#so no happy surprise reunions but first time saying I love you instead ??? | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

magnagaruzenmon · 7 days ago

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Stay Alive

The first part of heavy metal, and woo this is a doozy to start on…fuck you dino. Also happy new years. I hope you've been having fun with Daigo's holiday specials, because this is the last one for now

I just wanna thank @coldfanbou and @lustspren for writing cool stuff. No smut yet needed to world build hope that’s okay.

“Ah, come on, Daigo, it’ll be fun! Picture this: a three-day music festival entirely dedicated to girl groups. Some of your favorites—Dreamcatcher, Twice, Eunbi, and so many more! How could you say no to that?”

Jonas’s enthusiasm was infectious, but I wasn’t in the mood. I leaned back in my chair, rubbing the bridge of my nose. The chaos from recent riots at music festivals played on a loop in my mind—overcrowding, fights breaking out, people getting hurt. I’d seen it up close before, and I wasn’t eager to put myself in the middle of it again.

“I don’t know…” I hesitated, glancing at the stack of bills on my counter that never seemed to shrink. “It’s just—with all the violence lately, I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

Jonas let out an exaggerated sigh on the other end of the line. “Daigo, you’re killing me here. Look, I need someone I can trust for this gig. You’ve got experience, you’re good under pressure, and—let’s be real—you’re the biggest fangirl I know when it comes to these groups.”

I chuckled despite myself. “Fangirl? That’s rich coming from the guy who cried when LOONA disbanded.”

“That was different, and you know it!” Jonas shot back, feigning indignation. “Tell you what, though. You help me out this one time, and I’ll sweeten the deal: I’ll get you backstage access for your top three groups. You can say hi, do the whole meet-and-greet thing, and—” he paused for dramatic effect, “I’ll pay you double time.”

“Double time and a meet-and-greet?” I raised an eyebrow, skeptical. “You must be desperate.”

“Desperate doesn’t even cover it,” Jonas admitted. “But I know you, Daigo. You’ll do it. You just need a little incentive.”

I leaned forward, considering his offer. The idea of meeting Dreamcatcher, Twice, and Eunbi backstage was tempting. Hell, it was more than tempting—it was a dream come true. But I wasn’t about to let him off easy.

“Okay,” I said, dragging the word out. “I’ll do it. But on one condition: you pay me in advance for the regular eight-hour shifts. When overtime inevitably hits—and we both know it will—you can pay me after.”

I expected him to balk, to try to negotiate or talk me down. Instead, Jonas practically shouted into the phone. “Fine! Deal!”

I sighed, shaking my head. “You’re way too excited about this. I’m gonna regret this, aren’t I?”

“Only if you don’t bring something for your bias to sign!” Jonas teased, and before I could respond, he added, “I’ll send you the details. And, Daigo? Thanks, man. I owe you big time.”

As I hung up, I stared at my phone, torn between dread and anticipation. The job might be chaos, sure, but the thought of meeting my idols backstage was enough to nudge me into action. Maybe—just maybe—it wouldn’t be so bad.

The first two days of the festival passed in a blur. I worked with Lightsum alongside a guy named Dinozen, a chill dude with a sharp sense of humor, and covered the super-secret IZ*ONE reunion stage with someone named Dexter, a no-nonsense guy who seemed to have everything under control. Unsurprisingly, the girls were all the sweetest. Chowon, Sakura, and Eunbi even signed my photocards, which was an experience I’d never forget.

Hyewon, though, surprised me. She noticed my Night of the Living Dead phone case while I was setting up security near the backstage area.

“Oh my God, is that Romero’s Night of the Living Dead?” she asked, her eyes lighting up as she leaned in closer to get a better look.

“Yeah,” I said, holding up the phone so she could see it better. “You’re a fan?”

“Are you kidding? I love zombie movies. Do you like Train to Busan?”

“Of course! A classic,” I replied, and we spent a few minutes geeking out about the genre before she got whisked away for rehearsals.

The last day of the festival was intense, to say the least. The lineup was packed: IVE, LE SSERAFIM, QWER, GFRIEND (yes, Eunha and Lil Uzi Vert were there), KISS OF LIFE, Dreamcatcher, and finally, Twice.

For the first two stages, Sakura, Chaewon, Yujin, and Wonyoung spotted me lingering around during the early morning soundchecks.

“Did you even sleep last night?” Wonyoung called out, grinning mischievously as she approached with the others in tow.

“Barely,” I admitted, stifling a yawn.

“You’re here earlier than us! Are you secretly a sasaeng?” Sakura teased, elbowing me lightly as the others burst into laughter.

“Yeah, what’s your bias list?” Chaewon added with mock suspicion, crossing her arms and squinting at me.

“Okay, first of all,” I said, holding up a finger, “I’m not a sasaeng. Second, I’m here working. You know, security?”

“Uh-huh. That’s what they all say,” Yujin quipped.

“Don’t worry, oppa, we’ll keep your secret,” Wonyoung said, winking.

“Oppa?!” I exclaimed, rolling my eyes at their antics. “You’re all impossible.”

Truth be told, I didn’t mind. Their teasing broke the ice, and by the end of their set, they were thanking me profusely for keeping everything running smoothly.

Later, I found myself working security for GFRIEND. Eunha caught me lingering backstage and decided to strike up a conversation.

“You’re awfully quiet for a security guy,” she said, tilting her head. “Do we intimidate you?”

“Not at all,” I said with a smirk. “I’m just professional. But since we’re chatting—big fan, by the way.”

Eunha grinned, leaning in slightly. “Oh? Do you have a favorite song?”

“‘Time for the Moon Night.’ No contest.”

“Good choice,” she said, clearly pleased. “You’ve got good taste. But…” She paused, her expression turning playful. “What’s your bias list for Twice?”

“You’re not getting that out of me,” I said, laughing.

“Oh, come on!” she said, punching my arm lightly before getting called away for rehearsal.

QWER was an entirely different vibe. From the moment they showed up, they were absolute chaos gremlins. Magenta spotted my Ultraman keychain dangling from my belt and let out a gasp loud enough to make heads turn.

“Is that Ultraman?!” she exclaimed, running over.

“Yeah. You a fan?”

“Am I a fan?!” she said, practically bouncing on her heels. “Ultraman Tiga is my favorite! What about you?”

We ended up on a massive tangent about tokusatsu, until Hina chimed in about Final Fantasy when I mentioned I love girls who can fight like Tifa from FFVII. “Tifa’s the best, hands down,” she said, crossing her arms as if daring anyone to argue.

“Agreed,” I said, nodding. “What’s your go-to build for her?”

“Oh, don’t get her started,” Chodan cut in, laughing. “But seriously, what’s your take on League of Legends?” After hearing me say someone was inting in the previous conversation.

That led to another rabbit hole of nerd talk, with Chodan grilling me about champs and strategies while Magenta playfully teased her for his “tryhard vibes.”

After their performance, Magenta pulled me aside. “Hey, if you want a job after this, come to Korea,” she said, a surprising seriousness in her tone. “I’m sure we can find a spot for you.”

I rolled my eyes, thinking it was just more teasing. “Yeah, sure. I’ll get right on that.”

“No, really,” she said, locking eyes with me. “Think about it. You’d fit in.”

Her sincerity caught me off guard, but before I could respond, she was already running off to join the others.

Sure! Here’s an expanded version of the scene with more dialogue and detail:

Dreamcatcher’s set was a whirlwind. They came in, stole the show with their energy and charisma, and left just as quickly. It was clear they were pros, used to the hectic schedule of being on tour. I barely had a chance to speak with them, but as I was walking backstage, Yoohyeon caught sight of my shirt peeking out from under my security uniform.

“Wait—is that a Kaiju No. 8 shirt?” she asked, pointing excitedly.

I froze, caught off guard. “Uh, yeah. Big fan of the series.”

“Same here!” Yoohyeon said, her eyes lighting up. “Dami got me into it. Isn’t Kafka’s transformation just the coolest?”

Dami, standing nearby, smirked. “Yoohyeon keeps trying to get everyone in the group to read it.”

“It’s worth it!” Siyeon chimed in, adjusting her jacket. “But, seriously, where’d you get that shirt? I’ve been looking for merch everywhere.”

I laughed nervously. “Online. Limited drop, though, so it might be hard to find now.”

“Lucky,” Dami said, shaking her head. “Anyway, we’d better go. Tour schedule’s tight.”

They waved as they hurried out, leaving me feeling both starstruck and a little bummed that I didn’t have more time to talk to them.

As Dreamcatcher’s bus pulled away, Twice was arriving. Their energy was palpable even before they stepped out, fans screaming from behind the barricades as they made their way inside. I was checking the perimeter when I heard a familiar voice.

“You were at our LA concert a few years ago.”

I turned to see Dahyun, smiling warmly as she approached. For a second, I was stunned.

“Uh, yeah,” I stammered. “How did you remember that?”

Dahyun tilted her head, still smiling. “We don’t have many fans that look like…you, so I always try to remember their faces. Plus, you brought that light-up ring instead of our Candybong.”

I laughed, embarrassed but also flattered. “Yeah, the Candybong was sold out, so I improvised.”

“Well, it worked! We all thought it was cool.”

Before I could say anything else, the ground beneath us seemed to shift. setting everyone on edge.

“What was that?” someone whispered behind me.

And then the screams began.

From the crowd near the main stage, people started to thrash and convulse, their movements jerky and unnatural. Others began growling, their voices guttural and animalistic. The sight was surreal—like something out of a horror movie.

“Everyone, move!” I yelled, springing into action.

I turned to Dahyun and the rest of Twice. “Get to the evacuation buses. Now!”

They didn’t argue, following my lead as I herded them and the remaining girl groups backstage toward the buses. The screams and chaos grew louder as the infected began attacking others in the crowd, tearing into them with horrifying ferocity.

“Keep moving!” I shouted, adrenaline surging as I kept the idols together, forming a protective barrier between them and the chaos.

One by one, the groups boarded the buses. I stayed behind to make sure everyone was accounted for, scanning the area for any stragglers.

“Daigo, get on!” someone shouted from inside the last bus.

As I turned to board, a hand grabbed me, yanking me backward with incredible strength. The bus door shut just as I lost my footing.

The man who had grabbed me was no longer human. His eyes were bloodshot, black veins bulging across his face and neck like spiderwebs. He growled, the sound primal and terrifying, before lunging at me.

I struggled against him, barely managing to shove him off, but not before his teeth sank into my arm. Pain shot through me as I kicked him away, slamming a nearby door into his face before scrambling to my car.

Blood was dripping from my arm as I started the engine, my hands shaking. My phone buzzed with an emergency alert:

“EMERGENCY ALERT: FERAL RAGE VIRUS OUTBREAK IN LOS ANGELES. AVOID INFECTED INDIVIDUALS. IF BITTEN, SELF-ISOLATE IMMEDIATELY.”

A wave of dread washed over me as the words sank in. A zombie apocalypse—and I’d been bitten.

By the time I got home, I was running on autopilot. I found a note from my family on the kitchen counter:

“We evacuated. Stay safe. We love you.”

I smiled faintly, relieved that they had made it out, even as the reality of my situation settled in. I sat down on the couch, clutching my arm as I waited—waited for the inevitable.

But as the hours passed, nothing happened. No fever, no loss of control, no primal urge to attack. Just silence.

Something was wrong—or maybe something was right. Whatever it was, I wasn’t turning. At least, not yet. 28 weeks later

California had been decimated by the undead in a matter of days. The infection spread faster than anyone could have predicted, turning the Golden State into a graveyard of abandoned cities and roaming hordes of the infected. Military barricades crumbled, evacuation plans failed, and those who were lucky got out while they could. Planes were packed with desperate refugees, cars clogged the highways leading east, and boats left the coastlines overcrowded with those willing to risk open waters.

For me, leaving wasn’t an option.

I didn’t have the luxury of escape, not because I couldn’t find a way out, but because of the bite on my arm. By the time the infection reached its peak, there were no confirmed cases of immunity. A bite was a death sentence—or worse, an eternity as one of the infected. The thought of being trapped in that kind of existence kept me grounded, unwilling to risk spreading the infection to anyone else.

But something strange happened.

I didn’t turn.

Days turned into weeks, and then months. The black veins that had crawled up my arm after the attack faded away within hours, leaving only a faint scar where the infected’s teeth had punctured my skin. I waited for the fever to come, for the primal urges, for the hallucinations people had described before losing themselves. None of it happened.

In fact, the only time I got remotely sick was from a bad batch of shrimp I’d scavenged off an abandoned food truck near the Santa Monica pier.

At first, I thought maybe I was just a late bloomer, that the virus would eventually catch up to me and take over. I avoided people, avoided crowded safe zones, not wanting to risk spreading whatever was inside me. I spent most of my time moving quietly through the ruins of Los Angeles, scavenging supplies and avoiding the Zs as best I could.

The thing was, the Zs avoided me too.

It wasn’t immediate, but over time, I started noticing that they didn’t react to me the way they did to others. If I stayed still, they would stumble past as if I weren’t even there. If I walked into a horde, they would part like a school of fish around a predator.

It was unsettling at first, terrifying even, but I couldn’t deny the advantage it gave me. I became a ghost in the city, slipping through once-busy streets and long-abandoned suburbs. I didn’t need to hide anymore.

Whatever was inside me, whatever had stopped the virus from taking hold, had made me different.

And in a world where survival was everything, being different wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

At first, surviving felt like an achievement. I kept moving, kept scavenging, and avoided any unnecessary risks. But as the weeks bled into months, that sense of urgency faded, replaced by something else: boredom.

The excitement of sneaking through an abandoned city, the thrill of dodging Zs, even the satisfaction of finding a can of beans in the back of an overturned truck—it all started to feel routine. The days blurred together.

Wake up. Scavenge. Avoid Zs. Sleep.

For a while, I wandered aimlessly. I retraced old memories, revisiting places I’d once loved. The Santa Monica Pier, now eerily quiet except for the creak of its abandoned rides. Griffith Park, where the Hollywood sign still stood, a crumbling symbol of a bygone world. But eventually, even nostalgia wasn’t enough to fill the emptiness.

So I headed south.

San Diego seemed as good a place as any to settle. The Zs were thinner here, the population having fled or been wiped out in the first waves of the outbreak. The weather was mild, the ocean breeze cutting through the silence, and the naval base offered plenty of resources for the taking if I could get past the wreckage.

I found an old house in a quiet suburb, tucked away behind overgrown trees and hedges. It was small but sturdy, with thick walls and a decent vantage point from the second floor. The backyard had a rusted swing set, a reminder of the family that had once lived here.

Over time, I turned it into my safe haven.

The front door was reinforced with scrap metal I’d scavenged from a nearby junkyard. Windows were boarded up, and the second-floor balcony became my lookout point. I rigged up a crude rainwater collection system with a tarp and some old gutters and managed to get a small solar panel working, enough to power a single lightbulb and charge my radio.

I spent my days scavenging for supplies, fortifying the house, and exploring the surrounding neighborhoods. Grocery stores, gas stations, and even old military supply depots had been picked clean, but every once in a while, I’d find something useful—tools, canned food, medicine.

It was a life, I suppose.

But it was also mind-numbingly dull.

I tried to keep myself busy. I’d read old books I found in abandoned houses, patch holes in my clothes, and even attempted to learn how to cook properly with the limited ingredients I had. But there were only so many ways to make canned beans and rice interesting, and only so many times I could read Dune before the words started to blur together.

The worst part was the silence.

I used to think I hated noise—traffic jams, crowded malls, loud neighbors. But now, I would have given anything to hear another human voice, even just in passing. The only sounds were the distant groans of Zs, the wind rattling through broken windows, and the occasional creak of the house settling under its own weight.

Sometimes, I’d sit on the roof at night, staring at the stars and wondering if there was anyone else out there. Were there other people like me, survivors trying to rebuild? Or was I really the last one left, wandering through the ruins of the world?

Whatever the answer, one thing was clear: this life wasn’t sustainable.

I needed a purpose. Something to do, somewhere to go. Anything to break the monotony.

But until then, I kept moving through the same routine, day after day, wondering how long I could keep going before the boredom consumed me entirely.

Life alone in San Diego wasn’t just about surviving anymore—it was about mastering survival. The boredom had driven me to find ways to fill my days, and in doing so, I’d turned what was once a simple safe house into a fortress of modern conveniences.

The first breakthrough came with the solar panels. I’d stumbled across a half-abandoned solar farm about a mile from my safe house. It had been overrun with Zs, but they didn’t notice me as I worked my way through the facility, scavenging what I could. I started small, hauling back a single panel and an inverter to test if I could rig it up to charge my car battery. When that worked, I went back for more.

It took weeks of trial and error, piecing together wiring and jerry-rigging connections, but eventually, I had enough solar power to light my house, charge a working phone, and even run a small TV. The TV only played old DVDs I found in people’s basements or streaming content saved offline, but it was better than staring at the walls in silence.

Next, I tackled the water situation. Collecting rainwater was easy enough, but I wanted something more. I scavenged pipes, valves, and even an old water heater from a hardware store and figured out how to reroute collected water through the system. After several failed attempts—and one near-disaster involving a busted valve and a flooded basement—I managed to create a working setup. Hot water was a luxury I never thought I’d have again, but on cold nights, a hot shower made all the difference.

Siphoning gas was easier than I expected, though it came with risks. I learned to be fast and cautious, always checking my surroundings before sticking the hose into an abandoned car or truck. Over time, I built up a stockpile of fuel, which I stored in metal barrels I kept in the garage. The gas wasn’t just for the occasional use of my car but also for running a small generator when the solar panels didn’t get enough sunlight.

The freezers were my crowning achievement. I found a pair of them in a strip mall appliance store that had been untouched—probably because most people didn’t think about long-term food storage during the chaos of an apocalypse. Getting them back to my safe house was a nightmare involving a borrowed pickup truck, a makeshift ramp, and more muscle than I thought I had. But once I hooked them up to the solar grid, they became indispensable.

One freezer was stocked with frozen food I’d scavenged from long-abandoned grocery stores, still surprisingly edible thanks to the cold temperatures in the freezers I’d found them in. The other I filled with supplies I processed myself—vacuum-sealed meats, vegetables, and even some wild game I managed to hunt with a crossbow I’d picked up along the way.

Over time, I built up reserves that would have made a doomsday prepper jealous: shelves lined with canned goods, jars of pickled vegetables, packets of instant coffee, and more tools and spare parts than I’d probably ever need.

I even managed to get my hands on a working smartphone, though the lack of cell service meant it was little more than a glorified camera and notepad. Still, I found ways to make it useful, storing downloaded survival guides, maps of San Diego, and even the occasional audiobook.

It wasn’t the life I’d imagined for myself, but it was a life nonetheless.

Yet as I sat in my makeshift living room one evening, surrounded by the quiet hum of the solar-powered TV and the faint glow of LED lights, I couldn’t help but feel the weight of the silence pressing down on me. I had everything I needed to survive and more, but I still felt the gnawing emptiness of isolation.

I’d conquered boredom with ingenuity, but what I couldn’t conquer was the longing for human connection. For someone to talk to, to laugh with, to share all these little victories with.

The sound of glass crunching underfoot woke me, followed by the unmistakable creak of the front door being pushed open. I sighed, sitting up and grabbing the mattock I kept leaned against my nightstand. Another break-in. It had been months since any zombies had even stumbled across my safe house, and I’d started to think I was truly alone out here.

Guess not.

Descending the stairs quietly, I prepared for the worst. My muscles tensed as I reached the ground floor, but when I rounded the corner into the living room, I froze at the sight of the intruders. They were surprisingly not undead.

A group of about ten people stood huddled together, illuminated by the dim glow of my solar-powered lights. Among them were familiar faces that stopped me dead in my tracks: Loona alum Hyeju, Twice’s Jeongyeon and Dahyun, Yunjin from Le Sserafim, Chodan from QWER, and Yena from IZ*ONE.

Their wide-eyed stares mirrored my own surprise, though for different reasons.

“You know,” I said, breaking the silence and hefting the mattock onto my shoulder, “you could have just knocked.”

The group flinched slightly, but Dahyun and Chodan were the first to recover.

“Daigo?” they said in unison, their voices filled with disbelief.

I nodded, leaning the mattock against the wall. “The one and only. Now,” I said, gesturing toward the group, “how can I help you survivors out?”

Dahyun stepped forward, her face a mix of relief and confusion. “We didn’t think… I mean, we heard rumors that someone was living out here, but we didn’t expect it to be you.”

“Well, here I am,” I said, crossing my arms. “Looking exactly like I did last time you saw me, minus the security guard uniform.”

Chodan laughed, though it was more from nerves than humor. “Leave it to Daigo to survive the apocalypse and somehow look like he’s thriving.”

“I’ve had some practice,” I replied, motioning toward the group. “Now, you all look like you’ve been through hell. Sit down, and let’s figure out what you need.”

Hyeju finally spoke up, her voice quiet but firm. “We’re out of options. Supplies are running low, and we’ve been moving nonstop for weeks. We need food, shelter—anything you can spare.”

Yunjin, standing close to Hyeju, added, “We didn’t mean to break in. We thought this place was abandoned.”

I raised an eyebrow, glancing at the reinforced door now hanging slightly ajar. “Does this look abandoned to you? The lights didn’t give it away?”

Yena chimed in, her tone apologetic. “In our defense, we’ve seen plenty of powered-up places that were overrun. We didn’t want to take any chances.”

“Fair enough,” I said, letting out a breath. “Lucky for you, I’m feeling generous today. Follow me.”

I led the group into the dining room, which I’d converted into a makeshift supply depot. Shelves lined the walls, stocked with canned goods, first aid supplies, and neatly folded clothes. Two freezers hummed quietly in the corner, a rare sound in the apocalypse.

“Holy crap,” Jeongyeon whispered, her eyes scanning the room. “You’ve got more here than most of the settlements we’ve passed through.”

“Like I said,” I replied, opening one of the freezers to reveal vacuum-sealed packages of meat and frozen vegetables, “I’ve had practice. Take what you need, but don’t get greedy. This isn’t a charity.”

The group quickly got to work organizing supplies, redistributing their belongings, and planning what they needed most. Meanwhile, Dahyun lingered near me, her expression unreadable.

“You really made it out here on your own,” she said softly, her voice tinged with disbelief and something close to admiration. “I thought… I thought you might’ve been gone, like everyone else.”

“Would’ve been,” I replied with a small, wry smile, “but I got bit. Bright side? Didn’t turn.”

Her brows furrowed slightly as she digested that information. “You’re immune?”

“Guess so. Though it wasn’t a walk in the park,” I admitted. “But what about you? Didn’t expect to see you out here.”

Dahyun shrugged, her gaze dropping to the floor. “We’ve been running since day one. Some of us made it; others didn’t. It’s been… rough.”

I nodded, understanding more than I wanted to. “I can imagine. Well, you’re safe here for now. Take a breather. You’ve earned it.”

The tension in her shoulders eased slightly, and she gave me a small, grateful smile before joining the others.

For the first time in months, my house felt alive. Voices filled the air as the group settled in, sharing stories and laughter over the first real meal they’d had in days. They were hesitant at first, like the silence of survival had been ingrained into their instincts. But as the night went on, the weight on their shoulders seemed to lift, even if only temporarily.

After everyone had eaten and showered, Chodan approached me, her sharp eyes scanning the room before settling on me.

“You know,” she began, leaning casually against the kitchen counter, “you’re living like a king here. You could easily take your talents to a settlement and help a lot of people.”

I sighed, setting my water bottle down and rolling up my sleeve to show her the faint remnants of my bite mark.

“I’m infected. Can’t really risk being around people. I could turn at any moment.”

Chodan raised an eyebrow, her lips twitching into a smirk. “Really?” she said, before lifting her shirt just enough to reveal a faint scar near her side.

My brain short-circuited for a moment. It had been months since I’d seen anyone this close, let alone someone this… distracting. I quickly looked away, feeling the heat rise in my face.

“Relax, caveman,” she teased, lowering her shirt. “Just showing you my bite mark. I got bit three weeks ago. The gestation period is supposed to be 48 hours max, and yet… here I am. Still human. So, either we’re both lucky, or we’re both immune. Oh, and by the way,” she added with a mischievous grin, “Dahyun got bit too. Day before yesterday.”

“Wait, what?” I blinked, looking over at Dahyun, who was now watching us with a sheepish expression.

“It’s true,” Dahyun admitted, stepping closer. “I was afraid to say anything at first, but… then I collapsed. As you can see i got better.”

I nodded slowly, piecing it together. “Well, I got bit 28 weeks ago—so I guess I’m either immune or just incredibly unlucky.”

Chodan’s eyebrows shot up. “Twenty-eight weeks? That’s… day zero.”

I nodded again. “Yeah. It happened during the initial outbreak.”

Her expression shifted, a mix of curiosity and intrigue. “Did you hear anything on the first day? There were reports of a high-pitched whine right before people started turning.”

I frowned, thinking back. “Nope. Didn’t hear a thing.”

Chodan’s eyes widened. “Oh. Then you’re truly immune.”

I squinted at her, confused. “What do you mean?”

She leaned closer, lowering her voice as if delivering a secret. “The virus can’t infect you at all. If you didn’t hear the sound, it means your body isn’t affected by the signal it sends. You can’t turn, period.”

“But,” I interjected, “when I got bit, my veins turned black.”

“Did you have any other symptoms? Fever? Rage? Loss of consciousness?” she asked.

I shook my head. “Nope. Nothing.”

“That’s what I thought,” Chodan said, standing upright again. “You’re not a regular immune, though. You’re not a Slayer either.”

“Wait—Slayer?” I asked, now thoroughly confused.

Hyeju, who had been quietly observing, chimed in. “Slayers are people who’ve had the virus evolve them instead of killing or turning them. We’re stronger, faster… better, basically.”

I glanced around at the group, now realizing the mix of reactions on their faces. “Wait—you’re all Slayers?”

Chodan grinned. “Me, Hyeju, and Dahyun, yeah.”

“Oh, thanks for explaining it so thoroughly, Hyeju,” I said, shooting her a grateful look.

Hyeju smiled sweetly. “You’re welcome, Daigo. Oh, and thanks for the food.”

“You’re very welcome,” I replied, shaking my head. Of course, my safe house had gone from a sanctuary to a den of superpowered survivors in less than a day.

After the group had cleaned themselves up and prepared to leave, I directed them to the vehicles scattered throughout the neighborhood.

“They should still be working,” I explained, gesturing to the trucks and sedans.

The group looked at me in surprise. “Wait, you’ve been keeping all these in working condition?” Dahyun asked, her eyebrows raised.

I shook my head. “Not exactly. I haven’t repaired them or anything major, but I’ve kept the batteries charged, fluids topped up, and tires inflated. Basic upkeep,” I said with a shrug.

A few of them smiled as they hopped into the trucks. The group packed quickly, clearly practiced in loading supplies efficiently, though their movements carried the exhaustion of constant survival.

As the last of the supplies were loaded, Chodan and Dahyun approached me. They exchanged a glance before Dahyun stepped forward, her voice almost pleading.

“Please come with us,” she said.

Chodan chimed in, her tone more assertive. “We kind of need someone like you.”

I raised an eyebrow, leaning casually on my mattock. “You need a socially awkward hothead?”

Chodan laughed, but Dahyun shook her head, her expression serious. “No. A leader.”

I blinked, caught off guard by her sincerity. My gut reaction was to brush it off, but something in her tone gave me pause. I mulled it over for a moment before sighing. “Sure. Why not?”

The group let out a collective breath of relief, and I found myself helping them secure the last of their supplies before climbing into my car and following their convoy.

When we arrived at their settlement near the military base, my optimism took a nosedive. The place was barely holding together. Makeshift walls surrounded a cluster of tents and scavenged buildings. People wandered the grounds with hollow eyes, looking malnourished and weary.

“Jeez,” I muttered under my breath. “This is what you’re working with?”

As we parked, Eunha stood with a young man near the entrance. They were holding hands, their expressions tinged with equal parts hope and surprise as they saw the trucks pull in.

Yunjin jumped out of one of the vehicles, her voice ringing with triumph. “We got food! And water!”

The settlement erupted into cheers, a wave of relief sweeping over the ragged residents.

I, however, was less than impressed. “Wait, wait, wait,” I called out, holding up a hand. “You have access to water, energy, and military-grade weapons, and yet you look like you’re on the brink of starvation?”

The young man was the first to respond, his voice heavy with frustration. “The base proper is overrun. If you’re so eager to fix it, be my guest.”

I turned to the group, stunned. “So you’re telling me you haven’t even secured the base?”

The residents nodded sheepishly. I groaned, rubbing my temples. Without a word, I popped the trunk of my car and began pulling out weapons: a pair of customized gauntlets and boots I’d tinkered with during my long months alone.

“What are you doing?” one of the settlers asked nervously.

I sighed, strapping on the gear. “Making sure you all don’t die,” I muttered.

Before I could head toward the base, Chodan and Dahyun stepped in front of me, blocking my path.

“You can’t go in there,” Chodan said firmly. “There are rippers and changers inside.”

I froze, the names sparking a connection in my mind. Rippers—zombies with bladed arms capable of slicing through steel—and changers—fast, intelligent zombies that evolved in real time. Apex predators in a world of monsters.

“Are there whippers and spitters?” I asked, scanning the group for confirmation.

