#so i've been cleaning my class' mess ever since i've taken the responsibility of being the head authority of the class

[jujianjes]

I'm done with this class, my dudes!

[skzhua]

i'm gonna stay ('your eyes' series)

♡ "I could use some company."

pairing: yang jeongin x reader.

genre: fluff, slight angst.

word count: 7,896

warnings: swearing, crying, mentions of mental breakdown, mentions of abuse, mentions of bullying.

summary: jeongin has one job: do the laundry. living with jisung who was a mess maker, he has no other choice but to be the responsible one of their dorm. waiting for the clothes to be dry, he hears cries, yours. how could you be so pretty even while crying?

a/n: after almost 5 months into the making, i am finally done with this story?

SERIES MASTERLIST

Exhausted from his day, Jeongin finally got home. Walking to the elevator, he met with Hyunjin, the boy who lived in the apartment above his dorm.

"Hi." he smiled and joined his friend inside the metal box.

"Hey." he smiled back. "Done with work?"

"Yeah." Jeongin exhaled. "It was a long shift, but I had more customers coming in so not as bad as usual. And you?"

Hyunjin sighed in exhaustion as he shook his head. "My day was shitty. I've been watching Hyunjoo since the beginning of the semester just to be sure she's doing okay."

Jeongin had heard about the pretty freshman. Her and Hyunjin were the talk of the school since they were undeniably the perfect duo of siblings. Both were attractive, talented, smart, insanely sweet and more. While most guys would be seeking for her attention, Jeongin had left her be each time he would cross paths with her. He was too busy to be ogling some pretty girl, let alone his friend's sister.

The elevator came up to his level, so he left Hyunjin alone and went to his dorm. Opening the door, he smelled a horrid odor coming from Jisung's room. Coughing, he knocked aggressively on his door and the sweet Hwayoung answered instead.

"You're here again?" Jeongin asked, in a ruder tone than initially intended.

"Yeah, I brought kimchi with some jjajamyeon and fried chiicken." the girl smiled awkwardly.

"Smells like shit." he said under his breath before looking at Jisung behind her. "Dude, we talked about this. We cleaned this morning!"

"I swear I'll clean up the trash after!" Jisung hurried to response before closing back the door.

Hwayoung and Jisung were one heck of a duo too. While she was much more responsible than him, they were equally messy. Jeongin was not. He did not mind Jisung's room being disorganized, as long as he would help around the apartment. For that, he had to force him quite a bit. The only thing Jeongin didn't mind doing for the both of them was the laundry. First, it allowed him to get away from his friend who could be a lot to handle. Second, he liked chatting with Byeol, another student living in the same building. Third, it allowed him to see a freshman girl he thought was the prettiest he had ever seen. She might be the reason on why he didn't think of Hyunjoo as that attractive.

So, that day was no different than any other day. As he heard laughter coming from his roommate's room, he gathered his clothes and the ones that were laying around the living room. With that, he left to head to the laundry room. Byeol was already there when he arrived, looking at her phone as she waited next to the dryer.

"Hey, Innie." she greeted, her eyes still stuck on her phone.

"You're here early." he frowned, since he thought she had class at this time.

"I'm skipping today. I was not in the mood to fall asleep in my three hours class."

He nodded as he started to load the machine. She kept silence until he was done.

"Have you seen Hyunjin earlier?" the girl asked.

"We talked a little bit, yes. Why?"

She shrugged and looked back to her phone. "Nothing."

Jeongin rolled his eyes at her. It wasn't the first time she asked him about the tall man and it probably wouldn't be the last. He was about to respond, until his attention was taken away by the door opening. Just then, he exchanged glances with you.

And you simply froze, eyes wide open. Byeol looked back and forth between the two of you, but you didn't pay attention to her. Yang Jeongin was staring at you, this was enough to make you forget about your surroundings. Byeol ended up bumping her sides to Jeongin and he broke eye contact with you. She waved at you kindly and you gave her a weak smile before walking to the furthest washing machine from them.

"Is she new?" Byeol asked Jeongin in a whisper.

"No, I've seen her around. I think she's in my gym class but I'm not sure."

"She's cute." she said as she wiggled her eyebrows at him.

"So is Hyunjin." he smiled widely and her teasing grin dropped immediately.

"You're an ass."

"So are you!" he shot back.

The beep of her drying machine went off. She sent a glare to him as she took her clothes back.

"See you around, Yang." she waved at him.

"What?" he said in panic.

"What?"

"You're leaving me with her?"

She glanced at you. You were reading what seemed to be a school book as you sat on the ground, your back on the wall.

"Don't be shy, she seems nice. Besides, I have other things to do." Byeol pointed out.

He huffed. "Like watching your drama again?"

She ignored his comment. "See you later."

And then she left, leaving the man alone with you. You wanted to run away back in the comfort of your room, but your roommate, Sora, had invited her friend over and you weren't going to feel any better there.

"Hi." Jeongin suddenly spoke and you realized he was now standing next to you.

As you were still sitting on the ground, you looked up at him and your face became red. "H-hi." you managed to stammer out.

"I'm Yang Jeongin, I live on the second floor. How about you?"

His smile was too adorable for his own good. His eyes disappearing while dimples suddenly popped up on his cheeks, you found him so attractive. Getting up on your feet, you bowed slightly out of politeness.

"Y/N. First floor."

"Nice! What is your program?"

A good-looking man talking to you in the first week of school? That was already too much for you. Mumbling a quick sorry, you took off and left the room, heading straight to your dorm. Closing the door behind you, you found Sora and Chan chatting about whatever while you were out of breath. The girl had been understanding about your social issues so she immediately got up from her bed to check up on you.

"What happened? Do I need to beat someone up?"

"Woah, no one is beating anybody up." Chan exclaimed in panic from her friend's words. "Y/N, are you okay?"

"Someone talked to me." you said almost in a whisper.

"Were they rude? Mean? Insisting on something?" Sora asked in a worried tone. You shook your head as a no. "Just your social anxiety then?"

You nodded. "I'm sorry I worried you."

"Don't be sorry, I understand. Do you want me to get the laundry for you?"

"And I can leave if that helps." Chan offered.

With a small nod, they left your place together leaving you alone. You exhaled loudly in relief and buried yourself in your bed. This fear of people had to go away and frankly, you had nothing to be scared of. However, as you kept repeating yourself that, the image of your small figure walking in your high school hallways remerged. Yeah, maybe not now. This was something you could work on later.

Unfortunately, Jeongin didn't know about your... problem. He saw Chan and Sora come back to fetch the clothes you had previously left behind but you weren't there with them. He brought his things back to his dorm, trying his best to ignore his loud roommate laughing his ass off with Hwayoung, and went to his room.

Dialing a number on his phone, he waited for the other person to answer.

"Innie?"

"I scared her off."

"What do you mean you scared her off? Who are you talking about?"

"The cute girl I've been telling you about."

Seungmin laughed from the other end of the line. "Good going."

"No but I don't get why. I didn't say anything other than ask her name and what was her program."

"You have a scary face though."

"Dude, I was smiling the entire time."

"Well, you got her name at least. What is it?"

"Y/N."

"Ah, Y/N! She's a regular at the café."

Jeongin rolled his eyes even if Seungmin couldn't see. "Everyone on campus is a regular at the café."

"Right." he laughed. "She's very shy from what I've seen."

"So I've noticed."

"Don't overthink about it, I'm sure she just isn't used to cute boys like you asking her out."

"I wasn't asking her out and by the way you're talking about me, looks like you'd be the one who wants to date me."

"So much to cheer a friend up."

Jeongin chuckled. "Alright, thank you. I'll see you tomorrow morning?"

"Got your coffee prepared already."

"Hi, Y/N!"

You jumped in surprise from the sudden voice. Looking around you, your eyes landed on Jeongin running to join you at your locker. Your breath cut short for an instant as he waved at you with a cute smile forming on his lips. You bowed lightly to greet him back but your sweaty palms were a sign you were very much not put together.

"I wanted to apologize for the other day. I was only trying to be a nice neighbour and I didn't mean to scare you."

Poor him. You couldn't help but feel the guilt take over you as you listened to his much useless apology. He didn't need to be sorry, you were the one at fault.

"It's fine." you replied in a small voice. "I need to go, sorry."

And you left again, closing your locker shut in one move before speed walking towards your next class.

Jeongin frowned as he watched your back. Was he doing something wrong? Sure, he wasn't that good with making friends but he did think he was nice enough with you. Trying to not question himself, he ran out of the school building to go start his shift at the local convenience store. His boss asked him to come in last minute to train a new worker and being the perfect freshman student he liked to present himself as – albeit not being anything close to the truth – he agreed immediately.

Walking in, he spotted a girl standing awkwardly behind the counter. She looked not much older than him but he could tell she wasn't his age.

"You must be Eunhee?" he asked which grabbed the girl's attention.

"Yes, that's me." she laughed in awkwardness. "And you must be Jeongin?"

"That's right! I'll be in charge of your training."

The first few hours consisted of Jeongin showing around the store and explaining a few tasks to Eunhee. Not wanting to put her on the spot on her first day, he let her unpack the boxes of new products to fill in the aisles while he stayed at the cash to serve customers.

"Changbin!" he called out to the man who was about to step out of the store. "Don't forget to ask Chan to come this time."

