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mimiiiiiiiiisstuff · 3 months ago

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"Waking Up in Vegas"

Prologue, Chapter one:, Chapter 2,Chapter 3, Chapter 4:

ok guys! we're back and reader's hot girl summer has started! Sorry I was gonna put this chapter out earlier today but i've just been so busy today plus i'm cooking up a 3rd part for "older" I got my period AND i have a math test and english essay coming up. If some parts don't make sense, its on purpose. Reader is disoriented and drunk half the time, the days blur together for her. Lmk what yall think of readers hot girl summer and what you want/think will happen in the next chapter .Sorry for any mistakes! Comments, reblogs and ASKS make my dayyyy and encourage me.

Saint-Tropez wasn’t just a place, it was a playground, a haven for those who didn’t care about consequences or anyone else’s rules.

And you? Well, you were done with rules.

For the last two weeks, you’d been living like this, untouchable, free, and completely lying to your family.

You had told Bruce you were staying with Ariel and her father, which was true, for the first two days anyway.

Ariel's father is a busy man, he couldn't take 2 and a half months off work to babysit two 16 year olds who would do what they wanted anyway. As soon as he left, Ariel began calling your two other close friends, Claire and Rory. Together, all four of you were unstoppable at school though it was an unspoken rule that you and Ariel were the dynamic duo. All four of you stayed in Ariel's ocean front villa, relaxing, tanning, and just getting settled.

God, let's not even start on how drastically everything changed while you were at boarding school and the family found out Tiffany's true colors. They were all so.....protective now. You got calls everyday, from each of your 'siblings' separately, dozens of texts asking you what you ate, who you were with, and what you were doing. You didn't entertain them. The only person you replied to was Bruce, and that's only because you knew if he wanted to, he could call off this whole trip.

You didn't answer Tim's random, vague questions like, "Who's that on your story? Do you know them? Are you sure they're safe to be with?" He was asking about a simple sunset dinner picture you posted with Ariel, so you blocked him. He's way too nosy.

You didn't reply to the groupchat the girls, Barbra, Steph, and Cass added you in called "The girls!!"

What a creative name!

You left after you saw 'Tiffany was removed from this conversation'. Maybe you were being petty but they obviously had this chat before and didn't bother to add you to it before Tiffany was exposed. It was your turn to ignore them.

You definitely didn't reply to Damian's outright threatening messages that he sent almost every other day, they all sounded something along the lines of "You will regret this. You cannot simply leave and run away from your family. Come home or else."

He's such a strange little boy, he spoke and acted like an angry Victorian prince. He texted you like you were close before, like it wasn't him who pushed you away. You were coming back in two months and yet he acted like ran away and changed your name.

Jason, Bruce, and Dick were the most consistent and annoying, in that order exactly.

Jason texted you every morning at 8 and every night 11, like clockwork. His texts were daily updates what he was planning on doing that day, asking you the same, and reminding you that he's sorry and that he loves you. It tugged at your heart not to answer him, and sometimes, you gave in and you could feel the joy in his response when you replied. You and Jason's conversations went like this, on the odd occasion you replied,

"Good morning." - Jason

"How are you? No trouble in paradise I hope."- Jason

"My days gonna be pretty dull today, nothing much except patrol. Might go to that bookstore you used to like." - Jason

Your cold heart would melt when he said things like that and you would reply,

"awww! jason, thats so sweet." and follow with "I'm good!! how bout you??? staying out of trouble?"

Jason was your softest spot and he knew it.

Bruce texted you three times a day. Morning, afternoon, and evening. His messages were dry and authorative, demanding answers. He wanted to know who you were with, what you were doing, if you left the house, and if you were okay. The fatherly care and authority isn't something your used to, it was strange. You weren't sure if you felt cared for or suffocated. You answered Bruce once a day, your tone straight to the point, answering only what he asked, nothing more.

Dick is by far the worst. He texted you constantly, as if trying to make up for 11 years of not texting you at all. He texted you when he woke up, when he slept, when he ate, what he ate, and sent you pictures of everything. Once he sent you a picture of a tiny bird saying it reminded him of you. You nearly blocked him after that, the only reason you didn't was because you liked how desperate he was. Not long ago, it was you spamming him like that. Plus he can be funny most of the time. You don't even want to think of the constant selfies he sent. You only ever replied once.

Dick sent a selfie of him hanging with some of the Titans, you forgot why or what he said along with it, but you do remember seeing Connor Kent shirtless in the background. You giggled and showed Ariel how hot he is. You replied to Dick almost instantly hearting the picture, screen shotting it, and drawing a heart around Connor saying something like, "WHO DAT IN THE BACK????" and "Tell superboy to hmu".

Dick was not happy about that, that was the last group selfie he ever sent. He got more frequent with his texts after that. He must've snitched to Jason because not even five minutes after you got a text from him.

"Remember what I said. No boys, i'll kick his ass." - Jason

You ignored him of course.

The sun beat down in the south of France, but you were far from concerned with the blistering heat. Not when there was a private yacht at your disposal, a poolside filled with strangers and familiar faces alike, and the soundtrack of Drake keeping your pulse racing. You felt the vibration of your phone against your palm for the third time in ten minutes. Another text from Bruce. He was becoming more insistent you answer him the longer you were gone. It's only been two weeks! Another "where are you?" or "be careful." As if you were gonna listen. Or reply to him.

Bruce. The man who'd ignored you for the better part of your life, suddenly acting like a worried father because Tiffany, the perfect sister, had betrayed them all. Tiffany, the adopted daughter who had somehow replaced you in their world. Now, she was the enemy, the traitor, the spy, and she was gone. That meant you had all the freedom you could ever want.

The more you thought about Tiffany the angrier you got. She had everything. How many summers has she spent on yatchs partying? How many times has she blown thousands of Bruce's dollars? Why were you forgiving them so easily? Why were you even listening to him?

Just because he apologized and said he'd change?

Why should you forgive Jason so easily and respect his rules, he ignored you for years and replaced you with Tiffany. The more you drank, the more you thought and the angrier you got. Who do they think they are? You've always been too nice, too obedient, and they're still taking advantage of it. You'd show them, show them what its like to be ignored and forgotten and made fun of.

For the next two months, you were going to ignore them. Bruce and jason included. You've been too nice, too good these two weeks, your friends were begging to party but you didn't want to, you were scared of disappointing them.

You were so angry nothing changed in you that you finally caved and decided to do what Claire and Rory were doing, give your phone to a worker here and have them turn the location on and send updates to Bruce. You still used the same icloud so you could read their messages and make sure they weren't suspicous.

He'd think you were always at the villa or just going into town, they won't know what hit them.

You turn to Ariel and grin, "I'm free. What are we doing tonight?" You were done obeying their rules and living your life for them. Who knows when you'd be alone in Europe with your best friends again.

Ariel hopped off her chair and squealed, her dark skin glowing from the sun, she grabbed you and twirled you around, your giggles echoing through the yacht and drawing Claire and Rory's attention.

Ariel grinned and explained to Rory and Claire, "Little Miss good girl finally came to her senses and went M.I.A with her dad. Now we can finally party! Hot girl summer starts now."

All three girls start squealing and join Ariel in her celebration.

You rolled your eyes feeling guilty, "I told you, you could've gone without me!"

Ariel wrapped her arm around you, "Nonsense, it's not a party without you. Now, come on we gotta go shopping if we're going out tonight. It's lucky that we both have daddy's black cards. It's really lucky that they have Dior, Hermes, and YSL down the street."

You weren't sure how much you spent and the drinks kept you from feeling guilty. Bruce is like, a bajilionaire, what you spent won't make a dent.

Somehow, you ended up on an even bigger yacht filled with guys, in your brand new Dior bikini with a matching bag.

By the time night fell, the yacht was buzzing, the VIP lounge overrun by people who hadn’t even been invited. The bass was so loud you felt it in your bones. You didn’t care. You've never felt so alive.

Your new phone wasn't getting any messages except DMs, and the woman you hired confirming Bruce thought you were sound asleep in the villa.

You can practically taste the summer air as you step onto the deck of the boat, laughing with Ariel and your friends and the others you’ve met along the way. No one cares about where you’ve been, where you’re going, or who your family is.

As the DJ cranks up the volume, a cute guy with long blonde hair catches your eye. You wink at him and saunter over. This summer is all about freedom, and you’re ready for it. His hands are already on your waist, pulling you close, and suddenly you’re lost in the rhythm, spinning and laughing, his lips brushing against your ear.

The night wears on, you drink more, laugh louder, flirt harder. The yacht turns into a blur of lights, drinks, and music. As midnight rolls around, the party shows no signs of slowing. You could stay here forever, with no rules but your own.

But then it happens. You wake up in a completely different city.

London.

You’re sprawled on a plush couch in a ridiculously luxurious flat, a half-empty bottle of champagne next to you. The room smells like expensive perfume, and the decor is all sleek lines and minimalist chic. You sit up slowly, your head pounding from last night.

You sit up straighter, rubbing your eyes.You vaguely remember a private jet, but it’s all blurry. One moment, you were on the deck of the yacht, living it up, and the next, you're waking up in an entirely new country.

You look around the room in panic and spot Ariel sleeping on the couch and a random guy, butt naked on the floor next to her. You sigh in relief at Ariel being okay and the fact you weren't kidnapped.

There’s a knock at the room door, and when you answer, it's a random guy from last night, British accent, disheveled hair, wearing nothing but boxer shorts. He grins at you sheepishly. “Hey, you good?”

You, Ariel, the naked boy named Christian, and the Brit named Thomas, have breakfast and exchange stories of what you remember from last night. It was fun, but you and Ariel flew back to St. Tropez where a jealous Claire and a worried Rory were waiting.

Last night was fun, but it couldn't happen again. It was dangerous and if anything happened Bruce wouldn't know.

Except it did happen again, and again, all summer long.

The next weeks were a blur, Venice, Monaco, and Madrid, with stops in Dubai and Los Angeles along the way. Each city more vibrant and intoxicating than the last. Every place you went, you had the freedom to be whoever you wanted to be. There was always a fresh crop of people, and you reveled in not having to answer to anyone. No father, no brothers, no sisters, just you and your friends against the world.

You and Ariel lived your lives like you were gonna die tomorrow. You were unstoppable, no family, no rules, no responsibility. Your abilities weren't acting up at all, everything was perfect. Bruce and the family were off your back, being made to think you were at the villa all day.

The “No Boys Rule” was completely disregarded, though. It seemed that whenever you let your guard down for just a moment, you’d end up surrounded by someone new. Whether it was a guy from a club in Monaco or a guy you met on a private yacht in Venice, you were always finding someone new

Despite all the parties, the alcohol, and the private Instagram posts, and funny Tik Toks, there was still a growing sense that you weren’t living this life for you, you were living it for the rebellion, to spite Bruce.

It wasn’t just about freedom anymore. It was about finally being seen, even if that meant drifting away from everyone you once called family.

You only had one month left of absolute freedom, and you were gonna make the most of it. With Ariel, Rory, and Claire by your side, you partied in just about every city.

The final month of your wild European escapade had arrived, and things were only getting wilder.

The clock had no meaning anymore. Days and nights blended into each other as you danced from one city to the next, your world a whirlwind of music, champagne, and endless laughter. Ariel, Rory, and Claire had become your partners in crime, literally when you got arrested, but thats not important.

Each morning you woke up in a new place, groggy and confused, only to remember the night before—flashing lights, pounding beats, and the promise of more. Cannes, Monte Carlo, Paris, or Dubai, it didn’t matter. What mattered was the freedom you’d found in them, and in yourself. You were more than the neglected, ignored girl from Gotham; now, you were the life of the party.

there was always someone waiting to whisk you away to the next nightclub, the next gala, the next beach party where the world’s richest men tried to get your attention.

First, it was Paris. You could feel the eyes on you as soon as you entered the hotel lobby. The air smelled of expensive perfume, freshly polished marble, and the faintest trace of guilt, because in some corner of your mind, you could still hear Bruce’s voice echoing in your ears. But it quickly faded as the first private yacht rolled up to the dock. The deck was crowded with Parisian socialites and half-drunk billionaires, but it wasn’t about the crowd, it was about the feeling of being wanted. Being worshipped.

It was in Paris that you really started feeling the distance between you and the life you’d left behind. The champagne flowed easily, the laughter came effortlessly, but there was an ache you hadn’t anticipated. A pang that struck at the edges of your satisfaction, the kind you couldn’t drink away.

You thought about Bruce. His pleading words, his desperation, and how, for a moment, you almost felt sorry for him. But only for a moment. You couldn’t let him win. Couldn’t let them see that you’d needed them. Because that would mean giving up everything you had now, the freedom, the endless nights, the city hopping, the boys who adored you.

You let it all sink in, just for a second, how much control you had over them now. How much they wanted you back, how much they needed you back. It felt good, knowing that you could walk away and have them chase after you, like you used to chase them.

Maybe it was the brief, fleeting moments when you thought about Gotham, about Bruce, about your family, and how none of it felt real anymore. They’d played their games, ignored you, and now it was your turn.

Meanwhile, your phone was a constant buzz of messages. Tim had sent at least five texts, each one more urgent than the last. Jason called twice, his voice sharp and filled with that annoying overprotectiveness he just developed. And Bruce… well, Bruce sent you one long, pleading message, something about understanding, about giving him another chance, and answering his calls. You didn’t even bother reading it all. You didn’t need to. You didn’t care enough to respond.

You had no intention of being tied down by anyone, but when a French prince with dark, tousled hair and eyes that burned through your soul offered you a glass of champagne and a seat next to him, you took it.

You didn’t even have to look for him, he found you. He was the one with the perfect jawline, the one who could be a model if he wasn’t already a prince. His eyes, blue locked onto yours the second you entered the VIP area. A raised brow, a subtle smirk, and you knew that for tonight, he was yours.

You didn’t speak much. He didn’t ask questions, and that was the kind of energy you craved. A few words, some flirting, fleeting touches, and then you were in his Lambo, the leather seats smooth under your skin as the city sped by. He went as fast as you wanted, loving the thrill and impressed look in your eyes.

The thrill was intoxicating, the feeling of being someone else, someone free. The kind of person who didn’t have to answer to anyone. A few hours later, you were standing on a balcony, watching the sunrise, your lips tingling from the kiss he’d stolen.

Your mind was a haze of laughter and the aftertaste of expensive whiskey. The view of the French Riviera was far too beautiful to appreciate right now, and your thoughts wandered back to Gotham, to the family you’d abandoned, the ones who had never cared for you.

But as the days wore on, it was harder to ignore the hollow feeling creeping in. The message from Dick, the one where he told you that he loved you, stayed in your mind longer than it should have. You told yourself it didn’t matter. You didn’t owe him anything. But you couldn’t help but wonder, just for a second, what it would have been like if things were different.

You turned away from those thoughts quickly. You couldn’t afford to get attached. Not now. Not when you were on the verge of something bigger. The freedom you had now was everything you wanted. No one could take that from you.

You couldn’t let them control you. You wouldn’t let them.

You and Ariel were inseparable now, pulling Claire and Rory into your whirlwind of recklessness. You all had your roles, Ariel was the carefree partier, Claire the quiet one who always managed to keep ya'll out of trouble, and Rory was the one always ready with a camera and a new Tik Tok idea. You were the star, the one they all gravitated toward.

Each day was a new city, a new set of challenges, a new set of eyes who wanted to be close to you. You knew the game, knew how to play it. You knew how to keep them guessing, how to make them want you more.

So, you danced. You partied. You lived in the moment and let your life spiral further from Gotham’s grasp.

From there, it was off to the next city.

Las Vegas; Sin City, there was no place like it. You couldn’t even remember how you got there, your mind fuzzy with a mix of adrenaline and whatever was in that last glass of tequila. The strip was lit up like daylight, people everywhere, the air thick with smoke and the sound of slot machines ringing through the night.

You woke up in a penthouse suite that could have been mistaken for an entire floor of the Bellagio, the morning sunlight filtering through the floor-to-ceiling windows. And there he was, a prince. The same French prince, draped in a robe embroidered with gold thread, a fresh glass of mimosas on the table beside him. He was smirking, lounging on the couch like this was all part of his daily routine. You couldn’t even remember how you got to the suite. What had happened between the bar and now? You didn’t care.

He didn’t seem to care either, his hand casually tracing the rim of his glass, his eyes never leaving you. You laughed, feeling the surrealness of it all wash over you, the weight of your last 48 hours in Ibiza and Monaco still fresh on your skin. One minute, you were dancing at a celebrity’s secret after-party in Monaco, and the next, you were here, on the other side of the world with some mysterious prince who had probably already forgotten your name.

The rest of the night was spent taking private jet rides to exclusive clubs, partying with people whose names you couldn’t even pronounce, and waking up to the flashing lights of a casino floor. Vegas was the kind of place where everything felt fake, but that didn’t matter. You really are Brucie Wayne's daughter.

Next stop, Ibiza, the heart of Europe’s clubbing scene. Ariel and you slipped into the club, stepping past the velvet ropes like it was second nature. The security guard practically bowed as you walked by. The crowd parted for you, the clinking of champagne glasses and the hum of expensive conversations filling the air.

