, just read and enjoy.

Pairing: Logan Howlett x mutant female reader

Warning: explicit thoughts?

Summary: The students get to know Y/N a little more.

Please, do not read if you are under 18. This story is suitable for mature audience.

Words: 3700+

Important note: Again, Logan is a tall MF, because they fucked up in the movies. Also, Hugh Jackman!Wolverine. This is set in AU.

A TOUCH OF HOPE MASTERLIST | Chapter Seven

LOGAN HOWLETT - BONDING MOMENT

Nothing interesting had happened since that night at the bar. Logan helped Y/N get back to the school and to her room. He laughed at her silliness, which caught him by surprise. Logan wasn’t the guy to laugh around. He was usually stoic and grumpy. But there were some lingering touches here and there. And yet, their bodies were like two opposite magnetic poles, pushing away. The moment she closed the door, he sighed - relieved he didn’t do anything stupid but also sad that the night was officially over. 

The days went by. Logan and Bobby joined the Professor in Washington for another conference. The President wanted to meet Charles during a banquet. They were gone for a few days. Jean and Scott were still away with Remy and Hank. The school got quieter when some students went home for the weekend. There were only some kids that had a supportive system back home. Many of them were alone in this cruel world.

On Sunday, the day before Y/N became a teacher, she and JJ were sitting outside on a bench near the pond. She took him out to spend some time with him. He snuggled closer to her side. The weather got colder. Heavy clouds appeared in the sky. Halloween was approaching, and the students were excited about the celebration. 

“It’s going to be so much fun,” Jerome said with a wide smile. “I’ve heard you have to make your own mask. It’s a contest, you know?” he was ecstatic. “Everyone does it. The best masks will get some rewards. It’s mostly candy. That counts as a prize.” 

“Wow,” Y/N said with a chuckle. She was glad that the boy was happy at the school. “Have you been thinking about what you want to become? Or would you like some suggestions?”

He shook his head. “No, I think I know what I want to be. I’m not telling you. It will be a surprise.” 

“A surprise, you say? Alright, don’t tell me anything. I want to see what you will make,” she patted his head. “Otherwise, are you happy here? Do you have everything? Do you need anything?” 

He thought about it for a second. “I have everything. They gave me clothes and school supplies. Jean told me to ask for anything. But I can always come to you, right?” 

“You can always come to me, Storm, Kitty, or Logan,” she said. “You can even see the Professor and talk to him. He’s the one who created this school. He’s a good man.” 

JJ nodded. “Listen,” he turned his head to look at her face. “A few nights ago, I think I heard you giggle in the hallways in the middle of the night.” 

Y/N blinked, and she bit the inside of her lip. “Yeah,” she nodded and cleared her throat. “I went out with some of the teachers. We had a lot of fun that night.” It was half true. She omitted the part where she got drunk. 

He poked Y/N into her shoulder. “I’m eleven, I’m not stupid,” he said. “You were with Professor Logan. I heard you talk. Well, you laughed more than you talked.” That was true. Logan walked her back to her room. They talked, she giggled, and then the night was over. “By the way, he’s awesome.” 

“Yeah,” she smiled, nodding. “Does Logan teach you something?” 

“We have one history lesson a week with him. I like the subject a lot. History is fascinating. Plus, he knows so much about the First and Second World Wars. He gives us so much information and details. As if he was there. He’s strict, and we cannot misbehave, but I enjoy the lesson.” 

“I’m glad to hear that,” she said with a smile. A shiver ran down her spine. The wind got colder. “Let’s head inside and have a cup of tea. I think it’s going to rain. Or Storm is having a bad day, and she changed the weather to fit her mood.” 

JJ laughed. He stood up first, grabbed Y/N’s hand and helped her up on feet. He held her by the forearm as they walked inside the school. When she scanned his face again, she noticed the bruises were healed and almost invincible. He looked healthier. It made her heart warm. 

As they walked down the hallway, Y/N heard a whimpering sound. It was soft, girl-like. She frowned. Instead of going to the kitchen, she followed the sound. The boy was confused. He opened his mouth to ask where she was going, until he heard it too. 

Y/N walked to the lounge room, where she found a young girl sitting on the window still, silently crying. She was JJ’s age. She had curly hair and glasses on her nose. Her skin was light brown. 

Carefully, Y/N approached her. She didn’t want to scare her. “Hi,” she used a gentle voice. “Are you alright?” The girl's puffy brown eyes looked up. She shook her head and continued to cry. “Oh, come here, sweet angel,” she said. Her arms spread, and she waited for the girl to accept her hug. 

Surprisingly, the girl was immediately hidden in her arms, weeping into Y/N’s leather jacket. Y/N stroked her curly hair lovingly, letting her take her time. JJ took a seat on the couch and silently watched. 

“You can talk to me if you want?” Y/N said after another minute. “Did something happen? Has anyone been mean to you?” 

The girl's tiny fingers brushed away the hot tears. “My parents haven’t visited me for three months now,” she confessed. That broke Y/N’s heart. “They brought me here, and I never saw them again.” Her voice was low, sad. “They hate me for what I am.”

That statement broke Y/N’s heart. She understood the girl’s pain. Her loved ones gave up on her because she was a mutant. “What’s your name?” 

“Nova,” she said. Her arms were tightly wrapped around Y/N’s torso, holding her close. 

“Nice to meet you, Nova,” Y/N said with a smile. She rested her head on top of the girl’s. “Tell me, what is your mutation?” 

“I, uh,” she hesitated. “I can scream very loudly,” she said. “It can damage your hearing.”

Y/N tilted her head to the side, thinking. “Sonic screaming,” she said out loud. “That is an interesting mutation, Nova. You have powerful vocal cords, and I’ve never met a mutant with this ability.” It wasn’t a lie.  

Nova lifted her head and finally looked at Y/N. “You think so?” 

“Yes,” she said with a brighter smile than before. “Every mutation is unique, and so is yours. With learning and more information, you will master your ability and know how to properly use it. All you need is time, patience and practice.” 

Y/N’s goal was to shift the girl’s attention to something else. It was evident that Nova was agonising over her parents’ neglect. That’s why Y/N wanted to gain her trust, and maybe she’d feel more comfortable around her. 

“What is your mutation?” she asked. 

“I can create protective forcefields,” Y/N explained. “I am still trying to learn more about my mutation. I’ve heard the term Flyrokinesis, but some call it Flyrogenesis.”

“Is there a difference?” 

“Yes,” Y/N nodded. “Flyrokinesis means you can only control force fields. When you can create them, it’s called Flyrogenesis. I can do both.” 

“That’s so cool,” Nova sighed. “You can do so much good with your mutation. I only hurt people,” she said. Nova pushed away from Y/N but remained sitting by her side.

Y/N chuckled a little. “Well, it’s not as it seems. I hurt with my ability, too. It was unintentional, but it happened. That is why we need to practise and learn about our mutations. So we won’t hurt people again. We can use our abilities to do good.” 

“My mutation is elasticity,” JJ joined the conversation. He picked the right time. Nova’s eyes turned to him. “The people that fostered me thought it was disgusting,” he said. “Now I think my mutation is unique.” 

Y/N’s eyes moved to the boy. This was new information. He had never said anything about his parents before. Now she knew why. He didn’t have parents. He was in foster care. Even there, he wasn’t loved. Y/N wanted to run to him and hide him in a tight, loving hug.

“My parents have sent me here and never came to see me or take me home for the weekend,” said Nova. “I deafened my father in one ear,” she confessed. “He never looked me in the eyes again.” And she started to cry again.

“Nova?” another soft voice said from the entrance to the room. “Are you okay?” 

Y/N found three other girls standing at the door, watching them. The oldest girl could be thirteen. All three were different. One of them had cat-like irises. The mutation must have caused it.

“Yeah, I’m just talking to…” she turned to Y/N, not knowing her name. 

“My name is Y/N. This is JJ,” she pointed at the only boy in the living room. “Would you like to join us?” she showed at the empty couch. 

The girls walked inside and sat together. They introduced themselves, too. Jamie, Olivia and Kyra were friends with Nova. They all shared a room on the second level. At least these girls were the support Nova needed. 

Y/N and Nova moved to sit next to JJ. “You are the new professor?” Olivia asked Y/N. 

“Oh,” it caught her by surprise. Did the Professor announce it already? “Yes. I’ll be teaching English and Literature starting tomorrow. I got a few classes a week.” 

“Really?” JJ’s eyes brightened. “That is so awesome!” 

Y/N nudged his shoulder. “Thanks, buddy. I’ll be teaching you too, you know? We’ll have literature together on Tuesday and English on Thursday.”

“You haven’t been here long, have you?” Olivia asked. Her long blond hair was braided from the top of her head. She had colourful bracelets on her wrists. “I’ve been here for a year and noticed you a couple of times these past few weeks.” 

Two teenage boys walked into the lounge room. They stopped in their tracks when they found the place occupied. “Sorry,” one of them said. “We thought we’d be alone here at this hour.” Before he could finish it, another two boys walked in. 

Y/N raised a brow. Already ten people in the room. “What time is it?” she asked no one in particular. It took another five minutes, and another six children entered the room. 

“You’re the new teach’,” one of the older boys pointed a finger at her. “Cool,” he smirked. 

“I guess the word is spreading faster than you know,” Y/N mumbled under her nose. 

“No, she’s the one who saved Jerome,” a girl said as she sat in an armchair. She was at least fifteen years old. 

“I guess you have a reputation, Y/N,” JJ laughed when the kids around them started to talk about Y/N as if she was not there. 

The woman raised her hands into the air to stop the debate. “If you want to know more, you need to ask the source - that’s me. Please, stop discussing me as if I was not here, okay?” One after one, they nodded their head. “Great. Let’s start again. My name is Y/N. Do you have any questions?” 

“What is your mutation?”

“Is it true you will be our new teacher?” 

“Did you throw Professor Summers out of the window a few days ago?” 

That last question made her laugh. Obviously, they knew something happened. This was the perfect opportunity to talk to the students and know them better. She lived there for some time now. It would be nice to be part of their lives, be there for them. As she kept looking at it, she realised all these children stayed at school for the weekend. Some of the faces were familiar to her. They never left the school the whole time she lived there. 

They all had one thing in common - their families gave up on them the moment they discovered how different their children were. 

A frown appeared on her face. “Do you ever go home?” she asked gently. She wanted to know how many of them still had their parents.

They all shook their heads. “No,” said one of the oldest boys present. “Some of us have families on the other side of the states. Most of us are here all the time. They gave up on us.” 

“I’m so sorry,” Y/N sighed. “I know how it feels to be pushed away from your family. Mine got rid of me, too.” 

“Sure,” one of the girls scoffed. 

Y/N’s eyes found hers. “They locked me in an insane asylum because I… I killed my own little sister with my mutation,” she admitted out loud. “It was the first time I used the ability. Until that moment, I didn’t know I was a mutant. My mutation is forcefield manipulation. Even though it is a protective ability, I managed to kill my sister with it.” 

It was hard to admit it in front of a group of children. Y/N concluded it was better to tell the truth than to lie. What if Scott would open his big dumb mouth, and the kids would fear her? No more lying.  

“My parents put me into an insane asylum because of it, and they never came for me. Well, I believe they’d rather see me dead. I escaped the asylum and joined a group of terrible people. My decisions were not the best. I’m not proud of that part of my life.”

“Y/N was locked with me in a lab where they experimented on us,” JJ chimed in. The kids turned their gazes at him. He sounded like a grown man. “She was already there when they brought me in. I helped her escape. Later, Profesor Logan and her came for me and saved my life.” 

The silence that surrounded everyone was heavy. Some kids lowered their eyes to the ground, others closed them. They didn’t know what to say or if to say anything at all. The topic was heavy. Some could relate, and others were lucky to not experience anything tragic. 

“I get how you all feel,” Y/N said. “I know what it is like when the people you love get rid of you like you’re an old, used toy. I understand you feel betrayal and pain, even anger.” Her hand found Nova’s hand, and she squeezed it reassuringly. “But look where you are now. You all ended up in a school for mutants, where you’ve been given a second chance for a better life. This place is your home. People here care and want the best for you. I dare to say that this is your new family.” 

More silence followed. “I know I’m still a stranger to you, and you don’t trust me. That’s okay. Teachers like Storm, Jean or Kitty will be there for you. Please, just know you can talk to me, too. I want to help in any way that I can and know.”

Once Y/N finished talking, Nova wrapped her arms around Y/N’s waist and hugged her tightly. When JJ saw it, he did the same from the other side. The woman wrapped both arms around each child and smiled. The love she felt was immense. Before she knew it, more children approached her. They all huddled together in a big, warm hug. It was a beautiful gesture. 

Storm walked around the school, checking on the students. She stepped into the lounge room. Her eyes landed on the scene before her. She had to smile. Storm was lucky enough to witness the group hug. 

“What’s going on?” she asked softly.

Slowly, the children moved from the huddle. They went back to their sitting spots again. JJ kept his arms around Y/N while Nova grabbed Y/N’s hand and held it tightly. 

“Just bonding,” Y/N said with a smile. 

Storm’s lips reflected the smile. “That’s nice. I’m glad you are finding a way to their hearts.” 

Later that day, The Professor returned with Logan and Bobby from the banquet. They were back after a few days away, and both men couldn’t be happier about their return. Bobby missed Kitty. They’d been texting here and there throughout the time. Logan didn’t have the guts to call or text Y/N. He rarely used his phone. Also, he thought it would be weird. Charles could feel Logan’s faint anxiety crawling around him. He knew the reasoning behind it. The man’s thoughts weren’t quiet.

They drove to the school, glad this ‘mission’ was over. They didn’t expect to hear loud music roaring from the building. Logan tilted his head to the side, frowning. “Is that coming from the school?” Then they heard singing. It was like a live concert. “What’s going on?” 

Logan parked the car in the garage. They helped Charles out of the car and into his wheelchair. The singing got louder. It echoed around the garage. The students were singing a familiar song. Charles smiled and chuckled. When was the last time something like this happened?

All three went from the garage and got to the main level. The song changed. After a brief silence, the singing began again. The students were crammed in the lounge room, dancing around and singing as loud as their voices let them. When some kids noticed the Professor, they made a passageway for him and the other two teachers. 

Logan’s eyes widened in surprise. He found Storm, Y/N and Kitty in the middle of the room, surrounded by students, jumping and screaming words to the song playing. 

If you could see that I’m the one who understands you. Been here all along, so why can’t you see? You belong with me.

It seemed everyone knew the words to that song. All three women swayed their hips to the music, jumping around like all the students. They were happy, enjoying the moment. Y/N grabbed JJ’s hands when she started twisting him around. Her face was bright and cheerful. Even the boy was thrilled. 

She wears high heels. I wear sneakers. She’s cheer captain. I’m on the bleachers. 

This part was powerful. As if everyone wanted to scream the chorus as loud as possible. No one cared that the headmaster was present. But Charles had a big smile on his face. Yes, they organised events for the students, but this happened out of nowhere. It was special. It was a bonding moment for everyone.

“I love this song!” Bobby shouted, bobbing his head to the song. He started to sing the lyrics. 

Storm draped an arm around Y/N’s shoulders while Y/N wrapped an arm around her waist as they sang the song. One of her hands remained on JJ. They laughed at their silliness. Kitty found Bobby walking to her. She got excited and ran into his arms, and they swayed together to the song. 

Storm discovered Bobby a few seconds later. She stopped dancing, and her eyes found Charles and Logan. Her arm fell from Y/N’s shoulders, and she made her stop dancing. 

Y/N gasped. Her face heated up, and she quickly turned around to turn off the music. She had a remote control to the stereo. When the song was abruptly stopped, the students whined. It was evident they were displeased by the interruption.

“Professor,” Storm said his name nervously. “I’m sorry for this. We got carried away.” 

Charles laughed. “Oh, Storm, no need to apologise. I like that you all have so much fun on a Sunday afternoon. You should continue to have more fun.” 

Y/N was breathing heavily. Her chest was rising and falling visibly. It was quite a cardio. Her eyes met Logan’s, who had a grin on his face. He leaned against the nearest wall, crossed his arms over his chest and kept staring. When he licked his lips, Y/N’s eyes followed his every movement. 

“Well, the magic of the moment is kind of gone,” Y/N said. “But we had good two hours of this fun, right?” she turned to see the kids. They shouted affirmations. Some of them whistled.

“Okay, everyone, it’s time for us to end this session,” Storm raised her voice so everyone could hear her. “Thank you for being here and having fun. It’s time to get to your rooms and prepare for tomorrow.” 

Logan watched as Y/N hugged a few younger kids. First, it was JJ, which wasn’t surprising. Then, it was two other girls. That sight made his insides tingle. He felt love radiating out of her. It made him smile. When they separated, Y/N’s eyes were back on him.

He took a few steps forward while greeting some of the kids. “Are you trying to bribe them to like you?” he mocked her. 

“Are you jealous I’m giving my attention to them and not you?” she poked his bicep when Logan was close enough. “Or should I bribe you too?” 

“I’m not that easy, princess.” 

“What if I tell you I sneaked in some beer?” she raised her brows. 

He was impressed. “You got me. Wait, you want to get drunk again?” he asked. “I won’t be taking care of your ass next time.” 

Y/N squinted. Her body was ready to jump at him. Not because she was angry at him. She wanted to kiss that smug smile off his face. Last night, she imagined what his hands would feel on her body, how he would taste and feel. She pictured his hands exploring her naked body, his lips between her legs. 

“I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself,” she said. There was a teasing smile on her face. She walked past him and found JJ talking to one boy. She wrapped an arm around his shoulders. 

Logan watched her leave the lounge room with the boy. His mind was spinning. His eyes lowered and remained on her ass, watching it move with each step she took. 

A hand tapped his shoulder. Bobby grinned at Logan. “You got it bad, my friend.”

“Shut up.” 

[lemonlover1110]

𝐌𝐲 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝

Toji Fushiguro

[Chapter 7] First Ultrasound

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Pairing: Toji Fushiguro x f!Reader

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On what you’re assuming is the start of the third month of your pregnancy, you finally manage to make an appointment for your first ultrasound. You debate if you want to tell Toji or not. Would he want to come? You’re not too sure if you’re being honest. He’s told you that he wants to be the best possible father for your child, but you don’t trust him. Given his track record, you can’t exactly trust him.

“I’m just here to drop off your money.” Toji can easily transfer money through the bank monthly, but he chooses to give it to you. Every two weeks he’s at your door with your money. You agreed to quit your second job and take his money; you still have your second job, but the nights that you know he’s coming, you take off. Toji invites himself in even if he’s just handing you an envelope. He never comes just to give you that.

“How’s work?” You ask, closing the door when he enters your apartment. You find it ironic that you talk more now than when you were married. He actually engages in conversation now, and he tries to talk to you as well, asking how you’re doing.

“Exhausting.” He answers. You can tell that he’s been working more lately, or at the very least he’s not getting proper sleep. There’s visible bags under his eyes, and he’s slowly letting himself go, at least he doesn’t give the proper care since he has a bit of a stubble; he’s also due for a haircut. “How about you? How are you holding up?”

“I’m doing okay… I’ve been dealing with a bit of morning sickness but nothing crazy.” You answer. You leave out any other of your symptoms. How your breasts are sore, you’re extremely tired (which can also be alluded back to your second job), how you’ve suddenly been having the weirdest cravings. Sure, you’re talking, but you don’t want him to know more than necessary. You try to change the topic since you don’t like having the spotlight on you, “How’s Megumi doing?”

“He’s doing fine… He has a baseball game next Thursday, if you want to come.” He informs you and you take a note of it. You’ll try to go since you have a soft spot for Megumi, but you’re not certain that you’ll make it. 

“I’ll try. Hope I’m doing better then.” You respond. He slowly nods in response, and he tries to think of something to talk about, but nothing comes to mind so he begins to walk to the door. He won’t try to waste both of your time. Before his hand wraps around the doorknob, you speak up,

“Toji…” He completely stops. Not a single breath comes from him until you speak again, “I know that you’re busy so, I’m just inviting you to be courteous… I have my first ultrasound tomorrow, if you want to join me.”

“What time?” He asks, and you tell him. At noon. He nods, and tells you, “I’ll come pick you up.”

He stands still for a moment, wondering what to do next. Wondering if you’re going to do something else. You stand in completely awkward silence for a minute before Toji realizes that nothing else will happen, so he walks out. He doesn’t say goodbye, although you don’t mind it because he never does.

Toji hasn’t been a man that’s usually punctual, so you’re surprised when he’s early. You might’ve told him that the appointment was earlier than it actually is so you wouldn’t be late, but there’s not much you can do when he’s right in front of you, thirty minutes before your appointment. The place isn’t even a twenty minute drive.

“Hi.” You awkwardly smile at him. You notice how he’s finally shaved the stubble, and you’re curious if he did so last night or this morning. “So… I might’ve– The appointment was pushed back to twelve thirty.”

“Oh– Okay.” He answers. You almost tell him the truth, but it might incite an argument so it’s best if you ignore it and tell a little white lie. He won’t question much, he never does, so you’re safe. “Did you eat something already? Do you want to grab something to eat?”

“I don’t have much of an appetite.” You respond, and he nods his head. He isn’t going to argue with you that you should eat something regardless, you’re pregnant and you have to keep yourself healthy for the baby– He isn’t your father nor your husband, you’re old enough to make your own decisions. And while Toji wishes he could say he was worried about this pregnancy, he simply isn’t. As fucked up it is to even think about it, he’s more worried about you than the child you carry.

“What do you want to do then? Do you just want to head out and wait?” He asks, and you nod your head in response, if you get lucky, your appointment will start earlier. You disappear out of his sight for a moment to grab your purse, but you’re back quickly. You exit the apartment and you begin to walk to his car. 

The car ride is silent, you don’t have much to talk about. You don’t sense him being as excited… Or excited at all about this so you’re quiet. You don’t pay him any mind. You’re over the moon at the thought of looking at your baby for the first time. You’re in disbelief that you’re about to become a mother. Finally.

You get to the place and check in. Waiting feels interminable as you sit next to Toji. He simply looks around, while you begin to play a game on your phone. Toji finds himself bored, and since he doesn’t have anything interesting to do, he chooses to try and talk to you. He clears his throat, and speaks up, “So how far along are you anyway?”

“Hm… I think, maybe three months along? I do have a bit of a bump.” You share, and Toji’s brows raise, he looks over at you, but your shirt is baggy which doesn’t let him really figure anything out. His eyes keep staring, and he finds himself frustrated at the fact he doesn’t know. If you lived with him he’d see your body better, and he’d notice every small change. At least that’s what he thinks. 

Your name is called and you stand up, following the woman to the ultrasound room. Toji follows behind, walking much slower, trying to see if he does notice a bit of a bump. The previous night you were wearing a tank top– He didn’t notice anything then. He isn’t all too observant anyway so maybe he missed it.

Toji watches as you lay down, and you begin to talk to the technician. He doesn’t pay much attention to what’s going on between you two. Until you finally lift up your shirt, and he does see a bit of a bump. It’s nothing that’s really noticeable but it’s there when you lift up your shirt, it’s definitely something he would’ve noticed if you lived together. 

You squeal as the cold gel is poured on your abdomen, and the transducer is then pressed on your skin. Your eyes then fall on the monitor, and an immediate smile comes to your lips. A little kidney bean. Your eyes well up with tears as the technician points out their little head.

“It’s just one baby, right?” Toji asks, and the technician assures him that it’s just one baby. It makes him breathe a sigh of relief. He notices you stick out your bottom lip, and he rolls his eyes. You seriously didn’t want twins, did you?

You look over at Toji, trying to see if there’s a bit of excitement behind his eyes when he looks at the ultrasound, and while it’s not clearly written on his face, you see a spark in his eyes as he looks at the monitor. He perks up when he hears the sound of the baby’s heartbeats. It’s in that moment that Toji realizes just how big this is–

He’s a father, he knows the birth of a baby is a big deal. Toji would give up his life for Megumi. But your pregnancy… The beginning of it didn’t excite him the way that his first wife’s did. Maybe it’s because he was set on not being a father again, or maybe it’s because you’re separated. Perhaps it’s because even though he wanted to use your pregnancy as a means for you to stay, you still left. He’s just focused on you and your relationship, not the fact that he’s actually becoming a father again. Doing it all over again.

He isn’t sure if he’s ready to do it all over again; but he feels the excitement slowly grow by looking at his baby and listening to their heartbeat. It’s nothing too crazy though.

When the technician finishes up, you’re handed a napkin to wipe off the gel. You do so, and you’re told to wait for the doctor. You’re smiling foolishly, thinking that you’re becoming a mother even though you had given up on that dream a while ago. Given that dream up for the man that’s waiting next to you.

“You seem really excited.” Toji comments when you’re left alone. He watches your hand go to your lower abdomen as you look up at him.

“I am. I can’t wait to meet my baby.” You answer. Toji chuckles, your excitement radiating and infectious. “Do you want a baby boy or a girl?”

“Hmm… A baby boy since I already know how to deal with boys. I have no idea how I’d raise a girl.” He responds. “How about you? Do you want a girl or a boy?”

“I don’t have a preference, I just want a healthy baby. Boy or girl.” You reply, and Toji wonders if that’s how he should’ve responded. Would that have gotten him positive points with you? Did his response fuck everything up a little more?

The doctor walks in, and she tells you what you want to hear. The baby is healthy, and growing the way they should be. You’re around fourteen weeks along– Which means you’ll be due around December, and that you’re further along than what you assumed. Your baby wasn’t conceived the night that you told Toji you’d be leaving him.

You get your ultrasound pictures, and Toji takes two, even though he tries to act like he isn’t excited.

[baiwu-jinji]

TGCF author's notes translation

@/camilikha on twitter kindly provided links to TGCF author's notes and I translated the ones I find informative and interesting. See translations below:

chapter 58 notes: The second book is all about the overconfident Xie Lian with delusions of grandeur and the tender little flower (mxtx means kid Hua Cheng) and their diaries of the downfall of Xianle. Word count is undecided, I'm never accurate at estimating word counts anyway. It's just like the xianxia I write doesn't fit into your regular xianxia, the royalty I write doesn't fit into your regular fictional depictions of royalty - just the outlandish made-up worlds and social customs in the author's imagination...

chapter 60 notes: If we put Qi Rong in a modern context, we could say that he has bipolar disorder.

chapter 72 notes: about the chapter title "To Meet You in the Mortal Realm; to Find Flowers Beneath the Rain" - eventually I feel that "To Meet You" is more romantic than "To Meet Someone". Just think about it, "meeting you" is one of the most romantic things in the world.

chapte 80 notes: Of course (HC) won't give (XL) a handjob or help him [...], but Huahua's sexual awakening starts with this incident... (XL is seriously obssessed with martial arts combat!)

chapter 88 notes: Xie Lian never gets tanned, I envy him... I finally reached this place - in a dilapidated temple, a god about to be forgotten and a believer who's still young - this is the first mental image I have about this story, which drove me to wrote the story. I'm the kind of person who'd make up a whole book just to get to write a certain passage...

chapter 119 notes: Actually Huahua is just being naughty and wants to joke around playing dead, who'd have thought...

chapter 123 notes: So Black Water made his appearance long ago, he's been hanging around before your eyes all along. Wind Master never knew the real Mingyi, it's always been the same person before him - and before you readers. (Black Water) officially recognized as Best Actor of this story! I've been holding it a secret for so long and so has he, now I can finally let it out.

chapter 141 notes: If you heat up Huahua in the kiln, he'll grow bigger~

chapter 175 notes: "Hua Cheng! Your diary! We've read it all!!!"

chapter 229 notes: Huahua low-key sucking up to the elderly to make a good impression

chapter 242 notes: Why do you like to spook yourselves? - why on earth would there be such plots as (XL) waiting for another 800 years - too long, impossible! Happy ending is around the corner!

SVSSS is my first work so it has some exceptions that I won't discuss here, but MDZS and TGCF both only have one main couple. I said this repeatedly in the author's notes when MDZS was being serialized and in other places. As for Mo Xuanyu, he is a little gay dude but he died at the beginning of the story so he doesn't count as a serious character...It's fine to have headcanons you like as long as you don't seperate the main couple. But for me personally, my taste leans towards having only one gay couple in the story, and I have no plans to write about another secondary couple. I'm stating this to avoid some unnecessary disputes.

XL is good at making pickled vegetables. Because pickled vegetables are needed with steamed bun and rice porridge, so XL became quite experienced after practicing for hundreds of years. Also you can just leave the pickled vegetable by itself most of the time and let it undergo chemical reaction. XL mostly fail because he get inventive.

XL and Mu Qing chose the same path of cultivation and are both Daoists. But Feng Xin never studied under a master at the Holy Royal Pavillion so he's not a Daoist and simply a plebeian martial god, so he doesn't need to observe the celibacy rules like XL and Mu Qing.

My passion for inventing new dishes (or rather weapons) cooked by Xie Lian is only slightly less than my passion for making Huahua change into new clothes

Huahua often turn into human forms, in which he has two eyes, so you guys can stop counting the number of his eyes.