Everyone looked at me blankly. “What?” Chodan asked.

“Big zombies that spew acid, napalm, or spikes,” I clarified. “Or ones with long tongues that whip around like grappling hooks?”

Chodan and Dahyun exchanged a glance before shaking their heads. “No. None of that,” Dahyun said.

I gave them a thumbs-up. “Great. Then I’m going in, pummeling anything that moves and isn’t human, and we’ll secure the base so we can all stop living in this mess.”

I started toward the base, but Chodan stepped closer—so close I could feel her breath on my chest. My heart stuttered for a moment, and I cursed my brain for its caveman reaction.

“Daigo,” she said, her voice low and urgent. “You can’t. It’s too dangerous.”

I laughed softly, shaking my head. “For how I fight? Not really. Besides, as long as I follow the first rule of zombie apocalypses, I’ll be fine.”

The group stared at me, confused. “What’s that?” Dahyun finally asked.

I grinned. “Be smart, not scared.”

Without another word, I climbed the fence.

Before I could take another step, Chodan effortlessly vaulted over the fence after me in a single, graceful bound. I looked at her and realized she could easily fend off whatever was in there.

Chodan smirked, falling into step beside me. “You’re going to need me in there,” she said.

I glanced at her, then back at the base. “Guess we’ll see.”

We walked in with weapons raised, every sense heightened as we approached the entrance to the base. The stench of rot and decay hit us like a wall, the ground littered with body parts and unidentifiable chunks of flesh. The once-pristine military structure was now a grotesque tableau of death. Every step squelched against blood-soaked concrete, a grim reminder of what waited for us inside.

The first zombie to spot us let out a guttural screech, its twisted body lurching forward at an unnatural speed. Its milky-white eyes locked onto me as it sprinted, claws outstretched. I snapped my fingers, and flames erupted from my gauntlets and boots, wrapping around them like living entities.

With a single step forward, I swung my fist. The punch connected with the zombie's head, obliterating it in an instant. The headless body collapsed to the floor in a heap, twitching violently before going still.

I glanced over at Chodan, who raised an eyebrow in surprise, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. “Not bad,” she said, her tone impressed but still teasing.

I shrugged, brushing off her compliment. “You ain’t seen nothing yet.”

Over the next few minutes, more zombies emerged from the shadows, drawn by the noise and the scent of fresh prey. Five of them charged at me in quick succession. I moved through them with a fiery ferocity, each punch igniting their decaying flesh. With every strike, I could feel the heat coursing through my body, the fire making short work of the infected.

Just as I finished off the last one, I turned to see Chodan spring into action. She unsheathed a short katana—I think it’s called a wakizashi or something like that—and moved with a lethal grace that was mesmerizing. Each slice of her blade was precise, every motion deliberate.

She ducked and spun, her strikes fluid and elegant as she danced through the undead. Her blade flashed in the dim light, leaving trails of crimson in the air. Within moments, the horde around her lay in pieces. It wasn’t just impressive—it was downright sexy. (What can I say? I like women who can fight, and after six months of isolation, watching Chodan in action was… distracting, to say the least.)

Together, we made our way deeper into the base, clearing out every corridor, room, and hallway we came across. Along the way, we gathered access cards and files, carefully choosing the ones that weren’t completely soaked in blood or viscera. Mapping out the base was crucial if we wanted to make it a safe haven.

Two grueling hours later, we emerged from the base, our task for the day complete.

The camp was waiting for us when we returned. Their faces lit up in shock and awe at the sight of us alive and—well, mostly intact. Thanks to the fiery nature of my weapons, I was relatively clean, save for a few smudges of soot. Chodan, on the other hand, looked like she’d walked straight out of Kill Bill. Her clothes were drenched in blood, and her katana was dripping crimson.

The group stared for a moment before breaking into cheers. Their joy was infectious, and I found myself smiling despite the exhaustion.

Over the next two weeks, the slayers and I worked tirelessly to clear the rest of the base. The deeper sections were overrun, and each encounter with the infected felt like a battle against time and attrition. We couldn’t risk leaving a single zombie behind, knowing even one could cause a mini-outbreak once the camp moved in.

During this time, we also worked to fully map out the base, identifying areas that could be repurposed for agriculture, water purification, and living quarters. One of the larger open-air courtyards became the designated zone for growing vegetables and fruits, a necessary counterbalance to the endless supply of fish we’d soon be consuming.

By the end of the second week, we had restored power to the base and set up a desalination system to provide fresh water. The once-derelict military base was beginning to transform into a functional, self-sufficient community. By the end of the month, we had fortified the perimeter, secured resources, and established a sustainable living environment that could endure the apocalypse indefinitely.

Yet, despite our progress, I couldn’t shake the restless feeling gnawing at the back of my mind.

Sensing this, Yunjin and Hyeju decided to lift everyone’s spirits by organizing a celebration. The party was small but lively, with music, laughter, and a rare sense of warmth filling the air. People danced and shared stories, the weight of survival temporarily forgotten.

For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt connected—to them, to this place, and maybe even to something greater than myself.

The celebration was in full swing by the time I made my way to the center of the courtyard. Lanterns we’d scavenged from the base cast a warm glow over the party, and the air buzzed with a mix of laughter, music, and the clinking of makeshift cups. For the first time in months, the weight of the apocalypse seemed to lift, even if only temporarily.

I leaned against a crate of supplies, enjoying the scene as I nursed a glass of something Yunjin had proudly labeled “party punch.” (It tasted like motor oil with a hint of lemon, but hey, it was the thought that counted.)

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Dahyun making her way toward me. Her smile was soft, and there was something unspoken in her eyes. “Hey,” she said, holding up her cup as she leaned against the crate beside me.

“Hey,” I replied, offering a small smile.

“I was just thinking,” she began, “none of this would’ve been possible without you. Clearing the base, organizing everything—you’ve done more in a few weeks than we’ve managed in months.”

I shrugged, trying to downplay it. “It’s not like I did it alone. You all worked just as hard.”

She shook her head, her expression earnest. “Don’t sell yourself short, Daigo. You brought people together. That’s not something everyone can do.”

Before I could respond, Chodan appeared on my other side, seemingly out of nowhere. She slid in smoothly, her confident smirk firmly in place. “Are we talking about how great Daigo is? Because I’ve got a list.”

I blinked, caught off guard by her sudden arrival. Dahyun stiffened beside me, her relaxed posture shifting as her grip tightened on her cup.

“Didn’t realize I had a fan club,” I joked, trying to ease the tension.

Chodan ignored me, her gaze focused on Dahyun. “You’re right, though,” she said, her tone just a little too pointed. “Daigo’s been a real asset. Honestly, I don’t know how we managed without him.”

“Guess you’ll have to start getting used to it,” Dahyun replied, her smile polite but strained. “It’s not like he’s going anywhere.”

Chodan tilted her head, her smirk widening. “Oh, I don’t know. He might decide to come on a few missions with me. You know, something more exciting than farming and base maintenance.”

“Farming is exciting when it’s keeping people alive,” Dahyun shot back, her voice calm but firm. “Not everyone needs to play the hero to make a difference.”

I glanced between the two of them, sensing the subtle sparks flying. “Uh, you guys okay?” I asked, trying to break the tension.

“Perfectly fine,” Dahyun said quickly, taking a sip of her drink.

“Just fine,” Chodan echoed, crossing her arms as she leaned closer to me. “Speaking of heroes, Daigo, you’ve got to tell me how you learned to fight like that. I’ve never seen anyone take on a group of zombies the way you did.”

Dahyun raised an eyebrow. “It’s not all about fighting. He’s got other skills too, like keeping the base running and making sure we don’t starve. That’s just as important.”

“Of course,” Chodan replied smoothly, her tone dripping with faux agreement. “But let’s be real—there’s no base to run if you can’t keep it safe.” She turned to me, her expression playful but loaded. “Right, Daigo?”

I felt like a deer caught in headlights. “Uh… I mean, both are important?”

Dahyun rolled her eyes, but there was a hint of amusement in her expression now. “Nice save,” she said, bumping her shoulder lightly against mine.

Chodan laughed, the tension easing slightly. “Guess that’s why he’s the leader, huh?”

The three of us stood there for a moment, the awkwardness lingering but not entirely unpleasant. As the party carried on around us, I couldn’t help but feel a little flattered, even if the attention was overwhelming.

Yunjin’s voice cut through the noise, calling everyone to the center for a toast. I used the opportunity to excuse myself, slipping away from the growing crowd and finding a quieter corner to breathe.

As I leaned against the wall, I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself. The apocalypse sure had a funny way of complicating things.

The camp had grown exponentially since we first cleared the base. Word spread fast, and survivors from across the region trickled in, desperate for safety and stability. Among the newcomers were two slayers: Hyewon, a quiet yet sharp-eyed scout from a decimated group, and Tsuki, a high-energy fighter with a knack for unconventional tactics.

Their arrival was a turning point.

I was inspecting the desalination system one morning when Hyewon approached me, her movements were measured but purposeful. She didn’t say much at first—just hovered nearby, watching as I adjusted a valve. Finally, she spoke.

“You really run this place?” she asked, her tone neutral but her eyes cautious.

“I guess so,” I replied with a shrug. “Not much of a title, but I try to keep things running smoothly.”

She nodded, her expression softening slightly. “You treat slayers… differently.”

“Differently how?”

“Like people,” she said simply. “My last group didn’t.”

Before I could respond, Tsuki bounded up, her energy a stark contrast to Hyewon’s reserved demeanor.

“This place is amazing!” she exclaimed, practically bouncing on her heels. “Food, water, even showers! And no one’s looking at us like we’re monsters.” She paused, giving me a wide grin. “You’re the boss, right?”

“I wouldn’t call myself that,” I said, standing up and wiping my hands on a rag. “But I try to keep everyone alive.”

“Well, count me in!” Tsuki declared, sticking out her hand. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Hyewon, still standing a few feet away, added quietly, “Me neither.”

At first, their attachment was subtle. Hyewon would shadow me during supply runs, her sharp eyes scanning for threats. Tsuki, on the other hand, was more overt, always offering to help with repairs or sparring with other slayers under my supervision.

But as more survivors arrived, the camp’s dynamics began to shift. With new faces came new opinions—and new power struggles.

One evening, after a long day of clearing more space in the base for new arrivals, a meeting was called in the main hall. It was supposed to be a discussion about resource management, but it quickly spiraled into a debate over leadership.

“Daigo’s done a great job, but we need more structure,” a man named Mark, one of the newer arrivals, said. “We can’t just rely on one person’s decisions.”

“I agree,” chimed in Lisa, a former teacher who’d quickly become a voice for the non-slayer survivors. “We should have a council or something. It’s too risky to have all the power in one person’s hands.”

“I don’t think he’s been abusing it,” Dahyun countered, her voice calm but firm.

Mark shot her a look. “That’s not the point. The camp’s grown too big for one person to handle.”

Before I could speak, Tsuki jumped to her feet.

“Are you kidding me?” she said, her voice rising. “Daigo’s the reason this place isn’t a pile of ash. If it weren’t for him, half of you wouldn’t even be here!”

Hyewon, still seated, added quietly but pointedly, “He treats slayers like equals. That’s more than I can say for most of you.”

The room grew tense, the divide between slayers and non-slayers suddenly glaring.

“I’m not saying we don’t appreciate him,” Mark said, his tone defensive. “But this camp belongs to all of us, not just the slayers.”

“And yet you’re here because of us,” Chodan interjected, standing next to Dahyun. “You think you’d survive a day out there without us?”

The argument grew louder, voices overlapping as the group fractured into factions. Some sided with Mark and Lisa, calling for more democratic leadership. Others, particularly the slayers, stood by me, pointing out the unique challenges we faced in keeping everyone alive.

I raised my hand, and slowly the room quieted.

“Enough,” I said, my voice firm but not angry. “This isn’t about me, or anyone else. It’s about survival. We can figure out the leadership structure later. Right now, we focus on what matters: keeping this camp safe and functional.”

The room was silent for a moment, then Lisa spoke up. “Fair enough. But this conversation isn’t over.”

She and Mark left the hall, and slowly, others followed, leaving only the slayers and a few loyal survivors. Tsuki crossed her arms, glaring at the door.

“They don’t get it,” she muttered.

“They’re scared,” I said, leaning against the table. “Can’t blame them for that.”

Hyewon stood, her gaze steady. “You’re too nice, Daigo. But that’s why we trust you.”

Chodan nodded, and even Dahyun offered a rare smile.

As the others filed out, I sat alone in the hall for a while, the weight of the growing camp pressing down on me. Leadership wasn’t something I’d ever asked for, but it seemed I didn’t have much of a choice.

Later that night I found myself struggling to sleep. My quarters were as simple as it got: a small bed with a lumpy mattress, a desk buried under maps and scavenged files, and a single lamp casting just enough light to keep the darkness at bay. After the day I’d had, all I wanted was to pass out. But sleep wasn’t coming easily. Too many faces were swimming in my head—worried faces, hopeful faces, faces looking to me for answers.

I was lying there, staring at the ceiling, when a soft knock came at the door.

“It’s open,” I called, too tired to sit up.

The door creaked open, and I glanced over to see Chodan stepping inside. She looked calm, but I knew her well enough by now to notice the subtle tension in her posture.

“Hey,” she said, closing the door behind her. “Figured you’d still be awake.”

“Barely,” I muttered, letting my head fall back onto the pillow. “What’s up?”

She didn’t answer right away. Instead, she walked over to the bed and knelt down beside me. Before I could ask what she was doing, I felt her hands on my shoulders.

“What are you—”

“You’re tense,” she interrupted, already working at the knots in my muscles. “Let me help.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but the words didn’t come. Her hands were strong, and as much as I wanted to protest, I couldn’t deny it felt good. So I just sighed and let her work, the tension slowly melting away.

“You’ve got your hands full,” she said after a while, her tone light. “Especially with your little ducklings.”

“My what now?” I asked, glancing at her out of the corner of my eye.

“Hyewon and Tsuki,” she said with a smirk. “They’ve imprinted on you like a couple of baby ducks.”

I groaned, rolling my eyes. “They’re not ducklings. They’re just… adjusting.”

“Adjusting to following you around like lost puppies?” she teased. “You can’t take two steps without one of them popping up to ask if you need anything.”

“They’re slayers,” I said defensively. “They’ve been through hell. Of course they’re going to stick close to someone who treats them with basic respect.”

Chodan’s smirk softened into something more thoughtful. “And that’s exactly why they follow you, you know. Most people don’t look at us the way you do.”

“The way I do?”

“Like we’re just people,” she said quietly. “Not monsters. Not weapons. Just… people.”

I was silent for a moment, staring up at the ceiling. “Because you are just people,” I said finally. “You didn’t ask for this any more than the rest of us asked for zombies. You’re just trying to survive like everyone else.”

Chodan’s hands stilled on my shoulders, and when I looked over, her expression was softer than I’d ever seen it.

“That’s not how everyone sees it,” she said. “Since more survivors started showing up, Dahyun and I… we’ve felt it. The whispers, the stares. It’s like we don’t belong here anymore. Like we’re dangerous.”

I sat up, brushing her hands aside so I could look her in the eye. “You belong here,” I said firmly. “Both of you. I don’t care what anyone else thinks.”

She studied me for a long moment, then smiled—a small, genuine smile that made her look younger, almost vulnerable. “You’re a strange guy, Daigo,” she said. “But I think that’s why people follow you. Even when they don’t agree with you, they trust you.”

I chuckled, leaning back against the wall. “Strange, huh? I’ll take it.”

Chodan tilted her head, her smile turning sly again. “You know, you’ve done more than any of us. You’re not a slayer, but you’ve taken down more zombies than all of us combined. And you’re immune on top of that. It’s like you’re something else entirely.”

“Just a guy with a lot of stubbornness and a decent punch,” I said with a shrug.

She shook her head. “No, you’re more than that. You’ve earned a title.”

I raised an eyebrow. “A title?”

She nodded, a mischievous glint in her eye. “Yeah. From now on, you’re ‘The Vanquisher.’”

I laughed, shaking my head. “The Vanquisher? That’s a bit dramatic, don’t you think?”

“Maybe,” she said with a grin. “But it fits. You’re the guy who doesn’t back down, no matter what’s in front of you. And you’ve given all of us hope. You deserve it.”

For a moment, I didn’t know what to say. Finally, I managed, “Thanks, Chodan. That… means a lot.”

She stood, stretching and giving me one last playful look. “Get some rest, Vanquisher. Tomorrow’s another busy day.”

As she left the room, I lay back down, the weight on my chest feeling a little lighter. For the first time in weeks, I drifted off to sleep with a small smile on my face.

The door to my quarters closed softly behind Chodan, but her teasing smirk lingered in my mind as I lay back down. Her parting remark about my “little ducklings” had been a low blow. She wasn’t wrong, though. Tsuki and Hyewon had latched onto me like lost kids, which wasn’t a problem—until you factored in Chodan and Dahyun, who had both been… friendlier lately.

I didn’t know what to make of it. They were strong, capable women, and maybe I was imagining things, but their lingering glances and playful jabs felt like more than camaraderie. It was something I’d need to ask them about. Tomorrow, I decided.

Only tomorrow didn’t start the way I planned.

The yelling pulled me from a restless sleep. I threw on my boots and stepped out into the chilly morning air to find Gil, Eunha’s boyfriend, squaring off with one of Martin’s goons.

“You left her to die!” Gil snarled, shoving the guy hard enough that he stumbled.

Martin’s man pushed back, and before things escalated further, I stepped between them. “What’s going on here?”

Gil’s chest was heaving, his hands clenched into fists. “Eunha’s out there, Daigo. Alone. She got bit because of them!”

Martin sauntered up, wearing his usual smug expression. “It’s simple,” he said, shrugging like this wasn’t life and death. “She wasn’t cut out for supply runs. Not my problem.”

For a second, I was too stunned to respond. I glanced back at Gil, who looked ready to explode, and said the only thing I could. “Let’s go get her.”

The commotion had drawn a crowd. Lisa’s group, always eager for drama, arrived first. Mark wasn’t far behind, his posse trailing like shadows.

“What’s going on?” Lisa asked, her tone sharp.

“This crazy bastard is going to help that lovesick idiot find his zombie girlfriend,” Martin sneered.

I ignored him, turning instead to Chodan and Dahyun, who had pushed their way through the growing throng. I handed them the site keycards without a word. If something happened to me, they’d keep the camp together.

Before I could leave, Tsuki and Hyewon appeared, weapons already strapped on.

“We’re coming with you,” Tsuki said, her tone resolute.

I sighed but didn’t argue. It wasn’t worth the fight. The four of us set out, Gil fuming silently at my side while Hyewon and Tsuki kept pace behind us.

Once we were out of earshot of the camp, my frustration boiled over.

“Those idiots are going to get everyone killed,” I growled, my voice low but seething.

Gil, Tsuki, and Hyewon stopped in their tracks, stunned.

“They’re so caught up in their fear and egos that they’re making stupid choices,” I continued, pacing now. “And when they screw up, people die. Or worse, they turn into slayers.”

Gil looked at me, shocked. “I… I didn’t realize…”

I stopped and pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to keep my temper in check. “It’s not your fault, Gil. You’re good. They’re the ones twisting everything. These supply runs? They’re not about survival. They’re about power. Credibility. They’re trying to build themselves up while tearing the rest of us down.”

The others didn’t reply, their silence heavy. We reached the edge of the horde soon after. Eunha was there, fighting for her life, her movements erratic but fierce.

I whistled, drawing the zombies’ attention away from her. “Let’s get her out of this mess.”

When we returned to the camp, Eunha was barely conscious. Her slayer transformation was starting, and it wasn’t going to be pleasant. I sent Gil to the infirmary with her while I headed back toward the center of camp.

That’s when I saw them—a new group of survivors, all slayers. And among them, three familiar faces: Momo Hirai, Sana Minatozaki, and Mina Myoui.

Dahyun’s cry of joy echoed through the air as she ran to embrace her friends. The reunion was heartwarming, but it didn’t last long. Lisa, Mark, and Martin arrived like clockwork, their expressions darkening the moment they spotted the new arrivals.

“Who are they?” Lisa demanded, her voice like a whip crack.

Sana stepped forward, her radiant smile disarming. “We’re survivors, just like you. And we’re slayers. We can help.”

The word “slayers” hit like a bomb. I watched as Lisa’s face twisted in disgust, while Mark and Martin exchanged uneasy glances.

“No,” Lisa said, her voice dripping with venom. “We have enough slayers already.”

Something inside me snapped.

I stepped forward, my presence enough to silence the crowd. “I am sick and tired of your bullshit,” I said, my voice low and measured, every word cutting like a blade.

The tension in the air was palpable as I continued, “We’re all just trying to survive, and you three are doing the absolute most while somehow doing the least. You put people in danger, then leave them for dead. Why? For what? Por qué? 무어?”

Lisa, to her credit, didn’t back down. “You protect these freaks because two of them are your paramours,” she spat.

The camp went deathly quiet. My vision blurred at the edges as my anger surged. For a brief moment, I felt something—something primal, something dark—stir within me.

I stepped closer to Lisa, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “Do you know what the Black Rage is?”

She hesitated, but her defiance didn’t waver. “No.”

I leaned in, my gaze locked on hers. “It’s from Warhammer 40k. There’s a militia cursed with it because their leader, Sanguinius, sacrificed himself to save the galaxy. It’s a state of murderous blind rage that festers in the soul, brought out under massive stress. Your words, Lisa, are pushing me there.”

She paled but didn’t respond.

I straightened, addressing the entire camp now. “If you don’t want slayers here, you can leave. But while I’m leading this settlement, you will treat them with respect and dignity. Am I clear?”

The silence that followed was deafening. Finally, Lisa turned and stormed off, Mark and Martin trailing behind her.

As I looked back at the camp, my eyes met Sana’s. She smiled softly, a look of gratitude and understanding that made the tension in my chest ease just a little.

Scene: “The Breaking Point” (Revised Ending)

The silence was unbearable as Lisa stormed off, Mark and Martin following behind like shadows. I exhaled deeply, trying to steady my racing heart. The crowd began to disperse, though I could feel their eyes on me—some wide with awe, others wary, as if they’d seen something they couldn’t quite explain.

My knuckles ached. I looked down and realized my fists were clenched so tightly they’d gone white. Slowly, I loosened them, flexing my fingers as I willed the anger to fade.

That’s when I heard it—a whisper, faint but undeniable.

“Daigo?”

I turned to see Tsuki and Hyewon standing nearby, both looking more shaken than I’d ever seen them. Tsuki’s usual bubbly demeanor was gone, replaced by an unease that didn’t suit her. Hyewon seemed like she wanted to speak but couldn’t find the words.

“What is it?” I asked, my voice rougher than I intended.

The two exchanged glances before Tsuki stepped forward hesitantly. “Your eyes…” she began, her voice barely above a whisper.

“What about them?” I asked, frowning.

“They… changed,” she said. “For a second, they weren’t… normal.”

Hyewon nodded, adding softly, “And we heard something.”

“What do you mean, something?” I asked, feeling a knot form in my stomach.

“It was like… a crack,” Tsuki said, her hands gesturing as if she could grasp the sound. “Not outside. Inside you. Like something broke open.”

I stared at them, my mind racing. A part of me wanted to brush it off, to say they were imagining things. But the way they looked at me—half in awe, half in fear—told me they weren’t exaggerating.

“I don’t know what you think you saw or heard,” I said finally, my voice steady despite the storm brewing inside me. “But I’m fine.”

Tsuki frowned, stepping closer. “Are you? Because I don’t think anyone else could have stood up to Lisa like that. Or said what you did.”

Hyewon nodded again, her voice gaining strength. “You didn’t just talk to them, Daigo. You commanded them. It was… different.”

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “I’m just tired of their crap, that’s all.”

“But it’s more than that,” Tsuki pressed. “You don’t act like the rest of us. You don’t feel like the rest of us. Even the slayers here—none of us have done what you’ve done. It’s like…” She hesitated, searching for the right words.

“Like what?” I asked, my patience wearing thin.

“Like you’re something else,” she said, meeting my eyes with a mixture of curiosity and reverence.

Hyewon nodded one last time, her expression solemn. “Something more.”

The words hung in the air, heavy and undeniable. I didn’t know how to respond, so I didn’t. Instead, I turned and walked away, their voices echoing in my mind.

Scene: “Something More” (Expanded)

Something more.

The words lingered in my head like an echo, an itch I couldn’t scratch. As I made my way back to my quarters, exhaustion hit me like a freight train. My legs gave out beneath me, and the world went dark.

When I came to, the sterile smell of the infirmary greeted me. My body ached in ways I couldn’t describe. The faint hum of machinery filled the air, and the soft glow of fluorescent lights buzzed overhead.

A familiar voice pulled me back to reality. “Well, you did turn,” the nurse said, her smile a mix of wariness and curiosity.

I frowned, propping myself up on the thin cot. “I’m immune,” I replied, my voice gravelly.

The nurse raised an eyebrow, her lips quirking into an almost playful smirk. “Didn’t say normal,” she retorted.

She moved to the counter and grabbed a set of charts and X-rays, holding them up for me to see. “Take a look at this.”

The first X-ray showed something alien—a massive growth in my chest, a twisted knot of tissue that seemed to intertwine with every major organ. My stomach churned just looking at it.

“What the hell is that?” I asked, the unease creeping into my voice.

“That,” the nurse said, flipping to the next image, “was in your chest.”

I blinked. The second X-ray was… different. The growth was gone. In its place was something just as bizarre: a second heart, perfectly formed and sitting comfortably next to the first.

I stared at the images, my mind struggling to process what I was seeing. “How?” was all I managed to say.

The nurse set the charts down and folded her arms. “When you were exposed to the necrophage virus, your body didn’t react like a normal immune person’s. Instead of fighting it off or succumbing to it, your body… evolved. It built that growth to house the virus, to contain it. And then, over time, your body started to metabolize the virus, integrating it into your cells.”

I rubbed my temples, trying to keep up. “So, what? I was a carrier?”

The nurse shook her head. “Not quite. The virus never spread from you like it would from a typical carrier. Instead, it stayed inside that structure. But yesterday, something changed. That growth cracked open. Your body finished… whatever it was doing.”

I felt a cold sweat forming. “What does that mean? Am I a slayer now?”

The nurse tilted her head, studying me like I was some rare specimen. “Honestly? I don’t know what you are,” she admitted. “But here’s what I do know: your body has fully integrated the virus into its DNA. You’ve got new cells—ones I’m calling D-cells, because, well…” She grinned. “Your name’s Daigo. Thought it was fitting.”

I rolled my eyes, but her grin didn’t falter.

“These D-cells are doing things I’ve never seen before,” she continued. “They’re healing you, regulating you, enhancing you. And that second heart? It’s not just an extra organ. It’s part of the whole system now, like your body’s leveling up in ways I can’t fully understand yet. I’ll need to do more tests, but…” She hesitated.

“But what?” I pressed.

She leaned in slightly, her tone turning serious. “Daigo, you’re not human anymore. Not entirely, anyway.”

The words hit me harder than I expected. I sat there, letting them sink in.

After a moment, I swung my legs off the cot and stood up, testing my balance. My body felt… different. Stronger. Lighter, even.

The nurse watched me carefully. “Also,” she added with a sly smile, “don’t tell anyone about this. I’m the only one who knows, and honestly? I like you in charge. My boyfriend is a slayer and you make us feel welcome. Don’t want anyone getting ideas.”

I chuckled despite myself. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“Just don’t go growing a third heart or sprouting wings, okay?” she teased, already jotting down notes on her clipboard.

I walked out of the infirmary, her words replaying in my mind. Not human anymore.

And yet, as unsettling as that was, a part of me couldn’t help but wonder what that meant for the future.

I barely made it ten steps from the infirmary when I heard hurried footsteps behind me. I turned just as Dahyun came barreling toward me, her eyes wide and shimmering with emotion. Before I could say a word, her arms were around me, clutching me like I was about to disappear.

“Thank you,” she whispered, her voice breaking slightly.

“For what?” I asked, startled.

She pulled back just enough to look at me, her hands still gripping my jacket. “For Momo, Sana, and Mina. For bringing them in, for standing up for them. For keeping them safe.”

I blinked, caught off guard by the intensity of her gratitude. “Dahyun, they’re survivors. Of course I’m going to protect them.”

She shook her head fiercely. “No, it’s more than that. You didn’t just let them in; you defended them. You treated them like people. You don’t know how rare that is for slayers—how rare that is for us.” Her voice wavered on the last word, and I realized she was trembling.

I placed my hands on her shoulders, steadying her. “Hey, it’s okay. They’re here now. You don’t have to worry about them anymore.”

Her grip on my jacket tightened. “You don’t understand. Do you know what it felt like to see them again? To see their faces after thinking I’d never—” She stopped, her voice catching in her throat.

I waited, giving her the space to collect herself.

“They were my family,” she continued softly. “Before all of this, before the outbreak… we were together. We were everything to each other. And then I lost them. I thought I’d never see them again.”

Her tears spilled over, but she didn’t seem to care. “And now they’re here, alive, because of you.”

I didn’t know what to say. Words felt inadequate, so I did the only thing I could think of: I pulled her into a hug. She buried her face in my chest, her sobs muffled against me.

“You’re safe now,” I said quietly. “All of you.”

For a moment, we just stood there, the weight of everything unspoken between us.

