#under the promise of them getting it back at some point

[depressedtifosa]

summary: When the Front Man's girlfriend is a recurring VIP, the stolen conversations become a lot more valuable. pairing: Hwang In-ho x reader

“You know what they say. All work, no play—”

“My name’s luckily not Jack, so I’m safe,” you tell the fellow VIP with a mean smile.

All of you had dinner together, and they have just decided to keep the night going, raising the stakes a little. If they want to play poker, let them play poker, but you’re not sticking around for their stupid, shallow chatter. 

Instead, you wander out of the room, looking for a familiar face that you were beginning to miss. The stupid little cat and mouse game he’s been playing is getting on your nerves, but you’re nice enough to keep playing along for now.

You don’t miss the way a guard’s head turns as they follow your every move, but you can’t be bothered by the attention. He wouldn’t let them hurt you, so there’s nothing to be afraid of.

“Getting bored of your VIP friends?” 

Without turning to look at the man in gray, you let out a sarcastic laugh. “Friends, right,” you note dryly. 

It’s there in the air, the tension that’s hard to miss, even by people who share the room with you. One guard, your assigned waiter who’s making sure you always get what you want, and some poor soul who has to stand there and look pretty. It’s ridiculous, but sadly, that’s what the other VIPs need. 

“So, you’re looking for me then?” he wonders quietly, his voice distorted by static. 

You don’t want to make it easy for him, you want to play hard to get, but how could you? You know him, you’ve seen that face and body so many times in the past that you could recall every imperfection, every scar. 

And just thinking about really seeing him again after those four dreadful months apart, you can’t promise not to blow your cover with a move that couldn’t normally happen between a guest and the Front Man.

“I’ve met some of them before, and trust me, the last thing I want is their company when I can have you too.” There’s a quiet scoff leaving his lips. It’s easy to miss, but you pick up on it. “You want it too.”

The mask can’t get in the way of you finding out he just rolled his eyes at you. It’s been a while since you’ve started dating, by now you can tell how he reacts to things instinctively. 

Yet, he refuses to admit it. “I’m here as the Front Man, not as your boyfriend, and you’re here as a VIP, not as my girlfriend,” he points out.

“You’re smiling under that mask, In-ho, I can tell,” you say, doing your best to keep a straight face. 

His mask hides his whole face, but yours only covers the upper half. The guests are usually having a blast being here, so it’s not unusual to smile and laugh, but he’s always a professional, always keeping a certain distance. 

The Old Man was different, but that’s okay. It’s better this way.

“Oh, so you think you know everything?” When you let out a hum of agreement, he lets out a sigh and turns his eyes away from the screen the two of you have been seemingly watching. “What am I thinking about right now?”

It doesn’t take too much brain activity to figure out. “Me, in your bed, naked, preferably kissing my way down to—”

“Enough,” he warns.

“What? You were the one who asked,” you inform him. “Was I right, though?”

In-ho looks at you, and once again, you can tell what expression he has on his face. It’s one full of love and affection, the kind of look you only see when he’s alone with you. But tonight, it only feels like it was the two of you in a room full of people—and cameras. 

But it’s there.

And it’s real.

“As always,” he says eventually.

Letting out a dreamy sigh, you lean a little closer to him. “I wish we could have some alone time here without anyone noticing,” you whisper.

He takes a deep breath before responding, but whatever he wanted to say stays bitten back. Something catches his eye, drawing his attention away from you, back to the screen where the night cameras are sweeping the dormitory, and are now focusing on Player 456.

“What is it?” you ask as you turn your full attention to the screen. 

There has to be a reason why this particular player has caught his attention. From what you can see, he’s handcuffed to the bed, and he looks sick, or depressed, or maybe both at the same time. Whatever happened to him? You can’t recall ever seeing a player being treated like this.

But In-ho remains silent, deep in thought, probably already forgetting you’re standing there. 

Just when you make up your mind to ask again, this time being a little more specific, a familiar and very annoying voice calls out for you from the private room’s direction.

“Hey, missy, we thought you had business to take care of,” the other VIP yells. “Stop chatting, and come back to play with us. It’s so much fun!”

That guy certainly won’t remember anything tomorrow based on how drunk he is. No wonder a stupid game of poker is this exciting to him, despite you all being there to watch people slaughter each other for money. But he’s always been like this, caring more about the social part of this visit then the actual endgame.

In-ho tenses up on your side as he finally pays attention to what’s happening around him and looks at the man across the room. 

“Nah, I only stopped to ask for a hint for tomorrow’s game, but our beloved Front Man decided to zip his lips for the rest of the night,” you shout back with a fake laugh. The man waves, then disappears behind the door as suddenly as he appeared. “I’ll go back to my room and do some unholy things in there while I think about you,” you whisper with a wicked grin. 

[eth3real-ess3nce]

PICK A WAX SEAL - JULY 2025 FORECAST

Top left (1) , Top right (2) , Bottom left (3) , Bottom right (4)

Remember to take what resonates and leave the rest..

Enjoy!

PILE 1

This reading is meant for you whether one or more of the following apply:

♡ if you own a cat , bonus if it’s dark haired

♡ if you’re a highly sexual person (sorry .. that’s what I channeled lol 😭)

♡ you love or feel connected to sunflowers🌻

♡ you take lots of action in order to prevent aging (anti aging creams, gut health care, etc)

♡ Leo rising

♡ you recently rage quitted a service / rage cancelled a subscription 😂

♡ you recently got accidentally wet with your full clothes on

I see you filtering out negative influences during July. You have been postponing it for so long, you are not even certain why..

It is fortunate that you have observed , noticed, that you have outgrown environments or friend groups that literally clutter your emotional space.

In many of you, I see there’s so much build-up tension, as if there are issues that haven’t been spoken about. Things have been constantly getting under the rug and when this storm finally hits… oof! Talk about some heat! 😳 It’s a tough decision to finally “clear the weeds” from your path. But you will soon realize that you *really* need to get things out of your chest..

Many of you might get to feel like the ‘black sheep’ in such situation. The other party will blame you, find non existent/trivial seeming problems in you. I literally hear you say “Wow that’s such a NON problem” when you get to argue with them. They will use poor excuses in order to manipulate the objective truth. Frankly, you are an authentic soul and you shine bright so , people will get triggered, boo. Just do you.

Remember though, when you decide to finally face this, the universe will have your back, even if you will feel like you’re being treated unfairly.

PILE 2

This reading is meant for you whether one or more than the following apply:

♡ you’re into medieval fiction , or Ancient Greece / ancient cultures

♡ Pisces influence in your chart

♡ you are into cyber/y2k aesthetic

♡ loves seafood

♡ you enjoy listening to sad girl music 💔

♡ you recently tried some new type of yogurt and hated it LOL

♡ like to sleep with socks on :P

Okayyy this pile was chosen by some very sensitive souls 🥺

July is shaping up to be a deeply tender and transformative month for your heart. I’m getting the feeling of a bittersweet isolation. You’ll be visiting old parts of yourself, maybe your childhood too. You’re going to be reconnecting with the beloved ‘old’ times.

Some of you might quite literally go to a place you’d call home, maybe grandparents house or somewhere you grew up visiting.

Others will experience a love from the past coming back. Did they come to cause confusion or pour their heart out about you?………..

Be aware, if you feel that it doesn’t serve you? Kindly let go babes

I sense that many of you are writers. If you’ve been experiencing writer’s block for a while, this will be the cure.

Or if you are artistic in general, this will inspire you to create art based on this.

“Nostalgia will be the end of me” , perhaps your favourite thing to say. You love to seek familiarity and things from your childhood, or the past, it tends to feel like a warm hug to you. You feel like you’re being renewed over and over every time you visit those pieces of you.

Nostalgia has a way of painting the past with soft, golden light, smoothing over the rough edges and challenges that were truly there. It seems ideal to you. Be patient and tender with yourself. Let go, and open your heart to the possibilities blossoming in front of you. You are deserving of happiness and peace—right here, right now.

This summer is promised to you ♡

PILE 3

This reading is meant for you whether one or more than the following apply:

♡ you’re not a big talker. you like to make your point across and prefer to be left alone ! 😎

♡ you cut someone off lately

♡ Capricorn influence in your chart

♡ you’re overthinking a lot lately and experience so much worry

♡ you looove love purple/blue (some of you are into galaxy aesthetics too) and like to use it a lot in your environment

♡ you had some spaghetti very very recently . Yum

♡ you experienced a falling dream / experience it frequently

Hmm this pile is similar to pile 1, so it’s natural that you felt drawn to both! Things are a little different here, though.

In July, a gate will open and a flood of secrets will be coming out. This has to be related to your social life.

It will leave you with no choice but to walk away from this environment. If it’s about work and you can’t exactly “leave”, you’ll simply distance yourself from people who acted behind your back.

Many of you already had this negative feeling about this group of people, be it friends, co workers, etc. And you will finally get to understand the reasons behind it. After all, your instinct doesn’t lie.

I sense that many of you might think this way:

“Will I ever be happy, fulfilled?”. Please, don’t listen to your pessimism. Of course you will!

Kindly allow the universe to clear up the space for you so it can bless you with what you need later. It’s normal to feel defeated sometimes, but remember that everything occurs so you reach your highest good.

Choose the lesson always.

Choose to see the silver lining and walk with it.

Spirit wants you to know one thing, and that is:

What goes around, comes around.

PILE 4

This reading is meant for you whether one or more than the following apply:

♡ you tend to wear your hood up a lot

♡ you like doodling

♡ you some specific art with your hands , maybe you’re good at DIY crafts? Hairdresser?

♡ your room has/used to have blue LED lights

♡ you are in your teen or late teen years

♡ your favourite comfy candy/treat has caramel in it

♡ you recently told someone that you can’t wait for autumn vibes and that you despise summer 😂

Dang this pile has so many messages and most of them are oddly specific! In all of the previous piles, I delivered messages for the collective but now? Spirit is nudging me to be more specific with yall.

Okay first things first, many of you might be very fixated on a water sign (cancer,Scorpio,Pisces) right now and you’re wondering if they’re worthy of your time? Answer is no.

Instead, choose the person who you don’t seem to like as much , because when you start to spend time with them, you’ll realize how precious they are and how much they have to offer to you emotionally. (If they’re not an earth sign then they simply have grounded, stable energy and they belong on the introverted side)

I pick up that some of you are performers, actors? If that aligns with you, then this is what I have to say: go for it!!!! Whether it’s a love interest in that circle, an opportunity that has been lingering … go for it!!

Now, a broader message I can give to all of you, is this…

Passion is good, enthusiasm is good. Heck, even impulsive decisions can be good. But! It’s just NOT always the way!

Sometimes, you have to take the path that’s a little more inconvenient. You’ll give chances to things that don’t initially excite you and make your heart beat like a drum, but are promising in the long run and are genuinely beneficial for you. Whether it’s a lover, a job, a different routine. Trust me, you’ll be building foundations for something that is bigger than yourself!

“Should I listen my heart or my mind?”

This is your sign to give your mind a chance, this time. And it’s certain that your heart will follow. Good things are coming, and unexpectedly too. 🩷

Thank you for your time 💗

[himasgod]

Hiya, could I please request first years with a reader/Yuu who's actually a lot older? Like, old enough to be a second or third year or maybe old enough to graduate but thanks to Crowley they're stuck in first year 😞

FIRST YEARS X READER

Where you are some years older than them, already graduated back in your world

At first, Ace doesn’t notice you're older. You’re smart, quick-witted, lowkey hot under stress, which is kind of his type, and you're way more competent than the average freshman. He assumes you just have your life together.

Then one day you offhandedly mention you already graduated somewhere else in your world. That this isn’t your first rodeo. That Crowley, in all his magnificent wisdom, stuck you in first year anyway.

“Wait. WHAT?”

He laughs—loudly.“Oh my Seven. You’re an undercover senior?! That’s so cursed. I love it.”

From then on, it’s constant teasing.

“Hey, Grandma, need help crossing the road to Alchemy?”

“Should I walk you Ramshackle after class, or do you want your cane first?”

But the teasing isn’t mean-spirited—it’s Ace’s very acelike way of flirting. What gives him away is the way his eyes linger on you when you laugh, the way he blushes when you lean in too close. The way he gets weirdly smug when you call him cute.

At some point, he admits it:

“Y’know… it’s kinda hot, actually. You being older and all. Like you’ve got everything figured out.”

“I’m literally re-doing high school.”

“Yeah. And now you’re stuck with me,which is obviously the real tragedy here.”

Despite the joking, he starts to really look out for you. Carries your textbooks. Makes sure you eat. Challenges anyone who talks down to you for being a “first year.”

He doesn’t say it out loud, but he thinks you deserve more than this weird limbo Crowley dumped you in. And if he can make you smile through it—even if you’re older, even if it’s complicated—he’ll take every chance he gets.

The moment Deuce finds out you’re older than him, it’s over. He’s already liked yo, your poise, your patience—but learning you’re basically repeating school? That you’re dealing with all this on top of it?

He looks at you like you’re a war hero.

“You’ve… already graduated? Like from a whole school back in your world?”

“And now I’m back in first year hell.”

“That’s amazing! I mean—horrible! I mean—”

He bows.

“I promise to support you to the best of my ability, sen—uh—Yuu!”

After that, Deuce is 1000% more formal. He tries so hard to be “mature enough” for you—sits straighter, studies harder, even pretends he totally understands advanced spell theory just to impress you.

You try to ease his tension, but he keeps glancing at you like you're this untouchable inspiring figure.

Which is hilarious when you’re both in a group project and you groan, “Gods, not again,” because you’ve done this assignment in a past life.

“It must really suck, huh? Being older and stuck with a bunch of us dummies.”

“You’re not dumb.”

“Still… I wish you didn’t have to go through this. You deserve better.”“But selfishly, I’m glad I met you this way.”

He gets bolder after that. Offers you his hand when you’re tired. Studies next to you even when he doesn't have to. And every now and then, he’ll slip:

“When we graduate—uh—I mean—when you re-graduate, I hope we can… keep seeing each other? If you're not back in your world by then....”

The crush is obvious. He respects you, maybe a little too much, but there’s something so earnest about how badly he wants to deserve you.

That might be what makes you fall for him in return.

When you first meet, Epel thinks you’re cool as hell. Calm under pressure, sarcastic, kinda intimidating in that “I’ve seen some things” way. He definitely does not clock you as someone older than him.

Then you casually mention you’ve already graduated once. And the look on his face is priceless.

“WAIT. YOU’RE—YOU’RE A WHOLE ADULT?!”

He’s flustered for like three straight weeks after that. Can’t make eye contact. Keeps forgetting his words around you. He’ll be like:

“I wasn’t checking you out! I mean—yes, but I mean, you’re all wise and stuff and I’m just a country boy and—"

Runs into a door.

What makes it worse (for him, better for us): the crush only deepens. Epel is so into the idea of someone older, more experienced, who doesn’t treat him like a delicate little flower. You actually listen when he talks. You know how to handle things. You’re cool.

He starts trying to prove himself: carrying things for you, using big words, pretending to know complex magic theories.

“Oh yeah, totally read that thesis on temporal rune distortion. Real eye-opener.”

(He 100% did not. He saw the title once.)

Eventually, he drops the act. One day, you’re both sitting under a tree after class, and he looks at you.

“I know I’m younger. And maybe I still got stuff to learn. But I ain’t a kid. I mean what I say. And I think I… y’know… I like you.”

There’s a beat of silence. He fumbles.

“Romantically! I mean romantically!!”

You laugh, but the warm kind, and Epel is pink for a week.

He doesn’t stop trying to impress you. But now he does it honestly, with his real self.

You tell him early on. It’s not like you’re trying to hide it.

“I’m technically older. Like, I was going to enter university back in my world. I should be in like... third or fourth grade here. But Crowley…”

Jack’s eyebrows go up.

“Seriously? You already graduated?”

You nod.

“…That sucks.”

And it does. But the way he says it? You know he gets it. He respects you even more after that. You’re responsible, experienced, and clearly strong enough to endure the humiliation of being stuck in first year again.

He also becomes so respectful it's actually kind of adorable. Like you’re this older pack member or smth. Holds doors open for you. Offers to carry your things. Tries not to speak over you.

You catch him watching you sometimes—like he wants to say something but keeps holding back.

Eventually, he admits it:

“I know I’m younger. But I don’t think feelings care about that stuff. I’ve… liked you for a while.”

He avoids eye contact.

“I respect you too much to pretend I don’t.”

If you accept his feelings, Jack is overjoyed—in the quiet, overwhelmed mood. He’s loyal to a fault, protective, and so serious about making you feel respected, not “babysat.”

He knows you’ve had a life before this. But he wants to be part of the next chapter.

When you reveal your age and educational background, Sebek does not take it well.

“You are a first-year! A fellow beginner! It is utterly irrational for you to be older than me!”

Cue him spiraling. He's stomping around, muttering about rules, ORDER. But then he is very flustered. Like so so flustered.

“How DARE Crowley place someone of your caliber in the same year as—”

Pause.

“…As ME.”

Then silence. Then blushing.

Because Sebek absolutely has a crush on you. And now he’s losing it internally because you’re older, more experienced, and somehow even more alluring.

He starts acting even more pompous—like he has to prove himself worthy of your attention.

“Older or not, I shall surpass you through diligence and dedication!”

He shouts this in the hallway. Loudly. In front of everyone.

