#sweet n salty m&ms

[billlydear]

LIKE WE'LL NEVER HAVE SEX - BILLY HARGROVE X READER (PART ONE)

word count: 1277 // masterlist | inbox (please request) | WIP list

Summary: Billy's not used to getting less attention than the movie playing on the theater screen.

Contents/Warnings: fem!reader, mentions of sex, mentions of making out, light kissing

A/N: i'm sorry i've been MIA for a bit! school and work are very busy lately </3 but i hope you enjoy this! not me posting another part one with two outgoing series already... but this isn't a chapter of anything, it's a one-shot, and the other parts will be their own completed stories as well. it's a collection of stories, not a series, so you're welcome to read any of them without the others, it won't matter.

reblogs and comments are greatly appreciated! your feedback motivates me to write more, so thank you for your support :-)

The first time Billy realizes you're not using him for sex is during your first date. Movie theaters are prime date locations, at least on Billy's list, because it gets entertainment and a makeout session knocked out in the same two-hour window. He doesn't have to make small talk before fingering a girl if he's supposed to be silent watching the movie.

It's a pretty well-worn routine by now; the lights dim, and they're done with each other by the time the credits roll. It's efficient, he likes to think, it's easy.

When you'd expressed your enthusiasm about a sci-fi thriller playing in the little theater he frequented, he'd taken his shot. Five minutes later and your address was scrawled on his notebook paper, a smiley face beside it.

He picks you up at eight, and he even pays for popcorn.

You're resting back against the seat behind you, munching on M&Ms. He's neglected to kiss you thus far because the usher is prowling the aisles, on the lookout for anyone behaving... well, how Billy behaves every time.

When the guy stops flashing his torch at suspicious moviegoers and finally leaves the theater, Billy's eager to get on with his routine. He's sure the chocolate on your tongue will taste better than the popcorn dust on his own, but he's curious to see how they mix.

He reaches over to squeeze your hand first, and you tear your eyes away from the screen to shoot him an easy grin. Then you're back to the movie, eyes tracking the characters intently.

He leans over to butt his nose against your jaw, and you startle. You peer over at him with wide doe eyes, shining softly with the light from the screen. He grins and moves into a lazy kiss, one that he feels you sigh softly against his mouth for. It's sweet, but it's short.

"Wait!" You whisper, eyes wide as you tear yourself away from him to glance at the screen, "They're gonna-!"

An explosion rattles the sound system, and one of the characters gets slammed up against a cluster of rocks from the impact. She's dead on impact, and your mouth hang open.

When you settle back into your seat, a fresh candy in your mouth, he decides to steal it off of your tongue. He grips your cheek this time, tugging your face so that you're turned towards him, and pressing his lips to yours a little more firmly this time.

He manages to crack the melted candy on your tongue, spilling gooey chocolate into your spit. There's leftover popcorn butter residue on his lips, grainy and salty, but you don't seem to mind, sliding your hands against his chest.

But then you push against him, the same hands he'd thought were feeling him up nudging him away instead, and you shoot him a bashful smile.

"Sorry," You whisper, warm-cheeked and plump-lipped, "I... really wanna see this movie."

He sits back against his seat, eyes glazed over at the screen for five minutes. You're choosing to watch this shit movie instead of pay him attention? Shit, he could have rented a flick for you for seventy-five cents. Why did he pay for a ticket?

But then a new character steps on screen, and the theater goes up in cheers. He looks bewilderedly around, peering concernedly at you where you're clapping excitedly. You catch his confused stare, and lean in with chocolate-stained lips to whisper-shout, "He's from the original series! He was captain, and everyone was kind of speculating that they'd bring him back for the movie, but no one was really sure, and-!"

He watches your eyes sparkle with excitement as you fill him in on the series' lore, while also trying to keep up with the dialogue the characters have going. He realizes now that you're interested in the movie, you're not disinterested in him. He even laughs at a particularly clever quip, not that he'll ever admit it. The movie is clearly something more to you than it is to him, and he takes solace in the fact that he's not losing his game, you're just not playing it at the moment.

He fully intends to tongue you in the backseat of his camaro before driving you home, though. A man has needs, after all.

Instead, he nods along to the plot of the third episode of the sixth season of the show that the movie was based on, boots crunching against the gravel of the parking lot as he listens to you ramble. Apparently, that episode set up a villain for the movie, but he can't say he was paying attention enough to even remember what they'd looked like.

"-so they find out these guys are just taking it, but obviously they know they're not gonna stop until someone stops them. So they gear up and prepare for battle, but then they realize that there's a colony not too far from the planet they're trying to target, and they don't want them to think they're being hostile to them, so they have to run a team down to the colony to let them know they mean no harm. But it gives their enemies time to escape, and that's why it was such a big deal in the movie, because they were so close and never got to finish the job. But-"

Billy drives you home in silence, adding a few hums of acknowledgement here and there. He can't say he's interested in what you're talking about, but he likes the way you're saying it. Gushy, like the words have to get out now or you'll explode.

He lets you yammer his ear off all the way to your house, and there's lights on inside, which means he won't get away with a makeout session idling in the driveway. Parents don't like that, he knows.

There's disappointment lingering in the pit of his stomach at the prospect of going home without a proper kiss. One with wandering hands, muffled whimpers, maybe a quickie in the backseat. But when you realize he's not going to walk you to the front door, you rush around to the driver's side, ducking down to pop your face in his window.

He stares amusedly at you, surprised when you lean in to push your lips softly against his.

"Thank you," You hum, cheeks heated, "I had a good time tonight.I'm sorry I kind of talked a lot."

"It's fine," He chuckles, leaning in again to milk another kiss out of your waning time together, "You know a lot about that show."

"I do," Your laugh is bashful, and your hands fiddle with the hem of your shirt as you take a deep breath before speaking again, "I was wondering if... you'd want to come over sometime and watch a few episodes? The first ones are a bit shaky but they're totally worth it once you get to the good stuff."

'No' Is on the tip of Billy's tongue. He is not the kind of guy that sits in a girl's living room to watch nerd shit with her. But your eyes are shining at him just like they'd been shining at the movie screen earlier, and the word 'Sure' tumbles from his lips before he knows it's even there.

"Awesome," You gush, your laugh bright and bubbly, "Does five o'clock next Friday work? We can order a pizza."

"Friday at five," He repeats, leaning in to steal one last kiss, "See you then, honey."

The smile you give him as he drives off is just as sweet and sticky as the pet name he'd coined you.

[pizzacatdelight]

Introduction

Hello, my name is PizzaCat Delights. This is my first time having a Tumblr account and want to better express myself. This blog will mainly about Autism related content, personal thoughts and stuff from my special interest. So, here is my introduction post.

About me:

Name: Claire

Pronouns: she/her

Nationality: American 🇺🇸

Sexuality: Bisexual

Birth: Sept. 22 ♍️

Age: 29

Race: Black

Belief: Pagan

Autistic, disabled & suffer from anxiety

Likes:

Color: pink & white

Food: pizza, pretzels, pasta, french fries, bacon, popcorn, salty food, crunchy food, cake, M&Ms, chocolate chip mint ice cream & chocolate chip cookies

Drink: tea, sweet tea, fruit punch, coke cola & cherry coke

Animal: cats, pandas, bunnies, pigs, hamsters, butterflies, penguins, mice, beavers, otters, ducks, squirrels & bees

Anime: Sailor Moon, Demon Slayer, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Pluto

Book: The Hunger Games, The Great Gatsby, Little Women, Nancy Drew

Cartoons: Spongebob SquarePants, Ed, Edd n Eddy, The Powderpff Girls (1998 Verison), Chowder, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Totally Spies & Clone High (Season 1)

Movies: Sherk, Back to the Future, Cinderella, The Avengers, Toy Story, The Muppets Christmas Carol & The Lord of the Rings

General genre: mystery, crime, history, fantasy, slice of life & humor

Video game genre: life simulator, visual novels, puzzles, rpgs, adventure, action-adventure, metroidvania & causal

Music genre: oldies, disco, new wave, 80s' pop & pop-punk

Dislikes:

Mean people

Being rude

Unexpected loud sounds

Yelling

Negativity

Discrimination

Injustice

Smell of rotten things and bleach

Moody food

Humid weather

Being overheated

Wearing hot clothes

Jumpscares in any media

My hobbies:

Drawing

Writing 📝

Reading 📖

Cooking 👩🏽‍🍳

Playing video games 🎮

Napping

Traveling

Coding

Collecting

Gardening

Taking pictures

My special interests:

Hello Kitty

Cats

Cute things

Stuffed Animals

Nintendo Franchise (Animal Crossing, Earthbound, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Kirby, Legend of Zelda, Pokemon & Super Mario)

Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair

Danganronpa Another (Fan Game)

Cartoons (Total Drama)

Anime (My Hero Academia, Attack of the Titans & Spy x Family)

History and culture

[jonesaf]

001. edderkop

Thijs is about halfway through his sketching when he hears a yelp from inside the tent. He starts, cursing under his breath as he almost ruins the whole thing with his pencil, and looks up from his work, eyeing the familiar silhouette inside with the distinct look of a man trying to decide whether it’s worth it to get up. Thijs knows his husband well --- it had been a more startled sound than anything, and the silhouette inside isn’t hunched over in any kind of pain, nothing to make him think there’s any danger --- and for a moment, he entertains the idea of ignoring it. He hasn’t gotten the chance to draw or paint in a long time, and it’s easily one of the things he’d been looking forward to the most when they’d planned their first anniversary trip out here. More importantly, he likes how this sketch is turning out, which is more than can be said of any of the pathetic doodles he’d managed lately.

“Thijs!” Comes the whine from the tent, drawn out for dramatic effect, and Thijs sighs, and sets down his things. He’ll feel guilty now if he doesn’t. The scenery will still be there later.

Mathias, for all the good that it does with his large frame, has tucked himself into the corner of the tent, staring wide-eyed at their shared air mattress in the opposite corner like something bad will happen if he looks away, and when Thijs pokes his head in, he immediately points to that same corner. His hand is as steady as the rest of him, which tells the Dutchman that he’s not actually that afraid of whatever it is that’s startled him, but his voice still comes out in a theatrical stage whisper when he says, “there’s a spider,” like he might upset the thing otherwise.

Utterly ridiculous.

There is, however, a spider inside the tent. It’s tucked into the corner near the top of the air mattress, darkly colored and hard to spot even with the light from the electric lantern, though it’s a decent size. It looks like some kind of web-spinner, it’d probably snuck in when they’d had the flap open earlier in the day, and it doesn’t acknowledge their presence in the slightest. Thijs looks back at Mathias with a raised eyebrow.

“You called me in here for a spider?”

“It’s huge!” Mathias whines back at him, abandoning the stage whisper.

“You’re much bigger.”

“But it’s creepy!”

“It’s just doing its job, Mads.”

“But it’s inside.”

“So put it outside.”

“I’m not touching it! You do something, you’re the one who likes them.”

Thijs huffs out a breath that might be a laugh or a sigh, and ducks his head back out of the tent. He ignores Mathias’s protests --- “wait, Thijs, don’t leave me with it! Where are you going?!” --- in favor of trying to find a stick big enough for his purposes in the deepening twilight. He finds one soon enough, surrounded by trees as they are, and heads back to the tent before his husband can start worrying. Mathias looks more than a little relieved, eyeing the stick quizzically. “Hey, I stayed for ya in case it moved but it’s still there, what’s that for? Is this what you abandoned me for?”

“I didn’t abandon you,” Thijs says gently --- well, gently for him; anyone else would call it gruff, maybe, but Mathias knows better, just as much as Thijs knows that Mathias is joking --- crawling further inside this time until he can reach the tiny creature with the stick. It takes a few tries, and he can hear Mathias just about have a heart attack beside him when it nearly falls onto the pillows once, but as soon as the spider is perched on the end of the stick, Thijs carefully pulls out and deposits the thing on a nearby tree.

“Better?”

Mathias, who by then had crawled out from the tent to watch him curiously, smiles at him in relief. “Dank je, schat.”

“You could have done that yourself, y’know.”

“I woulda just smushed it, an’ I know you don’t like it when I do that.”

It’s a considerate gesture, in its own way. Thijs pats Mathias on the head for it, which earns him a laugh, and Thijs’s lips curl up in one of his small, fond smiles. “Let’s go back inside, I want to finish my sketch.”

“Ooh! Can I watch?”

“Sure.”

[demxnicprxncess]

hi love! i really like all the fics you have written and i saw you were doing requests and i swear i died of happiness for a second. can you please do bottom!Tate X dom!Y/N, where Tate has a mommy kink and their at his house eating dinner and he keeps teasing her and she 'drops her fork' and sucks him off under the table? it's totally okay if you don't do this btw! but if you do, then thank you love <3.

YESSSS I BEEN WAITIN FOR THIS ONEEEE

Taglist: @kitwalkersgfff, @ppawmpkin, @yes-divine-ruler, @quicksilversg1rl, @charsdunkie, @eddiemunsonsbitch69, @dahmevan lmk if you would like to be added or removed my dears.

Under the Table (Tate x FEM!Reader)

warnings: its in the request but smut, public?, mommy kink, oral (m), Teasing, begging

I sat down the blonde slut sitting across from me. As mean as it sounds, I'm calling him a slut because he thinks it's cute to flaunt about with flirty eyes and cocky smirks. He knows just what the fuck he's doing, and I'll be the one to slap that shit eating grin off of his little face. "Hello (name)" I sat beside Constance and smiles. "Yeah, hey pretty girl." I glared at him. "Hi Tate." He watched me intensely as I took a sip of the water his mother provided for me. "So, (name) may I ask what you see in my son? Considering he's dead." I chuckled suddenly remembering I was eating with a ghost and his very much alive mother. I felt his leg slide up mine and touch the inside of my thighs, nearing my sensitive feminine area. I looked under the table and seen his hand in his pants only to look up and see his eyes boring into mine making me shift. His eyes dropping to his little whiney ones that he uses on me when I ride him till his dick is dripping with cum, his chest is moving up and down as I fuck the life out of him. I'm interrupted of my sinful thoughts by the harlot sitting across from me. "Are you okay?" I nodded and looked back down at my food. "You never answered my question..." Constance announced. "Well, my dear, I'll be back I need to go get my cigarettes from my house." I took the opportunity to 'drop' my fork. "Alright, hurry back Ms. Langdon." I glared back at the slut across from me. "Tate." He looked slightly flushed and scared, "What's wrong? I just need to grab my fork." He kept his eyes on me, "I need to go pee, I'll be right back." I glared at him, "You'll sit, and you'll sit down right now you fucking harlot." His face grew a bit rosy as I spewed my harsh words at him. I went under the table seeing his boner growing more and more as I crawled closer to him. I unzipped his pants slowly and unbuttoned them, pulling his dick out of his tight boxers. "What are you doing?" I chuckled and muttered a hush as I heard the door opening and Constance walking to the table. "Where is she Tate?" "I-in the bathroom" He slightly stumbled over his words as I took the chance to lick his slit, grabbing the base as I pushed him to the back of my throat sucking and hollowing my cheeks while Constance lectured him. "Tate, I swear to God if you fuck this up, she sees what no one else does. Don't run her off." He nodded. "Fuck, momma please..." I smirked on his cock knowing he was referring to me "Excuse me Tate?" "I mean please, oh my god momma, please just go I have it under control." She looked at him and then slightly to the bathroom. "The bathroom door is open Tate." I felt his thighs tremble while I had him completely in my mouth threatening to spill his seed deep down my throat; Sure enough, he did. I felt the metalic salty yet sweet liquid spill down my throat. "Well Tate, instead of having an orgasm in front of your mother, you could've asked me to leave." I slid from under the table on his side in front of him. "I apologize Ms. Langdon." "I'll be going as I assume that I'm not momma." I watched as she walked out. "Alright slut, go to the room, I want you completely naked on my bed like the needy whore you are baby." He quickly stood up, "Yes, momma." I smiled and kissed his nose watching him run to my room. He's a slut but he's my slut.

[koukamisstuff]

Ready to Love

Chapter Ten - Not a Date?

Masterlist - Previous / Next

Side Notes:

I apologize for the slow burn but... it will be worth it.

Kita sent the location to Y/N to meet her at the mall but they met up at the bus stop. *which is is he took the first picture*

He introduced her to all the stores the club has an account.

Y/N told Kita that the snacks and refreshments in the clubs room needed to be restocked.

On the way back from the restroom, Kita saw Osamu sitting down outside the restaurant and quickly noticed the other two. He went to invite him in first.

Y/N and Kita joined them in watching a movie. They sat in the order of Atsumu,Suna,Osamu,Y/N and Kita. Mainly because of the way everyone eats their popcorn. Suna and Atsumu like their popcorn with a lot of butter, Osamu and Y/N like a touch of sweetness from chocolate like m&ms and the crunch from the pretzels, and Kita enjoys popcorn that's salty with mixed peanuts.

Misunderstandings are just a thing between Kita and Y/N.

TAGLIST: @onelostgirl @alfi-ry @luna-vitae-suae @neologyro @its-the-aerieljeane @sassyglassesbunny @hydrogwyn @putmeinyourdeathnote @fandomsgotmefucked @chantalkate16 @phoenix-eclipses @bananasquash

Taglist still open. PM, ask or comment to be added for updates. :)

[unnecessarywriting]

How Did You Come to That Conclusion - Sirius Black

Request: Hello!! If you have time, would you be able to do a Christmas themed one where Sirius and the reader are long time friends with mutual crushes on each other and they kiss under the mistletoe by accident and then some misunderstandings and then some fluff?

A/N: Merry Christmas. I hope you all enjoy. There are 2-3 more fics coming out today. My gift to you all!

Italics are Flashbacks

How Did You Come to That Conclusion

The common room during Christmas break was typically the most soothing place to be. Most students wanted to get back to their families. You, on the other hand, were perfectly okay with staying with the quiet warmth. Typically the only sounds were the fire crackling, pages turning, cups clinks, and the occasional laugh from one of the other students that stayed at Hogwarts. This was usually the only time of year that you actually saw Mcgonagall relax. This year however, a particular group of boys chose to stay too.

Most days, you didn’t have any problems with the boys. Oftentimes, you were around them and you could even be considered one of their friends. In fact, James knew a lot about your life that you wish he didn’t. See, at the beginning of this school year, he caught wind of what you were feeling for a mutual friend. 

“Ohh, is Ms. Y/L/N feeling a bit jealous of Sirius?” James teased. 

“Haha,” you awkwardly laughed away your blush, “as if I would ever be jealous because of someone like him.”

“Merlin! You really do like him don’t you? Oh, I can’t wait to tell Sirius. This is going to be -”

“This is going to be nothing Potter. You are not going to say a word about this to Sirius or to anyone,” you were practically growling through clenched teeth. 

“Or what? Listen Y/N this could be great for -”

“For no one. Please James, I’m begging you to just forget about it.”

