#this is my workplace comedy au pitch

[numbuh424]

AU where Light never picks up the notebook and goes on to join the NPA, eventually following in his father's footsteps as chief.

The first L has retired (which is a nice way of saying he's disappeared and no one can track him down), forcing his successor Near to take up the mantle.

Years later, the chief of the NPA is summoned by L to help track down a serial killer.

[darlingshane]

Summary: Karen has sworn to never date anyone in the workplace ever again, but it's a rule that she might need to break when she starts her new job at Castle Motors as a marketing consultant.

CW: au - romantic comedy, fluff, crack, slow burn, friendship, drinking, workplace relationships, eventual romance, happy ending, frank and maria are divorced but have a good relationship. (and marketing, a lot of marketing.)

Word Count: 12,1k (first 10 chapters only)

A/N: This is based on a drabble I wrote a few years ago of the same title here (it was kind of a mess so don't check it out, just read this one instead). I always wanted to turn it into a longer fic. I'm working on the last couple of chapters, and it'll be done soon. You won't have to wait long to see those posted.

— Links: AO3 // Kastle Masterlist.

Excerpt from my favorite chapter (7):

When Karen had pitched the idea of putting Frank in front of the camera, she knew it was a gamble. Frank was the kind of CEO who preferred to stay behind the scenes, letting his work and the company speak for itself. But Karen was convinced that showcasing Frank as the face of the company would resonate with the public, making Castle Motors not just a brand, but a brand with a story and a leader people could trust.

Frank, however, had been less than enthusiastic. “Karen, my face isn’t exactly camera-friendly,” he had said with a wry smile. “Broken nose, giant head, satellite ears…”

“Stop it, you look like a young De Niro.” Karen chuckled but persisted, knowing that his rough-around-the-edges appearance and straightforward personality were precisely what would make him relatable and authentic. People didn’t need another polished, cookie-cutter CEO—they needed someone real.

Now, as she watched Frank fidget with the collar of his suit, Karen could tell he was out of his element. He’d been through makeup, his hair was slicked back, and the tailored suit, while well-fitted, seemed to restrict him. He looked like a man wearing someone else’s skin.

She approached him, her eyes scanning the nervous energy in his posture. “You okay?” she asked softly.

Frank sighed, glancing around at the crew bustling about. “This just isn’t me, Karen. I don’t feel right in this get-up.”

Karen smiled, understanding his discomfort. “You don’t have to be someone else, Frank. That’s not what this is about. We want people to see you—the real Frank Castle. Not some polished version.”

She reached out, tugging gently at the lapels of his suit jacket. “What if we lose the jacket and tie? Maybe unbutton a couple of buttons, get you back to feeling like yourself?”

Frank hesitated, then nodded. “Yeah, that might help.”

He slipped off the jacket, draping it over a nearby chair, and loosened his tie before pulling it off completely. Karen stepped closer, reaching up to unbutton the top two buttons of his dress shirt. As she did, she noticed how his broad chest and strong shoulders seemed to relax with the simple act.

— You can read the rest on AO3.

[carminite-wyrm]

You know how there was that bit in Season 8 where a number of Hermits were attempting to advertise their shops to Etho? Yeah :)

AU originally inspired by @chrisrin , though by this point ive decidedly gone down the road of 'the hermit archives is a workplace comedy'.

It is something of a…pastime, of the Hermits, the ones definitely in the know about the Entities (no matter how, when or where that understanding came about, the Hermits’ territories are judgement-free zones), to try and subtly (or not) attempt to attract their community’s resident ‘Token Human’ to their particular patron/s.

Not that its ever worked, yet, and the shenanigans do often toe the line between revealing the existence of the various Entities that they serve/follow/respect/are affiliated with, and keeping the man in his continued blissful state of apparent unawareness. On one hand, it would be quite the bragging right to be the Hermit to finally convert Etho to their patron. On the other hand, it would be preferable not to traumatise the man, in the way that encounters with the Entities, the Fears, often do.

At this present point in time, Bdubs is currently wondering whether a sign leading to one of his moss-and-vine infested buildings might suffice as a means to gently encourage Etho to get a little more hands-on experience in regards to the wonders of being lovingly enveloped in the hivemind of his favoured plants, the same ones that wrap and weave through and around his body. Of course, the building is stocked with goods that he knows Etho will want to purchase, because Bdubs would also like to make the tip jar on the boardwalk a little fuller, so that Scar will stop smirking in that lightly infuriating way of his as he falls past.

Speaking of Scar, actually-

Bdubs looks upwards, and quickly steps to the side as the avatar in question falls from the sky once again, still screaming even though he’s fallen enough times that Bdubs is pretty sure he ought to be used to it by now. He collides with the ground with a broken-off yell, his hat flying off to land at Bdubs’ feet, and Bdubs respectfully looks away for the brief few moments it takes for Scar to collect himself.

Literally, if the wet-but-crunchy noises are anything to go by.

“Bdubs! I see you’re trying your hand again at attracting our dear Etho!”

Bdubs takes a moment to (not for the first time), wonder if the Falling Titan just has the ambient effect of making people act in a very light-hearted manner, or if that’s just a Scar thing, before he turns around, graciously picking up Scar’s hat and holding it out.

“I am! And we’ll be making more profits than your Boatem club or crew in no time!” His moss puffs up slightly as Scar chuckles in response, the scarred man giving his head a few hard taps so that his skull properly aligns with his spine again, before accepting his hat.

