#so i’m sorry for any inaccuracies but if you do notice it keep that shit to yourself <3< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[slytherheign]

LATE NIGHT VISITOR | tasm!peter parker

PAIRING: college!tasm!peter parker x nursing student!fem!reader

WORD COUNT: 2.7k

SUMMARY: a late-night review session for your exams is interrupted when your past disguised as a web-slinging hero with a facial injury comes knocking on your apartment window asking you for help.

WARNINGS: cursing, injuries, trust issues, anxiety, maybe some inaccuracies because i’m not a medical expert, and A LOT of tension. let me know if i missed any warnings. [⚠︎︎RATING: G]

AUTHOR’S NOTE: partly based on this request sent by anon (thanks for requesting! whoever you are, i’m sorry this took so long. i hope you enjoy this). i added the backstories and the reader being a nursing student plot just to make things more interesting. peter is a college student too but he goes to a different school (i didn’t specify his course bc it’s not that important). again, this is fluff with angst. enjoy reading!

DESTINATION: Sweet Street | GO BACK TO THE STATION. CLICK HERE FOR ALL THINGS LATE NIGHT VISITOR (reviews, commentary, etc. about this fic).

The repetitive clicking of a pen was all that could be heard in your room. It was late at night and you were trying to review your notes for an exam tomorrow. You glanced at the digital clock beside your pen holder, sighing as you realized midnight was approaching.

You took a sip of your coffee, hoping the caffeine would be enough to keep you awake for at least a few more hours. You still had 37 pages left to review, you couldn’t afford to fall asleep right now. When you realized that coffee wasn’t enough to keep you awake, you decided to plug in your earphones and play some music from your phone. 

For a moment you thought you heard something outside your window but you shrugged it off, assuming that it was just a branch hitting your window as the wind blew quite harshly at this time of the night. 

But then the noise continued and you had to pause the music to hear it properly. 

Knock, knock, knock.

Confused, you removed the earphones from your ears to investigate the noise. You grabbed a lamp from your bedside table as you took slow little steps to your window. From where you were, you could see someone’s silhouette against the white curtains. The knocking didn’t stop and grew louder with every second, it made you nervous. This was the kind of thing you watched happen in horror movies.

You prepared yourself for a fight as you set aside the curtains, fully expecting to see a thief or someone dangerous. To your surprise, the person was Spider-Man—the city hero you constantly observed from your window every night as he swung by building after building.

You hurriedly set down the lamp you held, immediately opening your window right after to let him in. He was breathing heavily, no doubt just fresh from an intense fight. You noticed the way he was struggling to let himself in, so you helped him get inside and led him to sit on the edge of your bed.

“Sorry to intrude,” he apologized, looking around your room. “Looks like you were busy doing something before I came.”

“Oh, I was just reviewing for an exam,” you replied, still in shock at the circumstance. “I-uh… ar-are you okay?”

“No, I actually need your help,” he said, shaking his head. He tried to straighten his back, hissing in pain as he did so. “Shit,” he mumbled.

“What happened?” you asked as you quickly went to your cabinet to grab the medical kit box you use for nursing school. You set it on the bed beside him.

“The usual. Just saving the city. They call me hero, you know,” he chuckled lightly as he saw you jokingly roll your eyes at his answer. “And yet you’re here asking for help from a citizen,” you teased.

“A pretty citizen,” he teased back.

You blushed for a moment before clearing your throat. “Uh–so where do you need my help?”

“My face. He threw his phone at me when he ran off.”

“Well, were you able to catch him?”

“With me on his tail?” he scoffed. “He never stood a chance.”

You washed your hands before sitting beside him. “You’re one lucky person, you know that?” you said, carefully putting your fingers under the edge of his mask as you prepared to take it off.

“How so?” he replied, relishing the feeling of your face close to his.

“Out of all the apartments here, you went into mine all banged up. What a coincidence because I know just how to help you.”

“Well, it’s not really a coincidence since I know you’re a nursing student and you had medical supplies. You’re also the only one I trust who can help me.”

You froze with his words, feeling a sense of fear and betrayal. You just met him, you haven’t told him those details. “How did you know I’m a nursing student?” you asked with a tone of accusation. You immediately stood up straight and removed your hand from his mask.

“Y/N, wait–”

“How did you know my name?”

“Y/N, just listen,” he had his hands up, “I’m not gonna hurt you. Don’t worry. You know me, just wait–”

“What do you mean?”

“Take my mask off and you’ll see.”

“Why should I trust you?”

“Well–uh, because… I’m Spider-Man?” he shrugged and then tried to chuckle. You glared at him.

 “Look, can we please just stay calm?” he pleaded. “If I try to hurt you, which will never happen, you can hurt me back and I won’t even try to fight you.”

When you didn’t reply, he spoke again. “I still need your help with my face. Please?” 

You gave in, hesitantly sitting beside him again. “Fine. But you’re leaving once I’m done.”

“Deal.”

You turned his face, putting a finger… and another… then another… underneath his mask until it was enough for you to be able to remove it. His breathing hitched as you slowly, almost teasingly, pulled his mask up.

Halfway through, you already had an idea of who he was. You recognized those lips. Those lips were unforgettable, you had stared at them countless times when they moved as Peter Parker talked. But Peter Parker can’t be Spider-Man… right?

The more you revealed his face, the faster your heart was beating. Your hand rested on his cheek as you used your other hand to remove the mask fully, you felt him lean into your touch.

When you removed it all completely, the first thing you saw was his long curly eyelashes. His eyes were closed, but when he looked up to meet your eyes, it confirmed just about any suspicions you had about who he was. Peter Parker, your best friend that you haven’t seen for so long, the man you had buried feelings for.

“Peter,” you softly called his name.

“Hi,” he smiled. “See, you didn’t have to worry. I’ll never hurt you.”

You smiled back at him, but then you saw a cut just above his left eyebrow. It must’ve been where the phone had an impact. “You really got hurt pretty bad, huh?”

“Hmm,” he nodded. “Will you help me?” 

“I don’t know… let me think,” you teased. 

He was looking at you like a sad puppy.

“You’re lucky you’re my best friend,” you smiled. You briefly saw him look at your lips. You cleared your throat. “Umm-okay. So first, I’m gonna clean the area around the wound to prevent any infection. It might sting a little, I promise I’ll be quick.”

He watched you as you grabbed a sterile pad and a bottle of antiseptic. You held his chin to steady his face while your other hand gently cleaned the area around his wound. He closed his eyes as you did so, relishing the feeling of your hand on his face.

It didn’t hurt him, he was used to this kind of pain and injury as Spider-Man, but he still whimpered softly just so he could watch you be worried for him. You looked just like you did when you were a little girl being worried for him whenever he injured himself. 

“I’m sorry, look it’s done,” you said, taking a closer look at the cut to examine the extent of the wound. “It’s not too deep, luckily. But we still need to ensure it heals properly. I’ll apply an adhesive strip to help keep the wound closed as it heals,” you smiled, carefully placing the adhesive strip over the cut, you made sure it aligned with the wound’s edges for optimal healing. 

He was still looking at you. He could get used to this—the sight of you taking care of him. Maybe if he had you to take care of his wounds every time, he wouldn’t feel bad about having injuries. He had always admired how soft and caring you are. He used to tease you for that when you were children, but in all honesty, he only did that because he had a crush on you. Growing up, that little crush grew into something stronger. Even after you moved into an apartment away from where he lived, he still checked your social media to get updated on your life. He also visited you sometimes.

“Thank you for doing this,” he whispered. He was scared to move his face, he didn’t want you to move your hand away. You looked at his eyes, not for too long though, because you knew that if you stared for more than 3 seconds, you’d fall deep into his eyes and do something you weren’t sure he’d want you to do. “I could never say no to you,” you whispered back.

You weren’t sure why you were both whispering, it wasn’t as if you two were scared of making noises. Maybe because you were scared to break the tension that surrounded the two of you. You were so close to him, too close. You knew that it wasn’t too long until one of you had to act on it. If someone did act on it, the line between friendship and something more would be crossed and you’d risk losing each other completely if someone didn’t feel the same.

“There we go. The adhesive strip should hold the skin together. It might be a bit uncomfortable, but it will ensure a better, faster recovery.”

Peter didn’t want you to stop. He hoped this wasn’t the last step.

“Finally, we need to apply a sterile gauze pad to absorb any potential bleeding. I’ll secure it in place with some medical tape.”

The word ‘finally’ made Peter disappointed. After this, what would happen? Would the two of you just go back again to being the two best friends who were too busy with their lives that they barely saw each other? Could he really leave this apartment without having to feel your lips on his?

You gently placed a sterile gauze pad over the area, making sure it covers the cut adequately. You then carefully taped the pad down, ensuring it stayed in place. “The gauze pad will provide an extra layer of protection and help absorb any additional drainage from the wound. Make sure to keep it clean and change it regularly…” you realized this was the last step. In contrast to what you told him earlier, you didn’t want him to leave yet. “Or you could just visit me here again and I’ll clean and change it for you.”

Peter frowned as your hand left his face, he watched you gather your supplies and put them in the box. You stood up, putting the box back to where you got it before washing your hands again. You didn’t know what to do after that, so you just sat beside him again with your head down.

No one dared to speak for a moment. 

It was Peter who broke the silence. “Thank you, Y/N.”

You looked at him to see he was already looking at you. “It was my pleasure, Peter.”

“You’re not angry? Or surprised that I’m Spider-Man? I kept a huge secret from you,” he asked.

“Surprised? Yes. Angry? No,” you admitted. “I mean, we grew up. We don’t see each other often anymore. It was inevitable that there are gonna be things we don’t know about each other anymore.”

“We used to be inseparable,” Peter spoke, remembering the memories you two had before you both went to different schools for college. “What happened to us?”

“Life,” you stated sadly. “We got busy.” 

Peter smiled, a hint of pain behind it. “I’m sorry if I didn’t visit you here that much.”

You reached out to hold his hand. “No, I’m sorry. I got too busy with my course. Sometimes, I forget to reply to your texts. I was so focused on chasing my dreams, I don’t even realize that I’ve completely shut people out.”

He stroked your cheek with his hand, wiping a tear that escaped from your eye. “I missed you so much, Y/N.”

“I missed you too, Pete. So much,” you leaned into his touch. 

“What if I told you that I actually didn’t need your help? As Spider-Man, I’m used to these injuries. I’ve learned how to fix them myself.”

You looked at his eyes; he was looking down. “But you still decided to knock on my window…”

“Yes… it’s just–” he paused. “Honestly, I don’t know,” he admitted. “I see your apartment window every night, always wanting to show myself to you. But I wasn’t sure if you wanted to see me, so I end up just sitting on a rooftop ledge staring at your silhouette against your curtained window. I don’t know what came over me tonight, I have no idea where I got the courage–I just know that I missed you so much. After I got wounded, I longed for your touch so I made my injury an excuse so I can see you.” 

“The fact that you had to make excuses just to see me means I’ve failed at being a best friend.” 

“Y/N, no. Don’t say that. I got busy too… and too afraid. All I had to do was knock on your window but I didn’t. The fear always got me.”

“The fear of what?” you asked through your tears.

“The fear of you not wanting to see me. The fear of you moving away again.”

“You really thought that I wouldn’t want to see you?”

“I-I don’t know, maybe? Or maybe the real fear is rejection. I’m scared of you rejecting me.”

“Peter, why would I reject you?”

He still wouldn’t look at you. You held his chin up and turned his face so you could look at him. “Tell me, why would I reject you?” you repeated your question.

“Because I don’t want us to go back to what we used to,” he finally looked at you. “I don’t want us to barely see each other again. I want to be able to see you every day if I can. I don’t want us to have a reason to ignore each other’s messages or calls again. Yes, we can be busy, but I want us to be busy together.  I don’t want us to fall apart again. I-I want us to be together… I want us to be something more.”

You didn’t know the words to reply, so instead you pulled him into a kiss. Peter’s eyes widened. He was already planning to kiss you, he didn’t expect you to beat him and do it first to him. The kiss was long and full of meaning—your lips may not be able to say the right words for an apology, but it did the job in the form of a kiss.

You both laughed the moment you pulled away but sadness and guilt washed over you again. “Sorry for shutting you out,” you apologized. He kissed you again. “Shh. Let’s just start over, okay?”

“Okay,” you agreed. Your eyes caught the digital clock on your desk. It was way past midnight and you still haven’t finished reviewing for your exam which was now just hours away. You immediately straightened up. “Shit.”

“What is it?” Peter asked.

“My exams.”

Peter looked at your clock and the books on your table. He then noticed you getting anxious beside him. “Hey, look at me.”

You stayed staring at the clock before Peter stood up and blocked your view of the clock with his face. He knelt in front of where you sat on the bed. “It’s gonna be okay,” he smiled. “Let’s make it a mission, okay? Let’s do it like this… I’ll help you review and our goal is to finish it in an hour. And then after that, you can still get some sleep.”

“In an hour?”

“Yeah. I know we can do it.”

“ Are you serious?”

“Do I look like I’m joking?”

“No.”

“Then I’m serious. Come on,” he stood up, pulling you with him.

An hour, two coffees, and 37 pages later, you both found yourselves laying with your backs on the floor. “I told you we can do it,” he chuckled.

You turned your body so you could face him, he did the same so he could face you. “Thank you for helping me review, Peter,” you said quietly.

“You’re welcome. I didn’t do it for free though,” he replied jokingly.

“Oh, is that right?” you asked, smiling.

“Yup, I accept payments in the form of kisses.”

You chuckled before pulling him into another kiss. 

“I should’ve knocked on your window a long time ago,” Peter said after pulling away to catch his breath.

SLYTHERHEIGN TAGLIST: @writingstoraes @joshiiieeenesx

TASM!PETER PARKER TAGLIST: @mymilkducts @i-am-woman-strong @lauraneedstochill @jeanettexkillian @ms-mandalore @enaraism @alessandralol @sad-darksoul @sincericida @mentallystablepotato @mich0731 @logolepsic-insomniac @k0miiki @dreamsarecloserwithyou @jumilzzz @primroseparker @preciousbabypeter @myheartonthemove @rebecca-johnson-28 @silkholland @ellievickstar @okkulta @geekygamerchick @starqwerty20 ​ @the-quiet-observer @softiepeterpan @willowhaired @sflame15-blog @pompeygirl89 @remuslupinsdocs

[janicho88]

I Got You - Chapter 4

Pairing- Jake 'Hangman' Seresin x Female!Reader

Word count- 2,225

Warnings- Language, mentions of domestic violence, injuries, and abuse, abusive boyfriend, hurt reader, protective Jake. If I missed something, please let me know.

A/N- Before we get any further into this, there will be a few differences from the movie. Ice was sick, but beat it, the aviators are there for a six-week training, not three. I'm sure there are going to be Naval inaccuracies. This one has been sitting in my WIP since last fall. First Jake story, I hope I can do him justice. The first few chapters will be a little heavy, but we will move past that. Thank you to @slightly-psycho-multifan for beta'ing!

Summary- When you have finally reached a breaking point, you call the one person you trust for help. He’s never seen you as more than a friend, but he is the person you know you’re safest with.  It’s been months since he has had so much as a text from you, but Jake Seresin would do anything for the Navy princess he met years ago.  The pilot knows she means more to him than he ever will to her, but he will do anything for her.

Series Masterlist

Unsurprisingly, it’s the quickest you have fallen asleep in a long time.  Sometime during the short night, you moved over closer to Jake.  It’s the weight across his chest that stirs him from the little sleep he has gotten.  It takes a minute for everything to register back with him, and what he felt was your casted arm moving across his chest as you curled into his side.  Taking a glance at his phone on the table to check how much time he has before his alarm goes off the exhausted aviator sees 6:40 glares back at him.

He yawns as he closes his eyes once more. 6:40, okay I just have to be in the briefing room at 7, I’ve still got twenty minutes, he thinks to himself.

“Shit,” he hollers while quickly sitting up.  His alarm should have gone off at 6, he must have forgotten to set it with everything else going on last night.  At Least he remembered to plug in his phone. 

His shout has you jerking awake and cowering away from the noise.  Jake immediately feels guilty when he sees the worry in your eyes. Then he notices you holding your wrist.  That was the arm you had draped over him, and he must have aggravated it when he shot up so fast.

“I’m sorry darling, I shouldn’t have done that.  I forgot to set my alarm, I have to get going before I’m late.”

While he rushes into the bathroom, you sit in bed trying to calm your racing heart. He comes back out in his boxers and a black sleeveless shirt.  Grabbing a green flight suit off his dresser, he starts talking to you as he stumbles into it. 

“I’ve got to get to base. I’m sorry, but I don't think there’s much here for food other than what we picked up yesterday. We should get some kind of a break for lunch, I’ll grab something and bring it back for you.  I’ll drop your prescriptions off then.  I shut your phone off last night, just in case there was any tracking app on there.  I will check it over later before you turn it back on.  I’ll go grab the motrin, you might want to take one to help calm the wrist back down.  I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt it.”

Your brain is too foggy to quickly grasp everything he is throwing out at you. When it all catches up, you just nod.

“It’s still early, after you take some medicine, why don’t you try and get a little more sleep.”

You try to respond, but your throat is pretty sore, so you just nod.

He disappears out the door, and is back a few minutes later with pills, a bottle of water and the crackers from last night.

“You shouldn’t take these on an empty stomach.  Help yourself to anything in the house.  Keep the door locked, and I will be back as soon as I can alright, darlin?”

“Alright.  Thanks Jake,” you whisper out.  The water helps coat your throat, but time will probably be the best remedy.

There are two stop lights between Jake’s house and base, and he manages to hit them both red.  Pulling in the first empty park he finds, he grabs his bag and is racing inside.  There is no running inside the buildings, so he is speed walking to the locker room to throw the bag on top of the lockers.  No time to mess with getting the locker open right now.  Then down the hall to the briefing room.       

Jake pauses before he opens the door taking a deep breath, he slips into Hangman.  A mask of arrogance he has perfected over the years.  Very few truly see the real Jake. Standing tall he opens the door and heads inside.

“Hangman.” Maverick calls out from the front of the room. “So good of you to join us this morning.”

Jake takes a quick inventory of available seats, and finds the only empty row is his usual spot up front. He doesn’t say anything as he walks up the aisle.

“Can you tell me the time Lieutenant?” Maverick questions. 

Stopping at his seat Jake glances down at his watch.  “7:05 sir.”

“Your watch works, so what is your excuse for arriving late?”

“I don’t have one sir.”

He can hear the snickers of his fellow aviators.  A few of them are thrilled to see him in trouble. 

“You don’t have one?”

“No sir.”

“Tardiness is not rewarded, or tolerated,” a voice from behind Jake says, “you’ll sit out the morning hop, Lieutenant.”

Hangman turns around to face his superior.  “Yes sir Admiral.”  Of course Cyclone had to be in here already.   

Maverick picks apart their dog fights from yesterday, before telling them he expects better today.  The pilots are dismissed to change into their flight gear.  Jake doesn’t bother putting his on since he won’t be flying yet, then they move to the ready room.  The first group is in the air when Coyote comes over.  

“Man, what happened this morning.”

“I didn’t set my alarm.  Won’t happen again.”

“How could you forget that?”

“Had a long night.”

“Did you even get her name this time?”

Hangman rolls his eyes at his friend, “wasn’t that kinda night.”

“Well then…”

Jake notices Rooster and Phoenix listening in, so he quickly cuts Coyote off.  “Javy, could we please just let it go right now?”

“Fine.”  His friend gets up and moves back over to listen to the radio.

Rooster smirks just before he opens his mouth, but Hangman is ready for him too.  “Bradshaw, don’t even think about opening your mouth.”

Of course the other pilot ignores him.  “The too good to be true Hangman, finally starting to fall apart?”

“I swear Chicken, if you keep talking I will…”

“You will what Hangman?” Cyclone questions walking in.

Jake closes his eyes, quickly running his hand over his face, “Nothing sir.”

“Next two should be getting ready.  Hangman come with me.”

Jake follows the Admiral to his office, and stands at attention in front of Cyclone’s desk while the senior officer tears into him.

He leans forward in his chair to emphasize the end of his rant.  “This mission isn’t a joke Lieutenant.  If that’s the way you are going to be approaching it I should just send you back to Lemoore right now. One more toe out of line and you’re gone, do you understand?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Back to the ready room, you're grounded for the day.”

“Yes, sir.”

When he returns, the second group is already in the air. He walks in taking a seat in the corner, doing his best to ignore everyone around him right now.  He wouldn’t be in this mess if he just remembered to set his damn alarm.  

When the last group finally lands, Maverick dismisses them for their break.

“You all have 45 minutes to grab lunch and report back to the briefing room.”

While the last group of aviators heads to the locker room to get out of their gear, Jake runs in for his phone and keys.  Heading out to his truck, he is stopped by Maverick.

“Where do you think you’re going, Hangman?”

 “I have to take care of something, I’ll be back before the briefing.”

“You’ve already demonstrated this morning you can’t be trusted to be on time, I don't think you should be leaving base right now.”

Hangman clenches his teeth in frustration, “is that an order sir?”

Maverick thinks it over for a minute.  “Yes, it is.  Get back to the mess hall.”

“Yes, sir.” 

He turns around and heads back toward the building, but stops shy of going inside.  So now he can’t pick you up anything, or take your prescriptions in.  Worse, he doesn’t have a way to get a hold of you to tell you what’s going on. 

Pacing around outside, he finally thinks of who he could ask.  He’s going to owe her big for this.  Picking up his phone, he hopes she answers.

“The Hard Deck.”

“Penny?”

“Yes, can I help you?”

“It’s Jake  Seresin.”

“You disappeared very quickly last night. I’d ask if it was the blonde, but she was still pouting in the corner when I checked.”

“Yeah, something came up.  Penny, I need a huge favor.”

“You know I’m not open yet Jake, and I can’t bring you alcohol on base.  No matter how crazy Mave drives you.”

“It’s not that exactly.  I was planning on running home during our lunch break, but now I’m stuck on base.  There’s…a…um…I…um…have…a…friend at my place.  She can’t leave right now.  Is there any way you could run her over something for lunch?  Just knock on the door, and tell her you know me, and I asked you to drop it off.”

“You could Doordash it from someplace.  I’m not a delivery service for your hookups Seresin.”

“It’s not like that.  I don’t want to send some stranger she doesn’t know coming to my house and freaking her out.”

“But you want me to go?  You could call and tell her what’s going on, and you were sending her food.”  Penny responds.

Too late Jake realizes that while you do know Penny, she can’t know that she knows the person staying with him..  You don’t want anyone to know you are here yet.

“I know you.  Please Penny, my dear.  I wouldn’t bother you if this wasn’t important.  I can’t call and tell her, her phone isn’t working.”

“Fine, because I have a few errands to run anyways.  You owe me Lieutenant.  What does she eat?”

“I know I do. How about a turkey sandwich, no onion.  Maybe a side of soup if you have it.  If you just let her know it’s there and leave it on the front porch she can grab it from there whenever.”

“Alright, I’ll get this over there in a little bit.”

“Thank you so much Penny.”  

After making sure Penny knows where she is taking it, Jake heads back inside.  He never noticed Maverick back inside watching him through the window. 

Hangman picks at his lunch, not much of an appetite even though he only grabbed a protein bar for breakfast.  Coyote tries to get him to talk about this morning, but he keeps avoiding the questions.

While the aviators are back in the briefing room with Maverick, Penny is about to pull into Jake’s driveway.  She decides at the last minute to go past and come back around.  She parks her car on the other side of the road facing Jake’s place and walks up to the front porch. 

Penny tries to peer in the windows as she moves closer to the house, but can’t see anything with the curtains pulled. This all just seems a little off to her.  Once she’s outside the front door, she can faintly make out sound coming from a tv.  Knocking on the door and ringing the bell, she waits for Jake’s guest to answer.  After a minute or two, no one comes, but Penny can no longer hear the television.

“Hello, I’m Penny.  I know Jake, or Lieutenant Serisen, he asked me to drop off some food here because he got stuck on base,” she calls out to whoever is in the house.

Curled up on the corner of Jake’s couch, you are frozen in place once the knocking starts.  You mute the movie, hoping whoever it is will go away thinking no one is home.  Then you hear the visitor call out and identify herself.

Your heartbeat starts to slow back down when you realize the person outside isn’t a direct threat, but you still don’t want her to know you are the one inside.  Penny’s friends with your mom, so there is a chance she could tell her about seeing you.  Why did Jake do this?  You could have just waited for him to get home.  Although your rumbling stomach disagrees, especially with the thought of something Penny made you.

A few more minutes go by, and you hear your favorite bartender call out again.  “Okay, well if anyone inside can hear me.  I’m going to go, but the food is sitting outside the door.”

You give it a few minutes and slowly move toward the front window and pull the curtain back slightly.  There isn’t a car in the driveway, so she must be gone already.  Moving toward the front door, you check out the peephole to be sure before unlocking it.  Sliding onto the porch you pick up the bag in your good hand before locking yourself inside once again. 

Penny is still sitting in her car, watching Jake’s front door, trying to figure out what is going on with the aviator she’s grown fond of.   It has been a few minutes and she just about gave up on anyone appearing, when a woman slowly steps out the door in a too big Navy sweatshirt, and leggings.  It looks like there is something on her left hand, and even from the road, Penny can make out bruises on her neck and face.  It isn’t until she really looks at the face before the woman slides back in the house that she realizes she is looking at Y/N Kazansky.

Thank you for reading!

Chapter 5

IGY Tags

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[be-your-coffee-pot]

Hiiii love could you maybe do a Harry one shot where the readers a diabetic and when she’s out one day there’s a toxic fan saying stuff to her like “Harry shouldn’t have to take care of you” and “Harry shouldn’t be dating a disabled person” and stuff like that? I’m a diabetic and I get really insecure sometimes if you don’t want to it’s fine hope you have a good day/night :)

A/N: Alright babe I tried my best and I don't know a lot about the problem so I just winged it with Google I'm sorry if there are any inaccuracies. Also you don't need to get insecure darling, diseases happen they don't define who you are. Besides Harry has asthma doubt he's one to judge

Pairing: Harry Styles x reader

Word Count: Close to 1k

TW: None except curse words and talks about diabetes

My eyes droop as I finish washing my hands in the mall toilet. Even though I’ve just been out shopping for an hour, I feel like I could drop dead any second now. I was in a reasonably good state when I woke up today, so I decided to go out and treat myself to a day of shopping which is turning out to not be such a good idea. Besides the fatigue and weakness, my day has been pretty great. I slightly stumble out of the bathroom with a blurry vision, apologising to the woman I bumped into. 

Fucking diabetes. It's been years since I was diagnosed, but it most definitely hasn’t been easy. The constant tiredness, mood swings and all are just a bit more manageable with Harry, who’s unfortunately not here with me today. My boyfriend of 3 years is in LA and won’t be returning for another week, so here I am trying to occupy myself. 

I’m waiting for my coffee in the food court when I hear them, these two girls pointing and whispering at me like I didn’t notice. I paid them no mind and instead sat down quickly, gulping from my water bottle. 

They’re just a couple of tables back, and somehow, through all the bustle of the floor, I can hear them clearly. 

“Isn’t that Harry’s girlfriend? Jesus, look at her.” “Yeah, like she’s all bones.” They snicker to themselves at that comment as tears sheen over my eyes. 

“I heard she’s a diabetic. Can you believe it? A fucking diabetic, and Harry Styles is with her.” “Proper burden she must be. My gran had diabetes; it was so hard to take care of her. Imagine how much poor Harry must be struggling.” “He’s so perfect. Why the fuck is he even dating a disabled person?” With that, I shakily get up and rush out of the door. Screw the damn coffee. 

Having other people confirm my fears, just how much trouble I was to someone I loved dearly, hurt, to say the least. I knew better than to get caught up in the words of 2 teenage girls who knew jack shit about me, but that, mixed with my rising insecurities, was affecting me badly without Harry. He wouldn’t have let them get to me if he was here. But he wasn’t.

As I sit in my car, tears have started to go down my face. My unsteady hands dial Harry’s number, which rings until it goes to voicemail. I keep trying, but it keeps going to voicemail. Great, he isn't even picking up my phone. Did he suddenly realise how much of a burden I was?

I couldn’t watch a movie with Harry properly because of having to go to the toilet repeatedly, always having to carry a water bottle around, couldn’t go anywhere without insulin, I was constantly losing more weight than I needed to, always weak and tired. What more reason does somebody need to stop tolerating me?

Trying my best to hold myself together until I reach home, I practice everything Harry taught me to reduce my chances of having an anxiety attack. That’ll just tire me out more. 

Once I pull up to the driveway, I race inside, giving no fucks about the bags in the car. My body collapses onto the sofa in the living room, heaving with thick sobs. 

Why do their words hurt so much? They shouldn’t. I shouldn’t be so weak, I should be strong enough to pay them no mind, but I’m not. 

I don’t hear the front door opening or the bags dropping on the floor as I cry. I don’t register him until his tattooed arms are wrapped around my trembling frame, and his smooth voice is whispering in my ears. 

Harry tugs me onto his lap, completely enveloping me with his warmth. 

“Hey mi amore, what’s wrong, hmm? Why’s my sweet girl crying like this? Came home early to surprise you, and you surprised me instead.” 

I giggle softly at him as the waterworks gradually cease.

Harry’s green eyes peer at me fondly but sternly enough to tell me I’m not getting out of this by saying ‘nothing’, but I know he’s not gonna push me too much if I don’t want to talk about it. He understands I have trouble opening up and talking about my feeling. It’s been three years, and I just love him more for it every day.

I sniffle into his sweater, quietly breathing him in. 

“I-I went to the mall today for some shopping. I was bored, so I thought, why not.” He gently smiles at me as an encouragement to continue. “It was good. It was pretty good except a few things, the tiredness and all you know. I went up to the food court to get a coffee, and there were these two girls a couple tables back. They were talking. Said you shouldn’t have to date a disabled person like me and that you shouldn’t be obliged to take care of me and all my burdens-” 

“You didn’t believe them, did you, sunflower?” 

A finger tilts my chin to look him in the eyes when I don’t answer

“Baby it's for me to decide what I should or shouldn’t do and loving you’s my antidote, lovie. Wouldn’t give that for the world.”

“You’re gonna make me cry now.” 

Harry just laughs and tucks me into himself further.

“A disease you have doesn’t define you who are, darling. Besides those are happy tears aren’t they?”

[musings-of-a-rose]

Meet the Millers - Chapter 3

Pairing: Joel Miller x Benny Miller x Will Miller x f!reader

Word Count: 4200+

Rating: Mature - 18+ ONLY!

Warnings: Bear in mind the pairing of this fic along with the fact it’s set in a post-apocalyptic setting, so there will be themes and elements fitting the setting.

Just like ao3, “creator chooses not to use warnings.” If you click Keep Reading, that means you agree that you’re the age to handle mature themes. Also by clicking Keep Reading, you understand warnings may not be complete in order to avoid spoilers for the story. However, if you’d like trigger warnings, click here to view them for this chapter.

Notes: I hit 200 followers and wanted to give y’all a little something so I did a poll and let you pick what one shot I write next. This is what y’all picked! I hope I can deliver. I started this out as a one shot and it MAJORLY got away from me, so now it’s a mini series.

-This is set loosely in The Last of Us universe. I’ve only played a bit of the game and watched others play (and the show isn’t out yet), so please forgive any inaccuracies. Also it’s a post-apocalyptic world so I’m taking a bunch of liberties here. Because fan fiction.

-Ages at the time of this story (so you don’t have to do math):

Reader: 28

Benny: 35

Will: 38

Joel: 50

*Reader is ethnicity inclusive despite stock photo bias

**If you want to be added to the taglist, join here or let me know!

<<Chapter 2

Meet the Millers Masterlist

Main Masterlist

“The reservoir’s on the side.”

You jump and the pot clatters to the floor, smashing to pieces as you turn and meet the eyes of…

“Benny?”

Benny looks at you, obviously just as shocked as you were. “Ghost?”

He scans down your body and sees Will’s shirt, his face shifting to some emotion you couldn’t place.

“What are you doing here?” you ask, suddenly very aware this is the first time you’ve seen him in the daylight and how is the sun making his hair look like that? Have his eyes always been that blue?

“I live here, sweetheart. I think I should be asking you. Although I can guess.” He gestures to your shirt and you feel even more heat rush to your cheeks.

“I..well I..we..”

“Morning, Ben.” Will has shuffled down the hall, wearing only sweatpants, showing off his defined muscles.

Will stares between you and Benny, sensing the tension in the room.

“Everything ok here?”

You open your mouth to answer but Benny beats you to it. “Just dropped the coffee pot. Need a new one.”

“Damn. Better do that before Joel gets back or he’ll have a fit. Don’t move, darlin’. We’ll get the glass.”

Your mouth has dropped open slightly as you watch both of these men get on their knees in front of you, gently sweeping up the shards of glass that surround you.

“I-I’m sorry.” you choke out.

They both look up at you with those blue eyes and you nearly slap your head for not seeing how they look like brothers. Why hadn’t you noticed?

“It’s ok, Ghost.” Benny speaks first and Will snaps his head to his.

“Ghost? You know- shit. She’s the girl you’ve been sleeping with?”

Benny looks back up at you, a smile tugging at his lips. “Yeah. She is.”

There’s no way flames haven’t erupted on your face. Why are you feeling embarrassed? The deal was no commitment, no expectations. So why do you feel like you’ve been caught with your hand in the cookie jar?

Because you’re in love with them both, you idiot.

“I- I-” You jump over the remaining glass, heading back towards Will’s room. You make it and shut the door behind you, grabbing your clothes and heading into the bathroom. You get dressed and stand in front of the sink, staring at yourself in the mirror. You don’t look physically half bad, but mentally? Turning on the sink, you lean over and splash some cold water on your face, using the shirt you had been wearing of Will’s to pat your face dry. Taking a few deep breaths, you finally psych yourself up enough to leave. What’s the issue? You’re all adults who agreed to the rules. It’s not like you knew they were brothers.

With one last look in the mirror, you leave the bathroom and cross the bedroom, opening the door and heading down the hallway. Benny and Will are still in the living room, sitting on the couch, and they stand up when you come down the hall.

“I’ll replace the coffee pot. I know a place I can get one.” You say it fast, not looking at either of them and trying to beeline straight for the door.

“Ghost,” Will says but you don’t turn around. As you make your way out of the door, you hear Benny say “Just give her a minute.”

You basically run to your flat, very surprised that sector security didn’t bother to stop you in your obviously distressed state. How could you let this happen? It was a rule - no going to the other’s home. You knew this and yet you followed Will home. Admittedly, it was to keep you safe but now? Now things are fucked and you’re fairly certain neither one of them will want anything to do with you now, the only people you actually gave a shit about in this entire Godforsaken city.

Crying in the shower seemed like a good option so you go for it, hoping the water would clear your head or at least wash away the memory. You stayed in there for as long as you could tolerate the increasingly cold water, stepping out and shivering slightly. You weren’t in the cheapest area in town but definitely just above it, and so you were nearly last on the hot water front, the water heater being older than you.

You stay inside all day, moving things around, reorganizing cabinets, anything and everything you could do to keep your mind off of that morning. It’s not like you knew they were brothers. As the sun starts to set, you remember - you have to work tonight. Which meant going on the wall. Which meant seeing Benny.

Shit.

Hoping he’d steer clear of you for at least tonight while you figured out a way to apologize and internally deal with 2 people you cared deeply for leaving you, you put on your work clothes and boots and head out the door, making your way up the many rickety rows of stairs. The metal and wood creak beneath you as you climb, welcome for the walk for once, the pains in your legs giving you something to focus on. Stepping off the last step, you take a few deep breaths and stretch, staring out beyond the wall at the buildings that have been taken over by various plants and vines.

“Hey, sweetheart.”

Benny’s voice is clear in the quiet night. You nod but say nothing, eyes ahead on the trees below.

“Listen, you have nothing to be sorry for. A deal’s a deal.” You scoff, shifting your weight from one foot to the other.

“However, when you’re ready to talk…Will and I..just please come back to our place? Your sector pass will still work, Will made sure. Can you promise me that?”

Without looking at him, you nod. “Yes.”

“Thank you, sweetheart. I’ll leave you be.”

Benny shuffles off through the watchtower down to his section of the wall. Once the sound of his footfalls fade, you let out the breath you’d been holding. His reaction wasn’t what you were expecting. You’d guessed he would be…mad? Upset? Weirded out? But Benny was calm and level headed, which isn’t typically like him. Thinking back on what he said, curiosity gets the better of you and you tell yourself you’re being childish. You know Benny and Will have the night off in a few days. That’s when you’ll go see them.

—----

Waiting those few days was pure torture. All you could think about was Benny and Will and how much you missed them. Not just your activities, but talking to them and being around them. Shit, how were you going to choose one of them? If they even wanted you? At least you managed to secure a replacement coffee pot.

It’s evening time and you dress in jeans and a shirt, tossing on your black jacket as you head out the door. It will take you a while to cross through 2 sector borders, but you knew Benny and Will would be home. You get through both sector checks easily, the men checking your id and giving you a smile as they wave you through. You ascend the tower, heading to the Miller’s home. Hesitating, your fist raised in front of the door, you take a deep breath and exhale, knocking a few times on the door. Will answers and smiles at you.

“Hey, darlin’. It’s good to see you.”

“You too, Will.”

He gestures for you to come in and you do, taking your jacket off and hanging it on a hook near the door. You slide your boots off too, remembering Will had had you take off your shoes the last time you were here.

“I brought you a replacement.” You hold up the coffee pot. “I hope it works.”

“Thanks, Ghost. Now Joel won’t kill us when he gets back.”

You chuckle nervously as Will takes the coffee pot from you, walking it into the kitchen and setting it in the sink to wash.

“Drink?”

“God yes.”

It’s Will’s turn to laugh and he pours out 3 glasses of some brown liquid from a bottle. He sees you watching and laughs darkly. “It’s the piss stuff. Sorry, darlin’.

Smiling, you accept the glass Will hands you as he gestures for you to sit on the couch. He sits in a chair across the coffee table from you.

“Benny’ll be right out. Had to shower. He had training today.”

You nod and take a sip of your drink, feeling Will’s intense gaze on your face. A few moments later, Benny emerges from the hall, hair still wet and sticking to his neck, choosing to wear only a simple shirt and sweatpants, in contrast to Will’s jeans and button-up shirt.

