#this has been fun to play around with all year

[tiredofthehumanlife]

Nap now book later

Barbie dolls: Moonwater x gn! Reader

Word: 1.3k

Summary: you’ve been studying too much so your boyfriends pull you from it and make you take a nap

Warnings: regulus has anxiety, uh, regulus gets bullied by the portraits, one singular joke Abt not trusting Peter take it or leave it, tiny mention of rosekiller sorry partyvan fans 💔, regulus has a really hard day, you study too much, possible meal skippage, supposed to be Abt finals but we're kinda pass that so just pretend, dude I think that's it

Remus wasn't exactly one to stress out about his partners’ whereabouts. They usually found their way to him or vice versa. Regulus was particularly elusive so it was more like chasing a puff of smoke than it was trying to find your lovely boyfriend. Remus found comfort in knowing that, if he truly needed to, he could just look at the map.

The simplicity of his day was lifting his lips into a soft smile. He woke up at an acceptable time, not interrupted but James' loud singing. Shockingly. He made it to breakfast and couldn't be happier with Regulus tucked into his side grumbling away about his day. Remus spent some time in the library, picking out new books. Now, he was resting under a large tree, starting one of his new books. He couldn't put his finger on the last time he felt this relaxed on a weekend. 

Regulus was the kind to stress out about his partners’ whereabouts. He worried they'd get into detention, or get into a fight, or trouble, get lost in the forest, drown in the Black Lake, or somehow find a sinkhole.

This morning wasn't so bad. He woke up with Barty in his bed, though Regulus had told Barty to sleep with Evan if he had a nightmare. Crouch wasn't the type to follow instructions it appears. Much worse Barty had been playing with Regulus' hair the whole night. Now his curls were all tangled and pulled.

After Regulus managed to make his hair look moderately acceptable he found his way downstairs to the Great Hall. He plopped next to Remus already complaining about the whole ordeal. How unfortunate it was, Regulus would have to cut Barty's fingers off. It was the only solution. Nothing else could solve this.

Then after breakfast, he tried to calm his nerves with a walk to the Lake but then all he could think about was where you were. You could be anywhere in the entire castle. You hadn't shown up for breakfast. He hadn't seen you anywhere really. Sure it was the weekend but you usually appeared by now. 

Thus, Regulus started frantically searching the castle for you. He whipped his head around every corner, startling a young third-year blossoming couple away from each other.

Regulus asked the portraits, getting nothing but a few of them calling him mean names. One of them made fun of his shoes and he thought of taking it off the wall and throwing it. Eventually after exhausting himself and raising his anxiety to extreme levels, he decided to find Remus and ask him. Regulus knew Remus’ schedule like the back of his hand. The other hand was dedicated to your schedule, of course. Regulus knew it was a weekend but Remus still had routines. Deciphering Remus' location was easy enough. So as soon as Regulus caught a glimpse of Remus' curls under the big tree in the courtyard, he started sprinting towards Remus. 

The loud crunching of leaves is what startled Remus from his book, looking up to find Regulus huffing and puffing right next to him. Remus jumped a little, shocked Regulus was so close already. Remus closed his book and let out a huff, gently reaching out for Regulus. He slid his hand behind Regulus’ calf, staring up at the crazed pale gray eyes. 

“Hello Baby, you alright?” Remus asked. Regulus quickly shook his head, his curls flying this way and that. Remus hummed, it was often Regulus struggled with his anxiety. Regulus let out another huff, finally catching his breath. 

“Do you have the map on you?” Regulus asked, still looking over his shoulders for you. Remus nodded. 

“It's not like I’m giving it to Peter. Can't trust him with his food around stuff like that. He'll get stains on it. Don't even get me started on Sirius.” Remus said, still massaging the back of Regulus’ calf. Regulus huffed and stuck his hands out. Remus took the sign for him to pull the map out already, leaning it over to his school bag. He dug through the contents before finally finding the map and holding it up. Regulus let out a sigh and flopped onto the ground next to Remus. Remus pointed his wand at the map and pulled it open. Luckily it was just cold enough for most students to stay inside. Remus saw a straggler wandering by the other side of the courtyard but they weren't close enough to see anything of importance. 

Regulus’ eyes scanned the map, searching for your name and footprints. Remus stared blankly at the map, not sure who exactly they were looking for. Like a flash of light, Regulus' hand jumped out a gasp flying past his lips. His finger slammed into the map, a crinkling sound following it. Remus looked at it, finding your name. He frowned as Regulus pushed himself off the ground, speed walking off towards the exit of the courtyard. 

Remus quickly followed after him, swinging his bag onto his shoulder and crumpling the map to his chest. Regulus swerved through the halls, bordering sprinting. Remus followed after him, trying to keep his pace but ultimately falling behind. Regulus swung open the Library doors, slipping in and forgetting his boyfriend behind him. Remus sighed and followed suit, pulling open the Library door. 

Remus quietly followed Regulus’ warpath, awkwardly waving at the librarian on the way in. She rolled her eyes and returned to pulling books from the return. Remus skipped ahead, turning the corner to find Regulus standing next to a form that looked quite familiar. Regulus found you. Studying. Still. If his memory serves him right, you left dinner early yesterday to get started. He guessed you probably got kicked out of the Library around curfew and came back to hit the books before breakfast. 

Of course, they both noticed you were studying a lot but they hadn't realized just how bad it was. A little studying was good, a nice few hours was even better, but almost full days? 

Your head was resting on your arm, over a page of review questions. Open books were scattered around you, and your quill was limp in your hand. Remus hated the mess showing off the frantic studying you were putting yourself through. Regulus probably felt similar, glancing over his shoulder to send Remus a look. Regulus dipped down, kissing your cheek and lightly shaking your shoulder. You pulled your head up slowly. Your eyes were still squinted, glancing around the Library to find whoever woke you up. 

“Hello, amour. How long have you been studying?” Regulus asked, rubbing the back of your neck. You leaned back in your chair, stretching your arms up as you yawned. Regulus hummed, trying to urge you to answer his question. You shook your head, rubbing the sleep from your face. You looked up to Regulus, furrowing your eyebrows. 

“How long have you been studying, darling?” Remus asked. You grimaced, scrunching up your nose. You sighed and looked down at the spread of books and pages on your table. 

“Um since this morning.” You answered, picking up your quill again. Regulus leaned forward, snatching the quill from your hand. You groaned, reaching for it. Regulus stuck his arm out towards Remus. Remus took the quill, hiding it behind his back. You rolled your eyes and looked back at your books. Remus joined Regulus at his side, keeping the quill away from you. 

“Have you taken any breaks today?” Regulus asked. Your eye darted at him from the side. You stayed silent, pretending like you didn’t hear him. That was plenty of an answer for Remus. Remus leaned forward, closing the book in front of you. You scoffed. 

“I need to study. I have to be ready for the tests.” You said, trying to open the book again. Remus pressed his palm into the cover of the book, making sure you couldn’t open it. You glared at Remus, deciding to pick another book. You opened a history one next to you. Regulus reached over and pulled the book from your hands. You let out a sigh and sat back. 

“Darling, you’re going to do fine. Don’t you know that? You’ve been studying for days. You need to take a break, my love.” Remus said. Regulus held onto your hands, tugging you up from the chair. You complained on the way up yet still let Regulus pull you. Remus pulled his wand from his bag, swishing it at your library table. You paused in your complaints to Regulus, watching the books and papers order themselves into a neat stack. The stack lifted itself from the table, floating to Remus’ side. 

“Let’s go take a nap, mon amour,” Regulus whispered. You furrowed your brows and rolled your eyes at him. Your hands were still trapped in his hold. Regulus dropped one of your hands. You intertwined your fingers with him as he pulled you forward towards the Library exit. Remus followed after you two, steering the stack of books with his wand. 

Regulus tucked you into bed, scooting in behind you. He cradled you in his arms, holding you tightly. Remus set your belongings down before joining you two. He saddled in on the other side of you, cupping your face and smacking a kiss on your forehead. He hoped it would travel through that thick skull of yours and calm your worried brain.  You hummed and leaned closer to him, slipping an arm around his waist. You pressed your cheek into his chest. Remus cooed, holding on to the back of your head. Regulus looked at Remus over your shoulder, giving him a proud, though small, smile. You were resting. Later they’d hide your books so you couldn’t study for the rest of the day. 

[gumisbwunni]

PT 4

a/n: so this took me ages to write... tysm for the support, hope yall enjoy. Pt 1, Pt 2, Pt 3,

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You adjust the scarf around your neck, your breath curling in the frosty evening air as you stood by the crepe stand, glancing at the menu as the festive lights twinkled above, casting a warm glow over the crowd. People around you laughing, chatting, and enjoying the cold evening.

“Y/N!”

You turned quickly, a little startled, to see Satoru pushing his way through the crowd. His usual mischievous grin was on his face, and the familiar sight of him made your heart race, despite the years apart. He was dressed casually in a hoodie under a coat, looking as effortless as ever.

“Sorry I’m late,” he said, a little out of breath. “Got caught up in a crowd. What are you getting?”

You smiled, trying to play it cool. “Just deciding,” you said, looking up at the menu.

Without a second thought, Satoru reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his wallet. “I’ll get it for you,” he said, giving you thats tupid grin you kenw all too well.

You hesitated. “Are you sure? I can pay for my own—”

“Nah, I insist,” he said with a chuckle, tapping his card against the counter before you could protest further. “And besides, It's the least I can do after making you wait.”

the server handed him the crepes, Satoru passed you your order, and you both stepped away from the booth, the rich scent of the crepes wafting in the air.

As you wandered through the festival, you both chatted about your lives, sharing stories of what you’d been up to since high school. But it wasn’t long before Satoru glanced over at the towering, neon-lit roller coaster nearby, and a mischievous grin spread across his face.

“So,” he said, voice dripping with teasing energy, “are you ready for the ride of your life?”

You followed his gaze to the terrifying, twisting roller coaster. “You mean the ride of your life,” you shot back, raising an eyebrow. “You know I’m not about to get on that death trap.”

He raised his hands in mock surrender, laughing. “You’re a grown woman, and you’re scared of roller coasters?”

“I’m not scared,” you said quickly, though your stomach flipped at the thought. “I’m just… cautious. There’s a difference.”

Satoru chuckled. “Sure, sure. Cautious. Well, I’m not forcing you, but it couldve been fun.”

“Not happening,” you said firmly, taking a bite of your crepe. The sweet, warm flavor distracted you for a second, but the amusement in his eyes made you feel a little more exposed than you liked.

You spend the next hour wandering the festival, stopping at game booths and snack stands. At one point, Satoru wins you a small stuffed hello kitty, handing it to you with a crooked grin.

“For old times’ sake,” he says. “You’ve always liked hello kitty”

You stare at the plushie in your hands, something tight curling in your chest. “thank you”

“Of course.” His voice is quieter now, tinged with something you can’t quite name.

By the time the festival begins winding down, the lightness in the air has given way to a quieter, more intimate tension. Satoru suggests grabbing a drink somewhere, and you agree, like a giddy teenager in love.

The coffee shop is cozy, its walls lined with bookshelves and twinkling string lights. You wrap your hands around your mug of hot chocolate, letting the warmth seep into your fingers as you glance at Satoru across the table. He’s stirring his drink with a small wooden stick, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips as his eyes meet yours.

“This is nice…” You pause, feeling a little flustered under his gaze. “I mean, the shop,” you quickly add.

He chuckles, looking around the room. “Yeah, it hasn’t changed much.”

The rich scent of chocolate fills the air as you lean in closer to inhale. “This chocolate smells amazing,” you say, closing your eyes for a moment to savor it.

Satoru nods, his gaze softening, though there’s a hesitation in his voice. “I wasn’t sure you’d come.”

You tighten your grip on the mug, the warmth grounding you. “I was a bit nervous, if I’m being honest. It’s been years.”

“Well, I’m glad you came,” he says with a genuine smile, and it feels like a quiet weight lifts from your chest.

For a moment, you just smile at each other, the quiet between you oddly comfortable.

“Do you remember the wedding invitation Shoko made for you in high school? The one she sent to everyone—including our teacher?”he asks suddenly, his grin widening.

You nearly choked on your hot chocolate , but you couldn’t stop the embarrassed laugh that slipped out. “How could I forget? That was… mortifying.”

Satoru smirked, clearly relishing in your discomfort. “I still can’t believe she did that. you got so red, i can remember you getting so embarrassed.”

“shut up,” you protested, though you couldn’t help but smile. “I thought I was going to die of embarrassment.”

He laughed, the sound making your chest tighten a little. “It was funny. Her photoshop skills needed a little work, but the effort was there.”

You shot him a playful glare. “God, don’t remind me. I’m sure she still has that picture.”

He shakes his head, the warmth in his eyes making your chest ache. “Those were good times.”

“They were,” you say softly, your smile fading slightly.

The laughter between you quiets, replaced by a lingering stillness. You trace the rim of your mug with your finger, unsure how to bridge the widening gap between lighthearted memories and the unspoken weight of the past.

Satoru seems to sense it too. He clears his throat and leans forward, resting his arms on the table. “So, uh… how long are you in town?”

“Just a few more days,” you say, meeting his gaze. “It’s weird being back after all this time.”

“I can imagine.” He hesitates, then adds, “Do you visit often?”

“Not really,” you admit. “I guess I just didn’t feel like there was much of a reason to.”

He nods slowly, his expression unreadable. “I get that.”

The conversation stalls again, and you feel your pulse quicken. You don’t know if it’s the quiet atmosphere or the way Satoru keeps looking at you like he wants to say something, but the tension is impossible to ignore.

“You ever think about high school?” he asks suddenly.

You blink, surprised by the question. “Sometimes,” you say carefully. “Why?”

“I don’t know,” he says, shrugging. “I guess I’ve just been thinking about it more lately. Seeing you again… it brings a lot back.”

You swallow, your hands tightening around your mug. “Like what?”

He hesitates, his eyes searching yours. “Like how easy it used to be. How much fun we had.” He pauses, his voice softening. “And how fast it all changed.”

Your chest tightens, and you look down at your drink, unable to hold his gaze any longer. “I didn’t mean for it to,” you say quietly.

“I know,” he says, his tone gentler now. “But it still did.”

For a moment, neither of you speaks. The noise of the coffee shop fades into the background, leaving only the sound of your breathing. The words hang between you, heavy and unspoken for so long.

Satoru breaks the silence. “I waited for you that night, you know.” His voice is soft, almost hesitant. “I thought maybe… maybe it meant something to you.”

Your heart twists painfully. “It did,” you whisper, your voice cracking. “I just… I didn’t know how to tell you.”

Satoru’s jaw clenches, and he runs a hand through his hair, his frustration evident. “I would’ve understood, Y/N. If you’d just said something—anything.”

“I know,” you say, your voice cracking. “I know I should’ve, but I didn’t know how. I thought… I thought it was better to just leave.”

“Better for who?” he asks, his voice rising slightly.

Your throat feels tight, but you force the words out. “I didn’t know. I thought it was better for you. Everything was happening so fast, and…” You hesitate, lowering your gaze. “You weren’t exactly talking to me much by then, either.”

His jaw tightens. “You didn’t come to the game.”

“I couldn’t,” you say quickly. “There was stuff going on at home. I wanted to go, I swear I did, but I didn’t think you’d care after how you started acting.”

His lips part, but no words come out. Instead, he lets out a sharp breath, raking a hand through his hair. “You think I didn’t care?” he says finally. “Y/N, I waited for you all night. Like an idiot, looking at the bleachers any chance I got.”

Your heart twists painfully. “I’m sorry,” you whisper.

But Satoru just stares at you, the years of unspoken feelings in his eyes, and for a moment, all you can hear is the beating of your own heart.

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@manisimp @yujieatsdoritos @haruhatake @rottent0m4t03z @sillly-jokester

[rhiannonsknife]

— BUT I’M A CHEERLEADER (part 4)

— summary: the party at lottie’s & its aftermath.

— warnings: friends to lovers. lots of fluff. the highly anticipated nsfw content. mdni. (this takes place in their last year of school. all characters in this are 18+!!)

the ‘post game hangout’ at lottie’s is in full swing by the time you and nat arrive in her car.

you half expect it to be a repeat of cheer squad gatherings: loud music, sharp glances, and judgment lurking behind every corner. but as soon as you step into lottie’s house -a massive place, bigger than any party you’ve been to before- it becomes clear this is a completely different world from what you’re used to.

it’s also much more of a party than just a ‘hangout’, but neither of you minds.

“lottie really knows how to throw a party, huh?” you say, glancing around. nat grins, giving you a playful side-eye. “she’s got the biggest house, so she kinda has to,”

the sound of music and muffled laughter spills from inside as you approach, punctuated by the occasional cheer or shout from someone already a few drinks deep.

“we don’t do small, cheerleader!”

“i can see that,” your eyes sweep over the pristine lawn and the line of cars already parked in the long driveway. nat gestures towards the door. “ready?”

you nod, even though you can feel the nerves bubbling up inside you. it’s not the party itself that unsettles you, it’s the fact that you’re walking in with nat. for all the teasing from the yellowjackets earlier, the lines between what you feel and what you’re allowed to feel still seem blurry and fragile.

the inside of lottie’s house is just as impressive as the exterior already gave away: the foyer opens into a sprawling living room that’s packed with people lingering in groups, red plastic cups in hand, the atmosphere buzzing.

nat nudges you with her elbow while you’re still busy taking it all in. “come on,” she says. “let’s find the others!”

just like that, you let her lead you through the crowd. there’s no weight of curious stares and whispered commentary you expected and nobody minds as you two make your way through the living room. when you finally reach the kitchen, it’s no surprise to see van perched on the kitchen island, a bottle of something strong-looking in her hand, while taissa leans against the counter next to where van’s legs are dangling, caught up in a conversation with jackie.

“hey, look who decided to show up!” van calls out, waving at you both.

nat rolls her eyes. “you just saw us on the field an hour ago,”

“yeah, but this is different,” she teases, hopping down from the counter to greet you. “field nat is all serious and intense. party nat’s a lot more fun. and hey-“ she leans in conspiratorially toward you “she’s even more fun when you’re around!”

nat shakes her head, but you can see the faintest hint of color creeping up her neck. “i’m grabbing drinks!” she announces to the group, shooting you a quick glance before disappearing toward the living room.

you’re left standing awkwardly near the doorway until jackie waves you over to join them. “c’mon, don’t just stand there!”

you hesitate but ultimately follow her lead, perching on the edge of the counter while van leans in, her grin mischievous.

“sooo…” she begins, drawing out the word. “how long’s this been a thing?”

you blink, caught off guard. “what?”

“when did you and nat figure this thing out?” taissa chimes in.

“i don’t- there’s no- what thing?”

jackie gives a soft laugh. “come on, don’t play dumb! nat’s been acting like a completely different person lately. more focused, less grumpy. it’s cute, really!”

tai leans in, her voice low but teasing. “it’s pretty obvious. she’s been head over heels for you since, what? the arcade?”

your cheeks heat as you stammer, “we’re not- she hasn’t- there’s nothing going on!”

jackie exchanges a knowing look with the two. “if you say so,” she mumbles teasingly over the edge of her cup.

van, on the other hand, doesn’t let up. “c’mon, it’s fine! we’re just saying it’s nice to see her like this! she’s, i dunno… softer? it’s not a bad thing!”

you laugh awkwardly, unsure how to respond. before you get the chance to tell them that there really isn’t anything going on, nat returns, drinks in hand. the others exchange more looks as she strides over.

“there we go,” she says, handing you a cup, her fingers brushing yours briefly in the process. even as you take it from her, your mind is still reeling from what van, jackie and taissa just said. nat, head over heels for you?

“so,” she asks. “what did i miss? what are you guys talking about?”

“nothing,” van says innocently, her grin suggesting otherwise.

“right…” nat says, slowly lifting her cup to her lips.

the conversation shifts after that, the others diving into lighthearted banter about the game, but your mind lingers on what they said.

you glance down at nat once, catching her watching you out of the corner of her eye. she quickly looks away, taking a sip from her drink, but the small, almost shy smile that follows makes your pulse quicken.

all throughout the conversation, you’re hyper-aware of nat’s presence below you, standing close enough to where you’re perched upon the kitchen counter for you to smell the faint scent of her cologne and feel the warmth that radiates off her even though she’s not quite touching you.

the others are deep in their talk, laughing about some ridiculous inside joke that you don’t quite understand but can’t help smiling at. you feel lighter than you have in weeks, lighter than you ever did amongst the cheerleaders, like you’re finally where you belong.

still, your gaze keeps drifting back to nat, the reason why you’re here to begin with, why you get to belong like that.

it’s the shift of the music in the background, a louder, more fast paced song, snaps you out of your thoughts. a few people filter onto the makeshift dance floor that lottie has cleared in the living room, swaying awkwardly at first before finding a rhythm as a larger group gathers.

you glance back at nat as an idea begins to take shape.

“do you wanna dance?” you ask, your voice quieter than you intended but still enough to catch only her attention. nat freezes mid-sip, her eyes widening slightly as she looks at you like you’ve just suggested something completely outrageous. “dance?”

your nod, grinning despite the nerves. “yeah, you know…where you move around to music. it’s kind of a thing people do at parties?”

her lips twitch into a smirk and she sets her drink down on the counter. “i know what dancing is, smartass. i just don’t…do it!”

