#the one straight flatmate he lived with for a while later came out lol

[hedge-rambles]

As tropes go, I've always got a soft spot for the stuff and nonsense old guy who you expect to be wildly homophobic, but it turns out he can't really grasp why people would be homophobic, after all, he knew many homosexuals from work and they were fine.

This scene from Unseen Academicals is why I fully believe that the student body of the Unseen University has to be like 90% Not Straight™.

I mean... 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈

[onceupon]

London Boy

summary: Y/n finds herself all the way across the pond, trying to escape OBX. But much to her surprise, a certain someone might get in the way.

pairing: Rafe x reader (just an intro in this part, we’ll get there dw)

warnings: swearing, drinking, some mentions of anxiety?

word count: 3.2k

a/n: if you’re a sucker for a slow burn like me, buckle up and enjoy the ride. I plan on this being multiple parts and this is also my first time posting so please be gentle with me lol :’-) (not canon Rafe)

You huffed as you dragged your extra large and definitely overweight luggage down to the pickup area at Heathrow airport. You had just landed in London where you’d be going to school until the holidays.  You had decided to apply for, and actually got accepted into, your high school’s British exchange program. Every year Kildare Academy gave the option for 15 seniors to study for half the school year at Westheath Academy in London, a private boarding school, while 15 kids from their school came to yours. Normally, you wouldn’t have dreamed of leaving your friends and family for that long, not to mention missing out on half of senior year at home. But ever since the drama that erupted during the summer after your junior year that ended with you being shunned by your “friend group” (where they really ever your friends to begin with?), you practically jumped at the opportunity to get as far away from the Outer Banks as possible, albeit for a little while.

You didn’t know at all what to expect at Westheath, you had skipped the predeparture orientation at Kildare a few weeks ago, but you didn’t care - didn’t care who was going or what Westheath was like, all that mattered was that for the next few months you could finally breath. It was the clean slate you desperately needed, a chance to finally be around people and places you hadn’t known since birth. Sure there were going to be 14 other kids from Kildare there as well, but you had zero intentions of sticking with your OBX peers over the next few months. You weren’t going to let your small town suffocate you for a second longer if you could help it.

You double checked the license plate on your phone screen as the Uber you ordered pulled up.

“Y/N?” the driver called out from the front-right window (god that was going to take some getting used to.)

“Yep!” you smiled, huffing as you tried to pick up your luggage and step off the curb. Thankfully the uber driver was quick to your rescue, effortlessly lifting your suitcase into the trunk of the car. Leave it to you to overpack without even thinking to leave room for all of the clothes and souvenirs you were certain to accumulate - oh well, an excuse for a new suitcase you supposed.

Not in the mood for small talk, you were relieved that the Uber driver silently read your mind, playing a pop station as you both respectfully ignored each other’s presence. You anxiously tapped your thumb on your phone, eyes flicking between the screen where you watched your route progress and the view out your window of townhomes, pubs, and countless strangers passing by.

You hadn’t felt anxious about leaving for London the entire first half of junior year, so why was your stomach and head simultaneously churning now? You were so excited to experience a version of life that was the opposite of everything you were trying to get away from - a version of life that involved British accents, buzzing city life, and endless possibilities. But it was all of a sudden dawning on you how unfamiliar it all was. As much as you hated to admit it to yourself, no matter how far you ran, you would never be able to fully separate yourself from OBX. That damned small beach-town would always be a part of you, an inextricable thread in the fabric of your life.

The Uber pulled up to a halt in front of your destination. You hesitantly glanced out your window as you double checked the silver number on the building. Yep, 25 Brampton Rd - you were here. The Uber driver graciously lifted your suitcase out of the trunk for you and as he pulled away you let out a long breath - your fresh start was waiting behind the doors in front of you.

You rang the doorbell to the lobby, the security here no joke. You were soon buzzed into the building and you shakily pulled your suitcase in behind you, desperately trying to calm your nerves to no avail.

“Hi,” you croaked out as you approached the man seated at the front desk. “I’m- uhh here to check in to my apartment- uh I mean flat… I think… I’m with the Kildare Academy exchange,” you rambled, cheeks flushing with embarrassment. Despite your best efforts, your anxiety was taking over.

The man gave you a sympathetic smile. “Name please?”

“Y/n L/n,” you replied, pulling your lips into a sheepish straight-lined smile as you mindlessly tapped your fingers on the handle of your suit case.

“L/n, L/n, L/n,” the man quietly muttered under his breath as his pen traced over a list of names. “Ahh here you are. Alright Miss L/n, here is a fob, this lets you into the building, now this key lets you into your flat, you’ll be on the second floor - apartment 2C, and this key is for your individual room,” he began to fire off at you as he rounded the desk and came to grab your suitcase, beginning to walk as you hastily followed suit. “This packet will tell you everything you need to know about our building here - wifi, laundry, trash days,” he shoved some papers in your hand as you both entered the elevator, him pressing the button for the second floor.

You emerged on to your floor and a few steps later you two were at the door of your new home, which the man quickly unlocked gesturing for you to step inside. “And this, Miss L/n, is your flat for the next few months with us here at Westheath. Your room is the second right down the hall there and I believe you’re the first here. Two of your flatmates who are yet to check in are from Kildare, such as yourself, and the other two are students of our own here at Westheath. You know I’m surprised how early you are, classes don’t start until next week! But nevertheless I’ll let you get settled,” you stood staring blankly at your new surroundings, more or less registering the words this man was firing off at you.

“I’m Richard by the way, if you ever need anything you know where to find me,” the man extended his hand toward you.

“Thank you,” you smiled, accepting his handshake.

“Welcome to Westheath,” he smiled back and just as quickly was turning on his heel and back out the door before you could get in another word, leaving you in your new flat by yourself.

You slowly walked through the empty place, meandering through the kitchen and living area, down the hall, peaking into the bathroom, and then finding your way to your room. It certainly wasn’t the type of living arrangement you were used to back home - your family lived on Figure 8 in the Outer Banks meaning you had grown up surrounded by mansions and luxuries. This place was small, simple, and yet it was cozy and well… perfect. It was the exact opposite of your Figure 8 life and that alone was enough to make you love it. You smiled, content, as you sank on to your empty bed, taking in your new room. You had a nice sized desk, a decent shelf, and a wardrobe. Simple and sufficient. You could get used to this. The room was starkly barren, but since school wasn’t set to start for another week and no one was here yet you made a mental note to go on a little mission to find some plants and decorations to bring the white box that was your room a bit more to life.