He won’t say it, but he’s in awe of your emotional maturity. You don’t get rattled the way others do. You handle Crowley’s nonsense with a sigh. You don’t baby him, but you do take him seriously, which throws him completely off balance.

And that only deepens his feelings.

Eventually, after much overthinking and dramatic pacing, he storms up to you one day and blurts out:

“YOUR AGE IS IRRELEVANT TO ME. I ADMIRE YOU. I—CARE FOR YOU. ROMANTICALLY. PLEASE—DON’T LAUGH :( ”

You don’t.

Instead, you gently kiss his cheek. He goes silent.

His ears are red for three days. He refuses to make eye contact and keeps yelling “FOCUS!” at himself under his breath.

But he also stays by your side. Proudly. Passionately.

[gf2bellamy]

girldad!spencer helping his daughter learn how to ride a bike then she falls and gets hurt... she doesn't want to try to bike again because she's scared she'll get hurt again but Spencer helps her be not afraid and gets her some knee and elbow pads so she's not afraid anymore... oughh

-🪲

cw: mention of blood

spencer is crouched beside his daughter's bike, gently unscrewing the training wheels.

his daughter is bouncing on her heels with excitement, her helmet slightly crooked, wearing her favorite t-shirt (a purple one with a glittery jellyfish she picked out on your last museum trip).

spencer gently steadies the bike and says, “alright, honey, up you go.” he holds it still while she climbs on.

“okay, both feet on the pedals,” he says, kneeling to help guide one leg into place. he tugs gently on the strap of her helmet, double-checking that it's snug under her chin. “perfect.”

he points ahead to a tree at the edge of the yard. “you see that tree? when we get there, I’m going to let go, and you’re going to ride all by yourself.”

she nods seriously. spencer swears his heart grows three sizes.

as she starts pedaling, he walks beside her, one hand steady on the seat. “that’s it… you’re doing great…”

when they reach the tree, he lets go.

for a second, she’s flying. spencer’s face lights up. then, her balance wobbles, the front tire jerks, and she topples over, landing hard on the pavement.

he’s at her side in seconds. “you’re okay, i’ve got you.” but her elbow is scraped raw and bleeding. her face is twisted in pain, eyes glossy with unshed tears as she clutches at her side.

spencer feels a pang of guilt so sharp it nearly knocks the air out of him. he hates himself for letting her wear the t-shirt she’d begged to wear. he hadn’t wanted to ruin her excitement or cause a meltdown.

now he’s wishing he’d insisted on long sleeves.

she sniffles and tries not to cry, lips trembling. “i don’t want to ride anymore.”

he gathers her into his arms gently and carries her inside, somehow managing to get the bike too. he’s whispering soothing things the entire way.

with your help, spencer cleans the scrape with gentle hands. he kisses her temple and wraps her up in her favorite fuzzy blanket afterward. you bring her juice and a popsicle, and spencer reads to her softly from her favorite science book until she calms down.

a couple of days after her fall, spencer sits down beside his daughter on the living room floor. he carefully asks her if she wants to try again. but she’s quiet, clutching her arm where a big dinosaur plaster covers the scrape.

“i don’t wanna fall again.” her finger taps the plaster nervously.

spencer studies the plaster for a moment and then he smiles softly, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

without a word, he stands up and heads out the door, promising, “i’ll be right back.”

at the store, Spencer takes his time searching for the perfect knee and elbow pads. not just any pads, but the most fun, colorful ones he can find, covered with roaring dinosaurs, blazing comets, and t-rexes.

when he returns home, he kneels in front of his daughter, holding the pads up with a proud smile. “look what I got you!”

she stares at them, blinking in surprise. she touches the soft padding and spots the dinosaurs.

“so… these protect me?” she asks, voice hopeful.

“exactly,” spencer nods. “they keep you safe if you fall, and they look pretty cool, too.”

she grins, sliding the pads onto her knees and elbows, feeling the snug fit and the fun designs. it gives her a spark of courage.

“ready to try again?” spencer asks gently.

she hesitates for a long moment, then nods, determination shining in her eyes. “okay.”

grabbing her bike, they head back outside to the same spot in the yard. spencer holds the bike steady as she climbs on, putting on her helmet.

“put both feet on the pedals,” he reminds her softly. he glances at her helmet strap to make sure it’s secure, then points toward the tree, explaining the same rules as last time.

she starts pedaling and when they reach the tree, spencer lets go.

she wobbles, then falls over, just like before. but this time, something’s different.

she bounces right up, brushing dirt from her knees and elbows. “it doesn’t hurt!” she cheers, looking at the dinosaur pads covering her arms and legs.

spencer laughs, relief glowing in his eyes.

Over the next few tries , she gradually gains confidence.

and after more tries, without any help, she pedals past the tree, arms steady on the handlebars, face bright with accomplishment.

“i did it!” she shouts, spinning the bike around to show him.

spencer’s heart swells. “you did, honey. you did amazing.”

[w1zxrd]

The Stranger Things writers want byler shippers to feel like Joyce Byers.

(i'm aware this is a long read, but it's worth it i promise! 💔)

- "Joyce, 99 out of 100 times a kid goes missing, the kid is with a parent or relative."

"Well, what about the other time? You said, '99 out of 100', what about the other time, the one? The one!" -

~

since the season 5 release date teaser came out, lot of stranger things fans have made their way back to the fandom!.. delightful! because of that, arguments over certain stranger things topics have gotten more vocal (if that's even possible); like, for example, the wars between byler and mileven and which will be endgame!

mileven shippers, or maybe even just anti-byler shippers, have been mentioning (as they always do) that "byler wont happen", "it makes no sense", and "byler shippers are delusional". as well as that comes a lot of complaints from byler fans; saying mileven shippers have it all wrong, they under analyze, and dont understand the small details Stranger Things writers and directors bring to the table.

with all this being said, as a byler shipper myself, its quite frustrating when some people just dont see what you see and will never believe what you believe, especially on a topic that is pretty important to you.. That sounds a bit familiar, right? 😭 (i'm getting to the point, I swear. stay with me now.)

- "Maybe I am a mess, maybe I’m crazy, maybe I’m out of my mind! But, God help me, I will keep these lights up until the day I die if I think there’s a chance that Will’s still out there!" -

~

this is ALL that Joyce Byers had gone through when trying to find Will in season one. Will communicated to her through the lights, she saw him through the wall, she heard his phone calls.. but because the chances that such supernatural and unrealistic things were happening are very low, nobody believed her.

recently, i saw a comment on tiktok stating something along the lines of, "i have no idea why it feels like everyone is incapable of listening in this fandom. the general audience has a surface level of knowledge on everything that simple analyses can make you feel crazy," and it made me realize something.

maybe, just maybe, that's the entire point. i know that's pretty obvious, but on the topic of byler, it's easy to feel crazy! a lot of people say that the byler evidence we have seen means nothing, and it's all just delusional. a HUGE number of people believe byler won't become endgame and are concerningly very against it, actually. it's like Joyce with the lights. she knew Will was alive, and people argued she was going crazy.

but was she really crazy? nope. she wasn't. after everything, after no one had believed her at first, she was RIGHT. i mean, (this is important) the proof that Will was alive was very obvious to her, she saw it herself! some just didn't agree with her because THEY didn't see it.

~

this sounds oddly familiar to what happens between mileven and byler shippers. we have so much evidence, so much proof, that it almost just feels obvious how the final season is gonna go for Mike and Will, yet we still get called delusional and crazy for it all.

but, this is SUPPOSED to happen. it's no accident. the writers have set this up in such a way that some people will just never accept the fact that Will and Mike could be a potential couple in season 5, the idea almost feels impossible to them: they are basically the people who didnt believe Joyce. they've built it in a way that mirrors Joyce's experience. despite everything, Will was still found alive after he was seen 'dead' and even had his own funeral! sometimes, the impossible IS possible.

in conclusion, byler may feel unrealistic, what are the chances that these male main characters of this show will fall in love? the shows so popular, that just can't happen! well, you know what, people also believed Will wasn't alive, but Joyce did. and she was right.

byler shippers, you may feel crazy. you may feel out of your mind. but maybe we are right, and people will just never believe it until it truly happens.. there will always be the 1 in the 99 out of 100.

~

if youve made it this far thank you so much!

[iwantmyprizepet]

𝒱𝒶𝓃𝒾𝓈𝒽 ℐ𝓃𝓉𝑜 𝒴𝑜𝓊 - 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘵 12/?

Summary: Agatha and her money wreak havoc again…but does it really matter when she calls you kitten?

Word Count: 6.0k

A/N: I hope the kiss lives up to any expectations held 😅 (sorry for the delay ☘️) - Mich 😊💜 

18+

AO3 Previous Part

My Royal Taglist: @morgananyx @6stolenangel9 @ahintofchaos @coffeemelko @xblinkx2

////

Janice uncharacteristically hugged me tight when she got in. She had so many questions and I answered them the best I could. I’d talked to her on and off after the accident keeping her updated. 

I pushed her to call Chloe before foot traffic picked up. She’d been nervous to bother her so she hadn’t, but I assured her it was fine. 

She looked lighter after the phone call and shot me a nod. 

The grapevine worked like a charm in our town. An onslaught of questions about Chloe bombarded me the first couple of hours. It was touching how many people cared, but oh my gosh was it exhausting. 

I called Brooks and Chloe around eleven to check in. They both seemed at ease. It was pretty much a definite she was being sent home tomorrow. I promised I’d swing in later on for a bit before hanging up.

Shockingly, my mom had only called me once this morning. A short one that didn’t last long.

I sipped my second coffee at noon. My eyes felt heavy, begging to shut for some sleep. It was with great effort that I tried to keep myself moving. I knew if I stood still too long I’d start to crash. 

I thought I’d maybe hit the stage of hallucinations when I saw Agatha walking to the door. A bag was on one shoulder as the other held up her phone to her ear.

She swept in casually. “Well, everyone will live. I’m getting on now. Okay bye.” I eyed her quizzically with a smile as she approached the counter. Her hardened gaze softened as it fell on me.

“To what do I owe this surprise?” I asked grinning, leaning back against the counter with my arms crossed.

She placed her bag on a stool and dug out her laptop shrugging. “I really didn’t need to be in the office after this mornings meeting so�� She dragged out the last word as she opened the laptop and typed quickly. Her blue eyes shifted to me in the usual piercing way that made my heart race. “I figured I’d come make sure my favorite made it through the rest of her day in one piece.” The words stuttered my heart. “I will need the wifi though.” 

Favorite.

She sat and looked up to me, tongue running under her top lip. I followed it’s path. By the time it moved from one side of her mouth to the other, she was smirking.

“You can stare as long as you’d like, after I get the password.” 

My eyes popped up to hers midway through her sentence. I felt the blush creep in at the end of it. Every inch of her face was savoring what she was doing to me. 

Wordlessly, I placed my phone next to her Mac to share the password. Her smirking held strong as she turned to her screen and accepted. “Thank you. You may proceed.” 

I was saved by the bell as a customer entered. 

Janice could not help herself and eventually came out for an introduction. I could feel her staring since Agatha arrived. The three of us exchanged easy chatter for a while before Janice went back to fix an order for someone.

I’d just got off a quick call with Chloe. They let her get up and walk around today, which she was ecstatic about.

Agatha was scrolling on her computer when I returned. Her left elbow on the counter, fist holding up her head as it scrunched up with displeasure. 

She took on a different persona throughout the day. I’d get a fleeting sweet smile then it would morph into a serious calm as a notification dinged on her screen. 

Business had slowed to a crawl and now only a couple of stragglers were in different corners. 

As I watched on, her face softened as she tapped her long fingers against the keys. “You’re staring again.”

I rolled my eyes and snorted. “Yeah, I have been all day. We don’t need to point it out.” 

She turned her head at that, attacking me with big smiling eyes. Her hand reached out across the counter skimming across mine. I flipped my hand palm up as she started dancing patterns across it with her fingertips. I caught a glimpse of a customer approaching and pulled my hand back. I only broke the lingering stare between us as the bell rang. 

My face dropped as I looked up. “Mom.” I uttered out. “What are you doing here?” 

She paused for only a second, looking between Agatha and I. “Just checking in, dear.” She approached and my eyes shot to Agatha for a second. Her head was down, neutral as she scrolled. 

“How’s Chloe?” She asked stopping right in front of me across the counter. 

“I just got off the phone with her actually. She’s up and walking, probably home tomorrow.” My heart was still racing as I continuously willed myself not to look over at Agatha.

“That’s great news.” Her smile faded, eyebrows tucking down. “You know, your father and I are leaving Monday for Florida. If you need us to stay we can change that.” I let out a long sigh placing my hands on the counter. “Mom, really I’m fine. You can go.”

She’s always been a little overprotective, but it seemed heightened this past week even before Chloe.

“Well, we don’t want you to be alone. We really can stay.” She shook her head tapping a hand against her purse strap. “You’ve seemed off lately.” I was trying to push it away, but my anger was bubbling a bit. “Mom.” It came out too sharp so I paused to settle it. “Listen, I’m not alone. Please keep your plans. I am okay. In fact I’m better than okay, works just been busy.”

Agatha’s presence was like a weight on every second.

Mom eyed me with a caution. I could see her brain spinning behind her stare.

I spoke up again. “Look, I’ll pick you and dad up on Monday. We’ll get lunch and I’ll drive you to the airport, okay?”

She nodded slowly and I could tell she still wanted to fight it. 

Agatha sat in my peripheral still focused on her computer. 

“Okay.” Mom’s hand clutched her purse straps as she said it. “Call me later.” 

I nodded and let out a quiet sigh. “I will, love you.” 

“I love you too.” She turned and just for a fraction of a second let her gaze drag over Agatha.

It wouldn’t have been noticeable to anybody else. I ignored it chalking it up to my paranoia.

After she drove away a silence hung between Agatha and I.

“I’m sorry.” I broke it with an apology. 

Agatha finally looked up, eyes racing across me. Everything was cool and collected apart from her eyes. “You don’t have anything to apologize for, darling.” 

I hated that she felt like a secret. I hated that I was making her feel like a secret. 

Slowly, I slid my hand across the counter reaching for hers. My shoulders dropped with relief as she met me halfway. 

A notification sounded from her laptop. Her hand stayed around mine. Fingers running patterns here and there. I watched them mesmerized. Watched her mesmerized. 

Agatha decided to order us dinner near closing. She insisted we eat together before I went to the hospital. She’d be in the city all day tomorrow and wouldn’t be back until Monday morning. 

The clock was ticking after we finished our food. It was becoming increasingly more difficult to leave her or watch her leave. 

An easy quiet bubble took over my house. I pulled my eyes off of her lips to check the clock. I needed to head out before visiting hours ended. 

I pulled my eyes back to her. My legs rest heavy over her lap. Agatha’s right arm lay over them stroking up and down. Her eyes were squinting at her phone, bottom lip tucked under her teeth. 

God, I wanted to fucking kiss her. It seemed like every time there was an interruption or a reason not to. Like right now for instance. Yeah, I could lean over and just do it, but then I’d be possibly breaking the promise of going to see my hospitalized friend. I knew if I kissed her I’d have to be catapulted away to stop. So I didn’t and she didn’t either. 

I wondered if she was waiting for me. If she thought I needed to make the first move. She really should know better after the phone number debacle.

I sighed swinging my legs off her and planted my feet on the ground.

“I need to go.” I whined standing up.

I’d gotten a second wind right before closing and that was very quickly fading.

She locked her phone and pushed forward wrapping me in her arms. 

“Want me to drive you?” She looked onto me soft and close. “I can have Randy pick you up later.” 

I thought on it for a moment before simply saying yes. It earned a wide smile from her. 

It took less than thirty seconds for her hand to find mine across the center console after starting the car. Her left expertly turned the steering wheel. It was way hotter than it had to be. 

The drive over was relatively quiet. I used the hand she wasn’t holding tightly to absently trace the back of hers. When she pulled up to the hospital, I looked over to her still gripping her hand. Her wavy hair framed her face perfectly. The surrounding low light lit up her face perfectly. Any lighting did really. Always perfect. 

Those upturned lips of hers drew my attention again. 

I tugged her arm, pulling her into me for a hug.

“Let me know when you’re ready to get picked up.” She whispered into my hair. “And call me when you get home.”

It hit me then that I’d be sleeping alone tonight. I sighed against her before pulling back. 

“I will. Thank you.” I was still so close to her face as I said it. I leant forward again and pressed a lingering kiss to her cheek. Her hand squeezed mine tightly as I did, her breathing showing signs of the moment between us. Even if it was just a little, she was flustered. I smiled and brought the hand I was holding up to my mouth for a kiss. She watched me with precision. I let out one final whisper. “Beautiful.” 

Her hand only let go of mine when I slipped too far to reach. I watched helplessly as she pulled away. 

Chloe looked so much better. Her parents and sister had left by the time I arrived. It felt like a normal hang with three of us. Apart from the hospital of course. 

I sent Agatha a text when I was leaving. I hugged them both tight with a promise I’d be on call for anything they needed tomorrow.

Randy was waiting out front patient as ever. I hopped in the back and we exchanged our usual simple greetings. The steady car ride had me dozing off a few times on the trip home. 

I shot Agatha a text saying I’d call after a shower when I got through the door. 

I was just getting ready to call and finally fall into bed when something caught my eye. I approached the counter quizzically. There on the surface were two crisp hundred dollar bills. I stared at the money for a few seconds. I shook my head and opened my phone to text Agatha.

‘Hey, did you accidentally leave cash on my counter?’