“Hey, Ghost! Glad you could make it!”

You manage a small smile at his enthusiasm as he sits in the chair next to Will, across from you. He accepts the cup Will hands him and takes a sip, grunting a little at the burn.

“I always forget how this shit burns.”

The room is quiet for a moment as the three of you sit there, each waiting for the other to speak. Benny, unable to stand the silence any more, is the first to talk.

“Listen, Ghost. We know you were embarrassed or something the other day. And you didn’t need to be-”

“I broke a rule. It’s my fault-”

“Just listen. Will and I talked when you left and we have-” he looks at his brother who nods “-a proposition for you.”

Your heart is racing - you know this is the moment they ask you to pick one or leave, and you’re not sure you can do either of those things. Inhaling deeply, you nod as you exhale.

“We’d like you to be with us. Both of us.”

“Exclusively,” Will adds on.

Confused, you furrow your brows together. “I’m not sure I understand.”

Benny and Will exchange a look. “We’d like you to be with us, and only us,” Will tries to clarify.

Comprehension is slowly coming to you, but you’re still not sure you heard them right. “You..you don’t want me to pick? Or leave?”

“Fuck no!” Benny says loudly. “We want you. With us. Both of us.”

“But only us,” Will continues.

The light bulb clicks in your brain and you finally get it. “You mean…romantically? All of us?”

“Yeah but there’s some ground rules,” Will clarifies.

“Ok.”

“Basically, you’ll be with us. No one else.”

You nod. “I get that but how does..it work?”

“How does what work?”

Heat flushes your face and you have no idea why it’s so hard to talk about it with them of all people. “You know..” you gesture your hand around and Will and Benny raise their eyebrows looking at you. Sighing exasperatedly, you reply “sex! Sex, ok? How does that work?”

They both laugh and you cross your arms, pouting a little. “It’s not that funny.”

“No sweetheart. It’s just..we knew what you were askin’. We just wanted to hear you say it.”

“You guys suck.”

Their laughter dies down and Benny stands up, walking around to sit next to you. “If you want to be with me, then you’d be with me.” Will does the same, sitting on your opposite side. “And if you want to be with me, then you’d be with me. Same goes for either of us wanting to be with you.”

The both of them so close to you and focusing all of their attention on you makes you feel warm, a tingle spreading through your body and setting up camp in between your thighs.

"And what if…what if I can’t choose?” you say it quietly, feeling a little embarrassed to ask. Will and Benny look at each other over your head.

“Well, sweetheart, I’m not gonna touch my brother but I can also ignore his dick.”

More heat on your face as you turn to look at Benny. “What..does that even mean?”

“It means this.” Will’s voice is by your ear as he starts to kiss a spot behind it, nipping at your earlobe. Your head tilts back on instinct and Benny makes his move, kissing your neck and sucking, a mark rising to the surface of your skin as he lets go. Will continues to kiss and nip at your ear, but Benny pulls back to study your face.

“Is this alright, sweetheart?” his hand is on your upper thigh, applying gentle pressure that lights your skin on fire.

You feel overwhelmed, overstimulated, but in the best ways possible. Will’s teeth are leaving marks on your neck and Benny’s bright blue eyes continue to take you in, his hand sliding a little closer to your inner thigh.

“I…I…” You find it very hard to focus on language, or any form of communication with the both of them paying such intense attention to you.

Will seems to pick up on this at the same time Benny does and Will sits up, Benny dropping his hand from your thigh. Two sets of blue eyes, one more grey blue and the other brighter, crash into you like the ocean, waves of care and adoration washing over you and you chuckle nervously.

“Holy shit,” you whisper and the smiles that come across their faces are wicked.

“Ghost, we won’t continue this way if you don’t want to. We want you to be 100% on board.” Will, always the one to get down to business, says this with a normal tone, as if he didn’t just ask you to date him and his brother at the same time and that he’s cool with it.

“We care about you, sweetheart. Both of us. And we realized that neither one of us was willing to give you up.”

You try to speak, but Benny cuts you off again, hand raised in the air.

“I know, I know. We weren’t supposed to catch feelings, but fuck, Ghost. I broke that rule before we ever had sex.”

Will nods. “I feel the same. When I saw you in that bar, sure it was physical at first but then we started talkin’...I meant what I said when I told you I’m not that kind of guy. I don’t just pick up chicks and use them. I care about you too, Ghost.”

You could hardly believe it - you came here thinking they were going to make you choose one of them or neither of them and here they are, surprising you yet again by wanting to be with you at the same time.

Smiling, you place a hand on both of their cheeks, looking back and forth between the shades of blue.

“My boys,” You pull Benny in to kiss him and bring Will to your neck as he picks up where he left off. His teeth graze your neck causing you to break the kiss from Benny with a gasp. Benny smiles as he moves his hand between your still jean-clad legs, using the seam of your pants to graze your clit. Your breathing picks up as Will slides his hand under your shirt, finding a boob and squeezing your nipple, rolling it between his fingers.

“Oh fuck,” you breathe out. “You guys are going to kill me, I know it.”

They both chuckle and remove their hands, laughing more at your pout. They stand, extending their hands to you and you take them, letting them help you stand. Benny kisses you and smiles, pulling you towards him as he walks towards the bedroom, Will close on your heels still holding your hand. Benny heads into Will’s room, answering your confused look with a simple “Bigger bed.”

Benny takes the hand Will drops as he moves to close the door. He pulls you up against his body and kisses you, sliding his tongue in your mouth as you moan into the kiss, placing a hand on the side of his head to pull him closer. Will comes up behind you and grips your hips, pulling you back towards his covered erection, and starts to grind his hips. Benny deepens the kiss as Will’s hands travel around the front of you, finding the hem of your shirt and pulling it up. You break the kiss and raise your arms, locking eyes with Benny as Will pulls the shirt up and over your head, casually tossing it across the room. His hands move to unhook your bra, gently sliding the straps down your arms and you toss it across the room to be with your shirt. Benny looks down at your exposed chest as he gently takes one of your boobs in his hand, caressing it and lightly swiping his finger over your nipple. Your head falls back onto Will’s shoulder, and he leans down to kiss you as he moves his own hand to find your other boob, squeezing it hard and pinching your nipple. The contrast between how each of them treats your boobs is electrifying and you can’t help the moan that escapes your lips.

Benny moves his hand down your body and Will’s other hand comes up to massage the now neglected boob. Benny’s hand travels down to your pants, unbuttoning them and sliding them down your body, taking your underwear with them. You’re suddenly aware that this is the first time you’ve ever been fully naked in front of both of them and an unexpected wave of confidence comes over you.

Pausing in their touches, their eyes roam up and down your body, taking in every line, every scar, every curve. Their eyes darken, lust overtaking their normally bright blue eyes as you bite your lip.

“Take your clothes off. Now.”

They both smirk, Benny throwing in a “Yes, ma’am!” as they toss their shirts aside.

“Wait.”

They freeze as you turn to Benny first. You hadn’t ever seen him with his shirt off and you touch his chest, running your fingers through the patch of hair that grows between his pecs as you follow it down to his pants, the line of hair disappearing beneath them. You look up at Benny, putting on your best doe eyes as you undo his pants, sliding them off with his boxers and chucking them across the room. You let your eyes roam down his body as he had done to you, pausing to just admire his form. For the first time, you see he has a small tattoo of the letter M on the inside of his hip. He grabs your face and pulls you to him, kissing you deeply before breaking the kiss. You give him a wink before you turn around to Will.

Will is a couple inches shorter than Benny, with no hair on his chest, showcasing his tiny M tattoo above his left pec. His form is more chiseled, definition in his muscles. He’s wearing a smirk as you touch his chest, letting your hand glide down to his pants, gently tracing the lines of the muscles on his abs. You unbutton his pants and slide them down along with his boxers, and throw them somewhere in the room. Letting your eyes roam his form as well, the smirk on his face grows larger in confidence as your eyes slide back up to meet his. Grabbing his face, you pull him down to kiss you and he grabs your hips, pulling you flush against him, pinning his erection between you both. He lets go of you and pushes you on the bed, watching your boobs bounce as you settle.

The looks on their faces is absolutely feral, like they want to devour you and caress you simultaneously. You have to admit, you’re in over your head a bit here, having never been with more than one person at a time. You decide to just go with your instincts, letting your body and theirs guide you. They both crawl up the bed, one laying on either side of you. You place your hands on their chins, looking slowly from one to the other, hopefully broadcasting all of the feelings you’ve kept inside without saying it.

You turn on your side to face Benny, his hand moving to gently caress your side as yours lands on his chest. He leans in to kiss you, biting a little on your bottom lip. You feel Will’s hands on you, caressing your ass as he kisses your back up to your neck. He slides up behind you, molding his body to yours as he pulls your hips back slightly. You feel him for a brief second at your entrance before he thrusts in hard and you cry out into Benny’s mouth. Will lifts your top leg over his, changing the angle of his thrusts and you moan some more as Will’s hand finds your boobs and starts playing with them.

Not wanting Benny to feel left out, you wrap your hand around him and pump him in time with Will, loving the grunts and whines that come from him as he breathes heavily into your mouth. Will moves his arm from your boob back down to your hip, digging his fingers in there, intending to leave a mark as he uses his grip to pull you back on him in time with his rough thrusts. He winds his other hand under your neck and grabs on to your top boob, squeezing hard and pinching your nipple as he pulls you close to his body, kissing your neck.

Benny can see your face, the lust in your eyes and he licks his hand, moving it down to your apex and starts to rub small circles, sometimes just leaving his hand in place letting Will ram your clit into his hand. Benny’s eyes roam your face, watching it contort with pleasure from each rough thrust and circle of your apex.

“Nguuhhh fuck..fuck!” Is all you can get out before you’re coming, hard, your body lit up with all the stimulation, coating Will and feeling yourself leaking down your leg. Will had slowed momentarily but as you come down, he starts to pick back up, small grunts coming out with each thrust. He brings a hand back and slaps your ass and you scream out in a pleasure/pain response, feeling yourself get wetter. Will notices this and does it again, rubbing the spot after to soothe the pain. You know you won’t last long, despite just having come, but you want to orgasm with them. Continuing to pump Benny, thumb gliding over the top of his dick, you reach your hand between your bodies

“…fucking..come for me boys!” At this, you cup Benny’s balls, lightly tracing your finger over them.

That seemed to do the trick.

At almost the same time, all 3 of you come, the room filling with grunts and moans, and whimpers, Will’s hips stuttering into you as Benny’s cum drips down your stomach. Will presses his forehead to your back and pants, your skin pimpling at the puffs of air. Benny pats the bed behind him, searching for the hand towel that he had grabbed. He finds it and uses it to clean you off first and then himself as Will slides out of you with a hiss. He grabs a different towel and wipes you down, both of your boys making sure you’re cleaned up before moving.

You shift to your back, thoroughly spent. Will crawls in on the opposite side of Benny and they both lay their heads near the top of your boobs. You manage to toss your arms around them, massaging the backs of their heads.

“You have matching tattoos?”

They both laugh and the whole room vibrates with it.

“That’s what you take away from that, darlin’?” Will chuckles.

“I wanted to ask earlier, but I got distracted.”

Benny answers. “Yeah, we each have one. My brothers snuck me in to get it done. Said I was of age. Signed the permission slip and everything. Mom and dad were so pissed.” Benny and Will share a laugh at the memory.

“That was just a few months before….” Benny trails off and the room went silent, all of you knowing what happened after that.

“Hey, none of that,” you nicely scold. “I do have a request? For tonight?”

“What’s up, sweetheart?”

“Could I stay here?”

“You think we’d kick you out after that?” Will asks.

“No, but I know we never talked about it.”

Benny and Will move closer to you. “We want you to stay, darlin’.”

You breathe a sigh of relief. “One more request?”

“If I’d known you were this high maintenance,” Benny chuckles as you lightly slap his head.

“I just…can I sleep here? Between you both?”

Sitting up halfway, they glance at each other and nod. “You can sleep wherever you want to, darlin’. As long as everyone is comfortable.”

“Perfect.” your eyes are heavy as sleep overcomes you. You turn on your side to face Will, who caresses your cheek. Benny slides up behind you and kisses your shoulder, throwing his arm over your waist. The three of you fall into the best sleep you’ve had since before the clickers.

-------

Chapter 4>>

[alluringjae]

all i do is wait - kdy

All I Do Is Wait | So Close

⤑ summary: one day, kim doyoung was alive. the next, he wasn’t. he left you and the world too soon, but he made a promise: to look out and wait for you until the very end.

⤑ pairing: doyoung x female reader

⤑ word count: 22.7k

⤑ genre: angst (so much longing), major slow burn, fluff (if you squint really well), slight unprotected smut (not my forté) | ghost!doyoung, hotel del luna!au,  slight college!au, 40s to 90s!au (loads of flashbacks)

⤑ warnings: death, grief, explicit language, sexism (screw the patriarchy omfg), mentions and scenes of alcohol, drinking, smoking, war, unplanned pregnancy, childbirth, and abortion, ghost possession of humans (in like one scene only tbh)

⤑ playlist: fly away with me by nct 127 | all about you by taeyeon | doll by baekhyun and doyoung | give you my heart by iu | wait by exo | like a fool by nive and sam kim | falling by harry styles | lovers by anna of the north | fallingforyou by the 1975 | you are the sunshine of my life by stevie wonder

⤑ long author’s note: minors, beware of the warnings! i highly recommend you watch the kdrama beforehand so you would understand the universe, even if majority of the characters are from my imagination. i also did some prior historical research. though there are inaccuracies, this story is just fiction. importantly, i don’t own the hotel del luna series; they serve as the main inspiration but with some of my twists. i’m also bit rough with writing lately, so there’s also room for improvement. overall, prepare your heart.

i cried so much in the process.

italicized texts symbolize conversations in a dream call. *wink* *wink*

⤑ gif above not mine, ctto!  leave me some feedback, constructive criticism or hellos!

After all decades of waiting, it’s finally time.

As a soul still wandering in the living world, Doyoung’s options were limited. To peacefully go ahead into the afterlife or wait for his lover by working in the hotel for ghosts until she passed.

He’d chosen the latter, the betrayal he felt from the deities to have gone so soon.

And leave you behind.

But first, let’s take a trip down Doyoung’s journey; life, death, and after it.

1948

Kim Doyoung came from a well-off family. He was a university student, taking up journalism as a pre-law course. He wanted to right the wrongs and let justice prevail. Blessed by his privilege, he wanted to be of service to others who cannot afford it.

Both of you crossed paths at a university in Busan as seatmates. Right after the South Korean constitution granted women’s rights to education, immediately you aimed high and applied for the top universities in the city. After being homeschooled and self-studying under the books, the opportunity to go to an actual school was like a dream come true especially when you received acceptance letters from all of them.

Your first impression of him was that he was moody and quite snobby. When you politely asked him once if you can take a peek at his notes because you lost track of the professor’s lecture, he refused with an annoyed glare.

“You should try harder then.” You nodded in gratitude anyways, taking those words to encourage you. Though it still stung.

When classes that day concluded, you were so ready to return to the women’s dorm and take a breather from men. Since you were far from your village, maybe you would give a call to your father, your mentor all your life to seek his guidance on your professors’ lessons. Once you found your bike and placing your books on the basket in front, a light tap on your shoulder caught you off-guard and almost made you topple over.

“Oh, sh-”

“Oh my, I’m sorry for scaring you like that.”

When you directed your body to the source, it was none other than Kim Doyoung. He removed his blazer from class, resting it on his arm. He wore these suspenders and leather loafers, sporting the rich, preppy boy look. His eyes looked softer, apologetic by the way he gave a slight pout.

“I wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier. It was rude of me to shun you like that.”

Unfortunately, it was rare to find young men like him to own up to their mistakes When you’re the only woman in that class, the majority of the boys are either snickering with judgment at your presence.

“Women are only meant to stay at home.”

“She’s weak. She won’t last here with the deep, legal terminologies the professors use.” Those insults aren’t new to you.

Doyoung seemed like a plot twist in the social narrative. You were surprised, to say the least, yet relieved.

“Oh, it’s okay. Considering I interrupted you from listening to the professor, I could’ve waited after class or as you said, study harder.” You accepted.

Doyoung still felt awful for his attitude, fiddling his briefcase. He struggled to express himself through words, understanding why many had this impression of him being cold. If he were to be honest, his actual initial impression of you was that you were hardworking and resilient, setting a new example of the modern woman. He thought that being too soft on you in class may look degrading, thus his statement from the class was just him treating you the same way as other boys who don’t study hard enough. Unfortunately, it backfired completely.

As a man who grew up with the belief to always pay respect to everyone without discrimination, he had to make it up to you somehow.

“It’s still wrong of me to say that to you, (Y/N). So-” He trailed on, opening his case to bring out one of his notebooks. Without hesitating, he handed it to you. “I took as many notes from the lecture on fallacies here. If there’s any way I can help you in the future, I’m more than willing to help you.”

This newfound kindness from a boy in this patriarchal university may be the silver lining in your current stay. You weren’t too sure if you would get a chance like this in the coming years, so you gladly took it. Noticing the engraved “K.DY” on the lower right side of it, which were his initials, it’s easy to identify that he was rich. But his attitude was different than the others.

Placing it carefully in the front basket, you steadied your body to the handles and pedals of the bike. “Thank you for this, Doyoung. I will return it to you as soon as possible.”

Knowing he was of help to you, he flashed a gummy smile. “No problem, (Y/N). If you want, we can review it before class too just in case the professor gives another surprise quiz.”

You let out a laugh, being reminded of your horrified face on a previous surprise quiz in the past. “Oh god, I flunked that quiz! Damn him.”

Ever since that conversation, it’s where your friendship started.

Going to university became more enjoyable and less daunting, having Doyoung defend you from other boys (even if you’ve told him so many times that you can handle it). After you found out that Doyoung’s status was more elite than you assumed, a lot of boys wouldn’t want to try and test him since their family lines would be at risk. You had a better focus on your academics, and if it weren’t for you, other girls attending university with you would’ve never thought women students would befriend the men. You were the shift in the narrative.

As lucky as you are to have a female support system in the patriarchal university, you found yourself always hanging out with Doyoung. He was filled with so much compassion in his heart and there were beliefs that you both surprisingly shared in your conservative society, deepening your bond. One of them was the sexist view of women as low-status people. He told you one time that thinking that way is like thinking his loving mother is undeserving of things in life. It’s an unacceptable concept, he added. You even met his mother at some point, and she’s a sweetheart.

Another was having the frustration towards those who shame on women who want to study and learn rather than to submit to the power of men so early in their lives.

“I’m so sick of people telling me to stop studying and settle down with some random boy. There’s just so much to learn out here!” You complained. It was one hot weekend that time, and you were both relaxing under the shade of a big tree by a flowing river. That spot is hidden, thus claiming it as your spot. Doyoung leaned by the tree reading while you rested on his lap. At this point, you’ve grown very comfortable with him. Doyoung sighed, putting his book to discuss his thoughts.

“Agreed. You seriously deserve so much better, (Y/N). People today just don’t get it.”

Huffing away that stress, your head tilted to get a better view of Doyoung.

“Doyoung, do you think things will get better for women in the future?” He admired your hopefulness in times of trouble. Stroking your hair to soothe you, he gave a positive reply.

“If we keep fighting for it, then we’ll progress. So let’s not give up, okay?” Your heart couldn’t help but leap.

As he looked at you with blooming flowers from the tree in the background, it was a matter of time where your initial feelings for him diverted into something more. The concept of butterflies in your stomach was only introduced to Doyoung in novels, but he wondered if it’s the exact feeling he was getting from you. From your intelligence to your sharp tongue to fight back the rude boys, the list goes on all the traits that he liked about you.

Weeks later, the questionable status of your friendship changed after he unexpectedly kissed you for the first time while stargazing at your special spot. It caught you off guard at first as your lips froze, him pulling away immediately. He rubbed the nape of his neck out of embarrassment, struggling to maintain eye contact with you.

“Oh shit. I’m so sorry, (Y/N). I screwed up everything, didn’t I?”

As much as the heat in your cheeks increased, you couldn’t deny that you liked it. You’re bold enough to do it again.

“Nope,” you shook your head at him. “Kiss me again, Doyoung.”

Like a movie, the first snow of the season drizzled down on the two of you.

Feeling braver, he leaned forward again to meet your lips again. You may not be experienced physically since it was your first, but that’s what all those romance novels you’ve browsed through are for. Forget the fireworks, people would compare the ideal kiss. It was more like everything paused so this moment can run on its momentum. Lips still locked, Doyoung gripped your waist so you can sit on his lap. As the friction intensified, his lungs needed to breathe for a second. Pulling away slowly, it was an opportunity to take a good look at you. Flustered, messy hair, swollen lips, he would’ve never known that the feelings were mutual.

“First kiss under the first snow? I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

1950

Dating Doyoung gave you the best two years of your life. He’d bike with you to your spot, recommend you new books to read, cook for you when you’re too lazy to at the dorm, and take you around the city he was ever so familiar with.

“Oh c’mon, let’s try this out!”

You dragged his arm to this new contraption that can take your photos in a flash. This was at an annual city fair, your first time to attend one. Because your small village couldn’t cater to these kinds of events, you beamed with excitement with all the amusement outlets such as rides, games and more. All Doyoung wanted was to eat and play few games, then return. He wasn’t much for photos, but because it was your first, he decided to go for it. Two people couldn’t fit the cushion, so you settled on his lap. One arm wrapped behind his neck, you inserted a few coins to activate the machine.

“So we have a few seconds before it starts, so you better smile, okay?” He ordered you based on the instructions of the machine.

The first shot was matching grins, the second showed your bright smiles, the third let your creativity wild with silly expressions, and the last was him pecking your cheek unexpectedly. The authentic surprise was captured.

“Let’s take another one so you can have a copy.” You insisted, searching through the small pockets of your purse for more coins.

“(Y/N), it’s okay. I don’t want-” He was cut off by the machine activating again as your coins entered inside.

“Too late, smile!” The first shot almost caught Doyoung in a frenzy, but he pulled it off with an open smile. The second expressed your laughter from your slyness, him sporting crinkled eyes when you let your tongue out and placed your hands near the temples of your head to mock him. To sort out your playfulness, Doyoung surprised you by grabbing your wrists to place them back on his shoulders. Without a breath, one free hand tugged you closer and his lips shut you up. You deepened your kiss by leaning forward and fisting the hems of his buttoned-up top. Kissing back was natural, not caring where you were and if the camera snapped your moment of intimacy. Doyoung always liked taming you with his kisses. You didn’t mind making out for a bit in the booth if it weren’t for the loud knocking from the side put a stop to your risqué antics.

“Yah! Take your making out session someplace, other people are waiting outside!”

The both of you could care less, laughing mid-kissing at the disturbance you’ve caused. It’s a thing when you’re young and in love, perhaps. Eventually, innocent kisses ignited an invitation to his bed.

“I’ve never done this before, but I want to do it with you.” You gave your full consent, laying on his soft bed in your undergarments. His entire family went on vacation, so you took advantage of it.

The way he crawled on top of you, his slender hands spreading your legs wide open like another novel waiting to be unraveled. Erotica was a genre you never explored, but Doyoung finds it as his guilty pleasure. Who would’ve known that the most prestigious, gentleman-like man of the university found amusement in sex? His lingering touches intoxicated your entirety, allowing him access. His tongue did you wonders, releasing these sensations you’ve never known was possible. Tugging on his hair as he passionately devoured your core for the first time, this knot in your core unwound and your vision went white for a split second. This rush of pleasure and exhaustion filled your veins, yet you craved more.

That night, giving each other your virginities, marked the first time you declared your love for each other.

Though there are times when dating wasn’t easy either, having prying eyes around you with judgment and the unavoidable stress from university, you’d sort things out in the end. After all, it’s in fights and arguments where you learn more about each other and grow from it.

If someone asked you to settle down already, Doyoung is the first candidate for your hand. You’ve sent letters to your parents talking about him and met his family.

“You’re the only girl who softens him up in this society of uptight men.” His mother whispered when you helped her wash the dishes after dinner.

As much light he brought to your life those two years being together, it turned into the worst and something questionable when the Korean war began.

You vividly remember the day Doyoung admitted to you his enlistment in the South Korean army. It was mandatory for men his age to serve. His dream to pursue law was to be put on hold, especially when schools were closing down. Though he’d try to confide with himself that serving in this war is another way to help his country, his nationalism outweighed his fear of death. Just as long as it brings them closer to a better tomorrow, he was willing.

Unfortunately for you, you were terrified shitless because again, it’s a war. If your childhood wasn’t enough to recall all those painful emotions from the past world war, you didn’t know what would. Being able to survive is a miracle, so there was no way you would let Doyoung go. The ignorance you gave towards him to protect your heart, moving to your aunt and uncle’s home in the same city after the university suspended classes since going back to the village was a big struggle.

So many villages have been bombed already, increasing your anxiety. All you hoped now was to be reunited with your family safely. It’s a good thing though they already left as soon as they could and are on their way to the city. One normal day while you were teaching your younger cousins how to read, there was a knock on the front door. Since your aunt was busy cooking dinner, you took charge to open it in hopes you’ll find your family on the other side.

However, it was none other than that someone you still couldn’t face just yet. He wore the familiar dark green uniform with black combat boots, his fluffy hair fully shaved even it’s covered by his hat. By the dirt on his face, he must’ve trained earlier that day. With a heavy backpack behind him, he’s on his way somewhere but you didn’t know where. You closed the door behind you so you can speak to him privately.

“What are you doing here, Doyoung? How did you find me?”

“I knew you didn’t want to talk for a while, so I gave you space. But today, I found out that I’m going to be stationed in Seoul tomorrow.”

Seoul was where most of the war was happening. Your heart was shattered.

“So I went to your dorm, but your roommate told me you moved out and gave me this address here.” He answered honestly with this new burden to top it off, not having the courage to look you in the eyes to avoid crying. “I needed to see you, (Y/N).”

“Doyoung,” within those times of separation, you re-evaluated if running away from him was the right choice. Even if he tried to convince you of the good things about being in the army, everything always comes at a price. War meant his life was uncertain daily. You just wanted him to yourself, to stay by your side, to help out in the war in other ways, but it would be selfish to stop him from his goals. So you gently embraced him, making him drop his bag to the side. With extreme fear comes your soft whimpers against his chest. Rather than running away so fast, you should’ve mustered all those remaining bits of courage to spend it with him. He must be feeling terrified too.

“I’m just scared for you. War doesn’t guarantee anything. Us surviving world war two is still miraculous.” Doyoung winced at your truthful words as he returned that embrace. There go his tears that he shed almost every night since he told you about his enlistment.

“I had no choice, (Y/N). My family and I would be in big trouble if I didn’t follow orders.”

“I know. I’m sorry I ran away, Doyoung.” You continued to sob as you feel him stroke your hair from behind. He knew well that it was one way to calm you down.

“If only we didn’t live in harsh times like this.” He sighed, longing for the same thing. He cursed whoever decided to make him exist during a painful time. He would trade anything for a more peaceful life.

“Stay here for the night, please.” You pleaded, not wanting to waste any more time.

Your relatives were aware of your relationship, allowing such a request. They trusted you enough to sleep in the same room, knowing all too well the struggles of being love during times like this.

Neither of you held back from the tension that crept into the room. This time, you led him through the first kiss while his body laid flat on the cushion bed. On top, straddling him fully. Leaving him soft kisses on his neck while teasingly unbuttoning his pajama shirt, your fervent lips trailed from his neck, lowering to his sculpted abdomen, until you reached the waistband of his pajama pants.

Only in books did you learn about how to please men, so this may be the only time you can test it out. Doyoung stiffened on your soft kisses on his hard-clothed member, glancing him seductively back and forth when you stuck out your tongue.

“Please,” He begged, tugging on your hair. “Touch me.”

Your lips wrapped around his tip before gently going lower to your limit, and slowly sucked on it back and forth. Whenever you’d want to catch a breathe, you’d lick the tip teasingly. Doyoung groaned, threading his fingers along with your hair. He’s so used to be a giver that receiving these sensations by you beats his hand. It was heavenly, yet so vulgar. The way you swallowed his cum rather than spitting it out even if the taste wasn’t favorable, you were too much in a daze to process how sudden he switched positions. While you sprawled devilishly under him, your fingers looping on his dog tag necklace to bring him lower for a kiss while feeling two of his fingers go under your panties to teasingly play with your slick.

“Don’t t-tease...” You stuttered, clenching at how fast he can get you stimulated with his fingers.

The whole night long was consumed with his body against yours, the wet sounds of deep thrusts and muffled moans praising each other. The following morning, your naked bodies remained entangled. He was still in deep slumber when your body clock alarms you to wake up. though you couldn’t move when he had his arm around you. The love marks on his chest that you’ve made were more exposed when the sunlight hits him, your fingers carefully trailing on it so he wouldn’t be startled. He needed all the rest he can get.

If only you can have mornings like this when war wasn’t in the equation.

Bidding goodbye was tough. Breakfast was too quiet, just like how he packed his remaining belongings and dressed back to his uniform. You watched him by the patio as he waited for the bus to pick him up. When one finally arrived, he turned around to face you once more. He understood that neither of you wanted to say anything. It would make things harder.

You had to stay strong for him because he was fighting the scarier people. But as he waved goodbye, this was your only exception. Just before he boarded the bus,

“Fuck it.” You mumbled to yourself, running to him as your life depended on it.

“(Y/N), what are you-” Doyoung stopped at his tracks, awaiting your sudden move. You shut him up by desperately placing your lips against his, having that a tiny sliver of hope that it won’t be your last. His hands cradled your face while your arms tangled behind his neck.

It wasn’t until the annoyed coughs from the bus driver stopped your actions. Patting your dress from crinkling, Doyoung left a kiss on your forehead.

“Wait for me, alright? I’ll be back before you know it.” He reassured you.

“Fight strong and stay alive, Doyoung. I’ll always be here for you.”

“I love you, (Y/N).” He caressed your cheek one last time, your hand cupping it.

“I love you too, Doyoung.”

Both of you made sure to write to each other, just anything to keep in touch from being apart.

Oh, if only you knew how long you’d have to wait before seeing each other again.

1951

Doyoung was stationed in the infantry division, always staying prepared for the plans his side made and the active attacks started from the enemy side. He’s lost count of the number of times he’s gotten critically injured and knocked out, but he fought through it with his upcoming plans in mind. How he must fight for the country and stay alive to see the change. How he wanted to have a future with you when everything settles down. It was his motivation every time.

But it took one surprise attack many months later from the enemy side to take it all away. When one of the senior officers was shot, he shielded him without hesitation. All these firing bullets were shot on his back, his legs wobbling from the impact. Due to the non-stop bleeding and lack of urgent medical attention, he painfully lost his life while holding on to his officer.

“Please tell my lover that I love her and I’m sorry.”

Those were his last words before he took one final breath and flatlined.

Seconds later, his soul flowed outside his body and froze at the trippy feeling while witnessing different officers and people on the medic team mourn in front of his dead body. Taeyong, one of the people he befriended from the medic team, tried to wake him repeatedly.

“Doyoung, please don’t joke around. Wake up, please.”

Even if he knew it was hopeless, he did his best to the point his entire team had to pull him away from his best friend’s lifeless body.

“No, he needs to live! He has a family, big dreams, and a girl waiting back in Busan!” He sobbed in his chest. Out of all the people he tried to resuscitate, Doyoung was the first friend that he came across on this occasion. Doyoung ached at this vulnerable sight, wanting so badly to be by his side. With these surprise attacks, death is more prevalent than ever.

“Kim Doyoung?” An unfamiliar voice called for him from behind. He spun around to find one woman in war uniform, though he’s never encountered her in the field, and a man in all black.

“Who are you?”

“I’m Manwol, and he’s the grim reaper. I believe you just died a few minutes ago, correct?”

The truth was piercing to accept, glancing at his lifeless body on the side with Taeyong and another close friend he made, Jungwoo, crying his heart out.

“Are you going to take me already?” He asked.

“Unless you still have things you want to accomplish in the living world, then you can freely go to the other side.” The grim reaper answered monotonously, very much used to this question.

“From the looks of it, you have a lot you want to do still,” Manwol observed from afar, all too familiar with the feeling. “If you come with us, I can help you accomplish them.”

If something stayed with Doyoung until his last breath, it was his skepticism with the supernatural. He was unsure if he can trust them because according to the books, once you’re dead, that’s it. It’s up to the people around him to speak good or bad of him.

“You’re uncertain with our intentions, aren’t you?” Manwol easily read through his stoic expression. “You’ll be surprised with how many things can debunk from the books if you let us, Doyoung.”

For the first time, Doyoung had no clue what and where to go next. No one wrote a book on how to act like a cold, wandering soul. His dreams were limited, meaning he has to find new ones or tweak them a lot to make it possible. Despite her reserved nature, he figured that Manwol looked like someone who knows what she’s talking about. With the grim reaper he’s read in children’s books, he wasn’t as frightening as he was portrayed.

This was his last shot.

“Guide me, please.”

The car ride alone there was messy and bumpy since it was peak war season. He wasn’t the only person who lost their life that night and riding in the vehicle. He recognized a few of them. It was saddening to find the playful Donghyuck, his youngest companion, beside him.

“I sacrificed myself to protect two unarmed nurses in the medic tent when some enemy soldiers charged inside.”

Another was the wise Taeil, who was stationed by the barracks. He was one of the people in the front of in line for battle.

“I thought they were fooling with us, and then suddenly fired multiple attacks. I caught on to it quickly, but they still got me.”

Doyoung remembered all those times he used to ask for love advice from him when it grew hard to be far from you. But that advice is no longer useful when he’s further away from you. He was dead, you weren’t.

Once the three of them arrived at their destination, it was an inn that looked destroyed from the outside, but very organized on the inside. Donghyuck and Taeil decided already what they wanted to do before they cross the other side. Doyoung, on the other hand, was still contemplating.

Manwol knew well how to spot a heartbroken person, being one herself. She wasn’t one to interfere with these affairs, but maybe she’d make an exception. Seeing right through him, he lived a fruitful life. She saw his sacrifice, picking up on his last words being dedicated for you, his lover. He didn’t die in vain.

When the two men were off to follow their plans, Manwol took this chance to approach the downcast man again.

“Is something you holding you back from going…” She questioned, staying by his side for a moment. “…or a special someone?”

“I promised my lover to fight strong and to stay alive while she promised to keep waiting for me. But here I am. She has yet to know that I didn’t make it and I can’t bear to see her in utter pain.”

“Death during a war isn’t new, Doyoung. A lot of promises become broken.”

“But I had so much I wanted to do with her after, Manwol. I can’t just leave her yet, I want to stay by her side even if we can’t see each other physically.”

Based on the information Manwol received about Doyoung from the inn staff, it came to her attention that he was fond of books. Thus, it gave her an idea.

“Doyoung, you’re very similar to the staff here. They all have goals that take years to accomplish, so I gave them a job here.”

“What are you offering me then, Manwol?”

“I have a library here in dire need of a librarian. With your interest in books, would you like to take it? After all, I’m implying that you’d want to wait for your lover to make up for your broken promise.”

Doyoung can’t deny that she was wrong. This was where his journey at Manwol Inn (then became Hotel Del Luna) started. Time worked a little bit differently as a ghost, but it’ll be worth it until you return in his arms one day.

On the day you regrettably received the letter from the military about the tragedy, life has turned for the worst. Upon seeing a soldier by your front step, it was only an innocent habit to give him letters for Doyoung and receiving new ones. However, his hand halted you to hand over a military logo imprinted envelope addressed to you alongside his tidy military uniform other letters from Doyoung.

His last letters.

You had no courage to even complete reading it when the first few lines weren’t enough to taunt you. Nothing could prepare for this dreaded moment.

“We regret to inform you that a report from the war office has confirmed that Kim Doyoung was a casualty of the sudden attack of Seoul. this letter formally declares that he was killed in action....”

Dropping the god-forsaken letter in your hands, you instantly locked yourself in your room. Your parents, who picked it up to read, came running to your door and tediously knocking for you to open it. But you didn’t listen, the heartbreak being too grave.

You tried so hard to keep it together these past months. but this kind of grief resulted in your feeble figure pouring into a heap of salty tears and loud sobs. Your back against the wall smoothly slid down until your butt landed on the floor. You clutched on to your gut that continuously stabbed you back and forth.

Betrayal was an understatement, yet it was beyond his control. War guarantees nothing.

But not when you needed him more than ever, especially when the biggest yet most unexpected news came upon you. All nausea and wild mood swings in the weeks that followed after he left weren’t normal, only to find out that you were expecting his child.

It was a secret you didn’t know how to confront through letters because it was best to tell him in person. Due to the situation, it was impossible. Only in your latest letter did you finally come clean about it, but it was now never to be sent because he has already passed away. Your entire family wasn’t pleased with this outcome but they didn’t shame you for it either. It was your choice and body after all.

They were concerned about how others will perceive you in the long run. An unmarried woman carrying a dead man’s child is taboo in this conservative society. Yet abortion is seen in a bad light too. You were stuck in a double edge sword, but you knew from the beginning that you wanted to keep the child. It’s a struggle, for sure, and your plans will have to wait.

Amid this bad luck, this unborn child is the last closest piece of Doyoung.

Amongst your unavoidable flow of tears that you knew must be stopped so it wouldn’t badly affect your child, you placed a hand on top of your lower belly. There was already an evident swelling bump, but your choice to continue wearing loose clothing to swerve from the public’s judgment covered it fine.

Well, for now. Only in the last trimester, it was going to be a challenge.

“I’m sorry you won’t be meet your father....” You spoke, rubbing it upwards. “....But I’ll make sure to take good care of you. You’re all I have left of him.”

Ever since Doyoung accepted Manwol’s offer, he never left his spot at the library. He was amazed at the endless arrangements of books. Even the western books his parents banned him from reading as a child were there. All this entertainment can distract from the long time he has to wait.

Except for today specifically, he asked Jeno, a new friend he made who also lost his life during the Korean war, to take over for a few hours when he found out that mail was to be delivered in Busan.

“Hyung, are you sure?”

“I just need to see her, Jeno.”

Doyoung expected the heartache when he saw you cry in your bedroom after finding out, and he couldn’t refrain from crying with you. Even as a soul, he’d do anything to cradle you in his arms and say that things will get better in time. How he wanted to tell you to take your time in life and that he’s willing to wait until your time comes. Whenever it could be.