This was where you belonged. The heat of the island, the night that stretched into forever. You and Ariel danced on top of the table at Pacha, popping bottles like they were nothing, the music vibrating in your bones, the crowd chanting your name like you were the star of the show. It was your second night there, and you had already met a Spanish duke who was more interested in buying you a yacht than actually getting to know you. There was white powder everywhere, tempting you to try but you didn't give in. Who knows what could be in it. Your friends and most people at the club didn't share the same idea.

You just wanted to enjoy the view and keep the party going but you were worried, maybe this was too much.

“we’ve got to live for the moment,” Ariel grinned, taking a shot of something that made her eyes water. “Who cares if we’re in a foreign country surrounded by dangerous people? It’s the best kind of chaos. When else are we gonna do this?”

Somehow you ended up on a private yacht again, this time surrounded by Ibiza’s elite. You weren’t sure how many shots of tequila you’d had, but you knew that the man at your side had given you a diamond bracelet to match your dress. You accepted with a grin asking him to put it on for you, your hair wild, your makeup smudged from hours of dancing, but it didn’t matter. You were untouchable.

It was getting close to 3 AM, and the music hadn’t stopped. The drinks kept flowing, and the Duke’s yacht you somehow ended up on was finally leaving the dock. You couldn’t remember how you ended up on the boat, but you were there now, floating on a million-dollar boat with peopl you’d only seen on TV. One of the men from the night before was already making eye contact, his glass of sangria in hand.

It was hard to be shy in a setting like this. Rory, who’d never been afraid of attention, was deep in conversation with a couple of supermodels who were likely on their third or fourth drink. Claire was wrapped up in a flirtation with the duke who owned this yacht, and Arie was in her own world, laughing with a group of guys who were definitely not short on cash.

The next morning, you woke up on the yacht, the sun blazing over the Mediterranean. You stretched lazily, your body still buzzing from the night before, and found yourself face-to-face with the man from last night.

He smirked, “Care for another round?” he asked, his accent thick, the sound of the waves crashing against the boat providing an oddly peaceful background.

You laughed and agreed. It was all so easy, this life. This endless, carefree abandon. No rules, no family to answer to, no obligations. It was just you, your friends, and a bunch of gorgeous strangers who only saw you for the party girl you had become. And for now, that was enough.

Next, Monaco, the grandest of them all. You didn’t just go to Monaco, you ruled it. You, Ariel, Claire and Rory crashing the most exclusive gala in the world; rich industrialists, F1 drivers ,tech moguls, the faces that appeared on the front of every magazine. But to you, it was just another game to play. Every conversation was a carefully curated performance, everyone vying for your attention, for your approval.

The days blurred together. Each city more beautiful, each party more decadent than the last. Monaco was wild, filled with the world’s elite and their very bored children. The private yacht parties were nothing short of a movie set, jet skis, champagne, drugs, and the sun beating down relentlessly. The thrill of it all never left, and every night you found a new billionaire, actor, or race car driver to distract you. It wasn’t about them, not really, it was about keeping the power in your hands, it was about feeling good. Taking away the pain that came with your powers, fortunately, men were jumping into your bed.

You didn’t even have to try. One wink, one smile, and suddenly you were in a Bentley, whisked away to a private after-party in a hidden corner of Monaco’s coastline. The prince of some oil-rich kingdom was at your side, and the night was long, filled with laughter and stolen kisses under the stars. You didn’t care what his name was, where he came from, or who he was, he was just another prince who could buy you anything you wanted.

You met guy, almost as rich as Bruce, who you beat at poker, he was more than happy to throw a yacht party in your honor. The invitation was clear: “Come party with us. No rules. No limits.”

Ariel had already decided to make a game of seeing how many men she could flirt before sunset, while Rory was doing her usual thing, charming people with her wit. You, on the other hand, had become the center of attention, as if the whole event was designed around you. You couldn’t remember the last time you’d had a conversation that didn’t involve someone trying to buy you a drink, or a private island.

As the weeks stretched on, you could barely keep track of all the cities you had visited. You spent one night in Berlin, dancing until dawn in one of the city’s most infamous clubs. The next, you were in Milan, draped in designer clothing and laughing with the most influential fashion people in the world. Every day felt like a new chapter, filled with new people, new parties, and a new sense of power.

It was intoxicating. Everyone loved you here, you were the life of every party. You had so many friends, you'd never be alone again.

There was something so exhilarating about being surrounded by people who knew your last name, who were used to rubbing elbows with people like Bruce Wayne, but didn’t realize you were his daughter.

You felt it in your bones now, the distance between you and Gotham was growing wider. The weight of the past, the guilt that had once threatened to crush you, was nothing more than a distant memory. Each city, each new face, each new party was a reminder that you didn’t need them. You didn’t need anyone.

But deep down, something shifted. Maybe it was the late-night conversations with Ariel on the balcony of a villa in Santorini, the wine flowing freely as you discussed the future, her dreams, your dreams, how you’d never go back to the way things were. Maybe it was the quiet moments alone on the edge of some private infinity pool, staring out at a horizon that seemed endless and just… empty.

You didn’t know when you started to feel it, but you knew one thing for sure: when you finally did come back to Gotham, you weren’t going to be the same person who had left.

The Final Stop, St. Tropez. You did a full circle. Your last hurrah before you returned home, or where your family assumed you were all this time. The private beach parties, the yachts that lined the harbor, the whispers of billionaires in their private jets. You danced in the sand, surrounded by flashes from cameras and jealous glares from women who had no idea who you were, but wanted to be you all the same.

A private villa awaited you, and there, amidst the most extravagant décor, you found yourself facing yet another prince, yet another man eager to claim you as his own.

You turned to find a prince—probably from denmark—standing next to you. You immediately recognized his face from magazines. He was the one who was always pictured at galas with his equally famous family. He was beautiful, dark-haired and dangerous, with a body like chiseled stone. But the only thing you could think about was how long it would take before you got bored of him, before you moved on to the next.

His thick accented voice cut through your thoughts, "Well, if it isn't the infamous party girl." He smirked eyeing you up and down.

"Oh, so you've heard of me" You said smiling. You had no idea how he knew you, all your socials were private and theres no way you had mutual friends. You froze for a second, just how far has your reputation proceeded you, did Bruce hear?

You brushed the thought away as soon as it came, Bruce didn't exist. Not tonight, your last actual night of freedom. Not when you were boarding the flight to gotham after tomorrow.

"Hard not to. You've been everywhere. Paris, London, Ibiza, Monaco, Dubai, Vegas. You're practically the princess of Europe." He grinned leaning closer.

After two months you were finally starting to feel the rush of it all catching up to you. But for now? Who cared? You were a 16-year-old filled with confidence, chaos, and fun. The world was yours, and there was no one who could stop you, least of all, your father, who were still clueless about your whereabouts and secretly obsessing over your every move. You were too busy living in the moment to care about that.

You were officially the European Party Girl, the one everyone wanted to be friends with, the one they all wanted to take selfies with.

Ariel once called you a prince magnet, she wasn't wrong. You woke up next to him the next morning, his strong arms around your waist.

When you went back to Gotham, you weren’t just going to show up. You were going to treat them like they treated you all these years, you were going to laugh in their faces, ignore them like they ignored you.

As you and Ariel spent your last night together packing, you couldn't help but smile. In these two months with her, you lived more than you had in your entire life.

When you boarded the plane back to Gotham, you were different. You were someone new, someone who had tasted freedom and wasn’t sure if she could ever go back. The Waynes had no idea what was coming for them, but you were ready. The game had shifted, and you were about to play it all the way to the end.

Taglist:

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#yandere batfam #yandere dc #yandere batman #yandere jason todd #yandere damian wayne #yandere tim drake #yandere bruce wayne #yandere x reader #yandere bruce wayne x reader #yandere dick grayson #yandere jason todd x reader #yandere batfamily #platonic yandere batman #yandere duke thomas #yandere red hood #yandere red robin #yandere

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zarvasace · 4 months ago

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Description and a bit more info under the cut.

A series of green, blue, and red graphics using a nice sans serif font and a Zelda display serif font with white and gold as accents.

First picture. 2024 Linked Universe Fandom AO3 Wrapped, presented by Mina, @zarvasace. (That's me!)

As a fandom, we wrote 2,273 fics in 2024

That's over 6 a day every day this year!

In smaller text below: Counting only fics tagged with “Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda)” on AO3. Counting all fics last updated from Jan 1, 2024 to Dec 31, 2024. Data pulled by hand on Jan 1, 2024 at ~2:00 AM GMT-7.

Next picture. Our favorite tags this year were:

1, Hurt/Comfort with 432 tags

2, Fluff with 352 tags

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4, Not Beta Read with 260 tags. Here there is also a brief exchange in two handwriting styles. One arrow points to this tag with the remark, “perfectionists, much?” Another cursive hand replies “Be nice.” to which the first says, “no”

5, Legend-centric with 251 tags

At the bottom of this image is a piece of parchment. The scratchier handwriting says, “Ha, I'm the favorite. Take that.” and the curlier handwriting replies “Not so fast, Ledge… we aren't done yet.”

Next picture. Favorite tags continued:

6, Blood and Injury with 230 tags

7, Wild-centric with 204 tags

8, Whump with 215 tags

9, Emotional Hurt/Comfort with 181 tags

10, Good Older Sibling Warriors with 163 tags. Legend's handwriting says “Din give me strength—” to that.

Section break, and a bit more: An average of 7.46% fics every month were tagged Whump. Except October, which saw a spike to 29.5%.

Next picture. Our favorite Links. This info is presented in a table, with names on the left and number of tags on the right, organized from most to least.

Warriors, 1408 (his handwriting says: HA!! I won something!)

Legend, 1398 (his handwriting says: BY TEN.)

Twilight, 1371

Time, 1323

Wild, 1217

Hyrule, 1151

Wind, 1143

Sky, 1137

Four, 1027

At the bottom is another piece of parchment. Legend says: “JUST TEN.” Warriors says: “Jealous?” Legend replies: “I don't know if being the favorite is a good thing.”

Next picture. Our favorite secondary characters were Malon (176 tags) and Racio (160 tags)

Section break. and the most popular pairings were Malon/Time (161 tags), Legend/Racio (89 tags*), Sky/Sun (66 tags).

At the bottom is the asterisk footnote: it's no secret that our fandom tags are a little wonky sometimes. This number adds together the works tagged “Legend (Linked Universe)/Ravio” and “Link/Ravio” where the work was also tagged “Linked Universe,” assuming that people would only tag one.

Next picture. 2024’s longest fic was: This is an Adjuration by @not-freyja (linked below).

Editor’s note: linked here!

With a total of 312,547 words. That's almost 971 a day!

Began July 14, 2023, Finished May 30, 2024.

Screenshot of the tag summary from AO3, showing a Mature rating, Gen, an archive warning, and complete.

Significant tags: Time Travel, the Chain as Family, Time Loop, Multiversal Time Travel, Temporal War Crimes, Chain Meets Chain, Chronically Ill Sky, Four Splits Into the Colors, Fairy Hyrule, Hyrule Has a Blood Curse.

At the bottom, Legend’s writing says: “That sounds like a lot of time travel…”

Next four pictures are a set titled Fandom Trends by month. Each month has, in order, a Popular Link, Popular Duos, Popular Genre, and Unique Tags, along with occasional handwritten commentary.

January: Twilight. Twilight & Wild. Hurt/Comfort. Crack, Soft Legend. Commentary: Warriors says “aww.” and Legend responds “I'm going to poison your milk.”

February: Warriors. Twilight & Wild, Twilight & Warriors, Legend & Warriors. Angst. Febuwhump 2024.

March: Twilight. Twilight & Wild, Time & Twilight. Fluff. One Shot, Linked Universe Discord Server’s 5th Birthday Gift Exchange.

April: Legend. Twilight & Wild, Twilight and Warriors. (Commentary from Legend: “wow Twi”) Fluff. Humor, Canon-Typical Violence.

May: Twilight, Warriors. Hyrule & Legend, Twilight & Wild. (Commentary from Legend, circling Hyrule’s name: “Finally some good taste.”) Fluff. Other Additional Tags to be Added.

June: Twilight. Twilight & Wild, Time & Warriors. Hurt/Comfort. June of Doom 2024, Sky-centric, Twilight-centric. (Commentary from Warriors: “Wait, doom?! Oh, there's Sky”)

Editor's note: congratulations to @somer-writes who singlehandedly got June of Doom in the top 10 tags of June. :)

July: Warriors. Hyrule & Legend, Time & Twilight. Hurt/Comfort. Twilight-centric. (Commentary from Legend: “leave some for the rest of us”)

August: Legend. Hyrule & Legend, Legend & Warriors, Time & Twilight. Hurt/Comfort. Crack, Fluff and Angst. (Commentary from Warriors: “I'm concerned.”)

September: Legend. Time & Twilight, Twilight & Wild. Hurt/Comfort. Sicktember 2024, Legend Has a Bad Time. (Commentary from Legend: “Excuse me?!” Warriors says: “I suppose your immune system is awful now.” Legend responds with: “ha ha.”)

October: Warriors. Time & Twilight, Time & Warriors. Hurt/Comfort. Whumptober 2024, Warriors Has a Bad Time. (Commentary from Warriors: “oh no…” To which Legend responds: “HAHAHAHAH”)

November: Warriors. Time & Warriors, Hyrule & Legend. Fluff. Crack, Good Older Sibling Warriors.

December: Legend. Hyrule & Legend, Twilight & Wild, Warriors & Wind. Hurt/Comfort. Families of Choice.

Parchment at the bottom has Warriors saying, “That's a nice note to end on.” Legend responds, “Not so bad I guess.”

Thanks for coming along with me on this fun stats journey! It's been a privilege to add to this fandom.

I thought about adding a section for ratings or prevalence of Gen fics, but I think you can guess that we’re a Gen- and Teen-heavy fandom. You can see my raw data and some more charts over on the Google sheet right at this link. Ha, link. :)

#linked universe #my art #sorta #ao3 #linkeduniverse #Lu #fandom meta #fanfiction #lu fanfiction #Lu fandom #lu fandom ao3 wrapped #archive of our own #I stayed up too late making this #long post

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glossdebut · 7 months ago

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PRICE OF FAME | MYG ★ MASTERLIST

✧ PAIRING: yoongi x fem!reader

✧ SUMMARY: You were about ready to give up, your career nowhere near what you dreamed it’d be when you started at eighteen, bright-eyed and naive. Reality for you these past few years has consisted of pouting at a camera, ignoring whispers of your name at company events, and ensuring that the stupid, tiny designer purses they keep forcing on you can at least carry a flask. But now, you’re helping a friend in need. For the first time in a long time, it feels like you’re doing something worthwhile with your life. Too bad Min Yoongi, the newest thorn in your side, seems insistent on stopping you.

✧ TAGS: enemies to lovers, slow burn, angst, smut, fake/pretend relationship (not main couple), rockstar!yoongi, model!reader, guitarist yoongi, singer jungkook, bassist taehyung, drummer jimin, manager namjoon, yoongi & maknae line are in a rock band, reader & seokjin are best friends, yoongi & hoseok are best friends (sope duo ftw), yoongi has a tongue piercing, reader is a brat

✧ WARNINGS: SLOW UPDATES, explicit sexual content, agonizingly slow burn, jealousy, hurt/comfort, emotional baggage and trauma (LIKE… EVERYONE), alcohol and drug usage, yoongi is kind of an asshole but i promise he isn’t irredeemable, everyone is bad at feelings and the communication of those feelings, The Music Industry is a warning of its own, blackmail, sexual harassment*, coercion*, quid pro quo*

* happens prior to the start of the story, not committed by the main characters.

✧ WORDCOUNT: 35.8k and counting!

✧ STATUS: ongoing

✧ SERIES PLAYLIST: spotify & official post

✧ CHAPTERS ✧

CH 1: ALL YOU PEOPLE ARE VAMPIRES!

CH 2: A HIT IS HARD TO RESIST

CH 3: WHAT DO YOU KNOW?

