#somewhere in the crowd there’s you (and suddenly I feel alright)

[sexynetra]

Somewhere In The Crowd There’s You (And Suddenly I Feel Alright)

The hopes and dreams for an Olympic Gold in figure skating rest on Gigi Goode’s shoulders, but the one person she wants to be there with her most has left her on her own during the biggest moment of her life.

Crystal Methyd would do anything to go watch her best friend and longtime crush skate at the Olympics, but about 4500 miles stand in her way.

Or: 5 times Gigi FaceTimes Crystal and 1 time Crystal doesn’t pick up.

[read on Ao3]

[moonstruckme]

Hi lovely! Can you do poly!wolfstar or either of the two with reader who suddenly feels rlly overstimulated at a party despite the fact that she parties a lot? Thank you! <33

Thank you for requesting <3

cw: overstimulation, not explicitly a panic attack but looks p similar, thick crowd/claustrophobia

poly!wolfstar x fem!reader ♡ 1.2k words

The crush of bodies is almost too dense to see through. Luckily, Remus can look over most heads. 

He ought to have known better than to try to carry three drinks on his own. Nearly a third of the one that’ll have to be his has spilled down his hand and wrist, the three of them held over his head as he pushes through the crowd. It’s a rather large apartment, but an apartment still, which Sirius' coworker has absolutely packed with people. Remus is fairly sure if he looked over he’d see the door to the hallway is open, party guests spilling out into the hall where the smoke from cigarettes and spliffs floats back inside. It’s a nice home, but it smells like any underground club now, like smoke and drink and too many bodies. 

You and Sirius aren’t where Remus left you. He doesn’t think much of it. It’s difficult to stay in one place with this many people moving about like undisciplined schools of fish. He skims over the tops of heads until he finds a familiar one, Sirius’ dark hair gleaming in the low light of a corner. He’s holding you close to his front, your face in his neck and his hand cupped protectively over the back of your head. He looks like he’s speaking into your ear, dark brows pinched. 

Remus’ heart clenches. 

He spills more of your drinks as he hastens to you, sets them down on a mantle on the way. Sirius catches his eyes when he’s nearly there. He says something to you, rubbing your back. 

“Hi.” Remus has to speak louder than he likes, over the sound of too many other voices. He devotes one hand to the back of your neck and the other to Sirius’ shoulder. “Everything alright?” 

Sirius shakes his head. He looks anxious. “I don’t know what happened,” he says. In a sweeter voice, his hand moving over your back, “I think we’ve just got a bit overwhelmed, hm?” 

You haven’t reacted to Remus’ presence. Now that he’s closer he can see you’ve got your fingers curled in the front of Sirius’ shirt like a lifeline, your grip tight and rigid. 

Remus gives Sirius’ shoulder a squeeze. “Sweetheart,” he says gently, “can you look at me?” 

You turn your face from Sirius’ shoulder. Your eyes are glassy and wide, your chest falling in quick, short pants. You look like you don’t know what’s happening to you, either. 

“You’re okay.” Remus presses a kiss to your temple, looking around to assess your options. “You’re okay, my love. We’re going to go somewhere quieter, alright?” 

The door’s too far. If the crowd’s what’s overwhelming you, it could only make things worse to push through. There’s a line for the only bathroom. But there is a balcony, not too far and better than nothing if you can get to it. 

A speaker nearby booms as Remus reaches for Sirius’ hand. He’s murmuring to you, something Remus can’t hear over the music, but he looks up at the touch. 

“You’ve got her?” Remus asks.

“Yeah.” 

“Okay.” He presses a quick kiss to the back of Sirius’ hand before starting to tug the both of you along. 

The crowd parts more easily for Remus than it would for either of you. He mutters sorrys and excuse mes as he plows through with the two of you in tow. Sirius keeps you held tight to him, your hands still fisted in his shirt. When Remus opens the sliding door to the balcony, the difference in both air quality and noise level is pronounced.

“Can we have some space, please?” Remus asks the couple smoking outside. His voice comes out sharper than he intends, curt and all business, but he can’t find it in himself to regret it when they quickly put out their cigarettes and head inside.  

Sirius helps you into a chair. “I know, baby, I know, just take a breath. We’re okay, see? Everything’s alright.” 

Your first deep inhale sends twin tears tumbling down your cheeks. It shudders back out of you. You seem like you’d been frozen, trapped inside your own head, and now you’re coming back out. 

“There you go.” Remus’ voice is softer now. It aches in the back of his throat, worry and love and guilt at leaving you two alone. Though you did have each other, and it seems it’s a good thing you did. “Just keep doing like that, babydove. We’ve got you.” 

Sirius looks pained at your tears, but he rubs your leg and crouches on the floor so that Remus can take the chair beside yours. Remus sets a hand on his boyfriend’s head as he sits, smoothing down his hair to rub between his shoulders comfortingly. 

They let you work through most of your anxiety in silence, offering only the occasional murmur of encouragement or weak, consoling joke about fire codes. Eventually your breaths even out and your tears stop. You let your head loll onto Remus’ shoulder, expelling a sigh. 

“I don’t…” you mumble. “Don’t know what just happened.” 

They’re both relieved to hear your voice, Sirius squeezing your leg affectionately while Remus smooths a few pieces of hair from your face. “There’s an awful lot going on in there,” says Remus, lips a whisper away from your hairline. “Gets to be a bit much, yeah?” 

“I guess.” You sigh again, almost frustratedly. “Sorry, it’s not like I’ve never been to a party before. I don’t get why I did that.” 

“You don’t get to be sorry,” Sirius says lightly. He drops a kiss above your knee. “The only person who should be sorry is Michael, when the fire department shows up here because he’s got too many people in his fucking one-bedroom apartment.” 

“You tell ‘im.” You sound exhausted. Your head weighs heavy on Remus’ shoulder. 

He touches his lips to your hairline. “You feeling ready to call it a night?” 

You hum. “I could be, but I’m also okay with sticking around if you guys want to.” 

“Oh, my sweetheart.” Sirius surges upward, hugging you around the middle. His nose nuzzles your shoulder, and you smile tiredly, patting him on the back. “You can’t stay here for us after all that. Fuck, I don’t think either of us want to stick around, either.” 

“No,” Remus agrees. “This crowd is horrid. I’m ready to go home.” 

“I’m ready for pajamas, and cuddles, and” —Sirius’ voice grows muffled as he mushes kisses into your neck— “our soft, soft bed.” 

“You make it sound quite nice,” you say, smiling for real now. “I guess I could call it quits for the night. Twist my arm.” 

“Yeah, I won’t be hearing any arguments. I want to go home, and you carousers can’t stop me.” Sirius plants a final, firm kiss on your cheek, grinning too. 

“It’s going to be a bit of work to get through to the door,” says Remus. He brushes his thumb gently over the place Sirius’ lips had touched, chest warm with affection. “Once you’re feeling up to it, we can go.” 

“Oh.” You turn your head to look in through the window at the densely packed apartment. “Do you think we can take a few minutes out here first?” 

“Course, sweetheart.” Remus kisses your head, easing it back down onto his shoulder. “Take all the time you need.”

[ahqkas]

Mattheo with gf! Reader who spaces out a lot due to her adhd. Sometimes it comes to an extant where mattheo had to either pat her shoulder to snap her out or either snap his fingers lightly in his face. Of course mattheo would glare at anyone who would snap rather rudely at his gf.

© ahqkas — all rights reserved. even when credited, these works are prohibited to be reposted, translated or modified

MATTHEO HAD ALWAYS KNOWN THERE WAS SOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT YOU. it wasn’t just your infectious laughter that warmed his heart or the way your eyes sparkled when you talked about something you loved. it was the way you would suddenly drift off into your own world, leaving conversations mid-sentence or losing track of what you were doing. at first, it puzzled him, but as he got to know you better, he understood it was part of your ADHD. it was just another piece of you that he adored.

one afternoon, the two of you were in the hogwarts’ library. the ancient room was filled with the soft sound of rustling pages and the faint smell of old books. you were seated across from your boyfriend, a pile of textbooks and parchment spread out before you as you tried to study for your upcoming transfiguration exam. mattheo was deep in a particularly dense herbology textbook when he looked up and saw you staring blankly at the high arched ceiling. your quill was frozen in mid-air, a tiny blot of ink spreading slowly across the parchment.

he watched you for a moment, noticing the way your eyes seemed to be far away from this land, distant and unfocused from the task before you. with a hint of a gentle smile, the slytherin boy reached across the table and tapped your hand with his index finger. “hey,” he said softly as you blinked a few times, your gaze snapping back to his. “where’d you go, angel?” he teased, a playful glint in his eyes.

you sighed and returned the small smile back to him. “sorry, i was just . . . somewhere else.”

mattheo chuckled and enveloped your hand with his before you felt a light squeeze on top of it. “no need to apologize. just wanted to make sure you were still with me.” he gave you an encouraging nod, full of understanding. you adored your sweet boy to pieces, especially with how gentle he was with you. the complete opposite of how he was with others.

later that day, during defense against the dark arts, professor snape was explaining a complex counter-curse. you were diligently taking notes when your mind started to wander again. the professor’s voice became a distant hum, and your thoughts drifted to the quidditch match next weekend. mattheo was a beater on the team, a fact that filled you with both pride and a bit of anxiety. you couldn't help but picture him out on the pitch, his muscles rippling under the tight quidditch robes as he swung his bat with a strength and power that was mesmerizing to watch.

you imagined the way his dark curls would cling to his forehead, damp with sweat, and the intense concentration etched on his face as he scanned the field for any bludgers that could be considered a threat to the promised victory of the slytherin house. you could already hear the cheers of the crowd, the roar of excitement that accompanied every successful hit. your boyfriend was as feared as adored.

as you continued to daydream, a warm hand gently touched your shoulder, snapping you back to the reality. mattheo’s dark irises met yours with a mix of concern and amusement dancing in their depths. he had been watching you space out, a small, knowing smile tugging at the corners of his lips when he recognized what was going on.

“you okay?” he asked quietly, his lingering hand tracing its path down your shoulder.

you gave him a nod, feeling a bit embarrassed. how could you manage to live like this? with a boyfriend like that? merlin, you needed a release. “yeah, just spaced out again.”

the said boyfriend offered you a reassuring smirk, along with a knowing glint on his face. “it’s okay. just stay with me, alright?” he gave your shoulder a gentle squeeze before turning back to his notes.

the final bell of the day rang, and you both made your way to the great hall for dinner. the long tables were crowded with students and meals, the clatter of silverware and the buzz of conversation instantly filling the room. you sat down next to mattheo, who immediately started piling food onto your plate, knowing that you often forgot to eat when you were preoccupied. a bit of this and a bit of that, exactly like you liked, before he moved to help himself to tons of food as well.

and as you ate, your mind started to drift, again. although this time, it was the flickering candles above that captured your attention. the way they floated and swayed to the atmosphere of the hall was mesmerizing to you. suddenly, you felt a gentle nudge against your side and when you ripped your gaze away from those lights, mattheo was looking at you with that same smirk plastered on his lips.

“earth to [name],” he said, snapping his fingers lightly in front of your face to emphasize his words.

you shook your head, blinking as you refocused on him. “sorry, i was just . . .”

“mesmerized by the candles,” he finished for you, his smile widening. “i know. they are pretty cool.”

you laughed, feeling your heart swell with the affection you held towards your sweet boy. he always seemed to know exactly what to say to make you feel better. but not everyone was as understanding. a few seats down, you heard a student mutter something about “space cadets” and “daydreamers.” before you could react, mattheo’s expression darkened and his soft smile shifted into a deep scowl. he turned towards the student, his eyes blazing with protectiveness and anger.

“got something to say?” he growled, his voice low and dangerous.

the student paled and quickly shook his head. “no, nothing,” he mumbled, looking away. mattheo was known to not be messed with and the student didn’t possess a death wish for now.

your boyfriend turned back to you, his expression softening instantly. “ignore them,” he said, reaching out to take your hand in his, the warmth providing you with the needed comfort.

you smiled, squeezing his hand in return. “thank you.”

the night went on and the two of you retreated to the common room. the fire crackled softly in the hearth, casting a warm glow over the room as you curled up on the couch with a book, while mattheo sat beside you, his arm draped over the back of the couch. every so often, he would glance over at you and the book in your lap, drinking the written words in like it was water.

at one point, you felt yourself starting to drift off again, the words on the page blurring together. before you could get too far, the slytherin boy gently tucked a strand of hair behind your ear, his touch instantly bringing you back.

“you still with me?”

you nodded, leaning into his touch. “yeah, i’m here.”

“good. because i’m not going anywhere.”

in that moment, you realized just how lucky you were to have someone like mattheo riddle in your life. someone who understood you, who accepted you for who you were, and who was always there to bring you back when you drifted away. and you knew that, no matter what, he would always be there, watching over you with that same loving gaze as you would watch over him with.

[lilacmingi]

HADES (DISNEY VILLAINS AU)

My works are 14+ ONLY. If you’re under 14 DO NOT interact with me or any of my works. NO SPAM-LIKING PLEASE

Pairing: Hades!Hongjoong x fem!reader

Word count: 2,830

Note: This imagine is part of my Disney Villains series from 2022 on Wattpad! 😈 Also!! I have a new rule in place. NO SPAM-LIKING PLEASE! Reading through a series and liking the post when you’re done is fine, but don’t go through and like multiple imagines one after the next consecutively please! I don’t wanna get shadowbanned </3 if you wanna save multiple imagines to read later, like my masterlist instead!

It was a boring day in the Underworld. The flow of souls coming in was lower than usual, which meant Hongjoong didn't have much to do. His poilished, black nails tapped against the arm of his throne as he stared blankly into the flames before him.

He was bored to death.

He snapped his fingers, his two lackeys appearing in a puff of black smoke.

"You called?" Wooyoung asked, brushing his hair away from his face.

"It's a slow day." Hongjoong responded.

"We noticed." San added, suppressing a yawn.

"I was thinking we could have some fun in the mortal realm today. What do you think, boys?"

The duo shared a look, mischievous smirks tugging at their lips.

Hongjoong took that as a yes.

The three disappeared in a cloud of black smoke, appearing in the mortal realm somewhere away from the crowds. Hongjoong was quick to disguise himself in his human form. His extravagant, black attire was replaced with cream-colored robes to blend in. He looked at the two stood across from him.

"What have you got?" He asked, indicating for the two to show him their disguises.

In an instant, the pair turned into two children.

A wicked smile spread across Hongjoong's features.

"Perfect. No one ever suspects children."

"What do you want us to do, boss?" San inquired.

"Go wreak havoc. Steal something, harass the elderly, let the livestock loose in the streets." He ordered, listing off things that would cause disturbances.

"You got it." The two saluted Hongjoong before scurrying off into town leaving their boss to watch the chaos ensue.

You strode through town, perusing the different carts lined up along the dusty streets. You didn't need anything in particular, you just wanted to get out, stretch your legs, and get some fresh air.

Suddenly, you heard a commotion from somewhere behind you. You turned around to see what was going on, and when you did, two little boys ran by nearly knocking you off your feet as they did so. You stumbled a bit but was quick to regain your balance as you saw the two kids run over to a nearby fruit cart. You couldn't help but notice one of them going to steal an apple. Just when you were about to speak up, the lady running the small business began shouting at them, shooing them away. You frowned, feeling sorry for the two boys.

"Excuse me." You called out, stepping towards the fruit cart. "What's going on?"

"These two ruffians tried to steal my goods!" She spoke harshly, her voice a bit gravelly.

"They were just hungry, I'm sure."

"Lady, do you see the chaos these two have caused?" She pointed to the other vendors' carts lining the street. Some appeared to have things knocked off, the sellers trying to gather their goods out of the streets.

"I'm sure they didn't mean to. They were probably just having fun and weren't paying attention. Right?" You asked, turning to the children.

They both nodded.

You then bent down to their level, looking at the two of them. One had short, choppily cut black hair, the other longer brown hair with subtle waves. They both looked to be around the same age, maybe seven years old. You weren't too sure. Either way, you weren't going to leave them without making sure they were alright and out of trouble.

"Where are your parents?" You asked.

Neither said a word.

"Do you have parents?"

The one with brown hair nodded while the one with choppy black hair shook his head. You weren't sure what to think of that, so you chose to overlook it.

"Are you guys hungry? I'll get you something."

The two shared a glance before nodding.

You stood up to face the lady running the fruit stand.

"I'd like two apples, please."

"For these two delinquents?" She asked, harshly.

"I'm giving you business, so why does it matter who I give them to?"

The vendor pressed her lips together, knowing she couldn't possibly refuse a paying customer.

"Alright." She huffed, taking the money from me.

"Thank you." You gave her a friendly smile, picking two apples from the woven baskets on the cart and handing them to the boys.

"Thank you, Miss." The brown-haired boy smiled, his cheeks round like bread.

Hongjoong, who was watching from a distance witnessed the whole thing. He felt something in his chest when he saw how kind you were towards San and Wooyoung. It was an odd feeling he hadn't felt before—ever. He wanted to talk to you right that instant. He then stepped out of his hiding spot and began walking over.

"San! Wooyoung!" He called.

You lifted your gaze at the unfamiliar voice, your eyes landing on a man with straight, black hair. He had a prominent nose that came to a point; it was dainty and reminded you of a fairy. He hurried over to the two children, crouching down to their height.

"There you two are." He spoke.

His voice was unique. It was a bit higher than you expected, but so light and airy. You could listen to him talk all day.

"Oh. Do you know them?" You inquired.

"Yes. I'm their... older brother, actually."

"Ah. I thought they were lost so I bought them apples. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all. That was very kind of you." He went quiet for a moment before piping up. "I'm Hongjoong. That's San and that's Wooyoung."

"I'm Y/n." You introduced yourself.

"Nice to meet you." Hongjoong smiled warmly.

"Thank you, Miss Y/n." The boy with the choppy hair, who you now know as San, thanked you.

"Yeah. You're really nice." Wooyoung spoke up.

"Thank you, boys. You're awfully kind."

"You were so nice to my brothers, I feel like I should do something for you in return. You know, as a way to say thank you." Hongjoong spoke.

"That's alright. You don't have to do anything for me."

"I insist."

"Well, if you must."

"Would you be interested in a visit to the theater?"

"The theater?"

He nodded with a smile.

"That's a very nice offer."

"Is it something you'd be interested in?"

"I would."

"Wonderful." He beamed.

His smile was incredible. His teeth were stunning and so white. You'd never seen anyone with a smile as perfect as his.

"We could meet by the colosseum tomorrow when the sun reaches the top of that mountain." He pointed.

"That works." You nodded.

"Are you going on a date with my brother?" Wooyoung asked.

"Date?" You parroted.

You and Hongjoong both started denying it.

"No, no, no." You shook your head.

"I'm just thanking her for being nice to you two." Hongjoong clarified.

The two boys gave both of you skeptical looks.

"Alright, well we should be going." Hongjoong spoke up, pushing his brothers forward. "I'll see you tomorrow."

The next day, you met Hongjoong outside the colosseum as promised. You put on your best robes, wanting to impress the handsome man. It seemed he was thinking the same as you, because he showed up wearing nice robes as well.

"You look wonderful." He complimented.

"So do you."

"Ah. Really?" He asked, pushing his hair back.

"Yes. Very handsome." You told him.

"Shall we head inside?" He nodded towards the colosseum entrance.

"Of course."

He offered you his hand, which you gratefully took and allowed him to lead you inside.

The both of you got seated and waited for the chairs around you to fill up.

"I love coming to the theater." Hongjoong commented. "It's a nice break from work."

"What do you do?" You asked.

"Oh." He seemed caught off guard by the question. "I'm a... supervisor."

"A supervisor? What do you supervise?"

"The dead."

"Oh. So you're a coroner?"

"Yes, exactly! That's what it's called." He nodded.

"Don't you get creeped out being so close to dead bodies?"

"Well, I don't really deal with the bodies."

You gave him an odd look. "Isn't that what a coroner does?"

"Oh, um, I mean, it's not so bad. I just look at the body and document the person's time of death, so I'm not around them for too long."

"Hm." You hummed in response.

"The show's starting." Hongjoong pointed.

The two of you continued to spend time together for the next few weeks. Hongjoong took you to incredible places and did many fun and exciting things with you. It was never boring when you were with him. Always something new.

The both of you walked hand in hand as Hongjoong took you home. Your hair was adorned with flowers Hongjoong had placed in there. You had even placed a few in his locks as well. You had just gotten back from watching the sun set on a hill overlooking the city. It was the most perfect evening ever.

"Thank you for today." You told him, leaning your head over on his shoulder.

"You're welcome. I'm glad you had a good time."

"It was wonderful, as usual. You always seem to find a way to one-up the previous date."

"Oh, so these are dates now?" He asked with a smirk.

"Of course they are. That visit to the theater was a date too."

"How so?" Hongjoong inquired.

"I know you didn't just invite me to the theater to thank me for being nice to your brothers."

"Alright, you got me." He chuckled. "I needed an excuse to see you again."

"So you admit you were smitten from the start?"

"You could call it that." He smiled, fondly. "What about you?"

"I was quite taken with you too." You admitted.

"I knew it." He grinned.

"Liar." You laughed, shoving him playfully.

Your heart sank just slightly when you saw your home come into view. You always hated saying goodbye to Hongjoong, but you knew you'd be see each other again soon—you always did.

The two of you came to a stop at your front entrance.

"I don't want to leave." You told him.

He smiled a bit as he brought his hand up to cup your cheek.

"I know."

"Thank you again for the wonderful afternoon."

"Of course, darling." He smiled warmly, his thumb caressing your cheek, sending a rush of tingles throughout your body. "Now go get some rest."

You nodded as Hongjoong's hand fell from your face.

"Oh. There's something that I want to tell you. It's pretty important. Can you meet me at the building overlooking the botanical garden tomorrow after sunset?"

"Why can't you tell me now?"

"It's not the right time."

"And tomorrow is?" You inquired.

"Yes. So, will you meet me there?"

"Of course, Hongjoong."

"Thank you."

You stepped inside, glancing back at the charming man.

"Sweet dreams." He whispered.

You gave him a small wave before closing the door.

It took you a while to get to sleep that night, as all you could think of was what Hongjoong might want to say to you. He could want to officially ask you to be his girlfriend, that would make you really happy. Or it could be something else. You tried not to think of anything negative as you finally forced yourself to go to sleep.