Sadly, he was right there listening to you talk to your unborn child. The disbelief of in his reaction; he was supposed to be a father. Sure, he was relatively young. People won’t approve of it because you were unmarried. But it was an early start to settling down with each other.

It took him a while to accept his unfortunate fate, but for him to be robbed of this meaningful part in life was more unbearable to deal with.

From that point, he made sure to watch over you even if he was invisible. Even if Manwol advised him not to so it won’t complicate anything, he reassured that he has it under control. As a ghost without any grudges, what’s there to throw a fit at? He could retaliate at the enemy soldiers who shot him fearlessly, but they are nowhere to be found and he had no interest to turn into ashes.

The only time he assisted you was when you were giving birth. It was an excruciating process, sweating and breathing intensely. You let a scream every time you pushed, like any of the herbs or medications you consumed were wearing off. Your body wanted to give up as it weakened at the loss of blood.

Childbirth is no joke, having high mortality rates during these times. It was a tempting choice you’d want to take as Doyoung is no longer alive. But you knew it was selfish to leave your child as an orphan.

Doyoung couldn’t withstand watching you struggle anymore. If there was a trick Manwol taught him, it was to possess people. It’s often portrayed as a negative skill, warning him to only use it when it’s an emergency.

The pitiful way your eyes were drained off energy, he had to step in. Observing the midwife panicking on your side even if she was giving you support, he took his chance to possess her. Adjusting to this body, it made him glad to feel your warm hand again.

“(Y/N), your child is almost here.” The doctor positively announced.

“I want a breather. The grim reaper should just take me.” You complained as your mother wiped the endless drops of sweat on your forehead. Doyoung took it to heart, knowing death firsthand was no joke.

“Yah, don’t say stuff like that, (Y/N). This child is bound to be an amazing addition to your life.”

You didn’t know how your timid midwife would straighten you up, but it motivated you a lot more to finish the process. Little did you know.

She gladly accepted your firm grips on her hand, giving affirmative responses to keep you going. In moments you closed your eyes to push, you couldn’t help notice in the corner of your eye how from the physique of your midwife, you swore you saw him. His hand holding yours instead of the midwife.

Was this in the medication? For a moment, you let a tear not from pain but from happiness to catch a glimpse of him in your weakest moment. Every day, you were missing him.

It took almost half an hour before a small set of wails bore in the room while you harshly threw yourself back in the bed to recover your breathing patterns. It knocked you out for a while. Doyoung, still possessing the midwife, was handed the newborn by the doctor and tasked to clean her up.

“It’s a healthy baby girl.” the doctor confirmed as he wiped away the blood on the floor.

He was then brought by your mother to a designated room to bathe the relaxed newborn in his arms.

His newborn.

His desire to phase out of the midwife and use his skill to be visible while holding his child was strong. But it’s too risky since the midwife can catch him. He sucked it up and proceeded in what the books taught him on bathing a baby. During his break time, he’d read all the parenting books he could find. It’ll be rare anyways for him to use the tips, but he always wanted to stay prepared.

As the bubbles of the soap surrounded the relaxed baby, he washed her delicately to avoid her from waking up. He was just mesmerized at how you and he created something so precious. He used to be the type of man to be awkward around kids, but after catering to many children in the library and now his child, it started to change.

“Hello there, little one. Your mother needs you, so you better be good to her.”

Ghosts were highly discouraged to make any more emotional connections with the living because they’ll just end up being hurt, making it harder to move on. Exactly what Doyoung is doing was that, and the more he bonded with his daughter, it was a rekindled kind of pain. The kind when you separate family from each other. The same one he felt when he bid his parents good-bye before joining the war, only to never come back.

To top this off, the tiny hand of his sleeping daughter, whom he finally dried off with a small towel and wrapped in a fresh blanket, sleepily grasped on his pinky finger. Technically, it was the midwife’s, but he was in control.

Nonetheless, the innocent gesture got him both feeling on top of the moon and disheartened at the same time. As he curled it in a silly manner, noticing the size difference, he leaned down to leave a kiss on top of her forehead.

“I’m sorry I’m going to miss out on your life. But I’ll always be here for you, even if I’m in the shadows. Don’t ever question my love for you. Because I do love you, wholeheartedly.”

Kim Areum.

That was the name you settled with when your daughter was finally in your arms. It’s ideal to give Doyoung’s last name too because she is half of him. After resting for quite a while, you noticed how the midwife suddenly shook her body and took a loud deep breath when she helped out cleaning the area up.

“Are you okay?” You question, noticing her state of confusion.

“Uhm, yeah....” She narrowed her eyes to her environment. “Oh wait, you gave birth already? Wow, that was pretty fast...”

“Yes, you were right beside me the whole time...” You glanced sideways at her, suspicious.

“Oh wow yeah, I was.” She tried to laugh it off. “It was like I had an out-of-this-world moment or something. Oh whatever, I sound stupid.”

That brought you back to your early doubts. Whether or not he showed up or you were somewhat hallucinating. But not wanting to reflect too much on the impossible, you merely refocused to the peaceful newborn nestled in your arms.

She’s the only one keeping you alive in these hard times. She served as a reminder of him, thus you’ll hold on to her. From the outside of your window, all Doyoung can do now is to continue watching from afar every once in a while.

1954

Not much has changed in the past few years. You were either reading or taking care of Areum. Your family was lucky enough to have good housing, but getting important necessities such as water and food was a constant struggle.

With the war leading to lots of souls in the inn, he had to fulfill his mandatory orders to prepare souls to move on. He was joyful to be of service to others like he was back in the day.

Though lately, it’s still unavoidable for him to ponder how exactly are you and his daughter are doing. Once Donghyuck and Taeil went ahead for the afterlife, the loneliness began to creep in. Then a while ago, Jeno introduced him to a new group of children today checking out the library. Caught in a deadly car accident on their way home from school, he pitied how such bright kids left the world too soon.

These factors sparked his longing, plus there was still something above that: it was your birthday soon. Much to his luck, Manwol just received a new gift from the deities that might be his biggest help in coping.

“A dream call?” Doyoung inquired once he was summoned by Manwol to the meeting room, sitting across her.

“Yes, a call to anyone from the living that you wish to talk to in their dreams. Though this can only be used once per visitor. The deities pitied those with loved ones who want to see them physically. Thus, they invented this.”

“What are you implying?”

“Doyoung, you know well how easy I can read people even through their fake smiles. You miss her very much.” Manwol replied, holding up the phone to his ear. “This is your chance, Doyoung. Even if you can’t see them, they will see you.”

The first dream started with you sitting at your old spot by the river, in a simple dress Doyoung bought for you on your last ever birthday celebration with him. The forest looked breathtaking as if it was still pre-war times again. The river was still clear of blood and pollution. It must be spring, the flowers above you on the tree were in full bloom.

The sound of bike wheels stopping to park in the grass and someone humming changed your point of interest. There was the only person in your mind who would do that. Jumping from your seated position, you looked behind the other side of the tree only to find him picking up flowers from the branches. He was tall, not having much difficulty getting them.

The way he looked so peaceful and well-rested. This beauty and peace of mind he radiated, it was unreal.

“Doyoung.”

He clenched on the phone with his hand, his concealed yearning to at least hear his name on your lips again urged a tear to go down his cheek.

“Happy birthday, (Y/N).”

He handed you the flower bouquet he made for you. Meanwhile, he suddenly dropped it when you didn’t hesitate to sling your arms around his waist. Your head pressed to his chest, pulling him closer you could care less if you lost your breath. Doyoung felt that tight hug, gripping on the part of his uniform where you placed your head. He rubbed it as if it was your hair.

None of you spoke a word and gracefully paused to take a moment.

Time in a dream call works a bit differently than in the living world. Once you’re in session, one minute alone of talking is equivalent to 30 minutes in the living world.

Doyoung took his first call to catch up with you and say everything he never got to before. It was also where he confessed how he knew about your daughter. There were guilt and regret at how you could’ve told him in your earlier letters.

“You were scared, (Y/N). There’s no way I can blame you.” Laying against his chest, he comforted you. “By the way, she has your nose, you know.”

There was this wave of relief that splashed you after this big burden lifted. You can live a more untroubled life now.

“She has your temper though.” You jokingly say, putting you in a fit of giggles. It’s been too long since you experienced genuine humor.

“At age 3? Yah, I’m impressed.” He remarked with pride.

Since Doyoung wasn’t capable to be physically affectionate in the dreams, he was more on receiving them from you. In return, he gave sincere conversations even if they were a yearly thing. Talking about your daughter was one of your favorite topics. adolescence, teenage years, to university, there was so much to talk about. Doyoung would only use his dream calls on you on your birthday, making them more meaningful. Each one, you were both back to your twenties with different outfits and settings based on the differing decades.

“Don’t you feel burdened to wait for me?” You asked as his fingers brushed some of your hair back while you watched the sunset from a wooden bench.

“No, I’m not. there are still many things I want to fulfill before moving on. I also want to watch Areum grow up and help you in any possible. Only when these goals of mine and others are cleared, then I‘ll be able to rest well.”

“Will you be okay until then, Doyoung?”

“I broke a promise with you, (Y/N). and I want to make up for it.”

“What will you do when my time comes?” Your hand interlocked with his, squeezing it tight even if he couldn’t reciprocate it.

“I will shout out your name and hug you tight, my love. But until then, appreciate your life. Live it to its fullest. For me.”

Doyoung sensed your worry but comforted you that it’ll be okay. He wasn’t lying either when he said he wanted to do a lot of things too. Every dream call, his gut feelings were strong to know what you were going through in every call, giving you any advice to get you through them.

To count, he gave you almost 50 dream calls.

The late 1950s-1960s

After returning to university to finish your undergraduate studies when the war ended, you continued to pursue law school and taking the exams as you’ve wanted. But this meant moving to Seoul for better opportunities.

Doyoung celebrated with himself when he found out, not having to take the bus or ride the hotel car to Busan every time he wanted to see you two. Now, he could simply walk back and forth, managing it with his shifts.

Currently, he was taking a break in his office. The deities gifted him with a bunch of murder mystery books from the West, fully immersed in the storylines. Leaning backward from his chair, he was abruptly disconnected by a knock on his open door.

“Hyung, you have a special visitor in the lobby.” Jeno urgently informed Doyoung as he leaned on the side of his office door, out of breath. “It’s quite important if you ask me.”

Doyoung removed his reading glasses and put down his novel. Putting back his blazer on, he approached his younger friend and made their way down the hallway together hastily.

“Is it a family member who’s passed?” He questioned, slightly folding his blazer sleeves then adjusting the hotel pin on his chest pocket. By the tone Jeno spoke, it must’ve been serious. Although there’s no way it can be you just yet, he has no idea who was looking for him then.

The lobby was bustling with numerous souls. Some still fresh, some just roaming around, while others were preparing to pass the other side. Nothing new to it, until Jeno pointed out a specific scene in one corner of the room.

“Hyung, over there.”

Like an obedient puppy, Doyoung looked over to where Jeno’s finger directed. At first glance, by her long black hair, he recognized Manwol, who was kneeling in front of someone seated. It wasn’t until she stood up and shifted her body to the side to reveal that someone, patting her young head kindly.

She wore a ribbon on her hair, matching with the colors of her floral dress while carefully holding on to a piece of paper with her drawing. Due to the distance, he couldn’t make out what she drew. Though with her dazzling eye smile formed by her small eyes, he knew her too well.

“Areum.”

Right on cue, the young girl caught his entrancing gaze. With the widest smile, she exclaimed “Daddy!”

Manwol, who was right beside her, held her hand and graced their way to Doyoung and Jeno. The two knew she despised children, ordering them to keep a keener eye on them when they wander around so they don’t access the hallway leading to her office. Unexpectedly, Areum didn’t burden her the slightest. She brought a different aura, a very pure and full of love kind.

With the full moon shining at its peak, becoming present to the eyes of the living, she must’ve spotted the hotel from afar and her interest grew wild for it. Typical for girls her age. Not afraid of the risks, she followed any directions to get here. Coincidentally, she encountered Manwol in the front gate.

Manwol recognized her straight away, even when she glimpsed the drawing of her family she treasured in her chest. She still included her father, whom she was very much acquainted with. Though, she was puzzled by her sudden appearance. When Areum explained that her father lived in the hotel according to your stories, her heart fell to her gut. Indeed, she was right, but again, ghosts are discouraged to have connections with the living or anything related to it. However, her strong senses couldn’t disregard how much Doyoung yearned for his family. Lately, his only daughter when numerous children arrived at the hotel. He didn’t want to voice it out however because the other staff shared the same sentiments, so it would be insensitive so he just kept it to himself. But Manwol sensed it all too well.

She won’t tell anyone this, but she has quite a soft spot for Doyoung. She empathized with him the most since he came to the hotel, willing to do what it takes to make his coping and waiting worthwhile. She was still brash at times, but only when necessary.

Areum’s presence didn’t seem to harm anyone, charming anyone around with a smile and her words. Especially that smile, it shows enough of how much she’s Doyoung’s daughter. With a rough internal debate, Manwol welcomed her inside the magical hotel Areum described it as and tasked Jeno to call for Doyoung. It was a risk, but a needed one.

With Manwol innocently holding the young girl’s hand, she looked her down and asked her, “Is that your father from your drawing, Areum?”

Areum lit up as she tilted her head upwards to see her tall father, nodding proudly. “Yes, that’s him! The one my mom talks about in her dreams too!”

Doyoung’s heart swelled at her pride for him, not hesitating to kneel to her height. Arms wide open, he loudly called her out for the first time. “Areum!”

The young girl, letting go of Manwol’s hand, ran as fast as her short legs could like nothing can stop her, even if the lobby was packed. Soon enough, she’s at the grasp of her father, carrying and hugging her in circles. Light as a feather, he took in her scent and warmth. The racing beat of her heart pulsated against his chest, reminding how much life she’s filled with. It was liberating that she found him, even when he stood behind the dark shadows.

Once he put her back down, “What brings you here, Areum? Isn’t it past your bedtime already?”

She pouted, sulking at disobeying your rules. “I know, but as soon as I was ready for bed, I saw the hotel in bright lights just like mommy described. She said that only during the peak full moon it’ll be shown to very special people who are alive, and it turns out that I’m one of them, daddy.”

Hearing that title from her lips was something he would’ve never get sick of. He felt the validity more than ever.

The odds of being a human spotting the hotel during peak full moon was rare, earning perplexed looks by those who don’t see it. Doyoung never encountered a human waltzing in the hotel out of the bloom, so for his daughter to have this mystical ability was a gift in disguise. Maybe the deities knew how to cut off some slack and agony for wandering souls. This was an excuse to stop cursing them now and then.

“Wow, aren’t you a lucky girl for that?” Jeno, whom he forgot was by his side, patted her head similarly to Manwol. “Your father missed you dearly, you know?”

“Well, Mr. Jeno,” She picked up his name from his nametag. “I missed him too.”

Doyoung processed the features of the angelic girl in front of him, astonished at how you and he created someone so cheerful during a time of trouble. Aside from her eye smile, she had his gummy smile and curiosity, while she inherited your nose and intelligence. Cupping her chubby cheek, he pinched it with a cute sound effect from his mouth.

“Daddy!” She protested, slapping his hand away and dramatically covered her reddening cheek. “Not allowed to that, ever.”

Oh, you weren’t joking when you said she had his temper too.

Before he could defend himself, Manwol reentered their interaction. Like common sense, Doyoung got back on his feet but helplessly giving side glances to his daughter. Manwol giggled at his sudden formality before instructing Jeno to lead Areum to the carnival room. As Areum waves him goodbye for the meantime, Manwol added on.

“There’s a rise of kids checking in the hotel, unfortunately, so I wholeheartedly requested the deities to create an area dedicated for child-like fun. Just today, it’s finished in construction so it’s a great place for Areum to explore.”

“Manwol, I-” He was feeling overwhelmed, stumbling his words. “Why did you this for me?”

“You used your dream calls for (Y/N), but there’s never been a way for you to reach out to your daughter. And the way her glimmering eyes wanted to come in when she shouldn’t, I couldn’t refuse a chance for the two to reunite.”

“But what about the deities?”

“I’ll handle it. What matters is that you have tonight to spend with Areum. It’s the least thing I could do as you are one of my beloved staff,” She reassured, yet looked at him in a downcast manner. “But as much as possible, everything tonight must feel like a vivid dream to her. She’s not allowed to keep any knick-knacks from tonight either.”

Everything always came at a price. Doyoung was acquainted well enough, but he can’t lie to say that I didn’t ache. Nonetheless, Manwol having such a selfless side was completely new to him. That’s why he never asked for favors like the other staff since he’ll just get turned down or scolded like a child. Maybe she wasn’t as scary as to how they labeled her all these years he’s worked for her.

Manwol took Doyoung’s silence under the impression of internal conflict. In true Manwol fashion, she clapped her hands right in front of his visage, snatching him back to reality. “You’re wasting time, Doyoung! Don’t think about it too much right now. Now come on and dress up more casually, your daughter is waiting for you.”

Following her order, he bowed respectfully before zooming to his hotel room. She was right, he has to enjoy whatever is given. Demanding for more when you’re already dead is disrespectful to the eyes of the deities, considering that alongside your past life when you step into the afterlife.

From his uniform, he changed into a white long sleeve buttoned-up, which was layered under a lilac knit sweater, and black trousers. He styled his hair in a dandier way, applying gel then combing it upwards. He was only following the trends of the decade, basing it on the recently checked-in souls. Deities must’ve liked him a lot to give him a lot of gifts from time to time, making him completely disregard the money from the living world Manwol gives during his off days. Most of the time, his off days are spent either secretly observing you and your daughter, or reading more books in the library.

This one was like a change of scenery, his heart pumping once he exited to the elevator and rushed to the carnival room. And just as he entered the doors, the wave of nostalgia hit him instantaneously. It felt like he was in university again, bringing you around the bizarre contraptions and games for the first time for your amusement. A spark in your romance, so full of young love and naivety of what was to come.

He spotted his young girl wrapped around in the arms of Jeno, explaining to her about the wide range of rides as she licked on a rainbow lollipop. Once he showed up to the both of them, Jeno cautiously put her down so she can hold Doyoung’s hand.

“You deserve this, hyung. Make it worthwhile.” Jeno placed his hand on his older friend’s shoulder before leaving the room. Keeping it in mind, Doyoung kneeled again in front of his daughter. Her smiles were contagious, fascinated by everything she’s surrounded in.

“I’ve never seen anything like this, daddy.” That line sounded familiar, chuckling at the precious memory.

“Come on, sweetheart. Let’s have fun tonight!”

The bliss in tonight was never-ending, like the two of them were in their own world. Areum wanted to ride on a horse in a carousel first, which Doyoung agreed to. Lifting her, he held her by the waist as the ride started to go. She pointed out every object that she can see while Doyoung avidly listened, then telling her what each ride and game consists of in return.

Once they got off, her short legs scurried off to the game booth where rows of bottles were laid in front of her. Right beside her were the rings. Doyoung properly described the instructions, and on the dot, Areum went ham and started throwing the rings in random directions. By the way, her eyebrows furrowed and her lips pursed, her competitive side was evident. Doyoung observed as she either hit or miss, finding another trait of his in her.

You’d find it hard to believe, but she would’ve been a total daddy’s girl.

To her success, she squealed victoriously as she won and hugged her dad. One of the staff in charge rewarded her with new candy to munch on, and off she went to look for the next attraction to divulge in. Doyoung struggled a little catching up to her, but anything he would do for his daughter.

From a one on one balloon dart game, which Doyoung willingly let Areum won because she’s a fussy one, roaming through a mini house of mirrors, riding the indoor Ferris wheel, and many more, Areum was ready to move to the next venue after telling her father that she wanted him to read to her.

“Mommy said you’re a librarian here because you like reading. I like it too, can you take me there?”

Just like you, he was charmed by his daughter. “Alright, Areum. Let’s go there then.”

Before they made it through past the wide doors with the bright red sign above saying “Exit”, Areum’s attention was distracted by a black kiosk near the Ferris wheel. She followed her gut, changing her direction. Doyoung quickly followed her footsteps, only to turn up in front of a photo booth.

“Wow, are these where you can take instant pictures, daddy?”

Waves of nostalgia hit Doyoung as if he were on the beach, totally unprepared for the emotional impact. With Areum, he missed your presence more than ever. Having you there completed your family, and it could’ve been quite a reunion.

“Yes, Areum. How about you go inside and daddy will insert some coins so you can have your pictures taken?”

“But daddy, I want to take pictures with you! It’s only mommy that has pictures with you, and I don’t want to feel left out.” She threw a tantrum, crossing her arms.

Here she goes again, making it difficult for Doyoung to refuse. Even with Manwol only giving him one rule to follow for the night, he doesn’t want any bad memories to be made with his daughter. He’ll have to work it out one way or another later. In the meantime, he smirked before carried her out of the blue inside the booth. Her shrieks increased in volume, only softening after she settled on her father’s lap. Doyoung inserts a few coins, and swiftly enough, the contraption started to operate.

“Okay Areum, one photo strip has 4 solo photos in it. 4 smiles or poses, okay? You’re going to look at the lens there, in the shape of a circle. Then, the flash is going to show in 3, 2-” Right on time, the two smiled.

They had less than 10 seconds until the second shot, so the two pulled random funny expressions. Doyoung pouted his lips, while Areum stuck out her tongue. For the third photo, Doyoung kissed the top of her head while Areum poked her cheeks with her fingers. Lastly, Areum instructed her father to lower his head to her level so she can peck his cheek. His shock was perfectly taken, filling his heart with adoration.

Areum hating getting affection but loves giving it? Another trait of his.

The look of amazement Areum gave once she stepped foot on the endless library was priceless. She described how it was bigger than the national library in Seoul. While she strolled around the near shelves, Jeno, taking over his night shift, approached him with a bottled treat. But it wasn’t just a normal one.

“Manwol and I overheard that she liked strawberry milk, so Manwol told me to give it to you. It has the dream spell potion from Johnny’s bar mixed with flowers from the deities so she can’t see ghosts or the hotel anymore. Make sure she drinks it before she leaves this place.”

While Areum settles on the small couch with her chosen books, she patiently anticipated for her father to read to her before her yawning takes over her. She never tracked the time, but she’s gone way beyond her average curfew.

“Sleepy already, sweetheart?” Doyoung asked as he sat beside her, inspecting her drowsy state.

Areum shook her head, displaying all the books she got on the table in front of her. “Nope! Not until you read me a bedtime story.”

Doyoung scanned through her book selection, amazed by her choices. The Little Prince, Winnie the Pooh, Goodnight Moon, and a bunch of Madeline books from the series, he couldn’t decide! If only he could read them all for her.

A lot of those books he read growing up, and the same goes for you. Especially Madeline, which he discovered through you as one of your childhood favorites. By instinct, he chose the first book from the series, simply entitled “Madeline”.

“This one.” He patted his lap so she could sit on it, which she did without wasting a breath.

It was ironic for a librarian to have never read aloud for anyone during his stay. Maybe because no one asked him to nor he wasn’t into reading aloud. He preferred reading to himself, only helping those looking for specific books or recommending if anyone has a favorite genre. Maybe he’ll give it a shot now. This first-hand experience opened his eyes to a new type of intimacy, hearing the adorable reactions from his daughter as he read the life of Madeline in Paris.

“In the middle of one night, Miss Clavel turned on her light and said, “Something is not right!”.” Doyoung flipped the next page. “Little Madeline sat in bed, cried and cried-”

“She cried to get attention, huh?” Areum commented mid-reading.

“Areum, if she didn’t, she could get even sicker. We don’t want that, right?”

“If I cried like that, would that be enough to bring you back to me and mommy, daddy?” She wholesomely questioned, twisting her body weight so she could face him. “Mommy already has a way to reach to you, and I want something like that too”

Doyoung knew she was a smart girl, but she often denies the reality of some things. In this case, her father’s passing still hasn’t hit her, even if she possessed the mystical skill to see ghosts and the hotel. Doyoung felt cornered, so before he could think of a reply, he kindly asks her,

“Hmm, what do you have in mind, sweetheart?”

“Well,” She pouted as she fidgeted with her index fingers. “I read all your old letters to mommy, so maybe I can write you one every year.”

“What a great idea, sweetheart!” He cheered. “How will you give it?”

“Uh..” She paused to think, then a bright idea came to her. “During your birthday, daddy! Mommy and I still celebrate it if you don’t know, so I can offer it alongside the food.”

Doyoung played along, knowing that tradition of yours. Although it still aches him to show up on his death anniversary, he compromised by showing up on his birthday. He’d see his and your families celebrating, talking about the positive and fun things about him in his life. He observed his daughter a little more later when she got older and started talking. Whenever you praised him for something, there was hope and inspiration in her young eyes. It’s uplifting to discover that his legacy was seen in a good light. He’d never wanted to be seen as a bad guy to anyone.

“I’ll look forward to it, sweetheart. Promise?” He stuck out his pinky to her, getting curled in response by hers.

“Promise!”

Both of them chuckled, appreciating the moment. His long arms embraced her from the back, nuzzling his head on his shoulder. How blessed to have a daughter like her, but from a glance, the bottle of strawberry milk situated beside the pile of books gave a remembrance of one of his remaining tasks. It had to be done, but he hoped she won’t at least forget to write to him.

“Look! Miss Manwol wanted to give this to you.” He handed it to her.

Ecstatic, she cranked open the bottle cap and took tiny sips of it. “It’s so good, daddy!”

Doyoung softly laughed as excess milk drops dribbled in her lips, wiping it with his thumb. “Aigoo, you messy girl. Let’s continue, shall we?”

Cozying up to him again, Doyoung resumed his storytelling. Once he said the words, “The end.”, the small head of his daughter completely leaned against his chest. Snuggling for more comfort, he checked her current condition. Knocked out like a light, he puts the book down and cradled her for a second. The last time he did something like this was when she was born. She was tiny then, and now, she’s bound to outgrow his lap sooner or later.

This was his sign to bring her home.

He boosted her small figure, her head now planted on his shoulder and his hand resting behind the nape of her neck. Her legs were entangled in his torso when he showed up at the lobby again. It was much more serene, everyone checked in already.

“Aigoo, fast asleep already?” Manwol made an appearance without warning, alongside her personal driver Yuta and the bartender Johnny.

“As expected from my magic.” Johnny commended himself, stretching his fingers. That easily gave him a slap from Yuta.

“Can’t you be more sensitive to Doyoung?”

Not caring about those two, Manwol caressed Areum from behind. Inside her cold heart, she brought so much amusement. Even if she embodied traits from Doyoung, she stood out from his usual reserved nature. She had so much energy, and it’s a fresh sight. Manwol secretly peered at their father-daughter time in the library, and she sensed the love the two had for each other. Even if it’s unbearable to separate them, having tonight was a pleasure for all.

“Yuta,” She summoned him. “Drop these two to her house safe and sound. It’s too dangerous to walk in the dark right now.”

Bowing in response, he led the way to the elevator for Doyoung to follow. But before he took the first step, Manwol halted him by the arm. “You better come back, or the deities won’t be pleased.”

He nodded before he was sent on his way. Wasn’t this brutal?

The silence in the car ride is deafening, though he didn’t want to disturb his little girl either. Yuta peeked from the mirror now and then to check on the two, sharing the gloom of his fellow friend. Having something or someone so valuable from the living world makes it hard to leave it. He understood as he suffered a similar fate to him.

When they’ve arrived at their destination, Doyoung was quick to notice that the lights from your living room were still on. It’s too risky to waltz in through the front door, squinting for other ways to go inside. To his luck, the window of Areum’s bedroom was wide open. That must’ve been how she escaped earlier.

“Be careful, Doyoung. Her neighbors may be watching.”

“It’s around 4 am right now, Yuta. I’ll be fine.” He reassured, clicking open the car door with his daughter peacefully asleep.

Entering inside her bedroom, he gently put her down on her soft bed. Covering her body with the duvet so she wouldn’t get cold, he took one last lingering look before taking his leave. Manwol might be looking for him already. Pressuring even to know that Yuta was waiting outside for him and that the deities are looking down on him too.

“Daddy,” Her tiny hand tugged on his sleeve, stopping his movements. Her droopy eyes faintly ajar, wanting to capture these last dreamy moments. “Don’t leave me and mommy again.”

This retouched attachment between the two made things much more stifling to accept reality. Doyoung understood her fright and sighed, kneeling to her again. Patting her head, “I’m sorry but I have no choice, sweetheart. We don’t want daddy to get in trouble, right?”

She lazily nods, tugging on his sleeve again. “Can you sing me to sleep, daddy? You used to do that for mommy.”

He grinned, accepted her last request. Holding on her hand, kissing it, he quietly sings.

“Eonjebuteoinji geudaereul bomyeon….”

When the song reached its end, the soft snores from Areum filled his eardrums. Her eyes are fully closed, and her tiny head fell to the side of her pillow. Kissing her forehead, he whispered, “Good night, sweetheart. Daddy loves you so much.”

A cute sight to Doyoung, she occupied a huge part in his heart. Even if everything tonight will feel like a complete dream, it’s a memorable moment for Doyoung that he’ll treasure.

Initially, he planned to leave her bedroom the same way he came in, which was through her window. That’s all Manwol tasked him to do when he arrives at your house, but his heart selfishly desires to see you. Even if he was invisible now. His powers were weakening, twitching from being visible to invisible back and forth.

Never has he stepped inside your new house, and this could be his only chance.

The first thing he saw after leaving his daughter’s bedroom was the dining room. Tidy and organized, as expected from you. For the living room connected to it, the simple decorations invited him inside. Assorted photos hung in the wall and by the table near the front door, with a fresh bouquet of asters in a vase there too.

Alluring as it is, the only thing Doyoung couldn’t keep his eyes off the most was a sleeping you in pajamas, hunched over the coffee table on top of books and numerous paperwork. An empty coffee glass neared the edge, so he caught it before you squirmed again from your sleep.

The exhaustion from your life was constantly piled up one after the other. You’ve been studying hard at law school, balancing it with a part-time job as a teacher’s assistant at your university for undergrads and being a mom to Areum. Even seeing the pile of bills right by your side, you didn’t just need the help of your families. You needed him, as a friend, lover, and father.

Men were still viewed as the main breadwinners of the family, but you juggled both positions as mother and father. It was a vicious fate, and he’d do anything to share that challenge with you. For now, the only thing he could do is bring you to bed at least.

Taking you into his arms bridal style, completely knocked out, he only assumed the remaining door in front of Areum’s bedroom was your bedroom. Carefully kicking it, he graced your bed and laid you down elegantly so your sleeping flow won’t be disturbed. He put the covers on top of your body so you’d feel comfier.

Right in front of your bedside was a breezy open window, the moonlight creeping in to highlight your sleeping face. The wrinkles on your forehead started to show, a side effect of immense stress. It’s a trait no one wants, yet it symbolized aging and moving forward to the future. Doyoung envied you for it.

Besides that, you looked youthful as ever, seeking internal peace from the outside world in your deep slumber. His index traced the outline of your face, appreciating your glow. Trapped in amazement, leaving you will be more difficult. It’s been a while since he saw you up close in the flesh, but Manwol’s words daunted his mind. Just like his daughter, his lips softly pecked your forehead and to your ear, he said in a hushed tone, “Good night, my love. I’m so proud of you.”

Getting back on his knees to exit, he’s convinced that you and your daughter can detect a leaving presence and catch it before they do. On cue, your hand unconsciously grabbed his wrist. Your mind couldn’t make up what mental state you were in, but something in you vibed a known presence. One that you’ve yearned, one that you struggle to wait and see until your birthday arrives. Is he actually here?

Doyoung reacted immediately, his feet shuffling to face you again. Eyes still shut close, but your lips released a satisfied moan as you stretched your arms slightly.

“Is it my birthday already?” You mumbled incoherently, gripping on the unknown wrist. “Or am I just lucky enough to get a free pass?”

He rolled his eyes at your nonsense. “If this was a free pass, what would you want me to do?”

You weakly took a peek. It was blurry, probably caused by your sleepiness. But you recognized the silhouette of this stranger from the back of your hand. You clutched his grip, bringing his face closer to yours. Doyoung didn’t expect such a jerking action, almost falling limp if his other free hand didn’t grip on your duvet.

“Kiss me before you go again, my love.” You requested, mindlessly craving his touch.

Loosening from your grip, his palm cupped your cheek as he wets his lips. He made the first move, sweetly and slowly. Even at your unknown state, you returned with the same level of passion, brushing the hair behind the nape of his neck to deepen it. You haven’t kissed anyone like this in a very long time, too busy with your studies and motherhood. This refreshed your memories of what you missed, a warm tear escaping your eye.

No one will ever match up to him.

Doyoung’s deprivation of physical touch for you amplified, eagerness for so much more than this. Touching himself to the thought of you grew tiring, wanting to have you in the flesh by his side. It wasn’t until a bright car light from outside shun by your window. Yuta was an impatient one, but he had every right to be.

It was fulfilling while it lasted. His heart throbbed when his lips parted from yours, opening his eyes again. Your eyes stayed closed, but your lips hummed in satisfaction.

“Nothing changed in the way you kiss, my love.” You complimented, succumbing back to your deep slumber by pulling yourself further inside the duvet.

Doyoung grinned at your words, kissing your knuckle one last time. “I meant what I said, (Y/N). Sleep well.”

He tiptoed out your bedroom, deciding to exit through the front door. Again, no one would be awake at this time anyway. However, an antique-looking photo of him caught his eye. Taking a closer look, it was you and him by his garden, clutching on his arm under their family lemon tree and smiling during pre-war times. It was a funny story actually.

His father bought a camera for the first time and wanted to test it out. You were over at their house that day to study, and his father insisted to take a photo of the two of you as a first try.

“Oh come on, we must commemorate this new contraption! The first people can be titled “Young Love” or something like that!”

Doyoung cringed, whining, “Dad, that’s so corny!”

“I don’t care. Now hurry, join the frame with (Y/N) and smile!”

His father may present himself as strict and stubborn as one of the most affluent men in Korean society even after the war, but behind the scenes, he knows how to entertain his children. Doyoung’s childhood never had a dull moment. Oh, how wished he could follow the same fate as him.

This happy photo was a golden treasure to you, framing it so it could be preserved. It was one of your last traces of him, aside from Areum. Next to it, a much smaller photo of you and Areum was placed. Also all smiles for the two of you, Areum firmly sat on your lap and clasping her hands above her dress. You cut your hair during that time, showing the dog tag necklace that once belonged to him on your neck. You were really devoted to him, and he’s grateful, to say the least.

He knew he shouldn’t take anything either before going back to the hotel, but there was just no way he can’t take this one photo of his favorite girls with him. He already kept his photo strip of him and Areum from the carnival in his back pocket, so he’ll just have to work out the consequences then.

Returning to the car was bittersweet. He took one more proper look at your home, taking in all the positive energy to have such a loving family even if he can only watch from afar. While Yuta revved the car on, Doyoung deeply sighed from the backseat. What a spontaneous evening.

“I’m guessing you didn’t resist seeing your lover either, Doyoung?” Yuta commented, viewing him from the mirror. Raising his brows playfully, “Got caught in the VIP seat of you two lip-locking.”

“First of all, that’s creepy, Yuta. Second, you most definitely know what it feels like to be separated from your lover. Cut me some slack.”

“Whatever, that’s not my business anyway. But good luck to you if Manwol asked why there was a sudden extension.” The older friend shrugged, his foot pressing on the pedal to drive off the area.

“Keyword is if she asks. Now please, drive faster, Yuta. I have a shift to fill in now.”

Last night was a gift, but also an aching reminder of what could’ve been if he never died. The sun is slowly making its appearance again, bringing in another morning in this reality. Another work day for Doyoung, more waiting to be done.

Yet recalling his bonding moments with Areum, he’ll most likely get through another few decades. He yanked out his photo strip from the back pocket of his trousers, gazing at their authentic happiness. He muttered to himself,

“I’ll see you and your mother again, and we’ll all celebrate and rejoice. ‘Til then, my sweetheart.”

Meanwhile, ever since that peculiar “dream” with Doyoung, it left you with a lot of questions. Perhaps, it’s all just in your head. Though it doesn’t quite answer how one of your beloved pictures went missing. That’s definitely something you’re going to ask if your birthday comes up again.

Moving forward, his kind words pushed you to do your best. In the next years, you first became a family lawyer for a few years to get used to the field, but permanently shifted to being a public attorney because you wanted to be able to represent those who are suffering the most yet can’t afford the legal help to avoid it.

Just like what you and Doyoung aspired.

Balancing that with a kid was overwhelming, but with your and Doyoung’s families helping you out, your stress lessened.

You served as a huge inspiration to female college students wanting to pursue law. Since law is still perceived as a male-dominated field, you constantly pushed to make space for women in that workforce. It was also rare of you to lose a case because of the hard work you put into disproving every loophole and suggesting the correct punishments for the wrongdoers.

“You really outdid yourself once again, (Y/N). Or should I say Attorney (Y/L/N) (Y/N).”

“Shut up, Doyoung. Tell me more about your hotel staff friends. That Johnny guy seems very fun, and Jeno seems like a lovely boy.”

“Johnny’s a playful lad, always the life of the party. Jeno is like the younger brother I really wish I had. Donghyun-hyung is okay and all, but he’s so high maintenance.”

“Shush! He’s doing fantastic right now. He pursued acting like he always wanted.”

“He deserves it because he’s hard-working, like yourself, Attorney.”

You’ve never fallen in love the same way you did for Doyoung. Though you won’t lie that you’ve slept with a few men during nights out with your co-workers, committing to another man was something you had no time for. You always envisioned Doyoung as the one fucking you senseless.

People viewed it as stupid to be still lovestruck over your dead lover, but you’ve been called worst insults in your life that it doesn’t sting that much anymore. At the end of the day, your heart still soared and longed for Doyoung.

You just can never let him go.

“It’s still unfair to you, Doyoung. I should be ashamed.” The two of you were at a drive-in theater, watching from the trunk of his pickup truck. Your back laid against his chest as his fingers roam your torso in an upwards motion.

“No, you shouldn’t, (Y/N). It’s natural to desire human affection. I’m the one who should be sorry for not giving it to you.”He replied, completely ignoring the film.

You scoffed jokingly. “It’s silly how we’re so deprived of sex, especially with each other.”

“Oh, (Y/N). Don’t get me started, I’m suffering here with my hand alone while you can just find any available man.”