CH 4: E-X-P-L-O-D-E

CH 5: TOO FAR TO GO BACK

『 askbox ★ masterlist ★ ao3 ★ taglist ★ anonymous feedback box 』

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olivialivvy17 · 3 months ago

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Racing to the beat - Daniel Ricciardo

summary: Daniel gets a new teammate in VCRB, a F2 female championship winner for the 2025 season. What he didn't expect was her to be extremely genz and a kpop fan.

pairing: fem rookie driver!reader x Daniel Ricciardo

AU: Social media!AU and Written!AU

warnings: mentions of anxiety, swearing, use of yn, hate comments, reader is 25.

face claim: Amna Al Qubaisi for professional f1 photos, the rest are from pinterest.

wc: 617

a/n: hii guyss, sorry for a late update. haven't been really inspired to write. I hope you enjoy this part, I'm not the best at writting but I'm trying my best fr. okay love you lots <333

part two <prev. next.>

ynusername posted a story

second story

user8 oh to be rich😔

charles_leclerc you know who to call for a tour

ynusername made a post

liked by alexandrasaintmleux and others

ynusername Alex my favorite tour guide (ily mwah) ❤️

view all comments

user9 oh how I love women

user10 a duo we needed so bad😩

alexandrasaintmleux I had a blast! can't wait to see you again 🫶🏻

ynusername love you gf <3

user11 hello my clothes were just on 😔

lilymhe we need to meet up soon!

ynusername omg Lilly, omg omg. yes, yes we have to. omg you're so pretty🫶🏻

lilymhe you're so pretty too! and like such a good driver! ❤️

ynusername ❤️❤️ im freaking out rn❤️❤️

user2 Yn is so real for this😭😭

user1 let's hope they don't media train her 🙏🏻 liked by ynusername

charles_leclerc turns out we won't be only competing for that championship

ynusername I fear Alex is my gf now (I'm joking media manager)

danielricciardo going out with Alexandra before me? I might be heartbroken💔

ynusername noooooooo I promise we'll hang out before the first race, I just need to settle in Monaco rn

danielricciardo I'm holding you to that mate

ynusername yes sir🫡

user8 I might have a new favorite duo

ynusername posted a story

user12 you ARE in fact on my rob list

user13 we need an album collection asap girl

olliebearman I miss listening to your broken Korean singing 😭

danielricciardo that Seventeen group has some good songs

ynusername see I told you! I'm glad you're liking my recommendations

second story

visacashapprb boss said we might need to start media training you

ynusername nooo boss i promise I'll behave. I promise🙏🏻

user14 so real diva

user15 HAHAHAHA I LOVE YOU ALREADY

bestfriend I love my strong woman🤤

ynusername all for you wife 🤞🏻

16.03.2025. Australia, Melbourne

“Get your shit together” you said to yourself in the mirror. Standing in the RB garage bathroom, gripping the sink with all your strength while trying to tame the boiling anxiety coursing through your body. It's officially the first race day and all the fears and doubts came crashing down on you. It’s normal to be nervous on the first day, you said to yourself, but is it normal to be physically nauseous? Probably not, but here we are. “You can do this Yn, you know what you're capable of” you keep repeating out loud like a mantra, hoping it will stop the burning and sinking feeling in your stomach.

A voice calling out your name snapped you out of the spiraling daze. “Are you in there?” said a voice you recognize as your race engineer. “Yeah, give me a second i'll be out” you shout from the other side of the door. Receiving a ‘Okay’ from them as you turn on the faucet and put your clammy hands under the cold water. Urgently splashing your face, hoping to bring you out the anxiety induced haze. Straightening up, you dab the moisture off your face and discard the paper towel. Fixing your tied back hair and the race suit that's zipped up to your hips. With a more of a shaky chuckle, you flash thumbs up to yourself in the mirror and whisper “You got this girl” before unlocking the bathroom door and stepping out to the bustling and roaring garage.

Walking back to your side of the garage, you spot Daniel speaking to one of your engineers. “There you are” spoke the familiar Aussie accent as you two made eye contact, seeing his infectious smile only made the corner of your lips twitch upwards. “How are you feeling, everything okay?” said Daniel as you approached the screens where he's standing. With a nervous chuckle, you spoke “Honestly, anxiety is gnawing at my insides, but I've pep talked myself in the mirror so hopefully I won't spiral completely” as you shifted your gaze from the screen to him. The Aussie had a soft and understanding expression on his face as he reassured you in a comforting tone “You're gonna be just fine, trust me” as he placed his hand on your shoulder “I know how you feel and that's completely valid. Nerves mean you care—use them. Trust your prep, feel the car, and have fun. The first race is unforgettable. You’ve got this, you're a good driver and you know it.”. The way his tone was sincere and caring and that warm smile and the grounding hand on your shoulder made the burning pit in your stomach slightly fade away. With more confidence in your stance, and that smile finally appearing on your face, you thanked him “Thank you for saying that, you don't how much it means to me. I promise to give it my best and not let the fear swallow me whole,” you end the sentence with a soft chuckle. With a chuckle of his own, his arms wrapped around your shoulders as he pulled you in a reassuring and warm embrace, patting your back gently. Your hands instinctively found their way onto his upper back, mimicking his patting motion.

visacashapprb made a post

liked by ynusername, danielricciardo and others

visacashapprb First race of the season comes to an end! Ricciardo P6, Yn/Ln P8. What a duo!

view all comments

user16 YN IS WHAT PLACE ?

user2 ATEEEEEEEEE🙂‍↕️

ynusername i totally wasn't singing that one song by 2ne1 (iykyk)

user17 rb better upgrade that car, cuz my girl can place so much higher

user18 for a rookie, she's good

f1 Yn slayed on that track!

user7 not admin trying to use slang😭

danielricciardo Amazing first race Yn!

ynusername couldn't do it without my great teammate🥹

#f1 #f1 x reader #f1 x you #f1 imagine #daniel riccardo x reader #daniel ricciardo #daniel riccardo imagine #dr3 #formula 1 #f1 social media au #f1 smau #instagram au #smau

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haveyoureadthismcytfic · 5 months ago

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Have You Read This MCYT Fic?

Inspired by @haveyoureadthisfanfic! Banner art by @wassup-its-e

Submission Form | MCYT Fanfic List | Example Post

Any MCYT Fandom is allowed. This blog intends to be Non-RPF, so remember that the fics are about the characters not the creators. If what gets posted ends up being RPF, oh well, I don't care. It is up to you, the reader, to look at the tags, and don't read if you don't like it.

If you don't like something about the fics or polls, just keep scrolling. You are not required to interact with content that you don't wish to see.

This blog also doesn't care about what the content of the fic is, meaning fics can range from general audiences to explicit, and from fluff to graphic violence, and more. It is the creator's responsibility to tag correctly and it is your responsibility to heed the tags as warnings. Stay safe the best you can, and avoid/block/filter out topics and/or tags that you don't want to engage in.

Reblogs and the like will not be monitored closely, and this blog is not responsible for the actions of others. That being said, please do not put down (say negative things about) a fic, that fic's author, or fans of that fic. I do not care to see it, nor does anyone else, so only comment and/or interact if what you have to contribute is positive.

The posts will also include the author's Tumblr @ and a tag with their username if it is known. If the fic author's Tumblr is unknown, or if the fanfiction doesn't have a username attached, the post will be tagged with "author unknown". If you know the @ of an author, please share in the ask box or dm me, and I will update the fanfic list and the associated Tumblr post.

If you’re the author of a submitted fic, you have been pinged to 1) remind you that people like your fics 2) give you creator credit 3) promote your blog! If you don’t want to have your @ on a post, tell me which one you would like your @ removed from, and I’ll remove it. Remember that the majority of the votes are probably going to say they haven’t read the fic, but that’s okay! Focus on the facts that someone liked the fic enough to submit it and that there are people that have/plan to now.

Please try not to submit a fic someone else has already submitted! If there are repeats, I apologize, but there is no way I'm going to catch them all, or remember that the name is on the list people have so kindly made, so oh well; it's not the end of the world. I will try though. That being said, I have set this blog up with a queue, so there should be ~5 polls/recs posted a day, give or take.

If you have positive things to say about the fic, feel free to reblog the poll with its link as a recommendation, but I highly suggest leaving a comment on the author's work if you like it! Fanfic authors write these masterpieces for free, so the least we as readers can do is comment and/or kudos/like/etc!

\o/

resources stolen from the pinned post on @deityoftherain lol

tonetag masterlist

short guide on how to tag your own fics

short guide on how to title your fics/stories

writing lessons for beginners/basic writing review (the guide above briefly covers Formatting Quotes with Dialogue Tags, Commas and Conjunctions, Capitalization, Pronouns, and Person POV with examples of usage)

how to embed images and links on AO3

how to post a work on ao3: a thorough step-by-step guide

miscellaneous AO3 tips

mcyt writing cheat sheet (+tangotekification)

mcyt ship/duo/etc name list

learn about the nuances of mcyt shipping

submission form link: https://forms.gle/5rHfvA6VzwjHiZ6j9

fanfic rec list link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1DcQwRRDPMuRFgruSbxA360YU6t7AkRHn6CeEVcZ4PFo/edit?gid=1577898752#gid=1577898752

#haveyoureadthismcytfic #answered asks #author unknown #haveyoureadthisfic #mcytblr fanwork ramble event #mcyt polls #mcytblr #mcytumblr #mcyt #mcyt shipping #mcyt fanfiction #minecraft youtube #fanfiction #fanfic #polls #masterpost #masterlist #pinned post #pinned info

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naughtyneganjdm · 5 months ago

Text

Love's Second Chance: A Holiday Reunion - Chapter 1

Summary: Christmas time is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, but for Y/N it has become a lonely holiday now that she is a divorced mother. This Christmas, she gets looped into a love triangle with two lovers from her past, Joel Miller and Negan Smith, where the holiday brings all of them back together.

Characters: (in chapter 1) Joel Miller, Negan Smith (mentions), the reader (OC), Rosita Espinosa, Carol Peletier, Tommy Miller (mentions), etc.

AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/60501985/chapters/154453672

Warnings: Alternate universe, swearing, angst, third person reader, female reader, reader is a mother, reader is divorced, reader was a teenage mother, reader is in her 30s, Joel and Negan have both been de-aged, etc. There is a mix of both TLOU and TWD characters. Please be sure to check the overall warnings on AO3, so you know what to expect!

Notes: I'm a fool for Christmas stories, so I'm back at it again this year. This time having a story featuring both Joel and Negan. Apparently my favorite duo! I will be updating this story three times a week until Christmas!

Remember Y/N means your name or whatever name you choose.

The warmth of a crackling fire. The scent of gingerbread, peppermint or a freshly put-up Christmas tree. It was amazing how many things could really start reminding you of Christmas. It was a time where those who celebrated would start to get excited for the festivities that were to come. Radio stations were playing Christmas music. Stores would be full with people shopping for both presents and food for their holidays. Christmas was always certain to draw out many emotions from people. Whether it was the excitement of the holiday, the events that you could go to, getting together with your family or just the whole genre all together.

Sometimes baking, decorating, planning and enjoying the overall atmosphere of Christmas could be a good distraction for someone who was going through a hard time. Right now that was the primary focus for Y/N. It was toward the end of her workday. Luckily, she got to work remotely from home so that meant she could also do other things at home when she had her breaks. Right now, the smell of gingerbread and sugar cookies were filling her home and she knew the timer would be going off any moment now. She was in the middle of a video call with her boss Carol and her best friend Rosita who had gotten her this job so many years ago when she was in need of one. What was supposed to be a rundown of the work they were getting done when Y/N went on vacation had become a talk between friends instead. Each person going over what they would be doing for the holiday.

“You seem distracted,” Rosita noted with Y/N looking back over her shoulder. Forcing herself to look back at the screen, Y/N realized that she must have checked on the timer too much. Rosita wasn’t one to pick up on things like that easily, so it had to have been a lot. “What are you up to now?”

“I’m just baking some cookies before the children get home,” Y/N was honest with the two. There was no reason for her to lie. She got her work done fast. In fact, she was the best worker in the business. Not that it was a great job or something entirely too complicated. It was just a data entry job that she had gotten when she was younger so that way she could help cover the bills. It wasn’t her dream job, but Y/N had gotten pregnant when she was seventeen and had her daughter when she was eighteen. That led to her not being able to get a degree until years later and it was just an associate degree from the local community college. At the time she got the job, she was desperately in need of a job that allowed her to be home with the baby and this one just happened to work out. Thankfully, Carol understood at the time because she had children as well and this job worked for her. Y/N always told herself that she would get a different job eventually. One that was better, but now her daughter was seventeen and she also had a son that was thirteen. She just got comfortable in the job that she was in and stayed. It wasn’t something to brag about, but at least she liked the people she worked with. And she got to stay home except for going into the office a few times a month. She couldn’t really complain. Especially when she got to be home to raise the children. “Their dad picked them up from school and they were supposed to be going out to eat with him.”

“I don’t know how you do it girl,” Rosita declared with a long sigh, adjusting her Bluetooth earphones that she was using over the video. “It’s super hard with just having Coco running around the house now. Yet, here you are baking cookies, decorating the house, being the amazing PTO mom for your children.”

“It’s a little different having teenage children than it is a toddler,” Y/N reminded her friend with a hesitant laugh. “I remember the days of Elizabeth and Peter being that age and it was hard. Sleep was not a normal thing during those days.”

“And suddenly I’m very happy that Sophia and Benjamin are in college and Henry is about to graduate,” Carol spoke up with a half-smile, throwing her hands up in the air when she spoke. “Kids are cute, but if I could do it all over again, I’m not sure I would.”

“Carol!” Rosita laughed making Y/N smile when her over the top boss continued to make a very dramatic expression. “I doubt Ezekiel would be happy hearing you say that.”

“What Ezekiel doesn’t know won’t hurt him,” Carol placed her hand to her chest, and, in that moment the sound of the timer for the cookies was going off. “Alright ladies. We can sign off now so you can get to the rest of your day. Enjoy your holiday vacation, Y/N.”

Signing out of work and closing up her laptop, Y/N pushed back her chair and headed into the kitchen. It had been a few years since Y/N had really taken time off for herself. In the past she would have taken vacation time a lot, but not so much lately. That’s why she had taken it all at once. She had to take it, so it just made sense to do it at Christmas time. It gave her more time to focus on the children and enjoy the holiday.

Taking her cookies out of the oven, she set them out onto a rack to cool them. Preparing the frosting, she knew that the kids often liked to help so she was getting things ready for them. Likely, she would start the decorating of the cookies and they would help her finish. While the cookies continued to cool, she made her way around the house cleaning things up. The fireplace was on which gave a nice aura to the room that matched the lights that went with the heavily decorated tree in the corner of the living room. At the bottom of the tree was a toy train that her family had been collecting multiple pieces for since she was eighteen years old. It was a tradition to put it out every year. And each year they would try to add pieces to it. For Christmas, she had always tried to go out of her way to make it magical for her children. Being such a young mom, she wanted to do her best to make the holiday feel special for her children. At first, they didn’t have much, so she had to find ways to make things special and decorating was really the easiest way to do that.

Moving over toward the front window, there was a nook that was dawned with a Christmas village with extensive buildings and figurines that she had been collecting since she was younger as well. Each year she would buy one piece to add to it and it always looked really neat setting it up every year and lighting it up in the front window. Turning that on, she knew this was a daily thing. She got into the routine of things and it was just normal for her. Stockings were hanging in front of the fireplace and it just felt cozy for anyone that may have enjoyed Christmas.

Heading back into the kitchen, she started decorating the sugar cookies first. There were various shapes of candy canes, Santa hats, sleighs, stuffed bears, snowmen, reindeer and snowflakes. Those she figured her children would be less interested in decorating. It was usually the gingerbread men and women they had the most fun with.

The sound of the front door pushing open was heard and it made her smile when her son calling out to her followed, “Mom? Where are you?”

“In the kitchen kiddo,” she responded, raising her voice just enough. It was probably obvious where she was, but her son was very dramatic and liked to make his presence known. Hearing the sound of footsteps, she gasped when she felt a pair of arms wrapping around her and hugging her firmly from behind. Looking over her shoulder, she saw her son cuddling into her and it made her smile. “Hey Peter. How was school?”

“It was the last day before vacation, so great,” Peter offered up a big smile, his long eyelashes fluttering to an open. Y/N turned on her heel, brushing her fingers through her son’s dark hair and he gave her a weak smile. “I’m not supposed to tell you, but dad got me a big peppermint chocolate shake today at the diner. It was huge! It had sprinkles too.”

“Good job at keeping a secret,” Y/N heard the sound of her daughter coming into the kitchen. Elizabeth’s dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail, her dark eyes connecting with her mother’s when she dropped her backpack down in the corner of the kitchen. “No one is going to trust you with a secret ever. I hope you know that.”

“I have a hard time lying,” Peter explained, moving in beside his mother to see all the cookies she had already decorated. “I’m going to be on such a sugar high tonight.”

“Maybe you don’t deserve to eat those cookies since you told on me,” a voice spoke up from the entrance of the kitchen making Y/N look back. “Ellie had my back. You on the other hand…”

“Liz. I want to be called Liz, dad,” Elizabeth corrected her father making him groan out in frustration, reaching out to pull his daughter in closer to him. A frustrated sound fell from Elizabeth with how hard her father was hugging her to his chest. “Dad! Come on!”

“You know she wants to be called Liz now, Joel,” Y/N corrected with a long sigh. It had the color flooding into Elizabeth’s face since both her parents weren’t really latching onto the whole Liz nickname. “I’m also aware of it, but I’m still having a hard time not calling her Elizabeth.”

“I reckon I’m never going to be able to remember this whole Liz thing,” Joel’s southern drawl lingered, his dark eyes narrowing when he lifted his hand to give Y/N a small wave. It had her returning the gesture watching Joel lean down to press a kiss against Elizabeth’s temple. Looking between the three of them, she let out a long sigh. The older the children got, the more they looked like their father. Joel’s genes were strong in both Elizabeth and Peter. They had his eye color, skin tone and hair color. The trio looked gorgeous on her daughter and her son looked like a mini version of Joel. Pretty close to what she remembered when she first met Joel. “You’re always going to be my Ellie. You should know that. No matter how old you get, or how uncool it is to call you that. I’ve been calling you Ellie since before you could walk.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know,” Elizabeth pat her father on the stomach playfully. Pulling out from beneath Joel’s arm, Elizabeth moved over to look at the cookies. Almost instinctively she reached for some of the decorating icing to start helping. Following in his sister’s footsteps, Peter started to help as well.

