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emotionoitme · 2 months

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don’t call my name

don't call my name - skinshape

warnings: roommate trope, pervy carmy, like this man needs to get a grip, sexual tension & sexual innuendo, yearning as always, nudity and some steaminess, alcohol (its one drink), some dirty touches and lots of teasing + dirty talking lol, future smut (freaky), no use of y/n or you

wc: 8.6k

a/n: new 3-PART SERIES!! hiiii i’m sorry i’ve been awol for so long but s3 has sent me into a feral frenzy and thats what motivates me to write for carmy <3 he kind of pissed me off this season but i’m horny for him anyways so enjoy!! (from the same horny silly mind as “about a girl”)

series masterlist

playlist (updates with each chapter)

fucking inflation.

carmen berzatto would rather die than try and find a roommate.

with chicago’s residential rent quadrupling, he found it increasingly stressful balancing monthly apartment payments with the nonstop financial demand of owning a restaurant.

if it wasn’t fixing the walk in fridge, it was fixing the gas line that had a leak. not to mention staffing, fancy dishware, food cost, utilities. the bear was a big up and coming success in the community, but he was damned if it didn’t take a lot of money to keep a restaurant running.

it wouldn’t have been so stressful all on its own, either, not if his new fuckhead landlord didn’t send all the tenants a yellow slip informing them of the $2500 monthly increase in rent.

the place was nice—he recently made a decision that was long deliberated, moveing from his small, admittedly humble apartment complex to a ��luxury unit”.

he found it to be quite an adjustment. It was newer, and much nicer than what carmy was used to. the place was fully furnished and had two-levels connected by floating stairs, as well as tall windows that reached the ceiling and illuminated the space with natural light.

it was a gorgeous place, but the sudden increase in rent did nothing more than fuel the disdain that he had accumulated for landlords over the years.

so, came to terms with the fact that he would have to either deal with the hassle of moving out, cut into the restaurant’s budgeting, or the dreaded third option. finding a roommate.

the stress plagued his mind all night as he tried to sleep, tossing and turning over his pillow.

someone to share a small space with, quarrel over messes with, debate over rent share with. not to mention he had grown accustomed to small freedoms like cooking in the middle of the night or walking around naked.

there was also the fact that he had been lonely recently, succumbing to sexual frustrations that reminded him all too well of being a teenager again. it had crept up on him slowly, the urge to hold another person again. to be touched by someone else.

he had been so worked up, he was being plagued by wet dreams. it was like being back in middle school for the man. finding himself waking up face down in the bed, clutching a pillow he had drooled on with a throbbing erection in his boxers. finding himself rutting his hips against the mattress to try and alleviate some of the pressure that had built up in his body. a thin sheen of sweat covered him as he felt increasingly hot. maybe he would want to bring someone home in the near future, and how would that work with a roommate? what a fucking nightmare.

he bit into the pillow and let out a soft groan as he continued to slowly rock his hips against the mattress.

he slid his hand down, fingers tucking into his boxers and wrapping around his erection. the dream had felt so real while he was asleep, recalling soft skin beneath his fingertips, recalling himself posessively gripping this skin as a hot, wet tightness engulfed his cock. he nuzzles his face further into the pillow as he pumps his hand softly over his length.

the lack of anything romantic or sexual in his life was probably for the best. but that didn’t mean he didn’t miss it.

carmen brought his hand up to his mouth, spitting into his palm and shoving his boxers down to slick himself up. it felt as if a white heat was beginning to surge through his body, unaccustomed to the touch.

he had been so busy, wound so tightly. he began rutting his hips to meet his hand, releasing a low moan into the pillow. it was like the dream had gotten him almost completely to the finish line, feeling overwhelmingly sensitive from the brief touches. his other hand gripped at his comforter as he felt himself coming up on an orgasm, muscles tensing, mouth falling open.

the sharp blare of his phone ringing right next to his ear caused him to jump, ripping his hand out from his boxers and sitting up. it took him a second to orient himself, heart pounding and breaths labored.

he felt his skin heat with anger as his eyes darted over to the screen to see an unknown number.

another four seconds and he would have been blissfully falling over the edge he hadn’t fallen over in a long time.

he hurriedly shoved the phone up to his ear.

“what?” he snapped into the line, patience wearing incredibly thin. the receiving end was quiet for a beat, before a woman’s voice hesitantly responded.

“hi…um, i was calling about the listing for the unit on maple… is this the right number?”

carmy ran a hand over his face, resting his forehead in his hand. the pent up tension began to partially subside, mind now focusing on his sustained issue of finding a roommate.

“no, yeah. uh, sorry,” he cleared his throat, “this is carmen.”

“oh. hi,” the girl’s voice responded, sounding slightly surprised. she relayed her own name, as he found himself closing his eyes and tuning into the sound of her voice.

“i saw your ad in the tribune, and i’m kind of in a rough spot right now with my shithea- sorry, my landlord increasing the rent. i only need a place for a few months before i go back to the west coast.”

he let himself chuckle at her correction, hand falling to the blanket above his erection.

“yeah,” he responded, “i’m, uh, all too familiar with shithead landlords. that’s why i put the ad out in the first place. my rent is fuckin’ going up 2500 bucks.” hearing a small gasp resonate through the line at this.

“so i take it you’re not…totally enthusiastic about getting a roommate?” she questioned with a laugh.

something inside his stomach fluttered at the sound of her laugh. enough to feel a twitch from under the blanket.

god damn, was he wound tightly.

“no- i’m… well, yes, but-“ he exhales, “i guess it just has to be a good fit. i’m used to living alone.”

the girl lets out a hum of agreement.

“well, when can i meet you, carmen? test out how well you…fit?”

he had to stifle a groan at this, a dull, aching throb coming from beneath his covers. he palmed his hand over the clothed hardness. he didn’t even know what this girl looked like and somehow she was eliciting a response from him. he made a mental note to try and get laid over the next week. even if it was just a shitty one night stand. anything to alleviate this ferocity he felt.

“yeah, um,” he responds, slightly horse “i’m actually taking the day off tomorrow, so, then?”

the girl giggled again.

“wow, lucky you, taking off work on a sunday?” she teased. he takes his hand off his clothed erection and runs his hand through his unruly curls.

“yeah, i, uh, work in a restaurant. so it really is lucky…” dread filled his stomach at the thought of playing catch-up come monday. hopefully the staff would work smoothly enough to accommodate his absence.

“i’m really the lucky one,” she responds, “the sooner i can end my lease, the better. and you’re the first actual response i’ve gotten all week.” a pause. “can i come by tomorrow morning and check the place out?”

carmy’s eyes flickered towards his open bedroom door, acknowledging the cleaning he would have to squeeze in today.

“yeah, the, uh…. the morning works” he responded.

“i won’t be interrupting anything, right?” she asked.

his eyes glanced down to the hardened outline under his sheets.

“no,” he rested his head back against the wall, “no, i’m open. come at 9? unit 407.”

“okay, yeah. i’ll be there. bye, carmen” she sweetly chimed.

he let out a breath as the phone disconnected. this woman could’ve been anyone, yet something about the way she said his name sent a wave of heat through his body. he glanced back down at his hardness, then at the clock.

“fuck” he exhaled, denoting the limited time he had before he had to be at the resturaunt. he ran a hand over his face before throwing the covers off of him and forcing himself out of bed. he readjusted the tent of his boxers and walked downstairs and into the kitchen. fuck this rent increase. he loved living alone.

carmen downed a glass of water, allowing some of the cool liquid to spill onto his bare chest. he told himself he dreaded the next morning when he would meet the woman who called him, regardless of how his body responded to the sound of her voice.

he definitely wasn’t lonely, curious, or excited to see what she would be like.

fuck having a roommate.

he bent down to strip himself of his boxers, leaving them on the floor as he walked into the bathroom to start the shower. he drew back the curtain and let the water hit him without warming up.

what about being able to come home at any hour of the night? or stashing his jeans in the oven? no longer would he be comfortable succumbing to freedoms as simple as jerking off on the couch.

so because of that, carmen would rather die than try and find a roommate.

or, at least that’s what he had thought initially.

by no means did he expect his old fashioned newspaper ad to bring her.

his first thought was that she was beautiful, and he found himself drinking in the sight of her as if he were a man lost in a desert and she was a cool blue pond.

she was younger, he guessed early twenties, and cute. carmen had never considered himself the type of guy who had a type, but that split second after which he had opened the door made him rethink that prior assumption.

it also didn’t help that she had shown up in a tiny skirt and a long sleeved shirt that was so fucking tight he could see the perk of her nipples through the fabric. and what could he say to defend himself? at the end of the day he was just a man.

the first genuine thing he noticed, however, was her smile, alongside a mischievous glint in her eyes, which he was immediately enamored with. it was like opening the door and being completely blindsided, resulting in an awkward first few seconds as they stood staring at each other. the girl expectantly waited for him to invite her inside. he hadn't even realized that she had already greeted him and he was just starting back at her dumbfoundedly.

“uh. sorry,” he broke the silence, “hi. it’s nice to meet you” he stuck out his hand.

she gave him a warm smile and reached out to shake his hand.

“so nice to meet you, carmen.”

her hand was soft. and he liked the way it seemed to disappear in his. she pulled it back sooner than he would’ve liked. he reciprocated her small smile.

“carmy is fine,” he stepped to the side “come on in.”

he watched as her eyes scanned down his face, to his lips, neck, chest, before glancing back up.

he could’ve sworn her cheeks colored a bit as she stepped inside and began to have a look around.

the girl slowly made her way through the living room, running her hand along the soft backing of the couch, glancing over the various cook books stacked upon the coffee table. carmy watched her from behind as she sauntered into the kitchen, averting his eyes after tracing up the span of her bare leg, disappointed when his gaze met fabric.

stop being such a fuckin’ perv, he internally scolded himself. he took a deep breath and shoved his hands into his front pockets, continuing to walk forward, eyes burning a hole into the cabinets of the kitchen. anywhere but on her.

the girl placed her hands on the granite countertops, leaning over to examine even more cookbooks, these ones with sticky notes decorating the pages. the sweet, light smell of perfume prompted carmen to look forward, realizing he had gotten closer to the girl than he meant to. she sensed his presence and turned around, letting out a small gasp at the close proximity. her eyes darted up and locked with his.

carmen felt the eye contact send a shockwave through his body as he unintentionally towered over her.

her eyes fell to his lips momentarily and he felt his jaw clench as he watched her part her mouth and let out a soft breath. the girl ripped her eyes away from his lips, begrudgingly bringing them back up to meet his.

“can you take me to the bedroom?” she asked him. carmy blinked, heart pounding in his chest, not sure if he heard her right.

“wh- what?” he choked out. her eyebrows slightly creased, head tilting.

“the room where i’d stay? can i see it?”

his eyes shut tightly, then snapped back open. hand coming up to run through his hair.

jesus, get a grip, man. obviously she wasn’t asking you to take her to the bedroom so you could fu-

“yeah-”’ he sighed, “yeah, of course.” carmy spun on his heel, leading her back through the living room and up the stairs.

“it’s a beautiful place,” she complimented, “a lot nicer than where i’m at right now.”

the top floor looked over the living room, branching off into a hallway with two bedrooms and a shared bathroom.

“yeah, uh, to be honest, it’s a lot… fancier than what i’m usually used to.” carmy led her past his room into the vacant space, empty except for a king sized mattress.

“the, uh, mattress is yours if you want it. if you already have one, i’ll get it out of here.” he turned to glance at the girl, who had wide eyes, “won it in a stupid…sweepstakes thing my cousin signed me up for.”

he doesn’t mention that richie had signed him up to make fun of him, telling carmen that a new mattress might help him get laid since nothing else seemed to work.

her gaze met his and a big smile grew on her face. she walked to the edge of the bed, then turned to lay on it, sprawling her arms out.

“wow,” she exhaled, “you live the life of luxury over here carmy,” a big smile still on her face as she stretches out. he ignores the way her skirt creates a perfect triangular gap between her thighs, revealing a glimpse of white lacy fabric.

okay, maybe he doesn’t ignore it.

“so?” she asks. he rips his gaze upwards, finding her sitting up on the bed, eyes meeting his, “is it a good fit?” she had a small smirk on her face, crossing one leg over the other, slightly leaning back.

he liked the way she gazed up at him, chin tilting up towards him to expose more of her neck. his eyes raked down the flesh of her neck, wondering what it would be like to sink his teeth into it. to make her yelp. to mark her.

“yeah,” he softly responds, feeling his mouth dry, eyes scanning over her face, “i, uh, i think we can make it fit.”

carmy watches as her eyelids flutter slightly at this, chest expanding with a deep inhale. he could’ve sworn she pressed her thighs together, lip coming to catch between her teeth.

“okay,” she breathed, the two of them almost in a trance as they stared at each other. he was the first to break the eye contact, clearing his throat and taking a few steps away from the bed.

“you’re, um… free to move in whenever you’d like,” he tells her, fixing his eyes on the wall as he warms under the unmistakable feeling of her gaze.

she’s here to find a place to live, he tells himself, not get eyefucked by some stranger.

regardless, he feels her continue to watch him. he hears her boots click against the flooring as she stands from her position on the bed, walking over to the glass door leading to a shared balcony. outside, the door that connected to his room was just a few feet down from hers.

he follows her as she walks out, watching her place her hands on the railing and take a deep breath. it was fresh out, the nostalgic smell of a crisp autumn morning.

“it’s a beautiful area,” she quietly observes, noting the proximity of a park. the dense line of trees provided a bit of privacy for the balcony, but the bustle of passerbys were still visible down below. he hummed in agreement, watching as the balmy breeze tousled her hair. she had a serene look on her face, but she seemed far away.

“you’re, uh, from the west coast?” he asked, trying to strike up a form of conversation. the glaze over her eyes remained as she followed the sight of a woman pushing a baby stroller through the park.

“yeah,” she breathed out, “san diego. moved here for a work but my, uh….my mom isn’t doing so well. so i’m going back before christmas.”

carmen notices the twitch of her lip, gaze still fixed on the woman pushing the stroller.

“i’m, uh, i’m sorry to hear that,” he responds softly. her gaze breaks away as the woman disappears into the tree line. she meets his eyes and gives him a small smile

“don’t be. we have a…complicated relationship,” she let out a small laugh, nervously looking to the side.

“yeah, i, uh… i know how that goes,” he admits, “trust me.”

her smile warmed at this, eyes coming back to scan his face.

“i hope it’s okay that i’d be here so short term,” she offers. he nods his head.

“i really just need someone for the first couple months. until i decide whether i want to end my lease or, uh, cough up the extra money,” he reassures with a small smile.

“well, in that case, i look forward to rooming with you, carmy,” she gleams, pushing herself away from the railing and turning to face the door. he opens it for her, watching as she walks back into the room and takes in the stark emptiness.

