#use like. a lab with multiple entrances or a dorm with lots of ways to get from floor to floor

[dyketectivecomics]

The Legends Playing Among Us IRL (set-up first):

So Gideon, Constantine, Zari & Ray all work together to set up magic “vents” at key points on the ship, add task-related minigames for crewmates to complete and set automatic silencing/unsilencing spells for gameplay and when someone reports a “body” (no Sara we’re not Actually killing each other. Pls don’t use any freaky assassin moves) or calls a meeting.

They use the game itself to help guide other guidelines ofc and try a couple rounds of playing with Two Imposters, but ultimately decide One is best after Ava and Sara wipe the floor with the rest of the team lmao

So to start each game they all draw a card from a pile that tells them whether they’re a crewmate or imposter ofc. Once they’ve got it down, the card doubles as their list of assigned tasks OR, as the hacking “device” they need to further sabotage the ship (it activates dormant minigames for others to complete) imposters can kill just by showing another player their card and everyone’s on an Honor System to Play Dead (& wear a sheet over their head if they’re gonna be a Ghost Completing Tasks aksjsk)

So now let’s go by Character & how they play!!! (I’m mostly including the crew from s3/4 bc thats the crew im most familiar w/ obvsly): 

(also under a cut bc this is LONG im SO SORRY)

When Sara is the Imposter she wins Every Time. It’s gotten to the point that if even ONE person suspects her, she’s getting Ejected that round. When she’s a crewmate, she’s trying to complete the tasks as quickly as possible and she’s trying to gain their trust back by talking frankly during meetings. She’s not a detective ofc, but she keeps things from blowing up too much haha, after awhile everyone figures out her Tell (she tries Not to kill Ava if she’s the imposter, so it’s a pretty good bet that it’s Not Sara if Ava is one of the bodies found)

Ray is too much of a sweetheart and loves his friends too much to kill them lmao. So when he’s the imposter he tries to win by sabotaging the ship. And surprisingly it works most of the time!! Zari’s usually the one to pick up on this Tell though and calls a meeting when she suspects Ray (who for the life of him can’t lie haha) when he’s a crew member he’s working super hard to complete his tasks, but still way too trusting of his other members. Usually one of the first picked off but also he doesn’t mind being a ghost

Mick is good at Imposter! And he enjoys watching everyone debate who it might be. His poker face is impeccable so anyone who asks why he’s being so quite this round is usually met with an “I’m always quiet” or “thinking about a plot point”. He sows just as much discontent when he isn’t the imposter too, BUT when it comes to the tasks, he really only likes two or three of the minigames, so he seeks them out first and will camp out in a room with his typewriter for the rest of the game. It’s an agreed upon rule that imposters can just put a sheet over his shoulders and let him keep writing away (& anyone who Reports his body is Obligated to open with “Mick died doing two of the things he loved, writing and drinking 😔”)

Jax loves being Imposter & throwing a wrench in everything that the rest of the team does lmao. He doesn’t play often with the group, but when he pops in on occasion, he and Zari talk shop on ways to improve both the game and the ship itself. As a crewmate he’s one of the first to complete his tasks and he likes to keep an eye on everyone else to try to figure out the imposter might be first. (Since he plays the actual game sometimes in his free time, he’s gotten really good at the strategies needed to win)

Nate is abt 50/50 as an imposter, but sometimes he can come up with Just Enough of a solid alibi to skate by. Likes to use the game to stretch some of those Detective Skills, he’s part of the reason they started implementing shorter discussion time limits. Not bc he Figures Things Out but bc he sometimes ends up going in circles too long lmao

Zari is rlly good at being Imposter! I mean she helped set up the game afterall haha. She’s very methodical abt balancing sabotage and kills and it got to a point that Gideon had to readjust some of the cooldown times for her. When she’s a crewmate she is RUSHING to complete tasks. She’s got a competitive streak! She wants to win! One of the few ones to remember to use the ‘Admin’ console to keep an eye on player movement to help deduce who the Imposter is.

Ava’s a good imposter, but like Ray she’s a bit more prone to sabotage than kills. Usually gets the win through the timer than by getting enough kills, but if she’s not paying attention to others around her, sometimes she’s been caught. as a crewmate she usually forgoes tasks for trailing people she suspects are imposters. this has gotten her ejected on more than one occasion haha

Bless his heart, but Gary is just really bad at the game. He accidentally vents directly in front of people and cant lie about it to save his life. He tries his best with the tasks but can only really get the hang of a few games, hes usually the first one picked off bc he’s never sure where to go first for his tasks, but he absolutely LOVES being a ghost & running around with that sheet. on more than one occasion he’s helped them win at the last second by simply completing tasks in time

Charlie’s good at being imposter, and maintains her cover usually by not adding much to the conversations in the first place. One of those “you can vent me next if (so-and-so) isnt the Imposter!” kinds of players if things get really desperate though haha. As a crewmate, will finish tasks at a pretty average pace, but also likes to wander around and sow seeds of doubt as to who’s Actually the imposter. loves to egg on pointing fingers and supporting absolutely WILD accusations.

Despite helping them with the set up, Constantine usually isn’t up for actual gameplay. But he comes around eventually! Doesnt play often, but often enough that he’s pretty good with being an Imposter, or even just getting pretty far as an imposter. As a crewmate he does his best, but he really shines when the team is together discussing who might be the imposter. He’s a con-man afterall! He knows when people arent being truthful or are acting suspisciously! So he’s a pretty big asset for when he’s playing as a crewmate (or for keeping everyone off his trail when he’s an imposter haha). Pronce to using the security cams to help trail people.