“I always loved this day,” Joel stammered, walking across the kitchen to step in behind Y/N. Lowering his head in beside hers, Joel let his breath linger against the side of her neck. The closeness of him surprised her as he stretched his arm out to grab one of the sugar cookies that hadn’t been decorated yet. Instead of pulling away, Joel turned in to press a kiss against her cheek and it had her eyes coming to a tight close. Once the warmth of him left, her eyes opened and she saw him resting back against the counter. Tipping his head back, he dropped the cookie into his mouth and groaned at the way it tasted. “Your cookies were always top notch.”

“And you always stole a ton of them before they were done being decorated,” Y/N reminded Joel with a tiny chuckle causing him to shrug dramatically. Reaching for another cookie had her huffing out and he gave a wicked smirk.

Seeing Peter do the same made her scoff and shake her head. Wanting to be as much like his father as possible, Peter would often mimic the things that Joel would do. Which meant he plowed back two sugar cookies as well.

“How big was this shake?” Y/N wondered which had Joel shrugging and shaking his head. Obviously not wanting to give the answer.

“Gigantic,” Peter explained with a mouthful of the last cookie that he shoved into his mouth.

“You’re not helping buddy,” Joel grunted under his breath, swallowing down the last of his sugar cookie. “I need some milk.”

“You know where it is,” Y/N nodded toward the cabinet where the glasses were. With a sigh, Joel moved across the kitchen and grabbed four glasses setting them out on the counter. Heading over to the fridge, Joel pulled out the milk and started pouring a glass for everyone. “I guess it’s a good thing he is going to be with you tonight. Because you know how he gets when he has this much sugar.”

“I’m thirteen mom, I’m not six anymore,” Peter snickered, nudging his mother playfully with his hip and it had her smiling. “I can handle being on a sugar high. I’m a big boy.”

“Still my baby,” Y/N claimed with a wink, lowering down to press a kiss over the top of Peter’s head. “Did the two of you pack last night?”

“I did,” Elizabeth replied with a gaze down at her brother seeing him swallow down his last bit of cookie. “He did not.”

“Sellout,” Peter retorted under his breath, working to decorate the next cookie he grabbed from the rack. “I got…distracted. I was playing a game and before you know it, it was really late and I knew I had school…”

“Maybe you should have stopped playing the game?” Elizabeth suggested with a tip of her head, drawing Peter to grumble something under his breath.

“I really don’t understand why we can’t just have dad stay over,” Peter blurt out making Joel clear his throat. It had Y/N looking back at him and she could see that tension that filled Joel’s body while he was drinking the milk that he had poured for himself. “It’s Christmas. We should have things be the way they used to be.”

“That’s not how things are done when your parents are divorced,” Elizabeth stated with a roll of her eyes making Y/N’s heart skip a beat with her children talking about her and Joel. “We’re lucky that our parents get along. Some of my friends, their parents hate each other. Fight over them just to make the other mad. And it’s never about them, it’s always for personal reasons. It makes them miserable because the parents are more so focused on hurting the other one instead of loving them.”

“I’m just saying,” Peter kept up with his previous statement setting aside the decorated cookie and reaching for another. “I remember things being really fun when we did this. I miss that. I wish we could just go back to the way things were. Dad could move back in and we could do what we did every year.”

“Bud?” Joel spoke quietly which had Peter looking over his shoulder at his father. Joel shook his head and Peter’s tanned flesh went pale.

This was the fourth Christmas that the two of them had spent separated. It was three years since they had been divorced. Joel was her high school sweetheart. Both of them had big dreams. She wanted to travel the world and be a journalist. Live in the big city. Joel wanted to be either a football player or a professional singer. But when she got pregnant? That didn’t exactly work out for either one of them. It meant she never left her hometown. Neither did he.

Joel’s parents died tragically when he was eighteen which left him taking care of his little brother Tommy. Tommy was five years younger than Joel and because Joel didn’t want Tommy going into the system, he also adopted Tommy. So not only was he taking care of his little brother, but Joel had gotten Y/N pregnant not long after. That meant an incredible amount of stress had been thrown on him.

At first? Everything was okay between them. Joel married Y/N right after Elizabeth was born. They moved into Joel’s parents’ house and he was a great dad. He never stopped being a great dad. Joel took on his father’s business of being a contractor since he had helped his dad when he was a teenager while she stayed home taking care of both Elizabeth and Tommy. Four years after Elizabeth was born, they had Peter. Originally, it wasn’t too hard because Tommy helped out with the children and around the house, but when Tommy turned eighteen he decided that he wanted to make a difference in the world and joined the army. That alone stressed Joel out to the extreme.

By the time she was twenty-one and Joel was twenty-three they had been through a lot. More than most people their age had been. They weren’t making much money and they were doing their best just to get by. Thankfully, she got her job soon after that which helped with the bills and she got to stay home to take care of the children. It was a few years more before they moved out of Joel’s parents’ home and got one of their own. Even though she thought they had the perfect life, Joel was unhappy. And each day that became more and more clear. He was still an amazing father, but they started bickering. A few fights here and there led to nights where they would verbally fight all night long, sometimes leading their fights into the middle of the day.

After years of that, it led to them separating four years ago and eventually to their divorce three years ago. Neither of the children took it well. They both really loved their dad. And rightfully so. Joel was a good father. There was something about Joel that they were drawn to. She was with them all the time growing up and Joel was always the parent that was gone long nights and was working really hard, so he was the parent they wanted the attention of the most. And when he was home? He gave it to them. So it was safe to say they mostly blamed her for the divorce. They tried to hide it more now, but when the separation first happened neither Elizabeth nor Peter were happy with her. It made her happy that after this long, there were no more fights and even though there was an occasional comment made here or there, they seemed to be happy with her.

Joel and Y/N had shared custody of the children. Which meant they were pretty open with things. They were supposed to be with her half the month and with him half the other, but they never stopped the children from seeing them if they wanted. Joel had moved back into his parents’ old home with Tommy which was only a few blocks away so they still spent a lot of time together.

Honestly? Y/N never really got over the divorce. Her feelings for Joel were just as strong as the day she met him. Joel’s family had moved to town when she was young and she immediately had a crush on him. They were just kids then though.

Their divorce was hard on her. It wasn’t like anyone cheated. It was just the tension of it all. Joel had become cold. He wasn’t a very affectionate lover. And it was always inherently clear how unhappy he was when he was married to her. Being married became lonely. Which was vastly different from how Joel was when they were younger. Joel was very affectionate in the beginning. Very loving. Now? They got along as much as they could for the children. Which meant she had to push down a lot of her feelings. But it was worth it for the children to be happy and grow up in a stable environment.

“I know, I’m not supposed to talk about the divorce,” Peter finally spoke up after the uncomfortable silence flooded the room with the three of them still decorating the cookies while Joel stayed in the back of the kitchen. “I just really miss how things used to be. That’s all.”

“I do too,” Elizabeth agreed quietly, but Y/N didn’t know what to say so she kept her mouth shut. Of course she missed the way things used to be.

“I can help decorate,” Joel offered, setting his glass of milk down on the counter. Moving over toward the gingerbread cookies, he pulled one of them off the rack and set up his area to start decorating. “We always used to decorate cookies as ourselves every year. So why not do that again?”

“This could take a while,” Y/N suggested, but Joel look to her with his dark eyes and shrugged. “Tess won’t get mad that you are here?”

“They aren’t together anymore,” Elizabeth was quick to answer and it had a rush of color flushing into Joel’s face. When his eyes connected with Elizabeth’s she shrugged her shoulders dramatically just like Peter had done earlier. “Well, you aren’t.”

“How long has that been?” Y/N looked to Joel noticing that he got uncomfortable when they brought up his ex-girlfriend. Tess and Joel had started dating a few months after their divorce finalized, so she was surprised to hear they weren’t together. Joel bobbed his head about with Peter adjusting his spot at the counter to move in next to his father to start decorating his gingerbread cookie.

“A while,” Joel grumbled under his breath, bringing his fingers up to suck off the icing that was at the tips of them. It had his dimples showing and he could see that Y/N was staring at him. “I don’t really pay attention to time with how busy I’ve been with work.”

“Months,” Elizabeth spoke again for her father keeping her focus on the cookies that were there.

“I’m glad you know more about my dating life,” Joel rumbled reaching for one of the sugar cookies to shove another one into his mouth.

“I just pay attention,” Elizabeth pointed out realizing that she was making her father uncomfortable talking about Tess. “When the two of you were together, she was always texting me. Making plans with Peter and me. Since you two broke up? I haven’t heard from her.”

“I thought you liked Tess,” Y/N recalled what the children had told her when she talked about the woman that Joel had been with.

“We did,” Peter replied back, his voice now muffled since he copied his father again in grabbing another cookie.

“It’s just strange that she drops us the moment they break up. You work so hard to build this relationship with us because you’re dating our father and then you cut us off completely when the two of you break up?” Elizabeth legitimately seemed bothered by the fact that Tess stopped interacting with them. “It’s messed up.”

“So how about these cookies? Huh?” Joel tried to come up with a distraction, going to reach for another one, but Y/N reached out to place her hand over his wrist to stop him. Instead of listening to her urgings, Joel grabbed one of the snowman cookies and bit off the head of it. “They taste really good.”

“I wouldn’t know. I was trying to finish helping mom decorate them first,” Elizabeth smirked back at her father, giving him a shake of her head. He finished off the cookie before going back to decorating. When they finished off the sugar cookies, the girls went to decorating their gingerbread women. Joel had moved on to working on other cookies, but Peter was pretty dedicated to making his gingerbread man perfect. By the time they were done, Peter was still working on that single cookie. “What’s taking you so long Peter?”

“You’re being lazy,” Joel moved in behind Peter to pick him up in his arms, pulling him away from the counter. The two of them wrestled while their laughter filled the kitchen. Finally, Y/N grabbed herself one of the finished sugar cookies that she had made while watching the two of them. “Making the three of us do all the work.”

“I just wanted mine to be good,” Peter jumped on Joel’s back, hooking his arms around Joel’s shoulders. It had Elizabeth rolling her eyes and grabbing a cookie with her mother. “You see what I mean? We shouldn’t have to go be with just dad and uncle Tommy. We should be together. Dad can just grab his stuff. Come over and we can pretend like we’re a family again. The four of us have the most fun when we’re all together.”

“Are we going to keep the gingerbread family like we did when we were younger?” Elizabeth looked to Y/N for confirmation. Nodding, she reached for a serving platter to first put down Joel’s cookie which he decorated in a green plaid shirt, work boots and a beard with dark hair. On his cookie, he gave himself a Santa hat. Then she set Elizabeth’s down next to Joel’s. Elizabeth had decorated hers in a softball outfit which made sense since Elizabeth was on her softball team and loved it. Reaching for Peter’s cookie, she could see that he decorated what she assumed to be an ugly Christmas sweater for his cookie and then Y/N placed her cookie at the far end. It was just a generic gingerbread woman with her hair color. Maybe hers was the saddest of the whole crew since it had the least amount of personality of the four. “You know your cookie is supposed to go next to dad’s.”

Elizabeth moved in beside Y/N to move the cookies together. It had a warmth flooding Y/N’s body when she sighed. In the past they would dry out the cookies by leaving them out before displaying them. Elizabeth seemed proud of herself when Joel finally let out a long exhale.

“Your Uncle Tommy has a big night planned of movie watching, so we better get ready to go,” Joel announced moving for his milk to finish it off. Setting the glass in the sink made Y/N’s head lower as Joel pointed upstairs. “Better go get packed buddy. You too Ellie.”

“Yes dad,” Elizabeth sighed knowing that she wanted to correct her father again, but instead she just accepted that he was still going to call her the lifelong nickname that he gave her.

It was almost as if their children were sulking as they dragged their feet out of the kitchen to head upstairs to grab their belongings to go be with their father. Once they were gone, Joel stepped in beside her and folded his arms in front of his chest. “It’s like Christmas brings out the inner child in them. Instead of being our teenagers full of teenage angst, they become young again. I like it.”

“They still are young,” she reminded Joel with a playful nudge before heading back for a container. “I’ll pack you some cookies for home.”

“And they will likely be all gone by tonight,” Joel declared with a snicker, placing his hand in over the soft part of his abdomen. It had her rolling her eyes and shaking her head while she gathered the cookies. “I always loved when you did the Christmas baking. All the cookies, cupcakes, pies…”

“You’re always welcome to take what you want,” she packed one container of sugar cookies and then moved to the gingerbread cookies to pack another. “So…who broke things off between you and Tess?”

“Uh…” Joel inhaled sharply, leaning against the counter again. Curling his fingers around the countertop, he shrugged his shoulders and didn’t seem to have a good response. “It was a little bit of both, I guess.”

Neither one of them spoke after that. It was awkward talking to Joel about his girlfriend. Tess was a very blunt person. It didn’t mean that Y/N didn’t like her. She did her best to like Tess, but Tess was very domineering. Which was hard since her and Joel shared children together.

“So…” Joel started, his thick fingers brushing through his hair drawing attention to his curls at the back of his neck. “What are you going to be doing while they are with me?”

“Tomorrow morning I’m putting decorations up around town. Helping out,” she explained, knowing that she needed things to do in order to keep herself distracted. It had Joel’s eyebrows bouncing up, his hands settling at his hips while he stared out at her.

“That sounds like you,” Joel commented, biting at his bottom lip having a hard time thinking of something else to say to her.

“You’re welcome to join if you want,” she offered and Joel let out a sarcastic laugh. When they were together she would always drag him along with her to do that so they had things they did together. Toward the end? Joel complained constantly and made it clear he hated it. “I’m just saying. Tommy is coming to help.”

“Well, good for Tommy,” Joel retorted with a long sigh, folding his arms in front of his chest when she shifted back and forth on her feet. “Unfortunately, I have to turn you down. I made an appointment with the children to go get photos with Santa. I know they are older now, but they seem to get a bigger kick out of it now than they did as children. It’s less scary and more so funny. I think Ellie calls it cringe, yet they still find it super funny.”

“Oh,” her face went hot when she thought about the idea of them getting photos. That was something she started as a tradition. One she was no longer included in. “That’s nice.”

“After that, I promised to take them shopping for their gifts,” Joel looked toward the exit of the kitchen toward the stairs. “And mine.”

“Last minute shopping. Totally still you,” she couldn’t help but throw that out at him since he used a similar line earlier. It had Joel smirking, his dimples showing when he shook his head.

“I guess I should go help them,” Joel pointed toward the stairs, backstepping toward the exit of the kitchen. “Make sure little man doesn’t forget anything.”

“I’ll clean up,” she barely had time to get that out before Joel was already making his way out of the kitchen.

Maybe that was too quick of a leave. It had Joel stopping at the bottom of the stairs to steal a quick look back at Y/N. Her head was tipped down and Joel felt tension in his body. Until that moment? She had actually looked happy. But now that she was alone in the kitchen to herself, she looked sad.

Considering his next move, Joel grasped tightly onto the railing of the stairway. Part of him thought he should go help her clean up. But he was never very good at that in the first place. It was one thing they used to bicker about when they were together. Joel always left dishes in the sink and his clothes all over the place. Which meant she was picking up after him all the time. They had more fights about it than he cared to admit.

Instead of helping, he let the other part of him win out and he started heading up the stairs. It was strange how even though he had been gone from the house four years, how much everything still felt like home. Y/N still decorated the same way. Just added a few more things here and there. Lights were wrapped around the railing leading up the stairs brightening the stairway. The photos were still up the way they were when they were together. With a few school photos added to the walls. The only ones that were down were the ones of their wedding or from when they were younger taking trips together.

The first bedroom on the right was Peter’s and he could hear the extensive shuffling. Standing in the doorway, Joel outstretched his arms and rest them against the doorframe, “You need help there kid?”

“No, I got it,” Peter insisted shoving a few of his clothes into his bag messily. “Thanks though dad.”

“I’ll check on your sister,” Joel pointed back toward Elizabeth’s room and Peter waved his hand about. Going to move for Elizabeth’s room, Joel backstepped when he saw the door to the room he used to share with Y/N was open. Looking to the stairs, Joel swallowed down hard and moved quietly into the bedroom. Even that didn’t look any different. The only difference is that his things weren’t thrown all over the place. His exercise equipment was gone along with his dresser. Instead there was a small sitting area there.

On the center of the bed was a robe that Joel assumed Y/N had been wearing earlier in the day. Reaching out, he caressed his fingers over the soft material before bringing it up to his nose to smell it. The scent of her perfume lingered over it and it made Joel smile. That was something he always loved. Her perfume. It had been a while since he had been close enough to her to actually smell it.

Setting the robe back on the bed, Joel looked to her dresser to see that two of the photos she had taken down that were originally in the hallway were now sitting on top of it. Stepping in closer to the dresser, Joel bit at his cheek when he saw the first one was their wedding photo. It was the two of them together with Elizabeth dressed in her flower girl outfit. Because they were just kids themselves, they had a backyard wedding at his parents’ home, but they were happy enough at that time. They had each other and that was enough.