In the setting of this story, if you want to be a god,you need to be a human hero first, which means you need to be the best of the best among humans. Only heaven officials who ascended are real heaven officials and belong in the Upper Court. How do you ascend? Firstly it depends on your personal ability, you have to be outstanding in some aspect (such as martial arts or literary talents) to enter the path of ascension. Secondly it depends on luck, if you're extremely lucky and a favourite of fate, and just picked up some rare secret guides (to ascension) or immortal pills by the roadside, that works too. Officials in the Middle Court are appointed, which means someone in the Heavenly Realm could promote you to that position. But Middle Court officials have the opportunity to become a bona fide Upper Court official too if they're capable enough.

Black Water indeed owes Hua Cheng a huge sum of money and is a very impoverished Calamity, seriously lowering the income standard of the Calamities (although there're only three of them). But his debt isn't completely due to eating too much. As for the money Black Water owes, it's an ancient debt - 40% is the cost of buying gifts for heaven officials of Upper Court and planting agents there (bribery!), 30% is maintenance fee for his territory and expenses on pet food, the rest 30% is food (for himself).

Talismans are probably the equivalent of the business cards (of heaven officials)... "Hello this is my consecrated talisman" = "hello this is my business card"

You can't get rid of ghostly essence (which XL is tainted with because he spends too much time with HC) simply by brushing your teeth with plain water...you need to use consecrated spell water (which is super bitter and weird).

The weapon forged by a heaven official is called fabao (literally "dharma treasure"); if it's a weapon forged by mortal Daoists and monks, it's called faqi (literally "dharma tool") - only after their ascension can their weapons be called fabao.

In my imagination, Xianle ia the kind of small ancient kingdom that's overall culturally Han, but has peculiar customs...although I feel like what I wrote on Xianle is mostly just peculiar hahahaha [facepalm] [beat myself up]

Not only are the forms, customs, cultures, and politics of countries in this story made-up, the kind of arcane stuff like occult sciences and philosophical values are all made-up. Although I did research but the records I consulted are too difficult to understand, so I just made things up on my own. Please bear with me If you're knowledgable in this sort of thing hahaha.

Puqi refers to water chestnut.

Look up "Blood-Soaked Fire Social" (xue she huo) if you're interested, it exists in real life and is very thrilling. What I wrote is different from the traditional festival, there're some made-up elements to make it more exciting

[erideights]

Little pieces here and there (5)

Pairing: Buggy x Fem!Reader (One Piece Live Action)

Chapters: one, two, three, four

Word Count: 3K

Warnings: light flirting, light metion of sex, a lot of feelings, super fluff (in their particular way)

A/N: I'M BACK WITH THE NEW AND LAST (????) CHAPTER OF THE SERIES AFTER AN HIATUS WEEK. I wanted to post something good, something beautiful, true to the characters and the story you all enjoyed reading as much as i writing! (sorry for the possible grammatical mistakes!)

Side note: this chapter is to be read with different time frames, so changing the lights of the room and their resting positions in bed!

"Say it."

"Nope."

"Why not!?" he whines, his beautiful dove eyes pleading. "C'mon baby. Say it. I deserve it. All the awards. All the honors." The fact he’s beneath her, trapped between her body and the mattress, doesn't help make him look less submissive. She has to admit, it’s extremely pleasant to see how his dignified ass drags himself for her.

"But it would be a lie," she says, sticking out her tongue in a gesture intended to make him suffer a little more. Unbelievable that this is the same man who forced her to beg for sex a couple of hours ago. "and I’m no liar."

''Didn't seem like a lie to me when you were moaning my name and cumming on my cock for the third time some minutes ago.'' Ah, there it is, his ego is back again. Or at least, a glimpse of it. Took a while to appear. 

In front of him, (Y/N) just smiles devilishly, which makes Buggy growl and look at her with pleading eyes again. "Look, we already established I know and even like how you need to play difficult, it's part of your charisma, but I need to hear it, okay? I will give you anything your wayward, fussy heart could desire. Consider it a prize."

''Anything?''

''Anything.''

Hmm. She plays along, and pretends to think about it for long, torturous seconds, shaking her head from side to side in slowmo, taking a deep breath. 

As expected, soon enough she decides to give in-- she’s satisfied after making him beg in her own particular way.

''Fine.'' She takes a breath and starts her dramatic performance, with one hand on her own chest, eyes closed. ''Oh, Buggy, you were right, you are the best lover I’ve ever had, thanks to you my soul has ascended and I have seen the One Piece.''

That is not the praise he was expecting about his sexual skills. Not even close. But was so /him/, so dramatic, exaggerated, and incredibly hilarious, that despite faking offense on his face, eyes half-closed, lips pressed together, fingers pinching her hips as punishment, he has to admit -he will not-, was funny.

''You're a moron'' That’s about everything he has to say on the matter.

‘’Like Ol’Axe-Hand?’’ She asks, raising an eyebrow, hoping he gets it. And of course he does. He's so surprised that he widens his eyes, smirking. Is she actually admitting how incredibly funny he is? ''You still remember that joke?''

''Was so bad it stuck with me since then like a fucking nightmare.'' Hit and sunk.

''Ouch''

"Don't worry, there's still time to improve the quality of your jokes. But for now I'll take the prize you promised.''

''Ugh, fine. What do you want?’' Buggy thinks he knows (Y/N), so he’s convinced she will ask for something impossible. A challenge that will ridicule him or an astronomical sum of money. ''If what you want are berries I’m sorry to inform you, sunshine, I'm broke, I still have to find...'' but the clown shuts himself when he feels the girl's fingers slowly caressing his sharp jaw, finally pulling him by his chin towards her. He leans in too, eyes fixed on her lips, yearning for the kiss he can see so clearly written in the dreamy way she looks at him.

There’s no need to announce it, nor to start it with their usual flirting or provocations. It's slow and doesn't demand anything at all, nor is intended to be the trigger of their next round.

It's just a kiss. Something so simple and intrinsically complex at the same time. And in the same way as if it had been the most fiery and passionate of his life, as not long ago, this kiss leaves him breathless, unable to form a single coherent thought that has nothing to do with her.

Oh, he’s down bad. Just like she is.

              …

And there they are on the mattress, she’s sitting on his lap, legs around him, his hands on her hips, hers on his abdomen in a relaxed pose. The scene is typical of two lovers who have known each other for a lifetime -or at least for years- and not of two people who just had the wildest sex of their lives less than a couple hours ago. For the first time. 

They tell each other anecdotes, surreal stories, and laugh together inside that little bubble they don't even know how it was created, where it came from, or how the hell it could have absorbed them so much, making them completely ignore the outside world.

"What do you mean a giant bird!?" she screams in laughter, her stomach hurting, her lungs burning. "Aha, yeah, laugh all you want but imagine thinking that you’re about to die turned into damn bird feed. It would fucking piss me off."

As it can’t be otherwise, (Y/N) ends up laughing until she cries with the story of how Buggy arrived at Loguetown, and the clown finds himself exaggerating his story more and more with each laugh he manages to get from the girl, eager to hear it again, knowing he’s the only cause of this beautiful melody.

It’s absurd how he would love -kill- to know more about her, ‘cause if he stops to think about it, he doesn't know this woman at all. He knows nothing beyond her name, her crew, and the fact that she has a bold sense of humor. She’s brave and sarcastic, keen, sharp, and much more intelligent and savvy than -in his opinion- all the idiots around her.

And this is how and when he realizes the post-nut clarity theory hasn't worked for him. Getting her out of his twisted mind will not be as easy as fucking her a couple times, get his needed ton of personal satisfaction from making her beg for him, and moving on to the next thing to do/achieve on his list.

Goddamnhim.

"Alright, as much as I love and enjoy being the main character, it's time for you to drop your femme fatale facade and show me who you truly are."

"Awh,’’ she smiles tenderly, reaching for one of his cheeks. ‘’you see me like a femme fatale? That's so cute."

"Cut the crap.’’ The clown slaps her hand away, not in a violent way, but offended. ‘’You're not easily intimidated and I noticed you're good with knives too. That's sexy, and it makes me curious as hell about what you did before you joined those shitty heads."

Fair enough, she would be curious too, so she thinks about it, a bit wary of talking about her private life because there is a part of her that prefers to keep it intact -in case she wants to come back to it-. However, she reasons, mentioning what she did without being very specific doesn’t reveal anything at all. It would piss her off if Buggy casually knows her mercenary name -by which she’s fairly known among marines and pirates alike- and connects some dots all of a sudden. 

Is he actually that smart?

"I was a mercenary." She says calmly, shrugging her shoulders. "With that angelic face?" He retorts in disbelief, raising both eyebrows, even though he knows it fits her personality just right. "You'd be surprised what you're capable of with it."

"No, no, I actually believe you." He cracks an amused smile, looking directly into her eyes after carefully scanning her face. ''I mean, If someone like you tried to sneak onto my ship I would know it’s a trap, either to kill me or to steal from me but I would end up saying ''whatever you say beautiful'' and would actually let you do your thing.''

He's an idiot but still, once again, he manages to make her laugh. “Looking like that, anyone would give you anything,” he adds because he is, in fact and undoubtedly, willing to give her a little more of himself. More time and more attention, because he should definitely be out there gathering his crew -only God knows what they'll be doing- and figuring out how to get to the Grand Line without a damn map.

The idea of asking her, or even suggesting she steals it for him, doesn't even cross his mind. Not even after having shared this /intimate/ afternoon together. He knows she won't do it, she doesn’t own him shit, she’s not one of these women who fall in love and suddenly do everything, and leave everything behind, for the man of their dreams.

And of course Buggy can see the way she looks at him, without an ounce of contempt or distaste for his extravagant appearance or the atrocities he's sure she knows he's committed and of which he's not one bit ashamed. She sees him as he is and still, she’s here, offering him back something as valuable as her time and company.

But she won't give him more, he is aware of that. That's why he didn't offer (Y/N) to run away with him when he escaped from Arlong Park, because as much as she enjoys his company and maybe, just maybe, the clown imagines, feels something for him, he has the impression she’s a disgustingly loyal person, to her principles and her people, and as much as she likes to flirt with him, she would have said no.

He must admit, that's also how he likes her. Strong, capable, independent. He would kill no matter who to have her by his side as part of his crew, although he knows it won't happen. He would settle, however, with the -hypothetical- opportunity to meet from time to time on the high seas or on any random island. To sneak away from their crews in secret, to disappear for a few hours in which all his attention, his entire being, could focus on her, lower the curtain just a little, leave the spotlight behind and relax.

There is a small part of him, the one that makes him unable to stop looking intensely at her with those blue eyes that mirrors his own soul, that truly hopes she feels the same.

…

''You know'' she starts, absently stroking his hair, the clown's head in her lap. ''I imagine-- no, I know the whole nose topic is a sensitive thing for you but honestly, it shouldn't-- big noses are incredibly attractive, and yours? Believe me, anyone would want to sit on it.’’

What.

He's so taken aback by the suddenness of the comment he completely forgets what they were talking about before and on top of that, he's unable to reply for some seconds, looking at her like she just started speaking in another, incomprehensible language.

He ends up raising an eyebrow, running his tongue over his red lips. ''Including you?''

''Including me''

''Well, sunshine, today's your lucky day then'' Sitting up, in a blink of her eyes he turns, catches the girl's hips and drags her with him, lying down, leaving her sitting on his chest while he rest his head on the pillow. Buggy winks at her, licking his lips again, this time cheekily rather than thoughtfully. “I’m about to make another one of your dreams come true.”

''Horny bastard.'' she whispers, swallowing saliva. What a view, having him between her legs again. ''Never denied, sweetheart'' with a low, erotic, and breathtaking laugh, he surrounds both her thighs with his arms and pulls her body up in a quick movement, causing a sudden brush of his nose against the inside of her thigh.

(Y/N) shudders and takes a deep breath, spreading her legs a little further as she settles them on the pillow. ''Show me what else you can do, captain.'' To that he just groans, already getting hard with just having her on top of his face and her way of talking to him, pushing his buttons just the right way.

In no time she’s a complete, total, and absolute mess, writhing with pleasure. Hands grabbing his hair, hips rocking over his mouth, forcing his nose to rub against her clitoris, she softly moans his name, an occasional insult or any other possible blasphemy.

''Oh, fuck-- Buggy.''

…

Worn off makeup all around her body, sun setting, long hours spent together in which they have told funny, long stories about each other's life and of course, in which they have ended up letting free -once again- that suffocating sexual tension that attracts them to the other like a month to a lamp. Buggy, surprisingly, ends up letting his guard down to the point where he falls asleep, and not long after, he starts snoring.

(Y/N) knows, it's time to leave and look for her friends. She also knows she warned them about her obsession with the city and that the chances of her getting lost were high, and in that case they should not worry about her, blablabla, because she would come back sooner or later. She didn’t even remotely expect the reason for her disappearance would be a self-declared enemy -Luffy’s enemy- of her crew, tho. Neither was she going to spend so much time away from them to be with him.

The excuses she will need to cover her tracks are endless, and a pain in the ass without even started to think about them yet.

Will Zoro still be lost somewhere on the island? Because she obviously assumed, he got lost as soon as they split.

Still in bed, she takes a moment to calmly look at him. (Y/N) is aware of how this may be the last time they ever see each other, and -not- surprisingly, this thought sparks a pang of sadness in her. She really likes him. She wouldn't say she is in love with him, because those are big words and they barely know each other yet, but... he was right, the chemistry between the two was something impossible to deny. And it hasn't weakened, nor disappeared a single bit after sex. Quite the opposite-- It has become something more, a kind of deep and sincere fondness that in this precise moment, dark outside, distant voices over the window from drunkards and bastards around the streets, his breathing calm for a fraction of second, his eyes closed and the fresh breeze that enters the room, invites her to caress his blue hair while he sleeps, sighing.

It’s been a long, long time since (Y/N)’d enjoyed this kind of genuine, absolute peace, sharing with someone she cares about, a room where time does not exist and life is just a thought instead of reality.

Part of her wishes or better said, acknowledges, she would stay here the entire night if she could. The other says that’s ridiculous, and that those are her hormones talking and nothing else. It would pass.

But does she want it to pass? To fade away?

Finally getting out of bed -all her willpower at once- after long minutes in which she simply memorizes every possible detail around her, she begins to retrieve her clothes scattered throughout the room and get dressed in silence, trying not to wake him up.

Through all this process, in the depths of her head resonates a single thought, ringing as loud and strong as an alarm. She’s unable to shut it up. She can’t ignore it either. It's another kind of thought she shouldn't have, and at the same time… feels so natural, so logical, she doesn't feel guilty for having it.

But should she listen to it? Should she follow it?

Taking a seat in the chair that fulfilled its great purpose a few hours ago, she sighs, again, head resting on her hand, elbow on the table. With a small smile, her eyes fall back on that ridiculous, snoring clown. And then, she just knows.

Reaching to a little secret pocket in her pants, she takes out a small piece of folded paper and starts to open it slowly, being careful to not tear it apart, leaving it on the table of the room once the copy of the map of the Grand Line can be perfectly seen. When (Y/N) suggested her crew make a couple of copies in case something happened to the original, she never thought she would use hers like this, but she doesn't regret it in the slightest.

Biting the tip of her tongue, her eyes scan the partially darkened room, jumping from side to side. When she finally finds what she was looking for, she leans over the table, and taking the pen from the inkwell, she writes in the upper right corner of the map "I will be waiting for you right here, come find me" .

If someone asked her why she does this, why she feels this, why does she decide to ignore her common sense and give something so important to someone as -objectively- miserable as him, she would simply answer that there are things… or better said-- not things, but the little pieces here and there, pieces of himself left in her during conversations, shared glances, laughter, flirts, light touches and the deep strong ones that came after those. It's the way he tried to make her laugh at all costs or how he didn't give up trying to win her over. Those blue eyes so intense she would swear, they reached her soul, or the small, genuine smile she knows she has seen this same afternoon, really far from the forced, crooked, exaggerated ones he usually has.

It is all of this and much more, and opening the door of the room, closing it again so that no one disturbs Buggy while she escapes the building and heads to her ship to find her crew, she knows she can't wait to see him again.

She knows she will. Her sixth sense tells her so.

[ssivinee]

➢ 𝙴𝚌𝚕𝚒𝚙𝚜𝚎

IVE! Band! Yujin x Band! F reader: You and Yujin seem to agree on a new chapter in your friendship, but she seems to want more than that. The both of you, confused at what the status of your relationship is, let fate do its work... which seemed to be doing very good at its job with the two of you.

Word Count: 5.9 k

Author's Note: *⚠️Warnings: mentions of substance abuse, heavy use of strong language, violence, and harassment.⚠️* This took so long. IM SO SORRY, but December was a rollercoaster of a month frfr, but IM BACK, AND I WILL POST MORE THIS MONTH, I SWEAR. The song isnt mentioned at all in this fic, but this is essentially the song she writes after all this🙂‍↕️.

⚠︎ Directions ⇒ Main | Previous | Next

“You think if I headbutt her, she’ll wake up?” The older mumbles as she squats down, staring at Yena, who is still knocked out from a failed night of partying. Wonyoung looks at her unnie with a face that just said, ‘tf did you just say?’ “Yes, I’d like to think she’s alive and breathing enough to feel that pain, unnie,” Yujin voices as she prepares two cups of coffee and some tea for Wony.

“She just can’t be calm for one second,” Chaewon grumbles. 

Yujin gave them both the run down of what happened last night, leaving out the significant details of your final words to her. “I just didn’t expect Y/n unnie to be the one to help her, even bring her here,” Wonyoung says as she takes the fresh cup of tea from Yujin’s hands, sipping on the steaming hot liquid. 

“True,” Chaewon answers as she sits down softly beside Yena, who begins to stir out of sleep. Her vision felt blurry, rubbing her eyes to gain her senses as she realized she was in Yujin’s apartment. “How the hell did I get here?” Her voice was hoarse, so Yujin jogged to her fridge, handing her a cold bottle of water. “You partied too hard, and Y/n unnie brought you back to our place,” Yena looked puzzled at Wonyoung’s words. “Y/n brought me here?”

“You were so out of it, unnie. Didn’t we already talk about drinking and drugs as something that shouldn’t be combined?” At Yujin’s worried tone, Yena swiped a finger under her nose, feeling the remains of the lingering powder. They knew this wasn’t exactly the time to be lecturing her, but Chaewon’s motherly instincts kicked in, “Look, you know how we feel about you using those, but we also know you're mature enough to know when and where they can be used. You could've been in danger if Y/n didn’t step in.”

Yena groans, sitting up from her position as she chugs the rest of her water. “I know, I know. It was a mistake. I didn’t expect Hayoung to bring some, but when he did, I just went for it…” The three shake their head simultaneously. “That isn’t the best excuse right now. What if Y/n unnie didn’t find you, and you just kept drinking? Who knows what would have happened, unnie,” Wony says, careful in the way she says it. 

Yena just keeps her head down, her head still pounding, and she is just overall disappointed in her choices last night. “How about you give Y/n a ‘thanks for helping me out’ gift,” Chaewon suggests, and Wonyoung nods excitedly. “She works at Evermore cafe on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, I think. You’ll probably have the best chance of catching her there.” The three now look at Wonyoung, worried about how she knew that information. “What? I like getting my tea and coffee there every day,” She pouts, sipping on her tea again as everyone giggles. “I’ll go with you if you want, unnie?” Yujin says, picking up her car keys to drop Yena off at home and get her bearings together. “We can do that,” She nods, trying to collect herself and put on her sweater that wreaked of alcohol. “God, I need a shower and a change of clothes.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice, girl,” Yujin says with a chuckle, leading her unnie out the door with her wallet, car, and house keys in hand. “What do I even get her as a ‘thank-you’ gift?” Yena asks as she sits on the passenger side, hands clasping her hair as if stressed. “How about some nice set of flowers? That would be a good start.” Yujin says, turning her car on and letting it heat up. Yena nods, agreeing to the idea.

“Why would she help me?” Yujin side eyes the older, as she was trying to focus on the road. “Maybe she just saw a girl in need of help and did it out of the kindness of her heart,” Yujin suggested, and it made Yena think. “Then I should get her some pink roses. That’s a good thank-you gift, right?” She asks, a bit stressed again, but Yujin pats her shoulder to calm her down.

“I’m sure she’ll appreciate it, unnie.” “How are you so sure?!” Yena flails her arms, quickly regretting it as she feels the pulsing headache return. “One thing I won't forget is how appreciative Y/n is. We were friends at one point, you know?” Yena’s eyes glimmer, reminded that you guys knew each other at one point. 

“True!” Yena gets excited, shimmying in the passenger seat, followed by an ‘ouch’ that had Yujin giggling.

You were working an afternoon shift as usual at the cafe and were currently making a few drinks. It was a Sunday afternoon, a little before sundown, so the place wasn’t flooded with customers like every weekday. As you took your time making two drinks, you heard the door ringing, usually correlating to people entering.

“Hello, welcome to Ever—” once you looked up, you couldn’t even finish your sentence. You were stunned to see Yujin and Yena standing in the cafe. The shorter one held pink roses wrapped in pastel yellow paper and a large bouquet of white flowers in the younger’s arm. Meanwhile, Yujin held a large, nice-looking blue paper bag in her hands. “Did you guys want a drink today?” you asked nicely, knowing Yena hadn’t exactly had the best night.

“Well, some kind of herbal tea would be nice, but I wanted to give you these,” Yena said, forwarding the pink flowers across the counter. Just as a thank you for helping me last night.” You waved your hands frantically, “You didn’t have to do that, you know?” You say, but softly take it from her hands; you don’t want to seem rude. “You deserve it. None of us could’ve known what would've happened if you left me there.”

“And uhm,” Yujin spoke, looking down at the bag and flowers, feeling a tad bit nervous. “I wanted to give this to you as a sorry for Yena unnie last night, and… you know… what we talked about last night?” Her wavering voice was noticeable as her eyes met yours. She handed you the larger bouquet and put the bag down on the counter. Yena watched as you took it into your own arms, eyes trailing back to Yujin, who just gave you this look she couldn’t quite point out.

What the hell did the two of you talk about last night?

Yena just stands there, lost, as you give them both a smile, “How about I put these gifts in my locker, and I’ll make you guys your drinks? It’ll be on me for the gifts,” Yena was about to object, but you cut her off, “It’s literally the least I could do.”

You walked to the back room, unlocked your locker, and put the gift in. Knowing that you would probably forget, you decided to remind yourself to put them in water since you wouldn’t be able to for the rest of your shift. As you set the reminder, you began to think, what did the white flowers mean? You weren’t exactly a flower connoisseur to know about these things. All you knew was pink was a sign of thanks.

So you open up the internet really quickly, typing what white flowers mean in Korea. As you read what popped up, hydrangea flowers in white mean an apology. The flowers Yujin gave you specifically, white lilies, roses, and carnations, had you furrowing your brows. Most of them meant sorry and as a sign of respect, but when you read briefly about the carnations, it is said to be a symbol of true love.

Hearing the front door ring again, you couldn’t take the time to look inside the pretty paper bag, just shutting the locker and rushing to the front. “Sorry for the wait. How about I get you some roasted barley tea, Yena? Just to calm you down after everything,” Yena nods appreciatively as you look at Yujin, a brow raised at her. “Want some iced malcha?” You ask, and Yujin’s eyes grow large.

After all these years of not being friends, do you still remember that she liked green tea? Yujin only nods, and you get to work after giving the receipt while Yena looks at her member. “How the fuck did she remember that?” Yujin just shrugs, her eyes never prying off of your figure.

She watched you in your light purple apron, hair tucked into a messy bun, the claw clip struggling to keep your long black hair tamed. You kept your focus on both the drinks, not realizing her strong gaze on your figure. You couldn’t help but smile to yourself; the thought of her giving you such a symbolic gift gave you butterflies in your stomach. 

Despite not being friends for so long, you were, ironically, the friend who never forgot the little things people liked, even if they were your former friends. This may not have been the exact gesture to reconcile your relationship with her, but it was for everyone's peace after all this time.

“Your malcha and tea!” You say a large smile graced your face as they picked up the cups. You see a sense of hesitance in Yujin’s stance, and you look at her, a bit confused, as she stands there awkwardly. “Anything else, Ahn?” Your question snaps her out of her trance, and she shakes her head a bit. “Nope, definitely not! Have a good day!” You stare at them, leaving, your face clearly weirded out. Yena is currently being dragged out the door, and Yujin slaps her forehead with the palm of her hand.

“Stupid, stupid, stupid,” Yujin kept mumbling as Yena’s tiny body was still behind her, trying to keep up with Yujin’s longer legs as she was being dragged to her car. “Way to give yourself a ‘watch me embarrass myself’ moment,” Yena smiles as the younger side eyes her annoyingly.

They enter the car, still holding their drinks, “Seriously though. what the fuck was that?!” “I don’t know!” Yujin practically yells. She couldn’t answer the question herself. Yujin has never been one to embarrass herself in front of someone, and you being the first person it happened to makes her want to sink into a black hole.

All she wanted to do was ask for your number, which was clearly an epic fail.

By the time they left, several people had come in, and the time passed quickly due to the lack of customers. It was now nearly nine, and you had taken all your belongings and began locking up the store. The night sky was already shining with the moon, and you felt a yawn as you placed the store key in your bag. The walk home was quick, the ten minutes being a breeze, walking into your small apartment that was around five blocks away. 

You slip off your shoes and lay your items on the couch as you walk to the kitchen, immediately trying to heat up some food for yourself. Trying to get the food on the stove faster was the goal as you felt disgustingly drenched in sweat. You jog into your room, get a change of clothes, and decide to take a quick shower. Once you finished, you kept drying your hair with a towel but smelt the food. You take it all in but have a glimpse of the flowers and shopping bag that Yujin and Yena got you.

Looking around your apartment, you take the only vase you own, add some water, and unravel both bouquets to put them in, arranging them to look a bit more appealing. You then remembered you didn’t have the time to check inside the bag yet. After throwing out the papers wrapping paper, you take a seat on the couch, opening it up. You found a dark purple hoodie, an envelope, and a box. 

As you took it out, you realized she had forgotten to take the tag off, and you’re taken aback. “A 150 PRICED HOODIE!” You shriek, looking at it. It seems to be from a smaller brand, and the logo on the front looks unfamiliar to you, but it is still cute. The look of a bunch of vintage-looking flowers, then a statue seemingly stitched heavily into it. You then take a look at the smaller box inside, and it was dark blue with some silver detailing on it.

You open it and gasp, finding a silver bracelet with some aquamarine gemstones around it. ‘My birthstone?’

If only you knew Yujin’s struggle to pick the right one out. Her memory definitely wasn’t as good as yours, but she was in that store, staring at every blue gemstone for an hour straight until she felt sure about your birth month. She finally remembered it was in spring and a month with several exams coming in the months after, so she finally remembered your birthday was in March.

You stared at the bracelet, its colors and shine twinkling in your eyes. Your eyes looked around, but she seemed to remember, at least, to take out the tag for this one. Your hands then rummage in the bag, trying to take out the last item, the envelope. Fingers fumbling to open it, you find a small note inside. The paper had flowers printed on its border, causing you to giggle. ‘What’s up with her and flowers today?’

You begin reading, ‘I don’t want this to be so awkward. I will admit, after all these years, you’re still a good friend. We may not be close at the moment, but I truly appreciate what you’ve done for Yena-unnie and what you told me last night.’

Not close at the moment, huh? That had a tint of blush forming on your face. Was she expecting to get close to you again? You thought it was sweet, and you were both headed in a good direction. You wanted to reminisce more, but the scent of the food seemed to be filling the air. You had to be able to eat so you could work on some music before heading to bed for another shift early in the morning.

You head to your office space, turning on the iridescent lights that glow purple and blue around the room. Your light tap on the mouse automatically turns the monitor of your computer on, showing some notes and photos that have been giving some kind of inspiration. Grabbing the notebook on your desk, you open it to a specific page that lacks writing. 

Your eyes travel all over your space, finding where you last placed your guitar, and you are strumming to try and find the melody that feels right. 

There was slight hope, the interaction with Yujin might’ve given you some inspiration but you were just stuck. The previous songs you created and released were quickly rising in popularity. Your subconscious was not able to keep up with the charts, and it was beginning to weigh on your mind. The pressure to release something better was gut-wrenching and made you want to throw up at the thought of it. 

In two days, you were guesting on a radio station about the group's rising fame, and you couldn’t shake the anxious feeling in the pit of your stomach. The girls seemed to be okay with you going alone; they were busy with other major things in their lives at the moment. 

You were generally good with public speaking and performing, but interviews felt insanely different. It was going to be a constant loop of being aware of your language and the questions being thrown at you, but you didn't want to think about it until the day of.

But thinking that was a big mistake as you sat inside the station, the two hosts sitting in front of you. 

While you were just a ball of anxiety waiting to burst, Yujin listened in, hearing from Yena about the news of you being on the show. 