“why not? scared you’ll look stupid?”

she scoffs, crossing her arms. “i don’t look stupid. just don’t like it. it’s not my thing,”

“come on!” you plead, now drawing the attention of the others as well. “just one dance! for fun? for me!”

for a moment, nat looks like she’s about to argue again, her brow furrowing as if she’s searching for an excuse. but then her eyes meet yours, and whatever she sees there makes her hesitate.

“show us how it’s done scatorccio!” van interrupts her train of thought, already urging her forward.

“fine,” nat mutters, pushing herself away from the counter, then waiting for you to hop off after. “but, i swear to god, if i step on your toes, it’s on you!”

you laugh, grabbing her hand before she can change her mind. “deal,”

you don’t need to turn your head to feel the eyes of all three girls on you as you make your way across the room.

leading her to the dance floor, you notice the way her hand lingers in yours, her grip firm, like she’s still not sure what to do with herself. the two of you find a spot near the edge, the lights dim and the music low, and you turn to face her with a grin.

“see? not so bad, right?”

“you haven’t even started yet!”

you turn so your back is to her front, already swaying to the rhythm of the song. nat hesitates for a beat before resting her hands awkwardly on your waist. it’s stiff and a little awkward at first, but the warmth of her touch sends a pleasant shiver through your body.

“relax,” you tease, moving against her. “you’re not being graded on this!”

she huffs out a laugh, her shoulders loosening just a bit. “easy for you to say. you’re probably great at this! you’re a cheerleader!”

the two of you settle into an easy rhythm, and while nat is still clearly out of her comfort zone, she starts to relax, her movements becoming less stilted. you can still feel the eyes of her teammates watching from the kitchen, but for once, you don’t care who sees. it’s just you and nat.

at one point, she leans in just a little closer. her voice is low and her fingers hook around the belt loops of your jeans as she murmurs, “this isn’t terrible,”

you laugh, your heart skipping at the new proximity. “told you so!”

the music flows seamlessly from one track to the next yet nat doesn’t leave the dance floor after the first song like you half expected her to. instead, she stays, her presence warm behind you, her fingers gentle on your waist.

even as the upbeat tempo shifts to something a little slower, you’re quick to tug her hand, keeping her on the floor so she won’t flee from you.

“not letting me off that easy, are you?”

instead of replying, nat spins you gently, making you laugh as you end up face to face, more suited for a slow dance like this. instinctively, you drape your arms over her shoulders and lace your fingers behind her back.

nat’s body seems much more relaxed now, her grip on your waist softer, her movements less self-conscious. you’re still swaying together, but there’s something gentler about it now, something intimate, with the soft glow of the lights playing across her features.

at this point, you’re hyper-aware of her hands on you and how close she’s standing. so close her hair brushes your cheek when she tilts her head, so close you can feel the shudder in her breath, sending a shiver down your spine that you hope she doesn’t notice.

“you’re getting the hang of it,” you mumble.

“don’t push it. this is already way more than just one dance,”

“it’s called making up for lost time,” you counter. “you’re doing great!”

nat snorts, shaking her head. “dont lie! i’m terrible at this!”

without hesitation, you tighten your grip on the back of her neck, pulling her gaze back to yours. “nat,” you say softly, catching her attention. “nat, seriously, you’re really not,” you insist, meeting her eyes.

the room seems to shrink as the two of you sway to the slower rhythm. the din of conversation and laughter fades into the background, leaving just the soft hum of music and the warmth of her presence in front of you. you glance up at her through your lashes, heart racing at how close she is. her gaze flickers down to meet your eyes, then drops lower, to your mouth, and for a moment, the world feels like it tilts on its axis.

the song begins to fade, and before either of you can move, someone takes over the stereo. the slow melody is abruptly replaced by an upbeat, fast-paced track that jolts you back to reality.

nat groans dramatically, stepping back with a shake of her head. “that’s my cue to get off this death trap!”

you laugh, reluctantly letting her slip away. if it wasn’t already, the party is in full swing now, with people around you shouting and singing along to the lyrics.

you follow nat, intending to tease her about her endurance, but something else catches your eye as she brushes her hand over her face: the faint smudge of black along her lower lash line, where the eyeliner she always wears has started to smear.

“wait,” you stop her just before she reaches the comfort of the kitchen the other yellowjackets seem to have claimed. “your eyeliner’s all smudged!”

“what?” nat frowns, her hand flying up to touch her cheekbone, wiping at her eye in an attempt to fix it. “are you serious?”

“stop,” you chuckle, reaching out to still her hand. “you’re only gonna make it worse! come on!”

“i can do it myself,” she protests, though she doesn’t pull away.

you tug her down the hallway, weaving through the crowd toward where you assume the bathroom is. even though she grumbles something under her breath about not caring how she looks, she doesn’t let go of your hand.

you close the door behind you, and nat stands just inside, her posture uncertain. 

“sit,” you order, pointing to the closed toilet seat. “i’ll take care of it.”

she blinks before sitting down, knees pressed together, her hands resting awkwardly in her lap.

nat watches you, tracing every movement you make as you open your purse and pull out the small makeup bag. “do you really carry all that around with you?” she asks, her gaze meeting yours in the reflection of your mirror.

“hey! it’s for emergency touch-ups! comes in handy now, doesn’t it?” you laugh. “i could also leave you to look like a raccoon, if you want?”

nat huffs, shaking her head. “fine, fine. just get it over with.”

you turn around and step in, your knees brushing lightly against her legs. carefully, you move your fingers, steadying the eyeliner pencil.

“don’t make it weird,” she mutters.

you lift her chin gently to get a better angle, brushing her cheek with the pads of your fingers. “i’m not, i promise,”

nat doesn’t flinch when you trace her waterline, her eyes looking up as she stays still, her breath catching just a little as you work. there’s an undeniable pull now, an electric charge that shoots up your spine every time you glance at her.

you try to focus on the task, try to steady your hands, but it’s hard to concentrate when nat is so close. your heart beats louder than the soft scratch of the pencil on her skin.

“almost done,” you murmur.

when you finish, you lower the pencil and meet her touched-up eyes. they're wide as they turn to meet yours, her lips slightly parted. you don’t step back like you probably should. you don’t even remove your hands from her cheeks, where they still sit firmly.

there’s only the two of you and that undeniable pull. you’ve tried pushing it away, you’ve tried ignoring it. you’re tired of pretending like it’s not there.

you inhale deeply, your fingers tightening on her face and nat’s eyes fall to your lips. this time, it’s not a stolen glance either. it’s there, right in front of you, with neither of you bothering to hide it.

you’re about to close the space between you, when the door suddenly bursts open with a loud bang.

“guys!” van’s voice bursts through, full of energy and excitement. “you’re not gonna believe this, but-“ she stops mid-sentence when she sees you two, the scene frozen in place. for a beat, all three of you stand there, the room suddenly feeling much too small. van blinks a couple of times, clearly processing the intimate scene she’s interrupted, then grins from ear to ear.

“randy lost a bet and is jumping in the pool fully clothed!“ she announces. “but i guess you guys are…busy in there. i’ll leave you to it”

she’s already turning on her heel again, clearly not wanting to miss out on it. “remember to use protection kids!” she calls as she rushes down the hall. “don’t want any surprise bets on the way!”

you pull away just slightly, your heart still thudding loudly in your chest.

“uh, yeah,” nat says, clearing her throat, the moment slipping away from you. “we’ll be out in a minute!”

the second the door clicks shut, you and nat both exhale, as if you’d been holding your breath this entire time.

“i-“ nat starts but, for once, she doesn’t seem to know what to say.

“uh- i guess we should-“ you gesture over to where van had gone.

“yeah. yeah, definitely.”

you both stand in silence for another moment. for one last second, you think she might reach for you again. but she doesn’t. instead, nat takes a step back toward the door.

“wouldn’t want to miss out on that,” she says with a slight, uncertain grin, trying to shake off the awkwardness.

randy, true to his words, does make the fully-dressed dive into lottie’s pool, which earns him laughter and applause from the spectators surrounding the scene. the water splashes high as he emerges, dripping wet and grinning like a madman.

you don't catch half of it, too preoccupied with watching nat from across the yard, laughing with the rest of her teammates. you should have kissed that smiling mouth when you had the chance.

by the time the party begins to wind down hours later, only a few yellowjackets remain. the energy in the living room is mellowed but still full of warmth. van and taissa are the last women standing, still swaying to the beat of some toto song that's playing from the stereo. on the couch, shauna and jackie are curled up together, their heads close, their low murmurs barely audible over the fading music.

you stand near nat, a comfortable silence between you two as you observe the scene.

“guess it’s time to go,” nat says quietly, fiddling with the carabiner on her jeans as she searches for her keys. “lottie!” she calls, catching her attention from where she's chatting with laura lee -the only one of the group who’s still completely sober.

nat untangles the keys and holds them up. “i’ll leave the car here for the night, alright? just move it if it’s in the way!” she explains, setting them down on the table.

“you two heading out?”

“yeah, just walking home,” you tell lottie, nudging nat with your elbow.

“alright,” she hums, waving goodbye. “good night,”

“night!” you both call out to the group before turning to leave.

the cool night air is refreshing after hours in the suffocating warmth of lottie’s place and the streets seem quieter, the house fading in the distance as you walk side by side.

her hand brushes against yours every now and then, but neither of you makes a move just yet. the streetlights flicker above, casting soft golden light on the pavement ahead. you don’t speak right away, both of you settling into a comfortable silence as you walk.

the distance to your house is surprisingly short, but every step feels like it lasts a little longer than it should, like neither of you is ready for the night to end. it’s strange how just walking with nat feels like it could stretch into infinity, and you’d be content with that.

when you do reach the front porch, you stop, hand resting on the railing. nat lingers at the bottom of the stairs behind you, her own hands shoved in her pockets, not in any hurry to leave. you turn to face her, your pulse quickening in the stillness of the night.

finally, you find your voice: “thanks for tonight, nat,” you say. “i…i had a great time!”

for a beat you stand there, frozen in place, wondering if there’s more you’re supposed to say. your eyes meet hers again. you could say goodbye. you could walk inside, end the night, and pretend like there’s nothing more to it. but the moment feels too big, too full of things unsaid for you to walk away from it.

you turn fully to face her, your heart racing just a little. before you can second-guess yourself, you stumble down the stairs and grab the collar of her jacket. nat doesn’t have time to react, her eyes widening just as you pull her toward you, and in one swift motion, you press your lips to hers like you’ve been dying to all night.

everything pauses. the kiss is unexpected, quick, and electric. a mix of everything unspoken between you two. all the tension that’s built up over the weeks, all the doubts and fears, dissolve in that single, raw moment. nat’s body goes still, as if neither of you can quite process what’s happening.

then, almost as if waking up, she finally responds, her hands gently cupping your face. her lips move against yours with a softness that you hadn’t expected from nat: she’s slow at first, cautious as if she’s waiting for you to change your mind. but you pull her in closer, deepening the kiss without thinking.

the moment shatters only when you hear the faint sound of a car driving by down the street. you both jump apart then, but not far enough to break the connection. breath comes a little quicker now as you stand there on the porch, eyes locked, saying nothing.

the car drives by, leaving you invisible in the shadows of your house.

a beat.

you don't even register jumping back into motion, but suddenly, you're both stumbling back toward the door, lips locked again, hands moving instinctively, pulling each other closer. your heart beats faster with every step, every touch. you can't get enough of her.

you reach the lock, fingers fumbling with the key for a moment before it finally turns, letting you slip inside. the door closes quietly behind you, carefully pulled to avoid a sound. inside, it is quiet and dark, the house hiding you as you stand there, just breathing. nat’s forehead rests against yours, both of you too lost in the moment to speak, but the tension is still there, palpable.

nat breaks the silence first, her voice low, barely a whisper. "are we...doing this?"

you smile, your thumb brushing across her jaw as you pull her back into another kiss, slow and deliberate, like you're both savoring every second of it. you don't pull away at all this time. instead, you guide her to your room, the distance from the door to your bed feeling like miles.

you stumble against furniture and walls on the way there, giggling into each other’s mouths as you try to find your way.

when you finally make it to your room, you're both panting heavily, your hands still holding onto each other as if afraid one of you will slip away if you let go.

all the past weeks have come down to this.

nat leans down to kiss you again, even slower this time, her hands coming to rest on your waist, her fingers warm through the fabric of your clothes. you press yourself against her, and the kiss deepens, more urgent now, as though you both can't help yourselves anymore.

“we have-“ you murmur against her lips between kisses. “-to be quiet!”

nat smiles softly, nodding, her mouth brushing against your ear as she murmurs, "i think we can manage,”

you grin in relief. carefully, you make your way to the bed. the only sound is the soft rustle of clothes being discarded, and then the warmth of her hands against your skin, sending shivers down your spine.

“i’ve never-“ you begin as you toss nat’s leather jacket over your chair. your teeth dig into your lower lip nervously, both because you’re admitting this to her and because you know what’s still to come.

“hey,” nat nudges your chin so you’re looking back up at her. her hands reach for your cheeks, the cold metal of her rings pressing against your skin. “it’s okay. you’re okay”

you nod on a shaky exhale and nat’s smile softens, mirroring your expression.

“we don’t have to-” she starts, but you're already cutting her off.

“no!” the word comes out too eager, too rushed, and you feel your face heat. “no. i want to!”

no matter how appreciative you are of her patience and assurance, you do feel ready. you had been the minute she’d first kissed you under the porch light (perhaps even long before that), when her chapped lips started moving against yours slowly.

nat nods once, her tongue darting out to wet her lips, and your eyes fall to her mouth, helplessly transfixed. “okay” she says quietly. “okay...”

she's on you in seconds, her lips capturing yours again, her weight pressing against you until your back hits the mattress.

your arms wrap around her shoulders, pulling her impossibly closer, and she hums into your mouth, the sound vibrating against your lips. nat’s fingers skim your sides, slipping beneath the hem of your shirt, her nails dragging lightly over your skin. goosebumps rise in their wake, and you shiver involuntarily when her rings brush your bare side.

nat pulls back, her lips grazing yours as she grins. “cold?”

“a little,” you admit, breathlessly.

nat's teasing smirk only grows as she sits back on her knees, perched over your legs. her hand rests flat against your lower abdomen, just above where your shirt has ridden up, while the other ghosts over your ribs.

you reach for the one pressing against you, your thumbs circling her wrist to pull it in. you hold her hand up between you, examining the metal bands on each finger for a brief moment before leaning forward. one by one, you kiss the tips of her fingers, your lips hovering over the cool metal as you move lower.

above you, nat sucks in a sharp breath.

you glance up, and her wide, surprised eyes meet yours.

your finger brushes over her knuckles as you tug one ring free, then another. nat’s gaze follows every movement, and when you press another gentle kiss to her now-bare fingers, a tremor runs through her. you set the rings down on your bedside table and turn back up to look at nat.

the tension between you hums like a live wire, but it's not overwhelming. it's something else entirely, something that feels right.

nat swallows hard, her lips twitching upward. “better?” she asks.

“yeah,” you rasp. “way better.”

you sit up to meet her halfway this time, giving her room to peel your shirt off and toss it aside. it lands on the floor by the side of your bed softly, leaving you in a plain black bra. still, her eyes rake over your chest both hungrily and with an adoration that’s softer than anything you’ve ever seen playing out on nat’s features.

“you’re so-“ she says, her fingers twitching like she’s resisting the urge to reach out. once again, you take nat’s hand in yours and guide it to cup your breast. you both exhale simultaneously, adjusting to the new sensation. she must feel your hardened nipples through the fabric, judging by the way her gaze drops and she bites her lip.

experimentally, nat’s thumb flicks the pebbled nipple, instantly drawing a shuddered moan from you.

“nat, off,” you manage, head lulling back already.

thankfully, she complies: nat reaches around your back and smoothly unhooks the clasps. while holding the eye contact, she pulls the fabric off, exposing your bare chest to the chilly night air. she discards it carefully, letting it join the growing pile of clothes on the floor.

“you too!” you urge, fingers impatiently reaching for nat’s tank top. she smiles but helps you get it off and throws it aside, revealing the red bra she’s wearing underneath. the sight takes your breath away, and you’re stunned into silence. unlike nat, you can’t help yourself but blatantly stare.

“you’re so pretty,” you finally whisper, leaning in to kiss the swell of her breasts that spill from the bra.

nat’s now bare fingers tangle in your hair as she guides you, letting you have this. you mouth at the fabric eagerly, yet before you can pull it down, nat pushes you back into the sheets.

you don’t feel exposed like you thought you would in this position, even though you evidently are: with your hair sprawled out around your head on the pillows, your nipples hard and on full display, and your chest heaving rapidly. you can feel the wet patch in your underwear.

nat leans over you and begins kissing down the expanse of your upper body. her mouth trails down the valley between your breasts, leaving the faintest marks in the places where she sucks on your skin just a little harder.

“so pretty,” nat mumbles absentmindedly, her calloused fingertips roaming your sides. they fall to your pants next. with both eyes closed and your head thrown back into the plushy pillows, you nod.

“please,” you whisper into the space between you. a space that’s yours and nat’s only. “please!”

“i got you, cheerleader,” nat says teasingly. you blink an eye open to see her staring down at you. her hands spring into action, skilled fingers unbuttoning your jeans before unzipping them and peeling them off your legs. you kick them down the edge of the bed, leaving you completely bare except for the thin, soaked fabric of your underwear. nat must see the stain on the fabric from where she’s sitting between your knees.

her palms press flat against your legs, brushing up their length until they land on the flesh of your inner thighs and nudge them apart. if she hadn’t seen your arousal before, the pleased smile on her face when her eyes land on your crotch speaks volumes.

“holy shit,” she mutters, her voice husky and low.

you want her, you realize, more than you’ve ever wanted anything else before. you want her fingers, her mouth, whatever nat is willing to give you. you tremble with the force of allowing yourself to feel this kind of want, to let it take over you without any attempts or reasons to oppress it.

“nat,”

her eyes flick up and her fingers instinctively reach for the waistline of your panties, a silent question hanging between you.

“yes!” you nod. “yes please!”

instead of taking them off right away like you had expected, nat begins kissing up your inner thighs, occasionally letting her tongue dart out to lick over your skin.

“can i…?” she husks when her nose practically nudges the crotch of your underwear.

too impatient to deprive yourself of it any longer, you hook your fingers into the hemline yourself and push them down past your knees.

nat smiles up at you softly before she lets her eyes drop to your naked form. you can feel all the places where your wetness is sticking to your thighs, the air making you hyper-aware of all the wet spots.

“god,” she groans, her fingers running through her bleach blonde hair. “look at you…” she brings her other hand up to gently spread you open and take in the sight of your body bare before her.

you spread your legs a little wider for her, gasping when nat’s thumb brushes your clit for the first time. your soft moan makes her crawl up your body, her lips meeting yours in a searing kiss to hush you, her fingers gliding through your arousal.

“nat,” you moan against her mouth. “nat, inside.”

thankfully, nat understands. your body tenses when she slides them into you with a soft moan of her own, then immediately relaxes when she smiles against your lips. you feel yourself fluttering around her as you take nat in greedily.

“good?” she breathes, motionless until you nod erratically. that’s when she begins to move.

immediately, she’s drawing obscenely wet noises from between your thighs that echo from the walls around you. you gasp at one particular good thrust against your walls, her fingers curling against a spot that causes your eyes to roll back in your head.

you moan as your head falls back against the pillows and your mouth hangs open against nat’s. you cling to her body breathlessly, reaching around her back as her fingers work themselves deeper into you.

“mhm, i know,” nat gently whispers, “i know, that’s it, i got you,”

all her praise goes straight to your cunt, sending another wave of pleasure surging through your body. your hand finds hers through the haze and you lace your fingers together. you need to feel her, need to know that she’s still there.

“you take my fingers so well,” she praises, each word accompanied by another thrust. you nod once again, her voice sending you spiraling and gushing more arousal all over her fingers.

“i’m gonna put my mouth on you now, is that okay?” she asks.

“yeah!” you instantly assure, eyes turning to the ceiling above, mentally bracing yourself for the sensation of her lips and tongue on your pussy. “yeah, please!”

she doesn’t kiss your body as thoroughly this time for the sake of reaching her destination faster: only brushes her lips over your stomach briefly before getting comfortable between your spread legs.

your hands curl up in her hair tightly in anticipation and nat hums in response before her mouth closes around your clit and sucks. nothing could’ve ever prepared you for the actual feeling of nat scatorccio's mouth.

you can see her eyes through her sweaty bangs, catch the way they roll back in head at the first taste of you.

“oh, nat!” you moan, louder than you should, but neither of you cares. you arch your back off the soft sheets, grinding yourself against nat’s broad tongue until you feel your stomach coiling and tightening in pleasure. there’s an unrelenting tension building up there, one that’s just waiting to snap. she lets you chase your orgasm, allows you to move however you please.

“are you close?” nat murmurs against you, her fingers sliding back into your cunt so suddenly you shudder. it seems harder for her to thrust into you now, with your walls tightening around the digits.

