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ohwereusingourmadeupnames · 5 years ago

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And the Land is Dark

Pairing: Peter Parker/Tony Stark (Starker) Rating: Mature (M) Notes: This is my fic for @twokinkybeans‘s Jar of Dirt challenge. The kink was outdoor sex - so we got camping and nakedness! Warnings: outdoor sex, NSFW stuff, & the inevitable softness that comes with my work. Summary:

Tony and Peter alternate picking vacation destinations for the summer & it’s Peter’s turn. When he brought up camping, Tony had his reservations. It turns out that fresh air and Peter Parker are the perfect combination.

Read it on AO3 here

The most important thing for Tony in his relationship with Peter, was equality.

When they first met on MIT’s campus, Tony had no idea that Peter worked in his R&D department – it’d been a long time since he graced the actual Stark Industries building and couldn’t have possibly known the well-rounded, extremely attractive man worked FOR him.

They were in one of the alumni buildings, gathered with the last 30 years’ worth of MIT graduates celebrating something or another. The conversation didn’t veer close to anything professional – everyone knew what Tony did; breaching the topic only led to shop talk that he didn’t want to stomach more than absolutely necessary.

Finding out that Peter got his checks from his company didn’t change anything between them – it simply made Tony much more conscious of the power imbalance that could easily be made into an issue (and not necessarily from Peter himself). The age gap between them didn’t make him bat an eye, Tony preferred the men he dated to be somewhat younger. For both of their sakes, Tony made Peter’s desires to be independent his first priority.

That included, much to his dismay, vacation picking duties. Over the past 3 years they’d been together, Tony and Peter alternated who picked the destinations for the entirety of the summer. It was one of the only times of the year Tony didn’t have many obligations – he could carelessly spend it with Peter without feeling an ounce of guilt. He simply wished this was his year to pick.

Peter brought up the idea of taking a camping trip to start off their extended vacation around March. He showed Tony pictures of the Great Smoky Mountains for a few weeks before he finally told Peter he was game and would love camping in a secluded site on the banks of one of the streams running through the trail. Tony loved to camp and did a ton of it after he graduated from college and tried to sow his wild oats.

It quickly became apparent that Peter had never gone, however. Peter walked into REI with a determined grin that immediately turned panicked. His eyes got comically wide – Tony picking up on the overwhelmed feeling almost instantly. “It’s alright, Pete. We’ll start with the simple stuff and go from there. I’ve got your back,” Tony said softly, his arm wrapping around wide shoulders that were pinched together tightly. “Sleeping bags first.”

The rest of the adventure around the outdoor store was filled with Tony giving Peter a rundown on all of the different equipment while they picked it out. They settled for two huge sleeping bags, a 6-person tent, some campfire cooking utensils and a stove, and the little trinkets that Tony convinced them both they needed (because who didn’t need a waterproof match container?) Footing the bill didn’t feel bad at all, the smile on Peter’s face was more than worth it.

To really enjoy the camping experience, Peter convinced him that driving would be the best way to get to their mountain excursion – so, he talked Happy into letting him drive the man’s SUV in exchange for a couple extra weeks of vacation for him and Pepper. It was the easiest deal he ever made – but, Happy didn’t need to know that. They packed and repacked the car way more times than necessary before Peter deemed them ready to set out on the 12-hour drive.

Tony took the first driving shift; they set off around 3 in the morning to make the most out of the empty roads and lack of traffic. The espresso Peter made him before they left kept him wired for 5 hours straight – they watched the sun come up and sang to the playlist Peter put together when their StarkPhones actually got reception.

Peter took over after the second bathroom stop – Tony filled up the car and their coffee cups before they set out again. This time, the music stayed off; Tony put on his reading glasses and pulled out Fire & Blood, the book he’d been reading to Peter every night before they passed out for the last couple of weeks. It seemed juvenile, but it was soothing for them both. The story was compelling and got them through another big chunk of the drive.

Their next pit stop took a while. The closer they got to the mountains and the park they were staying in, the narrower the selection on food stops and grocery stores became. Tony caught Peter eyeing the McDonald’s they passed when they took the exit, which just so happened to be located right across the way from a local supermarket. The big coolers they got during their shopping adventure were empty and waiting to be filled with junk food meant to sustain 2 grown men for three days.

The sheer amount of packaged chips and cookies Tony watched Peter put into the cart made him laugh, his boyfriend at 26 still ate like a 10-year-old. The idea of letting go of the reins of his diet for the next few days quickly became a reality with every new and intriguing sweet Peter claimed tasted amazing. The plan was to hike around and enjoy the surroundings, anyway – that would require extra sustenance.

Getting the supplies situated and binging on McDonald’s took them another hour, both of them more than satisfied when they got back on the road to finish off the drive and finally get to their destination. As Tony drove, he talked about some of his own camping trips – the two of them laughing when he described the poison ivy he’d accidentally wiped his ass with. The view got better the closer they got and by the time they were pulling in to claim their camping spot, the sky was lit with a gorgeous sun surrounded by the most beautiful clouds.

A look of wonder passed across Peter’s face the further into the park they got. For the first time since Peter planned the trip, Tony realized that this was probably Peter’s first time ever seeing anything like this. Queens didn’t have a good view of the sky most of the time, let alone beautiful mountain passes and cotton-ball clouds. Reaching across the center console, Tony gripped Peter’s hand tightly. They shared a smile before Peter turned his attention back to the view out the window.

As far as first days went, Tony didn’t have anything to complain about. Watching Peter attempt to put the tent up before realizing that a single pull would do it provided entertainment Tony didn’t count on. The rosiness of Peter’s cheeks when he caught Tony looking at him making it even better. “You knew how easy that was, didn’t you?” Peter questioned, affection and annoyance battling for dominance on his face.

“I sure did. I thought it would be better to let you figure it out. How are you going to learn if I do everything for you?” Tony looked at him pointedly, the man more than familiar with the fact that Peter put learning and knowledge above all else. The eye roll he got was totally fair, and all the more adorable because of it.

They unpacked the campfire stove and all the accessories for it and put them into the tent – Tony could tell that Peter was already ready to start exploring. After getting changed, the pair set out for a long hike – they caught the sunset standing on a flat summit of the mountain closest to them. The best part of it all was the look of awe still clearly etched on Peter’s face – there were colors reflecting in his eyes that didn’t even exist in the confines of New York’s city limits.

Hand-in-hand, Tony used the last dredges of light to get them back to their campsite. Peter held the lantern for him while he started a fire when they got back – the idea of having warm food one they both were looking forward to becoming an actuality. He talked through the entire process as he did it – Peter listened carefully; his eyes wide as he watched every one of Tony’s movements carefully. When they eventually got the hot dogs on the skewers, Tony was exhausted and lulled into a relaxed state by the sound of Peter’s voice and the open quiet surrounding them.

Sleep came easy, Tony passed out on his back with Peter curled up against his side, and when they woke up the next morning, neither seemed to have moved at all throughout the night. Peter kissed him fully awake and promised a naked dip in the water after getting food in his belly. Tony worked his culinary magic and put together a pretty decent bacon and egg combination.

The rest of the day was spent walking along the water ways that connected to each other throughout the trail. Peter looked insanely adorable splashing through some of the deeper water. A couple of times, the waded into a stream that was not meant for humans to be in and Tony had to drag himself and the koala bear clinging to him out of the faster currents. It was one of the best days Tony could remember having in a while – sunburn and blisters on his feet included.

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The next two days followed the same pattern – Peter picked out a spot he wanted to go explore and they spent all day doing so. Tony kept them fed and alive when Peter slipped and dislocated a finger – it seemed like a life or death situation in the moment, at least. It was a blast, soaking in the sun and simply enjoying being together. Their nights were spent curled up around the fire, both too exhausted to do much more than talk about the day’s adventure and exchange lazy kisses.

As the end of the trip creeped up on them, Peter finally let them be lazy. They drank beer and floated in the small stream in front of their campsite. Getting drunk before 1 in the afternoon was an absolute treat and led to the most exquisite nap under the tree they tied their hammock to. The past few days of excitement compounded and created a wave of fatigue that brought them under until the edges of the day were creeping in.

“Pete, wake up, baby. Let’s have some dinner and enjoy the stars one more time,” Tony mumbled sleepily, his eyes blinking awake only moments before. The sky was starting to turn that hazy pink and orange color – if they moved quick enough, they could eat their dinner under a crimson sky waiting eagerly to give way to clarity and brightness.

It took a few minutes for Peter to come around, Tony spending all of them peppering Peter’s skin with soft kisses and caressing the parts of him he could reach in their tangled-up position in the hammock. The sleep-lines on Peter’s face pulled a chuckle from Tony’s chest, his fingers tracing over them without hesitation. “Sleepy Pete is one of my favorites.” Giving him a quick kiss on the lips, Tony did his best not to kick Peter in the face as he climbed out of the ENO.

Hamburgers and beans by the fire as the sun set couldn’t be beat – Peter woke up with a ton of energy and obliterated all the food Tony put in front of him, a wide smile on his face while he did it. Completely satisfied, Tony relaxed into the chair that’d been his main source of back support for the past few days. Peter’s wandering hands landed in his lap a few minutes later, a familiar heat in his eyes.

“Want to sleep under the stars tonight?” Peter asked, his voice low, the timber of it an invitation for more than just sleeping under the night sky.

Without hesitation, Tony nodded his head, his fingers running down the length of Peter’s arm. “Sounds romantic,” he mumbled in response, the two of them sharing a soft laugh at the sarcasm that Tony couldn’t always help. Leaning over the arm of his chair, Tony invaded Peter’s space, his lips pressing against his boyfriend’s cheek. “The big sleeping bag right by the fire is probably our best bet.”

There wasn’t any rush in their movements. Peter climbed out of his chair a few minutes later and went about getting their trash into the big bag they’d been putting everything in. He would not so casually meet Tony’s eye overtop the fire, his smile getting sultrier as the seconds passed.

When Peter dragged the sleeping bag out and unzipped it, Tony couldn’t handle the waiting around anymore. He got up from his chair and took the handful of steps that separated him from the gorgeous man he got to call his own. Kicking off the moccasins he wore around their campsite, Tony grabbed Peter’s hand, pulling him down to the ground with him. Peter’s wide eyes had him laughing seconds before he pressed forward and captured slightly chapped lips in a warm kiss.

Despite it being June, the nights were a little chilly – so Tony took great care when stripping Peter down to nothing. Shoes came off first, then the first layer of shirts covering the naked skin of Peter’s chest. Tony took off a piece of his own clothing when something of Peter’s hit the ground. When they were shirtless and busy kissing each other breathless, Tony covered Peter with his upper body, the warmth between them more than enough to keep a chill at bay.

Tony took his time taking off Peter’s pants. His lips lingered on a delectably long neck; the skin still red from their time in the sun. Tracing his name with his tongue, Tony marked a path down, down, down until he was settling between the v of Peter’s legs. His fingers worked the button open, Tony blowing a warm gust of air against the front of bright blue boxer-briefs as the zipper of tight jeans came down. The bulge pressing up against the tight fabric pulsed, Peter obviously very interested in what was about to happen.

Bypassing the area Peter wanted him to touch the most, Tony continued his journey to get Peter completely naked. Slim hips came up off the ground when he started to peel the jeans down Peter’s legs, the boxer briefs coming down with them. Tony ran just the tips of his fingers down the inside of spread thighs, the goosebumps pebbling across Peter’s skin a tangible reaction that never ceased to make Tony harder than a rock.

Too interested in Peter’s skin in the moonlight to worry about his own pants, Tony palmed Peter’s bare erection, the length pulsing into his touch. Groaning, he tightened his grip and started to slowly pump down to the base and back up again, his thumb swiping across the already leaking head. “You’re absolutely stunning like this,” Tony admitted, his eyes moving from the show his hand was making to Peter’s, the normal hazel a little darker, pupils completely overtaking most of the iris.

“You drive me crazy,” Peter moaned out, his bottom lip being pulled between his teeth as he tossed his head back.

Tony let his lips trail over the weepy head, his tongue poking out for a taste.

Fingers fisting into Tony’s hair had him taking more of Peter’s length in his mouth – his boyfriend groaning each time his lips tightened during the upstroke. Tony pressed the back of his head into Peter’s hand, the contact there spurring him on just as much as the cock sliding deeply into his throat. His own erection pressed messily against the seam of his pants, everything about Peter in that moment fanning the fire in his belly. Thrusting a hand down, Tony adjusted himself, a moan being choked out around the cock in his mouth.

Moving quickly, Tony got up onto his knees, his mouth still firmly working Peter’s cock over as he did. Shaky fingers got the button of his pants open, the immediate rush of relief pulling a groan from him again. Tony forced his eyes shut, his fingers pulling the zipper down and shoving his pants down just enough to free up his cock. Only then did he pull up and off Peter’s erection, his eyes finding the other’s while he shimmied the rest of the way out of the intrusive pieces of clothing.

Tony wrapped a hand around himself, a tight fist stroking up and down a few times just to relieve a bit of tension. “Fuck –“ he gasped out, Tony letting his chin drop to his chest. A huge gust of air left his mouth – it felt like physical pain, pulling his hand away from himself. Peter looked at him intensely, the tip of his pink tongue peeking out to wet his bottom lip. Unable to resist, Tony leaned over him, pressing their lips together briefly.

He didn’t allow himself too much time to luxuriate in the feel of Peter’s tongue against his own, though. His boyfriend was thrusting up against him, the sticky wetness of his cock dragging along the skin of Tony’s stomach. Settling into the gap of Peter’s thighs again, Tony used both hands to push his thighs further apart, everything deliciously on display for him.

Fingers of his right hand wrapped around the base of Peter’s cock, while Tony used his left hand to pull Peter’s ass cheeks apart. He let his tongue graze along the already fluttering hole, the move pulling a shout from the man above him. “Fuck – keep doing that,” Peter muttered mindlessly, the words broken apart by gasps and moans. Tony didn’t need to be told twice.

Redoubling his efforts, Tony gripped Peter tightly and let the pace of his hand match the swipes and thrusts of his tongue. Peter’s hands pawed at him uselessly, the hitch of his hips and the frequency of his breathing telling him just how close he actually was. “Cum for me, Pete.” Tony forced his head up, his lips and chin glossy from his own spit and the messy way he went down on Peter with abandon. It took a singular nod from Tony before Peter was coming, thick pearls of cum coating Tony’s fingers and the supple skin of Peter’s abdomen.

Tony didn’t give him any time to recover, he simply ran his fingers through the warm cum and used two of them to press against Peter’s entrance. They slipped in without much resistance – his tongue and the orgasm did a decent job relaxing Peter and his usually wound up body. He set a fast pace, the second Peter let him in, Tony was thrusting and pulling back with efficiency – doing just enough to make sure there wouldn’t be any pain.

Face red and cock pulsing, Tony replaced two fingers with three, his arm tired from the ruthless way he was simply taking. Peter didn’t seem to mind, though – his cock was already starting to harden against his stomach, the pulse of it making him clench around Tony’s fingers.

“I’m ready, I’m ready. Fuck me, Tony,” Peter’s words cut through whatever rational braincells were left. Tony pulled his fingers out and spat in his hand, the leftover cum and spit the perfect lubricant for a coupling like this – wild and carefree. He didn’t let his hand linger as he spread the fluids over his length, the mere touch made him want to explode. Tony had just enough left in the tank to heft Peter’s legs around his hips as he lined the tip of his cock against Peter’s hole and pressed forward, bringing them together as one.

His hands pressed into the sleeping bag up by Peter’s head, his fingers just shy of being able to play with the hair that haloed out. Bringing his bottom lip between his teeth, Tony went through the periodical table in his head to give Peter a second to adjust and to stave off the orgasm that was quickly approaching.

Peter took his own erection in his hand and started to stroke, the darkness in his eye reflecting the moon above perfectly. Pale skin seemed to glow in the depth of the darkness surrounding them, the hand Tony watched becoming iridescent the longer he stared. The movement was a nice distraction, but not enough to stop his hips from swiveling and pulling back, the press inside the only thing he wanted in that moment. Tony let his head hang between his shoulders, the force of his thrusts easier now that he wasn’t trying to hold himself up as much.

The clench around him drove him towards the edge before Tony could stop it from happening. Dropping down to his elbows, Tony trapped Peter’s hand between them to stop the rhythmic jerking over smooth skin. Each tug caused Peter’s hole to clamp down around him and it was pulling Tony to the precipice a lot quicker than he wanted. “You’re going to make me cum. You feel so fucking good,” Tony babbled, his nose moving over Peter’s cheek with every back and forth thrust.

Hands grabbed his face, Peter tugging until Tony shifted his attention to him. He couldn’t stop the roll of his hips, so he didn’t try – staving off obviously wasn’t going to happen. Peter looked at him with his mouth wide open and pupils blown, the sight of it almost enough to pull him over, the tantalizing squeeze and tug of their physicality be damned. Their lips brushed and for a moment, they shared panted breaths.

“Flip me over,” Peter mumbled when Tony tore away from the kiss, his heart pounding from the anaerobic thrusts of his hips and the astounding lack of oxygen. Clenching his eyes shut, Tony nodded. A miracle stopped his hips and allowed him to pull out – the two of them fumbling around for a minute before Tony was on his back and Peter was settling over him, his tight hole already surrounding Tony’s cock.

“Shit – I’m not going to last much longer, baby.” Tony looked up helplessly, his fingers wrapping around Peter’s hips tightly. “I’m so close – “

Peter smirked down at him, his hand wrapping around his cock before he started a ruthless pace with his hips. The strain of his rise and fall could be seen so plainly in the clench of heavily muscled thighs and the ripple of abs that were so warm and tight – it was fucking beautiful.

Throwing his head back, Tony felt the heat in his stomach hit the boiling point, his orgasm sweeping over him like wildfire. He planted his feet and thrust his hips up, the throbbing tip of his cock pressing against Peter’s prostate – the move enough to pull him right over the edge with Tony. A satisfied moan left Tony’s lips at the feeling of Peter’s cum coating his skin.

The brightness of the stars made Peter glow – the post-orgasmic haze swirled around his limbs, making him look like one of the stars in the sky himself. Smiling widely, Tony let his hands trail over the pale skin, the moonlight not conceding under his fingertips, no matter where he touched. In that instant, he knew he’d never be able to look at Peter the same – the ethereal nature surrounding him right now would forever be engrained in the back of his mind; Peter was beautiful all the time, but this took it to a new level.

Not able to stand the distance between them any longer, Tony wrapped his arms around Peter’s middle and pulled him down. Their lips met, the kiss a steady reminder of the never-ending thrum of love and affection that pulsed between them. Three years later and they were still rocking each other’s worlds.

The coolness of the air broke them apart a while later, the cum cooling on Tony’s chest starting to get a little too sticky for his liking. Groping around, Tony found his t-shirt and wiped his and Peter’s chests. When Peter got up, the situation was beyond help. “We’re going to have to get in the water,” Tony said nodding towards the steadily running stream they’d been “bathing” in all week.

Chilly air drove them into the flow – the coolness was inescapable, though; Tony’s skin immediately lit up with goosebumps. He worked quickly to get himself clean, the water icy the longer he stood nude in the elements. Peter didn’t seem to be moving, so Tony splashed some water over at him, a laugh leaving his lips.

A wash of water hitting him wasn’t all that surprising, Peter was never one to back down from any sort of challenge laid down in front of him, especially where Tony was concerned. Shaking his head, Tony retaliated, the wave hitting Peter starting an all-out war. By the time they were panting for breath, neither man could remember what the cold seeping in felt like. Peter wrapped his arms around Tony’s neck, his wet and naked torso pressing in to share body heat

“This was fun,” Peter said, his expression open. “Really fun. I didn’t know being away from everything could be so – nice.”

Filling in the rest of the space, Tony let his arms wrap around Peter’s hips. He tilted his head and stole a quick kiss. “You just have to be open to appreciating it, Petey.” Tony brushed their noses together before pressing in for another kiss.

Later, wrapped up together in the sleeping bag, Tony pressed his face into the back of Peter’s neck. He snuggled into the warmth there and let out a soft sigh. “Where are we headed next, anyway?” Tony asked, his body completely relaxed.

Peter grabbed his hand and kissed the back of it, the spread of a smile evident on his lips still pressed against Tony’s skin. “How do you feel about white-water rafting?”

#starker #ironspider #twokinkybeans #bobbie writes #prompts #fic #and the land is dark #jarofdirtchallenge #jar of dirt challenge

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hwanuels · 5 years ago

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l.jn: just shoot your shot

summary: can jeno just be confident in himself? pls? pretty pls?

pairing: student-athlete!jeno x tutor! (fem) reader

warning: PROCEED WITH CAUTION! GRAMMAR MISTAKES! AND CRACKHEADS! ALSO CURSING! i’m back and i’m not dead so here’s some athlete!jeno that everyone was looking forward too. just a reminder, this is apart of my collab with @huangsren so check out her art-hoe! renjun and childhood-friend! chenle in our dreamies highschool au. i’m not really satisfied with this piece compared to my other two. hopefully, this still slaps. also, there will be for sure a second part to this so yuh. enjoy.

okay so let’s get this straight lee jeno is THAT guy whose in like all of the sports teams on campus

basketball, baseball, football, soccer, track and field, cross country, pickleball, etc he’s on them all

he was deadass about to join the cheerleading team just so he could have the clout of being on all of the teams

ngl imagine a cheerleader!jeno,,,hell yeah that’s my shit

but he didn’t bc he isn’t as big of a crackhead as one like to think

jeno has the reputation of the silent cold guy, but in actuality is a big FLOOF ball especially with his close friends (aka jaemin)

he’s well-liked by everyone bc he’s hecka nice once they look pass that cold exterior and he’s realllly hot.

just picture sweaty!jeno after practice using his shirt to wipe off his sweat allowing everyone to have a glimpse of his abs.

sign me the fuck up

he’s just extremely shy and socially awkward so he doesn’t really know how to interact w people when he meets them for the first time so a lot of people just think he’s that distant, angsty type

it still shocks a shit ton of people when they find out he’s best friends with the social butterfly/ fboi! jaemin but don’t get him wrong bc he doesn’t go around town breaking hearts left and right like his best buddy does

as much as jeno likes to deny it, he is a ROMANTICIST

way back in freshmen year, jeno was captivated by a teenage romance which he blames ara (from fucq-boi! jaemin au) for roping him into all those barbies and chick-flick movies.

like his heart flutters at the idea of his significant other wearing his jersey to his games or sharing a milkshake at the local ice cream parlor,,,he wants to give them his hoodie and cuddle on the couch (hopefully watching barbie princess charm school)

BABY BOY JUST WANTS TO BE LOVED !

but he doesn’t want it to be superficial like what jaemin does

he highly disapproves of jaemin’s casanova ways

jaemin is probably really glad about the bros before hoes rule bc he would have lost jeno a long time ago with all of the girls he goes through

jeno knows that love is a delicate thing and should be treated seriously which is why he’s so against jaemin’s date and ditch

and jeno wants to be in a relationship! but he can’t bc he has like NO time for the lovey-dovey highschool bs (also bc he’s highkey scared that he might ruin any relationship he gets himself into)

the boy has back to back practice from all the sports he decided to take on

on multiple occasions, different practice times interfere with each other and instead of just missing one like he SHOULD, jeno decided to take em both on at the same time

catch him sprinting from the soccer field to the football field back and forth in between break times

one time, basketball and swimming practice collided w each other so jeno thought it was smart to go back and forth from the school’s pool to the gym after he’d finish a 1000M IM set and shot at least 15 3-pointers

let’s just say he flashed a lot of people, running half-naked with only his drag suit on when he forgot to put on his sweatpants in one of his runs back and forth

art-hoe! renjun never lets him live it down much to his embarrassment

“remember that one-time jeno displayed his junk to the whole student body? good times, good times”

cue jeno throwing a pencil at renjun or chasing him down the halls

jeno’s abs were the talk of the school for at least a whole month and our boi had red cheeks every time he heard someone talk about it

because of that jeno double-checks, quadruple-checks to make sure that his pants are on before booking it to the gym to shoot hoops

ALSO

another reason why a lot of people find jeno so intimidating and hard to approach was bc of the fight that happened between his ex-friend! stoner-boi!haechan sophomore year

no one expected that the calm, seemingly unbothered jeno could throw punches that hard. it was like he transformed into the hulk or something

except jeno didn’t like the new reputation he gained over a stupid fight with his once close friend.

there’s one nasty habit that jeno can’t seem to let go of no matter how much jaemin and renjun tell him to fix

the boy holds onto grudges like there’s no tomorrow

there was one time where jaemin had to borrow jeno’s phone for something and he accidentally dropped it

“hey can i borrow your phone to call someone? mine’s dead.” jaemin asked him.

“no, last time i gave it to you, you cracked it”

“dude! it was one time”

“say that to my cracked screen”

“for goodness sake, jeno, i only cracked your screen protector!”

“still you broke it”

yeah, jaemin never got to use jeno’s phone ever again.

someone didn’t give back the pencil he lent them? he doesn’t even look in their direction until jaemin nags him enough to just let it go

which is probably why he and haechan still vehemently hate each other even though renjun and jaemin are ready to go talk things out with haechan

some part deep down insides knows he should just let it go and actually talk things out with haechan on why he initiated the fight bc haechan was once someone jeno considered as a bro

and jeno doesn’t give out bro passes as easily

he just doesn’t know how to approach haechan or if haechan would even be willing to talk it through

it’s kinda sad how the two of them don’t even look each other in the eye or acknowledged each other existence anymore

other than that jeno is practically flawless, jk

as much as he is very enthusiastic in physical education, when it comes to math, science, etc, jeno is basically flunking. like borderline passing in all of his classes

he was for sure failing math though which is a HUGE problem…bc to stay on any team sport, he CAN’T be failing a class

which is why jeno was currently spending his free period, in the library, furiously erasing his wrong answer for the problem he tried multiple times to solve. it was the first math problem on the remedial work packet that his math teacher gave him for extra practice.

even his friend, smartass renjun gave up on helping him and went to go toy around with his telescope, going on a tangent about renjun’s alien conspiracies theories.

if only jeno could have renjun’s genius brain, life would be so much easier

slamming his head on the table, jeno let out a low groan of frustration at whoever decided that it was a good idea to mix number and letters together.

“dude, can you not?” he heard someone say from next to him.

he lifted his head to take a peek…and this is where you come in, glaring at him with murder on your mind

jeno’s just staring at you and the fool does not recognize you at all

NCT High isn’t a big place either so he would have come across you once or twice, but you were simply a new face to him.

you, at this point, grew annoyed at the boy who was just shameless staring at you.

“is there something on my face?” you asked with a raised eyebrow

slowly he shakes his head ‘no’

“keep it down, i’m trying to sleep” you warned him before laying your arms now with your head resting on it, faced away from jeno.

jeno, who was awe-struck for second at your frank personality, decided that it was time to have another go at the problem and looked at it again

yeah there was no way in hell he was going to be able to solve it, he was too fucking lost

atm jeno is like .000000001 seconds away from having a mental breakdown because if he doesn’t pass his test this friday he’s going to be benched and if he fails the class then he loses his status of team captain and his spot on the soccer team which he cannot afford to bc it was SENIOR year and he should be living in all of his sports glory right now

and what if he can’t graduate? he can’t be a super senior like lucas wong like nooo that can definitely not happen

literally, jeno, stop freaking out - sincerely admin minnie

suddenly while he was having an overthinking session, his paper and pencil were taken away from him. he watches as the culprit (you) quickly solve the problems on the piece of paper in record time with wide eyes

letting out a small huff, you gave him back the paper wordlessly before going back to your previous sleeping positions hoping to get back to your precious nap time. your actions leaving jeno’s mouth opened in awe as his eyes glances back and forth between the answer sheets and the ones you provided him, both matching up perfectly with no mistake

he looks back at your sleeping form and wonders if you’re an actual prodigy like renjun

but jeno also feels really bad for disturbing your nap so he lets you be and tries to quietly work on the other problems and review how you solved the ones he had trouble on earlier

except he’s even more confused bc there was more numbers and letters;; no comprendo

jeno’s brain: ajadkf;dskjhg;ajdsvf;

he contemplates ask you for help or a basic explanation since there was no way that jeno learned how to solve that in class (he did, he just slept through the lecture because he was dead-beat tired after a heavy soccer practice from the night before)

jeno’s fear of flunking overweighed his social awkwardness so he pokes you gently with his pencil eliciting a grumpy “what do you want, now?” from you

gulping, jeno mumbles a small “can you help me, i don’t understand how you solved this”

you looked intently at jeno not answering his questions causing the boy to instantly regret asking, but surprisingly you replied

“what don’t you get?” you rubbed the sleep out of your eyes and shifted towards the male

“i don’t even know what i don’t know”

i felt that jeno. i felt that.

he pulls the piece of paper between the two of you and points to a problem that you did with ease

“oh, so you’re so supposed to…” you launched off into an explanation filled with math terms that adds more to jeno’s confusion

sensing that jeno still wasn’t understanding, you let out a big sigh

“sorry, it just doesn’t make sense in my head” jeno admitted shyly

at first, you were gonna say something snappy about how even an eighth-grader could do this problem easily, you held it back because you actually felt bad since jeno was trying so hard

you also weren’t going to deny that lw jeno looked quite cute with that adorable slight pout on his face

“let’s just take it slow, i’ll explain step by step”

so you did just that, patiently teaching the methods and theorems to jeno who constantly made that confused noise every time you introduced something new to the table

the two of you worked through five of the worksheets and jeno was actually understanding it! horray!

you were explaining the last problem to jeno when he stops you with a question that was completely off-topic

“why are you helping me?”

it was simple question so you answered it simply.

“because you looked like you need it.” you shrugged “i was trying to take a nap earlier but it was too loud for me with your constant erasing”

“sorry” jeno said looking down at his lap, embarrassed that he was a nuisance to you

you kind felt bad ngl so you quickly reassured him

“don’t worry about it. you remind me of my idiotic friends, not that you’re an idiot though. actually, no comment.”

we love a blunt y/n.

you clicked the pen you were holding and placed it down, “i moved here a couple months ago so i barely know anyone. now that it’s senior year, everyone already has their own friend group so why bother trying to join them?”

jeno makes another confused noised at your blunt statement.

you wondered if that particular noise has some type of effect on you due to the fact that you have a sudden urge to explain your situation to the boy you hardly knew for more than the hour

“i used to go to miroh high, but my dad got a transfer here so he decided to enroll me at this school without my say. i left all my friends back there sadly”

“that sucks,” was all that jeno could say.

damn his inability to socialize like a normal human being.

you nodded, “yeah, it does, but it’s not that bad. my friends make an effort to come down here most weekend and sometimes i drive up there too.” you turn to look at him and jeno freezes at the sudden eye contact “actually, you remind me of my friend hyunjin. he was kind of a ditz in anything that wasn’t sports”

“wait, how do you know that i play sports?” jeno asked confused

“dude, everyone knows that you’re the school’s mvp.” you said as if it’s obvious “you’re not as intimidating as they say you are though.”

damn it

he was hoping you had no idea who he was so that could relieve his guilt of not knowing who you were despite being in the same graduating class.

at the same time, he was glad that he seemed to have made a good impression on you

“don’t worry, i won’t spill your little secret” you gestured to the worksheets which had red pen markings all over it, signs of jeno’s failures. you figured that the school’s star jock didn’t want the school knowing his inability to solve basic 12th-grade math problem

you reached under the table to grab your backpack, causing jeno to reach a hand out to grasp your wrist

“wait, where are you going?”

a part of him was afraid that he was going to forget everything you taught him once you left, but the other part was extremely curious about you and wanted to know more

“i have somewhere to go?” you looked down at his hand and back up at him “you have something else you want to say?”

sensing that his grip was making you feel uncomfortable, he quickly pulled his hand away. rubbing the back of his neck. he avoids your eyes, opting to stare at your feet instead.

“this might be a little weird, but can you please tutor me? at least until next week when i have to take my make-or-break test.” jeno plead, embarrassment rushed to his cheeks in the form of a red blush when he realized how desperate he sounded.

you let out a tiny giggle, totally different from your persona earlier.

you took his pencil that was laying on the table to scribble something on the corner of his worksheet. patting his shoulder, you quickly left the boy staring at the piece of paper.

don’t get confused (127) 312-0325 :)

a stupid smile made it’s way onto jeno’s lips as he quickly packed up his things in haste. he practically skips to soccer practice. maybe he even heel-clicked.

lee jeno is not failing math!

cute tutor acquired!

woohoo!

but also, there’s this weird tingly feeling that jeno has inside.

he doesn’t know what exactly it was but most likely it’s probably the reason why he was a goofy-ass smile on his face

“dude, are you okay?” one of his teammates ask after he gets hits in the head with a soccer ball

jeno, not even fazed by it one bit, just smiles and gives his teammates a big thumbs up

“coach, i think there’s something wrong with jeno!”

anyways, that night he’s extremely excited to text you.

imagine jeno on his bed, laying on his stomach feet up in the air, taking at least an hour to construct a response that doesn’t make him seem lame or a fifty-year-old man like all of his friends say he texts like

jeno is probably the type of person that texts, with all the correct capitalization and actual punction plus awkward spacing and usage of emojis

this time he tried to be chill about it

jeno: hey, it’s me, jeno. sorry for bothering you this late at night, but i don’t understand this problem. can you help me pls?

sent.

now jeno was currently awaiting your response….however, you don’t reply right away like jeno for some reason expects

he takes the waiting time to scroll through his social media and it’s the usual things he sees every day

he sees the juniors’ chenle and his weird little friend talking about some sort of prank they’re going to pull, jaemin’s spam post on how he was stuck making prom decorations to fulfill his community service requirements, etc

however, a sudden post from @/luccasss caught his attention

especially the girl sitting on top of an old blue car with the senior, middle fingers up

his eyes glance at the caption quickly

me and my main bitch fucking it up (pc to our little kiddo)

wait a minute.

jeno could remember you saying how you didn’t bother making friends w anyone, so what are you doing with the lucas wong?

now lucas wong doesn’t have that great of a reputation around campus, especially since he was a held back his senior year. he blows off class and jeno has heard that he’s in cahoots with the stoners on campus too

your account is tagged in the picture and luckily it’s on public, so jeno could secretly and shamefully stalk your page

while looking through your photos, jeno realizes that he really doesn’t know anything about…. you

tbh he didn’t even know your name until he saw your bio and username. (facepalm @ jeno)

scrolling through your photos, he saw you posing with other boys and girls that he didn’t recognize making him assume that they were your friends from your old school

his fingers land on a picture where you’re kissing a cheek of ridiculously good looking guy. checking the tag, he sees that it’s a guy whose username was something along the lines of cb_97

imma miss my ddy chan <3!! owo

as he scrolling through the chan guy’s instagram, jeno becomes more dejected bc maybe he was too deep in his imagination that he got from watching too many dramas with ara

letting out a sad sigh, jeno clicks his phone off and settles into bed. the more he thinks about it the more he feels insignificant to you which he was.

for all he knows, he’s just a random kid in the library that you helped with a few math problems

the next day, jeno walks into school with no pep in his step :(

and as his certified besties, jaemin and renjun drag him into an empty classroom during lunch prying him to confess what’s got him down in the dumps

and jeno knows he can’t hide anything from his besties so he just lets it all out

jaemin, taking a long blink after his bff’s rant to process the newly acquired tea “wow, bro. you got the feels”

“exactly,” jeno groans “i only talked to her once! she doesn’t even know me!”