Changbin left with a laugh and this caught Eunhee's attention. She abandoned her cardboard boxes and went to join Jeongin.

"You've know the last five customers' names, how?"

He shrugged. "I've worked here since last semester, I recognize a few people. And I'm friends with some popular guys so I get to know many other students."

She nodded her head slowly. "And I just heard that you know Chan?"

He gave her a knowing look as he wiggled his eyebrows at her. "Are you interested in him?"

"What?" she immediately spilled out in defense. "No, I just bumped into him a few times, that's all!"

Jeongin continued to tease her. However, it didn't last long as she went to the back of the store to complete other chores. And just then, the bell rang which indicated that a new client had walked in and the man couldn't do much more than freeze in place. There you were, standing at the entrance as you looked around with lost eyes. Jeongin really started to wonder why you always seemed so scared, but then again, he was afraid himself to ask.

"Hello!" he welcomed you kindly.

Taken aback, you crisped as soon as you saw there was somebody staring at you. It didn't help that it was Jeongin, with whom you seemed to be encountering a lot lately. You bowed rapidly and ran behind an aisle to hide. You had two options : either you buy something quickly and leave or you leave the store right away even though you had just stepped in. Concluding that the second option would be even more embarrassing, you hurried to pick out random instant ramen cups with a few other snacks before dropping them all in front of Jeongin. He eyed your items for a moment and then started to scan them. You were growing anxious whether he was judging you for the amount of food you were getting for yourself or not.

"I like these too." he chuckled as he scanned your strawberry milk. "Good choice."

"Thanks." you mumbled.

He gave you a warm smile and went on with his task. Although you hadn't been the best classmate, he still remained extremely nice to you. It wouldn't hurt trying to open up a little, no?

"I'm in healthcare, by the way. You know, what you asked me the other day..." you trailed off, unsure if you were being weird or not.

His head shot up right away as you spoke. Was he dreaming? Were you really the one initiating the conversation?

"That's great! What year?"

"Freshman."

He grinned. "Just like me! I'm in specialized education."

Your mouth formed an 'o' shape as you nodded your head slowly. "That's fun."

"Yeah."

And the conversation was cut short as you paid for your things and left with a small wave directed to him. You didn't wait to see if he waved back as you ran to your dorm to barricade yourself once again. To your luck, Sora wasn't home yet so you had the place for yourself. You were proud to have been able to chat more than what you thought to be capable of, but the loud banging in your torso couldn't be ignored. You were still insanely anxious and you hated it.

Walking to your nightstand, you opened the bottom drawer and took out a photo album out of it. You hadn't opened it in years and it was your aunt who insisted on you taking it with you. With a deep breath, you opened the first page and analyzed the figures of your parents holding you as a baby. They seemed loving in the image but you knew it was nothing more than a show they put on.

You flipped the page and then came upon a picture of your first day in kindergarten. While the smile on your face couldn't be wider, the bruise on your leg was so evident. The way your father held onto your hand would look normal if it wasn't for your fingers turning red from being crushed.

Next photo was of you with your neighbour that was slightly older than you. It looked like you were friends but it was far from the truth. He was your first bully and had picked on you for years until you finally convinced your parents to change schools. And then your experience in high school...

"I'm home~"

You jumped at the voice and close the album in a swift motion before hiding it under your pillow. Sora looked at you curiously until it changed to her nagging face.

"Y/N, I thought we agreed to look at it together when you feel ready."

"Sorry." you murmured.

Her shoulders dropped. "Don't be, it's alright. I just don't want you to react strongly to it without having anyone around in case you need help."

"I'll wait next time, I promise."

"Good." she nodded, reassured.

A couple of weeks passed and you were discouraged to realize your semester might be even harder than the previous one, but that was on you for choosing to work in healthcare. Luckily for you, the lack of social interactions did help in focusing on your studies.

Yet, it didn't please your flatmate to see you submerged in your school books. Being the great friend that she was, she begged you to come eat with her for your lunch break.

So, here you were... In a crowded cafeteria, following Sora like a puppy while she laughed along with Chan. More focused on trying to not spill anything from your tray, you didn't participate in their conversation until you heard your name being mentioned.

"Y/N can do that." Chan said.

Confused, you looked at Sora for an explanation. "What?"

"Nevermind." she shrugged it off.

Chan nudged her and pointed to somewhere among the tables. "Hey, Sora, look. We should join them."

As you realized he pointed towards Jeongin who was sitting with a girl, your body stiffened. "I don't think we should do that." you said in a small voice.

"I thought you knew Jeongin and got along with him well." Chan frowned.

"We don't want to impose ourselves." Sora tried to back you up, well, you thought that was what she was doing.

"It can't be too bad. Plus, Eunhee is very easygoing. Let's go."

You really didn't want to go but seeing that there was nothing Sora could do to change Chan's mind (and you were definitely not going to try to protest), you followed along. You came face to face with Jeongin and had the courage to greet him with a small 'hey' before Chan asked them if you could join.

"I haven't seen you around much these days." Jeongin said to the older guy.

He munched on his rice before speaking. "Meetings and work... I can barely keep up with my own life to be honest. Student council is harder this semester. I believe it is because of the amount of new exchange students we got."

Jeongin nodded. "Well, as long as your grades are fine, I guess."

“Which makes me think of..." he started and turned to Eunhee. "I talked with Mrs. Ko.”

“About?” the girl asked in confusion.

“About you.”

She choked on her food and Jeongin was quick to pat her back to soothe her. Your gaze drifted away from the scene, not wanting to interrupt what seemed to be a personal moment between them.

“What do you mean, me? What did I do?” she asked after calming down.

Chan laughed nervously. “She asked me if I’d be interested in tutoring you.

The two other girls started to laugh which grabbed your attention again, meeting eyes with Jeongin in the process. His face was as red as yours and it did reassure you in some way.

"What’s funny?” Chan turned to the two of you.

“I mean, do you even have time to tutor? You barely have any time for the guys and I.” Jeongin answered before looking back at you.

You tried really hard to look away but the sweet smile he had could not be ignored. Luckily, Sora came to your rescue, consciously or not, as she asked about some random things. He coughed to break the weird ambiance and continued to eat in silence, leaving you to chat with your friend.

There was a reason why you preferred to eat alone with Sora, and Jeongin was the proof on why so.

Jeongin let out a long exhale as he stepped on, yet again, another one of roommate's socks. He didn't even know why he bothered trying with Jisung anymore, it always ended the same. He let out grumbles as he picked them up and threw them in his basket. Hearing Hwayoung let out giggles from the other room, he closed his eyes shut in annoyance. He liked both of his friends, but dear God, they were something.

Walking down the stairs, he got to the laundry room where no one had started to use them yet. Good, Jeongin deserved a break. Loading up the machine, he turned on some music on his phone as he wasn't going to bother anyone. He whistled to the melodies peacefully and quickly put everything in the washer. He had previously done a load of black clothes so he moved these to the dryer, still humming happily to his music. As he was about to settle on a chair to wait, he heard another sound that didn't seem to be coming out of his phone nor his own mouth. Pausing the song, he furrowed his eyebrows in concentration, trying hard to figure out what this noise was about.

A small whimper was all it took for him to realize someone else was in the room. Not only that, they were crying.

You were crying.

Shit, did he scare you again? Carefully, he followed your sobs and easily spotted you sitting on the floor, leaning on one of the machines. You were curled in a ball and your face was buried in your knees. Though he couldn't see your face, he knew this was probably a sight you didn't want people to see. He could have easily left you alone but something in him told him to check on you.

"Hey." he said softly as he crouched down to be at your level.

Your body froze. You thought you were alone, you made sure you were alone. Well, crying in a common area wasn't your best idea either.

"Hey." you mumbled before another sob took over in your throat.

He immediately scooted closer and rubbed your arm. He let you cry a couple of seconds more until he asked "It's silly to ask but are you alright? Do you need anything?"

Thinking for a second, you ended shaking your head as a no. "I'm not fine but I will be."

He wasn't convinced at all. Standing up, he walked towards the door. You, of course, thought that he didn't want to waste his time on you and that he was leaving. But what he did next surprised you. Taking a key out of his pocket, he locked the door and came back to sit next to you. You looked at him curiously, tears still streaming down your cheeks.

"I figured me seeing you like this is embarrassing enough, so..." he explained shyly. "If you want me to leave it's totally-"

You allowed yourself to smile a little. "I could use some company."

He nodded slowly. "If you don't mind me asking, what is it? I'm a good listener, you know?"

"Nothing much, my father reached out to me, that's all."

You surprised yourself by even telling him this brief piece of information. He seemed to appreciate your trust as he hummed for you to continue. You weren't certain if you were supposed to say anything to him. He was still a stranger to you, but a damn attractive one. And from the past interactions you'd had with him, he was nothing but a sweetheart. Having one more person to lean on other than Sora wouldn't hurt.

"I haven't had the best childhood, let's say. I was... rounder than I am now so I got picked on as a child. I did lose a lot of weight in high school but it was apparently too much because I was mocked for having the skin to the bone... And my parents were never the best to me so-"

You coughed on your own words, not being able to finish your sentence. He didn't try to make you speak more and gave you a empathic look. He hesitantly pulled you closer to him. While this took you by surprise, it felt so comforting. Still shy, you snuggled a little into him, your cries eventually toning down.

"Has it stopped?"

