#so if you catch me outlining I’m extremely serious and excited about something

[adrift-in-thyme]

….

Guys I think my tiny Febuwhump fic about First is becoming a whole AU

[bonjour-rainycity]

Late in the Night | Part Two

Previous Part

Pairing: One-sided ( or is it ;) ) Legolas x Female Reader

Rating: G

Word count: 1416

Warnings: None

A/n Okay friends, oops. I wrote the first chapter in the first person and suddenly decided that I want to do the rest of it in the third. This is why I usually outline my fics but this one I wrote on a whim — whoops! Sorry about that. Maybe one day I’ll go back and fix it, but for now I’ll just leave it as is. And also, I’m taking a lot of setting and characterization liberties with this story because it’s just something I want to have fun with rather than extensively plan out. Hope you don’t mind :)

Legolas’ POV

Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid.

As he walks, Legolas berates himself, and as he berates himself, he continues to walk.

Because really, there’s no break from either.

He replays the moment from the night before over and over in his head and just can’t work it out. Something he said seemed to have damaged his relationship with Y/n. She was still friendly to him, but distant. Something he did or said or a facial expression he made, maybe, seemed to take all the warmth from their interactions, the warmth that she usually reserved just for him.

Or, he thought she did.

Maybe he was reading too much into things. Maybe there was never any special look just for him, or a softness in her voice when she said his name only, or a light in her eyes when he made her laugh. Maybe he was completely wrong, and they weren’t teetering on the edge of something more than friends.

Doesn’t she know that elves take things extremely seriously, and he wouldn’t have offered to bring her home with him, introduce her to his father and his people, and help her build a life in his homeland if he didn’t….if he didn’t….

But it doesn’t matter, he grumbles inwardly. Because it’s obvious she doesn’t feel the same way. She must have realized the gravity of what it meant when I offered, and is now trying to tell me she doesn’t want that.

But even as his head tries to convince him to let her go, to let the tenderness he feels for her fade away, his eyes find hers. She notices his gaze, and raises a questioning eyebrow. It’s accompanied by a kind smile, but that’s the smile she gives everyone. Foolishly—possessively—immaturely, he wishes to see his smile again.

He tears his eyes from hers, trying to pull himself out of his own head. Instead, he turns his focus to his senses, exploring the area around them, doing his part to keep his companions safe. After all, it’s nearly sunset, and as the light fades, so does the eyesight of many. His ears pick up on something far in the distance, and he jogs to catch up with Aragorn.

“Are you sure about this?”

Aragorn falls into step with his friend. “I have considered the risk extensively, and there is no avoiding it. We need to resupply, and I fear not only for morale but for physical health if we don’t all get a proper meal and rest safe from the elements. Besides, it’s a sizable but remote human village, quite isolated from the rest of the world. By the time news of our presence travels, we will be long gone on an alternate path.”

Legolas nods, accepting his wise friend’s assessment. Even to him, the idea of an actual rest holds great appeal — he can’t even imagine the pull it will have for his friends.

Eventually, the others begin to notice that, rather than going in a wide berth around the rising smoke that hints at a town, they head straight for it. Legolas can physically feel their excitement, and can’t stop from feeling a bit giddy himself.

Aragorn calls for a halt in the woods near the town’s gate, and the group gathers close. They are still concealed, and Legolas wonders if Aragorn has changed his mind, if he’s going to make them go back?

But thankfully, Aragorn has no such intentions. In fact, he has a very different sort of plan.

“Right,” he starts, fixing them all with a level stare. “We cannot enter all ten of us at once, that would be too conspicuous. Instead, we shall go in smaller groups that still make strategic sense. There is to be no interaction between the groups, except for pleasantries that you would exchange with anyone else. We will take staggered entrances and leave the same way, meeting up tomorrow morning a mile west. I know this town, and it has two small inns — we will split ourselves between them. Gandalf and I will go first to the inn on the West side of town. After half an hour has passed, Frodo, Sam, Pippin, Merry — you all will join us. Shortly after I leave, so shall Boromir and Gimli, but to the inn on the East side. After a good amount of time has passed, Legolas and Y/n, you join them.”

The companions grin, finding excitement in Aragorn’s game of deception, but Legolas feels a sense of unease grow in his stomach. He has not been alone with Y/n since last night, and a tension has obviously arisen between them. He turns his head to find Y/n avoiding his gaze, but she does not protest to Aragorn’s grouping of them, so neither does he. Perhaps their time alone will give them the chance to sort out whatever he’s done to upset her.

As decided, Aragorn and Gandalf leave first, followed closely by Boromir and Gimli. Y/n sits on the ground chatting quietly with Pippin and Merry, while Legolas joins Sam to guard Frodo, as they know Aragorn would want them to do. When enough time has passed for the hobbits to leave, Y/n waves them goodbye, wishing them sweet dreams in a warm bed.

The silence of the night that Legolas had become so accustomed to is marred by the harsh nosies of the human town. It doesn’t seem to bother Y/n, who raises herself from the ground and peeks curiously through the trees. “You know, it’s the first time in months we’ve all slept apart from each other.” Legolas finds himself perplexed as Y/n shakes her head, rolling her eyes. “Gosh, I sound so codependent.”

But Legolas just smiles, knowing well the sort of bond that forms between those who fight together. “No, I understand. It will be strange. But it might be nice to have a room all to yourself. None of Gimli’s snoring to worry about.”

Y/n snorts, crossing her arms and regarding Legolas with the smile he had been aching to see all day.

But as quickly as it appears, it fades from her face, replaced with a contemplative set in her brow. She looks conflicted, but he can’t for the life of him figure out why. She doesn’t take her eyes from his, and he’s too captivated to look away. Legolas takes a step forward, the darkness and her eyes and just her calling to him, asking him to come closer. Is he imagining the spark of hope in her eyes? Valar, he prays not.

Somehow, he finds himself standing right in front of her, when just seconds ago he’d been at least a yard away. Y/n tilts her head up to look at him, and the way the moon sparkles in her eyes and lights the soft curve of her cheek — he feels his hand raise, he wanted to brush his fingers and see if it’s as smooth as it looks. He wants to hold her in his arms, and beg her to forgive him for whatever wrong he committed that kept her warmth from him that day.

Y/n worries her bottom lip, still looking up at him with those wide, guarded eyes. He sees something shift in them, and knows a decision had been made, but what?

“Legolas, I need to—”

Crack!

Legolas has his bow nocked and whirls around before he even has time to fully register the sound.

He notices the squeak of hinges that accompanies the sharp smack of the wood, and lowers his bow, feeling startled still, despite the innocent nature of the noise.

“It’s alright,” he mutters to Y/n, who has only just pulled her knives from their scabbards. Absently, he feels worry for his human friend, who, with the slow reflexes that are a fault of her kin, could have already been killed, had the threat been serious. “It’s just the gate.”

“Oh.” She blinks, and puts her weapons away somewhat stiffly. “We should go, shouldn’t we? No sense in standing around in the dark longer than necessary.”

Legolas turns his head back to her, and knows the moment has passed. The certainty he saw before has vanished, and the wall between them risen again.

He returns his bow to his back, trying to ignore the crushing disappointment he feels. “Right. After you.” He waves her forward, and they start on the path to the gate.

A/n So now we’ve got a look into Legolas’ head! What did you think? Likes, comments, and reblogs make me so so happy, and let me know if you would like a tag :) 

Masterlist

Next part

Tag list: @angelic-kisses13 @lainphotography @anangelwhodidntfall

[tamagochiie]

hq boys as your tutor (subjects specified)

genre: short fluffs

characters: chikara ennoshita, tsukishima kei, tetsurou kuroo 

synopsis: you're not doing so well in a certain subject, and the boys help you out.

a/n: henlo! i'm fairly new to writing fanfics here, so please be kind! this was inspired from a routine conversation i had with my friends after watching the third ep of the new season muehehe i dedicate this first post to those two uwa!

warnings: none 

—Tsukishima Kei | math, probably

during the first few tutoring sessions, tsukki holds a serious disposition. he's there as your tutor and nothing more; he won't come earlier than expected and won't stay any longer than he needs to you unless you need him to.

but after your many attempts to lighten him up, he'll begin to ease around you, but not enough to become as a distraction. he'll ask you how your day went before you start the session, and he'll ask you how you're feeling after it.

you're fully aware how unapologetically mean tsukki can be, but unlike when he's tutoring kageyama and hinata, he’s tad nicer to you. because he's not entirely close with you, he holds back. he knows full well it'll only hurt yourself esteem if he comments on your inability to get the answer right away.

to your surprise, when you get something wrong after a few tries, he won't groan in frustration or visibly show his irritation. he'll keep it to himself because he knows it'll only make you feel small. so, instead, he'll swallow his urge to comment and patiently explains once more.

he won't praise you when you finally get an answer right, but he'll say things like "good job" or "well, that was better than last time."

bonus: when you pass a test or at the very least, get past your own personal best, he’ll buy you bread and milk from the near by bakery as a reward. 

"I'm sorry," You sigh, dropping your pencil to the side before burying your head into your hands. Its your fifth attempt at the equation, and Tsukki's sixth attempt to explain it to you.

You swallow thickly, bracing for the impact of Tsukki's string of cruel words he's probably been preparing for this exact moment. But to your surprise, you feel a light tug on the cuff of your jacket and you raise your head to find Tsukki as still as the air around you.

"You don't need to be sorry," He assures, shifting in his spot on the floor beside you to move a little closer. "You needed a tutor for a reason." With the right tone, it would've probably sounded condescending. Though his expression’s blank, you can clearly hear the sincerity in his voice.

"I'm probably the dumbest one you've taught by far." You joke, laughing at yourself as you ruffle your hair in frustration. 

"Oh, trust me," He Tsukki says, smirking as he rolls his eyes, "there's a couple of idiots I know who'd wish you were the dumbest one I've taught."

You squint your eyes, puzzled because you didn't quite catch what he said. You aren't sure if it was an indirect pass to mock you or if it was a failed try at a compliment.

—Chikara Ennoshita | idk but i imagine english

to no surprise, he's extremely patient and would cheer you up every time you got frustrated trying to pronounce the words properly. he'd encourage you to take as much time as you need; and for every apology, he'd simply smile and tell you not to be.

though, he'd give you a displeased look every time you'd call yourself dumb or say you want to give up because you can't pick it up fast enough.

he has really pretty, organized notes, so its easier for you to read it as a reference from time to time.

when he notices you feeling a bit off before a session, he'll give you day off and try to do something fun instead. to him, mental health is more important than academics.

You sink deep into your thoughts as you are in your seat.

Heavy is your head that holds the most thoughts.

You take a breath, trying to ease yourself before Ennoshita arrives, but if anything, you feel like crying.

Today had been trying every last inch of your kindness and patience. From your parents' early morning nagging about your grades to a petty, miscalculated fight with your best friend. In hind sight, it probably wasn't much to cry over, but you were overworked and ready to collapse.

You're even too tired to notice Ennoshita sitting on the edge of the table, waving his hand over your face to get your attention. You offer him a small, faltering smile that he doesn't buy.

"You know what," Ennoshita pushes himself off the table before kneeling beside you. You and your thoughts finally gravitate back to earth; and shift from your lazed posture to look down at the bubbling boy before you, "How about we cancel today's tutoring session and do something else?"

You tilt your head, knitting your brows. "I don't follow..."

Ennoshita clears his throat and moves a little closer to you, “I think it’ll only be counter productive if your thoughts are else where...How can I possible teach you if you’re not entire here?” 

“I’m sorry,” You apologize, sighing. The weight of your own body growing heavier than your heart and your mind the longer the conversation continues on. “I’ll be more present.” 

He raises his hand, shaking his head. When he says your name in a whisper, you feel a release of tension on your chest, “We’re not studying today,” He clarifies, “Let’s going somewhere--do something fun. And if you want, you can tell me what’s bringing you down.”

"But I need to study."

"But if you do study, it'll only be disappointing for you because you won't be able to retain a single thing." He lightly taps your forehead, making you flinch. "So, will you do me the honor of taking my hand and trust me?"

You’re hesitant, but excitement twinges in your chest at the thought of doing something in the spur of the moment causes you take his hand anyway. “My mental health is in your hands, Ennoshita-san.” 

—Tetsuro Kuroo | science (of course)

it'll amaze you how great he is at teaching. he uses layman terms to help you understand in a way that'll make you forget you're even learning. he’s laid back and he'll treat you like you're close even when you're not just to get you comfortable around him.

he's attentive, so he keeps a mental note of what works for you and what doesn't when he first begins tutoring you. he'll adjust to you and your pace, making sure never to push you too far.

he'll crack jokes in the middle of teaching you a formula just to ease the tension. sometimes he'll even play some music in the background. (to be funny, he'll even play the periodic table song.)

when he realizes the silence of the library doesn't help you focus, he changes the next meeting place. he'll try different places; the cafe, the nearby ramen house, and even at the park. but he'll eventually come to the decision to bring you to his house. there's barely any noise, but it isn't silent enough to have you bouncing your leg.

bonus: he'll become your personal cheerleader whether if its just the two of you studying, or when you're about to take a test. 

"Can you dumb it down for me?" You ask, laughing at your inability to become a sponge, throwing your head back. "Maybe we can skip this par—"

"Ohh no," Kuroo protests, shaking his head, "I believe in you! I'll explain it one more time, and if you don't get it, then we'll take a brain break. How's that sound?"

You grimace, not too keen on the idea. "We can take a brain break now."

"No." He deadpans. "Take a deep breath—" Kuroo inhales, raising his arms towards the ceiling before bring it down to the floor and letting go of all the air in his lungs, "and then exhale."

"Your breath smells bad." You joke, crinkling your nose as you pretend to wave off the fake stench of his breath.

He looks at you in shock, hurt faintly etched in the outlines of his face. He brings his hand close to his mouth, checking his breath and you laugh, earning a glare from him.

"If you have time to crack a joke, you have time review."

You frown, but eventually give into him. "Fine, fine."

He claps his hands before rubbing them together. "Okay, lemme explain it again." 

[pitviperofdoom]

Obviously I can’t get through one fandom event without bringing Jongerry into it.

Aspec Archives Week Prompt: Confusion

(AO3)

Jon caught him in a kiss as they passed in the hallway, and these days that always meant trouble. Once upon a time, in the distant past of around last month, he’d been bashful about it. They both had—Gerry especially, after Jon had sat him down to explain a few things about his preferences. But that was last month, and that hurdle was well behind him. Now the question wasn’t finding the nerve to start; it was finding a reason to stop.

On a lazy Sunday morning like this, those reasons were few and far between.

They wound up on the couch, because it was closer, and that was the direction Jon had been heading, and Gerry was happy to let himself be steered. Kissing Jon was like that, now that they were both past being shy. Even with his mouth occupied, he never failed to let Gerry know exactly what he wanted and where he wanted him.

The backs of Jon’s knees hit the couch. Gerry broke the kiss for a moment, just to enjoy looming over him a bit. He liked this view of Jon—this close, staring nearly straight down while Jon tilted his head back and met his eyes.

Then he reached up, tugged Gerry back down, and kissed him again.

The noise Gerry made came out like it had been punched out of him, and he had to draw back just to catch his breath.

Jon’s hand was on his jaw, carefully tilting it so Gerry would look at him, which really wasn’t helping with—whatever was going on. His eyes were dark and serious, scrutinizing Gerry’s face as if inspecting him for an injury. “You alright?”

“Yeah,” Gerry said, more hoarsely than he meant to. “Mm. I’m good.”

“You’re sure?” Jon pressed, frowning deeply enough to form a crease between his eyebrows. Gerry kissed it before he could think better of it. “Ah—”

“How about you?” Gerry asked, even as a small but very loud part of him screamed to kiss him again, to hold him close and never stop.

“Like I said,” Jon replied, his voice raspy but warm. “This part I like.”

Gerry grinned and let himself be pulled down to the couch cushions.

Jon wound up mostly under him, propped halfway up against pillows and armrest with Gerry hovering over him, tugged down by Jon’s hand at the back of his head. He kissed Gerry the way he always did, so gentle and unhurried, but with just enough insistence to make his heart race with an unfamiliar thrill.

Felt a bit dangerous, sometimes. And while Gerry was no stranger to it, it was different now, when he finally had something he wasn’t willing to risk.

Lots of things were different, with Jon. But different could be good, different could be new and exciting before it settled into a comfort, like hands in his hair sliding down to the back of his neck, like the teasing warmth of his mouth, like arms around him holding him close—

Then Jon turned his head, fingers digging firmly into the back of Gerry’s neck, and mouthed at the corner of his jaw with just a hint of gentle teeth. In an instant, Gerry went hot with want. His body moved before his brain caught up, canting his hips forward into Jon’s.

Beneath him, Jon startled and pulled back, and Gerry belatedly realized what he’d just done.

“Shit—” He shoved himself off of Jon, face heating—not desire this time, just mortification. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s fine—”

“I didn’t forget, I just—that’s never happened before—”

“Gerry I’m serious, it’s fine.”

“—and I don’t know where the fuck that came from,” Gerry went on, mouth running with nervous, frantic energy.

Jon was sitting up, pushing his hair back out of his face. “I think I have a pretty good idea.” His eyes flickered vaguely downward.

There wasn’t much he could do about that particular situation, so Gerry sat back and drew his knees up to his chest, breathing deep to slow his racing heart. All traces of warm excitement were gone, replaced by hot, prickling shame.

“Sorry,” he muttered.

Jon scooted closer and carefully took his hand. “It’s alright,” he said. “I mean it. No harm done—look, can you just sit properly? You look horribly uncomfortable.”

“Better me than you.”

“What do you mean by—oh, for God’s sake.” Jon sighed, infinitely patient and—fond? Maybe? “Gerry, I’m asexual, not a prude. I’m not going to faint at the sight of a clothed erection.”

Gerry choked on an unexpected laugh, then slid his feet down to sit in a more comfortable position, Mercifully, he was already softening.

“I’m—” He bit down on another apology.

Jon hadn’t let go of his hand yet. “If it makes you feel better, that’s probably the fastest anyone’s gotten off when I asked.” Gerry stared at him wordlessly. “I mean—don’t look at me like that, I meant literally—physically gotten off of me when—oh, you know what I mean!”

“Right, right.” Abruptly, the words sank in, and he went stiff with alarm. “Wait. Jon, does that mean—have other people…?”

“What—? Oh!” Jon’s eyes widened. “No. God, no—I’m sorry, that came out wrong. No one’s ever—right. What I meant was that, of the very few times I’ve been in this situation before, the other person was usually… I mean, they stopped when I asked, but I had to ask, and sometimes I got the feeling that they were… sort of reluctant? It made things extremely awkward, more often than not.”

“This isn’t awkward?” Gerry asked dryly.

“In comparison? Hardly at all.” Jon squeezed his hand. “And even if it were, I’ve had my share of awkwardness.”

Gerry squeezed back, finally starting to settle. “That so.”

“I’m going to regret telling you this, but my first kiss was an absolute disaster,” Jon informed him. “I went for the cheek, he went for the mouth.”

“Yikes,” Gerry said with a wince.

“Oh, but I haven’t told you the worst part,” Jon went on. “I turned my head away, and he went for the side of my neck—no, stop laughing—he latched on like he was a bloody vampire—”

He couldn’t help it. Gerry dissolved into laughter, ducking his head and muffling it behind his fist. At some point he looked up again to find that Jon had scooted closer in his distraction. He liked when Jon got sneaky.

But did he like it the right way, was the question.

“Alright?” Jon asked, tentatively brushing their shoulders together.

“Guess so,” he replied, with another long breath. “Better, at least. Could be loads worse.”

Jon was running the pad of his thumb over each of Gerry’s knuckles now, in slow, back-and-forth swipes. “You don’t sound very sure of that,” he said after a moment.

“Maybe not.” Gerry sat back, leaning his head on the back of the sofa. Jon continued to play with his hand, tracing the outline of each tattoo. It felt—nice. Not the dangerous sort of nice that he’d just now managed to dodge. Just comfortable. Fond. (Loving.)

“If you—” Jon began. He hesitated, pressing Gerry’s hand between his palms. “I’m not the best at this. But if it’s really bothering you, then I need you to know that you don’t—you don’t have to feel guilty about this, it’s not like you can—I don’t know, make yourself stop feeling… whatever it is you feel.” He paused again. “Anymore than I could make myself feel it at all.”

“That’s the problem, though,” Gerry admitted. “I shouldn’t be.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know, I just shouldn’t!” Frustration welled up in him, and he tugged his hand out of Jon’s grasp without thinking. “I never have before, but now I am and I don’t know why. I’ve lived my whole life without giving people a second glance, and it never crossed my mind because I just—I never had the space for it. Good thing, too; dunno what I would’ve done if I had to deal with that on top of everything else.”

“Right,” Jon said softly.

“And then I met you,” Gerry went on. “And we had that talk. And I thought, fuck, there’s a word for it, it’s just a thing and it’s fine, it’s not just me being—being not right. There’s a reason why I’ve never given anyone a second glance, not even you. At least—not at first.” His voice trailed off, words running dry. “I dunno. It’s just been different recently. I look at you and… and I think about things I never have before.”

“Me?” Jon stared at him incredulously. “You feel that way about me?”

“I know you don’t like that,” Gerry answered, trying not to sound as miserable as he felt.

Jon gave a quick shake of his head, though whether it was denial or just to clear his head, Gerry couldn’t tell. “No, that’s not—I just mean, why? Why on earth would you—me, of all people?”

“Because you’re hot, apparently. Can we not argue about that while I’m having a crisis?”

Jon shrank a little, looking ashamed. “Right. Sorry.”

“It’s fine. Surprised me too, to be honest.” Gerry looked away. “Feels like—more like greed than lust, sometimes. Like the more I get of you, the more I want.”

At that, Jon sat up straight, and Gerry realized how that must have sounded.

“I’m not gonna ask you for any more,” he said quickly, cutting off whatever Jon was about to say. “We had that talk, and I listened, alright, and it’s been—it’s been good. Really good. I don’t need anything more, especially if you don’t want to.”

“I know,” Jon assured him.

“Oh.” He deflated a bit. “Good, then.”

“Can I ask you a question?” Jon asked.

“I’ve about spilled my guts already, but sure, maybe there’s a bit of spleen I missed,” Gerry said wearily.

“It’s a bit personal, but… have you ever been close to anyone before?” Jon asked. “Emotionally close? Friendships, anything like that?”

“No…? No.” Gerry shook his head. “Never had the chance. I don’t have that kind of life. What does that have to do with anything?”

“Well… I mean, far be it from me to impose a label on you,” Jon said cautiously. “But from the way you describe it… it’s possible you might be demisexual?’

Gerry frowned. Another new word. Demi usually meant half or partial. “What’s that one mean? I only want it sometimes?”

“Sort of.” Jon had grabbed his phone off the side table and was scrolling through it. “It’s on the spectrum of asexuality. To my understanding, it’s when you only experience attraction when you’ve formed an emotional connection with someone.”

“That’s a thing?” Gerry leaned over his shoulder to see the screen. “Don’t tell me there’s an app for this.”

Jon laughed. “No, but there is a wiki—here it is. Demisexual. Have a look.”

Gerry took his phone and read through the definition, frowning in thought.

It certainly sounded like what the past month had been like. And it explained a few things—he’d been alone his whole life until Jon, and even with Jon he hadn’t wanted him at first sight. It had taken time. It had grown into it—as far as he could tell, it was still growing, still changing.

“Say you’re right,” he said at last, looking up from the phone screen to Jon’s face. “Say this is me. Where does that leave us?”

Jon shrugged. “Same place as usual, I hope,” he answered. “If… this doesn’t change anything for you?”

“Should it?”

“Maybe.” Jon shrugged again. “I don’t know. I’ve just found that it helps to have a word. Makes things simpler if you can at least name them.”

With a sigh, Gerry passed his phone back. “Would’ve been even simpler if I could just be like you, not feel this shit at all.”

Jon put the phone down. Then, turning so that he was fully facing Gerry, he took his face between his hands.

“You are,” he said, as his dark, serious eyes bored into Gerry’s. “You’re just a step to the left, that’s all. But you are like me.”

It was enough to rob him of speech for the better part of a minute. When he found his voice again, he leaned forward until his forehead was on Jon’s chest.

“See, you say things like that and then turn around and wonder why I think you’re attractive.”

Jon spluttered, even as his arms wrapped around Gerry’s shoulders and pulled him back down. They didn’t kiss again, just lay squashed together on the couch with Gerry sprawled on top, enjoying the warmth and closeness without feeling like he was scratching an itch that would never settle.

“Thanks,” he said, after the silence stretched long enough to circle back around to comfortable again.

“Whatever for?”

“Dunno.” Gerry pressed his face into the soft fabric of Jon’s shirt. “Glad you’re here. Glad you’re you.”

Jon gave a noncommittal hum, like he wasn’t sure whether to agree or how to answer. His fingers combed softly through Gerry’s hair, and after a moment Gerry let himself lean into the touch, Jon’s quiet amusement.

He was no stranger to wanting things, but—all he needed was this, right here.

It was more than he ever would have dared to hope for.

[jalapeno-princess]

Catching Feelings

(Look at him doing the bare minimum and still making me fling my panties across the room Damn you Im Jaebeom)

Jaebeom X Reader

Word Count: 20K (Guys this is the longest fic I have ever posted on here wtffff)(I just couldn’t stop writing omg)

Genre: Fluff, Angst, Smut (Sugar, spice and everything nice)

Summary: You’ve been in love with your best friend Jaebeom for longer than you can count on both your hands. Unfortunately, time never seemed to be on your side. Every time he was single, you were in a relationship and when he started seeing someone, you were by yourself. One day, he asks you to pretend to be his girlfriend in order to make his ex-girlfriend jealous but little do either of you know that the few days of fake dating will actually lead to something you would have never expected in your many years of knowing him for.

A/N: Hey guys! This was requested by the amazing @solarblooms​ one of the sweetest people I’ve met on here thank you so much for this request I’m sorry if it didn’t turn out the way you would have liked but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless. Happy reading!!

“Jaebeom, you can’t be serious. I don’t think you know what you’re asking me right now.”

“You’re acting as if I’m asking you to run a marathon y/n.” 

You let out a scoff before getting up and reaching for both coffee cups that you and Jaebeom drank from in the last hour. When he asked you for a favor, you didn’t think much of it. The older boy always asked you to do errands for him every now and then and as the caring and loyal person you were, you would do whatever he’d ask of you with no hesitation. 

Honestly, Jaebeom was the only person you would go out of your way to help; not only because he was your best friend, but because you knew he would do the same thing for you in a heartbeat. That was just how your friendship worked. The two of you have been friends for more years than you could count on both hands. This meant that you’ve seen each other through it all; drunken stupors, food poisoning, flu season, walking in on each other naked and failed relationships. The latter was the reason why you were both upset yet flustered at his sudden request. 

“I would rather complete the damn 24 mile run. Let me get this straight, you want me to pretend to be your girlfriend in order to make Ella jealous? You’ve said a lot of stupid shit in all my years of knowing you but this has to be the most insane thing I’ve ever heard. Why me? Why not just get another girlfriend—she’ll know somethings up right off the bat. Do you really think she’s stupid enough to believe that you and I would actually start dating? You’re better off telling her that you’re in a relationship with a celebrity; that would be more probable.” 

It wasn’t that you didn’t want to help him out—especially because you weren’t the biggest fan of his ex-girlfriend. Jaebeom in more or less words had to be one of the most devastatingly handsome men you’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. He also had one of the biggest and most genuine hearts—even if he’d come off as cold and intimidating. People say nobody’s perfect; and it was true that he did have his faults, but he also came pretty close to being practically flawless in your eyes. 

The reason why you were so hesitant towards helping him with this specific favor, was because you had feelings for him—and that was an understatement. You don’t remember exactly when you first began looking at Jaebeom in a different light, but when you started to crave his presence more and more, mentally outline his sharp features, found yourself daydreaming about what it would be like to kiss those pretty, plump lips of his; that’s when you knew that you no longer saw him as an older brother. 