You approached the building Hongjoong asked you to meet him at. Your hands were slightly clammy as you headed to the balcony in the back. The sun had gone down, bathing the scenery in its cloak of darkness. You had wondered why Hongjoong wanted to meet at night, but chose not to question it.

You admired the beautiful nighttime scene and the way the bright moon cast shadows over the trees and sculptures in the garden sitting below. It was somewhat eerie but beautiful at the same time.

"You showed." A voice spoke up.

You turned to see Hongjoong approaching.

"Of course I showed." You smiled. "I told you I would."

"Thank you."

"You said you wanted to tell me something?"

"I do." He confirmed. "Well, I also want to show you something."

You stood and waited, watching as he took in a deep breath.

"Watch this." He instructed with a smile.

He held his hand out, a rose engulfed in blue flames appearing out of thin air.

You stared at it in awe, unable to comprehend how he conjured the flower out of nothing and also why it wasn't wilting under the flames.

"How did you do—" You were cut off when you looked up to see Hongjoong standing in front of you, but he looked different—very different.

His normal black hair was now blue, matching flames of the same hue were coming off the ends of his locks. His outfit had changed as well. Instead of his usual cream-colored robes was now an odd-looking black outfit made of some sort of leather. He donned a large feathery coat on top with a black skull on his shoulder. It was nothing like you had ever seen before. The outfit wasn't the only thing that changed. His brown eyes were now covered in heavy eye makeup, black shadows smudged around his intense eyes.

His entire look was, in a word, otherworldly.

"Hongjoong?" You asked, shocked by his new appearance, unconsciously taking a step back as the rose fell from your hand.

"Y/n, just let me explain before you freak out, okay?"

You took in a deep breath, staying silent and allowing him to continue.

"I'm not actually human. I'm god of the underworld."

Your eyes widened in shock and mild horror.

I've been going on dates with the god of death? You thought in disbelief.

"I couldn't come right out and tell you because I didn't want you to run away. I wanted you to get to know me for me."

Hearing him say that made you pause for a moment. He's right. You probably would have ran away if he came out looking like he did.

"I'm still the same Hongjoong, I just look a little different is all."

He had a point. It's not like he's some monster. He's still Hongjoong.

"So, San and Wooyoung aren't your brothers?" You asked.

"No." He shook his head. "They're my henchman."

"And you're not a coroner." You said it like a statement.

"No."

You let out a short sigh. "I can't be mad at you. You had good intentions. Also, you did kinda tell the truth about your profession. You do supervise the dead."

"That I do." He chuckled. "So, does this change the way you feel about me?"

You smiled softly. "No."

Hongjoong took a few steps forward, reaching his hand out. His jewelry-clad fingers glimmered under the moonlight as he waited for you grab hold of his hand.

"Your nails." You commented, glancing at his black colored fingernails.

"You like them?"

You nodded. "I've never seen anything like it."

"Well, sweetheart, things in the Underworld are a bit different than they are here."

"I imagine so." You said, glancing at Hongjoong's outfit.

"Maybe I can show you one day."

"You can take me there?" You asked.

"Of course. I'm king, so I make the rules."

You chuckled.

Hongjoong pulled you close, his arms wrapping securely around your waist. Your breathing quickened as you realized how close your faces were.

"Will you be my queen, Y/n?"

"What?" You choked out.

"Not now, but someday. Will you be my queen and rule the Underworld by my side?"

"That's a difficult question to answer at the moment."

"Then let's start with girlfriend first. How's that?"

"Good. That I can handle." You nodded with a light chuckle.

Hongjoong smiled, his thumb gently ghosting over your bottom lip.

"Can I kiss you?" He asked, his voice so gentle it made your heart flip.

All you could do was nod your head.

The gap between your mouths was closed instantly as Hongjoong's lips met yours, nearly taking your breath away. His hands briefly squeezed your sides as his lips pressed harder against your own.

"You're so beautiful, darling." He murmured before diving back in for another kiss, his hands roaming your waist as yours stayed firmly planted on his shoulders.

You pulled away, gazing into his eyes.

"I don't want this night to end." You admitted, your fingers playing with the black feathers of Hongjoong's coat.

"It doesn't have to. We can always take a walk through the garden or gaze at the stars."

"That sounds romantic... but first I'd like to try that kiss again." You grinned.

"As you wish, my dear."

When Hongjoong asked you about ruling the Underworld with him, it caught you off guard. However, the idea of being by his side made you happy and the thought of it was rather appealing. Maybe one day you would accept his offer. As of right now, you'd like to take things slow and just have a normal relationship—well, as normal as a relationship with the god of the Underworld could be.

Seonghwa: Maleficent ⟡ Yunho: Captain Hook ⟡ Yeosang: Evil Queen ⟡ San: Cruella de Vil ⟡ Mingi: Dr. Facilier ⟡ Wooyoung: Hyena ⟡ Jongho: Gaston

Masterlist ᝰ — enjoyed this imagine? reblogs & comments are very much appreciated!

DO NOT steal, plagiarize, copy, repost, alter, or translate my works in any way

🏷 @h3arteyes4mingi @weird-bookworm @poppy2007 @parkjennykim @evidive @mxlly143 @lizzymizzy-blogg @minhanbyeol @dinossaurz @laylasbunbunny @iammeandmeisiam @delulu18

[nneteyamss]

ROSES — 13. frat party

(half written)

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“okay, once someone gets sick, it gets too crazy, someone makes a bad decision, or something else we’re leaving. got it?” mark turned from the drivers seat to face his friends before they entered the party.

mina and y/n nodded and gave mark a thumbs up while yangyang saluted him with a straight face.

“alright now get the fuck out my car and let’s go party” he sighed at yang and gave a small smile, hoping tonight would be smooth and fun.

“where do you guys think hyuck is right now?” yang asked as the 4 of them walked gingerly to the front door. the music was blasting and as they got closer it was harder to hear.

mark shrugged and mina don’t bother answering the question. “i don’t know but if he’s with his other friends, he can stay far away from me. last thing i need is jaehyun seeing me.” as y/n was finishing her sentence, they entered the house, almost instantly being greeted by hyuck who was passing by to get more drinks.

“you guys made it! drink are in the kitchen to your left, snacks are on the kitchen counters and dining room table, and yeah. i gotta hurry and go now, i got a hottie waiting for me.” he spoke fastly before dashing out of their sight.

the four of the scooted to the side so they weren’t blocking the entrance and took a look around. people walking past who knew them waved and said hello. it wasn’t long before y/n tapped mina on the shoulder and whispered in her ear to beat the loud music “wanna grab some drinks?” to which mina nodded. the two girls told mark and yang where they were going and disappeared from their previous spots.

not a lot of people crowded the kitchen but there were a good amount of people standing around and talking. y/n grabbed two bottles and handed one to mina as leaned back against the counter.

“oh dude i’m so glad these have the twist caps, i would’ve been pissed if i had to find someone to open this.” mina nodded with y/n’s statement while they twisted the caps off their drinks and took a sip.

“i know, and i didn’t even think to bring my bottle opener. also i’m not gonna lie… this music kinda sucks ass, i could’ve done better in my bedroom with a playlist and a dream.” the two girls laugh at the image of mina in her room dressed up like a frat boy, headphones around her neck, sunglasses on, and doing the frat flick with playing something probably like ‘baby’ by justin bieber.

“i’ll be standing right beside you hyping up the crowd like this” y/n jumped up and down with her hand in the air fist pumping, almost spilling her drink in the process.

after a while of talking the two finished the drinks they first opened, ended up taking some shots with random drunk girls who came into the kitchen (twice), and grabbing another drink. after starting to feel buzzed mina stopped drinking but y/n kept going. the two girls made their way out onto the makeshift dance floor where they saw their friends on the side talking.

“heyyy guys!” y/n walked towards them while waving, stumbling and almost falling while doing so.

“damn girl how much did you drink?” mark asked with a raised eyebrow. y/n only laughed and brushed him off.

“i dunno but that’s not important, i thought you said you weren’t drinking?” her eyes zeroed in to the red solo cup in his hand with a clear liquid inside.

“this is water, which you should get some of”

“guys can we sit down somewhere, my feet are starting to hurt.” mina interrupted the conversation to complain with a completely valid point. after standing around in the kitchen for who knows how long, who else’s feet wouldn’t start to hurt.

“couch is empty over there” hyuck pointed out a vacancy, to which they all ran over to the couch before someone would sit down and take it. as soon as y/n sat down she suddenly started feeling a little sick from the multiple drinks she had. her face was flushed red from all the alcohol and the stood right back up.

“i’m gonna go to the bathroom, i’ll be right back”

“do you need me to come with you?” mina looked up at her, ready to tag along.

“no i should be good, thank you though my babygirl” y/n blew a kiss and mina blew one right back, ignoring their guy friends around them. with that y/n left to use the bathroom.

this definitely wasn’t the first nct frat that y/n attended so she knew her way around the building decently well and quickly navigated herself to the bathroom. upon arrival she immediately rolled her eyes at the line to wait to use the bathroom, which was probably disgusting anyway. luckily y/n is somewhat close friends with nct member yuta and knew he had a bathroom in his room.

the way they befriend each other was kind of odd but they just happened to ‘click’ after a while of pestering. most people avoided talking to yuta as a friend, due to his resting bitch face, but when y/n got paired with him she was determined to be nothing but kind and become his friend or at least acquaintance. often yuta would ignore these attempts and just try to get their work done and over with. under all of his frat boy who gets around persona, y/n knew there was something deeper. so what does she do? pull out photos of her family dog back home, because who can resist a cute dog? this plan undoubtedly worked as yuta became obsessed with her little puppy who he now calls “his second daughter” and asked for new pics of her constantly. he keeps telling y/n that they need to set up a play date between her dog nova and his dog rapunzel.

after getting lost once, y/n finds her way to yuta’s room, trying to remember the way they would take when they studied here. much to her surprise yuta had told her the pin to his door and she quickly typed it in, still not feeling well.

“1026” she muttered to herself as she pressed the tiny buttons. the door unlocked and she swung the door open, ready to head into his bathroom.

not even getting to step all the way into the room she was met with two people already occupying the space. a male and female, the guy was sat on the bed with his pants pulled slightly down and the girl was on her knees in front of him, very obviously giving him head. the sound of the door opening caused her to pull off of him and they both looked at the door. the girl she didn’t recognize but the guy… she had been trying to avoid all night.

“y/n?” jaehyun looked at her shocked, trying to cover himself up somewhat.

“i’m so sorry” she said at the same time jaehyun said her name once she broke out of her frozen spot. just as she spoke, she gagged and ran right into yuta’s bathroom and to the toilet instead of out the room. thankfully the toilet seat was already up as she began puking into the white bowl in front of her. her hands on both sides of the toilet, not even thinking about her hair.

all of a sudden she felt her hair being pulled back and a hand on her back rubbing in circles “let it all out.” they said quietly, encouraging her to get all of this out her system. the puking went on for a couple minutes on and off before it finally stopped all together. y/n opened her eyes once she leaned away from the toilet to see jaehyun grabbing a piece of toilet paper to wiper her mouth and even flushed the toilet for her.

feeling worn out and tired, as well as still drunk, y/n closed her eyes again and laid her head on the wall behind her. “you feeling better now?” jaehyun spoke softly, to not scare her. not even wanting to respond, she shook her hand back in forth in an “eh” way to give a response.

“c’mere” jaehyun helped her off the bathroom floor and laid her down at the top of yuta’s bed. he quickly retrieved a water from the mini fridge located on the opposite side of the room and told her to drink it. she took small sips and drank a good amount before putting the rest on the nightstand. “lay here and get some rest, i’ll find your friends and let them know where you are” he stroked the side of her head softly and stood up to exit the room.

“no… stay here.” y/n finally spoke, her voice a little weak. she looked at him sadly and it worked, he came back over to her and sat on the opposite side of the bed.

“i’ll stay, just get some rest please.” she nodded and laid there next to him, subtly inching closer to feel comfort and quickly fell asleep.

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notes: feeling a little devious 😜 also this isn’t proofread bc it’s 3 am AND SORRY IF MY WRITING ISN’T THAT GOOD 🙏🏽 I HAVENT WRITTEN IN A WHILE!! anyway jaehyun enlistment era is coming upon us… i gonna rip out my hair 😭

[nicoline1998enilocin]

''I'm in love with you, you grump!''

PAIRING | Bucky Barnes x Shy!Avenger!Female!Reader

WORD COUNT | 1.6K

SUMMARY | You're currently on a mission with Sam and Bucky, so in order to blow of some steam the three of you decide to go to a bar. During the evening Sam brings up the topic of your dating life, and suddenly Bucky gets very grumpy, but you can't seem to figure out why. You're not exactly comfortable with the topic either, but his reaction seems a bit much in your eyes.

WARNING(S) | This is your official trigger warning. Do not proceed if any of these topics upset you. Reader is a bit shy, with a hint of social anxiety, Bucky and Reader are oblivious to each other's feelings, Sam is a bit of an instigator, confessed romantic feelings.

Likes, comments and reblogs will be very much appreciated 💜

Main Masterlist | Bucky Barnes Masterlist

''Hey doll, want to join us at the bar? We're heading there later and Sam and I thought it might be fun to go all together,'' Bucky asked, even though he knew full well Sam didn't mind either way. ''Uh, do I have to...? I'd rather stay at the hotel, Buck,'' you tried, you weren't a big fan of going out, let alone going to a crowded bar on a Saturday evening. Every time they are going somewhere they try to get you to come with them, but you're not much of an outgoing person, or a people-person, for that matter. Sure, you were fine around Bucky, but the two of you spend a lot of time together, but you rarely hang out with Sam aside from missions.

''Please?'' Bucky asked with big puppy dog eyes, and as much as you didn't want to say no, you couldn't resist. ''Fine, but I won't dress up or anything, and I will stay for only an hour, that's it. ''It wouldn't want it any other way, doll,'' he said as he put his hand on your hip and he put a small kiss on your forehead as a thank you, which sets your inside completely ablaze at just the simplest of touches. This crush you had on Bucky is getting out of hand, and you don't know how much longer you can hold it in before you snap and accidentally tell him how you feel.

The weather is very nice where your mission is located, so you opt to go for a simple summer dress and a pair of Converse, your hair in a simple ponytail, and very little make-up. The dress shows a little more skin than you're used to, but you've been trying to step out of your comfort zone a little bit, trying to get rid of your shy-girl persona and instead being the badass you know you can be. This seems like a good start in your mind, and not much later all three of you are heading to a bar, you're clinging to Bucky's arm as if your life depends on it. ''You okay, doll?'' he whispered in your ear, you must have been squeezing harder than intended. ''Uh, yeah I guess,'' you muttered.

God, you were feeling very uncomfortable, not just with your outfit choice, but with everything around you. There were too many people doing who knows what, and the air in the bar seems a little bit constricting, but you promised Bucky an hour so that's the least you will do for him. In all honesty, you'd do almost anything for him if he asked, but that's mainly due to this crush you've had on Bucky, which honestly feels more like you've fallen head over heels in love with the super soldier, the more you think about it. When the three of you arrive at the bar you immediately go seek out a place to sit, and much to your relief, you find a booth in a quiet part of the bar.

''Can I get you guys anything to drink?'' Bucky asked and you just nodded, Sam ordered a beer. ''Anything specific you might like?'' he smiled at you, turning a bit flustered and red at the question. ''Uh... I- uh, I'll take a beer too, please,'' you stuttered, hoping the floor would just open up and swallow you whole right then and there. ''Alright, three beers coming right up,'' he said as he walked to the bar. Neither you nor Sam said anything while he was away, and you didn't mind. You got your phone out of your bag and started scrolling through social media to keep your mind a little busy until Bucky came back. Not long after he returned, handing you your beer and you gave him a smile as a thank you.

''So, anything new with you guys?'' Sam asked, and he and Bucky were in a conversation about something you didn't particularly care for, so you were just picking at the label on your bottle. This was how it usually went and also the reason you'd rather have stayed back at the hotel. You were deep in thought and didn't notice the men across from you were looking at you expectantly. ''Uh, sorry, did you- did you ask something?'' you said as you turned bright red, not looking either of them in their eyes because you were embarrassed. ''It's okay, Y/N, no need to be shy!'' Sam said, which only made you feel worse. ''I asked if there's anything new in your dating life,'' he said again, and it didn't help much.

''Uh, no, yeah, I have been on a few dates, but it wasn't going anywhere,'' you said, mostly because you were afraid to text them back after the date, and it never got past one, if you didn't walk out during the date itself. ''You know how it goes,'' you said with a shy chuckle, which immediately died down as soon as it left your throat, you were feeling extremely uncomfortable. The main reason it never went anywhere however, is because they weren't Bucky, but you would never admit that to anyone, the bond you have with him is special and you don't want to risk losing that connection you two share.

The moment you finished your answer you immediately dropped your eyes down, to where your fingers were still picking at the corners of the label on your bottle. Because you did this you didn't see the way Bucky's face dropped at the mention of you going on dates, you never told him that and he wasn't all too happy with it in all honesty. He got up and stomped out of the bar, he needed some fresh air to clear his mind a little bit because he almost told you he wishes you would have gone on a date with him, and he didn't want to tell you like that. You quickly went after him after apologizing to Sam.

''Buck, what's wrong?'' you asked as you grabbed his arm when you were both outside. He pulled his arm away from you and ran his hands through his hair to make sure he wouldn't do anything stupid right now. ''Why didn't you tell me why you went on dates? I always tell you everything, even when I have a date,'' Bucky said, not sure why he would emphasize that part exactly. ''I-, I'm sorry, I just didn't want to mention it, in case it would make you uncomfortable. I mostly went on those dates to get you out of my head, but it never worked,'' you said now that you got a sudden confidence boost. You don't have a single clue where it came from, but you would embrace it for however long it lasted.

''Why-, wait, get me out of your head? Did I ever do anything to hurt or upset you for you to need me out of your head?'' he said and he slowly started spiraling a little bit. ''Buck, no, please look at me, you never did anything wrong-'' you said but his face said all you needed to know. He started pacing back and forth over the sidewalk and didn't look at you, so you took measures into your own hands by grabbing his arms. ''Bucky, look at me, please! I never told you I went on dates because I'm in love with you, you grump! I have been head over heels for you ever since we first met, and that's why I never told you. I thought that if I went on dates, I would get those thoughts and feelings out of my head, but they never did,'' you explained, finally looking into his eyes as you confessed your feelings. What Bucky did next honestly surprised you to your core.

''I'm in love with you too, doll, fuck it feels good to finally say it out loud! I've been trying to keep it shoved away because I thought you didn't feel the same, but now that I know you do, I just want to tell you a thousand, no a hundred thousand times how much I love you, and how in love I am with you!'' he said as he let out a nervous laugh, he was completely overcome with relief and still finds it hard to believe your feelings are out in the open now. On a whim he grabbed your face and placed his lips onto yours, hoping that if it was a dream, he would have at least felt your lips at least once, but it isn't a dream, it was real, and you couldn't be happier.

''Thank god, now I can finally breathe normally around you guys!'' Sam exclaimed as he walked out of the bar with a huge grin on his face. You and Bucky quickly pulled apart and let each other go, mostly out of reflex as it kind of felt like he caught the two of you doing something unspeakable. ''Don't stop on my account, I don't care what the two of you do as long as you both keep it in your pants,'' he said and you turned bright red and you stared at the pavement, you would never get used to comments like that. ''Doll, can you look at me?'' Bucky said as he placed a finger under your chin and lifted it to meet his gaze. ''I love you, and I will never let you go now that I know you love me too,'' he said, sealing it with another soft kiss on your lips. You felt truly happy in this moment, and wouldn't change it for the world.

[heyhiwhatsupdude]

Here’s a dumb thing I wrote enjoy. Astarion x Reader :3

(You were in a particular rough battle, one that ended in Withers needing to resurrect you, and Astarion is not happy)

His eyes are dark as life jolts back into your body. No longer are you in the cave in the Underdark where your life was torn from you, but lying in Astarion’s arms in a camp amidst glowing mushrooms. Crowded around you are your other companions, a mix of worry and relief hanging in their expressions. As you try to sit up, Astarion gently guides you.

“Are you alright, love?” He asks softly. You nod and start to stand up, stretching your recently replaced soul throughout all of your limbs, trying to make it fit back where it once had. Karlach extends a hand and helps you to your feet.

“Thought we lost you there, soldier,” she says, a weak laugh creeping out behind her words. “Fortunately for you this guy is better than us at healing.” She gestures over her shoulder at Withers, who seems rather uninterested in the whole ordeal. He nods slightly, and then continues to stare blankly ahead of him.

“Thanks, guys,” you say. You reach your hand up the back of your neck where in theory a gaping wound should still stand, but there isn’t so much as a scar. The sword that should have ended your life for good didn’t even leave a mark.

Astarion rises to his feet next to you, eyes still dark with something you can’t distinguish. Suddenly all of your other companions have somewhere else to be, quickly and awkwardly slipping away to their tents as Astarion stares you down, eyes taking in your every movement. Rather than ask him his thoughts, you silently begin to walk away from the camp, towards an area where your conversation will not be so easily overheard. After a moment you hear his footsteps follow you.

“What were you thinking?!?” His voice comes out in a hiss, anger seeping into his words. “Why would you do something so stupid?”

You turn to glance at Astarion. “It wasn’t stupid in the moment. I didn’t think he would be so fast.” Astarion tilts his chin up.

“But WHY did you have to do that? I was perfectly fine to handle myself!”

“Are you angry with me for trying to protect you?” Despite the haze of being resurrected, you still remember seeing the rush of a sword toward Astarion, and feeling your body move on its own. Though he may have been able to evade it, the blade meeting it’s mark on Astarion would have meant his certain doom as well.

“Yes. I am.” Astarion takes a step closer to you. “I would have been fine.”

You shake your head. “You don’t know that. It might have ended up like this anyway, someone being resurrected.”

“Something that we didn’t even know would work until just now. And might never work again!” He adds the second sentiment on hastily, pointing a finger at you.

“But it did work, and I’m fine now.”

Suddenly he can no longer contain himself.

