#that's not even the thing that made me nope out

[revelboo]

i just binged almost all of your starscream fics and…oh my god. first of all, how do you DO THAY???? you understand his character SO WELL, it’s CRAZY. second of all, HOW ARE WRITING SO MUXH????) you’re churning these out and they’re all like PERFECT audujfhdjskks. i’m going CRAZYYYY your writing is so GOOD how do you write so QUICKLY AHHHFHFJD

all this to say i LOVE LOVE LOVE your writing and i think you’re really cool

Thank you! I just idly write paragraphs and jump between storylines until I get on a roll with one and finish it. I like analyzing the different characters, trying to figure out what makes them tick. None of them are wholly good or wholly evil in either faction. Bluestreak is this sweet little chatterbox, but he’s also a sniper. I can see him just shutting down while he’s on a battlefront. Emotionless and so cold as he takes aim. That Blue would probably scare his human. It’s be like flipping a switch, this Bluestreak a complete stranger.

Still stuck in the loaner truck, but it has off-road tires at least. Got to the intersection and seriously considered saying nope and turning around. I live in the Southern U.S. this is the snow apocalypse to us- we’re more accustomed to high humidity and heat. Everything pretty much shuts down when it flurries

Everything Is Alright Pt 135

IDW Starscream x Reader, Soundwave x Reader, Megatron x Reader

• Ferrying you in his cupped palms Soundwave kneels to place you inside the structure and his spark falters when you lay a palm on his servo and leap the rest of the distance into the habsuite. Straightening and looking around curiously, you’re completely unaware how bad you just scared him. Shuddering, Soundwave watches you wander around looking at things before returning to the open face of the small building and looking up at him and Megatron. “Soap?” You ask, little voice so hopeful his spark aches. Making him painfully aware that they’ve probably not been taking the best care of you. Wishes you’d speak up more. Ask for more. Venting softly, Megatron turns and retrieves a little box, kneeling to set it carefully in front of you. And you’re grinning after you rip it open, seizing several colorful bottles and then darting back into the tiny habsuite with them. “Thank you!” You yell as the water comes on.

• “Don’t look at me like that,” Megatron mutters, feeling Soundwave’s stare. “You barely remember to take care of yourself and Starscream? He only really cares about himself.” Even if the Seeker seems to be trying for you, Megatron can’t bring himself to trust it. Can never really trust Starscream, even if it’s now in the Seeker’s best interest to stop betraying him. Stop trying to murder him and seize control. And that leaves him as the one looking after whatever this mess he’s been roped into is. A family? Not really. Retrieving an energon cube, he thrusts it at Soundwave, staring down the mech until he takes it and drinks.

• Head tipped up into the warm spray, you scrub. And scrub until your skin feels almost raw. Until your scalp hurts. Until you feel human again. Can barely hear them out there talking and at least they’re not just leaning to gawk at you washing. The little structure is fairly empty from what little of it you’d seen since you’d went straight for the shower, but you don’t know what to make of the fact that Megatron had gotten this made for you. The warlord a confusion of contradictions, occasionally giving you glimpses that suggest he cares in his own demanding way. That he’s not a total jerk.

• “Gratitude,” Soundwave murmurs, eyes on that little structure as Megatron frowns at him. But he’s wrong about the Seeker. Starscream is changing. True, his forward progress has been slow and uncertain. Backtracking as much as making progress. Faltering, but still trying for you. You’re changing him for the better even if he doubts Starscream can truly change. He’s always going to strive for more, too ambitious to stop. But after what happened with Megatron and his own bond with you, he has to believe the Seeker will think before acting. And he’ll keep a closer watch on him going forward, try to keep him from sabotaging this, because he needs this. Wants it to be okay so bad it aches in his spark. Still unable to really believe he’d sparked you.

• Optics sliding to the tiny habsuite, Megatron watches you move to the edge of the floor you’re on. You’d found the little towels and wrapped one about yourself even though they’ve all seen you naked so many times. And you’re almost shy as you look up at Soundwave then him. Uncertain and it’s strangely sweet. “Are there any clothes?” Amused, he retrieves the other box of things he’d had Swindle acquire for you and offers it. ‘You might be better off breaking the news naked to Starscream,’ he adds just to make you scowl at him before you’re sinking your little teeth into your bottom lip and bending to dig through the box. ‘He might take it better if you tell him while he’s fragging you.’

• Why is he like this? Ignoring Megatron openly leering as you dig out clothes trying to find something you can actually wear. Whoever had stolen this hadn’t really understood clothes, but then it had to have been one of the Cybertronians. Men’s clothes, women’s, even kid’s. Holding up a toddler size shirt you just stare at Megatron and he frowns. Yep. They tried. You’re not going to win any fashion shows as you find clothes you can wear, but you’re not naked at least. Though maybe the warlord has a point about breaking it to Star while he’s preoccupied. “Alright,” you mutter, raising your arms toward Soundwave, feeling like a kid asking to be picked up. It’s Megatron that snags you in one hand before Soundwave can offer you his hands, though. And he’s grinning. Oh, no. Striding out of his habsuite with you, heading for Star’s quarters. Craning your neck, you see Soundwave trailing after you. ‘Don’t worry, pet. I’ll let you tell him. I just want to watch,’ Megatron says and you press your face against his servos with a groan. Of course he wants to watch. “Why are you like this?” Hear him laughing at you as he lets himself into Star’s habsuite.

Previous

Next

[lazysoulwriter]

rain check & red sauce. - rafe cameron.

Rafe had been talking about this date for weeks. Weeks. He had made a whole thing out of it—whispering in your ear about the reservation at the fanciest restaurant in town, sending you teasing texts about the five-star meal you were about to experience, and even promising to wear actual dress shoes instead of his usual boat shoes.

And then, of course, Mother Nature decided to ruin everything.

The storm rolled in like it was personally offended by your plans, bringing winds that rattled the windows and rain that turned the streets into rivers. The fancy restaurant? Closed. The roads? Flooded. Your perfect date night? Canceled.

Rafe was pacing your living room, running a hand through his already-messy hair, looking absolutely devastated.

“Baby, I— I swear to God, I checked the weather this morning. It said cloudy, not— not hurricane mode! This is bullshit,” he groaned, throwing his hands up. “I had it all planned out! The flowers, the— the freakin’ lobster bisque, the—”

You sat on the couch, watching him spiral. It was honestly kind of adorable seeing him so worked up over a dinner.

“Rafe, it’s fine—”

“It’s not fine! This was supposed to be— Ugh, I don’t know, special or whatever.” He stopped pacing and looked at you, his blue eyes full of frustration. “I just wanted to do something nice for you.”

Your heart melted. You stood up and walked over to him, resting your hands on his chest. “Rafe. It is special. You’re here. I’m here. Who cares about some overpriced pasta?”

He sighed dramatically, wrapping his arms around you. “But, babe. You deserve overpriced pasta.”

You laughed, shaking your head. “You know what we can do? Cook dinner together.”

That got his attention. He pulled back slightly, blinking at you like you just suggested skydiving without a parachute. “Together? As in— like, both of us?”

You smirked. “Yeah, that’s what together means.”

“...Do I look like I know how to cook?”

“Not at all,” you admitted, dragging him towards the kitchen.

“Okay, well— at least let me order something. I’ll call someone—”

You grabbed his phone out of his hand. “Nope. We’re making this happen.”

Rafe groaned but let you push him towards the fridge. “This is a terrible idea.”

It turned out, Rafe Cameron in the kitchen was both a disaster and the funniest thing you’d ever seen.

First, he tried to cut an onion and somehow ended up sending half of it flying across the counter. “Why is this so slippery?!” he exclaimed, looking personally offended by the vegetable.

Then, you asked him to stir the sauce while you checked on the pasta. You turned around for one second and suddenly, there was tomato sauce everywhere. On the stove, on the counter, on his shirt.

“RAFE—”

“I DON’T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED!”

You wiped a hand down your face. “What did you do?!”

“I was stirring!” he said defensively, holding up the wooden spoon like it was the culprit. “It just— it had a mind of its own, babe, I swear.”

You were laughing so hard, you had to lean against the counter. “Oh my God, you’re hopeless.”

But despite the mess, despite Rafe being literally the worst sous chef of all time, the night turned out perfect.

By some miracle, the pasta wasn’t overcooked. The sauce— after Rafe’s dramatic battle with it— actually tasted amazing. You even lit some candles and sat on the floor in the living room, eating your homemade meal while the storm raged outside.

Rafe took a sip of wine, stretching his legs out. “Alright. I’ll admit it. This is way better than some stuffy restaurant.”

You raised an eyebrow. “Oh, so now you’re a home-cooked meal guy?”

He grinned, leaning over to press a kiss to your shoulder. “Nah. I’m a you guy.”

Your heart melted.

“God, that was so cheesy,” you muttered, trying to fight back a smile.

“Yeah, well, I’ve been hanging out with you too much.”

You nudged him playfully, and he laughed before pulling you into his lap, pressing a warm kiss against your lips. The rain kept falling outside, the candles flickered in the dim room, and for a night that had gone completely off-script, it couldn’t have been more perfect.

[honeypiehotchner]

The Gambit (Hotch x Fem!Reader) -- part eleven

Back to our regularly scheduled chaos 🫶🏻

Warnings: angst, reader is just really down on herself in this one sorry guys, Hotch being so strangely sweet for once, but then Hotch being down on himself (these two are a fucking wreck i wish they'd just TALK IT OUT)

Hotch doesn’t give you the day off after this case, but when you walk into the bullpen the next morning, you wish he had. For no particular reason other than you weren’t able to sleep, and dread seems to have made a home in your bones overnight.

And, of course, everyone notices.

“Oh,” Penelope’s frown looks out of place among her bright outfit. You hate that you’re making her frown. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” you reply instantly, flashing her a smile. “Just exhausted.”

She doesn’t seem too satisfied with your answer, but wraps you in a hug all the same. “If you need anything, come see me. Okay?”

You squeeze her tightly. “Thanks, Pen.”

She pulls back and lightly pats your cheek. “Anytime.”

Morgan comes sauntering over with his coffee, eyeing you both cautiously. “Am I interrupting something?”

“Nope,” Garcia saves you the grief, turning to rest her hand on Morgan’s shoulder. “Just telling her to come bug me when you guys start boring her to death.”

Derek laughs. “Riiight.”

Garcia heads back to her office with a flourish, something about needing to do her own paperwork to justify all the hacking she did for this last case. You dump your things down at your desk with a sigh.

You try to discreetly look up into Hotch’s office to see if he’s here. When you glance back at Morgan, you see he’s caught you red-handed. 

“Looking for someone?” he smirks.

You roll your eyes, busying yourself with putting your things away. “Is Hotch in yet?”

“Not yet, we’re the early birds today,” Morgan says, propping himself on your desk like he belongs there. “Why?”

I’m trying to avoid him at all costs, why else? “Just curious.”