You and Jaebeom met in second grade when he transferred over to your school after his family moved to your small town in order to open up their first coffee shop. He was very shy and extremely introverted. For the first two weeks since his arrival, he never really talked to any of the other students unless his teacher asked him to do so. 

At recess and at lunch, he normally sat by himself and the sight always made you feel sad. You didn’t have all that many friends, but you had enough to converse with and to keep you company. One day, you found yourself walking over to where he was sitting and placed your tray right down in front of him. You’ll never forget the way he looked up at you with the most adorable gaze of confusion. 

“Hi. I’m y/n. Is it okay if I sit here? You look pretty lonely.”

“Oh—um—go ahead.” 

The rest of your lunch time together was very quiet—he obviously didn’t seem like the type to want to start a conversation, especially with someone he wasn’t familiar with. You also didn’t know what to say to him; you didn’t want to make things even more awkward by saying something he didn’t particularly like. However, you felt at ease—the atmosphere was calming and for some reason, you felt it had to do with his presence. 

Something about Jaebeom made you feel pleasant; safe. When the bell rang to signal that lunch was over, you were right about to stand up in attempts to throw away your lunch until you heard the faintest call of your name. You turned around to look at the mysterious boy and hummed in curiosity. 

“This was nice—I um—I’m not the most talkative person. I’m more of a listener. If it’s okay with you, would you maybe want to—be friends?” 

You gave him a toothy grin before nodding profusely; excited with the idea of getting to know him and being the first person he wanted to start a friendship with. 

“I’d like that.” 

From that day on, the two of you were attached to the hip; your mothers would refer to the both of you as magnets. Everywhere you went, anyone could expect the older boy to be right there with you. He was more than just your best friend—he was your safety blanket, your confidant—in a metaphorical sense, he was like your umbrella on a rainy day. 

His arms were your shelter, you would find solace in him whenever you were having a rough day. You felt in your heart that the two of you were soulmates; even if your relationship was strictly platonic. It wasn’t until he got his first girlfriend back in your freshman year of high school did you realize that you saw him as more than just a friend. 

Watching him act so sweetly towards his girlfriend made you extremely jealous and you lied to yourself for years thinking it was because you were afraid to lose him as a friend if his girlfriends decided that they didn’t like your position in his life. You also tried to tell yourself it was because you had yet to experience being in a relationship and you just wanted to feel the love and adoration Jaebeom never failed to show to his first girlfriend. 

Even after all these years, through the few boyfriends and one night stands that you’ve had, your feelings for Jaebeom never faltered. If anything, they only grew stronger when you realized that nobody could ever make you as happy or make you feel as cared for as Jaebeom has for almost two decades now. Nobody could ever take his place—no matter how hard you tried to get over him. Your best friend had a reputation of being a textbook fuckboy. 

His first relationship was the last relationship he put his heart and soul in to. Every relationship after that was doomed before it could really even start. He had a bad tendency of leading a lot of girls on; completing them and making empty promises before taking what he wanted—fulfilling his carnal urges and leaving them in the dust. This went on throughout the entirety of high school. As his best friend and the only girl he seemingly put on a pedestal, you had a hard time understanding why he continued to fool around with half of the student body and treat a lot of these girls like they were nothing important. 

What did he get from cheating on and breaking the hearts of all these poor innocent girls? Especially since he was so kind and soft towards you. He’s never said it to you out loud, but you were his biggest weakness. He would go through hell and back just to keep that beautiful smile he adored so much permanently on your face. There were times where you questioned the thought of him reciprocating your same feelings. Whenever a guy showed interest in you or even when you started seeing someone, he was very verbal about how he didn’t approve of anyone you were involved with; whether the relationship was romantic or not. 

Even when you were paired up with other guys in projects, he wasn’t too fond of the idea of you being alone with your classmate—so he’d find himself tagging along with you and your partner whenever you’d meet up with them. You were sure it was just his way of being protective of you; he’s always been like that and you were well aware that he had no intention on stopping his overbearing ways at all for that matter. You were afraid that pretending to be his girlfriend would only make you desire actually experiencing the real thing. 

There was no way you’d allow yourself to go through that kind of trauma; holding hands with him, going on dates with him—maybe even getting to kiss him. To what extent was he expecting the two of you to go through? How far did he expect you both to go? He must have thought about the kind of pda you would have to do together and you couldn’t help but grow curious at how he felt about being intimate with you, even if it was all just an act. 

You released a frustrated sigh; if you said no, you knew he would continue bothering you until you finally gave in or worse—he would actually go along with finding someone else. Whatever your decision was, you’d lose both ways. Might as well go with the one that was less painful. 

“What’s in it for me?” 

He was quick to stand up and made his way towards you—sporting the biggest grin on his face. You could tell he was surprised at your question, but it didn’t matter. His smile did tug on your heartstrings and you began to feel something in the pit of your stomach that you’ve never felt before. It was hard to tell exactly what you were feeling, but it was a good feeling. He surprised you by picking you up in a hug and swinging you around absentmindedly. 

“Anything—I’ll do anything you want me to. God, y/n, you are amazing. You don’t understand how much this means to me. You’re the best person to exist. Thank you so much!” 

He explained to you that one of his good friends from high school; one you weren’t all too familiar with was getting married. Unfortunately, his ex-girlfriend was also going to be in attendance. She was the first girl in four years that your best friend genuinely seemed to care about. He stopped hooking up with and talking to other girls once they started dating. You were jealous whenever you’d hear him go in to depth about the love he had for her; even more envious when you’d have to see them kiss in front of you. 

Sure, you did not particularly care for any of Jaebeom’s partners because you wanted to be in their place. You craved—desired to be the girl who got to love him—who got to receive his love and appreciate the many sacrifices he would make in order to make his significant happy. As his best friend, he never failed to give you all of his attention. If you ever needed help, he didn’t even have time for a second thought, if you needed him, he was there. 

Even if it meant ditching school or leaving work early. You had a feeling that no one in their right minds; no matter how close they were to someone or how much that person meant to them, would do the things for them the way Jaebeom never once hesitated to do for you. However, your distaste for Ella went beyond jealousy. There was no doubt Jaebeom cared for her in ways that he’s never cared about any other girl—well, besides you. He would pick her up and drop her off to and from work, he would call her on his breaks to make sure she was getting enough rest in between classes, he would buy her cute little trinkets and even prepared lunch for her. 

You’ve never seen him put in so much effort for one of his girlfriends before and it honestly worried you; you felt as if there was a chance she might be the one he wants to spend the rest of his life with. Unbeknownst to both you and the older boy, Jaebeom had actually met his match. Memories of the night that he found out she wasn’t the perfect girl he thought she was came flashing through your mind like it was just yesterday. 

Four months ago, you were out in your living room watching a few murder mystery documentaries—seconds away from falling asleep when you heard a loud pounding on your door. At first, the sound startled you. The only people who came over to your apartment were your parents, your siblings, Jaebeom and a few other friends. You knew your best friend had a graveyard shift tonight; so you crossed him off of your list as to who it could be. However, when you looked through the peephole, you could’ve sworn your heart actually sank to the bottom of your stomach. You wasted no time in opening the door and pulled Jaebeom in to your embrace before either of you could say anything to one another. His eyes were red and puffy; there were dried tears on his cheek quickly being replaced by many more fresh ones. 

From past experiences, you knew not to ask him what was wrong. You were going to wait until he told you, even if you were very curious as to what could have happened. It didn’t even cross your mind that it had to do with his relationship. The two of you flopped on to your couch and he quickly threw himself in to your arms. He might have been the dominant one who always did the protecting, but this time—he was the one who needed to be held and that’s exactly what you did. 

After half an hour of quiet sobs and rubbing his back as he heaved and hiccuped, he finally confessed as to what made him so upset. He didn’t have to really say anything—just hearing the words “Ella cheated on me” sent you in to a furious rage. You’d be lying if you said you didn’t see this coming. There were a couple of scenarios when you felt like something was wrong, or that she was hiding something. When Jaebeom first introduced you to one another, you immediately got bad vibes from her. She was the type of person who talked so highly about herself. You never understood what your best friend saw in her. 

Sure, she was pretty, but it was a basic kind of pretty. Like, if you were to see her on the street, you honestly wouldn’t do a double take. Ella was also very disrespectful; she was constantly on her phone while you tried to talk to her, she never said please or thank you and she was very verbal about her disinterest in certain things. One time, Jaebeom had you tag along with them to a restaurant and she complained about not being served within the first couple of minutes. 

That experience alone made your ill-feelings towards her grow even stronger; but you never wanted to tell Jaebeom in fear of him disagreeing with you. It was adamant that he really liked her. When it were just you and Jaebeom alone, he would find ways to bring her up in the conversation even if the topic had nothing to do with her and on the days that you just so happened to be with them, he would always feel the need to touch her or to compliment her. It was disgusting—but not because you were jealous. 

You had a gut feeling that she wasn’t who she portrayed herself out to be in front of Jaebeom. If he were to excuse himself to use the bathroom, her fake smile would immediately drop as she would glare at you. Then, she would always seem to be texting someone. There wasn’t anything wrong with her being in contact with other people; for all you assumed, it could have been a friend or a family member. 

However, the way she would bite her lip or smile while rapidly typing back and forth with someone made it evident that there was a possibility it was another guy. You let it go though, even if you were dying to tell Jaebeom of your speculations. He told you that he caught her making out with another man outside of her apartment as he went over to surprise her. Jaebeom wasn’t a pushover or the type of person to beat around the bush; he confronted her as soon as he parked the car and screamed at her—telling her that she ruined everything and that he would have done anything for her. 

There was nothing you hated more than to see Jaebeom so emotional and broken; especially because he was the definition of a force to be reckoned with. This was the first time in your many years of friendship that you e seen him so worked up before. That memory of seeing him at his weakest is what got you to give in to him. You didn’t think it was going to work; although you had a feeling Ella didn’t like you from the moment you met her, you didn’t think it was because she was jealous of you. 

It was understandable though; you may have been very understanding, but you didn’t know how it would feel to be in her shoes. If your boyfriend had a female best friend, it was only natural that you would feel weird and assume the worst. But Jaebeom was honest with every girl that he fooled around with; you were his number one girl no matter what. He even ended a couple of flings specifically because the girls would give him an ultimatum to choose between seeing them and being friends with you. Of course, Jaebeom chose you every single time. 

“There will be four events we have to attend. The first two are just luncheons, then there’s the rehearsal dinner and the actual wedding. I’ve already purchased all of my outfits. Since you’re helping me out, you and I can go shopping tomorrow and I’ll buy you anything from anywhere—I mean, don’t go crazy. I just paid off my car. But if you have a couple of dresses you already own that you’d prefer wearing, then that’s pretty cool too. I was thinking we could match so it would be a little more convincing. Oh—and um—we’re going to have to be affectionate. I’m sure you’re already aware of that. If it makes you uncomfortable, then we don’t have to do anything other than hold hands and hug. Not anything we’re not used to anyways.” 

You could only hope your cheeks weren’t flushing with pink from his words. It was expected that you’d have to have some form of skin ship and like he said, the two of you were used to touching one another. Sometimes you’d cuddle up while lying in bed together or he would wrap his arms around your waist and place his chin on your shoulder but it never occurred to you that you would now have to do these things in front of other people.

“I’m fine with that. So, when exactly is the wedding?” He scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment; something you’ve noticed he would do whenever he did something wrong or had something to hide. You’ve known each other for so long that you knew the meaning behind each and every one of his mannerisms. 

“Uh—Next week Saturday.” 

Your eyes widened in shock; that didn’t give you much time to prepare anything. Especially not your sensitive heart. 

“Im Jaebeom are you serious?! Why didn’t you say anything earlier—“

“I’m sorry!! But I didn’t think you would actually agree. It took me a solid three weeks to build the courage and ask you. Your outfit is the only thing you have to worry about. I’ve already responded to the rsvp for the both of us—“ 

You scoffed before crossing your arms in disbelief. Im Jaebeom was really a piece of work. How did you put up with him for so many years? 

“So you knew I was going to say yes.” 

He shook his head; but the small smirk that left as soon as it rose on his face made it clear that yes, he had a feeling you were going to agree. Even if he had to beg you for hours on end. 

“I was hoping you would want to do something so big for me because I’m your best friend and you love me.” You took in a deep breath and felt your heartbeat begin to increase. 

If only he knew just how true his statement was. 

For the week leading up to the wedding events, Jaebeom came over to your apartment practically every single day. It wasn’t something you weren’t used to; he visited so often that a lot of his things were scattered throughout your space but you liked it that way. However, he told you that he wanted to practice being intimate with you. If you were cooking the two of you dinner, he’d stand right behind you and pulled your body up against his. 

He began buying you bouquets of your favorite flowers, constantly held your hand even if the two of you were sitting down; he also would pull you on to his lap and stated to hide his face in the crook of your neck. One night, he even placed a few kisses up against your jaw and you found yourself ultimately regretting your decision to assist him. The proximity and constant affection only made your feelings for him deepen if it were even possible. 

As much as you wanted to milk every moment with Jaebeom being a fake couple together, you were afraid of getting your heartbroken once this act was all over. The days just seemed to come and go in an instant; school and work took up most of your day and once you were done, you and Jaebeom would watch movies together or play a few board games. Before you knew it, the day of the first luncheon came and you found yourself getting ready. You were never fond of wearing makeup; it wasn’t that you thought you didn’t need it, you just hated having to put it on and it saved you a lot of money not having to purchase any. 

It wasn’t like there was anyone in your life that you had to impress otherwise. Jaebeom made it known that you were naturally beautiful. You would always roll your eyes at his comment and think that he was only saying that because he was your best friend. Nonetheless, his compliments always made your heart flutter. While the two of you went shopping for dresses, he made it clear that he liked every single outfit you tried on. You tried your best not to make it obvious that his words were slowly driving you to the brink of insanity. 

Why did he have to say all these nice things about you and make you feel like you were more to him than just his best friend? It was natural for friends to compliment each other, but for him to say that you were the most beautiful girl he’s ever laid his eyes on; on top of having the most “ridiculous curves”, you didn’t think friends would say such things. 

Right as you were putting the finishing touches of blush on your cheeks, the knock on your door broke you out of your thoughts. You gave yourself a couple of seconds to put yourself together and when you finally opened the door, it’s as if your soul left your body. The only time you’ve ever seen your best friend in a tux was at both junior and senior prom and even then, he broke the rules in the way that he wore his attire. 

He didn’t even wear a tie and his dress shirt was unbuttoned, showing partial of his chest—but none of your teachers had the courage to tell him he was breaking dress code. His hair was slicked back, his suit was crisp and wrinkle free and he even put on a tie this time. You didn’t think it was possible for him to look even more handsome than he usually was, but right now, he looked like a Greek God. He was at peak attractiveness and it was taking every bone in your body not to scream in sexual frustration. 

“Hey. You look beautiful—really beautiful. Ready to go?” 

You simply nodded your head; afraid that you might say the wrong thing if you were to speak up. The car ride was quiet, other than the jazz playlist going on in the background. To your delight and dismay, he brought his free hand to your lap and gently grazed your thigh with his thumb. Your breath hitched at his touch; his hand only went higher on your leg the longer he drove and you were sure you were just seconds away from placing his hand up to where you wanted him the most. Unfortunately, the hotel that the lunch was being held at was closer to your apartment that you had expected—but maybe it was a blessing in disguise. 

“I’m really glad you chose that dress. I think it was the best one of the many you tried on.” Once he parked, he wasted no time in walking over to your side of the car and opening the door for you; helping you out and intertwining your fingers together. 

“Showtime—Babe.” 

God, this was going to be a long day. 

As soon as you both entered the lobby and made your way up to the ballroom, you were quick to spot some familiar faces. A lot of Jaebeom’s friends were there—some you knew, some that you were also friends with and some you have never met before. When your mutual friend BamBam saw your intertwined hands, he had to cover his mouth in order to keep himself from squealing. 

“No fucking way. I knew the two of you would end up together one day. I fucking knew it. Jackson owes me $20 dollars. Ah, I’m so happy for you both. You look good together. I can’t wait to tell everyone. Let’s go find them shall we?” 

The lunch actually went off without a hitch. Thankfully, the groom sat you and Jaebeom at a table with BamBam, Jackson, Mark, Jinyoung, Youngjae and Yugyeom. Jinyoung and Youngjae brought their girlfriends, so you decided to get to know them while the guys got reacquainted with each other. Since it was just a lunch, the day went by pretty quickly. After saying your goodbyes to everyone at your table and making plans to go on double dates now that everyone knew—or at least were convinced that you and Jaebeom were dating, he grabbed your purse before reaching for your hand and led you out to his car. 

“See, that wasn’t so bad was it?” You shrugged indifferently before scrunching your nose. 

“Ella wasn’t there though. Are you sure she’s going to be a part of this wedding?”

“Positive. She’s close with both the bride and the groom. Maybe she was busy today. Probably fucking that asshole of a coworker—“

“Hey, don’t start. Please. She didn’t deserve you Jaebeom. You are an amazing—wonderful—otherworldly human being. Any girl would be lucky to have you. I know it sucks being cheated on, but maybe this was a blessing—don’t give me that look. Hear me out. I don’t want to assume that she’s been cheating on you all this time, but it’s better you found out sooner than to do something stupid like ask her to marry you and find out later that she was being unfaithful.” 

You don’t know what got over you in that moment; whether it was seeing him on the verge of tears, or just being in the moment after all the touches you’ve shared with each other today, but you got on your tippy toes and placed a soft kiss on his forehead. 

“You’ll be okay Jaebeom. She’ll be nothing but a memory once this week is over. Let’s get you home.” 

The next luncheon came—still no sign of Ella, yet Jaebeom grew clingier than the day before. It also seem as if he genuinely enjoyed introducing you as his girlfriend to some of his friends. You weren’t going to lie, you were enjoying the chivalry; none of your ex-boyfriends ever pulled out a chair for you or took off their jackets for you to wear. You could also feel eyes on you from who you assumed to be girls who either had a crush on Jaebeom at one point or even had a fling with him. 

Although you were the one he had a protective grip on, you did get jealous knowing that some of these girls got to experience what Jaebeom was like behind closed doors. A lot of the girls in high school were extremely vocal about what sex with Jaebeom was like and you’d find yourself wanting to know yourself. It was silly for you to think you would ever have the chance to be writhing underneath him as you begged him to do anything to smooth the fire burning in your core—but a girl could dream right? 

Finally the reason why you and Jaebeom were putting on an act for the last few days came in to play when you walked in to the dining hall together and saw Ella sitting with a couple of other guests. You assumed that the guy whose arm was around her shoulder was the same one Jaebeom caught her cheating with. You clenched your jaw in anger and said a little prayer; wishing for some self control. It wasn’t even you who was cheating on—yet you wanted to walk over to her table and yank her by her poorly done ponytail. Really, what did Jaebeom see in her? 

He was too busy getting you both signed in that he wasn’t able to see what was driving you up the walls, but you wanted him to know she was there and that she had unfortunate company. After you were giving your table number, you gently tugged on the bottom of Jaebeom’s suit in order to get his attention and gave him the unpleasant news. His reaction shocked you though; he winked and gave you a smirk. 

“I have the hottest date here—I’m not bothered one bit. Come on, I want to talk to Jackson about something.” He brought his hand to your lower back and guided you to the table Jackson was sitting at. 

“Damn y/n, you look amazing. You’re making all of us look bad—the bride will probably complain that you’re stealing her spotlight.” 

You politely thanked him before softly giggling at his comment. If only you weren’t so busy admiring the center piece and the party favors, you would have been able to see the way Jaebeom was mentally sending daggers towards his best friend’s neck. You did notice that Jaebeom brought his seat closer to yours and his hand that was on his knee was now gripping at your thigh. 

To an outsider; it might have been a sexual gesture, but under these circumstances—it just seemed off. Knowing his tendencies of getting angry, you didn’t pry at him. If something was bothering him, he would tell you when he was ready to. You just assumed he was now coming to terms that he was in the same room with his ex-girlfriend and the guy she cheated on him with. Although he seemed out of it for the first hour; especially when his friends tried to star conversation with him, everything settled down once the emcee announced that it was time for everyone to head to the dance floor. You elbowed the other boy and motioned your head towards the stage. 

“I want to dance. Can we please?” He furrowed his brows and released a long sigh. 

“You know I hate dancing y/n. That’s going to be a hard pass.” It was your turn to sigh, but then you looked across the table and saw your three other friends moving along to the Drake song that was now filling the room. 

“Fine. I’ll just ask Jackson. I’m sure he’ll want to—“

“Don’t you fucking dare. You’re mine damnit. Fuck—whatever, let’s go.” 

His words confused you; sure, the two of you were pretending to be a couple so there was chance he was just playing along, but to hear him say that you were his so confidently, without hesitation made you feel as though there was more meaning behind it. Once you found a place that the two of you could dance comfortably in, you began to let loose and allowed your body to flow freely. Your hair swung all around and your hips kept up with the movement of the song. 

Although he seemed uptight back at the table, it wasn’t long until a smile rose on his face as his hands slowly made their way down to your hips. You wrapped your arms around his neck and continued your movements. The first couple songs were very upbeat and the two of you danced carelessly; you even had a feeling you both looked like fishes flopping out of water but you didn’t care. You were genuinely having so much fun; something that always happened when you were with Jaebeom. After fifth song finished, the Dj played a slower song at the request of the bride. 

As soon as boys to men came through the speakers, you didn’t know how to react—nor did you know how you were going to dance along to this song in particular. “I’ll make love to you” was the last song you expected to hear tonight, especially because you’ve been sexually aroused since you left Jaebeom’s apartment. Luckily, you didn’t have to move at all—Jaebeom pulled you closer to him and did the unthinkable. You were always a big fan of his hands. 

He’s always had such pretty fingers and you found yourself admiring them on many occasions; yet you weren’t prepared to feel them gripping tightly on both your ass cheeks. You looked up at him in shock but right before you could react, his lips were on yours. You’d find yourself daydreaming about how it would feel to kiss Jaebeom on many occasions; more than you’d liked to admit out loud. 

Whenever he would talk, your eyes would always find their way to his mouth. Every time he would bite and nibble on his lips, you would picture what it would be like to do it yourself. However, no daydream could ever prepare you for the actual thing. His lips were soft against yours; he always felt the need to apply chapstick and you were thankful that he was the type to care about things like that. His movements were rushed; as if the world was going to end and the last thing he wanted to do was kiss you. It was a sensation you wouldn’t be able to fathom in to words. 

Kissing him right now made you feel like you’ve been missing out on so many years of being able to feel him—actually feel him. You weren’t sure why he felt the need to attach your lips together out of the blue, but you weren’t complaining. He smiled in to the kiss when he felt you put more pressure; molding your lips all but gently against his. You ran your hands up and down his chest and as soon as you heard him moan, that’s when you decided to pull away in fear that you would literally rip his shirt off of him right then and there. 

“Jaebeom—“

“I’m sorry, I had to. You just looked so breathtakingly beautiful and seeing you so happy made me act out—you don’t know what you do to me do you? I’m in love with you baby. So fucking in love with you y/n and I have been for a really long time. I hope that kiss helped prove my feelings for you—but if you need more validation, I’d be happy to give you a more physical demonstration. Preferably with our clothes scattered on my bedroom floor while I rail the shit out of you.” 

Your eyes rolled to the back of your head as you let out a groan at both his love confession and his plans for the rest of the night. Were you dreaming? You had to be—there was no way Jaebeom actually confessed to you that he was in love with you. How could he have been in love with you? He never made it seem like he harbored any romantic feelings for you at all the entire duration of your friendship. You stole one more kiss from the corner of his lips before nodding embarrassingly quickly. 

“Take me Im Jaebeom. I’m yours. I love you and I’m in love with you too. Let me just run to the bathroom really quickly then we can go and you can have your way with me.” 

He allowed you to head over to the restroom while he went back to your table and made up an excuse as to why you had to leave so early. You tried to hurry up with your movements; the desire to finally become one with Jaebeom was seeping through your entire body. When you first entered the bathroom, you were the only one inside. As you heard the door open while you were ready to leave the stall, you didn’t think much of it. 

That was until you finally made your way towards the sink and saw just who entered the bathroom. There were so many thoughts running through your mind in that moment; so many things you wanted to say to her, but you had other thoughts occupying your mind. Ones that made your core throb and took your attention away from the girl who was obviously wanting to say something. 

“Nice to see you again y/n. You look great. I love your dress—I think I saw it on the sale rack at forever 21 am I mistaken?” You scoffed. 

“Yeah, it was right next to your cheap ass lipstick and generic brand of eye shadow.” She was quick to cross her arms and you knew your words got to her—but her anger didn’t last long. 

“So you and Jaebeom—can’t say I didn’t see this coming. He would never shut up about you and followed you around like a lost puppy; what a pathetic little boy. It was painfully obvious that he liked you. And you wonder why I cheated. He never liked me to begin with. I never understood why he got in a relationship with me when his heart adamantly belonged to you. Witnessing how you would constantly stare at him though, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that you were just as obsessed. It was a waste of my time though; the sex was underwhelming and his dick was extremely tiny. Good luck with my sloppy seconds.” 

Images of you socking her in the face were now filling up your mind—it would be so easy to just slap her or step on her foot, but what good would it do? You’d only look like a bad person and taint Jaebeom’s reputation. Plus, she could press charges and you would cause such a mess at the party. Right as she was about to walk out, you decided to make your own comment. 

“Funny you say that considering that I can’t even fit him entirely inside of my mouth. The tip of his cock would always touch the back of my throat and there was still so much of him that my mouth couldn’t cover. Oh, and don’t even get me started on how good he fucks me. If it’s any consolation, Jaebeom is an amazing boyfriend and an even better lover. He treats me and eats me so fucking good. I’m sorry he didn’t think much of you to show you the same affection. Ah, before I go—he told me that you don’t taste all that good—bitter and sour if I remember his exact words. I’d get that checked if I were you.” 

Your words felt much more better than a slap would have felt; even if you were blatantly telling lies, you felt as though a huge weight was lifted off of your shoulders. Jaebeom looked at you in confusion and it’s as if you knew he was going to ask you what took you so long. You cupped his cheek and placed a chaste kiss on his nose while saying goodbye to everyone on the table. 

“I’m sorry to hear that your dad has a stomach ulcer y/n. I hope he feels better soon.” 

Jaebeom was lucky that you were the kind of person to catch on to things quickly; you weren’t all too happy that he lied in order for the two of you to leave without being teased for what you both planned on doing, but you needed him just as badly as he claimed to have needed you. He didn’t even let you take two steps before roughly pressing his hard on against your ass and licking stripes along your neck; only adding to the euphoria you were already sensing as you made out with each other on the dance floor. 

“I don’t think I can make it back to either of our places—I need you now.” You were about to ask him where he planned on taking you, but your questions were answered once he began pulling you towards the direction of the lobby. 

“Jaebeom, you’re not seriously going to rent a hotel room for one night just so we can fuck—“

“That’s exactly what I plan on doing baby. If I have to wait even just one more minute, I’m going to cum in my pants just at the sight of your tits busting out of your dress. I’d prefer to come inside of you—plus it’s more romantic than what I had in mind. Honestly I was planning to make love to you in a family bathroom or the backseat of my car. I’ve waited to make love to you for longer than I want to say out loud. Just know that I’ve been dreaming of burying myself inside of your pussy for at least six years now. Our first time together is a night I will remember for the rest of my life and I think it would be even more memorable in a fancy setting don’t you think?” 

