#thanks for this ask it's really interesting!

[teaboot]

Sorry if I'm mixing you up with someone else, but you've worked security before, right?

If you're willing, I'd be really interested on your thoughts on the murderbot diaries or murderbot as a character with that in mind?

Like did you recognise aspects of your job in murderbots descriptions of security work? Or did they like throw you out of immersion in the story?

Anyway thanks and hope you're having a good day/evening wherever you are!

As a security guard who has read the first two Murderbot books, Murderbot has been the number one most realistic security specialist character I have ever seen in media so far 😭

The third most annoying thing in security in my experience is handling threats. The second most annoying thing is having no threats to handle and being bored. The number one most annoying thing is the client being an idiot

Ihave social anxiety which I am medicated for. When I am in uniform with clear instructions, that anxiety is zero. I have a script and a set of rules and that makes life easy. I’m super good at performing tasks with clear expectations and that’s kinda how I keep getting good offers, it’s super straightforward

Bad clients are clients who give stupid, inefficient, counterproductive, cruel, or flat-out illegal orders. There are ways of shutting that shit down without them losing heir shit, but it’s still a pain in the ass every time

I’m a security specialist. I specialize in security. This is what I am trained for- handling crisis situations and minimizing harm. If you, an off-shift cashier at pet smart, see me deescalating a situation and decide you’re gonna drop your untrained uninformed ass in there with zero context or skills and “help” because I look small and helpless, then all you’re doing is increasing my likelihood of getting hurt while increasing my paperwork load by like two hours, and I’m gonna hate you the entire time. What you have essentially done is promoted me to meat shield while giving the aggressor I’m calming down an obnoxious and aggravating hostage. Good god please do not

Yes, I am sometimes asked to stand perfectly still in a corner for several hours like a mannequin. What do I do to avoid going insane? Think about Star Trek and the very good fanfiction I’ll be reading on my break, mostly

Yes I can assist in evacuating tw location in the event of an environmental disaster. No I cannot tell my waiter that they put cilantro on the wrong order. Yes this makes perfect sense

I love Murderbot. I love how realistic it is. Like obviously I can’t speak for everyone in the industry but yeah I’ve worked for absolute dogshit security companies in the past and yeah a lot of the books so far are super accurate to that experience so A+ so far, honestly

[rafesangelita]

♡ what happens when the man you’ve been having anonymous phone sex with asks you to come over to his place so you two could have a date of your own?

warnings: mean!rafe, enemies to ???, brief descriptions of phone sex, dirty talk, mutual masturbation, mutual pining, praise, orgasm control, orgasm denial, degradation, flirty banter

a/n: this is part three of this mini series! thank you so much for all the love on this series so far, i wasn’t expecting such an outpoor of support <3 if you ask to be added to the taglist and i don’t reply, don’t worry!! i promise i’ve seen it and have added you!

links: previous | next | mini series masterlist

wc: 2.8k

“..you sound pretty.”

you froze, the slightly familiar voice sending a shiver down your spine. “who’s this?” you swallowed thickly, already having a gut feeling. “you know who i am.” with a demeaning tone like that, you only had one guess. “so out of all of the usernames you could’ve came up with; ‘country club’ was the one that stuck?” rafe smiled to himself before taking a drink from the liquor in his glass. he was alone on the druthers now with nothing but you on his mind, along with his mystery girl that he never stopped thinking about.

“it’s just a nickname a friend of mine gave me,” he explained, “no one else knows me by it so that’s why i chose it.” you hummed, a hint of curiosity piquing your interest. “really? who?” you asked him in a poor attempt to get something out of him. “ah, you wouldn’t know him. he’s from the cut.” now you were really interested. “the cut? how did you end up being friends with someone from over there?”

rafe was quiet for a few moments.

“it’s a long story. i think you’d find out who i am if i told you about it.” you tried to think about any drama or gossip that chanel may have filled you in about at some point but ultimately came up empty handed. “i see..” deciding to change the subject, you asked him about something that actually had relevance. “so what had you so wrapped up earlier?” rafe sighed, your pictures from earlier flashing in his mind.

“i was on a date— if you could even call it that,” he laughed, “the amount of bitchy attitude this girl throws at me every time i see her is crazy.” you ignored the spark of jealousy that lit up in your core, your eyes narrowing as you thought of all the things he could’ve been doing with someone else that wasn’t you.

rafe had a very specific reason for bringing someone else up and just like he had hoped, you fell right into his trap. “yeah? you should probably call her and talk to her instead.” you were quick with your remark, rolling your eyes before settling underneath your plush comforter.

“i think i already am.”

you bit the inside of your cheek, a sense of panic washing over you as you thought about your earlier encounter with rafe. could you really be the girl that quote unquote ‘throws bitchy attitude at him every time you see him’? it would be hard to tell considering you threw bitchy attitude towards everyone, but still, his words caused your train of thought to come to a screeching halt. “no, that’s impossible.” to be in denial when you two were this far along in your arrangement was simply delusional, but you couldn’t help but deny his theory.

“you think so?” he sat back in his seat overlooking the water. “i know so. cause i went on a date tonight as well.. and i personally find the guy insufferable— hot, definitely, but insufferable nonetheless, and i’d like to think that if me and you have ever talked or interacted in person we’d at least get along in some way.” now it was rafe’s turn to feel jealousy burn through his chest at the mention of you going on a date with someone else other than him.

“you went on a date?” the calm tone in his voice was now replaced by assertiveness, his jaw clenching as he imagined you getting all dolled up for some loser. “yes.” you don’t know why, but you felt like you had did something wrong. “and you said he was hot?” rafe downed the rest of his drink, pouring himself another shortly after. “yes..” you answered again, a hint of a smile playing on your lips, “i’d fuck him even though i told him it would never happen.” if rafe couldn’t understand what was so similar between you and his personal internet slut then, he definitely knew what it was now. you had to be her.

rafe thought about your words from earlier.

“why i don’t like you, or why i won’t let you fuck me?”

you had such a smart mouth on you, the only thing rafe could think about was how he’d shut you up by filling your throat up with his cock. “it’s funny you say that. i could’ve sworn my brat of a ‘date’ said the same thing to me.” suddenly you felt like you were in enemy territory, every single one of your sensible instincts urging you to hang up the phone. “uhm—” you cleared your throat awkwardly, “i wonder if she has any idea that i’d fuck her senseless if only she’d let me.” your mind drifted off to rafe again, and the way he was looking at you before you left; as if he knew you something you didn’t.

“tell her that next time you talk to her.” you shot back, rolling your eyes as he muttered a ‘i will.’

deciding to move into the cabin inside the druthers, rafe slid the door shut behind him before be turned the lights off, a groan leaving his lips as he took a seat on the couch. “so why’d you call me? you know, since you’re obviously interested in someone else.” rafe scoffed, rolling the tension out of his shoulders before blinking up at the ceiling. he was amused by everything that came out of your mouth. “i’m not interested in anyone else. i think i have you figured out, and if i’m right then this couldn’t be anymore perfect.”

rafe imagined you being the one on the phone with him right now, your hand in between your thighs as you got off to the sound of his voice. he imagined you wearing nothing, those pretty tits of yours on full display. “and if you’re wrong?” you teased. “i’m not. i can’t be.” while you had no idea who he could be envisioning, you had no problem waiting for the day to prove him right or otherwise. “i guess we’ll just have to play the waiting game until we can’t anymore..” rafe hummed in agreement. “well that won’t be very long then.”

you hoped not.

there was a beat of silence before rafe’s voice sounded through your receiver. “sooo.. what are you wearing right now?” you groaned, the cliché and overused line making you shake your head. “you have seriously got to come up with something better to initiate this,” you fiddled with the string of your robe, “but i’ll work with you just this once.” if only you could see the look on rafe’s face right now. “sorry i’m not an experienced phone sex expert, i prefer my sexual encounters in person.” he laughed when you cursed under your breath. “ugh, goodnight.”

while rafe thought you were joking, you had really hung up on him, leaving him both turned on and frustrated.

[10:57 PM] brattydiaries: 1 attachment

[10:57 PM] brattydiaries: and to think.. i really wanted to touch myself. oh well, i’ll see you around ‘country club’

rafe was pissed when he opened your message and saw a picture of you completely naked in your silk robe, his cock stirring at the sight. he could’ve had you rubbing your clit by now if only he would’ve went easy with the remarks.

[11:00 PM] countryclub: you’re gonna make me work hard for it aren’t you.

[11:01 PM] brattydiaries: oh, you have no idea.

and that’s exactly what rafe did. he was persistent, making sure to call you every single night after that until you finally approved of his efforts. he knew from the moment he heard you moan on the phone that it was all worth it.

“f-fuckk, i can’t!” you cried out in frustration as rafe denied you another orgasm. you’ve been at this for an hour now, your panties drenched with your arousal as he taunted you on the other line. “yes you fucking can, you don’t cum until i let you, you understand?” you huffed, your clit aching with sensitivity as you shuddered at his words. “you made me wait all this time to get you like this, you can hold out just a little bit more for me.” rafe grunted, his own hand palming himself through his boxers.

you shuddered, your eyes fluttering shut as he told you all about the things he’d do if he had you there with him. “i’d fucking wreck you, baby,” he moaned, thinking about fucking you to tears until you couldn’t handle it, “fuck’ that attitude right out of you and get you all pathetic and desperate. just like you are right now.” you were at the point where you couldn’t even touch yourself anymore, your orgasm being just in arm’s reach. “please!” you whimpered, your thighs trembling with the need to let go, “i’ve come close so many times already.”

as odd as it may sound, rafe hasn’t let himself cum ever since you two started having phone sex. messaging each other and sending pictures was different— but now that he had your voice in his ears, it made everything feel real. he swore to himself that he wouldn’t let himself finish until he had you in the palms of his hands. maybe it was a way for him to torture himself, but he was determined to make it happen. you were going to be his no matter how long it’d take.

“you’ve gotten so good at begging me for it, you don’t even put up a fight with me anymore.” rafe laughed, thinking about all the times that you were the one turning him down, now you found yourself being completely at his mercy. “..fuck you.” you whined, writhing under your sheets. “soon enough.” rafe whispered, still listening to your pleads. “i could make myself cum right now,” you said breathlessly, “..and you wouldn’t even be able to stop me.” rafe’s jaw clenched, his nostrils flaring slightly as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“do that and you won’t hear from me for three weeks straight. thank god for a block button, right?” you scoffed, your chest rising and falling as you rubbed your thighs together. “matter of fact.. just for that poor excuse of a threat, you’re not cumming at all.” you didn’t get to rebuttal before he hung up, your eyes widening before you groaned. asshole.

“okay, i love our little bottomless mimosa dates but i’m still recovering from last night.” chanel laughed, adjusting the sunnies on her nose. you and your group of girlfriends were out on the patio at the country club, your table filled with fruity drinks and half empty glasses. “oh my god, you should’ve been there, y/n! it got so crazy that someone called the cops and the whole thing had to get shut down.”

you were only paying half attention to what was being said, majority of your focus being.. elsewhere. specifically— rafe out on the golf field, his skin glistening with sweat as the blazing outer banks sun beat down on him. “it sounds crazy.” you hummed, nodding even though you only heard the first half of chanel’s sentence. she eyed you, following your line of vision before a smug grin pulled at her lips.

“so.. how come you’ve been m.i.a?” just as rafe looked up to meet your gaze, you snapped out of your reverie, blinking away. “forreal, it’s like you’ve disappeared these past few weeks.” you looked around at your friends, a nervous laugh escaping from you. how do you even explain to anyone— let alone your best friends, that you haven’t been to any parties or hangouts because you’re too busy getting talked through your third, sometimes fourth, orgasm of the night?

it’s simple; you don’t.

“i’ve been doing a lot of stuff for my parents. it just gets so tiring sometimes, you know?” chanel knew you were lying, but that was a conversation for another time. thankfully, no one questioned you any further and you were free to look back at the man who, for some reason unbeknownst to you, has been plaguing your mind. ever since your little awkward debacle on his boat, you two hadn’t really interacted with one another except the weird lingering stares you’d catch each other doing. you’d be lying if you said things didn’t feel a little bland without having him around as much.

“i’ll be right back.” you excused yourself, swinging your purse over your shoulder as you made your way inside. taking a seat at the empty bar, you looked around cautiously before opening your tumblr messages.

[3:08 PM] brattydiaries: i have on a super short skirt today.. maybe you could catch me somewhere

you stared at the screen for a minute, hoping he’d answer right away before you sighed to yourself and rested your chin in your hand. apart of you couldn’t help but feel bad. you should be outside with your friends right now, engaging in the latest island drama and raving about celebrity gossip but instead you’re here at a bar all by yourself feeling pathetic as ever because you couldn’t help but grow semi-attached to this ‘countryclub’ guy.

“can i buy you something to drink?” you looked up at rafe as he took a seat next to you, his large frame still towering over you even while he was sitting down. your heart started beating in your ears at the close proximity, your eyebrows pinching together at the overwhelming feeling currently swimming in your tummy. you never got nervous in front of guys, but all of a sudden rafe’s thigh is brushing against yours and now you’re shy? gross.

“i was just leaving actually.” you cleared your throat, avoiding the burn of his stare on the side of your face as you quickly scooted out from your chair. you didn’t even get to get up before rafe pushed your seat back in. “i wanna talk to you.” he sounded like he wasn’t going to take no for an answer, the firmness in his tone making you swallow thickly. staring at him for a few moments, you obliged, but not before ordering the most expensive thing on the drink menu.

“so what do you want?” you faced him, watching as he downed his scotch. “i, uhm— are you busy this weekend?” arching a brow, you thanked the bartender once he slid your overly dressed up cocktail in front of you. “yes, very.” no, you weren’t, but he didn’t need to know that. “well.. i would really appreciate it if you could make the time to come over to my place, ‘say around seven?” you blinked, not understanding clearly. “what’s the occasion?” you asked confusingly. “no, not a party. just us two.”

that grabbed your attention immediately. you sat there, replaying his words in your head until it finally registered. “just us? at your house this weekend at seven o’clock?” he nodded. “i already told you i’m never having sex with you, rafe.” the man in front of you rolled his eyes before pinching the bridge of his nose. “god, y/n,” he groaned, “as much as you’re breaking my heart right now, that’s not the reason why i’m inviting you over.” you giggled at the annoyed expression on his face, flipping your hair over your shoulder as he glared at you intently.

“so what’s the reason then? why would i ever go over to your place, rafe? enlighten me. please.” while rafe was secretly hoping you’d just agree and go on with your day, he should’ve known you weren’t going to be easy to obtain. sighing, he leaned in closer, his chest brushing the side of your shoulder. “look; last time we were by ourselves you told me that you didn’t like me because i was talking about you first, which by the way— i want to apologize for,” he started, “i feel like we got off on the wrong foot and i wanna start over.” you turned your head, his face just inches away from your own.

“i should’ve never said anything about you without knowing you first.” you two stayed silent for what felt like an eternity before you softly nudged him away. “okay, i get it, you don’t have to get all softie on me, rafe.” the corner of his lips tugged into a smile when he saw how flustered you got. “is that a yes?” you almost lost it when his fingers brushed yours, your stomach bursting with buttetflies at the small action. “fine,” you sighed, “but i still don’t like you.” rafe blinked slowly, restraining himself from jumping out of his chair. “that’s fine, i’m not asking you to.”

just as you were going to smart mouth him, your phone dinged! with a message from chanel. “well thanks for the drink, i’m going back out.” rafe watched you get up, his eyes trailing down your figure until they settled on your bare legs, your heels clicking against the floor as you walked off. “hey, y/n?” you spun around at the sound of his voice, muttering a ‘what?!’ before he winked.

“cute skirt.”

taglist: @meallan01 @sf1738 @emeloyy @hmmshhhh @chelzaa @starkeycore @liyah4evaaaa @hnybitches @urbimom @kittenjujusblog @femaholicc @lil-sparklqueen @yktayy9669 @matthewswifeyy @icaqttt @jjasmiineee @lilithblackkk @rafecameronswhoore @rafesgreasycurtainbangs @ditzyzombiesblog @i-love-gvf @blondrafe @wolf-2005 @brianquinnlvr @lightbluebaby @jkrafe @lovemaybankk @xcinnamonmalfoyx @drewstarkeysbabe @issues4him @dahliaparton @slut-4-gojo @luvagirlsworld @nemesyaaa @jwdiaries @midsoulz @drewstarkeyzwhore @urmotherlvr @chillgal135 @wtfisastiles @dollyfiles @annaconscience @rafesluvr @locallyhateddoll @acidfeens @cherubfille @whathechickenstrip @my-name-is-baby @wtfdudesblog @atjlovverr

[khorneschosen]

For your system yes but then you must accept that what you will demand on so many levels is to force people against their will to act and demand that others act and defiance of their own rationality their competence their conscience and at times their own lives.

If this is the path you've chosen be comfortable with it accept that principle that gives you the right to force people. In any way that society says it needs to. Better still don't give them the choice of what they need decide for them. After all they cannot be entrusted personally or individualistically with their own businesses and their own lives You should do it for them. So that they can really understand what they want and need.

Which is my exactly my point when you say that this is a human right or this is in the public's interest and thus the public has the right to regulate it even though it really doesn't. The effect is well what's wrong with forcing a doctor to work for you what is wrong with forcing a man to be a doctor what is wrong with forcing him to work for society's benefit asking little or nothing in return. What is wrong with doing anything You have to do to a person or people in order to get that what you say and a man is in the public interest.

Now you like the soft approach the halfway approach where you try and make it worth their while but this is just because it's the easiest path forward. Not because there's anything wrong with forcing people to work in the public interest and deciding what is and isn't in public interest. At the end of the day your values would say that if the choice was between enslaving a man so that he can provide the work that you are incapable of producing or letting him be free, you'd rather see him in chains than be free. Because that's where your values lie.

And if you're looking for consequences consider briefly. If a man does not perform the kind of service you want in the way you want it where you want it how you want it You make sure that he cannot produce any service. And what is the logical outcome of that should enough doctors refuse They haven't given up treating people or doing medicine They haven't given up their work they've just given up your regulations. What then is the outcome You get less doctors You get less medical treatment and oh those prices you want to bring down just go right back up.

We're still you have a bunch of doctors now who have in their eyes violated their hypocratic oath wonder what kind of work men who have already broken a hypocratic oath will produce. Men giving an impossible decision between their own life and their livelihood having spent millions of dollars also thanks to your regulations to become a doctor and a large portion of their life either in practice or in study, what will they do in their practice?

A man if compelled to work, is not safe to be entrusted with a day labors job, what kind of men are happy to work under such terms? You feel safe with doctors only under the assumption that the doctor will do his best to help you, to do not harm. Are you safer with someone who may have just violated that oath and now has to perform the work he considers to be murder?

So the fundamental point here is moral to compel a man to serve you even if he does not want to.

In closing however we have tried this and it's ultimate result has been the world you see today.

[bewaryofpity]

fluff 19 withe luke hughes pls✨✨

thank you for requesting ! 🩶

19. “I think my family/friends really liked you. Maybe more than they like me.”

.

Luke didn’t necessarily hide you from his friends and family, he just wasn’t the type of guy to flaunt his relationship in front of everyone. He was reserved and private, so when he was met with his parents and brothers at the front door he felt like panicking.

He stood still, eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights, and it took you bumping into his back completely unaware of what was going on for him to get himself together. And when you finally followed his gaze, you mirrored his pose. You wanted to hide behind him, but the way his mom’s eyes immediately flickered between the two of you made it clear you had been caught. 

“Why are you all here?” Luke asked.

“Dude, we play the Canucks tomorrow night. And I told you I was gonna pick up mom, dad and Quinn from the airport.” Jack grumbled, his brows raising before a slow smirk spread across his face. “Wait, who are you?”

Luke sighed, shifting awkwardly. “Y/N, my… girlfriend.” He whispered.

Quinn looked amused, his arms crossed as he studied the two of you. “And you just weren’t gonna tell us?”

“I mean, I was gonna tell you eventually.” Luke groaned. 

Ellen though ignored her sons' teasing, stepping in front of you with a warm smile. “It’s so nice to meet you, sweetheart.” She gave Luke a playful teasing look, “I wish we’d known sooner.”

You laughed, feeling a little more at ease already. “I think Luke just likes keeping me all to himself.”

“Sounds about right,” Jack muttered. “I live with you dude, why the fuck— ow!”

Ellen rolled her eyes at him, gently snaking the back of his head. Jim gave you a firm handshake and a friendly nod before they ushered inside to get comfortable.

The first few minutes were filled with little moments of teasing, mostly from Jack, but it didn’t take long for the conversation to settle and turn into something more natural. You found it easy talking with his parents, they instantly brushed off that Luke kept you a secret for months. Ellen was the first to tell you that she had a feeling that something, or rather someone, was making her son more at ease, more comfortable with himself now.

It wasn't long before dinner started and the conversation shifted away from you with Ellen talking about the kids growing up, sharing wholesome and fun memories, and you could tell how close Luke was to his family just by the way he listened, a small, content smile on his face, not complaining much about the embarrassing stories his mom was telling you.