Morgan hums. “Alright. Well, no, he said he was taking Jack to school this morning, so he’d be in late. You would know that if you didn’t put yourself in time out on the jet yesterday.”

You roll your eyes.

“I’m gonna start up that tally again,” Morgan jokes.

“Be my guest,” you mutter through a small smile.

Morgan goes quiet and that scares you, because you know exactly what’s coming next. Goodbye Joking Friend Morgan, hello Serious Big Brother Derek.

“Hey,” he says, leaning toward you. “You know you can talk to me, right?”

You nod. If only everyone who says that knew that you can’t. “Yeah. I know.”

“‘Kay. Good.” Derek nods as he slides off your desk, returning to his own and leaving you alone.

Reid whirls into the BAU next, nose in a book, nearly taking himself out when he stumbles into Morgan’s desk. So, a typical morning for him.

JJ and Emily come in next, coffees in hand, having run into each other again on their morning commute.

Rossi next, stopping by your desk to ask how you’re doing. He doesn’t press when you say you’re fine and heads up to his office, leaving you alone.

Then, there’s Hotch, who comes in with his phone pressed to his ear, a frown on his face. He doesn’t even glance toward the center of the bullpen as he practically floats up the stairs into his office, shutting the door.

You share looks with the rest of the team. Reid grimaces. He must’ve read his lips through the office window. He goes back to his book without saying anything.

You return to your paperwork, scanning the text. It’s necessary, and you know why you have to do it, but that doesn’t make any of it less boring.

Next to you, Emily leans back in her chair. “You should join us for coffee tomorrow before work.”

You lift your head, your eyes slowly trailing over to her to make sure she’s talking to you. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” she smiles. “JJ and I always end up at the same place, we should get there a little early and have breakfast.”

“Uh, hello?” Morgan pipes up, pointing his pencil between himself and Reid. “What about us?”

Emily inhales sharply through her grin. “Sorry, girls only.”

“Alright, I see how it is,” Morgan laughs. He turns to Reid. “Hey kid, wanna get coffee tomorrow?”

“Why?” Reid asks without looking up. “The BAU has free coffee.”

Morgan sighs. “You’re not helping.”

Reid still doesn’t look up, but his lips stretch in that little smirk he always gets when he pushes Morgan’s buttons just for fun.

You turn back to Emily. “I’d love to. Where?”

She lists off the name of the cafe and then pauses, “Oh my god, I need to add you to the group chat.”

“Group chat?” Reid looks up this time. “You guys have a group chat?”

“Girls only,” Emily says again, looking down at her phone.

“Is Garcia in it?” Morgan asks.

“Duh,” Emily replies. “There.”

Your phone buzzes. Emily added you to Women Only. You snort. “Thanks.”

Garcia sends a few hearts and other emojis when she sees you’ve been added to the chat. You laugh quietly before returning to your paperwork, even though you’ve read the same line probably fifty times by now. 

The conversation carries on around you, with Reid even chiming in here and there, but you’re mostly silent. You know it’s unlike you, so you figure it’s a matter of time before one of the profilers calls you out for it.

But they don’t, because they don’t get a chance to.

Hotch calls your name from the second level. You lift your head, eyebrows raising. You find him standing just in the doorway to his office, nodding his head for you to come up.

Just great. Great.

You’re too tired to offer any protests, so you stand immediately, taking your lukewarm coffee with you as you head up the stairs. You don’t need to glance down at the bullpen to know the team’s eyes are on you.

Hotch seems to notice, too, because when you walk into his office, he draws the blinds.

You freeze in the doorway. This can’t be good, if he’s purposefully trying to prevent Reid from lipreading. He normally doesn’t bother.

“Come in,” he says quietly, rounding his desk. “Sit, please.”

You’re being fired. You’re sure of it.

Still, you shut the door, eyeing him warily as you sit across from him. You place your coffee on his desk so you can clasp your hands together.

“So?”

Hotch tilts his head. “So?”

“What’s the reasoning?” you ask. “I’m assuming I’m being transferred or terminated, whatever we’re calling it these days.”

If you aren’t mistaken, his expression seems to soften. Just barely. “I’m not firing you.”

You sit back. “Oh.”

“Why would you think I’m firing you?”

“Why would I not?” you shrug. “We don’t get along, I’ve done nothing but cause problems — that I will admit—”

“Stop,” Hotch almost looks pained as he cuts you off. “Stop. You’re not causing problems by being here.”

You stare at him tiredly. “You know I hate it when you lie to my face.”

“I’ve never lied to you,” he replies, just as tired. “And I’m not lying now.”

You’re not convinced of either of those things. “Okay.”

He sighs, leaning onto his elbows on his desk. “I know we don’t…get along, as you said, but you are a valuable asset to this team.”

“Hotch, my first two cases, both unsubs have gotten away.”

“Is that what this is about?”

You don’t know. You don’t know what any of this is about. “I guess. Look— I’m just not on top of it today. I’m tired.”

“Do you need to go home?”

You glare at him. “No. I said I’m tired, not that I can’t work.”

“Just clarifying,” he mutters, leaning back in his chair to study you. 

It makes you shift uncomfortably in your seat. You hate the way he looks at you, like he knows something about you that you don’t know yet — or that you don’t want to know. Because knowing him, he’ll say it out loud, and then you’ll have to deal with it, and you don’t want to.

You think for a fleeting, terrifying moment that maybe Rossi told him about your father, but Rossi wouldn’t. Right?

“It’s not your fault,” he starts, but he keeps his eyes trained on his desk. “That the unsubs have gotten away. We got Lila back home safely, and that counts for something.”

You hum, uncertain.

“We don’t always catch the unsub,” Hotch continues. “We help where we can, and sometimes that has to be enough.”

“It’s not, though,” you shake your head slowly. “It’s not enough.” You look over at him, that anger still simmering like always. You’re tired, but it doesn’t take much for it to spike again. “I still don’t think we should’ve left them.”

“I did what I thought was right and I stand by—”

“What if it was wrong?”

“I’m not going to sit here and argue what if’s with you,” Hotch snaps, voice firm and tone final. “I don’t have to explain my decisions to you.”

“No,” you reply, pushing yourself to stand up. “But you could at least act like you care about your team’s opinion of you.”

You get to the door before you pause, eyeing the closed blinds. You turn around as you cross your arms over your chest.

“What was it you actually called me in here for?”

Hotch barely shrugs. “I just wanted to check in with you after the conversation we had yesterday.”

You roll your eyes. Highly unlikely that that’s the only thing, but fine. “Sure.”

Hotch sighs tiredly. “Here we go,” he says under his breath.

Might as well tease him. “Just saying,” you give him a wicked look.“You better be careful. Kinda starting to make me think you like me or something.”

He scowls at you. “Go back to work.”

You’re laughing as you leave his office.

+++

Hotch stares at your coffee on the edge of his desk. You forgot to take it with you. He could call you back in here to get it. Or let it get cold and get rid of it later. Or he could take it to you.

He needs a fresh cup anyway.

He grabs his mug in one hand, yours in the other, and heads out of his office. You’re already back at your desk, laughing at something Prentiss said. Hotch feels the corners of his lips trying to tug upward, listening to your laughter. He doesn’t hear it often, especially not like this. Carefree and light. He’s used to the sarcastic, condescending laughter that you usually give him. 

His frown returns with that thought. He’ll never be the cause of this kind of laughter from you. Not as long as you seem to have him at the top of your shit list. It’s been a decade, so he doesn’t expect that to change.

Shaking the thoughts away, he heads down the stairs to drop your mug off on your desk with a silent, “You left this,” like he did with your jacket just over a week ago.

He doesn’t hear you say anything as he strides past you and everyone else to the coffee machine at the edge of the bullpen. 

Hotch loves his team for many things. Their subtlety is not one of them.

He can hear them whispering, all trying to figure out what you and him discussed and why the blinds had to be drawn. None of them believe you when you say it was nothing.

For what Hotch had originally planned, yes, the blinds needed to be drawn. He wanted privacy to ask you about your father.

But how was he supposed to bring up your father when your first thought was that you were being fired? When your first thought is that you’re doing more harm than good by being here?

Regardless of how much pleasure you seem to find in pushing his buttons, he couldn’t let a member of his team go without addressing those kinds of thoughts. You’re a valuable addition to this team. If you weren’t, you never would’ve been hired by Strauss, let alone by him.

It’s bad luck, sure, that these last two cases haven’t ended the way they’d like. But that’s no one’s fault, and certainly not yours alone. It just happens. They can’t save everyone, solve every case quickly and easily. Nothing is neat and tied in a bow in this field. He needs you to understand that. Because if you don’t, you won’t survive. 

And he needs you to survive.

Hotch turns around to head back to his office, pausing to raise an eyebrow when his team scrambles cartoon-style to “act natural” — as if he has no clue they weren’t watching him.

He loves this team, he does. He shakes his head as he walks around them.

He feels your eyes on him, though, as he ascends the stairs. He glances down at you and you avert your eyes masterfully. If he didn’t know you so well, he wouldn’t have known you were watching him.

Hotch is too busy looking at you to notice Rossi has stepped out of his own office, and the older man gives Hotch an equally skeptical look when Hotch nearly crashes into him.

Rossi follows Hotch into his office, shutting the door behind him.

“What’s with all the secrecy today?” Rossi asks, gesturing to the closed blinds, tugging one down with a smirk as he makes eye contact with Prentiss. He lets it snap back into place.

“Nothing,” Hotch replies, settling back down at his desk. “You can open them.”

Rossi doesn’t.

Instead, he stands in front of Aaron’s desk, hands shoved in his pockets. “Did you tell her?”

“She’s still here, so obviously I didn’t,” Hotch mutters, looking up at his friend. “Why?”

“Just curious,” Rossi says, turning to open the blinds.

Unsurprisingly, the entire team, except for you, is caught in their attempted eavesdropping. Rossi laughs as he turns back around to face Aaron.

“Warn me before you do? I’d like some time to prepare to get out of here before you get a chair thrown in your face,” Rossi says.

Hotch stares at him. A chair will be the least of his worries when he eventually confronts you.

His eyes flick to you down in the bullpen, focused and content, swatting Morgan away when he tries to toss balls of paper at your head. Hotch doesn’t want to ruin this, the joy you’ve found here. 

But ever since the first day you met, that’s all Hotch has known how to do. Say the wrong thing and make you hate him. Over and over. 

It’s no wonder you push his buttons so much and fight so hard to get under his skin. It’s not like he can’t understand. It’s a vicious cycle with the two of you, and there’s no way out.

At least not one where no one gets hurt.

[s4svnn]

Out of bounds . JJK

↳ 𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬; Jeon Jungkook, the world’s leading F1 racer, lives for control on and off the track. But when a relentless aspiring designer crashes into his carefully constructed world, she’s determined to prove herself even if it means breaking down his walls. As their rivalry heats up and boundaries blur between ambition and desire, she becomes the one thing he can't control as he's led out of bounds.