The whisper from his part startled you but you couldn't ignore the care you heard from his tone. Hesitantly, you nodded your head.

"Then, why are you crying now if things are better?"

You bit your upper lip as you looked away from his direction. "It's not that..."

The silence after that was all it took for him to get that you have shared enough. He allowed himself to scoot closer and turn your face to his with his hand. You body tensed again but for different reasons this time. You never noticed how good-looking he was. Well, you did, but you had a good close up to his features now. You gulped out of nervousness.

Just as you started to think you had been staring at each other for a bit too long, a loud ring came from the dryers. Jeongin backed away with a cough and stood up to check what it was.

"I assume this is your machine?" he said as he stopped in front of the dryer you had previously loaded.

You joined him and thanked him before starting to fold your clothes, putting them back in your basket. You hurried to do so as you still felt his eyes on you. Clumsily, you bowed to him while muttering out a "thank you for earlier" and rushes to the door.

Jeongin chuckled upon seeing your struggle to open a locked door. "Here." he said before coming to unlock it.

"Right." you laughed awkwardly before stepping outside.

"Wait." he called out before you were completely out the room. "If you need someone to listen or to hang out with, I'm only a floor above your place."

You sent him a smile. "I'll consider it."

And you left.

Minho repeatedly threw his grapes up in the air before they lended in his mouth. He munched happily while Sora was laughing her ass off, a little too much in your opinion.

"Y/N, your turn." he said with a mischievous smile as he held up a grape.

You didn't mind Sora having a new friend, but you surely would have preferred to have Chan around. Minho was fun but could be a bit much for you. And considering the repeated calls you were getting from your dad for the past few weeks, you would have been more at ease with only Sora around.

"No." you shook your head to his offer and he sighed.

"Come on, Sora did it. Your turn."

"No."

He gave a look to your friend and she shrugged. "She doesn't want to, it's fine."

He pouted but was quick to be distracted by Sora holding his hand. The dynamic between them was so weird, you felt like you weren't supposed to be there. She assured you he was only a friend but the way they looked at each other told you otherwise.

Discreetly, you took your tray and went to find another place to eat alone. The time being the common break, there was little to no space available for you. Since Sora was that busy with her not-boyfriend, you took the sandwich with the fruit punch juice box and left your tray next to the trash bin before heading outside. There were still chances that the café was filled but at least there was going to be less people, less noise.

Walking in, you were immediately greeted by Seungmin's hand wave. He was already chatting with a girl so you didn't interrupt them. Scanning the place, you saw Chan who was studying with Eunhee and, a bit further, you spotted Jeongin. His eyes focused on his screen, he frowned as he continued to type on the keyboard. Your feet already were moving towards him before you could even think and you found yourself standing in front of him. Having his earbuds plugged in, he didn't hear you but you still allowed yourself to sit at the chair opposite to him. That's when he finally realized there was someone joining him.

He blinked a few times before taking out one earphone. "Hi?" he said, sounding more like a question than anything.

"There was no place left and I figured you wouldn't mind if I sat here."

"Of course I don't mind." he confirmed. "Aren't you with Sora?"

"She was with Minho and we both know how they have been recently."

He nodded his head slowly, still confused by your presence. "And your next option was me?"

You shrugged because you weren't even sure yourself on why you walked to him. Again, your body moved by itself.

Jeongin offered to get you something to drink but you refused, telling him to focus on his school work instead. Still, a couple of minutes later, Seungmin came with two coffees. It was his break and he was originally going to drink one and give the other to Jeongin but seeing you with his friend, he gave up his drink to give it to you. Although you argued with him to keep it, you gave in because why would you say no to coffee.

"I think I deserve a break from this." Jeongin exhaled as he shut his laptop closed. "I've been working on this paper for hours."

"What is it about?" you asked.

"The teacher gave us an example of a situation we could potentially encounter when working with children with special needs and we have to explain how we'd react and interact with them."

"Fun." you commented before taking a sip of your drink.

He let out a chuckle. "Not so much. How about you? Healthcare must be demanding."

"We have a week or so before the finals start so it's okay for now. I don't have much to do other than studying, anyway."

"I see."

There was then a comfortable silence settled between you two. As you finished your drinks, you both opened your computers and studied for the next hour or so. Glancing at each other a couple of times, it was nice, For the first time, you felt like you didn't feel like you absolutely needed Sora around to be calm. This was a good thing with her being busy with Minho. Plus, it couldn't hurt to have a friend other than her.

"I have a shift in ten minutes." Jeongin said as he started to put his things in his bag.

"At the convenience store?"

"Yeah, I'm starting to be broke from how many drinks I pay for here." he let out a laugh. "This was nice, by the way."

You smiled. "It was. We can do it again another time."

"Sure. Uh, can I have your number? Not in a weird way, of course. Only so we can contact each other if needed."

You blushed a little but still gave him your number and he gave you his.

"Have fun at work." you said as he was getting up.

"Thank you." he smiled widely.

You watched him get out of the shop and sighed loudly. You were proud of yourself. Most importantly, you really liked the boy. As a person, of course.

"You'll come, right?"

You hummed, not even having heard what Jeongin asked you. The next weeks since that day at the coffee shopp were mostly the two of you studying together, sometimes walking back to your dorms together. Other times, you'd meet at the laundromat or at his job to chat some more. This time, since summer was nearing, you went outside so he could hang his sheets to dry while you sat on a bench to read and study.

"Y/N, you're not listening." he sighed.

You hummed again. "Yeah, yeah."

He gave up on hanging the blanket and came to sit with you. "You're stressed about the exam, aren't you?"

He wasn't totally wrong. You had been anxious about it for days now, but you had also answered one of your father's calls by accident the day prior, causing your mind to drift away. That forced you to actually speak with him and let's say it didn't go very smoothly. Having left your parents to live with your aunt instead, they separated and your mother moved far from the family home. That might have made your dad realize how abusive he was towards you and your mother as he had nothing left but it didn't mean he automatically stopped being so. The call was short but harsh. He wanted you back home, but you said you would never go live with him again.

"Y/N?"

"What?" you said as you finally woke up from whatever haze you were in.

"Are you alright? You've been a bit off since we got here."

You shook your head. "I'm sorry, I didn't sleep quite well."

He took the book from you and you huffed, offended. As you tried to get it back, he stood up and extended his hand to you instead.

"Take a break, come on."

"No."

"You need to. Come."

You rolled your eyes but took his hand nonetheless. He put your book away and led you to where he was only minutes ago. You helped him with hanging his bed sheets and assumed he was also cleaning Jisung's since there were more than one person would need.

"You're oddly quiet today."

"I always am."

He had to give you that, you weren't the most talkative person he knew but your aura was off. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing"

"You're lying."

"Maybe."

He chuckled. "I'm serious, I'm here if you need to spill out whatever is bothering you."

You sighed. "Nothing important, my dad called me again. That's all."

"Well, that clearly did something to you. What did he want?"

"It's nothing, I swear."

He gave you a look. "Y/N."

"Just... He asked if I could live with him again."

He scoffed. "He has some guts to ask this from you."

Jeongin had been informed of your abusive relationship with him, not from you though. Sora told him in case something happened because she wasn't around as much and she still cared about you. Of course, you were extremely hurt she would tell him such things without your consent but with how well Jeongin took it, it didn't last long.

"I said no and hung up."

"Good." he nodded. "Now, forget about it and help me with this."

You looked at the pile of pillowcases and started to hang them. From afar, you saw Hyunjin coming home, probably after a class as his backpack wasn't even closed fully. Upon seeing the two of you, he joined you and gave a side hug to his friend.

"Have you seen Byeol today?" he asked.

You both shook your heads. "I have not but I can tell you if I do see her." Jeongin said.

"No, it's alright. We haven't had time together lately, that's all."

"Aren't you two living together?" He got a nod from Hyunjin as an answer. "Odd... By the way, are you coming to Chan's party?"

"I don't think I will. Hyunjoo wants me to but I would rather stay home with ice cream and a good drama."

You smiled weakly. "That's kind of sad." you commented, surprising both men.

"As if you were going." Hyunjin said, perking an eyebrow.

"I might go. Sora asked me to and Jeongin is definitely going... It might be good for me."

Hyunjin frowned. "Uh, that's a first that I'm hearing from you. Well, I'll leave you two, I still have a sculpture analysis to finish up."

"Good luck!" Jeongin waved as Hyunjin went inside the building. "I really wonder if Byeol will be there... Eunhee too... Or anyone." he laughed a bit.

"Ask the whole school while you are at it." you joked.

"I just might" he joked back. "It's the party of the year before the summer break, of course I want to know will be there. I'm surprised you want to come, by the way."

"That much?"

He tilted his head to his side. "Come on, I thought I'd have to force you out of the dorm."

"You won't need to."

You laughed and went on with your chore. Another comfortable silence settled as you both hummed to the music he had put on his phone. As you were minding your own business, you heard Jeongin let out a loud gasp.

"Oh my, this blanket is so soft! Why does Jisung get to have nice stuff?"

You chuckled. "Is it that nice?"

"You bet it is!"

In a matter of milliseconds, he engulfed you with it, throwing it on both of your heads. Your heart stopped working as you took in the proximity of your bodies. You didn't know whether the smell was him or the blanket. Regardless, it smelled amazing and the fabric was, indeed, very soft.

"Yeah, it's very nice." you managed to say in a small voice, avoiding his eyes at all costs.