His quick movements towards the front desk almost gave you whiplash, but it only heightened your excitement. He began tapping his foot impatiently as the receptionist took her time typing in his information. You had to stifle back a giggle at the veins that developed on his neck. After what felt like an hour having to wait for her to get you both a room, he yanked the key from her hand and ran towards the hallway leading to the elevators. You were sure the receptionist caught on to what the two of you were going to do once you headed up to the hotel room—but you couldn’t care less. 

All that you could think about was finally getting to experience what you’ve been dreaming about for the last few years. You were going to make love to your best friend and you couldn’t be more excited. He didn’t even wait for the elevators to close before forcing you up against the wall, pressing his knee in between your legs in order to get as close to you as he physically could. His hands were gripping tightly at your waist while he attacked your neck and jaw with wet kisses. The feeling of his cock pressing up against your clothed core was a feeling you’ve never experienced before.

You’ve had sex enough times to say you had quite a bit of knowledge on how to please a man. Many of your partners told you that you were a professional at giving head and even more amazing at riding dick. None of their confessions meant anything to you—the only person whose opinion mattered was Jaebeom. You were growing insecure at the idea of not being able to take care of him or pleasure him in the way that previous girls he’s been with might have done. As soon as the doors opened, he picked you up and threw you over his shoulder; earning himself a loud gasp. 

“Sorry baby; I can’t wait anymore. Those heels look amazing on you but fuck, they only make you move slower. However, I think it would be extremely sexy for you to keep them on while I fuck you.” 

He shoved the keycard inside of the door and you didn’t even get to look around the room; he threw you down on the couch and climbed on top of you. The toothy grin he gave you made your stomach fill with butterflies. You’ve loved him for such a long time; if you were to tell your ten-year-old self that Im Jaebeom, the boy you’ve been crushing on since the second grade when he spent months tying your shoes for you until you actually learned how, reciprocated your same feelings, she would probably laugh in your face. But his comforting touch as he ran his hands along your arms made it all the more real that Jaebeom did in fact love you and you were finally going to experience the love you’ve been wanting to feel since you were a little girl. 

“I know I’m seconds away from ripping this dress off of you, but since this is our first time together, I think it would be best for me to explain my love for you—even if only for a couple of minutes. You can hold off from needing to feel my dick inside of you can’t you?” You elbowed him in his ribs before flicking his forehead. 

“You’re the one who is spending at least $200 to have sex with me just because you were too impatient to wait to get home.”

“Best $200 I’ve ever spent. Now, as much as I love hearing that sweet voice of yours, please be quiet so I can hurry up and go in to vivid detail about how, when and why I started having feelings for you. I’m not going to lie and say I’ve been in love with you from the day you first approached me back in the cafeteria, but the fact that you wanted to keep me company because you hated seeing me alone made my heart swell up. I knew you were going to be someone special in my life. I think I realized that I was in love with you right after my first break up. I developed a crush on you back in the 7th grade and I’m sure I saw you as more than just a friend even before then. I just didn’t want to ruin our friendship if I told you how I felt and found out that you didn’t reciprocate my same feelings. I know this is far fetched and hard to believe, but I’m telling the truth; every single girl that I’ve been with was my pathetic way of trying to get over you. Obviously, it never worked. They were never you. Nobody could ever be you baby. Nobody could make me feel so important—so happy—so loved and genuinely cared for. I’m happiest when I’m with you and I feel so fucking empty when we’re not together.” He brought his fingers right below your eyelids and wiped away a few stray tears that you didn’t even know built up. 

“God, you’re so fucking cute. Anyway, I would always find myself staring at you. No matter what I was doing or who I was with, my eyes would always gravitate toward you. You’re so beautiful—I cannot stress this enough. You are the most beautiful girl to exist, I need you to know that. And it goes on your physical beauty; you have one of the biggest, most generous hearts and you never fail to make me laugh and smile at the most silliest things. I’m sorry for being such an idiot—I should have just grown the balls earlier and told you how I felt. I wouldn’t have wasted all my time fooling around with girls I didn’t care about. I never felt like I deserved you—that’s why I didn’t try I guess. I saw all the guys you developed crushes on and I was nothing like them. So I just assumed you wouldn’t look at me that way. But none of that matters now. I’m yours and you’re mine. I hope you know you’re stuck with me now that we’re together. You’re all I want and have wanted for almost my entire life y/n. I went through so many changes, but you are the only thing that stayed constant. When I first asked you to be my fake girlfriend, I would have never thought we would end up here. I promise; I didn’t plan this entire thing to get you to fall in love with me, but I’m really happy I did. Even happier knowing that you love me. Can you say it again? I don’t think I will ever get used to hearing you tell me you love me.”

You pulled him down and smashed your mouth against his; licking his bottom lip as a nonverbal way to ask for entrance. His movements were quick as he mirrored yours; allowing your tongues to dance in sync together while grinding his pelvis against yours. 

“I love you Jaebeom. I’ve always loved you—mmmmm—always going to love you—now fuck me damnit.” He leaned back and gave you a flirtatious smirk, one you were seconds away from smacking off of his face. As emotional as his confession made you, you were now desiring for him to touch you; to really touch you, to feel him enrapture himself deep inside of you. 

“Sit up baby—I bought this dress because you looked so good in it, but I’m sure you’ll look so much better without it—and I was right. Holy shit y/n—what the fuck—how are you so fucking perfect are you even real?!” 

Your dress was flown across of the room, leaving you in only your underwear and although you weren’t the most confident in your body, the way Jaebeom was looking at you with so much lust; as if he was going to devour you sent your entire body in to a frenzy. 

“Why aren’t you wearing a bra? It’s like you want to kill me. Your tits are huge—so pretty. You don’t know how long I’ve been wanting to have you like this and now that I do, I’m not going easy on you.” He grabbed at both of your breasts, kneading and molding at them all but gently while leaving sloppy kisses right below your ear. When you felt him pinch at both nipples before twisting them between his calloused fingers, you let out a soft whimper. 

“Jaebeom—“

“Yes baby? Everything okay?” You gave him an eager nod as you tilted your head back in pleasure. 

“Feels so mmm—so good.” Your words only made his movements quicken and to your surprise, he lowered himself to your chest and brought one of your breasts in to his mouth while continuing to fondle the other. You weren’t a stranger to breast play; you loved whenever your partner would twist your nipples or suck on your titties, but it was different now that Jaebeom was doing it. It was otherworldly—you couldn’t even take in just how wonderful it felt. His tongue swirled around your hardened nipple and before you could even say anything, he brought your nipple in between his teeth. 

“Oh God—“

Feeling him hum against your naked chest all the while sucking fervently on your mound made your head spin. You hated that you could already feel your orgasm building up only minutes in to foreplay; but it was expected. Jaebeom already took care of you as if it was his life duty to do so; this time was no different. He dragged his fingers along your stomach; only adding on to your excitement and desire. 

His fingers were cold against your skin and you knew he was teasing you seeing that his movements were extremely slow. As much as you were enjoying the attention he was showing to your breasts, the fire burning in your core needed to be put out or else you’d really lose it. 

“Jaebeom—babe—“ He abruptly pulled away at the sound of the pet name and gave you his signature grin; the one you’ve been in love with for so many years now. 

“Everything alright y/n? I’m not hurting you am I? The last thing I want to do is make you uncomfortable. Did you need me to slow down?” His laughter filled the room at the sight of you shaking your head faster than usual. 

“I’m fine. Trust me, it’s the complete opposite. I’m going to need you to touch me—“

“But I am touching you. I can’t seem to stop touching you.” Upset with his response, you decided to take matters in to your own hands and brought his hand down to your entrance. You made sure that he could feel just how wet you were and you could only hope that it would get him to give you what you wanted. 

“Holy shit—you’re soaking. All because I played with your titties for a little while? You’re going to be the death of me.”

“If you don’t hurry up and eat me, you’ll be the death of me. We have the rest of our lives for you to tease me—please just take me already. I’m going to tell you right now, I don’t usually beg during sex Im—and don’t expect it to be a reoccurring thing either. This is just built up sexual tension acting for me. So either you hurry up or—FUCK—shit shit—Jae—“ 

You were so heated in that moment; all you were focusing on was scolding him and trying to coerce him to make a move on your pussy that you failed to notice him making his way down towards your thigh until you felt him lick a long stripe along your core. You didn’t even realize he practically ripped your panty down the middle and as much as you wanted to be mad at him because it was expensive, you just wanted to feel him inside of you. 

At this point, you didn’t care whether it was his tongue, his fingers or his cock; you just needed to feel something—anything to help soothe the tingling sensation in between your legs. His tongue was warm against your entrance; he placed a soft kiss and looked up at you with the most devilish grin you’ve ever seen before he began nibbling on your folds. A breathy moan fell from your lips as he continued his movements; getting eaten out was an experience you hardly ever got to indulge in. 

Most of the guys expected you to suck them off, but there were only two or three that ever returned the favor. You weren’t going to lie, the few experiences you’ve had with other guys were great—they all seemed to know what they were doing at the time. However, with the way that Jaebeom was nibbling on your clit, flicking and sucking on the nub gently and even inserting two of his fingers deeply inside of your cunt—all of your ex-lovers seemed like beginners. Jaebeom was a professional; he knew exactly where to lick and to suck; his fingers were shoved in and out of you at a rapid pace and it didn’t take long for him to reach your g-spot. 

This was the first time anyone ever accomplished finding your g-spot, let alone eating you out so well. If only you saw his ex after actually experiencing receiving head from him—you could have went even further in to detail just how amazing he was. His hums against your entrance made it clear that he was enjoying this just as much as you were. 

“You—you have no flaws do you baby? You taste—so sweet—so fucking delicious. I could eat you out for hours—days if I put my heart in to it. Honestly, I think I’m having more fun than you are—I love how soaking you are. Your juices are filling up my mouth deliciously. You’re so fucking tight—I can’t wait to feel you wrap this pretty pussy around my cock. How does it feel? How does my tongue feel? I need words y/n.” 

You pulled on his hair as soon as he returned back to his place and reattached his lips to your cunt. He playfully blew his warm breath against your core and with the wait you were clenching your legs around his shoulders, you knew you were so close. 

“Feels—so good Jae—I’m so close—please—faster—“ He flicked at your clit with his fingers and licked his way back and forth along your folds. Before you knew it, you let out a whine and soon you were releasing your juices all over his tongue. He lapped up your cum and sucked on both his fingers; releasing them with a loud pop. Once he was done, he made his way up to you and brought his hands up to your mouth. 

“Open your mouth and suck—I want you to experience just how amazing you taste. You’re so fucking sexy—I’m not usually a huge fan of hair pulling but shit—you can yank on my hair as much as you want to babe. I’m gonna need to eat this pussy at least five times a day.” 

The thought made your eyes roll to the back of your head and honestly—you were all for it. Seeing your essence on his lips made you giggle; how could someone look so cute while doing something so sinful. You stole a kiss from the corner of his mouth before leaning towards him and unbuttoning his dress shirt. 

“It’s not fair that I’m naked and you’re fully clothed.” You tried to take it off as fast as you could but it was hard and he wasn’t of any help; he just laughed at your misfortune and watched as you struggled trying to take out the buttons. 

“I never would have thought watching someone unbutton my shirt would be this hot to watch, maybe I should wear dress shirts all the time—“

“Or maybe you should fucking help me instead of just ogling Jaebeom. If You don’t dick me down in the next two minutes, I’m gonna leave you hard and alone in this room.” 

Normally you weren’t as dominant or confident as you were now; you were always so submissive even outside of sex. Whatever someone would instruct you to do, you did it with no hesitation. But you wanted—needed him to finally give you what you’ve been wanting for so long since the night you lost your virginity. 

When you first had sex—it was an okay experience. It was back in your junior year of high school when your boyfriend at the time asked you if you were willing to take that step in your relationship. He was one of the only boyfriends you genuinely had feelings for and he made you feel good—it wasn’t as painful or awkward as most of your friends explained it to be. But if you could go back in the past, you would have waited to give yourself to the beautiful man in front of you. As soon as his shirt came off, he quickly removed his pants and you leaned back in order to get a better look at him. Y

ou knew that Jaebeom was extremely fit; he went to the gym almost every single day and he only ever ate healthy food—telling you that he needed to “maintain his figure”. You’ve seen him shirtless on multiple occasions and there were a few drunken stupors that you’ve seen him practically naked before, but this was the first time you’d actually get to see him bare; on full display in such an intimate setting. He looked at you in confusion; the blank stare on your face didn’t make him feel all that good. Your best friend was always so confident in his looks, his personality and his physique—yet right now, watching you stare at him with an unreadable expression made him feel like he wasn’t attractive enough. Luckily, your next words confirmed that you were gazing at him in awe of his charming good looks and not in disgust. 

“You’re so hot Jaebeom—who knew you were hiding a six pack under all of those baggy hoodies?” You returned back to him and ran your index finger along his chiseled muscles. Both your breaths hitched as soon as your hand found his cock; you palmed him through his cotton briefs and hummed at how hard he was. 

“May I?” 

He gulped before nodding abruptly. Just like he did with your underwear; you forcefully ripped his off but he didn’t seem to care either. No daydream or any dream for that matter could ever had prepare you for this moment. You had a huge feeling Jaebeom was well endowed; you had a chance to see him in his underwear a few times, but seeing his long and thick girth made your mouth water. 

“Shit Jaebeom—you’re so big baby. I can’t wait to feel you inside of me. Can I—return the favor first—“ You don’t remember ever drooling over someone’s dick before, but just thinking about how good the stretch was going to feel in just a matter of moments was making you heated again. To your dismay, he shook his head and it discouraged you. Did he not like receiving head? What guy didn’t like being sucked off? Or was it because he didn’t think you could do a good job of pleasing him? He’s been with so many girls—you were afraid that you wouldn’t be able to make him feel the ecstasy he just brought you through. Before you could continue overthinking, he brought his hand up to your chin and lifted it so that you were making direct eye contact with him. 

“I want nothing more than to shove my dick down your throat—especially because you were extremely naughty earlier; commanding me and telling me what to do. I should really teach you a lesson and trust me baby, I’ve wanted to see you suck on my cock since July 4th back in junior year and the cafeteria gave us those popsicles and you deepthroated it like it was the easiest thing in the world. Like you said, we have the rest of our lives to experiment—I have so many kinky positions to try and things that I want to do to you. But now—now I need to fuck you.” 

He shoved you down on the bed and found his place in between your legs. He lined himself up at your entrance and ran his cock in between your folds; lubricating himself with your left over juices from your previous orgasm. You closed your eyes to prepare yourself for the stretch—as much as you loved being filled to the hilt with a dick, it was extremely uncomfortable. However, whether it was that he sensed your hesitance or something else popped in to his mind; you didn’t feel him just yet and you opened your eyes to see what was wrong. 

“Jae—“

“I didn’t plan this well—fuck—damnit—I don’t have a fucking condom—shit—I haven’t had sex in years and I obviously didn’t think my dreams were finally going to come true tonight—fuck, y/n I’m so sorry—“ You playfully pinched his cheek and placed a reassuring kiss on his forehead. 

“I’m on the pill if that’s okay with you. I’m a  big fan of raw sex—and hey—we plan on spending the rest of our lives together anyway—so even if I were to get pregnant, then that would be pretty fucking awesome if you ask me. I want your babies one day—but if you’re not okay with that, I’m fine with swallowing your kids for the time being—“

“Oh God, please don’t ever say that again. That is not sexy at all. Are you sure about this y/n? I mean, the thought of fucking you without protection is indescribable—but I don’t want you to feel like you have to just because I’m irresponsible—“

“You would think I’d be used to my words going through one ear and out the other—you never listen to me other than when I offer to buy you food. It’s fine Jaebeom, I want this. Now—do us both a favor and blow my back out.” He gave you a hesitant smile and brought some hair off of your face before adoringly cupping your cheek in his palm. 

“Tell me if it hurts okay? And please let me know when I can move. I love you y/n—I love you so much.” 

He brought his lips to yours for what you assumed was to take your mind off of how uncomfortable the first stretch would feel. It wasn’t painful at all; you’ve had sex enough times to get used to the discomfort. His kisses and the way he was holding your waist protectively was enough to take your mind off of the ache and after a couple of thrusts, you were soon feeling pleasure. You gently gripped at his bicep as a nonverbal way to let him know that he could go faster and thankfully, he understood. 

“Fuck—you’re so fucking tight—your walls feel so good wrapped around me—I think I could cum right now and call it a night honestly—“ you rolled your eyes all the while biting your lip in pleasure. His cock felt so good against your clit; his pelvis kissed the tip of your cervix at a pace that you didn’t think was physically possible. The room was filled with skin on skin slapping against each other as his ass collided with yours. He raised your leg up and placed it behind his head so he could hit you deeper and you were sure that just like him, you weren’t all too far away from your second orgasm. 

“Mmm—JAEBEOM—FUCK—right there—holy shit—“ He brought his hand up to your neck and wrapped around your pressure point; choking you while forcing himself harder inside of your cunt. It was an indescribable experience; you were quickly growing lightheaded but in such a wonderful way. He continued his thrusts; pounding his cock vehemently in and out of your folds. 

“You’re so good to me baby—taking this cock so well—I’m so close y/n—you feel extraordinary—fuck wait—I want to take you from behind, would that be okay? I want to fuck you in to this bed—may I?” 

Out of all the positions, doggy style had to be your favorite. Specifically because you were an exhibitionist and a lot of the times you’ve had sex, you made sure it was in an area where you’d be able to see yourself getting fucked. You enjoyed watching your partner take you from behind; it was lewd and animalistic—it made your sex sessions all that more arousing. Even if the mirror wasn’t facing the two of you—you were extremely excited nonetheless. He pulled himself out of you; earning him an erotic whimper but you turned around and placed your face in to the pillows while lifting your ass up in to the air. He slapped both your cheeks before kneading them and playfully pinching them both. 

“I’m going to tell you this right now and I don’t care if you slap me—but I’ve stared at this beautiful ass many times and I’m not even sorry. I could write a novel about how much your ass alone drives me fucking insane—your whole body is a wonderland and I’m losing my fucking mind.” Thankfully, as soon as he admitted his obsession with your butt, he realigned himself at your folds and didn’t give you any warning before shoving his cock back inside. 

“FUCK—DON’T DO THAT—I’M GONNA COME Y/N STOP—“ His grip on your hips tightened once he felt you clench around him. At first, it was an accident. You were just reacting to how amazing it felt having his hardened length graze along your walls, but now that you knew how much it was affecting him, you wanted to mess around with him. 

“I thought you said no teasing tonight. Fine, two can play at that game babe.” 

No matter how hard and how fast he was pumping himself inside of you, his pace now was merciless. He began to bite and suck on the back of your neck and grunted each and every time his cock kissed your lips. His movements were harder—faster and you couldn’t even form an actual sentence to describe how euphoric you felt. This went on for ten more minutes and before either of you knew it, you felt his warm, creamy liquid fill you to the brim. Not too long after, he coaxed you in to reaching your release by whispering dirty words and sweet nothings in to your ear. 

After coming on his cock, you collapsed on the bed and he plopped his body on top of you. If you weren’t as exhausted as you were at the moment, you would have complained about how heavy his body was lying against yours, but you were so tired and you actually liked the proximity between the two of you. You and Jaebeom laid there for a couple of minutes; trying to catch your breaths and accept reality for what it was. You just made love to the man of your dreams—he was finally yours to love as you were his. Honestly, you didn’t need anything or anyone else. 

You didn’t care what job you were to get in the future; what car you’d end up driving one day or the house you’d end up living in—you would be content living a box as long as Jaebeom was there next to you. Once his breathing returned back to normal, he got off of you and took his place right next to you—turning you to face him. His hair was stuck on his forehead and with all the energy you had left—you let out a little chuckle. 

“This was the best night of my fucking life I can’t even—that was amazing—you were—wow y/n. I think I’m going to become a nymphomaniac and it is all your fault. Shit you felt so good I’ll never get over it. How was that for you though?” You pecked his lips and dragged your thumb along his bottom one. 

“That was wonderful—I’m sure it was ten times more amazing because I’m so in love with you. I’ve never been in love before—so I feel like it just heightens my hormones and made my experience so much more enjoyable. You were remarkable babe. I think I enjoyed that a little too much. I’m so glad we finally put our feelings out there. I don’t think I would have lasted much longer knowing how much I love you and not doing anything about it. I’m sure I would have blurted it out sooner or later. I love you Jaebeom. I’m so happy I can say that now. I love you, I love you, I love you.” 

He looked at you with so much love and adoration in his eyes and pulled you closer to his body before stealing a few fleeting kisses from your lips and running his fingers through your hair. 

“I love you too y/n and I’m going to spend the rest of my life reminding you both physically and verbally on a daily basis just how much. You’ll never have to question my love for you. Now—should I call the front desk and tell them we plan on staying for the rest of this week? I really want to fuck you in the shower and up against the window.” 

The next day—you and Jaebeom relished in your love for a couple of hours before you tapped out. The wedding wasn’t until 6:00 P.M. but you didn’t want to miss out just because you weren’t able to move around. For the rest of the day, the two of you watched a couple of movies and ordered room service. Your cuddling was on a whole other level now, he preferred that you’d sit on his lap rather than just sitting next to him and he always had to have his arms wrapped around you. Once it was time for you both to get ready, he recommended taking a shower together in order to “save time and the environment” but you knew exactly what would happen if you decided to take a shower with him and your mind was set on going to the wedding. 

He let out the most adorable whine but allowed you to take a shower first because he knew you would need more time to get ready. While he was in the shower, you slipped on your dress and began to apply a light amount of make up. Your hair didn’t take too long to dry and you actually finished getting ready around the same time he was. Watching his jaw drop as he walked in to the room at looked at you up and down sent chills down your spine. 

“Yeah—no, there is no way I am letting you go down looking like that—we’re staying here and that dress is going on the floor—“

“Im Jaebeom, I will go to that wedding with or without you. I did not spend half an hour getting dolled up just so we can stay here and have more sex. I’m still sore—keep it in your pants will you? If you’re a good boy then maybe when we come back—I’ll let you have your way with me again. But until then, promise me you’ll be on your best behavior.” He groaned before making his way towards you—wrapping his arms around your waist and releasing a long sigh in to your neck. 

“Fine. Just know I’m rock solid right now and I’ll probably be for the rest of the night until you relieve me. There are a few family restrooms we can make love in—get back here—you can’t attend the wedding without me baby—“ 

The wedding was extremely beautiful. Although you didn’t know either the bride or the groom personally, you found yourself shedding a couple of tears. You’ve always loved going to weddings; witnessing the love two people had for each other was so beautiful. There were so many times you’ve found yourself planning out your future wedding, but you’ve never been with anyone that you’d see yourself starting a family with. The idea of marrying Jaebeom was always in the back of your mind, but you never thought you’d be here right now with his hand inching closer and closer to your core. 

“That’s going to be you and me one day.” You turned around to face him and smiled softly at his sweet words. 

“I can’t wait.” Once the bride and groom said their vows and everyone made their way in to the grand ballroom, the rest of the night came and went with a snap of your finger. You were so caught up in staring at your boyfriend and just thinking about what he said earlier that you didn’t even bother to look around for Ella. She didn’t matter anymore. It may have sounded weird, but you were grateful that she made the awful mistake of cheating on Jaebeom. You hated that she hurt him and make him question himself and what he did wrong, but you were content that it brought the two of you together. 

Your love for Jaebeom only grew stronger as the days went by. If you thought he was the perfect best friend; he was an even more amazing boyfriend. He was quite the gentleman; always called you up to see how your day was going, bought you things that reminded him of you, wrote poems about your beauty and how lucky he was to have you—he even stayed on the phone with your mom for over an hour once to learn how to make your favorite dish. He also tried his best to head over to your place almost every single day and on the days he was too tired from work, he’d make sure to FaceTime with you just so he could get his fill of seeing you. Life with Jaebeom was perfect—honestly too good to be true. Both work and school was rough for you, but the time you’d get to spend with him made it all worth your while. 

Unfortunately, you were putting all your time and energy in to your education, your work and your relationship that you weren’t taking good enough care of yourself. One morning you woke up feeling nauseous and extremely light headed. You just assumed it was because you were either dehydrated or lacking in sleep. Since you didn’t think anything of it, you went about your day like nothing was wrong. You were sitting in class, texting back and forth with your boyfriend when all of a sudden you felt yourself going in and out of your head—you didn’t know how to explain exactly what you were feeling but you knew something wasn’t right. 

It wasn’t until your vision went blurry that you felt like you should make your way towards the nurse’s office; but you collapsed right as you made your way towards the door. The last thing you heard were worried voices telling someone to call an ambulance before everything faded to black. Waking up felt weird; you knew by the white walls and the beeping from what you assumed was a heart monitor that you were in the hospital. Your memory was a blur; you remembered everything leading up to that moment, but you don’t remember being put in the back of an ambulance or even making your way to the hospital. How long have you been asleep for? What exactly caused you to pass out? 

You had a feeling you’ve been sleeping for at least a couple of hours—but then again, what felt like such a short amount of time to you could have been a week for all you knew. The tight hold on your hand was quick to grab your attention and when you looked down to see who it was—even if you had a feeling it was the same person you were hoping it would be, you gently caressed his hand with your thumb. Jaebeom was leaning on your bed; his face was pressed up against your ankle as his hands were intertwined with yours. You didn’t want to wake him up; but your curiosity was getting the best of you. 

“Jaebeom—baby—hey—“ 

You brought your hand in to his hair and began running your fingers through it in attempts to wake him up without startling him. He took his time to wake up but as soon as he realized that it was you calling his name, he sat up abruptly and blinked a few times; as if he was trying to see whether or not he was still sleeping or if he was awake and you were actually real. As soon as he realized that he wasn’t still dreaming, he threw himself towards you and cupped your face in between his hands. 

“Finally, you’re up. How are you feeling baby? God y/n, I was so worried about you. I had a feeling something was wrong when you stopped responding to my text messages and then I got a call from your mom telling me that you fainted and I couldn’t think. I was so scared—do you need me to get you something? Are you hungry? Thirsty? Do you want to use the bathroom? Should I call the doctor—“ 

In your fifteen years of knowing him, you’ve never seen him so distraught before. There’s never been a situation that he ever had to be this frantic or nervous—but it made your heart flutter both seeing and hearing how affected he was that something happened to you. 

“I’m okay babe, I just want you to hold me.” He bit his lip before standing up and placing a chaste kiss on your forehead. 

“Let me go call a doctor and let your parents know your awake. Then I’ll join you on the bed and cuddle the shit out of you.” You frowned as you saw him leave the room, but you understood that he wanted to make sure everything was okay with you. When the doctor came in, he was alone and you wondered where Jaebeom could have gone, but the grim look that he was wearing worried you. 

“Hi there y/n. It’s nice to see that you’re finally awake.”

“Do you mind me asking, how long have I been asleep for?”

“Three days. I’m actually surprised you’re not still in a coma. From what happened to you—I expected you to still be sleeping for at least one more week. How are you feeling?” You shrugged indifferently before sitting upright. 

“Groggy I guess? My body hurts just a little bit, but other than that, I’m fine. Did I pass out because I’m not eating right or getting enough hours of sleep? I’ll admit, I haven’t been taking care of my body as much as I should so is it because of that?” He released a disappointed sigh before shaking his head. 

“Y/n—I don’t know how to tell you this but, one of your kidneys are failing. That’s why your body went in to shock and you ended up collapsing.” 

You looked at him in shock. To be honest, you weren’t all that familiar with how bodies worked. All you knew was you needed to eat right, drink 8 cups of water a day, get at least seven hours of sleep and exercise three to five times a week. You didn’t know much about kidneys other than the fact that they filter out toxins from your body; you weren’t even aware of where it was located. But to hear that one of your kidneys were failing made you extremely nervous. 

“What does that mean exactly?” He walked closer to you and took a seat on the chair Jaebeom was sitting on. It made you grow even more curious as to where he could have been. Did he know? Is that why he seemed so upset? Did the doctor explain to him what happens to people who’s kidneys are failing? 