She replied right away.

‘Yes, not on accident though. Use it to take your parents out for lunch.’

My gut dropped reading it. I was ready to forget the Christmas card. Just move on and forget it happened. My desk drawer that held the thousand dollars took up less space in my mind every day. Now this. It turned my stomach flipping back and forth from the cash to her text.

‘I’m giving it back to you the next time I see you.’

I typed it quickly then placed the cash on top of the microwave. A text buzzed back from her.

‘No. Just consider lunch my treat.’ 

‘Call me, darling.’

I read both texts feeling weighed down. Why would she think I need money? I slid into bed setting my alarm for the morning. My thumb hesitated before pressing call.

“Hi, honey.” She spoke lightly. 

“Hey.” It was every ounce of energy I had in me to keep my voice steady.

“How’s Chloe?” The sound of a running faucet sounded for a few seconds.

It didn’t phase her, the texts we just exchanged. Onto the next discussion easily. 

I pushed through my anxiety. “She’s good. Home tomorrow.” 

“You okay?” She picked up on something in my tone. 

I shook my head and pinched the bridge of my nose. “Yeah, I’m just tired.” I reached to flick the light off. “I think I’m gonna pass out.” 

The money was eating away at me and clouding everything else.

“Okay.” She knew I was lying. “I uhm…I think I’m going to miss you quite a bit tonight, darling.”

My chest was aching for too many reasons. “I’m gonna miss you too, already do.” I started looking around my place, comparing it to the small glimpse I got of the inside of her house.

Her gentle voice seeped into me. “Get some sleep.” “Goodnight, beautiful.” It came out despite the turmoil I was in.

The low hum she responded with almost eased everything. “Night, my sweet girl.”

I closed my eyes to her words. Settled in the silence. Listened to her breathing for a few seconds before I hung up.

It took longer than I wanted it to, falling asleep. I couldn’t stop the thoughts zooming around about the money. Despite everything, the scent she’d left behind on the pillows and sheets comforted. I curled into the pillow she’d been using and fell asleep around it.

When I woke, the angst continued. Why did she think I needed money? It glared at me from on top of the microwave as I walked to the bathroom. 

I decided halfway through the day, I’d just talk to her about it. No big deal. The trench it was forming inside of me negated that slightly, but I tried to ignore it.

It was going to be fine. We’ll talk about it, I’ll finally kiss her and everything will be fine.

Chloe got released in the afternoon. She insisted I didn’t need to come see her after work. I didn’t even argue it. I was still so tired so it was honestly a relief. I promised I’d bring her breakfast in the morning. 

I was sewing through the grocery store when Agatha called. We had texted on and off throughout the day, but she was quite the busy bee in the city. It wasn’t a bad thing. It gave me the time to reflect and quiet my worries down so that they were tolerable in the back of my mind.

“Hey stranger.” I answered peering over the blueberries. 

“God, I miss you.” It came out of her almost desperate. My heart swelled at her words. Everything was going to be fine.

“I miss you too.” I examined a pack, deemed it acceptable and put it in the basket.

“What are you up to, sweet girl?” An obvious smile was on her tongue.

“At the grocery store. Promised Chloe I’d bring her favorite breakfast to her door in the morning. What are you up to city girl?”

She let out a snort widening my smile. “Laying in a hotel bed. Wishing you were here. That’s it really.”

It was actually baffling to have this woman pining after my presence. 

I peered my surroundings before speaking. “Your uhm.” I stopped myself feeling a blush crawl up. “My bed.” God what the fuck is wrong with me. “Well, it still smells like you.” The last part came out so quiet I didn’t even know if she’d hear it. I must have looked a sight wandering through the store flustered and blushing like a fool.

A deep laugh crawled out of her. “Well, I best hurry back before it’s gone.” The words held a hunger, distracting and consuming. 

I turned down an aisle and smacked right into a display of Lysol bottles. They clattered loud  spinning in every direction. 

“Oh, for fucks sake.” I seethed out and of course there was an employee watching the whole thing. “Shit, fuck. I just, fuck I’ll call you back.” 

“Okay, kitten.” Her voice was like a sirens trap. 

I hung up and nearly hurtled my phone a few aisles over. 

The employee who watched the fiasco helped me clean it up like a saint. Luckily nothing was damaged. I thanked him and apologized profusely. I could not get out of that store fast enough. 

I let out a long sigh and dropped my head when I got in my car. That woman turned me into an utter fucking mess. 

I didn’t call her back until I was safely settled in bed.

“I was ready to send a search party to all the local grocery stores.” Her voice held a smirk to it. I wouldn’t be surprised if she had access to the cameras in the store I was at. 

“Ha ha. Very funny.” I played unamused and buried my face in her pillow. The thing that caused the whole mess to begin with.

“Oh, don’t pout. What happened anyways?” 

I took a deep breath in and out before answering dryly. “I walked directly into a cardboard stand of Lysol spray cans. Literally went everywhere. They’re probably going to keep finding them under shelves for years to come.”

A creeping laugh grew out of her and I couldn’t keep from joining in.

Quiet settled and the stove light seemed to spotlight the money on the microwave. My gut tensed a bit. “I’ll be home around four after dropping my parents off tomorrow night. You free?” 

“I certainly am.” Her voice was made to allure.

“Perfect. I think I’m gonna try and sleep.”

“Alright, until tomorrow.” She paused a second. “Good thing you gave me this sweatshirt. I’d be lost without it on right now.” A deep breath in followed her words.

I smiled heart racing. “Cozy?” Was all I could whisper out.

She chuckled quietly. “Cozy and drowning in the smell of your perfume. I can almost imagine you right next to me if I close my eyes.”

“Agatha.” I whispered as I clutched her pillow breathing her in. “Miss you.”

“I miss you.” It almost sounded pained coming out of her. Her tone shifted gently. “Goodnight, sweet girl.”

I paused listening to her breathing for a second. “Night, beautiful.”

A throaty breath sounded out of Agatha as I hung up. 

I smiled over my churning insides. Everything would be fine.

Breakfast was a steady relief with Chloe and her family. Seeing her in her place, in her own clothes was like a long held breath released. 

I drove straight to my parents after. I took them to a restaurant downtown then right to the airport.

Mom only pushed five times to make sure I didn’t want them to stay. Dad made her drop it rather fast as she approached the sixth. Something was behind her eyes the whole time we were together. It was like she had something to say, but was holding back from doing so. 

Either way they were on their flight back to their place in Florida, and I was heading home. 

As four approached my nerves were at a high. I decided to confront her right when she got here. I didn’t think I’d be able to handle waiting longer than that.

She walked in and my throat felt caught around all the words wanting to press out. Agatha grabbed me tight swaying us back and forth. “I missed you.” I returned with just as much grip, if not more. “I missed you too.” My hands turned clammy against her coat. She pulled back and danced her blue eyes over me with a wide smile. As she turned to hang her coat I cleared my throat. 

“Agatha?” 

She looked over her shoulder smiling, slipping her heels off. “Yes, honey?”

Oh god. 

“I wanted to talk to you about something.” I rolled my shoulders trying to relax. It was fine.

She slowly turned, face holding a seriousness now. Her eyes glanced down to where my hand was pulling at the fabric of my jeans. I halted the tick instantly shoving my hand in my pocket. 

“Okay, listen.” I gulped down a deep breath and looked out the window before turning back to her. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you about this, but I really didn’t know how. Then I was gonna do it after the holidays and well, Chloe.” I trailed off watching her face twist with worry. She stepped closer stopping a couple of feet in front of me. “The card. Listen, I just…it made me uncomfortable and I was just going to forget it but then.” I trailed off again shakily watching her eyes pinch into small slits. “Well, you left two hundreds dollars on my table Agatha.” I breathed it out and stepped closer. “I don’t need money from you. It makes me feel really weird, I don’t know. So I basically just wanted to say it before I didn’t and it just festered and blew up.” It sounded so much less put together than I wanted it to. All this time thinking about this exact situation and it all came out in a mess. 

Her mouth opened as if to say something then closed. I couldn’t place a single emotion on her face. “It’s really not that big of a deal.” She looked almost confused as she said it.

I couldn’t help the scoff I’d been holding in as it came out. “Agatha, maybe to you it isn’t but to me it really is.” Her face sharpened and I felt myself backtrack. “I don’t want to make a big thing of it. I just wanted to tell you I don’t need money at random from you. I just want to be around you. Be with you.”

A harsh laugh filled with a disbelief left her mouth. “It was just a gift. Everyone can use money around the holidays.” Her hands were gesturing more now and a growing discomfort was settling behind her eyes.

It trickled a hint of anger in me. I stepped back shaking my head. “What is that supposed to mean?” Every negative emotion was growing and I felt helpless to it. “I don’t need money. I am perfectly okay. I mean, me years ago? Yeah, maybe but that’s besides the point.” I could tell she was getting more annoyed. “I’m aware we’re in very different statuses of income, but I am okay.” I could feel tears welling up. “I know, I know I live above my small job in a small apartment. It’s not perfect, but it’s me. I don’t have a super fancy car, but I love it. It doesn’t mean I need handouts.” Every bit of self doubt from the start swept back into me like a rush. “I don’t want you to see me as someone struggling that you need to help. I can afford my life.”

I hadn’t realized how dark her face turned until I stopped talking. It littered a dread throughout every inch of me. Her hand twisted up to her forehead as if pressing something into it, the other on her hip authoritatively. 

“I don’t appreciate you putting words into my mouth.” Her voice felt harsh like a venom.

I winced at the pang it placed in my chest. “I’m not trying to do that.”

She cut me off before I could try and explain what was going on inside my head. 

“It’s exactly what you’re doing.” Everything about her was sharp. “I don’t think of you in any sense you just painted.”

She was so mad, sucking every ounce of my own anger out of me leaving me panicked and lost. A dry unhumorous laugh pierced out of her right before she turned. 

I shook my head with her back turned to me. She slipped her shoes and coat back on. 

“Please don’t go.” It came out of me whispered and pathetic surrounded by tears.

Another vicious short laugh. She turned to me halting my approach over to her.

“Maybe this.” She trailed off head shaking, eyes gesturing between us brimming with her own tears.

“Agatha.” Pathetic again each syllable of her name cracking on my voice.

She shook her head and turned for the door. I shot over and gently grabbed her arm.

“Please don’t go.” I was begging now. I had to fix this.

She pulled her arm from my hand and opened the door. “No, no no no.” I watched helpless and sent out one final plea. “Please stay.”

The door closing after her was my answer. I stood in disbelief staring at the door. I cried silently as I did. I sent her a text with the same plead to come back. I called her once, straight to voicemail. 

How could this just be over before it even happened? Why was I so fucking stupid? Why couldn’t I just shut up?

When I finally broke my frozen stance at the door, anger overcame everything. An anger for no one but myself. Everything I said came out all wrong. 

I couldn’t sit with the thought of losing her, so I distracted. I was like a woman gone mad. Christmas decorations were still out. It had been a tradition in my family to leave everything up until new years. I couldn’t stand to look at any of it. It was making me itchy. 

I tore through my apartment and the cafe on a mission to put everything away. 

I couldn’t stop moving. Couldn’t stop the thoughts that New Years Eve was tomorrow. The day I was supposed to finally kiss her. 

I’d cleaned everything spotless right up to my bed. I stood in front of it staring. Hesitantly, I walked to the pillow she’d used. As soon as my face hit it I sobbed, falling onto the bed and curling around it. 

Eventually I forced myself up and changed the sheets. 

There was nothing left to do now. The clean walls felt like they were closing in. I checked my phone, not a notification in sight.

My phone rang making my heart physically lurch in my chest. Mom. I faked my way through the call calmly. I almost believed it myself. 

I ordered food, but barely touched it. I felt sick. I couldn’t believe how this all turned out.

I was exhausted by nine. The day finally caught up to me and a warm shower sunk that fact deep into my heavy bones. 

I sent one last text sitting up in bed. 

‘Please just talk to me. I’m so sorry. Everything came out wrong and I’m so sorry.’ 

I stood staring at my phone for ten minutes. Nothing.

I pressed the heels of my palms into my eyes trying to physically keep any more tears in. 

I was just laying into my pillows when my phone lit up. My heart pulsed around her face calling. 

Shakily I answered and held it up to my ear. “Agatha.” It brushed out of me like a faded whisper. 

I held my breath listening to hers, unsteady over the silence. 

“Come to the door please.” She whispered soft and strangled. 

I hung up and whipped my phone behind me as I clambered out of bed. 

The porch light was off, but as I approached I could see her car in the driveway through the window. 

She was standing, waiting on the other side as I flung the door open. The sight of her alone trapped the air in my lungs. 

We locked eyes taking the other in. She looked tired and sad. Maybe, this was killing her just as much as it was me.

I blinked and looked down stepping back to let her in. 

She stood in front of the door after closing it, gathering me up in another look. Wordlessly, she removed her coat and shoes and turned back to me. 

My ribs felt like they were flexing above my heartbeat. The implication of her taking of her shoes choking me.

Agatha clasped her hands together in front of herself and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry for leaving.” She paused swallowing thickly. “And for not responding.”

I shook my head and stepped just an inch closer. “It’s okay.” I said it quietly, afraid my words would come out wrong again.

“In hindsight.” She trailed off placing her hand on her hip, eyes bouncing around the room. “I can understand how odd it must have been. How it would make you feel uncomfortable.” Her eyes suddenly locked on mine wildly. “I’m not good with this.” Her hand flexed and gestured between us. “I don’t get close to people and the people I have gotten close to or that want to get close to me, well it’s never real.” She surged forward stopping a foot in front of me. “Then you come along and sweep me up at a glance.” She was smiling around watery eyes. I couldn’t find words so I let her continue. “And you don’t want a thing from me. You don’t want money or things. You just seemingly want me.” She laughed in a bit of disbelief. “It’s hard for me to accept that. That this sweet girl wants to buy me dinner or a drink. Do you know how long it’s been since someone has offered that? How long it’s been since I’ve received gifts that weren’t some corporate kiss ass gift or PR?” She pushed closer, eyes still teary and smile only growing. “You’re fucking intoxicating and I just want to spoil you. I want to buy you things that make you worked up like that necklace did.” She reached out and poked it through my shirt. “It’s not because I think less of you. I just want to shower this one magnificent person who wants nothing from me in everything she could possibly need or want.” Her words were swarming around me as she pressed closer. “I love your life. I love where you live. Hell.” She trailed off again laughing for a second as I stared stunned. “I’d take being here than at my house any day.” A sharp breath pushed out, she looked down and then back up fiercely. “You tell me I’m beautiful, and I actually believe it.” She huffed as a tear fell into her smile. “I wasn’t ready for you.”

“Agatha.” It pumped out softly as I moved forward placing my hands over her hips.

My chest was aching again. All good this time. Everything good. 

Her right hand fell onto my shoulder, the other reaching to wipe a tear falling from my own eye. It stayed there, thumb brushing my cheek softly.

“I’m so sorry I made you feel less in any way, even inadvertently.” Her face was so close to mine, breath dancing across me as she spoke. 

The hand she had resting on my shoulder moved slowly to cradle the back of my neck. 

“I’m sorry too.” I found my voice under her slowly blinking eyes. “I think a bit of it was my own insecurities.”

She smiled and hummed with a nod. “Where’s that obnoxious phone of yours?” 

I pulled my gaze away, confused. “On my bed?” 

My eyes moved back to her just as she pushed her nose against mine. Her eyes were closed as she nuzzled into me. Then I did what I didn’t think was possible, didn’t think myself capable of.

I surged forward pressing my lips into hers. Finally. 

A whining moan released from her into my mouth almost instantly. She was everywhere. Hands in my hair, lips moving against my own. I pulled her tighter snaking my arms around her back. I wanted to drown in the taste of her mouth. 

I couldn’t help the smile after a few seconds. Her own followed and there we stood, lips laughing against each others. 

She pulled her head back minutely as her nails softly dragged against my scalp. It was the warmest most welcoming moment I think I’d ever been in. I felt like I’d finally been founded. The two of us tucked in, just each others. 

She leant back in slowly, stopping her lips against mine. “Finally mine.” She whispered it before plunging back into a searing kiss. 

It was my turn to moan now. She kissed me deep and relentless. I pushed her back against the nearest surface, the counter. She was in control, but she was giving me the lead. 

I felt desperate not wanting to stop. Her tongue pressed into my mouth, slick and precise and so good. It moved against my own slow and scintillating. I was too focused on her to even breathe.

My hands stopped their movement against her body as my brain started taking over. I didn’t want to stop, but I did at the same time. My head, my heart and the growing hot wetness in between my legs were surging an internal war. 

She could feel the change and slowed her pace to short and sweet pecks on my swollen lips. I swear she could read my mind. My breathing was coming out erratic in a desperation for air, while hers seemed steadier and calm. 

Her eyes were dark, blue only just peaking around the centers of her iris. Still, she looked much more put together than I did. I was almost ready to believe this was effecting me more than her. Until my eyes glanced the hand she pulled off of me. It held a grip against the counter that looked like it hurt. Knuckles white and shaking.

The powerful Agatha Harkness lacking control because of me. 

Her grip loosened and dropped when she realized it had caught my eye. It was my turn to shoot her a knowing smirk. Not as confident as her well practiced one, but enough. Her eyes rolled above a smile. 

“Are you staying the night?” I did my best not to let it hold any hidden meaning.