“can i bring some stuff by today?” she asks sweetly, “decorate a little?”

he nods, reaching into his pocket and pulling out her copy of the key, handing it to her.

“you live here now, so go crazy,” smiling at the squeal of excitement she let out. unexpectedly, the girl rushed forward and wrapped her arms around carmen. he was a bit stunned, but reciprocated, letting his arms engulf her, a hand resting on her lower back.

“thank you, thank you, thank you!” she beamed, leaning into him.

“don’t mention it. really” a smile graced his face, the smell of her hair sweet. he would’ve kept hugging her for a while if it was up to him.

she pulled away, touching his forearm as she did so.

“i promise i won’t go too crazy. i noticed you have the place pretty….minamalist.”

he let out a small laugh at this.

“yeah, i’m…not much of a decorator,” he confessed, “my apartments have always been pretty boring.”

“sounds like you need a woman’s touch?” she asked, giving him an innocent smile. his brain stuttered for a minute, eyes flickering down her face to her lips. he really did need a woman’s touch. but that’s obviously not what she meant.

“yeah,” he cleared his throat “yeah, definitely.”

she let out a small giggle, “okay. i’ll be back in a few hours.”

as the door slammed behind her, the girl released an exacerbated breath, running her hands through a mess of hair. she made her way through the complex, pressing the elevator button.

her cheeks felt hot—her whole body felt hot, actually. what the fuck did she get herself into? to make a commitment to a roommate was one thing, to make a commitment to one that was so offensively hot was just stupid.

he had caught her completely off guard, too. she had only heard carmen as a woman’s name, so the phone call came as a bit of a shock, the meeting an even bigger one.

she knew she would have to stay away from him, roommate are strictly off limits.

do not make a move, do not make a move, do not make a move!

it would make everything so complicated, and all she really needed was a place to stay for a few months. but these words she repeated like a mantra did nothing to take away from the fact that she wanted him, bad. from the second he opened the door and she stared into his strikingly blue eyes. from when she raked her eyes down his body, taking in the way his pecs strained against his shirt, tattoos decorating his muscular, capable arms. she was so warm when he wrapped himself around her, hands settling on her lower back…she just wished they had gone lower, touched her more.

he smelled so fucking good, too, when they had hugged. the smell of his deodorant made her a little dizzy, and gave her a dull ache between her legs.

the ding of the elevator made her jump, disrupting her thoughts as she stepped through the open doors.

why did she flirt with him so much? she prayed he didn’t think she was a desperate weirdo—it had just been so long since she had been satisfied in that way. and as she sat on the bed, and he stood looking down at her hungrily as if he wanted to dominate her, she quickly decided that she would’ve let him.

the heat of her skin did not relent, so she began gathering her hair atop her head, molding it into a bun and securing it with a hair tie.

she had a few hours to take a cold shower, get it together, and call the movers to load up her boxes.

it would be fine, she told herself. everything would work out as long as she didn’t make a move. and carmen seemed gentlemanly enough to reciprocate, minus the few glances she saw him sneak of her.

she promised herself to not act on the urges. and to her credit, she didn’t. for a while, at least.

it wasn’t until tonight, about four weeks after moving in, that things started to get complicated.

it was easy, at first, to resist the flirting and the tension—mostly because carmen was never home.

he left before she woke up and only returned back after she had gone to sleep. that was the cost of being a michelin star chef though, which she had found out not from him, but from a curious google search about his restaurant.

she decided to confront him about this, curious why he was so humble about such a title. he responded along the lines of a nonchalant, “i didn’t think it mattered.”

he was a tough person to gauge—always seeming so lost within his own head. the girl felt as if she couldn’t get a good read on him, which was an unusual feeling for her.

there were moments, however, when it seemed as if she would break down a wall, illuminating herself in a stream of light from within him.

one of those moments was tonight, coming home from dinner with coworkers. she usually would just opt to go straight home after working overtime, but her boss insisted on a get-together to celebrate the end of their project. having to socialize with coworkers after hours was entirely draining, and she was more than ready to be home.

it was cold and dark, after 10 o’ clock—not that she took notice. the streets shone with the rain of a passed storm, reflecting the light of the street lamps in a blurry haze.

the girl took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the muggy post-rain sweetness of the october air. the walk allowed her to clear her mind a bit, taking notice of the perpetual heat that burned within her.

god, she needed to blow off some steam. her hand came to thread through her hair, mind flashing to carmen.

it had been so long since she was with a man—almost forgetting how it felt entirely. how it felt to be kissed, to be touched…how it felt to be full. she let out a small breath at this thought. she wondered if he was well endowed, or on the smaller side? if he was shaved or natural? if he had a curvature to him? circumcised or uncir-

“jesus christ,” she exhales, “i need to get a grip,” the reminder out loud seemed to cut her thoughts short, at least for the most part, as she approaches their building.

she makes her way inside and navigates up to their floor, unlocking the door to their unit, eyebrows furrowing as she took notice of the multiple lights on. she supposes that she had forgotten to turn them off, mentally chastising herself before locking the door behind her and setting her bag and keys down.

it felt good to be home, stripping off her blazer and making her way to the kitchen.

she opens the cupboard to grab a glass, filling it with ice. then she pulls a cold ginger beer and lime out of the fridge to make herself a drink. the vodka came a little heavy handed, only partially on accident.

she takes a long sip before making her way over to and up the stairs. she follows the dark hallway to her room, where she puts on some music and cracks the window to let the rainy breeze pour in.

the girl hums along gently to the music as she stands in front of her mirror and begins to strip her clothes off. she admires her physique as the alcohol begins to quickly initiate a pleasant buzz.

the girl leaves her bra and underwear on, admiring the delicate lace that adorned the curvature of her body. her eyes fall onto the candles on her dresser, deciding that a hot bubble bath would help melt the day away. so she takes another sip and walks to the bathroom, continuing to hum the song that reverberates through the speaker. she sways her hips to the music as she walks, even adding a little twirl to help lighten her mood.

as she goes to grab the bathroom’s knob to twist, it begins to turn on its own, the sudden realization making her heart drop to her stomach all too late.

the door swings open and the girl finds herself face to face with a shirtless carmen, hair wet and skin dewy with water droplets.

she stumbles back slightly and his strong hands grab the sides of her arms. out of instinct she places her free hand on his chest, the drink she holds splashes a few drops out onto her hand. she steadies herself, cheeks flushing.

“fuck, carm, i- i’m sorry, i didn’t know you were…” she trails off with a deep breath, her eyes darting down his chiseled chest, to his abdomen, to the deep cut v of his pelvis, down to the tuft of dark hair peaking out from beneath the edge of the towel.

well, that answered one of her questions.

the girl tears her eyes away from the arousing sight, bringing them up to meet his own. she watches as his own eyes drag down her scantily clad form, hearing him deeply exhale before bringing his eyes back up to meet hers.

his blue gaze had a dark glint as he intensely stared down at her, his lips slightly parted, brows furrowed, as if he couldn’t fully rationalize the predicament they were in.

she could smell the fresh scent of his body wash, the sharp cleanness of his deodorant. it makes her lean closer unintentionally, eyes droop slightly and lips part as she feels her body heat up.

he was incredibly firm underneath her fingertips, sturdy and strong, and still a bit damp from his shower. she would’ve kept touching him too, but his hands fall from her arms, taking a small step back, snapping his eyes shut tightly and rubbing his forehead with his hand.

“shit, i-uh, i’m sorry,” he forces out in a strangled voice, eyes glancing towards the ceiling as if to avoid the temptation that stood in front of him.

“n-no, my fault, really. i-… i didn’t realize you were home yet,” she forces out, feeling the flush of embarrassment from her cheeks, crossing her arms over her chest to provide some modesty. she leans against the door frame.

“i was gonna take a hot bath. rough day,” she elaborates as a bit of an afterthought. he deeply inhales and his eyes trail back down to her before noticing the glass she was holding.

“yeah?” he asks, “what are y’drinking?” he nudges his head forward, gesturing to the cup.

her eyes dart down to the glass, droplets of condensation cool against her fingers.

“um… moscow mule,” she confesses softly, small smile creeping onto her lips, “wanna try?” she offers.

he gives her a grin, reaching out for the drink. she tries to ignore how his fingers brush over her own.

carmen brings the glass to his lips and takes a decently long sip, eyebrows furrowing as the bitterness graces his tongue, swallowing harshly.

“shit, that’s strong,” smile on his face as he coughs lightly. she bursts out into giggles, throwing her head back.

“it was on accident,” she fibs.

he raises his eyebrow at this, which makes her laugh harder. he feels himself grin at the sight, not sure he’s ever seen her smile so big. it’s pretty, he thinks. really fuckin’ pretty.

“it’s good, though,” he praises, handing it back.

“want one?” she questions, leaning forward a bit, glass coming back up to press to her lips. carmy fixates on the sight for a moment, on her supple and sweet looking lips, before lightly clearing his throat.

“yeah, i’d, uh… i’d love one.”

the girl flashes him another sweet smile, turning on her heel and walking out of the bathroom.

“i’ll meet you downstairs then,” she chimes. as she leaves, carmen slides his eyes down her form, admiring her toned back and tracing down the alluring indentation of her spine. his gaze very quickly falls to her ass, clad in a cheeky cut of lace, watching as it slightly bounces in tandem with her steps. his breath catches, feeling himself harden beneath his towel, face heating as a throbbing sensation begins to come on.

he begins to follow her, finding himself so distracted by the sight that he almost follows her all the way into her bedroom, only snapping out of it when he sees her start to unclip her bra.

he abruptly stops and turns to walk to his own room, taking a few deep, slow breaths once he gets. there. his hands come to rest on his hips, gazing down at the tented cloth of the towel before walking to his dresser to grab a large black t-shirt and some gray sweatpants. as he slides into them, he checks in the mirror to make sure the shirt hung over his hips to cover his very apparent arousal.

he makes his way downstairs, hearing soft music play from the kitchen. a song with guitar. pretty, but sounded kind of sad.

his roommate stands at the kitchen island, garnishing his finished drink with a few mint leaves. she wears a silky bathrobe, her hair clipped up messily. she smiles up at him as he came to the counter, ice clinking against the cold copper mug as she hands it to him.

“you didn’t make yours in copper?” he asks after giving a soft thanks.

“i’m not an award winning chef,” she rebuts, “i wanted to make sure it was up to your standards,” a slight smile on her lips as she teases him.

he grins, giving a small roll of his eyes before bringing the drink up for a sip. his eyes widen.

“shit. this- this is good,” he compliments sincerely, taking another drink.

“thank you, chef,” she beams. he gives her a smile and a nod, trying to ignore how much he enjoyed hearing the name come from her.

“by the way,” she continues, “you act very humble, but i think it's really impressive for you to own a restaurant so young.”

he sets his cup down on the granite. her compliment makes his ears feel warm.

“it’s, uh…. thank you. we’re still trying to find our rhythm, y’know? but it’s coming together. slowly,” he underplays. the girl nods, taking another sip of her drink.

“did you always know you wanted to be a chef?” she inquires, leaning over the countertop onto her forearms. carmen had trouble processing her question, too distracted by the view provided from the low-hanging fabric of her loosely tied robe.

she notices his eyes wander and her skin heats under his gaze. she pushes her chest out slightly, having little clue why she was entertaining this crush of hers.

“sorry, what?” his reply comes a bit delayed. she gives a soft giggle.

“did you always want to be a chef? or did someone inspire you?” she notices the way his face drops ever so slightly.

“i, uh… i’ve wanted to be a chef for a long time. and uh, i think my brother probably had a big part in inspiring me,” he pauses, and she nods.

“that’s sweet,” a smile on her face, “only the truly inspired go on to own a restaurant.”

“yeah, he uh…he actually left his restaurant to me. used to be a sandwich shop. my dad owned it, then…left it to mikey.” his eyes drift to the skin of her neck, landing on a dainty necklace.

“are you two close?” she asks, heat from her hands causing the ice of her drink to melt and shift, clinking against the glass.

he pauses again, unsure of how to approach this, his glazed eyes giving him away a bit. she breaks the silence.

“i’m sorry, i don’t mean to pry-”

“-no, no, it’s…it’s fine,” he interjects, “mikey actually…he died two years ago. he, uh… he killed himself.” his tone softened.

carmy wasn’t sure why he was opening up so much, revealing far more than he usually did when people asked questions about mikey. when he met her eyes again, she had a sorrowful look on her face.

“fuck, carm, that’s-… i’m so sorry for your loss,” she tells him with genuinity.

“it, uh….” he goes to brush it off like he usually does, but he can’t bring himself to do it as he looks into her eyes. he swallows.

“thank you.” he says sincerely, giving a small nod. his throat begins to burn, and he looks away.

he had to break the news to plenty of people before this, so he wasn’t sure why this time felt so different. but it did.

“he’d be really proud of you, you know,” she tells him after a moment, “you’re doing a good fuckin’ job.”

carmen meets her eyes again when she says this, and just stares at her for a moment. his chest flutters at the praise, and his slow manual breaths do nothing to stop the heavy pounding of his heart.

“i, uh,” he rasps, swallowing before continuing, “thank you. i appreciate it,” he says, “really.”

the girl gives him a sweet smile and nods before coming to stand up straight. she sinches the string of her robe around her waist.

“i think i’m gonna go take my bath now.”

“enjoy,” he tells her, small smile on his face. she moves around the edge of the counter, sweetly running her hand over his arm as she walks away.

carmen knows this is just a friendly gesture, yet he still feels goosebumps rise on his skin following her touch. he hears her humming softly as she walks up the stairs.

there was nothing that a hot bath wouldn’t fix. especially coupled with some extensive self care, it would prove to be a form of therapy to the girl time and time again. she feels entirely satisfied, except for the fact that the final product that would seal the night in has gone missing.

on the walk to her room, she glances at carmen’s wide open door. his light was off, but she could hear quiet music coming from the room.

she approached, softly knocking on the door frame.

“hey carm, have you seen a little black container anywhere? it’s my lip mask” she leans against the opening, and takes a minute to admire the way he reclines on the bed, arms behind his head, black shirt laying on the floor.

he turns his head, taking in the image of her glowy skin, gracefully illuminated by the light of the hallway, loosely covered by the same silky, short bathrobe.

“yeah, i uh, think i saw it in the downstairs bathroom,” he offers.

she takes a small step into the room, turning her head to the small TV on his dresser. she watches for a minute before gasping.

“no way,” she lets out a small laugh, “this used to be one of my favorite movies growing up.”

“for real?” he smiles.

“hell yeah. you have good taste carmy.”

he scans his eyes over her form as she watches the screen.