“Good evening, people of Korea! Welcome back to the Rising Loud Show! We’re your hosts, Lee Jihyun and Kim Hyunju. We actually have a special guest today. From the group rising to fame, Abyss, we have their main vocal, bassist, composer, AND producer of the group, Cha Y/n!”

The two hosts cheer and applaud as you smile from across the table, “Thank you, it’s an honor to be here.

“Oh, ever so humble. You’ve been making waves in the band world, Y/n. I think it’s okay to boast from time to time,” the male host, Hyunju, spoke, causing the ladies to giggle. He continues, “So your group recently hit nine hundred thousand listeners on Spotify last week, and your song Love Me or Leave Me has been used on some large music shows here in Korea! How does it feel?”

“Truth be told, it is a wild roller coaster in the beginning. We got so much support from the get-go that I almost felt a bit frazzled. Now I’m just happy and a little pressured.”

“Pressured? Why is that?”

“When writing both Drowning and lmolm, the writing process came quite easy to me since they were about experiences I’ve had in life. Truthfully, those experiences aren’t many, so now, you could say I’ve hit writer's block.” Jihyun, the female host, perks up, “Well, that's some interesting information there, folks. Would you like to share some of those experiences with the world?” You laugh at the question, knowing that once you aired this out, it would be on the internet forever.

“Well, our latest release was actually about a one-sided relationship I had with a toxic ex. I felt like I was on a leash in the relationship because I was so in love, and then they talked about me behind my back, and it gave me a reality check,” you nod. Yujin, on the opposite end, listened intently, not knowing the back story behind you and Soyeon. “It sucked, but in the end, it got me to where I am today.”

“Drowning, on the other hand, is somewhat misinterpreted as a love song. It’s written in that way, but it's about an old broken friendship I had.” Yujin’s eyes softened at your words, sitting comfortably on her couch as she stared at the ceiling. “I felt bad? I say that as a question because I’m not sure. She may be listening right now.” You giggle.

“As kids, we were best friends. We did everything together, and it was such a fun relationship, but that seemed to also be the downfall of our friendship. Since we were around each other so much, people seemed to pit us against each other, and it worked until we became practically enemies. One was trying to be a thorn in the other side, and sometimes, we just wanted to piss each other off. This year, the bad blood became tiring to bear, so we made up.”

“Do you mind telling us who it is? There are a few speculations, so,” Yujin hears the host have a suspicious voice, but you state no with a chuckle, avoiding the topic quickly.

“So, new music, right? Let’s talk about it!”

“Well… there isn’t really much to say. It's still very much in the early stages of the process, and I’ll need some help with it. I may ask my members,” you say with a smile. Yujin kept listening in; she never heard you talk for such a long time in years, and the radio show made her feel like you were speaking to her while she just listened.

She loved it. Listening to you speak about your love for music, working at your job and enjoying it, speaking about other hobbies and wishes made her feel like you were her best friend all over again. It only made her think deeper. How was she gonna go about this?

Showing up to your job every day would be plain weird. She didn’t want to just make it seem like everything was back to normal because she didn’t want to come off as nonchalant. She also didn’t want to be overbearing and reach out herself.

“Why don’t you just let the world take its course?” Yujin jumps in her spot, hearing Wonyoung, who she finds sitting on the island stool and sipping some tea. “Now, why the hell would you do that to me… AND WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS DRINKING TEA?”

The younger girl shrugs, but her brow is raised, “Stop worrying about how to be close again and just let it take its course.” 

“I know your right, but like I can’t help but-”

“You can’t help but overthink. I know, unnie, I know.” Wonyoung takes a seat, hearing the muffled voices from the radio show.

“Do you like her?” Yujin looks at her in surprise, “W-what? I don’t…”

Wony raises her brow, clearly not believing her, and Yujin sighs, “I’m not sure.” “Wel,l that isn't an acceptable answer,” Yujin’s brows furrowed. “What does that mean?”

“Either you like someone, or you don’t, no in between.” Wonyoung sips on her tea again as Yujin scoffs. “It’s true, though. Even an inkling of liking someone is liking someone.” Yujin lowers her head, knowing she’s right.

“I guess I do.”

“What about your love life right now?” The two of them hear the phone say out loud, one of the hosts asks, and they hear you giggle. “No one is currently in the picture, but who knows? I wouldn’t turn away love.”

“I’m not sure anyone expected you to be a romantic, Miss Cha,” the two hosts laugh as the younger girls listen more intently. “I believe love can equate to a different kind of happiness. One that completes you.” The hosts grow quiet at your words, and Wonyoung smiles, “I didn’t expect unnie to be such a heartthrob.”

“She’s always been that way,” the older smiles a bit, and the maknae stares at her. “It’s why she was loved by everyone. She always returned that same love,” she smiles and looks at the girl next to her, the younger, giving her a mischievous grin. “You're so in love with her.” “I’M NOT IN LOVE!”

“Don’t lie to yourself~”

It had been a few days after your radio guest, and life had been… a bit harder than usual. You had been given many more hours to work the first few days, and you were barely able to hang out with your band. Even now, you are still struggling to write a song.

A few hours after your guest appearance, Ning Ning reached out to you, wanting to help in the process. The two of you began to write it the day after, but since then, it seems like Ning Ning has been ignoring it for some unknown reason.

Your frustrations were beginning to build up. You never wanted to be angered by Ning Ning. Everyone in your group had they’re own lives and jobs to work on. Yet you knew Ning better out of everyone. 

Ning Ning came from a richer family. She didn’t need to work and had lots of spare time on her hands. It was pretty evident in the way she used to nag you about hanging out more since ‘she never had anything to do.’ You also always believed that you were an understanding friend. No matter what it was, you would’ve understood.

Your issue was that she just shouldn’t have offered if it was going to turn out this way. Your expectations were just not met.

So here you were, standing outside Ning Ning's penthouse, sighing as you rang the doorbell and heard muffled, chaotic music bleeding through the walls. The sound was loud enough to make you grit your teeth as you waited.

When the door swung open, her smile faded almost instantly, like she was caught doing something she shouldn't. "Hey, Y/n~," she started, but her voice sounded shaky, barely cutting through the pounding bass behind her.

You peered over her shoulder and immediately spotted a few faces you recognized from her Instagram posts—Ning Ning’s rich friends. You didn’t even bother hiding your irritation as your eyes settled back on her.

“Weren’t we supposed to meet up today at the studio?” Her gaze darted to the floor before she glanced nervously behind her. “I just got caught up in something at the last minute,” she said, trying to sound casual, but the lie was obvious.

“Caught up in something?!” Your voice rose before you could stop it, making her wince. “This is the sixth time you’ve flaked on me this week, Yizhuo!” You didn’t miss the way she flinched at the use of her full name.

“I didn’t mean to,” she muttered, almost too quietly to hear over the music.

“Is it because of some guy?” you snapped, cutting her off when she opened her mouth to reply.

“Oh, please,” she scoffed, rolling her eyes. “You know it’s not—”

“So it’s because of some girl.” Your eyebrows shot up as you interrupted her again. The brief flash of guilt on her face was all the confirmation you needed.

“You have got to be kidding me,” you hissed, and Ning Ning’s expression hardened as frustration crept into her features.

“Is that a crime?!” she fired back, her voice rising to match yours now.

“No, but you had the decency to say you’d help me write another song, yet here we are!” You gestured broadly toward the apartment, your voice cutting through the music like a knife. Ning Ning looked over her shoulder again, as though hoping her friends weren’t listening, but she still didn’t seem to grasp why you were upset.

“You guys aren’t my only friends,” she said defensively, her tone sharp now.

“News flash, Yizhuo!” you snapped, taking a step closer. “We aren’t just your friends. We’re supposed to be like sisters! Coworkers, even! Most of our income comes from our music. The sad reality is we’re not all fed with a silver spoon like you. Some of us actually need this to work. So maybe next time, don’t get my hopes up if you’re just going to let me down.”

Her face twisted, caught somewhere between anger and guilt. “Well, maybe you’re stuck because Yujin has your damn brain fucked into oblivion. Have you thought about that?”

Her words hit you like a slap, sharp and personal in a way you didn’t expect. Your stomach twisted at the accusation, but you refused to let her see it. “We help each other in times of need, Ning,” you said, your voice low but biting. “I’ve always been there for you. Always. And you couldn’t do this one simple thing for me.”

Ning Ning’s mouth opened like she wanted to argue, but you didn’t give her the chance. You stepped back, shaking your head. “Just fuck off, Ning.”

The look on her face stung, but not enough to make you stop. Without another word, you turned and walked away, letting the sound of the door closing behind you seal the argument.

Your chest felt heavy as you made your way down the hall, but you didn’t look back. You couldn’t. 

The two of you had fought several times before but made up instantly. This moment wasn’t like the rest, and it gave you a headache.

Deciding to want to clear your mind, you make your way over to the park near her building. As you got closer and closer, you felt your phone buzzing in your pocket as if there was some crazy news. But you knew all to well that it was just Ning Ning blowing up your messages. 

You make it to the park, sitting down on a nearby bench as you hear the cars pass by late at night. Pulling out your phone, you see the twenty notifications left by your best friend, but you don’t care to read them, not yet, at least. You let out a heavy sigh, stuffing the phone back into your pockets as you keep your eyes on the dark sky.

“I didn’t expect to see you here,” your body jolts up from your seat in surprise at the nearing voice, and you look to your left to find Yujin. She looked more proper than usual in a long-sleeved button with a white collar, some straight jeans, and a pair of simple white sneakers. Her hair was held up with a claw clip, and she wore her glasses. “Oh, uhm, I mean likewise,” you answer.

She tilted her head, sighing as she clutched onto the long strap of her leather satchel. “My car broke down while coming home from work, so I had to walk… this seemed to be the safer option for me to cut through.”

“Seems like we both have bad luck today,” you inquire, and Yujin stands there, a bit struck by what to do. Then she remembers Wonyoung’s words, ‘Stop worrying about how to be close again and just let it take its course.’ 

“Wonyoung, you smart ass,” she mumbles and sits down beside you. “Long day?” You could only scoff at her words. “Not long day, it’s been a long hour.”

“Hour? Well, that doesn’t sound too good.” Your phone buzzes again loudly, interrupting the conversation a bit. You take out your phone, showing it to Yujin as you wave it with the grasp of your two fingers. “Ning and I were supposed to start writing a song this past week, but she bailed on me six times. All because of a girl. I mean, she could’ve just told me that was the case, but instead, she kept making empty promises and giving me bullshit excuses in the end. My mom needed me home for dinner today. My cousin needed a ride out of town. I have to help my grandma tonight. The excuses just wouldn’t end.”

You pause, catching yourself rambling, and find Yujin staring at you with a sympathetic look. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to rant.”

She shakes her head, a small smile tugging at her lips. “No need to say sorry. If it makes you feel better, work was absolute shit for me today. The kids in my class had so much more energy than usual. Some ripped papers, some scribbled all over worksheets I needed to grade by the end of today, two of them kicked me in the shin on purpose, I had a meeting with snobby higher-ups, and my car broke down.”

The image she painted made you chuckle faintly despite yourself. Her smile widened at the sound, and she added, “Teaching assistant life, right?”

“Wait, you’re a teacher now?”

“Correction, teaching assistant,” she clarified, pointing a finger up as the other hand adjusted her glasses. The gesture sent you into a fit of laughter that she quickly joined in on.

“I still love my job, though,” she continued once the laughter faded, her voice soft. “Those kids will always be the highlight of my week. Other than performing, of course.”

“That does sound nice. At least you don’t have to deal with rude customers on a daily basis,” you said, the headache from earlier easing as you spoke.

“Yeah, I can’t even imagine how that is for you,” she said with an exaggerated grimace. “Remember when Bomyuk sat in your chair and told you to buzz off in the third grade? You literally grabbed the chair and yanked it so hard he fell flat on his back. I’m still amazed your temper can handle customer service.”

You couldn’t stop laughing at the memory, shaking your head. “You know he deserved that. Besides, I’ve grown from that.”

“Uh-huh,” she teased, raising an eyebrow.

The light moment was interrupted when a familiar voice cut through the conversation. “I wanna know the joke.”

Both of you turned to see Lee Seoyeon standing nearby, her smirk as irritating as you remembered.

“My day just keeps getting better and better, huh?” you muttered sarcastically. Yujin’s expression immediately darkened at the sight of her.

“Couldn’t have just kept walking, Seoyeon?” Yujin asked, her voice laced with frustration.

“Can’t I greet my dear ex-girlfriend and her ex-best friend? Just a couple of exes chatting, no?” Seoyeon’s smirk grew, her tone dripping with mockery.

“Did you just come over to piss us off?” Yujin stood, her towering figure casting a shadow over the smaller girl.

“It isn’t worth it, Yujin,” you said softly, reaching for her arm to tug her back gently.

Seoyeon ignored you, her gaze fixed on Yujin. “You should listen to my dear Y/n. She always knows better than you, always has.”

Yujin’s jaw tightened, and you could see the fury rising in her. She stepped closer, but you quickly got between them, pushing her back.

“Oh? Did I hit a nerve? The two of you look so friendly now. Guess it’s not an issue anymore,” Seoyeon said smugly, taking a step forward.

“Just leave us alone,” you snapped, your tone sharper than before.

Seoyeon feigned hurt. “Y/n, I’m offended you don’t want me around. Done following me like a sick puppy? Tired of our amazing relationship? I mean, I could still show you a good time, you know?” She stepped closer, but before you could respond, Yujin’s fist collided with her face.

“You disrespectful piece of shit!” Yujin threw another punch before you could stop her, and Seoyeon stumbled back, blood dripping from her nose.

“Enough! Enough!” you yelled, pulling Yujin away as she struggled against your grip.

“We’re in public, Yujin. I don’t need you going to prison,” you said firmly, glancing at the small crowd that had started to gather.

Yujin exhaled sharply, her anger still palpable, but she let you guide her away.

“Rot in hell, Seoyeon,” you spat over your shoulder before pulling Yujin toward your apartment.

Within minutes, you were home. You led Yujin into the living room, gesturing toward the couch. “Take off your bag and get comfy. I’ll grab some water.”

She nodded silently, sinking into the plush cushions. The cozy, rustic vibe of your apartment seemed to ease some of the tension in her shoulders. She glanced around, her gaze lingering on the lavender-scented candle burning on the coffee table.

When you returned, you knelt in front of her, setting down a bowl of cold, soapy water and soaking a rag in it. Taking her hand gently, you began cleaning the blood from her knuckles.

“You didn’t have to do that,” you murmured, your voice barely above a whisper.

Yujin stiffened slightly, her jaw clenching. “You think I regret it?”

You looked up, meeting her intense gaze. “That’s not what I meant. I just… I don’t want you getting hurt because of someone like her.”

Her expression softened, and she let out a quiet sigh. “I can take care of myself, but… thanks. For looking out for me.”

You smiled faintly, brushing a thumb over her hand as you finished cleaning her wounds. “Someone has to.”

Yujin leaned back, her lips curving into a small smile. “You’re pretty good at it.”

“Well, don’t make it a habit,” you teased, standing up and placing the bowl aside.

She grabbed your wrist before you could move away, pulling you down onto the couch beside her. The warmth of her hand lingered as she spoke softly, “I’ll try not to, but only if you promise to keep being my favorite nurse.”

You rolled your eyes, but your smile betrayed you. “Deal.”

The tension from earlier seemed to dissipate entirely as you sat there, your laughter filling the room once again.

Taglist: ⟪𝙾𝙿𝙴𝙽⟫

@lorenztired @1luvkarina @yuyuy90 @uchizana

[crios31]

Chapter 5: Start of the internship

Length 2692 words

A new week begins and with it your internship. After waking up early, you just finish getting ready to go. Before leaving your bedroom, you take a look at the naked woman sleeping in your bed. That woman is Minji, following your meeting she stayed over for the weekend during which you got better acquainted with her when you were not having sex. Not wanting to wake her up you silently go to your kitchen to leave a note for her on the counter. Then you take your bag and phone and leave your apartment.

Exiting your apartment complex, you enter the closest subway station for a ride to your destination. Once you are back out in the street, you walk the rest of the way finally arriving in front of Eros’s group building. Overall, the commute took you a little over thirty minutes and was fairly comfortable because you came quite early and avoided rush hour. You take a moment to look at the building. The brand new edifice looks quite good, from memory the construction ended less than a year ago. 

After entering the building, you approach a middle-aged man waiting beside the elevator. 

“Hello, are you Manager Lee?”

“Yes, and you must be our new intern?”

“You’re right, nice to meet you.” You answer with a smile.

“Likewise.” He says as you shake hands. “Let's go to the director’s office, it'll be a better place to talk.”

You follow him taking the elevator to one of the middle floors, crossing an open space where only one employee has started to work. He stops in front of a closed door, a few moments after Manager Lee knocks on the door you hear a man's voice saying you can enter.

Inside the office, a man of similar age as Manager Lee gets up from behind his desk to salute you. “Finally we are meeting. I’m director Park, I heard a lot about you from your parents.”

“Good things I hope.” You shake his hand. “Does Manager Lee know?”

“Oh yes, don’t worry, he is also acquainted with your parents so you can speak freely with us.” He walks back behind his desk to sit. “You can also call us Mr. Lee and Mr. Park at work.”

“And when it’s just us like now or outside of work but only in private settings, you can use ahjussi.” Pursues Mr. Lee.

“I understand, after all it would be suspicious for the employees that the new intern to address both of you like that, even more so because I’m a foreigner. Is there someone else that knows about me?”

“In the company except the both of us, no one should know.” You see him frowning as he continues. “But before we moved into those new premises I got to replace the previous director and he knows who you are. While only the director of operations, he was temporarily in charge of the group for your parents, and it should have stayed like that until the day you become the CEO. There are two ways for someone to know your identity. The first is one of us disclosing it and the second is if someone seeks information from the ex-Director about you, which is very unlikely.” Answers Director Park.

“Could you explain why the replacement happened?”

“Yeah, it’s necessary for you to know.” He sighed. “After all, one of the tasks we will give you is linked to this. So at that time I was the manager and Mr. Lee, who was the assistant manager of this department, reported to me something strange.”

“Some of our results from the previous years seemed odd to me.” Start to explain Mr. Lee. “Acquiring business or winning a call for tenders too easily when there should have been a dire competition. And in contrast losing when it should have been a piece of cake. Of course, it could happen once in a while. But repeatedly? No, there was clearly something wrong. So I reported it and the both of us began to look deeper into it.”

“And we found something, most of the incident happened when a particular company was involved with the most flagrant example being that as we just finished developing a new product this company released one almost identical to ours they released a product almost identical to it. So we investigated this company and to our surprise we discovered that our director had private meetings with them regularly. We were unable to uncover more, so we passed on all our findings to your father who has far more means than us. 

“Knowing how much money my parents put into creating this company I can imagine how much they were pissed.” You comment.

“Oh they were pissed. Around two weeks after that he contacted us to share his results. The previous director had for exemple, sold information from the company, and had taken bribes to make some of our projects or investments fail. Your father's instruction was for us to keep quiet until the lawyer came to resolve that mess. We didn’t have to wait a lot. When she came, she showed a significant amount of evidence of his misdeeds to all the higher-ups. In conclusion, he was obviously fired while we were both promoted.”

“Only fired? No lawsuit against him or the other companies” You question with surprise.

“No, the parties involved in this have done their best to cover up this matter but in exchange we got a hefty sum of money, which was the best outcome to compensate for some of our losses. As for the ex-Director your father made sure that he will be blacklisted”

“Well if it was the best conclusion possible, that’s good.” You reply smiling.

“It was, now let’s talk about your tasks. You will have two of them, the first one is connected to what we just explained. The director couldn’t have done everything by himself, which means he had an accomplice. While we are investigating from the top of the company we want you to do the same from your side. Furthermore, because you’re an intern, the accomplice wouldn’t expect you to help us so he may be more careless toward you.”

“Do you have a lead concerning someone in particular?” You ask, intrigued.

“Unfortunately no. But we are sure that the accomplice is working on this floor.”

“Alright I’ll be watchful for possible clues.”

“As for your second task, it was given by your father. After the first month of your internship so you could get used to the work, you’ll have to find a business project to invest in with your own money. Once you make your decision, you’ll have to support its development during your time at university. Don’t worry you’ll only have to pick from projects we’ll both have screened beforehand.”

“I see, that’s a good opportunity for me to gain practical experience. I may ask you for advice if you don’t mind?”

“It’s fine, also those of the program working for you are allowed to help.”

“Wait! You know about that?” You slightly raise your voice in surprise.

“We’ve known about the program for quite some time. Moreover our daughters are in it because of the benefits of their education.” He hardens his gaze toward you. “And they are exempt from the selection thingy so be careful.” You see from the corner of your eyes Mr. Lee nodding at his words.

Following Director Park’s warning the discussion concludes soon after. You leave the director’s office along with Manager Lee, as he guides you toward your desk you notice that most of the employees have arrived while you were having the meeting. Mr. Lee stops beside a desk occupied by a young woman with short blonde hair.

“Good morning, Miss Park. I’d like to introduce you to our new intern.” He says putting a hand on your shoulder, he then lets you and Miss Park greet each other. “So as agreed last week you’ll be in charge of him until further notice. If you need some guidance my door is open.” 

“Thanks, if the need arises I won’t hesitate.” Replies the young woman. Manager Lee then leaves the both of you to go to his office.

Miss Park gives a few taps on the desk next to her. “This will be your desk.” You approach it, putting your bag and you start to arrange it to your convenience under her gaze. “So did the manager show you around the company earlier?”

“No, he directly brought me to you after our talk.”

“Alright, I’ll give you a tour then!” You stop what you were doing as you see her quickly standing up. “So starting with this floor, it is shared by two departments, ours and HR. The offices are only occupied by the managers and the director, while the rest of us are in the open space. Now let's go to the other floors.”

“It can wait or I can explore by myself when I have time, I don’t want to delay you in your work.”

“Don’t worry about that.” She smiles at you. “It’ll be fast, the upper half of the building isn’t occupied, Eros occupies a fourth of it as for the last fourth, it is rented by small companies.” She then walks behind you and puts her hands on your back as she starts pushing you toward the elevator. “Now let’s go, I won't repeat myself again.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” You tease, letting her pushing you.

“Hey! Don’t say that, I’m barely older than you!” She reprimands you. You turn your head in order to look at her face, but you stay silent. At this, her brows begin to frown. “What? Do you have something to say?”

“Hum… only admiring how pretty you are. I’m lucky to have such a beautiful woman in charge of me” Winking at her you then dash toward the elevator, surprised by your teasing she stays immobile for a moment. She joins you in front of the elevator when the doors open.

“You’re quite an impertinent one aren’t you?” You answer her with an amused smile. After going in the elevator, you hear Choa from the opposite corner whisper. “Cheeky intern.” Tilting your head to see more of her face you notice that the corner of her lips is raised.

A few moments later, Choa starts to guide you through the company, showing you the Finance Department and the authorized parts of the Research and Development Department which occupies multiple floors. During the tour, with Choa walking in front of you, you check her out. In particular, her attractive legs and butt. “This internship will be nice.” You murmur giving one last look.

After the visit you both return to your desks and for the rest of the morning Choa begins to show you her work, explaining step by step and answering your questions. 

“Let’s stop there for now, it’s time for lunch.” States Choa, she then stands up waving her hand at someone in the open space. “A friend will join us to eat, give her a minute.”

Soon you see an attractive young woman approaching, she has long dark hair which contrasts with Choa’s.

“Hello you two.” She says with a smile

“Taeyeon, this is the intern. Intern, this Kim Tayeon, my friend.” Says Choa pointing at Taeyeon and you in succession. “With the presentation done, let’s eat.” After taking her bag she starts to walk leaving you both behind. Taeyeon and you look at each other with an awkward smile before following her.

Choa leads the three of you to a restaurant near the company’s building. During the meal, you answer the inquiries of a curious Choa while Taeyeon calmly listens for most of it, only partaking in the conversation a few times.

“If you don't have more questions, I’d like to learn more about you two if you don’t mind.”

“I’m fine with that.” Answers Taeyeon.

“Fine with me too. Taeyeon I’ll let you start.”

“Very well. I joined the company after graduation and for my work it’s similar to Choa but with some additional responsibilities.”

“What she doesn't say is that she is the best of the department, furthermore the Manager trusts her enough to let her lead big projects.”

“I’m the best for you, others don’t think the same.” Retorts Taeyeon.

“Well the Manager recognized your skills because you’re the only allowed to lead projects of this size alongside the Assistant-Manager. As for the other employees, it’s because the Assistant-Manager is jealous of you and they suck up to him.”

Hearing this makes Taeyeon sigh. “Don’t talk like that, only some follow him, the others just stay out of this.” She turns toward you. “Sorry you had to hear about this on your first day.”

“You don’t have to be sorry. Thanks for that, I know what to expect and won't be surprised with the work’s atmosphere. However, I would like to know one more thing. Will this situation affect me?”

“Not really. You are just an intern so the Assistant-Manager will ignore you except if it’s work-related. For those with him, they may try to pick on you though.”

“Oh, that could be interesting.” You say smirking.

“Don’t bother with them, they are pointless and let’s return to your question, it’s your turn to answer Choa.”

“Wait, but you say nothing about you outside of work.” Complains Choa.

“Because I think it was enough I gave him the relevant information concerning me for now.”

“Oh come on just one thing, he’s nice.”

“Alright… I like to stay at home on my day off. Is that enough?”

“Yeah, that’s okay. So concerning me, I'm the most recent recruit in this department and I’m also the youngest, beside you, obviously. You already know some of my tasks and I’ll show the rest later on. Moreover, sometimes I join projects' teams when Taeyeon is the leader. That should answer for the work-related side.” Resting her chin in her she asks you with a flirtatious smile. “What else do you want to know?”

“Hmm, let me think.” You reply as you lock eyes with Choa.

Watching the both of you in silence Taeyeon has a playful idea.“I know one thing about Choa that you would find very interesting.” Hearing this, you and Choa look at her respectively with curiosity and confusion. “Do you want to know?”

“Go on, I’m all ears.”

“You’ll be happy to know that Choa is single.”

“Oh is that right?”

“Eh! Why are you talking about that?” Replies an embarrassed Choa. Regaining her calm, she gives a side eye to Taeyeon when an idea to get back at her sprouts in her mind. “But Taeyeon, if I remember correctly, you are also single.”

“Ah yeah but I don’t think he will find this interesting.”

“You must be kidding? How can I not be interested to hear that not just one but two beautiful women are single! Moreover I have the pleasure to eat with them right now.”

“So you’re a charmer.” Chuckle with amusement Taeyeon. “Do you have a habit of complimenting others or are you trying to seduce us?

“I’m only stating the truth but I’m not against your second option if it’s working.” You wink at her as you finish your sentence.

“That just confirms it, we got a cheeky intern.” Says Choa slightly shaking her head.

“Cheeky intern? That’s a good nickname. I think the upcoming months will be entertaining.” She smiles expectantly. “Especially for you Choa, and I hope you will continue to tease her, it is amusing to watch.”

“Count on me then.”

“Betrayer, stop encouraging him!” Complains the younger woman

“Stop faking it, I saw you smiling.” Whisper Taeyeon in Choa’s ears. “Now lunch-break is almost finished, let's pay and go back.”

After leaving the restaurant, your group returns to the company. Back into the open space Taeyeon leaves the both of you to go to her own desk. For the rest of the day Choa continues to show you the ropes until it’s time for both of you to go home.

[witchyafterdark]

Consolidated HL Character Profile #1:

— Ominis Gaunt —

Note: The following information on this post are a combination of my personal headcanons and canon-compliant resources. I have done research on this but, of course, these are pure speculation since we do not have actual canon information about this character. I hope you all enjoy this! 💕

Tags and shout-outs are at the end of this post!

This is a very, very long post! Take your time.

—---—---—---—---—

I. Possible Birth Place

The last of the Gaunts, as we know it, have lived in poverty. The members of this once noble house trickled down to Marvolo Gaunt and his two children — Merope and Morfin.

According to the book, (Half-Blood Prince; Chapter 10, "The House of Gaunt") the family was living in a rundown shack that Harry Potter wondered whether it was inhabited, or not.

"... its walls were mossy and so many tiles had fallen off the roof that the rafters were visible in places. Nettles grew all around it, their tips reaching the windows, which were tiny and thick with grime."

The description of the Gaunts' living conditions were shown during Bob Ogden's visit in Little Hangleton around the early 1920's. As the wiki suggests, Ominis should already be in his late 40's (and close to his supposed death). It was also said that due to their vein of instability, arrogance, and pride, the family gold has been squandered well before the last generations were born.

Now, based on the canon timeline, there is a high chance that Ominis and Marvolo were siblings — something this fandom seems to agree on.

"Chronologically, Marvolo Gaunt could be one of the elder siblings who tortured Ominis with the Cruciatus Curse."

However, I personally find it hard to picture him having been born and raised in that same shack in Little Hangleton. While it's very possible to have a family living together in a small, decrepit house, it seems like there are more than four members of the second-to-the-last generation of Gaunts.