Her head turned an inch, eyes sharpening as she bit her lip. “Yes. If you behave.”

My head fell back as I released an exasperated sigh. I really didn’t know if I was prepared for an unleashed Agatha. An Agatha who knows she has full permission. 

I moved back into her, grabbed the back of her neck and brushed my lips against hers. She closed her mouth around mine.

I checked off another want on my list of Agatha. Watching her eyes open after kissing her. 

Perfect.

The tension gripping me was thick as we settled into bed. I wanted to pounce on her. Straddle her and let her take me. The thought of her moaning under me. The taste of her. 

Fuck. I looked up to her, tucked against her shoulder. She was already waiting and watching me. My teeth bit my bottom lip on their own. Her eyes slammed shut and a sharp exhale released from her nose. The grip she had on my shoulder tightened for a second before she released and opened her eyes.

Smirking down to me. “I said behave.” 

I pinched my lips tightly together trying to hide a smile. “One more?” I asked batting my lashes at her. 

I didn’t have to wait long before she pressed her lips into mine. She cradled my jaw and pulled me in. She was drowning me, putting every ounce of emotion into the kiss. My hands fisted her shirt as she set a tremble in me again. 

With a pleasing noise, she slid her lips side to side against mine. The air shifted as we both stared breathless. She turned it into something sweet and soft. It was easier now to sink back onto her shoulder. Easier to fall happily asleep in her arms. 

[voie-lacte3]

—the one where you go on a date to texas roadhouse

| check out the rest of his masterlist!

| taglist! anon list!

| fluff?? lwk crack

| can yall tell im feining for sum roadhouse 🤤

you're in your bedroom, hair clipped up, headband on, primer being rubbed on. "whats the vibe like tonight, hun?" you ask, mason peeping his head from your closet. "so we're definitely matching," "oh yes, what we thinking??"

"so, since im wearing," he motions to his hrown shirt, baggy jeans, and brown sombas. "we obviously gotta go with this for you," he pulls out a cute brown, off the shoulder, crop top. "mhm mhm, what about pants?" "skirt actually," he shows you your denim (mini) skirt, "and finally," he pulls out your identical brown sombas.

"look at you fashion diva,"

mason rolls his eyes playfully, causing you to smile at him through the mirror. "dont rush me mason, i know that look. a baddie needs time to get ready"

────୨ৎ────

"babe, you're gonna make me crash the car" mason says as you lean over the center console, twisting your mascara wand dangerously close to his like of sight

"at least we'll look hot," you mumble, eyes wide as you coat your lashes. "we wouldn't be in this predicament if you wouldn't have rushed me" you pout, making him grin

one of his hands instinctively reaches over to rest on your thigh, "sorry queen, wont happen again" you hum in contentment, resting one hand on top of his while the other fidgets with the radio

you land on some random country station, smiling and turning it up. "ughhhhh," you groan, "imma jump out of this moving vehicle." he grins, glancing over at you with that crooked, smug little smirk. "please, you’d never leave me. not with the rolls waiting."

you gasp suddenly, recognizing the melody of the song immediately.

"i send the check for the lease every january, to eleven hundred beckham ridge road", you start, making goofy faces at mason

the 2 of you sing along to Luke Combs' hit song In Case I Ain't Around. it was slightly off key, more screams than actual singing, and lots of chaos,

"IN CASE I AINT AROUND WHEN YOU GET OLDER—" mason dramatically hits your thigh

"I JUST THOUGHT I'D TELL YOU NOW SO DOWN THE ROAD YOU'RE," you clutch your chest,

"ALL GOOD TO GO THROUGH THE HIGHS AND LOWS AND ALL LIFE'S UPS AND DOWNS—" his voice cracks, but he stays committed

"YEAH THAT WAY IM STILL THERE FOR YOU SOMEHOW, IN CASE I AINT AROUNDDDD," the 2 of you fall into a fit of giggles, mason pulling into the parking lot right as the song finishes.

"if i died, i'd haunt you"

"hello?!?" you look over at him, "so like, thats really random! how about we dont think about death," you cup his cheeks, squishing them. "plus, you already haunt me with your stupid good looks and adorable dimples"

he laughs, leaning over and kisses your cheek, "cmon, lets go stuff our faces in rolls"

────୨ৎ────

the hostess seats you in a corner booth beneath a dim neon sign, promising to be back in a bit to get your drink orders.

as soon as she leaves, one of mason's hands is in the bread basket.

"bro, its not going anywhere"

"don’t judge,” he says, mouth already full of warm bread and cinnamon butter. "i’ve been dreaming about this." you laugh as his eyes dilate, "i think i have competition,"

your boyfriend doesnt even hear you, completely entranced with shoving rolls in his mouth, only proving your point. "mace, baby, slow down, you know we can get more, right?"

mason practically moans at the thought of more rolls, "you’re literally going feral over rolls right now," "you love it, excuse me— yeah, can we get more rolls please? thank you so much"

"mason thames, no shot you just finished a whole basket of rolls" "did you want a bite?" you roll your eyes playfully, shoving his knee from under the table

"question, would it make me a fatass if i get a baked potato and some mac?"

your sweet, sweet boyfriend deadpans. "did you seriously just ask me, the person who just downed like, 5? 6? rolls, if getting a baked potato— "loaded baked potato..." he sighs, "if getting a loaded baked potato and macaroni—" "would make me fat? yes. yes i did."

"my love get whatever you want— thank you! i guarantee you'll still be body tea compared to me when im done with this basket" he instantly grabs another roll, slapping more butter on it

"you're right, i'll get a caesar salad to balance it out— hey! let me get at least one roll"

────୨ৎ────

"holy fuck..." you let out, patting your tummy in content. he sips the last of his sweet tea and smiles at you, like you didn't just eat enough food to feed a small village

"babe." he hums, not really paying attention, "mason.", at that, he looks up at you. "i'm actually fucking enormous, do not look at me when we get up. why the fuck would you choose a shirt that fits THIS tight?!?"

your lover laughs, "first of all, i chose it cause we gotta be baddies together. second of all, i love allll of you, bloated or not." you groan, "can we please, go on a walk or something??" mason laughs once again, asking for the check as you lay your head on your hands

"bro i dont think i can walk any further—" you sigh as you reach the door of the restaurant, moving aside slightly so an elderly couple could enter. "genuinely, give me a second", your loving, sweet, kind hearted boyfriend, no hesitation, picks you right up

"MASON!" you squeal, "put me down! i look like such a pick me, oh my God, put me downnn, im pretty sure im like 10 pounds heavier—" you practically hear the eye roll in his voice, "i love you, but shut up. let me carry my beautiful girlfriend in peace"

"you’re insufferable."

"oh shut up, you like it.”

(you do.)

────୨ৎ────

30 minutes later you're at a park. you walked around for about 15 minutes until you felt at ease.

"now that i dont feel like manny the woolly-fucking mammoth, lets take some pics. your insta is highkey dry," mason fakes a gasp, clutching his chest at your insult

nonetheless, he takes his phone, following you like a lost puppy. "right..here?" he questions as you pose in between 2 tall trees, lighting very scarce. "yes mace, its giving twilight" "i literally dont know what that means but pose"

in that moment, he dedicates his life to taking pictures of you, "YES BABY! chin up, MHM! just like that—" "you're actually on illegal levels of hot right now" "FOR FREE?!?" "WAIT!! lemme do a point 5, gotta get that fake paparazzi vibe"

you laugh at his words, posing in various ways, the poor boy twisting in weird weird, even laying on the ground at some point, claiming he needed all the right angles.

"you’re so pretty.” he mumbles, snapping another picture before you walk towards him. "you’re so clingy." he hands you your phone, "yep." he leans down, kissing your cheek

click, "seriously?" "whattt, it was such a cute moment" "send it to me, i'll be chalant tonight"

you turn, kissing him properly. "im glad i secured the cutest baddie in texas" you giggle at his words, feeling his arms wrap around you in a hug, forehead against yours

"cant wait to marry you," you whisper against his lips. he smiled. "so… loaded baked potatoes and texas roadhouse rolls at the wedding?

you kiss him before he can say anything else.

a/n: tbh. this is lowkey shitty and idek what it is, but im sleep deprived asf 💔 and also, i probably wont post until Monday cause i wanna catch up on my asks, sorry chat

tags: @bluebvrriee @v4mpire-bit3s @neroloops @m-e-m06 @icollectrubberduckies @tuttifrutt1 @unsaidjaelinrose @sorry-for-party-rocking-rah @courta13 @thegr8estpuff @90zl1ps @user168537 @katie-the-bookworm @cecedelove @ktaerssoi @celestiiql

[dividers from @cursed-carmine]

[ikeu05]

PRETTY BOY, YOU DID ✮ THIS WITH ME, BOY

𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕 。 where you're drunk and alone but all you want to do is kiss the man you're in love with

── sunoo x fem!reader 4.8k fluff idol! au ─ yn is enhypen's assistant manager ness and kyo are her staff friends they aren’t dating but they are in love with each other soooo some rando approaches her but nothing crazy happens (luckily) mentions of alcohol and kissing

the celebration had been extravagant. hybe had hit a major milestone—a record-breaking achievement that called for champagne towers, fancy catering, and speeches that dragged on a bit too long. the entire staff and artists were buzzing with the thrill of it all, and yn had found herself caught up in the rush of it.

she wasn’t usually one to party hard, always the responsible one, the assistant manager who made sure the boys ate before drinking and got back to the dorms on time. but tonight wasn’t about them—it was her night too. she had turned 20 a few months ago, finally reaching legal drinking age, and ness and kyo had pulled her into their little group of mischief with promises of “one drink won’t hurt.”

it started with a cocktail. then a soju bomb. then two more. then some wine because someone insisted it would pair well with dessert.

she was gone.

ness noticed it first when yn started giggling—at nothing. literally nothing. her eyes sparkled and her cheeks flushed deep pink as she poked kyo’s cheek, whispering dramatically, “you’re so soft… like a mochi.” kyo barely held back a laugh as she helped her up, the trio swaying their way outside after calling it a night.

“okay, sweetheart,” ness said, clutching yn’s purse while kyo held her upright, “let’s get you into a taxi and home before you do something dumb.”

“i never do dumb things,” yn declared proudly, wobbling as she pointed to the sky, “i’m a professional.”

“you also just called the bartender a ‘cocktail magician’ and thanked him for his service to humanity,” kyo replied, deadpan.

“exactly.”

eventually, they managed to tuck her safely into a cab and gave the driver the address. she leaned back, staring up at the roof of the taxi with a dreamy smile, her thoughts foggy but happy.

until—about two streets down—she suddenly sat up.

“i wanna walk!” she declared, startling the driver. “i miss walking. it’s like… spiritual.”

despite the sweet taxi drivers protests, she paid the fare, stumbled out, and wandered onto the quiet street, arms stretched out like wings. her head swirled and spun, the wind nipping at her face, but she felt light. untethered.

that’s when she thought of him.

sunoo.

her steps slowed slightly. the air suddenly felt warmer, her chest tighter. she hiccuped, pressing her cold fingers to her cheeks as the thought of him settled over her. his smile. the way he always said her name. the way he looked at her like she was someone—someone worth everything.

a shy, drunk smile crept across her lips.

she missed him.

god, she missed him.

fumbling with her phone, she unlocked it (barely, it took four tries) and tapped on his name in her favorites. her fingers were clumsy, each letter an effort, her typos atrocious. but she didn’t care. he’d get it. he always did.

sunnnyyyy i m walking. like. alone. is stars thnking of u. of ur dumb face i love it i lov u i wanna jsut fucking kisss u r u up :(((( pick me uppp maybe idk im in love its the wind i think

she stared at the texts, eyes glossy, completely unaware of how utterly incoherent they were. she just knew she wanted him.

and if she wasn’t drunk off her ass, she might’ve noticed the three little dots appear immediately under her last message. but she was too busy spinning in a half-circle on the sidewalk, holding her arms out like she was catching stars.

because in her drunken, starry-eyed state—sunoo wasn’t just someone she worked with. or someone she loved.

he was her person. and all she wanted right now was to fall asleep with his hoodie wrapped around her and his laugh in her ears.

sunoo had just placed his chopsticks down, his plate wiped clean after a hearty dinner with the rest of the boys. they were gathered in the larger dorm which homed four members of the group. they had been lounging lazily after the meal—riki scrolling through tiktok, sunghoon and heeseung arguing about a game strategy, while jay and jake sat half-slouched on the couch, too full to move. jay randomly mentioned the hybe celebration party that had happened earlier that evening.

“didn’t the staff have a big thing today?” jay asked, tossing a grape into his mouth.

“oh yeah,” jake nodded, “i think some of the stylists and managers went out for drinks. maybe even ness and kyo…”

he trailed off when they saw sunoo blink slowly, almost like he’d zoned out. he was quiet for a second longer than necessary.

“thinking about someone?” jungwon grinned knowingly, already nudging sunoo’s side.

“i’m not,” sunoo said immediately—but his voice betrayed him, too quick, too defensive. that earned a chorus of teasing laughter.

“hyung’s thinking about yn,” riki sang softly, setting off more chaos.

“i’m not!” he repeated, but the way his ears flushed pink gave him away instantly.

“you didn’t even go to the party—should’ve tagged along if you miss her that much,” heeseung chimed in with a chuckle, “bet she would’ve gotten drunk and confessed or something.”

sunoo scoffed, rolling his eyes but unable to hide the small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. just the thought of her—maybe out celebrating, maybe laughing too hard with friends—made his chest feel oddly warm.

then, his phone lit up. one buzz. then another. then four more. a rapid stream of notifications lit up the screen like fireworks.

he picked it up instinctively and stilled.

the sender was her.

“wait, hold on,” he said suddenly, sitting upright, his voice soft but it definitely held something more.

everyone fell silent as they watched his expression shift from amused to confused… to concerned.

he opened her messages.

sunoo blinked at the screen, then sat up even straighter. “she’s drunk,” he muttered, now clearly alarmed. “she’s out walking. alone.”

sunghoon raised an eyebrow. “wait, what?”

“i think she left the cab or something—she’s walking somewhere? alone?” sunoo read the texts aloud, panic slowly creeping into his voice. “she’s drunk off her ass and probably doesn’t even know where she is.”

jake was already pushing himself off the couch. “we should go.”

“now.” sunoo was already grabbing his keys and pulling on his jacket.

jungwon glanced around, worry on his face. “did she say where she is?”

“no,” sunoo said, hurriedly typing. “where are you, yn? send me your location.”

his heart pounded in his chest as he stared at the screen, hoping she had enough presence of mind to answer.

she didn’t respond. another minute passed before he tried calling—no answer.

sunoo looked up at the boys, eyes wild now. “we need to find her. she’s not responding. if she’s alone and drunk—”

“she wouldn’t just wander far,” heeseung reasoned quickly. “she probably got off somewhere near hybe. let’s check near there first.”

“jake, jungwon—you stay here in case she comes to the dorm. we’ll take the van and go look.”

with that, sunoo was out the door, phone still in hand, her last message echoing in his head:

pick me uppp maybe idk im in love its the wind i think

he didn’t care if she was drunk. he didn’t care if she didn’t mean it, even if his heart stuttered at the confession. what mattered was that she was out there, lost, tipsy, and vulnerable—and he was going to find her.

she was leaning against a crooked lamppost, one heel barely staying on her foot as she swayed gently from side to side, head tilted to the sky. the night was breezy and the stars above twinkled softly—at least in her eyes, they were practically blinking at her.

“hellooooo,” she murmured dreamily, drawing crooked little shapes in the air with her fingers, trying to connect the stars into a lopsided heart. “is that… that’s a star too, right? sunoo said it looked like a baby fox once… baby fox boy…”

she broke into a small fit of giggles, hiccupping in between as she recalled random moments from her memory like they were playing in fast-forward.

the time he accidentally called her baby and turned bright red before pretending it didn’t happen.

the way he brushed her hair back when it fell in front of her eyes like it was the most natural thing.

the look he gave her when she brought him his favourite drink during a tough day. the one that stayed on his face for a whole minute too long.

she cupped her cheeks, which were already flushed from the alcohol, letting out a small whiny giggle. “stop looking at me like thatttt, you dumb dumb perfect dumb sunnyyy,” she muttered to herself. “i’ll kiss you. i will. one day. maybe. if the stars say so.”

her babbling was interrupted by a shadow coming closer.

a guy—mid-20s, equally drunk, stumbling slightly—noticed her from across the street. she didn’t notice him at first, too busy mimicking a flying bird with her arms spread out and laughing at her own jokes. but as he got closer, he slowed his steps, watching her, intrigued by how out of it she seemed.

“hey,” he called, his voice too slick, too amused.

she looked up, wide-eyed and far too trusting. “hiyaaaa!” she chirped, as if greeting an old friend. “i’m yn. assistant manager of stars. and dreams. and… sunnies.”

the man let out a low chuckle, stepping closer. “you okay, sweetheart? you’re all alone out here.”