He was quiet for the most part, just taking in how you fit so well with his family, yet he couldn’t help but still send you small glances, making sure you were okay. You laughed at their jokes, told your own stories about your childhood, answered any question that came your way about you and Luke. 

“So, he asked for your number after he spilled his drink all over you, didn’t even ask for your name first?” Jack asked, leaning forward with interest, a boyish grin on his lips.

Luke shot him a glare. “We’re not doing this.”

“Oh, we’re definitely doing this.” Quinn said, smirking.

“Yes, but that wasn’t so bad. I’ll tell you, on our first date…” You grinned while Luke groaned, dropping his head into his hands as the rest of the family eagerly listened.

By the time the night wound down, everyone was exhausted from the long day. As you and Luke retreated to his room, he closed the door and leaned against it with a dramatic sigh.

“That was exhausting,” he mumbled.

You chuckled, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Oh, come on, it wasn’t that bad.”

He lifted his head, opening one of his eyes to give you a pointed look. “You know, I think my family really liked you. Maybe more than they like me.”

You smirked, motioning for him to join you on the bed. “Can you blame them?”

He groaned, letting his full body weight rest on top of you. “You’re supposed to be my girlfriend.”

You wrapped your arms around him, pressing a kiss to his temple. “Don’t worry, Lu. You’re still my favorite Hughes.”

He huffed, but you felt him relax against you, nuzzling his nose in the crook of your neck. And after a while, between getting ready and finally settling underneath the covers,  Luke pulled you to him, holding you close, the warmth of the day still lingering between you.

[shanastoryteller]

HAPPY MERRY CHRYSLER GRANDMA!!! MOAR PERCY AND TOOOONKS PLEASE AND THANK YOU!!!! I SHANT EVER BE RID OF MY FAVE RARE PAIR 🎄❄️ 💖

Percy gets a floo call from his brother and is instantly concerned. First because his brother's rarely bother to reach out to him for anything, and second because George shouldn't have access to a floo at all considering he's still in school. He's not sure what he'd prefer - if he'd snuck into a teacher's room or if he'd just bribed Rosmerta like everyone does.

He means to ask, but as soon as he accepts the call and his brother's head is floating in the fireplace, he says, "Does your girlfriend having a soulmark bother you?"

"She's not my girlfriend," he says automatically, realizes that knowing exactly who George is talking about is probably too telling, and scowls. Having Tonks with him had made chaperoning the Yule Ball marginally less terrible, but it had also meant his brother's becoming privy to that aspect of his work life. Or personal life. He's not really sure at this point, the two are rather starting to blur. "Why?"

George rolls his eyes. "If she wasn't your girlfriend, you wouldn't put up with her saying she was." That's not true. Probably. Talking to any of his younger siblings is always such a trial. "Is that why you're trying to pretend she isn't your girlfriend? Because she has a soulmark?"

He hasn't discussed his love life - or lack thereof - with George ever, and he's disinclined to start now, but he wouldn't go to all this trouble to ask if it wasn't important to him. "Tonks having a soulmate is inconsequential. She and Cedric aren't involved and they don't plan to be."

"If she hadn't met Cedric yet, would that matter?" he asks.

Percy understands the conversation they're having. "If someone isn't interested in you because you have a soulmark, they're probably not worth it."

Instead of being reassured, George scowls and snaps, "I don't need relationship advice from you!"

That might be hurtful if it wasn't so blatantly incorrect. Still, "Well, I have a girlfriend and you don't, so."

George narrows his eyes in a way that Percy knows he'd be flipping him off if he had hands.

"It wouldn't matter to me if she hadn't met her soulmark yet," he says, taking mercy on him. "If I didn't trust her enough to know her own wants and her own mind, I wouldn't be interested in her at all."

There's a moment where George's face settles into contemplative seriousness, then it's gone, his little brother grinning as he asks, "So you're admitting you're interested in her?"

Percy ends the call.

[covenofagatha]

The psychology of love (Part 3)

Your first date with Morgan and a lesson in defense mechanisms and the delay of gratification

Word count: 4.1k

Warnings: none yet, slowburn

Morgan and you go out to dinner the next day. You had seriously been considering just never texting her and making more of an effort to avoid her, but Wanda and Nat pestered you continuously during breakfast until you had given in. 

Turns out, you were both free that night. 

You had a class in the evening, so you meet her at the pizza place off-campus after. She’s wearing a light blue dress that brings out the color in her eyes and her Black Opium perfume makes you wish there was someone different sitting in front of you. 

“Did you have a good day?” she asks while you’re waiting for your pizzas to be done cooking. The awkwardness of a first date is hanging over you, coupled with the fact that her fingers were inside you on Monday. You’re still a little shocked that happened. 

But you nod and smile. Morgan is nice, and she’s trying. The least you could do is try as well. “Yeah, I had two classes. They’re both pretty easy. My hardest are definitely Physiological Psych and Personality Psych.” 

Even the mention of the latter makes your stomach clench. Agatha has wormed her way into your brain and you don’t know how to get her out. The perfume you ordered should be here tomorrow and you regret buying it. 

Realistically, what are you going to do with it? You can’t wear it—both Morgan and Agatha will pick up on it. It’d be absolutely pathetic to spray your pillow with it and imagine it’s Agatha next to you, plus Wanda would surely wonder about that. 

Which means you spent one-hundred dollars on a bottle of perfume that’s going to sit on your desk and serve as a reminder that you’re delusional. 

A waitress brings over your personal pizzas and sets them down in front of you, steam billowing off. 

Morgan’s looking at you, a little expectantly, and you clear your throat. “How was your day?” you ask, realizing that you never returned the question.

“Pretty good, thanks. I had an International Relations class. We already have a quiz next Tuesday, which is crazy considering this was our second day of meeting.” You learned that she’s a Political Science major while you were waiting in line for pizza. 

She doesn’t say anything else, so you chew on your lip and try to think of ways to get the conversation going. “So…how did you get into political science?” At least her face brightens at that. 

“My dad works in local government and I’ve always been really interested in it. I’ve interned at his office since I was probably sixteen? I’ll be able to get a job with him once I graduate and then hopefully I can be elected for something,” she says before launching into a few stories about town halls that she’s been a part of. She’s from a small town in Indiana and the people there are apparently a little unhinged.

Morgan’s just telling you about a petition one man started to make his birthday a town holiday when the door to the restaurant opens and a familiar face walks in. 

It’s Agatha’s standoffish TA. Morgan is still talking but your eyes follow Rio as she walks up to the counter and shows them her phone. The lady nods and picks up a boxed pizza that’s sitting next to her and hands it to Rio. 

As she’s walking to the exit, she tilts her head over to you like she feels you staring. You quickly look away but in your periphery, you can see her coming closer until you have no choice but to crane your neck up at her. 

“You’re in Professor Harkness’s class, aren’t you?” Rio asks, but it’s more of a statement than a question. She obviously remembers you from Agatha’s office yesterday. 

You nod and she chuckles amusedly, tongue bulging in her cheek. Her complete one-eighty of a personality change is throwing you off. 

Rio glances at Morgan and then back to you, a gleam in her eyes. “Good luck.” Before you can ask what she means—is she talking about Agatha’s class? talking about Morgan?—she shifts the pizza in her arms and strolls out the door without looking back. 

Morgan raises an eyebrow at you. “That was weird.” 

You choose to not say anything and take a bite of your pizza, instantly wincing when it burns your mouth. “Did the man get his petition approved?” you refer to what she had been talking about before Rio, and Morgan dives back into that memory. 

She talks for most of dinner, only really taking a break while she’s eating, and then you walk her to her car. Thankfully, neither of you wants to hang out in the resultant once you’re both done with your food. She’s parked right in front whereas you had to find a spot in the garage behind the row of restaurants. 

“Do you want me to give you a ride to your car?” Morgan offers and you pretend to think about it before shaking your head. 

“No, that’s okay. It’s not very far.” There’s a minute of silent shuffling while you both try to figure out how to end the date. “Um, well I had a great time with you tonight. Let’s do this again soon?” 

She smiles warmly. “I’d love that.” And then Morgan leans in to press a quick kiss to your cheek before getting in her car. Her perfume drifts into your nostrils and lingers and you hear Agatha’s voice telling you that you did very good. Heat flashes through you but you tamp it down. 

You wait until Morgan drives off before turning to head to the parking garage, but you see another person that you know in the shadows. 

Professor Harkness. 

Your heart lurches as she pushes off the building wall she was leaning against and steps into the light. She’s wearing blue pants and a matching blazer over a black turtleneck. The gold from her necklace catches the streetlamp glow. Her long, loose hair frames her face and you can see her blue eyes glinting even in the dark.

Swallowing roughly, you irrationally worry that she’s going to be mad about you and Morgan. A part of you wants her to be mad. 

But she just smirks instead. “Dinner with a friend?” 

“Something like that,” you mutter, shrugging inconspicuously. “What are you doing here?” It seems like she’s waiting for someone—a date? Not that it matters, of course. You just want insight into your mysterious teacher. 

She moves closer to you, close enough so you can smell her perfume. It’s getting really fucking confusing with both Agatha and Morgan wearing the same scent. “I’m just picking up dinner,” she hums. “Nothing as exciting as you.” 

Your cheeks burn. “That wasn’t anything, just a first date. We met at a party a few days ago.” When I let her fuck me because she reminded me of you.

Agatha nods like she knows something you don’t. “Do you remember learning about defense mechanisms?” 

“What?” 

“In a general psych class, did you ever learn about defense mechanisms? Freudian methodology, of course, that believes our ego unconsciously wants to protect the superego from the id when we do something that would otherwise cause us anxiety, guilt, and shame.” 

“I mean, yeah?” You’ve heard of them, but why is she bringing them up? 

She waves a hand at your apparent confusion. “We’ll get more into them later in the semester. I just think it’s neat, you know? How we can be doing something and not even be aware that we’re doing it. Denial, rationalization,” she fixes you with a pointed look, “transference. The mind does really work in interesting ways.” 

You nod and bite your nails, not sure what to say. It feels like you’re missing something by a mile.

But Agatha just smiles. “See you tomorrow in class, hon.” She winks before leaving you outside and you slowly trudge back to your car, completely dumbfounded. 

Once you get back to your dorm, the conversation with Agatha still fresh in your mind, you halfheartedly return Wanda’s greeting and take out your computer and type “transference” into Google. 

Transference is the psychological phenomenon where someone redirects feelings from one person onto another. It occurs when someone unconsciously projects feelings or desires onto someone else. 

“Holy shit,” you say out loud, your blood running cold. Wanda’s head turns toward you but it’s like you have tunnel vision. 

Was Agatha implying that you going out with Morgan is you redirecting your feelings toward your professor onto someone who looks like her? 

Your heart is thumping so loud you can hear it. Are you being that obvious to Agatha? Can she tell that you have a crush on her? 

As if to make matters worse, you get an email notification saying that a package has been delivered—the perfume. A whole day early, like the universe wants to prove its point. 

You let it sit in the delivery room all night because you don’t trust yourself not to go crazy if you smell it right now. 

But you barely get any sleep at all just thinking about it. 

The next morning, Wanda and Nat interrogate you at breakfast. You had told Wanda the general basics of how the date had gone last night, but now they’re pressing you for the details, which you reluctantly give. 

“It was good, she spent a lot of time talking about interning for her town’s government. She’s a Poli-Sci major—” Nat scoffs and rolls her eyes and Wanda laughs, “—and apparently her dad is like the mayor or a council member? I don’t know, I mean, she’s nice and all…” 

“Oh, come on,” Wanda says, fond exasperation staining her voice. “You always do this. You meet a great girl and then you decide that she’s boring or that you don’t really like her or you make one tiny thing of their personality into a big problem. Why can’t you just let yourself have something?” 

It stings how well she knows you. “I just…I don’t know…I’m just not sure we’d work that well together. And it doesn’t really make sense to get into a relationship now, does it? We’re graduating in the spring so why start something new if we’re going to end up in different places? She wants to go back to Indiana and I’ll probably stay here or go back home, so it just doesn’t seem like there’s much of a point.” 

Nat looks unimpressed. “Really? That’s your excuse for why you’re going to self-sabotage? If only long-distance was a thing, god.” 

Wanda pats her girlfriend’s hand and stifles a smirk at the sarcasm. “Just because it’s not going to end in marriage doesn’t mean it’s not worth it,” she says gently. “Why not go on a few more dates, just to see what happens? And who knows? She could be worth it.” 

It won’t work because she’s not at least twice my age. Except you can’t exactly tell your friends that. So instead you say, “Yeah, maybe.” 

“Even if it’s not a relationship, it could be a friends-with-benefits situation,” Natasha adds and Wanda snorts. “You’ve already had sex with her so you already know what you’d be getting into.” 

“Okay, okay,” you grimace at her crassness and push your chair back. “I have to get to class.” 

You have about twenty minutes before it starts, so you’re not in a rush, but you need the walk to clear your head and mentally prepare for seeing Agatha. The quip about transference has you still reeling and it’s only the third day of this class but it’s already the second time you’ve been nervous to look at her. You’re not sure you can get in trouble for having a crush on a teacher but you certainly don’t want Agatha being uncomfortable around you.

So you’ll keep your distance. You’ll go to class and take notes and answer questions, but you’ll leave right after. You won’t let her praise affect you and you will definitely not get close enough to smell her perfume that makes your cunt pulse. 

Practically everything you were just thinking goes out the window when you walk into class and see her standing at the front of the room. 

Agatha’s wearing another turtleneck, white this time, under a tan blazer and matching pants. You wonder if she’s been wearing them to hide hickeys on her neck—but then you remind yourself that you don’t care, despite the growing feeling of jealousy in your stomach from your absolutely baseless speculations. 

She smiles at you, something dark hidden behind her pink lips, and you shiver as you sit down. Does she know what she does to you? The praises, the projection tests from Wednesday, the way she looks at you? 

She seems to like you more than the other students in the class—is that just because you answer questions? Does she encourage you for that because she needs someone to? You’ve had classes where absolutely no one would talk and it was awful. Her praising you for that could just be her way of making sure there’s not an awkward silence. 

But it feels direct, pointed even. Like she wants it to be you.

Or is that just you hoping? 

Agatha isn’t the first teacher you’ve had a crush on, not by a long shot. There was the English teacher when you were in eighth grade. She wasn’t even your teacher, but you still found excuses to talk to her. There was your ninth grade Biology teacher, and then you took her Environmental Science class senior year just to have her again. Your Developmental Psychology professor from the spring semester of your first year in college. You’re sure there’s more. Each time, though, you were certain that you were special. 

Each time, you were sorely disappointed, but not surprised. 

You want to say that it feels different with Agatha, but you need to get a grip on yourself. 

She’s in her late forties, at least. She might have a partner. You glance at her hands as she’s typing something on the computer. No ring. That doesn’t mean anything, you tell yourself. 

But she could get in serious trouble for sleeping with a student. If everything else worked out, if all the other stars aligned and by some way, she did want you, she’d never risk her job over that. She has two doctorates and has published multiple articles about her research, which you’ve been meaning to read, and has won several awards for her work. She’s devoted her whole life to psychology and you are not going to change that. 

Agatha may tease, but at the end of the day, you feel confident that she will never be anything but professional, which means that you really need to get over this. 

“Okay, getting back into Trait Theory,” Agatha starts and you scramble for your notebook. She clicks present on the slideshow and you begin scribbling down everything typed on the first slide. “Theorists who approach personality through the Trait approach want to know what exactly traits are and what they do. Do they describe how we behave? Are they a sum of all we’ve learned? Do they reflect underlying personality? Are they the building blocks of our personality?” 

You chew on the tip of your pen and Agatha’s eyes flick to you with a glint in them. Her lips twitch up and you freeze. 

“The problem with traits is that people are inconsistent. We act one way when we’re by ourselves and a different way when we’re with friends versus family versus professors versus romantic partners. So do situations predict behavior more than personality traits?” 

Agatha surveys the classroom expectantly so you hesitantly raise your hand, wheels turning in your head trying to think of a sophisticated response. She smirks and nods at you. “I mean, I think situations obviously have some part in how we act, but it’s not like we’re completely different people based on who we’re interacting with. It could be kind of like, what traits do we use more of when we’re with some people and what traits do we use less of?” 

Her brows furrow and you can see her mulling it over. “So you’re saying that we have a bank of traits, of consistent traits, but which ones we tap into depends on who we’re with?” 

“Yes?” Your voice wavers but you hold eye contact with her. 

Agatha hums thoughtfully. “Very good. I like that.” Your cheeks flush and you duck your head, the eye contact becoming too intense. “And it brings us to an interesting thought. I want everyone to write down how you consider yourself personality-wise. And then write down some traits you’d use to describe your best friends.” 

You write some general words down for you and then for Wanda and Nat. It’s hard to sum someone’s personality up like that. Glancing around the room, you see everyone’s still working so you pick at your nails and pretend that you don’t feel Agatha staring at you. 

The compulsion grows too great in you, though, so you look at her. She doesn’t seem abashed that you caught her—if anything, she looks excited. You swallow roughly to get some moisture into your suddenly-dry mouth and your teeth sink into your bottom lip. Her eyelashes flutter, maybe just enough to be considered a wink, but then someone coughs and the moment is broken. 

Agatha clears her throat. “Take a look at what words you wrote for yourself and then compare them to the words you wrote for your friends. Chances are, there’s a good amount of overlap. Opposites attract sometimes, but it’s more often than not that we choose to surround ourselves with people that have similar personalities to us. If we do that, then our traits might be influencing the situations that we’re in, which influences our behavior. It’s a lot to think about.”

She clicks to the next slide. 

“Psychologists have found that both situations and traits influence behavior about equally after conducting some experiments that we’ll look at another time. Now,” she turns off the projection and the screen at the front of the room goes dark. Everyone looks at her. “I want to talk to you about an opportunity for next week.” 

Someone out of the corner of your eye perks up. “Extra credit?”

Agatha shoots him down with a glare. “It’s the third class of the semester, first of all. Second of all, there will be no extra credit in this course.” 

He slumps down, defeated. You think he might be the same person from the first day who was upset about only having five grades. 

“We will have a speaker on campus next Tuesday evening at six pm giving a presentation on fallacies from famous psychological experiments. I’ll be sending out more information about it, but I think it will be very interesting, especially for this class. It’s optional, but I do heavily recommend attending.” 

You raise your hand and she smiles. “What studies are they going to look at?” 

“Excellent question. The presentation will look at the Rosenthal study on expectancy effects, the Stanford Prison Experiment, among a few others, and one of my personal favorites: the study on delay of gratification.” 

“Is that the one—” a girl begins to say before Agatha interrupts her like she didn’t even hear the student. 

“Mischel and Ebbesen would call kids into a room one-by-one and tell them that they could either have a small candy bar right away, or wait some unknown amount of time for a larger candy bar. The researchers would leave the room and see what the kids would do.” Her blue eyes pierce into you and her face morphs into something almost predatory. “Is it better to get instant relief for something small, or to wait and let the anticipation build up for a better reward?” 

She prompts you with a tilt of her head and you wonder if she can see the slight sheen of sweat breaking out on your forehead. “If it’s going to be worth it to wait,” you rasp. 

Agatha licks her lips before nodding slowly and then settles back into her casual demeanor. “I mean, who doesn’t want a bigger candy bar?” she jokes and there’s a titter throughout the room. She gives you a smug smile and you face forward, cheeks burning. 

She continues talking but you’ve completely zoned out. You feel like a kid in the experiment—have something with Morgan, real but fleeting, or wait for even the possibility of Agatha? Once you’re not her student anymore, there shouldn’t be a problem. And you graduate in the spring anyway. 

But that’s if Agatha would even like you back then. 

What happens if the researcher never comes back with the big candy bar after the kid waits forever? 

She finally wraps up class, saying that she needs to rush off to a meeting and you slowly pack up your bag just in case she lingers. She may be in a hurry, but it’s nothing compared to the other students and it’s only a minute before you and her are the only ones left in the room. 

The air feels thick with electricity and tension and it’s like you’re rooted to your seat when she starts to slowly walk toward you. You can feel your heartbeat increase and your breathing quickens—your body wants to run but it can’t. 

“Great job today,” she mumbles and drums her fingertips atop your desk surface, her perfume rolling over you like a wave, and you don’t even realize that she’s gone until you hear the door shut behind you. 

You shakily stand up and swing your bag onto your shoulders and go to the library, desperately trying to ignore the heat between your legs.

After dinner, you pick up the package containing the perfume on your way back to your dorm. You’re almost afraid to open and smell it because you know your body will betray your mind. Your cunt has become conditioned to the scent—conditioned to Agatha—and you really need to figure out how to stop it. You’d throw out the bottle entirely if you hadn’t spent so much money on it. You’ll find some use for it, maybe for a party or something. 

Just as you get into your room, your phone buzzes with an email. Your heart starts to race when you see Agatha Harkness at the top of it and you quickly click on it. 

To your dismay, it’s just a course email. 

Hello Personality Psych, 

Here is the link for information concerning the speaker presentation next Tuesday evening that I mentioned in class. As a reminder, you will not receive any extra credit for attending, but it is an opportunity to learn more about flaws in renowned psychological experiments. Please email me if you are interested so I can get your name on the list. 