↳ pairing; F1 racer Jungkook x reader

↳ 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬; ongoing | All rights reserved

↳ enemies to lovers, slow burn, fluff, smut

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

Chapter Forty Eight

I stirred awake, my body enveloped in a deep, drowsy warmth. It wasn’t just the blankets cocooning me—the heat was deeper, sinking into my skin, wrapping around me like something solid and alive. It was everywhere, surrounding me, seeping into my bones, making it impossible to move, impossible to even think about leaving the comforting haze of sleep.

It felt safe. It felt good. It felt…well different.

I shifted slightly, and that’s when I noticed it—the firm, steady warmth pressed against me, a presence so solid and real that it sent a flicker of awareness through my sleepy mind. My senses started piecing things together: the faint scent of him, the slow rise and fall of his chest, the way my body naturally molded against his.

Confused and still half-lost in slumber, I blinked my eyes open, my vision hazy and unfocused. Jungkook was already awake, lying on his side, his face mere inches from mine. His dark eyes, warm and deep, were fixed on me, studying my every movement, his expression unreadable yet soft in a way that made my stomach twist.

I frowned slightly, my voice thick with sleep. “…What?”

A slow, lazy smile curved his lips, and something about it sent a spark of heat through me, different from the warmth that had held me moments ago.

“You’re really pretty,” he murmured, his voice still husky from sleep.

My heart stuttered. Instantly, my face went hot, the comfortable warmth from before morphing into something much more dangerous. I groaned, hastily shoving at his chest in a weak attempt to escape. “Shut up,” I grumbled, willing the blush creeping up my neck to disappear.

But the moment I tried to turn away, he moved. Before I could react, his hands gripped my waist, and with almost no effort, he flipped me onto my back. A startled gasp left my lips as I suddenly found myself trapped beneath him, my body sinking into the mattress as his weight caged me in.

My breath hitched. Jungkook hovered over me, his arms braced on either side of my head, his dark hair falling messily over his forehead. His eyes gleamed with quiet amusement, his lips still curled into that damnable smirk that made my stomach do things I wasn’t ready to acknowledge.

“Tryna run?” he murmured, his voice teasing, low, and full of something that sent a shiver down my spine.

I swallowed hard, my mind short-circuiting as I stared up at him. “I—”

He tilted his head slightly, his nose brushing against mine, his breath warm as it fanned over my lips.

“I—I wasn’t running,” I finally managed to stammer, though my voice came out far weaker than I intended.

Jungkook raised a brow, clearly unconvinced. “No?”

I shook my head quickly, trying to look anywhere but at him. “Nope.”

His smirk widened. “Then why’d you try to push me away?”

I scowled, my face burning. “Because you’re annoying.”

Jungkook tsked, lowering himself slightly until his chest almost brushed against mine. “Liar.”

I sucked in a sharp breath, my entire body locking up as he got closer, his presence suffocating in the best and worst way. “I’m not lying,” I muttered, forcing myself to glare up at him despite the way my heart pounded so loudly I was sure he could hear it.

Jungkook hummed, tilting his head slightly as if considering my words. Then, without warning, he leaned in even closer, his lips brushing the shell of my ear as he whispered, “Then why are you blushing so much, princess?”

My stomach flipped violently, my body betraying me completely. I let out a frustrated groan, using both hands to shove at his chest. “Get off me, you weirdo!”

Jungkook chuckled, clearly enjoying every second of this. But instead of letting me go, he simply shifted his weight, pressing me further into the mattress.

“Mm, I don’t think I will,” he mused, his voice laced with amusement. “I like you like this. All flustered and stuck underneath me.”

“Jungkook,” I warned, trying to sound firm despite the fact that my voice was embarrassingly breathy.

“Yes, baby?” he murmured, the pet name rolling off his tongue so effortlessly that it made my toes curl.

I froze.

He grinned, clearly noticing my reaction. “Oh? You like that?”

“N-no,” I stammered, my face somehow getting impossibly hotter.

Jungkook chuckled, leaning down to brush his nose against mine again, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Didn’t know you loved lying this much Aylah.”

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to will away the heat pooling in my stomach. “Jungkook,” I warned, but it came out embarrassingly soft, barely even a whisper.

He chuckled, the sound vibrating through his chest, pressing against mine. “You say my name like that, and you expect me to let you go?”

I groaned, finally gathering the courage to open my eyes again—only to immediately regret it. He was so close. Too close. His gaze was locked onto mine, his lips hovering just above my own, his expression smug and completely in control.

I had to get out of this. Now. Summoning every ounce of strength I had left, I shoved at his chest again. “Jungkook, get off.”

He blinked at me, feigning innocence. “Why?”

“Because,” I huffed, squirming beneath him.

“Because?” he echoed, clearly enjoying dragging this out.

I gritted my teeth. “Because I said so.”

Jungkook gasped dramatically. “Wow. So bossy first thing in the morning.”

“Jungkook.”

“Princess.”

I groaned, my frustration mixing with the dangerous heat swirling between us. “If you don’t move, I swear—”

“You swear what?” he challenged, his smirk widening. “You’ll punish me?”

I froze, my mouth opening and closing, completely at a loss for words.

Jungkook laughed, clearly pleased with himself. “God, you’re so cute,” he mused, finally letting up just enough for me to breathe properly again.

Taking the opportunity, I wiggled out from under him, rolling away to the edge of the bed as fast as I could.

“Where do you think you’re going, huh?” he murmured, wrapping his arms around me like a vice, effectively trapping me. 

I struggled against his grip, but it was no use. He was too strong, too stubborn, and too smug about it. “Jungkook, let me go!”

“Nope,” he said simply, nuzzling his face into my neck like it was the most natural thing in the world. “You’re staying right here.”

Just as I was about to open my mouth to argue with Jungkook again, the door swung open.

Damian stood there, arms crossed, staring at us with an expression that was equal parts confused and unimpressed. His sharp hazel eyes flicked between me, still trapped in Jungkook’s arms, and Jungkook, who looked entirely too comfortable holding me hostage.

A slow blink. Then another.

“I don’t know what’s going on here,” Damian said flatly, his tone void of any emotion. “But get your asses downstairs. I made breakfast, and in case you forgot, we still have a fight to win.”

I immediately shoved at Jungkook, my face burning hotter than ever, whilst he just grinned, completely unbothered.

Damian sighed heavily, rubbing his temples like he was already regretting his life choices. “Seriously. I don’t care what kind of weird thing you two have going on, but we don’t have time for this.”

Jungkook hummed, finally loosening his grip on me. “I mean, we could eat breakfast first, then finish what we started.”

I smacked his chest. “Jungkook!”

Damian groaned. “I’m leaving before I throw up. Be downstairs in five, or I’m eating your share.” With that, he turned on his heel and walked out, muttering something under his breath about “hormonal idiots.”

I buried my face in my hands, mortified. “I hate you so much.”

Jungkook just laughed, stretching lazily before reaching for me again. “C’mon, let’s go eat before Damian kills us.”

I swatted his hand away, already scrambling off the bed. “You are going to be the death of me, I swear.”

Jungkook grinned as he followed me toward the door. “At least you’ll die in my arms baby.”

I groaned, stomping down the stairs while Jungkook trailed behind, laughing the whole way.

The tension in the kitchen was suffocating. The scent of eggs, toast, and freshly brewed coffee filled the space, but none of us seemed to care. The plates in front of us sat mostly untouched, the weight of what was coming pressing too heavily on our shoulders.

Jungkook had been idly pushing his food around with his fork, his expression unreadable. He hadn’t spoken much since we sat down, but when he finally did, his voice was steady. “So… what’s the plan?”

Damian exhaled, leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed. His eyes flicked between us before he finally spoke. “Jimin put together all the evidence we need—messages, bank statements, recordings, everything. I just need to send it over to my lawyer friend, and if all goes well, this will finally be over.”

Jungkook scoffed, shaking his head as he rested his elbow on the table, his fingers running through his hair. “And what if it doesn’t work?” he muttered, voice tight.

Damian let out a heavy breath, rubbing his temple. “Then we hope for the best,” he admitted. “We’ve come this far. We just have to see it through.”

Jungkook let out a humorless laugh. “That’s not exactly reassuring, man.”

I could see the frustration in the way his shoulders tensed, the way his fingers gripped his fork just a little too tightly. Without thinking, I reached across the table, gently placing my hand over his. His whole body stiffened under my touch, but he didn’t pull away. Instead, his dark eyes flickered to mine, searching, waiting.

“You deserve to be free of her, Jungkook,” I said softly, my thumb brushing against his knuckles. “We all do. She’s hurt too many people, ruined too many lives. But we’re so close now… we just have to push through and finish this.”

Jungkook’s expression shifted—just for a second. His lips parted as if he wanted to say something, but then, as quickly as the moment came, it disappeared. His jaw clenched, his expression turning neutral again as his gaze darkened.

“…What about Adam?” he asked, his voice quieter this time, but laced with irritation. “He already tried to kill me once. What’s stopping him from trying again?” His fingers twitched under mine. 

Damian didn’t even hesitate. “We have enough evidence against Adam, too,” he said firmly. “Between the attempted murder, his involvement with Jade, and the illegal shit we’ve linked him to, there’s no way he’s getting out of this. So don’t worry. We’re taking down both of them.” His lips curled into something close to a smirk. “They can rot in prison together.”

I let out a slow breath, but the uneasy feeling in my chest remained. “But… we still don’t know where Jade is. What if she disappears before we can do anything and the police can’t track her down?”

At that, Damian’s expression shifted. His gaze sharpened as he turned his full attention to Jungkook. “Actually… that’s where you come in.”

Jungkook furrowed his brows. “Me?”

Damian nodded, leaning forward slightly, his voice low and serious. “This might sound crazy, but I need you to call Jade and ask her to meet up with you.”

The words sent a sharp chill down my spine. My stomach dropped.

“What?” I blurted out, sitting up straighter. “No! Absolutely not.”

Damian sighed, rubbing his jaw like he had expected my reaction. “I get it—it’s risky as hell. But it’s our only shot at luring her out. She already admitted in the voice recording that she was looking for Jungkook. And Adam told her that you were out of the picture, so if Jungkook calls her, she’ll think he’s—”

“Running back to her,” Jungkook finished, realization dawning on him. His jaw tightened. “You think she’ll believe that?”

Damian shrugged. “She’s desperate. And desperate people make mistakes.”

I shook my head, my heart racing. “No. No way. This is insane. We don’t know what she’ll do. What if she tries to kill you again—”

Before I could finish, a warm hand settled on my shoulder. Jungkook. His grip was firm but reassuring, his thumb grazing the fabric of my shirt.

“It’s okay babe,” he murmured, his voice steady. “I’ll be careful. I promise. ”

I swallowed, my chest tightening. He wasn’t afraid. He wasn’t even hesitating. He had already made up his mind.

