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gyubakeries · 1 day

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𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀 | c.sc (f)

a/n: for some reason the ask got deleted 😭 but an anon asked for something scoups related, so, anon, if you're seeing this, hi! thanks for requesting! i kept brainstorming, and finally came up with this, so i hope you like it! (sorry the ask got deleted im hopeless w technology 😭)

word count: 2.1k contents: seungcheol x afab!reader , gymbro!cheol , i have 0 gym knowledge forgive me , seungcheol and reader are dating , bullying mingyu is a canon event , lots of fluff , cheol being a green flag as always , slight angst , mentions of insecurities (but they have healthy communication about it!) , just overall cute vibes !

"i wanna go to the gym with you."

seungcheol looks up from his phone to direct his gaze at you. it's a thursday night, a rare day off for the both of you, and you had been in the process of selecting a movie for the night when you suddenly spoke.

"what?" seungcheol asks again, not sure if he heard you right the first time.

"i want to go to the gym with you," you repeat, meeting seungcheol's eyes reluctantly, trying to mask your ulterior motive with a smile.

seungcheol was taken aback, but don't get him wrong. he was a regular at the gym, but in your last three years of dating, he had never heard you wanting to accompany him to the gym. instead, you'd always said that you'd rather be at home than be surrounded by sweaty people, including seungcheol himself.

so why the sudden interest?

"babe, everything okay?" seungcheol asks. he knows asking questions may seem rude, but he notices the way the smile you're shooting at him doesn't feel genuine at all.

"yeah! i just wanted to see what was so great about the gym for you to spend hours there," you say, making up an excuse on the fly, hoping you sounded convincing enough.

seungcheol knew you through and through, and he also knew that you weren't telling him the entire truth. but instead of prying, he decides to agree to your request.

"alright,come with me tomorrow," he nods. "it's gonna be pretty intense though. mingyu tells me i'm a really strict gym trainer." he jokes.

"it's okay," you laugh, finally cracking a real smile. "i have a feeling i'll become your favorite student in no time."

"we'll see about that," seungcheol teases, and you drop the topic, shifting your attention back to choosing a movie.

seungcheol needs to get to the bottom of this.

the next day, seungcheol comes home from work, and like clockwork, he changes into his workout clothes and grabs his gym bag, ready to head out, but-

something feels different about today though....

"excuse me? were you forgetting your star student at home?" comes your voice, and he finally remembers. he turns to see you waiting in the kitchen, and any suspicions he had about your strange request melt away at the sight of you dolled up in the cutest workout fit. your hair was up in a ponytail, and you were wearing a baby pink sports bra with a matching pair of leggings. you even had a cute duffel bag packed with you.

"aw, baby, you look adorable," he coos. he walks towards the kitchen and stops in front of you to place a kiss to your forehead, his arms wrapping around your waist to pull you into a hug. "also, i'd never forget my favorite student." he says defensively, and you laugh at his cuteness.

"sure, big guy," you chuckle. "let's get going, shall we?"

whatever worries had left his brain when he saw you at home had come back to him ten-fold at the gym. he started you off with some basic warm-up exercises and then the treadmill. the both of you jogged next to each other for a while. you had found all of this manageable until now, even though all the physical exertion had made you all sweaty, which in turn made you uncomfortable. you mask your uneasiness though, not wanting to alert seungcheol.

but he had already seen the signs of discomfort on your face. after the treadmill, he decided that he needs to take you home.

"i'm actually feeling really tired today, babe," he fake-yawns while you're sipping on some water. "how about we go home now and come back another day?"

"woah, you're tired just from some cardio?" someone speaks up from behind him, and it's mingyu.

how is he always at the gym?? seungcheol wonders, cursing mingyu's timing.

"i just had a long day at work. what are you doing here?" seungcheol rolls his eyes.

"working out, duh," mingyu retorts. "didn't you clock in late to work today, though? i've seen you less tired while you were working on three days of no sleep."

seungcheol really wants to punch mingyu in the face right now.

"if you're really feeling tired, we can head home," you butt in before seungcheol throws a dumbell at mingyu.

seungcheol would be relieved, if not for the way you look dejected and upset, and seungcheol would rather walk through fire than be the reason for that frown on your face, so he relents.

"it's okay, i'm feeling fine," he smiles. "we can continue, baby."

"just don't be all gross and couple-y," mingyu adds, and quickly scurries away before seungcheol can elbow him in the stomach.

after mingyu leaves, seungcheol gets you started on some basic squats. he shows you the correct posture, even helps you for the first few times till you get the hang of it.

finally, you gain the confidence to do the squats on your own, so you start off with a goal of completing 10. by the time you're on squat number 4, there's a burn in your thighs. you've heard people saying that it's supposedly a good burn, but right now, it's making you feel like your legs are going to snap into two, like twigs.

not wanting to embarrass yourself, you push through the remaining squats, collapsing to the floor after you finish them.

"hey! that was great!" seungcheol smiles cheerily. "i'm so proud of you. let's take a break and then we can move onto something else."

the next challenge: push-ups.

while you weren't a frequent gym-goer, you had an idea of how a push-up should be done. guided by seungcheol's instructions, you find yourself in the position to carry out some push-ups. once again, you set a goal of 10 and you start.

at push-up number 7, your arms give out and you lose your balance, your forehead bumping with the ground.

"shit. y/n, are you okay?" seungcheol is by your side in a blink, helping you up into a sitting posture. you look around the gym, and thankfully there weren't a lot of people around to see your disastrous attempt at push-ups, but you still felt your cheeks burn with embarrassment.

"i'm sorry," you sniffle, tears welling up in your eyes as seungcheol gently rubs your forehead. "i'm sorry for being bad at this."

seungcheol freezes when he sees you cry. he knows you, and you weren't the type to cry from such a small failure. the uneasiness twists his gut; something is really wrong.

"baby, you have nothing to be sorry for," he says, tone firm yet gentle. "let's go home and talk about this, okay? you did a good today, and you should rest."

leaving no room for negotiation, you let seungcheol gather both your belongings and walk you back home.

once you reach your shared apartment, you're aware of how sweaty and gross you are, your nose crinkling with disgust.

"i need to shower..." you mumble.

"you can head in first. call me if you need anything, okay?" seungcheol suggests. "i'll start on dinner."

you nod timidly and head towards the shower. a long and relaxing shower later, you're emerging from the bedroom in your comfiest pajamas, and a red spot on your forehead from the incident at the gym. you walk into the kitchen to see seungcheol putting down dinner on the table, freshly showered.

"you used the guest bathroom?" you ask, and he nods. you can tell that there's something on his mind, and you know its related to what happened today. knowing seungcheol, he likes to communicate whatever he has on his mind to maintain trust between you, so you eat dinner in silence, anticipating the conversation after.

once the dishes are washed and put away, you quickly go to bed, hoping to avoid any tough conversations by falling asleep early. but seungcheol is too aware of your tendencies, so he follows you to the bedroom, sitting next to you on the bed as you lay down.

"does it hurt a lot?" he asks, breaking the silence.

"my forehead? not that much. but the rest of my body is really sore," you admit truthfully.

"should i get you a painkiller for it?" seungcheol offers, and you shake your head. you've seen him come home from the gym complaining of sore muscles, but he never takes any medication for it, and you don't want to seem weak for doing so.

"you can take one, it won't make you weak," seungcheol says, as if he's read your thoughts. "what's going on, baby? i know something is bothering you, tell me what it is. let me help you."

the gentle tone to his voice makes you tear up immediately. you bring your hands up to your face as you cry. an alarmed seungcheol is quick to hug you, whispering comforting words into your ear.

once you've calmed down, you realize it's time to tell him the truth.

"i wanted to have something in common with you. all our friends and their partners have a shared interest. mingyu and his girlfriend love cooking, wonwoo and his girlfriend like photography; even minghao managed to end up with someone who loves tea as much as him. i just wanted to share something with you. i realized that you and i don't have a lot in common. everyone says 'opposites attract' but to what extent? that's why i thought of going to the gym, so that we could have something to share."

seungcheol is silent for a few moments, and you bite the inside of your cheek nervously while you wait for his response.

"y/n, you're the one person on this earth i have found a perfect match in. you and i have a lot more in common than you think. like the fact that you're the only person who supports my 'dipping french fries in milkshake' agenda," seungcheol cracks a soft smile, holding your hands in his.

"you don't have to force yourself to do things just to share an interest with me, baby. i love you for who you are. you're a wonderful artist, and i'm absolutely pathetic at drawing basic human figures. that doesn't mean we don't work together," seungcheol explains, hoping that his words make sense to you.

"i know, but i just- i just got worried that one day you'd be tired of having to deal with someone so different from you," you sigh, confessing the thought that had been plaguing your mind for a few weeks. "i don't want to lose you, cheol. that's why i did all this. but all i've really done is embarrass myself..."

seungcheol's lips draw into a pout as he crawls onto the bed, laying down next to you. he covers both of you under the blanket and pulls your body closer to him, your head cradled against his chest, and his arm wrapped around your waist.

"i'll never get tired of you. you're the love of my life, and i like the fact that every day we spend together, i get to learn something new about you. there's a familiarity in that too, you know?" he says, and the warmth in his voice makes your heart melt.

"ever since the day i met you, i've wanted to know who you are. i've wanted to know what makes you smile and cry, what food you don't like so i'll never bring it up, what your favorite disney princess is, even how much sugar you like in your coffee. and i'm so grateful to be able to learn every small thing about you, because that's how i show my love for you."

you pull away slightly from his embrace, meeting seungcheol's soft gaze.

"i love you the way you are, and no amount of differences could ever stop me from loving you. even if you were the north pole and i was the south, i'd do everything in my power to be with you, you get that?"

"how'd i get so lucky?" you whisper, eyes welling up again. "i love you too, so much. you- you made me cry, you idiot." you chuckle wetly, slapping his chest playfully.

"you're just a sap," seungcheol teases, but he rubs your back comfortingly nonetheless. "anyways, you're not going to be following me to the gym just for the sake of it anymore. i already think you're perfect the way you are, but if you ever do want to go, you should do it only because you want to, okay?"

"you don't have to worry about it," you dismiss his concerns. "from the second i step foot into the gym and got attacked by the stench of sweat, i promised to never come back."

"hey! that's rude!" seungcheol gasps dramatically. you can only laugh at the way a grown, 29 year-old man pouts like a toddler.

yeah, you really were lucky to have him.

-fin.

#seventeen #scoups #seungcheol #seungcheol x reader #choi seungcheol #seungcheol fluff #gyubakeries <3

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cindyss · 2 days

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Theodore nott × reader (book reader)

They go to the mall together Theodore trying to find ways to spend on his girl because she keeps rejecting everything (growing up her parents didn't have money so she finds buying stuff for no particular reason is unnecessary).

But she's on her phone looking at some books she really wants, she's been saving for them but still doesn't have enough to buy all 5. Theodore looks at her phone wondering what she's so interested in, when he notices that you want the books, he leads you to the book store and buys those books and 4 more. When at the till, you see how expensive it is and try to tell him to not pay he quickly dismissed you

— you know ill do anything to see that pretty smile of yours -theodore nott

- pairing: theodore nott x reader (book)

- word count: 1.08k

- note: absolute cutest idea ever 🥹

you and theodore had hit the three month mark of dating, and to celebrate your anniversary, you decided to go out together to the mall and after it you would go grab lunch together.

you put on a cute yet casual outfit and got picked up by theo. as soon you got in his car he greeted you with a kiss, “hii bella, you look so beautiful”.

you face turned red, your boyfriend not once failing at making you blush, not missing a chance to compliment you. “thank you baby”.

he started the car and drove the both of you to the mall. on the way there, you talked about a few things, exchanging laughs and smiles. suddenly, his phone started ringing, “sorry i have to take this, enzo is staying over at mine and he was trying to cook pasta before i left, so i just wanna make sure he hasn’t burnt my house down already.” you chuckled “of course take your time.”

you opened your phone while he spoke on the phone, scrolling through instagram, you came across a recent reel of your favorite author, talking about the release of her new book. from next to you, theodore took a glance at your phone, wondering what you’re so interested in when he saw a last holding a book.

“berkshire, the cheese is in a white container in the freezer, how many times do i have to tell you that? i have to go now, take care and don’t burn my kitchen”.

With that, he ended the phone call, he turned to look at you before then turning his head to keep his eyes on the road, “isn’t this the book you’ve been telling me you want to read?” he questioned.

“yes it is, she released it a few days ago. ive been saving up for it and a few others im going to buy soon”. to that, the boy nodded before turning the car to the parking lot of the mall.

after a few hours of walking around the mall, you only a bought a small amount of clothes as theo wouldn’t let you pay, your stomach grew more hungry.

“i think its tike to leave, im starving and our reservation is in around 25 minutes” you told him.

“okay, just, one more place, come” he said holding your hand, leading you to a shop. as you got close, you found yourself standing in front of a book store

“oh theo, i’ll come back later, i didn’t save up money for all of them yet” “who said anything about you paying?” he said leading you in.

“oh no, i cant baby, they’re expensive.” “please cara mia let me do these for you”. he smiled at you. “now lets go find these books of yours.” he added as you walked through the shelves.

after finding the correct isle for the genre of your book, you scan the shelves looking for the newly released book. “there it is!” theo exclaims grabbing it. “thank you theo now can we leave”.

he came closer to you taking your hands in his “cara there are 4 more you wanted didn’t you?”