“You didn’t have to watch you die!” Astarion shouts, his voice breaking. “You didn’t have to watch all of your blood rush from your neck, the life slip from your eyes. You didn’t have to watch as the only person who you have ever cared about crumple to the ground. And it was MY fault.” Tears spring from his eyes. “I thought I lost you forever, love. Hells, you DIED.”

Tears pour freely down his face, his voice catching in his throat. Tears well in your own eyes as well, knowing the hurt you have caused him, knowing you would have reacted the same had the situation been flipped, still further knowing that you did not regret your decision one bit.

“I would do it again, Astarion. For you.” He grabs your face in his hands, thumbs forcing your chin to tilt up, forcing your gaze to his.

“Don’t. Please, for my sake, don’t. I don’t care if you’re fine in the end. I cannot….. I cannot…” he buries his face in your neck as a sob cuts off his words. You wrap your arms around him gently. After a moment he regains his composure and whispers,

“I cannot bear to see you die again. Please. Don’t make me watch my worst nightmare a second time.” He pulls back, making sure you meet his gaze once again. “Please.”

“Okay,” you whisper. Astarion brushes his thumb across your lips before gently bringing them to his.

“Thank you, darling.”

You spend the rest of the night wrapped tightly in his embrace, his fingers tracing the back of your magically unscarred neck as though afraid your wound may reopen and steal you from him once again.

[a-major-love]

Night Fever

Pairing - Michael Jackson x Fem!Reader

Summary - Of all people you could have met that fateful night, it had to be him.

Word Count - 1k+

Warnings - MDNI, fem pronouns, mentions of smoking & alcohol, no use of y/n

A/N - I always imagined dancing with Michael was incredibly fun but also probably intimidating. Enjoy!

1977

Spotlights pierced through the haze of smoke filtering the air, beaming down on the partygoers. Sweat rolled off their skin, mingling with the overpowering stench of perfume and cigarettes. The men and women’s eyes twinkled at you, sparkling from pressed glitter. Their bright, painted lips mouthed along to the stream of ABBA lyrics filling the crowded space. The music pouring from the speakers vibrated under your feet. Studio 54 was lively, and terrifying all at once. 

“Friday nights are always the busiest,” your friend – Alicia –  mentioned from beside you. Her stark black hair was pulled into a tight bun, revealing her teal colored eyeshadow. The sequined dress she wore hung off her bronzed shoulders, flecks of glitter dotted her skin. 

You glanced down at the denim jumpsuit you wore, with a thick belt secured around the waist. Somehow, despite the pumps digging into the soles of your feet, you felt mildly underdressed. You scanned the crowd, biting your lip as your eyes swept over the other dancers. 

“Let’s go, birthday girl,” Alicia said, nudging you towards the center of the room. 

You giggled. “I’m just trying to appreciate the atmosphere.” 

“Well, you can go appreciate it out on the dancefloor.” 

She grasped onto your forearm, pushing through the cluster of hot bodies that brushed against you two. You could feel the men’s gazes pass over you, their heavy eyes glancing over your form before looking away. Glasses with golden liquid, and pierced olives swung around you as the people got lost in the music. 

You finally approached the middle of the dance floor, where a bright, glowing disco ball hung above your heads. Alicia broke out into a grin, her pearly white teeth pointed to the ceiling. Her dangled hearings whipped around her face as she began swaying to the music.  

It was initially her idea, at first, to celebrate your birthday at Studio 54. All you knew about the nightclub was that the entrance fee was too expensive, and the line never seemed to ease up. As much as you adored Alicia, you couldn’t find a good reason to stand outside all night – in New York during the spring – hoping to make it inside before the place closed. If there’s one thing you understood about spring in New York, it was how cold the nights could be. 

So, how in the hell she pulled this off, you were sure she would take to her grave. 

You laughed, watching her bounce around, throwing her head back. Acting as if a plethora of eyes weren’t on her. You swayed your hips, letting your eyes close as the sweet sounding harmonies of the Bee Gees washed over you. It felt as if everybody on the dance floor was in sync, breathing and moving in time with each other. 

Sharing one heart, one pulse to the music. 

Your body moved and rocked, becoming bewitched by the entrancing tune. 

“Excuse me-

You suddenly bumped into someone, startling both you and the stranger. 

“Shit, I’m sorry,” you said, whipping around to face them. A pair of oak, brown eyes crinkled at you as the strange man chuckled to himself. 

“It’s alright,” he assured, adjusting his blazer. “You’re not a bad dancer, you know.” 

You playfully grinned at him, “Have you been watching me dance?”

“I – uh didn’t mean it like that,” he stammered.

You scanned the man, taking in his wide doe eyes and large afro currently dusted with glossy confetti. A gold pendant rested between the dip of his chest, a sliver of deep brown skin peaking through the few undone buttons.

Somewhere, in the back corners of your mind, familiarity tugged at your brain. 

“Have we met before?” you inquired, furrowing your brows. 

“No, we haven’t,” he answered, perhaps a little too quickly. 

You opened your mouth to reply, when he stuck his hand out. 

“Is it alright if we danced together?” he asked.

Heat creeped up your face, as you took his inviting hand – his skin was silky smooth and warm in your grasp. He softly smiled at you, as he tugged your form closer to him. Swiftly, he twirled you around, giggling at your reaction as you nearly stumbled from the sudden movement. You caught yourself in time, taking both his hands as you grooved to the deep bass coming from the speakers. 

His eyes remained trained on you, as if analyzing every motion and gesture you made. The music enveloped you two, as the dance floor fell away, along with the people surrounding it. The club was nothing but a blur of color, as the hot white lights radiated down on you two. The music pulsed through your skin, reverberating against your ribcage. The sweet, lingering scent of nicotine floated through the air. It was as if the dancefloor came alive from under your feet suddenly, a pulsating heartbeat belonging to the untamable beast known as music. His hands never left yours, as he pulled you into his side, before going into a spin. 

You watched, in fascination. “You’re not a bad dancer yourself.”

He bashfully smiled. “Well, I’ve been dancing for most of my life.”

“Do you do it for a career, or something?” “...You could say that.”

He twirled you again, interrupting whatever train of thought you were processing. 

The night went on endlessly it seemed, as if time had temporarily stopped. Yet, the crowd of Studio 54 never broke off. A stream of guests revolved in and out of the space, some dressed in dripping jewels that outshined the hanging disco ball or extravagant outfits that felt expensive to even look at. It felt as if you were in a lion's mouth, a wet, breathing cage waiting to clamp down on you. 

Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around your frame.

“Let’s get going, my feet are killing me,” Alicia groaned, already tugging you away. 

“Wait!” The man called out, feeling your hand loosen in his grip. Alicia squinted at him, trying to make out his features through the alcohol induced brain fog. 

“You look a little familiar...” she muttered.

“I’ll meet you outside,” you explained, nudging your friend back. Alicia glanced over at you, glossy lips pouting at your urgency. She finally caved, rolling her eyes as she knowingly nodded and began to maneuver her way through the crowd. 

You turned to face him. “I had a really great time, uh-

“Michael,” he introduced, squeezing your hand. 

Had he been holding it the entire time?

“Well, it was really fun dancing with you, Michael.”

His eyes flickered between yours, as if weighing something in his mind. Michael eventually sighed, reluctantly loosening his grip and letting your hand fall to your side. 

“I hope we get to do it again, sometime,” he said. With wistful smile growing on his lips. 

You returned the smile, clenching your hand from the sudden loss of warmth. Without another word, you turned and made your way to the exit. 

The bumping music followed you out the double doors and onto the bustling street of New York City’s nightlife. A breeze brushed against your bare arms, biting at your skin. Alicia was leaning against a car, impatiently tapping her foot. Her eyes finally landed on you, wearing a strange expression you couldn’t quite place. 

“Girl, I have several questions,” she started, opening the car door for you. 

You snorted. “Ask me when it’s not past midnight.” 

She sidled into the passenger seat, as you started up the engine. The bright, white lights of Studio 54 reflected off the hood of your car. 

You could still feel his presence, even during the drive home. 

[novemberheart]

Chapter 3 <- Chapter 4-> Chapter 5

{Overview} As you grow closer to Johnny, Simon steps in

{Warnings} Slight angst, female reader, this chapter is a bit short, Johnny being a sweetheart, cursing

“Good morning everyone!” You sang, making your way to the front of the large room. A few mumbled greetings reached your ears. You put your hands on your hips a heavy sigh leaving you. “I said ‘GOOD MORNING EVERYONE”! You shouted, your hands cupping the front of your face.

Louder groans echoed through the room but ‘good mornings’ were quickly passed to you.

“I know the coffee isn’t the best, but I encourage you to have a cup.” You huffed. “Who remembers what we’re talking about this month?” You hummed, beginning your pace around the room.

“Symbols.” Robert spoke up from next to you.

“That’s right.” You cheered, turning back on your heels. “Let’s narrow that down a bit, what is our main focus this week?”

“What different colors symbolize.” Another man shouted from the back.

“Perfect. Thank you, Captain Taylor.”

“We are learning about what different colors can symbolize. So let me just throw out the color orange. What does that make you think of?”

“Oranges.”

“The sun.”

“My grandson.” A few laughs broke out in the one. “What? His favorite color is orange.” Sergeant Pierce huffed.

“No that’s actually perfect. Sometimes colors can remind us of people. Alright what about the color white?” You continued, pacing back around the crowded room.

“Snow.”

“Sheep.”

“Clouds.”

“A nice, sandy beach.”

“A wedding.” Your ears perked up at that one. You turned on your heels, your eyes squinting towards the far left of the room. Your eyes widened as you locked them with Johnny. A polite smile pulled at your cheeks as you suddenly felt shy.

“All of those are good.” You complimented, making your way back up front. “Today we are going to be focusing on what Sergeant Pierce shared with us. I want you to paint someone from your memory- but I want you to stray away from realism and focus on colors that either described your relationship with them. For example let’s say- I don’t know- twenty years ago you met a pretty little thing while you were stationed in Italy.” A few hoots sounded off from around the room. “Yeah, yeah.” You smirked rolling your eyes.

“Anyways let’s say you met this person and they were passionate. What color would you draw them as?”

“Red.” A few people said in unison.

“Perfect, red. Now let’s say along with this person being passionate this person made you happy. What color would you add?”

“Yellow!” A few others shouted.

“I think most of us agree on this so far. Now let’s get a little deeper. Now we know you can’t be happy all the time so let’s say between these moments of happiness there were pockets of uncertainty. Maybe one of you wanted a more serious relationship or maybe there was the looming possibility you could be transferred somewhere else. What color would you add to represent that?”

“Dark blue.”

“I’d add red again.”

“I think a dark green.”

You let out a small gasp. “We finally got some different answers. So far we have a person painted in yellow, red, maybe some dark blues and greens. Now just looking at this painting we would be able to grasp the sort of feelings this person might cause you. That’s our goal today. Now I don’t want any of you to worry about being vulnerable because your perception of a color might not be the same as another’s- so don’t go making assumptions, okay?” You paused for a moment. “Oh and try to keep the paintings somewhat PG, I plan on hanging these in the hallway.” You said. The room grew with chuckles before the vets got to work gathering canvases and brushes from the center of the table.

You made your way around the room chatting with each table, this was the part you loved about your job. Getting to know about each person and watch as they opened up without even realizing it. You flushed and excused yourself after a particularly raunchy table, finally ending up near Johnny.

“What do we have going on here?” You teased looking around at the canvases.

“Don’t know where you’ve been hiding this one.” Thomas spoke up, nodding his head towards Johnny. The Scot looked up from his canvas sending you a wink. This corner of the room had been the loudest, breaking out into laughter every other minute.

“He is pretty funny isn’t he?” You replied, eyes dancing back over to Johnny. The man flushed, obviously not expecting the compliment. He looked extra handsome with a red hue to his cheeks. He quickly recovered, flashing the table a smile.

“I got nothin’ on you bastards.” He finally spoke up.

“You remember that son.” Elias chuckled, giving Johnny’s shoulder a slight nudge.

“Well don’t you boys go scaring him off.” You whispered sternly. They smiled at the playful glint in your eyes.

“We’ll be nice to your boyfriend, Hun. Not to worry.” Thomas assured. The instinctual urge was to deny it-for Johnny’s sake, but you decided to let it be, you and Johnny sharing a knowing glance.

“Well that was fun, Bonnie.” You jumped at the deep voice.

“Really? They did seem to get into it a bit more than the ones in the past.” You beamed. Johnny got a bit closer admiring everyone’s handiwork. His shoulder brushed against yours, and you felt the instant urge to sink into his warmth. With him this close you could smell his cologne- a fire with a hint of spice. Out of your four temporary roommates Johnny was the one you felt the closest too- the next runner up being Kyle. He went out of his way to check in with you and be friendly- even with his playful flirting.

“Hey, where’s yours?” You perked up, turning towards him a hand resting against the table.

“I was trying to sneak out with it.” He whispered, his eyes wide as he got caught. “I was going to leave it by your door, but here you go.” He removed the still wet picture from behind his back.

Your hands reached up to cover your mouth in shock. You knew Johnny was good- but you had yet to really study his work. It was a portrait of you, with one hand on your hip, the other resting against your cheek as you looked down with a slight smile. The aspect that really blew your mind was the emotion he was able to capture in your eyes. Happiness, content with a hint of amusement. Your picture was filled with color.

“Johnny.” You gasped before you could stop yourself. Your bleary eyes looked up to meet his. “This is the most thoughtful thing anyone has given me.”

“Well that makes me sad.” He whispered back. His hand reached up, the pad of his thumb brushing a fat tear that rolled down your cheek.

“God, I’m a mess.” You sputtered, wiping your tears on your shirt collar.

“A hot one.” You laughed through your tears, your eyes meeting his melted blue ones one again.

“Thank you, Johnny. I mean it.”

Afterwards Johnny took you out to lunch at a cozy pub a few blocks away from work. You two chatted over the daily special. You learned he was the second youngest of four sisters.

“So that’s why you’re not uncomfortable around me.” You jested.

He talked about where he grew up, the look in his eyes making you homesick for a place you’ve never been.

“I’ll take you there one day, Bon. You’d like it. It’s rainy with lots of farms.”

He asked about you. Not that you had too much to share. You told him about your different jobs, growing up as an only child, how you missed home but overall were happy you worked up the courage to leave.

He paid the bill before you even realized it had been dropped off at the table.

As he drove you back to work the realization that this was the best date you’d even been on hit you like a bolt of lightning. Not that you had any right to call it a date. He was just being friendly and wanted you to feel welcome. Maybe he was trying to score some points with Laswell that he was being a good host. The thought made your heart sink a bit. You shook the thought away.

“You okay?” Johnny spoke up from the drivers seat. You quirked your eyebrow. “You shook your head like there was a bug on you.”

“I did?” You muttered causing him to nod his head. Had you always done that? Sure you would shake thoughts out of your head- but you weren’t aware you physically did it. “Spasm, I guess.” You shrugged nonchalantly. He hummed- seemingly fine with your answer.

That night you were by yourself. The house was empty when you came home. You made yourself a quickly dinner, washing the dishes before you even began to eat. It was another nice night out, just chilly enough you could wear one of your favorite sweaters. It was quiet outside, except for a few planes passing overhead. One of the perks of living all the way in the back corner you supposed. The trees rustled from the wind and even though you couldn’t be more in civilization- you felt far from it.

A few moments passed until you heard movement over by Simon’s shed. Your hairs quickly stood up as the familiar feeling a fight or flight kicked in. Luckily that was short lived as the door opened to reveal Simon. You took a deep breath, adjusting your gaze to look back at the sky.

“Heard Johnny took you out.” He grunted.

“Yeah, he did.” You confirmed, not even registering the sweet smile that graced your face. He sighed causing your smile to fall.

“Don’t get use to it. I bet he told you all about his home and how he’s going to take you there one day. We’ve got enough on our plate without you crushing him.”

All the safety that had begun to settle in your bones quickly disappeared. You stiffened in your seat suddenly feeling all too imposing.

“I don’t think that.” You sputtered. It was a rare occurrence that someone would be so blunt with you. “I didn’t mean to overstep.” You continued, your throat tight and a small shake beginning in your body. Simon refused to meet your eyes, his trained on the house. With another sigh he made his way back inside leaving you in the suddenly all too dark and cold backyard. You made quick work of heading back inside and up to your room.

You heard a car pull into the driveway and a small commotion downstairs. With an embarrassing whimper you rolled over pulling the covers far above your head.

Hi friends! I hope you liked this next chapter. Sorry I made Simon a bit of a meany- he’s just protective of his boys and doesn’t want to see them get hurt! You understand right? As always likes and reblogs are greatly appreciated. See you next time! 🤎

[maikissed]

Kylian Mbappé oneshot

this was supposed to be a part 2 for when was the time for Kylian Mbappe to explode but I lost the idea somewhere, so I'd say it's more of a standalone with a few hints here and there…yup warnings: smut

She was bored during the Olympics. The event was grand, beautiful and festive. So many people striding the streets, Paris was colourful and very much packed. She loved the stir, the energy, the hubbub. She was busy, there was so much work. But she was not exactly present here, checking socials in the meantime, her thoughts far and messy. His latest post popped out first thing as she opened Instagram and she sighed wondering why she started to feel something close to longing as she focused on her grumpy humour as of late. Her own desires unknown.

She wondered if there’ll be a chance to see him again, she enjoyed his presence, the sight of him, his eyes, however dangerous his gaze was endearing, she missed the way his enigmatic presence made her feel. She wondered if she might have grown some form of attachment, an infatuation even. He was electrifying, that she knew for sure. She enjoyed putting herself in front of the fire, maybe there was some masochism hiding behind it, but she was curious how fast would she burn.

And she in fact spotted him, a week later, during a fundraising gala, when she was convinced he was still enjoying his vacation - she came across some new photos posted by another media account. She was looking for her boss but she stopped in her tracks to observe him, as he was engaged in a friendly conversation with some men. Fingers nervously tapping on her little clutch bag, she was considering if she should wait for a proper moment to approach him. Many people started to gather around him, making her doubt if it was a good idea. Just as she was about to turn around to focus back on her job here, his eyes landed on her suddenly, he was saying something and there appeared a gentle smile on his lips as he recognized her. Because he did. She realised she was staring at him, he nodded gently her way, she send him a delicate smile and waved. He looked sharp, handsome, clad in very elegant black tuxedo, every element dark, even the shirt under the jacket, neatly fastened all the way up. Out of nowhere some more people blocked her sight then, so she composed herself and started to walk. In the opposite direction.

She was focused on the stage in front of her, she was counting the seats, analysing the tables and making sure no vires were peeking out from the carpet when a low voice behind her made her jump slightly.

“Bonsoir” there he was standing, his hands in the pocket of his pants, the material of his clothes looked expensive “You look beautiful”

She blinked at his compliment, fixing her posture, flashing him a warm smile.

“Thank you, you look handsome” a simple pleasantry, she felt nervous “Did u have a nice vacation?”

“It was alright” he shrugged not taking his eyes off of her. He was standing tall, but he seemed somehow weary “How was your vacation?”

“Busy” she nodded.

“I can see” he looked around “Where do you sit?”

“I’m staying here. Currently I’m making sure everything goes well with the plan. It’s about to start”

“Right. See you later, then, I hope”

She smiled back at him as he strode off to the centre of the room. That stupid pleased smile not seeming to leave her face.

The shoes were killing her, the dress suffocating her, the crowd turned more pressed and louder than from before the start of the event. She wondered where all these people came from so suddenly. The bathroom was a nice escape for some time, but she could not stay there forever. After freshening up a little she headed back, before her boss would chastise her for leaving her post. She had about a half an hour more to finish her duties. Just as she turned around the corner from the hall, she collided with something hard and swayed on her legs before she could process what has just happen. A huff leaving her mouth as she grabbed somebody’s arms, protecting herself from falling. There was an arm around her middle, keeping her steady.

“Now you’re falling into my arms, I see” she looked into Kylian’s eyes, a little breathless.

A small chuckle leaving her mouth as she still clung onto him, her eyes big and round, her heart beating faster, caused by the little accident.

“Technically I bumped onto you, I’m sorry”

“Don’t worry about it” he murmured and a second later she realised how close they were. She straightened up, her palms falling down his arms and she stepped away.

His hand placed on her back disappeared and she missed it already.

“Shouldn’t you be back there, with all these people so desperate for your attention?” she joked.

“They started to bore me, it’s tiring to keep up with their conversations. I was looking for a way out, and for you, to be honest”

Excitement rushed over her once again.

“Yes, it’s a little bit crowded now” she acknowledged.

“Should we sneak out?” he looked around them as if to check if someone might be lurking in the corner.

The question surprised her. She bit her lip considering what would happen if she left now, while her boss might in fact be looking for her. She had her phone, she would call her if she was needed. Maybe she’ll forget.

She didn’t suspect that they would end up in her apartment later that night. As they went out in the chilly night for a walk, she brought up the idea; she in fact lived nearby. It was an expensive area, so her apartment was a small studio in an old tenement.

“You well organised this place” his voice low, sounded much deeper in such noiseless surroundings “I like it” he took off his jacket to sit more comfortably on a little sofa in the middle of the living room.

There was ringing in her ears. She watched him a while, he seemed relaxed, no tension, no disguise. Calmness.

 “I had to separate a bit of space to arrange the bedroom. It’s minuscule, but it’s serving it’s purpose”

Looking for glasses she peeked his way to notice him unbuttoning the top of the black shirt he was wearing. The room was hot, she reminded herself that she has to open a window, but then the scent of his perfume hit her senses and she changed her mind quickly.

“Wine?” she asked innocently and he brought his eyes back to her.

“Sure”

She sat down on the other end of the sofa, very aware of his eyes following her movements. She wondered what kind of message was sent the moment she invited him to spend some time at her place. It was a friendly time. Or she thought so.

Her dress tightened as she sat down. She took a sip of her wine, slowly realising what kind of persona she was hosting at this hour at night. In her little apartment.

“It’s a nice place, how long do you live here?”

“Two years”

“Aren’t you tired of Paris already? Some say it gets suffocating after a while”

“It’s a wondrous city. Though it can get a bit lonely after some time” she shared, observing his curious gaze.

“Do you have someone?” his question was unexpected but voiced out in simple curiosity.

She smiled softly at him before brining her eyes down to her glass.

“No” she dragged “I don’t do dates” her comment made him laugh softly.