“she knows you suck at math,” renjun points out

and jeno threatens to throw a chair at his friend, but jaemin quickly stops him

“okay, how about you just take it slow? like get to know her and let her get to know you. it could be that you’re just overthinking her kindness for helping you when you were desperate. appreciation is different from admiration” ngl jaemin was kinda-sorta right

“btw, who is this chick anyway? you haven’t told us who it was” renjun asked, sitting on one of the empty desks

“y/n, she transferred a couple months ago from miroh”

renjun abruptly jumps to his feet, “the y/n l/n? the new math teacher’ daughter?”

“you know her?” jeno quirks an eyebrow

“dude she’s in my ap calculus class and she has the highest grade, but she never shows up to class,” renjun tells him. “she’s a straight, badass genius”

jeno feels stupider as renjun continues to list all of your achievements and the art boy makes it seem like all of them were done effortlessly.

how stupid was he in your eyes when he couldn’t solve regular senior math problems while you were out here solving college-based ones?

now you seem like a person farther and father away from him.

jaemin, his good-ol-buddy knows that jeno is over-analyzing the new information renjun was telling him, and he tries his best to hype is buddy up

“c’mon, you might not be a genius at math but you certainly are on any field, pool, and court. have some confidence!”

deep down jeno knows that he should listen to his friend and that he should just be more confident in himself, but he can’t shake his feeling of insecurity and doubt

so the next time he sees you laying on the empty table in the non-fiction section sleeping, he’s a bit more reluctant to approach you. instead, he quietly sits in the seat next to you as he pulls out his practice sheets to work and miserably fail on

except you don’t wake up for a looong time until jeno accidentally sneezes too loud, causing you to awaken

opening your eyes, you see the boy look at you with wide eyes as if he’s done something terribly wrong by waking you up

“why do you look like i’m about to kill you or something?” you giggled watching as the boy in front of you became very flustered “why didn’t you wake me up when you came here?”

“oh, you look like you were in deep sleep, so i didn’t want to wake you up”

you stretched your arms out, one hand over your mouth as you let out an inaudible yawn, “don’t worry about it. i’m always sleeping”

you blamed all of your fatigue on lucas as it was his fault that you were tired out of your mind from the little night adventure he roped both you and a junior named eun (y/n from childhood-friend!chenle’s au) into.

honestly, if it weren’t for lucas’s annoying ass laugh waking you up from your nap that one day, you probably wouldn’t have befriended the big bumbling bafoon.

“yeah, but apparently i’m failing the twelfth-grade again bc i’m not allowed to just go to homeroom and p.e. i mean, who wants to learn about FUNCTIONS when you could just be looking up memes in the library?!?” - lucas wong, 2019

despite lucas’s overwhelming personality, you were quite thankful to have him as he reminded you of your old friends back at miroh, it was nice.

eun was a soft-spoken child that often had to turn to you or lucas (which wasn’t always a good idea) for advice that you both were happy to give to the underclassmen.

personally, you didn’t care that you only had like two friends, quality over quantity right?

“earth to jeno?” you waved your hand in front of his face as he stayed unresponsive

he mumbles something inaudible and points at a problem

your eyes gloss over it taking in the problem, before quickly grabbing a pen and solving it. you spoke slowly as you explained the step-by-step solution that jeno had to do.

when you look back at jeno to make sure that he was understanding the content, you noticed how the jock is off in his own universe and not paying attention to you.

“please don’t make me repeat that again,” you sigh, catching jeno’s attention. you capped the pen and lightly tossed it on the table, proceeding to stretch out your hands above your head.

“sorry”

“what’s up with you?” you asked, wondering why the boy who seemed desperate for your help yesterday, was now acting like he could care less. “and don’t give me that stupid, generic “nothing” bullshit.”

“sorry, football was tough last night,” jeno said quietly, focusing on the problem.

despite not being involved in the school festivities, you knew that it was well past football season. and that meant that jeno was lying to you.

there was a slight pang of disappointment, but you pushed it aside. what were you expecting anyway? he probably only saw you as a tutor.

you weren’t even his friend for fuck’s sake

“let’s move onto the next problem” you say, quickly changing the subject.

honestly, the two of you were fucking idiots. smh

despite there being awkward tension between the two of you, you’re tutoring was actually very very helpful for jeno. he could actually understand what was going on in math class now.

remember that test he had to take to ensure that he could play for his soccer match? jeno passed that with flying colors thanks to your careful explanations

even after that test, the two of you kept your tutoring arrangement;;;and maybe jeno was falling even harder for you.

he couldn’t help it though! the way you run your fingers through your hair or the way you puff out your cheeks when you’re trying to think of a way to explain something to jeno just makes leaves him star-struck. and every time he gets a problem right without your help, the proud smile that you give him makes his heart leap

it wasn’t like you were safe from the love bug either!!

lee jeno was hard not to like and he was even harder to not fall for.

the little cute noises that he makes when he’s lost, the way his eyes go wide when he finally understands the problem, and the eye-smile he gives you when he gets a problem right.

your heart literally went uwu when jeno offered you his hoodie bc the two of you were sitting underneath the ac vent and you were shivering.

when you tried to give it back to him, he just shook his head and said “keep it, just in case you get cold”

lee jeno was not healthy for your heart. uwu hours 24/7

but the two of you were stuck in this weird relationship bc the two of you weren’t exactly friends, but also not strictly tutoring. you would share laughs here and there, but then quickly it would dial down and returned back to the math problems

some times when he was texting you, he would send a cute gif to show you that he understood and sometimes you would tell him about something funny/stupid lucas+eun or your other friends did.

“just ask him out,” lucas tells you bluntly as the both of you chilled on the bleachers during lunch.

“hard pass”

“fine, then i’ll do it.” lucas shrugs, eliciting a hard smack from you

“don’t embarrass me, you asstwat”

“who said i was asking him out for you? that boy is a fine piece of meat”

“istg, lucas, i’ll actually gouge your eyes out” you deadpanned.

but big ol’ oaf lucas doesn't see you as an actual threat. and he reaches out to grab your cheeks causing your face to form into a fish pout

“can you even reach me?” he teases, shaking around your face

and this the part where you’re pulling lucas into a headlock, oblivious to the fact that jeno was watching your toughy actions from afar

he kicked the soccer ball angrily into the goal causing jaemin to duck with a small shriek to avoid getting his head decapitated by jeno’s fastball

“dude wtf!” jaemin shouts

“sorry,” jeno mutters.

jaemin looks over to where jeno was staring at and saw you and lucas being really handsy with each other. from that distance that the two boys were looking it, it didn’t look like the roughhousing the two of you were actually doing

you pulling his hair to them looked like you were playing around with it

jaemin’s buddy jeno be looking like a kicked puppy rn, muttering under his breath about his shortcommings

jaemin is bout ready to slap him upside down the head for having no confidence or whateves

“can you stop talking shit about my bestfriend now?” jaemin @ jeno but the boy is on a whole ass rant on why he sucks in comparison to lucas

“of course she doesn’t like me. she has a whole lucas wong and he’s 6′0 ft of handsomeness. he’s fun and exciting, i’m staler than a moldy piece of bread!”

can jeno just love himself??????? is that to much to ask?

“i’ll just never be good enough for her. i’m not her type, she can do better than me.”

cue jaemin intense internal screaming

one day, jeno was going to your usual sitting spot in the library when he sees lucas chilling with eun—a girl that he’s seen around with his friend chenle. they were both laughing at something on lucas’s phone.

jeno looks at the sight confused. cause like aren’t you and lucas a thing? like why was this boy looking really chummy with this underclassmen?

so jeno clears his throat to catch their attention and both of them look at him like “who tf are you?”

“where’s y/n? she’s suppose to be tutoring me” jeno says

a look of recognition flashes across lucas’s and eun’s at the sound of y/ns name. the younger female whispers something to the senior causing him to clap his hands.

“oh so you’re, jeno??” lucas says in this voice

and jeno awkwardly nods

“yeah, y/n is skipping school today so she told me to tell you to look over the notes she wrote out for you” lucas pulled out a notebook and handed it to jeno

jeno flips through it carefully, examining the words you wrote in your familiar handwriting; there was also a highlight code system and little side comments to help him

“thanks” jeno about to leave but lucas’s next comments stop him

“you’re lucky that y/n likes you enough to do that for you. she wouldn’t even tell me whats 4x4 when i asked her” lucas slumped into his seat

“that because she thinks you have chronic stupidity” the underclassmen said, giggling

“aren’t you suppose to be on my side you little pipsqueak” lucas says jokily, rubbing her head.

and jeno is watching the exchange, getting more and more confused

did y/n know that lucas was hanging out w another girl without you?

“did you need something else, jeno?” eun asked him

jeno is about to say no, but different words left his mouth

“aren’t you dating y/n, lucas?”

there was a silence that lasted for a good minute, both lucas and the underclassmen giving jeno a blank stare….

until lucas bust out into ugly laughter, bent over his seat delirious and eun was also laughing along but not to the same degree.

was it really that funny? jeno be staying confused

it wasn’t until the librarian came to shush the two did they stop laughing

lucas wiped away tears of laughter from his eyes “that was a good one!”

“what do you mean?” jeno asked

“pffft eun would rather date a rabid animal than me,” lucas said “she’s only friends w me bc i forced her to be”

oh! that was news to jeno

“besides, lucas isn't y/n’s type” eun revealed, shocking jeno

oh really now?

“yeah, you fit her type really well,” lucas stated nonchalantly.

eun is like BRUH WHY WOULD YOU REVEAL THAT but doesn’t say anything and kicks lucas underneath the table. she could already picture the pure anger once her friend found out that lucas spilled her secret crush that easily.

robot jeno is just standing there holding the notebook and deep in thought.

“is he okay?” lucas whispers, looking up and down at jeno. eun shrugs in response

bOOM jeno zoom zooms away and the two high schoolers shrug at the jocks before returning to looking at dank memes

jeno basically charges down to the only female he’s friends with for advice, ara. (go read my fucqboi! jaemin for the backstory!)

conveniently, he finds both his jaemin and ara standing at her locker talking. tbh it looked more like jaemin trying to flirt with ara and her ignoring him.

but right now his friend’s girl problems were the least of jeno’s concerns!

so jeno basically hulk yanks jaemin away from ara and has the most serious expression on his face “i need your help, ara”

“huh?”

and he drags ara off to a more secluded place to explain his current situation to, ignoring jaemin’s whines

“to be honest with you, i think you need to have more confidence. now that you know that she isn't interested in lucas, why don’t you just take the initiative to confess?” ara says once jeno explained to her every juicy detail of his hopeless love story.

“because i don’t think that she likes me. there’s nothing special about me. the only things i’m good at are sports and that’s not very interesting!” jeno exclaims “she probably thinks i’m an actual idiot!”

“jeno, listen, i’m only going to say this once, but please please understand that you’re a very special person, okay? you’re extremely hard-working, nice, and honestly very fun to be around. it would take a fool to not like you, lee jeno.” ara sighed, patting her friend’s shoulder “just shoot your shot. if it doesn’t make it in, it’s okay.”

but jeno doesn’t like leaving things to chance. he wants to be sure and he hates uncertainty.

“when you’re competing or playing against someone, you have no idea how the whole game is going to pan out. all you know to do is to try your best and go all out to ensure the very best result so that you can win. liking someone is like that, you just have to go forward and hopefully, you’ll be able to score a home run or a touchdown.”

that was sum deep shit

after listening carefully to ara’s words, jeno came to a conclusion

maybe

just maybe

jeno will take a chance.

reaching into his pocket, he pulls out his phone and sends a text.

jeno: can you meet me at neo ice cream later? i have something important to tell you.

y/n: yeah ofc. i’ll see you at 4

he had soccer practice today and for the very first time, jeno was skipping practice, his favorite time. the only time where he’s ever fully confident in his abilities, where his stupid insecurities can’t get to him.

this was more important the temporary self-gratification that jeno gets when he’s able to fly through practice with ease

lee jeno was taking a leap, unsure of where he’ll fall.

today, he’ll shoot his shot. and hopefully, you’ll catch.

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sincerelyreidburke · 4 years ago

Text

How your Kiersey friends survive the end of fall semester: by making campus festive!

Day 4 of the 25 Days of Kiersey is upon us! I’m doing a text post today. In normal college times, the stretch between Thanksgiving break and the end of fall semester finals is an extremely festive time of year. Or at least it is on my college’s campus, and I’m projecting that festivity onto Kiersey.

What you’ll find under the cut: the ways in which all the “main” characters of the Kiersey-verse celebrate that festive few weeks on campus.

Ask for anything you’d like to see this month in the way of Kiersey-verse festivities!

The 25 Days of Kiersey AO3 work

Nando: He occupies the Beech Street kitchen like it’s a damn military outpost (but not nearly as strict), and whips out every holiday recipe from home that he can manage. This means baking— Christmas conchas and marranitos especially— but not only baking. There’s a lot of, like, soup and stew going on. Red pozole, and chicken pozole verde...... (I am hungry typing this up) and also, this host of cooking wouldn’t be complete without Nando’s papa’s hot chocolate recipe. He makes it many times for his teammates and Quinn. Because Nando has such a thing about feeding the people he loves and cares about, he wants to make sure all his friends from Kiersey experience the true wonder of a Hernandez family Christmas.

Remy: Remy is a huge fan of pond hockey, so he goes out to skate any chance he gets on the one pond on campus. He can and will do this by himself, but he invites friends along too. You’re lying to yourself if you don’t think Remy “raging Canadian” Tremblay isn’t 100% in his element out on a frozen pond in skates, a winter hat, gloves, his Olympic Team Canada windbreaker, and track pants. So, yes, he does take himself out on skating dates. He works on his shot, his speed, and stick handling. But like I said, he’s not always alone. One time, he invites the team out for a game of shinny and it starts snowing, so it devolves into a KMH snowball fight. Another time, he invites Kai and gets ready to laugh at xir the whole time because Kai makes it out like xe can’t skate, and then Kai invites him to race, and it turns out Kai is a former figure skater and xe’s extremely fast. Remy is shook.

Ben: (Sigh) Although this is extremely characteristic of Ben Shaley, I do not approve of his life choices. Ben has a personal holiday tradition called the 12 Days of Lay. It’s exactly what it sounds like, but I’ll explain it to you anyway. In the 12 days leading up to the end of the semester, Ben tries to hook up every single day. He does this by showing up at random parties. Yes, I hate him. Yes, he makes terrible decisions. Yes, he’s a thot. Thanks for your time.

Quinn: First of all, he knits like a crazy person. Sophomore year, he makes matching blue and gold pom-pom hats for the entire hockey team (this requires some pre-planning, but he does it nonetheless), and he gives them to the boys right before their last game of the semester. He knits other things, too, in various holiday themes. He and Nando try to watch as many Christmas movies as they can in the short window of time post-Thanksgiving and pre-winter break, because Quinn never watched holiday movies growing up, and Nando gives him his first education in them, and then it becomes a tradition for them.

Cole: True story: every year, the drama club hosts a little holiday talent show, and every year without fail, Cole goes up and sings the Adam Sandler Hanukkah song. Yes, he plays his own guitar. Yes, he wears the ugly Hanukkah sweater that Quinn made for him. He might even wear his kippah? I’m not sure, but either way, he gets a real kick out of himself. I would also say “Cole teaches his Christmas-celebrating friends Hanukkah traditions,” but Cole barely has friends, so, uh. I mean, he could teach them to Reid? Except one of Reid’s roommates/“boys” from his graduating year is also Jewish, and Reid probably already knows. Come to think of it, Cole probably hangs out with Jake. But anyway.

Reid: He has a pair of Christmas socks for each separate day. You think I exaggerate, but I assure you, I do not. And as we saw yesterday, Reid is a big fan of Christmas decorations. He puts a [plastic] tree up in his campus residence, Duffy Hall apartment 3, which we saw a brief glimpse into during yesterday’s installment of the 25 Days. Duff 3 goes hard at the holidays, and it probably includes some good parties.

Bri: In collaboration with her fellow Art Students, she participates in a big fundraiser where they sell art designed to be holiday gifts. They do this on campus, but probably also out in the actual community of Kiersey, which is a (fictional) medium-sized town. Bri makes a lot of vases, dishware, and other ceramic stuff, plus stuff in the glass studio. The students donate some of the proceeds to charity, and use some to help fund their department. Also, Christmas leggings are to Bri what socks are to her boyfriend.

Jhiron: I know we don’t really see Jhiron all that much, but I want to include him on this list because he’s one of the few members of the Kiersey cast who actively celebrates an “uncommon” or at least uncommercialized winter holiday, which is Kwanzaa. He’s Muslim, but Kwanzaa is cultural rather than religious, so he celebrates it both at home and a little on campus. It doesn’t actually start until after Christmas, but he’s really active in the Kiersey Black Student Union (his girlfriend, Jazzy, is the president of it their senior year), and they have this really nice African holiday festival in collaboration with the campus multicultural center. It involves food, traditions, et cetera, and takes place right before everybody leaves.

Maggie: Maggie is the online shopping queen. She capitalizes on Cyber Monday deals, and times all her shopping so that gifts for friends will come in before they all leave for break. She’s extremely thoughtful and also extremely stylish, and there’s glitter on the wrapping for pretty much every present she hands out. She’s not a “DIY gift” kind of person— but she will gift you something that corresponds to your exact aesthetic, every time. She has an eye for stuff like that. She likes doing Yankee swaps and stuff for similar reasons.

Kai: I actually don’t know that Kai is big on celebrating any one winter holiday, but I don’t think that that means xe is against festivities, and I know for a fact that xe would decorate xir lizard’s tank. With, like, little lights around the sides. And Leonardo (the lizard in question) gets some kind of festive hat. He only keeps it on for about two seconds, but it’s long enough for Kai to get his picture and set it as xir profile picture on everything for the duration of the holiday season. Also, skating with Remy, as I mentioned earlier.

Claire: She does campus-wide caroling with the Kiersey acapella group, which is a real student organization that exists, despite my lack of mentioning it to this point. I think there’s probably some crossover with theatre kids, as in, a handful of them are in it, and Claire sticks out as someone who definitely would do it. Anyway. They go caroling from dorm to dorm during finals. Claire brings cookies for her acapella friends. They all wear Santa hats. It’s great fun.

Ellie: Because she is, at heart, a very outdoorsy person, Ellie helps decorate the exterior of campus. Like, hanging lights on trees and stuff? She also encourages her friends to participate in various outdoorsy activities such as building a snowman, which lives outside her apartment for a few days until some drunk football players knock it down, and then Ellie gets super pissed and re-makes the snowman passive-aggressively, and basically just keeps this up until the end of the semester. A hopeless romantic at heart, Ellie daydreams about having a girlfriend who will make snow angels, go on skating dates, and watch festive movies with her. When she actually does get a girlfriend, she does all these things with her accordingly.

Teegs: He throws the most raging, wild holiday parties you ever did see. Anyone who gets within a 10-foot radius of the house on Beech Street from after Thanksgiving until the end of the semester risks getting covered in fake snow confetti, being forced to play some kind of Christmas drinking game, and, of course, having their eardrums blown out by Teegs’ Christmas music. He has sunglasses with fun rims, like this..........

#25 days of kiersey #kiersey college

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eintsein · 6 years ago

Text

Warning: 10 min read ahead :)

Coming into freshman year, I was relatively optimistic. However, I also did that thing where I prevent myself from having too strong of an opinion or extreme expectations (whether it’s positive or negative) before actually experiencing something, in order not to settle on a premature judgment. Even so, before starting freshman year, I was excited for a huge change - I was sick of mundane high school life. When I finally started college, man, was it liberating.

On Intellectual Development

I’d been taking more or less the same classes throughout high school. These classes covered the exact same topics - the only difference was the depth of the material. In college, however, I got to study a breadth of topics and subjects - astronomy, anthropology, information science, philosophy - subjects into which I barely dipped my toes, and when I did so, it was only through the books I read in my own time.

Choosing a liberal arts school is one of the best decisions I ever made because it exposes me to so many things I simply did not have access to in the earlier stages of my intellectual development. Like, yeah, I can read philosophy books whenever I want, but who will I talk to when I don’t understand an argument? How can I discipline my thinking, my writing, my approach to this new learning material? I can find any topic fascinating, but I can’t exactly set my mind on any of them because I haven’t had proper academic exposure. Plus, where high school humanities courses were easy and contained little engagement - just lots of material - the humanities courses I took in my freshman year of college got me thinking and reflecting and engaging with the material even when I didn’t intend to.

What I particularly enjoyed was the discussion sections in humanities courses. For those less familiar with the system, each course usually has a weekly discussion where students are split up into smaller classes and get to discuss anything related to the course material that week. I am not a naturally talkative or articulate person by any standard, let alone compared to Americans, so obviously these discussions were very challenging. But aside from helping me practice putting my thoughts into words and to interact verbally with academic material, these discussions did allow me to engage with the material in a way that I could not have alone, in a way that a STEM course probably could not be discussed.

My STEM courses, however, had their own merits. I very much enjoyed the project based, hands-on approach of most of the classes, especially when teamwork is involved. For my final project for a web programming and design course, my team and I got to make a website for an on-campus, student-run grocery store. For my intro CS final project, I got to code an entire game of alien invaders. This was so refreshing compared to the STEM courses I did in high school, where I was basically just learning the theory for 6 months, and then drilling past papers for the next 6 months. Theory in these STEM courses are also more involved and require more thinking, while high school science courses tend to be on the mechanical side.

College is also liberating because whenever I have the urge to understand something more deeply or find an ever-present curiosity sitting in the back of my mind, I can always enroll in a course or attend a lecture, instead of always being redirected to a predetermined course combination that doesn’t allow for intellectual exploration, and settling for an article, a youtube video, or a book instead. It’s an amazing feeling to always have a fountain of knowledge with which I can quench my intellectual thirst.

When it comes to learning things, I still have the same attitude as the wide-eyed freshman when I first came last fall. I kinda wish I had experimented more instead of jumping into my ‘intended major’, though. In my first two semesters here, I took astronomy, anthropology, comparative literature, computer science, economics, information science, mathematics, and philosophy, which is already quite a diverse course combination, but there are some other subjects I’d like to try out and definitely could have if I hadn’t settled for a major upon entering college. But wherever I end up - and I still have a year to decide - I’m sure I’ll choose something interdisciplinary and requires diverse ways of thinking.

On Paths (in Life, School, etc.)

The intellectual and academic rigidity of high school also kind of narrowed my scope for my own future. The courses and careers built into my head were the ones I was exposed to at school, at home, or in mainstream media. However, being exposed to all this new knowledge made me realize how little I’ve experienced - certainly not enough to determine where I’m going in life - and that it’s okay to not be sure of where I want to go.

There’s this perception that you should know where you want to be in the future by the time you turn 17 or 18 or whatever age you graduate high school, maybe even earlier if you take into account the college application period. But honestly, how realistic is that? I mean, it’s great if you discover your ‘passion’ early on in life, but then where’s your room to breathe? How can you explore the other joys life has to offer? How can be so sure that the path you’re on is the right one if you haven’t walked any other or even seen other possible paths?

College freed me from feeling like I need to be certain of where I was going. It freed me from trying to pursue a predetermined path based solely on my past academic experience, and instead focus on trying new things to build new experiences and knowledge that will evolve into a path that I enjoy every step of the way.

That also applies to choosing a major. I started out ‘wanting’ to do computer science - wanting being a loose term meaning something I thought I should do, based on my background, experience, academic strengths, and personality. But then I noticed myself being very impartial towards pursuing the major and just doing the minimum amount of work needed for the classes. I also took the minimum number of CS classes each semester because I was honestly not looking forward to them - and I didn’t particularly enjoy them when I took them.

It wasn’t the same with my Info Sci classes, for example, where I started early on projects just because they were enjoyable to do, even if they were challenging. I learned how to do certain things when they weren’t required for the class, experienced a good flow when doing the projects, actually came to class because I wanted to, had initiative when it came to group projects, made friends with people in the class who I didn’t know before taking it - I was just more involved in the class. Overall, I was more motivated to learn, and I think that’s the most important thing (maybe that’s just the ravenclaw in me, who knows).

On a smaller scale, you might be good at a certain subject in high school only to find out you’re suddenly incompetent in it and aren’t interested enough to push through it. I was a math person in high school - like I almost didn’t even have to try - but the two math classes I’ve taken so far in college were very challenging for me, and I suppose that’s a good thing because it allowed me to push my limits further and think about whether I enjoy the challenge.

Recently, I read that true happiness comes when you find problems you enjoy solving, and I think that’s a good ideology to help you choose the path you wanna take.

On Things that Spark Joy

This past year, I also found that I was a lot happier than in high school because I got to pursue the things that bring me joy, whether it’s in regard to academics as I’ve described above, extracurriculars, or things in my daily life.

I got to wake up at whatever time I wanted to and had breakfast how I liked - both in terms of food and whether I had my coffee at home or to-go, or example. I could change my physical appearance in ways that make me feel powerful and confident - in terms of clothing and hair and just how I presented myself in general. When I needed to breathe, I could walk around town or go down to the gorges. I could do my work when and where it was most convenient for me (most of the time).

With regard to extracurriculars, there were a lot of opportunities for me to try new things and continue doing the things I already love. I became a graphic designer for a cultural magazine, which allowed me to do one of my favorite things for a purpose towards which I’m happy to be working. My high school didn’t have any publications and had a seasonal need for graphic designers (mainly school events). I tried out for music groups, trained to be a DJ, watched and discussed films I wouldn’t have seen if it weren’t for Cornell Cinema, went to the concerts of bands that never come to Indonesia. I attended social events I was interested in, and skipped those that I didn’t want to go to, attended workshops, listened to guest lectures, etc. I hung out with people I enjoyed being around, instead of those with whom the only thing I had in common was physical location.

One of the things I’m still adjusting to, however, is the different dynamic of college friendships compared to high school friendships in that they’re more spread out in away - like you’d know a whole bunch of people but they don’t mutually know each other, and there isn’t really like a friend group. Maybe that’s just me. But either way, I also realized that my closest friends in high school took at least 3 or 4 years to go from merely a familiar face to people I’d call for four hours straight and send my sporadic thoughts to. So I guess I gotta be patient and have faith that with time, compatible and like-minded individuals will gravitate towards one another.

On Self-Discovery

Starting college also allowed me to be who I am and who I want to be as opposed to who people think I am and who people expect me to be. Whenever I decide to do something, I don’t have this fear of being ‘out of character’ since I haven’t entirely established who I am yet in the context of college. By doing things I've never done before, I learn things about myself that I probably could not have had I stayed in the same environment (i.e. high school).

Among other things, I noticed that if I don’t want to do something, I will deliberately sabotage myself to make it harder for me to achieve. On the other hand, if I want to succeed or do well in something, I’ll take initiative. That might seem obvious, but the thing is, I don’t always consciously know what I want or like so analyzing my own actions helps a lot. Because college exposes me to so many different material, there’s more data and information to work with, in which to recognize patterns.

A lot of the self-discovery that’s happened is personal, as it should be, but one of the things I’m really grateful for is taking that philosophy course the first semester of college. It made me reassess everything I knew and believed and decide on what values and thoughts I should keep.

I guess one thing I’d advise you to do is to experience new things and reflect on the impact of those new experiences. Sometimes it might not feel like you’ve done a ton of things after a whole year. I’ve had moments where I thought about all the things I thought I should have accomplished but didn’t, and I was like, ‘did I just waste an entire year doing nothing?’ But then I look back on the things I did do - took awesome courses, made amazing friends, got a job, learned to live on my own, etc. - and realized I gotta give myself a little more credit.

On Everything

Coming into college was a huge positive change. Something I wish I could tell myself at the beginning of the year is firstly not to fear making mistakes, so you won’t be afraid of trying new things. Keeping an open mind is great, but not entirely helpful if you don’t venture out into unknown territory to provide you with things to think about. Step out of your comfort zone and don’t be afraid to redefine yourself, but in all circumstances, don’t lose track of who you are.

If you’ve read this far, thank you so much! and please don’t hesitate to drop me an ask if you have questions or comments or concerns. Have an awesome day :)

#mine #eintsein #mymp #studyblr #studyspo #study hard #college #university #text #essay #reflection #lifestyle

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ciaossu-imagines · 6 years ago

Note

Hey! Think you could write a mystic messenger ask? Do you have any soulmate headcanons for Yoosung?

I not only think I can but I desperately want to! Thank you so much for this request - soulmate AU’s are really fun! The only issue was deciding which soulmate AU to use! I hope you’ll enjoy the direction I went in!

Yoosung had heard of soulmates for as long as he can remember. It’s just a natural part of his world. His mother told him all about it every night when he was young as a bedtime story, about how every person has a soulmate and that, every time they fall asleep, they can go and meet their soulmate in their dreams. Yoosung was always so happy to hear it and always so eager to fall asleep because of this (which is definitely why his mother repeated it to him for so long).

Yoosung saw his soulmate for the first time that he can remember when he was five. He’d fallen asleep wishing, as always, for him to meet his soulmate in his dreams and, for the first time, it happened. He dreamed he was sitting on a swing set in the middle of a playground, set in a huge park. When he went to look around, there they were, right next to him. He stared at them, wide-eyed, a look they returned for a second before breaking out in a huge grin.

"Hi! I’m so glad you’re here! It’s been soooo boring with no one else around! Want to play with me?”

It was that grin and that first greeting and Yoosung was already in love. He didn’t know it then, not at that age. He wasn’t emotionally mature enough yet to know how to describe the feeling he felt then. But love it was, quick to bloom and easy to take root.

Yoosung and his soulmate visited each other in their dreams every night from then on. When they were children, they played together on the playground or laid on the grass together and shared childish secrets. They looked at the sky and pointed out shapes in the clouds to each other. They told each other all about their lives - the only problem was that, whenever either of them went to tell the other their name, it was like the world went silent for a second. They called each other by name in his dreams, Yoosung knew they did, but he didn’t know their name, not consciously, and he never heard it in his dreams. Yoosung asked his mother about this one time and she said it was normal and happened to everyone, that he’d hear his soulmate’s name for the first time when the two of them first met in the waking world and he’d recognize it only then as having heard it a million times before in his dreams.

As they grew older, they started leaving the playground and walking around the park together. They became each other’s confidantes and best friends, the feelings that took root as children flourishing and growing stronger with each passing day and month.

Yoosung always took an interest in his soulmate’s life and was so eager to share his own world with them. He told them everything - about his family, about his school, and especially about Rika. He spoke a lot about Rika - it got to the point where his soulmate’s smile got a little forced whenever they heard her name from his lips, not that Yoosung was quick to notice. It made them sad sometimes, to have their soulmate spend so much time talking and thinking about someone else even when they were with him. But they were the one Yoosung always came to see and they tried to console themselves with that and really tried to like Rika for Yoosung’s sake. If nothing else, they were happy that she was making Yoosung happy. He was trying so hard with his life too because she was helping him. His soulmate loved hearing about his volunteering and especially about the RFA when he joined (who seemed so entertaining). His life sounded good and that was all his soulmate wanted.

Everything seemed so wonderful. They both discovered they got into their top choice for schools and that the universities were only a few hours away from each other. They celebrated that fact and were both so sure they’d be meeting each other any day.

And then it happened. Yoosung’s high school graduation and that awful, terrible news.

MC didn’t know about that news though. All they knew was that, all of a sudden, out of nowhere, Yoosung just stopped showing up. As more and more days went by and their dreams were lonely and barren again, they got more and more worried about him. He couldn’t be dead, could he? They would’ve known if he was, wouldn’t they? Weeks turned into months and they were left wondering about him and worried and angry. After all, they didn’t know his name or phone number or anything to check up on him. All they knew was the name of the university he got into and they couldn’t just show up at a huge university and start frantically accosting every single student on campus until they found him. For one, they were pretty sure they’d get arrested if they tried and definitely sure that campus security would kick them out and two, they had their own university to attend and their own life to lead. Time passes but every night MC waits for Yoosung in their dreams.

Yoosung’s can’t bring himself to see his soulmate. He’s still so preoccupied by Rika’s death and he’s so depressed. He stops trying for anything in his life - stops studying and working hard, stops taking care of himself really well and he eventually falls into gaming addiction. How can he see his soulmate like this? How can he make them see this side of himself? Besides, he knows they’ll want to know what’s going on and he’ll have to tell them. And he can’t tell them. He can’t bring himself to tell them that Rika is dead because he knows how sad they’ll be for him and how much they’ll want to talk to him about it and try to help him and he just can’t deal with all that on top of everything else. So he hides and retreats further into the ennui of his life. The few times he finds himself slipping back into the dream-world that he and his soul-mate inhabit, he makes himself wake up right away and won’t allow himself to fall back to sleep that night. He just...he can’t. Not now.

