#stray kids text threads

[tyongf-nct]

text threads - stray kids

how each skz member would respond to your request for period products

this is my first time doing a text thread post like this so any tips would be greatly appreciated 🤗

[star-eyed-angels]

Ghosting You

REQ: Stray Kids Reaction | One-Shot/Fake Texts | SUGGESTIVE/ANGST | BFF2L w/ Minho

Ghosting BFF Minho after sleeping together

Anon request:

A/N: to the lovely anon who requested this, I'm so sorry for the long wait! This idea started spiraling way out of control and took me so much longer than I wanted it to💕 Thank you for being patience, and I really hope it was worth the wait.

As always, this is not proofread because it's 3am so please be kind❤️

Warnings: suggestive because it’s Minho 🤡 insecure reader, Minho and reader are both dumb, stubborn, and terribly in love.

The sheets are warm as they drape over your waist. But Minho’s arm that’s loosely hung across your middle provides most of the warmth. Your skin tingles with the marks Minho has left all over you. The sweet ache in your lower half should make you feel giddy beyond belief. And it did in the moment, the way Minho’s lips felt against yours, the desire that dripped from his voice as he held you like you’d always wished for. It felt fucking fantastic. And now you’re staring up at the ceiling, nothing but the sound of his even breathing next to you. It’s like a pit has opened itself in your stomach, and every second that passes by it grows inside you. 

You glance over at MInho, watching him sleep peacefully. Your heart twinges at the sight of him like this, so exposed to you. A moment so intimate it feels unreal. What did this mean for your friendship? Was this how it all ends? Or maybe he feels the same? Maybe he loves you the way you love him. For a brief moment the giddiness returns at the idea of him sharing feelings. You let your mind wander at the possibility of a future with Minho. But it’s that thought that makes the pit open into a bottomless cavern. 

This could never work. 

Minho, your beloved best friend, was from a completely different world from you. How could you possibly forget? He could never be with someone like you. His world was cruel. Standards and appearances were everything in his line of work. One mistake could cost him everything. You’d watched him build it from the ground up. He couldn’t risk that. You wouldn’t let him. 

 You shouldn’t have done this. He can’t possibly love you. He couldn’t. Eventually you catch on to the sound of your heartbeat in your ears, matching the unsteady breathing you're letting out. You need to leave. You need to leave now before you make things any worse. 

You’re quiet as you slip out of the bed, holding your breath when he turns over. His hand blindly searches over the sheets before he settles, mumbling sleepily. You turn away from him quickly, feeling unsteady as you scramble in the dark for your belongings. 

The thoughts only grow louder as you slip on your clothes, hurriedly making your way out of the dorm without a trace. The warm summer air brings you the slightest bit of comfort that what you’re about to do is the right choice, even if you know it’ll hurt. 

You’re pacing your living room for what feels like hours at this point. It wouldn’t surprise you if you looked down and discovered a hole in the rug under your feet. The past few days you’d done the same thing, eat, worry, sleep, repeat. You’re thankful for your boss allowing you the time off, knowing full well your racing mind would have done you no good at work. 

A part of you hoped the time away from Minho would help you clear your head. If anything it only made it worse. Your phone buzzes on the coffee table, a flash of panic going through you when the screen lights up. The lock screen of you and Minho stares back at you, mocking you and your stupid decisions. The nagging feeling inside you finally becomes too much as you open a text thread, typing out a message quickly.

You grimace, looking down at your phone. Of course you know Felix is right. The logical part of your brain knows that he’s right. Minho would understand, you know he would. But there was still the worry of what everyone else would think. As much as you wanted to be with Minho, there was so much more to think about. You’d reach out to him eventually. After you had enough time to make sense of your thoughts and feelings. Then it would all be fine, 

But of course life was never that simple. Your moment of mild peace is immediately shattered at the sound of your phone going off. A second notification lighting up the lock screen. You feel your heart sink at the sight of Minho’s name on the screen.

Two weeks. It’s been two weeks since your texts to Minho. He’d blocked you immediately after. Every call and text being left unsent. You’d given up trying to reach out after the third day. The heartache you felt at losing your best friend was nearly unbearable. This was the longest you’d gone without speaking to each other but this time was different. This time there was no reassurance there would even be a next time. You’d lost your best friend in trying to keep him. Things only worsened with the loss of the others. How could you go to them after what you’d done to MInho? Simple, you couldn’t. You not only lost Minho, but the others as well. And it was slowly killing you. Felix had immediately noticed your absence. And eventually so did the others. Your phone had been full of unread texts from the others wondering where you’d disappeared off to. You didn’t have the heart to face them. 

The texts soon turned into voice messages and voicemails. Jeongin in particular began to blow up your phone, which was very out of character. The final straw was when he’d left you a hurried voicemail begging you to come to the dorm to help him. While you loved all the members, Jeongin was like a sibling to you. The bond you had with him was different. Hearing the desperation in his voice had you worried enough to rush to the dorm. 

One hand keeps your phone pressed against your ear, the other rapidly knocks on the door. You groan as Jeongin finally picks up the phone 

“Hello?” he says casually, as if you aren’t pounding at his front door. 

“I’m here open the door,” you grumble out, thoughts of throttling him pushed aside until after you help him. 

“Uhh- yeah. Yeah I’m going now,” he says, hurriedly. 

You huff as the doorknob twists in front of you. The door swings open, and you’re stepping inside, before you can blink. 

“Yang Jeongin what is it that is so important that you’re calling me 70 times just to not open the damn…door,” your words trail off at the sight before you. 

You’re in shock as you come face to face with Minho. His expression mirrors yours of bewilderment at the sight of you. He looks disheveled as you stand in front of him. He wears dark circles under his eyes, looking like he hadn’t had a proper night’s rest in weeks. Eyes bloodshot and puffy from what looks like tears he’d shed not too long ago. Your heart breaks when you see the glisten as he registers you’re here in front of him. 

“Those fucking brats,” he mutters under his breath. 

The aforementioned brats can be heard from the phones that now dangle at each of your sides. Hurried whispers from Jeongin, Felix and Seungmin can be heard as they speak to each other. They’d set you up. Oh you were so going to throttle them the next time you saw them. 

Eventually the hang up, leaving you and Minho in silence. You both stare at each other for what feels like years. You clear your throat quietly, forcing yourself to speak. 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know they’d do this. I’ll just,” you meet his gaze hesitantly, he looks away immediately. You can’t help the tears that spring to your eyes at the action. 

“I’ll see myself out,” you exhale shakily. 

He lets out a huff, shaking his head.

“Yeah, leaving what you do best,” he mumbles just quiet enough for you to hear. The cold tone he uses feels like a slap to the face.

“Excuse me?” you say, hoping you misheard. 

“What, am I wrong?” he says firmly. He finally turns to look back at you, shooting you a glare. 

“I didn’t leave minho. You were the one that ended our friendship,” your own bitterness seeping into your voice. 

“Then what do you call sneaking around?” he takes a step towards you, you take a step back matching his pace.

“Or lying to my face about being busy, huh?,” he spits out, inching closer to you. 

“I needed space,” you say, your lip trembling at the truths he throws at you. 

“So you couldn’t tell me that? You have to lie?” he grits out, having now backed you up against the door. His eyes burn into yours as he stares at you, anger and hurt swirling in them. You turn away, his intense gaze becoming too much.

“This is about us sleeping together isn’t it?,” he asks, causing you to look back at him. 

“Minho…” you breathe out, tears pooling at your waterline.  

“If all you wanted to sleep together you shouldn’t have made me fall for you,” he says shakily, his own eyes watering as he stares down at you.  

“That’s not all it was for me. Minho, I care about you more than you can imagine,” you say. He turns away quickly, beginning to walk towards his room. You reach out and grab his hand, stopping him. 

“Please just listen,” you plead out. The fear you felt bubbles to the surface once more. But for the sake of Minho you’d do your best to get over it. He deserved that much. 

When he doesn’t try to shake you off, you continue. 

“I wasn’t trying to hide it. I came here to see Felix,” you start shakily.

“I needed someone to talk to and I couldn’t come to you, okay…” your voice barely above a whisper. 

You wait for Minho to say something, anything really, but he still stands with his back to you. You do your best to keep your composure, but every second that passes feels like a crack in your heart. He finally turns to look at you, shaking your hand off of him gently. 

“Do you think that lowly of me?,” he asks finally. His voice sounding small in the open room. Any semblance of composure fades at his words.

“No minho. Never.” you hurry out, voice breaking with your tears. He takes your hand, gently running his thumb across your skin. 

“Then why?” 

“I’m scared,” you whisper.

“Because we slept together? I thought that’s what you wanted? I thought you wanted this, us?” he steps closer to you, his watery eyes boring into yours. 

“I do- I just…” you sigh, staring down at your hand in his. He waits quietly for you to continue.

“Do you know how scary it is to love you minho?” 

You miss the quiet sound of his breath hitching. 

“One wrong move and I could be the end of your career,” you gently separate your hand from his. 

“I can’t let you jeopardize that for me, I’ve watched how hard you worked, how much you’ve sacrificed to get here. I don’t want to be the reason you lose it all,” 

There’s a quiet silence between you two. All of your fears are laid out in front of him, it's terrifying. You knew it would be, but there’s something refreshing about having the truth out in the open. Again you wait for MInho to respond, keeping your gaze locked to the floor. You don’t think you can bear staring at him when he rejects you. 

“God you’re so dumb sometimes,” he huffs out.

“What?” again your head flicks up to meet his gaze, thinking you’ve heard him wrong. 

“You, you absolute dummy, don’t get it do you?” he huffs in amusement. His gaze has softened. A small twinkle in his eye. 

“Do you know how long I’ve wanted you? How long I’ve waited to tell you? I’ve been in love with you all this time, and then I finally got the courage to do something about it because i though you felt the same. But watching you try and run away from me was torture. I don’t want to lose you,” 

“Min,” you're breathless at his confession. 

“Do you really think I care about what anyone else thinks? Because I don’t. I really don’t” his words are firm, even as he pours his own heart out to you.

“I just want you. I could care less what they have to say,” he reaches out, grabbing your hand once again. This time he intertwines his fingers with yours, leaving you in a state of further bewilderment.

“And if you want me to, that's all that matters,” he says as if it’s the simplest thing in the world. 

“But-,” your protests are shot immediately with a glare. 

“But nothing. I don’t care. If I have you, that’s all I want. Is that what you want?” he asks. The matter of factness in his voice has you nodding without question. 

He smiles, his little bunny teeth poking out in a way that makes your heart swoon. His free hand grabs your cheek gently, tilting your face closer to his. His touches are so sure against your skin, it makes your own trembling stop. You stare up at him, the same feeling of intimacy from your night together fluttering in you. 

“No more hiding things from me, okay? You have every right to want your space, but no lying about it,” He says softly. 

“Never again. Promise,” you say, bringing your own hands up to hold him gently. He melts into the feeling, leaning into you further. 

“Can I kiss you?” he asks, eyes flickering between your eyes and lips. You grin, pulling him into your own kiss as an answer. He giggles, pulling you closer to him as he deepens your kiss. Your own giggles mesh with his, finally filling the tense silence. You stand there for another moment, relishing in the feeling  of holding each other once more. The moment is interrupted with the sound of both of your phones going off.

dividers: @/saradika-graphics @/cafekitsune

[jeonglixverse]

ੈ✩‧₊˚ jeonglixverse’s fic recs

here are some of my favourite fics i’ve read ! all fics listed below are all straykids :D

anything that contains smut will be highlighted in red! and all fics posted are a mix of fem!reader or gn!reader ˗ˏˋ post will be constantly updated !! ˎˊ˗

⇢ ˗ˏˋ ot8 ࿐ྂ dad!skz random texts ↳ by @seungbinbin stray kids as cliche romance tropes ↳ by @luvtak - 2.2k tender tendencies ↳ by @charmercharm3r what are we? │bit of angst, fluff. ↳ by @cosmic-railwayxo when you help them shave │fluff. ↳ by @143hyunes your mom hasn't paid me to date you this month │fluff, humor. ↳ by @jinhyun you go to another groups concert │fluff, humor. ↳ by @jinhyun

⇢ ˗ˏˋ bang chan ࿐ྂ safe with me │angst, fluff. ↳ by @thevampywolf - 2.5k insomnia w/minho │angst, smut, fluff, fwb, f2l. ↳ by @j-0ne25 - 64.9k stations and destinations │fluff, angst, childhood f2l. ↳ by @sulfurcosmos - 9.8k unprofessional │angst, smut, slowburn, coworkers to lovers. ↳ by @exxxtraoddinary - 58k myth - beach house │f2l. ↳ by @astraystayyh - 1.1k zip │smut, fluff. ↳ by @cb97percent - 3.4k

⇢ ˗ˏˋ lee minho ࿐ྂ insomnia w/bangchan │angst, smut, fluff. ↳ by @j-0ne25 - 64.9k jealousy, jealousy │fluff, s2l. ↳ by @candlewaxandp0lar0ids - 4.9k pick me ups │hurt, comfort, established relationship. ↳ by @gimmeurtmi - 2.5k youngblood │angst, fluff, bsf2l. ↳ by @changbeanie - 17.4k kiss me │fluff, established relationship. ↳ by @soobnny - 1.4k labyrinth │angst, fluff, slowburn, bsf2l. ↳ by @soobnny - 20k invisible thread │angst, fluff, slowburn, academic rivals to lovers. ↳ by @astraystayyh - 20k the only exception - paramore │slowburn, s2l. ↳ by @astraystayyh - 3.7k fields │angst, smut, fluff. ↳ by @hoes4lino - 23.5k excuses │fluff, established relationship. ↳ by @jinhyun - 2.3k angels in bodycons │smut. ↳ by @charmercharm3r - 5.2k lovely & sweet │angst, smut, fluff. ↳ by @tasteleeknow - 6.3k zipper │smut, fluff, established relationship. ↳ by @tasteleeknow - 4.3k ghost of you pt.1 pt.2 │angst, smut, fluff. ↳ by @telesvng - 15.5k & 14.8k love equation │angst, fluff, f2l. ↳ by @hanjisungz-remade - 11.5k

⇢ ˗ˏˋ seo changbin ࿐ྂ the alternative - lyn lapid │brother's bsf. ↳ by @astraystayyh - 2.5k

⇢ ˗ˏˋ hwang hyunjin ࿐ྂ somebody else - the 1975 │exes to lovers. ↳ by @astraystayyh - 2.6k

⇢ ˗ˏˋ han jisung ࿐ྂ bakcburner - niki │angst, exes. ↳ by @astraystayyh - 1.1k

⇢ ˗ˏˋ lee felix ࿐ྂ if the world was ending - jp saxe, julia michaels │bsf2l. ↳ by @astraystayyh - 3.2k all i ever wanted │angst, fluff, roommates to lovers. ↳ by @miel-ji - 6.6k playdate │s2l. ↳ by @bbujiikseu-archived - 14.8k hey, hey, golden boy! │angst, fluff. ↳ by @staysuki - 11k sunshine │bit of angst, fluff, smut, f2l. ↳ by @j-0ne25 - 7.4k

⇢ ˗ˏˋ kim seungmin ࿐ྂ in my dreams - tearliner │e2l. ↳ by @astraystayyh - 4.5k

⇢ ˗ˏˋ yang jeongin ࿐ྂ you're sexy i'm sexy - eric nam│f2l. ↳ by @astraystayyh - 1.6k adulthood can wait │fluff, established relationship. ↳ by @inniejeonginnie - 1.3k better and better │angst, smut, fluff, bsf2l. ↳ by @seungminheart - 10.9k meet cute │fluff. ↳ by @inniejeonginnie - 2.2k blue dream │smut. ↳ by @charmercharm3r - 6.1k love is blind │angst, fluff. ↳ by @momobani - 12.5k touch │fluff, strangers to friends to lovers. ↳ by @luvtora - 1.4k i saw you in a dream │angst, suggestive, s2l. ↳ by @forgottenfourr - SMAU (completed)

[leviathanspain]

Any Carmy x Reader where the reader is struggling emotionally but hides it well from Carmy (due to trying to open the new restaurant) until they slip up? Can be stress from work or even their own family drama they’ve kept from him. Thank you!

the perfect storm

carmy berzatto x reader

synopsis: you can’t bottle it all up forever, can you?

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

your chest felt tight. you couldn’t take a deep breath no matter how hard you tried, and you were unconsciously pulling at the collar of your shirt, clearing your throat in hopes to find the ability to breathe. your eyes felt tight in their sockets, and your palms were sweaty. but you continued to slave away with prep, cutting vegetables to prepare for the big opening night.

you were trying hard to focus on your work, but your heart was practically pounding in your chest, and you were sweating more profusely. you dropped the knife suddenly, and tried to take a deep breath.

you clawed at your collar and began to unknot your apron. you needed to get out of here, and the knot wasn’t coming undone-

“hey, hey-“ the permanently impatient tone of voice that carmy had echoed into your ears. you blinked, and you felt his hands grab onto yours, holding them in place, “what’s wrong, chef?” he looked at you, and you felt him trying to hold your gaze but you were stuck looking ahead, still breathing heavy.

you realized just how silent the rest of the kitchen got and you huffed, pulling away from carmy, you ran out the back door, feet squeaking as they ran over the wet floor.

your hands slammed hard onto the wood of the back door, and you panted hard as you finally inhaled the fresh, crisp, chicago air. you brushed your stray hair from your face with a hand and tried to hold onto the relief you were getting.

but it began to slip away just as you heard footsteps. you turned quickly and saw carmen, his face concerned and his brows knitted together as he saw you.

you held your hands up, “stop. just, stop right there.” you brushed down the fabric of your apron, now loose around your waist from your previous attempt at removing it.

carmy neared you, and he sighed, “what the fuck was that?” his curls fell just slightly over his forehead, and normally you’d take the time to brush it out of his face, but you were frozen.

you shook your head, and silence fell upon you when you tried to form the words. you felt like crying, there was a big, welling knot in your chest that made you want to cry.