“Your kidney is one of the most important and vital organs in your body—when it fails, so does everything else. I don’t want to worry you—but most people don’t last long even when on dialysis.” The last thing anyone—especially someone who was only twenty-three years old wanted to hear was that you were going to die soon. You were still so young; there was so much going on for you as of right now. There were so many things you had planned for your future—why was your life on the line? It wasn’t fair. A few tears began to build at the brim of your eyelids—but it was only natural. 

“Is there anything I can do? A surgery I have to undergo or some medication I can take? I’ll do anything doctor. This can’t be it for me.” 

He nodded in understanding; you were sure it was probably hard for him to deliver this kind of news—but it probably wasn’t something he had yet to get used to. As many miracles there were in the hospital, there were just as many tragedies. 

“You could get a kidney transplant, but there’s a list. Kidneys are one of those organs that are harder to get next to a heart. I’ll put you on the list right now, but I’m sure there’s at least thirty people waiting for a donor. What we can do is test some of your loved ones to see if they have the same blood type as you and if they’re willing to give you one of their kidneys, then there’s no having to go on the list and your health will be good as new.” 

The thought of having to ask someone for their kidney made you want to cry. You knew your parents would offer their kidneys in a heartbreak—but there was no way you could do that to either of them. Even if people could live on just one kidney, what if down the road, that kidney ends up failing itself? As much as you did not want to die, you refused to put someone else’s life at jeopardy just to save yours. 

“I see. I’ll talk to my family about it. Thank you so much doctor.” 

He gave you a sad smile and told you that he’d get a nurse to bring in some food before leaving you all alone with your thoughts. You didn’t know what to do or what to think. What could you do other than cry, pray and hope for the best? He didn’t have to say it outright, but you knew he was indirectly explaining that your chances of living were very slim. 

You allowed yourself to break down; you didn’t want to cry in front of anyone—especially not Jaebeom. He was already worried as it was—you didn’t need to add on to his problems. When you heard footsteps approaching the door just a couple of minutes after the doctor left, you wiped away your tears and put on the fakest smile you could muster. 

“My baby! I’m so glad you’re finally up—you poor thing. When the hospital called me, I almost ended up passing out myself. What did the doctor say? I told you—you need to take care of yourself better y/n—“

“I’m dying mom. One of my kidneys are failing. He didn’t say why or how—I’m assuming it might be hereditary but there’s nothing I can do other than get a transplant—but he said the list is backed up. There are at least thirty people ahead of me.” 

Right as you finished relaying the news, you could have sworn your heart broke as soon as your mom let out the most gut wrenching sob. Sure, it was already so much for you to take in as the person who was just minutes away from death—but as a mother, hearing that your child is sick must feel like their entire world was falling apart. Besides Jaebeom, your mom was your best friend. She had to be your favorite person in the world; and you were hoping that one day, you’d be even half as an amazing mother to your kids as she is to you. 

She joined you on the bed and pulled you in to her embrace. The two of you just sat there crying for quite some time; you failed to notice Jaebeom walk in nor did you see him walk right out in order to give you and your mom some space. 

“You’re going to be fine y/n okay? I will make sure of it. I’m going to get tested and I’m sure your father would love to see if he’s a match and Jaebeom—“

“No—please—I can’t ask any of you to do such a thing like that for me.” She looked insulted; as if you said something to hurt her feelings but you knew she was just sad. 

“Y/n, I’m your mother—I’ll do anything for you baby girl. I’m not going to lose you—no—not if there’s anything I can do about it. Don’t give up okay? Don’t lose hope. Everything will be okay in the end.” Her fingers felt nice in your hair; her touch was featherlight and she began humming softly while placing a kiss on your cheek. 

“Mom. Can you do me a favor?” She nodded without hesitation. “Please don’t tell Jaebeom. The last thing he needs is to worry about me. He already has so much on his plate. His dying girlfriend should be the last of his worries—“

“Y/n, you can’t be serious right now. I wish I could have recorded just how worried he sounded when I told him you were at the hospital. I’ve never seen someone so in love with another person the way Jaebeom is in love with you. You can’t do that to him—it’s not fair to him. You’re his main priority y/n and think about it like this—what if he was the one who was sick and kept something so important like a failing kidney from you? How would you feel? Devastated right? I’m sure he’ll be broken-hearted if he were to find out when it’s too late. He’s been in your life for such a long time y/n—as your boyfriend, and your best friend, he deserves to hear the truth.” 

You knew she was right—if Jaebeom kept that a secret from you, you’d be so hurt and betrayed. But you felt like you were protecting him by keeping it a secret. 

“Fine I promise I will tell him on my own time. But you need to promise me that you won’t say a thing. Okay?” 

She hesitantly nodded; your mom wasn’t stupid. She knew you just as much and if not more than you knew yourself. No matter how much she would tell you what to do, that didn’t mean you would listen. You were stubborn and hardheaded as hell; you were also the type to suffer in silence by yourself. You didn’t like being a burden to people. 

When you were discharged from the hospital only two days later, Jaebeom forced you to stay with him at his apartment so that he could take care of you. He was afraid that you could collapse again; so he called you out from both your school and your workplace so you had a good amount of time to relax. He also made it a habit to feed you every three hours in order to make sure you were getting as much nutrients as your body needed to survive on. 

A week later, you returned back to your apartment with the excuse that you were feeling better and that you missed the comfort of your own space and hesitantly—he let you. But he got you to promise him that you would text him as much as possible; especially if he wasn’t able to check up on you. It was then that you decided to shut him and anyone out of your life completely. You were stupid to come up with that decision; what good would it do by ignoring everybody in your life. 

Especially the person—your person who meant the entire world to you. If you were dying, you didn’t want to make it harder on anyone; specifically Jaebeom and your parents to spend so much time with them only to pass away sooner than you expected. You cried for what felt like hours when you turned off your phone. You knew that wasn’t going to be enough though; Jaebeom was relentless. He arrived at your apartment just a few hours later—pounding on your door repeatedly while screaming for you to open it. 

Your heart was begging for you to open the door. How could you do this to him? You claim to be shutting him out in order to protect him, yet it was obvious you were breaking his heart. With each pound at your door, you could feel your heart tearing. Why did you fall in love? Why did you allow yourself to get so attached that now you didn’t want to leave even if you didn’t have the choice? You weren’t afraid of death—no. Everybody dies, it’s apart of life. You were afraid of no longer being with Jaebeom. 

No longer getting to see his handsome face or being the reason being his laughter. No longer getting to hold him and be held by him. No longer getting to kiss him and just basking in his existence. Not getting the chance to have a future together—that’s what was hurting you the most. He came by every single day; crying and begging for you to let him in. He told you he had no idea what he did wrong and he thought this was your way of breaking up with him, but he couldn’t understand why. 

Everything was going so well between the two of you just hours before you were administered in to the hospital. Did he say something to upset you? Did you just want to be by yourself right now? Why were you pushing him away when it was obvious that this was the time you needed him the most? You wanted him to hold you as you cried and to tell you everything was going to be okay—even if it wasn’t. 

All you did for the rest of that week other than crying is eat and sleep. You didn’t have the energy nor the motivation to do anything. A week later, you decided to turn on your phone just to make sure nothing bad happened. Seeing over hundreds of texts, calls and voicemails from your boyfriend made you feel like complete and utter shit. You never believed you deserved Jaebeom; even months in to your relationship, you felt as though he deserved someone so much better than you. 

You’ve never hated yourself as much as you did right now. A part of you wanted to read his messages or to listen to one of his voicemails because you missed him like crazy—but you were well aware that it would only make you feel worse. You did notice a number you didn’t recognize call you at least three times and when you listened to the voicemail, you felt as if the entire world stopped. 

“Hi, this message is for Y/n Y/l/n. This is Dr.Kim calling from Queen’s Medical Center. I am excited to inform you that we found a donor for you. Please get back to me as soon as possible. Thank you.” 

You couldn’t believe it—there had to be a catch. Just days ago, he told you that it wasn’t looking too good in your favor but now he said there was a donor for you? Was there thirty other people willing to give their kidneys to those needing a transplant before you? You didn’t want to get too excited; you couldn’t stop your conscience telling you that there was a chance your mom was a match and she offered her kidney. Your initial instinct was to call her first before calling the doctor back, but it’s already been three days. 

If you waited any longer, they could give the kidney to someone else and even if you weren’t too sure if you wanted to accept the transplant, you weren’t going to be rude if someone was already offering it. 

“Hi y/n! How are you? I hope you’re doing well! I’m so excited to say that we found someone with the same blood type as you to donate their kidney. Never in my twenty years of being a doctor have I seen such a case like this—I call it a miracle. I’d recommend you come down to the hospital as soon as you can so we can give you the transplant.” 

You felt overwhelmed—you were undoubtedly content that you were giving the chance to live but you were still curious as to how there was a donor in just a span of a week when some people have been on that list for years. 

“Would you happen to know who the person is whose kidney I’m being given?”

“I have no idea. Sorry. I look forward to seeing you soon y/n. Drive safely.” 

You drank a few cups of water and took a bite out of a sandwich that’s been in your fridge for almost a month now, but you had no appetite at all. As you made your way to the hospital, you found yourself hovering your finger over Jaebeom’s contact. You were given another chance at being able to spend the rest of your life with him—but you fucked it all up. He had to hate your guts for all that you made him suffer through and you couldn’t blame him. 

After you pulled up to the hospital and looked around for doctor Kim, the nurses had you wait in the lobby so they could prepare the surgery table for you. The process didn’t take too long and when doctor Kim came out to explain just how lucky you were to be the recipient of a kidney in such a short amount of time and had the nurses prep you for surgery, you just wanted to get it all over with. The surgery room was extremely bright and you were wearing nothing but a hospital gown. You were told that kidney transplant surgeries took about five to seven hours but because they were putting you on anesthesia, it would feel like five minutes. 

One of the nurses placed the mask on top of your mouth and had you count to ten—but you didn’t even make it to six before passing out completely. Just like the day you collapsed in your lecture hall, you don’t remember falling asleep. It felt good being awake again; but this time was worse than the last. Everything hurt and your mouth felt so dry. Nothing came out of your mouth as you tried to speak up and call for a doctor. 

However, you did feel a pair of hands gripping at your arm and this all felt like deja vu. You were afraid of it being Jaebeom—you didn’t think you deserved for him to come see you and you didn’t think you’d be able to look at him without crying at the thought of how much you’ve broken him. Once you realized it was your mom, you let out a sigh of relief yet you were disappointed it wasn’t your boyfriend. As soon as your mom felt you stirring, she looked up at you and you could’ve sworn her pained expression would be forever imprinted on the back of your mind. 

“Hi mom.” She furrowed her brows before bringing your hand up to her lips and placing a kiss on the back of it. Her expression was quick to change though and before you knew it, she smacked your arm all but gently. 

“You stubborn girl. What is wrong with you? How could you do that to us. You know how worried I was—we all were? What if you were to die huh? There wouldn’t be any way for us to come and get you. You’ve made some pretty stupid choices in your life y/n but this had to be the stupidest thing you could have ever done. And don’t even get me started with the hell you put Jaebeom through. As your mother, I was so mad at you but the poor boy—he thought he did something wrong. He wouldn’t stop blaming himself for something he had no control over—“ You didn’t want to interrupt your mom; especially because she was furious but you needed to know. 

“Where is he?” She stopped her scolding completely as she directed her attention towards anything other than you. 

Oh no. It couldn’t be. 

“Mom. I asked you a question—“

“I think I should go get the doctor and tell him you’re awake—“

“Mom! Answer me! Where is Jaebeom?”

The look of guilt on her face made it all the more adamant that she knew exactly where he was but she didn’t want you to know. She was silent for five minutes; contemplating on how she should go about telling you just how they were able to find you a donor in just a matter of days. 

“I told him.” You looked at her in shock; that was the one thing you did not want her to do. If Jaebeom were to find out about your situation, he wouldn’t hesitate to go and get tested to see if he was a match. 

“I kept it a secret for as long as I could. But when he came over to our house, asking me if I’ve heard from you and if something was wrong—I couldn’t keep lying to him y/n. It was hard for me to look at him, watch him cry and plead to even hear that you were okay; you’re so selfish. I know it was a lot to take in, but I told you we would handle it didn’t I? We’re in this together y/n. Right after I told him, he came here and took the test to see if his kidneys were healthy enough for him to live on just one. You’re both O positive and he didn’t even hesitate to give it to you. He’s still healing but the doctor said he can be discharged tomorrow.” 

All the color drained from your face and you felt like you were going to throw up. Why would he do something so stupid—so foolish; giving away a kidney isn’t something simple like buying someone a gift; or doing their homework for them. This was something he wasn’t able to take back. He was now putting his own health at risk and at what cost? Just so you could live longer? What if this only shortened his life? The doctor said people could survive with only one kidney, but what if his other one failed later on in life? What happens then? 

You wanted to be grateful that he would do such a thing; you obviously meant so much to him that he was willing to give you a part of himself in order to keep you alive. However, you were angry—not so much with him, but this entire situation.

“I can tell you’re overthinking things right now and I just want you to stop. I know that if he was the one dying, you would have done the same thing—so stop. Just be thankful that he did this. Don’t get mad at him; this was already such a big decision for him to make and he made it in a heartbeat. He did this because he loves you y/n. How do you think he would feel seeing you so upset over this as the person who gave you his kidney? Sometimes we do things for the people we love without even a second thought. All we care about is making them happy and keeping them safe. Exactly what Jaebeom did for you. Now, I’m going to go get a doctor, don’t do anything reckless while I’m gone.”

As soon as she left you all alone, you completely fell apart. You ignored him. You lied to him. You tried to leave him and keep him out of your life to protect him from your unfortunate fate yet he gave himself for you. He put his life on the line in order to save yours. Your mom had a point, if it was Jaebeom who needed a kidney, you wouldn’t hesitate to give him yours. With the entire Ella circumstance, although you were hesitant on helping him out for obvious reasons, you gave in because you wanted to help him in any way you possibly could—much like he just did now. 

No matter how many times Jaebeom told you and even showed you how much he loved you, this just set it all in stone. When your mom returned with the doctor and he explained how the healing process worked and what was going to happen now that you had a new kidney, all you wanted to do was find Jaebeom. You wanted to see him yourself and personally thank him for his sacrifice. Your mom told you to get some rest and that she would let you see Jaebeom later, but she knew she wasn’t going to win any argument with you—and you had every right to go and see him. It’s only been a week since you last saw the older boy but it felt like a year—a long, grueling, heartbreaking year. 

As the nurse pushed you in a wheelchair towards his room, there were negative thoughts that began to fill up your mind. Does he regret doing this? What if for some reason one day, we call it quits, is he going to regret it then? What if he wanted nothing to do with you? What if giving you his kidney was his goodbye gift to you? 

Your heart rate only increased as she brought you right outside the door and told you that she wanted to see if he was awake before letting you inside. You weren’t the biggest fan of hospitals; there was one time you tripped and fell in your freshman year and sprained your ankle and you had to stay over two weeks in order to get the surgery and the rest you needed to completely heal. 

The man you were only seconds away from seeing again stayed with you throughout your entire stay. He went to school every morning even if he didn’t want to; but came to be with you as soon as the last bell rang. Even at the prime age of fifteen, Jaebeom always put you first. What did you do to deserve someone who loves you as much as he does? 

“He’s awake now—I didn’t tell him you’re here to see him because I’m sure you want to surprise him. Are you ready?” 

You nodded slowly and took in a deep breath as she wheeled you in to his room. There were countless “get well” balloons and many beautiful bouquets of flowers spread throughout the small space. Jaebeom was a very popular person his entire life—you weren’t surprised to see just how many people were wishing him a speedy recovery. You wondered if anyone knew why he was currently in the hospital. 

As soon as your eyes landed on him, your breath hitched and you wanted to cry again. He currently had so many wires attached to him and there was a couple of bruises on his body; your doctor explained that it was natural for both your bodies to change—especially his since he no longer had both of his kidneys. You wanted nothing more that to hold him and to tell him just how grateful you were for everything; not just for his generosity—although there was no way you’d be able to top this at all, but just for everything he’s done for you since you first became friends. 

“Jaebeom sweetheart, look who came to see you. I’ll give the two of you some space while I go get something for you both to snack on. Just press the help button if you need assistance before I get back.” You kept your eyes on his bed; not wanting to see the way he was looking at you or you would surely break out in tears. 

“Hi.” You began to pick at your fingers out of nervousness. If only you could read minds; you wanted so badly to know what he was thinking. Jaebeom was never a man of words—he preferred actions. You had a feeling he wouldn’t confess even one thought that was going through his mind right now nor did you want to force anything out of him. 

“Hey.” Silence filled the room once you both acknowledged the other’s presence; you didn’t know what to say and with the way he didn’t speak up either—neither did he. 

“How are you feeling?” His question is what got you to finally look at him. He looked exhausted beyond belief and his face was exceedingly smaller and more pale. His eyes were puffy and both his hair and facial hair were growing faster than normal. 

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” He shrugged and you felt terrible. The two of you were acting as if you were strangers. This was your best friend—the love of your life; your soulmate. Why were you treating him like you had no idea who he was. 

“Jaebeom I don’t know where to start. Well I do—thank you. Thank you so much. I don’t think I will ever be able to repay you. You saved my life—I’m forever indebted to you Im Jaebeom. I hope you know I would have done the same exact thing for you. I know this is a stupid question to ask, especially because I am well aware of what the answer is, I just want to hear you say it—how—why would you do this? Do you understand how big of a sacrifice you made? A kidney isn’t a small thing Jaebeom; people wait years for one—“

“You just answered your own question y/n. How many times do I have to tell you this for you to get it through that pretty yet extremely stubborn head of yours? I would do anything for you. Anything. I’d give my life up for you—you should know that by now. Fuck—I hated being away from you and I hated that you were trying to push me away. I of all people should have been the first person you ran through. I’m your boyfriend and your best friend y/n. You should feel like you’re able to come and tell me things like this. Especially a life or death situation. What did you think was going to happen if you stayed away huh? What good was that going to do? I honestly don’t know what I would do if I were to lose you. I know—giving away a kidney is a big deal but I didn’t care about anything in that moment. Your mom told me you didn’t want me worrying about you and that’s why you kept it between yourselves—but how could I not worry? It’s not just your future we’re talking about it’s mine too. What, did you think everything would be fine and dandy if you were to die? You’re crazy for even thinking that I wouldn’t want to do this for you. I did it for you and for us—so I can have you for so many more years to come. I love you y/n—so much that it actually scares me but not in a bad way if that makes sense.” 

You moved closer to him and tried your best to get up from your wheelchair in order to join him on the bed. You were sure that if you were to look in the mirror right now—you’d see just how his words practically wrecked you. He laughed softly to himself when he saw you struggle and took matters in to his own hands; he slowly got up and reached for your hand, pulling you towards him and you didn’t even give him a second to make himself comfortable before connecting your lips with his in a passionate kiss. He smiled widely against your mouth. Since he was still pretty lethargic and not quite himself just yet, he had to stop the kiss from escalating any further, no matter how badly he wanted to continue feeling your lips on his. 

“I’ve missed you. Don’t ever do that to me again. Just for that, I hope you know I’m forcing you to move in with me so that I can keep my eye on you. I don’t know why we didn’t move in together sooner, there’s nothing I want more than to go to sleep with you wrapped in my arms and to wake up to your beautiful face and stinky morning breath.” 

You gave him a small pout at his words before nodding in agreement. The idea of moving in with Jaebeom sent fire to your bones. You were more than happy to be able to share a space with him—you always wanted to be around him. The two of you only spent most of your time together at each other’s places, so it only made sense that you both moved in together. You placed a soft kiss on his bottom lip before bringing your hand up just above his eyebrow; tracing his two moles that you adored so much ever so gently. 

“I just didn’t want to end up hurting you if something were to happen to me. As soon as the doctor told me the news, my mind went blank and you were the first person I thought of. I cried at the thought of having to leave you and I thought it would be easier for you to get used to living without me—“

“Well you thought wrong—“ You gently slapped his shoulder before placing a few pecks on his lips.

“Hey, I let you talk without interrupting you. Now let me speak. I was devastated when I heard that my chances of living were slim. It was like there was no hope for me and I didn’t want to get your hopes up either. I’m sure nobody wants to die, especially at such a young age but I was more afraid of no longer having you around and what would happen to you if something did happen to me to even care about what goes on after we die. I can’t even form a plausible sentence to describe how thankful I am that you did this. Thank you for loving me Jaebeom. Thank you for just being you. I can’t even tell you how much your sacrifice means to me. I never once questioned your love for me; you never fail to remind me that you’re so madly in love with me and trust me when I say this, I love you with every fiber of my being—with every single breath that I take. You’re the reason for my existence Jae. To be able to love you and be the extremely lucky person who gets to be loved by you is something I will always be grateful for. You are an extraordinary human being. People like you only come one in a lifetime. I love being able to wake up every morning knowing that you are my person. I don’t say it as much as I should and I’m going to work on that. I want to be a better girlfriend because it’s what you deserve. But I will do anything in my power to show you that my heart is yours. That I am wholeheartedly and irrevocably in love with you.”

When you saw tears building up at the corner of his eyelids, you had to stifle back a laugh. It took a lot for Jaebeom to cry; he wasn’t a sensitive guy so it did melt your heart seeing him so worked up over the thought of no longer having you in his life. God, you were so in love with him. How did you stay away from him for even just a week? You had to be insane. This entire situation made it crystal clear for you—no matter what happened in your life, there was no way you could ever be without Im Jaebeom. 

“A life without you is a life I never want to live. If my kidney ends up failing later down the road—then I’ll dying knowing I gave my life to save yours. To keep you around. I’d give you my heart if you needed it—you’re the owner of it anyway. I wanted to do this for so many reasons baby and I would do it again and again if I had to. It’s you and me for life y/n—I’m yours forever. Oh, and I just want to let you know that I plan on using the fact that you now have one of my kidneys to my advantage just to get on your nerves. If I’m hungry and I want you to make me something—just remember, I gave you my kidney. And this goes for anything else. If there’s only one cookie left or I want to choose a movie for us to watch—my organ is what’s keeping you alive. Think of it this way, you’ll always have a part of me inside of you even if I’m not physically inside of you. I hope you know once we’re both released and completely healed that I expect you to show me just how grateful you are while on your knees—okay I obviously made the wrong decision, give me back my kidney.” 

You gave him the most adorable scowl to which he placed a long, sloppy kiss on your lips and pulled you closer to his body as humanly possible. You’ve missed being in his arms, it’s when you felt the safest and the most at ease. Im Jaebeom in more or less words was an actual angel sent to you to take care of you and you were going to spend the rest of your life showing him just how over the moon you were to call him yours. 

“All jokes aside baby, you mean everything to me y/n and I can’t wait to see what life has in store for us.”

[cowboypossume]

At This Moment

so! this is inspired by this post by @theunmappedstar which means we need some credit baby !! so Bon Appetit

Summary: Fitz is a model, Keefe is his makeup artist, and after a big fight Keefe still has do his makeup because it’s too late to reschedule. 

Pairing: “platonic” keefitz 

Trigger Warnings: cursing, and let me know if there’s anything else

AO3 Link: here <3

Fitz had been a world famous model for years now. He could have gotten anybody to do his makeup, but he always insisted that Keefe did it. Keefe knew his work was good, sure, but he never understood why the world famous Fitz Vacker insisted that he did the the makeup for all of his shoots. Of course, Keefe would never turn down the chance to get Very Close to the model’s face and notice all of the little details on it. Like the splash of green hidden in the deep blue in his eyes, the tiny freckles right below his checks, the scar hidden on the boy’s hairline from acne, and Keefe’s favorite, the tiny smile that would appear when Fitz looked in the mirror when he finished the makeup look. Obviously he knew these things because it was his job to.

At this moment however, Keefe wished nothing more than the Fitz to not have assigned him to this shoot. He wished he didn’t have to stand in front of the door that he’d just closed and face the model he’d gotten into a huge fight with. Both of them were angry and said things they didn’t mean, which only fueled that anger. He wished that he didn’t have those few minutes alone to regret everything that he said. And now, his pride didn’t want to be alone with the model and apologize, although so much of him wanted to. He wished that he could just leave, but they couldn’t reschedule this shoot. They’d been planning this one for far too long and there were far too many other people involved. Besides, they’re both legally adults, so they can put aside their personal problems for a bit and just work, right?

“What the hell are you doing here?” Fitz angrily snapped.

Keefe gestured to the bag in his hands. “I have to do your makeup, remember?”

“Is there anyone else who can do it?”

“Look I don’t want to be here either but everyone who can is on set working and it’s too last minute for us to call in someone new. Besides, they already paid me.”

“Fine just do it quick.”

Keefe walked over to the dressing room mirror and started setting up. He’d done this before, a million times before, but at this moment it felt wrong. This didn’t feel like the warm environment the two of them normally created. They didn’t create the summer day kind of warm, though. The two of them seemed to share the kind of warm that resembles a hug from the person that you’ve hugged countless times before but gets better every time you’re together. Their warm environment felt comforting to the other with the stressful environment of a set. At this moment, there was no warmth or comfort. There was only the silence that filled the air between them with anticipation.

“Well, you know the drill.” Keefe said pulling out the final set of brushes. As Fitz sat in the chair, Keefe was reminded why he absolutely despised the model in front of him: he was the definition of the media’s version of perfect. He didn’t have bags, or acne, or anything that wasn’t good enough to go on a magazine cover. It made Keefe’s his job a hell of a lot easier, but it made Keefe despise him. How did someone manage look like royalty without any help? If Keefe was honest, the boy in front of him didn’t need anything to make him look like a movie star, but Fitz always wanted to cover up the freckles, so Keefe followed the request with concealer. Also, he needed to add some designs to fit the theme of this photoshoot, floral.

Wanting to avoid Fitz’s eye for as long as possible, Keefe started to sketch the outline carnations and gladioluses across his cheeks. As he gently held the model’s chin and cheek underneath his fingers, the stiffness of Fitz’s body reminded him of their first set. When they first met, it was one of Keefe’s first sets. He tried to break the silence with a joke, which lead to conversation. By the time Keefe finished the makeup, the two boys separated, finding themselves oddly excited for the next time they’d see each other. This moment, however, felt more irksome than that first meeting. Now the two of them were, well the two of them had grown up with each other. That first set they were both so young, and as they grew into themselves, the other person was there. They felt like they had a relationship, whether it was best friends, friends, or good colleagues, they trusted each other. They felt like they knew each other inside and out. Keefe got to see the man under the model, and Fitz got to see the makeup artist without the cover up.

Fitz slightly moved his head which lead to Keefe focusing on where the flowers sat on his face. Fitz had worked as a model long enough to move without messing up the makeup despite it still being a work in progress, and it still amazed Keefe every time. Keefe grabbed the paint that wouldn’t cause Fitz’s stupidly perfect face to break out and started to fill the carnations with a coffee cream white and the gladioluses with a shades of red and orange that would make a romantic movie’s sunset look dull in comparison.

Normally Keefe and Fitz would talk about nothing and everything during this time, but they weren’t. At this moment, Keefe was left alone with his thoughts which were just screaming ‘This Was Wrong’, and they weren’t lying. This wasn’t their normal, but Keefe didn’t know how to fix it. Could he? He wanted to. He wanted to fix the relationship with the only friend he had, but words typically failed him. He wasn’t good at words. He was charming with them, but he couldn’t say what he needed to. He couldn’t make his words serious, so relationships would normally fizzle out because of that.

Keefe’s negative thought spiral went to a screeching haunt when the nearly finished gladiolus in his hand was had a streak of a tear on it. A tear from crying? Wait it was a tear from crying. Why was Fitz crying?

“Wait, why the fuck are you crying?” The fear in Keefe’s voice made that question way more concerned than the angry tone he intended.

“This feels wrong.”