It continues on for so long that MC can’t help themselves. A potential arrest be damned, they have to at least try. Putting their school on hold for a bit, they move to the city near SKY University. It’s shortly after their move there that it happens - a complete stranger pops up on their phone and asks for a favour. They were initially wary and were going to refuse but they stop themselves with the old familiar thought. Their soulmate would help. After all, their soulmate was always going on about how nice it was to help people in need. It was something MC admired about them and they’d kind of started asking themselves at some point in their life what their soulmate would do in any given situation. And in this situation, they would’ve helped. So help MC did.

Only by helping, they found themselves inside an apartment and connected to a mysterious app.

An app for a group they quickly realized they’d heard of before. The RFA...wasn’t their soulmate a part of that? MC’s heart started beating faster and faster. They couldn’t let everyone know they knew though...that would be extremely suspicious and they were already suspicious enough, what with some unknown stranger leading them here, to Rika’s apartment.

Wait, Rika’s apartment...did that mean they’d finally get to meet Rika? Maybe they could ask her what had happened to their soulmate.

Or maybe not.

Honestly, the first chat with the RFA is a fucking roller-coaster ride for poor MC. They recognized Yoosung right off - they’d been seeing that face in their dreams for years after all. A wave of relief had spread over them seeing his messages pop up on their screen - he was alive and he was okay.

They agreed to join the RFA because it was a link to Yoosung and they did everything they could to cheer him up and help him during the day while waiting for him in their dreams every night.

He never showed up. It hurt - he made it clear he was falling in love with them during the day. Falling in love with the MC over an app but apparently fallen out of love with the MC in his dreams, even if they were his soulmate. All that to deal with on top of a bomb and a hacker threat? Those eleven days were not kind to MC, especially when Yoosung accompanied Seven to Mint Eye.

But everything was made okay at the party. Everything was okay when they heard his voice in the same room with him. Everything was okay when they finally heard his name for the first time instead of just seeing it typed on the screen. It was such a beautiful name too. Everything was okay because....

“It’s you,” Yoosung whispered as he approached them after his speech. “I guess it’s always been you.”

“It’s me. It’s been a while.”

“I know. I’m so sorry....I’ll never leave you again.”

“Promise?”

The promise was sealed in his lips against theirs.

#replies #mystic messenger #mystic messenger imagines #mysmes #mysmes imagines #yoosung kim #yoosung x mc #soulmate au #headcanons #hahaha #i tried #i feel the ending was rushed and ooc but let's just pretend kay?

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tayegi · 7 years ago

Text

New Rules Ch. 4

Word Count: 9,665

"What?! This is totally unfair!" You exclaim at the weekly school newspaper meeting.

Yoongi, the editor, rubs his temples in exasperation, "I thought I explained this to you, ___. This isn't permanent. I just need you and Somin to switch positions for the rest of the semester."

"You should be thanking me," Somin pipes up from where she sits across the room from you, "Your politics section is way more difficult to write for than mine!"

"Yeah, but yours is dull as hell," you shoot back, "At least I won an award for my piece on sexual violence last semester! What competition could I even hope to enter writing about goddamn sports?"

"For god's sake, woman, it's only for six weeks," Yoongi growls, frustrated with the length of the meeting, "Just make the switch already."

"I don't know why Somin can't still write for her segment! All of the stadiums are wheelchair accessible on campus!"

"But what about the away games?" She exclaims, "Do you really expect me to ride a long-distance bus with a broken leg?!"

She's got you there. You feel a twinge of guilt about being so insensitive when your colleague is in pain, but you're still hesitant about giving up your beloved politics section for something as mundane as sports. "You're right, Somin," you say in a soothing tone, "You've been in a lot of pain with that leg, and you should really just stay home and rest… The politics section might be a bit too stressful for you. Why don't you switch with Taehyung instead?"

A handsome boy with sandy blonde hair looks up from his phone at the sound of his voice, "Huh?"

"No way! How dare you suggest that I do the fashion column?!" Somin exclaims in outrage, "You're just trying to get rid of me!" She accuses, lifting one of her crutches to point at you from across the room.

"Hey, what's wrong with fashion?" Taehyung pipes up, indignant.

"That's right! What's wrong with fashion, Somin?" You exclaim.

"Really, ___?" she says with a haughty wrinkle of her nose, "I am the first woman to write for the sports section in our university's history! Do you really expect me to write for the fashion column after this? How humiliating!"

"There's absolutely nothing humiliating about writing about fashion!" You jump to your feet to yell at her.

"That's right!" Taehyung echoes, rising as well to stand next to you, "Fashion is cool!"

"And your logic is so misogynistic!" You add, feeling yourself getting fired up.

"Oh no…" Yoongi mumbles under his breath, but it's too late.

"Kudos to you for breaking a gender stereotype and writing for a traditionally male section. But how fucking dare you look down on a traditionally female pastime?!"

"Wh-what?" Somin splutters, "That's not what I—"

"That's the problem with modern day feminism," you rage on, "It's all great and dandy to have women break into stereotypically male roles. I love that we're encouraging young girls to embrace leadership positions and enter STEM fields. But the issue with this is that we're now depreciating traditionally female roles! A woman scientist is so fierce and strong. But now a woman who is more interested in fashion or beauty is scorned and considered weak?! That is bullshit! We're not teaching women to be equals to men. We're teaching women to be men. And that's so fucked up!"

Somin's face flushes red as she realizes her mistake, "This isn't just a gender thing," she feebly defends herself, "You have to admit, regardless of traditional gender roles, fashion is a bit…"

"A bit what?" you snap, "What makes sports so much better than fashion? Both are unsubstantial pastimes! Is watching men throw balls at each other really that much better than dressing nicely?"

"Yeah!" Taehyung enthusiastically defends you, "You're all just jealous because I look cuter than you!"

"He does!" you angrily agree, "And besides, don't be so haughty, Somin. Taehyung is also breaking gender roles!"

"I'm the first male fashion columnist in our newspaper's history!" The golden-haired boy crows in delight, "You ain't special!"

"And there's so much stigma for him as well," you add, "The fashion column is seen as so girly and irrelevant. Taetae has received so much flack for taking on the column. And I am so proud of him for not allowing society to tell him that engaging in traditionally female roles is shameful!"

"Exactly!" Taehyung jumps to his feet to sling an arm around your shoulder, "We're socially woke! Take that, you jerk!"

"Taehyung, sit the fuck down," Yoongi growls as he pulls his blood pressure medication from his backpack, "Don't pretend to be a raging feminist when we all know that you wanted the fashion column because you thought it was pretty."

Deflated, the younger boy awkwardly plops back down in his seat, "So what?" he mumbles, "That's a good reason…"

You sympathetically pat his head, "Don't worry, Tae. You did well."

Yoongi pops two pills in his mouth and dry swallows them before responding, "___, come outside. We need to talk."

"___, you really need to stop getting everyone riled up like that during our meetings," Yoongi says as soon as he pulls you out into the hallway.

"Sorry, but it's seriously unfair, Yoongi. You know how hard I worked to get the politics section. This feels like I'm being demoted."

"It's just temporary," he assures you, "And besides, those in leadership positions should set an example by making sacrifices."

"Leadership…?" you repeat with wide eyes.

"Yeah, didn't I tell you that you were the top candidate to take over my position as editor when I graduate next year? Don't ruin your chances, dumb ass."

Your heart soars in your chest at the reminder and you have to fight to keep a smile off your face, "Taehyung is just easily influenced… but I promise I'll try not to lead him astray."

"Good. And play nice with Somin as well! She's actually really good at her job and we need her."

Your face falls at the reminder, "She needs to play nice first," you childishly mumble, "I know she has no interest in politics, but she wants my section just to spite me."

"Well, even if that's the case, just ignore it. As editor, you've always got to be the bigger person."

"Fine," you sigh deeply, "I'll do it… But please don't fire me if I do a terrible job… I don't know shit about sports."

"Eh, I'm sure you'll do fine," the silver-haired man waves you off, "Besides, you have connections that Somin doesn't have. If you use them right, I bet you could even outdo her."

"Connections?" you repeat in confusion, "What do you mean?"

Yoongi gives you a pointed look, "Don't pretend to be so sly, ___. The men's soccer team is the talk of the whole school. If they continue their winning streak, they'll be the first team to advance to the championship game in twenty years."

"That's really great, but what does that have to do with me?" you ask, wracking your brain for any connection to the soccer team. But no one you know plays a sport… except Namjoon, who keeps trying to claim that chess is a real sport. That nerd.

Yoongi cocks an eyebrow at you, "I didn't think you were the type to play coy, ___. It really doesn't suit you."

"Honestly, Yoongi, I have no frickin idea what you're talking about."

"Do I really have to spell it out to you? Jeon Jungkook. I don't know what's going on between the two of you, but every journalist knows to use their personal connections to make a story. An interview would be amazing."

"Why would I interview that stupid fuckboy?" You ask, still not catching on, "He's not even good at talking… Though not as bad as Taehyung."

"Are you a good actor or seriously oblivious?" Yoongi asks in astonishment, "Because he's the star striker of the soccer team, of course!"

"Wait, really?"

"Aren't you sleeping with this guy? How could you not know?"

"I mean I heard someone mention it before, but I thought they meant it as a metaphor… Wait a minute! How did you know I was sleeping with him?!"

"Isn't it obvious?" Yoongi says with a snort, "The amount of PDA between the two of you at the barbeque was sickening."

Your face flushes, "What? It wasn't PDA! He was just being a handsy pervert!"

"Yeah yeah whatever. Just get the interview with him, will ya?"

"Alright… But I'm kinda disappointed that he's an athlete… no wonder his ego's so huge."

"I think you're the first girl to ever say something like that," Yoongi wryly informs you, "But whatever. Just get this done, ok? And please calm Tae down and go apologize to Somin together."

"Fine," you say with an exaggerated sigh, "Being editor isn't easy, huh?"

"Yup. You better watch yourself or I'm giving the position to Taehyung."

Your eyes pop open with shock, "You wouldn't dare!"

"Hey so you like kick around a ball or whatever?" you ask over the phone after your meeting for the school newspaper.

"Huh?" Jungkook says when he picks up on the other end, "Is that a euphemism for something?"

"What the hell are you talking about? How could that be a euphemism for anything?!"

"Balls?" he says pointedly.

"Stop it, you nasty. I just need to know whether you do sports things or not!"

"Ah, so this isn't a booty call?" Jungkook says, clearly disappointed.

"What?! It's Wednesday! How could this possibly be a booty call?!"

"Do people not fuck on Wednesdays?" He asks in amusement, "Besides, I haven't seen you for over a week," he whines, "I thought we were going to make this a regular thing!"

"You could see me more often if you actually went to class," you coolly inform him.

"Yeah, but we can't fuck in class, so what's the point?"

"The first part of our presentation is due next week!" You exclaim, "Please tell me you remembered that?"

"Yeah, of course," he says, but he sounds uncertain, "We should definitely get together and work on that…"

"And I need an interview from you for the school paper! Why didn't you tell me you were on the soccer team?!"

"Wait, what? You didn't know?!"

"No! I thought you were just jacked up on steroids or whatever shit. But I guess it makes sense that you're putting that muscle into use. But anyways, give me an interview with the team!"

"You're on the school newspaper?" Jungkook asks in surprise, "Wasn't there that Somin girl or whatever?"

"She broke her leg," you explain, "So unfortunately, it will be me for the next month or so until she recovers."

"Oh really? ___, did you know that she was supposed to travel with us for all of our away games?"

"What? No way! Why?"

"Our team is playing the best it has for over twenty years. We're blowing up in the press, and it'd be good publicity for the school newspaper to follow us and be the first ones to report. And since Somin is gone… I guess you'll have to be the one to travel with us."

You frown at the giddy quality of his tone. You can't see him, but you know for sure that he's smirking at you on the other end, "Fine. Whatever. That's not a big deal."

"A lot of our games are so far that we have to stay overnight though… and sleep at a hotel…"

You're slowly catching on to the implications of his words, but play dumb, "So what?" you defensively ask.

"Well, hotel rooms can be expensive… and if the newspaper ever wants to save on your travel costs, then you can just—"

"Ah stop right there, pervert!" you shriek at him before he can continue any further.

"Why?" he asks in disappointment, "It makes economic sense for us to share a room!"

You pull a face and shake your head before remembering that he can't see you, "Should you even be having sex before a game?!"

"It's just an urban myth that sex before a game decreases your stamina," he informs you, "And besides, what about after the game?"

"I guess I can hold you and feed you cheetos when you lose," you wryly shoot back.

"Lose?!" Jungkook repeats in outrage, "I'll let you know that we have a ten-game winning streak!"

"Against who? High schoolers?"

"You're talking major shit for someone who's never seen us play. I seriously can't believe that you didn't know I was on the team!"

"If I had known, I would've never slept with you," you mildly retort, "I hate athletes. Especially soccer players."

"Why? Because we're better than you at something?"

"No, because you're all so stupid and arrogant."

"What? Where did you even get this ridiculous—"

"You're getting off topic," you irritably interrupt, "When can we meet up?"

"Tonight," Jungkook says at once.

"What? I can interview the team tonight?"

"Oh, that's what you meant… Ah I have to ask the team first, so probably sometime next week?" He says in a dejected voice.

"Ok. And when can we work on the project?"

"Maybe this weekend? Hey, are you coming to our Halloween party on Saturday? We can work together the next morning."

"Why are you working so hard to get me in your bed, Jungkook? I already said I'm down to make this a regular thing!"

"Yeah, but it's been so long," he complains, "Come over and let me eat you out."

You hold the phone away from your ear with a wince, "Gross."

"How is that gross?!"

"Whatever. I'll see you on Sunday."

"Wait, aren't you going to our party?"

"I thought I told you that frat parties aren't my thing. I'd much rather get drunk in the comfort of my own bed, thank you very much."

"You are so weird," Jungkook sighs in disappointment, "Fine… See you on Sunday then."

"Ok, but don't drink too much," you warn him, "I can't have you hungover when we meet."

"Same with you," is his disheartened response.

"What? I'm a tank. It'll be no problem for me, so just watch yourself," you snort.

"Mijoo, are you ready?" You happily call out three days later.

"Yep, just one sec," Mijoo says from the bathroom stall right next to yours. You hear the fumbling of clothing for a few seconds before she says, "Ok, ready!"

"Great. On the count of three, let's both come out and reveal our outfits, ok?"

"Okay!" Mijoo cheerfully agrees.

"One, two, three!"

As soon as you count down to three, the two of you burst from your stalls at the same time. Then you simultaneously freeze in your tracks.

"What the fuck?"

"What the hell are you wearing?!" The two of you exclaim at the same time.

"Mijoo!" You half-scream at your roommate, "I thought we agreed on a matching couple's costume!"

"We did," she says in bewilderment, "So what the hell are you wearing?"

"I'm the hotdog!" You exclaim, twirling around to reveal your enormous, inflated body suit, "How are you the ketchup?" You demand, angrily pointing at her tight, red mini-dress.

"It's right here!" She defends herself, pointing to a tiny logo on the hem of her dress.

You squint your eyes and barely make out the "Heinz" logo for the first time. "That's so unfair!" You explode, "You look hot and I look like a fucking weirdo!"

"I didn't know we were going this far!" She says in bewilderment, "I thought you were just going to wear a t-shirt with a weiner dog on it something—you know, like normal college kids?!"

"Oh god, this is such a disaster," you groan as you bury your face in your hands.

Mijoo awkwardly shifts from foot to foot as she watches you suffer through your despair, "Do you still want to go get drunk?"

"Of course!"

"Alright… So should I give you a few minutes to get changed?"

"No!" You yell with so much passion that your oversized hotdog costume wobbles, "I paid good money for this costume and I intend on getting my money's worth out of it!"

"Okay… but don't be too mad if I document this whole thing on my snapchat…"

The bar you end up in an hour later is crowded with college kids going out on a Saturday night. A few of them are dressed up for Halloween, with pretty animal ears or graphic t-shirts, but the vast majority are in street clothes. As a result, the moment you and Mijoo walk into the bar, all eyes are on you.

"Um…" Mijoo says when you spend nearly five minutes shoving your oversized plush hotdog costume into your seat, "Would you be more comfortable sitting in a booth?"

"No!" you exclaim, causing a man to walk straight into a door in his attempt to rubberneck after you. "Don't be embarrassed, Mijoo! There's nothing to see here."

"I'm not embarrassed," she mutters, "I just thought it would be nicer to sit in a booth…"

"Nonsense!" You boom, "Let these children stare! They're the ones missing out by not dressing up for this glorious holiday!"

"Next time we should share our outfit ideas with each other in advance," Mijoo tells you in a hushed whisper, "But anyways… I think we're going to need a lot of alcohol… Excuse me, waiter!"

An hour and three bottles of soju later, both of you are hunched over on the tables, Mijoo resting her head on her hands, and you bunching your hotdog costume up as a pillow.

"One more bottle!" You exclaim, waving animatedly at the waiter.

"Ugh, I don't know if I can have anymore," Mijoo complains, "I just want to take a nap…"

"Don't sleep!" You reprimand her, reaching across the table to slap her arm, "We're having so much fun right now!"

"Are we?" Mijoo groans as she peeks up at you through a curtain of long, dark hair, "I want to sleep!"

"Just one more bottle," you beg her, "It's only Halloween once a year and we need to celebrate! Oh wait, Jungkook invited me to a party at the BTS house. Do you want to go to that instead?"

"No!" She nearly yells at you. Then, she pauses and blushes, "I mean, I don't think that would be a good idea…" she mutters.

"Why not?" you ask, eyebrow quirked. You have a good idea why she'd be uncomfortable going to the party, but you want to squeeze it out of her.

"I just don't think it'll be fun," she awkwardly lies, "Let's just get another bottle of soju, ok? That's way more fun!"

"Aren't you sleepy?"

"No way," She hastily denies, "This is the best! Waiter, another bottle please!"

Another hour later, and five bottles of soju litter the table around you while you incoherently ramble on about your love for dogs.

"I just… I love them so much!" You tearfully exclaim, "I wish I could go and hug every dog in the world, but I can't because that's crazy… It's crazy right? I can't hug every dog… But I want to… I want to. It's impossible! But I just… I love dogs!" And with that, you burst into tears, startling the customers seated around you.

"That… that's so beautiful," Mijoo says, equally as emotionally affected as you, "I love dogs… And I love you!"

Your heart feels like it might burst at her confession, "You love me? No, I love you!"

"No, ___, I seriously love you."

"I love you more!" You dramatically cry out, catching the attention of every person in the bar, "No one else was there for me in Freshman year after that incident, except you. You were the only one who stood by my side."

"That's because you're an amazing person!" Mijoo exclaims, tearing up, "Those other people were all unloyal assholes! But I'll always be here for you."

"What have I done in a former life to deserve you?" you lament as you reach across the table to squeeze her hand.

Mijoo offers you a watery smile in response, quiet as the two of you share an emotional, albeit drunken, moment. Then a brilliant grin flashes across her face, "Want to go to a party?"

You frown in response, "You didn't want to go to the BTS party!"

"Yeah, but I was also invited to an epsilon chi omicron party," she says with a grin, "Wanna go dance and meet cute new boys?"

"Fuck yeah!"

"Whoo, this is so much fun!" You yell in excitement as you grab Mijoo by the hand and beeline for the dancefloor.

"Ah, ___, hold on! Not so fast," she says, then turns to apologize to all the annoyed people on the dancefloor who you nearly plow over in your quest for the center, "I'm so sorry," she whispers, over and over.

"This is the best!" you yell to be heard over the pounding music, even as your oversized hotdog costume whips around to knock a guy onto his knees, "Party, party, party!"

"Um… Do you want to take that costume off first before we dance?" Mijoo asks, wincing when you accidentally bodyslam another partier.

"No way!" You exclaim, excitedly pumping both hands in the air, "This is the most fun I've ever had! Let's go!" You whoop in joy, turning in a wide circle.

Mijoo sighs as your dramatic spin knocks off a half dozen people on the dance floor, "What did I get myself into…?"

"Please come help me," Mijoo begs over the phone not even an hour later.

"Mijoo?" The voice on the other end says in confusion, "What's wrong?"

"It's ___," she explains, "And it's pretty serious… How soon can you come?"

"Um… maybe fifteen minutes?"

"Alright," Mijoo says with a nod, "Please hurry, Yerin."

"I'm on my way!"

"Thank you so much."

But as soon as Mijoo hangs up the phone, she looks up in shock to find you crawling up a table, "___! Get your ass down right now!"

True to her word, Yerin shows up at the epsilon chi omicron party less than fifteen minutes later. She takes one step onto the dance floor before spotting you sloppily trying to climb up the pole on the table before she hurriedly intervenes.

"Oh shit, Mijoo," she gasps as she rushes on top of the table to join the two of you, "This is worse than I thought."

"Tell me about it," she cries as she tries to physically pull you off the pole, "I haven't seen her this drunk in years!"

"Ah, we really should get her home," Yerin says with a frown, "Everyone's watching!"

"Ok. You grab her arms and I'll pull her off the pole!"

"Got it!" The younger woman chirps in agreement as she jogs into place. But as soon as she tugs at your arms wrapped tightly around the pole, the whole dancefloor begins to boo.

"You're no fun!" Someone yells out.

"Boo! Damn party poopers!"

"Let the hotdog dance!" A third voice bellows so loudly that it cuts through the loud pop music. This sparks interest from the crowd, and within seconds, the entire dance floor is chanting "Let the hotdog dance. Let the hotdog dance. Let the hotdog dance!"

Mijoo winces and redoubles her efforts at pulling you off the stripper pole, but as soon as Yerin loosens your arms, you wrap your legs tightly around the pole.

"Staph it!" you blubber, "Dey lurvvv me! Muh people!"

"Oh god, why is she so strong? What do we do?" Yerin asks in a panic.

Mijoo's face crumples, but before she can respond, a familiar voice calls out your name, "___?"

The two sober women turn around, and Mijoo nearly weeps in relief when she sees a confused-looking silver-haired man standing in the crowd, "Oh my god, Yoongi. Thank god you're here!"

"What's wrong with her?" He asks as he makes his way through the mosh pit to stand at the foot of the table.

Yerin's eyes pop in surprise at the sight of the older man, "O-oh, hello."

Yoongi briefly regards the pretty blonde girl with a nod of his head before he turns back to Mijoo, "Is she on drugs?"

"No!" Mijoo cries out in frustration, "I don't know why she's acting this way!"

"Let the hotdog dance! Let the hotdog dance!"

Yoongi cringes at the loud chants from the drunken crowd, "Aish, so noisy. Ok. That's enough fun for one day, ___." And with that, your editor grabs you by the waist and pulls you away from the stripper pole.

"Nuuuuu!" you cry out dramatically, "Muh peorple –hic- want meh!"

"Sure they do, babe," Yoongi wryly says as he pulls hard. You desperately cling to the pole for another second, but you're no match for his strength and in a second, he yanks you off the table with a surprising show of strength from the slender man.

The crowd immediately starts booing, "Give us the hotdog back!"

"You guys suck!"

But Yoongi ignores them all as he makes a break for the exit, "Hurry and help me!"

Mijoo and Yerin quickly rush forward to each grab a limb and together, the three of them manage to drag your body out of the party.

"LERME GO!" you yell, wildly squirming from where you're slung over Yoongi's shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

He falters under your thrashing, "Aish, woman, why are you always like this? Why can't you participate for once in your goddamn life?"

"MUH PEOPLER -hic- NEED MEH!"

All three of them wince from the volume of your voice. "Geez," Mijoo mutters, "By the way she's yelling, it seems like we're kidnapping her or something."

"This is for your own good, ___," Yerin says as she sympathetically squeezes your hand.

"Oh god," Yoongi grunts when a sudden spasm of flinging limbs nearly makes the both of you fall over, "I think I'm going to need some backup for this… You there, what's your name again?"

"Yerin!" she pipes up in surprise, flustered by his direct question.

"Oh, ok. Yerin. Can you grab my phone from my pocket?"

"Yes!" She says, stumbling forward at once, but then pauses with a blush as she realizes that his phone is in his back pocket. She demurely plucks it from his pocket, careful not to touch him, then hands it to him, "Here you go."

"Ah, my hands are full," he says, gesturing to where you squirm on his back, "Can you scroll through my contacts to call her boyfriend?"

"Boyfriend?" Yerin and Mijoo exclaim in unison. "What boyfriend?"

"You know, that bratty soccer player kid," Yoongi says with an irritated shrug of his shoulder, "Jeon Jungkook. Now can you please call him so he can go collect this hot mess?"

"Are they dating now?" Yerin hisses at Mijoo as she scrolls through Yoongi's contacts.

"I have no idea!" Mijoo says in genuine bewilderment.

Confused, the younger girl nevertheless dials the number. The phone rings ominously for a few seconds before Jungkook picks up, "Hello? Yoongi, what's up?"

His voice is slightly muffled on the other end and it's clear that he's at a party from the pounding music in the background, "Oh, Jungkook, this is Yerin from your creative writing class. I'm sorry to bother you, but we need your help."

"Huh? Where's Yoongi?" he asks in suspicion.

"Right here!" the older man yells into the phone, "Just get your ass over here!"

"What? Where are you? What's wrong?" He asked, slightly worried now.

"We're outside the epsilon chi omicron house," Yoongi explains, "Come here and collect your girlfriend, goddamn it!"

"Who are you talking about?" Jungkook asks in confusion, "I don't have a—ah you mean ___?"

"Yeah, obviously," Yoongi says with an annoyed roll of his eyes, "Hurry and come here."

"Wait, what's wrong with ___?"

"Just listen to this," Yoongi says, then juggles your weight with one arm so that he can grab the phone to hold next to your face.

"YOONGERS," you screech at him, "AH WANNA PARTAYYYY!"

"Oh shit," Jungkook curses on the other end, "Ok, I'm on my way."

It takes only a few minutes for Jungkook to show up on the scene, since the BTS house is located on the same street as EXO. By the time Jungkook arrives, Yoongi has given up on all hopes of carrying you home and simply sits on the ground as he watches you squirm around in the grass, along with your frantic two best friends.

All three of them look up in relief at the sight of Jungkook. "Oh thank god," Mijoo sighs as she wearily pulls herself upright, "Jungkook, you are—" but she stops, mid-sentence when it becomes apparent that there is someone walking right behind him.

"Hi Mijoo," Jimin nervously greets her when he steps out of Jungkook's shadow.

"Oh… H-hi," she stutters before immediately dropping her gaze to the ground.

Jungkook walks past the awkward couple to squat next to you on the lawn, "Oh god, ___. Why did you drink so much?"

"MIND YER OWN BUISHNESH, BETCH!"

He laughs and reaches into your hotdog costume to affectionately pat your head, "You're the same as always, even when drunk it seems."

"ERM NOT DRUNKING!"

"God, what are you even wearing?" he chuckles as he pulls you off the grass so that he can take in the entirety of your outfit for the first time, "What a cutie."

"Junglebook," you whisper to him in a serious tone, nearly going cross-eyed as you stare up at him with strange reverence.

He raises an eyebrow, as he tries to stifle a laugh, "Yes, babygirl?"

"Wah're you sho purty?" you say, trying to reach for his face with sheer awe on your face.

"Wait did you just call me pretty?" Jungkook asks in surprise.

You eagerly nod, "Purty!" you exclaim, "Mah purty purty -hic- Jengahook."

"Ah, so you do think I'm good-looking," Jungkook says in excitement, "I knew it!"

"Yah!" Yoongi yells over at the two of you, interrupting your conversation, "Stop your flirting, Jeon, and carry your damn girlfriend home so I can go to bed!"

"Yes sir!" And with that, he loops an arm around your shoulders and under your knees, picking you up bridal style with ease.

"Oh no, careful not to throw out your back, Jungkook," Yerin warns him as she looks over at you in concern.

"Yah, what about me then?!" Yoongi hotly demands, "I'm gonna need to see a chiropractor after this!"

"Thank you so much for your help, Yoongi," Yerin sweetly says, "That was really nice of you, and I hope you let me show you just how grateful I am for your help."

"Oh," the silver-haired man rubs the back of his neck, slightly embarrassed, "No need for that, Yerin."

"No, I insist," she says with a brilliant smile that makes him hesitate.

Normally, you'd be the first person to interject and angrily rip your precious friend away from the older, senior man. Or you'd send Mijoo to intervene. But unfortunately, both of you are too distracted to notice. And as a result, you are helpless as Yoongi awkwardly rubs the back of his neck and agrees.

"Um… okay, sure."

"Ah, I seriously can't make it any further," Jungkook pants a few minutes later when your strange gang of six arrives near the beta tau sigma frat house, "She can just sleep over with me tonight."

"Maybe we should get an uber?" Mijoo says in concern.

"There's no way an uber driver would let such a belligerent drunk in his car," Yoongi says as he looks over to where you're wildly yelling out and kicking in Jungkook's arms.

"Yeah, they'd probably call the police," Yerin adds with a frown.

"Let's just switch spots for the night," Jungkook wisely suggests, "Jimin, go crash over in ___'s bed and ___ can sleep in yours."

"Hold on, wait a minute—"

"Wait, no that's not—"

Both Mijoo and Jimin protest at the same time, thoroughly embarrassed, but Yoongi stops them in their tracks with a single glare.

"Can you guys just tough it out for one night?" The senior growls, "Just let the kid sleep with his girlfriend so we can all go home. It's nearly three in the fucking morning for god's sake!"

Thoroughly chastened, Mijoo and Jimin fall silent.

"Oh wait, what about Yerin?" Jungkook asks, half-way through the motion of crossing the lawn into the frat house.

"Can't she go back to the sorority with Mijoo?" Yoongi asks with a raised brow.

"I'm a Freshman," Yerin informs him with a blush, "I'm still rushing the sorority and I don't live there yet…"

"Ah, fine. I'll walk you back to the dorms," Yoongi gruffly tells her, "Let's just wrap this whole mess up."

"Oh no, it's fine!" She says, embarrassed, "I can get back by myself, don't worry."

"Yeah right. You think it's safe out there at this time of night?"

"I can call an uber! It's really not a big deal."

"Pssht, I wouldn't trust a pretty girl like you to be left alone with those shady ass drivers. Come on, Yerin. I'm taking you home."

Flustered by his unexpected compliment, she can't help but agree, "Oh… okay. Thank you." And then she has to duck her head to hide the smile that spreads across her face.

Yoongi simply rolls his eyes and reaches forward to grab her by the wrist, "Come on, kid. Let's just get you in bed." And with that, he marches off, not sparing another glance towards Mijoo and Jimin, who have been left standing on the sidewalk in front of the frat house.

"Um… So is it okay if I crash at your place tonight?" Jimin asks as he awkwardly scratches his ear.

"Yes of course!" Mijoo says, a bit too quickly, "Why wouldn't it be okay?"

"Ah, that's not what I meant… I just…"

His voice trails off after a few seconds, and he can't find the words to salvage the situation with as he stares at her in the frosty darkness of the night. Mijoo rubs her hands over her bare arms, self-conscious under his scrutiny. She can't meet the intensity of his gaze and drops her eyes down to her heels.

"I’ve missed you."

Her eyes shoot up in surprise at that unexpected confession, but he's already crossing the distance between them. She stiffens when he comes within a foot of her, but instead of kissing her like she half expected, he wraps something heavy around her shoulders.

Mijoo peeks through her eyelashes to find that he's covered her with his jacket, still warm from his body heat. "Jimin…"

He simply smiles at her as he begins to walk down the deserted street, entirely disregarding his previous confession as though he never said anything, "Come on, Mijoo. Let's sleep."

Although he can't see her, she nods and quietly follows after him. His blonde hair turns silvery in the moonlight, like a halo of light paving her path back home. Mijoo shivers and pulls his jacket closer to her body, heart sinking in her chest when his poignant scent overwhelms her senses.

"Wait, Jimin!" She calls after him before she can stop herself.

He pauses, mid-step, to peer over his shoulder in curiosity. Mijoo jogs a few steps to catch up with him, her breath icy in the frigid air. She stops within a step of him, then offers him a shy smile.

"Let's go together."

Meanwhile, in the frat house, Jungkook is having a much more difficult time trying to settle you down.

"Where'sh mah baby???" you gasp as though suddenly remembering something when Jungkook carries you up the stairs and into his bedroom.

He grunts as you suddenly begin to thrash in his embrace, and quickly dumps you on his bed to get rid of you, "Which one?"

"Meerjooo," you whine, "An' Urchin! Muh babers!"

"They're fine," Jungkook assures you as he rubs the kinks from his neck then begins to struggle with your oversized costume. But he barely manages to pull your face free from the hotdog top when you suddenly grab him by the collar.

"Junkcock," you address him in a serious voice, "Ah lurv you." And then you close your eyes and pucker your lips.

He laughs and skillfully dodges you before you can kiss him, "Sure you do, sweetheart."

"Ah do!" you whine in protest, kicking out your legs like a child, "Come kish me, ya binch."

"Alright, fine," he laughs, "Let's make a deal: if you still love me in the morning, I'll kiss you all you want, okay?"

You pause for a moment to try to think it through, but your thoughts whirl around incoherently in your mind, making it hard to focus. "S'kay," you reluctantly agree.

Jungkook chuckles and gives your hair one more ruffle before he gets up to turn to his dresser, "Alright, let's find you something to wear other than that stuffy costume of yours, and we can make out to your heart's content in the morning."

You say nothing in response, and he takes your silence as agreement as he happily shifts through his clothing. After a minute, he finds a t-shirt and a pair of loose shorts that seem about your size. "Ah, ___," he says as he triumphantly holds up the garments, "These should fit—oh," he says, stopping mid-sentence when he turns around and takes in the sight of you fast asleep on his bed.

"Wow that was quick," he chuckles as he sets back down his clothing, "Oh well, I guess you'll stay a hotdog for a bit longer… Cute... Now where'd I put my camera?"

The next morning, you feel like you're suffocating in heat. Your mouth is dry and your head feels like it's stuffed with cotton. Confused, you thrash around in bed for a few moments, kicking the covers off of you before realizing that you're still burning with heat. You struggle with the plush blanket still surrounding you before you realize that it's attached to your body.

"What the fuck?" You mutter, then wince when even this simple action causes your head to throb. You take a moment to gather up all of your courage. Then you open your eyes.

The sunlight streaming through the blinds hits you like a train. You scowl and cover your eyes with a hand before looking down at yourself. You blink at the hotdog costume covering your body in confusion before the memories of the last twelve hours come pounding back.