“i’m okayyyyy,” she said with a lopsided grin, then pointed at the sky. “sunoo is up there. but also here. in my heart. you know him? he’s—he’s like… he’s like if a baby fox and a prince had a son.”

the man blinked. “right.”

she started rambling again, blissfully unaware of how close he was now. “and he calls me baby sometimes. but not like a flirty baby. just a… just a sweet one. like a gummy bear baby. but like, hot. not me—i mean, he’s hot, but also sweet. and i wanna kiss him so bad, oh my god—”

he took another step closer, eyes scanning the dark street around them. “you wanna maybe sit down? talk a bit? it’s not safe out here for a girl like you.”

but her mind was already drifting. “he has these cute whisker dimples—” she poked the apple of her cheeks sloppily—“and i wanna poke it with my nose. no, wait. my lips. or both. what rhymes with sunoo?”

the man was now just a foot away, reaching a hand out to touch her elbow gently. “hey, it’s okay. come with me—”

and then—

“yn!”

her head whipped around at the sound, eyes blinking wide like she had just been yanked from a trance.

sunoo was running.

actually running.

his eyes scanned the street like a madman until they landed on her, and for a moment he couldn’t even breathe. she was right there. wobbling. giggling. and with someone else.

the guy stepped back slightly at the sheer speed sunoo was approaching them. “woah, man—”

sunoo didn’t even hesitate. he stepped between them, placing himself firmly in front of her, his jaw clenched and fists tight. “get the fuck away from her.”

the guy threw his hands up in mock surrender. “chill, bro. i didn’t do anything.”

“she’s drunk. and you were two seconds away from trying something,” sunoo snapped, voice low but laced with fury. “you’re lucky i got here when i did.”

the guy scoffed and backed away, muttering curses under his breath as he walked off into the night.

sunoo immediately turned to her.

she was blinking up at him slowly, as if still registering reality. “suunnyyyy,” she gasped with delight, throwing her arms around his neck. “you came! i told the stars you’d come!”

his hands wrapped around her waist quickly, steadying her as she nearly toppled them both. “what the hell were you doing, yn?” he whispered, heart still racing, “you scared the shit out of me.”

she buried her face into his hoodie, muffling a laugh. “i wanted to walk. and think. and maybe kiss you.”

he stilled, then pulled her in tighter.

“next time you want to kiss me, you call me first. i’ll be there in a second.”

she giggled softly, fingers curling into the fabric near his shoulder. “i love you.”

“i know,” he murmured against her hair, eyes shutting tightly, voice trembling. “i love you too.”

they stood there for a moment longer than they should have, right under the flickering lamplight, in a world that had quieted down just for them. her arms were still slung around his neck, loose and heavy, her weight slowly sinking into him as her knees buckled every now and then. he held her effortlessly, arms around her waist like muscle memory, grounding her, steadying her. she was humming again—off-key and airy—and he could feel her breath hitting his collarbone in little puffs.

“yn,” he murmured, voice soft like he was afraid he might break her otherwise.

she didn’t respond immediately, her face still buried into his hoodie. so he tried again, “yn,” a little more firmly, pulling back slightly to check on her.

that’s when she lifted her head. her eyes, though a little droopy from the alcohol, were impossibly bright, glassy with warmth, affection, and everything that made his stomach twist in ways he wasn’t used to. her cheeks were pink, lips parted in a soft smile—one that grew when she met his gaze.

and it hit him then.

what she’d said earlier. not once, not twice, but a couple of times.

‘i wanna kiss you.’

she had meant it.

he swallowed, heart thudding against his ribs, trying to keep calm, keep her steady. “you okay?” he asked again, his voice a little more hoarse this time.

but she just blinked slowly, her smile fading into a tiny pout. “why don’t you wanna kiss me?” she asked, slurring ever so slightly, voice dipping into something achingly sad. “i’ve been waiting for it… for so long. it—it hurts.”

his heart dropped.

“what?” he whispered, stunned. his hands gripped her waist a little tighter, like maybe she’d fall apart otherwise.

“i waited, sunny,” she said again, this time her voice wobbling, like the alcohol had stripped away every filter, every ounce of hesitation. “you look at me like you love me. you take care of me like you do. so why not just kiss me?”

he opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came out. because she wasn’t wrong.

he did love her. everyone around them knew. heeseung and jay, standing a few metres back, certainly knew. the two of them were watching the whole scene like they were witnessing a season finale unfold in real time. jay had even nudged heeseung at one point with a smug look that read, “finally.”

but sunoo hadn’t noticed. all he saw—all he could see—was her.

this girl with flushed cheeks and sleepy eyes and a mouth that had trembled when she told him it hurt to wait.

she blinked at him again, confused now, like she was trying to read him. her fingers tugged slightly at his hoodie. “is it ‘cause i’m drunk?”

“no—yn, it’s not that,” he finally managed to say, pulling in a breath. “i just—god, i didn’t know if you meant it.”

her pout deepened. “i wouldn’t say it if i didn’t,” she said, and then added petulantly, “i’m drunk, not stupid.”

sunoo let out a soft, breathy laugh, resting his forehead against hers for a second to steady himself. he could smell the faint scent of the perfume she always wore, mixed with something sweet—probably the fruity cocktail she’d gone overboard on. her lips were so close now he could feel the ghost of her breath on his skin.

“i’ve wanted to kiss you for a long time too,” he whispered, eyes locked on hers.

she smiled at that, nose crinkling just a little, the kind of smile that made him feel like maybe the universe got something right for once.

but then he gently added, “but not when you’re drunk. i want you to remember it. every second of it.”

her face fell slightly, and she sighed, melting into him again. “okay,” she murmured, her voice muffled into his neck. “but only if you pinky promise.”

he chuckled, brushing her hair back from her forehead as he hugged her close. “pinky promise,” he said, lifting their hands and wrapping his little finger around hers.

from the distance, heeseung groaned. “this is so sappy i might barf.”

jay elbowed him, smirking. “shut up. you cried last week over an empty shelf that used to hold your ramen stock.”

but even they couldn’t wipe the grins off their faces. not when she looked up at sunoo one last time and mumbled, “you’re my favourite person, sunny.”

and he whispered, soft and sure, “you’re mine too.”

sunoo adjusted his grip on her carefully, letting her lean fully into him as he walked her back toward the car. her steps were lazy and uneven, but her mouth? oh, it did not stop.

“i told the stars about you, you know,” she mumbled, her cheek squished against his shoulder. “all of them. even the tiny, shy one hiding behind the cloud. i said—” she hiccupped slightly, “—i said, ‘that one’s my sunoo’.”

he bit down a laugh, heart aching at how precious she sounded. “you told the stars about me, huh?” he asked, voice dipped in honey.

she nodded, her expression painfully sincere, as if this was the most important declaration she had ever made. “mhm. said you’re mine. that you make me feel all fuzzy and pink inside. like… cotton candy. but like, real.”

heeseung, who had unlocked the car already and was waiting by the driver’s side, leaned against it, watching them with a lopsided grin. jay, already in the passenger seat, peeked over and rolled his eyes affectionately.

“she’s talking about cotton candy now?” heeseung called out with a chuckle.

“apparently i’m the human version,” sunoo replied as he helped her into the backseat, still gently holding her hand.

once she was inside, nestled against him, she continued rambling, her fingers curling around the fabric of his hoodie. “i like when you call me baby. did you know that? you only do it sometimes but—” her voice dropped into a whisper, “—it makes me wanna explode.”

sunoo smiled as he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “baby,” he said softly, just to hear her giggle.

and she did, nose scrunching up adorably. “there it is again. my heart did a spin, sunny. a real spin. like, whoosh.”

jay twisted around from the front seat, watching the two of them like he was watching the best rom-com he’d ever seen. “you’re so gone for her,” he muttered under his breath, nudging heeseung.

heeseung snorted, starting the engine. “dude, look at him. he’s saying baby like it’s a prayer.”

sunoo didn’t even care they were teasing. he was too focused on her, murmuring reassurances every time she leaned in closer, nodding along even as she started talking about how the stars had promised to keep him safe. her words were messy and soft, slurred in places, but filled with so much affection that it melted something deep inside him.

as they drove through the quiet streets, her hand stayed tangled in his. every now and then she’d shift, nuzzle into his side, whisper his name just to make sure he was still there. and each time, without fail, he’d squeeze her hand and whisper back, “i’m right here, baby.”

“my cotton candy.”

she did not stop talking. not even as they walked through the front door of the dorms.

sunoo had barely managed to untangle her from the car seat when she gasped dramatically, like she just realized where they were. “wait… the dorms? are we—” she pointed, a bit too aggressively, “—are we home?”

heeseung opened the door for them with a dramatic bow. “welcome home, princess.”

she clutched her chest. “oh my god, hee. you’re so polite.”

jay trailed in behind them, failing to hold in his laughter. “she’s in peak drunk affection mode,” he whispered to jungwon, who had been waiting in the living room with riki and jake. they all immediately perked up the second she stepped in.

and the moment she saw them, her whole body lit up like a glowstick at a rave.

“oh my boys!!!!!” she squealed, arms thrown wide as if she was about to hug the entire dorm. “look at you guys!! all here!! like a family photo!! i missed you so much—like, you don’t even know.”

jungwon blinked. “we saw you two days ago—”

“i know!” she interrupted, wobbling toward them and cupping jake’s cheeks like a mom seeing her kid after college. “and you looked so grown last time. i almost cried. jake. you’re so… you.”

jake patted her head gently. “alright, yn. you’re cut off. forever.”

“nooo,” she whined, turning dramatically to riki, who was barely holding in his snorts. “rikiiii. your hyungs are bullying me.”

riki blinked innocently. “i’m staying out of this,” he said, grinning like a little menace.

sunoo, meanwhile, just stood at the doorway, watching it all unfold with both fondness and helpness radiating off him in waves. his girl—because that’s what she was, even if no one had said it out loud yet—was stumbling around, giggling at everything, hugging everyone like she was their long-lost soulmate, and somehow managing to trip over nothing twice already.

she suddenly turned, eyes locking with his. “and you,” she said dramatically, pointing at him again like she was accusing him of murder, “you’re not allowed to be this cute. it’s a health hazard, sunoo. like, an actual crime.”

he pressed his lips together, trying hard not to smile. “is that so?”

“yes.” she marched—or rather, wobbled—over to him and poked his chest. “and you didn’t kiss me. rude.”

the rest of the boys collectively gasped.

heeseung was already pulling out his phone. “hold on. i need a video of this.”

but before she could say another word, sunoo swooped in, gently slinging an arm around her waist to steady her. “alright, baby, let’s get you some water and then you’re going to sleep, yeah?”

her eyes widened at the nickname again, her mouth forming an exaggerated ‘o’. “he called me baby,” she whispered to jake, who was cackling in the background. “did you hear that? i’m never drinking again. this is peak life. it’s all downhill from here.”

the boys watched as she leaned her head against sunoo’s shoulder, sighing dreamily as he guided her to the kitchen. riki whispered under his breath, “they’re so in love, it’s actually annoying.”

jungwon nodded. “i give them one week.”

jake shrugged. “three days, tops.”

heeseung grinned. “nah. she’s gonna wake up tomorrow, remember none of this, and we’ll be back at square one.”

sunoo, now holding a glass of water to her lips like she was royalty, just chuckled. he glanced back at the others.

“doesn’t matter how long it takes,” he said softly, watching her with the gentlest eyes. “i’m not going anywhere.”

she stood in front of him in one of his oversized hoodies, the sleeves slipping far past her hands, the hem falling just a little above her knees. her hair was a tousled mess from all the movement and drunken giggling earlier, her face flushed and her eyes still slightly dazed, but clearer now. the kind of clearness that made sunoo’s heart beat just a little faster.

he had just finished tugging the sleeves over her hands when she looked up at him — really looked at him — and something shifted.

“sunoo,” she whispered, voice steady despite the slight sway in her legs. “kiss me.”

his heart stuttered.

“yn…” he began, but the way she stared up at him, wide-eyed, vulnerable, hopeful, made his throat close up.

“please,” she added, so softly, like it hurt her to even ask. “just… kiss me, sunoo. i’ve wanted you to. for so long. you know that.”

her words hit like a punch to the chest. she wasn’t slurring anymore. she wasn’t giggling or playacting. she was there, staring at him with the same look he knew he gave her when she wasn’t looking — that stupidly soft one. the one full of longing. the one full of love.

and he couldn’t take it anymore.

he took a small step forward, closing the gap between them, his hands hesitating at her waist. “you’re drunk,” he said again, but quieter this time. less convincing.

“and you’re in love with me,” she replied, just as quietly.

he let out a shaky breath, his forehead pressing gently against hers. “god, yn… you’re gonna be the death of me.”

“then die kissing me,” she murmured, a little smile playing at her lips.

and he did.

slowly. carefully. like it was the first time — because it was. but also like it was inevitable. his lips brushed hers tenderly, testing the waters, before she leaned in harder, her hands fisting the front of his hoodie like he’d disappear if she didn’t hold on.

her kiss was all emotion, all softness, a little clumsy, but full of the desperation she’d carried for far too long. and he responded in kind — anchoring her, guiding her, pouring every ounce of emotion he’d held back for months into the way his lips moved against hers.

when they pulled apart, her eyes fluttered open slowly, her breath warm against his cheek.

“finally,” she whispered, smiling faintly. “told the stars you’d kiss me tonight.”

sunoo laughed under his breath at the mention of stars for the umpteenth time that night, lips sweetly kissing the top of her forehead. “i’ll kiss you every night, baby. stars or no stars.”

and when she tucked herself into his chest again, humming contentedly, he wrapped his arms around her without hesitation — as if they’d done this a million times before.

she didn’t give him a warning the next time.

just as his lips were about to brush her forehead again, content to hold her and bask in the peace of it all, she tugged him down into another kiss — harder this time, like the quiet confession had lifted something heavy off her chest. her hands found their way to the back of his neck, fingers threading into his hair as she pulled him impossibly closer.

she giggled mid-kiss, then tugged his hoodie by the collar, walking backward with a mischievous glint in her eye. “come here,” she whispered against his lips, dragging him with her like it was the most natural thing in the world.

sunoo was stunned but too wrapped up in her to stop. he stumbled a little as she led them backward, both of them laughing softly — until she hit the edge of the bed and toppled onto it, dragging him down with her.

he caught himself before all his weight landed on her, arms braced on either side of her head. she lay beneath him, hair fanned out against his sheets, smiling like this was the happiest she’d ever been. her lips were pink and kiss-bruised, her cheeks flushed from the alcohol and affection alike. she looked up at him, pure joy in her eyes.

“hi,” she whispered, playfully.

he let out a breathless chuckle. “hi,” he replied, gazing down at her like she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

but then, suddenly, she winced, her smile faltering. her hand flew to her temple as the room spun just a little too fast. “shit,” she mumbled, squeezing her eyes shut. “i think i moved too fast—”

“hey, hey,” sunoo said quickly, concern washing over his features as he shifted off her, helping her sit up slowly. “it’s okay. deep breaths, baby. you’re okay.”

“i’m okay,” she whispered, eyes still shut. “just dizzy…”

“of course you are,” he murmured, brushing her hair back from her face gently. “you just dragged me onto a bed like a maniac.”

she laughed softly, though it was followed by a tired groan. “it was worth it. got to kiss you twice.”

sunoo grinned at that, heart full despite the chaos. he helped her lay back against the pillows, more carefully this time, sitting beside her and stroking her arm gently.

“you still feel like throwing yourself at me or should we put that on pause for when you’re not drunk out of your mind?” he teased, eyes soft.

she cracked one eye open and squinted up at him. “you’re not getting out of it, kim sunoo. i remember everything when i drink.”

“good,” he whispered, brushing a kiss to her forehead. “because i want you to remember this.”

she hummed contentedly, her fingers finding his again under the blanket. “so do i.”

and with her head against his shoulder and her hand curled in his, the night calmed into something still and quiet — a far cry from how it started. but perfect nonetheless.

nessie 🗯️ yeeee FINALLY a sunoo drabble >_< i love black hair sunoo sm i think im a little TOO obsessed with that picture

tag𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕 drop a comment down or send me an ASK to be a part of my taglist <3

[scary-grace]

Dark/Moody Prompt #3, blood swirling down a shower drain, if you haven't already gotten it?

Thanks for the prompt! I decided to set this one in the serial killer AU, and it occurs sometime pre-story. Tomura POV, 500+words.

The worst part of a murder is cleaning up afterwards. With the rest of it, Tomura can lose himself in his work, in taking someone who’s broken their promises and failed the people they were supposed to save and turning them into an example of what’s waiting for everyone who does the same. Tomura’s hands are as familiar with knives in them as they are on a keyboard or manipulating a joystick. Carving up a victim, arranging a crime scene, leaving clues and hoping the next cop who looks at the crime scene will be able to understand what Tomura’s trying to tell them – all of that makes sense.

He’s fine coming back from the scene. Fine cleaning up his workshop, fine sharpening his tools and setting them aside for next time. It’s when Tomura has to clean up himself that it starts to get weird.

The way he works gets messy. If it’s not messy when he’s actually making a kill, it’s messy at the crime scene, or when he’s cleaning his workshop after. There’s always blood on his clothes, on his hands, in his hair. It ends up under his clothes, somehow. And this is where all of Tomura’s murders end – with him in the shower, fully dressed, watching rivulets of blood wash out of his clothes and down the drain.

This is the worst part. It’s the part where Tomura starts asking questions, small ones and then bigger ones. If he put the clue in the right spot. If he took too long with the kill. If anyone’s going to see what he sees. If anyone’s going to see him. Tomura’s not clueless. He knows how stupid it is to expect anyone to see him when he can barely look at himself. When peeling off his soaked clothes to wash out the blood beneath him feels worse than sticking his hands into a still-steaming body cavity and lifting out a liver or a heart.