Ominis had both parents present, his Aunt Noctua, and older siblings (one of which could be Marvolo himself). That would be at least five family members living under one roof. I just find it a little difficult to believe that someone who is as kempt and posh-looking as Ominis would be living in a shack.

Also, he seems to be the least-favorite child based on how his parents and siblings have treated him. So, why would he have neat school robes if they couldn't really afford it, right? And why give the good clothes to the blind, black-sheep of the family?

This led me to think that maybe, they did have some money to spare during those times. Another accepted headcanon of the fandom is that the Gaunts needed to keep up with the façade that they are still rich and prominent by dressing up aristocratically and by speaking in a posh accent (which is called Received Pronunciation, also called the Queen's Accent).

Furthermore, we literally almost got the Gaunt Manor questline, with a courtyard, in the game but the developers cancelled it. This could be the proof that they have also thought of the fact that Ominis did not grow up, nor was he born, in a dilapidated shack.

—

But wait!

How and where did I start pinpointing the Gaunts' possible ancestral origins? Well, I found a theorized Timeline of Salazar Slytherin's Descendants compiled and analyzed by Obversa (whom I am a long-time fan of, and usual source of information). Please take a moment to check this part out:

[This is the Reddit link to the whole post!]

—

So... where do we start with Ominis' theoretical birth place? I have attached a map that is highlighted in different colors to make it easier to understand.

1. Derbyshire or Nottinghamshire (Highlighted in blue)

Situated at the center of the English map, one of the possible birthplaces of Ominis Gaunt is either Derbyshire or Nottinghamshire.

We know that the Gaunts were descendants of Cadmus Peverell, the original owner of the Resurrection Stone (a.k.a. The Heirloom Gaunt Ring). So, I got to trace back the origins of the last name Peverell, where they're from and which period they came to be.

According to House of Names, the Peverell line is one of the thousand new names that the Norman Conquest brought to England in the year 1066 CE.

William Peverell, the "natural son of William the Conqueror," received his share of 162 manors; many of which were in these two counties.

As stated from the pictured timeline above, Cadmus Peverell had been born at around the year 1214 CE.

A hundred and sixty-two manors under the Peverell family name alone seem like it's a possibility that the three Peverell brothers (Antioch, Cadmus, and Ignotus) inherited at least one of these manors as part of familial land distribution.

And once again, citing the timeline above, the Peverell line (at least in Cadmus' side) possibly ended with a female; who married a male Gaunt. It's likely that they moved to one of these manors as a start of the foundation of the House of Gaunt.

— An example in Derbyshire:

— An example in Nottinghamshire:

These two examples look like Gaunt Manor style, in my opinion. So far, I'm highly convinced that it's either Derbyshire or Nottinghamshire due to the manors being quite sequestered from city propers and large, populated towns.

2. Yorkshire (Encircled in red on the map)

This one is actually the suggestion of the lovely @diligentcranberry (Thank you for entertaining my unhinged obsession about the Gaunts origins).

It is said that Little Hangleton is approximately 200 miles north of Privet Drive. Now, Privet Drive is in Surrey. When I checked on the maps, York is directly north of Surrey; at around 203 miles, if you travel by foot.

There is also the possibility that perhaps the Gaunts simply moved towns instead of counties and cities. Maybe there is a magically hidden part of Yorkshire that is isolated enough to be far away from the muggles (or muggleborns) and nosy neighbors for them to conduct their wicked and inhumane past time activities: torturing muggles for sport.

Not only would this place be an ideal location for illicit activities, the density of trees around this area sounded like something the Gaunt family would like to have so that they are not easily accessible to anyone, including Ministry officials.

—

Runner-up Place: Godric's Hollow (Lined in pink on the map; the whole West Countryside)

There has been speculation that the Gaunts once resided in Godric's Hollow (as did other Wizarding families). Most people would also think that the Gaunts have ties to this place since one Peverell was buried here.

"Every now and then, he [Harry] recognized a surname that, like Abbott, he had met at Hogwarts. Sometimes, there were several generations of the same Wizarding family represented in the graveyard: Harry could tell from the dates that it had either died out, or the current members had moved away from Godric's Hollow."

The wiki even suggested that Godric's Hollow is Cadmus Peverell's final resting place. However, there is no canonical reference to this speculation. According to the book (The Deathly Hallows; Chapter 16, "Godric's Hollow"), Hermione only confirmed seeing Ignotus' tombstone. And while it was the norm to bury family members together in the same graveyard, we have no evidence that Cadmus was, in fact, buried alongside his brothers.

Lastly, official information from Wizarding World states that it was only Ignotus that had been found buried there, but no evidence pointed to where the others may be.

Runner-up Place: Leicestershire (Highlight in orange on the map)

This is actually the last place I researched because I remember that there was a man named John of Gaunt (1340-1399). He was the father of King Henry IV, and used to be one of the richest men of this century. I didn't find anything about him at first... until I saw who his wife was.

John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, had been married thrice in his lifetime. But it was his second wife, Constance of Castile (1354-1394) that piqued my interest.

Now, this sounds like a long-shot. But the theorized Timeline above proposed that Salazar Slytherin could be from Burgos, Castile, Spain. It wouldn't be totally impossible that Slytherin himself had children back in Spain; or that some of the children he sired during his stay in Scotland possibly moved back to Spain.

At least in my mind, there is a chance that Constance of Castile might be one of the descendants of Salazar Slytherin who ended up marrying a Gaunt.

Then again, Constance and John only had a surviving daughter, and the canonical information about the Peverell line was completely thrown out of the window with this theory. So, it's highly unlikely that this place was the ancestral origins of the future Gaunts. Still, this was fun to include!

—

End Results:

There is strong evidence that Ominis Gaunt may have been born in either Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, or Yorkshire. I know there's so much information to consider regarding this, so it's your decision which county you would use that fits your headcanons.

As for my personal headcanon, I'd say he's born in an ancestral manor that once belonged to the Peverells, which was located in Derbyshire.

But as the family fortune started to dwindle due to poor management, it ultimately fell unto Marvolo to sell the property and find another place to move to. And since Marvolo doesn't seem to be the type to find employment, the money he had gotten from the sold property almost immediately got used up. In the end, he and his remaining family had to move to that dilapidated shack in Little Hangleton, Yorkshire.

—---—---—---—---—

II. Possible Date of Birth

Note: If you're not interested in astrology, you can just skip this one, and go to Part 3, 4, and 5!

This section of the post is pure speculation, and no solid proof at all. But we do know that Ominis should be born between September 1, 1874 and August 31, 1875 if he was to be eleven years-old during the start of his first year at Hogwarts. Therefore, all of the following information is gathered by astrological observations of his character.

(I have a personal tarot and astrology account, @tarotwitchy, if you guys are interested in knowing more about this type of content).

Based on character analysis, I believe that Ominis is a Capricorn Sun, Pisces Moon, and Scorpio Rising.

Now, what does that mean?

Let's break down his character one astrological placement at a time.

1. Capricorn Sun

— a person with their Sun in Capricorn is someone who is determined to make the most out of their life. Hard working, perseverant, and resilient, they don't allow themselves to succumb in to their losses and admit defeat.

— Ominis surely displayed these characteristics throughout the game. He doesn't let his disability stop him from accomplishing the things he set his mind to. He doesn't want his traumatic beginnings to inhibit his potentiality for success and happiness outside of his family's customs. When he sets his mind on something, he sees through it (no pun intended).

— Also, he is loyal to the good cause. He knows what's right and what's wrong. He isn't afraid of calling out anyone for their wrongdoings, nor does he back off from confrontation. This behavior of his was very apparent when he secretly followed the new fifth-year and Sebastian to the catacombs.

— There's also a bit of a savior-complex in him; wherein he feels he could set someone straight, tell them what to do or what not to do, can have a demanding demeanor at times, and could perhaps want to control his environment to make it easier for him to navigate. (So, yes. All of those Dominis stories can actually be a canonical behavior of his).

2. Pisces Moon

— With all that was said about his Sun Sign, his Pisces Moon is the reason we get a softer, gentler version of his Capricorn. People with Pisces Moons are known to be emotionally wise beyond their years. Their ability to empathize people's experiences are astounding, and their compassion is matched only by their fellow water signs.

— This admirable kindness that Ominis possesses is what we eventually understand and come to associate with him. When faced with the opportunity to torture muggles like his family does, his first instinct is to refuse. In spite of his blindness, he doesn't need sight to see how all of that was very immoral and apathetic. And even as he was forced to cast the Cruciatus Curse, he still laments and regrets that event up to the present time.

— One more thing to note is that Ominis could have simply reported Sebastian as soon as the latter displayed interest in the Dark Arts. But he didn't because of three reasons: He didn't want to lose his best friend, he still believed in Sebastian's chance to redeem and pull himself out of the darkness, and he empathized with Sebastian's desperation to find a cure for Anne. This altruistic attitude is what's best about him.

— It also affirms my previous headcanon about Ominis' sleeping habits, as Pisces rules over the realms of sleep.

3. Capricorn Mercury

— It's very obvious that Ominis is quite mature for his age. The way he talks, thinks, and carries himself is trademark Capricorn Mercury. He is also straightforward and he plans ahead not just for himself but for others. At the end of the game, he literally said, "whatever lies ahead, we must face it together."

— Mercury is the planet of communication, intellect, memory, and learning. Ominis' style of communication is quite formal and authoritative in nature, and he keeps it that way. He is able to express himself in a put-together manner that conveys his thoughts crystal-clear. He doesn't speak in riddles (👀) and he wants to be understood the first time around.

4. Sagittarius Venus

— Alright, this one is a surprising placement for Ominis. But after a while, I found this to be quite fitting for him! While he is someone who we consider as "docile" or "serene" on most days, having his Venus in Sagittarius gives him a streak of curiosity and a yearning for exploration; as Sagittarius is the sign of higher learning and traveling.

— The first time we see him (if you're a Slytherin) is in the common room being cheeky about the first-years who are trying to spot mermaids through the windows. He has a playful side to him that balances out majority of his more serious and somber placements. The fact that he is closest to Sebastian (who is really fiery and passionate) is proof that Ominis can hold his own when it comes to his best friend's fervent personality.

— Of course, Venus is the planet of love and romance. Majority of the stories I've read, Ominis is the kind of man who will study his partner's personality, routine, habits, quirks, likes and dislikes, special interests, and goals and dreams. This is the behavior of a well-developed Sagittarius Venus. They will absolutely love to get to know their partner's personhood beyond the superficial. They will also keep their partnership alive by sharing life experiences together and encouraging their partner to explore more novel and romantic moments with them.

5. Scorpio Mars

— Where to begin with this placement? It's quite hard to believe, at first, that Ominis would have his Mars in Scorpio. That would entail someone who is traditionally brusque, aggressive, and would embody the combination of Martian-Plutonian qualities.

— But in his case, there is a reason why people are compelled to write, draw, and express him as Dominis. It's because even if he haven't actually seen him being a dominant man, we instinctively know that he is capable of it. That's the effect of Scorpio Mars. The evidence of this placement is not always "in your face." It can be subtle, it can be a secret. His dominance and assertiveness is just dancing along the edge of his skin.

— But one of the most important things to remember about them is that once a Scorpio Mars has had enough, they snap. And they will always get the last word after they have put people in their place, snapped some bones, and razed the earth. And this is something Ominis is very much capable of doing. But his self-control is immaculate.

6. Scorpio Rising

— Again, this seems very unlikely at first glance. But upon further observation, Ominis is the type of guy you don't really know much about unless he purposefully let you in on his private circle, explicitly says something about himself. He also has strong eyes that pierce through others in spite of his blindness. His striking face and cheekbones are unforgettable, and he doesn't look like anyone else. Others also can't help but feel compelled to want to know more about him, as his enigmatic aura inevitably pulls them in (whether he likes it, or not. That's why most Scorpio Risings have trouble with unsolicited attention).

— To drive this point further, if you check out this video of other NPC's talking about him, they all seem to come to a polarized conclusion, with the common thread of 'Ominis is hiding something.' Granted that the name Gaunt, in and of itself, strikes fear and wary in people's hearts, others have really strong opinions about him without even getting to know him personally. That, too, is something most Scorpio Risings struggle with.

—

End Results:

Ominis Gaunt was born on January 11, 1875 at around 03:00AM, during the winter season.

Of course, this is only my personal headcanon, and based on my astrological research and experience. The runner-up dates I had in mind would make him fall in the Sun Sign of Pisces, Cancer, Aquarius, and even Scorpio! But the rest of the chart doesn't really align with the rest of his personality. Ultimately, January 11th is the final date I believe suits him most.

—---—---—---—---—

III. Psychometric Analysis

Note: I will be linking the sites for these tests should you want to take them yourself! 😊 Have fun!

1. MBTI

— ISTJ (Introvert, Sensing, Thinking, Judging)

"They rely on their past experience to guide them, and are most comfortable in familiar surroundings. On personality trait measures, they score as Calm, Stable, Steady, Cautious, and Conventional. The ISTJ’s main and most admirable strength is perseverance; people of this type simply do not give up. They also have a natural instinct to protect and defend, as they are loyal, reliable and committed."

These descriptions speak for themselves when it comes to knowing Ominis' personality type. People who have a lack of sight (or those who are legally blind) rely on fixed structures and routines to help ease their everyday needs. While it is possible for them to be spontaneous, they still have to have familiarity and past experience in the spontaneity they'll participate in.

He is very loyal, to a fault sometimes. He's committed in making sure that his beloved friends are not dallying in things they shouldn't be. He knows the difference between right and wrong, and trusts his life experiences to guide him to proper decisions.

2. Enneagram

— Type 6 with wing 5; SP/SX (The Defender)

"The committed, security-oriented type, sixes are reliable, hard-working, responsible, and trustworthy. Excellent "troubleshooters," they foresee problems and foster cooperation, but can also become defensive, evasive, and anxious—running on stress while complaining about it. They can be cautious and indecisive, but also reactive, defiant and rebellious."

"Their basic fear is being without support and guidance, having nowhere or no one to hold onto. This is why their basic desire is to have security and support from their chosen people."

This one is very obvious. It's quite apparent that he is the type of person who can be anxious if things and people aren't where he wanted them to be. While he yearns for cooperation due to his need for security, other people who aren't used to this kind of behavior will find him controlling; and perhaps, even smothering.

Nevertheless, Ominis' intentions come from a good place. He doesn't want his people to be hurt or harmed. He also has an impeccable intuition to predict outcomes of certain situations, which makes him look paranoid. But his assumptions, more often than not, are proven to be correct!

3. Four Temperaments

— Melancholic–Phlegmatic (The Analyst)

"The Melancholy-Phlegmatic is a pleasant and accommodating person who tends to seek a structured environment requiring attention to detail. They have a self-sacrificing, self-critical nature, and struggle with guilt feelings about things that are not often their fault. The Melancholy-Phlegmatic is more conscientious and private than the other Melancholy blends."

This is quite self-explanatory. Ominis has two distinct behavior: the calm and peaceful, and the anxious and prickly. When things are going the way it's supposed to be (in his definition), he would be placated and docile. We see him as approachable and a little more open. But when things aren't going according to plan, or when things suddenly happen unexpectedly, he's like a rolling wheel going in different directions trying to extinguish the uncontrollable fires of disaster.

He's the first to respond by going to Headmaster Black to fabricate a story to hide what really happened between the Sallows, and make it look like a family argument instead. He's the one to alert MC that Anne went to get Solomon, and that we should do something about it immediately. He is the safety net of all these people in his life.

—---—---—---—---—

IV. Corporeal Patronus

I want to give a shout out to @ponfarrdraws for discussing this with me!

We were wondering what Ominis' corporeal Patronus would be, should he be able to cast one. I've had a lot of speculation, going through one animal at a time. But ultimately settled with a Mongoose. This animal is not on the official list of Patronuses but it still has a lot of weight and meaning.

This article states that mongooses are a symbol of protection and are considered to be wards against evil. To quote:

"As a totem, the mongoose has the magical attributes of defense, protection, and destroying evil. The mongoose symbolizes action, adventure, boldness, fearlessness, impulsiveness, independence, optimism, rebellion, resistance, resourcefulness, speed, and adaptation. As a spirit animal, it encourages us to confront our enemies because we can overcome much stronger rivals than ourselves."

If Ominis were to find himself facing a dementor, he would probably be the first to sense its presence, and probably the most affected. Even though he wouldn't be able to see the frightening features of a dementor, he would be feeling the immediate change in his senses — his environment growing cold, no sounds of animals around, and the overall sensation of hopelessness and misery. He would be completely thrown off by the sudden change in his surroundings; something that would send him into a state of panic.

But with this Patronus, it represents his determination to stand firm in the face of adversity, to not give in easily without putting up a fight, and to prove that he is as deadly as any dementor that would stand in his way.

I personally headcanon this animal for obvious reasons. He truly is a fighter in a den of snakes. No matter how many times his family strikes against him, he just takes his time to recover and stand back up again. He is clearly outnumbered by his family members. No one else can support him in his opposition ever since his Aunt Noctua passed away. Regardless, he doesn't seem the kind to bow his head in defeat just to save his skin. He fights back until he can't anymore; something the mongoose is well-known for.

And let's just say that Ominis did die at 50-years of age. He still got the last laugh out of them all since he got to pass away on his own terms, away from the very people he loathed since childhood. That's still a victory in his book, and that's what this patronus represents.

—---—---—---—---—

V. Wand Information

1. Wand Wood

Based on the physical characteristics of this wand and the meaning of the wood, it's highly possible that Ominis' wand is made from Ebony Wood.

According to the wand wood information:

"This jet-black wand wood has an impressive appearance and reputation, being highly suited to all manner of combative magic, and to Transfiguration. Ebony is happiest in the hand of those with the courage to be themselves. Frequently non-conformist, highly individual or comfortable with the status of outsider, ebony wand owners have been found both among the ranks of the Order of the Phoenix and among the Death Eaters. [...] the ebony wand’s perfect match is one who will hold fast to his or her beliefs, no matter what the external pressure, and will not be swayed lightly from their purpose."

This type of wand wood, in my opinion, is a reflection of Ominis' conviction in his views. I find it fascinating and admirable that even in the face of losing his friendship with Sebastian, he didn't bow down and agree with Sebastian's methods. Sure, he gets convinced by the MC to let them deal with it. But at the end of the day, Ominis is strictly against the use of the Dark Arts. Furthermore, he does everything to maintain his moral compass despite being surrounded by people (friends and family) who practice and preach about the unforgivable curses.

Also! I'd like to add the conversation I had with @tennoujinerin about Ominis' godly self-restraint. We believe that while most of us admire Ominis for his kindness, temperance, compassion, and commitment to the good cause, he is someone who can easily turn it all around. He is born in a family of pureblood supremacists who have no qualms in utilizing the Dark Arts like it's a daily chore. He most definitely is very, very familiar with Dark Spells that maybe even Sebastian isn't aware of. If pushed to the brink of survival, there's a possibility that Ominis could reconsider his relationship with the Dark Arts. And this wand wood is perfect for that kind of change of heart.

2. Wand Core

For this part, I admit I was stumped for a while. I believe all the three cores that Ollivanders usually has could be a good fit for Ominis for a plethora of different reasons. But it still feels... lacking. Like, something was missing for this special wand to work.

That's why in the end, I think Ominis has two wand cores that were needed to suit his special needs. He needs a core that reflects his personality and another to aid him with his magical abilities. And for that, the cores of his wand are a combination of Unicorn Hair and Horned Serpent Horn.

"Unicorn Hair generally produces the most consistent magic. These wands are the hardest to turn to the Dark Arts. The most faithful wands have unicorn hair, making them bond strongly with their owner. They are prone to melancholy if seriously mishandled, meaning that the hair may ‘die’ and need replacing."

While this core could technically be enough, it just doesn't feel customized enough. We know that his wand emits a red pulse at the tip to help him navigate his surroundings. Therefore, this wand needs another core to bolster its utility.

"Wands made with Horned Serpent Horn are exceptionally power, creating massive spell effects regards of the user's skill. Sensitive to Parseltongue and would vibrate when Parseltounge is being spoken near it, and can warn their owners of danger by emitting a low musical tone. These wands were said to only bond with one user through it's lifetime, but this is only a rumor for now."

These two cores encased in ebony wood make for such a personalized wand. The fact that Horned Serpent Horn core warns its owner about incoming danger is an important factor for Ominis' safety and security. He needs to be alerted for when hexes and spells are being blasted in his way. And as for all serpentine cores, it's also sensitive to Parseltongue.

(Maybe it's just me but I believe that Horned Serpents are the antithesis of Basilisks. Having this creature's horn as Ominis' wand core would be the ultimate and tangible symbol of his rebellion against Salazar Slytherin's secret weapon, that lies in the Chamber of Secrets, and everything his family taught him to uphold).

3. Wand Flexibility and Length

According to the official source:

"Wand flexibility or rigidity denotes the degree of adaptability and willingness to change possessed by the wand-and-owner pair."

Because of that, his wand is most likely Rigid. This source had explained it perfectly:

"A wand of this flexibility will only give its complete loyalty to an owner who has faced great personal tragedy. It is particularly good for practical magic use, and thus usually doesn't perform well for magic that is frivolous or silly. Rigid wand owners are cautious and have difficulty trusting others, but they are not usually unkind people. Generally, they prefer to be left alone so that they can do what they want to do, regardless of what anyone else says."

(If you're not a Slytherin in the game, your first interaction with Ominis is surely abrasive and tense. And that's because he truly is cautious, and wants his private spaces to be left alone).

Lastly, this wand is on the longer side, measuring at around 14 inches. He needs a wand that can act like an extension of himself; just like blind muggles need a mobility cane.

TL;DR:

Ebony with Unicorn Hair and Horned Serpent Horn Core, Rigid and 14 inches.

—---—---—---—---—

Phew! 😮‍💨 This post took a very, very long time to make. But I am extremely glad for the assistance, conversations, and opinions of other wonderful people here on Tumblr and Discord! I swear, I love you all.

I want to give love and credit to the following:

@damn-it-a-hogwarts-legacy-blog (You're the one who really inspired me to finally get my mind together and put my brain cells to use. I admire your creativity towards your headcanons so much, and I want to share this with you!) 🫡

@tennoujinerin (Our conversations are the highlight of my obsession in this fandom. I love our collaborative thoughts, and I hope you enjoyed this one. See you in the basement! 😈)

@ponfarrdraws (I think my delusions have reached its peak with this long-ass post. But I just have to let out my aggressive emotions about Ominis! I know you get it, and I'm glad I got to know you).

@diligentcranberry (Thank you once again for entertaining my craziness. My OCD is now satiated with these information out in the open. I originally didn't want to post anything about this until you talked to me about the locations. So, thank you!)

Update (October 29, 2024): I recently finished Sebastian's version of this post, as a companion post for this one.

[daisynik7]

Give You Blue

Epilogue

You are my universe, my everything, my sunset. You still give me butterflies, my lullaby. You are everything I wanted.

Pairing: Eren x f!reader

Word Count: ~2.6k

cw: switching POVs (reader is second-person, Eren is third), fluff, established relationship, smut – PIV sex (cowgirl position), cunnilingus, face-riding, spit play, pet names (sweetie, honey, sweetheart, princess, good girl, baby) 

Previous Chapter

Give You Blue Masterlist | ao3

Author’s Note: Just an excuse to write a little bonus chapter about these two! Fluffy, adorable, and happily in love! Also a little smut added to the mix. Thank you everyone for reading this story all the way through the end! Love and appreciate every single one of you. What a journey this has been. Likes, comments, and/or reblogs are appreciated, as always.

It’s 11:45 PM, New Year’s Eve, fifteen minutes before the start of the new year. You leave your family gathered downstairs to head up to your room, shutting the door quietly, tapping your boyfriend’s contact on your phone screen. 

Eren answers after two rings. “Hey, cutie. Hold on.” There’s shuffling, like you’ve been temporarily put in his pocket. In the background, you hear him announce, “Mom, I’m pretty tired. Going to bed now.”

“But you’ll miss midnight!” she responds. 

You hear his dad chime in. “Let him, honey. He can make his own decisions.” There’s a hint of bitterness in his tone that even you can detect on the other end of the line.

Your boyfriend lets out a nervous chuckle, muttering a quick, “Happy New Year.” There’s more rustling, then sounds of steps going up stairs, ending with a gentle thud of a door closing. “Sweetie? You still there?” he asks, finally alone. 

“Yeah, I’m here.” You smile into the phone, sitting at the edge of the bed. “Hi.”

“Hi,” he greets back. “It’s so nice hearing your voice.”

“I feel the same way,” you reply, falling back into the mattress, gazing up at the ceiling. “How was tonight?”

“Oh, you know, the usual: My mom cooked too much food for three people and my dad has been sneaking little jabs at me. Nothing new.”

Eren officially changed his major before the end of the semester from pre-med to education, a huge weight lifted off his shoulders while a tinier one replaces it, aka his father’s overall disapproval. Dr. Jaeger stood by his word, threatening that he would no longer support his son financially once he made the switch, to which Eren has been preparing for. He has two new on-campus jobs lined up for him at the start of the new semester, along with the weekly music session at the elementary school Erwin Smith’s dad works at. The first week of winter break, he was ready to apply for a few loans to help him throughout the rest of his term. Then, to his shock, his father approached him, informing him that he will actually continue to pay for his education, on the condition that he graduates with outstanding grades and a job guaranteed. Eren’s sure it was his mother who was behind the change in heart, to which he’ll forever be grateful for. Unfortunately, this hasn’t stopped his father from making snide remarks here and there. 

You sympathize with him, saying, “I’m sorry.”

His charming grin is audible through the phone. “Don’t be. I can handle it.”

“Where’s Mikasa? And your brother?” 

“Mikasa left this morning to spend the rest of break with Jean. And Zeke had to head back to prepare for some conference, so he’s actually in your neck of the woods right now,” he answers, referring to your hometown and current location: Marley. He adds, “To be honest, I wish I was there too.”

You smile, kicking your feet, belly fluttering with butterflies. “We’ll see each other in a week. Do you really miss me that much?” you tease.

“More than anything.” 

Swallowing hard, sentimental words dancing on the tip of your tongue (I miss you too, I think about you every day), you remain silent, too shy to get them out. Instead, he continues speaking, changing the subject to talk about what his mom prepared and the new year traditions behind them. She decided to do a spread of German foods this time around: pork sausages for good luck, sauerkraut for more money, and lentil soup for even better luck. He tells you about his childhood, popping open apple cider to tip into everyone’s glasses, watching the fireworks light up the sky from a distance, igniting sparklers outside with Armin, Mikasa, and the other neighborhood kids on the street. You listen to him intently, imagining a young Eren with that same signature bright smile he dons as an adult; warm, genuine, full of light. It’s no wonder you fell for him, especially in a time of your life where you were shrouded in darkness from the fallout of your heartbreak, unsure when you’d ever see sunshine again. 

I love you. Every time you think it, you double back, convincing yourself that it’s too soon, too much in such a short amount of time. After all, it’s only been a little over a month since the two of you officially became a couple. Wouldn’t it be crazy to express such a weighted confession? 

When there’s a small pause in the conversation, finished with his stories, you start, “Eren,” ready to admit it. 

“Oh, it’s already 11:59!” he interjects, excited. “How many seconds do we have left?”

You turn on the TV, switching to a local channel that’s displaying a countdown. “Ah, ten seconds!” You watch the clock, listening to Eren announce the numbers in your ear. At three, you join in. “3…2…1…Happy New Year!”

Downstairs, you hear your family cheering, clinking flutes of champagne or cider with each other. The sound of fireworks bursting can be heard faintly through your window. On the opposite end of the line, Eren says, “Happy New Year, beautiful. Wish I could kiss you right now.”

You smile. “Me too.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to join your family downstairs?” he asks.

“Positive. I want to start the new year with you.”

He laughs softly. “Me too. And you know what? For the first time in a long time, I’m actually excited about the new year. I used to dread going back, always so anxious about my new classes. All the tests and projects I had to work on during the semester. Even interacting with my classmates because it was always so competitive. Now, my new curriculum sounds interesting, and I feel good about my cohort. I just know this year is going to be a great one.” He pauses, choosing his next statement carefully. “I’m also looking forward to us. We’ve got all the time in the world now. I can’t wait to create so many more memories with you.”