“Oh, of course, although I do have to say, I find it hard to imagine Etho missing this particular sales pitch.” Scar grins, as he looks up at the truly magnificent billboard that Bdubs has constructed.

“Uh huh! He’ll be ours in no time!”

“You say that, but also last I heard, Grian left a few of Joe’s Collection in his train, swapped the covers out with some of his regular offerings, and Etho managed to avoid every single one of them!”

“This one will work! You’ll see!”

Scar laughs, before tipping backwards, and launching back into the sky as if gravity is nothing to be concerned about, exiting the conversation with about as much grace as he entered it with.

-

A week later, and Bdubs is several blocks of diamond richer. The vines he laid around the shop as a welcoming curtain, and then a pleasant lattice within, have somehow sadly wilted.

“Oh, Tango must’ve been by!” Bdubs decides, after inspecting the damages. “That Tango, always giving my plants heatstroke! At least Etho wasn’t put off by your state.”

A vine gives the sad wilted approximation of what Bdubs thinks is a nod of agreement.

-

Several kilometres away, Etho casually taps his pen against the sign he plans to leave for his roommate. Shopping had been an enjoyable experience, even if he did have to…neutralise…a minor infestation of Bdubs’ favoured strain of That Which Infests and Infects. Unfortunately, that has also left him a little out of pocket, and a little out of blaze powder.

At least Iskall is off Hunting for…resources, presumably.

Well, either way, their shared funds will be replenished in due time, and it isn’t really Etho’s concern how that happens.

[justimajin]

Catching a Case of the Doctor Blues ⌠Part 16⌡

⇢ Pairing: Taehyung x Reader

⇢ Genre: Fluff, Comedy, Angst

↳ (4.5k) Doctor/Surgeon AU, Enemies to Lovers AU

⇢ Summary: When asked about Dr. Kim, a string of beautifully aligned words are ready spew from your lips. You could possibly go on and on about how his wonderful stubbornness wasn’t similar to talking to a brick wall, or how his observation skills were especially great in preparing your blood vessels for a drastic rupture or even how one gracious stare of his nearly had you on the verge of ripping your essential documents in half. But it seems that, perhaps, there was a lot more to Dr. Kim then what meets the eye…

⇢ Warnings: so much cuteness :’)

⇢ Moodboard Prologue Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15

⇢ Updates every Tuesday - next update

Your eyes stare at the bright gleaming sign that glows out from the dark sky above you. It’s entrancing and intriguing, yet you keep wondering to yourself how on earth you had agreed to this.

The culprit has a huge smile plastered on his face, black hair styled to reveal his forehead and a clean cut royal blue dress shirt adorned. His eyes stare at the sign in amazement when they flicker over the hoard of workers lined up next to you and then finally meet your eyes.

“Oh come on!” He exclaims, “Don’t look at me like that!”

You glare at him, “This is where you wanted to take us?” Everyone with you is confused as well, mummers whispering through.

“Why not?” He walks over to you, “It’s the time to celebrate!”

“Park Jimin we’re at a bar.”

“Pshh,” He shakes his head, “It’ll be fun!” He looks behind you, “Right guys?”

“U-uh...well…” Namjoon attempts to reason, scratching his head. Chaeyoung is still staring at the sign, eyes rapidly flickering.

“Do they have any banana milk?” Jungkook raises his hand and suddenly questions, looking at you eagerly and you grimace.

Banana milk was probably the last thing they had.

“I don’t understand why I was dragged here.” Yoongi points out and Jimin pouts, but another voice speaks out.

“It does look fun!” Jin turns around, looking at everyone, “And besides, this is for my promotion and I think we should go.”

You sigh; there wasn’t much you could do at this point. Jin had finally gotten an update on his application, which had been accepted, and would soon be leaving his long-term intern position to become a doctor. For a celebration, he had suggested that everyone gather for a night out for the occasion, but of course Jimin has his own ideas with the matter.

“Fine.” You finally say, “Let’s just get in already.”

Your eyes quickly flicker over, in search of the man who had yet to arrive but Yoongi reaches over to tap you on the shoulder, “Come on. He’ll be here soon.”

You all get seated and the table is completely full at all four corners with the large number of chairs squished together. Namjoon and Jin sit together on one end, while Yoongi takes up another end. Jimin sits down with Jungkook and you are left seated next to Chaeyoung.

You assume Yoongi had saved the seat for your fellow doctor, but then a particular orange haired man with a sunny disposition arrives and immediately a giant smile is on your lips.

“Hoseok?” You instantly get up from your seat and the man charmingly smiles at you before engulfing you straight into a hug. He’s dressed in a dark green jumper and brown pants, looking considerably better than the last time you had seen him.

Hoseok greets everyone else and then sits down to Yoongi, whose energy changes right away when a gummy smile spreads across his face.

“How are you now Hoseok?” You question while Jimin brings small menus over for everyone to look through.

“I’m great!” He smiles, “I haven’t had any problems breathing lately!”

A fond smile is on your lips when he turns his attention over to Yoongi, “So what’s the special occasion for?”

Yoongi gestures over to Jin, “He isn’t an intern anymore.”

Hoseok eyes enlarge dramatically, pure joy lighting up inside him, “You’re a doctor now?!”

“Sure am.” Jin confidently says but soon he’s being engulfed into a hug by Hoseok who had rushed over to his side.

Hoseok raises his determined fisted hand with a cute pout, “I knew you could do it!” He reaches out his hand and Jin high fives it.

Jungkook sighs, “Man…I want to hurry up and be a doctor already too…”

Chaeyoung turns over to him with a smile, “Don’t worry, we can do it!” She pats him on the back and he shoots her an appreciative look. 

