#the water bath steamed up every window in my house lol

[plantanarchy]

Made my first attempt at pepper jelly and at canning in general today, and there's a strong potential i bungled the timing or measurements at some point and it won't set, but we'll see! It would be good as a glaze or part of a marinade if not a jelly.

[monsterywriting]

Thenerius - pt 2

word count: 5,675

male tiefling x female reader

Read Part 1 here

AN: whelp i guess this is getting (hopefully just) a third part... good luck to everyone else who’s going through finals week and don’t procrastinate your final projects/tests like i am! literally have a final today to study for and take after my 8 am and a portfolio due friday i haven’t started on lol

You were getting one last bucket-full of water for a much-needed bath from the pump around the back of the barn, too far to hear when the thundering sound of hooves on the dirt path approach the cottage. You also miss the shout of greeting and the sound of voices entering the cottage.

The sun was finally dipping below the horizon on a long day of playing catch-up around the homestead, and your only plans for the evening were to wash up and make dinner before passing out. So, when you finally reentered through the back door soaked in sweat and worn work clothes only to see your mother sitting at the small wooden table with none other than Thenerius, you were understandably shocked.

He was obviously here to kill you, getting revenge for how you humiliated him and refused his advances when he wanted you to accept them the most. You had been brave in that moment, brushed aside the fact that he was a pirate and more likely than not a killer, and now you would be paying the price.

When the tiefling saw you frozen at the doorway, his already bright demeanor seemed to reach the levels of the surface of the sun, blinding then burning when he stood up to greet you enthusiastically. You almost wish he was here to kill you, that fate infinitely better than whatever he actually had planned instead.

Pointedly ignoring him, you addressed your mother only, asking if she took her medicine yet.

“Your friend from work was keeping me company,” your mother smiled, though it was clear that she was drained from the encounter, “He brought your weekly payment from Aedan.”

Your head snapped over to Thenerius, the tiefling having the nerve to grin and hold up a pouch of coins. You were distracted, however, when your mother let out a soft cough she tried in vain to hold back. She broke out into a coughing fit, starting small and growing until they wracked her body.

Your concern grew, helping her to the bedroom and quickly getting some cough syrup into her. Once she was settled, you went back into the main room to deal with the purple menace.

He was standing awkwardly in the middle of the room once you returned, the pouch sitting on the table. You stalk over and grab the pouch, shoving it into the tiefling’s chest.

“You need to leave,” you hiss, beginning to usher Thenerius towards the door.

“Wait!” The bastard had the nerve to dig his heels in, refusing to move until you give up on forcing him.

“What?” You spat, glaring up at him. Perhaps you would have found it amusing, how he had to duck his head to keep his horns from scraping the ceiling, a grizzled pirate trying to make himself fit inside the cozy cottage. No, you definitely would have found it hilarious, if said pirate wasn’t in your cottage unannounced, the location of which you never divulged during working hours, apparently trying to win your affections after your admittedly callous rejection.

“I-” Thenerius hesitated, any confidence he had that carried him all the way to your home dissipating when you weren’t as responsive to his charms as he’d come to expect from you, “I wanted to apologize. You were right, about the proposal. I shouldn’t have done that.”

You blinked, having assumed you’d be given another unwanted love confession. You’re not sure what to make of the admission, though you’re certain it wasn’t a trick, as he seemed genuinely remorseful.

“What part, that we’ve only known each other for three weeks or that it was because you were so lonely and any girl who wagged her tail at you would have had you falling for her?” You’re internally grimacing as soon as the words are out, unable to believe how cold you sound even to yourself. You didn’t want to goad him to anger if he was just here to apologize.

“If my memory serves correctly, I believe the exact phrase you used was ‘bat their eyelashes’ at me.” The attempt at humor didn’t quite reach Thenerius’ eyes, but you still allowed yourself to deflate at the opportunity of a reprieve, “but that it came too soon. I had done it thinking of all the time that had passed since I met you, the time I spent halfway across the world and all I could think about was returning to you. Your smile alone made the entire six month journey worth it, but you gave me so much more in that time - not your love. I know that, now, but… your time, and affection. Once you said  that - that we’d only been in each other’s presence for three weeks - I realized, perhaps I was rushed in my assessment of who you were. I filled the gaps of who I wanted you to be in my head.”

By the end of his faltering speech, you had shut your eyes, screwing them tightly shut in order to avoid having to look into Thenerius’ eyes, the raw emotion that swelled behind them that threatened to consume you with it. You refused to allow yourself to be caught up in the moment, to let yourself fall any deeper in than you already were entrenched from his flowery words. Just words, you told yourself.

“Is that all you needed to say?” You clear your throat, opening your eyes and looking anywhere but him, your resolve thinning with the mere awareness of his gaze upon you, feeling yourself being worn down.

Perhaps ‘worn down’ wasn’t the right verbiage, though it very much felt like it. Dragging you out into the light? Exposing you to be scrutinized, or to be known? What is the difference, if any? Either way, you felt as though Thenerius could read every passing thought darting around your head at lightening speed, projecting loud and clear your true desires no matter what you could say to the contrary.

“No, I want to know you. My feelings haven’t changed since that night, but I want you to feel the same.”

You let out a deep breath you weren’t aware you were holding. The short sentence is so simple, clear in meaning and intent. It’s… infuriating. A wave of something flowed over you in that moment, a realization like a bucket of ice water dousing you. You were shaking, your realized, but not with cold.

“You want to change my mind?” You whisper, cursing yourself for your inability to do much more in this conversation than to parrot his words, “You come to my home - unprompted, in fact, considering our last conversation, entirely unnecessarily - to what, exactly? Prove that I’m some prize to be won over by you? Come see how sorry my life is, see my sick mother and how I work my ass off at the tavern and here and think I’ll jump into your arms with some words? You must know that I wouldn’t go with you. Nor would I sit here waiting for you to return from the sea, hoping you’ll return for a few weeks every year and grace me with your presence and gold.”

You pause for air, realizing with horror that you were crying of all things. You quickly run your hands over your cheeks, glaring at Thenerius in a silent challenge, waiting for him to turn tail and run, “Now go.”

In yet another turn of seemingly endless events that should no longer have surprised you with how consistently they’ve been happening, Thenerius surprised you yet again.

“Well, this is awkward. I may have sent my men back south with my ship. I’m in need of room and board,” Thenerius said, and for the life of you, no matter how closely you examined his expression, you could not figure out what the hell he was thinking.

“Go to The Deep, then. I happen to be of the inside knowledge that there’s plenty of vacancies this time of year,” you said, brushing past the tiefling on your way back to your forgotten bucket of water, ready to escape this suffocating atmosphere.

“I don’t have enough gold for the length of time I’m planning on staying,” he replied.

“This is sounding more and more like your crew left you here and took the ship for themselves,” you deadpan, hefting the bucket up and carefully carrying it back towards the bathroom.

“My crew wouldn’t do that,” Thenerius’ voice suddenly turned serious, “I wouldn’t- I wouldn’t have come here if they had.”

“Well, unlucky me, then,” you grumble, “You’re still not staying here.”

“You’re very sarcastic,” Thenerius noted, and you prayed for his sake that the comment wasn’t a part of his vow to get to know the real you.

You disappear down the hall and into the bathroom, dumping the bucket into the basin. To your great relief, the water was still steaming.

“Wait, your pay!” Thenerius walked in behind you. You could tell the exact moment he realized where he was, quickly averting his eyes from you.

You roll your eyes. As if you would undress for any reason while he was still in the house.

“Please, you may have lied to my mother, but I’m no fool,” you snort, ignoring the outstretched hand to check the water, “Mr. Thistle would never trust a pirate with money, much less tell you where I live.”

“I’ll- come back later,” he says, turning to get out the room.

“No, you’re leaving,” you follow after him.

“Dear, it’s much to too late for him to ride, he can sleep here.” You and Thenerius both jump at your mother’s sudden appearance, both of you having forgotten that you were arguing right in front of the bedroom.

“But-” your protest is cut short when she only shakes her head, and you hope to Tova that she only caught the tail-end of your conversation with Thenerius.

“If you must, you can ride with him tomorrow to ask Aedan to give him a discount. Tomorrow.”

You run your hands down your face, glancing out the nearest window to confirm it was in fact dark out.

“Fine,” you sigh, pointing at Thenerius, “but you’re gone first thing tomorrow!”

Thenerius at least has the decency to not look too excited under your scrutiny, thanking your mother quietly.

“Go wash up, mom, it’s ready,” you inform her, moving away from the doorway so she can slip past.

You consider telling Thenerius to go last in the bath, but you’re covered in dried mud and animal shit and you weren’t going to have his tavern smell stinking up the sofa.

“You’re next,” you tell him, finally noticing how cramped the hallway was with two people in it. You push past him to to sit at the table again.

Thenerius followed you, keen to the fact that he was on thin ice and remained wisely silent as you waited for your mother to finish in the bathroom.

When she exited, dressed in her nightgown and hair wrapped tightly in a towel, you ushered Thenerius in, barely giving him time to grab his bag on the floor next to the chair he’d been sitting in when you first walked in. You enter close behind, going around him to grab a towel for him to use and quickly leaving him to his privacy, letting out the longest exhale of your life once the door shut behind you. You go back to the table and sit, trying not to think about the naked tiefling in your bathtub as you started the fire under the stove.

As soon as Thenerius stepped out of the bathroom with his bag in hand, you rush in, not making eye contact before you slam the door shut behind yourself.

The water is still somewhat lukewarm, and clear enough besides the murkiness from the soap. You think about literally anything else besides the fact that Thenerius had been in the same water just minutes before you, using the bowl to run water over your hair and quickly lathering the bar soap with a clean washcloth. The sooner you get out the better, you think.

It isn’t until you’re out of the bath and looking at your nightclothes that you realize you’re going to have to wear them in front of him, unless you change into clean day clothes just to change into them in the privacy of your bedroom later.

It’s just tonight, you tell yourself, he’ll be gone tomorrow. And why would you have to modify your routine for him? He’s the one intruding. It won’t be a big deal so lang as you act like it isn’t. It’s not like you’ll be prancing around naked. They’re your winter ones, the material made much thicker than the normal cotton.

Properly talked up,  you walk out, pretending not to notice how Thenerius stops mid-sentence in a conversation with your mother to stare at you like the moon herself descended in front of him.

“I’ll have dinner ready soon.” You mumble, not stopping until you were safely in the kitchen.

You take the last eight eggs and crack them onto the iron skillet sitting on the stove, immediately sizzling before you take a flat spoon to scramble and scrape them into three plates. You then add leftover cuts from a chicken you culled from your flock a week ago to the skillet to cook, already seasoned. Then, you took the stack of unleavened bread your mother made during the day while you worked before putting them on another flat slab of iron on the stove to warm them.

Once you had a sizable enough stack for three people, you wrapped the resulting unleavened bread in cloth and balanced the three plates in your arms and carried everything back into the dining area.