“Alright, alright, I’m sorry.” You surrendered, directing your head from the front to the back. “At the end of the day, it’s still your touch that still gets me weak.”

“My dear, on the day we reunite, brace yourself. I’ll show you who you really belong to.”

1973

Doyoung’s been on duty with reading books to children lately, and again, he’s aching to see what Areum’s up to. Rereading past letters from her from his birthday celebrations were driving him wild. After helping one young girl look for more books under the Madeline series, he had to make an exception. Just this once, and that would be it.

Even if he was under disguise, he desperately wanted to have just another brief conversation with her, especially that she’s a lot older compared to their last encounter. Doyoung witnessed her bloom from this imaginative young girl to a strong woman chasing after her dreams.

Like mother, like daughter.

He spotted her at a small bookstore to buy books for her classes and newly arrived ones from the States, very much interested in western literature. But upon seeing the peaked prices which were more than what she saved for, she put the book back on the shelf and gathered the ones she actually needed.

This was where Doyoung took it upon himself to offer his help. Staying long enough in the middle of the living and the dead, he was capable to turn visible.

“Stephen King, huh?” He inquired, scooting to her side and pulling out the book again to take a better look at it. He came across this book in his library, even if it was in English. “I see that you’re into horror. These books are in English though.”

Areum knew speaking to strangers is not a good thing, but if anyone reached out to her to talk about books, she can’t help but feel excited. “I’m interested in a lot of genres, and this book is pretty popular right now so I wanted to check it out. Besides, I’m reading more English books so I can become fluent one day.”

“You aren’t scared of the storylines?”

“I went through a life of hardships, sir. Nothing scares me anymore honestly.” Doyoung couldn’t help feel proud and sorry for her. Without questions, he led her to the counter and paid for all books despite her insisting not to.

“Sir, you really shouldn’t have. I can always come back for those books when I save up more.”

“It’s fine, really. With your taste in literature, you have a promising future as an author if that’s what you’re aiming for.” He complimented. Areum was frazzled at how spot on this stranger was, trying to convince him again.

“Are you sure I shouldn’t pay you back?”

“Pay me back by publishing your books.” He confidently stated, bringing out his wallet to pay the cashier. His astonishing kindness and encouragement for her are heartwarming, bowing with gratitude.

“Thank you,” She halted because she didn’t know his name.

There was no way Doyoung can disclose his actual name, so he just picked a random nickname some of the kids in the hotel who he read to coined for him. “I prefer giving people my nickname. It’s tokki.”

“Thank you, tokki. I’m Areum, Kim Areum.” She thanked him properly, struggling from carrying her things to shake his hand, but Doyoung signaled her not to.

“Nice to meet you, Areum.” He greeted back.

As Areum was more ready to part ways, Doyoung’s fatherly instincts activated due to the heavy box she held. Her dorms must be a bit far and it was already nighttime. Anything can happen.

“Excuse me, Areum. But do you mind if I help you with your books? It’s pretty late, so I just want to make you get back safe.”

Something in Areum was very willing to trust this man she just met. Sure, he was quite covered up, but it’s almost winter and maybe he didn’t want to catch a cold. Though, his intentions looked good. She’s heard stories about people getting robbed in these alleys, so she accepted his help.

Her dorms were a few blocks away, giving enough time to be acquainted with this man. Though he was the one mostly asking the questions and she answered them. She didn’t pry on it too much and went with the flow.

“Are you an only child in your family?”

“Yes. It’s also just me and my mom. I never got to meet my dad sadly. He died before I was born while battling in the Korean war.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” No matter how long it’s been since the war, the trauma of it all still haunted Doyoung.

“It’s been years so it’s fine. I found out recently that he risked his life to save his senior officer during a surprise attack from one of my uncles. If that isn’t bravery, I don’t know what is.”

“So you’re not mad at him for leaving?” He asked, hoping he didn’t cross boundaries either. He needed this closure.

“It was hard to accept at first. All my friends grew up with their actual fathers, and I felt outcasted. But there are just some things we can’t control, you know?  Besides, people always spoke of him highly and that makes me proud. Though,” She answered honestly, covering up the bitterness in her words in other not to disrespect him. “I’m pretty sure I saw him in a dream when I was younger.”

Doyoung’s heart leaped. So she may recall quite a bit. “Oh really? What was it like?”

“The only person I told this to is my mom. It felt quite unreal, honestly. I was around 7-8 years old at that time, and we were at a carnival, enjoying the attractions and stuff. Then we transitioned to this huge library where he read me a bunch of stories. One of them was Madeline, I believe. One of my favorites!”

Doyoung replays the fond memory in his mind. Time really flew by so fast.

“What a fun dream, it seems to be.”

Areum was elated at the best memory of her youth, smiling to herself. “It truly was. It felt like I was with him, you know. No matter how many times he told me he loved me there, I still respond the same way and that nothing has changed.”

“I love you too, Areum.” He mumbled quietly. That dream should not have been the only memory they have of each other. Neither of them deserved to be parted.

Soon enough, they arrived at the front doors of her dorm residence. Since it was strictly for women, she explained that she’ll carry the box from here on.

“Thanks again for the help, tokki. I’ll make sure to pay you back soon.” She spoke so casually because, for some reason, this mysterious man felt trustworthy. Her gut feeling may fool her, but she let it pass.

“Take your time, Areum. I wish you the best of luck.”

Before they went separate ways, something about her bitter words from awhile ago bothered Doyoung and he wanted to say something about it. Because looking into the far future, if he didn’t, he knew he’ll regret it and make moving on harder.

“Wait, Areum!”

Areum abruptly reacted to the shouts of her name, almost dropping the box. She faced again the mysterious tokki, who now had an awkward stance with his hand in the air waving at you.

“Yes, tokki?”

Compiling his thoughts, here goes nothing.

“This is quite random but your dad... I just know he loves you too. He’s also proud of you for being strong and intelligent. I hope you don’t forget that.”

Areum was baffled by his statement, but it was uplifting to hear that. Maybe this tokki guy was going through the same thing as her, so she didn’t want to judge too quickly. She was taught to never judge a book by its cover from you. By the quick blinking of her eyes, some tears dropped down to her cheek. She let out some sniffles on her way up to her dorm room, reassured that this stranger may just be correct. She heard what she needed to hear.

It’s been a long time since he reunited with his daughter, even if she’s fooled into thinking that the dream was just a dream. His status as a father was renewed. Even if he got a major scolding from Manwol upon his return at the hotel for ditching his shift.

“She blamed you in public? Oh no, my love.” You consoled your lover after he told you the tale.

A lot of iconic songs were released during this decade, so this dream accommodated it. It was set in a jazz bar, where all sorts of alcohol on display with assorted vinyl CDs by the platform at the end. Dimly lit with numerous empty tables and chairs, and it was only the two of you. Dressed to the nines for the occasion, your flimsy hands couldn’t stop playing with your hoop earrings. A definite staple while you swayed your hips to the beat of Superstition by Stevie Wonder.

Doyoung sat in one of the bar stools in a red v-neck top and flare pants, marveling at your physique and movements in that indigo romper. You could feel his fiery stare, your body flowing through the groove to capture him into your spell. The dream version of him always gets easily distracted when you act suggestive, especially when he isn’t in control physically. Only his words can he sort out.

Dancing towards him, you dragged his arms away from his seated position to lead him to the empty dance floor.

“Let’s dance off the stress, shall we?”

Pulling off the famous dance moves and grooving in freestyle, it was a blast. Both your young energies were in sync. From the funky beat, it shuffled into a slower yet soulful song. The unwinding mood could only mean that this dream was reaching its end. You took Doyoung’s arms again, placing one on your waist and the other interlocked with you. Taking the lead, you waltzed back and forth, twirling yourself in his arms.

Doyoung cracked a smile from the phone and in the dream, immersing himself in the lovely song. It was always played on the radio during the late-night shows, dedicated for the couples out there. With you, he could finally understand why couples request it every night.

“You are the sunshine of my life,” He sang along while feeling your heartbeat against his chest. “That's why I'll always stay around.”

“You are the apple of my eye,” You carried from where he left off, equally resonating with the lyrics. No matter how many times you’ve said or expressed your patience for each other, this song held a special place. It summed up everything you’re both fighting for.

“Forever, you'll stay in my heart.”

1980s

It came to Doyoung’s attention that there’s a new member of the hotel staff, and Manwol put him in charge of touring this new addition around and orienting them about the hotel rules. Considering he wasn’t busy, he went for it.

This person would be the replacement of Johnny, who finally passed through the afterlife in high spirits after his younger brother Mark took his rightful place as the heir of their family business. Originally, it was him, but his stepmother and stepbrother stabbed him alongside his father to get ahold of the power. Without proof, they led the business as she freely did, overworking Mark numerously and spending their money to their heart’s desire.

Doyoung couldn’t let this pass. Since Manwol hired a human manager back in the ‘70s named Kun to better facilitate human-related affairs for the hotel (taxes, bills, etc), he requested him to talk to Mark then introduce him to you.

Kun also made sure to inform you that this was Doyoung’s idea.

“This Johnny is the same Johnny that Doyoung talks about in my dreams? The one who brings the fun out of him every once and while?”

“That’s right, Ms. (Y/L/N). Due to the betrayal, he can’t move on until his stepbrother is taken down.”

The fact that Kun was a bridge to the two of you felt miraculous. Now and then, Doyoung tasked Kun to buy you flowers or coffee whenever they meet. Sometimes, he’ll ask him to send his letters to you too. In return, you replied to those letters, attaching pictures of you and Areum over time. He hung it up in his office, taking a look before every shift.

Kun didn’t mind being in the middle. While Doyoung gave her cases to work on, it makes it easier for him to wait for her. Doyoung was a guest first before being a member of staff, and as the human manager, he’ll make sure that he gets to move on too.

Even if you don’t accept cases from big companies, the touching way how Mark described his passed older brother persuaded her otherwise. He even opened up about watching his father and older brother get killed right in front of him. From there, he was held hostage for years and never told anyone about that night.

It was undoubtedly the biggest case in your career. Up until this day, everyone still talks about how complex and intense the battle was.

“Always finding a way to make justice prevail, Kim Doyoung.” You thought to yourself after gathering more evidence from Mark and Kun, working closely also with forensics and the police.

And that you did. With additional information on Johnny’s side, which helped find the empty puzzle pieces to prove his stepfamily’s guilt, they won the case. Life imprisonment and forced transferring of roles, Mark became the CEO. All those involved in hiding the truth got caught and fired from their positions.

You deserved your influential status, and due to your never-ending service, Doyoung found himself falling in love with you over and over again. Even from far away, you felt his connection and passion.

Currently, you were dealing with five cases, one of them being another request for Kun and Doyoung. It was for the murder of Yuta Nakamoto in the late 40s.

Being a migrant from Japan, numerous Koreans held grudges for their people. He was mistreated and disrespected, even if he had the most caring soul. He even found love, ready to get wed. But one normal evening after his job as a Japanese teacher, he was mobbed by Koreans and heartlessly killed. At first, he wanted vengeance. But after Manwol telling stories of souls burning into ashes when they get revenge, he changed his objective to watch the demise of all his killers, who became very influential people in Korean society.

Representing with you was his former lover, Sooyoung. No matter how many times she tried to appeal to the court in the past, no one paid attention because she was a woman and interracial relationships were taboo. Even if Yuta held a special place in her heart, she eventually got married to another man. In the beginning, she felt guilty, but after Yuta told her in a dream call that she shouldn’t be afraid to open herself up again, she never held back. And as a fellow woman who’s been ostracized, you sided with her.

She may not have her happy ending with Yuta, but it only felt right to avenge his wrongful death.

It’s a tough battle, these murderous men not owning up to their crime, and the public also discriminating the dead man by saying he deserved it. But you knew you could do it, even if it’ll take a while.

Back to the newbie, he was in his early twenties. He went by the name, Jaehyun. Just about to start his life, yet taken away just like that. Aside from being the next bartender, he has another position as the vinyl boy in the music section of the library. It came to Manwol’s attention that he wanted to pursue music when he was alive, listening to vinyl CDs or cassette players and taking singing and piano lessons growing up. While he figured out what he wants to do while moving on, he’d be in charge of organizing and playing music for the souls checked in. Sing even if requested, especially by the women who are charmed by his attractive looks.

He was a literal old soul, jazz being his favorite genre. Most of the time, he played Chet Baker or Frank Sinatra when it’s his shift at the bar. He was known for always showing his best and happy-go-lucky sides to everyone.

It took him a few years to start opening about his life, longer than most souls. But maybe because the trauma of it all stung. One night, when he, Doyoung, and Kun weren’t working, he mixed a few cocktails and completely fell off the radar.

“I was a part of a duo with one of my best friends, Hongseok. It was really fun to perform and make music with him, but then he suddenly got into drugs and had a ton load of groupies. I-I just couldn’t do it anymore with him if he wasn’t going to stop. Once I cut off ties with him, I was signed by a class A producer who loved my compositions. He even got me all sorts of opportunities to perform on TV, and I was so excited for it. But one week until I made my official debut, Hongseok reached out again with apologies, wanting to meet up so we can fix ties. I was hesitant, but I still give him the benefit of the doubt because we go way back….” He confessed, puffing out smoke from his cigarette and putting it down on the ashtray. Before he continued his story, he scoffed with profanities.

“That bitch. I fucking trusted him! I was too good to give him another shot. So after practice, he sent me an address to his apartment or so I thought. We were having drinks, just like old times. But something felt off feel when my mind started feeling hazy and I started coughing continuously because my stomach ached like crazy. He asked me if I was fine, and I told him I was. Then suddenly, baam!” He crashed his hands on the table, shocking the hell out of his two companions.

“Holy fuck, Jaehyun.” Kun cursed under his breath. Doyoung nudged him the shoulder to mind his language.

“The deities are watching you, Kun. Let Jaehyun-ie continue.”

So he did. “There I was, standing beside my dead body while Hongseok rummaged with surgical gloves through my bag to steal my notebook of songs. He planted cocaine on the table where I conversed with him, and also in front of my face. Beside my glass, he laid the vial of poison he used and called the cops. With fake tears, he cried on the phone saying that he came home to my dead body and a suicide note.”

Stillness between the three of them was filled with betrayal and disappointment. For a so-called friend, this must be the worst thing you can do to them. To lessen his suffering, Jaehyun brought back his actively lit cigarette and smoked it until all the tobacco was gone. Exhaling a dark grey smoke, he spat out.

“I-I couldn’t believe it, hyungs. I lost everything after making the wrong decision of seeing him. And now, he signed under that label that found me to “give honor to my talent”. How tragic that I suddenly took my life he’d say, oh bullshit! You took away my life because you were jealous!”

Kun decided to call it a night, requesting Yukhei who’s on duty to take Jaehyun’s upcoming shifts so he could calm down. Escorting his intoxicated figure out so the other guests won’t feel bothered, Doyoung contemplated if he wanted to forward another case to you. You’ve been getting so much workload lately, according to Kun, because your success rate is high and highly in demand.

“What happened to Jaehyun?” Manwol showed up from behind, sitting across him. “Did he finally tell his story?”

Doyoung mildly groaned, devastated by it. “He did, and it breaks my heart. He’s still so young, like me.”

“What are you going to do about it?” Manwol stirred the spare cocktail, ingesting it in one go. “Is it another case worth forwarding to (Y/N)?”

“If it helps Jaehyun move on, possibly. I know it’s hard to find staff these days, Manwol. Also, she’s stacked already. I don’t know if she’ll take it.”

She snickered, patting his shoulder. “You know if it’s from you, it becomes her priority. She loves you that much, you know.”

“I know, but I wish I could help her. In person. I would’ve been a lawyer and taken Jaehyun’s case if I were alive. Murder in the first degree, false reporting to the police, stealing, his persecutor is insane and still walking free.”

The fire of passion in Doyoung wasn’t new to Manwol, nodding as he spoke. He was capable of a lot of things, but the world just wasn’t ready to see it. She was more concerned at how the deities will react when he engages in human affairs again. Even if it helps a lot of ghosts move on, it’s highly discouraged to interfere with the living world. It’ll ruin the entire flow of the world.

Doyoung already knew what he got himself into, but it’s one of the few ways he still feels relevant. Always in service for anyone who needs it, dead or alive. If the deities take him away, it’s no joke that it’ll be a riot in the entire hotel.

“In that case,” Manwol’s piercing eyes scanned right at him, filling up his glass with vodka. Second to Doyoung, she grew a fond liking to Jaehyun. She never knew how much he’s been hiding during his stay. “Forward it no matter what. End his murderer’s career at all costs.”

Doyoung smirked, lifting his glass high to clink with hers then chugging it one go.

“I’ll investigate first with Kun to know more about Jaehyun’s life, then we’ll look for someone who wants to testify for Jaehyun to meet with (Y/N).”

Amid the craze and problems in the hotel, at least Doyoung was at ease with how successful his family. Areum became a well-known author for fairytales, got married, and had 3 kids of her own. She most definitely didn’t live down to Doyoung’s promise.

“Is he a nice guy?” Doyoung inspected the man who married his only daughter. It felt like yesterday they played around in the carnival room.

“He is, Doyoung. Intelligent and caring, nothing to worry about.” You calmed his shaking leg, resting your head on his shoulder while you watch the fireflies from the campfire set prepared by the deities.

“I’m just looking out for her, you know.”

“She most definitely does know, even telling stories about us to her kids. Our grandchildren.”

“It’s hard to believe that we’re technically old when we’re always young in these dreams.”

“Maybe it’s just you being used to your youth. Meanwhile, aging is beating my ass every day.” You joked, covering yourself up in the blanket you shared. Doyoung’s bottom lip jutted out, huffing at your mean comments.

“Yah, you take that back.”

“Make me.” You fired back, riling him up.

Doyoung in the dream attacked you by tickling your sides mercilessly. Your body uncontrollably arched back and forth, falling back to the blanket you sat at. He took the advantage to pin you down, gripping on your arms to the side. With his face near yours, you closed the gap with a cheeky kiss. His touch softened, allowing you to pull him lower by his collar. Your lips molded together in every movement, feeling his tongue lick your lower lip for entrance. You freely gave in, moaning filthily.

“Didn’t even have to test me like that, my love.”

How you wished this was longer, if it weren’t for the fast fading out, and morning has arrived again. A short-lived euphoria, yet it left your panties drenched under the covers. The arousal still ran in your veins.

“Kim Doyoung, you tease.”

Back to your real life, aside from bravely taking on controversial cases, there was a thrill in every case you did and it showed by your fast-paced talking and hand gestures. Whether you won or lost, mostly the former, knowing that you helped someone made your life more meaningful.

He often forgot how you’re a grandmother during your dream calls already as time flows differently within the living and the dead. They were the only way you can be youthful and energetic. But with your actual body, it began to weaken.

Early 1990s

Nature decided to take heavier measures on you physically. On one of the monthly visits to the doctor, she noticed something off with the checkup and tests. Especially in the chest area.

“Ms. (Y/L/N) (Y/N), I’m afraid that you have a growing lump in your breast.”

“Are you saying what I’m thinking?”

“If breast cancer is one of those though, then unfortunately yes.”

Areum was by your side that day, tearing up at her announcement. You, on the other hand, remained still and nodding at the truth. You’ve fought for a lot of things in your life, and you were so determined to beat this one.

Chemotherapy, medications, and scans are tiring and draining, but you managed to live for 2 more years. You’ve fully retired, and now and then, mentor the juniors with their cases. You’ve traveled to as many places as you can before the stages of cancer rose.

In your last months of life, you were bedridden in the most expensive hospital in Seoul, getting visits from Areum with her family, Jungwoo and Taeyong. As the latter served as definite friends to Doyoung, it was only natural to befriend them when they came into your life post-war. They supported Areum in any way they can too.  They’ve become a great company in your boring life especially in the hospital. Nowadays, Jungwoo loved sharing stories about his hyper grandchildren, who share similar traits to him, while Taeyong excitedly talked about his recent investment with a promising music company with the dream to debut talented individuals and go international in the long run.

“Mr. Lee Soo Man is dedicated to it! He hopes that next year, all his plans can start and be executed.”

“You’re always investing in start-ups, you know? You think this one will be bigger than the rest?”

“Music is universal, you know. Language barriers may be there, but music brings us together.”

Taeyong was always a delight to catch up with. However, you didn’t expect that conversation would be your last with him. A few days later, he suffered a sudden heart attack and passed. This was a sign that your time was coming. Your body falling more and more feeble every day as the disease fully took you over at night, the monitors always going on a high every so often.

It’s only a matter of time before you leave this life, and looking back, you’ve lived a tough yet productive life. Your daughter was happy and thriving in her career and family. You helped families and couples from their abusive households. You defended those with loved ones who were murdered, robbed, and lied to. You ticked off all you wanted to do beforehand.

Areum made sure to visit that night specifically as soon as she could. With your recent test results have been failing, her gut feeling kept insisting.

It’s a good thing she did.

Meanwhile, it was another day of work for Doyoung, just returning a bunch of books in their respective shelves after some teenagers left on the table. Before that, he bid Taeyong goodbye in the tunnel. It’s always nice to see a familiar face, so he couldn’t miss out on it. He shared any life stories he had with you, updating him about your state. Doyoung knew about it beforehand, and as selfish enough to look forward to it, it pained him to know you’re suffering. He only hoped you could fight through it.

“Doyoung-hyung!” Someone suddenly shouted, but he was shushed by an old lady reading her romance novel, who pointed at the sign that read “Keep quiet in the library”.

Doyoung was also annoyed, instantly nagging on the point person. “Kun! Can you read the sign? Jeez, this isn’t the first time so please-”

“(Y/N) is going off the monitor.” He blurted out. The news from one of the nurses he befriended buzzed through his phone. After finding out about his story, he wanted to help Doyoung especially when he was still alive. Doyoung may a part of the staff, but he’s still a guest. He dropped everything in his hands. Before he could race to the hospital, he changed into a specific outfit for this occasion.

This was it.

Areum was the only one by your side of your hospital bed, weeping due to your weak state. You didn’t want your other family members to witness this crucial moment. It stung that you’ll miss out on the futures of your grandchildren, but you were satisfied to just be a part of their lives. All this machinery trying to sustain your life served its purpose, but the illness you’re fighting was stronger.

“Mom....” Areum sniffled in her handkerchief, holding on to your boney hand. “I’m not ready for you to go.”

“Oh, Areum.” Your thumb caressed her soft palm as reassurance. “You grew up so well. An independent woman you are, you are so loved.”

“Mom, please....” She begged. “I can’t lose you too.”

You will never know how Areum held in her sorrow of not being able to grow up with her father. She hated the feeling of being fully abandoned. She wanted things and people to return to her, but she can’t make that choice. Being by her side all her life, losing you will be the hardest struggle she’ll have to face.

“Areum, you must understand...” You paused as a pang of pain in your chest stabs you. After a minute of enduring it, you continued. “...We are put on this world for a specific time. And if we’re called to leave, we must face it.”

She whimpered whilst holding on to your hand. She really thought you can get through this one like the rest, but your hair has gone, your body lost much weight, and your eyes lost their light.

“Mom, are you happy? You’ve fought through so much to get where you are. I can never do what you did.”

“Y-Yes, I am.” You stuttered, gracing a promising smile. “I had you, our families, and your father watching over me..”

The dreams you get on your birthday were fairytale-like stories that pushed Areum to become an author. She denied how unrealistic and supernatural they were at first. Another trait of Doyoung she got. However, when she noticed how wider your smiles are and energetic you get in the mornings after rather the feeling of distraught, she reckoned to believe they were something special. Despite knowing your love story and its downfall, she felt exhilarated at the things you and her dad did there. In a way, it brings him closer to her. But she still had that void.

“I envy you for that, mom. I wish I met him or at least came to me even if I least expected it!”

Oh, little did she know about that time in the bookstore back in the 70s. It was not coincidental; you and Doyoung planned it very well. You just played along to her complaint, alerted that this wasn’t your story to tell at this time. “Forgive your father just this once, okay? He never wanted this kind of fate for any of us. If one thing stayed constant in those dreams, it’s him always asking how you are doing.”

Her tears become uncontrollable, allowing herself to get puffy eyes and let it all out. “When you see him, please tell him I’m sorry and that I love him no matter.” “Oh, Areum. He knows that, so don’t worry about it.”

The clock was ticking for Areum before she’ll be asked to leave. With you bringing up her father again, she had one last question. Her courage to ask it was so little when she was young in fear you sulk and break down. It hurt her when the bad parts of your past tormented you.

“How much do you miss him?” The question put you in a point of self-reflection. The only person you’ve opened up to talk about him in detail was Areum. Even with your friendships with Taeyong and Jungwoo, there were some things you never disclosed with them. And never did they force you to answer because they can read you on the back of their heads: you’re still heartbroken, yet remained devoted to him.

“I miss him so much that even if this became my fate for accepting his notebook back in our university days, I would foolishly do it all over again. In those times he was no longer with us, it taught me to appreciate what and who we have in our lives because tomorrow is never guaranteed. From his impact, I learned to take care of myself again so I can take better care of you. I’m grateful you were born; he left a piece of him for me.”

“You’ve suffered so much, mom. I hope you can rest peacefully.”

“Thank you for never leaving my side, Areum.” A few tears escaped your eyes, infectious to your daughter’s gloom. “I love you.”

Meanwhile, Doyoung was right outside viewing you and Areum sharing your last conversation and goodbyes. As much as he looked forward to reuniting with you, he didn’t want to leave his only daughter alone. The deities should have shown her more mercy. Still invisible, he observed how Areum trembled when she heavily closed the door of your hospital room. Covering her sobs with her handkerchief, she took one last look through the small glass of the door. You dove into a deep sleep that would then be unawakened.

“I hope your next life is happier than this, mom, and you can cross paths again with dad and grow old with him too.”

Doyoung’s urge to show himself to his daughter to console her was overpowering him, but he restrained himself this time. A few hours later, your consciousness was faltering. Your five senses were losing touch one by one. Important memories of your long life played in your mind. Then your heart gave in and stopped beating. The doctors present there have pronounced you dead. The transition from your body to your soul watching it be covered by a blanket by the nurses was swift yet strange. You didn’t know where to go and what’s next. No book prepared you for this nor can you ask the doctors what to do. Standing there lost with so many questions, it only took someone’s enthusiastic calling for your name to soothe you down.

“(Y/N)!”

It hit you instantaneously that when your day comes, Doyoung would call for your name. Your old age and past illness really affected your memories. He was an honest man and kept to his word this time.

And there he was, just along the hallway.

This was no longer a dream.

This novel kind of exhilaration got you moving your feet, still sore and slow because you were still an old lady.

“Doyoung!”

You shouted back, over and over again before your boney hands slid open the door. At the same time, your old figure drastically and permanently transformed you back to your active twenties. Nothing physically hurt anymore and your energy was on an all-time high. Your room was the last on the floor, a dead end. The left side of the hallway was just a closed window pane.

When you stepped outside and turned to your right, there he properly stood. He wore the same suit and suspenders combination on the day he approached you on your bike. The actual soul of Kim Doyoung who was no longer behind the phone. No matter how many times he’s seen you from afar, it makes him lose his breath from the captivation. For once, he can see you without barriers.

You just realized how you were dressed back into the floral dress on the day you had your first proper conversation. It’s like you’re meeting each other again for the first time. The beeping sounds of the monitors, wheelchairs moving, and chitter-chatter exchanged by doctors went mute. Stunned, you couldn’t stop looking eye to eye at him, cherishing this special moment.

It finally processed to Doyoung that his patience and efforts paid off. In this journey of acceptance, while enduring its trials, it added up to this sweet result to be reunited with you. The adrenaline rush took control of your limbs, legs running to him on the other side.

As his arms widened for a hug, he spun and picked you around in the air. His arms firmly wrap around your waist while your head snuggled on top of his shoulder. You felt safe, warm, and alleviated. Once he put you back down, the overwhelming joy wasn’t keen to pull away from your lover. Doyoung’s lips somehow got closer to yours, your heart skipping beats and his familiar scent intoxicating your thoughts.

With Doyoung still having you wrapped in his arms, he took his awaited chance to close into your parted lips. The fluttering in your stomach was on overdrive, your entire body reacting immediately from his passion. One hand curled into a fist on the hem of his buttoned top while the other rubbed the back of his head. Your legs almost gave in, but with Doyoung’s strength, he held you tight. No previous kiss felt like this. You didn’t have to worry about getting caught by adults for such a provocative display of affection. Your roommate wasn’t going to splash water if she catches you getting frisky on campus. As for Doyoung, he didn’t have to get paranoid about what his classmates would say about their relationship. You were both in your own world for a while.

But wanting to catch a breather from his thrilling dominance, your lips hesitantly moved away first. You took your time to get lost in admiring his features. Wet, swollen lips, flushed cheeks, his dazed eyes, he was irresistible, to say the least.

This was how an almost 50-year build-up would end up to.

“My love, it’s really you,” You finally spoke, caressing your thumb on his flushed cheek. “You’ve been through so much.”

As lovestruck as he is, his pent-up tears streamed down instantly. Except they were tears of joy. All those years he held back.

“I’ve missed you so much, (Y/N). I’m just happy you’re finally here with me.”

He wasn’t joking when he said that the main lobby alone was exquisite after walking through the city. Aside from Kun, that’s where he introduced you to other staff he worked with, such as Jeno, Jaehyun, and the boss herself, Manwol.

“This boy stayed very loyal, you know?” She commended Doyoung. It was a rare thing with her cold-hearted and aggressive personality. “He read to a lot of kids, taught some of them too, and recommended great books for the souls to read. He listened to a lot of souls who wanted justice then forwarded them to you so they can cross the other side.”

An honor to hear from the owner herself, you glanced at Doyoung with so much love. Such a giver than a receiver.

Beside Manwol was someone whom you aspired to meet. Unfortunately, you never met the other boys you’ve helped, so this was a great chance to see at least one before moving on. Hearing about his case and the treachery of it, you made sure to work on it before you retired, eventually passing it on to one of your trusted juniors. So far, his side was winning and that’s all you wanted.

“Jeong Jaehyun.” You held on to his clasped hands as he bowed to you.

“Attorney (Y/L/N). I’m so grateful for what you’re doing for me.”

“Oh, just call me (Y/N). By the way, your side is winning, my dear. Your younger brother Sungchan is committed to clearing up your name, and that evil Hongseok will rot in life imprisonment for his crimes.” You updated him. Without self-restraint, his arms gather you in for a hug. Jaehyun wasn’t much for affection, but this felt like the right circumstance. In return, you hugged him back.

“Thanks to you, Johnny and Yuta are resting in peace.”

“And you are next, Jaehyun. My junior taking your case is topnotch, so you’re bound to get what you truthfully deserve.”

After sharing such a heartfelt moment, you asserted your attention to Jeno. Not going to lie, you’ve looked forward to meeting this boy the most. He was there with Doyoung from the very beginning.

“Doyoung-hyung gets giddy after he makes a call, and tells me everything that you’ve been up to.” Jeno joined in. “He gets grumpy though too, so I like pestering him around to light him up. Oh, I’ll never know what you see in him, (Y/N).”

That gave him a joking slap on the shoulder by Doyoung, signaling to cut it out.  

“Hyung!” He fakely cried, hiding his face behind Jaehyun’s shoulder.

You suppressed a laugh, eventually sputtering out like an engine. Doyoung sighed, failing to redeem himself. But it’s alright. A simple peck from you on his cheek got him all flustered.

“Aish, take your romantic shenanigans when you’re in your room, not in my damn lobby.” Manwol cringed, the evident love bug getting on her nerves. “Alright, everyone. Get back to work!”

Checking in your room was an experience. Since you’ve been to numerous places through the dream calls, there was one main thing you’ve missed to do with Doyoung. As soon as he lifted you by your thighs and roughly shoved his tongue down your throat, you were in for a heated evening. This dominant side of Doyoung when it came to sex was completely fresh. After diving into more erotica over time, he learned about visual porn through Johnny and Jeno. You can say that he studied it very well.

“Almost 40 years of waiting, (Y/N).” He trapped you from above, sliding one of his hands to your bare breasts until it landed on your clothed core. Rubbing up and down your clit in a torturously slow place, he smirked at your desperate whines. Your breaths turned heavy, soaked by his actions. “Remember when I told you to brace yourself back then?”

“Shit, Doyoung...”

“Shush love, I’m in control now. So be a good girl for me, alright?” He growled in your ear, sucking on your soft spot on your neck. You obeyed that night, unbuttoning his shirt impatiently only to reveal his toned abdomen then lowering his crotch to give it a tight squeeze.

He hissed against your neck, pushing your panties to the side and sliding in your wetness.

“You are asking for it now, love.”

A steamy night it was, making up for all those lost years.

The following day, the struggle to walk was real. Jeno even pointed out your limping when you were roaming around the library Doyoung worked at. You never had a younger sibling, but he acted like one. So you punched him in the shoulder to shut up. “Jeez, you’re both so physical. Let me live!”

“Jeno, you’re dead. Don’t say nonsensical things.”

You learned how this hotel’s main purpose was to guide and fulfill the last wishes of ghosts in the living world before moving on. When Jeno asked you if you still have unfinished business, you realized that there is one thing left. Even if you completed your bucket list, that one thing is only possible through the hotel. You and Doyoung sat across Manwol, monitoring your shared dream call like she always did.

“Is this really the only thing you want to do here, (Y/N)?” Positively nodding, she gave you the signal to lift up the phone.

Areum found herself in an unfamiliar forest nearby a river during the day. Even she’s always like playing outside with nature in her childhood years, this location didn’t ring a bell. In fact, she was physically back to being that young girl with the same mature mind in this dream.

She wasn’t a vivid dreamer like yourself, forgetting them as so as she woke up. Even in that “dream” with her father, there were so many gaps. So for this one time, she can fully grasp her surroundings. This dream must have a purpose, she wondered.

While she followed the path that the dream assumed for her to take, she then clearly caught a glimpse of a younger you at the end of that path. Running around and laughing in the grass.

“Mom!” She called out, moving at a faster pace. It’s a good thing this dream brought her back her agility.

At the end of the path, it unveiled you lying down on the grass. Wearing in a dainty dress that reminded her of the 50s, there was an unfamiliar young man beside you. His head face planted on the grass because you pushed him off your body when he tried to tickle you.

It turned out that she arrived at your favorite spot with Doyoung. She’s only heard stories of things you’ve done and talked about her, but due to the war, their spot was devastated. Soon after, it turned into a small condominium building overlooking the river.

“Areum!” You squealed cheerfully to hear her much younger voice. She tackled you in a hug, and you still naturally felt it from where you sat.

“My sweet child,” You cooed in her, patting her back. “How are you?”

“It’s been difficult, but I’ll get by in time.” That was the first thing she managed to say, the grief being very much fresh. No mother wants to be separated from her child, and you weren’t exempted. But that is how life works: you come then you go. The truth tends to hurt.

It was obvious to Doyoung that you were still saddened by leaving Areum, taking this opportunity to give you space and finally interact with his daughter. No disguises nor distance. While the most important women in his life are still hugging in the dream, he pulls himself off from the grass and brushes away some leaves from his hair.

“Areum, I see you paid me back by having top-selling books for children.”

Areum peeked from your shoulder to check who the other man was by your side talking to her. Once he was clean from dirt and leaves, there was the only person he resonated with her. From pictures and stories shared by you, the actual man was with her.

Her actual father was in this dream with her.

“Dad!” She abruptly pulled away from you to approach her father for a bigger hug. You don’t blame her for that, she deserved to see her father even for a bit.

Years of having that empty void only for her biological father, she could care less at this very moment

Doyoung has never cried in a dream call with you, however, this long-awaited moment with his daughter resulted in him softly bawling while feeling her hugs from the chair. He’s proud and at peace to move on not just as your lover or a passionate university student, but as a father.

In their moment of content, only there did it make complete sense to Areum at the unusual memory during the ‘70s at the bookstore wasn’t random. It proved that he really did his best to reach out to her in any way he could.

“This whole time, you were the mysterious tokki. I just thought it was a coincidence. I’m so sorry, dad, that I didn’t notice you.” She sulks. Doyoung in the dream pats her back while lovingly rubbing the nape of her head.

“Oh, Areum. Don’t feel bad. I just wanted to see how much my little girl became independent and studious.” He replies, comforting the disheartened child. “I read all the letters you sent me during my birthday. I was touched then and touched now for this moment. I am proud of you, my daughter. And my love for you never changed.”

The affirmation in his words put Areum in a state of joy, rekindling that spark from the 70s. “I love you, dad.”

Your last mission in this world was to have a special outing with your complete family. Regret was always prevalent in the past, wanting to do this and that but never pushed through. But not in this dream. Just the three of you, happy and carefree from it all.

Unfortunately, Manwol just gave a hand signal that your time was almost up. Time flies by so quickly when you’re fully immersed in something you’re enjoying. Doyoung wasn’t capable to bear the bad news, but with you by his side, you helped him.

“Areum, it’s time for us to go.”

Areum sighed, reality seeping back into the situation. One sleep isn’t enough to make up years of loss. However, she still managed to remain positive in those circumstances. “I wish things worked out differently for our family, but who knows what our next lives will take us?”

In an instant, the two of you in the dream gave your daughter a big group hug. One she’s always yearned for. It’s moments like this where you mustn’t take anything for granted with your family.

“I’m happy you’re reunited with each other, mom and dad. Rest well.” She whispers with a smile, feeling fulfilled. She can grace the living world without wondering how things would be like with a complete set of parents anymore. This dream call successfully filled that empty void in her heart.

Once you’ve bid your final farewell and hung up the phone, you and Doyoung can say the same. A little bittersweet, but it lightened all the burdens in your hearts. The both of you can ultimately rest peacefully and move on.

The timing was perfect for Kun to inform you that the car taking you to the bridge leading to the afterlife was ready.

Jeno, Manwol, Kun, and Jaehyun didn’t want to miss out on this moment, waving farewells to you both. This lifetime may have taken you away from each other physically for a long time, but you still held on to each other. Most people gave up, though it’s not wrong either. It’s better to let go rather than holding on sometimes.

But the both of you were different, something, not even the deities didn’t expect. It’s only up to them to decide if they’ll give you another chance to be together and relive a longer life. A very rare sight indeed. To be granted or not, your story set a standard.

That a love so strong is so patient it endured all the challenges and stress.