"Oh… oh fuck."

A chuckle from the side catches your attention. You whip your head around to find Jungkook sitting in a rolling chair, laughing at you, "So you're finally awake."

"Fuck my life," you croak out, "I'm never drinking again."

"Why not?" Jungkook teases, "Drunk ___ was so cute. Do you remember confessing your feelings for me?"

"I did… I did what?"

"You told me you loved me," he snickers, "Many, many times."

"Oh god..." you whisper as your memory finally returns.

"Are you finally ready to make out now?" He continues to tease as he suddenly gets out of his seat to approach you.

You cower back when his face comes close to yours, "Shut up, you know I was just drunk and didn't mean it… Wait you didn't kiss me last night, did you?" You ask in suspicion.

"And have you puke in my mouth?" he laughs, "No way."

"I'll puke on you right now if you don't back up," you threaten as you push him away by the forehead.

He good-naturedly acquiesces as he walks over to the dresser, "What happened to being a tank, huh?"

"Even a tank has a breaking point," you wisely inform him.

"Really? But Mijoo seemed fine last night."

Your jaw drops in indignation. Jungkook laughs at your expression and tosses you a handful of clothing before you can respond, "Come on. Go change into these."

"Ugh, I stink though," you grumble, more than aware of the old sweat caked underneath your plush hotdog costume.

"Wanna shower first?" Jungkook asks, "I also have mouthwash in the basket."

"Oh, ok," you say, surprised by his consideration as you pick up his shower caddy, "I'll be right back."

He simply hums in response, "I'll just be playing my game," he says, already slipping back on his headphones.

It's a bit embarrassing to shower in a communal frat bathroom the morning after a grand party. You know you probably look like some one-night stand who has overstayed her welcome, but luckily, you don't run into anyone as you shower at top-speed. You hastily towel yourself off, and not caring that you're still damp, and pull on Jungkook's clothes.

You don't have to look in the mirror to know that you look silly in his oversized outfit, but it's better than that musky hotdog costume. You finish up by splashing cold water on your face and chugging the mouthwash for an infinitely long period of time until the taste of soju is out of your mouth, then you head back to Jungkook's room.

He's fully engrossed in his game when you return, and you briefly consider interrupting him so that you can start on your project, but shrug it off instead. It's really not a big deal and you're not the type to nag. Instead, you plop yourself down back on his bed and turn on your side to watch him play.

You feel so refreshed from the shower and there's something soothing about watching him engrossed in his game that within minutes, you find your eyelids growing heavy again. You sleepily reach for the glass of water Jungkook has conveniently placed on the nightstand for you and gulp down half of it before your eyelids grow too heavy to keep open anymore. You place down the glass and you're asleep before your head hits the pillow.

You wake up to the sound of voices. Confused, you rub your eyes for a moment before your vision clears and you recognize Mijoo and Jimin standing in the doorway, talking to Jungkook.

"Wait, don't come in yet," Jungkook says, physically blocking their entrance with his body, "She's still resting."

"How do I know what you've done with her?!" Mijoo exclaims, panic evident in her tone, "I was drunker than I thought last night, letting her go home with you. I should've never left!"

"Calm down, Mijoo," Jimin says as he rests a hand on her shoulder, "You know Jungkook wouldn't do anything."

"How do I know?" She growls as she throws off his hand. "___ is my best friend, Jimin. My best friend. I don't care if you trust this pervy little fuckboy roommate of yours, but if I find out that he's touched a single hair on her precious head, I'm gonna—"

"Wow, Mijoo. You sounded exactly like me for a moment," you interject, quickly jumping from the bed to approach them in the doorway, "I was shocked."

Mijoo's expression, relieved at first from the sight of you unscathed, quickly flips to distress when she realizes what you're wearing, "___, are you okay?" She asks in a hushed whisper, "What did this little fucker do to you?"

You know exactly what you look like, dressed in Jungkook's clothes with your hair mussed from sleep. You pause for a moment as you consider your options. The most logical course of action is to laugh off her concerns then soothe her worries by going home with her. It's the obvious thing to do… But Mijoo is upset right now. She's lost her temper with Jimin. Things might be awkward between them for a while if she views him as complacent in some imaginary nefarious plot to harm you… And you can't let that happen.

So instead of laughing it off, you slip under Jungkook's arm, "He didn't do anything. Mijoo, you know that I trust him." And with that, you carefully wrap both arms around his waist and hug him.

Startled by the gesture, Jungkook instantly squeezes you back, but it all feels a bit awkward. Surprisingly, after all you've done together, this is one of the first times you've hugged him.

If Jungkook is surprised, then Mijoo and Jimin are shocked out of their minds, "What the hell happened between you two?!"

"Are you seriously dating?"

Your first instinct is to vehemently deny it. But that would only make matters worse. Mijoo's budding relationship with Jimin is still so fragile, plagued by her heavy guilt over her actions a whole year ago, and you refuse to nip it in the bud before it can actually start. So you tighten your hold on Jungkook and bury your face in his neck, "It's complicated."

Sharp to catch onto your act, Jungkook slides a hand down to the small of your back, holding you against him, "Don't worry about us," he tells them, "Just worry about yourselves."

Still, Mijoo looks uncomfortable, "Alright, whatever. We can talk about this later. Let's go, ___."

But to her surprise, you shake your head, "Jungkook and I need to work on our creative writing project… I'll see you later at the house." Mijoo's face shows her surprise, so you quickly reach over to grab her hand, "Seriously, don't worry about me, Mijoo. I'm okay."

Her face softens from your reassurance and she hesitantly nods, "Alright… I'll see you later then?"

You smile, "Yes, see you later."

You and Jungkook continue to awkwardly hold each other in the doorway and wave at your two roommates as they reluctantly trickle out down the hall. As soon as they disappear down the staircase, you break out of the stiff embrace with a deep sigh of relief.

"How much longer must we do this for?" Jungkook complains as he shuts the door and slumps back down in his chair.

"Just a bit longer," you assure him, "I can see her defenses crumbling already. She's no match for Jimin's sweetness!"

"I don't think I can even support this," he grumbles in annoyance, "She's still kind of an asshole."

"Call her that again and I'll shove my fist up your asshole," you threaten in a low voice.

"Ooh, are you feeling kinky, babe?" he asks, eyebrows raised, "I thought you needed some time to recover from your hangover first?"

"God, I hate you," you groan as you slump back down on his bed.

"Ah, finally the ___ I know returns," he teases, "It was a bit scary to have you love me so intensely, to be honest. I like the normal you so much better."

You snort at his response, "Whatever. Just be nicer to Mijoo, okay?"

"I don't know why you're so defensive over her," he says as he spins around in his chair to face you, "What she did to you was messed up. I don't care if you don't like Jimin or whatever. Still doesn't make it okay."

You simply shrug in response, "I know what she did wasn't right. But she apologized and tried to make things right and I forgave her. Besides, it would be so petty of me to hold onto this one incident when she's been nothing but supportive and loving on hundreds of other occasions… Hiding a note? That's nothing compared to what she's done for me."

"What exactly happened between you two to make you feel this way?" Jungkook asks in bewilderment.

"She was there at my lowest point," you explain in a quiet voice, "She helped me even when no one else would… I don't expect you to understand, Jungkook. You just need to know that if you hurt her, you hurt me too."

"Alright, whatever you say," He reluctantly says, "I still think you're wrong, but that level of loyalty is impressive."

You acknowledge the compliment with a small smile before continuing, "Anyways, we're getting off track, Jungkook… Should we start the project?"

"Wait… really?" he says, eyes widening with horror, "Do you really want to? I mean… It's still early."

"You're right," you play along, still fatigued by your hangover, "I mean it's not due for another couple of days…"

"Yeah… And you're still probably exhausted."

"I am… so should we…?"

"Order pizza and play games together?"

"It's like you read my mind."

The next day, Mijoo and Jimin officially begin dating.

It hurts. You're only human and of course it feels like your heart is being trampled on when Mijoo sits you down in the morning and tells you how she is accepting Jimin. You hate the way your heart drops to your stomach and bile crawls up your throat as you force a smile that quivers more than it should. You hate the way that for a split second, you genuinely dislike your best friend.

But then it all clears. Your throat loosens and you smile more easily as you reach for her hand and encourage her to go after him. It's nowhere near easy and it hurts like a bitch, but the pain is slowly dissipating, day by day. And soon, you hope that it will leave you entirely. And then you'll be able to smile at the person who means the most to you in your life without this ugly jealousy swallowing your heart.

But for the meantime, it lingers like a sour weight in the pit of your stomach as you gather your things after class and head down to the soccer field. You would like nothing more than to go straight to bed so you can curl up under the covers with a pint of ice cream, but unfortunately, today is the only day the coach of the soccer team will allow you to crash a team practice. So after leaving your grueling three hour stats lecture, you grab Taehyung, the best photographer in the newspaper with the nicest camera, and drag him over to the soccer field.

Practice is already in full gear by the time the two of you arrive. At once, you guys are bombarded by the sound of loud male voices yelling out numbers as they complete their laps around the track along with the shrill blow of the coach's whistle. Even as you and Taehyung set down your things by the bleachers on the other side of the field, you can smell the rubber of soles burning on the track and fresh sweat that makes their uniforms stick to their muscular backs.

"You might want to take a few pictures here," you tell Taehyung as you collect your voice recorder and a notebook from your backpack, "The lighting's pretty good at this time of day."

The blonde boy nods, "It might be nice to get some candid photos."

"Yeah, I agree. Do you need your tripod?"

"Hmm. Probably not for now, but I'll set it up on the track just in case we need a team photo."

"Got it. Now can you remind me what Yoongi—"

But before you can finish your sentence, a loud call of your name catches your attention.

"___!"

You look up to find a blur of gray rushing towards you. Startled, you defensively hold up your arms in front of your face, but it's too late and Jungkook nearly plows you over.

"Ah, Jungkook!" you shriek when the two of you go tumbling down onto the grass.

"Oops, sorry," he laughs, rolling over to keep from crushing you with his weight, "I think I went a little too full-power."

"Ew, you're so sweaty," you say, shooting him a look of disgust when you realize that he's dampened your shirt in his fumbling.

"Sorry," he says as he bounces to his feet and pulls you upright, "I'm just excited that you're here! And ah, you brought Taehyung too?"

Startled by the mention of his name, Taehyung helplessly blinks three times in rapid succession before stuttering, "Y-yep."

"Yah!" A voice booms out from behind you, "Jeon Jungkook, what the hell are you doing?"

The three of you turn around to find a stocky middle-aged man marching towards you, clearly displeased by his star striker's sudden disappearance from practice. This clearly must be the famous coach, Bang Sihyuk, who is bringing the team to victory for the first time in over twenty years.

"Hi, Mr. Bang," you say, quickly intercepting before Jungkook can be scolded, "My name is ___, and I'm temporarily taking over for Somin at the newspaper. We spoke over the phone, remember?"

"Oh… Oh yeah, that's right," he says, scratching his head in confusion, "You're doing the interview today?"

You nod with a wide smile, "Yes. Is this a good time?"

"Well…" he hesitantly begins, "As you probably know, we have our a big game this weekend with the top ranked school in the district… and it's important for the boys to get in as much practice as possible."

"I know, this is incredibly monumental," you sweetly say, trying to get into his good graces, "The team is doing amazing, clearly under your expert guidance, and it would mean so much to the school to be able to hear about it from the members themselves."

Still, the older man looks conflicted, "I don't know… They really need to focus right now."

"I only need one member. And it shouldn't take longer than half an hour," you say with an award-winning smile, "Please, Mr. Bang?"

Jungkook and Taehyung's jaws drop in shock at the way your voice suddenly turns sugar-sweet and your eyelashes flutter girlishly against your cheeks. "What the f—?" But Jungkook luckily nudges the blonde before he can finish his sentence.

"Fine," Coach Bang reluctantly agrees, "You can interview one member this time, okay? But next time, find the kids during your own time, not during practice."

"Got it, Mr. Bang," you say in excitement, "We're just here this time because Taehyung needed to take pictures, but we promise we'll never interrupt practice again!"

Coach Bang simply grumbles in response, a bit flustered by your earnestness, "No longer than half an hour, got it?"

"Of course. That's plenty of time!"

"Great, now where should we go?" Jungkook asks, "Coach, should I show her the locker rooms?"

"Why the hell would you do that?" Coach Bang barks with a little smack to the back of the boy's head, "Besides, who said you were the one being interviewed?"

"Wait, what?" All three of you look up in genuine confusion.

"Coach, I was the one who invited them here," Jungkook explains, "Can't I do the interview?"

"No," he bluntly says, "You've been slacking off, kid. I need you to a dozen drills by the end of the day. I'm really worried about your performance on Saturday."

"But, coach—"

"No but's," he sternly interrupts, "Besides, isn't an interview from the team captain better? Hoseok can do it instead."

"What? That's so unf—"

"Keep whining and that'll be two dozen drills," Coach Bang threatens.

Thoroughly frightened, Jungkook obediently bows, "Yes, sir. Sorry, sir." And with that, he hastily jogs away before Coach Bang can change his mind.

"Who the hell is Hoseok?" you hiss at Taehyung as soon as Jungkook leaves.

"Beats me," he whispers back, "I didn't even know we had a soccer team until this week!"

"Hey, Jung!" Coach Bang bellows out, catching the attention of the entire team diligently running through their drills, "Come here for a second."

A lean man with dark red hair looks up at the sound of his name, "Yes, sir!" He leaves the drill and jogs over to join the three of you on the track. "What can I do for you?" He's still a bit out of breath from the practice, and his chest heaves up and down from the exertion.

"Hoseok, these are reporters from the school newspaper," Coach Bang introduces you, "This is ___ and she'll be interviewing you for an article."

"Oh really?" he asks, his handsome face suddenly splitting into a stunning smile, "That's really great."

The brightness of his smile hits you like a direct glance into the burning mid-afternoon sun. For a moment, you can't speak, your mind completely filled with shooting stars and rosy lights. And when Hoseok runs his hands through his sweaty hair, brushing it off his forehead, you feel like a volcano has erupted in your core.

"A-ah, yes," you stammer, self-consciously wiping your mouth for any drool, "I… yes…"

"Awesome," he beams, "Let me towel off real quickly and grab a water bottle, and I'll be right back."

"I… um… oh…" you splutter, but he's already rushed off.

Both you and Taehyung fall into stunned silence as you simultaneously admire the way the lean muscles of his calves flex with every step… and that toned little ass… damn.

"Are you guys okay?" Coach Bang asks, interrupting the moment.

"Oh, yes, sorry," you say, quickly snapping back into it. "We'll be quick with the interview. Thank you for being so accommodating."

He simply grunts in response, "Just hurry it up, kids." And with that, he saunters off to yell at the players.

You and Taehyung stand there for a few seconds, still reeling from Hoseok's potent presence as you watch the gorgeous team captain bend to grab his water bottle from his duffel bag. As of one mind, both of you turn your heads at the same time for the best angle of his ass as he squats on the grass.

"Damn," Taehyung murmurs, "I thought Jungkook was hot but this guy is…" he whistles lowly as words fail to adequately express his appreciation.

You laugh at his reaction and playfully throw an elbow into his ribs, "I didn't know you were so gay, Tae."

"Fuck, I didn't know either... but damn."

A/N: Sorry for the crack-y nonsense! And I know I’m always a holiday late with my updates, but Happy Thanksgiving and Happy belated Halloween lol. As always, please don’t ask me about updates :)

#bts scenarios #bts scenario #jungkook scenarios #jungkook scenario #noonanet #new rules #hehe im just excited about hobi tbh

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hellyeahnerdout · 6 years ago

Text

Here’s my Truth or Dare fic!

It was the Friday night after finals week and everyone had decided to let their hair down and have a bit of a celebration party. Mina had somehow convinced Iida to let her supply the drinks, the majority of them being alcoholic of course; and Jiro had set up an awesome sound system in the common room and was currently blasting loud dance music. Everyone in class 1A was already a few drinks in and having a blast.

Uraraka flopped down on the couch a drink in her hand and a smile on her face as she surveyed the lively scene. She couldn’t believe that they were all so close to finishing school. Her smile turned bitter sweet at the thought that in a short time they would all be moving on, either to colleges or getting signed to pro hero agencies.

“Why the long face Ochaco-chan?” Came the singsong voice of Yiyun as she sat down next to Uraraka, a drink in both hands and a bubbly smile on her face. Di Yiyun was a foreign exchange student who had transferred in to UA half way through their first year when her father had become stationed at a small army base in Japan. A shock to the whole school when it had first happened, Di quickly made it known how she had achieved the spot. Even though she was a petite delicate young girl with a truth telling quirk that made her seem the furthest thing from a top pro hero, she had proved everyone wrong. She was deceptively quick and agile from years of acrobatics and gymnastics classes, and from a young age her father had drilled combat training into her, showing her how to use her opponent's strength and size against them. And through her quirk was more suited to gathering intel and helping the police with interrogations, she was quick witted and often thought outside the box which led her to start using it as a way to distract and disorient whoever she fought against. A small touch was all it took and her opposition was forced to answer any direct question she or anyone else asked them for a set amount of time. And she was not above using crass low blow questions to distract and embarrassed her foes. That was something no one ever expected from the normally sweet bubbly little curly haired blonde. All of this combined made her a formidable hero with many sidekick apprenticeship offers already rolling in from high ranking pro hero’s.

“Oh I’m just thinking about how were all going to be graduating soon Yui. It just got me a little sentimental is all.” Ochaco told her friend.

“Oh no! Ochaco-chan, don’t think of it that way! This is a happy thing, a new beginning. Plus its not like we’ll never see each other again. I’ll always be just a quick phone call away, and I’m sure more than a few of us will be working at the same agencies.” She told her with a big tipsy smile before leaning in and half whispering with a slight blush, “Guess what I heard? You, Izuku-kun, and Bakuchan are all being scouted by the same agencies. Aaaaaand, Shoto-kun and I are gonna get offers from a few of the same agencies, including his father's!”

Uraraka laughed at that and asked, “And how did you come by this information?”

“I have my ways.” Yui told her wiggling her eyebrows for emphasis.

The two of them sat together and talked for a while as the party began to wind down, and the majority of their classmates went off to find their beds. The only ones left had all gathered around the common room couches quietly conversing and siping their drinks. The musics had been dimmed to a low background noise and the mood had shifted to something almost somber. Then out of nowhere, Di who had been lounging across Ochaco and Tsu’s laps, quietly but adimantly talking to the green girl, suddenly shot up and proclaimed, “Oh oh oh! Guys we should play this old kids game I used to pay when I was in America! Truth or dare! It’s so much fun.”

“We have that game here too airhead” Bakugou told her gruffly.

“Oh good! Then I won't have to explain it to you Bakuchan.” Yiyun said with a smile. “Come on guys, it will be super fun, pluuuus I can make it so no one can cheat!” She told them waving her finger in the air.

The group let out sounds of agreement and arranged themselves in an oddly shaped circle. The games members consisted of; Uraraka, Midoriya, Asui, Todoroki, Bakugou, Kirishima, Ashido, Di, Iida, Jiro, and Kaminari. Yui made her way around the gathering touching everyone gently on the nose with an accompanying “boop” noise, touching herself last as she sat back down between Tsu and Ochaco.

“I can keep my quirk up for about an hour and a half with this many people, so who wants to go first?” She asked the group.

Denki’s hand shot into the air and he said, “Oh I will.”

“Hold on, I think we should lay down some ground rules before we begin.” Iida spoke up. “First, no dares that force people to have sex or do anything too demeaning. Second, there should be a penalty if someone chooses not to do a dare; I suggest kissing someone the person who gave you the dare tells you to. And third, nothing we say or do here leaves this circle of trust.”

Everyone spoke up in agreement to the rules and the game began.

Denki looked around the group for his first victim, eyes eventually locking on Mina. With a wicked smile on his face he asked her, “Mina, truth or dare?”

“Man you’re gonna make me do something really stupid if I choose dare, aren’t you. So you know what better make it truth.” She said.

“Okay… If I kissed you would you kiss me back?” He asked after a moment of contemplation.

“Yes!” Mina exclaimed instantaneously, eyes widening as her hand shot up to cover her mouth. “Oh shit Di, that quirk of yours works quick.” She complained her cheeks turning pinker than the rest of her face. Yiyun gave her a little shrug and a smirk as if to say “what did you expect”.

Kaminari had a huge grin on his face as he made kissy noise toward Mina. “You like me don’t y-” he was about to ask her before Jiro smacked him on top of his head.

“New rule only one question per person.” She stated.

“I second that!” Mina said. Another round of agreement from the group followed. “Okay, my turn now. Hmmmm, Kirishima, truth or dare?”

“Dare of course! It’s the only manly answer.”

“I dare you to sit in Bakugou’s lap for the next five turns.” She said with a snicker.

“Put your ass on me and I’ll blow you sky high shitty hair!” Bakugou told him threateningly.

“If you don’t do it I vote he has to kiss Bakuchan then!” Yui called out with a laugh. Mina nodded in agreement to that. Everyone burst into giggles as Katsuki and Eijiro turned beet red.

“Fuck it fine, just don’t move around too much idiot.” Bakugou grumbled. Kiri quietly climbed into his lap still blushing furiously. “Don’t get any ideas.” He whispered into Kirishima’s ear. This made Eijiro blush even more again.

“Oi, are you just gonna sit there flustered or are we gonna continue this game?” Jiro asked.

“Both.” Kiri blurted out, flushing an even deeper red. “Shit! Ummm, quick Di, truth or dare?”

“Truth!” She said with a wide smile.

“Um, do you have a crush on anyone?”

“Man you should have asked her who instead of if. Ribbit.” Tsu told Kiri.

“Yes I do.” She said with a little blush. “Iida, truth or dare?”

“Dare.” He said without hesitation. “I've been on the receiving end of your questions before, and it is not something I would like to repeat.”

Yui laughed at that. “Awww, Tenya-kun, our match at the school festival was fun though. But fine, I dare you to run a lap around the outside of the campus buildings in just your underwear, without using your quirk.” Gasps and laughter filled the room at her suggestion.

Iida straightened up a slight flush coming to his cheeks before he asked a series of questions. “Do I get to still wear my glasses? Can I hide if someone comes along? Will everyone be watching me? And who must I kiss if I refuse?”

“Yes, no, yes, and I think you should kiss Izuku-kun!”

“What why me?” Midoriya asked in alarm.

“Cause I know Iida won’t kiss you, and I think it would be really funny to watch him do my dare.” She stated frankly.

“Yiyun-chan is correct. I can not bring myself to kiss you Midoriya.” Iida said as he stood up and began to remove his shirt. With a sigh he removed his shoes and socks, unbuckled his pants and let them drop quitely muttering the whole time that this was “just like being in his swimsuit”. The room erupted in cat calls and laughs as everyone got up grabbing their drinks, and followed Iida out to the front of the building.

“Nice bottoms, speedy.” Jiro teased noting the ingenium boxer briefs that he was sporting.

Iida, instead of acknowledging that statement and the following chuckles, took off running on his voyage around the buildings. The night air was rather chill, and everyone knew that it would be at least a few minutes before Iida made it back, so everyone started to huddle together for warmth. Uraraka had convinced Deku to share his sweatshirt, and was happily nestled under his chin with his arms wrapped around her. Di had dragged Todoroki over to stand next to them and waved Tsu over as well.

“Shuoto will keep us warm!” She told everyone snuggling up to his left side where he was emitting a low wave of heat. She opened her arms and let Tsu into the little circle of heat. “I wonder how much longer Iida is gonna be.” She mused out loud.

“Probably not too much longer, but I don’t mind, this is kinda nice.” Izuku said, resting his chin on top of Ochaco’s head. Yui and tsu exchanged a quick glance and smiled at each other knowingly.

Just after that Iida rounded the corner of the building next to them and everyone sent up a triumphant cheer. Shouts of encouragement and claps filled the air and he made his way back toward the group.

“How was the victory lap, Tenya-kun?” Di asked with a laugh as they all followed him back inside, still stuck to Todoroki’s side.

“Brisk, embarrassing,and uncomfortable. Now shall we continue the game.” He said as he got dressed and sat back down. The rest of the students sat back in their seats with Kirishima still in Bakugou's lap, and Di now sitting next to Todoroki on the floor instead of where she was previously. “Well then, Jiro, truth or dare?”

“Let’s keep the dares rolling, give me your worst, class prez.”

“Very well then, I dare you to let Yui-chan pick out the girliest dress that she, Uraraka, or Tsu has, and you must wear it for the rest of the evening; and on the next group outing we go on.”

“Shit, that’s evil Iida. I don’t think I could physically bring myself to do that, so tell me, who do I need to kiss?” She asked thoroughly defeated.

“Tsu.”

Both Kaminari and Mina let out gasps as Jiro simply shrugged and made her way over to Tsu. “You okay with that Tsu?” She asked before leaning down.

“Yes, we did all agree to the rules of the game.” She answered with a little blush.

Jiro hesitantly closed the distance between their lips and gave her a chaste little kiss. It lasted for no more than a second but even so Denki let out a cheer and Kiri gave a wolf whistle. Kyoka’s face flushed even more as she sat back down and quickly asked, “Uraraka, truth or dare?”

“Oh umm, I guess truth?” She said a little flustered.

“Alright, what’s the weirdest dream you’ve had about someone here?”

“We were all in class and Bakugou had spiders coming out of his eyes. And Senpai, who was a giant flying pork bun, said that the only way to stop it was to have someone kiss him, and he said I should do it. But I said I can’t. So then Deku kissed him instead, and he really kissed him, like they really went at it for a while and everyone was just watching this, and then the spiders stopped after they finished kissing. But because I refused to kiss him I got expelled and spiders started coming out of my eyes, and no one would kiss me, and it was all very weird and scary and I didn’t like it at all.” She told the group as they all sat there in stunned silence. She quickly hid her face in her hands as her cheeks grew pinker than normal.

The silence was finally broken by none other than Bakugou when he burst out laughing and said, “Man round cheeks, you really need to check your imagination. I wouldn’t let Deku’s lips near me even if I had spiders coming out of every hole in my body.”

Everybody else soon joined him, cracking up at the bizarre dream. Uraraka even found herself laughing along too. Finally they all calmed down and she was able to ask, “Bakugou, truth or dare?”

“Eh, give me whatever lame ass dare you can think of.” He told her.

“Okay, I dare you to kiss Kirishima whenever someone says the word dare for the rest of the game.” She stated smugly.

“Why do we always get grouped together for this.” Kiri lightly complained.

“Cause you're always together.” Denki told him.

“Cause you two are so cute together.” Kyoka added.

“Cause you’re the only one Bakuchan likes enough to allow it.” Yui continued.

“Cause you li-” Mina started but was cut off by a very red and flustered Kiri.

“Okay! I get it! Enough!” he choked out.

“Who would I have to kiss?” Katsuki asked begrudgingly with a small blush.

“Deku, of course.” Ochaco stated with and evil grin.

“Fuck fine, looks like I’m kissing shitty hair. Fuck, half and half, truth or dare?” He asked Todoroki before giving Kiri and quick little peck on the lips. Both of them turned bright red. Neither of them had even realized that Kiri’s dare was over, too preoccupied with this new situation.

A small malicious smirk crossed Shuoto’s lips as he began to muse aloud, “Hmmm, should I pick truth or dare. If I pick dare, you’ll probably give me something stupid to do for a dare, but I really think I want to pick dare, dares are more fun. I really like dares. I think I might go with dare.”

Bakugou’s anger grew in him with each word, and by the seventh kiss you could practically see steam rising from him. “You think your really funny don’t you bastard. Fine you want a good fucking dare,” kiss “I’ll give you a good fucking dare!” kiss “Go swap clothes with airhead there, and I mean swap everything underwear and jewelry and all!” He demanded.

Todoroki gave an indifferent shrug and took a stunned Di by the hand and lead her to the bathrooms. They came back to the group minutes later, Di with a bright pink coloring to her cheeks, desperately trying to hold up Todoroki’s way too big jeans. She had rolled up the bottom of Shuoto’s pants to keep from tripping and his shirt and sweater engulfed her small frame, one side falling off her shoulder and the ends of the sleeves flapping uselessly beyond the reach of her hands. She had too much clothing and didn’t know what to do with it; Todoroki had the exact opposite problem. Yui’s white off the shoulder sweater was certainly being stretched to its limit, the sleeves only came midway down his forearms, and the edge barely made it to the top of his naval. The thigh high stockings came to rest tightly just below his knees. Her short pink ruffled skirt managed to cover everything necessary but it was no way decent. And to top it off he was now adorned with a little floral headband and pink ribbon collar necklace. The group went wild with laughter at the sight.

Yui quickly grabbed Todoroki’s arm as he made to sit back down on the floor in his cross legged position like before. Her face flushed brightly as she whispered, “If you’re gonna sit the same way as before can I be in front of you so no one else sees my panties?”

“Oh yeah, sure. Sorry, I didn’t even think about that.” He responded a small blush coloring his cheeks.

“Thanks.” She told him sitting down first then letting him settle in behind her.

“Man, Todoroki you should wear that more often.” Kirishima teased with a laugh.

“I don’t know, I mean I like it and all, but pink's just not really my color.” Shouto joked back with his deadpan sarcasm. “Asui, dare or truth. Oops sorry, said that wrong, truth or dare?” He asked.

There was two quick kissing noises accompanied by low grumbling from Bakugou, and the sound of snickering from Mina and Kyoka. Tsu ignored them and thought for a moment before choosing dare.

“I dare you to camouflage yourself, sneak into 1B’s dorms, and steal a pair of Monomo’s boxers, and if you can’t complete the dare you have to kiss Iida.”

“How do I know which room is his?”

“Oh! I know which one! Third floor first room.” Di told her excitedly. “I may or may not have gotten the info from Pony-chan so I could do a little prank on him last year. Us transfer students gotta stick together, and she may have wanted a little vengeance from all the weird things he taught her to say.” She explained at everyone’s look of confusion.

“Okay, no problem then, ribbit.” Tsu said getting up and making her way towards the door.

While they waited for Tsu to return, Mina topped off everyone’s drinks. After Denki slyly asked her about it, Yui told them all about what the prank had been and how she pulled it off. Then Iida began to scold her on proper school edicate and how she shouldn’t take class rivalries so far, causing her to go into a fit of giggles. But before he could finish is lecture a triumphant Tsu returned, a pair of hot pink boxer shorts in her hand, her face entirely red.

“What happened, did you get caught?” Uraraka asked worried.

“No, ribbit. He wasn’t sleeping alone, and I don’t want to talk about it.” She stated, tossing the underwear onto the coffee table before sitting down. “Midoriya-chan, truth or dare?”

“Oh, um, dare I guess.” He told her before really thinking about it.

“Good, then I dare you to call All Might sensei and leave him a detailed voicemail about how you just lost your virginity.”

Midoriya let out a shocked noise and couldn’t help the intense blush that came over him. “Oh my god Asui! What kinda dare is that?” He asked all flustered.

“A pretty fucking good one! Finally, greenie over here’s really stepping it up.” Bakugou said barking out a laugh after once again kissing Kirishima a few times.

“You know I can’t do that, right Tsu? Wh-who do I have to... kiss?” Deku asked reluctantly.

Tsu pretended to think it over for a moment, even though she already knew what she wanted to do. “Ribbit. I guess you could kiss Ochaco-chan instead.” She told him with a little smile.

A nervous peal of laughter was ripped from Uraraka throat and her eyes widened. “What?!” She asked dumbly. She had to have heard wrong. Her sweet friend Tsu wouldn’t have set her up like that. Sure all the girls occasionally gossiped about which boy they had a crush on, but she never expected to have that information used against her so blatantly. Tsu just sent her a little knowing smile, not even trying to play innocent. Ochaco looked around the group for help, to no avail. Both Mina and Jiro were snickering quietly and Yui and a huge unashamed smile on her face that just screamed this was all planned out. It wasn't like she wasn’t super excited about this, she had been pining after Izuku for years. Her crush secretly tucked away whenever the two would hang out together. But this, actually being able to kiss him, even if it was just a dare was almost too much for her. Without the added courage of her drinks she was sure she would have fled the room by now. unable to face the reality of something she had fantasised about countless times.

While Uraraka was having her internal dilemma, it was clear to the group that Midoriya was doing the same exact thing. He had that dark aura of overthinking that he constantly got when planning or worrying over something. He began quietly muttering to himself, “Crap, what am I supposed to do I cant call All Might and tell him something so embarrassing, especially when it’s not true, and i'm not sure I can kiss Uraraka in front of so many people, and what if she doesn't want to kiss me, and what if I kiss her weird, what if she doesn't like it and never wants to kiss me again, what if she tells everyone I kiss weird and then no one will ever kiss me again, how can I become the number one hero if everyone knows i’m a bad kisser…”

Yui leaned over from her spot in Shouto’s lap and gently poked Midoriya on the side of the head. “Hey Izuku, stop worrying and just kiss the girl, it’ll be fine.” she told him gently as he finally snapped out of his trance.

A look of determination came over his face as he nodded and stiffly got up from his seat and walked over to Ochaco. He leaned down and hesitantly put a hand on her shoulder snapping her out of her thoughts and she looked up at him with wide eyes. “I- Is it okay if I kiss you?” he asked.

She gave him a very small almost indiscernible nod not trusting her voice in the moment.

The room was silent all eyes on the two of them as Midoriya slowly closed the distance between their lips. He had ment it to be a quick little kiss like what Jiro had done to Tsu, but all his thoughts and plans when out the window the moment his lips met hers. Ochaco seemed to melt into him, her hands instinctively reaching up to grasp the front of his hoodie pulling him closer as a small gasp parted her lips against his ever so slightly. His body reacted to her automatically, one hand coming up ro cradle her face the other moving from her shoulder to the base of her neck angling her head for better access as he deepened the kiss. His tongue swept across her bottom lip gently asking to be let in, and she happily accepted, determined to explore every inch of her mouth, searing the feel and taste into his memory. Uraraka made a small noise of pleasure and he just about lost himself, forgetting about everything around him.

Then all too abruptly reality came crashing back in as mina called out “Woo! Get it girl!”

The two of them immediately broke apart, eyes wide, flushed from head to toe, and sporting big happy yet embarrassed smiles. It was adorable to say the least.