You had heard Thenerius and your mother sharing a hushed conversation through the walls, but weren’t able to make out any specifics. However, when thy both immediate hushed up once you entered, it was clear who the topic of their chat was.

You set down the plates, frowning once you realized you’d have to sit next to Thenerius, as it was only a four-person table and they were already sitting at opposite ends. Once you were seated, however, the dinner conversation was thankfully limited as everyone focused on their plates.

Then it was time for your mother to take her tablets, you watching carefully as she downed them with a cup of water.  She retired to the bedroom shortly after, and though she tried to make it seem as though she was solely doing it to give you and Thenerius some privacy, it was obvious she was drained of all energy as she slowly shuffled down the hall.

You ignore Thenerius and grab the plates, taking them to the kitchen to dump the scraps in the bin and be washed. Thenerius’ plate is practically clean already, but your mother’s is concerningly hardly touched at all.

Dunking the emptied plates plates in the half-full sink, you scrub vigorously. Just as you are about to place the first one on the rack to dry, however, Thenerius takes it from you and dries it with the dishtowel.

You decide to say nothing, simply handing him the next plate once he placed the previous one on the rack.

You bring Thenerius a stack of blankets, dumping them on the cot next to where he sat for him to assemble himself.

Just as you turn to leave, a hand falls on your shoulder and you immediately stiffen. It quickly retracts.

“I don’t need this many,” Thenerius says quietly, looking dejected when you look over your shoulder at him as he tries to hand you a few of the blankets back.

“You do,” you inform him, “we’re at a higher altitude. It’s going to get colder.”

Thenerius places them back on the pile, his mouth opening and then closing. You wait. Finally, he clears his throat, “Thank you, for dinner. And for letting me stay here.”

“Thank my mom,” you reply, “and don’t get used to it. I was serious when I said you’re gone tomorrow.”

After a moment, Thenerius smiles, small but hopeful, “not first thing?”

“You have to pay for the meal and bed,” you huff, turning back around and going into the bedroom, careful to be quiet as you cross the cottage so as to not wake your mother.

You make sure the door is shut securely, and for good measure, you stick a piece of paper in the gap between the top of the door and the frame. You don’t think you’ll be able to sleep with the knowledge of a stranger sleeping in the next room, but almost as soon as your head hits the pillow, you’re waking to the sound of the rooster crowing the next morning.

You sit up abruptly, your mother still asleep next to you. You swing your legs over the edge of the mattress and scurry to the door, the paper still in the same spot you placed it when you take it back down.

You open the door quietly and slip out, glancing around the corner at the end of the hall to the cot. On the side closest to you, the stack of blankets are folded neatly, Thenerius’ pack leaning against one of the cot’s legs.

Your eyebrows furrow, going back to make sure the bathroom was empty before checking the kitchen, seeing neither hide nor hair of Thenerius in the cottage. Before you go search outside for the tiefling, you decide to at least get the stove going to warm up the cottage. As you stand in the kitchen looking for the box of matches, you realize you can hear the familiar, rhythmic thumping of an axe hitting wood.

Glancing out the window, you see Thenerius at an old stump splitting firewood a few yards away, his coat off and hanging from a tree branch. He stops to brush his hair back, careful to avoid his horns, before continuing.

Against your better judgement, you study him from the safety of the indoors. The last time you’d seen him, it had been shaved close. He apparently grew it out since then, dark waves forming curls around the nape of his neck that you’d noticed when he first arrived at the deep and now was sticking to his scalp with sweat.

As the sun broke over the horizon and illuminated the clearing, you could see how Thenerius’ back muscles flexed under the fabric of his shirt, sleeves rolled up to expose his thick forearms. Obviously, as a pirate, he would have to be at least somewhat fit. Hell, you’d felt them whenever he would insist you touch his arm while he flexed or would pull you into his lap.

But none of that quite prepared you for how he would look without the barrier of his coat, how he likely looked working out at sea.

You force your eyes back to the task at hand before they can venture downwards, finally finding the matches and lighting one with shaking hands before lighting the scrap of paper and tossing both into the stove.

Shutting the door and opening the grate, you return to the bedroom to change into your day clothes.

You immediately regret stepping outside as soon as you do, the light of the sun doing little to warm the icy air rushing inside your lungs and burning against your skin. Still, you are determined as you march around the cottage to where Thenerius continues to split the pieces of wood, though the pile of wood that took you months to chop down and cut into sections was now nearly gone and a neat stack of his split pieces had taken its place.

“I noticed you were running low,” Thenerius calls out as you approach, smiling as your eyes met his.

“It’s fine,” you huff, Thenerius’ smile brightening as though you just extended him the best praise of his life.

Annoyance bubbled in your stomach. Did he think he was cute? Acting like a love-struck teen and not a Tova-damned pirate? Or did he think you would be tricked by the illusion he put forth if he played pretend enough?

“Hurry up and finish that. There’s more work to do before breakfast,” you mutter, turning towards the barn as he would no doubt be crestfallen as you continue, “Then we’re going to The Deep.”

You go back to the kitchen briefly to grab the scrap bin before going to the chicken coop, making sure to latch the screen door behind you. You drop the scraps at the center of the enclosure, the chickens running over each other in a clucking mass of feathers and beating wings in their attempt to get at the food first. A few even manage to steal a few morsels before the more dominant ones chase them off.

Once the nesting area was empty, you went over and started collecting eggs in the same bin. Only six today, and you cooked the last of them in storage for dinner the night before. You worry your bottom lip, looking at the flock.

There were five hens and the rooster. You had been planning to let them breed in the spring to bring their numbers up, but that was still a long ways away.

You glanced over at the goats, currently in the pasture with the horses. You had two bucks and eight does. You had sold off the kids of four of the does, leaving you with five kids, three males. There was still the cured meat you got from the storehouse the other day, so you wouldn’t have to do anything drastic for food just yet, but it wouldn’t last soon at your current rate.

You had been planning on buying rabbits to raise for meat and fur, but you hadn’t been able to find the time to finish the winter hutch that was still partially completed in the barn.

Then you thought about everything else you had to do soon - castrate the three kids, patch the barn roof, harvest the second pasture’s grass and dry it for hay… and it seemed like every day you found something that needed repairing or replacing.

But… if Thenerius does plan on staying, you just may be able to keep everything afloat for the time being. With him there to collect the eggs and milk the goats while you worked shifts at the deep, then- appalled that you were planning ahead as though you would allow Thenerius to stay for months on end with you. No, you survived the last winter without any help, you could do the same this year.

Letting out a sigh, you dropped the eggs off in the kitchen before going back to the barn to wrap the horses snugly in blankets and let them out to graze in the pasture connected to the barn.

By that point, Thenerius comes to find you. You were admittedly surprised he’d finished that quickly, soaked with sweat and breathing heavily as he told you he was finished. You had even gone to check, not quite able to believe he’d gone through the entire wood pile that fast, or at least correctly. He looked proud when you peer up at him, but you refuse to praise him, directing him instead to the pasture while you grab two pails from the barn.

After showing him how to milk the does, you quickly fill about two pail's worth of milk between you from the four kidless does.

After taking the milk to the small pasteurizer in the barn, you set about making breakfast.

After taking the milk to the small pasteurizer in the barn, you and Thenerius returned to the cottage, your mother already up and standing by the stove.

You waste no time getting breakfast ready, making the six eggs you collected and take out the smoked meat. You make up two plates, setting them down in front of the two.

“I’ll be back soon,” you tell your mother, gripping her shoulder for a moment, “Don’t forget to take your medicine.”

“I’ve been taking it for three years, I don’t need you reminding all the time, you know,” your mother huffed, but she still pressed a kiss to the top of your head and waving you off.

“You aren’t going to eat?” Thenerius asked, thankfully swallowing his mouthful before speaking.

“I ate a couple boiled eggs while I cooked,” you reply, “clean the dishes after you’re done. We’ll go to The Deep afterwards.”

Grabbing your purse and heading to the barn, you click your tongue at the door leading out to the pasture, grabbing his saddle as your horse neighs loudly and nearly trampling over Thenerius’ horse in his attempt to get to you.

Any attempts on your part to name the capricious animal had been in vain, as he only ever responded to the sound of a clicking tongue, what your mother called him over to eat. It explained why he was fatter than a pregnant mare when you got here, unridden and getting fat on the lush pasture to himself and the treats.

Horse, as you’d taken to referring to him in your head, shoved his face into your hands, sticking your entire hand into his mouth in search of treats. You fish out a peeled hard-boiled egg from your pocket, the treat disappearing from your hand before you can even unfurl your fingers, Horse chewing it down quickly. Thenerius’ horse ventures over once she realizes you have food, and you have to press an open palm against Horse’s face to keep him from snatching the second egg you pull out before she can gently take it from you.

“Are those the eggs you ‘ate’?” You jump as Thenerius suddenly appears next to you, and you glare at him for sneaking up at you.

“I need to bribe him to come over and let me saddle him,” you said, neither confirming or denying the tiefling’s accusation, “he’ll be angry the entire ride otherwise.”

“Why didn’t you eat?” Thenerius presses, his eyes never leaving you as you unpin Horse’s blanket and refold it, throwing it over his back before securing his saddle on top.

“There wasn’t enough,” you shrug, climbing onto Horse’s back and pressing your legs momentarily into his side to get him to start walking.

You’re almost to the main road when you hear Thenerius pull up beside you.

“You should have taken mine,” he says after a moment.

You sigh. Clearly, wanting a nice, quiet stroll into town was too much to ask for, “Our horse is fine. He needs the exercise, anyways.”

“Not the horse, the food,” Thenerius said, actually sounding irate with you, “if there wasn’t enough you should have eaten mine.”

You bite back a laugh. You’ve heard Thenerius actually angry before, yelling at his crew members when one shoved another into a table in the tavern and broke it.

He’d been absolutely furious then, scaring even you with how his red eyes burned like hot coals, his face darkening to what you assumed to be an unhealthy purple-blue color as he nearly came to blows with the offenders. That feared pirate captain now reprimanded you like a child.

“Please, it’s one meal,” you snort, “I had plenty while I was working.”

“You shouldn’t skip meals,” he insisted, drawing close to your side to look down at you sternly, “You’re going to still be working the rest of the day after this, aren’t you?”

You roll your eyes and snap your reins, Horse speeding up to a canter and leaving Thenerius behind. The journey was familiar to you both, and you don’t even need to provide the horse with direction as he follows the twists and turns of the winding path with a sure foot.

You just want to hurry and reach The Deep, collect your pay, dump Thenerius on them and then go to Alfore to meet with the doctor about your mother.

You reach The Deep before Thenerius, tying Horse to a post outside the stables and making a beeline inside with barely contained excitement.

When you enter the tavern, Lenora is the only one in. Her welcoming smile quickly shrinks into a sheepish one once she sees you, however, turning on one heel to head straight towards the inn portion of the building.