He turned back to Damian and gave a firm nod.

Damian watched me for a moment, waiting for my response.

I exhaled slowly, my shoulders slumping. “…Fine.”

Jungkook didn’t waste any time. He pulled out his phone, his fingers scrolling through his contacts until he found the number we all knew could either bring us victory—or disaster.

His thumb hovered over the screen for a moment. Then, with a deep breath, he pressed call.

The phone rang.

The room fell silent.

The ringing of the phone seemed to echo in the silence, each tone stretching longer than it should have. My heart pounded against my ribs as I watched Jungkook, his expression unreadable, his grip on the phone tight.

One ring.

Two rings.

Three.

Then—

“Hello?”

Jade’s voice slithered through the speaker, soft and honeyed, but there was an underlying sharpness to it. A shiver crawled down my spine at the sound of her.

Jungkook didn’t hesitate. “Jade.” His voice was steady, controlled, but I could hear the strain beneath it. “It’s me.”

There was a pause. And then a quiet chuckle.

“Well, well. Didn’t think I’d be hearing from you again,” she purred. “I thought you were… out of the picture.”

Jungkook’s jaw clenched. “Yeah, well. Things changed.”

Another silence, but this time, it felt heavier. I swore I could hear my own heartbeat in my ears.

Jade sighed, her voice dropping into something softer. “I’ve been looking for you, you know. You just disappeared on me.” There was something unsettling in the way she said it, something possessive. “And now you’re calling me out of nowhere? Why?”

Jungkook hesitated for just a second before sighing, perfectly playing into the act. “I… I didn’t know what to do,” he admitted, making his voice sound just the right amount of conflicted. “Everything got so messed up and I—” He exhaled sharply, as if he was struggling with the words. “I didn’t know what else to do but run.”

Damian shot him an impressed look from across the table. He was selling it well.

Jade was silent for a moment, then hummed, almost as if she was savoring his words. “Poor baby. You must’ve been so scared.”

Jungkook visibly stiffened at the way she said it, but his voice didn’t waver. “I just… I didn’t know what I wanted,” he said, lowering his voice just slightly. “I don’t even know why I ran. I just—.”

I gritted my teeth, my fingers curling into fists in my lap. Just listening to him talk to her like that made my skin crawl. But I knew he had to sell it. I knew this was the only way.

Jade exhaled slowly, like she was thinking. “So… what are you saying, Jungkook?”

Jungkook looked at Damian, who gave him a small nod. This was it.

“I need to see you.” His voice was softer now, hesitant, as if he was afraid of being rejected. “Please.”

The silence that followed was unbearable.

Then—

“Where?”

Damian immediately scribbled something on a piece of paper and slid it across the table to Jungkook. He glanced at it quickly before responding.

“The abandoned lot behind the old train station,” he said. “Midnight.”

Jade let out a low hum. “Midnight? So dramatic,” she mused. Then, after another pause, “Alright, baby. I’ll see you then.”

The call ended.

Jungkook lowered the phone from his ear, letting out a breath he had been holding.

Damian smirked. “Well… that went better than I expected.”

Jungkook’s jaw was still tense, his fingers gripping the phone like he wanted to crush it. “Yeah,” he muttered. “Too well.”

I reached for his hand without thinking, squeezing it gently. “It’s gonna be okay,” I said, trying to reassure both him and myself. “If she tries to pull something we’ll be ready.”

Jungkook turned to me, his dark eyes softening just a little. Then, he nodded.

Damian pushed his chair back, standing up. “Alright,” he said, stretching his arms over his head. “We’ve got a few hours to prepare. Let’s make sure we don’t waste them.”

Jungkook finally set his phone down, his jaw clenching. “And by prepare, you mean…?”

Damian gave him a pointed look. “We can’t just go in blind. She’s not stupid. She could have people watching her, or she could be planning something of her own. We need to cover every angle.”

Jungkook frowned. “So, you want me to just… talk to her? Try and get her to confess to something?”

“Not just that,” Damian said, eyes narrowing. “I need you to keep her distracted long enough for the police to move in.”

Jungkook’s expression darkened. “And what if she brings a gun? A knife? What if she doesn’t come alone?”

Damian smirked. “That’s where I come in.”

Jungkook let out a breath through his nose, clearly frustrated. “I don’t like this.”

I didn’t either.

Every part of me was screaming that this was too dangerous, that something would go wrong. Jade wasn’t the type to just let things go—she was unpredictable, obsessive, and clearly willing to kill to get what she wanted.

“What if she realizes it’s a setup?” I asked, voicing my concern.

Damian leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. “That’s a risk we’re taking. But Jade’s blinded by her obsession with Jungkook. She thinks he’s hers. That’s why this will work—because she wants to believe he’s coming back to her.”

Jungkook scoffed in disgust, shaking his head. “Fucking psycho.”

Damian didn’t disagree. “The key is making sure she doesn’t feel threatened. If she gets even a hint that something’s off, she’ll bolt.”

I hated everything about this plan. The idea of Jungkook standing face-to-face with her made me feel sick. What if she tried to hurt him? What if something happened before the police could even get there?

I tightened my grip on his hand, looking up at him. “You don’t have to do this,” I said quietly.

Jungkook’s gaze met mine, and for a moment, something flickered in his dark eyes. Something softer. But then, just as quickly, it was gone.

“Yes, I do,” he murmured. “This is the only way to end it.”

I exhaled shakily, my heart twisting painfully in my chest. I hated that he was right.

Damian stood up, stretching. “Alright, we need to go over everything again. Make sure we have all exits covered and backup ready in case things go south.” He looked between the two of us. “We’re not leaving anything to chance.”

We didn’t waste any time. As soon as the plan was set, Damian got to work, listing everything we needed to prepare.

Jungkook disappeared into his room for a moment before returning in dark clothing—black jeans, a fitted black long-sleeve, and his usual combat boots. The sight of him like this, ready for battle, sent a wave of unease through me.

I crossed my arms. “You look like you’re about to rob a bank.”

Jungkook smirked, running a hand through his messy dark hair. “And you love it.”

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t deny that the look suited him—though I hated the reason behind it.

Damian clapped his hands, bringing our focus back. “Alright. First things first, we need to make sure we have eyes on the area before she gets there.”

He grabbed a large duffel bag from the corner of the room and tossed it onto the table. The zipper slid open, revealing earpieces, small cameras, and what looked like a few weapons.

Jungkook’s eyebrows raised. “You came prepared.”

Damian smirked. “I don’t play games when it comes to this shit.”

I stepped closer, eyeing the equipment. “Are the police actually going to be in position?”

Damian nodded. “I talked to my lawyer friend. They’re going to be stationed nearby, waiting for my signal. The second she incriminates herself again, they’ll move in.”

Jungkook let out a breath, rolling his shoulders. “And what if she doesn’t say anything?”

Damian pulled out one of the earpieces and handed it to Jungkook. “Then we improvise.”

Jungkook scoffed. “Great.”

I bit my lip, watching as Damian began distributing the rest of the equipment. Jungkook got the earpiece and a small mic hidden in a thin wire under his shirt. I was given a second earpiece to stay in communication from a safe distance, and Damian had control of the signal to the police.

“This is risky,” I muttered, adjusting the earpiece in my ear.

Jungkook glanced at me as he tucked the wire beneath his shirt. “You don’t have to come, you know.”

I snapped my gaze to him. “Like hell I’m staying behind.”

Jungkook’s lips twitched, but he didn’t argue.

Damian checked the time. “We leave in an hour. That gives us enough time to scope the location, plant the cameras, and make sure there’s no chance of an ambush.”

Jungkook nodded, his expression unreadable.

I, on the other hand, could barely keep still. My stomach churned with anxiety, my fingers clenching at my sides.

Jungkook must’ve noticed, because suddenly, I felt his fingers brush against mine, his touch warm. I looked up, and for a brief moment, his gaze softened.

“It’ll be okay,” he murmured, just for me.

I swallowed hard, nodding. “It has to be.”

The next hour passed in a blur of movement and quiet tension. Damian led the charge, going over every possible scenario as we checked and double-checked our equipment.

Jungkook was eerily quiet, his face unreadable as he tested the mic hidden under his shirt. Every so often, I’d catch him clenching his fists, his jaw locked tight.

I knew what he was thinking. What he was feeling.

This wasn’t just a mission for him—it was personal.

By the time we piled into the car, the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, casting everything in an eerie orange glow. The drive to the abandoned lot behind the old train station was tense, none of us speaking much. The air was thick with anticipation, the weight of what we were about to do pressing heavily on all of us.

Jungkook sat beside me in the back seat, his fingers tapping absently against his knee. I reached out without thinking, covering his hand with mine.

He stilled, glancing at me.

“You okay?” I asked softly.

He was silent for a moment before exhaling. “I will be.”

I squeezed his hand. “We’ll get through this.”

Jungkook gave me a small, fleeting smile. “I know.”

Damian, from the driver’s seat, cleared his throat. “Alright, lovebirds. We’re here.”

I felt Jungkook tense beside me as we pulled up to the lot.

The area was desolate—just an expanse of cracked pavement and scattered debris, the old train station looming in the background like a forgotten relic.

Damian parked a short distance away, keeping us hidden behind an abandoned warehouse. He killed the engine and turned to us.

“Okay,” he said, voice firm. “We set up the cameras along the perimeter, stay hidden, and keep communication open at all times.”

Jungkook nodded, his expression unreadable.

I swallowed hard, my heart hammering. “And if something goes wrong?”

Damian met my gaze. “It won’t.”

That wasn’t exactly comforting.

Still, I didn’t argue as we got out of the car, moving swiftly to set everything in place. Damian placed tiny cameras at strategic points, ensuring we had a full view of the meeting spot.

The plan was simple—Jungkook would stand in the open, drawing Jade in. Meanwhile, Damian and I would stay hidden, watching everything unfold through the cameras and listening in through the earpieces. The second we had what we needed, Damian would alert the police.

Jungkook adjusted his earpiece. “Testing. You guys hear me?”

“Loud and clear,” Damian replied.

I gave Jungkook a small nod. “We’ve got your back.”

He met my gaze, something unreadable flickering in his dark eyes. Then, without another word, he exhaled and stepped forward, walking toward the center of the lot.

I held my breath as he moved into position, his figure silhouetted against the dimming sky.

Now, all we had to do was wait.

And pray that everything went according to plan.

The minutes stretched on, the silence heavy and suffocating. I kept my eyes locked on Jungkook as he stood alone in the middle of the lot, his posture casual but his muscles tense beneath his dark clothing. His hands were shoved into his pockets, but I knew he was on high alert, ready for anything.

Through my earpiece, I could hear his slow, controlled breathing.

“She’s late,” I muttered, shifting uncomfortably behind the crate where Damian and I were hiding.

“She’ll come,” Damian murmured, his eyes locked on the small screen displaying the live feed from the cameras we had set up. “She wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to see him.”