“Forget about what?” Sirius appeared beside you. You looked to James who sighed. 

“Forget about nothing. Don’t worry about it.” You breathed a sigh of relief at James’ response. When you looked away, you missed the subtle wink sent to Sirius that told him he would find out soon enough. 

You and Sirius had been pretty close friends since the beginning of your time at Hogwarts. As he grew older, and hotter, his fans became more present in your life. You eventually took a step back to avoid the constant hateful glares sent your way for studying with a longtime friend. You didn’t stop spending time with him entirely though. He was still your friend, and if you were being honest, you liked knowing that you had his attention. It didn’t hurt any less, though, when he could be found around the school with any one of the girls in your year. 

Since you were spending your Christmas break with the Marauders at Hogwarts, you decided to make the most of it. You would join in some of the pranks, and you would sneak out a night with one of the boys to go down to the kitchen. With the help of their map and James’ cloak, you were all practically unstoppable. Christmas Eve was no exception. That night, you and Sirius were sent down to grab some food from the kitchen. It was late, and you were all planning on staying up past midnight to start your day off right with each other. 

In the common room, James was forming a plan. He was going to get the two of you together. He knew that you two liked each other, and he wasn’t fond of being caught in between something that could be solved if either one of you had the confidence to tell the other. 

“Moony, you think this’ll work right?” Remus looked at his friend and nodded slowly. 

“I guess it could, but I think this is something that should happen naturally. Why force something on them? This could also push them apart and make things more awkward.”

“That won’t happen though. My plan is foolproof.” James heard a snicker from his friend.

He had told them almost immediately after you had told James. He couldn’t hold it in for very long. Typically, he was good at secret-keeping but this time he needed to let loose. Remus wasn’t all that surprised and Peter seemed unaware of how Sirius felt. 

Down in the kitchens, you and Sirius were joking around. The two of you always managed to have fun together. It was almost like getting caught would be worth it if you were going to be with him. You didn’t know, but Sirius was thinking the exact same thing. 

“You know, if you wanted to get me alone, all you had to do was say so.” You laughed at his remark. 

“So shameless. Remember Sirius, James is the one who sent us. I didn’t make this decision by my own account.” Your relationship was full of flirtatious and witty remarks. It was a part of your charm. He most certainly was attracted to it. 

One of the many things Sirius liked about you was that you were willing to talk back to him. Most of the other girls would just crumble at everything he said to them. Not you. You would come back with something witty or sarcastic. Of course, this was only one of many things he adored about you.

As you two were returning to the common room, there was this energy between you two. Something told him that it was now or never. You said the password to enter the portrait hole. 

“Listen Y/N, I need to talk to you.” You stopped and told him to continue. Then he started to lean in for a quick peck on the lips. It was short and sweet, but he hoped that it got the message across that he liked her. When his eyes met yours, he was met with hurt. Your eyes were slightly glossy and were looking past him at James, who was smiling at the two of you. Then he heard you speak. 

“You know, I thought that you were a good guy. I truly believed it, but this is just cruel. Most pranks, well, most pranks I can handle. I’d like to think that I’m a good sport, but this was too far. James, I trusted you with my secret, and clearly you ignored my wishes. And you,” you pointed your finger at Sirius’ chest, “you had no right to follow through with such a stupid idea. What, did you think it was funny to make fun of the girl who likes you? Is it really that amusing to play with someone’s emotions? And what do you know, you had an audience too. You’re the worst Sirius Black. I don’t know what I ever saw in you!” You stomped your way up to your door and slammed it shut as the tears streamed down your face. Your salty tears would be the only thing offering comfort that night. 

The common room was silent for a moment. The boys had never seen you completely lose it like that before. Sirius was confused to say the least, but then he looked up above his head. The mistletoe that was hanging above his head suddenly burned to ash as he sent a charm that way. He turned to look at his best friend. 

“Prongs, why did you think that this would be a good idea?” James looked incredibly guilty and full of regret. 

“Padfoot, I just wanted the two of you to finally get together. I thought that this would push you in the right direction, but it clearly didn’t work out that way. Plus, she kinda had a point about me breaking her trust.” 

“What did you do Prongs?” Sirius was getting angry.

“Well, she kinda let it slip that she has feelings for you, and well I told these guys without her permission, or knowledge.” James looked down guiltily. Sirius couldn’t believe the situation, but now he understood how this hurt her. He was going to fix this, but he just needed her to leave the room.

 You were in your dorm crying in both embarrassment and pain. How could James betray your trust like that? And how could Sirius play into such a stupid prank? You thought that maybe, just maybe, you could have a chance with him, but of course he had to turn around and be a jerk. You were hurt, but you also couldn't stop thinking about his lips on yours. Before you realized what was going on, you were in heaven. They were just as soft as your thought, and he tasted slightly like peppermint from the candy cane he was eating before you made it back to the common room. 

Sirius stayed in the common room for hours. He was hoping that he would catch you coming down from the dorm. He was falling asleep when he finally heard you. You thought that you were being stealthy, and you were, but when the portrait closed behind you, Sirius was startled back to consciousness. He wasn’t sure if it was you at first, but he needed to make sure. He grabbed the map from the table and saw your name retreating to the kitchens. Of course. You left the common room before you could eat any of the snacks from earlier. You had also mentioned needing to make the trip to Hogsmeade to get some more sweets because you had run out a few days before. He got up abruptly and stumbled out into the hall to catch up to you. 

It was almost 3 AM by the time you had escaped the common room. You saw Sirius asleep on the couch, and you couldn’t help but thank Merlin for letting you escape him. You most certainly were not in the mood to deal with him. You were exhausted, emotional, and more importantly, hungry. You made it to the kitchens and started scouring for anything that you could get your hands on.

“Excuse me Miss, but it appears that you might need some help.” The second you heard his voice, you felt the anger bubble within. You didn’t say anything in return. If there is something that Sirius hates more than anything, it’s being ignored. 

“Ignoring me eh? I guess I deserve that, but that works because I just need you to listen to m- Hey where are you going?” You started to walk out of the kitchens. You had lost your appetite. He grabbed you by the wrist and pulled you back towards him. 

“Stay put and listen, will ya?” You nodded reluctantly knowing he wasn’t going to let you go. “I get why you’re mad, but you don’t know what happened. I didn’t know what James was planning. I was trying to tell you how much I like you. I think you’re the sweetest, smartest, most beautiful girl in the entire world. You make my heart beat faster every time you look at me, and you take my breath away every time you laugh. I am falling hard for you Y/N and I don’t want James’ stupid attempts at getting us together to push us apart. If you want to be mad at Prongs, then be mad at him. Hell, I’m mad at him too, but trust me when I say that I want to be with you.” You stayed silent for a moment and processed everything. Okay, so maybe you jumped to conclusions a little quickly, and Sirius did sound quite, well serious. 

“So you like me huh?” You said cheekily. You might as well play it cool since you were lowkey freaking out inside that he actually really liked you.

“How did you come to that conclusion?” He pulled you closer towards his body and smirked as he leaned down for a real kiss. It was like a fairytale. You smiled into the kiss, and pulled away. 

“This is great and all, but I’m still hungry.” He laughed and helped you find some food. 

The two of you retreated back to the common room, where you met James. He went to speak, but you put your hand up to stop him.

“I’m not happy about the trust thing, but you did have good intentions. Happy Christmas James. My gift to you is forgiveness. Take it.” He smiled and sighed out in relief. 

“Thank Merlin!” He pulled the two of you into a hug. “So, you two are together?” You and Sirius just smiled at each other. He was the best gift you could have received.

[bangtanbetchfics]

Aperitivo (m) | jinkook capsule

genre: smuttiest of smut, fluff, angst rating: explicit pairing: kim seokjin x female reader x jeon jungkook word count: 5.0k suggested listening: taste - red velvet | miniskirt - aoa | ice queen - baekhyun | melting point - gwsn | playlist warnings: explicit language, explicit/casual sex, masturbation, vouyerism, alcohol use summary: on the heels of a breakup, you fall hopelessly in lust with two pastry chefs on your vacation in venice. notes: this is smut with a plot, but i'm warning you now to get your life together before reading. put your seatbelts on, read safely and enjoy! *** collaboration info: come join us as we explore europe with BTS through fanfiction. our members chose an european location and a bts member/combo to adventure with, inspired by the group’s most recent extended time off. our fics range from fluff to smut, exploring our fantasies and ideations of what it would be like to travel with the boys. we invite you to go on this journey with us! fellow collaborators: smuttymess | som-siren | chaosbulldog navigation: part ii | kim taehyung on vacation - (eros) | masterlist

A · PER · I · TI · VO | A pre-meal drink specifically meant to whet your appetite.

The pulses of your breath escape your mouth as you run down the platform to catch your train. You’ve only got three minutes to reach your car before the doors shut, and of course you’re in second class — the very last car. 

The extreme burn in your chest overtakes you as you reach the doors of your car and slide them open. The train wiggles a bit before you find your seat. You attempt to sit and almost fall down, but you catch yourself.

The city you were once in starts to whisk away through the window, and you put your hand in your chin to look out at the view for a moment.

Your hands make their way into your purse, and you sift through it, pulling out your phone. A few buzzes radiate from it, and a rapid succession of text notifications pop up.

[14:18] [DELETE HIS NUMBER NOW]: bb pls, gimme one more chance

[14:19] [DELETE HIS NUMBER NOW]: pls pls pls i won’t do it again

[14:19] [DELETE HIS NUMBER NOW]: come ON

The desperation dripping through the texts causes you roll your eyes. A low growl develops in your throat before you click the contact. 

Your thumb hovers over the word [BLOCK] for a moment. 

Suddenly, you give in and press it. 

You were done with this. You weren’t quite sure when you became a magnet for men who liked to cheat, but you were done with second, third and fourth chances. When you found out your boyfriend was cheating on you while you were on vacation, you decided to call it quits.

Fuck him. 

He was never that good in bed anyway, and this vacation was a welcome reprieve from your recent breakup. 

As far as you were concerned, all men were now cancelled until further notice.

A sigh escapes your lips as you toss your phone back in your bag. As you lean your head against the window, your eyes flutter to a close and you drift off to sleep. 

***

The train glides over a sea of blue as you open your eyes, and it immediately feels like you’re floating across the sea. 

A smile curls up on your lips as you prepare to deboard. A wave of calm washes over you as you exit and the salty scent of the sea hits your nose.

Your eyes meet the expanse of the sun setting over the Venetian harbour, and you release a warm sigh.

***

As you get off one of the — as you now knew — vaporetto, you pull your array of luggage behind you. You never did know how to pack light. You grumble as you continue to drag your luggage over the small cobblestones covering the streets of — you look down at your map — Giudecca. 

You heard staying on the Venetian mainland in the middle of the summer was probably not the best idea, so you found a place to stay a bit off the beaten path.

Beads of sweat start to form on your head, and you let out a few breaths as you stop in front your destination.

[PANETERRIA DE JIN]

The sweet aroma of pastries detracts your attention for a moment before you look down at your phone and conclude that this is indeed the location. 

A little jingle rings from the bell above your head as you enter the bakery, and it catches the attention of a tall man behind the register.

“One moment, I’ll be right with you!” 

The man shouts out as he looks over in your direction. He hands a small older woman cash, nodding and smiling to hurry her. 

“Yes Ms. Kim. Of course, Ms. Kim.”

As you look around, you find that the bakery is cozy and filled with subtle nods to both Korean and Italian culture. Pastel pink accents fill the place and give it a genial charm.

You get closer to a display case by the register to look at some of the treats: Sweet Red Bean Cream Cannolis, Fish-Shaped Pastries, Fresh Honey Doughnuts — the works. Every single pastry was beautiful, and you were in awe at how uniform every single one was.

The man then washes and dries his hands before jogging past you. He quickly flips the sign at the front door of the shop to “closed” and jogs back over to you. He then grabs the handle of your suitcase before extending a hand out to you.

“Hello, so sorry.” His voice comes out in a gentle, sing-song manner and it makes the corners of your lips lift.

Your eyes grow wide as you drink him in: Deep brown almond eyes, poreless skin, shiny plump lips and his satiny-pink hair was swooped into a middle part over one of his eyes. You wonder to yourself how a man this attractive found himself working in a bakery. 

You shake your head to snap yourself out of your daze.

Remember. Men are cancelled.

“I’m Jin. Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Y/N. Y- You own this place?” The lump in your throat becomes apparent as you shake his hand in return. Jin lifts one of his dark brows at you before his lips curl into a smile. 

“Wow, were you just checking me out?” Jin’s eyes turn into little crescents as he laughs and he places a finger gun under his chin. He laughs even harder as your cheeks flush in embarrassment at him calling you out. He pats your shoulder to relieve you.

“Aigoo. I’m kidding...I’m kidding . And yes, I own this bakery. Come on, I’ll show you to your room.”

“Oh, you don’t have to-” Jin begins to lift one of your suitcases up a hidden set of stairs in the back of the bakery.

Chivalry wasn’t dead? Okay. Noted.

***

The room is small, clean and simple —- just as described. A small picture window looks out onto the Ventian harbour, adding charm to the room.

“Modest, but it works for you, right?” Jin looks to you and you give him a nod. 

“My assistant and I have rooms next door, and the shared bathroom is in the hall as well.” You nod again in affirmation, before your stomach makes the loudest and most ungodly sound from hunger. 

“Also, guests can get as many pastries as they want from downstairs for free.” Jin winks at you, and you let out a soft chuckle. 

As Jin leaves the room, you throw yourself back onto the plush sheets and sigh. 

You look over to the night table and you pluck a pink rose from its vase. You press it to your nose before you reach into your pocket and pull out a worn photo of you kissing a man.

Your eyes study it for a moment, but you quickly tear it and toss the remnants over you.

***

The summer sun settles on your features, and the warm rays tickle you awake. A small yawn slips from your mouth, and you sit up to stretch your arms. 

The toasty essence of bread travels up your nose as you look around the room.

“Oh.” A small plate of various breakfast pastries is on the night table next to your bed. You immediately grab the pastries, scarfing them down before taking sips of the hot tea next to it. 

“Gonna need more of those.”

***

As you approach the bakery, you pause for a moment as you see a new man at the counter.

You double back and peek around the corner, peering at him. Your eyes flick to the strong veins in his hands as he continues to write. A tattoo sleeve runs down the same arm from his short-sleeved chef's jacket.

“Can I help you?” The man asks without looking up from the paper he’s writing on. 

The fact that he notices your presence makes you jump, and you slowly walk into the bakery — guilty as charged.

“W-Who are you? Do you work here?”

“Who are you ?” He inquires, standing up to lean against the counter.

Your defenses fall at how his dark doe eyes take you in. His earrings — silver swords —- catch the morning light and accentuate the sparkle in his eyes. 

A few other piercings line his ears, and his dark hair hangs in his eyes. His muscles all still somehow protrude through the fabric of his chef’s uniform. 

“I’m Jungkook. You can call me JK, though. I’m Jin’s assistant chef.” 

Jungkook grins at you, and he watches closely as you lose yourself in his eyes. 

"What is it? Cat got your tongue?" He tucks a few long strands of his hair behind his ear before he extends his hand out to you. 

“Uhm, I’m Y/N. I’m staying above the bakery for a few nights.” You shake his hand in return, and you're sure he can detect the nerves radiating from your fingers.

“Oh, is that so?” 

Your pulse increases in pace as he studies your features. He looks down to pull one of the pastries you point your finger at, and he packages it nicely before your eyes. 

“That’ll be ten-fifty euros, Y/N.” 

"For two doughnuts ?" Your mouth drops open in shock, and Jungkook’s smile extends wide over his face. 

“But Jin sai-” Jin appears, and laughs before he moves behind the counter.

“Ah, I see you’ve met Jungkook,” Jin gives him a look, and he stands down. “He’s kidding.” 

Jungkook suppresses his smile a bit as he looks at you, before folding his arms. Jin hands you the bag, and you take it. 

“We’re about to open, but I’ll take you around the city this evening —- and then a baking class with us tomorrow, as promised in the listing.” 

You look outside, and a line of frantic women are waiting eagerly outside the door. You nod at Jin, and you exit, noticing as Jungkook’s eyes follow you. 

A heat burns your cheeks as you clutch the bag of treats to your chest.

Fuck. 

Men are cancelled. Men are cancelled. Men are cancelled. Men are cancelled.

You repeat the mantra over and over in your head as you ascend the stairs back to your room, but that doesn’t alleviate the twinge you feel in between your legs.

***

“Ah-ah-” You quietly mewl as a wave of pleasure hits you, and you pull your right hand from your underwear. You run your fingers through your hair and run your tongue over your lips as your heart rate slows.

No, no. You definitely didn’t just fantasize about those two incredibly attractive pastry chefs fucking you. You most definitely didn’t. What the fuck was wrong with you?

Your eyes float to the picture window above your head, and you spring up as you take in the sunset. 

You pull a towel and a washcloth from the drawer beside you, and head toward the bathroom in the hall. 

The door is shut, and you quietly rap at it.

“Excuse me, I need to use the bathroom if you don’t mind.”

The soft trickles of the shower end, and after a moment —- the door whips open. 

The crisp scent of soap hits your nostrils before you notice Jungkook is towering over you, half-naked. A small towel over his lower body is the only thing covering him. It takes you a moment to draw your eyes away from his body, but you quickly bring yourself back to Earth.

“All yours, but my eyes are up here.” A few stray beads of water drip from the hair that clings to his face down the golden, muscular dips in his body. Your body is still frozen as you look at him.

“And hot tip: maybe you should be a little quieter next time?” Jungkook whispers in your ear, and you can hear the smirk in his voice. It takes you a second to realize what he means, and you watch him as he enters his room — the one directly next to yours. He shoots you a wink before shutting the door. 

As you scurry into the bathroom, you force the breath from your throat and cup your forehead in embarrassment.

Did he know? 

Jungkook absolutely knew what you just did in your room. 

Shit.

***

“Are you ready?” Jin stands outside of the bakery, and lights up as soon as he sees you. 

The moonlight glimmers on the sea as the two of you approach the vaporetto, heading to San Marco.

“I’m taking you to St. Mark’s Square, and to one of the best Italian places in the city.”

You nod, following him into the boat.

***

“What brings you to Italy?” The two of you deboard the vaporetto and head toward the square. “I just needed a break from my real life to be honest.” 

“Oh?” Jin raises a brow as the two of you dodge the pigeons littering your path.

“Bad breakup,” You pause. “He was a cheater anyway.”

“Gave the rest of us men a bad name, huh?” Jin tries to lighten the mood and you nod. 

A man is nearby and selling single roses, and Jin swoops one into your hands — handing the man a euro coin.

“Well, hopefully I can get your mind off things.” Jin smiles at you, and it makes you smile in relief.

***

“We’ll take the gondola back over to Giudecca.” You shrink in embarrassment. 