Your eyes narrow, making a detour from Mr. Thistle’s office to go after her. You had an inkling as to what that was all about, and you couldn’t help but need to confirm it.

Your hand falls onto her shoulder and grips it tight, yanking her back just before she can abscond up the steps.

“Where are you going?” You ask, putting on a pleasant smile for the few patrons at the bar as you steer her down the hall to the privacy of the storage room, once an office.

“Please don’t kill me - he tricked me into telling!” Lenora begged for mercy immediate, clasping both hands in front of her.

“I highly doubt that,” you cross your arms, raising an eyebrow and waiting for her to try again.

Lenora had always been something of a romantic, constantly falling for one sweet gesture after another and declaring someone her ‘soulmate’ every few months. If she caught wind of Thenerius’ proposal, of course she’d think it was fine to play matchmaker. But that didn’t mean you weren’t going to make her sweat to teach her a lesson.

“Ok, but my intentions were good!” She pleaded, shaking your arm, “I mean, he obviously loves you, so I thought if he saw how you were living, you could get him to give you enough money for your mom!”

Your eyes widen, anger draining from your face and replaced with hurt, “so you told a stranger where I live, where my mother lives, so I could get him to feel sorry for me and bankroll my expenses? What else would I do, hm? Let him sleep with me for an allowance?”

Lenora realized her mistake too late, unable to backtrack as you spun around and left the room. You walk straight past Mr. Thistle’s office, too distraught to think about what you came here to do.

You untie Horse and quickly mount him, spurring him to go forward.

“Please don’t be angry! I didn’t mean you would do anything like that, I just wanted to help you-” you snap the reins twice to get Horse to a gallop.

“Are you okay?” You think Thenerius calls out, but you pay him no time as you race past, reaching the main road in no time and heading down the straight path to Alfore.

Your breathing is erratic as you try to get a handle on the unfamiliar emotions that threatened to overwhelm you. Perhaps in the past, you would have acted out in anger, lashed out at Lenora for the insult implied.

Now, however, you’re just tired. Worn out from two years of being back in this shithole, struggling to make ends meet, doing whatever you could. And because of that, your own coworker - someone you thought of as a friend, even - believed you to be so unscrupulous in your need for money that you’d take advantage of someone’s emotions for your own ends.

The worst part is, you were tempted. Tempted to step back. Tempted to let someone else take the reins. Tempted to use Thenerius’ misguided feelings for you to your advantage.

Had this what you’d been reduced to, from academic work to flirting shamelessly with customers to line your pockets? Do things your mother never did even when she was doing the same job, running the homestead, and saving money for you to move to the capital for your schooling?

So, at the end of your rapid-fire cycling through the stages of grief, you have no desire to fight Lenora over her true thoughts about you, nor do you wish to turn on Thenerius for the way he’s crashed into your life. You don’t qualify every action you ever did out of necessity or lay bare the fact that you were actually embarrassed by them. You don’t try to separate yourself from your choices by bringing up your past life or hard work. You simply loathe yourself for it.

Without your constant commands, Horse slows to a trot. You allow it, not wanting him to get hurt because of you. However, you soon regret your decision as you hear hooves charging up to you from behind.

You pull over to the side of the road, praying that whoever it was just passed you by. Of course, you had no such luck, the other horse slowing down next to you and Thenerius looking down at you with a concerned expression.

You say nothing and you don’t bother trying to outrun him, resigned to the fact that you wouldn’t be shaking him anytime soon.

“It wasn’t her fault,” he said once it was clear you weren’t speaking, drawing your sulking expression to point directly at him, “I pressured her to tell me where to find you.”

“Why are you still here?” You ask instead, exasperated and unwilling to have a conversation with him of all people about what happened between you and Lenora.

“I told you, my feelings for you haven’t changed,” Thenerius said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Even if I allow you to stay, it would only be to use you,” you argue, “you could work for months and waste your time if I never change my mind. Doesn’t that make you angry?”

“No,” he replied, a warm smile adorning his face as he looked at you, “because you said if.”

You blink dumbly as he spurs his horse forward, leaving you to catch up.

part 3

[timextoxhajima]

Playlist Feels

*SHORT SERIES

Member: j u y e o n

Genre: drama with chaebol/lawyer juyeon

A/N: I’m investing way too much feelings and emotions into this i might cry when it ends. this chapter is more serious i guess i can’t be writing angst and smut every chapter LOL

Link to other parts: 

I Never Wanna See You Again

Frustrated (light smut)

Love Somebody (light smut)

Play With Fire (smut)

~

“i’m playing with fire.”

all you wanted to do was have breakfast, but you walk out along the hallways of the second floor only to watch an entire crowd of staff members push and pull countless of racks across the living room. 

the female staff member who recognised you from the previous week notices you standing awkwardly behind the wall, struggling to process the crowd at the foot of the stairs. 

you watch her say something to another staff member, before she strolls across the living room and heads up the stairs to greet you.

“i’m going to hope you don’t have any clothes of your own,” she smiles at you, eyes flitting to your neck for a split second and looks at your bare legs. 

“uh--” you stumble on your tongue, having trouble finding any words to say. you completely forget about the marks on your neck, and you were only in his underwear with the large pullover barely covering your rear. 

“i’m gonna get you a robe while you choose your clothes for today and i’ll run you a bath before you have breakfast.”

you watch as she walks away into the bathroom, and again, you wonder why it was so difficult to think of anything to say. you had expected the house staff to be judging you for sleeping with him, but they all seemed so nice and candid, it was a little difficult to believe. 

you just couldn’t get the idea of juyeon being such a kind, relaxed boss out of your head. 

she returns from the bathroom with a robe, the water now running and a rose scent begins to waft through your nose. “here,” she hands you the robe and waits for you to put it on. 

“mr lee wanted you to pick out as many clothes as you wanted, and he wants you to know not to worry about the price.”

you reach the bottom of the stairs with her standing right next to you, and you see at least three racks of clothes surrounding the living room. there were at least two full-body mirrors next to the sofas, and a separate mobile shelf with shoes. 

“uh... do i have to? where are my clothes from yesterday?” your hand unconsciously reaches up to your neck to cover your skin. 

“in the laundry! we’ll get it steamed and ready for you by lunch, but right now, he’s told us he wants to see you in something from any of these racks. he didn’t exactly give us much choice either,” she gives you a look that comforts you, gently patting your arm to encourage you. 

you choose out exactly five different sets of clothes, which included shoes. you suddenly feel like you went on a splurge and your credit card would’ve exceeded by now, judging by the brands the clothes were from. 

you soak yourself in the bathtub, the light from behind you illuminating the white, black and golden surfaces. you couldn’t help but to let your head replay the memories from the night before as the rose scent pulls all the knots in your body apart. 

it felt like you were on vacation, when you were really just... feeding off your boyfriend’s wealth. you felt guilty, and frankly, a little worried that people were going to start thinking you were with him for his money. 

you haven’t done anything for him besides curse at him, take the credit for his workings for the case and sleep in his bed. 

you shake your thoughts away, deciding that it was time for you to get your due breakfast before working on the case. 

you were pushing the last few bites of the strange looking pudding around in the bowl, and the female staff from before was in the dining room with you, arranging the cutlery and utensils away from sight.

“hey, uh--” you call out, looking at her while mrs jung comes out of the kitchen. you wonder why it took you three meals before you notice that you could see into the kitchen. the dining table was right next to a black counter where mrs jung would leave the food right after it was prepared, and the kitchen itself looked extravagant.

“you called?” the female staff lays down the plate and walks over to your side. 

“yeah, uh...” you scratch your temple, slightly pulling on the turtleneck you chose to hide the bruises he left. “you don’t-- happen to think that... i’m with mr lee for his money... do you?”

the female staff blinks in surprise at you, and before she could respond, mrs jung does the honor. 

“oh, my dear, definitely not! you’d be surprised at how good juyeon-nim is at picking out who’s genuine and who isn’t.” you turn and watch mrs jung carry some leftover food back into the kitchen. 

“we were very surprised when he asked you to stay last friday, past the time where the house staff gets off work. he doesn’t like guests over, unless they are his parents... so it was nice to see him bring someone back.”

you let a small laugh escape your lips, feeling the blood rush up to your ears and cheek. 

hold on. 

‘someone’?

“you mean he’s never brought anybody home before?” 

“not willingly, no.” mrs jung responds from the kitchen. “juyeon-nim is only friendly to people he trusts and even then he’s extremely cautious, though sometimes a little dense... but now that we know how comfortable he is with you, and we’re all just happy for him.”

you feel a second wave of embarrassment wash over you, your hand now wrapping around your own neck and pulling up the material to hide any possible marks that were peeking out from under. 

“you don’t have to hide those as long as you’re here. everybody knows what happened,” the female staff member teases you, clearing the plates that you literally licked the crumbs off from before. 

“awh... nooooo,” you whine, hiding your face in your hands. 

the staff member laughs at your embarrassment, encouraging you to finish your dessert before she tells you where his office was. 

you get the door open, and the first thing you notice was the similar L-shaped glass windows like his bedroom had. the desk sat on the right side, with a main leather seat back facing a large shelf. the levels were alternated between files and small, expensive-looking statues and souvenirs. 

right before the glass panels were two single-seaters with a small coffee table between them, and your eyes took awhile to notice the little fridge under the table. 

you log into the computer with ease, surprised that there wasn’t a password required. you remember mrs jung saying that he doesn’t have anybody over, and you figure that nobody else has been in his office anyway. the worry about someone hacking into his files was non-existent. 

your suitcase was already placed by the table, and you wonder when did it get here. did he leave it in here last night? this morning? or did he get a staff member to do it?

the online system was perfectly synced with the system you had in the office, and all you needed to do was log in with your information before your case displays itself on the screen. 

you get to work almost immediately, every now and then looking past the computer screen to look out the large glass windows. 

the clouds were so fluffy against the bright blue sky today, and you couldn’t help but imagine chanhee, eric and sunwoo’s reactions when they notice you didn’t clock in today.

oh. chanhee, eric and sunwoo.

you reach over to your suitcase and pull out your cellphone, noticing the nearly ten missed calls you got from them starting about five minutes before the supposed reporting time. 

chanhee: where the hell are you? its 7.55am!

eric: did she oversleep

chanhee: she doesn’t oversleep

sunwoo: not with that annoying ass alarm she’s got

you smile to yourself, unable to contain your happiness as you scroll down.

chanhee: why do we have to hear about your absence from our manager?

sunwoo: wait

eric: OH MY GOD

sunwoo: mf WAIT

eric: DID THE BOSS TELL OUR MANAGER THAT YOU WEREN’T COMING IN TODAY

sunwoo: DID YOU SLEEP WITH HIM AGAIN

chanhee: but he’s in office! 

sunwoo: so? he could’ve just left her at home and came to work to reduce suspicion cause it’ll too obvious if the both of them are absent

eric: unless...

sunwoo: i’m betting on that and OTHER REASONS

eric: i was thinking about other reasons

chanhee: whatever the reason, call us during our lunch break!

eric: yeah we want details

sunwoo: fucking disgusting

you snort to yourself, ready to keep your phone away and finish up the case. 

but the aggressive vibration from your phone stops you just as you laid it down, and you sigh heavily when you see the caller ID. 