Jimin plants himself right in between them, “Alright! Alright! Are we ordering some drinks or not?”

“I’ll take the….” Namjoon squints his eyes and they enlarge when he sees the price. His eyes go down the column, only continuing to widen before he turns to Jimin. “Why is everything here so expensive?”

“Because it has quality.” Jimin explains, hopping over to Namjoon, “Should I just order for everyone?”

“I guess.” You shrug, eyes darting around everywhere. Jimin excitedly nods, rushing over to the waiter.

“So if Jin isn’t Dr. L/N’s intern anymore…” Jungkook brings up, “Then are you internless?”

You chuckle at that, “Unfortunately so. It’s a shame that I’ll be losing such a hard worker.” You smile to Jin and he returns it.

“I’ll miss working with you.” Jin turns to Jungkook, “And you can become a doctor too. Just turn 26 first.”

Jungkook mischievously smiles, “I’ll become one by next year.”

“Is that a bet?” Jin asks but Namjoon interrupts them.

“We shouldn’t be betting in the workplace!!”

“Namjoon we’re in a bar.” Jin says and his eyes flicker for a moment.

“Oh right…”

“Wait a minute. If you’re a doctor now does that mean we’ll have two Dr. Kim’s?!” Jungkook hurriedly says.

“We actually had two Dr. Kim’s from the start…” Namjoon mumbles.

Jungkook gasps, “Now we have three Dr. Kim’s!”

“Why do you like hiring so many people with the last surname?” Hoseok questions, reaching over to pour Yoongi a glass of water.

Namjoon shrugs, “It just happened. But no one really calls me Dr. Kim anyways…”

“Tell me about it.” Jimin plops back down next to Jungkook. “By the way the drinks have been ordered and will be here soon. Does anyone know where Dr. Kim is?”

All eyes suddenly land on you, “What?”

“You usually talk to him. Where is he?” Yoongi asks and you abruptly shrug.

“How am I supposed to know?” Your tone comes off a lot harsher than you intended and even Yoongi looks surprised, but you shake your head, “He’ll be here soon enough.” 

“So…” Jungkook begins when the room drops in silence, “Why don’t we just call the Kim’s by their first name.”

“That probably wouldn’t apply to me…” Namjoon says but Jin pitches through.

“I just got the title of doctor and you guys always get addressed by it.” He pouts, “I worked hard for this.”

“Maybe we should just replace Jin’s new position with Dr. Kim instead.” Jimin suggests but a protest come out of Jin.

“What?! No!,” He points an accusing finger at Jimin, “Don’t go around replacing me, I’m irreplaceable!” 

Jimin scoffs, “Sureee you are.”

Jungkook scrunches up his nose. “It feels weird calling Jin Dr. Kim…” Even you nod to that, the tone not sounding quite right.

“What is Dr. Kim’s first name anyways?” Jimin asks Namjoon and everyone turns to him expectantly.

“It’s Taehyung.”

The words don’t leave Namjoon’s mouth.

He quickly walks by the crowded table in the pursuit of a chair and finally locates one after a couple of minutes. Dragging it over, his eyes immediately flicker over you and you press on your lips to keep them from smiling as you meet his gaze.

He’s dressed in a light blue dress shirt with white stripes, the tone of it considerably lighter compared to anything you’ve seen on him. He wears it casually, the buttons loosely done and his sleeves pushed back, but the most noticeable characteristic is the absence of his glasses once again.

It’s then he realizes that there isn’t enough space for him to sit beside you when you have Chaeyoung on one side and Jin on the other so he hesitates for a moment. You notice this right away and then spot available space next to Jimin; gesturing with your eyes for him to sit there. He sends you a quick apologetic look and you slightly shake your head when he opts to get seated beside Jimin.

It amazes you how you and Dr. Kim can talk without words and how no one even notices the interaction that took place.

“I’ve never seen you without glasses Dr. Kim.” Chaeyoung remarks, staring at her superior with awe.

“I only wear them at work to focus.” He adjusts himself in his seat, “Who chose the bar?”

“I did.” Jimin retorts, a smirk on his face, “By the way we were wondering if you could give the title of Dr. Kim to Jin.” Jimin says, leaning back in his chair as he awaits for an answer.

“Title?” His eyes flicker over to said man, “You can use it. It doesn’t belong to me.”

“But we can’t have two Dr. Kim’s.” Jin explains but he shakes his head.

“Just call me Taehyung then. Especially outside of work.”

“Alright Taehyung.” Jimin laces an arm around the man and he raises a suspicious brow, “I hope we can be great friends.”

Your drinks finally make there way to your table and not much is said after then as the curiosity swarms around the nature of what Jimin had exactly ordered. A lot of the drinks you weren’t familiar with either, but then everyone begins to try them and your eyes widen when you Jimin turn into a mixer to create bizarre combinations for everyone.

The drink you have isn’t so bad, you suppose, yet your cautious with it because one sip of it had already left a strong taste in your mouth and you weren’t keen on continuously indulging more of it.  

Looking around the atmosphere is different but it isn’t uncomfortable. Jimin is serving everyone drinks and talking huge gulps of his own, Namjoon seems to be involved in a hearty conversation with Jin that leads to both of them laughing about something absurd, Yoongi has an iron grip on Hoseok who keeps on insisting that he was recovered enough to join in and the latter doesn’t want to budge while Jungkook attempts to know more about nature of the drinks by carefully looking through the menu with Dr. Kim’s help.

Correction. Taehyung.