Placing that photo back, Joel reached for the photo of them on their last anniversary that they shared. Tommy had made them reservations that Tommy was really proud of at an expensive local restaurant. It was something that Tommy had saved up for as a thank you to them for all they did for him growing up. It was completely out of Joel’s scene. All throughout dinner he felt awkward. It was one of those places that had multiple courses already chosen for you. Since Tommy pre-paid for it, Joel forced himself through it, but he hated it. And he really let Y/N know how much he hated it. Having to dress up nice was not something that Joel enjoyed. He was uncomfortable the whole time. When they got home, Tommy had taken the photo of them. It was Joel sitting in a chair with Y/N in his lap while Joel was holding onto the gift she had gotten him. Y/N got him a really nice acoustic guitar that he had told her he wanted when they first started dating. It was something he would go to the store and play all the time. It was something she was really proud of. In the photo she looked really happy. And at that moment? She was.

It was after Tommy left when their fighting started again. Instead of appreciating the guitar that she got him, he told her to return it since it was stupid to waste the money. Especially since in the time that they had been together he had learned how to do wood carvings and he knew how to make acoustic guitars himself. Back then? He didn’t understand the meaning behind the gesture. He just saw it as a waste of money. Especially since he lost out on his dreams of actually becoming a singer.

They also fought over the fact he bought her nothing other than flowers. Grand gestures were something that Y/N was big on. Even when they didn’t have money, she always tried to do things special. That anniversary, he just bought her flowers and gave her them when he got home from work. She didn’t complain, he just could see that she was disappointed. Which led to them fighting about her needing to be honest with him about things. That night they didn’t get intimate together. Not once. It ended with him sleeping on the floor in Elizabeth’s room.

The guitar put a big wedge between them because she told him if he hated the guitar he could return it to get the money back. Not wanting to look bad because it was a small town they lived in, Joel just let it sit and collect dust. Until they got separated and he took it with him. Now he played it occasionally and realized why she was upset because it was actually a really romantic gift.

It surprised him that she kept that photo considering how bad that night went. Setting the photo back where it was, Joel moved back over to the bed. Dropping back onto it had him staring up at the ceiling feeling an ache at his chest. Crawling over to the side of the bed that was his, Joel reached for her pillow and wrapped it up in his arms. Burying his face against it, he closed his eyes and realized how much more comfortable this whole set up actually felt than it did back at his place with Tommy.

After a few minutes, he forced himself to get up since he realized that it was probably creepy what he was doing. This wasn’t his house anymore. It was just a vague memory of how things used to be. That’s it.

Leaving the room, he headed over to Elizabeth’s room to see that she was sitting at her desk doing something on her laptop and he smirked. Leaning against the doorframe, he tipped his head to the side and cleared his throat causing her to jump.

“Getting in trouble?” Joel watched her shake her head when she showed him that she was writing her best friend in a chat. Taking a quick look, he sighed and moved over to her dresser to grab the softball that was there. Dropping back on her bed, he started throwing the ball up in the air catching it repeatedly.

“You know, Peter’s not wrong. Things were better when it was the four of us,” Elizabeth stressed hearing her father sigh loudly and she shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t see what the problem is. You’re not with Tess anymore. So why not spend time with mom? She’s hot, right?”

“What?” Joel chuckled at his daughter saying that about her mother.

“Listen, I’ve seen the moms at my school. I know mom is a catch,” she suggested to Joel hearing him laugh before going back to throwing the ball. “Why don’t you want to spend time with the four of us?”

“Hey! I didn’t see your mom jumping at the idea when Peter was talking about it,” Joel fumbled the ball, letting out a groan when it rolled across the floor. Pressing up onto his shoulder, Joel scoffed out when his eyes fell upon one of the posters that she had hanging up. It was one that was new and it made him roll his eyes. “I still can’t believe you’ve had a crush on that man since you were fourteen.”

“Everyone has celebrity crushes dad,” she looked back over her shoulder at the poster that he dramatically groaned over. Giving her father her attention back, she saw him throw his head back into the pillows.

“Sure. But most girls your age have crushes on twinks from a boy band,” Joel declared hearing his daughter laugh at the description of the kind of boys that he thought she would like. “Instead, you like a professional baseball player that’s my age. Do you know how creepy that is?”

“Most women here have a crush on Negan Smith,” she stood up from her chair to head over to point at the poster that was on the back of her door. “He’s the hometown hero. Rookie of the year when he started. One of the greatest baseball players of our time.”

“Do you know how old you were when he won rookie of the year?” Joel’s eyebrow arched up in curiosity, dramatically turning his head to stare out at her. It had her cheeks flushing over with red and he let out a hesitant laugh. “I think I need to stress here that he’s my age.”

“You were young when you had me,” she pointed out, heading over to the edge of her bed to sit down with him.

“Not that young,” Joel countered finding it creepy that his daughter’s celebrity crush was Negan Smith who was probably the most popular player for their state’s professional baseball team. “What about that boyband kid that you liked when you were eight?”

Tipping his head back, Joel eyed over the magazine cutouts that she had plastered over her ceiling and he felt his heart skip a beat when his eyes fell onto one of the photos. Hopping up onto the bed had her gasping out when he snatched the photo from the collage of photos she had up there.

“The hell is this?” Joel’s dark eyes almost seemed angry when he held the magazine page out in front of her face.

“Uhm? Negan Smith?” Elizabeth flashed him an innocent smile with Joel looking over the photo. “It was a photoshoot he did in order to bring attention to the sexism in sports magazines. It was him making a statement.”

“He’s naked,” Joel sneered, looking over the photo. It had the baseball star holding a baseball glove over his groin and he had a baseball bat thrown over his shoulder. They had covered him in dirt and he had eye black under his eyes. “Why in God’s name do you have this photo over your bed? Why do you have this at all? Does your mother let you put these up here?”

“First of all, he’s not naked. Everything is covered,” she reached for the magazine pull out and he tugged it away from her. “Second, mom doesn’t know that that’s there. She actually kind of gives me my privacy. So, there is that.”

“You’re seventeen,” Joel scoffed looking over the pullout feeling like the room was spinning around him. “This is way too sexual for you. I went to school with this guy. He was one of my best friends. This is another level of creepy.”

“Dad, you’re being a little hypocritical. I know you and mom were having sex at my age. A magazine pull out is not the end of the world. It’s not even porn,” Elizabeth fought back trying to reach for it, but Joel yanked it back away from her again. “I used my babysitting money to buy that dad. It’s a few years old and it’s hard to find.”

“How much did you pay for it?” Joel scoffed seeing the confusion in her eyes. “How much?”

“Like thirty dollars,” she explained and he felt his blood boiling. “What?”

“Thirty dollars for this?” Joel’s eyebrows furrowed and he grunted out looking it over. “Can’t you just find a photo of it on the internet and print it out? Why waste the money?”

“Because it’s authentic and an original. It would probably be worth more too because he just announced that he was retiring because of his most recent injury. Do you remember when that one guy purposely hurt him when we were watching that game?” she brought back a memory of when he was still living here and they’d watch games together. “Well, he came back from that injury, but it still made his leg weak and he hurt it really bad. So bad that he has to retire. He’s only doing one more season. People are going crazy over his stuff,” she reasoned with Joel who reached into his back pocket to pull out his wallet. Pulling out thirty dollars, he tossed it on the bed beside him and rolled up the poster causing her to gasp out. “You’re going to bend it dad!”

“Good. It doesn’t belong in my…” Joel stopped realizing he was about to say it didn’t belong in his house, but this wasn’t his house anymore. “It doesn’t belong in my seventeen-year-old daughter’s bedroom. I paid you back for it. I don’t care if it’s worth a hundred dollars. Spend your money on something better than some naughty ass photo of someone I used to be best friends with.”

“Oh come on, all of that’s bullshit dad,” she bickered with her father, throwing her hands up in the air and he dramatically shrugged his shoulders. “I know you say you two were best friends and I know you were on the same baseball team, but other than that? I think you’re pushing it with the best friend thing. If the two of you were best friends, why have I never met him? Why do I see no photos of the two of you together?”

“Because in our last year of high school we kind of…went different ways,” Joel explained, still clinging onto the magazine pullout that he had stolen from his daughter. “Him, your mother, me and Uncle Tommy were the closest of friends. We were since I moved here. Honestly? I reckon he was probably better friends with your mother. But we all considered each other best friends. We were together all the time. And back then he didn’t have a single tattoo on him.”

Joel reached up to pinch up at the bridge of his nose, “And as far as photos? We probably have loads of them upstairs in the attic. I can prove it right now. I still haven’t cleaned out that thing since we moved in here and I doubt your mother did either because she always asked me to clean things up, but I didn’t.”

“Prove it,” she frowned, folding her arms in front of her chest reminding Joel of what he looked like when he was angry.

Urging her to follow him, Joel set the magazine pullout down on the table that was in the hallway. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that Elizabeth was reaching for it and he snapped his fingers at her to get her to stop, “Ellie! Don’t think about it!”

“You are so infuriating sometimes,” Elizabeth frowned realizing that she had officially lost part of her collage. Joel hopped up to pull at the hatch to get it opened and get the stairs down to go into the attic. Motioning her to go up first, Joel knew that if he turned his back on his daughter that she would likely grab what he had set aside. Color rushed into her face, her eyes rolling when she moved up the steps. Joel followed her not far behind. When they got up there, Elizabeth let out a dramatic cough and he huffed. “It’s dusty.”

“It’s not that bad,” Joel suggested taking a look around. A long time ago, Joel started to remodel the attic for Y/N, but he never finished it. Half of it was done and the other half just looked like a normal attic. Moving across the way, Joel cleaned off the bench that was at the far end where the nook he designed was. Holding his hand out, he motioned Elizabeth to take a seat. She eyed it over with disgust before slowly lowering down. “Give me a few minutes.”

“So,” Elizabeth began, her curiosity growing while Joel started going through boxes. “What was he like when he was younger?”

“Arrogant,” Joel stammered, his whole face scrunching up when he thought about Negan. “Everyone loved Negan. We were the two most popular guys in school by our senior year. He played baseball and basketball. I played baseball and football. We had a bit of a feud going on that last year. He was a smartass.”

“But you were friends?” her eyebrow arched in curiosity. Pausing, Joel looked over his shoulder at his daughter. Taking a second to think it over, Joel nodded and cleared his throat. “What did you like about him?”

“He was funny. He could really get under some of the teachers’ skin,” Joel responded, setting aside some of the boxes letting out a sigh when he dug through them. “He was really smart. He could look at a book and just memorize everything. He was a class clown so it always infuriated the teachers when they tried to embarrass him and he would come back with the answer. Negan either had people really loving him or hating him because he was so good at reading people. He could have people eating out of the palm of his hand.”

Smirking, Joel opened one of the boxes to see on top of the box was some photos of him and Elizabeth when she was a baby. Holding out the photos, he saw her smile when she reached for the photos accepting them to look them over.

“Maybe I’ll come over here and finish the attic up for your mom. Clear up some things and go through the photos,” Joel offered appreciating the smile that Elizabeth was giving when she looked at the photos of them together. “It’s been a long time since I had a clean-shaven face.”

“You look so young,” Elizabeth commented holding a photo up of Joel holding Elizabeth on his shoulders at a football game together. “You were such a jock back then.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Joel waved his hand in the air, getting down on the ground to make it easier for him to go through the boxes. After looking through a few boxes, Joel stopped when he found photos of Y/N and him from high school. With a smirk, he grabbed a handful of the photos of them at his prom. Holding them out to Elizabeth, he allowed her to look them over while he dug through the photos. When he realized this was the box that he wanted, he headed over to the bench to sit down beside her. “That was a fun night.”

“Please don’t go into details,” Elizabeth groaned causing Joel to roll his eyes. “I know what happens on prom night.”

“I just mean we had a fun time at prom, then a few of the kids were throwing a party at their parents’ house. It was right off the water, it was awesome,” Joel explained with a long sigh, his eyes narrowing when he cleared his throat. “It was right before your grandparents passed away.”

Elizabeth gave Joel a sideways glance before continuing through the photos, smiling when she saw a photo of a young Joel kissing Y/N on the cheek with her mom laughing, “You two looked so happy together.”

“We were. We were so in love. All that mattered to me back then was her,” Joel admitted, his breathing growing uneven when he thought back to that time. “I just wanted to be with her all the time. I was afraid to let her go. I was supposed to be going off to college and she still had two more years left at school. I was so worried someone else was going to swoop in and take her. I guess the world solved that problem for me though. College was just never meant to happen.”

“You still could have gone,” she thought aloud and it had Joel taking a moment to break from looking at the photos to gaze out at her. “You could have. You had a full ride. You could have made it work. Mom eventually went to college.”

“I couldn’t. I had to take care of Uncle Tommy or else he would have been put into the system. And then your mom got pregnant with you,” Joel recalled his younger years, shifting uneasily knowing that Y/N had been pregnant at seventeen which was how old Elizabeth was now. “I couldn’t do that to Tommy. And I couldn’t do that to you and your mom.”

It looked like Elizabeth wanted to say something, but she didn’t. She just went back to looking at the photos. Seeing a photo of Negan training with him when they were on the baseball team, he handed it over to Elizabeth and she snickered.

“I know the two of you were on the team together dad. I’ve seen the team photo in the hallways of the high school,” she reminded her father hearing Joel grunt. “That doesn’t mean you were best friends. He looks so different without the facial hair.”

“Not as big of a babe,” Joel mocked the way a teenage girl would talk. It had her reaching out to hit him in the chest and he chuckled. “That was before he got that scar on his face over his eyebrow.”

“You know how he got that scar, right?” Elizabeth was eager to tell the story, but Joel hushed her.

“Everyone knows that story. He told it all the time when he first started becoming popular,” Joel pointed out feeling a bit of jealousy at how much this town loved Negan Smith. Stopping on one of the photos, he tossed it to Elizabeth and heard the surprised sound that followed. It was a photo of him, Negan and Y/N sitting on the couch that was in his parents’ basement. A young Tommy was laid out across their lap and they were all laughing. “Told you. That’s at your grandparents’ home.”

Noticing that all the photos were starting to include Negan, Joel handed piles of photos to her and could see the awe that came from her looking at the photos, “See. I’m not a liar. I’ve always been a very honest person.”

“Holy shit,” she held up a photo of Joel and Negan together. Negan had his arm wrapped around Joel’s shoulders. Negan was curling his lip up in a ridiculous pose with Joel wearing a backwards baseball cap. Elizabeth clung to the photo before reaching for the next. It was a photo of Y/N between both Joel and Negan. Both of them were kissing her cheek and it had Elizabeth laughing. “So many people would be jealous of mom with this one.”

“Yeah, I know. I was really cute,” Joel knew that Elizabeth was talking about Negan, but he was being a smart ass. Elizabeth rolled her eyes before continuing through the photos. There were a lot of photos of Y/N and Negan which had Elizabeth shocked. There was an extremely young photo of Negan and Y/N that was in that box leaving Joel to shrug when Elizabeth held it up. “I told you those two were closer. Negan was my age, but they knew each other pretty much her whole life. They were neighbors. Together all the time.”

“Why doesn’t mom talk about him?” Elizabeth stammered, stopping on a photo of her mom sitting on Negan’s lap with her arms wrapped around his shoulders.

“Uhm,” Joel considered what to say next before clearing his throat. “Because when he stopped talking to me, he stopped talking to her. The woman he ended up getting married to showed up at the school the last year. Really pretty girl. Negan was hooked on her. Your mother wanted him to be your godfather…”

“No shit,” she gasped, clinging to the photo of Negan with her mother. “What the hell happened? Could you imagine if Negan Smith was my godfather?”

“He just stopped interacting with the two of us all together. Your mother tried to reach out to him multiple times, but then she just stopped trying,” Joel cleared his throat, rubbing at the side of his face before sighing loudly. “I think it hurt too much, so she just wrote him off. Didn’t want to think about it since the two of them were so close.”

“How did I never know this?” Elizabeth seemed upset that this was a part of her parents’ lives that she didn’t know. “So you just were friends with Negan Smith?”

“Yeah. When your Uncle Tommy and I moved to town, there was this boy that kept picking on your Uncle Tommy. All the time. He was smaller for his age. It was during the summer and this boy would knock him off his bike. Push him down. Do what bullies do. One day, I was outside and I saw this boy hit your Uncle Tommy. Your mother and Negan were outside playing hockey. We all saw it happen. I was heading over to whoop the bully’s ass, but she beat me to it. Hit the boy with the hockey stick that she had. Then she beat his ass,” Joel explained with a laugh mimicking a few punches drawing Elizabeth to laugh. “She kicked that boy’s ass so bad that he refused to tell his parents. He didn’t want the whole school knowing that he had his ass kicked by a girl. But yeah, you’re mother had a crush on me from the first moment I met her, but I’m pretty sure that day is the day she fell in love with me. That was the day we first started hanging out.”

“She fell in love with you? Not the other way around?” she was surprised to hear that and Joel tipped his head from side to side. “How couldn’t you fall in love with her after that?”

“She kind of scared the shit out of me, but in a good way,” Joel claimed, his hand placing in over the center of his chest. “So yes. For your mother it was love at first sight. For me? It took until I was about seventeen.”

“What are you two doing up here?” a voice made them both jump and they looked to the stairs to see that Y/N was moving into the attic.

“Your daughter has like the biggest crush ever on Negan Smith,” Joel once again teased his daughter, talking in a stereotypical way that had her pushing into Joel’s chest. A loud laugh fell from his throat when he pointed toward the photos. “She didn’t believe that we were best friends back in the day. So I had to prove it.”