Your heart beats faster, taken back by his sincerity. You decide not to confess to him tonight, not because you’re unsure, but because you mean it more. Those three words don’t seem enough to express that to him. Not yet at least. There’s no pressure to rush into anything; as he said, you’ve got all the time in the world. 

~~~

Spring semester of sophomore year starts off smoothly, especially for Eren. This is the only time during his collegiate career that he’s felt at ease. While he’s equally as diligent as he was before, he enjoys the material he’s learning, rather than stressing each passing day like he once was. Having his supportive girlfriend by his side is also a huge help, maybe the biggest of them all. He’s never been happier. 

Technically, it’s forbidden for RAs to date their residents. However, that hasn’t stopped them, often sneaking into his room to do what couples usually do. Quite frankly, neither are worried about hiding it, considering the rest of the dormitory residents are well aware of the relationship and unfazed by it. Still, whenever one of Eren’s managers visits, he’s extra diligent in keeping that information private. 

As for her situation with her ex, she has completely moved on, and seemingly so has he. Occasionally, she’ll spot Reiner walking around campus with his fraternity brothers or classmates. She and him will exchange a cordial head nod, polite wave, sometimes a reminiscent smile, but nothing more. Acknowledging each other’s presence, understanding there’s no more left to their story. A fleeting moment of reminiscence about their past life together, gone as soon as it appears. During these times, Reiner will flash a serious glance at Eren. It’s not threatening or malicious, more like a cautionary warning. He can’t blame the guy; after all, Reiner was her first love, and vice versa. Despite their relationship coming to an end, deep down, they must care for each other to some degree. Even as the new boyfriend, he can understand that, so he remains unbothered by it.

Despite his father agreeing to continue the payment of his tuition, Eren decided to work at least one part-time job this semester to supplement date nights or gifts for his girlfriend. His job is being the front desk of the school library, helping students locate resources or manage the study rooms. For the most part, his schedule is manageable. However, when the week of midterms arrives, it gets a little more complicated. The facility remains open twenty-four hours on weeks like this so students have a place to study at all times. Driven by the increased pay during the night shifts, Eren offers to work them without thinking how it’ll affect his daily routine. It’s only after the first night that he realizes he won’t be able to see his girlfriend until the week is over. With her being just as busy with group projects, there isn’t a time they have free to see each other. So, they settle for voicemails and text message spanning the next few days, which in Eren’s mind, pass by like weeks, maybe months. He misses her. 

Finally, Friday comes, and exams are over. After his last class, he heads straight for his room, knocking out for a long nap. He wakes up to gentle tapping on his door. When he answers, he’s thrilled to see her, smiling brightly at him. “Hi.”

Before he can respond with words, he launches forward, wrapping her in his arms. “I’m so happy to see you.” He buries his nose to the top of her head, inhaling that familiar scent he’s been yearning for all week long. “I missed you so much.”

She laughs, music to his ears, warming his entire soul. “I missed you too.”

He pulls her into his room, pushing the door closed by pressing her up against it with a kiss. They stay like this for a while, his hands caressing her cheeks, her fingers hooked to the waistband of his sweats, tugging ever-so-slightly towards her. They kiss each other, languid, soft, and effortless, like this is exactly where they’re meant to be. He’s been deprived too long without her. He won’t waste another second. 

She pulls away, leaning back to look at him. “Are you hungry? Do you want to get dinner now?”

He smirks, mouth grazing her ear. “I am hungry, but for something else.” One hand trails down to her hip, squeezing. “I’ve been starving for you all week. Dessert first, then dinner.”

She giggles, nipping at his lower lip. “Are we calling this dessert now?” 

“Yup,” he grins. “Because it’s going to be so, so sweet.”

~~~

Within minutes, your clothes are tossed to the floor, stripped and bare in his bed, sheets twisted beneath as your lips smack noisily with each other. “Can I taste you now? Please?” Eren asks.  

You nod, rolling onto your back, spreading your legs for him. He shakes his head, hoisting you over him. “Not like that. I want you to ride my face.”

“What?” you stammer, surprised at the suggestion. 

“Ride my face,” he repeats. 

“Are you sure?” 

“Absolutely sure. I want it so bad, baby.” The way his voice sounds needy and desperate has your pussy throbbing. Carefully, you straddle him, lowering yourself slowly. His hands slide around your thighs, gripping you. “Come on. Smother me, sweetie.” More aggressively, he shoves you to his face, tongue already out and licking at your clit. You grasp onto the headboard, rolling your hips onto his mouth, head thrown back in pleasure. His moans are muffled, vibrating into your skin with his lips puckered to your bud, sucking. 

Soon, you’re coming for him, slick gushing from your slit. He drinks it up, slurping it noisily, his hips thrusting into nothing, cock stiff against his abdomen. “Fuck, you taste so good. Think you can ride my cock now, princess?”

Still reeling from your orgasm, you whimper in response, readjusting yourself so you’re on his lap, sliding your slippery cunt along his erect shaft. He rests his head on his palms, elbows splayed, watching you. “That’s it, baby. Get it nice and creamy with your cum. You’re doing such a good job.”

The praise spurs you on, rubbing yourself on his dick until you’re ready for him, tingling all over. You sink down, cock sliding in smoothly until he bottoms out, your pussy entirely full of him. He plants his feet to the bed, thrusting into you gradually. “I know you already came, but can you give me one more, sweetie? Just one more?” It sounds like he wants to add a pretty please to the end of it, nodding his head affirmatively, looking up at you with innocent eyes while he fucks you relentlessly.

You let out a pathetic whimper, nodding along with him, totally captivated. He smiles so sweetly, the tinge of wickedness in his eyes almost goes unnoticed. Almost. Your boyfriend can be a real menace sometimes, acting tender as he man-handles you like his own personal sex doll. His grip on your hips tightens, his fingers digging into your flesh. He’s breathing heavily, exerting all the energy left in his being to give you the best fuck of your life. You bounce on his lap until your legs are spent, yielding all control to him. One hand travels up your spine and lands at the nape of your neck, caressing you, pulling you in for a sloppy kiss. His tongue swirls into your mouth, pushing his thick saliva past your lips. He halts his brutal thrusts, hard cock all the way inside you, pussy throbbing around it. 

“Open up, sweetie,” he says. You’re high off his cock, too dumbed out to think rationally, so you obey his command, sticking your tongue out. He bites his lip, studying you like you’re the prized treasure he’s about to collect. He tips your head towards him, leaning in close to spit a wad of his saliva in your mouth. “Swallow.” You do, guzzling every drop of it down your throat. 

“That’s it. Such a good girl,” he coos.

“Give me more,” you groan, sticking your tongue out. 

He grins, smooching your nose. “You like it, don’t you sweetheart?” 

You nod, eyes half-lidded as he does it again, his hot, frothy spit coating the inside of your mouth. Arms coiled around his neck, you clutch onto him tightly, electricity rippling from your core throughout the rest of your body as he pumps his cock in and out of you. 

“Eren,” you whimper, nuzzling his ear. Maybe it’s the heat of the moment, or the fact that you haven’t seen him all week and you missed him so much, you’re bursting at the seams. In a breathy huff, it slips out. “I love you.”

Suddenly, he pauses, stunned by your confession. He holds your face between his palms, staring at you with a serious expression. “What did you say?”

“I love you.”

His lips part, dumbfounded and in a daze, with his dick still hard inside you. It’s not what you imagined it would be like, but in this moment, you wanted to get it off your chest. It’s been simmering within you since New Year’s, and while it’s not the most luxurious of settings, it’s intimate and special, especially with the way his eyes twinkle. “You love me?” he reiterates, clearly in disbelief.

With more confidence, you reply, “I love you, Eren.” You nuzzle your nose to his, smiling. “I love you.”

He laughs, pressing his forehead to yours. “I love you, too. I’ve loved you this whole time.”

The two of you giggle into each other’s mouths as you kiss, Eren whispering “I love you” in between. You rock your hips onto his lap, making love slowly until eventually, you come together, skin hot and dewy with sweat, hearts thumping loudly against your chests. He cradles you in his arms, peppering more soft smooches around your face, intertwining his legs with yours. A perfect fit. 

@batafuraikisu @bloompompom @monirei @filunara @katestrophes @ichinosejager13 @hoperenae @zellskz @e-ayyy @liliorsstuff-blog @maliakealoha @holdmeclosebutdontloveme @chrollohearttags @sailorputa @squickkk @dnyllmh @hellomeow12 @s-cream-ing @potofstewie @conniesbbymama @erzascarlett28 @lem-hhn @roronoazorosbxtchh @ichigostrawberry15 @rhaelrence @lilshades @bigmoodyjoody @icansmellsouls @aangsupremacy @ashsauroras @bakuhoes-bxtch @si-kamo @jmtherula @imaddicted-b @monkemanjeager @neesiewrote @large-juice @chiinni @belovedackerman

[lokisprettygirl]

Rain to his Fire (Modern! Daemon Targaryen x Female Reader) (Non Canon 80s Au) (18+)

Read chapter 1 here // Series Masterlist

Chapter 2

Summary: Dr. Vis gives you the responsibility of the patient in room 393.

Warning: 18+, discussion of mental health (it's a fic based in a mental health facility), the fic would contain several mentions of several disorders like mpd, did etc, if something triggers you don't read, smoking.

Note : This fic is a bit of a slow burn so don't expect overly heated smut in the second chapter itself.

Species dysphoria, that's what they called it, a feeling of displacement or non-belonging in one's own species and feeling as if you belong to another. Your mother used to talk about one of her patients who felt this way and believed he was a crow - he would make crow sounds, walk and act like one, and even attempted to fly like a crow, which led to him breaking most of his bones.

Upon learning about Daemon's condition, you recognized the similarity to the patient who thought he was a crow, but you also recognized that Daemon was not constantly pretending to be a dragon, he just said that he was one, not just a dragon but a hybrid instead. As you had woken up this morning Mona had informed you that Dr. Vis wanted to meet you which had immediately made you all nervous.

“Good morning Dr. Vis” you mumbled politely so he gestured to you to sit down. He was an intimidating man with brown hair and few wrinkles that came with age of course, eyes always hidden behind those thick glasses, and you had never seen him in anything but the professional suit he would wear and of course the doctor's coat. As the silence made you uncomfortable you began to pick on your nails nervously like you always did in anxious situations.

“The new patient in 393 is not allowed to leave his room for two days, I want you to make sure his meals and medicines are taken care of” he passed you a piece of paper as he spoke so you nodded. The paper contained a breakdown of the patient's diet plan and a list of medications.

“Anything else sir?” You asked him so he gave you a smile,

“Don't be fooled by his charm, he's insane but very sharp minded, he can read weaknesses and he will try to manipulate you”

You felt slightly offended at his words, just because he was a semi good looking man that didn't mean you were going to salivate after him like Shyla and others.

“Don't worry sir, I don't get overly involved with patients”

He gave you another smile but it only made you more uncomfortable.

“That's why I'm giving you this responsibility, get going now”

You got up and proceeded to step out of his office, there was always a shortage of staff in the center, the main reasons being that it was located right in between the dense woods where it wasn't really possible for everyone to spend hours commuting back and forth everyday, and not everyone was willing to stay here 24/7, only single people and those desperate for a job did so. People like you.

During Lunch time you grabbed the plate for Daemon and placed it on a tray as you made your way to room 393, you knocked on his door twice before you entered yourself.

It was dark in there as the blinds were off so you placed the cart on the side and were about to open the blinds when you heard his distinct voice.

“Don't do it” his voice came out all groggy so you hummed in response and turned on the bedside lamp instead to not irritate him further.

“You need to eat before your medication” you mumbled softly as you neared the bed, he was laying on his front with his head squished into the pillow, as usual he didn't have a shirt on. You couldn't help but stare at the large, diagonal scars that stretched across his back, which looked like they'd been inflicted by a large object. Despite the urge to touch them, you refrained but you wondered how he had gotten them.

“Daemon?” You called out his name again so he rose from the bed and stepped towards the bathroom, letting out a low moan of discomfort. You had to turn around quickly because as the sheets dropped his naked sculpted behind came into your view. His room was also freezing cold so you wondered how Dr. Vis had allowed him this privilege in this cold weather.

As Daemon stepped out of the bathroom he smirked as he saw you standing with your back against the bathroom. You had your usual work uniform on, a light brown colored dress with a cardigan on top.

“Never seen a man naked before?” He asked as he pulled his pants up you so you rolled your eyes, that was none of his business even if you hadn't.

“Don't speak to me like that, I'm not your servant” you warned him as you turned around hoping that you'd not see him naked again.

“Mmmmmhhhmmm of course you're the doctor's servant aren't you? That is why you are here, attempting to impress him with a job well done so perhaps he'd pity fuck you finally and you'd get a promotion?” He spoke with that annoying smirk on his face but his eyes softened as you teared up, you had never been spoken to this way, people mostly respected you here, patients and staff alike.

“Finish your food, I'll be back in half an hour” you told him sternly as you walked past him but your breath hitched as he grabbed your upper arm.

“Stay, I'm sorry, I don't want to be alone” the tone of his voice had changed suddenly so you sighed,

“Will you behave?” You asked him sternly so he nodded before he sat down on the bed so you passed him the plate of food you had brought for him.

“I'm not your enemy alright, i have been assigned to take care of you-” before you could even finish your sentence he cut you off and looked you in the eye,

“Take care of me? Pretty girl you have no clue what you'd have to do for me if you really want to take care of me” he mumbled as he shoved a piece of steak into his mouth. You never had an urge to slap a patient until now.

“You're doing it again”

“I'm jesting..I'm bored senseless,”

“Well you must have pissed them off to deserve the confinement, otherwise you'd have been out there doing fun activities with other patients” you retorted so he opened his mouth and smirked again,

“Does the fun involve orgies?”

Taking a deep sigh you didn't respond this time as you didn't want to encourage him. When he was done eating you made sure he had ingested his medicines before you left him alone for good.

After two days of isolation, Dr. Vis had granted Daemon the brief privilege to take a walk outside. You were entrusted with accompanying him throughout the premises. Despite the fact that he was handcuffed, you couldn't help but feel nervous about being alone with him, given his unpredictable nature.

As the two of you reached the conclusion of the walking path, Daemon chose to settle on a grassy patch, he seemed calm for once so you didn't want to disturb him.

“Sit with me y/n” he mumbled softly so you nodded and sat down next to him to offer him some company. Isolation wasn't pleasant.

“What's a lady like you doing around here? Does the constant exposure to such madness not drive you mad as well?” he asked you with a touch of curiosity so you turned to look at him.

“First of all What do you mean a lady like me?” You asked him so he made eye contact with you before he smiled like a cheshire cat.

“You're too pretty to be cleaning up after crazies” your face felt warm as he said that, you didn't appreciate him calling the fellow patients crazy but his compliment almost sounded genuine and you weren't used to being complimented this way, it also sucked that he was kind of sort of beautiful, you couldn't help but stare at his sharp features, perhaps those strange features contributed into making him believe that he was an otherworldly creature that don't even exist..

“What's wrong with helping people? Besides they're not crazy…most of them are just sick and traumatized from their past, there's a reason behind every ailment” you emphasized so he let out the sort of smile that you could hear.

“How old are you?” He asked you so you shrugged in response.

“30..close to 31” you mumbled softly and you could tell he was surprised by the knowledge.

“You don't look a day older than twenty five darling”

“Well there's not much difference between 25 and 30.. how old are you?”

“Why would you want to know?”

He asked you and you almost felt embarrassed, now you could see what Dr. Vis meant when he said that Daemon was a charming man.

“I'm just countering your questions buddy”

He chuckled as you said that.

“I'm thirty four sweetheart”

“Mhhhm and since when you feel that you're a uhhh…a dragon?”

The look on his face changed as you brought it up , he turned his whole body towards you and scooted closer as he looked at you intently.

“Don't mock me frail little thing, it would do you no good” he hissed his words, perhaps in an attempt to intimidate you but he was handcuffed. What's the worst he could do? And why did you want to figure it out so badly?

“I was just asking you a genuine question”

“Did Vis ask you to shove your nose into my personal business?” he questioned so you shook your head immediately.

“Noo i am curious”

“Ohhh I know you're curious”

He tilted his head and pressed his nose against your neck to sniff you again, this time in broad daylight, if someone was to see you like this it wouldn't go down well.

“You didn't answer my question”

You mumbled gently so he dragged his nose over the vein on your neck before he stepped away, that's when you were able to let out the breath you had been holding in.

“For as long as I could remember, I knew what I was”

His voice was deep as he whispered, pupils dilated now as if he was drunk or high on something all of a sudden.

“Why do you sniff me like this?” you asked him, curiosity apparent in your tone.

“To read, to assess, to judge”

“What are you assessing?”

“Assessing whether you are as sweet on the inside as you smell and look”

“Alright…umm we need to get back now” you stood up suddenly so he snickered as if he was proud of himself.

You knew you had to maintain some professional distance from him if he was going to sniff you out of nowhere.

And you knew you had to deny the fact that it made you feel so warm and tingly sudden whenever he was so close to you.

Perhaps you had an ailment of your own because you had never really felt a genuine sexual attraction towards a man all your life, the only crush towards the opposite sex you remember having as a child was on this actor from the movies, Paul Newman. Men didn't attract you, nor did women, you loved the idea of romance and love but you had never experienced it, you never found yourself thinking or dreaming about anyone constantly. It made you yearn for that sort of connection but you were never able to find it in a man. You had learned to accept it as it was.

But something changed that night, as you laid down on your bed you found yourself thinking about him, his hazel eyes that you could have sworn were glowing under the sunlight, his silver hair longing to be touched.

“Fucking stop it..he's sick ..he's sick…he's a patient, you're responsible for him in a way so stop indulging him” you mumbled in your head over and over again until you were drifted into sleep.

But the sleep didn't bring you any relief, it worsened it instead. You saw him in your dream, you saw yourself laying on the same patch of grass and he was on top of you all naked, as you pressed your head up you realized you didn't have any clothes on either, your legs were secured around his slender waist, his hair falling on your face so you tucked them behind his ear, that's when he lifted his head up to look at you.

He licked your lips with his tongue, before he kissed you and it was as if you could feel his touch all over you, he was burning like a fire but you didn't feel uncomfortable, it calmed you instead. The wet grass beneath your flesh, the warmth of his body all around you, the smell of the forest, everything intoxicated you.

He then let out a growl as his hips moved slowly against yours,

“Daemon–” you couldn't help but moan his name, your fingers clutched onto the strands of grass so he grabbed your hands and placed them over your head,

“You're mine you know that right? I have got my eyes on you and I'm not leaving without you, the moment I saw you i knew you belonged to me, a part of my soul that I have been missing”

He mumbled between his staggering breaths and all you could do was whine and whimper in response, your arms wrapped around his upper back and then you felt something.

Something protruding out of his back, wings, you felt the wings….

That's when you were awakened by the loud sound of your alarm, drenched in your own sweat, breathing was faster as if you had raced away from something, and worst of all your panties were soaked.

“What the fuck…the fuck” you groaned as you got out of the bed.

The dream, it was so vivid, it felt so real. It felt like a memory you have never lived.

That afternoon you were asked to grab his meal and leave it outside of his room but that bothered you. Why wasn't he present in the cafeteria with other patients? Had he done something to warrant confinement again?

As his plate was made you placed it on a cart along with a glass of water and made way to his room..

You were instructed to leave the food outside his room with a knock but you felt restless. Why weren't you allowed to see him?

After wrestling with your thoughts for a moment you decided to enter instead, there was no one around the hallway and if you were caught you'd simply tell them that you only went inside to check up on him because he hadn't come out for his food in a while.

As you stepped inside his room you found him on the floor instead of the bed so you quickly closed the door behind you,

“Daemon.. hey” you crouched down to check up on him as he wasn't conscious and immediately checked his pulse for signs of life. Upon confirming that he was indeed breathing, you proceeded to look around for signs of injury or drug overdose, but found nothing out of the ordinary. Desperate to awaken him, you snatched the glass of water and sprinkled the droplets over his face.

And it worked, you saw him moving his eyes before he opened them up slowly,

“Heyyyy ..oh thank God, are you okay” you asked him worriedly so he sat up slowly. He was still in his uniform as he had returned from his therapy session with Dr. Vis.

“What happened?” He asked you so you looked at him worriedly.

“You were unconscious..I don't know for how long” he placed his hand over his head and that's when he cursed loudly.

“The bastard zapped me”

“What?” You asked him confused so he groaned as he tried to stand up on his own but his body felt weak so you offered your support and that's when it clicked what he had meant.

“He used a stun gun on you?” You asked him as you helped him sit down on the bed.

“Leave me alone” he mumbled as he placed his head down into his palms so you sighed and got up,

“Will you eat?” You asked him and perhaps it was the gentle tone of your voice but as he looked up at you, his eyes were teary

“Don't go…don't leave me alone”

The sad murmur of his voice made you feel really awful for him, the constant mood swings, the way he seemed so broken bothered you alot.

“I can't stay, I was asked to leave your food outside, I'm already breaking my code”

You said to him so he grabbed your hand, his thumb ran over your fingernails, they were red and flamed from the recent biting and picking and you felt a little embarrassed by them, not to mention his touch was making you feel weak at the same time.

“Why did he use a stun gun?” You asked as you crouched down on your knees and placed your palm on his shoulder to comfort him.

“So I'd accept that I'm not a dragon, that I'm just an ordinary man like him.. like all of them”

He mumbled somberly, his words were broken in pieces and it made your own eyes tear up “I am not crazy y/n”

“I know, you just need help-”

“I don't need help, I need to be understood”

“I..” you were at a loss for words as he said that, you wanted to comfort him but you didn't want to lie to him.

“Understood?”

“I know what I am..I'm not delusional or whatever they're trying to make me believe”

“Okay..then why did you agree to come here?”

He went quiet as you questioned him. This wasn't an asylum where people were forced against their will, it was a wellness center. If he didn't want to get better then why did he come here?

“I made a mistake out there .. I didn't know.. couldn't control my powers–they come and go in waves..i have no control..no–” the moment he saw the perplexed look on your face he stopped his rambling, he was saying too much too soon, you weren't going to believe him, nobody believed him “Just go ..I'm done talking”

You nodded as he said that as you didn't want him to get upset or mad again but before leaving you made sure that he was fed.

You felt conflicted about him, he didn't seem dangerous, sure he had his moments of aggression but so did several other patients, why was he being treated so harshly by Dr. Vis?

You couldn't stop thinking about him even when your shift had ended. Sick people were capable of convincing you that they were not sick at all, it wasn't their fault, that's just how their brain operated but Daemon seemed different, you couldn't put your finger on it but he seemed different from the rest of the patients.

That week you didn't see much of him because you weren't really allowed to, Dr. Lisa had informed all the members of the staff that Dr. Vis didn't want anyone interacting with Daemon due to his aggressive and unstable temperament.

Such restrictions only made you want to seek him out further, your mother always told you that patients flourished when they were allowed to be free and form human connections with their caregivers and fellow mates so why was Daemon being treated so differently? That night on the way to the terrace you knocked on his door twice before you climbed the stairs, as you reached up there you didn't lock the door this time from the inside,

“And here I was thinking you were a stickler about this job”

You heard his voice so you smiled and turned around, you had your coat on and your arms crossed together due to the cold but he was without a shirt again. Why didn't he feel cold? Or was he good at pretending he wasn't affected in the slightest?

“I am not going to offer you a cigarette if that's why you came here” you told him so he walked closer to you.

“Tchhh that's a bummer but this ain't too bad either”

He mumbled as he walked past you and leaned against the ledge to look at you intently. What was he thinking you thought, perhaps the fact that you had invited him upstairs when you had no obligation or rights to do so.

“You're cold” he mumbled softly so you chuckled in response

“It's cold out here”

“Mmmhm come here” he tilted his head as he spoke and it made you nervous, the look on his face sent shivers down your spine. You had to remind yourself of your situations to snap back to reality.

“So they will be lifting the restrictions tomorrow..you must be doing well in the therapy” you switched the conversation so he rolled his eyes in response,

“I'm doing what he want me to do”

“And why is that?”

“I want my freedom” he mumbled so you nodded but what he said next made your heart skip a beat “and i miss a certain lady's presence in my room and her forcing me to fucking eat all the time”

You couldn't help but smile as he finished his words.

“Do you feel better?” you asked him in the hope that he won't notice the warmth his words had brought.

“I do now”

Was he flirting with you? You couldn't really tell, you had no idea what he was planning in his head.

“Okay we should go back now–” you mumbled softly so he followed you as you walked side by side, being as careful as you could be.

As his room arrived you whispered a soft good night so he grabbed your hand in his own, his eyes then raked over your fingernails before he looked at you intently

"Next time you're anxious you can use my flesh to pick on, don't ruin yourself"

And then he went in without causing a scene. You hadn't realized all day that you had been smiling constantly these days for some reason. Perhaps you had a crush on him, if this is what a crush on a real man felt like. It was wrong, completely wrong but a crush was just that, a crush. You'd get over it, you were confident about that.

However the next morning you were greeted with an unexpected turn of events as you arrived at the staff area. Mona informed you that Shyla was let go that morning so you'd have to take up double shifts for a few days until the new member was hired,

“Wait ..what happened?” You asked her worriedly so Mona's expression turned serious as she glanced around, ensuring no one was in earshot before stepping closer to you.

“She was caught fooling around with the dragon boy, such a stupid girl”

😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏

Taglist

@anukulee @ammo23 @littledark11 @stupidthoughtsinwriting

[withthewindinherfootsteps]

MDZS Notes + Analysis — Chapter Two: “Reincarnation”

Three main things stood out to me when rereading this chapter: the theme of status, our intro to WWX, and the information we’re given about his state after death.

…Well, four things, but the other one will get its own post.

The theme of status is immediately introduced* with ‘MXY’’s treatment and the backstory of MXY and his mother, yet again showing just how well MDZS’s ideas are integrated into the text and how well it’s paced! You’re introduced to every important theme so, so early on. Two screenshots are analysed below:

(See: entitlement of the upper classes towards the lower classes, and how this can exist even between members of the ‘same family’; and arguably the idea of debts between a richer family and someone who was 'taken in'. There are a surprising amount of parallels between MXY and WWX, but I'll make my own post about that)

(See: once again, differences in status between members of the same family, and also the worse, and disposable, treatment of one daughter because she was "the daughter of a servant". Now, why does that phrase sound familiar...?)

Also, MXY's mother was sixteen when she attracted JGS's attention... if you somehow needed even more material to hate the guy...

We also get introduced to WWX’s personality(!), which immediately disproves the rumours from last chapter on how he'd cast the world into ruin:

(That's one of the first questions he asks after waking up – I love how he's so concerned about this! It shows us two important things, too: 1) Morality is important to WWX, and 2) Doing immoral things seems to be out of the ordinary for him. Both of these stand in direct contrast to the picture of WWX we were painted earlier!)

(Same thing here, along with showing us some of the (healthy!) pride WWX has – he wouldn't be offended at this if wasn't something he held as important within himself)

(I use this quote again, but here it's once again proving that the vengeful, evil WWX who'd sink the cultivation world into "nothing but chaos and despair" at the first chance he got... very much does not exist.)

(And finally, it's explicitly confirmed here that he's not the type to take exessive revenge and take pleasure in it... at least at this point in time, because. MXY definitely had reason to think this considering Sunshot!WWX, if everyone had been working from the truth. But importantly that isn't who he is now, and isn't who the WWX villified by the cultivation world was – imo that's including Nightless City, we'll get to that when I reach it. But note that actions during the Sunshot campaign aren't even mentioned in the prologue, because, shock, they actually helped the cultivation world win the war! Though that doesn't mean they weren't part of rumours + the WWX hatred mill later.)

Then some non-morality related things:

This is just really funny to me, with how the makeup being badly applied (:o) is enough of an issue to merit a thought – WWX I love you.

And then this way of thinking comes back a few times esp during the earlier chapters, enough to be noted I think.

Confirmation on WWX's status after he died – it's not anything new to point out, but this chapter does give us rare insights into what state he was in during the post-death, pre-rebirth period.

So, he was somewhat conscious, enough to be aware of what he was(n't) doing – seeking vengeance, haunting the living – and was seemingly in control of those actions. However, he was specifically a "wandering ghost" – his soul didn't pass onto the afterlife or "return back to Earth"** like the body-offering spell's caster's would. He was conscious that a long time had passed as well, and this long period of downtime where he could accept + deal with what happened in his first life is what likely allowed him to be so well-adjusted the second time round – even taking into account the remarkably good way he tends to deal with things in general (cue the "forgetting the wound when the pain fades" quote, it summarises WWX's mindset really well)***.

Also, as for resisting the summons from the prologue – I'm wondering how much was due to WWX's experience with resentful energy + general capability (if that affects it..?) allowing him to consciously refuse, how much was due to WWX not being the type to hold onto resentment (so possibly spells targeting ghosts, full of this resentful energy, wouldn't be as affected?), and how much was due to the relative lack of knowledge about how ghosts/resentful energy works compared to WWX. Or, if it was something else. Either way, achieving the impossible, that's WWX for you :D

It is interesting that he hasn't heard a voice in ages despite wandering, too – do ghosts just not hear the same way, or did he deliberately avoid areas with people? I could see both, the second being more likely, especially considering how many people wanted to summon him back for... less than stellar purposes.

Misc:

Poor Mo Xuanyu....

--

*Well, reinforced – in the prologue, one of the things said about WWX is that "if not for the YunmengJiang clan’s adopting and teaching him, he would have been a hobo living on the streets", which is among the insults people throw. So of course, class-affecting-perception is tied to WWX from the very beginnning! But this is the first time it's actually explored, not a throwaway line.

**Though that may be what's literally happening to WWX's soul here – it is wandering around Earth – I don't think that's what this line refers to. There's a very good meta on how different translations handled that line, I really recommend it (tysm @/mxtxfanatic for finding it)!