“yello,” you put the phone down on the table, keeping it on loudspeaker. 

“why do you sound so glum? i return from a two month trip and this is how you greet me?”

you roll your eyes, laying your hands right at the keyboard. “hi mom, how was your trip to san francisco?”

“oh, it was gorgeous!” she says with a strange accent. must’ve been the american air for two months. “i was pretty sad to leave, but nothing can stop me from coming back to see you!”

“when have you ever needed to see me?” your tone was unenthusiastic, and you resist the urge to hang up altogether. 

“aw, no, honey,” she whines. “are you still mad about last year?”

“just so you know, i’m gonna stay mad for quite a bit, so don’t expect anything different.”

“aw, but you did say you wanted swavroski--”

“yeah, a swavroski ring! not the damn brand!” you huff, burying your face into your hands. your eyes were on the screen, staring at the case document, but all you could hear was the heavy breathing over the phone. 

“i take it that you haven’t signed the contract to claim ownership of the brand.”

“of course i didn’t! i left home so i could build a life for myself. you promised me that you’d leave me and my finances and my life alone. you know i don’t want you or dad’s help but you go ahead and buy a whole jewellery brand?!”

silence. 

“i’m never signing that contract, just so you know. it’s been sitting at home since you had it mailed to me while you ran off to canada.”

“are you still living in that tiny flat by the lake outside of town?”

you pick up a pinch of contempt in her voice. “yeah, what’s so bad about my 'tiny flat’?”

“nothing,” liar. “i just want you to have the best we can afford.”

“again with the ‘we’. how many times do i have to tell you that i don’t want you or dad’s help?”

“but--”

“no,” you snap into the phone, picking it up and hovering your thumb over the hang up button. “i’m gonna go now because i have work to do. don’t call me unless it’s to tell me that someone else already owns swavroski.”

you finally hang up and you throw the phone back into your suitcase, hands on your forehead as you return your attention to the screen. 

needed me? what a load of bullcrap. 

maybe if she didn’t treat you like some kind of trophy when you were younger, you’d believe that she genuinely loved you. 

you were called to lunch when the sun was at its highest, the blinding rays bouncing off windows and the metal from buildings that it heated up the room like a toaster. 

mrs jung’s food never fails to deliver, and the female staff from before struggles to tuck your napkin into your clothes so that the gravy doesn’t fly about. 

you were mindlessly praising the hell out of mrs jung’s pasta when you hear a staff outside the dining room shout. you turn at the sound of the doors swinging open, and you find yourself standing immediately at the sight of a lady who looked like a million bucks. 

“what do you mean he’s in offic--” the lady finally turns her attention from the staff outside the dining room and to you. “and... who are you?”

so much for that lunch phone call to your friends.

you find yourself sitting awkwardly opposite her, carefully watching as she swirls the wine in her glass. you feel her eyes pierce right through you, and your hands reach up to your turtleneck in a bid to pull it upwards.

“there’s no need to hide,” she nearly scolds you, and the harsh tone strikes a chord in you. “i know who you are.”

what?

“you’re the reason why my son’s fiance is in shambles right now.”

his what--

“i’m sorry, who?” you squint your eyes at her, for a split second forgetting that she was the mother of your now-boyfriend.

“he didn’t tell you?” she offers a smile of disbelief. “and here i was thinking he changed for the better.”

“’for the better’? he wanted to leave the country to do charity work, not run away.”

“he was running away from the responsibilities he was born to shoulder. we do enough charity for him to stay,” she leans forward on the table, one palm pressed flat on the surface. 

“but he didn’t even want the damn law fi--”

“mother!” 

the both of you turn to the door of the dining room. every staff member within your line of vision looked like they were scared shitless, which was a strange sight, considering how relaxed and candid they were in the absence of this... crazy lady.

who might be my mother-in-law? ugh. 

“you should’ve told me you’re visiting,” juyeon walks in the doors and the staff members shut them behind him. he grabs a seat next to you, and it visibly stuns his mother. 

“i wouldn’t have bothered if i knew you weren’t even at home,” she watches in slight disgust as juyeon leans into your face and plants a kiss on your cheek. your eyes widen and your heart feels extremely heavy. “care to explain what is going on?”

juyeon carefully sits his suitcase next to his chair as the kitchen staff serves him a glass of wine. you remember the only food that was prepared was only for you and the staff members.

“what’s there to explain? i never said i agreed to marry anybody i was told to.”

you watch anxiously, eyes switching between juyeon, who was calmly sipping on his wine, and his mother, who was so angry that you could almost see the steam escaping from her ears...

“and so you run off and sleep with some random girl?”

ouch.

“will she still be ‘some random girl’ if you knew what she was capable of? she’s closed more cases in six months than i did in a year, mother.”

“i didn’t think a lawyer would let someone leave such savage marks all over her body like this!” she berates you, hand carelessly gesturing to all of you.

“which year did you walk through a portal from? it’s not the 1800s, mother.”

wow, so she blames me and not the one who made these marks?

“girls nowadays.”

you could feel juyeon’s frustration hit the roof, and the atmosphere in the dining hall gets heavier as each second passes in silence. 

“what are you here for, anyway? just to ask me about me dumping my fiance who i never even loved? i don’t even like her face, mother. she’s an incapable princess who does nothing but sit around and gets waited on.”

“forget about that, you’ve gone ahead and spent your weekend breaking off the engagement anyway,” his mother glares at the two of you. 

didn’t he spend his weekend with his family--

“but i do want to know why you’re back in the office.”

juyeon locks his jaw in odd angles, and if you didn’t know it was his mother who was pissing him off, you would’ve thought he was going to throw a punch across the table. 

“what do you mean ‘why i’m back in the office’? doing my job and accepting my responsibilities like you wanted to!” 

“and you didn’t have the decency to at least inform us? we were ready to re-sell it to the bureau director!” 

juyeon sucks in a deep breath and stands up, eyes tightly shut as you watch him collect his feelings. his mother remains relaxed in the seat opposite you, arms tightly crossed over her chest but her face still brimming with anger and dissatisfaction. 

“okay,” he leans downwards, pressing his palms flat against the surface of the table. “if you’re so upset then i assume a contract has already been drawn up, yes?”

his mother doesn’t respond. 

“alright, i’ll contact the bureau director and i’ll explain the situation. it’s you the bureau director has a problem with, anyway. it’ll be easy for me.”

your face was turned to juyeon, but your eyes couldn’t resist the temptation to look at his mother. she had just been outspoken by her son, and you felt so proud of him for standing up for himself. 

his mother finishes the win, visibly angry. she gets up and leaves the dining hall, and when you hear the lift ‘ding’ followed by the sound of its gears shutting its doors, you heaved a sigh of relief.

the entire room relaxes and begins helping to clear the table. juyeon was the only one who looked like he was about to burst from anger and frustration. 

you stand up and wrap your arms around his torso, leaning your chin on his shoulder.

“hey.”

“i’m sorry you had to see that.”

you shake your head, pulling away and hugging his arm instead. 

“i’m sorry that i lied about what i did over the weekend, and i’m sorry i didn’t tell you i was already engaged.”

you let the pain of the realisation sink in for a moment, before giving him a weak smile. “well, it wasn’t really a lie. you said it was something to do with your family... and besides, you broke off the engagement.” you reach over his chest and find his arm to pull him to face you, looking up at him whose eyes were filled with remorse. 

naturally, a shitty feeling swamps you when you lose sight of his prideful, authorial self, so you pull his face down to meet yours and you feel him melt into the kiss. 

“do you need to go back to the office?” you let him go, his hands now resting on your waist.

“yeah,” he sighs apologetically. “i only came back because the lobby called to tell me my mother was here.”

“aw,” you grin in attempt to shake off the tension that was still hanging in the air. “nice to know you came back to save me from your mother.”

a smile appears on his lips, and he pulls you in all so suddenly, planting a soft kiss on your forehead.

“maybe i shouldn’t leave my marks so high up your neck next time.”

you sigh with your lips in smile, pressing your head into his chest as he wraps his arms tightly around you. 

THE NEXT DAY

your arm was linked tightly with juyeon’s as he walks you up the stairs of the grand hotel, the ends of your gown dragging along the marble surface to the restaurant where he would meet the bureau director. 

you couldn’t take your eyes off him, though the simple suit was nothing compared to the dress he had prepared for you within a day’s notice. you reach the restaurant entrance and the lady immediately recognises him, turning to lead you two into the restaurant and in the corner where the private rooms were.

“so just to be clear, ignore your mother and be nice to the bureau director, right?” you giggle as the restaurant staff knocks on the door. 

juyeon laughs and pecks you on your temple. “maybe if you ignore her enough, she’ll start wanting your attention.”

you snicker to yourself, watching the door pull open and the light from inside spills out. 

you trail behind juyeon and look into the room, and your heart stops in your chest.

the world stops revolving around the sun and your breath hitches in your throat, your grip on juyeon’s arm tightening instantly when you see the two people in the room. 

“mother,” juyeon awkwardly starts, only noticing your sudden grip on his arm. 

mother. 

she looks at you with wide, surprised eyes before they dissipate into a wide smile. 

“this is the bureau director, mrs--”

“it’s alright,” she stops juyeon. “i know who she is.”

you gulp and your chest collapses in on itself. 

of all people, THIS bureau director just had to be your mother?

Part 6: Bourbon

[fierypen37]

First Line Game

Tagged by @thescarletgarden1990 and @drakhus​. While I’ve written for more fandoms, I’ll stick with my Jonerys fics.

1. Held Captive

“’As King in the North, I accept your terms, but I have conditions of my own,” he said, every inch the stern, moral man her Hand spoke of. Daenerys leaned forward in her silver’s saddle, faintly amused. Here, outside The Twins, began the meeting of the Houses Targaryen and Stark, the first in a generation. The sky was overcast, a few flurries of snow hinting at the late season. Behind her, stood rank upon rank of Unsullied, back further still, there was the hordes of Dothraki under the command of her bloodrider Rakharo. Her dragons were nowhere in sight, but their shadows had darkened the North since her landing a fortnight since.”

2. The Oasis

“‘The Oasis’ was a rather pretentious name for a glorified hole-in-the wall, she thought. Then again, as one of the most recognizable faces in the known world, such places could be counted upon for their discretion. Crammed between a seedy tavern and an even seedier lawyer’s office, The Oasis sat in a neglected shopping district on Visenya’s Hill. A perfect place to escape her life. The pressures of running her own law practice in addition to her family’s billion-crown conglomerate, her fiancé Daario, her miserable brother Viserys . . . Pain throbbed between her shoulder blades and at the base of her skull, urging her beyond her prevaricating. Missy would help. Missy always helped.” 