Similar to Constantine, Nora took some convincing to join the game, and she enjoys being an Imposter more than at being a crewmate. Tries to keep pretty quiet from round to round unless she’s 100% sure others are onto her or that she knows who IS the imposter. Can be prone to seeing a ‘body’ left behind and doing an about-face instead of reporting to avoid being accused of self-reporting (which is one of the more common accusations haha)

Mona isnt that GOOD at doing the imposter thing, but she does her best and she’s having fun and thats what really matters! As a crewmate she’s working hard at her tasks, but usually also ends up being one of the first ones killed :( she just gets really absorbed in the minigames lmao

Bonus: 

Wally may have only been part of the team for a Hot Second but hes part of the team and he’ll play too! Surprisingly only got Imposter Once, and he fared pretty well! (was caught about halfway through his kills though bc he ran a bit too fast around a corner & was accused of venting (they basically got a little lucky there haha). As a crewmate they have to remind him not to use his speed to breeze through the tasks or to figure out who the imposter is, but he’s usually good unless he starts to get a little too excited about Winning 

[jiminshoney]

Where You Belong (Part 1)

Word Count: 7,522

Summary: When your relationship hits a rough patch you fall into the comfort of Taehyung who has, unfortunately, fallen for you. Possibly a soulmate au, not a typical one. // Taehyung x Reader x Jungkook

A/N: I haven’t posted my writing in quite some time so this is giving me lots of anxiety but I can’t stay away from writing angst so thank you to my dear friend Natalia for supporting this story and encouraging me to share it

-----

When you met Jungkook during your first year of college, you were enchanted the very moment his big brown eyes locked with yours and he smiled. He’d been chatting with your friend outside one of the science labs while she waited on you. Upon your arrival she introduced the two of you quickly, explaining that Jungkook was her partner for a project in their biology class. You remember feeling like you could melt when he’d shaken your hand, the contrast of his warm fingertips against the December frost swooned you alone. You felt yourself unable to tear from his gaze while your friend’s voice blurred into the background.

He’s beautiful, you thought.

After he left your friend shoved you harshly, commenting on how obvious you were.

“You’ve practically got fucking hearts bulging out of your eyes,” she’d said. But you were too busy watching his figure disappear off the trails to care. So what if she noticed? “You can forget about it, there’s 20 other girls like you right now who want him. He’ll never give you the time of day.”

You only scowled at her, annoyed. She was wrong, you had just experienced love at first sight. Mutually. At least that’s what you convinced yourself initially. Why else would he have smiled at you so confidentiality, or stared into your eyes for so long. What else could explain the way your heart was forcefully pounding in your chest.

Well, not love, because after that day your friend’s words proved to be true. The second time you ran into him was during a brief exchange in the library, if you could even call it that. You saw him a few feet away walking out of the computer lab just as you were heading there. You waved your hand high to get his attention, stopping in your tracks as you stood there grinning, expecting him to meet you in the middle. Instead, he offered a toothless smile and nod as he continued towards his original destination, not faltering at all. The rush of air that passed took the breath out of your chest along with it, leaving you with a genuine feeling of stun.

Did he just reject me?

Anytime you think back to that day your ears burn with embarrassment. You wonder how stupid you must’ve looked standing there expectantly. He probably brushed it off though, tossing you and the memory into file with other thirsty girls who sought after him like puppies.

You didn’t want to be like them though. And not for the sake of standing out from the other girls to get noticed- not for that at all. But because you didn’t want to be a trivial memory in his mind of someone who was probably desperate or going to chase after him. You were neither of those things. So you chose to crush on him silently from a distance. You didn’t know much about him back then if anything at all, maybe it was only his attractiveness that drew you in, but it didn’t stop the feeling in your heart whenever you saw him around. Even if he paid you no mind.

-----

It became apparent nearly a year later that the boy never even remembered your name. It was the first day of sophomore year then and you finally found yourself in a shared classroom with Jungkook. The professor had put you all in rotating groups to do self introductions. When you found yourself in front of him he smiled at you the same way he had before.

Maybe I’m not special and he smiles at everyone like that.

“You look familiar...” He’d said.

You prayed that familiarity was from your first meeting and not that cringey moment in the library.

“Er, yeah… we’ve met.”

“We have?”

“I’m Mimi’s friend.”

“Mimi?”

“Seriously? You had a bio class with her last fall, you guys did your final project together how can you-”

“Ohhh! Oh, oh, oh! I remember her now! Sorry…” He looked down solemnly and pursed his lips, “I’m forgetful, I’m sorry. Especially when it comes to ridiculous prerequisite classes I never wanted to be part of in the first place.”

Chuckling you told him, “It’s alright.” Voice coming out softer than planned. You felt apologetic yourself to him though you’d done nothing wrong.

He looked back up to you and smiled warmly, “Tell me your name again.”

“It’s Y/N. But I assume you’ll forget again in three months time when the quarters over? Since this is another ridiculous prereq and all...”

Laughter bubbled out of him at that, and you noticed the way his nose scrunched when he did so. His adorableness had you reeling. It made you want to lean over the table and peck his face, and without self-control you just may have. But you had it so instead you admired how cute he looked from your seat. Heart squeezing in your chest all the while.

“Nope.” He shook his head, raven black hair brushing over his twinkling eyes. “I won’t forget you this time.”

-----

Like a real man true to his word, Jungkook didn’t.

Not that he even had a chance to.

During that quarter you and Jungkook hit a spark and ended up spending more and more time together. It started off innocently, using ‘studying’ as an excuse to invite the other over to their dorm. But those days frequently turned into movie nights or you’d end up together at some 24-hour diner past midnight. (Those nights happened more than they should have for two college students.) Eventually you both stopped pretending homework was the only thing bringing you together and just hung out as usual whenever possible. You two were inseparable. Jungkook had become your best friend.

-----

Jungkook never confessed to you, never came right out and said hey Y/N I like you more than a friend, he didn’t need to. The feelings were always there, they came on early and they came on strong. His reciprocation was simply understood through his actions and your bond, communicating it wasn’t necessary.

That’s precisely why you didn’t pull away shocked when he kissed you at a New Years Eve party. Sure the timing surprised you a bit because you weren’t expecting it, but your hands naturally found their place on the back of his neck to pull him closer. It was nice not having to go through the- waityoulikemesincewhenohmygod conversation. When he broke apart from you, you only had to say, “Finally.”

That’s when the two of you became official. You hate having to tell the story though.

“It’s fucking cheesy,” You tell him every time. “Like, of course you’d kiss me on New Years.”

He just laughs at you, eyes crinkling the way you love so much.

-----

For your senior year, you and Jungkook decide to get an apartment together off campus. It’s nothing spectacular, the rooms have been remodeled but the building is old so it comes with it’s fair share of problems and the location feels inconvenient at times. But it’s a space you get to share together.

