#the song sounded so much more fierce it was so cool

[wolfythewitch]

Watched SIX the musical the other day and the singer for Catherine of Aragon had a Scottish accent and it made the song So much better it was insane

[joelmillerisapunk]

Howdy Honey II. Beautiful Mess

Series Masterlist * Masterlist * Wordcount 6.6K

Summary: Joel grapples with his frustration and fear after you push him away

Warnings: the fluff before the smut! Some angst and mentions of loss

Notes: Thank you for the long wait for this chapter. Getting back into it with these two has been so much fun! I am very excited for the next chapter heheh. I can foresee three more chapters, which I will hopefully have out at a decent pace. Ty @evolnoomym for reading this over ♏️🌙

You

The first rays of morning light filter through the gauzy curtains, casting a warm glow across the living room. The ranch outside is waking up, the sounds of hooves and rustling hay mingling with the birds' early songs, but inside, there is a stillness. The air is cool, soft, and peaceful before the day fully begins. You lay on the couch, the blanket Joel brought you tucked snugly beneath your chin, feeling the comforting weight of it. The soft fabric smells faintly like him—like the dust and leather of the ranch, with a hint of something deeper you can't quite place. Your body aches from the injury, a constant reminder of your fragility, but the blanket is a small luxury, an oasis of warmth amid the discomfort.

The potted plant in the corner catches your eye as its leaves flutter in the breeze coming through the open window. The subtle movement is a welcome distraction, drawing your focus away from the twinges of pain in your side, from the dull ache that’s become your constant companion. It's not the worst pain you’ve felt in your life, but right now, in the stillness of the room, it feels like the only thing that matters. You wish you were in your own bed, in the comfort of your familiar space. You can almost picture it—your room upstairs, the soft quilts, the shelves filled with books you've collected over the years. But the reality of your situation makes that impossible. The mere thought of climbing the stairs sends another sharp wave of pain through your body, reminding you that independence is a luxury right now, not a reality. You’ve always been fiercely independent—too proud, maybe, to admit when you need help. The idea of relying on Joel, especially now, when every moment around him seems to stir something inside you, feels almost too much to bear. When you were healthy, those stairs were nothing. You could run up them without thinking twice, bounding up two steps at a time. Now, the idea of even attempting it is enough to make your chest tighten, a reminder that things have changed. You can’t ignore it.

Joel has offered more than once to carry you up to your room, insisting that you’d be more comfortable in your own bed. But each time, you've turned him down. It’s not because you don’t trust him. You know he’s kind, that he genuinely wants to help, but the thought of him lifting you, of feeling his strong arms around you... it stirs something in you—something complicated. It's not just physical pain you need to recover from. There’s a tangle of emotions you can't unravel yet, especially not with Joel so close. Instead, you remain on the couch in the living room, finding comfort in its familiar layout. The space is small, but it feels like everything you need is within reach. The kitchen is just a few steps away, and the thought of being able to grab something to eat or drink without too much effort is a small but significant source of relief. You don't have to ask anyone for help every time you need something. The books and movies you've scattered around the room are close enough that you can slip into another world with little more than a turn of your hand. There’s something reassuring about having everything within arm's reach, a reminder that you still have some control, some autonomy, even if your body doesn’t quite feel like your own right now.

But perhaps the most comforting part of this setup is Joel—always nearby. You know he’s there, moving around the ranch just out of sight, yet still within earshot. You can hear the faint sounds of him tending to the animals, the creak of the barn doors, the rustle of hay and boots on the dirt. It's not quite company, but it's enough. If something were to go wrong—if the pain in your side flared up again or you needed assistance in a way you couldn’t manage—Joel would be there in an instant. The thought of him close by, ready to step in, is both a comfort and a quiet reminder of how much you rely on him these days. You tell yourself that you don’t need him, but there's an undeniable warmth that settles in your chest knowing he’s just a room away. Still, the idea of needing help from him, especially in such a vulnerable state, stirs something deeper in you. Something that makes your heart flutter unexpectedly, a feeling that you can’t quite define. It’s easier this way—on the couch, within your little bubble of semi-independence, where your emotions can stay tucked away, just like the soft blanket Joel brought you.

You glance over at the cover of one of his daughter’s western novels, the title catching your eye. There's something about it that piques your curiosity, stirring questions you hadn’t meant to ask. Who is she, this daughter of his? Was she older? And then, the question that sits uncomfortably in your mind: Is Joel married—or was he? You’ve never seen a wedding band on his finger, never heard him speak about a wife. The mystery about him lingers, unresolved. You know you should be resting, but your mind refuses to settle. You shift slightly, adjusting the blanket as you try to distract yourself. Your eyes drift back to the book on the table—a well-worn copy of Lonesome Dove, its spine cracked and pages dog-eared. Something about the worn edges calls to you. It's a link to the world you grew up in, a reminder of the ranch life, of the toughness and independence that runs through your veins. You never could quite leave the ranch, even when you tried. You reach for the book, your fingers brushing against the paper's texture, the act of holding it feeling almost like coming home. You open the cover to the first page, the familiar scent of ink and aged paper filling your senses. As you dive into the world of Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call, the stories of cowboys and cattle drives pull you in. You’re captivated by Gus and Woodrow—two men bound by their pasts but so different in their approach to life.

As you read, you find yourself identifying with Lorena Wood, Gus's girlfriend. Her fight for her place in the world, her refusal to let others define her, resonates with you deeply. The scene where she insists on joining the cattle drive despite the objections of the men speaks to something inside you. The words, “I ain’t afraid of a little hard work,” echo in your mind, a mantra of defiance that you wish you could adopt fully. You can’t be weak. You won’t be.

"Dreamin’ is free, Lorena," Gus says to her, his voice a mix of wisdom and weariness. "It don’t cost nothin' extra to dream good dreams."

The words settle over you, and for a moment, you close your eyes. You think of Joel—his gruffness, his strength, the way he moves through the ranch with a quiet intensity. He’s always there, a steady presence in your life. You can’t help but wonder what kind of man he was before, what dreams he once had, what kind of life he led. Your thoughts drift, pulled back into the story before you can get too lost in them. The sun climbs higher in the sky, its light streaming through the windows, warm now, settling into the room. You glance at the book beside you and set it aside with a small sense of pride. You've made it through several chapters without letting your mind wander too much.

Your side aches more now from sitting too long, and you know it’s time to try standing. It’s been too long since you felt any sense of control over your own body. You push the blanket back, and slowly, you swing your legs over the side of the couch. The room tilts slightly as you plant your feet on the floor, and you take a steadying breath, trying to ignore the sharp twinge in your side. You hate this. Hate feeling weak. Hate needing help. But you can’t let that stop you. You refuse to let it define you. You're determined to regain some independence, to show Joel that you're not just some fragile thing that needs constant watching over.

You push yourself up, wincing as another wave of pain stabs through your ribs. The movement is slow, deliberate. Each step feels like an accomplishment, even as the pain pulses beneath the surface. You make it to the kitchen, though you're panting by the time you reach the counter. You grip it for support, feeling the cool edge beneath your fingertips. The simple act of pouring yourself a glass of water feels like a triumph.

Then you hear the creak of the front door. You don’t have to look to know it’s Joel. The sound of his boots on the floor, the low murmur of his voice as he moves about the ranch—it's all so familiar now. You hear him pause, then step into the kitchen. His eyes widen when he sees you standing there, gripping the counter like it’s your lifeline.

"Well, look at you," he says, a note of surprise and admiration in his voice. "You're up and about."

You offer him a small, self-conscious smile, glad he’s not rushing to fuss over you. "I thought it was time," you say softly, setting the glass of water down with careful movements. "I can't just lie on the couch all day."

Joel chuckles, his gaze sweeping over you with that same intensity that sends a warm flutter through your chest. He steps closer, cautious. "Reckon not," he agrees, voice low. His eyes linger on you, and you can't tell if it's concern or something else. "But don’t go pushin’ yourself too hard now."

"I’m fine," you insist, a little too quickly. "But you look like you’ve been at it all morning. Would you like something to drink?" You try to sound casual, but the offer feels like an excuse to keep him there, a way to ease the tension building between you.

"S’alright, I can get it," he says, but his voice is strained, tired. He wipes the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand, a visible sign of the work he's been doing.

Before he can protest, you start toward the fridge. "Shut up," you say with a teasing smile. "I got it. Iced tea, right?"

He chuckles softly, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "That’d be perfect, darlin’."

The fridge door opens with a soft creak, and you pour the tea, the cool liquid filling the glass with a satisfying sound. The simple act requires more focus than it should, but you take your time, savoring the moment of normalcy. You hand him the glass, your fingers brushing his ever so briefly. The touch is light, fleeting, but it sends an unexpected jolt through you, a spark that neither of you can ignore. For a moment, you both stand there, neither of you speaking, as if waiting for something to break the silence. His gaze flickers to the floor, then back to you, and he clears his throat, taking a small step back.

"Thanks," he says, his voice steady but low, and his eyes meet yours briefly before he raises the glass in a small salute. He drinks deeply, closing his eyes as the cool tea washes over him.

"You're welcome," you reply, your voice quieter than usual. You busy yourself with straightening up the kitchen, your hands shaking slightly as you try to ground yourself in the mundane. But even in the simple act of tidying, you can feel his gaze on you, the weight of it making you feel exposed in a way you can't quite understand.

"You’ve found some use for the blanket and books, I see," Joel says, his voice soft, but you catch the hint of something more in it, something like pride.

"They've been a good distraction," you answer, a little more casually than you feel. "I'm curious about your daughter’s books. She’s got good taste."

At the mention of his daughter, Joel’s face softens, a wistful look crossing his features. "She always did love a good story," he says, his voice quiet, distant. "Used to read to her every night when she was little. We'd get lost in all sorts of adventures together.”

The conversation takes a quiet but significant turn, pulling you both into uncharted emotional territory. You sense it the moment Joel’s expression softens at your question, his guarded demeanor cracking just enough to let a sliver of vulnerability through. It feels fragile, like holding a bird in your hands, its rapid heartbeat thrumming beneath your fingers. You tread carefully, hoping not to press too hard but unwilling to let the moment pass unacknowledged. "What’s her name?" you ask gently, your voice soft but steady. You’re careful, wanting to open the door without forcing him through it.

He hesitates for just a breath before answering, his lips curving into a small, wistful smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. "Sarah," he says, his voice tinged with warmth and something deeper—something bittersweet. "Named after my grandmother. She is—" His voice catches, the present tense faltering mid-sentence like a misstep on uneven ground. "She was a special kid."

The weight of that single word, was, hangs in the air between you like a stone dropped into still water, sending ripples of meaning outward. It cuts through the small warmth his smile brought, replacing it with a heaviness that settles deep in your chest. Your heart clenches, the realization landing like a blow. You try to keep your voice steady, though your stomach twists. "Was?" you venture cautiously, the single syllable feeling heavier than it should.

Joel’s expression shifts immediately—his jaw tightening, his eyes narrowing just slightly as if bracing for an impact. You see the pain flash through him, raw and unguarded, before he wrestles it back under control. For a moment, you think he won’t answer, that he’ll shut you out completely. But then he takes a deep breath, his shoulders rising and falling with the effort, and when he speaks, his voice is quiet and steady, though it trembles at the edges. "Sarah passed away a few years back." The words are spoken simply, but their weight is unmistakable, each syllable heavy with grief he’s learned to carry in silence.

The room feels smaller suddenly, the air thinner. You struggle to find something to say, some way to acknowledge the enormity of what he’s shared without reducing it to a hollow platitude. "Joel, I’m so sorry," you finally manage, your voice barely above a whisper. The sincerity in your words is palpable, your own troubles momentarily forgotten in the face of his loss.

Joel nods, his gaze distant, focused on something you can’t see. He doesn’t brush off your condolences or wave them away as you might have expected. Instead, he accepts them with a quiet grace that’s heartbreaking in its simplicity. "S’been tough," he admits, his voice low, almost a murmur. "But you find a way to keep goin’. Life doesn’t stop, even when you wish it would."

His words linger in the air, stark and unvarnished, and you feel the ache in them like a bruise pressed too hard. There’s no bitterness in his tone, no anger—just a quiet resignation, a weariness that feels like it’s etched into his very being. You wonder how often he’s spoken these words, if at all, or if he’s kept them locked away until now. Your gaze drifts to his hands—strong, calloused, and steady even now, despite the weight he carries. You reach out before you can think better of it, your fingers brushing against his forearm in a gesture that feels both small and monumental. "I can’t imagine," you say softly, your words feeling inadequate but heartfelt. "I’m sorry you had to go through that."

Joel looks down at your hand, his gaze lingering there for a moment before he lifts his eyes to meet yours. There’s something in his expression that makes your breath catch—a flicker of gratitude, of recognition, and something else you can’t quite name. "Thank you," he says simply, his voice rough but sincere. He shifts slightly, covering your hand with his own. The warmth of his touch is startling, grounding, and you’re acutely aware of how solid he feels, how present. "For listening," he continues, his voice softening. "I don’t... I don’t talk about Sarah much. It’s hard, you know?" His eyes hold yours, and you see the weight of the years he’s carried this pain, the quiet strength it’s taken to keep moving forward.

You nod, unable to look away. "I think you’re stronger than you give yourself credit for," you say quietly, the words slipping out before you can second-guess them. "Just... holding onto her memory like that. Letting her still be a part of you."

His brow furrows slightly, his gaze searching yours as if he’s trying to decide whether to accept your words. "Don’t feel strong most days," he admits after a pause, his voice so low you almost miss it. "Just feel tired."

The honesty in his words makes your chest tighten, and you press your hand against his arm just a little more firmly, as if to anchor him. "Maybe that’s what strength is," you offer, your voice soft but unwavering. "Getting up every day, even when it feels impossible. Carrying her with you, even when it hurts."

Joel doesn’t respond immediately, but you see something shift in his expression—something almost imperceptible but deeply significant. He exhales slowly, his shoulders relaxing just a fraction, and when he finally speaks, his voice is quieter than before. "Maybe," he murmurs, the word more of a concession than a conviction.For a long moment, neither of you says anything. The silence is heavy but not uncomfortable, filled with the weight of everything left unsaid. You let it linger, sensing that Joel needs this space, this moment of quiet connection. When he finally releases your hand, moving his arm slightly,  the warmth of his skin lingers, a quiet reminder of the moment you’ve shared. "Thank you darlin’," he says again, his voice steady but soft. There’s something in his eyes now—something lighter, as if the act of sharing, of being heard, has eased the weight he carries, if only a little. "Means more than you know."

—-------

As you prepare to settle onto the couch for the night, the creak of the wooden floor under Joel’s boots pulls your attention. Before you can process what’s happening, he’s beside you, scooping you into his arms like it’s the most natural thing in the world. The warmth of his hands against you and the solid strength of his hold leave you momentarily breathless.

"What are you doing?" you protest weakly, though your body betrays you by instinctively wrapping an arm around his shoulders for balance.

He doesn’t stop moving, his tone gruff but resolute. "Takin’ you to your room. You’ll be more comfortable there, and it’s about time you used it again." You start to protest again, murmuring something about being too heavy, but he only huffs. "You think this is the first time I’ve carried someone? You’re fine. Quit fussin’."

Before you know it, he’s carrying you up the stairs, each step steady and sure despite the burden you’re sure you must be. The faint scent of leather and woodsmoke clings to him, grounding you in a way you hadn’t expected. When he reaches the top, the hallway stretches ahead, dimly lit and quiet except for the faint creak of the floorboards beneath his boots.

Your bedroom door creaks as he nudges it open with his foot. The room feels foreign, almost untouched since your injuries—a time capsule of your life before everything fell apart. Joel sets you down on the bed with a gentleness that belies his rough exterior, his hands lingering briefly to ensure you’re steady before he pulls away.

"There," he says, adjusting the covers around you with meticulous care that makes your chest ache. "Now you get some rest. I’ll be right downstairs if you need anything."

You watch him turn, the broad slope of his shoulders framed by the faint hallway light. A sudden unease wells up in your chest, irrational and overwhelming. The thought of being alone in this room, in this moment, feels unbearable. The words leave your lips before you can stop them.

"Joel, wait."

He stops in the doorway, his silhouette pausing against the light. "What is it, darlin’?" His voice is calm, but there’s an edge of concern beneath it.

Your fingers grip the edge of the blanket as you force yourself to speak. "Could you... stay? Just for a little while. Until I fall asleep."

For a moment, he’s quiet, the furrow of his brow barely visible in the shadows. He looks at you like he’s weighing something heavy, something he’s not sure he can carry. But then he nods, his voice softer when he speaks. "Yeah. I can do that."

He grabs a chair from the corner of the room, pulling it close to the bed and settling into it with a quiet sigh. The room feels smaller now, his presence filling the space in a way that should be comforting, and yet... you feel the weight of it pressing against you.

Joel sits silently, his hands resting on his knees, the flickering light from the bedside lamp casting deep shadows across his face. His gaze flicks toward you occasionally, careful and guarded, as if afraid to linger too long. You watch him through half-closed eyes, noting the subtle lines etched into his features—lines of exhaustion, loss, and something else you can’t quite place. There’s a tension in his posture, a quiet restraint that makes your chest tighten.

"Joel," you say softly, the quiet sound of his name pulling his gaze to yours. He raises an eyebrow, waiting, but the words you wanted to say catch in your throat. What could you even say? Thank him for his kindness? For caring when you’d tried so hard to convince yourself you didn’t need it. Instead, you settle on something you instantly regret. "You don’t have to stay, you know. I’ll be fine."

His expression shifts, the corners of his mouth tightening ever so slightly. For a moment, he doesn’t respond, but when he does, his voice is quieter, almost unreadable. "If that’s what you want."

You open your mouth to correct yourself, to say something that might soften the blow, but the words don’t come. Joel stands, his movements slow and deliberate, as if giving you time to change your mind. You don’t.

"Goodnight, then," he says, his tone even, though there’s a weight behind the words that you can’t ignore. Joel stands, the chair groaning slightly as he pushes it back. He doesn’t move hurriedly, but there’s a deliberateness in his movements that makes your chest tighten. The air between you feels heavier, laced with something unspoken, something you’re not ready to name. And then he’s gone. You stare at the ceiling, your heart heavy with regret, the words you wish you’d said echoing in your mind.

"Stay. Please stay."

But you didn’t. Instead, you let him walk away, the distance between you growing not just physically but emotionally. The warmth of his presence lingers faintly, like the scent of his leather and woodsmoke, but it isn’t enough to fill the void. The ache in your ribs pales in comparison to the one in your chest. You lay there, staring at the ceiling, what was this feeling that had taken root inside you? It wasn’t just gratitude anymore—it was something else, something harder to define. You’d always prided yourself on not needing anyone, but Joel had a way of making that wall crumble, brick by brick. It was confusing. Maybe you were reading too much into it. Or maybe... maybe you were just afraid to hope again. But the way he’d left, the quiet disappointment in his eyes—it made you feel small, stupid even. What were you so afraid of? You hated yourself for pushing him away when all he’d ever done was try to be there for you. But it was too late now. The door was closed, and so, it seemed, was he.

The room is dark, save for the faint glow of the moonlight spilling in through the curtains. You hadn’t noticed Joel still standing there, silent as a shadow. He lingers by the doorway, his silhouette sharp against the dim light. He’s watching you, his brow furrowed, torn between staying and leaving.

“Why do you do this to yourself?” he mutters, more to himself than you.

You turn your head slightly, startled. You thought he'd left. His gaze meets yours for a moment, but the weight of it is too much to hold. You look away, biting the inside of your cheek. “I’m fine,” you say, your voice tight and unconvincing.

Joel lets out a low scoff, shaking his head. “Fine,” he repeats bitterly. “That your favorite word or somethin’?” His boots barely make a sound as he crosses the room, sitting back down on the chair beside your bed. His presence is overwhelming, filling the small space like a storm cloud about to break. You feel the heat of him, as you try to keep your breathing steady. “I know what you're doin',” he says quietly, his tone softer now. “Pushin' me away. But you don’t have to.”

You close your eyes, willing the tears to stay put. His words are gentle, but they cut deep, peeling back the layers you worked so hard to hide behind. You struggle for words, your breath uneven. "I... I don’t know how to do this," you admit, your voice barely above a whisper. "Letting someone—letting you—"  

 "You don’t have to know," he says quietly. "You just gotta let me in."  

His voice is steady, but there’s an edge to it now, like he's fighting against his own limits, his patience fraying. You want to reach for him, to let yourself lean into him, but the weight of your own walls is too heavy. You want to let go, but something inside you holds you back, paralyzes you with fear. Fear of what letting him in might mean. Your throat tightens as you try to form the words, but nothing comes. His gaze sharpens, but he doesn’t push you—he waits. The tension hangs thick in the air, heavy with unspoken thoughts. But the longer he waits, the more it seems like he’s losing the battle inside himself.

You finally meet his eyes again, but it’s like something’s shifted. There’s still care there, but it’s mixed with frustration, something raw and real. He stands, his movements slow but resolute. "You can’t keep doing this," he says, his voice low but intense. "I can’t keep doing this. You want me to stay, and then... then you push me away.”

His words strike you like a physical blow, the sting of truth cutting through the silence. You don’t know what to say, your heart pounding in your chest, but nothing feels right. The space between you is growing, and you’re helpless to stop it.

The chair scrapes against the floor as he moves it back, the sound harsh in the heavy silence. His words strike you like a physical blow, the sting of truth cutting through the silence. You don’t know what to say, your heart pounding in your chest, but nothing feels right. The space between you is growing, and you’re helpless to stop it. 

He moves toward the door, the floor creaking beneath his boots, and you want to scream—to tell him to stay, to tell him you’re not fine, but the words are lodged in your throat, like you’re choking on your own fear.

You sit up in bed, your breath shallow, but you don’t call out. You don’t stop him.

Joel pauses at the doorway, his back to you. For a long moment, it seems like he might turn around, like he might say something else, something to bridge the gap between you. But he doesn’t. He just stands there, his shoulders stiff, his head slightly bowed as though he’s already made his peace with walking away.