“Isn’t that just for couples?” Jin shakes his head. 

“No, it’s a handy form of transportation, too.” He lets out a squeaky laugh and you giggle with him as he pulls you into the boat. "You're in Italy. You just have to do it."

As you’re halfway towards the bakery, the gondolier starts to break out into a serenade. 

Jin senses your embarrassment, and he suddenly breaks out into song with the man. 

"Jin stop!" You clutch your gut in laughter and after awhile Jin sits back down. 

You wipe the happy tears from your eyes and Jin smiles at you. 

Both of your smiles suddenly drop as you look at each other just a moment too long.

You weren’t sure what got into you: Jungkook’s subtle flirtations in the back of your mind, Jin’s smile and his lips, remnants of your breakup, the moonlight — it was all too much for you to hold in right at that moment. You put your fingers on Jin’s collar and press your lips to his. Jin takes the kiss in, and cups your chin in his hands.

The gondolier smiles to himself as he watches the two of you.

***

Jin leads you into his room, and presses you into the wall. The door shuts lightly and is left slightly ajar, but the two of you are too caught up in each other to notice.

Jin kisses you, pressing himself between your legs. You take in his scent — the essence of what smells like a sweet vanilla. His caresses on your hair are soft, and his skin glides over yours like silk. He reaches below to slide his fingers into your underwear and you let out a moan.

“Thin walls.” Jin whispers into your ear as he covers your mouth. You heave as his fingers torturously work inside you, and you clutch his wrist to try to slow his pace. You try to keep quiet as he asks, but it’s no use.

Jungkook jogs up the stairs and hears soft moans filling the hall, and he realizes Jin’s door is slightly open. 

Jungkook peeks at the scene between the two of you for a few moments before he feels the tug of fabric tightening around his bulge. The stifled and needy moans that fall from your lips only serve to turn him on further. 

Jungkook returns to his room and starts to massage his throbbing cock — but he imagines himself pleasuring you instead as he hears your moans through the wall.

***

You jolt from your sleep in the dead of the night as you feel your bed shake. It takes you a bit to orient yourself, but you hear the moans of two females through the walls. 

It sounded like Jungkook was fucking two females in the room next to you. 

He was. So hard that your bed was shaking.

Of course he was.

You roll your eyes and press a pillow over your head before you force yourself back to sleep.

***

The bustle of people outside in the morning wakes you, and you spring from your bed to head to the bathroom.

As you look around, you spot a lacy pair of underwear on the rack. You take a second before you snatch them and crumple them in your hand. 

You head to Jungkook’s door, banging at it with your fist.

“Is there a problem?” Jungkook looks down at you as he opens the door and hangs in its frame.

“I’m going to give you zero stars on this listing is the fucking problem.” You fling the underwear in his face. “All I heard last night was you fucking. I barely got any sleep.” 

“Oh, so you were listening, huh?” Mischief dances in Jungkook's eyes and he grins. You glare up at Jungkook, your expression still brimming with displeasure.

“You’re being so uptight. You know it’s 2019 and people fuck, right?” You scoff at him. 

“Don’t get your panties in a bunch.” He bites his lip before he runs his fingers through his hair.

Uptight. 

The word swirls around your head and it makes the blood boil in your veins. Everyone in your life seemed to throw that phrase at you, and this moment was the crescendo to your breaking point. 

You were tired of hearing it.

Uptight.

In a split second, you grab Jungkook’s shirt to pull him down to your level.

“I’m not uptight.” An animalistic anger overtakes you as you crash your lips into his and then pull at them with your teeth. 

Jungkook moans into the kiss and you feel a deep hunger from him each time your lips meet.

The moans that escape your mouth start to sync with his as he guides you in the room and closer to his bed. Your hand slides underneath his shirt, and your fingers skate over the hard dips that line his abdomen and chest. 

“I think you wanted me to find them. Is that right?” Jungkook hums as he sits on the bed, pulling you down to his lap. 

“And why would I want to do that?” The kisses between you grow in heat as your mouths open wider and your tongues intertwine. 

“You imagined one of those girls was me, didn’t you?” You grit out in a whisper. Jungkook presses his fingers firm into the meaty flesh of your thighs as he pulls you tighter to his frame.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” You snap your lips from his and look from the new glint on his mouth up to his eyes. He runs his hands up your shirt, eagerly anticipating your next move. 

"I want you inside of me." You feel him twitch below you before your teeth grab his ear. You steady your breaths and your eyes close as he enters you.

"Is that big enough for you?" You let out an involuntary moan as you feel him fill you, but you refocus your thoughts. 

“I hate you.” You nibble at his lips, and your fingertips squeeze the back of his neck for support.

You grind your hips into him —- slow at first —- but quickly picking up pace. You let out a whimper at how hard his cock is inside you as you start to lift your hips, slamming up and down on him.

"I'm gonna cum if you go that fast," There’s a strain to his moans as you move on top of him and it satisfies you. He throws his head back, trying to pace his breaths, but it fails.

"Ah, sh-" He whimpers as your slick walls squeeze him relentlessly. You moan in pleasure as you feel his warm load fill you. You steal one more kiss from his lips before you look at him.

“How’s that for uptight?” You pant, as you look at him below you — his face fucked out and glistening with sweat.

“Fuck you.” Jungkook breathes out as he watches you catch your breath.

"You loved it." He says as he smacks your ass.

You give him the middle finger, and he chuckles.

***

As you enter the bakery, Jungkook looks up from what he’s writing to look at you. 

You look refreshed from your shower, but Jungkook smirks at you — pleased that just moments ago he filled you to the brim with his cum. 

"Please don't look so satisfied." You glare at him and he hands you an apron. You try to snatch it, but he pulls it behind his back. 

Jungkook closes in on you and lets out a chuckle as he watches your cheeks grow red. He places a hard kiss on your lips before the two of you hear footfalls approach. 

"Behave." You point your finger at him before you immediately separate. He gives you another smirk as he hands you the apron.

“So sorry I'm late. I had to run some errands this morning. Are you ready, Y/N?” Jin slips behind the counter and looks at the two of you. 

You don’t make eye contact with either of them as you put on your apron. 

“Today we’ll be making a simple puff pastry.”

Jin starts to demonstrate the process and you watch him. You can't help but get swept up in how sexy he is while he's working, and Jungkook takes notice. 

Jungkook clears his throat and it catches the attention of both you and Jin.

"That's only one way of getting it done. You could also drop it into the mixer for a faster process."

"You're right. But we like to show off to our guests a little bit, right?" Jin winks at you and you can't help but giggle at his natural charm. 

Jungkook rolls his eyes in jealousy and Jin smiles to himself.

Jungkook and Jin continue to knead at their own pile of dough as they each sneak glances over at you. You continue at your pile of dough to distract yourself from the encounters you had with the two of them.

"Oh, mine is getting super sticky." You wail, and Jungkook jogs over to assist you. 

Jungkook stands behind you and tosses flour over the dough. 

"It’s okay, it's just too wet ." Jungkook says into your ear, and then puts his hands on top of yours to help you knead the dough. It sends a shiver down your spine, and you try to suppress the urge to bite your bottom lip.

Jungkook shoots Jin a satisfied look as he walks by, and Jin glowers at him. 

You realize at that moment that they both reached the same conclusion at the same time: they both fucked you.

The air between the three of you thickens as you all knead in silence — all of you attempting to sneak glances at each other. 

After a few moments, Jin clears his throat.

“We should all have aperitivo here tonight.” 

You and Jungkook nod, sensing Jin is up to something.

***

The three of you sit on the floor with your legs underneath a small coffee table that’s adorned with small candles. A decadent spread of meats, cheeses and wines is before you. 

There’s still a certain silence between all of you, Jin and Jungkook on either side of you.

“The class was nice,” You start, trying to clear the air. 

Jin reaches his hand out for the last cheese cube and Jungkook steals it. Jin hums and then glowers at him, before feeding you a slice of meat. 

“So, thank you,” You can still sense a certain electricity between the two. 

As you take a sip of prosecco, your eyes lock with Jin’s — his sensual expression drawing you in as he looks at you.

“Something you must know about me is that I don’t like sharing,” Jin begins and you place your glass down to focus your attention on him. “But...I wouldn’t mind doing so tonight.” 

Jin‘s voice hits your ears like honey. You feel your pulse pump in your throat before Jin starts to close in on your lips. He stops just before his lips meet yours to look at you, and you nod.

Jungkook observes the two of you and gets the hint before turning your chin to face him. 

You're taken by surprise as he looks down at your lips, and then up to your eyes a few times before he envelops your lips in his. 

The two continue the fight for your lips: Jungkook’s kisses were unrestrained and bold. Jin’s kisses were more drawn out — torturous and focused. You pant as the different sensations and sudden switches between the two men start to overwhelm your senses.

The two of them smooth their hands over your bare inner thighs under your skirt as they move to kiss your neck and shoulders. They peel off the straps of your bra as they watch you, and you gasp in desperation as they reveal your fully erect nipples. 

Jungkook and Jin move to lick your breasts, but they only lick just outside of your nipples. You whine as you comb your fingers through their hair, desperate for relief. Jungkook and Jin always just miss contact with your dampening folds below — and you can’t help but think they’re trying to punish you. 

Your try to squeeze your legs together to alleviate the ache, but the two part your legs, holding you firmly open. 

"Please." You whine out before Jungkook slips his palm over your underwear and then moves to press his fingers to rub circles into your throbbing clit. You sigh in relief as you turn your head to look at him.

Jin slinks away —- standing up to slowly unbutton his shirt as he watches the two of you.

Jungkook takes you over and unleashes the full fury of his lips and tongue on your mouth. His hands frantically roam the curves of your body as you let out achy moans. Your fingers pull at his hair as he squeezes one of your legs between his thighs — and you feel him start to grind his rock solid cock on your leg. 

Jungkook nibbles on your neck, his hot breaths moving to the depths of your ear. He starts to unbutton his shirt as he continues to kiss you.

All you can do is let out a cry of pleasure as Jin moves back in, capturing your breast in his mouth. You whine as you feel Jin pull your underwear to the side —- beginning to slide his slender fingers into your wet crevice. 

“Does that feel good?” Jungkook asks, placing small kisses on your lips as you try to nod through the pleasure.

Goosebumps veil your skin as Jungkook trails kisses down your body — his long hair tickling your skin until he reaches between your legs. 

You’re now fully able to concentrate on Jin’s plush lips, taking them into your own. You reach down and massage his bulge before he pulls his lips from yours after a moment to watch Jungkook.

Jungkook hooks his fingers into your underwear and starts to roll them down, inch-by-inch, as he places light kisses on your sensitive inner thighs. 

You bring a finger to your mouth to bite your nails as Jungkook’s eyes fuck into yours — relishing in how he’s torturing you. 

Jungkook finally slips your underwear off in one quick motion before he dives into you. You let out a guttural groan, but Jin captures it with his lips.

“How does my little kitten taste?” Jin asks you through kisses. Your brows furrow together after he suddenly releases your lips, and you watch him slink down between your legs.

Jin watches Jungkook lap at you for a minute. 

“Is she sweet?” Jungkook nods, and then pulls back. Jin licks a few stripes up you before the two take turns licking you, and you hook your arms over the back of the couch as you watch them.

Jin pulls you over to his bed, resting your head in his now-naked lap. You grab his cock and start to suck at it as Jungkook enters you. You moan onto Jin, and he starts to caress your head as you work. 

Jungkook lets out strained groans as he takes in the scene between you and Jin as he pumps into you. 

The pleasure Jungkook provides you causes you take Jin deeper into your mouth, despite his large size. Jungkook’s pace gets sloppier and more frantic as he watches you, and you stop sucking Jin to look at Jungkook pounding into you. 

"You're so fucking tight. Shit." The eye contact between you two causes Jungkook to lose it, and he pulls out — exploding his load onto your abdomen.

Jungkook pants as Jin flips you onto your stomach —- lifting your hips into the air. 

Jin enters you from behind and you groan at his thickness as you take him in. Jungkook slides down next to you, watching as Jin snaps his hips into yours. You moan at each thrust, and Jungkook takes your lips into his. 

“You like that?” Jungkook asks between kisses, and you give him a frantic nod. 

“Fuck her. Harder.” Jungkook’s kisses grow firmer — and Seokjin’s thrusts deeper and more ruthless, and it sends you over the edge. You freeze from the intensity of the pleasure, and the pressure of your walls causes Jin to release inside of you.

All three of you pant as you collapse next to each other. 

You press your head into the bed as you catch your breath. It exposes your neck, and the two press kisses into the vulnerable skin.

“I don’t think I can ever leave this bed now.” You say as your fingers push through their hair, and you feel their lips curl up on your skin.

“Whatever do you mean?” Jin props his head up in his hand. “We haven’t even eaten dinner yet.” 

Jungkook looks to Jin and the both of them smile down at you.

You bite your lip and cover your eyes before you let out a buoyant laugh.

Fuck.

Maybe men weren’t quite so cancelled after all.

notes: y'all alive after that? ;) fellow collaborators: smuttymess | som-siren | chaosbulldog navigation: kim taehyung on vacation - (eros) | masterlist

[artificialqueens]

and i'll call you when the party's over (jan/gigi) - aries

summary - there are two sides to every story, but that doesn’t make either one less complicated.

a/n - (dj khaled voice) Another One. i liked the oneshot i posted a few days ago enough to attempt a companion/prequel thing that turned out to be half as long, apparently! thanks as always to alex for being a great beta and providing me with the idea for this in the first place <3

Sunday, November 29th

‘-But I’m not really a popcorn person,’ Jackie sighs. ‘It’s too salty. I don’t want to have to keep stopping to drink water if I’m watching a movie too, you know? That’s, like, triple multitasking.’

Gigi laughs, grabbing the bucket of popcorn and pulling it closer to herself, taking a handful. 

‘I like it,’ she says, her mouth now half-full. ‘You can get it sweet, though.’

‘No, but that defeats the point, i’d rather just get chocolate or something.’ Jackie turns to her left and nudges Jan on the shoulder. She doesn’t look up from her phone.

‘Who are you texting?’ Nicky asks, stealing the bucket from out of Gigi’s lap. ‘They’re stealing you from us. We need your opinion on movie snacks.’

Jan smiles and her eyes light up as she locks her phone and places it on the cushion beside her. ‘Nobody,’ she replies, but the mischievous, almost childlike grin on her face says otherwise. ‘Movie snacks?’

‘We’ve been talking about this for like ten minutes,’ Gigi sighs, irritated. ‘Weren’t you listening?’

Jan grins back at her, mock offended. ‘I was totally listening!’ She gasps. Her phone vibrates, as does the cushion. Gigi looks at it in disgust, and pretends to be nonchalant as Jan’s Fleetwood Mac ringtone echoes through the room. She sits in silence, trying her best to twist her expression into something less sour.

‘ God, just answer the phone,’ Nicky laughs. ‘We can live without your input on this for once.’ Jan grabs her phone and laughs, walking out of Jackie’s living room and closing the door behind her. 

‘Who do you think it is?’ Asks Jackie, turning her head back to face the others. Gigi shrugs, grabs the popcorn back, and shoves a handful in her mouth to stop the bitter comments before they can escape.

‘She’s been talking to that Jake guy a lot,’ Nicky suggests, picking up the tv remote. ‘From biology, or something. He seems okay, I don’t really know him.’

Jackie nods, entertained, and returns the topic of conversation to the important distinction between types of M&Ms. Gigi grabs another handful of popcorn, and stays silent.

Wednesday, December 23rd

Jackie’s never one to half-ass anything, and holidays are no exception, apparently - when Gigi arrives at her house, gift box in one hand, bottle of Bailey’s in the other, she has to take a second to drink it all in. She’s hung fucking mistletoe. Christ.

They’re all sat around the dining table, Mariah Carey is playing in the background, and for a self-proclaimed Christmas hater, Gigi’s pretty content. Jackie pulls a spinner from some board game or other out and flicks it, grinning when it lands on Gigi.

‘okay, G, you go first,’ she smiles, rubbing her hands together. ‘Who’d you get?’

Gigi grabs the gift box from the floor next to her and pushes it across the table to Nicky, whose mouth drops open in surprise. ‘No way,’ she squeals. ‘You bitch, you kept that so secret!’

‘That’s the whole point,’ laughs Jan, tapping the table in excitement. ‘Go on, open it, I wanna see!’

Nicky unties the gift bow and slides the lid off the box, grabbing its contents. ‘A necklace?’ She questions, squinting at the piece of jewellery in her hands. ‘What does it say?’

‘Prettier,’ Gigi replies. the other three glance at her, confused. ‘There was one that just said pretty,’ she explains, ‘and this, and I didn’t think you’d appreciate being second best.’

They continue around the table with gifts. Nicky buys Jackie some kind of expensive perfume that would seem insincere and impersonal from anyone else, but is so quintessentially Nicky that nobody seems to mind. Jackie gives Jan some cute flower earrings and a gift card to a bakery that she loves. 

‘So you can stop hassling us for cupcakes,’ she explains, and Jan laughs in response, and it’s music to Gigi’s ears, always has been.

‘My turn, then,’ Jan smiles, pushes a gift bag across to Gigi. She pulls out sheets of lilac tissue paper to find what feels like a weirdly-shaped sack. When she lifts it out of the bag, the others’ confusion is evident.

‘It’s a cat,’ Jan clarifies, reaching over to tap one of the points on the gift that Gigi thinks, if she squints, could resemble ears.

‘Is it?’ Asks Jackie, face twisted. 

‘You sure?’ Nicky snorts and whacks her on the arm.

‘Yeah!’ Jan fake glares at them, and locks eyes with Gigi. ‘I made him for you, because you mentioned that one time that you wanted a cat but your mom’s allergic.’ 

Gigi thanks her, and the smile doesn’t leave her face all night. 

She names the cat Charlie. He sits at the foot of her bed from then on, and she can’t help but grin every time she sees him.

Sunday, March 6th

‘If we can’t agree on something, we can always just rewatch Mean Girls,’ Gigi suggests, leaning her head back against her pillow and rubbing her eyes. ‘It’s a classic for a reason.’

Nicky groans, throws a cushion across the room, laughs as it flies and hits Gigi in the head. ‘I’m so fucking bored of mean girls.’ Gigi flips her off and picks up her phone, busying herself by scrolling through the same ten instagram posts in her feed she’s seen twenty times today already.

‘We could watch Stranger Things or something?’ Jackie pipes up, scrolling through Netflix. ‘I’ve heard that’s good.’

‘Ooh, Jake said he didn’t like it, though,’ Jan replies, looking up from her phone for a whole second before glancing back down and laughing at something she sees. 

‘Ooh, Jake isn’t fucking here, ’ Gigi snaps, slamming her phone onto the couch beside her. ‘Can’t you think for yourself, or would he not like that either?’