“yeah, i guess i do.”

she brings her gaze back to meet his, tilting her head. carmen felt emboldened by the double-shot drink she fixed him, keeping his eyes locked with hers.

“wanna watch with me?” he invites.

she smiles, pausing for a moment, bringing her finger to her lips as if she was deliberating. he finds this endearing, and enthusiastically watches as she saunters to his bed and crawls on.

carmy sits up onto his forearms, head resting back against the headboard, shifting to make room for her to scoot in next to him. and she does, sitting upright with her knees to her chest, closer than he thought she would’ve, side of her thigh resting against his arm. she smells incredible, and carmen feels an overwhelming, almost primal magnetism towards the girl.

his eyes are fixated on the screen, but he doesn’t register the movie at all. all he can focus on is the smell of her and the warmth of her body pressed against his.

about 30 minutes into their shared viewing, the girl releases a big yawn, shuffling down to rest her head on the stacked pillows, continuing to watch the movie but feeling her eyes grow heavier by the minute. carmen’s bed was comfy, and she could help but fall into a light slumber.

he doesn’t even notice until he softly laughs at one of the scenes, and she stays silent, soundly dozing. in that moment he’s graced with the rare opportunity to lovingly study her face. his eyes trail over her eyebrows, her cheeks, rosy from her bath, some soft freckles scattered about. he studies the slope of her nose and plush of her lips, then folds his arms behind his head and goes back to watching the movie, his own eyes feeling a bit heavy.

carmen feels the girl shift, assuming she was waking up. instead, she slings an arm over him, face nuzzling into his chest. when he surprisedly turns to face her, he finds her eyes still shut. every bit of focus he had accumulated prior vanished, now only being able to feel the hammering in his chest, the warmth of her body against his—the way her hand splays across his bare skin.

he just focuses on his breathing.

not much more time had passed before she snuggles even closer, hoisting a leg up over him. he stays completely still as to not disturb her sleep, even though his arms pinned behind his head were beginning to feel like static.

the man silently marvels at how well she fit against him, slowly shutting his eyes as he feels her nuzzle her face further into him.

carmy begins to doze off, noise from the movie droning in the background, darkness of the room enveloping the two.

they stay that way for another hour, peace only broken at the shrill of carmen’s ringtone that pierces through the silence.

he feels her startle, grabbing on to him a bit tighter. his arm instinctively comes to wrap around her, hand resting on her back as he reaches over to grab his phone on the nightstand. he mentally curses the unknown caller as he declines the call, noting by his phone clock how late it had gotten.

he hears the girl let out a groan, still draped over him, readjusting her head to lay on his shoulder, breath tickling his neck.

he kept silent and didn’t move.

“m’sorry,” she mumbles, realizing their predicament, “you should’ve pushed me off of you,” her voice drowsy.

“i fell asleep too,” he justifies, “got too comfortable.”

she lets out a hum of agreement.

“yeah,” scooting closer so that her face almost presses into his neck, “you are really comfortable.”

its difficult for carmen to keep his composure, jaw tightening as she moves closer. he feels her smooth her hand over his bare chest and splay it over his sternum. he had no idea what was happening, but he knows he’s never wanted anything more than for her to keep touching him.

“your heart is beating so fast,” she softly observes, drowsily shutting her eyes again.

he clears his throat.

“the phone scared me,” a fib.

he feels her smile against his neck, and they stay laying like that in silence for another few minutes. carmen slowly regains control over his breathing, repeating to himself do not get turned on, shutting his eyes tightly.

after a moment, he feels her soft lips creep against his neck, and then she presses a small kiss into the skin. it feels as if a spark shoots down his spine, tingling throughout his body.

the man quickly rationalizes the situation, thinking she must have done it on accident. then she does it again, this time higher up his neck and closer to his ear. it was a longer kiss, distinct, and then he feels the warmth of her breath again.

carmen shifts, craning his neck downwards to look at her. she meets his eyes, and he sees the mischievous glint he was so endeared with from when they met.

his arm is still around the girl, her hand still caressing his chest. she moves it down slowly, fingertips smoothing along his skin to touch his abdomen. she doesn’t say anything, just keeps touching him, feeling the firmness of his body.

her pointer finger traces lower, dragging over the deep cut of his v-line, stopping when she hits the waistband of his sweatpants. he audibly exhales at this.

she can see the wanting in his eyes from the dim light of the hallway,

she knows she should stop herself. but between the smell of his skin and the tingling within her core, she felt as if she physically couldn’t stop. she was coming onto the one man she told herself she couldn’t have, yet her body felt so hot. and he was so….

the girl moves closer to him, their faces mere inches apart.

the pair are completely silent as carmen examines her face, watching as she bites her lip. without trying to stop himself, he reaches up, thumb coming to pull her lip from between her teeth. he runs the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip, pushing it to the side a bit, pulling it down a bit, testing how soft and pliant she was beneath him.

she exhales, and her fingers slide ever so slightly under the waistline of his sweats. she can feel curls of his pubic hair, giving her a hot, pulsing sensation within her core. the small bathrobe seems to suddenly feel constricting.

carmen sharply exhales through his nose as he feels her fingers creep beneath. he slides his hand over her cheek to grip her face tightly as a warning. the girl meets his eyes, noticing how dark they had become. she can’t help her gaze falling down to his plush lips, staring at them for longer than she should before looking back up to him with heavy eyelids.

if carmen had more sense, he would pull away and turn on the light. maybe ask her to go back to her own room. but he didn’t, so instead he leans in, just far enough so his lips lightly ghosted over hers—just far enough to let her decide. he was trying to control himself. if it were up to him in that moment, he would grab her, tear off the skimpy bathrobe, and take her for himself.

but he wanted to be more of a gentleman than that.

she lets out a soft gasp at the proximity, able to feel the heat from his face.

he’s so close, she thinks, smells so good.

she throws caution to the wind and decides she wants this.

badly.

the girl leans in and presses a slow, soft kiss to his lips. this ignites something in her, and even though she told herself to pull away after the first kiss and refrain from letting this go too far, she gets a taste of him and immediately craves more.

carmen enthusiastically reciprocates the kiss, hand gripping her face tighter and pulling her closer. they stay gentle at first, slow. but then she whimpers into his mouth at the sensation and it spurs him on, finding himself entirely too worked up from just kissing.

the kisses became a bit firmer, hungrier, messier, and carmy slips his tongue into her mouth. the room feels too hot all of the sudden, ferocity of the kiss growing—their teeth bump.

he pulls away from the kiss, lips still ghosting hers.

“we should, uh” he rasps, interrupted by the girls continued eager kisses, “we should stop.”

she pauses and nods.

“yeah,” biting at her lip, “yeah, you’re right.”

carmen contradicts himself and captures her lips again, telling himself that it’s to cherish the feeling before stopping. the girl moans into the kiss, and he deepens it again.

so much for stopping.

her hand slips further into his sweatpants, and she wraps her fingers around his erection. he releases a low, throaty groan, and slides his hand down to grasp the side of her neck, thumb across her throat.

she leans into his touch, beginning to gently stroke the length of him, fingers loosely grasping.

he was thick from what she could feel, and long enough to make the motion feel cramped within the confines of his sweatpants.

their kisses increase in ferocity and she grips him tighter. he softly bites her lip, and she lets out a hum.

“fucking touch me already, carm,” her demand comes breathily, body growing increasingly hot.

“yeah?” another kiss. she squeezes her fingers around him.

“mmhm,” she breathes, growing impatient. his hand shifts to wrap around the front of her throat, fingers lightly pressing into her.

“ask nicer,” he demands, voice low.

she feels a hitch in her breathing, surprised by the tingle his words sent through her.

never before having to ask twice, she lets out a frustrated groan and takes her hand out of his pants. she pulls the front of her loose robe open, exposing her bare chest.

“fuck,” he groans, eyes graciously raking down her form, able to make out the curve of her breasts in the low light of the room.

“touch. me.” she whines, too proud to beg for him.

his hand falls from her neck, fingertips teasing down her sternum. she lets out a breath of relief too soon—feeling him lightly ghost over her perked nipple and trace down her ribs.

“carm,” she complains. he ignores her, coming to kiss her neck instead. her scent was intoxicating, and he feels himself physically strain to keep from giving her what she wanted, finding similar pleasure in the knowledge that she was growing increasingly desperate for him.

his hand continues its trail downwards, pushing her bathrobe the rest of the way open. he slides his fingers down her stomach slowly, cherishing the softness of her skin, sliding to grasp her hip, rubbing his thumb along the curve of her pelvis. the minute he saw her he swore to himself he would take his time with her, and that he did.

she lets out a huff and grabs his hand, trying to pull him towards where she wants him. he only tightens his grip on her hipbone.

“hey,” he scolds sternly into her neck, biting her softly, “be fuckin’ good.”

she gasps at his bite, arching her back for more.

“then give me what i want,” she pleads, hand gripping onto his arm. she feels him gently smile into her skin.

“yeah?” he keeps kissing her neck, “what do you want, pretty girl?”

she feels a tingling at the name, fingers dragging up his arm, gripping onto the muscle of his bicep.

“i want you to fuc-” the same shrill ringtone blares into the silence, simultaneously vibrating the nightstand. the two jump, the girl pulling her hand away from carmy as if he were hot. his fingers grip her hard enough to bruise, before pulling away and coming to rub over his forehead, jaw tightly clenched.

as the girl recovers herself with her bathrobe, he angrily grabs his phone and answers.

“what?” he barks into the line. she sits up and smooths her fingers through her hair, dangling her legs over the bed.

maybe it was a sign that they were interrupted, she thinks, suddenly bashful about the entire situation, heat of her skin relentlessly burning.

“fuck,” he curses into the phone, “how bad is it?” eyes glancing over to the girl sitting on his bed, rubbing a hand over his face.

“alright. yeah, i’ll be there in 20,” he begrudgingly says before hanging up the phone. she looks at him questioningly.

“there was, uh, a fuckin’ leak in one of the pipes. part of the kitchen is flooding.”

“yeah,” she nods, effectively hiding her disappointment, “you should definitely go take care of that,” standing up and turning to walk out.

he calls her name and she stops, turning back expectantly.

“we’ll, uh,” he meets her eyes, “we’ll talk tomorrow, yeah?”

she puts a small smile on her lips and nods, before turning again and walking to her own room. her heart was still relentlessly beating against her ribcage—skin still hot, still wound so tightly.

it was a stupid idea to entertain, and she’s glad it didn’t happen.

at least she repeats that to herself over and over again hoping it’ll start to feel true.

carmen lets out a labored exhale, gaze falling down to the throbbing tent in his pants, feeling more wound up now than he ever had.

he regrets not touching her as soon as he had the opportunity, instead trying to tease her. he just really enjoyed how she got so flustered, impatient—certain that the girl had never experienced having to beg for anything before.

he wanted more. he knew he shouldn’t, but he really did.

she was so soft beneath him, and pretty, and desperate. he didn’t expect her to have such an attitude, though, finding himself completely roused from the bite of her interaction.

carmen turns on the lamp, flooding the room with light and squinting his eyes. he stands up to get dressed, ready to go attend to the early morning disaster in the kitchen.

as he passes her by room he swears he can hear her softly moaning.

next part

#carmen berzatto x reader #carmy x reader #carmy berzatto #carmy berzatto x reader #carmy berzatto smut #carmy berzatto imagine #the bear imagine

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nolita-fairytale · 1 year

Text

Meeting Pastry Chef Luca from The Bear For the First Time Headcanon

a/n: inspired by @superhoeva, i thought i'd take a crack at writing a chef luca headcanon because we're all dying rn for will poulter as a sticker-sleeve tattooed chef. would anyone read this as a fic?? let me know.

edit: (7/3/23) i turned this into a fic called 'burn your life down.' feel free to read if you'd like!

you own a small restaurant in copenhagen. it's only been open for a year (this could potentially change if i write said fic). it's nothing fancy, but the food has soul. the food is an extension of yourself -- it tells the story of you.

inspired by noma, you grow some of your own produce outside of the restaurant in raised garden beds.

you begin to notice (as it's an open kitchen) and a smaller spot, that a tall, blonde brit has become one of your regulars. he comes in the same day each week at the same time. he always looks tired, like he's unwinding from a long day's worth of hard work, but he's always kind to your staff, and he has a quiet, powerful confidence to him.

week after week, he's there. he always orders one dish and one glass of wine, before paying the bill and leaving for the evening without a word.

your staff speculate about him: who is he, what must he do, that he's so handsome that he must have a partner. you don't pay much attention to the gossip, but it's hard not to notice that it's become part of his routine.

he always orders something different -- eager to try any new kind of special that you have on the menu that day.

it's not till one slower night of service that you finally meet him. you're short staffed that night and so you end up running plates out to tables -- finding it a great opportunity to connect more with your diners on a personal level. it's a very american hospitality concept, but since you have the time, you figure, why not?

he comes in at his usual time on sunday evening and you're curious to learn more about your weekly diner. you introduce yourself after walking his plate out and he's surprised that it's you who's serving him this evening.

"you're the chef?" he asks. "yes." "i can't think of the last time i saw a head chef work front of house..." he shakes his head in disbelief. "we're a little short staffed tonight." he seems impressed, raising his glass of wine to you. "cheers."

at the end of dinner service, one of your servers hands you a handwritten note that luca's left for you, inviting you to the restaurant he works at. the note reads: "thank you for all of the great meals. i'd like to return the favor, that is, if you're open to it," followed by a time, a date for tomorrow, and an address.

as soon as you realize which restaurant it is (much fancier, michelin starred, held in high regard) you only panic a little, but decide to go anyways. since both of your restaurants are closed on monday, you're even more nervous about the fact that you're meeting him at his tonight, while it's closed, considering you've barely had a conversation with him and how intimidating of a reputation the restaurant has.

he greets you at the door, right on time, and he leads you past the closed dining room, back to the kitchen where he's created a few dishes for you to try: two from his regular menu and one inspired by a dish of yours he's had.

"all of this... you did all of this for me... why?" you muster up the courage to ask. "your food is inspired and i don't think i've had something this inspired in a long time. and as chefs, this is what we do. we feed each other." and it's the beginning of, you're not quite sure what, but whatever it is, you're glad he walked into your restaurant however many weeks ago.

#chef luca #will poulter #luca the bear #the bear season 2 #the bear headcanon #luca x reader #the bear hulu #the bear fx #the bear fanfiction

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itendtothinkalot · 2 months

Text

a little secret romance trope

Summary: reader and beomgyu try their very best to keep their relationship under the wraps...but it doesnt help their friends have no boundaries

Genre: fluffy

Characters: beomgyu x f!reader

Words: 6360

Completed (oneshot)

Beomgyu and you had been secretly dating for six months, a fact you managed to keep hidden from your friend group with surprising success. On the outside, you seemed like a duo that would have never made sense—a bubbly, outgoing, dashing young man and an introverted homebody who only left her house when food was offered.