Finally, his voice breaks the silence. "You need anything, you holler. I’ll hear ya."

And then the door clicks softly shut behind him.

You sit there, staring at the empty space where he was, the weight of his words still pressing down on you. Your fingers curl around the blanket, but it offers no comfort. Your mind races, a mess of emotions, regret, and frustration. You want to call him back, but it feels like it’s too late.

The room is silent once more, and the emptiness is suffocating. You close your eyes, your chest aching, and for the first time in a long while, you realize how alone you truly are..

Joel

The soft glow of the kitchen light spills across the empty room as Joel leans against the counter, nursing a cup of coffee he doesn’t really want or need at this hour. He stares into the dark liquid, his thoughts elsewhere, running over the events of the evening like a song stuck on repeat.

He shouldn’t feel disappointed. You’d made it clear you didn’t want him there, and he respected that. Hell, he’d been in your shoes before—pushing people away because it felt safer. He couldn’t blame you for it. But that didn’t make the sting of it any easier to shake.

Joel sighs, rubbing a hand over his face. He’d seen the hesitation in your eyes, the conflict. He’d wanted to tell you it was okay, that he’d wait as long as you needed. But the truth was, he wasn’t sure how long he could wait. Every moment he spent with you, every quiet exchange and fleeting touch—it all felt like it was building toward something he wasn’t sure either of you were ready for. "Should’ve known better," he mutters under his breath, his voice barely audible over the hum of the fridge. But even as he says it, he knows he’d do it all over again—because for you, he would wait.

The coffee in Joel’s mug has gone cold by the time he finally pushes himself off the counter and trudges to the living room. He sits heavily on the couch, his elbows resting on his knees as he stares at the darkened television screen. Sleep isn’t coming���not after the way the evening ended.

He rubs a hand down his face, trying to shake off the frustration welling in his chest. It wasn’t your fault, not really. Joel knows that better than anyone. But the way you’d looked at him, the way you’d pulled back, it felt like a door slamming shut in his face. Like he was stupid for even hoping.

“Should’ve just stayed downstairs, fuck sakes,” he mutters to himself. He knows better than to get too close, to expect anything. It’s not fair to you, not when you’ve got enough to deal with. And yet, here he is, hoping like a damn fool.

The faint creak of the floor above reminds him you’re still there, probably lying awake just like he is. Joel shakes his head, dragging a heavy quilt over himself as he stretches out on the couch. Tomorrow, he decides, he’ll keep his distance. Let you come to him if you want.

But the hollow ache in his chest says that might never happen.

—

The next morning the shutting of the door pulls Joel from a restless sleep. He stretches, his back protesting the hours spent on the couch, and grumbles as he sits up. The smell of coffee drifts through the house, but it’s faint—like someone turned the pot off before it finished brewing. Joel frowns. He knows you’re still stiff from your injuries, and the thought of you moving around too much sets him on edge. He stands, rubbing a hand over his face, and heads toward the kitchen.

The sight of the empty space only deepens his unease. The coffee pot is half-full, a mug sitting beside it untouched. He glances out the window, his gut twisting when he spots you trudging toward the barn, determination in every step.

“What the hell are you doin’ now?” he mutters, already grabbing his jacket as he steps outside.

The morning air bites at his skin, but Joel barely notices as he closes the distance to the barn. By the time he reaches the open doors, you’re already climbing onto the tractor, one hand on the seat and the other gripping the wheel.

“Hey!” Joel’s voice echoes sharply in the quiet.

You freeze, your head whipping around to face him. “What?” you ask, your voice defensive, though there’s a flicker of guilt in your eyes.

Joel’s chest tightens, but he doesn’t let it show. “What the hell do you think you’re doin’?”

Your brow furrows, and you straighten your shoulders, your stubbornness flaring to life. “I’m trying to help. You’ve been doing everything, and I thought—”

“You thought wrong.” His tone is sharper than he intends, but the sight of you on the tractor—the very image of Sarah in her last moments—sends a cold wave of fear crashing over him.

You bristle at his words, swinging your legs over the side of the tractor to face him fully. “Excuse me? I’m not a kid, Joel. I can handle this.”

“No, you can’t,” he snaps, his voice louder now. “You don’t even know how to work that damn thing, and you’re in no shape to be tryin’!”

Your eyes narrow, hurt flashing across your face before you mask it with anger. “I’m just trying to pull my weight, Joel. I’m not some burden you have to carry! And yes I can fucking drive the tractor.”

Joel steps closer, his fists clenched at his sides. “You think this is about you bein’ a burden? Dammit, I don’t care about that! I care about you not gettin’ yourself killed because you’re too damn stubborn to listen!”

The words hang in the air, heavy and sharp. Joel’s breathing is uneven, his chest rising and falling as he fights to keep the memories at bay. Sarah’s laughter, the hum of the tractor’s engine, the sickening sound of it tipping over—it’s all there, clawing at the edges of his mind.

But he doesn’t tell you. He can’t.

Instead, he swallows hard and steps back, his jaw tightening. “Just… don’t do this,” he says, his voice quieter but no less firm.

You stare at him, confusion and hurt written all over your face. “Why are you acting like this?” you ask, your tone softer now, but Joel shakes his head.

Joel’s chest tightens, and the fight in his voice only deepens. “Doesn’t matter,” he mutters, but you’re not about to let him brush this off.

“Why the hell not?” You step off the tractor, your foot hitting the ground with a thud, your breath a sharp inhale from the pain and ragged in the cold air. “You’re acting like I’m a damn liability—like I can’t handle myself. You think I want to sit around doing nothing while you work yourself to the bone?”

Joel shakes his head, his eyes dark with frustration. “That ain’t it, and you know it. You think I want to be overprotective? You think I don’t see you fightin’ through every goddamn thing just to prove you’re not weak? I get it, alright? But this—this isn’t the way to do it.”

“You don’t get it,” you snap back, your voice growing more desperate. “I don’t need your pity, Joel. I don’t need you to hold my hand or protect me like I’m some fragile thing you have to save. I’m fine. I can do this.”

“You’re not fine!” Joel’s voice cracks, his patience running thin, and the raw emotion behind it makes you pause, your anger faltering for just a second. He steps closer to you, his face inches away. “You’re not fine, and I’m not gonna sit here and watch you hurt yourself just because you’re too damn proud to accept help.”

Your ribs ache as you take a step back, your hands trembling at your sides. His words, his proximity—they feel like they’re suffocating you, pulling you into a place you don’t want to go. But you can’t stop yourself. “I don’t need help,” you mutter, though the words come out unconvincing, jagged.

Joel’s gaze softens, and for a brief moment, it’s like you’re both standing in some kind of fragile truce. But it doesn’t last. The distance between you, emotional and physical, feels too heavy to bear, and Joel moves in again. His voice is quieter now, but there’s a deep, aching sincerity in it. “I don’t want you to need help. I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”

You swallow hard, your chest tightening with something you don’t know how to name. It’s the space between your stubbornness and his care, the tension of wanting to push him away but knowing deep down that you can’t. You want to break, to let go, but you won’t—can’t—show him how much you’re falling apart.

You both stand there in the cold, the world around you feeling distant, like it’s no longer real. And then, before you can stop yourself, you say something that takes both of you by surprise. “Why do you care so damn much?” Your voice cracks as you finally let the wall down, the question raw and vulnerable.

Joel’s eyes darken, his breath catching at the depth of the question. He looks at you, really looks at you, and there’s a long silence that stretches between you, thick with everything unspoken. Then, his lips curl slightly, the ghost of a sad smile on his face, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. 

“I’ve been where you are,” he says, his voice low. “I’ve lost too much. And I’m not gonna lose anyone else... not like this.”

You don’t know what to say to that. For a moment, your anger falters, replaced with something deeper, something you can’t hide anymore.

Before you realize what’s happening, you’re the one reaching for him, your good hand finding his shirt, pulling him toward you. He hesitates for a second—his body tense, unsure—but then he moves, just like you knew he would. The kiss is sudden, urgent, and the world tilts with it. Your ribs protest, but you don’t care. His hands cradle your face, his lips pressing against yours, rough but soft, like he’s trying to steady himself just as much as you are.

Your heart races in your chest, the ache in your ribs fading as the heat of him seeps into your skin. For a brief, fleeting moment, everything else stops. The fight, the stubbornness, the fear—it all disappears in the space between your mouths. It’s like he’s holding you together, like you’re finally letting him do the one thing he’s been begging you for - to let him in.

When you break away, it’s slow, your breath ragged, but neither of you moves far. You’re still close—too close—and yet, somehow, it feels right. Joel’s forehead rests against yours, his breath warm on your skin. He doesn’t speak at first, just keeps you there, close enough to feel the weight of his every breath. Finally, he whispers, his voice hoarse. “You’re not alone, you know that?”

You nod, the words too hard to say, but the truth of them sits heavy between you. And for the first time in what feels like forever, you believe it.

Taglist @akah565 @anoverwhelmingdin @brittmb115 @hannah9921 @maried01

@mermaidgirl30 @red-red-rogue @wintersquirrel

[moonstruckme]

hayy!! so tonight i went to a small little show that my friend was doing with his band, and me and the bassist made crazy eye contact while he sang the lyrics “good, i’m proud of you” to me. (i’m dead) ANYWAYY it made me think, this is kinda out there but maybe a james potter band au?? like he’s a drummer or bassist and you keep making crazy eye contact and the tension is THICK.. (maybe even some groupie activity later??) IDKK i’d love to see youre interpretation 😋 or even just to chat about it!!! i love you’re work sm

That sounds so fun babe! Thanks for sharing omg <3

cw: bar

rockstar!James x fem!reader ♡ 1.1k words

As much as you like Marlene, you’d sort of thought her band was going to be shitty. And in your defense, most of the ones who play this venue, where the crowd is typically too drunk to care what sound fills the space and it only costs a few quid to get in, are pretty amateurish. They’ll play their one or two original songs, then fill the rest of their time with covers, trying all the while to figure out how to work the stage and engage the crowd. 

These guys definitely don’t seem like amateurs. 

Marlene had said they were just starting out, but you don’t believe it. She, as you expected, is incredible. She embodies this fierce, uncaring kind of cool, fingers sliding up and down the neck of her electric guitar with skill you didn’t know she had. The guys in the band aren’t half bad either. The singer has a voice that seems always on the edge of a scream, and he and Marlene play off each other’s energy, him occasionally leaning the mic her way to belt something together. The bassist seems a bit aloof, long fingers moving with an almost lazy dexterity, which seems to be driving the people clustered at the edge of the stage even madder than they might be if he paid them any attention. And the drummer…

Perhaps you’re partial to the drummer because he doesn’t seem like he’s trying to be cool at all. There’s something completely uninhibited about him that lights something in your chest and sends a buzz of excitement through the room, like you’re all feeding off his energy. He looks like he’s having the time of his life. Sweat shines brilliantly on his dusky skin and drips off the ends of curly brown hair that’s just long enough to flop into his eyes. Someone threw him a headband earlier in the show seemingly to help prevent this, so now he’s got it pushed back, curls protruding his head and bouncing as he bobs enthusiastically to the beat. A smile splits his face as he launches into a brief solo, and coincidentally your stomach erupts in butterflies at precisely the same time. 

You’re thinking of trying to jostle your way up to the barricade when the drummer’s eyes take another skim of the crowd, and this time they catch on you. Your heart stutters. A tall figure moves in front of you, obscuring your view of the stage, and when they pass the drummer’s still looking at you. And holy shit. This is eye contact. You’re not totally sure how well he can see you what with the lighting in here, but it feels like his eyes are looking right into yours and saying Hello, nice to meet you. 

A few seconds more and he has to tear his attention away as they go back into the chorus, but your eyes keep finding each other’s. It feels more intimate than it probably should, with several meters of distance between you and the crowded, raucous atmosphere, but you can’t help the giddy lightness that accumulates in your chest over the course of the set. 

During what the singer says will be their last song, his gaze flicks to you with something different in it. It’s not something you can place, but in the next second it’s gone, and all his attention is on his drum solo. You cheer with the rest of the audience as drumsticks fly, almost too quick to see, over the drums and cymbals, and you’re so caught up it takes you a second too long to realize one of them actually is flying. 

Your hands flinch up in front of you just in time, protecting your face and fumbling the drumstick nearly to the ground before you catch it. You look back towards the drummer, and his eyes have flared with alarm. 

“Sorry,” he shouts over the screeching of guitars, earning a glare from the singer a second before all sound cuts out. 

Marlene takes the mic, announcing that they’re done performing for the night but will be available to receive free drinks until closing. The band starts to pack up and leave the stage. 

The crowd splits in two, one half migrating towards the bar and the other towards the exits. You’re not quite sure where to go. You want to meet up with Marlene, maybe give her the drumstick to pass along to her bandmate and thank her for inviting you before you head home, but you’re not bold enough to venture backstage. You cast a glance toward the bar, twirling the wooden stick absentmindedly between your fingers. Maybe you can find a seat to wait for her? 

“You’re not bad at that.” 

You turn, and the drummer from the band is standing behind you. 

“Oh.” You glance down at the drumstick in your hand, feeling a bit silly as you hold it out. “Thanks. Here you go.” 

“Thank you.” His eyes are even better close up. He’s put on glasses, magnifying the warm brown of his irises and the thick, dark lashes that nearly brush his lenses when he blinks. “You looked like you’d be a better catcher.” 

You laugh. “Not sure what would make you think that.” 

“Well, you did manage it in the end.” He smiles. It’s charming with a touch of roguishness, and you get the impression he’s someone accustomed to being forgiven. “Sorry for almost hitting you in the face.” 

You shrug, suddenly unsure what you usually do with your hands. “It happens,” you say. “I don’t take it personally when musicians lose their instruments in my direction.” 

“Oh, well I wasn’t trying to lob it at your head, but tossing it your way wasn’t an accident.” 

Something funny happens in your gut. “It wasn’t?” 

His grin spreads and he shakes his head. “I figured it was my best shot at getting a chance to meet you.” 

Your face heats. You hope you’re not smiling as big as it feels like you are. “You could’ve just asked Marlene,” you say. “No need to throw things.” 

He laughs, a warm and hearty sound. “I’ll have to refine my methods,” he replies. “I’m James.” 

You tell him your name in turn, and he gets this look on his face like it’s the best thing he’s heard all night. 

“Do you wanna join us at the bar for free drinks?” he asks, taking out the headband and ruffling his hair so his curls bounce onto his forehead. It’s more than a little distracting. “I’m sure Marls would love for you to stay.” 

“I…” You glance towards the bar. “I’m pretty sure the free drinks are just for people in the band, no?” 

“Oh, don’t worry about that.” He waves you off, taking your hand and leading you towards the bar. “You won’t be paying regardless. Just tell me what you like.”

[dovesdreaming]

Double trouble

Summary: Rodrick Heffley finally meets his match when a new band member joins Löded Diper and they’re exactly like him.

Request

Masterlist

Warnings: none

-

Rodrick Heffley had always been the king of his own world, a world filled with the raucous sounds of heavy metal, the smell of worn leather, and the unbridled chaos that came with being the drummer of Löded Diper. So when his parents forced him to find a new guitarist for the band, he wasn’t exactly thrilled. But then you walked in. You were exactly what the band needed, a fierce guitarist with a sound that matched Rodrick's energy note for note. You showed up to the audition wearing a beat-up leather jacket and band tee, your hair perfectly messy, looking like you had just walked out of one of Rodrick’s favorite music videos. He wasn’t sure if he was looking in a mirror or at the person who might just change everything.

“Alright, show me what you got" Rodrick said, leaning back with an air of disinterest he’d perfected over years of being a self proclaimed rock god. You rolled your eyes, just like he would have, and adjusted the strap of your guitar. When your fingers hit the strings, the sound that came out was pure magic, a riff so heavy it made the basement walls vibrate. Rodrick’s usual smirk fell into something more serious as he nodded along. By the time you finished, the rest of the band was staring in awe, but Rodrick just crossed his arms and gave a curt nod.

“You're in” he said, trying to play it cool. But there was a glint in his eye that you caught, one that said, This might actually be fun. Practices were different after you joined the band. There was more energy, more intensity. Rodrick found himself playing harder, pushing himself to keep up with you, and he liked the challenge. “You know, you’re not half bad” he said one day after a particularly grueling practice, sweat dripping down his forehead. “Coming from you, that’s a compliment” you shot back, smirking. Rodrick chuckled, a rare sound from him, as he wiped his brow with the back of his hand. "Maybe we should do something together. Like, you know, write a song”. “Only if you promise not to mess it up” you teased. He rolled his eyes. "Please. You’re the one who better keep up with me”.

But it wasn’t just about music. As the weeks went on, Rodrick started noticing how similar the two of you really were. You shared the same taste in bands, down to the most obscure groups that no one else in town seemed to know. You had the same disdain for anything ‘mainstream’ and you both took pride in your rebellious style. One day, Rodrick came to practice wearing a shirt from a band’s farewell tour that he’d been sure no one else knew about. When you showed up wearing the exact same shirt, he almost dropped his drumsticks. “No way!" you both said in unison, then laughed. Rodrick grinned at you, feeling something warm in his chest. It wasn’t like him to care much about other people, but you well, you were different.

As time passed, you and Rodrick became the dynamic duo of Löded Diper. The band started to sound tighter, more professional, almost like you actually knew what you were doing. The guys even started to talk about getting gigs outside of Greg’s middle school parties, something Rodrick had only dreamed about before. One night after a particularly killer session, you both stayed behind, too hyped up to leave.

“You know, we might actually make something of this” Rodrick said, strumming his guitar absently as he sat next to you on the worn out basement couch. You leaned back, looking up at the ceiling. "Yeah, if we don’t kill each other first”. He chuckled, nudging you with his shoulder. "It’s not my fault you’re always trying to one up me”. “Please” you scoffed. "You’re the one who always has to have the last word”.

Rodrick smirked. "Yeah, well, someone’s gotta keep you in check”. You rolled your eyes but couldn’t help smiling. It was weird, but despite all the back and forth, you knew you made a good team. More than that, you were starting to think maybe you’d found someone who really understood you, someone who saw the world the same way you did, even if they were a total pain sometimes. "Hey” Rodrick said suddenly, turning serious. "I’m glad you joined the band. It’s…cool having someone who gets it”. You looked at him, surprised by the sincerity in his voice. "Yeah” you said softly. "I’m glad too”. You could have sworn you saw his eyes flit down to your lips and lean in ever so slightly but as quick as you saw it he had turned away from you with an absent minded smile on his face.

You both sat there in comfortable silence, the sounds of the night filtering through the basement windows. It wasn’t something either of you would say out loud, at least not yet. But you knew, whatever came next, you were in it together. And with both of you in the band, Löded Diper was about to rock harder than ever before.

-

Thank you for reading!

[reiderwriter]

🍷 Alcohol Free 🍷

Week 1 of my Playlist series! Inspired by Alcohol Free by TWICE.

Summary: You're the designated driver for half of your friends, and Spencer is the designated driver for the other half, so why do you feel so buzzed when you're around him? OR; taking every opportunity when you finally meet Spencer Reid for the first time ♡

Warnings: fluff, mentions of alcohol consumption, but reader and Spencer are both sober. A/N: Welcome to week 1 of the Playlist! I think we started with an absolute banger, and for such a fun, upbeat song with this, I had to make this a fluff (sorry to all my smut and angst enjoyed, please be patient 🫡). I hope you enjoy it! Don't forget to send me more song recs, as I'll be writing one follower chosen song fic per month 🥳

Check out my masterlist here~

“How much have you had to drink exactly, Pen?” You laugh as you watch her wobble back and forth, at her table.

“We started with champagne and wine. And then there was the cocktail round, so, a few margaritas here and there. And a mojito. Maybe a mimosa. I think a guy bought me a pint colada at the bar earlier,” her words were so sharp you almost couldn't believe she'd drank anything at all, but the fact that she said all this while swaying gently from side to side had you giggling at her antics.

“Don't forget the tequila!” Penelope's friend Emily groaned from the other side of the table then were gathered at, face already flat on the surface as if her hangover had already hit.

You'd been friends with Penelope for over a year now, so you were acquainted with all of the girls there, and had agreed to come and meet them on one of their girls nights out. You were never a big drinker though, so you offered to be the designated driver for the half of the gang that were committed to Uber-ing home.

They'd been drinking since the mid afternoon, and by the time you'd gotten off work and cleaned up for the bar, it was obvious that they were going to be a handful.

“Y/N, YOU'RE REALLY PRETTY, YOU KNOW THAT RIGHT?” JJ shouted from her seat beside you.

“Thank you, JJ, you already said that three times tonight. Maybe we should get you some water?”

“And so kind too, my princess in shining armour,” Penelope giggled.

For most people, being the only sober person on a night out was hell, but you found yourself enjoying it more and more as the years went by. Drunk women were so much like kindergarteners when they reaches a certain blood alcohol level, and you loved seeing what your usually serious and cool girlfriends would come up with.

You also wanted to make sure they stayed safe, and with the impressive list of multiple alcohols they'd just ingested, you wondered if you should be carting them off to the emergency room then and there.

“I THINK YOU'D LIKE MY FRIEND SPENCER. HE'S NERDY. YOU'D MAKE CUTE BABIES.” JJ was still shouting all of her words, despite the bar being relatively quiet and you almost did a spit take with your water as she kept on.

“Stop trying to marry Spence off, Jennifer.” Penelope giggled, over pronouncing JJ's name as if it were her first time ever using the word.

You'd heard a lot about this Spencer Reid since you'd become close with the girls at the table, and honestly, you were happy that JJ deemed you good enough for their Spencer.

From the sounds of it, all three of them nagged at him like elder sisters who found him endearingly annoying, and were fiercely protective of him. It made you curious.

“Are you seeing anyone, Y/N?” Emily asked, finally lifting her head up slightly, but in a way that made it look like it weighed 500 lbs more than usual.

“I'm not.”

“Why? You're smoking. Half the men in here have been circling your like sharks for the hour you've been here.” You laughed at that and pushed a bottle of water in Emily's direction again, encouraging her to take small sips of water.