Taehyung…

“Dr. L/N?” The girl next to you is on her phone, expectant eyes moving to look at you as she gets up, “Can you come with me for a second?”

You’re surprised, but you don’t suppose your doing much except for watching the commotion before you while you sip on your strange drink so you oblige. She leads you away from your group and stops in front of another table not too far away.

“Dr. L/N, I wanted to introduce you to my friends.” Chaeyoung smiles and your eyes rack over the three intimidating girls seated in a booth. They’re all gorgeous, but at the same time they look like they could take you out right there and then causing you wonder how someone as sweet as Chaeyoung was friends with them.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Jisoo.” The one with purple hair says with a smile.

The brown haired one speaks out, raising her drink, “Jennie.”

“I’m Lisa.” The blonde one says and her voice comes out much sweeter compared to her appearance.

“Chaeyoung tells us about you a lot. The doctor that helped her fit in.” Jisoo explains and you’re taken aback, voice stuttering.

“M-Me?”

“Of course Dr. L/N! You’ve helped me so much!” She sits down next to Lisa and gestures for you to join in as well.

You get into conversation with the girls, with Chaeyoung explaining about her internship at the hospital to Lisa and Jennie talking about how they’ve seen Chaeyoung struggle a lot during her college days but are happy she’s now where she wants to be.

“So what are you all doing?”

“I’m working as an office assistant for now.” Jennie says, eyes rolling, “Getting promoted doesn’t seem to be in question though.”

You nod understandably; the corporate world wasn’t the nicest when it came to female workers, “I’m switching through jobs but haven’t really gotten any calls back yet…” Lisa retorts, voice growing smaller.

That is understandable as well with how much the job market keeps declining by the year.

“I’m looking for an internship as well but not many hospitals are hiring currently.” Jisoo explains and instantly your eyes light up.

“You’re looking to be an intern?” She nods.

“What are your credentials?”

“I did my undergraduate degree and just finished medical school last year.”

“Oh,” You pause, “So you haven’t passed the examination yet?”

She shakes her head, “I just completed it but my results haven’t come in yet.”

“I see…” You nod, “Well once you get your results….I don’t mind taking you in as my intern.”

Jisoo immediately gasps and Chaeyoung looks at you in wonder, “Really Dr. L/N? You’ll take in Jisoo?”

“Well I need to talk to Namjoon about it first.” You honestly warn her, “But Jin is no longer my intern and I can always use the extra help from someone qualified.”

Jisoo smiles and thanks you while Chaeyoung launches herself towards you for a hug and you laugh when tears start to escape from her eyes. Jisoo ends up taking out tissues and handing them to her, “Sorry about this doctor, she’s been worried about me for a while now.” Jisoo apologetically says but you shake your head.

“It’s alright, and you can just call me Y/N.”

The conversation continues and for some reason you find yourself relaxing a lot more. You wonder if its because you’re constantly around the guys that having some decent girl time was never part of your day. That being said though, the conversation does take a different turn.

“He brought me flowers for our anniversary.” Jennie says, a triumph smile on her face and a collective ‘aw’ echoes through the room when you all burst out into giggles.

“What about you Y/N?” Lisa eagerly questions. “Anyone special in your life?’

“U-Uh…” You’re not sure if you should bring it up, considering Chaeyoung was with you, “There is someone…”

A loud ‘Ooh’ resonates through the girls and you shyly laugh, “Oh my gosh you’re blushing!” Chaeyoung squeals.

“What is he like??” Jennie exclaims and you smile.

“He’s hardworking and really observant.” You begin, “but he has a kind side to him and he shows it behind the scenes.”

The girls are listening to you with wide lovestruck smiles, “He also has a sense of humour. I wish I could see it more often though.” You chuckle and everyone lets out a sigh.

“What about you Chaeyoung?” Lisa questions. “Anything go on with you and that doctor?”

“That doctor?” You playfully question and she shakes her head from the furious blushing.

“I d-don’t know yet.”

“What was his name…” Jisoo narrows her eyes, “Oh! Park! Dr. Park right?”

Your eyes immediately widen and you look at her astonished to which she tries to shrink away from your gaze. “Really? Jimin?”

A grimace comes on her face from the mention and Jennie raises her voice, “What’s wrong?”

“I’m still not sure.” She looks to you, “He’s just so flirty and bold…”

A collective hum resonates through, “I know he seems like that but he’s a sweet and stable guy underneath Chaeyoung, I can assure you of that.” You say and she smiles at you.

Jisoo pumps out a fist, “We only like sweet and stable men in this household!”

“What household we’re in a bar?!” Jennie exclaims and all of you laugh but Jisoo still has a confident smile on her lips.

“Um Y/N?” A male voice suddenly breaks into the collection of female voices and even you’re surprised to see him.

“Jimin?” You ask, getting up as he appears to not meet your eyes, gaze fixated on the ground.

“Can I talk to you for a moment?” He hurriedly questions, looking more nervous by the minute and you raise an eyebrow at that. You quickly wave to the girls, saying you’ll be back and they understandably nod.

Jimin looks frazzled when he abruptly drags you in the corner and starts mumbling in a hushed whisper.

“Okay so you need to promise not to kill me.“

“Jimin…” His eyes are darting back and forth and you already know what this means, “What did you do…?”

“I seriously thought it was just a fruity drink. Honestly I-“

“Jimin.” Your tone changes, “What. Did. You. Do.”

He taps his fingers against each other, “Um so….I might have of accidentally gotten Taehyung drunk…”

Your jaw drops down and you’re instantly fuming with anger, “JIMIN!”