“Why’d you never tell me?” Elizabeth was curious when Y/N moved forward to look at the photo that Elizabeth had of her with Negan and Joel kissing her cheeks. “I’ve had the biggest crush on him forever and you never said anything.”

“It was a long time ago,” she reasoned, shrugging her shoulders as Joel started pulling himself up from the bench that he was seated on with Elizabeth. Talking about Negan didn’t seem to appeal much to her when she waved her hand about. “I have all the cookies packed up and I made a pie the other day that I’m sending with you.”

“How I remained skinny when we were together blows my mind. I like your food way too much,” Joel reached down to pat his stomach realizing now that he was older, it was harder to stay in shape for him. “Come on Ellie. We have to get home. Uncle Tommy is probably waiting.”

Elizabeth didn’t really want to, but she accepted her father’s hand when he helped her up. They moved down the stairs and onto the second level. Joel had Elizabeth going back to her room for her stuff before reaching for the poster he snatched from Elizabeth’s room. Handing it out to Y/N had her looking down and unrolling the photo. Once she realized what it was, her eyes grew wide.

“I guess her and her mother have the same type,” Joel sneered and it had Y/N lifting her eyes up at Joel slowly. “That was on her wall. Our daughter should never have anything like that on her wall. Maybe pay a little more attention to the things that she is getting her hands on.”

“Yes sir,” Y/N almost seemed offended when she rolled the photo back up and felt a warmth flooding into her face. The look that Joel gave her almost looked angry, but she couldn’t say anything else because the two children were walking out with their bags.

Seeing them out to say her goodbyes, Y/N cleaned things up before heading back upstairs. Noticing that the stairs were still pulled out for the attic, Y/N went to close them up before thinking things over. Going up into the attic, she headed over toward the box of photos. Lowering down on the bench that Joel and Elizabeth were on earlier. Pushing through the photos, there was a sense of sadness that ate her up inside seeing some of her photos of when she was pregnant with Elizabeth. Joel was so loving and sweet back then. And he looked so happy. Stopping on a photo had her heart racing. In that pile was a photo of a much younger version of her and Negan kissing. Clearing her throat, she pushed the photo into her back pocket. That was the last thing her daughter should be seeing and she knew that.

Closing up the attic, she headed to bed and pulled out the photo she snatched along with the magazine pull out that Joel had given her. Taking a look at it, she shook her head and tossed both of them into the top drawer of her dresser. For so long Y/N had pushed away her past. It almost felt like she had forgotten her past. Right now, she was just living and working to get through every day. And that was enough.

----

Tags: @chainsawsangel @fancypeacepersona @violent-darkness @negansbestie @elegantfanficluv

@sanctuaryforthelost

#Joel Miller #Pedro Pascal #Joel Miller fanfiction #Joel Miller x reader #Negan #Negan Smith #The Last of Us #The Walking Dead #Jeffrey Dean Morgan #The Walking Dead fanfiction #The Last of Us fanfiction #Negan fanfiction #negan x reader #negan x you #Joel Miller x you #tlou fanfiction #twd fanfiction

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ghettogirly · 9 months ago

Note

Heyy!

How do you think Armando would react if you were kidnapped by an enemyy?

𝐆𝐎𝐍𝐄.

𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆: 𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐎 𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐒 𝐗 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

-> synopsis: what would happen if you got kidnapped due to a deal gone wrong?

-> format: imagine/short story.

-> theme: angst w/ conflicting ending.

-> warnings: mature language, mentions of kidnapping, mentions of violence, mentions of cartel activities.

-> authors note: sorry for my lack of updates, I’m currently on holiday!! I’m catching up though, hope you enjoy! 𝐫𝐞𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝. 🌸

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

𝐈𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐄𝐓 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐒 𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍, with Armando out with his crew, you was left with your two kids: Isabella and Alejandro. With the littlest girl sleeping, you was perked up on the couch with Alejandro who was playing with his trains.

The translucent curtains allowed a dimmed version of a sunbeam to shine throughout the old money house, the classic elements of the pillars and brick walls being lit up in the process. The architectural style being your idea, loving the thought of elegance combined with the old style. Your design coming to life due to your husband: Armando.

𝐅𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊

You found out what Armando’s real life was after a year of dating. Devastated, you ran away, needing some space after the web of lies that was just uncovered. But there was a problem.

Who has ever successfully hid from the cartel?

A couple of days passed and a knock was heard on your cabin door, your new house for a while which allowed you to gather your thoughts about the revelation. Confused, you slowly moved to the window to look outside at who it was. However, the positioning of the wooden panelled window did not give you the angle to see who was standing at the door. Sighing while turning the knob, it was no surprise to who it was.

Armando Aretas. His tall, muscular build towering over you as he waits silently for you to speak. His face doesn’t show an ounce of anger, more so, shame. His broad arm pointed to a space behind you, showing it to be a seat as he implies if he’s allowed inside. Shaking your head, you walk over to your living space as he follows behind. Not before ordering his two men to wait out there. He’s a high profile man, he always needs an entourage.

Sitting down, he rubs his palms together while messing with his ring on the index finger. The ring was beautiful, showing its realness as each intricate diamond glistened, even with the absence of sunlight to accentuate it. On the sides of the ring was his name and his mother’s: Isabella. A heart separated him and her name.

“After everything, that happened with my mother, i promised myself to be nothing like her. Blinded by my desire to honour her and my family i did some terrible things. I want to live a respectful life, but i did the opposite.”

A pause occurred yet you just sat back and listened.

“I disrespected you mi amor, i thought i was protecting you but i was hurting you instead. I’m sorry.”

Disbelief overtook you as you listened to his words. Tones of regret and purity flowed off his tongue as his deep, husky voice entered your ears, his Mexican accent still being apparent even with his incarceration in Miami.

You wanted to hate him, you wanted to just push him away and live your own life. But, you just couldn’t. So you forgave him instead.

𝐄𝐍𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐅𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊

𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐔𝐏 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐘 𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐎𝐑, you laid down while flicking through netflix on the television. A few stirs were heard on the electronic but nothing to worry about. Turning on the rom-com, ‘To all the boys i’ve loved before’, the dynamic between Lara Jean and Peter Kavinsky making you laugh. It was funny to see different relationships especially comparing it to yours and Armando’s.

You guys was more of a power couple, the duo everyone looked up to and respected. Maybe that was because of your status and power in the world. Who knows??

A small tap was heard from the adjacent room, causing you to turn your head and freeze. A few seconds went by and you continued to watch the movie in front of you.

A louder crash occured which inflicted a flight or fight response within you. The initial reaction being flight as you make sure your kids are safe out of everything. Quickly grabbing Alejandro’s hands, you dash up the circular stairs that was before the kitchen. Luckily, you had socks on, limiting the thumping sound of your feet hitting the floor.

Opening Isabella’s door, Alejandro quickly ran in. You instruct Alejandro not to move from this room, nodding his head he quickly hugs you and moves by Isabella’s crib. Knowing how smart your boy is, he would have little problems calming his sister back to sleep or taking her out of the crib.

Slowly shutting the door, you quickly run to one of the next rooms and grab a glock. Each room had a keypad that was attached which was used to unlock the door, making the heavily secure. Thank god for Armando.

“Lord, please protect me and my kids. Amen.”

Footsteps trailed past the room you was in as you was preparing yourself. You could hear the grunts of the men who struggled to enter the right code for the locked doors. However, one was open. That was yours.

A man strolled through, glancing around the room with no caution in the world as he believes the house to be empty. There you were in the corner with your gun unlocked,

waiting for your time to strike.

Opening a few drawers, the man peered into one of them; noticing some earrings that were in the marble drawer he took them out. Pure gold wrapped the small gem that sat in the middle of the piece. A small diamond, dazzled in the light, each angle being a mirror for the light to reflect off of. A sight to behold. Smiling, the man put it in his pocket.

Just as he was about to turn around, a pistol was whipped on his head while a hand was wrapped around his mouth. He was knocked out instantly. Slowly laying him down, you walked into the next room, looking for the next guys.

Just as you was about to pop you head around the corner, a click was heard from behind you.

“No seas estúpido.”

𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐘 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐋, Armando and a few cartel members were sitting in a car. The Mercedes GLS 580 was all black, the rims and exterior was a mattel black while the inside was custom, hand-sewn leather with LED lights wrapped around the interior. Allowing a few of the members to chat amongst themselves, Armando just sat back quietly while going on his phone and then onto the camera system, wanting to check on his family.

He was surprised by the house being quiet, no one in the living room and no one outside. It was the workers day off today as you just wanted a peaceful day just by yourself and the kids, not wanting anyone watching over you. So by your command, be allowed that. However, that seems like it was the wrong decision.

With his eyebrows furrowed, he clicked off the camera system app and now went onto his contacts. Flicking through, he found yours and called it. No answer. No answer.

“¿Por qué no contesta?”

Armando now pushing past some of the workers, leaned over to the front. “Drive faster!”

The workers being confused, obeyed his instructions. Some of the members were now alarmed and were looking back at each other. “Count this fucking money they gave us, Vamos!!”

Frantically counting the mineh, you could just hear murmurs of numbers erupting from the members. Armando continuously called numbers on his phone, his nervousness now turning into frustration.

“Señor, nos quedamos cortos.”

“¿Qué dijeron” His head snapping towards the members who spoke up.

“Boss…”

Before Armando could even say anything else a notification sound was heard from his phone, scrambling towards it, he clicked on the screen. A picture of you was sent, your hands tied and your mouth duct taped. A realisation washed over Armando. He was played.

Throwing his phone in anger, he screamed out loud while getting his gun and shooting it from the roof of the car. The other members crouched down to shield themselves.

“Voy a quemar todo este país.”

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

[🌸] 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒:

- “No seas estúpido” : Don’t be stupid.

- “¿Por qué no contesta?” : Why isn’t she picking up?

- “Voy a quemar todo este país.” : I will burn this whole country

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

[🌸] 𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓: @5tarlan7 @tyneshaaa @thedarkworldofhananerea @omg-mymelaninisbeautiful @armandosbabymama @deadpool15 @amplifiedmoan @sarcasticbitchsblog @dyttomori @believeinthefireflies95 @twinklestarslight @milliumizoomi @shurisgf @yeahnohoneybye

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httpzsho · 2 months ago

Text

THE MELTING WALLS | 리키

PAIRINGS. grumpy!riki x sunshine!reader

GENRE. fluff

WARNINGS. none

SYNOPSIS. after riki recovers from his illness, and finishing your project— you expect for him to end all contacts, but to your surprise, maybe you two are more than just project partners.

SHO's NOTE. this is pt3 and the last part of beneath the ice (or part 2 of lovesick) + also I mixed this fic with the request, the one w the fluttershy coded reader!

( read below the cut )

HE LAYS THERE FOR A FEW MINUTES, admiring looking at your sleeping figure. he gets up and off the bed very precisely, in order not to wake you up. he debated on whether to carry you to the bed, but he didn't know if you were a light sleeper or not. he really didn't want to wake you. instead, he grabbed the blanket and placed it gently on you.

he went downstairs, cooking breakfast in his own little world as a way to repay you for taking care of him. flipping the pancakes nicely and set them onto plates with a slice of butter.

he heard the faint footsteps on the stairs as he cooked.

“you slept well?” he asked, you hummed behind him. “how're you feeling?” you replied, still groggy from your sleep. your voice still raspy as you rubbed your eyes.

“mmhm.” you leaned against the counter as he cooked, staring a little too long in his figure with an apron.

“didn't know you cooked,”

“you didn't ask.”

you giggled. he did too. it was.. cute. “you should laugh more often, brings out the life in you.” you mumbled. “what, you think I'm soulless like the others?”

there was a moment of silence. you thought you offended him. “no, ofcourse I don't..” you sighed, “..I don't think you're any of the name they call you,” you mean it. you really do, you just hope he knows that.

he didn't reply. he finished cooking the rest of the pancakes and gestured for you to eat. “thanks for taking care of me.” you looked up at him. he was chewing the food as you did. “no problem,”

even before, you always thought riki already had face. his features were delicate, the moles on his face only adding more appeal. you wondered why he wasn't the talk of the girls.

today was just like 'em, his face purer and even more appealing now bare in front of you.

“is there something on my face?” he questioned, you snapped back and shook your head. “oh, nothing! sorry. the pancakes just taste good,” he acknowledged your compliment, mumbling a quiet thanks.

what the hell was that? you thought to yourself, how'd you zone out? most importantly, how'd you zone out because of him?

later after breakfast, you bid your goodbyes to him and went off to your own apartment.

you opened the door, greeted with your beloved cat. sushi. you pet her fur as she rubs against you, you smile.

you then changed into your comfortable clothes, and relax.

ding—!

RIKI : hey?

CHEOL Y/N : oh, hi riki! what's up? (∩_∩)

RIKI : I'm sorry for missing our working-project day. come to your door.

confused, you walk downstairs to open your door, to you surprise, you see a box filled with food, specifically your favorite—samyang.

CHEOL Y/N : you sent me these? (っ◞‸◟ c)

RIKI : mhm. take it as my apology.

CHEOL Y/N : wait. . . you're warming up to me? rikiii.. (╥﹏╥)

RIKI : don't flatter yourself, it's only because I feel bad and you took care of me.

CHEOL Y/N : if you say so .. (¬◡¬)✧

[ CHEOL Y/N set RIKI's nickname to “ki” ]

riki scoffed, laying down in his bed. “ki”? he thought it was cute weird.

a few weeks had passed, you and riki met from time to time working on your project, and finally after a few days, you passed it.

nervously waiting for an update from your professor.

the class stirred quietly, all occupied on their own things.

“surprisingly, the unexpected duo got the highest grade for your final project,” your teacher announced infront. there's no way that could've been you & riki.

“congratulations, nishimura & cheol for getting a 100 on your project. well done.” your teacher applauded, and you exchanged glance with riki, you smiled, both with surprise & satisfaction.

he smiled back.

oh—that struck you like a lightning. the way his eyes slowly turned tiny, his lips curling into a small grin— everything about his smile made your heart beat faster.

was he this handsome before?

the class ended a few hours later. you went to stroll around campus, but was surprised by a tap on the shoulder.

“hey..” you turned around, seeing riki with a bag slung lazily over his shoulder. “uhm, we did well on the project.. do you want to eat out somewhere?”

you blinked. are you hearing this right? riki? asking you to hangout?

“wait—you're asking me to hang with you? seriously?” you questioned, tilting your head to the side. “well—it's just to celebrate our grade.. but if you want to call it that, then I guess..” his voice trailed off.

“yes, ofcourse! it's our work after all.” you grinned. and he walked, you following behind him. he toom you to a small cafe. he gestured for you to order something.

“one matcha strawberry latte & pistachio croissant please,” you ordered, he told his order right after yours. “and just a cold brew and a plain waffle.” you giggled a little. “a coffee? at this hour?” he chuckled. “hey, no judging.” his tone was low and quiet, but the humour was present. you smiled.

you both sat down on the chair near the windows, the sun lighting your face just right. you sipped on your latte, completely oblivious to his eyes observing you. you took a bite of the croissant, your eyes lighting up immedietly. “mm! it's so yummy,” you lick the pistachio cream that was smudged on your lip. “you want to try?” you handed out the croissant, waiting for him to bite. he gently bit a small part of the croissant. “it's good,”

you smiled. continuing to munch on it. you missed the way he smiled & giggles as you did.

the hangouts didn't stop there. one after the other the meetups got more recent, from “why not” hangouts to “just because“. you didn't even realise that you two were more than project partners.

one thing didn't change, the way his voice was always calm when talking to you, he barely showed his giggles or grin, but one things for certain— the walls he built around himself to keep him alone, was slowly melting because of you.

and maybe the rays of your presence was more than enough to melt the ice surrounding his heart, and you know beneath the ice— he's more than just a soulless, cold, mean jerk.

⩩. ( @stvrriki @nishikio @rikiscupid @callikari )

#riki fluff #niki fluff #niki x reader #nishimura riki #niki au #riki x reader #enhypen fluff #enhypen #sho writes ☆

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hexb0nes · 2 months ago

Text

Girl Next Door

word count: 1.8k

warnings: pining, communication mishaps, fem!reader

summary: in a typical rom-com fashion, jayce falls in love with the girl who moves into the apartment across the hall from his and viktor's.

a/n: nothing much to say, other than enjoy <3 like, comment, and reblog please mwah!

Jayce Talis, the Golden Boy, the Man of Progress is utterly whipped for the girl next door.

A chance encounter, Jayce never thought that you would be the one who moved into the apartment directly across from his and Viktor’s. Their former neighbors–an elderly couple named Nicole and Mathias–were some of the kindest people Jayce ever met. Nicole would bring the duo desserts whenever she baked extras, which was often. Jayce knew she did so on purpose, but never commented. Mathias, on the other hand, was a jolly man who would share stories of his adventures around Runeterra. The couple were like grandparents.

Jayce remembers the day they moved out, the announcement of the birth of their first grandkid spurred the couple on to move in with their daughter and son-in-law to help raise the baby. Nicole left a tray of desserts, ranging from danishes to cookies, for Jayce and Viktor while Mathias gifted each a fountain pen, parting gifts the pair cherished.

The apartment was empty for a few months and Jayce was forced to get used to the lack of laughter and chatter from the other side. He exchanged some letters with Nicole and Mathias, wishing them the best and asking for updates. They asked the same to him, interested in his progress with Hextech and such.