She frowned before her face broke into another smile.

“And you, Monsieur Mbappé? I can ask you the same”

“I don’t do dates” he smirked, a glint in his eyes.

She could smell another wave of his scent when he moved. She adored it, the heavy tones in his perfume were alluring.

“Oh, don’t you?” she jested “Smells like another lie”

“I’m too busy” he shrugged and it was her time to laugh.

“What about the sex?” she voiced it out loud. Yes. She was too nosy for her own good. And honestly, she loved to poke him places.

“I can ask you the same” he got back at her. She blinked, biting her lip timidly.

“I manage” she uttered bringing the glass back up to her lips.

“Oh, wow, sound exciting”

She sent him a chiding look, eyeing the amusement on his face as he examined her. She feared her lie was too much obvious. She was way too lonely, and her bed cold. And mostly because she was as well way too busy for any endeavours.

“As weird as this might sound, the sex can turn boring and predictable at some point. Or I don’t find it so compelling anymore. Or maybe I fail at choosing the partner” he stated confidently, she realised he opened up about a very intimate subject. But it stunned her.

“You’re twenty-six years old. Shouldn’t you enjoy it?” she questioned in surprise.

“It’s pleasant while it lasts, it’s a short moment, this quick shot of excitement but then it ends quickly and things turn uncomfortable”

She hummed in acknowledgement and he observed her lips flex into a smirk. She considered.

“Maybe you’re rushing it” she pointed.

“How so?”

“I’d say…” she started carefully, wondering how to chose her next words “Sex is the most intimate connection of the bodies, most importantly of the minds. It tastes the sweetest when you don’t reach for the grand part at once. You want to draw it out, build the tension, the want, by engaging all your senses with touch, caress, focus on the speeding heartbeats, deepening breathing, skin heating. It’s pleasant when the foreplay is longer than the act itself. But it’s not just about the foreplay being present, it’s about how you savour it, how you connect with the other person, how you see them experiencing it, how you build it all up. You delay the finale to the point of breakage, your limbs shaking, your head spinning. So when you reach it, the orgasm can be shattering. And the partner of your choosing have to awaken these kind of excitement for you, because if you consider it only a deed in order to reach your relief, it could turn predictable and uncomfortable, I think.”

Her eyes focused on the wall, her glass empty now. She risked to look his way and he seemed intrigued. His eyes dark, the room turned quiet.

“I don’t mean that you’re a bad lover” she stammered a little, bit embarrassed “It’s not like I know of it, it’s just…”

“Relax, I didn’t get it that way” he interrupted “It was captivating, you’re very passionate”

His presence here, in her little private setting and this conversation made her feel uneasy. She felt an urge to move closer to where he was seated. To whisper that she wants it all with him. Her breath stuck in her lungs when she realised, when he called her passionate. He was suffocating at this point, his big, manly figure on her little couch, his perfume. She knew how to make him feel it. And something in his face told her that he wanted her to.

She stood up reaching for the empty glasses with intention to fill it again. But he stopped her by grabbing her wrist. She knew this touch, yet this time it was gentler. His fingers glided down her skin to hold her own. He leaned back on the couch again, sitting like before, his posture relaxed, his eyes deep. She was burning.

“When was the last time you felt something like this?” he asked, she wanted to hear his deep voice closer to her ear.

She focused on the gentle touch, his fingers now playing softly with hers as he stared into her soul. She was afraid she wouldn’t be able to speak out now, her voice locked out somewhere deep in her chest. She breathed through her lips slightly ajar.

“Right now” her voice much steadier than she thought.

His chest rose at her answer. He looked at their hands connected still.

“Show me, please”

Oh, God. She stood above him awkwardly for a moment after he let her hand fall back down. A gentle caress over her knuckles before he let go. Her knees weak as she took few steps back, her shaky fingers reaching the zipper of her dress. That was the moment, she was about to strip in front of him. She wanted to, badly. And the scene was powerful: him seated down, clad in finest clothes, his legs spread, his dangerous eyes drinking her in as she opened the back of her dress.

Her movements slow and delicate, her fingers keeping the straps of her dress for a moment before it fully slid down her body. His eyes followed it’s track, he didn’t move, she wasn’t able to read much from his face before his gaze met her own back again. In the first moment there was pure fascination and simple, almost childish like adoration in the glint in his eyes, but when he blinked it was all gone, and she could see his throat moving, ferocity in the darkness of his irises. He had all the power to break her, yet her purpose was to tame him.

She was bare, unveiled in front of him, only her most intimate place covered by a soft material of the thongs she was wearing.

“You are heavenly beautiful. How come you don’t already have all men howling at your feet?” his words surprised her, there was a bit of playfulness in his features, but honesty and admiration in his deep voice.

She chose to seduce him to the point of having him at her feet.

“Who are all these men compared to you?” she sang as she took little steps to where he was seated.

A cheeky smile broke on his face and she adored it.

“Are trying to play with my ego?” she was standing close, almost between his knees and he kept looking straight into her eyes.

“You don’t need me to, Kylian” she whispered “Everybody knows it for a fact” after these words she turned and carefully sat down to place herself between his legs, her back facing him.

She wanted to lead him, but as soon as his warm palms rested on her waist any words died in her throat and she sighed closing her eyes, delighted by the way the energy flew between them both. The touch was sweet. He leaned into her, his breath close to her ear and cheek. The material of his clothing soft, rousing with the contact of her bare skin. His hands glided lower, caressing her hips and then her thighs. She looked down and hummed at the sight of how big they were, she felt so small.

“You have pretty hands” she breathed, her eyes closing on it’s own as his palms slid up and then back down on the skin there, very slowly. She savoured the closeness of his body, his touch.

“Oh, you like them?” his breath hot on her skin, his words vibrating on the shell of her ear, she shivered “Where do you want me to put them?” said gentler, into her skin.

She leaned into him, relaxing limbs pressed into his torso.

“Do you want me to fuck you with my fingers?”

A whimper almost broke out of her, but she fought it, her eyes wide open and he moved his hands higher up her hips, resting them on her stomach.

“Yes” she answered, making sure to sound composed and confident, but her voice broke a little when his fingers moved up and gently stroked her nipples. She writhed against him. He was gentle, she was close to lose her mind. He knew what to do. He was doing it perfectly.

One of his hands moved up, roaming her throat and she placed her head back on his shoulder. She was floating in his embrace, his perfume intense, he indeed was her desires impersonated. It was turning her mad. She wanted all of him, badly.

“But we want to savour it, darling, don’t we?”

Long and tender fingers reached her jaw, moving higher, butterfly touches on her lips, she let him caress them before she timidly opened her mouth. He put his thumb in her mouth and her chest fell. Her breathing deepening, she sucked on his finger but he didn’t linger long, instead moved his hand back down, placing moistened digit on her nipple. Did the same thing with the other hand, his wet fingers playing so tauntingly softly with delicate buds. Her breathing sped up, he kept stimulating her, she was lightheaded. Her thighs closed on it’s own, her breathing was the most prominent sound in the room. Her spine bending, a mewl left her mouth as she could feel herself clenching around nothing.

“Ah, are you in need, love? Tell me” amusement in his voice, he enjoyed her struggling.

“Please” she whined weakly, opening her thighs to bring his attention there “Touch me”

His chest rumbled with a short laugh. Oh, he was a menace.

“You’re a sweet thing”

Using his hand he reached for her leg and hiked it up, wrapping it around his thigh. She anticipated. The first light touch of his fingers there made her wriggle into him. She could feel him, hard, pressed against her bum.

“So wet” in a low voice, her hand grasping the material of his pants, she was so patient, dying to keep up with it “You’re giving me everything I wanted and more”

She moaned, the sound much surer now, freed, with no intention to hide her arousal out of abashment. He was testing her, learning how to play her body, she was louder when he was gentler with her, delicate rubs against the material of her knickers. Her hand reached behind to hold on his neck. Her backside moving against him, he hummed, content with the friction there. His thumb hooked over the band of her thongs. She hoped.

“Kylian…” a soft whisper “Let me…”

“Should I?” few delicate pecks of his moist lips under her ear “Or should I… delay it?”

She cried out desperately in answer.

“How much can you take? The night’s still young, I should know before I make you take me in every possible way that comes to my mind till the very end of it” his fingers finally disappearing under the material, she gasped at the contact.

“Everything” she breathed “I’ll take everything”

“Now, you should be careful with such words” he pushed one finger inside her, swiftly, then another, she slumped onto him knowing that she’ll be finished in no time, he worked her up so well.

She no more had any kind of control over her own body. Just few quick pushes and she came on his fingers. Breathless, yet still wanton. Her legs were weak but she was brave, after few calm breaths she turned to face him. And she realised that she opened the darkest and the most dangerous doors he kept hidden and locked. She could see it in his eyes. Absolute elation, almost obsession. And she wanted to see it unleash. Wanted for him to let it all out free. She had a wild idea in her mind. 

She straddled him carefully, her hands wandering over his body, feeling his muscles, resting on his neck as she placed her lips near his ear.

“I mean it, you can take as much as you want, I’m yours for the night” she whispered, next bringing her face closer to his, thinking about kissing him right now “How do you want me, Kylian?” her voice even sweeter now as she looked into his eyes “Do you want me on my knees? Do you want me to put it in my mouth? I can go for hours”

There was a lazy smirk pulling at his cheeks. He seemed to not expect such words from her. But she wanted to keep going. She moved her hips forward to finally meet his, he grunted at the contact, she smiled in victory. He was so very ready. But they were playing their game now. He was good, she aimed to be even better.

“Or I can fuck you like this” and again, back and forth, dry humping him but slowly, dosing the sensations “Oh…I would love that. You don’t have to do anything. I can do everything for you, you deserve it” she purred, her lips so close to his, almost touching.

He chuckled and his eyes closed. She weakened him, he turned spellbound.

“Fucking hell” he murmured and she moved once more against him.

She wondered who will win this game at the very end, something was telling her it will most definitely be him, even if she had her sweet little moments right now.

He was trying to catch her lips but she shun away from him, testing him, tempting him, with a fierce smirk plastered on her face. A sharp spark in his eyes and she knew he had enough. He reached with his fingers and clasped them on her jaw, bringing her closer, a little roughness to it. But the kiss was gentle, delicate, so sweet she sighed into it. He grasped her hips and pressed her hard onto him, the kiss deepening, she moaned when their tongues met. He hummed and after few moments let go of her, sitting back comfortably, his hands spread on the back of the sofa, he was smiling at the sight of her flushed state.

“Go on then, baby. On your knees”

Her heart jumped in her chest at the sound of his deep voice. Excitement rushed all over her and she bit her lip when pictures of the pleasure she wanted to bring out of him run through her imagination. Her ears already full of the sound of him moaning her name. She slid to the floor, her shaky fingers reaching for the top of his pants, he observed her. When her fingers caught the zipper, one of his hands already rested on her nape and she knew he would not go easy on her. Her mouth watered at the thought of him using her, fucking her mouth, forcing her to choke on it to the point of tears running down her cheeks. She knew he would win, from the very start.

[sexynetra]