“Oi Deku! You done sucking face with round cheeks over there?” Bakugou asked with a snicker.

“No.” he blurted out and flushed again before saying “Yes! Yes I can be done.” He sat down next to Denki on the sofa, still rather stunned, and snuck a quick glance at Ochaco who seemed to be in the same state.

“Well then let’s get on with it nerd. Ask short circuit over there the question, he’s the last one left.” Katsuki urged.

Midoriya nodded his head absentmindedly, and asked “Kaminari, truth or dare?”

“I think we’ve had enough dares for a while.” he said giving a suggestive look at Izuku and Uraraka. “I’ll go with truth!”

“Laaame.” Ashido teased.

“Dude, you picked truth too.” he retorted.

Izuku thought for a moment for a question, but all he could come up with was one, his brain really wasn’t functioning properly right now; if it had been he would have asked some interesting questions about Denki’s quirk and how it worked. But what came out was, “Sorry Kaminari, this is the only question I can think of, are you a virgin?”

Denki flushed and tried to cover his mouth before anything could slip out, but Di’s quirk was too quick and a strangled “Yes.” fell through his lips. He slumped forward and muttered, “That as a low blow Midoriya my man.”

Both Jiro and Bakugou started to laugh, and Katsuki barked out, “You’re so full of shit! Always bragging about getting ass! Ha!”

“Alright alright, let's just forget about this and move along. Jiro, truth or dare?” Denki asked, quick to cover up his embarrassment.

“Give me a dare, Mr. innocence, i'm not revealing anything about myself tonight.” she told him with a smirk.

“Okay, go around the room and lick everyone.”

“Man, that’s gross, does it matter where I lick them?”

“Dealers choice.”

“Whatever then.” she started and before he knew what had happened she lent over to her left and licked Bakugou on the cheek.

“What the fuck!” he shouted while Kiri laughed in his lap.

Kyoka shrugged and said, “Dares a dare.”

He scowled at her as he gave Eijiro two quick kisses, still forced to complete his previous dare.

She quickly moved around the group liking everyone in various spots. Kirishima, Iida, Tsu, and Shouto all received little licks to the hand; Uraraka, and Midoriya also got licks to the cheek; Mina got a very showy and intimate lick to the side of her neck, causing Kiri and Kami to wolf whistle and Mina to laugh; Yui got a lick to the tip of her nose and she started to giggle. She saved Kaminari for last, she took his hand like she was about to lick it normally but instead lick his index finger in the most sensual way she could, just to tease him, know he would get super flustered. She left him red faced and sputter as the group laughed, and took her seat again before turning to Bakugou and asking, “Truth or dare?”

“Eh, i'm tired of having to do shitty dares, give me a truth.” he said gruffly.

“Alright, do you like kissing Kirishima, and why?”

“Yeah, he’s got soft lips and he really hot.” Katsuki said to everyone's surprise as his cheeks and ears turned red. “Oh fuck you that was two questions!” he yelled at her.

“It was technically one, I just asked for an explanation behind your answer.” she told him smuggly.

“I- Just- Fuck! Oh whatever, lets just keep playing.” he said quietly. “Ashido, truth or dare?” Bakugou asked and immediately took Kiri’s face in his own hands and pulled him roughly to meet his lips in a searing kiss. “No point in denying it anymore.” he muttered to a shocked Eijiro.

Mina smiled at them and said, “I guess i’ll choose dare.”

This time Kiri wasted no time in pulling Katsuki's face to his and kissing him.

“I think you’ve all inadvertently created a monster.” Todoroki muttered.

Bakugou flipped him off lips still attached to Kirishima’s. Then he said, “Pinky, since this games started to loose its steam, why don’t you do a little stip tease. Or you could kiss sparky over there, I know he’s dying for it.”

“Well someone's in a nice mood now.” she said with a laugh, and got up to walk over to Kaminari. She sat down on his lap, threw her arms around his neck and gave him a big showy kiss on the lips. She quickly hopped off him with a wink and retreated to her own seat. “Ochaco, truth or dare?”

Uraraka had only been vaguely paying attention to the game since her kiss with Deku. She shook her head slightly to snap out of her thoughts and said, “Oh, um dare?”

A wicked smile passed over Mina’s face. “I dare you to do a body shot off of Midoriya!” she exclaimed happily.

“I can do that. If you explain how its done.” Ochaco said with a smile, “If that’s okay with you Deku?”

“Yeah that’s fine.” he said a little too quick.

“Okay! Everyone, grab your drinks off the coffee table.” Mina commanded, and everyone followed. She pushed the discarded and forgotten pair of pink underwear off the table with her foot then said, “Izuku lay down on your back and lift up your shirt!”

He did as he was told with a small blush. Mina ran off to the kitchen to grab what she needed for the dare, and came back a moment later with a bottle of tequila, salt shaker, and a lime wedge. “Okay, so what you do is drink the shot out of Midoriya’s bellybutton, lick the salt off his stomach then take a bite of the lime that he will be holding with his mouth.” Mina explained step by step as she put everything into place.

“That’s what a body shot is? I thought I was going to have to take drink from a shot glass off of him.” Uraraka said a bit surprised.

“That’s the lame way of doing it, this ways more fun.” she explained. “Oh and you’ll want to do it was together as quick as you can.”

Ochaco took a deep breath and steeled herself for the task ahead. She quickly leaned down, not letting herself think about what exactly she was doing and just went for it. Her mouth wrapped around his navle and she slurped up the small amount of alcohol in there immediately moving to run her tongue along the ling of salt that traveled up his well defined abs, the finally moved up to his mouth where she took the lime from his and bit into it. She just a quikly stood up after completing her task, a blush coating her cheeks, and took the lime from her mouth.

Midoriya got up, once again blushing as well, wiped off his stomach, and sat back down next to Denki.

“Well, that was something.” Ochaco said quietly and mostly to herself with a smile as she sat back down as well. “Um, Kirishima, truth or dare?”

“Give me a truth, I don’t feel like moving.” he told her with a big toothy smile.

“Would you want to date Bakugou?” she asked bluntly.

“Hell yeah I would, especially if he keeps kissing me like he has been.” he told everyone without a hint of embarrassment or hesitation.

“Well fuck it, I guess that settles it shitty hair, you’re mine.” Bakugou replied.

“What? Really?”

“Yeah, why not.”

Kirishima broke out into an even bigger smile, practically bouncing in Katsuki’s lap.

“Dare!” Yui shouted at them with a little laugh.

Bakugou gave Kiri the most amazing smirk that was just full of promises before claiming his lips.

“Dude, release your boyfriend and lets get back to the game, then you can continue sucking each others faces.” Denki complained lightheartedly.

Bakugou flipped him off, and Eijiro gave him the ‘in a minute’ finger.

“You were right, we’ve created a monster.” Di told Todoroki with a laugh.

“This right here,” he said gesturing vaguely to the two young men making out, “is all your handiwork.” he retorted.

“Were kissing not deaf.” Bakugou barked at them when he finally pulled back.

Kiri laughed and said, “Hey Tsu, truth or dare?” and gave Katsuki a kiss on the cheek.

“Truth. Ribbit.”

“Who was Monoma sleeping with? I’m really curious.”

“I think it was Kuroiro-san, but i’m not sure, all I saw was white hair, and thats all im gonna say.” she told the group.

“No!” “No freaking way!” “That's ridiculous!” “I thought he had a thing for Kendo!”, Kirishima, Ashido, Kaminari and Di all spoke at once, practically jumping at Tsu for this bit of gossip.

“I said, I’m not saying anything else.” she told them all again. “Now, ribbit, Iida, truth or dare?”

“Im feeling rather adventurous tonight, lets go with dare again.” he told her with bravado.

Tsu thought for a minute, a small blush coming to her face. She looked at Yui for a moment asking a silent question that she knew the other girl would understand. Yiyun got the message and gave her an enthusiastic nod and semi discrete thumbs up. Asui took in a big deep breath and slowly let it out before she turned to Iida and said, “I dare you to kiss me.”

Iida sputtered, turned bright red, and became very stiff. “Asui-san… I-I didn’t know… are you certain you want your dare to be that… I certainly wasn't prepared for that…” he said stumbling over his words.

“Please, call me Tsu-chan, ribbit. You know I prefer that, and yes, that's my dare for you. I’ve been trying to work up my courage to confess to you for a while now class rep.” she told him shyly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and looking up at him.

“Well, I suppose it is only proper that you call me Tenya then.” he told her still flushed.

A big smile spread across her face. “Okay, I dare you to kiss me, Tenya.”

“Very well… Tsu-chan.” Iida said before slowly leaning down and giving her a gentle kiss on the lips. He pulled back just as slowly a soft surprised smile on his face. Yui let out a happy squeal, clasped her hands together, and started bouncing in her seat from excitement for her friends. Shouto had to placed a hand on top of her head to keep her from moving so much.

Iida cleared his throat and said, “Kaminari, truth or dare?”

“I’m not answering anymore truths tonight, so give me your worst Prez.” he said.

Iida sat there for a minute trying to think to no avail before saying, “I apologise, i’m having a bit of difficulty coming up with a dare.”

“Oh don’t worry! I’ve gotcha covered.” Mina told him as she bounced up and went over to whisper in his ear.

“Oh! Well that is a very interesting dare. Thank you Ashido. Alright, Kaminari, I dare you to strip down to your underwear and go profess your love to Sero.”

“Please tell me I can kiss Mina as my punishment instead.” Denki begged.

“I’m afraid not. If you don't do your dare you'll have to kiss Bakugou.”

Kami groaned and looked to his friend with pleading eyes.

“Don’t even think about it pikachu.” Katsuki said.

“Sorry, bro. Not happening.” Eijiro told him.

“Awww what is this, pick on Denki night?” he complained.

“Suck it up, strip down, and go tell Hanta how much you love him already.” Jiro teased him with a laugh.

Kami stood up and started to grumble under his breath as he quickly stripped down to his heart covered boxers. “Well you guys coming or not?” he demanded as he began to walk to the dorms. Everyone got up and began to follow him to the fifth floor. He trudged down the hall and banged on Sato’s door. “Oi, Hanta, wake up, its important.” he called out.

There was the muffled sound of a moan and shuffling around in the room before the door was pulled open and a half asleep Sero peaked his head out rubbing his eyes.

“Denki, what the hell man, it’s like two am. What’s going on? And where are your clothes?” Sero asked with a yawn.

“Were playing truth or dare, and my clothes are in the living room. Now shut up, I gotta tell you something.” he said before falling silent.

“Dude, go on.” He prompted rubbing the back of his head, desperate to go back to bed.

“I’m in love with you. Desperately, wildly, head over heels in love with you man. I don't think I could live without you in my life. You’re my soulmate. You’re the first thing I think about in the morning and the last thing I think about at night. I just love you so much. I never want to be without you. I love you, I love you, I love you.” Kami proclaimed overly dramatically.

Sero laughed and said, “Dude, you’re wild, im going back to bed.” and turned around and shut the door.

“Good enough for you guys?” he asked with a raised eyebrow to the group huddled down the hall.

“That was beautiful, and I’m gonna cherish this video for a long time.” Mina told him with a wicked smile.

“No, you didn’t. Tell me you didn’t record that.” He begged.

“Recorded, saved, and uploaded onto my backup device.” she said still smiling.

“You delete that right now Ashido!” he demanded stepping toward her to do it himself if necessary.

“Nope!” she said merrily and took off running back down to the common room, Denki right behind her.

Everyone else took their time getting back down stairs, and thankfully the two had settled down by the time they got there. Kami had even managed to get redressed. Everyone settled back down into their seats, and focused on Denki to continue the game.

“Hey Di, truth or dare?”

“Oh lets do dare this time.” she said excitedly with a big smile.

Kirishima thought for a moment then got a mischievous gleam in his eyes. “I dare you to take back your underwear from Todoroki.”

Her smile faltered for a second before she asked, “Do I physically have to take them from him, or can he just give them back to me?”

“Oh my darling Di, where would be the fun in that, you have to take them.”

“Who do I have to kiss as punishment?”

“I’ll go easy on ya, you can kiss Midoriya.”

“Shit, I can’t do that.”

“Why no-”

“Don’t ask that question. It’s not my reason to tell, and I don’t want to spill someone else's secret.” She told him cutting him off before he could ask. “Can I give Todoroki his underwear back?”

“That’s up to Bakugou, seeing it was his dare that made you swap in the first place.” Kami said enjoying this all too much.

“Hell no.” Katsuki told them.

With a resinged sigh Yui stood up and grabbed Shouto by the hand. “I’m sorry about this Todoroki.” She said her face burning as she pulled him along to the bathrooms. They reemerged a minute later both faces bright pink, with Shouto holding down the front and back of the skirt.

Bakugou, Mina, and Jiro were all in hysterics over this. Katsuki even looked like he was about to tear up from laughing so hard. The rest of the group tried to restrain themselves but ended up laughing lightly as well. Todoroki really did look ridiculous.

“Well where's the proof?” Kaminari asked Yiyun.

“I don’t actually have to show you my panties do I?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes you do.” he said smugly.

“Pervert.” Yui teased him. She sighed and pulled out the light blue lace panties she had in her pocket. She held them up for everyone to see her face flushing again as she asked, “Satisfied?”

“Yep!” Denki said still all smiles.

“You’re an ass you know that.” She told him as she put the underwear back in her pocket, but there was no malice in her words.

“Hey, come on, this was my last chance to see some girls underwear tonight, I had to go for it. Plus, you saw mine, only seemed fair.” Kami said with a laugh.

“Whatever.” She said rolling her eyes at him, but her smile was back to its full force. She quickly skipped over to the kitchen and poured two shots, coming back and offering one to Shouto. “Liquid reinforcements.” she toasted as he took the glass, and they both drank it down. “Plus, who knows, with enough of them, maybe we can forget how embarrassing what I just did to you a moment ago was.” she teased him with a laugh.

“You’re gonna need another one of them before you can sit down aren't you?” she asked him quietly and sincerely. With his quick nod of affirmation she ran back over and just grabbed the bottle of clear liquid, bringing it back with her before pouring them both another shot and knocking it back. She looked up at Todoroki and gave him a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, i’ll make sure you don’t flash anyone else.” she told him with a flirty wink already feeling the effects of the added alcohol in her system. They both somehow managed to sit down again without incident. Shouto pulled Yui as close to him as he possibly could without letting anything indecent touch, thankful to have her there to keep his modestly intact.

“Okay! Let's continue, my quirk’s almost at its limit, but I think I can stretch out one more round after this one. So, Shouto-kun, truth or dare?” Di asked, twisting her body halfway around so she could look at him.

“As long as I don’t have to get up, i’ll choose dare.” he told her.

Yui hummed to herself for a second, debating what to do. She really shouldn't have had that second shot on top of all the other drinks she had had that evening. Because of it, she was about to do something that would either end really badly or really really well. She hoped for the latter. Pivoting on her butt, she turned herself fully around to face Todoroki, still making sure that she was shielding everyone else from what needed to be covered. She felt her cheeks heat slightly as she smiled up at him with what almost looked to be an innocent smile.

“Don’t worry, you won't have to get up for this dare, yet.” she told him sweetly. Yui beckoned him to lean down so she could whisper the dare in his ear.

The only indication of the nature of the dare that the group got was the slight widening of Shouto’s eyes and the way his cheeks flushed just a little darker. When she was finished speaking he pulled back a skeptical look on his face. “Is that really your dare?”

“Yep, take it or leave it.” she told him with false bravado.

“I’ll do it.” he told her much quicker than she thought he would answer.

A radiant smile spread across Di’s face. She once again quickly turned around to face the group. They were all looking at the two of them with open curiosity on their faces.

“What was-” Izuku began to ask, but was quickly cut of by Yui.

“Nope! Nope nope nope. Neither Shouto or I will be answering that question. But I can tell you that I have stuck to the original rules of our game, and there was never a rule in place saying that the dare had to be announced to the group, so this is a secret dare. And if any of you guys even think about trying to ask either one of us I will shut my quirk down quicker that you can say ‘plus ultra’.” she told them all.

“Awww you’re no fun Yui.” Kami complained.

“Yeah, but you still love me.” she shot back.

“I’d love you more if you’d tell me what you just whispered in Todoroki’s ear.”

“Not gonna happen sparky.”

Shouto cleared his throat, and said, “I believe it’s my turn to ask Midoriya a question. Truth or dare?”

“I’m going with truth, I couldn't handle another dare like the one Tsu gave me earlier.” he said.

Before Shouto could say anything Di turned halfway around in his lap and beckoned him closer so she could whisper in his ear once again. Ochaco watcher her friend do this, a queasy feeling in her gut. This was bad, she knew her friend all too well, and she knew that whatever question she was telling to Todoroki was going to be either really blunt or really embarrassing and more than likely had something to do with herself. To her it really seemed like Yui had suggested this game just to play matchmaker.

Todoroki raised an eyebrow at Yui, but with her encouraging nod asked, “Midoriya, are you in love with Uraraka and do you want to have sex with her?”

Ochaco was going to die of embarrassment, she just knew it. She would drop dead any moment now and her spirit would watch the chaos unfold before her as she slowly drifted away into sweet safe oblivion. She barely had time to glare daggers at Yui and prepare for the inevitable catastrophe.

The room was filled with absolute silence for half a second, all eyes swiftly shifting from Todoroki to stare at the green haired boy in question. The heavy anticipation in the air broke as Izuku blurted out, “Yes! And god yes!”

He immediately stood up, red from head to foot, stiffly bowed, quietly apologising profusely to the group yet completely unable to acknowledge Uraraka, and practically ran out of the room and up to his dorm. It was the most painfully awkward anyone had seen Midoriya in years.

After Izuku’s form disappeared around the corner, all eyes flew to Ochaco who was staring off into the distance in a daze as if her spirit had feld her body. The girls in the room exploded into a cacophony excitement, eager to shake her from her befuddlement.

“You need to go after him!”

“Ochaco, let him know how you feel!”

“Go get him!”

“Oh my god we told you he like you back, now we officially know!”

“Snap out of it, and go to him.”

All of this clamoring barely registered with Uraraka, she was so lost in her own head. She had never thought that her feelings would be reciprocated. She had resigned herself to just be Deku’s close friend, told herself she didn't want to get in the way of his training, of his ultimate goal to be the number one hero. Told herself that he wouldn't feel the same way for her; but there it was. He had just confessed to loving her and wanting her, and she had no idea what to do with that information.

Yui signed and quickly stripped off Shouto’s sweater, placed it in his lap, and got up and made her way over to Uraraka. She knelt down in front of her best friend, took her face in her hands, and forced her to look at her before quietly but firmly saying, “Ochaco-chan, you need to go up and talk to Izuku-kun. You know how he feels, but he doesn't know how you feel, you need to tell him. This is the opening you’ve been hoping for. Yes I know it’s not quite what you expected, and I apologize for that, I really didn’t think he was gonna respond like that. Now get your tushie up and go talk to your man!”

Yui’s little pep talk was exactly what she needed. She nodded to the smaller blonde in front of her eagerly and said, “You're right I need to talk to him. I’m going to talk to him!” She gave Di a quick hug before jumping up and making her way to Midoriya’s room with a newfound determination to let him know exactly how she felt in every possible way.

Yui stood up with a satisfied smile brightening her face. “ Well my quirk is thoroughly diminished. Sorry to anyone who wanted to keep playing, but I’m done for the night. I’m pooped.” She announced to everyone before turning to Bakugou and Eijiro. “E, Bakuchan, congrats, you’re now my favorite power couple, but for the love of god please get a room.” She teased them with a laugh but a sincere smile, then turned to Iida and Tsu who were sitting just ever so slightly closer together she winked at them and said, “You two don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” Di bid a simple night to both Mina and Kyoka.

She walked over to Todoroki with a devilish smile. “Come on Shouto, you’ve got a dare to fulfill.” She told him as she took his hand and pulled him to his feet. They started to quickly retreated to the dorms, but Yui stopped and and pointed a finger at Denki, “Kami you better not blow my phone up in the middle of the night, I will tell you nothing, and if you try I’ll make you tell me all your dirty dark secrets.” she threatened but patted him on the head the next second and told him to have a good night. Yiyun and Shouto then quickly disappeared upstairs.

“Man for someone who’s ‘pooped’ she sure seemed lively.” Mina said with a snicker.

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findopulencerp · 3 years ago

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𝖇𝖆𝖑𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖟𝖆𝖗 𝖒𝖔𝖗𝖗𝖔𝖜

he was born 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖗𝖙𝖞-𝖘𝖎𝖝 years ago, he is a 𝖍𝖚𝖒𝖆𝖓 who lives in 𝖇𝖔𝖜𝖉𝖊𝖓 as a 𝖑𝖎𝖇𝖗𝖆𝖗𝖎𝖆𝖓, he looks an awful lot like 𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖑𝖎𝖊 𝖈𝖔𝖝.

“cut me open and tell me what’s inside. diagnose me, ‘cause I can’t keep wondering why.”

Born and raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Baz had a typical childhood. Being named Balthazar was like starting life in hard mode, but he made up for all the teasing with his quick wit and sense of humor. He was an average student who liked football and video games, and he was perfectly happy being perfectly normal. His parents were strict, wanting to push him to do better in school so that he might go into law like them, but he brushed them off. Let them brainwash his younger brother he thought — he was too much his own person to be molded by them.

Things took a turn just after he graduated high school. One night, he and his friends were hanging out at a local playground, drinking beer stolen from their parents, and they started horsing around with each other. The fun ended when Baz took a spill from a jungle gym and hit his head hard. He initially refused to go to the hospital, but days later, he was plagued with sporadic, painful headaches. After a number of CTs, MRIs, and PETs, doctors simply couldn’t find anything wrong with him — somehow, he hadn’t even suffered a concussion from the fall. The doctors convinced his parents it was some form of anxiety or hypochondria, and since they’d already gotten sick of Baz and his antics, this only made them resent him more.

But the headaches were only the beginning. Soon, Baz found himself hearing things — not with his ears, with his mind. He could read people’s minds and hear their innermost thoughts, mostly in the form of broken pieces and muffled fragments. He kept it to himself, of course. What would be the point of sharing it with anyone? Not only would they not believe him, but his parents would probably just think he was making it up for attention. Any college plans that he’d had went right out the window. Whatever this power was, he couldn’t control it, and he couldn’t imagine being on a huge campus with so many other students. The internet became his haven — a place he could socialize without having to worry about other people’s thoughts bleeding into his brain — and he finally opened up to someone one day about his “problem.” His online friend, a girl named Luella, turned out to be a witch from a little town in Colorado, a town where he might be able to find others like him, she said. And because there wasn’t anything else keeping him in Cambridge — what did his parents care? — he packed only the essentials, hopped on a plane, and flew to Denver to meet up with her.

Arriving in Opulence was overwhelming. Back home, his third eye had been mostly closed, but now it was wide open. The town was just different. He struggled, but he found himself a little townhouse and started working at the public library. He’d never had any interest in a job like that before, but it was quiet and it gave him access to a wide array of books that were exclusive to a town full of magic and fantastical species. If there were answers to be found about his power and where it’d come from, he was sure he’d find them there. And to Luella, he became something of a pet project.

She believed that if Baz wore some form of “blinders” to block out the people around him, it might be easier for him to focus and control his telepathy. It started with a strange headband with crystals set at his temples. Then it became a weird piece of black glass that went across his eyes like a blindfold. The current iteration of these “blinders” is a pair of dark sunglasses that, thankfully, look completely normal. He still has trouble controlling his power, and some days are still totally unbearable, but he’s hopeful. And it helps that he’s discovered vampires are immune to his particular brand of mind reading. If he isn’t at his post at the library, there’s a good chance he’s on the lower level of Erzsebet’s instead, trading his blood for the peace and quiet that comes from being around vampires.

“what power did he attain when settling in opulence?”

Baz’s power manifested before his arrival in Opulence, but the potency of the town’s magic caused that power to grow. On bad days, it’s like everyone around him is yelling their thoughts at him, and he can “hear” things much louder and clearer. The headaches have lessened, at least — now that it’s easier to read minds, his brain doesn’t have to strain as much as it did back home. With Luella’s sunglasses, and with access to more information, Baz is slowly learning how to control it.

this character is…retired

#supernatural rp #oc rp #literate rp #lsrp #new rp #charlie cox fc #retired

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theuiucollegian · 3 years ago

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Student loan forgiveness appeals to UIU students

By Kayla Veto/Collegian Staff

With the economic issues the coronavirus pandemic have caused in the United States, several government actions have been made with the idea of providing financial relief and stimulating the economy. Some of these include stimulus checks and monthly child tax credit payments. Another action has been hinted at as well: the talk of student loan forgiveness has been discussed as a means of providing some relief.

The idea that this could be a possibility arose about seven months ago, when President Joseph Biden asked the U.S. Department of Justice to look into his potential authority to cancel student debt. The amount of forgiveness for each student with loans has been discussed; however no concrete amount has been set. Moreover, the cancellation of any student loan forgiveness is still up in the air. This is an issue that would potentially affect many Upper Iowa University students who have had to take out loans in order to get their education.

One of the benefits of student loan forgiveness could come in the form of students being able to start life after college more comfortably. Drew Callon, a junior at Upper Iowa University in Fayette, thinks that if people do get student loan forgiveness, it will help them as they transition into the responsibilities of adult life.

“It would be nice because after college I would not have to worry about paying off student loans and would be able to start paying for a house or a car,” Callon said.

UIU sophomore Emily Kono, agreed. “I would be ecstatic if my student loans were forgiven.” Kono, an elementary education major, took it a step further. “It’s pretty well known that teachers don’t get paid a lot of money. Not having to pay student loans after I graduated would put me in a much better position.”

Kylee Oldenberger, a UIU sophomore, feels fortunate that she didn’t need to take out loans. However, she understands how student loan forgiveness could make a very positive impact for those who needed loans to continue their education.

“I know someone in their mid 30s who is still paying their student loans. They would feel relieved and stress-free if they didn’t have to pay them anymore and could worry about paying other bills,” said Oldenberger.

College tuition has been steadily increasing over the years. Some students are forced to drop out because of the expense of higher education. Student loan forgiveness might help those students struggling financially to stay with it.

“College is expensive and hard to pay for. I think it would help a ton for students who might drop out because of financial reasons,” Callon said.

Kono feels the impact could be wide-reaching: “With more people staying with college, the whole country could see a huge increase in education level.”

If student loan forgiveness were to become a reality, it could free up funds for students graduating with their bachelors degree to immediately pursue graduate courses which could make them more attractive to potential employers.

“Graduate school is super expensive and when you already have a bunch of loans. It’s hard to just keep watching that debt pile up,” said Callon.

He felt forgiveness of his undergraduate loans might encourage him to get started on graduate school sooner.

Although Oldenburger doesn’t have to pay student loans she understands the stress it puts on people who do.

“I know that if I would have to pay any student loans, then it would be a huge impact on my life since I would have to worry about making sure I am paying the student loans off and paying other bills,” Oldenburger said.

If the government decides to go through with student loan forgiveness it could be a game changer for every student, whether they are currently enrolled in classes or have graduated and are still carrying the financial burden of student loan debt.

Callon said he would tell the government how beneficial it would be: “I would tell them that I believe that it would be a good thing, not just for me people who are still able to go to college, but also the kids who cannot go to college because of financial reasons.”

Kono also added that people who suffered financially during the pandemic would appreciate it as well. “I would ask them to consider all of the hardships that students encountered due to COVID-19 including the loss of family members, quarantine and a decrease in education due to not being able to experience class face to face,” she said. “I would ask them to not rule out student loan forgiveness all together, but to consider covering even just half of their student loans.”

The last 14 months have been very difficult for most Americans in one way or another. With the hardship of the pandemic damaging things worldwide, student loan forgiveness could be the start to the light at the end of the tunnel for recovering from the pandemic, and it’s something everyone should be rooting for the government to pass. Students on campus at Upper Iowa University seem to be doing just that.

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mari-vargas · 3 years ago

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ALRIGHT WHO WANTS TO HEAR THE EPIC TALE OF HOW I MET MY COLLEGE FRIENDS?!?!

It’s okay if not, I’ll be telling it anyways.

When I went off to college I still had a full semester before I turned 18. Random way to start sure but it’s plot relevant. The week before classes started was move in week and my move in day was all the way at the start of the week MEANING I was there for ALL the welcome week activities. My chosen dorm was an off campus apartment style dorm. I was in a double in a six person cluster, meaning I shared a room with another person, a bathroom with my roommate and the person in the single connected to my room, and a kitchen with the people in the other double and single rooms in our cluster.

Again….how is this relevant? Well the person in the single I shared a bathroom with just so happened to be the RA in charge of my building (multiple clusters were in a building). As such while she knew all of her residents she saw more of the five people she shared space with than those in the other clusters, and by default was more invested in us. My roommate was actually close friends from high school with the twins occupying the other double in our cluster, and the person in the other single was often out with her two friends she had come with even on the first day. Which left me. I had not come to this university following or followed by friends (although I had friends join me in later years). Also, admittedly, my default personality while I’m adjusting to a new situation lacking any familiarity comes across as quiet and distant—or, as my RA decided: anti-social. With the others already having friends and me incidentally being easily corralled she made sure to drag me to every single welcome week event. The worst had been the pool party but thankfully I had been with the twins and my roommate and when they noticed me hyperventilating and struggling to respond adequately to my surroundings one of them let our RA know we were leaving while the other two simultaneously shielded me and made a path through the crowd to remove us from the area.

But this story is not about that. Rather it’s about the event at the end of welcome week called “Rock the Block”. Taking it back to my aforementioned age, in order to get in to these events we had to sign a waiver—or alternatively if we were not yet of age then our parent(s) had to have signed a waiver for each event (which my parents had done prior to heading home after moving me in). But even with that, there were still many things throughout the events that someone under the age of 18 was not permitted to participate in. None more so than Rock the Block, unfortunately. I had been the only one my RA had managed to snag and drag along this time, but even she disappeared not long after ensuring I was inside the event and therefore less likely to “avoid socializing”. I wandered around Rock the Block trying to find something to enjoy and mostly just being glad the swarms of people had more space to spread out than at the pool party. Pretty much the only thing I could do as a 17 yo was eat…and primarily due to my anxiety of the situation I was in with no discernible allies, I wasn’t much in the mood for food. All of the activities required participants to be 18 or older (likely in case of injury).

I was particularly drawn to one activity which was a sort of jousting thing where participants stood on pedestals with giant foam Q-tips being used to knock their opponent from their pedestal. I could hear the girl in charge asking each person wanting to have a turn if they were 18. Now I could have lied—even considered doing so—but my anxiety for the situation I was in prevented me from attempting knowing I’d likely not be able to hold my conviction to stick to said lie. So instead I watched. Wandered off but always came back. One such time when I came back this scrawny guy with floppy hair and wearing glasses was getting onto a pedestal against a professor. Needless to say he was a goner. While I had been watching these two other guys—both tall, one a big guy all around not notable chubby but just solid and tall, the other also tall but just a bit shorter and lanky—came up near me to also watch the spectacle.

Scrawny guy wound up succumbing to his fate and fell from his pedestal, and then popped back up, spotted me and the two other guys standing there and in a tone of voice fitting for a knight of yore in a call to arms asked “Will anyone avenge me!?” All I could think in this moment was ‘This is my chance!’ So in the same tone I responded “I will!” Only to be shot down by the person in charge asking (also in that valiant tone) “Are you 18?” Aaaaaand just like that the wind was knocked from my sails because just as I had predicted I was unable to bring myself to lie.

In the meantime, scrawny guy had gotten his shoes back on and had approached the three of us. He thanked me for my attempt to avenge him. Somehow scrawny guy, lanky guy, and big tall guy got on the topic of video games and they weren’t excluding me from the conversation. Using knowledge gained by listening to my friends in high school (ranging from future hopeful video game developers, video game enthusiasts, and computer wizzes) I was able to somewhat keep up and even contribute to the conversation as the four of us walked off a little ways. At a lull in our conversation, scrawny guy suddenly blurts out “Hey do you guys want some Australian licorice?” The other two asked about this and what it was and all and it’s apparently in scrawny guys dorm, where he’s inviting us.

Now I’m already strung out and on high alert and then alarms start blaring in my head. For one I’m being offered candy to be lured somewhere, but the louder alarm is that I’m being asked to enter a guy’s bedroom. With three guys. Number one rule had always been to never enter a guy’s bedroom alone, to always remain in a public area ESPECIALLY if I was actively uncomfortable in a situation. I honestly do not know why I decided what I did. But….looking at scrawny guy I came to the conclusion I could easily take him down if needed to, and it was a dorm in an actual dorm hall with a lot of people roaming around so I’d likely be heard if I screamed. In short I decided to heck with it, this was a chance to make friends (and hopefully in one way or another get my RA off my case about being more social).

The four of us went to scrawny guy’s dorm where he got out a bag from a candy store as he’s babbling about how his mom had said something about sharing candy being a good way to make friends. He offered it to each of us…but then I saw the candy. It was red. My anxiety levels—already beyond being measured—somehow shot up even higher knowing that given my current stress level any amount of Red 40 would wind up with a severe immune response starting with a bad eczema outbreak that would last for weeks or even months. I had two options and I didn’t particularly like either of them: I could flat out refuse the offered sweet, or I could ask if there was Red 40 in it and have to endure my embarrassment at explaining my weird allergy.

I wound up asking if there was Red 40 in the Australian licorice. Conversations halted and, baffled, scrawny guy stuttered that he was unsure and asked me why. Why I explained his eyes got as wide as his glasses and he started babbling which basically boiled down to he would ask his mom. I did not have any Australian licorice that night but was told it tasted like strawberry flavor. The four of us made plans for a cartoon marathon (which would be held in the (public) tv room of scrawny guy’s dorm hall). Turns out yes it does have Red 40, but regardless our friendship had been sparked and the final two of our permanent crew (well I suppose one of those two dropped from the group upon our graduation but he was permanent until then) joined us at the cartoon marathon we had set up.

My RA was still kinda buggy but calmed down when she saw with her own eyes that yes I wasn’t just saying things to get her to back off but I actually had been social and met people to socialize with. I’m not sure how I had managed to find people who not only didn’t try to take advantage in some way but actually went out of their way to make sure everyone in the group was watched out for, but I’m really glad me ignoring my warning sirens did not backfire on me.