“y/n-“ his voice again broke your thoughts and you wanted to scream, “oh my god! i don’t know! i don’t fucking know what’s wrong with me, carmen! i don’t know why,” you sobbed, “i feel this way..”

there was another beat, where all he could do was stare at you, his hand motioning in a circle over and over again on his chest. you looked at him and nodded, “no. it’s nothing you did, don’t apologize..” you exhaled, and stepped away from him, trying hard to collect yourself. carmy followed you and you inhaled sharply, “my parents are getting a divorce.” you dug your phone out underneath your apron and from your jeans pocket, opening the text thread to show carmy.

carmy looked down at it and shrugged, “so fucking what? they’ve hated each other their entire marriage, it’ll be okay-“ he neared you but you stopped him, holding a hand up as you sniffled.

normally you wouldn’t have cared, had it been any other little thing. but this, “they’re my parents, carm. no matter who hates who or how much..” you inhaled, concealing a sob, “they’re my parents.” you felt like a little kid, embarrassed to be crying so hard after trying to bottle it up.

carmy patted your back, but you exhaled, “i just need a minute. mhm?” you sniffled, and carm nodded, but he didn’t move.

you looked at him, and raised an eyebrow, “a minute?” you repeated and carmen nodded, “yeah.” but he didn’t move.

you sighed, and realized what he was doing. finally, you stopped trying to push him away and walked over, holding your arms out as he took you in his.

he held you, his chin resting on top of your head, you sobbed quietly, “this isn’t fair..” you muttered, “i-“

his hand drew circles on your back, soothing you, “it’s okay, bug. it’ll be okay.” it had taken him a lot of learning and healthy habits to be able to comfort another person. in the beginning, you had to teach him how to be there for someone, and all those things he learned from you had boiled down to this moment.

he kissed your forehead, brushing his thumbs just over your cheeks, the tears going with, “we’ll talk about this later. just promise me that next time something happens-“ he paused, “you’ll stop bottling it up. hmm?” you pulled away and looked up at him.

your eyes felt puffy, but you nodded, “yes, chef.” and you went to hug him again, needing the warmth of carmy one more time before you went in.

[qqtxt]

[🌸] jealousy, jealousy w/ txt

✿ pairing: ot5 x reader / idol!txt / non.idol!you / reader is friends with a couple of the stray kids’ members for each member’s part (don’t ask, i’m about to be a stay and it’s not okay) / curse words, cursing at each other as friendly banters / mentions of food and eating ✿ mini-fics with each member for the same situation / less than 700 words for each member / altogether, word count: 3,071 words (i couldn’t help myself on this one, it simply wrote itself i swear) ✿ when they’re jealous but try not to show it... (yet fail miserably because you can tell) [masterlist 🌸] / other members under the cut! / @kflixnet​ ✨

[🐰] soobin soobin swears he didn’t mean to intrude with your chat thread. it’s just that he heard you giggling and he wanted to know what was so interesting because if it’s a cute cat or dog video, he’d most definitely want to see (also he gets drawn to the sound of your voice very often). he notices it seems to be messages from... hm... that name looks familiar... regardless, he feels this small twitch in his chest, even if it doesn’t sound logical to feel this way. 

he didn’t realise he was still staring at your direction until you peek up from your phone and turn the cheek, sitting up to align your faces together as you two sat on the sofa side by side. “yes, handsome?”

his mouth opens, and closes when he doesn’t know what to say. what does he say? i think i might be jealous over something or someone i don’t even know the context of? he swallows and tries to muster up a reply, only to widen his eyes when you seem to click in your mind that–”ah, why i was laughing? here, seungmin texted this meme of jyp,” you snicker, showing him the message.

his lips are pursued, gaped with a small ‘o’ as he nods in response, smiling a little after that when he sees how funny you think it is. then his lips press into a thin line as he looks back down on his phone, seeing his wallpaper of your smile mirroring his as beomgyu helped take a photo of the pair of you on a swing; grinning at each other like the sun and moon colliding and soobin can’t help but wonder if he makes–”you’re thinking too much, bin-ah,”

“i didn’t even say anything.”

“you can say quite a lot with that face of yours.”

“...what am i saying, then?”

you use your eyes to point at his wallpaper, well-aware that it’s yours as well. it’s a favourite picture you two have (cue to him asking you which photo of the two of you was your favourite and sparking a two-hour debate, ending only when you can find a photo to agree on to set as your wallpapers). it’s all because soobin was telling you something out of seriousness but it was too funny to be serious, which is why you two were smiling that widely in the photo beomgyu managed to capture; because soobin automatically smiles when you smile.

"nobody makes me smile the way you do.”

“augh, how cheesy.” is the first thing that comes out of soobin’s mouth, out of habit, he can’t stop himself. but soon, that cheesy goodness spreads in his body and it makes him feel warm inside that he can’t hide the smile threatening to show on his face. that makes you smile on cue and remember, it’s a domino effect so now soobin’s a blushing, smiling mess with you mirroring him with a smile just as wide.

tl;dr: poor boy tries to pretend he isn’t jealous and is nonchalant about it, even if in his mind he’s having multiple layers of debate if he should say something, if it’s okay to ask, if it’s appropriate to show he’s possibly jealous. but it all shows on his face based on how he reacts because he can’t control it. would appreciate if you brought it up but honestly, he brings it up without saying anything because it’s all over his face, which you appreciate, too. just an assurance or two would make him all smiles again, to remind him that there really is no one else that makes you feel the way he does.

[🦊] yeonjun yeonjun didn’t mean to eavesdrop (because let’s be real, he’d just blatantly ask you to put on loudspeaker if he wanted to, that’s the kind of trust you two had) but he was headed to the bathroom, only to stand by the doorway of the kitchen when he hears you’re on the phone with–”lix, i’ll beat your ass in mario kart. don’t even pretend like your hand coordinations work with a controller just because you can dance.”

he crosses his arms and leans his head next to the wall, squinting his eyes so hard that maybe–oh, right, he’s not exactly invisible–he straightens his back when he’s captured your attention, fixing that look on his face to a sheepish grin and waves a little... even when he knows he’s not fooling anyone, especially not you.

“ah, i’ll text you when we’re leaving. see you, ass face.”

“where are you going?” yeonjun tries to make sure he doesn’t sound upset, but it’s safe to say he’s not managing well when you chuckle at him like that. “why do i get the feeling that you may be a little jealous?” 

he huffs and uncrosses his arms, already pulling you by the waist to keep you close to him as he narrows his eyes at you, “a little? you’re giving me too much credit here. i think i looked like i could beat someone up if i wanted to.”

“so... you wanna beat up felix because he invited us over to play mario kart?”

“i mean, yeah if it fits–wait, what?”

his expression immediately changes when he processes what you mean, and picking up earlier that you said ‘we’re’ leaving instead of just you. if jealousy was first, inclusiveness was second because yeonjun just loves being with you. sure, he’s all about having your own circle of friends but sometimes, (most of the time) he loves being around you with your friends, too.

“ah... so we are going together?”

“depends. do you still wanna beat–”

“augh, what’re you talking about? we’re all friends, best friends!” he puts a hand over your mouth to stop you from calling him out, even when he already knows whatever he’s thinking isn’t true. he feels you laughing against his hand and allows you to pull his hand from your mouth, so you can reveal to him that pretty smile that numbs him almost instantly, “you know you have nothing to worry about, right?” he feels his heart swooning when you turn his hand, so you can kiss his knuckles, “you’re all i want.”

he tries to press his lips together, so it doesn’t reveal just how hard he’s smiling as he nods... but fails automatically when he lets out a chuckle, happiness taking over his system as he nods again, “yeah, i know.” he moves to grip onto your hand, half-dragging you to the bedroom to–”let’s get ready to kick some asses!”

tl;dr: man’s not jealous because he trusts you with his whole heart but he uses his jealousy as a way to playfully show you how much he loves you. he’s confident in who he is as your lover and partner, but wants you to know that he does care who you go out with and who you interact with because he cares about you. wouldn’t shy from asking directly or use innuendos; would just ask as it is.

[🐯] beomgyu beomgyu’s number one goal in life since he’s met you is to make you laugh. when you’re happy, laugh twice as much. when you’re sad, find a reason to laugh. when you’re mad, he’s trying to ease your nerves with laughter. now... just because he loves hearing you laugh, doesn’t mean he appreciates someone else making you laugh. doesn’t matter who it is; he’ll feel a prick to his chest.

more so now when you’re laughing at your phone, him walking out of the bedroom (as he was taking a nap) to see you on a video call with–he squints his eyes at who’s filling your screen–han jisung. you were laying on your stomach, arm stretched out on top of the arm rest as you two talked leisurely. 

sure, all of you have hung out before but... that doesn’t mean beomgyu doesn’t feel anything. he can pretend all he wants but he knows it’ll only get worse the more he tries to suppress it. he’s talked about it with you before and he does feel secure, but sometimes, the feeling doesn’t last very long that his intrusive thoughts take over.

so instead of heading to the kitchen, he ends up plopping on top of you and effectively squishing you on the sofa. jisung immediately waves and greets–”gyu! hey!”

“sup!” beomgyu waves back and the two boys are now chuckling at your breathless state now that your nearly two meter boyfriend decides to use you as a mattress.

“g-gyu, get off!”

“you’re comfortable,” he snorts, pressing his cheek to the side of your head, resting his weight on you as his chest moulds to your back, legs tangled between yours and he supports your hand holding your phone up.

“how’re you, han?” 

that’s how beomgyu steered the conversation and you accepted your fate. chiming in here and there, until the video call ends with plans to meet up later at han’s dorm with a couple of the other boys. when you end the call, you flop your phone down (not caring if it slides off to the table conveniently next to it) and try to get a glimpse of your boyfriend, “and what was that about, mr. choi?”

“augh, that’s mr. handsome to you,” he kisses the side of your head, refusing to get up as his arms snake around your waist, coming between your body and the sofa beneath you. “i have a question,”

“can you please get off first?”

“no, you gotta answer first.”

“ask me. ask me quick before i pass out.”

“hypothetically, if you were single and if han was single–”he tries not to laugh when you immediately respond with han’s probably gonna die alone with that mouth of his”–and let’s say you didn’t meet me. would you two have dated?”

“that’s your golden question? that’s the question you’re willing to suffocate me for?”

“answer!”

“hypothetically, realistically and currently, no. i’ve only got eyes for one man and it’s the same one that’s trying to kill me!”

“augh, i love you too.” he coos, lovingly clinging onto you despite your protests, but with the way he’s smiling at you and peppering kisses to your face, you can’t quite push him off if you wanted to.

tl;dr: could be insecure, could be just playful, or the mix of both, depending on the mood. most of the time, he’s fairly confident in him being a boyfriend and a partner to you but there are moments he’ll feel insecure. he’ll mask that with playfulness and whenever you reassure him, it feels like he had nothing to worry about in the first place; because he trusts you, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t need the reassurance.

[🐿] taehyun taehyun know that this isn’t something he should feel anything about but... he can’t help himself. he’s only human. the great thing about taehyun is that he doesn’t hide whenever he feels this way so... he’ll... just ask.

now is one of those times when he sees you on a video call with chan–the bang chan from stray kids–as you were fiddling with the computer, phone propped to the side and chan seemingly doing his work with tunes and bits and bobs playing in the background. taehyun stands a distance away, remaining hidden from both of your screens as he thinks whether he’ll want to speak about it now or later but it seems like the answer is decided for him when you–”earth to kang taehyun, you there?”

he seems to snap out of reverie, blinking a couple of times at your direction as his eyes grow wide at the attention now on him. chan gives him a wave, with the pixelated voice of hey, tae! then the line gets wonky and you’re ending the call momentarily to direct your attention fully on–”what’re you up to?”

“just... wanted to get some water. you want some?”

“water?” you snort, and taehyun rubs the back of his neck, regretting a bit on how silly that sounds, “yeah?”

“can we go get boba instead? i can call chan to come with? might do him some good to get out of that studio dungeon.”

you watch as he thinks about it and he starts to make his way towards you. kneeling before you. automatically, you turn to face him and you lean forward when he peers up to you with pressed lips. the shift in his gaze makes you a little antsy, using a hand to put on his shoulder, the other reaching up to run through his hair. he tries not to get sidetracked with your touch, having one hand on your knee, the other reaching up to hold your waist lightly.

"could we... just go together? alone?”

through his question, you’re able to pick up on the subtlety of how he’s feeling. you nod with a smile, “of course, handsome.”

“n-not that i don’t like chan or anything, i just–”

“you don’t have to explain yourself,” your hand moves from his hair to press a thumb over his lips. from speaking midway, he seals his lips into a smile; one so... pretty that it makes your heart swoon at how he’s looking at you.

“but... for me to make it clear, you know i only have eyes for you, hm? chan’s just a good friend.”

“of course,” he starts to regain the usual, silly side he has with you, “have you seen this face?” he tilts his head to the side, showing off his side profile that it makes you chuckle. that draws out an instant reaction of getting taehyun to laugh with you the second he sees that pretty smile on your face.

“that is a very nice face.”

“a face that likes looking at you,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to your palm hovering next to his cheek. the cheesiness makes the both of you visibly shiver and in the next, you two are brushing it off to get ready to head out for boba. (which taehyun suggests getting one for chan to drop by at his studio on the way back)

tl;dr: taehyun’s pretty secure with who he is, knowing well that you chose to be with him for a reason. however, he’s only human to feel a bit envious when another guy or person has your attention that he truly appreciates. he’s not obsessively jealous but he’ll just acknowledge it as a way to recognise he’s feeling that way and feel better when you acknowledge it, too. with a reassurance and acknowledging how he’s feeling is more than enough to keep him happy.

[🐧] kai in all honesty, kai forgot that you were hanging out with hyunjin and changbin until he scrolled through his social media to see a posting of the three of you hanging out in a cafè. his heart flutters seeing you smile and he loves how happy you look but he’d be a liar to say he didn’t feel a small pinch to his heart seeing you with two other guys. 

he debates if he wants to text you to ask, knowing it’ll be a bit too much to call but the second he’s about to pull up your chat thread, your name pops up on his screen. giddy, he swipes and answers the call with: “hey!”

“hi hun! i was just leaving a cafè and i wanted to drop by with some cakes and coffee–oh my god, guys, get off!” kai chuckles at how you’re quite literally fighting your way to speak to him, knowing the kind of friendship you had the the two guys. if he’s being honest, it’s like you three depicted the sibling squabbles better than him and his two sisters. more so when he can hear his name being called out by said guys in the background, cooing about how they would rather hang out with him than, you know, you. things like these made him feel at ease with how your friends respected your relationship with him, which is why it made him feel conflicted whenever he feels a bit of jealousy.

“as long as i get to see you, that’s all that matters to me.”

“augh, sweet boy. i’ll be right over–okay fuck you, hwang hyunjin! come here!” kai doesn’t have time to respond when the call ends abruptly and he’s reassured you’re on your way over when you snap a pic of your retrieved goods.

a good twenty minutes later, he hears a knock on the door of his dorm. he opens it to reveal you being escorted by two guys who have you in a partial headlock. it’s only until they meet with kai’s amused smile that they let you go, as if they’re doing a transaction trade. after bidding goodbye, you’re now finally at ease to be able to rest. you place your things on the dining table and turn to him with a huff. he fixes your hair and pulls you into a hug, unable to resist the urge to kiss your forehead before he asks: “had a good time?”

“i still don’t know why i hang out with them. it’s like a death wish each time.”

“then hang out with me more.”

“i’m quite literally in your bed at the end of every night.”

“eh, could be improved,” he shrugs, to which you snort and hit his shoulder before diving in to hug him properly. he hums as he has you in his arms, swaying you a little as he rests his cheek atop your head. still, he has the cheek in him to ask: “you only love me, right?” he only gets a smack to the back as an answer, knowing of his playful tone whenever you hear it. but still, you allow for a couple of beats to pass before you softly reassure him: “of course.”

then, you feel his lips to the side of your head, with a murmur of: “good, because i love you.”

tl;dr: this sweet bean loves seeing you with other people even if it’s not with him. though, he does get a bit jealous but he tries to mask it through being caring and asking questions... which ultimately you see through because of how he texts you or speaks to you. even with the way he acts could subtly imply he might feel jealous but he’s able to respect your space and you having your own friends, too. it’s a good mix and balance of both, playful jealousy that kind of reassures you two of your love.

[petalsnow]

Best Friend (18+)

bang chan x felix 

word count: 3.4k 

genre: smut, fluff - 18+ ONLY, MINORS DNI 

warnings: non-idol au, friends to lovers, dom!chan, sub!felix, swearing, excessive alcohol consumption, both characters are under the influence, oral sex, unprotected sex (don’t do this), cumming inside (don’t do this), praise kink, degradation kink, confessions of love.. i think that covers it but if i missed something let me know! 

summary: no matter how hard felix tries, he just can’t shake his feelings for chan.. but he never expected him to feel the same way. 

this is a fictional story. nothing in this fan-fiction represents felix, bang chan, or stray kids as a whole, NOR does it represent their relationships between each other. read at your own risk. 