Tomura does it anyway. He has to. He turns the metallic-tasting water on as high and as hot as it’ll go, knowing it’ll force him to move faster. Hot water makes his skin itch. Cold water makes his skin itch. Toweling off makes him itch and he can’t face sitting there and air-drying. There’s nothing Tomura can do that doesn’t feel disgusting and wrong. Even a new kill, a new crime scene to construct, a new message to send, won’t take it away.

Tomura dries off and scratches, gets dressed again and scratches, stands frozen in front of his mostly-empty refrigerator and scratches. It’s not until he’s sitting in front of his screens, adjusting the cameras on the drone he left by the crime scene, that he starts to feel like himself again. As much as he ever does, anyway. He studies the screens and wonders if this scene will be the one where it clicks. If he got it right this time. He remembers being told a long time ago that he could start over as much as he wanted. That this is his game, and he can play it his way, and none of the rest of it matters.

Tomura gets that. He buys it, usually. But he’d love to win at some point. Maybe if he knew he’d won, peeling off his bloody clothes in the shower wouldn’t feel so bad.

[y2ksnowglobe]

Lark and Sparrow had not been prepared for how this day had gone. Track and follow an acolyte, maybe bring them in for questioning or kill them depending on the way things went. As about as straightforward a mission as you could get.

The did not anticipate seeing a ninety something woman shoot the acolyte point blank after opening her door.

Figuring out how to then have a conversation with a trigger happy elderly lady was the next step. Fortunately the pair knew how to keep their cool at gunpoint at this juncture in their career at D.A.D.D.I.E.S.

"What, are you with The Powers that Be?" she had asked. "Bison? The One's Who Watch? Project Heartland? Project Motherland?"

"N-no, ma'am," Sparrow had said, fumbling with his badge. "We're from D.A.D.D.I.E.S."

"Is that some sort of sex thing?"

Sparrow and Lark quickly shook their heads. Sparrow even pointing to the asterisk on the badge that identified them as "Not a BDSM Agency."

It had been at that point that her blind companion had said, "BB? Invite our guests in, I'm sure they don't mean any harm."

They then went from gunpoint to Sparrow having to turn down a peanut butter milkshake in under thirty seconds, but Lark was willing to have both of them instead.

Her blind companion was named Milton, and the twins were surprised by how much the elderly duo seemed to be aware of the bizarre Doodler related things going on in the world around them. They explained they'd dealt with weird stuff even before the static got released back in 2020, and BB mentioned the Doodler's eye as perhaps being another "Hour of the Hole" approaching.

From there the twins learned about The God Killer, and seed candidates, and more gods and eldritch horrors than just the one that Lark had released. In turn the two explained their connections to Oakridge and their great-grandmother's incidental role in starting what they now knew from BB as Project Heartland.

"But...but that can kill a god?" Lark asks, after listening to the pair ramble for a good hour and a half about their experiences in the fifties.

"It's up to you what you think is worth it, I suppose," Milton says. "I know my aunt seemed to struggle with it. The size of the needed sacrifice is a lot to contend with."

Lark shakes his head. "I'm already to blame for everything else going on out there, and I've doomed more for less before."

Milton sighs. "We may have been young enough to feel like getting out of Peachyville to save ourselves was worth it before, but we've had long lives since then."

"Oh speak for yourself, Milton," BB snaps. "I'm not done here yet."

"Well thank you for your time," Sparrow says, standing up and making his way towards the door. "We...We'll see about staying in touch. We're the two least familiar with our archive system, so...if two other of our agents stop by...please don't shoot them in the head."

"Sounds good," says Milton while BB mutters something that sounds more like "no promises."

The twins walk about out under the Doodler's watchful gaze. Lark slides into the driver's seat, but notices Sparrow instead stands next to the passenger door, looking up, not getting into the vehicle.

Lark rolls the window down. "Brother?"

Sparrow doesn't stop looking at the sky. "We're not doing it."

"What do you mean?" Lark doesn't understand, Sparrow had rarely set hard limits on what he was willing to do to help Lark destroy the Doodler, this didn't seem out of bounds. "Sparrow, it's a god killer, we at least need to look into it."

Sparrow just shakes his head. "They said someone would need to be the seed, and there's only one person the prophecy is going to let that be."

Lark hesitates long enough for the realization to wash over him. "Hero."

Sparrow doesn't look at his brother, but nods.

It had been one thing when Rebecca was pregnant, with the training sessions, to see Hero as the chosen one, as the only way to get them out of this mess the two of them had made, but when the actual option is laid on the table, Sparrow can't make himself take it. He'd enacted code purple, doomed another realm entirely to protect his family. It didn't matter if another method would result in more deaths if he could prevent his daughter from being one of them.

"We're not doing this," Sparrow says again. "We might have to destroy the entire realm earth is on instead, but this...it's never going to be this."

[bonewaryreblogs]

Chapter 3 Projected Trajectory is Here!

Woo!

I've barely started ch 4 tho so it might be a while before I get that published lol...

-

Exactly ten minutes later, Bruce Wayne had entered the Family Dining Room. Duke politely excused himself, despite his obvious curiosity, while Bruce led Danny and Jazz to a cozy sitting room, back past the hall where their guest room was. Armed with a folder, a spiral notebook, the binder Jazz had given Batman, and both a pen and pencil, Bruce sat in an armchair opposite a large, L-shaped couch the siblings had claimed, coffee table in the middle. Thankfully, the large window made them feel less trapped, like they could escape if they felt they needed to, and the two beanbag chairs in front of the window made the room feel more lived in, rather than an untouchable showroom in a magazine.

“I’m glad you both look better than when you arrived,” Bruce began. “But before we make more plans, I wanted to confirm that you both do want to stay here in Gotham.”

The siblings looked at each other and Danny shrugged, leaning back and letting Jazz lead the conversation.

“All things considered, that is probably the best course of action,” Jazz sat up a little straighter, easily stepping into the familiar role of caretaker. “At least for now.”

“You still have reservations, then.”

“A lot has happened very quickly,” Jazz deflected, looking away. “We haven’t really had a chance to examine all of our options.”

“I see,” Bruce nodded, picking up the folder first. “Then that’s probably the best place to start. As promised, we’ll make sure you stay together no matter where you’re placed, and I assume that decision will mostly be affected by your plans for the future, and the most important factor to narrow possibilities is whether either of you want to continue being heroes. If yes, you will be placed with a League hero who will be in charge of your training, but if not, you will be placed with a trusted, non-hero associate unless there are specific reasons not to. Everything else will fit around that choice.”

“Well, I kinda have to,” Danny interjected, then hesitated. He glanced at Jazz’s binder, then sighed, folding his arms tightly over his chest; Batman or not, Bruce would probably need to know at some point. It’s not much of a secret that he funds the Justice League, and if he was trusted with that binder, he probably had some manager-type duties, or at the very least was in charge of their case.

“It’s really personal, so don’t ask about it unless I bring it up first,” he continued, looking away uncomfortably. “But I’m sort of hard wired to protect others. I will literally go nuts if I can’t. So, wherever we end up, I’m gonna have to do hero stuff.”

Danny really didn’t wanna open that can of worms right now.

Unfortunately, Bruce’s attention had zeroed in on Danny as he said this, locked onto the mystery dangled in front of him, and Danny barely resisted the urge to shrink into the couch under the intense scrutiny. Jazz cleared her throat and Bruce’s eyes snapped to hers, getting caught in her protective glare as something seemed to click in his brain. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes and visibly pulling himself back.

“In that case, these are the League heroes who have agreed to potentially foster you two,” Bruce forced himself to ignore the temptation as he handed a stack of papers to Jazz, since Danny made no move to take it. Of course he had prepared for the possibility that they didn’t want to stay. “Not all heroes are ready for the commitment of being a full-time mentor, and fewer still are equipped to take care of fosters, no matter how independent. Each page is a hero with some general information, as well as a list of pros and cons for each choice, and a description written by the heroes themselves. The profiles are hardly comprehensive, and their civilian identities have been redacted unless it’s already public knowledge, so look through them and let me know if you have any questions.”

With that, Bruce traded the folder for Jazz’s binder and sat back to study it, occasionally writing in the notebook; trying to give them some amount of privacy while still being readily available. Jazz began scanning each paper, looking for any obvious deal-breakers, while Danny sat up to look over her shoulder.

After several minutes of careful scrutiny and silent communication, a stack of eliminated candidates was placed to one side of the coffee table while Jazz spread the remaining handful of profiles out in front of them. She cleared her throat to get Bruce’s attention.

“Ok, first important question,” Jazz said while Danny leaned back again. “Whoever we pick, will we still be able to consult with other heroes for more specific training?”

“Yes,” Bruce answered immediately, returning the binder and notebook to the table. “Regardless of their primary mentor, all League heroes have agreed to help train the next generation, including those who don’t want a full-time sidekick of their own.”

“Ok, that does make me feel better eliminating options,” Jazz nodded, looking back at the papers. “The Atom is a scientist, which will be closer to what we’re used to, and he works with the Justice Foundation so we’d be close to mom and dad, but the environment could be triggering as well as limiting Danny’s ability to fulfill his Obsession since Atom’s not out in the field much. Zatanna seems like a good choice, too, now that we know that there’s a connection between ecto and magic, but with her identity being public our parents are more likely to find out about Danny’s condition, and we want to tell them ourselves, if it’s going to happen at all. Since you’ve confirmed that we can seek specialized training without committing to live with them, I can safely eliminate them from the list,” Jazz put their profiles on the eliminated stack. “Which leaves just the three founders of the Justice League.”

She squirmed uncomfortably as she glanced over the three remaining profiles on the table.

“I feel... for lack of a better term, ‘entitled’ by picking one of them, but they are the best choices to cover both Danny’s needs and my own. Superman would probably be the best match personality wise, and it’s common knowledge that he isn’t human so he’ll understand having non-human needs, but from what I can tell he was raised among humans on Earth, most likely in rural America, so he probably isn’t equipped to handle how... quirky Danny’s biology is, so as much as it pains me, he’s also eliminated.”

She moved his paper to the eliminated stack as well and Danny hid his disappointment that he wouldn’t get to live with an alien.

“That leaves Batman, who has already expressed an interest in taking us in, and Wonder Woman, who has connections to magic as well. Both would be great options as a mentor for Danny, so what about me? I could take or leave hero work, but I very much want to go to college, specifically in some area of psychology, and as much as Washington D.C. has some good options, and working with Wonder Woman would be really cool, Gotham has some of the best psychology programs in North America and I was already considering going to Gotham U long before any of this hero stuff happened. What do you think, Danny?” Jazz turned to her brother. “And before you say ‘you trust my judgement’, I don’t want facts and figures from you, I want your opinion about how you feel.”

Danny’s mouth snapped shut, cut off before he could even start, and sat up to look at the two final papers on the coffee table. What did he feel? Part of him still wanted to take Superman out of the eliminated pile, but Jazz was right; they could easily consult with an alien so he didn’t need to live with one, too. The magic connection was good, but he already had Frostbite and could easily talk to other Justice League magic users so, again, he didn’t necessarily need to be in such close contact with them. So, ignoring ghost hero stuff, who would he want to live with? Who would take care of his daily needs best?

“... Batman does seem to be the obvious choice,” he finally admitted, looking away. “I mean, he knows a lot about ghost stuff already and didn’t seem put off by it, he’s familiar with the situation at Amity Park and with our parents, he’s had plenty of experience training sidekicks, even if none of them had powers or whatever, and we are already here...”

Danny trailed off with a shrug. He felt like a spoiled, entitled brat just expecting for the Batman to take care of him. Their parents had never said that raising them was annoying, but they didn’t really have to for the siblings to feel like they were always in the way. Picking Batman made logical sense but it still made him very uncomfortable, so he leaned against Jazz’s shoulder, still looking away. Jazz sighed and leaned in, too.

“I know it’s a trauma response of neglect,” Jazz said quietly, not really seeing the papers she was staring at. “To minimize natural needs when the bare minimum felt like a luxury. But it feels like we’re asking for too much, being too inconvenient, even though it’s literally being offered to us...”

Bruce had been silently studying the siblings as they thought out loud, mentally cataloguing what they valued and what they didn’t even think to consider.

“Have you made your decision?” Bruce asked quietly, face held in a careful neutral. He wanted them to make this decision for themselves, not just accept what was expected of them.  

Danny and Jazz shared one last look before Danny nodded and Jazz’s expression hardened with resolve as she nodded back, sitting up straight and looking Bruce in the eye.

“Yes,” she said. “We’ve decided to stay.”

“Then let’s get started,” Bruce smiled, barely hiding his delight.

“First, we’ve kind of been dancing around it, so I do want to confirm,” Jazz scratched the back of her head self-consciously. “You are Batman, right?”

Bruce huffed in amusement.

“Yes, I’m Batman.”

“Ok, and a follow up question, who else knows?” she continued. “About you and about us. Who do we have to be careful around?”

“Most of the Gotham vigilantes know that I’m Batman, and as such will easily deduce your identities if they see you in the field, though I’ve restricted as much information about you two as I could so that you could choose who to trust about what on your own terms,” Bruce assured and both siblings relaxed minutely. “Besides myself, Oracle knows the most out of anyone, through her investigation into the GIW, and I can’t control who she tells, but I’ve only revealed the basics to everyone else: your names, that your parents were arrested for unethical science, and that I offered to foster and train you both, if that’s what you want. All of my children are vigilantes, though Duke and Damian are still in training, and all of them have been trained as detectives so I can’t control what they may have discovered about you on their own, either; though, with the media blackout, they probably didn’t find much more than I did before arriving in Amity. I’ve warned them all to not overwhelm you both while you settle, so they’ve agreed to stagger their introductions, and I’ve let them take care of how that will work amongst themselves. From what I’ve been told of their plans, they’ve delegated different aspects of helping you settle as part of their introductions, on the assumption that you would be staying, of course. Aside from my own children, there are plenty of other Gotham vigilantes as well; while I have asked them to give you time to adjust, it will be up to them to respect that request. Outside of Gotham, I am very careful about who I trust with my civilian identity.”

Bruce took another stapled packet of papers from the folder and handed it to Jazz.

“I have a tiered list of people you are likely to interact with and approximately how much they know about me,” he explained, because of course he had a tier list of who’s close to him. “But a general guideline would be ‘the closer they are to the core of the Justice League, the more of my secrets I trust them with’ and I trust both Superman and Wonder Woman implicitly. I’ll leave it to them how they want to introduce themselves but I’m sure they’ll want to visit soon. I haven’t told Justice League Dark more than they already knew when we first met, Danny, but I don’t know how much they’ve researched on their own since then. Alfred knows everything and was trained as a military field medic, so he usually patches us up after patrols. For anything more serious or specialized, we see Dr. Leslie Thompkins, and most of our equipment is designed and fabricated by Lucious Fox, head of Research and Development at Wayne Enterprises. We don’t keep much from either of them, though they usually don’t ask anything beyond the scope of their expertise. Although, speaking of Dr. Thompkins, we’ll need to get both of you in to see her sooner rather than later, preferably before school starts, which we also need to discuss.”

“Isn’t that, like, a week away, though?” Danny grimaced. He didn’t particularly like the idea of a doctor examining him, on top of his world up-ending, and now going to a new school? It was all happening too fast; let him catch his breath first!

“A week from next Monday, yes,” Bruce confirmed. Today was Friday. “I know it’s not a lot of time to adjust, but I don’t want either of you to miss school or enter a school year part way through, which is a good way to be singled out and ostracized in a place like Gotham Academy. The media doesn’t know that you exist yet, but you will inevitably gain media attention simply because of your connection to me; however, I want to avoid making it worse if at all possible.”

“You’re right,” Jazz admitted. “I’ve read studies about social dynamics of various age groups. If we start even a week late, cliques will have already started to form and we’d be seen as outsiders even more than we already will be, a label that would likely follow us for years in a community as connected as a single city’s elite. I only have one year of high school left, so it wouldn’t be as big of a problem for me, but Danny would have to endure at least three years of that.”

“The only reason I was ok being an outcast at Casper High was because Sam and Tucker were there, too,” Danny admitted, rubbing his face. “Not that I want to schmooze with rich kids, but it’s better than the alternative...”

“You won’t have to reveal your connection to me right away,” Bruce offered. “No one will connect Fenton to Wayne for a while, hopefully not until we can announce it ourselves. Clark Kent is an amazing reporter and my usual go-to if I need help controlling a narrative for the media. Clark is well known for his integrity and has helped each of my kids with their public debuts, except for Dick since I adopted him before I met Clark, but we don’t need to worry about that immediately. The more pressing matters are getting you two enrolled, which will require a doctor’s appointment, and the immediate need for daily necessities. I will also need to put together a training schedule for each of you- no, first I should confirm, Jazz, do you want to be a vigilante in Gotham? You will need some amount of training either way, but if not, I will focus on things like self-defense and what to do when you are inevitably kidnapped.”

“’When’?!” Jazz balked and Bruce just nodded, very serious.

“Even if you were regular citizens, being held hostage is a fairly common occurrence in Gotham. Being connected to someone as influential as Brucie Wayne, it’s only a matter of time before you’ll be targeted.”

“I guess that makes sense...” Jazz grimaced. “Well, if I’m going to be in danger anyways, it may as well be on my terms. I’ll be a hero, though I may have to pull back to part-time once I get into college.”