3. Virtue a Veil, Vice a Mask

“The whole thing was the Lord Hand’s idea. Liven up these drab noblemen’s lives. Have a bit of fun, for gods’ sake! Humor was not something that came naturally to him, but he couldn’t resist Tyrion Lannister’s ribald, acerbic humor. A pair of outcasts, the two of them. Tyrion for his size, and Jon for his unlucky birth.

“A masque, my lord father? And . . . all of us are invited?” Jon said, looking up Tyrion’s scroll. King Rhaegar Targaryen’s hard violet eyes flicked over Jon, and in them Jon saw what he always did: disappointment tinged with sadness. Rhaegar strummed the strings of his lyre, the music soft and sobbing.

“Yes, Jon. All. You might enjoy yourself. There is a certain freedom in not knowing partner’s face when you dance,” he said, a faraway look in his eyes. And that had been that.”

4. Stormborn

“At birth, she had been given a name. Stormborn. At the time of her birth, with her mother bleeding her life away in childbed, a fierce storm rolled over Dragonstone. Ships shattered in the bay, thunder snapped the sky in twain, lightning burst across the sky in white hot fingers of light. The wind screamed through the keep, rain and hail battered at the castle until it felt as if the gods themselves had cursed the island to sink into the sea. With such a picturesque name—and the dearth of such things in a warmer, more temperate Essos—Daenerys was fascinated by thunderstorms.” 

5. Temptation

“Jon scowled down at the plate set before him. It smelled inoffensive enough: buttery and rich with a faint tang of a spice he couldn’t name, but Jon remained dubious. Jon poked it with the tine of his fork, it felt firm and crisp.

“You needn’t worry, my love. It’s quite dead. It won’t bite you back,” Daenerys said, smothering a grin. Daenerys plucked a fried locust from her plate and dipped it in spiced honey. She took a bite with evident relish, and as lovely a picture his wife made, the sight made his stomach turn. It was the insect’s tiny legs and glazed eyes staring at him that he found unpalatable. Jon set down his fork, leaning back onto the plush silken cushions, a cloud of floral perfume wafting up. 

“I think I’ll manage without,” Jon said.”

6. Your Tears Burn Like Fire

“A gentle breeze teased the gauzy curtains of the queen’s bedchamber as night settled over King’s Landing. Crushed flower petals danced in the wind beneath lattice-covered windows. The teasing breeze brought her the freshness of spring and sea, blowing away the lingering fetor of King’s Landing. Daenerys removed the crown and tossed it on the table. It was a dreadful heavy thing, made of barbarous black iron spikes twined with blue roses of hammered silver leaf.”

7. Kindling Fire

“After dying, Jon thought things would get easier to manage. After the emptiness, the skin-crawling stillness of being dead, everything else seemed trivial—until a raven arrived bearing a royal invitation. Jon squinted into the spray as their longboat cut smoothly through the surf. There was a sharp freshness to the air, smelling of salt and wet rock. Behind him, Davos muttered in his thick brogue about ‘swaggerin’ up plain as day.’ Smuggler habits were hard to break, he supposed.”

8. The Birth of a Star (Held Captive ficlet)

“Coronation day dawned under the enameled blue of a cloudless sky. Golden sunlight crept across the tiles and caught the gauzy white canopy overhead, creating a soft halo of honeyed light. Daenerys floundered from silken sheets and the soft weight of the featherbed to stretch. The air still held the cold bite of winter, cool and sweet against her naked skin, but the sun lingered longer each day. A pleasant lassitude filled her, both from a long night’s sleep and Jon’s loving. He delighted in the changes pregnancy had wrought and spent considerable time showing her so. It gave him a certain piquant delight to mar her skin with love bites before their coronation. Jon had absconded from their bed in the grey predawn hours, saying with a grin it would be bad luck to stay.”

9. Good-Sister (Held Captive ficlet)

“’Hmm?” Daenerys said, rousing from a thin drowsing to the roughened burr of Jon’s voice. Mmm, she loved the cadence and timbre of it, a medley designed to soothe and rouse her.

“I said: ‘Don’t doze off in the bath, love,’” Jon said with some amusement, the press of his hard body in the water a thrilling counterpoint. Through silken hot water, wreathed in a cocoon of steam and silence, she floated in his lap. Their voices echoed along with the water’s hollow drip. After a half hour washing and scrubbing, combing and trimming and oiling, the last of the Battle for King’s Landing ebbed away. For another half hour, they drowsed in the peace of it. The bathhouse of the Red Keep was surely a wonder of the world. Blisteringly hot water piped from a furnace to fill a bath large enough for half a dozen to swim in. Mosaics depicted underwater scenes, patterned in deep navy blue.

Daenerys opened her eyes, struck again by the beauty of his face above her, softened with a gentle smile. Sunlight trickled in from shuttered windows after their first night in the capital. Clean and relaxed from a long night’s sleep and the water’s blistering persuasion, Jon looked like epitome of male beauty. Sable eyes and sooty lashes, the handsome crinkle at the corners as he smiled. White even teeth, the supple flex of his lips . . .”

10. Oh Ye of So Little Faith (Modern Westeros AU WIP featuring Cop!Jon and wealthy Criminal!Dany)

“Dragons swept through his dreams on powerful wings. One rose like a god, black as sin, muscular and breathing black fire, another swooped in, glittering green with bronze eyes, a third shining cream darting sleek and agile. He remembered that last one, sinuous and sleek, soaring frozen in ink, gold and white on the canvas of a perfect female back. The dragon’s head lay curled on one shoulder, wings and body angled in a sinuous curve down the left side, the tail curled over the spine. All underneath that thick spill of silver blond hair . . .”

Patterns? I like starting with establishing action and scenery. A bit description heavy, maybe? I’ve never been concise. lol And I might need to work on my hooks. This is fun!

Tagging: @xxthewolvenstormxx @ashleyfanfic @frostbitepandaaaaa @meisiesmut 

[itsyouraveragebooklover]

Timeline - Chapter 4

A/N: As always thank you for the support! It means so much to me. Sorry for late updates, life is a kicker sometimes. It’s summer so hopefully, I can update more often :) As always the characters do not belong to me. Without further ado lets jump right in~

Tagged: @aelinashgalathynius @my-fan-side @bookofmaas @spidertomholland @archeron-queen @saltydreamcollector

One line summary: This is the timeline of their most important journey.

Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4: Part 1, Part 2 coming soon

“When your wife is pregnant... don’t eat the last anything.” — anonymous

(LOL)

Chapter 4 / Part 1: 14 weeks

The cool marble underneath his grip grounded him. It gave him a raw comfort and something to release his unused power on. Experimentally, he tested his strength wondering if he could shatter the stone in pieces but refrained from creating such a mess. Instead, he leans against it, head hung between his arms in silence.

The feeling of his muscles stretching out further soothed him. The feeling of the tension releasing was exactly what he needed to awaken his body. With a final shift in stance, Cassian lifted himself up to come face to face with his reflection.

He surprisingly looked the same, not an ounce of sleep deprivation etched into his features. For the many long nights and sleepless mornings, he would think it would show underneath his eyes or in his slumped shoulders but there was nothing different.

He had his training to thank for that. From his experience of surviving the Blood Rite to being promoted Commander of the Night Court armies, Cassian has faced countless days where sleep became his number one enemy. Close your eyes once and an assassin could stick a poisoned arrow straight into your heart.

As Cassian stared off into his reflection he noticed the persistent stubble already growing back along his chin. He shaved nearly two days ago and hardly enjoyed his smooth skin. It gets to a point where he questions his decision to shave at all.

Maybe he should just let it grow out for once. It wouldn’t hurt anyone to do so. In fact, it’d make him all the more intimidating.

“No it would not,” a voice called from beyond the closed door to his left.

Cassian lifted his head to peer at the barrier between him and the sound as if he could see the figure behind. Really? He voiced inside his mind while rubbing the stubble. The more he massaged, the more appealing the decision to grow it out became.

“Really,” the voice spoke again. “You aren’t intimidating in the least.”

I’ll show you intimidating Nesta, he shot down the bond.

“I dare you,” she announced, tone sharp and mischievous.

Cassian silently chuckled to himself. It’s amazing the way she riles him up sometimes.

While you’re at it, I could go for another round, her voice floated around his head like a cloud.

“Another so soon? Can’t say I’m surprised,” he turned to face the faucet and twisted the handles. With quick work, he cupped his hands together letting the water pool into his calloused fingers and lifted it up to his face. A couple splashes and his body felt more awake than it did moments ago.

Whilst the cool water drips off his nose and chin, Cassian grasps his long hair and ties it off into a loose bun. Once satisfied he struts out of their bathing chamber and into their room.

Spread out on the bed laid Nesta. Her back tucked into the pillows propped up from behind and her body covered with layers of blankets. Beside her sat a tray of empty porcelain dishes licked clean. There wasn’t any food left in them. Boy, can she eat.

Cassian smirked to himself whilst retrieving the tray beside her and vanished into the kitchen to retrieve a new one placed ontop the counter. To his satisfaction, the various plates scattered were still fresh and piping with steam. Even though he was saving this for himself, Nesta needed it more. She was eating for two and needed all the nutrients she could get. He would find something for himself later.

Cassian entered their room and sat beside Nesta, placing the tray in front of her frame. Immediately, she lunged for the cinnamon oats topped with dried fruits, nuts, and syrup. Though she ate swiftly, Nesta still had a grace to her. She maintained manners throughout the entire meal.

And as she ate spoonful after spoonful from the meal he cooked, his heart warmed.

Nesta had this foreign glow to her that he’s never seen before. Her skin radiated light like the brightest star in the night sky. Her hair became thicker than his own and her nails weren’t as brittle as before. Even her grey eyes usually tainted with this unexplained cloudiness were clear of the storm.

The realization hit him like a stab to the side. The life Nesta was giving to the little one developing inside her belly was instead giving life back to her.

It made everything worth it. It made the long nights spent rubbing her stomach worth it. It made the evenings spent soaking her feet and flying around retrieving the food she craved most worth it. It was all worth it.

And now he couldn’t wait for the end.

The clatter of porcelain and glass took him out of his thoughts. He watched Nesta place a plate that once consisted of roasted potatoes with rosemary down onto the half-empty tray. She then grabbed a bowl of honey glazed figs. Right then and there Cassian was prepared to cook more until a whisper left her lips, “Today’s the day.”

It sounded more of a question than a statement.

Cassian sensed the slight anxiety creeping inside. In response, he took her hands into his own and kneeled down on both knees beside their bed. The two were face to face at equal height. His hazel eyes rimmed with gold burned like the sun on a hot summers day. It melted her insides at times, but when he tamed that fire into something subtle, a look solely reserved for her, it set her ablaze.

“Only if you want it to be,” he spoke softly.