“I'm being serious! I may be drunk beyond belief but this is a sober thought.”

“Emily, I love you, but none of these men are interested in me. I'm practically a spinster. I'm 27, I have no money and no prospects, yada yada, already a burden to my parents.”

“That was something nerdy, I know that was something nerdy, my Spencie Senses are tingling,” she quipped.

And as if right on cue, a quiet voice popped up from behind you and all the hairs on your neck stood on edge as it happened.

“It's a quote from the 2005 Pride and Prejudice movie, so it's not really all that nerdy, Emily.” You turned, slightly startled in your seat as you finally met the elusive Doctor Spencer Reid.

“SPENCE!” JJ cheered, and the other girls similarly whooped at his entrance. They were overjoyed, but you were slightly overwhelmed, because not once in their descriptions of Spencer Reid had they ever told you that he was quite possibly one of the hottest men to ever grace this good Earth.

His hair was slightly curly, a mess of waves flopping into his eyes, but shorter on the sides, highlighting his sculpted jaw. He was tall, on the lean side and craning your neck to look up at him was a happy experience to say the least.

He greeted his friends and looked down to you, and you felt all the blood suddenly rush to your brain when your eyes locked. Dear God.

“Spencer, this is Y/N, my wonderful, gorgeous, single and attractive friend. Say hello, Spencer.”

“Hello,” he gladly followed the instructions Penelope gave him, and you practically giggled at the sound of his voice. Giggled.

“Hello. I'm the wonderful, gorgeous, attractive Y/N,” you waved at him slightly, but your brain wouldn't stop thumping around as you enjoyed the sight of the man.

“Penelope actually told me about you before. You're working at the indie bookstore near Café Density, right? Castle Books? I got a first edition of T.S. Eliot’s Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats there a few months ago.”

“You!” You gasped the word, as a garage of words fell from your mouth in a stream. “You bastard, I was saving for months to buy that thing, and three days before my paycheck I turn up and it was gone! Oh my god, how does it smell? Are the pages mustard yellow or still A little white? They never let me touch it because I almost burst into tears every time I got close.”

To your astonishment, he didn't recoil from your spitfire speech, but laughed happily.

“It's great, the illustrations are amazing. I didn't know someone else had their eye on it when I went in, I'm sorry.”

“Don't apologise for finding treasure. You'd be a horrible pirate if you did that.” You brain really wasn't connected with your mouth anymore and you resisted the urge to turn and bolt away from the discussion.

“Thank you? I'm not a pirate, but I think that was a compliment.”

“See, nerds made in heaven, JJ was right.” The panic built up again slightly and you were sure your brain was going to explode with all the heat that was flooding to your face.

“What's JJ right about?” Reid inquired, and you almost grasped your chest to stop your heart from beating out of it when he cocked his head to the side.

You hadn't had a lick of alcohol the entire night, and yet you're entire body was reacting like it was drunk on Spencer Reid.

“Oh just that you and Y/N here would make beautiful-”

“BEAUTIFUL CONVERSATIONS HAPPEN.” You quickly cut Penelope off, sending her a warning look that was less subtle than just straight up telling her to shut her mouth.

“Can we go now?” Emily dropped her head to the table again as she threw out the words, looking suddenly three shades greener than she was a moment before. “I think that last shot was the drink that broke the camel's liver, and I'm the camel.”

You passed her the water again and slowly started to help your friends gently gather their things, noticing that Spencer was doing the same.

No wonder these girls were so protective of him if this is how well he treats them. He was their coworker, but he would have absolutely been confused for a filial son for any of the three women as he helped them each.

“Where do you live, Y/N?” He asked casually as you both helped the women out of the bar and into the fresh air. “My car is a bit small, but we can throw these three in the back together and they'll mostly sleep until they get back to their homes.”

“Oh no, you don't have to do that, I can go by myself-”

“I can't let a drunk woman go home by herself, Penelope would give me hell in the morning.” This earned a few giggles from the women beside you. You thought you heard Emily mumbling “some profiler he is,” under her breath as well.

You hesitated. You should've been explaining that you hadn't had anything to drink yet, that you actually drove here yourself and that your car was likely parked right by his. You should've offered to take at least one woman off his hands for the night to share the burden of making sure your friends didn't die.

But it was true that each of the women was likely to completely pass out when they got into the car, like newborns being rocked to sleep by their mothers. And that left Spencer Reid free for conversation.

“Thank you, that would be really nice, actually,” you smiled and followed the man to his car, lugging your wonderfully buzzed friends behind you.

[wlfatthedoor]

SEQUEL TO Bore Into Me

I really tried, I promise.

(Warnings: fingering, oral sex, light public play, rough, penetrating  sex, overstimulation/forced orgasms. ) :3

(Masc!Reader/Dom!Masc!Ellie)

—

It was admittedly embarrassing as hell to stumble back out onto the floor after Ellie, dazed and wobbly on your feet—although you defended your state fiercely for your drunkness. The uncomfortable wetness from your arousal in your boxers that was cooling against your pussy wasn't helping, either. Ellie really had you feeling like a slut.

However, you had the suspicion that the group knew something was up, specifically by a knowing look Jesse shot at you. Maybe Dina, too, however you deliberately chose not to linger on that for now. You had enough confusion for the night. All that you could focus on was Ellie.

Things partially resumed as normal, you only joined for 2 more songs before everyone else was progressively getting tired for the night. It was nearing 4 AM, now. Knowing the club would close soon, you were swept away with godly relief as the group gathered themselves to leave.

The rest was a blur, really. The group split up, everyone climbing into shared Ubers. You were about to join Dina when Ellie was getting your attention again, insisting that you carpool with her to her place for the night.

By the looks of it, you figured you'd give Dina privacy that night. Jesse seemed to be going home with her after all.

—

It was anxious as hell eventually sitting next to Ellie in the car. The driver was relatively silent, the radio almost muted as he navigated towards her home. You were snapped from your thoughts when you felt Ellie's hand creep over your clothed knee. You looked at her, confused.

"How're you feeling?" She asked. Strangely tender.

You assumed she meant physically, not your conflicting emotions over the fact that she had your mouth on her pussy just moments earlier and reeling with the need to cum. You relaxed into the seat a little.

"M'good.. dizzy, I guess." You breathed. Reminiscing of the phantom sensation of her shoe pressed cruelly into your desperate pussy.

Ellie grinned. "Yeah. Me too."

You opened your mouth to respond when you were cut short,  your voice falling silent as you felt Ellie's hand slide up your thigh. Oh, so that's where this was going.

The noise around you seemed to muddle together. You weren't quite sure if Ellie was making small talk with the driver now, you were entirely transfixed on the sensation of her hand still rising. Subtle and out of view.

The moment her hot palm leeching through the fabric rested over your groin, you forcibly restrained yourself from lifting your hips, huffing silently. Perhaps you should have expected this.

You glanced over to her. It was so dark, you could only just make out the silhouette of her inside the vehicle, her expression unreadable. You held back a wince when she nonchalantly applied direct pressure over your clothed clit. She was still talking to the driver, cracking a few jokes. You felt entirely powerless. You didn't want to raise too much attention,  though. You've already mortified yourself enough tonight.

You dropped your head back against the headrest and clenched your jaw. Ellie was still pressing and rubbing small circles over your cunt. Christ were you soaked. You felt like a feral animal clenching and twitching your fingers against the leather seats.

Combined with your drunkenness, fatigue and overwhelming horniness, the ride went on as a blur. You'd exerted all of your energy into not making a sound as you withstood Ellie's unrelenting touch...

You jolted when she patted your pussy playfully and grinned. "C'Mon. We're here."

You didn't reply. You only straightened yourself and climbed out of the car, mustering a quick 'thank you' the driver on your way out. Closing the door behind you. It was only now that you could focus and read Ellie's face. She looked predatory, almost.

You'd followed her inside, going up the steps into her apartment. It all felt so surreal. With a bated breath you watched her unlock the door and stepped in behind her, only having enough sense to half-assedly kick off your sneakers at the door.

You had  lost all care for your pride at this point. You just wanted to get off, for Christs sake.

"You're goddamn mean, you know that?" You sneered, fumbling with your own belt on autopilot.

Now that you were In the privacy of Ellie's home, you palmed yourself idly, relieving some of the painful tension shamelessly.

You winced as Ellie roughly grabbed you by your scalp, dragging you down the hallway into her bedroom.

"On the fucking bed.  Now. Or you're not cumming tonight." Ellie hissed. Voice laced with annoyance.

"Fuck.! Ugh,  fine. God, dude.." You murmured, falling back onto her mattress, sitting on your elbows and looking up at her as she stood at the foot of the bed.

She wasted no time in pouncing on you like an animal. Her body climbing itself overtop yours and pressing you deep into the mattress. You moaned, vulgarly as she pulled you into a wet kiss. It was so much more different this time. Sloppy, rough, passionate, you whined into Ellie's mouth at the force of her warm tongue shoving itself into your yours.

You exhaled through your nose messily, puffing against Ellie's face in relief as she tore your pants and boxers off in one go, then pushing your sweatshirt further up your body. Your  twitching stomach and bare, sopping cunt on full display.

She bit your lower lip harshly, hands scrambling to grip your thigh, forcing it further open while her free hand slithered to your pussy, rubbing ruthless circles on your wet clit.

You yelped, pulling back to moan. "—Ellie..!" You heaved.

She ignored you, mouthing wetly at your chin, then neck, moving down to your shoulder, growling to herself in arousal. You felt yourself blush hot with embarrassment as she pressed kisses into your skin.

You clawed blindly at her back, then pulled at her hair, giving weak attempts to push off her own clothes. She was still working her fingers over your cunt, so quickly you wondered how this girl was not developing carpal tunnel. Christ.

"A—augh..Ellie.. E-Ellie.." You protested, patting her back weakly. "E-Ellie I'm close.. please..p-please don't stop—" You whined, pathetic and breathy. Ellie had an iron grip on your thigh, fingers bruising your flesh as she kept you lewdly spread open.  In your defense, you were ready to cum ages ago. Ellie's teasing had you right on edge since the start. Fuck the foreplay, man.

"What, already?" She snickered, forcing her index and pointer finger inside you. You were so wet that the transition went smooth, her slender fingers stretching you open easily, lubed with your cum.

You gasped loudly, clawing and gripping her shoulders for stability. "—Ellie..!" You drawled.

Ellie pulled back to look at your face. Pumping her fingers into you, relishing in the disgusting squelches as she rested her clammy forehead against yours. "Had I known you could be taken apart like this.. I would've gone after you earlier, baby."

Your eyes welled with tears as her fingers jabbed directly into that spongey spot inside you, having your stomach squirm with pleasure. You attempted to choke out something, then dropped your head back and moaned. Loud. Your orgasm taking you by surprise.

She consistently pumped into you throughout it, swearing to herself as she felt your walls contract and squeeze around her slender fingers, prolonging your aftershocks as much as possible. 

You sniffled and pushed on her shoulders, quickly becoming overstimulated. "Ellie.." you whined.

Ellie continued to pump into you, eyes transfixed on your cunt, almost in awe to herself before she snapped back into reality, slowing into a stop. She pulled her hand away and watched your stretched hole flutter open a couple times, still drooling cum.

"Gosh, babe.."  She groaned. "Don't move."

Ellie stood up from the bed, digging trough the bin in her closet floor until she pulled out a familiar  device. You could only lay there, staring empty at the ceiling as you felt your spent, sensitive pussy twitch. Thinking about all of the events that had played out tonight.

You widened your eyes when Ellie was clambering back into bed, this time with a neoprene harness fastened to her hips, overtop her boxers.. with a translucent blue cock. 

"W-wait wait wait—Ellie I'm sensitive—" You protested, to no avail. Ellie was manhandling you onto your stomach. Not that you were putting up a fight. Truthfully you were exhausted, dizzy and still recovering from the orgasm, but you were dying to see where this was going. No way was she going to fuck you like this, was she..?

Ellie's rough callused palm between your shoulder blades pushed you into the mattress, your face gnashing into the pillows. God, this was shameful.

Ellie gripped and massaged your asscheeks in her hands, spreading them and staring at your holes lewdly. You clenched your eyes and dug your face deeper, trying to fight off the humiliation.

Your hips jolted as you felt her spit hotly overtop your holes, dripping down all over your pussy. She didn't need lube, no, you were soaked enough as is. She was reeling at the thought of fucking her spit into your body.

"Ellie—!" You barked. "T-that's s-so gross..!" You groaned, turning your face to the side to look at her, seeing her shit eating grin.

"You liked it, you sick freak. You're not very subtle baby."

You made an attempt to turn your body to your side but was pushed back down into the mattress. This time Ellie gripped your hips and forcibly began sliding her cock inside you.

You howled, muffled into the linens as your body stretched around her to accommodate the toy. "Ffffucking hell—" You wheezed. "E-Ellie.. I already came!"

Ellie bottomed out, then pulled out halfway, the toy coated in your translucent cum, then snapped it back in, gliding smoother this time back into your body. "I know."

You wheezed into the pillow, your sensitive cunt painfully pulsing around the toy as she fucked into you.  The head of the toy was gnashing directly against your cervix, punching out painful whines from you in unison with her thrusts. You could feel the pain permeating all the way into your belly.. strangely morphing into a new foreign kind of sick pleasure.

Ellie snapped her hips quickly into you. The only sounds in the room were the clammy claps of your skin, your pained moans and obscene squelching from your pussy.

It had quite literally only been minutes since you came, and yet.. another orgasm was building..

You frantically pawed behind you, gripping Ellie's wrist that was holding your hip. Tears spilled down your cheeks as you unconsciously gripped tighter around her.

"Ellie.." you cried weakly.

Her movements unrelenting, you felt a jarring orgasm force it's way through your body again. You heaved into the pillow, damn near squeezing the circulation out of Ellie's wrist as you shuddered through the waves.

Ellie was still thrusting into you, punching your cervix deeper into your body, making you yelp.

This was her fucked up way of making up for the denial earlier,  you supposed..

By the way Ellie was fucking into you, you realized she was most likely getting off on the strap herself. Grinding and swirling her hips against your body as her own clit pulsed wonderfully against the toy's base. Panting and moaning quietly to herself.

You winced and tugged her arm weakly, her grip still remaining. "P-please stop—I can't cum again.. Ellie.."

She hunched over to rest her forehead over your shoulder, using both hands to push you flat into the bed and cage your body beneath hers, still being jerked back and forth within the motion of her thrusts.

"J-just one more.. one more baby, okay?" She rasped hotly.

You went lax in defeat, your noises of pleasure and sobs mixing together as the girl fucked you into the mattress.  This time, there was no longer any buildup, only hot, wet pressure until you were being forced to withstand another intense, albeit shorter orgasm wreck it's way through your system. Your belly and legs painfully clenching and spasming.

Ellie feverishly humped into you, moaning to herself until she bumped into the strap just right, grinding into it as she came as well not long after.

You laid there, full body trembling as your still partially drunk mind attempted to process what was going on, recovering from your third, almost too painful to enjoy orgasm.

Ellie, still panting herself nuzzled into the crook of your neck, still hunched over you. She silently crept her hips back, the toy plopping out of you with a squelch slowly. She carelessly unfastened the strap and threw it in a random direction away from the bed. Thudding somewhere against the floor in the dark out of sight.

The both of you fell to your sides on top the bed,

panting and beyond exhausted.

Ellie reached out. Grabbing your hand and stroking the top with her thumb tenderly.

"Shower..?" She rasped. Exasperated.

You struggle out with the words on your mouth. "Water first.. please.."

She grinned, tired.

"Okay."

—

Please don’t feel shy to give feedback or leave suggestions, I really appreciate it!

[metallicames]

Hi there! here is the second part. Hope you like it.

Translated by @nausicaamusiclover20 ❣️

Wild Things

Description: you and the guys from Metallica went to an afterparty in a pub in Seattle and James needs you, again...

WARNINGS: smut, explicit content, rough sex, dirty talking.

The energy inside the arena had been electric, but here at the Rocket, it was absolute chaos. Not a single person was sober—people were stumbling, dancing, shouting, and even vomiting. I spot my friend Matt making out with a girl against the bathroom wall, while some of his friends slump around a nearby table, two of them with their heads down, completely out from all the drinking.

In a quieter corner, the guys from the band look worn but happy, celebrating with yet another round of beer. I notice faint lines of white powder scattered on their table, but before I can think too much about it, Kirk is beside me, shouting to be heard over the noise, “Which song pumped you up the most?”

We start talking about the show, laughing over his solos and the way Lars seemed like he’d tear his arms off playing Battery. The memories pour out, reliving every song, every moment. Time blurs in the chaos, and everyone’s laughing, with James goofing around, throwing playful jabs at Lars and the others.

At some point, I slip away to the bathroom, and as I’m stepping back out, a hand grabs my wrist and pulls me into a dim room, lit only by a few soft blue lights. The walls are made of dark plexiglass, and a lone, abandoned pool table sits at the center.

It’s James. His eyes are dark, intense, and he pulls me close, kissing me with a sudden, fierce urgency. I feel a rush of surprise and thrill, a smirk on my lips as I kiss him back, slipping my hands around the collar of his leather jacket, pulling him even closer.

It doesn’t take long before he turns me around, pressing me forcibly forward so that my chest meets the cool, worn felt of the pool table. I feel his body close behind me, his hands guiding me as his breathing quickens. He leans down to murmur close to my ear, “I can’t stop fucking you!” and then slaps my buttock. A thrill runs down my spine, and I find myself whispering, almost pleading, “Please...fuck me, James. I need you to fill me completely...again.”

He exhales a low, almost primal sound, his hands tightening around my waist as he draws me close. His touch is both rough and tender, his fingers brushing along my hips. He lifts my skirt and moves my panties on the side. The sensation immediately makes me shiver. With a smirk on his face he spits on his hand and starts rubbing my clit and my already wet cunt . Then he entered me fully making me moan loudly. The sensations are overwhelming, and every nerve feels alive and the position increases friction which makes me feel even more pleasure. “Please Jamie... faster!” I sayed sighing “As you wish, baby” and he started thrusting even faster, resting his hands on my hips. The thrill of being in this moment, hidden away, the exhilaration of the music and chaos outside, that everyone can enter but I couldn’t care less because even if someone entered, I would never notice. Every breath, every heartbeat, feels like it belongs only to us.

I can’t see his face, but I feel his urgency in the way he holds me, the rhythm of his breaths, and the tension in his grip. It’s a shared, silent connection—an electric, irresistible pull that feels like it could last forever. “Fffuck James, you’re so deep...” I cried while I’m trying to claw my way onto the surface of the pool table. “Am I hurting you?” - “No, just fuck me, don’t stop please!” I encourage him, he takes my free wrist and brings it behind my back, squeezing it with his strong fingers, using it as further leverage to stabilize the movements and make them even deeper.

I feel completely lost in the moment, my eyes rolling back as pleasure overwhelms me. Soft moans escape my lips, intertwining with James's deep, breathy responses. I can feel the makeup I carefully applied earlier begin to run down my cheeks, a reminder of how intense this experience has become. 

A powerful wave of sensation builds inside me, threatening to sweep me away. “You’re so wet... I can feel you’re close" he whispers, his voice barely above a breath, sending shivers down my spine.

My body responds instinctively, tightening around him, as if trying to draw him in even deeper. Every movement sends ripples of electricity through me. “Fuck, you’re making me me cum!” he exclaims, each word punctuated by gasps that only heighten my own desire.

Suddenly, I’m overwhelmed by a wave of pleasure, crashing over me like a tidal wave. I let out a desperate, “Oh my goddd” as I reach my peak, trembling uncontrollably and squeezing my legs instinctively as I ride the waves of ecstasy that leave me breathless.

I turn my head slightly, catching a glimpse of James out of the corner of my eye. He looks dazed and filled with desire, his tousled hair falling across his face. When our eyes meet, he pauses for a heartbeat, breathless and intense. Then, with a deliberate movement, he wraps his hands around my neck, just enough to make me arch my back slightly, and resumes his frantic rhythm.

“I’m going to wreck you!! I want to fill you completely.." he gasps between breaths, his voice low and urgent, makes me lose my mind.

At this point, I feel utterly lost in the moment, my body overwhelmed by pleasure and the intensity of our connection. The way he drives into me, pressing me against the pool table, is exhilarating and surreal. I can hardly believe he still has this kind of energy after the wild night we’ve shared.

“Fill me up, James, I’m all yours” I manage to breathe out, surrendering to the powerful wave of sensation that washes over me.

With a deep, primal groan, he reaches his climax, and I can feel him pulsing inside me. It’s a rush of warmth that envelops me, and I instinctively tighten around him, savoring every last moment of our connection. He empties himself completely, and as he collapses against me, his head resting on my back, I can hear his heavy breaths, a testament to how spent he is.

In that moment, everything else fades away, leaving just the two of us, entwined and breathless, lost in the aftermath of what we’ve shared.

As I try to gather myself, I hear a tapping sound on the plexiglass behind us. I turn my head slightly and catch a glimpse of Lars, who initially pretends to make out with the wall before shifting to simulate being intimate with an imaginary girl. I don’t worry too much; I’m still covered by James's body, and I know that Lars, being James's best friend, has probably seen it all. James bursts into laughter and calls out, “You idiot!” Lars walks away, still chuckling, leaving a light atmosphere in the room.

James slowly pulls away from me, letting out a soft sigh. “Damn, I’m exhausted,” he says as he starts to get dressed.

I glance at the clock on the wall: it’s 5:30 am. I get dressed too, still a bit dazed by everything that has just happened.

“Are you going to sleep with me tonight?!” His question feels more like an affirmation, and there’s sincerity in his eyes.

“yes, sure. but I need to check where Matt went. He was pretty messed up when I last saw him,” I reply, trying to keep my tone light.

“Okay, don’t worry. We’ll call him a taxi later,” he reassures me with a casual wave of his hand.