“I’m sorry!! I didn’t know there was alcohol in it…” He mumbles but your eyes are darting everywhere.

“Where is he?” You grit out and Jimin points in the direction for you to rush over.

To be honest, saying that you’re scared is a complete understatement.

You’re petrified.

“Too bitter.” He explains, “It’s the same for alcohol, it’s too bitter for me.”

“Y/N!” Jin exclaims from across the table, “What are you doing over there?? Join us!”

You cautiously walk over and the sight before you is simple enough – Namjoon talking to Yoongi about some heated discussion, Hoseok is scrambling to find his drink as Jin watches him and laughs but then your eyes take you somewhere else and your jaw drops.

“This one doesn’t taste so bad!” A loud voice pitches through and for a second you blink, for it sounded so different you were having difficulty recognizing it.

“I found one that tastes like banana milk!!” Another voice, specifically of a young intern pitches through.

“Really?! Lemme tryyy!” The voice retorts and its then you find them in their own corner, handing each other drinks with curious looks.

“Dear god…” You whisper, leaning against the wall and they instantly turn to you with smiles.

“Dr. L/N!!” Jungkook yells, racing over to you and dragging you down to sit on the floor, “You should try this one! It tastes like banana milk!”

“Um yeah….” You put the glass he hands you down, “I don’t think so…”

Your eyes move over to someone else, completely frozen when you attempt to take in who exactly was in front of you because it surely was not Dr. Kim.

He turns over to you, a sheepish smile as his cheeks are tinted pink when he whispers in a shy voice. “Hi.”

“Hi...?” You almost want to laugh at the way he happily shuffles over to you and you are so glad that you’re getting to witness this side of him. “So Jimin tells me you’re drunk?” You raise an eyebrow.

He nods furiously, “He said the drink has strawberries.” He rocks back and forth, legs crossed, “And strawberries are sweet.” He leans over to your ear, “Like you.”

He bursts out in giggles and Jungkook laughs with him for no reason as your cheeks are colored a rose shade.

“Alright.” You get up, ushering them to follow you, “Time to put an end to this party.”

They both look at you with pleading faces and you almost feel like you’re a parent supervising her two children because you don’t budge.

If he keeps talking like this, who knows what else he’ll do. 

“Come onnnnn.” He whines, a pout on his face, “I wanted to try more of them.”

“If you keep trying them then a certain person named Jimin isn’t going to make it through the night.”

“Let’s leave Jimin alive and healthy please!” A voice shouts from the other side of the room as you bring him back to the table.

Sitting then down, you attempt to collect your belongings, “What’s the rush Y/N?” Jin slurs, already drunk himself.

“I need to drop these two off home because they can’t drive.” He hums understandably and once you have your coat on, you turn to Dr. Kim.

“Give me your keys.” You reach out as a way for him to place the metallic object in your hand but he shakes his head and then suddenly you’re being whisked off his feet.

A yelp leaves your lips as you close your eyes to brace impact yet when you open them, you’ve landed in a place in front of everyone’s eyes to witness.

Right on top of his lap.

Instantly the heat rushes to you when the questionable gazes dart over, “T-That’s very funny Dr. Kim.” You feign the most fake laugh you have ever produced in your entire life.

But then his arms trace over and leave a trail of goosebumps when he nuzzles himself in your hair, “You smell like strawberries.” He lets out a giggle, “I like strawberries.” He proceeds to hug you closer to him and you are full on panicking at this point.

Everyone’s staring! Y/N do something!!

“Yes, yes I smell like a strawberry, now let me go.” You whisper the last part and wrench his arms off quickly to dust yourself off but he pouts.

You take a look around and everyone looks shocked to the point where they’re frozen.

This isn’t going to be easy to explain afterwards.

A sudden flash passes by when Dr. Kim lifts his hand and you instantly snatch the keys away from him. “Alright then! See you all later!” You squeak out, ignoring the high pitch of your voice.

The ride home is just as disastrous, with a semi-drunk Jungkook telling you he was hungry for banana milk every five seconds and you eventually having to buy some for him out of frustration. He surprisingly calms down afterwards and is no longer a thorn in your side once he waves at you and leaves to go into his own home.

“Now that that is over…” You glance at Dr. Kim, seated in the passenger seat with a huge smile watching you, “It’s time for you to go home.”

“You’re driving my car.” He shyly giggles at that and you quirk an amused look, “Oh! Oh! Also-“ He pokes at your arm to get your attention when you’re about to reverse the car. “I don’t have my house keys.”

You widen your eyes, immediately shifting the car back to park and he looks worried like a child that was going to be scolded. “You don’t have your house keys?”

He innocently shakes his head and you groan. You thought Jungkook was a headache to deal with when drunk but Dr. Kim has to prove you wrong on that.

Your mind racks around for a possible solution and eventually narrows down onto one, much to your own dislike, “Do you…” You sigh, looking at him and he curiously gazes at you, “Do you just want to stay over at my place?”

Laughter bubbles out of him when he claps his hands, “Okay!”

This is not Dr. Kim. You remind yourself. This is some childlike version of Dr. Kim that is partially insane. 

The struggle of getting home is even worse with Dr. Kim as his curiosity runs wildfire when he’s drunk and you are completely exhausted answering a wide array of his wondering questions. The moment your apartment comes into view, you’re jumping for joy when you hurriedly open the door on his side and gesture for him to get out.

“Here it is.” You point to your apartment but then realize he’s actually already seen it, conveniently when you decided to drag him in…

Shuffling your keys, the door opens and he almost stumbles in but you’re quick to catch him, “Are you okay?”

