#so much to say about everyone in this little game

[starlightkyeom]

all the petty scenes & all the pretty things | hjs

(where your best friend organizes a weekend away for all your single friends on valentine's and you have to deal with his very annoying roommate)

pairing: joshua hong x f!reader genre: (one-sided) enemies to lovers, strangers to lovers (kinda) | smut & fluff rating: explicit, minors DNI word count: 20.5k warnings: mentions of food and alcohol, drinking games, this is vaguely a long valentine's weekend (the holiday is barely mentioned), best friend jeonghan (yes, that's a warning), joshua is a menace, but reader is a bit of an unreliable narrator, so much kissing, multiple sex scenes, multiple positions, multiple orgasms, unprotected sex (they talk about it but don't do this), oral sex (f. receiving), some scratching, teasing, briefest edging?, aftercare, nipple/breast play, briefest mention of thigh riding, come eating, idk joshua is just pussy whipped and down horrendous

a/n: another one for the Lonely Hearts Collab organized by the incredibly talented @camandemstudios. please make sure you check out the other amazing fics (like i will be now that i've gotten through both). i'm not really sure what to say about this. something happens when i write joshua and it just...gets away from me. thank you to @tomodachiii, @highvern, and @lovetaroandtaemin for sprinting with me at the end to keep me motivated. and thank you to @100vern for supporting whatever characterization of joshua i wanted.

tag list at the end (join here)

When your best friend, Jeonghan, suggests going away as a group of friends for a Valentine’s trip, you don’t really ask any questions. He says that he wants the trip to be more about friendships than romantic relationships and that sounds great since you’re single at the moment. You don’t hate the holiday or anything. It’s just nice to know that you’ll have something to do that doesn’t revolve around whether or not you’re dating someone. And he says that it’s all going to be planned and all you have to do is show up. Sounds pretty good to you. You give him your budget so that he can find something that works for everyone and pretend you actually had the option on whether you agreed. You don’t have the option, you know, because Jeonghan wasn’t asking. Besides, Jeonghan has been your best friend for years, so you know that it’ll be fun.

It occurs to you when the trip gets closer that Jeonghan is your best friend and you really should know to ask for more details. You know better. Part of that includes just which friends that he’s invited to this trip or if there are any that you’re not also friends with. Generally speaking, Jeonghan has excellent taste in friends. He’s intentional with his time, always has been. It also usually takes him time to get comfortable with newer people. So, when he counts someone as a close friend, you typically know it’s someone that you’re also going to like. It’s why you have nearly identical friend circles. The one exception? His new roommate that you actually cannot stand. 

A few months ago, someone new moved into Jeonghan’s apartment after his old roommate and a close friend of both of yours, Wonwoo, moved out to live with his girlfriend. Enter Joshua. At first appearance, he’s kind, patient, artistic, and funny. Nothing that raises any sort of red flags. All your friends seem to like him immediately and none of them can seem to understand your beef with him. Especially since he never has anything negative to say about you. It makes you feel a little crazy. But, you know that you’re not. You know that this man may be just as petty as you and you know that sometimes he fucks with you just because he can. Never anything malicious. He’s not actually a terrible person. He just seems to delight in the fact that you don’t like him and that your friends give you a hard time over it. Can’t understand your issue when so many of them also love to fuck with you. 

You consider backing out when Jeonghan conveniently lets you know exactly who’s coming a few days before leaving. Up until that point, he was relatively vague. Just the standard group of friends you hang out with. Nobody that creates any sort of problems. He reminds you, when you want to back out, that the deposit is already down on the rental house and the activities are already set. You’re locked into time off from work regardless of going or not. Plus, all the rest of your favorite people (the single ones, at least) will be there so why not just go on the trip anyway? What’s the worst that can happen?

You think you’re going to be revisiting that conversation a lot over the course of the trip.

By the time the trip actually comes around, you’re looking forward to it. So what if Joshua is going to be there? It’s a decent sized group going and the listing for the house you’re staying in is beautiful. There are plenty of places for you to hang out without being on top of someone you don’t like that much. Plus, the shortened week leading up to the trip has crawled by. You need this break. Haven’t really had one since the new year started. Thankfully, you’re able to get done with your work on time and are out the door without giving anyone the chance to add more work onto your plate. 

When you get into your car a few minutes later, after changing into something more comfortable for the ride, you take a deep breath. Half an hour later, you have another of your closest friends, Jennie, in the front seat and the pair of you are off to your getaway. You’re happy that it’s just you and her because at least she hears you out on not liking Joshua. Doesn’t really have any suggestions, but she’s a good ear and an even better partner in crime for the drive up. She has playlists ready, snacks packed, and even a little cooler of drinks. All of that means that you only have to stop once for a bathroom break, to get a little more gas, and to see if you can get something more resembling actual food. The car ride itself is uneventful. 

Once you get to the house? Not so much. Based on the cars already there, you think that you and Jennie might be the last ones to show up. That only feels confirmed when you get into the house and everyone is already spread out and making themselves at home. Jeonghan is quick to come over, a little bit of alcohol on his breath, and welcome you. He lets you know that rooms aren’t decided yet and they wanted to make sure you were there before assigning anything. 

And of course, in typical Jeonghan fashion, he has to make it a game for you to figure out where you’re all going to be sleeping. Everyone gets a quick chance to look through the rooms and see which they might want. Of course, you instantly fall in love with the feel of one room. It shouldn’t matter but the colors feel relaxing, the artwork on the walls is your style, and the beds feel comfy. You give Jennie a look that clearly says you should try to share it. Which shouldn’t be an issue because it’s not even the fanciest room. Once you all look at the rooms, you draw for numbers and Jeonghan explains that you’ll go in order and stand in the room you want. If more people want a room than it fits, then they’ll have to come up with a way to decide who gets it. It’s kind of silly, but everyone seems into it and you just go along. Find yourself getting a little excited when you get to go second, too. 

When it’s your turn, you head straight for the room you want and let out a sigh of relief seeing it’s empty. Jennie has a higher number, so you’ll have to wait to see what happens. It seems like everything is going to go well until Joshua walks into the room with that obnoxious smile on his face. You figure he’ll turn around when he sees you. Instead, he smiles more and plops himself down on the free bed. You are determined not to say anything to him and just wait for Jennie to come along. Only…she never does. Jeonghan calls through the house to say that everyone has picked their rooms and to figure it out if there are too many people in the room.

“You look confused,” he observes and the furrow in your brow deepens. 

“I was expecting…” you start and shake your head.

“Jennie?” he asks and you frown. “I mentioned that I also really wanted this room and she said she would try for a different room since I was before her.”

“Traitor,” you say under your breath. 

“What’s that?” he asks, clearly amused.

“Nothing,” you say. “You could have picked another room, too, you know.” 

“All we have to do here is sleep. The beds in this room are the most comfortable and they’re facing the right way. The decorations are relaxing enough that it'll be easy to fall asleep. I want this room,” he says. 

“But, I’m here,” you say kind of lamely. 

“Not the same problem it is for me that it is for you. You’re welcome to switch with someone else, though,” he says.

“Not a…you hate me,” you say incredulously. 

“No, I don’t. Why would you think that?” Joshua asks and you just blink at him. 

“Because you’re always fucking with me,” you say stupidly. 

Joshua tsks with that infuriating smile still firmly in place. “I promise, sweetheart, I don’t hate you and I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

“But…” you start as he gets to his feet. 

“I’m going to get my bags. Do you want me to grab yours as well?” he asks. You try to splutter out a response which only makes him smile more knowingly. 

Once you gather your thoughts, you also get up to get your own bags. He may have thrown you off for a second, but you’re stubborn and you’re not letting him win at this. You’re not really sure what game he’s playing or why he’s messing with you this way. You’re also not sure why Jennie let you fall into this situation without so much as a fight. That’s a conversation for later when you know that you won’t be overheard. For now, you’re going to get settled in the house and have a very large drink. Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, after all, and you’re going to need all of your strength. 

Your first night goes much easier than you expect. There are enough people that you don’t have to directly interact with your new roommate for the trip. Then, you’re asleep before Joshua comes to bed. Somehow, he’s already out of bed before you get up. A sure sign that you managed to get peaceful sleep. Another sign that you made the right call with the bedroom. It just feels really relaxing. That peace lasts as long as it takes you to get dressed and head out into the kitchen area for coffee. Joshua looks like he’s holding court as he uses the unnecessarily elaborate coffee machine to fill everyone’s orders. And like every other time, they all look completely happy to have him around. You cannot understand it. This is the man that’s been terrorizing you since moving in with Jeonghan and acting like he’s an innocent little angel. Constantly telling you that he would never be chaotic or a menace. It makes you insane. 

(Terrorizing is an incredibly strong word and the rational part of you knows that. Knows that he’s not some evil demon sent from Hell to fight with you, specifically. Knows he doesn’t fuck with you anymore than someone like Jeonghan does. The irrational part of you has decided that fighting with him is the hill you’re willing to die on. That irrational part doesn’t even consider there could be a reason for him acting the way he does with you.)

“Oh this is so cute!” Jennie says as he hands over her mug with perfect latte art. You didn’t realize this was some fancy coffee house set up. 

Joshua smiles soft, the kind that he never shows you, and pushes his glasses back up his nose. Nobody should be allowed to look that good while wearing pajama pants and a sweatshirt. But, he’s got that just rolled out of bed look that would work if you didn’t hate everything about him. His eyes land on you and his smile changes entirely. You think it looks like he’s up to something. Jennie turns around and catches sight of you.

“Babe! You have to let Shua make you coffee. Look how cute this is!” she squeals and shows off her cup as you walk over to her. 

“Shua?” you ask with a raised eyebrow. 

“Don’t worry, you can still just call me Joshua,” he says like he’s doing you a favor.  

“How about Satan?” you ask under your breath. 

His face lights up with that all-too-common look of mischief and you know he heard you. “You know, I prefer Lucifer, actually.” 

“Why is that?” you ask. “They were the same.” 

“In theory, maybe. But, we talk more about Lucifer being a fallen angel than Satan. Plus, it just sounds better, especially when you add Morningstar onto the end. Just a fallen star,” he says and you roll your eyes. He turns back to the coffee machine. “Coffee?”

“Are you asking me?” you say and look around. Everyone else seems to have coffee already. 

“Who else?” he answers with a question of his own. A challenge implicit in the words

“I can make my own, thanks,” you say. “You might put salt into it instead of sugar.” 

He turns around, a lock of faux outrage on his face. “Wow.”

“Come on. Don’t you think that’s a little harsh?” Jennie asks. It’s just the three of you at the kitchen island. 

“Oh, coming from the traitor,” you say without any real heat to it. 

Jennie shrugs, entirely unashamed. “I’m sharing with Seungcheol. He doesn’t snore and he might’ve had to share the bed with Mingyu otherwise. When Joshua said he wanted your same room, I didn’t feel like fighting when I still might lose.”

You sigh at her and Joshua just watches the exchange with more interest than you expect. “So, where are we on letting me make your coffee?”

“Fine,” you say with another sigh. 

Jennie only chuckles under her breath as she gets up off the stool, coffee in hand. “Enjoy.”

Joshua looks at you with the same annoying smile and asks how you like your coffee. You answer him while saying as little as possible and he’s off to work. It’s a nice break once he turns around. He can’t give you shit while he’s focusing so hard on the drink. For a second, you even forget to watch the ingredients he uses. He’s so peaceful. Thankfully (for you, at least), you shake yourself out of it before he turns back around with your mug. 

“Here,” he says and hands it over with the sly smile he saves for you. “Happy Valentine’s Day.” 

It’s casual, the way he says it. Like the way you would say it to an acquaintance or even a newer friend. Certainly not the way you expect him to say it to you. Actually, you don’t expect to hear him say it at all. You roll your eyes for the hundredth time. “Thanks, you too.”

His eyes are still on you and it’s unnerving. “Aren’t you going to try it?”

The alarm bells go off in your head. It’s so easy to imagine him fucking with you. It’s not like you could see through his body to know what he was doing while making the coffee. If you say anything now, though, and it’s a normal cup, then you’ll be the one who seems crazy. All that’s left to do is (begrudgingly) take a sip. Which you do. It takes everything in you not to give away that it’s the best cup of coffee in your life. How does he manage to make it taste so good? How does he get perfect portions of everything? 

You must not totally control your face because he smiles again like he can read your mind. Then he prompts the answer he must already know. “So?”

“It’s not bad,” you say noncommittally.

“Not bad?” Seungcheol asks. It’s beyond you how that man manages to sneak up on you. Makes you start a little. He only chuckles at that and puts a hand on your arm to steady you. “Sorry, I thought you heard me.”

“It’s fine,” you say with a smile. After all, you don’t have beef with him. Jeonghan, maybe, and Joshua, definitely, but not Seungcheol. You can’t blame Jennie for saving him from sharing a bed with Mingyu when Mingyu sleeps like a starfish.

“This is the best coffee I’ve ever had. I want to pay him to just make me a cup whenever I need it,” he jokes. 

Joshua shrugs, feigning a humility that you know he doesn’t feel. It’s the version of him that everyone else but you seems to get. It just feels so fake. Doesn’t occur to you that maybe it’s all the real him. That he could be both a chaos demon and a genuinely nice person all at once. Or maybe you’re getting the fake version of him. 

“It’s nothing,” Joshua says, like the compliment makes him shy. “I worked as a barista while I was in school. Got pretty good at it because it meant better tips.” 

“You know, maybe we should talk about you opening a coffee shop. I know some people who might want to invest and you’re wasting away in an office job. You’re much better around people,” Seungcheol says. 

You snort and quickly cover it. Although Seungcheol seems to second guess what he heard, one look at Joshua tells you he knows. His face is even again by the time the other man looks back. Leave it to Seungcheol and his giant heart to want to help someone who may not even deserve it. Before you can say anything else, you excuse yourself from the conversation with a final forced thank you. You don’t want to spend the whole weekend feeling crazy any time someone sees you bickering with Joshua.  With a whole weekend like this, he’s bound to show his true colors. And you’ll be waiting for that moment. No, you don’t think that’s crazy at all. It’s just how it has to be.

The rest of the morning and afternoon pass in kind of a blur. You and Jennie offer to do the big grocery shopping trip to get everything on the communal list. There had been a little bit of food, some drinks, and plenty of coffee. But, you need food for the rest of the weekend, especially with tonight being a meal in the house to avoid the insanity of Valentine’s Day crowds. Shopping the night before just hadn’t been on the agenda either. So, you and Jennie head out to brave any last minute shoppers with a (slightly longer than expected) list of what you think you’ll need the rest of the weekend.

Once you get back, Jeonghan is quick to take over while ushering you off to hang out in the living room. You’re not sure if he unpacks the groceries, or, more realistically, gets someone else to handle it. That’s definitely something nice about having a house full of people. There’s no shortage of helping hands. It’s just nice to get to sit for a minute. The grocery store had been busier than expected. You don’t mind crowds, neither does Jennie. There’s just something about holidays that seems to bring out the worst in those that are out last minute. 

It seems like people have scattered while you were at the store. The weather doesn’t quite feel warm enough to be outside. It is sunny, though, and that seems like enough to pull some of your friends outside to kick a ball around. Definitely not something that appeals to you. Instead, you drift over to join Jun and Jeonghan playing a boardgame. Most of your friends have a rule against playing games with Jeonghan because he’s not above cheating for fun. Or just to win since he can be competitive. That’s never been a rule you bothered with. It’s just as fun for you to see his reactions when you don’t react to his cheating. That can be more fun than the game itself. Besides, you’re pretty good at a lot of the games he plays. It’s a safe option while Joshua is outside. 

Eventually, Jun has to excuse himself from your games. Not really a big loss to Jeonghan since Jun really only joined for the vibes and because running around outside felt like too much work. As the afternoon slips away, he leaves to join Mingyu in the kitchen. The two of them are tackling dinner for the entire group. A fact you’re all happy with since they’re both incredible cooks. You, personally, are less excited when Joshua plops into Jun’s vacated seat, freshly showered after being outside. His hair is still wet as he shakes it out a little and runs a hand through it to get it out of his face. 

“What’s with the glasses today?” Jeonghan asks and Joshua rolls his eyes. 

“I wear glasses a lot. Are you saying that you’re not just always staring at my face?” Joshua retorts. Jeonghan is the only other person Joshua ever messes around with. But, it’s very different than with you. Those two banter. Sass each other back and forth. Joshua genuinely fucks with you. At least, that’s how it feels to you.

Jeonghan narrows his eyes at his roommate and glances over at you for some reason. Even as long as you’ve been friends, you still can’t read the look on your best friend’s face. It looks like he’s putting something together and you have no idea what. Aren’t sure you want to know, honestly. He and Joshua may not have been roommates long, but Jeonghan considers them two peas in a pod. Yet, somehow everyone knows Jeonghan is a demon with a kind heart, while nobody thinks Joshua is anything but sweet. 

“Please tell me you didn’t wear glasses so…” your best friend starts, only to be quickly cut off. 

“I thought we were playing games over here,” Joshua interrupts. Although Jeonghan narrows his eyes, he doesn’t comment further. Weird. 

“I’ll leave the roommates to it,” you say flatly and start to stand up. Jeonghan grabs your arm gently, so you could pull away if you wanted. It’s just to get your attention.

“Come on, you can’t abandon us. The games are more fun with more than two people,” he says. Gives you that angelic smile you still haven’t figured out how to ignore after years of friendship.

“I was going to…” you start and trail off when a good excuse eludes you.

“What?” Jeonghan challenges with that sparkle in his eye. “Help in the kitchen? Watch whatever Jennie is trying to teach Cheol? Let Soonyoung corner you the way he probably cornered Jihoon and Sana to talk about his idea to adopt a tiger?” 

“He’s a menace,” you protest weakly, glancing briefly at Joshua. He’s been watching the exchange with clear interest and this makes him laugh.

“Jeonghan is your best friend!” he says while holding back a laugh. 

“Yeah, but everyone knows he’s a menace,” you start.

“Hey!”

“Oh you are, Hannie, don’t deny it.” 

“Still.” He pouts at you and you know it means he’s not actually upset. He is a menace and the most loyal person you know. It’s fine. 

“You, on the other hand,” you say, turning to Joshua. He gives you a look of polite interest. “You’re a menace and everyone thinks you’re an angel.”

“I am an angel,” he says with a shrug.

“Every day the universe tests my patience,” you say under your breath. 

“Just play with us,” Jeonghan says and you sigh.

“Fine.”

In some ways, it is actually funnier than playing with Jun. Joshua tries to be stealthy as he cheats, but you’re best friends with Jeonghan and you’ve absolutely seen it all. The normal rules go out the window and you all try to see who can be the sneakiest in cheating for an advantage. Your best friend receives a shock with how well you keep pace. Not that it should be surprising. You pick things up with Jeonghan in your life. Despite how much fun you’re having, you stop just short of admitting that. Can’t let Joshua have the satisfaction. 

Eventually, it’s time for everyone to head back to their rooms to get ready for dinner. Even though you’re staying in, everyone wants to get dressed up. Pretend you’re all fancy for no real reason. You let Joshua go back to the room first. He and Sana are relieving Mingyu and Jun so that they can also get ready for dinner. At least you have the confidence neither of them will burn anything. He’s changed by the time you return to the room and sit down on your bed to do your makeup. 

“Trying to impress someone?” he asks, voice low in a way that’s unfamiliar to you. 

It makes you glance up at him sharply, searching to understand the tone. He doesn’t have his standard sly grin on his face and it’s a little disarming. Instead, he’s studying your face. “Sometimes I just like to look nice.” 

Joshua turns to grab his watch and says something under his breath. Something so quiet that you can’t hear it even looking right at him. Can’t read his lips either since you’re looking at his profile. He seems so concentrated and, for once, unguarded. It gives you a moment to take him in when you usually try not to linger on him for more than a moment. He’s wearing a crisp dress shirt with the top few buttons undone. Just the right amount of casual and dressy. Your eyes linger on his necklace that should look a little too fine or thin, yet somehow works on him. It’s an interesting combination. Something you might expect to see on Jeonghan with all his delicate features. Lost in your consideration of the piece of jewelry, you miss the moment Joshua finishes fastening this watch and looks back up.

“Were you staring at me?” he asks and you’re not surprised to hear his usual tone back. Maybe a little cockiness thrown in for good measure.

“Your necklace, actually,” you answer. It comes out much more smooth than you feel after being caught staring at your enemy. 

He chuckles and touches a hand to it. Runs a careful finger along the chain. Then, he smirks at you and you know there’s no good that can come from that. “Maybe if you’re good, I’ll let you borrow it.” 

A million things run through your head at that statement. None of them can come out of your mouth, though. “Aren’t you supposed to be helping Sana in the kitchen so our lovely chefs can get ready?”

“Sure,” he agrees easily and you like that tone even less. It’s like he knows some kind of secret that you’re not in on. It’s unnerving. He turns to the door before giving you a chance to say anything else. “See you at dinner.” 

What the hell was that?

You finish getting ready and head out into the dining area to find Jennie and Soonyoung setting the table. As seems to be usual, he has entirely too much energy for such a simple task. It’s kind of endearing, really. Everything with him around the group feels exciting, even the boring things. Jeonghan is just behind them with little name cards to assign you where to sit. You would roll your eyes if it weren’t so completely him. Though, he seems to have taken at least a partial night off from causing problems on purpose. Your seat is between Jennie and Jihoon, which seems harmless enough. Knowing Ji, he may not even have much to say. 

As something to do, you help bring food to the table. Everything looks amazing. Not that it’s a surprise. If Seungcheol wants to pay Joshua to make him coffee every day, you wish you could pay Mingyu to cook all your meals. Even as the one who went grocery shopping, you aren’t expecting this. There’s an assortment of dishes, both hot and cold, with something seemingly from every food group. And it smells even better than it looks. Everyone loads up their plates and takes their assigned seats. Naturally, Jeonghan sits at the head. And, of course, Joshua is sitting across from you. Not directly across from you, no. Jeonghan has him sitting across from Jennie. It seems deliberate since you’re far more likely to turn to chat with Jennie than Jihoon. But, nothing should ruin your mood or this dinner. Instead, you heap your praise on Mingyu and Jun before digging in. Just kind of follow the conversation as it goes. 

Dinner is just as amazing as you imagined it would be. Even cleaning up after dinner goes quickly. And then it’s to the part of the night Jeonghan seems most excited about: drinking and playing games. Multiple people veto Soonyoung’s request to play strip poker, causing him to pout. So, Seungcheol jumps in with another card game where you can all drink and keep your clothes on. Someone seems to mutter that everyone keeping their clothes on is boring, earning a chuckle. Still, you all settle around a large coffee table and start drinking. Jihoon joins once he gets a playlist going for background music. 

The game lasts longer than you expect before Soonyoung starts to lose interest again. And he doesn’t seem to be alone. He’s giggling along with Jun and Sana, the lightest of the lightweights in the group when it comes to drinking. None of them are really paying attention to their turns, but how can you be mad? They’re all so cute. So happy.

“Oh I know!” Soonyoung says, volume several settings too loud.

“Inside voice, Soonie,” Sana giggles.

“We should play truth or dare,” he says. It’s still a bit too loud, but at least your ears don’t hurt.

“Soonyoung, we’re adults,” Jihoon says, only a slight flush to his cheeks showing he’s been drinking.

“Which makes it even more fun,” Jun chimes in. 

Jihoon looks around for support. Looks for someone else to object. Most people only shrug. You all know that Soonyoung is going to get what he wants. He’s got a cute pout and he never asks for anything that would actually make someone uncomfortable. Why not play a silly game while drinking with friends on a getaway to forget none of you are in relationships at the moment? What could possibly go wrong?

The first few rounds, as always, are pretty mild. Nobody wants to be the first one to cross the line into something a little raunchier. Then the drinks keep flowing and people seem to get a little looser. Soonyoung gives Sana a lap dance that has the entire group on the edge of their seats. Jihoon has to admit that he wrote half a dozen songs about a crush on Sana when he first got started (which earns him a kiss on the cheek from the woman in question). Mingyu has to share a sexual fantasy. Sana has to suck on someone’s fingers (and picks Jihoon, which makes his cheeks flush). Around and around it goes with the only constant being that neither option is safer. It all depends on who’s asking and who they’re asking. The majority of what comes out is known to at least part of the group since most of you have been friends for years. It’s also all in good fun while the drinks flow. 

“Joshua, truth or dare?” Jeonghan says and his roommate seems delighted.

“Dare, obviously,” he says without a second thought.

You roll your eyes and take a drink while you watch Jeonghan pretend to consider. It’s an act, one you know well. He knows what he’s going to say and it comes out a second later. “I dare you to whisper in someone’s ear til they blush.”

“Something dirty?” Joshua asks. 

Jeonghan just shrugs. “Up to you about whatever you think will work best.”

Joshua casts his eyes around the group like he’s actually considering. You figure he’ll probably pick someone whose cheeks are already a bit flushed from drinking. Make it easier on himself. That’s what Jeonghan would do, at least. It’s only when you realize that he’s moving towards you that you get a little nervous. Jennie offers you a smile before getting up so that he can sit next to you. You really need to get better friends. It should be fine, though, because you don’t blush that easily. Definitely not because of someone you don’t even like. 

Your other friends seem to move a little further away, too. Maybe so they can see better or maybe so they don’t hear what he says. This is a test of wills and it’s one you intend to win as you give him the most neutral look. Unfortunately, he surprises you right from the start by gently taking hold of your chin and turning your face away from him. His fingers are just as gentle when they push your hair away from your ear. It’s the way you treat someone you actually like, not someone you constantly terrorize. The warmth from his breath tickles you as he leans into your ear. 

“You think you have me fooled. Want me to think that you can’t stand me,” he begins and you’re already fighting off a shiver. His voice is low, as smooth as honey and just as sweet. He keeps a hand around the back of your head and one in front of his own face to create the illusion of privacy. Even though nobody else could hear him with his voice so low. 

“I know, though. I know there’s a very fine line between hate and…desire. I saw the way you looked at my necklace earlier. Tracked the way you watched my fingers slide along the smooth chain. Were you imagining what else my fingers could do? Maybe you want to imagine them sliding across your lips. I’d do it if all our friends weren’t watching. Or maybe you were thinking about having my fingers ghost over your neck. Applying feather light pressure.” 

It’s getting harder for you to keep your cool. There’s a slideshow of the least sexy images that you can conjure playing in your mind. You cannot lose this to Joshua, of all people. Anyone else, fine. Just not him.

“Hmm. Or maybe it’s my mouth that gets you going. That mouth that’s always terrorizing you. Always seems to have something to say. Do you want to know what it feels like pressed into your skin? Do you want to imagine me dipping my head down from your ear? Can you imagine me sucking a mark into the soft skin of your neck and then soothing you by running my tongue over the spot? I will keep kissing down your skin. Finding every spot that makes you moan. I bet you make the sweetest sounds…”

“BESTIE!” Jeonghan says, nearly shrieking with delight. “Oh my god, I cannot believe he got you!”

Joshua pulls away with the worst grin you’ve ever seen and you just huff out in annoyance. Cross your arms and firmly look anywhere but Joshua. It’s all you can do to try and calm down the rapid beating of your heart. You shake your head and then glare at your best friend.

“What was he saying?” Mingyu asks, feeding too much into bullshit. 

“That’s between us,” Joshua says as he gets up to return to his original seat. 

“Cannot believe he managed to make our strongest soldier blush like that,” Sana says through a giggle. 

“Is she?” Joshua asks Sana, seeming genuinely intrigued. Sana raises her eyebrows in question. “Our strongest soldier?”

“Yeah, nothing gets her, usually,” Mingyu says and you cast a look at him for betraying you.

“It was like he was reading some smutty book to me. I wasn’t even thinking about it being him,” you say with a pout.

“Sure, sure,” Jeonghan says dismissively and turns to his roommate. “Your turn.” 

Part of you expects him to turn it right back on you given the look on his face. He surprises you, though, and turns over to Sana. You space out on whatever the truth or dare is. Kind of can’t think about anything other than the things Joshua whispered into your ear. You know he didn’t mean any of it. There’s no world where Joshua wants to do any of those things with you. And no world where you want him too, either, you remind yourself. It just kills you that he won this round. You refocus just in time to hear Sana direct the next question to you.

“Truth or dare?” she asks 

Sana is trustworthy. Not someone out to get you, so it’s easy to answer. “Dare.”

“Kiss the most attractive person…” she starts, only to get an elbow to the side from Soonyoung. “Sorry, I want you to kiss the most attractive guy on the lips for at least 5 seconds. Jennie and I are off the table.” 

“What would it take to get you on the table?” Seungcheol jokes and somehow keeps it from sounding sleazy. 

You roll your eyes and look around the group. All of your friends are pretty, which makes something like this hard. Easy to overthink, too. That’s when it hits you. Quickly rising, you make it seem like you’re heading towards Joshua. His face shows surprise for the briefest moment. At the last second, you curve towards Mingyu. 

“Can I kiss you?” 

He chuckles, catching onto your game immediately. “Not like it’s the first time.” 

You lean in and press a kiss to his lips. It’s nothing that deep, but you do make sure it lasts longer than five seconds. When you pull away, Joshua seems to be watching intently. Even follows you back to your seat. 

“Hey, now why does Mingyu get to be the most attractive?” Soonyoung protests with a pout.

“Maybe because he’s a literal model?” Jennie says with a laugh. 

“Details,” Soonyoung says dismissively. 

During the exchange you look back at Joshua and tune out the bickering. You find his eyes already on you, an unreadable look on his face. “Truth or dare?”

Joshua’s eyes widen. “Me?” 

“Mhm,” you hum in agreement.

His eyes narrow, just for a second. “Truth.” 

“What’s your most embarrassing sex story?” 

The question seems to catch him further off guard and you’re not sure what he expected you to ask. Maybe he thought you would ask about why he’s always terrorizing you. This is infinitely better, though. The way he answers will tell you a lot about him. 

He actually launches into a legitimate story. Apparently, he had been dating someone and wanted to spice things up a little in the relationship. So, he let himself into her apartment to set up a little dinner for them and then stripped down to a sexy waiter outfit. Just cuffs, a collar, and the tiniest underwear known to man. The only problem was that she didn’t know that he was setting up the surprise and showed up back at her place with her parents, who he had not even met yet. He was never able to recover from it and they broke up. It’s not technically a sex story, but you let him have it because it’s definitely embarrassing. 

The game carries on once again. The truths and dares get bolder until someone reels it back in with something a little tamer and the cycle resets. You think you might be in the clear, even though your mind still lingers in places you wish it wouldn’t. If your friends can tell you’re zoning out, they don’t call you on it. You’re actually surprised the game has gone on this long with everyone drinking and being silly. It’s kind of nice too, though, to get to take a break from real world responsibilities. There’s a lightness to the whole night that makes you warm. At least, that’s what you’re deciding has you feeling the way you are.

“Okay, last one and then we’re moving onto a drinking game,” Seungcheol says. 

“Bossy,” Jennie comments and earns a smattering of chuckles. 

“You up for it?” Seungcheol asks Joshua.

“Sure, dare,” he says without missing a beat. 

“No more of this whispering in her ear to make her blush, I want to see an actual kiss,” Seungcheol says and looks right at you.

“Excuse me?” you ask. He’s the last person you imagine engaging in whatever this is that the rest of your friends are up to.

“I could cut the tension with a knife and I just wanna see if it’s one sided,” he says, unapologetic. 

“Didn’t take you as the type who liked to watch,” Jeonghan says, shit-eating grin taking over his face.

“Oh, I’m into all sorts of things, but we can talk about that later,” Seungcheol says with a wink at Jeonghan. You forget, sometimes, that he can be just as insufferable as your best friend. He turns back to you. “You can back out, though.”

Joshua is watching you for your reaction and his face is unreadable. It’s impossible to tell if he actually wants to do this or if he’s just going along with the game. You know that he won’t follow through if you say no, though. Maybe it’s the drinks coursing through you, but it doesn’t feel like the worst thing in the world. The buzz in your veins is pleasant and you know you’re still totally in control. 

“Well?” Joshua presses when you don’t say anything.

You try to seem unaffected again by rolling your eyes. Can tell by the looks you get that it doesn’t really work. So, you huff out a short reply. “Fine.” 

For the second time tonight, Joshua rises from his seat and crosses to you. Jennie doesn’t even get a chance to move this time because he reaches a hand to you and pulls you to your feet. It’s gentle again, just like he was when he whispered filth into your ear. Almost cautiously, he puts one hand on your waist, sliding it along so it’s on your back as he pulls you into him. His other hand rests on your cheek and then he kisses you. Not just a peck like you’re expecting. His lips are impossibly soft and it takes everything in you not to sink further into it. To fight the way your body wants to respond to his touch. The next second, he pulls back. When you meet his eyes, it’s the first time you can remember seeing him look like that. Soft, unguarded, curious. The mask slips back into place when he steps away.

“Satisfied?” Joshua asks Seungcheol.

“Oh, definitely.” 

Nobody says anything about the kiss as you move into whatever drinking game Seungcheol picks to play next. There are plenty of looks that both you and Joshua miss, though. It’s almost like seeing the version of Joshua that all your friends talk about. The one who could be kind and thoughtful. Funny and supportive. All the sides you’re very convinced are reserved for anyone but you. It makes your head spin in a way that has nothing to do with the alcohol in your system. It fills you with questions, too. Why did he kiss you like that? It’s the kind of first kiss everyone wants. One that’s full of promises and meaning. One that sets the tone for everything going forward. 

It’s going to spiral you back into annoyance again if you’re not careful. It’s all just a game to him, right? Just another way to mess with you and get you to think about wanting him. Another way to show that he’s somehow in control of this whole dynamic. That’s a win you can’t give him. So, you dial yourself back into the present and into the game. Make sure to act like everything is fine. And it is. You’re definitely not thinking about the things Joshua whispered in your ear now that you know exactly what his lips feel like on yours. 

The next morning comes brighter than you’re expecting. Then, you realize it’s not that early after all. A side effect of staying up into the early hours of the morning having the best night with your friends. Your head feels a little fuzzy from drinking. Could be a lot worse. Thankfully, you drank a ton of water and took a couple painkillers to hedge your bets, so you wake up without a hangover. Sometimes, past-you really does look out for future-you.

In the other bed, Joshua shifts. You freeze, not entirely ready to deal with him before even wiping the sleep from your eyes. Instead, he just rolls over and his breathing stays even. It’s that steady rhythm of someone sleeping soundly. He looks younger, somehow, while he’s sleeping. Or maybe it’s just that he’s completely relaxed. No time for scheming or terrorizing you. There’s an innocence that almost makes you forget the war between you and him. Almost. 

After you brush your teeth and wash your face, you decide to see if anyone else in the house is awake. The whole house is quiet, though. Not surprising. You always seem to be the first one awake after a night drinking and this is supposed to be a vacation. There’s no point in waking anyone up when you don’t have plans until later. So, you decide to grab your book, an oversized hoodie that you stole from one of your friends, and one of the blankets from the living room before heading outside. There’s a chill in the air, though not it’s not as bad as the previous day. There’s also heating units on the patio that you can turn on before settling down. 