Best, 

Professor Harkness

You chew on your lip. It’s not something that you necessarily want to go to, and for no extra credit, it might be a waste of time. 

But you do seriously doubt that anyone else in your class is going to go, which would make you stand out to Agatha. 

You imagine walking into a room full of people you don’t know, anxiously scanning the crowd, to find her smiling at you and beckoning for you to go sit next to her. She’d lean in to whisper some remarks about the speaker into your ear and her hair would tickle your skin. Maybe you’d be bouncing your leg because of your trouble sitting still and she’d put a hand on your thigh to help you focus. 

Fuck. Your cheeks are burning now and the temptation to open the perfume so it feels like she’s there is gnawing strongly inside you. 

Instead, you compose a new email. 

Hi Professor Harkness, 

I would love to attend the presentation.

Thanks! 

You sign it off with your name and hit send before you can rethink it and then throw your phone to the end of the bed. 

The moment you press your hands to your face because you can’t believe how bad this is getting, your phone vibrates. You know what it’s going to be before you even look at it, and yet you’re still surprised to find that Agatha responded almost immediately. 

I’m very glad to hear that and I look forward to seeing you there. 

Professor Harkness. 

Only this time, instead of the regular email signature under her name, and every other professor’s name in their emails, that shows her position, the university name, and her email address, there’s something else as well. 

Ten digits. Your breath catches in her throat. 

She added her phone number. 

Taglist: @lostbutlovely33 @diorrxckstar @whoreforolderfictionalwomen  @katekathry @onemansdreamisanothermansdeath @tayasmellsapples @natashashill @mybraininblood @mysticalmoonlight7  @cactuslover2600 @loveem0mo @readysteddiero-nance @lonelyhalfwitch @lesbiantortilla @crescendoofstars @sol-in-wonderland @ahsfan05 @gbab09 @sasheemo @agathaharness @live-laugh-love-lupone @chiar4anna @fuckedupforkhahn @lowlyjelly @sweetmidnights @n3bula-cats @m1vfs @agathascoven1 @filmedbyharkness @autbot @claramelooo @dandelions4us @agathaallalongg @jujuu23 @21cannibal @angel-kitten-babygirl-u-choose @jeridandridge

[ari-ana-bel-la]

Hiiiii can you do a dad!Lando where his young daughter gets surrounded by media and interviews and starts stressing out and is saved by Oscar or someone

Thank youuu x

Safe and sound

Lando had always been careful. No, scratch that—he had been downright paranoid when it came to his daughter, Yn. From the moment he held her for the first time, she had become the center of his world. Everything he did, every choice he made, revolved around the little girl with the brightest smile and the sweetest giggle.

It wasn't that he didn't want to share that joy with others—he did. But the world he lived in, the world of Formula 1, was intrusive. The media could be relentless, the fans too curious. And the last thing Lando wanted was for Yn to be exposed to any of it.

His parents had tried to ease his worries.

"She'll be fine, Lando," his mum had reassured him over the phone. "You know how much she loves watching you race."

"And we'll be there the entire time," his dad added. "You need to trust us."

Lando wanted to believe them. But even with their words echoing in his mind, he hesitated. He had seen how wild things could get on a race weekend. Cameras flashing in his face, fans crowding him the moment he stepped into the paddock. Did he really want to bring Yn into that chaos?

Still, his home race felt different. It was supposed to be special. Maybe it was time.

That was how he found himself parking his car outside the paddock entrance, heart pounding as he turned to glance at the backseat. Yn was happily swinging her legs, her little hands clutching the stuffed bunny she never went anywhere without.

"You excited, bub?" Lando asked, his voice softer than usual.

Yn's face lit up with a smile. "I get to see you drive, Daddy!" Her excitement was infectious, and for a moment, Lando's fears eased.

"Yeah, you do." He reached back, brushing a stray curl from her cheek. "Just stick close to me, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy." Yn nodded solemnly, her bright eyes full of trust.

Taking a deep breath, Lando stepped out of the car and circled to her side. The moment he opened the door, the faint hum of the paddock buzzed around them. Before unbuckling her car seat, he positioned himself carefully, using his back to block the view of any wandering cameras.

"Arms up," he instructed, and when Yn lifted her arms, he scooped her into his chest. Her tiny arms wrapped around his neck as he held her close.

The paddock was already busy, the familiar noise of mechanics and engineers mingling with the distant cheers from the grandstands. Lando tried to focus, tried to push down the rising nerves as he walked briskly toward the McLaren garage.

"Daddy, your shoelace," Yn whispered into his ear, her warm breath tickling his neck.

"Shoot," he muttered under his breath. He crouched down, carefully setting her on her feet. "Stay right here, bub. I'm just gonna tie it real quick."

Yn nodded, her bunny clutched tight in her arms. Lando bent down, fingers working quickly on the knot. It only took a few seconds, but when he stood back up, his heart froze.

She was gone.

Panic hit him like a freight train. He spun around, eyes darting in every direction. The bustling crowd blurred as he searched desperately for her small figure.

"Yn?" he called, his voice tight. "Yn!"

The media had already started to gather, recognizing him immediately. Microphones and cameras were shoved in his direction, questions flying at him from every angle. But he barely heard any of it.

Where is she?

---

Yn, meanwhile, had spotted something far more interesting than her daddy's shoelace. A butterfly, pale blue and delicate, fluttered past her nose. Without a second thought, she followed it, her little legs carrying her farther and farther from where Lando had left her.

When the butterfly finally landed on a flower, Yn stopped and giggled softly. She stretched out her hand, hoping it might come closer. But then, realization dawned.

Where was her daddy?

Her chest tightened as she looked around. The sea of unfamiliar faces suddenly felt overwhelming. People walked by, too busy to notice the small girl standing there, frozen in fear.

Then, the cameras came.

"Is that Lando's kid?" one voice whispered excitedly.

Yn flinched as a group of fans nearby spotted her. They approached quickly, phones out, snapping picture after picture. Some girls knelt down, their voices syrupy sweet as they tried to talk to her.

"Hi, sweetie. What's your name?" one asked.

"Is your daddy nice?" another chimed in.

"Does he bring you to the races a lot?"

Yn took a step back, her bunny hugged tight against her chest. Her lip quivered as the questions piled on, too fast, too loud.

"Please..." she whispered, her eyes stinging. She wanted her daddy.

And then, everything changed.

A warm, steady hand slipped around her waist, lifting her effortlessly into the air. Yn's heart pounded in her chest until she opened her eyes and found herself face to face with Oscar.

"Hey," he murmured softly. "Got you."

The relief was immediate. She clung to his shirt, burying her face against his shoulder.

Oscar turned to the fans, his usually calm expression tight with anger. "Don't ever do that again," he said sharply. "She's a kid, not a spectacle."

The fans shrank back, guilt flashing across their faces as he turned on his heel and walked swiftly toward the McLaren garage. Yn's heart gradually slowed, her tears drying as she felt safe again.

"You okay, munchkin?" he asked after a moment.

She nodded against his shoulder.

"Here," he said, pulling his cap off and gently settling it on her head. It was much too big, sliding down over her eyes. When she peeked up at him and giggled, Oscar smiled. "Better?"

"Better," she agreed, adjusting the hat with her little hands.

---

Back at the garage, Lando was losing his mind.

"Where is she?" he demanded, running a hand through his curls. "She was right there, Mum, I swear. I looked away for two seconds—"

"We'll find her," his dad said firmly, though concern lined his face. "Just breathe."

But Lando couldn't breathe. Not until he knew she was safe.

And then, as if the universe answered his prayers, he saw her.

Oscar emerged from the crowd, Yn still nestled securely in his arms, wearing his oversized cap. The moment Lando's eyes landed on her, his knees nearly gave out.

"Yn!" His voice broke as he rushed toward them.

"Daddy!" Yn wriggled free from Oscar's hold the moment they reached him, and Lando caught her instantly, holding her close as if he might never let go again.

"Oh, bub," he whispered, kissing the side of her head over and over. "I'm so sorry. Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"

Yn shook her head, her small hands clutching his shirt. "I got lost, Daddy. But Ossie found me."

Lando's eyes lifted to meet Oscar's, a world of gratitude in his expression. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

Oscar shrugged, though there was warmth in his smile. "Anytime, mate. You know that."

Lando held Yn even tighter, pressing his forehead to hers. "I'm never letting you out of my sight again," he promised softly.

Yn, comforted by her daddy's warmth and safety, just giggled quietly. "Okay, Daddy." And in that moment, everything felt right again.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♥︎♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Authors Note: Hey loves. I hope you enjoyed this story. My requests are always open for you!

-💙🦋

[raven-dor]

kiss from a rose

in which steve rogers gets the girl… and then loses her?

PAIRING: steve rogers x avenger!reader, steve rogers x fem!reader

WARNINGS: jealousy, slight angst, typical marvel violence, witty banter (thank you Natasha), yearning!!

WORD COUNT: 3.9k

🎶 : kiss from a rose - seal

AN: yay steve!! successfully brought back my Marvel obsession!! reader has nature powers, plus telekinesis but it's green!! SUPERHERO NAME IS TERRA

It was late when he realized it. They’d just gotten back from a two-week-long recon mission when it clicked. Her hair glistened in the dim lights of his apartment, his apron wrapped around her waist as she made them dinner. 

He’d offered to help, she’d said she’d wanted to. “After this mission, you deserve a break, Cap.” 

He glared playfully, fighting the blush forming on his already rosy cheeks. “Please don’t call me that.” 

“Why not?” She smirked. “That is your title.” 

“But not my name.” He muttered, staring at her intently. “I like it when you call me my name.” 

It was her turn to blush. “Fine, fine.” He held her hand, rubbing the back gently with his thumb. Of course, she gave in. “Steve. Now, go set the table.” 

He’d never set a table faster in his life. 

And then, when he turned around and watched as her face focused on their dinner, tongue peeked out from behind her lips, his heart fluttered. He stalked over, holding the crook of her arm gently as he spun her around. Her eyes widened, pupils growing for every second she stared at him. “Steve? What are you-” 

He dove down, kissing her like it was his last moment on Earth. Like he needed her. In a way, he did. 

Her eyes fluttered shut, arms wrapping around his neck. He smiled, pulling away ever so slightly. “You’re beautiful.” 

Her cheeks felt like he’d lit them on fire. “Steve. What’s gotten into you?” 

He shrugged, nudging her nose with his. “Thought I should make a move.” 

She laughed, and his heart fluttered. “You have good instincts.”

“Are you sure?” He asked for the millionth time. “Peg’s been dying to meet you.” 

He was too nice, she told herself. She knew Peggy could not care less about seeing her. “Steve, I’ll be just fine waiting for you here.” 

“I-” He nodded. “I’ll be back.” 

“Go on.” She smiled, kissing his cheek. “You’re already late.” 

He hadn’t been gone long when she received two texts from Nicholas Fury. She frowned reading it, their boss had always had the most inconvenient timing. Walking down the hall, she gazed into Peggy’s room, smiling at the pair. Steve sat diligently at her bedside, every week, like clockwork.

“I couldn’t leave my best girl-” 

Jealousy ripped through her like a disease. 

Peggy and Steve had had their time, but she was married. She wasn’t even someone Steve was remotely interested in anymore. 

But when Y/N watched the man she’d grown to love staring at her like that, she couldn’t help but listen to the tiny devil on her shoulder. It’s not like they were dating, they’d only kissed for the first time last night. She shouldn’t care, she told herself over and over.

She shouldn’t be jealous. 

A tear fell down her cheek, and she gasped, turning away from the door to wipe it away.

“Something wrong?” His voice pulled her from her thoughts.

Shaking her head, she turned back around, smiling lightly. “Not really. Fury texted. Said we still needed to turn in some paperwork for the mission.”

“Ah.” He looked disappointed. She didn’t blame him. 

“I can do it, no need to leave her or-” 

“No! No, I’d be happy to help.” He smiled, reaching for her hand. “I would love to.” 

God, he was charming. It was hard to be jealous when he looked at her like that. “Maybe it would be best…” Her voice grew quieter with each word. “It would probably be quicker if I did it by myself.” 

“Oh.” He sounded weak. “If that’s what you want.” 

She nodded, not trusting her voice. Handing him the keys, her heart skipped when his fingers brushed hers.

His head tilted. “Are you walking?” She nodded once more, and he looked utterly confused. She would be too, considering she had been the one to drive here. It was a company car, but still. “Let me drive.” 

“It’s fine, really-” 

“I would never forgive myself if something happened to you.” He spoke like he meant it. She knew he meant it. “Please.” 

How could she say no?

She’d been home for approximately four hours when she realized how stupid she’d been. Using the spare key Steve had given her months ago for ‘emergencies’ she slipped into his apartment, smiling to herself when his cologne fell out of the shadows. Throwing her coat on the counter, she walked over to the light switch, about to flip it on when a voice broke through the quiet. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” 

She pulled her gun out of its holster, aiming at the corner. Fury’s face peeked out from the dark, and her shoulders loosened, lowering her aim. “What the hell, Nick?” 

“What the hell to you too.” His voice was gruff. “What is my little green thumb doing in Captain America’s apartment?” 

“None of your-” 

“Business?” He raised an eyebrow. 

Her cheeks flushed. “I could ask you the same question, sir.” 

“My wife kicked me out.” 

She raised an eyebrow. “What wife-” Fury raised his phone, the text reading ‘Shield compromised.’ 

“Shit.” She hissed. “Did she-” 

“Y/N?”

“Steve.” She turned around, glad for the dark. It hid her hot cheeks perfectly. “I-” 

“Did I do something earlier?” He threw his coat next to hers, walking down the hall with a horribly beautiful look in his eye. “If-” She tilted her head toward the corner, and his eyes darted to Fury, glaring. “I don’t remember giving you a key.” 

“Do you really think I’d need one?” The old man looked at Y/N, smirking. “It’s a select group, I see.” 

Y/N glared, avoiding Steve’s gaze. “Fury-” 

“My wife kicked me out.” 

She fought the urge to roll her eyes. He was using the same line he’d used seconds before. Steve stepped in front of her, turning on the light. “I didn’t know you were married.” 

“A lot of things you don’t know about me.” 

“I know Nick. That’s a problem.” 

“Cap.” She hissed. “Be kind.” 

“Cap?” Steve hissed back. “What did I-” 

Fury held his phone up, the words he’d shown her still typed in large bolded letters. Steve’s eyes widened, and he gazed around his apartment. His arm stuck out behind him, pushing her behind him. Her heart fluttered. “Stay.” 

“I’m sorry to have to do this.” 

“Who else-” Steve sounded tight. “Who else knows about your wife?” 

“Just my friends.” His phone read ‘us three.’ 

Steve scoffed. “Is that what we are?” 

“That’s up to you.” Fury stood up, barely out of his seat when an attack of bullets shot through Steve’s wall, hitting him square in the chest. 

They dropped to the floor, pulling Fury behind the kitchen counter. “Shit,” Y/N whispered, checking for his pulse. “Shit, Cap.” 

He glared. “We’ll talk later.” 

“Why would-” He raised an eyebrow, and her cheeks flushed. “Just be safe, yeah?” 

“I will.” He nodded, smiling lopsidedly. “Are we-” 

Fury stuck a shaking hand out at Steve, a grey flash drive with Shield’s logo in his palm. “Trust no one.” 

The operating room was cluttered, with doctors and equipment at every corner. Her hands gripped the windowsill tightly, staring at her boss getting cut open on the table. “C’mon Fury. Please don’t die.” 

Steve’s hand laid over hers, a comforting presence. He said nothing, just staring at her with his mouth slightly agape. She dared to look over, frowning. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Y/N-”

“How is he?” Nat’s voice was panicked. Y/N pulled out of his hold, hugging her friend quickly. 

“Not good, Nat.” 

All they could do was watch helplessly as Fury died. And when Steve held her in his arms, flash drive digging into her back, she knew their talk would have to wait. Fury’s body was presented to them minutes after he’d been declared dead. 

She’d never seen Natasha so shaken. 

“I need to take him.” 

Nat stayed firm by Fury’s side, and Steve stepped forward. “Natasha.” 

The redhead took one last look at her boss before stalking down the hall. Leaving Maria by herself, they chased after her. She whipped around, anger flooding her normally playful gaze. “Why was Fury in your apartment?” 

“I don’t know.” God, Steve was a horrible liar.

“Cap.” Y/N turned around, looking at Rumlow with disdain. “They want you back at Shield Headquarters.” 

“Yeah, give me a second.” 

“They want you now.” His voice held something else, a secret that Y/N couldn’t decipher. 

“Okay.” 

“You’re a terrible liar you know,” Nat shot back, walking away. 

“I should-” Y/N whispered. “I should go.” 

“No.” Steve shook his head, holding her hand tightly. “Fury trusted you with this too.” His eyes looked wild. Not with passion or love, but with confusion, and worry. “I need you with me.” 

She could never say no to him. One thing stuck in the back of her mind, one thing Steve had told her without saying anything at all. Trust no one meant something bigger than a single person. It meant a system, an organization they’d both worked for, that they both protected. They were going to take down Shield. 

Shields headquarters, much like its field of work, was dark. Gloomy, grey, and dark. Absolutely no green or foliage to be seen for miles. Like always, she complained to Steve as they walked. “I understand why we have to wear our suits, but I’ve never felt more uncomfortable in my life.” 

Steve laughed, a smile cracking from beneath his normally hard exterior. “As soon as we-” His smile faded. “As soon as you get home, you can change. I promise.” 

“Steve-”  

Pierce and Steve’s supposed neighbor were huddled outside his office door, speaking in hushed tones. Y/N made an effort to stand taller, their talking coming to a halt as they approached. ‘The neighbor’ smiled, greeting them both as she left. “Captain, Terra.” 

Steve didn’t even bother to look in her direction. “Neighbor.” 

“Captain.” Pierce stuck out his hand. “My name is Alexander Pierce.” 

Y/n fought the urge to roll her eyes. The older man had always given her an unsettled feeling in her stomach. They had met multiple times before, and she saw no reason to shake his hand for the millionth time. 

“Mr. Pierce. It’s an honor.” 

Y/N raised an eyebrow. What an honor indeed.

“Nick ignored my direct order and carried out an unauthorized military operation on foreign soil, saving the lives of a dozen political officers, including my daughter.” 

“So you gave him a promotion.” Steve seemed skeptical. Good. 

“I’ve never had any cause to regret it. Captain…” His voice held a sort of curiosity. In Y/N’s opinion, it was closer to nosiness. “Why was Nick in your apartment last night?” 

“I don’t know.” 

“Did you know it was bugged?”

“I did,” Steve confirmed, leaning forward. “Because Nick told me.” 

Y/N placed a reassuring hand on Steve’s arm. “Fury told him months ago. And, between you and me Mr. Pierce, Nick’s been having family issues.” 

“Ah.” Pierce’s hard gaze hadn’t moved from Steve's. “Did he tell you he was the one who bugged it?” She hadn’t known that. “I want you to see something.” 

“Is that live?” Steve turned around. 

Her eyes widened at the video. “Where is that?” 

“We picked him up last night in a not-so-safe house in Algiers.” 

“Are you saying he’s a suspect? Assassination isn’t Batroc’s line.” 

“He may be a deranged man, but he wouldn’t put a hit out on Fury,” Y/N whispered. “No way.” 

“It’s more complicated than that. Batroc was hired anonymously to attack the Lemurian Star. He was contacted by email and paid by wire transfer, and then the money was run through seventeen fictitious accounts. The last one going to a holding company that was registered to a Jacob Veech.”

“Am I supposed to know who that is?” 

“Veech died six years ago. His last address was 1435 Elmherst Drive.” Her heart dropped. She and Fury were by no means close, but after working with him for longer than she cared to admit, she came to know his past, just like he came to know hers. She knew things, like his first pet's name, or his family’s home address. Shit. “When I first met Nick, his mother lived in 1437.” 

“Are you saying Fury hired the pirates?” 

“The prevailing theory was that the hijacking was a cover for the sale of classified intelligence. The sale went sour and that led to Nick’s death.”

“Mr. Pierce, with all due respect, Fury would never do that. You know-” Her eyes welled. “You knew him, I knew him. He may have played dirty occasionally, but he was no traitor.” 

“Why do you think we’re talking?” The older man replied. “I took a seat on this council because Nick asked me to because we were both realists. We knew despite all the diplomacy and the rhetoric, that to build a better world, sometimes you have to tear the old one down. You two were the last people to see Nick alive. I don’t think that’s an accident. And I don’t think you do either.” Y/N held her breath, remaining cool under his suspicious stare. “So I’m going to ask you again. Why was he there?” 

“He told me not to trust anyone.” 

“I wonder,” Pierce murmured. “If that included him.” 

“I’m sorry. Those were his last words. Excuse me.” He grabbed his shield, and both of them walked toward the door. 

“Captain.” The pair turned around, and she ignored the annoyance that grew in her stomach. Pierce tended to only respect the men in the room. “Somebody murdered my friend, and I’m going to find out why. Anyone gets in my way, they’re going to regret it. Anyone.” 