It’s so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. Jan’s face drops, and Gigi feels a guilt unlike anything she’s ever known before at the sight of her staring blankly across the room, eyes welling up with tears. Her eyes narrow and she shakes her head, stands up, and walks out silently. The sound of the door slamming behind her echoes and hits Gigi like a bullet through the chest.

Monday, March 7th

nicky - hey babe, u doing okay? (2:07am)

            i just spoke to jan. i know u probably don’t want to but i think u should apologise. wouldn’t want her to be too upset u know? (2:08am)

            anyway did u see that cat vine i tagged u in on ig?? (2:15am)

-

gigi - hey can i call you? i feel like doing this over text isn’t right (10:12am)

jan <3 - of course! give me a min. (10:12am)

-

jan <3 - make sure you send me the link to that cat video!!!🐱💞 (1:45pm)

Saturday, June 11th

For Jan’s birthday, they congregate in her kitchen and take shot after shot of cheap tequila until Nicky can’t take a step without falling face-first onto the cold linoleum tiles. Jackie sighs, picks her up like it’s nothing and carries her into the living room, rolling her eyes. 

‘She’s such a mom,’ Jan comments, pulling herself up to sit on the counter, swinging her legs back and forth like a kid on a swing. If she notices her heels hitting the cabinets a bit too hard, she doesn’t say anything. Gigi laughs and jumps up beside her, grabbing onto Jan’s arm when she nearly falls, collapsing into giggles on her shoulder when she makes it up successfully.

‘Happy birthday,’ she says, holding onto Jan’s hand just a bit too tight. Jan thanks her, still laughing.

‘It’s weird to do this on a Saturday,’ Jan muses, squeezing Gigi’s hand. ‘I’m so used to Sundays with you all, it feels wrong.’

‘No!’ Gigi replies, and Jan winces at her volume. ‘You’ve had a really nice day!’

‘I have, yeah,’ she giggles, nodding.

‘What’d you get?’ Gigi asks, swings their hands back and forth. ‘From people that weren’t me.’

‘A lot of gift cards,’ Jan replies. ‘And chocolate. Pretty boring.’

‘What about Jake?’

Jan scrunches up her face and shudders. ‘He got me a fucking Forever 21 gift card.’

Gigi scoffs, lets go of Jan’s hand and places both hands on her face, turning Jan’s head to meet her eyes. ‘ Fuck him,’ she says, more force in her words than she realises. Jan smiles, but it doesn’t meet her eyes. Gigi looks at her, confused.

‘No, I didn’t mean to make you sad,’ she mumbles, shaking her head. Don’t be sad, it looks weird on you, you’re so pretty.’

Jan tilts her head up and there’s something in her eyes, soft and weird and wonderful, that makes Gigi feel like she’s floating. She swears she sees Jan glance down at her lips and lean in for a split second, but she’ll never know. 

Jackie pushes open the kitchen door and Jan springs back, pulls her hands away to fiddle with something on the other side of the counter. Jackie asks if they have any aspirin, Nicky’s complaining about a headache. Gigi hops off the counter, makes her way to the bathroom, and locks the door behind her.

Thursday, August 18th

There’s something about the way Nicky’s looking at her from across the table that scares the shit out of Gigi, but she tries her best to ignore it and grabs another slice of pizza, glancing around the restaurant. Neither of them have spoken much the whole time they’ve been out - it’s weird, for the lack of a better phrase.

‘So what, did you just feel like treating me?’ Gigi asks, laughs nervously, takes a sip of her Coke through its red-and-white striped straw. Nicky looks at her and her eyes are so full of poorly disguised pity it makes Gigi feel like a child.

‘You know I’m not one to avoid bringing shit up, right?’ Nicky replies, stirring her drink absentmindedly. Gigi nods. ‘What’s up?’

‘And it’s only coming from a place of love-’

‘Nicky.’

‘You,’ she says, slamming one hand on the table, ‘need to suck it up and get the fuck over Jan.’

Gigi’s eyes widen and she inhales too fast in shock, choking on her drink. Nicky watches, failing miserably to bite back laughter.

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’ Gigi takes another sip and her eyes dart around the room, trying to find something distracting to focus on.

‘Don’t bullshit me,’ Nicky laughs. ‘It’s been two months since her birthday party, and I don’t know what the fuck happened, but I haven’t seen you speak to her since, and I hate it. You’re acting as if she’s poisonous.’

She is, now, thinks Gigi. She may as well be. 

‘I don’t need to get over anyone,’ she stresses. ‘Nothing happened , we just haven’t spoken much recently.’

‘I do talk to Jackie, you know,’ Nicky replies, reaching across the table to grab Gigi’s hand. ‘I’m just saying this because I care about you. I don’t want anything between us all going sour. I love you all too much. Also, she has a boyfriend.’

Gigi smiles, but she’s sure it comes out as more of a grimace. ‘If you care so much, can you drop it? Nothing will go sour, because nothing happened.’

Nicky shoots her a knowing look, but does as she asks.

Saturday, October 1st

When Jake breaks up with Jan, she messages their group chat in floods of tears, and Gigi’s never invited them over faster. A stupid move, maybe, but for a second, as she types, she’s just Jan’s friend, and she wants to be there for her.

It was a stupid move. Definitely a stupid move.

She sits with Jan, holds her for hours on end, wipes her tears and orders the other two around to try to cheer her up as much as possible. There’s a kind of sick sadistic enjoyment in knowing she’s the only person that can make Jan feel better and she doesn’t want to acknowledge it in the fucking slightest, so she doesn’t, lets it bubble underneath the surface but keeps it contained until she can’t handle it anymore. When it gets to that point, she grabs the wine.

She lays next to Nicky making stupid Grease references and then Jan leaves and they’re alone, and her mood shatters into pieces, and all she wants to do is sweep them under the coffee table with the rest of the overpriced breakup cupcakes and leave them there.

‘What’s wrong, doll?’ Nicky grabs her hand and squeezes it comfortingly.

‘Is it bad that I’m happy about it?’ Gigi asks, tilting her head towards the door, avoiding eye contact at all cost. ‘Does that make me a bad person?’

‘What, being happy that your best friend just got dumped? Yeah, maybe?’ Nicky comments, narrowing her eyes. ‘Didn’t we talk about this? I don’t think this is the best time to let your feelings come into play, G.’

‘It’s not my feelings,’ Gigi replies, her voice quiet. ‘I just mean because he was kinda gross to her, that’s all.’ There’s not much conviction in her voice, and it seems like she’s trying to convince herself more than anything. Nicky buys it, somehow.

Sunday, October 16th

She kisses Nicky for the first time outside of a bar. It’s too early to warrant them being anywhere near drunk, and she tastes like cheap wine, and it feels rushed, and impulsive, but not wrong. She checks her phone and they’re late to meet Jan and Jackie, and she feels like she shouldn’t feel as bad about it as she does, because Nicky doesn’t seem to care at all.

They stop at a corner store on the way to Jackie’s house to pick up some snacks, and Gigi tries her best to ignore the tightness in her throat when Nicky grabs her hand as they’re walking along the street.

She turns to Gigi suddenly, grabs her other hand as she walks backwards, and almost makes her drop the plastic bag. 

‘What are we?’ She asks, her dramatic faux-old Hollywood movie accent strong. She looks at Gigi with dark, worried eyes, stays silent for a good five seconds, and then she laughs, and Gigi laughs with her, relieved she was joking, unsure of how she’d have coped if Nicky was serious. Nothing , she thinks. And I think I want to keep it that way .

Nicky kisses her again, spontaneous and odd, against the wall of an alley near Jackie’s house. Gigi feels like a kid, sneaking around in the sunset, but she thinks maybe she could get used to it. If she closes her eyes and focuses hard enough, she can almost mess up the mental picture enough to turn Nicky’s hair blonde, and her eyes blue, and her hands softer, and make everything how she wishes it was.

They get to Jackie’s, and neither of them say a word. Gigi sees Jan’s dejected eyes when they show up, and she wishes she’d gone to that stupid fucking family party after all.

Sunday, October 30th

They stick a dumb horror movie on the tv and let it play as background noise once Jackie leaves. It hits one in the morning and Gigi and Nicky are the only ones awake. It’s weird of Jan to fall asleep so early, but Gigi can’t bring herself to engage her in conversation long enough to keep her up and Nicky’s too busy shit-talking people on her instagram feed to create much of a compelling reason for her to be up, either.

Gigi looks between them and feels suddenly, overwhelmingly lost, and she wants to get up and escape, get a glass of water, clear her head, but it’s like she’s frozen in place. She doesn’t want to be around either of them right now, but lucky for her, she’s with both, and acknowledging whatever the hell’s going on with either would be equally painful. 

So she sits, eyes glued to the shitty slasher flick on the screen in front of her, and tries to focus on the plot enough to distract herself from the room she’s in. 

Nicky taps her on the shoulder and breaks her trance, beckons her over to the corner she’s in.

‘Look at this,’ she whispers, pushes her phone towards Gigi to show her some kind of gross-looking outfit picture taken by god knows who. ‘Can you believe people leave the house like that?’ Gigi laughs, but it’s more of a formality than anything else. Nicky scrolls down and finds an old favourite vine and they laugh together, genuinely this time, watch it on repeat a few times.

Nicky looks at Gigi and sighs, hooks a finger under her chin and tries to pull her closer. ‘ Stop it,’ she objects, the sternness she tries to convey masked by the last of her laughs at the joke. ‘Not with Jan here.’

‘She’s asleep, baby,’ Nicky insists. ‘It’s fine.’

Gigi shakes her head and pushes herself back across the wooden floor, leaving Nicky confused. ‘Later?’ She mouths, and Gigi gives her a half-hearted nod, pulling herself to her feet. As she walks to the kitchen, trying to ignore Jan’s heavy breathing from the couch, she wishes she could just leave, walk off into the night, and not have to talk to either of them for as long as possible.

[thebiasrekkers]

Way To You

For the @btswriterscorner​ - Amor Fabula Launch Project in celebration of the month of Valentine’s Day! 

Plot: Taehyung is happy with his life because that’s how he’s supposed to feel. He lives his life by routine to the minute. In the new world order, love is a dangerous emotion - and therefore illegal.  That’s perfectly fine - until the lingering ‘dreams’ of a strange woman throw him out of sync. Mostly because that woman isn’t his wife. 

Rating: M // NSFW

Genre: dystopian! au/dystopian themes | angst |  smut | fluff if you squint

Pairing: Kim Taehyung x Female OC (Tempest Estrellado)

Warnings: Strong language, interracial relationship, mentions of drugs, blood, main character injury, implied smut 

Word Count: 2,886 

AN: This hot mess has 3 parts. Please enjoy and thank you for loving all that we do © thebiasrekkers (Admin T). All rights reserved. Reposting/modifying our work is prohibited. Translations are not allowed. Plagiarism/stealing is not tolerated by any means. Legal action will be taken in instances of theft.

Links:

FAQ

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BTS Masterlist

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[ REQUESTS ARE OPEN ]

--

“Can we stay like this forever?” She always asked him this after. Their bodies drying in a cool summer breeze through an open window. Their limbs tangled and he could feel her breath against the skin of his neck. The gentle rise and fall of her shoulders. Taehyung kept his eyes closed, living within the sounds and sensations around him. His fingers could trace the colony of goosebumps on her skin. He could smell the heat of her so close. The faint sweet, salty mix of their love lingered on his lips turning upward into a dreamy smile. The rumble of his laugh deep and sensual caused her to smile. 

He could always remember her eyes - they were unique. Leonine. A golden-amber concoction, a genetic mutation that added something wild to the already fierce attitude within that petite form. 

His mouth formed her name, but he could never hear it. She tilted her gaze to his face as his fingers slid along her jaw. 

He’d always say something - it was something that he knew he shouldn’t be saying. But, they said it to each other. They said it freely. 

Then there was always pain that seared his mind. 

Then the alarm would ring and it would be forgotten again.

5:30 am. 

Wake up.

5:45 am.

Shower.

6 am.

Coffee. Toast. Protein bar.

6:15 am

Run 4 miles. 

7 am.

Shower again. Protein bar. Protein Shake.

7:15 am.

Lock the door.

7:55 am

Arrive at work. Clock in. 

8 am.

To say that Taehyung was methodical was to point out the obvious. He always showed up minutes early to work, making sure the office was lit and inviting. As inviting as their line of work was, anyway. He stared at a stack of folders on his desk. They never seemed to shrink, these stacks. Names, faces, and pertinent information lined flimsy manila folders.

It was time to gather candidates to increase the population. 

He sipped a cup of coffee as the voices began to filter into the office. Taehyung carried the stack of folders to the meeting room nearby. A presentation loaded as he stood in the corner. 

“Good morning, everyone. We’ve compiled the candidates for this year.” Everyone settled in their seats. 

He talked numbers and statistics for almost 3 hours. 

“Any other questions?” The room was silent as the lights brightened. “Alright, you know what to do.” They all stood with a nod in his direction before they filed out of the room. 

12 pm.

Lunch and coffee in his office. 

5 pm. 

Debriefing with The Council liaison. 

7 pm.

Lock up and head home. 

8 pm. 

Late Dinner.

“Taehyung, dinner is in the oven. I have to report to R&D tonight.” A female voice spoke softly as he walked into his home.

“I suppose it cannot be helped. Do be careful, April. Things have been slightly tense in the riot zone.” He hung up his jacket as his ‘Wife’ slid hers on. She offered a slight smile as she grabbed her badge. 

“Rest well, Taehyung.” A brief touch on his shoulder. Like a dear friend wishing another friend well. 

10 pm.

Sleep. 

“Taehyung! Seriously! You’re slow as molasses.” A voice taunted him, a petite figure outlined in front of him. He could feel himself licking his lips. An eagerness, an urgency to get his hands on her. 

She was teasing him. She knew better than to tease him. He felt heat fire through his veins. The world was so bright and vibrant. There was the crash of water, the air salty like the...sea? 

The ocean - the moon was full. Full like he hadn’t seen it in ages. When was the last time the sky looked like this? 

He called her name and she turned around, her full lips tilted upward in a smile. She reached behind her back tugging at the string of a bikini top. Turning away from him as it fell down her arms. He heard a sound, like an animal nearby. 

He realized it was him. He growled as the sight of skin glowing under the moonlight fueled him further. It was like time sped forward and he saw her face beneath him. Their bodies intertwined, her face scrunched in orgasmic bliss as she purred. He was losing his mind, he could swear he felt her around him. 

The sound of the ocean was like a lullaby as their voices crescendoed and they cried out freely. She dug her fingers into his back and dragged them across his shoulder blades. He roared as he exploded inside of her. 

Time went funny as they lay together, again, on the sands. Her face obscured as she leaned over him. She smiled down at him, saying something. She called him...something. The world began to fizzle as exhaustion washed over him. 

“We could stay like this forever, querido.” 

The pain was stronger this time. 

5:31 am

Turn the alarm off.

Taehyung clawed at the throbbing pain in his skull. He stumbled to the bathroom, reaching for the vitamins April reminded him constantly not to forget. He swallowed them down with a glass of water. 

He winced as the pain throbbed behind his eye. His hands gripped the sink until his knuckles were white. 

It took ten minutes for the pain to subside. 

Taehyung saw the reflection in the mirror and hardly recognized it. There were bags under bloodshot eyes. He splashed cold water on his face. He stripped down to jump into a hot spray of water. He stood there for fifteen minutes letting the water loosen his muscles. 

“What the hell was that?” 

Flashes of dreams kept creeping into his mind, the pain increased each time he tried to access them. 

7:27 am

Hasty breakfast. 

7:58 am

Barely makes it ‘early’. 

8:05 am

Two cups of coffee as he grabs the stack of folders for today’s patients.

“Good morning, everyone. We’ve compiled the candidates for today.” Everyone settled in their seats. 

There was a new face today. It was scary how all heads turned in her direction. She adjusted the glasses on her face as she stood. 

“I’ll be working with your department as the liaison from the Medical Division starting today.” She approached Taehyung with a hand extended. “My name is Tempest Estrellado.”

She looked up at him ...leonine eyes. Taehyung’s brow twitched momentarily as he accepted her hand. “Ms. Estrellado, a pleasure. I look forward to our continued success.” He held her hand for one second more than he should have. “If you please take your seat?” She offered a curt nod before settling in her seat. Tae cleared his throat, clapped for the lights to dim. 

Taehyung paced around the table slowly as he flipped between screens. Numbers, percentages, and her eyes are so bright even in the low light. He shook his head as he found himself staring at the top of her head. 

The peek of collarbone caused his lips to part as two people spoke on some extra bit of information just made available. His thoughts suddenly wandered to the delicate fingers tapping on the keypad of her tablet. 

“Mr. Kim…” Someone calling him had his gaze snapping upward. The young tech from R&D tilted her head. “...your thoughts, sir?” 

“Ah, right. If we run into the same rabid sequences as last year? Protocol as normal unless we get clearance to combine genetic materials. It is still a curious matter for The Council if proper citizens can come from Rebel couplings.” He waved a hand moving toward the front of the room. 

“Any other questions?” The room was silent as the lights brightened. “Alright, you know what to do.” They all stood with a nod in his direction before they filed out of the room.

1 pm 

Lunch.

1:30 pm

“Mr. Kim.” A voice caused him to look up from his desk. 

“Yes, Ms. Estrellado?” He wiped his mouth, cleared his hands and stood. An arm spread to offer her the seat in front of his desk. 

She wore her hair in a ponytail, slicked back. Its length easily the middle of her back. She was petite - even for what he was used to. She was maybe 5’5 outside of the two-inch heels she wore, that is. 

“...so I’m going to need a space to work. I hope you don’t mind?” She arched a brow as he shook his head again. 

“Uh, n-no. That’s not a problem. The office next to me is quite large. I’ll have it ready for you tomorrow, should that suffice?” He maintained his professionalism as she offered that slight smile. 

“Splendid.” She stood offering her hand once more. “I’ll be heading to collect my things - I’ll be here bright and early.” 

They shook hands.

She left his office, and he found himself sagging against his desk. 

The pain ringing like a bell in his ears. 

Promise me, Taehyung. No matter what. Promise. 

He shook his head violently as he settled back at his desk. It seemed like he stared at nothing until his phone rang. 

“This is Mr. Kim.” A receptionist pleasantly announced his Wife calling.

“Taehyung.” April spoke, that pleasant friendly tone, “...are you alright?” His brow furrowed as she asked.

“Of course, why wouldn’t I be?” 

“You didn’t eat your protein bar this morning. That’s unlike you.” He could detect the stirring of worry. 

“Ah, I had a bit of a headache this morning.” He sighed quietly.

That worry seemed to turn into something...else. “Did you take your vitamins, Taehyung? You know how important it is for you to take your vitamins.” 