It’s the perfect cozy morning. The heaters and the blanket keep you just warm enough without it being uncomfortable. The world around you is calm, peaceful in a way it never could be in a city. A breeze gently rustles through the trees. Birds call out to each other. There aren’t any of those sounds that people contribute. You get lost in the fictional world and the vivid imagery, completely unaware of anything going on around you. 

At least until a voice interrupts your thoughts. A voice that’s quickly becoming too recognizable. 

“I brought you coffee,” he says and holds out a steaming mug. 

Without consciously making the decision, you move your legs on the couch, allowing him to sit down on the other end. He has his own mug that he blows gently across before taking a sip. Your eyes study his profile for a moment before taking a sip of your own.

“Thank you,” you say without the normal bite. 

“I made it the same as yesterday, hope that’s okay,” he says. He’s still facing forward and you can’t really place why. Or why it bothers you that he’s not looking over at you when you’re not even friends. 

You sigh. “You make incredible coffee. You don’t need me to tell you that.”

The side of his mouth that you can see quirks into a smile. Probably a smug one, knowing him. Then he does actually turn to face you and, of course, his eyes sparkle. “Still nice to hear.” 

“Yes, Joshua, you are the coffee god,” you say with heavy sarcasm.

You set the coffee down on the table long enough so that you can mark the place in your book with the receipt you’re using as a bookmark and set it aside. Somehow, this seems to interest him, even though it seems like the most mundane thing. Instead of trying to figure out what’s going on in his head, you just pick your coffee back up and resume drinking in peace. A peace that only lasts a moment.

“You can tell a lot about someone by how they handle their books,” he says. 

That gets your attention even though you know it’s meant to bait you into a conversation. “Is that so?” 

“Probably not,” he says with a light laugh. “But, I like that you don’t dog-ear your pages…”

“A crime.” 

“And I use receipts as bookmarks, too. Sometimes, from when I buy the books if they don’t just email it to me or otherwise, just one I have lying around. I can’t ever seem to remember an actual bookmark, but who doesn’t have receipts lying around?”

“That’s true,” you concede. Joshua takes another sip of his coffee and shivers a little, even though he’s also got a sweatshirt one. One of Jeonghan’s, you think, because you know you’ve seen him in it. “Here.” 

“What?” he asks and turns to you. You’re pushing the edge of the blanket towards him with your foot. It’s plenty big enough to share.

“You brought me coffee. I’m not going to let you shiver,” you say and he smiles at you. One of the real ones that you’re not used to. 

“Thanks,” he says and pulls it toward his lap. 

“I’m surprised you’re not inside making everyone else coffee, too.” 

“Nobody else is awake yet. Or, I didn’t see anyone. I thought I heard voices, could’ve been a TV in one of the rooms. But it seemed so peaceful out here and I figured…”

“You’d come bug me?” 

The look he gives you is a little exasperated. Something new on his face. Joshua reaches into the pouch of his sweatshirt and pulls out a book. It’s a title and an author you don’t recognize. You wonder what you might be able to learn from his reading habits. 

“I thought I might read, too,” he says instead and glances at your book. “You know, not what I pictured you reading.” 

Several responses war in your head, all wanting to come out. You look over at the book to buy yourself a minute to see which answer wins out. “I like fantasy. It’s nice to escape into a world that isn’t real.” 

“That doesn’t surprise me,” he says, seemingly pleased that you’re not being snarky. 

“So, why not this, then?” you ask. It hits you that maybe he pays more attention to you than you realize. Maybe that’s why he’s so good at getting under your skin. A thought occurs to you. “If you say you think I’d prefer sparkly vampires, I will end you.”

That makes him laugh, loud and clear. Like he’s not concerned about coming off a certain way. It’s a nice sound, you think. “No, that’s not what I was thinking. I was thinking more fantasy mixed with some kind of dystopia. Not something set in the Middle East.” 

“I do like that, too,” you admit grudgingly. “Have you read this one? It was out on a fantasy table at the bookstore and it just sounded interesting.”

“Not yet, maybe you’ll let me borrow it,” he says with that smirk that reminds you just what a pain he can be.

“We’re definitely not at book sharing,” you deadpan, falling right into the trap without realizing.

“So we can swap spit but you won’t share a book with me?” 

“Ew.” 

“I know the kiss wasn’t so bad that you’re saying ew about it.” 

You pull your legs closer into yourself and wrap your hands more tightly around the mug for both warmth and comfort. Regard him for a moment and decide how you want to go forward. There’s something about the setting that makes it feel like the two of you are in your own little bubble. Like you can say things you wouldn’t with your other friends around. Even though you know that you can see the patio from inside, it feels more private. Less on display than you and Joshua were the night before during the game. Somewhere along the chat, Joshua has also turned to face you and crossed his legs in front of him.

“I don’t understand you,” you admit after a moment. 

“I didn’t think I was complicated,” he says. 

“You hate me…”

“I’ve already told you I don’t.” 

“But you picked me to make blush even though there were better options and then kissed me without hesitation.” Joshua opens his mouth, a smart retort on his lips, you’re sure. So you’re quick to cut him off. “And don’t say it was just a dare. I didn’t kiss Mingyu that way and I got to pick whoever I wanted.” 

That makes him snap his mouth shut briefly. He takes a slow sip of coffee, seemingly to buy himself a moment to reconsider what to say. It’s hell on you, though, because seeing his lips on the mug reminds you of the way his lips felt against yours last night. 

“I don’t hate you,” he repeats to start. “I was maybe a little envious, at the beginning, of your relationship with Jeonghan and the rest of that friend group. I’ve always made friends easily, but this felt different. I know we all joke about it, but Jeonghan and I must have been friends in another life. And I saw how everyone also loved you and joked around with you, but you weren’t like that with me. So it felt a little like I was still on the outside of this group I loved.” 

“Who all love you, too, for the record,” you say with a sigh.

“You don’t, though,” he presses.

“Because you terrorize me!” you say without any real heat. 

“So does Jeonghan,” he points out. 

“He gets best friend privileges,” you say. “And he doesn’t fuck with me like you do.” 

“I watched him eat your ice cream out of the freezer and try to convince you that it wasn’t ever yours. And that he had no idea what happened to yours,” he deadpans and you immediately close your mouth, forgetting what you wanted to say.

“I…okay, yeah, he does fuck with me,” you concede.

“I figured if you already didn’t like me, I might as well have a little fun,” he says with a shrug. You can see the smile tugging at the corner of his lips, though. 

“And irritating me, then pretending you haven’t done anything is fun to you?” 

“Yeah, actually.”

You huff out in annoyance. “At least you admit that I’m not crazy.” 

“Now, that’s not all my doing.” 

You’re about to snap back at him when you catch sight of the look on his face. He’s just needling you again. Like he has been since moving in with your best friend. So, you switch tactics, hoping to catch him off guard. “Still doesn’t explain the dares last night.”

Joshua gives you a look that’s almost a little sympathetic. Like there’s something right in front of you that you can’t really figure out. It instantly makes you want to wipe it off him. “Like I said, I like to annoy you. You’re even hotter when you’re annoyed.”

“Excuse…” you start.

The door opens behind you and Jennie pokes her head out. “Brunch is ready, lovebirds.”

“We’re not…” you try to start again.

Joshua is too quick, though. Giving you that obnoxious smirk and slowly moving the blanket off his lap. “Thanks for sharing your blanket with me, sweetheart.”

With that, he’s up and heading inside before your brain can even catch up. God, he’s so fucking infuriating that it’s going to make you crazy. But, as you’re gathering your things to head inside for brunch, and ignoring Jennie’s pointed look, you consider that maybe you did just get to know a lot more about Joshua than you realized. 

After brunch, everyone gets ready to head out to the action park. This had been a Soonyoung and Jun suggestion, but everyone seems pretty interested. Since they’re the only ones who have been to one before, you’re not entirely sure what to expect just from the website. In person, it’s actually really cool. They have go karts, bumper cars, indoor mini golf, rock climbing and ropes courses, small ziplines, laser tag, and even more things that you can’t really put a name to. There’s definitely something for everyone and it lets you split off to go do whatever seems the most interesting. 

You’re barely in the door before Soonyoung and Jun are running off giggling. Jeonghan peels off to go karts. He’s not a great driver, but he’s as competitive as they come and it’s definitely something he can try to win at. A little surprising, especially with mini golf being right there, but whatever floats his boat. You try to drag Mingyu along with you to the zip line, figuring it’s not that high and maybe it’ll help him work on his fear of heights. You’re a little surprised that you get him to agree eventually. More surprised still that he actually seems to enjoy it. From the top of the zipline, you see that Jun and Soonyoung are playing some teenagers in laser tag, giggling in a way that has you concerned for the teenagers. Those two are devious with games like that. 

It’s the perfect kind of relaxing afternoon that’s also engaging. You try out as many things as you can and just get lost in the fun of it all. Don’t really think about Joshua or your earlier conversation. Definitely don’t feel any kind of way when the person securing his harness lingers a little longer than necessary, seemingly flirting with him. It’s too far away to tell if he’s flirting back. Not that you should care, either way. The distraction lets Jeonghan ram into the side of your bumper car and forces you back into your mission of chasing after your best friend. 

Several hours later, your whole group is ready to leave. It’s been a lot of fun, but nobody wants to get completely worn out. Especially when you have dinner reservations at a nice restaurant and then plans for an escape room after that. So, you pile back into your cars and head back to the house to get ready again. Joshua lets you have the bathroom to get ready because you want to take a quick shower without washing your hair. He’s not going out of his way to fuck with you and it’s a bit disarming. Still, it’s better than before, right? 

Dinner is even better than expected, but you’re careful not to praise it too much. Can’t have Mingyu pouting over thinking the professional chef does a better job than him (even though it is literally the chef’s job). Nobody drinks too much, either. Except it’s not because you drank the night before. No. Jeonghan, like the true chaos demon that he is, tells you at dinner that it’s actually two escape rooms because it’s too easy with 10 people and you’ll be splitting into two groups. So, it’s kind of like a competition to see who finishes first. That sharpens everyone’s attention. Well, after Soonyoung makes a joke about finishing first, of course. You can tell that people are looking around and wondering who the best teammates are going to be or how you’re going to split up.

Somehow, your friends let you and Jeonghan be on the same team, which feels like an unfair advantage when the two of you do these a lot. It’s been a tradition of yours for years, even now when they’re not as popular anymore. It’s a little surprising that Joshua doesn’t press about also being paired up with you. It seems like the perfect chance to give you a hard time and you know he wants to win. He just heads to the other group without a word, though. It hits you while you’re getting ready to start your room that he also left you alone during the entirety of dinner. Weird. But, then the timer starts and nothing else matters. 

Soonyoung whines the whole way back to the house about how unfair it was to have to go against you and Jeonghan. It’s good natured, though. He admits that he still had fun even if his team only made it out with a few minutes to spare. Your team had over 10 minutes to spare, by comparison, so it hadn’t exactly been a close fight. The bickering picks back up again when you get out of your cars and Soonyoung can argue with Jeonghan again. It’s incredibly endearing to watch them that way. Fills your heart with warmth. This really is the perfect weekend away with friends. 

“Oh, I brought my karaoke machine!” Soonyoung says as everyone is dispersing into the house.

“Soonyoung…” you start, exasperated.

“I’m in!” Jun squeals and Soonyoung is off to retrieve it without another comment.

“I’ll start mixing up some drinks,” Sana says with an affectionate sigh. 

“I’ll help,” Jennie agrees. 

Even though nobody else shows any enthusiasm, you all get sucked into the mess with the promise of drinks. Soonyoung actually doesn’t have a bad voice at all when he’s not trying to be as ridiculous as possible. It’s nice, though, because this isn’t the kind of thing you can’t do at home when you share walls with other people. Or not the kind of thing you should do. Soonyoung, in particular, does not need any more noise complaints. 

Jeonghan takes the seat next to you and it’s comforting to have him there, even if it’s not exactly a quiet moment. The two of you go over some of the more difficult clues from the escape room and wonder if you could have gotten through the other room just as fast. Figure you probably could because the difficulty levels were the same. The two of you are nothing if not confident in your abilities. Somewhere during the conversation, Joshua plops down on Jeonghan’s other side and shares what it had been like in their room. More chaotic than yours, by the sounds of it. 

“Hey, I didn’t ask,” Jeonghan says suddenly, turning to Joshua. “I saw you were getting some extra attention from that worker putting your harness on for the rock climbing wall.”

“Ah, it was nothing,” Joshua says dismissively. 

“It didn’t seem like nothing,” Jeonghan presses, ever the pest.

Joshua gives him a look that seems to convey a silent conversation. It’s strange to see when you’re so used to doing that with Jeonghan yourself. “She was just asking about our plans and if we needed any suggestions or wanted a guide to anything.”

“So, she was hitting on you,” Jeonghan concludes, smug for a reason you don’t understand.

“Maybe,” Joshua says with a shrug. “I told her it was a friends trip and that we were set.”

“Not interested?” Jeonghan presses.

“No,” Joshua says without explaining. 

“Can’t imagine why,” Jeonghan says like he knows a secret. You recognize the tone well. What you don’t recognize is what the secret is. 

“I’m gonna go get a refill,” Joshua says and stands up abruptly.

“What was that?” you ask, watching Joshua as he retreats into the kitchen.

Jeonghan only shrugs like he doesn’t know what’s going on. You might believe it on anyone else, but you know better with him. “I think I’m going to go see if Soonyoung wants to do a duet.”

With that nonanswer, Jeonghan also stands and heads over to see what Soonyoung has for song options in the app he’s using to connect to the machine. Something about the whole interaction feels off. And though you still don’t know if you even like Joshua, you get up to follow him into the empty kitchen. At least, you’re going to continue telling yourself you’re not sure if you like him. 

“Are you okay?” you ask and he turns at your voice.

“Fine, why?” he asks. It’s not how he normally interacts with you.

“I don’t know, you just seem off,” you say. “Jeonghan can be a shit sometimes, but…”

“But, you’ll give him a pass and not me,” Joshua finishes and it pulls you up short. “Sorry, I…”

“No, you’re right,” you agree and that does surprise him. 

“Are you okay?” he asks and starts to slip back into his more normal self. “Admitting, I’m right? I should check your temperature. Or should I call my family? Is the world ending?”

“You’re impossible,” you grumble. You turn away from him to refill your own drink.

You can feel his presence rather than hear it over the sounds from the living room. Know he moves to stand right behind you. “And you missed me messing with you today, admit it.”

His voice is low again and entirely too close to your ear. You hate the way you have to fight your reaction to him. Hate the way he flips a switch and sends you spiraling like this. You can’t admit that it felt weird to not have him messing with you. Won’t admit that you fell right into his trap with him being short. It even occurs to you that Jeonghan might have helped set the whole thing up. After all, who knows you better than your best friend?

“I wouldn’t go that far,” you say. 

“If you ask me to stop messing with you, then I will,” he says, still standing just behind you with his mouth near your ear. “If you tell me that you genuinely can’t stand it after last night and after we talked this morning, then I promise I’ll leave you alone.”  

“And if I don’t ask you to stop?” you ask, so quietly that you’re not sure he’ll hear you over the din. He does, though. His soft chuckle is confirmation of that before he steps away.

“Then, I’ll be very happy to keep seeing more sides of you,” he says.

By the time you actually turn around, he’s retreating back into the living room. You almost could convince yourself that you imagined the whole thing. Then, he looks over his shoulder and winks at you. It’s infuriating. He’s infuriating. He’s also confusing. This weird dynamic between you has definitely shifted and you realize it’s up to you to set the new boundaries. But, if it’s up to you to set the boundaries, then why does it feel like he’s still pulling all the strings?

You’re kind of in a daze while you try to process what’s actually going on. Outwardly, you keep sipping on your drinks and laugh along when Soonyoung does something particularly ridiculous in the name of karaoke. It seems, to most of your friends, at least, that you’re fully present. You refuse Jeonghan’s request to sing with him, like you always do. It’s just for fun, but he’s actually got an angelic singing voice when he wants to put effort in and you’re more of a sing in the shower type. It’s just friends, sure. You’re still not going to sing.

Inwardly, you’re in a constant battle. Going over all your interactions with Joshua and trying to figure out exactly what’s going on. It seems insane that he could flirt with you when he’s such a menace. Yet, your brain can’t really consider it anything else. Maybe you can write off last night as part of the game. Today, though, seeing more honesty out of him hadn’t been part of a game. And in the kitchen definitely wasn’t part of a game. You can also understand what he meant this morning. The rational part of your brain knows that it’s entirely fair to think he could mess around with you like the rest of your friends do. It’s even easy to see slipping into that despite not being close yet because he felt so immediately close to everyone else in the friend group. If you cut him some slack with that, then you can even start to see why your friends all like him as much as they do. He’s easygoing and also mischievous. Just the right combination for the friend group. 

And, okay, maybe it’s the alcohol talking, but you can also admit that he’s insanely attractive. The sharpness of his jaw contrasts the soft way his hair frames his face. He laughs along with something Seungcheol says and it’s an oddly comforting sound. Makes his whole face light up. You catch yourself glancing over at him entirely too much only to find him looking back at you most times. Thankfully, it doesn’t seem that many of your other friends notice. Really, just Jeonghan, if the look he gives you means anything. 

There’s a thin between hate and love. At least that’s what you hear. Maybe you never actually hated Joshua and you certainly don’t love him now. But, you have to admit, if only to yourself, that you’re curious about him. More curious than you want to be. And it’s driving you more than a little crazy. The worst part is that he doesn’t even seem affected. Sure, he throws a lot of glances in your direction and teases you along with your friends. But, it’s just…normal behavior. Nothing that suggests that he’s having an internal argument the way you are. 

Eventually, when it’s into the early hours of the morning again, the group starts to wind down. Soonyoung has long since abandoned his singing career in favor of queueing endless videos on YouTube on the TV. Jun is playfully arguing with Jennie about something nobody else seems to understand. Sana is drifting off where she sits, prompting Mingyu to gently wake her up and help her off to her bedroom. It’s the perfect chance for you to announce to the room at-large that you’re going to bed. You miss the look that passes between Jeonghan and Joshua at your announcement. 

You get as far as a quick facial cleanse to remove any makeup before you hear the door to the bedroom open and close. It makes you poke your head through the door, though you know it could only be one person. 

“You dipped pretty quickly without actually saying goodnight,” he says and you pull your head back into the bathroom so that you can dry it off.

“And that’s an issue?” you ask when you step out into the bedroom. 

“An observation,” he corrects. 

“It seemed like the night was winding down, so I figured that I might as well turn in,” you say.

“Is that all?” he asks and takes a few steps towards you. 

“What else would it be?” you ask, drifting a little closer yourself without even realizing.

“I don’t know,” he says, but the look he gives you says otherwise. It feels like he pierces right through you with it. 

“Venture a guess,” you suggest, narrowing your eyes at him. 

“You might have been signalling me to follow you,” he suggests and you hate the way your stomach does a little flip. 

You hide it behind a scoff and turn your head. “We’re sharing a room, Joshua. It’s not like you wouldn’t end up here eventually.” 

“Have you thought about what I said in the kitchen?” he asks, changing his approach.

You lick your lips to buy yourself a minute. Don’t miss the way his eyes flick down to watch the movement of your tongue. There are a million different thoughts fighting to the front of your brain. There’s only one way to really know, though. You close the space between you and he doesn’t make a move.

“I need to see something,” you say quietly into the space between you. 

“Okay,” he agrees without even knowing what you’re asking. 

There’s no time to second guess yourself or you might lose your nerve. With your hands on his face, you pull him down to your lips and kiss him. For real, this time. Without an audience or a game or anything else. His body is tense for a second before he winds his own arms around your lower back to pull you against him. He’s confident and calm, letting you find the answer to whatever question you’re asking. You’re not even sure who deepens the kiss as your tongue tangles with his. You arch your back, pressing tighter against his chest and he lets his body follow yours. Let your hands slide from his face so your arms are around his neck. His hands slide down to land on your ass. The lightest squeeze makes you moan softly into his mouth. 

It’s him that breaks the kiss, pressing his forehead against yours as he catches his breath. Doesn’t move his hands from your body, though. The chemistry with him is electric, like nothing you can remember experiencing before. With a kiss like that, it’s going to be very hard to act like your body doesn’t want him. 

“How much have you had to drink tonight?” he asks, still breathing a little harder than normal. 

Of course he’s concerned about that because he really is just as nice as all of your friends say. “Enough that my guard is down. Not so much that it stops me from knowing what I want.” 

“And what do you want,” he asks. The low tone of his voice is going to drive you insane, actually.

“You,” you say simply.

“Don’t toy with me,” he warns you. 

That makes you pull away so that you can look at him. “I’m not. I don’t have any answers for you, I just know I can’t ignore whatever this is that’s drawing me to you.” 

“Then don’t,” he says and pulls you back into him. 

The kiss is demanding. The kind of kiss that sets your entire body on fire. Even more consuming than the first kiss where you just wanted to see what would happen. You have no idea what any of this is going to mean and you’re not even sure you care. It’s a problem for later when your head isn’t clouded with nothing but thoughts of his man that drives you insane. A conversation to have in the light of day, maybe. 

His hands are everywhere on you and you’re not sure how you haven’t appreciated them more before this moment. They squeeze at your ass in a way that makes you press into him. They run up your sides and make you shudder. Tease across your breasts even though you’re fully clothed. It shouldn’t turn you on so easily. Shouldn’t have you making so many soft moans that he catches. It’s better than you could have imagined from the way he whispered in your ear the night before. And he hasn’t even moved on to kissing down your body. Not yet, at least. Without warning, he breaks the kiss again and you’re a little embarrassed at the way you follow his lips. Joshua doesn’t say a word as he disappears into the bathroom and returns with a couple of towels. Rolls them up and presses them against the crack in the door. Thankfully, your room is separate from the others. Still, you don’t want any of your friends hearing whatever is about to happen. At least this should muffle it a bit. 

“Are you still sure?” he asks when he finishes with the towels.

“Yes,” you say.

“Because if we keep going, I don’t think I can stop. Not now that I’m getting a taste of you,” he says and you shudder. 

“I don’t want you to stop,” you say. 

Any hesitation disappears when you utter that simple sentence. He turns you around so that your back is to his chest and brushes your hair to the side. This time, he’s not just whispering in your ear. He's running his tongue along the shell of it. Kissing behind your ear while his hands grip your hips. You wiggle your ass against him experimentally and appreciate the way he moans into the kiss. He continues on to the pulse point of your neck, sucking in just enough so that it won’t leave a mark. The way he takes his time is going to be your undoing. When he starts pressing you forward to one of the beds, you don’t even fight him. 

Before you can collapse onto the bed, he turns you around again and kisses you hard on the lips. Lets himself get lost in you again. Uses one of his hands to hook your leg up around his hip and deepens the kiss even further. You cling to him for balance and trust that he won’t let anything happen to you. It’s insane the way everything can change in a moment. The way your entire view of him changes when you stop fighting over nothing. Then he grinds into you and your thoughts go blank. He’s not even hard yet and you can only imagine what he’s going to feel like when he is. It’s too much. Enough to make you pull away so that you can start stripping out of your clothing. Joshua watches you for a moment, pupils totally blown, before doing the same. 

Your breath catches at the sight of him. You already know he’s beautiful, but this is something else. He’s all lean lines without it being too much muscle. Deceptively in shape for someone that never shows off his body. You would have had no idea, especially with the way your other friends show off their own bodies. It makes you self conscious for a second until you see the look in his eyes. The way he drinks in every inch of you like he can’t believe this is happening. Like he’s the lucky one in this situation. And he’s the one to close the space between you. To reach out and put his hands on your bare skin, resting them on your waist to pull you closer. When he kisses you again, it’s strangely soft, at complete odds with being naked against him. When his kisses trail down your neck, you have to try to stifle a moan. Remind yourself that you’re still in a house full of your friends. 

Joshua backs you up against one of the beds as he kisses down your body. He stops every time he finds a spot on your body that’s a little more sensitive. Gives you a little more attention there. You swear it feels like he’s smiling against your skin when he pulls noises out of you. That smile that’s so familiar to you that you don’t seem to mind so much anymore. Not now when his lips feel so good on you. Gently, he presses you back so that you collapse onto the bed. You’re about to move back when he catches you. Leans over you to kiss you breathless again. But, he’s pulling away too soon and crouching down so he’s between your legs. It pulls you up short because surely he’s not…

“Can I taste you?” he asks, low and a little desperate. He pushes your knees open gently, experimentally. 

“You don’t have…” you start and he chuckles. It’s insane that he can pin you in place with a look.

“I know that I don’t have to, but I really fucking want to,” he says. 

“Okay, but this angle…” you start again, feeling a little too exposed. 

“Is perfect,” he finishes without hesitation. “You’re stunning and all I need for you to do is say yes. Let me show you just how well my mouth works.” 

“Fuck,” you whisper out, losing any remaining nerves or self consciousness. “Yes.”

“Thank god,” he whispers like a prayer. 

You expect him to dive right between your legs. Of course he doesn’t, though. He kisses up the inside of one thigh. Lets his breath ghost across your wet core as he moves to kiss down the inside of your other thigh. You cannot let this man get you begging. Not so soon. Not like this. But, you don’t have to. The look he gives you before putting his mouth where you need it the most is sinful. Full of lust and desire and designed to ruin you. Not that he needs to know that. Gently, he places a kiss against your center. Looks up at you from under his lashes and you’re struggling. Thankfully, he doesn’t keep you waiting. He licks a stripe up your center. Must feel how wet he’s already gotten you. It seems to be driving him crazy, too. He licks deep into you, eating your pussy like a man starved. A loud moan escapes you before you clamp a hand over your mouth and knit your other hand in the sheets. Joshua adjusts so that your legs are over his shoulders and he can tilt you back. His tongue hits you at a new angle and you think you might lose it. He pulls back just for a moment to flick his tongue across your clit and suck it into his mouth. The look he gives you says he knows exactly what he’s doing. Knows that he’s going to push you over the edge entirely too soon. 

It’s the best you can ever remember feeling with a man between your legs like this. He definitely knows what he’s doing. And you’re in such a haze that you can’t hold back. Can’t stop the praise that falls quietly from your lips. Can’t stop yourself from telling him just how pretty he looks. How much you love the sight of him there. How good his mouth feels. All of it seems to spur him on more. When his mouth returns to your pussy, you really do think you’re going to be done for. You can’t believe that it feels this good without him even using his fingers. But, that coil forms low in  your tummy and you know it’s only going to be a minute. 

And then he does the worst thing imaginable. Pulls his mouth from you just as you’re about to cum. The look you give him is pure betrayal. For a horrible moment, you wonder if this has all been some kind of trap. Until he smirks at you and rises to lean over you again. Joshua puts one large hand behind your head and kisses you hard. Desperate. You can taste yourself on his lips and his tongue. Can feel how turned on he is by the way his dick hits your skin and he groans into your mouth. It’s kind of satisfying to know that you have him this worked up just from eating you out. 

“I want you to fuck me,” you whisper against his lips between kisses. 

He groans. “I don’t think I have a condom.” 

You pull back and look at him. “I’m covered and I’m clean. So as long as you are, too…” 

It’s kind of cute to watch the way he blinks, clearly trying to make sure he heard you right. “I’m not sure…”

“You don’t want to?” you ask and he must see something in your expression because he softens. 

“Believe me when I say I want you more than fucking anything in the world,” he says. It doesn’t escape you that he says he wants you. Not that he wants to like you said. 

“It’s okay. If you say that I can trust you, then I will,” you assure him. He’s so unguarded that it actually makes your heart skip a beat. 

“You can trust me,” he says softly. 

There’s entirely too much emotion for you to process behind those four words. So, you pull him back into you to kiss him. Hope he feels what you’re not going to say. Not now. He seems to understand, though, because he kisses you back just as fiercely. Using his free hand, he lines himself up at your entrance. His tip teases your folds and you moan. It would be entirely too loud if Joshua hadn’t caught it in the kiss. Maybe he does know what he’s doing. He’s definitely the one protecting both of you from being overheard by your friends. Friends that you’re not even sure had gone to their rooms before this all started. You quickly cast that thought from your head.

Joshua presses in and out of you slowly. Takes his time because he doesn’t have a condom (or any lube) to make the slide easier. The pace drives you crazy, though; You hook your legs around his hips and he braces himself with one hand on the bed. The other grips your hip to anchor you. You run your hands all over him as he continues to gently ease into you. Note the way he gasps into your mouth when you tangle a hand in his hair. Smile against his lips at the way he reacts to your nails on his scalp. Think it may be the death of you when you run your nails down his back and his hips stutter. You do it again and he nearly growls. Actually breaks the kiss to look at you. 

You’re just about to ask if it’s too much when you register the look on his face. His voice is low, warning. “You’re going to be the death of me if you keep that up and I’m not even inside you.”

“Then maybe you should hurry up,” you say back, almost challenging. 

This is a game you can’t win. Not when he looks like that. Joshua moves his hand from the bed to your hip so he’s only gripping you. You get one look at his face and know you’re fucked before he snaps his hips, bottoming out in you. Lets you moan for a split second before he catches your lips again. 

“What was that?” he asks against your lips. 

You’re totally fucked. Absolutely done. The way he fills you feels perfect. It’s just the right stretch and you know he’s going to hit exactly where you need him to. Your brain goes totally blank. You forget that this is the same man who’s been a demon. Forget that you’re not going to beg him for anything. It all goes out the window.

“Please, I need you to move,” you say and try to wriggle against him. 

He chuckles a little. Presses feather light kisses to each side of your mouth and then along your jaw without moving inside you. Moves one of his hands from your hip to gently brush hair off your face. Then, he’s smiling that confident smile. “Well, since you said please…”

With his hand on the bed next to you again, he starts actually thrusting into you. You tighten your legs around him so they’re not dangling off the bed. You let your hands roam his body, exploring every inch of him. Try to map what he reacts the most to through the haze of the tension that’s building up within you again. Joshua alternates between kissing you and whispering praise into your skin. He’s so free with it. There’s nothing cocky about it, either. Not now, at least. His pace is steady, alternating between shallow thrusts and deep ones that make you shudder. He makes a small adjustment to the angle and it takes everything in you not to scream out. You clap one hand over your mouth with the loss of his lips on yours. Your other hand knots in the sheets and you throw your head back. Joshua picks up his pace. Can tell that you’re close. He must be too because he presses a thumb into your clit. Rubs quick circles over it and that’s too much for you. The coil snaps and you’re coming hard around his dick. He keeps fucking you through it and releases just after you, somehow managing to keep his thrusts relatively even through his own orgasm. 

He leans over you and kisses you again, messy and needy. You respond even though you can’t catch your breath. Drunk on the thought of him, but feeling entirely sober now despite drinking earlier in the night. Your chest rises and falls in time with his when he pulls back and just gazes at you. He’s still inside you and you’re sure it’s not comfortable to be arched over you next to the bed. But, he doesn’t seem to care. The gaze is so soft and you have to turn your head, just for a second. Joshua, instead, gently turns you back to him and brushes some of the sweaty hairs away from your forehead. Runs his hand down your body and gently helps you disentangle your legs around him. They feel a little stiff from how tightly you held on. Then, he slowly pulls himself out. Watches where you’re sure a little cum leaks free. It makes you wonder if he’s thinking he wants more like you do. Except, you know that you can’t really risk it again tonight. 

“Let me go grab a towel,” he says and presses a kiss to your forehead. 

All you can do is nod and flop back against the bed. Your whole body feels relaxed. Satisfied in a way that you haven’t been in a while. Unconsciously, you trail your fingers over your lips and along the parts of your body where you can still feel his touch. His presence lingers on you like a blanket. Comforting and warm. You don’t even realize you’re smiling. 

“If you keep doing that with a smile, I’m not going to be able to stop myself from diving between your legs again,” he says.

You roll your head to the side to look at him. Push yourself into a sitting position so that you can watch him walk back over to you. He really is one of the most beautiful people you’ve ever seen in your life. “I think we’ve probably pushed it enough for tonight.”

That makes both of you chuckle. “Probably. Though, I might not care if it meant you kept making those noises.” 

Without your permission, your cheeks flush and you look away from him. This time, he lets you have the moment. Instead, he goes to work wiping the sweat clear from your body. There’s shouldn’t be that much care in the gesture, but there is. Joshua Hong is good at a lot of things, apparently, including aftercare. You watch fondly as he gently wipes between your legs to make sure nothing dries there. 

“I know there’s…a lot to talk about you,” you start as Joshua steps away. He turns back to you, looking a little guarded again for the first time. It hurts your heart. “Joshua, I promise I’m not saying we’re not going to talk. I just wanted to know if we could get ready for bed and talk in the morning?” 

“Oh,” he says, relaxing again. Smiles at you in a way that you’re not sure you can handle. It makes you want to tell him to be gentle with you. “Yeah, of course. It’s been a long day.” 

“Thank you,” you say.

In a second, he’s back over in front of you to help you up. You roll your eyes and swat at him for a second, but do let him help you. You stretch your body out, arms over your head,  and miss the way Joshua stops to watch you as you roll your neck. Then, you do catch him looking at you and he plays it off by offering you one of his baggy shirts to sleep in. Considering it for half a second, you accept and grab a pair of the boy shorts you like to sleep in. The ones you haven’t worn yet because you weren’t expecting to be sharing with him. The two of you stand together and do your nighttime skincare routines. He stands behind you, wrapping an arm gently around your stomach as he brushes his teeth. It doesn’t feel clingy like it would in another situation. Just very soft, which is going to be an issue for tomorrow-you to handle. Your heart seems to be rushing way ahead of your head.

Joshua disappears for just a moment, after checking the door, to grab waters for both of them. He returns without any issue. Neither of you says anything about it when you both get into the same bed together. It just goes unsaid as you let him pull you against him. Both of you relishing in the comfort of the other as you fall into an easy, dreamless sleep. Nope. definitely not going to be any issues here. 

It takes a moment for your brain to clear the next morning. Not because you don’t remember the night before. Your brain is just in that hazy half-asleep, half-awake state when you register the arm around you. As you’re waking up, you glance over at Joshua’s face. Peaceful, again, like you noticed yesterday morning. Completely unguarded while he sleeps. 

Except, he also looks entirely different to you now. Sometimes things look different in the light of day. Sometimes, a new day dawns and you wonder just why you made a decision. That’s not the case for you. Not this time. Your body warms at the thought of him. It doesn’t make you want to pull away like other times, either. Even though you know that the path forward might be complicated at first. Or it might involve a lot of teasing. None of that seems to turn you away from this man that has so many more layers than you realized. 

As you’re looking over at him without really seeing him (because you’re zoning out in your thoughts), you realize his breathing changes. He’s awake now, but still looking very groggy. He pulls you into him, letting your legs tangle together, and kisses you gently. You can’t even fight the way you melt into him. The kiss is slow, languid. Not desperate like the night before. In any other situation, you hate kissing first thing in the morning. You’re not going to stop to think what that means this time. 

Joshua pulls away and smiles at you. “If I keep kissing you, I’m never going to be able to get up and our friends will definitely know something’s up.” 

“Fine,” you sigh. 

“Guess you don’t hate me anymore,” he teases, running a finger along your arm and watching the goosebumps spring up. 

“I don’t think I ever hated you,” you say and earn a look from him.

“You don’t think?” he questions and you break first, smiling. 

“You can never be totally sure,” you say. 