And to think—if I had denied the offer of going to a boy’s dorm for Australian licorice I couldn’t even eat, I never would have met my now fiancé. Funny, how life works isn’t it? One small moment, a mere drop in the ocean, has a rippling effect creating huge crashing waves.

#story time #mari’s life #life after mari #friends #friendship #Australian licorice #anxiety #eczema triggers #I’m not antisocial #social situations without familiar faces give me (or worsens) anxiety #eventually found out scrawny guy was homeschooled which actually managed to explain a lot of his odd social behaviors

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maxattack-powell · 7 years ago

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Winter Break - Nationals

Winter Break - Nationals (1-17f)

***This is an original fic that fits in between the Luxury Date special and Book 2/Chapter 1 (1-17f) in my masterlist)***

Masterlist - go here for other chapters and related original fics

Disclaimer: The following are fics (adaptations from actual game chapters AND original works) to Choices: The Freshman and The Sophomore stories. It is a fictional adaptation. I do not work for Pixelberry Studios, the game developer or own the rights to the characters Chris Powell, Nicole or any other IN GAME character. All of the ORIGINAL characters, storylines and events were developed for my adaptation of The Freshman story.

Comments: I enjoyed playing Choices The Freshman… and then I found this awesome group of people and their works - I’ve loved it all, very much so. Deciding that I wanted more interaction than the options allowed, I’ve gone through the first book, chapter by chapter (omg painfully slow) to follow the story (95-99% I’d say) and add to it as I felt would benefit. Now I am doing the same to Book 2 as well.

Word Count: 13,911

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NSFW moments possible - Mature Readers Only Please

Paring: MC x Chris

POV: ~MC~ or ~Chris~

~Chris~

It has been a few days since Christmas, since Chris surprised MC with his very rough, but endearing version of All I Want for Christmas. When she told him she loved it again the next morning, Chris insisted it was not very good at all. He needed more practice. She smirked at him then, asking when she would get to hear it again. Knowing he had backed himself into a corner he laughed and flashed her a smile. He mentally decided to continue practicing at least twice a day, ready to do the song justice when he sees her in person soon. Chris and MC’s communication increased in frequency each day after that moment.

Chris smiles as he thinks back over the break, especially Christmas. He stretches out across his bed, reaching far as he attempts to wake himself. He and the guys still had today off thanks to Coach Madison, his former Cherryfield High Coach, who went out of town for the holidays. The relief wouldn’t last long though, as practice would start up again tomorrow. As he rolls over onto his back, Chris begins to think about MC again. He just sent his essential morning text and is waiting for the reply, so she is fresh on his mind.

He is feeling fairly confident with their… exchanges. He almost wants to call it a relationship, but doesn’t want to jinx it. Whatever it is, whatever she wants, he is more than willing to accommodate. Chris can’t wait to see her again. The tension has become so thick that he can hear it in her voice while they are on the phone, and he can definitely see it in her eyes when they FaceTime or send pictures back and forth for hours. He knows she can tell the same with him. He had started showing his devotion a little before they had even left each other’s side weeks earlier.

Chris doesn’t care though. He already decided that he will tell her everything, do whatever it takes, even if it means embarrassment, just so she knows where he stands. She’s always done it with him, so he’s determined to return the courtesy. Knowing where they stand at all times is also a huge relief to Chris. He knows that he won’t have to worry about MC ever making him feel like…like she did.

He closes his eyes tightly for a moment before he shakes his head, forcing the bad memories out. Chris opens his phone and starts scanning pictures for her eyes, the eyes that have waited for him, the eyes that he knows will have his back, the eyes he loves to look at. A smile crosses his lips as he slowly scrolls through images. Chris is determined to stick to his word and give her all the time in the world, but he is starting to think that she may feel the same way too. That she wants more. Chris can tell that MC is trusting him again, and that makes him hopeful.

Deciding she must not yet be awake, Chris rolls over to sit on the edge of his bed, his long legs stretched out in front of him as he reaches up to stretch his arms again, flexing them behind his neck. Just as he yawns, his phone dings, indicating an incoming text. He grins, assuming that she’s sent a reply. He reaches over to his bedside table and eagerly looks at the screen. His eyebrow arches when he sees that it is not from MC. He tilts his head as he opens the long text, something about nationals, from his coach at Hartfeld.

Curiously he begins to read it, making his mouth fall open slightly. “What..?!”

Chris stands up quickly, his covers sliding down his legs, exposing more of his toned body with the exception of an almost too short pair of boxer briefs. “You’re kidding me.”

He quickly sends a text back, asking for more information before he makes any decisions. Chris looks out of his window, into the world that is now covered in a thick blanket of snow. His mind is reeling as he thinks about the information Coach Cohen had just sent.

The gist of it is, Russell Thibbs, Hartfeld’s legendary running back, has offered to send their team to the College Football National Championship. Apparently, he was able to lock in on a section of seats due to his connections with the NFL and college football circuits. Coach Cohen had sent the message to all current players, even the so to be graduating seniors, letting them know they had the option to join. The only catch was that Thibbs and Hartfeld only supplied the entry tickets to the game and transportation to Beaver Stadium at Penn State, via the team bus. Every attendee must pay for their own lodging and food, and each individual would have to sign a waiver to participate in the trip since they were going off campus for an event that had no direct correlation to Hartfeld as they did not qualify this year.

There were a set amount of tickets, but if for some reason, players either couldn’t or didn’t want to attend, the available tickets could be used for other Hartfeld students. Chris immediately thinks of MC, wondering if she will be interested in going if he can snag an extra ticket. He wants to see her, badly. That combined with seeing one of the best games of the year sounds like an amazing trip to him.

After a few texts back and forth with Coach Cohen, Chris learns that about a third of the players had already declined for a range of reasons. He didn’t care why or who wasn’t interested, it just meant that he could now ask MC. He told Coach that he had someone in mind and would get back with him shortly.

Chris almost can’t contain his excitement as he typed a message to MC, his hands almost shaking, causing him to retype a few words. ‘Hey! You awake beautiful? FT me when you get this’

He tosses his phone on the bed and searches for the pair of sweats he tossed onto his chair the night before. Just as he pulls them up he hears his phone chirping, letting him know she received his message. Chris takes three large steps, almost running back to his bed and jumping on it to get to his phone. He scopes the phone up and slides his thumb across the screen it to answer as he rolls to his side, propping his head on his arm.

MC’s sleepy but smiling face appears on the screen. “I’m up… I’m up…”

“Barely…” Chris grins at her. “You have a late night with the girls again?”

“Maaaaybe.” She squint winks at him as she brushes her disheveled hair from her face.

“There they are…” He flashes her a toothy grin when she moves the hair out of her eyes.

She sticks her tounge out at him playfully. “Whats got you all wound up this morning, it’s only…” She looks past the phone to her nightstand clock. “…8:17, and you don’t have to work today. Are you nuts?” She laughs and rubs her face, trying to wake up.

He shakes his head, “No, I wanted to send you my essential morning greeting, but someone was too busy recovering from her late night to notice.” Chris looks at her with an exaggerated sulk.

She snorts and gives him a flat look. “Oh, and what about that night you forgot to say goodnight?”

His eyes go wide as both of his eyebrows shoot up. “Heeeey, no wait. That was all Ryan and Ethan’s fault. They kept me out too late playing pool, and you know what… I did send you a message that night.” He tilts his head, daring her to challenge his statement.

“You sent it at 2 a.m. Christopher Powell.” She scoffs at him and rolls her eyes, but he can see the amusement in them.

Chris grimaces. “Oh boy, using the full name is never a good thing…” He sighs with a small smile. “Can you forgive me, baby?”

She doesn’t say anything for a moment as she looks through the screen at him, her eyes locking to his. His chest swells as he searches her face, his body warming as he watches her slowly smile at his new name for her.

“If I have to…” She lets out a soft laugh as he grins at her again, this time making his cheeks hurt.

“Thanks, beautiful.” He winks at her and she bites her lip.

“So, I also have a question…” Chris suddenly feels nervous for some reason.

She perks up on the other side of the call, pulling her phone closer so she can clearly hear him. “Whats up?”

“Well, Coach Cohen from Hartfeld sent me a text this morning, offering me a chance to do something I’ve always wanted to.”

She smiles. “Sounds great already. What is it?”

He clears his throat, still trying to shake the anxious feeling that has crept up on him. “You remember Russell Thibbs…” MC shakes her head and he continues, “Well, he got his hands on some National Championship tickets for the whole team, and Coach is going to have the bus take everyone out to Penn State to watch the game.”

She grins so big her eyes almost disappear behind her cheeks. “Chris, thats awesome! When is it?”

Chris runs his hand through his hair and rests on the nape of his neck as he watches her face. “In three days…”

“Oh, that’s soon. You’ll still be able to go though, right?” She looks at him hopefully.

Chris nods, but worries about her comment of how quickly it is coming up. “Yeah, Coach Madison won’t have an issue with me being gone for a few days.” He laughs. “He’ll probably try to sneak in with me, actually.”

She laughs and he relaxes a little as he listens to the pleasant sound. He watches her eyes as she moves on the screen, swearing the color has shifted more to a blue tint since they started talking.

“The thing is…” He stares as her focus comes back to his face. “…I was hoping you would go with me.”

Her brow furrows at his words, making his stomach fall a little. He swallows and clears his throat. “I guess that’s not something you’d be interested in…” Chris shakes his head lightly, “…or its too short notice…” He frowns a little.

She quickly shakes her head, “No, no… I would love to Chris.” She flashes him an excited smile.

He lets out a breath of air and takes a long deep breath, feeling the anxiety instantly leave his body. “Oh, okay. That’s great. The face you made kind worried me a little.”

“No, I would love to. I’m just confused… how..? You said it was for the team.” She looks at him curiously.

Chris runs his hand through his hair again, this time resting it on his chest after as he shifts his upper body to a more comfortable position against his headboard. “Ah well, not everyone can or wants to go, so a few extra tickets are available. Coach said we could invite other Hartfeld students to go with us if they wanted. We just have to uh, pay for our own rooms and food of course…”

He looks at her, hoping that won’t be an issue. “I have some money saved up from last summer and from working during the break, so I think I can cover everything.”

She smiles at him, “I have some saved up too. This sounds like a great excuse to spend it.”

Chris sighs as the corner of his lips curl up, “I can’t wait to see you…”

She pulls her bottom lip in and works it as she tries not to let her smile split her in half.

They talk for a little while longer and Chris tells her that he will let her know more as he gets the information from Coach. As soon as he gets off the call with MC, Chris shoots a quick text telling Coach Cohen that he and his plus one are in. Coach Cohen tells him that he still has a few extra tickets, asking Chris if he knows any other Hartfeld students that might want to attend.

Chris knows his roommates were supportive when he played at the beginning of the quarter, but many were currently too far away to attend even if they wanted to. He knows Zack is close enough, but according to MC, his family has been keeping him beyond busy. She tried to visit over the break since they weren’t that far from each other, but Zack grumbled as he told her that he wouldn’t be available anytime soon. So, Zak was out too. Chris frowns as he thinks of other available friends.

Suddenly something hits him. Ryan and Ethan. Sure, they aren’t Hartfeld students, but Coach Cohen knows about them fairly well thanks to Chris. They have discussed Chris’s previous experiences, and a lot of talk centered around the infamous Cherryfield High trio. Coach had looked into his friends playing history after Chris told him more about himself last quarter. He had told Coach all about his two best friends, his brothers that were always there for him How they helped him get to this point. It was worth a shot to ask.

Chris types up a message and edited it a few times before he felt that he had said enough to possibly persuade Coach Cohen to allow two non Hartfeld students to join. Too anxious to just sit there and wait for a response, Chris grabs some clothes and rushes through a shower, the entire time thinking about the trip. He was beyond happy that he was going to go with MC, and ecstatic that she wants to spend the time with him as he was very eager to see her. But he also wants to repay his friends for all the hell he put them through their senior year.

He had created a lot of trouble for them, but they stuck with him and made sure he came out okay on the other side. The version of him after wasn’t quite the same as before her, but he was getting there with help from his friends, and now that includes MC. Chris just hopes that Coach will understand, now knowing Chris’s history and what these guys mean to him. It would be a great experience for them as well.

Chris rushes through his shower and leans into the warm spray as it beats on his neck and shoulders. He can’t stop his thoughts from drifting to MC. That’s when he realizes, not only was she going to go, but they will be together the entire time. That meant he needs to figure out what exactly that means for sleeping arrangements. That line of thought simultaneously makes him feel excited while also causing him some anxiety at the idea of sharing a bed with her for multiple nights. He wasn’t sure if she would want that, or to stay separate.

He feels his body start to react to the idea and he groans. He doesn’t have time for this, knowing that he probably has a response from Coach and if it is a yes, he is going to have to move quick to secure two more spots. He grasps his hardening length and squeezes it firmly, trying to make it wilt in his hand. All of his actions are futile however, because no matter what he does or thinks of, the imagery of MC in his bed won’t leave his mind. He lets out a low growl and quickly takes care of it, gasping her name as he has his release after a few minutes effort.

Chris quickly rinses off and throws a towel around his waist, not bothering to change yet, instead grabbing everything and rushing back to his room and to his charging phone. He throws his clothes on the bed and sits on the edge as he grabs his phone. There was a reply from Coach, a few actually. They basically start with him saying the offer was for Hartfeld students only, making Chris’s demeanor fall slightly. But as he continues reading he realizes that Coach Cohen actually had changed his mind, saying that he would like to talk to them about their college careers, and the trip might be a good opportunity to get some time with them both.

Ecstatic, Chris jumps up from his spot on the bed, causing his towel to fly off in the process. He doesn’t care, squatting down to snatch it up while he laughs, promptly typing a text to his brothers while he stands bare ass naked in the middle of his room.

He barely has time to dress and brush teeth before he hears the front door to his house swing open, slamming into the wall with a bang. He rushes out of his room and shoots Ethan and Ryan a glare as they slide across the hardwood in the hallway as they rush through the front door.

“What the hell guys?!” Chris rushes to the door and inspects the wall, thankfully finding that the doorstop saved him from future repairs.

He spins and looks at his friends, his glare fading instantly as he takes in their overzealous expressions. Ethan and Ryan look at each other and rush Chris together without saying a word, both slamming into him, squeezing the air out of him. He gasps as he forcefully removes himself from the crushing embrace.

“So, I take that as a yes…” Chris sucks in a few breaths, glad to have the ability to do so once again.

Ryan and Ethan give each other high fives and start short versions of their touchdown dances from their time at Cherryfield High. Chris laughs and joins in, the three of them doing some of the most ridiculous end zone dances in the state of Maine.

It only takes a few moments before they are all laughing and gasping for air. Chris clasps them both on the shoulder and smiles. “You guys don’t know how excited I am that you’re going. I’ve been trying to think of a way to make it up to you guys… for last fall…” He swallows, “For almost ruining our senior year…”

Ryan and Ethan mirror Chris’s movements by putting their hands up on his shoulders, as well as each others, creating their trademark triangle trio huddle. The looks his friends give him makes Chris pause and lower his head, a small knowing smile crossing his lips. “Thanks guys.”

Ryan shakes his head enthusiastically. “No, no, no… thank you.”

Ethan nods, “Yeah, so uh… what’s the plan?”

The three sit in the living room and hash out some rough plans to get them to Hartfeld and meetup with everyone else for the bus ride to the stadium. While they chat, Chris shoots Darren, Logan and a few guys on the team a text, checking to see who all was going. Darren says he has declined. After the season he had this year combined with his future plans, he thinks someone else might benefit from it more. A few of the other guys he had sent texts to said the same thing, giving different reasons why they couldn’t or didn’t want to go.

Logan was obviously excited about the trip, telling Chris they were going to have the best damn night of their lives. Chris laughs and shakes his head, knowing Logan, Chris will have to be careful to keep him from getting arrested. Chris’s mother joins them after a while, Chris telling her the amazing opportunity they were offered, making her smile with happiness for her son and his adopted brothers. She even helps the guys budget for their lodging and food so they can have a good time.

After they finalize their plans, Ryan and Ethan head out, making sure Chris knows to meet them later at the pub to play some pool for their last free day before Coach Madison makes them get back to work tomorrow. He nods and waves as he shuts the door, immediately heading back to his room.

Chris lays down on his bed and calls MC. She picks up quickly. “Hey, handsome…”

He can hear the grin in her voice, making him smile in return. Chris tells her all that had transpired since they last spoke, asking if she would be okay going on the bus with not only most of the Hartfeld football team, but Ryan and Ethan as well. He was surprised at how enthusiastic she was about meeting his friends face to face, attempting to smother the small spike of jealousy that had showed its ugly head. He wants her to be that excited, or more, to see him as well.

She must have sensed it, causing her to pause. “Chris…”

“Yeah?” He blinks a few times, jerking his mind back to the present.

“What’s wrong?” She says in a low voice.

He snorts playfully. “I’m glad you’re going to meet them, but I guess I thought you might be a little more excited to see me instead of those guys.” He jokingly jabs at her a little.

“If you could only read my mind, cannon.” Chris swears she smirking.

“Here we go with that cannon stuff again…” He laughs, feeling warm relief seep through him with her response.

The news few days pass swiftly, their typical communication and work patterns in place as the championship game gets closer. Finally, it’s the morning of their drive to Hartfeld. The same drive that lets Chris see MC again. His hands itch to touch her, to pull her close and smell her scent, to warm her with his body. His memory has done a good job keeping her with him over the last few weeks, but he will gladly take a refresh.

The guys decide to take Chris’s Jeep, as it has the most comfortable seating for more than two passengers and barely the best gas mileage. The guys pitch in gas money and the trio heads out early, knowing they have to be at Hartfeld by 11 a.m. since the bus will leaving at noon. The friends have an enjoyable trip south, careful to navigate safely through the roads that are still covered with ice and snow in many places.

Halfway there, the guys pull over to refuel and stretch their legs. Their mother’s had packed some food for each of them. The snacks were doing a good job, but Ryan and Ethan still come out of the convenience store with their hands full. Ryan is already elbow deep into the middle of a bag of white cheddar popcorn, a blissful expression smeared across his face. Ethan takes a bite out of a protein bar and puts the rest away for later. Chris shakes his head as he watches them walk back to the Jeep. It was a good thing they both enjoyed working out and staying fit, because their eating habits would destroy them otherwise.

The first leg of their trip to nationals was spent catching up on absolutely everything they had yet to talk about since they all had come home on break. The subject of girls came up of course, discussing Ryan’s bountiful selection of females, Ethan’s semi serious new girlfriend, and Chris’s unusual experience with MC over their first quarter. When the guys ask him more about her, Chris can’t help but gush. Ryan and Ethan share amused looks between the front and back seats while Chris stays unaware as he keeps his eyes on the road.

They arrive at Hartfeld earlier than expected, finding the bus in the main parking lot near the quad, just where Coach Cohen said it would be. Chris passes it and slowly drives around though, seeking something specific. When his eyes land on what he’s searching for, he grins. Standing with Madison and Logan near some of the trees near the quad entrance, is his beautiful girl. She doesn’t notice the Jeep at first as she laughs and talks with the pair in front of her. He watches her hair float around her defined jaw as she bounces around enthusiastically, obviously having an entertaining conversation with their friends.

Ryan notices Chris’s behavior change and turns his gaze to his friend from the passenger seat, studying the quarterbacks face. He then glances back at Ethan before spinning around to follow Chris’s gaze through the windshield. MC turns at that moment, finally noticing the all too familiar cherry red Jeep, with Chris’s special smirk crossing her face. He quickly throws the Jeep into park, ready to jump out and scoop her up, but the door ajar alarm begins to chime first. He immediately looks at his dash, then at the now open passenger door. His head whips to the right, barely seeing the blur that is his friend Ryan, moving straight towards MC with great speed, as if he’s about to receive one of Chris’s passes.

Chris and Ethan open their doors and stand on the Jeep’s running boards, curious as to what’s about to happen. Chris’s face scrunches up, perturbed at his friend’s impulsive action. The tall quarterback watches as MC’s expression changes, showing that she recognizes Ryan. But only just barely before he makes quick contact, wrapping his arms around her and spinning her around. Chris can hear her laughing from the Jeep, his expression twisting into deep confusion as he turns his head slightly to look at Ethan across the roof.

Ethan can only snort out a laugh and shrug. “It’s Ryan… What did you expect?”

“Do I actually have to call dibs…?” Chris asks incredulously before he jumps down and shuts the door, slowly making his way over to the joyous pair.

As they meet in front of the Jeep, Ethan throws his arm over Chris’s shoulder, giving him a quick squeeze, knowing his friend isn’t really upset, but can feel the sting a little. Chris glances over to him and gives him a nod, letting him know he was fine, even though he’s actually a little jealous of the harmless attention his friend is getting from the girl he can’t get out of his head.

When they join their overzealous friend and MC, they hear them chatting about all the snow they’ve had to deal with since going home. Chris and Ethan stand their silently for a moment with their hands jammed in their pockets to keep warm. A slight pout settles on Chris’s lips with every second as he waits.

MC turns when she realizes they have arrived, her gaze crossing over Ethans face, making her smile and say hey for a second as he gives her a polite nod. She hesitates long enough not to be rude, but she eagerly continues her slow spin until her eyes meet Chris’s as he stands close behind her. The moment he holds her gaze, her smile grows into something much deeper just for him. As it grows, so does the pressure in his chest, obliterating his pout and replacing it with an equally warm smile.

Not a full second passes before she threads her arms through the gaps his own arms have made between his body while his hands are in his pockets. She wraps her arms around his midsection and holds him tight, leaning in and resting her cheek on his collarbone before she closes her eyes for a few seconds. Chris pulls his hands out of his pockets and wraps them around her in turn, holding her as close as humanly possible.

“Hey, beautiful..” He mumbles quietly into her ear as he leans over slightly, his lips brushing against her ear, making her shiver in his arms.

She leans back and looks into his eyes, “Hey, cannon…”

Chris’s mouth snaps shut as he humorously frowns. “Oh man, here we go.” He sighs.

Ryan snorts. “Cannon? Nah, man… that’s a lame nickname.”

She laughs and turns in Chris’s arms to face Ryan, “Okay, you got a better idea?” She challenges him with an arched eyebrow.

Ethan watches with amusement as she starts bowing up at Ryan playfully. Chris notices as well, a sense of pride growing from within, making him chuckle lightly.

Ryan shakes his head as he holds his ground. “He’s already got one. At least, he did at Cherryfield.”

MC perks up and leans forward. Chris shakes his head as he stares at Ryan, trying to stop the progression of the conversation. Ryan and Ethan just grin at him before Ryan speaks again, his eyes staying on Chris to watch him squirm.

“His nickname is Rogers.” Ryan says, looking past MC and directly at Chris.

Chris makes an annoyed scowl, his eyes narrowing at Ryan.

MC turns slightly to see this exchange and raises an eyebrow, everything clicking in place. “As in Steve?”

Ethan immediately spins to face her. “Whoa. She knows comics?” He takes his hand out of his pocket to point his thumb in MC’s direction as he looks at Chris. “You better lock that down immediately, Rogers.”

Chris closes his eyes and shakes his head again, the very corner of his lips turning up in amusement as he laugh-sighs. When he opens his eyes again, he sees MC staring into his slightly taller blues, her nose crinkled with amusement.

Knowing they have some time left before Coach arrives, the guys pull out a football and start passing it around in the quad grass close to the parking lot. MC watches them as she walks over to Madison and Logan. The tall dark haired man immediately drops his bag near their feet when he notices the other guys, sprinting over to join the fun.

MC and Madison watch as Chris takes turns launching the football to each of the others, both cheering as they successfully catch them. Chris turns to MC every so often when he hears her loud whistle, basking in her adoration as he tries to remain focused on the guys. He really wishes he hadn’t screwed everything up this last fall. Having her at that first game was one of his best memories. He grins as he reminds himself that there’s always next year.

The guys run through partial plays and the three rush around the quad, catching everything thrown in their direction by Hartfeld’s new starting quarterback. Coach Tim Cohen arrives and immediately notices, dropping his bag by the bus before he casually walks over and stands on the sidewalk nearby. The 6’3” man folds his muscular arms and watches the precision and speed as the ball moves around the field, his eyes narrowing as his vision shifts back and forth across the quad.

Coach Cohen is one of the youngest college football head coaches in American History. He has an impressive history, being a highly successful former quarterback himself, something Chris hopes to do with his own athletic career. During his playing career, Cohen held many Division I passing records and even won the Sammy Baugh Trophy once. Prior to being the Head Coach at Hartfeld, Cohen was the offensive coordinator and the quarterbacks coach with the Texas A&M Aggies and later the Auburn Tigers. He even coached a Heisman Trophy winner the year before accepting Hartfeld’s offer.

His hazel eyes narrow as he studies the two new players in his quad. The breeze blows the top of his warm brown hair around slightly as the sun peeks out from behind a cloud, making him pull out his trademark sunglasses so he can continue watching without a glare. He raises his hand and rubs his permanent five o’clock shadow that covers his sharp jaw.

Chris turns to look at MC again, but notices his coach and instantly jogs over. “Hey, Coach. What’s up? We ready to load?”

Coach Cohen nods lightly but keeps his eyes focused past Chris as he speaks, “Yeah, sure. We can load up. But uh…” He points to the others, “…are those your friends from Cherryfield, out there with Logan?”

Chris doesn’t have to look to answer, “Sure is Coach. That’s Ethan Clark and Ryan Hawkins, the guys I was telling you about last quarter.”

He turns to smile fondly at his friends, who he quickly realizes are now playing keep away from each other, ending up in a heap on the grass as Logan shakes his head and laughs from a few feet away.

Coach Cohen gives Chris a curious look, making him laugh nervously. “They are just a little excited to go to the game tomorrow…”

Coach waves his hand at him before gesturing for he and Chris to move closer. “I get it, it’s a big deal if you’ve never been before.” They slowly walk towards the others. “How about you? Need to get some more energy out?”

Chris laughs and shrugs, “Couldn’t hurt.” He runs back towards the guys after Coach Cohen nods towards his friends.

The two on the ground finally call it a draw, like normal, and grab the hands Chris and Logan offer them to jump back up. Chris tells them a few things then backs up, the football grasped firmly in his right hand as he turns his upper body, preparing to throw once again. They run a few more plays around the quad as Coach Cohen watches with interest.

After a few minutes he calls them all over, nodding at Logan and telling him to load on the bus. Logan tips his head and pats Chris on the shoulder before cutting towards MC and Madison, both now very interested in the huddle happening a few yards away.

Chris clears his throat and places a hand on Ryan’s shoulder, introducing him to the young Head Coach for Hartfeld University. “Coach Cohen, this is Ryan Hawkins. He was my running back at Cherryfield.” He quickly places his other hand on his redheaded friends shoulder. “This is Ethan Clark. This wide wall of a man was my fullback last year. I wouldn’t be here without them…”

He gives them both a warm smile as he squeezes their shoulders simultaneously. The guys return the sentiment, giving Chris a pat on the back or a nod in conformation. Coach can’t help but smile a little as he listens to them recall their history over the years, all the crazy plays they pulled off, their great track record and some of the details about their senior year. All deftly avoid certain points of information though, making sure that period of time stays dead and in the past.

After they tell most of their Cherryfield High football stories, Coach Cohen frowns. “So, if you guys played better in high school then I just witnessed out here, and if you knew each other that well, why they didn’t anyone try to pick you up together? It’s clear you work well as a team, so well that it makes no sense that you didn’t get more attention as a group.”

Chris’s shoulders fall a little as he lets out a sigh. “That’s probably my fault, actually.”

Ryan immediately elbows Chris’s bicep and shakes his head.

Ethan simply says, “No.”

“It’s a whole mess actually.” Ryan begins. “We wanted to stay together, but my uh… grades weren’t so hot senior year.”

Chris looks up quickly as he remembers something. “Coach Massey didn’t approach us all either. He only said he needed a quarterback at the time. I tried to tell him about the guys but he wasn’t interested.”

Coach Cohen shakes his head as he thinks about his successor. “That is unfortunate. What are you guys doing now, where are you?” He looks back and forth curiously, waiting for someone to speak.

Ethan nods and takes the first position. “I’m actually at Boston College… about 45 minutes from here.”

Coach nods and coughs into his hand, “The Eagles.”

Ethan nods in return. “Yes, Coach. But I have a medical redshirt right now.”

Chris presses his lips into a thin line as he waits for his friend to continue. “I got injured during camp last August. I didn’t think it was that bad… turns out I was wrong. I severely sprained my ACL, tore it a little, and they redshirted me while I recover.”

Coach Cohen eyes him as he tilts his head. “So they gave you a medical redshirt.”

Ethan nods and he continues, “So what about now… how’s it feeling? Did you have surgery or is it stabilizing? You looked alright out there a few minutes ago.” He jerks his chin towards the quad.

“Yes, that was about… five months ago now. Small surgery, but I’ve been working at it, trying to build my strength and speed back slowly.” Ethan keeps his voice level as he waits for direction, easily falling back into the player-coach behavior.

Coach seems to contemplate his words for a moment before turning towards Ryan. “And you? Where are you right now?”

Ryan stands up straighter, his eyes focusing on Coach Cohen. “I’m currently at Louisville, Coach. But I uh, also have a redshirt this year.”

Coach Cohen’s brow creases as he looks at him, then to Ethan, and back to Ryan. “An academic redshirt for your grades?”

Ryan lets a frustrated sigh slip out. “Yeah, I was a little uh, distracted in high school. Cherryfield didn’t have the best standards, so I graduated alright after some serious work senior year, but Louisville has slightly stricter rules about their players GPAs.” He sees Coach staring at him without blinking. “But I’m… I’m working on it. My GPA is above average now, actually…”

Ethan and Chris both smile at Ryans words, glad their friend is back on track with his classes.

Coach Cohen nods, completely understanding. His eyebrow arches slightly. “So, let me get this straight, you both have redshirts this year?” He gestures back and forth to each of Chris’s friends and they give simultaneous nods in response.

He claps his hands together and rubs them as if he’s brushing off some dirt. “That’s perfect.”

Ethan’s eyebrow arches high. “Perfect..?” He glances at Ryan and they both eye him suspiciously.

Chris smiles, knowing what Coach Cohen is about to say. He glances over towards MC, finding her chatting with Madison as she keeps an eye on them, waiting until they were finished to join him again. He thinks back to all the times Nichole would interrupt him while he was in the middle of something she didn’t find important. Sure, she usually gave him his space before a game, but that was something she learned the hard way one Friday evening. She never approached him until the game was over after that night.

His thoughts are interrupted by Coach Cohen’s proposal. “Yeah, perfect.” A small cocky smirk appears on his face as he crosses his arms and shifts on his feet. “Say you wanted to switch schools. Transfer to another university where you knew the quarterback, for example.”

Ryan’s mouth falls open as it all clicks. “Are you fucking serious?!”

“Language.” Coach gives him a look, making Chris laugh under his breath.

“Ah, sorry Coach!” Ryan stands straighter, respect for Coach Cohen filling his person.

“That’s alright. We’re here to play damn good football, but I promise you we’re going to have fun while we’re doing it. I just expect my players to be in control of their actions at all times, remembering that others may be watching or listening. I don’t want anyone to have a reason to touch my team.”

The four of them talk for a while longer, discussing the steps it would take to get them to Hartfeld, if that was in fact what they wanted to do. Chris could easily see the excitement in Ryan’s eyes, but it wasnt as bright in Ethan’s. Coach Cohen nods to them all and tells them to get their stuff and load up as it was just about noon, and he was leaving on schedule, with or without them.

Chris quickly turns towards Ethan, “What’s up, man? We always said we wanted to play college ball together, but you don’t seem that excited at the moment.”

Ethan sucks in a long deep breath. “I still want it.” He lets the air out slowly, “It’s just… Stephanie. We met at Boston College. If I leave, what will happen…”

Chris sees a flash of pain and uncernancy cross Ethans face, but only for a second, his standard calm demeanor immediately falling back into place. He turns to look at Ryan who frowns slightly and stays quiet. Chris pats Ethan on the back, completely understanding the feeling, not sure what he would do if he were in the same situation.

“Well, you’ve got almost a whole year to decide, so don’t worry about it now. You guys can talk about it, and it will work out no matter what you decide. We will still be bros even if we cant play football, just like now.” He shoulder checks him, trying to get a rise out of him.

Ryan’s lips curl slightly as he decides to do the same, disliking his biggest frenemy to be so down. It only takes a few pokes and slaps before they start grappling each other once again. Chris shakes his head and steps around them, heading towards MC and Madison.

“Hey, Mads.” Chris waves at her as he approaches. “Why are you still out here, didnt Logan tell you guys to load up?”

Madison nods and gives him her standard sweet smile. “He did, but MC wanted to wait for you so I stayed with her. I’m going to find Logan tho, I dont want to miss the boat.”

Chris snort laughs at her as he nods. “Sure thing Mads. Try to keep an eye on Logan, okay?”

She waves and heads towards the bus as Chris turns to MC, a cocky smirk appearing. “Wanted to wait for me, huh?”

MC snorts indignantly at him, “Well, I don’t know anyone besides you really. Madison and Logan are nice, but–”

“I understand… you don’t have to say anything else.” Chris chuckles as he pulls her close, kissing the top of her head before lowering his head slightly so their cheeks are touching.

“I missed you, baby…” He whispers into her ear, relishing in the physical response he can see on and feel throughout her body as his arms tighten around her.

She pulls back slightly to look at him as she chews her lower lip. This action of hers makes Chris react without thought, raising his hand to slowly rub her lip with his thumb, causing her to stop with his contact. “I missed you too, Captain.” She says in a low voice.

He leans back curiously, “Captain?”

She smirks, “Yeah, Rogers. This is my nickname for you now…I just decided. A little bit of the old, a little bit of the new.”

“A lot of the new, I hope…” He teases, leaning close and brushing his lips over hers lightly.

He feels her breath catch as he makes brief contact, so he waits, giving her the opportunity to deepen the kiss if she desires or completely call it off. Chris realizes that this is the closest they have been since their last day at Hartfeld weeks ago. His body is making him well aware of that fact too. Fortunately, he doesn’t have to wait long for her decision. She runs her hands behind his neck and pulls him to her, firmly pressing her cooler lips to his much warmer ones. They don’t get to enjoy it long though, as someone’s obnoxious yells break them apart.