***It would be very interesting to read a fic where it felt like no time had passed for him since his death, actually! Though the extremely stressful circumstances are gone, it would still be interesting to see a WWX for whom the Siege, Nightless City, Qiongqi Path etc are pretty recent – but only in fic territory, since I'm so, so glad we got the WWX we did in canon. Also, I'd love to see a fic maybe exploring some of his time as a ghost...?

[accirax]

DRDT Chapter 2 Recap Analysis

Heyyyyy everybody :D

I'm sure that, by now, everyone has heard the exciting news: DRDT will be back on Friday, September 6, at 7 PM EST! That's so awesome!!! I can't wait to finally see the end of the Chapter, and hopefully for the DRDT community to come back in full force, even if only for a little while. I missed you all :)

So, to get back in the swing of Chapter 2 theorizing (and recap what's just happened for everyone including myself), I've decided to run a bit of analysis on the return announcement itself, specifically the recap that occurs at the end. I believe that anything an author says about their works can hold clues as to how they view their story. And, in this case, what does and doesn't make the recap and how certain events are phrased can give us some last-minute clues as to what we should be keeping our eyes on going into the second half of the Trial.

I'm going to try to keep this as facts-focused and non-partisan as possible, but in a "theory" like this, confirmation bias is basically impossible to fully ignore. It's inherent that I'll be more likely to pick up on "clues" that work with my beliefs than ones that work against it. So, please remember that I am not attacking anyone who believes any of the things that I "disprove" in this analysis, and I'm also not saying that you're already 100% wrong about them at this point in time. I'm literally going to "shoot down," so to speak, some of my own theories, but I'm not taking this analysis as reason enough to abandon them just yet. We can't know if anything is true or false until the Chapter is finished, so it would be silly to call something completely wrong when the Chapter hasn't even restarted yet.

With that out of the way, let's recap that recap, and drain every bit of information out of it that we possibly can!

I think that the most efficient way to see what is and isn't present is to list out the "scenes" that occur throughout Chapter 2, and see what DRDTdev had to say about each of them. With that in mind, our first "event" is...

Eden Makes Breakfast

Notably, all mention of Levi helping Eden make breakfast is omitted from this recap. This includes in the visuals of the clip played.

In some instances, I'm going to write how DRDTdev could have phrased things if he wanted to highlight certain elements in an indented paragraph, just to prove that it was possible to convey the information differently. Like this!

"Chapter 2 starts with Levi helping Eden make breakfast for everyone."

Distributing the Motive

This part seems pretty all-inclusive to what I remember happening in this scene. The only thing I particularly have to note is the finality of "Arturo received J's secret"-- which really makes it sound like that secret was assigned correctly-- but I don't think literally anyone was trying to claim that Arturo was lying about J having that secret.

Investigating the Second Floor

Obviously, DRDTdev didn't go into detail about any of these interactions-- no notes on Whit's theory that the killing game was catered to them, about Levi really wanting to make things up with Ace, or Nico's struggles with socialization. It means that those details are probably less important to the end of the Trial specifically, but I don't think that's much of a surprise.

Caulking the Bathroom

A lot of detail is omitted from what Teruko and MonoTV were actually talking about in the bathroom. Most notably, however, is that the Monocredits are not included in the recap. This may mean that Teruko's second Monocredit will not be redeemed this chapter, but at some later time.

A Chat With Charles

Once again, the use of Monocredits are ignored, as well as the fact that Charles gave Teruko the secret he received in case of emergencies. Therefore, it's possible that the letter (which should contain Eden's secret) won't come up again in the end of the Trial, and that this scene was more relevant to Charles' plot of opening up to Teruko than anything directly related to the secrets themselves.

"Afterwards, Teruko goes to talk with Charles, who hands her his motive secret in case of emergencies. Flustered by Charles' trust in her, Teruko uses her first Monocredit to have MonoTV make Charles go away."

Eden Retrieves Teruko

A couple of things here! Firstly, DRDTdev draws attention to the fact that Teruko was removed from the group for a day. I don't know if this could factor into murder plans at all, given that it's a whole three days before Arei turns up dead, but it could be relevant. Secondly, any mention of Eden's blackmail AND any mention of Eden's philosophy are omitted from the recap. Given that that's both one piece of information that makes Eden seem more guilty AND one piece that makes her seem more innocent, I imagine that was probably just to keep things neutral/brief. Unlike some of the other text boxes that I showed could have been written differently, that descriptor was already pretty long.

Commotion in the Cafeteria

No comment on who was the one tasked to help each of those pairs (Eden, Veronika, Teruko) or Charles and Whit choosing to sit out, but none of those additions seemed incredibly relevant to the overall plot.

David Suggests Secret Sharing

In this case, "secret" is put in quotations, which strongly suggests that having a family history of depression, whether true or not, is not what David's secret actually was. But, the board basically confirmed that already. Far more wildly, no mention is made of Charles learning of Elliot's existence at all. This is particularly crazy to me given that the last video on the DRDT channel prior to this was the Yoidoreshirazu MV. It definitely implies to me that Charles' secret will not be relevant in wrapping up Chapter 2.

Arei's Breakdown

The use of "rebuffs" as opposed to "bullies" or "demeans" is interesting to me, as it's a relatively chill word to describe what Arei did. We also lost Eden slipping up and telling Teruko that the secret she has belonged to someone with he/him pronouns, but that was likely excluded because we've (most likely) already solved that mystery.

Rose's Secret

No detail about Rose's backstory, but we don't have all day. Far more interesting to me is that DRDTdev draws attention to Nico asking Rose to teach them to paint in a sentence that could have easily been cut. My guess is to highlight the importance of this in relation to Ace's "murder."

Nico Threatens Ace

Nothing of note here; this seems pretty standard.

Nico's Secret

The phrasing "David has Nico reveal their secret" is really cool for how non-partisan it is. It doesn't say "David FORCES Nico" or "David MAKES Nico," but it also doesn't just say "Nico reveals their secret," either. It points out how David pushed things in this direction, but did so in a way where it was still technically up to Nico. Anyways, we also lost Hu telling us about the origin of her name. This is a bit strange, given that it's the main scene we have (in Chapter 2 at least) of Hu and David working together and being on good terms before David's reveal. Perhaps this implies that any relevance this scene has on the Trial has already passed.

Teruko Threatens J

Honestly, the weirdest part of this to me is that it was important enough to make the recap at all. But, it did have a CG and everything. Actually, I wonder if this could have been included to help us remember that Teruko is actively carrying a knife on her at all times.

Ace Nearly Dies

DRDTdev directly phrases this as "Nico attempting to murder Ace," which really sounds like a soft confirmation that Nico was the one who tried to kill Ace, and therefore they were not framed for this crime.

"Late at night, Teruko and Eden spot Nico running away from Ace's nearly dead body in the Gym."

We also lose a lot of detail when it comes to Teruko and Eden investigating the initial scene of the crime, Ace chasing down Nico to kill them on the spot, and Levi offering his aid before being rejected and growing angry. It could indicate that the details of what happened after Ace "died" won't be relevant to the end of the Chapter.

Hu Defends Nico

This scene, in which Ace tries to expose what Nico did and Hu argues that Ace must have the wrong idea, is entirely missing from the recap. I bring this up because, very notably, this is the scene where Arei is last seen, not speaking. Arei's weirdly quiet breakfast is not highlighted in the recap at all, which may mean that it won't be relevant to the Trial.

Teruko and Rose Check Out the Gym

We once again call particular attention to the fact that Rose can't do a pullup because the grippy tape went missing from the Gym at some point around the time of the murder, although no focus is put on the fact that the Gym was closed in between when Teruko and Eden were there and when Teruko returned with Rose. This may suggest that the lockdown logic of how the tape went missing may be relevant to the remainder of the chapter.

A Chat With Charles and Whit

Once again, absolutely no mention is made of Ellie or Charles' childhood amnesia, despite that being the main point of this conversation. Weird.

"Teruko stops by the Computer Lab and talks with Charles and Whit about Charles' memories of a forgotten older brother."

Horror Movies in the Gym

Beyond the lack of detail regarding Veronika's philosophy, I'm quite surprised that Teruko's plan to end the killing game wasn't at all mentioned in the recap. I guess that'll be saved for a further chapter!

Motive Reveal Time

I don't think there's anything particularly important going on here, besides possibly drawing attention back to David being the one to point out that Arei was missing. It's possible that could still be relevant if the specifics of the BDA come up in the Trial.

Discovering Arei's Body

A couple of points on word choice in this one-- first of all, the text says "find her body," which, according to what was said on the slide before this one ("points out that Arei is missing"), should imply that they found Arei's body. However, the way that this slide is phrased allows for the very sneaky "Everyone goes to search for [Arei]. Teruko, Eden, and Whit find [J's] body hanging in the playground." Therefore, in my opinion, this part of the recap doesn't disprove swap theory, at least.

Secondly, the word DRDTdev chose was "find," not "discover." And, in this game, the BDA rule is phrased as "The Body Discovery Announcement will play when three or more people who did not witness the murder discover the body." Thus, by not directly saying that Teruko, Eden, or Whit was discovering the body here, this part of the recap also doesn't disprove the idea that Eden or Whit (or Teruko) could have done something to falsify the BDA. In fact, the BDA itself isn't mentioned at all.

"Everyone goes to search for her. Teruko, Eden, and Whit discover her body hanging in the playground, and trigger the Body Discovery Announcement."

Investigation

Absolutely nothing from the investigation makes it into the recap, likely because the investigation is an entire episode long on its own, and DRDTdev was trying to keep it quick. Not to mention, pointing out particular pieces of evidence here would really highlight what's going to be important in the Trial to come, and DRDTdev may be lowkey trying to further nudge people towards rewatching the entire investigation for themselves anyways. I think that the reconstruction of the note is probably the thing that I'm most surprised to see missing from the recap? I'll also point out that the video clips chosen for the "Investigating the Second Floor" section include Teruko and MonoTV looking up at the Gym's ceiling fans, which could be a sneaky way of drawing further attention to that setup.

Assigning Secrets

We have to go a bit later into the recap to hear about the motive secrets, and what we get is, predictably, very vague. Saying, "currently, the state of the motive secrets is like this" puts the full burden of proof onto the students to assign them correctly, with DRDTdev giving no indication here as to which are correct. Even the most highly contested assignment-- that Xander has the "the killing game is all your fault" secret as opposed to Teruko-- is still treated like fact here. Again, not a surprise, but not much to be gained.

Possibility of Suicide

The specifics of the blackened being the "most mastermind-y" person involved in the case are not included in the recap. This could imply that this rule may not be important to the outcome of this Trial.

Eden and Arturo

"Eden had Arturo's secret" also feels like a soft confirmation that that is Arturo's secret, and we won't reveal later down the line that Arturo actually had a different secret. I feel like this segment is also phrased like fact, therefore implying that Eden wasn't lying about this confrontation happening. We also get no indication as to Eden's feelings on Arei's vow, or whether them becoming friends actually happened.

"In the Trial, Eden claimed to have Arturo's secret, and that he attacked her when she revealed it. When Arei came to save her, the two of them forged a friendship."

What Ace Overheard

While not as plainly put as "it is revealed that," the phrasing "Ace reveals that" seems to support that Ace was telling the truth about overhearing this conversation, although the date on which it happened isn't reaffirmed here. Similarly, "David's secret is revealed" strongly implies that David does have the manipulator secret.

"Ace then claimed to overhear Arei and David talking about [David's] secret, and declared that David's secret was being a manipulator."

The David Reveal

(I'm going to write these ones out instead of having a screenshot because I ran out of images :,( And I'm too lazy to compress them... )

"In response, David acts aggressively and admits to being Arei's killer. Everyone nearly votes for David, but Teruko and a few others believe that David is lying. Then, Charles interrupts and reveals that he has some yet-unknown information that changes the Trial..."

To be honest, I didn't realize that "a few others" were siding with Teruko. Like, Charles for sure, and possibly Ace, given he still thinks Nico did it...? That phrase could be a hint that we'll hear more about other students who don't think that David is the blackened quickly after the plot resumes. Maybe my prediction that we're about to head into a scrum debate for 7:30 AM vs 7:30 PM will turn out to be correct...!

And, that's pretty much all I had to say... 30 images later. Look, a lot of it is images, so there wasn't actually that much analysis involved! Besides, now is the third-best time to be hyped and rambling about DRDT Chapter 2-- the top two being while the chapter is airing and just after it's finished, obviously-- so I can say as much as I want! And so can you!

If there are any particular phrasings within the recap that struck you as interesting, feel free to talk about them in the comments or a reblog! I'd love to see what other people think about this, and add my two cents (if desired).

From what it seems, the DRDT community seems to be just as excited for the return of DRDT as I am, which makes me very happy. I hope you enjoyed reading this analysis, and once again, please remember that I'm not trying to shame anyone for believing in anything that may be "disproved" by what DRDTdev said, or to fully convince them out of it before the Chapter begins. If I were DRDTdev, I would be trying to phrase things in the most vague and misleading ways possible to throw off nosy people like myself. It's also definitely possible that I read into things too far in my excitement. That's what this practice round is for, before we dive back in to the real meat of the mystery on September 6th!

Oh my god... we're actually going to dive back in to the real meat of the mystery on September 6th...

See you then!!!

[beegomess]

Dark Paradise | Theodore Nott

Don't forget to see the previous chapters here

Reblogs and comments are greatly appreciated 🫶🏼

02. Childhood Crushes

Draco had been running away from Astoria through the castle corridors all morning. Malfoy didn’t hate the girl; he just felt suffocated, and being rude to her was not an option thanks to Y/N.

— Don’t make me be like you, Y/N, please. — the blond whispered to his sister during Transfiguration class. Astoria was staring at him and smiling slightly; he kept his face neutral, trying to eliminate any possibility of pleasing her. — She’s stalking us, and I know you hate it too.

Y/N sighed at her brother's confession; she couldn’t deny he was right, but she decided to ignore him, not wanting to get a reprimand from McGonagall. Being Draco’s sister and a Slytherin already made some teachers pay more attention to her mistakes. Draco noticed that the professor was already watching them from afar and decided to do as Y/N did. The blond was relieved when the class finally ended and chased Y/N through the corridors, but lost sight of her. He headed to the Slytherin common room, finding Parkinson and Mattheo there, deciding they would be his advisors.

— She’s just in love. It’s a phase; she’ll forget about you soon. — Pansy was sitting in one of the chairs, next to Mattheo.

— She’s been in this phase since our second year, haven’t you noticed? — the blond threw himself onto the sofa.

— Why don’t you just give her what she wants? Maybe she’ll forget about you then. — Mattheo spoke up, drawing the attention of both to himself. — Come on, let’s be honest, Draco, she’s not that bad. — He had a mischievous smile on his lips, which made Pansy roll her eyes in disapproval and Draco raise his eyebrows in interest. But the girl was quick to notice his reaction and respond.

— Absolutely not. — she paused, looking at the two with a deadly stare — You’re not going to do that, Malfoy.

And before Draco could respond, Theodore and Y/N entered the common room. The appearance of the two friends who weren’t so friendly before made Pansy and Riddle look at them strangely and mentally note it.

— Do what? — Y/N asked, sitting in the chair next to Pansy, while Theodore just approached the group.

— Sleep with Astoria so she’ll leave you alone. — Mattheo said simply, as if it were something completely ordinary.

— It’s amazing, I leave you alone for a few moments, and you’re already thinking about following Mattheo’s advice? — Y/N smiled and continued. — Now ask him if it works for him.

— Well, this week that Ravenclaw girl knocked on our dorm door again looking for you. — Theodore received a stern look from his roommate.

— See? If you’re with her, it might seem like a chance to like her back. — Y/N added.

— Not to mention that my sister doesn’t deserve to lose her virginity to someone who doesn’t like her. — Daphne appeared from the dormitory stairs, causing everyone there to be startled.

— Well, in that case, let’s have her try with Adrian; maybe they’ll end up liking each other and fitting together, after all. — Y/N stood up, grabbing her bag from the floor, making a move to leave the room, until Pansy let something slip. She didn’t mean to, it just came out.

— Oh, Y/N. You know better than anyone here that Adrian isn’t the delicate type when it comes to that. — and only then did she realize what she had said and whispered — Damn.

— I don’t even want to know what Pansy meant by that, Y/N. — Draco gave a deadly look to his sister, who was now breathing deeply with anger at her friend. Fortunately, it was just the two of them in the common room.

— Great. — Y/N forced a sarcastic smile and left as quickly as she could.

Nott tensed again at the information, not understanding why she would be with the other Slytherin. Moments before his bad mood started in the common room, he and Y/N had been in the library, reading together. In silence, he admired how the sunlight coming through the windows illuminated the girl’s face almost theatrically. Theodore paid attention to every feature of her, her lashes fluttering with each line she finished reading, her lips curling into small smiles when she found something funny, her eyebrows furrowing when she didn’t understand something; everything about her was beautiful and harmonious.

— Theo! — Draco snapped the boy out of his thoughts, bringing back his bad mood. — I’ve been calling you for ages. — he exaggerated, standing up and leaving while mumbling some complaint.

— Where were you, by the way? — Pansy caught Theodore’s attention, who looked at her confused.

— What?

— You and Y/N. You arrived here together, and as far as I know, you were never close. — She dared to insinuate.

— Even if you’re not interested, we were studying in the library, Parkinson. — He left, also annoyed, not giving the girl a chance to respond.

— What got into him? — Daphne asked the remaining friends there.

— He seemed pretty happy when he came in here with Y/N. — Riddle answered, not realizing, but Pansy connected some dots in her mind, which until now could have been mere coincidences, or not.

[…]

The mood was anxious that day with the Winter Ball approaching. Some students were in a panic at the prospect of going to the ball alone. At the Gryffindor table, the Boy Who Lived still had not arranged a date for the event, nor had his best friend, Ronald Weasley. The redhead had always been judged by his close friends and siblings for having a crush on Malfoy’s sister, the boy who had always humiliated them without remorse. According to Ron, she wasn’t like Draco, but he didn’t know that; he only assumed it was true because she didn’t treat them with disdain.

That day, Y/N was receiving many hostile looks from other girls who wanted to go to the ball with Theodore, but certainly, the harshest look was from Hermione Granger.

— I don’t understand why she’s looking at me like that; I don’t remember doing anything to her recently. — Y/N commented quietly to Pansy and Daphne while they were having their last meal of the day in the Great Hall.

— Your brother must have done something. You know that when it comes to the Golden Trio, things always splash onto you simply for being a Malfoy as well. — Daphne replied, and Pansy nodded, while Y/N shrugged; her friends were probably right.

The three friends were heading towards the exit, accompanied by Draco, Blaise, and Mattheo, when suddenly, they were intercepted by Ron Weasley. Draco raised his nose as high as he could, already thinking of the insults he would use against the poor boy, who, just by seeing the blond’s expression, began to regret doing it at that moment. The way Y/N’s friends looked at him wasn’t very different either; their disdainful looks only made Ron more nervous.

— Y/N… — The redhead called weakly. — Could I talk to you for a minute?

— Oh, sure. What’s up? — Y/N was polite, though surprised and curious to know what he wanted to discuss with her. She didn’t realize his need to get away from the snakes surrounding him, so he had to gather every bit of his little courage and use it.

— Well, I was thinking… if you want, of course… about going to the ball with me. — He barely finished the sentence when the girl’s brother let out a loud laugh, and Y/N’s other friends looked at him with even more disdain and hidden laughter behind their hands. Y/N, on the other hand, smiled kindly, feeling sorry for him.

— Oh, Ron, I’m so sorry. But Theodore already asked me to go with him. — Y/N felt a huge pang of guilt; the boy had gathered all his courage, faced the bully that her brother was, and asked her to go with him. — But you should ask Hermione; you’re friends, aren’t you?

— Hermione? Definitely not. She’d have to make an effort to look like a girl. — Ron responded with disdain, trying to hide his frustration at being rejected. Y/N was puzzled by how he talked about the girl who was supposed to be Weasley’s best friend.

Y/N smiled, nodding at his comment, and left with Pansy, Daphne, and Mattheo, while Blaise stayed to keep Draco company, who certainly wouldn’t miss the opportunity to humiliate the boy. Weasley wasn’t quick enough to leave before being alone with Malfoy, and now he would face the consequences.

— Now, seriously, Weasley. Did you really think Y/N, my sister, would go to the ball with you? — the boy said with a cynical smirk and disdain in his eyes. The redhead didn’t reply, just accumulated his anger at going through this. — Not in your wildest dreams would that happen. You’re pathetic.

— Come on, Draco! — Y/N called from further down the corridor.

— Imagine when our father finds out, Y/N. — Draco said loudly in the corridor as he walked towards Y/N with Blaise. The laughter didn’t stop for a second; it was as if they had told the funniest joke of his life. — He’ll die laughing.

As soon as they reached the common room, Draco made a point of telling everyone there about

the recent situation, eliciting laughter from other friends and some confused looks from the unfamiliar first-years.

[…]

The next morning, nothing was talked about at the Slytherin table but the Winter Ball, while at the Gryffindor table, the boy Weasley had his head down while eating. Suddenly, an old owl entered the Great Hall and dropped a box in front of the redhead; all eyes were on him again. Upon opening the package, a ball gown was pulled out, but let’s say it would be more appropriate for a ball in the 1800s, perhaps.

It was inaudible but perceptible, the boy’s indignation. The mocking murmurs quickly followed, especially from the Slytherin table.

— You’d have to dress like our great-grandmother if Weasley took you to the ball. — Draco mocked, making the whole group laugh.

— Stop! — Y/N said, trying to hold back her laughter at her brother’s joke.

— What’s going on? I’m out of the loop. — Theodore asked, but laughed at the commotion.

— Oh, I forgot to tell you yesterday. — Mattheo started — Yesterday, after dinner, as soon as you left, Weasley asked Y/N to the ball. Draco, of course, didn’t miss the chance to make fun of him.

— Can you imagine that, Theodore? — Draco asked, laughing. — Weasley taking Y/N to the ball. And worse, in that outfit. — The blond burst into laughter, joined by his friends.

— What? Draco was with you? — He asked, confused, and Mattheo nodded. — Those Gryffindors really are quite bold. — Theodore chuckled lightly at the situation and turned his attention back to Y/N’s face, who was still laughing at what Draco had said. _______________________________

xoxo, bee🫶🏼✨

Previous chapters next chapter>>>

[something-tofightfor]

Liminality: Part 14

Pairing: Frankie Morales x Female Reader

Word Count: 8,392

Rating: R - the general themes and tones of the previous chapters carry over, but there's no outright violence or sex.

Summary: As the plan comes together, and you and Frankie attempt to get his friends on board, decisions are made that not everyone agrees with.

And when you two take some time apart to give everyone breathing room, you make a discovery that gives you plenty of new information, and the chance to make the first move.

But as is typical with Frankie and his friends ... nothing goes according to plan.

Author’s note:

Here we go.

I really like this chapter, and I hope you do, too.

Masterlist (for the journal entries and all of the other 'extras' + previous chapters)

The time apart from Frankie gave you a chance to think clearly. 

Even though it was only a couple days, you used them wisely - and thanks to the rain, you spent the majority of them indoors. He’d been right; the storm had been little more than rain and some wind, and while the lights in your hotel had gone off briefly, you hadn’t been in the dark for long. 

And Frankie called you during those two days, checking in in the morning and before bed, along with sending photos and texts throughout the day. In another situation, it would have been overkill, and made you feel like he was trying too hard. But you understood that he was doing it to prove to himself that you were alright, and to let you know that even though you were apart, he was still thinking of you. 

Will sent you a few messages, too, asking how your leg was doing and how you were enjoying your trip. You knew that those replies were going to the entire group, all of them on alert thanks to what you’d revealed about Tom. 

You wondered if they were sending updates to Tom, too - like they had in the past. But you didn’t dwell on that, because instead, you went back to what you’d been doing for years prior to meeting Frankie: going over your notes and findings.

Having all of your research - and Alec’s - in front of you was helpful, as was the opportunity to focus on it. 

You hadn’t had so much time to yourself in months, and you used it wisely. You were almost certain that Tom had met the wolf that turned him at a prior realtor’s conference, and you spent hours poring over his social media friends and photos. There were tons with the men you knew, both in uniform and out. There were even more with Molly and Tessa, and people that you assumed were extended family based on facial features and last names. 

But Tom was also tagged in photos from the conferences and even a few dinners throughout the years, and it was those you paid the most attention to. You made a list of all of the people that had started to appear in his photos and comment on his content in the previous 16 months, and your search was made much easier when you realized that he’d joined a group specifically for realtor friends…and its members list was public. 

Three of the names popped up repeatedly, and when you searched them further, two of them were connected to each other in different ways, too. It was a man and a woman, her long auburn hair braided and hanging over her shoulder in nearly every photo. He was taller and stocky, with piercing eyes and a smile that didn’t reach them. 

They’d gone to college together, their photos going back well over a decade, and at about 3 am on your second night in Punta Gorda, you found it. 

The photos were grainy, since they were from 2013 and 2014, but they clearly showed the man’s arm wrapped in a bandage and the woman pointing at it with a look of mock horror on her face, and then, a few months later, the two of them relaxing on a boat somewhere, his arm exposed … and a brand new scar that looked suspiciously like a bite mark near his elbow. 

The second photo also showed what looked like a long-healed mark on the woman’s inner thigh, which meant that if you were correct, and they were Tom’s connection to the Chaos line, she had been the one to bite the first man. 

From there, you researched as much as you could into her history, and after an hour of searching through that, you got your confirmation. The woman’s name was linked with one that had shown up in Alec’s research as a possible Chaos wolf. I’ve got him. I’ve got him and if I want, I’ve got them, too. 

You didn’t know where Tom’s bite was, or how he’d hidden it from Molly, but it had to be in a place that would have been covered, even if he went to the gym or the beach with any of the guys. His inner thigh, like hers? Or maybe his side? You frowned, thinking. His back or chest? 

You took one more look through Tom’s recent photos, foot tapping restlessly on the floor while you scrolled. In the previous year and a half, he’d posted a variety of pictures from different locations, including a few from the beach with his family. 

After taking a much closer look than you would have liked at one of him sitting on a low chair, legs spread, you determined that the bite wasn’t there. So it’s on his upper body. 

There were a few shirtless images, too, and in all of them, his left arm was never raised. There was only one that showed a somewhat clear view of that side of his body, and when you zoomed in on it, you saw what could have been a discoloration from scar tissue. But that could have been from anything. Shrapnel, getting shot, something going wrong during the missions… there’s no way to know. 

But it hadn’t been there in earlier photos. It hadn’t even been there when Tom had posted a picture of the tattoo on his shoulder. It was a small thing, but it gave you something to go off of, and you made a note of it to show Frankie and the others. 

You went to sleep at 5 that morning and woke up a few hours later, quickly packing your room and carrying your things back to the car. It was still drizzling, but it seemed that the worst of the rain was over, which would make your drive back to Tampa simpler than the one south had been. 

You used that time to think, too, trying to come up with a plan that would work to draw Tom back out to the RV during the next full moon. He’d never gone back to the previous month’s crime scene before, but he’d also never attacked anyone that any of the guys knew before, either. And now that he knows I’m planning on staying, and that I’ll be out there with Frankie as often as I can … 

What you didn’t know was what Tom’s end game was. You didn’t know what he hoped to achieve by hurting you - or continuing to hurt others. Part of you wondered if he was just doing it for fun and because he could. Another part of you wondered if he was making up for the fact that he was no longer in uniform and getting sent out on missions where he was able to do whatever it took to complete them. 

The others had settled into life after the military, but Tom was the exception.

Frankie was doing what he loved, Pope was able to take care of his family and kept himself busy with Yovanna and the small logistics company he ran. Benny and Will had the bar - and the fighting and training - which kept them focused and fit. 

Tom had the same dead-end career that he’d taken up before the South America trip, and by his own admission, wasn’t very good at it. He had the money to do whatever it was that he wanted - in any part of the world he wanted to go to - but he’d stayed in Tampa with his family, and continued to work in a job that he didn’t need and didn’t make him happy. But he chose to do that. He could have decided anything else, and being unhappy doesn’t mean that the only solution was to become a wolf and hurt people. 

As you passed Bradenton, it clicked. 

Tom was doing it for the attention. He’d been the group’s defacto leader throughout their entire enlisted time together, and then afterward, too. But when they’d come home from South America and been forced to deal with Frankie’s bite - and wolf status - the focus had shifted from them looking to Tom for leadership to doing whatever was necessary to help Frankie find answers, and to keep him safe and hidden. 

You probably wouldn’t ever know for sure because there was no way to ask him without playing your hand, but all of his behaviors added up. He wanted to be a leader again. He wanted to have people following his orders and doing what he said. He wanted people to fear him and what he was capable of. He’d proven himself over and over during mission and assignments - by the admission of everyone in their group… and once the need to do that was gone, he’d had no purpose. 