“Maybe we’ll have to test it again,” he says to play along.

“Guess so,” you agree easily. 

“So,” he starts and moves to sit up. You mirror him and cross your legs. “You mentioned needing to talk…”

“Yeah,” you agree and take a deep breath. “I’m not really sure what’s happening here or if it was just, like, a one-time thing to get some tension out…”

“It wasn’t for me,” he says, interrupting you. Takes a steadying breath like he needs to prepare for the next bit. “Was it for you?” 

It’s vulnerable, honest. You can’t ignore that he’s being brave. That he’s putting himself out there without knowing where you stand. This is the thoughtful Joshua you’ve heard so much about. The one that makes friends as easily as breathing. Just as he looks away, you gently reach out to take his hand. “No, it wasn’t for me, either.” 

“Don’t do that to me,” he breathes out as the tension disappears from his shoulders. 

“I’m sorry,” you say with a smile and can tell he forgives you immediately. “This has caught me a little off-guard.”

“Me too,” he agrees and the considers. “Not in the same way, though, I don’t think.”

“I’m confused,” you admit. 

He takes a breath like he’s bracing himself again. You’re not sure for what, though. You’ve already been honest. “I already knew I had a crush on you.”

“Oh,” you say softly.

“I’ve had a crush on you basically since moving in with Jeonghan and I’d basically given up before this trip. I didn’t think you’d ever consider me. Now it seems like maybe it wasn’t just one sided,” he says. 

“Maybe not,” you concede. 

“I think Jeonghan might have known. He definitely teased me about it even though I never told him. He’s too observant,” Joshua says with an eye roll. 

“It’s just…” you start and frown. “I want to figure things out with you and there’s a lot of questions to answer, so I’m not sure that I’m ready to…”

“Let our friends in on it?” he asks with a soft chuckle. You nod, thankful he doesn’t seem mad about that. 

“Yeah,” you agree, unsure of what else to say. 

“I can agree to that,” he says with a mischievous smile. “When we’re out there with our friends, I’ll keep teasing you like I always do.” 

“Great,” you interrupt with an eye roll. 

“But, when we’re in here,” he continues, the heat from the night before returning to his gaze, “I’m not going to act like I don’t know what you taste like. Or what you sound like when I fuck you.”

“You can’t say shit like that,” you squeak out and cover your face.

Joshua gently pulls your hands from your face. He kisses you softly. “Sorry, it’s out of my system. For now.” 

You swat at him and he quickly jumps off the bed. Maybe it’s not him you need to worry about giving you away. He’s got the easier job, after all. Normal for Joshua and you, in the eyes of your friends, just means he’s teasing you. Feeding into your distaste for him. But, how do you act annoyed by him after last night? 

Pretending everything is normal proves to be just as difficult as you expect. Thankfully, it doesn’t seem like anyone heard you the night before. The house is big and several of your friends need to sleep with some kind of background noise on. Plus, everyone had been drinking, even if nobody (other than Soonyoung or possibly Jun) had been drunk. That’s at least one hurdle that makes your day easier. Joshua carries on acting like he always has with you and you try to give your normal responses. Try not to let on that anything has shifted between the two of you. Rationally, you know that whatever is forming between the two of you is a good thing. Know that your friends would be happy for you (after teasing you relentlessly). That’s not what holds you back. It’s that you and Joshua need the chance to figure out whatever it is by yourselves. Without having to answer questions from your friends that you can’t answer yet. 

The schedule during the day is relatively busy. There’s a scenic train ride that includes an amazing brunch buffet. Some of the sights through the windows take your breath away. Everything seems quiet, untouched. You and Jennie sit together and just watch the world go by, commenting on the beauty or else catching up on life. Everything about it is relaxing and just what the group needs. Even the train ride itself is smooth, a feat you’re not sure how they accomplish. It’s easy to see why it’s such a highly rated thing to do in the area. And, since Joshua isn’t sitting right next to you, it’s not so hard to pretend like everything is normal. Well, except for one comment that he makes that causes you to blush a little and earns you a skeptical look from Jennie. She’s not as observant as Jeonghan, though, so you think you manage it fine. 

After the train ride, you all walk around in town to explore the little shops. Soonyoung and Jun take off giggling and chasing each other, for no apparent reason. Just for the vibes, probably. You mostly focus on window shopping unless something catches your eye. It’s just nice to be out in the fresh air. There’s also something about the shops that make you feel like you stepped back in time, a little. It’s not a bad feeling. It just adds to the sense of calm you feel. 

One shop draws you in because it’s local, handmade jewelry. That’s definitely a favorite for you because it feels unique. Special. Some of the pieces you get from big chains can feel impersonal. The handmade pieces feel like they tell a story. They feel more perfect for any of their imperfects. Sana, Jeonghan, and Joshua follow you into the store, dispersing to look at different pieces. 

“What do you think of these?” a soft voice asks from your side, making you jump a little. 

“Why do you keep doing that?” you ask, heart racing, as you turn to Joshua. 

“It’s fun to see you jump,” he says with a shrug. That glint is back in his eyes. 

“I’m not sure that’s your color,” Jeonghan chimes in, nodding at the necklace. Where did he come from? 

“Maybe it’s not for me,” he says with an easy shrug, looking at the necklace again. 

“Ooooh,” Jeonghan teases. He turns to you. “Lucky person, don’t you think?” 

You level Jeonghan with a glare, surprising yourself how easy it is, at least for that moment, to pretend. “I’m not sure about lucky since it’s Joshua. He does have good taste, though.” 

“That’s probably as close to a compliment as you’ll get from her,” Jeonghan says and elbows his roommate. 

“Nobody can resist me forever,” he says and throws you a wink that has Jeonghan laughing as they head in another direction.

Once again, you really want to ask him to be gentle with you. How are you meant to act like everything is fine? How come he’s trying to make this even harder on you? Then, you remember him asking your opinion on the necklace and realize he’s struggling, too. It makes you feel lighter knowing that he wants to buy you something from this store that drew you in all while you haven’t even figured out what’s happening. He did say that you could trust him. And you want to. A scary thought, to be sure.

The next stop on the agenda is a late afternoon murder mystery show. There’s audience participation and it’s something several of your friends have been talking about all weekend. The audience participation part may not be the most appealing to you, but it does sound interesting. At least, until Joshua makes sure to sit right next to you during the show. And lets the actors comment on what a cute couple you make without correcting them. He actively encourages them, instead, and it makes your friends howl with laughter. It’s painfully on brand for how he interacts with you, but it makes your brain short circuit a bit. Makes you stumble over a response before you gather your composure again. It’s par for the course for Joshua, but definitely not for you. You carefully avoid the questioning look from Jeonghan. You don’t trust yourself in the moment. If anyone could read you and figure it all out, it’s definitely Jeonghan. When things settle down, you do glare over at Joshua, though.

By the time you make it back to the house, having decided to get a bunch of take out and make your own feast, you’re just happy the day is over. Spending time with your friends is great. Pretending you didn’t fuck Joshua the night before, not so much. Despite agreeing not to tell your friends yet, he’s making it as hard as possible. Each time he needles you a little, it’s like he’s trying to figure out more about you. Trying to figure out your reactions to file them away for some later use. At this rate, Jeonghan, as your best friend and Joshua’s roommate, is going to figure it out. Especially if he’s already figured out Joshua had a crush. Yet, Joshua doesn’t seem concerned. Well, two can play at that game. 

Mingyu and Jun head into the kitchen to set up the spread of food, even though there’s no cooking involved. You, along with several other friends, excuse yourself to change into more comfortable clothes to hang out in. When you return in yoga pants and a slightly cropped sweatshirt, you revel in the way Joshua does a double take. Feel immense satisfaction at the way he drinks you in before looking away. He disappears, probably to change and buy himself a minute, and you smile to yourself. By the time he returns, you already have a plate and he doesn’t take the open seat next to you. His eyes bore into you, though, and you know that he knows it’s your way to push back at him a little. 

After you all finish eating, you notice Joshua in the kitchen and get up under the pretense of needing something to drink. He hears you coming and looks around to see that all the rest of your friends are still in the living room area and talking.

“What happened to pretending nothing happened?” he asks softly.  “I could ask you the same.” 

“I’m only teasing you like normal.”

“And I’m only putting on comfortable clothing, same as anyone else.” 

The look he gives you says he doesn’t believe a word of that. “You’re gonna give me a semi in that outfit with the way you keep moving around. God, I sound so pathetic.”

“No, you don’t,” you say, but your eyes sparkle. “Guess I shouldn’t say that I’m not wearing a bra or any underwear.”

“You…what?” Joshua gapes at you.

Instead of answering, you just grab your drink and head back to join your friends. You don’t have to turn around to know that his eyes are on you. The point definitely goes to you for this round. And maybe it sends at least a little message because Joshua tones it down a little the rest of the night. 

Compared to the other nights, this one is pretty tame. You all know that you have to head back home the next day, even if you don’t have to get an early start. Some people have a drink or two, but it’s just casual. You agree on something to watch and all settle in. Soonyoung struggles with sitting still for that long, and Mingyu pouts that nobody will cuddle with him in the oversized chair. He can’t understand why you don’t give in when he can convince you any other time. But, otherwise it’s just nice. Easy. The perfect kind of ending to a wonderful weekend away with friends. 

Slowly, people start excusing themselves to go to their rooms and nerves hit you again. You’re going to be alone with Joshua and you’re not really sure what to expect. Don’t even want to make eye contact with him because you don’t trust yourself to keep it together. So, you just stretch your arms out and say goodnight to the room. Figure you can leave it to Joshua to decide when he follows you to the room. 

It takes longer than you expect. Longer than it did the night before, by far. You turn some music on, just loud enough that it may cover anything that happens. But, it’s at least twenty minutes before the door opens. Long enough that you consider just going to sleep. Long enough to think that maybe the moment in the kitchen had been a step too far. 

You rise off your bed when he closes the door behind him and take a few steps over to him, preparing to say something. He doesn’t give you the chance. He closes the space between you and catches your lips in the most bruising kiss yet. Groans when you gasp into his mouth. He backs you into the wall and presses himself hard against you. There’s no space for you to move. He presses your legs apart so that he can slide one of his own legs between them. One hand rests behind your head, cradling it so you don’t hit the wall. The other hand runs up your side and under your sweatshirt. Rough and a little possessive. A very different side to him and it’s turning you on more than it should be. 

Joshua pulls away from you just enough so he can run his hand across your breast, confirming what you said about not having a bra on. He groans again, jerks his hips against yours almost involuntarily. He breaks the kiss and you gasp for air.

“I can’t believe you really came out without a bra just to tease me,” he whines out. A little desperation slipping into his voice. 

“I can’t believe you waited so long to come to our room that I considering going to sleep,” you retort, a little bratty now that you realize he’s not mad.

“I couldn’t come right away because it would have been obvious,” he explains. “Then, I started to think about you not wearing a bra or underwear. And the way I would have you clenching that pretty pussy around my dick again and it took a second to calm down.” 

“Who says I’m gonna let you fuck me again?” you challenge. 

“Don’t play with me,” he whines, some of the confidence disappearing. 

“I won’t,” you say, suddenly serious. 

You kiss him again to say the things you’re not sure how to. He gets the message, though. Your lips chase his when he pulls away entirely too quickly. But, he ducks his head and pushes your sweatshirt up without taking it off completely. Runs his tongue over your nipple and drags it between his teeth. It makes you arch into his mouth. It’s kind of hot, actually, the way he can’t wait to have his mouth on you. He switches to your other breast and is sure to give your body all of his attention. In response, you drag your core along his thigh that’s between your leg. Searching for any kind of friction. 

In any other situation, you might be embarrassed by how quickly your body reacts. Joshua erases that, though. You’re not even sure how. Despite all the time you’ve both spent terrorizing the other, it’s insanely easy to trust him. Easy to feel confident when he reacts to you just as strongly. Easy to just let things happen when he’s so willing to be desperate for you. No games, no bullshit, just making sure you’re both feeling good. 

The friction just isn’t enough anymore and you need more. Don’t want to keep riding his thigh while he laves over your breasts. You pull his face up to kiss him again and let your sweatshirt fall. His pupils are blown and somehow the confused look he gives you is cute. You’re not sure how he does it. A thought for another time, anyway. You pull him over to that reading nook you were so excited about and haven’t used. Push your yoga pants down your legs and kick them aside. Bend over and look over your shoulder at him. The lust is clear on his face.

“I just need you inside me,” you say and watch his eyes get wider with surprise. “Please.”

“God, I love hearing that from you,” he admits. “Think I’d agree to anything if you asked me like that.” 

“Simp,” you tease.

“Absolutely,” he agrees without any teasing. 

You don’t have a chance to react to the honesty in the statement before he’s pushing his own sweatpants down and kicking them aside. Casts his shirt aside even though he doesn’t need to. He presses your lower back so you’re bent at the right angle and you arch your back. Impatiently, he pushes your legs a little farther apart. The next second, he’s gathering your wetness and pressing a single finger into your pussy. Trying to at least prepare you a little. In no time at all, he inserts a second finger and pumps quickly into you. You reach for one of the pillows to bury your face into it so that you can moan little more freely. Joshua bends over your back and presses kisses into your skin. 

“Please,” you say again, pulling your face from the pillow. “I don’t wanna cum on your fingers.”

“Fuck,” he mutters and pulls his fingers out. 

It’s a moment before you feel him again. You bury your head back into the pillow when he presses his head against your entrance. You wiggle and encourage him to press harder. Any self control he might have disappears and he snaps hard. Soon, the sounds of skin on skin mingles with the music and your muffled moans. Joshua moves your leg so one knee is on the bench and he can get a better angle to fuck you. His hands wander your body. Digging into your hips hard enough that you imagine you’ll have fingerprints there. Flicking a thumb across your nipple. Finally working down to your clit and rubbing in time with his thrusts.

Entirely too quickly, your body shudders as the orgasm rips through you right as Joshua finds his own release. Your legs feel like jelly and you’re not sure if you can keep standing, even as you’re trying to come down. But Joshua, surprising you again, carefully pulls out and drags you over to one of the beds with him. You collapse, sliding further up to make room for him and pulling the sweatshirt off, finally. Except he doesn’t settle next to you. No, he settles between your legs, pressing them open. 

“Joshua, what…” you start to ask, breathless still. 

What becomes obvious immediately. He licks into your cunt, gathering your cum that mixes with his own. If you thought he was a man starved the night before, it’s nothing compared to tonight. He’s not taking his time with you, either. Not giving you a chance to recover. You’re so sensitive, but the way his tongue laps at you feels amazing. You knot a hand in his hair and he groans, sending a vibration through your pussy. This time, when he moves his mouth to your clit, he slides a finger inside you. Quickly adds another. You can’t believe the way your body responds to him. Can’t believe how good it feels even though you’re so incredibly sensitive. You bite down on your own fist to stop yourself from screaming out the way you want to. The end of this trip can’t come soon enough. You absolutely cannot wait to have him in your own space where you don’t have to worry about friends overhearing. 

The second orgasm hits you so hard it whites out your vision. Has you coating Joshua’s fingers and mouth. He guides you through your high as all the tension leaves your body. You feel like you’re nothing more than a puddle on the bed when you feel him settle next to you. After giving you a minute to catch your breath, he pushes himself up to hover over you. Gives you what should be a gentle kiss until you wrap your arms around him and pull him down on top of you. Even though he offsets some of his weight, there’s still a pleasant heaviness having him on top of you. It’s so comfortable that you could kiss him for hours without getting sick of it.. 

After a long moment, he pulls back to look at you. That tender look back on his face. “I hope that was okay.”

“You know I’m not complaining,” you say earnestly.

“I was wondering if I could make you squirt,” he teases and he’s all confidence again. You swat at his arm and pretend you’re going to wriggle away.

“I take it back,” you joke.

“No, you don’t,” he says, confident without being cocky.

And then he’s kissing you again. You’re back to tangling yourself up with him. Just letting things happen without overthinking anything. There’s something wonderful about this side of Joshua that just makes your mind go blank. Not even in a fucked stupid kind of way. It’s more like it just feels right. You feel safe and cared for in those moments. You also both feel a little insatiable. Simultaneously wanting to kiss for hours and unable to stop yourself from it turning heavier. 

Joshua pulls back from the kiss and flops dramatically onto the bed next to you. You roll over and pro yourself up on an elbow to look at him. His eyes find yours, affectionate and also very clearly turned on. “If you don’t stop this, I’m going to want to be inside you again.” 

“Me?” you ask, pretending to be shocked. 

“Yes, you,” he says and leans forward to kiss your nose. 

“I don’t know what you mean,” you say and flutter your eyelashes.

“I bet you don’t,” he says quietly, unable to stop the light laugh. Then, takes a breath and sits up. Swings his legs out of the bed and reaches back to you. “Come on. Let’s clean up and go to sleep. We’re heading home tomorrow and it’ll be a lot easier to figure this out without so many nosy friends.”

You pout but accept his help, anyway. He’s right. Even if you can’t really get enough of him, you’re already going to be a little sore from this and you have an endless amount of time to figure things out. As you fall asleep that night, tangled up in him, you feel confident. This isn’t something confined to the little bubble of a vacation. He’ll tell you exactly how he feels and what he wants once you’re back home. Help you be brave enough to be just as honest. It’s definitely going to be enough.

The next morning is a flurry of activity. Everyone seems to have left packing for the morning, even though there shouldn’t be much to do since it’s only been a few days. People mumble greetings to each other around bites of breakfast as you all clean up. Somehow, things seem to have spread out much more than expected and you want to make sure everything is in good shape before leaving. Not that you let it get genuinely messy. It’s just that there’s 10 of you and you don’t want any sort of extra cleaning fee slapped onto Mingyu’s credit card. You’re still thankful he volunteered to take the charge (though, obviously, you all split the cost). 

It also becomes clear that even though the check out time isn’t early, you should have set an alarm. Add in the fact that you’re very much sore thanks to Joshua, and it’s an interesting morning. Neither of you is trying to keep up any sort of facade around the other because the focus is making sure you’re ready to leave. It keeps you from even worrying if anyone notices something different. Then again, if things go the way you expect, all your friends will find out that something is going on soon enough. It’s just a matter of timing. A thought that puts you in an incredibly good mood. You don’t even notice that you’re humming while cleaning until Soonyoung starts singing along to the tune. 

Worrying about anyone finding out becomes a moot point when you’re all getting ready to leave. At least, in part. Really, you should know better than to try to get anything by Jeonghan. After years of friendship, he easily knows you at least as well as you know yourself, probably better. And he knows something is up. You’re not sure if he knows the specifics. Don’t really want to think about if he somehow heard you and Joshua the night before. 

Jennie seems to know something is up, too. You’re not sure whether she figured it out or if Jeonghan told her. Probably the latter, if you’re honest. She’s generally a little easier to fool that Jeonghan. As he’s prone to telling you, you can’t bullshit a bullshitter, and nobody does bullshit better than him. He loves sniffing out a scheme almost as much as he loves coming up withit himself. It confirms your suspicions when you see him and Jennie whispering together then looking over at you. He doesn’t leave you waiting for his response either.

“Jennie’s coming back with me,” Jeonghan announces. “She offered to drive my car, and how can I say no?” 

“And I’m supposed to head home alone?” you ask skeptically. 

“Of course not!” Jeonghan says, pretending to be offended. 

“We just thought you and Joshua could use the drive to work out whatever your issues are,” she chimes in, sharing a look. 

“It’s like you don’t want them to make it back in one piece,” Mingyu jokes, but doesn’t otherwise comment. You can’t tell if he knows anything.

“Even I’m not going to leave you stranded in your time of need,” Joshua says, immediately falling into the plan. You can’t read the look on his face and you wonder if he already knew, too. Probably, knowing Jeonghan. He’s a demon, but he’s not cruel. He’s not going to put you in a situation you genuinely don’t want to be in without checking. 

The rest of your friends laugh and continue to load up the car. You just shake your head at your best friend as he approaches you. He turns over his shoulder to call to Jennie. “I’ll be there in a sec!”

“What are you up to?” you ask in nearly a whisper.

“The better question, bestie, is what you’re up to,” he says, eyes sparkling. You open your mouth to protest and he holds up his hand. “You’re not as slick as you think you are. Did you forget we’ve been friends for a decade?”

“No, you’d never let me forget,” you joke and Jeonghan rolls his eyes. 

“I told him that I didn’t expect him back tonight. But, please know, if I’m right, then I will be teasing you both without mercy,” he says and it’s your turn to laugh.

“There’s my best friend,” you say with a smile still in your eyes. 

He’s serious for a moment. This is the side of Jeonghan that he reserves for only those closest to him. You wait patiently because you know whatever he has to say is important. “You seem happier than I’ve seen you in a long time. Don’t be afraid of that. You deserve it.”

“Thanks, Hannie,” you say softly. 

“Even if you did totally ignore the point of a single friends Valentine’s getaway,” he says, returning to his normal self as Joshua approaches. 

“Goodbye,” you say and push him away. 

His eyes fall on Joshua. “Take good care of her. You’re a great friend already, but she’s family.” 

“I will,” Joshua promises and plucks the car keys out of your hand. 

“Hey!” you protest and hear Jeonghan laughing as he walks away. “That’s my car.”

“And I’m an excellent driver,” he says before dropping his voice lower. “Come on and be my passenger princess.”

He really is going to have to stop making your brain short circuit like that. It’s diabolical. But, then again, that’s exactly who he is. Not like you expect him to change now. With one last look at the beautiful house, you get into the passenger door that Joshua holds open for you. You’re very thankful that you gave the weekend a chance. Even more thankful that you gave the man next to you in the driver’s seat a chance. He reaches a hand over to squeeze your thigh and you know it’s going to work out just fine. 

if you made it through that insanity, thank you and tell me what you thought 💕

tag list: @tinyelfperson, @dokyeomkyeom, @amoryeonjun, @miriamxsworld, @hongrizon, @klecksstorys, @sunflowergyeomie, @gyuminusone, @aaniag, @naajaeminsgf, @straykidswhoo789, @kimseokgen, @haolistic, @vanishingboots, @babybae-shisui, @harry-the-pottypus, @honglynights, @pyeonghongrie, @nuttywastelandmentality, @writingbarnes, @gyuhao365, @jjin-kun, @divinityyyy, @dibidibidismynameisleeknow, @tinkerbell460, @aidanjoon, @cookiearmy, @kaepjjangiya, @lostmembrane, @thestraybunny

[anonymousmarshmallow]

Also, this happens during the hiring games. Every one of them believes it. Only after asking around (and not just the big 3 either, everyone, the nurse staff, janitors, legal, long-term patients). Most of the hospital staff is like 'yeah that makes sense,' and 'they sure do act like it.' Also due to many convoluted reasons they somehow either just miss Wilson or something always comes up right before they mention it. The big 3 deny it cause they don't have to put up with as much House's shit now. But, the contestants all believe both of them were in the closet for reasons and were forced to come out to avoid jail or a lawsuit, which is horrible. Sooooo cut to part of the team trying to be kind and understanding, thinking 'maybe this is why he's such a dick unable to be yourself, and watching other openly express their love while he can't. Of course, he would be bitter. Maybe he's like this to avoid getting close to people because someone he trusted outed him or bullied or blackmailed him once, and he never fully healed. Their all doctors, and they want to help and show support.' This is completely wrong. The other part mainly decides to leverage this situation and "supports" House and Wilson to (hopefully) get cookie points. Chaos ensues.

The nice ones: looking up support groups for the LGBTQ+ and googling how to support someone who just came out, because coming out like this must be upsetting at the very least

House: Stop kissing my ass. That's Wilson's job

Also House: [milking it for all its worth especially during secret Santa] What you'll get your other STRAIGHT co-workers gifts but not me. Is this a hate crime must be?

House: Now that I'm out, it's so difficult with all the patients in the clinic so many homopophobes :(

The nice ones: Covers clinc duty to stop House being exposed to so much hate

The suck ups: mentions how they like Beyonce and RuPaul. Went to a musical once, definitely has a gay cousin or friend, and makes everything go back to being gay and overly defending House fellow people who are equal to them and deserve support. They always supported LGBLT people.

House: [Let's them talk and enjoying them making asses if themselves] Wow, you are so supportive

The suck ups: [says/does something really offensive]

House: [staring in surprise/and a little horror] Little impressed actually going to remember that for later. But I had reasons for medical reasons to what I said, and you don't. Also, you'll get me in trouble with Cuddy, and if you do that, you're fired. [Makes the couple who sued him give a lesson on the LGBTQ+]

The truth doesn't come out until someone catches Wilson on a date and confronts him, either because 'cheating isn't okay he needs to come clean' or 'I can use this and have him talk me up to House' and Wilson is like "What no! I only said that to keep House out of trouble. We never dated. I'M STRAIGHT! N-n-n-not that there's anything wrong wi... I didn't... Look, it was either a small white lie or House goes to jail, and you lose a job. Besides, it's not like I really lied. House is my friend, and he is a boy. He's a boy friend. Yeah, House, he was just messing with you.

The ruse comes to an end with House announcing he had fun and fires someone.

Also, House knows Wilson's dick size because both of them were drunk, and Wilson was shitting on House about not having a girlfriend or whatever making a joke about being bad in bed. Later, at one of their homes, Wilson passed out drunk. House is curious and takes a look and measures.

House would treat two gay patients like shit and get sued for being homophobic and cuddy would go "he's not homophobic, he treats everyone like that!" which does not hold up in court so instead he's like how can I be homophobic when I have a boyfriend? Wilson stand up. Everyone would turn to Wilson (who had ZERO warning about this) and he'd stutter before glaring at House and stand "yes, House is unfortunately my boyfriend"

Then they'd walk out of the courtroom and Wilson would chew him out which House ignores. Cue 3 days layer when Wilson says House needs to clear up they lied about being gay to get him off (ha) and they're not actually dating because he is NOT getting any dates like this. House would walk into the hospital cafeteria and yell "ATTENTION EVERYONE. Doctor Wilson is not my boyfriend." Wilson would nod for 2 seconds before House follows up with "because we're engaged!" and Wilson can't even be mad because why did he think for 2 seconds that House would make it easy for him

House would try to use this as an opportunity to demand less clinic hours (think of it as a wedding gift) which he does not get because Cuddy knows exactly what's going on and she thinks it's hilarious but she needs his ass working

Cuddy: yeah? You two are a thing? How big is he?

House: 5.3 inches

Wilson: how the FUCK do you know that

[giddyfatherchris]

📝 skz reaction - you're being a clingy baby

pairing. ot8!skz x gn!reader (individually)

type. fluff fluff fluffff, requested <3

warnings. gender neutral reader, curse words (thats how i show my enthusiasm okay)

a/n. i know last time i was like "meh sue me for not putting the boys in the 'right' order" but you know what, i actually like it like that. my boy jeongin is always last, he deserve to be first so i think i'm just gonna keep it like that when it comes to skz reactions :)

jeongin ⊹ ࣪ ˖ he would tease you like hell about it until one day you actually start crying and he feels so fucking bad he never does it again. (to be fair he probably laughed when you first started crying but when he realized they were real tears? he is panicking). after that he never denies you again and makes sure to give you attention whenever you need it. you're the only person he allows to be clingy and needy with him. which the boys are kinda petty about because they sure aren't allowed to be clingy with their maknae they love so much lol. they'd tease him sooo bad about it but every time he says it's different for you. you get special privileges.

seungmin ⊹ ࣪ ˖ he would def be annoyed when you're being clingy, not because he actually minds it but mostly because he knows you sometimes push it JUST to annoy him lmao. so in return he would deny you just for fun or when you ask him cute stuff he'd purposely answer seriously or act like he doesn't understand your request until you start wailing like a lost cat and then he can't resist anymore. oh and also, he loves to act that way when you're in public but behind closed doors? he can be just as clingy, it's different from when you are but still. he's not necessarily needy, but he wants. you. close. to him. he'd be the type to constantly want to be around you and get pouty when you can't.

felix ⊹ ࣪ ˖ honestly being clingy with felix only means one thing... you're spoiled rotten. you need hugs and cuddles? he will RUN to give them to you. you just want to stick to him like glue? 'sure baby come here'. you want to lay on his lap while he's playing games? not a problem. you don't even understand how you're feeling but you know you need to be with him? he will be there, arms wide open for you no questions asked. all your wishes will be executed because its just how it works between you two. and thing is, the treatment he gives you? you give it right back. so at this point, it's not even a question or a thought. it's simply second nature.

han ⊹ ࣪ ˖ getting han's attention when you're feeling clingy? it's tough. either because he will get side tracked by any little thing, despite his good intentions, so you'll have to remind him to stay with you or to give you a hug. orrrr he will goof off like crazy and will not leave you alone. until the point where you're physically trying to get as far away from him as possible. oh and he'd chase you, no worries "but babyyyy you said you needed love and attention. stop running." with the scariest most mischievous smile in the world until you actually start running away and hide from him because he will smother you with love. (but let's be honest you always end up letting him catch you because come on... you'll take all the love he'll give you)

hyunjin ⊹ ࣪ ˖ he does not mind at all when you're being clingy. in fact he LOVES it. in skz, there is a holy trinity of baby talker and you can bet your ass he's one of them. he will baby talk (to the other boys utmost horror) and repeat your requests with the baby voice until everyone in the room physically cringe. oh and he's mean, he's a real lil bitch, so he will deny you cuddles just so you can pout harder. his heart melts at the sight of it and he can't help but want more. still, it'd only take you to give him the eyes before he'd giggle and pull you in for a big big hug while he digs in nose in the crook of your neck where you just smell so so good.

changbin ⊹ ࣪ ˖ being clingy with binnie can go one of two ways. first, he's just just not gonna mind at all. he'd notice you seem more clingy than usual and just signal for you to come next to him. he'd keep babbling or doing whatever it is he's doing but he'd put his arms around you mindlessly stroking your back and giving you little kisses on your forehead... OR he would return it ten times worse. i'm talking full on baby voice (member number 2 of the holy trinity), pinching your cheeks, exagerating your requests, jumping on your lap and he'd act clingy just to make you laugh. "aw my little baby needs cuddles? you feeling clingy? you want to sit on my lap? what if I sit on your lap instead?" "what no bin that's not- BIN YOU'RE SO HEAVY IM GONNA DIE"

minho ⊹ ࣪ ˖ honestly, he does not care. like at all, the teasing would be minimal but all in all he'd let you do whatever it is you want to do, give you whatever it is you need. because fine he likes to tease ppl, but he also loves cuddles and physical touch even if he would never admit it. often ppl won't dare to be clingy with him because of his black cat personality, but you've always been able to see behind that façade and to never let it scare you. so you do not hesitate to latch on his arm or rest your head in the crook of his neck while he's doing something. and it always feel like a sweet sweet reward when he simply drapes his arms around you, not even reacting to your touch like it's the most normal thing and second nature thing in the world for him.

bangchan ⊹ ࣪ ˖ uhm yeah bangchan? absolutely adores when you're clingy. in fact, he would get whiny if you're not constantly requesting cuddles and hugs and little kisses. he would also be a master of the baby voice and obliging to your every demand. he just loves to be needed and the way you need him makes him feel light as a feather. he'd come up to you "what is you need babe?" and you'd pout and ask whatever it is you want wether its a hug or cuddles or some time with him "i don't think i heard you well the first time. want to repeat that?" but right before you'd say it again he'd squish your cheeks together so you have the cutest pout on your mouth and you'd mumble than you can't exactly talk like that but he'd insist "no no you can, go ahead baby" you'd sigh and oblige "mhm-want-mhug?" and this man would squeal like a toddler because he thinks youre so cute he’s going to explode. chan does have the profile of someone with love aggresion and so he'd lovingly and agressively give you anything you want :)

[cosmosluckycharms]

Show☆Time

chip on your shoulder

Ever since the day you got your group back together, you've all gotten closer together.

You and Tsukasa matched each other's energy, with you both being loud and energetic, always screaming and yelling.

Rui and Nene (mostly Nene) canceled you both out with their quietness.

You and Nene were complete opposites in personality, which was silly considering how you both mellowed each other out.

Nene and Tsukasa would bicker a lot, which was funny to you!

You and Rui would really chaotic, due to you being energetic and him being mischievous.

You love your friends!

You guys would tell each other everything, from Rui telling you about how many times he's gotten kicked out of places, to Nene telling you how to beat levels in games you would play and get stuck on and ask Tim for help on only for him to ignore you to Tsukasa telling you all about why he joined theater.

One day you guys were at your stage, practicing.

You all had decided to take a break after a while of rehearsing.

You were sitting in between Nene, who was on your right, and Tsukasa, who was on your left, Rui standing in front of you guys, fixing a robot that had somehow exploded on its own while you guys were rehearsing.

You, nene, and Tsukasa were all taking a small break from you guys practicing for your next show.

Since you guys had first started, which was a few months ago, you guys have done a couple of shows. Around 10.

You would spend months practicing.Your days would consist of waking up, getting ready for the day, going to school, going back to the manor to eat quickly getting ready for rehearsal, coming back, practicing moves, going to sleep, and repeating.

You would spend hours practicing, hoping to put a smile on everyone's face and wishing your family would come.

You would put little invitations in their rooms and reminders on the family's calendar only to be met with empty seats every time.

You didn't understand.

You wanted to understand.

You pretended you understood.

You'd make every excuse under the sun for them.

Maybe they had an important meeting to get to?

Maybe their job wouldn't let them out?

Maybe they were busy?

Rui watched as you stared into a cup of water for a few minutes, obviously spaced out.

You've been spaced out most of the rehearsals lately, eerily locked in, yet somehow messing up a lot more.

Usually, you would spend a lot of rehearsal having fun and goofing around, but as of late, you had been super strict on yourself, not letting loose as much as you used to.It seemed everyone but you noticed somehow.

After a few minutes of silence, Rui finally spoke up."Y/N, why have you been so zoned out?" he kept tinkering with a tiny robot he had in his hands.

"Yeah, you've been so focused it's scary." Nene said, picking on her nails.

"Yeah, and you've also been messing up a lot more lately," Tsukasa spoke up, drinking from his water bottle which was full of stickers you placed on their overtime.

"What do you guys mean? I'm great!" you piped up, confused.

"Since we've started rehearsing this play, you've been hyperfocused. Maybe you should take a break?" Tsukasa asked, putting his hand on your shoulder.

"NO-NO! It's fine, I'm fine, I swear! It's just, that I really wanna be great for our next performance!" You looked up to look at Rui.

"What do you mean? You've been doing great, you just constantly look distracted." Nene says, now taking a bite of the cotton candy she was holding.

"I'm fine, great even! I'm just trying to be extra focused so when my family comes to see me, they'll be so super impressed!"

Tsukasa looks to you "Your family doesn't come to your shows either?"

"Not really, but I'm sure they're busy! I know they love me, I know they care, it's just that they're busy, I'm sure of it!"

Nene looked at you in pity.

It seemed to everyone but you that no one in your family cared enough to come.

You got up and stood on the stage.

"Well, cmon! Let's keep the practice going! The show is today! Let's do it ☆!"

You guys ended up finishing rehearsal and the show.

Your friends could see you kept glancing at the empty seats, it was like you were hoping that they'd appear at any given moment.

They could see how you kept messing up your lines and queues for your shows, nervous if they came and saw you.

It was time for an intervention from your friends.