“My head hurts a bit…” He whines, holding onto you when you drag him to your couch.

“Stay here, I’ll get you something for it.” You go into your kitchen and rack through the cabinets until you find your medical supplies.

“Here.” You set the tablet down with some water, “Just take it with this.”

He obediently nods and you almost want to laugh at the sudden reversal. If you had been in the same position, you would have surely thrown some type of tantrum. “Sleep here for tonight, I’ll grab you some pillows and blankets.”

“On the couchhh?” He whines, “I don’t want to!!”

You quickly come back with the supplies, “You have to sleep Dr. Kim.”

“Why do you keep saying that??” He abruptly gets up.

You start to set down the pillow and blankets, “Saying what?”

“Calling me Dr. Kim! I told everyone they could call me Taehyung!” His volume increases and it’s similar to the argument you had in Namjoon’s office.

“U-Um well I-“ Suddenly the blanket falls from your hands and you’re being pinned against the wall when his hands resting on each side.

“Y/N.”

His tone drops in a deeper one at the mention of your name, no longer brimming with his innocent tone causing you to gasp. “Say it.” He commands, his entire vibe switches back into his stern one.

You can seem to look anywhere else but at his dark eyes, piercing into you when you can’t breathe properly anymore, “Ta-Tae…” A deep red blush coats your cheeks when you suck in another breath, “Tae-Taehyung.” You finally annunciate it, smiling at him but he leans in and soon the thought is completely forgotten when he presses his lips to your own.

Your eyes immediately flutter shut and you melt against him as he gently lowers himself to hold you in his arms. He tilts head to the side and presses his lips closer as he savours the moment for as long as he can. You clutch onto his shirt, trying to keep yourself steady when the strength in your own legs dissipates.

You slowly break apart and his half-lidded gaze stares at you with such adoration then you could possibly comprehend. He caresses your cheek and chuckles underneath his breath, “You finally said it properly.” He whispers, tugging you into his arms.

You can’t fathom what he even means by that but he only holds you closer to him, “Y/N.” Your name slipping off of his deep tone causes shivers to run down your spine and you can only muster the will to hum in response, “Can I stay with you tonight?”

Although hesitant with the response at first, you can’t deny the part of you that is concerned about him, “A-Alright.”

He slowly detaches from you, bringing you over to the couch where he lies down and gestures for you to join him. Once you do, he drapes the blanket over you and laces his arm around your torso as he keeps you in a protective lock. A content sigh escapes him when you move to place your head on his chest and deep unsaid words bubble out from him. “Don’t leave me Y/N.” He mumbles, eyes beginning to droop into sleep.

“I won’t.” You whisper, clutching onto him when the words sounds so broken coming from him.

“Please don’t leave me again.” He moves his hands to completely envelope you against him, “Please.”

His voice cracks at the hand and you absolutely can’t stand how he’s almost pleading with you. However, your firm answer does grant him some peaceful sleep for the night.

“I’ll always stay with you Taehyung.”

[lnicol1990]

BatIM - New World, New Rules

4th story written for @squigglydigglydoo. An epilogue one this time.

Also, sorry if this is kinda spamming you Squiggly. I know you’ve read these before, but I want to make sure people go to your page to look at your AU proper. (As if anyone would come to my page and not be from yours. ^_^)

It was a Saturday afternoon when Bendy stormed into Henry’s house, not giving the old man as much as a hello before disappearing upstairs, a tirade of comical squeaks and honks covering up the toon’s foul language.

Well, he was a child friendly cartoon and people simply didn’t swear back in the 30s.

Henry remained seated in his favourite armchair as the little devil raced upstairs and then went silent. He took a moment to fold his newspaper and take a quick look out of the nearby window, only to see an empty street. Sighing quietly to himself, he got up from his chair, leaving the paper on it, and slowly made his way to follow the irate toon.

As he slowly climbed the stairs, he thought about the last five months.

Shit, it had been five months since he’d rescued himself and the toons from his old workplace, Joey Drew Studios. Not wanting to abandon them again, he’d appointed himself the custodian of the three living, breathing cartoon characters, which had brought up some rather unique challenges with his neighbours.

While the local children had taken great delight in living beside real life cartoons, their parents and other adults… had been a lot more negative. Thankfully, most of the complaints and concerns had died down after a couple of weeks, but the local churchgoers and their priest would pay him a visit every other Sunday, either looking to rescue the ‘sweet angel, lost in squalor’, or to banish the ‘unholy wretch’ back to hell where he belonged. As funny as it had been for the first couple of months, Henry now took to answering his door with a loaded Winchester.

He’d received a lot less cold callers, too, thinking about.

As Henry reached the landing, he looked about for where the toon had gone. He was unsurprised to see the airing cupboard door slightly ajar; it was where Bendy always went when he’d wanted to be away from the outside world and it’s harsh, unfair rules.

He stopped at the door and listened. Hearing nothing, he decided to test the waters and quietly knocked on the cupboard door.

“You comfortable in there?” he asked, keeping his voice light as he waited for Bendy’s answer.

“Go away, old man.”

It was a short, curt answer, but still with the affectionate insult. Henry breathed a sigh of relief as he realised this was merely a temper tantrum and not an existential crisis, the latter was never any fun, for anyone involved. Knowing that the matter wasn’t exceptionally serious, he relaxed and settled himself by the doorframe. He kept himself in clear sight of the door’s gap so Bendy would know that he hadn’t left, not that he ever did, and waited.