As we step outside, I start looking for Matt and finally find him slumped on a bench in the pub, mumbling something incoherently. He’s completely drunk. We head out together and call a taxi. Before we let him go, I slip a note into Matt's jacket pocket: “I’m staying at James’s, don’t worry. What a crazy night!!! Kisses.”

We watch him stagger away, then climb into the band’s van. I sit across from Kirk, who looks at us with a mischievous, high grin. I’m sure James and I look like we’ve just had the best night of our lives. I can feel my cheeks flush as I turn to look at James. His hair is tousled, his cheeks are flushed, and there’s a light sheen of sweat on his skin. Next to Kirk, Jason is eagerly kissing a girl I’ve never seen before, while in the back, Lars is sprawled between two girls, resting his head on one of their shoulders.

James leans his head back, clearly spent, and at one point, he reaches for my hand. When he finds it, he gently squeezes it, running his thumb lightly across my knuckles. The ride lasts about ten minutes, and I thank the creator of elevators because if I had to climb four flights of stairs, I would probably be dead.

We enter James’s hotel room, which he usually shares with at least one other bandmate, often Lars, but tonight he has it all to himself. The place is a mess: beer bottles and various alcohol containers scattered everywhere, T-shirts strewn about, and the bed is in disarray. “So typical of James,” I think with an amused smile.

He quickly sheds his clothes, leaving only his boxers, and collapses onto the bed, utterly exhausted.

“Can I borrow one of your shirts to sleep in? I don’t have anything with me,” I ask, poking my head out of the bathroom.

“Sure, grab the one on the chair. It should be clean,” he replies, his voice drowsy.

I slip on the shirt I find, soft and smelling like him, then lie down beside him. He turns to face me, his eyes already half-closed. God, he’s so handsome. Unable to resist, I lean in and give him a soft kiss on the lips.

He responds immediately, sliding his hand between my thighs, creating a warm, enveloping sensation. I sink into a heavy sleep, feeling his body close to mine, a perfect refuge as the outside world fades away, leaving just the two of us, wrapped in a comforting haze of sensation and the promise of tomorrow.

Third part

𖥸

[brights-place]

If i can request. Can i request a floyd x male rock troll or techno troll reader headcanons

And maybe his brother’s reaction to it I’ve just been obsessed with floyd being with different types of trolls

Floyd dating a Male! ROCK S/O

Pairings: Floyd X Reader

Warnings: Floyd being an cutie patootie, Fluff

A/N: OMG YESSS ROCK TROLLS ARE SO NEHFBERHSVBNAIWB I LOVE THIS OKAY OKAY OKAY! I'm an Goth person but I LOVE Rock and lots of other music genres Rock and Metal is one of them so I was excited for this request! I hope you like these! I did this for fun and I enjoyed it so much thank you for the request lovely! <33

- FUCK YESSS ROCK N ROLLLL!!!! - OKAY I'M LIKE SCREAMING FOR THIS REQUEST ANYWAY! HOPE YOU ENJOY LOVELIES! - Rock trolls were known for well their history and one of them was working with Barb for the rock apocalypse and were also known for their music wit some trolls saying "Rock n Roll and Metal is all noise and screaming!” which was half right and wrong but was also stupid stereotypes -  Rock trolls looked like pop trolls but they have more fierce looks. Rock trolls clothing is often tattered, and they commonly have piercings and heavy black makeup. Most Rock Trolls favor dark colors such as grey, dull blue and black, as well as the occasional white and bright red. Their noses are usually arrowhead-shaped, and their ears have a sharper point, which is a defining trait of their Tribe - And the fact they were more wilder looking terrified some trolls yet were interested - Floyd was traveling to 'find himself' after his argue with brozone and ended up to rock volcano city to check out different genres and ended up at an concert which you were apart of.

- Floyd saw you when you were playing with the other rock trolls singing loudly and happily while playing your instrument with an huge smile

- He was invested in the music but also Invested in you... your wild appearance your smile and many piercings along with your tattoos made him feel lured in as he was close to the stage staring at you most of the time

- Blushed when you winked at him while playing your instrument and was attracted more to the music and how you maintained eye contact with him while some rock trolls snickered at floyd and his blushing face

- Once the show was done barb introduced herself to Floyd and introduced you to floyd as you greeted him with an smile before winking at floyd who blushed looking away pushing his hair behind his ear while staring at you - When Barb dragged floyd around to show him more of rock culture you were walking behind the group listening to your music as floyd soon walked over smiling at you shyly "hey your (name) right?" "Oh yeah" you said taking out an earphone as he blushed

- "Uhm you were cool on stage it was awesome you think you can show me how to play? Rock sounds cool" Floyd said blushing as you grinned "Oh damn! really?" You said looking away as floyd nodded "well... I wouldn't mind teaching you" Floyd looked away "I'd like that"

- He would come by every two weeks to have you introduce him to rock music then two weeks came to once an week and once an week came by once every 2 days

- You got close and sometimes you two would play guitar together and would exchange favorite songs

- He learned how to play your favorite song on his acoustic guitar

- You two would do duet songs of rock songs but if he could convince you to sing pop songs he'd melt into your hands

- Would realize he likes you when you hugged him goodbye after he came to volcano rock city for your daily hangouts - Randomly shows each other affection at the most random moments

- Sometimes you'd hold each others hands whenever talking to other trolls and you two would kiss each others cheek and go back to your conversations to others who just stare with their jaw drop

- You two soon started to date after 4 months of hanging around each other as usual

- When he got taken away you had to find Branch for help

- Once you're reunited you two basically run to each other and hug with tears streaming down your eyes as you held his waist cupping his face “Did they hurt you?!” “No, I'm okay! Did they hurt you?!” “Who cares?” “I do!” you two literally cry and kiss each other for an moment before pulling away as you held him close

- Would beg you to please understand how he didn’t mean for that to happen to him and you’d have to cry as-well holding him close telling him it’s alright.

- you moving his hair out of his face makes him melt as you pepper his face with kisses telling him he’s safe and your there.

- You would go back to singing pop rock covers of songs together as you sing together sweetly before kissing eachother with an smile

reblogs + comments are appreciated ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡

©brights-place 2024 — do not repost on another platform, copy, translate or edit my works! if you fit my DNI list please don't interact!

[callsign-muffin]

Heal Together: Chapter 10 (Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw fic)

So I guess I can write it on here now that it's official. I had to break up with my boyfriend of 3 years last week. It was a painful but necessary decision. It's why I've been... not around for the past couple months. Nothing drains you more than a toxic relationship.

Masterlist + Playlist

Word Count: 1.8k+

“You wanna catch a baby today?” Deb, the sweet yet fierce nurse that you were shadowing asked you. She was probably in her 50s and had definitely been doing this job for almost as long as you’d been alive.

You sputtered, “Wait, what?” 

She laughed, getting a kick out of your confusion, “You’re gonna be the one to put this baby on Mom’s chest when it comes out.” She said, “There’s no better feeling.”

“But… I don’t know what to do…” You could feel your pulse bounding in your neck.

“You’re gonna do everything I tell you to do.” She smiled, “And you’ll be great.”

“Take a big deep breath and push… 1,2, 3, 4…” Deb expertly coached the patient for the past half hour and the baby’s head was just about crowning.

You hadn’t seen a birth since you were in school. You held one of the patient’s legs in position and counted along with Deb. This was better than you remembered it.

“Y/N, hit the call bell and tell the team we have a delivery.” Deb instructed you.

You did exactly as you were told, “Delivery in room 8!”

“You ready to have a birthday party?” Deb asked the patient sweetly.

She nodded, tears filling her eyes, “As ready as I’ll ever be!”

Next thing you knew, a team of people entered and started working like a well oiled machine. You helped Deb set up the bed, the doctors put on gowns and gloves, and the charge nurse swept through the room doing safety checks.

“Looks like we only need another big push or two!” The doctor said, “you ready to become a mom for the second time?”

Still crying tears of joy, the patient nodded, took a big deep breath and put on her game face.

You laid a blanket for the baby in the mom’s chest, “You’ve got this, Mama!”

With her husband holding one leg and you holding the other, a baby girl emerged in two big pushes.

Deb stood behind you like a guardian angel on your shoulder, “Lift baby and put her on the blanket  Mom’s chest. Don’t worry, she’s not made of glass.”

You did exactly that and your chest felt tight because the baby was whining a little and not giving those big cries.

“Dry off baby with the blanket to stimulate those big cries.” Deb said calmly.

You did exactly as you were told and within a second or two, the baby let out strong beautiful screams.

“Happy Birthday!” You said in a sing-song voice.

Deb passed you a stethoscope, “Listen to the lungs. How do they sound?”

You quickly put the stethoscope in your ears and placed the bell in baby’s back, “All clear.” 

“Well done,” Deb said, cover baby with a dry blanket so Mama can enjoy some snuggles.”

The patient looked up at you, “Thank you guys so much.”

“Yes, thank you for everything.” Her tearful husband added, “You all were incredible.”

For the first time in a long time, this feeling of warmth came over you. Something you're not sure you’ve felt in your nursing career before. 

“You did beautifully in there, dear.” Deb gave you a firm squeeze on the shoulder back at the nurse’s station.

You gasped, “Really?! I was freaking out!”

She chuckled, “You looked cool as a cucumber to me, must be all that time in the ICU.”

You shrugged, “This was definitely better than a shift at the ICU, I’ll tell ya that much.”

“The good days are great on this unit.” she said, “the bad days, they are the absolute worst. I know you know that feeling.”

You nodded, “All too well. Unfortunately, the bad days outnumber the good where I am.”

“I have a feeling you won’t have to stay there much longer.” She winked at you and went back to her charting.

█ ✪ █▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓█ ✪ █

Y/N: I helped deliver a baby today

Bradley: No way!!! I want to hear everything!

Y/N: Come over, I’m on my way home.

Bradley: Say fucking less, sweetheart

Y/N: I just have to shower, I got baby goo on me

Bradley: Hot.

Bradley knocked on Y/N’s apartment door, he could hear the faint sound of the shower running.

“It’s open!” Her voice called out. 

Bradley entered to find Y/N walking towards her bathroom in nothing but a towel.

“Excuse me, Miss!” He scoffed, “You better walk that sexy ass back over here and gimme a kiss.”

Y/N didn’t turn around but just backed up until she bumped into his chest.

He weaved his arms around her waist, giving her a tight squeeze, and leaving loud smooches on her cheek.

“Bradley,” She tried to wiggle away, “be careful, I have nasty hospital germs all over me!”

“Don’t tell me how I can love my girl” he grumbled into her shoulder.

She immediately turned around to face him with a raised eyebrow, “Your girl, huh? This is the first I’m hearing of this, Bradshaw!”

His ears went red, “Well… I mean… I think that you and I…”

She winked and wiggled out of his arms, “I’m gonna go shower while you gather your thoughts… or you could get in with me…”

Bradley stripped off his shirt, “Ya don’t have to tell me twice!”

“And then she emerged… wrinkly, kinda purple, and wet. And yet she was… absolutely beautiful.” Y/N sighed, recounting the events of your day on the couch with Bradley, your legs draped over his lap.

He couldn’t help but smile like an idiot, he had never heard her speak about something hospital related with this much joy. 

She paused for a moment when she noticed his face, “What? Is all this weird? I’m sorry if it’s weird?”

“No, sweetheart. It’s not weird at all. There’s nothing better to me than to see you so excited.” He explained, still wearing that cheesy grin.

Y/N climbed into his lap, “You want to see me get even more excited?”

He scoffed playfully, “Obviously.”

“Tell me more about how I’m your girl.” She proposed. 

“Well,” He snuggled her closer to him, “Well, I just think— no, I just feel… that I love hanging out with you so much and loving on you so much, that I want to be the only one.”

She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder, “Oh Bradshaw, you’ve been the only one.”

He kissed the crown of your head and let out a sigh of relief, “Thank fucking God, you’ve been the only one too.”

“I find that hard to believe,” she rolled her eyes, “I’ve seen the way women gawk at you at the Hard Deck.”

“I think you’re mixing me up with Hangman.” He chuckled.

“You’re literally built like a Greek god! Any woman would want to climb you like a tree!” She cried out then paused and blushed, realizing how weird what she just said was.

Rooster let out a sputter of laughter, “I’m sorry… I’ve just never heard the euphemism before.”

Y/N groaned and covered your face with embarrassment, “Don’t look at me.”

He kissed the side of her head as he pulled her even closer to him, and mumbled with his lips still against her soft skin, “The only one allowed to climb this tree is you, Sweetheart.”

Still embarrassed, she kept her hands over her face.

“Like a sexy little squirrel, or a koala, or…” he paused to think for a moment to think, “… a spider monkey!”

Y/N removed her hands from her face to give Bradley a confused look, “… what the fuck? Are spider monkeys even real animals?”

“Doesn’t matter, you’re the only one climbing all up on this wood, baby girl.” He did a little shimmy.

“That’s it! You’re done!” Y/N attempted to get up from his lap but Bradley quickly wrapped his strong arms around her body, pulling her close.

He repeatedly kissed her cheek and spoke between each one as she giggled, “You’re. Staying. Right. Here. Sweetheart.”

█ ✪ █▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓█ ✪ █

“Hey Y/N,” Becca, the break nurse, greeted you, “It’s your turn to go on break. I’ll cover your patients.”

Break nurses. What an incredible concept. You wished all states would require them in their hospitals like California does. The culture of nursing in California has honestly been what’s made this assignment in a patriarchal military hospital worth it. If you were dealing with all the cultural bullshit and poor work conditions, there’s no way you would've been able to function like a normal human being. 

You didn’t have to be told twice to scaddle off of that unit. Parks, the intern resident, was driving you crazy, breathing down your neck. And the attending that was on wasn’t doing anything to stop it. 

“Two more weeks.” You mumbled to yourself as you walked out the automatic door of the unit, with your lunch box in hand, and towards the coffee shop. You grabbed yourself a mediocre latte and headed out to your favorite courtyard to get some fresh air. As you sat down at a picnic table, you let out a big sigh of relief, feeling your nervous system relax for the first time since you clocked in. You pulled out your phone, checking texts from your mom, your best friend from college, and Bradley. Then you opened your email to find an email from Scripps:

Good Morning Y/N,

Thank you so much again for coming on Labor & Delivery for a shadow shift this week. We would like to offer you a position on our unit—

Before you could read any further, you choked on your own spit. Was this real?! You read the first line again and continued until the end of the email. This was real. By this time next month, you could be starting a new job as a labor and delivery nurse. Yes, you’d be making significantly less than you do as a traveler… however… you would get to feel that feeling again. The feeling of placing a newborn on their mama’s chest for the first time. Who to call first?! Your mom? Bradley? You opted for your mother who didn’t answer, of course. Since becoming empty nesters, your parents lived carefree lives of travel and leisure. They never had their phones on them and if they did, there was a 50/50 chance of them being charged. So you opted for the next best person, Bradley. But again, after many rings, you got a voicemail. It was hard to ignore the disappointment burning in your chest.

“Hey Bradley, I know you’re probably busy at work or flying in the clouds somewhere but… call me when you can, preferably after 7:30 since I’m at work and can’t talk on the floor. Umm, bye.” You hung up the phone and signed. You knew it wasn’t his fault he couldn’t answer, he was at work. Like you, he has a very busy hands on job that deals with sensitive information. But that didn’t mean you couldn’t be just a little bit disappointed.

Tag list:

@sarah-bear706318

@dizzybee03

@that-gay-person-27

@alwayshave-faith

@caitsymichelle13

@thespillingvoid

@shanimallina87

[ourladyofoldgotham]

our father

jonathan crane x male reader

NSFW 18+, minors dni

hookups, catholicism, smut

summary

Jonathan Crane goes out on a Friday night looking for sin. When he finds you, he gets that and more.

There’s something that sets him apart from across the bar. Maybe it’s the halo, maybe it’s the Sunday best. Whatever it is, it makes you want to tear him to pieces. 

This isn’t what Jonathan Crane would typically pick to do on a Friday night. The music is blasting somewhere between loud and deafening, and the air is thick and hot and full of sin and filth between the bodies packed into the room. He has the distinct sense that this is not where he’s supposed to be. But, of course - it is. 

University was both exactly what he had been told it would be like and nothing like what he’d expected. There was sin hidden in every darkness. That wasn’t the part he was scared of. The part he was scared of was that he liked it. That he would seek it out, that he would follow its scent like a hunting dog. That was what he was here for. 

He feels your eyes on him and he turns away from your gaze, the silver crucifix around his neck glimmering coolly in the low light. You cross the room to where he’s standing alone in the corner, his sharp eyes flickering around the room. 

“You don’t come here often, do you?”

“Is it that obvious?”

He chuckles nervously. Up close, you can see him even better, eyes as clear and wide as the sky and pale freckles across his nose. A flush creeps across his cheeks. 

“So what brings you here tonight, then?”

You lean in, and you could swear you hear his breath quicken.

“Some friends suggested this place. They said it was nice, that maybe I could meet someone.”

“Maybe you could. Let me buy you a drink.”

You get a whiskey, neat. He gets the same thing as you, but from the face he makes when he tastes it, you can tell he’s never tried it before. It’s cute, endearing almost. Tempting.

“I think I’ve seen you around. You live near here or something?”

“I grew up in Old Gotham, but I’m here for university. I’m studying biology.”

“Not too far from the nest then, huh? I don’t think I’ve seen you around Gotham University.”

You raise an eyebrow at him and he blushes.

“I go to St. Thomas’s, the Jesuit college on campus.”

“Catholic? A man of God in a place like this? A little sinful, isn’t it?”

You grin at him. 

“Maybe that’s what I’m here to find.”

He speaks just above a whisper, turning his face away. The flush in his face is spreading down his neck, and it makes you wonder how far it goes. His pupils are blown wide, his eyes on you as you tip back the rest of your drink. 

You grab his wrist. 

“Want me to help you find it?”

He nods silently, and you drag him to the dance floor. 

The music is loud, something with a heavy beat. You don’t know the song well, but it works for what you need it to do. On the packed floor, your bodies are pressed against each other. You drag him towards you by his hips, and you feel him hard against you. He’s just a little taller than you, and he’s looking up, his throat flushed and enticing and his blue eyes fluttering shut in pleasure. You could swear he whimpers at the touch. You’d tease him more, but you can’t wait. 

You grab the chain around his neck and pull him down to whisper in his ear. 

“Do you want to get out of here?”

He nods, and you take his hand again, pulling him across the floor to the exit. When you get into the cool night air, you drag him into the dark alley next to the bar and pin him against the wall. You pull him into a fierce kiss, and his knees practically buckle, collapsing into you like he’s been starving for you for years. 

You pull away first, him chasing you for a second before resting his head back on the brick, panting. 

“I need a real yes for this one, angel. Out loud.”

“Yes. Please. Please, just touch me.”

He sounds wrecked already, almost as much as he looks. Flushed, breathing hard, his mouth spit-shiny and red already as he begs and you’ve barely touched him. He’s desperate for you in a way that seems almost implausible. 

“Have you ever done this before?”

He’s clearly distracted, kissing down your neck and running his hands under your shirt, but he snaps back to attention at the question. 

“No, never. Nothing, nothing like this at least.”

“This is your first time? With a stranger in an alleyway? A man who doesn’t even know your name?”

You take a step back, teasing him. He takes the bait, reaching for you. 

“Jonathan. Crane. You know my name now.”

“So I do. Do you need to know mine?”

He shakes his head rapidly.

“I like it better this way.”

“Christ.”

He still looks holy, even in the Gotham alley, almost glowing under the streetlights. There’s something about angels that makes you want to see how dirty you can get them. 

“Is there something else you want to call me then?”

He pauses, breath shaky. 

“Daddy.”

You grin, pinning him again. 

“Good boy.”

He whimpers as you kiss him, one hand running up and down his chest underneath his untucked shirt and the other rubbing the bulge in his pants. His hips buck up against you, his head resting in the crook of your neck as he wraps his arms around your waist. 

He hardly lets you go long enough for you to unbutton his pants and pull out his cock, but when you do, he’s rock hard and dripping with precum. He moans the instant your hand touches him, hand over his mouth. You’ve only stroked him a couple times, your thumb rubbing over the head of his cock, when he cums. He spills over your fist onto his shirt, collapsing into you as he whimpers. 

“Fuck, I’m sorry, just felt so good. Didn’t - had no idea it could feel like that.”

He’s panting, his hands shaky. 

“That desperate for me, huh? Not exactly how good boys like you are supposed to behave, is it?”

You stroke his cheek with your hand and he melts into the touch.

“Let me make it up to you, please. Want to make you feel good.”

“You sure? It’s your first time, might be a lot. Don’t want to push you too far.”

He’s rubbing the bulge in your pants now, pressing himself into you and away from the wall. He stops kissing your neck for just a second to whisper in your ear. 

“I need to feel you, daddy. Don’t you want to make me a sinner?”

A better man couldn’t have turned him down, and you’re not a better man.

“On your knees. Right here in front of me.”

He obeys you almost instantly, dropping to his knees in the alleyway, his eyes gazing up at you with barely a ring of icy blue left around his pupils. 

“You want me to guide you through it?”

“Please.”

You unzip your pants and pull your cock out. You’re hard already - watching him like this does something to you. He watches it, almost transfixed.

You lift his chin up to look at you, and when you run your thumb across his bottom lip, his mouth falls open for you. 

“No teeth. Don’t try to take it all at once.”

He nods up at you, and swirls his tongue around the tip of your cock. You shudder with how good it feels - it’s been longer than you thought, and it’s the first time he’s really touched you tonight.

“Good. Just like that.”

He looks gorgeous like this, pretty pink mouth wrapped around you and his blue eyes watering as he tries to take you deeper into his throat. He’s disheveled, his shirt half-untucked and his pants still undone and damp with cum.

It’s good - better than good even, he’s delectable - but you still need more. You place a hand on the back of his head, fingers tangling through his hair. You look down at him, a silent check-in, and he nods. 

You go as slow as you can, watching him breathe slowly though his nose. The wet heat of his mouth is almost enough to drive you crazy. 

“You sure you haven’t done this before?”

He pulls off and starts stroking you almost painfully slowly.

“Only for you.”