And even though the Chaos line was well established and likely didn’t need someone to lead, they needed other things that Tom could provide: strength, ruthlessness and financial support. He’d traded one group for another, and didn’t seem to care what he’d given up in order to achieve his goals. But hurting me still doesn’t make sense. He has to know Frankie would care. He has to know that he’d want to do something about it. Going after me was a risk. 

Drumming your fingertips against the steering wheel, you bit your lip. There was a solution, and you knew Frankie wouldn’t like it. But it has to be mentioned … and I need someone on my side. 

Reaching for your car’s touchscreen, you dialed out and waited for an answer on the other end. 

“Hello? Is everything alright?” 

“Hey, Yovanna. Everything’s great.” You closed your eyes and nodded. “But I need your help. Are you going to be home in about an hour and a half? I need to run something by you.” 

— 

“He’s going to fucking kill me.” Pope’s words were muffled because his hands covered his face, but you still understood all of them. “He’s going to kill me and then bring me back just so he can kill me again.” 

“He is not.” Yovanna swatted at him, her expression set into a glare that you never wanted to be on the receiving end of. “It is a good plan.” 

The three of you were waiting outside on Pope’s back deck, untouched glasses of lemonade on the table. They were beside each other on the larger couch and you were curled up on one of the single chairs, the sun just beginning to set. 

Frankie was planning on meeting you when he got back from visiting Carmen, and though the plan was for the four of you to head out to dinner, you didn’t know if that was going to happen. 

“It’s not a good plan. It’s a stupid one, but it’s the only way I -” Pope cut you off, looking up and at you from between his fingers.

“It’s not stupid.” He sighed, sitting straight up. “It’s actually really smart. He’s just not going to like it.” 

You agreed, and even though you knew it would be difficult to make Frankie understand, you thought it was possible. “There’s still a lot to work through,  but unless we start now, there’s no way we finish before the next full moon and I just … I want this over. I don’t want anyone else to get hurt.” 

You heard a car door slam, and all three of you listened for a few seconds, waiting to see if it was Frankie arriving. It’s got to be. He said he was close. 

“Here we go.” Pope closed his eyes and then leaned over, kissing the side of Yovanna’s head. “Hope you’re ready to see Frankie lose his shit.” 

Turning in your seat, you watched as he opened the gate and stepped into the back yard. Your breath caught at the sight of him, even though it had only been a couple days since you’d said goodbye. He wasn’t wearing a hat that night and his curls were exceptionally tousled, sticking out wildly over his ears. His facial hair was longer than you’d gotten used to, too, and as he got closer, you bit your lip at the sight of him, repositioning yourself so that you could stand. 

“Stay right there.” He held up a hand and shook his head, speeding up as he stepped up and onto the patio. “I’m comin’ to you.” He leaned over when he made it to the chair and used both hands to brace himself on the arms. “Missed you.” 

He didn’t say anything else before he kissed you, but as soon as your mouths met, it was clear that he didn’t need to. Missed you too, Francisco. You stroked the back of his head before he pulled away and then took a seat, jerking his chin in the direction of Pope and Yovanna. “How was your trip?” 

“Great.” He grinned, running his fingers through his hair. “Carmen was excited and it didn’t rain for one of the days, so we went to the zoo.” His grin widened. “She’s getting so damn big and wants to run everywhere.” Pope laughed and you grinned back at him, heart breaking at the fact that in only a few seconds, you’d ruin the few days of peace that he’d had. But I have to rip the bandaid off. “See you made it back in one piece, too. Rain bad down there?”

“Not really, no.” You reached for the drink in front of you, lifting it and taking a small sip. “But I still spent a lot of time inside, thinking.” His expression fell slightly, but Frankie didn’t say anything. “There’s something I need to talk to you about, Frankie. You’re not going to like it, but -”

“That doesn’t sound good.” He frowned, leaning in, and you watched his eyes flick over to Pope and then back to you, his jaw twitching before he spoke. “Did you change your mind? Are you leaving? Are we -”

“No, Francisco.” You moved before he’d even finished, scooting to the edge of your seat and reaching over to cover his hand with yours. “Of course I’m not leaving you. That’s the last thing I want.” It hurt that his first thought was that you were going to abandon him, and you wondered if that was a constant fear of his - specifically when it came to you. I hope not. “I love you. I told you I was staying here and I meant it.” He put his other hand atop yours and curled his fingers against it. 

“Then what do you need to talk to me about? And why here? In front of them?” 

“I needed backup, Frankie.” Wetting your lips, you reached over with your other hand and actually took his, linking your fingers together. “Because you’re not going to like this at all.” 

Time was against you, and even though it wasn’t the way you would have liked to explain your plan to him, you had no other option. 

“I’m going to remind you, ‘Fish, that this is my parents’ place. So you have got to keep it together, alright?” Pope cut in, warning - and a little amusement - in his tone. “Let her talk.” You felt his fingers flex, but Frankie only nodded at his friend, never taking his eyes off of you. 

“The moon is less than two weeks away, and all we’ve gotten so far is that we think Tom will come back to the RV and try to finish me off.” It was a crude way to describe your situation, but it was the truth. “But we can’t know for sure, especially since he’s supposed to be in Orlando that night.” 

He nodded slowly, but stayed quiet. You could almost feel the tension in the air, and when you risked a glance over at Pope and Yova, you saw her give you a slight nod, though there was apprehension in her eyes. Here we go. 

“I think he’s doing this because he misses the way he felt when you were enlisted and he was the go-to guy. I think he sought the Chaos wolves out because he wanted to feel important again, even if none of you knew it. And I think, Frankie, that he wanted to attack me to prove to you that he’s always one step ahead of you, and that even though you’re … different now, you still couldn’t keep me safe from something like him.” 

It didn’t entirely explain why Tom had attacked the others throughout the summer months, but it was a start, and despite his uncertainty, you could tell that Frankie agreed with you. That’s good. 

“You need answers, and to get those answers, we need confirmation that Tom’s a wolf. He’s not going to admit it if any one of you confronts him. He’s too stubborn, so you … we have to catch him during a full moon, and to do that, we need to know exactly where he’ll be.” Frankie was frowning, the lines between his brows deepening by the second. But I’m right. Pope and Yova agreed with me and I think Will would too. “Frankie, I need to make him want to come back to the RV on the full moon.” You took a deep breath, closing your eyes. “I need to piss him off so he’ll come after me again.” 

“No.” He pulled his hands free and stood up, holding one out toward you, pointing with a single finger. “No, that’s not going to happen. You’re not using yourself as fucking bait for a werewolf that we can’t -”

“It’s the only thing that’s going to make sure he comes back to the RV.” Pope sighed, leaning forward and rubbing his eyes. “If he thinks she’s a danger to you - or to himself - he’ll act. We saw how he fucking reacted when we questioned him with Lorea and the money. This will be the same.” 

“I can’t believe you’re just going to agree to her doing this. She could get hurt, Pope. I can’t be there, because Tom won’t show up if he can smell me. And if one of you fucking shoots him before I get back, we won’t get answers. This isn’t going to work.” He looked back at you, head whipping back and forth. “You’re not doing this.” 

“I am, Frankie.” Even though your heart was racing and you hated going against what you knew was only him trying to make sure you were safe, you didn’t budge. “I’ll meet with him under the guise of talking about another apartment, and I’ll just … casually mention something that’s intended to rile him up.”

“What would you even say?” He scoffed. “And that means you’d be alone with him. He doesn’t deserve to be in the same room as you, and you want to meet him somewhere and -” 

“Tom won’t hurt me while he’s human.” You were sure of it. “He -”

“‘Fish, she’s right.” Pope leaned forward in his seat, hands hanging between his knees. “He’s hiding behind the wolf the same fucking way he hid behind the uniform and behind the secrecy of the shit we did after.” He cleared his throat. “Pissing him off gets results. How many times have we seen it before?” 

Frankie didn’t reply right away, instead looking between the three of you with a pained expression on his face. You wondered what he wanted to say. You wondered what was running through his mind and how he was going to try to convince you not to do what you’d suggested. 

“He needs to feel like he is smarter than you. Than all of you.” Yovanna spoke up, standing and stepping in front of Frankie. “He wanted to kill me and my brother instead of leaving us in Peru. He would have done it and he would not have been sorry.” You looked over at Pope, watching as his lips parted and he stared at the woman, eyes wide in surprise. “She has obviously done something to make him mad already, Francisco. He would not feel threatened by her otherwise.” 

“Threatened by what?” Frankie threw his hands up, shaking his head. “She’s done nothing but come here and -”

“He is threatened because he feels like she is taking you away from him.” Yovanna reached out, putting her hands on Frankie’s arms, just above his elbows. “You have told no one for years, not even me. But her? Yovanna leaned in, looking up at Frankie. “You told her after only weeks. You told her and you spend all of your time with her and she accepts you. And that means you do not need him as much. Whatever he thought would happen by becoming a wolf doesn’t matter anymore, and that scares him.” 

It made perfect sense. It was about more than Tom needing or wanting to be in charge and the one they all looked to in a pinch. It was about more than protecting Frankie’s secret or keeping their secret about Lorea. It was all about Tom’s ego, and it seemed that Yovanna had figured things out long before anyone else had. I understand why Pope loves her so much.

“Maybe he wants you to figure it out.” You spoke as soon as the thought entered your mind. “Maybe he thinks that if you figure out that he’s the other wolf, the two of you can … bond or something? He probably figures that you’d understand wh-”

“I haven’t killed a single goddamn thing that isn’t furry or feathered since South America.” Frankie reached up and gently removed Yovanna’s hands before he sat back down, dragging his fingers through his hair. “Why the fuck would he think I’d be alright with him going out of his way to kill people? How could he think I’d forgive him for hurting … fuck. Is he really that stupid?”

You had an opinion about that, and if her expression was any indication, so did Yovanna - but neither of you spoke. 

The yard was silent for almost a minute, even as Yovanna retreated back to the couch and sat down, Pope pulling her onto his lap. It was you that finally broke the silence, scooting all the way to the edge of your seat and reaching for Frankie’s hands. 

“I’m going to do it with or without your agreement, Francisco.” Linking your fingers together, you squeezed. “But it would mean a hell of a lot to know that you’re on board with it.” 

“What if you’re wrong?” He looked up at you, and you gasped at the sight of his red-rimmed eyes. He’s crying over this? “What if all of you are wrong and this backfires? What if he hurts you and then runs, and then we have to worry about him coming back and hurting someone else that we care about?” He gestured to Yovanna. “You? Or Will’s wife? Fucking Carmen?” 

Frankie pulled his hands free from yours, the loss of contact hurting more than you thought it would. “We won’t let that happen.” You whispered the words, lowering your head. “He wouldn’t run. He wouldn’t do anything that makes him look weak.”

“And if he even went near Carmen, it wouldn’t just be you that was fucking angry.” Pope cleared his throat, saying Frankie’s name. “We can figure out the details in the next couple days, but as much as I don’t want to admit it, I think … I think this is the best option. Put Tom on edge. Make it so he has to act.” He sighed. “It fucking sucks, but … it’s the best shot we’ve got.” 

“Wait.” Frankie cleared his throat. “If he’s going to Orlando for the conference, how can he come to the RV? They track attendance at that shit.” 

“The registration fee was only a couple hundred bucks, Frankie. Even with a hotel I don’t think he’s going to be too concerned about that.” You took a breath. “The only issue will be whether or not he reaches out to the woman that turned him, because -”

“You know who it was?” Pope cut in, eyes narrowed. “How?” 

It only took a few minutes for you to explain what you’d found, and bring up the Facebook profiles. They looked through them wordlessly while you watched, chewing on your lower lip. “And if he tells her? Or this other guy? Or someone else that he reports to?” Frankie handed you your phone back, his face set in a scowl. “What happens when a whole pack of wolves comes here looking for him or looking for me because of what I fucking do to him?” 

“They don’t …” You sighed, rubbing your temples. “As far as we know, the Chaos wolves don’t stay in packs. It’s not like Ashley’s group, or other smaller family units.” You paused, looking between the three of them. “That’s one of the reasons it’s so hard to find them. They’re usually alone, and from what we’ve gathered throughout the years, it’s … why there’s so much turnover.” You sighed. ���To them, Tom’s just one of many. He hasn’t interacted publicly with either of the two in just about a year, so to be honest, she probably just recruited him and then he went somewhere else to learn from -”

“He was gone for three weeks last year.” Pope snapped his fingers and then pointed at Frankie. “Remember? Molly took Tessa somewhere on vacation, and then he said he was going to make the most of the time they were gone?” He laughed, swearing under his breath. “We thought that asshole went to a fucking cabin somewhere up north, but instead he went to werewolf bootcamp?” 

It shouldn’t have made you laugh but it did - and the sound seemed to ease the tension between all of you. Thank God. “It makes sense.” You swallowed hard and then took a deep breath. “And so does no one coming to his rescue if he’s in trouble. They’re known for drawing focus to themselves, but what Tom’s doing is … too much. They won’t want the attention and sending multiple wolves to -”

“He would not call anyone.” Yovanna laughed, the sound bitter. “He would never tell them he needs help or can’t handle a human woman.” She curled her lip and looked directly at you. “He has too much pride.” She nodded slowly. “This is a good plan.” 

There wasn’t much more to say, and so a few minutes later, you stood, taking a slow breath. “I’m going to go. I know it’s early, and we were supposed to get dinner but today’s been a lot.” You got a sympathetic smile from Yovanna, but it was Frankie that spoke up. 

“Which house you going to? Because if it’s the one you’re renting, I’m going with you.” You hated to admit how much you liked it when he got protective, but the look in Frankie’s eyes as he said his piece made your chest burn. 

“I…” Shaking your head to clear it, you sighed. “I need to get clothes, so mine.” You’d moved a few things into Frankie’s place, but the majority of your small amount of possessions were still in the rented apartment. “But I don’t need to stay there tonight.” 

“Well, then.” Pope stood, crossing his arms. “The four of us can get dinner later this week. Yova and I are hungry now, though. So… get the fuck out of here.” He was joking, and with some good-natured grumbling on Frankie’s part, the four of you began saying your goodbyes. 

He paused next to his truck when you got to your car, but after a few seconds, he closed his eyes. “I’ll follow you, alright?” You wanted to question his hesitation but chose not to, agreeing before you climbed in and started the ignition. 

The drive over wasn’t long enough to get lost in thought, but by the time you parked, you knew that you needed to say something. And when he parked behind you, the door of his truck slamming as you got out of your own car, you started. “Frankie, we need to -” 

“Not now.” He was on alert, his eyes bright and his fingers curled into loose fists by his size. “I need to focus.” It was the closest he’d ever been to actually being rude to you, but you let it slide when he beelined it for the front door, positioning himself between it and you. “Key?” You handed it to him, and when he used it to open the lock, Frankie stepped inside without turning back to look at you. 

You followed closely, eyeing the interior of the space, and trying to figure out if anything was amiss. The living room looked fine, but when your eyes made it to the kitchen, and then to the bedroom, you froze. “The door is open.” He was here. “Frankie, I closed the bedroom door before I left. I’m sure of it.” 

He moved in that direction without speaking, and when he pushed the door all the way open and disappeared into the bedroom, you stayed put, waiting. Did he think I was lying about going out of town? “If he was in here, he didn’t fuck with anything.” At the sound of Frankie’s voice, you moved again, taking the few steps necessary to reach the bedroom. “I don’t smell anything, nothing’s torn up. Your suitcase is still closed and -”

“He moved it.” You entered, walking over to where the luggage was and pointing. “The zipper pocket was facing out. I always leave it like that when I leave my stuff in hotels or rentals. It’s just me being paranoid usually, but … not this time.” 

“What the fuck was he looking for?” He took his hat off, scratching at the side of his head. “There’s no way he knows what you’re really doing in Florida, so what the fuck would he have found?”

“Maybe…” You sat on the edge of the bed, shivering at the thought that he’d done the same. “Maybe he was seeing if I’d written anything about you down? I don’t know what he thinks I would have found, but… I don’t know.” 

Frankie sat beside you, waiting a few seconds before reaching over to settle his hand on your knee. “I really don’t like the idea of you meeting him alone.” 

You’d wondered how long it would take for him to bring it up, but the fact that he’d pivoted from finding out that Tom had actually been in your apartment while you were gone back to your potential meeting with him spoke volumes about just how worried he was. I get it but it has to happen. 

“I don’t like it either. But we need to get him to that RV, and he’s already attacked me once, Frankie. If I give him a reason to come out and finish the -”

“Don’t even think that.” His fingers curled, Frankie hissing out the words. “I get it, but I can’t… I don’t want to hear it. The fucking thought of him…” He trailed off, and when you looked over, you saw that his head was lowered, his eyes on the floor. “I don’t think he’ll attack you when he’s human, either. I think he’s got too much to lose if he did it as Tom. But he’s so fucking unpredictable, I can’t know for sure.” He sighed, the sound heavy. “I wish I could go with you.” 

“I know you do.” You put your hand atop his, keeping your voice soft. “And there’s no way to know for sure. But it’s a risk we need to take, Frankie. Because even if you never know why he’s doing this, you still need to … stop it.” 

“What are you going to say to him?” He looked over at you then, meeting your eyes. The look in his almost broke your heart; he didn’t just look sad, he looked scared, the fear making them glisten. “And when are you going to ask to meet?”

“As close to the full moon as possible.” He sucked in a breath, his eyes widening. I know. “And before you tell me just how dangerous that is, I get it. But the less time I give him to figure out how to react, the better. He seems like he responds emotionally, and that’s what I’m counting on.” 

“You fit right in.” He smiled, though it was brief. “With us, I mean. You might only have half a plan, but you’re focusing on the important shit.” That made you laugh, and as you did, you leaned over and rested your head against his shoulder. “Get your clothes and let’s go back to my place.” He kissed the top of your head, sighing again. “And I don’t know why you pulled that bullshit at Pope’s - I know you’ve gotta be hungry, so we’re gonna drop your car off at home and then go get something. How’s that sound?”

You didn’t miss the way he’d casually called his house home after inviting you there. Oh, Frankie. It was deflecting from the seriousness of the situation you were in, and both of you knew it. But we’ve still got more than a week until the full moon … so for tonight, it’s fine. 

—  

The morning you were supposed to meet Tom, you woke up with a ball of apprehension in your chest. 

It persisted even as Frankie pulled you tighter against his body, arms wrapped around you and urging you to tuck your face against the side of his neck. “Cancel.” He whispered the word, mouth hovering just above your ear. “Don’t meet him today.” His hold on you tightened and you exhaled, concentrating on the steady beat of his heart. 

“I have to.” You pressed your lips against his bare skin, keeping your eyes closed. “This is our best shot at ending this.”

“I’d rather never end this than risk losing you.” He backed away, saying your name, and when you’d locked eyes with him in the early morning light, he spoke again. “I fucking mean it. Your life is worth more than -” Oh, Frankie. 

“To you it is.” What he was saying loosened the tightness in your chest, but it didn’t change the truth. “Frankie, the people that he’s killed in the last couple months also had people in their lives that felt the same.” You repositioned yourself so that you were comfortable on the pillows and could look over at him without lifting your head. “If … when this is over, you’re stopping him from hurting anyone else, not just me.” 

“I don’t care about anyone else. I care about you.” 

“That’s not true. You care about Carmen. You care about Becca. You care about Pope and Yova and Benny and W-”

“What are you going to tell him?” He sighed, running his hand slowly up and down your bare arm. “Have you figured it out yet?” 

“That I’m going to start looking into wolves. That I’m going to see if I can use my contacts from past projects to look into the paranormal and figure out if there’s anyone I can put you into contact with or anyone we can maybe get more information from.”

“But we’ve all been looking for years, and found nothing. Why would that scare him into stopping you?” He frowned. “It’s a start, but it’s not enough, and -”

“I’m going to tell him I found someone out west, maybe somewhere in Oregon or some shit, to talk to. That they seemed to know something, and that after this next moon, I’m going out there to investigate.” 

“Why Oregon?” 

“Because between me and Alec, we’ve got information about wolves out there, and if we were able to find it, then Tom and his connections probably know about them, too.” You paused, thinking. “I’m not sure they’re still there, but it wouldn’t surprise me, and I think, Frankie, that Tom will want to keep me from finding anything out. I think he’s been purposely misleading you this whole time to keep you in the dark, because how else would he have found something and no one else did? And if I tell him that I know something, even if it’s an unverified lead, I think it’ll scare him.” 

“Do you know how much I hate to admit that this is a decent plan?” He reached up, following the line of your brow with his fingertips. “You’re playing at his ego. You’re giving him a lead to chase that won’t go anywhere, but it’ll still make him want to stop you from finding that out. Why the fuck are you so willing to do this? You’re putting yourself in danger, and -”

“Because I love you. Because I understand how dangerous he and other wolves like him are. The Chaos line isn’t usually this ruthless, Frankie. They start shit and they hurt people but they’re not usually serial killers.” Saying it out loud made it real for you, and if the look in Frankie’s eyes was anything to go by, it made it real for him, too. “We have to stop him, and if that means doing something unpleasant to give you the chance, I… I’ll do it.” 

“You’re brave as shit, d’you know that?” He was still scared for you, you could tell by the way he held you, but he spoke like he’d resigned himself to your decision. It won’t always be like this. “What time are you meeting?” 

“Two.” You twisted one of his curls around your finger, biting your lip. “And we’re meeting close to Ironhead’s so if I need to make an escape… Will’s working today.” He nodded. “I’m going to be alright, Frankie. I’ll update you as soon as I’m done.” 

“He’s going to be a little unpredictable since the moon’s the day after tomorrow.” Frankie swallowed and then curled his lip. “I’m fuckin’ wound up, so I can’t imagine what he’s feeling.” You’d counted on that - Tom’s emotions getting the better of him and causing him to think and act irrationally. “And if you can, pay attention to your heartbeat. He’ll sense anxiety. He’ll … fuck. If he thinks -”

“Frankie.” You inched closer, hooking one leg over both of his. “Of course I’d be anxious. I’m about to go back into the woods with you after being attacked. And I’m also contemplating going alone to a different state to seek out other wolves. This is all supposed to be new to me, so if I wasn’t nervous?” You laughed, head moving across the pillow toward him.  “There would be a problem.” 

“Good point.” He mumbled the words before kissing you briefly. “I know that we’ve been talking about some pretty serious shit, but…” He rocked his hips forward, grunting. “You’re naked in my bed, and -”

“I could use the distraction.” And I know you can, too. You kissed him again, nodding. “You don’t have to ask me twice.” 

— 

You were early to your meeting with Tom, and you used the time to try and calm your breathing, like Frankie had suggested. It was easier said than done, but when you reminded yourself that it was literal lives on the line - including yours and Frankie’s - you were able to focus. 

When Tom’s truck pulled into the parking lot and drove by your car, you took a final deep breath, put your phone into your bag and reached for the handle. Here we fucking go. 

He was dressed casually, wearing dark jeans and a t-shirt, and you wondered if, like Frankie, the closer he got to a full moon, the warmer he ran. Probably. It’s gotta be a wolf thing. “Hey.” He jerked his chin at you, the lopsided smile on his face making you want to throw up. “Isn’t this the same Dunkin’ we met at the first time?”

“It is.” You got closer, walking with him to the door. “I thought since it was close to your office, it would be easy for you to meet here before you go back to work.” 

“I’m not working today, actually.” He opened the door and waited for you to step inside before he followed. “I’m meeting you and then going back home to pack. I’m driving to Orlando tonight.” 

You joined the short line and stood in silence as you ordered your coffees, making sure to pay for Tom’s as well as yours. He didn’t even offer. “Checking in early for your conference?” He nodded while you waited, his eyes moving over the few people seated around the restaurant. “Well I won’t keep you long.” I can’t. I can’t physically… 

“We should go sit outside.” He pointed using the hand holding his coffee. “Couple tables out there.” That suited you just fine, and when you were both sitting on opposite sides of the table, he spoke again. “You could have just emailed me.” He sipped his drink, watching you over the lid. “We could have set something up for when I get back.” 

“We could have.” You lifted your cup, agreeing. “But I wanted to do it now, just in case any leads come up over the weekend while you’re in Orlando.” Just fucking get to it. The sooner you do this the sooner you can leave. “I’m staying in Tampa, Tom. Frankie and I are …” You didn’t want to elaborate on your relationship, but you knew you had to. “Neither of us planned on it turning out this way, but I’m going to need a more long-term place to stay.” 

“No shit. You’re staying?” He laughed, his smile wide. It’s so goddamn fake. “Just like that? What will your family think?” 

“It’s pretty much just me. I’ve got some cousins, but I don’t see them much. None of them are going to care what I do.” Alec cares, but it’ll make him happy to know I’m finally doing something for myself. “And after … everything, I think me staying is best, don’t you?” You swiped your thumb over the plastic of your cup, wiping off a bed of water. “That’s a pretty big thing to walk away from.” 

“It is.” He drank again. “I’d be pretty upset if I was him and I’d told you everything and you just … left.” He tipped his head to the side, eyes narrow. “Be pretty shitty of you to abandon him after he trusted you with a secret like that.” Fuck you. “So you want me to look for an apartment for you? Where? What’s the budget?” 

You gave him some bullshit numbers, telling him you wanted to stay within fifteen or twenty minutes of Frankie’s place and to his credit, Tom actually took notes on his phone, nodding along as he typed. He repeated the information before he set his phone down on the tabletop, reaching for his cup. Time to change the subject. “Benny’s going with us to the RV.”   

“Yeah?” You nodded as he shrugged. “I’m surprised Pope doesn’t want to go.” 

“He did. But Yovanna’s got plans out of town or something.” You waved a hand in the air, sighing. “And since Will went last time and you’ll be in Orlando…” 

“I’m kinda shocked you’re going.” He narrowed his eyes, tilting his head. “After last time. You’re not afraid it’ll come back?” He’s fishing. He’s too fucking cocky. Unbelievable. 

“I’m going because I want to be there for Frankie, Tom.” You spun your straw around, the frown on your face deepening. “I need him to know I accept what he is. And no, I’m not afraid it’ll come back, because that hasn’t been the pattern. All of the other attacks that have been in the news have been at different locations, never the same one twice.”

“You really looked into this shit.” He dragged his fingers through his hair, still eyeing you. “Talking about patterns and attacks and -”

“I did. That’s what I do. And …” Ok, here goes nothing. “And I think I found something else, too.” His eyes flashed in the sunlight, but Tom stayed quiet, waiting. “I think I found more wolves.” 

“What?” He stiffened, narrowing his eyes, and you could almost feel the change in the air. “More wolves?”

“I didn’t want to tell Frankie until I was sure, because I didn’t want to get his hopes up, but yeah. I think… I’ve been emailing with someone for a little while, and I’m almost positive that they’ll be able to tell me more about wolves in general and about why one of them would be doing what the other wolf in Florida is doing.” 

“Did you tell them? About ‘Fish I mean?” He leaned in, nostrils flaring. “Because you said you wouldn’t.” 

“Not about Frankie specifically, no.” You leaned back to put distance between you - the motion reactionary, and not one you could stop. “I just strongly hinted that I’ve been in contact with a wolf, and that there’s a second one that’s causing chaos and bringing a lot of unnecessary attention, and the two -”

“You fucking idiot.” He hissed the words out, lip curled into a snarl. “All they’ll have to do is look up an increase in animal attacks and they’ll know where we are. You just put a target on his -”

“I did not.” You stood, pointing a finger at him. “I haven’t once mentioned him by name. I haven’t used my real name. And when I meet them in person, I’m still going to be careful, because I’m not stupid, Tom. But he deserves to know more about being a wolf. He deserves to have some help, and if it can give him an advantage when it comes to getting rid of the other piece of shit wolf that tried to kill me last month, I’ll do whatever it takes.” He scoffed, leaning all the way back and crossing  his arms, head moving back and forth slowly. “What? What’s that look for?” 

“You really think you can just come here and be his fucking savior?” Tom rolled his eyes. “Do you know how many women have tried that? How many times we’ve tried that? He probably wouldn’t even still be clean if he hadn’t gotten bitten, and -” How dare you. 

“You’re a shitty fucking friend to him.” You grabbed your cup, fingers tightening around the plastic. “In a lot of ways. But this is…” You leaned in, the anger blooming in your chest, and stared straight into his eyes. “This is something else.” Tom laughed again, tilting his head back briefly. But when he met your gaze, there was no mistaking the reddish tint to them, and it froze you in place. Get out of here. Get out of here now. “I thought you’d understand, because you’ve been trying to help him since South America. I thought you’d be happy that I might have found answers for him.” But first … “Unless you don’t want him to learn more about wolves, Tom. Is that it? Are you so fucking desperate to keep him in the dark about it and relying on your protection that you purposely keep information from him?” 

“Don’t say another goddamn word.” His eyes narrowed. “You need to stop right fucking now.” 

“Or what?” You set the cup down, the anger flowing through your body and making your heart pound. “Are you going to attack me again, Tom? I bet not, since it’s broad fucking daylight and you can’t hide behind the wolf this time.” 