18+ content below the cut. 

———

felix knew for a while now. he was painfully aware of the feelings he had for his best friend. but that was the problem, and the root of all of this weird tension between them. he was supposed to be his best friend. felix grew up with chan. they were neighbors, classmates, and even part of the same dance group throughout high school. but as time passed, their hang outs grew scarce and their communication dwindled down significantly. after all, they’re both in college now. both busy with their studies and part time jobs. this is whenever felix started to realize his feelings for chan weren’t just the average “bromance” type. he found himself thinking about chan late at night, his chest tightening from the pain of missing him so much. he often would lay in bed and scroll through his camera roll, eyes grazing over pictures of the two of them throughout the years. he hated the feeling. it felt wrong, it felt pathetic. felix of course has no idea how chan feels about him, but he can only assume it’s not mutual. it would be strange if it was.. they’re practically brothers… (felix tries to convince himself). after many long and painful nights of missing his friend, felix decides it would be a good idea to text chan and ask him to hang out. it’s been a few months since the last time they saw each other, it doesn’t seem like a weird request. felix opens up their message thread and finds himself twiddling his thumbs, overthinking what he wants to send. after several back spaces and heavy sighs, he finally decides to press send: felix: hey! i have break from classes today if you want to come over and drink or something. he figures that sounds casual enough and nervously waits for his reply. which comes sooner than he expected, and the blonde headed boy’s head shoots up quickly at the chime of his phone channie: felix! hey!! of course, i’ll be over within the next hour if that sounds okay. i’ll bring some soju. felix finds himself unable to fight the smile that is now beaming across his face and quickly texts back, felix: sounds great bro, see you then. the casual “bro” was thrown in there of course, on purpose. ———

felix has been getting ready for the entirety of the hour that chan said it would take him to arrive at his apartment. changing his outfit five times, changing his hairstyle, and even applying a small amount of makeup just to brighten his eyes and cover a few of his unwanted blemishes.

he is staring at himself in his full length mirror, his final look consists of a comfortable white tee, a oversized light brown cardigan, and some comfy grey sweats. he didn’t want to dress up too much and give himself away.. but he did want to look appealing, and felix is convinced he did just that.

he’s tidying up his hair when he hears three knocks to his front door and his heart inevitably leaps in his chest, he gives himself a final look over and all but sprints to the source of the noise. he takes a deep breath before twisting the nob and revealing his (handsome) “best friend”.

“ahhh felix!” the older boy grins from ear to ear, pulling the smaller boy in for a warm embrace. “how have you been?? i feel like it’s been forever” he adds

“i’ve been good, same shit different day. you know how it is.” felix responds casually, trying not to reveal the enormous smile he now posses.

“ah yes, i get it dude.” he groans in agreement as he pulls away “want me to throw the soju in the fridge?” he questions as he brushes past felix and enters the apartment.

“yeah, that’s perfect” felix nods, shutting the door as his friend heads into the kitchen. felix awkwardly clears his throat, trying to keep himself as nonchalant as possible “how have you been?” he chimes as he follows behind him.

“tired, stressed, exhausted.. the usual” his friend chuckles, taking two bottles of soju out of the pack before placing the rest in the fridge. he smiles, handing one to his friend. “but that’s what these are for.” he smirks.

felix laughs and happily takes the bottle into his hand, twisting the metal cap off. “we both going to drink a bottle by ourselves?” he quirks an eye brow, taking his first sip before chan can reply.

“just like old times.” chan grins back at him, taking a gulp of the liquid down like a champ. “plus, if i don’t drink this whole thing, i don’t think i would be half as enjoyable to be around with how stressed i’ve been lately” he adds.

before felix has time to process what he’s saying he replies with, “you’re always enjoyable to me.” and his face quickly turns a light shade of pink at his abrupt honestly. “j-just because we always have such a good time together.. ya know?” he clears his throat, breaking the intense eye contact with his friend.

chan giggles and walks over to felix to ruffle his hair “of course i know what you mean, i don’t think you’d keep me around for this long if you didn’t enjoy my company.” he says playfully before squinting a little a felix with the newly established proximity. “are you wearing makeup?” he cocks his head

felix swears he could shit himself right there on the kitchen floor. his pink cheeks now turning a deep shade of red. “yeah.. just a little insecure with my acne lately..” he tries to play it off, shoving chan playfully (and so he won’t be so close to notice such details).

“ahh, i’m sorry for pointing it out then” he replies. “come on, let’s go chill in the living room, i’m tired of standing” chan smiles and walks comfortably through his friends apartment, like he owns the place. which, he may as well, he’s been here more times than he can count.

felix silently agrees and plops himself on the opposite side of the couch from chan.

they spend a while catching up, their soju bottles growing lighter and lighter as each minute passes. trips to the fridge are made to retrieve more, several times.

hours have passed now and the sun has fallen from the sky, the apartment lit up only by the glow of the TV screen. empty soju bottles are littered across felix’s floor and both boys are laughing and throwing their heads back over the couch.

“bro, no way you told a girl you loved her on the FIRST DATE?” felix asks in purse disbelief, the alcohol molding him into a bold and now (very) loud person

“and that is why i will never drink tequila on the first date ever again..” chan groans as he hides his face, unable to keep himself from laughing as felix cracks up at this embarrassing story.

their laughter dies down before felix adds to the conversation again, “i haven’t been on any dates in forever, i just don’t have the interest in any girls around here i guess” he shrugs, toying with one of the bottle caps in his hand.

“really? i figured you’d have a list of girls lined up waiting to beat down your door.” chan responds, taking the last sip of the last bottle of soju before resting it on the coffee table close to the couch.

felix chuckles at this and flicks the bottle cap in chan’s direction. “could say the same for you.”

chan catches the cap and flicks it back at felix with a small grin. “sort of, but none of them have kept my interest. more of a one night stand kind of guy lately.”

the bottle cap drops to the floor from chan’s poor aim and felix, now without any distraction, looks up to meet his friend’s gaze.

“i don’t know if could do one night stands.. i feel like i get attached too easily” felix sighs sweetly.

“you always were the hopeless romantic type” chan smiles softly, shifting his position on the couch to fully face felix. “it’s cute.”

felix gulps, sobering up a little at his comment. “t-thanks. it’s kind of embarrassing actually.. it gets lonely” he swallows hard.

chan frowns at his friends response “you can always call me, yeah? you don’t have to isolate yourself”

“no i just mean.. it gets lonely like, romantically. i constantly crave affection and physical touch but most people just want a one time thing and i just can’t see myself being okay with that.” felix explains, toying with a button on his cardigan.

“i know that’s what you meant.. my offer still stands.” chan replies, confidence never wavering in his tone.

felix can’t help but quickly look up, meeting his eyes in a small panic. he doesn’t know if he’s reading too much into it or if chan is trying to hint at what he thinks he’s trying to hint at.. he opens his mouth to reply but chan beats him to it.

“i like you felix.” chan adds, boldly. the alcohol has clearly taken over at this point.

felix blinks hard, at a loss for words. “w-what do you mean?” he asks

“i like you, more than just a friend.” chan clarifies for him. “i’ve felt this way for a while, but we’ve been best friends our entire life and it always just felt so wrong, so i’ve never mentioned it before or made a move.” he shrugs, “but i’m super drunk right now and i’m tired of keeping it in.. so here it is” he nods, looking away from felix and down at the couch in an attempt to make him less uncomfortable.

felix’s adams apple visibly bobs from how hard he gulps, he feels like he’s dreaming. because there is absolutely no way chan just confessed his love for him. after a few seconds of awkward silence, felix finally finds the courage to reply.

“i feel the same way..” he says, barely above a whisper. “… that’s why i wore makeup, and invited you over..” his words slurring “shit, i spent an entire hour getting ready for you…” he’s pouring out now.

chan’s heart aches in his chest at the boy’s innocent confession. “you did all of that for me?” he asks.

“yeah, all for you.” felix nods, still fidgeting with his cardigan. “i love you channie..” his voice cracking, his feelings that have been pent up for years, overflowing thanks to the soju.

“oh felix..” chan trails off, shifting his position to move closer to him, taking felix’s hands into his own to rub his thumb over them. “i’m so sorry you felt like you couldn’t tell me sooner.” a sadness washing over his expression

felix sniffles, a small tear escaping one of his eyes. “it’s not your fault, i would’ve never expected you to feel the same anyways.” he whimpers

“i do.. i always have.” chan comforts him, removing his hand from felix’s grasp to wipe the tear off his cheek. “no crying, you’ll mess up your makeup.” he smiles softly, felix’s eyes finally meeting his own.

“kiss me, please..” felix quietly begs.

chan doesn’t need any further encouragement before pressing his lips into felix’s. it’s soft, loving, and warm. chan’s body pressing further into felix as the kiss deepens, felix’s hands finding their way to rest on either side of chan’s face.

the kiss quickly grows more aggressive and sloppy, the sexual tension growing thicker as chan grinds himself into the boy underneath him.

“fuck, we have to stop. i don’t know if i can control myself if we keep going.” chan pulls away from the kiss, catching his breath.

“what makes you think i want you to control yourself?” felix asks, searching chan’s eyes, his hands still resting on his friend’s cheeks.

chan all but melts into felix at his words. “you’re going to kill me.” he growls, dipping his head down to attack felix’s neck with open mouth kisses.

“nooo, you can’t die. you haven’t even fucked me yet.” felix giggles at chan’s desperation and because his kisses tickle there.

chan chuckles are his response and leans back to remove his own shirt, revealing his toned physique.

felix looks up at him in awe. “you’ve.. really been working out lately.” he trails off, mesmerized by the image on display before him.

“yeah, to attract cute little twinks like you.” chan winks before tossing the shirt across the room and leaning back down to reattach their lips.

felix whimpers at the new contact, his fingernails lightly scratching against chan’s back. “need you now.” he manages to get out between kisses.

“i thought you’d never ask” chan mutters before tugging off felix’s cardigan and tee shirt, quickly tossing them across the room as well. “you’re perfect” he moans, drinking in the boy’s small build.

felix blushes, crashing his lips back into the older boy instead of trying to think of a good response. both of the boys have grown rock hard, their bulges rubbing against another at their make out session continues.

“god, felix. i can’t take it anymore, i need you now.” chan moans. shifting to lay on his back. felix crawls i between his legs, slowly tugging at the waist band of chan’s sweatpants.

“can i?” felix asks politely, his innocent doe eyes staring into chan’s.

“fuck yes, of course.” chan’s nods quickly, leaning back into the couch as the boy removes his pants in a swift motion.

“no underwear?” felix cocks his head to the side, nestling himself between chan’s legs.

“never” chan chuckles, resting his head against the arm of the couch to watch felix’s performance.

felix hums softly and takes chan’s length into his small hand, giving it gentle strokes at a steady pace.

chan whimpers, closing his eyes at the pleasurable sight and feeling. “feels perfect ‘lix.”

felix smiles at the pet name as chan’s dick grows harder in his hand, before softly placing his mouth over his erection.

he has a hard time fitting it all at first, but as he gets more comfortable with the size, he begins moving his head faster and deeper.

“s-shit” chan swears, his hips slightly bucking upwards to meet felix’s warm and heavenly mouth. “you’re… so fucking good at this.” chan gasps, running his hand through the top of felix’s hair, slightly pushing his head further down onto his cock.

felix moans around his dick at the small gesture of dominance, which encourages him to go deeper.

chan feels like he’s going to explode, his moans grow louder and he feels a fire burning in his abdomen. he lets felix continue for a couple minutes before he just can’t take it anymore.

“get off, i’m going to fuck you now.” chan asserts, pulling felix off his cock, quickly removing the younger boys sweats in the process.

chan scoffs at felix’s lack of underwear too. “no underwear?” he parrots to the blonde.

“never.” felix retorts with a cheeky smile, chan placing a sweet kiss to his mouth before turning the small boy around and bending him over.

“shit, do you have condoms?” chan snaps out of his lustful spell, checking around the room

“i’m clean..” felix mutters beneath him

“you sure you’re okay with this..?” chan trails off, rubbing the small of felix’s back “i can go get condoms if you want me to.” he reassures him

“no, i’m sure channie.” felix whimpers “please, just fuck me already.” he begs

and just like that, chan’s lustful spell has taken him over again. chan bends down to lick a bold stripe over felix’s tight hole, eating him out quickly but effectively to get him prepped for what’s to come.

felix mewls at the sudden contact and pushes his hips into chan’s touch, his eyes rolling into the back of his head.

“as delicious as you taste, i can’t wait anymore, need to feel you ‘lix” chan moans, rising back up to line his cock up with felix’s wet and swollen hole before slowly pushing into him.

“oh fuck… holy shit” chan growls, pushing in and out of the younger boy slowly, setting a soft pace at first. “you’re so fucking tight.”

felix is a whimpering mess beneath the muscular boy, toys curling and back arching. “y-you’re my first.” felix confesses in a high pitch.

“damn right, and i’ll be your last.” chan grunts, slowly increasing his place, caressing felix’s back as he adjusts to his size.

the more comfortable felix gets, the more his ass starts meeting chan half way between each stroke. the room is filled with both of their moans, and the sound of felix’s ass against chan’s dick.

“channie, you’re so big, i fucking love your dick.” felix moans out, gripping the couch cushion beneath him.

“yeah? you’re gonna lose your mind on my cock baby?” chan encourages him, smirking as he slams his cock into his sub. “gonna make you forget how to speak, turn you into such a good cock slut just for me to use.” a hard slap landing on felix’s ass.

felix let’s out a small scream, his eyes welling up in tears at the over stimulation and effect that chan’s words have on him. “p-please, just want to be yours.” felix whines.

“you’re already mine, no need to beg baby boy.” chan grunts, leaning down to press kisses to the back of felix’s neck, wrapping an arm around the small boy to support his collapsing body.

felix melts into his touch, eyes closed and mouth open wide as he lets out the most beautiful sounds chan has ever heard.

“channie.. g-gonna cum.” felix barely manages to get out, gasping for air.

“that’s my good boy, cum for daddy baby. i know you can. show me.” chan encourages in felix’s ear, increasing his pace as felix slowly reaches his climax.

with a loud moan and a tightening grip on one of chan’s thighs, felix let’s go. his cum drenching the couch beneath their bodies, his chest heaving as his high passes over him.

chan peppers kisses all across felix’s neck and down his back as the boy comes down from his high, his pace slowed down significantly.

felix collapses underneath him, trying to catch his breath. chan chuckles softly and maneuvers felix to lay on his back now, their eyes meeting again.

“hey” chan smiles down at him, felix wrapping his legs around chan. “you gonna come back to me?” he asks, felix’s gaze still miles from him, lost in pure bliss.

felix flutters his eyes and draws in a deep breath before nodding at chan’s question. a soft smile creeping across his freckled cheeks.

“you gonna be okay if we go a little longer?” chan questions, placing soft kisses to his cheeks. “i’m almost there.” he reassures him.

“yeah, want you to finish too.” felix sighs sweetly, leaning into chan’s touch.

“okay baby, let me know if it’s too much.” chan adds, and felix nods before chan realigns himself with felix before sliding back into him.

“perfect..” chan whispers “perfect for me.”

his pace is more steady now, deep and slow stroke into felix. he won’t last long now.

“love you channie, love you so much.” felix whines, back arching off of the couch

“god damn it, i love you more felix.” chan groans loudly, his pace growing sloppier at the younger boy’s confession.

chan lands a few more strokes before he meets his climax

“god, i’m cumming baby.” chan throws his head back as felix tightens around him.

“inside, please channie.” felix begs him, spreading his legs further

that’s all it takes to send chan over the edge, emptying himself into felix’s tight hole with a loud moan.

his jerks his hips into felix a couple more times, making sure he gets every drop into him before slowly pulling out and falling onto his back into the couch.

both of the boys catching their breath before either of them break the silence.

felix is the first to slowly sit up, peering over at chan who is still trying to process what happened. felix crawls over chan’s body, arms on either side of him, caging him in.

“you still just a one night stand type of guy?” felix playfully cocks his head to the side.

“shut up and kiss me.” chan rolls his eyes before felix giggles and presses a kiss to his lips.

“i’ve waited for this my whole life” chan whispers, meeting felix’s eyes

“you have no idea..” felix whispers back, eyes glazing over with tears.

———

the end :) i hope you enjoyed <3 

[therhythmafterthesummer]

Surprise (M) ~Bang Chan

Pairing: Werewolf!Chan x Human!F.Reader Themes: Supernatural/Fantasy AU | Smut | Fluff | Established Relationship Warnings: chubby/curvy MC, graphic depictions of intercourse (smut warnings under the cut) Word Count: ~2k | AO3 Summary: Your boyfriend had been stressed with work lately, so you got yourself a pretty lingerie set to surprise him, hoping to cheer him up. [This story is part of my WereRoomies series, but honestly i feel like it can be read even if you haven’t read the rest].

Author’s Note: this adds absolutely nothing to the lore of this series, it’s just shameless pwp. especial thanks to @mistlitmoonlight, @incredulousquokka & @sstarryreads for encouraging me to post this when i asked about it lol

Due to all the abovementioned warnings, this story is intended for an adult audience only. Minors please do not interact.