"Yeah." he said quietly, a gulp following. "I'm glad we are friends."

You ignored the squeeze in your chest that you had no idea where it came from and smiled. "Me too."

And with that, he brought you closer into a hug. It felt nice having him this close. He was warm and comfortable.

"Well, well, what do we have here?"

You jumped away from Jeongin as you heard the voice. To no surprise, Jisung was smirking at you in a teasing way. Jeongin cursed him out, insisting that he goes away. He did but didn't forget to tease you some more as he stepped inside.

"I'll let you two have a moment, lovebirds."

With an awkward cough and a face as red as a tomato, Jeongin tried to ignore what had just happened by giving you the last pillowcase you need to place. You followed his behaviour, acting as if nothing was going on, but you most definitely wanted to ask him what it meant. Or that could wait. Yeah, you would wait.

Sora asked you thousand of times if you were sure you didn't want her to wait for you before going to Chan's place but you assured her you would be fine. She was needed there in advance and you preferred not standing awkwardly as her and Chan were setting everything up for the party. You had picked out an outfit with her before she left and you were now staring at it, wondering if you made a good choice.

As time passed, you set your mind on stopping to stall and you changed clothes, got your purse, and left your place. Luckily, Chan's apartment was near yours so it didn't take long until you got there. You were both glad and dismayed by that as it meant you were getting closer to seeing Jeongin. Your heart was pounding more and more as you approached the front door. Hesitantly, you finally knocked on the door, Changbin greeting you with a hug. You didn't even know him that well but hugged him nonetheless, despite being rather uneasy by the gesture.

It wasn't the first time you went there. Sora had dragged you a few times in the past so you knew your way around. Still, with the amount of people there was already, you felt a little overwhelmed. It was almost to the point you regretted coming. That feeling, however, was long gone as soon as you spotted Sora. She was already chatting with some people you didn't know so you restrained yourself from joining her, until those people left. With no hesitation, you sat with her on the couch she was at and she welcomed you with a hug.

"I'm surprised you found you way here that easily!"

You rolled your eyes. "I might be shy but I'm not stupid. Why are there so many people, anyway? Who are those people?"

She laughed. "People Chan know, some others who invited themselves... I don't know them much either."

You looked around and saw a couple of other students from your classes but most of them were older. You frowned when you didn't see Minho around. You would have sworn he'd be glued to Sora if he was here.

"Where's your boyfriend?"

Her cheeks turned pink. "Not here yet. And he's not my boyfriend."

"Sure thing..."

Chan arrived soon after with an extra drink in hand for you. "I think this might be light enough for you. I don't know what you like."

"Thank you." you smiled but choked on the liquid as you saw Jisung and Jeongin following behind.

The two men got comfortable and they sat beside you. They waved at you and you waved back in a very shy way, more than usual.

"Sora, I need held with the snacks if you don't mind?" Chan said, gesturing for her to follow him.

You pleaded for you friend to stay with your puppy eyes but she gave you a small smile before walking away with Chan. You huffed and took a sip of the liquor.

"What is this even?" you muttered under your breath.

"Give, I'll tell you." Jeongin said as he took the cup from you, tasting it.

You didn't think you said it loud enough for anyone to hear and you watched him as he frowned, trying to figure out what was your drink. "I mean, it tastes good but-"

"Sangria, I think."

You nodded. "Good? Bad?"

"For a starter like you, I'd say good. I got tired of it eventually but it's still an acceptable choice."

"I'll have to thank Chan for that."

He smiled. "He wasn't to give you something you wouldn't like, I'm sure."

"Right, he isn't like that." you chuckled. "So, how were your finals?"

Jeongin let out a breath. "Demanding but I'm just glad it's over. I hope I passed."

"Same for me. What about you, Jisung?"

The boy looked up from his phone and grinned. "I'm convinced I passed with flying colours."

"I wouldn't be so sure if I were you." Jeongin shrugged.

"Why is that?"

"Your mind was focused on Hwayoung mostly."

"So, Y/N." Jisung changed the subject quickly. "Do you have any plans for the summer?"

You shook your head as a no. "I'm going back home with my aunt but I will probably get a job and work full time. Other than that, sleeping?"

This made Jeongin smile. "Will you have time to hang out then?"

You looked at him curiously. "With me? You and I? Together?"

"Yeah."

"Oh. I'm sure we can find things to do, yes."

"Am I late?" a new voice said.

Eunhee smiled at the three of you as Jisung let her sit with him. "“We pretty much all came in advance. Minho, Hyunjin, Byeol, Hyunjoo and Felix are missing.” the latter answered.

"Felix? The brownie guy?" you asked Jeongin.

"I'm surprised you know who he is."

"I might not talk to people but I listen. I tasted those brownies, even. Not going to lie, they are a delight."

He scoffed. "Are they?"

"Yes. What is it? You don't like them?"

"No, they're good. But would you be willing too taste mine?"

Jisung sent a look his way. By then, Eunhee had vanished and he was alone again. "You bake?"

"I do."

"I'll believe it when I see it."

"I swear I do!" Jeongin protested.

Jisung rolled his eyes and went to get another drink. Being alone with Jeongin, the two of you continued to discuss about everything and nothing. He left to get you more alcohol a few times but he spent the whole evening with you. And the more time you were together, the more he was moving closer to you and you to him. You never drank much in life but the little amount you'd had so far was enough to give you a confidence boost.

"You're the first person who is this kind to me." you suddenly said.

It took him aback but he smiled nonetheless. "How can I not be?"

"Oh, come on. I'm not that interesting. I ran away from you the first times we spoke."

"Fair enough, but if I'm being honest, I thought you were very pretty."

Your eyes went wide immediately. "You what?"

"I still think you are. I don't know, you were intriguing. And then we started to talk and your whole being was just so... How can I say it? Mesmerizing."

You mind spiralled around a hundred of times and you couldn't even form a proper sentence in your mind; a result of both the alcohol and the shock you were feeling. As you were about to let out incoherent words as a response, he kept on going.

"Your journey itself is quite something and with how far you've overcome your struggles... It's impressive."

"Thank you." you said although it sounded squeaky as you were still baffled by his words. "I don't know how to react, honestly. While we're at it, I thought you were quite charming yourself."

He chuckled out of embarrassment. "I don't stand out much compared to my friends, I can assure you."

"Yeah? Then how did I notice you so easily?"

This caught his attention. His eyes moved slowly to meet yours and you were dumbfounded by how pretty they were. His gaze flickered from your eyes to your hair to you nose, and then to your lips. You coughed and looked away. You weren't sure why you weren't giving yourself in but you were annoyed with yourself for doing so. That's pretty much the only thing you had in mind since you met this guy; kiss him. So why couldn't you do it?

"I never got the chance to tell you how thankful I am for what you have done for me. And that time in the laundry room, I'm glad you caught me crying."

He grabbed your hand and your body tensed again. "And I'm glad you trusted me enough to open up."

You looked at him again and, this time, he was much closer than you had anticipated him to be. And, this time, you were physically incapable of moving away from him. He didn't let go of you, determined for you to stay. Not pulling away, you gave in and made the first move by laying a small kiss onto his mouth. His grin got even wider.

"You kissed me."

You hummed. "I suppose I did."

The harmony of both of your chuckles felt like music to his ear. He leaned in again to kiss you once more. However, as his lips were about to touch yours, a loud yell was heard from the kitchen. You jumped away from each other, startled, only to understand it was Sora and Chan arguing. Most of the people partying stopped what they were doing to listen, you included. Changbin was trying his best to keep the party going.

"Should I go help her?" you whispered in Jeongin's ear.

He shook his head before taking your two hands with his. "We should leave."

"But-"

"They'll be fine. Plus, I'd love to have some time with you, alone."

You could feel the heat rush to your face. You nodded shyly in agreement and it was all it took for him to lead you outside. As the door closed behind you, he grabbed your waist. Pulling you closer and closer to his body, he didn't waste another second before finally kissing you again.

You didn't know for sure if all of this was going to work out. One thing was sure, you were head over heels for him and he seemed to be just as much as you were. Maybe even more.

taglist: @lenilla15 | @muddy-waters | @nanaspalette | @nattisbored | @popcatx0 | @vanblack95 | @aestheticsluut | @thanxxskz | @minhoino | @fairywriter-oracle | @xhazmania | @taetertotsv | @luvscrazy | @lethallyprotected | @foxinnie8 | @jisuperboard | @jihanlovic | @soobin-chois | @jinxwhore28 | @purplelandsworld | @yeojoongiee | @smugrogerina | @jaehyunicecream | @urmomlikeslinotoo | @syprosight | @thesassy-mia | @chaotic-world-of-the-j | @heartsforlevi | @miyakoa | @seungincore

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[thedamageofherdays]

This week's (16-08-2021 - 22-08-2021) reading log is here. This week's reading log is super duper long and filled with lots of good things (my apologies for the long post, I really could not find a good spot to do a read more). I discovered some new favourites and re-read some old favourites and while I had an intense week personally at least the fics I read were absolutely phenomenal. I do recommend checking out the warnings as some fics are a bit heavier/angstier and you might wanna be prepared. Most of these fics are Stucky but there are a couple of other ships in between.

