#the cricket in times square

[magpie-to-the-morning]

When you were a kid were you also obsessed with the idea of being tiny and using dollhouse furniture and other repurposed found objects both natural and man-made?

[tomoleary]

Garth Williams “The Cricket in Times Square” (1960)

[whats-in-a-sentence]

So the three friends hopped, scuttled and padded across to Tucker's home, where a fine farewell feast was held.

"The Cricket in Times Square" - George Selden

[tenth-sentence]

Harry shouted that Chester should take care of himself – Tucker told him not to worry about the Bellinis, he would look after them – and Chester just kept chirping good-bye as long as he could.

"The Cricket in Times Square" - George Selden

[animatejournal]

Yankee Doodle Cricket Director: Chuck Jones | USA, 1975

[brimstone-cowboy]

Was looking through my old art, I still really like this Cricket in Times Square piece

[cats2000s]

Cricket in Times Square 🐱

[quickdudes]

I love Chester C. Cricket

[princess-unipeg]

Celebrating the first day of Christmas watching Christmas specials I haven’t seen before

[delxenofic]

the cricket in times square films aren't available to watch online like anywhere.... i found this collection of chuck jones' filmography on the internet archive but oh my gosh the quality of them is just horrendous and a very merry cricket is not on there anyhow. sad :(

[sunnyskies281]

IF YOU GET RID OF CONNECTICUT WHERE IS CHESTER THE CRICKET GONNA LIVE

[inkskinned]

we heard that you were very disappointed in us both as a generation and specifically as a generation of women (emphasis yours), how we had let ourselves go and now we were slutty and ill-tempered and holding onto notions of feminism like "having a savings account" and "equality."

we were very sorry about it, we didn't realize. it is very hard for you, in your life, because your entire definition was centered around the word providing, and that's a really vague and undulating word. it is hard to be a provider. for your purposes, the word provider here can be defined as "having a job", although it sometimes also extends to "doing yard work", "grilling on occasion," and "knowing basic car anatomy."

we had to do some reading but we divided it out. do not worry. high-value women will fill in the rest of the gaps of your life - all those silly feminine things like doing the dishes. we didn't realize we had asked too much when we asked you to pick up after yourself. we did not realize you were rendered small and scared and crying about the possibility of doing the laundry. here is a joke to lighten the sentiment: a man that listens when you talk to him.

we heard about how we had fallen from glory and it sickened us and made us very, very sad. lindsey had to cut all her hair off and tara threw up. we lit one million candles and we are going to have a vigil about it tonight. all of the people in this world that you do not approve of are going to be there and we will all be in mourning colors because we have lost your respect which is of course the only thing that any of us were looking for.

we searched around our bedrooms and our closets and for some of us it took a while but we all found the pricetag that we were originally born with, the one that gave our listing offer, the one that smells like rot and pine needles. we were horrified because many of us had taken deductions and hadn't realized it. i had scraped my knees and decided to be a lesbian so they had to take my voicebox out so i could never call home again. janice had been with too many people overall so we had to put her into the big squisher that will hopefully collapse her walls so that when you're with her, you'll feel so big and powerful. it will be like you're conquering something instead of being close with someone.

we are all going to the funeral of feminism and we will tear at our bodies and fall over ourselves. we will invite you onstage for a live recording of your podcast about the occasional minor inconvenience of self-reflection. you will talk about how we have targeted you and made you feel the sweat slick down your back, and we will teach you basic self-defense out of solidarity.

do not worry, we are seeing to all the outliers. taylor asked to be taken seriously so we have shipped her off to prison. laura asked you to accept her femininity regardless of her presentation. you will be happy to hear all women are now and forever going to have to be small and thin and pretty and white and ablebodied and quiet and unassuming and ladylike, which is different than how society has previously told us to act.

i am going to have to shave off my jawline, which is a little masculine, and they are going to have to reshape my hands, which are very square and thick - all the work i've done with them has made their veins stand out, so we're just going to have to exsanguinate me. i am horrified to have been out in public like this.

we are going to sit around the campfire and we will talk about being weird little girls that made potions in pink teacups. we will talk about the first time we made a difference. we will talk about the private lives of crickets, and then, at the stroke of three in the morning (the witching hour, obviously) - we will all promptly shut up.

and this will be your beautiful world. this silence that spans every corner of every street and every zoom meeting and every alley. i do not think you'll notice at first - it will be the same as every television show and movie and book. we will all just simply sit there in our doll dresses and smile blithely at your advances and none of us will do you the dishonor of answering and none of us will appear to be in distress and none of us will nag you or make a fuss or get hysterical about it. it will just be quiet, and you will say finally, some peace for once! and we will smell of smoke and our teeth will be white and the next day will come.

tonight we are going to bury the last little bits of our humanity. you are not invited. it is going to be ugly.