Keefe handed him a tissue. “Push this under your eyes and make the tears stop while we talk through this. Bloodshot eyes will ruin the photoshoot and you better not ruin the makeup. What feels wrong?”

“This” Fitz gestured between the two of them. “Us. Being mad with you feels wrong. Because I’m not mad at you. Or maybe I am? I just-. Right now my life is completely changing and not talking you just,,, feels wrong. Not just because it feels different, it,” Fitz paused to find a way to describe the way he felt. “Do you not feel it?”

Keefe walked over and kneeled next to Fitz and looked directly into the eyes that still looked amazing despite the fact they were full of tears but not yet covered with a layer of pink. He gently took the hand that Fitz wasn’t pressing away the tears with. “Of course I feel it, but now’s really not the time Fitzy. Come find me after the shoot, ok? I need to finish the flowers and start on the eyeliner and we only have 20 minutes until the other people need you.”

Fitz looked at himself in the mirror and the stupid tiny smile -that Keefe knew would ruin the lipstick Fitz would be wearing if this shoot needed it- appeared a little wider this time. 

“These are my favorite flowers.” He said, clearly wanting to touch all of them. There was a small gleam in his eyes that only showed up when he felt extremely happy. Keefe was the world famous Fitz Vacker’s makeup artist, it was his job to know the model’s face. They were friends, and Keefe didn’t need to ruin another friendship with something stupid.

So, Keefe grabbed a paintbrush as he said “I told you before Fitz, I have a really good memory, and I wouldn’t forget something about a friend.” He restarted the flowers and didn’t catch the disappointment in the model’s eyes at the lack of a nickname and the word ‘friend’.

[soulwillower]

rude boy • richie tozier

part 2    part 3

(richie tozier x reader smut)

requested: hii💕 could u do a richie smut where he kinda hates her and so does she...but the sex is good lol? i got inspired by rude boy by rihanna haha

warning: swearing, unprotected h8 sex (WRAP IT B4 U TAP IT), unedited

[losers + reader are aged up to college in this.]

1.9k words

♡

you sigh as the last customer walks out the front doors of the diner. your boss walks over to where you stand at the counter, wiping it off with a rag. "they're finally gone?" she asks and you nod. "right, well i'm gonna head out. can you and richie lock up?" she asks as she pulls a sweater over the uniform, sounding exhausted. you resist the urge to gag at the name of your coworker, but you nod nonetheless. "yeah, of course."

she leaves a few minutes later and you pull at the collar of your stupid retro diner uniform. it's red and black and awfully cheesy.  employees are allowed to choose between a matching red skirt or black slacks - it's an old school kitschy diner on the outskirts of derry that pays shitty. but a summer job is a summer job, and the tips weren't awful.

but the worst thing about working at the diner came in the form of a 6'2 nightmare with a sharp jawline and a serious nicotine addiction. richie fucking tozier.

he was loud, obnoxious, a slacker, and a scrawny, phony asshole. you've never liked him and he's never liked you, but he's been a server here the longest and you were the most responsible, so you two were trusted to close the diner together most nights. didn't mean you got along though, not at all.

during shifts, richie always played music on the jukebox and serenaded loudly to every boy and girl who stepped foot in the diner as they sat at the counter and swooned. he barely did his work and got way too generous of tips - you're certain it's solely because of his looks, because he is an awful server and an even worse human. but he has curly, fluffy dark hair, freckles, and a face sculpted by aphrodite. he always smelled like cologne and cigarettes, always had his shirt unbuttoned way lower than necessary, and walked with a stupid bounce in his step that some people considered charm.

as you finish mopping up the dining area, you hear footsteps and your eyes catch richie's beat up, lyric-scribbled red high tops. "richie! i just mopped there!" you yelp at him as you snap your head up to stare at him in anger. he just shrugs, "you missed a few spots anyways." he says through a mouth full of chocolate milkshake.

you fight the urge to slap the glass out of his hand, "could you stack the chairs?" you ask him, trying to stay civil. last time you and richie locked up together, he'd thrown a glass and shattered it. you'd both gotten in huge trouble.

"why can't you?" he asks, his voice awfully teasing. you glare at him as you sit down, throwing the mop as it hits his chest. he catches it against him, the handle making a clacking noise when it hits the star of david chain on his bare chest. you scoff, why did he have to wear his uniform unbuttoned like that?

"fine, i'll stack the chairs. you mop." you grumble, getting up to lift the chairs. you hear a screeching noise but you refuse to look, knowing he's sitting and that would just fuel your fire. as you lean over one of the booths, something makes your head turn and you see richie just in time for him to snap his eyes away. your eyes widen - he was just checking you out. god damn these fucking skirts. "what are you looking at, tozier?" you spit venomously. as much as you don't want to admit it, he looked really hot just then.

"shut the fuck up." he grumbles, getting up and locking the doors before walking back into the break room. once you finish out in the dining area, you walk towards the back to see him checking over the kitchen. "hey, did mike take out the trash before he clock-"

"yes, of course he did, y/n." richie cuts you off. you cross your arms, "i'm just trying to get our job done! christ, richie, you make me so fucking mad." you spit. he turns to look at you, his eyes bold and his cheeks splattered with pink and freckles. "i hate that i have to fucking deal with you. i should fire you." he hisses, turning off the dishwasher and walking out of the kitchen. you follow him, hot on his heels, until you're both in the break room.

"you're a fucking nightmare to work with, richie! and you're not my fucking boss!" you yell, glaring at him.  "well the chart begs to fucking differ." he spits, a chipped black fingernail pointing to where the employee chart lists your names, him being slightly higher than yours because of experience. you think briefly you might deck him in the face.  "we're payed the same, you fucking bonehead!" you all but yell, stepping up to him. "and i do so much more work than you! all you do is flirt with everyone until they take pity on you and give you a tip."

you expect him to scream back at you, but instead he looks extremely pissed while taking a step closer. "do you know how fucking jealous you sound right now, y/n?" he hisses. something makes you turn bright red in the face, but you scoff at the absurd accusation. "jealous? of who?" you all but yell, your arms flying up. it's only now that you notice that he has you with your knees against the break table.

"of all the people i fuck." he says, his voice calm but sinister and dangerous. you scoff again, "i hate you." you say, leaning towards him. something about the way he looks makes you want to hit him as hard as you can but also shove him against the wall and make out with him. he chuckles as if something about what you said was funny, "i don't hear you denying it, princess."

and that's it. the princess, that's all it takes for you to smash your lips against his forcefully. it's a kiss that it so rough it's almost violent; fueled by hatred and adrenaline and something akin to attraction. he's pushing your lips harshly into the table behind you so that you're sitting on it, him immediately stepping between your legs. your hands are on his neck and they thread into his hair as your teeth clash and noses hit each other. you hated him so fucking much.

his hands move up so he's grabbing your bare thigh with one hand, the other cupping the back of your neck and pulling you closer to him. you pull away and immediately attach your lips to the column of his neck, not wanting to have to look at his face. 

he ruts up against you and you feel the outline of his cock, making you moan against his neck. his hand slides up and under the hem of your skirt, squeezing your ass as you suck a bruise into his neck. he pulls away from you quickly, looking at you with fury before kissing you again.

 it knocks the wind out of you with his force but you quickly recover, dragging your hands down his chest and tracing his bulge with your fingertips. he grunts as he pulls away and looks at you.

you're gasping but you recover your breath and shoot him a glare. "are you gonna fuck me or are you just going to stare at me like a goddamn airhead?" you spit. he glares at you and pulls you up by your shoulders, spinning you and bending you by the waist so your cheek is pressed against the cool of the table. "yeah, this is much better." he replies snarkily as he pulls your skirt up and grinds against your ass. you moan quietly and you hear him undoing his belt buckle. you're aching and you can feel excitement bubbling in your stomach, wiggling your hips slightly in need.

what you don't expect is a harsh smack to land on your ass, making you gasp in arousal. his hands squeeze your ass and you look back to see him pumping himself, sliding your panties down your legs. your eyes widen slightly, noticing how big he is, but you groan in impatience, "can you hurry up already?" you spit.

he glares at you and suddenly thrusts in all at once, making you scream. he fills you up perfectly and you drop your head to rest on the table as he starts to thrust. 

he's not forgiving; he fucks into you hard and deep and you have to bite your hand to keep from moaning his name in pleasure. you'd never hear the end of it. his hands grip your hips so tightly you know there'll be marks tomorrow and he’s muttering swear words quietly, adding to the wetness between your legs.

 he's hitting the perfect spot inside you and one glance behind you shows his face just as contorted in pleasure as yours is. you hate to admit it, but he's fucking hot and the expression is perfect on him.

he's fucking you into the table and as he pulls your hips back to meet his thrusts you can't help but whimper his name. you can hear his smirk in his voice, even when your eyes are clenched shut. "didn't know how desperate you were for me."

you groan, half in pleasure and half because you hate how good he's making you feel. "i fucking hate you s-so much, tozier." you say, trying to stop your moans but failing miserably. his hips are snapping into yours and you clench around him, knowing you're about to cum embarrassingly fast.

he hums at your words tauntingly, "whatever, princess. i know you’re about to cum on my cock." he mutters the words and you moan again, your toes curling in pleasure. he thrusts deeper into you and you let out a strangled scream as you hit your peak. your fingers grasp on the edge of the table as richie plows through your high, chasing his own.

you start to whimper, feeling overly sensitive. he chuckles darkly, "you're fine." he mutters, his hands squeezing your ass. he thrusts a few more times before his hips stutter and he finishes inside you with a low moan. his chest is pressed on your back and you can't seem to catch your breath, feeling limp and extremely pleasured. 

holy shit.

he pulls out of you, making you whimper at the sensation and he pulls up your panties, rubbing the seat of your clothed core with his thumb and pulling your skirt down. "fuck you." he whispers in your ear and then he gets up, pulls his pants up, grabs his keys and jacket, and leaves.

 you lay there on the table breathing heavily, unsure what the fuck just happened but knowing you loved it way too much.

[krakenator]

all prime numbers for all 3 of them!

you are a MENACE who is forcing me to split this into at least 2 posts

before they met their party, what was their main goal?

Abbigull: She doesn’t have a party right now but Abbigull’s a business grandma of the sea. Deliver cargo, take on some interesting (read: illegal) jobs to spice things up, make bank! EXTREME SAILING! ADVENTURE!

Bilgerat: Just kinda… LIVE, man. Survive to the next day. Work hard, play hard, keep himself outta trouble. Get himself out of the situation if it turns sour. Rinse and repeat.

Craigory: Learn. Discover. Craigory was in his lab in the woods alone SPECIFICALLY to be able to fuck around and find out exactly as he felt like doing

what is their goal right now?

Abbigull: Umi fuckin VIBE CHECKED Abbigull and she’s still like. Kinda shooketh from that. Local reelkind child talked to this bird for half an hour and gave her a look so rancid for saying business might be equivalent or more important to the sea that Abby’s just like “damn… I think I HAVE lost touch with what started me out here…”

That conversation and (redacted) experiences on the Never-Ending Train are driving Abbigull overall to slow down and revisit her roots. I’d like to get her to an Erasure Temple at some point. Work through her feelings on her age, and impending end of things

Bilgerat: He’d say its still business as usual honestly, but DAMN if he isn’t legit excited about this Atlantis stuff. He’s seeing new sights! First the inland trip through mountains, and now striking WAY out to the edges of Einquell.

Craigory: people have gone and inserted themselves into his life and well DAMN, alright, he cares about them. He’s in the market of keeping them around, now that they’ve decided they apparently want to keep him. Wizard went and gained a sibling and a daughter in one fell swoop

which party member do they understand the least?

Abbigull: No regular party (none that she remembers). She’s buds with Ollie but they’re pretty birds (ha) of a feather. Gonna have to say Bilgerat- standoffish son of a gun, never WAS able to get a solid read on him before he jumped ship for Whitty’s Atlantis expedition.

Bilgerat: He’s got the least grasp on Vinny. He’s had the least interaction with her! Ironically, Vinny is probably the least energy-intensive to hang out with at the moment so he would like to chill with them- Messo’s his friend now but the kids got a lot of energy. Little Joe is a walking headache.

Special mention to Escort Mission gang- Lillie & Gray, man. He REPEATEDLY dug his own grave because he’d make a sarcastic joke and these two would take it entirely serious (gave him practise for Messo fdghafjkds)

Craigory: Boomer sits on a weird line because on one hand Craigory sees a decent bit of himself in the kid- she’s got passions and interests that people are wanting to restrict. On the other hand he’s never had that level of energy or blind recklessness in his LIFE.

what skills are they proficient in? why?

Abbigull: Medicine & Religion. She’s a cleric, c’mon.

Bilgerat: Acrobatics, Athletic, and Investigation. He’s got good dex because rogue, but I made his highest stat intelligence. Smart rat! He’s also got expertise in Stealth.

Craigory: Arcana & Investigation. He’s a magic man, what can I say.

what do they dream about, when their dreams are their own?

Abbigull: endless fog. Whispers on the wind. Water rushing through her feathers, the impression of a face in the gray, the touch of a deity that she devoted herself to over half a century ago.

Bilgerat: oily grime on his face, in his lungs. The smell of stale water, paint, and muddy rust. Heavy footsteps on the other side of a too-thin bulkhead. Being hunted through steel halls and walls- baying howl of a dog.

Craigory: empty homes and manors with no exit, someone or something catching up to him. Endless, cloying green that wears down and drowns him. A leeching of ink starting at his hands and dripping up his arm, his head, his body. Incidents of his own fault, remastered slightly to the left.

 what haunts them? what doesn’t?

Abbigull: could be argued that Erasure haunts her. It can certainly look that way to outsiders! (consider her last ship, the Null & Void, which IS now a ghost ship for all intents and purposes). Its also ridiculously easy for her to APPEAR to be a ghost- one cast of color spray and boom. just outline left

Bilgerat: SS Barker’s loomed large over Bilgerat no matter where he’s gone

Craigory: the jello isn’t the only time he could have died whilst fucking around and finding out. Nobody would have known what happened to him. It hit in those times that he was… well, alone. No help for literal miles. Which had been the POINT but when you’re scrambling to save yourself with a half-baked solution the downsides of it all really rear their head

how do they feel about nicknames, titles, or labels that have been given to them? how do they feel about their name?

Abbigull: You may call her Admiral or Abbigull- Abby’s for friends and family! (it’s very easy to make the friends list- Abbigull’s a terminal extrovert and basically considers ANYONE her friend. Grudges? Don’t tend to know ‘em.)

Bilgerat: Bilgerat came with a lot of things- ability to read, a non-child’s mentality, cunning- but a name was not one of them. He was just referred to as the bilgerat, and it’s something he decided to claim and own. Nicknames following have been mostly literal (“bilgerat” itself, bilge, Bill, rat, rat boy). He responds to them, whatever. Exception are “Bilgey” and “Ro-Ro”- he likes those. They came from a friend, and/or are distinctly affectionate.

(im told Messo is pulling out the nickname card next session and I am EYES EMOJI)

Craigory: I was about to say he only ever got nicknames from Eddie, but now I’m thinking Lin’s “peckneck (derogatory)” is BASICALLY a nickname and now I’m laughing. Nicknames for Craigory have exactly two modes: saccharine sweet or murderous sentiment.

[classicdaisycalico]

"We'll figure this out" for luigi/Daisy

Angst/fluff Prompt List

Okay so some brief Italian lessons before we begin:

Castello di Flora = translates to “Flora’s Castle” (lit. “Castle of Flora”)Un colpo di fulmine = colloquialism for “love at first sight” (lit. “a lightning bolt”)

Luigi and Daisy, “We’ll Figure This Out”

***

Between fleeing the country in the aftermath of Tatanga’s invasion and staying in the Mushroom Kingdom during her citizens’ recovery efforts, Princess Daisy was initially very homesick. She missed the scorching western desert heat of Birabuto, the peaceful southern beaches of Muda, the rolling hills and rocky cliffs of Easton, and the blistering northern mountain winds of Chai. She missed her parents, and she missed their home, which ended up being destroyed during the attacks.

Now, after a fair amount of time, she had been arranged to meet them at their new residence, the historic Castello di Flora. As its name implied, the castle was once the residence of Daisy’s distant ancestor from several centuries ago, a queen named Flora who reigned over a newly unified Easton.

For Daisy, returning to Sarasaland should have been exciting. Now, there was a new issue: she hadn’t counted on how much it would hurt leaving the Mushroom Kingdom.

She hadn’t been back in years, and wanted to explore every inch of how much Toad Town and its surrounding neighborhoods had changed since her last visit. It had been Peach’s idea first, and Mario was more than happy to bring her there, the latter of whom she ended up striking a very good friendship with. Peach, in the meantime, was ecstatic to host her sister-in-arms again, and Daisy was just as thrilled to stay with her during that time.

Then, of course, there was Luigi, a completely unexpected surprise. She hadn’t arrived to the Mushroom Kingdom looking for love, but a chance encounter with the young plumber outside of Peach’s castle was all it took. That encounter early in the afternoon turned into an unofficial first date, followed up by an official second the day after. Following that came a bouquet of flowers at her doorstep and a dance in the rain that subsequently lead to their first kiss. They were exclusive ever since.

It was now the evening before Daisy was scheduled to leave. The two of them were sitting at the top of a hill providing a beautiful view of the Mushroom City skyline, a callback to the end of their aforementioned first date. That evening, they stayed out to watch the sun set and for the first of the stars to appear before returning home. Sitting next to him, hand in hand, gave her plenty of time for reflection as the hours ticked away.

Truth be told, the princess was not one to dwell on the notion of love at first sight, she hadn’t expected that sort of thing to happen to her. In fact, she was almost repulsed by the idea, given her history with Tatanga and several other self-centered sons of prominent government officials vying for her affections in the past. Now that she had experienced it for herself, however, the thought nearly frightened her.

Suddenly she understood why love at first sight was so rare to come by: whenever it happened, everything surrounding love was far more intense than normal. Sparks didn’t fly, but fireworks did. First dates, which were usually planned at least a day in advance, were now completely rushed and on-the-fly, often operating on a wing and a prayer. And forget about pre-kiss tension; it didn’t exist in the event of, as Luigi described it in his native Italian, a lightning bolt.

Un colpo di fulmine, it was called. At least that saying was a little bit more reassuring. It meant that love could be found from looking at somebody either one time or one thousand times. Conversely, “love at first sight” was just that: the first sight, and there was so much pressure for everything else after that to be just as perfect.

But that was the problem. Nothing was ever truly perfect.

She sighed sadly, earning the attention of the green-clad young man next to her. “Is something wrong?”

How could she answer with so much running through her mind all at once? The princess instead looked out into the horizon. “...There’s just so much to unpack,” she said, hesitantly.

A corner of his mouth ticked upward in a faint smile. “Unpack? I thought that was for AFTER you get home, not before.”

The princess couldn’t help but giggle. Leave it to Luigi to make her laugh, no matter how corny the joke. Still, it wasn’t enough to diffuse her sour mood, and the plumber was quick to catch on. “I’m serious. What is it?”

Again, she let out a melancholy sigh, unable to ignore the elephant in the room any longer. “It’s the fact that I’m literally leaving tomorrow morning,” she answered. “I never had any real friends in Sarasaland. Coming here and being with Peach and everybody else made me the happiest I’ve been in a long time.”

She leaned her head against his shoulder. “Now that I’m going back home, it’s gonna feel like everything I’ve ever built up in the Mushroom Kingdom will disappear in the blink of an eye.”

He tilted his head in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t want to forget this.” She gestured outward with her free hand. “The memories, the friendships...everything. I guess I’m just afraid everybody else will, eventually.”

It really hurt Luigi to see the princess like this. Still, seeing this normally cheerful and optimistic lady in such a somber mood brought to mind similar fears of his own, fears of being left alone or forgotten, left in the dust.

Thankfully, Mario always gave him some good advice to curb these doubts. “You’ve known Peach for...how long?”

“Since before I could even remember. The both of us were probably still teething when we first met.”

“Well, she wouldn’t forget you, would she? Not after the two of you have been such good friends your whole lives.”

“I know Peach would remember. But what about Mario?”

“He’ll remember Sarasaland for days to come,” the plumber replied. “I hear him say every day that he wants to go back again...when there’s been enough recovery, obviously.”

“Well...” she began, “it would definitely explain all the questions he had about the provinces. And their history. And their cultures. And their people. And their creatures...”

“The list goes on. There’s no way he’ll forget. Not for a long time.”

“Yeah.”

Her eyebrows suddenly furrowed in thought. “And then, of course...there’s one more person.”

“Oh?”

“Someone special...” Daisy mused. “He’s really quiet before you get to know him. And shy. PAINFULLY shy. But underneath it all is a guy who’s as kind, honest, and sweet as anyone could ever be.”

She laced his fingers through his. “He’s not afraid to be sensitive or emotional. And in my opinion, that’s the bravest thing any guy can do.”

The princess saw Luigi nervously scratching the back of his head, knowing full well he was catching on to what she was saying. “He’s also extremely handsome, especially in green.”

And there it was, a twinge of red in his cheeks. “Stop that,” he laughed, trying not to stutter over his words. “I’ve heard enough.”

“But YOU won’t forget, will you?”

He sat there for a moment, looking at her, eventually letting his hand brush away a stubborn strand of hair threatening to obscure his view of her bright green eyes. “Why would I ever want to?”

He let his fingers lightly trace over the outline of her face before letting his hand rest over her cheek. “You’re my lightning bolt.”

Her own hand reached up and held on to his. In moments like these, rather than say anything back, she let the words linger, so she could take in their meaning. In the time she had known Luigi, she knew he was not much of a talker, but when he was, he never minced his words. Everything he said carried depth, and lots of it. This was no exception.

She closed the gap between them and kissed him. It was nothing like their first kiss on that rainy evening; there was no desperation, no awkwardness, no bottled-up feelings to resolve. It was simply a small show of affection she knew he’d appreciate.

The way he slowly found the courage to kiss her back let her know she was right.

After letting it linger for a few seconds, they pulled back, his hand still cupping her face gently. “Will you write, at least?”

“I don’t know how often...”

She wrapped an arm around him and drew him in for a hug, her head now resting snugly against his chest. “We’ll figure this out. Together.”

[confessionary77]

The end of the romance

A relationship told through dialogue between her and him, from the crucial point in their story to the end

"There's something I need to tell you..." he started, then faltered.

"I thought there must be an ulterior motive behind this dinner," she smiled.

His eyes were trained on the place between his plate and his glass. As he struggled to find the words, her smile faded.

"Is it something to do with me?" she asked.

He dry-swallowed and knew she noticed by the urgency in her words: "Is it about us?"

For some things there's never the right time nor the right words. His shoulders dropped with resignation.

"I've got the visa," he said talking to the table. He couldn't find strength to lift his eyes. She was silent, but he could feel her gaze on his face. With enormous effort he met her eyes. Her face was serious, lips drawn into a thin line. Single wrinkle cut across her forehead and underneath it her green eyes darkened into stormy grey.

"When?" she asked.

"A few days ago."

"That means you have already decided," she concluded. "So? Are you leaving?"

He nodded, not trusting his voice. She inhaled sharply, reached for her glass and took a long sip, then she set it down and looked at it for a long while. Finally, she composed herself, lifted her chin and attempted a smile. It didn't reach her eyes.

"Congratulations, I guess," she said. "What is the plan?"

"I will quit the job tomorrow, need to sell the car and bunch of other things, pack slowly," it helped to think about practical things. "I get residency as soon as I land. Then I find a place to live and start looking for a job."

"When?" she asked.

"In a month," he said.

"And me?"

"I hope you will join me," he said. "Will you?"

"I need to finish my studies."

"I know. But, that's—what? Six months? A year tops, right?"

She shrugged. "It could be longer than that."

"It doesn't matter," he reassured her, "take as long as you need. We can video-chat every day! I'll show you every step I take, you'll be so familiar with the place even before you come over, you'll fit right in."

"I don't have a visa," she pointed out.

"That's easy. You can enrol in post-graduate studies. You'll get a year-long student visa. Then you can decide if you want to stay."

"And if I do?" she smiled weakly.

"You continue studies for another year," he said with a goofy smile, "or you can marry a guy who already has residency."

"Would you help me find a guy like that?" she winked.

They smiled quietly drinking each other's face. His hand found hers and their fingers intertwined automatically.

"Will you come?" he whispered.

"Will you wait?" she replied.

"Forever, if I must," he said.

They sat holding hands in silence, eyes locked.

- - - - - - - - - -

The door closed loudly, but instead of familiar patter of feet approaching there was silence. He leaned through the kitchen doorway and saw her sitting on the stool by the exit. She leaned against the wall with legs outstretched and eyes closed.

"Everything alright?" he asked, sensing that it wasn't—"How was the exam?"

Her eyelids fluttered open. She looked at him unfocused, as if she didn't quite know how he ended up there.

"I failed," she said closing her eyes again.

He sat on the floor next to her.

"It doesn't matter," he said, "you can take it again. I know you'll ace it, you always do."

"I always DID," she smiled bitterly, "until a week ago."

She looked at him: "I can't focus. Since you told me about leaving, my mind is with you every waking moment."

"I'm so sorry," he said. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Can you stay until I graduate?"

It was his turn to stare at her.

"I already quit my job," he said.

"They'd take you back," she said.

"Maybe. But, I already transferred all my savings overseas. And, I have a job interview a week after landing."

"You're so quick!" she smiled ruefully.

Her sarcasm didn't surprise him, but it hurt anyway.

"I hope to hit the ground running," he said. "The sooner I get settled, the easier it will be for you to join."

She squeezed his hand. "I'm sorry. It's just... it's hard to think that in three weeks you won't be around. Why couldn't we do it together?"

"Do what together?" he asked—"Move? The same reason why you keep a separate apartment. Your parents would never let you go with me."

"What makes you think they'll let me join you?"

"That's why I'll register you for studies. You can tell them you got scholarship, and we'll have a year to break the news gently. It's easier from a distance. It'll also give them time to get used to the idea of us. We talked about it so many times..."

"Yes, I know," she sighed, "and it sounds so easy when you say it. But when I'm by myself, it seems impossible."

"Then I'll just keep repeating it. And when I'm there, I'll create a text template outlining this whole plan. I'll send it every morning when you wake up and every night before you go to bed."

She gave him tiniest of smiles.

"I'm scared," she said.

"Don't be scared, be excited," he whispered.

- - - - - - - - - -

"I wish I was going with you," she nuzzled his neck.

"Me too."

"I don't want to go back to empty apartment. At least you'll watch movies for the next 8 hours."

"I shouldn't have moved in with you," he stroke her hair. "I should have gone to my dad's for those three weeks."

"I'm glad you did, at least I had you to myself in the evenings. I wouldn't be able to stay with you at your dad's."

"But now everything will remind you of me."

"Maybe it'll motivate me to study harder and join you sooner."

"Or, maybe you'll go party somewhere rather than stay at home which so painfully reminds you of me and study."

She bumped his shoulder. "Don't joke! I'm serious."

"Why don't you meet up with friends and stay out for the evening?" he asked.

"That's just delaying what's coming. I'll go home and try to study. Call me when you land. Promise."

"It'll be middle of the night here."

"It doesn't matter, I don't think I'll be able to sleep anyway. Promise!"

"Okay, I'll call you as soon as I clear the customs," he said.

They kissed hungrily, desperately. After a long while, he gently pulled away.

"That was the last call for my flight," he said.

Her eyes swam in tears threatening to spill down her cheeks.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too."

She threw her arms around him, her lips searched for his one last time.

"Wait for me," she tore herself away.

"Forever!"

----------

"Hello?"

"God, I can't believe I finally got you on the phone! Congratulations, Ms. Graduate! You've been extremely hard to find lately!"

"Oh, that's you! Thank you!" she said.

"You don't sound too thrilled. Is this bad time?"

"No, of course not. I just walked in, my parents are here to celebrate."