“how did you know?”

“it wasn’t hard to find your good reads tbr list” he said earning a smile from you.

theodore was the most careful and thoughtful boyfriend ever, he could tell when you were uncomfortable just by your behavior, sad just by meeting your eyes.

“thank you but i promise ill have enough money saved for these by the end of the month” “no bella its our anniversary today and so i will buy these for you as a gift”

growing up poor wasn’t exactly a story from a kids book, you didn’t have each and every shoe you’ve ever dreamed off, you didn’t have your own room, bathroom, not even privacy, all had to be shared with your family members.

Therefore, someone spending money on you made you feel so guilty, and especially something like this, your boyfriend wasting money on something for you was unnecessary and unfair as you couldn’t give back something in return.

As you tried to protest, theo just pulled you, leading you everywhere. He managed to find 2 of the books you wanted , however, 1 he couldn’t find, and as you refused to cooperate, he walked up to a worker there, “i’m sorry where can i find the book shadow and bone?” “come with me” the woman led you to one of the isles

“we currently aren’t selling them separately so you’ll have to buy the whole 6 books” “theo no! these are way more than i need right now.”

he turned his face to look at you then turned back to look at the women, “yes ill take these thank you”.

with that, he took the box from her, and went to checkout. as the lady was checking the books, theodore never once bothered to look at you as he knew you were probably fuming by now.

“it’ll be $123”. your boyfriend then pulled out his credit card as you gasped “theo no seriously,” you stated in a serious, angry tone. “this is for my own entertainment and i told you I’m saving money for it, this isn’t any of your business to buy it for me.”

the boy next to you then let out a sarcastic exaggerated sigh “your business is mine okay? you know ill do anything to see that pretty smile of yours principessa”.

your heart absolutely melted at his words, you wanted to cry yet scream at him for not listening to you.

the lady then handed back his credit card and the bag containing your books. “how long have you been married for?” the woman asked, smiling, she looked quite old, early 60s perhaps.

“not yet, no” theodore said “but as soon as we graduate I’m putting a ring on it” he smiled as the lady chuckled. he carried the bag in one hand and held your hand in the other as you walked out,

“thank you so much for all of this seriously, but i am mad at you so dont ever think about doing that again.” “oh i will” he teased,

“lets go eat some food right now before i resort to eating my better option.” he spoke “which is?” you asked

“you.”

cutest request ever, i need a boy like him who will buy all the books on my tbr list fr 🙂‍↕️ .

#slytherin boys #slytherin #harry potter #theodore nott #theodore nott fanfiction #theodore nott x reader #fanfic #theodore nott x y/n #fluff #booktok #x reader #fem reader

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yunwangja · 13 hours

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undercurrents | signal no. 17

masterlist

"i’m alisa. i was kuroo’s partner for his project."

you freeze. this is her. the girl from the date. your heart sinks as you picture them together, imagining all the worst possibilities.

did he leave his phone? why was she the one who picked up the call? is he still there? your mind begins to spiral, creating scenarios you can't control, each more painful than the last.

"oh," you manage to say, struggling to keep your voice steady. your throat feels tight, and your words come out slower than usual. "can i ask for kuroo?"

"uh, actually, kuroo left his phone here with me," she replies, "it’s a good thing you called - i couldn't open his phone on my own because it's password protected. i was thinking how to get it back to him. im at my place right now."

her place. your thoughts race, filling in the blanks with every worst-case scenario.

what does this mean? what the hell is happening? and what happened before this? and how could kuroo possibly accidentally leave his phone with her? the more you think about it, the harder it becomes to breathe.

"i can let his friends know," you force out, the words feeling heavy on your tongue. "they can come get it from you."

alisa agrees without hesitation, without ending the call, you quickly message the others, your fingers trembling slightly as you type.

after alisa says yes to the arrangement, you both settle to the conclusion that she'll call you back when she's arrived at the campus lobby where bo would be meeting her.

you sit in silence after the call ends, staring at your phone, thoughts swirling in your head. the quiet of your room seems louder now, every second stretching longer than it should.

where is kuroo right now? since she picked up the call at her place, was kuroo there before he left his phone? if they did, what did they do? does this mean he was that interested in her?

you try to shake off the uneasy thoughts, but they linger. you tell yourself not to jump to conclusions, but that’s easier said than done. your mind can’t help but imagine things of what might’ve happened after their date. it’s a battle between rationality and your emotions, and right now, the latter is winning.

then, your phone vibrates, pulling you out of your spiraling thoughts. kuroo's name appear on the caller id, and you assume it's alisa calling back, just as she promised.

“hello?” you answer, your voice a bit shaky but still composed.

“hey, i’m in the campus lobby,” alisa says. “bokuto isn’t here yet, but i’m sure he’ll be along soon.”

“thanks for letting me know.”

the silence stretches for a moment. it feels awkward, hanging between the two of you, and you can’t help but feel like you should say something - anything - to fill the void.

you fidget with your fingers, unsure of what to talk about. after all, you barely know this girl, and under any other circumstances, you wouldn’t be having this conversation at all.

alisa breaks the silence first. “so... are you and kuroo close?”

her question catches you off guard. “uh, yeah, i guess you could say that. we’ve known each other for a while.”

“that’s nice!" alisa replies, her tone friendly. “he’s been super focused on this project. it’s kept him really busy, huh?”

you nod again, though the weight of her words makes your chest feel tight. “yeah, he’s been juggling a lot.”

the conversation stalls again, leaving you with your thoughts. you’ve known kuroo’s been busy, but hearing it from her, someone who's been spending that time with him, feels like a punch in the gut. you hesitate before asking, “where is he, by the way?”

“oh, he didn’t say,” alisa responds casually. “he just told me he had to go and left. i noticed his phone when he was gone already, and i was going to chase after him but it was too late...”

you thought nothing suspicious about her answer, but nothing that assured you that nothing happened between them. the quiet between you both stretches again, heavy and uncomfortable, and you find yourself scrambling for something else - anything - to fill the silence.

“how’s the project been for you guys?” you ask, trying to make small talk.

“oh, it went really well!” she says brightly. “we worked hard, but it all paid off. i think kuroo was really happy with how it turned out.”

you try to smile at her words, but your curiosity is eating away at you. you feel the urge to ask more, even though a part of you is scared of what the answers might be.

your thoughts drift back to earlier, to the idea of them spending time together after their date, and your stomach knots with unease. but you have to know, even if the answer hurts.

desperate to distract yourself from the silence and your spiraling thoughts, you finally blurt out, “so... did you guys have a good time?”

it feels like a casual question, but the weight behind it is unmistakable to you.

alisa chuckles softly, "oh, it was nice. he’s really sweet, isn’t he?"

you force a smile, even though she can’t see it. the words feel like a punch to the gut, as if someone else is confirming how amazing kuroo is. "yeah, he is."

there’s a brief pause, and the silence returns uncomfortably. your mind is racing as you struggle to keep the conversation going.

"i’m glad you were with him while he was so busy. as i said earlier, he seems to take on a lot by himself." you say, trying to fill the void, but the words come out weaker than you intended.

"he really does," alisa agrees, her voice light, as if she’s completely unaware of the storm raging inside you. "we ended up spending a lot of time together because of it. it’s been fun. and he really knows how to make you feel at ease, doesn’t he?"

the words twist in your gut, and you have to bite your lip to keep from letting out a sound of distress. you know exactly what she means. you’ve felt it too; the way kuroo can make you feel seen and heard.

and now, to hear someone else describe it, to know that she experienced it too, feels like a betrayal, even though you know it’s not.

"yeah," you manage to say. "he’s always been good at that."

the conversation drags on, each passing moment feeling like a slow unraveling of everything you thought you knew. your heart sinks deeper, weighed down by the uncertainty, the fear that maybe you’re too late. the realization that someone else has shared in those moments with him, that she knows things about him you might never know, is almost too much to bear.

"i’m happy you guys enjoyed your date," you say, trying to sound normal, but there’s a slight tremor in your voice.

alisa laughs again, this time with more amusement. "he told you it was a date too, huh?"

you blink, caught off guard by her response. "wasn’t it?"

"no, not really," alisa explains, her tone light as if it’s no big deal. "i just asked him out to coffee because of the success of our project, nothing more. he thought it was a date until he thanked me and mentioned it. so i cleared things up."

you don’t know what to say, the relief washing over you in waves, but mingling with confusion. before you can ask what happened after, alisa interrupts.

"oh, bokuto’s here," she says, her tone signaling the end of the conversation. "i’ll give him the phone. thanks a lot,"

"okay," you reply, still dazed, your mind racing with all the things you didn’t get to say or ask. bo takes the phone and tells you everything’s good, but his words barely register. you nod, barely listening, too caught up in your own thoughts.

you’re left with a thousand questions, but no answers. you want to know more, to ask her what happened next, but you guess you won’t get to know anymore.

did they talk about you? was kuroo relieved when she clarified it wasn’t a date, or was he disappointed? the uncertainty gnaws at you, leaving you with nothing but doubts.

all of a sudden, there’s a knock on your bedroom door. your heart jumps into your throat. you hesitate, then get up to answer it. you bid bo goodbye on the other line and end the call as you approach closer.

maybe it was one of your roommates checking up on your or asking for an update about what has happened. you wondered who it might be as you opened the door.

and there he was.

kuroo, breathless and panting, his hair slightly disheveled as if he ran the whole way. his eyes lock onto yours, wide with urgency.

"kuroo," you begin, confused. "what are you doing-"

"i want you, y/n."

notes

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

next signal will be LOADED also bc we will see kuroo's pov !!

idk if this was a long update or not (than usual) but yeah

i had to edit this a lot of times bc i had to make sure that everything would be laid out well

taglist: @lvtilzs @rarararararq @iamfontenlos @kurooswifeyy @secretsunsetsociety @kagsnumnine @yumiecheesecrackers @tojirin @jaynawayna @noxva08 @zahrawr-writes-fanfics @mawenskiblue @smellysluna @cccccccccccleo @winniethepooh-lover @akirqx @cupidsblonde @kukkurookkoo@emotiandon @urslytherin

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qqueenofhades · 6 hours

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I love your essays; they are fascinating. Thank you for sharing your perspective! I have a follow up question, if you have the time or energy: in your last, you said, “It's a blueprint for a tiny group of extreme right-wing theocrats and fascists to get their way regardless of what the broader public says about it…”. Who ARE the tiny group of extreme right wing theocrats and fascists? Is it the politicians whom we see all over the news, like Vance and Boebert ands Haley and DeSantis? Or are they puppets whose strings are being pulled by donors behind the scenes, like…I don’t know, the Koch brothers and the Uleins (sp?)? I feel like whoever it is must have mind boggling amounts of money, to overcome the sheer number of people who don’t think like that, even people nominally republican who believe in traditional low taxes and small government, but are not completely bananapants. Or maybe that’s why they tagged trump, bc no one before him was willing to act like enough of an outright gangster to seriously move the needle…? How much more rich than disgustingly rich do they need to be?

Perhaps surprisingly, it's fairly easy to identify the Hall of Shame who are busily trying to end American democracy, not least because they have become increasingly open about it. Their motives are diverse but all terrible. The quick rundown is as follows:

First, the alt-right billionaires club such as Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Harlan Crow, and Leonard Leo (the last two are some of the chief funnelers of dark money to SCOTUS; Crow is Clarence Thomas's sugar daddy). They have reasons ranging from grandiose delusions about "remaking" the world in their preferred image (not at all terrifying) to attaching themselves to fascist politics in order to defeat workers' rights and labor unions, who they view as a threat to their mega-wealth. Thiel is the primary sponsor of JD Vance and the alt-right cryptobros clubs that draw the young right-wing white men who also primarily form the membership of neo-Nazi and white nationalist groups. They want to end democracy in order to punish women, minorities, LGBTQ+ people, and anyone else who Nazis always hate. Crow and Leo have lavishly funded the corrupt SCOTUS in order to influence their preferred right-wing rulings, and there are undoubtedly more who we don't even know about. This is just the tip of the iceberg and I have no doubt that it's far, far worse than anything that has been publicly reported.

Next are the extremist right-wing interest groups that have cohered around and advocated for Project 2025, which is basically just the conservative-extremist wet dream put in one place and written down. They include the Heritage Foundation (the primary Project 2025 author) the Federalist Society and the John Birch Society of right-wing judges and policymakers, and Opus Dei, the secretive Catholic right-wing influence group who are straight out of a Dan Brown novel but are in fact some of the most consequential and powerful players in MAGA World. Their name means "work of God" in Latin, which is very much what they see themselves as doing, and their reach in DC is vast, particularly in the far-right evangelical and fundamentalist Christian groups that have attached themselves to Trump as a vehicle to push through their regressive-reactionary social and cultural politics, especially on abortion, women's rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and other things that they view as "unholy." These are the diehard true believers who really, truly think that it's better for the US to be a fascist theocracy espousing "Right and Moral" religious views than a flawed, pluralist, and secular democracy. Hard Yikes.