“Rogers! Let’s go! I’m not missing this because you two had to make out..!” Ryan shoots them a halfway serious, halfway joking glare as he points in their direction.

Ethan doesn’t miss a beat, hooking his arm around Ryan’s neck as he walks by, interrupting his rant by dragging him towards the bus. Chris rolls his eyes and grabs MC’s hand before he scoops up both of their bags in the other. They head towards the bus behind his friends, tossing their bags into the storage below before they climb the stairs onto the Hartfeld Knights team bus.

Chris watches MC as her eyes go huge when they climb the stairs, taking in the somewhat luxurious interior of their bus. He doesn’t blame her, he had the same look a few months ago when he stepped on the bus for the first time. But now, seeing it through her eyes, it feels even bigger than before.

He gently places his hand on the small of her back and guides her towards the back, right behind Ryan and Ethan who have just sat down. Logan and Madison were sitting with each other as well, close by but far enough away so everyone had privacy. Since everyone couldn’t go, the bus was about three quarters full, leaving gaps here and there.

Chris slides in first, taking the window seat, thinking MC might want access to Madison at some point, as she was the only other familiar face to MC on the trip. He’s about to make a crack on Ryan and Ethan as they sit in front of him when he sees MC lean out into the isle, her focus towards the front of the bus. Chris doesn’t have to do much but sit up straight to see what has her attention.

Coach Tim Cohen had just re-entered the bus and was slowly making his way down the isle, checking with everyone, collecting waivers, etc. He’s wearing form fitting black dress slacks and a Hartefeld red shirt under a black long sleeve fleece pullover that fits his broad shoulders and muscular chest perfectly. Chris scrunches up his nose as he looks at MC again, checking to see if that was in fact what she was looking at. His mouth falls open slightly when her enamored expression confirms it.

He doesn’t get a chance to say anything before MC interrupts his thoughts, “So, who is that…again?” She gestures towards Coach and Chris shakes his head and lets out a small sigh.

“That’s our Head Coach. We call him Coach Swag, or Coach Bro…” He glances at her, noting her focus has yet to shift, his voice quieter as he continues, “He’s the youngest Head Coach in college football at the moment…”

“I can see why you guys call him that…” MC’s voice tapers off a she takes him all in.

Chris looks at her and frowns. “Okay, you’re switching with me.” He stands up and gestures for her to scoot over behind him.

She looks up at him with a startled expression at first, then when she sees his slight pout she can’t help but smile as she slides over. Once he sits back down she wraps her arms around his right one, holding it tight against her body. “I’m sorry. I was just curious who he was. He almost looks like a senior or something… not a coach.”

He turns his head slightly, not fully looking at her as his eyebrow arches up, “And what if he was a senior…” Chris almost grumbles.

She looks at him, saying nothing until he turns to look at her with his full attention. Once he does he’s rewarded with her warm smile. “Nothing. I’ve got everything I need right here.” She squeezes his arm to emphasize her words.

Just then, Coach Cohen approaches their rows and nods to Ryan and Ethan before stepping towards Chris and MC. Chris turns to study MC’s face as Coach greets her, following her eyes as she looks up.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Coach Cohen, Tim Cohen.” He extends his hand past Chris so MC can easily reach.

She shakes it politely and introduces herself in return. “I’m MC, it’s nice to finally meet you.”

Chris watches as her eyes stay on Coach long enough to be polite, quickly turning them back to his own. He feels the warmth spread through his entire body as her eyes hold his.

“Chris has told me a lot about you.” Her left eyebrow lifts slightly.

Chris smirks at her, realizing she is clearly making a point by keeping her focus on him, and only giving his young, attractive coach the minimum direct interaction to remain polite.

“Glad to have you on the trip. Let me know if you need anything. That is, if Powell here fails to take care of it first…” He pats Chris hard on the shoulder, clearly implying he better not let that happen, before he continues his trek towards the back.

Neither MC or Chris break their locked gaze, each daring the other to do it first.

MC’s nose wiggles a little as she calms the smirk that is threatening to appear. “See? Don’t care.”

“Uh huh…” Chris laughs at her.

MC scoots closer, her face close to his again. Chris can feel his heartbeat increase as she stays there.

She touches her lips to the side of his face, almost nuzzling his cheek. “Why would I?”

He lets out a breathless sigh, his body clearly affected by her actions. He quietly groans and shifts in his seat, suddenly uncomfortable with his restrictive jeans. He turns to match his lips with hers, brushing his across them. She nips his lip a little, making him reach around her face with his free hand, cupping the base of her head as he completely eliminates the gap between them, crushing her lips with his. They kiss harder and harder for a moment, completely lost in their own world, until someone knocks Chris lightly on the back of the head.

“At least wait until I’m out of sight, Powell.” Coach growls as he passes, making Ryan and Ethan both peer over the back of their chairs.

MC blushes and pulls away from Chris sheepishly, burying her face into his shoulder. He just flashes his friends a wolfish grin and they shake their heads as they turn back around.

It’s about a six and a half hour drive if they head straight to Penn State’s Main Campus. About halfway through the trip they make a pitstop, needing to refuel. It’s also a great opportunity for everyone to stretch their legs, take bathroom breaks and of course load up on necessities. Chris is not at all surprised to see both Ryan and Ethan exit the store with a bag of snacks and drinks. Ryan is already digging into something, his face once again euphoric as he takes another bite of whatever junk he’s decided to consume. Ethan slowly tears off pieces of jerky, chatting with Ryan as they climb back onto the bus before Chris and MC.

Ryan pauses and turns to ask Chris something about the tailgate parties the next day, allowing Ethan and MC to pass and continue inside. Chris and Ryan finish their conversation as Coach approaches, ordering everyone back on the bus. As they make their way down the aisle, the pair sees Ethan sitting in his normal seat, but this time MC is sitting next to him.

Ryan stops and Chris pauses behind him, wondering why she isn’t in the seat behind Ethan, the seat she was sharing with him. The two were talking about something but stop as Chris and Ryan arrive. Ethan is smiling at her, but innocently shrugs when Chris’s eyes meet his.

Ryan steps close and bows, “Mi’lady… I believe you’re in my seat.”

She scrunches up her face as she tries not to laugh during her reply. “Eh, I’ve sat back there with that guy…” She nods at Chris, making him tilt his head. “…long enough. I think it’s time we switch.”

Ryan turns slightly to look at the quarterback, his face is a mixture of confusion, amusement, frustration and disappointment. Chris quickly wipes all emotion from his face when he realizes the three of them are all looking at him though.

If she stays there, it would ruin his plan to spend the entire trip with her, and he wasn’t exactly excited about it. His plan that was formulated after weeks of not being able to do anything more than tease himself with thoughts of her. His raven haired friend picks up on his turmoil and starts laughing, leaning on the chair slightly as he catches his breath.

Ryan grabs his tight abs and gasps, “You know, Ethan… she has a thing for gingers.” He wiggles his eyebrows.

Ethan looks amused as he turns his head slightly to look at MC as she sits close to him. “Oh, really…” He offers her his arm and she loops hers through it, scooting closer with a ridiculous grin.

Chris frowns deeper, a crease forming on his brow. Ryan sees his taller friends expression shift a little darker and he laughs even harder, folding over as if he was in pain. He has to keep his hand on the back of the seat to steady himself while his body rocks hard.

MC turns to Ethan and smirks. “Yeah, and I’m single too…”

She glances at Chris as he leans back in surprise. Her statement making his eyebrow arch sharply.

Ethan lets out a bashful chuckle. “Sadly, I am not.” She mock pouts as he gives her a small smile.

Ryan pounds on the seat he’s holding onto and almost tears up from laughter. “Oh man, this is rich.”

Chris scoffs and moves past Ryan, not making eye contact with MC or Ethan as he sits in his spot behind them. He sits down quickly, letting his muscular frame drop into the seat like dead weight. He pulls his baseball cap down over his eyes and crosses his arms, shutting out the world.

Ryan mock pouts. “Oh, poor Rogers. I’ll keep you company.” He winks at MC and Ethan before he steps back and joins Chris on the next row, successfully patting his hand once before Chris swats at him.

Chris stays like this for a while, ignoring Ryan’s chatter to Ethan and MC, until he falls asleep. He doesn’t realize that he had passed out until he wakes up some time later. When he wakes, he shifts and feels a warm weight across his legs and wrapped around his side. He turns abruptly, ready to shove Ryan off of him and onto the floor if he was screwing with him, but he quickly realizes that it wasn’t his jackass of a friend.

MC had switched back with Ryan at some point during his nap, laying her legs across his lap and worming her arms through his stubbornly folded arms, clinging to his side. She is currently asleep, her cheek pressed against his shoulder as she breathes in and out slowly. Chris reaches over and moves a few strands of hair behind her ear, giving him a better view of her face.

He studies her eyelashes, long and dark, cearly covered in mascara because he could see how light her hair was naturally from this angle. And her nose, its solid but a cute shape, turning up on the end with just the smallest degree. Then her lips, he kept his gaze there for a while, watching them part slightly as she breathes in and out.

He unfolds his crossed arms, no longer jealous of his solid redheaded friend, even if he was just talking with her earlier. Chris admits that he wants her to himself. He’s been dreaming about it for days, weeks, maybe even months if he’s being honest. As he gently lowers his arms to lay his hands on her thighs, she wraps around the one nearest to her, almost possessively as she rubs her face against his muscular shoulder. She lets out a small sigh after she adjusts, making him smile and squeeze her legs gently. Chris remains quiet, committing the details of her face to memory as the next hour passes.

Eventually the bus arrives at the Penn State campus. The time is now close to 7 p.m. and the group is eager to unload and go out for the night. Everyone on the bus was required to make their reservations at the same hotel, keeping things simple and organized for Coach on the trip. However, each individual was responsible for booking their own room. Chris’s friends all had rooms waiting, thanks to his mothers help a few days prior. The cost wasn’t too bad, not when they split it, two to a room. MC and Madison were set to share, while Logan was with Chris, leaving Ryan rooming with Ethan.

Everyone begins to disembark the bus but Chris pauses once his feet hit the pavement, turning his head to look at MC with a playful expression. She immediately jumps on him, her arms wrap around his shoulders as her warm body presses against his broad back. He runs his hands under her jean covered thighs, shifting his grip once, making her let out a startled ‘eep!’ before she laughs it off.

He smiles and turns towards the bus’s storage, ready to bend down and scoop up their bags while holding onto her at the same time. Ethan shakes his head and reaches in instead, throwing both their bags and his around his right shoulder. Chris wonders if his friend ever feels overloaded, as it is common for him to grab everything he can fit his hands around in a single trip. It didn’t matter what it was, how heavy it was, he was going to grab it all in one sweep.

As they walk inside, ready to get their rooms settled, the group congregates in the lobby, waiting for their turn to check in. After a few minutes of running through multiple rooms, the group of friends head up to the 5th floor. Chris’s mom made sure to request that their rooms be next to each other so they could easily hang out. He lowers MC to the ground and magically turns to catch the two bags just as Ethan tosses them in his direction.

~MC~

Chris nods to his friend before turning to hand MC her slightly smaller bag. Logan has already entered the room he’s sharing with Chris, it being in the middle of a string of three. Chris stands there with MC for a moment, casually leaning on the wall in front of her door as Maidson moves around inside their room. His eyes search MC’s as he gives her a warm smile.

She grins at him as she throws her bag over her shoulder. “So… now what? The game is tomorrow, right?”

Chris nods, “Yep. Everyone’s got to be hungry… Figured we could all go out and get something to eat… maybe–”

Logan jumps out into the hallway, suddenly interrupting Chris. “Let’s do this! Food and fun! They have this club here called Envy… we’ve got to check it out. The reviews are crazy.” He looks at Chris very seriously.

Ethan and Ryan step back into the hall for a moment, agreeing that they need food. Ryan begins talking about how he is already starting to waste away, implying that they need to hurry. Some of the other players and even Coach Cohen come out of their rooms as well, everyone joining the discussion about their options for the night. Eventually Chris gets everyone to agree to a quick order restaurant nearby, with after plans to go to the club Logan is already excited about. The plan begins with meeting in the lobby in 30 minutes, ready to go or be left behind.

The group scatters into their rooms, quickly washing, changing and dressing for their night out. MC and Madison dig through their bags, bringing only a few options for their relatively short trip. Knowing they were going to a club after getting some food, the girls hurry to dress and fix their hair and makeup. Madison decides to wear a cute deep v-cut dark blue jumper with long sleeves and a long shawl to battle the cool night air.

MC pulls out a kimono styled back wrap dress, the neck cutting somewhat low while the flowing hem at the bottom threatens to rise with every movement of her long legs. She pairs it with her thigh high black wedge suede boots, knowing they would keep her warm. Madison helps MC fix her hair, her own beautiful locks making Madison a master at such an early age. They quickly apply their makeup, making it more appropriate for a night at a popular club. Their eyeliners grow thicker, their eyeshadows grow bolder and wider as the seconds pass. Satisfied with their updated looks, the girls hurry down to the lobby with only a few minutes to spare.

As they exit the elevator and turn towards the lobby, her eyes meet Chris’s. There were others there as well, but she couldn’t see them as she only has eyes for him, and he apparently only has eyes for her. She feels the butterflies grow in her stomach as he freezes, everything unmoving except for his eyes as they search up and down her frame. His mouth falls open slightly as he tugs at the neck of his dark blue untucked button up before he wipes his hands on his jeans. Madison quickly walks over to Logan, but MC pauses for a moment, curling her finger at Chris, beckoning him to come close.

~Chris~

There is no hesitation once he sees her beckoning gesture. It only takes Chris a few long strides to close the distance between them, immediately wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her close to him. His eyes continue to run up and down her body, making his heart rate increase as he feels the soft fabric under his hands.

“Where has this dress been hiding…” He asks breathlessly.

MC playfully shrugs and shifts in his arms, “I picked it up the other day after you invited me on the trip.”

“We need to go on more trips.” Chris grins.

After a few more minutes, everyone gathers in the lobby and they head out, walking a few blocks to the agreed upon restaurant. Clearly used to students on the go, the food comes quickly, allowing the group to consume what they want with ample time to spare to enjoy a night at the club. As they head outside, Ethan lets his friends know he’s going to skip the club, deciding to go back to his room and FaceTime his girlfriend instead.

Ryan snorts at him, berating Ethan for letting him go stag to the club. His redheaded friend just smiles and shakes his head as he pats Ryan on the back before he turns to walk in the opposite direction.

Chris watches their interaction with amusement, but also a little envy. Ethan clearly has something serious going on with his girlfriend at Boston College if he’s going to leave Ryan behind for the entire night. He turns to look at MC, currently standing next to him with his arm wrapped around her as she chats with Madison and Logan. His smile falters a little as he notices Ryan looking at him with mild disgust.

“Can you believe him…” Ryan grumbles.

Chris cant help but smash his lips together, trying not to smile at his friend. “Ah, dont worry. In just a few minutes you’ll be having the time of your life in a swarm of lovely ladies.”

Ryan’s eyebrow arches slightly but his face and body remain in the same position as he contemplates Chris’s words. The taller quarterback laughs at the expression, slapping Ryan heavily on the back, making his friend take a step to regain his balance as a smirk crosses his lips.

The somewhat large group continues down the street for a few more blocks until they reach the entrance to Envy. They get in line but Coach Cohen leaves, walking towards the door. Chris leans to the side, wondering what he was saying to the doorman as he watches Coach gesture towards their group. He glances around and realizes that they might have a shot of getting in soon with their entire group consists of muscular football players, sprinkled with quite a few attractive females throughout.

He sees Coach wave them up to the front, letting them pass many still standing in line. Chris glances at MC and Madison as they walk, knowing their presence definitely has something to do with it. He stifles a laugh when he thinks that Ryan’s presence might also be helping as he struts around, acquiring the attention of every female nearby. Chris keeps it to himself however, not wanting to add to his cocky friend’s ego. He tightens his arm around MC as he notices the different expressions of anger, frustration, and quite a few lusty ones on the many male faces as they pass.

Once inside, the group secures a large booth area in the back, setting up a home base of sorts so everyone can come and go as they please.

Coach calls them all close, his eyes very serious. “Alright you guys, we’re here to have some fun, so don’t slack. Just make sure you don’t overdo it - the game events start early enough for you guys to behave tonight. Everyone needs to be there late morning as we are not just here to have fun, but make our presence known. Got it?”

Everyone nods, their body language similar to when they are on the field. “Yes, Coach!” They all cheer.

He gives them a slow smile and clasps a few close players on the back, “Alright now. Let’s go have some fun.”

Madison immediately grabs Logan’s hand and drags him onto the dance floor, his face only startled for a moment before he grins and tugs her close when she finds a spot on the floor.

Chris turns to MC, watching her as she watches the giggly blonde and the tall handsome receiver. She looks excited. Chris runs his hand down her back, resting on her lower back just where he can feel what he believes is the top of her panties. He inwardly scolds himself for thinking about the location of his hand in detail, while standing in the middle of a public club.

He leans close, his lips brushing against her hear as he speaks so she can hear in the loud space. “Hey, beautiful. Wanna dance?”

She quickly turns her head, her nose only inches from his now, a grin plastered across her face. “Yes!”

She leads him onto the floor, stopping close to Logan and Madison’s current spot. The music beats with a rhythm that promotes close proximity between dance partners. Their bodies remain joined at all times, often sliding and pivoting against each other as they move with the changing songs. They stare into each other’s eyes often, making their desires multiply as they constantly remind themselves that they are in public, fighting the heat as it builds between them.

Their foreheads come together as a particularly sexy song begins. MC closes her eyes as she moves against Chris, her arms running around his waist and up his back. He sucks in a quick breath at the contact before running one of his hands up her back to her neck, while dropping the other to her hip, squeezing firmly as he tugs her closer.

Her mouth falls open in a gasp at the abrupt contact of his hips against hers. Chris takes advantage of the moment and covers her lips with his own, swallowing a moan as it tries to escape her throat. Her eyes still closed as she tilts her head back slightly. They shift back and forth, matching the beat of the current song as they slowly deepen the kiss, each searching for more as the intensity increases.

MC pulls back first, making Chris’s eyes snap open, finding her dilated pupils staring deep into his. She’s slightly panting, trying to catch her breath from their close encounter as Chris’s eyes fall to her lips, watching as she licks them in between two breathless pants. He hesitates for only a moment before he leans closer, capturing her lips once again. He can feel the electricity that has been there since day one as he spends time memorizing her taste, relishing in the sweet and heady flavors that are distinctly MC. His hand moves from her neck to her cheek, cupping her face as he rubs his thumb across her cheekbone while his tongue runs along her lips. She opens up, inviting him in, gasping as his own tongue makes contact with hers.

They pull apart after a moment, both of their eyes dark and shining with fire, warmth and desire. The beat changes as a new song begins, this one quicker and begging for more energetic dancing, but they remain closely attached as they look deep into each other’s eyes.

Suddenly an arm loops through hers, pulling her away from Chris’s warm embrace. They share a startled look before they turn and see Ryan, laughing as he pulls MC towards himself and spins her. She can’t help but laugh as she sees his expression while he begins to dance to the quick beat. Chris shakes his head and humorously scoffs at his audacious friend as he watches them dance around playfully. She looks at him, her expression happy yet also showing her small disappointment at being separated. Chris winks at her, telling her to have some fun before he heads back to their booth.

Chris watches his best friend and his… MC, as they dance together a few feet away. His thoughts work through his hesitation of what to refer to her as. He also thinks about her comment from earlier, when they were on the bus. She very obviously mentioned she was single to Ethan. He knows she isn’t interested in his friend, either of them. He knows she was making a direct statement to him, letting him know she wasn’t going to assume anything about their… relationship. Again, that word makes him pause as he watches them.

He knows he likes her, a lot. That is clear seeing how he can’t stop thinking about her. He wants her around as much as possible, wants her affection and approval, wants her to be proud of him. He also wants to make her happy, wants to go on runs with her, wants to have her at his games, wants to hold her as he sleeps. Thousands of desires and scenarios run through his head as he contemplates her words.

Chris doesn’t get too complete his train of thought as they appear in front of him. They are both laughing and smiling, clearly having a good time. Ryan offers his hand and Chris instinctively takes it, gripping firmly as they shake and nod to each other, indicating no harm, no foul.

“Thanks for letting me borrow this lovely lady, brother. She sure can dance. I might have to steal her again sometime.” He winks at her as he releases Chris’s hand.

MC grins at him before she turns to Chris. “Any room for me in there?”

Chris scoots over and throws his arm across the back of the booth so she can slide in next to him. Ryan slides in across from them and strikes up a conversation with one of other Hartfeld players next to him. Chris looks at her without turning his head, watching her happy face as she looks around the club.

‘So she likes to dance…’ He makes a mental note.

Chris takes in her form again, her leg pressed fully next to his in the cramped booth. He notices the few inches of exposed thigh above her tall boots before it disappears under her flirty dress once again. He can’t help himself as he reaches over, gently slipping his fingers under the lip of her boot, his hand resting on her leg just above her knee. He feels her shift at his contact but he doesn’t move or look up for a moment, rubbing his thumb across her smooth leg, enjoying the soft feel of her skin.

When he looks up, he sees her staring at him. He stills his hand for a moment, searching her face for approval of his actions, some doubt creeping in that he went too far. He’s pleasantly surprised though, as her expression turns soft. She runs her arm through his, making sure his hand stays tucked in her boot and on her knee while she leans her head on his shoulder. She slowly runs her hand across his forearm for a while as they sit like that, enjoying being with their friends.

Coach Cohen is sitting in a chair near the end of the booth, currently talking to one of his upperclassmen about the teams that are playing tomorrow. He doesn’t notice as a well dressed woman approaches from his left, her eyes trained on him as he describes something with his hands to one of his players. Chris notices though, and curiously watches her, wondering who she is as she steps closer. Her body language makes him think she knows Coach, and while it is common for ladies of all ages to hover around him, Chris is sure he has not seen her before.

Her hair is smooth and pitch, shining in the dimly lit club as the lights change around her. At first Chris believes she’s fairly tall, until he leans forward a little and sees her tall heels, making her approximately 5’7” frame closer to 5’10”.

MC notices her too and whispers to Chris, “Who’s that?”

Chris shrugs. “I’m not sure. Don’t think I’ve ever seen her before…”

MC continues to asses the stylishly dressed woman, “I love her shoes. Think I could ask her where she got them?”

Chris smirks as his eyes narrow, continuing to watch as she gently touches Coach Cohen’s shoulder. Now he was sure that the mystery woman knows Coach somehow, but as he turns to look at her, Coach’s face does not show any recognition in return. Chris frowns a little as he watches their interaction, now confused.

“Hey.” The green eyed stranger smiles at Coach Cohen softly.

Coach clears his throat and stands up, his 6’3” frame hovering over her much shorter one. He adjusts his shirt before he politely responds, “Hey… Do I uh, do I know you? You look familiar…”

His brow creases slightly as he offers her his hand. He studies her fair face, framed by long pitch black hair. Her hand drastically contrasting against his sun kissed one as they make contact. He holds onto her hand firmly, waiting for her response.

She grins at him and shakes her head, “I get that a lot. You’re probably thinking of someone else. I just saw you here and thought I should say hi.”

The corner of Coach Cohen’s lips turn up slightly, “I’m glad you did.” He drops her hand and motions to the chair next to him. “Would you like to join us?”

She acts as if she’s trying to decide, but Chris can see that she’s already made up her mind. She approached the table first after all. The stranger doesn’t hesitate for long before nodding and lowering herself into the seat next to Coach Cohen. The tall man quickly throws his hand up, indicating to the waiter that they would like some service.

MC turns her head to look at Chris, wiggling her eyebrows at the story unfolding in front of them. Chris laughs and wraps his hand around her head, covering her eyes with his large palm as he pulls her head to his chest. She lets out a muffled squeal and laughs before she bites his chest through his dark blue shirt. He blurts out a startled yelp and lets her go before he reaches down to firmly squeeze her knee, making her jerk her leg away as she giggles from the ticklish action.

As the morning nears, Coach Cohen begins rounding everyone up, telling them to head back to the hotel as the championship events would be starting in no time. He stays behind a little, finishing his conversation with the mysterious green eyed woman.

The group starts to leave in small clumps after his decree. Logan wraps his arm around Madison when they get outside after she comments on the cold. Ryan is still amped up, being friendly with every female that passes him on the sidewalk on his trek to the hotel. A few other guys from the team are with them too, as everyone takes their time to safely cross the busy intersections.

Chris’s mind has gone back to his previous musings, his thoughts about MC, more importantly, who they might be to each other at this moment. Unsure if he’s ready to try a serious relationship again, he takes a deep breath. His arm is wrapped around MC’s shoulders and she’s leaning close to him for warmth as she jokes around with the others. He stays silent for a few blocks, trying to solidify his thoughts, to make a decision.

When it hits him, he swallows hard. He’s made up his mind, now he just has to act on it. He starts to slow their pace a little, falling behind their friends just enough so when they collectively face away from himself and MC, he can tug her into a narrow alleyway next to a dark storefront without their notice. He quickly pulls her with him, pressing her against the wall, her eyes wide from the abrupt change in scenery, obviously startled. Chris places both hands on either side of her face, almost boxing her in as he takes a few steady breaths.

“Chris..?” She looks at him with confusion and concern, noticing as his arms shake a little.

“MC, I have to tell you something.” Chris begins, closing his eyes for a moment to collect his thoughts.

When he opens them again and looks at her, he sees a familiar panicked look. The same look he received when he pushed her away many times over the past quarter. He immediately stands up straight and grabs her hand, holding it in his.

“Wait, it’s nothing bad.” He swallows, “At least I don’t think it is…” He gives her a small smile as he waits for her to relax.

Her eyes search his for a minute, unsure of his abrupt behavior change. He reaches up with one hand and tucks a strand of wild hair behind her ear. He feels her lightly lean into his touch, her cool cheek resting against the hot palm of this hand. When she looks directly into his eyes again he takes a deep breath and continues, his courage instantly recharged.

“I didn’t mean to scare you, I just… I need to tell you something.” He clears his throat. “MC, I’ve told you before, that I thought I was falling for you…” He watches her face for any sign of recognition.

“Well, I’ve hit rock bottom. I can’t fall any further than this moment now…” His voice becomes a whisper as he ends the sentence, his eyes burning into hers.

He sees her swallow hard, her mouth opening slightly as she licks her now dry lips. He shifts his hand to rub his thumb across her lips, his eyes flickering between them and her very wide eyes.

Before either can say another word, a familiar voice harshly cuts through the air from the sidewalk near the corner, “CHRIS! Where the hell did you go..?!”

Chris frowns as he hears Ryan yell his name. He turns his head quickly and barks back. “I’M COMING! One second!”

He lets out a huff of air, trying to shake his irritation of being interrupted at this exact moment. When he turns back to MC, his brow pinches and he frowns a little. “Sorry…”

She gives him a timid smile and squeezes his hand. He sighs before he continues. “I just want you to know that, I am in no way interested in anyone else. I’m… l’m here if you want me.”

He lets out a long breath and turns his eyes down, tilting his head down a little as well. He is finally glad to get it out, but anxious as hell while he waits for her response. She raises her finger under his chin, tilting his face back up so she can look into his eyes. Her other hand reaches behind his neck, running her finger through the hair at the nape as she pulls him close.

Chris lets her guide his lips to hers. Her kiss is more forceful than he has ever felt before. He quickly wraps his arms around her, pulling her tightly against his chest as their hips meet with sweet contact.

Chris speaks in between her insistent kisses, “We… should probably… go… soon.” He gasps as she pulls on his bottom lip. “Ryan’s …stubborn…”

She laughs into the last kiss, pulling back to look into his eyes. His core feels weak suddenly, making him nervously laugh back. His body and mind are reeling, neither having any idea what’s happening at the moment. He also feels calm though, completely content in this moment. He’s okay with the feelings he’s experiencing, even though it’s new and a little unnerving. New adventures usually are, and he’s more than ready to start this one. He unwraps himself from her and reaches for her hand. She quickly places hers in his and they step back out onto the sidewalk.

They easily find Ryan and the others, his friend standing on the corner waiting for them with an eyebrow sharply raised. “You couldn’t wait until we got back to the hotel?”

Chris sees MC blush, making him frown a little, so he punches Ryan on the shoulder as they pass.

“Oww, holy hell Rogers…” He snorts and rubs his soon to be bruised shoulder.

Everyone makes it back to the hotel before it gets too late. Coach Cohen reminds them all of the plan in the morning, making sure they know when they have to be in the lobby to catch the bus if they plan on attending the pregame party. One by one people head up the stairs and into the elevators, eventually turning into their rooms as they walk down the many halls.

Chris and MC start to slow a little as they turn down their hallway, both trying to avoid others in the narrow space. They reach her room and see that Madison has left the door slightly ajar for MC, knowing she was right behind her a few minutes ago. MC turns to look at him, her blush from their walk suddenly back on her cheeks as she gives him a small smile. Chris just smiles and pulls her close, rubbing circles on her back as she nuzzles into his neck.

He leans close, his lips near her ear as he whispers. “Goodnight, beautiful.”

He kisses her on the top of the head before she pulls back and looks at him as she takes a step towards her door. “Goodnight, captain.”

#chris x mc #chris powell x mc #TheFreshmanChronicles #Chris Powell #Christopher Powell #The Freshman #the sophomore #choices fanfiction #choicestoriesyouplay #choices stories you play #playchoices #thefreshman #thesophomore #choices #choices the junior #choices the freshman #choices the sophomore #tf/ts/tj

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yepjugotdatright · 7 years ago

Text

Chapter 5

“How could you do this to me?” Jisuk nearly yelled into her phone as she left the building on the university campus and walked to her motorbike. “What do you mean?” Jinah’s voice was a little tired. “You sent me to the fucking exam for the scholarship-program. You enrolled me into a university without telling me”. “Why are you complaining? This way you will have to pay like half of the surgery expenses…”. “Yeah, and can only earn half of the money I’ve earned before” Jisuk shot back and leaned against her bike. “There are some student associate jobs that pay you a lot more – stop worrying about money already. I mean, hello? Seoyun-stockholder speaking?” “Very funny – but I don’t want to use your money”. “Then go and sell your damn kidney!” Jinah said annoyed, “You go to Yonsei – Period!” “Then you go and find me one of these well-paid associates job!” Jisuk was about to hang up but moved the phone up to her mouth again just to bicker back: “Period!” She hit the red phone-button and put her mobile phone into her bag before mounting her bike to head home. It wasn’t even twenty minutes and Jisuk had her bike parked in the garage and walked inside the house. The shoes next to the door revealed everyone to be home and as she came into the living room she saw everyone sitting on the couch staring at a canvas put in front of the TV. Hyunshik stood next to it, proudly laying his hand on the top of the wooden frame as if he took a photo with his graduating son. “So, what do you think?” he asked the others who were still looking on trying to figure out what the painting portrayed. Jisuk walked through the living room and halted as she saw the artwork being left speechless. Kimiko was the first to speak: “I think it is very lovely”. “Lovely?” Hyunwoo snorted and raised his eyebrow, “I don’t think that’s the best word to describe this…” he tilted his head a little, “…this strong message!” “I don’t know what’s your problem – it is clear what the artist meant to portray” Kimiko shot back having everyone turn their back towards her. She coughed and continued: “The choice of color – the strong brush strokes between all the soft ones; it’s clearly about a young and passionate love”. “Woah~” they murmured admiringly. “I didn’t know you have an interest in art”, Hyunshik said feeling more than excited to finally have someone civlized in the house. Kimiko smiled shyly, “My mother is an art dealer… so she made sure I had some knowledge on how to appreciate paintings the right way”. Hyunshik nodded with a small melancholy look on his eyes and sighed, “Yeah, it seems that all art dealers are like that”. “That’s amazing! Why don’t you introduce your paintings to Kimiko’s mother? You might be able to set foot on the Japanese market” Aejin jumped up excitedly and laid her hands on Hyunshik’s shoulder while smiling widely at Kimiko. Kimiko was about o answer, however Hyunshik shook his head. “It’s okay the way it is” he gave his wife a genuinely happy smile and moved his arm around her waist. “Oho” Aejin chuckled, kissed him on the cheek and walked past Jisuk to the kitchen. Kimiko tried to smile; however, she looked awkward and stared at the painting. She knew the painting style – it was the same as the abstract hanging over the chimney in her living room in Japan. But there was no way she would tell Hyunshik that a painting of his was one of the most treasured belongings of her mother.

Jisuk walked up to her room and lay down on her bed. It was not long until her night shift delivering chicken would start, so she should get some rest. Actually it wouldn’t be that bad to start going to college. She would learn more about computer and stuff – which was more in her interest than working in the convenience store. But that would also mean cutting back a lot in her income. With three part time jobs she had a monthly allowance she could live with – after taking out the money for the rent, her aunt’s expenses and the columbarium fee for her uncle. Going to college she would have to at least resign from the convenience store – the one job with the most income. However, when the surgery on her aunt would be successful she wouldn’t have to pay for the Hyungwong Residence anymore – and she could have a proper job after graduating. But before that were at least three years she had to survive… without enough money and time. Her phone alarm went off two hours later and pulled Jisuk out of her dozing state. She washed up quickly, changed into the red polo-shirt with the logo of a chicken with burning eyes printed on her chest. Next was the incredibly ugly jacket – a loud red with the black lining showing at the collar and at the end of the sleeves. She looked at herself in the mirror. She wouldn’t mind giving up this uniform – red absolutely wasn’t her color. After tying her hair into somewhat a ponytail she walked down the stairs, slipped into her shoes and yelled her goodbyes before leaving through the front door.