You throw your head back against the wall and groan as he licks up the underside of your cock.

“Didn’t think a little angel like you would be such a natural at this.”

He grins, something sharp and dangerous, and then he sinks down all the way to the base, his throat swallowing around you. 

It’s not long until you’re close, and you pull him off by his hair, starting to stroke yourself with the other. He pouts, trying to bat it away. 

“Fuck - no, gonna cum.”

“I know.”

He takes you back into his mouth, his eyes looking up at you adoringly and then fluttering shut as he swallows every last drop down.

“Holy shit. Come up here.”

You tug at his crucifix and drag him in for a kiss with one hand, doing up your pants with the other.

“Such a good fucking boy for me, huh?”

He nods, and you can taste yourself on his tongue. 

You let him go after a minute, and he leans back against the wall, panting. He does his pants back up, running a hand through his hair and trying to smooth out his shirt. He still looks debauched, but you have to admit he cleans up nice.

“You find what you were looking for tonight, Mr. Jonathan Crane?”

“Yes. I think I did.”

“Guess I should be letting you go now then.”

You move to leave the alley, but he catches your hand. 

“Well, I’m not quite sure I can head back to my dorm in this state. After all, they might suspect something.”

He looks nervous behind the seductiveness, and you remember for a second exactly how new all this is to him. 

“Of course. Can’t let you go back to St. Thomas like this, can I? Might just have to take you home with me.”

There’s a soft relief in his eyes, and he leans into you. Your arm wraps around his waist, protecting him from the chill of the night. His head drops onto your shoulder, tired, and it stays there until you see the bright white of the taxi headlights coming around the corner. 

sorry god. everyone else thanks for reading

[perksofbeingpoet]

Would the dps boys like the 2023 Barbie movie/how would they react to it?

☆ THE POETS' THOUGHTS ON BARBIE ☆

(please bare in mind that these are teenage boys in the 60s)

NEIL: not really his kind of movie (he's one for indie arthouse stuff, and all the poets tease him about just wanting to sound cool and different), but loves the portrayal of struggles slowly chewing away at Barbie, resulting in a breakdown, and then the reveal of it all belonging to the human experience. It makes him feel understood in a small way. Plus he thought the Kens were hot but shhh

TODD: loves 👏 the 👏 colours 👏 the whole pastel vibe is super calming to him and he likes the music, and that end bit with the trees and montage bits? it definitely touches him, kinda like Keatings speeches do, plus it was his first entry to mainstream feminism (seeing that the boys literally have like zero contact with girls), giving him a chance to maybe do some research from then on!

CHARLIE: hot take but charlie would be annoyed by its portrayal of women's struggles, he'd totally be the type of guy to like chuckle a bit when the speech about how women have to be way too many things at once comes up. i know the book is not canon and the worst but there's a scene in there where charlie gets annoyed at Gloria being like "oh it's nice that you don't just wanna make out with me but also care about my inner values" and i think that is kinda true to Charlie (at least seeing how he pretends to create poetry for the girls to show off)? Ultimately, he did want girls to join Welton just so the boys could stop "beating off", and he is just a 16 year old boy when it comes down to it- so I think that he'd love the music and would definitely identify with Ken, but I'm afraid to say he'd make fun of the feminist aspect. He has room to grow though! I genuinely believe that Charlie learns and gets better <33

KNOX: LOVES it. Come on, tell me knox isn't absolutely in love with the movie and forces the poets to watch it again because this time he wants to sing along. Oh also think he'd talk about it with Chris to like see if she shares the experience described in the movie, and knox is pretty shocked to learn that huh, women do experience discrimination?? Tries his best to be extra nice and thoughtful afterwards

MEEKS: thought it was good, but could have been better. Meeks is definitely the poet with the most education on the women's rights movement and expected something a bit more fierce or outgoing, but he still appreciates that you have to please the masses and for people who know nothing about feminism at all, like most of his friends, it's a good starting point. Laughed SO much about the horse jokes.

PITTS: thought it was funny. didn't think about the message too much, just enjoyed the music and storytelling, plus he was a big fan of the reference at the beginning! Learns the I'm just Ken choreo with Knox, and has the songs stuck in his head for the next days.

CAMERON: surprisingly moved by it. I think he'd recognise both his parents in Barbie and Ken. I'm also of the belief that Cameron is super insecure, so I think that he'd identify with barbie a LOT, but feels kinda weird about that. Doesn't say much when asked about how he liked the movie by the others.

@folkloreforever sorry I took so long!

♡ please feel free to send me asks about the poets or dps in general, or even if you just wanna say hi! i love hearing from you guys! ♡

[sibillascribbles08]

Been cooking my own tmnt iteration for a while, dunno how much will live anywhere but my brain but I wanna do some refs, so here's the turts!

I've been calling it Teenage Mutant Jazz Turtles or tmjt for short

If you care to hear some more you can peak under the cut

(More refs coming??? eventually I'm still stuck on some designs)

As the name implies, tmjt has more inspiration drawn from musical elements than combat elements. With the turtles not only living in a big ol' tour bus but also attempting to become a competent band after finding their magical instruments. But the ones they discover aren't the only ones out there, and some belong to some pretty nasty characters. (All the villains are gonna have a theme based on a different genre of music!)

The turtles travel and live with their dad (Splinter) and adopted sister (Casey). Originally just trying to survive but that kind of all changes when they accidentally interrupt a plan from the foot clan and not only discover some magical instruments that can turn into weapons, but also an entire world of monsters and creatures when they thought they were the only ones.

Leo is the oldest sibling, but despite this she struggles to be responsible for her siblings after her gender realizations caused a massive crack in her confidence. She's constantly self conscious of how others are perceiving her, even her own family in spite of their boundless support. She's always loved music, thanks to her dad, and dreams of being a singer, but because of how her mouth is built that's also an uphill battle. Her duel katanas can shift into a cello which can put opponents into a trance like sleep. While her given name was Leonardo, she's not sure what she wants to change it to, and simply goes by Leo for the time being. While she doesn't like to show her mouth, her teeth and jaw are powerful enough to bite through a steel knife.

Donnie is the second oldest (by just four days!) and is the one who stepped up to be in charge while Leo figures things out. He doesn't entirely mind the responsibility, though the pressure gets to him sometimes. Especially when Raph decides to criticize his decisions. They're very analytical and logical, their main passion being for mathematics which extends into some of the sciences as well such as physics. They know enough engineering to maintain the tour bus and build a few helpful devices such as their goggles or the calculator in their glove. Donnie puts his passion for math into music, using it to map out patterns for tunes (though not all of them sound good in the end). Their four eyes also have an additional lens to see heat signatures (and their dark vision is incredible). Donnie's clarinet allows him to create visual illusions.

Raph is the second youngest (by four days, Donnie constantly reminds him) and despite his appearance is one of the more level headed members of the family. You kind of have to learn how when your body could release gases that could paralyze your family members. Raph vents his frustration by either releasing gas that Donnie can convert into fuel for the bus or by writing poetry. Not that he ever lets the others read it, but he does put that skill into writing song lyrics. While he keeps cool and collected he still loves a good brawl, and will happily spar with anyone (usually Casey). He just leaves a lot of the destruction to his younger sibling, unless someone in his fam gets hurt, then the gloves are off. Raph is fiercely protective and will square up if someone so much as looks at one of his siblings funny, especially Leo. His high emotions are often why he and Donnie argue. Raph's trumpet can cause phantom pains in the skull, though he rarely has to use it give it how potent his gases can be.

Mikey, the youngest, is a tiny terror and he not only knows this, he takes great pride in it. Mikey enjoys causing chaos for the sheer joy of it, and enjoys it the most when Raph will simply hurl him at opponents for him to latch onto. Over the years he's learned to climb very well with his four arms, going up trees and buildings with ease which can make him very hard to chase after. Despite his love for trouble, however, he can be just as sweet, though his desire to do good deeds for his love ones can be a bit misguided at times (no Mikey you can't just rob the ice cream stand stop). Unfortunately as long as it keeps hiding behind Raph when the consequences happen, it may take some time to grow up (not that it has any interest in doing so right now). Mikey's drums allow him to create intense vibrations in the ground, enough to topple some buildings.

[edenalieth]

the cicada's song

Pairing: Jeongin x gn! reader

Genre: angst/horror

Warnings: violence, blood, demon odd spiritual sh!t, anxiety, death (yeehaw)

Words: 4.4K 

Hidden in the dense shadows of the trees, even more noises could be heard. Some cracks, some things falling on the ground, more insects. You tried to concentrate on your breathing, a chill going down your spine as you silently walked. Inspecting the ground, you could feel some light air telling you the exit was near by now. You raised your head, your eyes expecting to be met by Jeongin’s large shoulders. Nothing.

A.N: happy halloween everyone!! 👻 i've been wanting to write a story like that for a while now, idk if i managed to convey a stressful atmosphere in my writing but i hope you will like it. also the "kss" refers to the sound cicadas do. sorry for the eventual mistakes, enjoy!

« Ah I can’t stand this weather anymore » your friend complained, shaking his shirt in an attempt to catch the slightest breeze. He grimaced when his try ended up into an other failure. You could only relate to this statement. You had never been a real fan of summer. Everything was sticky and uncomfortable. You had to deal with the heat day and night, mosquitos and that annoying piercing buzz cicadas made all day long. « Ugh, should we go grab an ice cream at the convenience store ? » you offered. Jeongin immediately nodded. 

Calling this shop a convenience store was a bit of an exaggeration. It was owned by an old woman all the kids of the village considered as their grandma. It was far different from the ones you could find in Seoul, smaller, less choices. However, even if you were in your high school senior year now, you loved to stop by with your best friend to eat some sweets. As the black haired boy pushed the entry door, you were both welcomed by the jingling bells above it. The air was fresher inside thanks to the fan working full force in the corner. « Good afternoon Miss Choi! »

Looking over her glasses, trying to recognize who the new customers were, a smile illuminated her wrinkled face when she noticed who you were. « Oh! Jeongin! Y/N! How are you angels ? » she asked. « Actually craving an ice cream » you sighed. Miss Choi chuckled at your answer. « There’s no much left, the little monsters of primary school almost robbed everything ». You bent over the freezer, quickly followed by your friend. Only one sample of your favorite ice cream was sadly resting at the bottom. You glanced at each other and started to fiercely bump your shoulders to know who would win it. As usual, Jeongin was the victorious one. « Got it! » he claimed, a smug on his face. Rolling your eyes, you protested « That’s unfair! You know I have literally no strength ». 

« Not my problem », he replied with a mouth already full, « if you worked out a bit more maybe you would beat me ». He handed the money to the lady before leaving as you hastily bowed and followed him outside. Surprised by the sudden vivid light of the sun, you shielded your eyes to let them get accustomed to it. The heat seemed even worse. It felt like you were walking through fire, maybe the fact that you were upset didn’t help either. The boy was heading toward a bench near by, slightly sheltered by the shadow of the trees around. He put his bag to the side and sighed in relief. Pouting, you joined him. « What ? Come on ! There was also some cool drinks ! You just had to tell me if you wanted it that bad… » the end of his sentence was more of a grumble. You glared at him, he didn’t care, this is what eighteen years of friendship looked like. « If this damn place was bigger it would not have been a problem… » you seethed. 

Jeongin looked at you, knowing your aversion for this village. You liked the people who were living here but you hated everything else. The fields and mountains spreading as far as eyes can see, the forest you were so scared of, the lack of network and mostly, insects. 

Finishing his ice cream, he wiped off the sweat going down his neck and was playing with a rock, using the tip of his snickers. He always wore those ones. They were worn out but he loved them, especially because of the smiley you had drawn on it. « So… You’re truly going to Seoul University next year ? » he sounded resigned and somber, perfectly knowing your answer. You gazed at your best friend, your heart slightly breaking at his miserable state. « Yes. There’s no way I’m spending one more year in this rathole. And you’re going to Busan, so you can’t blame me. » He pouted. « You could have come to Busan too, it’s a great city and not too far to come visit our families. » 

The village was indeed an hour’s drive from Busan but all you wanted was to be as far as possible from here. « You could have come to Seoul too. » you retorted. 

Kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss.

You both glared at each other, cicadas loudly singing as if it was encouraging you to fight. You already had this conversation before and the outcome was never good. Obviously, you would miss Jeongin really bad. After all those years spending all your free time together, being at school together, having the same friends, same routine, it would feel kinda odd to meet new people. However, you needed that fresh air, you needed to discover new places and Busan was unfortunately too close from your hometown for you to get this detachment feeling. 

The air was getting thicker, just as the mood. Jeongin grabbed his bag and began to walk towards the road. « Are you coming or no ? » his dark foxy eyes reflecting his annoyance. You took your belonging and followed him without a word. The journey back to your homes felt ridiculously long. You saw some of your neighbors, greeted them, most of them coming back from work, some others bringing in the laundry as you could hear some thunder from afar. As you arrived closer to the edge of the wood, your stomach twisted. You did this every day and still apprehended it. The only reason you didn’t run was because your friend was here. He was always by your side since you were living fifteen minutes apart from each other. The rare times he wasn’t able to walk you home, you just sprinted until you were locked inside. Hidden in the dense shadows of the trees, even more noises could be heard. Some cracks, some things falling on the ground, more insects. You tried to concentrate on your breathing, a chill going down your spine as you silently walked. Inspecting the ground, you could feel some light air telling you the exit was near by now. You raised your head, your eyes expecting to be met by Jeongin’s large shoulders. Nothing. What the hell ? When did you pass him ? Maybe he was really angry and decided to walk faster without you noticing but that was not his type to do such a thing… Your palms were getting moist as you scanned the area, looking for your friend. Your throat was tight and aching. « Jeo-Jeongin ? Where are you ? ». A crack  resonated behind you. A sensation of déjà-vu was slowly creeping inside your brain. It was too familiar, like that time… « Jeongin ! ». Still no answer. Maybe he really left you behind. Your breath became jerky, your mind foggy. You couldn’t think straight. And that incessant noise, preventing you from hearing anything else. 

Kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss.

Suddenly, you felt something on the top of your head. With a trembling hand, you felt something soft yet stiff. You carefully grabbed it, when you recognized what it was you let out the scream you were holding back and rushed out of the forest. The relief you felt once outside was incredible. Soon, you could hear some footsteps, making you turn around quickly. Panting, a pretty amused Jeongin was there, hands on his knees and shaking of laughter. You frowned, slightly confused, before it hit you. « You asshole! You’re so fucking stupid, you know that ? » you fumed. Still trying to catch his breath in between two chuckle, he said « C-come on ! It was just a little prank. I wanted to lighten the mood ! You were so silent back there. » 

You scoffed « Can’t say you were the talkative type either. You know I hate those woods. And a cicada molt, really ?». Some tears were threatening to roll down your cheeks at any moment. His smile vanished as the tension grew back. « The real question is what you don’t hate Y/N ? » he talked back. « Get lost, Yang Jeongin. »

The black haired boy was about to answer when he saw your watery eyes as you kept going on your way. He didn’t mean to hurt you that much. You were his most precious friend. He wanted to stop you and apologize but his ego held him back. A thunder broke. It was close. Just as he thought that, raindrops started to fall. The noise had made you jump and you glanced back to see what was your friend doing, only to see him run down the road, covering his head with his bag. 

The storm was raging outside. The loud thunder was making the shutters shake, the rain hitting the ceiling tiles relentlessly making it impossible for you to sleep correctly. You took your phone, the screen lighting up and making your eyes squint. 4:44am. You had no news from your best friend. You sighed. Fine. You would sent him a message. 

you: hope you went home safely… the storm is crazy, right ?

You waited few minutes but it was silly to think he would answer at this hour. He was probably sleeping. You put your phone back on the nightstand and covered your ears with your pillow. Shortly, you fell into slumber. 

You were surrounded by trees. Trying to escape the place but it seemed impossible. You ran continuously until you fell something on your skin and stopped. Crawling on your arm, a cicada. Taken by a surge of disgust, you hastily got rid of it with your hand. However, an other one was already flying towards you, and an other, an other one, an other one. Endlessly. You could feel the small hooks of their legs clinging onto your epidermis. The loud buzz of their wings becoming deafening, covering your cries. Between the brown mess of insects, you distinguished a silhouette. Those eyes. You could recognized them amongst a thousand. You held your hand out for help. He shook his head from left to right, a cruel smile blooming on his lips. Then it was all dark and noisy. Kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss. 

You gasped, eyes wide open, facing the ceiling of your room. A hand on your chest, your heart beating at the speed of light. A nightmare. A terrible one. The back of your shirt was soaking wet. You checked the time. 10:24am and no answer from Jeongin. That was weird, he wasn’t resentful. You decided to take a shower and go meet him at his place. 

Thunder was gone but the rain kept going. At least, the air was fresher now and insects were silent. Thank god. After last night, you weren’t sure you would have been able to handle their song. As you walked, you saw a mass of people clumped on the path. Coming closer, you could see them actively removing dirt. 

« Oh! Please don’t come any closer. » a worker told you. « What happened ? » you asked. « A landslide because of the storm last night. It might still be dangerous so you will have to take an other road. » the man went back to digging when you noticed something else. There was several remains on the side, branches, rocks, some waste and a shoe. Jeongin’s shoe. Your heart stopped for a second. You had to calm down. If something had happened to your friend, rescuers and police would be there too. It was fine, he was fine. Not wasting another second, you rushed to his house taking the longer path. When you arrived, his little brother welcomed you and let you in. You knew this place by heart and directly went to Jeongin’s room. You knocked. 

« Hmm ? » Just hearing his voice was a relief. « It’s Y/N. » There was some fidgeting behind his door before he opened it. You jumped into his arms and hugged him tight. The boy didn’t move at first, surprised, and finally wrapped his arms around you. Detaching yourself from him, you checked if he was okay. He looked pale and tired but nothing seemed to be broken, just some scratches here and there. « I’m glad nothing happened to you ». He seemed confused, scratching his nape. « Why would something happen to me ? » he replied. « I saw the landslide and your shoe was there ! I thought something bad happened to you. How it ended up here ? ». His eyes widened. « Oh ! I slipped on my way home… You would have laughed a lot… My butt was covered in mud. » he said sheepishly. That was explaining the scratches and the dirt under his nails. « But how did you loose your damn shoe ? » You insisted. « It fell down the hill and the rain was pouring. I thought I would just get it back the next day… ». You shook your head, rolling your eyes, he could be so clumsy sometimes but he had chosen the safest option. « I would have been sad to loose my best friend because of a storm. » you chuckled. He smiled but his eyes seemed… distant. « You’re not sad to abandon me here though » he sarcastically answered. You sighed. « Jeongin. Can we just stop ? I don’t want to fight about this anymore. I promise I will come see you and you could come to Seoul too, okay ? ». You left your pinky to promise him. He looked at your finger, reluctant, and finally sealed the pact. His hand was cold. « Sure. »

You didn’t see each other much the next day, he preferred to stay inside since the summer heat was fully back with all its disadvantages after the storm episode. You tried to lure him with some ice creams, which actually worked. His scratches were fully healed but he still seemed tired and strangely had a lot of appetite. « Man, you’re eating a lot like… a lot. » you stated as he already had devoured his snack. « You think so ? I don’t know, maybe I’m still going through puberty. » he shrugged. « Should we go buy something else ? » he happily asked you. « If you’re getting sick it will be your fault. ». The black haired boy laughed and went back to Mrs’ Choi shop. Kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss.

Waiting for your friend, you looked at the woods below, suddenly remembering your nightmare. Just thinking about it gave you some cold sweat and you slightly jumped when you felt Jeongin’s hand on your shoulder. « Sorry, I called you but you weren’t answering. » he handed you an other ice cream, his eyes scanning you. « I was lost in thoughts » you evasively said. He kept staring at you for few seconds, his gaze looking a bit bleak and annoyed. You didn’t want to tell him about your dream, it was just a dream after all. The rest of the day went by, and then the others and so on. It had been three weeks since your little fight and things had gone back to normal, at least you tried to convince yourself. However, you felt some uneasiness when he was around you. He acted like before, being the joyful guy you always knew but some of his habits had changed. He used to never eat rare meat and now it was almost raw, he went to sleep excessively late, you found him aimlessly roaming around your neighborhood a lot of times. Also, you never thought you would say that, but his smile was odd. It used to be sparkling and warm, seeing him grin could cheer you up instantly. Nowadays, it felt cold, empty, fake… It seemed off. It wasn’t big changes but enough to make you wonder of what was possibly going on with him. The most disturbing thing was the fact that you caught him several times staring at your house, doing absolutely nothing. It scared you. You felt preyed on, trapped, watched. 

As usual, he walked you home and waved you goodbye as he was going back to his house. You smiled, still looking at him until he disappeared behind the trees. You were probably imagining things or overthinking about his acts. Maybe your last argument affected him more than you thought… However, you wanted to have a clear mind about it and know why he was acting weird. The next morning, when he asked you to hang out during the afternoon you lied to him. You told him you got sick during the night and had to stay at home. He gently mocked you for being the one getting sick but still wished you a good recovery, telling you he would bring some fruits. Yet, your plan was far different from staying at home. Jeongin and you had been sharing your locations on your phones since middle school. You couldn’t believe you were spying on him. During the whole morning, he didn’t move from his house and went out in the early afternoon. He passed in front of your house and stayed maybe a hundred meters away from it for several minutes, as he had been doing for a while now. You were tempted to look out of your window but you were scared he would see it. Waiting, you noticed that he started to move again towards the woods. When you considered that he was far enough for you to go out, you put your shoes on and started to follow his path. Checking your phone from time to time, you saw he was out of the forest and going downtown. When you arrived in front of the trees, you couldn’t bring yourself to go inside. The fresh air and all the noises coming out of it just incessantly reminding you of that day. You turned around and decided to hide around the spot he was a bit earlier. Minutes turned into an hour and your muscles were getting sore when he finally came back. You heard his footsteps and the friction of the plastic bag he was holding in a hand and something red on the other. You thought it might be an apple but its color was too dark and the juice running down his chin and hand wasn’t supposed to be red as well… He took a rough bite in it, bestially. It looked like a small animal… The sight of it had you gagging. What the fuck was that ? You couldn’t believe it was your best friend, it didn’t look like him. Something evil was emanating from his aura and the blood splattered on his face and hands was just confirming it. He was probably heading to your home now, you had to quickly go back or he would found out you lied to him. Still shaken by the weird sight you had just witnessed, your thoughts were fuzzing. Tapping the ground, searching for something to stand up, the loud crack brought you back to reality. You held back your breath, listening to your surroundings. Kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss. 