Nesta let the thought ponder but shook her head after a moment. “They will find out anyway,” she gestured to the small bump growing almost every day. “I think it’s time. Elain has already been questioning our decision to purchase a new cottage outside Velaris.”

Cassian nodded in agreement. He could tell Azriel formed some of his own suspicions which could be connected to Elain’s constant questioning. Those two were constantly together so he had no doubt they were bouncing theories off one another every day.

“As long as you’re ready,” Cassian paused rubbing soothing circles into her hands, “I will be ready too.”

Nesta quieted, trying to process the thoughts rushing throughout her head. Down the bond, Cassian felt a fraction of her true emotions. She wasn’t scared. She wasn’t nervous. She just didn’t know how to go about these things. But he didn’t know either.

I’m right with you, he spoke down the bond hoping it would reach. No matter what happens, we’ll get through this together. Like we always do.

She tightened her grip on his hands and tore her eyes away from the floating clouds outside her window. The sky was so blue. It provided a sense of peace for them both.

With a deep breath, she spoke, “I’m ready as I’ll ever be.”

                                                              . . .

“Welcome back,” a voice called out as soon as Cassian and Nesta entered the room.

The pair immediately glanced over to the speaker. Rhysand once sprawled over a sofa with a glass of wine in hand shot up to his feet to greet Cassian in a firm embrace. The two patted each other’s back, careful to avoid their wings whilst grinning at one another.

“Good to be back,” Cassian replied greeting everyone in the process. He guided Nesta over to an unoccupied sofa next to a pit where a fire danced and swayed along the wood. The embers crackled and flared to life just as the unexplained power buried deep inside her does.

Pulling her gaze away from the flames Nesta made sure to smooth out the ruffles in her gown making sure her bump wasn’t too visible. Thankfully, it isn’t large enough to warrant any suspicion. Yet she feels the eyes of the Inner Circle burn into her.

To break the gaze Feyre and Elain approached her and plopped down into a chair beside herself and Cassian.

“So rumor has it that you two purchased a new townhouse outside the city,” Feyre smiled lightly.

“Yeah what’s that all about?” Amren piped in as well.

Cassian glanced to Nesta. Already huh?

She simply shot him a knowing look. You know more than anyone how nothing gets past them, she thought.

Cassian cleared his throat and extended an arm around Nesta while leaning back in the cushion. She could tell he was preparing himself for an onslaught of questions just as he prepares himself for battle.

“We thought we’d start fresh. Something new,” he answered.

“Why outside the city then?” Amren grinned to herself whilst circling her wine around. Her eyes were solely locked with Nesta’s.

“Thought the countryside would provide some peace,” he shrugged. “I still own the apartment in Velaris. Just thought a vacation house would do us some good.”

“I can tell you’re hiding something Cassian,” Mor spoke up from across the room.

“She’s right, I can smell it right off you,” Amren chided still directing her focus at Nesta.

Cassian threw his hands in the air. “I already knew this would happen but you guys are damn persistent. I thought I could have some fun,” he grumbled to himself with a smile until lifting his spine from the cushion. He steeled himself as he spoke, “We bought the property for more space.”

“More space?” Feyre questioned.

Cassian nodded and continued, “We’re going to need it because…”

Nesta cut him off by placing a hand on his arm. Cassian looked at her as his words died off. He wasn’t confused as to why she stopped him. It was clear enough.

She wanted to be the one to tell them. And she had every right to do so.

Nesta turned to face everyone and looked each one of them in the eyes until she was ready.

“It's because..." she paused finding the words, then continued, "because we’re pregnant.”

[alicemoonwonderland]

Take Care Of You

Moosh requested me the following: Haaaai gurrrrl ;) Could I... request... DOMESTIC COR FLUFF PLS OMG <3 *where it goes, SFW/NSFW is up to you- don't wanna hold your muse down x*

And I decided to go with some SFW fluff. Need to keep writing sfw fluff as well, or else I will get rusty! And I needed to cheer myself up lol.

Summary: You got a cold at the same you got your period, so Cor takes care of you.

Fandom; Final Fantasy XV

Pairing: Cor Leonis x Fem!Reader

Rating: SFW

Words: 1153

Warning: sickness and periods.

Tagging: @themissimmortal​ @stunninglyignis​ @angelic-guardienne​ @fieryfantasy​ @angelic-guardienne​ @nykamito​ @louisvuittontrashbags​ @blindbae​ @hypaalicious​ @ridingchocobros​ @dirtyffxvconfession​ @gladiolusacn​ @cupnoodle-queen​

He carefully manipulated the door as he balanced several bags, pushing into the house and using his feet to close it behind him. Exhaling, he toed off his shoes as he was glad to be home from mission. Wishing he had been able to come home a day or two earlier.

Moving to the kitchen, he listened carefully but heard nothing. You must be sleeping. That made him sigh in relief as you hadn't been feeling well. Your period having come earlier than expected, and it was another painful one. On top of that, you gotten a cold. Talk about not having a good few day.

Quickly, he moved around and poured the chicken soup Ignis had given him in a bowl, poured a glass of fresh orange juice, and put meds onto a tray. Picking it up and carrying it to the bedroom. His heart squeezed with emotions when he found you curled up in bed, wearing his shirt and boxers while hugging his pillow.

Placing the tray on the bedside table, he crouched down beside you and brushed your hair out of your face. Gently checking your temperature and feeling you had a bit of a raise.

"Cor?"

"I am here, sweetheart," he whispered so gently as he didn't want to disturb you too much. Your head must be aching. It always did when you got a cold as your sinuses would be stuffed, and the pressure hurting you. "You feel like sitting up and eating a bit? Ignis made you some soup."

A smile lit up your face as you opened your eyes, Cor's face softening even more as he could just see how miserable you were feeling. And still you tried to smile, no matter in how much pain you were.

"You shouldn't get too close to me, Cor. You could get sick." With his help, you sat up and leaned back against the headboard with pillows supporting your back. The Marshal placed the tray carefully on your lap as he put your hair carefully in a loose braid so it wouldn't stick against your skin.

"Love, when was the last time I got sick?" he asked you amused, but also a bit seriously. He rarely got sick, got all his vaccines every year but also naturally just didn't get sick often. When he did he turned into a baby, but the chances on that happening were less than once percent.

"Let me air out the room and make you a bath." You couldn't help but smile to yourself as you took your medicine and watched him move around the bedroom, Opening the curtains slightly and opening a window to let in fresh air.

Then you watched him move to the bathroom and rummaging around there. He always turned into a mother hen when you were sick, or on your period. Knowing how painful it could be for you. Hopefully the medicine would help because you didn't feel like being a miserable waste for longer than a day.

Soon enough, he walked back in the bedroom and sat down beside you. Nodding pleased when he saw that you had eaten most of the food, taken your medicine, and drank the juice. "I'm sorry that it took me so long to get home."

You shook your head as you took his hand and kissed his knuckles gently. "Don't worry about it, Cor, you have your work and it is important."

"You're important too."  Those quiet words, but filled with the utmost love, made you melt like goo. Cor wasn't the one with flowery words, so when he said things like this, it made you all fuzzy.

Everyone saw Cor as this stoic hard man. And they weren't wrong, but there was so much more to him. He was the kindest and sweetest man you knew, who showed his love in the small thoughtful ways. Like a book appearing on your work desk which you have wanted very badly. Or a packed lunch before you left for work. A new coat waiting for you on the bed.

Cutie. Such a cutie. He shot you a curious look but didn't ask what was going on in your mind. You two chatted about his mission, and what you had been doing while he was away.

After finishing your meal, he picked you up and carried you to the bathroom - quickly undressing you and putting you in the water. It did wonder for your sore muscles, and the steam clearing your airways. You opened your mouth to thank him, but he gave you a level eyed look.

Smiling innocent, you closed your mouth again. He never liked it when you tried to thank him for stuff that he thought was just natural and given.

"Rest, don't drown yourself," his eyes twinkle as you toss some water at him, and he dodged it expertly. "I will be changing the sheets, back in a minute." He leaned in and pressed a kiss on your forehead. Sighing happily,

You moved deeper into the water, closing your eyes as you relaxed. Playing with the foam and water, you heard Cor muttering to himself as he struggled with the sheets. It made you snicker. Even the great Cor Leonis had trouble trying to change the sheets of a double bed. Ha, only you knew that.

Zoning out a bit, you didn't notice him returning and softly massaging your scalp. "How are you feeling baby? Better?" he asked concerned, and you nodded lightly.

"Medicine are kicking in so my stomach isn't hurting so much anymore. Just feeling exhausted." Being sick and having your period drained so much. You couldn't wait to snuggle up in his arms.

"Bed is all fresh and clean. Room is aired out, so I guess we can get a nice nap." He lifted you out of the tub and dried you off with so much care. You pouted softly as you wanted to kiss him, but didn't want to get him sick even though he was the Immortal.

"Soon, you little imp," he reassured you as he helped you into a pair of his boxers and shirt. Carrying you back to the bed. Usually you would protest and complain but it made you all warm and fuzzy right now.

He tucked you in and joined you in bed. He had closed the curtains again to make the room dark, resting you gently against his chest. Sighing happily, you nuzzled against his chest and closed your eyes as they hurt a bit.

"Sleep. I am right here. Took a few days off to take care of you."

"Good, you're getting some well-deserved rest as well." You felt his lips brush against your temple as the fresh sheets were pulled over your shoulder. He started to hum the lullaby you loved so much. Soon, you drifted off into slumber with the words 'I love you' following you.

[artificialqueens]

Love me tender - Part Two (Shalaska/Pearlet), by Lavish

A/N: The long overdue second chapter. I am extremely sorry this took so long. Thank you to everyone who filled my askbox with questions about this fic even after so long. I love each and every one of you. Xo, Lavish.