Almost a week had passed and Jisuk had continued her part-timing as usual – even almost forgetting that the whole college-business was even a topic. At some points she had even forgotten that the college was mainly the idea to finance her aunt’s surgery. But then she would see the pamphlet from Hyungwong and have a guilty conscience again. It was an up and down. So she returned from her café-waitressing on that Sunday late afternoon and lazily exchanged her fake Converses with a pair of slippers. The house was loud as always. She could hear Hyunwoo in the living room playing some game again and Aejin was busy in the kitchen preparing dinner for seven people. Jisuk walked to the kitchen and peeked inside. “I’m home!” she announced and Aejin turned her attention away from stirring the pot. “Oh, Jisuk! Your friend called – she’ll come over this evening after dinner”. Her voice didn’t sound that excited as she would normally do when guests came over. But that might be due to her disliking towards Jinah. Jinah was way too wild for Aejin’s taste and even though she did something worthwhile with her job Aejin couldn’t get around the impression she got from her in Daegu. “Alright – why didn’t she call me first?” Jisuk asked curious. “How would I know” she tried to sound indifferent and proceeded cooking the stew. Jisuk would have loved to hear the conversation between Jinah and Aejin; both very stubborn personalities and not afraid to utter their disliking for the other. “What are you making for dinner today?” Jisuk changed the topic and peeked over her shoulder. “Sundubu Jigae”, she said and offered Jisuk to taste it. Jisuk took the spoon and fished out a piece of tofu together with pork belly and little bit of the broth and ate it; “Mmh, delicious!” “Don’t tell Hyunwoo though, he loves soft tofu stew…”. “Why? Is he going somewhere?” “He is going to his friend’s place today – probably watching today’s football game” Aejin offered Jisuk a tired smile. “First Hyunshik and Yunhee are going crazy because of the baseball game beginning in…” she looked at her watch “… about one hour. And then comes the youngest and whines why we don’t have Pay TV so he could watch this American Channel. Be glad you weren’t home today”. Jisuk nodded understanding, “Who’s playing today?” “I am not sure – I think the Baltimore Orioles against Arizona Diamond-something…” “The Diamondbacks?” It was more a rhetorical question. It would explain Yunhee and Hyunshik going crazy over the day. While Hyunshik was a huge advocate of the Arizona baseball team; Yunhee was a huge fan of the Orioles. “But how come an American Baseball game is broadcasted in normal TV?” Jisuk filched another spoon with the boiling stew and let it disappear quickly in her mouth. Upon Aejin’s reprimanding look she just grinned innocently. “There is this one Korean in one of the teams... the baseball idol of South Korea – that’s why” Aejin sighed and pushed Jisuk away from the pot before she would snack on the whole stew. “Ahhh – Yunhee’s Mister number 50” Jisuk grinned knowingly and left for the living room where she found Yunhee and Hyunshik in a heated discussion to which team was the better one. The smaller girl seemed totally prepared for the upcoming game with the well-known Doosan Bears tricot – a huge 50 covering the back. Jisuk walked just past them without bothering to greet them. They wouldn’t hear her anyways and she had no intention to join this discussion whatsoever. “Heyo, bro~” Jisuk sat down on the couch next to Hyunwoo who lazed about on the couch. He glanced at her shortly before continuing to hit the buttons on the controller in his hands and stared on the screen again. “What’s up?” “I heard you are going to stay out late tonight?” she raised an eyebrow at him. Hyunwoo nodded. “Are you sure it’s with a friend?” Jisuk wriggled her eyebrows thinking back how he had a crush on that class president girl. “Yep – with Linus… why?” “Ah, it’s nothing… I just thought that your sudden interest in football was a good excuse for you to date a girl without Aejin saying anything.” “I wouldn’t plan a date on a Sunday evening” he chuckled – which died out quickly and was replaced with a quiet: “Chaerin has a boyfriend anyways…”. “Oh” was all Jisuk could utter. “It’s better this way… looking at her boyfriend I could have never offered her the same”. “That’s bullshit – what does he have what you don’t have?” “A modeling contract with Codes Combine” he said without hesitating. Jisuk snorted, “So he is just handsome? Then Chaerin might not be the best for you… she is way too superficial”. “Don’t say that about her – she is not like that!” “If you say so…” Jisuk shrugged and leaned back to watch him play his video game. “Then is Linus your next love interest? Or why are you pretending to be interested in football?” Jisuk continued to grill him on that topic. He vehemently shook his head. “No, he is the new transfer student – the girls dig him so I thought becoming close with him would…” Jisuk’s hand met the back of his head. “What is that for?” he complained, “I died because of you!”. “Serves you right! You shouldn’t take advantage of people like that!” “Who are you? My mom?” “wHo ArE yOu? My mOm?” she parroted him and crossed her arms, “You either become friends with him because he is an okay person or you don’t… with your lack of charms he wouldn’t be able to help you anyways” she stuck out her tongue at him. “Stop trying to play the moralizer – you kind of scare me” he shuddered. “Then don’t make me…” she was interrupted by the doorbell. “That must be him!” he jumped up from the couch and left Jisuk in midst her now harmless threat. Jisuk followed him curiously to the door where Aejin was already about to open it. A young boy with fawn disheveled hair and a chic aura stood in the doorframe, “Oh my”, Aejin smiled at him and offered to come in. “Thank you” he bowed slightly and took a few steps inside casually waving at Hyunwoo. “I am Jung Linus, a friend of Hyunwoo” he introduced himself to Aejin and Jisuk. “What a nice name” Aejin clasped her hands together, “Are you a Korean American?” “Mom!” Hyunwoo complained impatiently – he wanted to just leave. Linus shook his head, “I am from Germany…” “Mom, do you smell that?” Hyunwoo asked fanning air towards his nostrils. Aejin let go of Linus and smelled the air – “Oh no! The dinner” she hurried into the kitchen. “Go quickly before she comes back!” Jisuk urged the two boys and waved them goodbye. Linus and Hyunwoo walked from the door to a beige scooter and Linus coolly threw a helmet towards his friend who caught it casually. “There is a slight change of plans” Linus began before starting the motor, “My parents decided to watch something else – we will be going to my sister’s place”. Hyunwoo shrugged – he didn’t really care. “Alright”.

Jisuk closed the door after seeing the back lights of the scooter disappearing on the street and returned to Aejin bringing the stew on the table. Hyunshik and Yunhee had postponed their discussions to some later time and set the table. “Where are Kimiko and Youngjae by the way?” “The last time I have seen Kimiko was when I left her reading in our room.” Yunhee shrugged. “She surely is still there – she had a huge chunk in her hands.” “Will you get her? Oh, and check if Youngjae is in his room”. Yunhee nodded and slowly went up the stairs. “What is he doing in his room all day long? He isn’t only playing games , is he?” Jisuk asked Aejin and Hyunshik who just shrugged, “You weren’t any better – if I remember correctly you were behind your computer screen all the time back in Daegu” Aejin replied dryly. “Yeah, but I didn’t just play games…” Jisuk murmured back and sat down on her usual seat. Yunhee came back with Youngjae and Kimiko following her. After everyone had eaten until their stomachs were about to burst they moved to the living room turning on the baseball game. It hadn’t started yet – there were some interviews with trainers and last but not least the interview with the star of the whole broadcasting – Kim Hyun Soo. “That’s your Mister number 50?” Jisuk asked a little disappointed - “I imagined him to be… a little bit more handsome”. Hyunshik laughed out loud. “You can say what you want – but that doesn’t change a thing. He is still part of the reason why I started playing baseball seriously!”. “Him? How is that?” “That is a very long story…” Yunhee smiled reminiscing about her middle school days, “The game is starting!” The door bell rang suddenly and Aejin looked at Jisuk and signed her to get the door. “Are we expecting someone?” Hyunshik put down his beer and looked at the young boarders. “My friend is coming by – don’t mind us” Jisuk got up from the couch and walked out of the room towards the front door already seeing Jinah’s silhouette behind the frosted glass of the door. “How you doin’?” Jisuk grinned at her best friend and let her in. “Work was hell today - everything was a mess and you know, kids aren’t very helpful when they want to play with you non-stop”, Jinah sighed and slipped out of her high heels making her tall appearance shrink down up to Jisuk’s nose. “Yeah - I have the problem all the time” Jisuk rolled her eyes at Jinah as if she was stating the obvious. “However, the mailman brought something very pleasant”, she opened her handbag and fished out an envelope handing it over to Jisuk. While examining it she walked into dining room hearing the rest of the house cheering for the game. Aejin sat quietly at the side knitting and occasionally looking on the TV while Youngjae didn’t mind the game at all – he was too immersed in his phone. Kimiko walked past the two bowing slightly to the unknown woman and decided to go upstairs. “Good evening” Jinah bowed at them – everyone except Aejin gave her a polite greeting. “Who’s playing?” Jinah ignored Aejin and took a few steps towards them looking at the screen. “Ah, the Orioles are playing…” Jinah nodded and stood there for some time watching the game. Jisuk was way too occupied with the mail Jinah had handed her that she didn’t mind her friend. The insignia of Yonsei University was printed on the upper left corner with Jinah’s address in the lower right one. “It’s already opened…” Jisuk noticed and Jinah looked at her. “Duh, it’s my mail – of course I opened it”. “Why does my result gets send to you anyways?” Jisuk raised an eyebrow. “Hey, I was the one who registered you – so I have the right to be the first one to know”. Jisuk glanced at her friend one last time before she took out the letter and tossed the envelope aside. Without saying a word or even changing her expression in any way she read the letter and in the end looked into the glistening eyes of Jinah – who clasped her hands together. “Amazing – isn’t it?” “What is amazing?” the others sitting on the couch turned their attentions towards the two woman standing in the dining room. “Jisuk got accepted at Yonsei as a scholarship student!” Jinah squealed excited. Aejin was quick to jump on her feet and abandon her knitting-tools just so she could snatch the letter out of Jisuk’s hands. “Why didn’t you tell me you applied for college?” Aejin hit her shoulder – but didn’t even give her time to answer before pulling her into a tight embrace. “And on top of that: Yonsei! I am so proud of you!” Aejin’s excitement was way bigger than Jisuk who just shrugged it off – it was a pleasant feeling knowing she was cut out for one of the SKY-Universities in South Korea; but college had never been her goal so her happiness was limited. Hyunshik also joined them in celebration and left the game behind with Yunhee being the only one left actually watching it. “What made you suddenly change your mind?” Aejin asked remembering how Jisuk had always reacted annoyed every time she had tried to get her into college. And now she suddenly had a scholarship. “You didn’t tell them?” Jinah asked nudging Jisuk’s arm. Jisuk shook her head and smiled innocently –“There’s nothing to tell them… “ An awkward laugh left her mouth and Jinah huffed. “We’ll talk about that later”, Jinah whispered. “Of course, we will” Jisuk mumbled. Sudden yelling from the couch interrupted them and they saw Yunhee talking insistently with the TV ending with a dramatic drop on her knees. “Yaaas!” she victoriously put her hands up and Youngjae looked at her shocked from the back. “What is happening?” he laughed at the situation. “Homerun!” Yunhee imitated the batting and raised her hand to give the confused boy a high five. “Is that good?” he confirmed before letting their hands meet in the air. “You betcha!” “No, no, no!” Hyunshik walked in front of the TV and tore his hair, “That can’t be!” “Who’s the better team now?” Yunhee sneered and crossed her arms satisfied. Hyunshik gave her a glare and sat down back on the couch again. “Okay – let’s forget about this for a moment!” Aejin grabbed the remote control and turned the TV off even though Yunhee and her husband were complaining. “Because we have something which a lot more worth celebrating for” Aejin pulled Jisuk to her side. “My only child who is going to college” she praised her. “What about Hyunwoo?” “I gave up hope long ago…” Aejin mumbled back. “Welcome in the club of Yonsei Students!” Yunhee said, pointing from her to Youngjae and then to the upper floor. Jisuk chuckled, “Yeah, sounds like a really cool club”. Jinah parked her car on the parking lot in front of the faculty of engineering and turned off the motor before looking expectant at her co-driver. “I am going to be honest with you – I am not very thrilled going in there” Jisuk said not even thinking about unbuckling herself yet. “You don’t have to be thrilled about a boring preparatory course… you just have to attend it”. “Ha ha” Jisuk replied dryly and removed the seatbelt. “It’s the best time to find some friends…” Jinah started but was interrupted by Jisuk: “Yeah, and we both know that I am very good in seizing this opportunity”. “Don’t worry about that, you are studying computer engineering as an average pretty girl – you won’t have any problems finding friends”, Jinah smirked mischievously. “Alright – I don’t think me being a girl would be an issue” Jisuk clarified making Jinah chuckle, “If you think so, just go in already – there are some people whose lunch break isn’t the whole day long” Jinah said impatiently. “You are your own boss… you can extend your break as much as you like” Jisuk opened the door, grabbed her bag laying in the leg room and got out of the car. “See you!” She shut the door again and walked up to the building with no motivation whatsoever. The room she had to go to was the same she had the surprise exam in and the docent giving this preparatory course was the one supervising the exam as well. As soon as Jisuk had opened the door she instantly knew what Jinah had meant with her being a girl would help her a lot – and that it was an issue. The room was filled with freshly graduated boys who one by one had sensed the other sex setting foot into the room and turned their head towards the door. Jisuk was a little overwhelmed – she wasn’t used to so many people giving her attention. They started murmuring and talking with each other while they occasionally but excitedly glanced at her. This definitely wasn’t helping in making the idea of going to college tempting for her. “Okay, everybody sit down!” the professor came into the room – again wearing a knitted sweater. Jisuk hurried to the next empty seat in her reach and watched the professor writing his name on the blackboard. “I am Professor Ji Gongyoo. I am happy to see some familiar faces here” his gaze shifted over the crowd of students and Jisuk swore that he was also looking at her. “What I am going to tell you in this course might be nothing new to the majority here – but I’ll start with basic knowledge and vocabulary nonetheless. At the end of the week I’ll concentrate on organization of your schedule and the different study-portals we are working with” he summarized and Jisuk sighed leaning back. That sounded like a very exciting course. She noticed some of the students hurrying to get paper and a pen ready – rushing off to take notes of every word the professor said as if their life depended on it. Her neighbor however also leaned back relaxed and watched something on his mobile phone – giving the professor not even the slightest bit of attention. Not even ten minutes had passed and Jisuk was bored – so she curiously leaned her upper body to the side so she could look unnoticed on the phone of her neighbor. It was a foreign show, however, with Korean subtitles so Jisuk was able to follow even without the sound of the video. Totally immersed into the show she chuckled at the jokes and called her neighbor’s attention to herself. He raised his gaze to look at her through his thick black glasses with a dry expression. Jisuk noticed him looking at her and apologized quietly before turning her head towards the front again. “You want?” he reached out to offer her the other part of the earphones. Jisuk wasn’t sure if she should take it – she didn’t want to seem rude. But on the other hand, she saw no prominent reason why she should not to. “What’s your name?” he asked whispering. “Jisuk”, she replied putting the earphone in her ear and instantly heard the typical sitcom background laugh. “Nice to meet you, Jisuk. My name’s Bam Bam.” He reached out his hand for her to shake. “For real?” she took his hand staring at him unbelieving. There were no such parents cruel enough to give their own child such a name. “No, of course not. It’s just a nickname…” “You two seem to discuss a very important topic!” the professor suddenly called them out making them pull out the earphones quickly before he could notice them. “Mind to share it with us?” he inquired making everyone turn their heads towards Jisuk once again. The two slowly shook their heads. “Hm, didn’t think so. Then please postpone your conversation to after this course!” he said with a warning tone resonating with it. “So where was I? Oh, right – programming…” Jisuk blocked the professor out again and put the earphone back in exchanging an impish grin with BamBam. Maybe going to college wasn’t that boring as she had thought.

#ch5 #roaring 20s #got7 #okay i don't know if everything makes even sense #I am just going to push through without caring anymore #so bambam finally got into the game #and who is Linus' sister who is also going to the great wedding?#and who is even marrying?#maybe its yunhee?#or youngjae?#or both?#maybe i will dice the ships around a bit #i am excited for the fluffy college au to finally begin #after five chapters

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auburnfamilynews · 5 years ago

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Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images

Auburn highest rated receiver commit had more interceptions than touchdown catches.

As we continue our march to kickoff, we take a look at the top 100 recruits to sign with Auburn of all-time*. The rankings are based on 247’s composite recruit rankings, which unfortunately only date back to 2000.

THE RECRUIT

“Reed played QB at Thibodaux but will play WR and could even get a look at CB if the team needs him there. He is very elusive and has big-play potential when he has the ball in his hands. Getting his blocking and route running down will be something that Reed will need to work on but his speed and quickness should allow him to play early.” - 247 Sports

In terms of recruiting, the state of Louisiana has become known for having one of the most concentrated hotbeds of high school football talent in the country. Despite this, it’s one of the hardest states to recruit in for outsiders, as LSU locks down its home state better than anyone. In fact, over the last decade, the best player in the state has only left the Bayou twice: Trovon Reed in 2010, and Mark Barron in 2012. Reed graduated from Thibodaux High School, about an hour away from both New Orleans and Baton Rouge. He was one of the top all-around athletes in the country in the 2010 class, the type that you would never see LSU miss on.

But Reed’s heart was at Auburn. After receiving a ton of pressure to stay instate and play at LSU, Reed felt at home on the Plains. In doing so, he became the second offensive mega-signing for Auburn in the 2010 class, which also saw the Tigers pick up Mike Dyer. Over a decade after his signing, Reed still ranks as the top wide receiver to ever sign with Auburn. Expectations were, needless to say, ridiculously high when he got to campus.

THE PLAYER

Reed’s freshman year was over before it ever began in 2010. With his experience at quarterback in high school, and starting quarterback Cam Newton’s lack of starting experience, Reed was set to be the wildcat quarterback in OC Gus Malzahn’s offense. After suffering a “bone bruise” on his knee in fall camp that kept him out of the first two games of the year, Reed debuted against Clemson, where he rushed just twice for eight yards. Reed re-aggravated the knee injury, though, and took a medical redshirt that ended his season.

In 2011, Reed was able to contribute as one of the top backups at wide receiver, though he didn’t break out as much as fans wanted him to. Reed added 164 yards on 21 catches, good for fourth most receptions on the team. You could tell his knee still bothered him, though, as he didn’t look crisp in his cuts upfield - an important skill for a receiver who was featured in the screen and short passing game.

2011 and 2012 were both plagued with poor quarterback play, and what was once a bright star around Trovon Reed was quickly dimming. Just as all things 2012 went poorly, Reed’s numbers regressed in 2012. The third year junior caught just nine balls for 122 yards, though 40 of those yards came on one long touchdown against NMSU.

By 2013, Reed was becoming effectively buried on the depth chart. Most of the targets in an already run-heavy offense went to the likes of Sammie Coates, Ricardo Louis, CJ Uzomah, and Quan Bray, to whom Reed was a backup. The fourth year junior added only 98 yards receiving over the whole season, which ranked him eighth on the team. He just edged out Jay Prosch, who had 95 yards.

With one year of college eligibility remaining, Reed was faced with a decision - slide further down the depth chart while Auburn added Duke Williams and Melvin Ray, or flip to defense and play corner. Reed chose defense, and to everyone’s surprise, the veteran was actually a much better corner than receiver. While he didn’t start over Jonathan Jones or Jonathon Mincy, Reed was able to channel his receiver instincts and make three picks over the course of the season, including a huge one late against Kansas State to help preserve a 10 point lead.

Let’s take another look at that one.

Oh yeah, that was a wide receiver making that play.

From a production standpoint, Reed’s career has to be considered a letdown. Auburn has never really had a history of great receivers, and that perception isn’t helped when the best receiver they’ve ever signed was more productive in one season as a backup corner than he was over three years at receiver. Reed was always an easy guy to pull for, though, and I remember being happy for him that he was able to make a decent impact on the field in his senior season.

Reed went on to the NFL, but was undrafted in the 2015 NFL Draft. He bounced around a few different teams’ practice squads, and never really got much game action, but he was able to stick around for four seasons in the league.

from College and Magnolia - All Posts https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2019/8/18/20811680/13-days-to-kickoff-trovon-reed

#IFTTT #Blogger #auburn #auburn fast #wareagle #AuburnFamilyNews #war eagle #sec #football news #aubu

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welcometophu · 8 years ago

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Revelations 8

Twinned Book 1: Commit to the Kick

Revelations 8

[ Previous | First | Next ]

Alaric stares down at his phone as his late Calculus recitation ends. His stomach is already growling, but he stays in his seat while everyone else quickly leaves, and types out a response to Corbin. No game this weekend. Why?

Someone I know is going to a party at PHU, and I thought maybe I’d come over, Corbin responds.

Alaric tries to imagine Corbin actually in the house with the rest of his OPT brothers. It’s easy to think of Corbin at a party; he takes to social events easily. But in terms of assimilating with Alaric’s fraternity, it was traumatic enough just having him visit for the day.

Still.

We’re having a Halloween party at OPT on Saturday. I can see if Rory would mind if you crash in our room. I think SigPsiE is having a party too. Alaric hesitates, then smiles slightly as he adds, OPT is costumes required.

It’s not entirely the truth; costumes are optional but heavily recommended. Corbin, on the other hand, will love the idea that he has to dress up.

Let me know about Rory. Remember the part where we don’t seem to like each other much.

Alaric pinches the bridge of his nose, finishes packing his bag before he’s ready to respond to that. One: you said you’d puppy pile if you have to in order to get to know my friends. This is a chance. And two: you two are stuck with each other. Deal with it.

He shoves his phone in his pocket, ignores when it chimes with a response. He grabs his bag, throws it over his shoulder, and turns toward the door. “Oh.” He stops, spotting Chris standing in the doorway. “Hey.”

Chris spreads his hands. “No crutches. No more brace. Range of movement is in acceptable parameters, and the kneecap is tracking fine, so I’m not at any elevated risk for it dislocating. Well, any more than anyone else getting tackled on a regular basis is. I’m done with PT, and while they think I should keep it light in the next game, the fact that it’s more than a week away means I get to play.”

“’S’good.” Alaric grins, pulls Chris into a one-armed hug, slapping his back. “There’re only two games left, but you get to play against VIT. You shouldn’t miss that one.”

“Neither should you. We’ll both get time on the field,” Chris says. He lets Alaric leave the classroom first, following close behind and nudging him with his shoulder. “I want to celebrate.”

“Teas Please?” It’s become the default place to go whenever they’re out.

Chris shakes his head. “Minnisale’s? Or maybe Doherty’s, if you’re more interested in pub food?”

“Never made it to Minnisale’s last week with Mac, so let’s do that.” Alaric’s in the mood for pasta. Lots of pasta, and Minnisale’s is the best Italian near campus. It’s dirt cheap and large portions, made for the college budget.

Alaric’s nostrils flare as they walk; there’s still a hint of pain in Chris’s scent, but he seems at ease. Happy, a little excited. Despite the lingering pain, and a slight limp, he’s in a good mood.

Alaric can’t help but slow when they get near the alley where he and Mac were attacked. He glances up at the streetlight; it’s on now, shining brightly, along with one a block behind them, and a block ahead. “Feel like everything should’ve changed, and nothing did,” he mutters, squaring his shoulders as they walk by.

“Are you angry that I knew and didn’t tell you?”

Alaric’s brows furrow. “Wasn’t yours to tell, so no. She shouldn’t have to deal with all the shit that comes with what happened. Wrong place, wrong time, and everyone gave her shit for it. I’m fine with her being quiet about it. And you keeping her secret.”

Chris snorts softly. “Most people would be mad.”

“Most people don’t get the idea why secrets are necessary,” Alaric grumbles. “I get it. And fuck, now that I know, I can think of a dozen times she did it and I just didn’t see.”

Chris knocks into his arm, bumping him gently. “She does that. Sometimes just to see if she gets a reaction. And no one ever notices.” He pulls the door open for Minissale’s, motions for Alaric to head inside first.

The hostess grabs two menus, shows them to a small table off to one side. It’s a little dark, but it’s better than one of the tiny booths where their legs would be knocking under the table. She brings water and silverware once they’re settled, then leaves them with the menus.

After the chaos that strikes every time they go into Teas Please, particularly with Nate waiting on them, it’s strangely quiet. Alaric picks up the menu, glances at the specials on the front, then sets it down with a small smile as he pushes it aside.

“Figured it out that fast?” Chris asks, the menu open in front of him.

“Meant to get pasta, but the special is braised lamb shank. Can’t resist,” Alaric admits. “Too used to lamb only being a spring food.” He makes a face at the table. “Not going to tell Rory, though. He might be horrified.”

“Vegetarians tend to like lamb or veal even less than everything else,” Chris agrees. He closes his own menu, sets it on top of Alaric’s. “Lasagna. It was between that and the hand-stuffed shells. They have ones that have spinach and mushrooms that are fantastic.”

Alaric makes a mental note, because that sounds good. As soon as they’ve got their order in, the menus are whisked away and a basket of fresh bread is dropped on the table. It’s hot, with a chewy crust, and even though it’s not fresh butter, it’s good.

“So, you’ve been working with Dawson.” Chris gestures with the piece of bread in his hand. “Do we bench him until we need him? Do we keep him in the rotation? What strengths and weaknesses are you seeing?”

“His passing game’s not as bad as Dax says.” Alaric’s been paying close attention. “Dawson can’t pass to Dax. Can’t say why, and that doesn’t help since he’s our best receiver. But if we put him out there with Jameson? Ball falls right in his hands.”

“Jameson’s second string; they’re not going to be in the game together often,” Chris points out.

“Exactly. Not unless you pitch it to Coach.” Alaric moves the bread basket to the side, grabs the little ceramic container of sugar packets. He has them all lined up neatly, moving them one by one as he and Chris go over plays and ideas, when the waitress stops by their table. She has a tray held high, and both eyes are wide as she looks at the table.

“Moved on to dessert?” she asks, and Chris laughs.

“Football,” Alaric says, a flush staining his cheeks. He gathers the sugar packets together again, shoves them back into the container to make space. “Sorry.”

“Not a problem, boys.” She sets a bowl in front of him with a huge shank of lamb settled atop a fragrant layer of greens and polenta. Alaric leans in, inhales. Every herb smells fresh, and it makes him think of home.

The waitress puts Chris’s lasagna in front of him, and Alaric swears it’s a quarter pan on one plate. The waitress grins at them both, winks. “I’ll leave you two alone now. My name’s Jenny if you need anything, so just give a yell, otherwise I won’t be back until either these plates are clean or you’re looking for boxes.”

“I bet I’m the only one who needs a box.”

“I’m not that hungry. Haven’t been working out, haven’t shifted.” Alaric digs in by slicing off a thick hunk of meat, dredging it through the greens and polenta. It’s a big bite, but flavors explode across his tongue and it’s worth it. He makes a small, pleased sound. “Fuck, almost like home.”

“Your parents aren’t Italian,” Chris says, his attention entirely on trying to slice off one side of his lasagna.

“No, we probably did things differently, but this is all fresh.” Alaric gestures at the plate. “’S’all ingredients we use. Lamb in the spring, and greens are the first things that grow for vegetables. We dry corn from the fall and grind it, and the roughest milled corn makes porridge. Great for a hot meal in the morning with syrup, but also good with herbs and garlic like this. Or cheese and eggs.”

“It’s strange to think your family’s so self-sufficient.” Chris leans his free elbow on the table, leaves his fork on the plate as he leans forward. “You’re your own world.”

“Exactly. Rory’s family’s like that, up in Burlington. Sheep for wool. Hemp, too. I’ve never spun with hemp, but I’d like to try it sometime,” Alaric admits. “David said they were thinking of trying bamboo, but it’s a long process to work with it, even though it grows fast. No livestock for food, but they’ve got cows for milk, and goats as well. All kinds of cheese. Good food.”

“Is that what you’ll do eventually?” Chris picks up his fork, stabs a bite of lasagna. “Go home and herd sheep?”

Alaric grumbles, halfway to a growl. There’s a hint of smoke from his nose, and he puts his fork down, breathes slowly in and out. “Was that supposed to be derogatory?”

“No.” Chris sets his own fork down again. He leans back, crosses his arms. “I know you have different ideas, but I know they want you to go home. And you hate engineering, but you’ll have to do something if you go back there. Honestly, out of everything you showed me there, the things you seemed to like best were flying and weaving.”

He has a point. And Alaric felt at home with Rory’s relatives when he was talking about dying, and discussing technique. He grunts. “You’re right. I like working with it. But it’s not something that’s going to lead the Clan, or change our world. It’ll be a hobby for me. I’ll need to do something more.” His appetite is waning. “If I go back.”

Chris’s head tilts. “If?”

Alaric shrugs one shoulder. “What if pro teams are taking Talented players by the time I graduate? Before Orson died, I thought that if that happened, I could try for it. Play football. Do something I love for as long as I could. That’s probably four years now. Five if I switch majors to something that keeps me here longer.”

“Things could change,” Chris says quietly.

“They could. My father could start a war.” Alaric picks up his fork again. The polenta and greens are still good, and his stomach rumbles as soon as he takes a bit. He might not feel like eating, but his body has other plans. He digs in, lets the silence stretch while he eats.

“Think that beer you bottled is ready to taste?” Chris asks as he winds down finally, pushing half of his lasagna to the side and taking another hunk of bread. “We could try it tonight.”

Alaric makes a face. “The coffee beer isn’t ready yet; it hasn’t even been in the bottles a week. Drea’s lager is probably fine, if you want to crack a bottle.”

“You have to be there for the first bottle,” Chris points out. “No one’s touching that beer without you there.”

They’ve already brewed three batches. The coffee beer took two weeks in a secondary, so it’s just barely been in bottles. The lager was a quick kit that Drea picked out. And there’s cider fermenting now, ready to go into a keg when it’s done, probably sometime after the party on Saturday.

In a way, cracking open a bottle will be a good memorial.

“Sure. Yeah. We’ll do that,” Alaric agrees. He’s made headway, finally, on his dinner, and there’s plenty left to eat another time.

Chris waves for the waitress, and when she comes over he hands her a card. When Alaric gets his wallet out, Chris shakes his head. “You can get it the next time. It’s a pain to split the bill; if it’s just us, this is simpler.”

Alaric can’t argue, and he figures he’ll get the chance to pay him back soon enough. The waitress brings over boxes, and they pack up the leftovers and put them in one bag for the hike back on campus to OPT.

The walk back is quiet, the fall air crisp and cold. Weather report says there’s a storm coming in the morning, and Alaric can taste it on the air. It’s not the same as summer, when the storms taste like ozone and electricity, or the wet scent of mud. This is cold and harsh, crisp and clear, like ice hangs waiting nearby to turn into the first snowfall of the coming winter. Chris hunches his shoulders slightly against the cold, and Alaric drifts closer, bumping into him as if he can share his body heat.

As soon as they reach OPT, Chris ducks inside, taking the bag and shoving the leftovers into the fridge. They end up in their usual spots on the couch in the living room, one bottle of beer sitting on the coffee table, waiting to be opened, next to a red cup. Lewis spots them in the kitchen and follows them to sit in the chair opposite, leaning forward slightly. “Go on,” Lewis says. “Open it.”

“You don’t even like beer,” Chris points out, and Lewis shrugs.

“Doesn’t stop me from appreciating a concoction someone else will like. Besides, how am I going to know how to mix with it if I don’t try it?” Lewis says.

Alaric can’t stop the expression of horror from welling up. “This isn’t some fucking light beer, Lewis. It’s homebrew. It’s good. You won’t be mixing anything with it.” He grabs the bottle opener and carefully pops the top, giving it a moment to make sure he hasn’t over carbonated it and that it won’t foam up. When he’s sure it’s safe, the takes the top off and grabs the cup.

“Why not go straight from the bottle?”

Alaric gives Lewis a look. “Sediment,” he tells him. “Homebrew has sediment at the bottom, can’t help it, so you always pour it into a glass and leave the dregs in the bottle. Need to rinse ‘em out soon, before it sets into something we can’t clean.”

“Noted.” Chris nudges him with his knee. “Go on, pour already.”

It foams up as Alaric pours, but it’s not too bad. He thinks he got close, especially for a first try Of course, this one’s a kit, so it’s easy. Dump everything in, cook it together, ferment and bottle. He notes the color—a little reddish, darker than a typical mass-produced beer—then lifts it to inhale the scent of hops. He takes a sip at first, then nods approvingly and takes a long swallow.

“Not bad,” he says, handing the cup to Chris.

Chris inhales as well, raises an eyebrow, and starts with a long gulp. “I could definitely drink this,” he says. “Is it any stronger than what we buy?”

“Same alcohol content, just better taste,” Alaric says. “We don’t brew to get drunk. We brew because we don’t get drunk easily and we want it to taste good.” He takes the cup when Chris passes it back, holds it out to Lewis.

Lewis raises a hand, shakes his head. “I can smell the beer-flavored beer from here, so no thanks, I’ll stick to my fruity concoctions. And I won’t touch your homebrew for anything mixed, promise.”

“If I do the fall spice one you can drop a fireball shot in it,” Alaric decides. “They’d go well. Might work with the cider, too.”

“That’s one I’m looking forward to.” Lewis pushes himself to standing. “I’m heading up. I’ve still got a solid few hours of Orgo work to do before lab tomorrow. Glad the beer worked, Alaric.”

“Movie?” Chris has the remote in his hand, gets the TV going and starts flipping through a list of really bad movies to stream. Alaric takes another drink from the cup, reaches out to to stop Chris from changing movies and hits play, then hands him the cup.

It’s quiet and easy, a decent way to spend the night.

The movie’s half done when the front door slams open, and Dax comes in, dropping onto the other hand of the sofa and pushing Chris closer to Alaric. The beer’s gone, and they’ve shared a second one as well, the cup sitting empty on the table. Alaric feels warm in a pleasant way, loose and easy.

“Movie Friday night?” Dax asks. “Showing after taekwondo, of course.”

Chris glances over at Alaric, who shrugs in response. He has no idea what’s showing on campus, but fine, he’s happy to go. “Sure, why not?” Alaric decides.

“I’ll bring takeout to the movie for you,” Chris offers. “You’re always hungry after your class. Chinese or Indian?”

“Chinese.” Alaric twists slightly to make room when Chris leans into him. It’s easier to slip his arm behind Chris’s shoulders and give him space, and it slots them neatly enough that Alaric can offer his body heat to Chris. There’s a low sound; Dax nods.

“Settled then. See you there.” Dax gets up, stops after two steps and turns back, spreading his hands. “No Cass tonight, Chris. So no need to sleep on the couch.”

“I’ll be up when the movie’s done, probably.” Chris presses play and the stream restarts.

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