Smut Warnings: praising · unprotected penetration [piv. no barrier method, but the reader is presumed to be on birth control] · intercrural · cumshot · very lowkey body worship? or is it highkey? i can’t tell anymore you guys can tell me lol

Disclaimer: the story represented in this work does not represent Stray Kids in any way; anything described in this story and all actions performed by the characters are purely fictional, this was created just for good fun.

“Look at you, baby… Taking me so well… You look so gorgeous like this, you know?”

All you could do in response was pathetically whine as you continued to bounce on your boyfriend’s cock. One of Chris’ hands held your wrists in place behind you, keeping you sat straight, while the other gripped your thigh, right under the elastic of your suspender belt.

You’d been at it for a while, you had honestly lost count of how many times this man had made you come in the last hour, but it wasn’t like you were surprised by this. It was exactly what you were hoping for when you got this lingerie set.

It was a last minute decision, to be fair, but now you were glad you did get it in the end. You’d gone to the store with Changbin’s girlfriend, she wanted to look for something cute for herself so you tagged along, and when you saw the plus sized matching set–bra, panties, stockings, and suspender belt–you were certainly intrigued.

Shopping for underwear in your size was always annoying, so finding something that fit was almost a guaranteed purchase. And when you looked at yourself in the mirror back at home you knew you’d made the right choice. The bra held your bust perfectly–which was already a rare find–the suspender belt was snug on your waist, the stockings fit your thick thighs just right, and that last one was the one that had you the most excited, because you knew Chris would absolutely love seeing these on you.

Your boyfriend had a thing for thighs, something you were always ready to let him indulge in, considering you had plenty to play with. So, when you got the text from him that he was finally on his way home you got into your pretty plum coloured set, draped his bathrobe over your frame, and patiently waited for him to come home.

As soon as you heard the beep, beep, beeps of the keypad you got on your feet, making your way to the hall so you could greet him. Chris made his way into the flat with a groan, dropping his keys in their designated bowl in the bureau and his bag by the umbrella stand as the door closed behind him. 

“Welcome home, baby”, you wrapped your arms around his neck as soon as he opened his arms for you, pressing a soft kiss on his lips.

“Mmm… You smell so good, pretty…” Chris buried his face in the crook of your neck, holding you tightly by your waist, and pulling you flush to him. 

“How was work?��� Threading your fingers through his hair, you gently massaged his scalp as he waddled you both further into the flat.

“Hell-ish… Just wanted to be back…”

“How tired are you?” You whispered in his ear. Sure, you wanted to jump him, but if he was tired you could always leave this for some other night, it was important for him to get some rest, too.

Chris seemed to have picked up on your tone–or maybe it was your scent, he always knew when you were in the mood because of your scent, so it wouldn’t surprise you if that were the case. “Not tired at all for my pretty baby… Why?”

The hopefulness in his question made you smile, and you pulled yourself away from him enough to give him a brief kiss. “Because… I have a surprise for you…”

“A surprise?” Chris was clearly not expecting any surprises, but he looked like he wanted to find out what it was regardless.

So you gave him a nod, untangling yourself from his limbs and taking a couple of steps back as you undid the knot of your robe–his robe–letting it fall to the floor.

The gasp that left Chris’ lips certainly made it all worth it.

“You…” He licked his lips, and he brought both of his hands to his face, slapping his cheeks a couple of times. “Wow”.

“You like it?” You dragged your hands from your chest to your hips, eventually moving lower to find the elastic holding your stockings in place and snapping it against your skin, making Chris exhale an incredulous huff as he shamelessly stared at your thighs, focused where the skin swelled a bit over the lace welt.

“Like it?” Chris gave you a look from head to toe, that predator look that always had you wet for him in record time, and it had you shivering with excitement. “Baby, listen to me, and listen very carefully…”

You clasped your hands behind your back and nodded, an obedient gesture that you had come to know would get him even more worked up. You saw Chris’ Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed, and he brought a hand to his cheek again, softly massaging his jaw. “I’m gonna go wash my hands, freshen up a bit, and in the meantime you’re gonna go into our room, go on our bed, and patiently wait for me, okay? Can you do that for me?”

You nodded, understanding, so you turned around to make your way towards your shared room, relishing Chris’ gasp as he took notice of your thong. You couldn’t help but turn around, smiling playfully at him, and the smirk he gave you back was enough to let you know that you were in for a long night.

So that was how you ended up here, riding his cock after he had given you toe-curling orgasm after toe-curling orgasm–with his mouth attached to your sensitive chest, with his head between your legs, with his fingers between your folds… 

The bra and panties had long since been discarded by the edge of the bed. ‘You look great in these, but if I don’t feel your skin I might actually die’, Chris had mumbled into the skin of your neck before he carefully undid the clasp of your bra to remove it off of your frame–even when he could get a bit desperate, you’d already given him an earful the first time he ever tore one of your bras, ‘good bras are hard to come by! Destroy all the panties you want, but leave my bras alone!’ and thankfully he’d been extra careful with that since then.

‘These are staying, though…’ he’d dragged his hands up and down your covered thighs once he’d removed your underwear, so you were left wearing only the suspender belt and the matching stockings, which wasn’t surprising at all, these were certainly the star of the entire set.

“C–Chris��” You weren’t really sure what you wanted from him, his tight hold on your wrists behind your back had your mouth watering, the feeling of your tits bouncing had your head spinning, and his cock so deep into your cunt was quickly building your next high at an alarming pace, even when you were anything but steady at this point–if anything, you were taking it quite slow, because your legs just couldn’t keep up anymore.

“What is it, pretty baby?” Chris’ grip on your wrists tightened, and the hand he had been keeping on your thigh moved to knead one of your breasts, making you whine when he pinched and rolled one of your already bruised nipples. “Want me to take over? Is my baby tired?”

You nodded weakly, holding his gaze as best as you could, getting lost in the dark haze of lust you could see in them.

“Come here, love”, releasing your wrists, Chris wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling you to lay your weight fully on him.

You let out a sigh of relief, stopping your movements altogether to simply enjoy the feeling of Chris’ lips on the heated skin of your cheeks. “You’re absolutely gorgeous, yeah? So good to me, wrapping yourself up in such pretty packaging…”

Sliding his hands down your back, Chris found purchase on your rear, holding you tightly as he started to effortlessly move you up and down his cock, making you moan with the sudden movement. “So fucking pretty… Always… Mine…”

“Yours…” You mumbled in his ear, revelling in the groan that left his lips, revelling in the feeling of his thick monster cock filling you up time and time again. “Only yours. Only–” His pace was quickening, and you couldn’t help but whimper against his shoulder. “Only my alpha’s…”

“Fuck… You always…” With a groan, he stopped his movements, keeping you flush to him. “Always clench so hard when you say that, you know?”

Before you could respond, Chris rolled you on your back, stealing the air out of your lungs as he resumed his thrusts with your legs over his shoulders, his hands at either side of your hips for leverage, tilting your hips just right to hit your sweet spot. “Do you like it, pretty? When I stuff you full? When your alpha takes care of you?”

You swallowed, nodding as you reached for his forearms at either side of you, gripping him tightly–although you knew that for him the strength of your grip was probably barely even noticeable. “Love it… Love you, Chris…”

The moan that left Chris’ lips as your words reached him did it for you, sending you over the edge. Tears gathered in your lower lashline as he kept fucking into you, helping you ride your high for a while longer until you savoured every wave of pleasure he could draw out of you.

“Love you. So much… My perfect girl…” Pulling out from your abused cunt, Chris held your thighs tightly, easing his cock between the supple flesh to fuck himself right on the sliver of skin exposed by your stockings, spreading your own juices all over your skin with his movements.

The sound of his hips hitting your skin was almost deafening, and you knew you were going to bruise where his hands tightly held you. Reaching for him, you cupped his cheek, softly stroking his skin with your thumb as he ruthlessly fucked your thighs. “Give it to me, Chris… My big bad wolf…”

Your voice was barely a whisper, but it clearly did it for him, too, because seconds later, he let out a borderline animalistic growl, just as thick ropes of his seed kept spurting from his tip between your legs and soiling your entire torso. He was always so warm, his cum was warm and tempting, and the way he kept fucking your thighs to ride his high as he stared deeply into your eyes while groaning and grunting and swearing was still to this day one of the hottest things you’d ever experience.

“Fuck…” Chris was panting a bit, rubbing his hands up and down your thighs. Hooking a finger under one of the elastics, he pulled on it so it snapped back on your skin, making you giggle.

“These… Good God, these were an excellent purchase, baby. Remind me to get you a pair in every single colour”, Chris chuckled, pulling away from you entirely with a ‘stay put’ so he could leave the room, returning a minute later with a warm washcloth to clean you up.

Once you were thoroughly cleaned, he laid down next to you, pulling you into a hug and smothering your face with soft, tired kisses, mindlessly mumbling into your skin. “Mm… Pretty…”

You chuckled softly, slowly caressing your boyfriend’s back once he moved your head to rest on his chest. “Hope this helped ease some of that stress you’ve been going through with work, baby…”

“Work? What work? I only know my precious girlfriend, and her delicious thighs…” Chris mumbled against your hair, pressing soft pecks on the top of your head.

He was quiet for a while, just massaging your scalp and your soft body, until he took in a deep breath, hugging you impossibly closer. “How was your day, though?”

You couldn’t help but smile against his skin, rubbing your cheek on his chest before you pulled back to look at him, finding him already looking at you with a soft smile on his lips. With one final peck on his lips, you started telling him about your day.

Author’s Notex2: if you made it this far, thank you for reading ! let me know if you would be interested in reading little drabbles like these for the couples of this series between the longer one shots ! i’m currently working on a bit of a longer piece to get more in depth in Chris’ character, and it’s from his POV, so look forward to that :) thank you for always being supportive of my silly little werewolf AU💜

Tagging: @raspbinniecreme @staaa96 @oiminho @dundullresident @honey-lemon-goose @straylightdream @carefully325 @lavenderxkies @starshine-moon @biribarabiribbaem @meowmeowhoon @100layersofdaddyissues @dearalice @alexis-reads-fics @xcookiemonsteer @knowleeknow @chanlovesme @cheniqee If you want to be removed from the list just PM me. If you want to be added fill in this form~

© therhythmafterthesummer 2023. all rights reserved. do not repost or translate my stories.

Constructive feedback (or even keysmashes, really) is always welcome :) feel free to leave your comments in the caption/tags when you reblog, or by sending me an ask !

[magicalgirlsirin]

hi rly enjoyed ur post on elysian realm! ik ur a new fan (i am too) but i heard that before retcon, elysia was a lot more morally gray. would you happen to know how exactly?? im rly curious bc i think it would be a severe improvement obviously. we deserve complex women who do wrongs

So when I say retcon in relation to the elyrealm arc it's less so "things they changed because of the story evolving and wanting to expand previously established events" and more "things they straight up forgot about in service of making Elysia a herrscher". It's not like hi3 is a stranger to retcons though?

For example, Durandal being the "original" Kiana is a retcon. The fact that our Kiana was a clone remained the same, but it's clear from older story stuff (iirc it's Everlasting Memory/Theresa's chronicle set?; second eruption manga doesn't focus on the Kiana part) that Durandal wasn't originally there. Otto refers to Kiana as K-423, and that Theresa needs to retrieve her, which implies that Theresa knows it's not Siegfried and Cecilia's kid, but her distress remains the same. The later game retcon by Thus Spoke Apocalypse is that OG!Kiana and Siegfried were going to go retrieve K-423, but OG!Kiana ended up injured and so Siegfried only left with K-423. And if you're confused then so am I because the details don't really super line up with the presentation, but it's like, fine, because at the end of the day the current writing intention and trajectory is for Durandal and Kiana to be sisters, and to both be Siegfried's daughters.

Anyways, for Elysia, a lot of her retcons occur in a very rapid pace from the first realm chapter set to Elysium Everlasting. Like I mentioned in my last post, the herrscher reveal is nonsense just going off of basic information like the fact she received MANTIS surgery like all the other Flame Chasers. However, there are other plot threads that are completely dropped for the sake of making Elysia a very special good girl who you should love because she's so nice and never did anything bad.

[About Betrayal 1 - Chapter 2]

[About Betrayal 2 - Chapter 2]

Elysia the traitor plot is something I was, well not hopeful for (a friend had already warned me that the game wouldn't do anything interesting with it] but I still ended up mulling it over a lot because it was such an interesting hinge piece for her initial presentation.

What stands out to me is the phrasing. Kevin says she never endangered humanity even if she was a traitor. Kevin says that Elysia made a decision. This implies agency, like Elysia was actively choosing to do something dangerous for the sake of the Flame Chasers. However, if Elysia was a herrscher from the beginning, then none of this makes sense. She doesn't choose to be a herrscher if she was one from the beginning, so why even make it seem like her betrayal was her choice at all?

[Traitor - Chapter 1]

It doesn't stop there though. Mobius' active disdain implies that whatever choice Elysia made, it was enough to make Mobius of all people consider her a lost cause. Mobius, who body mods and injects honkai energy into anyone with a pulse (hyperbole) to try and make humanity last just the slightest bit longer.

[Traitor - Chapter 1]

Mobius wants us to doubt Elysia's intentions. If you go through all their shared information, you'll find that the worst Elysia really does is just... coerce Mobi to wear pink dresses, and while that is obnoxious, it wouldn't warrant utter contempt for Elysia as a person.

There's actually a lot of stray text that implies there's something wrong about Elysia's existence, which I guess in generous terms could be interpreted as setup for the herrscher reveal? But it just feels like it's just there to add to the mystery that won't go anywhere.

[The Blind Spot - Recollection]

This right here nags at me. Deeply so. Elysia isn't so much a character as much as she is just a concept, the idea of a story that could be told. Not even in the canon-compliant weird endgame hook meta-textual breakout in Transcending Finality about the power of stories... Although, there's a way to introduce it here and tie it to Elysia to give some semblance of connectivity.

I went this long without actually giving my thoughts on how to make Elysia's writing good though. Disclaimer for clarity sake I know not everyone will agree with the changes I want to make and I'm also not claiming to be a more skilled writer than anyone in the hi3 team, they're all people with enough talent to be employed by the company.

That out of the way.

This isn't so much about making Elysia morally grey as much as it is about giving her an emotional core, because right now she's pretty hollow. Rather than a pristine girl who never did anything wrong, I'd rather cast her as a romantic, tragic heroine who would move heaven and fate just to seem noble.

Elysia was born human. Maybe she loved stories, and how they transported her to far off places, far far far away from the tiny town she was growing up in. When she was old enough, she traveled the world. Honkai descends. Because she was a globe trotter she ended up connected to many people, and was given the chance to join the MOTH organization. She gets MANTIS surgery. As the number of soon-to-be Flame Chasers grow, discussion begins about if the strength of the soldiers is enough.

'Maybe, if I had power comparable to a herrscher, we could fight with less casualties.'

She doesn't say this out loud, of course. It's a dangerous thought, a line that shouldn't be crossed. But she's curious. She breaks into Mobius' lab [Miss Pink Spy - Pristine Memory] to find the information she wants. Mobius figures out her intentions and warns Elysia off. It's not even in consideration, so keep whatever plan you have in mind off the table before you do something irreversible.

Mobius thought that Elysia gave up on the plan after the seventh erruption. The haunted look behind Kevin's eyes, the sadness creasing Elysia's face, all of it makes it seem like a simple consideration forgotten by the sands of time.

Elysia doesn't have a discipline. She told Dr. Mei it wasn't needed since her combat performance was well above standard margins anyways. (She is on par with Kevin in strength, after all.) At least, we all thought she didn't. A deal is made with Aponia.

Aponia, Aponia, apostle of fate, I offer you my 'humanity' to become a 'story'.

Elysia cannot receive any more disciplines. The target has to be "human". Elysia as a story, unchanging, pristine, capable of remaining as she is without blemish, can reach out and become a herrscher while remaining herself. She's desperate. She wants to help. She reaches into the deep, the start of the universe, and gathers the power. She names it Origin, since it's something she found at the source.

She's a herrscher.

Herrschers are an enemy of humanity.

Kevin runs her through with Shamash.

Elysia is still herself though, talking like she would as usual.

-Oh Kevin, I wanted to know if your tears would freeze, but I was hoping it wouldn't be like this. They're so warm, though. Thank you for crying for me.

-I see no herrscher here, just... the flame chaser, bearing the signet of ego.

The Elysian Realm keeps a secret. Aponia keeps it, the fact that Elysia gave up her humanity. The final banquet? A polite way to refer to Elysia's own demise.

It's sad, isn't it? That strength she wanted to give fell right through her fingers. Her own undoing, the desperate plan of a foolish girl who wanted to be a hero, but only ending up as a villain to oppose. It's so much more meaningful, then, that Elysia's gift, the power of sapience, is kept on to the next cycle of humanity. Held again, the power of ego, of humans, to someone with a kind heart to move beyond the past she's trapped in. Thank you, Raiden Mei, for carrying on the ideals of the thirteen trailblazers, the moths who chase the flame.

so anyways yeah i think elysia couldve been interesting whos to say

[theworldisabrokenbonebutitishome]

Guardian Bingo Fest fill for the 'promise' prompt on my card.

Based on subs by Kayoku and Solo

I might actually be able to stop inflicting my episode 40 feelings on everyone now I won't need to keep checking it for references. This took 3 months between my bouts of doubt and the general headache of sewing on organza and damn spandex. (don't buy fabric online when the description is vague as to the actual material it's made of just because the design is what you want kids!) The spandex in particular was horrific, -10/10, do Not recommend. I had to write the text on the back so I could actually see it and then sew the other side, not a challenge I'm in a rush to repeat. If you see any stray threads/damaged organza... no, you don't.