-----

February, just a month after your two year anniversary, Jungkook lands an internship with a budding gaming company. It was an amazing thing, you felt just as thrilled as him when he got chosen for the opportunity. The only real annoyance that came was that he spent nearly all his evenings at the company which just meant you spent (too much) time alone.

-----

One Wednesday afternoon when the air happened to be too thick to only be inching its way towards spring, you’d went on one of your typical solo errand runs to the grocery store. You didn’t like to go to the store too frequently so you almost always ended up buying enough food to last the both of you about two weeks. It ended up being a hassle though to carry the multiple bags alone on the walk back to your apartment. The squishy sound of thin plastic rubbing against itself always seemed too loud without Jungkook there to make you forget what you were doing anyway.

Coming up to the entrance, you struggled to get a proper grip on the handle, unable to pull open the heavy metal door to your complex with hands full of grocery bags. You huff, annoyed because there’s a gentleman inside who doesn’t seem to notice, so you kick the door to get his attention. He rushes over quickly, pushing the glass forward to let you in easily.

“Do you need help?” He offers, seeming to count just how many of those plastic filled bags you’re carrying.

“It’s fine,” You mutter. “Thanks.”

With perfect timing the elevator dings and the man rushes in front of you, holding his arm out to make sure the doors stay open while you step on.

“What floor do you need?” He asks, already pressing the 5 as he comes in behind you.

You look at him quizzically then, you realize you’ve never seen this man before and you knew everybody from your floor. “Uh, five…” You twist your wrists as the doors shut, trying to easy the strain in your joints.

“Oh, we’re going to the same floor! You sure I can’t hold a few of those?”

“It’s fine.”

“What room are you in?”

You arch a brow at him, how much caution should you be taking? He seems harmless, but the fact you’ve never seen him before and he wants to know where you live is strange. To your knowledge there aren’t any vacancies for new tenants on your floor either.

The doors ding open again upon reaching the fifth floor. Suspicious, you don’t step out quite yet.

“My apologies, this is improper. My name is Kim Taehyung, I’m the new property manager. Just tryin’ to get acquainted with everyone that’s all. Didn’t mean to rub you the wrong way.”

“Ahhh,” Visibly relaxing, you exit the elevator in timing with his steps, remembering a notice the landlord mailed out to everyone after the holidays. “Mr.Lee said he was going to hire someone to help out here!”

“Yes, that’s me.” He says proudly, revealing a charming boxy smile.

He’s handsome, you think, finally noticing the amount of radiance this man exudes and the most endearing smile you’ve ever seen. After Jungkook, of course. It’s almost alluring.

“It’s nice to meet you, I’m Y/N. I’m in 503.”

“Y/N from 503. I’ll remember that. Mr.Lee will send out another notice on how to reach me quickly by phone but I’ll be in 511 if you ever need me. Just down the hall.” He giggles and there’s a familiar thump in your chest but you don’t put much thought into it.

“You’ll be living here?”

“Well, yeah?”

“Sorry- you seem young it’s weird to think of you as the property manager.” You tease.

“Mm, should I call myself an assistant then? Between you and I my jobs pretty easy actually. People come to me with the problem, I’ll check it out, then tell the boss whether it’s a real problem or not so he can pay for it.”

“I hope that’s not what you put on your resume.”

“Oh no, I’ll fluff it up with shit about me doing regular electrical and plumbing assessments and taking the lead on conflict resolution for tenant complaints.”

Taehyung’s humor makes you share a bout of laughter momentarily, before the air around you starts to feel too hot. The outdoor humidity must’ve followed it’s way in.

“As much as I would love to stay and chat with you, I should go… I’m putting on a brave face but I feel like my hands could fall off any moment now.”

“Right, of course, go! It was nice meeting you Y/N.”

“You as well.”

You couldn’t have known it then, why your insides felt so warm and the air so stuffy. The weather seemed easy to blame when it was already in the mid 70s and maybe the ac isn’t adjusting properly. But that wasn’t it, if only a small piece of it.

-----

Sometime during the summer after you and Jungkook graduated, he was offered a full time position from the company he’d been interning for. He was hesitant at first, unsure if he should even accept the job. He’d gone to school for graphic design and always knew he wanted to do something in the realm of multimedia. Unfortunately, they created a role to stand beside the web developer. His words were that it felt insincere, as if they’d just flicked him into a random department to assist. He also complained the developer worked in seclusion, keeping to herself downstairs in a room where it was quieter. Surely, having to be stuck with her every day all day would be boring… he would have nowhere near as much fun as he’d had for the past half-year being able to dabble with different teams.

You on the other hand were as excited as you were the first time around. Sure it wasn’t his dream, he hadn’t imagined assisting on web content right out of school. But hell, he was lucky enough to even be offered a job related to what he studied. Plus, they made room for him. They liked him that much, so much so that they created a job just so he could stick around. It didn’t mean he had to stay in that role, he could move around as other opportunities became available. And if not, he could at least take the experience to help land him his next job.

Reluctantly, he accepted.

The first few weeks he complained a lot. There were lots of mornings he ignored his alarm and you had to force him out of bed. There were nights he came home so dejected there were no amount of kisses in the world that could pull him out of his rut.

“You hate it that much?” You sighed one night, plopping down next to him on the edge of the bed.

He shrugged, kicking his feet childishly. “I’d rather be working on game development or animation or something with the other guys upstairs. I don’t give a shit about the stupid website.”

“But you still get to design stuff right?”

“Not even…” He lets out a frustrated sigh, letting his body fall back on the bed. You follow his actions, wrapping an arm around his middle as he continues. “There’s barely anything for me to do since Lia just takes on everything. She makes me fix bugs or upload new updates. Like today, a new banner of hers got approved so I literally just dragged it onto the page, waited 30 minutes for the sync to complete, then when I was done she told me to figure out why the paypal link on the checkout page wasn’t working and fix that.”

He rolls his eyes and you know none of this is supposed to be funny but seeing him pout like this you can’t help but chuckle. “I’m sorry, baby.” You coo, tilting your chin to kiss the underside of his jaw. “Maybe it’s just because she doesn’t quite trust you yet, you know? You gotta show some initiative, come up with your own ideas and share them with her. Maybe then she’ll let you handle bigger tasks.”