WIP WEDNESDAY

Hi :) I am back from my whirlwind roller coaster of a weekend and I have returned with edited Crygi! I am hoping to have the fic up by this weekend but I make no promises.

~~~~~~

“Did I wake you?”

“Mm, maybe. But I needed to get up anyway. It’s opening ceremony day,” Crystal hummed and Gigi felt the butterflies stir in her stomach.

“I don’t ever get nervous. I don’t know why I’m feeling nervous all of a sudden,” Gigi sighed, setting her phone on her headboard so she could sit up properly.

Crystal stared at her for a moment. “It’s opening ceremony day,” she repeated, a bit slower. “You’re nervous ‘cause it's opening ceremony day. Isn’t it, like, a huge party basically? You watch a bunch of performances and some government propaganda and a bunch of, like, boring tradition stuff, and then you walk out with a billion other Americans dressed exactly the same as you and wave and smile and then it's all over and you go party for real.”

“Okay, first of all, the only reason I’m okay being told what to wear is because it’s by Ralph Lauren. And even then, I’m itching to alter it so it’s more flattering—”

[moonstruckme]

hi! could you be able to please write a one shot with James Potter where he lets everyone know that he has a girlfriend and he's taken but nobody knows who is his girlfriend. And after he falls off his broom during a quidditch match turns out that his girlfriend its the slytherin captain, who is like the complete opposite of James lol

Hi lovely, thanks for your request! I hope you like it <3

Cw: mention of injury, no details/description

James Potter x slytherin!reader ♡ 740 words

James Potter is well aware that, considering his usual tendency to showboat, it's suspicious that his dating life has suddenly become the best-kept secret at Hogwarts. It's obvious he is dating someone. He hasn't exactly been inconspicuous with the notes he sends flying down the halls several times a day (though it's a small miracle no one has been able to chase them all the way to the recipient) and when he wouldn't tell Sirius who it was, his friend let slip to half of Gryffindor house that he'd caught James sneaking out of their dorm room three times in the past week. Soon, it seemed like all James' classmates did was buzz with speculation about his mysterious partner.

James is trying to ignore that speculation now, the chatter in the crowded stands somehow reaching him even far above the quidditch pitch, distracting him from looking out for the snitch.

"Hardly at the top of our game today, are we, Potter?" A snide voice calls, a blur of green blazing past him to lob the quaffle towards the center goalpost.

James perks up, brought back to the game by the familiarity of a good bickering. "Wishful thinking," he calls back, just as the Gryffindor keeper blocks your attempt at a goal. James meets your fierce stare with his most winning smile. "Maybe if I wasn't, you'd have a half-decent chance of beating us for the first time in three years."

Three years, he wants to add, since both of you had been made captain of your respective teams. James certainly isn't going to lose that winning streak because of any gossip. He redoubles his focus, waiting for a telling glint of light or the light buzzing of wings, and keeping an eye on the Slytherin seeker to make sure she hasn't spotted it either.

There's a flicker of movement to his right, and James is off, the ruckus of the crowd drowned out by the wind rushing past his ears as he races towards the snitch. His vision seems to narrow as it grows closer, all his attention on the tiny golden ball, and he can almost touch it when pain shoots through his side.

James tries to grab at his broom, but he's too slow, his hand wrapping around only air. He's on solid ground before he knows what's happened, splayed on his back with a view of the other players high above him, almost all shock-still. Almost, except for the Slytherin chaser in a dangerously fast nose-dive towards him. You hardly take the time to level out your broom before you're hopping off and crouching beside him.

"Potter—shit, Potter, are you okay?" Your hands tremble as they run over his arms, his torso, as if wanting to make sure he's still whole but afraid he'll shatter at anything more than your gentlest touch.

"I think so." James groans, sitting up. "A couple broken ribs, maybe."

"Shit," you pant, your hands moving to his face. "Are you sure?"

"Well, I'm a bit rattled at the moment," he says, beginning to snark, but he softens when he sees you're blinking back tears. "It's not bad, sweetheart. I'm alright."

You shake your head, somewhere between frustrated and fond, and press your lips to James' abruptly. He's so shocked it takes him a second to kiss you back, doing his best to soothe the desperation he can feel in your touch.

You pull back just as quickly, leaving James so dazed he's caught entirely off guard by the light smack you deliver to the back of his head.

"You idiot. You should have seen that bludger coming from a mile away."

James searches for a witty rebuttal, but comes up empty. He can't decide whether to be offended or charmed by you right now, and it's stolen the gall from him. It's also possible that he's concussed. "Yeah," he says dumbly.

You huff, but still squeeze his shoulder as you stand, letting Madam Hooch move in to take your place. "Idiot," you mumble again, stalking towards your broom. "Come see me later."

James watches you go with something akin to awe. Only after you've rejoined your teammates does he notice the hush that's fallen over the crowd, and Sirius, standing well within hearing distance and looking like he's been stupefied, his eyes wide with horror.

But even if James looks as whipped as he feels, he doesn't really care.

[random-imagines-blog]

One Thousand Cheers {Dean Winchester x Female!Reader}

Wordcount: 2669 Requested by: @ab1nsur Summary: While hunting demons on the beach, you get caught up in a rather revealing contest. Warnings: Swearing, Spring Break chaos, A touch of non-consensual touching, demon mischief.

Demons on a beach during Spring Break. This felt like some sort of teen romance novel, and you could see the cover now - some red painted muscular guy holding some lusty teenager, the sunset behind them. Course, demons never actually looked like that. The ones you were looking for blended in well enough, looking like bikini-clad twenty-year olds who were looking for a hookup, rather than for souls. “Ever feel like you’re too old for this crap?” You asked Dean, standing up on a bench to try to look over the crowds for your demons, or for anyone who looked like they were being lured away. “Spring Break - what I wouldn’t give for a week off to feel like a stupid kid again.” 

“This is your idea of a fun Spring Break?” Dean said, his eyes too busy scoping out the beach, and making sure that his Revolver was tucked away inside of his jacket. He’s the one that stood out for wearing one, in this almost 90-degree weather. The sun going down didn’t cool anything any. “My break was another hunt, and I’d be lucky if it wasn’t somewhere that was raining all the time.” 

“I think that’s why you are the way you are. You didn’t get to party enough,” You chuckled. “Didn’t get to raise a little hell like these idiots.” 

“Yeah, that’s my problem alright. Didn’t party enough,” Dean grunted. Then his eyes seemed to catch on something, much like how a cat will suddenly spot a squirrel and look ready to pounce. “To the left.” 

“I see one to the right,” You whispered back. “Split up?” 

“Going to have to,” Dean said. “We’ll meet back up over there.” 

He motioned his head to one of the larger stages that seemed like it was preparing for a Wet T-Shirt Contest. You rolled your eyes at him. Of course, that’s where he would want to end up. “Alright, but only because it’s a good central location. Not because I wanna watch you get an eyeful.” 

Before he could come up with a witty retort, you were off the bench and walking among the people. In your jeans and white t-shirt, you didn’t exactly fit in with them either, but at least you weren’t wearing a heavy jacket. Your own weapon, your knife, was tucked into a holster attached to your leg, and your fingers brushed against the hilt with every step that you took towards the woman who had flashed her black eyes at you. It was tough to maneuver through the crowd, tall men often standing in the way of your line of your vision, a couple of them playfully trying to touch you. You slapped their hands away and carried on, too focused on the mission to give them a piece of your mind. Otherwise, you would have picked them apart and left them absolutely decimated with only your words. 

There she was. A fucking stunner. The vessel must have been a supermodel or something because this demon was getting a lot of attention, exactly like it wanted. It had it’s pick of tall, muscular, college-age men who didn’t actually think much about their future and would make a deal for something as stupid as money. Bargain away their soul for a couple of fun weekends in Cancun or something similar. 

Going up and incapacitating it wasn’t an option, not with so many witnesses. There was no way you were going to be able to form a salt circle around it with all of these people around, it would get trodden on, if it didn’t immediately mix with the sand. But you couldn’t let it just take these men away either. If you could save their souls, best bet you were going to try.  

“Hey, you,” You called out, jogging a little closer, running the back of your hand against your forehead where sweat was starting to gather and drip into your eyes. All the attention turned to you in that moment, and the demon knew that it had the advantage here. Its smirk made you want to rage. You had to use some quick thinking to get these men away. 

“Can I help you?” It said, in a sickly-sweet voice. The fucking confidence in these demons - must be a younger one.  

“You’re the bitch who gave my brother herpes, aren’t you?” You said, your mind flashing to Gabriel of all people, and the trick that he had pulled on Sam, making him pretend he was in a commercial for Herpexia. “Yeah, I remember you. Now I know my brother is too chickenshit to say anything, but I will.” You put your hands around your mouth to mime a loudspeaker of some kind, getting more people to look. “THIS CHICK HAS HERPES. DON’T SHARE A DRINK WITH HER OR SLEEP WITH HER. SHE WON’T EVEN CALL YOU AFTER ANYWAY!” 

The demon growled, a touch of its true nature showing, the eyes darkening as the guys around her started to subtly walk away, deciding that it just was not worth it. So at least one part of your idea was coming to fruition.  

“You play dirty,” she said, her head tilting menacingly towards you. The eyes were so focused on yours. You stepped in a little closer, your hand closing around the hilt of your weapon as a little room was made by the absence of her suitors. 

“Yeah, I was inspired by a tricky angel, what can I say?” You said, your own gaze glaring. “What happened to just hanging around crossroads, huh? Surely that has more dignity than picking up these scraps.” 

“Dignity? Now - you’re one to talk,” The demon said, the smirk growing on her painted red lips, which perfectly matched the bikini that she was wearing. Her hands were on her hips. She knew there were still too many people for me to do anything drastic, like go charging. “Always hanging around the Winchesters. Clinging onto Dean.” 

“I don’t cling,” You scoffed. “I said, actually. It’s something that friends do. Which you wouldn’t know, because demons don’t really have friends, do they? You’re not the most likeable sort.” 

“Friends?” The demon said, chuckling, which got on your nerves. “Come on, y/n. Even from down below we can see how bad you have it for Dream-Boy Dean. Which is why you cling.” 

“I think this part, right here, this is why you guys have a bad rep. The deals, the hellhounds, the annoying possessions, they’re all bad, but this right here? This is why you’re never going to have friends,” You glared, feeling yourself getting riled up. Which of course is what they wanted. 

“We take bets down there, on how hurt you’re going to be when he turns you down,” The demon-woman giggled. “I bet a hundred souls that you’re going to call on one of us. Make a little deal so that he’ll love you the same way that you love him.” 

"This isn’t going to stop me from killing you, you know. Actually, it’s making me want to do it more. And then you can go back down to hell and pass on the message that all of you are going to lose your money, nobody wins. You’re all just - so damn wrong.” 

Your stomach was churning inside of you. The anger was making you start to become careless, but it wasn’t just the words that she was saying which were pissing you off. It was the fact that she had a goddamn point. OF COURSE you clung onto Dean Winchester. Has anyone seen him? He’s one of the most handsome men in the world, women and some men everywhere fell for him. And you had the pleasure of getting to know him, which made your admiration worse. He was a badass, he was confident, he was funny, he had this bad boy look down pat. But of one thing you were absolutely sure. You would never, ever be stupid enough to make a deal with a demon. Not for love, not for power, not for anything. If you ended up ever confessing your feelings to Dean, and he didn’t feel the same - that was that. You already prepared yourself for it. 

“So do it,” The demon-woman said. “Kill me. But you know I’ll be back. That’s the thing that you really should hate about us demons. We always come back.” 

“Yeah, it’s really annoying,” You had to admit. Your hand fastened around the hilt of your knife. “And it makes prison sound pretty damn worth it.” 

She backed up, turned around and started to run, weaving through bodies. It appeared to be more of a dance than anything else, with her bare feet against the sand. You found it a little harder, running in your sneakers. The constant dipping into other people’s deeper footprints made your thighs burn as you kept moving. You wanted to have your knife in your hands but considering how many people were around, how there could be accidents, it wasn’t the smart thing to do. So, you were stuck just following, hoping to tackle. No, praying to all the angels that you knew that she would get hit with one of those giant beachballs that people were throwing around, so you could drag her out of there easier.  

Dodge and weave. The people were growing closer and closer together. You were having to use your elbows. With the congestion, you felt like you were a piece of floss, struggling to get between teeth. You kept getting sprayed with something, water probably. No, ugh, it smelt like beer. Someone was actually shaking up their beer and then pouring out the foam over people. 

You wrinkled your nose, wiping it away from your eyes before it could get into them, and then looked around again. You had totally lost her. There were other girls around in red bikinis but none of them had her face. You pushed more and more - until you found yourself being against a stage. Two arms came down and grabbed onto yours, pulling you up, confusing you further. 

“And we have our last volunteer for the wet t-shirt contest!” An emcee said, different colored spotlights dancing around your body. “What’s your name, jeans?” 

There were cheers coming from the crowd that you had just elbowed your way through. Your mouth went dry as you realized that everyone was now looking at you. You turned your eyes to the DJ booth where a man that looked like he was out of an LMFAO music video was standing, mic pointed out towards you.  

“Y/N,” you said, loudly.  

“Y/N! Come and stand with the other contestants, you all know how this goes don’t you?” 

While he explained the rules of this stupid contest that you now couldn’t get out of, since everyone was looking over at you, you looked through the crowd. Your eyes first landed on the demon, who was smirking at you from amongst the crowd. Her ruby red lipstick made her look all the smugger and you shook your head at her, mentally threatening to make her exorcism as painful as possible. The next pair of eyes that you caught were green, and boy, were they wide.  

Dean Winchester could be a bit of a gambling man, often with his life, but he would have never bet that he would see you be a part of a wet t-shirt contest. 

One by one, the girls in your lineup had buckets of water poured over them. Your heart was pounding when your turn was coming up. You weren’t dressed like these other girls. You didn’t have on a skimpy bikini top. Hell, it looked like the girl two down from you wasn’t wearing a bra at all. She looked like Jennifer Aniston in Friends. You looked down to make sure that you were wearing one, and yes, thank Chuck you were, and it wasn’t one of your bad laundry-day bras either. 

A gasp came out of you as a bucket full of COLD water was poured over your head. It was freezing absolutely freezing, and made you feel chilled down to the bone. But it had the effect that they wanted. Your white t-shirt was now drenched, and clinging onto your body, the way that the demon claimed you clung onto Dean. The cold had the effect on your body of making your nipples harden and start to point out of the thin fabric of your bra. The crowd in front of you went wild, a hundred, a thousand cheers coming out from them as they clapped for your body.  

You warmed up pretty quick from how flustered you were feeling. Your eyes were still stuck on Dean’s as his trailed down your body, taking in the sight of you. It wasn’t the most exposed that you had been, since he had given you a hand with stitches on your abdomen before, but it was all about context. This wasn’t seeing you because he was helping. This was him seeing you because you somehow got put into a contest meant to give straight men and lesbians material for their spankbank. 

And even though you hadn’t wanted to enter - you got in second.  

And a bonus of a 100-dollar cash prize. 

That part wasn’t so bad. 

You took it without any pomp, just accepted the bill out of the emcee’s hand and hopped off the back of the stage with the intention of circling back around and trying to avoid the mass of people. Music was playing louder now that the contest was over. Free drink tickets were being thrown out from the stage. People were being pulled up to dance. It was basically a stampede over there, and you had to finally resign yourself to the fact that if the demon was in there, she was out of your reach.  

You saw Dean exiting the crowd out of the corner of your eye and walked in his direction, pulling the shirt away from your skin, though once you let go, it immediately clung right back with a sick squelching sound. You crossed your arms in front of yourself instead, protecting what little modesty that you had left.  

“Not a word, Winchester,” You warned him. He put his hands up innocently, though you knew that he had something on the tip of his tongue that he wanted to say. 

You watched him as he took his heavy jacket off and he put it around your shoulders. You weren’t cold any longer, but you did take the opportunity to cover up, muttering a thank you as you crossed your arms in front of yourself to hide your wet t-shirt from view. “Can’t complain about a hundred bucks though,” he said, with a corny smile.

“I can complain that the demon bitch got away. I swear, she did that on purpose. Lead me to the stage so that I would get picked. Crowley is probably down there, laughing his ass off, knowing that his demon did this.” 

“We’ll find them,” Dean said, resolutely. “- after you buy me an overpriced beer. You can afford it.” 

You nudged him with the new weight of the jacket, making him chuckle. It was a welcome sound, after being humiliated and disappointed. “Fine, fine. One beer - but we’re looking for these hellspawns while we drink, yeah?” 

“Yeah,” Dean said, gruffly. “We’ll squish these cockroaches.” 

You nodded and he put his arm around your shoulders, leading you towards one of the makeshift bars on the beach, selling beer at three times the price of what they should be. Your heart was beating quickly again inside of your chest as you were pulled in close to him, the smell of his leather surrounding you. Your words flickered back to what the demoness had said - you clung to him. But right now, it almost looked like ... 

He was clinging to you. 

[happyhauntt]

fight or flight — poe dameron.

writing masterlist | askbox

─── summary: you and poe have never seen eye-to-eye. most days, you wonder if you ever will.

─── pairing: poe dameron x solo!reader.

─── warnings: reader is gender neutral, reader is han & leia's child, no use of y/n. lots of snarky banter. this was supposed to be flirty fluff but it turned into an angstfest so, yeah, sorry for that. finn eavesdrops and chewie is sassy bastard.

─── word count: 1.6k.

     “YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME.”

     Poe ducks his head and quickly manages to conceal the wince creeping onto his features just in time, but crouched in the cockpit beside him, Rey still feels his shoulders go stiff. She presses a hand to her mouth in a weak attempt to stifle her laugh, but she’s not quite successful as Poe shoots her a glare.

     She doesn’t blame him, really. You are… Well, sort of scary when you’re angry.

     There’s more than just a spark of your mother’s fire in you, that’s for sure.

     Glancing over her shoulder, she finds you standing in the doorway, regarding the pair of them with a ruthless glare so sharp it might leave a mark.

     Rey is suddenly pretty sure that Poe didn’t talk to you like he said he would.

     “I go for a nap because I haven’t slept properly in two days after you—” The finger you jab in Poe’s direction might as well be a knife, the way he flinches, “— get us stranded in First Order territory after leading us on a wild goose chase, knock out the comms and the navigation with your, frankly batshit, behaviour which I have spent hours trying to fix, and then I left you with one simple instruction.”

     Which… Alright, not all of that is strictly fair, Rey thinks, because at least half of the chaos of the past few days can be attributed to sheer bad luck, and another third can be blamed on decisions made under pressure whose outcomes boiled down to bad or worse.

     It’s not really Poe’s fault. Not anymore than the rest of them, at least.

     But Rey knows how you feel about this ship. The Falcon is your inheritance, the only real home you have left in the world. It’s all that is left of your father.

     You were protective of it even before he died, and since—

     Rey clears her throat. “I’m just gonna… go check on Finn.”

     Poe’s expression reeks of betrayal as Rey scoots past you to go and find Finn, who’s loitering in the main hold with Chewbacca, but she’s not about to hang around and get caught in the crossfire between the two of you.

     She doesn’t have a death wish.

     Finn looks just suspicious enough, when she locates him, that she doesn’t even bother scolding him for eavesdropping. She’s about to do the same, after all.

     “He told me he checked it was alright before we started reconfiguring the navicomputer.” Rey folds her arms across her chest, frowning in the direction of the cockpit. Your voice is still rattling down the corridor towards them.

     Finn clicks his tongue. “Evidently not.”

     In the cockpit, Poe pushes himself to stand, resting a hand on the back of the captain’s chair. Your voice is hard as duracrete as you take a step towards him, crowding the small space with so much of your frustration that it feels difficult to breathe.

     Poe wonders if the sensors are on the blink, and someone popped an airlock somewhere, because the air feels a little thin. You jab in the chest with your finger, and all he does is blink, suddenly lightheaded.

     “I gave you one instruction. I said, the nav systems are rebooting, I’m going grab some shuteye, don’t touch anything. And what do you do?”

     “The console was beeping!”

     “I don’t care if a damn mynock got in here and started eating it, I said don’t touch it.”

     “But it’s alright for Rey to touch it?” He’s being petty, he knows that, but an angry flush has started creeping up your neck, and he wants to know what you look like with your cheeks coloured that delightful shade of pink.

     “Rey didn’t break it!” A ragged breath tears from your throat, and you rake a hand roughly through your hair. “She knows what she’s doing. I trust her.”

     “And you don’t trust me, is that it?” Something like sadness swirls low in his gut as he waits for your response. It hurts him to ask, even though he’s wearing his bravado like a mask, even though he likes pushing all your buttons because when your eyes flash like that, it’s like standing in the eye of a hurricane or falling in zero gravity.

     You’re not friends, he knows that. Not since the day you met, and you pressed a blaster up against his neck in the cargo hold of your old ship and he’d grinned down at you as if getting his life threatened was his favourite pastime.

     He’d been trying to steal it. You’re still not sure what happened, exactly, except that there were Stormtroopers firing at your ship — which, honestly, was held together by little more than string and sheer stubbornness at that point — and your mother’s favourite flyboy watching you with a bizarre hope in his eyes, and you’d just… hated him, in that moment.

     Hated him for crashing into your life and dragging you, kicking and screaming, back to the life you’d fled. Hated your mother for her good heart and your father for running away. Hated the whole damn galaxy for not killing you when it had the chance.

     Poe had wanted you to take him to D’Qar, but you’d spent too long leaving things behind to go back now, so you’d dropped him at the nearest safe outpost and prayed you’d never see him again.

     Clearly, the universe had other plans.

     It’s been years since that first encounter, but neither of you have warmed to one another since then. There’s very little point, you think. He’s unbearable, always needling at you, picking at all of your defences as if he has a right to know you.

     It doesn’t matter. In the end, everyone leaves, one way or another.

     You just wish he’d hurry up and do it, already.

     You’re not friends, but you’re something more and something less, and the way your lower lip twitches at his question feels like a punch to the gut.

     “Why should I?” You blink at him, and a moment later you realise how close you’ve grown, almost chest-to-chest with this man who drives you mad. With a rough swallow, you force yourself to take a step back.

     He doesn’t move. Hardly dares to breathe, with his mouth curled into that little half-smirk he knows you hate, because it hurts that you don’t trust him, but it would hurt more if you knew it.

     “Why shouldn’t you?”

     A scoff. “Well, for starters, I don’t think you’ve ever had a plan that didn’t blow up in your face.”

     The familiar howl of Finn’s laughter rolls down the corridor, quickly cut off by a quiet thump and a low, pained groan.

     Poe blinks at you. “Excuse me?”

     “And you don’t take proper care of the Falcon!” The controls and all their exposed wires serve to prove your point.

     Turning on your heel, you march out into the corridor, abandoning him in the cockpit. He stares at your retreating form, unable to kick his brain back into gear for a few seconds, but a moment later he’s striding after you.

     “I take care of the Falcon!”

     A huff of laughter bubbles out of you, entirely lacking in humour. “Lightspeed skipping.”

     “That was one time!” His voice squeaks out of him much higher than he’d like, and as they emerge into the main hold, he clears his throat. “And the Falcon was fine.”

     You come to a stop so suddenly that he can almost hear your shoes screeching on the floor. “It was twice, and just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should. That seems like a lesson you should’ve learned by now, but no, you keep pushing it!”

     Reckless and stubborn, headstrong and utterly selfless. Not for the first time, you regret being dragged back into this mess. Your life hadn’t exactly been peaceful before — you are your father’s child, after all — but it wasn’t this.

     How many more heroes will you watch die before all of this is over?

     How much of it can you take?

     You watch one of those heroes stare at you, now, and it feels like you’ve swallowed a handful of broken glass.

     Behind you, sitting at the dejarik table and making absolutely no attempt to disguise his eavesdropping, Finn leans close to Rey. “You’d never guess they were married, huh?”

     He’s whispering, but it’s not exactly quiet.

     As if you’re suddenly possessed by the same entity, you and Poe whirl around, mouths agape. “We are not married.”

     An uncomfortable heat curls around your spine at the thought of it. Married to Poe Dameron? You cannot imagine anything worse.

     Chewie, seated opposite Finn and Rey, makes an exasperated sound. Rey can’t help but snort.