“i think so” you manage breathlessly.

nat, spurred out by this, doubles her efforts and dives right back in, flicking your clit with her tongue and curling her fingers against your g-spot. it’s so much. it’s not nearly enough. it’s perfect.

nat sends you over the edge in mere seconds.

“that’s it,” you hear her praising.

with a cry of nat's name, you cum against the feeling of her mouth and fingers. you can still sense her voice talking you through it, but it feels distant with the pleasure rushing through your veins.

her hand squeezes yours through the orgasm, grounding you as you tremble with pleasure. not once does she take her eyes off you as you ride out the waves of your height.

only when your body stops shaking, nat pulls out, clearly not wanting to push you to a point of overstimulation. someday, you think to yourself, you might ask her to. but not tonight. tonight you want to enjoy the new experience with her and the tenderness of nat’s touch.

the next time you open your heavy lidded eyes, nat is lingering above you. she’s watching you recover through wide, curious eyes.

“hi,” she whispers when she notices.

“hi,” you chuckle, still breathless.

“was that…” nat trails off, biting her lips. “okay?”

instead of a verbal response, you cup her cheeks and crane your neck to gently kiss her lips. you can taste yourself on them and have to fight back the urge to lick your arousal from nat’s mouth.

“more than okay,” you whisper then.

you’re spinning her around before you know it, kissing nat with newfound determination as you press her into the mattress.

there’s a long night ahead of you.

the room is dim now, the only light coming from the soft glow of the streetlight outside. nat is perched on the windowsill, the cool night air blowing in through the open window. she exhales smoke, the grey tendrils curling lazily in the air before disappearing into the darkness, and you watch her.

“can i ask you something?” nat’s voice is soft, her eyes lingering on the street outside.

you nod, drawing your legs closer to your chest you as you sit beside her. “of course,”

she turns to you, a hint of vulnerability in her eyes. “what does this…what does it all mean for us? i mean, after everything with your ex, i want to be sure, you know? i don’t want you to feel like you have to rush into anything or that i’m, like, pressuring you,”

you can tell nat is trying to be careful for your sake, but it’s obvious her mind is already on what’s next. you want to reassure her, to let her know this is what you want, something that feels right in a way nothing ever did with your ex.

“nat,” you begin “it’s okay. i do want this. i want you. i’m not going anywhere!”

she blinks at you, her gaze softening as the words settle between you two. she takes a slow drag from her cigarette, letting the smoke drift out of her mouth with a sigh. then, she sets it aside on the sill, her fingers tracing a light path along the window frame.

“i just want to make sure I’m doing this right,” she murmurs. “i mean, i kinda jumped into it with you. and, look, i’ve never really been one for...all of this, you know? i want to take my time with you. show you that i want this!”

your eyes widen just slightly, a smile tugging at your lips. “you want to take your time with me?”

nat looks away for a second, clearly flustered. “i know, i know. it sounds fucking ridiculous, but…yeah. i do. i’ve never really done this right with anyone before, and i want us to take this slow!” she glances back at you. “not because i don’t want you! god, i do! it's cause i really do want to…swoon you properly”

you laugh, a light sound, your heart swelling with affection. “you’re really something, you know that?”

“a hopeless romantic,” she jokes, but you can tell there’s none of her usual sarcasm behind it.

you pull nat a little closer, your fingers brushing against her hand. “i’d love that,” you whisper, meeting her eyes. “i’d love for you to…” you grin, making a vague gesture. “swoon me”

before she can say anything else, you kiss her. it’s slow, sweet, the kind of kiss that feels like it could go on forever if you wanted it to. eventually, you do have to pull away to catch your breath.

“i’m not going anywhere either,” you assure. “take all the time you need, nat. i’m right here!”

she grins, a little sheepish but undeniably happy, and leans in to kiss you again, this time with more certainty, more trust.

“deal,” she murmurs. “but, for the record, i do want to be your girlfriend. if that’s…something you want, too?”

just when you thought this evening couldn’t get any better...

“yeah” you confirm, smiling so widely your cheeks ache from it. “that is something i want,”

weeks later…

the air is warm, bordering on too hot, a hint of summer heat creeping into the car despite the ac as the engine hums quietly. the smell of fresh grass and the distant sound of chatter from the graduation ceremony echo outside, but inside, it’s just the two of you.

you and nat are in the backseat, both of you in your graduation gowns, caps discarded carelessly on the passenger seat. the gowns, those stiff, awkward, and uncomfortable outfits, are crumpled around your bodies as you make out.

your girlfriend’s lips are warm against your own, her hand tangled in your hair as she urges you against herself. her laughter vibrates against your mouth, and you break the kiss just enough to look at her, eyes practically sparkling with mischief.

“we’re going to be late,” nat murmurs between soft kisses down your neck, her voice teasing. “they’ll be looking for us, and then we’ll be arrested for public indecency!”

you laugh, a soft, breathless noise that blends with the hum of the engine, and shake your head. “who cares?” you press your lips against hers again. “i’d rather be here with you!”

nat grins, a little breathless herself now. “yeah, me too.” she leans in again, but pulls back just as quickly, glancing at the clock on the dashboard. “we’re literally getting our diplomas in, like, 10 minutes. and we’re in the back of my car, making out. that doesn’t exactly scream ‘responsible graduates,’ does it?”

you both burst into laughter, the sound of it filling the space of her car. “let’s just skip the ceremony and do this all day,” you tease, your fingers brushing over her gown, feeling the fabric slide beneath your touch.

nat laughs again, pulling away to look at you with that same fond, playful expression she always has when she’s teasing you. “we could,” she says, “but i think the others might kill us!”

you chuckle, then glance out the window briefly. the ceremony is happening just outside the school, with enough room for all your classmates to gather for one final moment together.

you know this is it: this is a chapter closing. but for now, it doesn’t matter. all that matters is this moment. with nat and the heat of summer beginning to settle in around you.

her fingers brush your cheek, pulling your focus back to her. “we should really get out there,” she says, though there’s no real urgency in her tone. it’s clear that she wants to stay here with you just as much as you do too.

“i know,” you reply softly. then, after a pause, you add: “in a second!”

“in a second,” nat parrots, her voice full of affection. “just a few more minutes…then we can go face the world together, as graduates, yeah?”

you nod, your heart racing as her tongue briefly slips past your lips, deepening the kiss. her hand cups your cheek and her thumb brushes your skin, the free one creeping up beneath your gown, pushing your bra up and…

suddenly, there’s a loud knock on the window.

you both freeze, breaking apart so fast that nat accidentally bumps her head against the roof of the car. “shit!” she mutters, rubbing the back of her head as you whip your gaze toward the window.

outside, van is standing with a huge grin, tapping the glass with her knuckles. the rest of the team is waiting right behind her, all of them smirking knowingly.

“hey, lovebirds!” she calls, loud enough to make sure you both hear through the glass. she leans down so her face is level with the window, cupping her hands to block out the glare of the sun. “you two realize we can see you, right?” she says. “pretty sure the rest of the parking lot can too!”

nat groans, dragging a hand over her face while you stifle a laugh. she opens the door and climbs out, glaring half-heartedly at van. “ever heard of knocking quietly?” she grumbles.

“oh, i did,” van replies, her grin widening. “you just didn’t notice. wonder why…”

nat flips her off, more playful than anything. “you’re so annoying!”

“yeah, yeah.” van waves her off, completely unbothered. “let’s go, casanova!”

you climb out after nat, smoothing your gown and trying not to blush too hard under the knowing smirks of the yellowjackets gathered around.

jackie and shauna have their arms looped casually around each other as they exchange a look. “about time,” jackie says. “thought we’d have to drag you two out ourselves!”

nat snorts. “i don’t think either of you could’ve managed that!”

“don’t tempt us,” shauna fires back with a grin. “we’ve wrestled worse!”

“anyway,” taissa cuts in, grinning as she straightens the yellow sash draped over her blue gown. “can we get moving before we miss the ceremony?”

nat mutters something under her breath as she adjusts her own gown. you glance down, realizing the fabric is slightly askew where it had bunched up in the car.

“here, let me-” you step in closer, smoothing out the material over her shoulder and down her arm. your hands linger a second longer than necessary, and when you look up, nat’s gaze is soft.

van groans loudly, dragging out the sound and snapping you out of it. “oh my god, you two. we get it! you’re gross and in love! can we please go now?”

nat ignores her this time, grabbing your hand and intertwining your fingers together under the loose fabric of the gown sleeves as she tugs you toward the others.

by the time you reach the staging area, you've all settled into an easy hum of excitement. parents and relatives of your classmates chatter nearby, camera flashes going off as the graduates start lining up.

nat pulls you aside, letting the others shuffle ahead for a moment.

“everything okay?” you ask, your voice low.

she hesitates, glancing at the bustling staging area where the rest of the yellowjackets have gathered. then her eyes return to yours. “yeah, it’s just…this is it, huh?”

you tilt your head, smiling softly. “graduation?”

“no, i mean…this. us. life after this,” she says, her voice dipping quieter. “it’s all gonna change!”

your chest tightens at her words. things with you have been going well these past weeks. great even. life after graduation had been something you always purposefully avoided. you didn’t want to ruin your last weeks of this by worrying about what would come after.

now, before you can let the thought spiral, nat squeezes your hand. “not in a bad way,” she says. “i just…i want you to know, whatever happens now, wherever we end up, you’re it for me. you know that, right?”

it’s such a simple thing, the way she says it, but it hits you like the sweetest punch to the gut. you smile at her, your chest full of a warmth you can’t quite describe. “you’re it for me too, nat,”

before you can process what’s happening, the words tumble out of nat. “god, i love you!”

it’s barely above a whisper, but it’s there: raw and real and so perfectly nat. your heart skips a beat, your eyes widening as the weight of her confession sinks in.

she freezes, clearly realizing what she’s just said. “i- i mean-” she stammers, her cheeks flushing as she starts to backtrack. “you totally don’t have to say it back or anything! i just-“

“i love you too!” your voice cuts off her rambling. relief washes over her face, and she lets out a breathy laugh. “you do?” nat asks, like she’s scared she misheard.

you nod, stepping closer until the space between you is nearly nonexistent. “yeah, nat, i do”

she grins, her hands coming up to hold your face as she leans in. you kiss her back just as eagerly, forgetting for a moment that you’re supposed to be at graduation, that there’s a whole crowd of people right around the corner.

only the sound of a camera click jolts you both back to reality. you pull apart, turning to see jackie standing a few feet away with a polaroid camera in hand and a smug grin on her face.

“oh, come on!” nat groans, her hands falling from your face as jackie waves the photo in the air.

“this is going on the fridge,” she teases, holding it just out of reach.

“give it back!” you protest, laughter bubbling out of you as nat starts toward her. “come and get it!” jackie taunts, taking off toward the rest of the group.

you glance at nat, who’s already chasing after her. without thinking, you follow.

van watches the scene unfold, shaking her head with a grin. “they’re never gonna make it on time,” she says.

“totally worth it,” taissa replies, smirking as you and nat disappear into the crowd after jackie.

somewhere across the field, the cheer squad is frantically fixing their hair and makeup, their voices filled with nervous chatter. you don’t even notice. for the first time in what feels like forever, they’re the furthest thing from your mind.

the only thing you can think about is nat: her laughter, her smile, and the way her hand feels in yours as you chase after jackie.

and as you run, breathless and alive, you realize that all of this was supposed to happen. that you are exactly where you're meant to be.

— a/n: thank you all so much for reading! this was my first actual fic “series” with multiple chapters, so i hope i did a decent job covering everything 🐉 anon requested!! i appreciate your support & feedback so so much! thank you, thank you, thank you!! <3 (also the last sentence might be a chapter 1 reference…)

[yutarot]

cozy. n.jm

⋆꙳•̩̩͙❅*̩̩͙‧͙ childhood bff!jaemin, snowboarding au, fwb, sfw

synopsis. you and jaemin have been inseparable since you were children. when you and a few of your friends go on your annual mountain ski trip, the air grows tense when they find out that you and jaemin have been sleeping together. so what happens when an overnight snowstorm extends your trip, bringing a sudden change of plans and a very unlikely guest to your vacation: jaemins crush. will your friendship survive within the cold presence of snow or will it melt away once the sun rises.

wc: 6.8k

warnings. implied sex, suggestive, language, jaemin sucks, miscommunication (sorry), yn is wayy too nice in this

notes — ty to the anon who gave me this idea hehe i immeeediately thought of jaemin so i had to write it. i hope u enjoy this it was fun to write (also ended up being way longer than i expected butttt oh well)

the trip started 4 days ago. 

you always loved your winter ski trips. you loved the way the snow glistened under the sun, illuminating the sky line in a crisp peach orange. you loved the way you could become carefree, no worries of college or having to pick up extra shifts at the cafe. it was always perfect, a spirited culmination of a frosty vacation. 

like usual, you unpacked at lightning speed, occupying the room directly between jaemin and jisung and opposite chenle. as kids, you and mark used to argue over who got the room that you stay in, it being the only room in the cabin with a double bed, but after many years of relentless fighting, you always managed to beat him.

the five of you have been friends since before you could remember, constant pranks and silliness as kids soon became reliability and comfort as you grow into your late teens. but now that you all attend college together, you’re closer than ever.

admittedly, you’ve always been closer to jaemin than the rest, your childhood homes being next to each other, serving as a reason for you to play out in the street each evening after school. even as you entered high school and eventually college, you stayed close, despite jaemin’s tendencies to sleep around with girls and eventually ghost them soon after.

you would be mad at jaemin’s exploits, but you can’t exactly say that being mad at someone’s past actions is entirely justifiable, especially since his playboy behaviour has recently become less frequent.

the air in the cabin is surprisingly warm, a crisp layer of frost encasing the windows and blocking the breeze of snow as it falls upon the mountain that the cabin rests between. the sky, once blue, is now an iridescent hue of orange, reflecting off the snow on the ground and pulsing through the window and onto the wooden walls around you, making them glow. it is an utterly beautiful place, and you thank chenle’s parents for letting you stay here each winter unsupervised.

as you walk through the walkway and into the main room, you spot chenle upon the sofa, browsing the old vintage tv for any channels that don’t bore him profusely. mark and jaemin are playing a game of chess on the floor, resting themselves upon fluffy white cushions and muttering snarky comments to each other under their breaths. noticing your presence, chenle clears his throat, causing mark to look up at you, and eventually, jaemin to spin his body round in your direction.

“i’m bored.” you say, “that tv looks way too old to function and i don’t know how to play chess.” 

chenle speaks first, “well, i mean, maybe if you actually spend some time with us, you might have some fun.”

“sounds like a blast.” you say sarcastically, “i just think we should go out and do something in the snow instead of just being all cooped up in here for the third day in a row.”

“it’s too cold.” jaemin utters, “usually it’s not this bad.”

“and? just put on an extra layer.” you reply, looking to mark for help.

sighing, mark speaks up to agree with you, and with his help, you eventually manage to convince chenle and jaemin to go and wake up jisung, before layering up and grabbing your snowboards from the shed behind the cabin.

as you all walk across the mountain to the ski area, occasionally partaking in a small snowball fight on the way, you hurl yourselves onto the ski lifts.

you sit in between jaemin and mark, ignoring mark’s teasing as you struggle to get yourself seated.

once the lift begins to climb, you feel an immediate sense of calm. you’ve always enjoyed these trips, a moment of relaxation away from home, all with your favourite people. it is true that you wish you could bring your girl friends along, but they all hate the boys with a passion for multiple, various (and valid) reasons, and so, with their permission, you go without them.

lost in your own thoughts, you don’t notice as you suddenly begin to slip from the ski lift, the bar doing absolutely nothing to keep you in place.

“yn?”, you hear jaemin’s voice beside you, a weird sense of distress lining his voice as he quickly grabs a hold of your arm, attempting to lift you back onto the seat.

but it’s no use, the snowboard beneath you weighs you down and you slip from his grasp.

“mark, she’s slipping.” jaemin urges the other boy beside you.

“shit.”

they both try to bring you up, but as you get higher and higher to the top of the slope, the ground begins to find your feet, pulling you down with it.

you stumble before landing upside down into the snow, luckily not sliding anywhere, but unfortunately feeling a sudden frosty chill as piles and piles of snow seep into your clothing and down your back.

noticing your discomfort, jaemin bends down, lifting your face to his and, with a gentle smile, he brushes your snow-covered hair from your face.

“it’s… everywhere.” you shiver.

“everywhere?” jaemin asks.

you roll your eyes. “not the time for jokes.”

it takes you a while to notice mark standing behind jaemin, but when you do, you tell them both to continue on without you and that you’ll find your own way back to the cabin to change your clothes.

nodding after making sure that you’re okay, mark leaves to snowboard down the slope, leaving you and jaemin as you sit, still shaking, covered in ice and snow.

“i’m gonna-“ you say, getting up.

jaemin interrupts. “let me help you.”

“i don’t need help.” you reply.

there is a moment of silence before jaemin speaks again, as if he is choosing his words carefully.

“i know a better way to warm you up.”

your face lines in an expression of shock.

“we promised we wouldn’t do it here.” you say, “what if one of the others see something?”

“they won’t.” he smiles at you before pointing in the direction of the others, all enjoying themselves drifting down the snow, swerving in all kinds of directions.

it doesn’t take much for you to give in. so when you get back to the cabin, eventually changing into some fresh clothes that will eventually be pointless, jaemin turns out to be right.

he does know a way to warm you up.

his request didn’t surprise you, and you’re unsure if the others finding out that you and jaemin have been secretly hooking up for the past year is an all too bad thing. but at the thought of them having a little bit too much fun potentially teasing you both, you decided to keep it on the down-low.

it was never supposed to happen; you and jaemin are best friends. but after jaemin’s vow to stop playing with girls’ hearts and your fresh break up with your ex, you both decided that the logical thing to do is to use each other when you need it. it was simple.

over the past year, you have established 3 main rules for your ‘friends with benefits’ situation. number 1: you and jaemin can both sleep with other people if you so wish, number 2: no feelings are involved, if one person begins to feel anything for the other, then you must break it off. (this one isn’t and never will be a problem for you two, but you need to add it there anyway; you’ve heard the stories about jaemin the ‘serial heartbreaker’, and you definitely don’t want to be a victim of that) and number 3: no sleeping together during the winter ski trip. right now, you are breaking a rule, and neither you, nor jaemin, seem to care. it does scare you a little, however, considering how easily jaemin was willing to break it, and it has you wondering how strong the other rules even are.

after cleaning yourself up, you make your way to the kitchen to make yourself and jaemin a hot chocolate, sprinkling far too much powdered chocolate on the whipped cream and having to clear up all your mess soon after. jaemin follows you into the kitchen, pulling his shirt back over his head.

“can i ask you something?” jaemin says, reaching his arm past you to scoop his finger into the whipped cream and swiping it onto your nose. you push him away, watching as he giggles at you frantically wiping the cream off your nose in annoyance.

“sure.” you reply, and he leans on the counter beside you.

“when was the last time you slept with someone else?”

if you say the question doesn’t surprise you, you’d be lying. jaemin knows you can sleep with other people, it’s part of your rules. so why do you feel as though you’re in trouble?

“last saturday. that party on joomi’s street. eric sohn.”

jaemin’s face is unreadable. you continue, “if you’re worried you have competition, i wouldn’t worry. it was just one night.” you laugh.

“oh, i’m not worried.” he replies, “especially after the way you were saying my name back in there.”

his head tilts to the side to point in the direction of your room and you look over on instinct, memories of the past 30 minutes flashing in your mind and causing you to forget what you were even about to say.

but when you look over to the doorway, something else catches your attention.

or someone else.

standing at the front door, snowboard in hand and ski mask pulled down to his chin, stands a mortified, and astonished mark lee.

you freeze up, and no longer from the cold chill of snow.

he has heard everything.

you’re completely fucked.

❆ ❆ ❆

pacing around the kitchen and watching as mark looks between you both, you begin to attempt to redeem yourself.

“look, mark, that wasn’t what it sounded like, me and jaemin would never.”

mark looks at you, skeptical, before turning his attention to jaemin, who stands in the back corner of the kitchen, leaning against a wall with his arms crossed as if none of this is bothering him.

mark looks back at you. “yoooo, i mean, i guess i always knew there was something off about you guys.”

you rush towards him, clutching his shoulders. “i promise you, mark, it’s not like that-”

“we’re fucking.” jaemin finally speaks, and yours and mark’s heads both whip towards him in shock. jaemin shrugs, as if it isn’t a big deal.

“jaemin.” you say sternly, “what are you doin-”

“what? he caught us, there’s no point in denying it.”

“this is unbelievable.” mark chuckles, “i gotta go tell the others.”

“no you don’t.” you say, grabbing a hold of his arm.

he rolls his eyes. “alright, but at least give me details, man. how long? when did it start? why?”

you look to jaemin, not wanting to answer for yourself.

“about a year,” he says, “and why not?”

“why not?!” mark exclaims in disbelief, “i don’t know, maybe the fact that you’re best friends? what if you end up catching-”

“not gonna happen.” says jaemin, “we dont see eachother like that, never will.”

mark only continues to laugh, “this is nuts. you guys haven’t been doing it all weekend, have you? i don’t think i wanna hear it if you guys end up getting busy while we’re all meant to be asleep.”