“Is that a threat?” Y/N stepped in front of Steve, her hands glowing ever so slightly. 

Pierce simply shook his head, a strange sort of smile on his face. “Simply a promise.” 

“There’s always been something off about him.” She muttered as they waited for the elevator. “That is exactly the person we shouldn’t trust. The type of person that Fury warned us about.” Steve just stared out the window, arms crossed. She frowned. “What’s on your mind?” 

The elevator door opened, and he walked in, Y/N trailing after him. “Operations Control.” 

“Cap-” 

“Not here.” His eyes looked gloomy, like the beginning of a storm. 

“Keep all S.T.R.I.K.E. personnel on sight.” Rumlow walked in, accompanied by three agents Y/N had never seen. “Cap. Terra.” 

“Rumlow.” 

“Evidence response found some fibers on the roof they want us to see. You want me to get the tac team ready?” 

“No. Let’s wait and see what it is first.” 

“Right.” Rumlow looked jittery. Odd, she thought to herself, he was normally quite calm. Four more agents entered on the next floor. With no warning, Steve grabbed her hand, pulling her in front of him. She could feel his breath on her neck. Rumlow’s voice was hushed. “I’m sorry about what happened with Fury. It’s messed up, what happened to him.” 

“Thank you,” Steve muttered. 

Three more agents entered on the floor after that, and she squeezed Steve’s hand. A fight was imminent. Steve squeezed back before letting go. Summoning the small bit of energy in her hands, she stood tall, her face hardening. 

“Before we get started-” Steve’s voice was confident, firm. “Does anyone want to get out?” 

It was all a blur. She threw three agents against the door, knocking them out. Steve broke out of their hold, smacking the one who’d held him in a chokehold against the window. Rumlow pulled out his taser rod, slamming Steve in the back. 

“Hey!” Y/N yelled, building up an energy blast in her hand and breaking the rod out of his hand. “That’s not very nice, Rumlow.” 

Rumlow scoffed, pulling his two backups out of his belt. “Whoa, big guy.” Y/N rolled her eyes. “I just want you to know, Cap, this isn’t personal!” He jumped forward jabbing Steve in the side before he was thrown into the ceiling.

“It kinda feels personal.” Steve grabbed his shield, turning around and looking her over for injuries. “Are you alright?” His voice was barely a whisper, pushing a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

She hummed, leaning into his touch. “I’m fine.” She wiped his brow with her sleeve, the smallest bruise forming. “Are you?” 

“Fine.” He lied. He canceled the emergency stop, the doors opening to reveal twenty Shield officers aiming straight at them. He stilled, placing a protective arm in front of her. 

“Drop the shield and put your hands in the air.” The lead yelled out. 

Without any warning, Steve spun around, cutting the elevator lines with one fell swoop. After the elevator stopped, he tried to door again, even more agents waiting for them than before. 

“Steve-” She hissed, watching as he eyed the window. “Don’t-” 

“There’s no other way out.” He quipped. 

Her hands glowed as she shook them in the air. “Hello?” 

“I have to say-” She whispered, burying her face in her hood. “Hiding the top secret hard drive in a public vending machine is not your smartest idea.” 

Steve rolled his eyes. “Did you have a better one?” 

“Keeping it on my person crossed my mind.” She teased, nudging his side. “It’s not like all of the secrets Fury has been hiding from us are on it.” 

“Stop worrying. It’s-” Empty. All the gum had been bought, along with, Y/N thought to herself, a free flash drive. Nat’s face reflected off the glass, popping a bubble from the gum she had bought. In any other situation, she would have laughed. 

Steve grabbed her arms, pushing her into the room behind them. “Where is it?” 

“Safe.” 

Y/N watched with mild fascination. 

“Do better.” 

“Where did you get it?” Nat questioned. 

“Why would I tell you?” 

“Fury gave it to you. Why?” 

“What’s on it?”

“I don’t know.” 

“Stop lying.” He shook the super spy.

Y/N’s smirk broke. “Steve-” 

“I only act like I know everything, Rogers.” 

“I bet you knew Fury hired the pirates, didn’t you?” 

“Well, it makes sense. The ship was dirty, Fury needed a way in so do you.”

“I’m not going to ask you again.” Steve was practically seething. Y/N reached out, placing a hand on his arm before Nat spoke once more. 

“I know who killed Fury. The Winter Soldier. Five years ago, I was escorting a nuclear engineer out of Iran. Somebody shot out my tires near Odessa. We lost control, went straight over a cliff. I pulled us out. But he was there, and I was covering my engineer. So he shot him, straight through me. Soviet slug, no rifling. Bye-bye, bikinis.” 

Steve rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I bet you look terrible in them now.”

“Going after him is a dead end. I know, I’ve tried.” She held up the hard drive. “He’s a ghost story.” 

“Then let’s find out what the ghost wants.” 

“How much time do we have?” The three of them huddled around the computer as Nat tried to access the hard drive. 

“About nine minutes from…” She plugged the drive in. “Now. Fury was right about that ship. Somebody is trying to hide something. This drive is protected by some sort of AI, it keeps rewriting itself to counter my commands.” 

“Can you override it?” 

“The person who developed this is slightly smarter than me.” 

Y/N laughed. “I thought that wasn’t possible.” 

“Ha-ha. I’m running a tracer, so if we can’t read the file, the least we can do is find out where it came from.” 

“Can I help you guys with anything?” 

Nat laughed, shaking her head. “Oh, no. Just fulfilling my maid of honor duties. Helping my brother and his fiance find some honeymoon destinations.” 

“Right,” Steve spoke through his gritted teeth, slinging an arm over Y/N’s shoulder. “We’re getting married.” 

She felt like she was on fire. Steve looked down at her with heart eyes, and she melted, relaxing in his hold.

“Congratulations.” The employee smiled. “Where are you guys thinking about going?” 

“Jersey.” She smiled back. 

“Huh.” The employee stared at Steve, too long for it to be nothing. “I-” Shit, he knew. “I have the exact same glasses.” 

Oh. “You two are practically twins.” Y/N teased. 

“Yeah, I wish.” The other man laughed. “Specimen. If you guys need anything, I’ve been Aaron.” 

“Thank you.” Y/N smiled, looking up at Steve as she mouthed the words ‘perfect specimen.’ His cheeks grew red. 

“You know it?” Nat gestured to the screen, breaking the moment in two. 

Steve looked solemn, nodding. “I used to.” 

Nat hissed as they moved out of the Apple store. “I’ll meet you in the parking garage, don’t get caught.” 

“What?” Y/N widened her eyes. “Why-” 

Steve grabbed her hand, pulling her onto the escalator. “It’s alright, we’ll get out of here soon.” He tilted his head, taking his turn to tease her. “Scared to be alone with me?” 

“Steve.” She gasped, smacking his chest. “Don’t fish for compliments.” 

“Oh?” He smirked. “So you had a compliment?” 

She turned around, eyes widening when she saw Rumlow step onto the adjacent escalator. “Kiss me.” 

He looked pale. “What?” 

“Rumlow-” She sighed. “Public displays of affection make people very uncomfortabl-” Steve’s lips smashed against hers, his arms snaking around her waist. Her eyes fluttered shut, and she received a sudden burst of deja vu. Pulling away, she turned around, walking the rest of the way down. “I wasn’t finished.” 

Steve shrugged. “I got the point.” 

“So-” Nat leaned forward, looking between the two. “What happened?” 

Y/N tensed, looking back at her friend. “What do you mean?” 

“You two haven’t looked at each other since you got in the car.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “What happened?” 

Steve cracked the smallest smile, and Natasha gasped, smacking Y/N’s arm. “You kissed him!” 

“What?” Y/N yelled. “Why was it me that kissed him?” 

“Oh.” Nat’s smirked widened. “So it happened then?” 

Steve laughed. “Is this something you talk about?” 

“I-” She felt like she was going to burst. This was much too much attention on her. “It was for the mission, Nat.” 

Steve frowned. “I wouldn’t say so.” 

Nat was fully grinning. “He wouldn’t say so.” 

“Natasha.” Y/N hissed. “Leave it be.” 

“Fine, fine.” She held her hands up in defeat. “Where did Captain America learn how to steal a car?” 

“Nazi Germany. And it’s not stealing, it’s borrowing.” 

“All right.” Nat nodded. “I have another question for you. Of which you do not have to answer. But I feel like if you don’t answer, that sort of answers-” 

Steve sighed. “What?” 

“Was that your first kiss since 1945?” 

Y/N choked on air, and Steve placed a hand on her back, rubbing it gently. “Breath.” 

She glared, flipping him and Natasha off. Nat smirked. “I was just wondering how much practice you’ve had.” 

“You don’t need practice.” 

“Everyone needs practice-” 

“It was not my first kiss since 1945. I’m ninety-five.” He cut her off. “I’m not dead.”

“Nobody special though?” Nat egged on. If there were no repercussions, Y/N would blast her out of the car then and there. 

Steve quickly looked over at Y/N before looking back at the road. “There’s someone.”  

“Do tell.” 

“Nah.” He shook his head, smiling to himself. “I don’t think I will.”

taglist:

[cressidagrey]

The Queen of Romantasy and the Race Car Prince - Chapter 12

Pairing: Lando Norris x Elizabeth "Lizzie" Treshton (Original Character)

Summary:

Elizabeth Treshton—bestselling romantasy author, queen of fae heartbreak, and sworn devotee of a carefully structured routine—never expected her service dog to abandon protocol and diagnose a Formula 1 driver with something. But that’s exactly what happens when Mara the wonder-dog ditches Lizzie’s side to aggressively alert to none other than Lando Norris in the middle of a coffee shop.

Warnings and Notes: 

Mention of epilepsy and service animals. I don't myself suffer from epilepsy, so I asked my IRL friend, who thankfully was nice enough to let me ask her all the questions I could come up with. The rest I asked Reddit. So everything that's wrong...that's totally my fault and not on purpose. Also Discussion of toxic media/fandom/death threats.

As always big thanks to @llirawolf , who listens to me ramble

Lando sat on the couch, staring at his phone like it had personally betrayed him. Lizzie, curled up next to him with Mara at her feet, noticed his thumb hovering over the screen, hesitating. She nudged him with her knee.

"Alright, what is it? Did Max send you another cursed meme?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. There was something going on. Something that he hadn't told her yet. 

She had learned to read Lando well enough to pick up on these kinds of unsaid cues. The way he looked, the way he smiled, his eyes just so crinkling at the corners...she knew exactly the titl of his head, the way the right corner of his mouth ticked up in a smile when he read something funny on his phone...She knew. 

And she treasured all these tiny details, hoarded them like a dragon did to it's gold. 

Lando huffed a small laugh, but it didn’t reach his eyes. "Worse."

Lizzie's eyebrows furrowed, concern creasing her forehead. That wasn't good.  "Worse? What's worse than Max Verstappen's questionable taste in humor?" she asked, trying to infuse some humour into the situation, but Lando didn't seem interested in that. 

He exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "So, you know how I sent that picture of Mara in her Ferrari bandana to Charles?"

Lizzie's face lit up as she nodded, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Yes, how could I forget? The cutest picture I've ever seen."

Her dog was the most adorable dog to ever grace this earth, thank you very much. (She was very much certain that every dog owner had thought that at one moment in time, but she was correct!) 

Lando chuckled and pulled her into his side. She breathed in the scent that was simply him, something fresh and warm and so utterly Lando...feeling his body warmth seep into her, through the thin shirt he was wearing. "Yeah, yeah, you’ve said that a thousand times," he teased. "But you’ll never guess what happened when Charles showed that picture to his girlfriend."

Lizzie raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "What, did she think it was so cute it gave her a heart attack?" she joked. Not that she could fault Charles' girlfriend if that was indeed the case. 

"She recognized Mara," Lando said drily. That was not what Lizzie had expected. Actually that was the last thing she had expected.  "Alexandra Saint Mleux," Lando said, watching her reaction carefully. "is apparently a Lizzie Treshton superfan."

Lizzie’s eyes widened. "Wait, seriously?" she asked, a mix of shock and amusement coloring her voice. Really? "A F1 WAG read my books?"

"Not just her," Lando said, shaking his head. "All of them. And they’ve decided they need to meet you. Effective immediately."

Lizzie stared at him for a moment before bursting out laughing. 

"So what, they started plotting?" she teased.

"Plotting would be an understatement," Lando said, amused. "I have been forcefully added to the WAG council group chat, and they are demanding that I bring you to a race."

The mere idea of being in a group chat with the wives and girlfriends of Formula 1’s elite sounded like a scene straight out of a fanfiction, but apparently it was her real life now. 

"There’s a WAG council?" She asked, shocked besides herself. That sounded...actually, she had no idea what that sounded like. 

"Apparently."

"That’s amazing," Lizzie said, still giggling. 

Lando made a face. "It’s terrifying."

Lizzie bit her lip, trying not to laugh. "Demanding might be a strong word, though, right?"

"Oh, no," Lando corrected, his expression deadly serious. "There were threats, bribes, and full capital letters. Also, they all want signed copies of Seasons of Fate."

Lizzie let out a soft oh of understanding before shaking her head with a grin. "You know, I really didn’t think this was how our relationship was going to get outed," she said drily. Really. This was really not what she had had in mind. 

"Neither did I," Lando admitted. "But the WAGs are apparently above no tactics when it comes to getting their hands on signed books."

Lizzie raised an eyebrow, her curiosity only growing. "So, what exactly did they say?"

Lando sighed, running a hand through his curls. "Well, for starters, Alex offered to ‘whore out her Ferrari golden boy boyfriend’ if it meant getting you to Silverstone."

Lizzie cackled. "She said that?"

"Verbatim," Lando confirmed, looking equal parts entertained and exhausted. "And apparently, Charles will sign whateveryou want if he doesn’t want to be murdered in his sleep."

She burst out in laughter at that. 

"Well, that sounds like... quite the deal," she said, trying desperately to stay serious. "I don’t know whether to be concerned or find it hilariously absurd."

Lando smirked, clearly amused by the situation. "It’s a lot of both," he assured her. "But they're not afraid to play dirty." He grew serious. "I wanted to talk to you before this all blows up. I know we haven’t exactly been hiding, but we also haven’t been, you know, public."

Lizzie sobered slightly, understanding what he was getting at. "You’re worried about what happens when people know."

He nodded. "It’s just… your life is already busy, and the last thing I want is for my world to make things harder for you. The fans, the media, the scrutiny—it’s a lot. And I don’t want you to feel pressured into dealing with that."

Her heart painfully constricted, her expression softened, because it was clear that Lando was worried about this. "I appreciate that," she said sincerely. "But, Lando… I’ve been dealing with fan and media attention for a while now. I thinkI can handle it."

Lando frowned slightly. "Yeah, but F1 media is different. It’s relentless. They’ll speculate about everything, dig through your old tweets, try to twist things. Hell, they’re probably going to turn Mara into some kind of meme."

Lizzie smirked. "I mean, she is an icon. It’s about time the world recognizes it."

Lando groaned. "Lizzie."

She laughed before squeezing his hand. "Look, I won’t pretend it won’t be overwhelming. But I do know that I don’t want to keep pretending we’re just… nothing."

"You know that they’ll be hounding your every move?" he warned her, his voice tinged with concern. "The fans can be ruthless, the media is relentless, and the tabloids—well, they make up their own storylines."

She nodded. "I won’t lie, I know it’s going to be overwhelming. I mean, I have seen what happens when the internet latches onto F1 relationships. But I also know I don’t want to pretend we’re just… nothing. You make me happy, and I don’t want to hide that."

Lando was silent for a moment, his eyes meeting Lizzie's. His thumb traced a gentle circle on the back of her hand as he seemed lost in thought.

“You make me happy too,” he told her, his voice soft. “But they’ll…they’re going to dissect every little thing. If you don’t come to a race, we’ll probably be at the brink of a break up. If you do come, they’ll write ridiculous headlines of you stealing the spotlights. They are going to speculate on how long we’ve been together, probably even come up with wild conspiracy theories..."

She could hear it in his voice, how much it stressed him...how uch even just the thought of people doing that to their relationship was hurting him. 

"Hey," she said softly. "I’m a bestselling fantasy author, Lando. People come up with wild conspiracy theories about my books on a daily basis. I can handle it."

Lando chuckled at that. "Fair point," he admitted, conceding her argument. The tension in his shoulders eased some. "I just…I want you to be sure,” Lando said hesitantly. “The Formula One fandom is another level when it comes to speculating about relationships. And some fans are bloody mental. I have literally received death threats, and I am not the only one. And the media? They are going to be relentless. They’ll ask questions about you at every race, they’ll bring up your epilepsy, they’ll try to spin things."

Lizzie knew that. She was very much aware of that. But Lizzie had lived with her epilepsy for nearly all her life. She already had heard every single horrible thing somebody could say about that. 

Now it would be more of the same. Simply on a bigger stage. 

Was it scary? Yes. 

Did she care? Not really. 

So Lizzie simply squeezed his hand reassuringly. "I know. I’m not naive. And I won’t pretend it doesn’t scare me a little. But I also know I don’t want to let fear dictate my life. We’re in this together, right?"

"Of course, we are."

Lizzie leaned in, resting her forehead against his. "Then let’s do it."

Lando grinned, all traces of his earlier tension disappearing. "You’re braver than me," he said, pulling her closer so he could kiss her forehead. "Are you sure you’re ready for this circus?"

A mischievous glint flashed in Lizzie's eyes. "Honey, if there’s one thing I’ve learned from writing about a war between magical races, it’s that I can handle whatever comes my way."

Lando chuckled, shaking his head at her audacity. "You’re something else, you know that?" he said warmly. 

"Yes," she said, grinning. "So, you’ll take me to Silverstone?"

"I was supposed to be the one inviting you, you know," Lando muttered, feigning exasperation.

Lizzie just smirked. "Too slow, Norris.  Let’s do it. If the WAGs want signed books, I might as well hand-deliver them."

Lando let out a dramatic sigh. "Fine. But the moment we walk into the paddock together, the internet is going to explode."

Lizzie leaned in, pressing a quick kiss to his lips before pulling back with a knowing smile. "Then let’s give them a show, shall we?"

[noctiva]

Yandere Toby hc-🪽

angel anon I see all ur asks in my inbox… what are we hehe *twirls hair*

//

Yandere!Toby Headcannons

-

CW!! Stalking, obsessive behaviour, mentions of death + murder, 18+ content, sexual content

slight NSFW under the cut! minors do not interact!

—

Yandere!Toby thinks he’s doing it all for your sake

Because he knows what’s best for you, and what’s best for you is him.

He knows how to treat you better than anyone else. Knows all of your favourite shows, foods, hobbies, and places to go (maybe only because he sneaks around your house when you think you’re alone, peeking through the windows to gaze at your beauty)

Yandere!Toby leaves you gifts and love notes. Pretty rocks he thinks you’d like, animal bones he cleaned just for you, pretty jewelry and hair clips he stole from his victims. All slipped into your mailbox, or left on your porch wrapped in a ribbon.

Yandere!Toby won’t hesitate to kill, but he’ll do it discreetly - leaving you wondering why all of your love interests just keep disappearing.

Yandere!Toby has snuck into your house once or twice (or three, four, five times) to steal little items from you that he’s sure you won’t miss.

Besides your favourite sweater - he took that too. Stuffing it with a pillow so he can fall asleep cuddled up against your scent, dreaming that one day he’ll have his arms wrapped around your body instead.

(And you don’t want it back, because more often than not he ends up hopelessly rutting against it - the smell of your perfume getting him harder than he’s ever been)

Yandere!Toby is patient at first. Hopeful that you’ll realize the truth eventually (the truth being, that you’ll be happiest with him).

But that patience doesn’t last long, because why don’t you get it? Why are you wasting time with all of these idiots when he’s right here? Showering you with love and appreciation you could never find elsewhere?

Though, he’d never really blame you. You were perfect. The fault was laid on every one else. For distracting you, leading you astray. Keeping you from him, and tainting your mind.

Yandere!Toby keeps trophies from all of the people he’s killed to gain your affection. His favourite being the jar of teeth that rests on his nightstand.

Yandere!Toby has your name carved into the handle of his hatchet. Because he’s doing this all for you. Not caring how bloody he has to get if it means the end goal is your lips on his.

Yandere!Toby likes to watch you sleep.

Likes to see you so peaceful. That’s when you’re the most beautiful, in his opinion. All blissful and unaware.

He could do anything to you. Anything.

But he’d wait. Because if he wanted a limp doll he’d just go back to humping your sweater. He wanted to hear you cry out his name, feel your nails drag down his back.

So the worst he’d do while you were sleeping was snip off a lock of your hair. From the back, so you wouldn’t notice it as quick.

He keeps it in a locket around his neck.

(But he often takes it out to sniff it.)

Yandere!Toby stole a Polaroid camera just to document you.

And when he prints the pictures out, he sticks them right on the wall next to his bed.

Pictures of you sleeping, at work, laughing with friends.

The pictures of you undressing, he keeps in his nightstand. Along with a pair of panties he snagged from your drawer.

He would return them, so that you could wash them and reinvigorate the scent of your laundry soap - but he’s sure that the new stains would catch your attention.

