#vocal unit fanfiction

[sebastiannewai]

Cuddles | hjs

✿ joshua x reader

✿ idol!joshua x reader

✿ fluff, slight angst?

✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿

You're upset with Joshua again. Arguments like tonight's make you feel distant. Joshua's career keeps him away a lot, and when he's home, you just want to be close.

Sitting together on the couch, in the soft evening light, you couldn't keep it in any longer.

"Why don't you cuddle with me when I sleep?" The words came out, filled with longing and a bit of sadness.

Joshua looked at you with a softer expression. "I didn't realize... I thought you liked having your space. I didn't want to bother you."

You sighed, tears forming in your eyes. "It's not about space, Joshua. It's about feeling you there, even when I'm asleep."

He took your hand, his touch warm and comforting. "I'm sorry, y/n. I didn't know it meant so much to you."

You felt a mix of relief and longing. "It does, especially when you're so busy with work and tours. Sometimes, I just need to feel close to you, especially after a tough day."

Joshua pulled you close, holding you gently against him. His hug felt safe and warm. "I promise to make more time for us, even if it's just to cuddle while you sleep."

Snuggled up against him, you let out a happy sigh, feeling loved and cherished. "Thank you, Joshua. I love you."

"I love you more, y/n" he whispered softly.

As you lay there, enjoying the calm after making up, Joshua suddenly chuckled. "You know, I never realized I was missing out on all this prime cuddle time. From now on, I'm your official night time teddy bear."

You couldn't help but giggle, snuggling even closer. "My very own teddy bear? Can I dress you up too?"

Joshua grinned, his eyes twinkling playfully. "Only if you promise lots of cuddles in return."

And so, you drifted off to sleep, with a happy heart you know that tonight marked the start of a new tradition.

✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿

:)

[http-mianhae]

AMORTENTIA ; jeonghan

view the whole series here!

DESCRIPTION ᝰ He was the worst of worse, how could anyone love him? Such a cold-hearted kid yet you were forced to sit next to him and as a Ravenclaw, it didn’t do you justice that all Jeonghan did was throw insults and act like a total jerk

WARNINGS ᝰ kinda enemies to lovers / dislike to like, deskmates ravenclaw!reader x slytherin!jeonghan

PAIRING ᝰ yoon jeonghan x fem!reader

WORD COUNT ᝰ 25.3k

“Yo, Y/NNNN~! Dap me up!” a too-familiar Gryffindor shrieked, hand outstretched. You narrowed your eyes down at the boy upon recognition, questioning what went down for him to be so enthusiastic in the rise of aurora.

You dapped him up anyways. Because if anything, Soonyoung was your beloved friend.

“What happened to you?”

“Huh? Nothing. Where’s your little boyfriend? Isn’t he always scurrying around you?” the boy asked, leaning oh-so-casually against the doorframe of the classroom.

“He’s literally twice your size, Soonyoung. Don’t go around calling Mingyu ‘little’,” you stated defensively, pushing through Soonyoung’s shoulder roughly to enter the DADA classroom. The over-energetic Gryffindor followed you in, a grin smacked right on his face.

“Sure. You still won’t admit that you have a thing for younger men.” he smiled.

“Come on, Soonyoung, He’s in fifth year.” It was usual for you that people would discuss the age difference between you and your honey badger boyfriend. Not that it was a bad thing, you didn’t take it as a bad thing, seeing that the age gap wasn’t illegal as such.

He was sixteen and you were sixteen, turning seventeen. So technically, you were the same age still until you were to turn seventeen in a few months time.

“He could be a younger brother,” Soonyoung said to you, not letting it go.

“You could mind your own business.”

“He could quit his Quidditch team and let us have the Quidditch Cup this year.”

You rolled your eyes, striving to find a good seat in the classroom. It didn’t support you that Soonyoung was all over you, bent over backwards to talk you into breaking up with Mingyu for Mingyu to be dismayed the days leading up to the finals of Quidditch. As much as you loved Soonyoung as a friend, you were not willing to put your relationship on the line for some Quidditch Cup. With the time he spent talking you into breaking up, he could spend on academics or even, Quidditch, for that matter.

“Hold on―why are there labels on the desks?” you noticed.

“I dunno, princess. Use those brainwit-thingies you Ravenclaws have,” he said, smiling at you like a little kid.

Frustration grew inside you as you collapsed your books on a random table. Your finger traced over the little white label plastered across the corner of the desk. “What’s going on? Is this some kind of prank, Soonyoung?”

“We’re having seating arrangements. I came here especially early to see your reaction,” he admitted, putting a hand on your shoulder lightly. Once again, you rejected him by shrugging him off. You grabbed your books up in an armful and sauntered the barren classroom, now on a hunt for your seat. If you were sitting at the back, you were obviously going to pick a dispute with Professor Lupin.

Though, you were sort of confused on the part in which Soonyoung said he was early to see your reaction. Why would he come especially early to see―

BANG!

Your books dropped in a brown heap on the shiny floors of the classroom. In an instant, your eyes became wide and you could sense that there wasn’t an inch of your muscle that moved for a whole second. You wanted to believe that this was a dream (oh, please let it be a dream) so badly but your intelligence proved you wrong. Squeezing your eyes shut and taking a deep breath in and out, you opened them again.

It was still there.

Soonyoung’s laughing was heard but it seemed to be in a distance as you doubled over to pick up your books. The thought of it just made your body crash with adrenalin. You placed the heavy books back on the table one by one, an unlikable feeling settling in you. And what was even more unlikable was the fact that you were so near tears that you wanted to just disappear right then.

“I’m sorry, but it’d best be a Ravenclaw than a Gryffindor.” you heard Soonyoung said, embedding a hand on your shoulder. You wanted to shrug it off, yet was partly too shocked to even conjure that thought. “And also, you’re not far from the front of the class.”

Was he seriously trying optimism with you?

“He’s going to murder me,” you whispered coldly, hands fixed on the table as you figured out what to do. Was there anything you could do about this? You were a Ravenclaw for goodness sake, you should use that knack of a brain for something at least.

“He is not! And even if he tries to, I’m here!” Soonyoung declared just as the huge doors of the classroom open flauntingly. Your knees shook, the voices registering in your mind. You had no choice. You were to sit on this table for the rest of the god damn year and live with the fact that Yoon Jeonghan was going to be next to you.

It wasn’t that you were scared―it was more that you were a mix of annoyed and shocked for the reason being you were paired up with the most obnoxious, ungrateful brat in the world. Like there was a choice in it.

You swooped into your seat, cupping your face as your elbows held themselves on the table, sighing. The dismay was plastered on your face, signed by the eyebrow furrow.

“I’m gonna go take a seat, good luck.” He looked back nervously at the door and then left to the other side of the room. You would admit that the racing of your heart was much faster than envisioned. It was not your fault.

Those Slytherins put themselves on such a high pedestal that no other house in the year level could stand up to them. So if you were irritated at them being some sort of comical in class, you couldn’t just bark at them to shut up.

And Yoon Jeonghan. He was a sick little daddy’s boy. Stacks higher than him was basically what backed him up and you’ve seen the black card in the flesh. He wasn’t to be messed with, with all those assets and a filthy rich background. So it willed you to wonder, as soon as he saw an average-classed Ravenclaw, what would be the resolution?

You would be waiting.

It took a second for the Slytherins to realise that there were labels on the table and when they did, his group of friends began looking for where their name tags would be.

You played cool on the outside, taking away the anxiety from your face and staring straight ahead as they roamed the classroom. A piece of you was idling for Jeonghan to show up next to you. Waiting with every tiny sound of the clock’s hand passing the seconds ahead of you. Until it finally happened.

“Don’t tell me you’re sitting next to me.” His voice dragged out smoothly, yet managed to release your heart to your stomach. So maybe you were a little scared, but that didn’t mean that you were going to back down…sort of?

You turned your head to the left, seeing Jeonghan standing there with his books in hand, staring you down. Acting as if you didn’t know, you cleared your throat to attain your voice. “Yeah, you’re Jeonghan?”

“Who else would ask you that question? Aren’t you a Ravenclaw? You should know this.”

You pursed your lips together and faced the front again, praying for Lupin to arrive quicker. You didn’t want to be stuck conversing with an arrogant kid.

“Answer me.”

“I don’t think there’s a reason for me to answer that as you can see clearly that I am one.”

He scoffed, setting his books down on the table before sliding into the seat next to you. You continued to sit while facing forward. You didn’t know if it explicated that you were scared but you didn’t want it to show at all.

“I can’t believe this teacher,” he muttered to himself.

“If you have a problem with the seating arrangements, you should go speak with Professor Lupin with it because―” you began while turning to him.

“I don’t have a problem with this seating arrangement dumbass, I have a problem with you,” he answered sharply, also turning around to you with disgust painted with a sneer.

“That’s literally the same thing. Maybe you should consider thinking before speaking.” you began, but were cleanly cut off along with many other classmates and Professor Lupin’s voice came booming into the classroom. The man walked to the front with his loving greetings to the gloomy class, leaving Jeonghan powerless to act towards your rude reply.

You took pride in that as the lesson began.

“Good morning, class. Good morning, Soonyoung. As you can see, I have put you in seating arrangements. Now, I’m sure you have a lot of questions and opposes. But I have a reason for this.”

No one argued, seemingly interested as to why the ex-Gryffindor wanted to put you in seating arrangements. Though he was your favourite teacher thus far, you threatened him in your head to have a good reason.

“I noticed the social hierarchy in this year level specifically, so I would like you guys to sit around different houses just to build up that friendship a little…if you have any problems with it, though. Please do come to see me after class and we can discuss it.”

After that, Lupin started his class.

Reluctantly, you focused your eyes on the teacher, following his every word and taking notes here and there. You noticed, however, Jeonghan wasn’t paying attention a tad bit. Rather he was involved in a series of comics with his friend who was placed next to your table.

They were noisy, but you tried your best to focus on Lupin’s explanations briefly overviewing the topic of Dementors stationed on the outskirts of Hogwarts, trailing like blighted ghosts. Truthfully, you hated every inch of the boy’s presence beside you, it made you want to hit him with your massive Charms textbook more than anything.

How could he just turn completely away from the teacher and talk to his friends? He was going to be behind on work, you couldn’t imagine being behind on work with your hectic schedule. It would be a nightmare.

“Okay, so for today’s homework, I want you to answer the questions for Boggarts on page 209. Unfortunately, you must complete the questions for next week’s practical, so please do, do them…”

The bell rang, dismissing the class for the next period. You stood up and packed up your books like every student in the room, pumped for Advanced Arthimacy with your best friend.

Until the Slytherin spoke up. “Where are you going?”

“My next class?” you said.

“I need to go talk to Lupin―”

“Okay, go do that?”

You knew what he was trying to get at, but stayed fooled just for the pleasure of it and the honesty that you had another class anticipating you in literal minutes.

“You’re coming with me,” he declared grandly.

“Are you twelve? No, I have a class to get to and I―”

Jeonghan’s glare hardened, cutting you off as students rushed out of the room as if on cue by him.

You didn’t agree nor did you disagree which determined being a faulty choice made by you as Jeonghan slipped out from his desk and marched to the teacher, all high n’ mighty. You gawked with resentment screwing the back of his damned blonde head. The temptation of hexing him right then was indeed a hard one to let go of.

Despite that, you did heed that it would be embarrassing if you just left like that, so you settled your books down in the forced decision and moved to the front of the classroom to stand next to Jeonghan.

Lupin was sat at the desk when he looked at the two of you with a smile. But when he regarded that neither of you had similar expressions, he outlasted seriously.

“Is there something I can do for the two of you?”

You didn’t say anything, stubbornly gazing into the window. This was in fact a Jeonghan problem, he dragged you into it when you paid no mind―news flash, you paid tons of mind, you just didn’t act it.

He talked anyways, not requiring your cooperation a slight bit. Then, what was the point of bringing you here, if he could do everything himself? “Could you change our seating arrangements? I don’t want to sit with her.”

“What do you mean by that, Mr Yoon? I can’t just change the seats without a proper reason.” Lupin replied tensely.

It was like he doomed Jeonghan.

Jeonghan was quiet, suddenly and you predicted the anger showing on his face through a glare. Lupin continued, reeling his words in a teasing manner as he explained the reason. “An affair mayhaps that happened a long time ago between the two of you? Is that why you don’t want to sit―”

Sharply turning your head back, you gawked at your professor, offended. “What are you saying, sir?!”

“Well, was it?” he smirked at you.

“No!” Jeonghan answered this time.

“It’s not, so why are you so bothered about sitting by each other a few days a week? It’s just an hour class.”

“Fine, then. I’ll sit with her,” he grumbled.

Jeonghan whipped around and stalked off, frustration evident in the way he stopped to scoop his books into his arms and left. It happened all so quick, you only had time to part your lips in astonishment. Neither did Lupin say anything to comfort the boy. It was best to leave the aggression alone anyways.

When the door slammed hard behind the bitter Slytherin, your head returned to the teacher. Your hands urgently slammed onto the wooden table, striving for some sort of explanation on your side.

“Sir, it wasn’t my idea to come to talk to you, in case you were wondering.” you defended yourself excessively.

“I know that, L/N,” He stood up from his seat. You watched as he put a hand on your shoulder like he was going to have a deep discussion with you like he was your father. Not that you had time for that. Your next class had already begun. “Slytherins have the tendency to be full of themselves sometimes. I hope you can tolerate it, it’s a Ravenclaw’s duty to assist a Slytherin to see a different perspective.”

You laughed when the thought of showing Jeonghan the stars in the sky. You didn’t know why that was the first thought that registered in your mental process out of all likely thoughts. It would never happen even if the world was ending. Him being seen around another house was a scare for him.

“Sure, Professor Lupin.” you sarcastically answered, stepping down the narrow hallway of tables to get to grab your set of books. Smilingly, you looked back at the teacher, who smiled back, as if challenging your notion of his words.

You were off to your next class, forgetting your morning encounter.

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

“So you’re sitting next to him now?” Adora asked.

You nodded with a sigh, digits sweeping past the tethers of books in the library’s inner shelves. Your best friend got to know the tea when you met her in Advanced Arthimacy and now she was expanding the conversation, seeking to find a solution to the problem. She sank against the table behind her, considerably shocked about the chances of you being with Jeonghan out of all people.

“Ah, that’s going to be tiring,” she said, forcing herself off. The active Ravenclaw patted your head, clearly feeling sorry for you. Who wouldn’t feel sorry for you? You were going to live sadder after this.

“You know what’s worse? Lupin was so funny about it. He was teasing us when he asked for a change in the seating plan.” you continued, looking over at Adora with pain screwed in your eyes. “And after Jeonghan practically stormed out, he was like ’it’s a Ravenclaw’s duty to assist a Slytherin to see a broader perspective’.”

“Dude, what?!” she queried, tucking her silky auburn hair behind her ear. It sprung back to the sharpness of her cheek, honouring her facial features.

“I know!” you exclaimed to your best friend, furrowing your eyebrows. “It was so weird! I really don’t know what to do with this kid sitting next to me. You can literally feel it, like the Slytherin energy when he’s sitting next to you.”

“God.” she sighed. “That’s scary. I would not like that at all…but he’s kinda cute.”

There she goes with the teasing. It was what any best friend would’ve done in the situation anyways.

“True.” you agreed, seeing honesty in her words. Jeonghan’s face emitted prettiness, but the kind of prettiness that was unjust. It was structured but also soft, masculine but feminine in and you found it difficult not to ask for his skincare routine. Had he been in any other house, you most definitely would. “But still, I don’t want to be sitting next to him for the whole year. He’s going to make a fool out of me.”

She sighed, planting her hand on your shoulder. You reminisced that it was to soothe you from the fluttering thousand thoughts running around your mind. She was simply taking her duty as best friend to make things right.

“I know. Though, you are a Ravenclaw, just focus on your studies.”

She made it seem so easy.

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

Thinking it was easy but to be there in the present and acting as if everything was tight rein seemed to be a high achieving goal you set for yourself. It was achievable, but it was the direness that made you not want to even try.

By the next DADA lesson, you sat at your arranged seat, waiting for class to start as you flicked through your notes.

“Good morning, L/N.” Lupin greeted, walking past your table.

“Morning, sir.” you greeted back, not swerving your eye contact to the man.

You were a little early for class but that solely meant more revising time for you. The night before you were stuck in a rather competitive game of chess with Jeon Wonwoo that got his whole year level staying to watch. The game was played until three am, with you winning, of course, to keep the pride of your year level.

Other than that, you made a new friend and made friends with his friend Vernon. So now, not only were you and Adora not alone together all the time, you had adorable little fifth years as friends.

“We shall begin the class, how are you lot?” Lupin asked the class. They responded as you took the sign of the fact Jeonghan wasn’t next to you. You didn’t say anything about it either. He was probably late. “L/N, where’s your deskmate?”

You glanced up at the teacher. It was painful not to get mad at him, especially when knowing that Lupin was doing it on purpose.

“I don’t know, sir. Sorry.” you apologised calmly, letting the ball of fists under the table unwind to let some air into your palm.

“Strange,” Lupin commented and then, grabbed white chalk from the chalkboard to commence the lesson. A lesson he thought would begin from there. Unfortunately not.

He was shortly interrupted by a bang which could only come from behind, indicating the double oak doors to glide open, as if on command. You gripped the fresh sight of an elephantine sea of green accented figures walking in. And the way they walked, it certainly caught you in a trance for a second. So in synch and with purpose and authority. You hadn’t seen anything like it. Lupin hadn’t said anything about it either. And when you turned back to face the teacher, there wasn’t an inkling of surprise dotted on his face.

“There you are…we were all wondering where you were.” Lupin chuckled. The Slytherin didn’t participate in his laughing. Your shivers were taken note of as the room moved severely cold. It was like there were no souls, yet thousands of eyes watching at the same time.

Instead, they scattered before entering the maze of tables and walked to their assigned seat, obviously filled with hatred for the teacher. You detected instantly it was because they couldn’t be with their friends but you also saw that some Slytherins didn’t regard anger in their face.

“We had to stay back.” the boy you recalled as Junhui, the Captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team, said.

A spark must have lit for Lupin because he straightened up. “Ah, yes. Is it because of the…incident?”

Jun nodded.

“What incident?” Soonyoung’s voice was as clear as a harmonised whistle and you crinkled your eyes, caught in cringe. He should have wished that moment he could have taken it back. Yet, he didn’t. He stared at the teacher, anticipating an answer.

He did get one, just not the one the poor kid was foreseeing.

“Stay in your lane, Gryffindor,” Jeonghan told him as he took the seat next to you, dropping his books in an untidy load on his table.

A heavy pit landed in your abdomen, somewhat feeling bad for the tiger but also feeling bad for yourself that Yoon Jeonghan had arrived and so dramatically, too. You didn’t commit to the acknowledgement of his arrival but minded your own business, the thought of getting called out was not a good one.

“Um, let’s speak to each other nicely in this classroom, shall we?” Lupin smiled.

You were funded with relaxation when the man once again swished and flicked, closing the double oak doors of the classroom. Then, he turned to the blackboard, beginning the class for the second time in five minutes. It was only moments before something started again. Honestly, you wanted an easy breezy class that would end with a nice finish.

Jeonghan started it.

“Tell your little boyfriend to stay away from us,” Jeonghan whispered.

You widened your eyes, shooting a side-eye at the boy. You thought he had no idea who you were. But then again, you were dating the Kim Mingyu, it came with a position of popularity dropped on your head like a crown.

You were deemed to be focussing on class, but the news flash caught you off guard. Suddenly, you found yourself needing to know what was happening with Mingyu and why he had gotten right into a web of troubles with the Slytherins. Because that was the last thing a Hufflepuff should be doing in this world. Messing with a Slytherin was bound to ruin a Hufflepuff’s reputation.

“What happened?” you whispered right back, your voice sadly biting the fact that you weren’t supposed to share curiosity around like that. You focussed on Lupin and leaned in a little so you could hear Jeonghan better.

“Your boyfriend picked a fight with Junhui after accusing the team of cheating in the last Quidditch match. Now tell me, do you think that just because we may come off intimidating, Slytherins will go as low as cheating?” It sounded like he was talking to Mingyu than his Ravenclaw deskmate and you were getting the feeling that the grudge dawdling his words were starting to follow you up. As if you were responsible.

“I’m sure he didn’t mean it.” you defended Mingyu anyways.

He was the sweetest boy you ever knew of. If Mingyu ever picked a fight, there would be a valid reason for it and when there is one, he would tell you. He hasn’t told you anything yet, so you were left to assume that there was something terribly wrong going on.

“He gave Jun a blood nose, what are you talking about?”

You glanced back at the said boy. Junhui, the brunette, was sitting a few rows back, his eyes plastered on the teacher as he scribbled down notes. Abruptly, his eyes peeled off the teacher to look at you. You turned back just as quick, not wanting to catch the Slytherin’s gaze. You heard rumours about him that were far too brutal for the average ear to even hear. For Mingyu to go pick a fight with him was unbelievable. But you had perceived the bloodstains at the edge of his nostrils. They had to mean something. Your grip tightened on your quill, feathers scrunching under your grasp.

“Why are you telling me?” you asked Jeonghan, covering the shakiness in your voice. You didn’t want to falter around him, wanting to prove that you weren’t scared of a small fight. But when you recalled the way the Slytherins walked in just before, you were beginning to trail with your own doubts and worries.

“Because you’re his girlfriend, duh. You don’t ever use your brain for a Ravenclaw.”

You flashed him a glare that made him a little startled as he backed the tiniest away. “I will converse with Mingyu after.” you stated and returned your focus back to the class.

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

“Y/N, I swear! They cheated, I saw it with my own eyes!” your boyfriend exclaimed and you were sure if it weren’t for you questioning him, Mingyu would most likely be pulling on his hair.

The enthusiasm enraged the younger boy’s eyes. You cornered him near your common room entry on the fifth floor. In all your years of knowing Mingyu, you hadn’t seen him act like this before. It was fresh to your sights. “Okay, okay. Explain to me exactly what happened in the game.”

Mingyu sighed, looking to the ground. It was like he was trying to gather his words to talk to you. You recalled the previous Saturday game where Hufflepuffs were playing the Slytherins. You recalled that it wasn’t the nicest game in the world―insults were thrown at each other, physical abuse was involved in abundance that the game was about to be stopped halfway. If it wasn’t for the honey boy agreeing to play properly, the game would’ve been called off.

“Fine. I was flying around as one does and I had the Quaffle in my hand. Friggin’ Junhui smacked that Bludger right into me and I dropped it and―”

“That’s allowed, right?” you interrupted.

“It is, but here’s the thing. I was going to my goalpost because I got hit with the Bludger. That’s the rules, right? So I was in the middle of touching my goalpost when I saw, Tzuyu, their Chaser and Ace, push the ball into the hoops. That’s not allowed!”

You found the mistake. A deep disappointment ran through you. You were hoping that Jeonghan was wrong, hoping very hard but in the end, that is what the truth ended up being. “I know how Tzuyu is and are you sure she did that? I was near your goalpost and I―”

“Are you saying you don’t believe me?” Mingyu asked. “Or is it because she’s a girl and you’re taking sides with her because she’s a girl?”

He tilted his head to the left and it took everything in you not to smile at it. Mingyu was trying to stay serious about some Quidditch game and here you were, pursing your lips together in a straight line, seemingly thinking.

“No,” you answered, touching his arm comfortingly. Your eyes shined. “I was spectating by your goalpost and I even had binoculars with me. I saw Tzuyu hit that one goal only because the other boys were hogging the ball and that was the only time you went to touch the goalpost. What I don’t understand is the fact that she was so far away from the goalpost when she scored, you even saw that.”

It was Mingyu’s turn to purse his lips. His hair radiated under the light with elegance, almost. The Hufflepuff normally resonated with such bouncy behaviour, but today was the first time in a while you were seeing him act oh-so gloomy. As if you struck something you weren’t meant to. You understood immediately, your breath slightly hitching in your throat.

“I don’t know what to say…” he told you, looking at the ground.

“Don’t tell me you lied and went to pick a fight with them anyways,” you said, sounding more aggressive than you needed to. It was solely because you were praying in your heart that wasn’t the case. You didn’t want Mingyu to get on their bad sides, you cared for him that much.

“I did.” Mingyu answered you, laying his head in your shoulder with a plop. “I can’t even answer you, no wonder they didn’t believe me.”

“It was such a stupid lie.” you sighed, settling your hand in the tufts of his fluffy hair. You loved him and all, though at times, he would be so stupid, you wondered if it was humanly possible. “Why would you go and do that when there’s so much proof that she didn’t cheat?”

You were a little annoyed at the fact he lied. You were able to decipher why it angered the Slytherins too, it wasn’t fair on them.

“I don’t know, I was frustrated. You’re not going to tell me off?”

“Of course not, just don’t do it again, okay?”

“Okay…I have a Quidditch practice now, so I have to go,” he told you, looking up at you. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Sure, be safe.”

You pecked Mingyu on the lips before turning around to go to your dorms, ending the day with the calmness that you sorted the situation out.

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

Only when your head hit the fluffy pillows a week later had you remembered something. You struck up immediately again, your tired eyes now as wide as an owl. Beginning to hate the way your mind worked, you stood up to your feet.

How could you forget? You were relaxing the whole day and you had the audacity to forget something as vital as that?

“You okay, Y/N?” your best friend inquired from beyond the room. She was leafing through the pages of a book, obviously tired from the way a yawn slipped through her mouth after asking.

“I said I would go get that book for Potions at the library and see? I completely forgot it.” you sighed, slipping on random slippers aggressively. You didn’t even see if you had them on right.

Adora giggled and her glance moved to the clock in the dorm. “What an idiot. Go get it quickly though, the library closes in like twenty-five minutes.”

That was sufficient to get you moving. As if there was an added force in the room, you were thrust to the door of your dorm, basically jabbing to grab the doorknob and pull aside the door. Adora’s laugh wasn’t lost in the air at your actions as you sprinted down the slim hallway where there were girls coming out and going into their dorms.

You nearly wanted to screech at all of them to get out of the way, but after discerning that it was hardly likely for you to do so, you sharpened your focus more on your way to the library. This was not easy for a Ravenclaw to do so whatsoever. Mainly when you were on the fifth floor, you had to escalade down a radical number of stairs in your pyjamas, which provoked the joints in your knees to barely stick together. Talk about disadvantage.

You were put through a rough time until you finally made it.

Accessing the library, you assuredly put your hands on your knees, breathing in and out piercingly, a punch right in your stomach. The sweat residue on your head became evidence of your hard work as you clammed for a grasp of yourself. Pushing back up, you decided to go straight into locating the book than wasting any time with your barely-jointed legs strolling.

You walked through the adventure section towards the left, before finding a table in the middle of three shelves and a comprehensive view of the lake. You were about to be distracted by the view when you skimmed your eyes back to the table, your heart almost stopping.

It had to be pure coincidence.

You stared, as did he.

The effort of running all the way to the library had doubled its results somewhat. His eyes tracked down to your feet, the book in his hand in a tight grip.

“Nice slippers.”

You looked down too and pinched your eyes shut. Please tell me I’m dreaming. No matter how hard you squeezed your eyes shut and opened them, the same vision of your dormmate’s llama slipper and your sheep one would still be below you. Shaking your head, you glanced back at the boy. He was the last person you foresaw here.

“What are you doing here?” you asked, changing. the subject. He was dressed exceptionally well, you noticed. Head to toe, clad in a nice outfit for something as plain as going to the library.

“Detention,” Jeonghan answered as you began sauntering around the area again.

“That’s stupid of me to ask,” you muttered, fingers running through the thick binds of books in a row as you turned your awareness away from him. You couldn’t forget why you came here.

Each bind came with its own texture―bamboo, silk, wood, paper and it was ascertained that each of those binds came with its own story. Soon, your fingers were brushing the wooden shelf, slowly delving into the side of the shelf and the other side.

Jeonghan’s presence simply slipped your mind like drops of quicksilver as you wandered through the quiet shelves, scanning for the title of the book. But it was nowhere to be seen. It was like you were looking for the same thing for hours and hours on end, yet came with nothing but a dead end. Surely, it was tiring you out too because you were sure that the book was here.

You had seen it before you went to have dinner and no one else in the school needs the book until your level in the latter part of the year. It didn’t fully set into you where it could be until your eyes met the authoritative figure at the counter.

You sighed and walked up to Pince, seeming very confused about the book’s whereabouts. You were hugely entwined with the fact that it had to be somewhere within the library’s walls and with your Ravenclaw knack, you weren’t far off.