When Dahyun finally pulled back, her expression had shifted. The tears were still there, but her gaze was steady, determined.

“You’re more than just a leader, Daigo,” she said. “You’re… you’re a protector. For all of us.”

I scratched the back of my neck, feeling a little uncomfortable with the intensity of her praise. “I’m just doing what needs to be done.”

She smiled, a mixture of sadness and warmth. “You don’t give yourself enough credit.”

Before I could respond, she leaned up and pressed a quick kiss to my cheek. It wasn’t romantic—it was more like a gesture of gratitude, of trust.

“Thank you,” she said again, her voice steady now. “For everything.”

Scene: “Two Heartbeats”

As Dahyun hugged me, her head pressed against my chest, I noticed her shift slightly. Her body stiffened, and she pulled back just enough to stare at me, her brow furrowed in confusion.

“Wait…” she whispered, her hands pressing gently against my chest. “Daigo…”

I froze. “What is it?”

Her gaze darted to my chest, then back to my face. “I… I felt two heartbeats.”

I tried to play it off, forcing a dry chuckle. “You must be imagining things. Probably the adrenaline—”

“Don’t lie to me,” she interrupted, her tone firm, her eyes narrowing. “Daigo, I know what I felt.”

For a moment, I debated what to say. The nurse’s words about keeping it secret echoed in my mind. I let out a slow breath, keeping my voice calm but firm.

“You can’t tell anyone about this,” I said, lowering my voice. “Not a soul. Promise me.”

Dahyun’s eyes widened, but she nodded. “I promise. But… Daigo, what’s going on? What’s happening to you?”

I hesitated, knowing I owed her some explanation. “It’s… complicated. I’ll explain later, okay? Just trust me for now.”

She didn’t look convinced, but she nodded slowly. “Okay. But I’m not letting this go.”

“Fair enough,” I said, offering her a faint smile to ease the tension. “Just… keep it between us.”

She nodded again, reluctantly letting the subject drop, but the concern in her eyes didn’t fade as she walked away.

Scene: “Confrontation”

Later that evening, I was back in my quarters, sprawled on my bed, trying to process everything. My body felt heavier than usual, like my own heartbeat—their rhythm—was a constant reminder that I was no longer the same.

A knock on my door snapped me out of my thoughts. Before I could answer, the door creaked open, and Dahyun and Chodan stepped inside.

I sat up, my instincts telling me this wasn’t a casual visit. “What’s up?”

Chodan folded her arms, her gaze sharp. “Don’t ‘what’s up’ us, Daigo. Dahyun told me.”

I shot Dahyun a look, but she raised her hands defensively. “I didn’t tell her everything! Just… enough. We’re worried about you.”

Chodan stepped closer, her voice softer now. “She said you’ve got two heartbeats. What’s going on? Are you okay?”

I sighed, knowing there was no avoiding this. “Close the door,” I said.

Dahyun obeyed, and both of them sat down on the edge of the bed, their expressions a mix of concern and curiosity.

“I went to the infirmary earlier,” I began. “After I collapsed. The nurse ran some tests… and apparently, I’m not human anymore.”

Both of their eyes widened.

“Not human?” Dahyun echoed.

Chodan leaned forward. “Explain.”

I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling the weight of their stares. “The virus… the necrophage or whatever it’s called. It didn’t infect me like it does everyone else. My body ignored it, adapted to it instead. It built this… structure in my chest to house the virus, and eventually, it merged with me on a cellular level.”

Dahyun looked horrified. “So… you’re infected?”

“No,” I said quickly. “Not like that. I’m immune, but the virus evolved inside me. It’s part of me now. My body has these new cells—D-cells, the nurse called them. They heal me, regulate me, even enhance me a little. But when that structure in my chest broke open, it triggered something… different. That’s when the second heart formed.”

Chodan whistled low, sitting back. “Damn. That’s… a lot.”

“You think?” I said dryly.

Dahyun looked at me, her voice trembling. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

“The nurse told me to keep it secret,” I admitted. “If people find out, it could cause chaos. They already look to me as a leader. If they knew I wasn’t… normal, it could go either way. They’d either worship me like some kind of savior or fear me like a monster. Neither is good for the camp.”

Chodan nodded slowly, processing. “Okay, I get it. But Daigo, you can’t keep this to yourself. If something happens—”

“Nothing’s going to happen,” I cut her off, my tone firmer than I intended. “I’m fine. Better than fine, actually. And for now, the fewer people who know, the better.”

Dahyun hesitated, then reached out to place a hand on mine. “We won’t tell anyone. But you have to promise us something.”

“What?” I asked.

Chodan leaned in, her tone serious. “If anything changes—if you start feeling worse, or different—you come to us. No hiding, no tough-guy act. Deal?”

I looked between them, seeing the genuine concern in their eyes. I nodded. “Deal.”

Dahyun exhaled in relief, and Chodan gave me a faint smirk. “Good. Now get some rest, Vanquisher. You’ve got a camp full of idiots to deal with tomorrow.”

I chuckled despite myself. “Thanks for the reminder.”

As the door clicked shut behind them, I hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“Hey… can you two stay the night with me?”

Dahyun and Chodan both turned to me, their eyes widening in surprise. They exchanged a quick glance, silent communication passing between them, before Dahyun gave a small smile and nodded.

“Of course,” she said softly.

“Sure thing, big guy,” Chodan added, her tone teasing but warm.

I felt a small wave of relief as they started settling in. At first, there was some debate about the sleeping arrangement.

“You’re in the middle,” Chodan declared, pointing at me.

Dahyun laughed, shaking her head. “No way. If he’s in the middle, he’ll be too stiff to sleep. I’ll take the middle.”

Chodan raised an eyebrow. “You sure about that?”

“Positive,” Dahyun replied, giving her a playful shove.

In the end, Dahyun ended up sandwiched between us. Somehow, it felt… right. Too right.

As we all lay there, I couldn’t help but notice the way their warmth seeped into me, calming a part of my mind that was always on high alert. Their presence, their quiet breathing, the shared comfort—it was disgusting how good it felt.

I slept better that night than I had in years.

The morning light filtered through the cracked blinds, and I woke to find Dahyun already sitting up, her hair slightly mussed as she stretched. Chodan was still sprawled out, half-asleep, but her eyes opened when she noticed me stir.

“Morning,” Dahyun said with a smile, her voice soft and pleasant.

Chodan grinned lazily, propping herself up on an elbow. “You look like you actually slept for once.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Yeah, I did.”

As I sat up, I glanced between them, both looking so at ease, so… perfect in this moment. My chest tightened with something I couldn’t quite name, and before I could stop myself, the words came out.

“Okay, it’s official. I love both of you.”

The room froze. Dahyun’s cheeks turned a deep red, her lips parting in surprise. Chodan, for once, looked genuinely caught off guard, her usual confidence replaced with wide eyes and a blush creeping up her neck.

“W-What?” Dahyun stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.

Chodan let out a nervous laugh, scratching the back of her head. “Well, uh… that’s one hell of a way to start the morning.”

I ran a hand through my hair, suddenly feeling more exposed than I ever had in my life. But I pressed on, because if I didn’t say it now, I might never.

“Listen, I don’t want to hurt either of you,” I said, my voice quieter now. “But I also don’t want to be alone anymore. I… I don’t think I can handle choosing between you. I care about both of you too much.”

They both stared at me for a long moment, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I couldn’t read the room.

Dahyun finally broke the silence, her voice trembling but sincere. “We… we don’t want to hurt you either, Daigo.”

Chodan nodded, her usual bravado replaced with something softer. “Yeah. We get it.”

The tension eased slightly, and I gave them a small, grateful smile. “Thank you. For understanding.”

I stood up, stretching and preparing myself for another day in the chaos outside. “Let’s just take things one step at a time, okay?”

As I headed for the door, I glanced back at them one last time. Dahyun was fiddling with the hem of her shirt, her blush still lingering, while Chodan gave me a look that was equal parts amused and thoughtful.

I stepped outside, the weight of the camp’s problems settling back onto my shoulders. But for the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel completely alone.

The morning air was crisp, the faint hum of the camp stirring to life all around me. But the moment I stepped into the central yard, I could feel the tension in the air like a cord stretched too tight. Mark, Lisa, and Martin were waiting for me near the supply tent, their expressions carefully neutral. Too carefully neutral.

“Daigo,” Lisa greeted, her voice dripping with faux warmth. “We wanted to have a word with you about some… concerns.”

I stopped a few feet from them, crossing my arms. “Concerns about what?”

Martin stepped forward, hands clasped behind his back like some kind of self-appointed general. “Leadership. We’ve been talking, and we’re worried you might be… overburdened.”

The words were polite, but the tone was anything but.

“Overburdened,” I repeated, my eyes narrowing.

Mark, who had been quiet until now, leaned against a nearby crate, feigning nonchalance. “It’s not personal, Daigo. It’s just… you’re young. This camp needs someone with experience, someone who knows how to make the hard calls.”

I felt a flicker of something at the edge of my vision—something imperceptible to anyone else but clear as day to me. My mind was racing, processing their every movement, every twitch, every glance they cast at each other. Their words didn’t align with their bodies.

Lisa’s arms were crossed tightly, her fingers gripping her elbows like she was holding herself together. Her gaze darted between Mark and Martin when she spoke, looking for approval she didn’t fully trust she’d get.

Martin’s jaw was clenched, his shoulders slightly hunched, as if he were bracing for something. He avoided making eye contact with Mark altogether, his focus squarely on me.

Mark’s relaxed posture was an act, his fingers tapping a subtle rhythm on the crate’s edge. The tapping stopped every time Lisa spoke, only to resume when Martin chimed in.

They weren’t united. Not really.

They weren’t a team; they were a loose coalition of distrust, bound together by their mutual disdain for Slayers—and for me.

“You think I’m ill-suited for leadership,” I said, cutting through whatever diplomatic phrasing they were about to throw at me.

Lisa hesitated, her lips parting as if to argue, but Martin stepped in quickly. “We just think the camp might benefit from a more… collective approach.”

“Right,” I said slowly. “A collective approach where the three of you call the shots.”

Mark smirked, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “We’re not saying that. We just think you’ve got a lot on your plate. You’ve been making some questionable calls, like bringing in more Slayers. It’s upsetting people.”

I tilted my head, my mind still cataloging every twitch and glance. Lisa didn’t agree with Mark’s phrasing; her lips pressed into a thin line when he spoke. Martin didn’t either—his fingers flexed briefly, like he wanted to grab Mark by the collar and shut him up.

They weren’t here for the camp. They were here for themselves.

“You know what I think?” I said, my voice calm, almost conversational.

Lisa raised an eyebrow. “What’s that?”

“I think the three of you don’t trust each other any more than you trust me,” I said bluntly. “And the only thing keeping you from tearing each other apart is your shared desire for power.”

Their reactions were immediate, though none of them spoke. Lisa’s arms uncrossed, her hands balling into fists. Martin’s shoulders squared, and his mouth opened as if to argue, but I cut him off.

“You think because I’m younger than you, you can manipulate me. Make me doubt myself. Convince me that I’m not capable of leading this camp. But let me tell you something.”

I took a step closer, my voice low but firm.

“I’ve seen what fear and desperation do to people. I’ve seen what happens when you let ambition cloud your judgment. This camp doesn’t need more politicians. It needs people who are willing to get their hands dirty. People who put survival over ego.”

Lisa took a step back, her confidence faltering. Mark’s smirk disappeared entirely, replaced by a tight-lipped glare. Martin, for all his posturing, looked like he wanted to be anywhere else.

“I don’t trust you,” I said plainly. “Not because you disagree with me, but because I see through you. And if you think you can divide this camp, undermine me, or turn people against each other, let me make one thing clear: I won’t let that happen.”

The silence that followed was deafening.

“Are we done here?” I asked, my tone making it clear the conversation was over.

Lisa opened her mouth, then closed it, glaring at me like she wanted to say something but thought better of it. Mark and Martin exchanged a glance, their earlier bravado now replaced with unease.

“Yeah,” Martin finally muttered, his voice lacking the confidence it had earlier. “We’re done.”

They turned and walked away, their uneasy silence speaking louder than any argument could have.

Lust’s voice slid into my thoughts before I even saw her.

“Brooding doesn’t suit you, Daigo.”

I turned and found her leaning against a pole, arms crossed, watching me like I was some puzzle she’d already figured out. Lust always had this effortless confidence about her, like she knew exactly where she stood and where everyone else didn’t.

“Lust,” I said, keeping my tone neutral. “What do you want?”

She tilted her head, a small smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. “Saw you dealing with the Three Stooges over there. Figured I’d save you before your brain melted from their bullshit.”

I huffed out a faint laugh despite myself. “Thanks, but I’m good. If you’ve got something to say, say it.”

She pushed off the pole and took a slow step forward, her smirk fading into something more serious. “Alright, then. Let’s cut to the chase. We need to talk about the Slayers’ place in this camp.”

Her words hit me harder than I expected, but I kept my face blank. “Go on.”

She gestured around us with a sweep of her arm. “This camp is crumbling, Daigo. You can feel it, can’t you? The survivors are scared of us. Some of them outright hate us. And those three idiots you just dealt with? They’re not going to stop until they take control. They see us as a threat—something they can’t predict, something they can’t control.”

“They’re wrong,” I said firmly.

“Of course they are,” she shot back with a shrug. “But what does that matter? What matters is perception. And right now, we’re the monsters under their beds, the things keeping them up at night.”

I folded my arms, trying to keep my frustration in check. “What’s your point?”

“My point,” she said, stepping closer, “is that maybe it’s time for us to move on.”

Her words threw me off balance. “You’re suggesting the Slayers leave the camp?”

“Not all of us,” she clarified. “But yeah, most of us. Think about it, Daigo. We’re stronger, faster, harder to kill. We don’t need the same resources they do. Half of them are terrified every time we walk past. We could be more useful out there—clearing zones, securing supplies, doing what we do best—without dragging this camp deeper into its own mess.”

I clenched my jaw, my thoughts racing. She wasn’t wrong. The tension between the Slayers and the regular survivors had been growing for weeks. Still, leaving? That felt like giving up.

“And what about the people here?” I asked. “The ones who rely on us? The ones who see us as hope?”

Her expression softened, and for a moment, she dropped the smirk she always wore like armor. “You think I don’t care about them? I do. But you can’t save everyone, Daigo. And if we stay here too long, we’re just going to make things worse—for them and for us.”

Her words hit harder than I wanted to admit. I looked away, staring at the horizon as doubts churned in my mind. “And where would we go?”

“That’s the thing about Slayers, isn’t it?” she said, her voice quieter now. “We don’t belong anywhere. We carve out a place for ourselves, or we die trying.”

I let her words sink in, the weight of them pressing down on my shoulders. She wasn’t wrong, but leaving wasn’t a decision I could make lightly.

“You’re not wrong,” I admitted, finally breaking the silence. “But I can’t make this decision on a whim.”

“I wouldn’t expect you to,” she said, her tone softer now. “You’re the leader. It’s your call. But think about it—for all our sakes.”

She turned to leave but paused and glanced back over her shoulder, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “You’ve got a good heart, Daigo. Even if you’ve got two of them now.”

A few days later, I woke up to chaos. Shouting, pounding on my door—it felt like a nightmare I couldn’t wake up from. Still half-asleep, I fumbled for my gauntlets and boots, instinct kicking in. Before I could even ask what was happening, the door slammed open, and a tide of bodies surged into my quarters.

They were on me before I could process anything. Arms grabbed at me, forcing my weapons from my hands. I swung once, twice, but there were too many. Too many voices, too many hands pulling me down. My head was spinning, and the shouts all blurred together until they were just noise.

“Traitor.” “Unfit.” “You’ve failed us.”

I heard bits and pieces, but none of it made sense. The more I struggled, the tighter they held me, their grip like iron as they dragged me out into the open. The morning sun was too bright, and the cold bit into my skin as if punishing me for something I didn’t even understand.

I tried to speak, but no one was listening. I stumbled as they pushed me forward, my boots scraping against the ground. The gauntlets weighed heavy on my wrists, my only connection to the strength I once thought I had.

They forced me past the camp’s main gates. My camp. The place I’d fought to protect. The people I’d bled for. And now, I was being tossed out like I was nothing.

The crowd gathered, a sea of faces filled with contempt, distrust, and apathy. No one spoke for me. No one stood in my defense.

Mark stood at the front, smug as ever, his voice carrying over the noise like a judge pronouncing a sentence. “You were a fool to think you could lead this place. You were never cut out for it. Now, get out.”

I clenched my fists, the leather of my gauntlets creaking under the strain. “You think this will end well for you?” My voice sounded weak even to me, the weight of it all pressing down.

Mark just smirked. “It’s not about you anymore.”

With that, he shoved me hard, sending me stumbling into the dirt. Behind me, the gates slammed shut, the echo like a final punctuation to the betrayal.

For a moment, I didn’t move. I couldn’t. My chest felt hollow, like someone had reached in and pulled out whatever kept me standing all this time. My gauntlets and boots—the only things they’d left me—felt like relics of a life I no longer belonged to.

I got to my feet eventually, numb and directionless, and started walking. Each step away from the camp felt heavier than the last. The cold air stung my face, but I didn’t bother wiping the tears that streaked my cheeks. They froze against my skin like scars.

By the time I reached my old safe house, I felt like a ghost, moving on autopilot. My motorcycle sat there, still as I’d left it, a reminder of a time when I thought I was building something good. I climbed on, gripping the handlebars, and kicked it to life.

I drove for hours, the road stretching endlessly ahead of me. California disappeared in the rearview mirror, replaced by the barren landscapes of Arizona. At a checkpoint, a guard asked for my name and my race.

“Daigo,” I said, my voice dry. “And I’m a Vanquisher.”

The guard laughed. “Well, you’re definitely not a zombie. Too funny for that.”

I forced a chuckle, but it felt hollow.

Eventually, I found myself in Colorado. The air was quiet there, too quiet. There were no zombies, no people, no purpose. Just me and my thoughts. I settled into a rhythm: work, eat, sleep. Repeat.

But the loneliness clawed at me. Nights were the worst. I’d lie awake, staring at the ceiling, thinking of Dahyun, Chodan, my ducklings. The camp. Even the ones who betrayed me. I missed them all, and the ache never went away.

Twenty-eight days passed like that. I told myself I was healing, but really, I was just surviving. Then I heard the news: a new group of slayers was moving into the area. I didn’t think much of it until I saw their vehicles rolling in.

The sight of familiar license plates made my chest tighten. I sat on my porch, sipping fruit punch, watching them unload. It was all too familiar. Too close to home.

Then I heard their voices. Two voices I’d know anywhere.

“Do you hear that?” “Yeah, it sounds like someone on this block has two hearts.”

I froze, my drink forgotten, and stood. When I saw them—Chodan and Dahyun—my heart felt like it might break all over again. They turned, and when they saw me, Chodan’s eyes welled up with tears as she rushed forward to hug me.

“Hey, big guy,” Dahyun said, her voice soft but steady.

I tried to smile, but it faltered when I saw the two men behind them. Slayers, obviously, their postures protective as they approached. My heart sank as Chodan and Dahyun introduced them—boyfriends.

I nodded, polite and distant, the ache in my chest threatening to swallow me whole. “Daigo,” I said, offering a handshake. “Just an old friend.”

They smiled, the moment slipping through my fingers like sand, and left me standing there.

As I walked back into my empty house, I felt the weight of my exile all over again. Even now, even here, I was still on the outside looking in.

#kpop fanfic #twice fanfic #qwer chodan #twice dahyun #qwer fanfic #zombie au

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baekguuuuu · 2 years ago

Text

Better Than Revenge

Characters: Baekhyun x Reader

Genre: Romance, Fluff, Smut, Angst

Word Count: 20.1k (im sorry i tried to make it short but it just happened ><)

Summary: All those years you are convinced that you only like the same gender. However, you decided to start anew after ending a long-term unhealthy relationship, not expecting to meet new people and him.

I should have seen it coming.

For almost nine years, I let myself turn a blind eye to what was bound to happen.

There’s nothing wrong with loving someone of the same sex.

My parents had assured me that when I started dating this girl I met during my first year in university.

I’m an only child.

As a kid, I was my dad’s princess and my mom’s precious daughter.

I grew up in a very loving family. My dad is a cardiologist, and my mom is an elementary music teacher. Both are nearing retirement but still doing their best in their career.

My parents met when they were in middle school. You know, the cliché, my dad made fun of my mom to hide his little crush on her. When high school came, my dad finally gathered all his courage to ask my mom to be his girlfriend.

My dad is a gentle, loving man. Since I was a kid, I’ve seen his effort to show love to my mom despite his busy schedule at the hospital. He’s never absent on anniversaries and birthdays; he never once missed holidays and family reunions.

I remember my friends in middle school told me how their parents would always yell and fight with each other almost every night. They were surprised when I told them how my parents treated each other.

“They’re probably just not showing it in front of you,” one of my so-called friends scoffed, rolling her eyes bitterly.

I was a child and asked my mom when I got home that night. “Mom, do you and Dad ever fight?”

My mom, she’s the sweetest person I’ve ever known. There’s a reason why she had been teaching for the longest time, and her students—those mischievous children, love her.

She smiled gently, caressing the apple of my cheek with her thumb, “Of course, honey. But instead of screaming from the top of our lungs to each other, we would always choose to sit down and talk, remind each other why your dad asked to marry me and why I said yes. Sometimes, we would even recite our vows from our wedding day. I love your dad, and I will always choose to love him over anything. And, of course, we—your dad and I love you very much, my baby. You will always be our treasure.”

I wanted that kind of love.

I keep telling that to myself until the end of high school. The boys hated me so much for declining their invitation for a simple date or even saying no to a party that my parents even gave me permission to attend.

In my mind, I was looking for someone who would treat me like how my dad treats my mom. But living in a different generation from my parents, the boys back in high school were all about sliding your panties down your legs, and after that, see ya!

When I met Yunjin, I didn’t expect a romance would spark. It was a friendly encounter, then hanging out after lectures to study dates. Until the day Yunjin confessed that she was attracted to me and wanted to ask me for a date.

I was a nervous wreck. I didn’t know what to do or what to say.

But I agreed. And it made me happy.

She made me happy.

Until she didn’t.

You see, after university, Yunjin convinced me to apply to a huge international corporation for which she had wanted to work forever. We submitted our CVs, and we were called for an interview.

I didn’t want to go, honestly speaking. I originally wanted to work for a government institution, but I had no choice; otherwise, it would become another silent treatment I’m somewhat used to.

I got accepted, but she didn’t.

And it all started going down since then.

I endured disrespect, dishonesty, and manipulation for the rest of our relationship because I love her as a partner and as a person.

She had been talking shit behind my back to our mutual friends, saying that I’d been arrogant since getting accepted to her dream company. She had been making me feel like garbage every time we were together, would purposely ignore me whenever I was talking or would humiliate me in public instead of lecturing me in private.

I was twenty-one when I started working in the company that began every downfall of our relationship.

I’m already twenty-seven—turning twenty-eight, and it took me nearly seven years to realize that enough is enough.

The last straw was when I found out that she had been unfaithful for quite some time.

Her phone was left unattended, and it rang when a call came in. She hated it whenever I’d go near her personal belongings, especially her phone, so I didn’t pick it up. But as soon the device stopped ringing, another call would come in.

I answered it, and it came to my knowledge that she had been seeing another woman from her workplace.

When I confronted her about it, instead of apologizing, she almost made it seem like she had prepared a presentation of what I had done wrong and what I could’ve done better.

“How come this became my fault?” my voice cracked as a salty stream of tears escaped my eyes. I was seated on the couch in the living room of our shared apartment while I watched her pack her belongings.

Yunjin continues shoving her clothes into the duffle bag I got her last Christmas. She scoffs, zipping the bag and slinging the strap to her shoulders while her other hand grabs her old suitcase. “If you weren’t so conceited and would always shove into my face that you have a better career, salary, and status in life, I probably would have stayed with you. But no, you’ve done this, you’ve done that. Your family doesn’t even like me—”

“Why do you always have to bring my family to every argument?” I get up from the couch and walk in her direction, thinking I would have understood her point better if I had stood close to her.

Yunjin sighs my name, dropping the duffel bag from her shoulder. Her hands rub her face tiredly before facing me with an exhausted face. “We’re two individuals who came from different worlds, okay? You don’t even have a student loan because your father could pay for your tuition without sweat. While I had to work twelve hours a day to buy food still while I pay off my debt.”

I shake my head, smiling bitterly. My bottom lip trembled, and I had to bite it to hide my vulnerability. My body is shaking from anger; at the same time, I want to bawl my eyes out, scream on the rooftop, and punch a mirror so the pain would be diverted to my fist instead of my aching heart.

“Just go,” my energy is on its limit. I’m beyond exhausted, and I just want to be alone at this point. The thin thread that I’ve been holding on to for years has finally given up, and my palm is bleeding for holding on to it for so long.

She left, and I cried the whole night.

I cried for the years that I lost being with someone who didn’t see my worth and who didn’t appreciate who I am and what I achieved in life.

I cried for days, weeks, months.

Until I couldn’t anymore.

When I decided to move back to my parents’ house, I had never seen them so delighted for the longest time.

I do not understand Yunjin’s sentiments about my parents. They’ve been nothing but nice to her. They even offered to help her get a job when she didn’t get accepted to the company she wanted, and they even offered to help us with the deposit when we decided to get a place of our own.

My mom had always wanted a grandchild; she does, but she has never spoken about it out loud. Too considerate that she might offend us. I heard about it from my aunt, who loves to gossip here and there.

I also want it, especially with someone I see my future with.

When I asked Yunjin if we should consider adopting a child of our own or opting for IVF, she laughed at my face, saying that I was ridiculous for even wanting a child.

“You know you’ll lose your freedom with a kid on board, right?”

I also quit my job as it reminds me how Yunjin would always say that I’m conceited because I got in, and if it weren’t for her recommendation to apply, I wouldn’t be where I am. When my high school friends heard the news, they all called me and comforted me. However, one suggested, “You need to get the things you’ve given her. Take it all back! We need to revenge what she did to you.”

Another one even suggested, “Make a TikTok on how she cheated on you. We’ll make it viral, and she would lose everything.”

Although thankful for their thoughtfulness, I decided to deactivate all my social media accounts and spend time healing.

When the third month came, I searched the internet for a job, preferably with a much smaller group of people. And I’m glad I found a posting three days ago looking for a Mobile app Developer. I read the company’s background and was thrilled to see it was a startup company.

“Why did you decide to leave your previous job?”

Since it’s a startup company built just two years ago, HR warned me that the final interview would be with its founder.

“He’s meticulous,” they said, more like a whisper, though the tone of their voice was more on the playful side.

Kim Junmyeon. That’s his name written on the nameplate on his desk.

My lips stretched into a polite smile, patting myself on the back for rehearsing in case I get asked this question. I want nothing but to be honest. “I’ve been there for seven years, and I can say that I contributed many ideas and showcased my skillset to the company. However, I had to take time off and focus on my well-being for personal reasons. But now that all is well, I’m confident I can return to work and optimistically deliver my potential to this company.”

Kim Junmyeon looks at me momentarily before nodding his head, though his brows are still furrowed, as if he’s still unconvinced by my answer. “But why not apply for a much larger company than us? Their salary range would be way higher than ours. Don’t get me wrong, but your resumé is impressive, and not that I doubt my business, but why here?”

I clear my throat, straightening my posture before rubbing my palm on my pencil skirt. “Do you mind if I’d be honest?”

“Please,” his response is quick as if he’s been waiting for me to say those words.

“It’s not about the compensation,” I start, sighing as I remember the stress I experienced from working in a larger corporation. “I’m looking for a place to work where I can be excited to get up from bed and drive to work. Not worry about being on top but just enjoying where I’d be while doing what I could. And I see potential in your company. Not only in economic growth but also in providing employees with a healthy environment while paying their dues.”

The founder’s eyes are on me, unmoving a muscle as he stares at my face, studying my expression while I talk. When I receive no response from him, I continue, “Am I wrong?”

My heart felt like it would jump out of my chest any minute, and I couldn’t be more thankful when his brows finally relaxed. He leaned on his chair, sighed, and finally smiled.

“There’s only one way to find out, right?”

Back in my previous job, we were supposed to always show up at the office in business attire; it didn’t matter what department you are from, everyone needs to follow the policy.

I couldn’t be more surprised when I walked into the office, noticing that most of the employees are wearing jeans and sneakers; while I’m dressed in a dress shirt and tight skirt, I’m even wearing a pumps heel.

Jessi, the team leader for the Marketing department, eyes me from head to toe with a judging look. We just met ten minutes ago when HR endorsed me to her team for the time being while they actively acquire other Developers to join the company.

“Girl, who died?”

Nayeon, one of Jessi’s team members, gasps, “Jessi, that’s not a nice thing to say!”

Instead of feeling humiliated, like when Yunjin would say things like this, I laugh, shaking my head as I shrug my shoulders. “I didn’t get the memo that I can wear pajamas at work.”

Jessi snorts, clapping her hands at my remark. “You can be nude, and one of the executives will be more than happy to welcome you.”

Throughout the day, I did nothing but chat with Jessi and her team. They are all nice and welcoming, though a bit sarcastic. I learned a lot about the company and its policies, and I know that HR might have missed disclosing information when I signed the job offer.