“nope,” you reply. “this is the first and only time we’ve done it here. we sort of made it a rule so that this wouldn’t happen.”

before you can finish your conversation, chenle walks through the door. “so what wouldn’t happen?” he says, scanning his eyes between yours and jaemin’s lack of outdoor wear compared to mark’s.

“nothing.” you reply.

“nothing?” he asks, studying mark and jaemin’s expressions.

there is a second where no one speaks, but that seems to be enough for chenle, because the next thing he says is: “you guys fucked, didn’t you?”

mark can’t keep in his smile as he tries not to laugh and give it away, but jaemin’s stern expression speaks volumes.

chenle shrugs before taking off his coat and making his way to the fridge, “ehh, was sort of obvious anyways.”

“what?” you exclaim, “how?”

his eyebrow raises as he takes a bite of the donut he had taken out its packet, “jaemin swearing off girls the same time as you breaking up with your ex, you constantly ditching our movie nights to ‘hang out with your cat,’ and jaemin suddenly changing from being an insufferable prick to actually being half nice.” jaemin lets out a laugh at the last comment. “i have more if you want me to continu-“

 “thats okay, no thank you,” you speak up, “first of all, jaemin is still an insufferable prick.”

“thanks.” jaemin butts in.

“no problem.” you turn your head to him quickly before you continue, causing the others to laugh. “and secondly, i do actually go to hang out with my cat. i love her.” you say, offended.

“whatever.” chenle replies, a judging expression on his face.

they both took the news a lot better than you thought, so you decide to let them tell jisung, who is undoubtedly the most surprised at the revelation. but jaemin’s silence throughout the whole conversation annoys you. you don’t understand why he was being so quiet about it. but when you hear mark and jaemin whispering amongst themselves while you were meant to be in the shower, your confusion peaked.

“this isn’t like you, man.” it sounded like mark’s voice.

“i know.” jaemin replied.

that’s all you heard.

for the rest of the night, you all wrap yourselves in blankets on the sofa to watch some movie that jisung wanted to watch, the fireplace emitting a radial heat and deep hue of ember, softening you into a state of tiredness, drifting off as your head rests on the hard sofa next to you.

it’s only after you wake up that you realize it is certainly not the sofa that you were lying against, but instead, jaemin’s shoulder.

you hear the melodic birdsong as it fills the air outside, the white of snow lighting up the room. or is it chenle’s hideous singing in the shower that you hear? it’s hard to tell.

breaking yourself from jaemins sleeping grasp, you get up to look out the window. you’re meant to go home today, this is supposed to be your final morning of the trip.

but as you peek your vision out the window, around 3 feet of snow covers the floor all around the cabin, the four wheels of marks camper van not even visible.

“uhm, guys..” you call out, grabbing the attention of a freshly showered chenle, a mid breakfast-making mark, a book occupied jisung and a half asleep jaemin. they all stop their various activities at the urgency in your voice, coming over to you and looking out the window for themselves.

it takes each of them about 5 minutes to process what this means; your trip is going to be extended. you are trapped.

and you may be trapped but yours and jaemins secret is very much free.

it finally hits 3pm and you realise that you have all spent the entire day enveloped in boredom, watching as the snow falls and continues to form on the ground. there is no way all this snow will clear in just a few days.

you are lucky that chenle had brought nearly double the amount of food that you needed originally, meaning all you had to do now was to sit and wait it out. 

lounging on the sofa, you listen to the smooth rhythm of chenles jazz vinyl playing on loop across the room. you’re bored, and you can’t even go outside. you can tell the others are bored too, that same expression of ‘i just want to go home now.’ plastered on all of their faces. 

but their expressions quickly flip when a knock rattles from the front door.

you all look at each other in question before collectively jumping up in sync, running at inhuman speeds to the door. you were about to be saved, removed from the shackles of dullness and provided passage back home. 

being the first to get to the door, you grab a hold of the handle, struggling in attempts to only slightly crack it open to keep the snow outside.

but when you open the door and poke your head through the crack, you’re met with a very familiar face.

hayun. also known as, jaemins long-time ‘secret’ infatuation: his crush. 

your mind shatters in disbelief as you pull the door fully open to let the other guys see who it is, no longer caring about the snow as it comes piling in.

all because the look on jaemins face is priceless.

the others all look to him to see what he’s going to say, and unsurprisingly, all he has to say is ‘hi.’ you wouldn’t expect more from him, he’s never spoken a word that exceeds a greeting to her before.

following jaemins poor attempt at an introduction, you take over.

“what are you doing here? are you okay?” you ask, genuine concern for the girl lining your voice. 

“well, i was here on a ski trip with my friends but, they all abandoned me.”

“what?” you ask. 

“and i remembered seeing a few of your guys’ instagram posts saying you were here so… i thought i’d knock.”

“wow.” mark says, “your friends suck.”

“i know. so, any chance i can stay here? i would go home but the weather isn’t exactly drivable.”

you turn to the rest of your group, concluding the pity in their faces before turning back to hayun. “of course! we don’t have a spare room and the sofa gets cold at night but i have a double bed if you don’t mind sharing.”

“thank you so much!” she grins before stepping inside and pulling you in for a hug. you cringe as you come into contact with the cold casing of her coat, the ice cool against your skin as you try not to push her off of you. 

in all honesty, you feel bad for her and you know that jaemin is about to get relentlessly bullied by the rest of the group. this was about to make your extended trip a whole lot more interesting.

it hasn’t been a long time since he developed a crush on hayun, spotting her across the other side of his lecture hall. he always gives you some excuse as to why he’s somehow never gotten a chance to speak to her, so you presume that he’s happy that he finally has. either that or completely terrified. either way, you’re happy for him.

yes, you are. you’re happy for him.

❆ ❆ ❆

a few hours pass as you show hayun around the cabin, making space for her things in your room. letting her unpack, you make your way to the front room, finding jaemin and mark on the sofa, seemingly midway through a conversation. 

“oh, don’t let me stop you.” you say, urging them to continue their talk after they cease talking at your arrival.

mark turns back to jaemin. “i think you should go for it, dude, what harm could come out of it, huh?” he says.

you’re curious, “you’re gonna ask her out?” you say to jaemin.

he smirks, “maybe, maybe not.”

somehow, something in your heart doesn’t like the idea of jaemin asking out hayun. you’re not sure if it’s the idea of you and him ending this whole ‘friends with benefits’ situation, or the fact that you’re probably going to have to step back from being his best friend, because, let’s face it, there’s no way she would ever let you stay as close as you now are if they got together.

you slap the idea out of your head; he hasn’t even asked her out yet. 

mark notices the internal battle you have with yourself. “something wrong with that, yn?”

if jaemin wasn’t here right now, blocking you from mark by sitting in between you, you one hundred percent would have punched him at that.

jaemin looks over to you, a questioning expression on his face. 

“uh.. no…” you reply, apprehensive.

“oh come on, i saw the face you just made. you’re jealous that he’s gonna be fucking someone else, aren’t you?” mark continues.

you don’t know what to say, caught off guard by the truth in marks words and the cold presence of jaemins gaze on you. 

“im not jel- “ you begin, but jaemin interrupts you. 

“yn.” he says. it’s just your name but it holds so much meaning. “am i not allowed to have a girlfriend?”

“‘course you can.” you reply, shrugging.

mark raises his eyebrow at you and you seriously consider getting up and kicking him. 

jaemin continues, “good. it's decided then. i'm gonna ask her out.” 

mark pats him on the back, laughing, “good luck, dude.”

you smile in acknowledgement as jaemin thanks mark before chenle comes in, completely changing the subject when he starts complaining about hayun’s infiltration of his ‘well organised fridge.’ 

you zone out their conversation to reassure yourself that you truly don't care that jaemin was going to try to get close to hayun, but you can't help but feel like you're about to be replaced. you always knew it was going to happen, that one day jaemin would want to settle down with a girl. but you're just so used to his playboy personality that you just never expected it to be so soon. 

amongst the endless drill of chatter, you feel a sudden glance in your direction, and as you look up, jaemins eyes suddenly divert away from you, as if he got caught looking. you want to ask him what he wants, but the silence in his demeanour tells you that you shouldn't. it's bittersweet; the end of his situation with you, marks the start of one with hayun. its a trade in which you don't want to be part of, but you fear you have no choice – only time can decide.

the rest of the day went by quickly. maybe it was because of your new addition to the vacation or simply because chenle found a cupboard full of dusty boardgames that you decided to occupy yourselves with. naturally, it was you and mark that beat everyone else at your very long, grueling game of monopoly, but that quickly flipped to jisung when you took your turns at scrabble. 

the entire time, you and mark teased jaemin relentlessly, catching glimpses as he (unwilling) took his seat next to hayun, pushed there by chenle and jisung and ending up on her team. you could tell that he was getting annoyed at you both giggling at him, but you didn't care; it only made the entire thing so much more fun. 

by the end of the night, it was time to sleep, so you and hayun took your rightful sides of the bed. it isn't the best sleeping situation, but you’d much rather sleep beside her than have to experience mark’s sweaty feet ever again. (that experience was not one that you want to remember.)

before you can switch the light off, though, you hear hayun sit up. 

“wait, yn, before we sleep…” she says, and you look at her expectantly, “can i ask you something?”

“sure.” you reply. 

she looks down, fiddling with her fingers. “Its jaemin. is he.. single?”

as if you hadn't heard her, you take a pause, processing her question. 

“yeah.” you let a laugh slip, “why? you like him?”

at your question, she giggles and her voice makes you cringe a little. 

“yes. a lot actually, it's sort of the reason why im here..”

you furrow your brow. “what do you mean?”

she takes a deep breath. “my friends never kicked me out.. i just saw that you guys were also here and, well, i thought it'd be a chance for me to get to know him.”

it's as if your ears are deceiving you, the late night tiredness of the conversation urging you to hallucinate. but it's all real, every last word of it. 

“wait, so, you lied?.. to get us to let you stay?”

she nods, and you don't know if you should pity her or hate her guts. 

because you know what it's like to be in love; you know what it's like to like someone so much to the point where you allow yourself to do stupid things. you understand. 

but that doesnt mean that you like her for it. 

“i know you probably think i'm a horrible person.” she says.

“no.. no, not at all.” you reply, and she smiles at your words. 

“thanks yn.”

you laugh back, “so, jaemin huh?”

she looks back down at her fingers, “yeah.. embarrassing right?”

you smile, not just to her, but to yourself. 

“totally.”

❆ ❆ ❆

all night, you debate with yourself over what hayun had told you. on one hand, you can't agree with what she did: lying like that. but her crush on him means that jaemin would be happy, and as his best friend, you can't take that away from him. therefore, amongst your deep pool of thought, her confession swimming in the depths of your mind, you decide that the best thing for you to do, is to hold off telling him that she lied; not only would it ruin their chances of getting together, but therefore, jaemin would only be upset that he never got the chance.

but just because you can't tell jaemin, doesn't mean you can't tell mark. 

“i really don't know what to think about her.” you say, standing in the kitchen over three pans of eggs. mark had asked you to have the task of cooking them, resorting to focus on the rest of the group's breakfast. you know it's because he can't cook eggs to save his life, but he'll never admit that.

“honestly,” he replies, “who cares if she likes jaemin? she’s a sneaky little liar.” 

you laugh, “i don't know, mark. maybe she's just really in love with him.”

“i’m not so sure about that. how could anyone ever be in love with someone who wears a hoodie saying ‘orgasm donor’ in public.”

you roll your eyes and mark continues, “well, i guess we all know who he's donating to now..”

you slap him around the arm, causing him to cackle at your rash response. 

“anyways,’ he continues, “i wont tell jaemin about it if you don't want me to.” 

you nod, “thanks, mark. oh, and you're burning the bacon by the way.”

“oh shit.”

❆ ❆ ❆

deciding that the weather still wasnt good enough to attempt to make the journey home, you all decided to stay another day. although the day was full of indiscriminate party games and full fledged boredom, you somehow managed to make it through to nightfall. 

you’re nearly drifting off to sleep when you hear a tap at the door of your’s and hayun’s room. turning over to see hayun fast asleep, you get up to see who’s there, wondering what idiot buffoon decided to wake you up at 4 o’clock in the morning. 

by means of absolutely no surprise, it’s a disheveled jaemin, hair sticking up in about seven different directions and a crumpled tshirt that rises ever so slightly above his pyjama pants waistline, exposing skin that you do not have the energy to be fawning over. although, that’s exactly what you’re doing.

assuming that he’s here to finally break the news to hayun in some twisted, sensual late night confession, you turn your back to jaemin to call her name. in noticing what you’re about to do, jaemin reaches an arm around your waist, pulling you close enough to him that the palm of his other hand can cover your mouth. 

“will you shut up?” you don't need to see his face to know he's rolling his eyes, “this isn't exactly something i want her to see.”

oh.

he lets go of you, spinning you round to face him by your shoulders. he’s done this before: knocking on your door in the dead of night when he needs you. but you never expected him to do it here. not after your conversation with mark a few days ago, and certainly not whilst his crush was staying in your room. it all seems so bizarre. 

but you weren't going to say no. 

❆ ❆ ❆

the next morning, you realise that you had completely and utterly fucked up. 

the warmth of jaemin next to you remains, his arm slung lazily over the front of your stomach. you expect to open your eyes to jaemins ceiling back at home, but to much avail, you are very much still on vacation.

and you had four pairs of eyes staring down on you both to prove that. 

you jump out of jaemin’s hold immediately, causing him to slowly stir before mumbling something incoherent into the sheets. when he finally realises the situation you’re in, he takes the pillow beside his head, pushing it into his face. 

“you promised you wouldn't do it here, man.” mark starts. but your focus isn't on him, it's on hayun. 

and she's livid.

you turn the attention of your words to her. “im sorry. i should have told you.”

jaemin finally gets up, picking up his discarded shirt off the ground and pulling it over his head before sitting back on the end of the bed. 

hayun eyes him for any form of an apologetic sense, but he gives off nothing, and you fear this only makes her angrier.

your fear is proven correct when she suddenly snaps at you, “you knew i liked him and you still went and did this behind my back?”

at her words, the mood in the room suddenly shifts. what was an atmosphere of laughter and mischief at them catching you and jaemin together, is now suddenly a room of tension, a room that you no longer want to be in. 

but it's jaemins reaction that formulates the world's most unfortunate predicament. 

his head turns to you, a look of disappointment and what seems to be hurt, plastered on his face. “she likes me? and you hid it from me?”

you don't know what else to say, so you just tell him the truth. “yes, but it's not that simpl-”

“i don't care, yn.” he gets up, pushing past chenle to the bathroom before shutting the door behind him. 

fuck. you’ve messed up.

but one thing is nagging at you: jaemin seems to care far more about the fact that you hid the truth from him than what the truth actually entailed. you tell yourself he’s probably just embarrassed. either that or just completely and utterly in denial about it. either way, he’s acting strange; he should be happy, not angry. 

the entire day, jaemin didn’t utter a single word to you. as for hayun, she had been hidden away in your room, not speaking to a single person and avoiding any opportunity to accidentally bump into you. you did feel bad, you should have told her about it the second that she confessed her feelings for jaemin to you. but you had assumed from jaemin’s previous conversation with you, that you were calling it off, jaemin seeming pretty aware about the fact that she was now here. how were you supposed to predict him rocking up to your room at 4am?

anyhow, you spent the day with mark, discussing the ending of titanic and eating way too much chocolate to be healthy. when night came once more, you decided that it probably wasn't the best idea to go back to your room, scared about facing the wrath of the girl who resided in it. instead, after washing up in the bathroom, you make your way to the sofa in the front room. 

your actions are halted when you hear voices coming from the other side of jaemin’s door. you know you shouldn't eavesdrop on a private conversation, but you can’t help yourself. 

you register the second voice as mark as you get close enough to hear them clearer, just enough until you can hear what they're saying.

your heart hurts in your chest when you do. 

“i'm still going to ask her out, even with things the way they are.” you hear jaemin whisper. 

it's like a sudden shot to the chest. this is exactly what you feared from the very beginning, this is exactly what you trusted jaemin enough not to do. 

he’s choosing her over his best friend; he’s choosing her over you. 

trying to remain as quiet as possible, you continue your journey to the sofa, pain causing you to wince with every footstep – he's leaving you behind.

as you lie on the sofa, the chill air of the cabin surrounding you despite the presence of the fireplace, forcing you to wrap the blanket around you tighter, you struggle to bring yourself to sleep. but when you hear footsteps from the kitchen, you peek your head over the back of the sofa to see who’s there. 

at your movement, the culprit looks up from their snack-making and their eyes meet yours.

“jaemin?” you whisper, “why are you awake?”

“hungry.” he turns back, working on spreading the peanut butter onto his bagel. “what are you doing sleeping out here? it's way too cold.”

you stand up, making your way to the kitchen to stand behind him, blanket wrapped around your shoulders as you shiver from the frost. “i don’t think hayun likes me right now.” you say.

jaemin turns to face you, biting into his bagel. “i wonder why.” he says sarcastically, mouth half-full. you hate to admit it, but he looks incredibly alluring, he always does in the middle of the night. 

you hate the fact that he’s acting this way with you, dismissive and persistent, but he has every right, you hid so much from him, and you hurt him in the process. 

you’re at war with yourself, but in all honesty you know that you were in the wrong; for your friendship to work, you need to tell him everything. everything.

“actually,” you start, taking a deep breath, “there’s something you don't know.”

jaemin’s interest in the conversation suddenly spikes, looking for you to continue. 

“hayun… she.. wasn’t actually abandoned by her friends.”

“what?”

“the night she told me she liked you, she also told me that she ditched her friends because she saw that we were here. she lied about them kicking her out so that we would feel bad and let her stay, so that then she could finally get her chance to talk to you.” you pause, attempting to read jaemin’s face but failing, getting nothing from his expression. “i should have told you, but i didn't want you to get hurt. instead… i did exactly that. i'm sorry, jaemin, really.”

when you finish speaking, you notice as jaemin’s lips slightly curl into a smile before dropping back to his cold demeanor, and it makes you question whether you really saw it or if it was just your mind playing tricks on you. 

“yn..” he trails off, whatever he wants to say interrupted by your sudden panic in not wanting to embarrassing yourself.

you ramble, scared that he won't accept your apology. “but like you said to mark earlier, if you still want to ask her out, that's fin-”

“wait, what?” jaemin says, moving from his position leaning against the counter to stand upright. 

“i, um, heard you and mark talking earlier about how you were still going to ask her out despite everything..” you say. 

jaemin laughs to himself and you grow confused. “oh, yn.” he says. 

“what? what’s so funny?”

“you never did get my hints, did you.”

your heart freezes in your throat, the cold weather no longer chilling you but instead the bitter taste of jaemin’s words as they formulate in your brain. 

he continues, noticing your confusion. “it was never her that i had a crush on. it was never her that i was planning to ask out.”

you’re struggling to breath, each intake of oxygen getting caught in your chest. 

“yeah, i thought she was kinda pretty when i first saw her across my lecture a few months ago, but that was long before i fell for who i really wanted.” he smiles, inching closer to you. “and after everyone found out that i was sleeping with you, i decided that there was no longer an excuse for me to hide my feelings.” he takes a hold of your hand, looking down at it as he plays with your fingers. “i was starting to get pretty pissed that you wouldn’t pick up any of my hints, you know? you can’t even imagined how embarrassed i was to find out that it was because you were trying to play cupid for me and someone else.”

your mind is vacant, filled with the epiphany of his words as they resonate in your head, playing a tune of melancholic rhythm as it twists into an allegro.

“but… the rule.” you say. 

jaemin chuckles, “i think we stopped caring about those rules a while ago, yn. i know i did. ”

you’re no longer cold, jaemins warmth radiating against you like the blissful aura of a flame, attracting you and drawing you closer. 

it was then that you realised that you haven't said anything to equate his long speech, but words can do nothing to describe the way that you’re feeling. its as if someone had approached you with a mirror, brutally displaying each of your own hidden thoughts and projecting them back at you. because every single word that jaemin muttered, you found deep within yourself. it all clicks, perfectly and irrevocably, into place. your jealousy, your embarrassment, your stupidity. 

your love. 

instead of attempting to sum up all of your feelings into words, you do the one thing that will live up to the emotions that reside within you. taking not a single moment to prepare yourself, you lean closer to him, his eyes finding your lips. you nod, its small but the gesture means so much. it's an agreement, a sealing of mutual understanding. it's slow and it's incredibly gentle as his lips greet yours, soft in a way unlike ever before. kisses between you and jaemin were always the result of lust, of stupidity. but now, it's the result of something far greater. 

it’s love. 

❆ ❆ ❆

when the sun rises above the horizon, you leap from jaemin’s bed, him giggling at your eagerness. 

“oh my god, it's finally clear!!” you yell, waking up each of the boys with your burst of excitement. you could finally go home. 

the morning consisted of three major revelations. one: you all contacting hayun’s friends, watching as they dragged her into their car to drive her home. two: discovering that chenle had only showered once throughout the entire holiday (you all started placing bids as to who gets to not sit next to him on the journey back.) and three: witnessing the boys’ reactions to your’s and jaemins new secret. 