"I see. Let's keep it short so you don't have to explain who it was," disappointment was thick in his voice.

"They're waiting in a cafe across the street. I have time," she chirruped.

"I didn't want to haunt you before the graduation, but I missed hearing your voice. It's been over a month..."

"I was at the university from dawn to dusk the last few weeks. I texted you, everything's fine, I told you."

"I know. I'm just saying I missed you. What's the plan now?"

"A big dinner with parents and friends!"

"I wish I was there..." he said.

"Yeah..."

They listened to each other breathing through the line.

"What are you going to do now?" he asked.

She ignored the unspoken, the real question she knew he was asking.

"I'll stay and relax for a couple of weeks when the parents leave. Then I'll go home for the Summer."

"Oh!"

"Listen, I have to go. I'll email you from home, when I sort out with myself and parents what's next."

"Okay," his voice sounded broken, "I'll wait."

"I know you will," she said.

- - - - - - - - - -

Her: Hi

Him: Hi

Her: just got back to town

Him: had an exciting summer?

Her: ya, not bad. visited family and friends. travelled a bit.

Him: missed hearing from you.

Her: am here now

Him: can I call?

Her: not now, maybe later.

Him: ok

Her: must tell you sumting. I spoke to parents

Him: uh oh

Her: mom understands but says no future for me there, i'd depend on you. dad's against.

Him: I told you they'd say that

Her: ya. got me thinking tho

Him: ...

Her: i can't say it nicely--i'm staying home

Him: ?

Her: dad found me a job

Him: can we talk?

Her: no, please. i decided. it's over. sorry

- - - - - - - - - -

Him: Happy Birthday!

Her: tx

Him: How is life?

Her: ok

Him: How do you like the job?

Her: what r u doing?

Him: What do you mean?

Her: let's not do this. don't txt me any more

- - - - - - - - - -

Her: congrats!

Him: ???

Her: heard you got married

Him: 6 mts ago

Her: i just found out. belated congrats! :D

Him: Thank you

Her: thought u'd wait 4 me ;P

Him: To borrow your words I still remember clearly: Let's not do this! Not after 10 yrs! Pls, don't text me again

- - - - - - - - - -

From: Her To: Him No subject Hi. Hope you aren't still angry with me for that text long ago. I tried to text you, but you changed the number. So, here I am in a good old-fashioned email. :) I met our old friend, he told me you came back. Retired, huh? Must be nice to retire so early. Anyway, I'm on vacation near by. Would you like to grab a coffee? It would be nice to catch up after all this time.

From: Him To: Her Re: No subject Hi. Thanks for the email. I'm not mad at you. I'm not even mad at life. Things happened the way they were meant to happen. I've learned long ago to stop wondering 'what if?' I've changed a lot, as undoubtedly have you. And I don't mean only physically. I'm happy the way my life turned out. Hope you are too. Since we retired here—my family is here with me—I met quite a few ghosts from the past: old friends, acquaintances and such. Every time I met an old friend anew, I shattered a beautiful memory and replaced it with ugly reality. That's why I'd prefer not to meet you. I'd like to remember you—remember us—the way we were. I hope life will not bring us close enough to ruin that.

[rosettahart]

Rewrite

Summary: Roman, Logan, Virgil and Patton all have their problems to deal with, but they will soon find out that there are some things that they can't get through on their own. Monster AU

Warnings: Character Death, Self Doubts, Evil Deceit and a Homophobic Kingdom.

Chapter 1

Roman evaded the man's punch. He smirked as his opponent attempted to hit him again.

“Pulling your punches on purpose, my Regal Risotto?” Roman teased, using the momentum from his dodge to power a kick to his friend’s left side.

“Nope.” The young man replied, knocking Roman’s leg back with his right hand and punching his left shoulder with his free fist. “Just waiting for you to strike.”

Roman grabbed the upper arm that had attacked him in order to correct his balance, pulling it down forcefully to propel himself upwards and his opponent down. The attacker stumbled forward, catching himself on his hands and knees in the soft multicolored leaves.

“Looks like you win today, Princey.” The man laughed, getting up off the ground to commend Roman and extending his hand for a shake.

Roman turned to his friend, catching his breath and wiping off the sweat running down his forehead before making his way to his acquaintance. A grin graced his handsome face. At least up until the point where he tripped over a rock, falling onto his best friend and wrapping his arms around the man to soften the blow as best as he could.

“You okay?” Roman asked, worried that he had hurt his friend. He could feel their muscular physique below his own and how fast the man's heart was beating beneath his. It was probably due to the strain of training, but could it also be because of something else? His own chest was also pounding pretty hard and there was a tightness in his stomach. He propped himself up so he could look into his combatant’s mesmerizing electric blue eyes. Those eyes that were so close to his.

“Better than okay, Princey,” the man chuckled, smiling up at Roman.

Roman exhaled, able to breath a little easier, and pondered briefly before asking his friend, “Why do you keep calling me Princey? I’m the one who should be calling you that, if anything.”

The Prince stared back into Roman’s light brown eyes giving him a mischievous look and holding it for a moment. Roman’s chest tied itself into knots. He’d felt like this before, but he wasn’t sure what it meant. Before he could dwell on it any longer, the Prince pushed Roman off of himself, cackling and sitting up. Roman was taken aback and took a second to recover before he sat up confused, his face red.

“What did I say?” Roman exclaimed embarrassed, going over what had just happened in his head. Had he made a weird face? Was there an obvious reason for the nickname?

“Nothing.” The Prince stopped laughing, beaming at Roman.

“Royce, please?” Roman whimpered.

Royce turned his attention to the leaves and branches above him and the way the sun shone through them, becoming serious. “Roman, have you ever…” Royce paused, unsure if he should continue. He let himself fall back to the ground, giving up on his question.

“Have I ever what?” Roman leaned back till he was also laying down on the brown grass and fallen leaves. Where had Royce’s flirtatious nature gone?

“Have you ever thought about if women were allowed to like women and men were allowed to like-”

“Men?” Roman finished. He had thought about it before. The laws of the Kingdom forbade same sex romance and it was punishable by death. These relationships were extremely rare. Roman had never heard of anyone committing the crime, but the law wouldn’t be there if it had never happened before, right? How many people were actually out there hiding and suppressing these feelings? Did he have any of these feelings for a guy? He knew that he liked girls and that it was safer if he never explored the other possibility.

But what about Royce? Roman examined the Prince, the way his medium length, messy, dirty blond hair reminded him of the wet, sandy beach that held the boat... the place they would officially meet.

~A flashback~

It was his first mission with the Prince and Roman couldn't believe it! He'd been preparing for this day since he was just a little boy, training in his free time and going to every parade and festival that the Prince attended. He had applied to be a part of the Beast Enforcement Advanced Strategic Taskforce when he turned fourteen, lying about his age to get in, but he didn't meet the size requirements and was told to wait a year. After eight months he reapplied and was accepted even though he was still a little on the small side. He was strong (in both senses of the word ;)), and he wasn't going to let someone tell him what he could and could not do and the recruiter liked that about him.

A year of training passed and he was given a guarding position, tasked with fending off any monsters that tried to get into the city's walls. Most days and nights guarding though were fairly uneventful. Roman longed for adventure. Patrolling the gate seemed pale in comparison to what the Prince was doing, tracking down beasts that threatened to kill and destroy the lives of the innocent and saving damsels in distress. It was all he ever wanted and he was growing impatient as undercover reconnoitres for the B.E.A.S.T. kept drafting those around him. Why wasn't he good enough for the recruiters? He met all of the necessary requirements; the training, the discipline and okay maybe he wasn't the right age yet, but they didn't know that he was sixteen and not eighteen! So what was wrong with him? Why didn't they want him?

Roman didn't give up. He was not going to let his dream die when it was right there in front of him just barely out of reach. So he trained harder, pushing himself to the point of exhaustion. He had to take two whole weeks away from work only to come back frustrated with himself for not being good enough. This unhealthy wave of doubts ate at him for a good chunk of a year, until he finally got the letter that would put his life back on track. He was finally requested to join the B.E.A.S.T. and on top of that he was going to meet his hero, Prince Royce, who would be leading some of the new recruits (He couldn't believe he was lucky enough to be one of them!)

Sirens! His first mission was going to be taking down sirens with the Prince! This was going to be a piece of cake with a cherry to top it off. He could remember all the horrible monsters that he had studied to get where he was today and sirens weren't all that big a deal. All they would have to do was catch the pesky things in a net. It was going to be that simple and he'd easily be able to impress Prince Royce with his knowledge and natural skill at hunting beasts!

“Attention.” A quiet yet assertive voice ordered. The man's amber eyes scanned the new Beasties (Roman’s cute little nickname for them). The recruits lined up, straightening their backs and watching as the Prince ascended the stairs from behind the dark haired man.

Roman turned his attention to the royal. He was enchanted by the way the last remnants of the sunlight outlined the young man's white button up shirt from behind. The Prince seemed almost angelic by the way the light brightened the gold embellishments at his shoulders. Could it really be the Prince? He was only a little over an arms length away. This couldn't be real! Why couldn't he move and why was it getting harder and harder to breath? Roman was shaking and sweating with nerves. What had overcome him?

Prince Royce took his time to study the eight newest additions to the Taskforce. Roman held his breath and straightened up even more, focusing on the head of the man in front of him. He could feel Royce's eyes stop on his figure so he dared to make eye contact. Before he could, something from behind him stole the Prince’s gaze. The Royal tensed and a quick glance at his lips told Roman that the man wasn’t as brave as he had previously believed as they quivered for but a second. Roman wanted to turn around to see what had upset Prince Royce, a feeling of unease taking over him, but he kept his attention forward as he was ordered. Maybe just one glance wouldn’t hurt, right? No he couldn’t let all the years of training and discipline go out the window now.

“Sir Andrei, take the helm.” The Prince commanded.

The dark haired man swiftly took the wheel and the crew gathered as fog rolled into the already darkening sky, taking their places behind Roman and the others. They had to be nearing the sirens.

Roman felt himself wanting to move closer to the middle of the boat but held his ground.

“I want two crew to a new B.E.A.S.T., with the exceptions of the ropes with one crew to one recruit and below deck with one to two. I will be taking the remaining newbie myself. Crew, you know what to do. Get to your stations.” The Prince ordered.

Roman watched the organized scramble of crew members each taking a beastie and head for their different stations, unsure of what to do. Everyone kept close eyes to the water, a few prepared nets. No one dared to look away from the dark liquid that surrounded the ship. A siren could attack at any moment. Everyone was tense.

“Guess that leaves you as the unlucky newbie who gets to help me.” Prince Royce whispered into Roman’s ear, causing him to jump in surprise and nearly let out an embarrassing scream.

Roman could hardly breathe. His heart was beating out of his chest and he was overflowing with such excitement that he couldn’t hold it all back. He couldn’t focus on the mission anymore and any bad feelings were left forgotten for the moment.

“Unlucky? Me?” Roman scoffed, moving his hand that was covering his mouth to his heart.

If anything he was the luckiest person on the planet! He couldn’t help his grin or his bouncing around. All he wanted to do was kneel on one knee with the Prince’s hand in between his and assure him of his greatness that far exceeded the word great. How dare the Prince doubt himself! Roman would fight off all those who thought this man to be anything less than what he really was!

“Noonewouldbeunluckytobeinyourpresenceandanyonewhosaysotherwiseisundeservingofyourattention!YouarethemostbeautifulbeingIhaveeverhadthepleasureoflayingmyeyesonandmostpreciousof-” Roman gushed, hardly realizing that he had grabbed the Royal’s hand in the middle of his ramblings.

“Stop right there and please take a deep breath. You look like you could pass out from lack of oxygen at any moment.” Royce laughed, holding Roman’s hand back.

Roman tried to take in a few breaths but was having trouble as his passion was still burning inside of him and he still had a lot more to say. The Prince gently led him over to the stairs, taking his hand from Roman’s in order to wrap an arm around around him to keep him upright.

Roman was ready to faint. He felt really lightheaded. He couldn’t believe any of this was happening. Like seriously, the Prince was holding him up! Heat rushed to his face. Was all of this really happening? Cause if so this was better than a dream come true, if that was even possible.

“Dallas, you are in charge while I get this man some water. If there are any signs of the sirens send someone immediately to get me from my quarters.” The Prince’s voice sounded kind of muffled to Roman.

“Of course your highness.” The man at the helm responded.

Prince Royce led Roman slowly down the stairs, his right arm behind Roman and his left hand holding his. It was too hard for Roman to focus on anything other than his head, so the assistance was much needed. He almost toppled over at one point but the fall wouldn’t have been too bad as they were almost at the bottom anyways. Royce opened the door in front of them and led him to the long, light grey couch to the right of the door.

“Lay down before you faint, I’ll get you a glass of water.”

Roman did as he was told even though he still wasn’t sure about what was going on. He closed his eyes, trying to comprehend everything. He was on a couch in the captain’s quarters in his B.E.A.S.T. uniform. This was his first official mission. They were taking out some sirens and the Prince was leading them… The Prince had brought him to his quarters on the ship. Wait… The Prince brought him here!? Roman shook his head. That was not possible. He was more likely dreaming, if anything.

“Here you go, drink up. Some water should help.”

Roman sat up, accepting the glass of water. “Thank you.” He downed some of it then glanced over at the Royal before inhaling some water, causing him to cough and his face to go bright red.

“Woah, are you okay there?” The man grabbed his arms, concerned, but laughed it off as Roman’s coughing slowed.

“You’re… You’re…” Roman stuttered unable to say the words out loud. If he did that meant this was really happening and that he had said all that stuff and-

“Prince Royce?”

Roman grasped the man's arms back, trying to breath and compose himself. He brought up his gaze slowly, taking the Prince in, and then their eyes met. This was really happening. Roman knew those eyes anywhere and he was finally able to see them closer. They were gorgeous. The two held eye contact for a few more moments until Royce cleared his throat and looked away shyly. Before Roman could muster up the courage to talk to his hero, a window behind the desk in the middle of the room swung open. A slim, slimy, feminine hand reached in before pulling the rest of its body up to reveal a beautiful yet slightly fishy siren, it had dark wet hair and big, lonely, pleading eyes.

“Help me?” The siren sang with those plump, kissable, blue lips. Roman couldn’t help it. The poor thing looked scared and needed his help. He made his way to the hopeless creature. He was dazed by and drawn to her. Right before Roman could grab her hand and pull her in Royce slammed the window shut. A large wave tilted the boat and set Royce off balance, sending him barreling into Roman and the rough floorboards.

“Roman?”

~The present~

“Roman?” A concerned, confused and slightly pained voice pulled him from his thoughts.

“Is something wrong, my Kimchi Fried Rice with Extra Greens?” Roman replied, still a little out of it.

“I'm not a rice dish Roman! I have feelings that I shouldn't have as the Prince… feelings that I shouldn't have as a guy, so why do I?” Royce turned over onto his side, facing away from Roman.

What feelings was his best friend referring to? They were just talking about same sex relationships… did Royce like another guy? Who could it be? And why was Roman getting upset? Was he jealous? But that would only mean that he did in fact have feelings for the Prince! None of these questions or realizations mattered at this moment, he could think about it all later.

Roman moved closer to his friend, putting a hand on his shoulder. “I know you're not a meal composed of rice my Scallop and Mushroom Risotto with Truffle Oil, and I'll always be by your side no matter who you love!”

“I-” Royce started, rolling over to make eye contact with Roman.

Their faces were now only inches apart and the Prince's knees and lower legs were against the other’s chest. Roman’s heart was ready to explode. He was caught off guard and scared for whatever was going to happen next, but he needed to know if Royce was going to say what he thought he was going to say.

“Yes?” Roman whispered, trying not to stare at his friends lips and how he bit down on the bottom one.

“I never answered your question.”

Roman couldn't bring himself to look up into the handsome blue eyes in front of him, but that didn't matter because Royce pushed his chin up until he did.

“I call you Princey because… I-”

“Prince Royce?” Dallas called out with a hint of concern.

Both Roman and his Wild Rice Bowl with Red Lentil, Curry and Spinach started at the sudden interruption and were on their feet in a mere second. (It was rather impressive. *ahem*) The two quickly brushed off dirt and leaves from themselves. Roman caringly reached over to pick a leaf from Royce’s hair that he hadn’t gotten. Their eyes met each other’s then lowered to the other’s lips before the clearing of Dallas’ throat interrupted them. They both jumped away from the other, their eyes going wide. Royce composed himself a little more and worriedly forced his attention to his advisor.

“I apologize for my interruption, but a vampire has been reported not too far beyond the gate.” The man advised the two of them. “There was only one so we don’t need too many men but I wanted to alert you before we send anyone else out. I was thinking maybe the three of us would be enough to take care of the threat.”

“Of course. No need to send out an unnecessary amount of men for one vampire.” Royce responded, untying his horse’s lead from a low tree branch. Roman followed suit. The three mounted their horses and quickly made their way to the gates.

A vampire, really? Ugh, why did a vampire have to choose now of all times to rear its ugly head? Really, like its timing could not have been more perfect to ruin such a heartfelt moment, and they were just getting somewhere, too. No matter. It wouldn’t take long to find and kill the monster.

After making it past the gate, the three searched the forest. It didn’t take long before they had to ditch their horses, as the trees were getting denser in the direction they were informed the beast had fled.

“We’re going to have to split up from here if we’re going to find this thing. I’ll take the middle, Dallas, you’ll take the right, and Roman... that leaves you with the left.” Royce instructed, sounding frustrated.

“Are you sure Royce? I mean-” Roman started, unsure if that was the smartest idea. Vampires weren’t too hard to deal with, but by one’s self...

“Of course he’s sure. We’ll find it quicker this way, and we can always call out to each other if we find it.” Dallas interjected.

Royce nodded, giving Roman as reassuring a look as he could, but Roman could see the quiver of his friends lips.

Dallas headed off a little to the right. Roman gave a confident smile to Royce, hoping that it might make him more sure of himself.

“I bet you I can find it first.” Roman ventured slyly, causing Royce to smile back.

“Okay, but if I find it first you have to stop calling me the names of different rice dishes.” Royce smirked, whispering into Roman’s ticklish ear.

“Fine, but if I win you have to tell me why you keep calling me Princey.” Roman laughed back.

“Deal.”

The two shook hands, hesitantly turning back to the forest. Roman went straight in. The sun was almost set and this deformity needed to be taken care of. No one could get away with stealing Roman’s precious time!

Unfortunately the last of the sunlight quickly left, leaving Roman searching in the dark forest by himself all too soon. Maybe it wouldn’t have been that bad if they had gotten more B.E.A.S.T.s to join them. Or at least the other two, because Roman was doing fine on his own and it was the others he was worried about. Definitely.

It was getting colder, and a shiver ran down his spine as he heard something make contact with the leaves on the ground. Roman pulled out his sword, beginning to feel queasy. The little forest noises here and there set him off, causing him to clench his weapon harder in his grasp. Why had they split up? It was stupid of them to think they could take it on by themselves. Something was moving in his gut. It felt like stuff was touching him all over, but nothing actually was. He let out shaky breaths. Why couldn’t he be somewhere safe? Why’d he let the others go off like that? What if the vampire had already gotten them? What if he was its last target? Royce had to be okay. He just had to! Roman listened, horrified, as he heard someone let out a dreadful, pained,  scream.

“ROYCE!” a second voice yelled from not too far away.

Roman, hearing the scream, rushed through the trees towards the one who had let out the haunting sound, just hoping that the Prince wasn’t dead. He couldn’t be! So why was his stomach tied in knots? Roman crashed through the brush into a small, dimly lit clearing. His heart that had previously been beating alarmingly fast  skipped a few beats as he fell to his knees next to the lifeless body.

[daisyxflanagan]

cops and robbers - gage & daisy

WHO: Daisy Flanagan & Gage Pierce ( @piercing-gage )

WHEN: Wednesday 24th October

WHERE: Playroom, Lime Heights Institute

WHAT: Gage and Daisy have planned a scene involving roleplay, briefly covered in their Switch 101 class in which Gage is a police officer and catches Daisy, a street walker, looking for potential clients.

CLASSES COVERED: Switch 101.

Gage

Gage was looking forward to this scene the most. The last few days he spent working on his impact play or his rewards and punishment scenes but this one? This one was different. Daisy had initially requested impact play as well, but later changed her mind and asked to do a roleplay instead. After a short discussion, they came up with a cop/criminal scene and Gage was thrilled. Putting on a button up shirt and tie and a pair of slacks, Gage grabbed his handcuffs and made his way downstairs to look for his fellow switch.

Daisy

This was a scene she was excited for. They'd be exploring some roleplaying as well as some light bondage, given what they were roleplaying and she couldn't wait. Daisy had dressed simply; a short black dress that'd be easy for Gage to get into, so to speak, no underwear to prove her role, and wearing her long hair was down and natural. They'd agreed he would 'find' her wandering around, as though looking to make some quick cash by walking the streets, and she'd play the role well. Daisy heard footsteps and glance around a corner, smirking when she saw it was Gage, wearing a shirt and tie, and she turned her expression into something innocent, beaming at him. "Good evening, officer," she said politely. "Lovely evening for a stroll, isn't it?"

Gage

Gage felt his cock harden at the sight of the redhead. The dress hugged all her curves nicely and if he assumed correctly, she was wearing nothing underneath said dress, exciting him even more. Walking up to her, he schooled his expression, raising one eyebrow as she spoke. “Yes. Yes it is. Though, I’m not really sure what a lovely young lady such as yourself is doing in these parts. Have you got anything to say for yourself?”

Daisy

His expression told Daisy everything she needed to know. He approved of her outfit. She beamed at him at the words and leaned against a nearby wall. Her gaze moved from him, out over the campus grounds and sighed, as though fed up. "I don't know what you want me to say, officer," she said in mock sadness, shaking her head. "I'm out simply taking in the sights and enjoying myself. That's not a crime, is it? I'm looking to make some friends."

Gage

Gage hummed as though he was pretending to believe her. Leaning his hand against the wall above her head, he leaned into her, very flirtatious. “Oh yeah? What kind of friends are you looking to make. Maybe I can help out” he husked out, his eyes becoming slightly darker in lust as he spoke.

Daisy

Daisy felt him lean closer and brought her gaze back to him, an eyebrow raised. They were closer than she'd have expected but she couldn't help but smirk at him, standing up a little straighter. "Really, officer? You know I'm out here to make some money. Are you telling me that a good, law-abiding policeman would willingly sleep with someone who's walking the streets for cash?" She asked, shaking her head in mock amusement. "I'm sure you could help out if you wanted to."

Gage

Gage grinned as she spoke. "You see, you just actually helped me tremendously" he said as he reached around and grabbed his pair of handcuffs. "You just incriminated yourself and I didn't have to do a dang thing" he said before grabbing her wrist and spinning her around, pushing her against the wall slightly. "You're under arrest Miss, for prostitution" he said as he cuffed her hands behind her. "You're coming with me" he said as he pulled her away from the wall and began to lead her back towards his dorm.

Daisy

Daisy gasped when she was turned and pushed against the ball, her hands cuffed behind her back. She pretended to struggle against him, letting out a slight whimper as he spoke. This was what they'd planned, of course, and her only way out of it was going to be giving Gage what he wanted. But she remained in character, protesting and fighting the whole way back to his dorm. "You can't arrest me! You have no proof that's what I was doing! How do you know I was even being serious? It's called a joke." She continued the entire walk up to the dorm and it was only when they arrived in Gage's room that she fell silent, looking up at him and shifting on her feet. "Now what?"

Gage

Gage remained silent on the way back to his dorm, letting her protest and argue all she wanted. Once they were back in the dorm, he looked down at her at the question. "Well, we have two options. I could book you right now and you'd have to go to trial and possibly end up with probation or even jail time" he mused as he began to pace slowly in front of her. "Or..." he said stopping directly in front of her and reaching down with his hand to grip his cock above his pants. "You can put that mouth to good use and show me how good you really are"

Daisy

Daisy looked at him, her eyes wide and listened. His pacing made her nervous and she bit her lip as she waited. "Are you serious?" She said, almost scathingly as she took half a step back from him, hands still handcuffed behind her back. "So it's either jail or suck your cock?" Daisy glanced down at where he was gripping and bit her lip at the outline of his length. She said nothing and dropped to her knees, looking up at him and waiting for him to free himself. She couldn't use her hands, after all. "You promise you won't book me if I do this? I don't want to get into trouble... I'm only nineteen."

Gage

Watching the girl drop to her knees brought a large grin to Gage's face. Unbuttoning and unzipping his pants, Gage pulled out his mostly erect cock, only pulling his pants down enough to give her access to it. "No one will know and you'll be free to go once we're done" he said and he casually stroked his cock. "But you gotta earn it, so let's see it" he said, as he placed his cock in front of the girls lips.

Daisy

Daisy watched as he freed himself from his pants and gave a quiet groan. She shifted in her position on the floor, knees already aching from the position. But she didn't care. She nodded at his words, leaning forwards to take the head of his length in her mouth, teasing at him with her tongue. Usually when she did this she had her hands free so she could stroke what her mouth was unable to reach. But this time she didn't so Daisy knew she had to work extra hard to make Gage feel good. She slowly took more of him between her lips, until she could feel him pressed to the back of her throat, though he wasn't fully in her yet, and began to bob her head, keeping her eyes fixed on him as she moved.

Gage

Gage groaned as the girl started working on his cock, teasing his the head before taking as much as she could all at once. He did his best to not just start fucking her face. Instead he threaded his fingers in her head and gently scratched the back of her scalp. “Fuck yeah. Just like that you whore” he husked out.

Daisy

Daisy whimpered around him as he tangled his fingers in her hair, looking up at him again. She wanted him to feel good, that was what this scene was about after all, but she wanted to stay in character as much as possible too. So her expression was blank, almost scared, as she worked over him, groaning softly at the insults he fired at her, nodding her head - as best as she could - in agreement. Her hands clenched into fists a little from where they were still behind her back and she pressed her legs tighter together, clearly getting aroused from doing this. But Daisy didn't let her movements falter. She knew she was good at this and wanted to prove it to Gage, closing her eyes for a moment as she moved.

Gage

Gage looked down at the girl on her knees in front of him. Her eyes were full of lust and the fists behind her in the handcuffs didn’t get past him. She was doing a wonderful job and he could easily cum just from her blowjob alone. But he didn’t want that. So after a few moments, He pulled out and reached down to pull her off her knees before bending her over the counter next to them and reaching between her legs he kicked apart to find her core extremely wet. “You really are a slut aren’t you? Getting turned on by sucking off a cop” he husked out in her ear

Daisy

Daisy was pulled to her feet roughly and bent over the counter, her chest pressed flat against it. Her hands were still clenched into fists behind her back and she turned her head to watch as he kicked her feet apart and brought a hand between her legs. "Y-Yes, Sir," she whispered, taking a deep, steadying breath. Her dress barely covered her ass and she knew if she shifted too much, it'd rise up and expose her core to the other Switch. So she stayed still, holding her breath as she waited to see what he was going to do next.

Gage

Gage ran two fingers up and down her slick center, gathering up her juices on her fingers. “You thought a nice little blow job was gonna be enough to let you go free?” he growled out as one of his fingers ran along her clit, a smirk planting itself across his lips as he felt the girl shutter.

Daisy

Daisy shuddered beneath him when he let his fingers run over her slit, squirming a little beneath him without meaning to. She knew her dress was rising up and exposing her, showing off her pink core. "I h-hoped," Daisy mumbled, looking up at him with wide eyes. "W-What are you going to do to me? You promise if I do this, officer, you'll let me go and I won't get into trouble?" She asked, tugging at the handcuffs a little and biting her lip.