You realized what you said as the words were coming out of your mouth. Shit. Shit shit shit. Straightening up, you took a step backward and toward the parking lot, never breaking eye contact. Oh, fuck. “Well that’s a surprise.” He smiled, but there was no warmth to it. “And you still came here today?” He leaned over the table, the smile widening. “I don’t know whether to be impressed or think you’re really fucking stupid.” 

“I’m not afraid of you.” You inched forward again, even though every muscle in your body was screaming at you to turn and run the other way. “I think you’re a coward.” Tom was silent for a few seconds and then he cleared his throat, his shoulders relaxing. 

“You should be. And so should he.” He gestured to the parking lot. “Go. I’m not going to stop you.” He rubbed his jaw with one hand, nodding. “Not today, at least.” You glared at him for a few more seconds before turning and walking back toward your car, fighting the urge to sprint. He said your name after you’d taken a couple steps, and you paused long enough to look back over your shoulder at him. “Tell ‘Fish I’ll see you both in a couple days, alright?” 

He laughed then, covering his face with both hands, and you took the opportunity to get back to your car, sitting down and locking the door before you put your seatbelt on. “Fuck!” You yelped the word out as you started the ignition, pulling out of the space and going back toward the road without giving Tom another look. “Fucking idiot. How could I be so stupid?” 

You held it together the entire length of the drive to Ironhead’s, parking and then walking across the lot on shaking legs. Will was behind the bar when you entered, the blonde talking to a brunette sitting on one of the stools - but when he saw you he immediately excused himself and headed in your direction. 

“Are you alright?” He put both hands on your shoulders, concern evident on his face. “You look -”

“I fucked up. Will, I really fucked up. I just met with Tom, and …” He swore quietly before putting an arm around you and guiding you down the hallway and toward the office. Once you were inside, he locked the door behind you before turning to face you again. There was no kindness in his eyes then, just cold, steely resolve. 

“What happened?” 

“Will, it slipped. He knows that I know. He -”

“I guess that means we won’t have a problem getting him out to the RV this week, hmm?” Benny appeared from the smaller room, leaning against the doorframe as he spoke. “Shit’s about to get real, isn’t it.” 

—

[deafsignifcantother]

if music be the food of love, chapter 6

♥ here you go lovies, it’s series time | chapter one, chapter two, chapter three, chapter four, chapter five, chapter seven ♥ summary: after the overlord meeting, zestial pulls you aside to talk to you like a grandpa about love. love? "Thou art in denial, little one." what a pointless observation. of course you aren't in love. ♥ relationships: aroace Alastor x deaf female reader (queerplatonic to romance) ♥ word count: 5.8k ♥ pinterest board ♥ notes: alastor brushes reader's hair, zestial does NOT lock in ♥ no tag list rn :3

You wake up rather early to the feeling of Alastor shaking the bed. You groan. Why has he been welcoming himself into your room? When you peek, you notice his claws digging into the mattress to keep hold as he rocks the bed back and forth. "I'm awake," you sign with one weak hand.

Slowly letting go, the bed stops shaking. But the tears are still there. “And about time too, darling. I’ve been trying to wake you up for ten seconds.”

"What is it this time?" You ask, rubbing your hands across your face. "Tell me you have a good reason, please. I'm begging."

He leans and reaches out to gently ruffle your hair as if trying to annoy you further.

“My, someone’s rather grumpy so early in the morning. And I do have a good reason, my dear. I assure you of that.”

"Go on."

He claps his hands together before signing. "I've decided to take you with me, can you guess as to where?"

"I'm too tired for your games."

In a slight touch, he holds your back and guides you to sit up. "Guess. It's somewhere you loved going, for some reason."

Ah. Something you loved but Alastor hated.

"It's the overlord meeting today, isn't it?" You pipe up immediately. "And you're taking me?"

“Ah, my, how observant of you. You’re absolutely right, it is the overlord meeting today, and I am going to bring you with me.” He says, a smirk appearing on his face at your sudden guess, and he confirms the information immediately without hesitation. Ding ding ding. "And I know what you're thinking. You don’t need to worry about them accepting you or not, actually, the last time I went, they asked about you. Quite worried, they were.”

"Really?"

"No," he laughs. "I fibbed. But stand, you need to get ready."

You stand, sighing deeply. It's too early for all of this. While you head towards the bathroom, he opens your wardrobe, looking through the clothes he could dress you in. The bathroom door is slightly open, giving you some sort of comfort, knowing he will walk in rather than appear behind you. You run the brush through the end of your hair, biting the inside of your lip.

He quickly makes a small face at your wardrobe, realizing that most of your clothes are plain and boring; where were all the ones he made for you? He has half-a-mind to burn most of them and buy you all new ones.

He noticed the bathroom door was open as he looked through your clothes and heard you brushing your hair. Stepping forward, he watched the sight, and he smiled.

Your eyes immediately lock on his before you kick the door closed. And in a rare moment, you use your voice. "You're so weird, Alastor!"

He chuckles once you close the door on him, and he can hear your words from the other side. He huffs to himself, muttering. “I’m weird, darling? Now, now, that’s a harsh way of describing your favorite overlord, don’t you think?”

The lovely sound of your accent doesn't escape him. He lingers in it, standing in place with a growing smile before returning to the closet. He knows you'd hate if he lingered too long on your voice. You've trusted him enough to expose it to him. Now, which dress to pick?

His fingers run across the lace. You always looked good in lace. The red sleeves you would wear were his favorite. Do you have those here?

His ears perch when you knock on the wall.

"Which one are you going to pick?" With a brush in your hand and the other free, you continue. "Please let it be something cute. Don't make me match with you again."

“Ah, so you don’t want to match with me again?” He signs, raising a brow before stepping closer toward you, his smirk growing again. “But you looked absolutely to die for last time!”

"I know you think so," you roll your eyes. Your morning smile is more casual than it tends to be. "Imagine how silly it would be if we walked in wearing similar things. That's humiliating."

It's all teasing. More than humiliating, it would be hilarious.

He steps closer, not appreciating your words very much. A smirk appears on his face again as he gently grabs some of your hair between his fingers.

“Oh, don’t act all modest, darling. I know just how much you loved matching with me. You absolutely adored it.” He teases back, testing your tone, his smirk becoming more mischievous.

"Sure," You won't give him the satisfaction of knowing he's right. "Is that going to be your final decision, or do I get a say in my outfit?" You place the hairbrush on your dresser; he eyes it. He considering picking it up. But he quickly glances over at you once more, his smirk growing even wider than before

“My, look at you, all confident and stubborn. And I suppose I’ll let you have a choice in your outfit, after all. Give me a show!"

"Alright," You step past him, plucking certain dresses to remind you what they are. Red, red, red. Alright, maybe you're going to end up matching him. "Black? Would black satisfy you?"

He can see the exact moment you realize you would be matching with him regardless.

“Oh, don’t worry about satisfying me, darling. You always look lovely no matter what you wear. But maybe you should choose the other color.” He signs in a sarcastic yet still polite manner, crossing his arms as he watches your expression closely.

You make a clicking noise and flicker the hangers to the side. And there he spots it, a red dress with lace sleeves. Alastor's heart skips a beat. His eyebrows immediately furrow at the sensation. His chest tightened, but only for a moment. He needs to collect himself.

"That one," he stands beside you and touches it, running his fingers down it.

"This dress? It's so old." You laugh.

"Yes, this one. It’s been so long since I’ve seen you wearing it.” He said, taking a long moment to let his eyes thoroughly examine the dress before looking up at you again. “I still remember the first time you wore it, you looked absolutely lovely in it, darling. You still do.”

"I'll wear it then." You take it off the hanger and place it against your chest, testing the look in the standing mirror beside your bed. "It even looks old. But you like this style, don't you? I suppose the lace is a little contemporary, though."

You sign with one hand, something that always makes him smile. You would have to do that long ago when you didn't want him to know what you said. Now, he can understand it perfectly.

Without words, he walks over and stands next to you, staring at your reflection in the mirror. "Do you need help getting undressed?"

"What? No!"

But by his smile, you see that he was only joking.

You huff. "Turn around, or get out of here."

“My, my, so cruel.” He still turns away from you, giving you some privacy. He doesn't leave.

You swiftly remove your nightgown and go to your dresser for the underlayers. They're all folded neatly. Interesting. Your conclusion came quickly; he must have done that while you were sleeping. Was he watching you sleep? Of course he was.

The cotton underlayers hug you tightly. The red dress isn't as puffy as your usual ones. It's only three layers: a ruffle that appears at the bottom, the bodice, and then the overall, which shines red. There's a dip in the necklace down the center of your chest where your music can come through. The sleeves fall to your fingers, moving gently at your every movement. It still hasn't dawned on you why he noticed this dress specifically. You even give a childish swirl as you assess yourself.

You clap your hands.

He smiled brightly as he heard the rustling of clothes and fabric behind him, silently imagining what you were doing. He can almost see the exact expression on your face, ideal in his head, as you are doing so. You often have a light in your eyes when you show off your clothing to him. Old body language that he's always remembered.

The moment you clap, his smile grows wider again as he silently smiles and slowly turns around. As soon as he entirely turns, his eyes fall onto you.

“Looking as lovely as ever, darling.”

"Why, thank you." You curtsey, even going all in and crossing your ankles and dipping your head. You laugh before you look back up at him. His heart can't stop racing. Your courtesy has him silently cursing to himself at the sight; as you link eyes with him, he quickly forces a casual smile on his face as he stares at you.

“How polite! I’ve never seen you curtsy before.”

He says, trying to push down his senses.

"Courtesy of the era." You wave your hand dismissively, one of your most casual tendencies. "It fits the moment. Anyway, shall we be on our way?"

“Yes, yes, we should get going. They’ll be waiting for us after all, but before we go, I'm afraid I've forgotten something." Alastor drops his hands and takes a small step forward.

"Don't loom like that. It scares me."

“Oh, my darling, do you know that you get increasingly amusing every day? But I’m not going to do anything to you, I promise; I was just going to…help you with something, dear.” He looks you up and down for another moment. He quickly glances towards your dresser. Your eyes go up and down your body. Is your speaker dusty? Is it a ripped seam? He'd definitely catch something like that. A small patch of blood? No, there's no way you'd not notice.

His eyes follow yours as you analyze yourself.

“Oh, it’s nothing like that, don’t worry, darling. You look absolutely perfect.” Once again, his gaze shifted towards your dresser, and he walks towards it.

The hairbrush.

You scoff. "Really?"

"I just noticed your hair, do you mind?”

He said, gently picking up the hairbrush and staring at it momentarily, a smile still on his face. You hum.

"Go ahead, I won't stop you." You take a breath before turning around. Imagine how funny it would be if he just wacks you with it.

He stands behind you closely, looks at your hair, and raises the hairbrush to begin brushing it.

Him touching you feels so natural. There's even a softened tone to your music, stereotypical romantic tunes. He rolls his eyes. Where's the jazz?

He can practically sense the enjoyment radiating off of you. His brushes are gradual and gentle.

He's stalling. You reach over my head and grab his wrist, turning your body. "That's enough, my love. Are you satisfied? Let's get going."

He slowly stops, raises a brow, and lowers the hairbrush back to his side. “Oh, you have no patience this morning, my love. Don’t be in such a rush.”

You give him a small smile, leaning in, your eyes widening. "You're the one that woke me up. Don't tell me the meeting isn't for a long time."

“No, no, the meeting is early, we do have to get going soon. But we do could play with the clock…” He mimics your usual behavior by waving his hand dismissively.

"Alastor. Come on, now I'm excited for it. Your fault."

It doesn't leave your mind that he wants to spend time with you. It may be worth being a little late. It's not as if everybody is always on time. Plus, you've always loved a grand entrance.

“Of course you are. We’ll get going in a moment.”

You turn your head, furrowing your brows. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, everything’s fine! Why do you ask?"

"Alastor, be serious. Is something wrong or do you really just miss me?" The second option puts a lopsided smile on your face. Is the Radio Demon missing you? Missing? Missing? He has admitted feeling that way once or twice before, but having him be so obvious about it is a bit off-putting.

"Eh, just a little." When he does the sign, he squints his eye to add emphasis. When he sees your smile, your knowing smile, and he just can't keep up the act any longer. "Maybe."

"We'll be together when we walk. Alastor, please. You're stressing me out." You grab his hand, making bold contact, trying to pull him along.

He is caught slightly off guard. He stays in place momentarily before sighing and finally giving in, letting you pull him along until he steps forward and opens your bedroom door for you. When you step through, his shadow closes it for him, and he walks by your side. He patiently intertwines his fingers with yours.

It doesn't last long. When you leave the hotel doors, Alastor pulls away, straightening his tie and repositioning his smile. "Let's get a move on."

"Thank you."

He side-eyes you, rolling his eyes, stepping along with confidence only an overlord can have. You follow along with the same conviction. The city feels different when your chin is lifted and a smirk on your face the entire time. Your music draws everybody away except Alastor, who is pleased with your impact on the weak souls around you. Good girl.

You end up walking ahead of him, a skip almost in your step. That tall building that you love so much comes into view. And as you step through the alley, he glares at the security cameras. His eyes narrow, and he stares straight at it in a challenging manner before looking away and continuing to follow after you. Ridiculous.

You turn to him. "Will everything be okay?" You take a deep breath, but your smile doesn't leave your face despite your anxiety. "I need to hear it."

His head tilts, staring at you in a somewhat confused manner. "There is nothing to worry about."

His eyes soften, only just a bit, but it's something that you'll always notice. He wants to make sure you are satisfied with his answer.

"Perfect, thank you. That's all I needed to hear." You turn on your heel, not even giving him a chance to respond before clicking the button for the elevator, waiting and staring up at it. Your heart is beating out of your chest, and your speaker even pulsates a bit. You never dreamed you'd be able to come to another meeting.

He is tempted to keep talking, to try and say something else to you, but there's no way he would break your concentration.

He stays silent then, just watching you as he waits with you.

The elevator takes a long time, or is it because time slows when he looks at you? Your smile remains on your face; is it because of him?

He bites down the urge to touch the low of your back, to hold you like the gentleman he is.

It's almost as if you can tell if you felt his eyes on you. You step closer to him, bumping your shoulder into his, but the elevator dings before you can do anything further. He motions to it, and you race him inside.

"Are we on time?" You glance down at the alley below as it starts to get farther. "I hope Camilla doesn't get upset."

“We’re on time, don’t worry. Camilla won’t get upset. She’s still very…very particular, is all…”

"I know that much."

His urges get the best out of him. He holds your waist, turning you around when it's time to exit the elevator. Immediately, the sight of the long white table sparks happiness. And all of your former friends sit together. Control yourself. You raise your chin, saunter, and hold your hands before yourself. When Camilla straightens, you just give her a nod. Her eyes flicker down to your speaker, looking back at your face.

What does my music sound like? Oh, goodness me.

Alastor obnoxiously drags a chair from the end to one next to his. The second person you look at is Zestial. He interlocks his fingers when he sees you, sending a slight nod your way, which you smile as you return. Elder to elder.

Camilla's large hands lift, her signing a bit rusty, but she manages to convey the simple.

Angels, angels, angels. Of course that's all it is. That's all it ever seems to be. But this time is different. A dead one? That's new. You eye Alastor, who just stares at her. He's known this.

The most exciting part of the meeting is when it ends, not because of the excusing but because of how Zestials lifts his hand, addresses the others, signs to you, and asks you to stay, alone. It's similar to when a teacher asks you to stay after class. You turn to Alastor, your bright smile granting him no pleasure. He's going to wait outside whether you like it or not. He's on his way regardless, standing guard by the elevator, eyeing you while you sit next to the oldest overlord.

When Zestial lifts his hands, your shoulders relax. He signs in the way you signed growing up. His hands hang low, and his head always faces you. It has a touch of French, it's proper, and it's lovely. But the best part about it is how Alastor will never be able to understand.

"What hath compelled thee to venture back?"

Your mind flickers your memory to Alastor's discreet name sign.

"Oh, just Alastor business. The typical things. I've missed you dearly, old friend. I've missed your accent. It's treacherous to try and sign to these children."

"Alastor? T'is of no surprise, I suppose. He hast ever been full of whimsy and caprice. Pray tell, hast he roped thee into his wild plans?"

Your heart skips a beat. His plans? What has he planned? Zestial has always been more knowledgeable than you and always will be. He can read people like no other. And he knows something you don't. "As always, you know him. And you know me. I'll go along on whatever trail he drags me through."

"How predictable. Though art truly a sap to his antics, as thou has always hast. Such fun he has with the strings of thy heart, pulling and tugging, dancing you about, like one of his radio plays."

Though he pierces you, you just roll your eyes. "Is this what you wanted to talk about? Not what I imagined for our reunion, dearest you."

He chuckles and sips his tea, swirling it around in his cup. "A fair query, little one. This conversation art simply a preamble. I desire more knowledge, to quench my curiosity."

"Go ahead."

"Thou art always a bold one. Very well, I shall entertain."

But he stops at that, taking another sip of his tea as if dwelling on something.

You interrupt, trying to stop him from what seems to be the worst sentence you'll ever process in your life.

"I change my mind! Shall we change the topic? Don't you remember how beautiful the snow was? I miss it. Do you miss snow?"

He nods and grins faintly, his expression softening at the memory. "Ah, yes. The snowfall... I recall it vividly. How Hell's time doth fly..."

He gazes at you with curiosity when you get antsy over Alastor, tilting his head slightly to the side. "Little one, I am sure Alastor's antics have led ye to this point. Though there is a query, little one, I wish to ask of ye."

Another 'go-ahead' almost makes its way to your hands. "Anything."

He hums to himself, tapping his claws against the side of his teacup. He then looks back at you, his gaze gentle and warm.

"Little one, what is the extent of thy love for Alastor?"

An audible woah leaves your lips. But you cover it up with a sly smile. "Why would you think I love him?"

He takes a long sip of his tea, his eyes never leaving yours. He puts it down. "Because of the way thou art around him. The way thou smile in his presence. The way thou speak with him, how thy eyes light up in his company. How thou would jump at the chance to do something for him. All signs point to love. And thou seem shocked and surprised for some reason. Ah, how have I forgotten. Your lullabies."

You close your eyes; he's undoubtedly testing your patience. But over what? Counterproductive accusations? Though the memories of Alastor's small caresses and willingness to put himself out of his comfort to make you smile play on repeat. Love, what a silly word. "Perhaps I love him in the slightest bit. But he's a dear friend, and don't be fooled, dearest. Nothing will ever come from it."

"Thou art in denial, little one. Doth thou truly think I cannot sense the stirring in thy heart when thou art around him? Love is a powerful force... though I imagine it may frighten and confuse one such as thyself." He smiles, mildly scolding.

"I would certainly never die for him. That's a part of love, isn't it? Devotion. I haven't devoted myself nor have I given my soul to him. We are companions. We will always be." There you go again, pessimistic towards the future.

"Devotion is a part of love, yes. But there are many different kinds of love, little one. Not all require the sacrifice of one's soul. However, companions you say, is that all he is to thee, then?"

No. "Yes, of course." The response is short. You focus your stare on Zestial's. You've definitely missed these conversations very much, no matter how annoying they may be. Talking to Zestial is like having a coffee with a distant friend. "A companion."

"Companion... that is what thee claims, but thy heart say otherwise. Dost thou recall the saying "denial is the first stage of grief"? Because it fits quite nicely in this condition." He grins, enjoying the banter. His little counterpart is getting so frustrated over something so simple.

"Zestial, excuse me, if you are so certain I am in love then what do you say I should do about it? What do you think? Bestow upon me your words, but make them kinder, please and thank you."

"Very well, little one. If thou truly wish for mine advice, I shall give it. Be warned, though... it may not be the answer thou is expecting." He pauses momentarily, "Thou art hesitant to admit it, but thou do love the radio demon. That much is clear to see. Doth thou wish for the chance to... act on thy feelings?"

And then you finally give in, not fighting it anymore, sighing and placing a hand on your temple, massaging it while you piece together words. You start to sign. "He'll hate me if I do."

Zestial is taken aback by your expression and how vulnerable you seem. You have never let him see this emotion. You add, "I'm being serious."

He nods in acknowledgment and sighs gently. "I see... thou art more serious than I thought. Dost thou truly fear his rejection and hate, then?"

"I just wonder if he'd disappear again. He say he'll always be here with me, but you know how he is." You huff. "Empty promises. But who can blame him? Maybe it's my fault for always believing him."

He nods again. He knows Alastor's nature well, the empty promises, and the endless chaos he brings.

Zestial basks in at the pain in your eyes. Your music affects everybody around you; that much is an unmistakable fact. It's probably torturing the people outside as you speak. He remains untouched.

"Ah... so thou are worried he will disappear once more, leaving thou behind. Is that the true fear within thy heart?"

"That's all there is. I don't know anything else he would do, realistically. Let's not play with the impossible."

"Thou are a wise one, little one." He pauses, contemplating his words, standing from his seat before continuing. "Let us speak in hypotheticals, then. Just humour me this one time, my dear melody."

"I know what you're about to say, but proceed. I won't stop you. Though, don't expect me to answer." You try to act stubbornly, but your smile still comes.

"Very well. Then let us play a game of 'what if'." He says and starts to pace around you, his eyes studying you closely as he signs. "What if, just presume... the unthinkable happens. And for in this lifetime, Alastor actually reciprocates your feelings..."

"How would I tell? And I'm not going to say my feelings outright." You put a hand on your chest. "Goodness me, I'd rather die a second time. What a nightmare that would be."

"Ah, so thou would rather perish than confess thy feelings. Very well, I understand. Then, let us consider another path. Let us suppose that Alastor gives... a portent."

With the best of your ability, you lift your shaking hands. "His indications are a bit hazy, I'm afraid. Between the caresses and the kindness, there is a constant sense of confusion if that's his form of friendship or if he's treating me as if I'm special."

He stops pacing and stands in front of you. "Ah, yes. Alastor is certainly known for his puzzling ways. It can be difficult to decipher his intentions. Is that part of the reason why thou art so hesitant and fearful, because thou cannot be sure of his true feelings for thee?"

"I didn't know you were a therapist, Zestial. Is that a new trait?" Your smile twitches, and your eyebrows furrow. You sit on the table, keeping your eyes on him. "It's appalling."

"Ah, thou art trying to evade the question. But I see right through thee. 'Tis futile to try and hide the truth."

He steps closer to you, his expression sincere.

"Thou art frightened by the uncertainty, are thou not? The fear that Alastor does not truly share thy feelings."

"I think anybody would feel the same." Your eyes glance at the floor momentarily before looking up; a special glint is in them. "He picked this dress for me this morning. I think it holds a special memory for him. But I don't think I can even guess what it is. I can't place a specific time I've worn this before."

He looks you up and down, intrigued by the memory it holds. He hasn't the slightest clue, either.

"Ah, so he picked this dress for thee? Interesting..."

He muses to himself.

"And thou do not recall the specific time thou wore it before? Have thou ever worn it in his company?"

Your face starts to heat. Quickly, you realize that this is why you couldn't remember. "Perhaps I wore it whenever we went out. Maybe that's what it is. Every time we'd sit together at a cafe and just talk for hours. It's a good memory." It gives you a sinking feeling in your gut, and the memories spark that sick, dreadful feeling of love.

"Ah, that doth explain it. The memories thou share with Alastor, the hours spent conversing in cafes. It seems thy mind has chosen to associate this dress with those joyous moments."

He observes you closely, sensing a hint of something else stirring beneath the surface. A sinking feeling, a fear, perhaps? But of what?

"But I've worn other dresses too." It's your turn to pace. "Unless there was a certain spot we went to! No, we tended to stay in the same area. Maybe it was a murder we committed, a special one? Have I gotten this dress bloody before?" You look down. "No, I'd never."

"Thou art a detective now."

"Be serious." Your hands move frantically. "If you picked out a special dress for me, what reason would it be? What would you relate it to? Help me here, it would mean the world to him if I remembered, I know that."

"Very well, let me indulge thy curiosity for a moment. If I were to pick out a striking dress for thee, and thou were to associate it with a particular memory... A special occasion, a moment that holds meaning and emotion. Not a situation, but a moment."

A moment. You point out memories in your head. A kiss? No, you've never kissed. I love you? You've never said that, either. A hug? Is that significant enough? You two hug all the time now.

"None seem to resonate with thee just yet. Mayhaps there is something that thou is overlooking. A detail, small but meaningful." He takes a step closer, his eyes scanning over the dress.

"Do you know? Are you teasing me, Zestial?" The confusion on your face drops just a bit to accommodate your soft smile. "Has he talked to you about me?"

"Me? Teasing thee?" He feigns outrage, the notion warming your heart. "Perish the thought, my dear! But to answer thy question, yes, Alastor has spoken of thee. Many times, in fact."

"Oh goodness, what does he say? Good things, I plead." You stand directly before him, staring at him, matching his posture.

"Ah, little one, rest assured, it is nothing but good things he speaks of thee. His praise for thee knows no bounds. That is all."

"Has he mentioned the dress before? Ever? Knowing Alastor, what would you suppose his connection to this damn dress is?" It's bothering you more and more. What if Alastor gets hurt that you don't remember? Or is he betting that you won't? Oh no, what if it's something ridiculous?

"Ah, little one, thou art so eager to get to the bottom of this mystery." His shoulders drop as he sighs. "Alastor has never mentioned the dress itself to me. I apologize that I cannot assist further."

You stare at him for a long while, eyes locked on his. He holds your gaze. He's not lying. This is so frustrating.

"Alastor's waiting for me." You take a step back, hesitant to end the conversation. "I'm afraid I must go."

"I understand. Thou must not keep Alastor waiting." He holds back a chuckle at the thought of Alastor's impatience. "But before thou go, may I offer thee a parting thought?"

"Of course, dearest you. Continue." You place your hands behind your back, clenching your fists.

"I must ask you to consider the possibility that thou may never remember it. At least not right now."

When you think he is done talking, he grabs your attention again by putting a finger under your chin and tilting your head.

"And little one, have caution. Thou aren't worth the suffering."

You laugh, put a hand on your speaker, and feel your rapid heartbeat. "Is that all?"

"Do not allow the weight of thy own expectations, or the expectations of others, to overwhelm thee." He dips his head. "Farewell, my dear."

Your body works with automatics as you curtsey to him. He stares at you as you do. He smiles. Others have lost their manners over the centuries, especially to royals like yourselves.

"Farewell, Zestial."

You let out a breath as you step away. He's staring at your back. All you can do is hope that he's been letting you off easy, relieving you of a longer lecture.

Alastor stares at you, face neutral, his smile offering no context to his emotions.

Zestial eyes you, his eyes flickering to Alastor's before he makes his way towards Carmilla's chambers.

You smile, missing the notion. "Well, did you miss me? We can be on our way now."

Internally annoyed that you had spent so long talking to Zestial in a language he didn’t understand, his annoyance turned into slight confusion as his eyes briefly followed Zestial’s gaze.

“Ah, darling…did you have fun talking to Zestial again?”

"Always. He's a good friend." You press the button for the elevator, reaching in front of him to do so. You enter before adding on. "Perfectly so."

Perfectly so, hm? His irritation slowly grows. He stays silent for a moment, waiting with you in the elevator for a moment before he finally lifts his hands, his posture growing more tense, and his smile is slightly strained.

“You enjoy talking to him a lot, don’t you?”

"Don't be jealous, Alastor. It's just different. He'd never be able to replace you." Holding him softly, you reach out to his cheek, and he leans into your touch. He has a warmth that your body could never imitate. His cheeks are soft, the corner of his lips brushing against your thumb. But then you pinch his cheek, smiling at him as if he were a child. "Somebody your age wouldn't get it."

He swats your hand away, ears pinned to his head. "Your on the verge of death, my dear."

"Always so."

"Well, I hope you had fun, because you are prohibited from doing that again."

"I'll do it again eventually."

He snarls. "And I will eat you alive."

"I'm sure you will."

“Oh, you just love pushing my buttons, don’t you, darling…”

You just shrug, watching the familiar alleyway become ground level as the doors open. "It's the most fun a girl can have around here."

And with that, you walk off, not checking if he followed behind. He didn't; he didn't take a single step, sinking into his shadows to appear right in front of you. You catch yourself before bumping into him.

"Oh, no, no, no. You can't escape that easy."

"I wasn't trying to."

With how close his body is, you can only think of Zestial's words. Love. Is it true?

"Good. I'd never let you get away."

His warmth engulfs you as he wraps one arm around your waist and the other around your shoulders, bringing you in for a hug. You don't know where to put your hands. Does he want you to hug him back, or is this only for a second? When his grip tightens, you softly place your hands on his shoulder blades, feeling their sharpness even through his coat.

And then he pulls away, tightening his bowtie. "Now that's done, let's head back. I have a lovely recipe I'd like you to try!"

"I'm excited."

Your body holds no signs of love. That's the way it should be. Even when he has you, you won't portray any emotion like that to him. He'd take advantage of it; you know he would.

Such fun he has with the strings of thy heart, pulling and tugging, dancing you about, like one of his radio plays.

Ah, you realize. Is he already?

.

.

.

ft.

LOCK IN ZESTIAL!!!