“i knew you’d do it, dude.” mark said, attempting to fist bump jaemin in the most cringe-worthy interaction you’ve ever seen in your life. jisung and chenle however, were completely baffled, and it took about thirty minutes of explaining for them to understand that it was you that jaemin had a crush on, and not hayun. you’re still convinced that jisung doesn't understand.

once you had all packed your things, you grabbed your suitcases, standing in the porch as chenle locked the front door for the final time. 

“im going to miss this place.” mark says, exaggerating an act of sadness as he clutches his chest. 

“im not,” chenle replies, “i’ve never been so bored in my entire fucking life.”

“it’s been fun.” you say, smiling.

jaemin’s voice comes from next to you. “eh, could have been better.” 

you turn to him in offence. 

he continues, “i'm just saying, i never got to actually snowboard.”

“are you suggesting what i think you’re suggesting…?” mark replies, looking around the group and meeting similar grins and looks of hopefulness. 

jaemin shrugs, “i dont know, am i?”

as if on cue, you all drop your suitcases in the snow, laughter and coils of happiness springing between you as you run to the shed behind the cabin for one last time. 

no other winter ski trip ever got near to living up to that one. 

not even close. 

[faerybella219]

First night at Gale's Tower

@desertharper 's request

Oh, I just read yours the other night on AO3, great job! Could I possibly get Gal and a female elven sorcerer Tav post-game the night they arrive home to his tower? NSFW/SFW, your choice. I just love post-game interactions for the good endings. :)

Fun fact: I play BG3 on Xbox and I started on my old Microsoft account. For some reason, I got logged out/ got “hacked?” and had to delete my account with 200+ hours… I was at the Netherbrain guys!!! So I haven’t finished the game yet but I also love domestic post-game fics. My Bard R! Durge, Vivienne, (who I have posted on here)  is my current run to the finish. In act 3 once again! Anyway, here ya go. It’s like half headcanon half fiction. 

It is still a shock to both of your systems that you’re actually alive. You have defeated the netherbrain against all odds- the old-fashioned way. With swords, spells, and sweat. 

First, we all know Gale’s need to impress you. I imagine him trying to plan a seamless moving day- maybe casting a protective spell over your furniture/ items while they’re being moved into his tower. I can also see him fretting about his various delicate magical artifacts, which the movers seem to disregard! Much to his surprise, might he add, since his mother had suggested this company! Although he likely skips the movers altogether and has his simulacrums move you two in. Some jobs are better done yourself. 

While his simulacrums bring in your boxes/chests of your belongings, they don’t unpack them. He respects your privacy and knows you may be particular about your things. 

I can see things happening quickly after his proposal. The day you move in may be the same day you see his tower (haha) in person for the first time- your new home. 

You can’t help but be overwhelmed by a feeling similar to deja vu. It’s surreal and sort of familiar. You’ve technically been here before. Gale brought you here through the weave while on the road, and you seem magnetically drawn to the balcony. You remember sitting on this very balcony in the weave. Waterdeep’s ocean glitters before you, and you get lost staring into the soothing waves. 

Gale puts his head on the top of yours. His hands rest on the railing on either side of you. He buries his nose in your hair and pulls you close to him from behind. It’s finally happening. It’s finally real. The peace you feel in this moment- hopeful, content, and unbelieving- it’s what makes your journey worth it. 

Turning around in his embrace, you hug him too tight and he makes a groan of strain and laughter. His classic old man noises. You could get used to those.  

Taking his face in your hands, you see joy brimming in his eyes. The way he looks at you makes your heart swell. Gale Dekarios- the wizard of intentionally limited renown is all yours for years to come.

He will likely insist unpacking can wait, it’s your first night together in your new home.

I have no doubt he will take you on a tour of the place, including special spaces he has saved for you/ your interests. You like to craft/crochet/sew? He has a craft room set up. What is his is yours. He knows you will handle his artifacts with care and if you are a sorcerer he will encourage you to bring yours and combine your collection. He has a section of his library saved for whatever literature you might want to add, and a section of what he recommends for you specifically- available for you to pick up at any time. 

Overenthusiastic is an understatement. But he tries to play it lighthearted to not overwhelm you. 

You cook dinner together in your new kitchen. You kiss in your new kitchen. He’s not a good dancer but is so overjoyed by you being here with him that he brings you close to sway. 

When it’s time for bed you notice he ordered a second nightstand for your side of the bed. In the drawer is something special and thoughtful, whether it's a chocolate you like or a book. Maybe it’s a solvent for some ailment that has been bothering you. He will remind you to put it on every night. 

I can see the night being with or without sex. I can picture him lying in bed and staring into your eyes, just treasuring your presence in his bed. There will be a thousand nights in the future for sex. Although, I can see the night needing a physical commemoration as well! It all depends on what your vibe is.

When you wake, you have tender good mornings with sleepy, rasping voices. He pulls you close, onto his chest as he praises the rest of your days together. He cooks you breakfast, and you two spend the rest of your second day unpacking your belongings and creating your shared home. 

NSFW BELOW THE CUT

Pure passion and savoring each other. The sex is emotional and slow. 

Tonight marks the rest of your lives coexisting and living together. You’re having milestone sex. This is no quickie. This is body worship, treasuring each other’s lives, and pure love and devotion. 

You kiss until your lips feel plump, your tongues tangle until you’re wet. Only when you’re squirming does he move south.

Gale uses every kiss as a landmark. He kisses your forehead, cheeks, down your neck- his hands are grasping and caressing anywhere he can reach. 

His hold on you is strong. Hands grip your waist as he devours you. He doesn’t want it to end. He teases you until you beg for release, and once you orgasm you can’t stop. He doesn’t let you get away with less than 3 before the night ends. 

When he fucks you it's languid and deep. His hard cock drags against your walls in a pull so delicious it's torture. Slow tenderness eventually turns to rapid passion as he gives in to his desires. 

You two are moaning and crying out into the night air as he pounds into you. Your grip on him is tight as your mouths and hips move in synch. 

You wake up with little marks over your chest, although you never remember him being rough. 

[downtroddendeity]

@sapphirestar98

Hoo boy. Okay.

This is going behind a cut both because this post is already so long and because I generally try not to talk too much about gacha game fandoms on Tumblr because I feel weird about providing free marketing for things with gambling mechanics that can easily destroy people's lives.

Let me see if I can explain this.

So! Despite the aforementioned attempts to mostly keep the amount I talk about it on Tumblr low, I have been into Arknights for several years now. Like, into it enough that I keep breaking down and ranting about it anyway.

The easiest way to describe Arknights is, "Grimdark science fantasy tower defense about catgirls with guns." But this is a little like describing Metal Gear Solid as "a series of stealth games where you play as a genetically-engineered supersoldier": it's a largely accurate description and necessary starting point, but it doesn't remotely prepare you for what you're about to get into, and especially how much of that experience will consist of hour-long cutscenes discussing the human cost of the socioeconomic turmoil following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Arknights is an otherworld fantasy story and the vast majority of its characters are animal-people, but most of the countries are extremely clear and up-front parallels to real ones- the Ursus Empire is Furry Russia, Siracusa is Furry Italy, Victoria is Furry England, etc. That makes it a setting that's knit together by huge amounts of real-life references, even though the original setting lore is pretty expansive all by itself, which is something they're only able to pull off because there are clearly people on the creative team in a variety of positions who do incredible amounts of research about a wide variety of topics purely out of love of the subject. We're talking deep cuts. We're talking "there is a Halloween costume skin that paraphrases the closing passage of Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian, which turned out to be a stealth spoiler for main story plot points several years later." We're talking "a whole storyline centered around 12th-century poetry." We're talking "NPC named for the author of a novel about medical ethics." We're talking heartrending multilayered Russian puns. We're talking the translators once had to swap out the names of several boss levels a few weeks after they released them because they hadn't caught that they were all titles of songs from an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical.

So, this is already a shockingly dense text, and it's intensely and openly political. And on top of all that, their favorite way to foreshadow things is through Dark-Souls-style single-line ambiguous but portentous hints. For someone like me who loves deep reading and overanalyzing for fun, this is catnip. However, for us losers who only speak English, there's a major extra complication: Arknights is made by people in China, in Chinese, and localizing it has got to be one of the most nightmarish translation tasks ever. The English server is 6 months behind the Chinese server, so there's always quite a bit of in-game material that's been released but Anglophones only have sketchy fragmentary translations of, and there are various tie-in materials that we don't know if they'll ever translate at all, notably an in-universe setting guidebook.

So, if I want to get my red string and thumbtacks conspiracy corkboard on properly, I need something like a wiki. I want to be able to check out references I might have missed and hunt for lore breadcrumbs more easily. Pretty basic wiki stuff, right? There's just one tiny little problem.

It's a mobile gacha game about anime catgirls.

And it turns out people who become admins at websites for posting data-mined combat statistics for mobile gacha games about anime catgirls are not always very smart or good at reading.

So the trivia and lore articles are frequently just... wrong. Sometimes it's tiny quibbles or missing nuance that disproportionately annoy me, but other times it's flagrant. Like, there's a character song that prominently references an extremely famous piece of classical music, the serenade from Franz Schubert's "Swan Song." Both the wiki and the not-actually-a-wiki-but-says-it-is-anyway correctly say that the character song is referencing a piece by Schubert... and then link to a completely different Schubert piece that is not referenced in the character song, because both of them are titled "Ständchen" because it. Means "serenade." And somebody made a Twitter thread about classical music references that linked the wrong video, and Gamepress plagiarized it without checking, and the wiki added it to various pages also without checking. And you can tell this immediately if you listen to the songs, but apparently no one has done that in almost 3 years even though @onwardmotley tried to fix it.

Now imagine that across a whole wiki trying to document a game with millions of words of text, which is the only public-facing source about some Chinese-language official material in English.

*sighs and resets "days since last tirade about an extremely obscure subject in a group chat because someone was wrong on the internet about a video game" counter to zero*

[luwritesstuff]

Hi! Could you possibly do something with Eddie Diaz? Maybe his Tia sets you up on a date 🙏🏽

this one was so cute and fun to write 🙊 let me know if you'd want a part 2!

Dating in the 21st Century

wc: 831

Pepa Diaz has been your mom’s client for years now. No one gave manicures like her and Pepa had ended up becoming her best friend in the process. You'd even met Pepa once or twice at the salon, and the occasional lunch your mom dragged you to.

It wasn't uncommon for your mom to try to set you up, it had become somewhat of a ritual of you gently letting guys down and reporting back to your mom on everything that had gone wrong on the date. So when she came to you to tell you about Pepa’s nephew, you couldn't hold back the sigh that escaped you.

“Mama, that's very sweet of Pepa, but I don't know if I have another blind date in me,” you called over your shoulder while you finished mopping the front of the salon. You didn't work there full time anymore, but you still helped out where you could.

Your mom tsk’ed you and pinched your side, “Don't be so pessimistic! I wouldn't tell you about him if I didn't think it was a good idea. Pepa showed me pictures, he's very pretty, mija,” she wiggled her eyebrows and managed to pull a small smile out of you, “Just one date, yeah? You can leave early if you hate it, but promise me you’ll try. His name is Eddie, you'll love him.”

You never really could say no to your mom, ultimately. You cursed her internally while doing the finishing touches to your makeup and adjusting your sundress. With any luck, you wouldn't have to go through this whole routine again anytime soon. Maybe your mom would give you a break after this one. After a final glance in the mirror, you threw your bag over your shoulder and left to meet your date at a small cafe you'd agreed on earlier in the week.

You arrived to find Eddie waiting by the entrance in a cream, long sleeved shirt and dark wash jeans. In an effort to keep an open mind like you'd promised your mom, you let yourself admire the way his shirt tightened around his biceps. So Pepa wasn't lying, he was attractive. “Hi, Eddie right?” You smiled and held a hand out to shake his.

After introducing yourself, you both ordered a latte and a pastry before finding a table on the patio to sit in the sun. Eddie was a perfect gentleman, he paid for your drink, held your chair out for you, made sure the sun wasn't in your eyes. You felt a sudden relief and let yourself relax into your seat. “Your Tia is your biggest fan, by the way. Her and my mom wouldn't let me rest until I agreed to meet the 'most amazing young man in LA’,” you teased, grinning at Eddie over the rim of your mug.

Eddie blushed easily and you filed that away for later. “She's all talk. She's just getting tired of me being single,” he laughed and leaned back in his chair, “you'd think her full time job was setting me up on dates.” You let out a dramatic groan, “You too? My mom bought me a subscription to a dating app for my birthday last year!”

This made Eddie let out a shocked laugh and you noticed the way his eyes crinkled and you were already thinking of ways to get him to laugh more. You took turns telling first date horror stories and making each other laugh. Eddie was good at that, you found. You hadn't laughed like that in ages, not in a way that wasn't forced or awkward. Eddie told you about his son, showed you pictures, and the way you took in each one made Eddie’s heart leap with possibilities. Maybe his Tia was right, maybe you'd be good for him.

“I just feel like there's so much pressure to date, you know? I have to act a certain way, say the right things, it's exhausting. I just want to be myself,” you sighed and Eddie felt more secure than he had in years. He agreed wholeheartedly and you felt comfort in knowing that you were with someone who wasn't interested in putting on an act or playing some stupid game.

After another few hours and more shared pastries, Eddie walked you to your car. For the first time in what felt like forever, you didn't feel the need to come up with some lame excuse and you found yourself wishing the day was longer. You didn't have to ask if Eddie felt the same way, he pressed a careful kiss to your cheek and squeezed your hands in both of his own. “Can I see you again?” he whispered and you nodded, returning the kiss to his cheek, “Please.”

Your mom and Pepa spent their next appointment gossiping over your date, and the two dates after. And they were totally not smug about it, only saying ‘I told you so’ a reasonable four times.

[atleastpleasetelephone]

Gentle on my mind - Chapter 13

Initially set in 1967 when Elvis is filming Clambake. Feeling miserable and trapped after the Colonel banishes Larry and the spiritual texts, Elvis invites Gloria to keep him company through the last five days of filming. Gloria is an aspiring movie editor and more importantly she's a lot of fun. Will she be what Elvis needs to get him out of the depressive funk he's in?

Catch up with the other parts here.

Many thanks to @sissylittlefeather being my beta reader on this one.

A/N: We're still in 1975...

Pairing: Elvis x OC - Gloria, a budding film editor.

Word count: 2.4K

TWs: Very little. Angst, fluff.

Gloria is nervous about her kids meeting Elvis for the first time, but, as she sits on the bed watching him get changed into his fourth outfit option, she realises not as nervous as he is. She smiles at him in his version of casual wear - a navy shirt and pants, with one of his stage jackets over the top and a large gold belt. 

“Whaddya think?” He turns towards her, fiddling with the bracelet he just put on. 

She steps forward, putting her arms around his neck and looking up into his face. “Gorgeous. Don’t know how I’m going to keep my hands off you.”

The slightly unsure expression that had been on his face when he’d first turned towards her from staring at his reflection in the long mirror on the wall turns into a sunshine smile. He gives her a quick kiss and then they both realise the time, again, and head downstairs. 

The kids are shy when they first arrive, Elvis is big and sparkly and intimidating. But it takes no time at all for him to be on the floor, play-wrestling them both at once, and the shyness melts away completely. Gloria and Patricia chat for a while as they watch him interacting with Corey and Jackie, exchanging smiles with one another at how much of a natural he is with them. As if he’s known them forever. 

Elvis has taken his jacket off, and is sat on the floor panting with exertion as Jackie leans against his arm and Corey sits between his legs, his little hands on Elvis’ not insubstantial belly. 

“I surrender!” He exclaims, his hands in the air. “Ya win. I can’t fight no more.” 

He closes his eyes and sticks his tongue out of the side of his mouth, head flopping to one side as his arms flop down comedically. 

Corey’s little hands slap his belly repeatedly. “You’re not dead! You’re pretending!”

Elvis immediately recovers, opening his eyes and staring right at the little boy. “I’m not dead…” he leans forward, making his eyes menacing and screwing his face up. “...I’m THE UNDEAD! RAAAAAH!” He launches himself forward and Corey screams. 

Elvis wraps him up in a big hug and then giggles right in his ear, before starting an onslaught of tickling. He feels another hand on his arm and looks over to see Jackie sitting there, pouting. She’s not much over a year older than her brother, and she doesn’t like being left out. And being quieter, she often is. Elvis chuckles and pulls her into his lap too. Then he feels a hand on his head and looks up to see Gloria standing there. 

“Hey,” he says. 

“Hi. I was feeling left out.”

“Oh. You want something?”

“A kiss.”

She leans down and he moves a hand to hold her face as he presses a kiss to her lips. Both kids immediately start screaming. 

“Mama!”

“Mama kissed Elvis!”

“Elvis loves Mama!”

When they eventually stop just shouting the first thing they think of, Corey looks up at his mom and asks her a serious question. 

“Is Elvis our new daddy?”

Jackie frowns. “What about our real daddy?”

“Elvis is real!”

Gloria has been thinking about this a lot. She didn’t have to kiss Elvis in front of them, but she had. And now she could make something up that would be easier for them to understand than the truth. But she wants them to understand that life is complicated sometimes, so she decides to talk to them about it.

“Hey. Shush for a minute,” she tells them, waiting for quiet before she continues. “I want to explain this to you. Are you going to listen?”

They both grumble but they sigh and nod and try to listen even as they continue to squirm on Elvis’ lap. 

“Yes Mama.”

“Okay.”

“Alright.” She looks down at their upturned, expectant faces and swallows. “Yes, I love Elvis. And… I think he loves me.” She pauses there and looks at him briefly. She doesn’t want to put words in his mouth. 

“Of course I do, honey,” he replies, craning his neck to stare up at her like he’s the third kid, sitting there and waiting for an explanation. 

She smiles, another of those smiles that stays on her lips and doesn’t reach her eyes. She knows she’s about to say something he won’t want to hear, and part of her wonders if his birthday is the worst possible time to do this. But she’s started now. 

The kids are still looking up at her, rapt. 

“But Elvis lives in Memphis, and we live in San Francisco. And your daddy lives in San Francisco too, and he loves you both a lot. So even though Elvis and I love each other, we can’t live together, because I’d be taking you away from your daddy and that wouldn’t be fair. And Elvis has a very busy life, you both know that. He has to travel all over the country, singing to people.”

“We could go with him?” Jackie suggests, hopefully. 

“You have school, and you know that too.”

Jackie sighs and looks down at the floor sadly. Corey looks sad too. He thinks for a while and then looks up again at his mother, with a face full of hope. 

“Can we visit though? I want to visit! I love Daddy Elvis! Mama! Please!” He’s shouting by the end, and punctuating his speech with exasperated slaps of his hands to Elvis’ belly. Elvis winces, but makes no attempt to stop him. 

Gloria starts to feel her resolve failing in the face of her begging child. She also feels her belief that this was the best course of action starting to falter too. She shouldn’t have kissed him in front of her children. This is not turning out the way she had hoped, although why she thought two small children could deal with such complicated emotions without yelling she’s not sure. 

“Corey, please. I know you’re having a lot of big feelings right now, but you can’t take them out on Elvis. C’mere.”

She picks him up and holds him in her arms and he groans and then bursts into tears. 

“It’s not fair!”

No, Gloria thinks, it really isn’t fair. 

“Son, I think if your mama says it’s okay, I would love ta have ya all here. But only if she says it’s okay.” Elvis clenches his jaw, briefly gritting his teeth before he says the next part. “Your daddy needs ta see ya both too.”

Corey moves his head from where it’s been hanging over Gloria’s shoulder to right in front of her face, and puts a hand on either cheek. “PLEASE MAMA!” Tears streak his face, bright red from all the crying. 

“Shhh. I… we could probably visit…” she replies, feeling almost defeated at this point. 

Corey yells “YAY!” directly in her face and throws his arms around her neck. She strokes his back, absent-mindedly trying to soothe him. Then she looks down at Jackie, still on Elvis’ lap, noticing the sad expression on her face. 

“Jackie?” She asks. The little girl looks up. “What’s wrong?”

For such a small girl she manages a very big sigh in response. Elvis cuddles her close to him and repeats Gloria’s question. “What’sa matter, honey?”

“What about real daddy?” She finally asks, quietly. “He’ll be sad if we’re here all the time.”

“We won’t be here all the time,” Gloria explains, patiently. “We’ll just come sometimes, in the holidays.”

Jackie frowns for a while and then her face sort of flattens back out again. “Oh. Okay then.”

There’s a silence and Gloria starts to think this might be the end of the complicated conversation and she might be able to get this birthday celebration back on track. She carefully puts Corey back down and strokes the top of his head, leaning over to do the same to Jackie. 

Her sister has been watching the whole scene with some interest, and decides maybe now is her time to chip in and give Gloria and Elvis a little time without the children. 

“Come on you two, let’s see if we can find some food, shall we?” She looks down at Elvis. “So long as that’s okay by Elvis, anyway. It is his house, after all.”

Elvis smiles, picking Jackie up off his lap and placing her carefully on her feet, before standing up himself. “Sure is, honey.”

Gloria is relieved to see them go, and grateful to her sister for taking them. That whole situation had been emotionally exhausting. She looks over at Elvis, expecting him to have something to say about it, half-wondering if it will cause a row. 