Coming home was always a drag for Alaska. She never really left her office downtown before 7 pm, and still had a long drive back to the suburbs. Tom had talked her into living in Manhattan Beach, explicitly because it would be best to raise their kids in a safe, children-appropriate area. Young and in love, Alaska had accepted without even thinking twice. Now, stuck in traffic on a Friday night, with no kids, and wondering what take out service to call, it didn’t feel so great to have splurged in such a big house far away from her job. Nevertheless, she never really made the effort to escape Manhattan Beach. Alaska knew to select which battles to fight. Lately, she had been choosing much more than she’d like. She looked out of the window, analyzing the people on the sidewalks to pass the time. Since it was just the beginning of the weekend, the streets were packed. A roaring sound of chatter and laughter made its way inside the car from the people sat outside bars, already too drunk to care for politeness or tone. Alaska couldn’t help but smile. Not long ago, she was one of them. At this moment, she couldn’t really put a finger on the last time she went out. The red light turned green, and gripping the wheel with both of her hands, Alaska followed ahead, tired of feeling shitty about herself. She was a grown woman, who was able to not only fix her life but others as well. That was the main reason she’d gone to Law School in the first place. She was a helper, a giver, never a taker. Alaska always took better care of others than of herself. She allowed her mind run back to the meeting earlier, marveling in the story of the three individuals. She thought of Violet, still a young girl, having to make the tough choice of raising her baby or giving up a life she created. She thought of Matt, poor Matt, who seemed so scared to let their kid go to other hands, but also very afraid of losing Violet to his selfishness. Lastly, Alaska thought of Sharon, the beautiful nurse. Her belly fluttered with familiar butterflies while she reminisced in the memory of her voice and the warm touch of her hands. It was hard to concentrate on traffic. Alaska decided to call the one person she knew who was an all time fool and yet lovable. She selected the phone icon on her car screen and pressed the first contact. “Go for Cory.” His voice resonated through the speaker. The sound of it made her body relax, and Alaska felt the muscles of her shoulders start to detangle. “Hey, dork.” “Oh, my! Is this… is this Alaska? I once heard a tale about this mystical creature but I never knew one could get in touch with aliens so easily! How’s planet Glamtron?” Her brother joked in false awe, and she sensed no traces of resent in his speech. True, it’d been a while since they talked, but Cory made her feel closer to him everytime they spoke. A smile spread across her face and Alaska heard herself cackling, the sound resonating in the car. “How have you been, sis?” “Same old. I’m doing ok, I actually picked up a great case today.” She stopped at another red light and took her time watching the passers by. “There’s this teen couple, the girl is 6 months pregnant… She wants to give the baby up but the father is just not taking it. He won’t tell her tho, the poor thing is scared. And guess who’s adopting? Oh yes, the most beautiful nurse who ever lived.” “Ooooh, somebody’s got the hots for the nurse! Guess she’ll be….. licking your wounds very soon, what up?” Alaska scoffed and tried to contain a fit of laughter. She heard Cory’s snorting through the line. “You are so gross, oh my God. But no, she will not be licking anything, as I am a married lady and she’s a mom to be, so suck it.” “I know who you want to su…” “THAT’S ENOUGH FOR THIS CONVERSATION. I hope you don’t kiss our mom with that mouth, ugh.” She pressed on the accelerator, watching the parade of cars ahead finally start to move. Thankfully, she was halfway through the journey already. “Yeah, right. But really, Lask, stay cool. Also, send me a picture of her next time you see her. I would like to know what this lady looks like if she’s messing with your head like that.” “Maybe in the next life.” She took a left, breathing in deeply before talking again. “Hey, we should get lunch sometime. Wanna join me tomorrow?” “Hamburger Mary’s?” “Deal. You’re paying. Byeee!” She hung up before he could protest, a smile still accompanying her on the travel home. ———————————————————————————– Alaska arrived to an empty, dark house. There were traces of her husband’s entrance. His suit jacket was carefully folded on their L shaped couch, a cup of scotch half full sat on the coffee table, and his briefcase stood at a perfect 90º angle by the wall. It was all too meticulous like it was all a video game scenario. Nothing smelled like him, nothing seemed like he had got in with the intents to stay. By the door frame, a note. “Went to tennis practice with the guys. Don’t wait up. Love, T.” Alaska took a deep breath, expecting anger or sadness to wash over her. That something would cross her mind and ignite a more natural feeling than the utter relief she felt to know he wasn’t home. She sat down, defeated, kicking off her high heels. What was happening? Not too long ago she knew she would’ve been pissed. She would’ve called, asked him why he wasn’t home, she’d chase him down, even offer to tag along and play a match. But when you chase after someone for too long, the enchantment just fades away. You get worn out, you look for ways not to step on their toes because you simply don’t bother. Instead, all the anger flutters when you’re together, when you have to stand someone’s presence and the quirks you thought you’d learned to love. She motioned towards the kitchen and checked the clock for the first time since she’d entered. 9:23. She figured it was ok to have dinner, since Tom wouldn’t be back so soon. The club he played only closed at 11, and he was never one to leave early or leave a game unfinished. She picked out carrots, peas, cheese and two eggs, opting for an omelet. She found some left overs from the night before, and decided to leave them for when he arrived. Alaska went back to her pondering while the skillet heated, the only thing hot enough in the sterile, cold house she never called home anymore. Alaska found herself escaping any contact to avoid conflict. She didn’t even manage guilt to surface. She felt nothing about her relationship, save for some neediness here and there. Hot tears spiked her eyes, frustration the only thing to actually take over. Her marriage fell apart and she didn’t bother. Salty tears insisted on jumping off her eyes, making her dinner even more depressing. Her food was tasteless, despite her best efforts to season it. She felt pathetic, eating alone with most of the lights out. Still with a heavy stream cascading down her cheeks, she collected her belongings and headed upstairs to her bedroom. Not even her bed, decorated with cream and white pillows and bedding, looked that inviting. She opted to fill her tub with warm water and rose-smelling bubbles. Watching the steam rising from the water finally made soothed her, and the warmth of the room decorated her cheeks with a pink flush. She cut the stream of tears, wiping the rest of them before letting down her hair from the low bun she’d made. The strands brushed her shoulders, tickling the soft skin of her neck. It had always been her favorite thing to pamper herself. Shimmying out of her trousers and finally getting rid of her collared shirt, Alaska felt as if she was peeling off worries of her body. She could launder them later - both worries and clothes. For now, she just wanted to enjoy a calm bubble bath. After stripping off her underwear, she climbed into the hot water. The knots of her muscles untangled instantly, and her heartbeat finally slowed down. She didn’t know how long it’d been since it’d been racing. She reached a long arm out, extending it towards her phone. There was one call from Tom and 3 messages from an unknown number. She decided to call her husband first. She was sent to voicemail. “Hey, it’s me. I’m home, just taking a bath. There’s dinner in the fridge. I’ll see you tomorrow, ok?” She softened her voice, remembering the end of his note. “Love you too.” She hung up fast, as if she was afraid of her own words. Again, pathetic. Cursing under her breath, she unlocked her device and read the messages. [20:58] Hi, Alaska, this is Sharon! We met earlier today. Listen, I was wondering if we could set up a meeting before Friday, there are some things I would like to discuss with you on the side. Beer’s on me! Xx [21:02] Also I may or may not have willingly downloaded ‘Love Me Tender’ and a bunch of other Elvis tunes and put them in a pen drive for you, so when you come around at the hospital they’ll be our jams. [21:02] Ok, now I’m done. Let me know when our little meeting will go down! Alaska nearly dropped her phone. Her eyes were wider than an apple pie, and a surprised smile occupied the place her frown had been moments ago. She typed in an answer, scared her runny, wet fingers may let her phone slip. [21:49] I can’t believe you! Going as far as actually occupying disk memory in your computer with these songs can only mean one thing… [21:49] You either really really like ancient songs OR (which is highly more likely) you are determined to kiss my ass continuously until you get guard on this child lol kudos on the effort tho!! And yes, we shall meet again. I’ll be downtown again tomorrow to have lunch w my brother, would you like to meet me after? Alaska hit send before she could regret it. She knew it’d be odd in the least to meet a client during the weekend, but then again, it was Sharon who proposed it in the first place. Granted, they did have to discuss matters on the child and make sure she was ready to welcome a baby into her home and her life, so there had a lot of explaining and planning to do. Alaska clung to that idea, repeating to herself she was not taking her newest client on a date. Her ethic manners screamed at her heart, condemning how fast it beat waiting for an answer. She decided to focus on her bath and relax, putting away her phone to clear off her head. Sometimes, she felt it necessary to just be out of thoughts, feelings and memory. She appreciated the numbness and oblivion of moments like these. Alaska sunk deeper inside her tub, allowing the water to cover her pale body from head to toe. She stayed down, in her nest of warmth, until her lungs begged for breath. She lost track of time, distracting herself with the bubbles dancing around her toes. Only when the water turned cold and her fingers looked like raisings she stepped off. Alaska took her time drying off her skin, covering every inch she could reach with lotion, and blow-drying her blonde locks. Finally, she took her phone and wrapped herself in a robe, tucking herself into her bed. There were 6 texts and 1 missed call from Sharon. Alaska smiled before she even opened them up. [21:50] Why I do like them very much alaska! I’ll tell you all abt my fascinating taste in music tomorrow then, text me where we’ll meet [21:50] Also yes there will be a lot of kissing alright if its up to me [21:55] fuck why did I say that I don’t know where it came from [21:55] I thought you’d find it funny oh my god IM SORRY [21:55] can you believe I’m a nurse being this dumb [21:55] UGHHHHHHHHHHHH IM SORRY Alaska was a little ball of laughter, shaking with the motion of her wheezing. Sharon’s slight panic reminded her of an excited puppy who got so happy and agitated they end up tripping on their own paws. It was adorable and just made Alaska want to see her more. She entered her response quickly, feeling her body warm inside and out, and her lids heavy. [22:17] chill girl! I was just taking a bath, but its totally okay She thought about what to say next. Alaska felt confused, like she was betraying her own sense of dignity by feeling this attracted and lured by another woman while she was still married. But what was her marriage anyways, besides a contract bonding two people who were nothing alike? She felt like she’d just had a taste of what fun felt like, and she wanted more. She wanted the opportunity to know different people and try new things. Alaska wanted to chase this new feeling and courage, even if it led nowhere, or if it wouldn’t be with Sharon. She just needed the opportunity and she’d been granted with one, it was only up to her what to do next. [22:18] I’ll hold you to those promises!! See you tmrrw xo The feeling of accomplishment that overcame her just from those daring words was enough to bring a calm, well slept night, one she hadn’t had in forever. Just before she was taken by Orpheus and went into the peacefulness of slumber, she saw very clearly the colorful imagery her subconscious had fabricated. She distinguished two frames, both tall and slender, with soft curves on their hips and torso. Two women. One of them had hair of gold, a reflective shine only blondes exhibit. The other one had rosy lips and hair of ebony. They were happy, she could tell. There was something else, a third form she couldn’t identify at first. It was small and heavy – it had to be held with both arms. Upon further looking, shapes formed. A pair of shining, chocolate brown eyes. Very little hair framing rosy cheeks, and a tiny, round mouth. It seemed fragile and small, and now it was easy to decipher. The blonde lady held a perfect baby in her arms.

[godsavemefrombts]

Rain

Genre: Angst and idk?

Words: 2.6 K

Pairing: Taehyung x Reader x Jimin

Requested by @kaipie-ami98 I love you. I hope you like this! I sort of wrote the last 2K in 2 hours, half asleep. Call me out on any sort of mistake, I owe you that lol. Also I might have changed it up a bit too much... Sorry~

Listen to this gem of a song here!

A normal rainy day. Dark, foreboding clouds, accompanied by a stray ray of sunshine here and there, a grey blanket covered the sky. Slightly chilly, slightly damp from the humidity, people walked around with umbrellas, raincoats and everything they needed to protect themselves from the rain and the damp chill. It was gloomy, but on the windows where the raindrops raced each other down to the sill, it looked like a refreshing change from the same sunrays beating down on the glass, piercing through, amplifying the brightness as it entered the room.