I bit my lip, nerves clawing at my insides. I didn’t like this. I didn’t like how vulnerable Jungkook was, how exposed he looked standing out there alone. My fingers clenched against my knees, and I forced myself to stay put, even though every part of me was screaming to run to him.

Then, suddenly—

“There,” Damian whispered sharply.

My breath caught in my throat as I followed his gaze.

A sleek black car slowly pulled up to the edge of the lot, its tires crunching against the gravel. The headlights were off, its tinted windows concealing whoever was inside. For a moment, nothing happened.

Then, the driver’s door opened.

And out stepped Jade.

Even from a distance, I could see the smug smirk curling on her lips, her dark eyes gleaming with twisted delight. She looked the same as always—dressed in tight a fitted top, her long hair cascading over her shoulders.

But there was something different about her now.

She knew she had power in this moment. Or at least, she thought she did.

Jungkook didn’t move as she approached, his expression unreadable.

My fingers clenched into fists.

“Be careful,” I whispered, even though he couldn’t hear me.

Through the earpiece, his voice came through, low and steady. “I’ve got this.”

I exhaled shakily, watching as Jade finally reached him, stopping just a few feet away.

For a moment, she simply studied him, her head tilting slightly. Then, she let out a small laugh.

“I knew it,” she said, her voice carrying across the empty lot. “I knew you’d come back to me.”

I bristled, biting down on the inside of my cheek to keep from reacting.

Jungkook remained impassive, his hands still in his pockets. “I didn’t come back to you.”

Jade merely smiled, undeterred. “You called me, didn’t you?” She took a slow step closer. “That has to mean something.”

Jungkook exhaled through his nose. “I wanted to talk.”

Jade raised a brow. “About what?”

Jungkook hesitated, then shrugged. “About us.”

My stomach twisted at the lie, but I knew it was necessary.

Jade’s smirk widened. “Now that is interesting.” She reached out, running a single finger down his arm. “After all that time you spent fighting me, you finally came to your senses?”

Jungkook’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t move away.

“I just…” He let out a slow breath, carefully crafting his words. “I don’t know what I was thinking before. Maybe I was confused. Maybe I was just… scared.”

Jade’s eyes darkened with something unreadable. “Scared?”

Jungkook nodded, dropping his gaze slightly. “Of what I felt for you.”

A sick sort of delight bloomed across her features. “I knew it.” She let out a quiet, breathy laugh, her fingers now brushing against his chest. “You were always mine, Jungkook. You just needed time to realize it.”

My nails dug into my palms, my blood boiling. I hated this. Hated hearing her talk like she owned him.

Jungkook forced a small, hesitant smile. “You’re probably right.”

Through my earpiece, I heard Damian murmur, “She’s taking the bait.”

Jade’s grip tightened slightly on Jungkook’s shirt. “I’ve missed you,” she whispered, her voice dripping with satisfaction.

Jungkook let out a quiet hum, shifting slightly. “I missed you too.”

It was barely above a whisper, but it was enough.

Jade’s smile turned victorious. “I knew you’d come back to me.”

Then, she did something that made my stomach drop. She leaned in, her lips just inches from his.

“Tell me you’re mine,” she whispered.

Jungkook tensed, his hands clenching at his sides. But before he could respond, something unexpected happened.

Another car prowled into the lot, its dark silhouette blending into the shadows as it rolled to a stop a short distance away. For a moment, everything was eerily still, the air thick with anticipation. Then, without hesitation, the driver’s door swung open, and then Adam stepped out, his gaze sharp and predatory, a slow, knowing smirk tugging at his lips.

“Oh, fuck,” Damian cursed under his breath.

Jungkook’s entire body stiffened, his expression darkening as Adam stalked toward them.

“Well, well,” Adam drawled, his gaze flickering between Jungkook and Jade. “This is an interesting reunion.”

My heart pounded, my mind racing. This wasn’t part of the plan.

Jungkook was now completely outnumbered.

And we had no idea what Adam was planning.

The night seemed to hold its breath as Adam straightened up, his figure cutting a commanding presence under the dim glow of the streetlights. The smooth hum of the car's engine faded into silence, but his arrival felt like a storm on the horizon, ominous and inevitable. He adjusted his jacket, the leather creaking slightly with the movement, before taking a step toward the figure waiting by the entrance.

His boots echoed against the concrete, each step deliberate, as if marking a countdown to something about to unfold. The sharpness in his eyes was like a blade, and the smirk on his lips hinted at secrets only he knew, secrets that would soon be revealed.

Jade narrowed her eyes. “What the hell are you doing here?”

Adam’s smirk widened as he closed the distance between them, his posture tense, almost vibrating with a mix of anger and something darker. He tilted his head slightly, his voice low but sharp, the words dripping with accusation.

“You thought I was just going to let you do whatever you wanted?” He took another step forward, his eyes narrowing, teeth gritted. “You think you get to have your happy ending?”

Jade’s brow furrowed in confusion, her stance unwavering, even as his words hit like daggers. She didn’t back down.

Jade didn’t flinch. She stood tall, arms crossed, the faintest trace of a smirk playing at her lips. If anything, his fury seemed to amuse her. She tilted her head slightly, her voice dripping with casual defiance.

“What are you talking about?” she replied, her tone low, bored almost. “Your precious Aylah is still alive and thriving. So tell me, who exactly has done what they wanted?” She let the question hang between them, sharp and mocking.

Adam’s jaw tightened, the words hitting him like a slap, but they only fueled his rage. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, the tension in his body palpable. He took another step toward her, his eyes blazing with a kind of desperate fury.

“Bullshit!” he roared, his voice raw, each word punctuated by his anger. “I don’t even know where she is. I’ve looked for her, and I know you’ve done something to her—something to make her disappear.” His fists trembled, but the force behind his words felt like a threat all on its own.

Jade’s expression didn’t change. If anything, it became even colder, her gaze like ice as it met his. She wasn’t intimidated, not by him, not by his fury. Her lips curled into a thin, calculating smile as she took a slow step back, creating a sliver of space between them.

“I don’t have time for your dramatics,” she said, her voice dangerously calm. “Leave now. Before I make you.”

Adam’s pulse quickened, his chest tightening with the force of his emotions. He wasn’t going to back down—not this time. He took another step forward, closing the gap between them until they were almost touching. His breath was heavy, a ragged rhythm that matched the anger churning in his chest. His gaze burned into hers, raw with the pain of not knowing, not understanding.

“Do your worst,” he spat, his voice low and taunting. “I’m not leaving until I have the truth.”

Jade’s smirk remained, but her eyes flickered with something darker now, something far more dangerous. She tilted her head, studying him like a predator watching its prey.

“You really think you can push me?” Her voice dropped to a soft, dangerous whisper, and for the first time, Adam felt a shiver crawl down his spine.  Her words didn’t just sting—they unsettled him, rattled him in a way he wasn’t prepared for. His jaw clenched, his breath coming faster, the pressure building in his chest.

“You think I’m afraid of you?” he shot back, the desperation creeping into his voice now. “You think I’m another toy for you to break?”

Jade didn’t flinch. In fact, her gaze softened—just for a second—before she spoke again, each word weighted with cold precision.

“I’m not trying to break you, Adam,” she said, the cruelest kind of sympathy lacing her words. “You’re already broken. Mother made sure of that.”

Adam’s world tilted, the words hanging in the air like a weight that was too heavy to ignore. His stomach churned, the ground beneath his feet suddenly feeling unsteady as if the world itself was slipping out of his grasp. His pulse raced, but this time, it wasn’t just anger fueling him—it was something else. A sick, cold sensation that gnawed at the edges of his mind.

Jungkook gasped as Adam’s forearm locked around his neck, cutting off his breath, and before the man could react, Adam pulled a knife from his jacket, pressing the cold blade against his throat with enough pressure to draw blood.

“Tell me where Aylah is!” Adam’s voice was an animalistic growl, raw and furious, desperation bleeding through every syllable. His eyes were wide, bloodshot, as if the very act of holding the blade to Jungkook’s throat was the only thing tethering him to sanity. “Now.”

Jungkook's hands shot up, his fingers clawing at Adam’s arm, trying to break free of the chokehold. His face turned red, panic in his eyes, but he didn’t say a word, not yet. The knife pressed deeper into his skin, and Adam’s pulse thrummed in his ears, every second feeling like a lifetime.

Across the lot, Jade watched the scene unfold, her composure slipping for the first time. Her expression flickered between disbelief and something far darker—panic. The smooth control she had always exuded was shattered, replaced by frantic urgency as she took a few hurried steps toward them.

“What are you doing?” she shouted, her voice high with panic, the kind of fear Adam had never seen from her. “Put the knife down right now!”

But Adam barely heard her. His gaze was locked on Jungkook, the anger still boiling inside him. He could feel his heartbeat in his throat, the tension in his chest threatening to tear him apart.

“Tell me where Aylah is, right now,” Adam hissed, his grip tightening on Jungkook’s throat. The words came out in a snarl, sharp with rage. “Or so help me God, I’ll slit his throat, and neither of us will get our happy ending.”

Jade’s eyes widened, her face draining of color. Her steps faltered for just a moment, a flicker of doubt flashing in her gaze as she looked between Adam and Jungkook. The knife at Jungkook’s throat gleamed under the dim light, the tension in the air so thick it was suffocating.

“I already told you!” Jade shouted, her voice rising in frustration, her composure cracking under the pressure. “I don’t know where that stupid girl is!”

Adam’s grip tightened on Jungkook’s throat, his knuckles white. He wasn’t listening, not anymore. The words felt like a slap, and yet… part of him—deep down—wondered if she was lying, if she knew more than she was letting on. His mind spiraled with the possibilities, each one darker than the last.

“You know something,” he growled, his voice low and dangerous. His eyes never left Jade, his face twisted with both rage and agony. “You know exactly where she is.”

Jade’s hands balled into fists at her sides. Her breath came quicker now, the façade of calm cracking completely. For the first time, there was real fear in her eyes—fear of him, fear of the situation spiraling out of control.

I panicked, my breath coming in quick, shallow gasps as I stood next to Damian, my heart racing at the sight of Adam with the knife pressed to Jungkook’s throat. The world felt like it was spinning, like everything was slipping away from me. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think.

Before I could even process it, my body moved on its own. My legs were already carrying me forward, every step driven by pure desperation. I had to stop this. I had to make him stop.

I felt Damian’s hand on my arm, yanking me back, stopping me mid-step. “AJ, don’t,” he said, his voice urgent, pleading. “It’s too dangerous.”

I barely heard him. The only thing that mattered in that moment was Adam. I couldn’t let him go any further. I couldn’t let him destroy everything.

Tears welled up in my eyes, my chest tightening as I tried to break free from Damian’s grip. I turned to face him, my voice barely a whisper, thick with emotion.

“I nearly lost him once,” I said, my voice shaking. "I can’t do it again."