He moves close to her, then pulls her into his arms, wrapping her in a big hug. “It’s okay, honey,” is all he says, and he feels her whole body relax. 

He kisses the top of her head. It hurts, to know that she doesn’t think there’s a future for them. That they won’t all live together. Of course it does. But she’s here now, and he doesn’t want to spoil the time he has with her. Or the time he has with Corey and Jackie. He’s grown attached to them almost immediately, and he wants them to stay as long as possible, Gloria too. For once he keeps his impulse to anger and upset in check. 

***

The rest of the day passes in a busy and happy blur. Priscilla drops Lisa-Marie off, and various other Memphis Mafia members appear with wifes and children throughout the day. There’s only a little drinking, but there’s a lot of food and, most importantly where the kids are concerned, there’s a big cake. Elvis doesn’t care so much about the cake, or the presents that people have bought him (he likes them, but they’re never quite right), or even everyone singing happy birthday. But he loves his friends being here, and that the house is full of life, children laughing and crying, adults telling stories, singing and even a bit of dancing. Graceland is truly alive with activity in a way it hasn’t been for a long time. And he has Gloria to thank for that. He makes a mental note to thank her properly later. 

***

Gloria tucks the kids in, explaining for at least the third time what to do and where to go if they wake up worried in the middle of the night. Jackie is almost asleep already, not interested in irrelevant information as she’s slept through since she was a baby, but Corey keeps asking and worrying about it being too dark in the room without a nightlight. Wondering what’s taking so long, Elvis walks down the corridor to the room and pokes his head in. 

“Daddy Elvis!” Corey exclaims, in a way that is really not conducive to sleep. 

“What’re ya still doin’ awake, son?” Elvis asks, his voice low and soft as he comes into the room to kneel down next to the bed beside Gloria. 

Corey frowns. “It’s too dark.”

“He doesn’t have his nightlight,” Gloria says, by way of explanation. 

“Oh. Hang on a minute.”

Elvis disappears, then reappears a few minutes later with a ladybug nightlight. “Here ya go. Got a bunch for Yisa.”

He plugs it in and Corey exclaims again with joy, holding his arms out wide for a hug. Elvis leans into it with a smile. Then he walks over to the other bed and gives Jackie a kiss goodnight, not wanting her to feel left out. Remembering the way she pouted earlier, when she had less attention from him, being quieter and less demanding than her brother. 

Finally Elvis and Gloria manage to leave the room, switching the light off and closing the door softly behind them. They walk back to Elvis’ room in silence, and then when they get inside she sits down on the bed with an exhausted sigh. 

“Oh my god. Thank you for getting that light. I thought he’d never let me leave.”

Elvis sits down next to her and puts an arm around her, pulling her against him. “They’re gorgeous honey. A pair a great kids.”

She laughs against his shoulder. “You want them?”

He grins. “Only if I can have you too. You’re incredible, Glory.”

“Hmmm. Thanks,” she mumbles into his jacket, blushing at the compliment. 

“I mean it. Lookin’ after those two, makin’ them into such good kids. After everythin’ that happened with Roger…”

She puts an arm around his waist. “Thanks. That means a lot, El.”

“An’ everythin’ you’ve done fer me. Would’ve been locked up in here on my own today if it wasn’t for you. Yer so special, Glory.”

Gloria can feel tears pricking at the corners of her eyes at his kind words. “I hope you had a good birthday,” she sniffs. 

He pats his lap expectantly and she shifts to straddle him, a stray tear escaping down her cheek. It’s been a tiring, emotional day. 

“I had a wonderful day, thank you.”

His hands cup her face gently. 

“Even after what I said to the kids?”

“Even after that.”

“I love you, Elvis.”

“I love you too, baby. C’mon. Let’s get ready for bed.”

He gently wipes the tear from her face with his thumb, then helps her off his lap again. They curl up together in bed in pyjamas, her hand on his belly. She’d seen the newspapers in the trash this morning with headlines like “Elvis, Fat and Forty,” and her heart had broken a little. She likes the extra weight on him, always has. Her nose presses against his sideburn and it tickles her a little. She kisses along his jaw, thinking this is the most relaxed she’s been with him since their time on Clambake. The least pressed for time. 

“I can stay, if you want?” She says, suddenly. “For the rest of the week. The kids will have to go back in a couple of days for school, but I could stay. Pat said she’d look after them for a while… I’d have to check but I’m pretty sure she’d be okay with it.”

His head turns quickly. “For the rest of the week?” He’s not expecting it and he can feel his throat closing up with emotion. It’s been so long since he’s been able to spend this much time with her. 

“If…if you want.”

“I can’t believe you have to ask that, Glory. Of course I want.”

She smiles. :”That’s settled, then. If Pat tries to say no you can give her a Cadillac.”

***

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[airybcby]

also for the new event ~ 🍊 & 🍰 with kunigami please!

hi! of course!

a kunigami rensuke orange cake :)

જ⁀♡⊹｡° fall out of line

♡ a/n — for my more than a married couple event!

♡ content — kunigami rensuke x gn! reader, ex! kunigami, ex! reader, mutual pining, established relationship (past) , kunigami wanting to focus on soccer, cuddling, second chance romance

♡ synopsis — all kunigami rensuke had wanted was to go pro in soccer, but at the cost of losing you? maybe this secind chance was everything he'd been waiting for.

You hadn’t seen Kunigami Rensuke in over a year. Not since the day he ended things.

“I need to focus on soccer,” he had said, standing in your doorway, his tone heavy with determination and regret. “I can’t give you the time or attention you deserve.”

You’d nodded, forcing yourself to keep your expression neutral. Kunigami’s dream of going pro had always been a driving force in his life, something you’d admired about him. You knew he wasn’t lying when he said he was doing this for you—but knowing didn’t make it hurt any less.

The first few months after the breakup were a blur of trying to fill the space he’d left behind. The late-night texts, the movie marathons, the quiet comfort of his presence—they were all gone. And now, over a year later, you were standing in a shared apartment with him again, thanks to the school’s brilliant marriage simulation program.

Of course, out of all the people in your class, it had to be him.

“Hey,” he said, his voice lower than you remembered, as if carrying the weight of unspoken things.

“Hi,” you replied, gripping the strap of your bag tightly.

He shifted his weight awkwardly, his golden eyes darting to meet yours for a brief second before flicking away. “It’s been a while.”

“Yeah,” you said, your throat dry. “It has.”

The silence that followed was heavy, both of you acutely aware of the space between you.

Living together again was… surreal.

Kunigami was still the same in so many ways, and yet there was a new edge to him. He was quieter, more reserved, as if he were keeping something locked away.

He took on the role of caretaker almost immediately, cooking meals and cleaning without a word. When you offered to help, he’d shake his head and say, “It’s fine. I’ve got it.”

It was the same thoughtfulness you remembered, but now it felt tinged with guilt, like he was trying to make up for something.

The first week passed with polite conversations and carefully maintained boundaries. But as the days turned into weeks, the awkwardness began to thaw—just a little.

One evening, after dinner, you suggested watching a movie.

He hesitated. “I don’t know…”

“Come on,” you said, giving him a small smile. “It’s not like there’s much else to do.”

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Alright. But you pick.”

Settling onto the couch felt strangely familiar, like slipping into an old routine. He sat at one end, keeping a respectful distance, but as the movie played, you noticed the tension in his shoulders easing.

“That was… not bad,” he admitted as the credits rolled, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

“See?” you teased, nudging him playfully. “Told you it’d be fun.”

He chuckled softly, the sound stirring something in your chest. For the first time in a long time, it felt like you were seeing glimpses of the Kunigami you used to know.

The next week, you convinced him to watch another movie.

Halfway through, you both fell asleep on the couch.

When you woke up, it was to the unfamiliar sensation of warmth against your side. Blinking groggily, you realized you were leaning against him, your head resting on his shoulder. His arm was draped loosely around you, his steady breathing brushing against your hair.

Your heart skipped a beat as you took in the scene.

Kunigami stirred, his eyes fluttering open. When he registered the situation, he tensed immediately, pulling away as if burned.

“Sorry,” he muttered, his face flushing red. “I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s fine,” you said quickly, brushing it off even as your cheeks burned. “Really.”

But the tension lingered, heavy and unspoken.

The shared moments began to pile up, each one pulling you back toward the memories of what you used to have.

One night, while you were working on an assignment at the kitchen table, you caught him watching you out of the corner of your eye.

“What?” you asked, looking up.

He blinked, as if snapped out of a trance. “Nothing,” he said, turning back to the dishes.

But the softness in his expression lingered, making your chest ache.

You thought about all the nights you used to spend like this—curled up together on the couch, laughing over something silly, sharing quiet conversations about your dreams and fears. It felt impossible to ignore how much you’d missed it.

As the program neared its end, the apartment felt heavier with each passing day.

The night before you were set to leave, you suggested watching one last movie. He agreed, though his expression was hard to read.

This time, you both stayed awake.

When the credits rolled, neither of you moved to turn off the TV.

“I’m going to miss this,” you said quietly, not looking at him.

Kunigami stiffened. “Yeah.”

You glanced at him, surprised by the way his jaw was clenched, his hands balled into fists on his lap.

“Hey,” you said softly. “What’s wrong?”

He didn’t answer immediately. When he finally spoke, his voice was strained. “I thought… ending things would be better for you. That I was doing the right thing.”

You swallowed hard, your chest tightening.

“But now, being here with you…” He trailed off, shaking his head. “I don’t know. Maybe I was wrong.”

Your heart raced, hope and fear warring within you.

“Kunigami,” you said, your voice trembling. “If you think there’s a chance for us—”

“I don’t want to hurt you again,” he interrupted, his golden eyes meeting yours. “I can’t promise I’ll get it right this time.”

“You don’t have to promise anything,” you said, reaching out to take his hand. “I just want to try.”

For a moment, he just stared at you, his expression unreadable. Then, slowly, his hand tightened around yours.

“You’re really stubborn, you know that?” he said, a faint smile breaking through.

“Takes one to know one,” you shot back, your voice shaky with relief.

And as he pulled you into a tentative embrace, you felt a spark of hope—like maybe, just maybe, you could build something new together.

ughh kunigami my love

i hope you liked it!

likes, comments, and reblogs are appreciated!

[jayybugg]

watched

ghostface!gojo x ghostface!choso x ghostface!geto x reader

summary: there are vicious killing happening in your city and you're closer to it than you think.

warnings: mask kink, creampies, coercion, the boys are serial killers, a tiny bit of knife play, reader is a bit crazy naive, reader is oblivious, virgin!choso, nicknames for the boys, foursome, eiffel tower with gojo and geto, mahito and mei mei mentioned.

word count: 6.2k

note: this is my first jjk fic and I'm super excited for it. i hope you guys like it. hi to any new moots this brings in. :)

pics from pinterest: @/k__a, @/polariae (twitter), @/aransmind (twitter).

part two

You hated being watched. It was the worst feeling in the world like there were eyes on you but no one around to look back at. The feeling didn’t just disappear; it haunted you in each dark corner and every mysterious hallway. Your eyes found their way to the flat-screen TV in the middle of the breakroom.

“Reports of more murders have totaled up in the last week more than it has in the last year. Police are becoming desperate to find out who is behind these stabbings.”

The news anchor’s voice bounced off the thin walls of the cold and dusty room, sending a shiver down your spine. The murders that had been terrorizing the city, even more specifically, your neighborhood weren’t something that anybody could brush off lightly. It sent a dark and gloomy blanket over you and your neighbors. The media had started to refer to the killer as Ghostface, which was even more terrifying than you cared to admit.

All the reports were the same— victims were stalked and toyed with before inevitably being stabbed to death by a person in a mask. The murders were getting so bad that there was a mandated curfew that forced people into their homes, a pathetic strategy to save citizens. “The mayor is urging everyone to not stay out past 10 p.m. and to keep your doors and windows locked.” The anchor’s voice broadcasted.

“Scary, isn’t it?”

Your eyes shot to Suguru Geto, one of your co-workers. His dark hair was tied tightly into his signature bun as he leaned against the table you sat at. His dark eyes surveyed your face, which was undoubtedly covered in worry. “Hey, don’t look so scared. I’m sure the police will apprehend him soon enough.” Suguru said soothingly. His fingers reached up, his knuckles running down your jaw. A means to cheer you up, you assumed. Your angst faded slightly, and you shot Suguru a sweet smile. “Thanks, I was on edge there. It’s just...scary, you know? Someone out there plotting on taking people’s lives.” You sighed, twiddling your thumbs as you looked at the man next to you.

“Yeah, I can see why some people are being extra cautious.” He said, “But hey, at least you work with some tough guys, right? You can call any of us and we’ll be more than happy to come swing by your place.”

Your heart rate calmed a bit at his words. As one of the only girls at your worksite, you had the pleasure of becoming good friends with most of the men there. Suguru, Satoru, Toji, Choso, and Sukuna. They worked in the same division as you and were fiercely protective and loyal to you. It made working here more bearable and fun.

Your smile widened at Suguru’s words. “I guess I am lucky, huh?” You laughed, “Thanks for lighting up the mood, Suguru. I should get back to work now.”

You patted his arm, walking to the door. You paused slightly, turning around to face him again. “Oh, and I never told you or the guys,” You started, “You guys were so right about that guy, Mahito, that I was going to go on a date with. He stood me up.”

Suguru frowned. “I told you, sweetheart. He wasn’t worthy of you.” You only nodded in agreement before turning around again and leaving the breakroom. A news anchor’s voice continued to sound through the breakroom.

“The latest victim of the Ghostface killings was a young man, named Mahito. He was found in the back alley of a restaurant, stabbed numerous times in the chest and torso.”

The frown on Suguru’s face shifts into a small, daydreamy grin. “No one is worthy of you but us, sweetheart.” He mumbled, staring off into your direction.

You remained vigilant, making it home by curfew, locking your doors, and keeping your head on a swivel every day and night. It was the only way to ease your nerves these days. Your friends laughed at you, calling you paranoid. “You’re overreacting.” One of your friends, Mei Mei, voiced, her eyes rolling at you. “This Ghostface probably isn’t as big of a threat as everyone is making it.” She added.

Your hands gripped the wooden table you sat at with her and Satoru. Your frown was deep as your eyes narrowed at your friend for laughing at your precautions. “He’s killed numerous people.” You rebutted, “There’s nothing wrong with just being safe.”

Mei Mei shrugged, picking at her nails as she threw you a bored expression. “I just can’t imagine this guy caring about people like us. He probably has a list of people that he’s after.” She said, “And I guarantee you are not on that list.”

The laugh she let out after that comment made it hard for you to determine if it was supposed to be a dig or a compliment, but knowing this particular friend, it was probably the former. Satoru glanced over at you, taking in your upset face, before rolling his eyes at Mei Mei. “Don’t be a bitch.” He said to her, “There’s nothing wrong with her caring about her safety.”

“And you better tread lightly before that Ghostface dude hears you and makes you his next target.” He said, standing up and stalking away from the two women. Your eyes followed him, a grateful gleam in them as he defended you. Mei Mei frowned, “He’s such an asshole. I don’t know why you’re cool with him.”

You could only roll your eyes at her, changing the topic. You listened to her rant on and on until you both parted ways on your way home. You had urged her to text you when she got home, which she had begrudgingly agreed to do. Making it back to your apartment, you routinely locked your doors and window before stripping yourself to shower.

You were humming to yourself as you lathered your body when a loud creak made you freeze. Your hardwood floors barely creaked that way, only when a large weight pressed against it. Your head slowly peeked out of the shower curtain. Your eyes looked around the bathroom and then through the crack of the door. “What the hell....” You murmured to yourself. You slowly turned off your shower, stepping out. You wrapped your towel around your body, peeking out of the door. “Hello?” You called out.

You checked every corner of your apartment, finding nothing. You took a shaky breath, rubbing her temples. “Maybe I am paranoid.” You muttered to yourself. The silence of your apartment didn’t help with the feeling that someone was watching you. You huffed softly, trudging your way back into the bathroom to resume your shower as the white-haired silhouette in the corner of your closet could only smile at your worried face.

You slugged your way into work three days later, yawning as you pushed open the door to the breakroom. Co-workers were gathered around the TV with looks of pure horror and disbelief. Your head tilted in confusion, “What are you all watching?”

Your boss, Shiu, looked over at you, his expression worried. “When was the last time you talked to Mei Mei?” He asked. Your face contorted from confusion to one of concern. You had forgotten to check on her after you had got home that day. “Um, the last day I worked....so Monday. Why? What happened?” You asked, your eyes searching Shiu’s face for any answers.

Shiu opened his mouth to respond, only to be beaten to the punch by a coworker, “Ghostface killed her!”

Your heart dropped out of your chest, the world around you slowed, and the voices around you seemed to get muffled. Mei Mei was dead? Murdered by the serial killer that plagued all your nightmares?

“Doll?” Choso’s voice rang out in your mind. “Doll!” You snapped back to reality, looking up at him. “C-Choso....t-they killed....” You couldn’t even get the words out as he pulled you to the side. “Hey, calm down. You’re going to cause a panic attack if you don’t.” He said sweetly.

He sat you down in a corner, away from the commotion, sliding you a water bottle. “Take a sip.” He instructed softly. You did as you were told, taking a small sip and deep breath. “She’s dead, Choso.” You repeated softly, “Mei Mei was killed by Ghostface. It’s fucking crazy.”

“Yeah,” He breathed out, “Crazy.” His hand came up to rub your back, “Don’t go getting paranoid on me.” Choso sat with you, whispering comforting things in your ear until he was sure that you had calmed down.

“The police report that the young woman, Mei Mei, actually dialed 911 before being brutally killed by Ghostface, citing that her killer had on black combat boots with spikes on them.”

Choso tucked his feet under the table as you were busy calming down on his shoulder. There was no need for you to see those beat-up spiked combat boots of his.

Your days had passed in a blur, trying to come to terms with the fact that Mei Mei was dead and the crippling paranoia that followed you around. You felt like there were eyes on you at every second of the day. Jumping at every sudden sound, sleeping with your door closed just so the monster wouldn’t catch you.

It was coming to the point that you could barely sleep since every sound and creak startled you back to consciousness any time you started to doze off. Just as you were starting to get closer to sleep, the shrill ring of your phone snapped you back to reality. You reached for your phone, stupidly not checking the caller ID.

“Hello?” You said groggily, rubbing your eyes. There was a long beat of silence that made you frown, “Hello?” You repeated.

Suddenly, a deep and distorted chuckle came from the other end. “Wake up, pretty.” A distorted voice said. You shot up on the bed, a cold shiver running down your spine. “W-Who is this?” You asked.

“Do you like scary movies? What’s your favorite?” The voice asked, completely ignoring your question. You stayed silent, swallowing hard as the voice cleared his throat. “Don’t make me repeat myself, pretty.”

“Scary movies?” You asked timidly. “Why do you want to know? Who is this?”

“Tsk. Didn’t anyone ever tell you not to answer a question with a question? You know who I am.” The voice teased, “I’ll call you back soon, pretty. I expect an answer then.”

The line clicked off as you blinked, pulling the phone from your ear. Your eyes landed on your call log, desperate to find the number that had called you.

Unknown.

Your heart sunk to your stomach in fear. Did you just get called by Ghostface? You had to have been because the reports stated that the killer always asked what the victim’s favorite scary movie was. You got out of bed, pacing in her room in anxiousness. Were you next? Oh God, you were next. That would be the only explanation for why someone would call and ask you that. You scrolled through your contacts, pressing Suguru’s quickly. It rang for a few moments before Suguru picked up. “Sweetheart?” He answered.

“Can you come over?” You asked hurriedly, glancing around your room as if someone was already there waiting for you. “Come over?” Suguru repeated, “Sweetheart, it’s 3 in the morning.”

“Please, Suguru. I...I need you. Ghostface called me.”

There was a beat of silence over the phone before you heard a breathy, “I’m on my way.”

Suguru got there in a record amount of time; you swung your door open to see him standing there with a worried expression. “Are you okay?” He asked, peeking into your apartment and looking around. You stepped to the side, letting him inside. “I’m...fine. Just shaken up.” You said.

You paced your living room, Suguru’s eyes following you. “You’re anxious.” He said. A loud scoff fell from your lips as you looked at him. “Of course, I’m fucking anxious. A serial killer is after me and I don’t know what to do.” You said, throwing your arms up in exasperation.

You paused, turning to him. “I should go to the police. Maybe they can track the call or something.” You said, reaching for your keys. Suguru’s hands shot out, grabbing your wrist. “That’s not a good idea, sweetheart.”

“What? Why not?” You asked, “Am I supposed just to let this guy kill me?”

Suguru pulled you closer into a comforting hug, “It’s just...do you really think the police will be able to do anything?” He said, “I mean, they don’t even have any leads now. A measly little phone call isn’t going to help them.”

“But—” Your words were cut off by a soothing ‘sh’ as he continued, “Our police department isn’t going to find him, sweetheart. It’ll be better if I stay here with you. Safety in numbers, right?”

You looked up at Suguru, who gave you a sweet smile back, “Trust me.”

That’s how you ended up with Suguru staying with you after that. A sweet, reassuring smile from your friend eased all your worries. Suguru escorted you to work, the grocery store, your favorite bakery, and back home. It was so peaceful, so quiet that you had forgotten all about the creepy call from that night.  