There was something almost cold, ominous in her tone. His brow furrowed deeply as he answered her, making sure the hesitation was absent from his voice. “Of course, April. I took them immediately when I woke up. I was quite fine after a shower. I think I was just alarmed at the one minute tardy. I assure you, I’m fine.”

There was a long, thick silence before she spoke again. Her tone was light and friendly once more. “I’m sure it was jarring, Taehyung. Just let me know if you feel strange, alright?” 

He forced himself to smile, so it filtered through into his voice. “Of course, April. I need to stay late tonight. We have a new colleague who’ll be using the empty office. I’d like to have it ready for her use.”

“Of course, Taeyung. You’re not the only ones busy. I will leave dinner for you. Have a good night, Taehyung.” 

“Of course, April. You do the same.” The line goes dead but he still holds the phone aloft. It’s almost a full minute before he placed the handset onto its base. There was that bothersome echo in the back of his mind again.

It was exhaustion - wasn’t it?

10:37 pm

Nails on a chalkboard. That was the sound of the heavy furniture sliding across the floor. Tae had removed his jacket and dress shirt. His white t-shirt had slightly grayed from cleaning the other office. He worked quietly adjusting the office to spec. There was a certain placement for all of the furniture in the office. They all looked the same, even when facing different directions. 

11: 32 pm

Taehyung grunted as he dropped a box onto the floor. He rotated his shoulder to work out the strange soreness. It was unusual for him to suffer such strains. “Mm, I didn’t have much to eat today.” He sighed. That conversation with April caused his brow to furrow. He glanced at his watch with a deeper sigh. He didn’t understand that sudden change in her demeanor. He didn’t understand why he felt the need to keep up appearances. There had been no reason to be dishonest with her. 

She was his wife. She was also a medical researcher. She would have understood his symptoms, right? April would have offered some kind of solution, right? 

Why am I thinking about this so hard? Taehyung pushed to stand. One more cup of coffee would give him the energy he needed to push through. That’s what he believed. The office was a strange place at night. There were a few occasions that warranted his presence in the office so late. He shouldered into the break room, pulling the fridge open in the darkness. The light seemed eerie as perfectly situated rows of water and milk lined the shelves. There were fruits and vegetables in the drawers. Small bags of freshly cooked proteins. 

He reached for one of each, plus a bottle of water. He waited those few extra minutes to brew a small pot of coffee. His hand scrunched over the tops of the bags holding the food. The other held a hot cup of caffeine against his face. 

1:48 am

Exhausted. 

Taehyung was exhausted and he couldn’t explain why this sensation caused something to spark inside of him. He sprawled on the floor, making sure not to disturb the exact precision of his work. His eyes closed as he paid attention to the thundering in his ears. The tightness in his chest as he fought for more air. 

Why did this interest him so? Why did it seem suddenly...familiar?

“I shouldn’t have had that extra coffee.” His voice was gruff as he drifted into sleep. Just a small nap, just a moment to close his eyes and rest.

The sky was bright, fiery - hot. 

“Taehyung!” She called him her hand extended as he pulled himself up from the ground. “We have to get out of here.” Those leonine eyes were hard and filled with determination. He could feel his heart thundering in his chest. 

The coppery taste of blood filled his mouth causing him to spit. The sound of gunfire echoed above their heads. They returned to fire on opposite sides hiding behind the shattered pieces of building near them. 

“We have to make a run for it.” He told her. She frowned but hardened her gaze with a nod. They were sitting ducks this way. Taehyung reached out and grabbed her hand - there was a break in the fire. Then they ran - hard. 

“We have to find a way to meet up with the resistance, Tae!” The female’s voice was loud over the sound of violence around them.

“We have to live through this first!” He growled pulling her in front of him as he spun around a corner. “Listen to me, we …” His hands framed a set of tiny shoulders, holding them firm. “...we need to split up.” 

And as he anticipated, “No. NO! Fuck no, Tae! Tae that’s madness! We can’t!” 

“LISTEN TO ME.” He shook her harder feeling his brow crease. He didn’t like it. He abhorred the idea of being away from her. But this new world order gave them no option. They had to find their way to the Rebels that would help them. “Please, I beg you. Please, we have to split here. I’ll draw their fire. You have to run. I promise you, I’ll find you.” 

He hated it. He hated seeing those rare eyes filled with tears. He hated seeing that strength seep from her. “Please.” He framed her face as their foreheads touched. She grabbed his wrists squeezing her eyes shut. 

“Don’t you die, Taehyung.” The female took a shuddering breath as her tears fell over his fingers. “Do you hear me? Don’t you fucking die. I will find you.” She dug half-moon indentations into his arm as their lips smashed together for the last time. He could feel his tears burning hot craters against his cheeks. 

“Go ____..” He croaked as she sobbed quietly. She finally pulled away running toward a thicket of bushes. Taehyung felt himself hyperventilating as he held his weapon tight. He wanted to run after her. He wanted to scream for her to stay where she was. He swallowed his cowardice as he moved beyond the cover to open fire on the enemy.

I won’t die. 

He pushed toward the open field, drawing their attention to him. Searing pain radiated on his left side, causing him to take a knee. The world was silent as the sky seemed to come to meet him - or he met it?

The weightlessness of the world was apparent as the blue of the sky filled his eyes. The fiery blast sent him, others, and debris hurtling to the sky. He heard the crack of his body as he landed on his spine. 

The tears filled his eyes as the world crumbled around him. He made a promise. “I’m sorry…” Taehyung coughed blood in spurts as his world began to fade to black. 

Taehyung. He could hear her voice even as his body pulled him into the darkness.

Taehyung, wake up! It was her. He was sure of it. 

I want to go back to her. I want to go back to her!

Taehyung! 

He sat up grabbing the arm that shook him from his slumber. His eyes wide as their close proximity gave them both pause. “T-Tempest?” There was worry etched across her face. He could feel her pulse racing under his hand. 

They both glanced at their connected skin - and Taehyung saw the time.

7:52 am

[thirst-trapnhl]

Never Grew Out of This Feeling 2(charlie mcavoy)

(A/N): hi babes! sorry this took sooo long, but i’m so excited to finally put this part out into the world! hope you enjoy! (word count: 2696) (warnings: underage drinking, marijuana use, alcohol as a coping mechanism)

song of the chapter: somewhere in neverland - all time low

“We’ll talk about how your parents separated and how you don’t wanna make the same mistakes as them. I’ll say it’s all about sticking it out and trying to feel forever young.”

Fall comes and goes quicker than expected. Classes at community college keep you busy along with your job waiting tables at the small sushi restaurant a few blocks from your house, where most of your weekends are spent answering the phones and refilling the water cups of teens on their first dates. You spend a too-quick weekend in Boston with the McAvoys in October and when you come home, the aching in your chest takes you by surprise. You thought you’d been doing a good job at not missing Charlie too much, but seeing him only made the reality of life on the island without him hit you twice as hard. 

Seeing him walk through the door of the restaurant the Monday before Thanksgiving sends you into shock. You’re frozen from the second you look up after the bell rings on the door and you see him standing there in a big red BU hoodie and basketball shorts. He laughs at your reaction, head thrown back and all. It shakes you from your shock and you cross your arms in front of you, narrowing your eyes at him. “You dirty little liar! You told me you wouldn’t be home until Wednesday night!” 

He smiles smugly back at you, and takes a menu from the holder attached to the front desk. “It’s called a surprise, Numb Nuts.” He opens the menu and ignores your scoff, scanning the list of rolls as if he doesn’t basically have it memorized at this point. “Do you recommend the Angel roll or the Fashion roll?” You grab the menu from his hand and place it back into its slot. 

“Very rude of you to come in here and harass me at my workplace, and besides, you know I prefer the White Dragon roll.”  Emiko, the owner of the restaurant (and the only other waitress) comes out from the back and greets Charlie with an enthusiastic high-five and sends you home for the night, insisting she can handle closing alone after gesturing to the single table being occupied. 

Charlie slides into the passenger seat of your car and swivels sideways, squaring his shoulders towards you as you scroll through your phone to put music on. He waits patiently until you find what you’re looking for and place your phone down in the cup holder. “I have something to tell you.” You look up at him and you can tell he’s fighting a smile and it makes you a little giddy too. You nod to him, a smile crossing your face that mirrors his. “I think I have a girlfriend.” A big, toothy grin finally splits its way across his face but you can’t manage to match his enthusiasm. 

“Ok, a few things. One, we talk on the phone at least once a week. You didn’t think to mention a GIRLFRIEND? And two, what do you mean you think you have a girlfriend? Did she agree to be your girlfriend or not?” You file the sinking feeling in your gut as a reaction to Charlie keeping secrets, and definitely not anything having to do with the fact that he’s dating someone. Charlie’s dated people before anyway; girls you went to school with or who hung around the local rink, and it never bothered you much. They were always girls you knew, and who knew you, and knew how you and Charlie were with each other. Now, you don’t even know if Charlie’s mentioned you to this new girl, if she even knows your name, and there’s nothing more terrifying. 

“Welllll,” He starts, a faint flush rising in his cheeks. “I didn’t mention it because I didn’t wanna jinx it. You know how I get with girls I like. I didn’t wanna like, mention that I told my family about her and freak her out.” You breathe deeply through your nose, choosing to ignore the way a pang hits your heart when Charlie refers to you as his family. “And I haven’t asked her to be my girlfriend yet, but we’ve been hanging out for like a month and a half. I know I haven’t been seeing anyone else, and honestly, we spend so much time together; I don’t think she has any time to see anyone else either.” You nod your head slowly, attempting to process all the information while saving the feelings for later when you’re alone. “You’re not happy.” It’s not a question. Charlie can read you better than anyone and he sees right through the blank smile you’ve put on to hide your reaction.

You exhale and relax, letting your face fall a little now that you know he isn’t buying it. “It’s not that I’m not happy for you. You know I am. I just worry about you getting your heart broken if I can’t be there to fix it.” The sentiment brings a sincere, if not a little bittersweet, smile to his face and you reckon that’s the best you’ll get from the situation. You finally reverse out of your spot, driving straight to the playground. The ride is mostly silent except for Charlie’s fingers drumming against your dashboard and you both bop along to the old Blink-182 track that comes on next. 

 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meeting Katrina over Christmas break is fine, really. You can tell that if you’d met in different circumstances, you might get along but you also know how this story goes and it doesn’t end in a new best friend for either of you. You can sense the question on her tongue as soon as Charlie gets up to use the bathroom from the couch where you’re all splayed out watching tv. 

“So, did you guys ever, have you, uh,” You both draw in steadying breaths before she continues. “Tell me about how you and Charlie became friends!” She finally gets it out and you appreciate her trying to put it as delicately as possible. You rest the plastic bowl filled with popcorn and m&ms on the couch and slide into something that more closely resembles how human beings are supposed to sit. 

“Well, we met in kindergarten and we’ve been, uh, like this ever since, I guess.” She presses her lips together and nods slowly, an uncomfortable silence settling over the two of you until Charlie comes crashing back into the room, flopping back into his spot between you. He laces his fingers between Katrina’s and smiles shyly at her before turning his head to face you. 

“Mom’s doing that Italian dressing chicken you like and she’s buying cannoli as we speak. You staying?” You think about declining for a second, wishing you could run from the awkward air in the room. The thought of Charlie’s mom making your favorite dinner and the promise of cannoli keeps you in your seat though and you nod as Charlie flips through the channels again. 

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It’s spring break before you spend any actual time with Charlie again, having survived the first half of spring semester talking over FaceTime every Tuesday and texting almost every day. You’d heard less and less about Katrina as the weeks went on, but every time you asked about her, Charlie just said she was great. You didn’t want to push things. You knew Charlie would tell you details at his own pace and besides, it’s not like you hadn’t been withholding information too. 

Your dates with Brendan had been nice. The older brother of a girl you and Charlie had graduated with, he’d followed you on Instagram sometime in January. He’d replied to a story of yours and after a month of casual conversation, you’d agreed to meet him for dinner. It had been really casual, just an early dinner at the burrito place by your work that turned into a walk on the boardwalk and an ice cream cone from your favorite local soft serve place. He was just a nice guy, polite and good at keeping conversation. He wasn’t insanely funny or anything, but your dates were always light and casual and he made you feel comfortable right away. You’d kissed for the first time last week, short and sweet in his car when he dropped you off after taking you to see some comedy about a gymnast. His lips were salty from the popcorn and he texted you as soon as he got home, just like he always did. 

You knew you were going to have to tell Charlie at some point. You just didn’t think it was going to be like, right now. “What could you possibly be doing on a Sunday night that you can’t come watch Jackass on my couch with me?” You twiddle your thumbs, picking at your cuticles a little bit while you find your voice. 

You look into his eyes and know it’s time, so you just exhale heavily and let it out. “Sunday nights are usually when Brendan and I go bowling. With his parents.” Charlie’s face stays blank for a minute before his head tilts a little to the side and his brow furrows in confusion. “I know, I know, I should have said something, I’m sorry! I just didn’t really think it was going to, uh, last this long, honestly.” He still looks a little confused so you stay silent and give him a minute to catch up.

Suddenly, it clicks in his head and his eyes narrow. “Brendan Cotiletta? Like, Mia’s brother?” You nod and put on a small, closed mouth smile. “You are dating Brendan Cotiletta and it’s serious enough that you hang out with his parents?” You nod once more, and your smile begins to fall when you realize Charlie’s still looking at you with a little confusion and a little more concern. It’s then that he sees the worry on your face and he takes a deep breath before putting a hand on your arm. “If you’re happy, I’m happy. Just keep an eye on him. I’m sure he’s grown up since the last I heard, but the last things I heard about him weren’t great. Okay?” 

You spend your Sunday with Brendan as planned, explaining to him that the rest of your week would be spent with Charlie and his family. He took it well, not weirded out at all. No suspicious looks, no sly comments about how close you and Charlie were. Really, it went better than you could have hoped for, which should have been your first clue that something was going to go wrong. You and Charlie spend your Friday night baking cupcakes (that are certainly not on the team-recommended diet) and watching Jersey Shore reruns. The episode with the infamous Note is on, and during a commercial break you go to check your phone. You almost tap right past it, Brendan’s best friend’s Snapchat story until something catches your eye in the background of the video. Brendan being pulled on to the dance floor of the bar by a skinny blonde is concerning, but not something to have a meltdown over. The meltdown comes when you’re finally able to place her face. Olivia, Brendan’s high school sweetheart, had broken his heart when she’d run off to some college upstate and met a guy from the Hamptons with a blow problem.  He’d never really recovered, obvious in the way he avoided saying her name at any cost, even in casual conversation. You watch the Snapchat again and again and it doesn’t get any easier. Charlie sinks down on the couch next to you and you almost go to turn the TV off to show him. You can see through your peripheral that he’s texting Katrina, the string of emojis after her name catching your eye. You take another moment to watch him smiling as he types out his reply and the only thing you can bring yourself to do is click the lock button on your phone and return your attention to Snooki and Jwoww. 

The weekend after Charlie leaves, Brendan asks to come over on Saturday morning and you know exactly why. He tries to break it to you as gently as possible, at least. He tells you how sorry he is, how you did absolutely nothing wrong, it’s just that Olivia is his person. It’s bittersweet to hear, sad to end something that was fun and lighthearted, but you can’t be anything but happy for him that he’s got this opportunity to be so truly happy. You tell him exactly that, adding “It makes me hopeful that I’ll find that one day, my person, whoever it is.” He smiles a little at that and shakes his head before giving you a final hug. 

“I’m sure your person is closer than you think.”

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Katrina breaks up with Charlie when she finds out you were invited to the draft and she wasn’t. It’s a shame, you think to yourself, that she wasted all those months pretending to be cool about how close you and Charlie are. She seems to be forgotten about as quickly as she arrived, mostly just swept away in all the excitement. It’s truly a whirlwind weekend. From the second your mom drops you and the McAvoys off at the airport, Charlie is buzzing. His leg bounces the entire 90 minute flight and he opens his complimentary bag of pretzels but doesn’t eat a single one. During the draft, a quiet tension settles over all of you, waiting with bated breath until Charlie’s name is called. You try not to let it cross your mind, that the second Charlie gets drafted is the beginning of the end. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The weeks post-draft are spent just like all your summers before: mornings in the waves and afternoons napping on the sand, nights spent sat around a fire with your friends. The only difference is that Charlie’s managed to keep his drinking and smoking to a minimum, convinced that the only thing that could hold him back from making an NHL roster are a spliff and a rack of Bud Light platinums. Secretly, you might agree, so you pretend not to notice Charlie’s look of concern every time he realizes you’re drinking more heavily than ever. It’s easy when you’re like this, warm and loose from the beer and Charlie’s hand on your back guiding you home, to convince yourself nothing will change.

Somewhere around the middle of July, you’re curled into Charlie’s side on the hammock in a friend’s yard and you’re not sure how much more wear and tear your body can take from partying. You know Charlie notices it too; the circles under your eyes, the littering of bruises and scrapes on your body from god knows what. You’re running yourself ragged and you can’t bring yourself to even try to hide it. You feel him shift underneath you to get a better look at your face, but you’re not ready to look up at him quite yet. 

“Hey, bub,” he starts, quiet enough to ensure that no one else is listening in. You still can’t bring yourself to meet his eyes, knowing you won’t be able to hold in the word vomit once it starts. You reply with a “mhm?” instead, eyes glued to the wooden fence next to you. He clears his throat before speaking again and you can feel his fingertips flex into your ribs a little. “You know you can tell me anything, right? Like whatevers, uh, happening, however you’re feeling, all I wanna do is help.” The statement lights up your whole chest and you feel, honestly, kind of stupid for thinking you couldn’t bring something up to Charlie. He knew you, your anxiety and your fear and your cynicism, and nothing had ever sent him running before. 

“Don’t wanna think ‘bout you leavin’... can’t lose you,” you mumble, cheek squished against his chest. He squeezes you a little harder at that, laying his face against the top of your forehead. A few minutes pass in silence between you while the party continues across the yard. He kisses the top of your head, letting himself take in the scent of smoke in your hair. 

“You couldn’t get rid of me if you tried.”

[fresh-outta-jams]

Plastic Heart - Part 8

Namjoon x Reader Author: Mo Summary: When you get the highly-anticipated BTS dolls for Christmas, your life takes a turn in a way you never could have expected. Note: Double update today because I looooooove you <3 Warnings: None? Word Count: 1.8k

Prologue, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

God, how you loathed writing papers. You hated outlining them. You hated researching for them. You hated citing references in them. But most of all, you hated the writing process. It was exhausting, trying to keep an academic tone, using words you would never dream of using in some vain attempt to impress you professor. It was awful, really.

So, because you had left so much of the paper until the night before it was due, you were sitting at your desk, sipping on your third cup of iced chai of the evening, praying to the caffeine gods above that you could stay up late enough to finish.

“Is that...healthy?” Yoongi asked, watching you from your shelf amused.

“Probably not. What are we talking about?” You asked, looking at him as you typed.