Gage

Gage chuckled at the innocent look across her face. Looking down to see her dress rise up even more, exposing her beautiful ass, Gage licked his lips. “Just consider this another job you slut. You’re payment, instead of cash, is going to be your freedom” he said as he reached into his pockets and unlocked the handcuffs. “Now. Let’s see how good of a whore you are” he said as her arms were let free. Reaching down, he flipped up her dress and ran the head of his cock between her wet folds. “Look at you. Already to go aren’t you slut?”

Daisy

Daisy let out a whimper at his words and gasped when her wrists were released rom the handcuffs, bringing her hands forward so she could hold herself up a little more. Gage was pulling her dress up, exposing her completely and she moaned a little at the feel of his cock pressing against her, shivering slightly. "Y-Yes, Sir, I am," she whispered, looking back at him. "I'm wet for you, I'm all ready to go."

Gage

Gage looked up and caught her eye and a low moan came from inside of him. Her lustful eyes were on display, completely breaking the scene showing him exactly how much she wanted this. Looking back down, Gage lined up his cock again before slowly pushing himself all the way inside the girl. “Fuck, you’re so fucken tight you whore” he groaned out, doing his best to stay in character. Quickly undoing his tie, Gage pulled the shirt off himself leaving him in his pants only, displaying his abs to the girl as she looked over her shoulder.

Daisy

Daisy couldn't stop the low moan from ripping from her throat as he pushed all the way inside her, clenching around him. He was big and it was true, she was tight, and she could feel him everywhere. But god, he felt good. Daisy let out another groan as he stripped his shirt off, giving an appreciative smile. "You look gorgeous," she mumbled, biting her lip and letting her legs fall open a little wider, hands gripping at the edge of the counter. "You g-gonna fuck me, officer? Show me how terrible I am?"

Gage

Gage smirked at the change of tone she had. Winking at the girl he slowly pulled out. “Now there’s the good little whore I wanted to see” he said before pushing back into her and beginning a steady rhythm of in and out in and out. He gripped at her hips, moaning as he looked down and watched her core swallow his dick whole.

Daisy

Daisy's cheeks turned slightly pink at the words but she nodded at him and gripped at the counter harder than before. The grip on her hips was tight and Daisy moaned loudly as he began to thrust in and out of her. She clenched around him and brought her head up a little so she could see him properly, biting her lip. It felt good, she had to admit. It was filthy, raw, and she reached down for the hem of her dress, pulling it over her head and letting it fall to the ground, so she was completely naked for the other man.

Gage

The undressing of the girl in front of him was unexpected but definitely not unwanted. The girl was absolutely beautiful and the moan of appreciation was not held back. “You fucken slut. Just can’t keep your clothes on can you?” he growled out before pulling out completely and turning her around before picking her up lining himself back up before thrusting inside of her again. “There. Now I can see how much of a slut you really are” he said as he used the counter to help keep her steady.

Daisy

Daisy shook her head at his words, grinning a little. They were playing the scene well and she was thoroughly enjoying herself. But then he'd pulled out, leaving her empty and wanting, and picked her up. Her whole weight was in his arms and her hands came back, as though to hold herself steady as she wrapped her legs around him. Gage was thrusting into her again and Daisy let her head fall back in a moan, a hand coming to slowly circle her flit. "Y-Yes! Yes, Sir, you can see how much of a slut I am. Moaning for you. I'm so wet for you, Sir, g-god." Daisy let her eyes close for a moment, tightening her grip on Gage as he moved.

Gage

Gage was fighting a losing battle at this point as his orgasm quickly built at seeing the girl in front of him. “I’m gonna pump you full of my cum before I send you on your way. Then you can walk the streets looking for your clients with my cum running down your leg” he growled out, his hold tightening around her ass. “Fuck you better cum before I do you slut. Or else you’ll have to find someone else to do it for you”

Daisy

Daisy nodded at him, still moaning loudly as he moved inside of her. His grip was tight and she was lost in the pleasure, her fingers working harder over her clit. "Y-Yes, Sir," Daisy mumbled, opening her eyes and looking up at him, smiling. She'd felt close for a while and she wanted to cum, but she didn't want to without permission, not really. But Daisy couldn't hold back and she arched her back a little as her fingers moved. And within minutes, her orgasm had hit and she was moaning loudly, clenching around Gage as he fucked into her, gripping at the hand on her hips tightly.

Gage

Gage kept his grip tight as he focused on what he was doing. He could tell the girl was close and so he did everything in his willpower to hold off his orgasm as long as possible. He was extremely thankful when she came though and the tightening around his cock was just enough to push him over the edge. “Ropes and ropes of cum squirted into her core, mixing with her own juices as a loud moan came from his throat.

Daisy

Gage's grip was tight and his thrusts were harsh as he chased his orgasm. All Daisy could do was moan and squirm beneath him, her body trembling slightly. She felt when his own release hit and he came deep inside of her, making her blush a little. She slumped down against the counter, breathing heavily as they both came down from their high.

Gage

After a moment, Gage lifted her a little, allowing his cock to slip out of her core, and placed her in the counter. “You did well whore. You’re free to go” he said breathily as he stuffed his cock back into his pants.

Daisy

Daisy gasped when she was set down and he pulled out. She watched him tuck himself away and reached for her dress, slipping it over her body again so she was covered up. Daisy was still breathing heavily and pressed her legs together but didn't say anything immediately. Their scene was over, she knew that. "Do... do you want me to leave, Gage?"

Gage

Gage looked over at the girl. No way in hell did he actually want her to leave but the scene is over. “The scene has ended. Do you need anything?” he asked. “I would be very okay if you stayed but I don’t want to stay if you don’t feel comfortable doing so.”

Daisy

"N-No, I don't need anything," Daisy said, shifting a little uncomfortably from where she could feel his release and have a nervous smile. "I want sure if you were serious when you said I was free to go, that's all. I know some people don't like to hang out after a scene. And I didn't know what kind of person you are with it, you know?"

Gage

Gage smiled and ran a hand through his hair. “You’re my only scene for the day. I have no plans now. Do you want to order in some dinner?”

Daisy

Daisy nodded at him, tugging her dress down a little more. "Yeah, we can order some. Do you mind if I grab a shower? I mean, you can even join me if you want," she added with a laugh, running a hand through her own hair.

Gage

Smirking at the girl, Gage waved his hand towards the room. “A shower together sounds great” he said before following her to the bathroom.

[my-sweet-pea]

Who Are You? - Part 3

Here’s the next part. Sorry that this part took a little longer, and it might not be very good.

Warning: violence

Part 1  /  Part 2  /  Part 3  /  Part 4

Sweet Pea led me around the side of the building. Fangs was leaning casually against the wall. When he saw us come around the corner, Fangs stood up and nodded in my direction.

"Char! So glad you could come!" Toni called from behind me.

I turned, smiling tentatively at her in response. I was very nervous. I had never done anything like this before. Since childhood, I had known that justice couldn't be left to the cops. They blamed the south side and everyone who lived there for everything that was wrong with Riverdale, ignoring the fact that the north side was not innocent. Despite that, I had never really had a reason to enact this kind of swift justice.

"You ready?" Sweet Pea asked quietly.

I took a deep breath and nodded. Let's do this.

Sweet Pea outlined his plan, the four of us listening attentively. Fangs cracked his knuckles and sneered as Sweet Pea described how he planned to beat this guy up. Sweet Pea gave us specific roles and instructions. I was impressed. They were very organized in their revenge plans.

Here we go. I took some deep breaths.

"Hey, girl, don't worry. Sweets knows what he's doing. And we've got his back." Toni reached out and gave my hand a squeeze, smiling at me reassuringly.

"Yeah, of course," I smiled back. Toni has a surprising way of making me feel more comfortable.

The two of us waited together while the boys went to bring back our target. I appreciated the fact that Toni had stayed with me. We waited together for five minutes, Toni lounging against the wall while I paced in a tight circle.

"Are you sure that Sweet Pea a-and Fangs are going to be ok? Shouldn't they be back by now?" I could hear the anxiety leaking into my voice.

Just as Toni opened her mouth to respond, the boys rushed around the corner. They were half dragging, half carrying the piece of crap who hurt my friend. They threw him against the wall, Fangs grabbing his throat and throwing his head back.

Sweet Pea turned to me, looking serious. "Do you recognize him?"

I searched his face. "Enough to know he goes to our school, but I don't think I have any classes with him. Do you guys know him?"

"Yeah. He's a Ghoulie." Fangs spat on the last word, tightening his hand around the boy's throat.

"A Ghoulie?" I cried, whipping around to look at Sweet Pea. "Aren't they going to come after us if we touch him."

Sweet Pea chuckled and poked the Ghoulie in the ribs. "They don't really have the same sense of loyalty that us Serpents do. They might not even notice if he doesn't show up to their druggie meetings anymore."

He reached out towards me, gently rubbing my shoulder for a quick moment. "We can take care of you if they do happen to notice."

I wanted him to rub my shoulder again. His large hand was warm and strong, and his contact had been much too short. I watched Sweet Pea closely as he made his way casually towards the Ghoulie. Sweet Pea suddenly pulled his arm back and sent a heavy punch into his jaw. The Ghoulie didn’t see it coming.

Fangs leg go of the boy as he stumbled and almost fell. He pulled himself upright, smearing the blood from his mouth. As I closely watched, he turned to me. His eyes were glassy and bloodshot. They reminded me of something inhuman. I shuddered, crossing my arms over my stomach.

The Ghoulie lunged towards Sweet Pea, though his exact plan didn’t even seem clear to himself. My heart was in my throat. What if he hurts Sweet Pea? Or my other new friends, I mentally added quickly.

Sweet Pea sidestepped and tripped the boy, throwing him down to the ground hard. He began to kick the prone Ghoulie, catching him in the ribs.

After a minute, Sweet Pea stopped. The Ghoulie was crawling along the ground, trying to get away from him. He reached down and hauled him upright by his throat. The boy’s feet dangled about the ground by multiple inches. He grabbed for Sweet Pea’s face, trying to free himself. In one move, Sweet Pea spun and pinned the boy to the wall again. Fangs stepped up and held him in place.

Sweet Pea turned to me and held out his hand. “It’s your turn, princess.”

I gulped and reached out to grab his hand. Fangs was smirking at the back of Sweet Pea’s head, and I heard Toni trying to suppress her laughter. I frowned at them in confusion. Sweet Pea turned his head and shot them both a withering gaze.

“Just take your turn, Char.” Toni sputtered, trying to stop her laughter.

I turned back to Sweet Pea, bewildered by their exchange but trying not to show it. I stepped past him and dropped his hand.

“So, you think it’s cool to drug people? To hurt them? To take control over their lives?” I began, speaking quietly to the bleeding Ghoulie. “Did you really think that we weren’t going to show you just how pathetic that is?”

I stood up, considering my next move. The Serpents were watching me, but I didn't feel like they were judging me. Did I want to hurt him? Well...honestly, no. I didn't want to have to hurt him, but I wanted to see him hurt. Was what Sweet Pea did enough?

No. I sunk my fist into his stomach, right in the solar plexus. It wouldn’t hurt my hand, but it wouldn’t feel too great for him. All the air whooshed out of his lungs. He tried to double over but the Serpents were still holding him upright.

I stepped back, breathing heavier than necessary. I was rattled, but at the same time...it felt so so good. One punch was enough to make me feel better, especially since he was already covered in blood from Sweet Pea's attack.

I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned towards Toni as she smiled softly.

"You did great," she reassured me kindly.

I turned to look at Sweet Pea. He came towards me and nodded.

"She's right. Sometimes a heavy punch to the gut is all you need."

I smiled and turned away as the Serpents moved towards he Ghoulie, ready to hammer home the message. I heard Sweet Pea saying something in a low voice, but I couldn't hear his words. I stayed there until I felt Sweet Pea behind me. I glanced at him as he cleared his throat.

"We're all done. I think he gets it. And if he doesn't, he knows we'll be back," Sweet Pea said grimly.

"Thank you," I said softly. "I really appreciate it. And thank you for letting me come too."

“I'm surprised you wanted to come,” he said, watching my face closely.

I blinked at that. Why wouldn't I want to come help, knowing what I did about this boy?

"Hey Sweets, let's get this guy out of here," Fangs called.

"I'll be right back, ok? How about you just wait at my bike for now?" Sweet Pea smirked, looking excited.

I cocked my head to the side. I wasn't sure I wanted to know whether he was excited to get rid of the Ghoulie, or if he was excited to meet me at his bike. I walked around the corner and leaned against his bike.

A minute later, Toni walked up to me. There was a spot of blood smeared across her forehead, but other than that, she looked the way she always does. She had a serious look on her face and her hair was tumbling loosely from her headband.

"Hey, I think I need to warn you about something. I don't know if you've realized it yet, and I seriously doubt Sweet Pea is going to do it properly so..." she took a deep breath. "Sweet Pea has been fascinated by you for almost a year and a half. He gets excited when he has a class with you, and he'll actually attend as many classes as he can if you're there. He has me and Fangs asking around about you, especially if there's a party coming up, and he tries to conveniently be wherever you're going to be."

She saw the astonished and slightly horrified look on my face and quickly added, "Not in like a stalkery kind of way, I wouldn't say. He doesn't follow you around. He just tries to be in similar social situations so he can get to know you."

"But he had never said anything to me before yesterday!" I began, confused.

"Yeah, that's not surprising. He was always too nervous to talk to you."

I burst out laughing. Sweet Pea, nervous? That didn't really fit with the boy I had heard about. But I guess it did fit more with the boy I was starting to know. I thought back to his silent and grim attitude at the hospital. My laughter trailed off. Maybe I just didn't know Sweet Pea at all.

Toni watched my face as I stopped laughing. She nodded.

"I know it doesn't really seem like him. I know that Fangs and I were extremely confused. But the more he learned about you, the more nervous he became to make first contact. He's a very hard guy, and there's no one else I'd rather have backing me up in a fight. But I could tell that something was up a year and a half ago, and when he finally told us, I wasn't as surprised as you might expect."

Toni glanced over her shoulder quickly. She took another deep breath. "You could be really good for him. He focuses a lot more and doesn't get as angry when he's thinking about you." She paused and looked thoughtful. "Well...he gets jealous-angry a lot more, but generally angry a lot less," she conceded.

"Jealous? Of who?" I sputtered.

Toni laughed. "Anyone and anything that takes you out of his presence. I'm telling you, he really likes you. And I know that's super weird to hear, and I know that he's going to be super weird about it. I told him he needs to tell you, and he was working up the nerve, but then he saw you punch that Ghoulie and he decided on your behalf that you'd rather not get to know him and his world."

I frowned. I had always been a Southsider. I knew just enough about the Serpents and the Ghoulies to know that I shouldn't mess with them. My experience today had shown me that the Serpents were a tightly knit group who loved each other like family.

"Well, anyways, I wanted to tell you. So you knew what kind of a guy he is. He's extremely loyal but he has a lot of trouble realizing what his emotions mean.”

Just as Toni finished her sentence, Sweet Pea came stalking around the corner of the building. He seemed mad about something.

Toni quickly pulled me in for a hug, whispering in my ear, “He’s going to be real annoying now to try to make you decide to never talk to him again without him having to say anything. Don’t let him fool you. I know you like him, and hell, I like you, so don’t ditch us because he’s a brat.” She pulled back, saying in a normal volume, “I can’t wait to see you soon!”

I glanced over at Sweet Pea in time to see his jaw clench violently. He glared daggers at the back of Toni’s head.

“You’re making an awful lot of assumptions there, T. Why would she want to hang with us again?”

Toni punched Sweet Pea in the shoulder, none too gently. “Well, we were just talking about how much she likes us and when we should hang out next. So I’m not assuming anything.”

Sweet Pea frowned, turning towards me immediately. I froze under the ferocity of his gaze. I could see in that single expression the basis for a lot of his reputation. I tried my hardest not to wilt under his glare, but I don't think I was successful.

"Well if that's true, maybe you aren't quite as smart as I thought you were," Sweet Pea sneered.

My eyebrows rose in surprise. And anger.

"I don't have to hang out with you if that's your attitude."

He bit his lip angrily and then smiled without humor. "Sounds about right. Let's go. Bye, Toni," he said scornfully.

He grabbed the helmet and thrust it into my stomach. All the air gushed from my lungs.

I watched him get on the bike. Every move he made was vibrating with anger. I looked at Toni. She was watching him with a sad expression on her face. She felt my gaze and turned to me. 'Don't give up,' she mouthed to me.

I nodded hesitantly. Is this even worth it? I did like Sweet Pea, and I was intrigued by the fact that he seemed to like me too. I wanted to explore how we felt. That would be very hard if Sweet Pea refused to talk to me or was actively trying to hurt me.

Sweet Pea narrowed his eyes at me. I'd been standing there silently for too long. I jumped up and climbed on the bike behind him, not wanting him to leave me behind.

Sweet Pea tore off just as quickly as he had on the way here. I clung to him even tighter, afraid that his anger might make him do something even crazier.

We arrived at my house without incident. I sat frozen for a moment, still clutching his waist. He turned in his seat and raised his eyebrows, a glare on his face.

"We're here now. I did you a favor. You can go now."

I let go of him and slid off the bike. "You know, you aren't fooling me. I don't fully understand why you think I can't be your friend, but I like you. And your friends. So whatever you're doing, don't you dare make any decisions for me!"

On the last word, I poked him in his chest. Hard. Quick as a snake, his hand darted out and grabbed my wrist. He stood and stepped closer to me, causing me to tip my head back to maintain eye contact.

"You should know better than to yell at a Serpent, princess. I was only being nice to you because your friend was hurt and that sucked. But don't think that we're friends all of a sudden. I don't like you, and I don't care that you like me." He spoke in a low, angry voice crackling with emotion.

I watched his eyes as he spoke. He still had a firm hold on my wrist, and it didn't look like he planned to let go. His dark brown eyes were clouded. He was looking right at me yet he wasn't at the same time.

When Sweet Pea was done with his impassioned speech, he didn't let go of my wrist. We stood there in mutual silence, staring into each other's eyes. We were breathing in sync. Sweet Pea swore and pulled on my wrist until I was flush against his chest. He grabbed the back of my head and kissed me in a rush. His lips were hard and demanding against mine. For one instant, I was taken by surprise, but then I flung my arms around his neck and kissed him back

We stayed that way, exploring each other's mouths as if they held the solution to all the universe's problems. After what could have been years, I had a sudden moment of clarity as I realized that the middle of the street was not the best place for this. I pulled back, breathing hard. Sweet Pea blinked, looking slightly dazed for a moment before he stepped back.

"I-I'm sorry," he stammered.

I swallowed hard, licking my lips. "No, no, don't be sorry. It's just...we're standing in the middle of the street and-"

He nodded, looking embarrassed for a moment. "Right, of course, yeah." He looked around, trying to see if anyone was around who might have seen us. He raked his hand through his hair, letting out a heavy breath.

"Do you want...to come inside?" I asked shyly.

Sweet Pea stared at me for a moment before a boyish grin slid across his face. "I would love to."

Part 1  /  Part 2  /  Part 3  /  Part 4

Tag List:

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@natr12

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Let me know if you want to be added to the tag list. There should be at least one more part coming.

[grimmpublications]

A Story For Me

Notice before reading: This is just a story to help me work through writer’s block and to just allow my imagination to flow. No planning or anything just raw creative ideas! So as always, I hope you enjoy and feel free to leave constructive criticism, or just criticism, or whatever floats yo hypothetical boat!   (Leo)Chapter 1: The Journey Begins My eyes travel over the area below me, my arm wrapped around the trunk of a massive tree, the tree purchasing me an unrivaled view of my island and the shining sea that surrounds it. The island jutted with cascades of forested hills with life teeming. Even from the height I’m at I can hear the life of the jungle raging about. Not many people, from any clan, will travel as far into the forest as I am, especially climbing this tree, but I quickly fell in love with the view a few years ago and despite the legends of the curse on this tree. I come here when I need to think, and oh boy did I have some stuff to mull over.  I see smoke rise in different clearings in the jungle, each belonging to a clan of the island, one of them being my clan, the Treaor. A clan of craftsmen and hunters, our knowledge of the land and seas making us a vital part of the community on the island. It’s as my eyes scan over the area where my village sits that my half-brother’s letter comes to the forefront of my thought. The letter came early in the morning last week, I was in the middle of my first training session for the day, doing sprints in the sand of the beach near my village. A large bird swoops down near me, launching a leather bag at me. I barely manage to spot the bag in time to catch it and then the giant bird rockets back the way it came. I open the main bag of the satchel to reveal multiple items, the first being an envelope with my name written on it in golden ink. I raise an eyebrow as I open the envelope.  “Leo,  It’s been a long time since we’ve talked, I hope all is well. Since we last talked I’ve secured a spot in a high-profile guild in Leonos, life has been a blur since I joined two years ago, doing jobs that would blow your hair back, learning skills I’d never even dreamed of, and now we have a job that has a payout that could let us live like kings. You turn sixteen tomorrow, so as my gift to my younger brother, I offer you your first bounty. Inside the satchel is all the information you need to know about this job. I can’t wait to see how strong you’ve become. Sincerely, Tyren The Wild”  I couldn’t help but beam as I run my finger over the fancy handwriting of my brother’s name. “Tyren The Wild?” I just had to chuckle at the name. My brother hadn’t lied when he said all the information would be in that satchel. Inside the satchel was instructions on finding his guildhall and then a coinpurse with more gold than I’d earned my whole life. My ship was set to sail today. On my birthday, I’d get the thing I’d wanted my whole life. A chance to be a hero. I know it sounds like a tired cliche but I can’t help it, all the stories I heard as a kid are to blame.  This is my dream but as the hour came closer, I felt my heart twinge with angst and fear. So with a breath I bound down the branches of the tree faster than most monkeys in the jungle could. I get to the base of the tree and begin jogging through the jungle, using my flexibility and agility as I weave around the thick groupings of trees and vegetation. The wildlife is active in this jungle, the jungle’s extreme rate of growth providing all the resources the ecosystem could possibly need, leaving the clans with plenty of game to hunt. The animals in this jungle know me, not like we can chit-chat or anything but my footfalls and scent are no stranger to them so they usually leave me be, even the predators. I make it to the beach outside my village, the sun now beginning it’s descent to the other side of the planet by the time my feet sink into the warm sand. I loved the sunset here, the way the sun was reflected onto the ocean like a daily tattoo; the way the clouds exploded with orange and pink. I close my eyes as I call out to the sea with my thoughts. “Hey Epi, it’s me.” I think as I allow the tide to cover the tops of my feet. I can see the world darken outside of my closed eyes and sound of a storm rages before me. When I open my eyes a head the size of a mountain sits in the shallow water. “Leo” the being says in a fond tone “You called?” I smile as I lay my hand on the rocky skin of Epieolago, the embodiment of storms and the sea “Aye, I received a letter from Tyren yesterday. An invitation to begin my adventure.” “Starting to feel doubt?” Epi asks, his voice rumbling the ground beneath my feet. I nod my head as my eyes watch lightning crackle across the clouds above me “A little bit” Rocks grind as I watch Epi form himself into a man, a handsome one at that with peppered gray and black hair that is swept back and a well-groomed goatee. Epi lays his hand on my shoulder “Remember the day we met?” I chuckle as I nod my head “How could I not? I almost died that day!” Epi smiles at me as he continues “You risked your life for a creature of the sea without a moment of hesitation. Took on the task of saving a life that was far out of your reach. I usually would allow fate to run its course but something about the tenacity at which you fought your fate inspired me.” He pushes one finger into my chest “Remember that feeling of tenacity, Leondris” Epi’s eyes illuminate with crackles of energy “It’ll propel you to glory” I nod my head with a smile as I open my arms for a hug “Thanks, Epi” Epi smiles as he embraces his friend. As Leo tries to release Epi from the hug, Epi holds him there and says under his breath in a tone that sounded like a raging storm in my ears, each word like rolling thunder “Leondris Vale, I declare you as my champion.” My knee nearly buckles from the pain that flares on the nape of my neck, I feel Epi brace me as he holds me up. I take a deep breath as I steady myself “What did you just do?!”I ask, the pain launching me into a panic.Epi nods his head “I know it hurt like hell, but I thought it’d hurt less if I surprised you with it” “What’s it?” I ask with a grimace as I rub my neck and feel the outline of a scar on my neck, the design complex. “Making it official.” Epi says casually, looking to the side to conceal his smile as I erupt in curiosity “What’s official!?” Epi’s smile vanishes as he extends his hand out for me to shake “You’re officially my champion, The Champion of the Storm” “What does that mean?” I ask, the name sounding awesome but the meaning is lost on me. “It’s your job to figure that out. I’ve never anointed a champion. You’re the first.” Epi says in a serious tone. The words were heavy, but they excited me “I know what I need to do.” I say with certainty as I place my hand over my heart “I’ll make you proud, sir” “I know you will, kid” Epi looks behind him as he walks into the raging sea “Make them remember your name” he says as a giant wave crashes over him and then my eyes snap open as moonlight greets them.I wiggle my feet as they’d been in the same place for a couple of hours at least. Time gets weird when talking with Epi. Tyren had arranged for a fisherman from the Leovin tribe to ferry me to Hongrund and from there another fishing vessel was secured to take me the rest of the way to Leonos.”  “Leondris,” a raspy voice says from the shore as I come to a stop from the jog I’d been on to get to the meeting place specified in the satchel. I could barely see the old man “Get on, I’ve waited long enough for ye!” I nod my head with an apologetic smile “Sorry, old timer!” I say as I throw myself over the side of the boat and find a seat. The wind picks up as soon as the old man climbs onto the boat and unloads the sails. A last push from Epi as I begin my journey. I only had three things, my bag which held all the things I hold dear to me and the supplies I’d need to get to Leonos. Then there’s my sword and shield. My two greatest possessions. The second gift I’d received from Epi. The shield was made from one of the many scales that covers the rocky terrain of his back. The scale was dark brown and was rimmed with shining steel. The longsword was made from an odd metal that I’ve still never been given a name for but the metal shines like steel but the metal has an illuminating blue hue to it. The handle is made from his scales as well but the cross guard is made from the same strange metal but at each end are two blue gems that the metal entangles around. “Someone really wanted your company” The old man says as he rests his hand on the steering column of the boat  “paid me a years salary just for this nighttime cruise.”Judging from the gold in the coinpurse, I’d say that his years salary didn’t mean much to Tyren’s wealth.  (Tyren)Chapter 2: For the Legacy “Gather!” A booming voice echoes through the old brick halls of the guildhall, and immediately after the shout, you can hear the numerous pairs of feet trampling down the stairs. I move down the stairs slowly, allowing the more energetic members to brush past me on the stairs as they pine for seats closer to the front. As the last of the members file into the room and clamber into their chairs as they stare at the guild leaders. Each of the four men known far and wide for their acts of bravery and skill but have since aged past their prime but their knowledge acts as a whetstone for the generations to follow them. I stand at the back of the room as I listen to the leaders’ debrief. “Good afternoon” Vexlan Worth, the eldest of the Sentinels (the leaders) says in his gruff voice “We’ve received an urgent request from the Viscount of Holmsan, apparently the entire region has been plagued by the undead and other creatures, after only a week of the attacks two hundred townsmen have been found dead.” The members listen intently, I spaced in and out of the debrief, considering I was the scout that obtained this information and was the liaison between the guild and Holmsan. “Tyren is the agent that picked the job up for us and did all the preemptive surveillance” Vexlan explains as he waves me up silently to the front of the group “Explain your findings, kid” I nod my head as he pats me on the back “Alright guys, I scouted the entire region for two weeks and in that time I saw more chaos than you can imagine but have sourced all of it to a single location.”A flurry of hands raise before me and I pick the closest hand “Yes?” “Have you sourced this problem as a magical, mystic, or human threat?” The man aks promptly. “Seems to be magical or mystic, but have contracted a mage from Genova to accompany the first regiment of soldiers to do a more comprehensive investigation.”  I look around the group as I continue to answer questions. “Ya did good” Vexlan’s deep voice says as he speeds up to walk next to me as I make my way towards the dining hall. I raise an eyebrow as I slowly grab a cigarette from a pocket on my leather jerkin “Did good?” “On debriefing the boys” He points to the War Room “They seemed excited and ready for the job” I nod my head, agreeing with him about the men. They seemed fired up for this mission but considering the steep price the rich mining town was willing to pay certainly helped overall motivations. “Thanks, Vex” Vexlan waves away the thank you “No need, kid” He meets eyes with me “Meet me in my office once you’ve eaten”  Vex doesn’t wait for a reply before walking away towards the spiral staircase that leads to his office.  “Tyren!” A deep voice booms from within the dining hall, the voice belonging to a large man sitting at the back of the dining hall with one other person. The owner of the voice is named Gerran Striden, a hulking man with a face that used to be kind but after numerous daring battles his face is scarred and looks tough but his spirit hasn’t been scarred as I take a seat beside him. “Good scouting out there!” Gerran laughs as one huge hand pats me on the back “You practically did the whole mission before coming back!” He winks to the other person at the table whose name is Yuveri Tallow, a monk from the distant lands of Hiotian “We practically just have to kick down the door and say hello!” Gerran laughs which catches the attention of every member in the dining hall. Yuveri laughs heartily “Gerran is one for exaggeration,” he begins “but he isn’t exaggerating about this; good job Tyren” Yuveri puts his palms together and bows his head before me. I return the gesture as I grab a plate from the middle of the table. “Scouting is the easy part” I say simply as I grab food from the numerous dishes piled with steaming hot food.     The doors leading to Vexlan’s office were massive, standing at fifteen feet tall and twelve feet across but a smaller door was carved into the left door. The door was open as I enter the office which was a room with a ceiling that rose way above me head and countless shelves of books wrapped around the room. A stack of paper hid Vexlan at his desk but he spoke once I entered. “Shut the door, would you?” I nod as I turn around to shut the smaller door behind me.“Thanks for coming” Vexlan begins “I’d rather not beat around the bush, I’d like you to be the next Sentinel” The words hit me like a morning star “Excuse me?” Vexlan laughs heartily “I’ve conferred with the others and they all agree. If you’d like, we invite you to be the fifth sentinel.” I nod my head, my heart knowing the answer before my mind did as the words leave my lips without a thought “It’d be an honor.” Vexlan beams and extends his hand “As in tradition, once you’ve returned from your legacy mission, we’ll announce your position.” I nod my head, realizing the newly founded importance of this mission. “My legacy mission?” I think to myself as Vexlan continues to speak, my mind swept away to visions of grandeur. “This mission is yours to run as you see fit.” Vexlan says, the words snapping me from my fantastical reverie. “Yessir!”  The first thing I have to do is assemble a team to handle the important parts of the mission. Gerran and Yuveri were for sure going on that team but the rest was a mystery until I realize something. “It’s Leo’s birthday tomorrow…” And then the next member of the team became obvious “I wonder how much stronger he’s gotten” I think to myself as I walk to my room, reminiscing about the sparring session we had the day I left to seek out my fortune. He’d wiped the floor with me.” I sit as my desk as I begin writing a letter. Using the expensive, fancy ink I’d purchased after my first job in the guild.  “Leo,” The letter begins.   