“That’s reasonable,” Bruce easily agreed. “In which case, I will need you both to compile a list of your current skills and abilities, as well as your proficiency with them, and Danny, that will include a list of your powers. I observed many of them myself, but I’m sure I didn’t see all of them or their extent, nor do I know how they work. I’m not used to training those with superpowers, so I’ll need to know which heroes would be the best match to consult for them, especially for any powers you’re less familiar with.”

“Ok,” Danny warned. “But that’s gonna take a while.”

Bruce blinked, then narrowed his eyes, suddenly much more Batman than Bruce Wayne.

“Explain.”

“So, I have a wide variety of ghost powers,” Danny started, sitting up. “Most of which I don’t use regularly because they’re just so specialized that they’re only really useful in very specific situations. I use like five powers regularly, and they’re all kinda related anyways, like invisibility and intangibility are almost always used together. Then I have a handful of other powers that I can pull out in a pinch; some of them I don’t even remember doing, but Sam and Tucker swear I did at least once so those should probably be included, too,” Danny rolled his eyes, gaining momentum. “But for most of them I just didn’t have time to focus on training them to the point of being useful while trying to keep up with the constant ghost attacks, the schoolwork, remembering to eat and sleep, making sure our parents didn’t go off the deep end and do something I couldn’t fix, and I didn’t even have a social life because I just didn’t have time! And on top of that, I keep on developing new powers!” Danny cried, waving his arms around. “Or at least new ways to use old powers, if nothing else is working!”

Danny sighed, rubbing his face with both hands.

“Sorry for the rant,” he shook his head. “It’s just frustrating to always feel like I’m behind the curve.”

“You prioritized dealing with the immediate problem,” Bruce nodded thoughtfully, unbothered by the erratic tirade. “While understandable considering the situation in Amity, such a strategy will only be detrimental going forward. You implied Sam and Tucker have been keeping track of your powers?”

“Yeah, Sam’s got a notebook and I think Tucker has a spreadsheet or something, tracking separately since they couldn’t come up with a system they both liked and just swap notes,” Danny nodded, trying to ignore his embarrassment at getting so worked up. “They kept track of some medical stuff too, so I can get all of that next time I call them. Which reminds me, when can I call them and how much can I tell them? I don’t wanna lie to them if I don’t have to.”

“Hm,” Bruce frowned. “I know you trust them, but I have limited influence over the situation due to the media blackout and I don’t know them well enough to fully trust them myself yet. You can tell them that Batman is training you and that you’re staying with Bruce Wayne; it isn’t a lie, per se, but I’d like to keep my identities separate for now. Most people theorize that Bruce is at least funding Batman, so it would make sense for Batman to trust Bruce to facilitate your healthcare since they already know your health is complicated and would likely be expensive.”

Danny clenched his jaw, narrowing his eyes at Bruce; he knew the implied accusation of being inconvenient was just in his head, but it still made him bristle. He ignored the discomfort and sighed, looking away, not willing to die on this hill.

“I don’t like it,” Danny grumbled. “But I can see your point. Fine, it’s a reasonable request so I won’t tell them. I can’t stop them from figuring it out on their own, though.”

“Fair enough,” Bruce nodded, accepting the compromise. “I’ll ask Oracle to help set up a secure communication channel with them-”

“Tucker is really good a tech stuff,” Danny interrupted. “It might help to have them working at it from both ends.”

“Hmm,” Bruce tapped his chin in thought. “It will be difficult to coordinate around the blackout before the connection is secured, and I was too focused on your situation to set up anything more permanent before leaving. I’ll speak with Oracle. Depending on the solution she decides to use, we may need to set up something physical in Amity Park anyways. If so, I can send Rob-” Bruce froze, then sighed. “I can send Owl Light to Amity with the plan and equipment, and you two can accompany him.”

“Really?!” Danny perked up, ignoring the slip and the hero name he didn’t recognize. “We can go visit?!”

“I don’t have enough information to give you a timetable,” Bruce said. “But yes, I see no reason to keep you from them. Until we can access that list of powers, we will focus on your human form and non-ghost abilities along with Jazz and Duke.”

“Why?” Danny asked, cocking his head. “I’m not gonna be out there as a human, right?”

“There will inevitably be situations when you can’t use your ghost form for one reason or another and I need to know that you can still handle yourself appropriately. I’ve seen too many heroes with powers be useless without them because they weren’t prepared. I don’t know what may cause the situation, but I know that it will happen, and you will be ready.”

“Ah,” Danny thought back to a few times when he was stuck as a human during a ghost attack. “Well, when you put it like that...”

“Besides, with or without superpowers, there are plenty of skills that you will need in order to survive being a hero in Gotham,” Bruce smirked slightly. “Such as detective skills and how to interact with the media and the general public, both as a hero and a civilian; not to mention a crash course on Gotham’s rogues and the differences between small town and big city dynamics. You won’t be lacking things to do without the list.”

There was a quiet chime sound and Bruce pulled out a PDA-style cell phone, checked it, nodded, and returned it to his pocket.

“That can wait until later,” Bruce continued, a spark of amusement in his otherwise stoic expression. “Steph is here to take you clothes shopping and she’s getting impatient.”

-

“This is gonna be great!”

Stephanie Brown bounced out the Manor’s front door with Jazz and Danny in tow. She had wanted to invite Duke and Damian, too, since they also didn’t really have enough clothes in her opinion, but she couldn’t find Damian and Duke had managed to wriggle out of it, so it would just be the three of them. Steph assured them that she was the least likely of Bruce’s kids to be recognized in public, not to mention she wasn’t technically adopted so people probably wouldn’t care as much even if she was recognized. This wasn’t even something the siblings had considered might be a problem until she mentioned it.

Duke was right, though, Steph had energy to spare. It was actually a little overwhelming. Thankfully, it was the kind of overwhelming that they were used to; sure, that excited chatter was usually more scientific in nature, but it was familiar enough to be soothing so Jazz and Danny were happy enough to let her lead.

Taking them to a bulk clothing retailer first, they got the basics like underpants, bras, and undershirts, both tank top and t-shirt styles; all in a variety of plain colors.

“I grew up pretty poor, too, so I know how ingrained thrifting can be as a habit,” she’d explained. “But I’m not gonna let you two shut down with the culture shock of suddenly having cash to burn. We can use this to ease you into it, and we need a good base to build on anyways, then we can splurge on fancy, special pieces! I mean, we are building this wardrobe from scratch, ya know?”

They spent barely an hour at the bulk store, most of which was figuring out what sizes and shapes best fit their body-types; something neither sibling had ever considered, but it turns out Steph was really good at. Ditching their borrowed clothes for some of the plain ones they’d just bought, they hit the mall next and she dragged them from store to store, grabbing everything they showed even a passing interest in and hiding price tags as often as she could.

She got better at finding things they’d like as she got to know them. Anything and everything with a ghost or superhero theme for both siblings. Space, star, and alien stuff for Danny. Cute animals and simple patterns for Jazz. Danny loved all of the shirts with puns that made Jazz groan. Jazz swore she didn’t like the frillier items, with lace and bows, but didn’t fight against them as hard as she could have. A few nicer items, like button-up shirts and slacks for both, and a few simple but classy dresses and skirts for Jazz. Steph noted that Danny seemed drawn to a few feminine items, too, but he panicked slightly when she brought it up so she backed off and just filed the information away for later; now wasn’t the time to push boundaries.

All told, as exhausting as it was, both Danny and Jazz were honestly enjoying themselves, allowing Steph to disarm them with her playful excitement and genuine interest.

They had to make a few trips back out to her car, but after one last stop at a beauty salon for some basic toiletries like nice shampoo, and promising to take Jazz back for some makeup when they have more time, Steph decided they should take a break around dinner, opting to forgo the Food Court in favor of the nearby Batburger.

“Every item is named after a Gotham vigilante?” Jazz asked while Danny snickered to himself about the punny names as they both looked over their menus. It wasn’t exactly fancy, but as a sit-down, diner-style restaurant, it was a step up from regular fast food while still being affordably priced.

“Yup!” Steph chirped. “Tim came up with the idea to boost our image, make us more approachable to the average citizen while still being intimidating to the bad guys. They do stay away from using the rogues for anything, though, so we don’t encourage that kind of behavior, but we sometimes get specials based on other heroes, too! Those are always fun! Bruce is footing the bill, of course, and Alfred made me promise to feed you well before he let me take you, so order as much as you’d like.”

“So, it’s ok if I order two entrees?” Danny asked, letting a bit more hope leak into his voice than he meant to.

“Sure,” Steph chuckled. “Duke mentioned how much you two ate at lunch so I have no doubt you’d finish it, and even if you don’t, we can just take it with us.”

A waiter, in a polo and slacks uniform that seemed to be styled after one of Robin’s old outfits, took their order and Jazz decided to finally broach the topic they’d all been skirting around.

“So, uh,” she tried to be casual. “How much does everyone know about, um... our situation? Bruce said he tried to keep it under wraps but with everyone being trained detectives, well...”

“Yeah, we didn’t exactly become heroes to mind our own business,” Steph chuckled quietly, glancing around. “Now’s not really the place to go over who’s who, though, just in case, but Babs hasn’t been quiet about the dirt she’s dug up on the GIW. Sick bastards.”

Jazz and Danny stiffened while Steph glared out the window. The siblings flinched when the waiter returned with their drinks and suddenly Steph was all smiles again as she lightly flirted with him. He seemed slightly uncomfortable, though, and Steph immediately backed off without drawing attention to it as he went about his job. Danny couldn’t help but think back to what Duke said about Bruce and Tim’s airhead act and how quickly that switch can be flipped. Those two might not be the only actors in the family.

“On a safer note,” Steph smiled at them. “I am so glad I got to be the first one to really get to know you two! It was a hard won position, but totally worth it. But alas, all good things must come to an end and all the good clothes stores are gonna be closed by the time we’re done eating. We got a good start on your wardrobes, at least-”

“’Start’?!” Danny balked.

“-and someone else called dibs on helping you decorate your rooms," Steph grinned at the interjection. “Tim asked if we could pick him up from WE, though, if you don’t mind one more stop. I think he wanted to get you patched into our network and stuff, so we could keep you in the loop about plans instead of kinda springing it on you like we did today.”

Food arrived and small talk was had. Jazz and Danny agreed Nasty Burger was better but recognized their clear nostalgic bias. When questioned about the name, Jazz said it was a locally owned burger joint that used to be the Tasty Burger when it opened but it was vandalized at some point and the owner was too cheap to fix it. By the time it was sold, everyone knew it as Nasty Burger and the new owner decided to lean into it, rebranding everything to match. Small town quirks at their finest.

Finally back in Steph’s car, Danny was tired of waiting.

“So, which hero are you?” he asked from the back seat as soon as the doors were closed, not bothering with subtlety.

“I’m Batgirl,” Steph chuckled as she started driving away. “And your hero name is Phantom, right?”

“Yup.”

“Gonna keep it or try to rebrand in a new city?”

“Huh,” Danny cocked his head. “I hadn’t actually thought about that. With the media blackout, it’s not like anyone outside Amity is gonna recognize Phantom, or at least no one living.”

“I can see pros and cons for both, and it’s good to keep your options open,” Steph nodded, glancing at Jazz in the passenger seat. “What about you, Jazz? I don’t remember hearing a hero name for you.”

“Oh, I don’t have one,” Jazz said. “No one on Team Phantom did besides Danny, and even then it was only really while he was transformed so our parents didn’t find out, otherwise we probably wouldn’t have bothered at all. Everything’s been happening so fast, though, I haven’t really had time to think about something like a hero name.”

“Cool, cool,” Steph nodded distractedly, then chewed her lip, hesitating. “Would you... consider being Batgirl?”

“What, but, wait-” Jazz stuttered in shock. “That’s your hero name!”

“I know, but I’m 23,” Steph shrugged. “I feel like I’ve outgrown being Batgirl and I’ve kinda wanted to change names for months now but couldn’t find a good excuse to. Passing the name to you would be perfect! And I wouldn’t have to feel like I’m abandoning it, ya know?”

Steph gave a nervous, embarrassed chuckled as Jazz stared at her with wide eyes, shock turning into awe, then contemplation as she looked out the front window. Steph sped up slightly as the light turned yellow and Jazz and Danny both kissed their hands and touched the ceiling with it in identical motions.

“What was that?!” Steph laughed, glancing at them both as they looked at her in confusion.

“What do you mean?” Jazz asked, legitimately not sure what Steph was talking about.

“The touch the ceiling thing?” Steph kept laughing but was now almost concerned. “That was like creepily in sync, guys.”

“Oh, that,” Jazz suddenly understood and looked away, embarrassed.

“Wait, do you not kiss the ceiling when you drive through a yellow light?” Danny asked, almost incredulous, but quickly noted Steph hadn’t done it with them.

“Everyone in Amity does it,” Jazz shrugged, still looking away. “I guess I never realized it was just an Amity thing.”

“Is there a reason for it? Like a superstition?”

“I... don’t think so?” Jazz cocked her head and Steph noted it was the same way Danny did. “I never really thought about why, everyone just did it, so it’s probably like a ‘knock on wood’ type of superstitious tradition.”

“That’s honestly kind of adorable,” Steph was still grinning. “I might have to steal it. Just ‘cause.”

Jazz smiled in relief, glad that Steph wasn't too weirded out, and Danny snickered as they approached a sleek and fancy skyscraper with a big, silver W on the front.

[somecallmejohn]

Some Magnifico defenders really are the type of person to tell Ariel that she had it coming after being taken by Ursula because she had signed a deal with her, cuz fuck ethics amirite?

"The people of Rosas agreed to live in the kingdom under Magnifico's rules and to give away their wishes" OK... cool motive, that doesn't make his actions and decisions ethically right tho.

[pagesofkenna]

Finally went through and rearranged my podcasts (I'm subscribed to way too many podcasts

Green = podcasts I'm actively keeping up with whenever they post (also basically in order of which I'm most anxious for new episodes for currently)

Blue = podcasts I'm kinda keeping up with, or newly added and slowly catching up on

Purple = podcasts I'm not really keeping up with but will occasionally check in on if I need something different to fill the air

Red = podcasts which aren't actively posting/are on hiatus and which I'm waiting for new episodes of

Orange = podcasts which aren't posting and I don't really expect new episodes of, but I want to stay subscribed to Just In Case

Yellow = podcasts I've newly subscribed to that I either haven't tried yet or don't have time to invest in yet

[lomlsatoru]

FAMILIAR — JINU ࣪𖤐.ᐟ

˚⟡˖ ࣪ SOUL INTERTWINED SERIES | part 2 is up!!!!

summary: you look exactly like the girl he fell in love with 300 years ago.

a/n: im officially obsessed with KDH & jinu’s perfect face and eyes <33 this is just a small blurb, 700 words, more works coming soon if this goes well!

check out my other works <3

★☆.

“Rumi? Is that you?”

Said girl turned around so fast you could hear her neck crack as she yells your name in shock. “Wha- what are you doing here?” her feet fidgeting, eyes moving everywhere, almost like she’s looking for something. 

Being Bobby's assistant was not an easy task to say the least, so the chilling cold air nipping at your skin was very much needed. 

You furrowed your eyebrows at her off behaviour, “I’m getting some air.” hands engulfed in the pockets of your hoodie, “What about you?” 

She stutters, sending you an awkward smile, “Nothing! I mean- not nothing I’m just- “ 

“Thought you would come alone.”

Your eyebrows shoot up in shock when you see one member of Saja Boys walking towards you two. A tall figure taking slow and long strides, his frame not entirely clear to your vision because of the night sky. 

“Is that Jinu?” you whisper, standing beside Rumi. 

The purple haired girl stood frozen, eyes wide, mouth opening and closing but nothing coherent coming out. “Um, yeah- we were just- “ 

Jinu stopped in front of you both, his calm demeanor suddenly shifted the moment his eyes landed on you. 

You.

He must be dreaming. 

His eyes went wide, fingers twitching at his sides as he swallowed hard. Countless of memories replayed in his mind, all of them plagued with you. Your pretty face, soft smile and sweet voice. All directed to him.

What kind of sick play does Gwi-Ma have in store for him now?

You furrow your eyebrows at his panicked gaze to you. 

Jinu blinks awkwardly, hand scratching the back of his neck, suddenly feeling shy under your gaze, “Hi.” he softly said.

Rumi stares at him weirdly, he hasn’t known him for long, but this is far from how he usually acts. Where did the ego go?

You smiled politely, not really sure how to react to the way he is acting, “Hello, Jinu,”

He bodily shuddered at how you said his name. It was familiar. His stomach flips at your soft voice. “You know my name.”

You chuckled. His hair stood up. “Of course, half of Korea knows who you are by now.” crossing your arms in defense, “What business do you have with Rumi?”

Rumi softly touches the top of your arm, “Don’t worry about me.”

You turn to give her a pointed look before smirking, “Do you guys meet up often?” gesturing to the pair.

“No!”

“Absolutely not!”

You raised your hands in surrender at their little outburst, “I'm joking.” you chuckled, “I won’t tell, promise.” winking at Rumi, making her roll her eyes. 

“Sorry, I didn't get your name.” Jinu asked, wanting your attention back on him again.

You were shocked that he even wanted to know who you were, “Y/N. Huntrix’s assistant.” looking up to meet his eyes, unconsciously backing your head away when you notice how fondly he was looking at you. 

“Pretty.” he absentmindedly said, before replicating your actions when he realised how creepy he sounded, “I mean- pretty name!” 

You chuckled at his awkward behaviour that was weirdly charming to you. 