One day, Jayce woke up footsteps outside the door. It wasn’t Viktor, his footsteps were accompanied by the soft tapping of his crutch against the floor. Jayce, in his weekend attire of a muscle tee and gym shorts, opened the door and took a peek. Little did he know, he was about to meet the most gorgeous and amazing girl he ever laid eyes on.

You were carrying an assortment of cardboard boxes precariously, one sudden movement would knock them all down. Jayce couldn’t see your face behind the boxes, but he noticed your T-shirt had the symbol of the Piltovian Angels on it, his favorite sports team.

“You’re a fan of the Piltovian Angels?” his cheerful but bellowing voice startled you, “Oh!” you exclaimed, as the top box tipped over and fell. Jayce caught it just in time and secured the box between his large hands, “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you.”

You set the two remaining boxes down by the apartment door and offered him a smile, “No worries. I’m just glad you caught that box in time, it has all my dishes and what not in it.”

“Yeah, of-” Jayce paused, your face now on display. His eyes widened, as he examined your facial features. Your eyes sparkled like gemstones, your hair was radiant as sunshine, and your smile was heavenly as the Gods. Jayce felt his cheeks heat up and masked his awe with a cough, “Yeah, of course,” he looked over at the boxes, “Need help?”

“That would be appreciated,” you picked up the boxes from the ground, “Just put that box you’re holding in the kitchen.”

“Gotcha!” the inventor followed inside the apartment. He frequented that particular apartment on many occasions, usually to play chess with Mathias or help Nicole with her cooking. Yet, the apartment was no longer the same. The floral wallpaper was replaced by a buttercream yellow shade, there was a black sectional sofa instead of the blue loveseat, and the walls were adorned with a variety of paintings and photographs.

“You really spruced the place up, huh?” Jayce commented.

“Yeah,” you hummed, “I’ve been moving in at small increments, but changing up the interior design was my first task,” you disappeared around the corner and returned a few moments later with no boxes in hand, “I appreciate the help.”

“Y- Yeah, of course!” Jayce’s voice cracked like a teenage boy in puberty. He mentally scolded himself for it and attempted to save your first impression of him, “I’m here if you ever need help,” he extended a hand out to you, “Welcome to Grover Heights.”

“Thank you,” you accepted his hand and shook it, “Mr. Talis.”

Jayce raised his eyebrows and croaked, “Y- You know who I am?”

“Duh,” you snorted–What an adorable sound, Jayce thought–and added, “Your face is plastered on every blimp in Piltover. I’m not an idiot.”

“I would never suggest that you were,” he chuckled, “But please call me Jayce. We’re neighbors, after all.”

“Okay, Jayce,” you smiled crookedly. Gods, what charm you had, Jayce swooned internally, “Folks call me-” you uttered your name and Jayce swore that he went to the Heavens at the sound, the way it rolled off your tongue was simply delightful.

“A pleasure to meet you.”

“A pleasure to meet you, too.

・・・・☆・・・・☆ ・・・

A year has gone by since you had moved into Nicole and Mathias’s old apartment. Jayce and his partner–“In science!” Jayce elaborated to you–Viktor quickly became your closest friends. Every now and then, you would visit their apartment or vice versa for board games, watching the latest episode of some silly soap opera, or for dinner.

Yet, lately, something seems off about Jayce. Usually an affectionate guy, he always pulls you into hugs or ruffles your hair playfully, but he has since stepped back from displaying such acts. You worry that you had upset him, but you’re unsure as to when an occurrence happened.

By the second week of Jayce’s standoffish demeanor, you finally have enough. You manage to corner Viktor before he enters his and Jayce’s apartment and snatch him up, dragging the inventor into your apartment.

“Oi,” he grunts, “What’s the meaning of this kidnapping?”

You stifle back a laugh at his dry humor, “Sorry about that, but I really need your help,” you gesture to your sofa and Viktor follows you over, the two of you sitting on opposite sides.

“What might your problem be?” he inquires.

“I need to know why Jayce is being such a weirdo,” you answer.

Viktor quirks an eyebrow in response, “He has always been a weirdo, you just now noticed?” to which you huff, “Yes, yes, I know that, but he’s been avoiding me and whenever I manage to run into him, he acts all… I don’t know, awkward and avoidant?”

“Ah, I see,” the Zaunite nods, “I may know why.”

You lean in closer to Viktor, ears open to hear what he has to say. Viktor states aloud to you, “He’s heartbroken.”

“Heartbroken?” you scoff and cross your arms, “Who broke his heart and what does that have to do with me?”

“You did,” elaborates Viktor, “He saw you have someone over many times this month and how you always ended your encounters with a kiss on the cheek.”

“What?” you frown deeply. You go through the filing system of your brain, trying to piece together when those moments have happened, “Oh my Gods,” you let out a laugh, “That’s my sister, Natalia.”

“Oh my,” Viktor shares a laugh with you, “Then you should inform him so. He thinks that the two of you are dating and that he now has no chance with you.”

“No chance?” you question.

“Yes,” replies Viktor, “He has been in love with you ever since you moved in across the hall,” he pinches the bridge of his hooked nose, “It gets quite frustrating when he talks on and on about how beautiful, how smart, how kind, and so on about you.”

“Oh,” your face heats up at the confession. You rack your brain over moments spent with Jayce; you remember the gifts he had given you on random occasions, the way he always hopped into action whenever you needed help, the lingering touches, “Oh my Gods.”

“I have a feeling that you feel the same way,” Viktor stands up from the couch and points the end of his crutch at you like a professor’s pointer stick, “Tell him. You already know that he feels the same. He should be in our apartment right now. I’ll drop my things off and,” he uses air quotes with his free hand,”Go on a walk to the botanical gardens.”

“You’re the best,” you hop up from the sofa and engulf your friend in a hug. Viktor stiffens at the contact, but slowly melts into the embrace. You pull away and sigh, “Wish me luck.”

“I believe in you,” he responds. Viktor leaves the apartment, you watch him enter with his satchel and exit without it, as he makes his way to the apartment complex’s elevator. You take a deep breath and steel your nerves before crossing over to Jayce’s apartment. With a trembling hand, you knock on the door and wait.

Footsteps echo and the door opens, revealing a clean-cut Jayce in his typical presentation suit, “Hello?” he calls out, not seeing you just yet.

“Hi,” you greet him. Jayce’s body freezes and his face goes pale, “Oh- uh, hey there,” he avoids your eyes.

“Jayce,” you place a hand on his arm and he finches. You pull away and pout, “Jayce, I need you to listen to me.”

“I’m sorry, but I need to leave for a meeting soon,” he tries to step out of the doorway, but you block his escape and glare, “Jayce, listen to me.”

He goes silent and doesn’t move a muscle. You let out a huff and stare him in the face, “Look at me.”

Jayce makes eye contact with you, his tanned face tinted a rosy red. You hold back a smile at how cute his face is when flustered, “The person who has been visiting me and who I’ve kissed on the cheek is my sister.”

“What?” the inventor gawks, “Your sister?”

“Yup,” you confirm, “She just moved to Piltover from our home in Ionia. I invited her over a couple times this month for us to chat and have dinner, to help her adjust to this city.”

Jayce’s shoulders droop, “Gods, I’m an idiot.”

“Just a little,” you giggle, “But I have something else to say.”

“What is it?” he asks.

You step closer to Jayce and enter the apartment, the door shutting behind you, “Jayce,” he shivers at the way you speak his name. You grab his collar and pull him down to your height, “I like you, too” you press a kiss to his lips, tender and gentle.

Jayce nearly jumps with glee while you kiss him, returning the kiss with sweet passion. He holds you close in his arms, as the two of you exchange such a lovely kiss. What feels like eons comes crashing down when you have to break the kiss to gather oxygen.

“Wow,” you comment.

“Wow, indeed,” chuckles Jayce.

“Wanna do that again?”

“Absolutely.”

#hexb0nes writes #arcane #league of legends #arcane jayce #arcane viktor #arcane jayce x reader #jayce x reader #league of legends jayce x reader #arcane x reader #league of legends x reader

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bokettochild · 10 days ago

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Ketto's Update Thoughts - SE Basement 1

So, in all honesty, there's not all that much to talk about here, as most of the update was fighting and, well, I'm sure there is a lot to be said about the fighting styles of the boys and the game references and consistency of style, but I never played SkSw or TwiPri, so I can't speak for anything on their fighting styles, other than they both look like badasses!

That said, this update does further confirm that Twilight is that one guy who talks about home and his friends whenever given the chance. We're seen how a lot of the rest are cagey about talking about people they know, or even are unclear about it themselves (Wild), or perhaps only bring up things for the express purpose of confusing the rest and then not saying more (Time). Between this and the Sunset arc, we can see that Twi's probably more of a blabbermouth about home than the rest.

Warriors has heard enough to be able to name people, accurately at that, off the top of his head. And sure, this could partially be the uncannily good memory of most Links, or even an army-taught proficiency for remembering names, but the fact remains that anyone else actually knows anything about Twi's home, I doubt the same could really be said of the rest, except for Time, who's home they've been to.

This update opens with Twilight asking about Sky's home though.

These two tend to really get along, which is fun to see, but also really sweet. Where Warriors and Twilight have a sort of good-natured harshness to them, and Twilight obviously looks up to and respects Time (who clearly loves him like his own), Sky is more Twilight's age and, while they're very different, they're also very similar.

Sky is also open to talking about home- no suprise, especially after Miss Her, where we see he deals with homesickness and thus also talks about his family/friends around the rest too, although we don't know how much. I like though that Twilight is, of course, asking about Sky's stead, and also, finally, bringing up his own skyward experiences! (Although Sky does NOT look impressed, LOL)

(Poor dear looks more shocked than anything LOL)

Sky, my darling with the best one-liners, I adore you.

Back on topic though- it's nice to see these two comparing experiences and talking about their homes/friends. It's just those first two pages, but it's good to see. I mean, we all know Twilight's got probably the best chemistry with any of his brothers, getting along with all of them to an extent and always in such wholesome ways (unless you're Warriors), but his and Sky's shared moments are always especially wholesome to me <3

Now, plot wise, there's not a lot to comment on here.

I do think that the comment Twilight made about the light getting better might be an indicator that the torch Legend and Hyrule lit might have been a trigger for the lights in other chambers, but it also very well might have been a trigger for something else. Based off my knowledge of old Zelda dungeons though, if it is a control for the lights, than it is entirely plausible that, after a set time, it will need to be lit again and all the lights elsewhere will go out. This could be interesting to see, especially in a battle scenario. We've seen the boys go up against a few foes now, but darkness seems to be the main goal, albeit in the form of a Shadow, so having them fight IN the dark might be interesting.

I am curious to see if the two sides of the dungeon mirror each other. Sometimes that is the case, and sometimes not, but if it does, than that means that Twilight and Sky are bound to run across Wild and Warriors, just like the Downfall Duo and Age Bookends ran into each other and split off again. I'm curious, in that case, how that interaction will go, because we've seen Twilight around both Wars and Sky at the same time before (Sunset arc), but not with Wild in the mix. After what we saw before they split off, I feel like there would be some exchanging of glances at the least, what with Wild's current impression of Warriors still being more on the unfavorable side.

Who can say though; dungeons are tricky, especially Downfall Dungeons, which this seems to take a lot of cues from (although it might just seem that way to me because I've only played Downfall games).

Anyways, that's all I've got! The boys were total badasses and proved their skill, proved Twilight can hold his own (two against one, hot dog!) but also that Sky was definitely the best choice, as he's not all distracted and fussy over Twi during their fight, and thus able to focus on his foe better.

I'll leave the sword-fighting analysis for the experts though, LOL

#linked universe #linkeduniverse #lu twilight #lu sky #linkeduniverse update

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rebornofstars · 1 month ago

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MY FAVOURITE PARTS OF THE UPDATE

BECAUSE THIS HAS BEEN MY FAVOURITE UPDATE EVER

all comic panels from crescent flame by @linkeduniverse. readmore bc its LONG

can we start with the gorgeous lighting please . like this has to be one of the absolute prettiest palettes i dont know how the colour wheel works but PLEASE im dying over this peach coloured light. and the camera angles??? absolute fire

and we already knew he had it but as far as i can remember this is the first time we've actually seen legend using his lantern????

somoene will have to help me (SOS 😭🙏) because ive lost the spreadsheet matching each item in the december art with its name & game of origin so FORGIVE ME IF IM WRONG BUT ISNT THIS THE SAME LAMP FROM LINK'S HOUSE AT THE BEGINNING OF ALTTP??? legend you sentimental freak (deeply affectionate). hes everything.

and!!!! rulie with the candle. i dont know why im going crazy about a candle but i AM. the fact that rulie uses a light method less modern than legend's old lamp is speaking to me and the inevitable conversation about legend's legacy and the gulf between their eras. this is canon and we've been talking about it for years but seeing them together in direct comparison like this is really hammering it into my skull. and of course jojo's attention to detail is once again UNPARALLELED

also the architecture in this dungeon is just gorgeous. jojo can u design my house pls??? 🥺🥺 i'm in love with all these zoomed out shots as well like holy shit. so effective in creating an atmosphere

PLEASE the fact that hyrule holds his candle right over it to look but then backs off a bit when legend comes over so he can light it with the lamp?????? WORDLESSLY??? i dont know if its just because he knew the lamp would do a better job but the TEAMWORK??? THE COOPERATION??? I LOVE THEM???? i used to think that downfall duo was mostly a fanon invention cause legend and hyrule didnt spend much one-on-one time in the comic but FUCK THAT I BELIEVE!!!! I SEE THE LGIHT!!!!! legend's little grin is telling me everything i need to know

his face im wheezing 😂😂😂😂 rule please how did u survive this long 😭😭😭

and then it doesnt even attack them it just runs away!!!!! accurate!!!! dfd (downfall duo? is this an acceptable acronym?) are TOO OP

im actually fucking dying over this panel u dont understand. strong contender for one of the panels of all time. four has STRUCK UP A POSE. nobody walks down stairs with their hands behind their head that boy is RECLINING DRAMATICALLY.

and WIND DOING HIS LITTLE LEAP. ITS TOTALLY UNECCESSARY. IM SO GLAD IT EXISTS. and time descending in the middle of the stairs staring straight ahead 😭😭😭 equally theatric in his own stupid way im wheezing this is too much. the drama kids. old man & the Youngsters

THE ARGUING ABOUT WHO GETS A TURN AT WHAT. SOOOO SIBLINGS CODED. IM DEAD ON THE FLOOR

wiat wait wait fuck. wait fuck HOW OLD IS FOUR. theyre thinking so furiously theyre gonna hurt their brains. recontextualising every single conversation theyve ever had with the smithy!! im actually sooo sooo happy abt this panel because cheekily mysterious four (especially about completely unecessary things like his AGE) is my kryptonite & i feel like this couldve come straight out of a crackfic. the chaos is unmatched. jojo is on our WAVELENGTH ‼️‼️‼️

they are soooo sooo comfortable with each other. hyrule sasses everyone its true BUT LEGEND IS TAKING HIS SASS AND RESPONDING TO IT. theyre having a debate. legend is expressing all his grumpy opinions and hyrule is like lmao ok i see ur point. ahgsjdbgsj

the way the games are baked into every panel and plot point of this comic.. im actually deceased. also legend's stance is cracking me up

ADORE the way this is framed. love love love

the MISCHIEF AND GLEE ‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️ WHAT IS A LINK IF NOT A DESTROYER OF POTS‼️‼️‼️ this whole page im obsessed with i read it like 3 times cause i couldnt believe my eyes. they ARE besties they ARE. theyre both being so playful & theyre both in their element & pairing them up was a gorgeous fantastic idea and i am SO here for it

in conclusion every update is getting better and better i am LIVING for this dungeon arc and i adore this comic to pieces. thank u for coming to my ted talk

#linked universe #lu update #crescent flame #SO GOOD. FAV UPDATE OF ALL TIME #🐝#SORRY ITS SO LONG EVERYONE I HAD TOO MUCH TO SAY 😭#lu hyrule #lu legend

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christopherisfoive · 1 month ago

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Cold Burn (Chapter 5)

!idol reader x Seungmin; enemies to lovers

Word Count: 3.7K

Author Note: I am currently sick and fighting demons but its fine. I tried to proofread with the energy I have left lol. If there are mistakes I will get to them. I really wanted to write today. Also I am highlighting dialogue again. If its ugly I'll stop....just lmk. I hope you enjoy :)

Masterlist

The second leg of the tour was approaching fast, which meant we were now stuck in an exhausting two-week rehearsal period before heading back on the road.

I was already worn down from the first stretch of concerts, so sitting in this never-ending meeting was the last thing I wanted to do.

I half-listened as the managers rattled off schedule updates, zoning in and out until—

"Next, let’s go over the special stage pairings."

I straightened slightly, my attention finally catching up.

The managers began listing names, assigning unit performances, trio collabs, and special duets.

Then—

"Y/N and Seungmin."

A heavy silence followed.

I blinked, stomach sinking. “Is that a joke,” Han mumbled next to Changbin.

Exhaling slowly, I closed my eyes for a second before muttering under my breath, "Of course."

From across the room, I heard a quiet huff.

Seungmin.

I didn’t bother looking up. I could already imagine his expression—probably unimpressed, maybe even annoyed.