Yandere!Toby knows it’ll only take time. Because one day, you’ll have no choice but to love him - because there’ll be no one else left.

—————————————————————————☆

this is my first time doin a list of headcannons so I hope it’s alright 🙏🙏

thank you for the request!

[orikixx]

Blueprints & Heartbeats (9/?)

Part: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Featuring: Nanami Kento

Cw: fem reader, wc 2.8k words, not proofread

Summary: academic rivals to lovers! a mixup in the architecture group project forces you to team up with Nanami Kento, the serious and stoic student. But maybe, he isn’t as brooding as you thought?

Author's note: to the anon who motivated me to continue this.. thank you😭 I’ve been working on it for a while so I hope you guys like this💕

It’s almost 4 pm now, and Nanami is mentally beating himself up over whether he went too far, opening himself up like that to you. He’s pacing around his dorm, nervously eyeing his palette, colorful oil paints laid out in neat, deliberate swatches, a few small brushes and a glass of water waiting nearby.

You knock on his door, a little hesitant. It’s not as if you haven’t been here before, but this time, it feels… different. The air surrounding you is buzzing, barely able to contain your excitement as your foot impatiently taps against the pavement. “Wonder what’s taking him so long,” you murmur, raising your hand to knock again, yet this time, it lands on his broad chest.

“Good afternoon, y/n. Sorry for the wait.” The moment you look up at him, there’s a big smile plastered on your face, and you happily step inside. Nanami looks at you, dumbfounded, until he finally closes the door. “You’re such a dork, Kenny”. He sighs at that, trying to be as little awkward as possible when you hug him, your small frame lost in his.

Nanami feels like he’ll never get used to you, even as you sit on the stool he’s set in front of his own, looking like you belong exactly in his dorm room. “You’re staring so much, didn’t even start drawing me yet!” “I’m.. figuring out your proportions.” He mentally curses himself for that, knowing that with the amount of time he’s spent observing you, he remembers every single detail about your face.

Suddenly, you light up. “Do you need me to do any specific poses? I can think of a few.. interesting ones”. Nanami groans loudly, causing you to giggle.

“You’re so uptight again, is something wrong?” Your eyebrows furrowed, a small pout on your lips, as the man in front of you suddenly won’t take his eyes off the canvas.

Nanami feels blush creeping up his neck, and he remembers his conversation with Gojo, thinking about how maybe he should get over himself and ask you out today.

“I’m all good. You just look very captivating today, even more than usual.”

“You can’t just say that!”

Nanami is unsure of what to respond to that, having mustered up all his courage just to tell you that last sentence. He blushes furiously now, picking up his graphite pencil and starting to roughly sketch your features. When his eyes finally dart in your direction, he can tell you’re blushing as well.

You try relaxing your face from your former pout at his sternness, not wanting to make this assignment any harder for him. “So.. do you have any other friends, that I don’t know of?” You hear Nanami sucking in a breath, and try your hardest to keep a natural expression.

“Not really, no. You’re the only one who stayed long enough to make me open up.”

You smile at that, though it’s a rather sad statement. “Would you mind keeping that expression for me?” Nanami’s eyebrows are now furrowed, staring at your face with concentration.

“The smile?”

“Yes, it makes your eyes appear lighter.”

You smile harder at that, and when Nanami finally looks at the canvas, picking up a small brush, you can see a small smile forming on his lips as well.

Nanami feels like his heart might explode out of his chest. The girl he’s been wanting for… well, too long, is currently giving him fuck me eyes without even realizing it. He tries focusing on the drawing instead, soft oil strokes on white canvas, when you speak again.

“You think it’s time for another brainrot lesson?” Immediately, a loud groan follows, making you laugh. “Whatever you want, y/n. Just stay still.” “Whatever you say, Kenny.”

You ponder for a moment, thinking about which brainrot should you teach the poor man this time. “Alright kento, you got two options yeah? When John Pork is calling, do you pick up or not?” “Who is John Pork?” Nanami sounds so serious it scares you, and you hold your laugh in.

“I’ll show you later. Now, since we’ve got plenty of time, what do you know about low taper fade?” “As far as I’m concerned, it’s a haircut, correct?” “You sound terrified, Kento”. Nanami gets up from his stool, now towering over you.

“Such a bratty little thing.” His fingers come up to trace your cheek, almost, before he stops himself. “Stay just like this for a moment,” Nanami says, surprisingly soft. You, of course, obey, looking up at his face, body looming over yours.

Nanami observes your face, trying to etch it into his soul. “Can I..” he murmurs softly, rough fingers brushing against your jaw. You nod, and he gently traces your cheek. You can feel blush spreading all over your neck, surely dusting your cheeks pink.

“Kento?” You look up at him, heart thrumming so loud he must be able to hear it as well. “This is necessary for the process, y/n.” He whispers that, hazel eyes lingering on your lips as his fingers trace your temple.

Your face is on fire now, eyes gleaming as you try catching Nanami’s gaze, yet his eyes are glued to your lips. “You know, you could kiss me if you want to that bad,” you say softly.

In just a moment, his hands are off you, and he’s facing away. “Fuck, too far? I didn’t mean to Kento, I was just-“

“For the love of god y/n, you sit here looking like a fucking angel, and then you say these things..”

Nanami pinches the bridge of his nose, and you sit there, speechless, for the first time.

“You.. what?” Nanami sighs, finally turning back to look at you. “It would be so wrong of me, to kiss you without even asking you out first..” You stand up, feeling his warm body almost touching yours, and you sigh.

“Well then, you better ask me out Kento, we don’t have all day”. Nanami notices, of course, that although you put on a confident front, your fingers nervously twirl the edge of your tank top, and your eyes are somewhat worried, looking up at him.

He tries to stay composed, ears bright red when he takes your hand is his bigger one, bringing it to his chest.

“Would you like to go on a date with me, y/n? I would love to take you to out, if you would allow it.” He braces himself for rejection, even though he knows you feel the same, as your big, gleaming eyes now happily squint at him.

“Fuck yeah, took you long enough, silly boy,” you say happily, arms immediately wrapping around him. You smile so hard your face hurts, burying your face Nanami’s chest, squealing like a little girl until you feel his hands on your shoulders, gently prying you away. You pout at him, crossing your arms and huffing as he chuckles. “Now..” he murmurs, leaning down and finally kissing you.

You stay still for a second, caught by surprise, before your hands immediately tangle in his hair, latching onto his lips like your life depends on it. One of his hands cups your cheek, moving lower to trace your the curve of your jaw before settling at your nape, drawing you deeper into the kiss.

The kiss is slow, deliberate, a taste of something sweet, long desired. Nanami’s lips are firm and surprisingly soft, tasting of coffee and something that’s just uniquely him. You can’t help yourself but bite on his lower lip, making him gasp and let go of the kiss.

You whine at the loss of his warmth, hands moving from his blond locks to grip onto his broad shoulders. Standing on your toes, you whisper in his ear- “You’re so annoying, I barely got to taste you”. Nanami blushes furiously, his hand wandering down to squeeze your hips.

“How am I the annoying one, when you sit here, looking at me with these tantalizing eyes?”

It’s your turn to blush, burying your face in his chest again. “Ugh, you have to stop doing that Kento!” You whine, and he chuckles, kissing the crown of your head.

“Come on, I need to finish your portrait.” With a sigh, you slump back onto the stool, and Nanami sits down at his. He picks up the brush again, continuing the gentle strokes on the canvas before speaking again.

“I’m sorry if I have been.. harsh, with the kiss. It’s a little embarrassing, but I have been craving you for so long, I couldn’t help myself.”

You smile, using all your willpower to not get up and kiss him again. “It’s alright Kento, really, I wanted you for a while as well,” you say, happily watching his cheeks changing shades of red.

“I can’t focus when you tell me things like that y/n. It makes me want to.. never mind.”

“You’re so shy it’s almost funny,” you say with a giggle, making him groan. “Do me a favor, just this once, and talk about anything else, please?”

You can’t say no to his defeated face, so then Nanami quietly cleans his paint brush, listening to you ramble about some show you’ve started watching recently, and how you think he’d like it.

After about an hour of rambling on your side, and hums of agreement on his, the portrait is finished. Nanami carefully places the canvas aside, the oil paint still wet, sticking onto his fingers. It’s almost 6 pm now, and you remember promising Gojo you’d meet up later today. You get up from the stool, quietly walking to stand by Nanami as he washes his hands in the kitchen sink.

The smell of the paint lingers in air of his dorm room, and you sneakily wrap your hands around his waist, hugging him from behind. “Would you mind staying for a little while more?” “Can’t, I promised Satoru I’ll see him today,” you say, smiling when he turns around to look at you. You rest your chin on his chest, looking up at his chiseled face.

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow. Will it be okay if I will pick you up at 7 pm for our date?” “Of course Kenny”. Nanami hums, and you let your body melt against his, his arms wrapping around your lower back as you savor the warmth.

“I can drop you off wherever you two are meeting, if you would like that.” “Awww, Kento you’re so mushy already, love that,” you say and giggle, laughing when he groans and buries his face in your hair. “Seriously though, I wouldn’t mind, thank you” and with that, you plant a small kiss on his cheek.

Still in his embrace, you pull out your phone, calling Gojo. You bicker for a couple minutes, eventually agreeing to meet up at some café downtown. When you hang up, Nanami is already there with his car keys in his hand.

“Are you ready to go? Or do you want to stop by your dorm first?”

“You’re too sweet Kento, and I’m good, we can head there now” you poke his nose before opening his dorm’s door, standing there as you wait for him to exit. “Ladies first,” you snicker with a small smile as he passes you, sighing and shaking his head disapprovingly. After he locks the door, he swiftly opens the passenger seat door for you, humming when you murmur a thank you.

Nanami gets in and starts the car, and once he’s on the highway, he puts his palm on your thigh, thumb brushing the soft skin. “I’m honestly surprised, I thought you’d only be driving in the 10 and 2 position,” you snicker and put your hand on top of his.

“Maybe I’m careful, but I can’t help myself when a beautiful woman is sitting right beside me.” You smile at that, stroking his palm as he stares at the road ahead. After a little while you get to the café, and Nanami pulls over just long enough for you to kiss him and say thanks. “Text me when you need pickup, okay?” “It’s okay, I’ll just walk ba-“ “Just text me.” You sigh, and with another kiss you part ways, as you see Gojo waiting for you at the entrance.

You sigh internally, knowing what’s about to come as you walk towards the white haired man. You approach him, and before even entering the place, he immediately jumps on you with a hug.

“What the fuck was that kiss? Girl you better tell me everything” Gojo almost yells that, and you quickly hush him down, walking inside.

After getting your matcha, and Gojo his overly sweet latte, you two sit down. “Okay so before I start you gotta promise not to yell again, I can’t have everyone here staring,” you say with an eye roll, and he eagerly nods. “Whatever you say, just fucking tell me already!”

You almost laugh at his whiney tone, before telling him about everything that happened with Nanami today. You can tell he’s having a hard time containing his excitement, and when you tell him that Nanami insisted on picking you up as well, he damn near cries.

“There’s no way, he’s definitely obsessed with you y/n” “Stop that, we just kissed!” You bury your face in your hands and whine, cheeks burning as you remember the feeling of Nanami’s lips on yours. “Either way, you clearly like him more than you let on,” Gojo says with a big grin.

“What’s up with that smile? You look creepy as fuck,” you snicker, watching him dramatically feign offense. “Can’t I be happy that my best friend finally got a normal boyfriend?” “He isn’t even my boyfriend yet!” You sigh, sipping on your matcha and leaning back in your chair.

“Oh you want him soooo bad, you’re just clueless to it idiot,” Gojo says, grinning again. You decide to stop fighting with him, and change the topic.

“Did you and Kento, like.. tell something to the professor? When you handled her?” You ask, your voice quieter now. “We did, I thought Nanami told you she won’t come near you again” you sigh, facepalming as you remember that night.

“He did, but we’re supposed to have a class with her tomorrow so I’m wondering how it’s gonna go..” Gojo sighs, grabbing his phone. “I’ll text him, we’ll find a way to handle it before class” he says reassuringly, shooting Nanami a quick text before putting the phone back down.

After another hour of the two of you yapping about absolutely everything, you decide it’s time to go. You send Nanami a text, asking if he’s still okay with picking you up, and he immediately replies that he’s on his way.

Gojo leans over the table, peeking over to read your texts. “Fucking lovebirds, I told you he’s obsessed!” Saying that grants him a smack on the head, making him huff and puff as you two walk outside, and he waits with you until Nanami gets there.

When his car pulls over, you both say goodbye with a quick hug, and you happily walk over to the car, getting in and landing a small kiss on Nanami’s cheek, much to Gojo’s delight, who’s still watching you and how flustered the man beside you gets.

“Thanks for coming Kento, you really didn’t have to,” you say softly, a big smile on your face. You feel like a kid, getting excited to see him when you’ve left his place only a couple hours ago, but you can’t help yourself.

“Of course y/n, it’s my pleasure. I want to make sure you get back safely.” He starts driving, and again puts his hand on your thigh. You don’t say anything this time, you simply play with his fingers for the entire drive. When he stops in front of your dorm, you unbuckle your seatbelt and turn around in your seat, now facing him.

“Have a good night Ken, hope you have sweet dreams”. You lean in, and he cups your cheeks, warm lips enveloping yours, and you whine into the kiss. His tongue prods at the seam of your lips, asking for entrance, one that you grant him, moaning softly as the muscle invades your mouth.

Fingers gripping his hair, you break the kiss, panting, your eyes gleaming. Nanami blushes, his breath eventually slowing down. “You too, pretty girl. I’ll see you before class.” You nod and hug him, and then leave the car, entering the dorm building.

You can hear him driving off, and enter your dorm room. You take a deep breath, and finally allow yourself to happily jump around and squeal happily. You can’t believe this, that Nanami actually did all of this just for you. The way he’s changed, everything he said today, sounding all too poetic coming out of his pretty lips.

You sigh dreamily, getting into your pjs, and comfortably cuddle under the thick blankets of your bed, wishing you had asked him to stay over. You may miss him already, which you find slightly embarrassing, but you know you’ll see him tomorrow morning, and you just can’t wait.

Divider credit: @soulari

Taglist: @yourname-exee @realalpacorn @zayuriluvs @galactacium @queenofthekill @nuhahani @nanamineedstherapy @des-todoroki @linaaeatsfamilies @darkstudentsaladbakery @sttaejoon-blog @sosole

[ashesandhalefire]

pinch-hit hero (3/4)

buck x tommy | porn star AU | rated e

available on ao3 here

Tommy doesn’t believe he’s ever actually seen a human being preen the way Evan does. He gets taller, as though stretched upward by a marionette string, and his chest puffs out, and he smiles, wide and bashful like he was never fishing for a compliment in the first place and is surprised to hear it. It makes sense that people always want to get him begging to be good. The satisfied flush looks perfect in his cheeks and across his chest. Tommy wants to taste it. “So. We have a few minutes. How are you holding up?” Evan asks, glancing down at Tommy’s lap. “Okay,” Tommy says. He’s never been overly concerned with staying hard between shots, but the longer breaks have admittedly gotten trickier as he’s gotten older. Still, today, he’s certainly not softening for any lack of interest. “Probably just need to give it some attention before we start again. What about you?” “I could cut glass,” Evan huffs. While Tommy laughs, Evan pets over his jaw and leans in. “I always like to keep contact in between. Helps me stay focused. But some people like space when we get a break, so…” The offer lingers in the air, unspoken, and Tommy shakes his head. “No, I— this helps, thanks.” Humming, Evan bends even closer. Their noses brush, and then their lips. Tommy isn’t convinced all of his synapses are firing. His lungs have ceased expanding, stopping drawing in oxygen. “We have such a weird job,” Evan murmurs as he drops a hand between their bodies. His palm wanders the plane of Tommy’s stomach, skating over his navel and dipping lower. The room is alive around them, but Tommy’s world is as narrow as the width of his own hips, as wide as the breadth of Evan’s shoulders. He’s pinned beneath Evan’s weight and frozen by his gaze. “But I really like it. You want some more help?” - or: the one in which the film is finished

[makeitmingi]

The Cat and Dog Game [Bonus Chapter]

Genre: Romance, Fluff, Comedy

Pairing: Yunho x Reader (y/n)

Characters: Chef!Reader, RestaurantOwner!Yunho, MaitreD!Hongjoong, Waiter!Yeosang, Waiter!San, Waiter!Mingi, SousChef!Seonghwa, SousChef!Wooyoung, PrepChef!Jongho

Summary: Yunho's dream was to open and run his own restaurant. But he doesn't know anything when it comes to cooking. Until you came along and accepted the job, bringing with you a small crew. How will the black cat tame the energetic golden retriever?

Word count: 5.6K

Chapter warning(s): Slightly suggestive at the end.

"Happy birthday!" Wooyoung burst into your bedroom. You groaned and hid under the covers, snuggling closer to Seonghwa. But of course, Wooyoung put his whole body on top of yours to squish you with all his affection.

"Where's Yunho hyung?" Jongho asked, realising it was Seonghwa beside you and not your boyfriend.

"He said he had something on in the afternoon that he couldn't change and we'll celebrate my birthday tonight so Seonghwa came over at midnight to wish me and spend the night." You yawned.

"What?! And you didn't invite us?" Wooyoung screeched.

"Just know I am the first to wish her happy birthday like a true best friend." Seonghwa said with a smug smile on his face.

"It's just a birthday, guys. Like every other day. It's not that big a deal." You said, scooching over to the middle of the bed so Wooyoung could lie beside you instead of on top of you.

"You really know how to put a damper on a birthday, huh?" Wooyoung scoffed.

"It's my birthday. I can celebrate it however I want and right now, I want to stay in bed and do nothing." You declared, reaching over to pat Willow as she slept in her dog bed.

"Let's see if you can say the same when you find out your surprise." Jongho said. Seonghwa and Wooyoung both snickered. Now that got you more alert. Even if they knew your sentiments towards birthdays, the boys never fail to celebrate it with you somehow. Seonghwa always planned some sort of surprise.

"What surprise?" You asked.

"Now you're interested? I thought you wanted to stay in bed the whole day?" Seonghwa asked. You shot him a dirty look and jabbed his side, making him wince and curl up.

"Get dressed and ready to go out! Then we'll bring you to your surprise." Wooyoung patted your butt and pulled you to sit up.

"Alright, alright." You yawned and stretched your arms, getting out of bed and shuffling to your bathroom.

"Hwa, do you need your towel?" You asked before you closed the bathroom door. He came in to get it himself, getting his toothbrush at the same time.

'Happy birthday, love~ I'll see you tonight! Enjoy yourself with Seonghwa hyung, Wooyoung and Jongho. I love you.

- Your yuyu'

You saw the post-it on the mirror in Yunho's familiar handwriting, making you smile. You didn't enter the bathroom after Yunho left so you guessed he left this behind for you.

'Thank you for the note. I have no idea where the 3 are dragging me to, it's a surprise they say. I'll see you tonight, I love you too. - (y/n)'

You sent a message to Yunho and finished getting ready. Seonghwa came to tell you not to dress too fancily, which only made you more curious and slightly worried that they might drag you to do some sort of physical activity.

"Is jeans and a t shirt okay...?" You poked your head out into the hallway.

"Yes. Now hurry and eat breakfast." Wooyoung rushed. You rolled your eyes and went to get ready, grabbing a black t shirt and a pair of simple jeans to dress in.

"You know, considering it's my birthday, you're actually making me feel slightly concerned about this surprise." You said to them.

"We won't kill you." Jongho assured.

"That's not very reassuring, Jong." You scoffed, sitting at the counter. Seonghwa slid you a coffee and a slice of toasted sourdough bread that he made fresh yesterday.

"I have whipped mascarpone in the fridge. Can you get me that and the cherry jam, please?" You asked.

"Sure." Seonghwa went to retrieve it. You spread both on your toast and took a bite. Seonghwa hummed as he made one for himself.

"There's something different about this cherry jam that you made. It doesn't taste like the regular one. Like there is a caramel flavour." Seonghwa noted.

"Yeah, I did something different. You know the homemade maraschino cherries that Jongho and I made last time with the rainer cherries? The ones that were soaked in rum. I added a few inside with the liquid they're soaking in. Thought the after taste of flavoured rum would add more depth." You explained.

"It's good. I like it and it doesn't taste alcoholic at all." Seonghwa nodded in approval. Wooyoung and Jongho came over to steal bites from you.

"The cherries didn't go bad?" Jongho asked. You shook your head.

"I think we added too little alcohol last time, that's why it went bad. This batch was just right." You said.

"Hurry up and eat or else we won't have time for your surprise." Wooyoung whined, rushing you. You laughed and shook your head, he was more excited than you were.

"I'm done, I'm done. Let's go." You finished the last bit of your coffee and kissed your pets goodbye.

"We'll drive." Jongho shook his keys. You all climbed into his car, with you and Seonghwa in the back seat, Wooyoung in the passenger.

"Do I get a hint?" You asked, looking out the window. The place didn't seem familiar and considering you just ate breakfast, you assumed they weren't going to drag you to another location to eat.