Thirdly we have the useful idiots, such as Vance, Ron DeSantis, Boebert, Greene, basically pick-a-Republican-politician-here, who are pursuing fascist politics out of careerism, opportunism, some amount of genuine belief, and exploiting the age-old fissures of American racism, nativism, xenophobia, and other original sins that have dogged the country since its founding. Of course, Trump himself is chief among these useful idiots, because he's completely willing to end American democracy and install himself as Dictator-for-Life if it exempts him from having to face the consequences for all the crimes he did last time (and frankly, his entire life, which is now catching up with him). I don't think Trump has an actual consistent or coherent policy bone in his body; witness how quickly he was willing to flip-flop on the Florida abortion issue depending on what he thought was useful (and then after the backlash he received from his base). He's a malignant narcissistic sociopath who is incapable of complex reasoning and long-term planning. His only and overriding interest is himself, he will do absolutely whatever he has to in order to save himself, and as long as he has his death grip on the GOP, everyone who wants to succeed in the party or even have a future in it has to slavishly kiss Don Corleone Trump's ring. That is why many lifelong Republicans have been breaking ranks to say they will vote for Harris, because "being a Republican's" one and only qualification is now "being utterly loyal to Trump." That's it.

These are all actors based more or less in the US, but we also can't forget the fact that basically the entire Republican Party is in deep, deep hock to Vladimir Putin and other foreign autocrats (but most especially and dangerously Putin). We just had the DOJ indictment of MAGA influencers who were taking Russian black cash by the bucketload in order to spread damaging lies about Biden/Harris and pump for Trump, and this is consistent with Russia's pattern of extensive interference in American elections going back to at least 2016. It is hard to overstate how much Putin hankers to end American democracy for many reasons. He is a former KGB agent trained in the black-and-white us-and-them logic of the Cold War where the US was the USSR's archenemy, his constant mourning for the USSR's collapse has been well documented, and it would be the absolute defining and singular achievement of all of post-imperial Russian history for Putin to effectively end American democracy with a second Trump term.

This is for the simple reason that Trump is utterly in thrall to Putin and will do whatever he asks, whether it's cutting off aid to Ukraine and forcing them to accept annexation by Russia, pulling America out of NATO and letting Putin set his invasion sights on Poland and the Baltic states, and anything else. That is genuinely terrifying but very likely if Trump was re-elected, aside from the end of American democracy and the worldwide ramifications it would have to empower fascist authoritarians everywhere. Putin is trying to achieve this through a combination of good old-fashioned Soviet-style dezinformatsiya, paying off MAGA influencers, putting the entire resources of the Russian state into defaming Harris-Walz, and recruiting useful idiots like his asset Jill Stein, who has extensive Russian ties and only pops up every four years for idiot leftists to spoil their vote and ruin Democratic electoral prospects. So. Again. Hard yikes.

So that's the quick rundown of the people who are vested in Trump and Project 2025's success and why, and as you can see, while they're all different, they're all terrible. But yes: that really is a very, very small group of people, relatively speaking. And a vote for anyone except Kamala Harris and Tim Walz is a vote to empower them and also to ensure that you will never have the chance to vote again, due to living in an authoritarian fascist regime. Choose wisely.

#captain-safetypants #ask #politics for ts #history #harris walz 2024

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pajarinwrites · 2 days

Text

中秋节 | Wen Junhui x Reader

➳ fem!reader x jun

➳ wc: 6.1k

➳ TAGS: idol!au, established relationship

➳ WARNINGS: omg um, cunnilingus, jun is a SIMP, piv sex, unprotected sex (wrap it, my dudes), praise, just general adorable lovey dovey softness, but like medium rough sex? ig, not really rough?, i never know how to write warnings, just like i don't know how to write smut woops sorry

➳ AN: HAPPY MID AUTUMN FESTIVAL BITCHES and 女王们; this is only moderately edited bc i actually meant to publish smt for 中秋节 last year but i didn't finish it in time so here it is now (I’m sure it’s still autumn festival somewhere in the world…)! I LOVE WEN JUNHUI

I DON'T KNOW HOW TO WRITE SMUT I HATED THIS AHHHH i don't think i'll ever be able to write any smut in which the man isn't a simpering, whimpering, submissive, cowering, crawling, obsequious little simping piece of trash; it's just how i like my men, but i kinda wanna challenge myself some time, not this time though :P also i'm low-key proud of this smut? i used miraclewoozi as an inspiration bc their smut is literal art...

also, literally three pieces in one week??? WHO AM I??? this is more than in the entire year before combined, i fear lmao. sorry. i'm off to return to hibernate in my bog for another six months now thx bye, RIN OUT *drops mic

masterlist

Jun stepped out of the airport into the sweltering heat, but had to find that merely knowing the weather conditions was quite different from being prepared for them. Luckily, he had left enough space in his carry-on to take off the jacket and sweater that he had needed in chilly Seoul and during the flight – airplane ACs were notoriously unpredictable. Despite this, Hong Kong never seized to amaze him with its constant warmth. At least the eternal sunshine gave him a good excuse to wear a cap and sunglasses at all times.

He flagged down a cross-border cab because, frankly, he didn’t feel like taking the crowded metro all the way home. This way he saved himself from a lot of heat, hassle, and the potential of being recognised, even if it delayed him. As expected, the traffic in the city was a nightmare and he did make it home later than strictly necessary. He paid the fee, dodging the driver’s interested gaze, and mumbling a small “mh gōi” before dashing into his building.

When he was finally standing in front of his apartment door, Jun felt ready to just lock himself in his room for the rest of the night. That was, until the door opened to reveal his parents and little brother. Immediately, his frown softened and he dropped his bags to engulf them in one enormous hug.

“I missed you guys so much,” he exclaimed to groans from his little brother and a soft smile from his mother.

This was most likely going to be the last chance he got to spend more than a day or two with them. With their world tour and his busy filming schedule just around the corner, he wouldn’t have time for months.

Jun had spent years of Zhōngqiūjié apart from them. It wasn’t easy to watch most of his members be able to visit their homes and spend Chuseok with their loved ones. Some years it was only him, Minghao, and Joshua in the dorms. But he wasn’t going to dwell on that. Not when he could finally hold the people he loved the most in his arms. Well, most of them at any rate. He would never get used to having to choose between his biological and his chosen family.

His mother peeled herself away from him, squeezing his cheek and insisting that he had grown even more handsome over the last few weeks. His step father clapped him on the shoulder and asked him about the flight; his brother asked if he had brought him anything cool. Unable to stop smiling for even a second, Jun assented to both questions. He was led to the living room by his mother to sit and relax after the ‘strenuous journey’, giving him a moment to fish the presents out of his luggage, handing one off to his little brother.

“Thanks, gē!” YangYang exclaimed and bounded off to his room to open it in peace. Their mother called after him, “Don’t forget to do your homework before playing! Dinner will be ready in an hour!” Jun smiled, handing his parents the other one.

“You shouldn’t have! I keep telling you we don’t need anything.”

“But I want to get you guys nice things, mā.”

She looked trapped half-way between smitten and resigned, but accepted the present gracefully. With a kiss on the top of his head she stated, “You can rest a little before I call you boys for dinner. I’m making your favourite.”

He thanked her, foregoing the idea of retiring to his room in favour of joining his mother in the kitchen. Most of the ingredients were already laid out on the counter, but when she bent down to pick up something from the bottom shelf, she gasped, “I can’t believe it! Where did all of our rice noodles go? I don’t think this is enough. And I also forgot to buy bamboo shoots earlier!”

She turned around, apologetically, and murmured about having to go to the market real quick to get some. Jun held out his hand to stop her in her tracks.

“Don’t worry, mā. I’ll go get the missing ingredients, and you can get started on the other dishes.”

“No let me go, Jun. You’ve just had a taxing flight and—“ His step-father tried to intervene.

“It’s absolutely no problem!” Jun insisted, not paying his parents’ protests any mind. He grabbed his sunglasses from the side table by the entrance and was out the door before either of them could stop him.

Jun had missed their shèqū, its homely atmosphere, the bustling of the people on the street, and hence didn’t mind the opportunity for a late-night stroll. The closest super market was just down the short road at the main square, and he stopped by quickly before continuing on his way to the live market.

There was a certain nostalgia in going to the market like this, just the way he used to with his mother when he was younger. The stalls didn’t even seem to have changed at all. There was the same group of old ladies dancing in the small park to the side, and a little further down the road, a small group of children was taking turns, performing on a gǔzhēng. Jun watched the windows of his old piano school pass by, still partially lit as students practiced inside. At the corner of the next street was the second-hand book store they had often visited, next to the pharmacy in which he used to sit on the kiddie rides for ages, singing along to jiātíng chēnghu or liǎng zhī lǎohǔ.

Still lost in nostalgia, he stopped by one of the vegetable vendors to acquire the bamboo shoots. Jun enjoyed strolling the aisles leisurely, taking a look at all the things that were being sold. As he rounded one of the displays, someone else was cutting the corner in the opposite direction. Jun barely managed to dance out of the trajectory of them, murmuring an immediate, “Sorry, are you okay?”

He pulled down his sunglasses and looked at the person in front of him in worry. They looked up, locked eyes with him and whisper-screamed, “Oh my god! Wen Junhui?”

Jun was taken aback for only a split second, which he spent worrying he had been recognised, before he could place your face. He hadn’t seen you properly in years, just another name on the long list of people he had to leave behind. The last time you had run into each other had been during Rock With You promotions, when Minghao and he had taken time for their own schedules in China. His eyes crinkled in the corners but he still didn’t dare to take off his mask.

“It’s been so long!” He said instead. You had pulled him into your arms within a second, just a quick squeeze before remembering where you were. You pulled away, pouting, “You didn’t tell me you’d be back.”

“Sorry, it slipped my mind. I also didn’t think I’d have enough time to meet you. Not properly…”

You wiggled your eyebrows, “What does that mean?” Jun blushed, making you laugh. “I’m kidding, A-Jun. But I’m glad we ran into each other. I mean, what are the odds!”

“I didn’t even know whether you still lived here,” he admitted, sheepishly. But Jun wished profoundly that you could feel how earnest he was being. You didn’t actually seem to mind his failure to alert you of his arrival, despite your history. Instead, you continued in your usual chirpy manner, “Yeah, I managed to find work close by so I could stay here. But I’m here here just for the holiday. Staying at my parents, you know.” Jun nodded, accompanying you to the register under more animated chatter.

“Do you have to get anything else?” You asked after you had stepped out the open market. He negated, returning the question.

“Me neither,” you replied, hesitating shortly before continuing, “I guess that means we’ll have to part ways again…”

The way your voice trailed off and your eyebrows knitted together made Jun reply before thinking better of it, “Actually, I think my mā can wait for these bamboo shoots a little longer…” You face lit up with such intensity and immediacy that Jun had to chuckle.

“In that case let’s take a stroll through the park. I’ve been keeping up with Seventeen obviously, but I want to hear from you, personally, how you’ve been doing.”

Falling into step beside you felt so easy. Together, you walked the same paths you did when you were teenagers, talking about everything and anything – back before he had to leave for Korea. He talked a lot about the shoots, dorm fights and misunderstandings, and how much he had missed his mother’s cooking. You winked, asking whether he hadn’t missed you at all, and he couldn’t string together a coherent sentence in reply. Instead he sputtered for a few seconds before you let him off the hook.

“It’s fine. I was joking, Jun. Oh, look!” Jun was glad for the distraction as he watched you hurry of to the pavilion down the path. If you hadn’t changed the subject he might’ve said something stupid. But when you spun around to face him under the colourful roof, with the small pond and the bamboo in the background, he wasn’t sure that he wouldn’t say something stupid yet.

He was sitting next to you, listening to you rant about your catty co-workers, absent boss, and the general annoyances of adulthood, unable to stop himself from grinning like an idiot at the familiarity, the ease of the whole situation. At some point he shot his mom a text to let her know that he ran into you and to eat without him. She simply replied that he should take his time, but he felt like she was secretly glad to have the two of you reconnect. Your conversations veered from family to old memories together until eventually, when the sun had set almost completely, you got up abruptly.

“I should get back. My mom wasn’t expecting me back immediately but at this point she’s probably wondering if I’ve gotten lost.” Jun nodded, getting up with you and stepping out of the pavilion. You threw one look back over your shoulder before smiling down at your shoes.

“I don’t know if you remember but… this is where you said goodbye…” Jun blinked slowly before the memory registered. He couldn’t believe that he hadn’t immediately thought of the day he went to Korea, the last day he spent with you, the day he missed his chance to say so many things he had wanted to say.

“Oh,” he breathes softly, “yeah, I remember. But it’s not a very fun memory.”

Jun decides to look anywhere but you, at the trees lining the road home to his apartment building, the birds flying overhead, the children playing across the street.

“I have to agree. But I’m glad to have you back now. Even if it’s just for an afternoon.”

“Actually, you should visit tomorrow! If you want, of course. I don’t think my family would mind seeing you again after such a long time, and…”

He stops in his tracks. The two of you have reached the intersection at which your ways part. Jun turned to face you. The words were still stuck in his throat, just like all those years ago, just like every time he’s seen you since. But this time, with your hopeful eyes looking up at him, he takes a deep breath. This time will be different. He takes the leap.

“… and I’d also love to spend more time with you.”

You smile in reply, and agree to visit tomorrow. To say goodbye, you hug him again, and he feels like he’s floating all the way home. Maybe tomorrow he’ll gain the courage to tell you everything that he’s been keeping in his heart.