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe the fact that you’re consuming your third cup of caffeinated beverage at--” he looked at the clock, “midnight.”

“It is not midnight, it is eleven-thirty.” You protested, stirring your straw around your drink before setting it on your BTS coaster. “And I am writing a paper, so it’s excused.”

“How’s it going?” Namjoon asked, hopping from your dresser onto your desk and walking in front of your computer screen. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“If I think of something, I’ll let you know, but for now, your company is appreciated. Writing papers suuuuuucks.” You whined, leaning back in your chair.

“I thought you LIKED writing!” Jungkook piped up from his spot on your bed. He and some of the others were playing games on your DS.

“Papers are different. Believe me, I’d much rather be writing fanfiction right about now.”

“You write fanfiction?” Namjoon asked, amused. “What about?”

Your cheeks burned bright red. You weren’t about to tell him, or any of them, really, that you had...dabbled in writing (and reading) some BTS fanfictions from time to time. So instead, you bullshitted. “Oh, you know...Astro. They’re adorable.”

“Astro?”

“Really? Astro? I thought BTS was your bias group!”

“Traitor!”

“What can I say? They’re cuties.” You shrugged, smirking. You took another sip from your tea.

“You’re a liar! There was not a single Astro fic on your AO3 page!” Hoseok accused, pointing a little plastic finger at you.

“You stalked my AO3 page?” You gasped, whipping around to look at him. “I thought you were watching dance practices!”

“You left it open!” He defended. “But may I just say, your fic about RM and the novelist was superb.”

“Hoseok, what the fuck.” Yoongi scrunched his eyebrows while you hid your reddening cheeks.

“Is it my fault our girl writes remarkable literature?”

“And with that, I leave to make my fourth tea of the evening. Would anyone like to accompany me to the kitchen?”

“Me!” Namjoon volunteered immediately, wanting to get away from that conversation as fast as possible. You scooped him up and set him on your shoulder, picking up your cup before starting to walk to the kitchen.

In all honesty, Namjoon was kind of in a daze. He supposed he should have kind of known that you wrote and/or read fanfiction about him--no, about RM, not about him. But he was still a little flustered. Okay, a lot flustered. The fact of the matter was: he was a little plastic carbon copy of your bias, the man you held above all men, the one who sung--well, rapped--you to sleep, whose mixtape soothed your anxiety, and whose Tweets never failed to bring a smile to your face no matter how upset you were. Namjoon looked just like...Namjoon. And yet, he wasn’t.

He knew in his heart it was silly. He knew Yoongi was right, that his crush was impossible and unattainable, that it would only hurt him in the end, once you finally figured out just how you made him feel, but he couldn’t shake his feelings. They’d wrapped themselves too tight around his soul. And that only broke his heart more.

He wanted to feel things, like properly FEEL them. He wanted to know the difference between warm and cold. He wanted to know how soft your sweaters and blankets were. He wanted to feel the softness of your skin under his fingertips. He wanted to taste salty buttery popcorn and chocolatey sweet M&Ms. God, he wanted to kiss you. Everything would be so much easier if he was just--

That was it. That was what he wanted. Namjoon wanted to be human.

“Joonie, is everything alright?” You asked gently, getting your vanilla soymilk and chai latte mix out of the fridge. “You look really sad.”

“I’m okay.” He nodded, but he wasn’t very convincing.

You tilted your head, pouting slightly. “You can tell me anything, Joon. Is something bothering you?”

“Really, (Y/N). I’m fine...I just...it’s kind of hard to explain.” He admitted, looking up at you from his spot on the counter while you poured yourself some more tea, stirring it together with your straw. “Do you ever...wish things were different? Even though you know you have it great, there’s just...one thing you would change.”

“I get what you’re saying, yeah.” You nodded. You had some idea what he was talking about.

“I don’t know...I just wish things were different, you know?”

“Different how?”

He chuckled to himself, shaking his head, “Well for starters, I wouldn’t be made of plastic, that’s for sure.”

“Mmm.” You hummed, smiling softly at him. “The universe is cruel like that sometimes. I’m really sorry. I don’t know how to help you, but...I’m here for you, alright? If you need to talk about it. I know it can’t be easy.”

“Thank you. Really. From the bottom of my heart...or, well, lack thereof.” He laughed a little. If you’d told him a few months ago that he’d not only be TALKING to his human, but that he was actually FRIENDS with her, he’d probably laugh in your face. And yet, here he was, having a full heart-to-heart with you. “You’ve done so much for us since you found out about us. We were all kind of afraid you’d give us to your little cousins.”

“It might have crossed my mind during my post-Tae-sneeze anxiety attack, but, having seven little roommates running around has been fun, too.” You helped Namjoon back onto your shoulder, taking a sip of tea. “And besides, I was so lonely before I started talking to you guys.”

“Well, we’re glad you’re not lonely anymore.” He grinned, hugging your neck as best as he could given the current circumstances. You smiled and used your free hand to give his back a gentle little rub.

The two of you returned to your bedroom. You got back to work on your paper while Namjoon read one of your giant books and the rest of the boys entertained themselves. You were blissfully unaware, mostly because of the curtains in your kitchen window, that while Namjoon was unpacking his emotional load, something a little out of the ordinary had happened.

This something was a shooting star zipping across the sky.

So, once you had finished your paper, brushed your teeth, and crawled into bed, you went to sleep. By now, you’d made beds for each of the boys, some of them bunkbeds, some of them solo, differing by request. Namjoon was laying in his bed, staring at the ceiling. He wasn’t sure why, but something felt...off, deep in his chest.

Not thinking much of it, he rolled over, closed his eyes, and tried to fall asleep. And yet, he couldn’t. Something was definitely wrong. It wasn’t an emotion, really. At least, he didn’t THINK so. But it was there, hovering, lingering inside of him. Strange, he decided.

He laid there for a while, maybe a few hours or so before he felt it again, that strange feeling bubbling up in his chest. Swelling and festering until he couldn’t ignore it anymore. He swung his legs out of the little bed you’d made for him and sat there for a second, waiting a few seconds to see if anything changed. Something was happening, and he wasn’t sure what.

A few more minutes ticked by and the feeling evolved from a faint murmur to a deafening sting, bright and decidedly hot. He stood up from his bed, stumbling, and carefully used your desk chair to get down onto the floor. It was then that things started to get even stranger.

Slowly, not all that noticeably at first, but moreso as the process continued, your room started to get...smaller. He stared at the chair he’d just had to use as a firepole. After a few moments, the seat was at eye level, and then the top of the back was at eye level, and then it only stood as high as his shoulders. He looked at your desk, which now only reached his hips. What was happening to him?

Namjoon was all but convinced he had fallen asleep and that this was some insane dream, especially when the shrinking stopped and he looked around at his new, much smaller surroundings. He took a few tentative steps, flinching when the plastic stars you had hanging from your ceiling fan hit him in the face.

That was weird. They had always seemed hundreds of feet above him, and now, he was too tall to walk under them.

He stopped in place, frozen as he felt something else in his chest. He put a hand there, feeling as whatever was inside him moved. It was like someone was knocking on a door, trying to get out of him. What the fuck.

Slowly, quietly, Namjoon walked out of your bedroom, down the hall, and into the bathroom. He felt the wall for a light switch and flicked it on, stumbling back away from the mirror at the sight of the guy standing in his reflection. He slipped and fell on his ass, sitting there for a few seconds in shock.

“Ow…” He mumbled, pain blossoming from what would surely become a bruise. Pain. He’d actually FELT pain. That was...new. While he was sitting there, he took some time to look at his hands. He had fingernails, knuckles, veins beneath his skin. He used his right thumb to pinch some of this new body of his, feeling how his skin moved.

Shaking, he used the bathroom counter to get up off of the floor. He locked eyes with the man standing in the mirror. He had detailed brown irises, and upon further inspection, eyelashes. Namjoon blinked a few times, watching as the man blinked too. Maybe it was the shock of it all, but it took him a few moments to realize that this reflection was his own. This was what he looked like, and if he remembered correctly, he looked exactly like RM, dimples and all.

“Holy fuck.” He swore softly, hands rising to his cheeks to feel the soft skin there. That knocking feeling had returned to his chest, and maybe it made too much sense, but he realized it must be a heartbeat. Holy fuck, he had a heartbeat. And that meant one thing, and one thing alone.

“Oh my God, I’m human…”

Tagged: @iie-wakarimasen, @lilgaga98, @catbugsugarpea, @demonic-meatball, @backtonormalthings, @kbowen9, @honig-bienchen, @coolcat494, @ffantasylandd, @feed-my-geek-soul, @ayoo-bangtan, @xxqueenwxtchxx, @cap-lu20, @finninpoposu, @coldbookworm, @sitkafay, @daniawinchesters21, @okaysoplshelpme 

[darknytemare]

Way To You

For the @btswriterscorner​ - Amor Fabula Launch Project in celebration of the month of Valentine’s Day!

Plot: Taehyung is happy with his life because that’s how he’s supposed to feel. He lives his life by routine to the minute. In the new world order, love is a dangerous emotion - and therefore illegal. That’s perfectly fine - until the lingering ‘dreams’ of a strange woman throw him out of sync. Mostly because that woman isn’t his wife.

Rating: M // NSFW

Genre: dystopian! au/dystopian themes | angst |  smut | fluff if you squint

Pairing: Kim Taehyung x Female OC (Tempest Estrellado)

Warnings: Strong language, interracial relationship, mentions of drugs, blood, main character injury, implied smut

Word Count: 2,886

AN: This hot mess has 3 parts. Please enjoy and thank you for loving all that we do © thebiasrekkers/darknytemare . All rights reserved. Reposting/modifying our work is prohibited. Translations are not allowed. Plagiarism/stealing is not tolerated by any means. Legal action will be taken in instances of theft.

Links:

FAQ || BTS Masterlist || [ REQUESTS ARE OPEN ]

--

“Can we stay like this forever?” She always asked him this after. Their bodies drying in a cool summer breeze through an open window. Their limbs tangled and he could feel her breath against the skin of his neck. The gentle rise and fall of her shoulders. Taehyung kept his eyes closed, living within the sounds and sensations around him. His fingers could trace the colony of goosebumps on her skin. He could smell the heat of her so close. The faint sweet, salty mix of their love lingered on his lips turning upward into a dreamy smile. The rumble of his laugh deep and sensual caused her to smile.

He could always remember her eyes - they were unique. Leonine. A golden-amber concoction, a genetic mutation that added something wild to the already fierce attitude within that petite form.

His mouth formed her name, but he could never hear it. She tilted her gaze to his face as his fingers slid along her jaw.

He’d always say something - it was something that he knew he shouldn’t be saying. But, they said it to each other. They said it freely.

Then there was always pain that seared his mind.

Then the alarm would ring and it would be forgotten again.

5:30 am.

Wake up.

5:45 am.

Shower.

6 am.

Coffee. Toast. Protein bar.

6:15 am

Run 4 miles.

7 am.

Shower again. Protein bar. Protein Shake.

7:15 am.

Lock the door.

7:55 am

Arrive at work. Clock in.

8 am.

To say that Taehyung was methodical was to point out the obvious. He always showed up minutes early to work, making sure the office was lit and inviting. As inviting as their line of work was, anyway. He stared at a stack of folders on his desk. They never seemed to shrink, these stacks. Names, faces, and pertinent information lined flimsy manila folders.

It was time to gather candidates to increase the population.

He sipped a cup of coffee as the voices began to filter into the office. Taehyung carried the stack of folders to the meeting room nearby. A presentation loaded as he stood in the corner.

“Good morning, everyone. We’ve compiled the candidates for this year.” Everyone settled in their seats.

He talked numbers and statistics for almost 3 hours.

“Any other questions?” The room was silent as the lights brightened. “Alright, you know what to do.” They all stood with a nod in his direction before they filed out of the room.

12 pm.

Lunch and coffee in his office.

5 pm.

Debriefing with The Council liaison.

7 pm.

Lock up and head home.

8 pm.

Late Dinner.

“Taehyung, dinner is in the oven. I have to report to R&D tonight.” A female voice spoke softly as he walked into his home.

“I suppose it cannot be helped. Do be careful, April. Things have been slightly tense in the riot zone.” He hung up his jacket as his ‘Wife’ slid hers on. She offered a slight smile as she grabbed her badge.

“Rest well, Taehyung.” A brief touch on his shoulder. Like a dear friend wishing another friend well.

10 pm.

Sleep.

“Taehyung! Seriously! You’re slow as molasses.” A voice taunted him, a petite figure outlined in front of him. He could feel himself licking his lips. An eagerness, an urgency to get his hands on her.

She was teasing him. She knew better than to tease him. He felt heat fire through his veins. The world was so bright and vibrant. There was the crash of water, the air salty like the...sea?

The ocean - the moon was full. Full like he hadn’t seen it in ages. When was the last time the sky looked like this?

He called her name and she turned around, her full lips tilted upward in a smile. She reached behind her back tugging at the string of a bikini top. Turning away from him as it fell down her arms. He heard a sound, like an animal nearby.

He realized it was him. He growled as the sight of skin glowing under the moonlight fueled him further. It was like time sped forward and he saw her face beneath him. Their bodies intertwined, her face scrunched in orgasmic bliss as she purred. He was losing his mind, he could swear he felt her around him.

The sound of the ocean was like a lullaby as their voices crescendoed and they cried out freely. She dug her fingers into his back and dragged them across his shoulder blades. He roared as he exploded inside of her.

Time went funny as they lay together, again, on the sands. Her face obscured as she leaned over him. She smiled down at him, saying something. She called him...something. The world began to fizzle as exhaustion washed over him.

“We could stay like this forever, querido.”

The pain was stronger this time.

5:31 am

Turn the alarm off.

Taehyung clawed at the throbbing pain in his skull. He stumbled to the bathroom, reaching for the vitamins April reminded him constantly not to forget. He swallowed them down with a glass of water.

He winced as the pain throbbed behind his eye. His hands gripped the sink until his knuckles were white.

It took ten minutes for the pain to subside.

Taehyung saw the reflection in the mirror and hardly recognized it. There were bags under bloodshot eyes. He splashed cold water on his face. He stripped down to jump into a hot spray of water. He stood there for fifteen minutes letting the water loosen his muscles.

“What the hell was that?”

Flashes of dreams kept creeping into his mind, the pain increased each time he tried to access them.

7:27 am

Hasty breakfast.

7:58 am

Barely makes it ‘early’.

8:05 am

Two cups of coffee as he grabs the stack of folders for today’s patients.

“Good morning, everyone. We’ve compiled the candidates for today.” Everyone settled in their seats.

There was a new face today. It was scary how all heads turned in her direction. She adjusted the glasses on her face as she stood.

“I’ll be working with your department as the liaison from the Medical Division starting today.” She approached Taehyung with a hand extended. “My name is Tempest Estrellado.”

She looked up at him ...leonine eyes. Taehyung’s brow twitched momentarily as he accepted her hand. “Ms. Estrellado, a pleasure. I look forward to our continued success.” He held her hand for one second more than he should have. “If you please take your seat?” She offered a curt nod before settling in her seat. Tae cleared his throat, clapped for the lights to dim.

Taehyung paced around the table slowly as he flipped between screens. Numbers, percentages, and her eyes are so bright even in the low light. He shook his head as he found himself staring at the top of her head.

The peek of collarbone caused his lips to part as two people spoke on some extra bit of information just made available. His thoughts suddenly wandered to the delicate fingers tapping on the keypad of her tablet.

“Mr. Kim…” Someone calling him had his gaze snapping upward. The young tech from R&D tilted her head. “...your thoughts, sir?”

“Ah, right. If we run into the same rabid sequences as last year? Protocol as normal unless we get clearance to combine genetic materials. It is still a curious matter for The Council if proper citizens can come from Rebel couplings.” He waved a hand moving toward the front of the room.

“Any other questions?” The room was silent as the lights brightened. “Alright, you know what to do.” They all stood with a nod in his direction before they filed out of the room.

1 pm

Lunch.

1:30 pm

“Mr. Kim.” A voice caused him to look up from his desk.

“Yes, Ms. Estrellado?” He wiped his mouth, cleared his hands and stood. An arm spread to offer her the seat in front of his desk.

She wore her hair in a ponytail, slicked back. Its length easily the middle of her back. She was petite - even for what he was used to. She was maybe 5’5 outside of the two-inch heels she wore, that is.

“...so I’m going to need a space to work. I hope you don’t mind?” She arched a brow as he shook his head again.

“Uh, n-no. That’s not a problem. The office next to me is quite large. I’ll have it ready for you tomorrow, should that suffice?” He maintained his professionalism as she offered that slight smile.

“Splendid.” She stood offering her hand once more. “I’ll be heading to collect my things - I’ll be here bright and early.”

They shook hands.

She left his office, and he found himself sagging against his desk.

The pain ringing like a bell in his ears.

Promise me, Taehyung. No matter what. Promise.

He shook his head violently as he settled back at his desk. It seemed like he stared at nothing until his phone rang.

“This is Mr. Kim.” A receptionist pleasantly announced his Wife calling.

“Taehyung.” April spoke, that pleasant friendly tone, “...are you alright?” His brow furrowed as she asked.

“Of course, why wouldn’t I be?”

“You didn’t eat your protein bar this morning. That’s unlike you.” He could detect the stirring of worry.

“Ah, I had a bit of a headache this morning.” He sighed quietly.

That worry seemed to turn into something...else. “Did you take your vitamins, Taehyung? You know how important it is for you to take your vitamins.”

There was something almost cold, ominous in her tone. His brow furrowed deeply as he answered her, making sure the hesitation was absent from his voice. “Of course, April. I took them immediately when I woke up. I was quite fine after a shower. I think I was just alarmed at the one minute tardy. I assure you, I’m fine.”

There was a long, thick silence before she spoke again. Her tone was light and friendly once more. “I’m sure it was jarring, Taehyung. Just let me know if you feel strange, alright?”

He forced himself to smile, so it filtered through into his voice. “Of course, April. I need to stay late tonight. We have a new colleague who’ll be using the empty office. I’d like to have it ready for her use.”

“Of course, Taeyung. You’re not the only ones busy. I will leave dinner for you. Have a good night, Taehyung.”

“Of course, April. You do the same.” The line goes dead but he still holds the phone aloft. It’s almost a full minute before he placed the handset onto its base. There was that bothersome echo in the back of his mind again.

It was exhaustion - wasn’t it?

10:37 pm

Nails on a chalkboard. That was the sound of the heavy furniture sliding across the floor. Tae had removed his jacket and dress shirt. His white t-shirt had slightly grayed from cleaning the other office. He worked quietly adjusting the office to spec. There was a certain placement for all of the furniture in the office. They all looked the same, even when facing different directions.