It was always a waiting game whenever the little devil was in a mood, and one Henry had gotten very good at playing. Arguably, Alice and Boris were better at playing it than him, but they didn’t have old joints that would protest after half an hour of uncomfortable sitting. And with them entertaining the local children at a nearby park, he was currently the only player in the house, otherwise they would have drawn straws.

As time went on, Henry decided to speed the little game along, by doing what would have been considered suicidal in the old workshop.

“Are you just gonna sit in there and mope all afternoon, ya little punk?” Henry needled, adding his own affectionate insult to take the edge off of his words.

Sure enough, the door slowly opened and Bendy peeked out. His eyes were narrowed but the pout on the toon’s face took all ferocity out of the expression. He glared ineffectually at the animator for a few seconds before realising that the old man wasn’t taking back his words.

“I ain’t moping,” Bendy stated in a flat, but petulant tone. When Henry gave him a levelled, unimpressed look, the toon relented and leaned back into the cupboard, curling up and wrapping his arms around his legs. He rested his chin on his knees, huffed, and spoke with a quieter voice. “I’m not…much.”

“You want to tell me what happened?” the animator asked gently, softening his expression as the games and bravado fell away from the little devil. He didn’t move any closer, though, knowing that the demon appreciated his personal space.

“It don’t matter, really,” the toon admitted, shaking his slightly. He sighed forlornly and drummed his fingers against his leg. “It just… made me think of other things.”

“Like what?”

“Like… how much I miss being a toon –a real toon– and doing wacky toon stuff,” he explained, shrugging his shoulders as if it wasn’t as big a deal as it clearly was.

While Henry, for his limited use of toon physics in the studio, didn’t miss such antics at all, he could understand his friend’s dilemma. Alice and Boris, while downhearted at the loss, had adjusted fairly well to losing the majority of their abilities; but, most of their gags on the show rarely contained such shenanigans anyway.

Bendy, however… most of his comedy lived on the abuse of toon logic. And, while the demon always assured Henry that the outside world, with its colours, sounds, new technology and, most importantly, people, was worth the loss of his toon abilities… that didn’t mean he didn’t miss them.

“Some older kids were teasing little Delilah about her pigtails. You know her, right Henry? She’s the kid a couple of streets away with the little brother who’s always got that… thing in his mouth,” Bendy looked to Henry, who nodded in response. “Well, in my show I’d hit them big kids with cymbals or maybe pop their bike tyres so they’d go whipping out of shot, and then give lil’ Deli and Chris a couple of lollipops out of Hammerspace. But… I can’t do that now.”

“Is Delilah alright?” Henry asked, feeling certain it was a redundant question. He knew Bendy wouldn’t leave the little girl alone if she was upset, but he might not have wanted her to see him if he was as well.

“She’s fine,” the toon assured, a ghost of a smile on his face. “A quick hug and telling her they were just jealous made her smile. She took Chris home for dinner.”

“That’s good. That was a good way of making her feel better,” the animator smiled at the little devil, who gave him a genuine smile back, blushing slightly from the praise. Henry cocked his head slightly and watched Bendy for a moment, his smile turning slightly in sympathy. “So, you’re just missing Hammerspace again.”

“What’s not to miss?” Bendy asked incredulously. His eyes brightened as they always did when talking about toon logic. “I mean, seriously old man, don’t you miss it? I know you only had it for a little while but… wasn’t it just so… so… great? That thing had everything in it! Giant mallets, lollipops, even lunch!”

The last item on little devil’s list was unexpected, and his change of tone to comically melodramatic elicited a surprised snort of amusement from Henry, which he quickly suppressed so as not offend the toon. However, the way Bendy’s head snapped to his told him he’d been too late for the demon not to notice. He watched the toon’s eyes widen in delight and a gleeful, eager smile plastered itself on his face.

Oh dear…

“Do you have any idea how many tasty lunches are now stuck in Hammerspace because I can’t reach them?” Bendy asked, his voice pitching slightly higher and his words just a little faster than before.  His eyes seemed to shine for a moment when the animator shuddered as he tried, in vain, not to laugh at the toon, which only seemed to egg the devil on. “And who knows what’s in those lunches! They might have sandwiches in ‘em! Sandwiches! Who knew something like that could have so much stuff in ‘em. They could be anything, like that ‘BLT’ we had at that place downtown. Boy, those were good! Or, maybe one with cheese and pickle.”

Henry, at this point, could feel himself trembling as he tried to suppress his giggles. If he was being honest, lunch and sandwiches weren’t all that funny, but the absurdity, the sheer ridiculousness, of Bendy’s sudden topic change had made him laugh, and now the little devil was milking it for all it was worth.

He turned to the demon, his eyes misted with unshed tears of laughter, who had suddenly fallen silent. The toon’s brain seemed to have caught up with what he was saying, and he was looking away into nothing, his smile faltering.

“Actually, forget that last one,” Bendy stated, his voice deadpan. “I mean cheese is okay, but pickles?”

The toon gave a full body shudder at the thought, and that was it. That was enough for Henry, the end, the pièce de résistance, the final straw that broke his composure, and he laughed. He doubled over, forehead on his knees for support, as he struggled to breathe, and his whole body shaking. Tears began to run down his cheeks, finally free of his vain attempt to hold a straight face.

As his giggling subsided, he leaned back against the wall and gasped, taking big gulps of air that his lungs were screaming for, his ribs aching from laughing. He raised a hand to his face and wiped away the tears streams from down his cheeks. He tittered for a few seconds longer before he finally felt himself calm down and his body relax. With a final deep, calming breath, he turned to the little devil that had caused such mirth.