If you are looking for more fun and/or good things make sure to check out the @marveldisabilitycelebration as well to see all the awesome art, fics, meta, etcetera people created! And while I am mentioning events I am a mod for let me also just quickly mention that sign-ups for the @stuckygiftexchange are still open until the end of the month <3

Favourites are marked with a 🌻 Fics that are only available to AO3 users are marked with a 🔒 and Tumblr fics are marked with a 🍀

🌻 The Bends by dreamsinthewitchouse @dreamsinthewitchouse [Danbeau, side Stucky, 2k words, Teen]

Memory is not a house you can just walk back into after finding the key you thought you’d lost. It’s a thing you wade into and out of, rewriting it as it rewrites you.

It’s not without its rewards, either - recovering a memory about Maria and Monica, about her life, feels better than socking a thousand bad guys in the face, better than all the photon blasts in the world.

Then again, realising there’s still memories she can’t access, even after all this time, feels like drowning in space.

Not the one out there - the one inside her.

🌻 Sweet & Salty by musette22 @musette22 [Stucky, 3k words, Teen]

Idiots in love. That's it. That's the fic.

When life gives you lemons by moonythejedi394 @moonythejedi394 [Stucky, 34k words, Explicit] (11/15 chapters)

Or 13 Terrible Things to Do With Lemons Other Than Making Lemonade

Steve Rogers is a home health nurse. He works for an agency, which assigned him to the aging Winifred Barnes, the one and only Silent Era Hollywood darling. As her needs increased, she requested the agency assign Steve to her full-time. She could pay for it, so she got it. Steve then moved in with her, becoming her caregiver; he cooked, he cleaned, he managed her medications, he made sure she was comfortable.

Winifred's children treated him less than ideally. He was the help, after all. And then Steve had the audacity to go and turn out to be eldest son James Barnes's soulmate. No one saw that coming.

🍀 SamRhodey Tumblr Fic by ipoiledi [SamRhodey, ? words, Teen?]

“Wilson, this is Rhodey; Rhodey, Wilson,” Tony Stark says, and suddenly some six foot tall sexy guy is shoved right in front of Sam, and they both stumble a little, bumping into each other. This is a crowded party. “You guys have things in common, right?” Stark asks. “Uh, Army stuff. Talk about that. I hate wallflowers; stop wallflowering and talk to each other.”

Shorteralls by moonythejedi394 [Stucky, 6k words, Explicit]

The first time Bucky ever saw Steve Rogers, he was struck by how Neanderthal-like his response was. It was immediately followed by a bout of mental scolding. The second time was just about the same. The third time, it was actually appropriate for Bucky to start a conversation with him, at which point he was determined to be the gentleman.

No such luck. Steve Rogers is, always has been and always will be, a relentless flirt. These days, Bucky's Neanderthal-ist feelings about Steve are consensual and highly appreciated. More so now that they're having a baby.

what the fuck are perfect places anyway by tigerlilycorinne [Stucky, 6k words, Teen]

Steve clears his throat and stands. “Well, I should head in. I might want to begin packing.”

Bucky stills. “You won’t,” he says, trying to sound commanding. It only comes out uncertain. “Don’t.”

Steve shakes his head. “Maybe not tonight,” he says, and Bucky knows they’ll be discussing this again soon.

“Then stay. Play… play cards with me or something.”

Steve’s eyebrows jump up, his mouth tugging up in another of his bemused smiles that do things to Bucky’s insides, but he drops his hand from the doorway and steps back into Bucky’s room. Somehow, Bucky feels as if he’s won—not the war, just the battle.

Steve won’t stay forever. But he’ll stay for cards.

Steve and Bucky, on the run after Civil War (with a few alterations to canon), are laying low in Wakanda. But they can’t stay there forever.

🌻 honestly thought i’d be dead by now, but what you can trust is that i need your touch by moonythejedi394 [Stucky, 105k words, Explicit]

Bucky is 37 years old; he’s unmarried, hasn’t had a Sub of his own, is definitely not ripped, comfortable at his job as an Advanced Practice RN at Brooklyn General ER, and just got his Five Years coin from AA.

Steve is 26 years old; he’s unmarried, his last and only Dom has Alzheimer's, he's worryingly muscular, uncomfortable in his job as the government’s poster Alpha for masculinity and strength, and worries more than he should about his BMI.

Unfortunately, Steve and Bucky meet initially in a not-cute moment. Bucky’s tired as shit thanks to the sudden alien invasion that shook New York and Steve is tired as shit because he hasn’t slept more than 20 minutes at a time in – well, since 1936, probably. Bucky’s Alpha instincts get irritated at the sudden presence of another "Alpha" into his territory and Steve’s suppressed submissive tendencies latch onto this grumpy bachelor Alpha and he only suppresses it further.

Bucky’s grumpiness and Steve’s duckling impressionism aside, both of them are a mess. But since both of them are a mess? Their messes seem to fit pretty well together.

Deep Sea Diving by Aida Ronan [Stucky, 5k words, Explicit]

Steve's wallowing in heat-related misery under a shade tree in Central Park when a man walks by in bright red booty shorts and a crop top. RIP Steve Rogers. It was nice knowing you.

honey, make this easy by steebadore [Stucky, 8k words, Explicit]

Bucky likes the way he looks. His silk button up with the tiny gold polka dots feels soft on his skin and is tailored perfectly; no pulling at his chest or belly. His hair falls in shiny dark waves and his skin is smooth and dewy. He looks expensive. He looks taken care of. He looks like Steve’s.

🌻 let's take it back to the start by howdoyousleep @howdoyousleep3 [Stucky, 6k words, Teen]

How it all began.

This sleepwalking through my life. by barthelme [Stucky, 1k words, Explicit]

The internet is an interesting place and when Bucky came home (or, when he came to live with Steve), Steve did a lot of research. Apparently, it’s not safe to wake a sleepwalker. He assumes that waking a sleepwalker with traumatic dreams and PTSD is beyond just being frowned upon.

And he tells himself--has told himself--that this is safer for Bucky. That if he were to stop him and wake him up, that Bucky would be mortified to be slurping on his best friend’s cock. That all of the improvements he’s made would be lost, would be repressed, would be just--

They’d be back at square one.

So he lets Bucky do it.

🌻 the way i've been craving by howdoyousleep [Stucky, 3k words, Explicit]

"Lunch break at 12:30. My office. Hope you’re hungry…"

It’s the ellipsis that sends Bucky’s insides swimming warmly, his heart beating twice as fast against his ribs where he sits in class. Senator Rogers is concise, direct, to the point. Without an ellipsis this is lunch, this is a meeting. With it though?

This is a booty call.

nasty but classy by howdoyousleep [Stucky, 4k words, Explicit]

“No, you don’t have to know the purpose, that doesn’t matter. Nat showed me this challenge where couples drink a lot of wine and get drunk together but they can’t touch each other. And whoever touches the other first has to...has to give the other head.”

🌻 Put It on Repeat, It Stays the Same by giselleslash [Stucky, 20k words, Explicit]

Steve and Bucky have a one night stand that turns into a friends with benefits situation. A weekend snowed in at Bucky’s apartment brings to light how much that really doesn’t suit either one of them.

Greetings to the New Brunette by victoria_p (musesfool) [Stucky, 10k words, General]

"You said he should have a hobby. That it would help."

"I meant, like, knitting or coin collecting. Motocross, if he was feeling antsy. A baby's not a hobby. It's lifetime commitment."

🌻 Rogers & Barnes: Partners by triedunture [Stucky, 10k words, Teen]

Steve and Bucky have to pose as a couple for a mission. Nat insists it really is the only option. She's checked.

The complication: unbeknownst to even Natasha, Steve and Bucky's friendship has been rocky ever since Bucky confessed his tender feelings and Steve left him out in the cold. Can asexual, completely-in-love-with-his-angry-best-friend Steve complete the mission and win Bucky's heart?

(The answer is yes. Yay!)

this will be our year (took a long time to come) by biblionerd07 [Stucky, 4k words, General]

Bucky's therapist is worried he's using Steve as a crutch and wants him to try going on outings without Steve. It wouldn't be terrible, honestly, if Bucky could just manage to open his mouth and say something to Steve.

I'll hold my breath by Little_Lottie (tfwatson) [Stucky, 8k words, Mature]

Sometimes Bucky’s hands flex in Steve's direction. Neither of them knows exactly why, but at least one of them has a hunch.

Bucky touches everything but Steve, even though Steve is all he really wants to touch.

Start from the Beginning by Mumble_Bee [Stucky, 13k words, Explicit]

What about a sex pollen fic where the pollen-ed one doesn’t remember getting hit in the face with a sex flower, and wakes up midway through the depollenating?

Or: the one where Steve wakes up on his back with a stranger buried balls-deep in his ass.

Match by emphasisonem [Stucky, 4k words, Mature]

The situation’s actually kind of funny from the right perspective, Bucky thinks as he reads the message for what feels like the hundredth time. He’s finally matched with a hot, funny guy. Tall and broad and clean cut. An absolutely breathtaking smile. Bucky’s walking wet dream. And he’s good. They haven’t messaged on the app, but Bucky already knows him.

He knows him because Steve Rogers is an art history professor at his university. His art history professor.

Best friends and married since childhood by StuckySituation [Stucky, 1k words, General]

Inspired by @/peterssquill's post in tumblr: "bucky and steve got married on the playground when they were like eight and though neither of them would ever admit it to anyone, even each other, they still consider it official"

~♥~ ♥~ ♥~

“Natasha, stop trying to set me up with every woman you meet, I’m-”

“Too shy? Too scared?”