The company is on a first-name basis; it was not like we are not allowed to address upper management formally, but it was said that they prefer to be called by their first name.

So, should I call the founder Junmyeon? Just Junmyeon?

I shiver when Jessi tells me to be comfortable with the executives; they are nice people who care about their employees’ well-being.

Back at my previous job, I remember stopping in the hallway and bowing my head until it reached my stomach every time I’d pass by a boss.

“Girl, just be comfortable,” Jessi pats my shoulder before throwing her laptop inside her bag and grabbing her keys when the clock hasn’t hit exactly five in the afternoon. It’s still 4:58.

When she notices my baffled expression, she gives me a pitiful look, caressing my face with her thumb, and it didn’t fail to make my heart thump inside my chest. “You’re so precious and fragile. Come to Mama when someone here makes you cry, alright?”

Jessi walks out of the operational floor laughing when she realizes how hard I am blushing just hearing her words.

Nayeon, who sits across my workstation, shakes her head and starts packing her things. Her smile shines bright when she turned to look at me. I suck in my breath while I wait for whatever she’s going to say.

Gosh, why is everyone so freaking gorgeous here?

“We have flexibility regarding our work schedule,” Nayeon explains, standing up from the ergonomic chair and waving the other team members goodbye. “As long as you’re done with your task for the day, you can go home or whatever. If you notice, we don’t need a badge to log in and out for the day. The company hired us because they trust us.”

I’m the last one to leave my table. Everyone in Jessi’s team came to my cubicle to say goodbye and tell me to take care of myself on the way home.

I’m in shock—in utter shock. Is this what they call a culture shock? It's a good thing, though. I even had to slap my cheek to see if I’m dreaming, but when the stinging pain on the right side of my face seemed real, my chest suddenly feels light, and my eyes brim with happy tears.

When I wrap my things up, I glance at the place I’d be working, hopefully for a long time. I want to see myself contributing to this company and building relationships with the awesome people I’ve met so far.

While waiting for the elevator, I look down at my outfit, take a mental note to clutter my office attire somewhere else and opt for more casual clothes once I get home.

I can’t help but bounce on my feet in excitement once I get home and tell my parents how work was today. I feel like a kid whose parents are waiting at home for their child to tell them how school was for the day.

When the elevator dings, I look up from the floor and am greeted by a young-looking male who looks like he’s been sleep-deprived for days. I bow my head and smile at him as I step inside the lift. My index finger lifts to press the basement parking but lets out a soft oh when it’s already lightened up.

I gave the man a tight smile when I realized he’d watched my every movement. My eyes are locked on the small screen atop the elevator, watching the number of floors decrease by each second.

“Are you a new hire?” a velvety voice rings through my ear, making the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

With my eyes wide open, I shift my eyes away from the screen and turn my head to look at him with the gentlest smile I could ever give a person. “Yes, sir.”

When he made a face from hearing me say, sir, I pursed my lips, closing my eyes for a second before uttering an apology. However, he just chuckled huskily while shaking his head.

I heave a deep sigh, turning my head to look away from him and face upfront. I didn’t even notice that I was holding my breath for the rest of the elevator ride until I stepped out of the box.

My hand fishes out my car keys from my bag and was about to turn on my heels to the left side of the parking space when the man from the elevator cleared his throat to catch my attention.

“Welcome to the company,” he smiles, raising his left hand as if to greet me from afar, and walks away.

The interaction was so quick that I didn’t even get a chance to say thanks or raise my hand as a greeting, but I did the latter on his back as I watched him unlock a sleek black vehicle with four rings aligned horizontally on the grille. Damn.

It’s finally Friday. Don’t get me wrong. I’m having the time of my work life here, but I still need a break. I will spend the rest of the weekend at home in my pajamas and binge-watch a new series on Netflix.

When the clock hits three in the afternoon, surprise is an understatement when everyone cheered from their seat and went to the Zen area of the office.

Jessi, who seems to be my trainer when it comes to things I should know about here, closed my laptop without permission and asked me to stand up from my chair, and when I did, she hooked her arms with mine and dragged me to where everyone was hurrying to.

I’m in awe when the Zen area is rearranged with tables, drinks, and food. Everyone converses happily while holding a glass of champagne, while the others have wine.

“This, my child, is what we call a Happy Hour,” Jessi tightened her hold on my arms while her other hand slowly moved from left to right to educate me about their culture here, exaggeratedly—her words, not mine.

We are listening to Jessi’s rant about her Tinder date last weekend when everyone notices Junmyeon walking in the area. I could feel Jessi’s eyes on me while she waited for me to bow my head off out of reflex, but I scrunched my nose at her when I didn’t.

When Junmyeon walks over to our table to greet Jessi’s team, I notice someone walking behind him. It was the man from the elevator on my first day in here.

He looks neater than when I saw him last time. His dress shirt is unbuttoned until he reaches his chest, showing his prominent collarbone and the skin of his chest. His hair has been brushed up, showcasing his clear forehead.

“Ah, Baekhyun!” Jessi hollers, slapping the table with her palm as the two men reach our table. “You finally decided to take a shower, huh?”

The man from the elevator, whom Jessi addressed as Baekhyun, laughs, snatching Jessi’s glass of wine to take a huge sip. “I finally paid the utility bill yesterday, so the water’s back.” Everyone from Jessi’s team laughs, even Junmyeon, who sat in front of me.

“Oh, she’s the new hire!” I tense in my spot when Baekhyun sits on the empty chair beside me. Nayeon just walked out to the toilet, and he quickly moved to occupy her spot. Junmyeon rolls his eyes, shaking his head at Baekhyun’s unnecessary enthusiasm.

Nonetheless, I plastered a kind smile, nodding to confirm his statement. “I am the new hire, yes.”

Baekhyun raises his brow, and the corner of his lips quirks as he stares intently at my orbs. “No, sir?”

I almost choked on my saliva, the event from high school when boys would blatantly flirt with me flashing right before my eyes. I laugh awkwardly, my foot under the table, blindly nudging Jessi’s shoes to ask for help.

My attraction to the opposite sex is nearly nonexistent. I would feel awkward until I gathered the courage to let them know my preference.

I heard Jessi sigh, and I turned my head to look at her like a clueless sheep. “Just ignore him.”

“Hey, that’s not nice!” Baekhyun complains, his voice turning to a whine.

“Baekhyun, can you not flirt with every female in this company, please?” Junmyeon interrupts, though the tone of his voice is gentle and kind.

“Excuse me? I do not flirt with every female in this company. You guys are making me look like I’m a total perv.”

“You are a perv, Baekhyun. Stop fooling yourself.” Jessi deadpans, and I saw how everyone subtly agreed.

Baekhyun huffs, crossing his arms on his chest. “You guys, I thought we’re all friends here, yet here you are, ruining my moment.”

I decided to ignore him, just like Jessi’s advice and turn my focus back to her disastrous Tinder date. However, every time Baekhyun tried to start a conversation, I would still respond politely, but with a lack of interest, to send a message that I did not want to associate myself with his thoughts.

It has come to my knowledge that the company would have a Happy Hour every other Friday where drinks and food would be available from three in the afternoon until five.

“We’re into work and life balance here,” Nayeon giggles, a bit tipsy, when I asked her why a company would serve an alcoholic beverage to its employee when they were supposed to work their asses off.

Weeks have passed, and I’m getting used to the company’s culture. I started to enjoy getting out of bed and running a bit before preparing to get to work.

My parents even noticed the improvement in my mental and physical health. I’ve literally stopped crying and would meet people on weekends instead of locking myself inside their homes.

I also became much closer to Jessi and her team, especially Nayeon, who I found out is a few years younger than .e, and this is her first job, so I decided to stay rather than look for a larger opportunity.

Junmyeon, the founder of the company, is a very hands-on man. He would have to walk to each department every other day to talk to the team and ask them for any concerns he should know about and any feedback an employee might have.

I also found out that Baekhyun, that playful man when he’s not behind his laptop, is the executive director of the company. Built the company beside Junmyeon and is two years older than me. He’s single and loves to play computer games in his free time.

How do I know all of these?

Well, he’d magically appear at Jessi’s team meeting whenever he’d have a chance to inspect and get an insight into the Marketing team’s status. Those were his excuses when Jessi tried to kick him out. And since I’m not actually part of Marketing, I would idle at the corner of the meeting room, and he’d sit beside me as he rambles while doodling on his iPad.

I feel sorry for judging him during my first Happy Hour experience. Baekhyun is a nice guy. A good person, a funny one. He’s comical—and yes, flirtatious, but when it comes to work, he takes every detail seriously.

“Do you work out?” Baekhyun suddenly asks when I bump into him in the elevator when I’m done for the day.

I shrug my shoulders, stretching my neck from side to side, totally spent from working the whole day. “I run every other morning, but I used to go to the gym when I was younger.”

Baekhyun’s laughter booms inside the lift, and it is so loud that I swear the elevator shook a little. “You talk like you’re already in your sixties.”

“Well, it feels like it.”

I couldn’t stop the smile that was slowly spreading on my lips when Baekhyun was unable to stop laughing; he even slapped my shoulder and arm, though not forcefully.

When we got out of the elevator, I realized that he was walking to where I parked my car. I looked at him to silently ask what he was doing, but when he fished out his car key from the pocket of his pants and pressed the unlock button, the vehicle beside mine lit up—indicating that it had been unlocked.

I roll my eyes at him, shaking my head. I open the driver seat side, and before going in, I peek over my shoulder to give him a playful judging look. “Do you really need to park beside me?”

Baekhyun shrugs, crossing his arms on his chest leaning the side of his body on his car. “What can I say? I’m a clingy guy.” He even ended his sentence with a wink while biting his bottom lip.

Knowing how playful he can be, I pretend to stick my index finger down my throat to induce a vomit.

His laugh echoed around the basement, and before he got inside his car, he called my name. “Do you want to know why I ask if you work out?”

“Why?”

“Because I’ve never seen an ass look that good when you wore that tight pencil skirt on your first day.”

I gasped loudly, stomping my feet to hit him or even had a thought of pulling his hair out of his scalp, but before I could reach his spot, he immediately opened his car and locked the door, sticking his tongue out when I tried to open it, slamming my fist on his window.

He drove off, leaving me all flustered in the empty basement parking.

When Baekhyun realized that I do not get offended by his advances—many provocative advances, I must say, he started texting me on weekends, asking me about random stuff, or sometimes even asking me to meet up.

Where the hell did you get my personal mobile number? Sent | 9:48 PM

Omg, did Jessi give it to you? Sent | 9:48 PM

Ah, no. She’ll chuck you in the head before you even ask for it. Sent | 9:49 PM

I can’t believe that I’m sitting on my bed, grabbing the remote control to pause Netflix just to respond to this guy.

Haha! Received | 9:51 PM

I may or may not have sneaked into your resumé. Received | 9:51 PM

You look hot in your photo in there. Received | 9:52 PM

I couldn’t help but scoff at his last text message, though a smile was forming in my mouth. My fingers are quick to type a reply.

Sometimes, I get scared of what goes on in your mind. Sent | 9:58 PM

Do you need anything, by the way? Sent | 9:59 PM

Let me know before I go to sleep. Sent | 9:59 PM

His reply came in an instant. It’s like he’d been waiting for me to ask, and he’s already typed his answer.

You, baby. Received | 9:59 PM

I left him on read, jumping from my bed to take a cold shower—too bothered by his response and by the way he addressed me. This is the first time he has called me differently than my name.

The next morning, I was awoken by the birds chirping outside my window. I tap on my phone and see that it’s already 8:30 in the morning. I turned off the Do Not Disturb feature, and several messages appeared in the notification.

I’m hurt that you left me on read. Received | 10:30 PM

Are you still there? Received | 10:48 PM

Are you that old to sleep this early? Received | 11:05 PM

I’m going to call you grandma starting today. Received | 11:10 PM

I think you really have gone to bed. Received | 11:25 PM

Good night, baby. Dream of me. Received | 11:27 PM

Oh, sorry. Received | 11:27 PM

Good night, Grandma. Received | 11:28 PM

I snicker upon reading his messages that I slept on. At the same time, my mom knocked on my door before peeking inside when I told her to come in.

“I made pancakes, darling.” she smiled, knowing how much I love her pancakes and seeing me excitedly jump off my bed to run downstairs.

Throughout the day, I helped with house chores since my dad had to go to work, and my mom needed to prepare a lesson plan for her homeroom class. I didn’t have a chance to check my phone for notifications as I deactivated my social media, and my friends haven’t contacted me since. I prefer not to work on weekends. Also, there was some advice from Jessi and Junmyeon to stay away from work-related things during the weekend.

I had an early supper with my parents and had to take the two rescued dogs my mom adopted from the shelter to walk before I was done for the day.

I groan when my back touches the fluffy duvet on my bed. I stared at the ceiling for a few minutes before unlocking my phone and was honestly surprised to see tons of messages from Baekhyun.

“Oh, shit,” I cursed under my breath when I realized that I forgot to reply to his last message and left him on read again. Even though he annoys me on a day-to-day basis, he’s someone who doesn’t deserve to be disregarded when he’s done nothing wrong.

I scrolled through his texts, and most of them were just whining and complaining about why I was not responding to him.

Are you really that busy on Sunday? Received | 11:18 AM

I’m starting to think that you really are a grandma who has nine children and forty grandchildren. Received | 3:10 PM

His last message was sent twenty minutes ago.

Can I call you? Received | 8:10 PM

Without thinking further, I tap on the call icon and place my phone on my right ear as I wait for him to answer the call.

Instead of the normal hello when someone answers a phone call, I received a gasp then, “Grandma knows how to make phone calls now!”

I shake my head, laughing softly, before I sigh and plop my head on the pillow. “I was busy the whole day, sorry. What’s up?”

“My dick.” he sniggers on the other line—he should be thankful that he did not just say that in front of me, else I’ll probably slap the shit out of him.

I purposely yawn for him to hear, shuffling on my bed to lie on my side. “Your dick is like my patience—short.”

I could hear the sheets from his line, and he was probably on his bed as well. “You did not!”

“I just did,” I smirk even though he can’t see it, it’s still satisfying.

“Do you want me to send you a picture to prove that he’s not small?” he challenges, and I’m surprised that he actually sounds offended. “Because I will.”

“Baekhyun—” I hiss, sitting up on my bed and rubbing my temple, just thinking that he might really send a picture of his shaft. “Do not freaking send a picture of your penis to me, please. I’m going to screenshot your message; if you do, print it on an A4 paper, laminate it, and send it to Junmyeon. I swear, I will.”

“Okay, that was a good threat.” Baekhyun laughs it off, and I’m glad that he just moved on from the topic so quickly. “Sorry, I was bored the whole day. I don’t have any schedule, and I honestly wanted to talk to you.”

“Seriously, Baekhyun. Why don’t you just play your game or something? I thought you love gaming and stuff.”

I stopped rubbing my eyes with my fingers when he didn’t respond to what I just said like he always does. He stays silent on the other line for approximately more than fifteen seconds, and I had to confirm if he’s still there. “Hello? Did the line get disconnected?”

But when I heard him clear his throat and take a sharp breath, I knew that he had heard what I had just said. He’s probably just tired; that’s what I thought.

“Y-yeah, I’m still here.”

“Oh, alright. Well, you’re probably tired and—”

“No, no! I’m not tired or sleepy. I’m just—”

“Just?” I press on, getting bothered by how the Byun Baekhyun everyone knows at the company is stuttering and at a loss for words.

“That’s the thing, baby.”

Once again, I tense upon hearing the pet name he’s been addressing me by since last night.

“I would normally ignore all calls and texts when I’m playing—even from my own mother, but I’ve been pausing the game the whole day to check if you texted me back or even read my texts.”

It took me a few seconds before I comprehended the meaning behind his words. My eyes widened on their own, my saliva was caught in my throat, and I couldn’t find my voice to speak and respond to him.

“Baekhyun, I—”

“Please don’t say no—please don’t.” he cut me off, his voice loud as he spoke. “I’m trying to figure things out. I’m trying, okay? I really am. I—this is new to me. So, please... don’t say no for now.”

I didn’t know what to say or how I would break into him if I swung for the same team. He sounds so sincere that I do not have the heart to crush his soul, especially not on a Sunday night.

“O-okay...” was all I could say.

I believe that made him satisfied as he’s back from his usual chirpy self and continued complaining about how I should handle my messages as they could be important.

“What could be so important that I need to drop everything and answer my phone?” I snort, my hand reaching to my nightstand to turn off the light so the darkness can lull me to sleep.

“Me, of course.”

Jessi has warned me, not really warn, but informed me that Baekhyun is a huge flirt and I should just ignore him as he is known to woo every single new hire in the company. I heard stories from every department as well that Baekhyun was too friendly to them when they first joined the company.

But this was before he started getting too close to me. I didn’t mind because he is kind and considerate despite the fact that he would annoy the shit out of me every single time he’d get a chance. I could see him as a friend.

I thought that he’s just playing around, that the stories I’ve been hearing are a hundred percent true, and he would move on to the next new hire once he met her.

But boy, did my heart flutter when Jessi has a new member added to her team as a Brand Associate, and I’m already expecting Baekhyun to make the same move he had done to me when he suddenly appeared at Jessi’s corner with an iced latte in his hand and placed it on my table without any funny business but a soft good morning and a pat on my head before walking away, not even glancing to the new hire.

Ever since I switched workstations with the new hire, whose name is Miyeon, my gossip buddy, Jessi, has had to send me a message via MS Teams instead. Hence, it didn’t come as a surprise that a notification ding chimes from my laptop as soon as Baekhyun walks out of sight.

Jessica Ho | 9:03 AM: What the actual fuck just happened?

I just responded with a laughing GIF, not knowing how or what to reply to her message. Because I, myself, am astounded as fuck.

A little over two months after I joined the company, I got accustomed to seeing Baekhyun in the elevator after work so we could go down to the basement parking together—it was like he knew what time I usually finished my tasks, so when the elevator arrived, and he was not there, I was utterly dumbfounded.

Where are you? Sent | 5:01 PM

Is everything okay? Sent | 5:12 PM

I sit inside my car as I stare at the sleek black vehicle parked beside mine. I waited for another thirty minutes to see if he’d respond to my messages or would appear in his car, but neither happened. Therefore, I decided to just drive home.

We’ve known each other not too long ago, but I can’t help but feel worried about his whereabouts when he would normally pop up like a mushroom literally anywhere.

However, I don’t want to pry on it too much.

Not that we are just friends, but Yunjin used to yell nasty things when I would ask where she was or what time she’d be home—I’m scared that Baekhyun might do the same.

Would it be too annoying? Should I delete my messages before he can see them?

I flip my bag upside down so the contents would scatter on my bed as I hastily look for my phone. I decided that it’s better to just delete the messages, just because.

When I see the unread messages I ignored while I was driving, my heart starts to thump loudly in my chest. Did he find it annoying? Would he ask me to stop texting him without any reason?

Shit, baby, I’m sorry! Received | 5:48 PM

I was in an extended meeting. The stakeholders needed my input, so I couldn’t check my phone. Are you still in the office? Received | 5:49 PM

You didn’t wait for me? ): Received | 6:00 PM

I was biting my bottom lip when I read his texts, but laughter escaped my mouth when I viewed the image he sent. It’s a photo of his car parked in his usual spot and the empty space on the left side where my vehicle usually parks. He added a crying sticker to it to emphasize how surprised he was to see that I left without waiting for him.

Please text or call me once you get home safely. Received | 6:02 PM

I’ll let you know next time if I’m going to be late. I’m sorry. <3 Received | 6:02 PM

Why is he apologizing? Shouldn’t he be mad about how I disturb him during work hours? Baekhyun is a busy man, but he has an important role in Junmyeon’s company.

Nonetheless, my fingers start to tap on the screen of my phone to respond.

Yeah, I just arrived home. Sorry for asking. I was worried that something might have happened. Hope the meeting was a success. Sent | 6:31 PM

Once I cleaned up the mess I made on the bed while I was frantic over a text that I sent, I strip my clothes to shower, but when I was about to enter the bathroom, my phone starts to ring, indicating a call.

Baekhyun’s name flashes on the screen as he waits for his Facetime request to be answered.

“Why’s the camera facing the ceiling?” Baekhyun laughs; his voice is husky yet gentle. His surroundings are a bit dim, his face being illuminated by the red accent light of his car while he drives. “Let me see your gorgeous face, baby.”

Getting used to the endearment he always uses, I scoff while rolling my eyes even though he can’t see it. “Why are you calling me while you’re driving?”

He shrugs, his face full of smug. “We didn’t see each other the whole day. You were busy, and I was busy. Payroll missed another deadline. My secretary fucked up a report. Junmyeon was demanding. Everyone was a bitch, basically.”

I laugh, my eyes crinkling in the process as I listen to his rant. Since he was talking a bit faster than usual, his dialect unconsciously came out, and it was freaking adorable.

“My hands are on the wheels, baby—don’t worry. Now, let me see your face, please—with a cherry on top?”

“Baekhyun!” I shriek, thankful that I am home alone at the moment. “I’m about to take a shower, and I’m butt naked, alright?”

He dramatically gasps, hands hurriedly rotating the steering wheel to the side of the road before pressing the hazard button, and the ticking sound resonates from his line.

“Oh yeah?” His voice turned sultry as his eyes switched to a more intent gaze. “You really know how to de-stress me, huh?”

Like a fish out of the water, my mouth opened and closed on its own as if I’m having a hard time breathing. “You—Baekhyun!”

“Come on, baby. I won’t even look that much.” His tone was back to playful when he covered his eyes with his hand, and then, for a little while, he peeked through the spaces of his fingers.

Knowing Baekhyun, he won’t stop and would bother me all night long—or probably until the next day, but I don’t want to be hussy. Thus, I finally tilted my phone to show my face and my bare shoulder—showcasing my collarbone to the front camera. “I really need to shower, Baekhyun. I’ll call you later, okay?”

“I misheard it with: I’ll show you later,” he cackles, his eyes forming a crescent shape as he laughs, and his perfectly aligned teeth are shown. “Alright, baby. Call me when you’re done.”

“Alright,” I assure with a purr while raising an eyebrow when an idea pops into my head. “And about showing you later—we’ll see about that.”

I wish I was able to capture the moment Baekhyun’s eyes almost pop out from their socket, and his jaw dropped upon hearing my words, before I tap the end call button. I honestly didn’t expect that kind of reaction from him, and it’s kind of amusing.

“So,” Jessi bumps her hips with mine while I wash my hands after using the toilet. She uncapped her lipstick and reapplied the makeup on her face. “How many times do you and Baekhyun do it in a week?”

I swear that I heard my neck crack how fast I snap my head to look at Jessi with wide eyes. “You’re being ridiculous!”

She scoffs, leaning the side of her hip on the sink as she turns to give me a judging look, arms crossed on her chest. “We’re both adults, and there’s nothing wrong with discussing your sex life with a friend.”

I choke on my own saliva, “My—my sex life?”

To be honest, I haven’t been touched since my last relationship. Of course, it crossed my mind here and then, especially when Baekhyun started putting his hand on my thigh every time we sat beside each other, or the way his hand would automatically wrap on my shoulders—sometimes my waist, a bit too intimately; he has also started kissing my cheek—though it’d be just a quick and light one, it wouldn’t fail to leave me blushing for the rest of the day.

But as much as possible, I don’t want to put much thought into it since he’s that playful.

“Wait—so, and you’re saying that—” Jessi stops mid-sentence like she’s solving a fraction in her head, her brows furrowed. “You guys haven’t had sex yet?”

“No!” I quickly defended, my hands flicking some drops of water to her face, making her hiss. “We’re not like that.”

“We’re not like that,” Jessi mimics with a high-pitched tone of her voice, rolling her eyes before zipping up her make-up bag. “Honey, Baekhyun would always look at you like he’s going to eat your vagina.”

“Can you not?” I gasp, turning on my heels to get out of the washroom to hide my flushed face. I swear I feel how warmth crept through my body.

Jessi followed my suit, laughing as she closed the door behind her. “You’re thinking about it, aren’t you? Update me when it finally happens!”

That incident made me reject Baekhyun’s phone calls when the clock hit five. I left the office quite early to avoid any interaction for now—hopefully. It’s not only that I got bothered sexually, but the fact that I haven’t told anyone, even Baekhyun, that I have not been together with a guy before—and the fact that I’ve only been attracted to a woman... up until Baekhyun.

Yes, I am not denying that over the time we spent together, I got attached to him. Like, if we don’t see each other during the day because of our workload, both of us would make an effort, be it via Facetime, a quick drive late at night, or sometimes I would drive near his place, or he would drive near mine so we could meet for a meal or drink.

Baekhyun is a sweet guy. He’s considerate, though a pervert. He notices small things and makes it matter how I like my coffee in the morning, how I don’t like pickles in my burger, or how I’m fond of adorable cheap stuff that he once gave me a three-dollar pastel keychain because it reminds him of me, on how I love my mom’s dogs that he bought them few toys to chew on, or even creating a playlist on Spotify and sending it to me.

The list goes on...

And one thing I’ve noticed since he started sticking around. He has never, ever flirted with another girl, at least not in front of me, or not in my knowledge.

I remember one happy hour in the office when Miyeon tried to start a conversation with Baekhyun. He was civil and got engaged with the topic; however, when he noticed that she started to get tipsy and touchy with him, he got up after giving some lame excuse before looking for me, who was busy at my desk and unable to join the event.

That story came from Nayeon. She was surprised, to say the least. “You got him all whipped,” she said, giggling like a teenager.

I didn’t even know the reason at first when Baekhyun appeared in Jessi’s corner, wheeling a chair with him and sitting beside me, watching me work for two hours straight before giving up and calling it a day.

“Don’t you have any important things to do?” I snort, packing my things up and slinging my bag on my shoulder, but I was snatched right away by Baekhyun, who carried it instead.

“You’re important to me, baby, or you haven’t gotten the memo yet?”

That conversation stayed in my mind until now. And I don’t think it’d flow out of my head for a while.

I know what we have been doing is far beyond what casual friends would do. And I didn’t stop him the first time. Why didn’t I? If I don’t like him, I should’ve told him that, hey, I’ve been attracted to women—only women. Or so I thought.

At the same time, I’m scared.

My last relationship didn’t end well. I was treated like garbage for years. I was humiliated and stepped on everything I did. My ex made me feel like I didn’t deserve whatever I accomplished after university—that everything I have is because of her.

And although I tried so hard to connect my ex with my parents, it just didn’t work.

“We’re adults now, and we don’t need to be with our parents.” That’s what she reminded me of every time I’d ask to see my parents and be with them on holidays or even on their birthdays. “Just send them a text.” she’d add.

My dad and my mom didn’t say anything. They were supported and would say that they didn’t want to be a cause of argument between us.

But I know.

I know they wanted me to be there; they wanted me to come home and eat dinner with them and laugh and chat in the living room while a variety show plays in the background.

But Baekhyun won’t do that, right?

If I finally take a step forward, he’s not going to change, right?

Because it would hurt like hell because I trust him.

For the short amount of time I’ve spent with him, he made me feel like no one else—not even my ex when we started dating back in university.

Are you okay? Is everything okay? Received | 9:03 PM

Did I do something wrong? Received | 9:04 PM

I snapped out of my thoughts when my phone dings as messages came in. It’s Baekhyun. I glanced at the screen of my phone. It stopped ringing an hour ago due to countless phone calls he was making.

I don’t know if I did something you’re mad about, but please let me know if I took something too far. I will apologize and make it up to you. Received | 9:08 PM

But please don’t ignore me. Received | 9:09 PM

I kept staring at my phone as I read his messages and waited for another one to come in.

You’re reading my texts, but you’re not answering my calls, baby. I’m honestly getting worried. Received | 9:11 PM

I’m sorry if I made you angry, but can you at least tell me if you’re okay? I’m going crazy over here. Received | 9:25 PM

Reading his last text, I finally decided to move my fingers to reply. He has done nothing wrong, and I’m the one who has an issue. Hence, it’s not fair for him to endure whatever I’m doing.

I’m fine. Just not feeling a hundred percent. I’m sorry for not responding. Sent | 9:32 PM

Don't worry, I’m not mad. :) Sent | 9:33 PM

I throw my phone to the side, and my hand extends to the lamp on my nightstand. I shift my position to my side, pulling the duvet up to my shoulders as I close my eyes to sleep for the night.

I had enough thoughts running in my head, and sleeping this early on a Friday night might be a good idea for my mental health.

I think I slept for like thirty minutes until my phone started to vibrate under my pillow, waking me up. I blindly reach for my eyeglasses on my side and wear them before answering the call.

Baekhyun.

I sit up on the bed, eyes wide, as I tap the green button to accept the call. “Hello?” I croaked, rubbing my throat. It felt really dry upon speaking.

“Oh, crap! You were asleep?”

I grunt in response, running my fingers through my hair before getting up from the bed to turn on the lights in my bedroom.

“Oh, I think I got the correct house.”

“H-huh?” I’m half-asleep and unable to comprehend his sentence clearly.

“Did you just turn on the lights, baby?”

As if I didn’t know, I look at the ceiling light to see if it’s really turned on, and almost face-palm myself when I remember that I flicked the switch literally ten seconds ago. “Yeah, I did. Why?”