"Nope." Seonghwa was quick to shoot you down. You pouted at him and took your phone out to text Yunho. He felt really bad for missing half your birthday but you assured him you didn't put much importance on your birthday, it was just another day.

"Okay, blindfold time!" Wooyoung declared and Seonghwa nodded, taking the eyeshades out of his pocket.

"You guys are gonna drive me to a forest and leave me in a ditch to die, aren't you?" You looked at your best friend suspicious, backing up slightly towards the door.

"You are so dramatic, just as much as Wooyoung. Which says a lot." Seonghwa scoffed.

"Hey!" Wooyoung yelled out in protest. But you sighed and gave in, knowing you couldn't argue against the 3 of them on your own.

"Hold my hand so I know you aren't gonna do something to me." You said as Seonghwa put the eyeshades over your head, making sure not to mess up your hair too much.

"Fine, you're such a scaredy cat." Seonghwa teased, reassuringly grasping your hand in his.

"You guys are the ones who say I'm the cat." You reminded.

"Shhh." Seonghwa shushed you, carefully guiding your head so you could lay on his shoulder. Being blindfolded, you didn't know where to lean and he didn't want you to accidentally bump your head.

"Okay, we're here. Don't move, we'll get you out." Jongho said as you felt the car stop after he parked. You obediently didn't listen, continuing to lean on Seonghwa. Then you heard the door open and someone carefully guide you out of the car. You stood there, unsure of what to do next.

"Follow us. Walk slowly, there are no steps in front of you." Wooyoung told you and you cautiously took steps in front of you, each arm being held by someone.

"Alright, that's good. Stop here." Seonghwa said. You stood still, not really hearing or sensing anything until there was popping heard.

"Surprise! Happy birthday, (y/n)!" You removed the blindfold and gasped. All of the boys' families were there.

"Yunho!" Your eyes widened in surprise before you ran over to hug him. He laughed and wrapped his arms around you, leaning down to press his cheek against your head lovingly.

"You really know where her priorities lie." Mingi teased.

"Thank you all for coming." You said shyly, greeting all 8 sets of parents and siblings.

"I'm sure you're wondering why we got all our parents here, (y/n). Yes, it is to celebrate your birthday but basically, we needed mouths to feed for your real surprise." Seonghwa told you.

"This isn't the surprise?" You blinked in confusion.

"We're just a part of it, dear." Mrs Park giggled. Yunho grinned at you and pulled away the cloth that was covering a huge contraption. The moment your actual surprise was revealed, your jaw dropped at what you saw. You were in disbelief.

"Shut up, you didn't..." Was all you could say. Although Yunho's friends didn't really understand it, Seonghwa, Wooyoung and Jongho did. After all, they planned this.

"Isn't that a kebab spinning thing? You know, where the meat goes." San leaned over to ask.

"It's her dream to operate one and carve meat off it. We've never got a chance to use it before." Wooyoung explained.

"Eeeee heheheh thank you! Thank you!" You squealed exictedly, unable to contain your excitement. Honestly, you didn't know who to hug so you hugged Yunho.

"You shouldn't thank me, love. They spent a long time explaining this to me." Yunho said, patting your head.

"Thank you." You hugged Seonghwa, Wooyoung and Jongho.

"You're welcome." Jongho patted your back. Wooyoung held your shoulders and led you to the doner spit. You rubbed your hands excitedly as you looked at all the ingredients laid out.

"She's really something. Only she would have such a wish on her birthday." Yeosang chuckled.

"That's what I love about her. She's so unapologetically her and she's so driven by food, which is her passion. I'll never understand it but I love seeing how happy it makes her." Yunho smiled, watching you excitedly put the meat on the spit with the biggest smile on your face. You were truly in your element.

"So how does this work?" Yunho came to stand with you.

"You put the meat on here. As the outside cooks, you carve it off and eat it on rice or in pita. Some people even have this machine that shaves off the meat." You told him.

"That's cool. Can't wait to eat it." Yunho kissed your temple since you were busy focusing on the meat.

"Did you manage to settle what you needed to do?" You asked.

"Oh yeah, I did... I'm all yours for the rest of the day. So don't eat too much because I'm taking you to dinner tonight." Yunho declared. You laughed and nodded.

"You guys are so gross." Hongjoong gagged. Yunho rolled his eyes at the older male's words.

"You're just jealous." He shot back. Wooyoung turned the doner spit on and the meat started the turn.

"Ooooh." Mingi went close to take a video but you instinctively grabbed the back of his shirt to pull him back, making him stumble and almost fall.

"Sorry! It's hot, Mingi. I didn't want you to burn yourself." You said. Mingi laughed and nodded, wrapping his arms around you to show how grateful he was that you stopped him. Seeing that, Yunho frowned slightly and plucked Mingi's hands off you.

"Aigo, Yunho ah. Don't be jealous." Yunho's mum giggled, making the other mums coo at him.

"I'm not!" Yunho squeaked, his ears turning a bright red. Hongjoong and Yeosang went around to give drinks out to people, as well as some plates and cutlery.

"We're ready for when the meat is done." San smiled.

"Yes, help yourself if you want rice or a pita. The sauces and vegetables are at the side." Seonghwa directed everyone.

"Go on, my love." Yunho said, holding his phone up to take a video of you carving meat. With a large knife, you began to carve the outer layer of the meat.

"It looks so good." Mingi said.

"It smells so good!" Yunho grinned excitedly. Of course, you weren't too interested in eating it so you fed some to him.

"So good." Yunho melted at the taste. You took turns with Seonghwa, Jongho and Wooyoung, each carving the meat and tossing it in the juices at the bottom of the spit before giving it out.

Yunho watched you from the side, eating his food and occasionally feeding you a few bites. He knew you weren't too interested in eating, just carving the meat off the rotating spit. You were really so happy, giggling to yourself and asking if people wanted more just so you could carve more meat off.

"I know you're having fun but you got to eat too, dear." The parents fussed over you, as usual. You were like the adopted daughter of each family, both fathers and mothers loved to fuss over you.

"I will! I will! Thank you!" You grinned. Mr Jeong patted your head with a fatherly smile.

"And we also want to give you this. Happy birthday." Mrs Jeong handed you a money packet.

"Omma?! Appa?!" Yunho blinked in disbelief. He usually get wishes from his parents and an occasional gift but never a money packet. You received it with a bow.

"Thank you." You hugged them.

"Us too!" Mr Song raised his hand and with his wife, they held out the money packet to you.

"Don't forget us." Haneul giggled, giving you an actual gift while her parents gave you a money packet. The 8 boys watched in disbelief, shock and jealousy as their parents gave you money.

"Spend the money on yourself, okay? Not on things to feed our sons." The parents said. You laughed and nodded your head. It was moments like these, you didn't need your biological father and stepmother in your life. You had 8 sets of parents and siblings here.

"This is so pretty! Thank you." You said, unwrapping Haneul's gift to find a Dior lipstick inside.

"So, will we get money during our birthdays too?" Hongjoong asked.

"Why would we give you money? You're already working." Mr Kim raised an eyebrow at his son's questions. Hongjoong's jaw dropped slightly at the blatant biasness.

"But you gave (y/n) money." Wooyoung protested.

"So? What's your point?" His mother asked, slapping the back of his head as she chided him.

"Wow, all this FAVOURTISM!" The boys protested. Yunho stood behind you, wrapping his arms over your shoulders. You looked up at him and he smiled down at you.

"Are you enjoying the food?" He asked.

"Mhmm but I enjoy the cooking and carving part much more. I mean, look at that thing." You giggled.

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. Even if I don't really get it, I'm happy as long as you're happy." He leaned down to kiss your forehead upside down. You closed your eyes and smiled up at him, he was really the sweetest person ever. You put your hand over his own and squeezed it tightly.

About halfway through the little gathering, Yunho announced his leave. Of course, you were confused because you thought you were going to dinner after this.

"I actually have something to prepare." Yunho confessed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yun... You don't have to. I'd much rather you just spend time with me." You admitted, hugging him.

"I know. I'm sorry I'm leaving but I promise it'll be worth it." He pressed a kiss to the top of your head. You nodded, disappointed to part from him but you let him go.

"I'll see you." Yunho bid everyone goodbye, including his parents and Gunho before running off.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine." Seonghwa patted your shoulders.

"I know. But he doesn't have to do much, having him with me is all I need." You said, beginning to carve the remaining meat off to distribute it to the families and the other boys to take home.

"Now that you're done with that, let's have some champagne." You were whisked away by the mothers and a champagne flute was placed into your hand. There was a small toast, with everyone lifting their drink cups.

"Happy birthday, (y/n)!" They all cheered and drank whatever was in their cups.

"Thank you for the surprise and for coming down to spend my birthday with me. It was truly amazing." You smiled softly as you looked at everyone.

"Any time. We're family afterall." Gunho slung an arm around you.

"Take a picture of us and send it to my brother please." He requested. Of course, Mingi stepped up to do it.

"You are purposely trying to rile your brother up." Mr Jeong shook his head at his younger son's behaviour. Gunho nodded in confirmation, not even going to deny it.

RINGGGGGG

"Look what you did." You stepped aside from Gunho to take your phone out and saw Yunho's contact ID.

"Hey, love. Do you mind putting me on speaker please?"

The moment you did, Yunho's voice was no longer the sweet tone that he spoke to you in.

"JEONG GUNHO! YOU BETTER KEEP YOUR ARM OFF MY GIRL OR YOU'LL REGRET IT! I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'LL DO YET BUT I WILL MAKE SURE IT IS SLOW AND PAINFUL! And it's not just me! You'll be dealing with Whiskey and Willow too! Okay, maybe not Whiskey since he doesn't care BUT WILLOW...!"

"You're not here to stop me though, are you hyung?" Gunho teased. You tried your best not to laugh at their banter but imaging Yunho's pouty angry face made you giggle.

"Baby~ Don't laugh at me~ Omma, they're bullying me."

"Yunho ah, you shouldn't be whining and complaining to me in front of your girlfriend." Mrs Jeong chuckled.

"Alright, alright. Don't whine, Yun. I promise I won't let Gunho have any physical contact with me anymore, okay? I'll see you soon." You hummed and hung up.

"Time for some pictures." Seonghwa declared.

"I'll take them!" Wooyoung raised his hand, taking his DSLR out of his bag and holding it up.

As you took pictures with people, you were kind of sad that you didn't have the chance to take a picture with Yunho before you left. But you swallowed that feeling, knowing you'll see him later.

"My turn! My turn!" Kyungmin jumped excitedly, running into your arms and posing immediately. You smiled and patted his head, smiling for the camera. Once everyone was done with their pictures, you bid them goodbye.

"Thanks again for making the time to come down here." You hugged all the parents.

"Stop sounding like you're inconveniencing us. You always make time for family and always spend time with family, even if there's no big occasion to." Mrs Kang wrapped an arm around you.

"Thank you for showing me what real family is." You tried your best not to get choked up.

"Nothing to thank us for. Don't forget, next week we're going for brunch." Mrs Kim reminded with a chuckle.

"Yes, I won't forget." You said, hugging her before they all left with the boys' siblings.

"Look at you, making brunch plans with our mothers and we're not even invited." San laughed, hugging you and lifting you up slightly. You giggled and patted his shoulder.

"Thank you again for the surprise and just being here with your families." You said to all of them.

"Stop thanking already! You know we will always celebrate your birthday, even if you wanna be a grumpy little cat about it." Jongho teased, making you playfully frown at him. It was still weird for you, even if your friends always celebrated your birthday. But to have family celebrating your birthday, it was still foreign.

"Sorry to break the mood but we have to get you home to get ready for your dinner with Yunho." Seonghwa cut in, having checked the time on his phone.

"Bye! I'll see you next week." You bid everyone goodbye. Wooyoung, Seonghwa, Jongho and yourself climbed back into Jongho's car.

"Do you know anything about Yunho's dinner surprise? Like where he is taking me or the cuisine?" You asked.

"Nope." The 3 replied.

"Now I know you guys are lying because you replied a little too quickly..." You crossed your arms with a scoff, knowing Yunho probably roped them into this surprise.

"Alright, we're here. See you tomorrow." They wished as they pulled up to the drop of point.

"Aren't you guys gonna come in?" You raised an eyebrow. They always invited themselves into your house.

"Sorry! We're busy!" Wooyoung quickly closed the door and Jongho drove off before you could say anything, leaving you standing there, dumbfounded. You blinked in confusion but shrugged and went up.

"Willow, Whiskey, I'm home." You opened the door, announcing your arrival to your pets. You were surprised to find your house lights already on, maybe you forgot to turn them off when you were rushed out of the house this morning.

"Surprise!" Your eyes widened when you saw Yunho standing there in the kitchen, wearing an apron, cooking something.

"What the..." You didn't even know what to say.

"Oh, my poor baby. Did I scare you? Your shocked face is so cute." Yunho laughed and came over, arms wide spread as he engulfed you in one of his bear hugs.

"How did you... When did you... What...?" You still couldn't even form coherent sentences.

"We always go to nice places to eat but as a surprise, I thought that I would try cooking for you." He explained.

"When?"

"I've been practicing with the help of Seonghwa hyung, Wooyoung and Jongho. That's why I wasn't here last night, I was busy preparing stuff at my apartment." Yunho revealed.

"Y-Yun, I don't know what to say. This is the best surprise ever." You looked up at him, tip-toeing to press your lips against his. You didn't know how else to express your gratitude. Yes, the others always do nice things for you and give you presents but this was a whole new level and you're not just saying that because its Yunho.

"Come! Sit down and wait to be served." Holding your hand, he guided you to sit down at the bar to watch him work.

"It'll only take a second for me to plate." He smiled. You nodded and observed him, taking a look around the kitchen too. There were amazing smells and the kitchen looked clean.

"Wow, this looks amazing." You said as Yunho placed the first dish in front of you.

"It's a kumquat infused confit tomato tartlet with balsamic caramelised onions and crumbled feta." He recited.

"Wait, let me take a picture." It was plated so beautifully that you had to take a picture. After that, you took a bite of it. The burst of flavour was so good.

"Yun, this is delicious!" You complimented.

"Really?!" He grinned. You nodded and gestured for him to eat one, you wanted him to taste his own creation.

"It is good... The pastry is homemade, I made it last night after practicing with Jongho multiple times. It's a shortcrust pastry with fresh thyme and a grating a nutmeg to enhance the tomato flavour." He explained as he chewed.

"It's really good." You were surprised that Yunho made his own pastry crust. It wasn't easy and with the complexities of the toppings, you wouldn't have judged him if he used store bought.

"Ah! I forgot the wine!" Yunho exclaimed and ran off.

"Yun! It's fine, please don't rush and hurt yourself!" You stood up, trying to see where he disappeared to.

"Wooyoung brought me to a nice wine shop. So this a pinot noir, light tasting to suit appetisers. Then with the main, we have a heavier, full-bodies cab sauv." He popped the cork.

"Ooh, exciting. I love wine pairings." You rubbed your hands as you watched Yunho fill two glasses.

"I know." He chuckled and placed the glass in front of you.

"Happy birthday, my love." Yunho beamed and held his glass out. You melted slightly with a soft smile, lifting your glass to lightly clink it against his own.

"Thank you, Yun. For everything, not just today." You leaned forward to give him a kiss again.

"You're always welcome, baby. Now, let's go to the next course. It's a soup course." He placed his glass down and grabbed a bowl, going to the stove. You tried to look at what soup he was serving but his body was blocking the hobs. When he turned around, he saw you trying to peek and laughed at your face.

"You look like Whiskey trying to take a peak at things." He teased but put the bowl down. You gasped, you knew the look of this soup and if it was really what you assumed it to be...

"Smoked chicken consomme." He confirmed.

"Oh my gosh." You stared at it. The soup was so clear and golden, a well made consomme indeed.

"I..." You didn't think you'd be so overwhelmed with emotion before even tasting the soup. But consomme is one of the hardest soups to make and for Yunho to execute it perfectly.

"WHY ARE YOU CRYING?! You haven't even tasted it yet!" Yunho panicked, seeing tears stream down your cheeks.

"I promise it doesn't taste bad, love. Are you scared to eat it?" Yunho came over to hug you to his chest.

"You idiot! Of course, I know it won't taste bad... I just know how hard it is to make a consomme. And you made it..." You cried into his chest. Yunho chuckled and kissed the top of your head.

"Baby, it's just a soup." He rubbed your back.

"It's not just a soup! It's consomme!" You wailed. A part of you felt guilty too, that Yunho did so much for you, it probably wasn't easy learning how to make this and to make it so perfectly. Imagining Yunho slaving away to make all these things for you, you did feel bad.

"But do you mind trying the soup before it gets cold? And I haven't even impressed you with my main yet." He whined. You let out a little laugh and pulled away from his embrace.

"You can cry again after the meal, okay?" He laughed and gently wiped your tears with his thumbs.

"You're mean." You frowned and turned to taste the soup. As expected, it was delicious. Full of chicken flavour with a hint of smoke.

"I didn't think you would cry two courses in." Yunho teased. You rolled your eyes.

"I have high expectations for the main now." You teased back.

"Which reminds me, it needs to go into the oven." He said and turned back to the kitchen. You saw him put something in the oven and set a timer. But he used his body to block you so you couldn't see.

"Why won't you let me see?" You pouted. Yunho playfully shrugged and refilled your wine glass.

"By the way, where are the kids?" You finally noticed that Willow and Whiskey were not around. And usually by now, Willow would be pawing at your feet for a bite of your food. Like you, most of the time, Whiskey would chill on his own so half the time, you wouldn't even realise he was in the room.

"They're in the room. Whiskey is chilling in his usual spot by the window and Willow's in her crate. Both have been fed. I wanted it to be more relaxing while you ate." Yunho informed.

"Yeah but honestly it's kinda weird to not have Willow whimpering for my food." You giggled.

"I, for one, do not miss it. She always eats my food." Yunho sighed and went back to the hob to work on other things.

"Because she knows between the two of us, you're the weaker one." You replied. Yunho pouted but knew you were not wrong, he gives into the animals way too easily.

Just like how you give into Yunho easily.

"I still can't believe you did all this. Got secret cooking lessons, spent last night preparing the stuff..." You smiled.

"I want your birthday to be special." Yunho put an arm around your waist. Even if you were on an elevated bar stool, he still towered over you greatly.

"Yunho, it'll be special no matter what. As long as I can spend it with the people I love. Everyday with you is special to me, it doesn't just have to be on my birthday or any other occasion." You smiled softly, reaching up to cup his cheek.

"I love you." He turned his head to plant a soft kiss against your palm. Just then, your moment was interrupted by the kitchen timer. Yunho broke away to retrieve the main from the oven.

"I'll just quickly plate up while it rests." Yunho smiled and turned around to plate the dish.

"Take your time." You chuckled, watching his back move.

"Beef wellington with garlic pomme puree and charred winter vegetables... With pan jus on the side." He put the plate with a gravy boat before you.

"Yun! This looks beautiful! A beef wellington?!" You exclaimed, snapping a few pictures while he changed your wine.

"The beef didn't cook like I intended. It's a bit more medium than medium rare..." Yunho said with slight frustration.

"No, it's great, Yun. Give yourself more credit." You rubbed his knuckles with your thumb. Taking the cutlery, you cut into the wellington and poured some of the jus over it.

"Yunho, it's absolutely delicious. The layers are so flavourful and the textures are perfect." You said as you chewed. Yunho thought you were adorable, kicking your feet and letting out little sounds of happiness. He rarely saw you like this, only when you were really content and happy.

"Eat it, Yun!" You laughed.

"I feel full just by watching you eat." He cooed teasingly with a smug smile on his face. You shot him a disgusted look, knowing he was doing this on purpose.

"I will not unleash my wrath on you only because you cooked this amazing meal." You threatened.

"Now, I understand why you guys get annoyed when the meat is cooked slightly over or under." Yunho chuckled.

"That's all that matter, Yun. I'm so proud of you, you've come so far with your cooking and all these dishes are not easy. Looks like I've lost a cooking assistant." You joked.

"You know what I'll always be your assistant, any day, any time." Yunho grinned.

"Shall I talk to Manager Kwon?" You asked.

"Okay, let's not get ahead of ourselves, I cooked one meal for you, love. I'm definitely not qualified to work at Anne Sophie's michelin starred restaurant." Yunho laughed, holding onto you.

"Are you ready for dessert?" Yunho turned to you. You nodded, giving him a kiss before he returned to the kitchen. He fixed a plate and turned around. There was a small sticky toffee pudding with a candle stuck in it, hovering his hand around the flame.

"Happy birthday to you~" Yunho began to sing with a big smile on his face. You clapped softly, watching him as he sang to you.

"Happy birthday, my love. Make a wish."

"Thank you, Yun. I don't need to make a wish, I already have all that I need." You still closed your eyes. You wished for the people around you to always stay happy and healthy, and blew out the candle.

"Here." You and Yunho each held a spoon, digging into the dessert to share it together.

"This has been an amazing meal, Yun. You'll have to cook for me again soon." You smiled after taking a bite.

"I'll continue to practice and cook for you any time you'd like." He winked.