Before I could process it further, I felt eyes on me.

"Ohhh, that’ll be interesting," Han drawled, resting his chin on his hand, a teasing glint in his eyes.

"No way," Leah muttered under her breath, sending me a wary glance, like she expected me to throw a fit.

Ari just stared at me, brows slightly raised, like she was waiting for a reaction.

I had none to give.

Jeongin, on the other hand, wasn’t looking at me at all—he was watching Seungmin.

And Mira?

She hadn’t said a word.

That alone made something unsettle in my stomach.

As soon as the meeting wrapped up, I headed straight for the door, hoping to escape before anyone tried to talk to me.

I didn’t get far.

"Y/N."

Kat’s voice was calm, but her hand on my wrist was firm enough to stop me in my tracks.

I sighed, turning to face her. "Yeah?"

She pulled me toward a quieter corner, away from the others. I expected her to jump straight into a pep talk, but instead, she just studied my face.

I forced a small smile, not wanting to seem too closed off. "I know that look. You’re about to ask me if I’m okay, aren’t you?"

Kat crossed her arms. "Should I not?"

I hesitated, then let out a breath. "I mean, I’m not thrilled about this, but… it’s not your fault. Or anyone’s, really."

She tilted her head. "Still. You’ve been off lately. And now this?" She gestured vaguely, referring to the duo stage pairing. "I just wanted to check in."

I pressed my lips together, appreciating her concern but not sure what to say.

Finally, I muttered, "I don’t have the energy to be mad about it."

Kat raised a brow. "Which is almost worse."

A quiet, humorless laugh left my lips. "Maybe."

Her expression softened. "Just… don’t let this mess with you too much, okay?"

I gave a small nod. "I’ll be fine."

I wasn’t sure if I meant it.

As soon as I stepped away from Kat, I took a deep breath, letting it settle in my chest before releasing it slowly.

I was tired, yeah. But I was also getting better.

For the first time in a while, my body didn’t feel like it was working against me. The exhaustion was still there, but at least I wasn’t on the verge of collapsing like before. At least I could breathe, move, and get back into training without feeling like I was barely hanging on.

That was something.

That was progress.

This whole situation—this tour, the mistakes, the people trying to pull me down—it had already taken enough from me.

I wasn’t going to let it take more.

I had been so caught up in proving myself, in fighting back against the people who doubted me, that I forgot why I even started this in the first place. I loved performing. I loved creating. I loved pushing myself past my limits and seeing how much I could grow.

And if I wanted to keep doing that, I needed to start showing up for myself.

No more letting every little thing drag me down.

No more wasting my energy on things I couldn’t control.

No more waiting for things to get better.

I was going to make them better.

So yeah, I wasn’t exactly thrilled about this duo stage. And yeah, I knew working with Seungmin would be… complicated.

But I wasn’t going to let it mess with me.

If nothing else, I’d use this as a chance to prove something to myself.

I was stronger than all of this.

And this time, I was going to act like it.

I walked into the practice room earlier than scheduled, my bag slung over my shoulder and a bottle of water in my hand.

I wasn’t nervous.

Not really.

But I knew this was going to take a different kind of patience.

Working with Seungmin meant I had to prepare for anything.

The room was quiet when I stepped inside, the mirrors reflecting the overhead lights, the polished floors empty except for the faint scuff marks left behind from past rehearsals. I set my bag down near the speakers, rolling out my shoulders before pulling up the routine on my phone.

I wasn’t expecting to fall behind. I wasn’t expecting this to be difficult.

But I also wasn’t expecting this to be… easy.

The door clicked open behind me.

I didn’t turn around.

I already knew who it was.

Seungmin’s footsteps were even as he crossed the room, dropping his bag a few feet away from mine.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then, he exhaled a quiet sigh. "Let’s just get through this."

I huffed a small laugh, stretching out my arms. "You read my mind."

Neither of us said anything.

We didn’t need to.

The way we moved—in sync without even trying—spoke for itself.

Seungmin didn’t fumble. I didn’t have to overcorrect.

We had spent so much time assuming we were too different, too incompatible, but when it came down to it, our styles weren’t just similar. They were identical.

And we both knew it.

Still, I didn’t say anything.

I focused on stretching, rolling my shoulders as I caught my breath, acting like this was just another rehearsal.

Seungmin, however, wasn’t about to let the moment pass so easily.

"Well, that wasn’t as painful as I thought it’d be."

I glanced at him.

His tone was light, almost indifferent, but I caught the small flicker of surprise underneath.

I smirked faintly, bending down to adjust my shoelace. "Glad to know you expected me to make your life miserable."

He scoffed. "I didn’t say that."

I straightened up, quirking a brow. "You didn’t have to."

A ghost of a smile crossed his lips, but before he could respond, the practice room door swung open.

A pair of sneakers padded against the floor, stopping just a few feet inside.

"Oh."

I turned to find Mira standing in the doorway, perfectly put-together, her expression a careful mix of mild surprise and subtle annoyance.

"I didn’t realize anyone was still using this room," she said smoothly.

Her eyes flickered between me and Seungmin, like she was assessing something.

Mira’s gaze flickered between me and Seungmin, eyes sharp, calculating.

She wasn’t surprised to see us here. Not really.

She was observing. Processing.

Then, she smiled.

"I’ll leave you two to… whatever this is."

Her voice was light, almost amused. But the pause before her last words made it clear—she was picking at something.

She wasn’t calling it practice.

She wasn’t calling it rehearsal.

She was framing it as something else.

I exhaled through my nose, wiping sweat from my temple. I refused to take the bait.

Seungmin, however, shifted beside me. Something in his stance tightened.

Mira didn’t linger. She turned on her heel, sneakers barely making a sound as she made her way toward the door.

Just before stepping out, she added casually, "Try not to wear him out too much, Y/N. I need him in top shape for our stage."

And with that, she was gone.

Something heavy settled in my chest.

Not because of what she said—but because of the way Seungmin didn’t respond.

Because for the first time since this whole thing started…

He looked like he had something to say.

But he didn’t.

And that, more than anything, made me feel uneasy.

I stared at the door where Mira had just walked out, replaying her words in my head.

"I need him in top shape for our stage."

I frowned.

"You have a stage with Mira?" I asked, turning to Seungmin.

He barely reacted, only grabbing his water bottle and twisting the cap off. "Yeah. It’s not a big deal."

I tilted my head. "Since when?"

He took a slow sip before responding. "Since the special stages were assigned. You’re not the only person I’m paired with, you know."

Something about his tone felt off. Not defensive. Not irritated. Just… like he didn’t want to talk about it.

I narrowed my eyes slightly but let it go. I wasn’t going to dig into something that wasn’t my business.

Seungmin exhaled sharply as he walked out of the practice room, rolling his shoulders in an attempt to release the tension settling in his body.

He didn’t know why Mira’s words got under his skin.

Maybe it was because she was watching too closely.

Or maybe it was because she knew exactly what she was doing.

He had seen the way her eyes flickered between him and Y/N, the way her expression had shifted just slightly as she processed what she walked in on.

Mira wasn’t stupid.

And if she thought for even a second that Seungmin was pulling away from her games—

She’d do something about it.

That was the problem with making deals with people like her.

They never let you leave unscathed.

The first few rehearsals with Seungmin started out as silent, technical work. No unnecessary conversation, no wasted time. But the more they practiced together the easier everything flowed. Footwork sequences flowed effortlessly. Transitions became seamless. Even the harmonies they sang were indubitably complimentary.

They weren’t just good together. They were a perfect example of balance. It wasn’t that Seungmin wasn’t difficult– he still nitpicked details, still challenged Y/N’s movements–but for once, it didn’t feel like criticism.

It felt like progress.

The first group rehearsal for this leg of the tour was nothing short from the first they had months ago. Every unit, every solo, and both groups had their own respective sections to go over. Meaning there were too many people moving at once, too many voices overlapping.

I was already mentally checking out while my body already ached from the endless repetition of routines, when Mira’s voice cut through the noise. “You and Seungmin seem to be getting along well these days.”

I turned, my brows furrowing slightly.

“What?” Mira smiled, tilting her head. “I just mean, I wouldn’t have expected you two to be so…in sync. But I guess when you really need something, you learn to adapt, huh?”

I didn’t respond. Yet her words continued to cloud my mind.

After rehearsal, Mira corners Seungmin privately. “You’ve been busy,” she hums, leaning against the wall, arms crossed. “Rehearsing, being a good little performance partner.”

Seugnmin tenses. He already knows what he is going to hear. “You should really be focusing on our stage instead,” Mira continues. “I mean unless you want me to give Y/N the low down on why her performances these past couple months were not up to par.”

Seungmin clenches his jaw. “What do you want?”

Mira smirks. “Simple. Skip a few of your rehearsals with her. Prioritize me instead.”

She leans in slightly, voice lowering. “Or I’ll make sure she knows everything.”

Seungmin doesn’t respond but he turns on his heel to walk away. His heart stammered in his chest. There was more to this threat. Seungmin listened to Mira’s voice in his head over and over saying the word “everything”. Did she also mean–no.

Maybe he was just overthinking.

I didn’t catch it at first.

Not immediately.

But something about Seungmin felt…off.

It wasn’t anything obvious. He still showed up to rehearsals, still ran through the choreo without hesitation, still corrected my foot placement when it was off by half a centimeter.

But he was distracted. There were moments where I caught him zoning out, his expression unreadable. Times when he seemed like he wanted to say something but didn’t.

When he did speak?

His usual dry remarks and sarcastic jabs had dulled. Something was wrong. I just didn’t know what.

Yet.

Seungmin stood outside the practice room door, palms pressed against the cool wood. Through the small gap, he could hear music playing, footsteps echoing, Y/N running through the routine without him. He was supposed to be in there. But instead, he was standing here–choosing not to be.

“Prioritize me instead.”

This voice, these words curling around his thoughts like a vice. Seungmin huffed. He wasn’t an idiot. Mira was trying to throw Y/N off like they had before. She was testing him. Trying to gather if she still had control over him.

She did.

Because instead of pushing open the door, instead of walking in and perfecting their work, he left.

I didn’t confront him.

Not after the first time.

Not after the second.

But by the third, fourth, and now the fifth time Seungmin skipped rehearsal, it was no longer a fluke.

It was a pattern.

I could feel it in the imbalance of my steps, in the empty space where he was supposed to be. I had spent hours perfecting my part of the routine, refining every detail—but without him, the performance felt incomplete.

And yet, every time I pushed through the motions alone, I swallowed the same thought:

What exactly am I waiting for?

For him to stop?

For him to explain himself?

For myself to finally admit that I already knew the answer?

I wasn’t expecting him to come today.

So when the door creaked open, I didn’t even bother turning around.

But then I heard a familiar voice.

"Where’s Seungmin?"

I blinked, exhaling slowly before glancing over my shoulder. Chan stood in the doorway, arms crossed, gaze scanning the room.

His expression darkened when he realized I was alone.

I wiped my forehead with my sleeve, keeping my voice level. "Not here."

Chan frowned. "Again?"

I hesitated. "Yeah."

"How many times has he skipped?"

I adjusted the strap of my sports bra, rolling my shoulders like I could shake off the exhaustion weighing me down.

"Too many."

Chan didn’t respond right away.

But his eyes narrowed slightly—like something was starting to click.

He stepped further into the room, letting the door close behind him. "You talked to him about it?"

I scoffed under my breath, reaching for my water bottle. "And say what?"

Chan raised a brow. "That he’s being a little shit, maybe?"

I huffed a quiet laugh, shaking my head. "Yeah, because that’ll make him show up."

Chan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Look, I know Seungmin. If he’s ditching, there’s a reason."

I rolled my shoulders, staring at the floor. "Yeah? Well, whatever it is, it’s not my problem. Should be yours actually."

Chan gave me a look. "You don’t believe that."

I clenched my jaw.

No. I didn’t.

Because whether I wanted to or not, I cared. Not about him, but about this performance. About all the time and effort I had already put into making it work.

And now?

It felt like I was the only one still holding it together.

Chan exhaled, stepping back toward the door. "If you want, I can talk to him."

I shook my head. "No."

He tilted his head. "No?"

I forced a small smile, though it didn’t reach my eyes. "I wanna see how far this goes."

Chan studied me for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Alright. Just don’t wait too long, yeah?"

I didn’t answer.

Because deep down, I knew I was already running out of patience.

Somewhere else in the building, in a private rehearsal room, Mira paced in front of the mirrors, twisting her hair into a loose ponytail.

Seungmin stood across from her, arms tense at his sides, his jaw locked tight.

"You know, I was starting to wonder if you'd actually show." Her voice was syrupy, casual, but there was an edge to it—a silent reminder that she held the reins here.

Seungmin ignored her, rolling out his shoulders.

Mira sighed dramatically. "No complaints? No brooding resentment? Wow, you must really be committed to this little arrangement."

She stepped into his space just enough to make a point. "She’s probably wondering where you are right now, you know."

His jaw tightened.

"Or maybe," she continued, her voice soft and cutting, "she’s starting to figure it out."

Seungmin didn’t respond.

Because no matter how much he wanted to tell himself otherwise, Mira wasn’t wrong.

Y/N would notice.

And when she finally put the pieces together, he wasn’t sure if there’d be anything left to salvage.

Seungmin barely made it five steps out of the practice room before he heard his name.

"Seungmin."

He stopped.

Chan leaned against the wall just outside, arms crossed, eyes sharp. Waiting.

For him.

Seungmin exhaled slowly, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Something you need, hyung?"

Chan didn’t respond right away. He just studied him, like he was picking apart every answer before it even left Seungmin’s mouth.

Then, finally—"Why are you skipping rehearsals with Y/N?"

Seungmin’s fingers curled slightly in his pockets. "Who says I am?"

Chan let out a quiet laugh, shaking his head. "Don’t bullshit me."

Silence.

Seungmin held his ground, refusing to look away.

Chan pushed off the wall, stepping a little closer. "You think I haven’t noticed? She’s been practicing alone for days."

Seungmin clenched his jaw, gaze flickering away for a brief second before locking back on Chan’s. "It’s not a big deal."

Chan scoffed. "Really? Then why won’t you tell me why you’re doing it?"

Another silence.

Chan sighed, dragging a hand through his hair. "Look, whatever’s going on, figure it out. Because Y/N might not have said anything yet, but it’s only a matter of time before she does."

Seungmin swallowed, but he kept his face blank.

Chan narrowed his eyes. "Unless you want me to step in first."

Seungmin knew that was a threat.

And for the first time since this whole thing started—he wasn’t sure if he had a way out of it.

I found him in the hallway, heading the opposite direction of the practice rooms. I had been waiting for this moment. Bracing for it. But now that I was standing here, watching him walk away from our time for the sixth time, something inside of me snapped.

“You keep skipping.” Not a question. A statement.

Seungmin’s expression remained blank, hands still stuffed in his pockets. “Not really in the mood for a lecture, Y/N.” I let out a short, humorless laugh. “Then maybe you should stop giving me a reason to give you one.” Something flickered in his eyes–irritation maybe.

“Is this some kind of game to you?” I pressed, crossing my arms. “Because if you don’t want to do this, just say it. Say you don’t care. Say you don’t give a shit about this performance, about pulling your weight. I mean that’s what you always said about me right? Say you don’t care about me having to stand in that room alone every damn day while you’re off doing god knows what.”

My words had hit their mark.

I saw it in the way his fingers twitched, in the way his jaw clenched just a little too much.

For the first time in days, he actually looked at me. But there was something off about it--like he was calculating his next move, deciding whether to say something or waiting for me to walk away from this.

Then, finally— “I have my reasons.”

Flat. Distant. Not too new.

Like that was supposed to be enough for me. I exhaled a sharp laugh, shaking my head. “Right, right. And I’m supposed to accept that?”

Not a word.

I scoffed, stepping back. “You know what? Don’t bother explaining. If this isn’t worth your time, then I won’t waste mine either.” I turned to leave but–

“That’s not what I said.” His voice wasn’t loud. But it stopped me cold. I turned my head slightly, watching him from the corner of my eye. He wasn’t looking at me anymore. His gaze was fixed on the floor, his jaw still set, his fingered curled into loose fists like he was fighting something back. Like he didn’t want to say what was actually on his mind. For some reason, that infuriated me even more. I took a slow step forward. I took a slow step forward. “Then say what you mean, Seungmin.”

This felt foreign but I wanted him to be honest with me. I thought we were finally seeing eye to eye. Past all of the pettiness and idiosyncrasies.

A pause.

Then—he finally met my eyes.

I exhaled slowly, feeling the weight of my own exhaustion pressing against my ribs. "I thought we were finally reaching the light at the end of our differences." My voice was steady, but I hated the way it felt raw at the edges. "That we were finally learning how to work together."

I searched his face, waiting for some kind of response—an explanation, an excuse, anything.

But Seungmin just stood there, not saying a word.

And that told me everything I needed to know.

My chest tightened, frustration curling at the edges of my patience. "If that was all in my head, just say it."

Still, nothing.

I let out a slow breath, pulse thrumming in my ears.

"If I was wrong for thinking we could actually work together, then say it."

"If you don’t want this, at least have the guts to say it out loud."

For the first time, Seungmin had no comeback.

He just stared at me, like he wasn’t sure if I was asking him to fix this—Or if I was daring him to walk away.

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