“I don’t know. It’s starting to feel like some shitty internship-- Y/N I swear to God if she ever asks me to go get coffee I’m quitting.”

You wish he would have been more resistant. You wish he would’ve ignored your initial attempts to convince him. You wish he threw in the towel when it first started making him unhappy. You wish he would’ve just put his foot down and said no, this isn’t what I want to do. Even if it meant he had to settle elsewhere until things looked up.

You wish he never stayed with that company. Because as things got better and he became more satisfied with work, he became more detached from you.

The change wasn’t blatantly obvious at first, it happened gradually. He always gave you a hug and kiss as soon as he got home, sometimes he didn’t. He always texted you throughout the day, sometimes he didn’t. Sometimes eventually became all the time when you two never spoke during the day anymore and you realized you always kissed him first.

But he’d still kiss you back, still cuddle up to you at night and tell you that he missed you today, still say I love you before you left off to work. Through the changes he kept you hanging somewhere in the middle.

Weeks went by and his supervisor finally let him take lead on an app the company was about to launch. Like always, you were happy for him, though it proved to be no help in your relationship. Being able to execute all his ideas and design layouts- he left work before you now, and if it wasn’t that he wouldn’t be home til nearly midnight. When he was home during the evening his attention remained on his laptop. You started falling asleep outside his embrace, his hands too busy tending to his tablet where he was probably drawing something.

“Don’t stay up too late.” You’d say, though it would already be nearing 2 AM. You would try to fight your own fatigue, wanting to wait for him to finish so you could fall asleep together but there was no use. He’d hum a response, at least giving you enough attention for a second to let you know he heard you. But he wouldn’t kiss you or at bare minimum utter a goodnight.

You couldn’t pinpoint what it was. Perhaps life was sending your relationship to the ringer. You’d gone these years in your own little world of secluded bliss, maybe it was time that life tested the strength of your bond. Perhaps no longer being students but two working adults in the “real” world was just taking its toll. Maybe he was so focused and happy about projects at work that by the time he got with you he was distracted and didn’t have the energy to give that enthusiasm back to you.

It wasn’t all bad all the time, at least you had Taehyung.

-----

During Taehyung’s first few weeks getting acclimated with the building and all the new faces and names he had to memorize, you often saw him around, always dressed neatly in a white button-down tucked into black slacks. He came across professional and put together, making you feel the pressure of needing to remain poised and impressionable even though he was the one trying to do just that. He always addressed you by name, a nice change from Mr. Lee’s scratchy “Uh, 5th floor right?” when he saw you. To be fair, the old man was hardly around and owned two complexes which meant more people to keep up with.

Taehyung was a delight and winning over everyone’s hearts in no time. He added a vending machine in the gym, stocked with gatorade and water bottles which was a thousand times better than the dinky fountains. You heard from a girl on the floor above yours that when her window cracked he had it taken care of before the weekend. Through word of mouth you heard he always bought coffee for the security guard working graveyard shift, supposedly dinner sometimes too. You never had to call him for anything but everyone always said he was extremely easy to get in contact with. It probably helped that he lived here and didn’t seem to have any other day job but it was still another nice change from Mr.Lee who’s record response time was three business days.

The two of you first got close one evening when he was entering the building just as you were leaving. He was dressed in a sapphire blue dress suit, the first time you’d seen him in anything other than his normal attire and of course it would be even fancier than before.

“Woo, look at you!”

For a moment it seemed his cheeks were turning color but he was doing a spin before you could fully tell. “Like it?”

“You look... great!” Truly he did, like a model plucked straight from a catalog. You were lost for the appropriate word. “Where are you coming from dressed like this?”

“A date.” He smirks.

“Ahh… a date…” You ponder the word, wondering what kind of date it must’ve been if he had to dress up like this. Could it have been at one of those upscale restaurants that make you pay just to reserve a table.. Where would he have got the money for that anyway... and, I wonder what kind of girls he’s into?

“Jealous?”

You shoot your eyes at him, seeing he still has a smirk on his lips. His eyes are teasing but the word still annoys you, or you’re just flustered with yourself for letting your mind wander. “I-Taehyung, I have a boyfriend.”

“I know... I’ve seen him. “

“You met?”

“Not formally. One night I just saw some guy trying to get into your apartment and I was staring at him and finally he looked back at me like why is this guy glaring at me go into my apartment. I guess I put two and two together.”

You nod but don’t say anything, still the slightest bit annoyed but you couldn’t say why.

“I was joking, I’m sorry. Uh, I had dinner with my parents. My dad’s a super important business guy so if I’m not dressed to a T my mom will scold me for days about it.” He laughs but it feels forced and the smile from it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “Anyway, where are you off to?”

“Uh, I’m hungry and I don’t feel like cooking so-”

“Boyfriend making you walk by yourself this late?”

For some reason his question makes you tense, “He’s working.” You feel a strong urge to defend him, to tell Taehyung Jungkook’s a really nice guy and he cares about me and if he was home I wouldn’t even be out here right now. But that would just be you emotionally rambling. You knew deep down even if he was home he probably wouldn’t have noticed you walk out anyway.

“Well there’s this taco truck on the other side of the block I know of…If you don’t mind me showing you.”

“Didn’t you just have dinner?”

“Sitting with my dad for more than ten minutes kills my appetite. I could use some food.” He chuckles, a bit more naturally this time, and the depth of his tone eases the anxiety that was starting to build in you.

“Sure.” You smile. “Let’s go.”

-----

It was the beginning of fall then but traces of summer kept you warm around him, or could it have been his energy?

You got to learn more about Taehyung that night. You learn that his true passion lies within photography, and it’s what he does for extra money, but his dad doesn’t support it and has been nagging him for the longest to get a “real” job. He lived with his parents up until March of this year when they  got fed up and kicked him out. By some type of strange luck, his dad happened to be good friends with Mr.Lee and helped him get this job.

At the beginning of the year his resolution was to save up the money he was making from different gigs until the summer, that's when he would kickstart his dream of becoming a travel blogger. That all changed when his dad threw a wrench in his plan.