Out of love, obviously.

They pulled you aside after the show.

They were all sitting at a table backstage, Nene patting the seat next to hers.

You sat down with them, and next to Nene.

Tsukasa spoke,"Y/N, Though it's hardly my business to say could it be the real thing in your way Is it the very family you've been trying to impress?"

You thought about it for a minute.

Huh.

You hadn't even noticed you starting to mess up a lot more, being too focused while also being spaced out somehow.

You started this all for them, and they still didn't care enough to show.

Strange.

"..Yes! I've been smiling and sweet and trying to prove myself to them, thoroughly beaten, blowing my chance!" You jumped up and grabbed Nenes hands

"I'm not gonna push them away, I'm gonna go ahead and forget them! For now at least♪"

You started marching toward the stage, moving like you meant it.

For the first time in ages, you let loose.

For the first time in ages, you had fun.

For the first time in ages, you stopped thinking of your family for a while.

As you started walking home you stared at the sunset.

usually you didn't like sunsets, it reminded you the day was coming to an end.

This time though, you were exhausted.

Not physically, or mentally.

All you wanted was to crawl into your momma or grandpa's arms and sleep.

You'd be lying to yourself if you said you didn't wanna crawl into your father or brother's arms either.

As soon as you got to the manor, you saw everyone at the dinner table.

You could hear everyone laughing and talking about who knows what.

They didn't wait for you, they never did.

The conversations died out as soon as you got to the table.

You sat down and Alfred dropped off your food, which was already cold.

You didn't mind, you were trying to finish eating quickly so you could go practice by yourself.

You ate for a minute or two before realizing everyone was staring at you in confusion.

You looked up from your plate.

"What's going on?" You asked, stuffing another spoonful of the food in your mouth. You were starving.

You saw as Tim pointed to your outfit "What are you wearing?"

Oh yeah.

You had forgotten to take off your dramatic performer costume.

Compared to everyone else looking like dark vampires, you were colorful and bright like a walking talking disco ball.

You immediately jumped a bit in excitement, you were finally given the chance to talk about your life!

"Well I got this costume from my friend Mizuki, she made and designed it herself, isn't it amazing? It's so much better than the last one, the last one was itchy and uncomfortable, but anyways-" You started yapping about your performance not realizing your family lost interest as soon as you started talking.

As soon as you noticed (which took a while of talking) you shut up and finished your food.

Jason found it odd, you usually wouldn't go quiet like that.

As soon as he was about to ask, he saw you disappear into your room.

You changed out of your performer costume and into your training outfit, which was just some comfy clothes.

Sure, your performer costume was comfy, but you didn't wanna risk ripping it or ruining it!

You started walking to the gymnastics room, which was originally made for Dick but technically there were no restrictions on who could go in, so you regularly practiced in there.

You would spend hours practicing in there. From your spins to your flips, to just moves in general.

It was a great way to get your energy out and to tire yourself up before going to bed.

As you were midway through your routine, Dick walked in.

At first, he prepared to fight an intruder, usually no one but him came in to use the gymnastics room.

Then he saw you.

He never noticed how you would practice in this room.

And then he realized that's where all the F/C training items were coming from! He's been so confused, he never realized all the extra yoga and slippers were coming from!

You didn't notice him walking in, as you were in the middle of trying to do a double front dismount, a move on the balance beam.

You were struggling, and he could see that.

You were about to fall, and if it wasn't for him being there, you would've probably fallen.

"Woah there, birdie!" He caught you by the back of your shirt.

You tried not to flinch at the nickname, he'd never given you one.

You were used to him calling you your name or just acknowledging you without it.

It felt like sometimes he had forgotten what your name was. "Hi, Dick!" you exclaimed, hanging mid-air from him holding the back of your shirt.

He placed you on the ground. "What were you even trying to do?" He asked, he saw how you looked confused the whole time you were attempting the move.

"I was trying to do a double front dismount thingy! My friend Nene sent me a video and dared I couldn't do it ♫" You said, posing dramatically like you'd seen Tsukasa doing.

"No offense, but have you ever done anything that involved gymnastics or being flexible? The thing you're trying to do is a pretty hard move, it took me a while to learn." Dick said, putting his hands on his waist.

You tilted your head in confusion. "What do you mean? I used to do gymnastics for like, 5 years! I quit a couple of months ago, though. I wanted to focus on performing theater!"

Dick had forgotten about that. He had forgotten how many times you had invited him to your performances and practices only for him to not be able to make it or completely forget.

"Oh, right.." He scratched the back of his neck in awkwardness.

"..Do you want me to teach you the move?" He asked, immediately seeing how you practically lit up in excitement and happiness.

You guys spent a couple of minutes teaching and learning how to do the move.

He was surprised at how much of a fast learner you were.

He was also surprised at how you could keep a conversation while doing an impressive move.

You talked about your friends and your performances.

You ended up inviting him to come to your next one.

..12th times the charm?

After you finally learned the move, you practically tackled Dick into a hug!

You were so glad you learned it! You could show Nene how you finally had it done!

Damian walked in and glared at Dick.

You let go of Dick, who seemed a little sad that you let go. It wasnt everyday he spent time with his little sister.

As soon as you were gonna hug him again, Damian started talking.

"Grayson, you're late to our training. You said you'd be there at 7 PM sharp. It is now 7:05."

You piped up to defend Dick. "Yeah, he was teaching me this super-duper cool move! It is called the-" You got cut off by Damian.

"I was talking to Grayson, L/N."

You got a little sad by that. You disliked being cutoff.

"Oh, sorry." you muttered as you put your head down and looked at your feet.

You couldn't hear what Dick and Damian were talking about. It was like everything was muffled.

When you spaced back in, you saw Dick being dragged away by Damian.

You couldn't even say or wave bye to him.

He gave you an apologetic glance and left.

So much for bonding.

It's okay, at least you got to talk to Dick for once!

wxs: hey you shouldnt focus on the family that clearly doesnt gaf

reader: ok

(small bonding time happens)

reader: omg u guys r gonna hate me

this felt a lot longer when i was writing

honestly idk why i keep neglecting tbis story oops

anyways fhis is ass i kinda understand why ppl like bug like angel better (ily emureader tho mwa)

mizuki crumbs sorry

i love using silly emojicons when readers talking

♫♪ look how silly

taglist:@shirp-collector-of-fixations @maybeethan69 @iluvcatzz @tacendxx @ninihrtss @tsxukikami @d3sperate-enuf @staarflowerr @chaoticmoontimetravel @crazycaoticsimp @sugarrush-blush @kaitense1 @ryuushou

[funnyjb]

hi! can i request for more postpartum fics? they are sooo good! maybe some happy moments but also sadly reader going through it and joe being there for her? thanks!

Hi ofc!

—————————

Brooks Levi Burrow was born just a few days ago. Your first night in the house with a newborn was smooth sailing. Nothing but cuddles and the sound of a quiet baby.

Your in Laws and your parents have decided to stop by any chance they get to be with you, Joe, and the baby.

“Mom, it’s ok I got it.”- picking up Brooks to put him to bed

“Are you sure, sweetie, I’m happy to do it.”- your mom got up from the couch

Robin and Jimmy along with your father were in the kitchen talking with Joe.

“It’s ok.”- you

“Y/n, hold him up higher.”- your mom

“Mom! I got it. Let me put him to bed and he’s fine, ok?”- you

Your hormones are all over the place but everyone has been getting on your nerves lately. You feel like everyone is all over you and the baby. The parents have been over so much you haven’t gotten alone time in 4 days. 4 days!

You walk up the stairs to put brooks down.

“Is she ok?”- Robin

Your mom walks over

“Yeah, I think it’s just a lot for her. She has never raised her voice at me.”- your mom

“It’s ok, she’s going through a lot.”- your dad

Joe stands there thinking.

“I’m going to go check on her.”- joe

“Give it a minute, sweetie. She probably needs a breather.”- Robin

Joe nods

After a couple minutes Joe decides to go up.

You were in the rocking chair holding Brooks in your arms. He was fast asleep.

The nursery was decorated with navy’s and creams. The fluffy pillows and stuffed animals stacked in one corner. The beautiful book shelf filled with baby books and football memorabilia on every shelf along with some pictures of you and Joe and some family.

“Hey, you ok?”- joe

You look up.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”- you

Joe gave you a look.

“I’m fine, really. Just tired.”- you

Joe walked over to you.

“Want me to take him? You can go hang out in the bedroom for a bit. Get away from the parents.”- joe smiled

“You sure?”- you

“Yes, anything for you.”- joe winks

You hand him brooks.

Joe walked over to the crib and set brooks down.

He stared at his son. In awe of what both of you created.

You stepped out to give him a moment alone.

—————————————-

A year ago

Your family and Joe’s were all at the dinner table. It was a night after a game. Everyone still had enough energy to eat and drink. Joe sat at the head of the table. You were next to him on the side. Joe was engaging in a conversation with his dad about the game. The rest of the parents were talking with the siblings. Joes nephews run wild around the couch not to far from you guys.

As the conversations slowly starts to die down Joes brother starts to speak up.

“So, y/n and Joe when do you think you guys will give this family a new member?”- Jamie smiles

You and Joe look up in distraught

“Um.”- you look at Joe

“Well, we haven’t really been thinking about that right now.”- joe chuckles

“Yeah…haven’t really talked about it. Our focus is football right now.”- you smile and then start to play with your fork on your plate.

That conversation was always a little weird to you whenever someone brought it up after you two got married. Of course you wanted kids with Joe. It was your dream to have Joe the father of your children. You never knew what to say when someone asked you.

You just knew how life would be so different after having kids.

“Ugh, y/n you would be the best mom.”- codi smiles

“Thanks, codi.”- you smile back

When you look back at Joe he is already staring at you smiling.

Of course you had to return that smile.

“Just think about a mini Joe or y/n running around, coming to games, and having dinner with us here.”- Jamie

“That is pretty cute to think about.”- Robin

The truth is you were nervous about becoming a mom. You loved the idea and the thought of having a mini you or Joe walking around filled your heart with excitement, but then again also brought nerves.

What happens if I mess up?

Joe is going to be gone a lot

Not getting sleep the first few months

All of that sent some few nerves.

As the conversation kept going on and you kept smiling at the talk. You needed a moment to relax and think.

“Anyone done with their plate?”- you

You took yours and Joes. Everyone else kept talking.

Placed the plates in the sink and rinsed and started to put them in the dishwasher.

Joe sensed you were thinking about something. Something that made you feel nervous or anxious.

He got up and walked over to you.

He came next to you and helped with the dishes.

“Thanks. You don’t have to. Go enjoy time with your family.”- you smile

“But I want to be here with you.”- Joe

You chuckle

Joe just keeps looking at you.

“You ok? Seemed a little bit out of it at the table for a minute.”- Joe

“Yeah..yeah. I’m good.”- you

“Y/n.”- Joe

“Just…it’s weird, you know? I always loved the thought of us having kids. Seeing them at your games and hugging you when you get home. Running around with them or putting them to bed. It’s just all of it kicks in. Our lives are going to change. For the better of course. But the sleeplessness nights for the first couple months, running around in the chaos, and I mean during the football season you’re not going to be home much. Sorry, this is all stupid.”- you

“No, no, y/n. I get it. It’s a little weird for me too. I mean me? Being a dad?”- Joe laughs

You laugh too

“It’s a little bit weird to think but I do know something. It’s that I wouldn’t want to have my kids with anyone else but you. You would be the best mom y/n. And we will get through it together when the time comes. All I know is that we will try our best and have a great support system with us.”- Joe

You nod

“I love you.”- you

“Love you more.”- Joe

—————————————

“He’s one cute baby.”- Your mom says

All of you guys were now sitting back on the couch. The house was slightly dim. Outside was complete darkness. And there you all sat all in great company and love.

“He really is a combination of both of you.”- Robin

Brooks was laying on your chest. Joe sat closely next to you

“We better get going. It’s getting dark.”- Your dad

“Some with us here, hun.”- Robin

“I’ll walk you guys out.”- Joe

Joe gets up to give hugs

Both parents come over to say their goodbyes to you and to brooks

As the door closes there is complete silence. Joe walks back over.

He sighs as he sits back down.

“I’m proud of you.”- joe

You look at him

“It’s a lot, especially having to deal with the parents. You’re the best mom, y/n. I hope you know that.”- Joe

You felt a tear streaming down

“Thank you, Joey. That means more to me than you think.”- you

“Of course, baby. Don’t cry.”- Joe

You rest your head on his shoulder as he wipes your tear.

The end.

[amostimprobabledream]

When blood runs warm (Law x Reader)

Okay okay so I've only been watching One Piece for a few months, I don't know WHY I'm writing for a character I haven't even properly met in the anime yet but unfortunately Law is very much my type, sooo...here this is, excuse me. Also available on Ao3! https://archiveofourown.org/works/63259555

There had always been something about the ocean that comforted you. The way the waves roll in and out like breaths, the call of gulls overhead, the smell of it. It’s hard to describe, but you’ve always associated it with relaxation.

But that was before.

You sat on a deckchair, holding a book up to your face. You can’t really say that you’re ‘reading’ because you’re not. None of the words on the paperback clenched in your hands are sinking into your brain.

Partly it’s to do with the noise.

You know the group, you’re closest to Nami since she’s your co-worker, but her friends have dropped into your office to pick her up for after work drinks or meet her for lunch that you were familiar with their faces long before she started inviting you to join her. But even with being well aware of Luffy’s eating habits or Zoro and Sanji’s passionate dislike of one another and so on, but on the beach it’s like somebody took the dial of their volume and turned it all the way up. Right now they’re busy trying to set up a volleyball game and arguing about who is on what time and if the net is secured and whatever else people can possibly find to disagree about volleyball before you even start playing it.

But the other reason?

Is also sitting on a deckchair a few feet away.

You’ve met more people thanks to Nami – as much as she has a bit of a temper on her, you can’t deny she’s also a very sociable person and friends of her friends are also friends. Apparently, the guy sitting near you is called Law and he’s a “friend” (though he insisted otherwise) of Luffy’s, which caused some raised eyebrows since Luffy is goofy and happy-go-lucky and Law is…not.

He's also fucking gorgeous. Dark ruffled hair with some scruff on his chin and he’s well-built – apparently, he’s a doctor but he has to spend some time in the gym to have a torso like that. Even more intriguing is the tattoo spanning across his pecs, some kind of symbol in the middle though you’re not quite sure what it is. He has some on the backs of his hands too but you’re too far away to read the words.

He also seems completely disinterested in everyone around him running around in skimpy bathing suits, instead frowning down at some thick-looking book in his hands that could well be a medical textbook. You don’t know anybody who would sit reading a medical textbook at the beach, but since Law is acting like he was dragged here at gunpoint, you wouldn’t put it past him.

You turn a page, shifting in your deckchair. You should be enjoying yourself more than you are, but you feel a little self-conscious. Though you’ve gotten to know Nami’s friends, you’re still not one of them and you don’t want to make a total ass out of yourself by barging in on what they’re doing. Plus, jiggling around trying to smack a ball sounds like a recipe for disaster.

You want to say something to Law, strike up some kind of conversation. But he looks both irritable, hot and also engrossed in whatever it is he’s reading. Wait, no, that’s three things. Still, you know there’s nothing more annoying than someone interrupting you when you’ve gotten to the good part of a book with “What are you reading?!”

So you sit there in the shade, wavering in indecision, watching Zoro spike a volleyball directly into Sanji’s face and the blonde spit a truly impressive stream of vitriolic swearing back. A smirk tugs at your lips. Some things stay constant, which is reassuring.

Luffy has much less compunction with bothering Law than you do, and approaches with a grin.

“Hey, Traffy! We need another player! Come and play!” he demands, like a kid on the playground.

“You don’t need me.” Law counters, not even looking up from his book. “You have enough people.”

“Yeah but Usopp said he thinks he’s got sun stroke or whatever so he’s sitting the next one out.” Luffy pouts. “C’moooon, don’t be so boring!”

Both of you know he won’t drop this until Law agrees, so he heaves himself to his feet with a sigh, like it’s costing him a great amount of energy to do so. Though you’re disappointed he’s walking away, you take a moment to enjoy the sight of his muscular back and narrow, grabbable little waist as he follows after a bouncing Luffy.

Maybe now you can actually concentrate on this novel now you’re no longer being distracted. But no sooner do you settle onto your side and flick the page again, still not particularly taking what’s happening in, when you heard footsteps scuffing the sand and glance up.

“Hey, are you done tanning?” you ask Nami with amusement.

“Not quite, but I’m taking a break. You’re not going to hide in the shade all day, are you?” Nami teases. “C’mon, let’s go check out some of those tide pools.”

You smile. That does sound kind of fun, and you know she likes her gemstones.

“Sure, why not?”

You toss the book back onto the lounger and follow after Nami. You were starting to get a little chilly sitting in the shade anyway. You follow her across the soft white sands, taking in the expanse of sea, the clear blue of the skies, and feel a surge of invigoration rush through you. So what if you can’t bring yourself to talk to Nami’s hot acquaintance? You’re not working and hanging out with a bunch of people at the beach on a beautiful day. It could be worse.

The tide is starting to come back in, slowly but surely, and you make sure to keep an eye on it as you and Nami scramble over the rocks, peering into the little tidepools, though there’s not much in them besides some confused fish or the occasional crab.

“Oh, look! I think I see a starfish!” Nami says.

“Really? Show me!”

Nami’s enthusiasm is infectious and it’s nice to be doing something other than just sitting there. It's only a bit later that you realise you’ve both wandered away from the shore considerably, and now the tide is starting to return – it’s crept past the rocky outcrops and is sloshing around knee-height where you are.

“Hey, come on, let’s head back, the tide’s getting further in!” Nami calls to you from where she is, scrambling nimbly down the rock.

You descend more slowly and follow her, wading through a tangle of seaweed that brushes over your skin.

“I’m coming, hang on a second!” you say. “Nobody can run through water, y’know!”

Your feet keep sinking into the soft, wet sand beneath you as you follow after Nami back towards the shore, where the volleyball game is still going on with ferocity-

Pain.

Pain lances through your body like a shock of electricity. Right at the bottom of your foot, something sharp had pierced the flesh and you let out an involuntary cry, the saltwater stinging where the pain had bloomed, which stings like a bastard. Tears well in your eyes and you freeze, not wanting to aggravate whatever had just happened.

“Why are you just standing there? Hellooo?”

Oh fuck, you hadn’t accidentally stepped on something poisonous sea creature that had been struggling against the waves, had you? Nausea grips you at the thought. It couldn’t be a jellyfish, they don’t usually just sit at the bottom of the sea waiting to be trod on…

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Nami’s voice comes to you, urgency and concern blending together as she waded closer. Her eyes flick down and she flinches. “Oh my god!”

Blood has blossomed from the cut around where your leg disappears into the choppy waters, unable to see your foot thanks to the sediment stirred up by the lapping waves and your own footsteps. Your heel is throbbing, tremours of pain snaking up your body from your leg upwards. Your other leg wobbles as you shift most of your weight to it, you’d lift your foot but you don’t want to spill any more blood into the sea if you can help it.

“Shit,” says Zoro from his spot, eloquently.

By now everyone who was playing the game has stopped too, much to your dismay, but the red circling you isn’t exactly something you can hide.

“Quick, we need to get her a first aid kit!” Sanji says, beginning to shrug off his little short-sleeved hoodie.

But before he can heroically rescue you from the cruel ocean, he’s almost literally pushed aside by another figure, swirled in dark ink and with an equally dark scowl on his face.

All you can do is stare up at him like a deer in headlights as Law stalks towards you, the waves sloshing around his legs. His eyes flick down to the redness swirling about you and you’re grateful he’s able to maintain a poker face, you don’t want to see how bad it is reflected clearly in his expression.

“What happened?” he asks, and in a different situation you might have taken the opportunity to admire the thick, dark tattoos writ large across his muscular chest. His voice is urgent but controlled – you instinctively recognise it as his “doctor voice”.

“I don’t know, I was walking and suddenly there was a sharp pain and then my foot was bleeding.” You say, goosebumps breaking out across your flesh and you have the peculiar urge to cover yourself up, now feeling vulnerable in just a bikini. “It probably looks worse than it is.”

You have no idea if that’s the case, but it’s something you’ve heard people say about injuries before, and it sounds good, business-like and professional. You’ve got this, you’re not freaking out and panicking and causing a scene and-

“I’ll be the judge of that.” Law says, shortly.

Just as you’re about to rue the fact you’ve already managed to annoy him and you’ve barely even spoken to him, suddenly Law is right beside you. Without a word, he bends and wraps one arm around your back and the other hooks behind your knees. With a squeak, he suddenly just casually lifts you up out of the water. With your foot previously buried in the sand, it stings anew as it makes contact with the salt water, and you hiss between your teeth. Blood drips into the ocean, the bottom of your foot coated in it. You see a droplet of it, vivid red as a ruby, fall from the ball of your foot, flashing maliciously for a split second in the dying sunset. Your body shudders, both from suddenly being pulled from the water and the pain.

“You’re alright,” Law says to you in a far more soothing tone than before – you feel it rumbling through his chest. “I’ve got you.”

He's just saying it so you don’t freak out and struggle, you know that, it’s probably a part of medical training to keep patients as calm as possible, but even with that logical explanation in your mind, you can’t stop the pulse of pleasure him saying that to you in his smooth, deep voice.

“Shit, that looks bad.” Sanji says. You notice he looks a little irritated at the sight of Law carrying you out of the sea like some kind of bodice-ripped novel cover – no doubt he’d have liked to do it himself.

“Sanji!” Nami scolds him.

“It’s okay, it doesn’t even hurt much.” You lie – it hurts a lot, but Luffy, Zoro and the others are also staring at you and you’d probably tell them you were fine if your leg was falling off it meant you could stop being the centre of attention, because this is so embarrassing.

Law scoffs, as if he knows you’re lying, and strides down the beach with you, like you weigh nothing at all and he does this sort of thing all the time. If it wasn’t for the bolts of pain lancing up your leg every second, you’d be appreciating how nice being carried by him is – he’s a natural.

“Oi, make yourself useful,” he calls over his shoulder. “Someone go to my car and get the first aid kit. My keys are in my jacket pocket.”

He sets you down on a vacant deckchair, sitting and propping your foot in his lap so it doesn’t get any sand in the cut. You grimace as blood mixed with water drips onto both the lounger and the fabric of his board shorts, but Law doesn’t bat an eyelid. You suppose he must be used to this kind of thing.

Luffy brings him the medical kit, peering curiously at your foot.

“Didja see anything when you got hurt?” he asked, tilting his head.

“No, the water was too murky.” You reply, watching as Law flips open the box and begins rooting around for bandages.

“Huh. I’m gonna go see if I can find anything!”

Luffy runs off, like a dog chasing a frisbee, and you’re relieved everyone else seem to have decided it best to let Law do his thing and resume what they were doing. It was making you uneasy having so many eyes on you, over something as annoying and inconvenient as this.

Law inspects the cut before he begins cleaning the blood off the bottom of your foot. His touch is surprisingly gentle, and you watch him quietly, aware of how warm his hands are on you, his fingers strong against the smaller bones of your feet. He sprays the area of the cut with disinfectant, which stings but you don’t even flinch – cutting it hurt far worse.

“Lie back and stick your foot up.” He instructs. “It’ll lessen the blood flow.”

“Do you think I’ll need stitches?” you ask as you do as he says, unable to keep a tinge of misery out of your tone. You don’t want the last part of what was otherwise a fun day to be ruined by being whisked to the emergency room.

“We’ll see if the bleeding stops,” Law replies, and his voice is so sure and confident that you immediately feel slightly better. “If it doesn’t, then yes. But hopefully it won’t come to that. Let’s get you bandaged.”

“At least it wasn’t a jellyfish.” You say dryly.

He gives a soft huff that might have been a laugh, and you can’t stop the bubble of pleasure that you said something that amused him, it feels like a victory. Law reaches into his first aid kit and plucks out a roll of bandages, before he gently takes your foot. His hands feel warm, and you can’t help but notice how nice they are. Strong fingers, tattoos on the backs of them. You can’t properly make out what they are with the light in your face, but they look pleasing whatever it is.

He starts bandaging up your foot and you can’t help but hiss a bit at the pressure on your feet, the bandages quickly staining red, throwing your mind to blood on snow. You realise belatedly that you were holding your breath.

“Just hold still a bit longer, there’s a good girl.” Law says, not looking at you but his eyes on his hands as he makes sure the bandages are secured.

Once again, your body seems to have other priorities, and a spike of arousal hits you like a punch to the gut. You’re very much glad that any twitch or odd reaction to that can easily be attributed to being in pain or simply responding to having someone you don’t know well touching your feet. Still, the words roll around inside your head, good girl, good girl.

“Sorry, this is probably the last thing you wanted to be doing at the beach.” You say.

“I’m not exactly a beach kind of guy, so this is hardly some great loss.” Law grunts as he works. “Anyway, I’m glad I was here, it’s always better to have someone around who has proper medical knowledge.”

“Still, that must be kind of inconvenient.” You muse. “Always having to be on alert in case someone gets hurt and needs help, even if you’re supposed to be on your own time. It’s not like if somebody steals a handbag, suddenly an off-duty lawyer is called to prosecute. Or if someone faints from hunger, if you’re a chef standing nearby, you’re not meant to just whip out a grill and serve him lobster or something.”

Law looks at you like you’re a complete idiot and you instantly shut up, blushing. God, you must either sound stupid or completely ungrateful at his help. You’d like to go bury yourself in the sand somewhere, but good luck doing that on your fucked up foot.

Once he’s done bandaging you, he gives your foot a little squeeze.

“How does it feel now?” he asks and you really wish he’d stop talking to you like that, in that smooth, deep voice. “Any numbness? Tingling?”

Oh I’m tingling alright, but not on my foot.

“No, nothing like that.” You reply, wiggling your toes. “It aches a bit but it’s not so bad now.”

“Good. Hopefully it should stop bleeding within a few hours or so.” He says. “But for now you’ll just have to stay off it as much as possible.”

“Why, you going to carry me to the car when it’s time to pack up and leave?” you ask in a teasing voice.

He glances over at you and raises his eyebrows.

“If necessary, yes.”

Why does he keeps saying things that throw you off balance? Is he doing it on purpose? You bit your lip, then glance over at your stuff.

“Well, thanks for keeping me a little company. I was getting bored with the book I was reading anyway.” You say.

“Oh yeah? What is it?”

“It’s the third in this series I’m reading, it’s a fantasy series about a boy who enters other worlds through a drawing, but I’m finding this one kind of boring.”

“Wait, you know that series?” Law sounds surprised. “I picked up the first book a while back, but I haven’t found the time to finish it yet.”

“Oh, I loved the first one! The way they set up the whole quest was so much fun.” You say, unable to stop yourself from gushing about it. “Have you read the author’s other series about the princess?”

“No, but I’ve heard it’s good.”

“So good!”

Before you know it you and Law are busy geeking out over various novels and comics you’ve read, with Law even recommending you some of the latter and you recommending him the former. You’re so into talking about it that you stop worrying about getting blood on everything or if you look okay in your bikini or if you’re annoying him by talking too much. It all sort of just fades away as you lament how you have to wait until next year for the new series of an anime you like to come out.

“Hey you two, we’d better get out of here, the tide’s getting closer.” Nami approaches, holding both her bag on one shoulder and yours as well, and tosses you your hoodie. “Last thing I want is to end up stranded.”

“Right, yeah.” You say, pulling it on and zipping it up, now the sun is slinking off over the horizon, a chilly breeze is creeping in. “Be right there!”

Nami nods, then turns and yells for Luffy and Zoro to dig Usopp out of the sand before the water reaches him first, and a smirk tugs at your lips.

“You rode here with Nami, yeah?” Law asks you, rolling his eyes at the racket going on behind you.

“Yeah, she picked me up on her way.” You ask. “Why- ah!”

Law stands and gives you a wry look.

“Don’t wriggle, I’ve already carried you before, it’s not a big deal.”

“Just warn me next time.” You reply, but you’re glad you don’t have to hop up the steps to get to Nami’s car and risk your bandages getting all soggy and sand-encrusted.

Law smirks at you and your stomach twists as he carries you up to Nami’s car, depositing you in the back as if you’re made of something fragile. You fight back the urge to grab his arm or something.

“Thanks,” you say, which is only a fraction of what you actually want to say, but now you’re not alone with him in your little nerd bubble, your previous enthusiasm has vanished.

He just nods at you before he shuts the door, which feels like full stop to your unfinished sentence. You try to keep your expression casual as you buckle yourself in, and Nami slides into the driver’s seat with a groan.

“Man. The beach is fun, but I’m beat.” She says. “Want to stop for drive through somewhere?”

“Sounds good,” you nod, as the car sets off. Nami side-eyes you as you switch on some music and sit back without saying anything.

“Okay, what? Why that kicked puppy face?”

“Nothing, I just realised I left my flipflops on the beach.” You reply with an embarrassed smile. “Oh well, they didn’t exactly cost much.”

“Uh-uh, try again.” She demands and you huff. She knows you too well. “Does this, by any chance, have something to do with a certain doctor?”

“Just…I feel like I annoyed him.” You reply, fiddling with the zipper of your hoodie, dragging it up inch by inch and listening to the satisfying rasp of teeth. “You know, ruining his day off and talking too much.”

Nami snorts, but her expression is not unkind.

“Trust me, if you were annoying Traffy, he’d let you know.” She says, shooting you a playful, teasing smile. “And he definitely didn’t seem to mind whatever it is you were talking about.”

You lean back in your seat with a little smile. Maybe you’ll hear from him again – both your numbers are in the group chat Nami set up for today’s trip. Perhaps he’ll be curious to know how his ‘patient’ is getting on, or he’ll update you on if he decided to take you up on the book you told him to read. Maybe.

A pop song both of you love comes on shuffle, and Nami grins and begins joining in, the wind whipping through your hair as her car shoots down the road. With a small smile on your face, a strange feeling of possibility rising in your chest as you think of Law and wonder what he’s listening to, if his mind is wandering to you like yours is to him, you find yourself singing along.

[mochelisgf]

Morgan cheli prompt #2

pairing: morgan cheli x oc childhood bestfriend!reader

word count: 3002 !!! 

warnings — opposite attract! first kiss, parties/partying, small mentions of drinking, no smut I fear but there is making out and little kisses!. UConn vs USC mention (but UConn wins for the sake of the story), friends to lovers!!!!! Morgan sometimes called Misha (my oc) ‘M’ for a little nickname

summary — Morgan and Misha have been friends since they were young girls, even after going to seperate colleges that doesn’t stop their friendship from drifting apart, if anything they grow closer. So when Misha surprises Morgan by attending one of her games, well let’s just say she gets more than what she bargained for, but hey she’s not complaining! 

authors note — so I know it’s been some time since I’ve updated my morgan cheli fanfic, honestly it takes so much out of me to repost my word because of layout issues + im having insane writers block with chapter 4 so pls be patient, i'm hoping to get the next chapter out this week, anyways enjoy this little thing :) Also little note, there will be so many pov switches throughout this prompt, honestly i'm trying to grow out of this habit, so if it suddenly goes from first person to third, just ignore it pls. 

—————————

Morgan and Misha had known each other since they were 5 years old, basically their entire lives. Like the typical first meeting between two 5 year old girls — it started on the playground. 

Misha had always been a loud child, often causing havoc for her parents and sometimes at school for her teachers. Morgan on the other hand was quiet, she enjoyed being on her own and she rarely caused problems at home or at school. 

So when the two girls began playing with one another during recess time, everybody was a bit surprised. The girls had completely different personalities, but that small little detail didn’t bother the two.

After the first meeting, Morgan and Misha went everywhere together. Misha wanted to go to the park and pick flowers? Morgan was there, messing up her newly bought jeans. Morgan wanted to play basketball? Misha was there, even though she sucked at basketball. The two girls were two peas in a pod. Where you’d find one, the other one comes not long after. 

But when Morgan got accepted into UConn and Misha into USC, it came to a surprise for everyone. People assumed that the girls would go to the same college, I mean they’d be together almost everyday since that one unforgettable day in kindergarten, and not just for the girls but for everybody. 

When the school season started back up, the girls were upset. But they’d just had the best summer ever, and it’s not like they’d be away from each for long, with school breaks coming up, USC and UConn playing against each other in December plus an endless amount of facetime calls. Sure they live 42 hours from each other now after living 6 minutes away from each other their entire lives but distance really isn’t a problem for them. 

DECEMBER 21, 2025 

6 USC vs 7 UConn

The arena was buzzing. For weeks people have been anticipating this match. And Misha was in town, supporting her best friend — well best friends as in plural. During her time at USC, Misha had begun an unexpected friendship with juju, her roommate but also her childhood best friends basketball rival team.

 And from both sides for the past week all the girls had talked about was the upcoming match, but I mean who wasn’t excited for this match. Misha herself had never really been a big basketball fan (and it’s definitely not because she sucks really badly at it) but even she had been excited for this match. 

She’d entered the arena not long ago and was grabbing some food before the game started, candy and a diet soda. As she finishes paying her phone rings, smiling at the cashier then grabbing her food and moving to the side in order to not block the way,  she sits her food down on a table and grabs her phone — it’s Morgan. 

It’s to be expected though, if anything Misha was waiting for Morgan’s call. Every game Morgan had since she’d started at UConn, she called Misha, her best friend. And Misha would have to spend the entire time calming her Morgan’s nerves because she couldn’t be there to do it like she’d done at Morgan’s games in high school. 

Picking up the call, Morgan’s voice rings through the phone —

“Dude what if I choke?” Her panicked voice is echoing throughout the device 

Misha letting out a gentle laugh replies “Mo calm down, look you’ve been doing good recently, like you’ve seriously been putting in the work this month. Don’t panic, you’ve got this.” 

The line is quiet for a moment, but then Morgan’s voice pops back up and you can hear the confusion in her tone “Where are you? It’s so loud.”

panicking slightly you hastingly reply “Oh i'm at a gathering, yeah a few of us are chilling at my dorm to watch the game since we couldn’t be there”  a hum echoes slightly after your answer.

Morgan didn’t know you were there. This would be the first time in 3 months that you’d see Morgan, and you wanted to surprise her by showing up to one of her games unannounced. A few of the girls from the UConn team had known you would be there, Aubrey was the first you told, Jana learned shortly after. 

you breathe in lightly then say  “I know you’ve been feeling off recently, but I just want you to know that i'm here okay? No matter how the game goes, I’ll be supporting you every step of the way.” 

Morgan’s breath is low, but you can tell that she lets out a deep exhale, her voice sounds shaky but you don’t mention anything, she’s about to have one of the most nerve-racking games she’s ever had.

“You always know what to say M.” Morgan begins, you smile into the phone and respond back with a  “ha ha ha, don’t get too soft on me.” Morgan in reply scoffs jokingly, her laugh echoes through your ears, you can tell she’s let out one of her soft — shoulder shaking laughs and your smile widens slightly 

Morgan responds “Yeah says you, okay I gotta go yeah? I’ll call you after the game, Love you.” You respond back with “love you too” and then she hangs up 

Putting your phone away, you get up, grabbing your food along the way and begin to make your way to your seat.