I wasn’t even sure if Damian understood the depth of what I was saying, but the pain in my chest was too much to bear. The fear that Adam would go too far—that I’d lose him or Jungkook—was suffocating.

With one final pull, I tore myself free from Damian’s grasp and ran toward them again, not even thinking about the danger, about anything except stopping the madness before it was too late.

“Adam, stop!” I shouted, my voice breaking as I moved closer. My heart was in my throat, my feet moving faster than my thoughts, but I couldn’t let him go any further. I couldn’t.

I stood there, frozen for a moment, as I watched Adam’s eyes soften at the sight of me. But despite that flicker of emotion, his grip on Jungkook didn’t falter. The knife remained pressed against his throat, cold and unforgiving. My heart pounded in my chest, my pulse racing. I didn’t know how much longer I could stand this—how much longer I could watch him like this, poised on the edge of something I couldn’t pull him back from.

“You’re alive,” Adam's voice was rough, barely a whisper, as though he was afraid to believe it himself. His eyes never left me, but the intensity of his stare made me feel like he was seeing right through me.

My voice trembled as I took a cautious step forward. "Adam... please, you need to put the knife down."

The words left my lips as a plea, but Adam didn’t react the way I had hoped. His jaw clenched, and the anger that had simmered beneath the surface suddenly flared back to life.

"No," he snarled, his grip tightening on Jungkook. "She doesn’t deserve to be happy."

The words were harsh, the venom in his tone a reminder of everything Jade had put him through, everything he believed was ripped away from him. I could feel the pain radiating off him, but it didn’t change the fact that the path he was on was one I couldn’t follow.

And then, as the world seemed to slow, Jungkook's voice broke through the chaos.

"I know," I whispered, my heart aching as I stepped closer. "I know you’ve been put through hell. But this... this isn’t the answer, Adam. You can’t do this."

But Adam’s eyes were cold, unwavering as they flicked back to Jungkook, the knife still dangerously close to his throat. "You think I give a fuck about her?" His voice was full of disgust. "*She let you live—that’s all I care about. But him?" He looked at Jungkook, his eyes burning with hatred. "He needs to die. I can’t have him in our way. Not anymore."

Every word he spoke twisted the knife deeper in my chest. I could hear the hatred in his voice, the desperation, but it was clouded with something darker. His words were like a dagger to my soul.

"Adam, no," I pleaded, my voice shaking. "You can’t do this. Please."

He turned to me, his eyes searching mine as if trying to find a reason to stop. His face was hard, but there was a flicker of something I couldn’t name—something raw and vulnerable. He was torn, and I could see it in the way his hands trembled ever so slightly, betraying his inner conflict.

"I know you still love him," he said, his words quiet but certain. "I can see it in your eyes."

I froze, my body going cold as his words cut through me. I opened my mouth to respond, but nothing came out. The truth hung heavy in the air between us, and for a split second, I didn’t know how to breathe.

"I-I…" My voice faltered, the confession stuck in my throat, tangled with fear and guilt. How could I explain it all? How could I tell him that I never stopped loving Jungkook, but that I had no choice but to let go?

Adam didn’t wait for me to find the words. His voice dropped, harder than before. "I’m doing this for us," he said, his eyes locking on mine. "Can’t you see that?"

My chest tightened at the words. It felt like he was breaking everything we had left, everything I had fought for, all in the name of some twisted notion of protecting us.

Before I could respond, Jade’s voice sliced through the thick tension, sharp and commanding. "Let go of my racer right now, or I will make sure you don’t leave this place alive."

Her words echoed in the silence, but Adam didn’t even spare her a glance. His focus never wavered from Jungkook, his face set in cold resolve.

And then, without warning, two men stepped out of the shadows, moving swiftly toward Jade. They grabbed her by the arms, and her shocked cry echoed through the room. "What are you doing?!" she shouted, struggling against their hold, but they were too strong. They kept her restrained, her voice rising in confusion and fury.

My heart raced as I looked toward her, my own thoughts spinning in chaos. But before I could even react, two more men appeared from nowhere and grabbed me, their strong hands locking around my arms as I struggled against them. I fought to break free, but it was futile. The more I struggled, the tighter their grip became.

And then, as the world seemed to slow, Jungkook's voice broke through the chaos.

"Let Aylah go," he shouted, his voice ragged, his breath shallow.

His words sliced through me like a knife, and for a moment, everything inside me stopped. My heart skipped a beat, and I could see the pain in his eyes. "Please," he repeated, his voice urgent, desperate. "Let her go."

Adam’s gaze flickered to me but he made no effort to move. His eyes flickered for just a moment—faint regret, maybe, but it didn’t stop him. His attention returned to Jungkook, and his hands tightened around the knife, the air thick with the finality of his decision.

He looked down at Jungkook, his voice cold, without any trace of hesitation. "This... this is what needs to be done."

The finality of his words crushed me. My stomach twisted into knots, and my lungs felt like they were closing in on me. The sense of inevitability hung heavy in the air, suffocating everything I had left to say. I didn’t know how to fix this. How to stop him.

And then, as if in perfect unison, Jade and I screamed out, our voices ragged with fear, anger, and desperation.

"No!"

[carefreecoffee]

*ೃ༄Fluffbruary Day 18: Not pretending anymore w/ Keigo Takami*ೃ༄

Word count: 951, Gender-Neutral reader

That's it. Hawks had enough with the whole “fake dating” they were putting on. His eyes always lingered just a bit too long, his brain would think about you longer than it should have, his heart would race as he saw you. He was done with faking it. He needed to make sure you knew his feelings were genuine rather than a façade put on by his managers.  

It was another hero get together. One that was held at a rather nice bar and dance for chit-chat, catching up and the like for some hero's to finally catch a break. Keigo waited for the right moment; when nobody was around to bother them. He watched you from a short distance. His heart was thumping against his ribcage. He took a deep breath in an attempt to steady his nerves. Walking over to you, the winged hero made sure to have his signature easy-going smile plastered on his face. 

“Hey, can I talk to you for a sec?” 

“Hm? Oh, sure” You glance back at him, nodding curtly before excusing yourself away from the other talkative heroes. He waited for you, feeling his heart race even faster. God, I can’t believe I’m actually doing this. What if they reject me? Keigo gave you a friendly, charming smile. “Follow me over here real fast. I wanna talk to ya in private.” 

He sighed once you walked into a more secluded hall, no one around to hear or disturb you. Keigo was quiet for a moment, his heart still thumping hard against his chest. He knew it was now or never. “Listen, we need to talk. About us.” 

“Oh, okay...? What's up?” your heart thumped nervously, thoughts of what ifs and what happened running through your mind in the deafening silence.  He let out a shallow sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. He was obviously nervous; he was normally calm, cool and collected but this situation was uncomfortably different. "Well, you know the whole “fake dating” thing, right?” 

You give him a quick nod, curiousness written throughout your expression. He nodded, biting the inside of his cheek. Alright, here we go. He tried to calm his nerves before speaking. “I need to be honest about something with you.” 

He let out a sharp exhale through his nose, trying to gain the courage to just say it. “These feelings I’ve started to have for you, for us, aren't fake anymore.” He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat.   

Your jaw went slack, the info hitting you like a bus. The Hawks had a big ‘ol schoolboy crush on you?! He stood there and waited for you to process the information; his heart was almost leaping out of his chest. Oh no, I ruined everything with my dumbass feelings. 

“I know a while ago we decided to fake our relationship” he scratched the underside of his jaw. “And at first it was just for show but, the more we hung out and were out together, the more I realized that I had caught genuine feelings for you.” 

You blink a couple times, chuckling nervously “Sorry I think I'm dreaming, could you pinch me- I've gotta be dreaming..” 

He let out a sharp scoff, a small smirk tugging at one corner of his face. He raised a gloved hand, pinching your arm “Nope, not dreaming.”  

A sharp pain went through where he pinched. You instinctively reach up, “Ow, okay yeah, real” you rub the spot before meeting his eyes once more “Holy shit, you're for real.” 

He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck once more as his smirk disappeared to make room for his nervous expression. “Yeah, I’m for real. This isn’t a prank or a joke. I actually… have feelings for you.” He swallowed thickly, his heart racing. Keigo felt his stomach twist with anxious butterflies, though he wasn't sure if he liked them or not. He cleared his throat. “And I understand if you don’t feel the same-” 

“No- no! Sorry, processing it all is just a lot!” You interrupt him before taking his fidgety hands into your own. “I-i like you too Keigo” 

His eyes widened at your words, his heart doing a summersault. The winged hero’s heart was pounding away in his chest. He stared down at your hands holding his own until he looked back up. “Really?” He wanted to make sure he heard you right. “You like me too?” 

“I do, I guess your acting just fooled me enough to the point where I couldn't tell what was real or not” you chuckle nervously, wanting to soften the blow of the whole interaction. 

He gripped your hand softly, his heart still thumping away. “Well, I’m pretty damn good at acting when I need to be.” His signature smirk made its way back onto his rose-tinted cheeks. 

"How about we get back to the party before the press shows up? And then maybe we can talk about this,” you motion between yourselves “more afterwards”. 

He returned the smile, "Sounds like a plan.” He gave your hand a soft, gentle squeeze before dropping them and taking a step back. “We better get going then, before the vultures show up and ruin the night.” 

With a moment to collect your consciousnesses, the two of you walked back into the gathering, Keigo trying to act as normal as possible even though he was practically bursting with excitement on the inside. As you glance over to him, finally stealing your racing heart, he sends you a wink, tugging a smirk along his lips before getting pulled into conversation among the notable heroes. This man was going to be the death of you. 

[mafuluzx]

saw the wattpad post and came running

Perhaps a kai fluff? Im thinking specifically when hes first meeting all the ninja, and he clearly isnt the biggest fan of them. Reader can be like.. love at first sight or smth. Idk, i just really love fics that include the introduction 😔

Hehe, nice to hear! So, a Kai fluff? Hmm, yep, definitely doable, and not gonna lie, I liked writing this a bit too much. So I hope I didn't get carried away and just did good!

Kai x male reader oneshot!

Takes place sometime before season 1.

Too Hot to Handle

(y/n) didn't know exactly what he was expecting from the so called 'courageous' ninja team, but this... was not it.

(y/n) was no fighter, but he knew his stuff, and compared to the things Sensei Wu had told him, the reality was much more disappointing

When Wu, an acquaintance of an acquaintance of a friend of (y/n)'s, had come asking (y/n) to take the place of the ninjas' mentor he really thought he'd be in for an exciting first day.

Nope, this really wasn't it. Rather than exciting, it made (y/n) want to run home right now. He was promised a month with a mentally mature group of heroes, this was like kindergarten for ninjas. Well, maybe (y/n) was a bit harsh, but he'd never admit it.

"Everyone, please give me your attention, we have an important guest here today." Wu announced as the ninja, who were concentrated having an arm wrestling contest (Cole had been kicked out for 'cheating') quickly stopped and ran over curiously.