“I like helping out at the apartment, I feel important there.” He tells you. “But now I’m worried I’m gonna get trapped here and never be able to explore my dreams.”

It’s interesting to hear life problems and fears from someone who comes across calm, cool, and collected all the time. It makes you feel less insecure about the fact your own life isn’t what it appears to be behind closed doors.

Maybe everybody’s world was like this, collectively walking on rocky ground while trying to stay optimistic even though you’re scared. By letting down his walls it naturally allowed the two of you to become close and from then on he becomes one of your closest friends.

It wasn’t all bad all the time, you had Taehyung.

You ended up spending a lot of your free time with him. When places came up that you wanted to visit he’d be the one you were dragging along because of course Jungkook would be too busy. Somewhere along the line you two started having dinner together nearly every night whether it was his place, your place, or somewhere out in the city. Although, eating at Taehyung’s place might as well have been the same as eating out because the boy couldn’t even cook anything decent which meant he always ordered delivery. That was alright, it never really mattered what you two did together because being in his presence on its own was enjoyable. He kept you comfortable and kept your spirits up, always forgetting that one thing that otherwise kept you sad.

-----

For Halloween you and Jungkook make plans to see a new horror movie that drops that night. It’s your first date in who knows how long, but without fail he texts you an hour before he’s supposed to get off.

From: jungkook♥ [4:57 PM]

Hey babe, I’m really sorry… Namjoon invited me to this bar. It’s supposed to be really fun on Halloween. You know I haven’t been able to hang out with the other guys in a while so I’m gonna go, ok? We can still see the movie on Saturday. Promise

It’s not shocking but still really disappointing. You two hadn’t spent any quality time together in ages so to be blown off for his coworkers of all things admittedly hurt a lot. You found yourself in the same old situation, treading your way to Taehyung’s door to invite him instead.

“Trick or treat!” You beam when he opens the door, already masking your emotions so he wouldn’t worry or ask questions.

“Oh- I- I didn’t buy any candy.” He looks back into his apartment worriedly, and you can read in his eyes that he’s trying to figure out where he may have some tucked away.

“Hey, it’s fine.” You laugh, tugging on his arm to make him face you again. “That’s not why I’m here. Got any plans?”

“Uh, nothing in particular. Mr. Lee told me to stay home to make sure the building doesn’t get egged though.”

“Okay that’s literally never happened and not going to, sooo... I was supposed to go to the movies tonight b-”

“Ahh,” Taehyung hums, his expression flattening. “Let me guess... your boyfriend flaked and you’re here to try out option number two.”

“Don’t be like that,” You pout. “I always wanna go to these places with you just as much as I want to go with him.”

“That’s supposed to make me feel better?”

“You know what I mean! Why are you being like this?”

He ignores the question and turns back into his apartment, “What time is the movie?”

You follow his lead and shut the door behind you, watching him head down the hall to likely go get ready.  “If you don’t take a year to do your hair we can go to the show that starts in two hours.”

-----

You’re able to make it there an hour before the movie starts, the theater unsurprisingly having two equally long lines already. There's an array of people waiting to buy tickets, between horror movie fans there for the same reason as you, mom-friends with their children dressed in animal and princess costumes, and then the handful of couples with the shared unoriginal idea for a Halloween movie date. You can’t blame them, you would’ve been one of them.

Taehyung speaks up just as you notice more people trailing in behind you, “Don’t think I missed what you said earlier. I don’t think I take that long to do my hair. You make me sound vain.”

You smile up at him, knowing he knows it too since he settled for wearing a beanie tonight. “You do take a while but I don’t think it’s that. I just think you care a lot about how you’re perceived.”

“That’s not a bad thing.” He counters.

“Mm, no. But does it really matter, what others think?”

He tilts his head, thinking before deciding, but before he gets a chance to answer one of the employees steps out of the ticket booth holding a sign and instructs everyone to form a new line if they are here specifically for the new movie premiere. He unfolds the stand that has the movie’s poster on it and a big black arrow to guide people to a designated window.

Taehyung links his arm with yours and pulls you along with the crowd as nearly half the people there rush to get toward the front of the new line. You’re able to mostly avoid the pushing and shoving as you settle behind a couple in front of you.

The girl happens to glance back at you and smile, her curly hair bouncing when she turns back and lays her head on the guy’s shoulder. His arm automatically wraps around her waist and the action has you pulling your own away from Taehyung quickly. It makes you self conscious that you’re here with him and not your own boyfriend, despite no one knowing the difference. Someone could look at you two and assume you’re no different than the pair in front of you.

Something seems oddly familiar, you realize after staring at the back of him, something about him and his dark hair feels like you’ve seen him before. Taehyung starts speaking again but you’re zoned out studying the nape of his neck, waiting for something to click in your mind or hoping he’ll just happen to turn around.

Could it be an old friend from school? Maybe someone who also lives at the apartments…?

“Y/N?”

The sound of your name pulls you out of your thoughts and you see the line has moved and Taehyung is waiting a few feet in front of you.

“Sorry!” You blurt, darting forward. “I- I was-”

“You okay?” His eyes flicker back and forth, he notices somethings on your mind.

“Yeah! This guy just seems like someone I know.” You keep your voice low as you point to him.

“Really?” He leans forward, attempting to be casual as he tries to get a better look of his face, but the guy notices and turns his head to frown at Taehyung.

“Can I help you?”

“Namjoon!?”

He whips around fully, releasing his hold on the other woman. “Heyyy…” He smiles slightly and it’s clear from his furrowed brow he doesn’t actually recognize you.

“Its Y/N! Jungkook’s girlfriend?”

“Right, Y/N!” His dimples bloom once you say that and he remembers. He steps forward to hug you and it catches you off guard but you return it nonetheless. The two of you met months and months ago when Jungkook was still an intern. You randomly brought him lunch on a day they happened to be working together and Namjoon ended up inviting you inside and let you stay a while. He was very welcoming. “How are you?”

“I’m fine, what are you doing here?”

“Um, here to see a movie.” He says obviously through a quiet laugh.

“Right, I just thought-”

“NEXT!” The employee’s voice breaks through a tiny speaker, interrupting you from revealing something you shouldn’t say- thankfully.

The girl he’s with breaks away to go to the window.