“On to the next life, Doyoung?” You asked him, leaning against his shoulder as the car drove under the tunnel. All at the end of it was merely a white sky, where a long bridge awaited them.

“Make sure you wait for me this time.” 

[waithyuck]

PUPPY

pairing: werewolf!lee jeno x reader (f) *halloweenie special*

genre: smut, supernatural au

word count: 4k

warnings: mature content, excessive explicit language, sexy times (meaning sexual content), I used the word ‘penis’ ONCE and only ONCE, mentions of a knot, knotting (I’m sorry), slight impreg kink, cumming inside, unprotected sex, blood, aggressive behavior, other stupid cliche werewolf things that are most definitely prob in hundreds of fics, jeno does NOT like being called a puppy even tho he’s called it oNCe

a/n: the first release of the dreamie halloweenie series! I hope this one sets the tone for what’s to come 👀 sorry to anyone who hates werewolf cliches and for the extreme lack of any substance or plot lmaoooo anyway I hope y’all enjoy reading

| next >

~10/10/2020~

~~~~

“are you cool with jeno staying the night?” your brother shot out, startling you as he spoke, not even looking at you as he spread too much peanut butter on a slice of bread nestled in his hand.

you looked up from where you were sitting at the kitchen table to face your brother, not saying anything in reply as you got lost in your thoughts.

jeno was an oddball. he was nice and he wasn’t creepy or even that weird, he just had his moments that were just well, odd. he was your brother’s friend of about six years; they met in their second year of high school and have been inseparable ever since. because of that, you have also been surrounded by jeno in all that time as well.

in the first couple years, you didn’t notice anything strange about him. he seemed like a normal and healthy young teenage boy. he was incredibly handsome, so of course your poor soul developed a small crush on him that only grew as the years progressed.

since you paid such close attention to him, you could pick out the oddities in his behavior occasionally pretty well. just from that, you’ve deducted that his sense of smell was almost god-like, like he could smell things that a normal person couldn’t.

now, you supposed that it wasn’t that weird that he had a good sniffer; there were probably tons of other people in the world with the same ability...but it wasn't just his sense of smell that had you curious.

sometimes he would act strangely at night; not often, but enough to have you questioning it. he would either disappear completely without a word or come up with a half-assed excuse to leave and then run away like a frightened animal.

it was just plain odd...and you couldn't get over it, no matter how much you tried to will yourself not to think about it.

snapping out of your stupor, you felt your heart jump at the thought of jeno coming over, even though he’s been here countless times, but you didn’t let it show and you shrugged your shoulders.

“it’s not like I have a choice in the matter,” you stated truthfully, looking down to pick at your nails. “you would have just said he was coming over anyway if I said no.”

your brother smiled at you, beaming as he placed the bread down and patted your head.

“you know me so well, y/n.”

you rolled your eyes, shoving him away. “yeah,” you retorted, slightly annoyed. “It’s not like you’re my brother, or anything.”

he didn't say anything further and you left him alone with his sandwich, getting up and making your way to your room where you could successfully hide for the rest of the night. before your cold make it far, you heard your brother yell something about jeno coming around 8, but you didn't say anything back and just minded your own business all the way upstairs to your room.

you pathetically holed yourself up in your dark room for about four hours, only coming out to quietly sneak to the bathroom and then you would go back into hiding once again.

even when you got word that there was pizza downstairs, you ignored it and continued to watch horror story narrations on youtube.

you just couldn't deal with being in the presence of your long time crush today. it took everything in your power to stop yourself from going downstairs and being potentially spotted, but you managed to pull through successfully and be a pathetic hermit in your room.

it was around 3 a.m. when you were finally finished with watching youtube videos, and you felt gross. you supposed that the two boys would be sound asleep by now, considering your brother never ever sacrificed his beauty sleep for anyone. you grabbed some clean clothes and gathered them in your arms before trudging tiredly to the bathroom, swinging open the door without a second thought, not realizing that the light was already on when you got there.

your heart almost jumped out of your chest as your eyes bulged out of their sockets.

“holy fuck!” you screeched as you took in the sight of jeno, in the middle of the bathroom completely naked, stroking his painfully hard cock right before your eyes. you couldn’t tear your eyes away from the show and you accidentally discovered that there was something not right about the way it looked...

your mouth fell agape and you barely heard him gasp loudly before trying to cover himself with the closest towel.

“jesus christ, y/n!” he yelled back, both of you not even considering your sleeping brother that was just three rooms over.

your eyes stayed glued to where he was covering himself with the towel, still thinking about the oddity of his dick. it seemed to be swelling at the base, which was definitely not normal for a human penis to do.

“what the fuck is wrong with your dick?” you blurted out unapologetically, causing a blush to cover his entire face and neck. you tore your eyes from his covered crotch to look at his eyes, which were now a shocking shade of bright yellow. you jumped back, dropping your clothes on the floor as you watched him breath heavily, most likely trying to calm himself down the same as you.

“oh my god, what the actual fuck is happening?” you murmured out loud, your eyes wide and never leaving his own as he stood silently in front of you. “am i dreaming? am i fucking high?” you tried to reason out as to why you were seeing what you're seeing, but jeno didn't give you much time to think before he spoke.

“you’re not dreaming,” his voice came out low, almost like a growl, and you felt your heart freeze up. “I dunno if you’re high...but what you're seeing is as real as it gets.”

your mouth opened and closed like a fish gasping out of water, trying to formulate the words to say next. your brain literally couldn't think of anything except his abnormally large and weird dick.

“okay…” you trailed off, your hands coming up to rest over your racing heart. “so then I’ll ask again: what the fuck is up with your dick??” and then you quickly added, “and your eyes??? I'm so confused right now, jeno.”

he sighed heavily and turned around, giving you a full view of his ass before he gathered his clothes to get dressed and cover himself. you really should have looked away, but your eyes wouldn’t listen to your internal screaming no matter how hard you physically tried to stop staring.

when he pulled his shorts on he finally turned to face you once more, forgoing a shirt much to your dismay (but really, you were dying on the inside at the sight of his abs). he stared at you for a second, his eyes back to their natural deep brown color.

“...there's a lot we need to talk about.” was all he said before grabbing your wrist in his scorchingly warm hand and dragging you out of the bathroom and down to your room. you didn’t protest and you let him practically drag you all the way there, closing the door behind him and guiding you to plop down on your bed. jeno walked to the opposite side of the room, distancing himself from you as much as possible.

“um..so,” he started hesitantly, trying to form his words correctly. “I’m uh, I'm a werewolf.”

your eyes bulged out of your head in disbelief, but you didn't say anything in reply. you both stared at each other across the space of your bedroom, not uttering a single word.

at first you were ready to call him crazy; there was absolutely no way that it was true. but then you thought about his eyes, his sense of smell...and then thought about his cock...holy shit wait, was that a fucking knot??

“um, yeah, it was…” you heard him say suddenly. you jumped out of your skin at the sound of his voice, not expecting him to reply. did you say that out loud by accident?

“you did.”

okay fuck, you needed to stop thinking and pull yourself together. what were you supposed to say to that? ‘oh cool, your cock has a knot and you’re a fucking werewolf, that’s super, jeno!’

jeno went on to explain the ins and outs of being a werewolf to you over the next twenty minutes, the small pink blush on his cheeks never truly leaving as he went into detail about everything. he even corrected certain cliches that were not true, a scowl making its way to his features with each inaccuracy you brought up.

“so...my brother doesn’t know?” you questioned quietly, looking down at your lap.

“no one knows besides you and my family.” he confirmed, and you looked up again to see him lean against the wall behind his back, eyes gazing sharply at you.

you panicked slightly, thinking that holy crap, now that you know, he's gonna have to kill you so the secret doesn't get out.

“oh my god,” you whimpered out, “are you going to kill me now?”

you watched his eyes widen before he choked, coughing violently before composing himself. he straightened his posture, but still didn't make any move toward you, still keeping his distance.

“what?!” he practically shouted, startling you. “of course not! why would I do that??”

you felt your face grow hot and you looked away once again, wringing your hands together on your lap. you shrugged, murmuring quietly, “i dunno...I thought you'd kill me to keep the secret, well, you know, a secret…”

you heard him sigh exasperatedly before hearing his soft voice grace your ears from across the room.

“I don't kill people, y/n.” he sounded slightly sad, and you then felt bad about assuming something so terrible of him. “the only time I kill is when my instincts become too much to control, and I snap.” his head hung low, but he quickly added. “but I’ve never actually killed a person, even if my instincts were screaming at me to.”

you tried to wrap your mind around what his wolf instincts were like; he only briefly touched on that topic earlier, seeming like he didn't want to talk about it too much. you being yourself, of course you had to pry.

“so like, what you’re saying is,” you started, your hand cupping your chin in thought as you pondered over your thoughts. “that if you were to like, hypothetically, snap right now and go all feral, you would want to kill me?” the question came out inflected as a statement, but you nonetheless awaited his answer patiently as you took in the sight of his face going through about five different emotions in the short span of a couple seconds.

“I don’t think…” he trailed off, looking down at the floor while clenching his fists. “I don’t think killing you would be my first instinct,” he looked up at you, his eyes blazing a slight yellow again as he seemingly stared into your soul. “...if you catch my drift.”

at first you were completely confused, not sure what other instincts he could express while being feral, but then it all clicked and it had your body heating up at the thought.

“oh.” you simply retorted, your eyes glazing over at the implication of him pinning you down and taking you as he pleased. “oh, fuck. you’re fuckin’ serious?”

his eyes were dark as he drank you in, his nostrils flaring slightly as he subtly sniffed the air between the both of you. dear god, you hoped that he couldn’t smell the sudden arousal that consumed you. you watched his eyes glow into a bright yellow and you felt your instincts screaming at you to run, but you held his gaze as he let a low growl escape his mouth.

“y/n,” he said, low and strained as he tried to fight his animal instincts. “you need to leave if you don’t want this, right now.” his words were final, no room for questioning.

you briefly tried to think it over; what would actually happen if you stayed and let him have you? you could probably die, first and foremost, but you shook that thought away even though it was a very real and serious possibility. you couldn’t deny your arousal at the whole thing, being taken like a bitch in heat by a guy you’ve been thirsting over for a while now. you may not get the chance to fuck a werewolf again, so you quickly made your decision.

“I’m…” you trailed off, dragging your gaze down to his neck and collarbones where you could make out the sweat forming on his perfect skin. “I’m staying, jeno.” you spoke softly to him, watching his brow furrow in confusion before smoothing out again.

you made your way to him and he stiffened up, watching your every move like a predator as you tentatively stopped in front of his panting form. reaching a hand up, you caressed his face, your breathing shaky as you leaned in closer.

“you can have me, puppy.” you threw in the last little jab with that sudden nickname just for fun, your heart soaring at the sound of the deep growl he let out upon hearing it. you fought the smile off your face as he practically pounced on you, pushing you over to the bed and pinning your body underneath his in one swift movement.

“I’m a puppy, huh?” he questioned darkly, his glowing eyes roaming over your face before his head dipped down to nose at your throat. you whimpered softly as his teeth nibbled on your sensitive skin, earning a satisfied growl from him.

you felt your shorts stick to your core from how insanely soaked you had become, and you grew hot at the idea of him pulling them down to find that you were, in fact, pantieless. he had your wrists pinned down against the mattress, not allowing you to touch him much to your annoyance. you tried to struggle against his supernaturally strong hold, but was met with a deep snarl in response. you immediately grew pliant underneath him out of pure instinct.

he pulled back, sharp canines prominent in his mouth as he fixed you with his glowing stare, red swirling with yellow in his bright irises.

“don’t fucking move,” he spat, his voice coming out low and gutteral, causing a flood of your own arousal to escape you down below. his nostrils flared for the second time that night, and he breathed in deeply at the scent of your wet and begging cunt. “be a good girl and take what I give you.”

the statement was final, and you barely had time to nod before he was tearing your t-shirt in two, biting the skin of your shoulder. his sharper teeth did not sink deep into your flesh, but when he drug the canines across your skin, you felt them rip you open. you let out what could be considered a poorly concealed scream, but it came forth as more of a moan as you felt hot blood trickle down your arm.

your shirt was in ribbons, and he looked extremely pleased as he took in the beautiful sight of your naked breasts, no bra in his way. he watched as your chest heaved up and down in anticipation, and he released your wrist to gently trail both of his hand over your body.

“your tits are so pretty,” he murmured, diving down to take one of your nipples into his mouth. he worked your other boob with one of his hands, kneading it and flicking your sensitive nipple.

your back arched into his touch, and you tried your best to stay as quiet as possible in fear of your brother hearing you.

he suckled hard; nibbling your nipple and dragging his teeth along it, causing shivers to run up your spine and your core to clench around nothing. your shorts were without a doubt ruined at this point.

your nails scratched down his back and he continued to ravage your chest, alternating between both of your breasts and teasing your sensitive buds with no remorse. it felt like hours of play, but eventually he pulled back to roughly grip the fabric of your shorts and tear them down your legs, exposing your dripping core to his hungry eyes.

you whined as he stared at you, reaching your arms out towards his own pants, wanting to see his cock again now that you were laying there, desperate and pouting for it.

his eyes shot to your face, smirking as he watched your brow furrow and your lips purse, your hands trying to grab at him from your place on the bed.

he didn’t allow you to pull his shorts down for him; instead he hooked his own thumbs in the waistband and pulled them down slowly, exposing his cock inch by inch before it finally sprung out, slapping against his stomach proudly.

your mouth watered at the sight of him once again and you moved to try to sit up, but didn’t get very far. he grasped your non-bleeding shoulder and roughly shoved you against the mattress once again, not saying anything. the stare he gave you oozed enough dominance for you to clearly get the message that he was trying to send.

jeno didn’t waste any time spreading your thighs open, two of his fingers immediately swiping through your embarrassingly wet slit before easing inside your tight hole. the stretch burned at first, considering he was starting you off with two fingers instead of one, but you welcomed the slight pain that mixed with the pleasure of him reaching up with his thumb to graze over your throbbing clit.

jeno thrusted his fingers into you gently at first, gradually picking up the pace as he went along. before you knew it he was adding a third finger, stretching your more than you’ve been stretched before.

you gasped at the feeling, your back arching off the bed as you cried out while he started finger fucking you with earnest.

“shhh, baby,” he said quietly, his movements never ceasing. “just gotta open you up for me, make sure you can take my knot.”

you held back another moan at that, thinking of how his cock would stretch you open, and how full you would feel with his knot nestled inside you.

he abruptly pulled his fingers from you, causing your back to arch again as you protested the loss of stimulation. his strength amazed you, and with one hand on your belly he pinned you down completely, sucking on the fingers of his other lewdly while stating you in the eyes.

after licking his fingers clean, (which caused heat to crawl it’s way down your belly), he kissed you sloppily on the mouth once again before gripping your waist and roughly flipping you over onto your knees.

your chest was flush against the mattress as well as your face, and your hips were lifted high in the air and you could feel the heat radiating off of him as he positioned himself behind you.

his nails drug down your sides and he gripped one of your hips with his hand, using his other to position himself at your leaking entrance. you wiggled your hips in anticipation, whining as he drug the head through your folds before slowly sinking inside you.

your fingers gripped the pillows as he bottomed out, his knot already slowly forming at the base of his shaft. it stretched you ever so slightly at the entrance of your core, and you whimpered out in pleasure as he started thrusting in and out.

the small form of his knot caught on your entrance with each precise thrust, and you were finding it very difficult to stay quiet. jeno’s breaths were heavy and every so often he would let out a soft growl as he felt his tip pound gently into your cervix.

your small whimpers were short and staggered, escaping your mouth with each thrust, which spurred him on to create a faster and harsher pace. he leaned over your back and didn’t relent as his cock punished you pussy, and when you let out a cry that was just a little bit too loud, he shoved your face right into your pillow to silence you.

“shut up,” he panted, a rumble low in his chest following his words. “just fucking take it.”

you nodded your head in response to the best of your ability, biting your lip to keep quiet as the presence of his hand left the back of your head.

he seemed to be getting close now, and you could feel yourself teetering on the edge as well. it was uncommon for you to cum without any clitoral stimulation, and you were amazed at his ability to reach all of the most pleasurable spots inside you.

you felt your stomach tightening up and you gasped sharply when you felt his cock press right against your sweet spot, making you reach your high almost instantly.

you clamped around him, barely registering that he buried himself completely inside you and was now stretching you to the max with his fully developed knot. the pain of the stretch only intensified your orgasm, which had you screaming into your pillow to muffle your cries of ecstasy.

jeno growled loudly as he came shortly after, biting the back of your neck aggressively and painting your walls with his cum, emptying completely inside of you while his knot kept a single drop from escaping.

he withdrew his teeth from you, surprised that it didn’t break your skin, and gently moved the two of you to lay on your sides as you basked in the afterglow of what just occurred.

your chest heaved as you fought to catch you breath, you pussy still stretched to its limit as you laid with him. you reached an arm around to caress his face, a small show of affection as you smiled in bliss.

after catching your breath, you sat in silence for a bit, just bathing in each other’s warmth, before you had to go and open your big mouth again.

“so your knot is supposed to like, plug me up?” you questioned, your voice still sounding slightly out of breath as you panted. “to make sure I get like, hypothetically, pregnant or whatever?”

he groaned in response and gripped your hips tightly, his hips bucking and causing his still painfully hard cock to sharply jab against your sensitive insides, making you yelp.

“dear god, y/n,” he whined, his nails digging into your skin. “don’t say things like that, fuck.”

“oh, so you like that idea?” you teased, turning your head to try to look at him to the best of your ability considering your current position. “fucking me full of babies?”

his eyes stared down at you intensely, the color of his irises brightening up as he growled lowly at you. he suddenly gripped your hips and turned you both over, his body completely laying on your own as you were pressed against the mattress on your stomach.

“keep talking, y/n,” he growled out lowly, his hips pressing tightly against your ass, the head of his cock kissing your cervix. “I’ll fuck you again right now, and give you my fucking babies.”

he couldn’t see you, but you smiled contently, preparing yourself for another intense round with this beast of a man. there was a small chance that you would actually get pregnant, considering the IUD you had…but the thought of it had you ready to go at it again.

in some fucked up way, you were content with this, and you threw your hips up to grind back against him, grinning even wider as he pinned your body down even harder.

jeno fucked you like an animal until the sun came up, and your brother was none the wiser.

[rainbowwing251]

Remember to Laugh (Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Tickle Fic)

A/N: You can thank the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Direct for this fic’s existence.

I don’t know what the presentation did to me, but it gave me a burning desire to go onto my iPad and type out this cute little self-indulgent lee!Noah fic. I’m not sure what I have to say beyond that, so let’s move onto the fic, shall we?

Before this fic begins, I must inform everyone who is reading this after the release of Xenoblade 3 that this fic was written prior to the game’s official release, so there may be inaccuracies in regards to the personalities of the characters or the names of the locations mentioned in this fic. Please remember to keep this in mind as you read this fic.

Well, here we go! Time to give Noah the wholesome, fluffy tickles he deserves (especially after everything we saw in that Direct, because dear God, that shit was dark)!

This fic is also on AO3! Here’s the AO3 Link!

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The midday sun beat down on the Seilas Terrace Camp, but it was far more tolerable there than it was in the Eagus Wilderness (which was the main reason why Noah and the others came back to the camp in the first place).

Currently, the only two people who were at the campsite were Noah and Taion. Lanz, Eunie, Sena, Mio, Riku, and Manana had all left to go look for Shijima, the missing off-seer of Colony Lamba. Noah and Taion stayed behind to keep the campsite secure from the monsters who lurked a few meters away from the area. They had defeated one monster already, and they both knew that more could come.

As they prepared themselves for a possible surprise attack from another monster, Taion’s mind wandered as he thought about his comrades, both new and old. Suddenly, he made an observation that piqued his curiosity. A curiosity that could only be satiated if he asked the person who was the subject of his observation.

“Hey Noah, can I ask you something?”

Noah finished wiping off the last speck of dirt off of his blade, called it off, and turned to face Taion. “Sure. Is something bothering you?”

“I guess you could say that.” Taion answered, bringing a hand to his chin. “It’s a bit of an odd question, but I know that you’re the only one who can provide a sufficient answer, however vague it may be.”

Noah raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Okay… so what’s going on?”

“What does your real laugh sound like?”

The off-seer recoiled slightly in surprise. What kind of a question was that…?

Out of all of the possible topics he could have asked about, Noah figured that he would’ve asked about the monster that attacked them or how the search was going, but this? How the hell was he supposed to answer that?!

“My… real laugh? What do you mean by that?”

“Sorry for offending you-“ Taion began to backpedal before Noah held out his hand to stop him.

“No no, you didn’t offend me, I’m just… confused.” He pulled his hand back. “What encouraged you to ask me that question?”

“Well, I couldn’t help but notice that out of all of us, I’ve never heard you laugh before. You’ve let out small chuckles in the past, but they always sounded so… restrained. Like you didn’t want to laugh at all, or didn’t want anyone to hear you laugh.”

“Really? I’ve never noticed...” And he was telling the truth. He’d never even noticed how much nor how often he had held his laughter back before now. How long had he’d been doing that? Since he first joined the Keves army all those years ago? Since he first became a refuge? Since he first arrived at Colony Lamba? When did this begin?

Before Noah’s mind could conjure up any more questions, Taion’s voice pulled him back into reality.

“Noah? Are you alright?”

“Oh, yeah, I’m fine, I’m just… trying to recall the last time I laughed. But I’m more curious about why you’re asking me about this in the first place. The real reason, I mean.”

“Did I not explain why earlier in the conversation?“ It was Taion’s turn to raise an eyebrow now.

“Yes, but… why are you so concerned about everyone’s laughs? What does that have to do with our situation?”

“So that’s what you meant…” Taion had to think about his answer for a second. Why is he so concerned about everyone’s laughter in the first place…?

“Ah yes, that’s the reason why.” He concluded in his head.

“It’s because… I want to make sure that everyone’s okay. We’ve been through a lot as of late, what with that strange giant that attacked us, you and Mio becoming an Ouroboros, switching classes with one another, Vandham telling us where the ‘real enemy’ is…” Taion paused for a moment, “…it’s just a lot of information for us to process in such a short amount of time. Enough to cause us emotional distress if we think about it too much or too often.”

“Ah, I see… so you’re looking out for us…” Noah lowered his head a little bit after finishing his sentence, then lifted it back up again. “Thank you, Taion. I can’t speak for everyone else, but I appreciate your effort to keep us sane during these hard times.”

“Not a problem, Noah.” The hand returned to Taion’s chin, “But in order for me to do this task, I need you all to answer the questions I ask of you. You haven’t done that yet, so I can’t do anything until you answer me.”

“O-oh, right…” Noah’s face heated up slightly, but it thankfully (for him at least) didn’t manifest itself in the form of a blush, “I… don’t remember when I last had a good laugh. I racked my brain to see if I could remember a scenario in which I ended up laughing at something, but I couldn’t find anything…”

“That’s a shame…”

“‘A shame’ is the understatement of the century, maybe even the millennium…” Noah remarked sorrowfully, “Too bad I can’t laugh on command. Otherwise, this wouldn’t be an issue…”

A slight tinge of sadness pulled at Taion’s heart. Had he never laughed before? Ever? Has the war really killed off Noah’s ability to laugh?

“No… it can’t be possible. Noah can still laugh, can he?” He asked himself “Surely the war didn’t traumatize him that badly, but I wouldn't blame him if it did…”

Taion was at a loss. Is there anything he could do to get him to laugh?

He’d have to ask the man himself if he wanted to find an an-.

“Wait.”

He had an idea. If it worked, he’d have to thank Lanz and Eunie for giving him this little tidbit of information he had on the former Keves soldier. If it didn’t… well, he wouldn’t know what to do beyond that point.

“You may not be able to laugh on command. In fact, I don’t think anyone is capable of doing that and making it sound like a genuine laugh. But…” he slowly walked up to Noah until he was about an arms-reach away from him, “…I think I might know something that can get you to laugh again.”

“Hm? And what would that be?” Noah grew more and more puzzled as he saw the tactician approach him ever so slowly.

“Well… before I show you, I should apologize to you in advance if this makes you uncomfortable.” Taion said before wrapping his left arm around Noah’s waist. “If it does, please say something to me. I don’t want to overstep your- no, our- boundaries.”

“Uh, s-sure?” Noah responsed with a slight stutter, “But what does your arm being around my waist have to do with this?”

“To keep you steady. What I’m about to do may cause you to fall over, if Lanz and Eunie’s words ring true.”

The moment Taion mentioned Lanz and Eunie’s names, he put the pieces together, and his eyes widened in fear. Nonetheless, he tried to remain calm. “And why did th-they tell you that?”

“Because of this.” That was all Taion had to say before he attacked Noah’s sides with the gentlest of pinches.

“Wait, wahahahahit, what are you d-dohohoing?” He really tried to hold back his giggles, he really did, but if there was one thing Noah was known for (at least, it was known by Lanz, Eunie, and now Taion, apparently), it’s for being too damn ticklish for his own good. He could never win any of the “don’t laugh” games Lanz and Eunie would subject him to, and as he just found out at this exact moment in time, he couldn’t handle gentle pinches on his tickle spots, either.

“Experimenting.” Taion answered, a small grin threatening to take over his features as Noah’s quiet, small giggles found his ears. He kept up the pinching until he decided to switch tactics, now poking him rapid-fire in the ribcage, occasionally poking at the small crevices between each of his ribs.

“T-Tahehehehehon, nohohohoho! I-It’s dahahahanngerous arohohound here!”

“I checked the nearby areas with my Flame Clock, and I can assure you that no monsters will attack us here.” He reassured the off-seer, then realized the potential he could get out of that statement, “Though I suppose there’s only one monster here that you should be worried about…”

“Ahahahand that is- wait, dohohohon’t say ihihihit!” Noah nearly fell into Taion’s trap and foolishly thought that he wouldn’t dare say the name of the monster. Unfortunately for him, Taion had other plans.

“The Tickle Monster~” And with that, Taion let his subtle grin take over his face as pulled Noah onto the ground and held him tightly against his chest, continuing the never-ending barrage of pokes to his ribs. It was a bit difficult for him to poke him in this position, but it clearly worked, as Noah’s giggles grew into uncontrollable laughter.

“TahahahaHAHAHAION! IHIHIHIHI TOHOHOLD YOU TO NOHOHOT SAY IHIHIHIT!”

“Taion? Who’s Taion? I’m the Tickle Monster, and I don’t know what you’re talking about~”

“WHAHAHAHAHT THE HEHEHEHELL?! WHIHIHIHIHIY ARE YOHOHOU DOING THIHIHIS?”

“Such language! I think that warrants a punishment, don’t you think?”

“NOHOHOHO!”

“Too bad! You’re getting a punishment right this instant!”

Taion moved his hands down to Noah’s hips, feverishly squeezing the area.

“AHAHAHAHAH NOHOHOHOHO! TH-THAHAHAHT’S NOT FAHIHIHIR!” Noah tried to kick his legs in an effort to break out of the tactician-turned-tickle-monster’s hold, but he accomplished absolutely nothing. If anything, it earned him his legs being pinned down by Taion’s legs.

“What do you mean this isn’t fair? You swore, and according to my rules, that warrants a punishment!” Taion teased, “But you only said ‘hell’, so I’m not going to give you a severe punishment, only a minor one.”

“THIHIHIS IS A MIHIHIHINOR PUNIHIHIHISMENT?!”

“Yes, though it seems to me like you’re very ticklish in this area, so I guess this is a rather severe punishment. How unfortunate for you~”

Taion kept up the squeezes as he brought his hands up his poor victim’s sides and ribs and into his underarms, earning him a small squeal.

“Oh~? Is this a bad spot? And I just finished punishing you, too… Oh well, that isn’t going to stop me~!”

“G-GEHEHET OHOHOHOUT OF THEHEHEHERE! TAHAHAHAHAION, PLEHEHEHEHEASE!” The last part of Noah’s request came out a bit whiny as he desperately squirmed in Taion’s arms, trying anything, anything, to get out of his grip.

“Oh wow! I never thought I would hear the trusted off-seer of Keves beg for mercy like that~! You must be VERY ticklish here!”

“I AHAHAHAHAM! GOHOHOHO SOMEWHEHEHEHEHEHEHRE EHEHEHEHEHEHELSE!” Noah pleaded, not realizing what he’d just said. Fortunately (though it was unfortunate in Noah’s case), Taion noticed his slip-up.

“You want me to go somewhere else? As you wish, Noah~” He obliged, slowing the tickling down to a stop so he could give Noah a breather and think about the next spot he could target. He could feel the Keves refugee’s chest heave up and down as he gulped down as much air as he could in case Taion wasn’t finished with him yet.

“Nohohoho… I didn’t mehehean thahahat…” His words were barely a whisper, getting mixed up in the after-giggles he couldn’t help but let out. When he caught his breath and regathered his strength, he tried to squirm away once more, only to find that he still couldn’t break out of Taion’s pin. “Damn it! Just how strong is he?”

“Are you sure? I could have sworn I heard you ask me to move somewhere else… It wasn’t polite, but I’ll accept your request anyway.” Taion’s grip loosened as he hovered his hands above Noah’s body. “Now, where should I tickle you next…?”

“U-um… nowhehere?” At this point, Noah had given up on trying to escape the supposed tickle monster’s clutches, so he failed to notice the opportunity he had to finally get away from him.

“Hm… there is one spot I haven’t tried yet…”

“Shit!” Noah thought to himself, freezing in place. “I was hoping he wouldn’t think about it!”

“You okay there? I thought I felt you tense up.”

Was he… was Taion actually checking up on him? Like Lanz and Eunie did when they would tickle him silly back when they were kids? He didn’t know Agnus soldiers could be so caring!

“Y-yeah, I’m fine. Are you… d-done now?” He whimpered out the second half of his question, still afraid that Taion wasn’t finished with him just yet and would go to that forbidden spot.

“Not just yet, but I promise that this will be the last spot I’ll tickle. When I’m done, I’ll let you go.”

“D-do you promise?”

“I promise.”

With that confirmation, Taion’s hands began their steady descent towards Noah’s stomach. His poor, unprotected stomach.

“T-Tahahahahion….”

“Did you mean ‘Tickle Monster’?”

“Nohohoho… I meheheant Taihihihion… quihihit tehehehehasing mehehehe…”

“Oh, so you WANT me to tickle you~?”

“N-no, I never saihihid-!”

“Very well, then! I shall stop teasing you and get straight to the point, just like you asked~”

The very second Taion’s hands made contact with Noah’s belly, the latter broke out into laughter again.

“NOHOHOHOHOHO, DOHOHOHOHON’T! DOHOHOHOHON’T DO IT!”

“Oh but I will~ And judging by your reactions, I think it’s safe to say that this is your worst spot. Isn’t that right, Noah~?”

Noah was about to respond, but would soon lose the ability to speak at all as Taion’s hands wreaked untold havoc on his stomach. There were pokes, there were scritches, there were scribbles, and there were squeezes, and the end product of all of these different methods of tickle torture was an ear-splitting screech that Taion was almost certain would’ve been heard all the way from the Colony and whereever the rest of his allies were, following by the most hysterical laughter he had ever heard in his entire. Life. Not even Mio or Sena’s screeches could compare to the one that tore itself free from between Noah’s lips.

“GAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! NAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I-I-AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

Yep, Noah had been officially broken, and all it took was some well-placed tickles to his tummy. But as much as he would’ve loved to keep tormenting the poor tummy beneath his hands, he knew he had to stop, and he had to do it soon.

And so he did. He stopped his hands almost immediately and pulled them away from Noah’s stomach, finally letting him roll out of his grasp as he let the poor boy go.

At first, he was afraid that Noah had fainted as he didn’t move for a few seconds after being let go, but his worries were eased when he heard a steady stream of giggles pour out of his mouth. He gave him a few minutes to give him the chance to regain control of himself, then spoke, concern very apparent in his voice.

“Are you going to be okay? I went overboard there, didn’t I…”

“Mahahahaybe, but I’ll behehe fine… It wihihill take more thahahan that to kill mehehe…” Noah giggled out confidently, a bit of an odd tone for him to use considering everything that just happened.

“So that’s what your real laugh sounds like… I won’t lie, I wasn’t expecting it to sound that hysterical. And yet…” Taion trailed off, contemplating whether or not he wanted to finish that sentence. He ultimately decided to go for it. “…It was cute.”

Noah shot up into a sitting position, face beet red with embarrassment and as wide as the saucers Taion assumed the Queens would use to place their teacups on (if either of them drank tea at all, he didn’t know). “C-cute?! You think my laugh is cute?!”

“I do, and if everyone else were here to hear all of that commotion, I think they would’ve found it cute, too.”

“Th-thanks… I appreciate the compliment…” Noah turned to face Taion, still sitting on the ground, “Can you promise me something?”

“Yeah?”

“Promise me that you won’t tell Mio or Sena. I’m not sure if I want them to know about this… Not yet, anyway…” Noah looked like he wanted to say more, so Taion waited until he spoke again.

“And in exchange for your secrecy, I promise I won’t tell Lanz and Eunie about how you acted that whole time.”

“A fair compromise. I don’t know what came over me back there, but I don’t think I would want Lanz and Eunie to know about that for the time being.”

It was awkward at first, but Noah and Taion would eventually look pinkies with each other, “Do we have an agreement, Taion?” Noah asked the tactician.

“Yes we do, Noah.”

Once the promise was solidified, the two refugees got up off the ground, dusted themselves off, and returned to scouting the area around the camp site.

It wouldn’t be another 2 hours before Lanz and the others returned from their search to report their findings to Noah and Taion, but while they were waiting, Taion mentally took notes on Noah’s true laugh.

“I made a promise to him that we wouldn’t talk about what happened with anyone, but one day… I hope I can share his laughter with the world.”

[calaofnoldor]

Winchester Welcome

Characters: Sam x F!Reader, Dean

Words: 3,878

Summary: Everyone’s ecstatic about the impending birth of your twins, but since when do these things ever go off without a hitch for the Winchesters?

Warnings: labor/birth/complications (but nothing too graphic), potential medical inaccuracies, slight angst, bit of language, dean being an awesome big bro? 

A/N: this is part 2 of ‘Dean, Don’t’ (though i think it can be read as a stand alone) which was very kindly requested by @carryonmywaywardbucky, so if you don’t like it, you can go take it up with her (jk!). also, i’m so sorry, i don’t know where all this angst/drama came from 😬

← BACK UP | MASTERLIST

Sam had one foot up on the bench seat and the other planted firmly on the floor of the Impala. He had managed to maneuver you between his legs, where he could offer comfort and support in whatever form you needed.

With one hand pressed against the side of your colossal baby bump, Sam could feel your stomach tense up each time a contraction came, and he always urged you to breathe through them. His face would be nuzzled within your hair, while his other hand kept itself busy rubbing along your neck, shoulders, arms, back, and hips. Indeed, the man had become remarkably handsy ever since you began to show and you unwittingly loved it, even now, in the throes of labor.

“Ugh, Sam!” You grabbed his wrist in a moment of frenzied pain.

“I’m here, baby! I got you, it’s OK.” Sam burrowed his nose into your neck in consolation, and you were beyond glad he had decided to join you in the backseat, despite the tight quarters.

As the blur of buildings and trees whizzed by, your contractions intensified in both strength and frequency. “This hurts more than that time I got shot,” you groaned miserably.

Sam laughed but continued to offer gentle susurrations in his low, soothing tone, lips grazing along the shell of your ear, whilst his doting, reverent fingers brushed the hair away from your face before travelling downwards to work their magic along the base of your spine.

Although Dean tried to grant the two (soon to be four) of you some privacy, he was still able to hear every whisper of love and encouragement Sam uttered your way. He knew that there was nearly nothing his brother hated more in this world than to see you in pain and figured Sam had been doing a pretty awesome job so far, considering. And you, of course - as proven countless times before - had the pain tolerance of an indie wrestler, and Dean had never been more aware of or impressed by the fact than right now.

On this, your boyfriend agreed wholeheartedly. “Breathe, baby. You’re doing so good,” he commended with pride as you huffed through yet another massive cramp, your hands laid protectively across your distended belly.

But something didn’t feel right. Your contractions were growing closer together at an alarming rate, though no one cared to vocalize it, and although you were tempted to pull your usual shit of swallowing your discomfort in silence, you reminded yourself that this time it was about more than just you.

“Ohhh,” you finally let yourself moan aloud, “Sam, I think you might have to check me.”

“Check you?” Dean asked from the driver’s seat; his voice was a little higher than usual.

“To see how far she’s dilated,” Sam replied for you. “Baby, I can’t do that unless Dean pulls over. Do you think we should stop the car? Tell me what you’re feeling.”

“Mmm, I don’t know,” you rasped, “There’s just a lot of pressure and it feels like there’s no break between the contractions anymore.” The string of words left you panting, and you leaned further back into Sam’s embrace.

“What’s the sitch, guys? We stopping the car or should I keep driving?” Dean questioned as he turned his classic rock down a little lower.

“Keep driving,” you confirmed weakly.

Dean complied but made a point to meet Sam’s eyes in the rear-view mirror. They shared a brief moment of wordless, brotherly communication, after which Sam nodded resolutely, his jaw set and eyes ablaze with a mixture of fear and rigid determination.

As the tension in the car mounted, however, the tension in your body seemed to fade. You felt awful for becoming so depleted this early into your labor. You hadn’t even given birth to one of the twins yet, and already you were feeling drained. How could you possibly carry on this way? But all these thoughts quickly disappeared when the weariness became too much.

“Y/N?” Sam looked down at you with furrowed brows. He could feel your body growing limp within his arms.

“Sammy, I don’t feel so good,” you whispered hoarsely. Dean would have thought this was a very normal thing to say during labor, but the change of tone in your voice alerted him to something more.

Sam too, was immediately alert. He scanned your form and noticed two terrifying things right away: first, there was blood on your pants and second, your eyelids seemed to be drooping involuntarily.

“Y/N? Baby, stay with me,” he pleaded as he gave your shoulders a light shake, “Come on, wake up Y/N!” But the darkness was beginning to take over, and you could no longer respond.

“Dean, she’s bleeding,” Sam spoke as an urgent aside, his heart pounding wildly inside his chest.

Dean could tell his brother was beginning to panic, just as he always did when your well-being was on the line, and he knew he needed to remain calm for Sam. “What? OK, just hold on, Y/N/N! We’re almost there.” Dean’s lead foot pushed even harder against the gas pedal.

Behind him, Sam held you tightly in his arms, filling your ears with delicate murmurs of reassurance, desperate for you to wake up. “Come on, baby. You promised me. Just hang on a little longer. You’re gonna be OK.” But even as he said this, he saw more blood seep through your pants. “Dean, drive faster!”