“No, I’m-”

“Too busy? You’re mostly retired these days, not a good excuse anymore.” Natasha smirks and then drawls: “Or just too gay?”

Steve flushes at that, even if isn’t true -- he’s bisexual, not gay. “Let it go, Nat, I’m not looking for anything. I’m already married, for fuck’s sake.”

Clearly not what she expected. “What.”

Steve grimaces. He didn’t mean to tell anyone that, ever.

“Sorry, can’t talk about it right now!” he says and jumps out of the plane.

Nobody Should Be Alone on a Holiday by emphasisonem [Stucky, 2k words, Teen]

“So, um-” Bucky begins speaking again, pulling Steve from his less-than-work-appropriate thoughts. The brunet has shoved his hands into the pockets of his dark slacks, and he’s shifting from one foot to the other as he smiles shyly. “I have a question for you.”

“Shoot,” Steve grins, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his broad chest. Bucky swallows deeply as one of his hands comes up to pull at the collar of his button-up, and Steve can’t help following the motion of his Adam’s apple.

“I was, uh-” Bucky continues- “That is, I heard you don’t have Thanksgiving plans?”

In which Bucky finds out that Steve's going to be alone on Thanksgiving and invites his coworker to spend the holiday with him.

🌻 It's Been A Long Season Through by thiccbuckybarnes @thiccbuckybarnesfic [Stucky, 49k words, Explicit]

Bucky Barnes is in desperate need of a change in scenery, which is why he makes the foolhardy decision to quit his job, leave his asshole of a fiance, pack up his life, and move to his grandfather’s old farm all within a single day.

He expects confusion, hardship, and maybe even failure. But love? He wasn’t expecting that.

--

Or, a Stucky Stardew Valley AU that nobody but me wanted and that’s ok.

oh, peach pit, where'd the hours go? by thiccbuckybarnes [Stucky, 10k words, Explicit]

Can't see the forest for the trees.

--

Or, Steve learns that just because he and Bucky got their happily ever after, it doesn’t mean the past won’t come back to bite them.

I'll find my way by rainbow_nerds [Stucky, 725 words, Teen]

Steve had watched Bucky fall, and nothing had been the same since.

AU-gust day 19: Daemons

special delivery by glim @glim [Stucky, 6k words, Teen]

It's not that Steve's bad at taking care of himself when he gets sick; he just wishes he didn't have to all the time.

At least he can order most of what he needs online. That's some small comfort, that he can have soup and ice cream and everything else brought to his door.

at first chance i'd take the bed warmed by the body by spacebuck @spacebuck [Stucky, 8k words, Explicit]

This close, Steve can see exactly how beautiful his hands are. He’s never really noticed before, or at least he’s never really had a reason to notice, but the man’s hands are large, tanned like he works outside all day. There’s an endearing callus on the heel of one of his palms, and Steve can’t quite work out when calluses became endearing.

Steve pauses the video. Swallows hard. Casts his eyes around for anything that’ll keep his mind off the hands on his screen, off the words inked into those hands, the delicate shape of a bird’s wing, the curling edge of a vine.

He looks down. The name of the channel is right there, blaring the man’s name right into Steve’s brain until it feels like he’s known it all along.

Bucky Barnes.

OR: the one where Bucky's a youtuber who solves puzzles on camera, and steve's smitten and horny

🌻 Rock On! by millesable @marvelousescapism [Clintasha, 700 words, General]

“Hey, Romanoff!”

He lifted his hand, index finger and pinky finger raised, thumb out, all other fingers tucked. Their secret sign; their confession for the world to see, safe in the knowledge that the world wasn’t listening.

“Rock on!”

🌻 You Like the Way I Look by dontcallmebree @iamthe-wo-manwhocan [Stucky, 2k words, Explicit]

Bucky sidles up to him, hand boldly coming to rest on his chest. “What about you, big guy? Care for a dance?” Steve watches Bucky’s eyes twinkle with satisfaction, somehow already knowing he’s got Steve on the hook.

A decade out of the ice, Steve Rogers returns to New York. Reeling from a battle against the Chitauri, a night with the troublesome Bucky Barnes might be just what he needs.

Join the Rebellion by rainbow_nerds [Stucky, 765 words, Teen]

Bucky knew he shouldn't be out after curfew, but he couldn't resist the urge. He didn’t know where he was going, but he knew it was where he wanted to be.

AU-gust day 20: Dystopia

🔒 Five Days in December by mywingsareonwheels @mywingsareonwheels [Evanstan, 4k words, Teen]

“Shit shit shit shit...” muttered Chris to himself, glad that the sound of piped Christmas carols was drowning out his swearing amid the picture books. Most of the store was heaving even though it was Sunday, he’d been recognised at least three times, finding presents for all of his nieces and nephews was proving far more of a headache than expected, and he’d just sent a pile of copies of "Strictly No Elephants" tumbling off the bookshelf.

He scrambled about trying to pick them all up, and then dropped them again as someone bumped right into his backside. He lost his balance, caught himself against a bookcase, and a landslide of "Carter Is a Painter’s Cat" joined "Strictly No Elephants" on the floor. He yelped.

“Ah fuck, I’m so sorry… Chris!”

* * * * * * * * * *

London, December 2021. Amid cats, books, and the cold English drizzle, Chris finds everything he was hoping for and thought he would never have.

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

Reaching for Fire by dixons_mama @dixons-mama [Stucky, 7k words, Explicit]

Bucky has always felt a fire in his heart (and other body parts) when it came to his boss, Steve Rogers, but he's made sure to never feed those flames. When he finds out about Steve's second job, though, he's tempted to let that fire out.

i've been dreaming of a face like yours by thiccbuckybarnes [Stucky, 3k words, Explicit]

Bucky is about to busy himself with making a small dinner for himself when he stops in his tracks at the figure drinking a cup of coffee in the kitchen, leaning against the counter and smirking at him.

It’s Steve.

“Surprise, sweet boy,” he says before setting his cup down.

--

Or, PWP reunion sex

🌻 Somewhere, Under Your Skin by thiccbuckybarnes [Stucky, 16k words, Explicit]

Bucky Barnes treats himself to a one-night stand after having a very bad no good day.

The sex is good--great, even. Might be the best sex of his life.

But Bucky wouldn’t have slept with the guy if he had known that he was going to continuously run into him every day for the next fucking month.

--

Or, a Big Grump Bucky has a hot one night stand with a college kid who is popping up everywhere in his everyday life and he doesn’t know how to deal with it.

(Written for HYBB Bingo Square: Grumpy Bucky)

i've played heartstrings before but not in your key by thiccbuckybarnes [Stucky, 11k words, Explicit]

He glances down, seeing a folded couple of papers, before peering up at Bucky. The older man is biting his bottom lip, making it pretty and red. Steve wants to run his tongue across where his teeth are digging into his flesh.

"What's this?" Steve asks, setting his phone down, emails forgotten. Bucky shrugs and looks away.

"I dunno. You tell me, genius," he says, sounding bratty enough that it makes Steve's dick twitch in his pants. Jesus, there has to be something wrong with him.

Steve glances once more at Bucky, who now has his arms crossed against his chest and is pointedly not looking at Steve, before picking up the stack of folded papers. He opens them, seeing a collection of maybe five or six sheets of paper. His eyes immediately land on the list of familiar words with negative next to each one. -- Or, Steve Rogers is a jealous, possessive little shit that wants nothing more than to mark up his boyfriend and stake his claim. And Bucky knows it. (And he likes it.)

🌻 I'm Home (With You) by BonkyBornes @padfoot-and-the-marauders [Stucky, 2k words, General]

In any other circumstance, the apartment would've been perfect. But it was today, and the fact that he was here meant he wasn’t out searching. He knew they hadn’t had any leads for weeks and he knew Natasha was right; all three of them were exhausted and a break would do them good. It just felt wrong to Steve that he was comfortable while Bucky was still out there—somewhere. Probably cold. Probably hungry.

The knock came again. Sighing, Steve unwrapped his hand from the dog tags and remembered how to move. Cold wind and snow greeted him when he opened the door. The solitary figure was walking down the steps, collar popped against the chill.

“Did you need something?” he called.

The person stopped. They were still. And then they turned. *

Or, the Christmas Steve deserved after Winter Soldier.

The portrait by rainbow_nerds [Stucky, 915 words, General]

Steve Rogers has a Gift. He can help people find their soulmates, all he needs is some art supplies, a quiet place, and eye contact.

AU-gust day 21: soulmates

Maybe A Muse by buckybarnesdeservestobehappy [Stucky, 2k words, Mature]

When Bucky Barnes needs extra money, he’s appalled that his best friends think he should become a model for the art department on campus. Shy, nerdy, and socially awkward, he’s not sure that’s something he feels comfortable doing. Still, he needs money, and he likes the idea of becoming someone’s muse. The problem is he had no idea two things would happen. First, one of the students in the class is exactly his type; second, he has to model nude.