Your covert glances and stolen moments of affection added a thrilling layer to your otherwise routine meetups. As Beomgyu cracked jokes and you rolled your eyes in mock annoyance, in truth, you were a little surprised that none of your friends suspected the lingering touches.

You both had to admit, sneaking around was getting exhausting, especially when your friends were the nosiest group of people. Though, you weren’t going to lie, you did enjoy the thrill of a swift kiss when no one’s looking or a quick sneaky squeeze of the thigh.

—-

"Just some coffee. To go. Thanks," you ordered.

Yeonjun smiled, "Got it."

The six of you were always at the café Yeonjun had opened. It was a little unconventional for your friends to consistently hang out at the café, but it was a place to unwind if nothing else. The warm, rustic atmosphere, with its wooden beams and soft lighting, created a cozy backdrop for your gatherings.

"Where’s Kai? I thought he started working here?" you asked, looking around for your tall, goofy friend.

"I don’t know." Yeonjun sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It’s fine. We’re technically fully staffed anyway. Tsk, didn’t need him one bit."

"Right," you nodded weirdly, glancing at the clock on the wall.

"Where ya going? You’re not gonna stay around a little longer? Soobin and Taehyun are supposed to get off work soon. They’re coming right over."

"Not today. I kind of have to visit my mom," you lied, shifting on your feet.

"Isn’t your mom on a cruise with your dad?"

"No. No. Sorry, I’m a bit muddle headed today. Not my mom, my aunt. I’m visiting my aunt."

"Okay…?" Yeonjun looked at you slightly suspiciously, his eyes narrowing.

Just as you were about to respond, the café door chimed, and Beomgyu walked in, his presence instantly lighting up the room. His eyes met yours briefly, a flicker of warmth passing between you. He made his way to the counter, leaning casually against it as he ordered his usual drink. You couldn't help but steal glances at him, your heart racing with the thrill of your secret.

Yeonjun handed you your coffee, still eyeing you with mild curiosity. "Well, say hi to your aunt for me," he said, a hint of teasing in his voice.

"Will do," you replied, forcing a smile.

"Well, I gotta go too," Beomgyu cleared his throat and stood up, his movements a bit too hurried to seem casual.

"But, you just got here," Yeonjun tilted his head, confused.

"Yeah, I forgot, I have stuff to do. Y’know how uni is," Beomgyu chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

Yeonjun raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. "Alright, see you later then."

Beomgyu flashed a quick smile before making his way to the door, and you followed a few moments later, making sure not to draw any more attention to yourselves. Outside, the bustling city sounds provided a stark contrast to the café's cozy ambiance. The evening sun cast a warm glow over the streets, making the pavement shimmer.

Beomgyu waited for you around the corner, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. When you approached, he grinned, his eyes twinkling with mischief before pulling you in for a tight bear hug. "Nice save back there."

"It was, until you showed up. I told you to wait outside," you chided playfully, pulling away from his embrace.

"It was hot!" Beomgyu whined, pouting slightly.

"You're an idiot," you rolled your eyes and placed your hands in his. "C'mon. Let's go."

"My place? The boys are all out so we get the whole place to ourselves, if you know what I mean," Beomgyu suggested, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

You laughed, shaking your head at his antics. "Sure thing, handsome, lead the way."

Beomgyu's apartment was just a short walk away, nestled in a cozy neighborhood filled with tree-lined streets and charming old buildings. When you arrived at his place, Beomgyu unlocked the door and ushered you inside. The apartment was comfortably messy, filled with the signs of everyday life—a guitar propped against the wall, books and magazines scattered on the coffee table, and a few jackets thrown over the back of the couch.

"Beomgyu?" Kai's voice interrupted your thoughts.

"Kai? What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be at the café?" Beomgyu asked, surprise evident in his voice.

"Yeah, but like…it’s a Saturday and I just…I’m tired, man." Kai sighed, plopping down onto the couch with a sigh.

"You started yesterday," you said, raising an eyebrow.

"I’ll have you kn—wait a minute, what the hell are you doing here?" Kai questioned, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"I... came to help Beomgyu with his thesis?" you replied, trying to sound convincing.

"You took a 30 minute train ride just to help Beomgyu with his thesis? That’s some kind of weird dedication you have," Kai said, though his tone suggested he wasn't entirely convinced. "Whatever. Just don’t tell Yeonjun that I’m here."

"Your secret's safe with us," Beomgyu said, giving Kai a reassuring pat on the back. "But you owe me one for covering for you."

Kai rolled his eyes but smiled. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Thanks, man."

As Kai settled in, Beomgyu glanced at you with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. The unexpected interruption had thrown a wrench into your plans, but you couldn't help but laugh at the situation. Beomgyu shrugged.

"You want something to drink?" Beomgyu offered, heading to the kitchen.

"Sure," you replied, sinking into the couch next to Kai. "So, what's your plan for the rest of the day?"

"Honestly? Just chilling," Kai said, stretching his arms over his head. "Might as well enjoy my day off, right?"

"Right," you agreed, glancing towards the kitchen where Beomgyu was rummaging through the fridge.

“So should we head upstairs?” Beomgyu asked, his voice carrying a hint of suggestion.

“Upstairs? Why can’t the two of you just do it here? I’m bored. Maybe I can help!” Kai interjected enthusiastically, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

“If you’re bored, go to work.” Beomgyu deadpanned.

“I’m bored but not that bored.”

“Oh... uh...besides, it’s more of a...” You stuttered, trying to think of an excuse while shooting a panicked glance at Beomgyu.

Beomgyu grinned, his eyes glinting with mischief as he decided to play along. "Actually, Kai, it’s about my thesis on the history of plumbing regulations in pre-modern Europe. Pretty dry stuff, you know?”

Kai’s grin faded instantly, replaced by a look of confusion mixed with disbelief. “Plumbing regulations? Seriously?”

“Yeah,” Beomgyu nodded seriously, his expression deadpan. “I have to analyze the impact of sanitation policies on urban development during the Middle Ages. It’s actually pretty interesting. If you want, you can help me read some of th-”

“Blah blah blah. Y’know what, I’ll go and find Taehyun at work. Maybe ruin his lunch time. That’ll teach him to work on a Saturday.” Kai blinked, clearly taken aback by the unexpected subject matter.

“Sure.” Beomgyu cleared his throat, opening the door for Kai.

As soon as Kai left, you looked over to Beomgyu.

“Plumbing regulations?” you managed to say between giggles.

“It was the first thing I thought of,” Beomgyu chuckled, shaking his head.

“Plumbing regulations,” you repeated, still laughing. “I can’t believe he bought that.”

“Hey, it worked,” Beomgyu grinned, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. “Sometimes you just gotta improvise.”

The two of you looked at each other, sharing one last chuckle before Beomgyu stepped closer to you.

“Alright, so about that alone time,” Beomgyu winked, “What should we do now?”

“Maybe we can actually get some work done on that thesis you were complaining to me about last night,” you suggested teasingly, earning a groan from Beomgyu.

“Baby, I was joking.” Beomgyu sighed.

“The reminders on your phone screen say otherwise. You have like 10 things on your to-do list. I’m here to finish at least some of them with you.”

“You’re on my to-do list,” he teased, raising an eyebrow suggestively.

“I’ll drop kick you,” you retorted, playfully rolling your eyes.

Beomgyu laughed, wrapping an arm around your waist and pulling you closer. “Alright, alright. Let’s see what we can knock off the list then.”

—-

“Who the fuck are you texting? You’ve been giggling and kicking your feet like a little girl,” Soobin nudged Beomgyu, who had an idiotic grin on his face.

The two of you had been texting cute, lovey-dovey messages to each other all evening, unknowingly irritating Soobin.

“Yeah, who are you texting?” you chimed in, trying to ease his suspicions.

“Your goofy smile is making me lose my focus,” Soobin muttered, his eyes darting between his laptop and Beomgyu.

“No one. It’s just Yeonjun,” Beomgyu lied, trying to maintain a straight face.

Soobin squinted suspiciously. “Yeonjun? He’s not that funny.”

“That’s because you don’t know his hilarious side,” Beomgyu retorted, trying to sound convincing.

You chuckled, shaking your head. “Yeah! Maybe Yeonjun's just gotten funnier without us realizing it. He made a joke once about pickles. I laughed.”

Soobin raised an eyebrow but decided to drop the subject, returning his attention to his work. “Oh, yeah, sure, and Beomgyu got less annoying. Some things aren’t meant to be.”

The atmosphere in the room lightened as the conversation shifted. You and Beomgyu exchanged a quick, knowing glance, both of you relieved that Soobin hadn’t caught on. Beomgyu’s phone buzzed again, and he quickly typed a reply, a small smile playing on his lips.

—

“Does anyone think Beomgyu has been super weird recently?” Taehyun brought up, voicing a concern that had been quietly nagging at him.

“What d’ya mean?” you asked, feeling a knot of worry forming in your stomach.

Beomgyu had excused himself to the toilet, leaving the five of you to speculate on what might be going on with your secret boyfriend. Soobin glanced around the table, his brow furrowed in thought.

“Yeah, now that you mention it,” Soobin mused, leaning back in his chair. “He’s been more distracted lately. And secretive. It’s like he’s hiding something from us.”

“Which is weird, since he’s usually an open book,” Kai chimed in, fidgeting with his phone.

Yeonjun raised an eyebrow, his expression thoughtful. “Y’know what, I noticed he’s been on his phone a lot more, too. And he’s been disappearing randomly. He’d go out at weird timings like at 2am.”

“He’s probably just stressed with uni stuff,” you offered, trying to brush off your own concerns.

“Maybe,” Taehyun nodded slowly, but the worry in his eyes was evident. “I just hope everything’s okay with him.”

“What about you? Have you noticed anything?” Taehyun nudged you, sensing your unease.

You swallowed the lump in your throat. “Uh, not that I know of. We haven’t been hanging out lately.” It was a lie, a really bad one. You felt almost guilty lying this much to your closest friends.

“Well... this is just between us, but…” Yeonjun whispered, leaning closer. “Last night, I heard him on the phone. I wasn’t eavesdropping, but he was kinda loud about it so I just listened.”

“So you were eavesdropping,” Soobin teased, narrowing his eyes playfully.

“Eh,” Yeonjun smirked. “I heard him on the phone, talking to someone. A girl. I couldn’t hear her voice very clearly, but it was a girl. They were giggling and Beomgyu was saying stuff like ‘I’ll see you tomorrow’ or ‘Wear that dress I like.’”

The revelation hit the group like a bombshell. Soobin's eyes widened as he exchanged glances with the others. “A girl?” he echoed, clearly perplexed. “But... why would Beomgyu hide something like that from us?”

“It could be nothing,” you interjected quickly, trying to ease the tension. “Maybe it’s just a friend or something.”

Kai crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. “Would you say something like that to any of us?” he asked, matter-of-factly.

You shrugged, shaking your head.

The room fell silent as everyone pondered Kai’s question. The revelation seemed to hang in the air, creating an unspoken pressure that made your heart race even faster. You could feel the weight of their gazes as they waited for someone to break the silence.

“Who do you think it is?” Soobin asked, his curiosity piqued.

“I don’t know,” Yeonjun admitted with a shrug.

“Oh, oh, oh!” Kai snapped his fingers suddenly. “It could be the girl from his uni. The pretty one he brought home a few weeks back to do their group project? Do you think it’s her?”

“He brought a girl home?” you asked, feeling a mix of jealousy and curiosity.

“Yeah,” Kai nodded eagerly. “Remember? He said they were working on some big project together. She’s cute, too. Maybe things went beyond just studying.”

Soobin raised an eyebrow. “And he didn’t tell us?”

“Maybe he didn’t want to jinx it,” Kai suggested with a grin.

Taehyun shook his head, looking concerned. “But why hide it? We’re his friends.”

“Well, maybe it’s still early days,” you reasoned, trying to make sense of the situation.

“So what do we do?” Soobin asked, glancing around the table.

“We wait,” Yeonjun said, leaning back in his chair. “Let’s not jump to conclusions. If there’s something going on, Beomgyu will tell us when he’s ready.”

“Hey, whatchu guys yapping about today?” Beomgyu said, returning to his seat.

“Football.” The gang says in unison.

—-

“The guys think you’re dating your uni friend,” you blurted out.

Beomgyu’s eyes widened in surprise. “What?”

“They heard you on the phone with me,” you continued, trying to explain quickly. “Yeonjun overheard you talking to someone and they jumped to conclusions.”

Beomgyu’s expression shifted from surprise to a mixture of confusion and concern. “Oh shit! Do they know it’s you?”

“They think it's the girl from your group project,” you added, feeling a pang of uncertainty. “They think... maybe something’s going on between you two.”

“Well, that should give us enough cover.” Beomgyu shrugged, chuckling.

“Yeah but…they’re picturing you with another girl and there’s something unsettling about that.” You sighed.

“W-wait a minute. Are you jealous?” Beomgyu sang teasingly, a playful grin spreading across his face.

You blinked, caught off guard by his teasing tone. “Maybe a little,” you admitted, feeling a blush creeping up your cheeks.

“Should we break the news to them so my baby doesn’t get any more jealous than she already is?” Beomgyu teased.

“I don’t know,” you replied honestly, weighing your thoughts. “I considered telling them on the spot so they’d stop thinking it was someone else, but I also like keeping our relationship a little secret. It’s been fun sneaking around and hiding, but it’s also been really tiring to keep it from them.”

Beomgyu’s expression softened, his teasing demeanour giving way to a more serious look. “I get it. It hasn’t been easy for either of us. Look, we'll give it another month. Another month of it just being us. And then we’ll tell the guys.”

—-

Taehyun sighed, throwing his bags on the floor. Another shitty day at work. He plopped down on the couch, feeling the weight of exhaustion settle into his bones. Grabbing the TV remote, he turned on a podcast he had subscribed to, hoping to unwind and distract himself.

As the podcast played, Taehyun's mood lightened slightly. The hosts were discussing a recent viral video, and the laughter in their voices was infectious. Curious, Taehyun searched for the video on his phone.

Still grinning, Taehyun picked up the home phone to call Huening Kai, knowing his friend would appreciate the video. As he dialled the number, he heard a soft click on the line, indicating someone was already on the phone.

Pausing, Taehyun listened and quickly realized it was Beomgyu and you talking. His curiosity piqued, he couldn't help but eavesdrop.

“I missed you today,” Beomgyu’s voice came through, warm and affectionate.

“I missed you too,” you replied softly. “I just wanna say you looked good tonight.”

“Baby, you looked even better. I swear I almost tore your dre-”

“OH MY GOD.” Taehyun’s voice echoed through the phone, cutting off Beomgyu mid-sentence.