About to tell Sam that he was already going thirty over the speed limit, Dean made the wise decision to shut up and simply put the pedal to the metal, his face a mask of absolute focus.

It was only a matter of minutes, during which you drifted in and out of consciousness, before the Impala screeched to a halt in front of the hospital’s emergency entrance. Dean scrambled out of the car at lightning speed and ran around to open the rear, passenger-side door for you.

Likewise, Sam wasted no time lifting you into his arms and bounding out of the car, practically sprinting towards the reception area. It was an impressive feat of strength, even for Sam, but Dean knew his little brother would have moved mountains for you and those babies if he needed to.

A nurse was there to greet Sam upon his frantic and rather rowdy entrance.

“Help! I need help! My wife’s in labor with our twins, and she passed out on the way here! Her water already broke a-and she’s bleeding!”

The two of you had created fake identities when you decided on a hospital birth, concerned about the chances of complications for delivering twins (and big ones at that), and Sam had never been more grateful for the foresight. He had suggested you go with the credentials of husband and wife to make things easier and ensure the hospital would give him all the privileges of a marital status. Fortunately, despite his hysterical state, Sam hadn’t even hesitated when he called you his wife; the word just seemed to roll off his tongue naturally.

Meanwhile, Dean glanced at his beloved car for a moment, its keys left haphazardly in the ignition. There was a slight grimace on his face as he faltered, considering whether he should go park his Baby in a more legal location or let her get towed and head directly to you and his brother. When he looked back towards the ER and saw your head lolling against Sam’s shoulder, he made his decision. Sam needed him, and Dean would be damned if he didn’t fulfill his lifelong job as the solid and unwavering base of support for his baby brother at this pivotal moment.

“We need a stretcher over here!” The nurse hollered out before turning back to Sam, “OK sir, can you tell me when your wife’s water broke?”

Sam blanched for an instant. He couldn’t focus on anything but your unconscious form. “Um… it was before we left, about, I don’t know-“

“About an hour ago,” Dean supplied as he strode up to his brother’s side. “And we noticed the bleeding around fifteen minutes ago.”

Sam nodded appreciatively, his eyes still wide and frenetic. A stretcher suddenly appeared next to him and he reluctantly laid you down on it, opting to grasp for your hand instead. Dean was busy informing the doctors of your situation, but Sam couldn’t hear any of it.

“OK, let’s go!” a male doctor called out. “Get an OR prepped just in case. Tell them we’ve got a female in active labor with twins, possible placental abruption.”

Trotting alongside your stretcher as the hospital staff pushed you down the hall, one of Sam’s large hands still held on firmly to yours while the other wiped the hair away from your face. “Baby, if you can hear me, please just stay strong, OK? Everything’s gonna be alright. I’m right here. I’ll be here the whole time.”

As if you had heard his prayers, your eyelids began to flutter open. Sam nearly collapsed with relief, but he willed his legs to continue pumping, his eyes never leaving your face. He waited as you tilted your head this way and that, trying to make out your new surroundings.

“S-Sam?” Your voice was still feeble, but Sam had never been happier to hear it.

“Oh, thank god! I’m here, baby, I’m here,” he choked out in a sob.

“Where are we?”

“The hospital. Dean got you here in record time. Everything’s gonna be fine.” He repeated. “Just stay awake for me, OK?”

You tried to nod, but you weren’t sure how well it translated since every muscle in your body felt utterly exhausted.

“She’s regained consciousness. Let’s bring her to the delivery room first.”

As soon as you were wheeled in, an oxygen mask materialized before you, and despite your weak protests was promptly attached to your face. Regardless, you barely got the chance to take a few deep breaths before the contractions began to pick up exactly where they left off.

Yet it seemed like an eternity until the urge to push finally and abruptly overcame your body. You gasped, mouth forming a wide “O”, as you felt your first baby descend swiftly through the birth canal.

“What? What is it?!” Sam inquired hurriedly in trepidation.

“She needs to push,” the doctor answered for you. “Alright Y/N, on your next contraction, I want you to put your chin to your chest and bear down for me as hard as you can, you understand?”

Your answer was a resounding growl as you squeezed your eyes shut and gave your first push of many.

Sam never left your side and he never let go of your hand. He could only marvel at your strength as he tried desperately to provide what little physical and moral support he could. He wanted so badly to kiss you but with the mask in the way, his lips could only settle upon your sweaty forehead.

It took hours, but eventually…

“The baby’s out; it’s a boy! Time of birth - 2:37am.”

Sam was granted only a second to rejoice, his iridescent eyes lighting up at the sight and sound of his firstborn entering the cruel world.

“The mother’s hemorrhaging!” a nurse bellowed and Sam instantly paled, his gaze returning at once to your fatigued figure on the bed.

“We need to get the second baby out now! Call the OR, tell them we’ve got an emergency C-section coming in,” the lead doctor commanded in reply.

Sam watched helplessly as the blood drained from your face and your eyes refused to open yet again. “No, no, no! Please, baby. Please don’t do this to me. Stay with me, Y/N. I need you. Our babies need you!” Sam pleaded for what felt like the hundredth time that day.

“Damn it!” he cursed as the tears began to fall. Sam rose to his full height, his hands balled into tight fists as he pumped them erratically through the air. His imposing form might have frightened some of the nurses if they hadn’t seen the look of horror and anguish that engulfed his features, or witnessed his unequivocal love and devotion to you throughout the labor and delivery process.

Sam forced himself to heave deep breathes as he observed the medical professionals bustling about your room, running a hand through his hair in exasperation. “Where’s my baby? At least tell me my baby is alright?” he demanded in a shaky tone to no one in particular.

“Your son is just fine, sir. They’ve taken him to the NICU to get checked up but from what I saw, he’s a big and healthy baby boy,” one of the nurses provided with a cautious smile.

“My son…” Sam breathed, looking back down at your unconscious form, “Our son… Did you hear that, baby? Oh, god!” He wanted to take you in his arms, to simply will the life back into you, but the doctors were swarming around your bed, poking and prodding at your still swollen abdomen.

“Sir, you need to back up and let the doctors do their job.”

Sam’s chest puffed up on instinct and he was about to retort when Dean, who had been watching in vain from afar, was suddenly there to hold him back. His hands gripped Sam’s biceps from behind and he pulled his brother back with all the strength he could muster, but Sam would not budge. Dean had no choice but to come around to Sam’s front and push against his inflated chest with both hands, while eyeing his little brother with a pointed look that told him to listen to the nurse, that there was nothing he could do right now to help you.

When Sam finally relented, he could no longer hold back his sobs. He had never felt so helpless, so useless. Dean managed to pull him into a waiting room before he broke down completely.

“Hey, you listen to me.” Dean’s ‘big brother voice’ was in full effect, “Your girl in there, is one hell of a fighter. We have seen her go through hell and back both with and for you, literally. And I know you’d do the same for her, Sammy. And so does she, alright? So I know for a fact that Y/N is gonna be fighting with everything she’s got to get back to you and your family. Just like she always does. I mean, hey, she’s practically a Winchester, right? And since when have we ever let death get the best of us?”

At his brother’s last point, Sam’s heart jolted in his chest. You really were practically a Winchester. And he’d loved the way it felt being able to call you his wife and being referred to as your husband in return.

The next hour passed at an agonizingly slow rate, with Sam and Dean fidgeting silently in their seats through most it.

“Mr. Windsor?” When the doctor got no response, he tried again, “Family of Y/N Windsor?”

At the sound of your name, Sam vaulted off his chair, realizing he’d nearly missed his calling. Hurtling towards the doctor, Sam almost miscalculated his braking distance. “I’m here! That’s me, I’m her husband!” he burst forth breathlessly.

“Well I’m here to tell you Y/N’s out of surgery. The C-section was a success, and she should be waking up shortly. Oh and congratulations, you have another son.”

“Wait, so she and the babies are OK?” Dean checked from his spot behind Sam.

“Yes, we have no reason to believe she or either of the babies are in any further danger.”

Sam released the largest breath known to mankind. “C-can I see her? Can I see them?”

The doctor sent him a smile and a nod before giving them your room number. Sam was off like a bullet with Dean hot behind his heels, but when they reached your door, the older Winchester elected to stay back a little, wanting to permit your new family some time alone first.

You were just coming to your senses when Sam walked in. Adjusting your bed to a seated position, you looked up to find him staring at you, “Sam?”

“Oh, thank fuck,” he exhaled before falling to his knees at your bedside. “You scared the shit out of me, baby. Please don’t ever do that again.” Sam buried his head in your thigh, so you ran your fingers lovingly through his soft chestnut locks, allowing him a moment of reprieve.

When he raised his head to face you, his eyes were red and cheeks stained with tears. “I’m so sorry, Y/N.”

You gave him a confused look, “What do you mean? Are the babies OK?”

“Yeah, they’re fine but the doctor said your complications were most likely the result of previous injuries and the fact that you were carrying big babies.”

You huffed a gentle sigh, “Baby, we both knew there was a higher risk associated with a multiple pregnancy. And of course my hunter background wouldn’t be any help. But how is any of that your fault?”

Sam didn’t respond with words; he merely fixed his watery puppy dog gaze upon yours, which just about caused you to break down with him, but you had promised yourself to always denounce this type of behavior. “Sammy, how many times do I have to tell you? I never wanna hear you apologizing for things you can’t control. And I especially never wanna hear you apologize for any part of who you are, because I am so completely and irrevocably in love with that person that it hurts me just the same, do you understand?”

Sam nodded and you wiped the tears from his cheekbones, beckoning him to stand back up, though his head was still pointed down.

“Hey, I’m OK, alright?” You grabbed his hand, waiting until his shoulders visibly relaxed before adding impatiently, “Now when do I get to see my babies? Please tell me I can see them now.”

“Y-yeah, lemme go bring them over.”

You nodded enthusiastically, feeling a surge of energy flow back into your body at the thought of finally meeting your twins. So when Sam returned, wheeling two hospital cribs through the door, you were virtually bouncing with anticipation.

“You were right, baby.” Sam shot you a handsome little smirk.

“What?”

“We’ve got two boys.”

“Really?” You gasped, the emotions finally catching up with you after all the hardships you’d faced in the past twenty-four hours.

“What? No ‘I told you so’?” Sam teased lightly.

But you were much too in awe for that. “No, just… gimme,” you pouted, holding your arms out expectantly.

“You sure?”

“Sam, if you don’t hand me at least one of my babies right now, I swear to Chuck-“

“Alright, alright, no need to bring God into this,” Sam chuckled, sliding your firstborn carefully into your eager and waiting arms.

“Oh my god, he’s perfect.”

“Yeah? So is this little guy,” Sam had picked up the other infant and was beaming fondly down at him.

You spared a glance at them and giggled at the sight.

“What?”

“Nothing, just… he looks so small in your arms.”

Sam’s entire being exuded radiance, “So what are we gonna name them?”

It wasn’t long before you called for Dean and he strolled somewhat nervously into your room.

Cradling his eldest son in his arms, Sam sent his brother a warm and proud smile, “Dean, we’d like you to meet Robert John and…”

“Lucas Dean Winchester,” you finished, gesturing to the baby boy in your arms. “Well, Luke and Robbie for short.”

Dean’s emerald eyes grew wide and a little wet. He looked back and forth between you and Sam as if to confirm what he had heard was true.

You smiled at him, nodding. “You’ve always meant the world to Sam, and if I’m honest, you mean the world to me too. And I am beyond certain that these boys will grow to love you no less than either of us. Besides, none of us would be here if it weren’t for you.”

Dean was quiet for a moment, and you knew he needed to process his emotions.

“That’s awesome,” he said, though you knew he meant ‘thank you’.

“You wanna hold them?” Sam asked, grinning from ear to ear.

Dean grinned back, then looked toward you.

You held back a laugh, “You wanna start with your namesake, don’t you?”

“Hell yeah!” Sam shot him a mini bitch face, “Sorry, I-I mean, heck yeah!”

Snorting, you carefully handed Dean the bundle of blankets in which Lucas Dean was wrapped.

“There’s just one more thing I wanna say,” Sam’s voice brought your attention back to him.

You gave him a curious look and he seemed to almost blush under your gaze, which only confused you further.

“Y/N, I never thought I’d get to have all this, but you’ve made me so unbelievably happy, and I know it shouldn’t matter, but there’s been something ruminating in the back of my mind ever since we got to the hospital- no, actually ever since we made those fake IDs.”

Now you were really lost, eyeing him perplexedly. You looked over to Dean for some help, but he seemed not in the least bit surprised. In fact, he appeared to be perfectly content, paying zero attention to you and his brother and cooing happily at baby Luke as he bounced him in his arms.

“Baby,” Sam continued, “I know you’ve never really wanted or cared about this, and I know we can never make it a hundred percent official, but- Y/N, will you marry me?”

It was a good thing you were no longer holding any babies, because Sam’s question took you completely off guard.

“W-what?” you stammered, staring at him with large eyes.

Sam chuckled and looked down at Robbie, “I think your mom heard me just fine, don’t you, buddy?”

Your mouth stayed open for some time as you tried to absorb it all.

“Any time now, Y/N. Any time,” Dean interrupted without glancing up from Luke.

“Y-yes!” You finally replied.

“Really?” Sam asked again.

“Yeah! Obviously! I mean, who else would I marry but my incredible, brilliant, tall, and gorgeous baby daddy?”

At this point, Sam had passed Dean his oldest son, helping him balance both babies in his arms, before rushing back over to you. He took your face in both hands and kissed you like it was the first and last time. You leaned up to reach him and run your fingers through his shimmering tresses but you refrained from taking the kiss too far, figuring you’d save Dean the torture given all he had just done for your family.

“Well, alright! Two Winchesters coming in, and five going out. Nice work, Sammy!”

You released Sam and sent Dean a bitch face of your own.

“But- I mean, none of this would have been possible without you, Y/N/N,” he quickly amended, “I mean, who could forget that you nearly died bringing these two to the world? What’s that, the third time you’ve cheated Death now? That alone is enough to make you an official Winchester in my books.”

“Well, technically we’re all Windsors in this hospital.”

A/N #2: thank you for reading! ...i’m thinking of turning this into a series of sorts, like a collection of stories about sam and reader’s lives after the twins (because i’ve got iDeAs brewing), would anyone be interested? ❤️ also, here’s a look at some new stuff at lexicolor.redbubble.com:

tagging some peeps who seemed to enjoy part 1 :) @carryonmywaywardbucky @girl-next-door-writes​ @sams-sass​ @swiftlymoniquesblog @austin-winchester67 @idreamofhazel @hoboal87 

[datleggy]

Totally random thought I had right as I am going to bed but ya know that show "I didn't know I was pregnant"? Buck would be on that show lol the boy is oblivious when it comes to his own body, so like I can perfectly picture him collapsing on the job one day wracked with pain, and then Hen is poking around his stomach where it hurts, her, Buck and Eddie packed into the back of the ambulance as Chim and Bobby drive to the hospital, and she gets out the stethoscope to try and listen for internal bleeding or anything but instead finds an infant heartrate and she's like "Buck, you're pregnant?" And he's like "uh, no? What the hell?" And then his water breaks and he tries to convince hen and Eddie that he had an accident bc even that would be a better alternative to suddenly figuring out he's about to have a baby???? What the fuck???? But Eddie holds his hand all the way through it and by the time they get to the hospital, Buck has a healthy newborn cradled against his chest, Eddie knelt beside him and alternating between kissing buck and the baby on the head, and observing the baby in disbelief. I can also picture Buck like, sobbing his sorry's to Eddie the entire time he's pushing, like "Eddie I swear I had no idea, if I had known, I would have told you!" And Eddie is just reassuring him the entire time like "don't worry about that now, Buck, just concentrate. No one is mad, okay? But you gotta focus on the- on the baby" and buck just sobs and nods and focuses on the delivery again. But for a good while Buck is in denial that any of this is happening and it takes a lot of convincing and encouragement from both hen and Eddie for him to start actively participating in his baby's birth. Anyways, random half asleep thought is finished sorry for the long ask hdshsjjsjdbsjsj

WELL SHIT ok so i actually love that show and i could see buck doing this lmao so i wrote a thing. also ignore all medical inaccuracies, this is my distraction from monday lmao let me have this wildly inept fic pls. 

also just in case, it’s pretty brief, i think, but TW for talk of weight and weight gain

It's nearing the end of their shift now and Buck can almost hear his feet howling at him in pain. Today hadn't even really been all that busy, he thinks, annoyed at his own body's betrayal. He's not even thirty yet, but in the last couple of months he's felt as though he's aged about ten years.

He's put on a few pounds, which isn't too uncommon, sometimes Buck goes through stretches of time where he eats more carbs than he needs and works out less than he'd like and so a little tummy fat is to be expected.

It normally doesn't bother him, except that in the last maybe three months he hasn't felt like exercising much outside of work but he's eaten nearly everything in sight every night. He's up about fifteen pounds, which he wouldn't have even noticed, seeing that he does fluctuate at times anywhere between five to eight pounds over or under what he usually weighs, if it hadn't been for Chimney teasing him about putting down his third Krispy Kreme donut of the day and picking up a barbell earlier this morning.

Chim and Buck poke fun at each other all the time--it's a staple in their friendship and brother ship, in fact--and Buck had flipped him the bird, nothing new there. What had been new was the fact that he'd excused himself to the bathroom right after that and locked himself in a stall and bawled his eyes out as quietly as humanly possible.

Buck grimaces, embarrassed still, by the outburst, even if no one had been there to witness it. He still has no idea what the hell that had been about this morning.

Eddie notices the sour mood and pulls him in close. "Hey, you ok?"

Buck nods. "Yeah, just tired. Ready to go home--shit." Buck feels a shooting pain so intense his knees buckle and Eddie has to hold him upright to keep him from hitting the floor. 

“Woah!” Eddie calls Bobby over, who’s closest, for help, “Buck? Buck, you with me? What’s wrong? What hurts?” 

Buck just shakes his head and grits his teeth, the pain so debilitating he can hardly breathe much less speak. 

The Captain is on his other side in an instant and together Eddie and Bobby help Buck towards the couch, where he collapses in a heap, throwing his head back and letting out an agonized whine. “What’s going on? Did he get hurt during one of the calls?” Bobby asks Eddie, frantic to help put a stop to this. 

Eddie’s helpless, “Bobby I don’t know, one second we were talking about going home and the next he practically fell to the floor in pain.” he turns to face his husband, “Baby, I’m here, look at me, what’s the matter? What hurts?” 

Buck’s face scrunches up and he finally exhales sharply, his grip on the couch cushions loosening, and he opens his eyes, wide like saucers, and says, “What the fuck was that?” 

At this point Hen and Chim, as well as half the crew, have gathered around and Hen is quick to put on her doctors hat and try to sus out the problem. She makes Bobby step aside and Chimney hands her a stethoscope. “Buck, is it your stomach?” she asks, noticing the stiff way he’s holding himself around his midriff. 

“I don’t--kinda? I don’t know. It was just like, this crazy wave of pain, almost like a cramp, but way worse.” he struggles to describe the feeling now that it’s more or less passed for the time being.  

Hen had seen Buck wince when he’d been in the harness on the last call of the day, but he hadn’t said anything and she hadn’t thought too much about it until now. “Did you hurt yourself in the harness earlier? Maybe pulled something when we reeled you back up?” she asks, palpitating his stomach with her fingers, watching him almost retract from her touch. 

“Maybe?” Buck shrugs uncomfortably, wincing when she hits a particularly sore spot. 

Something about this feels familiar and strangely obvious, but Hen doesn’t understand why until she puts her stethoscope up to his belly to check for lack of bowel sounds, indicating maybe some internal bleeding or sorts. 

Hen gasps out loud and sits up like she’s been smacked. 

Eddie frowns. “What? What’s wrong? Is he gonna be ok?” He almost wants to snatch the damn stethoscope out of her ears and check for himself, his eyes darting between Hen and Buck nervously. 

“Buck, you’re pregnant. And in labor, by the sounds of it.” Hen blurts out in disbelief. 

“What.” Buck blinks at her, waiting for the other shoe to drop. This has to be a joke. 

“I heard a heartbeat in there...” Hen informs them, still awed. “Buck, that was a contraction you just experienced.” 

Eddie gapes at Hen and then at Buck. “You’re pregnant?” 

Buck gapes right back at him. “No!” he denies, shaking his head incredulously. “That’s insane, I can’t be pregn--ah--” Buck leans forward in pain as another contraction begins. “Fuck.” 

“Jesus, yeah, no you’re definitely pregnant,” Chim announces, “Your water just broke all over my favorite couch, bud. I’m getting the ambulance ready asap.” he says, before running to do just that, head reeling. He thinks about Maddie and when she gave birth to their daughter and how scared out of his mind he’d been and he sympathizes for Buck and Eddie, who up until now apparently hadn’t even realizes they were expecting... 

Back at the lounge Buck continues to deny any of this is even happening. He whines into Eddie’s chest, “That’s pee, it has to be, because I’m not pregnant. There’s no way.” he lets out a pitiful whimper as another contraction begins and buries his face against his husband to hide the tears springing up in his eyes. 

“Buck, son, we gotta get you to a hospital right now.” Bobby tries, running a soothing hand over the top of his head. 

But Buck shakes his head no, shuddering out a sob. “M’not going.” 

Eddie, overwhelmed, looks to Hen and Bobby for help. 

“Buck, ambulance is ready to go, we need to move unless you wanna have this kid at the firehouse.” Hen grimaces. “I know you’re in pain and I know you’re confused and hurting, but we need to get you into that ambulance and now.” 

Buck cries out when another contraction hits him and Hen gulps. “Your contractions are getting way too close together, we need to move.” she nods at her Captain and Eddie to help get Buck up and together the three of them manage to get Buck onto a gurney and into the waiting ambulance.

Bobby rides up front with Chimney, leaving Hen and Eddie to work in the back with Buck. 

“Buck, you need to start getting ready to push, this baby’s coming.” Hen warns him, but Buck refuses. 

“I can’t.” he sobs. “I didn’t--” he throws his head back, the pain lighting his nerves on fire. “I swear Eddie, I didn’t know. You gotta believe me.”

Eddie takes Bucks hand into his and brings it up to his lips. “I know baby, I know, you don’t have to worry about that. I promise. Nobody is mad at you, ok? I’m not. But right now you need to focus on pushing, you need to listen to Hen, ok? We’re ok, and you’re gonna be ok, but I need you to push, baby. I love you so much, you know that, right?” 

Buck lets Eddie wipe away his tears, leans into the comforting touch, and nods shakily, exhaling. “O-ok, I’m--I’m ready.” 

.

.

.

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

.

.

.

The baby is so very tiny in Eddie’s arms. 

Olive Buckley-Diaz is born weighing exactly six pounds and two ounces. 

Christopher, who’s curled up against Bucks side on the hospital bed after a very exhausting day, looks up at his Buck, his little brow still knitted in confusion. “So she was a surprise baby? And that’s how come you guys didn’t tell me about her?” 

Buck tries not to laugh. “Yeah bud, it was a huge surprise to us, too.” 

Eddie nods along, smiling fondly down at the bundle he’s holding. Her blotchy red face is slack in sleep and there’s already tufts of brown hair sticking up funnily on her head under her hat. “I still can’t believe you only gained like fifteen pounds during the whole pregnancy.” Eddie chuckles, “Or that you worked through the nine months, God Buck, when I think of the stunts you pulled during calls in the last few months alone I’m--” he shudders. “Actually I’d rather not think about it.” he sighs, “I’m just happy you’re both healthy at the end of the day.” 

Really, it’s a miracle. The doctor had said as much after the delivery. 

“To be fair I never got any of the other symptoms,” Buck shrugs. “I wasn’t nauseous, my feet never swelled, I don’t remember any weird cravings? And you said it yourself, I didn’t really gain all that much weight.” 

Eddie leans down to kiss Buck’s forehead. “You should be on that show.” he grins. 

Buck tilts his head. 

“You know the one, the one Hen made us watch when work was slow that one time. ‘I didn’t know I was pregnant’.” he teases. 

Buck groans. “I regret all the jokes I made at the time. I totally get those people now. Pregnancy is weird.” 

Christopher rests his head more comfortably against Bucks chest and smiles softly. “Yeah, but now our family’s even bigger.” 

.

[wyofabdoms]

Ten Days - Day One

Characters: Javier Peña x female reader

Summary: Javier is shot and refuses to take his antibiotic while recuperating. You get creative and make him a deal that ensures he will take his medicine everyday: one kiss for one pill. It's gonna be a long 10 days.

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Major character injury, slow burn, mutually unrequited, medical inaccuracies, swearing

Word Count: 3219

Note: My very first completed fic EVER and first original post on Tumblr...what a time to be aliiiiive!!!  The rating will go up in later chapters, FYI.  I want to say thank you to @yespolkadotkitty​ for being so kind and helpful and encouraging.  Go read her stories...she’s an amazing writer.

Read the full series on Ao3

“God dammit!…...Fucking-….God damn mother fuckers!...”  

You roll your eyes as you listen to the continued litany of swearing coming from the direction of the living room.  Men can be such babies sometimes, you think as you put the finishing touches on the sandwich you’d plated along with a bowl of soup.  Suddenly the litany of mixed English and Spanish swear words is broken by a sharp, hissing intake of breath and you jerk your head in the direction of the adjoining room.  

“Peña?”  You call out.  “What happened?”  You didn’t get an answer until you enter the living room with the plate of food, a glass of water and a small bottle of pills.  The DEA agent lie curled in on himself, half-on, half-off his leather couch.  His elbows are clenched tightly into his sides, his face pale, eyes scrunched shut and teeth gritted in pain.  Clearly your bull-headed partner had not heeded your instructions to stay still and not try to move on his own.  Such babies….and soooo stubborn! You think to yourself as you shake your head, placing the items in your hands on the coffee table.  Reaching out to grasp his shoulders to help him back into a more comfortable position, you do your best to not say the words rushing through your brain.  

“What did I tell you?  What the hell do you think you’re doing?  I told you you’re going to…”  Before you can continue, his eyes snap open and he spears you with them; they’re filled with malice and anger and frustration.  

He cuts you off, spitting his words in your direction. “I could ask you the same fuckin’ question, honey,” Javi bites off. 

Your own temper flares now in response to his outburst, and you jab your balled fists into your hips, staring down at the grown man writhing in pain. “Fuck you, Peña!  Don’t be such an asshole, I’m only trying to help.”

“I don’t need your fuckin’ help...what I need is for you to leave me the fuck alone.” he grits out, clenching his elbows tighter into his side.

“God you are acting like SUCH a child right now, Peña.”  You cross your arms, but still refuse to follow his direction and leave.  For a moment, the dark eyes that were flashing anger flickered to confusion, filled with a question, indignation.  But only for a moment.  His eyebrows pull impossibly low into a harsh glare and the dangerous angry glint returns to his eyes.  An incredulous undertone seeps into his voice.

“I...was...fucking….shot!” he hisses each word quietly, venomously, spitting each syllable as though he wishes it would send you further away from him .  You don’t move, but merely purse your lips, raise an eyebrow, and shrug.  

“Join the club.”  You say.  “It was a clean shot, Peña, it went right through you...you’ll be fine in a few weeks. Although…” you gesture towards his clenched middle, “Not if you keep being an idiot and trying to do stuff on your own. You’ll tear your stitches.”  

Javier lets out a huff of breath and grunts as he tries to right himself back flat onto the sofa, trying unsuccessfully to swing his legs back onto the couch without utilizing any of the muscles or tendons in his midsection and core so close to his injury.  You watch him struggle for a moment, waiting.  Finally, he lets out a resigned sigh that does a decent impression of a growl and stills, tilting his head towards you, but refusing to meet your eyes.  

You wait a moment longer and then shake your head at him again, grasping his ankles and tossing them perhaps not as gently as you could have back up onto the sofa.  The quick motion causes him to bite back a pained moan in the back of his throat behind clenched jaw, lips pressing together into two thin lines, eyes squeezed shut once again.  After a moment, he lets out a relieved breath through his nose, eyes opening wide for a moment then blinking rapidly a few times.  He glances over at you as you strong-arm the heavy wooden coffee table over closer towards the couch and rearrange the items on the edge within his reach: plate of food, glass, pill bottle, television remote, cordless phone, cigarettes and ashtray, sidearm.  All the essentials you think to yourself, smirking while you watch from beneath your eyelashes as he surveys the items petulantly, assessing to make sure that he wasn’t actually in any prolonged pain.  You glance at the right side of his blue button down and notice no traces of seeping blood spots on the garment anywhere along his torso. You straighten, satisfied that the stubborn man hasn't pulled his stitches open.

“OK.” You puff.  “That ought to be good for you for a while.  Try to get some sleep if you can...I’ll check back in with you in a few hours.”  You snatch his keys off the end table next to the couch and put them in your pocket.  You look back at him, eyebrows raised.  “Anything else I can get you before I leave, Princess?”  He rolls his eyes and doesn’t answer, just gives you a sulky look before moving his gaze to stare at the ceiling.  You nod once, receiving the message loud and clear. “Ok then.”  You spin around and head towards the door, calling over your shoulder, “Don’t forget to take your antibiotic.”

You chose to ignore the mumbled “go to hell” you hear muttered after you.

-------

Six and a half hours laters, you haul your exhausted body through the heavy late night darkness back into your building.  The last thing you want is to stop by Peña’s apartment and put up with his crap after the craziness of the day, but as you climb the stairs to his floor, you wonder if you are maybe being a little too harsh on the man...then you shake that thought off.  Fuck that!  You think.  I’ve been shot three times and I’ve never been rude to someone when they’ve tried to help me out.  He’s just being a dick.

You rummaged in your pocket and fish out his keys.  You enter the dark apartment, calling his name softly, announcing your entrance.  You receive no response and follow the muted flashing light of the TV illuminating the living room.  He’s still stretched out on the couch, one arm flung up above and behind his head, face turned towards the TV screen, eyes closed.  Judging by his breathing pattern you’d bet a pack of cigarettes that he’s only pretending to be asleep, hoping you’ll just leave him alone.  Fine with me. You collect the cleaned plate and empty glass, carrying both to the kitchen and refilling them before returning them to their place on the table in front of him without a word.  

Several top buttons on his shirt are undone; you can see the edges of the tape and bandages from his injury peeking out along the edge. Leaning over him carefully, you lightly move his loosened shirt aside to glance at his bandages, checking more closely for any stains.  Seeing nothing, you glance up at his face and see that his eyes are open now.  They bore into you out of the corners of his eyes, but his head stays turned towards the flashing screen across the room. Your own gaze snags on his dark one and almost instantaneously, you can feel every atom charge and spark in the room.  You are suddenly very aware of how close you are to him and you straighten.  You inquire if he needs help getting to the bathroom or if he wants to move to his room and he shakes his head in response to both.  You clear your throat softly and step away from him, considering the items on the coffee table. 

Your gaze settles on the pill bottle and you snatch it up.  Opening the small orange container you dump the contents into the palm of your hand and quickly count the oblong yellow capsules.  Goddamnit! You think to yourself and shoot the man on the couch a sharp glare.  He meets your eyes with his own sideways gaze, then very intentionally sweeps his eyes back towards the TV.

“You need to take your antibiotic, Peña.”  Nothing.  You sigh heavily.  “Stop being such a baby and take your damn pill!  I’m tired, I need a shower and I don’t feel like dealing with a fucking infant right now.”  He turns his head, considering you for a moment, then quietly repeats his earlier reply regarding taking the antibiotic before turning back to the screen.  How much trouble would you get in if you punched a fellow agent that had just been shot?  You take a step forward menacingly.  “Peña, I swear to fucking God-”

“Get out of my apartment!”  He says quietly.  “And take that shit with you.” He gives a small nod with his chin towards the pills in your hands.  

“What is your problem?  It’s medicine, Peña, I’m not asking you to do a line of coke!”  

“I fuckin’ know what it is, I don’t-”

“This is fucking ridiculous!” You explode, shoving the pills back into the bottle and capping it before throwing it angrily towards his prone body, finding its mark in the center of his chest.  “You might as well have asked those fucking sicarios to shoot you in the head instead if you’re not going to take care of yourself.  I’m not hauling your ass back to the hospital when that gets infected and I’m sure as hell not going to deal with your sorry corpse when you die alone on your couch in this fucking apartment because you were too damn stubborn to swallow a God damn pill.  Too God damn stubborn to let somebody help you just a little when you need it.”  You’re panting now, enraged by your body’s own betrayal of you with that outburst.  You can feel tears stinging behind your eyes and that only serves to make you more angry.  

Your brain knows he is acting this way because he’s in pain, because his adrenaline has worn off, because he’s trying not to think about what might have happened if the bullet had been one or two centimeters to the left.  You’ve experienced this yourself.  But your feelings are still hurt by his behavior.  Your boss had given you explicit orders to see to it that your partner made a quick and full recovery.  You were really just trying to do your job and didn’t need this prick treating you like shit!  You take a deep breath into your belly, refusing to let your voice crack in front of this ungrateful son of a bitch.  For a moment you consider just walking out and leaving him there. 

But you are not a quitter. You’ve never given up on anything in your life, especially when it comes to anything having to do with your career.  He was stubborn...oh yes.  But God damn it, so are you.  You cross your arms in front of your chest and stare at him, thinking for a moment.

You ponder your relationship with this infuriating man over the past year and change.  At first you had loathed him...and the only real interest he had in you initially had been about getting you into bed.  When it quickly became clear that that was not going to happen, his interest in you had become non existent….until it wasn’t.  Until you had proven yourself more competent, capable and intuitive than most every other person he worked with in the agency, save only for perhaps himself.  A grudging professional respect had grown and, as the weeks turned to months, a genuine and friendly camaraderie had rooted itself between the two of you.  You would dare at times to even refer to the two of you as friends.  He still drove you crazy and enraged you daily and he had never really denied or hidden the fact that he still wanted you. There were times you would catch him looking at you with a sparkle in his eye that you knew meant trouble.  Or, occasional moments like the one that had just happened: when the air between the two of you danced with static energy, charged with the unspoken desire that he (and sometimes you) would prefer to so easily give in to. But his professional respect for you outweighed that want and you had made it clear that you would not be sleeping with your partner, not ever.  And, for the most part, he respected that declaration save for the occasional half-joking, half-serious suggestive comment. They annoyed you, but you also realized he made them in an effort to determine if you had changed your mind.  You always shot him down and would make some remark that put him back in his place, but you never felt like he was pushing you, merely that he was checking to see if the needle had moved at all.  Perhaps…

An idea drifted through your thoughts and planted itself in your head.  You felt a tiny smirk play on your lips as you tilted your head slightly and looked at him thoughtfully.  He saw the change in your composure, recognizing that you had hit on something.  His eyes became guarded and you knew he was preparing himself to snarl back at whatever idea you had cooked up.

“What if I make you a deal…” You throw out slowly.  His eyes narrow and he says nothing, waiting to hear more.  You take a step towards him, snatching the pill bottle from off of his chest where it had landed.  You gaze at the label, considering for another moment, then let your eyes slide up to meet his.  You hold the bottle up.  “What if…”  you lick your lips, knowing how he reacts when you do that, then bring your bottom lip between your teeth for a moment, taking another half step closer to him.  “What if I told you that I’ll kiss you if you take your pill.”  His eyes grow wide and instantly flash with desire and interest, then almost as quickly snap back into a narrow question.

“You’re telling me that if I take my pill, you’ll make out with me?”  The disbelief is evident in his voice.  It sounded too good to be true.

“No.” You correct him firmly.  “I said I would kiss you.”  He studies you for several long moments, thinking over the proposal.  Then, he carefully raises his head, adjusts the pillow slowly behind it to prop himself up a little more, and lets out a deep, contemplative sigh as he leans back again and makes a counter offer.

“Hmmmm. That’s an interesting deal.  But I’d like to alter the wording a bit.”  You raise your eyebrows slightly, indicating he should continue.  The corners of his lips twitch upward.  “One pill, one kiss.”  Your eyes narrow at the broad unspecificity of his suggestion...and the potential for a much more complicated next 10 days.  

“Seriously, Peña?  You would really hold me to something like this for 10 days because you’re too fucking childish to take medicine?”  He shrugs.

“It was your idea.” He points out.  You sigh, tilt your head back aghast and stare at the ceiling for a moment, considering. Finally, you snap your head back down.

“Fine. Deal. Whatever.  One pill, one kiss.”  He tries to suppress the smile growing beneath his mustache, but he doesn’t try too terribly hard.  You move the last two steps to the couch, hand him the glass of water, and  dump one of the pills into your hand, holding it out between your thumb and index finger, dropping it into his open palm.  He sighs happily, smiling like a cat that just ate the canary, tosses it down his throat and chases it with several long gulps of water.  He releases a small gasp as he moves the glass away from his lips and you raise your eyebrows and hitch your chin upwards, pointing towards your own mouth, indicating that he should let you see inside his own.  He rolls his eyes but grins and opens his mouth wide, lifting his tongue and showing you that he had indeed swallowed it.  You sigh, crack your neck in either direction, then drop to your knees next to the couch, bringing yourself nearly level with his face.

Before you can think too much or before he can try anything to prolong the type of kiss you have planned, you clasp his jaw on either side with both hands and bring your own lips down to meet his.  You try to ignore how incredibly soft they are, and the smoky taste of his last cigarette ghosting up from them; how you can catch a faint whiff of his aftershave and how defined and strong his jawline feels beneath your fingers.  You also choose to ignore how your heart begins to pound frantically and the jolt you feel between your legs at the soft sound he makes deep in his throat when your lips touch.  You feel his hand come up to the side of your head and you allow it….for now.  He gently twines the tips of his fingers into your hair and places his thumb on your cheek, stroking it once, twice, ever so softly and gently.  You had planned a quick, fairly chaste kiss, but now that your lips were attached to his, the brief moment you had had in mind stretches into two longer moments, then into three, then another moment more...then suddenly it seems you’ve somehow forgotten how to count or determine any length of time at all.  You feel like your stomach is being pulled through your shoes and your brain starts to cloud as the soft breath from his nose caresses your skin.  You’ve never kissed anyone with a mustache before and you’re not sure how you feel about it….but then you decide that you're actually pretty sure you like the added sensation of the tiny hairs dancing across the sensitive skin of your upper lip.  Your mind starts to unfog when you feel his mouth open slightly and the tip of his tongue slips out, cautiously exploring along the seam of your own mouth, trying unsuccessfully to request entrance…

...you get a huge level of satisfaction when you watch him chase you needily with his lips, eyes still closed when you pull away quickly, breaking the kiss before it becomes something more than a business transaction.  He follows the wake of your kiss, searching the air blindly with his lips for the feeling of yours again, he stretches towards you, raising himself up.

“Ah, fuck!”  He gasps suddenly, collapsing back onto the couch in pain as his injury forcefully pulls him back into his convalescence, leaving him unable to pursue you further.  You chuckle and stand quickly, not feeling at all sorry for him one little bit.  As he grunts in pain and protest, you head out the door, calling over your shoulder as you leave. 

“Don’t forget to eat that sandwich, you’re supposed to take the medicine with food.”