How utterly foolish of you.

Suguru had gone home one night, leaving you to sleep in your apartment by yourself for the first time in weeks. It was around 11 in the evening when the shrill sound of your ringtone broke the silence of the apartment. You pried your eyes open, grabbing the device, and looking at the caller ID.

Unknown.

Your heart sped up as the sleepiness seemingly disappeared from your body. Your shaky thumb pressed the green button on the touch screen. “Hello?” You whispered.

“Long time no see, pretty.” The distorted voice chuckled into the phone, “Do you have an answer to my question?”

Your throat went dry, words failing to form in your brain. It’s almost like the person on the other end of the line knew that, causing their laughter to get deeper and more hysterical. “Don’t tell me you haven’t thought of an answer for me, pretty. Tsk, tsk, tsk. What a bad girl, can’t even do a simple task.”  

“What do you want from me?” You asked, clearing your throat to sound braver than you felt. “I want you to answer the damn question.” They said. “What’s your favorite scary movie?”

You took a deep breath, your mind screaming at you not to piss off the psychopath on your phone. “I don’t have one.” You said, “I don’t— I don’t watch scary movies.” There was a small hum on the phone. “What an interesting answer.” Ghostface said, “Well, my favorite movie is this new movie that just came out. It’s called Don’t Move. Have you seen it?”

Your body was shivering, the hairs on your arms were standing up, and your bedroom started to feel eerily smaller the more the voice spoke. “No.” You said, “I haven’t seen it.”

“Oh!” They gasped, “Let me tell you all about it.”

You could feel the smile through the phone, causing your stomach to twist in nausea and disgust. They sounded pleased with the fact that you were terrified, almost like this is what they thrive on. “It’s about this woman, who goes to her son’s memorial and contemplates whether life is worth living after the loss of her son.” Ghostface started, “Then she gets injected by this man with a paralyzing serum and must fight for her life before her body shuts down. Real good movie, I tell ‘ya.”

You could only muster up a sound of acknowledgment. Ghostface laughed, “I want to reenact that movie....with you.” Your eyes widen and a choked breath escapes you before you speak. “You want to what?”

“Oh, don’t be so scared, pretty. It won’t be any fighting for your life, I’ll make you earn that in other ways.” They chuckled, “Open your nightstand for me.”

Your eyes shifted to the nightstand, and you reached over to pull the small knob forward. Inside the nightstand was a single pill and a small bottle of water. You had absolutely no idea how that got inside of your nightstand. The idea that this person had gotten into your apartment to put this here multiplied your fear tenfold. “Now, don’t worry. This is nothing serious, nothing that will paralyze you. I’m not a monster.” Ghostface said, a snort following, “God, I’m hilarious.”

“What is it then?” You asked, “What will it do to me?” You picked the pill up, rolling it between your fingers. “It’ll just put you back to sleep for about another hour or two. Gives me plenty of time to set up for our little reenactment.” Ghostface said casually as if this was the most normal thing ever.

“What if I don’t do it?” You blurted, “What if I just hang up and call the police?”

There was a beat of silence before a burst of laughter that filled your ears. “Oh, pretty, call the police? Do you think the police can help you? They can’t even keep up.” Ghostface laughed, “And if you even move those pretty fingers of yours to hang up on me, I can’t promise that I will continue to be nice to you.”

“And trust me, you don’t want to piss me off.” They added, suddenly serious. A shiver ran down your spine as you swallowed hard. “Now,” The voice returned to its original cheeriness, “Be a good girl and take that pill. Let me hear you. ”

“And trust me, pretty, I will know if you don’t take it,” Ghostface warned. You bite your lip, nervousness coursing through your veins. You slowly place the pill on your tongue, cracking open the small bottle of water. You downed the water, the pill rushing down your throat and into your system. The loud gulp of the water was loud enough for Ghostface to hum approvingly. “Good job, pretty. Now, lay back and let the drug do its job.”

You had no choice but to follow his directions, laying back on the bed. Your hands clutched the phone to your ear. Your eyes get heavy as your head hits the pillow; a soft yawn falls from your mouth. Ghostface chuckled, “See you soon, pretty.”

And with that, the world was dark again.

You don’t know how long you had drifted off into the drug-induced sleep, but your heavy eyelids opened slightly to a black-and-white mask. A sharp gasp filled the air as you jumped back from the elongated ghost mask that leaned over your bed. Ghostface chuckled, tilting his head. “Nice to finally meet you in person, pretty. Happy to see us?”

“H-How did you get in? W-What are you—Wait, us?” Your mind finally registered the two other masked figures in separate corners of your room. One sitting at your desk, legs spread, and a shiny knife resting in his lap. Another one standing next to your closet, one leg prompted up, and twirling his knife around his fingers.

“Ghostface is more than one person?” You asked. Chuckles emitted from each figure at your confusion. “Ghostface is many people.” The one leaning over you said, “But that’s a conversation for next time.”

“Him over there at the desk? Just refer to him as Blood.” He points over to him before moving his finger to the one standing by the closet, “And you can refer to him as Curse.”

“And me? You can call me Strongest.” He said, “Just so it’s easier for you.” He took his knife, waving it around.

“What do you want? Why are you here?” You asked, scooting further up on the bed. Strongest laughed, climbing up the bed to follow you. “What do we want? Well, we want you.” He said, “But remember what I said on the phone? I want to reenact my favorite movie.”

“But none of that fighting for your life nonsense. I have no interest in that, seems boring.” Strongest mused, bringing his knife up to trace your arm. It was light, not enough pressure to draw blood but enough pressure to send a sting through your body. “I think we all just want a ‘thank you’ from you.” He said.

“A thank you?” You asked, “Why would I thank you? You’re serial killers.”

You could feel the pout emitting from under Strongest’s mask. “For you. We’re serial killers for you.” He said, “Have you not noticed all of our hard work?”

The look on your face was filled with confusion, which made Strongest huff and look at his partners. “Can you guys believe this? She really hasn’t noticed. You were right, Curse.” Curse only chuckled, shaking his head. “It’s all a part of her charm.”

Strongest only hummed in agreement, turning his head back to you. “Haven’t you been paying attention to our murders?” He asked, “Remember that super mean professor of yours?”

You blinked, your mind racing through reports from the Ghostface murders. One of the earlier ones was on your campus; you remembered coming to class one day to rumors that he had just up and disappeared. “T-That professor is missing; he’s not....he’s not....” You stuttered.

“Oh, no, pretty, he’s definitely dead.” Strongest teased, “The police are so slow that the numbers that they are telling the public are nearly double that.”

He brought the knife up, letting it trail down the front of your shirt. “Do you think that date just stood you up? No, we were stabbing him to death in the back alley.” Your heart dropped at the newfound information. Your mind started combing through the numerous Ghostface reports, connecting them to your everyday life. They were killing people around you, and you’ve been too foolish to see it.

“Ahh, I see those pretty eyes coming to the realization. Finally.” Strongest said. You took a deep breath, looking into the dark eye sockets of the mask, “Why though? Why would you...?”

“Because you’re ours.” Blood spoke up from the desk, “Only ours.”

Strongest chuckled, climbing further on the bed, caging you against the headboard. “We care about you. We love you, everything we do is for you.” He added, “And we’re tired of living in the shadows, tired of only watching you from afar. We want some reward, some praise.”

Your breathing picked up as your eyes darted around the mask, looking for any sign of change in the stilled expression. “Reward? Praise? H-How?” You let out a shaky breath. Strongest tilted his head; a chuckle fell from his lips as he trailed his knife down your chest again. This time, there was more force in his drag. The fabric ripped inch by inch as he moved it down. “We have a few ideas.” He purred, “And it involves way less clothing.”

“What if I say no?” You whispered, “What if I don’t want to do it?”

“You think you have the choice to say no? You’re outnumbered, pretty.” He whispered back, “And you’re throwing out a lot of ‘what ifs’, makes me think that you want to reward us.” The knife ripped your shirt down the middle, your breasts freeing themselves. You should’ve covered yourself and fought back against him, but you didn’t; you couldn’t.

Strongest seemed to notice that you didn’t fight, a smirk forming on his face under the mask. He sat up, yanking you closer to the foot of the bed, taking a seat next to you. His hand trailing up your stomach, cupping your breasts. “I can’t tell you how long I’ve been dying to see these. How many times I’ve fucked my fist imagining that I was cumming on these soft things.”

Rough hands gripped your thighs, pushing your thighs apart to settle in between your legs. You yelp softly, feeling a thumb press down on your clit. “Tsk, no underwear, sweetheart?” Curse teased. His thumb was playing circular motions on your clit. “And no bra either. You’re such a dirty girl, aren’t you?” Strongest added, rolling your left nipple between his thumb and index fingers.

The simulation of both made you squirm, attempting to break free. Curse gripped your thighs, yanking you back as Strongest pinned your arms down, the cold metal of his knife pressing against your neck. “Stay still, pretty.” He whispered, “I would hate to punish you instead.”

You whimpered, nodding. Strongest hummed in approval, going back to rolling your nipples between his fingers but keeping his knife pressed to your neck. Curse’s thumb continued to rub your clit, before switching to his index finger to run up and down your clothed folds. You let out a huffy whine, holding back your squirming but subconsciously bucking your hips into his finger. Curse chuckled, “Want more, sweetheart? All you had to do was ask, I’ll do anything for you.”

His fingers hooked into the waistband of your shorts, pulling them down and throwing them to the side. The cold air of the room brushing against your exposed pussy did nothing but add more stimulation. “Look at you, already wet for us.” Curse mused, his thumb coming back to rub on your clit. “I wish I could taste you, I bet you taste so sweet.” He said.

“Don’t say things like—” Your words were cut short by Strongest’s fingers shoving their way into your mouth. “Don’t talk anymore, pretty. Let us take our reward, okay?” He said, “Now suck on my fingers with that pretty mouth of yours.”

You looked up at Strongest through your lashes, slowly obeying his command and sucking on his fingers. Curse’s fingers slowly slid into you, causing a light, muffled whine to emit from your throat. Two thick digits pumping in and out of you as you sucked on two thick fingers. “She’s clenching around my fingers so nicely.” Curse murmured, “You must be enjoying this, hm?”

You didn’t respond, your legs quivering was more than enough of a response. Strongest’s fingers were soaked with your saliva. He chuckled, pulling them out and patting your cheek. “How about I give you something bigger to suck on, pretty?” He whispered in your ear. Curse pulled his fingers out of you so Strongest could maneuver your body around. Curse picked up his knife, slicing off the rest of your tattered shirt.

“W-What....What are you doing?” You asked, looking up at Strongest as he stood at the foot of the bed, undoing his belt while Curse moved to position himself behind you. Strongest chuckled, “How many times do I have to tell you that we’re getting our reward, pretty?” He teased. “But...we’re also giving Blood over there a little show.”

He gripped your jaw, turning your head to look at Blood. This was the first time you took notice of the quiet figure sitting at your desk since this all had started. His legs were still spread but this time, his cock was firmly in his hand as he moved his fist up and down the shaft.

“Blood is going to join in a moment, but we’re going to...warm you up for him,” Curse added, his voice playful. You wanted to question them more, but your train of thought was derailed once Strongest grabbed the base of his cock, slapping your cheek. “Be a good girl and open up for us, pretty.” He said. A sharp gasp fell out your lips when Curse’s cock slid into you, allowing Strongest to shove his cock into your mouth.

A groan fell from Strongest’s and Curse’s mouths, their eyes closing. “Shiiiittt....” Strongest groaned, his hands gripping the sides of your face to pull you closer. Your nose tickled his abdomen, gagging slightly. “There you go, pretty. You got it....youuu got it.”

“So fucking tight.” Curse groaned, “The deeper she takes you, the harder she clenches around me.”

Curse gave you a sharp thrust, a whine emitting from your throat. Strongest groaned, his head lolling back in pleasure. Strongest’s hand was placed firmly on the back of your head as he drove his hips forward, his cock bullying the back of your throat. Curse’s hand gripped your hips, his pace fast and quick as he slammed into you. The moans that you were desperate to hold back were getting louder and more uncontrollable as time passed.

You had never in your life been so full. You have had sex plenty of times in your life, not with more than one person at a time, and surely, not this roughly. Each thrust, gag, and smack had your mind blanking in the best way.

“This pretty pussy is  just drooling all over my dick, sweetheart.” Curse mused, landing a sharp smack to your ass, “You like getting fucked by strangers?”

Strongest hummed, wiping the saliva that dripped down your chin and smeared it to the base of his cock. “Or maybe it’s the masks? You got a mask kink, pretty?” He asked. He pulled his cock out of your mouth, grinning as you coughed and gasped for air. You let out a soft whine as Curse gave you a final thrust before pulling out. “Oh, don’t worry, sweetheart.” Curse ran his finger down your spine, a shiver hitting your body as he did. “We’re just switching spots. I want to see your pretty eyes too, you know?”

The two masked men switched, Strongest groaning merely at the sight of your ass. His hands ran over the plushness of your ass, giving you a sharp smack. He massaged his hit, chuckling to himself. “This is the best ass I’ve seen before. You’re so perfect, pretty.” Strongest said.

Strongest ran the tip of his cock down your folds, a small whimper falling from your throat. “P-Please...” You whispered. Curse gripped your jaw, forcing you to look up at his mask. “Please what, sweetheart? Come on, we need to hear your words.” He teased.

You gulped hard, your eyes searching the mask. You should’ve been trying to find a way to get out of this. You should’ve been trying to find a way to get help, not letting these psychos have their ways with you. “Please fuck me.” You said softly, “Please.”

Curse and Strongest chuckled with each other. “We’ll work on that soft voice of yours next time, pretty. For now, we’ll stop teasing you.” They both pushed into you at the same time, their hips thrusting into you brutally. Their groans overpowered your muffled moans. Their hands traveled over an inch of your body as if they just couldn’t help themselves from touching you in some way. The two of them had snatched orgasms out of you that you didn’t even think was possible in that short amount of time. Their thrusts were getting sloppier and quicker as they both used you to chase their highs.

“I’m going to cum...fuck, I’m going to cum in this pretty pussy.” Strongest moaned. His hands gripped your hips tighter as Curse let out a breathy chuckle, “And I’m going to cum in this beautiful mouth of yours, sweetheart. God, you’re going to look so fucking pretty swallowing my cum like the slut you are.”

Your legs were weak, shaking from the overstimulation of it all. Your body could only register the feeling of Strongest and Curse using you like their personal toy as they both emptied themselves inside of you. They panted softly as they pulled out of you.

You collapsed to the bed, attempting to catch your breath and regain some kind of sense. Strongest chuckled, slapping your thighs. “Aw, she’s all fucked out.” He laughed. He climbed off the bed, looking at Curse, who was also chuckling at the sight of you.

Blood, who had been relatively quiet during this, cleared his throat. You could feel his eyes burning into your form as you glanced over at him. Cum coated his fingers and his shaft as he continued to run his fist up and down his cock. Strongest tilted his head, crossing his arms. “I take it as you enjoyed the show, huh?” He teased Blood. You sat up, looking at Blood with curious eyes as he stood up and walked towards you.

You let out a soft yelp as he stepped out of his cargo pants, climbing over you and caging you into missionary. “W-What are you doing?” You asked, your hands firmly pressed to his chest as you looked at Blood, then to Curse and Strongest. Curse laughed, kneeling to whisper in your ear.

“We said we were warming you up for Blood, remember?” Curse said, “You see, Blood is a virgin.”

Strongest kneeled on the other side of you, “And he’s been waiting for this moment. The moment to fuck you.” He added. Curse grunted softly. “You both are embarrassing.” He muttered, “Making me sound pathetic.”

Strongest ignored Blood, running his knuckles across your cheek. “Be a good girl and make this a good experience for him, hm? He really deserves it.”

Strongest and Curse stood up, stepping away from the bed as if they were giving you and Blood some type of privacy. You looked up at Blood, and even though his mask covered his face, you could feel him staring at you. “You’re so gorgeous, doll.” He whispered, “Do you know I would do anything for you?”

His tip, leaking pre-cum, rubbed against your clit, snatching a moan from you. “I-I’m sensitive...y-you can’t tease—fuck!” Blood hadn’t let you finish your warning as he pushed into you. He groaned, his face dipping into your neck. “S-So tight...and warm. It’s b-better than I imagined.” He moaned, his hips moving at a steady pace. His hands pushed your legs to wrap around his waist. “You feel so good, doll.” He muttered.

Blood was different than Strongest and Curse. He was soft, attentive, and steady, whereas Strongest and Curse were rough, experienced, and sporadic. You moan as he shifts his hips to hit your g-spot. Your nails dug into his back, and your legs tightened around his waist. Your moans jump up an octave as your eyes screw shut at the pleasure.

“Seems like you found her spot, Blood.” Curse teased, “Keep hitting it if you want to drive her crazy and hear those sweet little moans of her’s.”

Blood slowed down, glancing back at his two partners before looking back at you. “Keep hitting it?” He repeated to himself, “Are you going to make pretty sounds for me if I do?” He asked you.

You opened your mouth to respond, but it was too late as Blood had pushed your legs back into a mating press and began pounding into you. “W-Wait...!” You moaned, your eyes shooting open to look at him. His hips slammed into you at a pace that even put Strongest and Curse to shame. Each thrust made your mind blank, your moans mixing in with his grunts and whimpers.

“Y-You are making those pretty noises w-when I hit it.” Blood said, “You sound so fucking pretty....you look pretty, too.”

You had lost track of time when your orgasm washed over your body and Blood was still pounding into your overstimulated pussy. The sheets under you were drenched from your orgasm causing Strongest to let out a bratty whine. “He made her squirt on her first try. Fucking unfair.”

“Y-You have to s-slow down....o-or I’m going to cum again.” You said to Blood. He only grunted in return, “I can’t.”

“I can’t slow down. You feel so good. It’s like my hips a-are just moving on their own.” He whimpered, “I wanna cum....I wanna cum inside.”

You could only respond in breathy gasps as Blood slammed into you, plugging his seed into you. He stilled, laying on top of you as he caressed your leg almost lovingly. You huffed softly as he pulled out and stood up over you. Strongest and Curse moved to stand at his side, marveling at the sight of Blood’s cum flowing slowly out of you. Curse hummed as he kneeled, using his index to push the fluids back inside of you. “Don’t be wasteful, sweetheart. Keep his cum inside, okay?” He said.

You shuddered slightly but nodded obediently at his command. Strongest leaned over you, tilting his head. “You did so good, pretty. You treated us so well.” He purred, patting your head. He stood straight, glancing at Curse and Blood. “I think she deserves to know who we are, doesn’t she?” He said, a playful tone taking over his voice. The other two nodded, a chuckle coming from Curse.

You watched intently as the three men pulled off their masks. You blinked as your mind registered the three familiar faces of Satoru, Suguru, and Choso. You looked between the three of them as they looked at you. They expected you to scream, maybe even yell at them for everything but instead, you laughed.

You were laughing.

Suguru raised an eyebrow at you. “Sweetheart, why are you laughing?” He crossed his arms. You smiled up at him, sitting up. “Because it’s just you guys. I thought some real psychos had broken in here.” You giggled, “Thank God for that.”

The three men stared at you as if you had grown two extra heads. They shared looks before shrugging. “So...you’re not scared?” Satoru asked.

“Or angry with us?” Choso added. You shook your head, standing up with a smile. “Of course not, silly. You guys are my friends.”

Suguru rubbed his temples with a slight smirk. Either you were completely insane or as naïve as they come. Regardless, you belonged to them.

You belonged to Ghostface.

[victoryarchive]

Ok. I’ll bite. Hermit! Tommy? Because that looks an awful lot like a really cool Watcher au something? Please share!

Omg if you insist lmao

Buckle up this is gonna be a lot.

This all started when I was thinking about Greek mythology (a common occurrence I fear) and I was thinking how even though Helios is the sun and the god of the sun many people these days assign that role to Apollo (the god of light). And that got me thinking more and more about how as time progresses stories change and gods become gods of things they never were before. New gods exist. Old ones are completely forgotten. Their names change. Look at Roman mythology for a great example of this.

And because I’m one hell of a nerd this immediately translated to ‘how can I use this in fan fiction’

Another thing you must know about me is I hate to fall back on Minecraft mechanics, it feels lazy for me to do it (it’s fine to read I just hate writing it) and must always find a way to make things like respawn and different worlds fit into the lore of the story.

Thus began the world building:

Every watcher is a god of something, Xelqua/Grian: the sun, Pearl: the moon, Kristin: The underworld, XD: [redacted], etc. Each watcher has the ability to create a world (or multiple depending on their power) for their people to live (Grian: hermitcraft, Pearl: Empires, Kristin: the Antarctic Empire, XD: the DSMP, etc) Within these worlds it is very common practice for the Watchers to choose a devoted follower to give a small portion of their power to oversee their world, to make rules and keep everyone safe, an Admin. (Grian: Xisuma, Pearl: fWhip, Kristin: Philza, XD: Dream, etc.)

Now none of these watchers just spawned as watchers, no they became watchers through people worshipping them and writing stories about them as gods. These stories held power so the person held power and became essentially immortal and can do pretty much anything with that power, at least until they are forgotten.