Their dorms were quiet, the shared living areas swallowed in darkness as Jun excited his room. He had been talking to his family via video call for the past hour or two, catching up and trying their best to celebrate Zhōngqiūjié together, even when they were physically apart. You had initially planned on joining the call, but there had been last minute plans that had kept you from it. Even though Jun understood, he had been able to help feeling a little crestfallen when you had told him about it. The two of you had made it work since he confessed to you a year ago, talking almost weekly on the phone because both his and your commitments kept you from visiting all too often. And since this year he couldn’t visit home because of the impeding comeback, he would’ve at least enjoyed talking to you on the holiday proper, instead of just during one of your regularly scheduled calls. Especially with how long it had been since he’d last seen you in person in June. To him, an eternity.

Vernon, Dokyeom, and Chan had returned to their families for the evening to celebrate Chuseok together, leaving the dorm deserted, save Jun himself. They’d all met up for lunch as a celebration before most left to go home. It was an effort by the Korean members to ease the homesickness of those that wouldn’t be able to see their families over the holiday. Seungkwan had ended up accompanying Vernon, while Joshua and Minghao decided to simply celebrate with each other, even though they hadn’t been lacking in invitations either. Jun had made the same decision. They had let him know they’d be out until the night but that he could join them at their apartment later.

Especially Dokyeom had had a hard time simply leaving Jun behind, but the older man had insisted that he was going to be fine, and that it would give him a chance to call his family in China. But coming out of his room and being greeted with a cold, dark apartment, made Jun question his decision. He sighed, contemplating for a second whether he should simply return to his room instead of feeling the hollow emptiness of their shared dorm. But before he could make a decision, the doorbell rang.

He wasn’t expecting anyone, so the sudden shrill of the bell surprised him. Maybe it was one of the members, back early. Maybe Minghao and Joshua had decided to surprise him at the apartment. But when he looked at the screen of the camera system, he was greeted with a sight wholly unexpected. His breath hitched as he looked at you, your eyes staring straight at the camera, a warm smile on your face. Jun buzzed you in, jittery with nerves as he worried you might disappear or he might wake up. You had been talking about your crazy workload and extra assignments for the past few weeks, how on earth were you here?

This has to be a dream, he thought, standing in the open door and waiting for the tell-tale ping of the elevator. When he heard it, he couldn’t even wait for you to round the corner. In slippers, he sprinted down the hallway to the lift, coming face to face with you as you were trying to heave your luggage out. Jun cast it aside, picking you up and spinning you around. He buried his face in the side of your neck, breathing in the scent of your perfume and your skin.

“How are you here?” He whispered after a good few seconds of spinning and listening to your tinkling laugh.

“Well, you know, I bought a plane ticket, went to the airport in Hong Kong, I got on a plane—“ Jun interrupted you by picking you up again, proclaiming his happiness while you insisted that he finally put you down. If he had been a better man, he might’ve listened immediately. As it stood, it took the two of you several minutes to make it the short way from the elevator to his apartment door, Jun stopping every few seconds to give you another spin or a kiss.

Once you had finally made it safely inside, he brought your luggage to his room, before returning to the shared space and staring at you in fascination. There you were, right in front of him, leaning onto the counters of his dorm’s kitchen as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

“How did you know I’d be home?” He asked and you giggled, presumably at his flabbergasted expression.

“I kind of asked the members for help…”

“What? Who?”

In hindsight, he thought he should’ve expected this. There had been a curious lack of invitations extended to him this year. Especially considering that Joshua and Minghao were still invited everywhere. And, thinking about it now, the fact that the two of them had insisted on spending the evening ‘outside’ without Jun had also been more than a little suspicious.

“Almost all of them helped coordinate it, actually. They all had to be in on it to some extent.”

“When did you start planning this?” He asked, making his way over to you. One last time, he picked you up, setting you down softly on the counter. This time you let him do as he pleased without protest, choosing to answer his question instead, “Like a month ago or so. When it started becoming clear that you’d have no chance to make it home this year.” Jun hummed in response, stepping closer to stand between your legs. His arms found their place around your waist.

“I’m so happy you’re here,” he murmured, resting his head on your shoulder and sighing deeply when he felt you wrap your arms around him. He wished you could stay like this forever, or at least for a very, very long time. You turned your head, whispering that you had brought yuèbǐng from Shenzhen with you and he nodded automatically. Mentally, he was still focused only on your presence, the fact that he got to hold you in his arms and use his thumbs to draw absentminded circles on your waist. If he hadn’t been so focused on your body, he would’ve missed the small hitch of your breath as he exhaled against the column of your throat. He smirked lightly, murmuring something along the lines of ‘we can eat them later’ before attaching his lips to the place where your shoulder and neck met. You gasped, more audibly this time as he sucked on the sensitive skin, following the line of your collarbone. You tugged at his t-shirt, whispering that you should move to his bedroom but Jun smirked against your skin, slowly pushing up your shirt. As he tossed it over your head, he whispered, “Don’t worry, we’ve got the apartment to ourselves all night.”

He smoothed his hands under your thighs, grabbing onto your plush flesh and cursing the layer of your pants for stopping him from feeling your skin. Jun pulled you closer, to the edge of the counter, so that he could finally feel you pressed to him again, making his hands wander back up. He placed them on your waist, gingerly at first, as if you were going to vanish into thin air if he didn’t handle you with enough care. He still wasn’t sure you weren’t a figment of his imagination how you were sitting in front of him, hair and clothes messy from your flight, but your eyes shining so brightly he thought you were the most ethereal being on this planet. But when you bucked your hips forward against his, all that restrain flew out the window. He slid his hands lower from your waist, relishing in every inch of skin he got to touch along the way, before he settled them on your ass, encouraging your motions even further. Your arms tightened around him, one hand finding its way into his hair, the other toying with the collar of his t-shirt before slipping downwards and below the fabric to caress his back. He groaned, moving one hand - albeit reluctantly – away from your hips to tilt your head to the side. He was overwhelmed with your nearness, the swell of your breasts pressed against him, the smell of your skin filling his senses, spreading through him, expanding into every corner of his consciousness until all he could perceive was your presence, your breath, your skin on his.

You kissed him with so much vigour that he felt light-headed, the sparkle of your eyes encapsulated him, as if he was floating in space, surrounded by innumerable stars, twinkling around him. In his weightlessness, your hands were caressing him, still. You dropped them to the hem of his t-shirt, tracing along the exposed skin there as the rhythm of your hips never faltered.

You broke away, Jun following your lips with a whine. He wasn’t yet ready to leave your cosmos, but you pressed a soft hand against his chest, tugging his shirt off. Jun, personally, would have preferred to resume kissing you breathless right away, but you had other plans. Your hands returned to his chest, covering the expanse of his pectorals, gliding over the ridge of his shoulder, caressing every centimetre of skin while tracing the muscles across his torso. Every touch left a tingling feeling, pulling him deeper and deeper into your gravitation. His head was thrown back in pleasure, his eyes screwed shut while he tried (and failed) to even out his breathing under your attentive ministrations. When your hands returned to his chest and you flicked against his nipples tentatively, his head dropped forward in defeat, colliding with your shoulder.

He was breathing more heavily than he’d like to admit, as if he really was slowly rising through the atmosphere, the air becoming thinner and thinner. His cock was painfully hard, you grinding against it deliciously with every roll of your hips. Separated by way too many layers, Jun thought dimly before tapping against your ass, signalling for you to lift your hips off the counter.

You complied easily, leaning back in a way that allowed him to strip you of your comfy leggings. He watched you shudder at the feeling of cool marble under your skin, goosebumps forming at the sensation. Reverently, he let his hands glide up and down your legs, watching you shiver again, just from his touch. He hadn’t even realised that he had lowered himself down until one of your hands grabbed for his hair and tilted his head back.

Ripped out of his reverie, Jun stared up at you, towering over him, backlit by the kitchen lights. If it hadn’t meant leaving your reach, Jun would have fallen to his knees right this second. In this light, you looked like a higher being, come to cast divine judgement on him, a final reckoning. Jun found he would have taken any verdict, as long as it meant preserving your attention. He would have obliged any command, taken any punishment with equanimity. He would have taken Prometheus’ place, if it meant he could bask in your presence for another moment. He would suffer any acrimony, any scorn, any tribulation, if it meant your gaze would continue to rest on him like this – zeroed in on his face, your expression soft with adoration. He didn’t have to fear any judgment. The only thing written on your face was love. It was mirroring his own, he was sure, from where he was pleading for you attention from between your legs. You wouldn’t let him out of your sight, your fingers tugging at his hair with purpose. He angled his head, a miniscule movement, just enough to allow him to breathe a kiss against the inside of your thigh, a fluttering promise of continuation. If you let him. You loosened your grip, and Jun took it as the invitation that it was. His path mapped over the fat of your thigh, spilling over his kitchen counters, up one leg, down the other. All the while, he didn’t break eye contact, watching your expression crackle and slip, pleasure and frustration mixing in even measures as you breathed a plea, “Qīn'ài de, you’re teasing.”

His breathing became uneven, for just a second, at the term of endearment. You didn’t need to spell out your request. He could see it in the rise and fall of your chest, the sounds sneaking their way past your lips, the shifting of your hips – almost involuntary. The vision of you before him blurred as he tried to hear the rest of your declaration over the rushing in his ears. Your legs twitched under his hands; he didn’t remember when he had moved them there. But now they were here, holding your legs apart, leaving imprints in your flesh where they pressed against you. Jun searched your face for any sign of hesitance, any doubt, but he found none. All he could find was a sense of desperation clawing its way up your throat, leaving a blooming blush in its wake.

He still continued holding your gaze when he pressed his mouth to your core, pushing his tongue against the wet spot on your underwear. You gasped a little, hands twisting in his hair, the slight pain grounding him in this moment. His hands continued kneading your flesh, wandering, in feverish haste, across every expanse of skin they could cover. Above him, you writhed and moaned, his name leaving your lips as if you were now the one praying. Your head had tilted back slightly, breaking eye contact. But Jun’s gaze never left your face, drinking in every expression as he pushed your panties to the side to gain proper access to your sopping core.

“OhmygodJun,” you breathed, head lolling to the side when his tongue swirled around your most sensitive spot. One hand moved from your ass to your core, probing at your entrance just to feel you clench around him, hear the sharp intake of your breath. You tipped backwards, resting on your elbows as his name continued to tumble off your lips into the still air of the apartment. Jun’s other hand moved upwards, taking no care in pushing your sports bra out the way to grab at your breasts, pinching your nipples intermittently. He watched your chest heave as he slipped two fingers past your entrance at once, his tongue lapping between them, desperate to taste as much of you as possible. Your hands kept pushing him closer and closer, until his every sense was filled with you. Your taste on his tongue, your panting breath in his ears, the plush feeling of your thighs around his head. He moaned against your core.

Jun felt your high approach, maybe knew it was coming before you yourself even did, the way he could read your body in this moment, with how every fibre of his being was honed in on you and your pleasure.

“Jun, bǎobèi, I’m…”

His hand slid down to your waist, squeezing reassuringly. Jun felt you constrict around his digits, your moans growing louder and more desperate. He kept pressing his fingers into that spot that had you squeeze around him, kept his mouth sucking on your clit, humming at the flavour of you, until you peaked. You came with a cry of his name that made his chest swell with pride. Your thighs shut around his head like a vice, your hand evidently torn between wanting to pull him away and push him closer. Jun remained pressed to your core, lazily lapping at your release until your legs relaxed and he gained enough freedom of movement to lean back and search for your gaze.

Even though he had spent minutes staring at the ethereal picture of you earlier, he was still taken aback by your beauty: your hair even messier, your face blushed, your eyes glazed over in the hazy afterglow. He pressed another kiss to the inside of your thigh.

“How are you feeling, my love?”

It took you a few moments to answer him, calming your breath. A moment of which he took advantage to return to his full height, leaving kisses up your body on his way there. Once he was face to face with you, he brushed your hair out of your face, looking at you with devotion. You smiled back, softly, your arms wrapping around his shoulders and immediately causing a warm shiver to run down the length of his body. There you were, in his arms, gazing at him with love, bestowing him with whatever divine favour slumbered in your presence.

You leaned in closer, letting your breath ghost over his skin for a second before whispering, “I need you.”

Jun was sure he was about to malfunction. The way his body reacted instantly, unbidden, must have been proof of your power. He couldn’t suppress the groan that rose to the surface, betraying his helplessness in the face of you. But you only smiled, sliding off the counter, tossing your bra to the side, and leaning into him.

“I know you need me too, baby,” you susurrated against the shell of his ear, your hand falling to his crotch, smoothing over the outline of his cock against his sweatpants. Jun gasped when you gave his balls a squeeze, trailing your fingers back up, pressing them into his slit, already oozing with precum and staining his pants. He felt like melting, like he was Icarus and you were the sun, with the notable exception that your radiance was warm and welcoming. It didn’t burn him, it only made him feel soft, welcome, malleable. He melted at your touch, moulded himself to the shape of you.

Although Jun felt it was very much stating the obvious, he conceded, “I want you so bad.”

You smiled, discarding your panties in a swift motion, before turning around and bending over the surface.

“Then come get me.”

He only stared, transfixed by the way your muscles moved under your skin, how the warm kitchen light of his home cascaded over you, the way your eyes sparkled with mischief when you turned around to smirk at him. Jun’s mind was still fighting with the fact that you were real, you were here, and you were his. You cocked an eyebrow, watching him like a cat watched its supper. When he still continued to stare, your eyes darkened, beckoning him with intensity. You wiggled your ass at him, pushing it back so it grazed his throbbing dick. As you threatened to pull away again, Jun’s hands flew to your hips. You yelped at the sudden strength with which he gripped you, pulling you back against him once more, grinding down against your ass with such verve that your head dropped forward. A long groan escaped you as Jun crowded you against the counter, pushing you down and leaning over your back.