It’s the third quarter. Uconn was not having a good game, USC was in the lead at least 2 points ahead per every uconn point. Morgan had come off the bench at the beginning of the second quarter, she’d done good in terms of turnovers and rebounds, but you could tell that every shot she missed and every look at the scoreboard had brought her confidence down. 

It wasn’t until there was 4 minutes left in the third quarter that Morgan had even noticed me in the crowd – The game had come to a timeout, and as the team was on there way back to the bench, Morgan looks up and she freezes causing one of the girls to accidentally bump into her, Morgan looked to the side in response – it was Sarah, I wasn't exactly sure what Sarah had said but it was something along the lines of  “Oh sorry!”

Morgan had begun walking again and as she walked closer to the bench, her mouth made a somewhat round look as she mouthed ‘what?’ and her eyebrows lifted slightly and then she furrows them. But then her face breaks into a smile – smiling back in response I do a small wave in her direction in which she waves back before sitting down. 

You can see she’d shook her head. Turning to the girl beside her – Aubrey, you could see her smiling and rambling about how she’d seen you, Aubrey already knowing that you’d be at the game just let out a small laugh, turns around to my direction and waves at me. Morgan’s evidently confused and so she reaches across Aubrey’s lap to tap on Azzi, the girl turns around at the tap and you can see Morgan asking her something, Azzi in reply just shrugs, also turning around in my direction and giving me a small smile. 

The timeout had now ended and the players were walking back on the court, and as Morgan is walking onto the court she turns slightly to look at me – I give her a smile and small nod and she smiles back and continues walking. 

From there it’s like the game just turned around in those last four minutes of the third quarter. Kk with steals (and fouls) back and forth, Morgan getting more confident with the shots she was taking, having more assists, and both Sarah and Paige just playing with more confidence. 

By the last 5 seconds in the fourth quarter the score was 72 to 69. That was until a foul was called and Sarah was given three free throws. She’d made all two out of three, the score then laying at 72 to 21. Until Paige gains possession of the ball, passing it to Sarah who shoots the ball —

and makes the game. winning. three.

The party was buzzing, the music blasting through the walls. The fraternity living room is packed. People crowded on the couches, others dancing and tumbled over. The room is more than alive, laughter and chatter filling the air and the colorful bright lights flickering – almost blinding. The two girls walk arm in arm in an attempt to not lose each other in the wilding crowd, bodies moving fluidly and in motion with another. And behind them, the girls from the basketball team are following them. As the group walks in, people are cheering, some of them walk up to them to give them pats on the back and a thumbs up because why not! 

As the group walks to their area where some of their other friends are waiting, kk starts “They are definitely hooking up tonight right?” The girls all start laughing and agreeing, some even taking out money to make bets on how long it’d take for the two girls to finally get together during the week that Misha would be on campus. The said girls — Misha and Morgan are too busy in their own little world to even notice or hear what the girls are saying.

A few hours later 

They’ve been at the party for two hours now, Misha isn’t the most wasted and neither is Morgan — I mean at least compared to the other girls who are completely hammered. So when when one of them runs over to them and says 

“SEVEN MINUTES IN HEAVEN”  the entire room that they’re in bursts into cheer. Misha’s a bit hesitant because come on? Seven minutes in heaven? The same game she played at every high school party she’d been to? Hell no. But before even getting the chance to voice her opinion, Morgan’s grabs onto her hand pulling her and dragging her to the floor where some of the girls, people from the men’s team, and other random party goers are all gathered, and sitting in the middle of the group is a singular bottle.

One of the party goers spins the bottle first, it lands on a random boy from the men’s team, so the two get up giggling at each other before making their way into the closet that lays directly across from the area the group is sitting at. Then one of the girls from the team goes, it lands on a random party goer, Misha herself even spins once and it lands on one of the girls from the team, they go into the closest and they just talk about random shit going on. It’s fun — actually 10 times more fun than she would’ve imagined until it’s Morgan’s turn, and the bottle lands straight on her. 

The entire room (the girls honestly) are letting out teasing tones going “oooo” and it makes Misha start giggling because it’s just Morgan — what's the worst that could happen! And so the two girls get up from their spots and make their way to the closet. 

The closet is dark and honestly kind of cramped from the stuff in it but it’s on the larger side so there is more than enough space to move around in it. 

“So….” Morgan says, her tone is slightly awkward which makes you snicker “Morgan we don’t have to kiss, I came in here with Azzi early and all we did was talk. ”

Morgan nods in reply, her eyes drifting slightly before she settles back onto your figure. She doesn’t really know what to do with her hands, they’re kind of all over the place but she sticks with letting them sit behind her back — at least that way you can’t see her playing with her hands. 

“So, the game was good today”— she cuts you off. Morgan cuts you off by moving swiftly and then leaning down and kissing you. The action catches you off guard and Morgan’s completely expecting you to push her away or just stand there awkwardly and laugh slightly but instead you lean into it. 

Morgan’s doubt all begins to slip away one by one as your hands begin resting on the back of her neck, tilting your head slightly to lean more into the kiss. Morgan’s hands which were awkwardly sitting on your hips begin to settle into a more comfortable and relaxing grip.

You slightly nibble on her lower lip, in which she opens her mouth in response allowing you to slip by our tongue into her mouth. Morgan’s hands begin moving again, this time one moves to your upper back so that she moves your body closer into hers. You break the kiss and start kissing on —

There’s a knock on the door, the two girls jump apart like they’d just been electrocuted and someone says “7 MINUTES ARE UP”. The two girls rush to fix their outfit (and hair) quickly and then they both walk out. They aren’t very slick because when they walk back to the circle, Misha looks at Jana who's looking at her with a teasing grin on her face.

When Misha wakes up the next morning her head is absolutely throbbing and her mouth is dry. She begins moving around to get more comfortable until a voice says 

“M stop moving around” and Misha freezes — she turns around and Morgan is laying there, arm laid over her eyes. Her hair is messy and she’s wedged between Misha and the wall. 

“Oh shit sorry” she sheepishly says before turning around fully in Morgan’s direction, Morgan puts her arm down, now laying on her side as well and they just stare at each other. Honestly they are still trying to wake up and the light peeking through the blinds isn’t helping. 

But nonetheless, Misha doesn't let that stop her. She’s lying there staring at Morgan who is staring just as intensely as her —

“So, last night…” Morgan starts, swiftly turning on her back to avoid her eye

Misha licks her dry lips “Yeah last night was um–” 

Morgan interrupts her “It wasn’t just a drunk mistake for me” 

The room is quiet for a few seconds, Misha just processing what she’d just heard. And maybe Morgan got a little anxious waiting for a response when she pops up out of bed, a small “shit” muttering underneath her breath. She puts her hair behind her ears as she starts to stand up out of the bed, last second Misha utters out a “ Mo wait” her hand reaching out to grab onto the other girls arm.

Morgan pauses looking down at the girl who simply replies “It wasn't a mistake for me either.” a small grin appeared on her face. Morgan grins back, trying to hold back her smile but she fails. 

Misha bites her lip, a small laugh escaping “I like totally fucked that up right?” 

“Maybe a little but–” Misha pulls onto Morgan's arm, the girl now laying on top of her and grabs the back of her head pulling her into a kiss. It's short but sweet and passionate. 

Smiling into the kiss, Morgan’s hands begin to wrap gently around Misha’s waist but there is a knock on the door, pulling away from the kiss Morgan lets an exaggerated huff with an eye roll making you giggle.

“Hey, you guys up?” It’s jana, she sounds just as tired and hungover. The two of you respond with a “yeah”, the sync word making the two of you look at each other and snicker — “Well me and the girls made breakfast, so if you guys want a plate just let me know” 

Misha responds “Yeah we’re coming, grab us plates yeah?” Jana hums in response and she leaves.

Morgan gets up first and you follow behind her, going to your vanity, you grab a brush throwing one to morgan and then grabbing another one to comb out your own hair. 

After brushing your hair, you both walk out the room, as asked Jana had grabbed the two of your plates and also two glasses. Going to the kitchen you both fix your food and join the rest of the girls in the living room to watch criminal minds while eating. 

But I guess you and Morgan weren’t the most secretive because some of the girls easily caught on. Only 10 minutes into eating a voice — paige’s cuts through the silence —

“Aubrey pay up” the room gasps and they look at the two of us, Morgan chokes on her food, puts it down and looks back at Aubrey “Dude really?” 

“Hey it’s not my fault you're a love struck puppy!” The girl proclaims, the room cackles and then Morgan says “Wait how many of you guys made bets?”

The room goes quiet. And Morgan gasps  “Oh my god?…Caroline you too?” Caroline looks at her sheepishly and shrugs her shoulders before turning back to the screen 

Morgan turns back to me and says “Can you believe them?” You chuckle slightly replying —

 “Funnily enough I can.”

[ihavenotsleptindays]

You know, I have a lot of thoughts about the newest book and the series as a whole, so I'll add onto this with my own thoughts and headcanons.

Spoilers for all of Dungeon Crawler Carl:

I find it kinda funny that some people didn't like how much it moved away from the game aspects because I found it great. In the universe, they are going into literal war. A game has been made reality for all who used the area has a playing ground for the longest time. And story wise, it's the characters breaking points for most of them. It's pushing just how far certain people are willing to go and how there are certain lines carl won't cross. It's his and many other characters' final breaking point. Game aspects would only muddle that.

I also find it fucking hilarious at the idea of deux-ex-ai. Because the AI is a little shit that while he enjoys having Carl around. Is just as invested in watching him die. Sure, there are occasional cop-outs like that thing with the Nagas but that's more on the author. The AI has been consistent on the fact that it's murderous, and mostly there for entertainment. It is having fun with this and really only cares about what is interesting. Which is why it allowed Agatha to do what she did. The author showed his hand a bit too much with that one but the AI is definitely consistent.

Bea and Carl, oh God those two. So this is going into more headcanon territory and both why those two stayed with one another and his mindset at a whole. So we all know Bea is kinda... uh... a bitch would put it nicely. He often has moments of surprise learning what she did before realizing it's completely in character for her. So I am gonna say that those two had a mutually toxic relationship at best, with the possibility of it leaning more in the abusive from Bea. I have this idea mainly from small things. The comments made about the amount of money she makes from cat shows, how she has an entire room for Donuts trophies, she had gotten Carl's coworker fired, she picked fights with him often and kept his stepmother from him. It definitely seemed like she tried to keep control from the apartment, to the money, to who he was talking to soooooo...

Now that's just Bea, why Carl stayed? So this is kinda a theory about Carl in general. I think for one, the river he talked about is his mental health issues. We know what happened with his mother, and I'm pretty sure his Dad also has issues so I kinda thing that river is inherited issues bubbling to the surface. Now, why did Carl stay with her when he didn't care? Probably just to feel normal? He definitely feels like he tried to find something in his life. It wasn't Bea, he didn't really care or maybe he did but shoved the feeling down. He probably stayed with her in order to have a sense of normal? Keep a normal job, get a girlfriend, move on with your life like you should. I think this mainly due to the one relationship he had before the collapse that he did care about, Donuts. Did it get closer after the collapse. Yes. However, he did care about her. Enough to look for apartments that allowed cats and attempt to catnap her. Why? Because you don't need to pretend to be normal with a cat.

I really hope Matt sticks the landing near the end with this one because it's so fucking good. Especially the newest chapter, everyone is so fucked.

I have been afflicted with a terrible curse: tearing through a book series, and upon finishing, seeking out the fandom only to find that most of that fandom appears to be reading an entirely different series than I am, lol. I brought this on myself, to be clear. I think a big part of the mismatch is that it's a genre I'm not that familiar with and that I don't care about/for in and of itself, so I'm coming at it from a different perspective. Also, maybe I'm reading into things too much! But what can I say, a girl needs enrichment in her enclosure, and there's enough meat on this bone that I will be occupied for a while.

All of which is to say, I read through all seven books of the Dungeon Crawler Carl series that are out to date (thanks, free Kindle Unlimited subscription!), and now I have a lot of thoughts and no one who cares about them ;____; I played myself ;_______;

This series is such a hard sell in general, because on the surface it looks like male power fantasy garbage, it's litRPG, and there's a decent amount of mildly obnoxious dude humor at first. But a) it's only slightly male power fantasy garbage, b) it's not tedious litRPG and in fact the genre evolves and shifts into more straightforward SFF the further in you get, which is clever on a meta level and also a relief, c) to the extent it is litRPG, it mostly isn't boring and annoying about it (no stat nonsense for the sake of stat nonsense), d) the mildly obnoxious dude humor is often genuinely funny and to the extent it is obnoxious, there's some in-universe reasoning for that.

Anyway, the premise is as follows: Earth is suddenly and devastatingly mined for its natural resources by aliens. This results in the death of billions: everyone who was indoors is instantly killed. Anyone who was outside gets a chance to enter the "dungeon", which offers a chance for the remaining humans to compete for an alleged chance at freedom and sovereignty if they reach the bottom floor, but it's basically The Hunger Games: a propaganda exercise that's meant to earn money for the aliens running it as a game show, only this is a dungeon crawling RPG rather than a Hunger Games/Battle Royale situation. No one has ever reached the bottom floor. The best result most achieve is to reach the tenth floor, where they can take a deal for some variety of indentured servitude.

Enter Carl, our hero, a former (late 20s? early 30s? don't recall his age, but somewhere around there) Coast Guard technician who is outside when it all happens because he chased after his ex-girlfriend's cat, Princess Donut, a best in show tortie Persian cat. Carl and Donut enter the dungeon, Donut eats a magic treat and becomes a sapient talking cat, and the books follow their struggle to survive and fight back against the cruel and inhuman system they've found themselves in.

Tonally, the series is interesting in that it manages to balance a very bleak, dystopian premise with genuine hilarity and moments of legitimately heart-wrenching emotion. Also, this is not a "lone heroic super cool guy saves and fixes everything" kind of story. This series is interested in teamwork and community in dire circumstances, and the found family of it all is genuinely moving. As a whole, it's just bonkers entertaining. I love when I can tell the author is having a blast, and you can absolutely tell that Matt Dinniman is having an absolute blast.

Anyway, a list of things I enjoy about this series and/or a list of general thoughts, some of which include mild spoilers:

PRINCESS DONUT. i love her. this cat is amazing and hilarious. She's exactly like you'd imagine a prize-winning Persian cat named Princess Donut to be. also, to my delight, she gets to be a fully rounded character. like yes, she's hilarious and often comic relief, but she's also taken seriously, and Carl is absolutely Insane about this cat. He fuckin' loves this cat, and the cat loves him. Also, hilariously, she has higher stats than Carl at the beginning. (In fact, she mostly has higher stats than him throughout, so she's technically the party leader. Which is why their party is called the Royal Court of Princess Donut.)

Donut has A+++++ insulting skills. On multiple occasions, I have lol'd in horror and delight at her savagery. A favorite:

Rezan: Why does that cat always type in all caps?

Donut: WHY DIDN’T YOUR MOTHER DRIBBLE YOU BACK OUT ONTO THE TRUCK STOP BATHROOM FLOOR, REZAN?

lest this give you the wrong impression, Donut is a classy lady. She is a princess, after all. but also she is savage.

Carl! The books are mostly in first person POV, so we're in Carl's head for most of them, and he is a great example of an unreliable narrator. He'll seem fairly generic at first, but stick it out through, like, the first third of the first book and onward for the slow and steady reveal of his Tragic Backstory and also such exciting psychological and emotional issues as: Insane about Donut; claims he "doesn't like drama" while in actuality he is clearly Repressing Everything; secretly an idealist who wants to believe the best of people; deeply committed to protecting people; full of revolutionary, anti-capitalist, anti-authoritarian rage; holy abandonment issues batman; simply Does Not See It when various ladies basically throw themselves at him; generally Barely Holding It Together at all times.

people on reddit, mostly: Carl's stats!! blah blah blah power stuff. me: okay, but why is Carl Like This. let's deep discuss that. Also let Carl have a little breakdown. As a treat.

these books are so wildly, delightfully anti-capitalist, lol. I poked around Reddit and tumblr a bit, but didn't see anyone discussing this series' politics, but that aspect is super interesting to me. The series is very, very concerned with revolution and resistance and the form those things take when very few options are available to the oppressed, plus the ethics of revolutionary violence.

The dungeon AI! This thing is Way Too Online in a gross dudebro way, but frankly, it's still funny with it, and the evolution of the AI's character is fascinating. Also, I regret to inform you that I do find it extremely fucking funny that the AI has a thing for Carl and his feet. This is wholly hypocritical of me: if Carl was Carla, and the AI made the same comments, I'd have bounced. But what can I say, comedy is about subversion, I guess.

PREPOTENTE. MY PRECIOUS WEIRDO GOATMAN CHILD. Prepotente was a goat; upon entry into the dungeon and eating a magic pet treat, he becomes a goat man type thing, and he spends much of the series as one of the most dangerous and skilled dungeon crawlers, along with his "mother", the shepherdess Miriam Dom. he's a total fuckin weirdo who screams a lot for no reason and i love him. he better fucking survive the series, i swear to god.

one running theme of the series that I love so much is that Carl does not give up on people, and he does not write them off. He often runs into fellow crawlers who, if he was being bloodlessly practical about things, he should have bailed on. They're people who aren't prepared, who haven't leveled up enough, who aren't likely to survive much longer. But he doesn't abandon them, and he doesn't assume they can't get better. He sticks with them and helps them, and they help him. It's about found family ;____; they all love each other so much ;______;

MORDECAI!!! he's a changeling skyfowl and the team's game guide and later manager, and is a former crawler who took a deal. This is supposed to be his last season in the crawl, before he's free of his indentured servitude. he is Dad Shaped. automatic dad. there is in fact something quietly devastating about his Dad Shapedness.

There's a whole super interesting thing going on with the dungeon NPCs, and how we start out assuming most of them aren't "real". unsurprising spoiler alert: they may have been created by/for the dungeon, but many of them are very much real, and once they realize the position they've been put into, they're pissed.

i truly have no real idea where the series is going with its running theme about parents and children, and the protection or lack thereof of children. Our most heroic characters are consistently shown protecting and caring for the NPC children, even when it's at great cost to themselves.

everything to do with the Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook, the secret book with writing from prior crawlers that Carl is given, makes me Emotional. I'm honestly shocked the whole Cookbook was never planned, and that it was a result of Patreon votes. It's hugely important in the seventh book, not so much on a plot level--I can see how Dinniman could have gotten to some of these same plot beats without it--but on an emotional and thematic one. There's something so affecting here about the continuity of resistance, of finding hope and strength in the people who came before you, of planting seeds you water with blood and that you may never get to harvest, and the sheer, furious love of the whole thing.

so apparently Dinniman is a pantser when it comes to writing. Clearly, he's having fun, and it's more or less working out so far, but it does make me concerned about his ability to stick the dismount. I saw in an AMA that he likened it to building a spaceship with legos versus building it with a plan, and that he has fun writing himself out of corners. That's all well and good, but some of the things I'm most interested in this series are the overarching themes, and it makes me wary of those themes not getting a proper payoff. I guess I should just enjoy the ride, and accept that there will almost certainly be many loose ends.

On a meta level, I find it very funny and ironic that when I took a look at the reviews for the seventh book, I saw some people complaining about the absence of the more "entertainment" and "game" aspects of the series: no interviews with the outside, no "character sheets" for Carl, fewer big fights for Carl himself to take on, the AI taking on a more active 'deus-ex AI' role. Because in-universe, the dungeon crawl is no longer entertainment. At this point, the crawl has become an actual war, and the game genre it takes on--4x strategy--reflects that. Carl and the crawlers' choices have increasing ramifications outside the crawl, where actual war is breaking out at least in part as a result of their actions. The AI intervening more and more often to put its finger on the scale is part of the conflict; it's fighting this war as much as the other characters are, if with still inscrutable motivations.

This is in fact one of the central conflicts of the series: to what extent is this still a game? Has it ever only been a game? The crawlers and NPCs are in fact fighting for it to not be a game: they're saying "my life is real, my suffering is real, and if you won't acknowledge that, then you're coming in here with us to fight and die too. Not just a game anymore, is it?" And on another side of the conflict, you have the AI insisting that this stay a game, something with rules and a narrative and at least an attempt at fairness, however much the AI manipulates those things.

It seems like there's something of a genre shift going on with this series. As a reader who's not particularly interested in or invested in litRPG in and of itself, I'm fine with it shifting to being more straightforwardly SFF, and in fact, I think that's an interesting and fun choice on a meta level: the more the crawlers and the AI break and change the game, the more the genre of the series itself shifts.

[astraeus-tree]

In Celebration of Your Birthday

Batfam x Reader (Platonic)

It's my birthday (releasing this as soon as it hits 12am hopefully) so I wanted to write a little drabble Disclaimer(s): Unfortunately there's no Steph, Babs or Duke and they're all probably OOC

Today felt like chaos incarnate, countless things had already happened, yet it was only midday.

You hadn’t woken up on your own, no. Damian was there, waking you up from your peaceful slumber at the ungodliest hour of the night and demanded you to get ready already. You had slowly done your morning routine, still fatigued by sleep, but Damian had rushed you, saying it was dire that you needed to be fast.

When you had finished, he dragged you down to the batcave, excited about whatever he has planned. He shoved your vigilante costume to you and started getting dressed into his Robin uniform.

“Dami? What the hell is going in?” You dressed in your costume, alarms raising in your head.

“We’re going on patrol.” He had finished getting into his costume swiftly, now standing with crossed arms waiting for you to finish.

“It’s not even my turn?” You questioned.

“Just follow me.... Please?” You sighed, he knew you could never deny it when he asked like that

“Alright, lead the way then.”

The patrol was less of a patrol and more of a game of tag with the rooftops of Gotham as your playground.

When the first rays of light first showed, he had quickly led you to the highest point of Gotham: the top of Wayne Tower. When you had finally caught up to him, he was sitting, patting on a place next to him for you to sit in, and so you did. The rooftop was the perfect place to watch the sunrise. The sky had been painted with various shades of orange, like it had been dipped in gold.

He had leaned his head on your shoulder, wrapping his arm around yours and you held you arms around them.

“I’m grateful to have you as my sibling [Name].”

Damian had whispered to you, and you felt your heart swell. You pulled him in closer, ruffling his hair.

“I love you too, you cuties. What’s with the clinginess today though?” You asked, confused as to why he was suddenly acting more clingy than usual. In response, he only looked at you weirdly, as if in disbelief, then stayed quiet. You left it at that.

The two of you had stayed there for a few minutes, until the sun was fully up, and you could see some people already starting their day. Then, you two had went back to the manor, and he left, saying his goodbyes and off to do his own thing.

As soon as you had went up from the Batcave, Cassandra was there, ready to greet you. She had been in her ballet clothes, and pulled you into one of the many rooms of the manor, saying that you two should perform a duet, her dancing and you playing the violin.

And so you did. However, you were so focused on her dancing that you messed up several notes, but she didn’t mind and kept dancing with grace. The duet had lasted several minutes, yet you were so captivated by your little sister’s dancing that it had felt like it was only a few seconds. You were so proud of how far your little sister had come with her ballet dancing.

She had left not long after, but not before saying “I’m glad I’m your sibling, [Name].”

Dick was next with this weird behaviour from your family. He had come up to you while you were resting in your room. He had been sent on a mission, but wanted to see and talk to you before starting it. It was quick, definitely not as long as the other two, but no less impactful to you.

With so much stuff happening around you, you had honestly forgotten it was your birthday. It was no wonder why everyone was suddenly acting weirdly.

You loved them all dearly, but with so many interactions happening so early in the morning, you were already drained. You had been walking around the manor when you spotted Tim laying on the floor of the living room, taking a nap. Tired, you joined him, cuddling up next to him.

Tim had briefly woken up when you laid next to him, but he didn’t move and let you get yourself comfortable as he went back to take a nap.

Alfred had seen you two as he was cleaning around the manor—not that it was unclean, it was just his daily routine— and smiled when he saw you two. He placed a blanket over the two of you and placed a Do Not Disturb sign near the living room to warn the others, who knew exactly what it meant at first glance.

You had woken up a few hours later. Tim had still been taking a nap by that time, so you decided to let him sleep peacefully. He must’ve hear you moving though, because you swore you head a small mumble that sounded like the words ‘I love you.’

Once again, you were taking a walk around the manor when you stumbled into another one of your family members. Though it was unusual to see Jason in the manor, you guessed he was here for your birthday as well.

This time, you were the one to initiate the clingy behaviour. You had opened your arms wide, silently inviting him for a hug. You could see the hesitation in his face before he decided to throw it away and envelop you in an embrace.

“I love you [Name].”

“I love you too little bro.” You two had stayed like that for a while, letting silence overtake the both of you. After all, actions spoke louder than words.

When you had finally let go, you ruffle his hair before he went to go do his own thing.

Your father had called you into the batcave that night before dinner, saying he had a gift for you. Your father was standing in the middle, clearly waiting for you. The lights behind him were dim, clearly hiding something.

“[Name].” He stated plainly.

“Dad? What’s going on?” That was when the lights behind him had turned on and showed a collection of various different weapons behind him.

“I know you’ve been wanting to try out other weapons than your usual one, so your siblings and I have been working on this project for a while now.” You felt your eyes tear up. You had mentioned that in a passing conversation with your father during a patrol once, you never would’ve guessed he would even remember it.

You ran up to hug him. “You really didn’t have to do this, just you being here was everything to me.”

“I wanted to do this for you, you’re my child.”

Later, your whole family had given you a surprise party for dinner. It was small, definitely not as grand as the balls that the Waynes would usually host, but it was perfect. It had everyone you loved and everything you needed.

This is very much inspired by Rizzanon's Batfam February, especially Dami's part lmao

It was supposed to have Jon in it as well but it felt unfair to include him but not anyone else so I had to get rid of him 😔

No song for this title so that's why it's very basic lmao

Have a great day/night everyone <3

[lumieresdreams]

saw @winterchestnut do this on my feed and i wanted in on it!

Zayne

Takes his time to get to know each and every LIs before landing on me. Probably not his first choice, but finds himself warming up to me overtime until he ends up having me have the highest affection lvl

Once he finds his favorite, he focuses on me and likes to grind for diamonds and dailies with me

Since he's busy doing his job as a doctor, he'll probably only be able to properly play the game once he's back home, using Secret Times or Moments with You as a way to wind down for the night

If he misses a day, he feels slightly guilty and would check in on me the next time he's not busy, saying sorry and telling me about his day

Probably has a habit of having dinner with me using Quality time

Ends up having almost every single card I have out unintentionally while doing his best to be f2p

Caleb

Played the game because of my trailers, loyal asf since day one of release

Likes the main story quest and event quests with me in it

A dedicated fighter, he mostly enjoys grinding my Orbit with me, waiting patiently for my day on it to come and grinds for lvl up mats in the meantime

If he's bored, he'll go back into the past Orbit levels to pass the time, LOVES hearing my battle voicelines but would rather hear me being victorious than getting hurt. But still also likes it when I step in and protect him from attacks

Probably has most if not all of my 5*s maxed, he is NOT f2p

Annoys the hell out of me on the homescreen and puts me in the silliest outfits ever

Sylus

Didn't take long to find me as his favorite, feisty and sassy that I am. This guy LOVES the challenge of me giving him attitude here and there

Also really likes annoying me on the homescreen, but likes to dress me up real nice. He's paid for ALL of my outfits and accessories, no questions asked

He'll only rarely give me the free will to change my clothes myself cause I'll probably end up choosing the simplest and comfiest option

Likes event stories with me in it, he's itching for more outside of the main story. He so desperately wants to crack me open and read me like an open book, break down my fighter persona and finally make me mush in his hands

Probably has all of my 5*s maxed, no questions asked

Xavier

Not the most active player, but plays the game every other event that catches his attention + has an interesting premise with me included in it

LOVES Secret Times, uses it for company and basically uses my singing audio as his own personal lullaby for sleep

When he has a lot of time in his hands, he'd go through the main story that has me included in it, reluctantly. This man is weak against angst and boy do I probably have a lot of that in my part LMAO

If there's a second ending to any of my cards and he unexpectedly gets a bad ending, he will SOB and apologize and quickly goes back to get the happy ending to comfort himself

Rafayel

I'm not his first choice, but he likes me as a secondary ngl

We're too much alike, sees me as a friend with benefits whom he likes to share tea with. Enjoys my sassy personality that matches his and doesn't hesitate to sass back when the chance comes up

Slow burn type stuff with him, the more he finds out about my angsty story, the stronger he feels for me. Would most likely be frustrated with me for a while before coming back and comforting me on the homescreen

Besides having to deal with my angsty antics, he likes to get back at me by dragging me into the Photobooth and taking hundreds of pictures, half of which are us being fashionistas while the other half is nothing but silly pictures

His favorite expression from me would be me pouting or being a little angry at him, makes me turn away from him half the time I'm on the homescreen because of how doting/nosy he sometimes tend to be

aaaaand that's it! this is purely based on myself so it's probably gonna be different for everyone else heh. this is such a fun writing exercise too!

[zeroseuniverse]

Hear me outtt!!! Gamer/esport player! S/O with SVT since I'm a gamer also. I never found any reaction about this 🫠🫠

Seventeen w/ A gamer S/O

S.Coups – Proud but Slightly Competitive

He thinks it’s so cool that you’re a gamer and will brag about it to the members all the time. “Yeah, my S/O is actually insane at this game.” But the moment you beat him? He’s so salty. “Best out of three?” Suddenly, it’s a full tournament.

Jeonghan – Pretends to Be Clueless to Mess with You

He’ll sit next to you, watching you play, and ask the dumbest questions just to annoy you. “So if you die in the game, do you die in real life?” But when you actually try to explain the mechanics, he just smirks and somehow ends up winning against you in a match, despite acting clueless the whole time.

Joshua – Supportive but a Casual Gamer

He’s the type to admire how skilled you are but doesn’t game as intensely. He’ll play with you for fun, but if things get too serious, he’ll sit back and say, “I’ll just be moral support.” He’s always hyping you up, though—“That was so cool! You should stream.”

Jun – Gets Too Invested

If you introduce him to your favorite game, be prepared to lose him to it. He’ll be playing at 3 AM like, “One more round.” Suddenly, he’s sending you links to gaming gear and talking about upgrading your setup. You may have created a monster.

Hoshi – Loves It but Is Terrible

He really wants to play with you, but he’s just so bad. He’ll be screaming the entire time, pressing all the buttons at once, and celebrating when he does anything. “I MOVED! DID YOU SEE THAT?!” You love him, but you might need to carry him in every game.

Wonwoo – Your Perfect Gaming Partner

Finally, someone who can keep up with you. Wonwoo is the ideal co-op partner—he strategizes, plays for hours without tiring, and never gets frustrated. Late-night gaming sessions with him are peak relationship goals. If you play against each other, he’s competitive but incredibly chill about losing.

Woozi – Acts Like He Doesn’t Care but Secretly Loves It

He pretends gaming isn’t a big deal, but if he sees you too into it, he’ll start playing too—just to see what’s so interesting. And guess what? He ends up loving it. Now he’s playing late at night, fully immersed, while acting like he’s “just trying it out.”

DK – Your Biggest Cheerleader

He doesn’t care if you’re playing solo, co-op, or against him—he’s just SO EXCITED. He’ll sit beside you, gasping at every intense moment. “Omg, omg, you got this!” He might not be the best player, but he’s the best hype man.

Mingyu – The Overconfident Noob

He thinks he can beat you easily. “It’s just a game, how hard can it be?” Fast forward to five minutes later, and he’s getting destroyed. He’ll whine dramatically and claim you cheated. But don’t worry, he’ll tryhard until he actually beats you (and then he won’t stop talking about it).

The8 – The Silent but Deadly Type

He doesn’t say much while playing, but he’s crazy good. You thought you could teach him, but now he’s outplaying you effortlessly. You stare at him in shock, and he just shrugs. “Beginner’s luck.” Yeah, sure.

Seungkwan – The Rage Quitter

Gaming with him is pure entertainment. He gets SO into it but absolutely cannot handle losing. Expect dramatic reactions, screaming, and a possible controller throw. “THIS GAME IS RIGGED.” He’ll quit… only to be back five minutes later, claiming he’s “calmed down.”

Vernon – The Chill Gamer

He’s the most unbothered gamer ever. He wins? Cool. He loses? Also cool. You’re freaking out during an intense match, and he’s just like, “Relax, it’s not that serious.” But then he randomly destroys everyone while looking half-asleep.

Dino – The Excited Little Brother Energy

He treats gaming like a full-on performance. Every match is dramatic, and every win gets a full victory dance. “DID YOU SEE THAT? I’M AMAZING!” He lives for the competition, so expect 1v1 battles and challenges all the time.

[twistedpink]

ASKS OPEN THIS IS AUCH A BIG DAY FOR GAY PEOPLE.. ive had this on my mind for DAYS . can we pretty please.. pretty pretty please get sneaky link floyd..

ugh I hate him,, he won’t leave my head

Sneaky link!Floyd that has exactly zero expectations for human relationships, and basically thinks you’re married until you start hiding him in your bedroom like an aggressive cat when your friends stop by,, His hands and mouth bruise deep into the human fat n’ muscle of wherever they can reach, sometimes for the sake of leaving his mark where it’ll definitely tick you off, but mostly just to get you squirming :)

Sneaky link!Floyd that can’t stop helping himself to you in class.. When Floyd sits somewhere, nobody else does, so he takes it as just enough privacy for a little hand stuff. Only resting a hand against your thigh is enough to placate him for now- But even that feels a bit scandalous, what if somebody sees?? What you don’t know is how many people Floyd’s chased off of asking you out, there’s no way you guys are still a secret. Lucky him that you’re the last to find out!

Sneaky link!Floyd just thinks you’re so warm- so sweet, so his <3 Nothing back home’s as pretty as his shrimpy, and he’s seen pretty. Lots of folks down under show their love with lights and gifts, on account of sound or smell not travelling so well. Out of all the ways to show you care, you’re a touchy little thing! Always grabbing him into closets when ya’ think nobody’s watching.. He knows that you like it casual, but what about him? Maybe he wants to show you lightbulbs, or pretty shells, and a little less of his molars >:(

Sneaky link!Floyd that slinks up to you so often it’s a warning to everyone else- No matter how much crowd control and rumor management you pull off, it’ll never be enough to combat Floyd’s inherent social curse. It’s only when you’re all sad n’ bored that he pops in with new ways to spend your time,, You wouldn’t be as lonely with a boyfriend, would you? He’ll work on it after you come to his game <3 (He lies in a totally normal way that says there’s nothing wrong with him. Keyword: LIES)

Sneaky link!Floyd’s just horrible with the concept of being your sneaky link, there’s nothing sneaky about him! The only saving grace for your reputation (and his subsequent rise to fuckboy fame) is that there’s very scarcely anyone with the confidence to ask Floyd a genuine question; Too scared for a foot to the face, genpop totally ignores your hickeys and squeaky-clean shoes. Point for you, I guess?