——-

Three days had passed and still your other flat mates had yet to show. You were starting to wonder if they ever would or if you’d end up living in this flat all by yourself. Your room was now decorated, you had found some cute posters in a shop you had wandered into, some plants in another, and string lights in a third. You had acquainted yourself with the grocery store around the corner and the drug store down the street and you’d even gone on the tube all by yourself.

Being on your own these last few days had been decidedly therapeutic, leaving you unable to contain a cheesy grin every time it hit you that you were actually here, in London, far far away from OBX. But you couldn’t help feeling a little lonely, with a passing hello to Richard every time you left and returned to the building being your main source of human interaction these last few days.

You laid on your bed as you debated the decision you were about to make - you would’ve never dared to use Tinder back home. You knew virtually everyone on the island and would’ve been absolutely mortified to match with anybody there. But hey - you were in London baby! This was a fresh start and nothing was off limits. You sighed and gave in, downloading the app and quickly making a profile. You must’ve rearranged the order of your pictures at least a dozen times before you finally decided it was good enough. You started to swipe, an endless supply of British boys at your finger tips. You couldn’t suppress a chuckle at how funny the whole concept was, your inbox already flooding with cheesy pick up lines from your matches. You spent the next hour going back and forth with these boys, silly, meaningless, flirty conversations - god it was so much easier being a flirt through a screen, you would be positively flushed in the face in person, unless you were drunk of course (your drunk self was a dangerously confident flirt for sure).

Liam: are you free tonight? Down to grab a drink and chat?

Oh wow. Straight to the point wasn’t he. You knew the point of the app was to eventually get off it and meet up with someone, but now that you were met with the opportunity, your stomach was flipping upside down. Fuck it, what do you have to lose?

Y/n: yeah that sounds great, I’m in Hammersmith if you wanted to go somewhere there?

Liam: perfect so am I (: 8pm at The Ladle. See you there xx

Pure adrenaline coursed through your body as you started doing your hair and makeup, throwing clothes all around your small room to find the perfect outfit that was cute but simultaneously made it seem like you weren’t trying too hard. You threw your wallet and keys in your purse, chugged the glass of wine you had been casually sipping on by yourself, and quickly headed out the door before you could overthink it and change your mind.

——

You nervously approached the bar that Google Maps had directed to you, not sure what you were getting yourself into, but you had already walked all the way here so you’d be damned if you didn’t see it through.

“Y/n?” a voice called out to you. God, hearing your name in that accent sent shivers down your spine.

“Yeah that’s me, Liam?” you questioned back, staring up at the fluffy browned-hair boy approaching you.

“That’s me,” he winked, extending his arm out to you which you nervously grabbed, as he led you into The Ladle, spotting an empty table for the two of you.

“So Y/n, what are you doing here in London. Something tells me you’re not from here?”the boy across from you smiled as you two got settled in your seats.

“Hmmm I wonder what could’ve ever given it away,” you replied with a sarcastic smile, American accent in full force. “But I’m here for school, on an exchange at Westheath Academy.”

“Oh shit, that means we’ll see each other around. I’m finishing up my last year actually. And somehow you’re the first American I’ve had the pleasure of being on a date with,” he smiled with a devilish grin that felt like it was burning into you, you hoping the flush on your cheeks wasn’t too obvious with the dim lighting.

“Lucky me,” you smiled back, faking a sly confidence as best you could despite the fact that you were all nerves on the inside. Dating was not something you were familiar with, having maybe gone on two back home, if those even counted.

“First round on me, what are you drinking tonight Y/n?”

“Umm a vodka cran is fine,” you replied to which you were immediately met with a scoff.

“No way babe, you’re in a pub in England now. Should’ve figured as much coming from an American like you,” he chuckled with a shake of his head, his fluffy hair bouncing with it. “I’m getting you a pint,” he asserted, walking over to the bar and giving you a moment to breath and collect yourself. You hated beer but weren’t about to put up a fight, at this point you would down just about any alcohol in order to get some more liquid courage in your system.

He quickly returned, placing the tall glass of golden-colored liquid in front of you.

“Cheers, to new school mates,” he winked extending his glass up to yours.

“To new school mates,” you smiled back, bringing your glass to clink with his, taking a long swig and trying not to grimace at the taste of the liquid going down your throat.

——

The night passed by quickly, you and Liam going through three rounds of drinks as you both laughed and bantered with one another, your nerves all but dissipated by the alcohol now coursing through your bloodstream. Heck, the beer was even starting to taste… good? God you barely recognized yourself anymore, but in the best possible way. One by one you were letting the closely guarded walls you had built up over the years in OBX fall, and you were feeling better than ever before - you felt free.

You and Liam stumbled back arms linked to the building you found out you were both living in, Liam on the fourth floor. You rummaged for the fob in your purse and you both got on the elevator, Liam instinctively pressing both your floor numbers. The elevator dinged opening to your floor, Liam turning to you with a cheeky smile.

“See you around, Y/n,” he winked. Why did you find that so attractive, or maybe it’s just because you were slightly drunk.

“Goodnight Liam,” you smirked back, blowing him a kiss as you walked out the elevator, the doors closing behind you.

You couldn’t help but smile like an idiot as you unlocked your flat and stumbled into your room, immediately collapsing on your bed. London. It was definitely going to be an adventure.

——

You were woken up the next day by the sun peaking through your window. You yawned and let out a big stretch, still giddy from last night’s date. It’s not like you thought you had just met your soulmate or something, you both kept the evening light, mainly joking and flirting as you downed drinks. But god you couldn’t remember the last time you had that much fun or ended a night feeling so confident and carefree. You were embracing every ounce of the euphoria you were getting from your new life.

You slipped out of bed and made your way to the kitchen, still rubbing the morning crust out of your eyes. Just as you got a pot of coffee going, you heard the distinct sound of a key turning, startling you as you realized it was coming from outside of your flat’s door. You cursed at the fact that you were about to meet a new flatmate while in your flannel pajamas and messy bun hanging halfway off your head, but mainly you were excited to finally have some company.

“Dude it’s no Figure 8 living but fuck it I’ll live anywhere to not have my parents breathing down my neck these next few months,” you heard a voice say, now in the hallway of your flat.