     You narrow your eyes at your father’s oldest friend, resting your hands on your hips. “‘Could’ve fooled me?’ Chewie, what are you talking about?”

     As your wrath settles upon a new victim, Poe takes the opportunity to slip out of sight, with every intention of hiding in the Engineering Bay on the opposite end of the ship until the danger has passed.

     Marching quickly down the corridor, Poe drags a hand over his unbearably warm face and feels like something beneath his ribcage is itching to crawl out. He thinks it might be his heart.

Married to you. Yeah. He can’t think of anything worse, either.

[moonlightndaydreams]

Second Chances

Jisung is determined to lose his virginity at tonight’s house party. He never expected you, his former best friend, to be there.

🍻 🍸🍹🥂🍾

Pairing: Jisung x female reader

Word Count: 6,989

Trope: Friends to enemies to lovers. High School house party. Loss of virginity. Forced proximity.

Author’s Note: I have decided to write this story in an Australian setting (I was feeling nostalgic) where the drinking age is 18, the final year of high school is year 12, and a lot of students turn 18 during that final year. The characters in this story are 18 because I don’t want underage drinking in my story.

Now, as much as it is set in Australia, I was actually inspired by a 90’s American High School movie called “Can’t Hardly Wait” that popped into my head while I was driving the other day. Particularly Seth Green’s character’s storyline, that I thought “That’s so Hannie coded.” Side note: Seth Green was in the Buffy series and I may have had a crush on him. Shh, don’t tell anyone.

Warnings: anxiety, anxiety attacks, alcohol, past relationship trauma (Han was really mean), mention of pot and vaping, swearing.

NSFW content warning below the cut.

CW: protected sex, mention of sex toys, orgasms. Please let me know if I’ve missed anything.

🍻 🍸🍹🥂🍾

~ Jisung ~

“It’s happening boys!” Exclaimed Jisung standing in the middle of the local bottle shop. “Tonight is the night.”

“The night for what?” Jinnie turned his head from the row of bourbon bottles he was perusing.

“Tonight I’m going to have SEX!” He announced proudly.

“Wait! What?” Jinnie said, visibly surprised by his friend’s declaration.

“But you don’t have a girlfriend!” Seungmin piped up after choosing a pack of premixed Smirnoff from the shelf.

“I don’t need a girlfri-”

“And,” Seungmin Raised his hand to hush his friend mid-sentence. “You have no clue how to talk to girls.”

“Yeah dude, you kinda gotta know how to talk to girls before it moves to sex.” Jinnie implored. “Well, usually anyway.” he added.

Jisung scratched his head. “I know how to talk to girls.” he huffed. The other two chuckled and gave each other an amused look. Jisung furrowed his brow. “I do know how to talk to girls.” He whined defensively.

“Yeah yeah. Come on, let’s just buy this alcohol and head over to the party.” Jinnie smirked. “The lucky lady awaits.” he winked, slapping his friend on the ass.

🍻 🍸🍹🥂🍾

Standing in the front yard belonging to the most popular kid in the school, Jisung looked up at the double-story dwelling. It was already thrumming with drunk year 12 students, and music was blaring from the living room. Lights were on all throughout the house, except for a few rooms upstairs, which Jisung decided was where people were having sex. Where he’d be having sex in the very near future. If all went to plan.

He swallowed nervously and slipped his hand inside the pocket of his baggy jeans, feeling for the condom packet he’d placed in there safely.

“Man, you're gonna rub a hole in it at this rate. Then what are you gonna do? Convince her that your pull out game is strong?” Jinnie teased. 

“You’ve been checking it’s still in there for the last half an hour.” added Seungmin, and gently put a hand on his shoulder.

“Hey Seungmin, wanna bet it’s still in his pocket tomorrow?” snickered Jinnie.

Suddenly a roar erupted from somewhere inside, along with the sound of bottles smashing, followed by loud cheers.

“Oh fuck.” Jisung mumbled, suddenly overcome with anxiety.  He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.  He could do this. “Alright, what are we waiting for?” Jisung tried to sound cool and suave, but his voice cracked with nerves. He took a deep breath, and with a self-determination not dissimilar to the Little Engine That Could, Jisung, with his two best friends in tow, entered the party.

🍻 🍸🍹🥂🍾

~ Y/N ~

You sat there on the couch in the middle of the crowded living room, questioning your existence. This wasn’t even a party from your school. Well technically it used to be your school, but not for the past two years. Some students still recognised you though, and you felt like crawling into a hole every time someone pointed a drunken finger at you and yelling “Oh my god y/n! I thought you’d fallen off the face of the earth!”, or worse, hug you and say the exact same thing.

As the couple to your right’s makeout session started to heat up and the girl climbed onto the boy's lap, her flailing limbs almost knocked your drink out of your hand. You reminded yourself that you’d come to this party as wingman to your one and only friend, Felix. Felix, who begged you to support him as he came to confess his love to some guy named Chris. You had questioned why he needed to announce his feelings at a fucking party and not online like a regular person, but he’d insisted that this was the only way.

Now Felix had disappeared, and you swore the couple next to you had escalated things to the guy rubbing the girl’s pussy under her skirt. 

“I know what you’re thinking.” a voice to your left interrupted your thoughts. You snapped your head up to meet a rather attractive boy with almond shaped eyes and light brown hair.

“What? Like how to dissociate when people are feeling each other up next to you? Or how the fuck did I end up here in the first place?” You said sarcastically.

The boy smirked. Like a devil. “Well, no. I guess I don’t know what you’re thinking afterall.”

You narrowed your eyes. “Why? What did you think I was thinking, hmm?” You challenged him.

“That that looks like fun,’ he pointed to the horny lovers next to you. “and where can I hook up with a guy who knows what he’s doing?” He leaned in “and just so you know, that guy there has no clue what he’s doing.”

You were shocked by this boy’s self assuredness. “And you’re the expert, I suppose?” You raised one eyebrow.

“Well if you come upstairs with me, I can show you that I am very much an expert.”

You laughed dryly. “As much as I am really not enjoying it here,” you gestured around the room. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to respectfully decline your offer.”

Minho leaned back and examined your face as though he was weighing up if you were worth pursuing. He clicked his tongue. “Suit yourself then.” He said indifferently. “But if you change your mind, you can find me upstairs. But be warned, you might have to wait your turn.”

With that the boy stood up and left you sitting there stunned. God what a dick, you shuddered and pulled your phone out of your handbag. No messages from Felix. You quickly texted him asking him where he’s at with “Operation Bang Chan”. He hated that that’s what you called tonight’s efforts. He thought it was more a “Sincere Confession of Love”.

Love. You snorted to yourself on the couch. Fuck love. You loved a boy once. Once upon a time. Fuck, that was part of your hesitation in even coming here tonight in the first place. Your former best friend whom you secretly loved. What if he was here? What if you ran into him? You couldn’t think of anything worse. Just the mere thought of him conjured a sick feeling in the pit of your stomach. You tried to shake the feeling, but shame crept into your chest. The humiliation and rejection from that day seeping back into your body. The feeling as real, as visceral, as the day it happened. The heartbreak, and heartache, suddenly felt like a fresh wound, even though you’d  had two years to heal. His words, his voice, cold and cruel in your head, like he’d only just spoken them.

“Fuck off slag. I’m sick of having you hang around me anyway. Actually, I never even liked you. I just put up with you because I was bored.”

Tears pricked at your eyes. You needed some space. No. You needed to leave. You slipped your phone away and headed upstairs in search of a bathroom. Your plan was to pee, call Felix to tell him you had to go, then catch an Uber home. Easy. Only three steps. You’ve got this. You continued to mumble positive affirmations to yourself as you trudged up the stairs, avoiding the loitering drunk students along the way. 

🍻 🍸🍹🥂🍾

~ Jisung ~

From the outset, Jisung knew he didn’t fit in. He recognised the majority of the kids from the smalltown school, but he hadn’t the faintest idea what most of their names were. Apart from spending time with Jinnie and Seungmin, Jisung kept to himself. He immersed himself in his music. Listening to, and making, music. It was actually how he met his two best mates - in the arts department. Jinnie was a dancer, and Seunmgin loved to sing.

“Are you doing okay, Ji?” Seungmin checked in. Jisung nodded but didn’t speak. The three oddball boys had positioned themselves in the corner of the living room with their bourbon and cokes, and a bottle of premixed Smirnoff for Seungmin. 

To their right, was a group of rowdy athletic types. If this were an American teen movie they’d be called the jocks. But these guys weren’t bullies like a lot of the jocks were in the movies. These guys were just good at sport, and were actually the type to get along with absolutely everyone. How people could actually make small talk to teachers and adults of the community, Jisung didn’t know. But Changbin, the kid whose party this was, and his best mate Chris, were able to do it with ease. The pair were also the most decent humans of the lot. It was the reason Jisung even considered coming to the party in the first place. He knew they wouldn’t kick him out on the front lawn for being unpopular.

As Jisung continued to take in the scene around him, he realised that there were in fact a lot of different friend groups there. From the unpopular bookworms who studied hard, to extremely popular bookworms that studied hard. To the potheads (which Jisung recognised more than he wanted to), and the kids that wagged school and vaped. There were the Surfies, the Gamers, and a few guys that were obviously in their twenties that hadn’t seemed to move on from high school. Losers. Jisung thought to himself, despite very much feeling like a loser himself.

“What about her?” Seungmin pointed to a group of three girls who looked around wide eyed as though they’d never seen a party in their lives.

‘Or her there?” Jinnie pointed to a pair of girls Jisung recognised from his music class.

As the pair continued to target potential candidates to “pop Jisung’s cherry” as Jinnie so eloquently put it, Jisung continued to scan the room. He was taken aback when his gaze landed on a boy whose body language oozed fuckboi confidence. Minho. Jisung was pretty sure that was his name. Fuck why couldn’t he feel that confident? Jisung studied “this Minho” for a long moment. He was seated obnoxiously comfortably, manspread on a couch, a beer in one hand, his other arm spread out across the back of the seat. He was talking, no, hitting on, a girl sitting beside him. Jisung couldn’t quite see her face because some guy was standing obstructing his view. Then all of a sudden Minho stood up, winked at two other girls, and headed upstairs. The two girls followed him. Damn. Thought Jisung. Two girls?

Jisung’s gaze reverted back to where Minho had been flirting with the girl on the couch, wondering what her reaction was to him just getting up and summoning two chicks to follow him upstairs. To those dark rooms. 

The guy who had been standing in Jisung’s line of vision stepped to the side momentarily and he got a clear view of who Minho had been talking to.

His heart stopped beating, and he felt a surge of heat wash over his face before his blood drained away entirely, leaving him feeling like he’d seen a ghost. You. Then you stood up and headed upstairs too.To where Minho was.

The room felt like it was spinning, and the voices around him became muffled like he was underwater. Oh god he was going to be sick.

“Ji? Ji are you okay buddy?” A voice, Seungmin? asked. But Jisung couldn’t answer.  “You’re all sweaty, man.”

“I think he’s having a panic attack. We should probably get him some fresh air. Hey, Ji. Mate? Let’s go somewhe-“

“I gotta get out here!” Jisung cried. He yanked Seungmin’s hand off his arm and rushed away as fast as possible.

Upstairs.

🍻 🍸🍹🥂🍾

~ Y/N ~

There were several doors on the landing and you had no idea which one was the bathroom. You cracked open a door revealing what seemed to be a bedroom with some dark shapes moving about on the bed and making some grunting sounds. You quickly closed that door, thankful they didn’t seem to notice your intrusion.

You tried another door. But this time the occupants did notice you. “Well, it looks like the kitten has changed her mind.” Minho said with an air of triumph. The two girls that were clinging onto him turned to you with a look of disgust. You rolled your eyes, closed the door and quickly moved on.

Finally, you found the bathroom. You closed your eyes and leaned against the door, relieved you were finally alone. You let out a long exhale, then opened your eyes to take in your surroundings. The bathroom was spectacular, although rather garish with the decor. Everything in the room was huge. The room itself was twice the size of your bedroom, with a large bathtub along the far wall, and a giant window above it. The vanity was long with an expensive looking custom sink with gold tap fittings, and the mirror above was trimmed with a gold frame to match. This Changbin fellow was rather well off, wasn’t he?

You relieved your bladder on what you were certain was the most expensive toilet you’d ever sat on, and watched your reflection as you washed your hands at the sink. You barely recognised yourself tonight. This setting, a school party setting, was not where you fit in, and you could tell just by looking at yourself. You looked so lost and out of place. You wondered for a moment what life might have looked like if you hadn’t moved and changed schools? You wondered if you would have been able to face the boy that broke your heart. Would you have gotten over him? Could you have faced him everyday? If you were honest with yourself you hadn’t gotten over him even now, even when you hadn’t seen him since that day. Even when he hurt you so fucking badly.

You shook the thought away and picked up your phone to see if Felix had returned your message. Flat. The battery was fucking flat. Well that was just fucking great. You groaned in frustration just as the bathroom door opened and slammed closed, causing you to snap your head over to the door to find yourself looking at the back of a boy wearing baggy jeans and an oversized t-shirt and leaning his face against the door.

“What the fuck, dude! Don’t you know how to kno-”

The words died on your tongue when the boy turned around and you were standing face to face with the last person you ever wanted to see again. 

He stared back at you. Pure horror on his face. 

“Jisung?” you felt your heart pounding in your chest.

“Fuck.” Jisung mumbled and quickly turned back around to open the door. He turned the handle, but nothing happened. He tried again. Nothing. He was becoming more and more frantic as he gripped the handle, rattling it and pulling at the door, like he was trying to run for his life. “No. No. No. I have to get out of here. I can’t breathe. I have to get out.” Then the door handle fell off entirely, silencing him momentarily. Jisung bashed his head on the door, then turned and sank to the floor defeated. He scrunched his eyes tight, brought his knees up to his chest and covered his face in his hands. “I have to leave. I can’t be here. You can’t be here.”

You watched your former best friend falling apart on the bathroom floor. So he still had anxiety attacks then? Something pulled at your heart. 

Putting everything you felt about Jisung aside, the anger, the heartache, the humiliation, you moved closer to him, as if on autopilot, sliding down next to him on the floor. “It’s okay Ji.” you soothed. “You’re having a panic attack. We’ve been through these before, remember? And we’ve gotten through it every time.” 

Jisung shook his head. “No. I have to get out of here. Trapped. I’m trapped. Why am I hallucinating? You’re not real. I never hallucinate. Oh god the attacks must be getting worse. I fucked up so bad. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I need to get out of here.” He rambled, rocking his body back and forth. You gently placed a hand on his knee. “Ji. I need you to focus on your breathing okay? Focus on the exhale. That’s it, long exhales. Focus on my hand. Can you feel that?” 

You sat with Jisung through his attack, gently bringing him back to the present moment and walking him through the steps you knew worked for him. Eventually, he removed his hands from his face and peered at you through teary eyes. “I thought I’d never see you again.” he whispered. “Why are you here? Why are you helping me after…after I did what I did?” he averted his eyes.

You sat up straight feeling uncomfortable at the mention of that day. “Well, you needed help.” you sucked in your lip. “And we need to call someone to open the door. Where’s your phone?” 

“Phone?” Jisung echoed vaguely. He patted his pants. “Shit.” he reached inside his pockets. “Fuck!” he groaned and you could visibly see his anxiety bubbling up again. He pulled out his empty hand, not noticing he’d dropped something out of his pocket. You picked up the little square wrapper, only releasing what it was upon closer inspection. A condom.

So he goes to parties and sleeps with girls then?

“Um…here. You dropped this.” you said awkwardly, handing the condom back to Jisung who glared at you as he snatched it back, shoving it deep inside his pocket again.

“Well?” you said. Jisung didn’t respond. “Your phone?” you added expectantly. The sooner you got out of there the better.

“I-I don’t have it.” He said quietly. I must have dropped it. Out there.” he gulped. You banged your head against the door in frustration and closed your eyes.

“Wait. Where’s your phone?” he quizzed defiantly.

“Fucking flat.” you replied not opening your eyes. “Eventually someone will need to use the bathroom, right? Right?” you peered over to Jisung who looked exhausted.

“I think this house has at least four bathrooms. So our chances of escaping might not be as good as you think.” he replied.

“Fuck.” you sighed.

“Yep. Fuck alright.”

🍻 🍸🍹🥂🍾

You spent the best part of the next hour trying to figure out a way to escape. Starting with screaming for help, and bashing on the door, to eventually finding the clean towels and pulling them out of the vanity cupboard with a great escape plan of tying them all together and using it as rope to climb out the window.

“I don’t think it’s going to work.” Jisung said watching you sit in the middle of the bathroom floor attempting to tie two towels together. You scowled at him.

“There aren’t enough towels, and they're too chunky to tie.” he said plainly.

“Well it works in the movies.” you huffed.

“Pretty sure they use bedsheets not towels. Anyway, I need to pee so…” he gestured for you to turn around.

You rolled your eyes and turned away, focusing on your plan.

Jisung flushed the toilet and washed his hands.

“Fine. I give up.” you conceded and tossed the two towels back into the pile and threw yourself on top of it dramatically.

“Look,” he said, pulling the towels out from underneath you. “We might not be able to gallantly climb out the window, but we can make the floor more comfortable.” he started laying the towels out on the floor in front of the bathtub and then sat himself down. “Yep. Much better. I don’t know about you, but I couldn’t feel my arse before.”

Sighing, you crawled over and sat beside Jisung and leaned on the side of the bathtub. He was right, this was a little more comfortable.

“So now what?” you said looking at the ceiling.

“I guess we really will have to wait.” he shrugged.

🍻 🍸🍹🥂🍾

~ Jisung ~

Time passed slowly, and Jisung didn’t know whether he should attempt to make conversation or stay quiet. You probably hated him after the things he said to you. Should he bring it up? See if you were open to talk about what had happened? Should he just make small talk and pretend nothing had ever happened at all? In the end he said nothing. At least that way he couldn’t make things any worse.

“I’m sorry you couldn’t use your-” you nodded towards Jisung’s pocket where the condom packet was safely tucked away.  “I mean, I’m sure you can go one weekend without sex.” You nudged him in the leg teasingly.

“Well, about that.” Jisung cleared his throat. “Well..I’ve never…well.. you know?” He hesitated and looked away. “Slept with anyone.” he said shyly.

“Oh.” You said, sounding surprised by his admission. “Ooh! Right! So let me get this straight, you came to this party tonight planning to lose your virginity?” You cocked an eyebrow.

“Hey!” He whined defensively, making you laugh. He hadn’t heard you laugh in such a long time. Jisung never thought he’d get the chance to hear it again after you were gone. 

“Well, if we do get out of here, there’s a guy across the hall who’d probably be happy to help you out. Apparently he’s an expert.” You said sarcastically. “I’m sure he’d love to give us both our first times.”

Jisung met your gaze. “Wait, you’re a virgin too?” he asked wide eyed.

“Why? Does that surprise you, Jisung?”

“Well, yeah. I was certain a girl like you would-” Jisung’s eyes widened even more. “No! That came out so wrong.” He clapped his hand over his mouth.

“What? A slag like me?” you said coldly.

Jisung grabbed your hands, panicstricken. “No, baby!” he cried. “Oh, god! No. I never thought that! I fucked up so bad that day. I…I was a fucking dickhead. I was mean. Oh fuck, I was so cruel to you.” tears filled his eyes and began to spill down his cheeks.

You looked down at the floor. 

“Baby, baby…please look at me. Say something.” He squeezed your hands in his. You didn’t pull away.

“What did I even do to you to make you say those things? Why do you hate me so much?” you asked quietly, turning to him.

“I…don’t hate you baby! It… I… well I was told you’d been sleeping with some guy. I mean, I know we weren’t actually going out, but when I’d heard you had… slept with someone…and that you were moving schools too… and hadn’t told me that either… I just freaked out. I was hurt. I wanted you to be with me. But you didn’t want me. I thought you weren’t going to tell me anything and you’d be gone. Gone with another guy, and leaving. Behind my back. I was so pathetic.”

You sat in silence taking in what Jisung had just shared. 

“You really thought I’d do that to you?” you said eventually. “Jisung! Why didn’t you just talk to me? Why believe what some bitch told you?” You started to cry too.

“I know I shouldn’t have believed her. She showed me text messages and everything. Texts you’d allegedly sent.” He shook his head. “And then I found out it was all a lie. They’d fucking made that shit up. And you’d gone. Then I was angry that you didn’t confront me, pull me up on it. That you just let me say all those horrible things to you and you said nothing. You didn’t even try to defend yourself. That’s when I had the biggest panic attack of my life. When I realised how bad I fucked things up.” 

Jisung sobbed as he thought back to when he told you he hated you. That you were a nuisance to him. He hadn’t even meant any of it. Not really. He didn’t think anyone would ever really know how much it was killing him to speak those words. How it felt like he was being stabbed in the heart when your face fell. He even knew the exact moment the words hit you the hardest. The way your eyes blinked back tears. Jisung winced at the memory. He’d tried to tell himself that it was for the best. That it was the easiest way to break the friendship off. That you deserved it, even. But you didn’t deserve it. Any of it. You hadn’t done anything at all. It was his fault.

“Why didn’t you come find me? Apologise? Make things right?” You croaked.

“I was sure you’d have moved on, and I believed you were better off without me.” He hung his head.

“Ji. You hurt me so much. You know that right?” 

He looked at you and nodded solemnly. “I know.”

“Like, no one has ever hurt me like you did. You made me feel worthless.”

“I’d do anything to take it back. To make it right.” Jisung whispered. He looked at you with regret in his eyes.

“But,” you looked directly at him. “At least I now know the reason you behaved the way you did. But fucking hell man, you went about it in the worst way possible. Look, I’m not forgiving you for behaving like that. Not by a long shot. But,” you sobbed loudly. “But I missed my best friend.” You began to cry harder, losing all self control and letting the tears stream down your cheeks. “I missed you, and I didn’t want you to hate me like you did. You hated me and I didn’t know why?” 

Jisung pulled you close to his chest and rested his chin on the top of your head as you cried against his chest. He hated himself for how he’d made you feel. He was responsible for this. He was responsible for fucking up your friendship. He was in love with you and he’d pushed you away. He wanted to look after you and take care of you, but he’d told you he didn’t want you around. He wanted to be the one who made you smile, not make you cry.

His life hadn’t been the same after you’d left. No one was there to share his thoughts with, or stay up late talking about random shit, or share his music with. There was no one there who could help him through his anxiety the way you could. No one laughed at his silly jokes the way you did. No one made him feel like he could be his awkward, quirky self except you.

But somehow fate had brought you back together and he was determined to fix this.

🍻 🍸🍹🥂🍾

~ Y/N ~

You let yourself relax into Jisung’s embrace and cried your eyes out. You felt safe in his arms despite him being the reason you were hurting. But he was hurting too. Both when he thought you’d betrayed him, and even now. He was hurting now and you couldn’t hate him. You kind of understood his perspective. You could definitely see that he knew how he’d fucked up.

You don’t know how long you sat there like that, but eventually you lifted your head and looked at Jisung. “Am I all red and puffy?” You smiled despite the heaviness in your chest.

Jisung half smiled. “Yeah.” He said softly. “What about me?”

You reached up to wipe Jisung’s tear streaked cheek and took in his features. You really looked at him. He was still your Jisung. His cheeks weren’t as chubby, his jaw a little more coarse where he shaved. “You’ve grown up.” You whispered and your eyes locked. Your heart sped up. The way he was looking at you, it was different to the way he’d looked at you previously. The tension was palpable.

Jisung cleared his throat and broke eye contact. “Well I’m an adult now.” He joked like he was trying to change the energy of the moment. “I can vote now.” He added proudly. 

“Hmm lucky us, huh? Allowed to vote.” You followed his lead. “And we can drink? And get into nightclubs and pubs.”

“I’d rather just have a quiet movie night than do all that going out.” He said thoughtfully. “I’d prefer the quiet life I think.”

You leaned away from him and looked at him quizzically. “But what about your music? Aren’t you wanting to play in some of those places?”

“Depends. Will you come watch me if I do?” He asked.

You nodded. “I miss your music.”

“Well I’ve written a lot of songs in the last couple of years. Mostly angsty stuff.” He blushed.

“I’d love to hear everything if you ever wanna show me.” You leaned back against the tub. “Well here’s to adult life, hey.” you sighed.

“That’s if we ever actually get out of here. We might survive a couple of days in here, but the outlook doesn’t look good.” Jisung laughed dryly. “But at least we have a toilet.” 

“And water to drink and wash ourselves with. I like the look of this bath.” You glanced over your shoulder.

“We might starve to death, but we can enjoy bubble baths in the meantime.” He joked.

“I’m pretty sure I saw some organic, all natural sugar scrub when I was searching the cupboards. Maybe it’s edible?” you suggested.

You both laughed, finally feeling more at ease with each other. It felt familiar. It felt nice.

“I can see the news headline: Two virgin teenagers starve to death in a luxurious bathroom after being trapped for three weeks.” You announced in your best newsreader’s voice.

“God, that’s sad.” Jisung shook his head. “Hey? Do you remember that pact we made?” he turned to you.

Your laugh faded. “Oh.” You cast your mind back. “Oh my goodness. Yes! I remember.” You covered your mouth to hide your smile. “If either of us hadn’t had sex by sex by eighteen-“