Discussing the problem with the librarian, she took the big book stating all the books that have ever been borrowed in the library.

“Is it called Quick Potions, you say?” she asked, flicking through the pages. Something was telling you she was looking for the 'Q’ section to find the book’s name. And when she got nearer to the end of the book, you were told the same thing. “It has to be somewhere in here, dear. It hasn’t been checked out since last year.”

“Oh…maybe I didn’t look properly? Thanks, Madam Pince,” you said, bowing slightly to the woman.

She gave a firm smile prior to getting straight into her paperwork again. You were left with the suspicion rolling in your mind as you took another round the library, where you ascertained that you didn’t miss anything.

Nonetheless, the fact that nothing had been checked out stood out like a splinter in a knee. You looked again, skimming past Jeonghan’s table.

You shot him a brief glance, his doe eyes following the lines of the book he was reading. What was he reading anyways?

The way your body had stopped as soon as you saw the title of the book.

“Hey.”

He looked at you.

“Why do you have that book for?”

He scrunched his nose somewhat in revulsion. You gave no heed to the action as you penetrated your sights through the front cover that was strangely familiar from the start. You just never paid much attention to it, when Jeonghan was all dressed up fancy, drawing recognition away from the tattered case the book was in.

“To read, duh.” he remarked.

For all intents and purposes, you didn’t believe that. You didn’t show it, your target shifting to the book in interest.

“I need that book,” you addressed, leaning your hands on the wooden table slowly. Just as though Jeonghan was some prey of an animal you were trying to get near.

He must’ve seen the way you were looking at that book because he shrunk it back to himself a little as you looked at him. “No way. I’m having it.”

The book proved to be of such importance to you.

“Come on, Jeonghan! At least let me write some notes on it.”

“Um, no,” he stated with sass detected in his tone. “You should’ve got it before. And why do you even need it for? We don’t do this topic until later in the year.”

He was stating the obvious.

“I’m a Ravenclaw.” was the only excuse that drew from your lips.

“Right. You lot want to impress the teacher all the time.” he insulted, sounding like he was spitting his words out almost. He needed to look for the way he said things sometimes, it would come out wrong.

“Right we do.” you agreed with a firm nod. “So give me the book.”

Hope depleted your body. The boy in front of you didn’t seem to be wanting to give you the book, neither did he want to provide an explanation as to why he needed the book. Was he trying to be ahead of class, too? You didn’t know, but what you did know was there was no point trying anymore when he was so determined in his case.

“No.”

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

“And then I told Wonwoo to piss off.”

“Adora, shut up. You did not!”

“You bet I did. Like, do I look the type to mess around with shit like that? Absolutely not! He had me mad mad!”

“So did you get your stuff back again or what?” you pestered her, genuinely involved in what she did with the younger students of your house.

Adora, Mingyu and you were currently walking through the busy halls of Hogwarts, striving to get to your classes. Had it been that Mingyu’s class wasn’t on the way, he wouldn’t be entwined by your link of an arm as you dragged him, chattering with your best friend. You acknowledged that he was very bored and looked over at him to see what he was doing instead of listening.

Your eyes had caught a glance of something else in the short distance.

Jeonghan was standing there, with his group of friends surrounding him in a semi-circle so they were all able to face the bustling hallway. His eyes had fleeted the conversation for a mere second, darting to make contact with you.

Your body stammered, identifying crisis at its peak. If you wanted to leave without a fight starting, you had to get yourself and Mingyu out of there immediately.

“Um,” Adora perked up.

You faced her again, realising that her line of sight was stuck at the troublemaking Slytherins. You could assume that she was worried about why you were looking at one spot only. Hating that you were so obvious with it, you looked at the girl with the intention to get away quickly. Your best friend got the message and before you knew it, you were starting to walk a little faster.

“Why are we going so fast? It’s just Monday morning.” came Mingyu’s groan.

You weren’t in a desire to hear any of it. It was your responsibility to get him into that class safely. If you weren’t doing that, what kind of girlfriend, or even, senior were you?

“Ssh, child. We’re going to your class now.”

“You did not just 'child’ me,” Mingyu complained, practically jogging at the end of his hold. Was he always such a brat? No. It must’ve been the prank that his roommates did on him that had him this grumpy in the morning. He was whining about it all morning and as much as you felt bad for him that it was the result of a bad’s night sleep, you rather Mingyu’s day not get worse.

Which meant physically flinging him into the classroom.

Adora laughed at seeing that, as well as a few other members of the younger year level.

Mingyu poked his head right out of his classroom again, furrowing his eyebrows in the slightest. “What’d you do that for?”

You put on a feverish smile on your face, acting as if you do this every day for Mingyu’s sake.

“For fun. Now, get back into your class and learn a lot. I love you, okay?” you told him.

Mingyu rolled his eyes and waved you off as if you were an embarrassing mother bidding her child to school.

“Love you too.” he muttered.

Your resisted the urge to say ‘say it louder’ and walked off with Adora, acknowledging that you had settled your boyfriend. It left some time before class actually started so you and Adora were able to almost crusade to class, now speaking more freely because there was no guy there listening in on your conversation.

The two of you entered the classroom and took seats at the far left back of the classroom where you were confirmed of being able to have your own conversation as well as easy access to notes since the board was on the left. You chatted your way through minutes as other members of the class came in as well as the teacher herself.

You almost had to bite your tongue to stop talking, just because you and Adora were having that good of a conversation. The whole class beame quiet, even the Slytherins who, fortunately, don’t stand a chance in front of McGonagall. Who does, honestly?

“I can’t believe I’m only now noticing how many classes Jeonghan and I have together,” you commented briefly as your eyes stuck to the teacher instructing.

“You don’t have that many classes with him.”

“I don’t. But it’s annoying to just see his face this early in the morning if you get what I mean.” you said.

The fear of getting caught talking in one of McGonagall classes was on your back.

“I get what you mean. It’s going to be hard now, huh?”

“It is―”

“L/N, would you come hand out these worksheets for me?” The teacher manages to instruct you.

You would admit that when she had said your last name, you felt a claw in your stomach scratching you and telling you that you had done something wrong. It wasn’t until she said her full sentence, had you calmed down a little. The shock stained your face, however, quickly erupted when you got up with a nod.

Chair skidding back, you removed yourself from the prickly gap between the table and chair and got out to the front of the classroom that had broken into a set of broken whispers here and there―the class was for once, able to talk in class.

You did your dutiful task of handing out worksheets, replying to ‘thank you’s and such for one side of the classroom. As you went along the last column, dreadfully as well, because Jeonghan and his group of friends were coming up, you felt this pit drop. Just looking at his face gave this ungrateful whirr of mush in you that you wanted to splutter out, but there was no possible way of doing so. It was so hard to describe, yet so easy to express the pain he gave.

You placed down Jeonghan’s paper on his table, sensing the silence when you did so.

What? Were you not even allowed to do your own task?

You moved away quickly because you realised that the group of Slytherins were just staring.

The class continued with the agonising pain of McGonagall’s voice deliberately getting screwed in your head. As much as you loved staying on top of your work and the satisfaction of doing so, you hated when teachers would give homework.

You left the class more burdened than you were when you came in, with your best friend complaining about the workload once again.

“It’s suffocating,” she whined.

“I hate it here.”

“Let’s run away with the Dementors. Lowkey, they’re kinda fine.”

“Girl―no, you’re kinda right.” You nodded along before the two of you bid each other a goodbye as you had different classes.

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

“No, no. I stole your stuff because you stole my glasses.” Wonwoo argued affirmatively.

Vernon and you were shocked as you stared between the two quarrelling. How he had changed the story so drastically, you had no idea, but your were confirmative in your enthusiasm for it. As was Vernon who sat right opposite you.

Although Vernon and Wonwoo were juniors of yours, it didn’t seem that for a second that Wonwoo wanted it to be that way since he was starting to get out of line with his argument.

“Whatever it is, I am your senior,” Adora argued.

“Oh, so just because you’re my senior, you get special privileges of stealing my things?” Wonwoo asked.

“I did not steal them, I―”

You stuffed a spoonful of mashed potato into Adora’s mouth, causing Vernon to laugh. You smiled at him, glancing over at your best friend. “Eat. Or you’re going to be complaining about hungry you are all day and I don’t have time for that.”

Adora swallowed hard, her fists curled in her lap. You were her next target. If you didn’t notice right there, right then the absence of one of your textbooks on your concerning book pile, you would’ve been dead meat.

“Oh my God.” you gasped.

“What is it?” Wonwoo asked you.

You looked back at the three. “I totally forgot my Transfiguration textbook back at the classroom.”

Untangling yourself from the bench, you pursued into a run, not forgetting to turn a little to see your friends. “Take my stuff with you!”

And you were on a run; fleeting down the linear course of the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables where a sea of yellow and blue punctured your eyes. Students moved out of your way once they saw you running for what appeared like your life and frankly it was. You had homework that involved the presence of that textbook.

Lucky for you, McGonagall’s classroom was on the ground floor of Hogwarts, allowing students like you easy access. You scooted through some more starving students, a few fellow Ravenclaws in your sprint prior to making it to the entrance of your destination.

Oh, you felt like you had seen the light of the day when the double doors met your eyes. A soft smile of relief sculpted your face as you pushed the door just enough for you to slide through.

“Do you think it’s funny that your grades are going down, Mr Yoon?”

Your eyes caught quite the killing scene―McGonagall stationed at the front of the classroom with Jeonghan right in front of her. She seemed as if she was ridding her heart and soul out to the boy about the importance of school and you couldn’t agree less.

Yes, scold him more.

You nearly forgot that you could be seen so you quickly slid to the back of the classroom where your textbook was waiting for you like a child waiting for their parent to pick them up from kindergarten. It was like all your sweat droplets slinked back into the pores of your skin…only for them to bleed out again.

“L/N? What are you doing here?”

You looked up at the authoritative women at the front of the classroom who shot daggers at you. You stood still for a second, before trying to explain why you were in the classroom.

“Sorry, Professor. I just left my textbook in here.” You waved up the textbook.

She nodded, letting you walk freely. “Alright. You can go, then. Now, you―”

“No, Professor. She’s here to find out why I’m in here, so later she can go talk behind my back about me.”

You stopped in your tracks and rolled back around. “What? What are you talking about?”

“Yes, what is this about, Yoon?” McGonagall asked, her eyebrow raising. If she didn’t believe it, it would only cause you luck because she was such an opinionated woman.

Jeonghan sniffled. If you believed that McGonagall was not going to fall for his lies, why were you literally shaking in your shoes? Maybe because of the known fact that Slytherins tended to have their way with things.

“She’s been doing it the last few weeks and I’ve been hearing the worst rumours about myself spread around. She keeps calling me a manwh―”

“L/N, what is this?” McGonagall interrupted.

Her eyes proved that she was in a state of anger as you stood there, a textbook in hand, deadpanned. You were staring right at Jeonghan, instead of looking at your teacher because there was a part of you that was still concocting the message. He really lied to get you in trouble and for what?

“Professor, I swear to you, he’s lying! Why would I call him such a word? I don’t even know him!”

“Of course the professor will believe you.” Jeonghan looked away, enticing an effect of devastation. “Just because I’m a male and a Slytherin for that matter, I’m expected to take these words and be okay with it. But there’s always a line, Y/N. You should understand that―”

“That’s right, L/N.” McGonagall interrupted with a firm nod.

Resentment gradually rose in you as the doe eyes of Jeonghan floated to the teacher. “I feel like it’s only fair for her to serve detention too. That way she can learn from her mistakes.”

McGonagall nodded at the liar. “I think that is fair too. Furthermore, what is even more fair is that the two of you should serve detention together and sort out this issue.”

“What?” Jeonghan and you spoke out.

Your muscles felt stiff and rigid, your throat had gone dry. There was no way that you were hauled into a lie and detention with him. This was all beginning to be a little too much for you to take in.

“I said what I said, Yoon. Apologies, but I feel like this is a situation that the two of you need to make up together or come on okay terms. I hear that you are seated together for Defence Against the Dark Arts, it will be less awkward if you talk things out.” she explained carefully, looking between the two of you.

And it was like she knew everything that was going on. You were placed in a web of lies like prey for the spider. The spider being Jeonghan. You were daunting it with all your soul already, how would you be when you actually work with him?

“No, no, I don’t think―”

“That’s the final decision. Trophy Room, Wednesday night, at nine o’clock.” McGonagall stood up and swept her books into her arms magically. She was full of authorisation as she stepped down the steps from her desk before sweeping past Jeonghan. When she walked past you, she gave you a stern glare, her square glasses glimmering under the lights.

“I don’t want to hear such things coming again. You are a well-behaved student but you also need to be well-behaved when it comes to other students. Do you understand?”

As much as you wanted to tell her it was a lie, you nodded. She had too much power and was aware of it. McGonagall left the room, closing the door behind her.

Now that it was the two of you alone, you looked up at the blonde boy. He was looking at you already.

“Why the hell did you think that was okay, Jeonghan? I do not want to waste time doing detention with you and you―”

“How was I supposed to know that hag was going to give the two of us detention?” Jeonghan asked.

“She is the head of Gryffindor house. You should know that and above all, you lied about me. You don’t even know how much I wanna hex you right now.” you said, speaking in small breaths. You knew the rage hadn’t fully settled in yet.

Jeonghan didn’t seem bothered, he acted with the thought that the whole thing wasn’t his fault.

Why was he so arrogant for? Couldn’t he just be accepting of his faults? Slytherins like Jeonghan make you think that there will never be a good Slytherin again. They were all deducted of the need to tell the truth.

“Oh, shut up,” he muttered. Jeonghan walked past you, eyes seething from the looks of it. You couldn’t bring yourself to be afraid of him anymore. His cold presence meant nothing. In that moment, you just wanted to grab him by his luscious blonde hair and tug at it until it all ripped out.

Jeonghan left the classroom, leaving you in the emptiness of it. Placing the textbook on the table, a revelation opened up―you remembered something.

“Oh my God,” you muttered out of frustration.

You had a test on Thursday.

How the hell were you going to spend the night before revising when you had detention?

You hit your head with the textbook.

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

“What if I just don’t show up?” you asked Adora, looking at her pitifully.

It was already Wednesday, twenty to eight and here you were, walking with your group of friends and boyfriend, dreading to see him. The last two nights ended up being full of revision because you couldn’t fully set it out over three days. Thanks to Jeonghan and his lying. You hadn’t wanted to beat someone up so badly.

He made it a point that he didn’t like you and he used that to make your life miserable. For what? Because you sat next to him in a class. You had no control over that, what were you supposed to do?

“It’s just one detention and you already know everything, babe.” Mingyu said, slinging his arm around your shoulder so casually. Even his pretty face hadn’t managed to make you comforted. “I tested you, remember?”

“Exactly.” Adora nodded, putting her hand on your head to reassure you. None of it was working.

You were scared that this one night gone would make a sacrifice.

“You’re a Ravenclaw, Y/N.” Mingyu told you. The other two juniors of yours entailed behind the two of you, quiet for their own good. You looked back at them, pitiful of yourself.

“You guys aren’t going to say anything to make me feel better?”

Wonwoo and Vernon exchanged a glance worriedly because they were put on the spot.

“Well, you’re our senior. So we don’t know what exactly to say.” Wonwoo said for the two of them as Vernon nodded along with his friend’s words. It must’ve been the fact that Mingyu was here.

Because behind closed doors, these two were the most fun you’ve known of in your life. Since Mingyu was in their year level and popular at that, it must’ve caused a margin of how much they talked. You understood that and smiled at them, despite the distasteful situation you had brought yourself into.

“Ah, babe.” Mingyu perked his head up at you, his eyes widened a little as if he remembered something.

“Yeah?”

“I-I have to be somewhere right now,” he told you urgently.

You furrowed your eyebrows wondering what it was and why he would remember it now? Like he could’ve said something about it earlier?

“Well, what is it?” you asked him.

“Um, you wouldn’t really get it now. But I’ll explain it tomorrow, okay? Good luck on your detention and test.” Mingyu quickly pecked your check, much to your distaste as you had previously mentioned your dislike towards public affection. Then, he turned around and dashed through your juniors without an apology.

You watched as the boy ran as if his life was on the line and for a second you pondered the idea if it was, then, you turned right back around, finding yourself dipped in worry and frustration once again.

“We’ve arrived,” Adora told you with a fatal sigh leaving your lips. How much you wished McGonagall would appear in front of you like a fairy and tell you that you were in luck, but there was no fairy McGonagall as you drove the doors of the Trophy Room wide open.

The dramatics of the door opening prolonged a silence that was without warning. You walked in first, the footsteps behind you reassuringly following.

He was already there.

A similar feeling of dread once again swamped inside you.

“Oh, look. You brought your stupid Ravenclaw friends with you.” Jeonghan commented, a glare that felt like it was stained on his face like turmeric to a countertop.

“You should be the last person calling them stupid.” You remarked back.

The room was silent for a second and you felt Adora’s hand on your shoulder, signalling you that your remark was a bit unexpected. You didn’t care. Watching Jeonghan’s face fall was somewhat pleasing to the eyes.

“Are you talking back to me?” Jeonghan asked.

“Yeah, I am. Because frankly, I’m starting to get sick of your rich boy attitude.”

Jeonghan didn’t say anything about it and it convinced you that you got him good. The rest of the room was quiet so you looked back at your group of friends.

“You guys can leave. I don’t want you to view this torture any longer.” You told them.

The two boys stood there for a second before Adora pushed them out. Door slamming behind them, it left only you and Jeonghan in the room and it was not the ideal environment to let two people that were on the verge of killing one another together.

Grabbing your wand out, you start to wave things out. You didn’t want to be here, neither did you want to put in the effort of cleaning up the room. The last time you checked you didn’t lie so you’re not doing the detention.

Jeonghan didn’t give you another look as he whipped out his own wand to get stuff done. The two of you were quiet with each other and there was this fine border, you saw it from the way things were going, that screamed that if someone were to talk right that second, it would break out something. Like a zit popping, an explosion that destroyed the world.

The two of you knew this deep inside and were basically playing tug-of-war in your minds, waiting for someone to say something. It was just that adrenalin rushing that made you all frustrated all over again.

“Detention with you out of all people…” Jeonghan muttered under his breath.

Your eyes darted up instantly, feeling the knot keeping the rope of sanity together break.

“You shouldn’t be complaining. If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t be here together. I hope you regret this for the rest of your life, Jeonghan. I have a test tomorrow and now thanks to you, I can’t revise for it.” you complained, lashing out a trophy from the cabinet. It flew in the air and into your hands for the cleaning spray and a wipe down to retrieve another layer of glossiness.

Jeonghan furrowed his eyebrows at you. It seemed that no one really stood up to him, so he didn’t know what to say. Though he did know that his standards and expectations were being abolished by your comebacks.

As they should be.

“You shouldn’t be talking back to me.”

He had another one coming because your mouth opened and spat facts.

“Aw, that’s literally how communication works.” you pouted, before deadpanning at it. You flew the silver trophy right back into the cabinet and got the one adjacent to it. “I think you’re the stupid one, Jeonghan.”

Jeonghan’s grip on his trophy tightened and although it was fairly dark in the room, you were capable of seeing his veins tense. Sort of like Mingyu before a game.

“Oh, you should really shut that mouth. It’s not going to do you justice.”

You didn’t care. It showed too.

“Aw, really? How? Because I really love seeing you look so mad and do absolutely nothing about it.” You teased.

Jeonghan almost shoved the golden trophy into the cabinet. It urged no new reaction from you as you were determined to defend yourself well.

“I’ll do something for real, you dumb Ravenclaw. Don’t test me.”

“Come do it, then. Don’t tell me.” you smirked proudly.

It seemed like you snapped Jeonghan’s rope of sanity because the next thing you knew, he was walking towards you.

It was then you felt like a bucket of ice water was dumped over your head―you were enlightened as to why no one messes with him.

It’s not that he’s not use to it, it’s that he doesn’t want to make the effort to go fix the situation. This is shown through his unbothered behaviour and his lazy actions. Yoon Jeonghan was feral on the inside.

But now, you weren’t sure 'feral’ was the only way to describe it. He had his wand out and everything, you were sure he was going to murder you then.

You looked around for a possible defence for yourself. There was absolutely nothing in the stone-cold room that could pitch as a defence tool rather than your own wand.

It wasn’t until Jeonghan had reached a foot to you did you let out a loud gasp. A little away from you was a metal bucket that held all the cleaning supplies that you and Jeonghan were to use the night. It was empty when Jeonghan tripped over the bucket.

Gratitude to the fact that you were only what seemed a feet away, the only falling position had was on top of you. Though you were a Ravenclaw, it was a given you were too late in moving out of the way. Jeonghan’s body clashed against yours, causing the two of you to topple over to the stone-cold floor in a disordered pile.

The menacing Slytherin had his chest right at yours, the tension circulating one that could come off contradictory from your dispute. Your heart was shaking, beating profound in your ears as you took a glance at those ravishing doe eyes, hardly inches from you.

Light from behind had shadowed his face but you knew all too well that the look on his face could only mean that…he didn’t mean for this to happen.

However, before you could even get a word out of the, well, knotted situation, the door of the trophy room opened. You were not only weighed down by Jeonghan but also, fear.

“What in the world is going on in here?!” came the stern voice of McGonagall.

It looked wrong, you admitted it, but you required to explain yourself first. Sweet Minerva didn’t delight you with a chance.

“When I said to sort things out, I did not mean this. You children are a menace to society! Up to your feet―now!”

The two of you paused. Partly because Jeonghan was still on top of you, half his body on top while his hands held his weight up and entrapped you in between him. You felt heat rush to your face.

“Up!” the Gryffindor called.

With a glare that spoke ‘it’s all your fault’, Jeonghan got to his feet, and you clambered to yours too, a pain stretching across your shoulder blade from the knockdown.

“Another detention, both of you,” she said. “You have five more minutes in here and then you can leave.”

The way the teacher had expressed herself proved that she didn’t want to hear excuses drawing from either of you.

You pressed your lips in a firm hold and nodded at the teacher. Your head was down so you couldn’t see what your fellow classmate did, so you could only imagine that he did something that was sufficient for the teacher to leave you guys in the room.

Jeonghan shifted to the back of the room where he continued with the trophies, being somewhat louder, showing his have for the detention.

You could say the same with a bit more embarrassment.

The next five minutes were the most awkward five minutes of your life.

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

Fire was darting through your lips by the next afternoon, insulting everything and everyone who was in the way under your breath. You were lucky to not have DADA yet. You didn’t have it until after lunch and during lunch, you were complaining to your friends, every word dropping with no hesitation or respect for the place you were in.

“Like how do I deserve detention in the first place?” you argued.

“Wow, this is my first time seeing you bitch about a teacher,” Adora commented.

And she was quite right about that. You didn’t complain about any teacher until McGonagall’s string of stupid accusations yesterday. She didn’t give you a chance to explain, instead, she put you in another detention with him. How could you not be frustrated?

“Yeah, because it doesn’t make sense. If it was a Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff teacher, they would’ve asked what happened,” you answered, the fragility gone in your voice. You proposed the subject of Minerva McGonagall with such aggression.

The bell rang, signalling your mood to get more unsatisfactory. DADA―your favourite.

You stood up, the burden coming again. You smiled sarcastically at your friends, your boyfriend not present. It was like he disappeared overnight, you haven’t seen him all day. Neither did you care very much, you had a lot on your plate at the moment and to check his whereabouts was not the top of your priority list.

“My favourite class.” you sighed.

“Just show him you’re not going to back down like everyone else in his way and he’ll treat you like an equal.” quiet Vernon spoke.

Your glance shifted to him―everyone’s glance shifted to him. He moved uncomfortably in his seat.

“Whoa, since when did you speak like that?” Wonwoo asked in utter shock.

If you were in shock, how would Wonwoo, his friend for a long time, be? You shook your head, clearing the air so that none of you would be late to your classes.

“Thanks, Vernon. I’ll do that.”

You grabbed your books from the small coffee table that was in the middle of the seance of armchairs and then shuffled out of the library with the rest of the students that were on their way to their fifth-period classes. It was an ill-fated, but a known fact that the three of them coincidentally had a vacant period and yours was after this DADA class.

He was already there when you had walked into class, on time, rather than early because of your grudge towards the Gryffindor head. You took your seat, not endorsing him.

It went on and you were sure that the air clouded between you and Jeonghan proclaimed to the whole class. Something about them whispering about the no recognition of the other showed. It was like you wanted it to show that you weren’t going to back down from his words because you were still mad at the test.

Oh, the test.

It didn’t go well at all. But at least you answered all the questions.

“Yo, my favourite Ravenclaw. Got a quill I could borrow? Kinda lost mine on the way here.”

The point that you knew Soonyoung was too dumb to read the mood made you glare at him more.

His eyes widened a little, accentuating his adorable features. “I-I mean―”

You cut him off with a sigh, clutching the spare peacock quill and delivering it to him. He muttered gratitude before leaving, pacing quick to his seat as you had anticipated. Since Soonyoung came, you sensed a simmer down In the atmosphere.

Jeonghan broke the tense silence.

“Have you said anything to your boyfriend yet?”

“What do you mean?” You didn’t face him, you were writing on the worksheet Lupin had given out earlier in the class. You noticed that Jeonghan’s was blank. He must’ve been going through some thinking time.

“Oh, you must’ve told him about how we Slytherins are…”

“No.” you replied. “What are you talking about?”

It had to be the way you said it because Jeonghan had straightened up. You finally looked at him, blonde hair shining under the light of the classroom to find out what he was trying to tell you.

Jeonghan appeared pissed.

You continued, Vernon’s voice stuck in your head like glue.

“You have too much Slytherin pride. Do you think I would actually go run my mouth about you to everyone? Sure, I’m concerned for him and that the irrelevancy of him going to pick a fight is prominent but at the same time, I wouldn’t go talk about you to him.”

He was quiet.

You’d never seen anything like it.

From what you viewed afar, Jeonghan was the type to fight back straight away but for once, he was silent, his lips loosely closed. He was examining your face.

It still made you doubt the lingering impression of whether someone hadn’t stood up to him or was he just observing?

“And as much as I hate sitting with you, I complain more about the situation than you.” you continued.

It was a lie.

Everything that left your lips was Jeonghan this, Jeonghan that.

“Sure you do, dumbass. Now give me the answers to this.” He motioned towards his blank worksheet. What was he doing?

You sighed, furrowing your eyebrows. “You’ve been copying every single one of my worksheets, Yoon Jeonghan. Why are you asking suddenly?”

It seemed that the air was clearing. It was much to your disappointment, but you couldn’t bring yourself to make it heavy again.

A giggle left him, one that felt a little too innocent to be Jeonghan. “You noticed?”

“Yeah, I did and not only that, Lupin let me know too that our worksheets are too vaguely similar.”

He smirked. “What’s the point of doing work when I already have a sweet Ravenclaw sitting next to me doing it for me?”

The word ’sweet’ coming from him stuck longer in your head than Vernon’s encouragement.

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

The last detention with your enemy consisted of cleaning the Charms classroom, the following week. It was evident that both you and Jeonghan just wanted to get it over and done with. And you did. Without blaming each other, without talking much.

It was like for once, things were on par with either of you and you treated each other as equals rather than wanting to rip the other’s hair out. Supposedly, you would assume that it was the class where he asked for your answers that kinda released some pressure between the two of you from the night in the Trophy Room.

McGonagall came in after everything was done and dusted to give the two of you a speech.

“I don’t want to hear any name-calling or anything else like that, you hear me?”

You didn’t suppress your eye roll. Instant regret flourished through you.

“Young lady, you did not just roll your eyes at me,” she said, fairly disturbed.

You didn’t say anything as you were meddled by Jeonghan’s laughing.

“Is this funny to you, Mr Yoon?”

“A little.”

She made an offended sound, placing her hands on her hips. Then, she shook her head. “Thank God, I don’t have the two of you anymore for detention. Off you go now.”

The two of you spun around and left the classroom, leaving the teacher in her own thoughts.

It made you wonder, what does the woman even think of besides the fact that she’s a Transfiguration teacher? Does anything that doesn’t match the solidness of a rock go through her head? It was something you were far too afraid to ask but eagerly wanted to know the answer to.

Among the silence outside the Charms classroom, you let out a heavy sigh.

Jeonghan snapped.

“Thank God, I don’t have to be doing two horrendous tasks at the same time. Cleaning is enough, but looking at your face and cleaning―”

“Why would you look at my face while cleaning?” you cleanly interrupted.

It went horribly cold.

Your eyes widened a little, realising what you said. You were tired, both of you were tired―in short, you didn’t need to say that.