You immediately freeze. That was a male voice, definitely a male. Of course it makes sense now that you think of it, everyone in the flat gets their own room so what does it matter if the flat is co-ed. The thought just hadn’t crossed your mind, you automatically assumed you’d be living with all girls.

“Yeah man, anywhere that’s 1,000 miles away from Ward sounds like the perfect place to me,” another male voice laughed in return. Ward? Ward Cameron? That couldn’t possibly be who the voice was referring to because that would mean you were living with- and before you could even finish your thought you were standing jaw slightly parted staring at Rafe Cameron and Topper Thornton  in front of you. Two of the most popular guys at school.

You weren’t really friends but your families knew each other so you inevitably saw one another at kook events every now and then. You couldn’t help but feel intimidated by them. You always told yourself you didn’t care about boys like Rafe and Topper or about fitting in with their crowd, yet you always became nervous in their presence.  They were cool. They partied a lot, were athletes, and had girls tripping over them, which you couldn’t fault considering anyone with eyes could tell they were attractive, but you’d never have the confidence to be so bold with guys like that. Unless you were drunk of course. And unless you were the new confident and carefree version of yourself that you had been on your date last night with Liam.

“Yo Y/n, no fucking way, I didn’t know we’d get to live with girl,” Topper smiled at you with a teasing grin.

You were suddenly acutely aware of how disheveled you look and how you weren’t wearing a bra under your thin pajama top.

“Uh hey w-what are you guys doing here,” you managed to choke out. That confident girl from last night had disappeared as quickly as she had arrived, leaving you now feeling winded in front of the two boys from your hometown. Why were you getting so flustered?

“Just on a little exchange program from Kildare, maybe you’ve heard of it,” teased Rafe sarcastically, a smile tugging at his lips, holding back a laugh at how caught off guard you looked.

“Yeah no yeah of course,” you stuttered, “I guess I just wasn’t expecting you two to want to sign up for it.”

That’s when you realized the obvious. Every year there was always a number of spots reserved on the exchange for athletes, and Rafe and Topper were two of Kildare’s star soccer players.

“What and get to miss an opportunity to play at Westheath and go to Premier League games all semester? No shot,” laughed Topper.

“Maybe you should’ve gone to orientation after all, roomie,” joked Rafe as he picked up his bag following Topper down the hall to their rooms. Rafe Cameron noticed I didn’t go to orientation?

You let your face fall in your hands with a groan only audible to you. You quickly picked up your head and shook yourself off, pouring yourself a cup of coffee as you tried to ground yourself from your frazzled state. Looks like escaping OBX was going to be harder than you thought.

---

Part 2

[benhaardy]

constellation || b.m.

(what a man ^)

REQUEST: Hello! Could u do a college!bri with reader in which she’s like majoring in something completely different than Bri but they have a mutual friend (could be Roger) and Bri is so infatuated with her because her major is more like arts and stuff and idk lots of fluff?

A/N: eeeeee i loved writing this smmmmm i really hope yall like it even though it’s prettttttyyy specific tbh lol but if you don’t like arts or whatever bri is still a cute lil loverboy in this just imagine him but with your own work? writing or music wise or anything else really. i hope you enjoy cause i lovvvveed writing this. absolutely loved it. i use that phrase too much. anyway, i just really really liked this one it took me like two whole days to do it lol sorry that took awhile and to people w other requests i got u im still workingg on yalls.

requests are clooooseeed at the moment and i am currently working on the ones i have. you can still send them in but they will not be done/started until i am finished with this batch.

the “rings” / “halos” mentioned aren’t like an angel halo w the circle floating above. its like the paintings that depict the virgin mary? i’ll link a pic right here.

as always, tried to make this as neutral as possible for the reader, but it is fem!reader. there might be something pertaining to height…? but i doubt its anything substantial lol shoutout to y’all tall peeps.

this can be read as normal queen or borhap!queen.

happy new years folks! hope y’all enjoyed yours as i have enjoyed mine. hope you enjoy this fic like i did too lol :p thanks for sending this request in!

Wordcount: 2.4k

Warnings: one fuck word. fem!reader. p fluffy. was beta’d halfway, but proofread. APOLOGIES i don’t know much about space or the sky or stars… all info i got about constellations were from this website (lifesaver lol i really hope its accurate). i’m writing this at 4 am, all worth it lol i looooved this story. anywhere here’s constellation *pulls out guitar*

You stepped back to observe the basic outline that you drew on the canvas. It was a shell of what you wanted to actually paint, currently, but in a few hours, it would be quite the opposite. You moved the easel and canvas around so it wouldn’t be against the light of the large panels of glass surrounding you in what was supposed to be a breakfast nook which you had converted into your art “room”.

You were ready.

You took a deep breath and went to grab an old shirt that you could put on before painting. Going through the kitchen, then the foyer, then the stairs, you went straight to Roger’s room, a place where you could find a crappy ripped, and possibly faintly sweat-scented top to throw on. Your favourite flatmate wouldn’t mind, now would he?

You rummaged through his drawers, careful not to make a mess of his nice shirts or the ones he wore to gigs. Finally, you found an old Hendrix t-shirt that was already splattered with paint. Perfect. You took off your shirt, threw on the new one and put the old top in the laundry.

As you went down the stairs, you heard a noise that sounded like it came from the kitchen. It was probably one of the dogs messing around with your canvases. Quickly, you jogged towards your art room, where a familiar blonde boy was crouching down, viewing the propped up half-finished painting that was drying. There was a tall, curly-maned man shuffling through your masonites.

“Uhh…hello?” You said, confused. Who was this? Obviously, there was Roger, but he hadn’t brought anybody home except for the occasional girl. Rog stood up from his place and the other man had turned around to look at you, sheepish.

Your best friend came around the easel to hug you around your neck, a cigarette in his fingers and your arms around his waist. “Hello, love,” he said. He let go and moved to face the new guy watching both of you. “Y/N, Brian. Brian, Y/N. Brian, this is my closest friend and she loves painting. Y/N, I’m in his band now! Smile!”

You exclaimed, “Oh my god, Rog! That’s amazing!” You were glad his endless practice and jam sessions were working out. Roger was back to looking at your other paintings. Now, you faced Brian. “Hey, Brian. What do you play?” you noticed his hand still on the hardboards. “What were you looking for?” you questioned.