After the dessert was done, you insisted on helping Yunho with the cleaning. But he cleaned as he cooked so there wasn't that much cleaning to do. Then you both got ready for bed.

"Happy birthday again, love." Yunho said, hovering over you, caging you in his arms.

"You made my birthday perfect, Yun." You reached up to cup his cheeks. Maybe with Yunho around, you would start liking to celebrate your birthday. Your birthday was always a bitter reminder that your mother got sick after giving birth to you, that's why you never liked to celebrate it.

"Hey... Come back to me, love..." Yunho's voice pulled you out of your deep thoughts. You looked up to meet his eyes, feeling his thumb wipe a stray tear off your cheek.

"Sorry." You whispered, leaning into his touch.

"Nothing for you to be sorry about." He shook his head with an understanding smile.

"I still miss my mom. And my birthday was always a reminder that she started to get weak and sick because of my birth. My dad always told me that." You looked at him through your tears.

"It's not your fault, baby. I'm sure your mother doesn't blame you." Yunho comforted.

"If I wasn't born, she would still be here." You breathed.

"If you weren't born, I wouldn't have met you. I wouldn't have you right here, in my arms." He leaned down to hug you. Now, Yunho knew why you didn't like celebrating your birthday.

"I'll make you love your birthday again. Every year, every day." He vouched, voice filled with determination. Yunho would show you the care and appreciation you needed, he wanted to erase what your dad did, he hated how your dad made you hate your own birthday.

"Thank you for loving me." You hugged his neck. Yunho pulled away and gave you a sweet kiss, his forehead resting against yours.

"Now, about that picture you took with Gunho. Why did you allow him to put his arm around you for the photo?" Yunho asked with a small frown.

"Honestly, I thought I was going to take a picture with him and your parents. But he came in and asked Mingi to take the picture."

"I knew it. Trying to take what's mine." He rolled his eyes.

"He was just trying to get under your skin, Yunho. There's no one else but you. I love you and you only." You giggled.

"Good. Because you're mine and I'm not afraid to remind you of that... over and over again." He smirked and leaned in again, fingers caressing the exposed skin of your hip. You gulped, knowing you were in for a long night.

~

Series masterlist

[jjkarmy091]

Second Best- Jungkook (part 10)

Summary: Being friends with someone who has your heart it’s already hard, let alone when that special someone ends up falling in love with your best friend, the one you think would never make anything to hurt you . Will you be able to ignore it and move on? what will happen when everything gets too much for you to handle?

Genre: Friends to lovers; angst; body insecurities; bullying; friend betrayel;

Pairing: Jungkook x female!reader

Warning: strong language

Wordcount: 8.5k

Author's note: I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Give me your thoughts. I love you all !

P.S : I'm sorry for any mistakes. English is not my first language!

Y/n wasn't always insecure about herself. Early in life she was a lively, extroverted and free spirit person, but life is unfair and unpredictable. Having the trauma of seeing her father abandon her and her mother for another woman, saying she was the reason why he stopped loving and caring for her mom, left something inside her that it was never possible to mend no matter how hard she tried, making her more focused on studies and goals than boys and dating while growing up. For her, love was an illusion and she wouldn’t make the same mistake as her mother. 

Thinking about it now as she heads inside the apartment she shares with Lisa, she never gave anyone an opportunity, but as soon as she saw Jungkook she was drawn to him immediately without any explanation for it. Independence was her thing and she never thought she’d be capable of feeling the way she feels about him right now. Even if that meant that her friendship with Sewoon had to end. 

Looking back she knows Sewoon was never a good friend to her and she deserves better. Despite knowing their personalities were completely different from each other, Y/n accepted her anyway. After all, Sewoon had been her first friend, the first person to defend her when necessary and for that she was truly thankful for her. She also knew a little about her past and even though their priorities were different, they understood each other like that.  

Sewoon wanted to live life, have fun, go out, drink. Everything a teenager is supposed to do. She lost her virginity at 16 to a boy three years older than her who she met at a party. At the time Y/n asked her how was she able to do something so intimate with someone she had only known for a short time. Her best friend replied no one cared about that anymore. Truth to be told, after that she changed. A lot. Maybe that was when they started to drift apart a little bit. Y/n didn't like this change, not when she tried to do the same to her. Sewoon would share her experience regarding sex, how she did it, what she did and how good it felt. She was sexually active and made sure everyone knew about it, bothering Y/n. It was a subject that she didn't feel confident or comfortable talking about, however Sewoon pressured her to go the same path as her and that pissed Y/n off, but she would let it slide.

Maybe that was the main problem, letting it slide too muc. She never thought they would get to the point they are at today and that's sad. Now, Y/n was envious of all the experience she had acquired over the years, because with Jungkook it worked. He was so enthralled by Sewoon's beauty and comfort around guys, not to mention the way she won over boys, the subtle way of touching and talking to them when she tried to conquer them. Honestly, she admired the way she could make people who weren't interested in her focueds on her so quickly. Y/n knew she would never reach her feet in that way.  

Everything that happened today with Jungkook was just one more thing to confuse her. What if she was imagining things? As far as she knows he could flirt like this with everyone else. What if he thought she was easy just because she had feelings for him and he was in need of more than she could give him? She has known him long enough to know he wasn’t part like this but still... One never really knows someone, right? Sewoon is living proof of this.  

Walking in her room, Y/n went to change clothes and do her skin care, she had cried so much during the day that her eyes were swollen. She washed her face with cold water and dried it and putting a facial mask on. It was a very cold night but the moonlight helped to alleviate the darkness outside and she took advantage of being alone to go to the living room with her favourite book in hand, sitting in a chair next to the fireplace. The Y/n from a few days ago would be unable to tell Jungkook how she felt, yet both yesterday and today she had already confessed twice and had even confronted Sewoon. She never thought she would be able to raise her voice the way she did.

She somehow feels that Jungkook came into her life to break down all these walls around her heart with his sweet gaze and magnetic smile. She fell in love with him, but didn't have the courage to admit it (to him or herself), which ended up in her best friend dating him and yet she continued to desire him. Damn, she was so happy to know they had broken up, so she could rekindle her friendship with him and although knowing this was not something a good friend would do, at that moment Y/n doesn’t regret staying close to Jungkook, otherwise the moment they shared today wouldn't have happened at all. For that she also has Lisa to thank. God, she was very upset with her, but she ended up opening a path she never thought she would have with him. 

Suddenly, she heard the main door open, announcing Lisa's arrival. Lisa hadn't even noticed her since when she arrived it was all dark. When Lisa heard a voice calling her in the distance she screamed and now it was Y/n's turn to laugh. Lisa put her hands to her chest and threw her keys at her in protest. 

“You really scared the shit out of me Y/n. What the fuck are you doing with every light turned off? Are you a vampire and I didn’t notice it?” Lisa throws herself on the couch “Huuuuufff finally home! I've never had a day as long as this one. Meetings after meetings, just boring shit. How was your day? Was it a nightmare or a cool one?” Y/n gave a half smile  

"Initially it was shitty, but it ended pretty well" Lisa raised her head and made a suspicious face.  

“That means something did happen. Oh my god, is it Jungkook related?” 

“Yes and no” Lisa was confused. “Last night before going to sleep I sent a text to Sewoon, trying to talk to her about the things I found out on that trip regarding Tae, but she didn't give me an answer so I didn't think much about it anymore. Today, it was almost time for my break when I saw her come in. I told Sana that I was going outside and would be right back, but the conversation didn't go as I expected. She was horrible Lisa, she said tons of shit that affected me a lot. I never met this person before. I saw a person I didn't know existed.” 

“What did she tell you?” Lisa whispered and Y/n lowered her head, sighing. 

“She basically said that she was happy I had disappeared without telling anyone, that the only bad thing was that Jungkook was constantly wanting to know my whereabouts and not even with the pictures she showed him did he calm down. Ohh and that she prayed for news to arrive that something bad had happened to me. She also mentioned that I had stolen Tae from her and that she’d do everything to be with Jungkook, especially since they had already been together a few times, so she had no doubt that he would choose her over me. A bunch of shit.” 

“SHE SAID WHAT? God that girl needs a punch to bring her back to reality I swear the next time I see her I’m gonna end her. Who does she think she is f--” Y/n interrupted her  

“It’s okay Lisa. Actually, I need to thank her. After that, I was so upset that Sana told me to leave, I needed to clear my head and you were working so I decided to take a walk. Somehow, I ended up in front of Jungkook's workplace, he ended up seeing me and went after me and insisted on bringing me home, however, I told him I had to make a stop by La Dolce Perla and we ended up having dinner there. Although things were VERY tense at the beginning, by the end of the night I ended up letting some things out and he didn't judge me or anything, quite the opposite, he kept me calm and respected me. There was something in the air you know? Something that was pulling us closer to each other. We almost kissed” Lisa squealed in excitement but then stopped and made a funny face. 

“So why didn't you?” 

“I - I don’t know... I guess he noticed how nervous I was. We were saying goodbye and then he told me he’d wait for me. I don’t know what kind of waiting was he referring to but somehow that gave me comfort, but I’m not sure it’s a good thing, I mean it gives me hope for a future for us but with Sewoon in the picture I--” 

“Why don’t you talk to him about Sewoon? A real and open conversation where both of you get all the answers to your questions. You guys have a lot of connection, don’t miss that over misunderstandings.” Lisa said while hugging Y/n, excusing herself to get ready for bed. She had a very busy day in her company and she was wrecked. Y/n was tired too, so she went to her bedroom, did her routine and fell asleep, or at least she tried to. 

On the next day Sana wouldn’t be there so she’d be with the new guy. She never got to make a full shift with him and she was curious to see how it’d go. By the time her alarm went off Y/n was wide awake and ready to star her day. She had the weirdest yet the best dream ever. It was about Jungkook and she was enjoying it so much that when she woke up she cursed her neighbor for making so much noise at 08:15 a.m.  

She was going to make a double shift. She hated when her boss asked her favors like these but she really needed the money, that’s what kept her going. Getting there she saw Namjoon cleaning tables. Sana wouldn’t stop gushing over him, how cute he looked or how mature he was for someone his age. Even though Sana didn't have the courage to admit her feelings for him (yet, according to her) there was a palpable chemistry between them. The few moments that Y/n witnessed, made her think about her example, how much she thought she and Jungkook understood each other until Sewoon appeared. The day was passing by very peacefully. Right now there were only two customers so she and Namjoon took the opportunity to get some things done earlier. While at it, they got to know each other better and when they finished what they were doing, they ended up engaging in a deep conversation.

Okay, she had to agree with Sana, he had a great view on life and knew a lot for a 20-year-old. They were so absorbed in their conversation they didn't even notice the arrival of a new customer. Hearing the chirping of a throat in order to draw the attention of the two of them, Y/n was surprised to see Jungkook there with a look she couldn’t describe. Namjoon must have felt the weight of Jungkook’s eyes on him because he used some lame excuse to get out of there as soon as possible, leaving her alone with him.

“Jungkook, hi! I – I wasn't expecting to see you here at this time of the day. Usually you come a little later... Is everything okay?” Jungkook took a whole minute to respond, glancing between her and the door Namjoon had «escaped»

“Yes, everything’s fine. I hmmm- I was around and I-- I know it's almost your lunch time so I passed by to see if you wanted to have lunch with me.” He looks at Namjoon when he sees him walking out with some boxes. “But if you’re busy yo-” 

“Imnotbusyatall” she answered so quickly Jungkook didn’t understand a thing so she had to repeat herself, calmer this time. “Sorry. I meant to say I’m not busy. I have two hours for lunch since I'm working double shifts today. I just wasn’t expecting to see you so... early. I mean, for someone who usually shows up around 9pm, it's quite surprising” She smiled, turning her attention to the door, only to see Namjoon walk in again looking at her and Jungkook. He gave her a thumbs up, she flipped him off surreptitiously. Jungkook, on the other hand, was paying attention to all these actions. He's never seen this guy before, maybe he didn’t pay much attention to him. They seemed to have hit off pretty nice and for some reason he didn't like that at all. 

“I finished the morning session earlier than expected so I Ieft early as well. It's 10 minutes to 1 pm, can I stay here waiting for you or do you think you’ll have problems with that guy?”  

“With Namjoon? Naah, he’s cool. I'll just tell him to come replace me so I can change clothes and we can go. I’ll be right back.” As said, Y/n went to warn Namjoon and went towards the locker room. She left after 5 minutes, seeing Jungkook waiting for her near the exit. Weird, he usually used to wait for her at the counter where she and Sana usually stay, where Namjoon currently is as well.  

“Why are you waiting here? It’s not your normal spot you know? Joon won’t bite you for standing there” Y/n said laughing while approaching Jungkook. Seeing her, he adjusted his coat and smiled, opened the door motioning for her to go through it first, leaving behind her.

“I didn't like him, that's all, so I preferred to wait here. Besides, I didn't want to cause trouble. "

"Why would you cause trouble? It's not like this is the first time you've come in here or waited for me to leave. And what do you mean you didn't like him? Do you know each other by any chance? Where's the Jungkook who says we shouldn't judge a book by it's cover?” Y/n was teasing him and he knew it, answering with a little shut up. About five minutes away down the road there was a small burger place. It wasn't the first time they went there to eat, she loved the burgers there and the space was heaven. When they sat down, the waiter took their order and went to get their drinks, returning two minutes later. They both said thank you, giving some sips on their coca cola’s. Jungkook broke off the silence first.

“So..you and the new guy seemed pretty close. Cool guy hm?”  

“His name is Namjoon and yes we got along quite well. You wanna know a fun fact? it was our first day working together officially. He started when I was on vacation and he’s been doing more day shifts with Sana. But yeah, he’s pretty nice. I was surprised, he’s younger than us but he’s pretty mature for his age and he made me laugh a lot today. It made my double shift a lot easier.” 

“Ohhh”. Jungkook gave a few sips on his drink. “Glad it only took him a few minutes for you to be able to feel comfortable with him. It took me ages for you to look at my face. No one would tell it was your first time working together. You must have really liked him” Was he jealous?

“There’s nothing going on between us if that’s what you’re trying to know.” Jungkook chocked on his drink and tried to look everywhere but her. “We made a great team today but that’s it. He’s not my type. Besides, Sana has a crush on him. I’d never do that to a friend of mine”. Jungkook understood the hint. When he was about so speak, the waiter came with their orders. He waited for him to leave again so he could say what he wanted. 

“I’m sorry” Y/n frowned. 

“Sorry? What for?”

"It was bad of me to come between you and Sewoon. It's a long story and I have to tell you all about it, but at the same time I want to respect your space and time. I should have talked to you as soon as I realized something was going on, but I was confused and--”  Y/n interrupted him.

“Were you happy? While you were with Sewoon I mean. Did she make you feel happy?” For the first time Jungkook didn't know what to answer because he genuinely didn't know. Looking back, he knows he was never in love with her, it was just a momentary thing. He realized this too late and now he’s paying for it. Y/n noticed his discomfort so she changed the subject. “This place is without a doubt the one with the best burgers. This is my second favorite place, I really enjoy coming here and this is sooooo good or maybe it's just me being so hungry.” She said, laughing at her own words. Jungkook laughed too. One of the things he never felt with Sewoon: lightness and tranquility. With her, everything was always a competition and based on image. Very controlled, very fake, very rehearsed.

During their meal, they talked about basic things related to life, work and dreams, ordered dessert and drank coffee. Jungkook paid their meals and even though Y/n refused he didn't listen, telling her to pay next time. When they got outside, Jungkook took out a cigarette and stayed like that, grabbing it. Y/n looked at him with a questioning face. 

"How come I didn’t know you smoked? I mean every time we went out I never noticed. I was so surprised to see you smoking the other day” 

"And you said you hadn't noticed me." He said laughing. "I don't smoke much, usually after coffee or when I'm nervous/anxious. I've always tried not to smoke around you because I know you don't like the smell, so I avoid it." 

"Is that why you haven't lit your cigarette yet?" Jungkook looked at the hand that had the cigarette between his fingers. "Maybe" he said wrinkling his nose, looking at her with those sweet bambi eyes. God help her because she can't stay away from this man much longer. During their way back to her work she expected him to light the cigarette, but at no point did he do so. She even told him that if he needed to smoke to do it, that she didn't have to be an obstacle simply because she didn't like it, to which he replied that there were priorities and at that moment smoking wasn't one of them. She didn't say anything back but Jungkook noticed the blush on her cheeks and the shy smile on her face.  

“I wasn’t happy” Y/n looked at him wondering what he meant by that. He keeps talking. “You asked me if I was happy with Sewoon and my answer is no. Everything was a facade between us and now I can see how dumb I was to call it love. There were no feelings between us, only physical attraction and illusions. I know I messed up bad by getting together with her Y/n and I wish I could take it back. Even though I didn’t know your feelings for me but it was wrong and you have no idea how bad I feel for hurting you, even without meaning to. I’m truly deeply sorry.” Y/n felt so bad for him. It was a mix of emotions and she just wanted to comfort him so she stopped walking, grabbed his arm and pulled him towards her, hugging him tight, whispering

"You're not to blame for anything. If anything I'm to blame because I was the one who didn't speak up." He moved away a little, although they were very close. "We don't control our feelings. It's not your fault that I fell in love with you just as it's not your fault that you felt something for Sewoon, just as I don't blame her for having something with you even though she knew about my feel--” She stopped talking when she saw his shocked face. His face changed drastically when she said Sewoon knew about her feelings, he was angry and you could see it. “Why are you looking at me like that?”  

“Sewoon knew? She knew and you still insisted on pushing her to me?!” He was mad. 

“What was I supposed to do? You’re my best friend and I was afraid of ruining it with you, then you wanted to meet her and I just couldn’t say no. I knew you two were perfect for each other. I- I didn’t want to be selfish- I -” 

“FOR ONCE Y/n. Just for once you should’ve been selfish! Do you have any idea of how hard this has been for me? just to know that you were the one who gave me to her just like that? Was I not enough for you, was that it?” 

“Jungkook, no... Wh- What are you saying? I was the one that wasn’t enough for YOU. That’s why I introduced you to her.” At this point Jungkook had already moved away quite a bit, running his hands through his hair.  

“You were more than enough Y/n. You just didn't bother to face what was in front of you. Why do you want everything to be given to you? Is it really that hard for you to take control of your life for once? You would’ve avoided so many things Y/n. But you know what? I'm glad it was this way, maybe you and I weren't meant to be after all and we’re just realizing this now.” He sighed. “C’mon, I need to go and you have to go work as well. 

The last minutes felt like hours. Y/n hadn't realized how things had gotten to that point, it wasn't possible to understand. She thought it was unfair that he was blaming her for not opening up, even though he was upset, but even so. When they arrived Y/n grabbed his arm once more. 

“Jungkook, you can’t leave like this. You can’t drive being all raged up right now. Talk to me, please. I know I should’ve been more honest about things but I was scared and- and it’s not like you gave me any signs of any feelings either. I wanted you to be happy desp-” he released himself from her grip.

“I did gave you signs Y/n! I fucking did!That's why I'm so messed up. I - The only reason why I approached Sewoon in the first place was to have a reaction from you and to know things I knew I couldn't ask you directly.” It was Y/n’s turn to be shocked. What? “I know you avoid relationships and everything related to boys because you’re scared. If I told you how I felt or what I wanted I was scared you'd run away from me like you always do so I kept giving you signs Y/n but I had no reaction from you at all. I knew who Sewoon was from some pictures on your Instagram so when I challenged you to introduce me to her I was testing waters, however, your indifference remained there. It's not just my fault. I took you on dates and you would dismiss it, saying it was just two best friends hanging out. I left work every day and waited for you every day. In my free time I would come here to keep you company and be close to you while I sketch things that I could easily do at home. I have a cafe in front of my store and yet I’m- Always- Here- You can't be that oblivious Y/n. You were the one to put a label on us every goddamn time! You say you’re in love with me? No Y/n you’re not, otherwise you wouldn’t have given up so damn fast and give me to your best friend like a damn trophy the moment she asked. Hurts to know that I didn't deserve a second thought.” Y/n could only look at him. He looked so damn honest and he was so disappointed in her. There was hurt all over his face and that was killing her. She wanted to say something but she couldn’t so she did what she always does: let him go. 

She shouldn't have let him go. The rest of the day was fulfilled with anxiety and guilt. Every day she discovered new things and every time she thought her and Jungkook were stepping forward, they took five steps back. She was ruining everything good she had ever dreamed of with her cowardice and lack of communication. She should've gone after him, yet pride got the best of her.

Like always. 

After the argument he got in the car and left. At first she tried not to think about it too much, but then she felt the guilt consume her. When she was alone with just a few clients, she sent several texts to Jungkook, apologizing for the way things happened, for them to talk and clear things up once and for all.

No response.

Lisa was going to spend the night out, so once again she found herself alone in that giant apartment. Without thinking she called Jungkook, going straight to voicemail all the six times she tried. The only positive thing was that the next day it'd be her day off and she’d try to talk to Jungkook and clear things up.

Hopefully

The next day Y/n woke up with a huge weight beside her bed. When she opened her eyes she saw Lisa looking at her with a smile from ear to ear.