 Day Two

[fa-headhoncho]

Unlike The Rest: Part 1

George Weasley x Reader (eventually)

Prompt:  The last few years have already been rough for you. Trying to make a new name for yourself while everyone still believes you like the rest of your family. But, this year is much worse since your little brother is starting his first year at Hogwarts.

Word Count: 2069

Reader: Female

Warning: My first time writing for HP in a LONG time, so I’m sorry in advance for any Americanized things and inaccuracy. I’m rusty, okay? Some people might be a bit out of character like the mother but I think she’s proven to have a bit of a different side of her that we don’t see.

Masterlist Series Masterlist

======

You run into the wall and everything just overwhelms you. The smoke of the train clouding the air, the chatter of new and old students filling your ears, and the sense of relief. The long summer months have finally come to this. Back at Hogwarts, the escape from your dreadful life.

A large smile appears on your features, seeing familiar faces whether they be in a scowl or a smile. You loved it here. Your home away from home… This place has given a new light into your life that you needed. Sure, you were a bit of a prat your first year but you seemed to turn it around your second year once you realized how much of an arsehole you were actually being.

Then something suddenly hits you in the back, snapping you out of your daze.

“Move it, tosser.” Your little brother sneers, your parents following behind them.

“Shove it, Draco.” You spit back, just glad he didn’t knock over your trolley full of stuff. “Next time you do that, I’ll make sure to tell the whole school you still sleep with your blankie. That will be sure to make a good first impression.”

The platinum blondes mouth opens slightly, a worried expression on his face. “Father!” He whines, turning to the looming figure standing behind him.

“(Y/N),” He sighs, “don’t threaten your brother.”

You just roll your eyes and straighten out your trolley, reaching over and giving your cat a calming pet. Dazing off once again, you look around the platform. You see Angelina Johnson, a Gryffindor in your year, and give her a friendly smile. She looks a bit taken aback at the fact that you were even tempting to interact with her. She just laughs and turns to her group of friends and starts giggling at you.

Well, at least you thought you made some new friends last year.

Your father and Draco continue to walk, trying to find a better spot than in front of the entrance of the platform. You slowly follow after them, wanting to not be left behind.

“...I’m sure you’ll get into Slytherin, Draco.” Father continues to press on. “Unlike your sister, you won’t disappoint us.” He takes a side glance at you but you pretend to not hear him, “Will you?”

“Of course not father.” He obliges as he always does. 

Draco has always been Daddy’s little pet but it got worse since you were sorted into your house, Hufflepuff, in. The house of kindness, loyalty, and diligence-- the house known for producing the least amount of dark wizards. At first, you were also mad and disappointed in this. Ultimately becoming a complete brat your first year to anyone and everyone to try to make up for it but the Sorting Hat’s words seem to echo in your head since then;

“I see good things to come from you, a Malfoy unlike the rest.”

And those words are what keeps you going in a household like yours. 

“Muggle studies, really, (Y/N).” Mother exclaims in disgust, reading your schedule for the new year. “Out of all the electives, you picked muggle studies?”

You think quickly, muggles and their culture have always seemed to interest you. Your father has talked bad about them and how they are inferior to the wizarding community but they seem to just have an intriguing lifestyle. 

“It must be a mistake!” You fret, grabbing the scroll from her hands and rereading it over. It definitely was not a mistake but you had to fake it. “I must have accidentally not sign up for another elective,” Frowning, you roll up your schedule and put it into your back pocket. “I think I was too focused on getting into Care of Magical Creatures…”

Father just rolls his eyes and leans his weight onto his long black cane. You never knew why he needed that cane but you never dared to ask, you know he keeps his wand in the handle but the whole cane wasn’t really necessary. He has always been into the theatrics. 

“I’ll be sure to have that changed.” He promises. “I don’t want you turning up like the muggle-loving Weasle father.” He sneers, his eyes falling to the entrance, seeing the first of the children of said family run through it. “A disgrace they are to the wizarding world.”

“Weasley…” You mumble under your breath, correcting him. Draco catches this and his eyebrows perk up, excited to get you in trouble once more.

“What did you sa--”

“Merlin,” Your father gasps, “Harry Potter…” He sees the famous boy run through with the youngest Weasley boy.

“Is it really?” Mother gasps, eyes snapping over to inspect as well.

Everyone knows who Harry Potter is, especially people like your parents. He’s a legend in wizarding history and it’s been long-awaited for him to come to Hogwarts.

“Draco, you need to make friends with him.” Your father says in a monotone voice, eyes never leaving the boy who lived. “Make sure he knows what families to associate with.” He turns back to his son.

“Of course, Father.” He gleams, excited at the opportunity to make his father proud.

Suddenly, a herd of students starts making their way to the train. Some more frantic than others. You smile. It’s finally time.

“You should be going now,” Your mother solemnly announces, sad to see her last child going off to Hogwarts. “You guys are growing up so fast,” She sighs cupping Draco’s face, father just rolls his eyes at her sentiments.

Draco just returns the smile and pulls her hand off of his cheek. He turns around, going to double-check all his stuff and continue to talk to your father about Harry Potter and the Weasley’s. 

She then turns to you, lowering her voice into a whisper. “Make sure you keep an eye on him, (Y/N).” She requests, a worried expression on his face. “I’m afraid that his mouth will get him into a lot of trouble.”

“Wouldn’t be a Malfoy without it, Mum.” You try to crack a joke with her. Out of everyone in your family, your mother seems to be the least cruel and most understanding. Not that she certainly agrees with you, but you are her daughter and she loves you. “I’ll try.” You give her a tight-lipped smile, giving her hand a squeeze. She returns the smile and sends you on your way.

=====

“... I can’t believe he decided to sit that embarrassment Weasle-B.” Draco scoffs, already chatting shit with his friends Crabbe and Goyle.

You’ve always hated these kids, their parents are friends with yours and they’ve always seemed to cause trouble together. Your mother thinks they just have crushes on you but you rather not think of that.

“Crabbe, are you even listening?” He proclaimed, noticing the stout child's open mouth and gazed over expression. You look up from your copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them to meet his gaze. You shift uncomfortably.

Crabbe snaps his eyes back to Draco and nods so vigorous that you’re sure he just scrambled whatever brains he had left in there.

“I’m going to go change into my robes.” You announce, needing to get away from these idiots as soon as possible. Belladonna, your white tabby, jumps off of your lap as you stand. “You three should too, we are getting close to the castle.”

You reach up and grab your yellow and black robes from the compartment above the bench you and Draco were sitting in. The other two boys do the same, grabbing their plain uniforms. Draco just sits there and shakes his head at you.

“I still can’t believe you’re in Hufflepuff.” He shakes his head.

“I still can’t believe you’re a prat.” You snap back, sending him a stern look. “The school year hasn’t even started and you already are pissing me off, Draco.” He hides his frown as you put your things under your arm and storm out of the cabin.

=====

The dirt path is surrounded by trees, the first years just left with Hagrid on their traditional boat ride to show the kids the castle. You remember getting so excited, seeing the lights and the bridge sparked something in you that year.

Last year and this year are the same, you get to ride carriages across the bridge into the castle. Less grand, but still riveting none the less… Well, it should be but it just seems like a popularity contest. Seeing everyone group together to make sure they’re with their friends makes you nervous.

After first year, you made a bit of a bad name for yourself. Wanting to live up to the Malfoy name, since your sorting didn’t, you decided to act a bit out. Doing what you knew your parents would want, bullying the people in your year about their blood status and even their financial status. You really did regret it by the end of that year, no one wanted to be your friend nor did they even want to interact with you. The Slytherin wouldn’t either, they thought you were a disgrace as much as your parents did.

That led you to getting into some trouble. Which led you to detentions with Filch and even Hagrid when he was busy. Your heart changed when one of the said detentions met you with helping Hagrid care for the Bowtruckles that he kept on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest. Your love for the creatures sparked something and Hagrid had a chat with you. You realized what you did was wrong and wanted to change it. After that, you resorted to being quiet and just keeping your mouth shut… Well, as much as you could. 

Last year, you even dared to start making friends. Starting with your teammates on the Quidditch team. No one ever seemed to stick, though. But, people did start becoming nicer to you once they could tell the change of heart… It always seemed hard to keep friends once they heard your last name. All but one person cared about your last name and you are very grateful for him.

So this leaves you here, waiting till the last carriage or till someone invited you to come with them. You glance around, looking for that said one friend you made last year but everyone looks the same in their robes.

Your search is interrupted by rather large body knocking into you, sending your book flying onto the muddy ground. You frown once more, looking at your now ruined book on the ground. You turn to see what giant had bumped into you. Meeting a brown pair of eyes, you knew exactly who it was.

“Weasley.” You sigh, staring at the tall red head. “You’ve ruined my book!” You cry as he bends down to pick it up for you. He tries to open it but the mud keeps it sucked shut.

“I’m sor--”

“Daddy can buy you a new one.” The other one buds in, a scold grows on your face. No matter what your parents have said, you’ve always found the Weasley twins entertaining, to say the least. The three of you have your feud but it’s much more… playful than what others seem to think. They’ve always seemed to like riling you up, especially after first year. After the attitude check you had, you’ve realized it’s become a bit harmless and rather fun to argue with them.

“Which one are you, again?” You question, breaking the standoff. They both scoff, they loved playing that game with their mother but it just hits differently when others say it. You feel a bit bad and thought you went a bit too far, looking at the face of the one who initially bumped into, he looks a bit defeated at the fact that you can’t tell the difference.

“(Y/N)!” A familiar voice interrupts the silence. You turn and see your friend, Cedric, waving you over to him and his group. A large smile appears on your face. You wave back and turn back to face the twins.

“Always a pleasure, boys.” You chirp, your mood obviously changed. “I hope to see you in DADA this year.” The tall one then hands you back your book. “Thank you, George.” Grabbing it, you make sure to take a glance back at Fred, the smirk on your face matches his.

[yet-another-fan-girl9]

Inhuman (6)

Summary: All beings in the universe have a soulmate except for Midgardians. People can hear their soulmate in their heads. For almost five hundred and fifty years, Loki believed that he had no soulmate until 1513 when a Midgardian princess was born. Will fate be kind to them or will the universe tear them apart?

Warnings: violence, language, hella historical inaccuracies (I tried to do research but then got lazy), maybe some AOS spoilers(?)

Word Count: ~3300

[Upstate New York, May 2024]

Tensions had been high in the compound and the annoying tugging wasn’t helping your mood. To spite the connection, Loki, as well as everything else, you kept your distance from the God of Mischief. Nobody else knew what the source of the tension was, but they could all sense it.

Two days into your mood, you walked into your room to find your friends standing in your room. Everyone had their arms crossed and they all held a disapproving look in their eyes. When you noticed them, you crossed your arms too and raised an eyebrow.

“This looks like an intervention.”

“That’s because it is,” said Max. He took a step forward. “We need to talk about your attitude.”

“We don’t need to talk about anything. I’m your boss, remember?”

“But I’m also your friend, and right now, I’m talking to you as your best friend.”

“So what about my attitude do you want to talk about?” you sighed, uncrossed your arms, and sat in the nearest chair.

“Why are you being so cold? I thought it would be good to see… uh,” Max glanced at the others, “you know who again.”

“You were wrong. I knew it was a bad idea to come here, but you all peer pressured me into it!” You pointed an accusatory finger at your friends.

“Okay, but even if your relationship is having some trouble getting back on track, you don’t have to be cold to everyone else. Especially if we just want to help.”

“‘Having some trouble getting back on track’? Honey, there is no track to get back on. Hell, even the fucking train has already turned to dust.” You took a breath to compose yourself. Max was right, you had no reason to be rude to others. “I’m sorry if I took out my anger on you.” A small tug from the invisible connection caused your annoyance to spike.

“You are forgiven. Can we talk about the guy problem you’re having though?”

“Guy problem?” Liam asked and an inquiring look crossed his face. “Who’s the guy?”

“There is no guy, therefore there is no problem.”

“There’s totally a guy,” Izzy smirked. “Is it one of the Avengers?”

Your phone buzzed in your pocket so you chose to answer that instead of Izzy’s question. It was a text from a woman named Trysten in Illinois. She had sent you a blurry picture of a tall, blue figure, a Kree, and the message:

 Can’t call now.

You stood up and showed your group the picture.

“We have to go. Liam, can you find Trysten’s exact location?” You gave him your phone and went to your closet. You pulled out the weapon you had taken from the Kree the other night.

“You brought that?” Max’s eyes widened.

“It’s made of vibranium.” You shrugged and walked out of the room with everyone tailing you. “Izzy, I need you to tell everyone to get to Illinois and tell them that I have more information on the way.”

“We have to go talk to the Avengers,” Max reminded you.

“But it’ll take too long to round all of them up.”

“You said that you’d talk to them before going after the Kree.”

“Fine,” you sighed. “What’s the AI’s name? Uh, F.R.I.D.A.Y?”

“Yes, Miss. (Y/N),” the female voice responded.

“Where is…” who was the most bearable at the moment? “Where is Steve?”

“Captain Rogers is in his room, turn left and it is the fifth door on your right.”

“Alright. Everyone should go and get ready for a fight. Get my stuff too. I can talk to Steve alone.”

They nodded and ran off while you went in the opposite direction. When you reached your destination you knocked hurriedly on the door. Steve opened it and you pushed your way in.

“(Y/N), what are you—”

“Have the Avengers figure out your conditions for our agreement?”

“Why do you—” He eyed the axe warily and began to put pieces of the puzzle together.

“Because the Kree were just spotted in… somewhere, so are you coming or not?”

“I— We haven’t figured much out yet, but we’re coming with you.”

“Then you agree to my terms.”

“What? No!”

“Then you can’t go.”

“That doesn’t make any sense. You would actually reject our help? Look,” Steve sighed. “I know you’ve been prickly recently and I also know that it’s because of Loki.”

“Honestly, we don’t need the Avenger’s help. We already established that. This is just for your stupid public image, right? I just want you to leave us, my organization, the Inhumans, alone. Have you decided on your terms?”

“I can’t make decisions for the whole team!”

You turned towards the door when you heard your group arrive outside and knew Steve heard them too.

“Talk to everyone, then and when you’ve come to an arrangement, the Avengers can join us. If we haven’t taken care of the threat yet.”

“I don’t know if it’s a soulmate thing, but Loki has been in a similar mood to yours and we can’t be a team, a good team if you two are having relationship problems.”

You whirled around to look at Steve with a sharp look in your eye. He took a cautionary step back and raised his hands in an effort to keep you calm.

“What the fuck did you say?” you nearly growled.

“If we’re going to work together, we should all be on good terms,”

“No, not that. The fucking soulmate thing.” You could kill someone right now. “He seriously told you about the fucking soulmate thing?”

“Yeah, I thought you knew that I knew. The other night at your apartment—”

“You were being very cryptic about what he told you! I just assumed he only told you about a past relationship! That’s what I told my friend who I’ve known longer than Loki has known you! And he’s the only one who even knows about a past relationship! What the fuck?” You took a deep breath and continued before Steve could say anything. “You know what? I don’t have the fucking time for this right now.”

You marched out of the room, ignoring Steve calling your name. Guns and knives were handed to you as you rushed to the hanger. You were only slowed by momentary pauses whenever you secured a knife in your boot.

“Are they coming?” Izzy asked.

“Nope,” you answered and shoved a gun into the waistband of your jeans.

“We’re stealing a plane?” Max exclaimed when you all entered the large hanger.

“Borrowing it,” you said and told Liam to kick Tony’s AI out of the system. “We’ll return the jet to them when we come back.”

“If they let us come back,” Max muttered.

“If the jet is still in one piece,” Liam added.

“If we come back,” Izzy sighed.

The ramp lowered and you rolled your eyes at your team’s pessimistic comments as if you hadn’t already thought it all. You made your way to the pilot’s seat and strapped yourself in.

“Where are we going?” You looked at Liam.

“Assumption, Illinois.”

“How many people will be there?”

“Enough. About twenty can make it in time. Maybe less.”

The jet lifted off the ground and disappeared into the clouds.

🌹

They were having a team meeting. This was what? The tenth fucking team meeting this month? Loki huffed to himself and sat on the conference room chairs that got uncomfortable quickly. Bruce told him their purpose was to keep people awake.

“What have you called us here for, Capsicle?” Stark asked.

“We need to talk about the deal we’re making with (Y/N).”

“We haven’t done anything about it yet,” Barton said. “But now suddenly at three twenty-six on a random Tuesday, we need to talk about it?”

“Yeah, why now?” Wilson asked, casts up his arms and legs. “I’m still healing. Wanda’s still comatose. Shouldn’t we wait for everyone to be present and ready to fight?”

“Unfortunately, we don’t know when Wanda will recover,” Steve sighed. “We need to come to an agreement before something… soon. We need to come to an agreement soon.”

“What happened?” Romanoff raised an eyebrow. “Something happened. That’s why you’re so desperate for us to come up with something.”

Loki studied Steve. The Captain was standing at the head of the conference table and his hands were gripping the seat in front of him. His jaw was clenched as he looked around the room. Romanoff was right. There was something going on.

With a start, Loki realized that the tugging he had grown to ignore was gone.

“They found some Kree and are going to take care of them.”

“Why didn’t you go with them?” Loki even surprised himself when he spoke. Everyone turned to him. “(Y/N) just left? And you let them? You didn’t tell anyone else? She could get hurt! She could get killed.”

“If I had gone, I would have been agreeing to her terms. We would’ve had to let them keep taking jobs and killing people.”

Loki opened his mouth to argue more, but Stark cut in.

“I know Loki doesn’t give a shit about that, but why didn’t you start with the fact that there was a Kree sighting?”

“Because we wouldn’t be able to think straight. It looks like I was right about that, though.”

“Well we’re just wasting time,” Loki growled. “Let them keep doing their job and—”

“Why didn’t F.R.I.D.A.Y. pick up on the Kree?” Thor asked and pointed at the ceiling.

“I don’t know, maybe it was that Liam guy.” Stark shrugged. “F.R.I.D.A.Y, have there been any sightings of the Kree?”

“I could not find any Kree activity,” the AI replied.

“Can we just think of something?” Steve tightened his grip on the seat, his knuckles turned white. “The sooner we come up with something, the sooner we can join the fight.”

“Just agree to her damned terms,” Loki said. “She’s been doing this for longer than most of you have been alive.”

“That’s the problem.” Wilson tried to cross his arms. “They’ve been unchecked this entire damn time. It’s time we took control of this situation.”

“If you want to be a part of the Avengers, you have to protect the people,” Barton pointed out.

“Then I won’t be a part of your fucking pathetic hero group,” Loki snarled. “If I’m not part of the ‘Earth’s Mightiest Heroes’, then I don’t have to agree to anything.” He stood up and made his way to the door.

“We don’t even know where the fuck they’re going,” Barnes pointed out.

“Our terms have to benefit her in some way,” Steve muttered, almost to himself. “Otherwise she won’t agree to them.”

“Fine,” Bruce spoke up. “How about any and all ‘job’ offers she gets has to go through us first and has to be approved.” He looked at his team for their opinions.

🌹

Your phone buzzed and you looked down to see a message from Steve.

“That was quicker than I expected,” you mumbled to yourself. You had only been in the air for thirty minutes.

Their conditions were no unnecessary casualties, what was deemed unnecessary could vary but you weren’t going to point that out, and that they had to approve any job you got. Fine by you. You agreed by sending them your destination.

“We got some terms,” you announce to your passengers. “No unnecessary casualties and they have to approve any job we want to take.”

“Well I already thought of ten loopholes,” Max laughed.

“I thought of twenty,” you smirked. Then you remembered your earlier conversation with Steve and your expression fell. “So… er, I want to talk to you all about something.”

Your three friends noticed the change in tone.

“Only Max knows about my past relationship with… Loki.”

“Loki was the guy you were so upset about earlier?” Izzy gaped. “I was betting on one of the supersoldiers.”

“I should’ve known,” Liam groaned. “Remember the way he reacted when we showed up at the compound? He was practically begging her to stay.”

“But there’s more,” you sighed. “Some details that I haven’t even told Max.” Your best friend raised an eyebrow. “I’ve only told two people about this and both of them are dead.” There was a beat of silence. You took a breath and began the whole soulmate spiel.

By the time you finished, you were preparing your descent.

“Damn, a telepathic connection.” Max shook his head. “That would be so cool. What if we had a telepathic connection?” He nudged Liam.

“I don’t think I’d like to always know what you’re thinking,” Liam teased.

Max rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to you. “Is there any part of the connection left?”

“There’s this annoying ass tugging that’s stronger around him and it’s always pulling me towards him.” You shook your head. “Besides that… nothing. Anyways, we’re here.”

You landed the jet on top of a building and the ramp lowered to reveal an empty street. Everything was still and abandoned. You half expected a tumbleweed to roll across the ground. A moment later, a huge wave of water appeared over the low buildings the next street over.

With the vibranium axe gripped tightly in your hand, you ran towards the fight.

It looked like the Inhumans were really holding their own, especially those who didn’t need to use hand to hand combat. It was seven Kree Reapers against twenty-one Inhumans, counting you, Max, Liam, and Izzy.

The auburn-haired woman easily took down one Reaper by having a nearby tree swallow him. It was almost comical how his arms stuck out of the trunk.

Another Kree ran at you, but you stood still as Max manipulated the ground under the alien to stick him in place. You casually walked towards the Kree, ducking under every swing of his weapon. Despite your confidence, you were very aware that the weapon was made of vibranium. He roared and managed to take a step forward, taking some of the concrete, leaving some of his skin.

You narrowly dodged his sudden attack. Then, an intense, bright light shone in the Kree’s eyes. He growled, but you used the momentary blindness to cut off its head.

You looked over your shoulder and saw Arthur smile at you. Taking down these fuckers was definitely easier together. Another group took down a Kree by trapping his head in an orb of water, setting his body on fire, and shooting its face off. There probably were easier ways to kill it, but at least they were having fun.

Trysten melted the tar beneath the fourth Kree and he sunk into the ground. Then someone behind the Kree opened up the ground to swallow the alien completely.

“Look who decided to show up,” you announced when you saw a familiar jet land at the end of the street.

In the time it took the Avengers to reach you, your large group managed to decapitate two more Kree. When Steve and Tony stopped in front of you, you smirked and crossed your arms.

“It looks like you’ve got this all covered,” Tony said.

“I thought we already knew that.”

Steve cleared his throat, “We should take a Kree back. For questioning.”

“Well there should be…” you trailed off when you noticed the seventh Kree was missing. “What the fuck?”

“What’s wrong?”

At that moment, Arthur ran up to you, out of breath.

“One of the Kree took Derik,” he informed you, glancing warily at the Avengers. “I managed to follow them to a ship, but then they flew away.”

“Derik? The pyrokinetic?” you asked and Arthur nodded. “Fuck, how did I not notice?”

“Nobody did. I think the Kree was using some kind of invisibility thing. The light was acting strange around them.”

“Great,” Tony cut in. “The Kree can become invisible.”

“The Kree are a very advanced race, both military and technology-wise.” Loki appeared behind Steve. “Who else knows what they have?”

“A Kree would, I suppose,” you said and turned to Izzy. “How’s the Kree in the tree doing?” She shrugged and the tree spat the Kree Reaper back out. “He’s all yours.”

🌹

You stood in front of Loki’s door with your hand poised and ready to knock. You have no idea how everyone pressured you into confronting him, probably the same way they got you to go to the Avengers in the first place, probably a part of you wanted to do it too, but here you were. When you finally moved to knock, the door swung open to reveal Loki.

“You were taking too long to knock,” he said.

Right. He probably sensed you with the tugging you had already grown so used to ignoring.

“May I come in?” you asked when he didn’t move.

He answered with a small huff and moved aside.

“What do you want?”

“I just want to talk.” You sat down in an armchair that was pushed into a corner and Loki moved over to the windowsill. “I guess I’ll start off with apologizing for our last conversation, if you could call that a fucking conversation. I got angry too quickly and—”

“No,” Loki interrupted. “I should be the one to apologize. You were right, my behavior was confusing, to say the least, and you had every right to be mad at me.” You raised your eyebrows at his candor, but you continued to listen. “You were also right about how I left first. I wanted to explain, I wanted to tell you that… how I was reluctant to see you at first.”

“I remember.” You looked around the room decorated in green. “Whenever I asked if we could meet, face to face, you would always fuck off for a few days.”

“It was because your life would have gone by in a blink of an eye for me. I was scared that once I loved you, I was going to lose you. When you called for me, the last day, I thought that I lost you and I couldn’t bring myself to do anything.”

“Loki,” you began, but he kept talking.

“Another reason I ignored you, was because I changed. I’m not the same man you knew five hundred years ago.”

“Loki,” you said louder. He stopped talking and looked at you. “Those are perfectly valid reasons, but of course you were going to change. I would think everyone would change some in five hundred years. I know I have.”

“But I’ve done some bad things.”

“What, like Stuttgart, Germany?”

“You were there? You saw?” He sat up straighter.

“Don’t worry,” you chuckled. “To be honest, I was there for the same reason you were. Mr. Schafer and his Iridium. What I’m saying is that I changed too, maybe even more than you did.” The tension in the air faded, and you relaxed in your seat.

“Do you know what happened to the connection?” Loki asked after a moment of comfortable silence.

“Well, the connection isn’t really gone. There’s still the pulling.” You took a second to think. “About a decade ago, I asked the same thing to a woman who was essentially an expert on all this Inhuman shit. Basically, when I went through Terrigenesis, I became the ‘perfect enhanced human.’” You motioned air quotations. “The woman deduced that since humans don’t have soulmates, the connection, at least the telepathic part, was severed.”

“I suppose that makes sense,” Loki said and stood up. You copied him and stood as well. “I’m glad that we talked this out.”

“Me too, even if talking about our problems isn’t our go-to way of therapy.” You walked over to his door, looked up at him, and held out your hand. “I hope we can at least be friends?”

Loki nodded and shook your hand. You smiled at each other before you noticed there was no longer an annoying pulling.

I guess we just needed to touch one another. Loki’s voice echoed in your head.

Your eyes widened and mouth fell open as you watched Loki come to the same conclusion.

What the fuck?

*

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Tags: @kaithehero @liliannyah @andreasworlsboring101 @oatballsoffury @aberrant-annie @simplybree @adalina-perez @emage-king @yandereforyou @notactiveonmain @tvdplusriverdale @inmyowncorner @my-own-oracle​ @bloom-w-grace​ @somanyyumypeoplejustletmehaveone​

[solecize]

EIGHTEEN FOREVER - PT 1.

𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘. it all starts off when the bad boy greaser with a heart of gold, wong yukhei, almost runs you over with his beat up chevy on your way to school. your love story is immortalized through pen and paper, midnight ink and bloodstained envelopes spanning months on end. the sixties are a time of freedom and heartbreak—the time of your life. 𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆. lucas x reader 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐄. period au (1960s)  / high school au / slice of life / fluff / angst 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒. mature language, alcohol use, violence, drug use, light sexual references, mentions of death, themes of war, implied toxic family relationships, probably some historical inaccuracy but only if u squint 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓. 7.3k 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒. not proofread, as usual <3 all of the poems do not belong to me. in addition, smoking is normalized in this fic, in addition to slight tinges of sexism. i do not support either, but the elements were added due to the time period.

for the one with the pretty eyes:⠀ ⠀ 555-968-84 ⠀ ⠀ call me. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ (in the blue chevy in front of you)

on your side of town, graduating high school was as rare as a teenage male walking around with clean knuckles and hair that wasn’t slicked back with thick pomade. you were proud of yourself for making it this far, while all of your other friends dropped out early and had babies or began to work full time. books weren’t for everyone and not everybody could afford it. college was a long shot for most of the graduating class, or at least the ones from your neighbourhood.

“who are ya taking to prom, huh?” kunhang was relentless in sticking his nose all up in your business, bothering you for weeks on end about your date. he began kicking the passenger’s side from the backseat to annoy you further and you flipped him off with a growl.

sicheng watched the two of you with a snort, muttering something about you two being geeks and proceeded to kill the engine of the car, once finding a suitable spot at the drive in.

you rolled your eyes. “why do you keep assuming that i’m even going? why’re you going?” kunhang was your only friend who was going to be graduating at your side.

“because i can. i think that’s more than enough of a reason.”

just a fraction of the kids you knew from your neighbourhood attended prom, most preferring to hit the watering holes to party with fake ids rather than stand under hot lights and drink bland punch. then again, only a fraction of those kids had the privilege of being able to go. however, the event was a waste of time, if anyone asked you.

“i have other things to worry about,” you retorted. “like exams.”

you carried a lot of pride on your shoulders. you were the only child in your household to make in this far in academics, with your mom long gone in the cooler behind bars and your father leaving this world when you were young. your older sister lived the glamorous housewife life and barely spoke to you, turning her nose up at the family that she left behind for fortune. it was just you and your older brother fending for yourselves in that tiny house that was always empty, with you constantly out and your brother always working out of state for his truck driving job.

“it’ll be a gas, c’mon,” kunhang began to pout. “i’ll even let you dance with me.” between the girls that nearly broke their necks whipping around to get a good look at him in the school hallways, you doubted he would be able to.

pretending to gag, you replied. “ew, no.” you laughed and exited the mustang to avoid him swatting at your arm.

the clementine sky was just about dipping into the horizon, brightening the small lot with warmth and comfort. chatter and laughter wafted in the air, along with cigarette smoke and the hug of youth. june’s summer beast was just about creeping in, as other attendees pulled up in miniskirts and wife beaters to beat the heat to a pulp. it was the perfect evening for a crappy movie and an ice cold coca cola.

sicheng teased, “i’m surprised you’re even making it out of that hellhole with a diploma, much less going to the prom.” he poked kunhang’s side and the other male yelped, pulling him into a headlock as the three of you walked. you rolled your eyes.

weaving through the crowd of people making their way back to their cars, you were heading towards the concession area with the boys. as always, sicheng insisted on arriving just a little bit later because he liked being parked far away from the screen.

you were lost in the thoughts of buttery popcorn and a cream soda when you stopped in your tracks, frozen. sicheng and kunhang noticed this, having just released each other in their psuedo fight, and looked at you strangely. you wanted to facepalm yourself.

you exclaimed, “aw, fuck, we’re a whole buncha idiots. we forgot!”

the two boys looked horrified, as they slowly realized what you all had done. immediately, your group scurried back to sicheng’s mustang and tried to avoid shoving into people. the outing had just begun and the last thing you needed was kunhang’s hothead smacking into someone’s jaw.

“chenle! chenle, you good, buddy?”

upon closer inspection, you could hear the sounds of thumping up against the inside of the mustang. sicheng nearly fell over when he reached for the trunk, heaving it up to reveal the red-faced younger male. he dramatically gasped for air and you couldn’t help but giggle at him.

sicheng’s body folded and doubled over, as he tried to catch his breath in laughter. “holy shit! dude, you fucking idiot!”

“me?” kunhang was wiping tears from his eyes, body rumbling with his snickering. “who’s idea was it to bring the kid?”

you loved having chenle around, your younger wisecrack of a neighbour who often tagged along with the three of you. he was an absolute ball of sunshine. unfortunately, being the youngest meant being the butt of everyone’s jokes.

obviously, the boys meant no harm, but you were the one with the softest heart between all of them and was far more gentle towards him. “aw, we’re really sorry, chenle,” you managed to sputter out between your laughter.

“why do i always end up going in the trunk?” chenle frowned, shoulders drooping. “and i ain’t a kid!”

and of course, chenle and kunhang began shoving each other, albeit playfully at the very least. you sighed and came to the conclusion that you were friends with a bunch of goddamn zoo animals and that you needed some female friends. they stopped when you yelled at them to knock it off.

sicheng replied, “sorry, buddy. you’re the smallest one, so you luck out.” of course, it would never be him because it was his car, even though he was the bright one who suggested hiding one of you in the trunk to avoid paying for an extra ticket.

“can we just get our popcorn now?” chenle had officially given up, though his pout stained his face.

you all murmured in agreement, though everyone shared the same shit eating grins for accidentally abandoning chenle in the trunk of the mustang. he continued to claim that he was suffocating the entire time, as you lost yourself in the daydream of a refreshing drink from the concession stand amid the intense humidity.

then, kunhang called your name and that’s when you realize you’d walked ahead when everyone else stayed behind.

the three boys were inspecting something on the windshield of the mustang. sicheng remained neutral, so you figured it couldn’t have been a scratch or crack or something. you jogged over to peer over at what they were all looking at.

“when did someone leave this. . . .?” sicheng trailed off, trying to remember if he saw any figures approach in car. it must have been right after they initially left.

it was a piece of lined paper, likely torn out of a notebook and tucked underneath one of the wipers. the handwriting was clear and you cocked an eyebrow. pretty eyes?

“wow, someone left a note for me,” kunhang grinned.

chenle cleared this throat, looking elsewhere. “uh, actually, i don’t think it’s for you, man.”

you followed his eyes, realizing that he spotted the said blue chevy. a handful of guys lounged around the back of the pickup, some you even recognized from school and others you just knew. there was the former football team linebacker, yangyang. your once upon a time lab partner, xiaojun. even your older brother’s best friend, kun.  there was ten, who worked at the ice cream shop that you frequented.

then, there was the one who was looking straight at you.

everyone knew yukhei, but nobody really knew him. he had a shield of mystery in between himself and the rest of the world, only truly with the same four guys at all times. that’s how you saw him as, anyway. otherwise, to the rest of your town, he was the bad boy with a heart of gold, the boy with witty retorts and the brightest smile that you’d probably ever laid eyes on. something seemed so off about the way he portrayed himself to everyone else, though.

of course, to the rest of the girls at your school, he was the top candidate on everyone’s list for a prom date. you knew that enough, from the explicit whispers from girls that you overheard in the middle of class. everyone wanted him.

that’s why, if he hadn’t locked eyes with you, there was no way in hell you’d believe that yukhei wrote that note for you.

the idea scared you and you weren’t thrilled by the possibility of having wong yukhei. that’s why you immediately crumpled up the notes and tossed it to the side. he watched your every move as you did so.

after all, yukhei nearly ran you over the week before and he clearly could not remember your name.

the week before.

“are you out of your goddamn mind?!”

so, you were a little sleep deprived. you’d been up until the early morning hours finishing an essay worth a chunk of your grade, which shouldn’t have taken so long if it weren’t for the fact that you had to deal with the constant distractions that were your friends. at some point, chenle and sicheng dropped by and decided to make you cookies in the kitchen to cheer you on as you reached the end of the school year—obviously, that escalated into a disaster. you spent a few hours cleaning before you could finally kick the two knuckleheads out of your home.

that morning, you literally rolled out of bed onto the floor when you woke up. this was upon realizing that you slept through your alarm clock for school, snoozing off into the deepest sleep of your life after finishing your assignment. that’s how you found yourself sprinting from street light to street light, hoping to at least make it before the end of second period.

then, there was the baby blue chevy pickup speeding in like lightning from your left. you honestly should have heard it from a mile away, with the gurgle and sputter of an engine humming the disgusting tune louder than anything else on the street. however, you were too lost in the daze of fatigue and trying to remember if you packed yourself a lunch.

you noticed the truck a little too late, as it was a few away from you before you yelped and attempted to hop away, but ended up landing straight on your bottom. the impact nearly knocked the wind out of you and you braced yourself for the crash. thankfully, the driver had enough sense to come to a screeching halt, just about to touch you. this is when you yelled at the male behind the wheel.

the features of his handsome face knitted together. “aw, shit, shit shit—are you alright?” he yelled.

it took half a second to process what just happened, ignoring the stinging ache oozing in your backside. you took a sharp inhale and everything exploded like a volcano. shooting right up in a sitting position, you were met with the eyes of wong yukhei.

“do i look alright?” you snapped and he opened his mouth to reply, but you didn’t let him get even a word out. “you almost killed me, running that stop sign! i’m freakin’ exhausted, probably got three hours of sleep and i had to deal with my brother’s idiot cat almost clawing my eyes out on my way out! i’ve been running for forever and my legs ache like hell and i have to go to work straight after school! and. . .and, worst of fucking all, i’m late for school!”

yukhei simply blinked, staring back at your state, with dark crescent moons slapped underneath your eyes and your chest heaving for air. you were, in all simpleness, a mess. he smiled slightly, running a hand through his precisely twirled up, slicked up hair.  you narrowed your eyes at his response.

he simply replied, “you wanna hop in?”

“i—what?”

“c’mon sweets, i’m sorry. i fucked up, at least let me give you a ride to school,” yukhei said, unbuckling his seatbelt. he began to exit his vehicle, gliding over to you and extended his hand. a smile remained on his lips and your head started to spin.

that was definitely not the response you expected. the only reason you went off on him so harshly was because you were used to dealing with the idiot hoods from your block, who seemed like they were raised without a lick of manners in the very few braincells in their heads. as a woman, you knew that you were going to automatically be treated lightly and built strong walls for that very reason. to have yukhei respond with such quietude was foreign to you and you felt a weight drop at the pit of your stomach for your reaction.

reluctantly, you grabbed his hand and he helped heave you up. you stumbled slightly once you rose a little too fast and you instinctively grabbed for leverage, which happened to be a handful of his leather jacket. yukhei didn’t seem to mind, though, which astounded you because other guys like sicheng and kunhang carried their leathers like their pride and joy, with even the slightest crinkle driving them mad. you apologized regardless.

yukhei attempted to steady you, both hands on either side of your shoulders. “s’okay, no worries. you kinda took a hard fall there.”

you gulped down the ball forming in your throat, trying to look anywhere but into his deep brown eyes. these were the same eyes that girls cursed for tearing into their hearts and bringing on permanent cracks. the same eyes that girls cried over in the washrooms at school. school. you were late for school.

“um, yeah, let’s. . .let’s just go.” you’d been counting time in your head since leaving your front door and knew exactly what time it was, but you still pulled up your sleeve to glance at your watch. anything to avoid looking into his eyes.