“Ugh, I thought Junmyeon would lie about this.” he exhales, and I heard him getting out of his car. “Can you come out for a bit, baby? I’m outside your house.”

Without ending the call, my phone still pressed on my right ear; I hastily run downstairs, almost tripping on the way down, earning worried looks from my parents, who are still in the formal living space, chatting.

“Oh, God, honey!” My mom stands on her feet, her hands on her chest when I reach the floor. “Careful, please!”

My dad stands up as well, walking in my direction to check if I had any injury when I didn’t fall. “Let’s end this night without any injuries, alright, sweetheart?”

I nod my head hurriedly, plastering an innocent grin on my face, pressing the end call button on my phone. “Sorry, sorry. I just—someone’s outside, so... I’ll be heading out quickly.”

My dad nods his head with a fatherly smile, telling me to be careful, and I think he’s just happy that I started going out again. At the same time, my mom looks like she’s going to peek out the window to see who I’m meeting at this hour.

“Uh... dad? Can you please control mom?”

My dad turns his head to my mom, who immediately smiles innocently. It's like she’s not about to ask me thousands of questions about who I’m going to meet in my sleepwear.

He shakes his head, though fondly. “Just go, sweetheart. I’ll handle your mom. Tell her we said hi.”

I nod, grinning widely. “Of course. I’ll let him know.”

My dad blinks several times before gasping loudly, and like a signal light, my mom squeals, jumping on her feet happily.

I laugh at their reaction before opening the front door. “I’ll be back later!”

Baekhyun’s face lit up upon seeing me getting out of the door. He starts to walk to meet me halfway and engulfs me in a hug. His hand is on the back of my head, while his other hand is placed on the small of my back. “I was so worried.”

I rubbed his back for a while before I reciprocated the hug by hugging his waist closer to me. “I’m sorry.”

He pulls away, placing a hand on my forehead and then my neck. “You don’t have a fever...”

I chuckle, slapping his chest lightly. “No, I’m not sick. I’m just tired and have a lot going on in my head for days now.”

His eyes lock with mine, as if trying to read what has been going on in my mind. “I’m here if you need me.”

Before I could even respond, I heard rustling inside the house. I peek over my shoulder and see how my mom and my dad hid behind the curtains by the window. Baekhyun follows where I’m looking and tilts his head in confusion when he sees nothing.

“My parents are watching us,” I shake my head as I try to pull Baekhyun towards his car. “Do you want to get out of here?”

“Huh—” he turns around to face my parents’ house again, and his eyes scan the façade to look for them. “What—where? I can’t see anyone.”

I sigh, shaking my head as I cover half of my face with my hands, embarrassed with the thought of my parents’ idly tattle, at the same time ecstatic that they didn’t view my last relationship as something to be wary about.

“Just raise your hand and wave a little. They’ll see you.”

With furrow brows, Baekhyun hesitantly raises his left hand and moves it a bit. Not even five seconds later, the window in the formal living space is opened, my mom’s face peeking out. “Hope to meet you soon! Come over for a meal sometime!”

“Mom!” To say that I’m horrified is an understatement. Everyone knows my mom as a gentle, kind, prim and proper woman, but no one knows, except my dad, how she can be when she gets eager and exhilarated.

Baekhyun gasps loudly, straightening the coat he’s wearing before bowing politely to my mom and my dad, who is trying to pull Mom away from the window. He waves goodbye before closing the window and drawing the curtains as well.

“Okay,” I chuckle, shaking my head at my parents’ action, though a fond smile is on my lips. “That was my mom and my dad. I—uhm, you can come over, you know—if you want.”

“I’d love to,” Baekhyun answers immediately as if he’s been waiting for me to invite him myself.

Despite hanging out together for months, it’s my first time to be Baekhyun’s passenger in his car. We both laughed about it when he said, “I even thought about slashing your tires so I can drive you home.”

Since I currently live in my parents' house and I haven’t introduced Baekhyun formally to them, I can’t invite him in an instant. When I explained this to Baekhyun, he didn’t even hesitate to suggest driving us back to his place.

“No funny business, I swear,” he removes one of his hands from the steering wheel to draw a cross on his chest with his finger. “You’re already in your sleepwear, so I can’t think of a place to go to unless you have somewhere in mind?”

“That’s fine. As long as I get home in one piece.” I shrug, holding onto the plastic bags on my lap.

Being a thoughtful Baekhyun, he purchased a bunch of different snacks I’ve been eating since we got close to each other. The chips I keep munching on when work gets too loaded, down to the chocolate bars I keep in my drawer at the office. There’s even a fever patch and a paracetamol in a small paper bag on the side.

Baekhyun’s place is tidy. I didn’t expect it to be this neat in the first place, as much as how rude it sounds. And at the thought that he didn’t expect to have a visitor, I feel ashamed of the clutter in the corner of my childhood bedroom at my parents’ house.

I’m also surprised that he even crouches on the floor to help me wear an indoor slipper that is suspiciously in pastel color.

“I hope I got the size right,” he mumbles under his breath as he observes the footwear.

“Yeah, it’s perfect.” They’re a couple of centimeters larger than my usual, but it’s much more comfortable this way. “Thank you.”

He chuckles huskily as he stands up, flicking the tip of my nose with his index finger, a thing he has been doing for quite some time now.

I follow him to the kitchen, where he places the plastic bags on the kitchen counter. My eyes scan the place further, and I can’t help but be in awe of how he keeps it neat when he’s busy with work.

“My mom comes over from time to time,” Baekhyun suddenly speaks, snapping me out of my trance as if he’s reading what’s going on in my mind. “But I do like keeping my place clean and organized, else I wouldn’t be unable to function.”

I scrunch up my nose at him, “Well, thank you for making me feel bad about the pile of laundry in my room.”

He laughs out loud, eyes crinkling and forming into a crescent shape as he does. “I can help you with that, baby. Just hit me up.”

I roll my eyes at him with a playful smile on my face. I sat at the barstool, and he followed suit. “But seriously, I didn’t expect you to behave. No offense, but I thought you’re going to slam me on the wall and do the deed as soon as we arrived.”

Baekhyun gave me a baffled expression before placing both of his hands on his chest as if he were hurt by what he had just heard. “I didn’t know you think so low of me.”

I cackle, hitting his shoulder with my fist lightly. “I’m just kidding, you idiot.”

He chortles before placing his hand on the side of my neck. “Baby, I’m not going to slam you on the wall if we’re going to do it. I’m going to lay you on my soft, comfortable bed before kissing the hell out of you.”

“Oh,” was all I could mutter before chucking awkwardly, scratching my cheek before looking everywhere else but his intent gaze.

I thought I’m ready for this kind of conversation with him. However, my hands suddenly feel clammy, and my heart feels like it’s going to jump out of my chest any second.

Without removing his hand from my neck, he steps closer to where I’m seated. He stands in the space between my legs as his other hand holds my cheek to make me look at him.

“You’re nervous,” he remarks, his face void of any expression.

I am unable to find my voice; I can only grunt as a response.

Baekhyun caresses my cheek with his thumb, his gentle eyes assuring me while his mouth forms a smile. “We’re not going to do anything if you’re not comfortable with it.”

I nodded my head, though I held onto his wrist when he was about to pull away. “Baekhyun, I—” I close my eyes for a few seconds before opening them. Seeing Baekhyun’s worried look made me exhale shakily.

“I’m going to tell you something I haven’t told anyone at the office yet,” I wince when I realize how my voice sounded so small and terrified, like I’m going to confess that I stole candy from the candy jar in kindergarten. “And I’m going to ask you something, and I’d like you to be honest, okay?”

Baekhyun, all of a sudden, drop a kiss on my forehead, which he hadn’t done before. My body feels warm as a blush crept up on my face. “Okay, baby.”

“I’ve never been with a guy before,” I confess before pressing my lips together in the hope that he’ll take the news well.

He raises his brows as he tilts his head to the side, “You never have a boyfriend before? Was it you, or was I just dreaming when you told me that you just came out of an unhealthy relationship? Did I drink a lot to not remember?”

I look at him as he rambles, and when he ends his sentences, he looks at me like he’s expecting me to laugh or confirm his assumption that he’s just dreaming, but I keep my eyes on him without any emotion but silently pleading him to get to my point.

It takes him almost a minute before he widens his eyes in realization and gawks. “Wait—you—you’re—”

The corner of my lip turns down when he removes his hold like I’m a burning hot iron. With a sad smile, I nod my head. “I’m sorry for not telling you, and it just didn’t cross my mind that we would actually be taking things too far.”

Baekhyun stands still, his mouth still agape as he stares at me with wide eyes. Reading the room, I nod my head, patting his arm before jumping off the barstool. “I’ll see myself out.”

As soon as my feet land on the floor, I’m carried back to the barstool with a loud thump. Surprised, I look at him with my eyes wide open.

“Where the hell are you going?” he growled, hands gripping my sides as if he’s trying to prevent me from running away.

“I—” I flinch from the tone of his voice as for months I’ve known Baekhyun, he has never raised nor shown his anger or even annoyance in front of me.

I think he notices how my orbs shake when I cower in some fear and anxiousness. His brows are furrowed, and he is suddenly relaxed, and his grip goes from rough to gentle.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” he breathes out. He looks surprised by his action as well, more than by my reaction. “I’m sorry, I was just surprised. But where do you think you’re going?”

Letting out a deep, trembling breath, I bite my bottom lip as I lock my eyes with him. His kind and considerate demeanor finally comes back.

“I just thought that you didn’t want to do anything to me upon hearing my confession,” my voice is small, and my fingers start to fidget the seam of the sweatpants I’m wearing—a habit that I have when I’m nervous and frighted.

“Baby, I—” Baekhyun sighed, closing his eyes and leaning his forehead on mine. I could feel his breath fanning my face, and I couldn’t help but close my eyes while I waited for his next words. “I’m sorry. I’m really sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I didn’t know. I just—I genuinely like you. It doesn’t matter to me who you have been with, but I like you. And I want to be with you... if that’s okay.”

I peek through my lashes to see that he’s still not opening his eyes. I raise my right hand and place it on his cheek. A smile automatically spreads on my lips when he leans on my palm.

It’s not the first time Baekhyun has said that he likes me or is interested in me. But the first time, he said it without any playful remarks like he has done before.

“Baekhyun, can I now ask you something? Can you be honest?” I murmur, caressing the skin of his cheek with the pad of my thumb.

Baekhyun only grunted in response.

“Why me?”

This time, he slowly opened his eyes, though not looking up to meet my eyes. He’s silent for quite some time while he thinks about my question, and I’m grateful that he seems to be taking my two-word question seriously.

“You make me laugh,” Baekhyun finally answers. His voice comes out as a whisper, and he exhales through his nose before finally meeting my eyes. “And I love to laugh.”

I snort, shaking my head before leaning away from his forehead. I scrunch my nose at him when I see how he stares at me with a fond smile on his face.

“Did it bother you, though?”

“Bother me?” I asked, tilting my head in confusion about his query.

“That I took advances towards you when I have, you know—” Baekhyun innocently shrugs, licking his bottom lip like he’s hesitant to say the next word that’s about to come out of his mouth. “Dick.”

My laughter comes like a whistling kettle while I hold my stomach from laughing so hard. He looks confused and a bit offended, but he joins in when he realizes that I won’t stop laughing for a while.

“Sorry—” I cough, trying my best to stop another round of my ugly, hysterical laugh. “Well, to tell you honestly, the first time took me by surprise, but I got used to it. You keep texting me dick jokes that it suddenly felt like a normal thing. Although I’m grateful that you didn’t send a photo of your penis, or I’d really hunt you and stab you in your sleep.”

It’s his turn to laugh, and my heart finally feels light, as if the awkwardness from my confession is drifting away. I bit my bottom lip while I watched the twinkle in the corner of his eyes as he opened his mouth widely and roared laughter, showcasing his perfectly aligned teeth.

The room had slowly gone quiet when his eyes met mine, and we stared at each other for a few seconds before he decided to break the silence.

“Are you going to hit me if I kiss you?”

I scoff, rolling my eyes playfully. “I might if you don’t.”

I let out a long, satisfied sigh when he finally placed his lips on mine. It’s what I’ve imagined all along. Soft and warm.

Warmth. It’s what creeps from my neck to my face when Baekhyun cups my jaw to tilt my head to the side to have better access to my mouth. I couldn’t stop the moan from the back of my throat when he spread my lips with his to open my mouth, and my tongue met his.

That made Baekhyun pull away from my mouth, and my eyes are unable to open for a few seconds as the feeling of his lips lingered on mine.

“You are breathtaking,” Baekhyun’s voice is hoarse, and when I open my eyes, his orbs are dancing around my facial features. He runs his thumb on my bottom lip before leaning forward for a peck on my lips and pulling away in an instant. “So, what do you say?”

“I’ve never thought I could like someone like you,” I exhale through my nose, and my voice comes out like a whisper.

“Because I have a dick?” he chuckled huskily, sending me a cheeky smile.

I burst out laughing, pushing his chest lightly before hooking my fingers on his belt. “You seem to be eager about your dick, Baekhyun. You sure it won’t disappoint?” I playfully taunt him, raising a brow suggestively.

Being dramatic as he is, he gasps loudly, clearly offended—still. He hastily unbuckles his belt and is about to unbutton his pants. “I can prove it right now—”

With my eyes wide open, I stop his movement by holding his arms firmly. I chuckle, a bit abashed with my facetious remark about his pride. “How about the bed?”

Baekhyun has a cheek to blush when he realizes that I gave him the consent to really show me his shaft, maybe even do more. It’s actually the first time I’ve seen him flushed. It had been the other way around.

I’m a giggling mess when Baekhyun visibly struggles to carry me to his bedroom. I was honest with him when I told him that I like keeping a healthy weight. I don’t do fad diets, and he knew that I eat a lot of not-so-healthy stuff when I’m stressed out. But he still insisted on being “romantic,” as he said.

When my back finally hit the soft mattress, I let out a cough from laughing too much before meeting Baekhyun’s eyes. Despite grunting all the way to his room, he seemed fine; his gaze was dancing around my facial features.

“What?” I tried my best to keep a straight face when, in fact, our current position on his bed made me realize how intimate we are, and also close, probably—if things go well, on doing something besides kissing each other.

I almost melted on the spot when Baekhyun displays a gentle smile on his face while his fingers tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “A man is just appreciating his woman’s beauty.”

My eyes roll playfully, though I can feel how my stomach flutter from his smooth words. “Alright, mister. Are we going to be just sappy all night or...?”

Baekhyun chuckles huskily, leaning his body weight on top of me and diving his head down to kiss my lips. Then, it traveled to my chin and to my jaw.

My mouth falls open when his mouth reaches my neck. It started with his soft, puckered lips on my skin until he started with an open-mouthed kiss on the base of my neck.

We are moving quite fast, but I’m too occupied by the way his tongue is brushing on my skin, his teeth biting the soft flesh before sucking on the spot.

“Shit—Baekhyun,” I sigh from the stimulation, closing my eyes when I feel the tightness in his pants as he moves to place his lips on mine again.

A silent whimper escapes my mouth when Baekhyun suddenly pulls away. I snap my eyes open, furrowing my brows at him. But before I could even open my mouth to ask him why he stopped, he beat me to it.

“Are you okay—is this okay? Am I making you uncomfortable?”

“I’m okay. C’mere.” I answer in an instant, grabbing his neck to kiss him again, but he pulls away.

“Do you want me to keep the lights on, or do you prefer it off?”

“I’d prefer it if you keep your mouth on mine,” I deadpan. The built-up frustration in me starts to act up.

I expect Baekhyun to respond sassily or to laugh as he normally does, but he looks a bit somber, and it somehow makes me feel guilty.

“I just don’t want to ruin this, baby,” Baekhyun explains, heaving a sigh. “Trust me when I say that I want this more than you do, but I’m thinking that this might be your first time—”

“With a guy, yeah...” I cut him off, fiddling with the button of his dress shirt. “I’m sorry—I didn’t think about that.”

“Hey,” Baekhyun nudged my nose with his to call for my attention, and it did. I see his bright eyes, and he immediately smiles. “Why are you apologizing? I'm honored that you want me, but let me take care of you, yeah?”

I nod my head with a smile, “Okay.”

Dropping another kiss on my mouth, he starts lifting the oversized sweater I’m wearing, exposing more skin for him to touch.

“Oh, shit,” Baekhyun curses under his breath when the hem of my sweater reaches above my chest, exposing my bare mounds to him. “No bra?”

I giggle, placing my palms over my nipples when I see how he ogles on them. “I was sleeping when you called, remember? Who wears a bra when they sleep?”

He gently grabs my wrists, pulling them to my sides before removing my top completely. My back arches when he puts one nipple in his warm cavern, his teeth grazing the surface before completely sucking my areole further into his mouth.

My hand flies to his head, bunching his hair softly when his tongue starts swirling around. He makes sure to treat my other boob the same, giving me the same pleasure as the previous one.

I let a moan when he starts trailing kisses down to my navel, squirming a little bit when he purposely licks on the side of my stomach when he notices that I’m quite ticklish.

He unties my sweatpants, pulling them down from my thighs to my legs until they reach the floor. I’m left in my plain cotton underwear, and I can’t stop covering my face with my hands when he holds my knees before pulling them apart.

I should’ve at least worn a much decent piece if I just knew that I’d be bare in front of Baekhyun.

But that thought flies outside the window when I feel his index finger lightly rub against my clothed private part. When I open my eyes, I’m surprised to see that Baekhyun is already looking at me as if waiting for a negative reaction or refusal.

“Oh, God—” I prop on my elbow to get a better view of him rubbing me down there, my jaw slack for a silent moan. “Keep going, please.”

Taking it as a go signal, he proceeds to remove my underwear, leaving me completely bare before him.

I throw my head back down to the mattress when Baekhyun positions himself down on the bed, spreading my thigh wider, his breath fans on my womanhood.

The pad of his thumb rubs my folds. His movements are gentle and slow, but they don’t fail to make me roll my eyes from the sensation, letting out a grunt.

I squeak when the tip of his nose makes contact with my clit, his finger parting my folds to expose the bundle of nerves. He then starts giving my bud a peck repeatedly. The action makes my womanhood produce its own lubricant, and I only realize that Baekhyun did that to stimulate me rather than forcing me to be wet in an instant.

Damn. He’s good.

“Ha...” I moan when his tongue finally runs through my folds. I hold onto his head when he grunts in response, and the vibration makes the tip of my toes curl. “Fuck—yes, please.”

I heard Baekhyun snicker at my womanhood upon hearing me curse—which I rarely do, sucking on my clit before flicking his tongue on it. My hands, absent-mindedly, push the back of his head further between my legs, feeling the knot in my stomach quickly forming.

I can’t stop the noise coming out from my mouth when he shakes his head, stimulating my womanhood intensely. His middle finger sneaks inside my hole before pulling away to peer at my face.

“Please—don’t stop,” I beg, biting my bottom lip when he added another finger, thrusting them faster. “I’m almost there.”

Baekhyun grunts, his mouth coming to my clit again to push me to the edge. I almost lost it just as he started sucking on the bud, making an erotic slurping sound across the room.

My thigh clamps his head as I try to pull away when my climax hits, but he’s much stronger, making sure he gets all the substance from my entrance.

I prop on my elbow even though I’m still recovering from the mind-blowing orgasm he gave me. I watch him with hooded eyes as he continuously digs his tongue on my entrance, moaning like he’s satisfied with my cum.

When my muscles start to twitch from overstimulation, I push his face away with my hand before covering my womanhood as he attempts to have a taste again.

“Okay, you’ve had enough,” I laughed light-heartedly, grabbing his face for a kiss.

Baekhyun moans when I part his lips with my tongue, tasting myself on him. “I’ll never have enough of you, baby. I don’t think I can ever get enough.”

I wrap my arms around his neck, climbing onto his lap for us to switch positions on the bed. I trail kisses from his lips to his jaw, and when I reach his neck, my fingers start to unbutton his dress shirt, pushing the fabric away from his body to expose his toned torso.

However, before I could even completely remove his pants, he stopped me from doing so, and I looked at him with a baffled expression.

“Are you alright with—”

“Sucking a dick?” I snort, tugging his pants again when he lifts his hips for the garment to slide down his bottom. “I’ve never tried it before; thus, your guidance will be very much appreciated.”

Baekhyun grins upon hearing my statement, although he closes his eyes in an instant when I circle my fingers on his member without any warning. He’s already hard, and I’m unable to hide my amusement at how it keeps twitching when I start moving my hand.

“Baby...” Baekhyun growls, snapping his eyes open to observe what I’m doing. “I had a long day; I don’t think I’ll last long tonight. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

I snicker, pumping his length continuously. “I thought I heard you say that it won’t disappoint.”

“It won’t,” he glares, though the furrow on his brows quickly vanishes when I grip him tighter. “But someone decided that it was a great idea to ghost me this afternoon.”

I finally stopped my ministration, giving him a sheepish smile. “Sorry.”

“I had to endure Jessi’s nagging when I asked her about you and that you were not answering my calls. She thought that I did something wrong to you.”

I jut out my bottom lip on him to act adorable, but it’s obviously a failure when he visibly grimaces playfully. I hit his chest before throwing myself on top of him, giving his mouth a smooch. “I’m sorry. I’ve been thinking about us, and it’s eating me alive. You know what happened with my ex, and as much as possible, I don’t want it to happen again.”

“I will do my best not to hurt you, baby,” he kisses the tip of my nose, which I find to be too endearing. “I may play around a lot, but I take my relationship very seriously. My friends and family know that.”

“And you’re thirty,” I press my palms on each side of his cheek, giggling when his lips turn into a pout. “You need to settle down, old man.”

Baekhyun gasps, holding my wrist and sitting up on the bed. “Are you proposing to me right now?”

I know he meant it as a joke, but my mouth opens and closes like a fish out of water. He probably noticed how flustered I became, and he laughed it off, kissing my lips to calm me down. “I’ll do the proposing, baby. Don’t worry.”

His words didn’t help, and my whole body felt like it was on fire. Tonight is officially our first night together, and the discussion about marriage has already been brought up. It’s obvious that we are moving too fast, but somehow, it doesn’t bother me... at all.

We are just looking at each other for a few moments, in each other’s embrace. Hence, I finally decided to break the silence.

“Can I suck your dick now?”

Baekhyun laughs out loud, caressing my bare back with his palm. “Alright, baby. Just for a bit?”

I nod my head with a wide smile on my face, tucking my hair behind my ear. He sees that I’m struggling with my hair, and thankfully, he decided to hold it for me.

I lower my head until my lips touch his tip. My eyes flickered to see Baekhyun’s reaction for a bit when I heard him hiss. His face is scrunched up, and he’s biting his bottom lip while watching me go down on him.

Feeling encouraged by his response, I spread my lips wider to take him in my warm mouth. My heart feels like it’s being tickled by soft feathers when he moans loudly, “Oh—shit, baby.”

His grip on my hair becomes tighter when I started bobbing my head around his length, not forgetting to circle my tongue on his tip every time I need to take a breath.

“W-wait, I’m close, baby,” he pulls me up from my position and guides me to lie down on the mattress while he positions himself between my legs.

When he reaches his nightstand for protection, I immediately stop him from opening the packet. “Is it alright if we do it without the rubber?”

It’s his time to be surprised by my request. He raises his brows in shock, although he seems to be tempted. “Are you sure?”

I quickly nod my head, “Yes, I want to feel you.”

Baekhyun throws the packet of condoms on the floor, placing his palm on the mattress beside my head for support as he lines his length on my hole, seemingly pleased with my justification. “Okay. I’ll just pull out—”

“Can you come in me?” I’m so embarrassed to ask him this question, but I’ve been meaning to, as I really want to feel it. In case he feels uncomfortable with the idea, I instantly added, “I’ll get pills tomorrow to avoid any unplanned occurrence, I promise.”

“Relax, baby,” Baekhyun gives me a reassuring smile, slowly pushing his length into me. My jaw goes slack, and my eyes close from the stretch. It’s not that painful, as I’ve used stuff for penetration before.

“I don’t mind the idea of you being swollen here.” He places his hand on my belly, rubbing the skin with his thumb. “In fact, I’d love it. But you have the final say, baby. It’s your body.”

My bottom lip is caught between my teeth as I whimper when he sheathes his member deep in me. I throw my head back on the mattress, and he takes it as an opportunity to lick and bite my exposed neck.

When I tap his shoulder to let him know I’m ready, he straightens his back, holding on to my hips as he pulls out and pushes in my womanhood.

It seems impossible, but it feels like my walls can perceive the veins of his cock. It twitches from time to time, hitting a spot in me that would make me roll my eyes to the back of my head.

I’ve used toys before; my ex loved to use them, but this is different. His length is snug on my walls and rubs my insides perfectly. Not to mention the way his hips would snap on my pelvis, stimulating my outer lips as well.

My chest starts to heave as I pant when Baekhyun adds his finger to the scene, rubbing my clit while his thrusts go faster.

“Oh, gosh!” I squeak, frantically gripping the sheets, when I feel the tight knot in my stomach close to bursting. “I’m close—please, don’t stop.”

I didn’t expect that he could go faster than he already had, but boy, he truly didn’t disappoint when he went faster, and his thrust became firmer.

“I’m almost there, baby,” he grunts, removing his hand away from my clit so he can support his weight when he leans down to place his lips on mine.

I moan in his mouth, holding on to his back, when I feel something warm shoot inside of me. The warmth almost feels like a tickle and surprisingly satisfying. I never thought those explicit videos I watched when I was a teenager were true.

My arms hugged his figure closer to my body when he finally gave up and lay on top of me. His face is buried in my neck while he catches his breath. It takes him a good minute to remove his weight on me, not even giving me a chance to comprehend what he’s about to do.

He stuffs two of his fingers in my hole, and his lips go to my clit to suck the bud. I let out a high-pitched scream as I grabbed a fistful of his hair, totally overwhelmed by his quick movement.

“I’m coming—I’m coming!”

My legs convulse from the intensity of my second climax of the night, and I almost cried when Baekhyun wouldn’t stop slurping the juices from my hole. I didn’t expect it to happen, and I guess he didn’t see it coming as well, but a thin liquid gushed out from my vagina from overstimulation.

I was about to apologize to him but was surprised when he looked so pleased, sticking his tongue out before licking a stripe on my folds one last time before climbing up to devour my mouth.

“That’s so hot,” he remarks, pertaining to what happened. “I’d pay with my soul to make it happen again.”

I chuckle at his statement, though tiredly, “I’m glad I didn’t disappoint you.”

Baekhyun laughs, biting my bottom lip and pulling it with his teeth. “And I hope I didn’t disappoint you either.”

A smile formed on my lips before giving his lips a chaste kiss that I could say that I poured my heart into. “You’re perfect.”

When I decided to activate my social media again, I instantly received many messages from my high school friends and people from university.

My high school friends were so ecstatic when they saw that I uploaded a story on my account after being unreachable for months.

It was a silhouette of Baekhyun and the sun setting in the background.

They were supportive and happy that I was seeing someone again after the bad break-up with my ex.

While the people I know from university didn’t even say any greetings and went straight to, “Who is this?” or, “A guy???” some even sent, “You’re straight now?”

I chose to ignore the toxicity from those people and focus on the good side. I left them on seen and went on with my life where everything seems to be falling into place.

And I think that irked them as someone sent me a screenshot of their conversation in a group chat that my ex is also a part of—and which I was kicked out of when we broke up. They were talking about the story I uploaded and how I am probably rubbing it on their faces that I’m dating someone again, notably a man.

I don’t mind their tattles, but what my ex said bothers me a lot. She said, “He’s just a tit for tat from our break-up. It’s only going to be joyful at first. They’ll break up in a few months, believe me.”

I remember my face turning so red when I read her message. However, I did my best to keep my cool and replied to the person who sent the screenshot with a simple, “I’d rather not include myself in their narrative. But I appreciate the thought of you reaching out.”

Because she couldn’t be more wrong.

A week after we officially got together, Baekhyun was the one who asked if he could meet my parents. I told my mom about it, and she enthusiastically invited him for dinner.

To say that my parents love him at the first meeting is such an understatement. Baekhyun is a charmer. Everyone could be swooned by his tactics, and my parents weren’t an exemption.

A week after that, he was already playing golf with my dad, and he would play the piano with my mom.

In the third month, Baekhyun invited me to attend the wedding of his cousin. His parents would be there, and he wanted me to meet them. It was such a nerve-wracking moment since I never got a chance to be close to my ex’s parents or any of her family members.

But boy, was I wrong.

His mother linked her arm with mine almost the whole time at the reception. She asked different questions that weren’t personal and made me promise at least five times to visit them at their home for me to try her cooking.

His dad was the calm and serene one but would say the word: daughter-in-law when someone would ask who I was.

I also met his older brother and his family. They were all nice and friendly. Baekhyun’s nephews even started calling me aunt.

“You’re the second girl Baekhyun introduced to us,” his brother told me, tipping his head in Baekhyun’s direction while the latter was engaged in a conversation with their relatives. “The first one was his senior in high school. She was his first girlfriend. She shouldn’t be included, to be honest, because we’ve known her before they started going out. So, technically, you’re the first.”

I was not uncomfortable with the mention of my current lover’s past relationship, and I appreciated the honesty instead. “He mentioned that he dated quite a few before me, though.”