A normal rainy day. Classes droned on, the teachers at the boards writing down notes, lecturing the class, new terms thrown around just as any other day, new concepts raining down on the students as hard as the rain outside the classroom, the children’s faces as grim as the sky outside, dull and grey. The same pencil scratched away at a new page in the same notebook. Nothing had changed. The scene was the same as before, the same as a few days ago when y/n wasn’t the only one staring out of the window, when y/n wasn’t the only one being prodded at by the teacher for not listening in class, when y/n wasn’t one who would reflect the rainy weather, tears streaming down her cheeks stealthily.

It was no normal rainy day. After all, y/n was once again alone. After all, y/n was left behind while he moved on and away. The rainy days were her favourite, once upon a time. Maybe not anymore… It reminded her of her time together with him. Warm afternoons under the blankets, lulled to sleep by the pelting of raindrops against the windows in each other’s arms. That was her favourite thing about the rainy days. He made great hot chocolate too, she remembers. She remembers how the warm cup felt as her hands wrapped around it carefully. She remembers the aroma that wafted from the hot dark endearing brown liquid, and how it smelled like home, warmth, love and everything nice.

It was no normal rainy day. If it was, she would be out. Out in the rain, under her umbrella, her figure dancing about, feet dancing in the puddles, muddy water splashing on her rain boots, his eyes accompanying her in silent support and slight amusement. She doesn’t have to see him to know he enjoys this, watching her go crazy, sanely crazy in the rain, for only his eyes. She knew that when she turned to look at him, she would irresistibly run into his arms, where she would immediately be welcomed. She knew that his warmth would compel her to stay there so she stayed away, her back to his eyes.

It was no normal day, much less a normal rainy day. She was alone, left to her own devices. She had reverted to the white headphones which fit on her head so snugly that it moulded right in with her skin, her music once again being the only thing keeping her company as she doodled and sketched on the blank pages. She refused to let her grief leak through her cracks so she sealed them with apathy. Her face was blank, her movements had turned mechanic, her routine like clockwork. But even then, she missed him. She felt every fibre of her being yearn for him while every ounce of her strength tried to distract her thoughts to her present.

As she walked back slowly to her house from school, she realised the trip was much shorter and quieter without him. She knew she looked tired but she couldn’t help it. Not when she was cold as compared to when one of her sides would always be pressed against him under the umbrella, his arm holding her close by her shoulders. She would complain about his shoulder getting wet and she remembered the warm smile he returned along with the same words every time, “But my heart is warm, I’m with you.” She’d melt and stop talking then. She now wondered if his heart is as cold as hers has become. She just chose to nod at the neighbours, her earlier jovial nature had clearly left her along with him.

What was so special about Kim Taehyung?

She left her bag on the floor and left the umbrella to dry as she headed up to her room to shower and change. If she was here with him, as she used to be a couple of weeks ago, she’d be on the bed still in her uniform, their heads pouring over something that caught their fleeting attention. Then she wondered if she was also something that was just fleeting to him.

She knew she wouldn’t be the same without him but she secretly hoped it was the same with him. They had spent nights together, sleepless nights, all of them. They had too much to talk about all the time. They had burnt too fast. There was no lust, just pure ecstasy as they stayed close. They were bright shining stars to each other. But their end was dimmer than that of a dwarf star’s.

The thunderstorm raged harder than earlier and y/n sighed in relief. At least she was inside in the warmth and comfort of her home. She took a quick warm shower and dressed herself in a warm sweatshirt which she realised Taehyung had given back to her before he left. She had gifted it to him but he gave it back to her, as a farewell gift and as he called it, a “don’t-forget-me” gift but he didn’t realise that their memories together were more than enough for her lifetime.

She stands by the window, watching the rain race into the drains and remembers the figure of him standing below her window, waving one last time. She remembered turning her back to him at that, not wanting to watch him go. She wished she did, she wished she stayed at the window, just to see if he had looked back, just to see if she could find any emotion that the smile he gave her hid other than plain unhidden pain.

Stalking downstairs she makes herself coffee and sits at the island, sipping the hot drink slowly, letting it warm her body up as she relaxed herself finally, letting her body, mind and soul ache with a loss she couldn’t stop in any way. But yet she yearned. Yet she waited. And that annoyed her and saddened her. It was inevitable and now his coming back was impossible, yet she waited for a miracle.

He turned on his bed under the covers. His hand reached up to pull on his chestnut hair to take his mind off the pain with another pain. His eyes travelled to the window of the attic room he was in. The rain beat down harshly, as if trying to break through. He closed his eyes tight, scrunching up his face, as if in pain. But he was, in his defence. He had never been through anything this painful before. It was the last year of high school and he had to leave. His grandfather was dying and hands were needed in the household to keep it running so they had had to move back to Daegu from Yangsan. She was left back in Yangsan along with his heart.

He still remembered, he thought as he looked at his hands, the feeling of holding her softer, smaller hands in his. He remembered the curve of her body against his as they laid together on the last sleepless night they spent together. He remembered how her body went stiff, her eyes went wide and her jaw dropped open when he nonchalantly mentioned moving away during the weekend, which was by then only a couple of days away.

He then remembered her eyes fill with tears at an alarmingly fast rate. He remembered how she’d turned away, hiding her face, not wanting to see him to “get used to it faster”. He knew he was being unfair but he didn’t want her to spend time with him with the uneasy feeling in her chest so he thought it would be best to tell her right before he left. He had then wrapped his arms around her again, pulling her back to his chest, asking her to turn this to a quiet night of just enjoying each other’s company, his forehead rested against her shoulder stubbornly as he inhaled her scent as much as he could to imprint all his memories, past, present and future with her. His eyes had fluttered close as he heard her hum, satisfied with their heartbeats beating as one on their last night together.

He closed his eyes now, thinking of her scent, of her voice, of her warmth, of her as he tried to drift off to sleep once again.

Sunrises meant new beginnings but y/n wanted to call bullshit on that as she dragged herself out of bed to start her chores around the house, moving back into her clockwork-like routine. She started with tidying up her bed. She then swept the house slowly, her headphones already nesting on her head, low music playing through to soothe her ears and mind early in the morning. Once she was satisfied, she washed up and sat down at the dinner table to drink water. The skies had cleared up she realised as the dinner table was bathed in a rose gold incandescence, warming up her as well when it touched her.

Getting up, she smiled slightly after a long time and pushed the curtains away, letting the rose gold work its Midas magic on the floor and all the walls, warming the house in a gentle new warmth. She basked in the warmth for a bit and headed to the kitchen once she decided that she wasn’t cold enough to be lazy. Rolling her shoulders, she reached for the apron and quickly put it on. She let herself get lost in the routine. She chopped the vegetables, fried them well, put in the right amount of oil and later water. She added the right amount of the right spice at the right time.

After she finished cooking her breakfast and lunch, she packed her lunch, leaving a bit of space for the steam to escape while she ran for the shower. Packing up the lunch once she was ready, in her uniform, she sat down to have breakfast and pulled her phone out. She checked her SNS for any pending notifications and saw that there were still some messages unread sent to her by Taehyung.

Taehyung: I still love you, I promise. I can’t help it. You know, right?

Taehyung: Because I love you, I’m letting you go. You deserve happiness and that is not with me… Not anymore.

Taehyung: I wish I had more time with you but I guess the red string of fate is not what binds us… But if it is, then we will meet again, we will love again. But till then, goodbye y/n.

Swallowing thickly, y/n wiped away the stray tear that escaped her eye. Typing back a measly reply, she locked her phone and tucked it back in her pocket. Finishing up her meal, she washed the dishes before grabbing her bag and leaving for school.

“Y/N!” a voice called out to y/n as she entered the school. She turned around to see her homeroom teacher stand close to the entrance of the school building with a small boy with pitch black hair. Observing his nervousness and his constantly flickering eyes revealed to her that he is a transfer kid. She walked up to the teacher and bowed politely. “Can I help you, teacher?” she asked, a fake smile plastered on her face, her back muscles stiff as she saw the new kid stare at her with his beady black eyes.

“Yes, this is Park Jimin. He’s transferring to your class today from Busan. Could you show him around? I have to go for a faculty meeting.” The teacher explained in a hurry, patting the boy’s back slightly urgently. She nodded and watched as her teacher scurried down the hallway in a rush. She turned to the boy with a smile and held out her hand, “my name is y/n l/n. It’s nice to meet you, Jimin.” She relaxed a bit when he shyly but firmly shook her hand with his small soft one, her mind immediately thinking about how different Taehyung’s hand felt in hers. She pulled her hand away hurriedly at that, looking around nervously.

“Well, I guess we could start with showing you our class? We’ll keep our bags there and then go around the school?” She proposed as she started walking slowly, the empty hallways making it easier for her to talk to him. He followed obediently and nodded once he caught up with her, walking next to her.

“Thank you… I am from a city so I hope I don’t get bullied…” Jimin confessed quietly, his hands wringing together in worry. Her eyes went down to his hands and she pat his shoulder comfortingly. “You won’t be discriminated. We’re almost all from Busan or Daegu… You’ll be fine.” Her smile must have been the key because his lips widened to show her an innocent smile like never before and she knew immediately she’d treasure that smile. As the day advanced, he warmed up to her more and more. And by the end of the day they had exchanged numbers and handles of every SNS in common.

Y/n invited him to her house, using that as an excuse to show him the roads a bit. He happily obliged, smiling and waving to his other new friends. After a long couple of weeks, the white headphones were back to hanging around her neck, rather than on her head. For the first time after a couple of weeks, her lips gave way to a smile, a smile that reached her eyes for once. As she walked back to her house, she greeted her neighbours with a bright smile and wave, introducing the new kid immediately. She had gotten her light back and it had taken just one day of showing the new kid around.

By the time night rolled around, y/n had taken a few silly selfies with Jimin and had in her moment of extreme glee, posted it on her SNS with the tag “Once you JimIN you can’t JimOUT. Not that I want to anytime soon~”. She bade him farewell only after dinner when his parents came by, finally ready to stay alone in the empty house again. She thought it was nice, how his parents cared so much for a stranger who had brought their son home on his first day of school in a new town. She went up to her bedroom once she finished her tasks for the day.

Her phone dinged just as she collapsed on the bed. She rolled over onto her stomach and pulled her phone out. Unlocking it, she opened the unseen message sleepily, her eyes drooping. She rubbed her eyes as she looked at the message.

You: I enjoyed our time together. I won’t change it for anything. But yes, if it’s meant to be, it is. Have a good life ahead of you, Taehyung, you deserve it.

Taehyung: I’m glad… At least you seem happy…

As she slowly slipped into a deep sleep, she realised that he must have seen her picture with Jimin from earlier… She didn’t know if she was happy yet, but at least she was not apathetic anymore. She was yearning for him, but not that much anymore. It was a start. She didn’t know what awaited her but she was willing to climb the mountain to see what was on the other side.