“We’d have sex with each other.” He gave a shit eating grin. You smirked at him and shook your head in disbelief. “Jisung!” You punched him playfully in the arm and leaned into his body. He wrapped his arm around your shoulder and squeezed your arm affectionately. This felt so natural, so easy. You laid your hand across his waist, still so tiny, and played with the fabric of his shirt. “Ji? Did you mean what you said earlier? That you wanted to be with me. Like more than just best friends?” You waited silently for him to answer.

“Yeah. I always wanted to be more than just your best friend.” He said in a quiet voice.

You slowly lifted your chin up to look at him. He gazed down at you with the softest eyes. Slowly, he tilted his face down towards yours and brushed your lips with his. It was electric despite it being the briefest of contact. He pulled away just an inch, hesitating to continue. Waiting for you to give him a signal to either keep going or to stop. Your eyes flicked up from his lips to meet his eyes momentarily before wrapping his shirt in your fist and pulling him back into another kiss. An unexpected whimper got caught in your throat as Jisung’s lips moved against your own. Slow but firm. His kiss felt hopeful, like a promise.

“I should have come and found you, begged for your forgiveness.” he said breathily between kisses. “I’m sorry baby, I really am.”

“Shh. Kiss me more.. It feels so right.” you sighed and pulled him back in.

🍻 🍸🍹🥂🍾

~ Jisung ~

It did feel right. Kissing you. Jisung wanted to show you how much you meant to him. How sorry he was. How much he wanted to make it up to you. Your lips tasted like heaven, and your body so soft and warm in his arms. You were real and this was really happening.

He cupped your jaw, initiating a deeper kiss and you opened your mouth in response. The moan that slipped from you as he dipped his tongue in to find yours went straight to his cock. You pressed your body against his, panting as your tongues danced, like you were trying to crawl inside him. He could hardly control himself when he felt your hand slip under his shirt and caress his bare skin.

Jisung pulled away abruptly, eliciting a wine from you in protest. You looked drunk and delirious with flushed cheeks and soft, unfocused eyes. You looked like perfection.

“Ji, I want you to be my first.” you declared with a hopeful expression.

Jisung blinked thinking he misheard.

“W-what?” he stuttered.

“I want you to be my first.” you repeated, not breaking eye contact.

Jisung swallowed and studied your face trying to make sure you knew the weight of what you were saying. “Do you want me to be your first too?” you asked in a small voice.

“I want you to be my first and my forever.” he whispered before he could stop himself. Shit.

“There’s my songwriter.” you smiled, stroking his cheek. Then your hand went to rest on his pocket where the condom resided. 

“What? Here? Now? On the bathroom floor at a party?”

You nodded.

“Baby, this isn’t how I envisioned it. I mean, not that I have ever imagined it. Okay, I have imagined it. But…it’s not very romantic.” he looked at you desperately, hoping you’d come to your senses, because if you didn’t he wasn’t sure he’d be able to stop himself.

“Jisung, please.” you purred. Fuck, it was the sexiest thing he’d ever heard.

“How can you want me when I hurt you like I did?” he leaned his forehead on yours.

“Let’s forget that right now. I know you’re sorry. I really do. And I know that it wasn’t really you. Let’s focus on moving forward.”  You slid both hands up underneath his shirt making him shiver. His mind automatically imagined what it’d feel like if you wrapped a hand around his dick.

“Okay.” he said finally. “But you have to tell me to stop if you change your mind at any time.”

“Okay.” you whispered.

If this was going to happen, on the floor of a bathroom at a damn house party, then Jisung wanted to at least make it as comfortable for you as possible. He rearranged the towels to provide as much cushioning as possible, and he opened the blinds and turned off the light to allow natural moonlight to fill the room.

Then he was laying you down gently on the floor. “Are you going to undress me now?” you asked boldly.

Jisung felt so nervous as he fumbled at your clothes, peeling off your shirt and jeans, leaving you just in your underwear. In turn, you pulled his shirt off and ran your hands up his back while you pulled him down into a kiss. He let his hands explore your bare skin, his desire, his need, to be closer to you growing stronger by the moment. He was certain you could feel his erection against your leg. You pulled him further on top of you, opening your legs and inviting him to nestle his hips between them. You’d definitely be able to feel his erection now. You ground your core up against him, making him moan and grind back in response.

“Fuck, baby.” he mumbled into your neck. “Feels s’good.” he peeled himself off you to kneel between your legs, taking in the sight of you while he rubbed circles on your hips. Then bravely he brought his thumb to graze over your centre over the top of your panties. You pulled in a sharp breath and Jisung couldn’t help but smirk.

“Ji, please! Take off your pants…I want you now!” you plead. Jisung closed his eyes for a moment in an attempt to control his nerves. This was actually happening. He was about to have sex, and with the girl he’d dreamed of sharing this moment with.

“Please.” you practically begged and your hand slipped down beneath the front of your panties and rubbed at your clit.

Jisung sprung into action. He removed his jeans and boxers, and then peeled your panties off, revealing how your fingers expertly slid through your wetness. “Fuck!” he groaned, and quickly rolled the condom on. 

“Jisung!” you gasped. “You have such a pretty penis.”

“Yeah?” he teased as he positioned himself above you again. “Are you sure you wanna do this?” he asked gently.                

“I’m sure, Jisung.” you locked eyes with his.

Jisung lined his cock up with your entrance and gently pushed inside an inch, feeling your pussy stretch around his tip. He carefully pushed in a little further, your warmth inviting him in and enveloping him. “Is this okay? Am I going too fast?” he inquired.

“Jisung. I may be a virgin but I own a dildo. Please, please I need you in me.” you whimpered.

Jisung’s cock pulsated at the image of you fucking yourself with a dildo, imagining what you’d look like showing him exactly how you did it.         

“Oh so you’ve been stretched out before huh? Well then.” he pushed himself in all the way and paused.

“Mmm hmm. But it’s not as thick as you. You…you’re making me feel so…so full…so stretched. Fuck, you feel so good. So perfect for me…please…can you move now?”

Jisung reached down and gripped onto your thigh, lifting it and pushing it a little more to the side. He rested himself on his forearm and took you in a deep kiss. At the same time he pulled his cock out halfway and sank back in. You both breathed out shakily. This felt too good. He started with a slow rhythm, gradually building up the pace, careful not to thrust too hard. You were so wet, and so fucking tight, It took all his self control not to start fucking you with abandon. But he didn’t want to hurt you. He wanted to give you whatever you needed right now and let you set the pace. It was his absolute downfall when you spoke next.

“Fuck me harder, Ji.” you whimpered.

🍻 🍸🍹����🍾

~ Y/N ~

Jisung felt heavenly inside you, but you needed more. You needed to really feel him, to feel how much he needed you, to make you his.

Jisung hesitated. “You sure, baby? I might hurt you?”

“Come on pleeeasse… I wanna be yours.”          

Jisung suddenly snapped his hips making you cry out in pure pleasure. “Yes, like that. Don’t stop.”

“I’m not going to last, baby. You feel too…too…fuck.” he panted. 

Jisung began to perspire, beads of sweat on his brow, his hair damp. Sound of your skin slapping together filled the room and you were grateful for the loud music downstairs.

“I’m so close.” he whispered. 

‘It’s okay, Ji. I’m close too. Rub my clit while you fuck me. I promise you’ll like what happens when you do.”

Jisung slipped his thumb in between your bodies. “Right here, baby.” you slipped your hand over his, adjusting the position of his thumb so that he could feel your clitoris. “Rub it in circles. Like this.” you guided him for a few moments before letting him take over.

It was enough to take you to the precipice. “I gonna cum, Ji, fuck me through it.” you cried as your back arched off the floor. His thrusts were deep, hard and controlled and that’s when you felt it. The coil in your abdomen snapping and you were being flung off the cliff.

“Oh god…fuuuuckk! You’re squeezing me so tight… you’re…” he grunted.

“Yes, I'm cumming. Cum with me Ji!” you cried out.

You felt Jisung’s hips falter, and an expression of pained pleasure washed over his features as he filled the condom.

He collapsed on top of you and you held him tight, while you both came down from your highs.

“Oh my god. That was incredible. I could feel you cum.” he lifted his head and looked at you in disbelief.

“It was pretty perfect.” you agreed.

🍻 🍸🍹🥂🍾

~ Jisung ~

After you had both cleaned up, which was easy considering you were in a bathroom, you found yourselves fully dressed and sitting back on the floor in front of the bath.

"You know, we could have run a bath and had sex in that.” you suggested as an afterthought.

“Baby,” Jisung said in a serious tone.  “Do you really want to put the past behind us? Start fresh? You’ll really have me after…?”

You took his hand in yours. “Yes, yes I do. But you have to promise to talk to me before ever accusing me of anything. Okay?”

He nodded. ‘Yes of course.”

He leaned in and kissed you, before a banging at the door startled you both and broke Jisung from the bubble you were in. “Ji? Ji? Are you in there, mate?” Seungmin called from the otherside of the door.

“So, should we let them save us, or stay like this just a little bit longer?” he whispered, secretly hoping you actually wanted to stay like this forever.

The end.

🍻 🍸🍹🥂🍾

Thank you for reading my story. I love sharing my ideas with you. If you know any Han Jisung fanfic fans please feel free to reblog and tag them 🥰🥰🥰

@channieandhisgoonsquad @itshannjisung @noellllslut @kangnina @queenmea604 @queen-in-the-shadows @weareapackofstrays

[circus4apsycho8]

knife to meet you. | cole x reader | chapter ii

A/N: Hello??? An update for a series that took me less than six months to write???? Let's go!

So, we've got girl bonding this chapter as well as our first impromptu job with the ninja :) Also I think this story is going to be longer than 3 parts.

Anyways, please enjoy!

Masterlist for this Fic

Word Count: 8.6k

“Alright,” Cole says, offering his hand out to you. “May I?” 

You send him a questioning glance, but place your hand in his anyway. His palms are warm, knuckles sprinkled with callouses. Similar to but fainter than the dragons, you feel a weak energy thrumming underneath his skin.

He secures a grip around your hand, turning you towards the saddle. With his free hand, he jerks on a thick loop of leather hanging off of the side. “You can step on this little loop right here. Once you’re up, use the grips on the front to haul yourself up. Don’t worry about falling; I’ll be here to spot you. Use my shoulder if you need to.”

“Alright...” you mumble, glancing towards the loop he mentioned. Your free hand moves to latch onto one of the spare grips on the side, your grip on his hand tightening as you pull yourself onto the side of the dragon. Once you’re steady, you release his hand and locate the grips he’d mentioned. You hoist yourself over, muscles straining as you pull yourself up. Finally, you’re high enough to swing a leg around to mount the dragon.

“Woah,” you mumble, gasping when Rocky stirs underneath you. “Okay, I’m good...I think.” 

“I know, it’s a weird adjustment,” Cole sympathizes, skillfully mounting the dragon in one clean step. For a moment, you find your cheeks warming as he settles in front of you, closer than you’d expected.

He reaches for the reins in front of him, causing Rocky to stand at attention. Your hands immediately fall to the scales of the dragon, searching for somewhere to hold onto. 

“Okay. You’ll have to hold on to me. If the wind gets to be too much, then you’re welcome to use my back as a shield.” 

“Oh...alright,” you mumble, arms hesitating as you wonder how you should hold him. After a moment of debating, you awkwardly circle your arms around the middle of his torso, doing your best to avoid his healing wound. “Is this okay?” 

“Yeah, you’re fine,” he confirms, glancing over at the others. Everyone else seems to be ready to go; the ninjas all have their hoods flipped up. The dragons growl in anticipation, with Wisp being the most antsy. Upon checking the others, Cole raises his voice so the others can hear: “Alright, guys, let’s go!”

“Last one there is the worst ninja!” Jay yells just before Wisp darts into action, his wings flapping chilly gusts of wind in your direction. A shiver wracks your spine as your grip around Cole’s waist tightens.

Cole’s shoulders shake with a chuckle as the other two follow Jay, dragons roaring once they’re airborne.

“We’re going to take it slow,” Cole says. “Alright, Rocky. To the monastery.”

 Rocky’s wings start to flap, and true to Cole’s word, he starts elevating slowly. Suddenly feeling off-balance, you lean further into Cole without thinking about it. 

“Whoa!” you say, heart racing as the dragons ascend. The shop grows smaller with every beat of Rocky’s wings, and the crowd around the store stares up at the beasts with the same awe you had earlier. 

“You okay?” Cole calls back as the dragon starts cruising forward, gradually building up speed. You notice that the others are drifting far ahead, hollering at each other.  

“Yeah, just nervous. And a little unsteady,” you admit, looping your fingers together. You scoot up a little farther, finally feeling a little steadier even though you’re basically pressed against Cole. He doesn’t seem to mind, much to your relief. 

“We’ll take it slow until you feel more comfortable with it.” 

You peer over the edge of the dragon, stomach lurching at the height you’re at. The sight makes your grip on the ninja tighten. You elect not to look down anymore, instead peeking over Cole’s shoulder.

The skyline of Ninjago City is splayed before you, your heart stuttering at the view. The windows of the taller buildings seem to sparkle in the morning light, while your mind envisions what it might be like to live there someday. What would it be like waking up to such a view every morning?

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” comes Cole’s voice, eyes staring in the same direction. “I hope we can start taking missions there too one day.” 

Despite the longing to visit the city, Cole passes it and continues straight ahead. You feel a little bit steadier now, loosening your grip on Cole as you stare ahead. 

“Where do you take missions, then?” you wonder. 

“Well, we just got out of training, so we haven’t had much time to complete anything yet. We went on a quest to find the Golden Weapons, which took us all across Ninjago. We’ve had a few run-ins with Lord Garmadon’s skeleton army, but we haven’t seen much of them since we left the Underworld.” 

“Wait, wait, wait!” You shake your head, unable to believe what you’d just heard. “You went to the Underworld?!” 

Cole nods. “Yep. Turns out, dragons can ferry between realms. We had to go in order to find Sensei Wu; he vanished after helping Kai and Nya escape Garmadon.” 

You pause in order to process what you’ve been told. The Underworld. What did you get yourself into? 

The black ninja chuckles. “Yeah, I know. It’s unbelievable. But we made it through, somehow. And now we’ve just been taking jobs for petty criminals in the meantime.” 

“I see,” you say, spotting a group of mountains in the distance. Atop the tallest one is... 

“There’s the monastery,” Cole confirms. “We’re going to land at the back so we can let the dragons rest. Just wait for me to dismount first so I can help you down.” 

“Got it,” you acknowledge, spying a set of stairs cascading down from the door. Are they supposed to climb that many steps every time?! “Why’s it on the tallest mountain? Do you guys always climb all those stairs?” 

“We usually travel with our dragons, but sometimes, yeah. It’s a great rock-climbing mountain, though.” 

Great! First, ninjas throwing themselves in the face of danger for fun, and now a ninja who also enjoys rock climbing. You certainly have your work cut out for you. “Of course you rock climb. As if one dangerous hobby isn’t enough. Tell me that you at least use...I don’t know, a harness or something, right?” 

"Why would I do that?” 

“Because there’s not much I can do for you if you fall and your body splatters across the earth like a water balloon!” you retort.

“Stars, that’s graphic. But you make a convincing point. I’ll look into it.”

The conversation comes to a stop as he approaches the monastery, guiding Rocky towards a gated cavern embedded within the mountain. The ninja steer their dragons into the cave, jumping off one by one. 

Cole follows suit, allowing Rocky to land on the edge and carry you both into the shade underneath the cave. The sudden absence of sunlight beckons goosebumps from your skin. Rocky hobbles in next to the other dragons, letting Cole reattach the reins to the front of the saddle.

You withdraw your hands from his torso, watching as he swivels his right leg over, jumping off skillfully and leaving you shivering without his body heat. With his back turned to you, he stretches his arms out.

It’s all you can do to glance away, cheeks warming at the sight of his muscles. That sleeveless gi suits him a little too well. 

“Ugh...I’m gonna be sore tomorrow,” he mumbles, spinning back around. “Okay, ready?” 

“I guess...” You swing your right leg back over the dragon, noting how Rocky crouches to help close the height gap. Still, it’s a decent height to jump down from. 

“I got you,” Cole assures, holding his arm out. “Just brace yourself and go for it!” 

“Okay...” you take a deep breath before sliding off. Your legs suddenly feel numb, causing you to stumble when you hit the ground.

Cole manages to catch you before you go tumbling to the ground, thankfully. “Woah! You okay?” 

“Yeah, sorry...I came down faster than I thought,” you admit with a nervous chuckle. You brace yourself on his arms, the blush on your cheeks eroding the wind-stained numbness on your skin as you hold onto him to balance yourself. “Also, my legs are shaking.” 

He laughs, letting you hang onto him while you steady yourself. “I know how you feel. I used to be scared of dragons, and my first ride was, well...rough, to say the least. The adrenaline you get from your first ride takes everything out of you.”

“You were scared of dragons?” you wonder, willing your knees not to wobble and give out. Your heart continues to race, skin still stinging from the wind.

“Yeah, before we met these guys, I couldn’t stand them. I also just don’t like being in the air – unless I’m rock climbing. But clearly, I had a change of heart,” he mumbles, smiling softly at Rocky before shifting his attention to the items strapped to the dragon. “Alright, we’ll go ahead and get this unloaded for you.”

You watch as he and Kai start unbuckling the cords, frowning as they begin unloaded. You don’t think his cut will reopen, but you’d rather him hold off on heavy lifting for a few days. “Hey, don’t strain yourself with the lifting. I’m going to be pissed if I have to waste a dose of Mystake’s special solution on closing your wound again.”

Your comment makes the two laugh, their voices bouncing off of the cavern walls. Cole snickers, shaking his head as he turns back to you.

“You are so mean,” he says, frowning in mock offense and gesturing towards the pile of luggage. “This isn’t even heavy for me!”

Zane steps around Rocky with Sensei Wu, offering a polite smile to you. “We will ensure he does not strain his injury.”

“Come,” Sensei Wu says, gesturing for you to follow him. “I will have Nya show you around the monastery while the ninja unload and set the dragons up for the night. Please, follow me.”

The elderly man pivots, staff gently crunching on the dirt as he makes his way to a staircase carved in the mountain. When you step out of the cavern’s protective walls, the wind returns to your face, stinging your skin once more.

A breath dies in your throat when you see just how high up you are; the fact that there’s no railing on the sides of the mountain makes you queasy. Regardless, you follow Sensei Wu, making sure to stick as close to the mountain as you can.

”This monastery has been home to me ever since I was a boy,” Sensei Wu explains, voice cutting through the wind. “It’s been standing for thousands of years and has seen generations of elemental masters.”

“So much history…” you mutter, tracing the side of the mountain with your hand. How many people have walked this path before you?

Thankfully, the path veers to the left and away from the edge, vertigo fading from your body. Now, you’re positioned at the top of the mountain, just before the monastery doors.

What startles you most is just how quiet it is up here; there are no merchants advertising their products, no bikers running about, no customers running to and fro. All you can hear are the distant yells of the ninja and the wind blowing through the trees.

“It’s so quiet up here,” you note, watching as Wu uses the steel bar welded on the gate to knock.

The old man chuckles, standing back and leaning on his staff. “Yes, and for good reason. Though, I understand it must be an adjustment after being a village for some time.”

”Yeah, it’s definitely going to take some getting used to,” you note, turning around as the two of you wait. “But I don’t hate it. It’s a nice break.”

To the left of the entrance lies a small patch of forest, its leaf canopy rustling with the wind. The trees sway, offering you a view deeper within.

To your surprise, a woman stands amidst the overgrowth. She stares at you with a blank expression, unmoving as her dress fails to react to the breeze. Her dark hair is pinned up loosely, also seemingly too still for the weather. You frown, wondering if you should call out to her. Did Wu not see her? Why didn’t she greet him?

Metallic groaning snaps you out of your trance, making you spin towards the gate. The doors are swinging open, revealing a new girl.

Her dark hair is cut into a bob, framing a pair of eyes that remind you of Kai’s. The girl lights up when she sees Wu. Behind her is a courtyard that precedes the interior part of the monastery.

“Sensei, you’re back!” she cries, pushing the gates all the way open. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes, Nya, everything is fine. The ninja are in the dragon keep, unloading. We’ll update you in just a moment.”

So this is Nya. You frown, eyes darting back to where the woman was, finding that she’s gone now.

Shivers erupt across your skin as Sensei continues talking with Nya. You shake it off, deciding to just ignore…whatever that was.

“We have a new addition to the team,” Sensei Wu says, catching your attention once again as he tells Nya your name. “She is our new medic. She was an apprentice of Mystake before she agreed to come work with us.”

Nya grins, breathing what sounds to be a sigh of relief as she waves at you. “A medic, huh? That’s a relief. Those idiots are gonna need one if they keep being as reckless as they have been. Regardless, it’s great to meet you! I’m really excited that I won’t be the only girl around here. The testosterone gets to be suffocating at points!”

Returning her friendly little wave, you grin. “It’s good to meet you too! And I’ve been around them long enough to know that I have my work cut out for me.”

”Would you please show her around?” Sensei Wu questions, shifting the staff between hands. “I need to take care of a few matters before the day ends.”

Nya nods, gesturing for you to follow her. “You got it, Sensei.”

“Thank you. The ninja should be up shortly with her belongings.” He glances at you for the next part. “Please, make yourself at home.”

You nod, smiling gratefully. “Thank you, Sensei.”

“I leave the rest to you, Nya,” Sensei says before making his way out of the gate.

You follow Nya through the clearing, listening as she tells you about the monastery. “Alright, so this is obviously the courtyard! There’s a little switch around here that reveals an obstacle course that we use for training…”

The courtyard is first. Nya shows you the obstacle course, noting that they mostly train in the courtyard. Next are the basic utility rooms - the kitchen, living room, et cetera. She shows you the ninja’s shared room, the bathrooms, and finally, her room.

“Last but not least, here’s my room. Though, I guess it’ll be our room now,” she muses, pushing the door open. You step inside, greeted by lovely red and blue themed decor with light accents of gold in places.

”Sorry that it’s kind of messy,” she mutters, kicking a piece of scrap metal to the side. “There’s not much space for us to tinker in. Sensei is still looking into getting me, Jay, and Zane a place for us to tinker, but we haven’t had much luck with that yet.”

You wave off her worry, instead curious about the contents of her room. “Don’t worry about it. You weren’t expecting anyone. But you build things?” you inquire, entering the space. A warm cinnamon scent drifts through the air, strong but not overpowering. One part of her room sports a desk with trinkets, mechanical bits, tools, and circuit boards scattered about.

She nods, passion glittering behind her amber eyes as she points towards the components on her desk. “Yeah! I like making new tech, whether they’re weapons, armor, robots…anything I can think of, really. Jay’s kind of the same, to be honest. Zane’s also handy with tools, so we’ve been collaborating on some blueprints lately. I hope we can get the time to work on some bigger projects soon,” she explains, pointing to a pile of blueprints stashed in the corner.

“That’s so cool,” you respond. “I don’t know anything about that stuff. It’s cool you guys can work on it together.”

“Yeah, it’s pretty fun,” she says, pausing in front of her bed. Her hands come to her hips as she surveys the area with a frown. “I guess we’ll have to figure out sleeping arrangements tonight. But we can deal with that later. Hopefully later on we can go shopping to find you some furniture. Then, we can change up the room format and split it evenly.”

You nod, wondering if she’s upset about having to share her already cramped space. “Yeah…um, I hope I’m not intruding or anything.”

Nya swivels to you with a grin. “Oh, no, not at all! Like I said, I’m really glad you’re here. We’re just going to have to do a little reorganizing. I can probably make an area outside for my stuff. But, please, don’t worry about that. You’re not intruding at all.”

You nod, knowing you’re probably just overthinking things. “Okay, I hope not. But that does remind me…does anyone else live here?”

”Nope, just the guys, me, and Sensei. And now you,” she answers.

Hm…no mention of that lady from earlier. Strange. You shake that thought off, about to ask her something else when the slamming of a distant door catches your attention.

“The guys are back,” she notes, tipping her head towards the door. “Come on, let’s go see what they’re up to.”

…

The first few days go by without a hitch; Nya sets up a spot for you in her room, the two of you agreeing to work on reorganizing over the next few weeks. That gives the two of you a good chunk of time to plan it out.

You check on Cole’s wound two more times, pleased with its progress. On day three of your stay with the ninja, you dryly advise him not to get stabbed again and officially “discharge” him from your care. For now, at least.

Other than that, work in terms of your job is slow. The ninja seem to be cutting back on training with the lack of missions. You’d hoped to watch them spar a bit more, but to no avail.

That is, except for Jay - you notice that he sneaks out to the courtyard at night sometimes to practice sparring by himself. You wonder if it has something to do with the night you met the ninja.

Your first five days end without a hitch. Over breakfast on the sixth and current day of your stay, Nya agrees with your initial observation about their lack of training: “Yeah, I think they’re kind of getting complacent. Jobs are dry right now, and they’re getting bored. So they’ve been turning to video games a lot.”

You frown over your beverage, tearing your gaze from the window. The small dining room in the monastery glows with morning light, wind rattling the ancient building. Still, quiet surrounds you. You’ve yet to grow used to it. “Didn’t they get a call this morning, though?”

“They did. There was a Lord Garmadon sighting,” she answers, shaking her head with a roll of her eyes. “They’re going to learn, one way or another. They’ve got to keep in top shape if they’re going to be heroes.”

Your fingers freeze in their tracks, wondering if what Nya says is true. “Lord Garmadon? He’s back?”