(Wailes)Chapter 3: An Odd Job

“Wailes!” A voice yells at me suddenly, ripping me away from the intriguing passage about multi-layered weapon enchantment. “What?!” I shout reply.

“I’ve been trying to get your attention for ten minutes, mate.” The young man points up “The man upstairs wants to see you.” 

I roll my eyes as I place a Gearwind Eagle’s feather onto the page I was reading as I close the book and stand to my feet, straightening my dark blue robes with my free hand as I make my way to the staircase. This entire building was built into a massive tree that has deep and mysterious magical properties and the steps leading to the Dean’s office were no different, carved straight from the tree, the stairs crude as they spiral towards a wooden orb that’s suspended by roots. The doorway is circular and the door rolls to the right as I approach, revealing a well lit study with looming bookcases. 

“Wailes, over here!” A small voice says within a dome of floating, orbiting books, the pages flipping, as I see between the gaps in the book, the Dean’s eyes moving like quicksilver as he absorbs hours of information in minutes. 

“Dean Yorif” I say in a small bow, one of the only practitioners in this place that is strong enough to earn my respect.

“Interrupt your studying, did I?” The Dean asks with a smile as he continues to read the orbiting books 

“Not at all, sir” I lie 

“Oh come now, I can see the look on your face, it’s the same face I make when I’m interrupted!” the dean laughs as the books all close in unison and float to their spots on the shelves. 

I nod my head in admission as I go to take a seat in a chair sitting in front of his desk. Dean Yorif is small in stature, standing only a several inches taller than a dwarf but his wisdom makes up for the lack in size. Yorif pulls himself into his chair as he rests his hand on his desk. The desk not designed for him but a gift from the Dean before him so he looked even smaller in contrast to the large desk. 

“I’ve received a job from another guild.” Yorif says simply, waiting for intrigue to show on my features. My features are as stone as he rolls his eyes and continues “The guild being the Goldmeyer’s Warriors Guild”

“Goldmeyer’s?” That name catching my interest. That’s no ordinary guild, but one of the most renowned guilds in history. Responsible for ending wars and killing demon lords and distinctly keep their contracts to themselves. 

“Why are they outsourcing?” I immediately ask 

Dean Yorif smiles as a fisherman would after successfully hooking a fish and begins to reel me in “There wizards were useless when they attempted to investigate and decode the spellwork. So they figured we would have the knowledge necessary.” 

“This is a pretty important job” I say with a raised eyebrow, wondering if this conversation is going where I hoped it was. 

“Yes, I referred you for the job.” Yorif could see the question before I had time to ask, the wrinkles around his eyes sometimes masking his razor sharp eyes. 

Yorif hands over a folder, containing the information on the job as he strokes the extravagant,  white mustache that cascades down each corner of his mouth, passing his jawline. 

“These are signs of-” Dean Yorif raises a hand before I finish speaking, nodding his head grimly. “That’s why I’ve chosen you, Wailes” He interlaces his fingers as he stares at me with proud eyes “You’ve studied them more extensively than anyone I know.” 

I nod my head as I storm up from my seat and as I leave his study I say over my shoulder “I’ve got some research to do!” 

Yorif chuckles as he waves a hand and the door rolls back into place as I leave his office. 

I immediately began rolling through my archive-like thoughts, my mind recollecting all of the research I’d done over the years. I push past multiple other students as I make my way to the restricted section of the West side library. Only two other mages had access to this section and allowed me the solitude I’d need for the research I’m about to conduct. I have to be ready and in Leonos in two days, so that leaves a day of research and a day by air to make it to Leonos.  My eyes and attention tear into the pages of the books within the restricted section as I begin my hastened research.

[gerryconway]

My Alex Kurtzman story.

Alex Kurtzman is in the news right now, obviously, because he's the director of the much-reviled "The Mummy" reboot. For what it's worth, I kinda liked the movie, probably because my expectations were lowered by awful reviews, possibly because I generally like popcorn movies, and possibly because I worked for a year with Alex and his former partner, Bob Orci, when we were a lot younger and far less grey. But I'm not here to discuss the merits of The Mummy. I'm here to relate a story about Alex Kurtzman at 25 which proved to me that he and Bob were (and are) blessed by the Goddess of Good Luck.

In 1998 I'd been working in TV about nine years, and had experience as a mid-level producer on a number of network TV shows, most recently, at that moment, on an NBC show called "Players," which introduced Ice-T as an actor in the Dick Wolf universe. I'd worked on the pilot for the show, though I ended up receiving no credit, and as a result I developed a relationship with the head of TV development at Universal TV. When the show ended, Universal wanted to keep that relationship alive, so they offered me a pilot deal, along with a role as consulting producer on "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys."

Ostensibly, the reason I was hired as consulting producer was to provide "guidance" to the two new, and very young, co-executive producers who were acting as writer-show runners: Alex Kurtzman and Bob Orci. This was ridiculous on several levels. First, at that point, Alex and Bob had been on the show for several years and already knew more about it than I ever would. Second, though I was older than Alex and Bob, and had worked in TV a few years longer, I was by no means better qualified than they were: Alex and Bob had been to film school, knew the technical end of filmmaking much better than I did, and Alex, at least, had been part of the film community his entire life-- his father was an agent. Third, while I've always been realistic about my particular set of skills (I'm a skilled craftsman possessed of moderate talent), Alex and Bob were extremely bright and talented, and already as skilled at the craft of TV writing as anyone I ever worked with. So, despite my ostensible "leadership" position I recognized immediately the only guidance I could provide Alex and Bob was the reassurance that yes, indeed, they knew exactly what they were doing.

I could also introduce them to the concept of playing hooky as a team-building skill.

Let me explain. Producing television, under the best of circumstances, is an all-consuming, life-draining and time-sucking enterprise. People who don't work in TV imagine it to be a fun, glamorous, and joyful experience. And so it is, maybe fifteen percent of the time. The rest of the time it's hard work. Long hours (especially if you're a show runner) are the rule, not the exception. When I ran a show called "The Huntress" I typically put in ten-to-twelve hour days, five days a week, and another ten hours over the weekend. Family life disappears. Relationships strain. Tempers flare. If you don't find a way to make those ten hour work days fun, you burn out. There has to be more to your life than just making television.

Alex and Bob, I thought, were two very serious, very dedicated, very driven and ambitious young men (they were both about 25) in positions of incredible responsibility. They were writing all the time, pursuing both their TV career and outside screenplay work (they'd written a spec script with one of the best premises I'd ever heard and were shopping for a new agent). Without realizing it, they were on the verge of burning out-- at least, that's how it seemed from my point of view.

Alex was friendly and open, comfortable as a long-time member of the film community, a good-looking and smart young man. (I briefly wondered if I could set him up with my daughter, but she was in college in Washington, DC.) Bob was a bit more reserved, a bit more intense, but equally smart and equally good-looking. They were very much Generation X types-- self-contained, achievement oriented, earnest and, in my opinion, a bit tightly wound.

So, as their ostensible guidance counselor, I decided to encourage them to do something completely useless and irresponsible.

The first script I worked on for "Hercules" was based on an outline by another writer on the show, Paul Coyle. Paul really was a senior writer-- his career extended back to "The Streets of San Francisco" in the mid-Seventies. During a conversation at a story meeting with Bob and Alex, Paul and I discovered we were both fans of Las Vegas, though for different reasons. I liked Vegas for the night life, great restaurants, and relatively inexpensive hotels-- I don't gamble, so I always feel like I've taken advantage of the casinos underwriting the hotels, restaurants, and shows. Paul, on the other hand, was almost a professional poker player-- he paid his bills during slow periods by spending weekends in Vegas, picking up several thousand dollars a visit. The two of us, and a few of the other writers at the story meeting, waxed enthusiastic over the joys of Vegas, entertaining ourselves for a few minutes until we realized Alex and Bob were staring at us blankly.

Alex and Bob, it turned out, despite growing up in Southern California, had never been to Las Vegas.

I knew immediately what had to be done.

"Road Trip!!!"

Yeah, well, that's not what I said, but it's what I thought, and over the next couple of weeks I made the case that Alex and Bob and Paul and me (the other writers demurred) should take an afternoon flight from the nearby Burbank airport to Las Vegas, spend a night in the City of Sin, and return to Universal Studios the next morning, refreshed and less likely to burn out by avoiding, for one Tuesday at least, yet another ten-hour work day.

After only a slight hesitation, Alex and Bob agreed.

A week later we were on our way. Paul spent the flight explaining the in's-and-out's of gambling in Las Vegas to Alex and Bob, who said they never gambled before. Which games to avoid, which casinos had the fairest slots and best tables, how to bet and under what circumstances. Paul himself planned a night of poker at downtown casinos where the house took the smallest cut. From past experience he figured he'd clear two or three grand. For my part I advised Alex and Bob to catch a show. Don't bother gambling, I said, or if you do, just set yourself a loss limit -- in my case I allow myself to lose a hundred dollars at blackjack, then I'm done. The boys-- to me, they were always "the boys"-- thought that sounded sensible.

After a great dinner at a first class restaurant, we split up and agreed to meet for breakfast the next morning before flying back to Burbank.

I saw a show, played blackjack for thirty minutes, quit when I was up by twenty dollars, went to bed.

Next morning, the four of us met for breakfast as planned. I felt relaxed and content. Once again I'd beaten the Las Vegas system by not playing along. I hoped Alex and Bob had done the same. The point of this adventure, after all, was to help them unwind a bit. Losing a lot of money wouldn't exactly achieve that goal. So when we met up I was a bit apprehensive-- especially when I saw the glowering expression on Paul Coyle's face. He looked like a man who'd eaten the outside of a pineapple.

"Son of a bitch," he muttered. "Son of a bitch."

"Uh... How much did you win?" I asked.

"Eight hundred," he said. He glowered. "I lost eight hundred. Son of a bitch."

I turned to Alex and Bob. They were grinning. I'd never seen them so happy. "We won five hundred," said Bob. "Each," said Alex. "About. Maybe it was more. I think it was more." "We should come back," said Bob. "Definitely," said Alex. "This is great. This place is great."

"Son of a bitch," said Paul.

A few months after I left "Hercules" there was an article in the trades announcing Alex and Bob had sold their spec script to Richard Donner and were currently in negotiations with Donner and Steven Spielberg to write a sequel to "The Goonies." I sent them a bottle of champagne with a note of congratulations. Alex and I met for lunch. He was excited and happy and I was happy for him and Bob both. "It's amazing," he told me. "Donner took us in to meet Spielberg and pitch him our idea for the sequel. Spielberg liked it and right there said, let's do this, picked up the phone and told his producer to make a deal with us. Like he was ordering a pizza. Just amazing."

I wasn't surprised. Like I said, Alex and Bob had written a terrific spec script with what's still the best premise I've heard for a thriller (so, naturally, it's never been produced). They were hard working, driven, talented and ambitious. And as their night in Vegas proved, to me at least, they were and are two very lucky sons of bitches.

[5hfanfiction]

Real - 8

LET’S BE SELFISH TONIGHT

For two consecutive mornings, Lauren and Camila found themselves  sprawled on the bed, the raven-haired waking up the brunette. Well, Lauren wasn’t really trying to. She woke up, feeling well rested then she turned her head to see the brunette still peacefully asleep and she couldn’t help but trace her fingers along Camila’s jawline. It was the gentlest of touch but Lauren saw the popstar’s eyes flutter open within seconds.

Just like yesterday, Camila just snuggled closer to her. “I don’t hear my phone ringing, Laur.”

The raven-haired chuckled. “No. No one’s calling you. You can go back to sleep.”

“What time is it?” Camila mumbled, eyes closed again.

Lauren looked over to the bedside table where a small alarm clock was placed. “It’s a little past eleven.”

“Too early.”

“Go back to sleep, Camz. I’m not trying to wake you up. My hand just won’t keep to itself earlier.”

This time, it was Camila who chuckled, eyes opening to look at her. “Later, I’ll let you do whatever your hands want.”

As if that little laugh was enough for the tinier girl to get back the needed  energy to get up, she sat up, looking more awake than Lauren was.

“What are we going to do today?” Lauren didn’t answer. She had a few in mind, some not too wholesome but she doubted the popstar was really serious in her offer a few seconds ago so she sat up as well.

“I’m not sure yet but we’re eating lunch first for sure.” Lauren answered.

They both took their turn on the bathroom to freshen up then Lauren rummaged through the popstar’s refrigerator for some ingredients to use for the food she was planning to cook.

“I never understood your obsession to cooking.” Camila mentioned a little while after Lauren finished chopping the ingredients. She was seated on the seat by counter, chin on palm, watching her girlfriend do wonders in the kitchen while her other hand toyed with her phone she was yet to open.

“Well, I never understood your dislike for it either,” Lauren countered, making Camila groan playfully.

Lauren just laughed, used to her girlfriend’s negative attitude for anything culinary but weirdly endeared of it as well.

“What do you even eat when there’s no one there to cook for you anyway?” The raven-haired asked, curious now that it crossed her mind.

“Uh, pizza, duh,” Camila rolled her eyes even if Lauren’s back was turned from her while she was mixing on the  stove so she couldn’t see her. “There’s not a time when I wouldn’t want to eat pizza.”

Now it was Lauren’s turn to roll her eyes as she turned to face her girlfriend. “Seriously? Are you looking to get sick or something? You know that’s unhealthy.”

Camila just chuckled, eyes twinkling. “I like it when you nag.”

Lauren had turned around back to what she was cooking and she felt two arms wrap around her waist and a forehead rest between her shoulderblades. “I wouldn’t mind not eating pizza though as long as you’re always here to cook for me.”

At that Lauren’s eyes softened and she lost focus on her cooking for a while and turned around to wrap her arms around Camila as well.

Lauren lifted her hand to put her thumb and forefinger under Camila’s chin, saying softly. “I’d love that. But we both know that cannot be possible. For now, at least, but I want you to take care of yourself always.”

Lauren then gives Camila a gentle kiss on the lips before turning back around to her task.

Lauren heard Camila sigh before saying, “I’ve almost forgotten what this feels like.”

“What do you mean?” Lauren replied, confused.

“To have someone who really cares for me aside from my parents. Like that, you know.”

Lauren smiled before confessing. “I’ve almost forgotten how it feels to be as happy as this, Camz.”

When their meal was ready and while they were eating, Camila finally opened her phone and got bombarded with a lot of notifications.

“Well, that blew up.” Camila exclaimed.

Lauren looked up from her place. “What is it?”

“Roger posted the picture we took with Ed last night.”

Curious, Lauren took the phone she’d almost forgotten she’d put on the counter earlier. “Wow. Looks like the camren shippers still held on even after all these years.”

They both chuckled. Camila quickly put her phone down back on the table and went back to eating so she didn’t notice when Lauren aligned the phone over her, a mischevous glint in her eyes.

“Look at your notifications.” Lauren told her a while later, laughter in her voice.

Obedient to her girlfriend, Camila did what she was told and grunted loudly after, making Lauren laugh. “I look horrible in this picture.”

While she was not looking, Lauren took a photo of her while she was eating and posted it on instagram with the caption ‘Home-cooked meal for my baby’ and tagged Camila on it.

“No. You look adorable, honey.” Lauren countered, grinning widely.

* Camila was straddling Lauren on the couch amd kissing her like there was no tomorrow. After eating lunch, they decided to simply chill down infront of the TV and watch a movie. Camila had leant her head against Lauren’s shoulder while the model took hold of her hand as they enjoyed the light feeling that came along with a good film. One second, they happened to look into each other’s eyes at the same time and the next thing they knew, they were attacking each other’s lips, hands groping everywhere, with only one goal in their minds.

Camila scraped the skin underneath the raven-haired’s shirt as she bit and nibbled on Lauren’s lower lip, tongue tracing the outline of her lips before moving inside to battle against her girlfriend’s tongue.

Lauren’s hand had wandered to Camila’s behind, trying to pull her closer to her as she could. She was moving her hands underneath Camila’s shirt, upward to finally remove the annoying obstacle to the skin to skin contact she’d been craving when her phone rudely rang, interrupting the moment between them.

“Ignore it,” Camila mumbled between kisses, kissing Lauren harder to divert her attention from the persistent ringing.

She almost succeeded. The ringing stopped, Lauren gasped when Camila rubbed her thumb on one of her nipples as she began grinding her navel against the green-eyed beauty’s but the the ringing began again and Lauren slowly pulled her away from their kiss, one hand dislodging Camila’s thumb from her breast before letting out a disappointed sigh.

“I’ve got to answer this call,” Lauren whispered to Camila’s ear, eyes still closed, trying to calm her breathing from the extreme cardio exercise her body had underwent to in the last few minutes.

Camila groaned, muttering an annoyed, “That better be important or else I’m throwing away your phone so we will never get interrupted again next time.”

Camila got off of Lauren’s lap and sat beside her, looking downtrodden. Trying to appease her, Lauren moved to kiss the side of her head before apologizing. “I’m sorry, babe.”

Upon checking her phone, Lauren saw it was Normani and immediately answered. “Hi, Mani. What’s up?”

Upon hearing their ex bandmate’s name, Camila looked to her girlfriend, finally curious.

“Uh, yeah. She’s actually with me right now.” Camila heard Lauren’s side of the conversation. “No, I’m at her house, here in LA on a vacation… It just happened… Yeah… Sorry - I…”

“Tell her to facetime us.” Camila, who had rested her head on her girlfriend’s shoulder, suddenly murmured.

Lauren’s fond gaze went back to her and said to the woman in the other line, “Hey, Mani. Why don’t we facetime, yeah?”

The model ended the call with a smile on her face and quickly opened the app. After searching for the right contact, she selected it and a few seconds later, they saw the dark-skinned girl smiling at them from the screen.

A smile gradually appeared on Camila’s face that turned into a big one once she heard her ex bandmate greet them excitedly. “Hi, girls!”

The brunette leaned in closer to Lauren to fit better within the scope of the phone’s camera and to see Mani better. She was now grinning and looking excited as well. After their band broke up, they sort of grew apart as well. Lauren thought it could be because Mani was the closest to her and Camila just didn’t want any constant reminder of her but refused to dwell deeper on it as she looked to her girlfriend’s smiling face, apparently happy with the conversation that was happening.

“Hi, Mani. I missed you.” Camila said and Lauren had to smile widely, pleased that the long time of no communication between the two seemed like it didn’t happen and there was no gap between them.

The happy twinkle from the dark-skinned’s eyes slightly lessened and mixed with another emotion which Lauren recognized as nostalgia.

“I missed you, too, Mila. So much.” Mani replied sincerely.

To lighten the serious mood, because really Lauren had no time for that and she was feeling too happy the last few days to let a single catching up dampen it, she butted in jovially. They had to postpone the serious stuff for some other time. “So let’s cut to the chase. What did you bother us for?”

Normani scrunched up her nose at that. “You know why. I remember the last time we talked you were moping how this beautiful brunette sitting by your side won’t even talk to you then I wake up to this post of yours getting all mushy and happy all of a sudden.”

Lauren’s face flushed at her friend’s unexpected spilling of her secret while Camila chuckled silently.

“We just got back together.” Camila thankfully answered in behalf of Lauren who was too embarrased to form a coherent reply and held the green-eyed model’s hand that wasn’t holding the phone, giving it a slight squeeze. “Don’t blame her, I was being bipolar.”

At that, Lauren also chuckled.

Normani laughed and smiled at them. “I’m loving it. You two, being all cute and in love again.”

The call lasted another twenty minutes as Camila and Normani caught up with each other. Camila told her ex bandmates some details on her career and the dark-skinned girl talked about her latest dance show and the dance school she’d built a year ago.

As they were nearing the end of the conversation Normani brought up her interest for a little get together. “I missed you two. And I missed the good old days. What do you say we spend a weekend together? Me, you, two and we’d also invite Dinah and Ally?”

Both girlfriends smiled before Camila agreed. “I’d love that. Where do you think we can go?”

“How about my place? In New York.” Lauren suggested. She had an amazing abode there that she totally loved. She had shown it to the other three girls before at some point but not to her girlfriend since she bought it after their break-up.

“That’d be awesome.” Mani commented from the other line. “How about you, Mila. What do you think?”

The brunette looked to Lauren, smiling, before answering, “I’ve never been there so I think it’s cool.”

“I’m gonna go and give Dinah and Ally a call and ask them what they think.” Lauren said.

“Yeah, do that. So, uh, it’s almost three and I still have rehearsals so I gotta go for now. Catch me up on updates when you’ve settled the details yeah? I’ll probably be here in New York most of the time as well so my schedule shouldn’t be much of a problem.” Mani responded.

“Alright. Talk to you soon. Bye.” Lauren answered.

“Bye, Mani,” Camila also said.

The two stayed seated on the couch long after the call had ended, Camila resting her head on Lauren’s shoulder while Lauren had her arm draped around the popstar, toying with her hair and giving the top of her head a kiss once in a while. It felt good for both of them to catch up together with their ex bandmate and they felt satisfied and wanted to savor that feeling as they stayed silent.

“I need to call Mom.” Camila broke the silence a few minutes later. Lauren knew the brunette cancelled her plans of visiting Miami during her off to get the most time alone with her and didn’t feel opposed to it.

“Yeah, do that, babe.”

Camila lifted her head from Lauren’s shoulder and gave her a quick kiss before standing up and walking upstairs to her room. She came back later holding her laptop and placed it on the little table infront of them.

The popstar then sat on the floor infront of it and navigated through the gadget before opening skype.

“Lo, come here.” Lauren heard Camila call her right when she was already dialling her mom’s contact details.

Lauren did as she was told and not long after that, Sinu came on the screen alongside a smiling and very grown Sofi. It had been a long time since the raven-haired had seen Camila’s sister that she was just now realizing that during that span she was growing up as well and boy did she grow up. What Lauren was looking at right now was like a carbon copy of her girlfriend right when they were still starting at The X Factor. She seemed a little taller but definitely as beautiful as her older sister was. A fond smile immediately grazed Lauren’s lips.

“Hi, Mom! Hi, Sofi!” Lauren heard Camila greet beside her and she followed suit, muttering a cheery hello.

The two on the opposite line greeted them back with Sofi expressing a loud and excited, “Oh my God! Lauren! I missed you!”

The younger Cuban’s happiness upon seeing her was contageous and Lauren felt a bashful grin creep up on her face. “I miss you more, sweetheart.”

“Mom, there’s something we need to tell you,” Camila began.

“That you’re back together?” - “It’s all over twitter.” Sinu and Sofi replied at the same time, smile not wavering from their lips.

Camila chuckled. “Why am I calling you again? Why do I even bother when social media can get you updated faster than me.”

Lauren chuckled as well.

“Mija, it’s not like I haven’t been waiting for this to happen. I knew it was just a matter of time until you found each other again.” At what Sinu said, Lauren’s cheeks warmed up and turned red, embarrased but not really sure why. “I’m happy for you, both.”

Camila smiled, holdin Lauren’s hand before replying to her mother. “Thank you, Mom.”

The conversation went on as the three Cabellos animatedly updated each other of what they were currently up to, with Lauren joining in on them once in a while and Sofi asking Lauren when she’d go visit her to which the model replied soon. Camila as well promised to come to Miami the next month right after she finished the Asian leg of her tour. Another fifteen minutes passed then Sofi excused herself saying she had to go over to a friend’s house for a sleepover.

When the youngest Cabello left, Sinu seemed to shift, taking on a more maternal and serious demeanor. “Kidding aside, I’m glad you two are back together. I can’t think of anyone else who’d make a better fit for my daughter than you, Lauren.”

The model’s eyes mist up at what she heard, touched by the vote of confidence from the most important woman in her girlfriend’s life.

“Just don’t go and break her heart again, alright? I don’t want to see her go through that again.”

Lauren looked directly to the screen and nodded sincerely. “I promise, Sinu.”

“And call me mom.” The eldest Cabello added and Lauren felt like her heart was going to burst from too much happiness.

“Thank you… Mom.” Lauren obeyed.

They ended the call a few minutes later and went back cuddling on the couch.

Camila lazily moved her head up from Lauren’s chest to look her in the eyes. “What do we do now?”

Lauren then tucks the strands of hair that fell on her girlfriend’s face behind her ear and smiled. “How about we stay cuddled up like this?”

They initially planned to spend their days off together and to be honest, Lauren didn't  mind if they did that just inside that house as long as she was with Camila. Besides, she had a surprise for her tomorrow anyway and they’d be somewhere else soon enough.

A mischievouse twinkle lighted up in Camila’s eyes upon hearing her, as if she had come up with a brilliant idea. “Wanna continue what we started earlier?”

At that, Lauren chuckled and immediately went to give the popstar a searing kiss. She had never heard a suggestion more appealing.

*** A/N: Sorry, I didn’t proofread.

Thanks for reading!

It’s also on wattpad: litaddict02