The demon’s eyes were as large as dinner plates, and seemed to sparkle. His smile, while small, was slowly growing as shock was replaced by something else. The toon’s entire expression seemed to be a mixture of awe and indescribable joy. A couple of happy tears ran down his face as he stared at the old man.

“That… that was… I think…” Bendy stumbled over his words, before giggling gleefully. He blinked rapidly for a few seconds and his face returned to a more normal, but still happy, expression. “I think that’s the first time I’ve made you laugh, old man.”

“No, it’s just the first time you’ve caught me,” Henry assured. He leaned over and tousled the demon’s head, not that he had hair to tangle. Leaning back as the toon tried to smooth the hair he didn’t have, he gave Bendy a gentle, but level look. “And you dodged my question.”

Bendy winced at the reminder, but relaxed at Henry’s mild expression, clearly glad that it wasn’t a reproach. He sighed and lowered his chin back to his knees. Rather than a petulant expression, the animator found his toon sporting a thoughtful one. He made silly faces as he thought, like he used to in his show, moving his mouth around to silly positions on his face. After a couple of minutes of thought, he stilled his movements.

“It’s not really Hammerspace that I’m missing. I mean, yeah, it was useful and all, but that’s not the real problem,” Bendy admitted quietly. He raised his head to look at Henry, rather than the other side of the cupboard, who was listening to him quietly. “It’s what I could pull out of Hammerspace that I miss. My gags and stuff. When those kids were picking on Delilah, I couldn’t do anything but stand there. I couldn’t play any practical jokes or anything like that. They just hurt her feelings and laughed, and–“

“Okay, okay, I get it. I get it,” Henry assured him. He reached out and brushed his thumb against Bendy’s widow peak outline, clearing away the ink that was beginning to melt down the toon’s face. He was glad to see the contact even managed to calm his friend down slightly, the dribbling ink returning to its rightful place. He leaned back slightly as a thought occurred to him. “Maybe, instead of trying to solve this with toon gags and pranks, you use real world one instead?”

“There are real world gags?” Bendy asked, curiosity instantly piqued. His expression morphed into genuine interest and excitement when Henry nodded at him. “Like what? Like what?”

“I’ll have to take you into the joke shop next time we’re in town,” Henry chuckled. “There’re lots of things in there that I think you’ll like. We could get you a squeaky hammer.”

“Not quite what I had in mind, old man,” Bendy explained, his shoulders drooping slightly. “But… maybe there’s something else in there that’ll help me give some payback to those bullies. Nice and clean stuff, of course!”

“Ah, I see. You’re after some harmless retribution, huh?” Henry noted as the metaphorical penny dropped. He smirked as Bendy shrugged in response, once again showing how much it really meant to him. “Well… in that case, you could always spitball the punks.”

“What’s spitball?” the toon frowned, cocking his head to a side at the unfamiliar term.

Henry sucked his breath in through his teeth. For a moment, he struggled to keep a smile off his face at Bendy’s surprised expression, determined to put on the melodrama for the little devil. After a quick thought of how to proceed, he began his grandiose tale.

“What is spitball?” the animator echoed in an incredulous voice. He began to gesture as he continued. “Why, spitballing is a timeless real-world prank that has lasted through the ages! Its ancient art form has been passed down from generation to generation, taught only to those who are worthy of its… its…”

Henry took a deep breath in and tried to calm himself. Clearly his earlier giggles were threatening to come back with a vengeance, and he was struggling to keep up the momentum of his epic tale. He had always been a fantastic animator, but story telling was another matter entirely.

Hesitantly, he peeked back at Bendy, wondering what the toon thought of his antics. He was surprised to find that the little devil had crawled out of the airing cupboard and was all but hanging off his arm. He was enraptured with the old man’s words, by the’ myth’ of spitballing, and Henry had to hold back another threat of giggles at the sight of the captivated demon. He hadn’t even noticed that the animator was struggling to keep a straight face, or maybe he didn’t care.

The toons were all equally as mesmerised by the ridiculous, over-the-top soap operas that they would find on the TV.

“It is taught only to those who are worthy of its mischief,” Henry whispered, leaning in towards Bendy as he quickly finished up his act. “Do you think you’re worthy, punk?”

“You bet, old man!”

Bendy’s eyes were alight with eager enthusiasm and his smile bright at the challenge to be worthy of a gag or prank. The good-natured passion in the toon’s face was reminiscent of the few times in the studio when Henry had done something unexpected and ‘fun’ as far as the little devil was concerned, when then toon had looked… like the truest form of himself.

It was a very welcome sight.

It was then, of course, that the ramifications of Henry’s actions dawned on him. Teaching the demon how to spitball his ‘enemies’ was undoubtedly a recipe for even more numerous complaints against the little punk, which may even extend to police complaints.

And yet…

“God forgive me,” the old man muttered up to the ceiling. His quick prayer of apology sent, he turned back to the demon. “Alright, you little punk, I’ll teach you tomorrow. The good pastor and his flock should be visiting after lunch. We’ll have plenty of targets to practice on.”

Bendy smiled wickedly at the thought.

[masodemic]

What if the first L is the mysterious killer DUN DUN DUN

AU where Light never picks up the notebook and goes on to join the NPA, eventually following in his father's footsteps as chief.

The first L has retired (which is a nice way of saying he's disappeared and no one can track him down), forcing his successor Near to take up the mantle.

Years later, the chief of the NPA is summoned by L to help track down a serial killer.