Sneaky link!Floyd loves to hate on your pull-apart relationship, but he wouldn’t trade it for the world! It’s so spontaneous that it makes him shake a little with just when he’ll get to see you again, and you make him overheat like nothing else :D He’ll be enjoying the time you have before you buckle up and give him one of your pretty, human labels. But until then, he’s more than happy to keep kicking Jade out for bedroom privileges! <3

@bju3c0re

[kurapikaspookie]

⋆˚࿔ itoshi brothers | platonic 𝜗𝜚˚⋆

≡;- ꒰ ° 00 - Prolouge꒱

────୨ৎ────

Your siblings were a confusing phenomenon - while being tied by their very blood, they appeared to be complete strangers, divided by the wall of soccer. The two prodigies were talented without a doubt - they rose above the tens of thousands of players who lacked their ability, and they were prideful about it.

And yet, for all their brilliance, their bond had been eroded by it.

Lukewarm. That's what they called them. The word hung in the air of the football field a little too much - a harsh reminder to all the players around them that their level was unreachable. People that couldn't keep up with their progress, people who couldn't replicate the amount of time and sweat they put into this game. Sometimes, you wondered if they ever looked past the victories and trophies, or the roar of the crowd when they delivered a goal. But, you knew if they were to consider gazing upon the world around soccer, they would only see emptiness. Soccer had been their life from the day they were able to read and write, and it hadn't changed.

But you could never agree with it.

To value soccer over education was one thing, to value family over it was another. That's why you couldn't understand the rift in their relationship - it was built over a mere game.

────୨ৎ────

≡;- ꒰ ° 01 - The car drive꒱

────୨ৎ────

The car sauntered through the road, its engine a quiet hum as the planet of the night bore its light down on you and your brothers. Out of the window, you could see pretty little raindrops falling from the night sky, some select few landing on the car window. It was so calm outside, opposing the tension that was apparent in your car. Neither of your brothers were saying a thing, an unspoken rule of silence falling over the atmosphere. You rested your head on the window, its coldness biting your cheek as you did so. You had to do something to break the silence, right? But Sae seemed to beat you to it.

"What music would you like, [Y/N]?" he asked, not even sparing a glance at Rin. He never did when the three of you were together. Sae's words were always reserved for you, the only neutral party in their silent war. You were driving towards your gymnastics competition, an event that was meant to showcase your talent and your passion, but with this unbearable tension, the mood was heading in the other direction.

"I don't mind, ask Rin." you said, trying to get them to talk to each other a little. Sae simply looked at you through the rearview mirror before turning back to the road.

"Rin?" he begrudgingly asked, his voice holding no emotion whatsoever. Rin, who was next to you, stayed silent for a few seconds before finally answering.

"I don't care." he muttered, turning towards the window instead, like he was trying to escape the conversation. They were still exchanging minimal words, their relationship strained even outside of football.

This wasn't great at all. Even when you tried to get them to say something—anything to each other—it never worked. Their relationship was already shattered, with almost no hope of reviving it.

"Just play [Fav song], please." you said, deciding to abandon your plan entirely. Sae tapped his phone, and the familiar melody filled the car. It did little to lift the mood, but at least it drowned out the silence.

It was a tiring thing, trying to fix their broken bond. In fact, you were already starting to feel a headache coming on, and you didn't know whether it was your endless training or the strain of trying to fix a relationship. Either way, it hurt, pounding in your head like an alarm.

You paused for a few seconds.

"How's football?" you asked, your voice carrying forceful lightness, the question aimed at no one in particular. Rin shifted slightly, his gaze sliding toward Sae, but his older brother remained focused on the road, giving nothing away.

"Everyone's lukewarm." Rin replied, the usual. You expected something like that to come out of his mouth—he managed to find everyone inferior. You sighed, almost giving up on the two of them completely.

"What about you, Sae?" you decided to ask, trying to get an answer out of your other brother.

Sae didn't answer immediately. His fingers tightened slightly on the steering wheel, the only indication that he'd even heard you. Then, after a pause, his voice came, calm and measured.

"Just focused on what matters—rising above all these trashy player."

The response was as cold and clinical as you'd feared. No warmth, no engagement, just dismissal. You decided against urging them any further; it would be a futile attempt nonetheless.

As the three of you continued driving, you shifted your attention to the scenery outside. It was changing, hinting at your close range to your destination. You could now see a bustling, rich street nearby, filled with expensive-looking shops and too many people. This was the place where your prestigious Gymnastics Academy was located, the best one in Japan. It had to be; after all, Sae wouldn't let you go anywhere else. The car turned a corner as you arrived at a familiar building— the Academy

"We're here." Sae said, stopping the car in a parking lot. The building loomed tall and ominous above you, washing an unwelcoming feeling over you as you got your umbrella out. You were scared, yes, but you decided to push those feelings down as you grabbed your gymnastics uniform from the bottom of the car. Stepping out into the cool night air, you closed the door behind you and waited for your brothers. Sae was the first to follow, moving with his usual composed efficiency, while Rin trailed behind, his pace deliberate and unhurried.

The rhythmic patter of rain on your umbrella was the only sound accompanying your steps. The glow of the academy's lights reflected off the wet pavement, guiding your way. You glanced at your brothers—Sae walking ahead with his ever-calm demeanor, Rin beside you, his eyes fixed forward but distant.

The building's entrance grew closer, its bright doors a stark contrast to the gloom outside. With each step, the cold seemed to sharpen, and you were unsure about whether it was just the weather or the anticipation.

Inside, the space was sleek and modern, the polished floors reflecting the soft overhead lights. The faint hum of activity echoed through the lobby—gymnasts checking in, staff moving briskly, and the occasional laughter from a nearby group. It was a stark contrast to the oppressive stillness that had settled in the car.

At the desk, a young receptionist greeted you with a professional smile as you and your brothers headed over. "Good evening! Welcome to the Shibuya Gymnastics Academy! May I have your name?"

"[Y/N] Itoshi," you replied, leaning slightly forward. "I'm here for the 7:30 competition."

The receptionist typed quickly on her keyboard, her eyes scanning the screen before she nodded. "Ah, yes, we have you down. And these two?" She gestured politely toward Sae and Rin, her curiosity barely concealed.

"They're my brothers." you explained. You felt the need to clarify before the receptionist assumed they were anything else. "They're just here to accompany me."

"Of course." she replied, her smile never faltering. "The waiting area is on the third floor. You can take the elevator to your left. There's a lounge with a view of the rink."

You thanked her and turned toward the elevator, feeling Sae and Rin's presence behind you as you moved. The polished metal doors gleamed under the lights, and with a soft chime, they slid open. The three of you stepped inside, the confined space amplifying the weight of the unspoken words between your brothers.

The elevator doors closed as Rin clicked the button to the 3rd floor, the silence deafening.

"Where will you guys be sitting?" you asked, turning to your two brothers as they looked back at you.

"I'd like an elevated platform, it gives me a better view of the place." Sae responded, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Good idea. Will you two be sitting together?" you asked, hoping they wouldn't be sitting apart.

"I mean, there's no other choice." Rin answered, looking up at the ceiling as he did so, leaning back onto the wall.

These two could not be serious.

You looked at them in disbelief as they both completely dismissed your questions, practically ignoring you.

The elevator dinged softly as it reached the third floor. Sae stepped out first, his strides measured and confident. Rin followed without a word. You trailed behind them, adjusting the strap of your duffle bag over your shoulder as you tried to ignore the gnawing nervousness in your stomach. It felt more like nausea.

The waiting area was spacious, lined with plush chairs and framed by large windows that overlooked the stage below. Bright lights illuminated The Floor, where gymnasts were warming up. Coaches offered last-minute advice, and duos ran through their routines one final time.

"Let's head to the second floor," you suggested, gesturing toward the staircase to your right. "That's where the seating for spectators is."

Without a word, your brothers followed. Sae's calm gaze took in the surroundings, analyzing everything, while Rin kept his head down, letting his shoulders slump.

At the top of the stairs, you found the viewing area—a row of elevated seats overlooking The Floor. The second floor was quieter, offering a better view of the competition. Sae picked a seat toward the center, ensuring a prime vantage point. Rin slouched into the seat beside him, pulling out his earbuds only after Sae shot him a brief look.

"Good luck." Rin said to you as you hesitated near the staircase, his voice even but laced with a quiet sincerity that caught you off guard.

"Don't disappoint." Sae added.

"Thanks..." you said, looking at your two brothers for a moment. Sae was right—you couldn't mess up. This competition was your card into going worldwide, after all.

 ────୨ৎ────

≡;- ꒰ ° 02 - The competition꒱

────୨ৎ────

You looked into the mirror, now dressed in your pretty gymnast dress. A professional did your makeup, giving you a glittery look. It made you look pretty, but it didn't manage to cover up the slightly sick look on your face.

It was almost time for you to go on The Floor and perform your act, and the anticipation was killing you. You stretched a little bit, doing some side-lunges to prepare yourself for the act. It was hard - probably the hardest there, but that was expected from the best gymnast in the Academy. You decided to make your way backstage, as your coach looked over at you and gave you a warm smile. You knew your brothers' seats, and you could already feel their indifferent, condemnatory glares. They were almost as judgmental of you as they were of each other.

But, you knew that unlike them, gymnastics was simply something you were good at. Yes, you put hours of work into it, but at the end of the day, gymnastics was just one of the many things you enjoyed. So, if you failed, you'd be devastated, but you had plenty of other choices.

You suddenly felt a little less sick.

"Up next, give it up for [Y/N] Itoshi!" The announcer called out, as you heard a round of polite applause. You sighed, clenching and unclenching your fists as you strutted onto the floor, holding your head high as you embodied the form of 'the best'.

Your music started playing as you tried to find your brother's faces in the crowd. You couldn't see them yet, but the reassurance that they were there comforted you. So you made your way to the corner of the mat, waiting for your song to play.

As the song began, you launched into your routine. You started with a switch leap, your legs slicing cleanly through the air before you dropped into a split, leaning forward gracefully. The crowd's murmur faded as your focus sharpened.

But then, the nausea returned. It sat low in your stomach, manageable, but noticeable.

You placed your hands on the floor, swinging one leg over the other to rise smoothly to your feet. Dancing across the mat, you showcased a blend of ballet elegance and gymnastic precision, each movement polished from hours of training. Yet with every sharp motion—every high kick, every head turn—the nausea grew. Your headache resurfaced, faint at first, but quickly intensifying, pounding with every beat of the music.

You pushed through. You had to.

Near the end of your routine, you sank gracefully to the floor, raising your arms overhead. From there, you rolled onto your back, using the momentum to spring into a handstand. Blood rushed to your head, and the headache surged—sharp and unbearable. Stars danced at the edges of your vision as you rolled to your feet.

It's fine.

Just one move left.

You stood at the edge of the mat, your breath coming in shallow gasps.

One move.

You sprinted forward, leaping into a handstand and initiating your triple backflip. The first rotation felt solid. But halfway through the second, blood rushed to your head, making pain explode in your skull, white-hot and blinding. Your body twisted awkwardly, your legs flailing as control slipped from your grasp.

And then, you hit the mat.

As you stayed there, your entire body aching from your awkward position, you finally caught sight of your brothers. Before your vision went blurry, you could see the lightly concealed shock on their faces. You could see Rin getting up from his seat; you could feel his panic. But he simply stood there. The crowd gasped, shocked murmurs reverberating around you as you finally rolled to your side.

The pain was excruciating, a searing agony that made you certain something was broken. Yet, it was the throbbing in your head, a relentless pounding, that overshadowed all else. The ache from hitting the floor merged with your headache from earlier to create a terrifying monster in your head. And all you could do was sit there - you didn't even have the energy to get up. As you slowly realised you were losing consciousness, all you could think of was the expressions on your brother's faces. It was the most emotion shown by them in years, and not for a good reason.

────୨ৎ────

≡;- ꒰ ° 03 - The hospital꒱

────୨ৎ────

The sound of voices filled your ears, irritating you. Pain shot through your head as you slowly opened your eyes, the light overhead making you squint.

"She's waking up! She's conscious." A female voice said, as you opened your eyes just barely. You were laying flat in what you recognized to be a hospital room, surrounded by medical staff. The female doctor was holding your head still, as you noticed a cervical collar around your neck. It was a hectic environment, with doctors walking around in swift, practiced motions, some talking to other people, some simply gathering equipment. Monitors beeped softly in the background, and equipment clinked as a paramedic sorted supplies. But amidst the commotion, two familiar figures stood frozen in the doorway.

Sae and Rin were standing there, staring at you with prominent worry. As they both met your gaze, Rin took a step forward, only for Sae's hand to stop him.

"Let them do their job." Sae muttered, just loud enough so you could strain to hear.

The sound of the paramedic's voice pulled your attention back to her. "What's your name, sweetheart?" She asked, her tone gentle yet focused. Her face came into view, blocking your sight of the doorway.

Confusion clouded your thoughts. A simple question—but the answer eluded you. "My... uh... I don't know... I don't know," you stammered, panic creeping into your voice.

The paramedic didn't seem fazed. "That's okay," she reassured you quickly. "Do you know where you are? What happened?"

"I... I don't know..." You replied, struggling to keep your focus in one place.

"Can you squeeze my finger?" The doctor asked, holding her finger out. For some reason, following the command was hard, you simply couldn't concentrate on her finger. You felt your consciousness slipping away again, your eyes slowly closing as you felt your body go limp.

"She's losing consciousness. It might be a moderate concussion..." her voice got clouded by your thoughts, as everything went black.

⋅˚₊‧ ୨୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅

"[Y/N]?"

A familiar voice called out to you, as the sterile scent of antiseptic filled your nose. You felt sheets encase you warmly as you slowly opened your eyes again. The white lights on the overhead ceiling almost blinded you, making you squint.

You managed to turn your head, your eyes falling upon your brother - Rin. He was sitting in a chair next to you, sitting cross legged on the chair, his face not holding the usual indifference anymore.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, leaning forward, his voice quieter and gentler than usual

You paused, trying to collect your thoughts into one place. It took a moment to fully process his words; your mind feeling like an endless fog.

"Fine." You muttered, but you felt wildly different.

Rin sighed and shook his head. "You really had me scared. I don't know why you would try that move if you can't do it perfectly."

It took a long time for you to process his question, and even at that you still didn't fully grasp it. So you looked at him with a blank expression.

"What?" Your speech was slurred and unusually dragged out, something that didn't usually happen.

"Forget it." Rin waved his hand, leaning back. You were clearly still unwell in the head. "Do you remember anything?"

You tried to remember what happened, but you were unable to; the memories drifting away, leaving an empty pit in its absence.

"No."

"Okay."

Rin decided to remain silent for a while - he wanted to give you space, since you were still struggling to answer things. He simply leaned back, rewarding you with silence while his gaze found the floor. Rin had never known how to respond in emotional situations like this; it felt foreign to him, and he didn't even try. He simply did what he thought he would like, which was silence.

The two of you were sitting in silence for nearly 10 minutes by now, Rin's eyes stuck to the floor, your eyes on Rin. His face softened a little, as he realized he couldn't sit in silence forever. What good would that do?

The minutes ticked by. You lay there, your head still pounding, watching him. He hadn't moved, his eyes fixed on a spot on the tiled floor.

Eventually, Rin broke the silence, his voice quieter than before. "Is there anything you need? Anything you want?"

"I don't know." You responded.

"I'll grab you something to eat later." Rin said, deciding to take initiative. "Your favorite, [Fav food]."

You nod, realizing you had forgotten what your favorite food was.

Before you could respond, the door to your room opened quietly, and a nurse entered, carrying a clipboard. She offered Rin a polite smile before turning her attention to you.

"Good to see you awake," she said warmly. "How are you feeling? Any pain?"

"Head." You managed, the word barely above a whisper.

She nodded. "That's to be expected. You had a fall and suffered a moderate concussion. Do you feel nauseous at all? Any dizziness?"

"A little." you replied after a pause, your voice strained.

The nurse jotted something on her clipboard. "That's normal, but we'll keep monitoring you. It's important you rest and avoid overstimulation for now." She glanced at Rin. "Short visits only. She needs quiet."

Rin nodded solemnly, his gaze briefly flicking to you before settling on the nurse.

As she adjusted the IV line running into your arm, the nurse continued, "The doctor will check in with you soon, but for now, let us know if the headache worsens or if you feel disoriented again, alright?"

You gave a small nod, though the motion made your head throb.

Once the nurse left, Rin leaned forward again, resting his elbows on his knees. His face was unreadable, but his eyes betrayed his concern.

"Guess I'll keep this short, like she said," he muttered. "But... I'm not going anywhere yet."

You didn't respond, too drained to speak. But as your eyes closed again, you felt a fleeting sense of comfort knowing he was still there, his presence anchoring you to the moment.

────୨ৎ────

≡;- ꒰ ° 04 - Sae's visit꒱

────୨ৎ────

The ringing in your head still hasn't subsided yet, and the slow creak of the door as it opened wasn't helping. Rin had left to buy you some food, so you were alone as for now, trapped with the sterile, white walls and the oddly comfortable bed.

Until someone came in.

Sae's head popped through the door, managing to keep a nonchalant expression on his face even after the recent events. But, as he observed your state, his brows slowly deepened. He cared... even if he didn't show it in the most prominent ways.

"Yes? You can come in, you know." You say, sitting up. His frown of worry turned into one of annoyance, as he opened the door fully and started walking over to you.

"I know that already, just making sure you were awake." He said, pulling the chair next to you out, sitting in it.

"What are you here for, anyway?" you muttered, before turning your head back to the ceiling.

"I'm just checking up on you. That hit must've hurt." He rummaged into his bag - it was an expensive sports one, the type he was always carrying around no matter the situation.

"Here." He said, before retrieving [Fav drink] from his bag. You reveled at the sight, but you were too tired to show your gratitude. So you expressed it in words.

"Thanks."

A few minutes of awkward silence lingered between the two of you, as you ravishingly slurped down your drink. It was nice, of course, but it was disappointing to realize that your brothers couldn't express their worry in any other way.

Sae met your gaze, as he sighed, leaning forward.

"I might be leaving soon. To represent Spain in the Euro Cup." He dropped, his tone still too nonchalant for the information he just dropped on you. You sat up too quick, your head reeling and spinning from the impact, as you stared at him with widened eyes.

The two of you stared at each other, the awkward silence returning again.

Oh.

Oh.

Your stomach clenched, as your surprise turned to anger.

"And you just decided to tell me now?"

Sae didn't even stir under your hard gaze. He crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair, like he had all the time in the world to explain himself.

He didn't.

"I'm not asking for your permission." he deadpanned, his eyes lazily concentrated on the floor.

You stared at him, incredulous. "But that's not the point... Sae. You can't just drop this on me. Not after all of..." You looked around at your hospital room, the large space suddenly feeling confined and small. "This."

Sae's eyes flickered to the heart monitor beside your bed, the steady beeping a reminder of why you were here.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I didn't want to make things more complicated. You've got enough to deal with already."

"Complicated?" you repeated, your voice picking up it's pace as you slowly got more and more furious. "What's complicated is that you're always running off, Sae. You come back just long enough for us to think you care, and then you're gone again."

His jaw tightened, but he simply took a deep breath, his voice still as steady as ever. "It's not like I don't care. I just have other responsibilities."

"You mean football," you shot back, the bitterness in your voice impossible to hide. "Football first, family second."

Sae exhaled sharply, his frustration starting to show. "This isn't all about choosing football over you, and you know that."

"But what about us?" you demanded, your voice cracking. "What about Rin? Me? We're just supposed to sit here and watch you leave again?"

"Rin? He'll figure it out when I'm gone." He ran a hand through his hair, as he looked up at the hospital ceiling. "I'm leaving in a week. That's not going to change. But I'm here now. Isn't that enough?"

Sae paused for a moment, before he got up from his chair and swung his bag over his shoulder in a lazy motion. He stood still for a moment, his hand on his hip, blinking twice, his gaze on you, before sighing and turning around. Without another word, he headed towards the door, his footsteps quick as he reached for the door handle. But as he pulled it open, he froze.

Rin stood over him, plastic bags full of food in his hands as his eyebrows raised, then fell in obvious irritation.

Before either of them could speak, you broke the stillness, your voice firm despite the ache in your head.

"He's leaving again, Rin."

 ────୨ৎ────

≡;- ꒰ ° 05 - Like him.꒱

────୨ৎ────

The two didn't move an inch at first, as if held in their places by an invisible force. But then, Rin walked over to you, his stance softer than usual - slumped shoulders, loose arms... his eyes now drawn to the floor. It was normal for him to avoid attention, but this didn't feel as simple as that.

"I don't care." Rin muttered, but his voice shook in a way that felt so foreign.

He placed the bags on the small bedside table, his hands lingering on them for a moment before he straightened.

Behind him, Sae stood by the door, his hand on his hip, his eyebrows furrowed, but his expression stayed calm.

"I'll... see you when I see you."

Sae didn't wait for a response, he walked out of the door, slamming it with uncharacteristic force. Quiet encased the large room as you stared at Rin. He hadn't moved. His bangs obscured his pale face, but you knew him well enough to distinguish the sounds of his soft crying. It was an almost inaudible sound, the only indicator being the way his shoulders twitched.

And the way he covered his face - with his hands or shirt or hair.

"Rin-"

"Don't." he shot back, almost aggressively, his gaze still on the floor. But despite that, the tremble in his words hinted at the stark opposite. "Just don't."

You stared at him, watching as his fingers tightened into fists and his chest heaved with a shallow breath. His usual indifference, the mask he always wore, was cracking right in front of you.

"I don't care," he repeated, his voice a little louder this time, almost desperate. He blinked hard, his lips twitching as though he was trying to stop them from trembling. "Like I said, I don't care."

"Rin..."

He slammed his fist against his knee, his head jerking up as his gaze finally met yours. His eyes were wide, red around the edges as though he was holding back tears with sheer willpower.

"How can he just—" His voice broke, and he swallowed hard, forcing the next words out through gritted teeth. "How can he just leave like it's nothing? Like we're nothing?" His voice quivered with raw anger, making him have to look away from you. He paused again, trying to re-gain his composure.

"I don't care." he muttered, quieter this time, as he leaned forward, holding his head in his arms. "Because if I do, it just... it doesn't matter. He'll leave anyway."

You didn't know what to say. Rin, the man that was always indifferent, was now replaced by the boy in front of you who was struggling to keep it together.

"I don't care."  But as the tears slipped down his cheeks, the words felt like a lie—a desperate, futile attempt to protect himself from a wound that had already cut too deep.

Your brothers.

Two parallel lines, always running alongside each other but never meeting, no matter how hard you tried to bring them together. The wall between them was made of steel and stone and soccer—a fortress that no amount of hope or effort could ever tear down.

So why did you keep trying?

Your brothers.

You looked over at Rin, as hot burning tears started to run down your own cheeks as well. You looked at the one brother that stayed, the one that has went through the same grueling experience of loosing someone that was never really there.

Your brother.

────୨ৎ────

≡;- ꒰ ° 06 - I hope you answer.꒱

────୨ৎ────

You woke up to the sound of soft snoring next to you.

Craning your neck to the side, you saw Rin sat on the chair next to you, his head resting on the edge of your bed. It was early in the morning - that was obvious from the soft glow of sunlight that peeked through the curtains. The ringing in your head had subsided, now simply becoming a low whisper in your head, ever so quiet. It wasn't like Rin to sleep so much - usually, he was up and ready early in the morning.

But you decided not to stir him. It was endearing to see him rest this peacefully, in a way.

You turned your head back to the ceiling, about to close your eyes before you saw a shadow loom outside your door. Your brows fell heavy over your eyes as you squinted, trying to make out what it was.

"Hello?" you called out, the noise seemingly making the shadow disappear. You tilted your head, your curiosity getting the better of you as you slowly swung your legs over the bed.

Your bare feet hit the cold, marble floor as your hospital gown fell past your knees. Walking was unusually hard, but you slowly made your way to the door, the handle feeling just as cold as the floor under your feet.

Creak.

The first thing that you saw was red hair and a turned back, heading out of the door.

"Sae?" You called out. You didn't feel pressured to stop his departure, but a gut feeling told you that you should. "Where are you going?"

Sae paused, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"The gym." He responded, turning his head to you.

"Do you do this often? Spy on me, and then leave?" You asked, holding the door frame for support. This action didn't evade Sae's observant eyes, as he turned his body fully.

"You should go back to rest."

You frowned at the way he evaded the question, but he was right. Movement was making the soft whisper of a headache become much louder. But you stayed put, shaking your head indignantly.

"Do you need help, getting back to bed?" Sae asked, but before you could he walked over, sighing like you were a chore. He picked you up, one arm over your legs and the other supporting your back as he walked back into the hospital room. You didn't decide to protest, you knew better than further agitate the ache in your head. It had finally left you alone for once.

Sae placed you lightly on the bed next to Rin, so quiet that it didn't even wake Rin up. He looked at you again, before pulling down his sleeve to check his smartwatch

"It's 5:00 AM. You're not usually awake at this time." Sae stated, pulling his sleeve back up.

"I normally wake up earlier for training." you replied, a little offended that he didn't know.

He gave a slight shake of his head, like you'd missed the point. "No, I meant here. At the hospital."

You blinked at him, caught off guard. How did he know that? Your waking hours here had been a blur—something you hadn't exactly kept track of. The idea that he had noticed, let alone enough to comment on, made you pause.

"How often do you come?" you asked, tilting your head.

Sae didn't answer right away, and when he did, it was with the same practiced neutrality he wore like armor. "When I can."

That wasn't much of an answer, but it was more than you expected from him. You studied his expression for a moment, trying to piece together how often 'when I can' really was. More than you thought, clearly.

You shifted in the hospital bed, turning to face him fully. He met your gaze, but, as usual, said nothing further. Sae wasn't the type to fill silences without a reason.

"So," you ventured, breaking the stillness, "since you're going back to Spain soon, what's it like there?"

His posture eased slightly, though his voice remained as matter-of-fact as ever. "It's warm."

You raised an eyebrow. "That's all? Warm?"

He nodded.

Fair enough, you supposed. "What about your friends there?" you asked, hoping to keep the conversation going.

"I don't have any." he said curtly, as if stating a fact about the weather.

You nodded, not really sure what to say to that.

"Right."

The quiet crept back in, heavier now, so you busied yourself by fiddling with your fingers. Conversation wasn't going to come easily with Sae—but then again, you doubted it ever did.

But, you decided to perform one last attempt at salvaging the conversation. He was leaving soon, anyway, so it was better to use all the conversations you could ring out of him.

"Why is that? If you don't mind me asking." You continued.

Sae paused, his gaze going all over the place - the ceiling, the floor, the wall behind you. It seemed he was keen on avoiding the question. But under your persistent gaze, he finally gave up.

Sae left a long pause, as if finding his words. "They're not friendly. Not friendly to... people that aren't like them." He responded, his voice trailing off at the end of his sentence.

"What do you mean by that?" You asked, your voice dropping pitched as you shuffled forward.

He let out a long exhale, like the weight of the answer was too much to carry. "Figure it out yourself," he muttered. His tone wasn't sharp—if anything, it sounded resigned, like he was telling you the only answer he could manage.

Before you could respond, he turned on his heel, heading for the door with hurried steps.

"Sae, don't give me that answer." You called out, sitting up, but he kept walking. "Sae? Sae come back."

He hesitated for a moment, his hand gripping the door handle. For a brief second, you thought he might say something. But the moment passed, and the door clicked shut—quiet, but with a finality that felt heavier than any slam.

You stared at the empty doorway, fists curling in your lap. Why did he always do this? Shut you out just when you felt like you were getting close? You thought about chasing him down, but the ache in your legs—and the one in your chest—kept you rooted to the spot.

You looked over at Rin, but his body was more tense then you remembered, his shoulders raised and his hands balled into a fist over his forehead. You raised an eyebrow.

"Rin?"

No answer.

"Rin."

"Yeah?"

Your eyes widened as his eyelids rose. He raised his head abruptly, a guilty look on his face as he blinked twice. He tried to wear a neutral expression to cover his guilt, but the way his fingers fidgeted in his lap betrayed him. You couldn't blame him for eavesdropping - it was only human to be curious in something, more so when Sae was involved. So you simply sighed, falling back into your bed.

"I like to think that he cares." Rin spoke up.

You turned your head to look at him, startled by the admission. For a moment, you didn't know what to say.

"Me too," you said softly, a faint smile tugging at the corners of your lips. It wasn't much, but in the quiet that followed, it felt like the two of you understood each other better than ever before.

────୨ৎ────

≡;- ꒰ ° 07 - Fixed꒱

────୨ৎ────

Day by day you started getting better. It started with the ability to do simple tasks: running, jumping, even doing a few odd exercises here and there. The hurting in your head had reduced, sometimes not even noticeable, mirroring the aching in your limbs that had well departed.

Rin spent most of his time by your bedside, even managing to get his own little bed beside yours. Sae stayed a shadow outside your door, never coming any closer to coming in. Sometimes you'd see his shadow in the middle of the night, or even in the day – late at afternoon. But he didn't even make a sound, simply looming outside there like an unwanted guest.

Soon enough, you were dispatched from the hospital to your great delight, and as you stood outside it, the rain falling off your umbrella under blaring lights from shops, you savoured the fresh air again. It was a reward for enduring all this.

Rin walked up to the space beside you, silent for a few moments before he turned to you.

"Do you want to go to the shops, maybe get some food?" He asked. "It's your favourite thing to do."

You stayed silent for a few moments, your head turned to the sky.

"Of course I do." You answered, digging your hand into your bag to search for money you didn't have.

"It's fine – I'll pay." Rin observed, seeming to notice your lack of money. "I'll reward you since you're just out of hospital, but this is the last time."

Your eyebrow twitched into a slight frown, and you hoped he was only joking.

"I'll make sure to spend all your money."

"You better not."

But you started walking forwards instead, towards one of your favourite shops. You had been craving some clothes recently, and this was the perfect time to quench that thirst. The store's name cast it's white light down on you, the smell of rain disappearing as you entered the bustling boutique, Rin not too far behind you. You were overwhelmed by the amount of voguish clothes around you, each one brimming with expensive materials and trendy styling. You knew you had just walked into a fashion heaven, and you couldn't wait to spend all your money. Or Rin's.

You picked up a white tank top with red print at the top, and turned to Rin. He took one look at it and shook his head.

"No." He stated.

"Why not?"

"It looks horrible."

You raised your eyebrows at his bluntness, but you decided to put the thing down anyway. Since it was his money you were spending, it was at least courteous to take his opinion into consideration, but you were debating stopping that whole ordeal entirely. You picked up various other clothes, but Rin simply shook his head and shoved his hands into his pockets again.

"You're taking too long." He muttered as he turned down yet another clothing option.

"That's because you keep turning down all my options."

"They're all ugly, that's why." He added, before looking over at an atrocious pair of black jeans. "These ones are ok."

You looked back at him in confusion. To that, you didn't know whether to burst out laughing or scowl in disgust. So you simply stared at him, hoping he was joking.

But he started back with a blank expression, like you were the crazy one.

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah, it looks functional."

You would never be comfortable wearing that. You made a mental note to never trust your brothers' fashion senses. Or, at least his.

"I'll come back to it." You mused, deciding not to hurt his feelings by turning away and picking up another light pink shirt. To that he finally gave a small shrug, indicating that it was at least an acceptable option. You sighed of relief, tempted to get something else, but you too wanted to eat something. It seemed your dreams of going on a shopping spree was crushed by your moody brother, but you could at least eat without him saying a thing. So your steps were quick as you reached the till, placing the shirt on it.

"That would be 14,000 yen." The older lady at the till said.

Rin almost threw up next to you, turning towards you with a confused expression on his face.

"What? You said you'd give me a treat." You mused.

"Not when that treat is 72 pounds."

You gave him an innocent shrug.

"Go get another one." He said, turning away.

"What, why? This is the only one you like."

"I never said I liked it."

"Well it's obviously better than the other ones, since you didn't actually turn it down."

"There's better.. cheaper  options."

"Well I want this one."

"I'm not buying that for you."

"But I just came out of hospital and I'm sad and I'm tired. This would really cheer me up."

He paused, as his shoulders dropped, before he retrieved his credit card and reluctantly paid for the shirt, you trying to hold in a giggle from next to him. As the card went through (to his great disdain), you smiled and thanked him. He didn't say anything.

"I'm still really thankful, you know." You mentioned as the two of you were exiting the shop, consumed in the rain once again as you retrieved your umbrella. "It's a really nice top, and it won't go to waste. You see, if I wear it for 72 days, that's one pound for every day, so it'll practically cost nothing."

"That's definitely not how it works." He responded, already looking annoyed.

"It is. Trust me, you'd have practically spent nothing."

"So if I pay £90 for a piece of fish and then eat it over 90 days, I won't get salmonella?"

"Well, you'd have it for free."

"But I'd have salmonella. And then I'd have to pay for the hospital bill." Rin rolled his eyes.

"But if you stay at the hospital for the amount you paid for the hospital bill it won't cost anything." You said, confident you were right. "And it will be worth it because you get to sleep."

"I can sleep at home for free."

"You don't do much of that."

"I'd rather sleep and be healthy than sleep and be sick."

You sighed in a gesture of 'giving up', as you turned to a expensive looking restaurant. The frame of it's name was plaited in shining gold, the water running down it shimmering of moonlight. There were various different plants cascading down the sides of it in an amalgamate of red, green and purple. The smell of food overrun that of the rainwater – a mix of exotic ones you could not name. The opened, glass doors revealed a bustling restaurant with a dark theme; dark, purple, marble floors, dimmed lights, and various shades of gold on things like painting frames or bottom plates. Rin didn't seem to like the sight of it as much, but the two of you entered nonetheless, a skip in your step.

⋆˙⟡˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ ୨୧

"The bill is 19,000 yen."

Rin bristled, then looked over at you again, stuffed with food that was long gone. You had definitely had a feast, eating a variety of different foods to your great delight. Rin hardly ate anything, on the other hand. So when the bill came, he was very clearly annoyed.

But he knew there was no turning back. You had managed to convince him not to check the price of anything, and it had most definitely worked. That was apparent when he retrieved his card again. And it was definitely a good sight.

After that, he didn't stay for much longer.

"Come on, [Y/N], let's leave."

You nodded and headed out alongside him, a laughable contrast between your gleeful attitude and his annoyed one. The two of you walked in silence to the bus stop under your separate umbrellas, since the rain hadn't diminished since.

The bus screeched to a stop in front of you both, its headlights cutting through the rain. Rin tapped his card without a word, though the glare he shot you afterward was loud enough.

"You really need to carry money," he muttered as you walked in behind him.

"Why?" you asked innocently, trailing after him down the aisle. "You're doing such a great job at it."

"That wasn't a compliment." he deadpanned, collapsing into the seat near the back.

The soft rumble of the engine filled the space as the bus pulled away from the curb, the windows quickly fogging up from the cold rain outside. You pressed your head to the cool glass, eyes following the streaks of city lights as they blurred past in patches of gold and red.

"I'm surprised you didn't make me wash dishes after that bill," you mused, eyes still on the drenched streets outside.

"You should've," Rin said flatly. "Might've actually taught you something."

A grin tugged at your lips. "Next time, I'll bring a calculator. Promise."

"If there's a next time." he grumbled.

Despite the sharpness of his words, you knew better—he didn't say no.

Silence crept back over the two of you, comfortable despite the storm raging outside. The bus rocked gently as it cut through the empty streets. You glanced at Rin out of the corner of your eye. His head tilted back against the seat, eyes half-closed in that familiar expression—tired, annoyed, but somehow steady.

"Thanks for tonight. I had fun."