"Good morning, sunshine. I'm going to do something crazy and I want you to come with me. Hurry up, get even more pretty and let's go. If I’m late and loose my turn I'm going to kill you.”  

That's what consisted being friends with Lisa: waiting for her to wake her up at 9:30 in the morning for something that had popped into her mind out of pure spontaneity was just an example of it. She was adventurous and left nothing undone or unsaid because, according to her, you only live once and she would rather regret what she didn't do than everything she tried and failed at.

That's how at 10 in the morning Y/n found herself in front of the tattoo shop where Jungkook works. The only thing she wanted to do was turn around and leave. Gosh, he's been ignoring her attempts to contact him, how could she just walk in there like nothing was happening? She remembers talking to Lisa about getting tattoos. She never had courage for it, besides, Sewoon would tell her all the time they wouldn't suit her, thus she gave up of the idea. Lisa encouraged her, saying that when she did hers Y/n would do it too, but now, her stomach was churning and it seemed like the only thing that was going to come out was vomit. When they arrived at the entrance Y/n stopped. 

“I can’t go in with you. I’m sorry” 

“What do you mean you can’t? You can’t leave me alone at it. Also, I booked you a session so you have to show up.” Lisa said innocently.  

“You knew Jungkook works here, didn't you? You little bi--” 

“Hey hey hey. There’s no time for that my friend. We're about to get hotter and have something marked on us. Let’s go.” She was fucked.   Lisa linked her arm with her and they walked inside. It was a very peaceful place, with drawings on display, music playing and a diffuser. Of course. Jungkook was addicted to smells and very weird about them too.

The first person they saw was the red-haired lady Y/n had seen close to Jungkook the other day. Seen up close, she was even more stunning. Since Lisa was the one scheduling the session, the red-haired who introduced herself as Athena went to talk to Lisa to see what was she interested in. As she talked to her about the type of tattoo she wanted, presenting some sketches too for her to choose, Y/n looked around, praying she wouldn't see Jungkook while being there. 

“What about you? What kind of design did you think of?” She asked Y/n, giving her a genuine smile. "First time? You don't have to stress about it honey, it's most likely for you not to feel a thing"

“Ohh I didn’t think of anything... You see I was totally caught up on this. I didn't know I was coming so I didn'--- "

“Her idea was to make a semicolon on her wrist. Something simple. Y/n, babe, we talked about this. You’re not gonna chicken out right?” Y/n looked at her friend and her answer shocked herself more than anyone else in the room. “Okay. Yes you’re right Lisa. I’m already here so why not?” Lisa opened her mouth, closing it up immediately, smiling. Change comes with little steps. 

One step at a time

Athena showed Lisa some ideas until she finally chose what she liked the most. She was getting a sternum tattoo and the sketch Athena did was a piece of art, all those lines and details were just too perfect. She then excused herself to pick something up, disappearing for about 2 minutes, that's all it took for disaster to happen. While they were waiting for her to return they saw Jungkook walk through the door with two coffees. As he placed them on a small table in the entrance, Y/n realizes he didn't see them there, at least not until Athena returned to the room and spoke to him, causing him to look up where they were standing.

"Yooh Jkaay I'm glad you got here. Can you finish this design for me? I have these two pretty ladies here and the client will come by later to see if the drawing is ready but there are some parts I'm having trouble getting right, can you help me with this?” As soon as Jungkook looked up, he met Y/n's gaze, which was already focused on him. He had no reaction. “Hey lover boy. I know they’re pretty but I’m kinda waiting for an answer here” 

“Hmmm.. Oh yeah- yes. You can leave it there I’ll be sure to give it a look.” his gaze was intense as it met yours but didn't say anything, as if he didn't know you. Athena thanked him and directed the two of them to a large room. While her friend took her shirt off and laid down on her back, Athena settled everything on the sterilized table. Y/n was inspecting the drawings on the wall, realizing Jungkook's signature on the end of all of them. After placing the artwork where Lisa wanted Athena grabbed the tattoo machine, filling the room with the sounds the needles working and Y/n got scared. She was sure that was gonna hurt. 10 minutes in there's a knock on the door. After Athena replied, Jungkook walked in the room with what Y/n thought was the drawing she asked him to check. 

“This is fantastic Kook. If the idiot doesn't like it I'll have it myself. It's incredible." Jungkook smiled and looked at Y/n and then at Athena again. "This is going to be a lot of work Ath. It's full of details and has such a thin line. You have to be careful not to smudge as you clean it." 

"I know, I hadn't realized that. It's going to be a challenge but it'll look cool on her body. I still have her friend to tattoo but that’s something small and quick.”  Jungkook looked at her way.

“I can do it. I’m free and won’t have any client until noon.” Y/n froze in the moment. No fucking way. 

"I can wait. It's okay, really." Jungkook looked at her, picked up some still-closed material and opened the door. "Come on, I'll take care of it." And for a second, Y/n didn't know how to breathe anymore

Jungkook was waiting for her to follow him. When he noticed she wasn't moving at all he called out for her name again. Unconsciously, Y/n ended up getting up and going after him but she didn't leave without looking at the place Athena and Lisa were, noticing the strange expression Athena made. Had Jungkook ever mentioned her?

He went ahead, taking her to a more private room which was on the first floor. It was quite far from all the other rooms and common area. When they arrived there, he motioned for her to sit in front of what she assumed was Jungkook's desk. There were photos of several people, she doesn’t remember meeting any of them until one got her attention: it was a picture of Jungkook and Sewoon together. He was wearing white and she was wearing a black dress. She remembers this day very well- It was in the beginning of their relationship and Sewoon was having a party with her agency and Jungkook was her date, they were both so pretty and cuddly and looked so into each other. Jungkook was treating her like a princess and it was the first time Y/n felt anger towards her best friend. She cried all night after getting home, spying Sewoon's instagram and all the love-dovey pics she was posting. What a night

He sat on the chair in front of Y/n, behind his desk to sketch what she wanted to tattoo when he noticed where her eyes were wandering at, grabbing the picture and putting it in a drawer. She didn’t say anything, looking everywhere but him. 

“According to Athena you wanted just a simple semicolon on your wrist, right? So I did sketch want you wanted but added something more. If you don’t like it or want it you can say it and I'll do just what you initially wanted okay?” Jungkook showed her a design of a semicolon with a butterfly wing around it. It was honestly so beautiful. She remembers saying to him one time she identified herself as a butterfly, because no matter the situation she was going through she could always adapt herself and learn from it. Did he remember that?

“I- I love it Jungkook. This is so pretty and personal, I- Thank you, this is amazing. I’ll have it that way”  

“Are you sure? It’s gonna be there forever” 

“I’m 100% sure. Start this before I lose my courage” Jungkook gave her a nod, taking the paper and putting it on her skin with some wet liquid. He could tell she was nervous so he told her when he was about to start. “If you need me to stop let me know. We have time okay?” Y/n nodded  

“You have amazing sketches here. Not that I didn't know but you're super talented, I feel grateful that it’s you doing this on me. When you become a world-renowned artist I'm gonna brag about it, I’m already warning you.” After their fight yesterday, Y/n was trying to ease the tension between them but he was making it hard. She missed Jungkook and wanted to clear things up with him. She was done with all the confusion and misunderstandings, however, Jungkook remained in silence. “Please Jungkook I’m trying. I miss you. I miss us. I don’t even understand what happened yesterday and I’m sorry for hurting you in any way. I’m tired of this! You're driving me crazy by leaving me in this void. I'm not like this Jk, you know it. I don't care about boys but just the thought of losing you is killing me. That's the effect you have on me!”  He wasn’t paying attenton to her at all, or maybe he was just ignoring her on purpose, either ways she was getting more and more frustrated and did her best to keep her tears to herself since she couldn't get out of there. With her free hand, she surreptitiously wiped her eyes with her shirt sleeve. What she didn’t know was that Jungkook was paying attention to all her movements.

“I’m sorry. I talk a lot with my clients for them to relax a bit but with you... I feel like if I talk I'm not gonna be able to concentrate and I don’t want to mess this up. You make me nervous just with your presence. That's the effect you have on me Y/n. When it comes to you I can't separate things”  

"I could’ve waited for Athena to do it. Actually I think it’d be better, given the situation we are at right now. Damn Jungkook I put my guard down for you and now you're treating me like this, what for? You criticize me for avoiding things, yet you're doing the exact same thing, it's not fair. You can't say whatever you want, make me feel bad and then do the same to me. I know I messed up somewhere. I know I should've been braver, but you are such a special and necessary part of my life that I was afraid of you not feeling the same way, could break everything we built so far, which is stupid right now because that's exactly what happened. There is no way we can go back to what we were before” By the time she ended her speech, Jungkook was already putting the final touches on the tattoo, being done with it. Both of them remained silenced until he had picked up the tattoo protection to place it around her skin. 

“Let’s do it then. Let’s put everything on the table and be honest because honestly I can’t handle this anymore too. Where do you want me to start? From the day we first met? I had the shittiest day ever it was raining so much. That’s what made me stop at the coffee shop. Then you looked absolutely gorgeous standing there looking at me and when you noticed I was staring back and pretended to have lost an earring, that caught my attention, how innocent and naive you looked. Then I started to get to know you better and it was it for me. It was so hard not to fall for you. I kept taking you out to places but you always friendzoned me somehow, I would tell you about non existing dates to see your reaction but you always had the same posture, I came to terms that it was a one-sided thing. Then Sewoon happened. When you introduced us, honestly I was very straightforward with her. I asked her about you, if you liked someone if you ever talked about me, you know, something to give me hope. But the answers she gave me weren’t the ones I expected to hear and I was so disappointed.” Y/n's system was soon on alert.  

“What- - What did she tell you?”  Jungkook took a while to answer which was making her impatient. She was about to lose her mind.  

“She told me you were seeing someone and it was getting serious. That she was sorry but wouldn’t get in the way. After that, we kept talking a little more and when I was about to leave she was the one asking me to go out with her. Just a simple date so I said yes, maybe that would help me take my mind of you.  Then things happened and time skipped and we broke up and yeah I didn’t take that well because no one likes to feel they failed at something, but I’m so glad we did. We didn’t align in anything, we fought a lot behind doors. Then came the party you and Sewoon went. I was already there remember? You looked so sad and the first thing I remembered was the guy you were supposed to be seeing. I was hoping you were long gone with the dude but the way you were acting and how you were talking to me ended up confirming Sewoon’s words about you and that special someone and I--- I lost my mind.”  

“So you ended up kissing Sewoon to relieve all that anger, right?”  She got up and slowly turned her way towards the door when Jungkook grabbed her arm.

“That was a terrible mistake. As soon as I realized what I did I stepped back immediately. After that I looked everywhere for you, but I didn’t found you. When I did, you told me you were leaving with someone and that was it. I tried talking to you all night but your phone was either out of reach or you wouldn’t respond.”  There's this awkward silence until one of them spok again.

“That night broke me Jungkook. You broke me. I was there, I was hurt and you noticed something was up but all your eyes were looking at was Sewoon. I wished so many times it was me you were kissing, holding, touching. I'd see you with her and all I imagined was us. That was so toxic of me, that's why I left, because I couldn't see you leave with her knowing the next day I'd know everything about it."

They didn't realize how close they were until they felt each other's breath hitting their faces. Y/n doesn't know when things changed, but since the night at the restaurant there is something that pushes them towards each other. She gets a strange feeling in her belly, in her chest… down there. It's strange, she never felt something like this for anyone and it was confusing her. She knows if he asked her something she'd do it on the spot. It seems like Jungkook could feel the tension either because the hand that was previously on her arm was now around her waist, while the other caressed the right side of her face tucking some hair behind her ear. It was then that she felt the distance between them getting shorter and shorter, when all of a sudden they heard someone knock on the door, opening it, revealing Athena's slightly confused figure.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt, I heard voices and came to check if you were okay, as it's not usual for you to bring anyone here. I-- hmm- just wanted to let you know that I finished Lisa's piece and we're downstairs drinking some coffee and talking in case you'd want to join us when you finished whatever you were.... doing, but no pressure, make yourself comfortable, I didn't see anything. Use protection, okay? You still have a life to enjoy before any surprises." Jungkook made a desperate sound looking at Athena and throwing something at her

"Don't be an idiot, it's not what it looks like and you know it. Anyone hearing you talk would think you see me doing a lot of dirty things here. Work is work and I take it very seriously." Jungkook paused, glacing at Y/n, just to speak again. " We'll meet you downstairs in 10 minutes, I just need to finish explaining how she should handle this in the next few days." Athena hummed, giving them a nod before leaving. However, they heard her tell Lisa that - they were busy and would probably take longer to joy them- They knew she spoke loud for them to hear. Jungkook went to a drawer and took out a cream, handing it to Y/n.

"For the next three days you must avoid direct sunlight on the area. This protection should last for 24 hours, then you can remove it in the shower or by wetting the area with warm water, drying it well and applying the cream two or three times a day. If you feel any itching, that's normal, but if you see red spots around it let me know so I can check it out. But in principle, everything should be fine." Y/n nodded and thanked him, grabbing her wallet, heading towards the door but stopped halfway and turned around, facing Jungkook.

"Did you sleep with Sewoon here?"those words came out faster than Y/n could control. Why the hell did she ask that. Jungkook wasn't expecting that either, because his mouth opened and closed several times, not knowing what to answer, a little embarrassed. This gave Y/n a feeling that maybe the answer was yes. "Never mind, sorry, I don't know why I asked this. Forget it." She turned around again ready to open the door. She was about to do so when a hand above her head slammed the door shut again with a bang.

"Why do you always put me in difficult positions? It's past and - aiish- No Y/n, I didn't. This is my office, my space, my privacy, I don't bring anyone for anything more than work, not even Sewoon. This wasn't exactly the space she liked to frequent the most" Y/n nodded.

"I don't know why I asked, I'm sorry. Being here knowing that you and her were- you know- that would be just weird and gross. I mean, who knows what kind of "things" would be around here and-- Okay, nevermind. How about we go down? They're waiting for us and will start thinking stuff about us being here."

"So? Let them think what they want to think.. I'm not bothered at all. Are you?" When Y/n was about to answer, the door opened without warning revealing an excited Athena again, but she didn't realize that when she opened the door she had hit Y/n with it. "Shit Ath be careful. Knock before coming in. Jesus"

"Dude, I don't know what the situation is between you two, but behind the door is definitely not the best place. Been there, done that. It's interesting but not comfortable. Also, why are you so bothered by the knocking thing all of a sudden? That was never a rule. Just put something on the door handle to when you're busy doing other things. That's what I do with your broth-"

"Aiiiishh Athena. I'm not really interested in what you and my brother do or don't do, How disgusting. We were just talking! Stop being nosy and up on my ass. What's the matter with you today? why are you always coming here thought? You never care when I’m upstairs”

“Well you’re always by yourself, there’s nothing for me to pry on. Either way, I came here to tell you that the client you had for noon called to inform he’s no longer able to come. His wife went into labour, so you’re free for now”

“Well at least is for some good reasons. I’ll call him up later to reschedule.” Athena would steal glances from Jungkook to Y/n with a funny look, trying to see something she could pick up to tease them more “Anyway, I think I’ll grab lunch with Lisa. She’s pretty rad. Do you wanna come?” It was Y/n’s turn to speak

“I actually have some things to get done, but you go and have fun. Maybe we can grab a coffee later?” All she wanted was to run. After that stupid question she made she just wanted somewhere to hide.

“Of course, just give me your number. It’ll be easier” they both switched numbers and Athena gave a final goodbye to her, giving her a hug and winking to Jungkook, whispering behave before shutting the door completely. What the hell.

“So... The girls are leaving and you probably have things to do too so I should get going as well. I have to meet up with Joon, he asked me if I could stop by so hmmm, yeah. Thanks for your time. If - if I have any questions I’ll pass by. Thank you once again." This was her cue to leave. Uttering those words she was out of the door, running down the stairs getting closer and closer to the main door but when she reached it, it was locked.

Goddamn it!

She was thinking about calling Lisa to turn around and wait for her when she heard footsteps behind her. She didn't dare to look back but in question of minutes she felt Jungkook's chest against her back, hearing him whisper

"Why are you always in such a rush when it comes to me? What are you so afraid of?" Jungkook turned her around to face him. "Let yourself go Y/n. For me, for you, for us. We've been over the friendship thing for a while now, don't you think? No matter how much you try to deny it, the attraction is here" He was so close to her she could feel his heartbeat.

"I can't" She whispered. "Everytime I look at you I get myself reminded of how you used to be with Sewoon. There was her before me and I can't compare. I can't erase that image of my head. I- I want to forget, but I can't"

"I'll help you forget. Let me help you forget, but mainly let me show you how there's no comparison between you and her" They were so close and there was so much desire so she let herself go and feel all she wanted, grabbing Jungkook by the hem of his grey shirt and closing the distance between them. The response to the kiss was automatic. Y/n felt Jungkook kiss her back as if he had already been waiting for this moment. Slowly at first, like they were testing each other, until he slowly pushed her against the door, placing his hand behind her neck, deepening the kiss. She never had a kiss like that. At this point she felt the entire zoo inside her and she was aware of everything around her: of how Jungkook's hands were hovering over her body, how their mouths were thirsty for each other, the way their bodies were so close yet so far.

It was just them and their desire for each other. And at that moment that was all that mattered.

Bonus: The famous tattoos made

Lisa’s OC'S

You're welcome ;)

Tags: @esposadomd @joonlover1207 @eegyo @furrywonderlandwolf @minghaosimp @differentrunawayperson @nikkinikj @jksusawife @jk97bam @cryingoverpixelsetc @bhonbhon @lostinneocity @almostpurplelady @meowforluv @imagine-this-motherfucker @jk-190811 @cryingoverpixelsetc @11thenightwemet11 @rinkud @ayatie97 @jk-190811 @shaku1995 @blueberriesm @darkangelfei

[unpretty]

Hi I'm the person who sent the ask about using weird hypnotism porn as guided mediation. Thank you for the youtube ASMR suggestion I never thought of that because most ASMR triggers just make me uncomfortable but apparently a woman talking in a soothing voice with ambient music in the background and no other sounds also counts as ASMR somehow???

Which is actually great for me specifically but I now have a new problem: learning how to navigate the extremely strange world of youtube ASMR. What is even happening over here. Somewhere there is someone cataloguing ASMR taxonomy hell. Or if there isn't there should be.

listen. i could go the fuck on about asmr taxonomy hell. the whisperers stole 'softly spoken' and i will not stop yelling about it. there is massive overlap between asmr triggers and misophonia triggers so almost no one tags for the latter. literally with a lot of asmr triggers either they hit and you get tingles or they miss and you get viscerally uncomfortable. i feel like you could do really interesting research into that overlap and how it mirrors arousal/disgust.

my first asmr experiences were reading phrenology handbooks so 90% of all asmr videos do not trigger tingles for me at all. 'unintential asmr' and 'unintentional style' are some of the only things i can count on to indicate that there won't be whispering now that softly spoken has fallen. there's a ton of newer creators who don't actually try to trigger tingles, they're just doing horny roleplays. which is fine, more power to them, but it's making it really hard to find cyberpunk hardware inspections or whatever the fuck. i'd give you some recs but i don't know if anyone i'm into would fit what you're looking for aside from some jellybean green stuff.

if someone made some kind of web app or something that could be used as a link database with community tagging, i would use it for porn, but i would actually also use it for asmr videos because i am so tired of misophonia roulette and trying to find the specific type of exam/inspection that will trigger me 😭

[inexplicifics]

Hey inex! First of all, thank you so much for sharing your writing with us! It’s always a delight and so many of your focus are my go-to when I need a mood booster 💕

Second thing is, I’ve been re(rererererere)reading MBTT and I’m at the part when Milena and Aiden figure they can share Lambert. Mile a mentions it’s common in Redania for men to have mistresses and that even Marika told her so, as long as the matter is discreet and not a financial strain. Despite that “tradition”, since Dawid and her are in love, I figure Marika doesn’t expect him to get a mistress, but what of the rest of the court?

I can imagine the brewing scandal as the following happens:

- women hoping to become the royal mistress getting more and more obvious/desperate, leading to scandal (for example, getting sneaked into the kings chambers only to realize that he’s with the queen)

- men getting more and more flack for having mistresses because “the king doesn’t have one and it’s been years”

- younger nobles becoming more interested in having the marriage the royal couple has

- conservative nobles trying to use this as proof he’s not a real man, while not really being able to say out loud that having a mistress is a good thing in their views

- some really nasty rumours going around that the king has no mistress because he hopes to have the same arrangement as his brother in law (aka a kept man, aka the king is not a real man because Redania is homophobic) (when found out, those spreading this rumour are almost trialed for treason)

- nasty rumours about Marina’s control over her husband might also be attempted and squashed

Oh yes, the fact that Dawid is not interested in having a mistress will definitely cause some interesting kerfuffle as time goes by. Combined with Marika's place as co-monarch, fully equal with Dawid, this is probably going to have long-term political and cultural effects.

(Marika probably asks Dawid at some point if he wants a mistress, since she knows choosing one is often as much political as personal for kings, and he's going to be very blushy about explaining that he's very much monogamous and very happy with his marvelous wife, thank you anyhow.)