“Oh, sorry.” Brian took his hand off the boards. “I play the guitar.” You made a mental note of that. “I just noticed this one up on the front here… Is this Rog?” He pointed to the first board, which was a painting of Roger from the shoulders up. He had a halo of fire surrounding his head in a circle and he was looking up above. The background was of the night sky, the constellations Leo, Phoenix, Lynx, Hercules, Draco, Vulpecula, and Auriga around him, multitudes of small stars smattered in the blank spaces.

“Yeah, it is. It’s part of a new series I’m doing. It’s my friends and constellations that relate to them. I saw the stars in a book and I thought it looked great so, yeah. It’s fine if you want to take a look.”

Roger was shuffling through who-knows-what when he added, ”Bri majors in physics and all that—the stars.”

“That’s so cool! I’ve always been interested in space and such but my passion has always been in the arts. I major in fine arts.”

Bri smiled and nodded, still examining the painting of Rog and tracing the constellations. “This is gorgeous,” he whispered to himself as you were distracted by Rog giving his input on one of your other paintings.

--

You positioned yourself in front of your easel once more, the boys off to the living room to practice with each other. You primed your canvas, mixed your colours, and set out your brushes. A picture of your subject was taped up on the canvas holder of your easel and the book of constellations was set up on the table next to you. Roger and Brian’s session was great background music for your painting time. You found yourself tapping your foot to the beat.

A few hours later, your painting was done. It was modelled after one of your classmates in your European History class. You stood back and put your hands on your hips. You painted her from the side, sitting on her calves. She wasn’t wearing anything, her chest only covered by a wave of water that led up to another halo surrounding her head. She was looking down at her hands, clasped in her lap with the constellations and stars above her. Her curly, caramel brown hair was splayed out behind her and upon her shoulders, droplets of water among them. You were quite pleased with your first (somewhat) nude where you captured the curves of her body true to what she looked like.

You heard Roger and Brian finish up their set and go into the kitchen. The fridge door and cupboard opened and closed. They walked into your space, Roger with a towel around his neck and Brian a little more disheveled than before. Brian’s top buttons were undone, exposing two necklaces. “Hm,” you thought as you watched him drink from his glass of water standing in the doorway, “Hmmmmmmmmmm.”

Your best friend went around and looked at your artwork. “Damn, who is that?” Roger asked, clearly interested in who your painting was of. He took a sip of water.

You took the picture off the easel and replied, ”None of your concern, Rog.” You shook your head, snickering along with Brian.

Brian walked to your other side and viewed your painting himself. You looked for his opinion on his face. “Wow, Y/N,” he mumbled, “Aquarius, Cassiopeia, and Eridanus are they?

“Correct.”

“This is beautiful, absolutely beautiful. The way she looks, so sensual yet innocent. Wow, Y/N. This is great,” he said quietly.

“Thank you, Brian. That means everything.” Brian smiled at you, bashful.

A new friend (and basically, new flatmate) was made that day.

--

A few months had passed. Smile had been doing great. Roger, Brian, and you were close as ever. Often, you went to their practices and sketched your surroundings, often Roger drumming or Tim singing. You loved seeing Brian’s vibrant smiles but him still paying careful attention to his playing. You would sit at the bar and sketch, or do homework, or just drink. Roger’s cheeky grin and Brian’s reserved but bright twinkle were always there for you up on that stage.

You were at the park with Bri at his invitation while Rog was off with his girl and Tim was somewhere doing something else. He met you with a blanket, his physics textbook, and a few writing utensils and you met him armed with a sketchbook and a bunch of pencils. It was a sunny, British summer day. You greeted each other and found a tree to sit under. Brian spread out the blanket for both of you and you sat down.

Much of your days with him weren’t always so silent. You had helped each other study often. He was often at your side when he was done practicing with Rog, the adrenaline that coursed through him making him seem like a child, a contrast to the calmness of your art process. After shows, he would be so talkative, willing to speak for a long time about anything and everything. You two would frequently be the only two left at the bar after a gig, Roger giving you his customary sly smile behind Bri’s shoulder as you conversed into the late hours.

He loved hearing of your endeavours in art and your classes and never failed to ask to see the new drawings of the new. Usually, you were shy to show other people what you had made but you just had this openness around him. You knew if he had any judgments he would say them in a constructive manner but he never seemed to put too much attention on your mistakes, rather being a “fix it and move on” type of person.

You liked him a lot, really. It didn’t help at all that he was intelligent and attractive and helpful and just a great guy all aro— never mind. Check off all of the boxes for “things you want in a man”. You tried not to pay attention to it too much.

Both of you were off to your own devices, buried in your work. A slight breeze came about, feeling wonderful against your skin. You looked back at Bri sitting against the tree, the wind shifting his hair and his book in his lap. You went back to your own thing.

“Y/N?” Brian spoke up after a while.

“Yeah?” You replied back, still focused on your drawing.

“Could I watch you draw? If that’s alright with you. You pick out the perfect colours and compositions and everything. It’s fascinating. Everything just comes together exemplary.” He spread his hands out at “exemplary.”

“Of course, Bri,” you said, flattered. “Of course.”

Bri moved closer to you, pretty much right behind your shoulder. You flipped to a new page in your book and set to work. He watched your pencil as it flew across the paper, depicting a sleeping dog with a couple that was sitting the next tree over. You could feel his eyes settle upon your face momentarily, heat rising up to your cheeks.

“You know, Y/N. You make a pretty funny face when you’re drawing,” he laughed. Brian played with a piece of grass absentmindedly but still paid attention to your drawings and now your eyes.

“Oh yeah, Bri? What’s that face you’re speaking of?” You took a look at him. He pursed his lips and pushed them out to the left; he drew his eyebrows together and pretended to draw in thin air. You giggled together at his silly (albeit, quite realistic) impression of you.

“To be fair, you have one too, when you’re playing,” you teased.

“How so?” Bri acted like he was offended.

“Well, I can’t really do it and nor is it as severe as mine… but when you play, it’s as if nothing else in the world matters to you but in a good way. It’s like, ‘Who cares about uni? Who cares about anything else?’ You kind of just look like it’s you and your guitar against the world, right? It’s quite nice, watching you play,” you said, voice getting quieter as you continued.

“It is true. Us against the world.”