11: 32 pm

Taehyung grunted as he dropped a box onto the floor. He rotated his shoulder to work out the strange soreness. It was unusual for him to suffer such strains. “Mm, I didn’t have much to eat today.” He sighed. That conversation with April caused his brow to furrow. He glanced at his watch with a deeper sigh. He didn’t understand that sudden change in her demeanor. He didn’t understand why he felt the need to keep up appearances. There had been no reason to be dishonest with her.

She was his wife. She was also a medical researcher. She would have understood his symptoms, right? April would have offered some kind of solution, right?

Why am I thinking about this so hard? Taehyung pushed to stand. One more cup of coffee would give him the energy he needed to push through. That’s what he believed. The office was a strange place at night. There were a few occasions that warranted his presence in the office so late. He shouldered into the break room, pulling the fridge open in the darkness. The light seemed eerie as perfectly situated rows of water and milk lined the shelves. There were fruits and vegetables in the drawers. Small bags of freshly cooked proteins.

He reached for one of each, plus a bottle of water. He waited those few extra minutes to brew a small pot of coffee. His hand scrunched over the tops of the bags holding the food. The other held a hot cup of caffeine against his face.

1:48 am

Exhausted.

Taehyung was exhausted and he couldn’t explain why this sensation caused something to spark inside of him. He sprawled on the floor, making sure not to disturb the exact precision of his work. His eyes closed as he paid attention to the thundering in his ears. The tightness in his chest as he fought for more air.

Why did this interest him so? Why did it seem suddenly...familiar?

“I shouldn’t have had that extra coffee.” His voice was gruff as he drifted into sleep. Just a small nap, just a moment to close his eyes and rest.

The sky was bright, fiery - hot.

“Taehyung!” She called him her hand extended as he pulled himself up from the ground. “We have to get out of here.” Those leonine eyes were hard and filled with determination. He could feel his heart thundering in his chest.

The coppery taste of blood filled his mouth causing him to spit. The sound of gunfire echoed above their heads. They returned to fire on opposite sides hiding behind the shattered pieces of building near them.

“We have to make a run for it.” He told her. She frowned but hardened her gaze with a nod. They were sitting ducks this way. Taehyung reached out and grabbed her hand - there was a break in the fire. Then they ran - hard.

“We have to find a way to meet up with the resistance, Tae!” The female’s voice was loud over the sound of violence around them.

“We have to live through this first!” He growled pulling her in front of him as he spun around a corner. “Listen to me, we …” His hands framed a set of tiny shoulders, holding them firm. “...we need to split up.”

And as he anticipated, “No. NO! Fuck no, Tae! Tae that’s madness! We can’t!”

“LISTEN TO ME.” He shook her harder feeling his brow crease. He didn’t like it. He abhorred the idea of being away from her. But this new world order gave them no option. They had to find their way to the Rebels that would help them. “Please, I beg you. Please, we have to split here. I’ll draw their fire. You have to run. I promise you, I’ll find you.”

He hated it. He hated seeing those rare eyes filled with tears. He hated seeing that strength seep from her. “Please.” He framed her face as their foreheads touched. She grabbed his wrists squeezing her eyes shut.

“Don’t you die, Taehyung.” The female took a shuddering breath as her tears fell over his fingers. “Do you hear me? Don’t you fucking die. I will find you.” She dug half-moon indentations into his arm as their lips smashed together for the last time. He could feel his tears burning hot craters against his cheeks.

“Go ____..” He croaked as she sobbed quietly. She finally pulled away running toward a thicket of bushes. Taehyung felt himself hyperventilating as he held his weapon tight. He wanted to run after her. He wanted to scream for her to stay where she was. He swallowed his cowardice as he moved beyond the cover to open fire on the enemy.

I won’t die.

He pushed toward the open field, drawing their attention to him. Searing pain radiated on his left side, causing him to take a knee. The world was silent as the sky seemed to come to meet him - or he met it?

The weightlessness of the world was apparent as the blue of the sky filled his eyes. The fiery blast sent him, others, and debris hurtling to the sky. He heard the crack of his body as he landed on his spine.

The tears filled his eyes as the world crumbled around him. He made a promise. “I’m sorry…” Taehyung coughed blood in spurts as his world began to fade to black.

Taehyung. He could hear her voice even as his body pulled him into the darkness.

Taehyung, wake up! It was her. He was sure of it.

I want to go back to her. I want to go back to her!

Taehyung!

He sat up grabbing the arm that shook him from his slumber. His eyes wide as their close proximity gave them both pause. “T-Tempest?” There was worry etched across her face. He could feel her pulse racing under his hand.

They both glanced at their connected skin - and Taehyung saw the time.

7:52 am

[hellogoodbye741]

Finally tracking my book challenges for the first time this year can ignore

I was supposed to be doing this on the reg, but I was being lazy. Whooooppss

BAD BOYS OF ROMANCE CHALLENGE:

15 romance novels  about bad boys, MC, mobsters, etc:

Royally Bad

Filthy English

Bad Stepbrother

SEAL Stepbrother

Bad teacher

Kenzie and the guy next door

Savage

Engaging the Billionaire

My Wicked Prince

Bad Guy

Alpha’s Danger

The Geek and his Bad Boys

His Miracle Baby

DIVERSIFY YOUR READING:

A new genre every month

January - Memoir, and Autobiography: Reading Lolita in Tehran

February - Romance: The Prince’s Omega Nanny

March - Science, and Technology: Post Mordem

April - Graphic Novels, and Comics: Calamity Jack

May - History, and Biography: 1776

June - Middle Grade, and Children’s: Winnie the Pooh

July - Humor: Noir

August - Science Fiction: Errant Prince

September - Nonfiction: Diary of Anne Frank

October - YA:

November - Poetry:

December - Fantasy:

A - Z:

Read a book that’s title starts with every letter of the alphabet

A: Al Capone Throws Me a Curve

B: Black Leopard, Red Wolf

C: Crazy Rich Asians

D: Da Vinci Code

E: Eragon

F: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

G: Grumpy Monkey

H: Hidden Figures

I: In Another Time

J: Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes

K: Knights vs Monsters

L: Library of Ever

M: Mr. Popper’s Penguins

N: Noir

O: Other Words from Home

P: Post Mordem

Q:

R: Reading Lolita in Tehran

S: Seizure

T: Terminal

U: Uni the Unicorn

V: Virals

W: Winnie the Pooh

X:

Y: Yertle the Turtle

Z: Zombie

Ragdoll:

A Funny Book: Noir

A Family Member’s Favorite Book: Da Vinci Code

A Book with a real city in the title: Reading Lolita in Tehran

A Book with No Romance: Whipping Romance

A Book you wouldn’t normally read: Fire and Fury

A ‘free’ book: Bride in Disguise

A Book you’ve been meaning to read: Hidden Figures

A ‘classic book’:

A book or author with an alliterative name: Crazy Rich Asians

A translated book: The Little Prince

A Book with a terrible cover: The Geek and his bad boys

A ‘random number’ book: 77 Shadow Street

A book whose author shares your initials:

A book over 500 pages: 1776

A book with a strong female lead: Civil War pt 2

A book that takes place at sea:

A book set in the past:

A book everyone seems to love: Crazy Rich Asians

A spooky book: 77 Shadow Street

A book by a POC or LGBTQIA+ author: Number One Chinese Restaurant 

A book you’ve never heard of: the house that Lou built 

A ‘Top of 2019’ book: Black Leopard, Red Wolf 

A book set in another country/culture: Crazy Rich Asians 

A memorable book: Whipping Boy 

Read Les Miserables

Another book by a P.O.C or LGBTQIA+ author: Crazy Rich Asians

Color-Coded/Read it Again Sam:

Books with color on the cover or in the title/re-reading books (17) you’ve read in the past

A book with ‘blue; or any shade of blue in title/on the cover: True Blue

A book with red/any shade in title or color: Black Leopard, Red Wolf

Yellow: Yellow Wallpaper

Green: Prodigal Summer 

Black: Black Leopard, Red Wolf 

White:

Any other color: Color Purple

A book with a word that implies color in title or on color (polka dot, rainbow, plaid, etc): rainbow fish

Re-read: Da Vinci Code

Re-read: Rainbow Fish

Re-read: House on Mango Street

Re-read: Whipping Boy

Re-read: Red Scarf Girl

Re-read: Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson

Re-read: Eragon

Re-read: Winnie the Pooh

Re-read: 

Re-read: 

Re-read: 

Re-read: 

Re-read: 

Re-read: 

Re-read: 

Re-read: 

Re-read:

Women Reading:

Books written by women/about women

Mystery/thriller by a WOC:

Woman with a mental illness: Yellow Wallpaper 

Author from Nigeria or New Zealand 

About or set in Appalachia: Prodigal Summer 

Children’s book: the house that lou built 

Multi-gen family saga 

Featuring women in science: Hidden Figures 

A play: Raisin in the Sun 

A novella: House on Mango Street

About a woman athlete: Who are Venus and Serena williams 

A book featuring a religion other than your own: Reading Lolita in Tehran 

Lambda literary award winner: 

A myth retelling: Song of Achilles 

A translated book published before 1945: Little Prince 

Written by a South Asian Author: The Lowlands 

By an Indigenous woman:

From 2018 Reading Women Award Shortlist:A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza 

Romance or love story: Second chance thing - lennox 

About nature: How to be a good creature 

Historical fiction book: In another Time 

Book bought/borrowed 2019: Second Chance Thing - Elizabeth Lennox

Book you got because of the cover: the house that lou built

YA book by a W.O.C.: Children of Blood and Bone 

Book by Jesmyn Ward: Sing, unburied, sing 

Book by Jhumpa Lahiri: The Lowlands 

Modern Ms. Darcy:

A book you’ve been meaning to read:Hidden Figures

A book in the backlist of your favorite author: Noir

A book recommended by someone with great taste: Sweet Surrender

Three books by the same author: Virals

Three books by same author: Seizure

Three books by same author: Chaos 

A book you chose for the cover: Hunting Prince Dracula 

A book by an author who is new to you: Number One Chinese Restaurant 

A book in translation: Little Prince 

A book outside your (genre) comfort zone: Fire and Fury

A book published before you were born: Little Prince

Pop Sugar Challenge:

A book becoming a movie in 2019: Sun is not a Star

A book that makes you nostalgic: Whipping Boy 

A book written by a musician: Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl 

A book that you think should be made into a movie: Virals 

A book at least with 1 million ratings on Goodreads: 

A book with a plant in the title or cover: How to be a good Creature

A reread of a favorite book: Da Vinci Code

A book about a hobby: the house that lou built 

A book you meant to read in 2018: Crazy Rich Asians 

A book with “pop” “sugar” or “challenge” in the title: Hop on Pop A book with “pop” “sugar” or “challenge” in the title: Hop on Pop 

A book with a item of clothing or accessory in title or cover: Red Scarf Girl

A book inspired by mythology, legend, or folklore: Song of Achilles 

A book published posthumously: The girl who played with fire 

A book set in space: Little Prince

A book by two female authors: 

A book that contains “salty” “sweet” “bitter” or “spicy”: Sweet Surrender 

A book set in Scandinavia: Girl who played with fire 

A book that takes place in a single day: Sun is also a star

A debut novel: The Help 

A book published in 2019:  elizabeth lennox 

Book featuring an extinct or imaginary creature: Claimed by a Dragon 

A book recommended by a celebrity that you admire: A place for us (jennifer garner) 

A book with “love” in the title: 

A book featuring an amateur detective: Hope Never Dies 

A book about a family: 

A book by an author from Asia, Africa, or South America: House on Mango Street 

A book with a zodiac sign or astrology term in the title: The Birth of Venus 

A book you see someone reading on tv or in a movie: Wuthering Heights 

A retelling of a classic: 

A book with a question in the title:

A book set on a college or university campus: Royal Academy

A book about someone with a superpower: Civil War 

A book with multiple POV: Crazy Rich Asians

A book that includes a wedding: Crazy Rich Asians 

A book from an author with alliteration: Crazy Rich Asians 

A ghost story:

A book with a two-word title: Hidden Figures 

A novel based on a true story: Hidden Figures 

A book revolving around a puzzle or game: Code 

Your favorite prompt from a past popsugar challenge: The Color Purple 

A ‘climate fiction’ book: 

A “choose your own adventure” book: 

An “own voices” book: Children of Blood and Bone 

Read a book during the season it is set in: 

A LitRPG book: 

A book with no chapters, unusual chapter headings, or unconventionally numbered chapters: The Errant Prince 

Two books that share the same title: From Here to Eternity - Caitlin DOughty 

Two books that share the same title: 

A book that has inspired a common phrase or idiom: 

A book set in an abbey, cloister, monastery, vicarage, or convent: Da Vinci Code 

Read Harder Challenge:

A Epistolary Novel: Color Purple

An Alternate History Novel: Stalking Jack the Ripper 

A Book by a woman/AOC that won a literary award in 2018: Hunger: A Memoir of (my) body 

A Humor Book: Noir 

A book by a journalist or about journalism: The Girl who played with fire 

A book by an AOC set in or about space: Binti by Nnedi Okorafor 

An #ownvoices book set in Mexico or Central America:Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel 

An #ownvoices book set in Oceania: 

A book published before Jan. 1st, 2019 that has less than 100 reviews on Goodreads: 

A translated book written/a book translated by a woman: 

A book on Manga: 

A book in which an animal or inanimate object is a POV character: Fox 8 by George Saunders 

A book by or about someone that ID’s a neurodiverse: 

A cozy mystery: 

A book of mythology or lore: Song of Achilles 

A historical romance written by a AOC: 

A business book: Chocolate Wars: The 150-Year Rivalry Between the World’s Greatest Chocolate Makers by Deborah Cadbury

A novel by a trans or nonbinary author: 

A book of nonviolent true crime: The Spy Who Couldn’t Spell: 

A book written in prison: 

A children’s or middle grade book (not YA) that has won a diversity award since 2009: 

A comic by an LGBTQIA creator: Through the Woods by Emily Carroll 

A self-published book: 

A collection of poetry published since 2014:

Current number of books read: 631/900

[iamvegorott]

Shattered Code Chapter 8

First Date

“A year!? You’re going to make me wait a whole year!?” Wilford shouted in dismay as he sat in the living room with Dark and Anti.

“This isn’t your wedding, Wilford,” Dark stated. “We are willing to wait so we can ensure that this wedding is perfect.”

“I ain’t in a hurry.” Anti shrugged. “I’m gonna have fun calling Darky-baby my Fiance.” Anti did a little shimmy as he said the word, exaggerating it and hitting every syllable.

“We also don’t want to stress ourselves over getting everything prepared in such a short amount of time. According to the statistics, wedding planning is one of the hardest things married couples go through and can result in the said relationship ending and I will not have that.” Dark kept a straight face while Anti just laid down in his lap.

“Plus stress ain’t fun., Anti mumbled, looking as if he was ready for a nap.

“I’m glad they’re taking their time.” Dr. Iplier said as he walked into the room. “Dark’s blood pressure is always on the high end and he does not need additional stress.”

“I am a literal demon, we don’t need to worry about my blood pressure.” Dark scoffed.

“Say that to my records.” Dr. Iplier crossed his arms. “Your blood sugar is also on the high end as well, it’s almost as bad as Wilford’s.”

“I like sweets!” Wilford protested.

“You won’t get to enjoy them as long if you have a heart attack.” Dr. Iplier said.

“You sound like Henrik.” Anti muttered. “‘Don’t eat too much junk food’, ‘You need proper sleep’, blah, blah, blah.”

“I’m glad I sound like Henrik, that means he’s doing his job as well.” Dr. Iplier said.

“Oh, just go suck his dick already.” Anti waved his hand before turning over and curling up a little.

“I beg your pardon!?” Dr. Iplier huffed.

“Would you mind being the one who writes the invites? Your script is much better than my own.” Dark asked, changing the subject.

“I...sure.” Dr. Iplier wasn’t expecting that and he shook his head before walking away.

“Your handwriting just fine.” Wilford said.

“Yes, but I want to make sure everyone has at least a small part in planning the wedding so I don’t have to hear any complaints.” Dark stated.

“Dark?” Google stepped into the room next. “Are you and Anti open to working on Micro more?”

“I was just about to nap.” Anti whined.

“I can wait till your done.” Google stated and Dark could tell by the look in his eyes that he actually didn’t want to.

“Nah. It’s more fun to fuck around with Micro-dick. I got all day to nap.” Anti sat up and squeaked as he stretched.

“May I join?” Wilford asked.

“You are not to talk to him, do not touch him and stay outside of the tank.” Dark stated as he and Anti got up.

“I’m not even allowed inside of the tank? You let your not-soon-enough-to-be husband in there with the ass, but not your best man?” Wilford pouted, standing as well.

“Wait until we have him restrained at least.” Dark said, following Google with Anti.

“Don’t take too long with that.” Wilford chuckled, tagging along.

x~x~x

Bing sat on the swinging bench on the Iplier Manor porch. His elbow was resting on the edge of it and he held his face by the cheek. He found himself staring off as memories flashed through his mind without his permission. Bing felt some nausea bubble at the pit of his stomach and he couldn’t tell if he wanted to throw up or cry.

Would he ever get better? Was this his life now? Crying over something that he now knew was fake? Those words replaying in his head over and over again and just wanting them to be true but they aren’t. They never will be. Would he ever be truly happy again? Was he doomed to be alone?

“Hey, Bing.” Google greeted, stepping out of the Manor. Bing straightened up and cleared his throat.

“Hey, Googs.” Google smiled a little when Bing used the nickname and he sat on the swing with him.

“How are you?” Google asked, his smile fading a little when Bing just shrugged. “We should get you out of the Manor.”

“I am out of the Manor.” Bing said with a light chuckle.

“You know what I mean. Let’s go somewhere.” Google said.

“Like...a date?” Bing looked over a Google.

“If you want it to be.” Google scratched the back of his head, trying to hide the slight tint of red on his cheeks.

“Um...s-sure, we can try that.” Bing used his hand to hide his own blush.

“We can catch a movie, if we leave now we’ll have time to grab some popcorn and soda before the previews end.” Google suggested.

“Do I get to pick the movie?” Bing asked with a small smile.

“Of course.” Google said.

“Person who’s paying say what?” Bing said very quickly.

“What?”

“Hah!” Bing got up and took off and Google sat there for a brief moment until he got it.

“Hey!” Google laughed and chased after Bing. Bing slowed down and let Google catch up to him and the two started walking side-by-side, not talking. It wasn’t an uncomfortable or a tense silence, it was a calm one, they didn’t really feel the need to speak as they traveled.

“They have Deadpool !” Bing squealed, seeing the promotional poster.

“Thrilling.” Google muttered.

“You said I get to choose.” Bing sang, skipping into the theatre.

“You deserve to finally have control.” Google said quietly to himself as he followed.

“Two tickets to Deadpool please.” Bing said to the worker behind the counter, bouncing a little with excitement. Google handed the worker a credit card after they listed the price. Bing took his ticket and went off to the concession stand. Google thanked the worker and joined Bing who had already ordered.