[crowsofdarkness]

Soldat: Chapter Ten[END]

-gif not mine. credit to owner-

Pairings: Bucky Barnes x Female Agent! Reader. Slight Steve Rogers x Female Agent! Reader

Content Warnings: language, 18 + implied smut, angst, fluff, kidnapping, violence.

Summary: Agent Y/N has worked alongside Steve Rogers at SHIELD for some time all while keeping a dark secret from everyone. Until one day that darkness faces her head on and she's forced to make a choice. Continue fighting along side Captain America? Or find her home once again with Soldat?

Authors Note: This is the ending for the first series in the trilogy! Next up is the sequel, Dorogaya, which will take place during Civil War!

Tags: @globetrotter28 @sakuracyberhex @chinggay85-blog @bookofriverr @misatxox @that-blonde-girl @cats-chaotic-mind @wintrsoldrluvr @sebastians-love @pumpkin-babydoll @ordelixx

Soldat Masterlist

Silence.

An eerie, comfortable, silence filled the air as Soldat and I walked through the tall grass, crickets chirping as the night sky settled around us. We had been walking for quite awhile, opting out of borrowing a car to get to our location because we didn’t want to bring any eyes towards us. The location we were going was a tad far from where headquarters used to be, about a ten mile walk, but Soldat was fine with the walk. 

While the quiet was nice, it was also troubling because I had no clue what he was thinking. If he wanted to stay and if so, for how long. I promised that I would help him with his wounds and said that he could leave once he recovered. It was the last thing I said to him, almost an hour ago. 

My thoughts kept swirling with the thought of Steve. We made the promise of finally starting our relationship but I had chosen to walk away from him, realizing that Soldat needed me more than Steve did. The love and adoration I had for Soldat was that much stronger than my feelings for Steve. 

“How much farther?” 

Jumping slightly at the deepness of his voice, I looked over to Soldat while nodding to his right. 

“See the house in the distance?” 

He nodded before looking back at me. “Shield safehouse?” 

“Nope. It’s actually my parents' cabin. No one knows about it, they’ve kept it off the grid,” I informed him as the log cabin now stood only a few feet away from us. 

The grass had grown a few inches since the last time I was here and could see the cobwebs clouding the front door. The moonlight from above glided over the lake as Soldat and I walked towards the back of the cabin where I knew the spare key was hidden. 

We remained silent as I felt his eyes on my back while I unlocked the door. I allowed him to go in first but he hesitated. 

“It’s okay, Soldat. I’m not going to hurt you.” I assured him. 

It took a few more moments before he finally decided to head inside, me shutting and triple locking the door behind us. 

“Sorry for all the dust, it’s been awhile since anyone has been here.” I admitted after turning on the lights. 

It wasn’t a big cabin by any means; less than 1000 square feet. The kitchen was to the left which shared the same room as the living room and the queen sized bed that was in the corner of the house. The only bathroom was down the small hallway across a small closet that held towels and junk. 

My eyes watched as Soldat stood in the middle of the room, body rigid with uncomfortableness. Licking my lips, I nodded towards his bad shoulder. 

“Want me to take a look at that?” I asked. “It may be dislocated.” 

Without saying one word, he put his shoulder back in place with a loud ‘pop’. He raised his arm a few times before sitting down at the edge of the bed. I could see it in his posture that he was still uncomfortable. I was unsure if it was from being in an unfamiliar place with me, someone he had yet to remember, or if it was from not knowing what he was going to do with his life. All he had known was Hydra. 

“I know you don’t remember me and being here might be scary for you but I’m not going to hurt you.” I reassured him. 

He kept his eyes trained to the ground in front of him. “It’s not that.” 

“Then why do you look like I’m keeping you hostage here?” I asked while shrugging my shoulders. “You can leave if you want. I’m helping you not because of our past but because I thought you could use a place to lay low for a while.” 