[allinthemagicshop]

We'll Fix This

I'm new to posting my writings so be gentle please.

FelixSKZxF!Reader

Angst, no warnings (I don't think, let me know if there should be for future reference)

This is a complete work of fiction originally written for a friend, I do not own rights to anything about Stray Kids. This is just a fun pastime for me.

Falling in love with someone is the easy part. The feeling of letting yourself slip into the comfort of someone’s presence and finding a new home within them takes little effort. Smiling at every interaction with someone is effortless. Recognizing their little mannerisms as endearing qualities is a breeze. Loving yourself more when they build you up is second nature. Smothering each other in love is like breathing. Realizing that the little things you fell in love with are now constantly irritating you is the hard part. It’s been 3 years since you and Felix started dating and loving him was the easiest thing you’ve ever done. Until it wasn’t.

Another comeback, another tour, and another period of repeating that “distance makes the heart grow fonder” to get through it. Only this time, you don’t have the belief behind those words. The last couple of days before a tour are always spent together, cuddling and promising that your love will keep this relationship going. Felix had his arms wrapped tightly around your waist while you threaded your fingers through his hair. Something was definitely different this time, he’s never held you this tight. Too nervous to say anything, you focus on the show you two had decided to finish together. 

“Babe…can we talk?” Felix mumbled against your side, not taking his eyes off the screen. Your hands dropped to your side at his tone. He noticed immediately, yet instead of reassuring you like he has so many times before, he pulled away. “Something has changed,” he looked down at his hands, spinning the rings around his fingers. You couldn’t even form a sentence as you felt your heart harden against what was coming. 

You weren’t stupid, you knew it was coming. The past two months have been filled with more fights than the entire last 3 years. Every time Felix wanted to be cuddly, you would stiffen and find excuses to busy yourself away from him and vice versa.  He would lock himself in the office to play games with Jeongin and Seungmin rather than having the door open for you to lay on the office couch reading or mindlessly scrolling in his presence. Baking nights were nonexistent nowadays. If he wanted to bake, he’d go back to the dorms with the other guys and rarely brought any home back to you. You made elaborate dinners for date nights that would go cold long before he texted that he wouldn’t be home that night as practice had run later or he was going out with the guys. 

Instead of working in tandem, it seemed as if you both were working around each other at opposite poles. 

You had attempted to text Changbin what was going on, only for him to reply with short, uninterested responses saying he didn’t know what you meant. Similar responses came from Hyunjin and Chan. So you stopped asking. He pulled away first and you would return the sentiment. It took about two weeks before Felix started asking your friends if you were okay, only to be met with unanswered or indifferent texts in return. You began canceling date nights in favor of working more or going out with friends instead. Again, another week before he tried asking why you kept canceling. 

The fight that followed landed you where you are now. Always one to resort to physical affection, Felix suggested a silent cuddle night to repair the hurtful words thrown at each other. It was about as expected, tense silence and too many unshared thoughts.

“Felix. Do we even need to talk anymore? You leave in two days again, that gives you a full day to set yourself back into who STAY expect.” He turned his head to you quickly, eyes widening in fear. “I’m not blind, I know something has changed. I tried to tell myself it was just the stress of a new album and tour, but that excuse only goes so far. When your own members start shutting me out with you, it’s a pretty clear sign,” you finished with a forced chuckle. “Although, I am a little disappointed you couldn’t just tell me that your love had faded weeks ago, rather than try to string me along until you could just leave and let it fully fizzle out with the tour as an excuse not to talk to me.” 

Felix fell to the ground in front of you on the couch. “No, no, baby, no. No please you don’t understand, just give me a second to explain. I promise-”

“Promise what? That you didn’t mean to pull out of this relationship? That you didn’t notice the hundreds of texts you’ve left unanswered or the dozens of dates you’ve ditched on? Or how about that you didn’t have me in mind the past two months in any of this?” You swipe your hand under your eyes harshly as you watch his face fall and tears build up.

“Love, don’t do this to me. I had so many things going on since we started this comeback, I didn’t know how to function properly. The boys are just as stressed, please believe me,” he sniffled the last part out, tears falling onto your knees as he knelt over them. He tried to grab onto your hands, but you pulled them back. 

“Felix I-” “No. No stop with the ‘Felix.’ You never call me that. Please, baby. Come back to me.” You just shook your head. “Felix,” you watched as his heart broke in his eyes, you were already gone, he was sure of it. “I can’t do this anymore. We’ve had plenty of comebacks and the last extended tour that we made it through. With communicating. Not by shutting each other out. I’m not going to sit and listen to excuses for you to rationalize why you have been treating me so badly recently. God, Felix, we used to be so good. Until you stopped trying. I don’t think I can listen to the excuses right now. I’m going to head to Yeji’s, please be gone when I get back.” You stood up and grabbed your keys and wallet, brushing past him to get to the door, not even looking back to see him stare after you as the door on your relationship closed with a soft click.

Felix sat there on your floor sobbing, staring after you for nearly 30 minutes before he realized you were right about one thing. He had one day to get himself ready for STAY, but also one day to figure out how this tour was going to fix him so that he could come back to you. Taking a minute to collect himself, he ran through your apartment and gathered all his things he kept at your place. He took off the hoodie he was wearing and buried it deep in your closet, hopeful that you’ll find it when needed, even more hopeful that these next three months on tour would selfishly not be enough time for you to move on. He put the spare key you had given him on the counter before he walked out of your life.

●●●

You walked into your apartment after spending nearly four hours crying into Yeji’s arms. You put up a good front for Felix, hoping that it would make it easier for him to move on if he thought you agreed with his recent feelings. The truth is that you felt like someone had punched into your chest and pulled your heart out. Complete numbness settled over your body as the ache in your chest kept blossoming further out, fogging your mind. You convinced yourself that the pleas from Felix were just for your benefit, not to truly save the relationship. If he had wanted that, he wouldn’t have pulled away months ago with no words or warnings. 

The ache in your chest bloomed into full searing pain when you spotted the spare key on your counter. Running through the apartment, you noticed everything that tied Felix to you was gone. He truly had wanted this, no matter how loudly the little voice in your brain had tried to tell you it was another overreaction on your part. Holding your hand over your mouth, you looked around your bedroom, noticing even his plushies he’d bought you had gone with him. You didn’t even make it to your bed before your legs gave out and sobs tore through your body.

●●●

Felix stepped into the dorm, barely getting the door closed before he fell to the ground, head in his hands. He couldn’t even cry anymore, just shake and feel his heart rip to shreds. He had done this. He knew that you didn’t want this, he could always read you so well, but he wasn’t going to hurt you anymore if he couldn’t fix himself.

Lino poked his head out of the kitchen after he heard the front door click shut. One look at the younger member had him throwing the utensils onto the counter and running to the front entrance. He nearly slid across the floor to grab onto Felix as the younger boy shook. “Yongbok, what happened? Are you hurt? Did you call Chan? SEUNGMIN, GET CHAN HERE NOW. Shhhh, I’ve got you. Talk to me, Felix, you’re scaring me.” The younger boy could only shake his head as he buried himself deeper into the arms of his friend. The other younger members ran in after the shouts, Seungmin already with his phone dialing their leader. When they laid eyes on one of their best friends broken in the entrance, Jeongin began crying and walked over to the scene while Seungmin locked his jaw and told Chan to get to the dorm as soon as possible with the other members, hanging up without explanation.

It was only 20 minutes later that the other four boys burst in, the eldest looking around for the fire, only to be met with an even more heart shattering scene: Lino rocking Felix back and forth on the couch as Jeongin sat beside him rubbing his back with Seungmin gently murmuring to him from his position on the floor in front of the trio. 

“What happened? Who’s hurt? Sick? Someone tell me what the hell is happening?” Chan rushed over to the group, kneeling next to Seungmin while the others looked on, wide eyed, starting to tear up at the sight. 

“I- I lost her. I screwed up. I don’t know what I was think- thinking. It hurts so bad, Channie. I feel like I’m drowning,” Felix sobbed as he pulled out of the tight embrace he’d been held in. “You guys didn’t help. Why did none of you talk to her? Why did none of you tell me she was asking about me? Why didn’t you guys warn me? Why- why did I let this happen?” He broke down again as Chan shifted into Lino’s spot, pulling Felix into him.

“Hey, hey. Shhh, you have to tell us what’s going on. Is it y/n? Did you fight? What are we a part of? Felix, I need you to talk to me, yeah?” Chan was rubbing his younger friend’s back, looking at the rest, questions and tears in everyone’s eyes. 

Felix pulled back before wiping his nose, Chan reaching up and rubbing the tear stains off his face, looking the younger one in the eyes. “I was so stressed about this comeback, this tour, continuing to be better for STAY. I lost myself, became obsessed with perfecting everything, perfecting our chemistry for STAY. She said she reached out to some of you, but was ignored by you guys too. We left her alone. Alone to think that I was done with her. Never even explained my obsession with this comeback. I lost myself, and I lost y/n in the process. I don’t know what is so different this time. I didn’t even get to tell her that JYPE was giving us the opportunity to go public. It slipped my mind. Another tack on my obsession with being perfect this time so that she would be protected. She’s been with me through so much already, and when it was finally time to take the next step, I took twenty backwards, away from her. I need to fix this. I don’t know how to fix this. I don’t have time to fix this. I love her so much, it hurts so bad. Who am I without her? Will I lose STAY next? She still only thought of me when she called it off, saying she was going to give me a day to get myself ready for STAY. She still looked out for me, thinking I had already given up on her. I couldn’t even get her to stop before she walked out. She walked out, trying to make it easier. It wasn’t easier. It’s my fault. Help me, please. Help me fix this. I want to make STAY proud, but I need her back. Help me.” Felix cut himself off, sobbing again. The others stared, open-mouthed and silent. 

Hyunjin pulled his phone out to look through texts between him and y/n, noticing for the first time how he had come across in his own obsession with perfecting himself for the tour. He turned to Changbin, who was silently crying while already staring at his own phone.”We did this. We left her alone,” Changbin whispered, voice cracking. Hyunjin just shook his head, disbelief coursing through his veins. 

“Lix, look at me. Please,” Chan gently pulled the younger one away from him, grabbing his chin to direct him to look in his eyes. “We have to focus on this tour and give our best. We owe it to ourselves and the hard work we’ve put in. We owe it to STAY. But we WILL fix this. I have a plan. The bag by the door, that’s your stuff from her place, yeah?” Felix nodded, tears still sliding down his cheeks. “Okay, good. We’ll need it. We will fix this, Lix. I promise you. You aren’t losing her, none of us are.” Chan looked around the group, noticing the tears in all their eyes at the thought of y/n no longer being a part of their lives after so long. He was going to fix this, not just for his brother, but for his dear friend he had found in y/n, for his members.

●●●

The tour began. Felix shaky behind the scenes, powerful on stage. They were leaving Seoul for the first leg of overseas concerts. A package arrived on your doorstep the day they left, pictures and one of the many plushies Felix had gifted you. A note sat on top. Y/n, I’m so beyond sorry for what happened. We got obsessed and none of us checked each other. You mean so much to all of us, to Felix. Please, I want to help you through this. I want to help Felix. This is where it starts. We’re all sorry. -Chan. You put the box in a corner of your closet, unable to look through the pictures.

The next flight was a couple days later. Along with it came another package. Hey, darling. I know we haven’t spoken in a while. That’s on me. I’ll be better, we’ll all be better. Take care, remember to eat and sleep well -Your favorite Cat Man. More pictures, another plush, and a bracelet the boys had gotten you for you first Christmas with them, the clasp fixed. You rolled your eyes, placing the new package with the other one.

A week later, another flight, another package. Sweet girl. I am so sorry. I let myself get caught up in the members and the practices and the new songs. That’s no excuse to have let you down in the process. He misses you so much. We all do. - Your muscle boy, Binnie. Again, another one of the plushies but this time a brand new necklace, obviously from Changbin, along with a new purse you had mentioned one of the last times you were with the boys. You felt your heart tug a little more as you hesitantly set the package on top of the other two. Closing the door, this time resting your head against the cool wood as you tried to steady your breathing. 

Expecting it this time, you rushed into the apartment with the new package. This time you couldn’t help the small smile that grew on your face. A painting of a beautiful flower field greeted you, this time with three of the plushies. Lovely y/n. I miss you. I missed you before we left, but I didn’t act on it. I’m forever going to be sorry that I let you slip away when I got carried away. When we get back, we’re going on a painting date again. I miss our jokes and your laughter. I want to fix all of it. Yours, Hyunjinnie. A tear slid down your face. It’d been a month since you walked away from Felix. It hasn’t gotten any easier. You set the package on your coffee table, walking to your room to grab the other three. You sat staring at them, chewing your bottom lip as you debated what to do. Ultimately, you walked into your bedroom, leaving them on the table. 

A couple weeks later, you were again greeted with a package. Opening it slower this time, you felt your heart rate pick up as all kinds of snacks from different countries greeted you, nearly drowning the two plushies at the bottom. My lovely honey girl! I suck. STAYs would say “predebut Han came out” and they wouldn’t be wrong. You mean so much to all of us. I did have to steal some of the snacks from Flour boy. I hope you enjoy them all, tell me your favorites when we get back. Hannie. You rubbed at your eyes, missing them all more than you can express. You pulled out the notes from all the packages so far. Heading into your bathroom, you stuck them all to your mirror. Gazing at yourself, finally noticing the dark circles under your eyes. You walked back to the living room, gathering all the plushies in your arms as you walked to your bedroom. You laid them all down on the bed before heading into your closet to find clothes to change into for a nap. While flipping through your sweatshirts, you finally noticed it. There in the back was the sweatshirt Felix had been wearing the last time you saw him. You grabbed it, feeling tears slip down your cheeks as you slipped it on. You slid on some random shorts you found and crawled into your bed, surrounded by the plushies of your relationship with Felix. You fell asleep with tears drying on your face, wrapped in the scent of the boy who meant the world to you, sleeping better than you have in weeks. 

With only one month left until the end of the tour, you got nervous for the next package. If they were following the pattern, it would be Felix’s turn. You slowed your walk when you spotted it at your door. Taking a deep breath, you walked into your apartment with the box tucked under your arm. You opened the box to a new book you had mentioned to Seungmin months ago. Your jaw dropped, and a weird wave of relief went through you. You hugged onto yet another plushie as you read the note. Hahahaha sorry that I’m probably not who you’re expecting. SEUNGMIN IN THE BUILDING!!! I do want to apologize to you. Y/n you are such an important part of our lives, and we got too caught up in ourselves and being perfect for STAY that we neglected you. I promise, if you take us back, that it will never happen again. -Puppy boy. 

The boys had been outstanding all tour. STAY were loving the shows, the boys were giving their all and then some. A cloud still hovered over all their hearts as none had received any word from you. Felix would go straight to bed after every show. It was a harder time each stop for Lino to keep him eating with the members instead of retreating to his room to scroll through all your photos together. Two more weeks remained until he would know if you truly had left him or not. The others were increasingly worried they weren’t going to get you back. 

Another package arrived. New shoes and a new phone case accompanied the plush this time. Cutie cutie it’s me! I miss you. Felix isn’t the same without you, none of us are. I’m worried about him, but I’m worried about you too. I miss our conversations on who’s concert fashion is the best (me, by the way). I want to take you shopping when we get back, if you will go with me. Baby bread. You sighed, you couldn’t stop the ache in your chest from coming back as you let yourself fully recognize how much you missed them all. Only a week remained in the tour. You pulled out all the photos from the first package. It was you and all the boys. There were some candids you had never seen, clearly taken during your many hang outs at the dorms. Many of your favorites with Felix were in there as well. Your heart swelled. You were fairly certain what your decision was going to be. 

A new package greeted you after a particularly hard day at work. Your heart sped up, knowing who it was. It was the last of the plushies Felix had gotten you over the course of your relationship, nothing more beyond the letter. I don’t even know where to start. One of our staff will have dropped this off only a day before we get back. Chan’s plan was so thorough. Each of the members have written an apology for how we all acted the last couple months before this tour. Accompanied by something of ours that I took back with me when I tried to give you as much space as possible by removing myself. It’s killing me, knowing that I hurt you so horribly. A sorry isn’t even enough, a thousand sorry’s won’t be enough. I royally screwed up. It’s no excuse that I let myself get too obsessed with being Stray Kids and getting everything perfect for this tour. I hope it goes well, as I’m writing this before we even leave. Everyone already has their extra gifts picked out except for Han, he wants to collect snacks from different places to send you. His package might be a little behind schedule, but Chan has it planned out to work anyway. I’m sure you noticed that I have nothing extra in here besides my words and the last of the plushies we’ve collected together. I do hope you’ve already found it and haven’t thrown it away or burned it. I wouldn’t blame you if you did. But I left my sweatshirt from that night in the back of your closet. It should still smell like me. I know how much trouble you have with sleeping, especially while I’m on tour. If you don’t hate my guts by now, maybe it will bring you some comfort. I love you, y/n. So much. Words don’t even come close to describing the way I truly feel about you. If you’ll have me, I want to be better for you. I know what I did, and I swear to you that I’ll be spending this entire tour working on myself so that I’m better for you. I’ll get strength from STAY. All the work I put in won’t be for nothing, especially if I lost you throughout this. It still won’t be worth losing you, but maybe I’ll drown myself in STAY’s love if I have to. I love you, endlessly, my beautiful star. - Yours always and forever, Lixie. Tears were streaming down your face as you put the letter down. You only gave yourself a few seconds before you throw yourself into action.