--

Two weeks had passed. Rog went out with his girlfriend after a session with Bri so you were left alone with the guitarist. He was in the living room making up his own compositions and writing songs like he normally does while you stayed in your little studio. A little lamp was clamped to the table next to your easel so you could have a soft light on your canvas. You painted until Brian came in, standing at the threshold.

“Hello, love,” you said gently. You set down your brush and stretched.

“Hi, babe,” he replied back, advancing forward.

You remembered what you were going to show him and in a split second, you practically screamed, “No, Bri, wait!” He put his hands up and froze in his spot. “Just stay there, okay? Close your eyes.” The guitarist lowered his hands and obeyed.

You quickly moved to take the painting on your easel and prop it against the wall alongside the other drying ones. You looked through the finished paintings and came across the one you were looking for. After grabbing it, you set it up once more. The finished product after hours of work was finally on display. You came back around Brian and guided his towering self to your normal space in front of your painting spot. “Open your eyes.” He did.

You both looked at the piece of artwork in front of you. There was a large smile on his painting self’s face and his eyes were closed. His head was tilted back, up at the stars surrounding him. Bri’s curls were framing his face, small stars speckled throughout them. A ring of water was around his head. “Cancer, Circinus, Leo Minor, Lyra. Pyxis, Telescopium, Camelopardalis,” he said, so quiet you could barely hear it. You watched as he admired the painting of himself, one that you put so much work into to make special.

You nodded. “It’s you, Bri. That’s what I was drawing in the park. I was just doodling but I looked at you and you just looked so—pretty?” You both laughed at your words, but you continued on. “That’s the word. Pretty. With the sunlight and everything, the grass was so vibrant… you were glowing! I couldn’t help it, so I drew you for reference. And then I painted you,” you said, calm and shrugging your shoulders. “I thought it was fitting, you in space, looking like you were at home. I wanted to incorporate something music and the closest thing I could do was Lyr-“

“Oh my goodness, Y/N. This much thought? You didn’t have to do any of this, I’m so grateful, I love it so much! But I’m just Brian, I don’t deser—”

“I wanted to do this, Bri. Trust me. You listened to me rant on and on and on about how my what I was doing didn’t look good, or what I was drawing, or how I was drawing something. You are so encouraging and attentive and just amazing, Bri, I couldn’t help it. It was really no problem. You deserve it. And there’s-there’s one more thing.” This was it! You weren’t really planning on telling him your feelings after showing him your piece but now here you were.

He asked, oblivious, “What thing?” Bri was beaming at his portrait and now beaming at you.

“I really like you, Bri. A lot. You’ve been there for a lot and we’ve supported each other and I just-” He hadn’t said anything. The same surprised look was still on his face. Fuck. “And I mean, like, you know, I j-“

He seemed extremely taken aback at your declaration but his face melted into tenderness. “I like you too, Y/N.”

You exhaled, “Thank god!” Both of you laughed, the shared relief between the both of you evident.

Brian leaned in and you closed the gap. His lips felt amazing against yours after all this time waiting and the moon shone softly upon you both as you shared this moment.

--

Brian :

Cancer: The Crab ~ his astrological sun sign

Circinus: The Compass ~ helps people find their way, ever helpful

Pyxis: The Compass ~ mariner’s compass, i feel like he j knows himself really well and he’s a water sign so lol

Telescopium: The Telescope ~ self-explanatory lol

Leo Minor: The Little Lion ~ his hair. roger got the “big” lion by default so i gave bri the little lion!

Lyra: The Harp ~ closest thing to music

Camelopardalis: The Giraffe ~ :pppp

Roger :

Leo: The Lion ~ his astrological sun sign

Phoenix: The Firebird ~ he fiery

Hercules: The Strong Man ~ i’d like to think he would request this himself once he saw the series of pieces you were doing.

Draco: The Dragon ~ why not, plus i feel like he’d like it

Vulpecula: The Little Fox ~ he got the foxy moxy.

Auriga: The Charioteer ~ apollo and his chariot, rog is the sun <3

Lynx: The Lynx ~ not a very easily seen constellation, so you need good eyesight to see it. i thought it was ironic because of rog’s bad eyes LOL

The girl in the painting (you know who you are :)):

Aquarius: The Water Bearer ~ her sun sign

Cassiopeia: The Queen ~ self-explanatory hah

Eridanus: The Celestial River ~ water, relates to sun sign

[kookievmyoppa]

Just Like a Movie (Wonho Scenario)

Word count: 3197

Idol: Wonho ft. Shownu (Monsta X)

Genre: Irdk what this is??? hahahaha Maybe a little bit of angst with fluff??? Y’all can tell me hahaha.

A/N: Thanks to the wonderful anon for making the request, finally wrote a thing with a happy ending for my Wonhito. It was supposed to be short but I got carried away (lol sorry not sorry) that’s why I took so long to post it (sorry about that). Anyways, I hope you like it, lmk what you think. (Also, sorry in advance for any spelling/grammar mistakes. English has been kicking my ass lately lol)

You moved closer to him as the room got colder, clinging to his muscular arm that, somehow, was still warm against your frozen skin, you laid your head on his shoulder when it started feeling too heavy to keep it up. He was kind of petrified right there, not having a clue about how to react. His heart was beating so hard he was scared you would be able to actually feel it.

You being so close to him wasn’t an ordinary thing. He attributed your behaviour to those beers you had had when you were talking before the movie started. It was the first time you drank together. As he had a day off the day after, you thought doing something to break the routine was a good idea and brought a bucket full of beers to his place for the two of you. For his surprise, your alcohol tolerance was as low as a limbo dance, and now he had to deal with the consequences.

You kept eating popcorn with your free hand, your eyes glued to the screen of the television, too busy to notice his sight had been on you for the past few minutes. Unable to look away from the main reason why he was willing to meet up every Wednesday for the most tragic movie nights ever, he found his solace from the pathetic plots, in the possibility to look at you as if he was memorizing every single feature of your face, that face that to his eyes, was perfect and flawless in every single way.

“Dude, this is by far the worst movie we've watched” you mumbled shaking your head in disapproval after a long yawn, which brought his eyes back to the tv.

“Can you explain to me why do we keep watching trashy movies instead of good ones every once a week, then?” he said rolling his eyes pretending he had been watching it.

“So I can complain about them, of course. The worse they are, the better” you said still staring at the screen. “Look, that dumbass is gonna let her go just because he is too shy to tell her how he feels… classic”

Wonho cleared his throat after almost choking at your comment, for a second he could swear you were talking about him.