His brother snorted, shaking his head. “He did. Mom would always ask him to bring them over. But he kept saying that he wouldn’t bring someone he won’t marry.”

Baekhyun was confused and quite worried on the drive home because my face was crimson red the whole night. He kept checking my forehead and neck to see if I had a fever or if I had eaten something bad at the wedding reception.

I wasn’t planning on telling him the reason for my sudden change of behavior and why I was blushing like crazy, but when we arrived at his place and were about to go to bed, he insisted on going to the hospital so I could get checked.

Hence, I decided to tell him what his older brother told me. I hid my face in the space on his neck, abashed, and I was pretty sure that my blushing went over and beyond.

I was expecting him to laugh, to make fun of the silly thing his brother informed me. But a kiss on my forehead and a back rub were the things I received from him.

“Of course, I do see myself marrying you,” his voice was like velvet as he spoke, his hand never stopping caressing my back. “I can’t see myself with anyone else besides you.”

I was about to cry, but he might’ve realized that what he said was mushy and decided to be his playful self again. “Because who else can tolerate your dad's jokes except me?”

My fist came in contact with his chest, although a bubble of laughter escaped my lips. I also couldn’t see myself with anyone else but him.

That was the first time we said the three words to each other, as we both came from our love-making relationship.

In the sixth month, I told my parents that I saw an apartment near the office that fit my budget and was planning to get a place for myself as I felt bad about living in their house at my age.

They told me that they would love it if I stayed with them since they did get lonely when I was still with my ex. But at the same time, they assured me that they would respect my decision, whatever it would be.

I promised that I would visit them if I ever moved out and told them that they could do the same.

Before I could contact the realtor, I decided to tell Baekhyun about my plans as well. He was surprised, to tell the least, and I honestly didn’t expect him to react the way he did.

“Why would you look at a different place?” Although he wasn’t yelling, it was obvious that his tone of voice was close to being upset.

“I’m just planning, babe,” I told him, squeezing his arm to ease his mood, but he just brushed me off, which was shocking. I cleared my throat before clarifying what I said. “That’s why I’m telling you first before I inquire with the realtor if I could check the place and apply for a lease and—”

“And I asked you why.”

It was also the first time I’ve seen him in this mood, and it made me want to cry on the spot. Not because I got scared of him but because he was upset because of what I told him—because of me.

“I feel bad living with my parents, Baekhyun,” I confessed, looking at my lap as I fiddled with the seam of my pants. “I’m already twenty-eight, and I shouldn’t be a burden to my parents. Also, the place I’m eyeing is only ten minutes away from the office, and it would somehow make my life easier.”

Baekhyun scoffs, turning his head to me. “And the distance of my place is also ten minutes away from the office. That didn’t cross your mind?”

I opened my mouth but closed it right away when I couldn’t find the courage to tell him that I did. However, I didn’t have the guts to tell him—and I was embarrassed as hell to even think about it, so I opt to look for a place on my own.

“Do you even love me?!”

I gasped loudly, my eyes wide as saucers as I stared at him like he had grown another head on his neck. “What the hell, Baekhyun? I told you about it because I care about your opinion. Why are you getting angry at me like I did something horrendous?”

I believed that made him slap some reality on him. He closed his eyes and exhaled through his nose, “I—I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to shout. I just—I don’t want you living by yourself, it’s not safe. And I have my own place. You can move in with me—and honestly, I’d love that if you do.”

I rolled my eyes at him, shaking my head, and it made him panic, thinking that I was declining his proposal. “I’ll think about it, you idiot.”

Baekhyun exaggeratedly pouted, huffing as he tried to act cute, which never failed to make me cringe every time he did, by the way. “You didn’t even think twice about renting another place. What’s so wrong with living with your awesomely handsome boyfriend, huh? You get to see my face first thing in the morning, get to shower with me because, you know—conserve water and all that, and seriously, you don’t have to pay rent.”

I was about to cut him off when he mentioned that I wouldn’t have to pay rent if I moved in with him, but he placed his index finger on my mouth, shushing me like a child.

“I won’t accept any kind of money for rent, baby. A blowjob, maybe?”

My palm hurt from slapping his arm repeatedly, but he just kept laughing as he dodged every hit. “You know I do that for free.”

Baekhyun bit his bottom lip, raising a brow suggestively. “Shit, now I’m hard.”

I didn’t know how our argument would always make us tangled in bed, but it just happened. Always.

And you can blame the euphoria or whatever, but it made me agree to move to his place. He asked when I literally just came, and I wasn’t even done screaming his name, and my muscles were still convulsing from the intensity of my orgasm.

He played dirty, but I didn’t regret my decision a single bit.

In the eleventh month, something unexpected happened.

Actually, two things happened.

I received an invitation from a university acquaintance to her wedding. I didn’t want to go because this person was part of the group chat where they gossiped about my life. But Baekhyun told me to go and be the bigger person.

I knew he told me to go not to become the bigger person, but because he read her text and specifically said, “Bring your boyfriend with you.”

He knew about the screenshot of what my ex had told other people when I uploaded a photo of him. I wasn’t planning on telling him because I found it completely ridiculous, but I was drunk, and my mouth ran before my brain did.

“You just want to show how hot you are,” I rolled my eyes, chucking a pillow on his face.

“Oh, so you admit that I’m hot?” he trapped my figure on the bed with his arms, grinding his bulge on my private part.

“Eh, you’re okay...” I shrugged my shoulders, dismissing his growing ego.

“That’s not what you told me last night when I was eating you out—”

“Alright, alright! I’ll go, okay? But you need to come with me. I don’t think I’ll survive more than an hour there.” I covered his mouth with my hand, and he had the audacity to smile and kiss my palm.

He removed my hand from his mouth, dropping a kiss to my mouth and then to my neck while his fingers yanked my underwear, throwing it to the floor. “Of course, I’ll come with you. But for now, I’ll come to you. How’s that sound?”

I hugged his neck, and a throaty moan escaped my lips when his length plunged into my womanhood, caressing my walls satisfyingly. “Oh, I’d love that.”

When the day came, I felt under the weather, and Baekhyun had an impromptu meeting. I was about to text my friend, but before I could, she already left a message thirty minutes ago.

“I’m expecting you to be there! I haven’t seen you in a long time. Just because Yunjin will be there, you’ll bail out on my wedding day!”

I can’t remember if we were that close back in university for me to be an important present on her big day, but as I stared at her message, I realized that they just wanted me to be the main dish.

Baekhyun even told me to stay at home and that he’d come home right after his meeting, but I had already responded to that person, confirming my attendance.

He called me stubborn when I explained that I wouldn’t back down on their schemes, although he still drove me to the reception.

I kissed his lips, thanking him for driving me before getting out of the car.

“I’ll come right after the meeting. Call me if anything happens. And when I said anything—anything, alright?”

I kissed him one more time, totally swooned by his caring personality. “Okay. I love you. Drive safe, yeah?”

“I love you too, baby. I’ll see you later.”

As expected, she invited me just to meet Baekhyun. I was almost fuming in annoyance when they kept laughing at how Baekhyun was not there. Even my ex was laughing with her punchline, “I’m starting to think that the guy on your story was just a random photo you saw on Google.”

I didn’t want them to think that I was getting affected by their jokes that I knew were half-meant. So, I decided to laugh with them, and I wasn’t ashamed to show them that it was by force.

Baekhyun texted me to say that he was running late, and if he didn’t make it to the reception, he’d still come and pick me up. I told him that it was fine and assured him that no one was harassing me when he sent: IS SOMEONE BOTHERING YOU THERE???, in all caps.

The second thing happened when my ex sat beside me and handed me a glass of wine. The smell of the alcohol, although quite subtle, when it reached my nostrils, I wasn’t able to hold back my gag. I peeked at my ex, and gladly, she didn’t see it.

But one person did. The one who sent me the screenshot of their group chat messages.

She eyed me with concern when I gagged once again before deciding to place the wine on the table where I wouldn’t smell it.

Remembering that I wasn’t feeling well this morning, I was about to call Baekhyun, but at the same time, I didn’t want to bother him for a while since he mentioned that it was an important meeting with a stakeholder. I knew he said to call him if anything happened, but I thought that I could still handle it.

Since it was nearing the end of the reception, more alcohol came into the hall, and I started getting dizzy. I ran to the toilet and tried to stick my finger on my mouth to induce vomit since I’d been gagging and thought that it was a good idea to just let it all out.

“No—wait, don’t do that.”

It was Jisoo who sent me the screenshot. She held my hand away from my mouth, brushing away the hair that got stuck on my face as I started breaking into a cold sweat.

She closed the cubicle door and sat on the cold tiles in front of me. “I saw how you became sensitive to the smell of alcohol. How many weeks are you in?”

I tilted my head to the side, not having an idea of what she was asking. “Sorry?”

“Oh,” she smiled sheepishly, “aren’t you pregnant? I’m sorry if you find it offensive. I—”

I chuckled nervously, not expecting to hear that from her or from anyone. “I probably ate a lot earlier, huh? That it bloats my belly.”

I haven’t tracked my period due to work, and I got busy when Baekhyun and I decided to re-décor the apartment. But we are careful. I have been taking after pills since we got accumulated on not using protection nor pulling out.

“Oh, shit...”

My eyes widened in realization as I remembered the night that Baekhyun came home when I was already asleep. He was tipsy as he met with his friends for a drink, and when he saw me sleeping just with a loose t-shirt and underwear, he initiated intercourse.

I was tired, so I let him be. I quickly went back to sleep when he finished, and when morning came, I rushed to get ready for work since neither of our alarms went off for some reason, and the afterpill on the medicine cabinet was left untouched.

Jisoo gasped upon seeing my reaction, “You—you didn’t know?”

I shook my head slowly, still in faze by the fact that I could be, and a large possibility, pregnant. “I—we were busy. I was feeling normal until today...”

“I—” Jisoo rummaged through her purse, groaning when she didn’t find what she was looking for. “I usually carry a test with me, but I don’t have it right now. I—uhm, I can ask the hotel clinic if you want to. Or would you want to do it by yourself at home?”

“I—uh,” I heaved a deep sigh, not knowing what to do but to dial Baekhyun’s number with my shaky fingers. When he didn’t answer, I left him a message, hoping that he’d read it soon.

Come pick me up, please. Sent | 7:45 PM

Jisoo stayed by my side as we went back to the gathering. She even got a different chair for me to sit on rather than the seat next to Yunjin. I gave her a grateful smile, and she just squeezed my hand to tell me it was fine.

I was bouncing my legs for at least ten minutes straight when I decided to tell Jisoo that I wanted to test it now, and she nodded her head, telling me to wait for her while she went to the hotel clinic to see if they had a test kit.

When she came back, she nonchalantly asked me to go with her to the bathroom as she needed to retouch her make-up. The other girls just waved us off, not really caring about us.

On the way to the bathroom, I finally received my boyfriend’s reply, and I couldn’t help but sigh in relief.

You alright? Received | 8:18 PM

I hastily typed a simple Yes, and his response calmed my nerves a bit.

On my way. Give me 15 mins max, baby. Love you. Received | 8:19 PM

I read the instructions carefully and made sure that what I’d done was correct when the result finally showed on the kit. I bang my head on the cubicle’s wall, alerting Jisoo on the other side.

“Is everything okay?”

“One line means negative, right?” I asked dumbly, not knowing how to react to this situation.

“Yes,” Jisoo confirmed, knocking on the door to ask me to open it, and I did. “Is it negative?”

I handed her the kit, my face blank of any expression.

She gasped loudly when she saw the two lines, pushing me back inside the cubicle and locking the door. “Congratulations!”

She jumped on her feet as she hugged my almost limp figure. When she noticed that I wasn’t excited about the news like she was, she looked at me with concern on her face. “Are you not planning on this?”

I shook my head, biting my bottom lip as I got worried about Baekhyun’s reaction to the news. We both discussed marriage but haven’t gotten further about a child coming into play.

What if he didn’t want a child like my ex? Will he change? Will he leave me as well?

Yunjin being unfaithful and breaking up with me was painful, and it took months for me to feel alive again.

But the thought of Baekhyun walking out of my life was unthinkable.

I just couldn’t.

I was beyond grateful to Jisoo when she held my arm as I decided to leave the venue and wait for Baekhyun to pick me up. However, as soon as we got to the table to bid them goodbye, I saw everyone gushing about Baekhyun.

“I saw you on LinkedIn, and you’re an Executive Director of the company you built, right? What are you doing here? Are you related to the bride or the groom?” one of them asked, resting a hand on my boyfriend’s thigh, and it didn’t fail to make me raise an eyebrow in annoyance.

“Right! I knew he looked familiar the moment he walked in. I’ve heard that it’s a great place to work. You have an impressive accomplishment at such an age, I must say.” Yunjin even joined the conversation, seemingly immersed in seeing Baekhyun.

Jessi once told me how Baekhyun has achieved incredible credibility in terms of corporate business, and a lot of multinational corporations have asked him to join their team, but he chose to stay with Junmyeon, his good friend, since grade school.

Fortunately, Baekhyun brushed her hand away, eyes scanning the place to look for me. “It’s the company of my close friend, and I’m just helping him. And I’m looking for my—”

“You’re such a humble guy. Can I have your number—”

“Oh—there you are!” Baekhyun sighed in relief and smiled sheepishly when he saw how unhappy I looked upon seeing the interaction. He walked in my direction and kissed my lips in front of everyone.

“My conscience is clear, baby,” he whispered to my ear before facing them, whose eyes were wide and their jaw almost reaching the floor. “I’m here to pick up my girlfriend. And we’ll get going now.”

I forced myself to smile, waving them goodbye, and couldn’t stop the amused chuckle I felt when I saw their incredulous look, especially when Baekhyun intertwined our fingers in front of their faces.

“Thank you,” I mouthed to Jisoo when Baekhyun tugged my hand as a signal for us to leave the place. I felt sorry because he must’ve been uncomfortable from their questioning earlier.

Jisoo smiled widely, raising a fist in the air, whispering, “Fighting! And call me.”

And that made me remember the reality that I have a child in me, and I must tell Baekhyun about it.

When we reached home, we washed up together and went to bed. I knew it was a long meeting, and he must be so tired, but I couldn’t stop the negative thoughts in my head. And I won’t be able to sleep in this condition.

He was already breathing heavily, a sign that he fell asleep, and I confirmed it when I raised my head from his chest and peeked over to see his face.

I huffed, feeling pathetically frustrated with myself. I could’ve told him on the drive back home, but I waited, and now he was asleep.

I started whining his name to try to wake him up, but he didn’t even budge. I tried kissing his neck since he was a bit sensitive in there, but all I received was a tired groan.

“Baby... I’m tired. Tomorrow, okay?”

I didn’t know if it was because of the pregnancy or if it was just all in my head, but when he turned around so his back would face me instead, I exhaled shakily, and tears started forming on the brim of my eyes.

I pursed my lips so he wouldn’t hear my soft hiccups. It was a petty thing to do, but I grabbed my pillow and went to the living room, settling myself on the couch with a single pillow and a throw blanket.

I was sniffling when I closed my eyes, and a salty stream of tears flowed to the side of my face, praying that everything would be okay and that sleep would come so I could rest my mind for a bit.

My eyes snapped open when I felt the space beside me sink and an arm wrapped around my middle. It was still dark outside the window, so I guessed that it was still dawn.

I was still somewhat hurt when he turned his back on me, so I decided to do the same, having him taste his own medicine.

“Baby... don’t do this...” he sounded so fed up, and being at the peak of my emotion, I hid my face even more when I felt a prickle in my nose, and tears started welling up again.

I was normally reserved and wouldn’t make a big deal on things. I’d like to stay calm and think before I open my mouth on a serious matter. So, this was new to him.

“You know I’ve never said no to sex before, but please, baby, let me sleep for at least three hours, and I’ll do anything you want.”

That made me sit up from my curled-up position, and he was beyond shocked to see me crying. “Sex?! You thought I was asking for sex? What the fuck, Baekhyun!”

“No—wait, baby. Don’t cry—oh, my God.” he tried to initiate a hug, but I slapped his hands away, glaring at him. “Why are you so mad at me—where are you going?!”

I was sobbing violently, trying to push his chest away, when he literally tackled me on the couch when I attempted to walk away. He waited for me to calm down, not saying anything, but would peck the tip of my nose when I would hiccup.

When my sobs finally ceased, he tilted my chin so he could look directly into my eyes. “Are you going to tell me now why you’re so mad at me?”

I just sniffed, not answering his question.

“How am I going to fix it if you won’t tell me?” he sighed, closing his eyes in probable annoyance.

“Are you getting tired of me?” I croaked, biting my lip when it trembled.

He rubbed his face tiredly before huffing. “What—”

“Just say it if you’re fed up with me. I won’t make things complicated, and I will leave you alone.”

“Baby—do you hear yourself? What the hell is wrong with you?” Baekhyun hated the instances in which he would raise his voice at me, but this time, it seemed like I needed it from his point of view. “Why are you breaking up with me? Did something happen—did I do something wrong? Tell me so I can fix it—at least give me a chance to fix it!”

“I—” I lowered my head as another set of tears formed.

I heard Baekhyun sniff, and his voice started to crack. “Baby... please... tell me what’s wrong.”

I raised my head to look at him, and guilt crashed through me when I saw his eyes turn red and glossy. “Promise me you won’t get angry... please.”

“You know I would never be angry with you.”

I gulped audibly before opening my mouth to finally tell him what I should’ve done earlier. “The girl you saw earlier, the one whom I was in the bathroom, she thought I was pregnant because I became sensitive to the smell of wine.”

He nodded his head, urging me to continue.

“She asked me to do a test. And, uh... it came positive.”

Baekhyun’s eyes widened in surprise, and his mouth fell open. “You—we—we’re pregnant?”

“Yes,” I confirmed his question, anticipating his next action. Is he going to be mad about the unplanned pregnancy? We haven’t even been together for a year. Will a baby be a hindrance to our—his freedom?

Baekhyun exhaled heavily like he was holding his breath for a long time, “Baby—that’s—you should’ve told me. Is that the reason why you’re frustrated at me?”

I was breathing heavily, thousands of thoughts running through my head, when he didn’t directly confirm if he was fine with it or if he wanted to be out of the picture. “You’re okay with it? You’re not mad?”

Baekhyun looked at me like I’d said something I shouldn’t have. “What—why would I be mad about it? We’re having a baby, my love. This is good news! Where the hell you got the idea of me not wanting to have a child with you?”

I’d like to blame it on the pregnancy this time when I started sobbing, throwing myself to Baekhyun as I hugged his neck tightly. He must’ve sensed my sincere emotion, that I was frightened that he could’ve thought otherwise about the situation.

Baekhyun hugged my figure, caressing my back and the back of my head to calm me down. “Please don’t ever doubt my love for you. I’ve never loved someone as much as I love you. Please don’t forget that, although I will never get tired of reminding you every day.”

I cried even more with his confession, wailing: I love you, as I hid my face in his neck, climbing on his lap as I made myself comfortable in his hold.

Baekhyun showered my face with kisses when I pulled away, despite my cheeks being soaked with tears and my nose probably snotty. He looked at me like I was his greatest treasure. “My baby is such a crybaby.”

I sniffed, though a smile finally formed in my mouth. “I guess I’m not your baby anymore, huh.”

Baekhyun scrunched up his nose, nodding his head. “Yeah... I mean, I’d go down on one knee right now to make you my wife instead, but I haven’t bought a ring yet. Will a Ring Pop do for now?”

I placed a chaste kiss on his lips before laughing. “As long as it’d be strawberry flavor, I’ll say yes.”

Baekhyun laughed so loud that I had to cover his mouth with my palm as it was still dark outside, and our neighbors might report us if we didn’t tone down our voices.

“But seriously, babe,” he hummed as he laid me down on the bed and attacked my neck with his lips. “Why did you turn your back on me earlier? I was so hurt when you did that.”

Baekhyun looked so done with me, but instead of getting bothered by it, I found it amusing how he went on for almost an hour, explaining that he didn’t do it on purpose and he was just half asleep and wouldn’t do it if he was fully awake.

In the twelfth month, Baekhyun finally went down on one knee. Asking me to marry him with a proper ring adorned in his fingers. Our families and our closest friends were there.

I couldn’t help but tear up to see them celebrating for us.

On the fifteenth month, I walked down the aisle to vow to take Baekhyun as my husband. The wedding was rushed, and we thought it wasn't plausible. But a good friend of mine, Jisoo, who is a wedding organizer, made it happen. What are the odds?

By then, I stopped counting the months and just lived in the moment with him.

With Baekhyun.

Baekhyun is different. He proves to me every single day that I’m finally with someone I can feel safe with. Someone who will celebrate my success—our success together. Someone I can lean on and someone who needs me as much. Someone who trusts me as I trust him. Someone who loves me as much as I love him.

Someone who respects me as much as I respect him.

I couldn’t be more thankful that I didn’t take my friends’ advice about vengeance.

Because you know what’s better than revenge?

Moving on, then finding contentment and happiness.

It could be at work, financially, family, or in person. Let time heal you, and once you feel like you can take a bath and eat breakfast, keep moving forward and focus on what and who makes you happy.

You’re going to be okay. I promise.

It took me a long time, but I finally found the love I’ve always wanted.

#baekhyun #baekhyun smut #baekhyun fluff #baekhyun scenario #baekhyun angst #baekhyun x reader #baekhyun imagine #exo #exo smut #exo imagines #exo fanfic #baekhyun fanfic #exo scenarios

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niicoli · 2 years ago

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Toxic satosugu x pregnant reader

I LOVED YOU AT ONE POINT

So imagine you all were dating back in high school after you it had got out that you liked both of them and the boys were already together so they decided to “ play around with you “ and took you into their little world. They showed you love and compassion and made you feel like you were on cloud nine, they made it feel so real that it felt to good to be true … and it was.

“ It’s over we don’t need you anymore “ as soon as those words left satoru lips it was as if the entire world had stopped, it had fallen still with only the breath of you three in the room. Trying to bring even the smallest of brain cells to form an answer was proving difficult to find in this case,” I-I don’t think I understand what do yo-“, you go to say only to get cut off by geto laughing, and this wasn’t the normal honey filled laugh the one were you could fill the adoration and love. No this laugh made you feel a fool, made you feel like you were nothing more than a dumb little kid again having trouble understanding a question. But his eyes oh his eyes were the cruelest out of the two of them, finally understanding you packed up most of what you needed and raced out your home no THEIR home before you could even utter your surprise to them and then the silence was interrupted by their mocking condescending words from them “ Thanks for the fun time” before finally disappearing from your life

Few months later and you have been growing bigger and bigger each day having had run into an old friend since that day you have been getting help and support from Nanami almost as if you were his responsibility , almost as if he was the one who you were knocked up with in the first place.

But oh how you cherished the memories with him but sometimes even the cherished moments with him can’t stop your mind from going back to the real villains of your world

Nanami could hear you crying on most nights about them and always noticed how the next day how tired you were but would always say nothing out of respect for you and your feelings but even that was starting to wear him down

Whenever he would see gojo and geto at work he would always try and be professional with them telling himself to just leave it alone but every time he would see them all he could see was rage and eventually just ended up avoiding them and focusing his attention on you

But then came the school reunion after you gave birth to your baby boy he was the most precious thing that ever could have happened to you, with his eyes just like gojo’s and a smile like geto you couldn’t believe how much he looked like them but he was yours and you be damned if anybody tried taking him from you

Now on the day of the reunion you showed up with Nanami and your son not having or trusting anyone to watch him but those closest to you, you went about the event reconciling with old friends who would congratulate you on your new life and baby and how cute he was. Some of which were out of genuine happiness for you and some out of pity but you wouldn’t let them get to you, you were so happy about your new beginning

Well until you ran into THEM

Your blood ran cold when you locked eyes with you and again it started to feel as if your entire world was collapsing again right in front of you but with only ringing in your ears to keep you company

You wanted to run, wanted to scream at the top of your lungs and as you stood there holding your breath you finally noticed that they weren’t looking at you anymore but instead at your confused baby boy he was looking back at them just as curious

Did they notice, did they know ,how couldn’t they with how much he looks like them and when they finally reached you it was silent just like that day when everything first started

And here you were watching your entire world burn down again.

Should I make a part 2

#angst #gojou satoru x reader #geto x y/n #jujutsu sorcerer #jujutsu gojo #jujutsu geto #jujutsu nanami #jujutsu kaisen #jujustsu kaisen x reader #pregnant #poc reader

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lightlycareless · 10 months ago

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naoaki coming back to the estate only to find naoya and y/n having an intense make out session 🤭 also when hinata finds out y/n is inlove with naoya, she would beat up gojo because he jinxed it 😭

Hello!!!!!

Omg yesssssss however...

This would be highly embarrassing for all parties involved hahahahaha

But you know what it reminds me of? This video right here. God, there's so many things I could go from here like.

If this was the child au (when Y/N and Naoya are a bit older) this is how Naoaki finds out they're dating. He'd leave the room immediately.

Highschool AU, they'd be caught by Gojo, who would take pictures to blackmail them with :) And that's how everyone knows they're dating now.

But going back to Naoaki, ngl I'd like to see his reaction (he'd be getting a taste of his own medicine if you know what I mean)

Warnings: spoilers for my main fic, I believe. Slightest, tiniest hint of smut. Someone gets a reality check.

Happy reading!

Naoaki rushed back to the estate as soon as the mission was over. He always did, but as of lately, he’s doing it more— and it's no surprise why.

Ever since you came into his life, you're all he thinks of. From the beginning of the day to when he goes to sleep, Naoaki can't wait for the moment he’ll be able to see you and the lovely way your face brightens up when seeing him again, getting to hear your chirpy voice telling him of all the things you’ve done while he’s away, and maybe, if he’s lucky enough, how much you miss him too.

He doesn't care that you're Naoya’s wife. Wasn’t really an issue since he’s been nothing but disrespectful towards you; what claim can he make, demanding to keep away from you and respect him?

Everyone knows he doesn't deserve you, especially him. So what does it matter if his brother gets close to you?

Besides, it's not like anything is ever going to happen between Naoya and you. You hate him too much to allow it.

So in a way, he’s relaxed when arriving at the estate.

Kind of, for Naoaki is still worried that Naoya's suspension, where he's forced to stay back home until it's over, could easily provide him a moment to torment you.

And that… Well, he wouldn't be that far off.

Only it's not quite how he imagined it.

“Y/N—are you here…?” Naoaki is just a mere seconds away from knocking your bedroom door when it suddenly slides open, you scurrying out soon after, with a flustered face and disheveled appearance, which you try to fix before he notices, eventually acknowledging him.

“Naoaki!” You breathe, threading one of your unruly hairs behind your ear. “I didn't… I wasn't expecting you to come back!”

“I thought I'd… surprise you.” He admits, eyes focused on the swollen appearance of your lips, the fidgeting of your fingers against the collar of your kimono, and was that a… “... Are you ok?”

“Yeah!” You gasp, fervently nodding your head. “I'm fine! I was just, you know, laying a bit! Tired from all that work. Have you eaten? I'm sure you're starving!”

“No, I haven't” Naoaki, obviously, gets the feeling that you're trying to rush him away from your room. But why?

Is there another reason behind your flustered, suspicious behavior? Or maybe he caught you in an… inappropriate time?

“Well then, that can't be!” You say, quickly grabbing him by the arm and pulling in the direction of the kitchen. “Let's get you something to eat first!”

“Wait, Y/N— I don't—” and perhaps because he was tired, or simply caught off guard by everything, Naoaki can't do anything but allow you to guide him away.

Away from the rising suspicions he harbored towards your unusual appearance, your odd behavior, or the sounds coming from inside your chambers…

Naoaki, even then, was willing to push all aside and simply enjoy his reunion with you—had he kept his sight on the hallways, instead of turning back to your room, giving it one last glance and getting a sight that would forever mark his conscience: an equally disheveled Naoya exiting the doors.

Although subtle, the impression of what the two were doing there was clear in the way he fixed his pants, followed by the marks on his neck, or even the lack of an undershirt…

Naoaki didn't want to concede and admit what transpired, but it's not like he had much of a choice anyways when Naoya proceeded, with little to no shame.

“Y/N!” Naoya suddenly calls, a noise that immediately makes you stop, hesitantly turning around as your cheeks become redder and redder, to see him.

“...Yes?” you squeaked.

“Once you're done, head back to my room. I'd like to pick up where we left off.” Is all that he says, with an arrogant smirk plastered on his face that was undeniably directed to Naoaki, before turning around and retreating into the hallways.

You don't give any time for Naoaki to say anything before you're tugging him back away towards the kitchen, the path there completely silent as his new reality begins to settle in his mind.

It was almost cruel the way he found out, almost as if the universe decided to cruelly play a trick on him, toying with his worst fears, destroying what he thought invincible, and mock him with it.

But Naoaki would have to learn that the universe doesn't work that way. All had simply been work of his own delusions, thinking that just because there was a rift, he'd be able to step in and fill that void.

It was never meant to be that way. Not at all.

You and Naoya were fated together for a reason, Naoaki just needed a bit of time to see that.

Naoaki you fool... Did you really think you were to stay with y/n? Nope :) I mean, at least not in the main story I mean what.

Anyways, this is a direct call back to that one time Ranta saw Naoaki leave y/n's room and he was like oh no Naoya not better see BUT HE DID. Oh, those were the days.