“You need me, huh?”

You nodded your head enthusiastically while meeting his thrusts, moaning his name again and again, and growing more breathless by the second. Jun wanted to tease you, he really did. He wanted to ask you how bad you needed him. He wanted to force you to be more specific, to hear you say how you needed to feel his cock inside you, hitting that spot over and over again. He wanted to make your pretty lips form all those filthy words, say his name, beg for him. But it had been months since he had seen you in person, it felt like an eternity had passed since his skin was last allowed to touch yours, a lifetime since he heard you whimper and moan and pant for him like this. So, he forewent any more teasing. Instead, Jun simply shoved his sweatpants and underwear down his legs, freeing his cock.

You whined at the sound of it hitting his abs, wiggling your ass again and breathing out his name in that way he would never grow tired of. He grinned, sliding his dick through your slick, nipping its tip against your clit, once, twice, three times. So many times that you whimpered, an indistinguishable string of supplications, whines of baby, please please please leaving your lips. Your forehead was pressed against the counter now, as if the cold, hard surface helped ground you in reality while Jun had his way with you.

When, finally, he slipped into you, both of you sighed. You voices mixing in the air of the kitchen that seemed to have been growing thinner by the second. Jun’s breathing was growing ragged, and he could tell you weren’t faring much better than him. He started moving, slowly at first, testing the waters and, yes, possibly also to rile you up a little more. But when you clenched around him, any self-control was thrown out the window. His hands on your lower back were shoving you down against the ice-cold surface, making you hiss. His hips snapping against your ass as he searched for that spot that would make you drool over the marble countertops.

“Fuck… yes! Baby, right there,” you groaned when he found it.

Jun leaned back down over you, his front pressed against your back, his hot breath by your ear, whispered prayers of your name escaping him. He drove into that spot relentlessly, repeatedly until you lost all function of speech, reduced only to swears and his name. Jun mirrored your vocabulary, one hand sneaking around your body to find your clit again and rub punishing circles. With the added stimulation of his hand, the pressure of his weight, and the way his cock was hitting that spongy part inside you again and again, you felt your pleasure crest alarmingly fast.

“Junjunjunjunjun,” you breathed, but, again, he somehow had known before you what was coming. His groans surrounded you, your perception narrowed to just the feeling and sound of him.

“Hold on a little longer, baby,” he breathed, and you barely registered it. Just nodding for the sake of nodding, praying his own release would find him fast.

“Doing so well, baby. So good for me,” he continued, almost to himself, baiting your release even more.

A few agonising, timeless moments passed until, “That’s it, let go. Come for me, baby. Come with me.”

Immediately, you released a sound somewhere between a groan and a whimper, you head falling forward again as your whole body tensed up. Jun followed your example, his head dropping against your shoulder as he drove his cock into you, prolonging both of your releases as much as possible, until the sensitivity forced him to pull out. He remained folded over you, so close that he could feel his cum drip out of you, landing on the kitchen floor with a small splat. The air felt too thin for any movement, so he remained draped over you, his thumb drew circles on your lower back until you returned to him, mumbling his name.

“Are you alright, qīn'ài de?”

You nodded almost imperceptibly, your hair sticking to the nape of your neck. Jun brushed it to the side, leaving a small peck where it had been.

“Nooo,” you whined, “I’m sweaty.”

“I don’t care,” he replied, matter-of-factly, smoothing his hand down your back one last time before peeling himself off you to get some tissue. His heart tore a little at the weak whine you let out in response to his absence.

“Don’t worry, I’m just trying to take care of you.”

You only whined more when he wiped the rest of your combined release from between your legs before also cleaning the floor. He caught your eyes from over your shoulder, smiling softly, and leaving another kiss on your back. After getting rid of the tissue, he pulled you off the counter, wrapping you up in his arms.

“You were amazing. I love you.”

He could hear the smile in your voice when you replied, “So were you, bǎobèi.”

“I can’t believe you’re really here…”

“I missed you something fierce,” you said by way of explanation.

“Me too. I miss you every day. Every hour.”

To his confusion, you smiled warmly at his pout, one hand caressing along the side of his face until it came to rest on his collarbone. You leaned in, lips ghosting against his in a silent promise, “Then let’s make the most of right now.”

Jun grinned, bending down to pick you up, laughing at the surprised yelp you let out.

“What on earth are you doing, Wen Junhui!”

“I think it’s time for a bath.”

“That is not what I was trying to insinuate!”

He wiggled his eyebrows, feeling his heart sore at your scandalised expression. Resting his forehead against yours, his eyes searched for yours, holding their stare for a few moments. With a smile on his lips and in his voice he murmured, “I don’t care what exactly we do in the bath, as long as we do it together.”

#seventeen x reader #seventeen fan fiction #jun x reader #wen junhui x reader #junhui x reader #junhui smut #jun smut #seventeen smut

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loudclan-clangen · 1 day

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in light of fiercestripe potentially dying in the next update, I just wanted to say how much I adore how you write her. After running away from a group who seems to only value women as mothers, I really appreciate that you still kept motherhood as a key part of her character. Like, she learns how to be independent and becomes an AMAZING warrior (she has fierce in her name for a reason!) but she's still a great mom. Not only that, she still loves BEING a mom! Her love for fighting and her love for her kits are never seen as contradictory and I really enjoy that about her character. Motherhood itself is never framed as a bad thing and the cats who want to be moms are never framed as lesser for wanting that, and I just find that really cool :)

Thank you! I tried very hard to make sure that Fiercestripe's storyline came across this way. I think it's very poetic that she had daughters who she gets to watch grow into competent warriors of their own accord.

They searched for Fiercestripe for a couple of days, but not to the extent that they're pursuing these current she-cats. They might have caught up to them the first night or two but two healthy adult cats would have easily been able to out maneuver and outpace them. The culture of the farm-cats has gotten much more extreme following Fiercestripe's and later Thorn and Frost's departures. Loudclan territory is more than two weeks travel from the farm, chasing someone that far means that they're either pretty desperate or incredibly angry.

You're certainly right about that! Here's a sneak peak sketch:

Yep!

It was the rogue attack patrol event, as many of you have figured out, but it could have killed anywhere from 1 to all 5 of them, so you'll just have to wait and see!

If you made it this far, hi, thank you! I've got a question:

Warrior's stated policy says that they allow selling of fanart that doesn't include official art or symbols, and clangen has stated that they don't mind so long as you do not use game assets so

No pressure, I know Loudclan's just a tumblr blog and I have no ideas of grandure, I just thought it might be fun!

#loudclanasks #loudclan #clangen

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anniflamma · 1 day

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This isn't a question, but rather a love letter to your art<3.

Thanks to you, I've started enjoying Greek mythology and the Bible again (I mean from a point of artistic, mythological, historical, and theological analysis; my status with any kind of religion is being agnostic XD).

And I already enjoyed Epic the Musical, but I really love the designs you make, how you empathize with the symbolism and lore of the Gods when designing them, and how you make Odysseus so human with his crude expressions that makes me empathize with him (And he's one of the characters I hated the most from Greek mythology lol)

And then there’s your art about the bible, I have to admit that I tend to avoid the biblical religion because of the weight it still has on our daily lives, the damage it has done from the past to this day, and how they deny it with current hypocrisy (I live in Spain, there the official religion is catholic), but your lgbt drawings have really encouraged me to open the bible and see it from an objective and neutral point of view, and just enjoy it as another book and not as something I’m forced to follow.

Also I didn’t know there was so much LGBT content in the bible XD Seriously, thank you so much, if you had a patreon, I would pay you for the amount of happiness and culture you have given me (^///^)

By the way, reading your posts I found out that you recently experienced an internet drama that has become so popular lately. I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry that both you and that poor artist had to go through this, that human hypocrisy has no limits or shame, and that I agree with everything you say. Just because we like a character or an author doesn't mean we agree with their crimes or ideologies.

I hope you have a nice day<3

Hi! I’m sorry it took me a while to respond! I mean it, I’ve read this over and over, and it makes me so happy. I’ve been thinking about how to respond, but sometimes it's hard to get it out into words.

It makes me so happy that my biggest interests make others interested in it too. Heck, when people ask questions, I get all giddy!

Talking about biblical/christian saints, greek myths, history, different cultural views and changes was kind of the whole point of why I started this tumblr blog. I have so many drafts filled with random info about LGBTQ+ saints..... Now… I post mostly thirsty drawings of greek gods with hairy chests... T.T

And I sympathize a lot when it comes to religious trauma. I consider myself lucky in these matters, my mom is Catholic, and she has her views that I don’t agree with and hurtful. Yet she still supports me in her way and watching my bible retelling animatics, everytime I post a new bible animatic, she writes me: "What have you done to Daniel..."

I also have my hurts and anger towards hypocrisies too, and I guess this is my way of countering that?

LGBT content in the Bible is something that really fascinates me. I think it's important to keep in mind that people from about 2,500 years ago had very different views when it came to gender and sex compared to how we see it today. In a way, the Bible does have strict social gender expectations, and if you didn’t fit in, then you weren’t considered part of that gender. But at the same time, it acknowledges that your sex. I think it’s in the Talmud were it discusses the fact that, throughout the Bible, there were about eight genders:

Zachar: male.

Nekevah: female.

Androgynos: having both male and female characteristics.

Tumtum: lacking sexual characteristics.

Aylonit hamah: identified as female at birth but later naturally developed male characteristics.

Aylonit adam: identified as female at birth but later developed male characteristics through human intervention.

Saris hamah: identified as male at birth but later naturally developed female characteristics.

Saris adam: identified as male at birth but later developed female characteristics through human intervention.

Some scholars even believe that Abraham and Sarah were Tumtum. A Tumtum is not considered to be very distinct but rather flexible between male and female sex/gender—"sometimes he is a man, and sometimes he is a woman." The simple fact that God said Abraham had a womb and from it, he would have children. Some say that this is why he is a Tumtum, while some historical linguists argue that ancient Hebrew didn’t have the vocabulary for male genitalia yet. Both arguments are valid, and I like them both!

There’s tons of stuff I could bring up—Joseph with his princess dress, Naomi and Ruth, David and Jonathan, and the discussions around whether Daniel was a Saris Hamah or a Saris Adam. We know he was called a saris, but we’re just not sure which. And then there's Jael, whose story is filled with a lot of phallic symbolism, and even her name is very gender-neutral.

I think I’m going to end here. I could yap about these things forever! But thank you again taking your time writing to me and I hope you also have a nice day! <3

#asks #bible #ancient queer history

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harvesti · 1 day

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What are few things you would advice to young girls to stop doing right this instance? Like right now? It could health wise, emotionally, physically etc

first of all, thanks for the question, I loved it! here's a list of things I wish I could tell younger me:

stop posting your face, name and general personal information online. people who say that it's "suspicious" or "inappropriate" to not have personal information online are potential predators. you owe nobody nothing! keep your anonymity, it's your right!

on that note, please stop sending nudes. not in a slut-/kink-shaming way, but in a you really don't understand how not private the internet is so please don't assume you're safe way. only send pics that you wouldn't mind if they got out!

the future is so fucking unpredictable it will make you sick. it will make you literally dizzy. you have zero control over like 99% of what will fundamentally direct your fate. so truly it is in your best interest to find a way to only concern yourself with what IS under your control.

for teens in particular: older men who claim you're special, mature and different from other girls your age are lying. the most mature teenage girl in the world is still a teenage girl, and they know it. no, it's not because girls mature faster than boys: it's because they know you'll fall for that shit so they can violate you and get away with it. if you're into older men, that's fine; older men who are into you, however, are not fine.

remember that there is an entire social structure that profits off your insecurities. people are making money off of you thinking that you're fat and ugly, and they want to keep benefitting from your tears and suffering. don't let them!

no person in the world is a permanent presence in your life. no matter if they're childhood friends, family members, love affairs: if they make you suffer, get away from them. cut them off. you owe nobody nothing.

save some fucking money whenever you can. honestly.

and, of course, QUIT SUGAR!

#inbox 📥#harvesti #it girl #clean girl #that girl #wellness girl #girlblogging #dream girl tips #healthy girl #girl diary #glow up #girl tips #self development #self care #self improvement #self love

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clarisse0o · 2 days

Text

Camp Wiegman-Part 72

Lucy Bronze x Ona Batlle

Alternative Universe: Military School

Words: 5K

Masterlist

———————————————————————

Monday, March 21; 6:30 AM - Dormitory

The atmosphere on this Monday morning is very heavy. It isn't Lucy who came to do the daily check. It seems that information about last night's incident has been escalated higher than expected. It’s crazy how a minor altercation could have such wide-reaching consequences. When I asked Ingrid about it, she said it was beyond her control. Wiegman was apparently notified last night by students who complained, and it seems this has landed Alba in serious trouble. It looks like she’ll be stuck with Lucy all day. I find it excessive, but according to Ingrid, Wiegman wanted to impose a severe punishment on someone who is in their final year. I hadn’t noticed before, but it seems several people witnessed the dispute from behind their windows. Alexia is furious to learn we’ve been spied on like this. Fortunately, nothing serious was revealed. It’s safe to say there’s no point in discussing it with Ale this morning. I didn’t try to stop her when she stormed out of the room this morning. I did make sure to thank Ingrid for the information before we went our separate ways. I was about to join my roommate at that moment, but Misa intercepted me as I was leaving.