"I'm sure you remember that I have urgent business to go on, right?" The ninja nodded in unison. "Well, this is (y/n), he'll be taking my role for the next thirty days.

The ninja looked fine with the idea, and kept listening as Wu explained the rest of the situation. Right after the explanation, Wu exclaimed "But I'm in hurry, so I'll be heading out. Make sure to listen to (y/n)!"

"Bye Sensei!" The ninja waved and even bowed, facing the gates until a fair ten seconds had passed. Then the team finally relaxed.

(y/n) barely had time to process Wu's swift departure before the ninja’s attention snapped to him. Five pairs of expectant eyes locked onto him. He had been so busy smiling politely and nodding along with Wu's words that he was just now getting to inspect the ninjas.

"So," Jay was the first to speak, clapping his hands together. "What's the plan, Boss?" He wiggled his eyebrows. "You gonna whip us into shape? Make us do, like, a hundred push-ups and call it a day?"

"Yeah, good luck with that," Kai scoffed, crossing his arms. He leaned against the wall, looking (y/n) up and down, his expression unreadable. "I don't know what Sensei was thinking, bringing in some random guy to boss us around for a month."

(y/n) raised a brow at that, locking eyes with the red ninja. (y/n) hated how handsome the red ninja was, even while mocking him right in front of his face.

"Some random guy?" (y/n) echoed, folding his arms in return. "Well, it's nice to meet you too, fire boy."

(y/n) whipped his head away from Kai with a huff just as Cole spoke up.

"Alright, alright," Cole interrupted, stepping between them with a grin. "Let’s not scare off our new babysitter in the first five minutes."

"Ha, as if!" (y/n) let out, stepping away before before pointing at the obstacle course in the middle of the temple yard.

"Come on, no wasting time, do the obstacle course and show me what you can do." (y/n) commanded, leaving no room for argument.

He watched as the four ninja completed the course one by one, then he called them back to him.

"Thank you. Now, let's go over your performance," (y/n) said, stepping in front of Cole with a thoughtful expression.

"You're strong, but you rely on brute force too much. It slows you down and drains your energy faster than necessary. Try focusing on efficiency instead of just power."

Cole blinked at him, clearly not expecting such a direct critique. "Uh… thanks?"

(y/n) turned to Jay without saying anything. "You move fast, which is great, but you don’t think before you act. And, honestly… you talk a lot during the course. It's a distraction, for you and probably everyone around you."

Jay looked offended. "Talking helps me focus!"

"Does it, though?" (y/n) asked, raising a brow before shifting his attention to Zane.

"...Perfect," (y/n) finally said, and both Cole and Jay whipped their heads toward the nindroid in shock.

"Thank you," Zane responded, not showing emotion on his face.

"But I could tell you were moving from memory alone," (y/n) added. "You never looked back, never checked your surroundings. In a real fight, that won't work."

Zane nodded. "That is a fair point."

Finally, (y/n) stopped in front of Kai, but this time didn't look him in the eye. "You did well," he admitted, "But… you were reckless, hasty, arrogant and pompous. You took unnecessary risks and relied on luck more than skill. Your confidence is good, but it could get you in trouble if you don't balance it with caution."

Kai scoffed, crossing his arms. "So what, you want me to overthink everything like Zane?"

"Well, yeah." (y/n) held in a scoff.

"Well overthinking's overrated." Kai meanwhile smirked, clearly enjoying himself far too much. "I'd rather do what my heart tells me."

As he spoke he leaned forward, close to (y/n)'s face. (y/n) definitely burned up, he just hoped Kai didn't see it. Unfortunately it looked like Kai might just have.

"Well," (y/n) said, shoving Kai away by his face, "My heart is telling me you need a lot more training."

He ignored the way his pulse quickened as Kai laughed while grabbing onto his wrist and removing (y/n)'s hand from his face. And when Kai let go, (y/n) felt awfully cold.

"Everyone, freestyle training for the next hour!" (y/n) announced, clapping his hands together.

Jay groaned. "Aw, man, I was hoping for a break!"

"Would your Sensei have given you one?" (y/n) lifted and eyebrow doubtfully.

Jay lifted a finger, but lowered it as he spoke. "...Fair point."

(y/n)'s patience was running out. Kai had been testing him the entire day, clearly enjoying annoying him.

He was the worst kind of person out there. An annoying guy with a pretty face and a dang good body.

Zane was obediently training along to some tips (y/n) had given him, even Cole and Jay looked like they were trying, but Kai wouldn't take a single tip from (y/n).

Since (y/n) wasn't getting paid, so he thought about quitting. But on the other hand, if something happened to the ninja now, Wu wouldn't probably be very happy.

So he just bit back annoyance and kept helping the others instead. Of course he still kept stealing glances at Kai and his stupidly gorgeous face- nope, nope, nope.

But it seemed like the more (y/n) was avoiding giving Kai any attention, the more annoying the red ninja managed to become.

"(y/n)! I'm tired of all this punching, can I take a break?" Kai's voice called from the other side of the yard.

"If you're tired of punching stop using the punching bag! Haa..." (y/n) called back before letting out a sigh.

"Well I thought it was your job to boss us around!" Kai called again as (y/n) turned to face him.

Oh? Now he wants me to boss him around? So be it. (y/n) said, in his head of course.

He walked over to Kai, then pointed to Jay, who was currently doing his best by the weight lifting station.

"Switch with Jay, show me how much strength you have."

Kai laughed, but then his gaze flickered with something more mischievous. "Oh, you want me to practice strength?"

Before (y/n) could process what that meant, he felt strong arms wrap around his waist, and suddenly...

"Kai!!" (y/n) basically screeched as his feet left the ground. Kai had lifted him up like he weighed nothing, throwing him over his shoulder effortlessly.

Jay howled with laughter while Cole doubled over, hands on his knees.

"Oh my god- Kai, put him down!" Jay wheezed, barely able to breathe through his laughter. "He's gonna kill you!"

"Oh, I know," Kai said, absolutely unfazed as (y/n) struggled in his grasp. "But he told me to show my strength."

(y/n)'s heart definitely skipped a beat as he became unnecessarily aware of Kai's hands holding onto him. He smacked Kai back as hard as he could while gritting his teeth. "Kai, I swear-!"

"What? You don't like being carried? Thought you could use a new perspective," Kai teased.

"You are going to regret this," (y/n) threatened, but Kai wasn't very convinced.

"Maybe," Kai mused, clearly having way too much fun. Then, suddenly, his grip shifted, and before (y/n) could register what was happening, Kai flipped him effortlessly, catching him in a bridal carry instead.

Jay collapsed to the floor, wheezing, while Cole smacked the ground like an audience member at a comedy show. Even Zane had stopped training, but was only staring at his laughing friends with a worried (and confused) look.

(y/n) froze, breath catching as he found himself face to face with Kai, arms looped around his neck by reflex. Meanwhile Kai just grinned, eyes gleaming with amusement.

"You know," Kai mused, "I think I kinda like holding you like this."

(y/n) glared up at him, face burning. "Hmph!" He was afraid he'd embarrass himself if he tried to say anything.

Kai chuckled, shifting his grip slightly just to make a point. "Comfy?"

(y/n) almost growled. "Put. Me. Down."

Kai tilted his head, pretending to consider it. "Hmm… Nah."

"Kai- Ah!" Before (y/n) could say anything else, Kai dropped him, not really though, just enough to make him yelp before catching him again at the last second.

Jay completely lost it. "Oh, this is the best day ever! And we get to see stuff like this for a month?! Shut up!"

Cole wiped at his eyes as he called to Kai. "Please, never stop messing with him!"

(y/n) scoffed, hands grabbing tightly onto Kai's gi. "What is it that makes torturing me so fun?"

"It's fun because it's you." Kai grinned down at him. "Oh, I'm so going to have the best thirty days of my life, ever."

[hy6erion]

um, did you see that marmoush hattrick??? we need a fic where him and his girl celebrate together after she was at the game watching him 🤭🫶

𝐇𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐨 - 𝐎𝐦𝐚𝐫 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐡 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 (𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠) 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡. 𝐬𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐝 (ෆ˙ᵕ˙ෆ)

The moment the final whistle blew, you practically leapt out of your seat, screaming at the top of your lungs. The entire stadium was roaring, the sound of thousands of fans chanting Omar’s name vibrating through your chest. Your hands were trembling as you clapped, watching him stand on the pitch, breathless, his hands on his head in disbelief.

A hattrick. His first ever for Manchester City. Three perfect goals, each one sending the crowd into a frenzy.

Omar’s eyes searched the stands until they found yours. His face lit up, exhausted but glowing with pure joy, and he pointed right at you before tapping his chest. That was for you.

You pressed your hands over your heart, grinning so wide it almost hurt. You were so proud you thought you might explode.

By the time he made it to the players’ lounge, you were practically bouncing on your feet, waiting for him. The moment he walked through the doors, you didn’t even think—you ran straight at him, throwing yourself into his arms.

“Omar!!!”

He barely had time to react before you crashed into him, your arms wrapping around his neck. But he caught you instantly, laughing as he lifted you off the ground.

“I DID IT!” he shouted, spinning you around.

You giggled, clinging to him. “You did it! Three goals, Omar! A HATTRICK! Do you even understand how big this is?!”

He set you down but didn’t let go, his hands cupping your face, thumbs stroking your cheeks. His eyes were still wide, almost disbelieving. “I swear, it still doesn’t feel real.”

You grabbed his face dramatically. “It’s real, hattrick hero. You were magic out there.”

He laughed, pure and giddy, before suddenly pressing his forehead to yours. His breath was warm against your skin, his hands still holding your face like you were the most important thing in the world. “You know what the best part was?”

You blinked. “Scoring three goals?”

“Nope.” He grinned. “Seeing your face every time I looked up.”

Your heart melted right then and there. “Omar,” you whispered, already feeling your cheeks heat up.

He beamed. “I love you so much.”

Before you could respond, he kissed you—right there, in the middle of the lounge, with players, staff, and even Pep Guardiola in the background. But you didn’t care. His lips were warm, soft, a little desperate as if he needed to feel you close to really believe this was happening.

When he pulled away, he laughed breathlessly. “Sorry, I just—”

“Do it again,” you cut in, smiling against his lips.

And he did.

—

Later that night, after all the celebrations, the interviews, and the never-ending congratulations, the two of you finally made it home.

Omar was exhausted. The moment you walked through the door, he collapsed onto the couch, groaning dramatically.

“Babe,” he mumbled, eyes closed. “I think I’m dying.”

You giggled, kicking off your shoes and crawling onto the couch beside him. “You’re not dying.”

“I can’t move.”

You pouted, lying down next to him. “Guess I’ll have to cuddle you until you recover.”

His eyes popped open immediately. “Okay, actually, I think I feel a little better.”