“Yeah… that’s so pathetic…” he scuffed with a fake laugh, feeling terrible inside.

“When he makes up his mind is gonna be too late. Honestly… I don’t know why some guys are so stupid… If they like the girl, why can’t they just say it? How hard can that be?” you argued.

“... Maybe he’s afraid that she doesn’t like him back…” he muttered almost for himself, but you still heard him.

“Pfff… as if. She is all over him all the time, she feels happier whenever he is near her, she looks at him as if there was no one else in the world, how would he even think she doesn’t feel the same?” you were a little too tipsy to realize you were actually talking about yourself, but were lucky enough to have the movie plot as a backup.

You were upset with the guy in the movie because it reminded you of yourself. You had been into Wonho for the longest time and had never been brave enough to tell him how you felt because you had no clue to guess if he liked you back, and you rather be with him even if it was as a friend, than coming clean and lose him forever.

You had to admit you had used the beers as an excuse to have some kind of closer contact with him, but it hadn’t worked and it was killing you inside. He had just stood there like a stone while you were expecting him to hug you or pull you closer to him. But he had done nothing. Nothing!

Now you were getting mad at him too, you shouldn’t be, you had no right to be, but you were. You felt it wasn’t fair liking someone who wouldn’t like you in the same way. And after all those hints you  had sent him that night, if he wasn’t answering to any of them, it definitely had to mean he didn’t see you with the same eyes you saw him.

“But what if she wasn't over him? What if she looked at him like any other good friend?” Wonho asked hoping to find and answer or maybe the encouragement words he needed to confess to you despite the result of his actions.

“Then he shouldn't, that's obvious. Why would he do such a thing to himself just to get rejected. It's stupid" you said out loud as an advice to that voice in the back of your mind that kept telling you to tell him how you felt.

Wonho lowered his head and looked down taking your harsh words as if they were meant for him.

“But you know what? You don’t need to worry because like in every shitty movie, he will get the girl in the end, they always do" you rolled your eyes and sat down straight avoiding any contact with him.

“Not in real life, though. That doesn't happen" he argued getting upset too. Why couldn't he be like one of those guys in the movies, why couldn't he get the girl.

The atmosphere was getting tense, you both feeling angry with life and with yourselves ignoring how wrong you were about everything you were taking for granted about each other.

Suddenly, the door opened and Shownu, Wonho’s flatmate and who had been your best friend since kindergarten, came into the room. His shocked expression made you realize things were not exactly okay.

“Hi guys, how is it going?” he asked waving at you.

Tumbling a couple of times on your way from the couch to him, you hugged him tight and threw your arms around his neck.

“Wow… I see you have been drinking, huh?” he said holding you from your waist so you wouldn't collapse on the floor. You were barely making any effort to stay on your feet.

“Yeah, do you wanna join us? But wait… have you eaten yet?” you cupped his face in your hands “You can't drink without eating… like me” you laughed, self conscious of your current state and pinched his cheeks. Shownu was like a teddy bear, so cute and squishy you couldn't help but doing it.

Wonho felt a lump on his throat at the sight of the two of you. Shownu was that guy from the movies, the one who would get the girl. It was obvious, you were always so clingy and touchy with him, always worrying for him, and you had been friends for the longest time. It was just matter of time for Shownu to tell you he liked you, because who wouldn't? You were so beautiful, smart and funny, it would be impossible he didn't like you, and of course you would correspond to that feeling because Shownu was extremely attractive and caring. He had everything to lose so he was definitely not a threat for his friend.

“I think it is time to stop. Come on, it's better if you go to bed now" Shownu said and carried you to his room while you mumbled you were fine and started falling asleep. Maybe you had drank more than you should have. Even then, you didn't make any effort to stay there or keep drinking. You were feeling terrible as it was, believing Wonho wasn't interested in you the same way you were in him, and being there with him would only make it worse.

“Hey, you okay?” he asked Wonho right before going into his room with you still in his arms.

“Yeah, I'll just clean this up and go to sleep" he nodded and forced a smile. He was bitter inside but he didn't want to be rude to Shownu. He was his friend after all and it wasn't his fault you probably liked him better.  

He took all the empty bottles and the popcorn to the kitchen trying to get you off his mind. When he went back to the living room he found Shownu cleaning all the mess you two had left behind.

“I guess you learn the hard way she is not a good drinker" he giggled.

“I had no idea. But clearly you did…” he said, unable to contain the jealousy that was eating him alive.

“Well yeah… when we were in college she used to get drunk often. I had to take her home every time, after four beers she would get crazy and then pass out. You actually missed the fun part, when she stands on the table and starts singing”

“It’s weird, though… I thought she didn't like drinking.

“Oh she doesn't, my friend. But you know… sometimes we do stupid things for greater causes" Shownu winked at him.

What was that supposed to mean? What would the “greater cause” be?

“You better wear earplugs, it might get a little noisy" he chuckled and Wonho almost lost his mind.

Was he planning to do something with you in that state, and even worse while he was right in the next room?

He wanted to say something but who was he to do so? It would be really out of place.

“Goodnight, I hope you can sleep well. It will be harder for me” Shownu said with a warm smile and Wonho cringed inside.

Why was he telling you all this. He didn't need or want to know. He got it, they were friends, and it was not like he hadn't shared this kind of stuff before, but about you? It was like torture.

“Don't do anything you'll regret later” he let out by impulse. It was sort of his last try even though he knew it was useless.

“Okay…?” he answered confused and closed the door of his room behind him.

Wonho ran to get his earplugs and locked himself in his own room, he didn't want to know or hear whatever happened over there.

He got under a million blankets and closed his eyes praying that when he opened them it would be a brand new day, hopefully with you and Shownu gone. But as soon as he did, infinite mental pictures of the two of you started flashing through his head.

He rolled in bed, he walked around his room, he cleaned his desk, but nothing helped him get his mind off Shownu and you.

His friend was a gentleman, so he didn't understand how he had said all those things earlier, he never thought he was the kind of person who took advantage of a girl in a vulnerable position. Especially one he was totally into.

But what could he do? Shownu didn't even know he liked you, and he wouldn't tell him. It was true you and Wonho spent lots of time together as well, and since Shownu had introduced you two, you had become great friends, but he had always had a feeling that there was some feelings between you and Shownu, and he didn't want to get in the way, also because he knew deep inside he didn't stand a chance.