"Hey."

"Hi."

She seems really uncomfortable. I think I know why she’s here. We might not get along, but we’re connected by our loved ones who have issues. We witnessed a conversation that should have stayed private. The difference between her and me is that I know the answers to her questions, and she must suspect as much. I abandon the idea of joining Ale to stay with Misa, who looks quite worried.

"People seem pretty excited this morning..." she comments.

I smile sadly. I can tell she’s trying to make small talk. She probably doesn’t know what’s going on. If I know, it’s because I have good relations with the instructors. I nervously run my hand through my hair. If I were in her place, I’d appreciate being informed, so I go ahead.

"Listen, I just learned that Alba’s in serious trouble because of her outburst last night. She’s going to be stuck with Bronze for the day."

"Really?" she asks, surprised. "Damn... How do you know?"

"Uh, Engen. She just informed Ale. She left angry. I was planning to join her."

I congratulate myself on coming up with such a realistic excuse. If we know, it’s only because we hang out with our instructor outside of here.

"This is ridiculous! This situation is going too far!"

"I agree."

"Bronze did this?"

"No, Wiegman was informed. She’s just following orders, I suppose..."

"You seem close with her. Can’t you talk to her?"

"I’d like to, but when the orders don’t come from her, there’s not much she can do."

She bites her lip and shakes her head. She looks distressed. I hope they haven’t planned anything for the weekend because Alba is likely to be stuck here because of this situation.

"Thanks... You’re nicer than I expected."

"Uh, thanks, I guess."

We laugh together. In reality, I’ve never quite known what to make of her. She’s intriguing. She’s always been cold from the start. I was surprised that Alba was dating her, but then again, she must be nicer than we all imagine.

"We didn’t start off well; I’m sorry. I was afraid you might be interested in Alba someday. She’s always shown interest in you since you arrived, whereas I’ve had my eye on her for a long time," she admits.

I smile at her honesty. I suspected her behavior was related to Alba. She used to give me dagger looks every time she saw us laughing together.

"You don’t have to apologize; I understand. She made advances, but I turned her down right from the start. I’m in a situation I’m happy with my girlfriend, and I have no intention of looking elsewhere. So you can be at ease."

She nods again. I can tell she’s holding back questions.

"Go on, it’s my day of charity, so ask me the questions that are bothering you."

"Oh no—"

"Yes, I insist," I giggle. "Take advantage of it, it doesn’t happen every day."

"No, I was just thinking that you’re close with Ale. Alba really values your friendship. She thought Alexia was very lonely before you came."

"That’s true. We’ve become very close."

"She must confide in you a lot."

I smile, understanding where she’s going with this.

"Yes. I know everything that’s going on, but it’s not my place to say."

"Do you know her girlfriend?"

"Yes. I’ve seen her before. She’s from Manchester."

"Yes, Alba knows that, but she doesn’t know who knows, and I think that’s what’s bothering her. She realizes it’s serious and she doesn’t know if the girl is decent."

"She’s good for her, I can assure you. She’s the love of her life. If Alexia doesn’t reveal her identity, it’s because she’s afraid Alba won’t accept her. It would be a disaster for her; she’s only known her sister as family before her girlfriend and me."

"I see..."

"Well, you know what? Try to pass on this message to her before tonight so she can calm down. As for me, I’ll go see Bronze to see if I can change her mind about the confrontation tonight."

"I don’t think you’ll manage. They almost fought last night because of Alba. She’s out of control when she’s angry, and I doubt Bronze will let this discussion go on without a mediator."

"You think?"

"Definitely. Negotiate our presence at the meeting instead. Maybe our presence will reassure them."

She’s probably right. Lucy won’t risk leaving them alone after last night. I’ll need to persuade her not to repeat anything to Jenni then.

"Okay," I sigh. "We’ll go with that."

"Cool... Thanks for your help."

"You don’t have to thank me. I’m doing it for Alexia. But it was nice talking to you."

She gives me a shy smile in response. I think I might have at least managed to bury the hatchet with this conversation, so that’s a win.

"If you want to know, I was a bit annoyed that you managed to be so well-connected in such a short time. You hadn’t done anything to make friends, yet you were the center of everyone’s attention when you arrived. I never figured out how you did it," she laughs.

"It’s thanks to Ale that I got into the group. That’s why I owe her so much. As for the attention from other students, I could have done without it, you know," I giggle.

"Not surprising," she laughs. "It must have been really overwhelming."

"Yeah, but it’s all over now, and that’s a relief."

"People eventually get used to everything," she finishes with a shrug.

I nod and open the door to the cafeteria.

"Want to eat with us?" I offer.

"I’d love to, thanks."

"Just don’t expect a good atmosphere. I’ve never seen Ale in such a foul mood."

She laughs, saying she wouldn’t expect anything different given the situation. I really hope everything gets resolved quickly.

Monday, March 21; 1:45 PM - Classroom Building

I make my way through the students heading to their classes as I head to Lucy’s office. I haven’t had the chance to see or speak with her yet. However, just seeing her from afar with a tense expression and Alba slumped on the table at noon makes it clear that their morning wasn’t the most glorious.

- Bronze, I call out as she’s about to close the door to her office.

I see her frown before spotting me in the crowd. She relaxes and lets me in before shutting the door. Before I can say a word, I find myself pressed against the door with her lips on mine. I cling to her hair, but it’s quickly interrupted by a throat clearing. I blush seeing Ingrid in the room, but Lucy doesn’t seem bothered, sighing into my neck. Her friend watches us with a small amused smile while I am mortified. I don’t particularly enjoy public displays, but I endure it knowing Lucy needs affection right now. I don’t even dare to ask the question I came for, fearing it might upset her.

- Can we just go back to the weekend? she murmurs.

I laugh, running my hand through her hair and kissing her temple.

- I’d like that too.

- Tell me you’re here to explain all this nonsense. Alba didn’t want to tell me anything, no matter how much I tried to break her this morning.

I raise an eyebrow. I expected her to figure it out herself.

- What?

- I thought you’d understand. Alba was worried because we came back just before the scheduled time. Since it had never happened before, she thought she was never coming back. She knows Ale is seeing someone, but she doesn’t know who it is.

- Oh... Is this all because she doesn’t know about Jenni? It’s absurd.

- Well, I’d be annoyed too if Joan didn’t tell me who he’s seeing. Can you imagine the worry she must have if she hadn’t come back?

She sighs and steps back. I understand she might not get it since she doesn’t have siblings, but I do.

- And so what? I’m not going to force Alexia to reveal Jenni’s identity.

- I spoke with Misa this morning, I say, raising her eyebrow. We’d like to be present tonight. At least we can help ease the atmosphere. I can’t see Alexia until tonight, so I won’t have time to talk to her before then.

- Okay, she sighs. Let’s do that. Now I’ll walk you to class, she says, checking her watch. You’re late after all.

- It’s not a big deal.

- It will be if he doesn’t accept you. You won’t get your weekend if Wiegman is in a bad mood.

- I have Johnson. I’ll just use your charm and we’ll be set.

I give her a wink that makes her roll her eyes with a small smile. She kisses me one last time and waves goodbye to Ingrid. We head towards my classroom. This day feels endless; I can’t wait for it to be over.

Monday, March 21; 5:15 PM - Lucy’s Office

I’m slouched in a chair in front of Lucy’s desk, waiting for the others to arrive. Misa was the first to come. She chose the chair next to mine to keep the Putellas siblings as far away as possible, just in case. I managed to catch her between classes to tell her to come here after school. Ingrid isn’t here, but I’m not surprised. She never involves herself in problems that don’t concern her unless she has to. Lucy sips her coffee while observing us. Misa, who’s in class with Alba and Ale, let us know she was the first to leave the locker rooms after their sports session. She didn’t want to wait for them because she suspects they’re taking their time.

- If this keeps up, I’m going to go get them, my girlfriend says, annoyed.

Just then, there’s a knock on the door. Alexia is the first to enter, closely followed by her brother. You can feel the palpable tension radiating from them. When Ale sees me, she looks surprised at first but then relieved. She immediately sits down next to me.

- Sorry for the delay, she says to my girlfriend.

- No problem. We’re just waiting for you, Alba. I don’t have all day.

Alba clenches her fists and takes the last available seat next to Misa. No one knows how this conversation will end, but Lucy is the one who takes charge, opening the proceedings.

- Well. We’re finally gathered after a fifteen-minute wait, she says with a disconcerting calm. Don’t think I’m thrilled to be here for such a ridiculous matter. What happened yesterday is unacceptable. Private matters should not be exposed like they were yesterday. I won’t force anyone to talk, but if you need to, now is the time. Misa and Ona insisted on being here to support you. We’ll act as mediators if needed. It’s not something that’s offered to you every day.

Her opening statement leads to silence. For a long time, no one dares to speak. Alexia focuses intently on her nails while her sister turns her head away from us. I exchange a look with Misa that says a lot about our thoughts.

- I don’t understand why you don’t just say who it is, Alba says very calmly.

Lucy, who has been watching us, leans back in her seat, crossing her arms while making sure to keep her coffee in hand. She’s understood that she’s just started the discussion.

- Because you always act excessively when it comes to my relationships. I’ve never been able to have a decent friend. Either they ran away because you were too protective, or you made me lose them by making us change schools.

- Oh, and you think I enjoyed doing that? You have a talent for always picking the wrong people! Most of them weren’t even worth associating with.

- Excuse me, but I wouldn’t have appreciated someone choosing my friends for me either, I interject.

- You have nothing to say, she snaps at me. You don’t know what kind of mess we were in. And besides, you’re not exactly good at choosing your friends either!

Lucy sits up at these words. I knew she would defend me, but I didn’t need her to do it.

- You don’t know anything about my life either! Who do you think you are to judge everyone around you? It’s honorable to want to protect your sister from the world, but we live in a world where suffering is not an option. We all go through tough times, but that doesn’t mean everyone else has to suffer too! Yes, I had a painful past, yes, I struggled to overcome it, but I did it! Alexia is challenging you to show that she’s finally ready to live without you in her life, and you’re having a hard time accepting it, that’s all! You’ll have to face the fact that she’s not the little girl you used to defend at all costs!

My retort surprises her enough to silence her completely. When I catch Lucy’s eye, I notice her smile. I feel proud of myself for managing to say this without stuttering. I’m no longer that defenseless girl who arrived here at the beginning of the year. I’m finally starting to regain my confidence.

- Ona is right, Ale murmurs. You’re my sister, and I understand your intentions, but you’re really being a pain. I’ve never regretted following you here, but you really need to stop covering for me. I can make my own decisions now.

- I’m sorry you feel that way, she sighs.

She stands up, turning his back on us. Our words seem to have affected her more than she wanted. After a moment of reflection, she turns back around.

- Are you afraid I’ll judge your girlfriend? Does she even exist?

- Of course she exists. If I’m not telling you who she is, it’s because I fear your reaction.

- If you say that, then I must know her. Are you back with Laia?

- Eww, no!

I laugh at the image. It’s true; she did date her. I almost forgot how she no longer hangs out with us much. Ale sighs, casting a glance my way. She’s trying to figure out what to do, but it’s not up to me to decide. So, I shrug.

- You know her too, Ona? she suddenly realizes.

- Well, yes. I thought I had already mentioned that we spend our weekends together lately.

- With your girlfriend, I assume, she murmurs, staring at my neck.

I turn around, burying my head in my hands. Lucy seems to find this scene amusing, even though it’s all her fault. She seriously needs to calm her bloodlust in the future.

- Anyway, she grumbles. If I promise to accept her, would you be willing to introduce her to me? We could have a man-to-man conversation that way.

I roll my eyes. Alexia sighs and, against all odds, surprises everyone by conceding.

- Her name is Jenni. Jenni Hermoso

I turn to see Alba’s reaction. She doesn’t seem to recognize the name at first. I then remember she doesn’t know the names. There’s a spark in her eyes as she makes the connection.

- Hermoso ? Instructor Hermoso ?

- You promised not to get angry, I remind her.

She takes a deep breath, pinching the bridge of her nose. Everything must have clicked into place in her mind.

- You were the student who had a relationship with her? Are you kidding me? You let Luna get expelled in your place!?

- It was her idea, Alexia defends herself. She wanted to leave here.

Seeing that she was starting to lose her composure despite her promise not to get angry, I glance at Misa to signal her. It’s her moment to act. She understands the message and stands up.

- Remember what I told you this afternoon, Misa says.

- How can I believe that she’s a good match for her!? She’s much older than she is!

- Not that much, Lucy replies. Only six years.

We all turn to Lucy. Her expression is cold. It’s clear she will defend her best friend at all costs. Alba turns pale, but the reasons are different from what I expected.

- A-are you going to tell Wiegman? Alexia will be expelled if you do!

That’s true; I hadn’t considered that option. She doesn’t know that Lucy is my girlfriend.

- No, she says. The matter is closed, and I have no intention of jeopardizing a student’s future at this point in the year.

She nods with relief. We exchange a small, discreet smile. Living our relationship in front of my loved ones is getting increasingly difficult.

- I want to meet her.

- I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Ale comments.

- Why not? You want me to accept her, don’t you? So, I want to meet her. I want to make sure she takes care of you.