something must have creeped in under your skin and taken control of your muscles because you were not the type of person to get into a stranger’s car. alright, wong yukhei was no stranger, but he had a reputation that you were well aware of. it was just as bad. or maybe it really just because you were—

“—late for school again, but i guess i’m used to it and you’re not,” yukhei had been saying, but you were zoned out and had just opened the car door.

it seemed to had only occurred to you then, but you sometimes forgot that yukhei still went to your school. he had a distinct group of friends that he spent time with, all of which had dropped out quite some time ago. he never really struck you as the academic type and as far as you could remember, you never ran into him in the hallways or in class. the only reminders of his existence in the place were the indecent fantasies written about him on the inside of the girls’ bathroom stalls.

“you sure you’re okay, y/n? it is y/n, right?” yukehi glanced over at you from the driver's seat, roaring life back into the pickup with the turn of his key.

you thought you heard incorrectly, but then he repeated it. yukhei actually knew your name and it wasn't just because he was this popular boy that all the girls went after, but you were in shock be ause you'd never even exchanged words before as far as you knew. he seemed to read your mind and gave you a look that read "surprised you, didn't i?" with the raise of a single eyebrow.

yukhei continued as a further explanation,“i sat behind you in history class last year before i transferred out of it.”

clipping in your seatbelt, all you could reply with was, “yeah.” your eyes darted over to the way he mindlessly gripped the steering wheel with one hand, with a beautiful swirl of reds and blues staining his otherwise immaculate knuckles. he let the other one hang loose  out of the window. “you promise to drive safe?”

a goosebump inducing grin, one bright enough to outshine a sun, stretched across his lips. “yeah, cross my heart.” yukhei said this, even as booked beyond the speed limit. you didn’t say anything. “to be fair, sweets, you weren’t exactly lookin’ out when you were sprinting earlier.”

you awkwardly twirled the ends of your hair hanging down your shoulder, but tried to keep an annoyed expression. “i was counting on drivers following road signs, yukhei.”

he smiled even wider. “ah, so you do know my name.”

that was a pretty ridiculous thought, there was no way that he wasn’t just teasing. yukhei had to be even just the slightest bit self-aware enough to see the way he’s flanked by girls at school. he was popular, enough so that quiet kids like yourself who never talked to him knew him. besides, you all lived in a town where everybody knew everybody and chances are, their kids come to know their kids and so on. nobody escaped the little bubble and routine that you all settled in.

something tugged at your heartstrings, though, at the way yukhei lit up.

“what’s the story behind those bruises?” you finally said, cocking your head to the side.

“hmm?” yukhei murmured, as the sight of your school building came into sight. “oh. just a badge of loyalty. you know how it is.”

unfortunately, you did know. around here, boys seemed to travel in packs and each one had each other’s backs to the grave. some found it silly, but there was an air of unspoken understanding.

“some kids from the south side give y’all trouble?”

if you had to guess, you would have probably gone with the reason being yukhei’s hothead of a best friend, yangyang. there was one particularly bad outburst last month, when you and kunhang went to the diner after school, only to be interrupted by a fight erupting between yangyang and some rich kid from the south. of course, the prep had his boys with him to back him up and bring the fight outside, prompting yukhei and xiaojun to get involved automatically. you had watched in amusement from the other side of the window with your strawberry milkshake, as yukhei beat a guy up against his own car.

“not me, my little sister. that shit don’t ever sit right with me, runnin’ their mouths on an innocent girl like her.” something in your brain clicked and you remembered that yukhei had a kid sister, only because she was in chenle’s grade and he used to have the biggest crush on her. “it’s just the two of us and our grandpa, so i feel extra responsible for her.”

that was the way your brother used to be with you, when he turned legal just before your mom got sent behind bars. you’d always have appreciation for him and in turn, you gained a new wave of respect for yukhei.

“what’s the story behind ms. honour roll being late to school?” it took you a second to realize that he was talking about you and you snorted.

you replied, “i’m surprised you asked. if i were you, i’d be scared of me going off on another rampage.”

“yeah, i’d bet you’d really get mad the second time. maybe even beat me up?” yukhei smirked, making sure you were paying attention to the fact that he’d obeyed the next stop sign they crossed paths with. you rolled your eyes.

“you’d end up just like one of them roman emperors,” you mused, watching a trace of confusion emerge on his handsome features. “c’mon, that’s from like the second week of our history class.”

yukhei merely shrugged. “i was too distracted.”

“distracted? by what, the teacher’s droning voice?” you asked, raising an eyebrow.

“nah, this real pretty girl that sat in front of me. so much so that i had to transfer out because i would have probably flunked out.”

before you knew it, he pulled into the parking lot of the school. before being able to announce the arrival, you’d already nearly ripped off your seatbelt and zipped out of the car, yelling a thanks as you scurried off with a deep rouge tinting your cheeks. there was still ten minutes left before the end of second period. yukhei only chuckled, watching you.

dear yukhei,

remember that first night at the drive-in? honestly, i thought you were a real fox. someone i had no chance with. the fact that you gave me a chance scared the hell out of me. you know how many restless nights i had, tossing and turning because i wanted to know why you chose me? out of the girls in the world, you made me feel like a goddamn diamond in a pile of dirt. i’ll never forget that. i’ll never forget the way you made me feel that summer, the first and last one we spent together.

love, your sweets.

after ignoring yukhei at the drive-in, you were positive that was going to be the last you heard from him. however, he still plagued your thoughts like a ghost. you had no idea why, but you knew that it scared you. it was the day after and you arrived to school early, trudging to your locker with a yawn. you thought your eyes were deceiving you, when you pulled open the door to be met with a note flying out of a random crook.

here is the deepest secret nobody knows (here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows higher than soul can hope or mind can hide) and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

and, to a lightning shock to the middle of your chest, you looked over to your side to find yukhei. he leaned against a wall of lockers, not even pretending to listen to the two girls talking to him. he was looking straight at you and smiled. you let out an exasperated scoff, wondering if you were dreaming.

you’d received a few more of these love poems before you decided to take matters into your own hands. or, really, it was chenle who forced you to do so. you didn’t dare confide in either sicheng or kunhang about your new admirer. there was no doubt that they’d turn their lip up at the idea of love poems, would probably go on and call yukhei some emasculating name. they also knew of yukhei’s reputation and were a tad over protective.

alright, a “tad” was an understatement. kunhang was furious when he realized yukhei was trying to make a pass at you at the movies and sicheng had to shove him back into the car to prevent a fight. it also seemed that it was so that he could find a different parking spot, away from yukhei and his friends.

although he began courting you from a safe distance, yukhei was not one for subtlety. you noticed that right off the bat when he boldly gave you his number in front of all your friends. the poems in your locker was another thing, as he was always just around the corner to ensure that you knew they were from him.

she walks in beauty, like the night of cloudless climes and starry skies; and all that’s best of dark and bright meet in her aspect and her eyes; thus mellowed to that tender light which heaven to gaudy day denies.

the latest of them, discovering the folded up note in your locker once again, had particularly swept you off your feet.

“what if he’s like this with every other girl?” you began to worry, fiddling with the phone cord in your hand.

you were seated in your living room one tuesday night, crossed legged on the ugly floral couch with a joint in between your lips. sicheng and kunhang left just minute prior, leaving you with chenle. he was watching television in your dad’s old armchair, in an identical position as you. neither of you were in the mood to go out, having being burned out by final exams. meanwhile, chenle made your house his second home when he couldn’t get a foot in his own door without his parents yelling at him for any reason they could find.

chenle snorted. “if wong yukhei wrote love poems to every girl he’s been with, i’m pretty sure we would’ve all heard by know.” he took a drag out of his joint. “besides, he only has eyes for you, even when he has other broads hangin’ off of him. everyone’s been noticin’ that the girls’ve been backin’ off of him lately, too.”

at this point, you were no longer scared of the idea of wong yukhei. in fact, it excited you. maybe it was the marijuana doing its usual duty, but you had a sudden surge of energy flowing through your veins.

reaching into the back pocket of your capris, you uncrumpled the first piece of paper that started it all. you hadn’t thrown out the note from the drive-in after all, recovering it just before sicheng insisted that you guys were to move. letting go on the deep breath that was imprisoned in your throat for what seemed like an hour, you slowly began to dial in the number.

“hello?” a familiar deep voice rumbled.

“hi,” you managed to squeak out and you gave chenle the middle finger when you caught him snickering. “i’m looking for yukhei.”

you could practically hear the smile in his voice. “this is him. who’s calling?”

“um, y/n.” you wedged the phone in between the side of your cheek and your shoulder, unconsciously beginning twirling a loose strand of hair.

there was a pause on the other line and you weren’t sure what to make of it, possibly disbelief. “oh. hi, sweets.” yukhei chuckled. “i see you’ve decided to give me a chance.”

“does this mean the notes are gonna stop?” you teased, but deep inside, you were hoping the answer was going to be a no.

he simply replied, “’course not. unless you say the word.” there was some fiddling on the other end and you could’ve sworn you heard the sound of a lighter. “when are you free?”

“you askin’ me out, yukhei?” you giggled and chenle rolled his eyes at you, throwing a pillow in your direction. you covered the phone with one hand, telling him to fuck off, before sweetly bringing it back up to your ear.

“how’s friday?” the male exhaled a little loudly—was he smoking, too? you wanted to feel a little bit powerful, so you convinced yourself that it was out of nerves.

you responded a little bit too quickly. “yes. friday sounds good.” swallowing down the realization, you proceeded to give him your address.

“good,” yukhei repeated after you, slowly drawing out the word like molasses. “i’ll pick you up at eight. see you then, sweets.”

the call ended and you sat as still as a statue. closing your eyes, you lost yourself in the daze of smoke and the thought of yukhei. were your ears ringing? the faint hum and static of the television faded out, as you leaned back into the couch with a stupid smile playing at the corners of your lips.

someone cleared their throat. you cracked one eye open and lo and behold, chenle was looking at you like you were a lunatic. in that split second, your face dropped back into annoyance and you hurled the nearest cushion in his direction.

“hey!”

“what?” you snapped.

chenle continued his earlier snickering. “guess that went well, then, huh? i told ya so.”

you put out the joint in front of you and proceeded to bury your face into your hands. your state of disbelief felt permanent, like you were stained with the thoughts of wong yukhei forever. without a word of warning, you began to screech uncontrollably and the younger male nearly jumped out of his seat.

“ahh!! what the fuck, y/n?!” chenle heaved, holding his hand on his heart like he’d been shot. he accidentally knocked over the bag of pretzels that he’d been munching on, spilling it all over the carpet. normally, you would have freaked out over the mess, but you were too entranced in the fact that you had a date with the most handsome boy in school.

that’s when chenle knew you were either: possessed or completely smitten.

the grin on your face was so wide that it hurt, but you blocked out the pain. “we have a date!” with that, you nearly jumped onto the armchair and hauled chenle in a bone crushing hug that left him without any oxygen.

“can’t. . .breathe. .  .” he was blue in the face at this point, struggling to even get his words out.

you giggled and released him, patting his cheek as he did so. chenle gasped dramatically for air, coughing as he did so. he shot you a glare.

“so, when’s the day of this stupid date?” he grumbled, settling back into his spot and began picking up his mess.

returning to the couch, you said, “friday. he said he’s going to pick me up.” you once saw that chevy of his as the devil machine, but now, you were swooning at the thought of it pulling up in front of your house.

“friday?” chenle’s eyebrows suddenly reached his hairline.

you gave him a questioning look. “yeah, it’s a little soon, but—”

“no, no,” he shook his head. “it’s not that. uhh, don’t you remember what’s happening on friday?”

you began to search your brain for any important dates, like a test or a birthday that you should’ve jotted down. “huh?” you came up empty and tilted your head slightly to the side.

“that’s prom night, stupid.”

if you hadn’t been hit with a ton of bricks before, this was an entire goddamn building raining down on you. wong yukhei had not only chased you with love poems and asked you out on a date, but he had asked you out to prom. this was really happening.

you didn’t give a damn about prom night, but you knew what it meant to other girls and it seemed like you just won a year long race between the class of seniors itching to get their hands on yukhei.

he wasn’t the only reason for your disbelief, but it was also the fact that you managed to get roped into attending prom anyway, after months of complaining about it. you groaned, lying down on the couch. this meant you had to go out and buy a freakin’ dress.

my love,

there are two times in my life when i was left absolutely breathless. the first time was when i first met you and i mean really met you. i always knew you in my heart. we were about fifteen when you moved to this town, this town that i’d grown to resent all of my life. i associated these streets with violence and hatred and i wanted nothing more to get away as fast as possible. i was hanging out with ten, loitering at the ice cream place, while i waited for his shift to end. that’s when you came in and you asked me about what flavour was best. i had a crush on you ever since that day, but could never seem to work up the courage to approach you first. yeah, i’m a fucking idiot, i know. i had those other girls following me around, but i could never quite shake off that feeling of, well, you. i’d never felt so damn. . .shy? when a girl made me feel that way, i knew you were special.

the second time was on prom night.

"ah, ah, don’t open that yet.”

you pouted and put the note back in its place, nestled in between the dozen of peonys. they were the colour of the sunset, a soft peach that brought butterflies to your insides. when yukhei had arrived to your front door with these, you nearly gasped out loud because they were so stunning.

the colour was identical to the sky above, as the clouds faded into one another and touches of navy loomed at the base of the point where the land met the heavens. yukhei’s windows were rolled all the way down and you let the wind penetrate against your being, caressing the locks of your curled hair. you’d applied an absurd amount of hairspray to keep it that way, so you weren’t concerned about the wind ruining the style.

yukhei glanced over to your side. “you can open it at the end of the night. promise.” the more you saw him smile, the more charming it became each time.

when the two of you pulled into the school parking lot, you immediately spotted kunhang and his scratched plymouth. he was leaning against the hood, sweet talking his date, some girl named meixiu that you didn’t know. probably an underclassman, you had no idea. he waved at you and probably just you, as you failed to miss the way his upper lip slightly twitched when yukhei exited his vehicle.

kunhang was the only person you guys were meeting, since both of your friend groups consisted of drop outs. you gave a polite wave to meixiu and gave kunhang a quick side hug. meanwhile, he and yukhei exchanged curt nods, as the parking lot began to reek of testosterone from the stares between the two alone.

“nice threads,” meixiu broke the silence, peering at your dress.

thankfully, you rummaged far enough into the last of your sister’s things that she left behind before moving out and came out with something decent. it was a boatneck satin dress with an empire waist and went down to just above your ankles. under the glare of the sunset, its baby blue hue contrasted beautifully. definitely pretty and saved you money and time. considering your lack of female friends, it would have been a real pain in the ass to have to drag either sicheng or chenle to a boutique.

“thank you,” you smiled at meixiu.

when you opened the door to greet yukhei, he had looked like someone just slapped him. he looked absolutely stunned and began drinking in the way you had dressed up, like an angel appeared in front of him and breathed the word of god. you were just as stunned when you were met with his put together appearance. you always had a soft spot for a tuff leather jacket and calloused hands, but seeing yukhei in a tuxedo made you rethink your preferences.

“wow,” the two of you had sputtered out at the same time and after a pause, began to laugh together.

meanwhile, kunhang merely blinked at your appearance. “turns out you’re a woman after all.” he yelped when you smacked his arm for that comment. “what? just because you walk around in a miniskirt doesn’t mean you’re a lady—” you hit him again.

“a pretty damn fine one at that,” yukhei snaked an arm around your waist and you relaxed slightly. “ready to head in?”

that baby blue dress. the way you lost yourself in the music on the dancefloor without a care in the world. my god, i wish i could capture that memory in my mind forever. i was still so goddamn shy and the only way i could express my feelings was through letters. some things never change, huh?

yours truly, yukhei.

the rest of your night was just as you imagined it would turn out. some lame music, bad refreshments, and glares from literally every girl on the dancefloor when they saw who you arrived with. all eyes were on the two of you when you walked in through the doors, though you knew it was partly out of curiosity to see who wong yukhei would bring to prom.

suddenly, you were beginning to be treated different. guys you’d never spoken to for four years cornered you into conversations that you had no interest in. girls complimented your dress and not in the way meixiu did, but like panthers sneaking up to stalk their prey. you nearly finished the contents of yukhei’s hidden flask out of annoyance.

“easy there, sweets,” he said, eyes wide when you slipped him his almost empty flask.

you laughed a bit. “sorry. i’m just slowly starting to get tired.”

“sleepy?” he asked, brushing a stray curl of hair out of your face.

the two of you were leaning on a wall, silently bopping your heads to the tune of the bluesy guitar playing throughout the school gymnasium. yukhei, you discovered, was a really good dancer. although shy at first, the majority of your night was spent on the dancefloor. you were sure you picked up on a few of his moves, even. you teased him about it on your way to the back, after he declared that he was parched.

“no, not that kind of tired. i mean, like—” you gave a quick side glance to a group of girls to your left that had been glaring in your direction all night,“—tired of that.”

it wasn’t as though you were overly concerned with the other girls, but it was really starting to get on your nerves.

“then, let’s get out of here?”

sure, the night was still young, but something twinkled in yukhei’s eyes and you knew that the date was far from over. you looked over at the crowd, not being able to find kunhang. he’d live if you didn’t tell him a goodbye. you shrugged and tapped your nails against your clutch.

“get out here, where?” you asked reluctantly, wincing as you did so. the last thing you wanted to do in that moment was make an assumption, but you also wanted to set clear boundaries before the night went on.

yukhei raised his eyebrows. “i mean, like, we could go grab a burger or somethin’. i’m starving.” he chuckled, but you smiled at his response.

“alright. i’m good with that.”

you didn’t even notice yukhei grabbing your head and lacing your fingers with his own—it just felt so natural. he gently led you back to the main entrance and you couldn’t help but notice the way his muscles ever so slightly flexed underneath his suit and the way he styled his hair into perfect swirls with gel and the crystal clear confidence in his eyes and—

“oh, ho, so you ended up working up the nerve to ask y/n out after all?” there was no mistake about it, that voice belonged to your old history teacher. it was the voice you heard in your nightmares, after all. “gimme some skin, yukhei!”

the old man sat in front of the entrance, where the tickets had been checked at the beginning of the night. presumably to catch any drunk teenagers stumbling out of the gymnasium, he was the only chaperone outside of the main floor.

you furrowed your eyebrows together. yukhei awkwardly shook hands with the teacher. then, you remembered what yukhei had told you before when he gave you a ride to school. your lips parted slightly.

“you stole away one of my favourite students, you know that, ms. y/n?” he continued.

turning to yukhei, whose ears began to transform into a brilliant bubblegum colour, you said, “you weren’t joking about that?”

“why would i be joking?” yukhei chuckled.

you paused and shrugged. “i dunno. i thought it was just one of them cheesy things guys say. like you were just trying to make me swoon or somethin’.”

“what? aw, c’mon, sweets, i can do better than that!” yukhei exclaimed and poked your side, causing you to giggle and yelp.

your old history teacher rolled your eyes at the two of you. “just go on, go home!” he began shooing the two of you away like some puppies.

yukhei continued leading you out of the building, only until you stopped in the middle of the parking lot when you heard a familiar song. it was unmistakable, you would have recognized the record from miles away. he froze, noticing the way you had done the same.

“are you alright?” he stepped forward, reaching out to touch your arm.

you felt a little silly, but you said it anyway. “they’re playing my favourite song. you think we could. . .?” you trailed off, hoping he would agree.

there wasn’t a guy you knew that absolutely detested the beach boys. sicheng whined like he was in pain every time you put one of their records one. you had to basically hide all of their music from your brother, taking them away from the main living room shelf in fear that he would eventually trash them one day. yukhei pressed his lips together, listening to the song—clearly he was no exception.

“you’re into these fools, too?” he teased.

yukhei began stripping himself of his suit jacket, placing it over your shoulders and you immediately revelled in the warmth and faint scent of his cologne on the fabric. the night had fully set in and a dull chill kissed your bare skin. under the moonlight, the man looked immaculate.

you scoffed. “they have good music!” and that they did, but it was something about the group that made you sway in place and felt like you were high on love.

“why don’t we just dance here?”

the parking lot was empty save for the two of you and the countless of cars. even the streets were dead silent and the only sounds in the air were the beach boys telling you to not worry and the soft rustling of the leaves. then, there was yukhei. his same damn charming smirk that seemed to have already captured your heart, but was not nearly as powerful as the thoughts he spilled out into words for you on paper.

you automatically wrapped your arms around his neck and his hands found a place on your waist, like the two of you had done this millions of time before in another life.

dear y/n,

you are the stars.

yukhei.

[gumnut-logic]

We’ll Be Home For Christmas 5.2 (Bit 2)

From here | Bit 1 | Bit 2

It took me all week to put this little bit together. Work stress messed me around royally. Fortunately I have some time off lined up in a fortnight, so there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

We’re getting there. I have a list of threads I’m tying off as the boys manipulate me along the way. I hope my stressed out writing is up to par with the rest of the fic - that is one downside of pausing mid-fic for any length of time is that the mood shifts and my writing changes. Also, the format of this fic doesn’t really lend itself to the short posts I’ve been doing of late, but it will have to do. I hope you enjoy this little bit anyway.

Thank you to all of you who have answered my little poll on what to write next. This is the result. Those of you who voted for The Hero, I will get there as well. These three fics demand ends even if it has taken me a year (yes, it is reaching that point for The Hero at least). Thank you all for your wonderful support. You guys continue to just be amazing ::hugs you all so much::

This is for @scattergraph​ It was last year’s @tagsecretsanta​ fic and it is still being written, now closer to this year’s Christmas. Apparently, it is We’ll Be Finished For Christmas :D Talk about a fic getting totally out of control. Thank you so much for bearing with me on this tome. I love this fic. It has taught me so much. I just hope I can finish it with due credit to the rest of it.

-o-o-o-

There followed an extensive rundown on a random ball of rock and ice currently traversing their solar system.

It was interesting, Virgil had to admit it, and it was great seeing Alan so enthusiastic about it. Of course, once he started on his heroic tale of his and Scott’s encounter with Halley’s Comet, Virgil found himself tuning out.

He’d heard it a few times already.

At some point he was able to drift away from his babbling brother, step out onto the balcony and grab breakfast off the remains of the buffet that had obviously been left out for him. The last of the morning was as beautiful as the rest of the week had been. He had to admit that they had been very lucky.

A glance down at the caldera as he munched on a pastry, most definitely not cooked by his grandmother, and he spotted A Little Lightning resting quietly at her dock.

He found himself staring at the boat. Her yellow stripe, ever so Gordon, her gleaming hull, their short and shared history…

“She’s a good looking ship.”

Virgil nearly jumped out of his skin for the second time in less than half an hour.

Gordon arched an eyebrow up at him. “You okay, Virg? How are you feeling?”

Exasperated. “I’m fine.” He turned away, his eyes dancing across Mateo and its petrel colony.

A bird squawked loudly as if in recognition.

Gordon snorted. “So I hear.”

Virgil glanced back at his brother. “What?”

All innocence. “What?”

“Gordon...” His tone was all warning.

His brother downed his drink. “So, we going to open that pile of presents or are we keeping them as ornaments?”

Virgil frowned. “Oh.”

“Yes, oh. Johnny had to discover a comet to keep Alan distracted while we were waiting.”

“Sorry.”

Gordon rolled his eyes. “Gees, Virg, it’s not a problem, just c’mon. Join us.” And he was being dragged back into the house where everyone had gathered around the Christmas tree.

For the next hour or so it was simply family, friends, gifts and laughter. Scott in particular, was in a jovial mood, his grin an apparent fixture on his face. Mel was never far from him.

It became very clear that Scott, and possibly Gordon, had been Christmas shopping that morning, probably on the other side of the world, because there were presents under the tree that hadn’t been there the night before. There may have been an abuse of International Rescue technology to obtain it all, but the smiles on their guests’ faces when presented with Christmas gifts may have been worth his brothers’ transgressions.

Almost.

Virgil sat on the lounge, a brother either side of his feet peering up at him as he opened a present wrapped in green tissue paper. The material inside was also green and when he held it up, it unfolded into a t-shirt.

Written across the front were the words ‘I’M FINE’.

Behind the curtain of fabric, a brother snorted.

“Gordon.”

“What?”

Virgil exhaled and dropped his hands into his lap with the shirt. Glaring at his grinning brother, he held Gordon’s gaze for a moment before shuffling out of his seat and standing up.

Both Alan and Gordon scampered away from his feet.

“Virg…” Scott’s tone was worried.

Virgil ignored him and continued to glare at Gordon.

The aquanaut’s expression faltered a little and Virgil mentally tagged himself a point.

He then took the trophy by shucking off his shirt and undershirt in front of all of them.

The breeze was cool through the open doors of the balcony as he awkwardly dragged the new t-shirt over his head, aware of every eye in the room staring at him.

He pulled the green material down over his healing incisions and glared at his brothers, starting with Gordon, who appeared somewhat gobsmacked a moment before once again bursting into a grin, and following around the room to each of his other brothers.

He didn’t fail to notice a strange smile on Kayo’s lips as he did so.

“Now, I hope this means I don’t have to keep repeating myself?”

Silence and lots of staring.

A snort from Gordon. “Sure, Virg. We all think you’re pretty fine.” He followed it with a snicker.

There was an odd sound from Penelope’s direction, but when Virgil darted a look at her, she appeared to be smothering a delicate cough.

Her eyes were sparkling at him though.

Oh, for the love of-

“You’re great, Virgil.” Alan was grinning.

“Like china.” John was not even trying to keep a straight face.

“Whatever you say, Virg.” Scott had his arm around Mel and was grinning like a loon.

Somehow the points were being racked up by his brothers now.

His glare turned flat and he lowered himself awkwardly back onto the lounge. He didn’t miss Gordon’s attempt to reach out and help him.

Another glare and Virgil grunted, crossing his arms across his chest in an almost pout. “You’re lucky I love you guys.”

There was an outburst of more laughter. Virgil tried to hold his disgruntled expression, but a kiss by Grandma on the cheek broke his determination.

“You’re a shit, Gordon.”

“And you love me.” Still grinning.

Virgil couldn’t help himself. He grabbed the Fish by the scruff of his neck and wrangled him into a half hugging noogie, messing his hair up royally. Virgil had to admit that Gordon was likely playing along because his big brother certainly wasn’t up to wrestling with him, and as Penelope burst into laughter, Virgil found himself getting soppy.

The noogie turned into a full-on bear hug.

Chlorine scented hair caught in his nostrils.

“Virg?”

“Huh?”

A wheeze. “Need to breathe.”

“All your fault.” He let his brother go.

Gordon sat up on the lounge, straightening his shirt and running his hands through his hair. A glance of fond exasperation and he turned away. “Okay, Allie, time to see that painting.”

“So, it is a painting?” Alan shot off the floor and dashed over to the tree where the huge present was leaning against the wall.

There followed many exclamations at Virgil’s skill in painting Thunderbird Three in flight. Hell, even John put in a request for one of Five, so maybe he managed the stars part of the project accurately enough.

He must remember to ask Alan to grab some shots of John’s ‘bird next time he was up there. Or maybe he would hitch a ride and go up himself.

That thought led to visualising possible compositions, moving Five around in his head, whether he should include Earth in the background, which bit of Earth – Tracy Island, of course – which constellations, what time of year, whether he could lean on artistic license or whether inaccuracies would bug his brother silly. Most likely the latter, so there would be some research involved. Perhaps Alan could help him with that. Actually, that wouldn’t be a bad idea. A good excuse to spend some time with his little brother.

He eyed Alan and the young astronaut turned a questioning look in his direction. Virgil just smiled a little at him.

Alan’s face burst into a grin and Virgil found himself subject to another brotherly hug. “Thank you, Virgil.”

He returned the hug with gusto. “Anytime, Allie.”

Apparently, today was the day for being soppy because he clutched his brother tighter.

Anytime.

-o-o-o-

TBC

[greek-myth-bullshit]

This isn’t really a question but I want to know your opinion on this. I know people like lore Olympus, and I hope I’m not one of the only people who don’t like it. I stopped reading after Apollo(? I think it was him) raped Persephone. I started thinking, “Hey, another Greek comic!” Really happy and stuff. But also along with what happened with Apollo, I think it’s to far from classical myths. It just doesn’t have the appeal for me. I just wanted to know your opinion. Sorry if it’s too long.

I only started Lore Olympus after Ares showed up tbh. I knew a comic existed of Hades-Peresphone relationship, but this ship just seems so overly done and misinterpreted all the time that I didn’t check it out. Until obviously Ares made his entry.

When I started reading it, it seemed great. It seemed fun but after a couple of chapters, I couldn’t ignore the blatant inaccuracies. I was still cool with it because almost all modern mythology materials are very very inaccurate. But one thing I just couldn’t ignore was the characters shapes. Yes I know it’s just a comic and it’s the artist’s style but the obvious difference in Hades and Persephone’s physical appearance just rubbed me the wrong way. This is a relationship with a huge age gap, mythologically and in this comic. Hades is 40 and Persephone is 19. She’s almost half his size physically. I noticed it so many times. Also she’s drawn extremely curvy around him. But she’s also extremely naive around him. Mix them together and she just looks like an eager child next to a grown man. Which is just ......

Moreover, all the goddesses are drawn this way. Even Hera looks like a small child next to Zeus. It just really irked me.

Then the Apollo thing. Look when it comes to romantic relationships, Apollo’s track record isn’t that great. But he’s not a bitchass rapist like Lore Olympus portrays him. Most modern artists think that they can run with the gods any way they like. The myths aren’t interpreted nicely here and some of the gods are vilified. Not to mention, in the comic, all these acts of other gods seem like a way to show how great Hades is or how nice Persephone is compared to other goddesses. Which is bullshit. Hades seem like a middle aged man who needs a young woman to fix him. While Persephone looks like a naive girl waiting for an older man to show how powerful she is. The story’s been told thousand times. It’s a shit trope.

Furthermore, the author refuses to accept any criticism. Not only is she putting out public artistic content (which is obviously open to criticism) but also it is about thousands year old religion so there will be talks. I mean you can’t please everyone but taking apart something important to people in this manner and getting defensive when people call you out on it? That’s a shit move.

I’ve come to the conclusion that you can only enjoy this comic if you don’t consider it a modern interpretation of greek mythology and keep ignoring the weird physical disparity. That’s the only way. I do hope that it gets better. I just don’t want newcomers to greek myth to think that this is similar to the actual myths and that Apollo’s an asshole like that.

Sorry for the long post.

[rockthingsbymeg]

i’ve requested so much from you already but you’re my favourite writer right now and i love that you’re doing frisky fridays/smutty saturday’s 🤷🏻‍♀️ so kickin of this (very late) frisky friday or (very early) smutty saturday, how about a secret relationship with present day slash where there’s a bit of an age gap with the reader so they sneak off to hook up because they’re kind of worried about how their relationship will be perceived. if you’re not comfortable writing this, i totally get it💖

Don’t ever apologize about requesting things to me. It absolutely makes my day to know that someone enjoys what I write💛

(I’m going to say the reader is like, very late 20’s early 30’s because it gets kinda creepy to me if she’s much younger)

So, Y/N’s father worked as a roadie during the Not In This Life Time tour, and she took that as an opportunity to go with him and see what life on the road was like, considering she wanted a job in the industry herself.

She had been with her him, helping him make sure everything was in the right place for soundcheck when loud chatter coming from the sides of the stage caught her attention.

Axl, Duff, and Slash walked up to them, greeting her father, who promptly introduced her.

“This is Y/N, my daughter.”

On the outside, Y/N looked calm and composed. On the inside, she was losing her shit. They were Guns n’ fucking Roses!

When younger, Y/N had spent her teenage years listening to their music, either their work as a band or solo and had developed quite a crush on Slash.

Over the years it seemed to have died out a little, but now, standing by his side and observing his details closely, that crush came back a hell of a lot stronger…

Strong enough that he was the only thing in her mind for the rest of the day. Slash and the things she had dreamed of doing with him, to him, or have him do to her.

She could feel herself blushing while she now watched the soundcheck, imagining what those experienced fingers would be able to do to her.

“God. Stop thinking about that! ” She mumbled, moving her eyes to the other band members.

The rest of the days she worked with him had been torturous. Her dad had asked her to help around, and she would end up being the one to grab some coffee or water or whatever the band needed.

That meant that she had gotten to talk to Slash a lot more times than she thought she would.

She had done her best to hide the lust towards him. She swore she did, but somehow, Slash had caught up on the details, and that’s probably how they ended up in this situation.

Y/N had mentioned in one of their conversations that she’d always wanted to learn how to play guitar but had pushed that wish aside to focus on school and find herself a job. So Slash, being the amazing soul he was, offered to give her a few lessons.

They had been 30 minutes into the second lesson, and it had been going smoothly until they came to a transition between notes that Y/N’s fingers simply refused to make.

Slash smiled comprehensively when she let out a small, frustrated sigh. “Don’t think too much about it, it won’t help.” He said, setting his own guitar down and going to stand behind the chair she was in. He leaned down, placed his arms around her and his hands over hers, moving her fingers to the correct position.

They had both felt her body grow stiff and heard how her breath got shallower.

She could feel his breath on her neck, lips dangerously close to her skin, making goosebumps erupt all over her body.

“You’re okay, Y/N?” He asked, playing naïve, while he let his hands move from her own to her waist. It sure as hell didn’t look like a place where his hands would go casually, given the position they were in, but Y/N definitely wasn’t complaining.

She didn’t answer him though. Her head turned slightly towards his, her eyes searching his dark ones for a moment before dropping to his lips.

The only reason he didn’t immediately seize the opportunity was that he was afraid. Were the signs really there or was he just a ridiculously desperate old man in need of attention? If he wasn’t misreading the signs, how would people react if they found out? Would they have to sneak-

His train of thought was stopped by her lips on his. He immediately kissed back, moving his mouth in a slow pace, and opening it when he felt her tongue brush against his lips.

They kissed until the position he was in grew too uncomfortable. He broke the kiss and got up, pulling her guitar from her lap and dragging her to the couch he had been sitting in.

He sat down and pulled her to his lap, eagerly connecting their lips again.

“Slash? Where are you man, it’s time for soundcheck.” Duff’s voice echoed in the hallway, and they immediately sprung apart.

When Duff came in, Y/N’s and Slash’s lips were still a bit red, though hers were far more noticeable. The blond eyed them carefully, settling for giving his bandmate a questioning look, which Slash ignored as he picked up his beloved Les Paul and walked out of the room, telling Duff to hurry up for soundcheck.

Duff didn’t feel like he was in a place to judge, so he walked out of the room as well, leaving behind a breathless and extremely wet Y/N.

[…]

The sneaking around had been going on all the tour. She had traveled around with them and her father, and the escapes grew more frequent and more intense.

Intense to the point where Slash would get hard pretty quickly if she happened to be wearing something that hugged her body in all the right places. Like the leather skirt and the top she had been wearing for today’s show.

The clothes were not the most practical ones for a roadie, but she was well aware of the effect they had on the guitarist, so she made the effort to work in them just to tease him.

As the band got ready for that night’s show, Slash pulled her into his dressing room, pressing her up against the closed door.

“You look so good, baby…” He said, running a hand down her body. “Such a pretty little tease.” He groaned, attaching his lips to hers.

His right hand sneaked between her legs, cupping her warm pussy to find it bare.

“Such a dirty slut aren’t you, baby?” He smirked, pulling away from her.

Y/N smirked back. “All for you.”

His hands began to run up her arms until they tangled in her hair. “Can’t go on the stage like this can I?” He asked, pressing his hard cock against her thigh. “You know I’ll make it up to you.”

Y/N smirked before sinking to her knees.

[…]

With a post-show high running through his veins, Slash looked around for Y/N as soon as he left the stage.

He found her already waiting for him in his dressing room, fully naked.

“What would you have done if someone else walked in here?” He smirked, pushing her down on the couch and placing himself between her legs.

“I would have gotten us into a hell lot of trouble.” She smirked, spreading herself invitingly.

Slash chuckled before he lowered his head to take one of her nipples into his mouth. He sucked and nibbled until it was a shade of red he considered okay and then moved to the other one. When he was finished, his mouth began to leave a trail of bites until he reached her pussy.

There, his mouth quickly attached itself to her clit, sucking and licking the sensitive bundle of nerves.

“Fuck! Oh, fuck Slash!” She cried out, writhing pathetically below him.

He allowed her to move her hips against his face, chasing her pleasure like an animal in heat.

He brought one of his hands up and thrust two fingers inside her, making her cry out loudly.

“You gotta be quiet, baby. Everyone will know what I’m doing to you if you keep that up.” He said, moving his fingers over her g-spot.

“I’ll be quiet, Slash. I promise! Just please…” She begged, tangling her hands in his curls.

Slash smirked before moving his mouth to her body again. Her precious loud moans had turned into small whimpers and cries, with the occasional moan of his name slipping out.

He ate her out like she was his last meal, and not too long after, she was ready to cum.

“I’m cumming… Slash… Fuck!” She moaned, tugging at the strands of his hair.

The sentence seemed to fuel his fire. Redoubling his efforts, she soon cummed against him, no longer able to hold herself back and full-on screaming his name so anyone and everyone heard.

He gently coaxed her down from her high and let her tired body rest on the couch. He sat down and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, opening his arms as soon as she moved closer to cuddle his side.

“I should get dressed and leave. Someone might come in…” She mumbled, looking up at his eyes.

Slash kissed her forehead. He wished they didn’t have to sneak around, but they didn’t want to have to deal with everyone’s judgment. “Meet me in the morning in my hotel room, okay?” He smiled, kissing her lips.

“Okay.” She smiled too, getting up and fixing herself up.

—

From the series of things that I write for Slash that turn out way longer than expected… Hope you like it and sorry for any inaccuracies/typos/mistakes 💛

Frisky Friday/Smutty Saturday