Nya shrugs, taking another sip of her coffee. “Honestly? I doubt it. A lot of these people jump to conclusions when they get spooked. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was something stupid. But, telling the guys that it was Lord Garmadon certainly got them off their asses in a pinch. You should have seen the way they tripped over themselves trying to get ready.”

You chuckle, liking her point. “Smart. Hopefully this will get them back into the groove.”

Nya rubs her forehead, sighing. “Stars, I hope so. They’re driving me insane. Anyways, what are you doing today?”

“Um…I haven’t actually thought that far. I guess I need to stay close in case they get hurt, though.”

“Want to come to the courtyard with me? I try to get my daily exercise in when they’re not using the equipment. I’m also determined to beat Kai’s record, even if it kills me!”

…

Nya wasn’t lying when she said she’d beat her brother’s record, even if it meant death.

No matter how many times she was knocked down, no matter how many times she finished above his time…she picked herself back up and tried again. The passion you’d seen in her eyes about her craft hardened into something fiery and stubborn when it came to competition.

Perhaps Kai isn’t the only one with a temper around here.

Even so, the first few times she stumbles, you can’t help but check on her. She shakes the cuts and bruises off without issue, promising to let you have a look at them later. It amazes you how well she brushes off the pain; some of her landings looked rough. In fact, you find her toughness inspirational, in a way.

Despite this, you had kindly declined joining her, instead electing to watch her from the stairs while brainstorming some potential recipes for new potions. You’d have to get some special ingredients, but it would be worth experimenting with new ingredients.

Not to mention that you’re itching to explore the area around your new home, curious to find what other places are nearby.

Thankfully, Nya seems to be on the same page as you. After she picks herself up from her latest fall, she takes a moment to stretch and catch her breath, groaning when she sees the timer again.

“I’m so close!” she groans, shaking her arms. “But I’m getting frustrated. And hungry. Tell you what…let me do one last round for my cooldown, then we’ll go grab lunch at Jamanakai Village. Does that sound okay?”

“Yeah, that’s fine!” you reply, shutting your notebook.

“Great. Shouldn’t take but a minute,” she says, returning to the rotating course with dummies on it.

As she’s running, voices emanate from the front of the courtyard. You turn, watching as the ninja pour in from the gate. To your relief, they look fine. No visible injuries, no grimaces or pained expressions. So that’s a good sign.

Instead, a renewed vigor emanates within the four as they approach the two of you. Cole catches your gaze, answering your unspoken question:

”We’re fine. It was a false alarm.”

Whew. “Okay, good. I’m glad.”

Upon hearing their voices, Nya gets distracted and tumbles to the ground yet again, grunting when she lands. Kai laughs at her while Jay pulls up his hood, hovering over her with a shy smile. “Hey, Nya. Closer to beating your brother’s speed record?”

“I’m getting there,” she mumbles with a grunt, thanking Jay softy when he helps her up. “So, just a false alarm?”

Kai steps up this time. “Yeah. Uh, but we’re gonna need the space. Sorry, sis. Wanna stay and watch me mop the floor with them?”

She rolls her eyes, coming to join your side. “No thanks. We’re heading to Jamanakai Village for a couple of hours. Knock yourselves out.”

“No stab wounds, please,” you encourage, offering the guys a thumbs-up.

Kai punches Cole in the shoulder with a wicked grin. “No promises, doc. We’re in it to win it today.”

“Well, whatever it is, I’m glad you guys are actually training again,” Nya responds. “Anyways, let’s get going.”

…

The walk to Jamanakai isn’t terribly long, if you take out the immense number of stairs you have to descend before that. Other than that, it’s not horrible. You’re just not looking forward to going back up.

Nya brings you to a cute, cozy local restaurant that isn’t too busy. The two of you talk about your respective interests for a little while, eventually shifting into how you met the ninja.

Lunch ends up being great, and she insists on paying for the meal as a way to celebrate your arrival. Once you’re done eating, the two of you end up looking around the market together, pointing out potential furniture you could get in the future or discussing ideas for splitting the room.

You’re also able to find a few ingredients. You buy them with the money you made while working at the shop, excited to try out your ideas. Satisfied with your haul, you tuck them away within a satchel secured by your waist.

A breeze flutters past the two of you, rustling your clothes. When it hits Nya’s dark hair, it tousles, but she doesn’t seem to mind. Instead, she swipes it out of her face with a small but content grin.

“It’s so good to get out,” Nya comments as the two of you approach a produce stand. “I think I was going a little stir-crazy at the monastery. It’ll be nice to have company now, when they’re off on missions or whatever.”

You’re about to ask her a follow up question when you hear someone screaming in the distance. Alarmed, you and Nya whip around to see what the commotion is about.

Nya scoffs, eyes narrowing as she scans the area. “What now?!”

From a nearby building, you spot a child pushing a cart filled with candy into the streets. His small figure is enveloped within a dark cloak as he snickers, yelling: “Take the candy! Take it all! Muahahaha!”

That in itself isn’t what’s threatening; it’s the uncannily large anthropomorphic snake people that follow the boy that make your heart skip a beat. More and more snakes emerge from the other side of the village.

Nya snatches your wrist, pulling both of you behind the produce stand. The spaces between the bins offer a view to what’s happening beyond, with you and Nya straining to see what’s going on.

“Serpentine?!” Nya whispers harshly, both of you watching as a larger snake appears, staring at one of the villagers. “How did they escape their tombs?”

The largest snake hisses at a small group of villagers. Its scales are dark blue, lined with yellow accents on their heads. His bright red eyes pierce the villagers’ collective gazes, and you find yourself having to glance away. Dizziness overcomes you as you shake yourself out of your trance.

What was that?

“They’re controlling the villagers,” Nya realizes as the villagers scatter, walking and groaning like zombies. “Wait…they’re coming close. Stay still!”

You and Nya press yourselves against the stand, trying to be as still and quiet as possible when two new voices emerge:

“This makes no sense, General. Raiding an entire town for sweets?!”

“You will do as I command, because I hold the staff!” the other one demands. Sure enough, in his grasp is a golden staff carved into the shape of a Serpentine. In the center rests a blue…gem? You’re not quite sure what it is.

Thankfully, the two pass the spot where you’re hiding with Nya, instead electing to terrorize some other poor villager.

“Dammit,” Nya mumbles. “They’re everywhere. There are too many to take on at once. We have to wait for the ninja to arrive.”

“Do you think they’ve been contacted yet?” you wonder, heart pounding as you hear people screaming nearby.

“I’m sure someone in the village managed to get word out. Come on, let’s see if there’s something we can do. Maybe we can get to higher ground for a better vantage point.”

She pauses, stepping out from beyond the cover of the produce stand. After a few seconds, she nods in your direction and darts out into the clearing.

You follow her, heart thumping as your legs burn and shake with adrenaline. The screaming grows quieter by the second, instead replaced with the eerie groans of the hypnotized villagers. Everywhere you look, people with blood red eyes are wandering.

“This way,” Nya directs, causing you to snap your head towards her. She points towards a ladder, gesturing for you to go first. “Go!”

You waste no time in ascending, muscles burning as you pull yourself up, hands starting to sweat when you manage to pull yourself over the roof. A grunt escapes you when you land less than ideally.

A concerning thunk from below catches your attention, making you peer over the edge. Your eyes widen when you realize Nya is now on the ground, a snake man looming above her.

“Nya!” you cry.

Your voice snatches the attention of her attacker, though. Like something primal overcomes her, you watch as something in Nya’s eyes snaps. She rolls onto her side, sweeping her leg out and knocking the Serpentine over.

The attack catches the attention of two other snakes, to your dismay. Nya yells as she launches a powerful front kick at one of them, driving her weight into the blow. He staggers back, clutching his abdomen as his friend advances on her.

“Look into my eyes,” it says, hissing. “I control you!”

Tearing your eyes from the scene, you spot a vase filled with dirt on the roof. You snatch it before hurling it down onto the Serpentine with a cry.

It smashes against the snake’s head, breaking the hypnotic stare. Ceramic chunks and dirt debris flutter to the ground as he clutches his head. Nya jerks herself back into the moment, scrambling to climb the ladder as the two snake men retreat in favor of the other villagers.

You help Nya onto the roof, struggling to catch your breath. “N-Nya!”

“I’m okay,” she breathes, sighing shakily. “Thanks for the assist back there.”

“What happened? One second you were below me…”

“...then one of them pulled me off the ladder,” she finishes, shaking her head. She swivels her head before beckoning you to follow her across the rooftop. “I’ve had worse. Come on, let’s see if we can help the villagers while we wait for the ninja. Do you have any thoughts on how to break their hypnosis?”

You trail off as she looks around, conflict etched onto both of your faces. Magic snake men that could hypnotize people were not included in your training.

“Well…it depends,” you say, glancing towards the chaos again. “I’m not really sure how those snakes are doing it. But if it’s some sort of chemical reaction, we could potentially reverse the effects if we had anti-venom. But I have no idea how we could get that. Maybe if I could get a sample of their blood, I could figure something out. That would take days, though.”

Nya trails off, contemplating your words as the two of you crouch down, out of view from below. “Anti-venom, you say? Hm…you know, when we were little, Kai and I had a babysitter that would tell us the story of the Serpentine. Or, at least the kid-friendly version. She mentioned that the snakes’ leader would bear a staff containing the anti-venom. The hero in the story did…something, with the staff. Something with water,” she frowns, wracking her memory with a frown. “And you heard those snakes, when we were hiding - the one with the long tail is the General. And he was carrying a staff.”

“A staff…and with water… ” a realization dawns on you as you trail off, remembering a potion that you made with Mystake years ago. “Wait, there’s a fountain in the village, right?”

“Yeah. It channels throughout the village-”

“We need to get that staff in the fountain,” you realize, eyes widening. “It’ll-”

The roar of a dragon interrupts you, snapping both of your attentions to the center of the village.

“The ninja!” Nya says, grabbing your wrist and pulling you into a run. “Come on, we have to regroup and tell them!”

You nod, stomach growing queasy when she releases you. She leaps across one of the rooftops, crossing the gap with ease. It’s not too long of a gap, but the fall would still be gnarly. Thankfully, the adrenaline in your system and fear for the villagers’ wellbeing does wonders in shoving your fear to the side. Your running start gives you enough momentum to jump, managing the landing to the other rooftop.

Unlike the previous one, this roof is not flat. The shingles curve upwards at a decorative angle, converging into a triangular shape. Your foot lands at an awkward angle, making you tumble to the side. You gasp, desperately clawing at shingles as you start sliding.

Nya catches your bicep, stopping your fall. You sigh in relief, accepting her help when she pulls you to your feet.

“The guys are over there, taking cover,” she says, maintaining her hold on you. “Here, come on. Just one more jump down. You’re doing fine. Just follow me down after I go, okay?” She guides your hand to the elevated portion of the roof, waiting until you’re balanced to let go.

“Got it,” you say, watching as she skillfully leaps to the ground. Okay, you’re pretty sure you can’t do all that. Maybe there’s another way down?

Once you’re steady again, you manage to look over the edge. Nya is there, now surrounded by the ninja. They’re all masked, glancing back towards the Serpentine nervously.

“I can’t do this, Nya!” you say, heart skipping a beat when a shingle chips off and clatters to the ground. “That’s too high of a jump for me!”

Cole steps forward, raising his arms and beckoning you down. “Just step off. We’ll catch you.”

“Oh, man…” you mumble, gearing yourself up. You should probably take advantage of the adrenaline while it’s still here. “Okay, here I go. Just gonna do it.”

Thankfully, you commit to the fall, breath catching in your throat as you sail through the air. True to his word, Cole is there to break your fall, catching you by your waist. He staggers a bit, but regains his balance fairly quickly.

A secret shudder flutters across your skin when you realize he’s holding you by your waist, his eyes cast in worry as he studies you. Exhaling, you brace yourself on his shoulders, hands sliding down as he lowers you. Cole’s hands move to your elbows as you balance yourself.

“Are you okay?” he questions, letting you hang onto him for a second.

“Yeah, I’m okay. Just too many adrenaline rushes for one week,” you mumble, finally feeling steady enough without his help. “Thank you.”

“You two are okay. Good,” Jay confirms, turning to Nya for an update.

“Barely. They’ve hypnotized everyone in town!” she says, rubbing a spot on her arm. You frown upon seeing the fresh bruise forming there, making a note to have a look at it later.

“Mind control. How is this possible?” Jay wonders as Kai peeks around the corner, ensuring that the coast is still clear for the moment.

“I think it’s some kind of chemical reaction. One that may or may not come from their eyes,” you chime in.

Nya nods in agreement, coming to stand next to you as she says: “When you hear them rattle their tails, don't look them in the eyes. That's how they get you.”

“We need to get that staff, the one that the biggest snake has,” you say. “We think it might hold the anti-venom. When you get it, stick it into the fountain. If we’re right, then the anti-venom and staff should react with the water to form a steam that will cure the villagers.”

“What if we’re wrong? We should go ahead and make a Plan B, just to be safe,” Nya points out.

“If that fails, try to cut one of the snakes and get a sample of their blood. I can probably make an anti-venom, but it’s going to take longer,” you instruct. “There’s a merchant selling glass jars nearby that you can use. Those should work if Plan A fails.”

“And if that fails, we have Plan Z,” Jay quips, eyes lighting up. “Which is way better, ‘cause it’s lemon scented.”

Nya shoots Jay a funny look as everyone else ignores him.

“I believe our plan is doable. But our weapons are unstable, and it will be difficult to retrieve the staff while dodging their attempts at hypnosis,” Zane says. “We must be careful.”

“Don’t overthink it,” Cole instructs. “Okay, here’s what we’re gonna do. Kai, Jay. You two draw the goons away. Once they’re gone, circle back discreetly if you can to help with the staff. Zane, I want you to deal with Lloyd. We might be able to…persuade him to call a retreat if we scare him into it. Nya and I will work on getting the staff. And as for you,” he turns to you, trailing off as he thinks. “Hang back and watch for anyone that might be injured once the fight is over.”

“Okay,” you agree, followed by everyone else’s voices confirming the plan.

“Good. Remember, no weapons. Spinjitzu should still be fine. I know that we’re rusty, guys, but we’ve got to get this done.”

Kai is the next to speak up, body jittery with the anticipation of a fight. “He’s right. Look, guys. Forget about the whole Green Ninja thing. Let's make Sensei proud, the four of us. We're a team!”

“Now you’re talking,” Cole replies. “Alright, guys. Let’s go!”

Nya hangs back momentarily as the guys spring into action on the roofs overhead. “Are you okay to stay behind?”

“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me, just focus on getting that staff,” you reply, not wanting to interfere with their work. She nods, darting off to follow the ninja.

It takes Kai and Jay a few minutes to lead the majority of the snakes away. Which ends up working out well, since it gives you a second to catch your breath. Look at you, riding on dragons and jumping across rooftops. A humorless laugh escapes you when you wonder how much wackier your life will get if you choose to stay with the ninja.

Ah, but no time to think about that now. The fighting seems to have moved to another part of the village, so you take the opportunity to move towards it. Slowly but surely, you make your way towards the action.

Eventually, you stumble upon the cart that the little boy had been pushing. It’s tipped onto its front, seemingly caused by the frozen front wheels. Its saccharine contents have been spilled onto the streets, and the boy is behind it, desperately trying to get it unstuck.

Zane, who had been standing nearby, darts away to help the others, leaving you alone with the child. Your heart breaks a little when you hear him sniffle, finally managing to break the cart out of the ice. What’s a kid doing out with these snakes anyway?

The boy turns the cart in your direction, freezing when he locks eyes with you. You frown, wondering if the snakes have hurt him.

“Are you okay?” you ask quietly, crouching down to his level.

His green eyes widen, filling with conflict as he stares at you. You wonder if the snakes had roped him into their plan somehow, desperately hoping they haven’t hurt the boy. For a handful of moments, he’s completely frozen.

“Please, let me help you,” you encourage, hoping you’re not scaring him.

Just when you think you might be getting through to him, something dark clouds his eyes as he darts towards one of the bigger snakes, shouting out for the army to retreat.

“Wait!” you cry, watching as the child slips behind one of the buildings. You attempt to follow, gasping when the army of hypnotized villagers lines up to block off part of the village.

Breath hitching in your throat, you glance through the sea of red eyes. To your left, Jay and Zane are fighting off some of the few remaining snakes. Leaping across the rooftops are Kai and Nya, both trying to circumvent the army of hypnotized people.

This…is chaos. Why doesn’t anything feel real right now?

Your adrenaline sputters out, weakness flooding you as voices emanate from behind you. Dizzy, you spin to find Cole sailing down in the air, delivering two swift kicks to the snake general’s staff. It bounces out of his grip, clattering to the ground as Cole flips into a smooth landing.

“Go ahead. Give me a reason,” Cole remarks, stepping towards the fallen staff and swiping it off of the ground. The lead snake flees in response to Cole’s advance.

The second-in-command is not so easily scared off; he catches Cole’s stare, trying to hypnotize him.

“Cole!” you yell, grateful to see Nya darting up from behind him. She jumps, jamming her foot into the snake’s face. The blow snaps Cole of his trance, making him shake his head as he staggers, staff still in hand.

Nya steadies him before directing him to the fountain, where he props it up in the water. Thankfully, the anti-venom reacts with the water and starts steaming as you’d hoped. One by one, the villagers are cured and the red eyes recede, mindless groans replaced by cheering.

…

Even though no one got hurt majorly, you still insist on getting the ninja patched up.

Kai and Jay are fine, save for a few scratches, cuts, and bruises. Jay accepts a pack of ice for a hit he took on his shoulder, which Nya applies as the two rest in the living room. Her left ankle is propped up on another chair, wrapped up in gauze.

She’d sprained it after getting jerked off that ladder. You couldn’t even tell anything was wrong until you noticed the swelling when she sat down.

Zane emerged the best out of all them, with only one minor cut to show for the battle. Though, you’d noticed something odd with his blood - you couldn’t quite put your finger on it, but the color seemed off somehow. With his permission, you took a sample of his blood to examine later.

Finally, Cole enters the medical room, which isn’t much at the moment -  just a spare room in the monastery with a bed and your medical bag. You have a weird feeling you need to wait a few days to unpack it fully, so you’ve just been taking things out as you need them and repacking them. Mystake always did stress the importance of listening to your gut, after all, and you’re not one to doubt her wisdom. It hasn’t failed you so far.

Cole grunts as he lowers himself on the table, hissing in pain. Again, the top of his gi is torn in places. You can already see a little bit of blood staining the fabric.

You sigh, shaking your head. “I had a feeling you were going to be the one who got it the worst. What hurts the most?” you inquire, pulling on a pair of examination gloves.

Cole fumbles with the ties on his gi. “This cut right here…that asshole slashed me, then drew his katana back and rammed the hilt into my ribs.”

“Ouch…” you sympathize, observing his fingers. Something seems off about his motions. You notice how he misses the knot a few times. He gets it a few seconds later, though, unraveling the belt and pulling his top off.

Curse these biological hormones! You don’t think you’re ever going to get used to seeing his torso. He’s just the right amount of muscle. Your mind flashes back to the night where you’d accidentally left your hand on his sternum, the very tips of your fingers brushing against the side of his pec as you’d withdrawn.

Focus! Injured man! Job to do! Shut up, goblin brain.

Sure enough, when you focus past the gorgeous torso, you realize there’s a lengthy, diagonal cut in his skin.

“Yeah, that’s pretty gnarly,” you agree, immediately reaching for a clean cloth. Thankfully, it’s not terribly deep. What probably hurts more is that ugly, purple bruise underneath.

The two of you fall into a silence as you dab at the dried blood, hoping you’re not pressing too hard. Cole watches your hands as you work.

“Oh, um…I meant to tell you…” he trails off, expression conflicted momentarily. “You did really well, you know. That was your first time working with us in the field, and you handled yourself well. Didn’t panic, just acted.”

You chuckle, finally done with cleaning up the blood. “I’m glad I didn’t get in the way. I was scared, and my adrenaline kicked in initially, but when I faded, I just…it felt like nothing was real, you know? It was almost like I was going into shock or something.”

“The chaos gets to you when you’re not used to it,” he agrees, wincing as you apply an antiseptic to the cut. “There’s so much going on, and it’s difficult to keep up when you’re not trained for it. But you and Nya came up with a solution, and we got the job done.”

“If I was that overwhelmed just watching you guys fight, I can’t imagine what it’s like actually being in the action,” you say, pausing when he hisses at the dab of antiseptic. “I’m sorry, I know it stings, but we’ve got to get this sterilized. Can’t have it getting infected and creating more work for me.”

He chuckles, the two of you watching as the solution sizzles on the opened skin. When he looks up, you catch his stare, immediately frowning.

Cole’s eyes are their normal shade of green, but his sclera are tinged slightly red. You frown, free hand unconsciously coming to the side of his face. 

“Are you feeling okay?” you wonder, studying his eyes as he stares at you. First, his off hand coordination. Now, the bloodshot eyes…

“Yeah, why?” he questions as you return your stare to the task at hand.

“I don’t know yet. Did you hit your head at any point?”

“Not that I remember.”

“Do you feel like you might be getting sick?”

“No, I’m just tired. But other than that I feel fine.”

“Okay,” you say, unconvinced as you press your wrist against his forehead. No fever. Maybe you’d just have the others keep an eye on him throughout the night to see if any other symptoms arise. “Doesn’t feel like you have a fever. Just try to get some good sleep tonight, okay? You look a little peaked.”

“I do? Weird…I feel fine.”

“I believe you. Just make sure you rest tonight. I’m going to check on you in the morning to see if you develop any other symptoms. But for now, what else hurts?”

Cole has a few other cuts for you to sterilize and bandage along with a handful of new bruises. You prepare an ice pack for the bigger, uglier bruises.

You sigh, mind shifting back to that little boy you’d seen with the serpentine. The fact he’s out there alone with them bothers you. “Do you know who that little kid was, by the way? The boy with the cloak?”

“Hm? Oh, you mean Lloyd?”

“Lloyd,” you repeat, frowning. “So you know him?”

“Not officially, just that he’s Sensei Wu’s nephew. He used to go to Darkley’s, but he escaped somehow. He’s Lord Garmadon’s son.”

“Whoa, really? I never would have guessed,” you mumble, putting the finishing touches on his wound dressings. “I hope those snakes aren’t hurting him. He seemed scared.”

Cole groans in relief when he presses the ice pack against the bruise. “Scared? He’s the one who released them.”

Lloyd set the snakes free? “Wait, really?”

“He’s trying to be like his dad. The only thing is, Lloyd’s idea of evil is stealing candy and pulling pranks on people. He doesn’t understand what the snakes really want.”

Poor kid...you wonder if Wu would take him in if given the chance. That’s no way for a child to live. Those snakes are going to manipulate him the first chance they get.

“Do you think they’re hurting him?” Cole questions when you don’t answer.

“I don’t know…I just - there was something in his eyes. I think he’s scared, and it breaks my heart knowing he’s out there with them,” you sigh, shaking your head as you clean up the counter. Cole slips off from the bed, keeping the ice on his chest.

“Well, I’ll see if we can get him to Sensei, then. Makes me wonder if we should have been gentler with him when we dealt with him the first time.”

Satisfied with his answer, you smile in thanks before remembering Cole’s mystery ailment. “But, as far as you go, I want you to go to bed early. Sleep in if you need to. If you’re not up by the time training starts, I’ll let Sensei Wu know. And tell me if you start feeling sick, okay?”

“Will do. Anything else?”

“No. You’re free to go.”

…

“Stars, what a day!” Nya cries as she collapses on her bed.

You shut the door, chuckling at her as you set your journal down next to your temporary mattress. “Man, if this is what my first week with you guys looks like, I can’t even begin to imagine what else is going to happen!”

Silence overcomes the two of you as the black-haired girl rolls over to her stomach, hands drifting to her nightstand. Resting on top is a dagger, which she picks up and twirls around her fingers.

“Seems like they guys have found their fire again,” she mumbles, gaze absent as she watches her blade spin in her hand. “I’m glad.”

You study her downcast gaze for a moment, sensing her shift in mood. “Why don’t you join them? You’re clearly talented enough to fight with them. Why not?”

”I’m not technically a ninja. Not yet, anyway,” she answers, shrugging. “I mean, I train with them when I can, but since they’re out so much, it’s hard to find the time. It was getting boring as hell, just staying here while they were gone.” She shakes her head, sighing.

You struggle to process what she’s saying. “You mean…someone as talented as you…they just leave you behind?”

“Yeah, to watch over the monastery. But I can’t say I’m fond of being left out of the action.”

“But you don’t have to stay put,” you reply as you gather an armful of pajamas from one of your bags. “Can’t you help out in your own way? You don’t need anyone’s permission to do what you want to do. If you want to be out there, fighting crime and doing good, then you should damn well be doing that. Ninja or not.”

Nya doesn’t answer for a few moments, taking a moment to sort her thoughts. When she looks back at you, the blade is still in her hands.

“You’re right,” she says, sitting up. She uses her bed post as a support, bringing herself to a single foot.

“What are you doing?” you question as she hops to her desk.

“I have an idea. Do you mind if I stay up and sketch for a little while?”

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