He’s already pulling his wallet from a back pocket, “Welp that’s us.”

“Hey-” You call, before he’s out of reach. “Did you come with anybody else?”

He shakes his head a negative. “Just my date.” He smiles once more before going to pay for his tickets where they were both waiting.

Anger bubbles, it comes in and rushes to a clenched fist. And beside that, laying in the pit of your stomach, is pain. You’re not sure what to say or how you should react. It’s a messy combination which makes you want to lash out and break down all at once. What does this even mean? All you know is that you’ve been lied to and it’s maddening. Where do you go from there?

“Tae-” Your eyes are glassy, not necessarily from tears of sadness, just overwhelmed by emotion. “I wanna go home.”

-----

Quiet.

That’s all you are for the time being. You’re quiet the whole twenty minute train ride home, quiet while you walk side by side down the street, you’re quiet upon entering the complex, quiet up the elevator, and quiet following Taehyung down the hall.

It’s not until you’re in the safety of his apartment that Taehyung cuts the silence.

“You don’t have to pretend in front of me.”

You’re already curled up on his couch, he comes from around the corner with a tissue box in hand. He doesn’t say anything about it, just places it gently on the coffee table and sits at the opposite end of the couch from you.

“I don’t know what you mean.” You turn your head away from him, pretending you don’t notice the gesture.

“Come on, what happened back there? Tell me who that guy was.”

“No one to me. He works with Jungkook.”

“Okay…” His voice trails, waiting for you to answer the other half of his question but you won’t. Even if it means you have to sit here in more silence. He’ll let it go eventually, like he always does whenever you get a bit moody. He’ll ask what’s wrong and you’ll say nothing, he’ll press it once or twice and when he’s unable to get through he’ll find something else to talk about. He’ll usually say something funny and you end up forgetting whatever it was that made you upset in the first place.

Not this time.

“Does that have something to do with why you’re upset right now?”

“No. I’m fine. I’m just-”

“Just what, huh? Tired? Is that what you’re gonna say?”

The harshness of his tone surprises you, but when you finally look at him you can tell he doesn’t mean to be rude. He’s frustrated, annoyed, probably with you. It would be fair, you think, since this happens more than it should. You end up bothered over something to do with Jungkook and as much as you try to suppress or hide it Taehyung always senses the change.

He drawls out your name, voice softening as he scoots closer. “Look, I know something is going on between you and Jungkook. You never wanna tell me what it is but I see through these things, I know it’s about him. You can talk to me about it, it’s okay.”

He rests his hand over your thigh and his touch feels too warm. Like all the heat from his palm is trying to melt away your facade. It works, annoyingly it does. Because in seconds you feel your wall deteriorating. Your heart aches unpleasantly, you want to let this feeling out. If anyone was going to support you right now it was him after all.

“He lied to me.” Your lip quivers and you pause to take a deep breath in. Regardless, you still couldn’t cry in front of him. You won’t allow him to see you like that. “He lied, he flaked on me because he said he wanted to hang out with Namjoon but he lied.” Your tears have a mind of their own, despite your resistance they manage to fall on their own accord. It’s frustrating and you try to look to the ceiling and blink them away but Taehyung grabs onto you and presses your head against his shoulder. You’re weak under his hold, it only makes you break more.

“It’s okay.” He repeats, silently letting you know it is completely fine to cry.

“It hurt that he’d rather hang out with his coworker than me but it wasn’t even that! Like, what is then? Maybe it wouldn’t be a big deal if it weren’t for the fact we’re already not in a good space. It’s just not the same, you know… He’s not the same, he doesn’t treat me the same. It feels like he doesn’t love me anymore.”

Your voice wavers through the sentence, saying it out loud hurts even more than thinking it. Saying it makes it feel more real, like it’s not just a paranoia but a fact. Maybe that’s why you hid everything from Taehyung for so long. It wasn’t because you didn’t trust him, you told him everything else. It makes sense to you now that it’s because you haven’t wanted to face it, facing it meant dealing with it. It’s like finding a bug in your home, who knows how long it’s been around or where it’s crawled out from, but once you find it you have to get rid of it somehow.

You break away from him to reach for a few tissues, when you sit back you notice a small wet spot soaked through the red cotton of his sweatshirt. You feel apologetic but it makes you chuckle a bit too.

“How’d you know?” You decide to ask. “That we had problems.”

“Well…” He releases a shaky breath, eyes roaming through his living room while he tries to find his words. “You spend too much time with me, for starters. Which is okay, I know you said he works late but then you were always asking me to go somewhere with you because he bailed. I mean every single time Y/N, how busy can someone be? It seemed weird. And one day we were out and it just kinda dawned on me… you don’t talk about him anymore. You used to bring him up a lot, compare him to what somebody else had done, tell me about things he was doing at work, little things like that they just stopped.”

“Ugh, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize, I get it. It’s love. I remember the first time you told me about him, your eyes were sparkling like they do to those little Barbie dolls.”

Laughter breaks out of you at the comparison, “A Barbie doll? Nice...”

“That’s what it reminded me of! All wide eyed, bright, and happy. Jungkook’s an asshole.”

“Taehyung.”

The moment turns serious again. Sure you were mad at him right now and as he should be Taehyung was too. Still, that didn’t open a door for him to talk badly about Jungkook.

“No, I’m gonna say it. He’s an asshole and he’s a dumbass. Jungkook’s got the second greatest woman in the world and he just… he just leaves you like this.”

“Second?”

“Mom comes first.” He chuckles, boxy grin making an appearance.

“You’re sweet…” Your voice remains calm and seemingly unbothered but internally you’re melting at the fact that this pure and thoughtful gentlemen puts you at such a high ranking. He’s literally perfect.

“I’m serious, Y/N. You’re amazing. You’re smart, you always seem to know the right thing to say. You’re loving, you’re sincere… You’re passionate. I love how you don’t half ass anything, you put effort and thought into whatever you do. I mean everything you do. You’re… everything, and… you’re so, so beautiful.”

“Alright.” You sigh, playfully rolling your eyes but really trying to hide the fact you were blushing hard.

“If Jungkook isn’t balls deep in love with you then-”

“Tae!” You laugh, shoving his chest, but his hands just find your hips and tug you closer. Too close you realize when his breath fans across your face.