“There’s only one bed.” He pointed out. 

“Oh,” I muttered. “You can take the bed. I’ve slept on the couch many times so my body’s used to it.” 

I could tell he wanted to protest but knew that the thought of sleeping in an actual bed was something he had wanted for a long time. I could see it in the small way his mouth turned up in a smile. 

“The bathroom is down the hall, towels are in the closet across from it. Feel free to take as long as you want.” I threw a thumb over my shoulder. “I’m going to do a quick sweep of the area to make sure no one followed us.” 

“I should do it,” he stood from the bed. 

I held up my hand to stop him. “Soldat, it’s alright. You can relax, you don’t have to be a soldier anymore.” 

His face twitched when I called him Soldat and I knew that calling him was starting to bother him. It was the only name I had known for him and didn’t know how comfortable he felt being called by his true name. The tension in the air became uncomfortable again so I sighed before turning around to make my way outside. 

“I’ll be back.” 

After a quick ten minute sweep and deciding that we would be safe for tonight, I made my way back inside but felt my feet being glued right in the entryway. Soldat stood in the middle of the room, towel clung to his hip and water dripping down his exposed chest from his soaked hair. Biting my lip, I resisted the urge to think back to the memories of us and cleared my throat. 

“Everything alright?” 

He turned towards me, no hint of embarrassment on his face, and let out a small sigh. “I don’t have any extra clothes.” 

A small smile spread to my lips. Without saying a word, I walked towards the hall closet and pulled out some clothes that my brother had left here. 

I went to hand them to him but noticed when I had gotten too close, his shoulders went rigid and body tensed. Realizing he was still uncomfortable, I gently placed the clothes on the bed. 

“I’m going to get cleaned up, help yourself to any food or drinks.” I went to turn on my heels but stopped, looking back at him. “You may not remember me but you said it yourself, you remember the feelings we had for each other. I’m not going to hurt you or let whatever is left of Shield capture you. With me, you are safe.” 

The tense features in his face softened and he slowly nodded. “Thank you.” 

After I had taken a very long and needed hot shower, I had come out of the bathroom and saw Soldat lying comfortably on the couch and when I went to protest, saying he deserved the bed more than me, he shot me down with a quick ‘I’m used to sleeping on hard surfaces.’

We both laid in the silent darkness, him on the couch and I on the bed, and I tried to bite my tongue at the thought that was plaguing my mind. He had a long and exhausting day, he needed his rest so I wasn’t going to bother asking him. 

Soldat continued to lay there after I had drifted off to sleep, wanting to make sure my heartbeat had slowed letting him know that I was in deep sleep before he allowed himself to close his eyes. This being the first night of sleep he had in a very long time.  

“Can we do something today?” 

Looking up from my book, I looked over to Soldat who was sitting at the kitchen table picking away at his breakfast. It had been a couple of days of us being held up in the cabin. We hadn’t spoken much or done anything more than sitting around reading or sitting outside enjoying the view of the lake. 

I was using a spare phone that we kept at the cabin to keep tabs online if there was any word if anyone was looking for us and came up empty. I had to ignore the want to contact members of my team, Steve especially, because I had found out that he was in the hospital recovering from the fight with Soldat.

“Yeah, of course. What did you have in mind?” I agreed while shutting my book and placed it on the bed next to me. 

“I read that there’s an exhibit at the Smithsonian about Captain America.” He spoke so quietly that I had to strain my ears to hear. 

“There is,” I nodded. “ They also have a section about his best friend, Bucky Barnes.” I said that name with such softness, not wanting to trigger him. 

He nodded. “Would you come with me?” 

My face broke out in a small smile, heart warming my body at the realization that he wanted me there with him. He wanted to find out more from his past, hoping that it would trigger some type of memories. 

“Of course.” 

“Are you ready?” I questioned while pulling the brim of my hat closer to my eyes. 

Soldat stayed silent, only nodding, and with the permission to move forward we both walked into the Captain America exhibit at the Smithsonian. We had decided to try to hide our identity as much as possible which is why we were both wearing baseball caps. 

I stayed back, only a few spaces, allowing him as much time as he needed at every part of the exhibit. He read the information about Steve pre and post serum for a few seconds before he came to a halt in front of the Howling Commandos section. 

Of course Steve’s suit was still missing but that’s not what caught Soldat’s eyes; it was the blue jacket on the mannequin that was next to the Captain America one. 