The footsteps stopped and you could only hear the cicada’s song. « You’re such a liar, Y/N ». Towering you, Jeongin hummed those words, a bloody smile adorning his face. It was the same cruel grin he had in your nightmare and all your senses were screaming you to run, which you did. Going to your house wasn’t an option since he would definitely catch you. Taking the long road was too isolated, you had to quickly go downtown and ask for help. But… Asking help for what ? He hadn’t done anything yet… Yet. You had to take the path through the woods, it was the fastest one. You ran through the trees, closely followed by the black haired boy. « Y/N, come back! » he screamed. Hell no. He needed to stay far away from you, it wasn’t your friend anymore. You felt the familiar air warning you that the exit was near by, when you felt a hand forcefully catching you. His strength was nothing like before and the shock made you fall on your knees. « I told you to come. » he snarled. « Please, Jeongin you’re hurting me. » you pleaded, trying to remove his fingers. « Am I ? » he stepped on your leg and ferociously pressed on it. You felt your bone breaking, drawing out a guttural scream from your throat. He placed his dirty hand on your mouth and you could smell the iron scent on it. You body was uncontrollably shaking from the pain, fear and sobs. « Shut up. » His face was so close to yours. You noticed that he was even paler, the blood on his skin making a big contrast. « I didn’t want to do that Y/N. I tried to be nice. Really. » he said, almost imploring you. « But you’re too nosy, I could tell you noticed that I’ve changed… » The pain was horrible. It was hard for you to keep consciousness. « The night we fought… I did slip but I fell down the hill because of the landslide and  got covered by the dirt and mud. I was dead, Y/N. Then, it came to me. That thing you were scared of. » The most human part of him still remembered the panic filling his veins when he got buried alive. How he desperately tried to dig his way out of this nightmare. Thinking he would never see the light again, nor his family or you. When it offered him to live, he didn’t hesitate. No matter what the price would be. Dizzy, you wondered what he was talking about and asked him. « I remember why you are so scared of those woods, you saw it. The demon living here. But it saved me, it’s a part of me, Y/N. » he seemed insane, his eyes widened and red. The sight of this scene was terrifying. You wanted to escape his grip but you were too weak and you wouldn’t be able to go far with a broken leg.

You needed a weapon, anything. However, he was right. You did see that thing more than ten years ago. Its odd, diaphanous and horrifying shape. You were a kid at that time and you were getting used to come back home by yourself. You got lost, insects and strange sounds scaring you, making you cry. When it appeared few meters away from you with its twisted dreadful figure, you prayed for something or someone to save you. As if they heard you, the foxy boy and his parents arrived. Since then, you never stopped to feel its presence. And now, it was controlling your best friend ? It had to be another nightmare… Tears started to roll down your cheeks. « Please… Jeongin… Let me go. » you begged. « I can’t do that. You know our secret now. You have to stay with us, you will be safe. » his body was lightly shaken by spasms. Finally, finding what you were looking for, you grabbed a stone and hit him in the head. He seemed stunned for a minute, his grip being weaker. He ferociously glared at you, more blood covering his face. He straddled you, blocking your arms. « You wanted to leave this place, leave me. » he accused. He would never forget the day you told him you would go to Seoul. It wasn’t what he had in mind. He didn’t want to be far away from you, he didn’t know how to be happy without you. His feelings were stronger and clearer than ever. Was it his true feelings or the entity’s ones, though ? « No, no, no… not you, Jeongin » Your sobs made it hard for you to talk, black dots appearing in front of your sight as the pain was getting more and more intense. Your head was buzzing, the sounds of the cicadas surrounding you becoming deafening. « I can’t trust you anymore, but you’ve always been precious to me… I’ve loved you and still love you so much Y/N… that’s why you have to stay with me forever. » Your friend was long gone. You cried at the idea that you would never be able to enjoy the simple things of life with him anymore. You wish you could turn back time, save him…

Plunging towards your throat, the last thing you saw was his dislocated jaw and eyes rolling into the back of his head.

Kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss kss. 

[potchatok-art]

Sutviprra seem to be going at a steady rate, but for you and me to see the full picture, we must travel to the south, across the equator, to another continent. It has different plants and animals, though some are recognized. 22 million years ago, a flock of peculiar creatures started entering and exploring new arid climate zone. These are Australisapters, descendants of flyers who abandoned the skyes and settled this land. They still have the wings, though shortened. This particular species travels in groups - they are generalist foragers, who mostly dig in the underbrush. They designate a sentinel, who for now abandones food but looks out for predators. In cases of emergency, indicated by vocalizations, they must either escape to the treetops or group up and puff up, intimidating the intruder into walking away. As, with millions of passing generations, they adapt for their environment, short wings transform into heat-regulating structures, which incidentally have some prehensile capability.

Descendants of these creatures would colonize the steppes, deserts and jungles, and as the continent moves, mountain ranges rise, also available to them. Rocky environments provide protection from most predators, but also by itself are very tricky, difficult to forage and navigate, requiring complex resource management, planning and cooperation from the ancestors of Strikell. Difficult environment and frequent volcanic winters cultivate the spesies with a great sophont potential. Above all else, they are adapted to think - jaws and scent receptors shrunk as a result of cephalization, the neck is no longer capable of perpetually supporting the head, and the brain eats up much of a creature's energy. They also have specific adaptations for communication. From the ancestors they still preserve a very articulated vocalization apparatus, capable of producing almost any sound on a medium volume, as well as creating far traveling songs for long range communication, though with less variety. Also, what once were konards on a flying tetraptera, now became flags for mood communication. With that, they also developed cacadu like crests to assist in emotional expression.

Their second adaptation is climbing - their legs are proportionately long, with paws having retractable claws, capable of getting a grip on any vertical surface. With that, they also have their “hands” - once those were wings, then heatshedding structure. But it’s skeletal structure allows them to rotate in many directions, and the “fingers” at the ends are very dexterous. So, these hands became adapted to assist in climbing and tool use. In the begining, their routine is travaling from high elevation to the jungles below, aquering food and traveling back to escape predators. For the most part, mountains are a good shelter - most megafauna carnivores could not enter the mountains. Hazards to look out for are either predator birds, from which hiding is the option to escape and cougar-like raptors, against which mobbing, shouting and throwing stones mostly works. Mountains by itself are a dull environment without much to eat, so during their expedition they not only eat, but collect fruits, plants and small prey for later, keeping it in volven baskets. Baskets are also helpful with egg storage - while Strikell are ovoviviparous, in a healthy state laying the egg just before the hatching, but even this could mean from several hours to days of caring for an egg, not to mention any various hormonal missfireings or stress responses, which can cause an early laying. Coming of global cooling made jungle resources more scarce, starting up fierce interspecies competition. Bigger groups chase off every other family, depriving them of food. The exiled individuals have to find another way to forage. Restricted to mountains, with desert on the one side of the mountains and aggressive adversary to the other side, only those, who can innovate survive. Using the mountain range as a cover and as a railway, shelter from competition and desert heat, several sophont species colonized southern, more temperate territories, desert rivers, and even return to jungles and savannas, once they discover fire.

[saintship]

WAIT wait headcanon of red hood!reader.( because i simp for DC characters too), but your price daughter that was tortured to death by Makarov and price and force 141+König believed that you died.

But you lived and now your now red hood dun dun DUUUN. anyway maybe the force 141+könig captured red hood!reader and confessing their love after finding out that your alive.

NUTSHELL between red hood!reader and price:

Before Makarov ruined everything:

Price: my sweet little girl🤗

Reader: I love you too dad🤗

After Makarov ruined everything:

Price: my sweet little girl your alive

Red hood!reader: I HATE YOU!!!😡

Price:*emotional damage*

This is so cool!

I’m not well versed on DC so I had to consult some sources BUT Red Hood is awesome and I hope I do the Red Hood name justice!

She will bleed red

König x Price’s daughter!reader

Warnings: descriptions of torture but not overly graphic, violence, grieving 141 and König, reader kills people, Price & reader angst, reader is badass, König and reader are close

I think people listing what music they listened to while writing is so cute so I wanna do it; I was listening to a playlist of almost all Labrinth songs

Hope you enjoy :)

Tap.. tap.. tap..

Hyena felt water dripping on her hairline. Something was blindfolding her, and something else had her restrained to a pose that forced her to endure the dripping water. Hunched over, her head tipped slightly forward. The air smelled of wet cement and perspiration.

Struggling only made noise—the sounds of her ragged breathing echoing off into the corners of the room. The burn at the base of her neck told her it was likely rope that binded her torso and hung from the ceiling. She felt the fabric of her uniform still intact, and wished she could thumb over the badge on her shoulder. Her hands ached from poor circulation, tendrils of pain shooting up through her fingers with every movement. She heard footsteps.

Murmurs in Russian, murmurs in English, the dripping water.

Her blindfold was ripped from her head, Hyena blinking quickly to adjust to the low light.

“Where are your friends, маленькая мышь?”

“Quit while you’re ahead. I’m not talking.” Hyena’s words burned in her throat, the sore muscle aching with exertion. How long had she been out?

“Hm.” The man speaking hummed, stepping back to allow his partner to step forward, flipping open a knife. Hyena’s breath quickened, and then there was a sharpness between her eyes. He held the blade flush to her skin, particles away from cutting through.

“Where.” The first repeated. Hyena remained silent. The cool metal resting on her skin glanced upward fiercely, a quiet sound of ripping flesh registering dully in her ears. The cut brandished her face from between her brows to her hairline in a ragged line. She shut her eyes to protect from blood dripping into them, and thought of the team. Of her dad.

Hyena felt the warmth of her father’s hand through the cold and the shoulder pad she adorned, their faces bowed toward each other. The gap in the helicopter’s wall allowed the night air to whistle through the cabin, tousling his hair to one side.

“Stay alive, sweetheart.”

“I always do.”

His lips twitched into a gentle smile, patting her shoulder once before touching his forehead to hers, his eyes fluttering shut.

“See you in a few days.”

The air stung. Hyena pried open her eyes, dried blood cracking at the edges and falling to the ground like flecks of red plaster. Contusions littered her head and torso, more cuts along her cheeks and neck burning with pain. Particularly painful points of her stomach accompanied with a damp sensation told her she’d been stabbed.

“She won’t survive much longer..”

“Do it.”

Looking up, her vision refocused on the same man that had maimed her, who held a white bucket. He flicked off the lid with a gloved thumb, and there was no time to read the label before the container was tilted over, above the left side of her face. The substance that poured out was thin, but smooth, and burned through every living tissue it touched. She cried out, her eyes clamped shut quicker than a steel trap, she panicked, she pleaded. The burning was worse than anything; it seared, it charred, and eventually it cauterized. The skin affected felt too small for her skull, and her cries subsided to soft gasps of air.

Hyena fell unconscious.

“Come on, honey, feel bad for a guy!”

“Please—get out of the way.”

“I’m not goin’ anywhere, baby.”

From the shadows of the fire escape above him, the man looked even smaller and more frail than his intentions. His extended hand didn’t get the chance to touch that woman’s shoulder before his body crumpled under the weight of a masked figure. A brief scream escaped the throat of the woman before she sidestepped the both of them to run away. That figure pressed a boot to the man’s neck, the trim of their hood waving slightly in the night breeze. The draft that whistled through the alley they occupied was warm.

“What the hell? GET OFF ME-" His struggling earned nothing aside from a short blade being pressed to the artery running along his neck.

“Maybe someone will feel bad for you when they find your body.”

The voice that murmured above him was steady—feminine and dripping with threat. The eyes that studied him reflected the amber-colored light streaming from the lamp a few yards behind him. One eye was ever so slightly shut, scarring evident on the skin surrounding it. He could only let out a strangled gasp when the blade found its home buried in the vulnerable flesh of his neck. It remained for a moment before the hooded stranger retracted it, soundlessly climbing back up the fire escape and into the void of the dark.

That figure vaulted to the rooftop, walking to the edge to watch the city’s night life. They removed their hood, stray hairs lifting away to dance gently in the air. A weighted sigh filled the silence of the rooftop.

See you in a few days.

It had been months, and what remained of Captain John Price’s daughter was not the woman he’d wished good luck. Now, standing at a roof’s edge, she hooked a thumb under the fabric concealing her face. She didn’t get the chance to pull before a sharp pressure pinched at the back of her neck. She scrambled to feel for what impacted her, yanking out and inspecting a small needle with a feathery end. She murmured one thing before being vacuumed into nothingness.

“Dad..”

“How long has she been out?”

“Hour or so?”

“Jesus, Garrick.”

“It was the right dose, I swear, Lieutenant!”

“Right.”

Her eyes shot open. She was restrained to a chair, but more importantly, Ghost and Gaz were right in front of her. Her eyes stung with tears but she blinked them away.

“L.t.—Gaz..”

Their eyes snapped toward the voice they thought had left their lives for good.

Gaz breathing quickened. “Is that-"

“Hyena?” She’d never heard Ghost speak that way; breathy and disbelieving. She sighed.

“Red Hood..” she corrected softly.

“What? What are you- Gaz, go tell them!”

“Right.” Gaz ran off, shouts of the other names of the team fading with him.

“Jesus, private..” Ghost cut her free, and allowed her to wrap her arms around his neck briefly before pulling away to scan her for injury.

“Get this mask off-"

Her hand stopped his in its tracks, returning the cold stare that he often gave her. “No..”

“GHOST! WHERE IS SHE!”

“Dad?” She turned from ghost to see her father racing down the hall to where they were.

“Sweetheart!” He breathed, his voice shaking. He tackled her in a hug, squeezing with every ounce of love he’d held to his chest the moment she went missing. “I thought you—you-"

“I almost did.” She stepped back, her tone shocking him. A heavy silence lay between them, his daughter’s eyes dark and cold. It was almost unrecognizable, the way she carried herself.

“Sweet girl..”

“Don’t.”

His brow furrowed in frustration. “I don’t understand.”

“I waited. I waited for you, and you never showed up. They ruined me forever, and I’ll never go back to the way I was before.”

Tears began to shimmer in his eyes. “I didn’t know.. I thought you were gone.”

“I wasn’t.”

“I’m sorry-"

“That’s not going to help me now.”

He let out a desperate breath, his hands itching to hold her. Down the hall, several sets of footsteps hammered the floor. She looked past her father to see the lead of the group—the man she’d grown so fond of, and thought about so often.

“König..” She breathed. König made sure to stop in front of her before pulling her into his arms, not wanting to topple her over.

“Liebes..”

Hyena had a lengthy history with König—since the moment she saw him she identified with his rocking heels, his flighty eyes, but especially his love for the rest of the team. Either one of them would cover a grenade without a second thought. So would the other boys, but König understood that carnal desire to act without thought in the name of protecting the 141, insubordination be damned. He’d repainted his sniper hood and replaced the damaged leg holster that Hyena always bothered him about. Her eyes stung.

“You’re alive.” The familiar Scottish accent nearly had her break down in tears. She pulled away from König to reach out to Soap, who grinned in disbelief.

“We’re glad you’re okay.” Gaz offered. She nodded gently before turning back to König and the Captain.

“Could you walk me to my room?”

“Do you remember what they looked like?”

“Definitely Makarov’s guys. Uniformed. They knew Russian more fluently than English.”

“We will find them.” König’s low voice sounded beside her as they reached her door. She stared for a moment at the handle.

“Never thought you’d miss it, right?” Her father spoke softly. She didn’t reply, easing the door open. She wandered to the bed, taking in everything familiar.

“Alright, we’ve got to talk about it some time. Why the face coverings?” her father sat beside her on the bed, König settling into a chair beside the two of them.

“I needed to be anonymous.”

He sighed, frustrated.

“Why didn’t you reach out, why didn’t you come looking? You’re smart. You would have reached us.”

“Figured you were halfway around the world.” Hyena began. Her father’s jaw tightened, his eyes shining with months of grief. His eyes told her that she had been right.

“And even if I did get you on the phone, somehow, by the time you got there, they would’ve realized I wasn’t dead, find me, and blow my head off.”

She felt a thin knife of guilt for using such blunt language with him, but the exhaustion was boiling over.

“Are you still injured?” König’s gentle question surprised her a bit—she’d nearly forgotten he was there given his quietness.

“Just—just scars.” She murmured before facing forward again, addressing her father.

“Listen, I’ll be able to talk to you like an adult eventually, but not right now, okay?” She stared ahead, refusing to meet the eyes she knew were pleading with her. He slowly got to his feet.

“Alright. If you need anything from me, don’t hesitate, yeah?”

“Yeah.”

He didn’t walk away for a moment, and in a burst of affection, leaned down to press his forehead to hers.

She let him.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too Dad.” I just hate you right now.

He left the room without looking back, gently shutting the door. Hyena felt tears slip down her cheeks freely.

“Hey.. please don’t cry, schatz, don’t cry..” König knelt on one knee in front of her, holding her face in his gloved hands. “It’s going to be alright.”

“I missed you.” She breathed shakily. König let out an amused huff.

“I missed you more. I turned to you so many times to find no one there..”

“Kön..”

“It’s alright now.” He nodded as if to reassure himself of his words.

“Could you lay next to me?”

König blinked once, his hesitation dissipating immediately after hearing her sniffle.

“Yes.”

König removed Hyena’s boots for her before removing his own, joining her in sprawling across the bed. He made it a squeeze, but pressed into his side, it truly wasn’t too bad. Not bad at all.

“How long are you planning on keeping this?” König ran a knuckle along her fabric-covered cheekbone.

“Forever.” She muttered into his vest. She felt the great rise and fall of the sigh that breathed through his chest.

“How about I make this easier?” Suddenly, König was sitting up and sitting cross legged across from Hyena. She mirrored him warily.

“What do you- hey, wai-“

But his hood was off. Tender brown eyes searched hers while his full lips twitched into a nervous smile. His jaw was darkened with stubble that just looked so perfect, his hair was a rich onyx that had grown to brush across his forehead and over his ears, and in the low light, she could barely make out the freckles that dotted the skin under his eyes.

“König… I need to tell you what happened before I show you.”

“Okay.” He took her hand gently, the stiff material of his gloves strangely grounding.

“They started with just cuts and contusions, with water dripping on me. That didn’t stop, but there was one thing they did that won’t be going away. They poured this—substance on me, I don’t know the name, I just know it burned through my skin and probably the muscle. It was like- ow, König.”

“Sorry! Sorry.” He’d been squeezing the life out of her palm, his breathing growing ragged with every word she revealed of her treatment. He massaged the hand he’d injured while Hyena studied him.

“I think I’m ready.”

He looked up quickly, finding her eyes. “Yes?”

She nodded, retracting her hand to undo the knot at the back of her head. König waited, his ambling hands rested in his lap. Slowly, she peeled away the layers and revealed her face.

The whole of the left side was a sort of angry pink color, and lined with marks of stress. It stretched across the bone, her eyebrow singed off, and a portion of her lips stretched and cracking the same way.

König breathed raggedly through his nose.

“I will find them. I swear to you,” he took her hands in his, staring fiercely into her eyes. “I will unleash your pain onto them tenfold and then some. I will not stop until they know what they did. You didn’t deserve this.”

“It’s okay.” Hyena rested their hands in her lap.

“It’s okay..”

König nodded solemnly, then looked away for a moment, a crease forming at his brow.

“What is it?” Hyena questioned, leaning to look into his eyes again.

“There is something you should know. When you were—gone, I,” he sighed, clearly frustrated. “We all thought you were gone. Knowing what I thought had happened, I- it was like I went insane.”

His glassy eyes looked into hers with a certain fear of himself.

“I became violent in every part of my life. I was afraid to call you a friend because I was expecting this. I was expecting to lose you. But that’s not an excuse. You are my closest companion. My partner..”

The rain picked up outside.

“The love of my life.”

The air stilled, any space between König and Hyena growing smaller by the moment.

She whispered her next words like a rushed prayer.

“You love me?”

His breathing stammered as he nodded. Hyena reached up to hold his stubbled jaw in her hands, blinking fondly. She slowly, ever so slowly, slid over to rest in his lap, his hands finding purchase around her lower back.

“You’re..so tiny..”

She huffed at the strange timing. “I’m really not, you’re just enormous.”

“If you say so.” His hands wandered more freely, rubbing soothing shapes into the fabric of her shirt. She relaxed into his touch, snaking her arms around his neck to rest on his broad shoulders.

“I love you too, Kön..” she breathed. Behaving purely on instinct, she leaned in and kissed him.

He froze for a moment before responding eagerly, his tongue easing her mouth open. Vibrant sounds reverberated around the room and into each other’s bodies. When she pulled away for air, she was delighted to see him chase her affection.

“You’re as beautiful as the day you left.”

fin.

[sxtvrns]

duo of dreams

🎶 now playing: ordinary – nct dojaejung

P: Hueningkai x Fem!Idol!Reader

S: You were seductive. He was an angel. Two polar opposite concepts come together in ways no one would expect.

C: fluff, comfort, inaccuracy, self indulgence, girlboss reader, downbad hyuka, brainrot, drabbling, kinda long, not proofread

N: i am a baby moa so pls do not slander me if i dont get a millisecond of a certain stage performance correct. this is purely for self indulgence because i am so severely in love with kai and everything that he does. idek where this story went but im hoping it makes sense cuz i was so upset with the ending i changed it multiple times and this is the one i liked the most. this man is so fine and im glad im not the only one that thinks so

view the full perfume collection.

please interact if you enjoy!

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

2021

The minute you turned 19, you knew what you wanted. Even before you turned 19, you knew what you were, and you knew what you wanted to make out of it. You were hot. Fierce, confident, and eye catching. Everyone knew it, too. You turned heads every time you went to the headquarters, seeing people stare at you out of the corner of your eye.