‘Maybe I just need some fresh air’ he thought. He opened the door of his room and saw Shownu sleeping on the couch. He frowned confused and took his earplugs off now that it seemed like a safe environment without you there.

He walked all the way to the stairs that took to the tiny rooftop. It was his favorite place in the house as it had a nice view of the whole city and it was outdoors.

He got to the rooftop already feeling better thanks to the soft breeze grazing his face. His heart skipped a beat when he saw you with your back facing him and heard you sobbing.

“Y/N, oh my god, are you okay?” he ran to you concerned.

You dried your tears with the back of your hand and pretend nothing had happened. The last thing you wanted in that moment was Wonho seeing you like this. He was for sure going to ask questions you didn't want to answer.

“I'm fine" you said as he sat down beside you.

“Did he do something to you?” he asked softly.

“Who? Shownu? Of course not. What even?” you were perplexed with that question.

“Sorry I… it's just that I saw him sleeping on the couch and then I see you crying…” he explained.

“Oh, that... Well… this is kind of embarrassing to admit… When I get drunk I snore very loudly, he couldn't sleep so he went to the living room. I feel bad because it's your place, I should be the be the one sleeping there, but he insisted and I was too dizzy to argue” you told him with your eyes on the city lights.

“So that's what he meant with the noise thing…” he muttered to himself and felt so damn dumb for overthinking so much a million ridiculous scenarios in his head.

“What? Oh God… you thought Shownu and I…?” you asked and bursted out of laughter. Wonho’s face got all red.

“Come on, would you blame me for thinking that way? You two are too close, and you never know” he somehow laughed too at his own stupidity.

“God, no… I love him, but he is like a big brother to me” you said with all the honesty, but Wonho raised his eyebrow like he wasn't buying it. “I'm serious! I'm not gonna lie to you, there was a time when I did like him as something more, but it was so long ago. We were in college when I started having feelings for him” you didn't know why you were telling him all this but it was like you couldn't help the words slipping out of your lips. Wonho had always been that person you always felt comfortable with, he made you feel safe and happy, and you knew you could trust him with this kind of stuff.

“Did you ever tell him?” he asked curious. You sighed and took a long breathe before answering.

“Well… It's not something I'm proud of” you smiled bitterly. “Back then, we used to go out a lot with friends. My feelings for him were getting stronger and stronger, I couldn't keep holding them in my chest. I needed to tell him but I was too shy to do it. So I started drinking so I could have the guts to confess, but it didn't seem to work. So one time I got so freaking wasted I thought I was ready, so I stood on a table in the bar, pointed at him and said ‘You, yes, you. I like you a lot!’. All our friends were there and they were waiting for an answer. You know Shownu, he is just too good for this world. So he helped me get down from there and he kissed me not to make it look like he was rejecting me. But I knew he didn't like me back the moment his lips met mine, I could feel it” you made an effort not to look at him in the eyes. Even after all this time, it was something that made you feel ashamed.

“I'm really sorry it turned out that way" Wonho was shocked, he wasn't expecting such a story, and Shownu had never said a word about it.

“Don't be. I’m actually grateful. He is such a great man, you know? That night he took me home, and the day after when everyone started asking about us he told them he liked me but I had just said that because I was drunk. He took the shame for me, and that's why I love him. He had always taken care of me, so the least I can do is return the favor by taking care of him. With time I got over him as a crush. But if there's something I learned out of all that was that life ain't no movie, so I decided I would never do such a thing again" you finished talking and felt like a huge weight was off your shoulders. You were also glad that you didn't tell Wonho how you felt a while ago, and if you could get over Shownu you would get over him eventually.

When you least expected it, you felt some more tears running down your cheeks.

Wonho couldn't hold back and he dried them with his thumb cupping your face in his hands. He looked at you and under the moonlight and he could swear he had never seen something as beautiful as you.

“I'm sorry I was grumpy and made us miss the ending of the movie" you said trying to change the topic. You were frozen as you had never had him so close to you and your heart was threatening with jumping out of your chest.

“I think I can fix that” he said smiling brighter than the stars and it only made you wanna die even more.

“Now? I don't think so, because Shownu is sleeping in the living room and-"

Wonho cut you off out of the blue with a kiss. A kiss you thought was never bound to happen. It took you a couple of seconds before you could close your eyes and kiss him back. You had so many questions but that was definitely not the moment to ask them. His lips felt so soft and tender against yours, you could easily tell the difference between this kiss and the one Shownu have you.

It was so natural how everything inside you started glowing the moment you two were connected, and you could totally feel the same vibes coming out of him too.

When he finally let go, he pecked your lips still smiling and you couldn't believe it was happening.

After you kissing him back Wonho knew you felt the same, there was no need to ask. After everything Shownu had said and the story you told him, he just had put all the pieces together.  He was the greater cause why you had been drinking that night and also the reason why you were bitter while watching the movie. So he decided to take his chance even if there was the possibility to get rejected.

“Why? How did you-" you finally gathered some courage to ask him, still blushing.

He grabbed your hand looking back to the city lights for you not to notice his cheeks were as red as yours.

“Maybe the guy does end up getting the girl in the end. It's just that in real life it takes way more than a couple of hours" he giggled.

“I'm glad he confessed after so long, even when he thought she didn't like him back. I have the feeling they will be very happy together” you squeezed his hand softly.

“Just like a movie" he said and kissed you again.

A/N: Okay... so that was it, I’m back at writing after a while and I’m glad I can give you some stories. I hope you guys liked it, I would love to know what you think, any kind of feedback will be really appreciated. Thank you so much for taking your time to read this, and have a good day/night. Take care!!!

Ps. I DO NOT own any of the gifs or pics used on this post, credit to the rightful owners.

For more check out the Masterlist (Link for pc) / (Link for phone)!

[anabananafofana]

It would be a sickfic if only it was fictional.

I’ve recently convinced one of my flatmates to start exercising with me. I’ve always had the habit of exercising and I’m especially keen of running, whereas she doesn’t have such an active lifestyle and tends to eat more than she needs, in my opinion, besides her thin built. But who am I to say anything. 

Anyway, so we started working out together last week. We completed a FitnessBlender 5-day challenge and I thought that was it - it was make it or break it, at the end. I thought she would either be excited to keep on exercising or that she would never do anything like that again. I was very happy to hear that she wanted to keep on doing the routines, after we were done with the challenge. 