So far the story begins with Xelqua brining his players back from their silly death game and being intercepted by a very very old goddess, one who had almost been completely forgotten. This primordial goddess is peace, not just the goddess of peace, she is peace. She is called Prime. She asks Grian and Xisuma to take her last worshipper and devotee, Tommy, and protect him from another Watcher. And with a little bit of convincing Grian’s like ‘yeah fine ig I’ll take the kid. How difficult can one child be.’

Now that’s as far as I’ve written aside from the beginning backstory stuff, but I’ve got a lot of stuff planned, including an entire few chapters inspired by ‘god games’ from epic the musical, where Grian has to go fight for some mortals life. One of them. I know which one. Yall don’t :)

There’s also a lot of Grian and Pearl back story from when they were kids and still mortal like thousands and thousands of years ago and how they eventually became literal gods.

Tommy learns how friends are supposed to work and gets mentored by none other than Mumbo Jumbo, or Impulse i haven’t decided yet. The only thing I know about Minecraft is redstone so he’s learning redstone.

Also it would be a damn shame for me to not include False and Tommy flying together a bunch bc they’re the only to avians that can match each others speed.

There’s some stuff going on with techno being an admin on an anarchy server. He comes in later in an absolute rage.

Also Joel is a demigod… it makes sense I swear.

I’m having a lot of fun playing around with the world building and each individual characters back story so I will expand on anything if people ask about it :))))

Thank you for asking this has been fun

[maxdibert]

Now w the Sirius date headcanon thing and so, I wonder what do you have about other characters as well. Like weighing the pros and cons of dating (or being close friends with) M era characters, like James, Sirius, Lily, Snape, Remus; actually according more canonly and not the POVs I read that might not make sense at all 😔☹️

James is the kind of guy who spends the entire first date talking about sports, specifically the sport he plays, and probably sold you the idea that he’s interesting because he’s into political causes and social inequalities. But when you check his Instagram, you realize he went on a “volunteering” trip to some remote village in a third-world country, and his biggest contribution was taking photos with the locals and handing out things like European football team caps or sunglasses. His captions are cliché lines like “they’re so happy with so little” or “despite not having enough to eat, they always have a smile on their face.” He’ll also tell you he’s a huge fan of women and considers himself a feminist, but not the “radical and victim-playing” feminism that’s around now—he supports “real feminism,” which basically doesn’t challenge his fragile masculinity.

Remus is the soft boy who gives you good vibes at first because he seems like an intelligent guy with an interest in cultural stuff and has a friendly demeanor. But after four or five dates, you realize he’s a pushover who only talks about how unlucky he is, how miserable he feels, and how hard it is for “good guys” like him to find a girlfriend because “girls only go for bad boys.” A textbook nice guy who thinks all his misfortunes are others’ fault and that he’s just unlucky but has the emotional responsibility of a brick. He’ll probably bail at the first sign of conflict and make you feel guilty when you call him out. Very prone to ghosting you at any moment.

Lily is the type of girl who plays humble but deep down thinks you hit the jackpot just because she agreed to a date. She’ll downplay herself and her obvious qualities because she constantly needs validation and for you to tell her how wonderful she is. She likes getting involved in social causes but only to post about it on Instagram so everyone thinks she’s a saint. If she can’t document the moment, she won’t lift a finger. If you don’t agree with everything she says, she’ll cause a scene at the pub and leave without paying the bill, expecting you to cover it. She pretends she’s not superficial at all, but there probably won’t be a second date unless you have a promising future—and by promising, she means not ending up broke.

Severus is the guy with literally zero self-esteem who probably won’t ask you out because it wouldn’t even cross his mind that you might like him. If you ask him out, he’ll think you’re making fun of him. You’ll have to carry the entire conversation because he won’t share anything about himself. He’ll complain about every little annoyance, like, “How can they charge seven pounds for this crap half-pint? Do I look like a millionaire or what?” He’ll switch from being a block of ice to pure hysteria in a second and has the emotional reactions of a 12-year-old. You probably won’t tolerate him unless you’re just as traumatized and used to constant fights.

Peter is basically the kind of guy you start dating, and one day you find out you’ve got 12 bodies buried in the basement because he turns out to be the serial killer the police have been hunting for years. But until then, he’s always been super nice. A calm, formal boyfriend. The neighbors will say he always greeted them politely.

I’m feeling a bit uninspired, but I have no doubts about any of these descriptions, sorry not sorry.

[winterchestnut]

Sylus, the Gryffindor of the group.

Xavier, the Hufflepuff.

Rafayel, the Slytherin.

Zayne, the Ravenclaw.

While I could try to explain my reasoning for each of them, I'm focused on Rafayel. *stares at my account* Obviously.

I read two of his anecdotes–the one where he was being interviewed by a P.I. and the one where he lectured at MC's university–and read through the Underworld stories. Since my focus was on Rafayel, my concluding thoughts on him were, "This man is terrifying." A Slytherin could be described as someone cunning, ambitious, and selfish. Rafayel embodies all of those things.

He couldn't care less if humans were to die and would kill someone in his way. Not only is he a famous artist but also acquainted with every Lemurian scattered across the globe, i.e., he has a lot of connections and money. He is RICH, rich: sports car, paparazzi, universities just begging him to become a professor to add prestige to their schools, and only has to work six months out of the year, where the other six months he just spends traveling and spoiling MC. Yet this seemingly joyful and air-headed artist is number six on EVER's hit list and has an almost thirty million bounty on his head in the N109 zone.

You could say Sylus is a Slytherin, but we all witness that man is a fucking dork in love who happens to have a shady job. Rafayel is a wolf in sheeps clothing. He plays everyone around him to lower their guards to get what he wants.

All of these eyes are trying to pry into his personal life or assassinate him, yet he hasn't been caught. His paintings sell for millions, yet the owners somehow all end up dead. He can make an entire film crew disappear, and not a single trace of the incident can be tracked back to him. Even when being accused of murder in front of a grieving crowd of spectators or standing face-to-face with EVER's hitman, he doesn't flinch.

You could also say that Rafayel would be a Ravenclaw because he is clever and knowledgeable. But Slytherin stuck the most to me because of how cold-hearted he really is if it's anyone but MC. Unlike Zayne, who uses his knowledge to benefit not just MC but everyone else–because doctor–Rafayel is only in it for MC.

On a less serious note, I'm a Hufflepuff, and the SlytherPuff ship dynamics/headcanons are always so cute and fun to read.

And lastly, as a testament to how "there is a love interest for everyone," I noticed I separated each LI into different houses, highlighting how unique each one is and how they balance each other out. Caleb will remain unsorted until we learn more about him.

★ I do not support transphobia or JK Rowling, but the fact of the matter is HP was a major part of my childhood, and I still carry a part of it with me today.

[chronicallyonline101]

Hello, chronicallyonline101, lets play a game. You have to asign each la squadra members (+mc bcs she is canon to meee :333) their multiplayer category

a) bullies kids online (intentionally)

b) pro gamer

c) tryhard toxic player that will find your ip if they lose

d) could win even if they tried

e) just a chill guy

You have [time] minutes

I HAVE MINUTES???? OKAY OKAY RISOTTOJIGSAW

Bullies Kids Online - Intentionally:

- Sorbet

- Illuso

They both play together and troll little children, they were the type of people to dress up as John Doe on Roblox and run around scaring kids - Sorbet has a TRILLION backup accounts on every game ever because he keeps getting banned for saying slurs and Illuso is the type of guy to report anyone who offends him, even if they've done nothing wrong.

Pro-Gamer:

- Formaggio

He owns every single gaming utility that has ever been released; XBox, Playstation, Nintendo - EVERY year they release a new device, he's saving up to buy it even if the last one runs perfectly fine. He's the whole reason the team plays games.

Tryhard Toxic Player That Will Find Your IP if They Lose:

- Ghiaccio

King of crashing out FORREAL. He loves gaming but it STRESSES HIM OUT because HE NEEDS TO WIN. He's the type of person to get into an argument after losing, respond with "kys" and then their leaked IP adress. #1 Doxxer out there.

Couldn't Win Even if They Tried:

- Prosciutto

- Risotto

Prosciutto doesn't understand 'games', he thinks theres far better things to be doing with his life than playing silly little pixels, so he's naturally dogshite at playing them - he also can't handle the way everyone makes fun of him when he loses so he refuses to ever go near them.

RISOTTO ON THE OTHER HAND, sees no issues with games, he's played a few times with the others just to unwind! He's not good at competitive games; he doesn't like the adrenaline rush, he feels that on a day to day basis with his job, why would he want to relive that feeling? He prefers cosy games !

Just a Chill Guy:

- Melone

- Pesci

- Gelato

The most casual gamers of the lot; they don't stress over winning or losing, they just enjoy the process of playing. Melone and Pesci prefer simpler, cosier games like Risotto while Gelato likes to play more hardcore games - he mostly plays with Sorbet and Illuso but he's not as extreme with the bullying as they are.

NOW, for our beautiful and beloved MC, i could see her fitting into the "Just a Chill Guy" category, BUT, i also think she Bullies Kids Online - ACCIDENTALLY

She'll be playing DTI or something similar with Illuso and she'll get third place on the podium and within SECONDS she's spamming hate into the chat about how shit everyone else is at the game and how the system is rigged

Anyways. i like to think La Squadra has a shared Minecraft world they all play on together and its utter chaos because Sorbet keeps blowing up everyones houses. thank you for reading; take a Melone

[shiftingdisaster]

What I’m looking forward to in my pjo dr

ー꩜ doing the fun things around camp- going swimming in the lake, learning archery, making friends, doing arts and crafts, sword fighting and climbing the lava wall

ー꩜ capture the flag and other camp games- I can’t wait to do capture the flag, go running around playing, playing freeze tag and so on with all the others

ー꩜ pegasus riding- I CANT wait to see the pegasus and go flying. I’ve only been horse riding once and just that was extremely fun to me. Riding on a pegasus?? Gonna be the top 3 best parts of camp.

ー꩜ going on trips- one of my favorite things I scripted is that theres trips that get assigned constantly. campers are given golden leaves to go on a laurel every time they make an accomplishment, and every month we count them up and whoever gets the most leaves on their laurel gets to pick 4 other people to go with them, and which director(Chiron or Mr. D) go with to supervise. Its usually to a fair, a theme park, or a monument of some kind, like the grand canyon or a national park.

ー꩜ visiting olympus- I scripted that olympus is a whole city and has gardens and temples for each and every god, with the main 12 in the center surrounding their council room. It’s gonna be amazing to see and insanely gorgeous.

ー꩜ just all the magic- Im so excited to be able to use all my powers, to be able to see a world full of magic and magical creatures. I know the monsters are the main point of creatures in the books, but what about all the others? Pegasi, Unicorns, dragons, dryad, nymphs, harpies, fae, griffins, hippogriffs, selkies, and hippocampi.

ー꩜ meeting everyone- This has got to be one of the main things I’m looking forward to. Meeting all the people I’ve read about in books I’ve loved for years. I won’t be meeting most of them for the first time, but I’ll still get to meet them. Be friends with most of them, go on quests and just hang out. I can’t wait.

ib: @jadeshifting

[cal-daisies-and-briars]

Ask and ye shall receive 😝

You actually have perfect timing though because I just thought of some new themes and was going to send in more asks soon! So first we have the stories where Chris is Going Through It™️ (to very different degrees across the stories but still). In order of severity of his struggles:

🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲 (LOVING THIS ONE SO HAPPY ITS BEING PUBLISHED!! I’ve been following along the snippets the whole time but it’s so fun to read it all through and see all the parts I missed. And that last part where Eddie finally got to Chris and he’s so out of it!! So engaging I can’t wait to see the full picture of what’s happening!)

🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼 (covids getting to him :( poor kid! All three of his parents are going to help him get through it together! Also covid means we’re approaching Buckley parents’ visit territory! I’m pumped for the angst!)

🪩🪩🪩🪩🪩🪩🪩🪩🪩🪩🪩🪩🪩🪩🪩🪩🪩🪩🪩🪩🪩🪩🪩🪩🪩🪩🪩🪩🪩🪩🪩🪩 (oh boy the probie better not screw up the florist visit! I’m definitely worried it’s gonna go wrong! And I really want to know what Buck’s surprise is!!! This story is so adorable and sweet and funny and I’m really loving it!)

- PCA <3

THIS WORKED GREAT FOR US!

Great theme. So true. Why am I hurting him?

117 for 🌲 (THANK YOU! So glad you're enjoying it!)

---

“I have,” Adriana says. “And, wait… Eddie, you’ve killed people, too. Right?”

Eddie frowns at her. “Yes. In Afghanistan.”

“See, Mom? Eddie and I have killed. Sophia puts things down for a living.”

“Well, I do more than that,” Sophia grumbles. 

“We’ve got a sort of grit I just don’t think you have,” Adriana says. 

Eddie swallows anxiously. He’s not sure challenging her to a game of chicken is the route he’d take. But he got them this far. Maybe it’s time to pass the baton. 

“See, I don’t think any of this was thought out ahead of time,” Adriana says. “And I get that. Hell, do I ever. You’re not playing chess here, Mom. You’re just surviving. Trying to hold your little delusion together. Every decision you make is out of desperation.”

Eddie waits for Helena to reach across the table and strike her. It doesn’t happen. 

“So do it, Mom,” Adriana says. “Let him go or kill him. I don’t think you’ve really thought through what will happen if you choose the latter.”

Their mother locks her jaw. Her eyes flicker between Adriana and Ramon. There’s an incredibly tense moment where Eddie has no idea how this will go. And then enough moments pass, and he realizes Adriana is right. If Helena was serious about murdering their dad, she would have already. She’s right - it’s all been an act to hold her flimsy life together. 

“Three…” Adriana says. “Two…”

Helena opens her mouth, as if she’s about to command Ramon to do it. To stab himself. Sophia flinches. Eddie holds his breath. His mother’s mouth snaps shut. 

“One,” Adriana finishes. 

Helena exhales, defeated.

Adriana turns to their father. “Dad, you can let go of the knife now. You don’t have to listen to her, remember? You can think for yourself.”

Helena starts to cry.

Ramon inhales heavily. His eyes flicker around, conflicted. 

“It’s okay, Dad,” Adriana says. “You can let go.”

Like he’s been resuscitated, Ramon gasps and drops the knife. He stands and takes a few frantic steps backward, bumping into a cabinet and nearly knocking over some crystalware. He looks terrified. He looks small, in a way.

“What’s happening?” He demands. “Helena, what did you do?” 

Eddie looks between them both. His parents. He spent so many years afraid of them. His father especially, but his mother as well. Afraid of their judgement. Their lectures. Their hands. Their punitive attitudes towards his decisions. Their willingness to rip his son from him. And now he’s looking at them and he’s just… Unafraid. Saddened. This is pathetic. This is all so damn pathetic. 

And something in Eddie’s chest just kind of unlocks. Like a stiff joint cracking. 

“Mom,” Eddie says. “Tell him what you did.”

“No, no,” Helena begs. “Please. This doesn’t have to-”

“Tell him!” Eddie snaps. “Tell him what we are.”

Ramon looks at Eddie. Then he turns to Adriana. And the look on his face is one of pure horror. Rejection. 

Well. 

That’s okay. 

Eddie thinks he wants to reject this circus first. 

🍂

“Okay,” Buck says, putting in the address to the nearest motel in his phone map. “Repeat the plan.”

“We go to the motel. We sleep a few hours. You order me a bunch of pizza and drinks before you leave. You go get Dad, and I don’t open the door for anybody unless I physically see him.”

“Right,” Buck confirms as he pulls out of the parking lot. “I’ll leave you with Bobby and Maddie’s phone numbers. If there’s an emergency, either of them would come for you. Or-or they’d send Chimney.”

“Okay.”

“I hate even thinking about leaving you alone, but I can’t take you with me.”

“I know, Buck. It’s okay.”

“You’re sure?” Buck asks.

“Yeah,” Chris nods. “I haven’t… Uh, I haven’t felt like I could be alone for real in a while.”

---

72 for 🔼 (Well it's not alll gonna be angst... is all I can say...)

---

It goes on that way for weeks. Calls and online games mostly, but twice a week, Buck and Eddie are over in the yard, either doing garden chores, or directing Chris with his. Sometimes, when the weather is right, Shannon will lay a blanket on the opposite side of the yard and sit out there with them. Jane will sit up on the blanket, some brightly colored toy in her hand, watching them work intently and babbling little baby sounds. Eddie gets to talk to her. Gets to answer back like they’re having a conversation. 

For those weeks, Chris seems happy. Shannon seems happy. Jane, well… She’s a baby. Her mood changes with the hour. But she seems good, too. Great, even. Eddie just can’t wait to hold her again. 

“You’re in a better mood lately,” Buck observes one afternoon, driving home from gardening.

“I miss the kids,” Eddie says. “It’s just good to be with them, in whatever way we can be.”

Buck nods, smiles softly. “Yeah. You’re different after you see them. I… I love having you all the time, but I wish it didn’t have to be this way.”

Eddie exhales heavily. “Me too.”

Buck smiles again, but there’s a sad look in his eye. 

“What is it?” Eddie asks. 

“Nothin’,” Buck clearly lies.

“No, really,” Eddie presses. “What’s up?”

“I’ll just miss not being with you every day,” Buck says. “Even if I know it’s for the best.”

Eddie takes a deep breath. 

“If you think I’m letting you go, Buck… You’re crazy.”

Buck scrunches his lips to the side for a second, blushing. 

“I’d hope not,” he mumbles. 

“Definitely not,” Eddie confirms. “And, it’s not just… I mean, you’re there every time, too. You’re family, okay? I take that seriously.”

That kind of leaves Buck speechless for a second. Eddie knows he takes it seriously, too. 

v.

The last time Eddie came home - really came home, after being far away - it hadn’t exactly been his choice. He was shot out of the sky and littered with bullets and nearly died. Shannon nearly lost him. He didn’t come home. He was sent home. Not his choice. Shannon always wondered, would he have reenlisted? Would it just have kept happening, if it had been left up to him? If he hadn’t been medically discharged, when would she have snapped? What would have happened? Would she have divorced the empty side of their bed?

She doesn’t know. That’s not the point. The point is, today, after another prolonged absence - albeit not his choice or fault, and much preferable to Afghanistan - Eddie comes home as soon as he possibly can. Restrictions are lowered. Eddie takes a test. And the moment it’s clear, he’s on his way. No hesitations. No excuses. He’s just coming home. 

Shannon tells Chris. He whoops with excitement. 

“You’re sure?” He asks, giddy. 

“I’m sure,” she promises. “He’s ten minutes away, sweetie.”

Her son is so happy he starts to cry. 

---

96 for 🪩 (THANK YOU!)

---

It doesn’t quite go that way. 

Eddie wakes up to Christopher shouting. 

“NO!” 

This is a rather alarming way to be woken. Eddie, startled, nearly rolls out of bed and hops to his feet to run to him, before he remembers his foot. 

“I got it,” Buck mumbles, climbing out of bed with a yawn.

The whole point of today was for Buck to sleep in and take it easy, but what can they do? A shout like that requires some haste. Eddie can’t currently be hasty. Eddie lags behind as Buck hurries out of the room, in search of Christopher. He finds them in the bathroom. Buck’s broad frame blocks Eddie’s view inside the doorway. 

“This is horrible! Prom is ruined!” Chris complains.

“No,” Buck says gently. “No, it’s not that bad. Really!”

“What is it?” Eddie asks. “What’s going on?”

“My life is over!” Chris bemoans.

Buck sighs and steps aside, letting Eddie into the bathroom. 

“Look,” Chris points to his forehead. His forehead, where, smack in the middle, there is a massive, red zit. “It’s horrible.” 

“Oh, wow,” Eddie says dumbly.

Buck nudges him.

Christopher’s face crumples even further. 

“I mean!” Eddie leaps to fix his statement. “I mean, it’s not that bad. Wow, your reaction was… Big, because the zit is not.” 

“Oh, great save,” Buck mutters.

“You’re lying!” Chris practically whines. “It’s horrible!”

Eddie sighs. He fucked this one up.

“Okay, you know what? It’s not great.” He admits. “But prom isn’t ruined. We can fix this.” 

“Can we?” Chris asks. “Because they don’t just disappear!” 

“No. No, they don’t,” Eddie agrees. 

“But we can hide it!” Buck interjects. 

“Hide it?” Chris asks.

“Yeah!” Buck nods enthusiastically. “Yep. We can, uh… Today we can work on getting the redness down, and tomorrow we can use some makeup.”

“Makeup?” Chris asks. “I can’t do makeup! I don’t know how!”

“Well…” Eddie winces. “You must have friends that do. Ainslee does, right?”

“What?” Chris demands. “She can’t see this! She can’t know!”

“Eddie, how did you ever get a girl to take you seriously?” Buck chides. “No, Chris. Don’t worry. We’ll look it up on YouTube.”

To his question, Eddie has no idea. Realizing he’s gay was incredibly liberating, in that he never has to think about that again. And, on top of that, Buck is pretty easy to be around. No stress. No pressure. 

“YouTube,” Chris sighs. “Right. Okay. Buck, you’ll help me?”

“Of course,” Buck nods. 

“I can help, too!” Eddie insists.