Alexia looks at me with concern. It’s a good idea. I would have suggested that we accompany her for this encounter, but Lucy would never agree. Too many people already know about us, and we can’t risk putting ourselves in more danger. One wrong conversation and everything could be ruined. I still nod gently to confirm that she should agree. She bites her lip and turns to her sister.

- Okay. But I’m warning you, you better not threaten her or anything. I really care about her, so you better not mess things up. We both know how you can lose your temper over nothing.

- Yeah, yeah, I’ll try to stay calm, she mutters.

- Well, I think that’s settled then.

- Yes. Thank you, Ale replies.

- It’s my job. Now, you all better get out of here. I have other work waiting for me.

- Can I stay? For my homework.

- If you want, but I won’t have time to help you with your revisions tonight.

- That’s okay. I was told to slow down, so I’m not sure I’ll be studying tonight.

- I don’t know who told you that, but it’s very good advice.

I laugh as I get up. The others follow suit and put the two extra chairs back in front of Ingrid’s desk. I tell them I’ll join them once I’m finished here. Unlike me, they are very eager to leave.

- If you could avoid getting into fights before then, I’d appreciate it.

- We’ll try, Alexia replies with amusement. Have a good evening.

- Good evening to you too.

They leave, leaving the door open. I would have preferred them to close it, but it’s not a big deal. Lucy is already engrossed in her computer, so I take out my things.

- That went pretty well, didn’t it? Lucy asks.

- Yes, it did. I think it’ll be fine now.

- Hmm. Alexia realizes we won’t be there for the meeting between the two buddy, right?

I laugh and nod.

- I think she suspects as much, but I’ll remind her.

- Good. What a shitty day. You better not make a mistake this week. I don’t want to end up spending my weekend here as well.

- I’ll try to be on my best behavior, I tease her.

- It’s not funny. I have a meeting with Wiegman on Friday. I’m going to give her my resignation letter.

- Oh, really?

I didn’t even know she had written it. Anyway, she must have prepared it during the day.

- Aren’t you happy? she smiles. It feels like the end is near.

- It’s not that I’m not happy, it’s just that it adds more pressure, I giggle.

She rolls her eyes with amusement. I’ve never had the blues about an exam. Even my high school diploma seemed less important compared to now.

- It’ll be fine, don’t worry. You’re really putting too much pressure on yourself for nothing.

- Hmm.

- Finish your homework and then go join your friends. It’ll do you good. Alexia is probably looking forward to talking to you.

I nod and get to work. She’s right. I could tell she hoped I would follow her advice.

- Thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you, I say, making her laugh.

- I don’t know either. I often wonder that myself, she teases.

- Oh, and by the way. You’re not planning to talk about what happened with Jenni, are you?

- I would have if it hadn’t ended so well. We’ll see how things turn out now. One thing’s for sure, it’s their problem, not ours.

I bite my lip at her response. She’s right, but that doesn’t stop me from worrying about my friend. I hope everything will turn out okay for her. I really don’t want to have to pick up the pieces.

#woso #lucy bronze #woso community #ona batlle #barca femeni #woso soccer #lionesses #ona batlle x lucy bronze #sefutbol fem

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metyouinthehallway · 2 days

Text

Going Under - C. Sturniolo

Pt. 2

WC: 5085

A/N: actually not confident in this part at all LMAO i didnt know where to end it either so mb if its such a sudden ending. not proof read :)

'•.¸♡ ♡¸.•'

Friday night we're all gathered around a bonfire on the back patio, Ally is pestering Chris with questions about Matt since she's a proclaimed ‘Matt girl’.

“Is Matt more funny in real life? Does he really hate ketchup that much? Is he a good driver?” She rambles, Anyone who knows Ally knows she's been a fan of the triplets since they first started on Youtube and she's definitely losing her mind over talking to the Chris Sturniolo right now.

“Eh, he's pretty funny. I’d say he's a decent driver too, hasn't gotten into a crash yet!” He laughs, genuinely interested in the bland conversation.

“Masie, c’mere.” My mom whispers, pulling me into the kitchen with my aunt.

“Are you and Chris fighting or is he just really distant?” My mom asks, anyone who wasn't stupid could tell that Chris and I aren't showing as much affection as a normal couple does.

“Oh, he’s not too big on PDA, it’s not a big deal. Promise were still goin’ strong guys!” I exclaim, trying to make it sound believable.

“If he's not treating you right, let me know and I’ll put ‘em in his place.” Aunt Sarah jokingly threatens, throwing a fist in the air.

“No, no, no need for that! We're totally fine guys.” I fake a laugh, grabbing a soda out of the fridge for Chris. He’s still being entertained by Abby when I walk back outside. Taking a seat next to him, I hand him the soda. “Hey Ally, you wanna go play with your cousins?” I ask, taking the hint she walks off, joining James and Sophie in a game of cornhole.

“So… just had a fun conversation with my Mom and Aunt Sarah.” I state with a sigh. Chris looks at me cluelessly. “They said we aren't as affectionate as a normal couple.” I let out a dry laugh, He pulls out his phone to text me instead.

If you think im gonna kiss you n shit, your wrong

*you're :)

Stfu. not gonna kiss you, not gonna hold

your hand, not doin any of ts

u suck

He sighs in defeat, putting an arm around me and pulling me close to him. Is it weird that I kind of liked it? Is it weird that he smelt good? I swear this altitude is fucking with my head.

“Better?” He whispers in my ear, I try to hide the embarrassingly stupid grin on my face but fail. This almost felt… right?

“Yep.” I mumble under my breath, staring into the fire in front of us.

“Look how cute you guys are!” Mark coos, snapping a photo of us before we could process it.

I hope he sends that to me later.

“Thank you brother in law. Very appreciated.” I grin at him, my dry humor somehow entertaining him.

“Very welcome, sister in law.” Mark, along with most other adults are tipsy from all the drinks they’ve had tonight. With tomorrow being the wedding, you’d think they wanted to save all that shit for then but apparently not.

“Maise, tell us how you guys met.” My dad chimes in, at this point he’s had a few beers and that ‘big ol’ softie” in him really comes out after at least two beers.

“We met at a party! It was real sweet actually, this cutie wouldn't stop staring at me so I finally went up to him and asked for his number.” I gush about our fake encounter, hugging his waist.

“What can I say? I see a beautiful lady n’ I can't help but stare.” a hint of sarcasm in his voice but no one catches onto it.

“You’re a good man, Chris.” My dad preaches, taking another sip of his beer.

After another hour or so of conversation, I decide it's time for Chris and I to head to bed. Especially since we're gonna have to discuss the sleeping arrangement. We say our goodnights to everyone and head up to our room.

“So…” I start, unsure of how to go about this.

“Just share the bed with me, Masie. It's not that difficult.” He sneers, reaching for his pajamas in the dresser and heading to the bathroom. Leaving me with the most confused look on my face.

I decide that I should change too, while I have the chance. Very quickly, I throw on an old t-shirt and shorts, as if on cue, Chris walks out of the bathroom crawling into bed.

“You aren't gonna brush your teeth? Nasty ass.” I tease, heading to the bathroom to do just that. Chris groans, getting up again to join me in the bathroom.

I never really noticed our height difference until I was staring at us in the mirror. He’s a good six inches taller than me. Cute.

“Stop staring and brush your teeth.” He rolls his eyes at me, I feel the heat rise to my cheeks, embarrassed that he caught me eyeing him.

Heading to bed, I keep a safe distance from Chris at first, until a good twenty minutes later when I’m tossing and turning unable to fall asleep.

“Stop moving so much, holy shit.” he complains per usual.

“Can’t sleep.” I fluff my pillow and tangle myself in the duvet in an attempt to find a comfortable position.

“We can talk, usually helps me fall asleep.” He suggests, turning his body to face me. “What’s keeping you up?” Chris mutters, fighting off his own tiredness

“Oh I don’t know. Maybe the fact that I have to share a bed… with you.” I state coldly. Shifting my body a little bit closer to his.

“If you’re gonna be a bitch, I'm not gonna do this.” Although I can't see it, I can hear the eyeroll in his voice. We stay silent for a few moments before he speaks again. “Sorry. This is weird. You know I actually can't sleep without someone else being in the bed?” His poor attempt at sparking conversation actually works on me.

“Oh, that’s kinda cute actually.” I’m glad its dark in the room otherwise Chris would definitely be making fun of the pink tint that paints itself across my cheeks. “How do you like it so far? The trip, I know I kinda begged you to come but you seem to be having at least a little bit of fun.” I ramble. I wonder if he knows that he makes me a little nervous.

“It’s actually not as bad as I thought it’d be. Lowkey, excited to see what you're gonna wear to the wedding tomorrow.” He replies, I hadn't thought about that, but the idea of seeing Chris in a suit was almost impossible.

“Nothin’ special. I’m glad though. I get to meet Charity tomorrow, super stoked for that.” I smile at the thought of my baby cousin. With most of my family being in Colorado, it's heartbreaking that I don't get to see them as much as I’d like to but California is more convenient for my career path.

“Oh, yeah! A baby, huh? Not a big fan of those.” He laughs at his own stupid joke, propping his head on his hand. The moonlight peaking through the curtains making his features more prominent in the dark room.

“Okay, weirdo.” I giggle, lifting my hand up to play with his hair. “Sorry, don’t know what made me want to do that.” my eyes widen once I realize what i'm doing, snatching my hand back down to my chest.

Chris lets out a sigh in response. “Just couldn’t resist, hm?” He hums, turning to lay on his back. Guess we’re both having issues getting comfortable. We lay in silence for a little while longer, still keeping a dangerously safe distance from each other.

That's the last thing I remember before passing out. When I wake up, It’s daylight outside and I'm wrapped in a pair of arms.

“Chris,” I groan trying to escape his grip. He doesn't budge, How deep of a sleeper is this motherfucker? I decided to do the only logical thing I could think of and kick his shins.

“Ow! Asshole, I'm up!” He yelps, I assume he realizes that he's cuddling me because he almost instantly pulls away and I nearly shudder from the loss of his body heat.

“It’s wedding day!” I jump out of the bed, a huge grin plastered on my face as I walk toward the balcony of our room. The morning fog over the lake tells me it's still the early hours of the morning.

I sit for a little while, leaned up against the railing listening to the birds chirp, so serene. I’ll never be able to get used to the mornings I spend on the lake, no matter how many I have.

“It's like, six in the morning, I wanna go back to sleep.” Chris goans, ruins my peaceful moment with myself by walking his happy ass to the balcony to join me.

“Then go back to sleep, I’m going to spend time with Amber on her wedding day.” I grunt, walking back into our room. I reach for an outfit from the dresser as Chris crawls back into the bed. More sleep does sound incredibly tempting but I really should go downstairs and spend time with my sister before she becomes a married woman.

“Come back to bed.” He whines, holding his arms out like a child.

“You're disgusting, I don’t wanna cuddle your ass.” I retort, heading for the bathroom.

I change into a pair of jeans and a sweater, quickly brushing through my hair and walking back out to find Chris doomscrolling for what felt like the eight millionth time since we’ve been here.

“Get up and come socialize with my family. I’ll be downstairs.” I state before walking down to the kitchen to find my Mom and Amber already having their morning cup of coffee.

“Good Morning! It’s Your big day, How exciting!” I smile at my older sister, pouring myself a cup of coffee.

“I’m so nervous, what if I puke at the altar?” Amber stirs her spoon around in her mug, looking at me with weary eyes.

“Oh Amber, don’t say that!” My Mom Laughs, waiting for her toast to pop out of the toaster. Amber had shared her wedding plans with me and from the shared Pinterest board we have, I can tell it's gonna be beautiful. She's aiming for more of a rustic woodland theme since its gonna be right on the lake. I always knew she had taste.

“You’re gonna be fine! Plus I have an amazing Sister-Of-The-Bride speech.” I coo, I’ve been working on this speech since she told me she was engaged and I just know it's gonna make her cry.

“Good morning, ladies! Happy wedding day, Amber.” Chris shouts, Descending from the stairs. He’s still in his PJ’s.

“Mornin’ Chris, come sit with us. There's still some coffee in the pot.” My Mom invites him to the kitchen island. Chris accepts, sitting next to me.

We sit and talk about the plans for the day for a bit,eventually James and Sophie come peering around the corner like it's christmas morning.

“Aunt Laurie, can you make us cereal?” James asks my Mom, getting up, she starts to make them breakfast and I decide that me and Chris should go for a walk around the property.

“C’mon, I wanna go for a walk.” I say to Chris, grabbing his hand. With my coffee mug still in hand, we start towards the woods.

“You excited?” He asks me, walking besides me, he’s careful to make sure there's no tripping hazards on the path.

“Yeah, I’m giving a speech tonight. Most excited for the food though.” I peer up at him, flashing a smile.

“A speech? Didn’t take you as much of a public speaker.” Chris jokes, intertwining my fingers with his. As taken by surprise as I am, I don’t react to the gesture.

“Me either, We’ll see how it goes.” I shrug. Chris was really starting to get on my good side and it's only Saturday. We still have two more days in Colorado and I truly can't wait to see how it all plays out. I was beginning to see the true Chris and he’s not the avoidant asshole I originally thought he was.

“Weddings are so weird to me. Love in general is weird to me.” He’s quick to change the subject, now swinging out arms back and forth as we continue to walk, he gives my hand a light squeeze.

“How so?” I furrow my brows, I get where he's coming from but I wanna see if I can break him out of his shell a bit more.