“I’m being serious.”

Your eyes lock with his, “What are you saying?”

If that wasn’t some type of full blown confession, you aren’t sure what is. But that’s not what you want from him. You don’t want him to confirm it. You want him to say ‘You know it’s not like that…’ Even though it blatantly is. You’ve always known, the desire in his eyes boring into your own right now has always been there. The difference now is he’s only inches away, which makes his feelings that much harder to ignore. You need him to say otherwise because you can feel yourself cracking under his guise. He makes it hard to breathe, the proximity of his body to yours is making you too hot and it’s too much and you don’t know why.

“I think you know.”

His gaze lowers to your lips, the temptation stronger than it’s been before.

Time seems to stop then.

There’s a magnetizing pressure surrounding your bodies that awakens something inside of you. Something that sparks to life and swirls around in your chest. Maybe Taehyung has always made you feel this way. The way the first touch of the sun wraps you in it’s warmth, but sitting under it too long burns. Maybe you’ve always felt the same- a little bit... but never fully been able to reciprocate.

His eyes flutter shut, it seems like so slowly, and you’re caving under the pressure.

I could throw in the towel, you think, letting your lashes fall too. Your relationship has already run its course, hasn’t it? Already hit its peak and crashed. It’s unsalvageable anyway, right?

Delicately, you let your hand cup the side of his face, urging him to come closer. You can give in like this and give this part of you to Taehyung, who’s here and present with his undivided attention.

He’s leaning in and so are you. Your minds made up, you shouldn’t, but you’ve already cracked. It’s too late, you figure when your nose brushes his. You’re so close you can already imagine the taste of him but he’s hesitant, he’s careful, waiting on you to close the gap. It’s up to you after all.

But you don’t.

I shouldn’t.

“I can’t.”

You push his hands off of you, opening your eyes to reality as time snaps back into place.

Jungkook is still your boyfriend. It wouldn’t be right to cheat on him like this. No matter the circumstances. You didn’t have all the answers yet.

You push yourself back into the arm of the couch, you’re trying to break away from him but there’s no room left to go. You mold your hand over his knee, nudging him the slightest bit. You need room to breathe, you need the room to get your head back on straight, but a part of you didn’t want to push him where he might become unreachable.

He moves back, guiding himself all the way to the other end of the couch. The sudden space has your heart squeezing unpleasantly. He doesn’t look at you so you can’t quite read his expression with his head hung low, he could be sad or he could be angry. The guilt you feel is overwhelming either way. You know he’s not an egotistical person, but you can’t help but feel you just broke some part of him. On top of that, you almost just threw away a three year relationship in the heat of a moment.

“I’m gonna go.” Standing from the couch your legs feel like jelly, but you do your best to make your way to the door.

“Hey,” He’s quick to come after you, holding your arms in place. “You don’t have to. You can stay.”

“I can’t stay.”

“You can stay. If you don’t want to deal with him tonight you’re welcome here.”

You don’t miss the way he avoids saying Jungkook’s name. You shake your head. “I can’t stay here, not like this.” You don’t have to elaborate. The last ten minutes should say enough. You pull out of his grasp and hastily shove on your shoes .

“Y/N, stay.” He pleads. “I’ll even let you take my bed, I can sleep on the couch.”

“No! I wanna see Jungkook...”

He does a good job of keeping a straight face when you say that, no type of reaction flickers in his eyes. But when he says “Alright.” The bitterness spits itself in the air.

“Tae, it’s not meant to be this way. I shouldn’t be here right now. I’m supposed to be at home.”

“What if you belong here?”

Belong?

You think about the word for a moment and what exactly he means by that. He didn’t actually believe that, that you were meant to be here with him right now, did he? His voice seems sincere, like he’s asking you to think about it. But how could you even consider that a possibility when there was another human being out there who you’d given your heart to long ago, and whom- despite the rough patch you were currently in- you love very, very much.

��I don’t.”

TBC  Part 2

[bethany69esda]

Tea with grandmother

In which i explore my thoughts through a story about a girl, her grandmother, and being a werewolf in college.

It is getting dark when you step outside, this Friday evening. You glance to see if you can find any stars in the sky, but the city lights block them all out, and the sun’s light still lingers. The edges of your vision glow a dull yellow, a combination of all the wavelengths weaving their way through windows, buildings, and cars. You take a glance back where you left, your dorm looks lifeless from the outside. Most of the blinds are drawn shut, and those that are open rarely have their light on. It is much the same inside, fluorescent hallways and closed doors. You return the focus to your task and cross the pedestrian bridge to get to the campus proper.

You have a meeting to attend.

The campus is pleasant, and the smell of orange blossoms and flowers fill the air. You aren’t sure what flowers create the smell, but it is fresh, and the desert air warms your skin. You take your time, strolling the palm-lined sidewalk. You are in no rush, and neither are they. As you head towards your destination, you come across your favorite spot. An isolated patch of land, with a stone fountain the birds use to bathe themselves. You stop to sit, sipping on your tea and listening to the gurgling. As you sit, you see a cat slip past the grate behind the bench where the bougainvillea grows. The cat winds through the thorny bush, dislodging a flowers. It pauses as it passes you, and for a moment you swear it nods at you. Either way, you nod back.

The sky is fully dark now, all traces of sunset have left, and darkness has settled. You get up from the bench, leaving a small piece of a pastry bought at Starbucks behind.  You say nothing, but the wind almost seems to whisper through the trees. You continue forwards, passing the orange streetlamps and tired students. It isn’t long before you reach the Union. Someone is playing guitar while a few students ignore them while doing homework by the neon glow of the pillars holding up the awning. You stop to listen, before continuing on your journey.

Now there is no one where you are, and empty avenue, the distant din of guitar and the glow of the lights behind you. You eventually reach the bus stop.  You cross the street to the amphitheater, a huge monument to an alumni long-dead who opposed the building as ‘wasteful’. They weren’t wrong. It is a veritable colosseum—in design anyways. The hallways have fine red carpeting, and original art on the walls. The stage itself is even worse. Plush velvet seats, engraved brass railings, adjustable LED’s on the floor to see the stage, and the chandelier. How gorgeous, all gold plating and fine crystals—not glass like most others—with electric lights placed to cast light throughout them. The worst part is no student can ever afford to attend a play there—not even the drama department preforms here. Only the rich and wealthy can mingle here.