“I’m going back to my dorms,” you muttered, heading down the hallway. You didn’t want to anticipate in the reaction. But before you did leave, words slipped out of your mouth that couldn’t help themselves. “Hope your bedbugs eat you alive.”

He didn’t hesitate.

“Hope both sides of your pillow are warm, love!”

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

The next class with Jeonghan proved to be rather interesting. Besides the fact that Soonyoung came over a couple of times to ask you questions about the work, which Lupin didn’t see as he had his own errands to run during class time. You didn’t fully understand what was going on in him, he was quite tired-looking.

Almost as if a Dementor had absorbed the life out of him.

Anyways, Soonyoung came to ask another question.

“What’s the answer?”

You leaned forward to the parchment, reading to where he was pointing.

What happens when a prisoner escapes from Azkaban and what is it?

You rolled your eyes. “We just went over it, but it’s the Dementor’s Kiss. So essentially, it’s when the Dementor sucks out a person’s soul and it’s used as a sentence for those who attempt to escape Azkaban…you got that?”

You turned to Jeonghan to see him scribbling it down.

"Yup,” he muttered.

The past two times that Soonyoung came over, the Slytherin found it easy to just copy what you said aloud to the simplest questions. He wasn’t surprised you caught him in the act of doing so either.

“Thanks, Y/N!” the Gryffindor exclaimed, closing his eyes and smiling. Then, he went back to his arranged seat across the room. You looked back at your work, all finished.

Jeonghan opened a conversation, appealing to your boredom. But it wasn’t quite the expected.

“You and your boyfriend don’t seem as close anymore.”

You looked at him, his blonde locks falling perfectly near his eyes. He was really, such a beauty. “What are you talking about?”

A part of you understands what he’s getting at but the other part tells you, why is it his business?

“I just don’t see you two hanging out often anymore.”

“This bothers you because…?”

“It doesn’t.” he replied, the quill in his hand falling flat to the parchment, prior to him continuing, “Just an observation. Like I’d give a care for your life.”

You smirked. “Mhm, you sound like you are, Jeonghan.”

“You think I would just hover around a middle-class Ravenclaw girl?”

You stopped.

The words bled an unexpected pain and you could see that his face twitched a little when you paused.

“You did not just call me a middle-class girl,” you said, standing up. Your hands pushed into the wooden table as your desk chair scraped back. It alerted some members of the classroom to look at you.

“I did.” he said calmly, face not wavering from it’s blankness

Alas, his predatory pride couldn’t help but come back again.

“Jeonghan, you do realise no one likes you because of how you speak to others?! Your friends only want to be with you because of your wealth, okay? It spoiled you into thinking you have real friends and that you can make fun of other people’s financial issues. It’s seriously not cool…you should really think about how fortunate you are instead of coming at people who are less fortunate!”

You didn’t know how the words spilled out, but you were glad they did. Who had given him this much confidence? Why didn’t anyone put him into place? Jeonghan needed to understand that not everyone may have gone through the same treatment as him.

He was advantageous and as much as he did call you a middle-class girl, he didn’t have any authority of making himself look like the bigger person because of his financial issue.

Murmurs broke out subsequent to your outburst.

“Y/N, detention,” Lupin said.

“W-What?!” You yelled, your frustration yet to back down. How many teachers were just giving detention without knowing anything about the situation? It was seriously getting out of hand. “I didn’t do anything, sir. He was the one that―”

“How can you raise your voice in a quiet working environment? Do you see anyone else making noise?”

Unbelievable. There was no way people were ganging up on you, now were they?

You sat back down to your seat, Jeonghan letting out a chuckle at your misfortune. It wasn’t funny, neither was it anything close to fair.

Devising a plan in your head, it was all set to go once the bell rang. You waited. Waited until all the students left the classroom before you made your way to the front where the teacher sat. You needed to give this one a lecture, the teachers at this school were starting to get on your nerves one by one.

“Yes, Y/N?” he asked as if everything was okay and he did not just give you a detention for standing up for yourself.

“Why would you give me detention? I didn’t do anything wrong.”

Lupin laughed.

You felt humiliated at that point. It wasn’t suggested to be funny. Were you that much of a laughing stock for the world? Jeonghan, Lupin, who else?

“I know, I know. I was just playing with the two of you―it was a joke.”

You crossed your arms together, the racing heart unable to move to its original speed. “Sir, It’s not funny. I’ve already ended up with two detentions because of that boy. You’ve already put me next to him and that itself is torture, let’s just leave it at that.”

Lupin opened his mouth to speak, maybe to comfort you but you weren’t into it. Your mood was just ruined for the day. There was literally no one that could make you feel better.

You dismissed yourself from the empty classroom, a cloud parading over your head when you bumped into someone.

Seriously? Who else was going to try messing with you today?

“Dude…Mingyu!”

There he was. Your boyfriend.

Actually in person to see you.

“Hey!“

"You came at the right time. I’ve just had the worst day ever.”

“Really? Oh, I’m so sorry, babe. You’re lucky though! I came here wondering, do you wanna go on a date today?”

That in itself had made the clouds go away and a smile came onto your face. Finally, someone could make your day better than ruin it all.

“Yeah, I would really like that.”

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

The Three Broomsticks was a common place for couples of Hogwarts to go. You discerned it whenever you would be talking to your friends that had a significant other. You would guess it was because of the mature feelings that would surround the restaurant from the decorations to the people that attended it.

You couldn’t catch first to third years there much. So when you and Mingyu went in there thanks to your more senior rights of visiting Hogsmeade late at night, you guys were feeling comfortable in the atmosphere.

“Well, look who it is, my favourite couple,” Rosemerta said, with a smile that was so big and beautiful you wouldn’t miss it for the world. She was always so optimistic, it was wondered by many how it was humanly possible. The owner pulled out her notepad and pen, “What can I get for you today?”

You glanced at Mingyu and then ordered what you wanted. He ordered his food too and the woman went away, complimenting the two of you once again.

A conversation was then taken away by Mingyu. It’s been a while since you were able to talk to the other. But that didn’t stop chaos from happening.

Mingyu’s eyes shifted to the left when he had stopped abruptly in his words.

“Uh-oh,” Mingyu whispered.

“What?” you asked, deeply hoping it wasn’t another excuse for him to leave again.

Instantly you felt the hope turn into an unquestionable rage that could rake this whole restaurant into chaos. Yoon Jeonghan and his delinquent friends were sat a table away from the two of you.

If it wasn’t for the people sitting at the table in between yours and Jeonghan’s party, you would’ve said something about it and caused chaos anyways.

What he said last time had wound buried inside you and articulated some sort of extreme hatred for him. To the point where you couldn’t bring yourself to care anymore neither could you bring yourself to want to see him ever.

It was damaging that you were stuck sitting next to him.

Time went on on your date and you did your best to ignore Jeonghan and his friends that were laughing often. It was a restaurant, had they no respect?

Soon, the people that were seated in between the two of you left and that was enough for you and Jeonghan to turn around and lock eyes immediately.

You wish you could tell him that your boyfriend did actually care for you and was close to you but due to what he said earlier, you didn’t think that would be likely of happening.

“I really don’t want them to be here,” you told the honey-badger as you looked back at him.

He nodded, understandingly as the Slytherins roared with laughter again.

“I get it. Jun keeps looking at me. It’s a little uncomfortable.” Mingyu admitted.

A little silence flew by and you opened your mouth to suggest to leave when suddenly, a splat knocked you on your shoulder. You gasped and turned to your right to see a strawberry shortcake splat right on you. Your eyes directed upwards to meet with the Slytherin boys who were laughing again.

Jeonghan was too.

“Yoon Jeonghan!” you bellowed, knowing it had to be him. It seemed as if a rope broke because of him―the only thing keeping you sane in the restaurant and he had to go ahead and destroy that. “You better come here and clean this up!”

Mingyu seized a napkin from the stack on the table, leaning over your empty plates to reach your top but you put a hand up at him, still looking at Jeonghan. He sought to avoid eye contact, but even that didn’t allow his friends from letting it go. They were thorough in teasing him, something that you pronounced of his deserving.

“Yah!” he told them, striving not to break into another stream of laughter. “You can bet on my father’s black card that I’m not going there to clean up a prissy little middle-class girl.”

The way those words rolled off his tongue felt a little too natural for your liking. The Slytherins laughed again and Jun smacked his friend on the back. “Go! You’re the one who did it! Look at how mad she is!”

“Y/N, don’t do anything you’re going to regret.” Mingyu warned you patiently. He had fear screwed in both his eyes and you found that rather annoying, seeing that he was the one that willingly went to pick a fight with them.

You had about enough of everyone right that second, that you whipped around to look at Mingyu. “Oh, shut the hell up, Mingyu. You can’t say shit when you lost the fight anyways!”

Jeonghan’s table heard.

You knew when they all went silent.

You squeezed your eyes shut when you heard them all laugh again at what you said. It was an impressed and shocked roar of laughter and agreement that went past all of them and you couldn’t even bring yourself to look at Mingyu. You did not just embarrass him in front of all those Slytherins, did you?

“No, that’s not what I meant!” you tried, but failed, shaking your head. “Yoon Jeonghan, come clean this up.”

“No―”

“Yeah, Jeonghan.”

“Go clean it up, Jeonghan.”

“You’re the one who made the mess.”

His friends chirped him, aggravating him. But what was surprising was the random push Junhui gave him, urging him to go towards your table. Now that he was already up, he was left with no choice. Jeonghan walked towards you, surrendering.

Turning back to your seat, you waited for him to clean up his mess.

“Oohhhh~” his friends continued. They were contributing too much to this and in front of your boyfriend. You felt bad enough just looking at his face. The tips of his ears turned red and you were divulged into knowing the pain he must be experiencing because of these green-robed students.

Jeonghan’s napkins became an endless pile of cream as he wiped them off your bare shoulder. You kinda froze, letting him do his work in shame. His friends were too loud for your liking.

His fingers scraped past your bare shoulder, cool and relaxed as they touched by the off-shoulder material you were wearing. Jeonghan laughed again at something his friend from the other table.

“Shut up, Junhui!”

“Done…you act like too much of a princess for someone who wears something this cheap.” he commented. His finger casually glided into the sleeve of the material that started at your forearm and he playfully pulled it back.

A knot appeared In your stomach.

Mingyu was watching too. You looked up at Jeonghan, wanting to telepathically choke him to death.

“Go away, Jeonghan.”

He let it go, the elastic strap coolly hitting your skin again.

“Whatever you say, princess.” And he walked away to his seat.

You wanted to get up and get back at him but Mingyu reached for you over the table, in attempts of calming you down. You regretted dissing him earlier, so you took it as a way to repay him―by calming down.

“Let’s just go,” Mingyu instructed.

You nodded.

Thanks to Jeonghan, what was expected to be a perfect date became completely imperfect. In all honesty, you desired to spend as much time with Mingyu as possible, fill the long night with pleasant memories because you don’t get to see each other a lot during the week. The one time you wanted to live in a little bubble with just the two of you for a few hours was the time Jeonghan came to deflate it.

Mingyu and you weren’t quick to give up though―the two of you paid Rosemerta and walked, seeing snow fall in blankets over the ground. It was probably past eight-thirty and the coldness of the winter hugged the two of you together.

You reached for Mingyu’s arm, coincidentally, he put on his jacket. Pursing your lips together, you acted as if it never happened and decided to venture down the lone lanes of Hogsmeade.

“Where do you want to go?” he asked.

“I wanna walk around…there’s nothing much to do this late anyways,” you answered with a sigh that breathed out white smoke. Though you weren’t able to see that due to the darkness.

Mingyu and you walked along the snowy path, talking about random things as time flew. Because of the dark, you couldn’t see where you were going and soon you ended up down a small hill with a wired fence that felt a little too familiar to your liking.

“Holy, are we―”

“The Shrieking Shack.” you interrupted, seeing the other side of the fence.

It was far into the distance, yet noticeable. You didn’t mind it much, turning around to incline against the tall fence. The path back to Hogsmeade was next to you but for now, you needed to enjoy the time you had with Mingyu. Your eyes found his and you smiled, feeling the comfort that normally drew from him. Although, this time, it felt less.

You blamed it on the distance and how you couldn’t see him in the dark, but there was something about looking at his face that didn’t bring you the same satisfaction as it used to. Why? You asked yourself.

Was it a once in a while thing?

You furrowed your eyebrows as he looked over at you, hands stuffed in his pockets instead of holding you like the night was meant for. Why were you so far apart?

“Is it hard with Jeonghan?” Mingyu questioned you.

“Not just hard, I just feel so much worse when I’m with him. He’s always doing something to make the mood worse.” you said with an annoyed sigh. You did not want to be talking about him now.

All you wanted was for Mingyu to hold you, kiss you but he was just standing there and asking questions. You didn’t know how to tell him how awkward this was making it between the two of you.

“Can’t you ask the teacher to move seats?”

“I did, but he refused. Mingyu, I―”

“BOO!”

Mingyu and you both jumped, profanities leaving your lips in an instant. The hairs on your skin raised far quicker than it did when you stepped outside to come to Hogsmeade. Right on the other side of you appeared Vernon and someone else you failed to recognise. A drop of a cloak gave the answer away as to what they were doing.

“Who are you?!”

“Mingyu, calm down. It’s just Vernon,” you said, laughing. “What are you doing here? Who’s this?”

“Ah, I was bored so me and Chan decided to sneak out. But you know how fifth years aren’t supposed to go into Hogsmeade unless they’re with a senior, so we sneaked out.”

“Chan?” Your eyesight moved to the boy standing next to him and your mouth simply dropped to the ground. “The Chosen One, Lee Chan?”

“That would be me.”

“I never expected for this day to come.” you sighed, feeling your heartbeat quicken. Admittedly, it’s the quickest your heart had beaten this whole date because of Mingyu’s distance. Mingyu was also shocked as he took in the sight of the shorter boy as if succumbed in the shock.

You had another question coming for Vernon. “How about Adora? She could’ve taken you, Chan and Wonwoo.”

Vernon sighed and he rolled his eyes. “You’re not going to believe this but they were too busy studying together.”

You tilted your head in confusion.

“Wonwoo and Adora…”

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

Every single second accumulated by the next DADA lesson made you want to hit your head on the nearest wall. The tension, Lupin talking, his fingers tapping on the table made you a ball of frustration, to say the least. You wished for it to go away.

But alas, you were stuck there, sweat sticking to your forehead in a thick layer and your legs jiggling under the table. Why was the class taking forever? Why was one simple hour taking so long to complete itself?

"―and I hope that all of you are writing this down as I speak to you?” Lupin asked, suggestively hinting that notes should be taken in the lesson. You were stress-scribbling everything he was saying, if not, repeating some of the words.

You hadn’t seen such rubbish on parchment in your life, it hurt your eyes from just looking.

“Except, Mr Yoon, of course. What makes you exceptionally different that you don’t have to be taking notes?” Lupin asked, his tone laced with sarcasm.

“I didn’t bring a quill,” Jeonghan answered.

Your eyes burned at the spare quill on top of your pile of books―the same one that Soonyoung had asked to borrow a week ago, it seems.

“Unprepared?…there’s not much we can do about it, can we?” Lupin said, strolling back and forth in a little circle. The whole class had tuned their attention towards Jeonghan, except you. You were attented to the teacher.

“Except we could ask our deskmate if we could borrow their pen.”

Your heart plunged into your stomach. It felt like the world had crumpled into you and you were the last person standing right that moment. A fake, but a tense smile passed across the features as you met a couple of glances from your classmates. They were amazed at how rough yet smartly Lupin played his cards.

The influential desire you and you would assume, Jeonghan had to play those cards right back were a slim chance, nearly none. You picked at the skin on your palm under the table, telling yourself not to fidget at the moment but it didn’t do you any justice that you were put in the spotlight.

“Fine.” Jeonghan replied to the annoying teacher, “Y/N, can I borrow your quill?”

Jeonghan took o polite voice, one that was fake as your smile previously.

“Sure, Jeonghan.” you awkwardly answered, looking at the boy daringly.

But it was that moment where you should’ve known that what hit you were a feeling quite different from what you would feel when you looked at someone you hated.

It was amazement that flooded your body for a second, taking every space inside you as you found yourself staring at his eyes. They looked the same, but you never really noticed how pretty they looked.

What the hell is going on?

Like the whole of your body went into dysfunction, you couldn’t find yourself breaking eye contact. He kept it going too. Suddenly, it didn’t matter that your class was still looking into the drama, anticipating for Jeonghan to pick up the quill from his mortal enemy’s book pile. But they would be rather startled to find that they were staring at each other, or at least you were.

You couldn’t help it. The doe-sleepy look, plus, the eye bags that stood out made you stare. It had to be the newly added eye bags that still burned with the same ember of fiery hate that made you pause that second extra.

Jeonghan’s hand roughly scrolled to the top of your book pile and picked up the peacock quill. Just as quick as it happened, it felt painfully slow. It was like time stopped for a second even. How dare he touch your quill? You saved up for it to look pretty on the pile of books you take to lessons and he just roughly grabbed you.

Wait until you roughly grab his throat.

The regret still stuck to you like super glue. You banged your head on your textbook when people left the classroom, appearing dazed at the thought of his eyes.

“What is wrong with me?” you groaned, grabbing at your scalp for some sort of moral support but none arrived. You collapsed back onto the book pile once again, left in a confusing dark.

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

When you came to the library, you expected some quiet and peace but that was far from what you got instead. You got loudness that even Pince wasn’t able to pipe down and that proved to be deteriorating to your study time. You kept at it though, moving down the worksheet from Charms at a God-level speed. Your quill moved with fluidity, a smile on your face at every satisfying answer that came, until, of course, you were interrupted.

You looked up, taken aback slightly. Then, you search around and to your luck, the library was quite full and there was no other space except at your little table that had space for four.

“Are you Ravenclaws always hogging this space?” Junhui asked as he drew back the chair opposite you.

Still slightly in shock, you managed to pull in a few words, smartly. “You are stating the obvious. This is our natural habitat.”

Jun rolled his eyes, taking out the same worksheet as you from his Charms textbook. You didn’t find him to be the type to do his homework, he and Jeonghan skip classes at times.

You don’t mind him either, understanding the importance. You did your homework, proud that you were getting your stuff done today. You might go pay a visit to Mingyu if you had time to spare. So for the time being, you would just complete your homework and then―

“Do you have a crush on Jeonghan?”

The quill on your worksheet stopped writing ink bleeding through the parchment as you glanced up at the Slytherin in pure disgust. “I have a boyfriend.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

I don’t?

Why were you thinking this over?

“No, I don’t like Jeonghan. Why would I like Jeonghan out of everyone that exists?” The way Jun was asking you this―there had to be a reason. Had it been the time you were constrained to spend with his best friend or how you communicated with no chill? You were confused, yet sort of understood where he was coming from.

“You suit him, that’s all.” Jun shrugged.

You laughed. “Seriously?”

“Yeah, I’m serious.”

You shook your head and placed your quill down, demanding to know where he was coming from. “Why are you saying this all of a sudden?”

Jun sighed. “I don’t really seem the type to care about people―”

“You don’t.” you agreed.

He squinted his eyes sarcastically at you and continued with what he was saying, his finger swiping across one of your many books set on the table. “We grew up together, I know what’s best for him and I think rather than having a girl that wants his money, he should have someone smart and to keep him grounded.”

To say you were shocked that Junhui would be saying this was the least―you were mortified. The brunette didn’t give any type of sentiment as long as you’ve been in his residence. It was rather aggression that Jun designated towards others and now you felt sort of enlightened and shocked you were perceiving this side of him. Although, you felt the uncomfortable aspect of it too. You didn’t expect him to pour out his feelings like that.

“What are you telling me to do? Break up with my boyfriend?” you said, trying to make a joke out of it.

He was serious though. The boy didn’t falter from his point of view. He shrugged.

“Look, I―” you began, but was intervened by him.

Junhui locked eyes with you and you felt the seriousness coming from those half-closed eyes. “It might be because we’re in completely different houses. But if a Slytherin were to choose which house they would want to be acquainted with, it’s most definitely Ravenclaw…it’s just my opinion.”

You nodded, looking back at your work, trailing over the many answers. You were reminded about how Jeonghan would copy your homework last minute nearly every lesson and you wouldn’t have a choice but to let him because you didn’t want a fight to start in class.

“I respect your opinion and I really wish I could help you right now but I think you understand the situation yourself.” you smiled. And instead of making a joke out of it, you tried to comfort Junhui out of it.

They were really close to each other. Talk about bro-code.

“Jun? What are you doing here with her?” All your tension was back. This is why the two of you shouldn’t be together.

“Shut up, Jeonghan.” you told him, looking over at him. He was standing behind Jun’s chair as Jun stayed quiet, not responding to your fights. He’s never been that way between you and Jeonghan and you realised at that moment, this was the reason. He wanted the two of you to be together.

If he was going as far as desiring another girl for his best friend who was from another house, it genuinely showed how much he cared for Jeonghan. It reminded you of you and Adora―how you would do anything for each other.

It kind of comforted you knowing they were close like that.

“Say, you’ve gotten a little too much these days for a Ravenclaw,” he commented harshly. You noticed no use of the 'middle-class girl’.

You rolled your eyes. “You’ve gotten too prideful of yourself if you think I’m just going to let you be rude to me.”

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

DADA was starting to become boring.

Lupin didn’t give any extensions for the inquisitive Ravenclaws, explaining that you didn’t need it. You tried to look for more extensions but truth be told, you’ve done everything possible for the topic. So by the next lesson, you were just sitting there with nothing to do.

Reading random things in your textbook didn’t dare give the same fulfilment as doing actual work on the things you reviewed.

“Hey, give me the answer to this question.”

Looking over a little above your book, you whispered harshly: “The answer is B. Stop asking me.”

“It doesn’t matter how many times I ask, your smartass always answers.” he chuckled quietly. You rolled your eyes and paid attention to your book, wanting to doubt the false accusations but they weren’t false accusations if you thought about it yourself. You gave him the answer regardless.

“You’re late, Junhui!” Lupin called, the boy entering the classroom.

Nothing new, you noted.

“I was held back by Professor Snape.” Jun excused, his footsteps echoing the quiet classroom.

He’s always held back by Snape. You were starting to think it was a little lie he would implore whenever he came to class late. But who would know? Snape always defended the Slytherins.

You felt a small shift from your side, you looked over. Junhui had sneaked over when Lupin returned his shift to his papers on his desk. Jun bent down beside Jeonghan’s table, locking eyes with you for a second, before going by his best friend’s ear and muttering something. You didn’t trouble yourself trying to listen, flicking through the pages of your book for something you haven’t read yet.

However, the definite: “What?” coming from Jeonghan reached you.

You minded your own business, grasping the boy would make a fuss if you didn’t. But the whispering became more jarring.

“I’m sorry.” you heard Junhui. Did they mess something up? Your mind wandered anyways.

“Just…go back to your seat,” Jeonghan instructed his best friend.

The next few moments were sat in silence. You couldn’t help but think something had gone wrong because the silence between the two of you was so awkward, unlike how it would be most of the time. It made you realise your talking terms with the Slytherin. If it wasn’t something serious Jun had said to him, he would be back to bother you for answers but Jeonghan hadn’t touched his quill.

“I’m redoing the roll since some of you came late to class. Soonyoung?”

“Junhui? Just arrived…Shawn? No…? Jeonghan?”

He didn’t answer.

“Jeonghan? I swear I saw him today―”

With no substitute, you nudged Jeonghan with your elbow without looking at him.

“Oh, here,” he said, passively. Something was wrong for sure.

The roll finished soon and Lupin was back at his table, seemingly marking tests as the students did their work. But Jeonghan hadn’t touched his quill. You were concerned and it worried you too much to concentrate on your reading.

Finally, you put a hand on his arm. “Hey…you good?”

Jeonghan shoved your hand away firmly. Your eyes widened at the reaction and you hesitantly looked over. You had to arrest the gasp coming halfway up your throat to prevent a murder from happening within the walls of the DADA classroom.

There was no way you were witnessing this yourself.

Jeonghan had his head hanging low, but even then, you could see it yourself. The tears.

They were rolling down in heavy beads, almost not seen.

What were you supposed to do?

You already made it awkward by freezing upon their existence. It was literally like a slap in the face as your eyes enlarged. Another side of you softened.

Jun must’ve told him something that happened at home. How? You didn’t know yet, but you felt as if it was critical that Jeonghan was okay.

“I got you, okay?” you said softly, routing out your wand and bringing over the tissue box at the front desk of the class. Then, with the brilliant wits of your Ravenclaw self, you pulled out a bunch of tissues and stuffed them with no hesitance on Jeonghan’s face. He shot you a glare from half his face and red eyes but you only nodded at him in reassurance. He took the tissues from your wand’s grip and tousled them onto his face like you instructed through the nod.

You put a hand on his shoulder and got up, shouting. “Professor! Jeonghan’s got a bloody nose!”

Lupin stood up quick to see the ‘pitiful’ boy beside you that supposedly had a bloody nose. “Go to the infirmary quickly! I don’t want any bloody kids in my class!”

You nodded and patted Jeonghan with the same hand and the other hand to motion him off his seat. Whispers broke out in the classroom, Lupin dismissing them. “Don’t fret. It’s just a bloody nose.”

“You were the one that was worrying, sir.” Soonyoung teased, tending at the teacher.

You pronounced yourself grateful as you crossed over Jeonghan’s chair and followed him to the exit of the classroom. You got to see Lupin’s face that was dying of hesitance as the class broke out into merriment. He hadn’t known how to respond to Soonyoung’s facts.

You rolled around just in time to see Jeonghan disappear through the doors and hurried to accompany him. Your smile disappeared as quick as it came. Outside the classroom, you found him walking ahead, soft sniffles emitting from the poor boy. Still having no inkling what happened, you dashed forwards to be by his side.

You knew you weren’t meant to be the person comforting him. In fact, you would be the last on his list. So, why this? You couldn’t help seeing him cry like that for some reason.

The sensitiveness that emptied the Slytherin was difficult to see.

You stayed withdrawn by his side, letting him morph himself into the bundle of tissues provided in his favour. Your hands crossed in front of you, fidgeting slightly to foresee how things will turn out.

“Why’d you take me out?” Jeonghan asked as you turned around the corners in the hallway.

“I was just worried. Didn’t want to ruin your rep or anything.”

Jeonghan lifted his face slightly from the tissues and looked over at you, seemingly scanning your face. And then, he was back at the tissues. “Like you would care about that.”

He stopped walking, taking a rest at a wall. His shoulder dug into the solidness as he peered down, refusing to look at you. You sighed, being patient with him. The solitary excuse he had was that he was crying, you were going to respect that this time. “Hey Jeonghan, news flash. Not everyone is like you, okay?

He didn’t say anything. Alternatively, he let the quietness coiled itself into the conversation. Jeonghan sniffled a little, his nose growing a rosy pink. Whatever it was that was going on, there was an intimation of curiosity running in your body to know what it was that made the great rich boy, cry.

It only took time for him to reveal it himself.

“…my dog just passed away…”

Once more, you were submerged into astonishment. Your lips parted to say your apologies and pay immediate respects but he cut you off, looking at you fiercely. Tears were at the brim of pouring again.

“And if you’re looking at me like I’m weak or something, don’t even because―”

“I’m not,” you answered. “How does Junhui know though?”

He let out a sigh, the force in his face releasing. Neither of you suspected to be here at such a depressing time but here you were.

“I didn’t open any letters from my family the last few days. So Junhui’s mum told him to tell me.”

You nodded inaudibly and then slinked down the walls. Jeonghan gazed at you weirdly. You just patted the spot next to you. He wasn’t going to have it if you were all generously comforting him, he wanted to be treated like an equal because to him, you were merely a scum. You recognised that Jeonghan didn’t want to be treated nicely by ‘scum’.

Jeonghan sat down beside you. You looked ahead at the other wall, fading in its colour of beige. The embers of torchlight shone amongst the cloudy hallway with its breaks of windows and walls. You felt like you could feel the heat from those torches, but it wasn’t exactly the case. It was rather the distance between you and Jeonghan that you were met with.

“Cry it out,” you told Jeonghan. “I’m not going to judge you.”

He stared at you, asking with his eyes if you were teasing him. You didn’t say anything, rather, you looked back at him with the same neutral look in your eyes. You were still unsure whether it was good to say something comforting or not.

Jeonghan turned around and buried his face in the tissues and the light sobs soon resonated. You tilted back upon the wall, waiting for him to finish. A hand soon found itself on his back, this time he did not restrict it.

You couldn’t believe he wasn’t restricting it.