[catcze]

*the letter arrived today attached to a small box. Within the box you found a large fleece blanket, dark purple in color with a rose insignia emblazened in a violet hue into the center, and smelling faintly of lavender, a scent your mind immediately associated with Lisa*

Darling I'm sorry for the delay in my response, I've just been so busy lately! I've had half a dozen books go missing in the last 2 days, and rounding them up has been a nightmare.. And to top it off, apparently Klee, bless her heart, one of her treasures caused a small shockwave within the Knights' headquarters, knocking an entire bookshelf over. Jean forced her to help clean it up as repentance, but it still took the three of us a few hours I've hardly had any "me" time today...

That being said, while I was running those errands from work I had this wonderful idea. I know you said that you slept better when we were together, so I asked Albedo for some help. This is one of my blankets from home, that I use daily, so my scent was already on it. Albedo was able to enchant it with his alchemy to make it so the scent will never fade out! I know it's still a far cry from being wrapped up in your girlfriend's embrace, but I hope it will make you happy. I can just imagine your smile as you read this letter, and it makes me so so happy 💜

Venting about having to do actual work aside, life has been so good lately. I'm always in such a good mood, especially since we write so frequently these days. I do still miss you, and I wish you were here. If I started crying, would you come back sooner? I'm just teasing, don't worry. I made sure Sucrose knew that too, otherwise you know that girl would worry about me forever. She's sweet like that, but still nowhere near as sweet as you 💜

Jean and Klee both asked me to tell you they miss you(well those were Jean's words. Klee wants you to know she has a new "treasure" to show you). We all miss you.

I hope you're well when you read this letter, and that the blanket will help. If I'm lucky, it'll tempt you to come return it to me in person in exchange for the real deal, hehehe~💜 I'm going to give you so many kisses when you come back to me, probably more than there are stars in the sky. I think that would be fitting, don't you starlight~? Have you ever thought about that actually; how many things we do infrequently, but if you think about it you've probably done them millions of times in your life? It's so fascinating to me honestly. How many times do you think you've inhaled and exhaled in your life? That number must be in the trillions! Hehe... I'm sleepy rambling again. Time to get sappy.

I love you so much. I wasn't even exaggerating about how many kisses I plan to give you. I miss so much about you; the taste of your lips, that look you give me when I press my finger against your lip(you know what I'm talking about~), your hair, your scent... I'm enamored, infatuated... In love with you. Completely and utterly. I just wish you were here with me now. I'm sorry to get all whiny, I just... I miss you, my rose.

Also because I know you'll worry about it, I have plenty of other blankets, so don't think you've stolen my best one(I have two others identical to the one I've sent you). I want you to have this. I care so so deeply about you and I want you to sleep as wonderfully as you can while you can't be wrapped up in bed with me.

Won't you tell me more also about the adventures you're having? What have you been up to? What things have you seen? I hear they sell cameras in Liyue, if you've been you should definitely get one and start sending me pictures! I want to know more about what my babygirl has been doing~ Anyways, I'll call my letter to a close here, before I run onto another sheet of paper, hehe~💜

I love you princess. So so so much~

Yours Always,

- Lisa 🌺💜

[The envelope that arrives this time is bigger by a few inches, and it seems that it’s been spritzed with vanilla perfume. Opening it shows that there’s more than just the letter in there–– there are several glossy photographs as well. They’re a little amateur, with a few being blurred slightly, but the enthusiasm to take the photos and send them back home is evident. They consist of mundane things like the clouds against the blue sky, the lights of a beautiful city at night reflected on a river, or a picture of some sort of foreign dish, still steaming hot. One picture in particular is simple: a figure contrasted by the light of the setting sun in the background, hands curved together to form a heart shape with their palms and fingers. On the back of this particular photo is written ‘Miss you very much. I promise to come back home soon <3′ and a pretty pink lipstick mark.] 

⠀I hope these photos will suffice, dearest. I’ve picked up a camera as you’ve suggested, but I’m unfortunately still getting used to it. Still, I’ve taken some photographs of some of the everyday things that i see here. Everywhere I look, I can’t help but wish you were accompanying me where I went. But! When I come back, I’ll be sure to bring the camera with me, and we can take plenty of pictures together in Mondstadt. 

⠀Honestly, my day was going rather well. A bit slow, and there was a lack of things to do at one point, but I’m grateful for the rest. I’ve actually stopped at Sumeru, and I’ve settled down here for a bit before I go on my way again. I managed to talk my way into observing several lectures at the Sumeru Academy for a bit, since I got curious about how it was for you when you still attended here. I don’t plan to stay for very long, but one of the scholars who agreed to let me watch has a class tomorrow, and rather bright and early as well. Ah, I do hope I manage to wake up on time, I’d hate to take their hospitality for granted. 

⠀Aside from that, the gift you sent me definitely made my day! The blanket you’ve sent is such a comfort–– much better than the ones I’ve been using. It was a lovely surprise, and it brings back so many memories of my home with you. It’s a wonderful gift, one that I’ll keep by me at all times. Send my thanks to Albedo, as well please, and tell everyone back home that I miss them very much as well (But shhh, don’t let them know that I miss you most of all 💞)

⠀You’ve had a busy day, please rest if you’re tired! As much as I adore you when you’re sappy, I’m sure it wasn’t easy dealing with those missing books and the mess in the library. Promise me you’ll get some rest and dream of me, alright? Dearest, I don’t mind if your letters come a little late, as long as I know you’re well-rested and safe. I hope no one got hurt in the little shockwave and in the fall–– promise me you’re all okay? Much like you would come to me the moment I ask, know that I would also do my best to come back sooner if I hear that you’re sad or hurt. I can’t have your smile disappearing now, can I?

⠀When I come home, I’ll be sure to return every kiss and ounce of affection you give me, sweets. Ah, I miss hearing you call me ‘Starlight’ in person. It always used to send butterflies in my stomach, and even now I get a rush just from reading it. I’m very much in love with you too, dearest. I always will be. I miss you more and more each day that we’re apart, but I suppose that distance makes the heart grow fonder? You make me so happy, and merely thinking about you is enough to lift my spirits. Look at that–– even when we’re apart, you’re still affecting me in such good ways.

⠀Haha, and it makes me glad that you’ve still got blankets to spare. I’d hate to have stolen your best one, after all, though it is sooo comfortable. Your gift means the world to me, dear. Thank you again 💞 I have to stop here as well–– I would hate to make you read so much if you haven’t rested yet. I love you so much as well, and know that I dream of you, Lisa. 

⠀––Catte 💞

[jleighwrites]

Through the Looking Glass [Unedited]

Quen inspected himself in the glowing mirror, knowing that the reflection was truly his own. He stood at 5 foot 8; a bit short, but he didn't mind. His ochre skin was clear and his hair was cut into a clean blowout. Apparently that was popular back in the 20's. His amber-colored eyes gleamed back at him, tarnished only by the dark circles underneath. Many of his acquaintances had gotten rid of theirs, but he liked how it made him feel human. 

When he was finished getting ready for the day, he stepped into the hall and made his way to one of his family's augmented reality chambers, or ARCs for short. When he reached the door, he took out his personal ID and held it in front of a small screen next to the door. It beeped once before flickering to life.

"Quenton Jarod Harris, Junior attending Paulson R. Stewart High. Would you like to begin Classes for the day?" it asked in a robotic voice.

"Yes," he replied.

"Creating Scenario… Connecting to server… Finalizing… Start-up complete. Have a good day, Quenton Harris."

He swung the door open and was met by a bustling school hallway. Dozens of beautiful faces were chatting with each other, walking past each other, and scrambling to finish assignments that should've been done the night before. He let the door creak shut behind him and it disappeared into the wall. He hadn't taken two steps before the robotic voice was back. 

"Message received. Sender : Juulia Brewer. Would you like to open the message?" Quen let out a heavy breath as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He regretted having skipped coffee this morning. The system repeated itself, "Would you like to open the message?"

"Yes."

An opaque, digital, blue message box appeared before him. As he walked, it stayed in the same position, phasing through classmates as he went, but they didn't flinch. To be fair, they couldn't even see it on their side.

Morning!! :DDD

In cafeteria.

Meet there??? uwu

Quen rolled his eyes at the emotes. Juuls had an obsession with "Millennial Texting", as she called it. In fact, she was kind of a nerd for it. She was the only one that had taken an interest in that era. American History classes taught them that the first 30 years of the century were dark times, but somehow Juulia managed to find light in them.

He reached out and pressed the X in the top right corner of the message box, causing it to blink away. "Hey, Google?" he called. 

"What can I help with?"

"Teleport me to the Cafeteria."

"Sure. Now teleporting Quenton Harris to the cafeteria."

The noises and sight of the hallway faded into a blue void. Here, it was relaxing. Here, he could breathe easy. And just like that, it was gone. The void transformed into the cafe and the garbled mess of voices was back.

He scanned the faces before him one by one, trying to discern his friend in the sea of Glowing radiance. On the days that he had to use ARC, it was always significantly harder to recognize Juulia. With ever-changing hair colors and styles, vast varieties of makeup, and feature correction, the only way he could tell the difference was when their name appeared in front of them when he met their gaze. 

A girl sitting a few tables down stood up and began to wave her arm around; he didn't have to see her to know it was Juuls. Disregarding the built-in recognition program, the greeting was a dead giveaway. She did this almost every morning, whether in person or through ARC.

He made his way through the crowd, literally. Instead of bumping shoulders with people, their holograms simply phased through him. The chamber, however, did produce realistic copies of inanimate objects. He plopped down on the nanobit replica of a bench at his school's lunch table.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Oh. Em. Eff. Gee. You literally took forever, lol," Juulia replied. A couple students around the two of them glanced their direction, giving them odd looks.