He let out a soft exhale, somewhere between a sigh and a laugh. "I should've left you at the hospital."

But he didn't. And that said enough.

────୨ৎ────

≡;- ꒰ ° 08 - The Shining꒱

────୨ৎ────

You burst through the door of your house, the orange kitchen light illuminating the small living room. The only sound was the creak of the door, the emptiness caused by the absence of your parents. They were long gone to another country because of your father's work.

You strolled into the room, reveling in the fact it was a Thursday. By tradition, it was the day you and Rin would watch a movie, that movie always being handpicked by you. But this time, you decided you wanted to see what your brother watched, so as the two of you plopped down on the sofa, the TV turning on as the smell of vegetables, air freshener and warmth wafted into your nose, you decided to hand the remote to your brother.

He paused, raising an eyebrow before logging into the TV and going on the broadcasting app.

"Should we finish Attack on Titan? It's pretty good." he asked, flicking towards it.

"You should pick this time. Pick something new... and exciting."

To that, he paused and stared blankly forward. But then, he nodded.

"Well, I was planning to re-watch my favorite movie anyway." he muttered.

He flicked to a movie called 'The Shining', its tags containing 'horror' and such. You weren't exactly light-heated, but the age rating did worry you.

"Very age appropriate." You left a snarky comment, to which Rin gave a hefty sigh. But he turned it on nonetheless.

It started off suspenseful, but not particularly scary. But as the movie went on, you found yourself hugging your legs as Rin draped a heavy arm over your shoulder.

About halfway through the movie, at a particularly tense scene where Danny encounters the Grady twins, Rin suddenly bristled and got up, his face slightly trying to hide a smile.

"I'm going to go get popcorn, you can continue without me." He said, before heading over to the kitchen and opening the door.

You didn't say anything, simply sitting there as you waited for him to come back. But time passed, and the scene simply got more terrifying.

Rin finally returned, but just when the scene ended, with a stifled smirk on his face.

"Did I miss anything?"

You didn't respond, simply leaning against his shoulder as he sat down.

The movie went on, and it only got even more scary. At another scene, you screamed alongside the woman as a knife dug through the wall, a piercing scream that made Rin wince and push you off.

"God damn, it's not that scary..." he said, holding his hands to his ears.

You simply stared back at the TV, burying your face into your legs to drown out the movie. You then got up, you had enough of this.

"I'm going to bed."

"You're just scared, you coward."

"How do you even watch this shit?"

"It's interesting."

You simply stormed up the stairs, huffing as you threw the bathroom door open, washing your face and changing into comfortable night clothes. But you doubted you could fall back asleep after that, so you read your favorite book to help you get your mind off the movie. The TV still went off downstairs, Rin was undoubtedly still watching it, and you didn't think he was going to stop any time soon.

As you settled into bed, pulling the sheets over your body, you sighed and sleep caught you early.

⋆˙⟡˚₊‧꒰11:34PM - 9:56AM꒱‧₊˚

As morning finally broke through the haze of restless sleep, you slowly opened your eyes to the soft glow of daylight sneaking through the curtains. The house was quiet now—, just the gentle hum of the refrigerator and the distant sound of traffic awakening outside. You swung your legs over the edge of the bed and let your feet meet the cool, hardwood floor.

With a determined sigh, you made your way down the narrow hallway and descended the stairs more briskly than usual. The sound of the TV going off met your ears, and as you went down the last step, you were met by a hilarious sight.

Rin was still in front of the TV, he'd probably stayed up all night watching movies, but he had one bare foot against the table in front of the sofa, and the other on the ground. He held a pillow, which he threw at the TV in an angry motion, the pillow bouncing off it and landing on the ground. He looked quite mad at the TV - or the characters in it. But he seemed to sense your gaze, as he turned his head to look at you, before rubbing the back of his neck and looking down, sitting back in the sofa. You burst into laughter, to which Rin's shoulders rose.

"What could possibly have you so mad?" You said, peering at the television.

"I'm not -"

"Don't even try to deny it." You interrupted, as you sauntered over to the kitchen. It was a warm, sunny day, and the smell of vegetables seemed to have went. You debated making something actually good or just a quick snack. You chose the latter, opening the drawer and getting out some toast. That was when you felt the table shaking, caused by Rin's phone ringing next to you.

"Who is it?" Rin called out.

You didn't know, as the number wasn't even saved, like all the numbers on Rin's phone. Somehow he managed to remember all of them.

"It's an unkown number-"

"Block the number."

But you decided to pick up, pressing the call button as you held the phone up to your ear.

"Rin! You finally picked up, took you long enough." The voice of a teenage boy spoke from the other side of the phone. "Have you thought about it yet?"

You didn't respond for a few seconds.

"Sorry, it's not Rin on the phone. I'm his sister, [Y/N]."

You saw Rin sit up and turn to you, before his face contorted in surprise.

The person on the other side of the phone was silent for a minute, before finally responding.

"Oh, I think he's told us something about you. I'm Isagi, by the way, and we were trying to convince him to go on an outing with some people at Blue Lock. Maybe you would be better at that." The boy on the other side said, his voice turning jollier. But Rin had already gotten up, stalking over to you.

"Really? That sounds so fun, we'll definitely be coming!" You smiled, looking at Rin smugly as his face turned to one of anger.

"That's great! Well, we'll be meeting at 3:00, I'll send you to detail-" That's when Rin grabbed the phone, and before you could react he cut off.

"What was that for!?" You protested.

"I should be asking you that! What were you thinking just picking up the call?"

"I was definitely thinking straight, I had no idea you were ignoring your friends."

"I have better things to do than hang out with some nobodies."

"That's not true, they're trying to be nice!"

"I don't need anyone to be nice to me, it makes me sick."

"That's not healthy at all! That's it, we're going."

"No we're not."

"Yes we are."

"No we're not." Rin's voice raised a little but so did yours.

"Yes we are."

"Go by yourself."

"No, you're coming with me."

"I'm not."

You sighed, looking down and leaning against the table. Rin stared back at you, but his tightened brows relaxed a little.

"You really should, you know. Sae said he doesn't have any friends, but I think you're better than that."

Rin's brows tightened again, but not in annoyance.

"Fine then. But don't expect me to enjoy it."

You instinctively jumped up and wrapped your arms around him in joy. He tensed at first, but he gave you a light pat on the back in return.

"You will, trust me."

────୨ৎ────

≡;- ꒰ °09 - Teammates꒱

────୨ৎ────

The night came and went, and soon enough you were getting ready to meet Rin's friends. It was relishing to see that one of your brothers actually had friends, even if Rin only called them 'teammates' (or more often 'half-baked' or 'lukewarm'). You brushed your [H/C] hair in front of the mirror, before taking a look at the time.

1:02

You sighed and opened your door, before knocking on your brothers'. He didn't answer, but you could hear video game music coming from inside.

"Rin, if we don't leave now we're gonna be late." You sighed. Something told you that was what he wanted.

"Alright." Was all of his response.

You sighed and headed down the stairs, slipping your shoes on as a way to try and shift the energy to make him hurry up.

⋆˙⟡˚₊‧꒰01:02PM – 01:07PM꒱‧₊˚

That's it. You'd had enough.

You stormed upstairs, your feet making each stair creak a little. You pulled the door open, Rin jumping in his seat before you grab a fistful of his hair.

"What are you doing!?" he exclaimed, as you managed to drag him out of his seat, albeit a struggle.

"You agreed to go to their meeting place, what is this?"

"I never said I wanted to go!"

"Okay, but you agreed to. So let's get on the train, you've been ready for ages."

He sighed and stood up, dusting himself off.

"Look. You've got my clothes dirty." He muttered

"You just hoovered the floor."

"Still, germs."

"For God's sake, can we go?"

You walked out of the door, heading downstairs and waiting on Rin. He came down eventually, an annoyed expression on his face. You hadn't seen that expression in a long time, even though he wore it like a medal.

The two of you walked out of the door and into the sunny streets. A pang of guilt hit you as you frowned, but the familiar, green road calmed you. The stroll was fairly peaceful, the only sound being that of trees rustling, the sound of children in the park as you passed by, and birds chirping.

But that was before the two of you descended into the underground train station. It was filled with noise from various things: a female voice from the PA speaker talking in Japanese, various different conversations that faded in and out of the background, shouts and explanations from tour guides in English, the whole lot. Thankfully, your train arrived quick enough, and as you and Rin found chairs, you already felt tired.

On the brink of sleep, your mind blurry, you decide to let out a few last sleepy sentences.

"Hey, Rin."

"What?"

"I'm sorry for pulling your hair. I was just so happy that you made friends, and I wanted to meet them."

Silence.

"I don't need you to look out for me."

But you were already drifting asleep. As your mind fogged over, you managed to catch one last thing.

"But thank you, anyway."

⋆˙⟡˚₊‧꒰01:42PM – 02:30PM꒱‧₊˚

"We're here, [Y/N]." a soft voice spoke from above you. But as you stayed put, the voice got louder and harsher, as Rin lightly started pushing you off him. "We're going to be left behind if we don't leave, get up already."

You finally got up, looking around you. Indeed, the train was nearly vacant. So you quickly got up, Rin leading you out of the train door.

As the two of you exited the subway, you were almost blinded by the hot afternoon lights of Shibuya. You held a hand to your forehead, as the smell of bakery, lychee and mild sweat filled your nose. People bustled past you, large grey buildings held giant billboards that advertised skincare brands, underneath being various shops: clothing, food, cosmetics, essentials, and a bowling alley.

"Where did they send the location? Can't find it." Rin murmured, getting out his phone.

"There! 'Love You Bowling Alley'." You exclaimed, pointing in the direction of it.

"We're pretty early." Rin said.

"Better early than late." You responded

"Better late than never." He rebutted, as the two of you headed over.

When you finally entered, you saw a group of boys standing around an arcade game. They were around Rin's age.

It seemed like the people in Blue Lock liked to be early.

"Yo, Rin. I thought you'd ditch us last minute!" A blue-haired boy held up a hand and walked over, to which Rin wafted away and walked forward. But Isagi didn't mind.

"And you're his sister, huh?" he raised an eyebrow. "So, you actually talked him into it?"

"Sure did. You muttered, before following behind Rin. There were 3 other boys  there already: A short boy with yellow hightlights and big, gleeful eyes, a white haired boy with a green strand off his bangs, and a tall boy with thick eyebrows and spiky, dark-purple hair that matched his purple eyes.

They all reacted differently to you, the yellow-haired one gave you a big wave, the green-haired one shoved his hands into his pockets and raised his eyebrows in a form of greeting, while the purle-haired shot you a calm smile and bowed slightly.

"That's Bachira," Isagi walked up behind you while Rin found a wall to lean against. "And there's Karasu and Otoya."

He pointed to them, each of them waving in turn.

You frowned as Rin put in some wired earbuds, but your attention was soon averted as you felt warm hands on yours. It was Bachira, who had managed to travel the distance between you in a matter of seconds. He was shaking your hand like it was some kind of Olympic sport.

"You're Rin's sister, right?" He said, big eyes staring into yours. "Do you also glare people into submission?"

"Is he this sour at home? Blink twice if you need to be rescued." Otoya chimed in. "You know, if you get too stressed you might get wrinkles. We won't want those all over your pretty face."

"Well... he's not that bad. He does all the cleaning." You replied.

Otoya gave an almost disgusted look.

Bachira seemed occupied with looking at the arcade games, sauntering over to the place. "Mario Kart... cool."

"An arcade game does seem fun." Isagi muttered, before turning to the rest of you. "What do you all think? Should we play?"

Rin didn't respond, occupied with his phone. Karasu gave a curt nod, and smiled respectfully. Otoya gave two thumbs up, before heading to where Bachira was sitting in front of the screen. He was enthusiastically 'playing' the game, even though no coins had been inserted, and the actual thing on the screen was very obviously a pre-made video.

"God, the game is not even turned on." Otoya said, lazily getting out his wallet. But just as he was about to do so, Karasu slipped a coin in himself, the game starting as Bachira smiled.

"You move criminally slowly." Karasu smirked at Otoya, who rolled his eyes and shrugged.

"Outta my way, peasants! King Bachira's coming through!" Bachira shouted at the other players in the game, before his own slipped on a banana and dropped from 5th to 19th.

"You're doing amazingly." Otoya gave a slow clap.

"19th!?" Isagi said, smiling jokingly. "I mean... "

By the end, he had come dead last, to the disappointment of the others. But it had definitely passed time, because through the door came a purple-haired, thick eyebrowed boy, who was carrying a white-haired boy on his back while he played a game on his controller.

"Reo! Nagi!" Isagi waved them over.

"Hey, Isagi, long time no see." Reo said evenly. "Bowling, huh? Great choice."

"Don't get too excited, we're not starting for 6 minutes." Otoya walked up behind Isagi. "Just relax and play arcade games with us."

So Reo walked up to them, until Nagi suddenly pointed to the Pacman game.

"Mmm... looks easy. I'll play." He said, before getting down and walking over anyway, like a toddler taking their first steps.

Karasu walked over, smirking and inserting a coin.

"You're so lazy, it's mediocre." He said, stepping back.

"Effort's a pain."  Nagi replied, as the game started up.

And then, in the most Nagi way possible, he breezed through the game like it was nothing. His fingers moved lazily over the controls, barely putting in effort, his face in a lazy deadpan look, yet the little yellow dot on the screen never missed a beat.

"Is there anything you're not good at?" Isagi muttered, the score board increasing at an abnormal speed.

Karasu crossed his arms, unimpressed. "Yeah. Putting in actual effort."

Just as Nagi was about to clear another level, the entrance door swung open again.

"Oh, they're all here already." The automatic doors slowly slid apart, revealing two imposing figures. The first one was a guy with long, pink-red hair tied into a side braid, and right behind him, like a damn tank, was a tall, red-eyed boy with long black hair that almost touched his shoulders.

"You guys live way too close to each other." Isagi said, raising an eyebrow. "You come together every time."

"We literally do, dumbass," Barou scoffed. "I don't see the point in taking separate routes when we're both heading to the same place."

Bachira glanced at the group. "So, what are we doing now? Let's hurry up so I can crush you all!"

"Talk big after you win, pretty boy." Otoya grinned.

Nagi let out a long sigh, finally acknowledging the new arrivals. "Ugh. You guys are so loud..." He turned back to the game. "Lemme just finish this."

Barou rolled his eyes and walked toward the counter. "Eugh. Games for children."

Karasu snickered. "Yeah? Then what's that on your phone, King? Candy Crush?"

"Shut the hell up."

⋅˚₊‧ ୨୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅

The dim, neon lights of the bowling alley illuminated the lanes. The distinct smell of fried food hung in the air, almost as loud as the sound of pins knocking over.

Rin finally peeled himself off the wall, hands stuffed into his pockets as he trailed behind the others. He made no effort to engage, but at least he was moving now. That was a start.

Reo was the first to stride ahead, scanning the available lanes before clapping his hands together. "Alright! We're taking lanes five and six. Let's get set up."

"Damn, took you long enough to find a spot." Barou muttered, adjusting the sleeves of his hoodie before marching toward the counter to collect his shoes. "This better not be a waste of time."

"Oh no, the King might actually have to socialize." Otoya teased, snickering as he elbowed Chigiri, who rolled his eyes in return.

Barou shot him a glare. "You better watch your mouth before your head becomes a bowling ball."

Bachira, already lacing up his shoes, grinned. "I wanna see that. Sounds like fun."

Meanwhile, Nagi had made a beeline for the seating area and plopped down with a sigh, looking utterly drained. "Bowling is a pain." he mumbled, leaning against the ball return machine.

"You haven't even played yet!" Reo shot back, tossing a pair of bowling shoes at him. "You should put those on."

Nagi caught them without looking, sighing dramatically. "I actually don't wanna do this."

Chigiri, who had been silent up until now, finally spoke, sighing, his voice quiet and reserved. "I haven't done bowling in a long time. But I think I'll still be alright."

Isagi let out a small laugh as he punched in everyone's names on the screen. "Alright, let's see if any of us actually know what we're doing."

Rin didn't even bother to sit with them, seeming content with leaning against the railing a few feet away. He wasn't going to say anything. Not to them. Not tonight.

Still, he stayed.

Reo enthusiastically volunteered to go first, grabbing a ball and rolling his shoulders, still confident under the scrutinising, judgemental glares of the other blue lock boys. With a smooth motion, he sent it down the lane. A clean hit, nine pins toppled over.

"Damn, almost a strike." Isagi commented.

"Almost isn't good enough," Reo smirked, lining up for his spare. He flicked the ball with precision, knocking down the last pin. "And that's how you do it."

Barou scoffed. "Move aside. Let me show you what real power looks like."

He purposefully picked the heaviest ball out of all of them, before cracking his neck like he was about to fight and sending it down the lane. It slammed into the pins with an earth-shaking crash, sending each last one down.

"Pathetic," Barou sneered. "That's the bare minimum."

Chigiri rolled his eyes, before grabbing his own ball. He took a graceful shot, the ball gliding down the lane in a straight line before crashing into the pins.

Strike.

But he didn't boast about it. Instead, he simply silently walked back into place, his expression a solemn, calm one.

"Not bad, princess." Karasu drawled. He sauntered up, rolled his ball, and somehow managed to send it careening into the gutter.

He blinked, then shrugged. "That was on purpose."

"Bullshit." Barou said.

Bachira was already grabbing his ball. "My turn! Let's see if I can make the ball do a flip!"

"That's not how bowling works." Barou groaned.

"You're no fun."

As the game played itself out, the group settled into a rhythm of taunts, laughter, and respect for those who managed to actually play well.

You stepped up for your turn, gripping the bowling ball tightly as you lined up your shot. With a smooth motion, you released it, watching as it rolled down the lane, curving ever so slightly before knocking down almost all the pins.

"Nearly a strike!" Isagi cheered.

"Just one more left, [Y/N]." Bachira grinned, rocking back on his heels.

Feeling confident, you grabbed another ball, determined to clean up the spare. You took a step forward, aimed carefully, and—

Your foot slipped.

Before you could even process what was happening, you were already toppling forward, flailing slightly as you lost your balance. The ball barely made it down the lane, and you ended up sprawled across the polished floor.

For a moment, there was silence. Then—

Laughter erupted.

Bachira was practically howling, clutching his stomach. "Pfft—That was amazing!" he cackled. "Style points for the landing!"

Otoya was leaning against the ball return, smirking. "That was the most entertaining thing I've seen all day."

Even Chigiri chuckled, though he quickly covered his mouth with his hand to stifle it.

But Karasu was suddenly standing above you, holding out a hand for you to take. "You alright? That seemed like a bad fall."

You were surprised by the concern in his expression and the quiet way he approached the situation. Without hesitation, you took his hand, grateful for the unexpected kindness.

"Well, thanks," you said, feeling a wave of warmth from the genuine gesture.

Once you were standing, Karasu gave you a nod, his eyes glancing around at the others briefly. There was no mockery or condescension in his manner.

He simply gave a small, comforting smile. "Glad you're okay."

You nodded and smiled, before turning to the rest of the Blue Lock boys.

"So that was funny?" you said, brushing yourself off, talking to the rest of the boys. "Fine. I challenge every one of you to a showdown."

"If you want to embarrass yourself further, be my guest." Barou scoffed, cracking his knuckles.

With that, the game became something else entirely—a full-blown competition, each player now determined to outdo the others.

You took a deep breath, shaking off the laughter ringing in your ears. With determination burning in your eyes, you grabbed another ball, ignoring the amused glances exchanged between the boys.

"I hope you are all watching."

With a steady movement, you sent the ball down the lane. It curved slightly, heading straight for the remaining pins. The others leaned in, watching closely as the ball neared its target—

Spare.

"Ha!" you turned around, victorious. "It's a spare."

Bachira clapped dramatically. "Wow, so cool! You totally redeemed yourself."

"I don't think that is unredeemable." Barou cut in.

⋆˙⟡˚₊‧꒰03:27PM – 04:10PM꒱‧₊˚

Standing outside the bowling alley, the sun hanging bright at the top of the sky, you smiled at your win. You had managed to have a comeback – coming 1st out of all the boys, to their great displeasement.

Underneath you in ranking was Barou, Chigiri, Reo, Nagi, Otoya, Isagi, Karasu and Bachira. Barou was beyond pissed at the fact he had merely missed the first place stand, and that was shown by the way he clenched his fists outside the door, his jaw set.

"You look so mad, Barou." You pointed out. "Somehow even more mad than usual."

"Shut up. First place is meaningless in a sport this stupid."

"This is real sore-looser behavior."

"Stop making shit up, I'm not a sore-looser."

"Of course you're not." You laughed, walking forwards while Bachira turned around and pointed to a café just in front of the Bowling Alley.

"Eat! Eat! We should eat!" He exclaimed, bouncing up and down.

"That serves, I'm starved." Nagi muttered, now on Reo's back again.

"From what? I don't see you wasting much energy." Chigiri muttered.

"Eat! Eat! Eat!" Bachira's chant cut above all of theirs, his hands balled into raising and falling fists.

"I agree, I'm also hungry." You said, leading the way across a busy road. The boys followed, Bachira running up in front of you and jumping excitedly in the air. Rin hung at the back of the group, drawn to his phone with his earbuds in.

Reo ran with Bachira, Nagi still on his back, as he made a beckoning gesture. "Well, I'm not waiting either."

"Race you!!" Bachira said, before zooming off. Reo looked confused for a minute, but eventually took up the challenge, his legs working to sprint off fast. Bachira crashed into the door, swinging it open. But his legs flew up, flailing for a moment before he fell face first, Reo pointing and hysteric with laughter.

⋅˚₊‧ ୨୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅

"JUST PASS THE SAUCE ALREADY!" Barou lunged forward at a teasing Bachira, who stuck a tongue out and yanked his hand back.

You were sitting at a large table with the rest of the boys, and as the food finally arrived a chaotic scene played out in front of you.

"Stop talking, I can't eat with so much noise." Karasu groaned, as Otoya laughed.

"I don't think that's their problem."

With a small shake of the table, Barou finally snatched the sauce from Bachira, who sighed and crossed his arms.

"Boo, you're no fun." He said.

You were peacefully eating you [Fav food] in between Rin and a wall, Rin peacefully eating his chazuke, seeming quite content with just that.

"Is this your group of friends?" You asked.

"They're just teammates." He responded, deadpan.

"For real? Well, it wouldn't be a shame if they were friends, y'know. They seem fun."

"I WON!!" Reo exclaimed, as Otoya shrugged and sighed, his hand balled into a fist over an open palm. Reo reached for the entire bowl of prawns on the spinning platform.

"I lost on purpose so you wouldn't feel bad." Otoya smirked and shrugged his shoulders.

"Aren't ninjas meant to be good at rock paper scissors?" Isagi mused.

"What does that have to do with anything."

You turned back to Rin, smiling. "They're a little funny if you pick the right moments."

Rin shook his head, but you knew that face. It was the face he put on when he was stifling a smile. "They're really not."

You reached for another bite of your food, watching the chaos unfold around you with an entertained smirk. Bachira was still pouting about Barou taking the sauce, Karasu was balancing a chopstick on his finger like it was some kind of sacred art, and Chigiri looked about two seconds away from launching his bowl at someone's head.

Rin, on the other hand, was eating his chazuke in complete silence, his focus entirely on his meal. You took a moment to observe him—the way he deliberately ignored the noise, the slight furrow of his brow like he was actively choosing not to acknowledge the disaster surrounding him.

Then, a thought hit you. A dumb one.

You leaned in slightly, voice dead serious.

"Rin."

"What?"

You cleared your throat, your voice going as deep as possible, you even ran a hand through your hair to look just like him.

"Is this what you call football? Seems like trash to me."

Rin looked away, covering his mouth with a balled fist as his mouth twitched. You didn't expect to make him laugh in the slightest, but when you heard a snicker, you know you couldn't stop.

"You are all playing at school-level shit."

That really got him, his head flew back as he started laughing, the entire table going silent, staring. A rare smile appeared on his face – as he seemed to be having a fit of laughter.

"Oh my god, it wasn't that funny!" But you couldn't help but laugh as well, laying your head on the table.

"I didn't think he could do that." You heard Chigiri's voice above you.

"OH MY GOD—" Isagi wheezed, gripping his stomach.

"That's way too good—" Karasu wiped fake tears from his eyes.

"Woah. We need to take a picture – this is, like, a really rare sight." Otoya.

"It's like finding a rare animal in the wild."

"Stop laughing, idiot! We might have to kick you out of the 'emotionally constipated' club." Otoya.

Chigiri simply observed the entire thing silently, his face seeming indifferent.

But Rin couldn't stop. He leaned against you as he carried on laughing hysterically.

"Someone get a doctor—he might be having a stroke." Karasu said.

"This is amazing! We actually got him to laugh!" Bachira was now standing up.

Chigiri pinched the bridge of his nose. "Sit down, Bachira. It wasn't us; it was her."

"In any case, this is a good luck charm!" Reo said, now chuckling himself. "Let him have a good laugh – it's not like he does it often."

So the two of you managed to have fits of laughter for a good 20 seconds, before Rin finally got a hold of himself.

"I don't know why I'm laughing; it wasn't even funny." Rin sighed, his smile still there.

"Me neither! I guess I'm really a comedian. I should sign up." You chuckled.

"You should, so I can come and throw tomatoes at you when you're performing."

And there was another fit of laughter.

⋆˙⟡˚₊‧꒰04:35PM – 04:57PM꒱‧₊˚

You waved the boys off as you left the restaurant, the rest of them still bubbly and chatting. It was a sad sight to have to leave, but you couldn't miss your train, so you and Rin descended the stairs.

Rin walked beside you, hands in his pockets, his posture relaxed but silent. The chaotic energy from dinner still lingered in the back of your mind, but now, with just the two of you, everything felt calmer.

You stole a glance at him. He was staring straight ahead, his usual deadpan expression back in place, like the laughter from earlier had never happened.

But you knew better.

"Rin."

He sighed, already bracing himself. "God, not another joke."

You chuckled, shaking your head. "No, I just wanted to say... I'm glad you laughed."

Rin didn't respond immediately. He just kept walking, the gentle sound of your steps filling the brief silence.

"You have a nice laugh, you know," you continued.

His head tilted slightly—barely noticeable, but enough for you to catch it.

"...I do?"

You hummed in confirmation. "Mhm. It makes me so happy when you do laugh."

Another silence, but this time, it wasn't heavy. If anything, it felt... warm. Familiar.

Rin exhaled through his nose, almost like a quiet laugh. "...Well. Thanks. You too."

The two of you stepped onto the station platform just as your train arrived. The night stretched ahead, peaceful and steady, but something about this moment—this rare, quiet moment with Rin—made it feel like home.

────୨ৎ────

≡;- ꒰ °10 - Ruined opportunities꒱

────୨ৎ────

"We're sorry to say that you did not win the competition due to the failed flip, but you did place high, and the judges were very amazed."

Silence followed, before you simply cut off, sighing. You didn't expect to win the gymnastics competition anyway, but the fact that it was now blatantly said hurt a little. You put down the phone, deciding to look out of the window of your room as you sulked on your chair.

You weren't devastated, but it wasn't a good thing either. Of course, there was a competition next year, with the same promises to go worldwide, but you had been preparing for so long.

You sighed again, as something wet suddenly ran down your cheeks.

You didn't understand why you were crying at all. You supposed it was the let down of something that you never thought was going to happen in the first place. You were about to wipe your tears away and sign up for next year's competition early, when you heard a knock on the door.

"Don't come in." You said, but your voice wavered.

There was silence for a few seconds, as Rin's voice finally rose. "Are you crying?"

You couldn't answer – you decided you didn't want to give one. You simply held your head in your hands, trying to wipe away new coming tears. You didn't understand yourself – why you were feeling so defeated suddenly. But as new, unrelated thoughts travelled into your mind, the tears only stung.

You heard the door open slowly, making your head jerk up, before fast footsteps ran up to you.

"[Y/N]? You're crying." Rin muttered, crouching down next to you. He held a worried, confused look, his eyebrows upturned. His mouth moved like he was trying to say something, but no words arrived. You knew your brothers weren't good at comforting people in the slightest, so you simply let silence rest between the two of you. You rested your head in your hands again.

You feel a warm hand on your back, rubbing it. But no words. You could only imagine that Rin was also confused, and stressed for what to say, but him just being there was enough.

Eventually you managed to calm yourself, raising your head.

"Are you... alright?" Rin asked.

"Mhm. I'm fine. I don't even know why I'm crying." You chuckled weakly and leaned back. Rin simply stared at you and sat on your bed, his eyes bigger and more sparkly than usual. He stayed with you for a bit, staring sometimes, his eyes on the floor the others. He knew that you weren't fine, but like always, he simply allowed his presence to be a soother. That's how he comforted you, simply being there. It worked for you. That's exactly what you wanted.

Your thoughts wandered back. To the competition, to the hours you spent working for it, to your hopes and dreams of going worldwide, to sport in general, to football specifically...

To Sae.

That bastard. You suddenly felt yourself growing angry, so you simply got up.

"Thanks, Rin." You said as you walked out the door. Rin's head jerked up, his eyes going wide as they followed you to the door that closed shut. You decided you were going to practice in the normal place you would – the gymnastics academy's spare room.

It was a fairly far away so you decided you'd take the bus.  You simply slipped your shoes on and went. The clothes you were wearing were comfortable enough, so you didn't need to do much else. The stroll to the bus stop was quiet and peaceful, same with boarding the bus. You simply scanned your card in and followed to the back of the bus, sitting near the window and looking out of it woefully. It was a long bus journey.

When you got there, you stepped out of the bus, looking at the tall academy. You didn't know why the defeated feeling still resided in you, the feeling that made it impossible to smile. Emptiness, that was the best word for it.

As you entered, the cheery receptionist was about to greet you, but you cut her off instead.

"[Y/N] Itoshi." You stated, as the receptionist nodded and typed on the computer.

"All the rooms on the top floor are free." She said.

You knew that already. Of course, your favorite room was always free, as you had pretty much claimed it as your own.

You headed to the elevator and clicked the button. The door opened immediately, and you calmly entered, the elevator departing as the doors closed.

Ding.

The doors opened again, and you exited it, turning to and opening the first door on the left. But as it creaked open, you realized you weren't alone.

The first thing you saw was red hair and a gym bag.

"Sae? What are you doing here?"

He turned around, seemingly startled, his eyebrows raised, before they dropped.

"You're dismissed from hospital? That was quick." He said, ignoring your question.

"Yeah... but what are you doing here?" You responded. You're not about to let him brush away your questions again.

Sae's eyebrows twitched downward, an indicator that he did not enjoy his current predicament. He thought hard before answering. "I thought you may be here."

He looked away, as if embarrassed. It won't be unusual for him to feel that way – you knew his pride was almost boundless.

"I thought you'd left already."

Sae turned slightly, then fully toward you, eyes narrowed like he was... confused? No, you couldn't read his expression.

"I'm not going for another 2 damn weeks." He paused, his voice dropping. "You don't sound like you care much."

That comment caught you slightly off guard.

"What? I mean... you never sound like you care much about me either."

Sae froze, his body going visibly stiff. You didn't understand why he froze, but his head bowed down. He didn't say anything for a few hot seconds, before his voice came out smaller than before.

"I extended the date I would be flying back." Is all he said. But you gauged as much as you could from that sentence.

Reading between the lines, one could say he was trying to say he wanted to spend more time with you, in his own shitty way. He had never been a master at words, so reading between the lines was all you ever did with him. And those gaps told you he...

Cared?

"Why was that?" You said. You contemplated adding your next sentence, but before Sae could say anything, you blurted it out in the moment. "Don't you put football first?"

You saw Sae take a deep breath as you said that, freezing again. After a while he started gripping the strap of the gym bag he was holding, before suddenly putting it on the floor and rummaging through it. You knew what he was doing – he was distracting himself from the reality of this situation. He did this in difficult situations all the time, because he couldn't physically come to terms with himself. You hated it.

"I did it because... I needed to organize myself." He responded, his voice even smaller.

"Bullshit." Your voice raised, becoming more desperate. "You had been organizing for it weeks before hand. You're not tricking any-"

"Shut the fuck up." The words came out quiet, but loud in how cold they were. You paused in surprise. Sae never swore at you. But you had never swore at Sae either, to be honest.

Silence lingered for a second.

Then two.

Then four.

Then eight.

Then a minute had passed, and no one had said anything more, until you finally decided you would speak up.

"What do you mean by that?"

"It means..." His voice wavered a little, something completely foreign to you. "If you want to cut me off, then go ahead. It's not like I can blame you."

"I never said I wanted to cut you off Sae."

"And I tried to tell you that I feel the same but... you don't listen."

You froze too. "How was I supposed to listen to words you weren't saying?"

"I said it. Loud and clear, [Y/N]."

A lump appeared deep in your throat as he said those words, making you shake your own being, trying to understand the situation.

He was right.

But he was so wrong.

You had always had to read between the lines, but the words were there. They seemed in genuine, a sentence put together for pleasure. But did he mean it? Was he trying to say that he loved you?

But he left you. Or... he was going to. He did it many times. How could he expect you to believe him this time?

...

The Itoshi genes were strong, you supposed. You too were just like your brothers, unable to express anything important properly, jumping to the conclusion that you were being undermined, letting your pride get in the way of relationships.

It was a habit that you weren't aware of until now, it opened up the reason you cried when the call came in.

You hated loosing.

And that put you on the same level as your brothers.

Your emotions made you label Sae as a villain, as someone who left you and Rin. That much was true. But the sickening truth was that you too were pushing him away in the last weeks you two  had together, all when he had been trying to tell you that he loved you. You couldn't see him saying that because if you did, it would prove that he's not the villain you saw him as. It would prove you were wrong.

And as you came to terms with that, you finally saw him.

Sae.

Your brother.

Bad with words.

Good with balls.

Bad at understanding.

Good at loving.

Bad at making things work.

Good at trying.

Bad at relationships

Good at being a brother.

You walked forward, wallowing in your own broken pride. You were wrong. And you had to own up to that.

"I'm... sorry Sae." Your voice was but a squeak. You hated apologising.

Sae turned around slightly, just enough to hide his face. But he didn't respond.

"I think... I know you care, even if you're shit at showing it." You continued. Sae now turned his head the other direction, like he was trying to avoid your face.

"And I'm too prideful. I saw you as a horrible brother, and didn't convince myself otherwise. But you're not. You care, right?"

All you needed was an answer.

A definite one.

Sae bowed his head even more, as if contemplating.

"I... do."

That was more than what you needed. You ran up to him and jumped on him in an embrace, making you both fall onto the ground with a thump. Sae stayed put for a few seconds, before turning around. He looked shocked. But his face was finally in view.

And on it were watery eyes and dried tears.

You didn't expect him to cry. You had never seen him cry. Ever. So this was an unusual sight. He looked hurt, but hopeful. Sad, but relieved. At peace, some may call it. He looked up at you, before his expression went back to a stoic one, as he disguised wiping tears as rubbing his eyes.

"I don't understand why you did that."

"Because I'm happy you said that. I really am."

Sae looked at you again, a slightly annoyed expression on his face. But he sighed after, his arms swinging back and behind his head on the floor.

"You keep me up at night sometimes. All the time, [Y/N]." He muttered, a sentence that warmed your heart.