“What was your dog’s name?”

“Charlie…my little sister named her,” he said and you found the smile on his face that shone like the sun after a huge storm.

You were warm. “How old was she?”

“She was going to be fourteen next week.”

You moved your hand from Jeonghan, scrunching your face at the sad news. “Ah, that must hurt then. I’m sorry…for your loss.”

“Is this your way of making fun of me?” Jeonghan questioned abruptly. It took a second to register in your mind―what he said.

You snapped at him. “No! Why would I use such a thing against you?!”

Jeonghan also turned to face you, calm even though you were going to scream at his accusations. “Just joking, chill.”

“I can’t believe you’re joking at a time like this.” you huffed. “Your dog literally died.”

You rolled your eyes away from his face that caught a delicate smile. A smile that represented that he was already getting over it. He chuckled again. “You know, you’re kinda cute when you’re all riled up.”

Bewilderment severed a cord inside you. You fastened your head at him the second time to see something else instead. A tall kid walking down the hallway.

“Y/N?” Mingyu asked before you could barely register his presence.

“Oh, this isn’t going to look good.” you whispered to Jeonghan, waving at Mingyu. He didn’t respond, it only meant that you were alone for this.

You got to your feet, Jeonghan followed you up. Realising then was a renowned mistake―what could you do? It was already too late to cover it up.

“Y/N, what are you doing here? Don’t you have―what’s he doing here?” Mingyu’s words were sharp, sudden from the Hufflepuff.

Since when did he act like this? He never addressed you like that? You had many questions during that moment, but it was challenging for you to get an answer when you didn’t want anything to start neither did you want allegations flying around. It was better for things to be left as they were, particularly when you and Jeonghan weren’t at each other’s throat for once.

“Are you skipping with him?“ Mingyu interrogated you.

You gasped. “What? No! Mingyu, stop. It’s not that big of a deal. We’re just in the same class.”

Mingyu wasn’t having it for some reason. The male treated you with such caution like you were a prized possession. But all of that was gone as soon as it came to Jeonghan. Mingyu was mad.

“Sure, just tell me to calm down. It makes everything better, doesn’t it? You would doubt it too if you were in my position. One minute you hate him and the next you guys are skipping class together.”

You were aghast by his behaviour. Out of everyone you knew, you didn’t expect Mingyu to interrogate you like that. It was out of line.

“Stop looking at her like that,” Jeonghan told him when he was borderline glaring at you.

“You. Don’t tell me what to do―”

“Mingyu, seriously. You’re getting out of hand. I literally can’t speak to him? He’s in my year level, we sit together, we have the same classes. How am I not supposed to communicate with him?”

“Whatever you say. Because for me it looks like a completely different story,” Mingyu said, shoving past the both of you. He didn’t want to talk to you and it hurt that he was the one that wasn’t willing to listen to you. “Have fun.”

Jeonghan and you stood there, watching the tall boy walk down the hallway in absolute shock. You never saw this day come. The most mellow boy that ever existed was the one telling you off.

“Aren’t you going to follow him?” Jeonghan asked.

“It’s not my job to. He should be trusting me.”

You guys baked in the quietness, your eyes scrutinizing Mingyu’s back. Jeonghan used the time to get rid of the stray tears on his face.

“All of this…don’t think I’m suddenly going to be nice to you or something.”

You weren’t in the very mindset to think about what and what not Jeonghan wasn’t going to do. So you replied simply to him. “I’m not.”

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

Rushing was something you hated to do. It was proved so when a week later, you were rushing around the dorm with your best friend, the two of you, off timing for once in your school years. Your alarm rang late and because Adora was a deep sleeper, what you would do normally was get ready first and then wake her up so that she can get ready.

You were close like that. Though, this one time, your alarm hadn’t sounded and the others in your dorm began to get troubled and woke the two of you up.

“I’m so sorry!” you apologised, almost wanting to cry. What was worse was that the two of you had a test for Muggle Studies first period. It was unfortunate that your day had to start with sprints and worries.

The two of you were already worried about the test, it seemed that this poured more salt into the growing wound.

“If we get to the Hall now and grab something small, we’ll be five minutes early to class.” Adora dismissed, before waving at a non-existent fly. “Don’t be sorry, you goose! You didn’t do anything wrong!”

The guilt continued to sink into you as you ran through the nearly empty common room. Students must be finishing with their breakfasts and getting to their classes but you and Adora were only getting to the Hall. You second-guessed Adora’s estimate of getting to the Hall, but you did stay persistent in trying as you followed her out the door and down the hallway jammed with students getting to classes.

Lucky for them they were all extremely early for class.

It sucked that the Ravenclaw dorm was on the fifth floor too, it was unimaginable how many steps you had to take at this hour. Your hand flung to Adora’s shoulder when you felt that you were going to lose her in the crowd and she was assuring in the way she grabbed onto your arm and lurched your forward, winning profanities from the students that were bumped into.

“Stop running!” you heard a teacher yell.

It was far from getting you to stop on the staircase almost tripping and toppling you into the branches of auburn hair in front of you.

Until you were stuck.

A guy had bumped into you from behind as you were running, nearly knocking you off your balance, thanks to the jumpy feeling settling into you since the morning. You parted your lips to say something.

“Hey!”

Adora, you and the guy snapped your head behind you, in time to see something startling. Jeonghan…and his group of friends walking through the crowd with luxury (they were practically giving them way) as he looked at the guy. You couldn’t believe this.

“Why’d you bump into her?” he questioned the guy.

It was hard to ignore the nudge from Adora. It was screaming with questions, you couldn’t face her.

The guy looked down to his feet and then bowed at you promptly. “I’m sorry, ma’am.” And he pushed past you to get down the remaining stairs. You were about to go as well when the Slytherins didn’t let you without another ounce of surprise that morning.

“Why are you rushing so much?”

You furrowed your eyebrows tensely. “We haven’t eaten anything and we have a test first period.”

“Ah, that’s all?”

What was up with him? You nodded. “Why are you asking so many—“

Jeonghan whipped out his wand and swished and flicked. You assumed you were getting a live demo from Flitwick from the elegance that departed Jeonghan’s wrist. His other Slytherin friends were questioning his behaviour.

“Why are you talking to Ravenclaws?”

You heard draw from one of their lips but Jeonghan ignored it. Subsequent to his elegance, his best friend’s bag lifted in the slightest and rattled, gaining attention. Out came two packets of pumpkin pasties.

"Hey! Jeonghan!” Jeonghan didn’t mind him as his other friends got a hold of the grabby Junhui. Jeonghan turned to you more seriously, his eyes not wavering with any source of pity of such.

“It’s not much but you best get early to your classroom.”

The pumpkin pasties floated over to you, Jun trying to grab at them but failing miserably. You believed your inside warmed up yet not having a single bite of the sweet pumpkin pasties. The shock had taken some time to indulge you. Instead, you were thankful for the gesture by Jeonghan. Until you held your pumpkin pasty in your hand.

Adora was dead silent, letting you talk. She wasn’t involved, you didn’t blame her.

However, you had a choice and it was limited. Accept it and be early to class, don’t accept it and eat at the Great Hall and be late to class or don’t accept it and starve during the test, ultimately, failing from zero concentration. You were choosing the best option.

You were still in surprise. Maybe this was just repayment for last week’s assistance of comfort.

“Jeonghan, I—“

“Just go do your test.” he sighed, placing his hands on his waist.

You nodded and sent him a small smile. He didn’t smile back, you weren’t expecting him to. He already saved you enough.

“Come on, Adora.” You gestured the evidently nervous Adora and hiked back up all the stairs. This time, the two of you weren’t rushing, rather walking upstairs, waiting for the perfect time to talk about it. It wasn’t until the two of you entered your empty classroom that were you allowed to speak freely without the sound of other students near.

“Mingyu doesn’t seem like a dick, but up close he is. Jeonghan seems like a dick, but up close he isn’t,” Adora concluded.

“How do you draw to that conclusion?”

“Unless you have another opinion, Ms L/N,” Adora smirked, finding a spot on top of the back row table. Her approach was insightful, you admitted and you didn’t affirm offence in how she described Mingyu the d-word. Jeonghan helping you out was really a blessing, you believed. You were able to make it to class twenty minutes earlier.

You grabbed your pumpkin pasty wrapper as well as your best friend’s and made your way to the front of the classroom.

“I don’t have anything to say,” you told her truthfully.

“Hey, it’s just like Junhui said. Maybe the two of you are meant for each other. If he can see it, I can too.”

“You guys are so not playing matchmaker right now.” you gasped, watching as the orange wrappers swirl before taking a dip into the empty garbage liner.

“We should be. Have you sorted your stuff out with Mingyu?” Adora asked you.

You walked back through the tangle of tables and sat on top of the table in front of Adora’s. She twirled around so she could see you and the disappointing look your face gave away. “No. It’s been like this for the past week. If I see him in the hallway, I don’t even wave.”

“Sounds like a red flag to me. Even the overall jealousy.”

You didn’t doubt her. She wasn’t wrong that it was a bad indication of how Mingyu got angry easily.

“What do you think I should do?”

The auburn-haired girl pursed her lips. “I don’t know. I strongly believe that you and Jeonghan are a much better match. After you told me what Jun said at the library, it’s been on my mind.”

“Why, though?” you asked softly.

It didn’t make sense—before this, you and Jeonghan wanted to blow each other up. There were people that think that you would actually look good together. You could understand Junhui’s belief in keeping his best friend grounded but how did Adora think you would benefit from a relationship with Jeonghan?

“Not only will you guys look cuter but Jeonghan is also a lot more emotionally available for you than Mingyu. He fits with your time schedule so you’ll get to see him more often.”

How were you taking all of this in? It was like you were actually reflecting the differences between your boyfriend and Jeonghan for a second as if they were two different pairs of shoes you really wanted to wear for one outfit. You shook your head. “Enough. Now test me on technology evolution with Muggles.”

Even if Adora stopped talking, the topic of Jeonghan lingered in your mind.

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

“How do you think school is going for you guys?” It was more of a question you wanted to ask yourself because of the deepness of homework you were sinking in. Almost brutal to the touch, you hoped that your juniors were going through something easy.

“It’s starting to get harder,” Vernon admitted, filling in another blank on his worksheet.

You nodded and turned to Wonwoo for an answer but before you could, you caught something beside his head that sauntered in through the library doors.

“Mingyu,” Vernon stated for you.

You pursed your lips, seeing another girl, seemingly his year level next to him. They were laughing and chatting. Wonwoo had turned around to catch the honey boy walk in and the world had slowed. A pain slashed into your heart, ridiculing you at the sight.

“Who’s she?” You asked the boys more than yourself.

But all Vernon could do was shrug. Wonwoo, however, answered for you. “She’s one of Mingyu’s friends. They’ve been hanging out for a while together.”

“For a while, as in?”

“Since you guys stopped talking to one another,” Wonwoo told you. He must’ve known that was enough to cut the ties between the two of you, because the next minute, you were yelling for Mingyu from across the room. He caught your eye in a second as if knowing that you were where you were. You wouldn’t be caught surprised if he did, he was sly like that.

Mingyu walked over with the girl, who confusedly looked between you and Mingyu.

“You wanna talk?”

Mingyu looked at you blankly, “Sure.”

With that, he followed you out the door of the library, completely quiet and trying so hard to diminish the awkwardness between the two of you but there was proven to be no way. You and him were going to be like this until the problems themselves diminish.

The outside of the library had no trace of people or soul so you started talking immediately. You knew he was trying to get you back for what happened.

“Look.” You began. “I wasn’t trying to make you mad or anything, the other day. You know that’s definitely not my intention.”

Mingyu sighed. “No, it’s just that I was hurt that you would hang out with the guy that I fought with. It felt like you were on his side or something.”

You shook your head. He got the wrong idea. Completely. “Jeonghan was just going through a hard time and I brought him out of the class, that was it. And besides, there were no sides at all, neither was Jeonghan the one you were fighting. You’re just in the wrong with them.”

“It’s the same thing. He was still threatening me for his best friend and you know how that made me feel?” He was starting to show aggression, far from how a normal Hufflepuff would’ve handled the situation. You didn’t want to anyone thinking that you were in the wrong for something that wasn’t even your fault.

“Okay, thinking rationally, this whole thing was your fault, to begin with as you admitted to cheating―”

“So you go hang around with him?”

You took in a deep breath and let it out, estimating the stress would just air itself out. But another glance at Mingyu proved the exact opposite. “I told you we weren’t hanging and even if we were, it’s bound to happen. Not only are we in the same year level, but we also have some classes together and seating arrangements. Of course, I’m going to have to talk to him and he’s actually kinda okay. Maybe if you didn’t mess things up, he wouldn’t have gone hard on you.”

Your past self wouldn’t have guessed you would come to this stage in your life. Your past would rather die than see the day you defend the Slytherin.

“You complained yourself that he wasn’t nice and he annoyed―”

Mingyu stumbled forwards, his eyes widening. The Hufflepuff riled back to his straight posture, turning to the side to see who it was. It happened to be the very person you were discussing. It gave you a sickening vibe that things were about to turn ugly. You wished for an escape.

“What?” Mingyu asked.

“Stop messing around with her. I can see how much she doesn’t wanna be here from all the way down there.” Jeonghan pointed down the hallway.

He was right, but you couldn’t not defend Mingyu. “Hey, Jeonghan! It’s not like―”

“Don’t ‘hey’ me, dumbass. You’re still in a relationship with this cheater. If he’s cheating in Quidditch, imagine how he’d cheat on―”

Mingyu snapped. He grabbed Jeonghan’s collar in a fistful, causing adrenalin to shoot down your veins, worrying resting at your temple. It seemed that your endless worries were starting to prove the bottomlessness it really was. Why was this happening to you?

Jeonghan’s smirk wasn’t missed as he was hoisted in the air by your boyfriend and you could only assume that this was a bad sign. You didn’t want anything bad happening so you quickly grabbed onto Mingyu, pulling him away.

“Stop, Mingyu!”

He looked over at you, fingers opening to let down Jeonghan who fell gracefully to his feet. His intention was to trigger Mingyu and obtain some sort of victory from it―that was one way to assume Jeonghan’s doings.

“Y/N.” Mingyu pressed on, looking over at you sharply. “You choose me or him.”

“Hey, stop it.” you began, the anger starting to drive into you too. He wasn’t the only one that can show frustration. “This is not like some movie, okay? This is real life and we need to sort our situations sensibly.”

He didn’t talk, simply gawked at what you said. You stared back, just because you didn’t expect this quiet of a reaction from the determined boyfriend. Jeonghan, on the other hand, didn’t miss with a small giggle leaving his lips.

“Fine.” he stated. “I see how it is.”

Mingyu turned around and walked down the hallway. You watched for a few seconds, turning around too, deciding whether it would be the right decision to follow along. The boy was immensely immature, but simultaneously, you were filled with a need to stick to your spot on the ground, determining your dominance in the fight. You weren’t going to let him get away with something this silly.

But when a laugh left Jeonghan and his group of his friends, a sad sigh drew from your lips.

“Mingyu!” you yelled.

He didn’t stop walking.

“I’ll be back,” you said to the Slytherins before running down the hallway, in the attempt of seeking attention from your boyfriend again.

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

Your lips melded together perfectly into a rushing heated kiss. Back pressed against the wall, you found your hands pressed on Mingyu’s nape as he placed your hands on your waist.

“Oh my God, we haven’t done this in ages,” he said, pulling out at last.

You leaned your head back, catching your breath from the kiss. It wasn’t every day that you would be kissed like that from Mingyu, especially these days where all it seemed to be was bickering with one another or excuses of not meeting up with each other. Mainly Mingyu since he didn’t want to break the rules by sneaking out in the middle of the night.

“I missed it,” you replied with a sigh, feeling relief that the two of you were able to sort out your issues a few hours ago.

“Me too…we gotta go now,” Mingyu said, patting your shoulder. You wished it wasn’t time though. Something about having the satisfaction of his lips back on your mouth was somewhat urging you to ask him to stay back, but you couldn’t.

There was an invisible barrier blocking you from asking the Hufflepuff such an easy question. You were his girlfriend after all, not some random stranger. But the barrier was there and it was telling you not to cross it.

“Sure.” A brief glance into his eyes displayed tension that you couldn’t get past, however, you ignored it and walked down the hallway. Mingyu and you were somehow quiet on the way back to your dormitory as if the make out didn’t just happen. You were in your own headspace, thinking that you were starting to lose touch with Mingyu.

Ever since the incident a few days back, he’s been acting weird. Like he doesn’t want to talk to you much even though you have reconciled your issues.

“Emma!” Mingyu suddenly exclaimed, causing your head to lift up. Your eyes went comically wide, seeing the same girl that was with him when he came into the library on the day of the near-fight with Jeonghan. You squinted, double-checking but there was no doubt. It was the same junior girl that you saw last time.

She had a big grin on her face as she made her way towards the two of you, with you standing there awkwardly.

“Oh, hey, Mingyu. I was looking for you all around the common room! We need to work on the project today and try and finish it off.”

Were you not there?

You cleared your throat, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Project? Do you guys need any help? Because I can be of assistance.”

Mingyu smiled at you tensely. “Ah, no…we’re okay, we’re nearly done. anyways”

You nodded and smiled back, biting the tension away. You didn’t want to be there anymore, a distaste in seeing the two. Like you didn’t like Mingyu anymore.“Okay, why don’t you go, then? I’m sure you guys need to finish it off before the due date so I’m going to go now―”

“Are you sure?”

“Sure! Good night, Mingyu…and Emma.”

You turned around and walked away, a confused feeling stuck in your chest as you did. You’ve never done that before, why were you doing it? You recollected those days when you used to be jealous of girls that talk to him so brazenly and you would no doubt tell it to Mingyu.

You headed back to your dorm, putting your mind off things. It was pretty easy as the first thing you saw was Adora about to throw hands at Wonwoo.

Again.

You stepped in fast, grabbing her off of the poor kid.

"Girl, you better get off me or you’re going to get it too!” she exclaimed. The threat was evident in her voice but didn’t scare you, to say the least. The two of you were used to threatening each other in a way it became the norm.

“Shut the hell up and sort issues out without violence, dumbass.”

Adora paused, coming back to her senses and thank God for that too. You wouldn’t want to live for the day that she struck a punch at Wonwoo, that would be too painful.

“What were you guys were doing anyway?”

“We were discussing―”

“Arguing.” Vernon interrupted cleanly.

“Discussing,” Wonwoo argued. “We were discussing what we were going to do while you were gone.”

“And…?”

“We’re going to go to the library.” Adora answered with a shrug. You walked around the girl and claimed the seat next to her. “Just to hang out and stuff.”

“Wow, I should’ve just stayed with Mingyu,” you said sarcastically.

The three dropped their jaws to the ground, cooking in your comment. You laughed, realising how what you said cut a wound intensely to your friendship.

“No, no! I meant that he was at the library doing a project so I should’ve stayed there if you all were going to go there anyway.” you explained, a hand going to Vernon’s shoulder. They all sang with an understanding tone.

“Really thought you were betraying us like that.” Wonwoo put his hand to his chest, breathing out a relieved sigh.

“Of course not! Now, how long are we going to stay here? Let’s go.” The three of them got up along with you, exiting the Ravenclaw dorm hastily to enjoy the Friday night. Walking in the hallway, their voices echoed throughout.

To be frank, Adora and you were basked in more entertainment when you started talking with Vernon and Wonwoo. Whether it’d be Wonwoo and Adora fighting just for the fun of it or you and Vernon having to get those two back to the dorms because they’ve fallen asleep by each other’s side again after endless arguments―you counted it all as your entertainment.

There was something special of a sort between you and your friends and you were forever cherishing in that. Especially as you walked to the library, you and Vernon exchanged smiles at seeing your friends bicker again.

If you and Jeonghan weren’t enemies, these two definitely were. Arriving at the library, Vernon cut them off.

“I need to show you guys this comic I saw the other day.” He grabbed both Adora and Wonwoo’s wrist and then paused, regarding that he wasn’t holding you too. He pouted a little.

You shook your head and smiled. “It’s fine. I’ll go look at the 'romance’ section anyways.”

“Need to find more erotica? I can hel―”

Adora used her free hand to ball into a fist and hit Wonwoo on the head. His head fell a little. “You idiot. How dare you ask that question to her? She has a boyfriend!”

“Okay, so? It’s only human nature to read what is erotic. Therefore, I’m not asking her anything wrong.”

“Therefore, I’m not asking anything wrong―shut up before I smack you silly. Y/N, listen to me. Go look at all the erotica you like, but don’t take advice from him. Even I know better erotica.” Adora said, pointing sharply at Wonwoo like he was something disgusting under her shoe.

You raised your eyebrows with Vernon. Wonwoo defended himself nicely. “I know better erotica than you―”

“No, you don’t. Don’t argue with me, Four Eyes!”

“I can show you better erotica,” he said to her.

All four of you paused in your respective positions at Wonwoo’s words. Did he just say what you thought he said? Even Vernon let go of Wonwoo to place his hand on his mouth.

“Yo, Wonwoo~ Are you trying to tell her something?” you teased. It was your turn to get hit by Adora. “Ow!”

“Don’t joke like that. I would never do anything like―”

“Wonwoo, don’t you think a great erotica story would be one where you’re doing Adora and you take off your glasses and put it on her. Then, you compliment―”

“Enough. Go read your damn erotica!” Adora said, shoving you out of the way.

Vernon and you erupted with laughter. “I said I was going to look at romance, not erotica. There’s no erotica section in a school. You two started this!”

They tried to argue with you but you were already on your way to the other side of the library.

The rest of them were off to the other side of the library, apparently looking at the comics. You didn’t bother them, on your way to the romance section like you said you were, finding fascination in the particular enemies-to-lovers trope.

“Are you sure she won’t come here?”

“I’m sure. She’s too stupid to even realise that I’m cheating on her.”

“Mhm,” she giggled, looping her arm around his neck. Her lips were nearing closer to him. “Thank God.”

You were frozen, captivated wrongly in the scene your eyes fled to. Particularly noting that it was happening right at the end of the last romance aisle. You felt as if someone had ripped out your heart and stomped on it and that person being Mingyu had caused tears to run freely down your face as you stood there. Just watching.

Funny how merely seconds ago you were joking with your friends and now this.

Body against body, you were met with betrayal. The girl you suspected was actually with him, kissing him so passionately. Mingyu had never done that with you. You were almost discreet of showing public display of affection, it hurt to see that he was open with someone else.

You couldn’t see it any longer. Turning around, you exited the library, allowing the tears to run loose. If Vernon and Wonwoo weren’t there, you would’ve gone to confide Adora straightaway and she would’ve given him all she had but they were there and you were alone. It would be embarrassing to go tell her that now, so you escaped the claws of the self-delusional way of a cheap thrill Mingyu had.

He didn’t see you either.

You looked down even though there weren’t any students that passed the hall at this hour.

Some assignment, he said.

Not only had he lied but he was making out with another girl in the library and in the romance section. You wished to bleach your eyes as the scene refreshed and replayed in your mind like some kind of heated drama.

All you could keep asking yourself was why?

Why were you so easily fooled? You bumped hard into someone.

“Dude, what the hell―dumbass? It’s you?”

You looked up at him as if you were strong and proud of your tears and least to say, he was quite still to see you in tears.

“Yeah, it’s me, everyone’s favourite dumbass. The one that’s so easy to fool because she’s such a dumbass.” you laughed half-heartedly, before sinking your face into your palms again. The sadness came out behind all the anger stored in you. It was like you had so much anger that the way that Jeonghan was in front of you in such a moment, didn’t seem to phase you.

“What happened to you?” he asked, more aggression in his voice than was relevant.

“No, don’t speak to me. I’m a dumbass. Dumbasses don’t know how to speak for themselves.”

Jeonghan held onto your wrist, pulling back an arm to reveal your crying face. You looked to the ground, feeling his stare penetrate through your skull, prompting your heart to go wild at how he was the one that found you out of all people. But with the way that he was staring at you, you found the care that came through it. Like he was waiting for you to explain.

“Right now, as of nine-thirty-one pm, Mingyu is making out with another girl and what did I do? Walked right out and acted as if I didn’t see anything? Yeah, I did. That was me.”

“He did not.”

Jeonghan overlooked your ignorantly sarcastic behaviour, focussing more on the fact that Mingyu cheated on you.

“He did.” you nodded, smiling.

Jeonghan’s grip on your arm got tighter as if bringing you back to your ground. The tears stopped for a whole second.

“Ah, ah!”

“Oh, sorry.” He let your arm fling to your side, then he proceeded to question you. “How could you just walk out like that?”

The way in which he asked the question seethed with toxin.

“Because I’m a dumbass.”

Jeonghan furrowed his eyebrows, his hands placing themselves on his waist. Never in a million years, you would expect Jeonghan to be here when your heart was at stake.

“You dumbass! You know I didn’t mean that! Ugh, just, come on!”

“No. I’m not going back in there!” you yelled arrogantly as he got a grip of your forearm again. He needed to get his anger issues consulted because if he was going on like this, everyone was going to be insulted profoundly.

“Um, yes. You are. Because you’re a dumbass that speaks up for herself. Don’t let anyone step all over you.” Jeonghan turned around, leading the way towards the library.

Instead of objectifying, you proceeded with caution, watching as his face contorted into frustration of some sort. You were seeing a new side of Jeonghan―a preventive side. Why was he helping you out? What happened to his Slytherin class? He held himself up so greatly to the point that you assumed you would never see the day he would be helpful to you in some way.

And yet here he was, dragging you back into the library to stand up for yourself.

He kicked open the library, making you jump in your skin. You didn’t bother trying to tell him where Mingyu was because he was dragging you through the aisles (left, right, up, down) until he finally met the romance section and your doom.

And to your great horror, he was still there.

“Yah, Kim Mingyu!”

Mingyu snapped his attention away to you, his eyes widening at seeing you and Jeonghan there. A dreadful pit dropped into your stomach. Jeonghan pushed you forwards.

You really didn’t want to do this.

But after seeing that girl, Emma, rolling her eyes, it made you more mad.

“What is this, Mingyu? What are you doing?”

Mingyu pushed Emma out of the way, walking down the aisle towards you.

“No. Don’t even come here.” You stood there, wiping away the last tears with your sleeve, glaring at Mingyu. “Breaking my trust was one thing, but being a coward and telling me about it, pushed the line. The least you could’ve done was be honest about it. But you didn’t.”

“Babe. Let me explain.”

You looked away. “Jeonghan, I can’t even look at his face anymore. If you let me stay here any longer, I might actually damage his face for life.”

Jeonghan sniggered beside you and then nodded. “So no slap or…?”

“Not feeling it.” you sighed, placing your hands on your hips. Looking at Mingyu’s face for a longer time made you realise that you weren’t so mad anymore. It must’ve been the distance that separated the two of you the past few days but somehow wounding into your night, looking at him only concluded disappointment in your heart.

It was kind of an annoyance that it would happen on such a good day, so as you and Jeonghan left the library together, with no signs of your friends (they were probably riddled into a good comic), you were alone.

“Come on.” Jeonghan stated, grabbing the sleeve of your top.

“No.” You shook your arm, hoping that he would let go but Jeonghan stuck to you like super glue. “I’m going back to my dorm.”

“And do what? Cry for the rest of the night and then act like nothing was ever wrong…? Exactly. Come with me,”

A final tear slipped down your face loosely, not emitting any particular emotion. It just came down itself without being asked to.

“Where are we going?”

“Shut up.” was all Jeonghan said as he pulled you down the hallway. You might as well be an inanimate object from the way things were going. The pull was strong and you could’ve said anything to it, but you didn’t. Partly, you knew that Jeonghan was trying to help and him helping was better than spending a night alone with tears running down your face crazily. When Jeonghan brought you outside the castle, you were beginning to dispute his actions, wondering if he was purposely doing this so you guys get in trouble.

“How about the Dementors?” you asked, feeling a bold shiver run down your spine as you hiked the fresh grass patches. The sound of waves crashing slowly onto the shore of the lake resonated the night, along with branches swaying. The night was bright, notably because of the white moonlight that decided to stripe against you and Jeonghan.

“What about them?”

You rolled your eyes at him, acknowledging there wouldn’t be a way out of this. He had let go by now and the two of you were finding a spot amongst the field.

“Here.” you motioned, slinking down into a sitting position. By now, all tears were dispersed from your space. You were indulged in relaxing your body against the night’s sways. Jeonghan sat next to you.