The interaction weirded Rumi out, eyes shifting between you both. Jinu to you, you to Jinu, Jinu to you-

Oh, shit.

Before any more flirting can happen from the demon she jumped in, “You should probably go back. I heard Bobby wanted to have a little meeting to talk about the tour, hiatus and such.” she rambles.

You nodded, not buying her excuse but accepted either way, “Alright, then. Call me if you need anything, okay?” 

She nodded. But before you leave you lean into Jinu’s personal space, “Anything happens to her, and I will make your life hell. Do you understand me?”

The corner of his lips turned up at your threat, feeling awestruck instead of scared, “Yes, ma’am.”

You leave the two, walking towards the apartment. Feeling a pair of eyes burning on the backside of your head but not daring to turn around.

Rumi gasped when you were out of range, “You like her!” 

Jinu shrugged, “Shut up. She just reminds me of someone.” he mumbles, still staring at your retreating figure.

Someone he used to love.  

lmk what you think! reblog for a kiss 😋🫶

[hedgehog-moss]

I need to confess something—my last post presented a deceptively idyllic vision of my hike in the snow. I only posted photos from the tranquil walk home at dusk and neglected to mention that I (once again) got lost in a featureless expanse of snow and briefly became convinced I would never find the road again and would have to dig a little den like an Arctic fox to spend the night.

You see, there's this place where Pandolf really loves to go for a walk on snowy days—it's on top of this plateau here:

^ see the fence in the middle, that curves to the left? Nothing bad can happen as long as you follow it. There are lots of landmarks in this direction, like trees, more fences, and a couple of houses.

In the other direction, however, lies The Nothing.

Here's a photo of Pandolf (eagerly) standing near the edge of The Nothing:

Characteristics of The Nothing: it is vast, and white, and becomes more and more featureless the farther you go into it—

—and Pandolf really, really loves it.

Even when he falls into a surprise hole where the snow is suddenly three times as deep (another characteristic of The Nothing), he'll just push himself out in one great powerful jump and keep frolicking.

Or he'll remain in the spot where the snow is deeper and try his best to bury his entire self into it.

He sometimes gets crazy eyes in The Nothing.

We always start this walk with such good resolutions.

We're definitely staying close to the fence this time! With all the lovely landmarks on the left!

And then, inevitably,

Further notes from my studies: • The Nothing has some small plants and rocks, but using them as landmarks is foolish, as they will eventually disappear. • No matter how many foot-, paw-, and dog-headprints you leave and how deep they are, they will disappear before you are able to retrace your steps, probably because The Nothing is always so windy.

Pandolf thinks this is a great characteristic of The Nothing, as it means he never runs out of immaculate snow to dive into.

The wind and the resulting snow mist are the really treacherous things about this place. These photos were taken in roughly the same spot, a couple of hours apart. In the first one, the fence on the left is clearly visible; in the second one, it has started to melt into The Nothing.

There's always a moment when I end up standing in the middle of, well, nothing, with indistinguishable whiteness in every direction, under my feet, above my head, left, right, and I start thinking about writing poignant farewell messages in my Notes app for my family to find at some point in the future.

One last interesting thing about The Nothing is the way Pandolf reacts when I finally find my bearings again and start walking faster, determined to get back to the safety of the road before it gets dark.

Pandolf then just

It's very different than the playful, energetic way in which he normally buries his head in the snow. This second type of burying is clearly a form of protest—if I continue walking away Pan will reluctantly follow me for 20 or so metres, then flatten himself to the ground again, in the same despondent way.

Hypothesis #1: He is trying to play dead like a possum, hoping I will go "well, I can't lug a dead dog all the way home, I'd better leave him here." And then he'll stay with The Nothing forever.

Hypothesis #2: He is trying to lay as flat as possible so as to become all but invisible against the snow. It's unclear if he knows he is the wrong colour for this.

Hypothesis #3: He is trying to commune with The Nothing, burying words of devotion and friendship deep into the snow and promising to return soon.

Conclusion: I'm sorry, I know that's a very long post, but seeing as each of these photos depicts perfect felicity on Earth, I find it hard to delete any. I also like how I intended this post to be about my long disoriented trek through the snow, wondering if I was going to find the fence or the road again before dark—and then I got distracted by how happy Pandolf was. Which is exactly how I end up getting lost in The Nothing every single time!!

[a-mint-bear]

Comfort Object

Male Yandere x Reader

You see a really weird "job" post online, and the money seems too good to be true. But you aren't really in a position where you can turn it down...

You hope it doesn't get weird.

Parts: [ x / 2 / 3 ]

---

It was a very… concerning “job” posting.

But desperate times, and all that. 

It had shown up about a week ago, and it wasn’t hard to see why no one had taken the poster up on it as of yet. 

Bedmate Needed

● 11 pm to 6 am

● $25/hour up front

● Riverside Motel

● Room 44

● Not a sex thing

The last note seemed tacked on in a later edit, but it was still… not great.

You’d have to be either a gullible idiot or a desperate one to go for a job like this. Unfortunately, you were the latter. Very much so.

You couldn’t take another night on the street. It was getting so cold out. The promise of a warm bed was almost enough to lure you in on its own. But the money… 175 bucks just to sleep in the same bed as some internet creep?

Despite the clarification in the post, this had to be a sex thing, right?

You hadn’t gone that far, despite everything. It’s not like you hadn’t considered it… but the thought was too terrifying. Making yourself completely vulnerable to a stranger that could just decide you were less than a person and do whatever they wanted to you? You had to draw the line somewhere.

But at this point, you weren’t sure that there was a line you weren’t willing to cross anymore. 

. . .

The Motel wasn’t the seediest you’d ever seen around town but it wasn’t a place you would’ve voluntarily stayed at even two months ago. Back when you had options. 

Creepy post guy opened the door after a couple of knocks, with an awkward, pregnant pause between them. He wasn’t quite what you expected for an internet creep, but he was still a sight to see.

Really bad posture and dark, greasy-looking hair, with the darkest circles under his eyes you’d ever seen. He looked like he was about to pass out at any second, but he held it together long enough to gesture you into the room. 

“Hey…” His voice was low but he sounded nervous. And so, so tired. “You’re… You’re a little early. That’s…that’s fine. Uh, come in.”

You felt his eyes on you as you passed him, and it didn’t help your anxiousness. Not one bit. 

“Hey so, I-I really…I uh, need a shower.” He stumbled over his words with a breathy, nervous laugh. “Unless you wanna sleep next to a… fuckin’ sweaty mess all night. Do you wanna go first or…?”

You must’ve looked nervous because his eyes went wider, digging into his pocket.

“I wasn’t tryin’ to… Oh, uh…here.” He nodded, pressing the money into your hand. “Up front, just… just like I said. You just…just seemed like you maybe sorta needed one too.”

Some part of you must’ve still had an ounce of pride left because your whole body felt on fire with shame, embarrassment so consuming that you froze up. It had been a couple of days…

He just looked away, seeming like he was embarrassed himself. 

“I w-wasn’t gonna like… try to join you or peep on you or nothin’!” He tried to assure you, eyes darting in a panic and talking a bit too fast. “If I, like, go first? I won’t get mad if you change your mind and leave… I get it. I’m not gonna like… go after you or call the cops or nothin’ like that. I just…”

He stared at the floor, nails digging into his arm as he seemed like he was having trouble breathing.

“I really… I really need this.” He was so quiet, but his voice was so desperate.

You couldn’t really be considering this, could you?

He seemed more like a weird, awkward, sad guy than a real danger or some kind of pervert.

And you really did need a hot shower. 

It seemed like a safer bet to have him go first, if you were really going through with this. And it would give you a chance to look around the room for a spot to tuck away your pocket knife, just in case.

When he was in the shower, you did just that. The spot between the mattress and bed frame would be easy to grab at if things got hinky.

If things got all touchy-feely, as you suspected they would, him finding that on you or leaving it in your pocket when your clothes got tossed wherever would be really inconvenient. 

Steam rolled out of the bathroom when he stepped out, shirtless but with sweatpants and a towel around his neck. He was thin, almost alarmingly so, but you could still see muscle, enough to pose a problem should he decide to overpower you.

This was your last chance to back out, before you’d be vulnerable to this odd stranger.

But even if you left, the money wouldn’t last long, and it’s not like you had any other options. 

You were so grateful that the motel tub wasn’t disgusting, but you would’ve gotten clean regardless. Two days worth of sweat and funk was washed away and it felt so heavenly… But it was hard to relax when you were trying to stay hyper alert of any noise that could be that man trying to get in or even eavesdrop.

But…

Nothing. 

You finished your shower and brushed your teeth, doing everything you could to feel clean that a motel bathroom could provide. And there was no sign of the guy. 

But you had to go back out there eventually. You supposed you could lock yourself in here and get a full night’s sleep indoors, even if it was on the floor of a motel bathroom with your back against the door, but part of you just said “fuck it” and warily peeked around the doorway into the bedroom.

The lights in the room were dim, but warm. He was sitting on the end of the bed, one knee tucked into his chest, staring at the tv as the bright colors of a nightly talk show reflected in his eyes, but something told you he wasn’t really watching. His eyes met yours and you froze.

“It’s almost eleven…” He mumbled, his head resting awkwardly on his shoulder. His hand ghosted over the spot on the bed next to him. “… Will... will you stay?”

So many thoughts raced through your head. What would happen if you laid down beside him? You could probably deal with sex… even if it felt a bit wrong. But if he wanted to hurt you?

Your brain reminded you:

What do you really have to lose?

When you told him you would stay, sitting next to him, you could see him relax. Just a bit.

“If you still want to leave-”

But you cut him off, almost afraid he would talk you out of it after you’d made up your mind.

Avoiding his stare, you told him you had nowhere to go.

The bed was cold, it might take a bit to warm up with the two of you in it, but it was the least of your concerns at that moment. 

“So it’s...” He’d spoken up so suddenly, you hoped he didn’t see you flinch. He was staring at the ceiling, seeming just a tiny bit calmer. “... it’s fine if you just… lay there or h-hold onto me, or play on your phone or whatever, anything is fine. Just… just don’t leave ‘til mornin’. Okay?”

A worrying pause, but you told him you understood.

And that was that. He laid next to you unmoving for almost an hour before you had the nerve to move at all, shifting slowly to your side to face him.

His eyes were shut, his breathing even, but somehow you knew he was still awake. It was like he was trying to sleep but it just wasn’t coming to him. He looked so worn down, like he could just keel over any second. It definitely made him less intimidating, but you weren’t letting your guard down, no matter how much your body was screaming at you to just let go.

Despite your better judgement, you wondered if he really was being genuine about this not being a sex thing. It was a relief, sure, but it just raised more questions.

Why were you here?

. . .

You’d stopped looking at the bedside clock a while ago. It had to have been hours by then.

Your anxiety and dread somehow felt quieter under the lull of impending sleep. Despite everything, your body was at least grateful for a warm bed and hot shower, and if you didn’t sleep there now, you didn’t know when you’d be able to sleep somewhere warm any time soon. 

Every moment that ticked by, you felt your resolve slipping. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, just to let go… This whole situation was weird, but you just wanted to sleep.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He hoped against everything that he would just fall asleep.

Just this once, he didn’t want to have to follow through with it. But he was so damn tired. There was this ache behind his eyes that he could feel in his bones, his mind never stopped racing… 

He could feel your body heat in the bed next to him. You had either been very scared or very considerate, you’d only moved once since you laid down with him. 

He hated that he had to do this. He felt sorry for you, he really did. But it was drowned out by the buzzing in the back of his brain. The constant whispers in his ear. 

There had been so many before now, it was a miracle he hadn’t gotten caught. But this was a huge, dangerous city. Everyone in it was just a blip to anyone paying attention. 

He could feel their skin under his palms buzzing at the back of his brain. How their eyes stared into his, burning with betrayal, fear, helplessness. How he saw them fade away.

How it was the only thing that worked to let him finally sleep. The only thing that quieted the whispers, at least for a little bit. 

Some booked it after getting the money. Some just showed up and straight-up robbed him. Some tried to leave in the middle of the night, thinking he was asleep. But if they stayed and fell asleep, that was that.

He told himself that he gave them all a chance. 

If you managed to stay up all night, you’d be safe. But he really needed this… It was already day three, and he’d never made it past day five without completely losing it. Trying to fight this, it was too hard. The longer he stayed awake, trying to avoid what had to happen, the worse he felt. The louder the voice got. The deeper the ache in his bones. But the more often he did it, the easier it got. And that was worse in a different way. 

It was wrong. He wasn’t so deep in it that he couldn’t see that. The morning after, he always hated himself and what he did. 

But as the days went on, it would all creep back in. And doing it again felt less and less horrifying to him. 

You were scared. He could tell. And you had every reason to be, he told himself. But it just meant it would take you longer to fall asleep. 

He could wait all night. And if you made it the full seven hours, you weren’t what he needed. You’d be free from him, from this. Hopefully you wouldn’t come back, no matter how badly you needed the money.

He wondered what you meant by having nowhere to go.

But he tried not to wonder too much. It would make this harder. 

He could hear your breathing getting slower, your body relaxing into the bed. You wouldn’t last much longer. 

His eyes shot open when he felt you suddenly touch him, tucking your forehead into his shoulder. You weren’t quite asleep, a cuddler? He almost laughed to himself when half-asleep you looked a bit frustrated, like it wasn’t enough.

You muttered something about being cold, lazily scooting your body closer to him up the bed. He felt his breath catch when suddenly, his head was pulled to you, tucked into your chest as your arm circled him. He was suddenly the little spoon, but facing you. He could hear your heartbeat. 

He wanted to say something, wake you up or wriggle free to make what he had to do easier on you when you fell asleep. He felt a hand in his hair, playing with it and idle gentle nails on his scalp. 

It was… nice. Everything felt calm, the buzzing and horrible thoughts were still there but they were being drowned out by the warmth of your skin, the thump of your heart in his ear.

You were mumbling something. He held his breath, trying to hear.

You told him, or whoever you were dreaming about, maybe even no one at all, that he was okay. That he was safe. 

He couldn’t keep his eyes open. Something was different this time. He felt all his control slipping away, and for once, he wasn’t scared. 

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You woke to a sunbeam across your face, and the strange man in your arms, sound asleep. According to your phone, it was 10 am. You were grateful for the extra hours in a warm bed, but would he be mad? Did he have somewhere to be?

You couldn’t remember anything past drifting off next to him, but the two of you were tangled together, he seemed so comfortable.

Now that it was over, and your anxieties were much quieter, you really got a good look at the guy. He wasn’t… unattractive, you supposed. He was all elbows and ribs but laying against your chest made him look so soft and harmless. 

Wasn’t the worst way you’d ever made 175 bucks.

You wondered if he’d shell out the extra 100, or if that would be pushing your luck. 

Either way, it would be best to wake him up.

Gently scratching at his scalp, you told him it was getting late.

You watched as his eyes struggled to open, and for a few calm moments, he just laid against you. After a beat, he gasped and jolted up, head swiveling around the room in a panic.

“I…” He seemed really out of it, almost scared. “I actually…”

He stared at you, eyes wide. You told him it was ten in the morning, hoping everything was okay and if it wasn’t, that he wouldn’t take it out on you.

He grabbed you by the shoulders, and for a moment you were sure something bad was going to happen, but somehow, it was even worse.

He was crying.

Breaking down, sobbing hard as he just kept staring at you. Even with the odd night you’d just had, this was somehow the weirdest part. 

Despite yourself, you asked him if he was okay. He pulled himself together and you were startled again when he touched your face, his thumb gently grazing your cheek. It was tender and sweet, and it was freaking you out a little. Just a tad. 

“You… It was you…”

All you could think to ask was if you should get going, maybe trying to make it seem like you had someplace to be, or were at least trying to be considerate of his time. But it didn’t seem like he was taking the hint. 

He grabbed your hands in his, the sudden contact made you jump. He pulled them to his chest, he was too close. The way he was looking at you…

“Can we… Can we do this again? Like tonight? Please?” He was practically begging, the look in his eyes changing. That nervous, achingly tired gaze was hopeful. And so warm.

“You can have the room, if that’s what you need!” he offered, maybe somehow having picked up on your current situation. “I can pay more too. Just p-please…”

He held your palm to his cheek, staring up at you.

“I need you.”

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a bit of a different one from me, but i kind of liked how it turned out

that feeling when your new yandere was totally gonna off you but you were just too comfy

he's never gonna let you go. you're the only thing keepin him from killing again, ya know?

i don't have a ton of yanderes that actually kill, as odd as that seems. but this guy is one of them

he's not supposed to be a huge commentary on any particular mental health conditions, i did a bit of "research" into psychosis induced insomnia (using that term VERY loosely), but like does he hear voices because he can't sleep, or can he not sleep because he hears voices? who can say? certainly not I, the dummy who made him

i wrote this one pretty much right after my last big deadline ended, but it got reworked a bit cause it just needed some tweaks:

the yandere started out as tired but crass, kind of a dick, and when he switched after that good night's sleep it felt off. It felt more interesting if he was a bit pathetic and creepy, it felt like less of a red flag for the reader to stick around

the reader was originally going to be a straight up s*x worker that got hired by the yandere for him to kill, but it didn't really feel like my place to make that commentary on violence against s*x workers or to more or less soften it with a yandere love interest. it just didn't feel right for something so unserious

but ive been having horrible writer's block lately, so i thought i'd finally put this one out. i need to read/play some yandere stuff and get inspired. let me know if you have any recommendations y'all ✌️