But you did not come to attend a show. Not in your worn out jeans and converse, not with a t-shirt so badly faded you can no longer see the logo. No.

You walk behind the theatre. There are multiple lawns around it to keep it nice. Across the tiny road circling it, there is a denser collection of trees, bushes, and plants. They do it to hide the unsightly maintenance center where crews can monitor the water flow and take care of any electrical problems that the stage crew can’t. It also serves as an entrance to both the sewers and the underground tunnels throughout campus. You’ve only seen the doors once, a great black door in the lab basement you work at. The next day, yellow caution tape blocked it off. A week later it was bricked up, a stark contrast to the old concrete surrounding it.

You descend the slope to the maintenance outcropping. Next to the gate, a cat lay sleeping. You leave a piece of your pastry and climb the gate. Now inside, you hear the gurgling of flowing water echoing up the shaft. You go around the side, and before you is an old wooden door, worn sunlight and wind, faintly smelling of salt. You take the old skeleton key out of your pocket. The iron is warm from proximity to your body. You knock, and unlock the door.

Inside is a shack, barely holding together. The wood is bleached and warped by the constant spray, and the sun leaks in throughout the slats. In the corner by the window is an old woman. “I brought this for you grandmother” you say, handing over a different pastry. “Would you like me to make you a fresh cup of tea today?” “Thank you dear, the Calendula if you please. My arthritis is flaring up again” “Of course grandmother”. You heat the water on the small camping stove you keep here. The propane never seems to run out, good for you since it is so expensive to buy. You grab a handful of the flowers and place them in the kettle after the water heats. You let it steep in comfortable silence, the sound of waves and gulls fills your ears. You strain the tea through cheesecloth into a nice china teacup, gold rimmed with roses on the side. You bring the teacup with the matching saucer over to the woman, and sit yourself down next to her, bringing out your own tea.

“How are you doing grandmother?”

“Well enough I suppose, the pain flares up and then I can’t finish my embroidery. Those days have been flaring up quite a bit recently. On those days I sit and watch the kids play on the beach, or I listen to one of those audiobooks you set up for me. But enough about me, I’m old. Older than I should be I tell you. Wat about you? How are your studies? Last week you mentioned that boy you went out with, how did it end?

You smile wryly “About as well as I hoped. The boy lacked for conversation, and could only talk about the sport he plays. Nice enough young man, but dreadfully boring. My studies are going….I’m passing all my classes at least.”

The woman nods sagely “So many more these days don’t know how to have a conversation anymore. Why, you’re the only one I talk to. Oh, don’t give me that look. My neighbors are only concerned with the new shopping malls and all the new tech, and their kids only want to swim and surf. That’s just as good, the only thing that matters in school is if you learn—not the grade you get.”

“I don’t blame them. Anything to distract from the tedium in life, right grandmother? We all need to get lost, else we might begin to see the world around us.”

“You’ve always had a penchant for cynicism, but you aren’t wrong. In my days, it was still shopping and technology we lost ourselves in. For good reason too, with so much bad happening, it’s hard to deal with it. What’s really on your mind?”

You frown, she always sees through you, blind as a bat she may be. “You know me so well grandmother. It’s not just the moon that brings me here, but you. I’ve been thinking—“

“Well there’s your problem” You both chuckle, and you continue, your thoughts tumbling out of your mouth, the floodgates removed.

“And I’m not sure I can keep doing this. All this studying, the late nights in the lab, the courses. It starting to get to be too much. Between my family and my school, it feels like I’m always dealing with some sort of crisis. My sister’s depression isn’t getting any better, and I feel so helpless, she won’t take advice from anyone and is dead-set on burning her bridges. I still love her and care for her, but I can’t move her in with me, I can’t make it all better. I’m not sure if this is even the right degree for me, but science is all I know. And there’s no jobs with this degree, only teaching and research. I’m not sure where I want to go anymore. I guess just away from it all”

Grandmother was silent for a while, most of the time she just listens to you until the day comes where you have to leave. “My dear, you know the rules. I cannot tell you what happens that leads us here. I cannot say what will happen, because then it won’t. It’s very clear there. But I can say this: It will be ok. You will fail, over and over and over, but you will pick yourself back up, every time. You can’t cure this disease for your sister, it lies in her mind, her body, her life. You are doing what you can for you. We both know you weren’t the best in your youth, but you’ve so much progress with her since then. Just support her for now, love her unconditionally and don’t condone her self-destructive habit. A bad habit to manage the pain now only causes future pain, and she knows this. She will come to this realization on her own.” Grandmother pauses, sipping her tea and staring out the window.

“Science isn’t all you’ve known. Don’t lie to me. It may feel that way, but underneath that skin, you’re a wolf. It runs in your blood. You’ve known the rush of performance, of praise on a poem, of art made late in the night. You are a jack of all trades, a trickster, a politician, and a therapist. Anything you want to be, you can. Even an accountant” You both make a face of distaste, you hate dealing with numbers and an office job sounds dry, no matter how good the pay. “My point is, life has a funny way of teaching you about yourself. Just look at us, the same person, different ages, different times, and we can’t even talk about it. You will find your footing, it will take some time. And you have a whole lifetime to figure out who you are and what you want to be. And in the end, you will be ok. You will be here, by the ocean like you’ve always wanted.”

You smile, and wipe a tear from your face. “Thank you grandmother, it means a lot to me.”

She nods, satisfied with her answer.

“Now, go my dear. Your pack is waiting outside, I can smell the wet hair from here. I will see you next month”.

You embrace her, and open the door, breathing in the salt air.

“Remember my dear, college isn’t forever. Enjoy your time there.”

Grandmother’s final piece of advice drifts out the door as you close it, stepping into the warm summer night. You check your phone and see that it is just past moonrise. You glance up, and sure enough the moon is full. You step into the gathering of trees, your pack waiting for you. College may be tough, but right now you have a pack, and freshman to hunt. You bare your fangs and howl, a chorus of howls joining you before you tear off into the night, in hunt of fresh blood.