The silence bathed in itself, the calm yet rough wind delivering cool air to your body. That’s what you liked about nights. Not only was it a perfect time to study, but the cool breeze from opening your window in the slightest also delivered satisfactory cool air. Jeonghan bringing you here could only mean he enjoyed it similarly.

“You’re not crying anymore,” he noted.

You nodded, folding your knees to your chest habitually. “We weren’t doing as well anyways. I don’t wanna cry for him too. He didn’t trust me and ended up breaking my trust…God, I didn’t even expect this.”

Jeonghan converted his shift towards the Black Lake.

“I’m not the best to comfort, however, he is such a big asshole for doing that to you.” Jeonghan said.

And that in itself was able to soothe your racing heart, calming down the nerves that came from the cheating incident.

“Geez, I didn’t expect you out here out of all people when things turn bad.” became the only way you could reply. You really didn’t know what else to say.

“Me neither.” Jeonghan agreed.

You shook your head, another important thought slipping into your head, one that was staying in your mind like an undefeated fire, soon taking over every single part of your brain. Every time you had spare time, your mind would aimlessly wander to this question.

Of course, as a Ravenclaw, you had not one, but variants of answers in which Jeonghan could answer―carefully analysed and thought of too but it was the best to hear from him.

“How come you’re talking to me now? Don’t you Slytherins hate everyone except your kind?” You made sure to sound doubtful about him so that he would answer properly.

“You’re okay.”

“I’m okay?” you scoffed, turning your head towards the pretty boy. He was still busy examining nothing in the lake. The night was light, but when it came to the Black Lake’s side, nothing shone over there. It was concealed. “What’s not okay?”

“That you’re not a Slytherin.” he answered, his own smile on his face. You laughed along, finding truth in his voice. You liked that he was truthful, unlike some people.

You sat for a while, admiring the lake’s beauty even though it was quite dark for the eyes to adjust to. Being with Jeonghan made it better. You were smiling too instead of having a glare around him. It was like a miracle.

“You know something, Jeonghan?”

“What?”

“You’re more tolerable than I expected these days.”

“Hm, why do you say that?” His voice had gone one octave lower, making you look over at him. Jeonghan seemed tired, though you couldn’t exactly tell.

“Because…because you’re being nice for once.”

“Or maybe…you’re into me,” Jeonghan smirked.

Your eyes widened, heart racing as you captured a glance of his eyes. They seemed only half-open and doe-shaped. God had given him sexy and cute in one person, you couldn’t take it anymore. Just looking at him made you want to hit your head on the wall, making you question your own morals.

You just got out of a relationship, why were you already looking at him like a next target? But your mouth had answered before you could.

“Maybe I am.”

Jeonghan chuckled. “You know that would make you equally as bad as Mingyu?”

“No.” you told him, shaking your head. “I’m not in a relationship, I can say what I want.”

“But technically, you must’ve been thinking about this for a while before telling me,” he said. You had an answer for everything.

“Or I could’ve just found you attractive?”

“Or you just never wanted to admit it before because it would’ve made things awkward between us?”

Scratch that. Jeonghan always had an answer for everything. You looked away with a smile, prompting a giggle from the boy. There was no arguing with him.

“There’s no beating you.” you sighed.

“Glad you admit it.”

“I hate that you’re being nice, though. Since when were you nice?”

“I don’t like seeing you be nice too, love.” he admitted, the ‘love’ getting you to zip your mouth so quickly. The first time he called you that, you didn’t feel anything. But now there was this rumbling feeling inside you that caused your body to heat up in the cold night. There was no other explanation for this.

“I’d take you on a date…”

You whipped your head back at him.

“But―” Jeonghan’s perspective darted to your lips. “I’d rather we wait it out a little.”

“I was going to say that anyways.” you said. “I don’t want a relationship right now. Besides, we never got to know each other properly. Let’s do that.”

Jeonghan nodded. “So you actually have feelings for me?”

“Do you?”

“You caught me there.” he smiled. You waited a brief second for him to answer. He didn’t. Your heart was pounding in your ears.

“So you do?”

He nodded.

“For how long?”

The night’s breeze quickened, your eyes following the stars up. You could see a Dementor in the distance. It didn’t scare you much, to say the least, it was more like you were used to seeing it there, flying around lonely. If Jeonghan hadn’t found you in tears, you would’ve felt like a Dementor. All lonely.

“Last week.”

“All the tension finally got to you.” you commented.

“It did.”

When you were first seated with Jeonghan, you imagined stargazing to get along, you didn’t expect it to actually happen. Lupin’s plan to make your year level mingle with each other with something as simple as a seating plan was coming into reality.

[sweetiesicheng]

woozi - fair

word count : 644

-

"that was really fun!" you smiled at your boyfriend as you two got off of a ride. you two had decided to go to a fair after both of your classes got out for the day.

jihoon smiled back at you, "want to go again?" he asked.

"maybe later. i think i have adrenaline from the ride," you replied with a laugh. "are you hungry?" you asked him as he grabbed your hand to lead you out of the gated area.

"yea. i'm going to grab a slice of pizza. do you want one?" he asked you.

"oh, i want a sandwich," you replied.

"i'll grab the food. you go get that milkshake you wanted from that one stand," jihoon said to you.

you instantly smiled, knowing that he had seen you stare at a dessert stand while walking earlier. "okay. that works. i'll grab you one too," you said to him.

"text me when you come back this way," jihoon said and let go of your hand, "or i'll text you when i'm done."

you nodded, "okay," you started walking away.

"hey!" you turned to look at jihoon, "punch anyone who tries to ask you out." you started laughing at him and continued walking away.

he's so adorable.

—

you finally ordered the milkshakes and waited near the pickup area. the fair was pretty busy since it opened the day before, but you didn't mind how crowded it was.

a bunch of people were waiting for food, so you were trying your best to stay close to the stand so you could hear your number being called out.

"excuse me?" you turned when someone spoke to you.

"yes?" you asked the girl.

"um...are you single? maybe we could get a coffee sometime?" she asked you.

"oh, i'm sorry. i'm seeing someone," you immediately apologized to her. you became flustered since you didn’t know how to respond to her.

her eyes widened, "oh, i'm so sorry," she apologized to you. "you're just really pretty, and i really just wanted to try to ask for your number."

"no, it's okay," you said to her.

the girl awkwardly walked to her group of friends, and you awkwardly turned back to face the stand. a few minutes went by, and your number was called. you went up to the counter and grabbed the milkshakes you had ordered and walked away.

while walking, you started drinking your milkshake, which you thought was really good for a simple milkshake. you looked at the different stands with different games, wondering which ones you should play next with jihoon.

"y/n!"

you smiled when you saw jihoon standing up from a table he was at. you went up to him and joined him on the bench he was sitting on.

“you didn’t text me,” he said to you.

“sorry. i forgot,” you apologized to him. "this is a lot of food, jihoon," you commented as you sat down and put the drinks on the table.

he shrugged, "we've been running around here. more food means more energy to play," he said to you and took a sip of his milkshake. "woah, this is good."

"right?" you replied to him and opened a bag of chips that jihoon had gotten.

"so, did anyone ask you out?" jihoon asked you before taking another sip.

you laughed, "jealous much?" you asked.

"so someone did ask you out? did they ask for your number? do i need to punch them?" he asked.

"you are not punching a girl," you said to him.

"wait, someone really asked you out?" he asked.

“is it unbelievable? you get asked out all the time,” you pointed out. you tried to dramatically flip your hair, "what can i say? i'm a catch," you said with a laugh.

jihoon smiled before kissing your cheek, "yea, and i'm glad i caught you."

[synthetickitsune]

17's Vocal Unit & Onewe songs

Hip Hop Unit ver. | Performance Unit ver. (wip) (Yes, this is very self-indulgent.)

Woozi

♫ Parting - If after this parting, an unimportant asteroid could swim against time so that I could meet you again, on that day, even if today, even if tomorrow, without a single lie, I would speak to you my truth

He feels like ripping his hair out. It wouldn’t be hard, given how damaged the recent rounds of bleaching it and dyeing it has left it, and he thinks it might be worth it. He’d be able to hide from the world for a while at least. He goes through a few more pages of lyrics but the hate and disgust sitting heavy in the pit of his stomach only grows heavier with each line and he throws the sheets of paper on the table. Jihoon thinks of burning them.

Anger. Betrayal. Confusion. Hatred.

Heartbreak. Longing. Regrets.

He’s gone through quite a few stages of dealing with a breakup and honestly, he’s had enough. Perhaps this is his punishment for what he’s done. He wishes he could’ve just stayed angry. Honestly. Even if he’d be the biggest asshole in the world for that, it’d be much better than this. He misses the fire of fury that raged inside of him, he misses the way others avoided him just so he wouldn’t take it out on them. Hell, he’d miss hating you too, if only you deserved it. 

Right now he just misses everything before this. There’s a few things he hates more than pity, yet that seems to be the only emotion others feel for him lately and it’s honestly embarrassing. He should get his shit together. 

But it’s been months and all his songs are still about you.

The worst thing? Anyone who knows him can tell.

They might be a little too specific to be used, which should be even worse but it’s not.

Actually no - the worst thing is that all the songs are so much about you and the lyrics are so specific that anyone who knows him and has read them also knows exactly what he wants to tell you.

Some of the guys told him to text you. Call you. Threatened to take pictures of the scribbled pages and send them to you.

He’s fought with basically everyone at this point. He’s still not on talking terms with most of them. 

But he was never good with words, was he? Not when it counts anyway.

He sighs, closing his eyes. Behind his eyelids, as if the scene was tattooed on them, he can see your eyes filled with tears, the shift in your expression as he screamed at you on that day. As he yelled words he never meant, words that were the opposite of what he should have - what he wanted to say.

It was bad timing. Everything was just a little too much for him at that point and he realizes now he should have communicated that to you. He knows you’d have waited for him, but he was - as ironic as it is - secretly terrified of losing you. Way to go, Jihoon.

You must’ve been in so much pain. Just the thought alone makes him clench his teeth and his fists itch to hit something. You must’ve suffered so much, yet you were always so patient with him.

And still he had the nerve to act like the victim.

It was bad timing. He snapped like a rubber band stretched too thin.

The last string of his sanity must’ve snapped too, because he can’t imagine another reason for acting like he did. What else could’ve made him think that you were the one betraying him. Leaving him when he needed you the most? As if you weren’t dealing with your own problems too. 

He misses you.

If that’s not clear from the pages upon pages of whining and crying out for you that he’s written.

He’d like to believe you’d hear his words if they end up being a published song.

But he feels like he’s broken you too bad. Like he’s corrupted you in some way. So much so you’ll never be able to enjoy the music associated with him anymore, even if you used to love it before. 

He still has your number.

Sometimes he thinks about giving you a call, asking whether you’d listen to him speak.

He never does.

Maybe if he knew the world was ending tomorrow, he’d stop being a coward and he’d call you. He’d play the guitar and he’d sing every single one of the songs he’s written.

Maybe if he could turn back time, he’d tell you exactly what he should’ve and what he wanted to say. He’d drag the words out of his throat, he’d stop choking on his feelings.

He picks up the pen again. He takes a new sheet of blank paper. He writes your name at the top of the page. Neatly, with care you deserve. He hopes it’ll erase your name from his life but it seems it’s been burned into his brain and heart.

Maybe one day you’ll hear the words he wishes to tell you. The thought keeps him alive.

Jeonghan

♫ Eraser - I was going to force myself to erase you but your scent, so familiar, lingers Like the sluggishly melting ice, I slowly intend to forget you

He only just opened his eyes, consciousness coming back to him after a long night of sleep, yet he already hates it as he takes a breath and the lingering scent registers in his brain. He considers just closing his eyes and going back to sleep, yet as tempting as that option is, for once he’s sure he wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep if he tried. He’s been sleeping a lot these days, and maybe Jeonghan deserves to be called a coward, but it’s not like it’s anyone’s business but his own.

So he gets up, blindly kicking his feet until they find his slippers on their own. He refuses to look at them. It would be easier to just throw them away. He’s been trying to bring himself to do it for a week now.

He walks into the kitchen, pointedly ignoring the selection of tea and coffee pushed to one corner of the cupboard. What he wasn’t counting on was seeing the one mug that has survived the fateful night and that was forgotten here. He should throw it away too. But he can’t even look at it without feeling the overwhelming shame washing over him, making his eyes prick with what are not tears. It’s just too early and his eyes are dry. That’s all.

He closes the cupboard and instead washes the same mug he’s been using for a week straight now.    

A coward, a stubborn one at that.

He makes some coffee and he sits on the couch. Despite turning on the tv, he can’t focus. Instead his mind races with fragments of memories, uninvited and painful. He doesn’t want to think about you. He promised himself he wouldn’t, so he imagines every thought of you being torn apart. It doesn’t work. He sips the hot drink, burning his tongue but it doesn’t provide the distraction he hoped it would. Now his tongue hurts just like the depths of his soul.

He’s being childish and he’s painfully aware of it. Everything seems to hurt, or maybe he’s just too sensitive.

Funny how that’s what he told you. He winces at the memory, another sharp stab to his breaking heart that has yet to stop bleeding.

Maybe it’d be easier if all the memories were bad. If the scent that seems to linger in every inch of his apartment didn’t bring him so much comfort. There’s nothing he wants to do more than bury himself into the blanket that smells so much like you and pretend that it's a week ago and things are fine. On second thought, maybe he should throw the blanket away and forget you. 

It’s not like he’s not doing well without you. He gets along fine with the others, unless they get on his nerves. He can work just fine too. It’s exhausting enough that he’s physically incapable of thinking about you so that’s a nice bonus. 

Things are better this way. You were fighting so much lately anyway. Both of you were frustrated and angry all the time. You kept hurting each other because of how hurt you both were.

Things are better this way.

He will forget with time. Jeonghan’s sure of it, yet the thought makes despair spill in his veins and tears well up in his eyes. It’s gonna be fine, if only he can hold on. He’s surrounded by good people. He will get through this.

So why, then, are his feet moving? Why are they carrying him to his closet, why is he getting down on his knees and opening the drawer that used to be yours? Why is he pulling out the sweater you’ve forgotten, much like the blanket. 

He pulls it over his head, curling into himself as he breaths you in, even as you are who knows where. Are you happier like this? Or are you miserably like he is?

He doesn’t know why he keeps all your things where you’ve left them. Maybe he hopes you’ll come back for them soon, after the anger dissipates. His own has yet to leave fully, everything seems to linger.

He wants to be so angry that he’ll pick every single little thing you’ve touched, throw them all into trash, beat them with a bat or something, stomp all over them, burn them or whatever. 

But that would mean taking off the sweater that you’ve always worn on cold winter nights because it smelt like him after hours of cuddling. Now it only smells like you and there’s no one but him to wear it.

It’d mean breaking the colorful mug with cute animals. With the bunnies you always said look like him. The one he teased you about carrying your first indirect kiss. And destroying the slippers he’s wearing, a new pair of which always miraculously appeared when the old one was getting torn with use. 

Perhaps it wasn’t all that bad. Tell him something he doesn’t already know. 

He’s just a stubborn coward. But he can’t admit that or he’ll break.

Someone knocks on the door.

Who knows whether it’s him who rushes more to open them or the heart beating in his chest at the possibility it could be you.

Joshua

♫ Rain To Be - The rain falls, I look out the window You're standing there already waiting for me I prayed to the heavens Not to lose you

The rain keeps beating against the ground, the drops heavy and exploding in splashes all over the deserted playground. Your clothes and shoes are soaked, each of your steps making a squeaking sound. Your white shirt sticks to your skin, turned transparent by the water. You'd feel shy, if only your body wasn't pressed against his. You know he won’t let anyone see what’s his. Joshua’s soaked through as well, his own shirt see-through and clinging to his sculpted body. Even though the rain is cold, he’s so warm and his heat is addicting.

Then he pushes you away, gently, his hand holding yours, and he twirls you around. He keeps humming the same melody as he guides you through the moves of the dance. The wind blows past you, cold, and it makes you shiver in the warm summer night. He pulls you closer again, chuckling when you wrap your hands around him, clinging to his warm body.

“Should we go home?” he whispers, only breaking his humming for a second. You shake your head no, and soon it’s too hot again and you’re grateful for the rain. You let him set the correct stance again, continuing to slow dance with you under the stormy skies. Somehow it feels both sensual and silly. His body is so close to yours, your clothes wet and thin and hiding nothing from your wandering gazes. Whenever your eyes meet you’re ready to ignite. And yet you’re just two people in love, dancing to the melody no one but you can hear while a summer storm rages through the city. You’ve never felt happier.

“Thank you,” he speaks again, lips brushing against your ear. The comforting scent of petrichor fills your lungs. You’re at peace.

“Thank you,” you smile, leaning closer until your lips are against the skin under his ear. Of course it’s only because he wouldn’t hear over the thunder.

“I’ve wanted to do this for a long time,” he says, twirling your around again before pulling you back. You’re even closer and he holds you against his body firmly. “You’re the most beautiful when you’re getting rained on.”

“You’re just saying that because you love getting rained on,” you emphasize again, chuckling. The truth is he looks breathtakingly beautiful when he’s wet from the rain, something about the water falling from the sky giving him an ethereal glow.

“Just like I love you,” he kisses your temple, still leading you in circles, dancing as you whisper to each other.

“And I love you,” you tell him honestly. Thinking for a second, you can’t hold your tongue. Not when you’re so close to him. Not when it feels like you’re sharing your secrets with the rain, letting it wash them all away.

“I think I first realized when we ran through the rain after the dinner with your parents,” you share, feeling him hum in acknowledgement. His hand squeezes yours. I’m listening. “I was a mess. My makeup got ruined, I looked like a wet rat. My hair was dripping with water. And you just pulled me closer and kissed me like you were drowning. And you grabbed my hand and led me home. I remember looking at you when you turned around and just thinking - holy shit, i love him, he’s the one.” You hear him chuckle, and then he comes to a stop.

He pulls away just to gently take your jaw between his fingers. He guides your face towards his until your lips meet. The kiss is wet, soft, and it’s not the burning passion of the past, it’s the crystalized love and admiration, unconditional devotion that your feelings have grown into.

“That’s why I love watching you in the rain,” Joshua whispers, like he’s confessing his secrets too, “Because I think I knew back then too. I think I saw it in your eyes and I thought - finally, this one I will spend the rest of my life with. It must be fate, don’t you think? I love you so much that every day I’m terrified of losing you.”

“Why would you lose me?” you ask quietly, “I’ll always be right here, next to you, waiting for you, dancing with you… I’m yours.”

“I think our wedding should be on a rainy day,” he says suddenly and his words send tremors through your body, despite the rain nearly drowning them out. 

“Let’s do that,” is all you can say, a whisper before a thunder rips the skies apart.

The rain washes all the words away, yet they linger in your minds. You lean your forehead against his. Water runs over your bodies and you feel like this is where you’re meant to be - dancing through the storm with him, inevitably falling for him over and over again just like the raindrops.

DK

♫ Universe_ - Will we feel the same way? Would everything that you are Even your whole world Become my universe?

Your hand fits so nice into his. Like it’s meant to be there - and he wants to believe it is fate, that somehow you were meant to meet each other. If Seokmin’s completely honest, he wants to take it a step further and believe that you’ll always end up by each other’s side, anywhere and everywhere, over and over again. He’s a little too shy to admit it to you, wondering if perhaps it’s still too early to say the words aloud, or whether it’s just the right time. 

Would he scare you away with the confession? Or would it reassure you that you’ve made the right choice? As romantic of a thought this thing called fate is, it’s also fickle and he’s not taking any chances. Not if it’s you. 

“Where did you go?” you smile at him gently when he finally blinks and turns his head towards you. Apparently you’ve been calling his name. He shakes his head, bringing your intertwined hands to his lips and kissing your knuckles. You didn’t need to know, not yet.

“I’m grateful for you,” he whispers instead. He’s not lying, and maybe that’s what it all comes down to - his appreciation of you. The feeling deep inside his chest that tells him he mustn’t lose you or he’ll lose a huge part of himself.  “And everything that you do for me.”

You turn to your side, shifting closer to him and lying your head on his shoulder. His free arm wraps around you, rubbing your bare arm. It’s starting to get cold, you should be heading home soon. But lying under the stars with you, he can’t bring himself to put an end to this perfect moment.

“I told you I got your back,” you remind him, hand splayed over his heart and thumb stroking across his chest. He nods, smiling softly.

“I know,” he sighs, “I guess I wasn’t expecting much of it.” He’s glad to be wrong for once. So so glad. It’s not that life was necessarily too cruel to him, but enough to make him cautious where matters of the heart are concerned. And yet here you are, his home, his safety blanket, the one to hold him when the world crashes down around him and his own mind fails him.

His hand lets go of yours, reluctantly, to cup your cheek. He caresses your skin slowly, gently, and his eyes hold galaxies in them when he looks at you. They say everything is made of stardust, and he truly believes that you both had to be the same star once upon a time. You look into his eyes just as deeply, and Seokmin could drown in the love dripping from your gaze. 

He knows you needed this, to clear your head and remember that the obstacles you face are just tiny bumps in the road as compared to the infinite universe and all the complexities of human life. Because he wants to be there for you just as much as you are there for him, he tries his best to help. 

And maybe what he really wants to say through his actions is that he’ll gladly run away with you. Somewhere far where no one knows you. Somewhere deep into the forest, maybe, you’d have a little house there, a couple animals to take care of and you’d live a quiet, modest life, filled with love and comfort. You’d have your own little piece of heaven right there.

He’d wake up everyday with you in his arms, kiss you, laze around with you until you’d both be ready to start the day. No rush, no stress, no deadlines and no work that would take him away from you. Just love, so much love and happiness.

“Do you now?” you ask, and he almost forgets what it was that he said. He shakes his head.

“No,” he smiles, “You’re my everything. I know I can trust you.”

“That makes two of us,” you whisper, leaning your head up to connect your lips in an innocent kiss. “We’ll always be together, right?”

“Just the two of us,” he agrees softly, planting a sweet peck on your forehead, “We’ll live together and I’ll always be by your side.”

“And I’ll be by yours,” you hum, “We’ll always care for each other and protect each other.”

“Always, right?” he asks, bringing your face closer to his. You’re breathing the same air, and yet it feels like you’re too far.

“Always,” you promise, “Even if we get more than this life. Always.” You hand finds his again, your pinky wrapping around his. His lips melt into yours, both of you smiling into the kiss. You shuffle closer to him, and he knows you mean everything you said just as much as he does. It fills him with warmth and a feeling of security, even more so because he knows it’s mutual. You’re never leaving each other behind, your joined hands a testament of that.  

The moonlight reflects on the ring on your finger, as if blessing the promises that are soon to be witnessed, and that are to be kept until your final days.

Seungkwan

♫ End Of Spring - Because of you I smiled, because of you I cried My spring days were good because of you One by one everything slowly fades away My beautiful season, spring is over

The streets are familiar and full of memories. A breeze blows by that carries the scent of the sea, salty and comforting and something else he can’t quite place, but that triggers something inside of him. Seungkwan was hoping to visit home for a while now, so that’s what he’s doing with his few days off. It got him in a sentimental, wistful mood, walking down the streets almost as if in daze. Something inside of him, something reacting to the scent lingering in the wind, is guiding him towards the shore.

He remembers this path. He used to take it often when he was younger and carefree with enough time to go about. How long has it been since then? He can’t remember, but something about the blurry memories makes him smile. There was someone by his side then. Friends, he’s sure, but the closer he gets to the beach, the closer the ocean waves sound, the more he’s sure there was someone else.

He takes off his shoes, walking on the cooling sand barefooted. It really takes him back to that simpler time. When he reaches the line of wet sand caressed by the sea, he sighs. It’s been a while since he could relax and forget about everything. And as he walks in the water, he allows himself to get possessed by his youth and starts running. The water splashes around his ankles, licking at his calves, and he remembers the times in the past he’s done it. He’s laughing freely, runs until he’s starting to get out of breath and embarrassed even if there’s no one to see. He covers his mouth, eyes closing as he cringes at himself. And then the breeze blows by.

He remembers the scent.

There’s an image in his mind. Someone with their back turned towards him, someone who’s leading him by the hand. There’s a name at the tip of his tongue that he can’t remember, but that he remembers calling so many times and in so many different ways - softly, gently, at the top of his lungs, in excitement, and in agitation.

How could he forget?

Your hand was so soft in his, your smile bright and eyes sparkled with mischief. You were adventure personified and the comfort of coming home after a long journey all at once.

You must’ve been more than a friend.

He tries recalling your name, a ghost from a time long lost. Somehow he feels if he could just remember and whisper your name to the wind that you’d appear. You’d take his hand again like you used to do and lead him away for another adventure that wasn’t necessarily stupid and dangerous but sure felt like it.

Seungkwan remembers climbing trees with thick branches hanging low, and he remembers, faintly, as if spoken lowly over the raging ocean waves, your voice. If he fell from the tree, he’d maybe scrape his hands and knees, but you made it feel like his life was at stake.

And he remembers, once he stood up with feigned confidence and gripping on to the higher branch for dear life, soft lips against his cheek.

There’s more, so much more that’s coming rushing into his mind now that he smells the sea breeze again. The smile. He doesn’t want to forget it ever again - and not just yours, but his as well. You must’ve made him very happy. The more he tries to sort through the memories back to that time, the more he realizes those were really good times. One of the best.

He recognizes that it’s all tinted with nostalgia and yearning to go back to the simpler times, that there definitely were bad times, hard times, just the same as now, but perhaps Seungkwan will allow himself to cherish those memories as pure as they appear.

He wonders where you are now, who you are now. He can’t shake off the feeling you’re forever young out there somewhere. He hopes you are. Always coming up with ideas that make others laugh first at how crazy and childish they seem, as he used to do, but that plant the seed of excitement in their chest. There was something about you that set his souls alight. That felt like that first deep breath of fresh air you take after pulling yourself out of a slump.

He sighs. Remembering the old times is a sure sign of growing old. But there’s a chuckle bubbling in his chest. Even after all these years, you make him laugh. Are you haunting this island? He can’t explain why he remembered you so suddenly, or why can’t recall your name nor face clearly. But maybe that’s what makes the memory sweeter, the times he cried because of you, those he laughed because of you, all wrap themself into the scent carried by the wind and settle deep in his heart, forever to stay. 

[like-if-a-bad-idea-was-a-girl]

So I wrote, I guess fanfiction(?) about @puppygirllaika 's story Transition Diary of a Sex Doll, she had no hand in writing this it's just my interpretation and I'm posting it here with her consent.

It takes the form of a journal update from the pov of Andie several years later explaining in detail how she goes about looking after her doll.

Obviously everything you read here is fantasy and for entertainment only. The only TW I'd add to the list on the original story is I talk about calories at one point very briefly.

Hi all, this is Andie. I've had a ton of requests to let or make Jane update this. First if all 'Jane' is a dead name now, my doll doesn't have a name anymore. Second I have given it the opportunity to do so and it has declined. So here I am several years later to give you an idea of what its existence is like now and how I go about looking after it. I'm doing this, finally, because I feel like if I can help others either look after their new doll or figure out their feelings then I should. So here goes I guess

Bedsores: I can't have my doll getting infected, it'd be less useful for me. But this is a two birds one stone situation because I always need something to do with my hands and touching flesh is especially rewarding, so whenever I'm watching TV I have it on my lap and kneed the flesh where it tends to lay

Voice: originally it wanted full vocal chord removal so it'd be silent but I changed the surgery to suit me better, it now has only partial use of its voice, just enough so my doll moans when I fuck it and screams when I cut or hit it

Mind: if my doll lost touch with reality it'd start reacting to things that aren't real and I need it to be quiet when not in use so I have to keep it sane. So every day I prop it on the couch surrounded by stuffed toys and put the TV on for it. Sometimes I put on horror movies so it can practice screaming and looking scared, sometimes porn so it can practice moaning and crying out, or sometimes just nature documentaries. And I make sure I take it out of the house at least once a month, sometimes to a hookup so we can both use it, or camping or on a road trip.

Muscles: I need my doll to be able to clench around me and move its neck enough to give me head so I can't let its muscles atrophy. So i bought a tens unit and i put it on once or twice a week for a few hours to keep the muscles moving properly Skin: I like its skin to be smooth and well looked after because it's a better tactile experience for me and also because bruises look better on nice skin. So I sponge bath it often, scrubbing its skin thoroughly and cleaning all the tricky bits to keep them fresh. Whenever I cut it for the pure pleasure of parting living flesh with a sharp blade, or whenever I bite it so hard I come away with a chunk of flesh, or even when I dig my nails in so deep I carve deep gouges, then I need the first aid kit. I've got rather good at suturing wounds closed and carefully bandaging them, and then once they have healed enough I rub oils and moisturizers into the healing skin to minimize scars. And of course I keep up with its estrogen gell so its skin stays smooth.