Beomgyu and you went silent on the other end, realizing Taehyun had overheard. Taehyun’s eyes widened in surprise, a mix of shock washing over him. He hastily put the phone off his ear, as if trying to physically distance himself from what he had just heard.

“OH MY GOD,” Taehyun repeated aloud, pacing nervously around the room.

Above, Beomgyu had been in the process of heading downstairs when he heard Taehyun's exclamation. Curiosity and concern drove him to rush down, taking the stairs two at a time until he reached his friend.

Before Taehyun could react further, Beomgyu leaped onto his back, surprising him completely. “Hey, give me that!” Beomgyu exclaimed, snatching the phone from Taehyun's hand.

Taehyun stumbled forward slightly under Beomgyu's sudden weight, but then turned to face him, wide-eyed. "THE TWO OF YOU…THE TWO OF YOU…"

Beomgyu's expression was a mix of panic and amusement as he glanced at the phone, then back at Taehyun. "I-I, uh, I…" he stammered, trying to come up with a plausible explanation.

Taehyun’s mind raced with questions and realization. “So, uh, are you two... like... a thing?” he asked cautiously, trying to process everything.

Beomgyu hesitated. Taking a deep breath, he nodded slowly. “Yeah, we are.”

“You can’t tell anyone,” Beomgyu pleaded urgently, his eyes pleading with Taehyun to understand. “Taehyun, you don’t understand. It’s been going so well, but we’re not ready to go public. The six of us have been friends for almost a decade. It’ll be weird to let you in on our private lives as a couple so soon. We promise we’ll work things out and announce it when the time is right.”

Taehyun furrowed his brow, processing the sudden revelation and Beomgyu’s earnest plea. He glanced at Beomgyu, sensing the gravity of the situation. “Okay,” he said finally, nodding slowly. “I get it. It’s your call.”

—-

It was supposed to be a simple weekend getaway, a secret escape from the hectic schedules and prying eyes of your friends. Beomgyu had suggested it, claiming a need for some alone time to recharge, and you eagerly agreed, relishing the idea of a romantic adventure away from the usual hangouts.

The plan was meticulous—or so you thought. You and Beomgyu would pretend to attend different school events in the same area, using it as a cover for your getaway. The rest of your friends believed the story, never suspecting a thing as you both slipped away for a few days of blissful anonymity.

The weekend had been perfect—long walks on the beach, lazy mornings in cozy cafes, and evenings spent stargazing under a blanket of twinkling lights. But as all good things do, it came to an end, and you found yourselves back at the guys’ apartment, trying to blend back into your usual routine.

On the way up to the guys’ apartment, you met Kai, who was juggling several bags of groceries. His face lit up when he saw you, and he adjusted the bags to free up a hand for a quick wave.

“How was your school trip?” Kai asked, a genuine curiosity in his eyes.

“It was fun. The strangest thing happened,” you said, your voice tinged with excitement.

“What?” Kai tilted his head, intrigued.

“On the trip, I met our old friend, y’know, Jungwon? Yeah. He looks so different now.”

“Oh, shit, the one who fell into the pond? That Jungwon?” Kai laughed, the memory clearly vivid in his mind.

“Yeah!” You chuckled, sharing in the nostalgia. “Did you get his number?”

“Yeah, I did! I’ll text it to you later.”

The two of you walked over to the door, Kai fumbled with his keys for a moment, the bags making the task slightly challenging. Once inside, the warmth and familiar scent of the apartment greeted you.

“Hey, guys! Look who I found,” Kai called out, his voice echoing through the apartment as he set the groceries down on the kitchen counter.

Soobin glanced up from his laptop, raising an eyebrow in surprise. “Oh, hey! How was the trip?”

“Great!” You grinned. “I had like three workshops and all, but I wouldn’t wanna bore you with it.”

“What are the chances? You and Beomgyu having school trips at the same time? He just got home too,” Yeonjun chuckled.

“Hey, by the way, I saw your stories on Insta. Did you lose your sunglasses? The ones we just bought together?” Kai whined. “Bro, we were supposed to go to the beach with them next week.”

You nodded, sighing. “You don’t think I’m bummed? I’m the one who lost them!”

“Must suck to be you though,” Taehyun said with a smirk.

You glared at him. “Don’t be an ass.”

Soobin served you a plate of pancakes, the sweet aroma filling the room. “Here.”

You grinned, taking the plate. “Thanks!”

As you settled in, Beomgyu descended the stairs, making eye contact with you before smiling widely. “You look pretty,” he mouthed.

You smiled sweetly, quickly turning away to avoid any further suspicion. “Hey! You just got back from your trip?” Beomgyu asked, joining the conversation with a friendly smile.

You nodded. “Yep.”

“Anyway, now that you’re back, Beomgyu, can I please have my Switch back?” Kai begged, his tone light but earnest.

Beomgyu chuckled, reaching into his bag and pulling out the game console. “Yeah, yeah, here you go. I didn’t scratch it, promise.”

Kai snatched it up, relief evident on his face. “Thanks, man. I’ve been dying to play the new game I got.”

“So, how was your trip?” Soobin asked.

Beomgyu shrugged nonchalantly. “Pretty good. Lots of sightseeing and some downtime. Oh right! You wouldn’t guess who I saw!”

“Who?” Yeonjun asked.

“Jungwon!” Beomgyu exclaimed.

“The kid who fell in the pond?”

You shook your head, mouthing to Beomgyu to keep his mouth shut. Kai looked at the two of you, his eyes widening in realization.

“YOU!” he yelled, pointing at you.

“I HAVE SOUVENIRS FOR EVERYBODY! You first, Kai!” Beomgyu yelled, quickly pulling Kai upstairs. You followed suit, running after the two of them.

“What’s up with them?” Soobin said, his eyes still glued to his laptop.

“Beomgyu probably broke his Switch or something,” Yeonjun chuckled.

Upstairs, you caught up with Beomgyu and Kai in Beomgyu's room.

“Well, well, well… so the two of you have been playing us all this time…” Kai sneered, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow.

You and Beomgyu exchanged nervous glances. “What are you talking about?” Beomgyu asked, trying to play it cool.

Kai's eyes narrowed. “Don't play dumb. I saw the way you two were acting. You've been sneaking around behind our backs, haven’t you? How’s it possible the two of you met Jungwon then? Two different school events, with supposedly, two different locations.”

You sighed, realizing the jig was up. “Okay, fine. We were on a trip together, and we’ve been dating for a while now.”

“And you didn’t care to tell any of us!” Kai interrupted, his voice rising in frustration.

Beomgyu stepped forward, his expression earnest. “We weren’t sure how everyone would react. We wanted some time alone to figure things out.”

Kai's stern expression softened slightly before being replaced by a look of disgust. “I get it. We’ve been friends for almost ten years. It’ll be kind of weird to see the two of you kiss.”

You nodded, feeling a weight lift off your shoulders. “We wanted to. We really did but… I don’t know, we just got scared.”

Kai sighed, running a hand through his hair. “You do know we’ll be happy for you either way, right?”

Beomgyu sighed, “We know. We’ll tell everyone soon enough.”

“Promise?”

“Well, technically, it’s just Soobin and Yeonjun. Tae already knows.”

“BEFORE ME?!” Kai exclaimed, his voice a mix of shock and mock indignation.

You couldn’t help but laugh at his reaction. “Yeah, it kind of just happened that way. We told him by accident. It’s a long story.”

Kai crossed his arms, pouting. “Fine, but you both owe me big time. And I better not find out anyone else knows before me.”

Beomgyu chuckled, relieved. “It’s just the two of you. We promise.”

“Also about that souvenir…” Kai started, his expression teasing.

“We actually didn’t get you anything,” Beomgyu admitted sheepishly.

“You need a little more than ‘please’ and ‘thank yous’ to keep my mouth shut,” Kai deadpanned, though a hint of amusement danced in his eyes.

With the tension eased, the three of you headed back downstairs. Kai proudly held up a new game console Beomgyu had originally bought for himself, showing it off to the others. “Look what Beomgyu got me!”

Beomgyu sighed, faking a smile. “Thanks for being such a great friend, man.”

“You’re very welcome,” Kai chuckled, a playful edge to his tone.

—

“Hey. I heard you know something I do.” Huening Kai grinned at Taehyun.

“What?”

“C’mon. We both know tweedle dee and tweedle dum are dating, don’t we?”

Taehyun nodded, “It’s been a little tiring to keep this secret. I wish they’d just tell the others already.”

“Well, that’s what I wanted to speak with you about. A little plan.”

Taehyun and Kai exchanged mischievous glances, a silent understanding passing between them as they hatched a plan.

“I’ve got an idea,” Kai whispered, leaning in closer to Taehyun.

—

"Why am I doing this again?" Yeonjun muttered into his tiny earpiece, looking slightly perplexed as he adjusted his stance discreetly.

Yeonjun stood at the edge of the cafe, adjusting his earpiece nervously while keeping an eye on you and Beomgyu at a corner table. Taehyun and Kai sat nearby, exchanging secretive glances as they awaited the cue to set their plan in motion.

“You’re doing this because we need to get Beomgyu to admit he’s dating her,” Taehyun’s voice crackled through Yeonjun’s earpiece.

Yeonjun rolled his eyes, though a small grin played on his lips. “And why do I have to be the one flirting with her?”

“Because you’re the smoothest talker we’ve got,” Kai chimed in.

“And because Soobin’s at work.” Taehyun added with a hint of mischief.

Yeonjun sighed. “Fine, but if this backfires, I’m blaming both of you.”

As he approached your table, Yeonjun put on his most charming smile, a plan forming in his mind. He casually leaned against the back of an empty chair beside you, catching your attention with a friendly nod.

“Hey,” Yeonjun greeted smoothly, his eyes flickering mischievously towards Beomgyu. "What's up?"

Meanwhile, Taehyun and Kai watched from their table, barely containing their excitement as they waited.

“Hey?” You scratched your head, “What do you want?”

Yeonjun chuckled softly, his demeanour relaxed yet subtly teasing. "Just thought I'd join the party," he replied casually, his eyes twinkling with mischief as he glanced at Beomgyu.

Taehyun and Kai exchanged quick glances, trying to suppress their grins as they observed the unfolding scene.

“Have I ever told you how pretty you looked in pink?” He nodded in your direction and gestured to your dress.

“No?” You frowned, “Are you okay? A-are you drunk? At 12? In the afternoon?”

Yeonjun chuckled, shaking his head. "Nah, just appreciating the finer things in life, like you, uh, fashion sense." He leaned casually against the table, his smile widening as he saw Beomgyu's eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

“My fashion sense?” You asked, an eyebrow raised.

Yeonjun's comment made you chuckle nervously, unsure of where this playful banter was leading. Meanwhile, Beomgyu's eyebrows furrowed slightly, a subtle flicker of jealousy crossing his features as he glanced between Yeonjun and you.

"Yeah, well, fashion appreciation aside," Beomgyu interjected casually, trying to mask his unease with a nonchalant tone, "aren’t you supposed to be working right now?"

Taehyun and Kai exchanged a knowing glance, detecting the hint of tension in Beomgyu's voice. They exchanged silent cues, silently egging Yeonjun on while watching Beomgyu's reaction with barely contained amusement.

Yeonjun raised an eyebrow, playing along with a teasing grin. "Of course, I am. I just had to make my way over to compliment her style! You can't blame a guy for noticing good style especially on a pretty girl, can you?"

You glanced nervously at Beomgyu, sensing his slight discomfort but unsure how to defuse the situation. "Are you okay? Are you being threatened right now? Are there cameras?"

Taehyun leaned closer to Kai, whispering under his breath, " This might just work."

Kai nodded with a mischievous grin, fully enjoying the unfolding drama. He kept his eyes on Beomgyu, waiting to see how he would handle the unexpected attention directed at you by Yeonjun.

Yeonjun leaned in slightly closer, his smile widening as he maintained eye contact with you. "Maybe I should take some fashion tips from you sometime. You seem to have a knack for making even the simplest things look good."

Beomgyu's jaw tensed, his gaze narrowing at Yeonjun's playful flirting. He shifted in his seat, a subtle sign of his growing discomfort with the situation.

"You're laying it on pretty thick there, buddy," Beomgyu remarked, his voice betraying a hint of irritation beneath the playful tone.

Taehyun and Kai exchanged excited glances, barely containing their amusement as they watched Beomgyu's jealousy simmering just below the surface. They were about to witness the culmination of their plan when suddenly, the cafe door swung open.

"Soobin!" Kai blurted out, disappointment evident in his voice.

Soobin strode into the cafe, his gaze sweeping over the scene with a quizzical expression. "What's going on here? Why hasn’t anyone ordered anything?" he asked, raising an eyebrow as he approached the table.

Soobin glanced between them, sensing the underlying tension but deciding not to press further. "Right, well, I'm starving. Anyone up to share some muffins with me?”

Kai and Taehyun sighed, their plan to coax Beomgyu into admitting his relationship with you temporarily thwarted by Soobin's timely interruption.

—

“He was so flirting with you.” Beomgyu sighed.

"I think he was just teasing me," you tried to defend Yeonjun, although it did seem kind of weird that he acted like that out of nowhere..

Beomgyu shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his brows furrowing slightly. "Teasing, huh?" He muttered, his tone betraying a hint of disbelief. "Sure seemed like more than that."

You glanced at him, noting the tension in his expression. "I’m sure it’s not like that," you reassured him gently, reaching out to touch his arm. "Yeonjun's just being Yeonjun."

"I know, I know," Beomgyu replied, trying to mask his unease with a forced smile. "It's just... weird, you know?"

"Yeah, I get it," you nodded sympathetically, withdrawing your hand.

"Unless, they know about us and are just teasing us about it.”

"I doubt Taehyun and Kai would tell Yeonjun. Right?" you said, voicing your uncertainty.

Beomgyu's expression softened slightly as he considered your words. "Yeah, you're probably right. They wouldn't do that."

"So, let's not overthink it," you suggested, hoping to ease his worries. "We've been doing fine keeping it a little secret."

Beomgyu nodded, a small smile returning to his face. "I guess."

“Just a little while longer together. And we’ll tell them.” You said.

“As long as I have you all to myself.”

—-

"This is getting sort of ridiculous, no?" Beomgyu sighed, taking deep breaths. His brows furrowed in frustration, his chest rising and falling rapidly.

"Weren't you the one who suggested this?" You rolled your eyes, your grip on Beomgyu's shoulders tightening. You straddled his thighs, your body pressed intimately close in the cramped photobooth.

All you wanted was a little bit of light intimacy—a cute photoshoot session without being interrupted by your unsuspecting friends. Unfortunately, your friends, who were usually late, arrived earlier than expected.