“What did you get?” Google asked.

“I got us a large popcorn, two cokes, a pack of peanut M&Ms and a pack of Swedish Fish.” Bing answered, rocking on his feet. “I know how much you love Swedish Fish.” He added with a light giggle. “Thank you!” Bing said to the worker when they placed his order on the counter in front of him. He handed the pack of gummies to Google and gasped when he heard cheering. “We’re going to miss the opening!” Bing scooped up the popcorn and took off.

“He’s a little excited.” Google said with a nervous smile to the smirking worker as he pocketed the candy and picked up the drinks, heading for the theatre. Google found Bing sitting in the center of the seats and he squeezed past a few people and sat in the empty seat next to Bing.

“Thank you.” Bing whispered and took his candy and drink. Google nodded to say ‘you’re welcome’ and settled down to watch the film.

Google found himself laughing a lot more than he expected and he actually snorted at one point, making Bing laugh even more and then snort himself. Bing curled up and blushed as Google took his turn to laugh at the sound. Blushing harder when Google said it was adorable.

After the movie finished Google and Bing threw out their trash and Bing excused himself to use the restroom and Google stayed out in the hall, checking his phone when it buzzed and seeing that Anti texted him.

‘ Micro’s  screaming ’

Google just sighed and rolled his eyes, typing out his response.

‘ Ignore him. He just wants attention. ’

“Ready to head home?” Bing asked after leaving the bathroom.

On their walk back they ended up spending the whole time quoting the movie and relating some of the phrases to what the others would say. Most of Deadpool’s lines ended up being for Anti. As they walked into the house they didn’t see Anti perking up at the sight of them laughing together and then slapping Dark’s arm with excitement.

“Thanks, Googs.” Bing said when they stopped in front of his bedroom door.

“You’re the one that tricked me into paying.” Google chuckled.

“Not that...I mean…” Bing gave Google a kiss on the cheek before rushing into his room and closing the door. Google stood there in shock for a moment before he relaxed and a lazy smile curled up on his lips.

“Google.” Dark stated as he walked up to him. “I’m sorry for ruining your moment, but Wilford just came up from checking on Micro and he says that he is still screaming. You may need to check on him, I know he’s persistent, but this is going beyond an act.”

“Fine. I’ll give the cry-baby the attention he wants.” Google grumbled, his mood souring.

Tag List: @blueyeswhitedragon16 @allimeraine @neko-ereri @characatwarrior @succos-tacos @theglitchingghost @i-am-moxy @spaceykidd0 @retro-remix @molf @salty-sadness22 @positivenerdypixie @sketchy-scribs-n-doods @readeatfightlove13 @pixelenchanter @books-are-books @i-am-not-anon @springlit  @average-egos

[bestpaleocookbookreviews]

Resetting the Brain’s Pleasure Centers: A Frequently Overlooked Benefit of Eating a Healthy Diet

Many people who’ve long been accustomed to a westernized, highly processed diet are hesitant to a adopt a real-food diet, in part because they anticipate lower hedonic value in such food (in taste, texture, and mouthfeel). Essentially they prioritize the powerful, but short-lived, pleasure they derive from consuming highly processed foods over the more permanent benefits they would accrue from a healthy diet. This isn’t surprising, given that we’re hard-wired to function this way;1 yet if we give healthy eating a chance, we often find that junk food cravings wither or even completely disappear, and with them much mental stress and agony.

Most health-seekers are aware of the above phenomenon, either consciously or unconsciously; however, the processed-food crowd may have trouble imagining such a transformation..

The purpose of this article is not to persuade anyone to give up highly processed foods, but rather to demonstrate that junk-food cravings are not an unavoidable part of the human experience—and that the cost of ditching such foods is smaller than it may appear.

Why We Like Calorically Dense, Sugary Foods

In the wild environments in which we humans evolved, calorically dense foods were difficult to obtain. Highly processed foods were nowhere to be found, honey was only seasonally available in certain parts of the world, and game animals were a lot leaner than the livestock we raise for our animal protein today.7

Given that foods rich in sugar, salt, and/or fat (rare during our hunter-gatherer days) provided us with precious sources of potent energy, it’s not surprising that we evolved an innate desire and preference for such foods. We love sugary and fatty foods because they helped fuel the evolution of our species, giving us the vigor to hunt, evade predators, migrate, and reproduce in tough environments—as well as to grow bigger, more powerful brains than our primate cousins.

Our problem is that, today, calorically dense foods are ubiquitous. Our primal ancestors didn’t get fat or sick if they gave in to their cravings for sugar, salt, or fat, since their access to those nutrients was very limited. Therefore, there has never been any reason for natural selection to curb our desire for energy-dense foods, despite the fact that their frequent consumption (in the case of highly processed items) exerts some obvious fitness costs. Among other effects, it adversely affects libido, mental functioning, and immunity.5, 10, 11

Yet once again, junk-food cravings are not an inevitable challenge of human life. Indeed, only very recently were most processed, salty, and sugary foods available in the modern supermarket even developed.

We’re hardwired to like natural, non-toxic foods that are fairly high in calories; however, we’re not doomed to go around constantly craving junk food. If you regularly crave chocolate, chips, or similar foods, you might want to investigate further. Perhaps it’s chronic stress, hormonal imbalance, nutrient deficiencies…or else habituation to these foods’ overstimulating flavors, in which case a period of avoidance might lessen their call. Here’s why:

Why Junk Food is Addictive

Chocolate, doughnuts, potato chips, and other similar junk foods are hyper-palatable versions of the most calorically dense foods that featured in ancestral human diets. They bear some resemblance to honey, nuts, tubers, and certain types of animal-source foods; however, they are unique in that they combine extremely high concentrations of sugar, salt, and fat in specific ratios designed (by corporations) to overstimulate the most primal parts of our brains.

The consumption of junk food, studies suggest, elicits similar responses in the brain as drug use.2, 4 It elevates the production of dopamine and other hormones that cause pleasurable feelings, a response that’s rooted in our evolutionary past.

A 2013 review paper posited that “sugar and sweet reward can not only substitute to addictive drugs, like cocaine, but can even be more rewarding and attractive…possibly reflecting past selective evolutionary pressures for seeking and taking foods high in sugar and calories.”2 More recent research highlights the effect of intermittent access to sweets on these results, but heightened neurochemical response is still an important factor to consider in food choice.

Obviously, a bar of chocolate is not going to give you the same rush that cocaine will; however, it will without a doubt “light up” the pleasure centers of your brain. Not only that, but the consumption of junk food has a very different impact on the gut microbiota from that of the consumption of real, whole food.6, 8, 11, 13 This can largely explain why junk foods are so addictive, as well as why a lot of people report that they rarely or never crave junk food if they adhere to a healthy diet over time.

The types of microbes that proliferate following the consumption of highly processed foods are capable of inducing cravings for more of such foods in their host,3, 9, 12 in order to satisfy their own preferences for certain nutrient substrates. The host, however, is not going to do well on such a diet. Conversely, the consumption of healthy food can help nudge the microbial community towards a species composition that is incompatible with a junk foods diet.

You, including your microbiota, truly are what you eat.

Key Takeaways

A lot of people are resistant to adopting an unprocessed, real-food diet because they are extremely fond of certain types of processed foods. They regularly crave chocolate, cookies, ice cream, and/or other highly processed foods and find the thought of ceasing or restricting their intake of those foods almost unbearable. What they may not realize is that junk-food cravings tend to become markedly less severe over time as one adopts a healthy diet. Sometimes, they disappear almost completely, along with mental stress around food choice (“I want doughnuts, but they’re unhealthy, so I’ll avoid them”) and the dietary restrictions that typically accompany them. This is because the switch from a processed, nutrient-poor diet to a nutrient-dense diet can help re-calibrate the pleasure-and-reward mechanisms at work in the brain, as well as reconfigure the gut microbiota into a healthier state.

References:

1 Wolf, Robb. Wired to Eat: Turn Off Cravings, Rewire Your Appetite for Weight Loss, and Determine the Foods That Work for You. New York: 1st ed., Harmony, 2017.

2 Ahmed SH, Guillem K, Vandaele Y. “Sugar Addiction: Pushing the Drug-Sugar Analogy to the Limit.” Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care 16.4 (Jul 2013): 434-9.

3 Alcock J, Maley CC, Aktipis CA. “Is Eating Behavior Manipulated by the Gastrointestinal Microbiota? Evolutionary Pressures and Potential Mechanisms.” Bioessays 36.10 (Oct 2014): 940-9.

4 Alonso-Alonso M, Woods SC, Pelchat M, Grigson PS, Stice E, Farooqi S, Khoo CS, Mattes RD, Beauchamp GK. “Food Reward System: Current Perspectives and Future Research Needs.” Nutr Rev 73.5 (May 2015): 296-307.

5 Campbell AW. “Autoimmunity and the Gut.” Autoimmune Dis 2014 (2014): 152428.

6 David LA, Maurice CF, Carmody RN, Gootenberg DB, Button JE, Wolfe BE, Ling AV, Sloan Devlin AS, Varma Y, Fischbach MA, Biddinger SB, Dutton RJ, Turnbaugh PJ. “Diet Rapidly and Reproducibly Alters the Human Gut Microbiome.” Nature 505.7484 (23 Jan 2014): 559-63.   

7 Davidson B, Maciver J, Lessard E, Connors K. “Meat Lipid Profiles: A Comparison of Meat from Domesticated and Wild Southern African Animals.” In Vivo 25.2 (Mar-Apr 2011): 197-202.

8 Desai MS, Seekatz AM, Koropatkin NM, Kamada N, Hickey CA, Wolter M, Pudlo NA, Kitamoto S, Terrapon N, Muller A, Young VB, Henrissat B, Wilmes P, Stappenbeck TS, Nunez G, Martens EC. “A Dietary Fiber-Deprived Gut Microbiota Degrades the Colonic Mucus Barrier and Enhances Pathogen Susceptibility.” Cell 167.5 (17 Nov 2016): 1339-53.e21.

9 Fetissov SO. “Role of the Gut Microbiota in Host Appetite Control: Bacterial Growth to Animal Feeding Behaviour.” Nat Rev Endocrinol 13.1 (Jan 2017): 11-25.

10 Gómez-Pinilla F. “Brain Foods: The Effects of Nutrients on Brain Function.” Nat Rev Neurosci 9.7 (Jul 2008): 568-78.  

11 Myles IA. “Fast Food Fever: Reviewing the Impacts of the Western Diet on Immunity.” Nutr J 13 (17 Jun 2014): 61.

12 Norris V, Molina F, Gewirtz AT. “Hypothesis: Bacteria Control Host Appetites.” J Bacteriol 195 (2013): 411-6.

13 Voreades N, Kozil A, Weir TL. “Diet and the Development of the Human Intestinal Microbiome.” Front Microbiol 5 (22 Sep 2014): 494.

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Healthy Eating 

Making healthy choices is a key to long-term health and optimal athletic performance. By following some basic sports nutrition principles, you can positively influence your ability to make gains both on the field and in the weight room.  

Eat more fruits and vegetables. Consuming a minimum of five servings per day is recommended by most dietary experts. Fruits and vegetables are rich in essential nutrients like vitamins and minerals and they are an excellent source of dietary fiber. Produce is nutrient dense, meaning it contains a high nutritional content at a relatively low caloric cost. Be sure to choose a rainbow of colors when selecting your fruits and vegetables every day. Aim for: green (both dark and light shades) as found in broccoli, spinach and Romaine lettuce; orange (carrots, oranges, peppers, sweet potatoes); red (peppers, tomatoes, strawberries); and purple (blackberries, blueberries, beets). Adding these key ingredients to shakes and smoothies is an excellent way to ensure that athletes consume adequate amounts of these valuable foods.

Drink enough water. Water is essential for tissue health and most of our essential bodily functions. Dehydration can lead to stress on our organs and can also result in diminished cognitive and motor function. Health experts suggest the rule of thumb of dividing your body weight in half to determine how many ounces of water you should consume each day. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you should consume a minimum of 75 ounces of water daily. Higher fluid requirements would apply to athletes who are actively practicing, training and competing, especially in warm and humid climates. Consistent timing of fluid consumption before, during and after exercise also plays a role in optimal performance. Keep in mind that if you are experiencing thirst, you are most likely already dehydrated or well on your way.

Limit processed salty and fatty foods. Foods that have been heavily processed typically contain large amounts of unhealthy fats, added sugars and salt. Processed foods are also low in nutrient density, meaning they provide little nutritional value and a high calorie cost. Studies link highly processed diets with the development of a host of medical problems like obesity, diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. For athletes, eating highly processed foods can impede performance by creating blood sugar swings and stress on the gastrointestinal system during practice and competition. In the grocery store and kitchen, focus on natural food sources that are rich in nutrients and low in processed ingredients. Learn to recognize hidden sources of less healthy ingredients (added sugar may be listed as corn syrup, fruit juice concentrate or molasses).

Eating at proper intervals throughout the day. Eating according to a regular schedule keeps blood sugar levels stable and provides a working body the essential fuel it needs for consistent performance. Carbohydrates are essential nutrients that enable energy production for everyone. For athletes, carbohydrates provide glucose necessary to replace glycogen stores that become depleted from working muscles and organs during practice and competition. Consuming carbohydrates at regular intervals (before, during and after competition) ensures consistent sport performance and recovery.

Type of carbohydrate may impact performance. Power and endurance athletes alike need energy to perform at their best. Their muscles convert stored glycogen to produce energy needed for muscle function. Demands placed on the body related to the length of time spent on each repetition, play or overall length of practice and competition may dictate which type of carbohydrate is best. In fact, the type of carbohydrate ingested before, during and after physical activity can be the difference between an ideal performance and a sub-par outcome. While this topic is complex and goes beyond the scope of this article, the following tips can guide the average baseball player and family toward maximizing carbohydrate choices: Although baseball practices and games can last well over two hours, these events are characterized by periods of sub-maximal physical activity and even several minutes of complete rest in between innings. Baseball players should be aware that the type and timing of food consumed during their sport can make or break their performance. By using a tool called the glycemic index (GI), athletes can determine which foods will produce a steady, sustained blood sugar level versus a more rapid and short term response. It's wise to choose lower GI foods to establish a pre-game and pre-practice base level (such as a whole grain pita stuffed with some turkey breast or an apple spread with peanut butter) and to carefully snack on small amounts of higher GI foods (such as a diluted 6-percent carbohydrate sports drink (14 grams per 8 oz.), a banana or even a smaller portion of a peanut-based candy bar) to sustain blood sugar levels and avoid fatigue and decreases in cognition and motor performance.

Protein Supplementation has garnered significant attention in the world of athletics. Dietary Supplements including protein represent a multimillion-dollar industry in the United States. The truth is that many athletes do not understand the functions of protein or protein metabolism and therefore rely on nonscientific anecdotes for their information. Amino Acids are the building blocks of protein and are what the body uses to fuel many critical bodily functions. Protein is an important nutrient and a key to muscle building, repair and recovery. It is also an important component of immune function, bone formation, blood cell metabolism and the growth of our hair and nails. There are many healthy sources of protein that athletes can consume as meals and all-important recovery snacks. Eggs, beef, poultry, pork, fish, beans, dairy products and some beans and nuts are just a few examples of natural sources of protein. Consumption of these protein-rich foods at the appropriate times before and after activity can set an athlete up for more efficient muscle building and repair. Commercial protein-based products can be considered for use to supplement a diet that is deficient in dietary protein, but consumers run the risk of cross-contamination with other additives or contents that may not be listed on a product label. Products like whey or soy protein powder may be added to a diet as a way to boost total protein intake for the day, but these products are not necessary if the amount of daily dietary protein consumed through food sources is high enough and occurs at the right times. Consumption of any dietary supplement like Protein should be done under the supervision of a trained professional like a registered dietician who understands the pros and cons associated with use. A simple way of determining the correct amount of protein required for an average adult, age 18 and older is to consume 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram or 0.36 grams per pound of body weight. Individuals between ages 14-18 need slightly more (0.85 and 0.39). Athletes require more protein than the averages stated, but how much more is dependent upon age, type of activity, intensity and duration of activity. The timing of consumption is also critical for optimal digestion and utilization. Since different sources of protein break down at different rates, ingesting smaller amounts of protein at every meal throughout the day from a variety of sources helps to optimize absorption and utilization. To avoid gastrointestinal distress, limit the amount of protein consumed before practice and competition and shift intake to post activity or early (several hours) pre-activity. Eating a variety of foods including some protein actually helps to speed the breakdown and absorption of protein. Digestion of carbohydrates triggers the release of insulin which makes cells more receptive to Amino Acids and allows the body to more efficiently utilize them to build and repair muscle tissue. Studies show that consuming 10-15 grams of protein within 30-45 minutes of exercise is optimal for muscle growth and repair. An excellent post exercise recovery meal suggested by many experts that contains a balance of Carbohydrate, Protein and Fat is 12 ounces of chocolate milk (whole or 2 percent) and two tablespoons of peanut butter on white bread.

IMPORTANT TIPS AND REMINDERS

Minimum of five servings of fruits/vegetables per day -- a rainbow of colors.

Hydration: 50 percent of body weight. One ounce per pound (athletes may need more).

Slowly replace weight lost during a workout with 20 ounces of water per pound lost.

Avoid salty, fatty and processed foods, particularly before games and practices.

Graze all day; eat smaller amounts of mixed nutrients every two hours.

Use the Glycemic Index (GI) to select lower GI foods and balance your blood sugar before and during activity and smaller amounts of high GI foods during activity.

Protein: 0.8 to 1.1 grams per kilogram of body weight per day based on activity in small amounts over the course of the day. 10-15 grams of protein with carbohydrate within 30-45 minutes of exercise is optimal for muscle growth and repair.

REFERENCES

Burke, L.M., Collier, G.R., & Hargreaves, M. 1993. Muscle glycogen storage after prolonged exercise: Effect of the glycemic index of carbohydrate feeding. Journal of Applied Physiology, 75, 1019-23.

Kirwan, J.P., O'Gorman, D., & Evans, W.J. 1998. A moderate glycemic meal before endurance exercise can enhance performance. Journal of Applied Physiology, 84 (1), 53-9.

Manore, Melinda M. 2004 IDEA Fitness Journal, Volume 1, Number 4

Skolnik, H., & Chernus, A., 2010. Nutrient Timing for Peak Performance

Edited by Courtney Sansonetti, RD, CDE, CD-N, Medical Nutrition Therapist for Rehab Assoc. Inc.

Courtesy of Jim Ronai MS PT ATC, L, CSCS, Member of the USA Baseball Medical & Safety Advisory Committee, Director of PT/Sports Medicine at Rehabilitation Associates Inc., and Jim Ronai's Competitive Edge Sports Performance, LLC.