Hair: mostly not a big job, the hair on its face it had lasered back when it was pretending to be human, the skin around its pussy was removed by electrolysis prior to the bottom surgery, and the hair on its head I keep just long enough to be useful for gripping so it has a convenient handle

Food/ water: it needs much less of both now, about half a cup of water a day and one meal every second day, it took me a long time to figure out the optimal calorie intake so its boobs would stay nice and full and its belly chub was enough that I can use it as a hold to fuck it. I make it a special all-in-one food so its bones and skin and everything else stays strong and healthy, and I make it in all the flavors it used to love because nutrients are absorbed better when the senses are properly stimulated. And then of course I brush its teeth.

I also bought one of those fancy neural link headsets, mostly for emergency use, because only it can tell me if something feels wrong in its body. But once a year I put the headset on her and force her to be a person for a couple of hours, I know she hates it and it exhausts her but I've told her it's like routine system maintenance and that seems to help. I make her reaffirm her consent for everything that I do to her. I ask her if she has any requests or anything I can do to help her be a better toy. We talk again about the possibility of a lobotomy or something more serious. I ask her if she has anything else she'd like to say. And then I take off the headset and I watch it sigh and relax as the mask falls off, as it stops pretending to be a person.

Between all that, yeah it's a big job looking after my doll properly. But it's mine and I'm careful with what belongs to me, and if I didn't feel like it was worth the effort I would have given it away or sold it by now. There's the obvious sexual uses, but there are lots more. Human bodies have sympathetic nervous systems so it really helps with my anxiety and panic attacks to cuddle it really tight to my chest. Its slow steady heartbeat and measured breathing soothe me, sometimes it hums softly which helps too. And it makes a great therapist, it listens and never talks back and looks at me with those deep loving eyes. Ohhh and of course as a hot water bottle, my feet get so cold at night it's nice having something soft and warm to put them on whilst I sleep, making sure the blanket isn't covering its face.

Thanks for reading, I hope this has helped anyone considering becoming a sex doll or taking on the responsibility of one of their own.

[maninthemiroh]

About my Criminal Minds DR

Full name: Gagak (Yes, that's it. I was born in Java, Indonesia, in this DR)

My nicknames: Corvid/ae/ (most of the team), Raden Mas (most of the world), Bird boy (Luke), The Crow (film fans)

My faceclaim: LØREN

Gender identity: Cis-male

Orientation: Demi-romantic/sexual

Age upon first shift: 20

More about me and changes I made below the cut <3

My style:

I wasn't going to have this kind of style, as evidenced by my previous post about this DR, but I read through one (1!) fanfiction series about cowboy!reader x Criminal Minds yesterday and… Also, for some reason, black, red, and white were thee colors when I was making the wardrobe section on this Pinterest board? I blame my top #6 video game characters: Ash (King of Fighters), Iori (KOF), Rock (also, KOF), Shadow (Sonic), Skarlet (MK), and Vice (KOF, again). Ahaha, guess what my favorite video game is 🤔 Anyway, RDR2 outfit pic creds to user @/kaddishaun on Pinterest!

Fun facts about me and my life:

Youngest FBI informant a month after moving to the US (subsequently also a month after I turned 10), I'm sort of replacing White Boy Rick in a sense, but without the bad ending and horrible father figure.

Officially joined the FBI at age 11 once I got dual citizenship for the US and Indonesia (yes, I know that's not possible in this reality).

IQ of 304 because I'm an attention whore 😀.

Tallest person ever, as per usual, "only" 9'3 this time, though.

Youngest person to graduate high school, age five at SMA Taruna Nusantara

Youngest person to ever graduate college, age six, via an accelerated course thanks to a 127-page dissertation on serial killers that earned me my first PhD, one in Criminal Justice, at the University of Indonesia.

Besides my first PhD, I have twelve others, one in Chemistry, another in Computer and Information Sciences, then Cybersecurity, Engineering, Mathematics, Pharmacology, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Public Administration, and Statistics.

Took the CTY entry exam, after it was mailed to me, and aced it, but they originally said I would have to move to Maryland, which I simply refused to do, so I almost turned it down before my parents mailed them a letter back asking if I could do dual enrollment and they'd, as rich people, pay for the transport of my schoolwork to and from our estate in Java, and it was not a surprise when the school board agreed.

When I first opened my eyes in the emergency room, my dad was holding me, and he was wearing a jade necklace, one long enough for me to reach out and grab—I did so, though, my grip wasn't very strong. As such, my mother suggested I be named after the jewel, but my grandfather, who recently visited Banggai, suggested the name Gagak, meaning crow, and my parents liked that better.

I spoke for the first time at 4 weeks and four days, simply said the word "shiny," and grabbed at my great aunt's pearl earring. This further reinforced for my family that my name was meant to be.

It's rude to call an Indonesian person by their full first name, so most have nicknames, and, my first name being what it is, my nickname wasn't hard for Spencer the team to think up.

Unit chief of the BAU since Hotch and Jack went into Witness Protection

I can speak, write, and comprehend all 700+ languages used in Indonesia.

I can read 30,000 words per minute and write 15,000.

Autodidact with an eidetic memory.

I played Eric Draven in the 1994 action fantasy film, The Crow (I will go on to play the same role in the 2024 remake)

From ages 14-19, I was the lead singer and backup guitarist in a faceless V-Kei trio called Birds Dig Us under the stage name, Rook, and we were actually the number one boy band at the time 😭. We haven't released music since 2001, but we didn't break up either [Insider info: things are cooking].

My other bandmates were Miyavi (Dué le Quartz, Skin, The Last Rockstars) on guitar and backup vocals, stage name Tsubasa, and Kai (the GazettE) on drums, stage name Torrio, by the way.

Also, Birds Dig Us made all the songs for The Crow's soundtrack.

I have a southern accent because, after moving to the US and before joining the BAU, I lived in Texas.

Reid's autism and mine feed off of one another, if you couldn't tell…

Some other things I changed:

I scripted that Austin the Bartender, Beth Clemmons, Elle Greenaway, Jason Gideon, Jordan Todd, Kevin Lynch, Maeve Donovan, Maxine Brenner, Stephen Walker, and Tyler Green don't exist, as well as that Aaron Hotchner, Alex Blake, Derek Morgan, and Kate Callahan never leave the BAU (for good, at least).

After Scratch dies, Hotch comes back to the BAU, but I keep my new position as unit chief, and Hotch just becomes a regular member of the team.

Reid and I both get actual diagnoses 😓

It takes longer for the team to go through the motions of Rossi's past because it felt far too quickly done in canon for me. Rearranged a bunch of episodes in the timeline for this and other reasons.

Morgan has lessened trust issues.

JJ didn't emotionally cheat on Will, her fucking baby daddy, because what the fuck was that??

Also, Haley and Hotch were less toxic because WOAH and Strauss and Rossi aren't hunching.

To sum things up: As of now, the BAU consists of its legal expert and former Unit Chief, Aaron Hotchner; Alex Blake, a linguist who assists with nuances in communication; David Rossi, one of the first BAU agents and a specialist in hostage negotiation; Derek Morgan, an ex-Chicago policeman with proficiency in obsessional crimes and explosives; Emily Prentiss, a master at child advocacy and counter-terrorism; Jennifer Jareau, the communications liaison and a standard profiler; John Blackwolf, a standard profiler; Kate Callahan, an experienced undercover agent; Luke Alvez, an adept fugitive tracker; Matt Simmons, a skilled profiler from the FBI International Response Team; Penelope Garcia, the technical analyst; Spencer Reid, an elite geographic profiler and chirography analyst; Tara Lewis, a forensic psychologist; and myself, the squad's current Unit Chief and sex crime expert.

PS: My voice claim is Corpse Husband because when given the choice to become my ideal self, why wouldn't I? Before anyone comes at me, I did use to have GERD! I didn't script myself having any disorders I don't or didn't have in this reality.

Taglist: @amiivrse @the-badass-penguin

Divider credits: @/i-mmaculatus and @/v6quE

[faafi]

I know you mentioned your favourite episodes, but do you have a favourite scene or favourite moment from Loonatics Unleashed? Or a favourite villain?

Admittedly, while writing my response, I realized that my all time favorite moments of this entire show are from fanfictions (LOL). I think that this says a lot about the creativity of the Loonatics Unleashed fandom; this fandom is very willing to experiment with the show's concepts and characters. I love how much this fandom has added to my enjoyment of this show. It fills me with lots of joy to read other people's interpretations of this show's characters and setting...

Okay. With that out of the way, here is my actual answer:

One of my personal favorite moments of the entire show is in the episode Going Underground (season 1, episode 5).

Here is some context for why this is my favorite LU scene:

I became interested in general Looney Tunes via The Looney Tunes Show (specifically the reactions by Spilling the Milk, a YouTube trio that watches cartoons).

My first exposure to Loonatics Unleashed was through this video (Rev and Tech's Best Moments). This scene (shown above) was the third clip of the video. And I vividly recall the SHOCK that I felt when I first watched it.

My jaw was agape. Honestly, I think that I screamed. Even if I didn't scream, I was definitely shocked.

At this time, I still wasn't used to Rev talking so quickly, and so I was caught off guard by how much Rev said in such a short time.

I have replayed this scene an inordinate amount of times, and I can't stop loving it. Everything is perfect. The vocal delivery from Rev's voice actor (Rob Paulsen) is HILARIOUS. This scene clearly shows Rev's best qualities: he is talkative, nice, and accomodating. The other Loonatics walking to view the scene is COMEDY GOLD. Here, Rev's dialogue is PERFECT. LITERALLY PERFECT.

IT'S SO GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This clip solidified Rev x Tech in my mind.

Other than this scene, pretty much any TechRev interaction is a favorite of mine (especially in The Family Business and The Heir From Up There). I can recite certain portions of Rev and Tech's interactions since their banter is really fun.

Furthermore, most of the scenes that include Rev are my favorites, too. However, there is a special type of Rev scene that vivifies me.

All of these scenes include Rev being overjoyed while he is stimming:

(top: The Comet Cometh; bottom left: Weathering Heights; bottom right: Sypher)

I can only partially describe the glee that I get from these scenes, but I will try...

I LOVE HIM SO MUCH I CAN'T HANDLE IT

FJIRKPHMKFSLJMBLJPQJFDFSDFWETJQPEEJGMXZB

JUST LOOK AT HIM

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

EVEN ACE IS HAPPY TO SEE REV'S HAPPINESS

IT'S SO PERFECT

MY CHILD DESERVES TO BE HAPPY

LET HIM TALK!

(my live reaction to seeing the these scenes for the first time)

*end rant*

As for my favorite villain, I think that it's a toss-up between Melvin the Martian and Mastermind.

Yes, I know that these two villains are from my favorite episodes, but they both are so good in their respective roles.

For Melvin, it is incredibly apparent that Melvin has full capability of destroying Acmetropolis. And so, the Loonatics needed to use more than their powers or Tech's technology to defeat him.

As for Mastermind, her previous connections with Tech's past and her manipulation of technology is really well done. Her infiltration of the Loonatics HQ is really smart, and if Tech did not have the EMP, then Mastermind would have won.

To summarize, both villains have actual stakes; they can't only be beaten by Tech's technology. This is way better than an episode like Loonatics on Ice, where Tech's "Retro Fire Master Blaster" just fails to melt the iceberg. I have no idea why Tech's technology failed to melt the iceberg. If anything, this just feels like it is discrediting Tech's knowledge.

In contrast, both villains' powers requires the entire team to unite together. It's great.

Also, both of these villains are just iconic. At least to me. They are A LOT more iconic than other villains like the Ice Vikings or Adolpho.

Thanks for the question!

[nerdieforpedro]

Pleasure Principle

Chapter 4: Bewilderment

Dave York x plus size OFC (Kiara)

Fanfiction 18+

Masterlist / Dave York Masterlist

Summary: The morning after is peaceful. Time together spent in limbo. One night Dave comes home later than usual and questions are asked.

Warnings: Agnst, some fluff, light smut, descriptions of injuries and blood, cursing

Notes: This series frustrates me in writing it but I also enjoy the chapters when I finally finish them. The same type of love and hate you’d feel with Dave York I believe. 🖤

Chapter 3

Sleep didn’t come easy to Dave York. His entire miliary carrier while in the service to the United States he only needed it to function and the same with his more lucrative wet work with his team. He would calculate how long he needed to sleep until they needed to prep for whatever target they were hunting next. Even when he began his pseudo civilian life with his wife and children, he found himself awake before dawn and used the time to run, working on future plans and scenarios for later missions with his crew. It was just something his body needed and if he required, he could wake himself, especially if he felt something may go wrong. Never knowing when his group may receive a new target to eliminate, he always needed to be ready, prepared.

After Kiara lost consciousness, he set to wiping body her down, cleaning between her legs and them himself.  That was where his mind shifted. It didn’t occur to him that he shouldn’t get back in the bed and lay beside her, embracing her softness and admiring the bruises he had left of her body. The last he remembered, his lips touched the back of her neck, a soft sigh came from her lips that made his lips curve upward. 

Dave York slept until the sun touched his back. It was an odd sensation, the heat on his shoulders and spine. The assassin stirred, he was groggy and found himself frowning. It meant slower reaction times and he could be surprised by an attack. Dave knew where he was though, so that was highly unlikely. Sitting up, he was the only one in the bed. He didn’t hear any water running from a shower or sink so she wasn’t in the bathroom. The clothes that he had removed last night were sitting in a chair in the corner of the bedroom on top of his duffle bag. They were folded and arranged according to what he would put on first, underwear on top and shirt on the bottom with pants and socks in between. He didn’t see the toys he had used last night either, getting out of the bed, he walked over to his clothes and just put the boxers on. Opening his bag, the toys had been put back, they had been washed and dried, but still her scent lingered on them. Taking the wand in his hand, he brought it closer to his face, inhaling her aroma, he then set it down in the bag and made his way out of the bedroom down the hallway he crept through last night. The first thing he heard was:

Perfect love you will never find

Say goodbye at what’s left behind

Your release is way overdue

Dave stood near the stairs, watching Kiara in front of the stove wearing a black t-shirt with blue cheeky panties. It smelled like she was making eggs and maybe bacon. Actual bacon and not turkey bacon, he heard the grease popping and was curious if she had an apron. If she didn’t, he’d buy he one just to see what she looked like with in on and nothing else. Her round shoulders shimmied from side to side with the beat, her voice carried throughout the kitchen and living room of her townhouse. 

Let your tears be a friend to you

If it hurts just a little be glad on it

Don’t get caught in the middle

Thinking ‘ bout it

The assassin had heard her voice be loud and commanding at work, impatient and vulnerable with her moans; now he heard her sing. Booming and unencumbered, her vocals dictated control and a wide range of upper and lower registers. When she checked the bacon and put the finished pieces on a plate the nurses nimble hands moved in the air to the percussion on the drums as did her hips. Another smile crept across York’s face, her singing was nearly flawless, but the opulent woman didn’t have much in the way of rhythm which he found to be a fascinating paradox.

If it hurts just a little be glad of it

If you try you will see, what will be

Hurts just a little 

Rounding the kitchen island carefully as she was focused elsewhere, Dave embraced Kiara from behind, his chest pressed against her back. His lips grazed the back of her neck, before he pulled back and licked her earlobe, he had bit into last night. She abruptly stopped singing as a moan left her lips instead. Placing her hands over his that caressed her stomach, she smiled and turned her head to look back.

“Good morning, Dave, you slept well I take it?”

“That I did Kiara. What’s for breakfast Peach?” A heat came to her cheeks, her hands squeezed his. His grin was felt on her ear.

“Eggs, bacon and bagels with cream cheese. I haven’t started the bagels yet. Give me five, no ten minutes tops. I figured it’d be fine since you don’t have any food allergies.” One of Dave’s hands, traveled up to her neck, kneading it slowly as she spoke, the vibrations as she spoke. He speculated as how strong the vibrations would be if he held her neck while she sung and while she moaned his name as he gave her the cock she craved. 

“My smart Peach remembered. Good girl. Finish the eggs and bacon. I’ll start the bagels, which shelf is the cream cheese on?” Dave released her, putting his forehead on her shoulder briefly before heading to her fridge. Kiara spun to touch him, but he was already looking in the refrigerator.

“Top shelf, next to the jam and butter.” Her hands drew close to her body, attending to the stove, she added cheddar cheese to the eggs and cooked two more pieces of back for a total of six, three pieces for each of them. The shirt rode up into the small space between her ass and her back, she pulled out, but Dave who sunk a peek over at her while putting cream cheese on the first of four bagels, reached over and pulled her shirt back up.

“Your ass needs to be out. Pull it down again and I’ll have you cook some more bacon without that shirt on.” The knife he was using to spread the cream cheese on the bagel, the dishing on eggs and bacon onto plates were the only sounds heard for the next few minutes. 

Kiara didn’t say anything. He sounded final on that point. She had been surprised that Dave was still in her bed in the morning, even more so when she realized that she had been cleaned properly and his arms and legs were wrapped around her. It made her lay in bed a little longer, comforted by his quiet breaths and arms holding her so tightly. The nurse was able to get out of his grip to go to the bathroom and shower, when she returned, she still found him in bed. In the same position she had left him in. Dave didn’t seem like the type of man to her at least to stay the night once he had finished with…well whatever they were going to call this. Her expectation was that he would text or call to tease her and then they would satisfy each other’s needs. 

Not him cleaning her up.

Not him putting her to bed.

Not him staying the night.

Not him being here for breakfast.

Not him helping her wash the dishes and putting the dishes away.

Not him spending the morning here, poking fun at her lack of smooth moves.

Especially not him saying that she owed him a second breakfast because her song choice made him wonder if he should have gone further last night with punishment. 

But having Dave York between your thighs teasing your clit as he shoves two thick fingers in and out of you isn’t something a girl turns down. Kiara certainly did not.

“Such a gushing cunt for me.” He told her as he flicked her clit, his teeth bit into the flesh of her upper thigh, York bit down three separate times in the same spot wanting to mark her again. The bruises would fade, he wanted something else that would last longer until he saw her later. Her nails dug into her shoulders, his contorted with pain, but returned to smile upon hearing his name louder. His hand stole away from her reddened clit and wrapped itself around her neck, squeezing slightly so he could palpate her pleasurable screams in real time. Her core oscillated as she leaked once again, nectar spilling on Dave’s hand, forearm, and the leather couch. The nurse’s body was limp as Dave stood, admiring his work.

It's going to happen now, surely, he’s going to fuck me and leave. Kiara panted on the couch, trying to anticipate being rammed with his cock, she parted her legs a bit more, but the assassin pulled her panties back into place and closed them, putting a throw blanket she had over her. 

“Not now my eager Peach whore. You’ll wait.” He kissed her forehead and a small whisper came from her lips.

“Why?” Her voice still weak. Dave met her gaze, he too was confused. Normally he would have fucked her in the morning, shocked her with it. But he had amazed himself by feeling so…relaxed. He didn’t understand why though, or maybe he did and he didn’t want to think about it. Not now, it’s so muddled right now. Looking at her, so needy, willing to accept anything just to have him plunge deep into her. 

“Kiara,” He crouched down in front of her face, “You’ll have your fill of me when you’re ready.” If she said no and was defiant, he would be well within his rights to deny her longer, buying him time. Resist. Say no, I know you have it in you.

“…Yes Sir. I just…” Come on, be cheeky, you’ve done it plenty at the hospital. “I thought you wanted to fill me because I’m yours.” Dave ran his fingers down her jaw, neck and then her large stomach, patting it. His head then planted on her tummy, making her chuckle. His warmth was making her even more tired than the orgasms she just had.

“Don’t touch yourself when I’m not here, you have to learn some patience. I’ll be back later tonight.” With that, Kiara was off to sleep, and Dave went upstairs and dressed, locking the house up before leaving. He went home and showered, needing to go to be on time for a facetime call with his daughters. The call went fine, with updates on both sides and finished with a short conversation with his ex-wife about a possible visit soon. Dave was fine with it; he’d just need to know when and hopefully he wouldn’t have an assignment then.

Much to Kiara’s surprise, Dave did return that night.

 

The two weeks alternated between Dave eating Kiara out, her sucking his dick, and the both questioning why they hadn’t gone past oral sex. The pair alternated who cooked dinner and breakfast the morning after. Kiara casually suggested that they could go eat brunch at a local café, thinking he was going to say no, Afterall the only place he saw her outside of her home was the hospital when his colleague was there, but Dave agreed. A few times, they didn’t have sex, just kissing cuddles and sleep.

 

One thing that was certain is that they would always sleep in her bed together. No matter if Kiara had a shift that day or Dave had to meet up with his colleagues for a ‘day trip assignment,’ she would crawl into bed after showering and curl up to York who was already in pseudo-death, shirtless in her bed. She was curious where this arrangement was headed. 

The question was difficult.

Finding the right time to ask was difficult.

The possibility of Dave not being in her bed at night was difficult.

If he rejected her after she asked…what would she do then?

It was a Wednesday. The only reason Kiara knew was that she had been to work that day and was tired from her shift. A patient decided to leave AMA. Fine, just sign the paperwork. Instead, the patient decided to fight her and the tech saying that they were keeping him there against his will. Her shoulder was a still bit sore after he hit it with his backpack, the shower helped some. Tonight was different, it was 2am and Dave was not here. Had he gotten tired of her?

His hands throbbed and his back sizzled from drag across the pavement. York didn’t think any skin had come off his back, but he hadn’t checked yet. Unlocking the door was a tough task, his fingers were freezing on him, the pain wasn’t intolerable, but removing his gloves later may reveal bruised knuckles or possibly bloody ones. He just hoped she was asleep. He hadn’t told her what he did for work yet or even given her a white lie about it. What would she think when…wait, why should he care what she thinks? She’s, what is Kiara to Dave at this point? Dave entered her home and closed the door, locking it and kicked off his boots. His legs carried him over to the same couch he watched a movie with her the other night, her thick thighs draped over him as they watched ‘The Great British Baking Show.’ The only thing he had seen the woman bake was brownies from the box, but she loved laughing along with the hosts and contestants. York found himself watching her ever changing expressions on her face. His hands ran along the skin on her legs.  

The assassin’s eyes closed, pressing his back against the couch felt better at first, and then worse so he sat at an angle to alleviate the pain. “Fuck…I…didn’t think I had it in me.” He normally would see the vet that the crew threw some money at to patch them up, but Dave knew he had a nurse who would put her delicate hands on him, likely scold him in a warm tone and he could sleep next to her again. He could wrap himself around her and be awakened by the sun again. “If I do put my cock in her, Kiara will need to sell this place and bring her and that bed of hers with her to my master suite.” His breaths slowed as he relaxed again, just the thought made him at ease.

The nurse had heard the front door open but hadn’t heard him moving up the stairs yet. Instead of the first few times stayed over, now he made sure to have his steps be heavy to announce his entrance into her bedroom. She popped on a robe over her oversized t-shirt and went downstairs, the lights were still off but she saw the back of his head above the couch. Walking toward him, he smiled warmly, “Dave, aren’t you coming to bed..? Shit. What happened?” Her eyes widened at the bruising to his jaw, assessing him, he wasn’t sitting properly in the chair, something with his back maybe? Why did he still have gloves on? “I’ll be right back.” Her hand tossed his chocolate hair as she went to the hall closet, getting out her first aid kit. It was about the size of a toolbox, she also turned on the living room light and removed her robe. She made a second trip for some towels and told Dave to remove his gloves slowly, it looked like there might be some blood dripping round his wrists. 

“Take care of my back first Peach.”

“Your hands are dripping, not your back from what I can tell. I’m the medical professional here.” She snorted and donned a pair of gloves. A towel was placed under his hands in his lap before he set the back down. “I think I’m going to have to cut them off. I don’t want to pull any skin if I can help it.” 

“Treat your patients like this do you?” Dave leaned forward and stretched his arms out a bit to make it easier. “Yeah, do it. I’ll need to get a new pair.”

“If I think they’re being unsafe, yes.” Her eyes hadn’t left his hands. He was surprised at her focus. “Keep still, these trauma sheers are sharp.” Kiara made the first small cut starting at his wrist and continued slowly upward, a gush came from his right palm and she quicky grabbed several pieces of gauze and pressed it into his palm to steady the slow of blood. “Damn…I don’t think it’s deep, I just think it kinda held the blood there and I opened the scab it was trying to make. I’m gonna get the rest of your glove off and see what I need to clean and wrap. Is your other hand the same?” She asked, finally making eye contact with him. 

“Your scissors are fucking pink. That’s adorable.” He snickered, Kiara pursed her lips and pressed her thumb into his palm, causing Dave to wince. “What the fuck did you do that for?!”

“Applying extra pressure to the wound. It looks like I’ll be able to clean, disinfect and dress it.” A flat answer as she started working. A change of gloves after she cleaned his hand to see that the injury was more superficial, it had just taken a good chunk of skin off his hand. His knuckles were bruised and slightly bloody but should heal up just fine.

“Kiara, you’re not going to ask about my injuries?” Dave’s question came out as he thought it., she was nearly finished with his right hand. It throbbed but felt better out of the glove.

“I know your job is complicated. It’s something that can make a hospital shut up about a GSW along with whoever you work for. I’m not going to ask unless you tell me. I wouldn’t begin to know where to snoop to find out. Just…” She paused while cutting his left glove off. A little blood crusting with some bruises on his knuckles, but nothing major. 

“Just what? Finish your thought.” She cleaned and wrapped his left hand and then helped him to remove his jacket and pulled proof vest. Remaining silent, Kiara picked up her first aid box and sat on her knees behind Dave, she pulled up his shirt. Most of his back seemed to be irritated the very top layer of skin was rubbed off and there were a few spots where he was bleeding, They were small, so she cleaned and used band-aids on them, seven spots in total. “Kiara.” He softly said he name while turning to look back at her.

“Just that I am insane. I keep waiting for you to leave and not come back but you always do. I’m well aware that you’re not a good man. Hell, you’re clearly dangerous, but” her soft fingers traced the outlines of the band-aids before pulling his shirt back down. “I don’t need you to be good. Just be honest with me. How long do you think things will continue between us?” The assassin’s back stiffened, confusion was sprayed on his face, and he whipped around to see her puffy eyes, tears hadn’t fallen yet. “I just need to know about supplies, food and your glove size since I’ll owe you a pair of gloves now.” She stood, packing her box back up and looked down on Dave, it was a feeling he did not appreciate. “I want to know how much longer you’ll warm my bed for David.” With that vitriol, she turned, and he assumed but the first aid kit away before stomping up the stairs. 

No even his crazy-ass ex-wife showed him such defiance. Dave, flexed his fingers, feeling the bandages become slightly slicker with blood. He didn’t care at this point. How dare she speak to him like that considering what he was thinking ten minutes ago.

“This is some bullshit. Fuck that attitude. Calling me David and shit…” The injured man, patted down his jacket and pants until he found them, nodding, he removed them from his jacket and stuck them in his back pants pocket. York headed upstairs, now was the time.

Chapter 5

The Tag List:

@fhatbhabie @morallyinept @pedritapascal @pascalsanctuary @nissaimmortal @grogusmum @theywhowriteandknowthings @beefrobeefcal @goodwithcheese @iamasaddie @psychedelic-ink @modernperplexity @pamasaur @pedrodascal @marcus-is-my-muse @clawdee @mintypossum @trulybetty @perotovar @joelslegalwhre @josephquinnswhore @mandoisapunk @awilderi @deviincii @secretelephanttattoo @for-a-longlongtime @tessa-quayle @legendary-pink-dot @sin-djarin @maggiemayhemnj @rhoorl @magpiepillsjunior @intoanotherworld23 @beabliss @alwaysmicado @daddy-dins-girl @harriedandharassed @missladym1981

[technicallywrite]

20 Questions for Writers

Thanks for the tag @envexenveritas, you're enabling me to procrastinate on writing a rather tricky scene.

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

Just two but one of them is sort of a song parody (about writing fanfiction, to the tune of Losing My Religion), not a fic. But the question says 'works' and... for better or worse, it's a work, I guess.

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

393,520 across both works but the song is just 273 so, yeahhhh. That should tell you everything you need to know about my One Fic.

(42 chapters so far, in case you're wondering, including one that was a whopping 20k+ words)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Doctor Who, specifically the new UNIT gang, with heavy emphasis on the Big Finish audios in terms of sourcing story material. I'm basically rewriting the new UNIT storyline, centered on the developing relationship between Osgood and Kate Stewart.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

I mean, if we're specifically talking fics, I have just the one. So it's my best fic and my worst fic at the same time, on any metric you choose to apply!