As for Hinata, you can be 100% sure she's going to beat gojo's ass for even thinking something like that. :) I wonder what her reaction would be to seeing the two tho...

Anyways, I hoped you enjoy this silly thing I wrote hahahah I don't even know if this is what you wanted, but it did rub one of my guilty pleasures so... 😏

But thank you for sending in this ask :>

Take care, and hope to see you soon!!

#ask #naoya zenin #naoya zen'in #naoya x reader #naoya zenin x reader #naoya zenin x you #jjk naoya #naoya zen'in x reader #jjk x reader #jjk fluff #jjk x you #series side stories: first it hurts—

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cuddl3s4shur1 · 2 years ago

Text

•𝐁𝐎𝐗𝐄𝐃 𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒•

𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆:Earth 1610! Miles x F! Y/N

𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓,’𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝟏:REUNION

𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐎:Your old bestfriend moves in with you for a while , during that time you gain feelings

𝐀\𝐍: This a little cute or whatever

𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆:I dont know its a little angst but it gets happy an lovie dovie

Your room was like heaven in your eyes. It had most things you loved in ONE room. Your favorite books, your tv, your pc, And lastly your personal space. No one ever telling you about what you’re supposed to do in your room.

And yet all of them would come crashing down on one random day in June.

——————————————————

You would get up to your room taking another way to get up there instead of just coming in through the front door. You would get to your room like you always do. You were about to start your after-school routine, listen to music, and do your homework.

You open the door to see your room split in. Emotions would all come at you at once. You didn’t know what emotion you wanted to feel. But one that practically took over all the rest was confusion.

Why was it two twin beds instead of your queen, why were all of your beloved precious items pushed to one side while the other had items you never saw before,

“Mamá, ¿por qué mi habitación está a la mitad? ( Mommy, why is my room in half) “ you yell to her dance downstairs

You run downstairs, and in the process, you definitely felt like you missed a step, your mom was in the kitchen working on a meal.

You saw her recipe cards on the table.

Was family coming over you thought to yourself? your mother would only pull her recipe cards out if she had invited people over and wanted to impress them.

“Mama what’s going on first my room, Ahora tarjetas de recetas ( now recipe cards) . “you ask her confused about everything

The doorbell started to ring, she dusted her hands on her cooking apron. She would then remove the apron and head to the door . “ looks like the surprise came earlier than anticipated “ she would say.

“ You look at her confused, what surprise, and who on earth was at the front door?

“Honey this might be a little different for you, but remember Miles your childhood best friend, “ she asks you.

That’s when you knew exactly what was happening: she probably invited him over, but little did she know that you guys fell out a year ago.

“Sí, mamá ( yes mama) “

“Well I ran into his mom at the store, and You know Jeff is on a business trip, so u said they could stay with us... Isn't that great “ she says?

You begin to force a smile on your face “Yeah it's great “ you tell her.

“I was hoping they would come later so the food would be done, it's good there here now so they can get used to the home, “ she says, she answers the door.

You were trying to decide if you wanted to you upstairs or stay downstairs and introduce them to the house. You chose to stay downstairs you knew mama rio would want to see you.

“Ah, mi chica, mi chica (Ah my girl, my girl) “Mama Rio goes in for a hug with your mom

. “Te echaba de menos (I missed you) “ you mom whispered to Mrs. Rio

“Where’s my baby Y/n, I haven't seen her in forever, “Mama Rio says.

You walk close to the door and hug her.

She starts to squeeze you tight in her arms “I missed you too mama “ you hug her.

“Cariño, ¿dónde has estado? No te he visto desde el año pasado (Baby where have you been, I haven't seen you since last year ) “ mama Rio asks you.

“I've been busy you know “ you tell her

“ Mi chica, necesito que vengas a verme más ( my girl, I need you to come see me more)”she demands to you

she tells you “I’m sorry, I promise I’ll see more, “You tell her

, Miles brushes past you and starts to head upstairs. With bags in his hand . You go upstairs also and follow his lead . He places 2 bags in the room next to yours .

Mama rio was going to sleep their

Then he went into the room that you guys were going to share . He places his bags and go back downstairs. You were confused on why . You left it alone and went to your PC and started to work on your computer .

“So how’s life been “ miles try’s to break the silence you turn around while staying in your chair .

“Well and yours “ you ask him.

“I understand we're not really on speaking terms with each other but just so you know I still care about you, “ he tells you.

“Then if you care so much why did you start acting different and ghost me, “ you ask him “It's hard to explain, “ he says.

“just tell me the truth , when we fell out you made me seem like I something wrong like I made you go away “ you told him

“Thats not it y/n , i can’t tell you why “ he tells you , your mind goes confused.

“ok, thats fine, when you want to ... Then you can talk to me, “ you tell him and go back to doing what you needed to do.

He felt his heart beating fast like it was aching to tell you the truth.

He let out a sigh “You know Spider-Man “ he asks you, you turn around “ ofc, I mean you should know I love spider-man” you tell him

“Right right, we’ll let’s just say you know I know him, “ he says, you start to smile.

“Like really know him, Spider-man is me “Y'all both go silent, and a stare-off starts. You let out a tiny scram of excitement, he pulls you in his arm with his web shooter. He covers your mouth with his hand.

“Shh,” he tells you, “Y/n are you good “ your mom yells

He removes his hand from your mouth “Yes I’m good, it was a spider but Miles killed it “ you lied to your mom.

You guys both look at each other, you looking up at him, him looking down at you. His arm still on your waist .

“You can let go of my waist now, “ you tell him

. He removes his arm and you back up.

“Well uh that’s cool, I’m going to you know listen to music and do my work “

You say awkwardly and sit back down.

He was happy, he got his best friend and some new feelings for her Also.

#miles morales x reader #miles morales #atsv x you #spiderman miles morales #miles morales x you #miles morales prowler #miles morales fic #miles morales fluff #miles morales x y/n #morales miles #earth 1610 #earth 1610 miles morales x reader

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baby-xemnas · 9 months ago

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heavy breathing and sweating thinking of bepo chained up with tears in his eyes getting interrogated .whimpering and trying not to cry but hes a big baby and he hates pain and the whole time he just thinks of how he has to make law proud he has to get through it for captain....... post reunion law seeing all bepos injuries from it and giving him the most tender reverent massage and sexing in the world to reassure him hes Here and no one will hurt him anymore. im ill

ill draw chained up bepo at some point for SURE

but for now - imagining bepo surprising even himself that he is doing a good job enduring pain and that reacting with steel determination came so naturally - surprised but only because its the first time they ended up in a situation like that! stupid alliance with too many unknown variables - if it was up to their captain taking the lead this would never happen....but for his honor theyll endure.

i love how bepo is only cute around law and in any other situation hes very much a proper pirate....he had some choice words to say to his captors i have no doubt

in my head you know that law is so cool and bepo is so undemanding - law will be so calm about taking care of bepo, not visibly upset (he doesnt want to worry bepo, especially then when bepo is safe with him) just Peak Rational tending calmly to bepos wounds. he is weighting in his options of how to praise him...law is very grateful that him just being Strong (and cool) is what brings bepo happiness and comfort so he doesnt even have to go out of his way to do anything for him...they just work when they are together

its nuts that hawkins probably saw the MOST of laws reaction (penshachi too) - when they all were in the immediate danger (but especially bepo) after the fact (and even when he comes out of his cell) law is collected.

they are so precious about each other they are both thinking "im ashamed i ended up in the situation and made you worry/im ashamed i couldnt prevent it and you got hurt, you are my responsibility" so instead of saying these things out loud - they both know how the other is feeling - they do their best to move on asap.

and so he will be when treating bepo and caressing him, say he is checking if anything is broken (he has Scan for that) and smiles so soft and loving when bepo giggles after a ticklish spot gets stroked...

Bepo melting in his hands as usual (as usual!!!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️) its the most wonderful thing in the world and makes them both forget that anything bad ever happened

edit: im dumb and chronologically law couldnt be the one to treat him but im too sleepy and lazy to rewrite it so just ignore that inconsistency thanks

#anonymous #lawbepo #unfocused rambling im falling asleep

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berzahoes · 1 year ago

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directors on directors | spike jonze

summary: reader and spike are paired up for directors on directors (director!wife!reader)

an: because i love actors on actors, this was born lol (takes place during 2022 when jackass forever comes out) also i’m literally reading an article about spike and jackass forever for this 😭 is the reader the director of the batman instead of matt reeves for this? yes because i love that movie and batman <3

“how was it to be back with the jackass crew?” you asked spike. you and your husband were paired together for directors on directors by variety. you honestly didn’t even know what to talk about since you and spike had been together for a long time. you didn’t think it was possible to run out of things to talk about, but you and spike did.

“it was fun, i did miss the guys a lot. but, you know this, i was the most skeptical because we’re all like fifty, but as soon as we shot that first day, everyone was happy.” he said. he remembers the day he told you that another jackass movie was being made. you were happy for the reunion, but at the same time you were worried for all of them.

“what was your reaction to johnny’s hair? because he starts the movie with brown hair then ends it with silver.” spike asked. you were on set when johnny debuted his new hair.

“oh god, i liked it. i thought he was some random guy at first, but then i realized it was him,” you laughed along with spike. “it’s a good look for him.”

“what about me?” he asked.

“i see you every day,” you teased. “you know i love your hair.”

“you’re obsessed with it ever since we were teenagers. i remember you overreacted when i told you i was going to cut it all of.” spike said.

“i think that’s a reasonable response.”

“it was a joke!”

moving on from the hair talk, spike asked you about your film, the batman. he was surprised when you revealed to him that you were going to work on a superhero film. he remembers years ago that you said you would never direct a superhero film yet here you were talking about your batman film.

“what made you say yes to batman?” your husband asked.

“other than layne begging me to do it,” you chuckled. when you told your kids, phoebe and layne, that you were considering directing the new batman film, your oldest and only boy, layne, begged you nonstop to make it. phoebe didn’t really care until she learned that robert pattinson was casted then she would often visit the set. “i know i said i would never do a superhero film, but when layne started reading comic books and watching the animated series, i started to actually get into the world of comics. i guess it’s because i never picked up a comic book before, but i enjoyed making it. so all of you batman enjoyers, you have our son to thank for the batman.”

“i think he spent more time with you than with me on set of jackass,” spike pointed out. it wasn’t often that layne was on set of jackass, but he did visit. “phoebe too, she probably just wanted to watch robert pattinson on a motorcycle.”

“she’s going to freak out when she sees that you’re embarrassing her. i can already hear it.”

#jackass #spike jonze one shot #spike jonze x reader #spike jonze imagine #spike jonze fanfic #spike jonze #jackass forever #mtv jackass #spike jonze fanfiction

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tripthelightfandomtastic · 4 months ago

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Sorry for how long this is. My mind is occupied with thoughts of Danny today (and most days)... Just imagine you've been dating for a while. You’ve gotten to know not just him, but the rest of the guys and their families. The boys are on tour, and you’ve been spending as much time traveling with them as possible, but you haven’t been able to be there the whole time. It’s been several weeks since you’ve seen Danny, and you’ve been talking every single day, but of course that’s not enough. You’re sure he’ll pounce on you the moment he next sees you, and you can’t wait any longer for that to happen. Instead of waiting patiently for the next planned trip, you rearrange your schedule so that you can surprise him at their next show. When they arrive at the hotel, you’re already there waiting. [I’m imagining this being like one huge suite that they’re all sharing. Or maybe not even a hotel, but a rented house or cabin or something.] Danny happens to be the first one in the door. He walks in and sees you and the shock quickly turns to a huge grin, and he quite literally picks you up and carries you off the one of the bedrooms–any of the bedrooms, it couldn’t possibly matter which–before you can even say hello to the Kiszkas. You don’t think they even saw that you were there. His mouth is on yours before the door can even fully swing shut behind you. Before you know it, you’re on the bed with him under you, straddling his waist. Those frenzied, desperate initial kisses have calmed to a slow, thorough makeout sesh. Danny’s hands are on you, sliding up, ready to undress you. Movement in the corner of your eyes draws your gaze up to find Sam standing in the doorway, amused and maybe just a little embarrassed to be interrupting. He points out that you and Danny are, regrettably, in his room, but insists that it doesn’t matter, he can take another room. He turns to go just as Jake comes in, head down, focused on the notebook in his hands, talking about a very pressing issue regarding whatever song they had all been writing. You’re upright but still stradling Danny on the bed, and he’s watching upside down from where he lays as Josh joins them in the room too. “Oh hey!” he says to you, causing Jake to look up from his notebook and realize that you’re there and they’ve all now interrupted what was supposed to be a romantic surprise reunion. (To his credit, he’s the only one who looks even the slightest bit remorseful for the intrusion.) You start to shift to get off of Danny, telling them that they should work on their song, that you and Danny can “catch up” later. He grabs your hand and says, “No, you stay. They can leave.” They all agree and start to leave, just as the front door opens and several very recognizable voices are heard in the hallway. The Wagners and the Kiszkas are all there to hang out before that night’s show. Danny throws his head back and groans loudly. The guys snicker. You hop off of him, and he sits up and then stands, subtly adjusting his pants. You smile knowingly and kiss his cheek. “You poor thing,” you whisper teasingly. You’ll make it up to him later, and you both know it’ll be worth the wait.

Omg this is so cute! I love this, I know the Kiszkas would be so insufferable at first and trying to bother you two before leaving, making Danny so annoyed, you're just happy to see them all.

#wild wednesday #gvf #greta van fleet #jake kiszka #josh kiszka #danny wagner #sam kiszka

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felicianacariocapistoles · 1 year ago

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Epilogue

I said it before and I'll say it again, we were robbed of a reunion of Marcy and Simon so I made one! I'll post it on my ao3 soon

Days. For several days Simon hasn’t received texts, calls, nor was he even home! According to locals, his home exhibit had been closed since before he left to go questing with Finn. Marcy flew all over Ooo countless times, searching everywhere for him. She never stopped no matter how tired she was. After thousands of years, she finally had her surrogate father back in her life! Why did he disappear without saying anything to her? Ugh! She should have taken a moment to go outside and take the call!

When she realized she was too tired to go on, she headed back to his home, using the spare key he gave her years ago to let herself in and she made herself at home where she plopped herself on the couch and had a good, long cry before drifting off to sleep. She would continue her search after resting and getting her strength back.

Simon had recently returned to Ooo from his adventures with Fionna and Cake and managing to find and apologize to Betty for his actions so many years ago. It hurt that they parted ways, she was his everything after all. It was needed though, for both of them. For the first time in a long time, Simon felt alive instead of just going through the motions of day-to-day life, it was enough to make him smile as he made his way back to the Human City and then to his home.

Simon kicked off his shoes when he got through the door and was making his way to his room when he heard the opening song to Cheers playing on the television, seeing the door of his bedroom opened. He honestly didn’t recall if he left it on or his bedroom door open, it felt like it had been ages since he’s been back with everything he’s been through. Looking around, nothing looked out of place or stolen so he obviously wasn’t robbed. “Most likely left in on before I started sulking in the shower…”

Taking off his jacket, he hung it up before making his way to his room. All he wanted now was to sleep, even though it was still daytime. ‘Last time I slept decently was that nap I took in baby world with baby—’ He snapped out of his thoughts upon seeing movement a familiar figure asleep in his bed. “Marcy…” He was both surprised and happy to see her. Normally she’s a light sleeper, she would have heard him the moment he opened his front door.

Simon saw her phone and he couldn’t help but to glance over when he saw it ring with a text message. It was from Princess Bubblegum telling her that they’ll find Simon soon and to not give up hope again. It broke his heart to read that, and now it all made sense why she didn’t wake up as she normally would. She must have been looking all over Ooo for him, and it pained him that he had once again hurt the girl he had raised and loved like a daughter.

Watching her sleep brought him back to his earlier thought. In the baby universe, he was taking a nap with a baby Marceline snuggling into his chest. Thinking of it brought a tear to his eye, but he wiped it off quickly. He mulled over whether to wake her or not, he had no idea how long she had been asleep for, but knowing Marceline she would have been up for days searching until she could no longer move. His fearless sweet Marceline… His daughter.

He snapped out of his thoughts when he saw that Marceline was waking up, he smiled and got on the other side of the bed. “Marcy, I’m home. I’m okay.”

Hearing his voice caused Marceline to quickly sit up and turn to him, rubbing her eyes and blinking a few times. Whether to properly wake herself up or to really make sure she wasn’t dreaming, Simon wasn’t sure of, until she tackled him and hugged him tight that is. “You’re okay!” She said in relief through her tears.

“Oh, Marcy…” He rubbed her back soothingly as he hugged her back just as tight. “I’m sorry to have disappeared for so long, and I have so much to tell you…”

The two stayed like that for a few more minutes, partly because Marceline was still crying, but also because neither of them wanted to let go of the other. It was the vampire who pulled back and spoke first. “Simon, I should have taken your call, I’m--”

Simon placed a finger on her lips. “Nope, I don’t wanna hear it.” He smiled, removing the finger from his lips, using it to wipe some tears from her eye. “You have nothing to apologize for, Marceline.”

He told her everything that happened from his little adventure with Finn to seeing GLOBetty, he didn’t leave a single thing out. Gone were they days of him keeping her in the dark, it was something else he promised himself upon coming home.

“I’m glad that you got closure, Simon.” She smiled but couldn’t help but to feel a bit sad when she heard the pair broke it off. She knew how much Simon loved Betty. “I’m also glad to hear that you’re ready to move on and live, though I am still pissed you never told me any of this pent-up feelings you’ve had for years.” She playfully punched him in the arm.

Simon rubbed his arm. “Yeah, I had the feeling Finn wanted me to talk to you about it too.”

“That cheeseball, I can’t believe he took you on a quest! He should know you’re too old for that stuff!”

The two shared a laugh and another hug. It was good to be home.

#adventure time fionna and cake #fionna and cake #simon petrikov #marceline abadeer #jay writes #will post on a03 later

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mowsyling · 2 years ago

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Willow season finale some thoughts &stuff

Ermahgerd!!! The end... 👀👀👀😱😄

But first things first... I was so frickin scared going into this. I had a crappy first half of the day and when I got around to having time to watch I hesitated, afraid I'd be disappointed again &turning a crappy into a horrible day... I wasn't.. it didn't.. 😅

Anyway, some scenes and thoughts..

Sibling & "lovers" reunion scene was delightfully awkward &weird.. Wtf Airk? Acting like nothing is wrong.. He guys great you made it!🥴

The cliff scene with the rest of the gang went pretty much exactly as I expected, including Willow not jumping at first.

Meeting unexpectedly hot Crone.. Also not far from what I thought would happen.. I was pretty sure they'd end up caught in an illusion type thing. I had even had considered a wedding scenario once, still surprised that actually happened. A surprise was Madmartigan's involvement.. Hadn't considered that! (It makes me think it really was his voice Kit heard in the treasury in the mines.) Anyway..

This...😆

I cheered!! 😄😂🙌

(There's someone far better suited.. he just needs to get through his corruption arc first.. *coughs* I'm getting ahead of myself..)

Of course Willow turns up on time to save the day, shatter the illusion &de-petrify everyone.. fighting ensues..

This was funny... 😆

👆This was hilarious to me😆😂 I want it on a shirt! 😂

This scene was... oof..

My poor foolishly brave baby boy!!🥺🥺😭 I had such a hard time getting through this🫣.. hit pause to collect myself.. I knew he was gonna "die" just didn't know how ded hed get.. When she poofed him through the passage l was very uncertain.. torn between "she literally shredded him - there were pieces!😳 and "but he went though the passage so there's a chance..?" Ooof..

I made it through.. and on the battle went.. Wand broken but Elora now fired up & lo & behold! Shooting lightning from her hands!😅

I was so tense through all this, still worried about Graydon's fate.. I knew everyone else was gonna be fine..

Important realisations &decisions (Boorman)

Then.. I cackled so hard when this happened! They really went there! 😆

(Monster fuckers unite!😂😆)

Kit's face!🤌😆😂😂 The personification of "Eww"...

Croneified Harbinger Airk.. Evil is really not great for your skin it seems.. Do not recommend..

Jade finally activates the cuirass for Kit... I have to say I absolutely love the design of that armour! Gimme!😍

I had considered Willow deliberately breaking his staff but my guess had been the crystal might be needed for the Lux instead it was used as detox or anthelmintic I guess you could say😆😅 for Airk.. kinda..

Boorman.. I feel you..

This is when I finally shed some tears... 🥺😭😭

I was almost convinced at this point Gray was gone for good.. was mentally preparing myself to be very sad disappointed 😅

But..

BUT!!!

I shrieked! I was so happy! Idc that he's in Wyrm-land with (fake) Dark!Elora.. He's alive! (-ish?) The relief!😅😅😄😭

Man bun Graydon has rights!

Dark!Elora is hot!

(can't blame Graydon if he's gonna fall for that for a bit..😆)

(This looks exactly like the Battlefield from Willow's vision btw.. (sadly reached the picture limit😆)

So I guess Graydon might have a corruption arc next season... And it looks like they planned for three seasons!

That's it.. not super detailed just what hit me most..

Not all hope is lost for Graylora nation! 😄😅🙌

💜

#willow 2022 #willow spoilers #willow series #elora danan #graydon hastur #kit tanthalos #jade claymore #thraxus boorman #willow ufgood #airk tanthalos #graylora

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quincyhorst · 1 year ago

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RedoMata HCs: Juan's life (in detail)

In a whiteboard doodle long ago, I remember saying that in my setting Juan would mix up Spain's spanish and latinamerican spanish quite a lot. I'd like to develop on that better.

----

But while he was born at Spain, Juan spent a huge chunk of elementary school living back at Mexico due to parents' work. For now, I picture him living in Morelia, one of the many mexican cities to host a bullring.

As means to keep a piece of Spain around, Juan developed a liking to playing the flamenco guitar. Having already at hand many Flamenco CDs passed on from grandparents, he'd put them on the radio and try to imitate them by hand. But eventually he'd develop his own style, with a frenetic yet moving melody inspired by the movement of horses. His own family fell in love with his music, playing it at reunions and such. But for the most part, such music remained hidden on the Zubeldia household.

Be it by the new scenario or by the culture clash, Juan had always struggled to make friends; having difficulty to reach out to others or maintain a conversation. His classmates didn't like him much either, often mocking his different accent and vocabulary. With time he got used to loneliness, avoiding most social situations as possible. Not even his family seemed to change his mind, until... When it was time to leave Mexico and go back to Spain, Juan was surprised by his grandma deciding to stay in the american continent instead. Her choice was set, but before parting she gave her grandson one final request: For him to keep sharing those beautiful melodies of his.

---

When he came back home, things got a bit complicated at first. He had been so used to the different timezones and regional vocabulary, that re-encountering the original spanish language gave him some whiplash. Pronunciating became tricky for him yet again, and so mixing up words with different meaning. Trust me, sometimes it gets that bad. Specially with the dreaded word coger.

???: Oye Juan, ¿Podrias por favor coger el balón- ("Juan, could you please grab the ball-") Juan: ¿¡COOOOOMO!? ("WHAAAAAAT!?") ???: ...Eh? Juan: ... Juan: ...Nada. Continue por favor. ("Nothing. Go on, please.")

But fortunately, and inspired by his grandma's words, sharing his flamenco skills managed to give him a place; so much so that he soon started to develop some fame. Determined, Juan later on entered the annual May Flamenco contest of Cordoba, and ended up sweeping all the other contestants despite his young age. With this, it was definitive: His community had fallen in love with his guitar skills, nowadays inviting him to local events or parties. Juan didn't mind, he was happy to finally be out of the shadows for once. But he still fell under the effects of social anxiety outside of his hobby.

As another method to fight it, Juan would start joining groups of his interests; soccer being one of them. To his surprise it was a sport he warmed up easily to, being able to be a fairly good keeper on the yearly Spanish Youth League (But not winning it nonetheless). It was on the Community Cup where his true potential finally shone, thanks to the perfect goalkeeper-defender synergy he developed alongside Rafael and Antonio (Also of Andalusia but of other provinces).

Although they ended up on the third place, the potential Juan and his new friends had was enough for him to be choosen over the actual 1st and 2nd place keepers of the cup. Aganist all odds and controversies, he fought very hard to keep his place in, though out of nowhere a sudden riojan pretty much overshadowed him.

----

(The post ends here, but under the cut there are some misc rambles regarding his setting)

Let me say one thing. In previous headcanons I've posted, Juan was established to be from Cordoba, Andalusia. However lately (and due to me overthinking things) I thought that alternatively, he could have been born in Madrid instead. And after returning Mexico he moved to live in Cordoba instead. Unfortuantely due to the Spanish Community Cup being very strict with its origin rules, Juan was called to play for the capital, alongside players like Davi Peroqui. (Worry not for the andalusian team, they'll get another keeper otherwise. And the dynamic with Rafael and Antonio will stay! Just that it will be developed after Red Matador is formed.)

This scenario is also based on the famous flamenco guitar player Paco de Lucía (Which I've seen Juan be compared to), who was born on Andalusia but later moved to Madrid afaik. Juan's arc could be a parallel version of that.

But like I said, this is just an alternate take. Plus it'd mean me having to work again on an entirely new character dynamic (Davi + Juan) all over again 🫠 So for now Andalusia it is.

#hc:ina11 #red matador #juan zubeldia #I'm so sorry if this clogs someone's dash </3 #Btw forgot to clarify #But in latinamerica 'coger' means to f-#...Well; Mexico has this odd thing where the two meanings do coexist within the vocabulary #...But I'll be sincere; I never saw anyone in LA internet using coger in a non-sexual way 🫠

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alan-duarte · 2 years ago

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TIMING: Current LOCATION: A latte to love PARTIES: Boyd Adkinson Jr. @saveah0rse & Alan Duarte SUMMARY: Alan and Boyd meet in an overcrowded café and share a chair and a chat. CONTENT WARNINGS: n/a

Having a large family often meant that there were rarely enough chairs around the table for all of them. Alan’s parents, his nieces and nephews were seated already. The elders were waiting patiently for the rest of them to get chairs, the kids weren’t nearly as quiet about it.

It wasn’t his problem, he left the parenting to his brothers and sisters. He wasn’t precisely trying to be the cool uncle™ but it never failed to make him gloat whenever the kids went on about how Uncle Alan was less of a bore than the lot of them. Thank you very much.

He gave the barista a glance and an apologetic smile. They’d put the chairs back where they belonged, and tip accordingly, obviously, but even he agreed that the Duarte table could have been any introvert’s definition of hell. There were 16 of them now, but as far as family reunions went, this was a small party for the Duartes. The cousins weren’t even there, you see. And their spouses, and their children.

Looking around at the diminishing chair supply, Alan finally set his eyes on one that appeared to be free. The man who sat there might have been waiting for company. Still, Alan made his way toward him, fixing his hair mechanically as he asked : “Excuse me, is the chair free?”

So, maybe letting himself be goaded into doing a couple shots with the regulars at the bar last night wasn’t his best idea, but the coffee Boyd was nursing was soothing his pounding head. It had been nice to get a sound sleep for once, even if he paid for it in the morning. Eventually, he’d have the energy needed to keep hunting the Agropelter he’d been looking for for the last couple weeks. For a sick animal, the thing was elusive. He was sure at the bottom of this coffee lay the energy boost he needed. Boyd had been prodding at a danish for the better part of an hour when a huge group walked in. A Latte To Love was great for people watching, and today they just didn’t stop coming. The number of people in the little cafe made him happy he’d already ordered. They made him want to duck out as soon as possible.

Boyd wasn’t at all surprised when a member of the large party approached him to ask for the chair across the table from him. The man had kind eyes that caused a little flutter in his chest. Maybe that’s why when he tried to respond, instead of saying “go ahead,” or “take it away,” like he had intended, he blurted out, “Go away.” Cheeks flushing, Boyd cleared his throat. “Sorry, sorry. I meant to say, go ahead. Take it away,” he clarified. He tried to deflect with a small chuckle. “One of those days,” he said with a dismissive shrug.

“I’m so sorry, I startled you, didn’t I?” Alan gave the other a bashful smile, his eyes drawn to the shade of red on his cheeks at first, then at the dark sweep of the man’s long lashes, the brush of freckles on the bridge of his nose. Right, the chair. Feeling heat rising in his own face, Alan rubbed at the back of his neck while he clarified. With light laughter, he nodded, wrinkles intensifying at the corner of his eyes while he crunched up his nose. “It’s fine, I’d also be at loss of words if I saw that walking in on Sunday morning,” a nightmare that Alan only appreciated because it was composed of people he loved dearly.

With a happy sigh, he set his hand on the back of the chair, ready to take it away. “We all have those days. I hope it gets better,” a pause, “maybe I can pay for your next coffee cup? To pay for the chair,” right. Of course, Alan, to pay for the chair.

The crinkle of his eyes, the light blush that lit up his cheeks–if Boyd didn’t know better, he’d say there was still some booze in his system the way he was feeling. Was this guy flirting? It had certainly been a minute since the cowpoke had been on the receiving side of any flirtation, and he was feeling rusty. “I won’t say I wasn’t a bit taken aback. You got a big family,” he said with a nod in the direction of the large party. “Always good to have your people, though.”

The wish for a better day could be brushed off with a friendly smile, but the comment about repaying him caught him off guard. It seemed this handsome stranger was full of surprises this morning. Boyd looked down at his coffee cup and then back up to the man before him as his smile grew. He nodded with a chuckle. “Right, for the chair. I just might have to take you up on that.”