"You said they'd be like 20 minutes late. They're 10 minutes early!" You whispered angrily, your voice barely audible over the pounding of your heart.

"I wasn't the one giving flirty glances, so technically this is your fault." Beomgyu turned to face you, a frown on his face. God, he was handsome. You couldn't even stay mad. He was perfect. Little did you know, Beomgyu was thinking the exact same thing.

The two of you spent a moment just looking at each other with loving eyes, the tension melting away. He placed a chaste kiss on your lips, his touch tender and reassuring. "We do need to figure out how we're gonna explain to them why we're in here."

"We could just say we were taking pictures while waiting for them."

"Yeonjun’s gonna ask for the photos. Should we show the ones where I have my tongue shoved down your throat or the one where you kiss my cheek?" Beomgyu spoke sarcastically, a playful glint in his eyes.

"I'm trying my best!" you huffed, frustration mixed with affection as you stared at him.

Beomgyu chuckled softly, his breath warm against your skin. "I know you are," he said, his tone gentle and understanding. He shifted slightly, causing the photobooth to creak under your combined weight. "Maybe we should just sneak out and pretend like nothing happened."

You nodded, the idea sounding more appealing by the second. But just as you were about to suggest it, you heard the unmistakable sound of Kai's voice, loud and clear right outside the booth.

"Hey, didn’t Beomgyu say they’ve both arrived?" Kai's voice was tinged with curiosity and confusion. You froze, your heart pounding even harder.

“Maybe he’s over here!” Taehyun’s voice bellowed through the empty arcade.

Beomgyu quickly brought a finger to his lips, signalling you to stay quiet. He leaned in closer, his lips brushing against your ear as he whispered, "Stay calm. We'll figure this out."

You nodded again, trying to steady your breathing. The photobooth felt even smaller now, the walls pressing in on you as you listened to the conversation outside.

"They told me they were here a minute ago," another voice chimed in. Taehyun, always the observant one. "Maybe they went to get some snacks or something."

"Or maybe they're in the photo booth," Kai suggested, his tone teasing.

You exchanged a panicked glance with Beomgyu, both of you realizing that your hiding spot was about to be discovered. Without thinking, you pressed your lips to his, muffling the surprised sound he made. It was a desperate attempt to distract both of you from the impending confrontation.

The curtain to the photobooth suddenly flew open, and there stood Kai, the look of amusement on his face. "Well, well, well," he said, crossing his arms over his chest. "What do we have here?"

Just then, Yeonjun grinned and slipped his arm across your shoulders, adding to the chaos.

“Uh, just taking some photos.” You tried explaining.

"Can I have a picture with you next?" he teased.

Beomgyu shoved Yeonjun's arm off, a glare in his eyes. "In your dreams, grandpa."

Soobin, standing behind Kai, grinned as well. "So… what’s this all about?"

"It’s... uh…" Beomgyu stammered, clearly at a loss for words.

"We’re not dating," you managed to blurt out, your voice shaky with panic.

Kai raised an eyebrow, "Okay, and we’re supposed to believe you because... you’re straddled on his legs and when we opened the curtain, you were making out?"

Taehyun added, teasing the two of you, "You’re not making any sense."

Kai was the first to break the silence, a slow grin spreading across his face. "Guys, cut the surprised looks, it’s as obvious as daylight. Taehyun and I can’t keep up with this anymore.”

Soobin gasped, “The two of you knew?!”

“Well, I do too.” Yeonjun smirked.

“What?!”

“Did you really think I’d flirt with you so brazenly? That’s so not me.” Yeonjun explained.

“Wait. So I’m the only one who didn’t know?” Soobin sighed, “Sure, keep me in the dark. The only person who can keep secrets.”

“You told everyone I had a binky till 11. I told you that in confidence!” Kai retaliated.

Soobin chuckled, “Sorry, dude. I just had to tell someone.”

Beomgyu sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair. "Fine. We’re dating. We’ve been dating for like... six months now."

"Six months?!" the four exclaimed in unison, their eyes wide with shock.

"Right under our noses?" Kai whispered, more to himself than anyone else.

"Don’t tell me... all those times you were up in Gyu’s room helping him with his ‘thesis’," Yeonjun said, his face scrunching up in mock disgust.

The two of you nodded slowly. "Sometimes I was," you admitted, a small smile playing on your lips.

"Wait, so all those times Beomgyu was on the phone saying ‘I love you, pretty princess,’ that wasn’t for his mom?" Soobin gasped, his eyes wide with realization.

"You heard that?" Beomgyu's cheeks turned a deep shade of pink, embarrassment clear on his face.

Soobin nodded vigorously. "Yeah, I thought it was weird, but I didn’t want to say anything."

“Well, I’m happy for you guys-ish. I still hate that I was the last to find out.” Soobin sighed.

Beomgyu interjected with a sympathetic smile, patting Soobin's shoulder gently. "It wasn't intentional. We wanted to tell you guys, but we just wanted to make sure we were solid before making it public. We didn’t really want to risk messing up the dynamics of our friendship. And besides, Kai and Taehyun found out by accident."

“We get it. It’s fine," Soobin reassured them, his tone lighter. "If anything, we’re really glad it’s the two of you."

"Yeah and if it makes you feel better," you added, trying to lighten the mood. "You were the last to find out, but now you're first in line to grill us with questions about our relationship!"

Soobin chuckled, the tension easing from his shoulders. "Fair enough. So, spill it—how did this all start? And don't leave out any details!"

“This is…gonna take awhile, isn’t it?” Taehyun sighed, “I’ll go order the food.”

#txt fic #txt oneshot #txt x reader #txt fluff #txt imagines #txt fanfic #beomgyu x reader #txt scenarios #beomgyu x you #beomgyu x y/n

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dadbodbuck · 4 months

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fuck it friday

quite literally from my buck 1.0/118 tommy fic titled "fuck my face, closet case"

And, really, Tommy should have known better. Two weeks after he kisses a man for the first time—like he means it, hidden and lonely in a gay club in WeHo where Tommy knows nobody will find him—that’s when God decides he’s had enough of a good thing and sends him Evan Buckley.

Evan walks into the firehouse all nervous energy hidden behind a blinding smile, and a little voice in the pit of his stomach whispers, oh, that’s trouble. The others razz him a little for being late, and he squawks, the tension melting from his shoulders. Tommy’s brain goes a little fuzzy. Evan is hot—lean, long legs, almost as tall as Tommy and bright like the sun.

“—and this is Tommy Kinard, who’s leaving us in six months, so don’t get too attached,” Chimney introduces, snapping Tommy back to reality. Tommy doesn’t get up, just reaches out a hand for Evan to shake. He hopes he can play it off as cool. Evan’s hand in his is warm, firm, and Tommy thinks about what those fingers would feel like in—

Nope. No, no, no sir. Tommy shuts that line of thinking down very quickly, which becomes much easier when Evan starts talking.

“Retiring?” he asks, tilting his head like a dog trying to figure out a puzzle. Tommy needs to be so careful.

“Moving to Harbor,” Tommy corrects, “I was a pilot in the Army. Turns out, they’d love to have me over at Air Support. Nash just couldn’t bear to say goodbye.”

“He’ll be here for your probationary period,” Bobby adds, “We were short-staffed after an… unexpected departure, so it’s just best for the team if he stays until you’re trained up. In fact, I’ve partnered the two of you together, since he’s our most senior firefighter. He’ll be mentoring you.”

An easy (Flirty? No, Kinard. Down, boy.) smile stretches across Evan’s face. “Well, I’m sure you’ll teach me everything I need to know.”

And really, that should be that. Tommy should let it go, and get as far away from Evan as he can, but of course, it can’t be that easy.

No, because Bobby had to make them partners. Tommy is staring down the barrel of six months with this eager, genuine, pretty as sin man, who is almost certainly straight, and Tommy might need to quit while he’s ahead.

#my fics #fic tag: closet case/1.0

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artbyblastweave · 6 months

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Okay, Time for that belated Shrinking Rae post-

In the comics, Shrinking Ray's "arc" (bearing in mind an extremely liberal definition of that term, they had exactly one scene showcasing this) was that he was implied to be developing an inferiority complex; he's not necessarily incompetent, but he's out of his niche, his clever shrinking-based plans kept getting upstaged by brute-force solutions from the more conventionally powerful heroes like Invincible. He's the scrawny, nerdy little guy with the joke powers, he never gets a win, and in most fights he literally isn't visible. In the fight with the Lizard League his death is framed as pathetic and ineffectual- there's one or two panels between "I'll make you pay!" and getting eaten alive by Komodo. All of this is doing a couple of things- it's emphasizing that again, this is in fact a story and setting where superheroes sometimes just die really badly with limited fanfare- a thing that IIRC hadn't happened since the original Guardians team wipe in issue 7. Second, it's an indicator that the new Guardians are structurally kind of on the ropes. They're heavily staffed by second stringers, they exact second they have to split their forces they suffer a 66 percent casualty rate, and that's with backing from two capes who aren't actually part of the team. Grim! Anyway, when they do the adaptation Shrinking Ray becomes Shrinking Rae, because they want to tweak the gender balance of the cast and the pun is too good to pass up. But I think that there was a reasonable reluctance to transfer the "arc" from the comics one-to-one, because to be blunt, "Ineffectual Nebbish Glasses-wearer who whines a lot and dies pathetically," paired with absolutely nothing else, is gonna read as misogynistic if the character is a woman now. So in the adaptation Rae is markedly more competent. We're introduced to her taking down a much larger opponent by fucking around inside his ear canal, which becomes a favored trick of hers. There are traces of the self-esteem thing- the visual gag where she physically shrinks about a foot when getting chewed out in the briefing- but the overall throughline isn't "look at this loser who somehow ended up on the guardians." In the Lizard League fight, she doesn't get eaten- she's deliberately trying to execute a Thanus maneuver and just fucks it up, seconds after successfully killing a different villain the same way. And there's a second where it looks like it might work, too, before hope is cruelly yanked away. Which makes for a markedly cooler death scene- but who died? What was actually going on with her? Anything? In some sense she's cooler, but it's kind of an undifferentiated cool. She had what, Six lines? Seven? On balance I think Rae is still doing her fundamental job in the story, which is to pad the Guardians roster for a while and have someone who actually dies and stays dead as a result of the Lizard League fight- but I think they definitely missed an opportunity to give her some more texture than her comic counterpart had. Part of me thinks that the show would have been a good place to go even harder on Shrinking Rae being in over her head, but in a considered way, to emphasize that the Guardians aren't well managed- maybe tie it into the tensions between Robot and Immortal regarding sustainable team management practices. Part of me thinks you should go the other way, that if you're gonna do away with the idea she's underwhelming you should blow up her role, have her actually say and do some things that affect the story or the team dynamic in any noticeable way, because as it stands she's kind of visibly siloed as the designated mauve shirt. I'm definitely of one mind that this showcases something I suspected was gonna bite the show in the ass, which is that they're (laudably) diversifying a secondary and tertiary cast whose main role in the source material is often to die badly or fade out of focus.

#invincible #shrinking rae #invincible spoilers #thoughts #meta #invincible comic #invincible season 2 episode 5 #800 words of meta on a character with six lines and a brooklyn accent jumpscare

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thewritingginger · 1 year

Text

18+ Imagine Taiju Shiba...

& you having hate sex.

I finally got around to watching the 2nd season of TR I’ve read the entire manga but seeing my bae Taiju animated got the wheels in my head turnin’ 😩

Fandom: Tokyo Revengers Pairing: Taiju Shiba x Fem! Reader Word count: 1.1k+ words Warnings: 18+, Established relationship, Argument, Dub-con, Dirty talk, Oral sex (M! receiving), Rough sex, Slight degrading, Spanking, Creampie, Poorly edited

Enjoy ~

The two of you had been at each other's throats for the past hour and that’s not even including the car ride home and before. It’s been a while since the two of you had gotten this heated with each other. Taiju was already irritable from the moment he had woken up this morning and you knew better than to poke the bear when he is in one of his moods.

Shit had been going down with the staffing at his restaurant and to top it off there had been some family drama stirring up and the moment you tried to mediate you were in hot water since you first opened your mouth to now in your living room where the both of you are yelling over each other.

“How many times do I have to fucking tell you that it is Shiba family matters. You have no place to stick your nose into it.” That got to you.

“Oh, I’m sorry I was under the impression that I was your family or does this ring on my finger mean nothing?”

“Don’t try to pull that shit, you know you had no business getting between me and my brother.” Back and forth you two go, like a broken record the same words keep getting reused and rehashed—making this mess into a disaster till you finally had enough.

“You know what, I don't have to deal with this,” you say, throwing your hands in the air, “I’m leaving!” Turning on your heel, grabbing your purse off the kitchen counter.

“No the fuck you’re not,” Taiju says, heavy footstep sounding behind you.

“Yes the fuck I am,” you counter but before your hand can touch the front door handle Taiju grabs your wrist and turns your back to the door, his towering figure looming over you.

“You’re not leaving this damn house.” Leaning over you till your noses are centimeters apart, you daringly cross the distance till they are touching.

“Or what?” you taunt, any sane person would know this to be a death wish but you’re too fired up with rage to care which only fans the fury burning behind your fiance’s amber eyes.

In a blink of an eye your body becomes weightless, Taiju lifts you up and slams your back against the door before he takes your lips with his. Limbs tightening, teeth clashing and hair pulling—the two of you become a tangled mess of hot breath and lust.

Sitting on the kitchen counter with articles of clothing falling off by the second, you feel Taiju’s hard cock grinding against you. A strangled cry falls from your lips when he pulls your head back by your hair, his strong hand firmly holding your roots, leaving you little room to move.

“I’m going to fuck you so hard you wont be able to walk out that damn door.”

“Bite me,” you say before he cuts you off with his hungry mouth, he takes you back to the living room where he unceremoniously tosses you onto the couch. You watch as he tears off his remaining clothes till he is standing completely naked, his powerful body on full display. Straddling your torso, Taiju yanks you up right by your hair once more and rubs his leaking cockhead against your mouth.

“Open,” he commands, “I’m going to fuck the smart ass right out of this fucking mouth of yours.” His other hand pries your mouth open just enough for him to sheath his thick length down your throat till you gag. You look pitiful with your mouth stretched wide, drool seeping from the corners of your lips and his balls smacking your chin as tears fall down your cheeks. Your hands grip his thighs for support, your nails digging into his muscle so hard you could draw blood.

“Such a good little cock slut. You think you’ve learned your lesson?” he asks, roughly pulling out of your mouth allowing you breath, spit falling from your lips as you gasp for air.

“Go to hell,” you spit. With nothing but a growl as his response Taiju quickly flips you over till you are holding onto the back of the couch. Pulling your work skirt up over your hips, Taiju’s strong hand comes down on your bare asscheek with a hard smack!