My Cosmos is Yours, aka Cosmos or sometimes Cosmosgate, has 297 kudos so far. Also, 30 bookmarks and 10,493 hits, in case that matters.

5. Do you respond to comments?

Do I reply to comments? Hah. Yes, yes I do. Religiously. Not always immediately, as sometimes I need a bit of time to digest them before replying; but I do read them all right away and I reply to everything eventually.

I welcome every kind of comment, from one-line "GAAHAHHHHHH" eructations to multi-paragraph analyses, rambles and vocal if not always coherent expressions of enthusiasm.

Funny thing, there's a bit of a culture of commenting that has grown around Cosmos. For reference, it has 1,194 comments (though half of that are replies from me).

Part of it, I suspect, is that word has got around that I'm pathetically needy for comments (I make no secret of it), so most of my regular readers have got into the habit of feeding me comments at every chapter, which is very lovely of them. And perhaps because there are so many comments on every chapter, some of the more occasional readers do also seem to find themselves motivated to leave comments, which is a wonderful effect, if true.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I haven't finished a fic yet so, no overall endings to speak of, but if I look across the 42 chapters I've written so far, Chapter 38: Endgame has got to be the most grim in terms of where it leaves Osgood and Kate.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Hah well if we apply the same principle of looking across Cosmos chapters, Chapter 42: Life, the Universe and Everything has got to be the winner, with no fewer than three happy endings (one of them a double), if you'll pardon the phrase.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not so far, no. I occasionally get razzed by my British regulars for committing Americanisms (most famously, writing 'faucet' instead of 'tap') but it's all in good fun.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Yep. Though I've been told it's not actually smut, it's erotica, which is the best compliment I can imagine. It's all character-driven, and it's very necessary to the story (I say to justify myself). I won't put any labels on it; I'll just say that by intent, it's loving, it's very mature, but it's never unnecessarily explicit. Though it does get people quite hot under the collar, reportedly, which is very gratifying!

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

Well, I did pull in Malcolm Tucker from "The Thick of It" for one chapter, and he'll be showing up again because he's so fun to write. But it's not a zany kind of crossover.

I don't think I have any crazy crossovers in me, at least not at this moment in time; when I'm in the mood for that sort of thing I go to Lambrookmist.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Nope.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, I'd be terrible as a fic co-author. I've co-authored a technical book in my professional life and it went well enough (the book got published and we're proud of it) but I suspect it was a frustrating experience for my co-author. I'm very critical and I change my mind about important stuff all the time.

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

Osgood/Kate Stewart obviously. With a side of Gabrielle/Xena and Janeway/Seven. There may be a pattern there.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I'm like a dog with a bone, I will finish everything, eventually. Although with Cosmos, I can't imagine running out of story to tell anytime soon. It could take years. Unless I find a good stopping point and just finish + start a sequel. That's an option.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Accurate characterization, I think? I'd like to think I do a pretty decent job with pacing and balancing action vs. talk. Also my real-life scientific/technical background helps me write credible plot details for our two favorite science geniuses.

From a stylistic standpoint, I've been told my writing has a cadence and musicality that's very enjoyable. That's something I care a lot about, so, yay.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I'm painfully aware that I overuse certain phrases. And I overthink things a lot, so it takes me ages to ship out new chapters. Especially now that I have a full time day job again, which I didn't when I started writing Cosmos— long story for another time.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

A few lines here and there can be very helpful when the setting calls for it (the characters are abroad, or working with people from different cultural backgrounds) but you don't want to overdo it.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Well, I wrote a one-off Picard/Crusher ficlet in the late 90s, so I'm legally obligated to say Star Trek: TNG. But I never wrote anything else (fic-wise) until Cosmos.

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

Surprise, it's Cosmos!

In case anyone is curious, I'm about 1/3 of the way through writing Ch. 43, so hopefully it won't be nearly as long til the next update. (For reference, it took me three months to get Ch. 42 out.)

I think I'm supposed to tag some other writers now? Let's say @starfleetwitch, @kowarth, and gosh I need to look up some usernames. Will add those later. Got to go feed my family now.

EDIT: adding @colourmestoked04 to the taggees

[baekhvuns]

BESTIE THE SERVE AT THE TFMA AAAAHHHHHHHHHHH. Dress code is boring, but our guy vampire Seonghwa served cunt!!! No shirt, just a vest, a choker, a nice suit... and then THE BOOBS, THE LEGS, THE SHOULDERS 😭😭😭😭 Mingi in a long coat 😩 Hongjoong looked cute in his hat

Seriously??? 👁👄👁 I just

About that dream I feel like I had 83637 dreams that night so idk what was going on, I remember a dark corridor and I think he bumped my head with mine because he was walking very close skufishdjsnshsjshshs the corridor was small though

I don't remember everything that happened in TVD, maybe because the actor annoyed me I just couldn't stand Damon anymore #growth 😭 but have fun watching! PLL is such a shitshow and just saying the ending was BOLLOCKS!!! But it started well tbh and was pretty spooky at times, so I enjoyed it

I considered censoring m*rried lmaoooo, but decided to be brave! Ohhh I'm glad the fic is going well. Hotcheeks will be very happy! I imagine writing threesomes is hard to navigate 😭 writing regular smut is challenging enough. I could never

The strawberry milk, the rose, the pink kitty ears and the cherry photocards sit at the same table aka FUCKING EXPENSIVE TABLE. No but really Hwa has so many good photocards it makes collecting them more satisfying! It's a torment, but worth it

I watched 3 episodes and a half of LIC so far but I think I'm gonna wait until the whole season comes out, maybe see some spoilers to brace myself 😬

Literally, sometimes we get random interactions and the world goes crazy but some interactions never happen or at least we don't have the honour of seeing any fucking proof 😩 this is a cruel world. Jackson played the part and served so many fanfiction worthy moments, others need to deliver as well, come on

(About Seulgi) E x a c t l y! The choreo is good, so why not do it in a more interesting setting ILLEGAL. The outfits were okaaaaay, but we could've gotten something truly stunning. I can't wait to see the photobooks though. I hope her next cb comes soon and she continues the dark vibe. Imagine siren Seulgi or full witch 👀

I'll be like "so, I found your lost brother" and pull up a whole ass banner. But I think he watched Tomorrow or is at least familiar with it? 🤔 I know it's so funny and the funniest thing is I didn't even bias him until later... but when I remembered the hip thrusts I was like 😳😳😳😳

DOES MISS Y/N EVEN END UP WITH HIM??? - now this is MY villain origin story ://// and no DYING unless someone wakes up as a vampire or something 😭😭😭😭 maybe I'll boycott and not read lmaooo

I knew you'd appreciate the Danceracha song, because they serveeeeed. Lino's vocals made me choke. I'm glad they do unit songs and they're always so different. Omg Cold as hell is one of my faves from INVU! Gotta make a full villain Y/N playlist!

My friends attended TMA and they're going to that Daegu concert as well. Very unfair, I'm happy for them, but THE JEALOUSY IS SWALLOWING ME WHOLE 😩 - DV 💖

hi hello!!

BESTIE THE SERVE AT THE TFMA AAAAHHHHHHHHHHH. Dress code is boring, but our guy vampire Seonghwa served cunt!!! No shirt, just a vest, a choker, a nice suit... and then THE BOOBS, THE LEGS, THE SHOULDERS 😭😭😭😭 Mingi in a long coat 😩 Hongjoong looked cute in his hat

THE SERVE WAS INSANE BC PARK SEONGHWA LOOKED LIKE HE WAS GOING TO GIVE US THE MMMMH STAGE,,, HWA SERVED CUNTY VAMPIRE WITH THAT BLOND TOO HE WAS A CULLEN IN DISGUISE, STOP THE SHOULDERS STOP IM GONNA CHOMP,,, miNGI HE, THE GUY WITH GLASSES FROM ATEEZ TRENDING 😭😭 hongs hAT BUT WOOYOUNG????? thought he was jeno when i first saw him 😭😭😭😭

?????????????

??????? PT.2

Seriously??? 👁👄👁 I just

mmmh cover when WHEN WHEN THIS MAN IS ILLEGAL

About that dream I feel like I had 83637 dreams that night so idk what was going on, I remember a dark corridor and I think he bumped my head with mine because he was walking very close skufishdjsnshsjshshs the corridor was small though

u guys bumped head, hear me out this is a halloween au but in a haunted house, dark corridor = haunted house, he bumps into u = he's lost and follows u and u guys make convo HEAR ME OUT OKAY

I don't remember everything that happened in TVD, maybe because the actor annoyed me I just couldn't stand Damon anymore #growth 😭 but have fun watching! PLL is such a shitshow and just saying the ending was BOLLOCKS!!! But it started well tbh and was pretty spooky at times, so I enjoyed it

LMFAOOOOO 😭😭😭😭 "#GROWTH" PLS FBKJHFK I SWEAR UR SO FUNNY I BE SCREAMING SOMETIMES, U KNOW IM NEVER GONNA WATCH PPL PLS JUST TELL ME WHO TF WAS X OR A BC IM TIRED,,, twilight (BUT HWA) and tvd and harry potter the ult spooky fall movies

I considered censoring m*rried lmaoooo, but decided to be brave! Ohhh I'm glad the fic is going well. Hotcheeks will be very happy! I imagine writing threesomes is hard to navigate 😭 writing regular smut is challenging enough. I could never

DHGFKHC I WAS WONDERING WHY HAVENT U,,, be brave u became the bravest 😭😭😭😭 it is finally!! hopefully they are bc i do not care for this fic sdvhjkdfhhe REGULAR SMUT IS SO HARD I WRITE IDK HOW PPL WRITE THE OT8 VERSIONS GODBLESS 😭😭😭😭

The strawberry milk, the rose, the pink kitty ears and the cherry photocards sit at the same table aka FUCKING EXPENSIVE TABLE. No but really Hwa has so many good photocards it makes collecting them more satisfying! It's a torment, but worth it

I watched 3 episodes and a half of LIC so far but I think I'm gonna wait until the whole season comes out, maybe see some spoilers to brace myself 😬

I WONDER IF HE KNOWS HES THAT EXPENSIVE BC WHAT THE FUCK ARE THE PRICES FOR THIS PC 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 no yeah im also going to wait for it to fully release, i expected the rom-com to be like a business proposal but they got the spirit! i started the bad prosecutor tho!

Literally, sometimes we get random interactions and the world goes crazy but some interactions never happen or at least we don't have the honour of seeing any fucking proof 😩 this is a cruel world. Jackson played the part and served so many fanfiction worthy moments, others need to deliver as well, come on

EXACTLY !!!!! the world goes mental, i am world,,, no bc for what we know they've already had interactions and we never know 😭😭😭😭 YOOOO WE NEED JACKSON TO HOST A PARTY WITH ALL THE IDOLS WATTPAD THAT DAY WOULD GO CRAZY

(About Seulgi) E x a c t l y! The choreo is good, so why not do it in a more interesting setting ILLEGAL. The outfits were okaaaaay, but we could've gotten something truly stunning. I can't wait to see the photobooks though. I hope her next cb comes soon and she continues the dark vibe. Imagine siren Seulgi or full witch 👀

no bc seulgi in a dark heavily beaded alexander mcqueen dress in a cathedral as a witch,, sm could never. EXACTLYYY THE DANCE IS SO PRETTY IT WOULDVE BEEN ACCENTUATED WITH A BETTER BG,, she could've pulled of the insane siren or heaven hell but dark lore something like this could have been miss girlies cb with a drop that's so villian like with a drop with a lot of bass! something like this :: seulgi would’ve gone slaygi mode

I'll be like "so, I found your lost brother" and pull up a whole ass banner. But I think he watched Tomorrow or is at least familiar with it? 🤔 I know it's so funny and the funniest thing is I didn't even bias him until later... but when I remembered the hip thrusts I was like 😳😳😳😳

PLS DSNJBF DO IT !!!! IF HE WATCHED IT THEN WOOYOUNG BETTER HAVE MAKE IT KNOWN THAT HWA LOOKS LIKE HIM,,, NO BC IT IS SO FUNNT IT CRACKS ME UP WHAT A WAY TO BE INTRODUCED TO ATEEZ 😭😭😭😭 so u basically said “oh 😳😳 hips 😳😳 oh ☺️”

DOES MISS Y/N EVEN END UP WITH HIM??? - now this is MY villain origin story ://// and no DYING unless someone wakes up as a vampire or something 😭😭😭😭 maybe I'll boycott and not read lmaooo

....does she 👀 there are different pairings! hwa also has his own rmr that!! fdbjsdah oH I CANNOT GUARANTEE THE DYING BC THERE IS A LOT OF DEATH IN THIS FIC DEF,, #boycott 😭😭😭😭 PLEASE DHBJH

I knew you'd appreciate the Danceracha song, because they serveeeeed. Lino's vocals made me choke. I'm glad they do unit songs and they're always so different. Omg Cold as hell is one of my faves from INVU! Gotta make a full villain Y/N playlist!

no bc wow what a song ive had it on repeat bc i was making a villain yn playlist and wow,,,, kpop groups need to drop songs like this for us dark lovers im rly obsessed COLD AS HELL THE PIANO IS SO CHILLING ITS AMAZING love when sm artists go dark bc the song quality is crazy

My friends attended TMA and they're going to that Daegu concert as well. Very unfair, I'm happy for them, but THE JEALOUSY IS SWALLOWING ME WHOLE 😩 - DV 💖

STOP. STOP. STOP STOP. THIS DGHFLSHEJHJS UR FRIEND NEEDS TO DRPP HD 1080P PHOTOS OF EVRYONE IM JEALOUS TO AN ABILITY I CANNOT FATHOM OBDFHJSAFJ IF MY SCHOOL DOES AN EXHANGE PROGRAM BEST FRIEND IM ABOUT TO MAKE MY A PHONE FANSITE CAMERA AND GO CRAZY,, ur friend better zoom in on kai's abs ok <3 UR FRIEND IS NOW A FANSITE

[viviangohcn]

What is Fandom?

A subculture known as "fandom" is made up of enthusiasts who have similar interests and are frequently united by a sense of empathy and companionship. Fan bases can develop around a wide range of topics, including specific personalities, sports teams, TV series, films, hobbies, and genres. Sports fans' fervent admiration is where the term "fandom" originated, and it has subsequently broadened to include a variety of hobbies and pursuits (Wikipedia contributors, 2023c).

Key Aspects of Fandom

Fan communities: Fans frequently get together to create online and offline communities where they may interact with one another and share their interests in a variety of activities.

Fan-based activities: Fans are typically involved in artistic endeavors, which they share with their communities, like fanfiction, fanvidding, and fan art.

Microcosms and domains: Fandoms centered around comic books, novels, TV series, video games, and literature genres can be thought of as microcosms, communities, and domains.

Online presence: Fandoms have taken on a new meaning with the introduction of contemporary technology, especially social networks and online forums, which make it easier for fans to connect with people who share their interests.

Impact on popular culture: Fandoms can work with performers, creators, and other fans to cooperate on projects, lobby for causes, and promote awareness.

Potential problems: Although fandoms can offer a supportive atmosphere where members may interact and pursue their passions, they can also give rise to problems like addiction, mob mentality, and cyberbullying.

10 Biggest Fandoms In The World:

Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)

Star Wars

BTS

Disney

Dr. Who

Skyrim

The Mandalorian

Harry Porter

Walking Dead

DC Fandom

These fandoms have become more well-known as a result of their engrossing narratives, adored characters, and devoted fan communities that have crossed boundaries and united individuals via common interests (Arora, 2023).

The Power of Fandom: Social Media

The contemporary "fan," or "stan," is more than just a crazy adolescent; they are also authors, editors, designers, developers, community administrators, and cultural trailblazers. Charts, box office, and which shows air are all under their control (Rebels, 2022).

These sizable cultural groups have dominated social media, and they use it on a daily basis as their preferred means of communication, engagement, and sharing insider information about their favorite musicians, sports teams, or celebrities(Rebels, 2022).

Let's take a moment to recognize the immense force that is the BTS Army, a global army of fans of the K-pop group BTS who are dedicated to promoting social change in addition to the group's catchy songs and gorgeous vocals. Prior to the US election, the BTS Army staged a Trump rally by reserving hundreds of seats so that Trump would speak to a partially empty stadium. In 2020, the group launched a number of powerful campaigns, raising millions of dollars and bombarding white supremacist hashtags with short, edited videos of the band(Rebels, 2022).

Source: https://ew.com/music/bts-fans-match-donation-black-lives-matter/

Fan Activism

The activity of uniting pop culture enthusiasts for social change is known as fan activism. It uses a variety of fandoms, interest groups, and strategies to confront social concerns via the prism of popular culture (Action Network, n.d.).

Fan activism can take many different forms, including advocating for social justice, supporting organizations that share similar ideals with fundraising efforts, and protecting fan works from commercial exploitation and copyright infringement claims.

Notable Examples of Fan Activism:

The Glee Equality Project: In order to better address homophobic and transphobic conduct and portray straight partnerships differently from LGBT+ ones, this fan activist movement sought to rework plotlines in the television series Glee (SPARKMovement, n.d.).

Harry Potter Alliance: Millions of Harry Potter fans have been inspired by this fan advocacy group to take up social issues, such equality and education, and they have won changes like Warner Bros. switching to 100% Fairtrade or UTZ sourcing for their Harry Potter chocolate (SPARKMovement, n.d.).

Racebending Movement: This fan activism movement, which attempts to advance diversity in Hollywood films, was started in response to the live-action The Last Airbender movie's whitewashing of the cast (Simons-Rudolph, 2019).

K-pop fans: This fan activism group, formerly known as the Harry Potter Alliance, has garnered a lot of attention and research and has organized fans to promote a variety of social justice topics.

Q: Do toxic fans in some online spaces (e.g. Twitter) make it difficult to become or identify as a fan?

YES. Online echo chambers are the breeding ground for toxic fan culture, where fans use purity tests to attack other fans and get into exaggeratedly passionate arguments about the stuff they watch. Abuse of other fans by toxic fans is common, with them characterizing the other as "fake" or "true" in their critique. For new fans, this kind of behavior can create a hostile atmosphere where they feel unwelcome or intimidated by the fanbase (MovieFanZ, n.d.).

Factors that contribute to toxic fan behavior:

Internet echo chambers

Anonymity

Mob mentality

Celebrity involvement

Q: Is online fandom a friendly space for an Asian fan?

For Asian fans, online fandom can be a welcoming environment, but the experience might differ based on the particular fandom and the platform being used. The following are a few variables that may affect how welcoming an online fandom is to Asian fans:

Diversity and inclusion: Diverse fandoms are more likely to be hospitable and nice to all fans, especially Asian fans, if they actively support diversity and inclusion (Bae, 2023).

Communities and platforms: Some online communities and platforms support inclusive and good fandom experiences more than others. Fans can interact with people who share their interests on social media sites like Reddit and Twitter, which provide them a sense of community and belonging (Opinion, 2022).

Fan studies: Researching fandom can reveal information on the dynamics of online communities and point out elements that support a welcoming and supportive atmosphere for all fans.

References

Wikipedia contributors. (2023c, November 7). Fandom. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fandom

Arora, D. (2023, June 29). The 10 Biggest Fandoms In The World: Uniting Fans Globally In 2023 - EBNW Story. EBNW Story. https://ebnw.net/entertainment/the-10-biggest-fandoms-in-the-world-uniting-fans-globally-in-2023/

Rebels, G. (2022, January 6). The power of fandom: what social media marketers can learn from teenage fans. Medium. https://medium.com/@goodrebels/the-power-of-fandom-what-social-media-marketers-can-learn-from-teenage-fans-63c0e184c8a7

Action Network. (n.d.). Fan Activism 101. https://actionnetwork.org/forms/fan-activism-101/

SPARKMovement. (n.d.). SPARKmovement. http://www.sparkmovement.org/agenda/fan-activism/

Simons-Rudolph, A. (2019, October 15). Fan activism and community psychology. Community Psychology: Social Justice Through Collaborative Research and Action. https://www.communitypsychology.com/fan-activism/

MovieFanZ. (n.d.). Reddit - Dive into anything. https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/v21nf1/toxic_fandoms/

Bae, K. Y. (2023, March 18). Frameworks of Fandom: New lenses for analysis of East Asian fandom and engagement. ASIANSTUDIES - 2023 AAS Annual Conference. https://asianstudies.confex.com/asianstudies/2023/meetingapp.cgi/Session/2189

Opinion. (2022, October 25). Internet fandom culture fosters community. The Daily Orange. https://www.dailyorange.com/2022/10/internet-fandom-culture-fosters-community/

[k-drabblebabbles]

Program Me To Love You (Pt. 3)

Program Me To Love You: Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7 - Part 8 - Part 9 - Part 10 (Coming soon!)

❥ Fandom: Seventeen

❥ Pairing: Joshua x Reader

❥ Genre: Fluff, slight angst (Warnings: Mentions of death)

❥ Word Count: 904

❥ Synopsis: It’s been five years since the passing of your first love. Can the government’s newest technology and your advanced skills in computer science and engineering bring him back?

“OW! Ow, ow, ow!” The suddenly bizarre kiss was cut short when your beautiful cup of coffee slipped out of your hands and spilled on the floor - a little of the hot beverage spilling on your feet. 

“Ah, that was hot coffee. Are you okay?” Jisoo-bot asked, his body tense with concern as he looked down at the damage. Some of the coffee spilled on him too, but you programmed him to feel and respond to sensations - but not in the way where he would feel actual pain like you currently were. “Oh no, you’re not!” 

“Of course not. I need to get tooth-” Before you knew it, he swept you off your feet and carried you to the operation table in under two seconds. 

“I’ll be right back,” He told you simply, then literally disappeared within a blink of the eye. Just as quickly, he returned with a tube of toothpaste and bent down in front of you. He slowly slipped off your slipper, earning a hiss of pain from you, until he gently blew air on the burned area. “This will sting a bit, but I promise I’ll be quick.” He squeezed out some toothpaste and proceeded to carefully spread it over the burned area while simultaneously blowing on it. 

Though the pain momentarily distracted you, you immediately went back to staring at the humanoid before with utter disbelief. The way he furrowed his eyebrows as he concentrated, the precise and careful movement of his fingers, the detailed outlines of his bare upper half...

You mentally slapped yourself. You built this robot yourself, you were not going to admire how toned or attractive he was just because he was moving, breathing, and blinking. Even if his face was the exact replica of your first real love. 

“There, all done,” He announced. You looked down at your foot, wondering when and how he managed to get a medical cloth and wrap it around your foot. “If you’re unable to walk, let me know so that I may help you.” 

“I think I’ll be-” You hopped off the operation table and almost lost your footing if Jisoo-bot hadn’t caught you. “Fine. I’m fine.” You stood up on your own, then proceeded to grab the humanoid’s chin and closely examine his features. “Eye movement, 98% accuracy. Air-flow, functioning. Texture,” You pinched his cheeks. “Elastic, but durable. Now for the memory test.”

“Ask me anything, Y/N. I know everything,” the bot even gave what looked like a cocky smirk. You remember inputting that HTML one late night, but you completely forgot about it until now. 

“Fine. Full bio.” You challenged. 

“Jisoo Hong. Born December 30th, 1995. Blood type A. Hobbies include playing guitar, singing, playing football, and reading. Earned straight As in school, volunteered twice every month, and is known for being a kind, sweet gentleman. Has never missed church. Has been Y/N’s best friend since elementary school and boyfriend since high school. Oh, is also modest, but knows his popularity is primarily thanks to his looks,” Jisoo-bot dutifully outlined with a proud grin. 

“Okay... Corny bio, but I’m glad you have a sense of humor,” You commented, noting how he combined the facts you inputted into his system and the memories you coded and downloaded into him. “Time for the tough questions. Why do we have seasons?”

“Because the Earth is tilted 23.4 degrees on its axis.” 

“Why are campfire flames visible?”

“Because of decaying electrons.” 

“Can getting a sunburn cause damage to DNA cells?”

“Yes.”

“A bat and a ball cost one dollar and ten cents in total. The bat costs a dollar more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?“

“Five cents.” 

“Two plus two?”

“Four.” 

“Alright. Let’s go outside to check your motor skills. But first, you’ll need some-” As you talked, you walked to where you dropped your coffee. However, instead of a mess of spilled coffee and broken cup pieces, all you saw was a clean tiled floor. 

“Where’d the mess go?” You stared down dumbfoundedly. 

“I cleaned it while getting toothpaste,” Jisoo-bot responded, appearing next to you. 

“I- We’ll probably need to slow down your speed. Now it’s just getting freaky,” You replied, shaking your head. “Come on, let’s go.”

“Wait,” He stopped you. You looked at him curiously. It was odd, you thought you’d be on your knees in tears, seeing how similar he looked to Jisoo. But the feeling you had with Jisoo... It wasn’t there. Or at least, it wasn’t yet. Your humanoid must’ve known as well. “You haven’t activated my response signal. Do I go by the name you programmed into my system?”

You faced him fully, looking into his eyes. They looked so close, so close, to his eyes - even the glint. But you knew better. You couldn’t help but know better. His eyes were a piece of glass that made any reflection look like the glint of an earnest heart. “I’m sorry... I thought you could use that name, but it doesn’t feel right to him...”

He took your hands with a reassuring smile. “I understand.” 

“But you do need a name. How about...” You knew of one other name he went by. He wanted you to call you by his birth name because of obvious reasons, but it was still a name that signified who he was. “Joshua.”

The robot, Joshua, grinned. “Joshua: response signal activated.”

✯ CONTINUE TO NEXT PART ✯

[sweetiesicheng]

joshua - wrong stop

word count : 512

-

you suddenly woke up when you heard a car horn go off. you opened your eyes and lifted your head off of your boyfriend's shoulder. the two of you were going home after joshua had picked you up from work.

"you alright?" joshua asked you.

you nodded with a short hum. you looked out the window to notice that you're stuck in traffic despite being in the bus lane.

"where are we?" you questioned, noticing buildings you had never seen before. "is this our route?" you added in confusion.

"um...great question, sweetie."

you looked at joshua, "did we miss our stop?" you asked him.

he slowly nodded his head at you. "yea, we did," he admitted.

"did you fall asleep too? what happened?" you asked.

"let's get off now and head to the subway that's nearby. i'll explain what happened," he said to you.

you and joshua got up from your seats. since you were in traffic, you two could easily get off since the bus was stopped. joshua held your hand as you two started walking towards the nearest subway station.

"alright, josh, what happened?" you asked him.

"you fell asleep pretty quickly once we sat down. i was awake the whole time, but when we were getting close to our stop..." he trailed off, "i didn't want to wake you up because you looked adorable."

you could feel yourself blushing. "josh, that's really cute...but we could've been home by now!" you whined at him. joshua has known you have been really tired because of work, which was very evident when you fell asleep earlier. "we could be laying on the couch or in bed, and i could be asleep already!"

joshua gave you a small smile, "sorry, love," he apologized. then, he chuckled in amusement, "but you really were cute."

you just rolled your eyes at him, making joshua squeeze your hand.

"i'll make it up to you with a cupcake."

"don't think you can buy me with sweets."

"you say that every time i buy you a dessert."

"...just let me be cranky."

the two of you made it to the subway station and went through the gates. you found the line you needed to take in order to get to your usual station and headed to the platform.

"geez, it's really busy here too," you commented as you guys went down to the platform.

"it's rush hour for everyone," joshua replied as you two used an escalator to get down to the platform. "we only need to wait like three stops, so we'll be home soon," he said to you.

"i’m going to close my eyes, so you better wake me up when we're near our stop," you said to him.

"yes, yes, i promise to wake you up," he replied, but his tone didn't sound serious.

"be serious!" you whined at him as you two walked onto the platform.

"i am, i promise, babe," he said to you. "but i also can't help it if you look cute," he added before kissing your forehead.

"josh!"

[synthetickitsune]

17's Vocal Unit Reaction: They Say They Hate You in an Argument

Hip Hop Unit ver. | Performance Unit ver.

Woozi

“You know, I really hate you sometimes. You’re annoying just like the others,” Jihoon growls out, frustrated and tired. Something snapped inside him and he can’t stop the words that spill out. “If you think I’ll go all soft just because we’re dating, I won’t.”

You know he isn’t thinking straight - that he’s so exhausted he’s physically incapable of it, but his words hurt anyway. You watch as he rubs his palms over his face and eyes. He looks terrible and you want to beg him to take a rest, insist on it again, but you don't. He's told you how he feels about that.