You laughed as he pulled you into his arms, burying his face in your neck. His arms were warm, strong, completely wrapped around you as if he never wanted to let go.

“You smell nice,” he mumbled sleepily, pressing a lazy kiss to your jaw.

You smiled, threading your fingers through his hair. “You smell like sweat.”

He gasped dramatically. “Wow. After I scored three goals for you?”

You giggled. “For me?”

“Yes. I dedicate every goal to you.”

Your heart melted for the millionth time that day. “You’re so cute.”

He groaned, burying his face deeper into your neck. “Stop. I’m supposed to be cool.”

“You’re still cool. Just also really, really cute.”

You felt him smile against your skin before he started peppering soft kisses along your jaw, up to your cheek, then your forehead. “You know what’s cute? You. Wearing my jersey. Screaming my name like my biggest fan.”

You playfully rolled your eyes. “I am your biggest fan.”

He pulled back, his golden-brown eyes shining as he looked at you. “And I’m your biggest fan.”

You bit your lip, cheeks burning. “You’re so in love with me.”

He grinned. “I really, really am.”

He kissed you again—slow and sweet, his hands gently cradling your face, as if you were the best prize of the night. And as you melted into him, feeling the warmth of his love wrap around you, you knew one thing for sure: this was the best night of your life.

[emma23]

You keep being my problem :

Jake lockley x reader

The night had been quiet. Too quiet, actually. You couldn’t place your finger on what felt so wrong, but Jake hadn’t called. Not even once. It was a rare thing—almost unsettling—when Jake Lockley wasn’t blowing up your phone with a random excuse to talk to you or to complain about someone else getting on his nerves.

You were used to his quirks by now. His constant sarcasm, his unfiltered thoughts, and the way he always found trouble even when he wasn’t looking for it. It was part of why you loved him, though sometimes it also made you want to strangle him.

Tonight, though, the silence was deafening.

Until your phone finally buzzed on the coffee table.

You grabbed it with relief, half expecting to see his name. Instead, it was a text from Layla.

"Have you heard from him? He’s acting weird."

Weird? Jake acting weird wasn’t exactly groundbreaking news. It was almost his default state. But something about Layla’s tone felt... off. You sighed, typing back quickly:

"Nope, not yet. But I'll check on him."

You hit "send," grabbed your jacket, and slipped on your shoes. Jake’s place wasn’t far, and you knew better than to wait for him to reach out when things felt this strange.

The bar he was haunting wasn’t a surprise. Jake had his usual places, and you’d learned all of them in the months you’d been together. You walked in, spotting him immediately in the corner booth, hunched over a whiskey glass like it owed him money.

“Jake,” you called out, trying to keep your voice steady.

His head lifted lazily, those dark eyes locking on yours. A slow grin spread across his face. “There’s my girl.”

You sighed. He was drunk. Obviously.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this again,” you muttered under your breath, walking over to him.

“Doing what?” he asked innocently, tilting his head.

“Playing babysitter,” you shot back.

Jake laughed, the sound rich and carefree, though there was a slight slur to it. “You love it.”

You rolled your eyes. “What the hell are you doing here, Jake? And why is Layla texting me like you’re on the verge of imploding?”

“Layla’s dramatic,” he said dismissively, taking another sip of his drink.

“Jake,” you said firmly, placing a hand on the table. “What’s going on?”

He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he looked at you for a long moment, something unreadable flickering across his face. “You,” he said finally. “You’re what’s going on.”

You frowned. “What the hell does that mean?”

“It means…” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “You keep being my problem.”

You blinked. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” he said, his voice lower now, more serious. “You. You’re my problem. You keep being my problem, Y/N.”

“Are you drunk?�� you asked, folding your arms.

“A bit,” he admitted with a shrug.

“And why are you calling me your ‘problem’ exactly?”

“Because,” he said, leaning back with a smirk. “No matter how many times I tell myself I don’t need anyone, you keep proving me wrong. And I hate it.”

You stared at him, your heart doing a weird little flip. “Jake…”

“I’m serious,” he said, his voice softening slightly. “You make me feel like I don’t have to be the guy I’ve always been. And it scares the shit out of me.”

For a moment, you didn’t know what to say. Jake Lockley, the man who faced danger without a second thought, was scared of you?

“You’re drunk,” you said again, mostly because you didn’t know how else to respond.

“Maybe,” he said with a grin. “But it doesn’t mean I’m wrong.”

You sighed, running a hand through your hair. “Come on, Jake. Let’s get you home.”

“Only if you’re coming with me,” he said, standing up.

“You’re impossible,” you muttered.

“And you love it,” he shot back.

Back at his apartment, Jake was quieter. The usual sharp edges of his personality seemed softer, dulled by the alcohol but also by something else.

“You didn’t have to come get me,” he said as you helped him onto the couch.

“Yes, I did,” you replied, sitting down next to him.

“Why?”

“Because I care about you, you idiot.”

Jake blinked, like he wasn’t used to hearing those words. Slowly, a smirk curved his lips. “You’ve got it bad, don’t you?”

“Shut up,” you muttered, but there was no bite to your words.

He reached out, his hand brushing against yours. “You’re too good for me, you know that?”

“Probably,” you said with a teasing smile.

Jake laughed, leaning closer until his forehead was resting against yours. “I don’t deserve you.”

“Maybe not,” you whispered. “But you’ve got me anyway.”

And for the first time in a long time, Jake Lockley didn’t have a smart-ass response.

[which-is-the-very-best]

Hello!!

Sorry I've been largely absent since the tourney ended! I kinda ran out of steam for this kind of thing on top of a suddenly very busy job 😅

I wanna thank you all for sticking around with me!

I still have a few ideas for a new competition, but in the interim I thought we'd do something fun!

I want you all to send me your most creative nicknames for certain pokemon! Ones you're proud of or just your stand by names! I'll be adding my own as well 😁

I'll be posting the name and the 'mon and letting people vote on how well it fits the Pokémon! (Don't worry none of the options will be disparaging or rude)

This is all in good fun, you all were wonderful through the whole tournament, let's keep up the good will and have some fun with everyone's creativity!!

Basic rules:

Send the name in an ask (anon or not, they won't be answered! I'll tag non-anonymous submissions though! Unless you ask me not to!)

Do NOT respond to this post with a name! I won't be accepting those sorry!

Give the reason for the nickname! Is it based on a character? Some convoluted reason you picked that name? Whatever it is let's hear it!

You're welcome to send a picture of said Pokémon, but no fanart please unless it's your own!!

The names can be from anything, a game you played or just a headcanon of what you'd give a certain 'mon

You can send as many names as you like in the ask, but try not to go too overboard! I'll see how many submissions I get, and let you know if I'm not going to use all the ones you sent for some reason! (As long as you send off anon or give me a blog to dm!)

There are things I'll not accept of course. Racism or lgbt+ phobic responses, things like that. I'll be using my own judgement, but like I said let's keep this fun. Please just don't even send things like that in thanks.

Feel free to ask any questions on this post!

I'll be accepting submissions for a few days, we'll see how many I get! And posting a few a day! Hopefully this'll help ease me back into working on the next tournament!!

Edit: so I meant nicknames you've given your Pokémon over the years but! I just got a fakemon and the sender asked if they'd misunderstood the assignment and ya know what? Nope! I'm absolutely taking fakemon names as well! But! I do ask that you send only one. And be sure it's one you personally came up with! And again only fanart that you've made! Have fun!

[ghostinthetumbchine]

“mirdania was there to symbolise us and what would happen to us for "romanticising" the eye boy” —> would like to note this is a fundamentally misogynistic take. It is literally just another iteration of “women who experience violence had it coming” lmao and it’s incredible that people who consider themselves to be “progressives” don’t have the guts to unpack their own internalised bullshit. “I’m Not Like Those Other stupid vapid Girls who are hot for the bad guy (and will therefore get what they deserve!” — what a truly enlightening take that definitely uplifts and empathises with other women. If you’re answering this ask please feel free to tag this in the TROP tag btw because some people in this fandom need to consider for real how much they respect other actual women (as opposed to fictional women lmao) and come to grips with the fact that “romanticising a fictional male villain” will NEVER, not in a million years, warrant the sort of blatant contempt and mockery thrown at female viewers on a regular basis. When your arguments sound exactly like the openly misogynistic lorebros then you may want to consider the idea you don’t like other women as much as you think you do.

Oh I'm absolutely posting this because you worded what i just insinuated very succintly.

And i'll add that the gender make up and how focused they are on male characters and m/m relationships of that particular group of posters also interests me. It is telling that they present themselves as the woke ones but simultanously talk over and about women in fandom this way, even if maybe some of them are women too.. me and another friend of mine on here got recently blocked for simply pointing out that the hayes code and puritian ideas which impacts the way creators build stories to this day also had very rigid views on how and what kind of heterosexual relationships were allowed on screen - in ways that subscribed to western, patriarchal agendas and usually, you guessed it, impacted and harmed or restricted the women most.

Its one thing, already sad but one i can respect, when people on here don't even want to have discussion on how women are either shut down on their perception and fantasies, mocked and humiliated or straight up victim blamed for real life events for indulging in them.. but it's another for being at our throats for it every time you get an excuse to.

And mind you, in real life i have not touched a man further than one kiss that made me go "nope". I am very queer, in ways i have not myself fully untangled at almost 30. And yet i don't have an issue with interacting with and understanding and respecting this side of the fandom. So it is a skill issue.

[anaer]

i really do hate jjk

[backpackingspace]

Okay no idea if tattoo's were a thing in ancient greece but regardless imagine penelope and odysseus having an olive branch tattoo around their hands that connects when they hold hands.

[ganondoodle]

me: finally im able to cope with how much i hate totk and can fuel that energy into other things :)

nintendy: the shiekah tech just dissappeared and no one knows why or cares enough to investigate it lol. lmao. its gone bc the calamity is gone or something even tho it literally isnt bc ganondorf is right there haha lol, stop asking, why do you care. just forget it existed and look at that sexy goatman and glue instead!! glue! isnt that wild?? also its totally a direct, 100% same universe and exact same characters, despite them act totally out of character, sequel to botw-

[simandy]

Being unable to deal with unfairness/injustices will eventually kill me

[to-be-a-dreamer]

Junior Year might actually be the scariest D20 season my fight-or-flight instincts were INSTANTLY activated the second Brennan said the word "MCAT" because that's the name of the actual real-life American medical school admissions exam and hearing that with absolutely no warning did not mix well with my "grew up with parents who view getting into medical school by 22 as the bare minimum of academic achievement" brain

[hadesknockedupintheunderworld]

Begging people who will obviously never be happy with a Sonic adaptation to just. Stop consuming Sonic adaptations.

"I'm reading the idw comics/watching the paramount movies/watching Sonic Prime and it's literally so ass I keep waiting for it to get good and it sucks the adaptations ruin the sanctity of Sonic as a–"

Real winners quit. Just hit da bricks