Pulling your panties to the side he stuffs his throbbing cock into your pussy and begins to pound into you with as much force as he can muster. Every harsh pump, an expression of his anger.

“Filthy little cunt already soaking wet for me. You like it when I’m rough with you, huh? Like talking back to me, knowing I’ll fuck the brat right out of you?” His taunts hiss between his gritted teeth, his hand spanking your ass over and over again till you cry out.

“Fuck!” you cry, your head hanging down before he pulls it back up till you’re looking at yourself in the reflection of the dark window, his mouth right next to your ear.

“Look at yourself as you take my cock—Shit!” he yells, standing back, one hand in your hair and the other pulling your hips back to him as he watches your greedy pussy swallow his thick length.

“Yes, Taiju! Fuck me like you mean it,” you moan, he laughs at your meager attempts at remaining mad at him but the truth is you love him and you love this. He makes your body feel on fire, the way he uses his strength against you is more powerful than any drug you can find.

“Always trying to act all big and bad but you’re nothing but putty in my hand—or should I say on my cock.” His voice is condescending and annoying but all that goes out the window when he releases your hip to scratch at your neglected clitoris, shooting you over the edge. Incoherent wails and words fall from your lips as he continues to piston his cock in your exhausted cunt and you can hear that your fiance isn’t far behind.

“Fuck, Baby, you’re squeezing my cock so tight,” he groans, releasing you entirely to pull your hips back with both hands, his pumps becoming stuttered and impatient for his end. “You want my cum, Baby? Want me to fill you nice and full?”

“Yes. Yes!” you cry, a second high drawing near. Reaching between your legs you rub your clitoris with quick circles as Taiju finally erupts within you, his hip still using you to milk every drop from his balls taking you over the edge with him one last time.

The two of you are hunched over the couch, heaving for breath, collecting yourselves from your heated joining. Your dazed thoughts are brought back when you feel Taiju’s lips pressing against your bare shoulder.

“I love you,” he grumbles in a low voice, much softer than he was moments before, “I’m sorry.” His apology is sincere, looking over your shoulder you give him a smile.

“I’m sorry too.” Pulling out of you, you were about to go to the bathroom to clean up but Tiaju throws you over his shoulder and heads towards the stairs. “Tai!”

“Sorry, Sweetheart but I still have some anger left to get out.”

I hope you enjoyed it!

Feedback & interaction is alway appreciated!

💛 ~

~ Masterlist ~

Let me know if you want to be part of my tag list [HERE]

#tokyo revengers #tokyo revengers imagines #tokyo revengers smut #tokyo revengers x reader #tokyorev taiju shiba #tokyorev taiju #taiju shiba #taiju x reader #taiju shiba x reader #taiju smut #tokyorev smut #x reader #x fem!reader #*nsfw

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fatehbaz · 5 months

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They’ve built a “Great Wheel” on the Seattle waterfront [...].

The small timber village became a military outpost in the Puget Sound War [...], [and] soon evolved into a trade gateway, with timber tailings and other industrial trash from Henry Yesler’s mill used to fill in the marshlands [...], atop which migrant laborers raised tents and shanties [...] now working to feed raw materials into the furnaces of the Second Industrial Revolution burning in the East. [...] The first nationwide strike ripped across the country’s railways in 1877, but in Seattle the unrest took on a grim character, as thousands of unemployed white workers rioted against their Chinese counterparts [...]. Meanwhile, [...] local elites rebuilt [...] downtown [...] from scratch, hosting the tallest building on the West Coast alongside other new constructs [fueled] with money gleaned from the supply chains linking eastern capital to Alaskan gold. [...] Today the city - again rebuilt [...] - is seen as one of the primary beneficiaries of the “Fifth” Industrial Revolution in information technology, outshone only by California’s Silicon Valley. [...] The digital was increasingly thought of as somehow "immaterial," sustained by intellectual labor more than physical toil [...].

Silicon Valley myths of [...] "immaterial" labor disguise a more gruesome dynamic in which growing segments of the global labor force are being deprived even of the basic brutality of the wage, instead forced out into growing rings of slums, prisons, and global wastelands. [...]

---

Perched alongside a downtown business corridor [...], Seattle's Great Wheel seems to peer out over [...] [the] prophesied “cooperative commons,” an infotech metropolis abutting the beauty of an evergreen arcadia. But travel below Seattle’s cluster of infotech industries and the image appears much the same as that of a hundred years prior - a trade gateway, squeezing value from supply chains by selling transport and logistical support. The southern stretch of the metropolis bears little resemblance to the revitalized urban core of the city proper. Instead of the “cognitive labor” of Microsoft, it is defined instead by the cold calculation of companies like UPS, founded in Seattle when the city was one link in a colonial supply chain built first for timber, then Alaskan gold, then World War. [...]

In south Seattle, this logistics empire takes the form of faceless warehouses, food processing facilities, container trucks, rail yards, and industrial parks concentrated between two seaports, an international airport, three major interstates, and railroads traveling in all directions. Meanwhile, the poor have been priced out of the old inner city, moving southward [...]. [T]hey can be found staffing the airport and the rail yards, hauling cargo in and out of two the major seaports, loading boxes in warehouses [...]. And, beyond them, the shadow stretches out to Washington’s rural hinterlands where migrant laborers staff a new boom in agriculture and raw materials [...] - and further still into America’s long-depressed interior, where the Great Wheel meets its opposite: Memphis, the FedEx logistics city, watched over by a great black pyramid [the infamous Bass Pro Shop pyramid]. [...]

Every Seattle is capable of creating an eco-friendly, “cooperative commonwealth” tended by apps and algorithms only insofar as there is a Memphis that can provide human workers to sort the packages, a Shanghai to build the containers that carry them, and a Shenzhen to solder together the circuits of the machines that govern it all.

---

All text above by: Phil A. Neel. "The Great Wheel". Brooklyn Rail. April 2015. Published online at: brooklynrail.org/2015/04/field-notes/the-great-wheel. [Bold emphasis and some paragraph breaks/contractions added by me. Text within brackets added by me for clarity. Presented here for commentary, teaching, personal use, criticism purposes.]

#ecology #multispecies #abolition #imperial #colonial #edwardian #temporality #hinterlands #tidalectics #archipelagic thinking #intimacies of four continents #caribbean #carceral geography

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theemporium · 1 year

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or better yet, doctor!remus lupin who is a frequent visitor of your cafè, going there at the most oddly time of the day bearing nothing but the sleepiness in his eyes and the fatigue that's wearing his body

thank you for requesting!🖤

“The usual?”

“Please.”

“Rough day ahead?”

“You don’t even know it, sweetheart.”

You had your fair share of regular customers that came into the cafe, faces you would recognise and names you would remember. Sometimes they were just the customers with wacky orders, sometimes it was because they were in the cafe almost daily and that just so happened to be the case with Remus Lupin.

He had started visiting your cafe around a year ago, one of the first customers that day as he walked in a few minutes after you just opened. He seemed to be in a rush, there were bags under his eyes and he seemed a bit flustered as he rushed out, calling out a thank you over his shoulder.

You learned pretty quickly that that was a familiar sight when it came to Remus.

Over the weeks, you started to learn more details about the mysterious customer until one day he came in, not dressed in the usual smart shirt and slacks he would be seen in, and instead gave you a bright smile as he placed his order. What shocked you more was that he actually had time to talk to you.

That was the start of your friendship with Dr Remus Lupin and it only grew as the months passed.

But as time passed, there was a shift in your dynamic and both of you knew it—you were both just too scared to do anything about it.

“Long shift?” you asked him as you took his thermos from him, starting to prepare his usual coffee order.

“Short day, actually,” Remus said with a heavy sigh. “It was meant to be my day off but they needed someone to cover the shift. I was on nights last night.”

You frowned. “Isn’t that illegal?”

Remus could only shrug in response, giving you a sad smile. “Not much I can do about it, sweetheart. The hospital is short-staffed.”

“You need to take care of yourself, Remus,” you murmured with a shake of your head. “You’re gonna wear yourself thin with how much you work.”

“Would it be a bad time to ask for a double shot then?” he asked you with a cheeky smile on his face.

“Have you at least eaten something between shifts?” you asked him, a crease forming between your brows.

“I’ll grab something from the hospital cafeteria,” Remus assured you.

Your eyes narrowed. “What was the last meal you actually ate, Lupin?”

“Well–”

“And you call yourself a doctor,” you muttered with a heavy sigh, though there was some amusement in your voice. “I guess I’ll just have to drop you something off during my lunch break.”

His cheeks instantly heated up. “You don’t have to—”

“I want to,” you assured him as you screwed the lid onto his thermos and handed it to him, giving him a warm smile. “Maybe…maybe we can have lunch together?”

Remus tried to bite back the grin that wanted to spread across his face. “I would like that.”

“Great. It’s a date, Dr Lupin.”

“It’s a date, sweetheart.”

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grimfalcon746 · 2 months

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Crashing on an Alien World

***Okay look, this one got away from me a little on the length. I just kept writing and didn't realize how long it got. Not sorry, just want to warn anyone before they start reading thinking its might be shorter than it is. ***

***

"All hands brace for crash landing" Came the captains voice over the alert system.

For the life of me I will never understand how they managed this, everyone on the space ship came from different worlds, had different cultures and languages, yet everyone understood each-other. I was told it had to do with the badges we all had to wear. Signified our rank, for sure, but apparently also instantly translated all languages to that of the wearer.

I strapped myself into my seat calmly, while everyone else did so while panicking. I just shook my head. We had all been warned of the danger, warping through uncharted space has its dangers. Sure the ship automatically disengaged warp drive when it detected a planetary body within a certain range, but that was usually too late to avoid it. All that was left was to strap in and hope the pilot could pull out of the crash. If not, well, we just hope to survive the crash.

The ship came apart as it slammed into the ground hard, scattering itself across the landscape as it rolled and skid. This seemed to be by design, kind of like the crumple zones on cars back home. It ensured the whole crew was still breathing when the dust settled. My body hurt from where the harness strapped me in, if I hadn't been firmly held in place i wouldn't of survived.

I assumed everyone would know the process here. How wrong I was. First I released myself, and did a self assessment. I was fine, would be sore for a few days but alive and mobile none the less. Time to check on my crew mates. Four other crew hands staffed the ship, along with four officers. The crew hands were all alive, three were unconscious and one was having a panic attack.

Carefully, over the debris and remains of the ship I made my way to the bridge to check on the officers. The captain was in the worst shape. Unconscious and bleeding, as he was the closest to the impact zone in the pilot seat. The Lieutenant was slightly better, not bleeding but also unconscious. The communications officer and medical officer were both disoriented, but alive, awake and breathing.

This was about the best case scenario here. First I made my way towards the medical officer. Not an easy task, as the bridge was warped and smashed after taking the brunt of the crash. I could tell he was still trying to get his bearings a little bit, but we had pressing matters to attend to.

"Officer Scutuk" I shot. "Are you okay?"

"I. I think so. Pain, but that can be managed." Officer Scutuk replied.

"Are you able to perform your duties?" I asked. I did not enjoy pressing this hard right after the crash but had little choice here.

"Yes." Officer Scutuk replied confidently after a brief assessment of himself.

"Excellent, the captain needs immediate medical attention." I instructed. "Three of the other crew hands are unconscious but seem to be okay, the Lieutenant is also unconscious and appears to be in rough shape. I have not checked on the communications officer yet.

"I will take care of the captain and ensure the officers get out of the ship safely. Please get the crew out of the ship and away from the debris as safely as you can. I will do a full assessment of everyone when I can." Officer Scutuk replied.

It was a relief to see he had his bearings and composure again. With a nod I followed the orders. The others were already starting to come around by the time I made it back to the crew area. Crew mate Sisseah had come out of their panic attack and the others were awake, in a very loose definition of the word.

The ship could shift, roll or collapse any second. With no time to coddle the crew I started giving instructions. With a bit of help from the more aware of the crew, we managed to get everyone out of the ship and onto the grass. We were on a foreign planet, fortunately one that was hospitable to life. The wooded area we landed in was in rough shape, however somehow we managed to avoid lighting a wildfire. A miracle to be sure but a welcome one that this point.

This is where things started to go off the rails a little bit. Well, at least more off the rails than crash-landing on an alien world. While the crew were all sitting or laying on the ground outside the ship awaiting the medical officer to assess them. The officers however were a little ways away, the captain on the ground and the medical officer tending to him, however there was clearly an argument being had.

Every part of my being wanted to go over there and see what was going on, but it was not my place. The officers would have to work it out, and what they decided to share with us after the fact we would have to accept. In the mean time I asked the crew about pain, nausea, being light headed, anything I could think of that would indicate a serious problem. This was in part to pass on to Medical Officer Scutuk, but also to keep them occupied, hoping they would not notice the officers fighting among themselves.

Eventually communications officer Strarciek made his way over to me. "The Lieutenant would like a word with you." He demanded.

"Lieutenant." I greeted as I approached. "You wanted to speak with me."

"Yes." Lieutenant Brurlod confirmed. "I wanted to thank you for your composure and assistance after the crash."

"You are welcome. I was just doing what should have been done though." I replied.

"Correct, however crew are not usually so proactive. Glad to see the newest member stepping up when needed."

"If I may." The voice inside my head would not let me keep my mouth shut. "I noticed you and the officers arguing a minute ago, could I inquire about the nature of that disagreement?"

"It's nothing really, a minor disagreement" The Lieutenant lied.

"We have 24 hours of food for everyone, assuming we can locate it in the rubble, and the closest possible rescue is 150 hours away." Medical officer Scutuk cut in.

"Officer Scutuk!" The Lieutenant chastised.

"So we need to hunt for food." I cut in, as the Lieutenant was about to continue.

You would have thought I had suggested we cast a spell to generate food with their response. They eyed each-other, before all gazes fell back to me. Looking back at their dumbfounded looks, I felt the need to clarify, which did not help the situation.

"You know, hunt and gather. For food. Sustenance. That stuff we shove into our face holes to stay alive." I explained before I could shut my mouth.

"We know what food is!" The Lieutenant shot. "What the hell do you mean hunt.

"You are an exploration vessel. Surely you guys went through survival training?" I asked.

"Well yea." Communications Officer Strarciek confirmed. "We learned how to send distress beacons, even when the main power of the ship was out. Also how to use the ships shields to keep dangers away until rescue arrived. Things like that."

"That. That's it!" I asked in disbelief. "What about hunting, gathering, building shelter, finding water supplies, building fires, prioritizing survival necessities."

"Why would you want to build a fire?" The Lieutenant asked. "Those are dangerous."

"To keep yourself warm in a cold environment, to cook your food, keep predators away. The list goes on!" I shot, losing patience.

"All features the ship is capable of." The Lieutenant said in a matter-of-fact voice.