"It's like that every Sunday," except on full moons. Alan never knew how he'd feel when he woke up, and every now and then, skipped Sunday meetings under pretext of a business trip or an important seminar. "We'll try to keep the volume reasonable," that wasn't a promise he was sure to be able to keep, though he would at least try. The key was to keep anyone from mentioning sports or politics.

"Just tell them to put it on the tab for Alan Duarte," he didn't need his family name and he was just asking to get stalked online. He'd allow it because he'd first find his business' page, then his social media pages. "Nice meeting you," he smiled. "Thanks for the chair," and with that, he left, shaking his head as his youngest sister gave him a knowing look, as if to say again?

“Nice meeting you,” Boyd repeated, watching as the man–as Alan departed. He hadn’t even told Alan his name, he couldn’t just charge the man the price of a cup of coffee for nothing. He turned back to his coffee, his danish, and questioned if it was strange to look Alan up. Maybe it was. Maybe he shouldn’t do it. Maybe Boyd would just have to come back another Sunday. The thought had his cheeks warming up again. Yeah, he’d definitely need to be back next Sunday.

#wickedswriting #saveah0rse #under blue moon interactions #boyd threads

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seiya-starsniper · 2 years ago

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and if I get burned, at least we were electrified - Chapter 3

Link on AO3 [here]

Chapter Summary: Time for a Dreamling reunion! And a guest appearance by Johanna, because I love her to pieces, and someone needs to keep Hob in check while The Corinthian is away.

The Corinthian has been gone for almost a year.

Hob had taken a week off work after the blond had left to process. He hadn't been able to stay in his flat that whole week, opting instead to crash at Johanna’s. Everything in the flat reminded him of The Corinthian, who hadn't even bothered to pack a bag, just vanished into thin air. Johanna had forced him to start categorizing all her magical artifacts after two days, and Hob was all too happy to have something to take his mind off things.

Afterwards, between travel shutdowns, his university absolutely falling to madness trying to transition to online, and an uptick in supernatural activity (pandemics don’t stop supernatural beings, who knew) so vast that Johanna had asked for his help on a few jobs, Hob hadn’t been able to even go look for The Corinthian even though he had a very good idea of where he was. Or well, at least, what country he was in.

Hob had tried calling, texting, hell he even rang up the witch coven in Edmonton asking if they knew a summoning spell to get him to come back, all to no avail. Johanna didn’t know anything either. She had never even heard of a nightmare walking around the earth prior to The Corinthian.

“You know mate,” Johanna says now, sympathetic, over their fourth round of drinks. She’d practically had to drag him out of the flat tonight. “I hate to say I told you so but…” she doesn’t finish her sentence. Hob knows what she means. Johanna had not reacted kindly to Hob moving The Corinthian into his flat. She’d cursed him and called him every name under the sun and had told him she wouldn’t come to an idiot’s funeral. She'd said the relationship wouldn't last a year before The Corinthian would get bored, gut him, and leave him.

She had come around, Hob remembered. Eventually. Reluctantly.

Two years after The Corinthian had moved into his flat, Hob and the blond had been tracking a suspected child serial killer. It hadn’t taken long for them to locate the killer’s hiding spot in an old crumbling castle, and on the night they moved to confront him, Hob had been surprised to run into Johanna right outside.

"What the hell, get the fuck off my turf mate," Johanna had said when she spotted them.

The Corinthian growled in response, and Hob heard it come through all three mouths, which meant he really didn’t like her and that complicated matters.

“Johanna, lovely to see you as always, mind filling me in on why you're here?” Hob asked, trying to lighten the situation.

“Why are you here, I thought the bastard only ate human eyes-,”

“Oh, I like any and all types of eyes, in fact I'll bet the eyes of a Constantine would taste divine,” The Corinthian responded and Hob knew enough about the Corinthian to recognize he was trying discreetly to reach for the knife in his jacket. He stuck out his hand to stop him.

“Ok whoa whoa, Cory, first off, no, Johanna's off limits, not only is she not a criminal, she's also my friend ,” Hob said, gripping the Corinthian’s wrist to show he was serious.

“Your friend who taught you how to blow me up too, if I recall,” The Corinthian noted, a sour tone in his voice, but he didn’t struggle so Hob took that as a good sign.

“Yeah, pity none of it stuck.” Johanna retorted.

“I'll make your death stick you fucking-”

“All right, all right, you're both super scary, that's great,” Hob interrupted before they could get fully off topic with their juvenile antics. “Now, Johanna, there is a child in there that I have been asked to retrieve. His mum's worried sick and the Yard is just spinning their wheels. As much as I'm glad to see you, you being here worries me. Could you tell me why?”

Johanna had softened instantly, then looked utterly miserable at the news.

“The thing in there's an ogre. I'm sorry Hob, I don't think the kid's still alive,” she said sadly.

The reveal broke Hob's heart. Still, he didn't want to give up hope.

“Let us come in with you then," he'd said. Johanna gave them an offended look at the idea she might need help.

"I know, I know." Hob continued. "You're a big girl and you've been doing this for a while, but Cory and I aren't fragile, far from it, so there’s no need to worry about us, even if we do get hurt. Plus, I want to at least find something, if only to bring closure to his mum.” Hob pleaded. He really did not want to return to the woman empty-handed. Johanna looked like she wanted to argue, then decided against it and after a quick rundown, the three of them went inside together.

The resulting fight had been messy. Turns out, there was a whole family of ogres in the crumbling castle. Johanna had been able to take down two before the third had broken her right hand. Hob and The Corinthian had disemboweled it thoroughly in revenge.

In the end, Johanna was right, there was no living child in the castle that they could find, only scattered bones and discarded clothes. Hob would have to break the bad news to the distraught mother. He did manage to locate a jacket that matched the one of the photographs the woman had given him. Proof that her child had been here and gone. There was no need to look for anything else.

The Corinthian easily sensed the dour mood between Johanna and Hob, and had gone off to go eat the three pairs of ogre eyes in private once he’d separated them from their owners.

He’d come back a short time later in a considerably brighter mood, which Hob found a bit inappropriate, but he reminded himself that The Corinthian was who he was, and he’d probably had a good meal, so at least there was that. They'd have a talk about proper human passing behavior later.

“I know where a whole lot of other ogres are!” The Corinthian bragged. "And a whole lot of children, who are very much, Not Dead. ” Hob could practically hear the capital letters in the blond’s voice, and he raised his head so fast he was pretty sure he gave himself whiplash. He swore he heard Johanna let out a surprised gasp.

Well. The Corinthian now had their full attention.

“Also, I forgot how delicious non-human eyes are, I’ve changed my mind, we should absolutely meet like this more often, Constantine, I would love to get some Fey eyes next time.” The Corinthian continued. “In fact-”

"Cory, where are the damn children?" Hob snarled. The Corinthian's returning feral grin meant he was playing coy on purpose.

"Oh, there’s a hidden dungeon right downstairs.” The blonde shrugged, as if the news didn’t change absolutely everything about the night. “About 30 or so of them. Apparently there’s going to be some sort of family reunion in the next couple of days, so all those kidnappings were prep work for the big feast!" The Corinthian spread his arms wide for emphasis.

"But you know how ogres are, they like their food fresh so they’ve been trying to plump up the kids with all sorts of garbage to make ‘em taste sweeter."

“So wait, what you’re saying is-” Hob’s hope is so fragile, but could it be? They didn’t know how many children had been taken, but thirty was quite a lot, so maybe-

"Well, there were definitely some children who were eaten the last few days, just as snacks, mostly homeless orphans, but the one we were looking for is right downstairs Hob!" The Corinthian then turned to Johanna and gave her a conspiratorial grin. "And the rest of the ogres have no idea their hosts are dead so…"

Johanna’s answering devilish grin once she realized the implications had fit right at home with The Corinthian’s. They looked like a pair of naughty children who'd just gotten away with stealing sweets under the adult's noses. Johanna would receive a massive payment for taking out an entire orge's nest and Hob would be able to reunite a single mother with her only child.

"You've got a little something on your face, love," Hob said later, once they’d left the castle and arranged for the kids to be picked up. He leaned in to swipe the fluid from the blond's face but as soon as he began pulling his hand away, The Corinthian took it instead and licked up Hob’s fingers as if he were licking the blood off one of his own knives. Slowly. With intent. He stared right into Hob’s eyes while doing it too.

"You two are disgusting! " Johanna had yelled before storming off. Hob would’ve thought to chase after her to at least say goodbye, or try to coordinate getting rid of the rest of the ogre nest, but his brain had short-circuited entirely.

He had never driven home so fast before. The Corinthian had distracted him the whole 25 minute drive.

Hob’s immediately snapped out of his reverie and back to the present by Johanna,“Penny for your thoughts?”

“Just thinking about the ogre nest,” Hob answers. No need to elaborate past that. Certainly no need to tell Johanna the details of what happened afterwards.

Johanna grimaces like it's a bad memory. It probably was. Even with the happy surprise of finding all those children alive, her hand had taken at least a month to heal.

“Why are you thinking about- oh you fucking sop. Disgusting, the both of you were that night.” Johanna downs the rest of her beer.

“Look I know the eyeball munching thing takes a bit to get used to but-”

“I wasn't talking about that, although honestly, the eyeball thing is not erotic no matter how many times you try to explain it, you're just a freak.” Johanna interrupts.

“What was so disgusting then?” Hob asks, curious. He knows his tastes have always been, perhaps, on the other side of eclectic, especially in the last century, but Johanna has had plenty of non-human dalliances herself, he’d have thought she’d have been more open minded about things. “He made sure he was out of sight when he ate all their eyes, when we thought all those kids were dead. The epitome of politeness, if you ask me.”

“You really don't know? God the thing doesn't even have eyes-”

“He's not a thing Johanna-”

“But anyone could tell he was so far gone for you, it was nauseating. He looked at you like you were the only thing worth looking at in the whole damn universe. And you were doing the exact same thing back at him. Like a goddamn romance novel from Hell.”

As much as she's insulting him, Hob knows she's also trying to reassure him. He's thought about their last night nonstop, turning it over and over in his head. He still doesn’t have any answers for why the blonde left the way he did.

“I just don't know why he left,” Hob groans, frustrated with the line of thought. “Especially after I gave-” Hob stops suddenly, realizing he hasn’t told Johanna what happened that night. He wasn't ready for her judgment on his actions back then, and he’s not sure he’s ready now, but it may be too late to back out now.

“…after you what Hob?” Yep, no backing out now. She’d been trying to get this story out of him for a while, and now that he thinks about it, the drinks were probably a means to multiple ends.

“Well I mean….we had this job go terribly pear shaped,” Hob starts, praying that he can focus on the minutiae of the botched job and get Johanna lost in the details.

“ What. Did. You. Do . Hob?” No chance of bullshitting his way out of the conversation now.

“I lost an eye, all right!” Hob admits. “And you know I can grow those things back like grapes, and the eye was still perfectly intact so I just thought…”

“You gave him YOUR EYE?” Johanna practically yells. Well now the whole bar is staring at them, and Hob can tell a few of them are checking to see if he still has both eyes. He really should have just insisted on taking her to the private back room he’d built for his business meetings, but Johanna just plopped down at the bar when they’d come downstairs, wanting to be as close to the beer taps as possible.

“I didn’t want it to go to waste!” Hob frantically tries to whisper, then tries and fails to put his hand over Johanna's mouth.

Johanna looks heavenward, as if that will somehow provide answers. Or a pity smiting to escape this conversation, Hob's not entirely sure.

Finally, she sighs.

“Look…” she tries. “Maybe he just got overwhelmed. Has to process things alone before he can come back. You've got a whole lot of memories in that noggin of yours, and he probably got spooked by something,” but Hob knows neither of them believe it. Still.

“It felt like a final goodbye, but you're not wrong,” Hob concedes. “I don't know what he saw, but whatever it was definitely spooked him. I wish he would've just asked me instead of running off. I couldn’t even go after him with all the shutdowns happening right after, and he still won’t pick up my calls. I'd be off there chasing him down now if I could take the time off from classes.”

There's silence for a beat. Then, "S'not just the job keeping you here though, innit?" Johanna slurs.

“What do you mean?”

“Your Stranger. The one who gave you all this,” she gestures at him. “You're still waiting for him, aren't you? It's why you won't leave the UK for anything, travel restrictions be damned. You could do video lectures from anywhere now too, but you’re here waiting for a man who you’re not even sure still wants to see you.”

“Hey now, that’s not fair, I still have other duties to attend to here too! Plus I wouldn’t even know where to start looking for Cory,” Hob tries to defend himself.

“Yeah, but that's not the point , Hob. The point is you're waiting on some guy to show up to this pub and maybe you stopped waiting every week with your blond man around but now that he’s gone and left you, you're right back at it waiting for a different man who left you like a lovesick fool.” She points at him. “You, my friend, have got a problem. ”

Hob downs the rest of his whiskey instead of answering.

—

When Hob heads upstairs to his flat, warmed from both the whiskey and Johanna's company, he runs his fingers over the sigil The Corinthian had carved into his bed shortly after he'd begun living with Hob. He smiles ruefully at the memory. It was the first time The Corinthian had opened up to him about what kind of supernatural entity he was.

Hob had spent the better part of the last century living with either restless, dreamless sleep, or with nightmares that shook him so much he'd wake up screaming. It had been a long time since he'd had any other type of dream. His condition started around the time the Sleepy Sickness started, and Hob had been glad he hadn’t fallen prey to some of the more severe conditions, such as no sleep at all, or a perpetual sleep. Hob had made it a habit to avoid doctors and it would’ve been rather hard to explain himself not aging while in either of those states.

It didn’t take long after moving in for The Corinthian to offer up his services to alleviate Hob of his troubles. Turns out, the Quora article was right after all.

"So, what, you're a nightmare and doing this will help stop me having bad dreams?" Hob had asked as he watched The Corinthian inspect his bed for the perfect spot to carve.

"It'll keep the others of my kind away, yes. I haven't been back in an age, but I know most of the other nightmares have gone absolutely feral in our creator's absence.” The Corinthian grinned, as if the knowledge greatly pleased him. It probably did.

“The creator who tried to kill you? The one who went missing, and that’s why we have the Sleepy Sickness?” Hob asked and The Corinthian nodded.

“The one and only. I’m sure the realm’s a bit of a mess, but the other nightmares should still leave you alone once I put my mark here, if they know what's good for them." Hob swears The Corinthian’s grin grew even more feral.

"And what exactly is this mark?" Hob tapped at the symbol The Corinthian had put on paper to show him what he’d be carving. “A protection spell of some kind?”

"It's my name,” The Corinthian replied. “My true name, from when I was first born into existence. It means that I’ve claimed you as my dreamer, and you’re mine."

Hob's breath stuttered in his lungs. He'd wondered if The Corinthian could tell the effect the sentence had on him. It was the closest the blond had come so far to saying what Hob meant to him. Hob already knew at that point that he was falling for the nightmare, and this certainly wasn’t helping his case.

"Go on then," he said, possibly a little (a lot) more breathily than he meant to. "Carve your name into my bedpost. Show everyone that I'm yours."

The Corinthian had also cut his name into Hob’s chest, right beneath his collarbone (for extra insurance, he said) later that night, right after he had sunk his hips down onto Hob’s cock. The twin sensations of pain and pleasure had nearly driven him over the edge, and Hob had needed to grab the base of himself to stop himself from coming too early. The Corinthian, little shit that he was, took that as a challenge.

The wound had healed of course, but Hob still feels the mark there, like a ghost. He had kept the paper drawing in a folder too, because he was sentimental. He wonders, not for the first time, if he’s able to be tattooed, but he’d always been too afraid to go into a shop in the event the tattoo doesn’t take with the way his skin heals, and he’d have to explain himself. For now, the mark on his bed will have to do.

The nightmares stopped entirely after that night. Hob's still not sure how exactly the whole naming, claiming, thing works, but he's started praying to it at night, wishing for The Corinthian to stay safe wherever he was, but mostly wishing he would just come home.

–

Almost two years after The Corinthian leaves, The Stranger walks into The New Inn and stands in front of Hob's table.

It's the first time in a long time Hob forgets about The Corinthian. All he can do is stare at the ethereal being in front of him and think finally.

"You're late," Hob says, and realizes he's smiling. It's been so long since he last smiled genuinely that it feels both foreign and comforting at once.

What he doesn’t expect next is to see his own smile returned. Even if he had the most expensive and high quality camera known to man on hand, Hob doesn’t think any piece of mere human technology could capture the brilliance.

“It seems I owe you an apology,” his Stranger says. “I've always heard it impolite to keep one's friends waiting.”

Friends. His Stranger had called him his friend. He's acknowledged their bond, their companionship. Maybe a little bit later than Hob had been hoping for, but it was worth the wait. His friend was worth all the time in the world.

Hob’s centennial companion pulls out the chair in front of the table and sits down across from him. He hasn’t stopped smiling. Neither has Hob.

Time passes like that for a while. It’s not awkward, there’s no tension, just pure contentment to look at each other for the first time in 133 years. If Hob didn’t know any better, he’d think he’d think he’d died without his knowledge and gone to heaven.

“Hi dear, can I get you anything?” The waitress’s sunny question shakes them both out of their trance.

“Anything my friend wants, my treat Anna,” Hob says before the other man can answer.

“I thank you, Hob,” his friend answers then turns to Anna, his smile more muted now, but not any less dazzling. “A glass of dry red wine please, the oldest vintage you have available.”

“You and your wine.” Hob laughs when Anna leaves. He recalls that wine, usually a red, would be the only thing his friend would ever order at their meetings. Some things just never changed.

“It is, admittedly, one of my favorite inventions by humans,” the dark haired man replies, then purses his lips. “And I have been without it for quite some time.”

“Have you now?” Hob asks, sensing a story. “Well then, you can have all the red wine we have here, I don’t mind.”

“We?”

“Ah yeah, this place, The New Inn? It’s mine.” Hob admits. “I don’t really get too involved in the operations side of things anymore, but I tend the bar from time to time when there’s no classes. I know you probably saw, but the old White Horse was going to be turned into flats by some reprehensible folks, and I’ve had enough wealth accumulated over the years that I was able to stop the whole operation in its tracks. Couldn’t keep the damn place open though, so I decided to build on the land right by it instead.”

“You…built a pub? So that we could continue to have a place to meet?” The other man asks, astonished.

“Of course! Isn’t that what friends are for?” Hob replies. He really hopes he hadn’t read the whole thing wrong and his friend doesn’t walk out on him again for presuming things. It’s only now just occurring to Hob that building an entire pub for someone, even a not entirely human entity, is a bit much.

Of all the reactions the Stranger could have had though, the absolute last one Hob expects is tears.

“Even after I was forced to miss our last meeting. Without knowing if I had abandoned you or not, you still kept your faith in me? Enough that you built a place so that I may take sanctuary after my imprisonment?” The Stranger's voice is filled with unbridled emotion as more tears freely spill down his cheeks.

Imprisonment? Well now. Hob has a whole lot of questions, but first and foremost, he had a friend to comfort. He reaches across the table and takes the man’s hand in his own. Squeezes it for good measure. It’s the first time they’ve ever touched in 700 years and it feels electric , more so when his friend begins to run a hesitant thumb along his.

“My friend,” Hob says after a brief silence. “I would build you thousands of sanctuaries across the world, no, across the entire universe, if I meant that I could meet you at each one and offer you a place to rest.”

Hob decides to take a chance. To be bold. He’s already gotten more than he could have ever hoped for, what’s one more risk?

He reaches over with his other hand to wipe the tears from his friend’s face. The other man looks shocked, as if he hadn’t realized he were crying. No, more like he had forgotten. What had filled his friend so full of grief for so long that he could no longer comprehend his own tears?

“I know it’s customary for me to update you on everything I’ve been up to in the last hundred years.” Hob says. “But I think I’d like to know what’s happened to you instead, if you’re willing to tell me. However much or little,” he adds, reassuringly.

His friend is quiet for a long time, expression contemplative. Anna comes back with the wine, raises her eyebrows, but blessedly, does not mention the emotional moment fraught between them.

“I’ll come back with the rest of the bottle in a little bit, just holler when you’d like it, all right?” she says and in a flash she’s gone, leaving them to their privacy.

The Stranger still hasn’t let go of his hand, and does not appear to want to. He instead uses his free hand to pick up the glass Anna had left so he can sip at his wine. After a few minutes, he sighs and begins to speak.

“Do you remember, in 1789, when we had spoken about how beings such as us could be hurt, or captured?” the Stranger asks solemnly.

Hob remembers. He nods and squeezes their hands together, prompting the man to continue.

“In 1916, a man named Roderick Burgess had sought to capture my sister, Death, in an attempt to resurrect his son lost in battle.” the Stranger says. “His spell entrapped me instead. He then used more magic to bind me within the basement of his estate, and I lay there for more than 100 years. Roderick demanded many things from me, his son alive again, riches, immortality, all of which were not things that I could give, nor would I have wanted to, if I could.”

There is so much in that first bit that Hob doesn’t know where to start. He goes with the most pressing question he has.

“But I thought Roderick died in the 1930s! Why couldn’t you escape then?” Hob remembers now, with a sinking feeling, that there were plenty of rumors about Roderick Burgess having trapped the Devil in his basement. He wishes he’d looked into it more, wishes he could’ve found his friend earlier and broken him out of that awful prison.

“Roderick did die, in 1926 actually, and his son had offered me freedom, if only I would not hurt him and his lover in revenge for my capture.” his friend confirms. “The son was young when his father took me, but he was nearly an adult when he murdered my raven companion, Jessamy, on the order of his father. I could not forgive him for that." His Stranger now grips Hob's hand at the memory, pained anger crossing his face. Hob wants to wipe away that expression too.

"My anger and pride kept me imprisoned for an additional 96 years, until finally, in their old age and near death, his paramour took pity on me and broke the enchantment imprisoning me.”

“Jesus Christ,” Hob breathes. “Was there no one you could call to for help? What about your sister, did she know you were trapped?” There is absolutely no way someone could defy Death of all things, especially if someone trapped her own brother. Hob makes a mental note to ask about the whole family tree later.

“My siblings all knew of my capture, and yet none of us are allowed to intervene in each other's affairs, unless asked. It is another thing my pride has cost me. I need only ask their help and any one of them would have come for me. Instead, I chose silence.”

“But that’s not fair! I know you’re not human and so you have different rules than me, but amongst us humans, we give help to our families even when it’s not asked for! Sometimes, especially when it’s not asked!” Hob argues.

“It is the way of the Endless, Hob.” the Stranger says with a finality that tells Hob the subject is closed. Hob wants to continue to press, but he asks instead,

“Endless, so that’s what you are then?”

“Yes. There are seven of us in total. And I must apologize once again for keeping you waiting on another thing for the last few hundred years. My name.”

Hob feels his heart stutter in his chest.

“I have been called many things over the years. My most recent name in human tongues has been Morpheus.”

Morpheus. It's a regal sounding name, fit for a king. Hob’s just getting used to the idea of it in his head when Morpheus speaks again.

“But as my friend, you may call me by my truest name, Dream.”

Dream. What a beautiful name. All of his names are beautiful, Hob imagines, and he’d like to learn them all.

“Well, Dream, my friend, can I buy you a drink and a meal then?” Hob asks, squeezing their hands together again. “I'll catch you up on all that you've missed.”

“I would be happy with anything you are willing to offer me, my friend,” Dream replies.

–

They get the rest of the wine, and Hob some food. Dream does not order anything for himself, content to partake in whatever Hob is willing to share, which is everything. He unfortunately has to relinquish his hand from Dream’s to eat, but they freely reach for one another when the moments allow. It is far from the regal meal he had offered to his friend in 1589, and yet, Hob thinks it tastes better.

Hob is now telling Dream stories about the last hundred years. It’s been quite possibly the most interesting century he’s lived through so far.

He shies away from anything related to The Corinthian. Hob had been a mercenary in his past life, killing for other people's money, so he knows Dream won't judge him, may even commend him for trying to do some good for people who slip through the flawed justice system. But explaining Cory is a story all on its own, and the memories are still too fresh and painful, especially with how things were left off (Hob still refuses to admit they've ended). Still, the blond was such an integral part of life in the last ten, no, twelve years . Hob is still counting the two years The Corinthian has been gone.

“Hob?” Dream’s voice snaps him out of his self-pity inner monologue. Hob forgot what he had been talking about, but he knows he needs to get back to more light hearted topics before he ends up crying at the table himself.

“Sorry about that, don't know what came over me!”

“You've become melancholy despite describing a happy memory,” Dream observes.

“Ah yeah, well.” Hob decides to open up, just a little. "I went through a break up not too long ago. Well it's been almost two years now, but we were together almost ten years before that." It's not much, but even admitting that The Corinthian left him out loud to someone else feels like tearing open a not yet healed scar.

“Ten years is not an insignificant amount of time, especially for mortals. It is understandable why you would be distraught,” Dream says. This time, it is the Endless who squeezes Hob's hand in reassurance.

“Yeah, I still miss him too." Hob says. “Didn't even get a proper goodbye, one day everything's perfect and then he just up and left.” He tries not to choke on those last few words, but it's more difficult than he'd like to admit.

“Him?” Dream asks. Right, Hob's only ever had female partners to speak of whenever they met once a century.

“Oh yeah, another fun 20th century thing I discovered, turns out I'm bisexual!” Hob declared proudly.

It really hadn't been that much of a discovery, nor had it come in the 20th century. Rather, it had been in 1789 when Hob had realized he may have inappropriate feelings for the man sitting across the table from him.

He had tried to gently bring up the topic in 1889, prefacing things with friendship first so as not to alarm his companion, but Dream had reacted so poorly to being regarded as a friend that Hob hadn't even gotten the chance to be romantically rejected.

And then Dream hadn't shown up in 1989 and had broken Hob's heart.

Hob is glad to know Dream didn’t abandon him on purpose, and he’s even more glad he waited for him and built them a new place to meet. But his heart is still too raw to even think about trying to start something with Dream, not when he's just gotten him back, not when his heart still belongs somewhere in America.

“But enough about me and my poor broken heart, let me tell you about the internet!”

Dream looks like he wants to press, but instead gracefully accepts the subject change and allows Hob to enlighten him about YouTube, memes, and Netflix.

–

At some point in the night, Hob catches sight of a breaking story on BBC, on one of the pub’s televisions. A British tourist had been found on a beach in Florida. His eyes are missing. The story then goes into the mysterious resurgence of killings by The Corinthian in the United States. It seems like there’s been a murder at least once a month, if not more, in the last two years.

Fucking hell Cory, what are you doing?, Hob thinks despairingly.

“What are you looking at?” Dream asks, curious.

“Terrible news mostly, sorry about that, I’m going to ask them to change the channel.” Hob says. He can’t stomach looking at this. Before he’s able to get up, though, Dream turns to look at the television screen behind him and his entire demeanor changes.

Hob feels as if all the air in the room has suddenly disappeared. If there were ever a reminder for the immortal that his oldest friend is not human, this is it.

"The Corinthian," he hisses, venom dripping on every syllable.

“Wait a minute, you know him?!” Hob asks, and his mind suddenly spins a thousand conclusions.

The Corinthian told Hob that he was a nightmare. His creator, the one who had tried to kill him, was a king, who presided over the realm of dreams and nightmares and he…

Hob suddenly has a flashback to ancient Greek history, the old poems, the name Morpheus…

Morpheus. Dream.

Dream is The Corinthian’s creator. The one who had tried to unmake him…in 1916…almost a hundred years ago.

Fuck.

Dream continues, unaware of Hob's panic. “The Corinthian is a wayward creation of mine. I was in the middle of unmaking him for some grievous crimes when I was captured by Roderick. I also have my suspicions that he provided advice to Roderick on how to keep me contained.”

Suspicions that Hob knows to be true. The Corinthian had told him once that he'd gone to visit his creator's captors to make sure he wouldn't get free. Hob feels wretched for not pushing The Corinthian more on who exactly his creator was but the blond had always been so cagey about his origins, and Hob had learned from his 1889 meeting with Dream not to push too many boundaries on supernatural entities. As far as he was concerned, The Corinthian was a survivor of a cruel, uncaring master and Hob was just glad to have him in his life. He's not sure how to reconcile the image The Corinthian painted of his creator with his centennial companion who certainly has a temper, but was anything but cold and unfeeling.

Dream stands suddenly, only barely managing to not knock his chair to the floor.

“I apologize, Hob, for cutting our time short, but I must reign him in before more are cut down by his selfishness.”

“Wait Drea-”

But Morpheus is already gone. It's so sudden, so familiar, that Hob realizes he's an idiot for not noticing it before.

Shit shit shit, Hob thinks.

He pulls out his phone and dials a number he still knows by heart despite not hearing from it in almost two years.

The number you have dialed has been disconnected. The operator automatically answers.

SHIT!

All Hob can do now is wait, and hope that his lover and his old friend don’t tear themselves apart. He’s not sure whose side he’d even choose.

#hobrinthian #sandman fic #the sandman fanfic #hob gadling #the corinthian #there's definitely still angst here but there's also some nice fluff sandwiched in between #enjoy #seiya writes #mystuff #seiya writes hobrinthian #seiya writes hobrintheus

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