Before you were of age, though, you never openly exposed yourself in such a way. It was all a tough girl kind of concept. You tended to stay on the neutral, dark, concepts rather than cuter ones. If you were given an idea, you found a way to design it and stick it to your niche. You always preferred to do what you liked rather than being forced into a box with little room to do anything your way; it demotivated you.

As a solo artist, you had lots of creative freedom, being able to write your own songs and even nitpick at how you wanted them to sound. Sometimes you would just need a kickstart or a hint from another fellow producer to get the ideas flowing, and boy, did your mind flow with ideas.

Sometimes you were labeled as ‘provocative’ or ‘controversial’. Some even said you were acting too mature for your age. But it never hurts to get a head start.

When you weren’t music making, you often dabbled in modeling with your partnered companies or for magazines, really, any source of promotion. You felt even more confident while doing so as well, which further boosted your productivity in the studio. It all came full circle.

You tried to do what you like while also balancing music, and you managed to make it work. People looked up to you. Newer groups admired you, your stage presence, how you gave 100% in every single performance that you did, how you wouldn’t settle for anything less than perfect, how much effort you put into practicing.

You idolized your own fair share of groups as well. BTS, Blackpink, Twice; any group debuting for longer than you have, you admired. When you saw Suga crack a smile at your MAMA performance, you nearly broke character on stage, but held it in by letting your heart race and stopping your face from faltering. When Dahyun talked about you during one of her lives, saying you were cool and how she longed for confidence like yours, you nearly fainted on the spot.

You were still a growing girl with people you looked up to, inspired by everything that they do and how you could apply aspects from their performances to yours. You were truly committed to your craft.

You were invited onto a talk show, along with another group, whose name was not revealed to you. Off camera, you heard the footsteps of multiple people passing by, yet you didn’t know who since it was supposedly a surprise for both you and the other idols.

You adjust your mic, the cameras rolling and the MC and group introducing themselves. Though their voices together are loud, you can’t make out what they are saying, only adding more to the suspense. You’re suddenly given the cue by a staff member, walking out and seeing five men sitting together in their chairs with surprised expressions.

You’re equally as surprised, knowing you’ve seen their faces at previous award shows. “Tomorrow by Together?” You point at them, all of them jumping and freaking out at the fact you knew who they were. “Y/N, meet TXT!” The MC says, letting you sit in your chair as the boys calm down.

“Have you two met formally before?”

“I think once backstage, we were on Inkigayo together.” You answer, the event fully coming back to their memories as you mentioned it. “Do you remember our names?” Taehyun asks innocently, watching as your eyes scan over each of their faces before answering. You point at each respective member as you say their names. “Soobin. Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Taehyun, Hueningkai.” They all cheer and applaud as you dramatically bow towards them and the camera.

“Is there something in particular you like about each other’s music?” The MC asks.

“TXT has a certain flow in their music that manages to get stuck in my head; No Rules and Frost have been playing on loop for the past few days since those are my favourites. And the rhythm and the way each song plays a role within a story is something I really like.”

They all nod, the MC turning their head towards the boy group. “Hueningkai should answer for us.” Yeonjun ushers, patting the maknae on the back. “Yeah, he has your music on 24/7. Nonstop.” Beomgyu adds, only making Kai even more shy.

“Well, Y/N has a really significant, gritty style to her music and a satisfying edge that balances out throughout her songs, so each song is different in its own way. She really pays attention to the role of each instrument in the background and how well they balance together, and her ballads are really well put together because of this. Of course, all of her songs are good, but her ballads stick out even more to me. They’re usually the ones I listen to the most.”

“He’s good.” You say, all of them laughing. “Frost is actually Hueningkai’s song.” Soobin adds. “Really?” The maknae nods, all redfaced and flustered. “That’s why it’s so good then. You did the laugh at the beginning?” He nods again. “I picked it up from you, a little bit.”

“That’s amazing. I loved it, it gave the song the whole like, badass vibe.” You say, immediately covering your mouth. “I’m sorry, I don’t know if I can say that.” They all laugh it off, going back to the topic at hand.

As the interview progresses, you slowly find yourself getting more comfortable with the boys in front of you, laughing and joking around as the questions go on and on. They treat you like a close friend though you’ve only known each other for an hour, and your heart is filled with a familiar warmth as you even fall out of your chair from laughing so hard.

You compose yourself before the interview ends, and when the cameras cut, it goes silent, all of TXT staring at you, and you staring back. Hueningkai is the first to break, everyone else following right after.

━━━━━

the way he looks at her

hyuka had hearts in his eyes the whole time i swear

Y/N ONE CHANCE PLEASE

she is literally slaying so hard and all she’s doing is sitting in her chair

id freak out too if i was in the presence of y/n

IDK IF I WANNA BE TXT OR Y/N

hueningkai finally formally meeting his celeb crush guys the character development is real

━━━━━

You lurked a lot on social media, having your own personal accounts and such. This also meant you saw all those comments about the tension between you and Hueningkai specifically. They weren’t wrong about it; in fact, there was something there between you two that you couldn’t determine.

It was like a chain operated by a crank that wanted to pull you two closer together. You felt yourself drawn to him, and he felt drawn to you, yet you didn’t know why.

“Hueningkai has the biggest crush on you. He has some of your posters hung up in our room and always stays quiet if your performance is on. He never stays quiet for anything.” Taehyun said, which stuck with you the rest of the interview.

During the recording, you couldn’t help but feel your eyes drawn to him specifically, and how he’d already be staring at you when you looked at him. He could feel it too, the crank wanting to turn. You both were resisting against it, not letting the chain pull you two any closer.

He was cute, for sure. His innocence seemed to radiate off of him, and the way it contrasted with your maturity made you wonder why there was such a significant tension between you two.

So while you sat in HYBE’s cafe on the 19th floor, sipping on an iced chocolate while staring down at the streets below, you tried to take your mind off of him. But it was the most fun you’ve had with another group, and you wanted to relive the laughter in your head over and over again for as long as you could remember it, but Hueningkai was always the first person that came back to your mind when you tried to reminisce. As much as you liked it, it also felt like torture.

The doors of the elevator open with a ding, Hueningkai ordering a lime bachaas at the counter, noticing a familiar figure at one of the window seats. He gets his drink, taking a sip before guessing. “Y/N?” You turn around at the mention of your name, noticing Hueningkai who’s waving at you. You wave back, wondering what to do. It’d be awkward to leave it at this.

You nudge the chair out, letting him sit down next to you. “Are you busy?” You ask, knowing it’s late at night but not late enough until practices usually end. “Just finished. Had some dinner.” He’s usually rambling when he’s asked questions, but maybe today tired him out. You can’t blame him, you were equally as drained. “You watched our episode?”

He huffs with a laugh. “Yeah. I saw the comments too. We’re everywhere.”

“Hope you don’t mind. The internet is crazy.”

“I’m aware of that. I don’t mind at all. Do you?”

You shake your head. “I don’t really care.”

A comfortable silence lingers over the two of you. It isn’t awkward in any way, merely the sounds of the machines behind the counter serving as background noise. “You really picked it up from me?”

“Huh?”

“That laugh. In Frost.”

He awkwardly chuckles. “Ah, well, it’s a bit strange to say it out loud but, when I was recording that part, I tried to envision what it was like in your shoes. All… cool and villain like.”

“You think I’m a villain?”

“Wrong word… more like dominant. When we were sent the sample recording, I could immediately see you doing the song as your own, like I could hear you doing the intro itself. When I imagined your vibe, that’s how it came out. Is that weird?”

“No, I love it. I can understand why you think that way. You did a great job, by the way. Really sweet of you to think of me like that. Your performance for that song too, fuckin’ sexy.” You cover your mouth, looking around and seeing no one else around. “Can I swear?”

He nods with a small laugh. “Sexy?” He asks. “If I’m being honest, you looked really fucking hot up there. Just saying.” His face goes warm, partly at the fact you called their performance ‘sexy’, but mostly at the fact you called him hot right to his face with no shame at all. “Are you flirting with me?”

“Take it how you will, I’m just telling the truth.” Your eyes meet his for the first time during the whole conversation. You break first and finish off your drink, his gaze enough to intimidate yet fluster you at the same time. “I’m gonna go now. Hopefully I run into you again.” You get up, about to leave when you feel a hand tugging on your sleeve, stopping you.

“Um, do you want me to walk you back? We live in the same building and all, I just– it’s dark out.” He rambles, a smile creeping up on your lips. “So you’re cute and you’re a gentleman? I really found the one.” It doesn’t directly answer his question, but the compliment has his heart racing faster than before. “Sure. Let’s go.”

As you walk back to the dorms, you manage to make small talk with Kai, filling in the silent gaps when needed. “I do appreciate your attention to detail.”

“For what?”

“When you were talking about my music. I really like hearing other people’s interpretations on them and what sticks out and such. I’ll be sure to write more ballads for you.” You start off, joking around. “I think it’s a bit funny you view me as someone higher and you’re casually hanging out with them right now. The only difference is that I debuted after you did.”

“You flattered me too much already tonight, Y/N. One more thing and I might just faint from your words alone.”

“Pleased to know I make such an impact on you.”

“You’ve made quite an impact on me for a while now.”

Unlocking your door, you tell Kai to wait outside for a moment, handing him a folded slip of paper. “Thank you for the peace, Kai. Goodnight.” You go to shut the door, opening it slightly again. “Sorry if I made you uncomfortable.” You add, Kai walking back to the elevator after you shut the door. He doesn’t unfold the slip until he reaches his own dorm, numbers written down.

It was your phone number, words written right below it.

I enjoyed talking to you tonight. Text me whenever, and hopefully we can talk like this again.

His mind goes back to your words from earlier. ‘Sorry if I made you uncomfortable.’

Was it because you called him hot and that he was more secluded on the way back? It was only because he didn’t know what to say after. What was he even supposed to say to that? Thank you? You too?

Before he went to bed, he added your number to his contacts, and hid the note in one of his drawers. He realized one thing, though.

You were definitely flirting with him.

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The elevator door opens, Hueningkai alerted by the ding and turning around to see who it was. Your hood was on, yet he still recognized you, messing around and simply staring at you the whole time to see how long it would take for you to notice.

You see him out of the corner of your eye as you put your phone away, sheepishly waving at him as he proudly waves back, gesturing for you to sit with him.

“Do you wanna see something?” He asks, which grabs your attention. You nod, Hueningkai taking out his phone and opening his emails, tapping on something else. He fully reveals the screen to you, showing photos of him modelling for a campaign. He scrolls through them, and you simply sit there, admiring how he glows in every single one.

“God, you look so good in all of them.” You mutter, hearing him giggle as he shuts his phone off. “You’re the first person to see them.”

“Really?” He nods, running his hand through his hair. “I feel so special.” You smile, wondering how his silly demeanour could turn into that in front of a camera. “Do you want me to send them to you?”

“Can you really do that? It already feels a bit illegal just looking at them.”

“No one needs to know.”

You huff, accepting his offer. “If you’re encouraging it.” He turns on his phone again, sending the photos to you with a ding. “Have you been busy today?” He asks, putting his phone back in his pocket. “Writing. Dancing. I’m performing for KBS, so I’ve been rehearsing. Speaking of which, I just had an idea.” He leans in closer, intrigued.

“Could you… record a few lines for me? It’s for my festival performance; it isn’t a lot, I swear. Just some dialogue. Whenever you aren’t busy, of course.”

“I’m available tomorrow.”

“Great! Cool, I’ll text you more about it. You’re on the setlist too, right?”

“Yeah. Just our title track.”

“Looking forward to it already.”

“What song are you covering, anyways?”

“U-Go-Girl, then transitioning to my title.” His eyes widen, remembering the dialogue that would have to be voiced over by him. “Oh.” Thinking about it alone is almost embarrassing, but he takes pride in the fact that he’s the first person you thought of to record such… important lines. “If you don’t want to, I can find someone else–“

“No, no! I can do it, yeah, I can. I want to. Sounds fun.” He cuts you off, sounding almost too excited. “You know what you’re getting yourself into and not just doing it because I asked.”

“Really, I’d be honoured. Playing a part in your performance.”

“Good. I’d have a hard time finding someone else then, anyways. Wasn’t planning on asking anybody else.”

“So I was first pick?”

You pause, looking for an answer. “You’d add your own little Hueningkai flair to it. I’m not sure exactly what it is, but you’re gonna help me make it stand out from the rest. And that’s exactly what I want.” You always had a thing for being different. Different in a good and influential way, in a way where you wouldn’t be compared to others, rather others were compared to you.

You yawn, covering your mouth and letting your head hang to the side. “Today must’ve taken a toll on you, huh?” You feel his sleeve briefly brush against your hood. “Dance was… hard today. I couldn’t get the moves right even though it’s the easiest dance to ever exist, my brain was mush, I was failing to comprehend anything– I did great in everything else but the performing, stage presence part of it.”

“Don’t beat yourself up. We all have bad days, and it’s okay to feel horrible about it, but you learn to move on and improve. Trust me, I should know.” Kai advises reassuringly, his hand having a gentle grip on your shoulder. “Thanks, Kai. I just feel like a bit of a lazy ass not being able to do things at the pace I usually do.”

“You haven’t been overworking yourself, have you?”

“Not necessarily.”

“If you need to take a little break, take one. Better to be conscious to perform than not perform at all.” He jokes it off, even making you giggle a little as well. “I’ll take your advice to heart, Kai. Means a lot that you care.”

“You aren’t lazy, by the way. I’ve seen your performances and judging from how you exceed everyone’s expectations, you are far from that. You’re a hard worker, Y/N.”

“You really know how to flatter a woman, do you?” His face flushes on the spot, instantly a flustered mess. “Like you said, I’m just telling the truth.” He says, mostly spitting out words that he isn’t entirely sure of. “And you pay attention! My goodness, I’ll never find another guy like you. I’ll treasure you forever, Hueningkai.”

“Stop that…” He murmurs, still flustered and warm faced.

“Don’t be embarrassed! I mean it. I’ll never regret ever knowing you and being a friend of yours.” He only hides his face deeper into his hoodie, giggling as you take a sip of your drink. “Don’t fall in love yet, Huening, you should take me out on a date first.” You tease, finishing off your drink and tapping on his shoulder as you get up to leave “Don’t make false accusations, you’ll get in trouble for that.” He follows behind you, throwing away his own cup.

“I really did appreciate the advice, though. Maybe I was a bit too harsh on myself. I promise I’ll try to be more self aware.” You look up at him with a nod as the elevator doors close with a ding, and he nods back, giving you a thumbs up.

When you arrive at your dorm, you finally figure out a time. “Are you free at 3 tomorrow?” You ask. “For what?”

“For recording, duh. Was this not the first thing we talked about?”

“It was actually the second thing.”

“Okay, smartass, that was rhetorical.” You laugh it off, waiting for his confirmation. “Yeah, I am. I’ll take some time out of my practice for it.”

“I can do it sometime else if you’re busy, then–“

“Y/N, I’m practicing all week, it’s fine. You won’t get my recording in time if you were to do it when my schedule isn’t actually packed. I’ll let them know, okay? Don’t worry about it.”

“Fine, but if I get a complaint that pulling you out of practice was unprofessional I’m blaming you.”

He chuckles. “Fair enough.”

“See you tomorrow, then?” You peek your head out the door at him, tiredly staring at him. “See you. Get some rest, Y/N.”

“You too, Kai.”

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Hueningkai steps out of his practice, following the directions you gave him through text, seeing a few staff members outside the recording booth. They let him in, shutting the door and putting on the given headphones. ��Hi Kai. You ready? Need water or anything?” You’re sitting in the producer’s booth at the computer with another staff member.

“I’m good.”

“I’ll play the sample recording for you. Unless you want to go straight into it?”

“Sample.”

Kai had a way of mimicry that you admired. It stayed true to the original, but his voice made it stand out the exactly how you wanted it to, that he got it only after the second recording. You play it back to him, this time layered on top of your main vocals, the part transitioning to your song being the most prominent section where his voice really stands out. “Do you wanna rerecord anything? Personally I think this is the take.”

“Then I’m good.”

You frown at the way he describes himself, even though he isn’t entirely wrong. “Alright, then that’s it. Thanks for coming in.”

“Should I see you later today?” He asks, the other staff member looking at you. “Yeah, sure. Just get back, I feel I’ve taken you for too long already.” Hueningkai begins to tear bits off the lyric sheet, the sound of it reverberating in the room you’re in. You simply watch as he rolls the bits into tiny crumpled balls, leaving them on the stand.

“At least clean up after yourself. You can walk a girl home but can’t pick up your own trash?” You joke, Kai’s ears going red as he takes the bits with him, muttering a goodbye before leaving the room. “You’re close with him?” The staff asks, finicking with the audio.

“Yeah. Why?”

“Nothing. You two seemed to just click instantly. Do you wanna hear how it sounds now?”

As the sky darkens, you wait for a response from Hueningkai almost too eagerly, checking your phone every time it buzzed in your pocket, hoping it was him. You stopped by your rendezvous, just to take a seat and listen to the recording over and over again; it was that good that you wanted to put it on loop and just admire it as many times as you could.

“Boo!”

Hueningkai pounces on you, his hands grasping your shoulders to make you jump. “Kai– do not do that! If I had a drink in my hand right now, I would’ve thrown it at your face.”

“So mean!”

“Reflexes.”

He sits down next to you, leaning in to see what took up all your attention that you didn’t notice him lurking behind you. “Wanna listen? It’s the backup vocals for my performance.” You offer him an earbud as he accepts, playing up until the transition. “And that’s most of it. For now.”

“Feels a little bit wrong to get early access to this.”

“It was only part of it. And now you know how I felt when I saw those photos of you.”

“They’re up now, so nothing to worry about. I saw your messages but that was during water break, so I didn’t get to respond. Figured I’d find you here.”

“I felt like giving up and going back to the dorms. This was a last resort.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t get to even text you afterwards. Slipped my mind.”

“It’s fine. This is all I wanted to show you anyways.”

He pauses for a moment, staring at the ground trying to remember what it was about the KBS festival he was going to say. “Oh! Right, I just remembered I was gonna tell you something.”

“What is it?”

He leans in closer and whispers something.

“I’m dying my hair.”

“Really? What colour?”

“Brown. Then after the festival, black.”

“Are you getting a new concept?” He nods excitedly, his grin unable to be contained. “I will keep my mouth shut. But I’m excited to see what’s to come!”

“I think you’ll like it. We’ll be working on recordings after the festival.”

“Oh?” You were intrigued. “I’ll like it?”

“It seems like something you’d enjoy, at least. I’m hoping you will.”

“Now you have me wanting to know more. You know this is very unprofessional of you, speaking about your group’s plans with another colleague.” You poke fun at him, leaning in. “I’m speaking to you as a friend, not a business partner. And with how much unreleased information we’ve been sharing with each other, it’s safe to say that we are more than just business partners.”

“I feel like a schoolgirl sharing secrets with someone.” You giggle, Kai’s smile growing. “I heard somewhere they call you Hyuka, can I call you that?” Why did the name sound so perfect when it rolled off your tongue? He did his best to stop his face from heating up and replied. “Yeah. You can.”

“It’s cute. I like it.”

He doesn’t reply, avoiding eye contact with you and simply replying with a nod. “You really get flustered over the smallest things, don’t you? Nothing to be ashamed of.”

“Maybe it’s because I can’t believe the Y/N keeps flirting with me. Not very professional of you.”

“Oh, the irony! It’s corroding my heart…” You overdramatize, earning a snicker from the boy seated beside you. “If it makes you uncomfortable, I can stop. I hope you know that wasn’t my intention.”

“I know. And it doesn’t. If anything, my heart beats so fast that I just can’t think of anything to say to you because I’m so focused on the fact my heart is racing in my ears.”

“So you like it?”

“I mean, who wouldn’t want to be called cute by the L/N Y/N? If anything, I’m lucky enough to be talking with you like this.”

“Now you’re the one flirting with me?” You laugh, checking your phone. “I have an interview tomorrow. I’m a bit nervous.”

“Why? You’re always great in interviews. You’re comedic, you’re stylish–“

“It’s one where the MC asks questions to get under your skin. Like a hot seat.”

“Oh.”

“I’m not… I’m not very open with my personal life. I don’t usually talk about it. He might go that far.”

“Can you not cancel?”

“Too late now. I was booked for it but didn’t care to ask what it was about since I was too busy with other things.” You feel his hand rub your shoulder reassuringly, giving you a look that said ‘it’s gonna be okay’. You sheepishly smile, his hand not leaving you for as long as you stay with him. “I just don’t want to get into controversy right before that big performance. It’s gonna ruin my confidence and my performance is gonna be shit and when I look back on it I’m gonna hate myself–“

“Y/N, you’re gonna be okay. Your fanbase would understand wholeheartedly if they are really fans of yours. They would defend you until the end of the line. Have you seen what they can do? It’s a bit terrifying.” He says, making you chuckle. “I get why you’re so nervous, but if the episode is that bad, they’d have a reason to not stream it.”

Hueningkai’s words stay with you the entire night leading up to the interview, where you’re seated in the chair and the cameras are rolling. The questions start off innocent at first, typical questions you’d get on any other interview.

“What is it like being a role model for newer idols?”

“What is your favourite performance outfit so far?”

“Is there a specific place you’d like to go to for a world tour or concert?”

Then it slowly started getting more… iffy.

“Do you have a ghost writer?”

“Did Bighit force you into the ‘sexy’ concept when you turned 19?”

“How many times have you cried over your duties as an idol?”

When it got into relationships with others, however, that’s where you drew the line.

“Have you ever had a boyfriend before?” The MC asks with a shameless smile on his face. “No.”

“Is there anyone you have your eyes on right now? A celebrity crush?”

Your face begins to burn red, your heart pounding so loud and fast you can hear it in your ears, and you’re struggling to spit out logical answers.

“Not in particular.”

“Sunghoon from Enhypen? You two are known to be close friends. Is he your type?”