Well, this week I could not join her in starting a new challenge because it proved to be too much on my hip, on top of long runs. So she started by herself and it seemed like it went great. Afterwards, she rehydrated, made herself some dinner and just sat at the kitchen table, scrolling some app on her phone. It was either Facebook or Instagram, I don’t remember. 

I was in the living room and upon realizing how long it had been since she went in the kitchen and how quiet is had been for a while, I muted the TV and was disturbed by the silence in the house. So, I called her name and she didn’t reply. Then, I cautiously made my way to the kitchen, not knowing what to expect, but thinking the worse - whatever that could be, trust!, I’ve thought about it. 

I got into the kitchen and saw her there, as I’ve told you, sitting at the table, absentmindedly scrolling through some posts on her phone. She looked so out of it, that I instinctively focused on her face, he barely blinked, and I stood at the door between the hall and the kitchen and called her name. She didn’t reply, again. In fact, she didn’t even seem to realize that I was standing there, just a couple of feet away. That’s when my mind “zoomed out”, probably at the need of having a broader view of the surroundings to see whether there was something it was missing that would explain my flatmate (and friend!) behavior. Nothing. I saw nothing. Looking back at her, who was still (it all probably happened in less than 2 minutes, but it felt so long!) not acknowledging me, I realized that she was shaking. So I came closer to her and slightly touched her shoulder. She had a hoodie on. She was startled by my touch and, for a second, she just looked at me with a blank expression. Then she seemed to be “back” to herself and said, “hey, you scared me”. I was mind-blown, since I had been there for a while and even called her name, but I also realized that there was something going on, so I kept calm and composed and just asked her what was going on. She told me that nothing was going on, that she had exercised, drank water, cooked, ate, washed the dishes...”everything is fine”. 

I insisted for a bit, asking what was wrong, but she would just give me the same answer. And as much as how I was seeing her didn’t match the answer, it did seem genuine. I was so confused. Then I calmly told her the obvious - that she was shaking. She tensed up her whole body for a second as if she had just realized that that was happening after I’ve told her. After that, she looked like a melting pot of emotions. At first, she looked confused, then embarassed - she even blushed a little bit, then sad, and upon hearing me asking once again - “*what’s* wrong??” - this time a little bit less calmly, I reckon, she burst into tears and said: “I don’t know!! Everything is fine!” I didn’t say anything and didn’t do anything either, my hand was still on her shoulder and as much as I wanted to hug her, at that moment, I wanted to give her some space and just be a safe place for her to keep on talking, is she wanted to. And she did keep on talking, in between sobs, trying to catch her breath as she said: “We just learned that we finished this college semester successfully. This one was probably our best one yet, it was much less stressful than the previous ones. And I’ve been healthy, exercising, cooking, washing the dishes, doing laundry....everything is fine! We are so blessed and everything is fine!! I don’t know what is wrong, I feel like such an ungrateful bitch....” And that was something among this line that I could no longer wait. I turned her on the chair, so she was facing me, I held her face, told her she was not ungrateful, and (trying hard not to cry, as it hit me in a sore spot. It was just too relatable), I hugged her and felt her fast-beating heart and how cold her hands were when she finally let herself completed in on my hug. 

I didn’t let her go until she wanted out. This took a while, a couple of minutes, but it was somehow effective. She stopped sobbing and now the tears were just flowing and making their way down her cheeks and onto her sweatshirt. She looked at me, directly in my eyes, with such a sad look in them, and tried to explain herself, but ended up with another “I don’t know”. I said “I know. Me neither.” and, at that moment, we seemed so close and equally vulnerable. I stood up, got her some water, she took some sips and then I asked her if she would take a hot shower, as she was probably feeling colder because she had exercised and still her clothes workout clothes on. Besides the fact that a hot shower helps to alleviate tension and, consequently, helps to fall asleep. She didn’t say anything, she just took a deep breath and just rubbed her running nose on her hoodie`s arm. She had stopped crying and looked calm now, and just made a gesture as if saying “whatever” or that she was done with the day and said she would just go to bed. Knowing her, and how doesn’t even sit on her bed with her regular clothes if she has gone out with them, I knew she wouldn’t be comfortable and seeing how cold she was and how hard she had exercised earlier on, that was a no-no. So I told her that I promissed that she would feel much better after a shower and a good night’s sleep. So I helped her to get upstairs, turned on the shower, told her not to lock the door, and after a good 20 minutes or so, she was done, got her pajamas on, I put her toothpaste on her toothbrush, to speed things up, she got into bed, I gave her a valeriana pill (it’s a plant, like chamomille, that has soothing/sleep-inducing effects) with a bit of water, tucked her in and asked if she was gonna be okay, she said she would but she didn’t. A couple of minutes later, I heard her crying, as I was sitting on my bedroom, just across hers, both of our doors open. It was a quiet cry that I wasn’t even sure if that was actually what was happening, at first. So I went to check in oh her and she was lying, curled up in a ball, crying. I gently got her to sit, held her for a bit, gave her some tissues and water, she calmed herself down not too long after, and I asked her whether she wanted to go pee before trying to sleep again, as she had had quite some water by then. She did, then she came back saying how sorry she was and I just said that it was ok. She didn’t have to be sorry about anything and that I was there for her because I genuinely care for her and wouldn’t have it any other way. So I asked whether she wanted company and somehow we ended up cuddling and woke up this next morning as if both of us had hibernated. I woke up first and moved kind of recklessly, stil half-asleep, moving her arm away from my shoulder, until I realized that that was someone else’s arm lol. I turned around, looked at her, who was awake now and while my brain recalled what had happened the night before, my dummy self just mumbled: “did we sleep together?” hahah She said “yeah, but - no.” We got up and had breakfast followed by a walk at a nearby beach (we live at a walking distance from a beach) and despite the cold wind, it was so refreshing. Everything was refreshing. Her sleeping through her sadness and me sleeping through the exhaustion of having cared to try to put her pieces back together and by finally being able to give in to sleep after realizing that she was able to, was so very refreshing. Waking up knowing that we balanced our energies over night, having a good breakfast filled with an intimate energy and genuine trust and then the walk at the beach. Refreshing. 

By the way, if you’re wondering, we’re both straight women. Or at least we think so. ;