●●●

The boys walked off the plane, through the airport. The air crackled with excitement over how well the tour went. The cloud of anxiety still hung over them, but they were trying to block it out the best they could. As they walked towards the car to take them back to the dorms, they noticed one of their managers standing at an extra car. Trying to calm their heart rates down, Chan slowly walked over to the manager. “From y/n.” He gave Chan a gentle smile. 

Chan could almost feel his knees give out in relief. He hung his head and blew out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. He turned to look at the rest of the boys. He couldn’t hide the wide smile that spread across his face, crinkling his eyes as he felt laughter bubble out. He ran over to Felix and shoved the small box into his hands. The rest of the members couldn’t hold back their tears of joy as Felix pulled the little ribbon off the top of the box. He looked at each of them, tears streaming down his face.

“No matter what, thank you all. What you did means the world to me, even if she doesn’t forgive me, forgive us, I love you all so much. Thank you.” Felix took a deep breath before he lifted the lid off. A tiny note was placed over something silver and shiny. He felt his knees give out as Changbin rushed forward to catch him. They all noticed the key at the same time and nearly sobbed in relief. Come back to me, I love you so much. “I- I’m going home. I’m going home!” Felix stumbled into the final car as the boys watched him head off to the love of his life, smiling until their cheeks hurt, tears slipping down all their cheeks as they realized they hadn’t lost two of their favorite people. 

[clxckwork-sun-n-moon]

So Cries the Wolf - Chapter 2

Text Count: 6102

Warnings: Violence, general threat, strong language

Chapter Summary: You go out to find a cryptid and it unfortunately goes sideways. You and Eclipse continue to talk more, finding out things about each other and the world you inhabit, and you step on each other’s toes continuously.

-------

You knew the forest trails well, no matter how much Montague tended to lead you along and expected you to follow. As the dog pattered on ahead, stopping every now and then to wait for you, there was a moment for you to breathe after your cramped morning. Damp dirt left your passage silent, bar the few twigs that had fallen or been scattered onto the path. Passing underneath the reaching branches, every now and again you could feel the sunlight drip onto you, a moment of warmth before the shade left you cool. No evergreens in this particular area, which was a shame - you enjoyed the pine smells from days of being crunched underfoot by people and animals alike. Here there were mostly oaks, maples, and some chestnuts that were yet to consider letting their green-shelled treasures fall.

Montague stopped with more purpose, looking to you expectantly. Dropping to one knee, you began to brush aside some of the leaf debris, scanning the ground. 

“Mmm. Humanoid,” you commented. “Not big though.” The tracks were leading away from the main trail. It wasn’t a good plan to stray from paths, but you weren’t exactly full of good plans at any given time. This time Montague stayed to heel as you began to follow the tracks. 

“This really isn’t as fun as I was expecting a hunter’s work to be,” Eclipse grouched from behind you. 

“That’s because I’m not being a ‘hunter’ right now,” you replied with a half-amused scoff. After how much Eclipse had been tormenting you, seeing them so withdrawn and grouchy from something as simple as sunlight and the outdoors was somewhat healing for your soul. Nothing like a good dose of schadenfreude to make up for a bratty demon. Not to mention being outside felt so much better than your workshop squeezing the energy out of you. 

“I didn’t realize you could take time off that sort of business,” Eclipse drily commented. “Perhaps I should take that on-board. Yes, I could murder you, but I’m currently on break.”

“Technically you are, while we figure out…all of this.” You waved vaguely at their egregiously lanky form. “Are you capable of other forms, by the way? Because you stand out worse than a sore thumb.”

“Mmm. Maybe.” 

“But can you? I mean, do it now?” The very last thing you wanted was for some poor hapless hiker or a bunch of kids running off-trail (because they always did, no matter how many warnings were posted) to see the towering skeletal figure drifting along in your wake, having to duck and weave at times to avoid the lower branches of trees. Unfortunately Eclipse had other plans, as he leaned down to your eye-level with a wide smile. 

“I’m on break.”

You really hated his smile. There was something about how the face distorted just a bit, their eyes squinting a touch, that you could see the smug grin rolled off without a tooth in sight. It meant that the shocking spread of fangs was hidden away, the danger so close and yet invisible. It reminded you of owls in some way, how their beaks would look small and cute, before practically unhinging when they opened up and screamed. Not that you didn’t dislike owls, you thought the things were wholly lovely and certainly useful to sane living out in the forest - you were certain there was one nesting somewhere near your cabin because you’d seen mice around the Operations office but not a single mouse near your place. And Montague would rather choke than eat another mouse or rat, so he clearly wasn’t the culprit.

Owls were manageable because you knew they were wild, and so they couldn’t surprise you. Eclipse was several threads off a complete picture and thus falling apart at the corner seams, making it nearly impossible for you to get a bearing of what he was going to do next. For now the pair of you had some tentative parley of interests, but you were quickly getting the understanding that they would still choose to take actions either to benefit themself or purely to spite you. Another glance over your shoulder, and you could see Eclipse running a hand through the green sunlight that smeared the ground from the tree canopy, details catching on the scaled skin and the claws and copper bells reflecting with metallic sheens. Something about those scales made your skin crawl - it looked a little more like burn scars than bird feet. 

“Staring is rude, you know,” Eclipse commented. His small red eye had apparently been fixed on you while you’d been looking back, and the instinctive hit of shame sent a hot prickle to your stomach. As quickly as it came and left, a bite of anger hit hotter than the shame, frustrated that he’d managed to make you feel guilty.

“You sure have a lot of opinions on what’s rude or not for something that started existing a few days ago,” you snarked back. “I didn’t think that the circles of hell came with lessons on etiquette.”

“Brat,” Eclipse snarled back, his lip curling. “Are you always this mouthy or am I just special?”

“You are so very special. The most special of them all.” You made sure that the sarcasm was layered thick enough to drip from each word as you leveled Eclipse with a proper glare. 

“Special enough not to already be dead, it seems. Maybe you like me.”

“Ugh, please. Like I already explained with Monty-” The barest shake ran through Eclipse as he scowled, the feathers of his head shimmying briefly as if considering to fluff up. “-you’re too different to exorcize without consideration. The way I see it, I get to learn about you, and then once I fix up Sunny, you can get going and I will be happy to never see you again.”

“You’re hardly the first demon we’ve encountered,” Montague spoke up, still trailing ahead of the group. “The previous experiences are enough to show that you’re the first to come from a source that isn’t a living creature, or drawn up from the hells by acts of another human, or simply managed to claw their way up on a whim. Congratulations, you’re the first demon to come from a robot. So you don’t get to die today.”

“You seem awfully calm about walking around on a leash to a hunter,” Eclipse grumbled, his lower pair of arms folding over his chest. “Preferred to live as a coward so you gave up freedom instead?” He was trying to pry under both your skins. You were easier to dig into. Montague, less so.

“It’s not cowardice when it’s what I would have wanted to do regardless,” he replied firmly. “Besides, I’m not a demon like you.”

“Wait, you aren’t?” This confused you too, left you physically tripping in the moment.

“Just because I’m called a hellhound, doesn’t mean I’m a demon. I just come from the same area,” Montague explained patiently.

He probably had mentioned that, those years ago when the pair of you met and began your partnership. Your mind was far too good at letting important details sleep and clutching onto useless information or painful memories. Thumbing at your jacket sleeve, you shook your head.

“I must’ve forgotten, I’m sorry,” you said quickly. 

“It’s fine. Humans forget things. Besides, I prefer what you call me instead.” If dogs could smile, Montague would be doing so right now. Behind you, Eclipse let out a noise of disgust, then one of brief anguish as his face connected to a tree branch he’d missed. Montague let out a snort of amusement, before taking off further into the woodland. 

“You are incomprehensibly nauseating in your niceness.” Eclipse’s voice rattled in layers of frustration, oil-slicked and thick.

“Big words there,” you muttered under your breath.

“And you do not care? That you have given up part of your soul to him?” 

Something cold tightened inside you. For a moment your mind ran through several moments at once - heavy rain on leaves; puddles on tarmac lit by neon blue; teeth dripping blood - but you swallowed it all back before Eclipse could see the reaction on your face.

“Didn’t have much soul left at the time,” you replied, and your tone said that that was the end. Eclipse, of course, didn’t care to notice.

“Curious, curious. Content to sacrifice so much and care so little,” he mused. You felt his claws scrape across your shoulders from behind and it sent lightning up your back. As you jumped from their reach, they chuckled low and mean. For a moment you considered using some of the salt in your emergency bag. Instead you swallowed your anger and your past, burning and freezing all at once, and continued to follow your dog.

------

Brooks were easy to find - you always heard them before you saw them. Talkative things, the way they babbled and whispered and bubbled, their lilting sounds escaping past the trunks of trees to reach your ears. Singing was new however, and new put you ever so slightly more on-guard. Through a small gap in the treeline, you could see a humanoid shape sat at the bank of the brook. As they sang, wordless music that felt like it was numbing your fingers, they dragged long clawed fingers through long dewy locks, a tangling of hair and some narrow-fronded water plant. After casting a glance at Montague, you began to approach. It was very much apparent when the singer heard you - their singing stopped immediately, and you could feel your lungs working again. When did you stop breathing? The figure turned slowly, blinking large eyes in your direction. Genuinely huge eyes, almost putting Eclipse’s to shame. The eyes bulged out, a dark gray blue that faded to sky white pinpricks in the middle, in the middle of an oval face marked by scattered scales, slits for a nose, and an impressive jaw which you knew could turn bones into delicious shards for the fish. Letting out a noise that could be mistaken for a gasp, the waterfolk jumped into the brook. Maybe they could have hidden themself, but the brook only ran hip-high during flooding season, and right now your creature of intrigue was just about able to lie down beneath the water level, hair and weeds fanning around their head and eyes peeking out. 

“Hey,” you said, waving slowly. The waterfolk bubbled back, their gaze flickering from you to Montague to Eclipse behind you and then back down to you. 

“What is our new friend?” Eclipse asked. You were not a fan of his developing tendency to get right up by your ear without a sound. Breathing in deeply through your nose to maintain your composure (you were not going to start getting shouty in front of a skittish waterfolk), you stepped away and continued to approach the brook’s edge.

“Waterfolk,” you said simply. The being in question slowly approached, reaching out a hand to yours. Up close you could see the webbing between the fingers, a hand more styled for swimming through deep water than mimicking human gestures. Wisely you didn’t reach back in, ‘lest you find yourself tested against their strength, and Montague had told you how grown men could be dragged underwater with ease. 

“As it is with many cryptids we find, they have many names,” Montague began to speak to Eclipse, with your attention focused on your new friend. “Swamp things, nokken, gill men, vodnik, rusalka. They aren’t particularly used to this land, carried by the travels of people who know them. That is a particular issue with cryptids born from spirits - they come from ideas and stories more than a physical birth, like your’s.” He pointed his muzzle up at Eclipse. “You came from the animatronic. This waterfolk may have formed at the bottom of a lake.”

“Does it know what it is?” Eclipse asked. 

“It does as much as an idea understands its own being.”

Sat down next to the brook, you’d pulled out your laminated map and unfolded it, laying it out on the dirt next to you. The waterfolk leaned up closer, looking at your hand as you explained the water routes of the area. 

“See, this is where you’re from right?” You pointed to the large lake at the south of the map, before pointing further up. “And this is where you are. You need to head down that way, there’s a larger stream that joins the river that feeds your lake. If you cross the land over here at night time, you’ll be safe from any eyes, and we’re meant to have rain so you’ll be safer.” You didn’t really know if they understood your words, but they were nodding at least. 

“It was doing something before. When it was singing.” Eclipse was slowly moving closer, and you could hear his footfalls hesitant behind you. “I could feel it in my head, like it was trying to get into my chest.”

“Their songs can do a variety of things,” you answered, looking back over your shoulder. He was hunching down slightly, and it reminded you of little children trying to sneak up on their guardians when there was nowhere to hide. “Some songs make you fall asleep, some lure you after the singer. It depends.”

“So you’re content to send it back into deeper waters, where it will be harder to catch and kill, leaving it to harm other humans. You’re not a very good hunter, you know,” Eclipse mused. 

“I’m not a hunter right now. I’m a ranger. I look after lives in the woods. I stop those that hurt others, and I help those in need,” you explained, soft but firm. “Waterfolk are easy enough. They can be mischievous but never maliciously hurtful. Not unless it’s stressed.”

“By humans, maybe? I find they can be very stressful to deal with.” The waterfolk in the brook was beginning to grow increasingly nervous, the closer that Eclipse approached. Fins along their back and arms stretched out and into view, making a creaking sound that could almost be a warning. Slowly you raised your hands, shuffling in-between Eclipse and the waterfolk.

“It’s okay,” you kept your voice low and soothing. “Eclipse, you need to back off.”

“I’m not coming any closer, pup.”

“I’m serious, you - AGH.” Hot pain streaked across the palm of your hand as the waterfolk lunged forward, swiping for your wrist but dropping a smidge too soon, instead leaving thick scratches that began to bleed heavily. Heavy hands pulled you backwards, cold claws digging into your chest as you heard Eclipse hiss over your head, could see how their feathers and frills spread out around his face. The waterfolk returned the gesture, fins fanning out with a loud snap as the jaw clicked open to reveal two sets of small curved teeth and a shriek that could have been anger or fear. They leapt from the water, grabbing around your ankle, and in the split second you could have on making a decision, you raised your other foot and kicked them square in the face. You had very good boots, and you felt bone give way as the heel impacted. The waterfolk reeled backwards, clutching at their face and squealing in pain. Caged in Eclipse’s arms, you watched as they slid into the water, staring at you as dark blood ran from the holes of their nose. And then they slid further, vanishing under the surface completely. You could see their shape moving in ripples as they swam down the brook, fins and hair briefly breaching the water before eventually it was too far out of sight.

“Fuck me,” you breathed out. 

“Language,” Eclipse growled.

“You have no right - fucking - let go of me!” You thrashed your uninjured arm at Eclipse’s face, knocking an arm loose so you could scramble to your feet. Letting out whines of alarm, Montague nosed at your hand, briefly licking at the blood staining your palm. It stung enough to make your local nettle patch envious, but you ruffled his head with your other hand. He cared, and no doubt was sorry for not acting sooner, and you were grateful nonetheless. There were other things to be frustrated about. Like the fact the demon who was constantly bothering you had managed to get a waterfolk to hit you, and now there was cryptid and human blood in the water. That could cause nearly any sort of trouble for you. As you wrapped your palm in a cloth to lessen the blood flow for now, you cast your gaze around the brook. If you recalled correctly, this was within the area of recent disturbances you’d been researching as of late. Another long glance was spent examining the area, almost forgetting about Eclipse and Montague lingering and casting foul looks at each other. Finally, you picked out the closest tree to the brook. Bringing out a small can of spray paint, you marked a yellow circle onto the bark. There, that was sorted.

“Right. I need to go home and fix this,” you said with a heavy breath. “ And you!” A finger jabbed in Eclipse’s direction. “You’re in big trouble.”

He had the decency to look marginally deflated. 

------

Montague kept huffing, nudging at your hand.

“I’m fine,” you reassured him. “I’m not going to mess this up and I’m not going to get oil or scraps in the cut. Not with these bandages.” You waved your hand under his nose, showing the thick binding over the slab of disinfected cotton that now covered your palm. Having changed from your outdoor gear back to indoor casual wear, you’d found a few scrapes on your thumb as well as a growing purple bruise that ringed your ankle like an unpleasant bracelet. You’d also found another bruise on your shoulder, where Eclipse must have dug in their grip when they pulled you away. Glancing across the room, he was still perched on a chair, sour mood clouded around his head.

He’d scared the waterfolk. He’d riled you up. He’d hurt you. But…he’d tried to help you back there. Worrying your fingers over the bandage, you turned back to the open cavity of Sun on your work table. The return of having to reconnect wires sunk in with gnawing frustration and anxiety combined, especially with Eclipse’s previous ‘help’. And now you were getting back into it minus one hand and considerably more tired. Maybe you should take a break? But you had no reason to keep Eclipse around the cabin for longer than necessary. You took the screwdriver into your good hand and went to begin working on the wiring again, before taking a look at Eclipse again. He was definitely watching you now, all four eyes locked onto your figure.

“Are you going to criticize me again if you come over and watch closely?” you asked.

“I was making sure you did it right,” he grumbled back.

“Like I said before, you could just help me by, say, actually doing some of the work for me. Not like you’ve helped out any more today, huh.” You waved your injured hand in his face. Eclipse’s face wrinkled inward, blinking away in a moment you could possibly describe as shame, before his agitated discomfort came rolling back full force. 

“I told you, I can’t do that,” they snapped. 

“Last time I checked, demons had no problem with metal. And you’re not a fair folk in any sense of the title,” you gestured over at him with the screwdriver to punctuate your words. Letting out a grumble of a growl, Eclipse got off the chair (rapidly reminding you of how damn tall he was, his limbs filling out any space his height didn’t grab) and stalked over to the table. Glaring down at the animatronic, as if it were to blame for all his worldly problems (technically true), he lifted a hand. Paused it. You could hear the soft jingle of the bells on his wrists. His lips turned up, teeth showing, as he brought it slowly towards the shoulder. And then sharply he pulled away, hissing more vocally.