“Is this helping at all?” I wondered while nodding towards the jacket. 

He remained silent while stuffing his hands deep into his pockets. After a quick shake of his head, he sighed. I could tell that he was starting to feel defeated so ever so slowly, I reached for his gloved metal hand and gently tugged on it. 

“This way.” 

Not wanting to push the boundaries with him, I dropped his hand and led him towards the one section of the exhibit that we came to see. Standing tall in front of us was a whole wall dedicated to James Buchanan Barnes, Steve’s best friend. My eyes were stuck on his face while he read every single word over and over again. The voice in the background gave us more dialogue to the story. 

“Best friends Bucky Barnes and Steve Rogers were inseparable on both schoolyard and battlefield, Barnes is the only howling commando to give his life in service of his country.” 

We stood in silence for a few more moments, wanting to give him as much time as he needed, but when he turned to look at me I noticed the broken stare coming from his eyes. 

“You okay?” I gently squeezed his flesh hand. “I know it’s a lot to take in.” 

His mouth was open a tad and he had to blink a few times before he could answer. “I think-I think I need to get away from here; far away.”

Trying to ignore the way my heart shattered and fell into the pit of my stomach, I let out a shaky breath. I knew that he wasn’t going to stay with me and that he needed to find himself but it still hurt to know that he actually was thinking of leaving. 

“Okay. I can pull some strings to get you where you want to go,” my voice cracked. 

Finally our eyes locked, him trying to avoid them, and he let out a large breath. “Would you come with me? I know I can’t remember much about you but the love we had for each other, I can still feel that. If it was strong enough to stay with me after all these years, it has to be worth fighting for.” 

Giving him a smile, I nodded while some tears came to the surface. “I won’t push you in anyway. We’ll take it slow and at your pace. I’ll be here to help in any way. But there’s something I have to do first.”

Pulling the hood over my eyes, I averted the gazes of multiple members of the staff and visitors as I made my way down the long hallways looking for the one specific room. I came to a halt in front of it and peaked through the open blinds in the window to make sure that he was alone; he was. Shaking the nerves from my hands, I quietly entered the room hoping I wouldn’t wake him. 

He was, however, already awake so when he heard me enter the room, his full attention was on me. 

“Y/N?” His voice croaked out, clearly still recovering these last few days.

“Hi Steve.” I gave him a smile while letting down my hood. “How’re you feeling?” 

“Where the hell have you been? Nat and Sam have been looking everywhere for you.” He sat up in bed, giving me room to sit. 

After sitting on the side of the bed, I sighed. “I’m okay. I’ve been in hiding.” 

Steve squinted his eyes. “Why? No one is after you.” 

I sucked in my bottom lip. “Not me.”

It took him a few seconds to figure out who I was talking about, Steve let out a quiet scoff. His shoulders slumped only slightly, the signs of jealousy clear in the way his jaw tightened. “He’s with you?”

“He needed my help, Steve. I couldn’t leave him.” I defended myself. 

“Where’s he now?” 

I shifted in my spot on the bed, not wanting to let anyone know where we were hiding; even Steve.

“What about us?”

My heart dropped at his question and how broken he sounded. Steve was willing to give up a lot for us to be together, I knew he would, but as much as I found myself falling for Steve I couldn’t give up the only thing holding us back. Maybe if this happened before everything, before Soldat came back into my life, I would be over the moon to be with Steve. Though this was my decision now. I was leaving with Soldat. 

“I’m sorry. You have to believe that I wanted this for a very long time,” I admitted while pointing between us, “But he needs me, Steve. He wants to find himself again, away from all of this and I have to be the one to help him.” 

Steve scoffed. “How are you so sure that he won’t go back to The Winter Soldier?” 

I shook my head. “I don’t. But I’m not going to let that stop me from leaving with him.” 

“What if he tries to kill you? Again?” 

My eyes snapped up from the ground, settling on his. “Wha-what are you talking about?” 

“Don’t try to deny it. Everyone’s secrets at Shield and Hydra are out there, on the internet. Including yours.” 

I couldn’t stop my knee from bouncing, something that would happen when I was nervous of people finding out more about my past. Steve knew this so he gently placed a hand on it, stopping it immediately. 