“I dunno,” He starts, his voice flat. “I mean, It’s so scary, the idea of being tied down to one person for the rest of your life. Like, I hate the idea of that.” He admits, the shell is cracking!

“So you’re scared of commitment?” I chime in, I’ll be the first to admit, I too, am terrified of commitment but I guess when the right person comes along, you just know.

“Yeah. Guess so.” Chris looks down at the dry ground beneath our feet, unsure of where else to look right now. I think about any past relationships he may have had and none come to mind. Has this kid ever even dated a girl? I know he’s had girls over. I’ve seen them and even spoken to a few of them when I stayed the night at the triplets house. But why was committing such a bizarre concept to him?

“Right, well, I’m right there with ya, I've only had one boyfriend, and I never even thought about wanting to marry him.” I blurt out, why am I opening up to Chris? I’m not sure but if I'm trying to get him to break out of his comfort zone with me, I should probably overshare with him too.

“Why’d you guys break up? You were pretty upset about it, you didn’t come over for almost a month after it happened.” Chris was finally actually making an effort to get to know me better. I like this, I like this side of him.

“He cheated on me three times and I only found out the last time.” I state, thinking back to that relationship. I really loved him but I guess he had commitment issues of his own.

“I’m sorry, Mase.” He calls me by my nickname for the first time ever. It sounds almost melodic coming from his lips. Mase, Mase, Mase. I keep replaying it in my head.

After Chris and I’s little heart to heart, we head back to the house to get ready. After stealing all the hot water in the shower, I sit on the counter of the bathroom, beginning to do my makeup.

Amber didn’t hire a makeup artist for the wedding and I honestly preferred it that way. I sat in silence except for the muffled sound of Chris’ music playing from the bedroom, I’m left with my thoughts. All I can think about is him. Chris playing nice with my cousins. Chris being a gentleman to me. Chris staying up to talk to me last night.

I had to be going insane or something, I don’t like him. I can’t like him, It’s Chris. There’s simply no way.

Once I finish my makeup, I slip on the dress Amber had picked out for me, a pink silk mermaid halter dress. A beautiful one at that.

“Wow. You look beautiful, Masie.” Chris has a hard time keeping his jaw attached to his face when I finally walk out of the bathroom. His sincere compliment threw me for a bit of a loop.

“Thank you, You look pretty handsome too.” Chris in a suit. Something I never thought I’d live to see. He looked so proper it was actually pretty impressive how nice he cleaned up. “Here, lemme help.” I smirk, helping him adjust his tie. Straightening his tie out a little bit, I can feel him staring down at me as I fiddle with the fabric.

“What?” I question, A cheeky smile plastered on my face as I fold his collar down.

“Nothin’.” He’s so obviously lying, there's definitely something. We walked downstairs, met with everyone else staying in the house except Amber and Mark. I assume they're doing the first look deal right now.

“Ready?” My Dad asks, leading everyone to the driveway. Luckily it’s not very far from the house at all, about a twenty minute drive. Chris and I ride with my parents, Dad pestering Chris with more questions. I felt bad for him at this point.

“I wanna know what it’s like being famous, is it really all fun and games? Masie won't tell us a thing!” He exclaims, Famous was a stretch. I’d consider us public figures at best.

“We aren't really famous, It’s fun though, my brothers and I have a pretty solid fanbase. Masie has a cult though, I swear I see her fans post about her all the time.” Chris laughs, I notice him fiddling with his suit jacket, must be an anxious habit. I take his hand in mine and give it a gentle squeeze. Chris gives me a half assed smile and goes back to conversing with my dad.

The rest of the car ride, Chris continues talking to my parents while I’m zoning out, staring at the trees we drive past. Autumn in the mountain sides definitely trumps autumn on the west coast.

Once we arrive at the venue, the rest of the family is there. Including my baby cousin Charity who I was most looking forward to seeing. I waste no time going to greet my uncle Theo but more importantly, Charity.

“Uncle Theo, this is my boyfriend, Chris. Chris, this is uncle Theo.” I introduce the two men to each other. Chris holds out his hand for a handshake.

Chris and my uncle do their little introduction while I’m distracted by baby Charity.

“Hi sweet girl, I’m your favorite cousin, but don't tell the others.” I coo, watching as she wraps her little fingers around my big pointer. “You are just adorable aren't you?” I smile at her, noticing the miniature dress she's in. How cute is that?

“Can I hold her?” I ask, once he gives me the nod of approval, I pick her up from the stroller, holding the delicate baby in my arms. While I'm distracted by Charity, Theo goes to socialize with our family.

“She’s so tiny,” Chris comes up from behind me, Placing his hand on my hip while I coddle the baby. I look up at him for a moment, Feeling awkward, the two of us, like this, with a baby in my arms. Too intimate.

“Hi, I’m Chris.” He smiles at her, making Charity giggle at him

“I think she likes you.” I whisper, rocking her back and forth. “Theo, take her away, I’m getting major baby fever.” I panic, turning around to find my uncle, handing Charity back to him.

“Baby fever? You're only twenty!” He laughs, placing her back in the stroller.

“Yeah, that's why it's scary.” I purse my lips, turning back to Chris who has a huge smile plastered on his face.

“Thought you didn't like babies.” I confront him, playing with my bracelet.

“I liked seeing you with her, It was cute.” Chris coos, what the fuck has gotten into him? Everyone enters the cathedral after socializing for a bit. Chris and I took a seat next to my Mom up front, Music begins to play over a speaker, a Lana Del Ray instrumental. Never doubted for a second that my sister had taste. We all watch in awe as Sophie throws rose petals down the aisle, She makes the most adorable flower girl ever.

Everyone turns their heads to look at Amber as the door at the end of the aisle opens, She looked as if she were glowing. Her dress was almost identical to the one she would describe to me when we were growing up.

My Dad is very clearly trying not to cry as he walks her down the aisle. This whole moment felt so surreal for me I could only imagine how Amber was feeling right now.

Once she makes her way to the altar, my Dad takes a seat next to my Mom, I watch silently as she consoles him, Knowing that watching his daughter truly grow up was such a proud Dad moment for him.

Chris takes my hand in his again, this time, raising it up to place a kiss on the back of my hand. I look at him with the most confusing look ever. Why the hell did he do that?

“The fuck?” I mumble under my breath, just loud enough for him to hear but he ignores my comment, all of his attention on the couple at the altar.

They begin to exchange vows, Mark is trying his hardest to control his tears as he speaks. I can feel Chris’ eyes practically burning a hole into my side profile as he stares at me while my brother in law vows to always love my sister. Looking at Chris, I can tell that this isn't just a normal look. I’m not sure how he's looking at me or what emotions he's hiding behind those eyes, I can’t tell if I like it or not.

It's now Ambers turn to read her vows. She’s talking about how she'll always root for the Avalanches during every game and how she could never imagine herself with someone other than Mark. The vows to each other are short and sweet, once the officiant announces that he can now kiss the bride, I can't help but look away. I’ve managed seven years without seeing them kiss and I'm not letting today be the first time I see it.

After the ceremony, we’re all instructed to meet at a small winery for the reception. I still haven't spoken to my sister since this morning and that's all I was dying to do. Especially after the looks Chris was giving me.

“Hey,” Chris starts as everyone begins to stand up. “I wanna talk to you later if that's okay, like after the reception ‘n everything.” He looks at me with that stupid look in his eyes again and all I manage to do is smile and nod.

Once at the reception, we’re all served our food and I get to tell my speech. “Hello everyone, So, I’m Masie, the bride's sister. When we were younger, Amber would tell me non stop about her dream wedding. If you ask me, I’d say this is exactly what she described.” I speak into the microphone, looking at Amber. “Amber is my best friend and I love her to no end but, Mark, I’d have to say over the years, you have become my best friend too-” I feel myself start to choke up as the audience coos at my introduction

The love that my sister and Mark have for each other is the same love I’ve always wished to receive and being able to see my sister be treated the way she deserves to be treated is very bittersweet. “I know for a fact that Mark is her soulmate because no one else I know is willing to sit through a six hour car ride with her, listening to The Vamps on repeat.” The audience giggles at this and Amber is practically doubled over in laughter knowing that her obsession with Brad Simpson when we were younger carried on into adulthood too.

“You did so good.” Chris praises me, wrapping an arm around my shoulder when I sit back down. I watch as he brings the pad of his thumb up to my face, patting at the last of my happy tears that have fallen.

Once everyone gives their little speeches and we’re all full from the food, we all head to the dance floor, dancing to Amber and Mark's amazing playlist they’d made.

“Um, can I dance with your boyfriend?” Sophie tugs on my dress, I look at my ‘boyfriend’ for confirmation and he nods. Chris dances with Sophie to Hey Ya! By Outkast. He’s crouched down, holding her hands and spinning her around, It’s quite cute actually. The way he’s only known my family for two days and is already so comfortable with them.

I head to the table Amber and Mark are sitting at, talking to Mark’s parents. I need to talk to Amber or I might lose my mind.

“Congratulations! You're a wife now!” I exclaim, wrapping my arms around her.

“Thank you, your speech was so good it nearly made me cry, I love you so much.” Amber smiles at me, I feel like everytime Ive tried to talk to her this weekend, she's been too wrapped up in the stress of her wedding to stay focused on our conversation but now that we're here, her full attention is on me.

“I love you too, Look at Soph. She tell you about her little crush on Chris?” I giggle, pointing at them on the dance floor.

“Oh my god, that's so cute. She's a lil’ boyfriend stealer. You better go get your mans.” She jokes, I’m almost positive that Chris doesn't mind it at all though. “We’re gonna cut the cake soon, I’ll save you a big piece!” Amber nudges me, motioning for me to head back to the dance floor.

Eventually, Sophie gets distracted by some kids on Mark’s side of the family and wanders off with them. Chris and I are finally alone again and of course a slow song comes on.

Forever By The Beach Boys. Curse my sister and her good music taste.

“Wanna dance?” Chris asks, holding out his hand. I take his hand in mine, and he places the other one on the small of my back. “So, I wanted to talk to you after the fact but I think now is a good time too.” He begins, swaying us back and forth.

“Good talk or bad talk?” I let my other hand find its way to the back of his neck, waiting for him to respond.

“Not sure. Look, Masie, I’ve always been avoidant of you for a reason. I think you know why too.” He sighs. Oh my god is he gonna say what I think he's gonna say? “I guess I like you? I dunno, I’ve been texting Matt this whole trip tryna figure out how to tell you and I guess being straight up about it is the only way.” Chris rambles, surprisingly not stuttering once.

I stare at him in silence, truly at a loss for words because I’ve developed a crush on him too. It's only been two days but within those two days I’ve seen the side of him he often tries to hide from me and I really like it. I really like him.

“Oh.” Is all I manage to get out and he looks at me dumbfounded. “Sorry, I have to use the restroom.” I excuse myself, dramatically rushing off the dance floor and into the bathroom, immediately calling Nick.

“Nick, thank god. Listen, we’re at the reception right now and we're dancing, right? Chris just expressed his feelings for me and- Jesus I’m so…I’m gobsmacked!” I exclaim into my phone, barley letting Nick process the words that leave my lips.

“Okay, first of all, Gobsmacked? Are you ninety? Second of all, do you feel the same way?” He asks me, his voice sincere on the other end of the line. I rack my brain of the thought of liking Chris. I know there's a little bit of admiration there, I mean, he makes me nervous. He’s been really opening up to me today, He’s got the most beautiful blue eyes I’ve ever seen-

Oh my god. I do like him.

“Yeah…” I reply, sighing in defeat waiting for Nick’s reaction.

“Okay, so why don't you tell him that? Like he obviously isn’t gonna be disgusted.” He suggests, Nick was right but I couldn't come to terms with my own feelings. Liking Chris felt so foreign to me and considering our commitment issues, it just didn't seem logical.

“I can’t tell him that. It’d be so weird for the rest of the trip.” If I reciprocate my feelings for him, the tension would be looming over us like some dark cloud right before a storm, a bad one at that. On the other hand, If I didn’t tell him the truth, it’d be ten times worse.

“Masie, Literally just tell him how you feel. It could lead to something great.” Nick urges, growing impatient with my indecision. I ultimately end the call with the oldest triplet, staring at myself in the bathroom mirror. My makeup has slowly melted away from the sweat and tears I've endured throughout the day and my skin felt cold to the touch. I take one last deep breath, wetting a paper towel and blotting it on my neck before walking back out to the dance floor.

I find Chris sitting at our table, patiently waiting for my return. He looked anxious, like he didn't want to be here any longer.

“Hey.” I squint, my eyes adjusting to the dim lighting of the room. I take a seat next to Chris, waiting for the next words to leave his mouth.

“Sorry- ‘bout what I said.” He admits, playing with his fingers in his lap. I think for a moment, taking his hands in mine.

“No, don't apologize. It’s okay. Let’s just enjoy the rest of the night, yeah?” I purse my lips. My heart is practically beating out of my chest as I speak to him. Thank god for timing because Amber and Mark are about to cut their cake.

Everyone takes their seats, watching the newly weds cut into the three tiered cake together. Wedding cake is served to the guests and while everyone is happily enjoying their dessert, the two of us are awkwardly picking at our food. Both of us too nervous to say a word.

After nearly another hour of partying, we eventually call it a night, ubering back to the lake house, still barely a squeak from either of us. I’m almost dreading sleeping in the same room as him tonight.

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