“I can’t do that,” he repeated. “It feels wrong. Like - it’s a very bad thing to get close to those scraps.” Flexing his hands, squeezing the claws into the air, they stalked around the side of the table to look over you squarely. You looked back, shrugged your shoulders, and got back to reaching inside the chassis’ chest.

“Fine. But if you’re going to be telling me I’m doing something wrong, you better start explaining how I do it right,” you said with a huff.

“If I were to open up a human and start putting their organs back together, you would know what went where,” Eclipse snarled over at you, one pair of hands resting against the tabletop. “But you wouldn’t know which pipe went into which socket.”

Okay. That was wholly disturbing imagery. Swallowing the hard lump in your throat, you kept your gaze on the wiring mess at hand. Most of the contents had been replaced by this point, burnt and melted wires replaced with the various spares you’d been able to collect from around your cabin. Some were left to put into place, carefully solder or screw down fixing, and then you could go through and check on the limbs and those joints. 

You managed to get through half an hour of general silence before Eclipse spoke again.

“What is it like? Being bonded? It isn’t…throttling? Or limiting?” Every time they’d brought up the subject, it’d always carried a tone of disdain. But this time around there was a new sound in the low purr - curiosity. Pausing in your work, you considered the wiring running through the animatronic’s arm for a few seconds.

“I don’t think so,” you replied, just as Montague spoke, “Not at all.” 

“Oh? You consider the leash to be freeing?”

“There’s no leash to be found here,” Montague replied. “I might not be able to roam the surface as far as I once did, but there were always rules to follow then, wordless things that could trap me if I wasn’t careful, or human hunters who would rather all my ilk be killed. Instead I have a roof, I have a territory that is wide, and I have someone to keep my back safe. The energy consumption is an added benefit.”

“And in return, I have someone to teach me more about cryptids, demons and the like,” you chimed in. “To help me defend myself.”

“Mmm, you protect the tree from which your fruit grows,” Eclipse mused. It wasn’t the worst metaphor he’d dug up today, so you only wrinkled your nose a little in distaste.

“More that I give my tree a knife to stab anyone who’d cut it down as they please,” Montague said, his throat rolling in a barking laugh. Eclipse didn’t find it in anyway amusing apparently, rolling all four of his eyes before withdrawing his hands back to himself. He kept a close eye on you as he continued to circle the table, moving back around to your side.

“You have an awful lot of rules for this whole business,” he said, soft as metal. 

“It’s how this business works. Rules and names are important,” you replied, leaning back to look up at his face and tapping the eclipse symbol on his check with the handle of your screwdriver. Interestingly there was no soft impact of plastic on feather and flesh, instead there being the faint tang of metal over a thick surface. Eclipse’s lip rolled up as he glared down at you, unhappy with being prodded in such a manner. 

“Names. Always the names,” he grumbled.

“Naming the nameless is an important part of hunting cryptids. You felt it when I gave your name, right? Eclipse.” You could still feel it when the word rolled off your tongue, could see it in how the orange iris of Eclipse’s eyes flared and the burnt red tips of his sun ray feathers began to warm to orange embers. “It’s how it works with Monty too. If I were to use his full name at a given time, it would be a summoning of sorts. Because of his nature, he can find me wherever I end up being.”

“That is the name of his being,” Eclipse rumbled. “What of the names of creatures? How is that part of the hunt?”

“It’s like how we talked about with the waterfolk,” Montague mentioned. “All those different names encompass the same idea - a humanoid from the water. But every place had different aspects that they put into those names. You call a vodnik a rusalka, it changes what they are inherently.”

“Names are important. You give something a name, you shape it. A name can affect the nature of a being.” You blinked for a moment, giving Eclipse an aside glance. “That’s why I want to make sure I do this right. If I give you the wrong name, say you are what you aren’t…that can fuck up more than just you.” 

Eclipse grew silent in thought. An agreement hung in the air, although they didn’t say it. Having the very nature of their being scrambled about by some universal magic or energy, that could change their very being - no, absolutely not. He liked being who and what he was right now. There would be no further change beyond freedom and power. And then…he looked over at you, as he trailed around behind you. Your little mortal frame, so hard at work to unlock whatever bound him to the animatronic, to ‘Sunny’ as he would love to mock. There was nothing truly malicious from the animatronic, only the fact it held them in place and choked them when least expected, pulling at flesh in an unerring manner. No, he hated the poor little sunshine you’d become so quickly enamored by. One hand ran along the table, claws running through rivulets of wood, and the sound crawled into your spine. 

“Would you think of bonding to another demon?” Eclipse asked, and you felt the screwdriver slip in your grasp.

“Uh, what?” Confusion bounced all over your head. What had there been in your conversations that suggested you’d do such a thing again? And then a few stray pieces connected together, and you had to stare up at Eclipse, desperately looking for any sign that his words were malicious or misplaced. Instead he looked back at you with firm intensity, causing a heat to flood your cheeks. 

“It would not be the worst mistake you’ve made,” Eclipse mused, to which you scoffed.

“Odd talk coming from someone who thought it was a leash,” you snarked.

“A leash is still a leash, but to you, I could see who was holding the end of my collar.” Stepping close, Eclipse leaned in and over you. Two hands caged you to the table, another reached up to gently stroke the curve of your chin and cheek. Behind him, you could spot Montague hunched over, watching you, waiting for you to speak. “It would be better for me to not be stuck with a pile of metal, and instead with someone warm and moving. Someone with a stronger soul. Wouldn’t that be better for all of us, pup?”

Fat fucking chance. You ducked under Eclipse’s arms, moving back around to the other side of the table.

“No,” you said firmly. “Do not bring up the idea of us being stuck together permanently again. I’m doing this to help get you out of here - take kindness in that.” Your anger swelled, meeting against the roll of frustration coming off of Eclipse. It wasn’t just that they’d tried to crowd you, but they’d stepped on old wounds that still ached. As Montague let out a low warning growl, the other demon let out a huff of distaste and returned to his chair. There he would stay for the rest of the day, monitoring your progress over Sun every now and again, but otherwise simply watching you. Neither of you deigned to break the tentative silence that had been built now.

------

The sunset was beginning to weakly succumb to the treeline by the time you were done with Sun. You weren’t completely certain your work was done, but you’d run out of wires to replace and hinges to refit, and your cautious probing of the processing center in Sun’s ‘head’ had revealed no major burn damage there. You’d even managed to reattach the loose hand, although gods only knew if it would actually stay once activated.

“Right, let’s switch you back on, buddy,” you murmured as you flicked open one of the buttons on Sun’s chest, revealing a small switch hidden inside a divot. Paperclip in hand, you pressed the wire in until something clicked. 

Nothing.

“...Huh.” You attempted the same reboot method, but to no avail. Mumbling to yourself about the steps you’d taken all day, you began going back through the wiring and set-up you’d done, trying to find any section you could have bungled it up and caused a short-circuit. 

“I expected better,” Eclipse growled from his corner.

“Shame on you then, because I do not have the degree to fix robotics, and I certainly didn’t have-” There it was. One of the wires you thought had screwed in right was loose, and you knew from sight you weren’t going to be able to just screw it in tighter. It needed replacing completely with wiring that wasn’t three or four years old. And honestly if you were going to be replacing one wire, you were better off replacing the majority. “Looks like I’ll need to go shopping to get the parts together. I don’t have the time to leave my post until in a couple of days though, so-”

Eclipse’s chair clattered to the ground as he stood up sharply, a rough snarl on his lips as the rays of his head flared out hard. 

“You talk too much of wanting rid of me, and yet pander to your own selfish little schedule, set by whining mice,” he snapped. “You’d best decide whether you want to part ways sooner or later, otherwise you may suffer more risk having a demon run amok in your home.” His hand snatched out, grabbing hold of your arm as he dragged you in, until you were lifted face to face. “Make your mind up, pup.”

Your heart was racing. They could feel it through your arm and hear it through your chest. Your eyes were wide in shock, surprised by the sudden display of violence. It made you react slower. It made you more vulnerable. You narrowed your eyes and twisted your arm around in an action that should have broken Eclipse’s wrist if he kept hold, but his hand twisted around with your arm, something grinding unnaturally under his skin. Cold panic was starting to set in. 

“Stop it, stop this!” You gritted your teeth as you kept trying to back away. “We have a deal, don’t we? I get you out, you keep your hide, everyone lives. All as happy as clams, aight? You are getting dangerously close to crossing the line.” Montague’s growling grew louder, his form warping in your periphery. Eclipse cast one eye in that direction, but soon enough returned the rest of his attention to you.

“I’m just giving you a warning, in case you try to break the rules you set out for us,” he purred. “You don’t want to be a rulebreaker, do you?”

Without further word, the iron grip released your arm, letting you tumble back into the wall. As you panted for breath, your lungs gripped by adrenaline, Eclipse stepped slowly backwards again to let the smoking dog step between them and you.

“What a pair,” Eclipse continued, voice full of contempt. “A hound tethered by a weak human, and a mortal that lives under a demon’s paw.”

“Sounds like you changed your mind on that whole bonding thing,” you coughed out. “Good, glad we came to an agreement. Now stay the fuck away from me.” Heat was burning the back of your eyes. No matter what you tried, you couldn’t pin Eclipse down. One moment you thought you’d made an advance on their nature, the next moment he was trying to turn you into a butterfly arrangement. And frankly it was getting harder to figure out if he was even remotely trustworthy. Rubbing the back of your hand across your face, you shuffled your way from the workroom to the kitchen. Any sunlight was blocked fully by the trees now, leaving you to pull out noodles by the flickering overhead light. Despite the losses of the day, you treated yourself to an egg and some spring onions on top of your noodles. With the carton in hand, you carried your well-won dinner through to your bedroom, breezing past Eclipse in the process. You didn’t want to face him right now. But you did feel guilt as you slammed the door in their’s and Montague’s faces both.

You were loath to admit it, but Eclipse’s words had been getting under your skin more than you wanted to show. He was right about one thing - you were delaying the inevitable. You could absolutely call in sick tomorrow and run off to grab the bits and pieces for Sun. And gods only knew that you wanted to see the lifeless animatronic back in action sooner rather than later. It felt like you had a corpse lying in your workroom. Too cold and too dull. Turning to your phone, you scrolled through a couple more newspaper articles on the Daycare Attendant while you ate your dinner. The photos reminded you of what you were helping bring back. Who you were helping. It wasn’t just Eclipse, it was Sun too. And Moon? That was something you were still confused about.

And that aggravated you so deeply. Eclipse was going around holding all the answers to your questions but he seemed totally oblivious to them, or worse yet he legitimately didn’t know. It took your curiosity and made it burn. That was why you felt better to wait two days. It meant you had more time to observe Eclipse, like an animal in a cage. Only your home was the cage, and the animal was very sentient and lethal in ways you had yet to fully discover.

With a stomach full of food and a head full of anxious thoughts, you changed slowly for sleep, falling onto the bedsheets and welcoming their restful embrace.

For about two hours, at least.

The radio on your desk began to blare, a tinny version of the Ghostbusters theme rolling off the speakers. Groaning and swatting your hand around, you grabbed the radio and sat bolt upright.

“Present.”

“We’ve had a distress call from some campers in your zone, we need you to go clear the area and make sure they’re all okay,” Anthony’s voice was less sleep-deprived than yours, probably running on coffee. As he rattled off coordinates, you stumbled over to your map and began to line up where you had to go.

It was in the blue circle, inside your red patrol area. It was also about five kilometers downstream from where you’d encountered the waterfolk.

Fuck.

You scrambled for your work clothes, pulling on cargo trousers and heavy-duty hiking boots, then a belt with several vials of holy water and a pouch of emergency supplies - salt, silver, iron, and the like. Jacket being dragged over your arms, you slammed back out through your bedroom door and nearly into Eclipse’s chest.

“Ay, fuck’s sake! Montague, get up, we have work!” you called out as you barreled past the demon, your dog leaping to his feet and pushing the door open. Eclipse could tell the shift of urgency about your whole demeanor, and felt the potential of blood on his lips.

“A hunt?” he murmured.

“Oh, no, no, you stay here,” you said firmly. “I cannot have you running in and spooking cryptids or humans. It’s too dangerous.”

“I can protect myself,” Eclipse replied. You bit down on your lip, because they were right. You could cover for the mortals easily. Night-time hunts were easier in that way. And - wait, why had you been afraid of Eclipse getting hurt? Shaking your head, you stepped out into the waiting stomach of the dark woodland, feeling the cold presence of Eclipse drifting behind you.

[strangelittlestories]

When Alex realised their home was not a place they could go back to, they offered up a silent prayer to whatever gods were listening.

They knew, deep down, that prayers like this could be dangerous. There were so many gods out there listening, both old and new, big and small, benevolent and wicked. If a god with a twist of mischief in their smile answered your prayer, there would be a sting in the tail that could make your life a misery. 

Or worse: it could make your life a *story*.

But Alex was tired. Exhausted. They were the kind of weary that turns your thoughts to stones sinking in deep and murky water, and turns feelings into the distant sound of rushing waves.

So, when the thought that warned them about inviting such ‘interesting times’ entered their brain, they simply noticed it but let it sink unheard into the depths of Not Right Now. And they prayed their prayer.

A short while later, they were walking through the streets of the city when the street lamps flickered. No … it was too regular and defined to be called a flicker, this felt more like the city had *winked* at them.

Their phone vibrated in their pocket. This was odd, as they were sure the battery had died. They checked it and found it resurrected, at 3% power. The vibration was a text from a friend, offering them a sofa to sleep on - it included a link to a mapping app called Mercury. Alex didn’t recognise the app, but their phone seemed to already have it installed. They opened it and a glowing thread unfolded on their phone.

The UI was elegant and gorgeous, made up of simple silver lines that spread out like paint brush strokes over the night grey of the cityscape.

They followed the quicksilver path it laid out and as they walked the city sang them a comforting wordless song of distant trains and electric hums.

When they arrived at their friend’s flat, Alex took a bottle of water and a granola bar from their bag. Without really thinking about why, they poured a mouthful of water out on the porch. They then broke off a small chunk of granola and laid it carefully down too.

Alex knocked on the door. Their friend was surprised to see them and didn’t recall sending Alex any texts that evening, but did still offer Alex a couch to sleep on. The friend asked no questions, but offered many hugs, and Alex even accepted one (they felt like more than a single gentle embrace might break their paper-thin bones).

That night, Alex went to the bathroom to wash before bed and was surprised to find a new toothbrush waiting for them on the sink. It was one of those cheap plastic ones you might find in a hostel - barely better than scrubbing your teeth with your finger. But, for a moment, Alex was sure that the bristles glowed a soft gold.

There was the gentle sound of a throat clearing. Alex’s eyes whipped up, scanning for danger, to find a warm and friendly face staring back at them from the mirror with a lopsided smile.

He was not one of Alex’s gods, but Alex still knew him.

“Hey kid.” Said Hephaestus. “I know it’s not much, but I made it for you.”

Alex picked up the toothbrush and smiled cautiously back.

“Thanks. I, uh, don’t mean to sound ungrateful…but I didn’t think looking after waifs and strays was your jam.”

“Oh, it’s not what I’m best known for.” He spoke with the steady cadence of a hammer ringing out on hot metal. “But I have a fondness for those who find themselves lost. If you have no hearth to call your own, sometimes a forge will do the job for a while.”

“Um. Thanks.” Alex felt something catch in their throat. “For this. The directions, the words, and the … the toothbrush.”

“Well, thank *you* for the drink and the snack. Such a kind offering definitely buys you clean teeth, at least.” He winked and, as he did, the light in the bathroom flickered. “And besides, creating things that are dearly needed … that *is* what I’m known for. You take care now.”

With that, the face in the mirror dissolved into a shower of fiery sparks.

Alex paused for a while - brain blank, tears beginning to well in their eyes.

Then, remembering the toothbrush was still in their hand, they began to clean their teeth. And for the first time that night, Alex began to feel human again.

[krp1x1finder]

hello! looking for long-term partners. i'm 25+ and only write with others who are 21+, so please keep that in mind! i go by she / her pronouns and live in the cst / gmt-6 time zone. [basics…] » i'd rather write on discord within our own private 1x1 server, but i'm open to writing on mewe and tumblr. » third-person p.o.v only. novella and multi-para are my go-to, but single-para can be used for quick scenes and one-liners are strictly for dm / text threads. i typically write two to six paragraphs on average, but i can write shorter or longer, depending on your preference or the plot / thread. » semi-active. due to work, other hobbies, health issues, and so on, my activity does fluctuate. i can usually write two to four replies a week, but this might dip or rise depending on what's going on. i'll communicate with you if i need to take longer to reply. i'm also understanding if my partner's busy, but i do expect some proper level of communication from you too. » i match my partner's energy. if you prefer to focus on plots and threads with minimal chatting, i can do that. if you prefer gushing about our muses, making pinterest boards, getting into world-building, etc., i can do that too. as long as we're both interested in our threads, i don't care. » continuing with the note above, if it seems like you're not interested or like i have to carry everything, i'm going to drop what we have going on. sorry, not into that. enthusiasm's needed.