"Proximity chat," Quen reminded her. He took a moment to adapt to her new look. He assumed that she had been trying to look like one of those 'E-girls' that she was always on about. With neon pink hair, a beanie, and dark makeup, she looked completely different than she did yesterday.

"Oof. They just don't have good taste. The 20's were so… Lit."

"That's new."

"What? Lit? It just means, like, cool, but better."

"You're so weird."

"Pog."

And with that, the bell rang. Immediately, he was sucked back into the loading void briefly before being spit out into his first class of the day. He took his seat as the teacher appeared in the room. She was beautiful and could pass for 25, though she was actually 20 years older.

"Alright everyone, sit down please. Today, we'll be talking about why we're here. We all know that the early years were just about as bad as they could get. But they had some major influence on how things work in modern day."

Juulia would be bouncing off of the walls if she were here right now. Fortunately, she didn't have this class until after lunch. He was spared of her over-enthusiasm for now.

"Did you know that ARC was developed a few years after the events of the Covid 19 pandemic? It took a while, but when it was released to the public it was an instant success. Can you believe they used to hold classes through video chats on a computer?"

A hand in the back went up. The teacher motioned towards the student, urging her to ask her question. "What's a computer?" It seemed that everyone had been wondering the same thing, Quen included, because they all shifted their vision from the student to the teacher.

The teacher chuckled. "It was a large device that used to be kept on desks before technology was integrated into Glass."

"They only had technology on the 'computer'?" another student asked.

"I mean, they had other forms of technology. They had smart watches, smartphones, smart TVs… But most of their time connected to the internet was spent on a computer or on the smartphone, which is what we now call our Shard."

Quen had to admit, everything about the early 21st century was something else. But where it intrigued Juuls, it brought up a bad taste for him. To him, it was just the beginning of the death of authenticity.

After what felt like hours of droning, the class was finally wrapping up. Google's voice broke him from his thoughts. "Message received. Sender : Crystalinne Harris. Message saved for later."

"I've sent an assignment reminder to all of you. Your homework is a 500 word essay on what 'Facebook' was before it created Glass."

He scoffed at the assignment before the next bell rang, whisking him off to his second class. 

When the final bell of the day rang, the low hum enveloping him whirred into silence as ARC powered down. Without the machine running, he stood in a room made up of nanobits. The tiny metal balls made up the walls, floor, ceiling, and even this side of the door. All of them worked to create the illusion of being in an actual school, when in reality, he'd been inside a room no more than 10 feet wide and 10 feet long all day.

He stepped out of the chamber and made his way into the kitchen, where he was met by his mother and father. "How was school today?" She asked. His father pulled a latte from the Keurig and sipped it as he waited for a response.

"It was alright. Just another day," he replied, "Dinner smells good."

"Oh, yeah. They delivered lemon pepper steak and asparagus today. All of our portions are already in the oven."

"That's… Lit," he said, a smug sense of pride flickering within.

"That's funny, son. Haven't heard that since Gran was alive. Get that from, what's her name? Jessica?" 

"Juulia. Yeah." His father's beard was getting shaggy, he noticed. Since he had started using Glass, he had been letting it grow out. Seemingly, it didn't bother him much any more. His father had been adamant about leaving Glass alone for most of his life and had taught him to do the same, but when Grey hairs began to appear, he decided to finally give in.

Honestly, he wasn't surprised. Glass was wildly popular internationally. It had originally been bought out by the American government in 2040, probably for facial tracking, and integrated into every single building since then. It was everywhere. He and his dad were two of only six or seven people that he knew of that didn't use it. But now, he couldn't even say that.

After dinner, he had decided to take a hot shower. The water on his skin felt nice and he let the steam relax his muscles. When he finished, he dried off and wrapped his towel around his waist. Stepping in front of the mirror, a pleasant chime sounded.

"Glass activated," a voice with a programmed British accent sounded through the surrounding speakers. The edges of the mirror lit with a white backlight and menus appeared on the screen in glowing, white letters. A box formed around his face, his name appearing above it. "User : Quenton Harris detected. Set nickname : Quen."

He began to comb his hair into place when the voice rang out, "Quen, would you like to use the Autofix function?" A white bar highlighted the "Autofix" option on the menu. 

"No," He replied sternly. 

He finished with his hair and quickly brushed his teeth. When he smiled so that he could check them, the voice came again, "Light enamel stains detected. Would you like to use the Autofix function?"

"No."

It was irritating to hear it trying to coerce him into using it, knowing that it used that method to get so many people addicted to it. He simply shook his head. That's how it starts. A quick fix here, a minor upgrade there…

He pulled on a sleep shirt and some sweatpants, tossed his towel into the laundry chute, and headed for his room. He needed to write his essay and get some rest for the next day. It would be Tuesday, which meant live classes. 

Quen's alarm beeped, rousing him from his slumber. He sat up in bed and stretched, before lowering himself to the floor. "1, 2, 3, 4…" he counted the sit-ups in his head as he started his quick morning workout routine. He had always been physically active. Staying healthy had been a big goal for him. The way things were now, even with the best Healthcare, people hardly ever made it past their 50's. He wouldn't let himself be a victim of the system.

50 sit-ups, crunches, and push ups later, he stood up. Began getting dressed for the day. A white button up and a tie, he wanted to look nice. Of course, Glass attempted to goad him into Autofixing himself, and just like every other day, he had none of it. 

Finally, he felt confident. He was ready for the day. He grabbed his backpack from the back of his desk chair after ensuring that his report on Facebook was packed. Since he was heading out of the house, he also snagged his Shard from the charging pad and shoved it into the pocket of his black jeans.

He strode down his driveway and stopped next to his mailbox. After a few minutes, a large, white bus with no windows arrived. He climbed in and heard a chime over the bus' speakers. The British voice spoke, "Quenton Harris has boarded."

He made his way to an empty seat and plopped down. The first thing he noticed, like always, was the smell. An amalgam of body odors swirled around the cramped space, making him sick to his stomach.

Inside the bus, you could see the surroundings on the installed Glass screens, almost like windows. He turned his focus to the passing buildings as he tried to block out the horrendous scent surrounding him. He was one of the last stops, so he wouldn't have to endure it for very long. He slid his Shard out of his pocket and began to read the day's headlines. The war overseas was still raging on, as expected. The weekly universal paycheck rate was 31 dollars more than the last. And another round of the Meta-Vaccine was going to be made available before fall, hopefully to prevent as many infections as possible.

The bus rolled to a stop in front of the real Paulson R. Stewart High. When the doors creaked open, the automated voice announced that it was time to evacuate. He passed by the empty driver's seat and stepped out onto the curb, letting fresh air flow into his lungs. For the first time since last Thursday, he smiled.

Quen enjoyed the few moments he had in the outdoors as he strode to the entrance. Biding his time, he held the door open for other students. Unfortunately, he knew he had to go in.

He stepped into the real hallway, which looked almost exactly the same as it did in the ARC replica. There were three main differences. First, the smell. Just like on the bus, it was everywhere. It absorbed every crevice, every corner. It was disgusting. As much as it bothered him, no one else seemed to mind.

Second, the students he saw today were nothing like the ones that had been in his simulation yesterday. Where beautiful faces surrounded him before, he was now engulfed in a sea of low effort. Hair was frizzy, tangled, and out of place. Clothes were wrinkled and stained. And the worst, it was obvious that most of his classmates didn't take care of themselves. They were supposed to reach the peak of their physicality at ages 16 through 18. If this is what "peak" looked like, he understood why the average life expectancy was decreasing.

Third, Glass was everywhere. It made up all of the windows, all of the mirrors, and even lined the walls in some places. It kept track of each student as they navigated the hallways. The 'Assistant' feature was turned off, which meant no obnoxious voice trying to pressure him into anything, but it still worked it's magic in the reflections. Each user's Autofix settings synced up with every Glass that was linked to the system, which was - legally - all of them.

It disgusted him, the way people walked around, acting all high and mighty. Just because they never had to see their true selves didn't mean that no one would. The problem was, they didn't care. After graduation, They would be assigned a home, a mate, and a job. And after that, the only ones that would have to see them would be their direct family. All other interactions would be carried out in ARC, which had a partnership with Glass.

These moments, here, in Paulson R. Stewart High, were the last bits of his fleeting reality. Someone bumped into his shoulder, causing him to stumble out of the way. A bigger guy wearing a pair of eyeGlass gave him a strange look. "Sorry, man. Hard to tell the days apart," his apology sounded genuine, "Your fix looks nice."

"Don't worry about it. And thanks, but it's not an Autofix," Quen replied. The guy chuckled for a moment before tilting his head down to peek over his eyeGlass.

"No kidding. Well, good for you, man. Between you and me, they really need to get it together," he said, looking over the crowd. He shifted his gaze back to Quen, "Compared to us, they look pretty rough."

The sad thing was, he probably hadn't seen his true self in years. "Yeah, man. Well, see you around." Quen left him behind and began walking towards the cafeteria. There was only one person he wanted to talk to.

An arm linked through his, and through a haze of vanilla scented perfume, a familiar voice chimed, "Bruh, you got here earlier than me today. That's wack." He didn't have to look to know who it was. When he turned to her, he was engulfed by her radiance. She was authentic. She was real.