“I, uh, found him a year after I escaped Hydra; the first time. I was following a lead on a case I was working on; someone was murdered. The ballistics came back with no rifling and were untraceable.”

“Soviet made?” Steve questioned. 

I nodded. “I knew it was him and I knew he was still in town. So I went looking for him but came up empty. I was in my motel room when he had broken in through the window. Word got out that I was looking for The Winter Soldier so he came to find me. I didn’t know that they wiped his memory so here I thought it was going to be a romantic reunion.”

“He ended up pinning me against the wall with his metal arm, knocking the wind right out of me. I tried to fight him off but he was too strong for me. He didn’t remember me and that thought clouded my judgment. My love for him nearly got me killed.” 

Steve ran his hand up and down my thigh. “How come he didn’t?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. I remember him looking into my eyes before everything went black and something inside of him changed. He dropped me to the floor and left. That was the last time I saw him.” 

Hastily whipping away the tears, I let out a shaky breath and looked at Steve. “You may not understand why I have to go with him but please believe me when I say I love you, Steve.” 

He gave me a quick smile before cupping my cheek. “Just not as much as him.” 

“I’m sorry,” I cried while cupping his cheek as well. 

He accepted my apology with a soft kiss to my lips. It was those types of kisses where you knew this was the end and you wanted to savor the way it felt and the way it tasted. 

“Please don’t come looking for us,” I muttered against his lips. 

“No promises,” he muttered back. 

Zipping up the last suitcase, I placed it with the rest of them by the front door and mentally made a checklist making sure we had everything. After saying goodbye to Steve, I ran a few more errands to pick up some things that we would need for our new lives. 

“Have you thought of where you wanted to go?” I asked Soldat, who was sitting on the front porch. 

He looked over his shoulder before nodding. “I don’t remember much of it but I remember having to complete a mission in Bucharest and something about it spoke to me.” 

“Romania?” I asked with raised eyebrows.

“That alright?” He was suddenly worried that I would back out of this, not wanting to travel that far. 

“Of course.” 

Sitting next to him on the front step, I tried to muster up the courage to bring up the talk I was slightly dreading to have because I was worried about how he would react. 

“So,” I started, “I’ve only known you as Soldat but I feel with what happened that I shouldn't call you that anymore but I don’t want to start calling you Bucky if you’re not comfortable with it yet.” 

He ran his hands over his jeans before taking his hat off, letting his hair cascade around his face. I had to clasp my hands together to stop them from running through his locks. 

“Bucky is fine. It may help bring back some memories.” 

“Bucky it is.” 

We sat in a comfortable silence, letting the time pass before having to leave. I had an old friend that I worked with during my days as an FBI agent that owned a jet. He was willing to fly us anywhere we wanted, no questions asked. A favor he owed me for saving his life. 

“Dorogaya.” 

My eyes snapped over to Bucky as he muttered that same word over and over again. The same word that I had longed to hear all these years. The one that he breathed against my neck during the one and only night we made love. 

“What did you say?” I choked out a sob. 

Bucky blinked a few times before our gazes locked. “I used to call you that.” 

“You did,” an eye crinkling smile broke out on my face. 

His flesh hand reached for mine and linked our fingers together while the sweet nickname fell from his lips once more. I wasn’t sure what the future would hold for us two; if what we had in the past would resurface and make this all worth it. But I did know that no matter how hard it would be or how challenging some days might be for not only me but him as well, I would not leave Bucky’s side. 

[whats-in-a-sentence]

"Maybe next summer we could go to the country."

"The Cricket in Times Square" - George Selden

[tenth-sentence]

They were standing at one corner of the Times building, which is at the south end of Times Square.

"The Cricket in Times Square" - George Selden

[bangtanficsforyou]

Hello, Love! (JJK)- 01

Pairing: Jungkook x Reader

Genre: fluff, angst, probable smut (we don't know yet lololol)

Rating: 18+

Summary: You had a plan when you returned home, seven years later. However, falling in love with your sister's fiance wasn't it.

Word count: 2K (approx)

Warning: mentions of drug addiction, familial neglect.

The ring fits Jungkook as if it was meant just for him. Not one bit tight nor is it one bit loose. Snug around his finger as if it has always belonged there.

A round of applause breaks out and he looks at the smiling faces of his family and that of his soon to be in law's. 