[writing…] » i'm interested in everything: idolverse, au, original, and fandom-based plots. when it comes to genres / themes, i have a strong preference for horror, but i also love to write crime, fantasy, historical, sci-fi, and slice-of-life. i also love a heavy dose of angst with a smattering of fluff thrown in. » i have a long list of fandom-based au ideas, but i'll keep it limited to just these few for now: alice in wonderland, dead by daylight, kiki's delivery service, and princess mononoke. » darker topics and toxic dynamics are definitely welcome. we can discuss what we're open to writing, what's off limits, and any triggers before writing together. » mxm and fxf ships are highly preferred. i'm open to mxf pairs, but they do require doubling and matched enthusiasm. smut's welcome, but not necessary, and it can be vague, detailed, or fade-to-black. if smut becomes involved, i do prefer that it's more plot-based, but it's not required.

[faceclaims…] » i use faces from the following groups and soloists (excluding obviously problematic members). ult means they're my absolute favorite to write as and against, with interest leading downward from primary, secondary, and tertiary. — ult: monsta x, twice, wonho — primary: b.a.p, chungha, dpr ian, dreamcatcher, (g)i-dle, heize, highlight, oneus — secondary: bibi, corbyn, exid, got7, girl's generation, hyolyn, pentagon, wei, wjsn — tertiary: aespa, kang daniel, kingdom, kwon eunbi, onlyoneof, park jihoon, purple kiss, red velvet

» i'm NOT interested in writing against the following groups: ateez, big bang, blackpink, bts, exo, nct, stray kids, suju, and txt.

[end…] thank you for reading everything! if interested, please like this post and i'll reach out to you via tumblr dms!

🌸 !

[formulax]

a call, where nothing in particular is really resolved: a first person present tense venture into sibling dynamics

I come to the realization, after a few rounds of ringing, that I am calling my sister. I come to the realization also that it was somehow an automatic response to look for her number in my phone, out of everyone else I could have possibly called. Why not call Claire? It is something I don’t immediately understand—and then I realize, I know Claire can’t help me here. Only Jenny Monroe can help me here, which is a sentence I did not expect to think to myself anytime soon.

It takes a moment for Jenny to pick up the phone. It’s nearing ten o’clock at night, and I don’t know how late she stays up. So I lean forward, bounce my leg, and wait.

“Chris, is everything okay?” She picks up. Her voice is tired, but forming a nervous tone that seems to wake her up just enough. “Is something wrong? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s—don’t worry. Don’t freak out,” I say. The words stumble ungracefully from my mouth. “I’m just... calling.”

There is a pause. “Why?”

“I’m alone in the... I don’t know. Lauren’s out with friends. I don’t know.” It’s hard to vocalize what I want; I hardly even know what I want.

I hear a sigh, and then some rustling. “Okay. I’ll go to the living room. Kevin’s out like a light,” she says. She doesn’t seem irritated, but it’s hard for me to tell.

“Did I wake you up?” I ask, pulling at a stray thread on my pajama bottoms.

“No, I wasn’t sleeping yet. Mom sent a text about me hosting the next party.” Here, her voice drops. I huff, intentionally audible, and roll my eyes. Jenny clicks her tongue in disapproval. “Don’t do that, Chris. I know we’re not letting them boss us around, but mom has arthritis, she can’t cook and host like she used to. I still want to be nice.”

“You hate cooking,” I remind her, my eyebrows raised. I lean back on the couch, put my feet up on the coffee table. “You always start yelling at people when you cook.”

“Kevin tells me that every time too. Am I really that bad?”

“And you get a little insane when you host.”

“What—what does that mean?”

I find a memory immediately, and pull it forward. I have been sitting on it for a while, as one of my best Jenny stories. “I remember once, you shoved a drink into my hand and told me to have fun or else you’d fucking kill me.”

“I don’t... remember that.”

I grin, and laugh. “You probably blacked out,” I joke. Jenny doesn’t laugh, and we sit in silence for a few seconds. My smile fades. “Jen? Should I not have brought it up?”

“Oh, no, I—I just—I’m sorry I said that,” she mutters. I get the sense that she is not ready to joke about herself, not totally. I’m not sure I’d be ready to joke about myself, either. I scramble for my next words.

“Look—do what you want, but don’t let mom guilt trip you into doing something that will make you upset. Marnie can host the party. Or Sam. I could go on,” I tell her, recalling our similar-aged cousins.

“Have you seen the newest pictures of Marnie’s twins? I can’t believe they’re six now! I’ll—I’ll email them to you.” Jenny swerves the conversation, and for a moment I consider bringing it back. But I see no reason to keep pushing, and so, I let it go.

“I would love to see the newest JCPenney photoshoot pictures of cousin Marnie’s twins. I love seeing the annoyed looks on their little six year old faces, in their corny little coordinated outfits. It’s adorable,” I drone, smiling again. This time, Jenny lets out a chuckle.

“Shut up. They’re cute kids.”

“Right, right.” I shift again, to lay down on the couch. I stare at the ceiling, and start to notice my eyes drifting to one side. I grunt. “Shit.”

“What?”

I take off my glasses, and close my eyes as the full tilting effect hits me. “Vertigo, I moved too fast,” I groan, kicking my foot in defeat.

“Shit.” I can sense Jenny’s urge to speak through the phone. Just as I open my mouth to let her, she gives in. “Have you still not figured out anything that works for you? I thought Claire was supposed to—”

“Hey, hey, Jen. I’m fine. I’m getting better. She’s hooked me up with a type of physical therapy, and I think it’s helping. I...” I hesitate, not sure if I want to admit this quite yet. I sigh. “I might start thinking about driving soon.”

I get the reaction I just about expected. “What? Really? Are you sure? I mean—you haven’t driven in—and your vertigo, it’s—are you sure?” I can picture her biting her nails and frowning. I can also picture, of course, the same carnage she is picturing.

“I’m just thinking about thinking about it, don’t get too nervous, okay? I’d need to do lessons and tests, et cetera,” I try to reassure her. She pauses to think.

“...Okay.” I smile. She has changed a lot. “But I know you hate driving. You always hated driving.”

“No,” I correct her, “I hated driving with dad.”

“God, right.” Jenny huffs. “Why is it that our conversations always find their way back to our parents? We’ve got to have more in common than the people who raised us. At some point, passing these stories back and forth doesn't make me feel better anymore. Just worse. I don’t know about you.” Jenny speaks here with a determined anger, pronouncing words with harsh snaps. But then, she lets out a breath, and she softens. “Chris, why did you call me? Just for this?”

I open my eyes. The vertigo has passed. “I told you, I don’t really know. I just called. I’m waiting for Lauren to get home,” I say, frowning. But there is something more, I know it. I am reaching for something. For what? I grind my teeth as I try to search for it.

“Is it about Lauren? Are you nervous about her? Where is she?” Jenny’s questions are monotone, methodical, but she is asking them too quickly, and I can tell she’s unnerved.

“I... she’s driving around with friends. I want—I want her to come home. I want her to be home,” I say, laying a hand over my chest. My breaths grow shallow, and my eyes water. And suddenly, I have found the thing I was looking for, the missing emotion, the cause of my unrest. “Do you ever get that?”

“Oh.” Jenny pauses to sigh; it’s a heavy, burdened sigh. “Oh, Christopher, of course I get that. Do you know how hard it is not to call her, every hour, every day? She used to be just a room away.”

I inhale and wipe my eyes, before I let myself get any worse. “She’s having fun, I—I can’t just make her come back,” I reason, pausing for a response, for instructions. Jenny hums.

“No, you shouldn’t.”

“But when she’s not here, when I can’t see her, it feels like the end of the world!” Despite my vertigo, I have a sudden urge to stand; I obey it, and begin to pace and wave my free hand. “I’ve been trying to distract myself since she left, and I just—I can’t! I’m alone, in this house, and I can’t do anything but sit and wait, and drive myself insane, because when she’s not with me she’s not... with me!”

“Okay, Chris,” Jenny slows her voice into something calm and motherly, “you’re going to be okay. Both of you are going to be okay.”

“Jenny, don’t—” I laugh anxiously and bring a hand to my face, “don’t therapy me. Please. I am perfectly aware that I’m being irrational.”

“Well—” Jenny is trying hard, I can tell, not to get frustrated. “Well, Christopher, I’m not sure what else you want me to say, I mean...”

“You don’t need to fix it,” I shout, anxiety stirring my heart. I am aware on some level how ungraceful I’m acting, but the stress is pulling my filters down, and the regret comes after. I pinch the bridge of my nose and curse. “Sorry. Maybe I should hang up.”

“No—Chris, it’s fine. We can keep talking. You can keep talking.”

It’s an offer I didn’t expect from her, and for a few moments I can only be stunned. Every day, I find myself surprised by the human capacity for change. It’s a corny thought, but a true one nonetheless. And so, I say something cornier. Something that surprises me, about myself.

“I love you,” I say, and then I slump back onto the couch. I get nervous, embarrassed; I don’t want to let it hang for too long, don’t want to turn it into something significant, so I keep talking. My face is hot. The words spill out. “I feel so selfish, I feel like a bad parent, when I get like this. And I’ve been getting like this a lot since she’s gone back to school, it’s—it’s not even that I’m overly afraid of her getting hurt, or in some kind of trouble, I just... want to see her, I want to be in the same room with her, I want to know that she’s there and I don’t ever want her to leave and it makes me feel sick because I don’t want to be mom and dad, I don’t want to hover and suffocate and—and be so obsessed like they were but god, Jennifer, my chest feels so tight and I can’t breathe sometimes and I was away for so long and I have this need, this unrelenting, terrible need to be as close as possible or else I’ll fucking explode! God... dammit!”

I slump forward and drag a hand down my face as I pause to breathe. The other line is silent, for a few more seconds, but I don’t pay any mind to her silence. I let myself cry.

And then: “You’re not mom and dad.” It’s a quiet, hesitant statement, but Jenny’s tone rises easily. “You told me not to fix it, but you’re just not... mom and dad. And I’m only saying it because you’re being fucking stupid. And I love you, too.”

My body tenses, and something bubbles up to my throat, and then I let out a horrid, sudden cackle. I double over, hanging my head, and I laugh.

“Hey!” she snaps at me. “What’s so funny about that? What’s wrong with you?”

“I don’t—” I stomp my foot and cover my mouth. “I don’t know!”

“Stop fucking laughing you asshole—” She begins to giggle. “I’m being nice to you!”

“I know!” I force out some breaths. “It just feels so weird! Why am I calling you?”

“I don’t know, why did you call me?”

“Because you’re my sister, and—” I snort, “and I love you!”

Both of us burst into another round of violent laughter. My side begins to hurt, and I return to a sprawled out position on the couch. As I laugh, the bottled nervous energy drains from me, finding a new home as sound waves from my now-hoarse voice, bouncing around the dimly lit living room.

“Chris—Chris,” Jenny manages, finally. “Again, we’re back to goddamn mom and dad.”

I realize she’s right, and I scoff. “They haunt the dark recesses of our minds, Jen, of course we’re back to mom and dad,” I say, voice flat. I kick my feet up on the couch’s armrest.

“Well, I’m just saying, as someone who ended up parenting too much like them, I know what you’re saying. I think. In a way, but...”

“Alright. Am I fucked up?”

“Oh thoroughly.”

I smile. “Thanks, Jen.”

“For—for what?”

“I don’t know,” I admit, settling further into the couch. There’s a warmth in my chest, a cheesy fuzziness that makes me chuckle to myself again. The phone is quiet against my ear. I can tell she’s smiling too.

“I just want you to know, that this whole call is fucking disgusting.”

“Oh, it’s so gross.” I mock-gag. “Ew, feelings, let’s talk about cousin Marnie and her twins again in their little matching six year old outfits.”

“And her useless fucking husband,” Jenny spits, “that never lifts a fucking finger.”

I gasp and sit up. “Wait—what? Scott? I thought we liked Scott!”

“We do not fucking like Scott.”

“What happened, he was doing so good!”

“Weaponized. Incompetence.”

“Elaborate.”

[ask-that-weird-dog]

THE ARCHIVE:

??? // INTRO // 1 // TO BE CONTINUED...

THE (DOG) HOUSE RULES!

Read the following before you ask...

and don't make me tap the sign!

* no NSFW! this blog is intended to be 13+ so please don't send anything sexually explicit or excessively gory, thank you!

* please be patient! I draw all the responses, and that can take some time. I also may hold onto some asks for future pieces, too.

* the Kris of this blog goes by they/them only! please do not misgender them in asks or they will be eaten... I mean deleted.

* interactions with other ask blogs are perfectly welcome and encouraged! I'm always happy to meet another kindred spirit.

* this isn't a roleplay blog! I won't be doing threads here, just silly one-off doodles. I will, however, be making an ask-driven comic!

* treat the mod with respect! please don't come here stirring up drama or sending hate/harassment etc. you get the idea.

* the mod is an adult! please remember this when interacting.

EXTRA ASK INFO AND FAQ BELOW:

Please do:

* send asks directed to Kris! they can hear your text as a disembodied voice and will respond to you accordingly.

* offer Kris objects, either by text or as a submitted picture! accepted items will be added to their inventory.

* use asks to suggest ideas to Kris! if you want them to actually do it though, you'll have to be convincing!

* interact with Kris directly, to a degree! any physical contact will be experienced as a 'hand' that only they can see.

* send IC asks from other character blogs! they're just for fun and games though, and may not be considered canon.

* send asks to the mod if you have questions or concerns! I'll happily tag triggers, explain bits of the AU, or clarify rules as needed.

* send joke m!as for special events! I may be selective on them though, and they likely won't be canon to the main story here.

* tag this blog in any posts you'd like me to see! I'll happily check out anything you'd like to send my way, within reason.

Please do not:

* send asks to characters other than Kris! they can't hear you; if you want to send a message, you'll need to convince Kris to do it for you.

* send asks that alter their world, or force Kris or other characters to do something! you just don't have that much power in this world.

* send asks containing explicit 18+ language, slurs, gore, or sexual content. anything like that is getting deleted on sight, sorry folks.

* misgender Kris in asks; those are getting deleted too. also please don't interact IC if you're an RP/ask blog that genders the kids.

* try to rush the mod on replies. drawing takes time, and I might not get to every reply. you can ask off anon if it was deleted, though!

* send stuff unrelated to the AU to this blog. if you'd like to chatter about other stuff, I've got a main blog and I'd love to see you there!

* repost any of my art without permission! please ask before using my work elsewhere. reblogs, however, are always encouraged!

THE FAQ I'D HAVE IF THIS BLOG WASN'T LITERALLY BRAND NEW

Q: So, what AU is this for anyway? A: I've been calling it 'Deltarune Monsterswap,' mainly since there isn't already an AU named that as far as I can find, and it describes the concept fairly well! Basically; everyone who's a human is now a monster, and everyone who's a monster is now human. Think Overtale but for Deltarune, basically! There are some definite personality differences as a result, though Kris will be the most obvious upfront.

Q: What sort of monster is Kris? A: Kris is a monster based on el cadejo, a mythical dog spirit from Central America! Their dual nature of devil dog vs angel dog seemed like an interesting concept to work with, especially since I personally headcanon Kris to have some Central American ancestry and wanted to pick something local to the region. Plus, I dunno, they've always given me scruffy stray dog vibes. This kid absolutely eats food off the floor when nobody's looking and you can't tell me otherwise.

Q: My ask wasn't answered! What happened to it? A: If it didn't break any of the rules I've listed off and hasn't been answered yet, it's probably still in my inbox! I'm liable to hold onto asks that I find fun but haven't found a place for so that I can use them in the future, so don't give up hope. They still might appear in the future! I promise I appreciate every one, even if it can take me a bit to get some of them done.

Q: Can I ask about future events or for hints? A: You can try! If something is TOO spoilery I might keep my lips sealed, but I'm willing to give hints and ideas on occasion. If push comes to shove, the worst case scenario is me posting it with a little :)c to mildly menace you a bit. I mean hey, lots of 'Players' look up guides to find secrets, too. It's on theme.

Q: Will there be any ships involved? What ones? A: I'll be sticking to canon for the most part on these; characters that have crushes will still have them, but we're generally sticking to canon-compliant territory here and they won't be a major focus. The farthest I get out of the box is that the Kris of this blog BRIEFLY had a crush on Noelle when they were younger, but it went unnoticed and has long since faded. The most you'll really see of that is a bit of awkwardness on Kris's part. Noelle will still have a crush on Susie, but at least for now it's unrequited.

Q: So, who's the mod behind this thing anyway? A: I don't really talk about myself; I grew up in the era of 'don't share personal info online' and still kinda live by that in public! The most you'll get is: I go by Timey, use she/her pronouns, I'm 28, and my left thumb is hypermobile. That's about as personal as I get, sorry!

AND THAT'S IT! Thanks for reading, and here's hoping you'll enjoy bothering this ridiculous critter as much as I do.

[weiyueeerr]

#JYPEDoBetterForSKZ

Stays in Twitter i saw that our stray kids get hate again. Haters wish them die and that's FUCKING BAD WHICH COMPANY CAN'T PROTECT THEIR ARTISTS. If you wanna support skz and tell abt hate to JYPE you should go to the Twitter and find "#JYPEDoBetterForSKZ" copy text and spam that. You have to write something and add this inside the offer: jeongin baby bread, bangchan best leader, hyunjin tattoo, lee know cat, felix deep voice and others for example. It makes the search story clear. Write letters to JYPE with request protect the artists. Replay it. Put like on it. Move it on top please. But DON'T write protect only one member cuz they everyone need to be protected. You can find all necessary instructions in the threads under #JYPEDoBetterForSKZ .

We can influence!