With my patience teetering on the edge of a very steep cliff I replied when I should have kept my mouth shut. "You are entirely correct, I sure am famished but can't seem to get the stove to turn on, could you assist me please?"

"Of course it wont turn on, there is no power." The Lieutenant rolled her eyes.

If the point were water the Lieutenant would have missed it after falling out of a boat.

"So you see the problem. None of those features work when the ship has no power!" I snapped.

It was almost worth the court martial I am sure to experience when we get back, to see the look on the Lieutenants face as she realized the comforts of the ship will not help them anymore.

"Have the rest of the crew search for the food. Hopefully It is still intact. I will head out and hunt for food. Panels of the ship can be used for shelter, set up an area just inside the treeline, lean them against some thick sturdy trees at a forty-five degree angle. It will need to be improved but will work as a quick and dirty shelter until we can get something better set up. Water is going to be the problem. Don't suppose you guys saw any water sources on the approach?" I start issuing orders.

"I am the Lieutenant and you are the crew, you do not get to order me around!" The Lieutenant shot.

"Fine do nothing and die. The choice is yours." I replied already walking away.

I had not been on the crew long, less than a week, actually, however I was already starting to understand why there there was a perpetual vacancy on this team. It took some time, but I managed to find my luggage. Weapons were not allowed on the ship, as were were specifically listed as a non combat exploration vessel, however, fortunately, they did not seem to recognize a compound bow as a weapon. They believed it was a musical instrument. The arrow shafts I managed to convince them were fancy tools for demonstrations important to my culture. As for the broad-heads, fancy cutlery required for the consumption of certain foods. Looking back on it I should not be surprised they were so dense about survival tactics.

Bow in hand I went out into the woods to hunt for some food. for the first hour or so i was starting to wonder if this planet had no life on it after all. But then I found some tracks to follow. I was not an expert hunter but I knew the basics stay down wind, move slow and make as little noise as possible. It did not take long before I found a small deer like animal drinking from a pond. Perfect I thought to myself, two birds one stone. Some food, and a source of water. Both not too far from our camp.

Without knowing anything about the anatomy I could not risk aiming for where the heart should be, I had to aim for the head. The arrow found it's mark as the animal collapsed before it even knew what had hit it. It was heavier than I thought it would be, but I could still manage to carry it. Getting it onto my shoulders was a difficult task but once I managed, carrying it back to camp was tiring but simple.

I dropped the animal in between the makeshift shelters the crew had set up while I was gone, as the Lieutenant started her way over to me.

"What is that?" Crew mate Gusqan asked.

"Food." I replied.

"You just happened to find a dead animal out there?" Gusqan asked.

"No. I found a live animal. Then I killed it." I replied. The look of horror on the others face was a little exasperating.

"You have disrespected me in our conversation earlier and on top of that you brought a weapon onto a ship not rated for it. You must leave the camp and our staff immediately." Lieutenant Brurlod demanded.

"No." Was my simple reply. I did wonder how she thought this conversation was suppose to go, as she was literally suggesting I just wander into the wilderness to die on an alien planet.

"I outrank you. You do not have a choice!" The Lieutenant ordered.

"Technically only the captain can dismiss crew." Crew mate Sisseah interjected.

"And with the captain unable to fulfill his duties-" The Lieutenant started.

"He is unconscious, not dead." I cut in. "Besides that what is your survival plan without me?"

"What do you mean." Gusqan asked.

"Nothing." Lieutenant Brurlod lied

"They have 24 hours worth of food for everyone here. Closest possible rescue is 150 hours away, and the officers have no survival skills. Without me in the party you wont survive half that." I explained before turning back to the Lieutenant. "I am not going to allow you to sentence everyone here to death because you got your feelings hurt.

With some backing from the crew, the Lieutenant finally backed off. The crew had managed to find some cutlery in the remains of the ship, a far cry from proper skinning and processing knives for wild animals but they were sharp and got the job done. I was sure to teach the other crew how to do so, in case they needed to some day. They seemed impressed but also terrified of the concept.

After processing the animal and cooking over a fire (I also had to teach them how to build a fire, and do so safely as no one else knew how) It was time to turn in and get some sleep. I slept well, as I had spent many nights camping back on earth, but I also woke early. As I pushed myself up and stretched, I say Crew-mate Thruziel sitting on the other side of the fire, which they had kept going, staring at me.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Keeping watch." Thruziel replied.

"You know the fire and smoke would keep animals away right?" I asked.

"Keeping watch on you." Thruziel explained. "You are dangerous."

"Because I know how to survive?" I asked.

"You kill for sport, carry a weapon despite the rules and know how to skin an animal. You are dangerous." Thruziel replied.

"I mean, it's simple survival skills but sure." I relent.

"Why did you not kill one of us for food? You could have, and we were closer." Thruziel asked.

It took me a minute to come up with a reply that would satisfy him. I mean, technically he is correct. it would not be cannibalism, as we are not the same species, and with the state of everything after the crash I could have easily taken control of everyone, especially since I am the only one with a weapon. After a minute my brain found an answer that I thought he would accept.

"Sure. Humans are violent, brutish and impulsive. At least by your standards." I explained. "But there is also a feature of humans that you are forgetting. Our pack-bonding mentality. I did not even consider you as a food source because you are friend."

"Pack-bonding?" Thruziel asked again.

"It means we grow attached to those in our company." I explained. "Basically once a human see's you as a friend they will rarely hurt you. Some humans will, usually during formative years when our hormones block our critical thinking skills, but adult humans usually will not hurt their friends."

"You could just be saying that to placate me." Thruziel asked.

"You are right I could." I shrugged as I got up. That did not seem to ease his mind.

There continued to be tension between the Officers and myself, but considering their options without me were death it did not really matter. After a few days another ship landed. I returned empty handed from a hunt to find the new landed ship. Our crew-mates were no where to be found. The Captain was still laying, unattended where he was left, as he had still not regained consciousness. The Lieutenant was against the landing gear of their ship, arms bound up as she was beaten and bloody.

The aliens that had landed were huge. Nine feet tall and build like a brick house. Their four arms and orange skin unnerved me slightly. Given the state of the Lieutenant they clearly wanted to fight. They obviously had not noticed me up to this point, so I decided to strike with the element of surprise. Stringing my bow I took aim. They wore armour on their heads, but their torso's seemed to be regular clothing. I hoped that was correct and their heart was in the same spot as humans as I released the arrow.

My second arrow was already in flight towards the second when the first one dropped killed my first target. Their reaction speed was impressive as the second slashed my arrow out of the air with is sword, cutting it in half. My mind immediately started calculating. I was too far away with their reaction speed to get a successful shot off again, and I had no hand to hand weapons.

Just as my brain was realizing I would not be able to win without a close range weapon, one of the other aliens grabbed their fallen comrades sword and tossed it over to me. Landing blade first, it buried itself in the ground to the hilt. I braced, ready for an assault as I reached for it, before my Lieutenant spoke up.

"Run! These are Vilguls, you can't win!" The Lieutenant ordered.

"Take it." The alien spoke. "We want a good fight."

"Where are the rest of my comrades?" I asked.

"Most scattered into the woods, two others were taken onto the ship by our other two comrades." The alien replied.

"You are being rather forthright with your information." I subtly inquired.

"I could tell you everything. It matters not as you are going to die anyways." The alien boasted.

Tentatively I reached for the sword, ready to fight.

"Why aren't you running!" The Lieutenant demanded, pulling at her bonds.

"They have assaulted my Lieutenant, taken my comrades hostage and are hell bent on killing everyone on my crew. I tend to take stuff like that personally." I explained as my hand found the sword and I pulled it out of the dirt.

Tossing my bow and arrow to the ground I squared off to the aliens. Preparing for them to come at me together, however, only one approached me. Wanting to inquire, I thought better of it, and decided if they wanted to fight me one on one, who was I to change that. As the first combatant stepped up, I began to ready my sword.

They were faster than their size would suggest, as he swung at my head. Ducking the blow, barely I rolled behind him. Popping up already swinging, I cut a deep gash in my enemies back. He swung back, and I blocked it with my sword, causing me to be thrown back a good five feet. Rolling backwards as I landed I popped back up to my feet quickly. Noticing the aliens had a hard time seeing on their peripherals as a result of their helmets, I decided that what how to attack.

Time to go on the offensive. Raising my sword, I charged at my opponent. Smiling, he raised his weapon. When I was a few feet away, I sidestepped as far as I could before charging behind him. As he turned to keep up with me, I cut back. It was an aggressive move, as I almost lost my own balance, but I managed to get into his blind spot. With a thrust of my sword, I buried it to the hilt in his torso, cutting through both lungs and his heart.

With a final swing of his arm, he sent me flying as my grip on my sword failed me. The landing took all the wind out of me as I rolled coming to a stop on my stomach. Once my wits were about me again, I quickly jumped to my feet and reached for my fallen opponents sword, expecting the other one would have charged.

I was dumbfounded. The other one watched my kill his comrade and did not even charge while I was down. Sensing my apprehension the next alien spoke.

"We have no loyalty to our comrades. A hierarchy that must be followed sure, but a Vilgul falling in combat is their own failure. If I had attacked while you were down, it would have been an easy kill, but I would have been denied the sport of the fight." He explained.

"Your funeral." I challenged.

This one did not come towards me, but rather waited for me to approach. Taking off his helmet, he clearly noticed my tactic on the previous fight. Once I was in range, he stepped forward the swung his blade straight down on me. Side stepping it I swung back, aiming for his neck. Leaning back he smiled as he recoiled, drawing his sword back up. When he stepped in a second time he met my sword with his. Knocking it clean out of my hands with ease, he smiled.

I could see why he smiled, he thought he had won the fight as my sword was knocked away from me and I could not exactly turn my back on him to run for it. What he had not counted on though is where the sword ended up. It had happened to go straight towards my Lieutenant. The blade had cut the ropes binding her hands, cutting a deep gash into the back of her left wrist to boot.

I backed away slowly, also stepping to the side, forcing his attention directly on me and keeping his back directly to my Lieutenant. To further distract him, I spoke.

"How does a species who fights so well care so little for their comrades?" I asked.

Beaming, he answered. "Losing a fight is a failure. We fight hand to hand wherever possible. Projectile weapons are the cowards attack. Basically if you are a Vilgul, you are either strong, or you should die. That is our culture, how every Vilgul gets raised."

He had opened his mouth to continue, but my Lieutenant had seized the opportunity to attack. Running the sword into the back of the skull, the Vilguls words were cut short as he collapsed to the ground. As I grabbed his sword, the Lieutenant spoke.

"The other two officers are inside. The rest scattered into the woods." She informed as she applied pressure to the wound on her wrist. "You should still run, I won't be of much help in my condition.

Without speaking I carried my opponents sword into the enemy space ship. I thought it might be hard to track them down, but I heard quite the commotion coming from down the main corridor. Opening a door I was greeted with the sight of my two officers in the middle of the room, looking terrified with a sword each, as the two Vilguls covered each exit. The one covering the door I opened turned around and took a couple steps back.

"I'm here for my comrades." I demanded.

Smiling the one closest to me spoke. "We are forcing them to fight to the death. The winner gets to die by our hands."

I stepped through the door, causing the Vilgul to step back again, and motion to the middle. "Perhaps you want to join in the competition?"

"Why would I compete for the right to fight you when I've already killed three of you?" I mocked.

The Vilguls eyes widened at that remark. "That is not possible!"

"Actually it was rather easy." I mocked. "If you guys are going to insist on fighting hand to hand you should probably get better at it."

Allowing anger to take a hold of him, the Vilgul launched at me, thrusting his sword at me. Stepping to the side slightly, i directed his blade into the flesh on the side of my torso, through the fat, missing all organs and grabbed his wrist.

Smiling, he opened his mouth to mock me. Not in the mood for it, I thrust my sword into the bottom of his chin, cutting through flesh and bone as i shoved my sword through his brain. Giving my sword a good pull I drew it out of his skull causing his limp body to drop to the ground.

The final Vilgul looked on in horror, as I pulled the sword out of my torso. "Are you insane!" He demanded, drawing his own sword.

"Well, I'm human, if that answers your question." I replied.

"Human? From earth?" The Vilgul asked.

"Yes." I confirmed

"Take your comrades and go!" He offered as he turned around and left through the door he was guarding.

"Get off the ship. Now." I ordered my officers as I pursued my enemy.

Without waiting for further direction, both officers scampered out of the ship. My opponent only had one way to go, and I was close behind him. At the end of the hallway I came to a door, locked from the inside. Before I could challenge him to come out, the unmistakable sounds of the ship firing up could be heard. Realizing they intended to take off left me with no choice. I turned and ran to get off the ship.

The ship was already twenty feet off the ground by the time I made it to the door. Throwing myself through the open door, I landed hard, rolling through the landing the best I could, it still hurt like hell. I do not know if it was the exhaustion or the impact of the fall but I lost consciousness.

When I did wake up, Medical officer Scutuk was tending to the wound on my torso, other than that wound I seemed to be okay.

"How bad is it?" I asked.

"What kind of psychopath allows themselves to get stabbed in order to open an attack on an enemy.

"Maybe not the smartest idea." I admitted.

"You'll be fine. Just try not to overdue it or your stitches will tear." He ordered.

It took a few more days after that, but eventually a rescue ship arrived following our distress beacon. The captain was still unconscious but managed to wake up on the trip back to port. No one in our party was too worse for wear and the rescue ship had great medical officers and equipment, it seemed the worst was behind us. After arriving at port, I collected my things and left the ship.

"Where do you think you are going? You have another six months on your contract to us!" The Lieutenant demanded.

"Actually I do not. In case you forgot, while we were on the planet you dismissed me. I only stayed with the group because you needed my help to survive." I reminded her.

"You. You can't take that seriously." The Lieutenant tried to back pedal.

"Actually I can. Best of luck on your future adventures." I replied walking away.

"So you are just going wander the port forever?" She asked.

"I'll find another crew. One that appreciates me." I replied not even slowing down.

"Good luck. No one will want you with your attitude" She snapped back.

"Excuse me, are you Jacob, the human who killed four Vilguls who attacked the distress beacon." A rather formal looking man asked.

"Yes." I replied.

"We are a mercenary group who have been commissioned by the Intergalactic Council to hunt down the one who got away from you. Attacking a distress beacon is a crime punishable by death after all. We would love to have another capable soldier on or staff." He replied.

Giving my former Lieutenant an 'I told you so' look, I accepted. "I would love to. When do we leave."

"One hour. Let me lead you to the ship. Our Intel suggests he went to Sade 57." My new captain explained "I am Captain Tilzeox, our mercenary group has served the IC for almost 100 years."

"Glad to be on board." I acknowledged as I made my way to my new ship to meet my new crew.

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