As the cheers and claps die down, he takes it as his queue. His hand makes it’s way to his pocket. However, when he is not met with a small square jewellery box, he immediately checks his other pocket. That pocket, too, disappoints him. 

He looks up awkwardly at his fiancee and tries to give her a reassuring smile. Now checking for the pockets of his trousers, he fumbles around to somehow make the box appear out of thin air. 

Realising that he is running out of time, he turns towards Jimin. “Jimin, did I not give you the ring box on our way here?” 

Jimin looks at Jungkook with eyes wide like that of a newborn baby. “No, you didn't.”

“Yes, I did,” Jungkook claims with more surety than he actually feels inside. 

“When?!”

“When we were outside–”

“You were talking on the phone—”

“And, I gave it to you while—”

“Here,” Riya offers, with the small red box resting on her palm. Before Jungkook can ask, she answers, “I found it lying on the floor of our balcony.”

Jungkook gives an awkward chuckle in response, trying to play it off. “Jimin has become very careless these days.”

Before Jimin can protest and defend himself, Jungkook shoots him a look that somehow shuts him up. 

Jungkook doesn't waste another minute before taking the ring out and putting it on Riya's fingers. The sooner it is done, the lesser are the chances of running into any other bumps on the road.

Another similar round of applause breaks out and Jungkook heaves a sigh of relief. 

The engagement is done. 

“Dad,” Jungkook greets cheerfully as he takes a seat.

“Hmm,” his soon to be father in law doesn't bother looking up as his eyes remain occupied with the official documents he's currently working on. 

Jungkook remains unfazed by the lack of enthusiasm and continues. “You know I'm currently discussing a project with Mr. Elgin, right?’’

“Hmm.”

“And well I was telling him how I'm about to marry your daughter Riya Roy.”

“I see.”

“Do you know the praises he sang for you?”

Now that somehow catches his dear soon to be father-in-law's attention. 

“Did he?” He interlaces his fingers, and relaxes against the chair, temporarily discarding the documents in the process.

“Yes!” Jungkook nods excitedly. “He was telling me how well you would display and advertise your designs to potential investors during the early business days.” 

“What else did he say?” he muses.

“He also told me how well you have single handedly managed the business. How you started it from scratch and made it what it is today.” 

The older man lets out a chuckle. “It doesn't sound too odd for someone to praise me for advertising my clothes in a clothing line business or for working hard when I am the one who started it.”

There's a brief pause where Jungkook seemingly processes the words.

“Now tell me, how much money do you need?” 

Oh. 

Now, it's Jungkook who lets out a chuckle, albeit an awkward one. “You haven't even listened to what he said on learning that you're planning on expanding your business.”

“Trust me, I don't need to know,” comes the reply. “You tell me the amount, I need to get back to work.”

Jungkook considers his options then in the blink of an eye, his whole demeanour changes. “You know how I almost have the contract for this year's cricket world cup?” 

Much like earlier, the man hums. 

“However, suddenly, they have raised the bid by six million.” 

“So you need six million dollars?” 

Jungkook nods, hoping that the amount doesn’t sound as big as it is. 

There’s a pause and then there’s a low hum in response. “Did you return the one million dollar you had taken from Riya?”

“Well I almost have. There’s only a little left to pay back.”

“How much are you yet to pay?”

Sometimes, Jungkook wishes he knew how to read this man a little better. His father in law, undoubtedly, is every bit of the businessman you’d think of him to be. He thinks like a businessman, walks like one and talks like one in every sense possible. 

Jungkook knows that one would never find this man speaking one word, that is not required. And that just makes it all the more difficult to ever get a hint of what his father in law is thinking. 

Sometimes, Jungkook thinks speaking to this man is the equivalent of playing chess with a computer. You’d never know what the next move will be but you can rest assured, that you'll never outsmart them. 

“Some two hundred thousand.”

“That’s the amount you are yet to pay?”

Jungkook pretends he hadn’t heard the question properly, the first time. “Uhm, no that’s the amount I have paid.”

“So what’s the amount you are yet to pay?”

“Eight hundred thousand—,” he replies and then quickly adds, “—but I will pay everything back as soon as the contract is finalised.”

“Sure,” his father in law nods, not buying his words. "I'll need some time to think about it."

“Listen, no matter what, I anyhow, need a meeting to be scheduled with Mr.Shro—I don’t care what his manager is saying about him being busy.”