“Please don’t bring my friends into this.”

“P1Harmony, what was his name… Jiung!“

“I don’t–“

“What about Hueningkai, the boy from TXT? Ever since that interview, people have been endorsing you two as a pair.”

“I don’t think you should be dictating someone to fulfill my relationship status. You have absolutely no power over me and my relationships with others, and God knows everything about me and my friends while you don’t, so keep your mouth shut.”

The whole room goes silent. You’re holding back tears and you want to swear at him so bad, but this seemed to be impactful enough already, so your eyes stare daggers into his soul, as if they pierced through his heart to make it stop beating. “Well, you certainly live up to your fiesty trait.” He laughs off, switching to the final cue card.

At the end, in your dressing room, you’re so overwhelmed with humiliation and embarrassment, the tears that couldn’t escape your eyes begin to flood again as you pull out your phone, the first person to come to mind being Hueningkai.

hyuka

are you there?

hiii!!!

how did it go?

horrible

it all went to shit

oh… are you okay?

can i see you later? same place?

sure, ill be there by 9

Your hood is on for the rest of the day, pace relentlessly fast as you walk into the headquarters. The face ID for the elevator can barely recognize you with how much you’re trying to hold back from crying, and you avoid any eye contact with the staff that join you in the small space. You finally look up when you reach the 19th floor, seeing Hueningkai turned around and looking at you, and you begin to break down then and there.

“Woah, Y/N…” He runs over, catching you before you can fall on your knees. “What happened? What did he ask?” You feel like shit knowing Kai is trying to help you, but you aren’t able to say anything because you’re so overwhelmed with tears and how embarrassing you look crying in front of him.

“Do you want to come to my place and we can talk about it? Or do you want to go to yours? The boys are just practicing vocals so it’ll be just us, no need to worry about someone overhearing.” He’s so extremely patient with you, making you cry even more. You point at him, meaning you want to go to his place, because it was the first thing that came to mind. “But what about you?”

“Don’t worry about me. I’m only worried about you.”

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

who does he think he is???

i cannot believe the staff did not notice how uncomfy y/n was even after she yelled at them

the fact he just laughed it off like what?

this was so incredibly disrespectful, i dont even know how this show is still up

who is allowing this to be aired theres clearly something wrong with this

he knew he crossed a line and did not care how stupid can you be

i knew there was something off about this

imagine being scolded by y/n id disappear off the face of the planet forever

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

You sat quiet in your waiting room, scrolling through the posts on social media all written about you and that damn interview. You knew you were in the right, and you hoped everyone else knew that too. Luckily, they did. They didn’t bash you for anything, their dissatisfaction going towards the MC and the show.

You received endless support and praise for standing up for yourself and putting the host in his place, and you were so incredibly relieved for that. You watched the show broadcasting patiently on the TV in your room, TXT’s title track beginning to play. You were so fixated on it that you almost forgot you were going on next, the staff calling you backstage.

When their performance ends and they come offstage, you clap and cheer for all of them as they pass by, waving at Hueningkai enthusiastically when you see him. “Hyuka!” Even under the dim light, you see him with a tired smile as he runs over to you. “Wow…” He looks at you, eyes trailing over your outfit. “You look good.”

“I could say the same for you.” Maybe it was the lighting, or how nervous you were, but seeing your friend post-performance trying to catch his breath, sweat dripping down his face, his cheeky smile as his gaze with those tired eyes doesn’t waver from yours, you knew it was wrong to be thinking such things. But he looked hot. Really hot.

“I’ll see you in your room?” You ask, and he nods, head turning away first and eyes last. God, he had a gaze that could kill you.

The metronome begins playing in your earpiece once you’re on stage, and you let your confidence take control. Hyuka’s voice plays in your ear, and if you’re being honest, the one thing that usually runs through your mind is thinking about how cool you are to be on stage and performing for such a large audience. Did it make you seem like you were full of yourself? A little bit. Did you care? No.

When the song changes, so does the mood. The lights change colour and are different brightnesses, and so does your outfit. You discard your jacket and the skirt you’re wearing, adorning a matching pair of shorts and a sleeveless shirt, and a fishnet longsleeve underneath. Your title track begins, and the crowd screams so loud you can hear them over your instrumental.

After the rush of adrenaline from being able to make the crowd scream louder than ever, you walk offstage, saying thank you to all the staff as you pass by. You make a quick pitstop to your room, grabbing a few things before trying to find TXT’s. The next performers pass by and give you cheer silently, and you can’t help but smile back despite your exhaustion. You knock on their door, a staff member opening it. “Hi Y/N. How come you aren’t in your room right now?”

“Is it okay if I come in?”

“Is that Y/N?” Someone asks.

“Y/N!?” Another voice asks, who you can recognize as Hueningkai. The staff member moves aside, and there’s Hyuka, standing behind him with that goofy smile on his face. He pulls you in for an unexpected, brief hug, looking at you all thrilled. “Your performance was amazing! You looked so good up there, and the transition and your execution–“ He’s so excited that he just jumps around with glee, and you manage to laugh at his enthusiasm.

You take a seat on the empty couch with a content sigh, Hyuka then sitting next to you. “I loved your performance too. The brown hair suits you.” The colour made him look younger as if he wasn’t already, innocence along with it. “I like it. I wish you’d keep it.”

“You should’ve seen my in my group’s Magic era.”

“Do you have photos? It’s been a while since I’ve last seen it.” He pulls out his phone, photos of him from that time showing up after mere seconds of him typing it in. “You looked so cute! And so much younger…”

“We were both 17 that time, so obviously. I saw your concept during this time too. You looked cute too.”

A part of you wants to believe that he means it. Another part of you is making you think that he’s just saying it to be nice since you do that to him all the time. “So you’re saying that I’m not cute now?” You ask rhetorically, letting him search for his answer. “I’m saying that you’ve always been cute. How’s that?”

“You don’t mean that.”

“I do.” He’s looking at you so sternly that you want to believe him, and the fact he hasn’t broken out into laughter probably means that you should. “Soobin, Hueningkai is flirting with Y/N.” Beomgyu says, making you the first to break eye contact with him. “Don’t make her uncomfortable, Hueningkai.” His leader says, lounging in his chair.

“I think she likes it.”

“I do not.”

“Then why is your face so red? You don’t see me all flustered when you call me cute.”

“Actually, I do. We’re even.”

You both sit there in silence, Hueningkai scrolling on his phone mindlessly, lurking on his social media. He opens his camera to check and fix his hair, but notices you in frame, your eyes shut and head on his shoulder. You fell asleep on him.

He’s frozen in place, unsure what to do. He doesn’t move for as long as your rest on him, merely going back on his phone with a quiet chuckle. He snuck a few photos with you, and looking at them he realized that you were still as cute as he called you, even while you were asleep. When he looked up from his phone, he saw Yeonjun with his camera facing the two of you, fingers tapping on the screen.

“What are you doing?” Hyuka asks, Yeonjun immediately putting his phone away. “Nothing.” He lies, going back to using it as normal. You don’t stay asleep for long, being called back to your room by one of the other staff members. When you leave the room, Kai gets a text from Yeonjun, odd being that they were merely across the room from each other. He opens it to reveal a few images and even a video of the two of you together.

“Look at Hueningkai… Y/N is sleeping on his shoulder. Our maknae has really grown up and his crush is resting with him, they’re so cute. Saving this for when they date in the future.”

You nearly doze off in your own waiting room until your phone buzzes in your hand, a text from Hyuka appearing. It’s photos of the two of you, mostly of you sleeping on his shoulder while Hyuka is on his phone or taking selfies with you.

you looked so peaceful i felt bad when i had to wake you up

were you about to sleep in your room? im sorry if i woke you up again :(

ah its okay

who took the other photos?

yeonjun

were you just on your phone the entire time

i didn’t wanna wake you up!

can i come back

im not sure let me ask

👍

no u cant cuz the show is almost over

aw man

we’ll talk tomorrow! its my off day so we have all the time in the world

you’re over exaggerating a little bit

only a little bit

:P

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Y/NS PERFORMANCE MY LORD

SHE LITERALLY ATE THAT UP

she proved that flop of an mc wrong

is that hueningkai’s voice in the background??

GUYS AM I TRIPPING OR IS THAT HYUKA

hueningkai doing the dialogue for y/n’s cover is something i didnt know i needed

r they like best friends off screen because that’d literally be so cute like y/n asking hyuka to do the vocals for her

they sound so good together omg

collab when?

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

2022

You were close with Hueningkai. You talked a lot, you hung out a lot, you even did media promotions with him, and you had little inside jokes that no one seemed to get, which made them funnier.

You two also had a tendency to… flirt with each other.

You could never see if he was being serious or not, and he’d never tell you afterwards and just move on. You’d do the same, which was only fair, but you really wanted to know if he meant it. Sometimes you wished he did. Other times you didn’t care.

You did lives together, mostly consisting of gossip and eating snacks, and you wouldn’t have it any other way. You even walked in on him once in the middle of one, and was unofficially invited as a guest.

You did promotional content with each other, and had a lot of pictures together in your camera roll. You almost lost important screenshots and info because of it. But every time you opened your gallery, you smiled, seeing pictures of him and the two of you messing around together reminding that there was more to life than just work.

It’s officially known by everyone, you and Hueningkai were best friends. Two peas in a pod, doing a lot of things together when you both were free. You were being shipped together, and while you were worried it made him uncomfortable, you also kind of liked it. Which begun the spiral of thoughts: did you have a crush on him?

You felt even more like a schoolgirl talking about it with your friends, except you were left alone with your own thoughts. You only flirted with each other about what, hundreds of times? He’d pat your back to calm you down, hold your hand if he noticed you shaking, run his fingers through your hair when you’d ramble, hug you when you need it, wipe off any crumbs that were left at the corner of your mouth…

He had comebacks that made your face go red, snarky replies and comments that made your heart race more than anything else, he looked hot when he was performing, like, really hot, he made sure you were the first person to see his unpublished modeling photos (all of them drove you crazy), he looked really pretty with contact lenses, he was the only person that could leave you stuttering and scrambling for words…

The list went on and on. And the more things you found out you liked about him, the more the answer became clear. You liked him. You liked your best friend.

Sure, he’s told you before that you were his celebrity crush, but that’s different. You liked him on a personal level, a level that could make or break your relationship with each other, and that was what scared you the most. You really liked him, to the point where if he rejected you, you’d go dark for a few days trying to recover.

You wanted to tell him so bad. Every time you tried, your heart would race uncontrollably and you couldn’t choke out a single word. It was almost embarrassing how flustered his simple actions made you, let alone on a livestream.

“I told my sisters about you.” He says, staring up at the clear, starlit sky. “Really?”

“My younger sister is a big fan of you, actually. She debuted this year. Older has plans to, and she says you’re really cool.”

“Tell them I say thank you. What group is your younger sister a part of?”

“Kep1er. Bahiyyih?”

“You did that Tiktok with her, I remember. You guys look scarily alike.”

“We really don’t.” You glare at him, straight faced. Hueningkai looks at you, face illuminated by the lights hidden underneath the plant fixtures. “You look pretty.” He thinks aloud, knowing you heard judging from the expression on your face.

You laugh. “I know.” You expect him to laugh the same, but his face doesn’t seem to change in any way. “Oh, you’re serious.”

“I always have been. You just never see it that way.”

“Oh.” You’re struck with a pang of guilt, cursing yourself internally. “You weren’t just being nice?”

“I meant every word I said. I hope you’re taking me seriously right now.”

It seems like I’m not, but I am. I really am.

“This is awfully bold of you, Hyuka.”

“I really like you, Y/N. How’s that for bold?”

He was being serious, unphased with genuine, meaningful eyes. “You always stayed by my side, even when I was feeling down. You remember the little things about me; my drink orders, the snacks I get, my habits, and merely being able to see you makes my day a whole lot better.”

You’re standing there, mouth slightly hanging, unable to say anything. The words are stuck in your throat, and you want to say something, but you feel like you’re gonna faint if you speak a single word.

“I… I can’t…” You’re too embarrassed to face him, knowing his eyes are on you. “I need to go…” You mutter, hand brushing over his for a second before leaving him unanswered on the silent, dimly lit rooftop.

You’re running down the stairs, mashing the buttons on the elevators, messily typing in your key code, falling to your knees once you step foot in your dorm. You’re coughing so much from your horribly paced breathing, and the pain adds to your tears, slowly trailing down your face.

Why were you crying? You didn’t deserve to cry. You were the one that hurt him, leaving him there because you were a coward. It hurt like hell. You barely managed to clean yourself up, falling asleep the second your head hits your pillow.

Practice the following day was straightforward, but you still felt empty. You would’ve gotten a text from Hyuka already, but the only messages there are the ones from yesterday. It hurts to see it so empty, and you want to talk to him, but what if he already hated you?

Entering the elevator, you run into Taehyun and his hooded mop of black hair. “Hi Y/N.” He greets. You tip your head to greet him, guilty for being able to talk to one of Hyuka’s friends and not him himself. “You should go talk to him. He skipped out on practice today.”

“Does he hate me?”

He scoffs. “Hueningkai could never hate you. You made his life 100 times better, according to him.” He pauses and sighs as the elevator nears the floor to the cafeteria. “Even for a few hours, he really didn’t seem like himself. If anything, he’s wondering if you hate him.”

As the door opens and Taehyun steps off, you get a text from Hueningkai.

im sorry.

forget i said anything.

“Shit.” You mutter, Taehyun eyeing you the entire time until the doors close. It’s one swift ride down to the bottom floor, and again, you run, but this time faster than you did the day before, spamming the buttons on the elevator and going to his floor. You stop in front of his door, knocking on it and ringing the doorbell. “Hueningkai? It’s me.” You say. No answer.

“Hyuka? Please, can we talk?” You plead, not hearing anything from the inside. You spam his messages instead, calling him 10 times before giving up. You then remembered accidentally peeking at him entering his dorm code, but you forced yourself to forget it for the sake of his privacy. Given he wasn’t answering, you forced yourself to remember.

He jokingly scolded you that day before shutting the door, but what did he type before that?

Your faded memory punches in the series of numbers you picked out, the door suddenly unlocking. You look around, seeing an empty hallway before shutting the door and locking it, taking your shoes off and running to his room. “Hyuka?” You call, hearing muffled sniffles from a distance. That had to be him.

You didn’t bother knocking. You opened to door, seeing Hueningkai’s face all messed with tears, puffy red eyes, and his arms clinging tightly to one of his stuffed animals. His eyes widened before he hid his face with a tissue. You walk over to him, helping him wipe his face with the tissues. You quickly get up and rush to his kitchen, refilling the glass of water on the floor beside his bed.

He’s calmed down by the time you get back, accepting the glass and drinking half of it. “How did you get in?” He asks, voice hoarse. “You typed in the code once and I accidentally saw. I took a shot in the dark.” You hold his face in your hands, warming them, wiping away a fallen tear with a stroke of your thumb. He clearly didn’t remember. “I’m sorry–“

“No, don’t be. I’m sorry. You have nothing to be sorry for.”

You sigh, heart pounding in your ears. “I was a coward for running away. It was stupid.” He chuckles. “I don’t even know why I’m crying, I just started thinking of you, and everything I’ve lost, and…” He cuts himself off, knowing he’d start crying again if he said anything else. “I’m right here. You haven’t lost anything.”

You move his hair out of his face, and all you can do is look at him. His post crying face, rosy and glistening, a content smile on his face. “I like you too, Hyuka. Your duality, your laugh, your carefulness, your personality…” You begin to look at the smaller details on his face. “Your eyes, your lashes, your jawline…”

“Your lips.”

The crank holding the two of you finally snaps, and you’re fully drawn to him.

You kiss him, and everything feels just right, sensing his surprise through the noise he made at the sudden action. It’s a first for both of you, so you could be as awkward as you needed to while learning how to kiss each other. But you were fast learners, and you got the hang of it quickly.

He pulls you closer by the waist, holding you close to him as you straddle his hips, kissing you fervently. So fervently that you swear you hear him moan in between a few kisses, and you try not to enjoy it as much as you do. Pulling away for a second to admire him, the way his chest heaves as he’s out of breath, his eyes doing the pleading for him.

You lean in closer. “Do you like being like this?” You ask, forehead against his, lips grazing over his own. “Mhm.” Your hand holds his face again, warm and tempting. “Is this what you’ve wanted?” He nods again. “For how long?”

“Too long.”

His lips are back on yours, dominant and hungry. He was the only one that could restrain you like this, and for once, you didn’t mind not being in control. His kisses move down to your neck, feeling him smirk after eliciting a groan from you.

“You can’t…” You start, feeling him stop and pull away. “People will see. We can’t risk it.”

Being in the industry meant that lying out of hickeys was nonexistent. Dating scandals would come abuzz and the only thing people would ask you for the next few weeks was who gave you that purple mark on your neck.

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

The door suddenly opens, and you’re met with a shaken Beomgyu, eyes wide and jaw dropped. You immediately get off of Hueningkai, putting your hood back on and sitting on the side of the bed, gesturing zipped lips to the poor boy. “Soobin! They’re– they’re… Y/N’s here!” Beomgyu rephrases, a better choice of words than what you assumed he’d say.

“I’m sorry. That was a dick move of me.”

“It was. All I wanted was closure, and I got it, so it’s okay.”

His hand rests on top of yours. “Can I be your boyfriend, Y/N?” You blush, face hot as if you weren’t just making out with him a few minutes ago. “Yeah. Yeah, I’d like that. But what about our label?”

“You’re closer with Bang than I am. Could you talk to him?” You nod, kissing him one last time before leaving, avoiding eye contact with Soobin and Beomgyu on the way out. You bump into Taehyun on the way to the door. He looks at you with a smile, following with an affirmative nod and letting you go.

Taehyun budges through the border of Soobin and Beomgyu at his own bedroom door, Yeonjun peeking over and seeing Hueningkai all red and smiley. “What happened?” The oldest asks, eyes still on the youngest.

“Y/N happened.” Soobin answers, Yeonjun’s gaze locked on the maknae. Maybe it was his older brother genes that he noticed something different than the Hueningkai he saw this morning, but judging from the fact you walked out with your hood on, Hyuka’s shirt being slightly crumpled, his blanket gathered at the footboard, some of his plushies fallen out of place, and slight tinges of pink on and surrounding his mouth, he deduced you two had a little bit of fun.

“Took him long enough.”

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

2023

Your relationship was smooth sailing as it ever could be with your schedules. A member of your team had to arrange a meeting with Bang discussing the relationship between you and Hueningkai. Keeping it a secret would have been the better option, but knowing Hyuka, he’d still show you off to everyone even if being scolded to keep quiet about it for hours on end.

Bang said he ‘had a hunch’ from the first interview, not showing any objection, but naming the risks and controversies that would come with the publicity of your romance. You two were too lovestruck to care about public opinions, but you still were wary of your interactions with each other, Hueningkai especially, knowing that getting into a scandal only involving himself would bring the group down with him.

You two were content with the way things were, but Hyuka tended to have the mindset of, ‘if it happens, it happens’ despite being so cautious, and you’re sure the staff members at Music Bank saw the two of you being intimate in the halls because your boyfriend just had to kiss your forehead at that time, no sooner or later.

Rumors started to arise, given how close the two of you had become. You were always close, but this time you were much closer. There were a lot of behind the scenes cameras at music shows, sometimes catching the two of you in the background together. Once you were even caught with Hyuka taking a nap on your thighs, and that only further proved the existence of the two of you dating.

The one time you decide not to wear a mask and just your hat, paparazzi caught the two of you holding hands on the way back, those gossip articles really planting all previous evidence as if their life was on the line.

Both of you never confirmed anything to the public. You simply just moved on with your lives as if nothing ever happened. It was brought up in a few interviews, but you managed to avoid answering questions on terms of your relationship, using the excuse of privacy.

It was surprising to everyone when they saw a video uploaded on TXT’s channel titled something along the lines of: ‘Hueningkai’s first date’, you couldn’t remember it off the top of your head. But you did vividly remember officially stating that the two of you were going out, and have been going out for a while.

The feedback was, as far as you knew, positive. Being dubbed as ‘the duo we’ve been waiting for’ or ‘netizens’ favourite couple’, you mostly appreciated the fact that you didn’t receive any threats, and only a loss of some fans. Maybe people just couldn’t handle the fact that you two looked so damn good together.

“What are you watching?” Hueningkai asks from the kitchen, seeing you staring at your phone intensely. “Your interview. You’re throwing away your plushies? But I got you one.”

“I’m keeping yours, of course. I’m getting rid of my hoarding habits, so I don’t really want anymore as gifts. Yours will always have a special place in my heart, and I’m never gonna get rid of it.”

“Can I at least keep one?” He considers it for a moment, then nods. “Sure. Which?” You don’t even have to think about it. “Honey.”

“Really?”

“You let me hold him when you invited me here so I could cry and rant after that shitty interview. So that one will also have a special place in my heart. It was also the first one you offered to me. Maybe when I’m alone and I have it in my arms I’ll think of you.”

“You can have him, since he means that much to you.” The sink turns off, shaking the water off his hands and drying them, going to his room and retrieving his, well, now your stuffed animal. The moment you hold it, your thoughts are flooded with nothing but of Hueningkai, despite the fact he took a seat right next to you, placing an arm around your shoulders.

“Jesus, you look fuckin’ sexy in these photos.” You say, zooming in and saving them to your camera roll shamelessly. “Speak for yourself. Front cover on Vogue? You looked so beautiful in those photos. I’m so incredibly lucky.”

You put your phone down, turning to hear his answer. “How so?”

“That you’re my girlfriend. That I get to be your boyfriend. That I get to see your beautiful face every single day, and that I know little things about you that others don’t.”

You chuckle. “I want to kiss you so bad, but the others are gonna come back soon and God knows we won’t be able to stop.” His hand gracefully holds your jaw, his finger tracing along your jawline to let himself move his face closer to yours. He speaks in a whisper.

“Then don’t.”

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

if you’re really, really tired, i want to hug you and pat you to sleep. i just miss you, even right now. 🎧