"What about... what about Rin?" You asked. Sae paused, his eyebrows falling as if he was thinking hard. He looked almost confused, at himself maybe? But then he closed his eyes.

"He's moody." He started.

A very strong start.

"He's fine at soccer. And then he's quiet. Determined, maybe. But he's my brother. And he used to admire me. So sometimes I feel like I may have been too harsh."

You nodded. You didn't know what to say now, the words evaded you. "He still admires you. You know, he got his favourite words from you."

"Which are?"

"Lukewarm. Half-baked."

Sae sighed and shook his head. "So he really does admire me that much."

You laughed, trying to lighten the mood. "He does."

It was only a warm, comfortable silence from then on. The two of you didn't say anything. You didn't need to.

Enough words had been said. Enough confirmations.

You understood yourself now. Sae too.

────୨ৎ────

≡;- ꒰ °11 - Family Reunion꒱

────୨ৎ────

You went home in the car with Sae, watching as the sun started to set back into the crevices of earth. On some eyes, it would look like you two had healed your relationship with one truthful chat. You wouldn't disagree. The relieved feeling you suddenly felt wouldn't either. Another comfortable silence rested in the car, not like the one that pierced the air in the drive toward your competition.

You arrived back at your parents' house, inside the lights turned on. You thought about how Rin would react to Sae coming over. It took too much convincing to make Sae even drive here.

"But Sae, you do need to repair your relationship with him. Even more than you needed to repair ours."

"Me coming over is going to make things worse."

"Things can't possibly get worse. He's hurt, Sae."

"... I'm not doing all the talking."

"That's fine."

A conversation you remember having with Sae, right before the two of you entered the car. You knew Rin would probably have a heart attack upon seeing him, but you also knew it was needed. The Itoshi Brothers were hurt, and you were determined to fix that. To make them look beyond soccer. To give them the gift of balancing personal life and work life.

"We're here." Sae said, staying in the car.

You stepped out of the car, closing the door softly and looking through the drivers window. But he didn't move. His fingers drummed lightly against the steering wheel, rhythmic but absentminded. The only sound in the silence.

"Sae?"

"Mhm. I'll be with you." He said, with a blank expression, his eyes staring into nothing.

You couldn't believe it. He was nervous. You knew he wasn't good at confrontation, but you didn't realize he was afraid of it.

"Sae, we both know that's not true."

Sae let out a controlled sigh, as he begrudgingly got out of the car, his hands in his pockets as he straightened his back.

You rung on the doorbell, before unlocking the door, but you weren't even able to get a word in before Rin descended down the stairs.

"What was the point of ringing the doorbell if you have the ke-" Rin called down the stairs, an annoyed undertone to his voice.

That was before he saw Sae.

He froze, his eyebrows raising, his eyes wide with surprise. They stared at each other for a second, both contemplating what to say. Rin even looked at you for an answer, one that you were unable to provide.

"What are you... doing here?" Rin finally said, his voice low.

"[Y/N] told me to come." Was Sae's answer.

"You guys have a lot to sort out, right? Now's the perfect time." You justified yourself.

Sae's eyebrows fell, Rin's jerked up in confusion. They clearly didn't know what to say, but you thought they should sort it out themselves, instead of turning to you for support when they couldn't come up with anything. So as Rin looked at you again, you looked away.

Silence lingered for a few seconds.

"I don't think there's anything that can be fixed." Rin's voice was low, and as you looked up he held an emotionless, almost angry expression. "He made the choice to leave, and it has nothing to do with me. But he's not going to come back like it's nothing. That's not going to work out."

Sae simply bowed his head and looked at the floor, hands in pockets like he was trying to occupy himself.

You knew that Sae could tear him apart with words if he wanted to. Call him an idiot, mediocre, trash. Maybe make Rin cry. But he didn't.

"I know that." Is all he said.

Rin's eyes widened in confusion, they went narrow as his brows slightly furrowed. Then his brows relaxed, his eyes going wider.

"And?"

"Nothing else."

"Is that seriously all you have to say?" Rin now looked pissed, offended, annoyed but most of all hurt, and confused.

Sae met his emotions with his indifferent one, his gaze still on the floor. "I don't understand what else you want me to say."

Rin's mouth opened on instinct, almost like he was going to argue back. But his mouth eventually shut. Truth was, he didn't know what he wanted Sae to say himself.

It didn't take a psychologist to see his expression turned to an almost sad one, before transforming into an angry one.

"I don't understand you, Sae." Rin started walking to the bottom of the stairs. "I don't get how you can be so indifferent. What do you even expect from me? I don't get it – it's not fair."

He paused at the bottom of the stairs, hand wrapped around the column, his gaze of the floor.

"What we had wasn't fake, right? We were best friends. You can't tell me that was all fake."

Sae didn't respond for a few seconds, his gaze still on the floor. But his hand were out of his pockets, and he was fiddling with the end of his sleeve, a nervous habit. You knew all too well he wasn't handling this predicament well either.

"What do you want to hear?" Sae asked. "Because it wasn't. It wasn't fake."

Rin looked up at Sae, another confused expression on his face. You could understand him – he probably didn't understand what Sae was saying. No one did, really.

"So what are you trying to tell me? That you don't love me anymore? That I did something wrong?" Rin stepped off the stairs fully, and walked slowly up to Sae, trying to look 'intimidating'. But Sae returned his gaze with cold indifference.

"I never said that." Sae said.

"You never say anything. How am I supposed to understand you?" Rin's fists clenched, as you saw him getting more and more angry, that anger born from confusion.

Sae looked downwards and sighed, his eyebrows narrowing. He kept silent for a few seconds, before he finally conjured up a response. "I say what I need to say, and nothing more."

Rin's eye twitched, as his breathing got heavier. You didn't take Rin as the emotional type, but right now he looked vulnerable. He kept blinking way too many times, as he shook his head. "No, you can't just leave it at that, Sae. It's a pathetic answer. What am I supposed to do with that?"

Sae's jaw flexed, as he looked up at the ceiling, as if he wanted to evade this conversation entirely. "That's not my fault."

But as he said that, he squeezed his eyes shut. The words itself felt wrong, almost strained. Rin looked at him in disbelief.

"I hate you." Rin said. "I hate you, and your shitty soccer, and your shitty attitude, and how you never make time for me, and how you-"

His voice wavered, as he suddenly paused. He covered his mouth with his arm, but he didn't obscure his wet eyes. Sae didn't look at him, simply keeping his gaze on the ceiling. He didn't say anything either, although it was obvious he knew Rin was crying. It was unusual to see both of your stoic brothers crying in one day. But Sae's was a cry of victory. This... well... you didn't know what this was.

You didn't know what to do. You thought, if they met each other, they might sort things out. But the opposite was proven. Things had just gotten worse. And if you didn't do something their relationship would turn irreparable.

You looked at Sae.

He didn't look at you. Instead, he averted his gaze even further to the right.

You looked at Rin.

He was covering his mouth, trying his hardest not to cry. He was failing.

"Rin..." You muttered, walking forwards.

He didn't respond, he simply aggressively wiped tears from his eyes.

"You know..." You paused. You didn't know if saying this would make things turn out worse or better, but you knew you didn't have a choice. "We were talking about you when I went to the gymnastics academy, Sae and I. And... Sae said that he feels like he may be too harsh on you sometimes."

You blurted out, walking even more forwards. You couldn't look at Sae in this moment, you could feel his glare on your back. You knew you were throwing your relationship with Sae out of the window if this went wrong, the one you had just built up again. But it was worth the risk.

"So, Rin, Sae does care about you. He's just not the best with his words, that's all." She muttered.

Rin looked at you, his eyelids drooped, his face expressionless, his eyes red with tears and the force of trying to rub them away.

You realized they both disguised wiping tears as rubbing eyes.

"What am I meant to do with that." Rin mumbled; his voice lower than before.

You didn't know yourself. You didn't have an answer. But you tried. For Sae, for Rin, for your family. For yourself.

"Just know he loves you, Rin. He just doesn't know how to say it."

Rin looked deep into your eyes, before looking down again. But suddenly, you heard footsteps behind you, and your head jerked around.

Sae was leaving. He had his car keys in his hand, and he was heading out of the door.

"Sae. Sae, what are you doing?" You said. You knew him too well, he wouldn't respond. So you ran up to him and grabbed him by the wrist. He turned slightly sideways, looking down at you with cold, expressionless eyes. You didn't need to look twice to know he didn't like what you did.

"Sae, you need to sort this out. You can't just leave every time you are confronted." You held on tighter.

"We agreed that I won't do all of the talking."

"What do you think I just did!? I tried to say the words you couldn't, but I can't do this forever."

Sae paused, then sighed, his hand dropping from the doorknob. He walked back into the room, shaking your hand off his wrist, and up to Rin. He stood in front of him for a few seconds, as Rin took a few steps back and tried covering his face with his arm.

But then, Sae put a hand on his shoulder. Rin stiffened, his hand slowly dropping. But his eyes held that hopeful sparkle in them again, they went big and wide, as he straightened up gain.

"She's right." Sae mumbled, patting Rin's shoulder before letting his arm drop. Then he suddenly turned around and headed for the door. This time, you let him go. Enough had been said. Or shown.

⋆˙⟡˚₊‧꒰06:13PM – 06:30PM꒱‧₊˚

"What else did he say?" Rin randomly blurted out, while the two of you were finishing Attack On Titan.

You hesitated, but you knew you couldn't lie to him.

"He said you were moody."

Rin sighed and bowed his head. "Of course he did. What else? Tell me everything."

You shook your head, but Rin's head snapped in your direction. "It is really that bad? Tell me."

"Determined. Quiet. Fine at soccer." You continued, sighing. You didn't want to add the final sentence, but Rin was way too pushy.

He looked down and nodded, a blank expression on his face. You couldn't tell what that was. Contemplation? Sadness? Indifference? For once, you couldn't read Rin's expression.

"He knows you admire him."

"Who said I admired him?"

"Come on, you can tell the truth to your own sister, you know."

Rin looked away and nodded, going back to watching Attack On Titan. But he eventually added something. "So what if I admire him? He's a good soccer player."

"It's not just that. Rin, you literally copy almost everything he does."

Rin's head snapped to your direction again, his eyes wide with anger. "No I don't!"

"You talk like him, you act like him, you got into soccer just because of him. You've even started to listen to his favourite song."

Rin was about to say something, but he furrowed his brows. His eye twitched, but he sighed and faced forwards again. "It's a good song."

"Mhm." You responded, leaning your head on Rin's shoulder.

...

They really were similar.

────୨ৎ────

{I'm trying to work out how to post the 12th chapter, but it says smth about 1000 blocks 😭😭}

[charliedawn]

I think I remember a while ago, you wrote scenario with Slashers being jealous (something about a party at St.Louis and some creep being 'innapropriate' with Reader/Y/N, if I recall correctly)? So I'm kinda wondering who would be the most-to-least jealous among the Slashers?

Most Jealous

Brahms: Extremely possessive and controlling. He expects complete devotion and gets irrationally jealous over the smallest things. Would absolutely sulk or throw a tantrum if he felt ignored. Would absolutely carry you away if he sees anyone get too close to you. Like…who do they think they are ?!

Bo Sinclair: Hot-tempered and territorial. If he sees someone else getting too close to you, he’s immediately pissed and ready to fight. He’s the type to wrap an arm around you and make it clear you’re his. Fuck everyone else.

Him *smiles and wraps an arm around you to pull you closer and whisper in your ear* : "Is this the moment we get home before I punch a grown ass man till he’s pissing blood all over my new shoes and paint my sleeves red ?…"

Eddie Gluskin: His obsession with the idea of a perfect partner makes him insanely jealous. Even just talking to another man could set him off. If he gets jealous enough, things might turn…violent.

Eddie *punching a guy who was looking at you*

Pennywise: Despite his usual calm demeanor, Pennywise sees you as his. If he feels threatened, he won’t just get jealous—he’ll eliminate the competition. Probably with a smile.

Him *digging a grave for his next victim*

Penny: Creep ? What creep ? Snack.

Norman Bates: Very emotionally dependent. He sees you as his safe place, so if you pay too much attention to someone else, he gets anxious. He won’t lash out at you, but he might subtly manipulate the situation or sulk.

Norman *slithers a hand up your back to your shoulder and flashes a warning grin at the creep* : "I am afraid you have overstepped. Please. Back away or I will be forced to do things I promised I would not do tonight."

Jack Torrance: Jack’s jealousy is unpredictable. Sometimes, he brushes things off, but other times, he spirals into deep insecurity and paranoia. If he drinks, his jealousy could turn explosive.

Jack *claps a hand over his shoulder and points a finger at the creep* : "You. Fuck off."

Freddy Krueger: More of a petty, mean-spirited jealousy. He’s the type to make nasty jokes about the person he’s jealous of, playing mind games until you reassure him. He’ll act like he doesn’t care, but he does.

Freddy *sulks before you go and he takes the guy/girl by the shirt* : "Listen to me, shit stain. You better back off or I’ll turn you into human sashimi ! Got it ?!"

Moderately Jealous

Michael Myers: Michael’s jealousy is quiet, but dangerous. If he decides someone’s getting too close to you, they might just…disappear mysteriously. He won’t say a word about it, but you’ll know...I put him in moderate not because he wouldn’t kill, but because you would never be certain if he did or not…

Vincent Sinclair: Unlike his brother Bo, Vincent internalizes his jealousy. He gets insecure rather than aggressive, withdrawing into his art rather than confronting you. But if Bo notices and steps in, things could escalate. Or if the creep is being persistent…Vincent always has a knife or two on him.

Jason Voorhees: Jason is protective, but not the type to lash out unless he truly thinks someone is a threat. If he does get jealous, he’d rather just pick you up and carry you away than get violent.

Ghostface (Eddie Munson): He’d probably find it hilarious at first, making fun of the person trying to flirt with you. But if it keeps happening, he’d get a little irritated and make sure they “got the message.” He’s got a knife, and he already used it—multiple times.

Least Jealous:

Lester Sinclair: Cutie. Couldn’t get mad if he tried. Would simply cling to you all night and kiss you to tell you that he cares about you. Also reminds you he loves you every five seconds. Nobody would even try because then they would see Lester with his arms wrapped around you and his possum hissing at everyone around.

[heartsforvin]

SO IN LOVE WITH YOU

requested by @hayden-christensen-verse !!! thank you for the request again <33

also happy late valentine’s day !!

pairing: vinnie hacker x fem!reader

warnings: fluff, use of pet names, possible cussing

summary: you show vinnie how much you love him with a scrapbook you made over the years of dating

you and vinnie had been together for about four years now and the two of you couldn’t have been more happy or in love.

ever since the first date you’ve documented them. as time went on and you saw each other more, and got to know more about vinnie, your documentation also grew.

to others it might’ve seemed weird — documenting the early, early days of your time with vinnie before even dating, but you found it cute.

you saw it as, if you were to ever get married and grow a family, you could show your kids everything from your beginning days with vinnie.

it has anything and everything you can think of. dates, physical attraction — what you find attractive about vinnie — little things he does for you that you love, as well as things he just does, and so much more.

he claims all the time that he’s not romantic, but the big book you currently have out says otherwise.

you were in your shared room with vinnie currently writing down the past date you two had. he was in his streaming room, oblivious to what you were doing at the moment.

once you finished the page, you flipped back to previous ones, just reminiscing on dates you had in the past where he was over the top romantic with you.

one page caught your eye however. it was titled ‘vinnie’s cute quirks’, which immediately made you smile.

when you took a closer look, your smile grew as you read the words. the page was dated from when you and vinnie first got together, initializing when it started.

as you look through the bigger sized book, that's when you remember it all started with a smaller book.

you stand up from the bed and walk back over to the closet. when you reach it, you look up and reach for it on the top self.

walking back to the bed, you sit down and flip through the pages. most of them are filled with moments of the two of you when you first started hanging out together.

smiling, you decide to go into vinnie's streaming room, just to peak in, and because reminiscing like this makes you want to see him.

you walk in without him noticing, standing behind his gaming chair and warping your arms around him, resting on his chest.

his chat blows up like crazy when they see you. when you and vinnie went public, his fans were oddly supportive, of course in the best way possible.

"havin' fun?" you whisper into his ear, making him smile.

vinnie nods. "yeah, whatcha' up to?" he asks, tilting his head up to look at you with another smile.

you lean down and kiss him before telling him you were just hanging out in the room with hera.

vinnie doesn't know about the notebooks and scrapbook you have filled with everything about you and him.

he gets back into the game he was playing and you take a seat next to him, having pulled up a chair.

you read some things from everyone as well as answer some questions.

a comment about vinnie saying he isn't that romantic gets out and that makes you laugh quietly, seeing as he was dead wrong.

he checks the chat and sees someone had put a link to a YouTube video. vinnie stops the game and acknowledges the comment along with the link, and everyone asks to play it.

he knows what it is, he saw the comment, but he clicks on it anyways. its a clip from one of his previous streams, saying how he is not in any way, the romantic type.

"yeah, still true," he says with a soft laugh as he turns to you. "what?" he asks.

the look on your face is one he can't decipher. you look offended, that's all he can partially tell.

you don't respond, instead stand up from your seat and go back into the bedroom and grab the notebooks and big scrapbook. when you reenter the streaming room, vinnie's eyes widen at the things in your hands.

"tell me you're not romantic again." you say as you set the things down beside him.

he chuckles softly, utterly out of words, speechless as he looks at what's in front of him.

"baby," he whispers. he forgets everything around him for a second. "what is all this?" he asks.

you sit back down and open the spiral notebook first. "read it, then tell me you're not romantic again." you repeat your words.

vinnie takes the notebook in his hands and reads it, you look at the chat and watch s everyone gushes over the moment.

"vinnie's eyes are the most beautiful i've ever seen." he reads a line, making you smile.

as he continues to reads, he almost wants to tear up. he never knew you had any of this.

"when did you... sweetheart.." he can't help be at a loss for words. there's so much in that one notebook that he never knew about.

you grab the notebook from his hands and move it out of the way to show him the scrapbook. he opens it and skims the pages, reading and looking at everything you've done over the course of four years.

he's so in shock, so in awe of all of this. he gets to a page that has valentines day dated, it was your guys' first one together.

it read: "todays valentines day, our first together, and i think there might be many more with how this one turned out." that's all vinnie reads before turning to you.

"continue it." you gesture with a smile.

so, he does. "when i got home, vinnie had decorated my living room with flowers and red balloons, even going as far as to making us a special dinner. i couldn't ask for a better way to spend the day, couldn't ask to spend it with anyone else but him."

a heart was added to the end, making vinnie smile, he knew the was your thing.

"so, do you believe me when i say you are romantic?" I ask, he nods. "the minute you left that night i immediately scrapbooked about it. i couldn't believe you took time to do all that for me, for us."

vinnie pushes the book to the side and hugs you tightly, kissing your head. "i love you so much, so much you don't even know." he whispers.

when the two of you pull away, you kiss him softly, placing your hand on his jaw. "i love you just as much." you tell him.

the two of you looked back at the chat and saw everyone going crazy once again. you even saw vinnie's family say something which made you smile.

the two of you continued to talk to everyone for while longer before vinnie decided to end the stream. after he did, he picked you up and walked with you in his arms to the bedroom, where the two of you spent the rest of the night cuddled up watching movies until you fell asleep.

guys hey i’m back !!! i’ve been tryin so hard to be consistent im so sorry ): but i have some requests so hopefully that’ll motivate me !!

tags: @deansbeer , @nativegirltapes , @submattenthusiast , @khackerr , @slvthrs , @skye-44 , @0strawberrysorbet0 , @laylasbunbunny , @visualbutterflysworld , @jpg3 , @chrissturnslovergirlx , @thesebitcheslovesosadotcom , @bernelflo , @miilzzy , @hallecarey1 , @kayleighh , @leqonsluv3r , @defnotayonna

[tortoisebore]

let’s pretend i’m not posting this a week late 💕💗❤️💖

happy (belated) valentine’s day—here’s a very cheesy and poorly written bonus scene to tack on to hey sharpshooter featuring inappropriate use of chocolate syrup and a cameo from everyone’s least favorite business major !!!

—

In all honesty, Sirius wouldn’t have known Valentine’s Day was even happening if James hadn’t said something.

“—and I think me and Lil are just gonna do dinner here after. She’s not super into Valentine’s Day—”

“Valentine’s Day?” Sirius had muttered absently, entirely more focused on adjusting the crop and lighting on the latest of a series of semi-dirty photos he’d been sending off to Remus throughout the day. Remus’ service had been too spotty to text back much since earlier that morning, but Sirius had gotten several unintelligible key smashes and a very frustrated phone call around noon, which he was counting as a win. Really, he was just biding time here in the living room with James and Pete until Remus made it to whatever city the team was setting up shop in for the night and they could FaceTime uninterrupted on some nice, stable hotel WiFi.

“Mhm,” James continued. “I really should have learned my lesson by now—every year I try to plan something and she shoots me down, says it’s a fake holiday created by corporations and we shouldn’t participate. It’s probably for the best, since it’s on a Monday and all this time, plus I have practice at—”

“It’s what?” Sirius exclaimed, shooting up from his spot lounging on the couch and dropping his phone in the process. “Monday?”

“Well, yeah,” James shrugged through a mouthful of popcorn, juggling one of Pete’s borrowed game controllers in his free hand. “The fourteenth. Like it always is.”

Sirius confirmed the date on his lock screen as February 12th and spent the next hour losing his entire shit about it. Remus was away for a game until tomorrow night (either Illinois or Iowa, Sirius couldn’t remember) and they hadn’t even spoken about dates or gifts or plans for Monday, and oh no, oh god, four months in and Sirius was already the worst boyfriend ever, confirmed.

Through a series of vague, sneaky texts and some Googling the next day, Sirius managed to hatch a little plan just cute enough to make up for the fact that every decent restaurant in the city was booked up through Thursday and there simply wasn’t time to write Whitman-level poetry professing his undying love. This was going to have to be a wine him and dine him on a budget sort of situation, but Sirius was nothing if not an unabashed flirt and quick on his feet, so he had confidence that despite his lack of prep time Remus would be feeling quite doted upon by the end of the night.

The plans were so last minute and low-key that Sirius hadn’t been expecting anything in return himself. It was just a regular, simple night in, really—a walk to pick up a little surprise dessert and whatever cheap wine they could get their hands on, cooking dinner at Remus’ place, and what he hoped would be a repeat of the deliciously intense tipsy sex they’d had last weekend. It wasn’t really Valentine’s Day-esque at all, nothing out of the ordinary from any of their other typical date nights in, so when Sirius answered the door on Monday afternoon and found Remus wielding a bouquet of flowers, what looked to be a homemade card, and a precious, shy little smile, he’d nearly combusted on the fucking spot.

“Where did you even find these?” he cried from his spot thrown in a heap on the floor of the entry hall, having collapsed the moment Remus shuffled inside to hand over the flowers and press a sweet, smiley kiss to his cheek. “I looked everywhere for flowers, Remus—everywhere. There are none left in the whole city!”

“I got them in the airport before we flew out yesterday,” Remus admitted sheepishly from the kitchen doorway, leaning against the frame and watching on amusedly as Sirius brought the little bouquet to his face to get a good whiff. “There was a little stand right outside security.”

Sirius wailed. “You went all the way to Illinois to buy me flowers?”

“Iowa,” Remus corrected, then thought better of it and shrugged. “But yeah, I guess I did. It’s not like I played in the game—the flowers were the real accomplishment.”

“I love you,” Sirius implored desperately from the floor. He lowered the plastic-wrapped bouquet gently and met Remus’s eyes with a forlorn sigh. “You sweet, perfect, adorable man. I love you so much.”

Remus laughed softly, but Sirius caught a tinge of pink on his cheeks and dusting over the bridge of his nose and felt his stomach erupt in butterflies. “How long are you planning on hanging out down there?” he diverted.

“Until you stop being so cute my legs don’t work.”

“Well—might be here for a while then, won’t we?”

They eventually did make it out of the apartment, only after Sirius had trimmed the flowers and got them settled in a jar on his bedroom windowsill. The cold was biting and sharp outside as they began the trek to Sirius’ little surprise, hand in hand, huddled close for warmth.

“Where exactly are you taking me?”

“It’s a surprise,” Sirius urged for the third time since they’d left the apartment, nudging at Remus’ arm with his elbow pointedly.

“Okay, but what sort of surprise?” he asked. “Are we getting food, or coffee, or going sightseeing—you’ve got to give me something, Sirius.”

“No can do,” Sirius maintained. He swung their joined hands back and forth idly as they walked. “But I can promise that you’re going to like it.”

Remus rolled his eyes dramatically but smiled, squeezed Sirius’ hand and kissed his knuckles goodnaturedly. “Whatever you say.”

Sirius wasn’t fucking around, he really was going to love this last minute little surprise—through all his frantic research on Saturday night, he’d discovered a tiny French chocolate shop attached to a cafe near the river off campus that happened to be running a half-off special on assorted truffle boxes for the week. Sirius was very much planning on buying at least three boxes—one to share tonight, one for Remus to keep, and one for himself to hide at his own apartment.

The shop was busy when they arrived, so Sirius offered to grab a spot at the end of the line by the door while Remus assessed the territory up front. He watched on amusedly as his precious, darling boyfriend wormed his way through the crowded tables to the glass display cases at the counter, resting his chin in his hand and taking in the selection of truffles and fudge and miniature pastries. Sirius’ heart swelled and tugged with affection, and he bit at the inside of his lip to quell a smile.

“Oh—Sirius?”

His stomach dropped. He turned around slowly, pleading with the universe—please please please don’t be true—and tried to school his face into something less of a grimace.

“Hey, Ben,” he managed around a forced little smile.

“Hi,” Ben grinned back, all gleaming, perfect teeth and dimples, and Sirius fought very hard against the urge to roll his eyes. “Long time no see!”

“Mhm,” Sirius agreed. He turned and glanced back at the display case across the room, where Remus was now hunched over observing the bottom self intently. “Grabbing something for Valentine’s?” he asked absently.

Ben cringed a little and hesitated. “Yeah, actually,” he said apologetically, much to Sirius’ confusion. “Sorry.”

“Sorry?” he repeated. “For what?”

“I’m—well, I’m sort of here with someone,” Ben said reluctantly, nodding over his shoulder to a table in the corner and who Sirius assumed was his date—a short, dark-haired boy with clear-framed glasses.

“Oh,” Sirius said, still a bit confused about the blatant remorse on Ben’s face. “Um—okay?”

“I’m really sorry,” Ben continued, taking a step forward into his space. “We just met a couple of weeks ago and I thought—well, I know you and I haven’t been able to connect again this semester, so I figured there was no harm branching out a bit. I had no idea you’d be here, Sirius, really—I’m sorry—”

Sirius frowned. Did Ben—oh god—did he really expect Sirius to be hurt seeing him with someone else? Did he think he’d just been waiting around, twiddling his thumbs until they ran into each other again?

“Oh, no—” Sirius cut in. “No, no—I’m not—”

“I don’t want you to think this means we can’t still talk, you know?” Ben urged. “I’m still sort of seeing people here and there—just a few guys from my course, that’s all. A lot of them have been interested for a while and keep asking to go out but I just can’t find the time, you know—things are so busy lately. But anyways, we can still grab a drink sometime on a night I’m free or I can move some things around and meet you after your trainings—”

And suddenly it was all very, very funny, but Sirius forced himself to keep a straight face.

“No, Ben—” he interrupted, biting back a laugh. “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

Ben reached out to touch his arm, squeezing apologetically with a silly little grimace that may have been an attempt at sincerity. “I really didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, Sirius—I’m so sorry you had to see this—”

Sirius swayed out of his grip. “Ben, I have a boyfriend,” he urged, raising his brows pointedly when Ben’s hand stilled and then recoiled. “So, like I said—it’s fine. Really.”

“Oh,” Ben blanched, cleared his throat and straightened up a bit. “You do?”

“Yes,” Sirius said, letting himself laugh a little. “I do. So it’s okay, really, it’s all fine. Don’t worry about it.”

“How—” Ben shook his head a little, did a hesitant little quarter-spin in place and clicked his tongue. “Um, how long have you—uh, had…that?”

“Four months or so, now,” Sirius shrugged.

“Oh. Oh, and, uh—who—” Ben started, then glanced over Sirius’ shoulder and froze, and oh, Sirius loved, loved, loved Remus’ timing more than anything on earth at that very moment.

He appeared out of nowhere, suddenly plastered to his side in a flurry of excitement. “Baby, they have chocolate covered strawberries—”

Sirius felt him freeze more than he saw it in his peripheral. Remus was still for a split second, taking in Sirius’ predicament quickly, and then his hand was slipping around Sirius’ back to fist in his jacket as he cocked his head to the side and smiled.

“Oh, hi Ben,” he said cheerfully, and oh, Sirius loved him. It was impossible not to bite back a laugh at the way he grinned all friendly and sweet (and so, so obviously fake now that Sirius had spent all this time observing his smiles so closely), the way he leaned into Sirius’ side and tapped his fingers in a quick, excited rhythm secretly behind his back.

“Hi,” Ben repeated, a pained smile pulling at his mouth as he squinted and gestured between them. “So you’re—”

“Yep,” Sirius confirmed happily, swaying a bit in an attempt to secretly jostle Remus’ shoulder with a warning that he was about two seconds and a couple of words from crying with laughter. Don’t be funny, he pleaded. Please please please don’t be funny, I beg. “We are.”

“Ah,” Ben said flatly, nodding stiffly. “So—four months, you said?”

“Mhm,” Sirius nodded, turning to shoot Remus a smile and nudging his arm. “Give or take a week or so.”

“A week and six days, actually,” Remus added with a one-shouldered shrug. “But who’s counting?”

“You are, apparently,” Sirius teased, and he very much wanted to kiss the little crease in his cheek as he smiled, but figured that might be a bit cruel.

Ben cleared his throat. “Well,” he said through a forced smile. “Uh—we were actually about to leave and go somewhere else, I don’t really love the flavor combos here today, and I know a better place not too far from here—” He did another one of those little half-turns, patting his pockets awkwardly and pulling out his phone. “Ah, yeah I’ve got to take this,” he said apologetically, gesturing to his very much silent phone. “One of the guys from my course I was telling you about—probably confirming plans tonight.”

Sirius nodded and bit back a laugh, watching wide-eyed as Ben shuffled backwards toward the door, pretended to answer his phone and cover the receiver.

“So sorry, uh—nice running into you, Sirius. See you around.”

Sirius lifted a hand to wave, didn’t trust himself to speak without actually cackling. Remus waved as well, and Sirius bit his tongue hard to avoid a laugh.

“Bye, Ben,” he called merrily. “Good to see you.”

Ben grimaced, hesitated and waved again. “Remus,” he said flatly, hesitated with his phone still at his ear, and then sped out of the shop.

“Oh my god,” Remus started, jostling his hold on Sirius’ jacket before he cut him off with a firm grip on his arm.

“Shh,” Sirius hissed, pushing back a laugh so hard he felt his eyes start to water. “He left his date,” he managed to whisper.

“What?” Remus whirled around, glanced wide-eyed around the shop and then back in the direction of the door. “No!”

“He did,” Sirius wheezed. “He did, he did, he so did—”

The door bell chimed again and Sirius schooled his face into something more vaguely amused just as Ben barreled through the door again, still holding his phone to his ear.

“Hey,” he called across the shop, glancing back at Sirius’ table with a forced smile. “Uh—what’s—Noah, hey—yeah, sorry, let’s go. I have somewhere better, let’s—yeah, let’s just go—”

The poor boy—Noah, bless him—followed Ben confusedly out of the shop. Remus waved again, the bastard, and nearly made Sirius choke on a quick inhale to stave off a laugh, and then they were gone again.

Sirius turned back around, lest Ben or his poor date try for one last fleeting glimpse through the shop windows, covered his mouth with his hand and let himself laugh, finally, at the wide-eyed amusement on Remus’ face.

“Wow,” he breathed, gaping at the door where Ben had just disappeared. “That was wild.”

“Oh god,” Sirius laughed, wiping at his eyes. “Oh god, oh god, Remus—”

“How long was he here before I came back?”

“Not—not long,” Sirius managed through a fit of giggles. “Oh Jesus, you should have heard him, he was going on and on about all these guys he’s seeing and how ‘sorry he was to have made me uncomfortable’—”

“Uncomfortable?” Remus repeated incredulously. “About what?”

“Oh, he was entirely certain that seeing him here with someone else ruined my day,” Sirius said. “Did the whole ‘we can still get a drink sometime’ spiel and everything.”

Remus groaned. “I can’t believe I missed it. Those damn chocolate covered strawberries—I got distracted.”

Sirius pressed his face to Remus’ shoulder and laughed. “Oh, I love you,” he sighed. “You’re my favorite.”

“Okay, but really though—” Remus pulled back after pressing a kiss to his temple, meeting his eyes intently. “That fucking weirdo aside—we have to gameplan here. The strawberries are a must, but there’s also walnut fudge and white chocolate macadamia truffles, plus some of those round almond butter things you like. I took a picture, here—”

They managed to make it out of the chocolate shop with only three boxes of assorted confectionery and one whole tin of chocolate covered strawberries, plus a bottle of reasonably priced chardonnay from the cafe next door. After a dinner of Remus’ famous three-ingredient pasta, the two of them managed to get through one entire box and the majority of the strawberries by the time the wine was gone. And later, once they’d migrated to the bedroom in various states of undress after nearly half an hour of making out on Remus’ couch, Sirius pulled a miniature little bottle of dark chocolate syrup from his discarded coat pocket and waved it in the air pointedly.

“Your last Valentine’s surprise, mon chou,” he said, crawling up the bed to straddle Remus’ hips. He pushed up to his elbows and watched on dazedly as Sirius trailed the nozzle of the little bottle down his bare chest, circling at the waist of his jeans teasingly. “I’ll let you decide if you want to eat or be eaten.”

Remus’ jaw dropped open a little and his eyes went a bit cloudy, slipping distractedly up and down Sirius’ frame before grabbing his hips and flipping them over in a heap.

“You don’t even like dark chocolate,” he said matter-of-factly, pinning Sirius’ arms above his head in a quick move and grabbing the bottle with his free hand. He met Sirius’ eyes as he tore the plastic from the tip with his teeth, popped open the cap and squeezed until it overflowed, oozing in a little drizzle onto his stomach.

Sirius sucked in a breath. “That’s cold,” he gasped, squirming just enough in Remus’ grip to get him to hold his wrists tighter.

“Good,” Remus grinned conspiratorially. He pressed a lingering, open-mouthed kiss to his lips and then sat up, squeezed Sirius’ wrists and letting them go with a firm “don’t move.”

After a mere couple of hours, they managed to very enthusiastically work their way through the entire little bottle plus the rest of the chocolate covered strawberries. Even though they’d chipped the paint on the wall behind Remus’ bed again and earned themselves a sharp rap against the ceiling from his upstairs neighbors, Sirius counted their first Valentine’s Day together as a win. And later, once they’d showered and brushed their teeth free of chocolate and crawled back into bed, Sirius ran his fingers through Remus’ hair where he lay against his chest, twirled a curl around his finger, and thanked the universe that his besotted, lovesick heart wouldn’t be forced to endure another Ben ever again.