The wind blows at a steady pace and somewhere in the lobby, a toddler shrieks in joy. 

“Mail his manager as many times as you need to. Just refuse to accept no as an answer.”

Poor Sam, Jimin thinks, pitying the poor boy who didn’t know what he was signing up for when he agreed to be Jungkook’s manager. 

“Yes, yes! Mail them again—not now Jimin!”

Unfortunately, Jimin doesn’t seem to catch the hint and taps him on his back, again. 

“What is it Jim—”, only it is not Jimin. “Sam, I’ll get back to you later.” 

“You asked dad for money.”

Uh oh. Jungkook could tell Riya wasn’t in the brightest of moods, but nothing could have prepared Jungkook for this. 

“Riya why don’t we take this inside?” Jungkook suggests, keeping his voice soft and calm. He hadn’t thought much of it when he was screaming at his manager left and right in the balcony, for everyone to hear. But an arguement between the freshly engaged couple, might just not be that ideal.

“Jungkook, do you not have any self respect?”

I do, in fact that is why I am asking you to move this inside, Jungkook thinks to himself. Instead of speaking the words out, he again, mildly tries to guide her inside a room. 

Riya, however, remains adamant on not cooperating with him. “You tell me, Jungkook, how can i respect a man who has zero self respect?”

“You do—”

“You know what keep your ring, I don’t want it.” In the blink of an eye, the ring that had almost managed to cause a commotion merely a few hours ago, now rests on Jungkook’s palm, again. 

“Riya, what is your problem?” Long gone is the calmness Jungkook was trying so hard to keep. Now, he sounds extremely confused and perhaps frustrated. 

“My problem is the fact that I cannot marry a man who has zero self—”

“It’s not self respect that I lack! Its ego!” Jungkook snaps. “If I know asking for help could get me the opportunity that I have worked so hard for, why shouldn’t I? Plus, it’s not like I have ever failed to pay back.”

There’s a beat of silence, where Jungkook tries to regain his composure. “I don’t understand Riya, the years when you were struggling to make it into the industry, I supported you in every way I could. So now that I'm the one who’s facing struggles, why can’t you find it in yourself to do the same?”

Something in Riya softens at the mention of all the times, Jungkook stood by her side like a rock. Every penny Jungkook earned was spent on Riya’s then struggling career. Lord knows, there were times when she felt like giving up but Jungkook wouldn’t let her. When she lost faith, Jungkook would believe in it for both of them. 

She inhales shakily and looks at the ring and it somehow manages to ground her to why she said yes to Jungkook in the first place. 

“And if it bothers you so much, I won't ask dad for money.”

She nods and then gently takes the ring from Jungkook. It's in that gentle touch of her's that Jungkook knows things are settled, at least for the time being. 

“I'll go look for Mili aunty, I heard she was looking for me,” Riya says, and somehow the abrupt end of argument doesn't surprise Jungkook, in the least. 

As Riya walks back inside, Jungkook releases a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He finds it a little difficult to believe that Riya almost broke off the engagement. Although he probably shouldn’t be so surprised. 

Over the years, Jungkook has become very familiar with Riya’s habit of breaking up with him at the slightest inconvenience. Now that they are engaged, breaking up means...well, calling off the engagement. 

Arguments with Riya are always like this, short lived but very frequent. Riya would state the reasons why she thinks this won’t work and all the reasons why Jungkook is wrong and then Jungkook would have to remind her of all the reasons as to why the both of them have stuck together for so long. 

Maybe it has always been like this, be it for Riya’s career, or for their relationship, Jungkook has always kept faith on behalf of the both of them when Riya couldn’t. 

Perhaps securing the deal he's currently working on, would finally give Riya the reassurance that she's looking for. Well, he sure hopes so because if this contract doesn't, Jungkook doesn't know what will. 

Getting this deal has the potential of turning you into the equivalent of Leonardo DiCaprio of the event organisation industry. There's simply no looking back from then on. You'd have career stability, money and a reputation among your peers. 

It's probably everything a woman looks for in the man, they are marrying. 

So yeah, he genuinely hopes that he can prove himself to be capable and can put rest to this constant breaking up and patching up cycle the two of them have found themselves in, for years. 

And he's definitely going to give his best, even if that means being rude to his innocent, sweet, doe-eyed manager. 

Chapter two will be up on my Patreon on early access by the end of this week!