"Well then. Take care, Jihoon," you say simply before your emotions can get the best of you. You leave the studio behind, holding yourself together pretty well until you arrive home and break down, your sobs echoing in the silence.

There’s this whole ritual whenever you two would have a big fight. He’d avoid you, sleep at the dorm or the studio, while you’d be home, already knowing not to wait for him, and after a day or a couple of them, you’d show up at his studio and you’d talk it out. Not the most efficient system, but it worked for you. Besides it was almost eerie how in sync you were that you’d instinctively know when to come to him, when he was ready. It really made you wonder whether there was some bond tying you together.

This time was no different. You find yourself wandering through the hallway leading to his studio the very next day. You don’t want to be there, but it feels right. There’s uneasiness in the pit of your stomach. He sounded so genuine. You know he didn't mean it, not really, but the way he said it makes you wonder how many times he’s thought that. 

Just as you’re about to knock on the door to his studio, it opens and you see a very tired and obviously very panicked Jihoon. He wanted to pick you up from work, he really did. But he passed out, the sleep deprivation too much for his body, and now it’s too late - obviously. He freezes when his eyes meet yours, shocked enough to hide the exhaustion. It makes you smile bitterly.

“You came?” is all he could say.

“Yeah, uh, that’s the way we do things, right?” you ask, uncertain due to his reaction whether maybe your gut feeling was off this time. He scoffs, his head dropping.

“After what I said? If I were you, I wouldn’t even let me come home until I begged for forgiveness,” his voice is enough to let you know just how much the guilt was eating him alive. You step closer to him, cupping his cheek to make him look at you.

“Jihoon, I know you’re just overworked and frustrated. You shouldn’t have taken it out on me, sure, but I bet you wouldn’t even remember your name back then,” you smile and he returns it, or tries to.

“Thank you for giving me one more chance,” he sighs, opening his arms for you, cautiously. There’s a lot of hesitance clearly visible in his body language, in the way he looks at you.

“Babe? Stop acting like I’m about to break up with you,” you scold him gently, willingly stepping into his open arms and hugging him back.

“Maybe you should’ve considered it, I was an asshole. I’d deserve it,” he apologizes in his own way, finally feeling the tiniest bit of anxiety ease as he holds you.

“Say it one more time and I will think about it,” you tease, only to hear him huff again.

“No way, you had your chance and now you’re stuck with me,” the smile finally reaches his eyes, even if you can’t see. 

But he does wonder - will you stick with him? How many times can he mess up before you’ll have enough. He’s terrible at expressing his feelings, especially when it comes to telling you how he feels about you, how much he loves you. He’s stubborn. He couldn’t even properly apologize to you. He feels like there’s a clock ticking somewhere, but as you hug him tighter and kiss him, he thinks he might, just this once, try to live in the present while he’s still allowed to be with you.

Jeonghan

You should’ve known better. You should’ve noticed the signs, take a deep breath, and leave confrontation for a later time, but you did none of those things and now your throat is tight and lungs burn with the need for oxygen. Things have gotten out of hand pretty quick, if the tears pricking at your eyes are any indication. You hold them back, even if just to hide how affected you were by the fight that, theoretically, you have started. 

Jeonghan’s tongue is especially sharp today and each of his venom-coated words seems to cut you like a knife. You know he doesn’t mean it, it’s all just the product of his sleep deprivation, further aggravated by your confrontation about a problem that, in hindsight, wasn’t even that important, yet it hurts like hell.

“I can’t do this right now. Really, y/n, I hate you,” he sighs, his voice breaking into a yawn, and you see, finally, just how tired he is. So you don’t stop him when he scoffs at your lack of reaction and leaves for the bedroom. Once you hear the door slam shut, you finally allow the tears to fall. You try to keep quiet, minding how sensitive he is in his sleep. His face, sunken cheeks and dark bags under his eyes, haunt you, along with his cruel words and the final blow. It’d seem the fight tired you out too, as you soon find yourself lying down on the couch and crying yourself to sleep.

When you wake up, it can’t be much later because you can tell there’s light hiding behind your closed eyelids. Memories of the hours preceding your nap come to your mind and you decide it’s for the best to try and fall asleep again, but that’s apparently not an option. Not when you hear a quiet cough inches away from your face.

You get more details from your surroundings without opening your eyes. Like his breath gently fanning your face, or his fingers very tentatively stroking your face from time to time. Almost as if he needed to gather courage before touching you. It causes something to deflate in your chest. Is it your anger, or the hurt? You’re not sure. 

“I know you’re awake,” he says quietly, pulling his hand away and you miss his warmth despite everything. You sigh, you don’t really want to talk to him right now but silent treatment would be childish and would no doubt cause another argument. 

“Haven’t been for long,” you shrug without opening your eyes. You have no idea what to tell him, but then again he should be the one doing the talking.

“I know,” he clears his throat, “Would you look at me, please?” You can’t say you want to, but you’re not childish enough to keep your eyes closed. He looks less like a walking corpse, but he’s a mess anyway. Clearly he didn’t sleep well. He’s sitting on the floor in front of the couch, and it’d only take for you to stretch your arm to run a hand through his hair. You don’t.

“I’m sorry,” he starts, his eyes gentle and honest, “I must’ve been out of my mind to say something like that. All of what I said, actually.” It was a rare sight even for you to see Jeonghan so unsure and serious.

“I accept your apology, but I’m still hurt,” you tell him and he nods before releasing a shaky breath.

“You should be hurt, I was a real trash before,” he admits, “I had so many nightmares that you left. And I think you’d be right to.” That explains a lot of things.

“Hannie,” you sigh, lips twitching up at the surprised look he gives you at being called so affectionately, “You were an asshole, but I get it. I could’ve waited until you've rested, it wasn’t even that big of a deal. It doesn’t give you the right to treat me like you did, but I wouldn’t leave just because of that. I love you, no matter what you say.”

“I love you too,” he breathes out, shuffling closer and resting his chin on the couch. Your noses almost bump together. “Please let your stupid boyfriend make it up to you. I’ll be good, I promise.”

“You better be,” you hum, finally running a hand through his hair, making him sigh and close his eyes, “But tell me you hate me one more time and I’ll believe you.”

Joshua

He runs his hand through his hair for what seems to be a thousandth time in the last hour. It feels hopeless. A situation with no way out, without a solution. You’ve been through this already, but it seems that it’s just impossible for nobody to get hurt in this relationship, not under these conditions. 

“I hate you. I hate us when it’s like this,” he breaths out, his shoulders slumping in defeat. It’s a relief to see him relax. As much as it hurts.

“I know. I hate it too,” you whisper, your arms tightening around you as you lean back against the wall. The floor seems so interesting suddenly. It hits you in waves, his words. They’re all you can focus on, bouncing around your head. You’re sure he didn’t mean them, but then again, are you really sure? Or is it just an empty hope? The more you think about it, the more you think there might be a speck of truth in them.

“y/n,” his voice shakes you up, too close. You raise your gaze and see that he’s standing right in front of you, his eyes once again open windows into his soul. You know he’s sorry. 

“It’s alright,” you dismiss with a sniffle, not really in the mood to talk about it. To be honest, you’d rather go and curl up under the covers and cry your heart out first, but you’re not sure you’d be strong enough to approach him then. Or whether you’d see him in the same light then, and that’s what scares you the most. 

“Stop it. We both know it’s not,” he sighs, “I didn’t mean it. Let’s just get that out of the way.”

You nod, numbness spreading through your body. There’s a billion thoughts in your head that you want to share but you can’t get them past your lips. Maybe it would be for the best if you just forgot about the whole thing. If only you could. The scene was too close to the stuff of your nightmares.

He sighs again. Slowly, he leans in, his hands on either side of your body, pushing against the wall to prevent him from leaning close enough to touch you. You can’t find it in yourself to hate how comfortable and safe the cage of his body feels.

“Talk to me,” he pleads, softly.

“I’m scared,” you admit, unable to hold his gaze, but he lets you off. “It sounded like something you’d say before a breakup.”

“Hey, hey, look at me,” he says, one of his hands carefully cupping your cheek and helping you look at him, “Nobody’s breaking up with anyone. I mean unless you want…” He can’t finish the sentence, he doesn’t have to though. You shake your head with a sigh.

“Good,” he can’t help but lean close enough to kiss your forehead. Your lips quirk upwards. You know he’s waiting for you to continue, but you take your time.

“I never expected you to say something like that,” you tell him in the end. It’s not what you necessarily wanted to say, except unfortunately your mind refuses to cooperate with you.

“I never meant to either,” he swallows uneasily, “And to be honest I hate myself for saying it. I could never hate you.”

“But is that true? I mean,” you stop him before he can respond, “I get it. We’re fighting about this again. The more I think about it, the more I realize I probably also felt some resentment towards you. Just a little bit, just at that moment.” It’s quiet for a while as he ponders your words.

“I think I know what you mean,” he finally agrees. He says the words like he can’t believe them, or rather accept them. “I guess you’re right.” The room is silent again, safe for the shuddering breath you both take. 

“Maybe-” you both start at the same time and smile uneasily as your eyes meet. He nods for you to speak first.

“Maybe it’s more like we’re frustrated about the situation. Like we hate that there’s nothing we can do about it, not each other,” you try.

“Or maybe we blame each other for it, on some unconscious level,” he says much more quietly.

“I was thinking that too. I’m glad I wasn’t the one who had to say it,” you chuckle and he joins you, the atmosphere lifting the slightest bit.

“I guess we’re not all that useless together if we still think the same things,” his voice betrays how hopeful he feels. You find the same hope nestled securely in your heart too.

DK

You’re shaking. He’s shaking. Neither of you is good at arguments, and honestly it’s a wonder it’s escalated this far. You’ve seldom so much as raised voices at each other. Fights are rare between you, and always more like the cracking of fire whereas this was like something’s blown up in your faces. The yelling continues. The words don’t make sense and you both know it, but you’re both too stressed and scared, overwhelmed in the new territory of conflicts.

“I-I hate you!” he screams and it shatters the bubble that seemed to envelop you and detach you from reality. Before the reality hits you, however, you manage to respond. 

“I hate you too!”

The silence that follows, only broken by your heavy breathing, feels crushing. Like the kind of silence that falls only once something that can never be undone has happened.

The breathing in the room turns shaky, followed by a few sniffles - yours, his, who even knows anymore. Together, you let your bodies exhausted by the screaming match fall to the floor. You’re watching each other, but you can’t hold his gaze and neither can he hold yours. Not when you both can see the tears that start to roll down the other’s cheeks.

It only lasts a few minutes before you’re scrambling to meet him halfway, your bodies colliding in a crushing hug. As if the proximity could erase what was said. As if the frantically whispered apologies and reassurances could. Before you know what’s happening, you’re rolling on the floor, tangled together, gripping one another so tightly you’re growing even weaker. You end up lying on top of him, face nuzzled into the crook of his neck. His arms are wrapped around you without strength, gently caressing your back. Neither of you stopped crying, but the tears fall slower now.

“y/n, I’m so sorry,” Seokmin sniffles, gently petting your hair, “I don’t know what came over me. I’d never… I could never hate you. Please. I mean it, I don’t know where it came from.”

“Baby, it’s fine. I’m not any better,” you try to say as calmly as possible but it was hard with your boyfriend being so emotional and you yourself being so shaken up, “I didn’t mean it either. I just said it on reflex without thinking. I love you, more than anything.”

“I love you too, so much,” he whines, gathering what little strength was left in his body to squeeze you tighter. “Let’s never fight again. It was horrible. That’s what I hate.”

“Agreed,” you nod vigorously, “Never again. I don’t even know what we were fighting about.”

“Whatever it was wasn’t worth all this. I made you cry…” he says in terror, as if only now realizing. You both sit up, you straddling his lap as he holds your face in his hands. You raise your hands too, gently brushing away his tears. 

“I made you cry too,” you chuckle softly, making him smile a little as well, “Let’s agree we’re both stupid, love each other, and will treat each other better in the future?”

He nods, pulling you closer to kiss you - not without a shy questioning gaze. You close the gap, your lips meeting his carefully. You smile, reminded of your very first kiss that was just as careful. It’s so gentle you start giggling into the kiss, and he soon follows. 

“I really love you too much. I can’t lose you,” he confesses when he pulls away and rests his forehead against yours.

“I love you more,” you kiss the tip of his nose, “And you’re not losing me. I’m not going anywhere.”

“I wouldn’t forgive myself if you left just because I was stupid,” he insists, and you sigh, kissing him again just to shut him up.

“I’m not leaving you, silly. And I told you that nasty thing too, should I start begging you to stay as well?” you ask, laughing when he gives you a bewildered look. “See? Let’s leave it behind us and cuddle.”

That seems to do the trick. The only thing you haven’t considered is that Seokmin absolutely refuses to let you go. Then again, you feel shitty about the situation too, so you’re all too happy to let him cling to you, just as you cling to him as you shower each other with endless reassurances. Even after today turns into tomorrow, you hold hands for the better part of the twenty four hours, drawing shapes and squeezing - you’re here, you’re together, you’ll always be.

Seungkwan

You hate fighting with him at the best of times, but it’s even more heartbreaking when you can barely hear him argue back, his voice weak and hoarse, words distorted by coughing and sniffling as he fights back the urge to blow his nose mid-argument. 

“Boo Seungkwan, there’s no way I’m letting you get up from the bed! Forget about the damn practice! You’d be useless there. You can’t even talk, or do you just want to make the others sick as well?” you scold him, words a little harsher than you intended, but you’re tired, stressed and most of all worried and you really don’t wanna fight with him while he’s in this state.

“I hate you!” he chokes out, his voice breaking before he can continue, so you roll your eyes.

“Yeah, yeah, I hate you too, now lie back down,” you push on his shoulder carefully, but then again he’s so weak you don’t need to use any strength to make him fall back into the pillows.

“What did you say to me?” he gasps, eyes widening as if he didn’t expect you to say that.

“What did you say to me?” you quirk a brow at him, watching in mild irritation and amusement as he tries hard to think back. He’s so out of it and yet he’s still thinking of going to practice even if you’ve already talked to their manager and Seungcheol? You admire his dedication, you really do, but sometimes it borders on foolishness. Finally it seems to click for him.

“Oh,” is all he says as he turns his head to you. His eyes are glassy with fever, but you can still read the uncertainty within them. You sigh, honestly just relieved that the argument seems to be over.

“Just stay here, lie down, and I’ll go make you some tea, alright?” you say and he nods, finally quiet and not straining his already weak voice. You know he’d suffer even more if he wasn’t able to speak at all. You leave him in the bedroom, pretty sure he’s gonna do as he promised now. You sigh. You don’t take his words to heart, knowing he didn’t mean them, but it still doesn’t sit right with you - and you know he doesn’t feel entirely comfortable with it either. You let your mind go blank as you prepare the tea you’ve promised him, sweetening it with honey.

You’re careful opening the door, trying to make as little noise as possible in case he’s fallen asleep. He hasn’t, his eyes meeting your sheepishly. You give him a small smile as you sit down on the bed next to him and put the cup with the hot tea on the night table.

“I’m sorry,” he says, taking advantage of you being turned away from him, “I didn’t mean it. I was mad at myself, I wasn’t even angry with you. You just wanted to help.”

“I’m glad you know that,” you sigh, brushing some of the hair out of his face, “I’m sorry too, I shouldn’t have been so harsh.”

“I didn’t give you much choice. I can be pretty stubborn sometimes,” he acknowledges before a coughing fit hits, and you can only pat his back and offer him the steaming tea once it passes.

“That’s true, but honestly I really like that about you too, how dedicated you are to the team and everything,” you smile at him, helping him hold up the cup. It hurts you seeing him so weak.

“And you have no idea how devoted I am to you,” he murmurs, “Even if I’m stupid and say things I don’t mean.” He yawns before he can say more.

“We both do that sometimes. Sleep now, you need to rest if we’re to avoid having the same fight tomorrow,” you tease warmly, pulling the covers all the way under his chin and tucking him in despite his shy protests.

“We won’t, I love you too much for that,” he murmurs before yawning again and only seconds later he’s fast asleep. You sigh again. 

Once he wakes up, he’s a changed man. He listens to your recommendation, cute like a puppy that only just learned obedience. You tell him it’s alright, that he doesn’t have to listen to your every word, but he does anyway. He keeps checking you’re not angry, both by gently caressing your skin anytime you get close enough and by outright asking you as he’s about to fall asleep again. You feel for making him worry, but maybe it’s for the best if he’s gonna get better sooner for it.

[serendipitouxs]

Who | Joshua Hong

Type: Oneshot

Pairing: Joshua Hong x Reader

Genre: High school, Angst, Fluff

Summary: The same school corridors which once used to echo with cheery chatters, now are very fond of the essence of Y/n and her new found 'friends'. With Elle, her close friend, constantly trying to keep her in check, Y/n still does try her best to prove that the 'new' her is actually real and not just her suppressing her old self to look wantable. This remains as it is until the sudden return of someone special, Joshua Hong, to the city and Y/n's life. And perhaps his presence alone was enough to trigger the series of events questioning years of Y/n and Joshua's lives, all in the span of a few hours. But maybe it was all meant to happen this way all in one day, maybe all these years of wait was worth it today.

Warnings: mistreatment

Word count: 5k

A/N: This is my debut fic woohoooooo🕺 idk this didn't turn out the way I wanted it to but it's still not bad¿ but yeah I hope this is a good read!

－－☁️－－－－☁️－－－－☁️－－－－☁️－－－－☁️－－－－☁️－－

Feeling the cold gush of breeze brush against your hair as you open the doorway into another fresh day of attendance–call it attendance because that clearly was all you were there for besides the attention named as yours, it's like academics weren't even part of your spectrum, ironically, at school anymore. All the stares greetings you receive as the starters of the day, especially the gasps of amazement your classmates gave when you greeted them back, this really set something in you. Being of some the adrenaline you missed, some the adrenaline you were unknown of formerly. Although you weren't all that arrogant or blunt that came attached along with your 'popular' tag, you did tend to disguise your previous pure self behind the social, confident energy, eventually largely forgetting who you used to be between all the chatters that now take place around you. Yet, you may forget who you were since you never realised it, but you never forget who you hold responsible for making you the way you are today–for your present behavior, good or bad. The one you knew since your first day here, the one your diary knew since the first entry, the one your stuffed rabbit toy Rae too had heard enough about. Your first and until date last, Josh- "Joshua! Hey!" 

You were pulled out of these thoughts as the name reached your ears, unknowingly startling

you, as if you were almost expecting to see that one your eyes longed to lay on again, until you notice it isn't him and just some other classmate in the corridor. And before you could even consider why your heart still races over that name, you got dragged to the lockers at the middle, where your friends would usually hang out, by Elle, someone you trusted with your whole heart. Even though Elle wasn't quite appreciative of your newfound companions, who clearly spent time with you because of yours and their popularity, Elle still tagged along with you because who can say no to hearing some drama which doesn't involve themselves? Yet Elle, being the true friend she has been, would remind you of your morals whenever she felt you stepping over your line as a person, or anyone else's. 

But the drama wasn't Elle's only reason to hop in–it was also your other friend from popularity, Jihan–someone she flattered. This lead to you flashing smirks at her whenever you caught her admiring the tall boy, later giving her your classic "I'm rooting for your duo, I'm not into Brunette guys anyways" clearly flashing thoughts of the black haired one you did fall for before. But oh well, time changes, situations change, and so did you. But did your feelings follow the change? 

Quietly, you shrug it off to avoid the loop of thinking it lead to. 

This was your everyday morning routine–energetic, chaotic, and based on a lot of new rumors as morning news. The same chatters everyday before classes begin. 

This was how it had become– Until this morning. The weather being extra sunny didn't bother you much, as you always carried extra sunscreen. What did bother you was your phone running out of charge, so the smile on your face was was indeed cheerful the moment you got access to Elle's powerbank. What a lifesaver. But, life isn't as nice to you as Elle is, so it wasn't a shocker that you were greeted with confusion the moment your phone turned on, revealing missed calls from an unknown number. "Probably got the wrong number, I don't remember giving my number to anyone recently" your words almost overlapped with your phone vibrating again, flashing the same number on screen. You decide to pick it up, and oh boy were you ready for what you heard on the other end. 

"Hello, Y/n?" The volume his voice carried, particularly on you, was more than enough for you to figure out who he was; that one boy. "Jo......Joshua?" Elle choked, wondering if she misheard the name you said, only to get the confirmation as she watched your confidence leave you. "Y/n....is it really you?" To which a simple hum was all you could respond with.  

"Wow... It's been so long. How have you been?" You've been yearning for his presence in your life. You've been counting on the stars secretly asking for his happiness like you always did, so secret that even your consciousness couldn't see it. You've been pretending he's irreplaceable because you don't want the feelings he gave you anymore, when deep down you know, he is irreplaceable because he's always been that one boy. No matter how many days pass, how much time passes since the day you felt this way, it's still him. That's how you've been. 

"I've been better, Joshua. How about you? How's everything going down there in LA?" Plaster your emotions like you always did, yet, this time it felt impossible to be able to do it.  

"I've been good. And I've actually moved back from LA this week with my parents, dad's transfer.... You still go to S/n school right?" A few seconds pass by and you stand there motionless, trying to process what you just heard. "Y/n?" Elle hears the voice from the phone and jerks you out of your thoughts, making you recollect the situation and gather yor words. "Yup, I still go there. I'm in the corridors as I speak in fact" and hearing a small chuckle from him instinctively brought a smile to your face, instantly putting it off the moment you realised it was because of him. "Well I've been wanting to meet you for so long now, and Mrs. Jeon did tell me you've wanted the same too. So now that I am here, wanna catch up over coffee?" 

"You talked to my mom? How?"  

"Y/n I hope you remember my mom and Mrs. Jeon being inseparable, so it was only expected that she drives us over to your place the moment we land"  

"Oh yeah, silly me" embarrassment crept all over your face at the thought of your own mother outing you in front of him, which only increased upon hearing his and Elle's laughter over it. You were preparing a glare for her when you realised you've accidentally avoided his question, "Yeah sure, let's meet" At this point it was obvious how nervous you were from your shaky voice, but Joshua couldn't seem to take note of it because he felt the same. "Great, how does xxx cafe sound for today at 5?" And you agree. "Alright see you then, and say hi to Elle from my side, bye!" He exclaimed, hanging up the phone. "How did he know I'm standing next to you?" Elle shook her hand in front of you in confusion. "Of course because of all the stuttering and suddenly talking again after long pauses Elle! But that's not the point. Joshua wants to meet me. The Joshua Hong wants to meet me." You lowly said, still trying to process what just happened. And that surfaced the fangirl part of the old you out again, which Elle partly used to be annoyed of, and now partly missed. 

"Elle, why do you think he's been wanting to meet me?" You look straight into Elle's eyes as she pulls you to an even farther point of the corridor, ensuring no one except the walls hear her hypothesis. "You both are family friends and know each other since long now, of course he'd want to meet you, Y/n" You give Elle a wide eye, expecting something other than the obvious as her opinions. "But don't you think...." Your trails were followed by her words, "But the way he spoke to you, nevertheless..... nope still doesn't suggest anything you're thinking of" What other than logic and sarcasm could you even expect from Elle? 

"Elle, I'm a whole different person now. I'm not the same old Y/n he knew, I'm different, and.....better. Don't you think?" You say, taking small steps towards class, yet pause the moment you see Elle standing still in the same place. "Well you have changed, I wouldn't say for the better but that's not the point right now, Y/n. Please don't do something stupid in front of Joshua today cause I guarantee you, you'll end up regretting it and then call me over to cry with you with ice cream tubs. You know I'm always down for ice cream with you but mom's not been in a good mood lately so you're in that alone!" 

"What do you mean not for the better? Did you like naive Y/n more than the confident one standing in front of you right now? And look, I'll finally get to show Joshua how better off I am without him, so if that's what you call stupid then regrets aren't something I'd know of" You almost screamed this at her, though she was just inches away.  

"Y/n, you know exactly what I mean. I am serious, please don't do it. It'll cost you a lot, especially your feelings for Jos-"  

"What feelings Elle? There's none left. After the way he didn't even feel the need to give me an explanation with the rejection.....forget it. This is my only chance." As you lowered your voice in attempts of preventing the memories to be recalled. 

"Who are you, Y/n. You know this isn't you. You know this is a show you've been putting up for yourself to prove Joshua and others you're wantable, when in reality you don't even know how Joshua felt about you?"  

You had no defense to that, almost like parts of you agreed with her on this one. You did feel like you lost yourself often, but always suppressed such thoughts because what came as it's consequences wasn't something you found yourself capable of dealing with. 

"If he felt anything, he wouldn't reject m-" 

"Enough, Y/n. Not now. I hope you find your way out of this show today after meeting him. I'm still just a call away as long as you learn the truth again. And I'm running late for class, since you have no intentions to attend them anyway" With that, she walks away calmly, leaving you in your confusion puddle with many questions and thoughts, but no realisation, or regret–the two things you actually needed. 

The rest of the day at school passes by with a lost you wondering down your thought loops about what Elle and Joshua both meant, ruling over even the school's fresh gossip, or Literature class, which you'd otherwise paid all your attention to. It felt like you needed to reevaluate your entire existence in these six hours, which you clearly didn't intend on. And yet lord knows how with that slow pace, the day did finally pass by, and the moment the halls echoed with the bell sounds was the moment you took as your cue to leave as you storm quickly past everyone, including Elle who could do nothing but pass you an "All the best" with that restlessness of yours. 

The bus ride back home was mostly you circling between imagining how interacting with him face to face again would be like and trying to calm yourself by softly humming the music playing in your earphones. But all your composure yet again went in vain the moment the bus haulted before your stop, and you basically leaped out and in to your house.  

"Welcome home Y/n, I'm sorry but it's gonna take some time setting your snacks today. I started cooking late because Mr. And Mrs. Hong paid a visit. Did I tell you they moved back? Exciting isn't i-" "No mom you didn't tell me cause who tells things to their daughter when they can to Joshua right?" You didn't know what got into you that let you speak to your own mother like that, perhaps the rage and confusion and of course the idea of her exposing your thoughts to the one they were about. "What are you talking about dear?" "Nothing mom, nothing. I guess that's what you'd say about telling everything you know to Joshua. Before you ask, he did call me in the morning, and I can't have food right now, I gotta go to Elle's for- work. For work." Honesty was never all your thing but something about lying about Joshua crept some nervousness up your mind, you'd wonder why. "Elle? Wrong name darling. And Josh does look fine today, I mean, just saying you know." You sighed knowing your lies couldn't hold up against your nervous breathes, but that was least of your concern right now. Your outfit however, was beyond alarming for your concerns. 

You walked into your room with only one thought in your head–what in this entire closet would suffice for your plan of showing him how much you've changed, contradictiory to Elle's opinion, for the better, and for him to note and regret of course. Okay, maybe not that contradictory to Elle's words after all. Nit long after, you meet the dining hall's giant mirror with a black casual dress and some sneakers, just enough to show out your new self yet just enough to not mistake it as desperation. "Bye mom, and no, don't get too excited, no proposals or acceptances or all that happening" "Well, I never mentioned any of that honey, so where did that come from? Bye!" She giggled as you rolled your eyes and made your way down the street to the Cafe. Using the birds' hums as your last way to subdue that unexplainable nervousness and unsettling pit feeling, you decided to introduce clarity to your intentions, minutes before you were to execute these plans. Perfect timing indeed.  

'Come on Y/n, you're a much prettier person than that years ago now, you're much more wantable, heck, you are much more wanted. How hard would it be to embrace that in front of him?" Something about that did not seem right with your heart, yet, you shrugged that off like it was nothing, when in reality it perhaps was your final warning. 

It didn't take long before you reached there. The rusty, vintage cottage looking cafe with little metallic details as decor, contrasting with the aroma of fresh coffee. His choices still remain as great as before, you thought. You took a little twirl in the front yard of this shop, a small smile unknowingly lingering over your face. Your senses, however, couldn't absorb the ambience for longer, as what your eyes fell on next did freeze them. 

There he was. Sitting at a corner seat, running his hands through his glossy hair, almost out of nervousness. His presence alone was enough to remind you why no other guy could replace what he had meant to you. You stood there, frozen like you wanted to oppose the weather, until your eyes met something dazzling. What else this charming could it be, if it weren't his eyes. You felt a million emotions running through you that very instance, but chose to shrug it off, or try so, to look somewhat sane in front of him. His smile grew wider, so did your nervousness, the closer you approached. Perhaps accomplishing what you've wanted was harder than you imagined, considering how much of your glamor had already faded seconds into sharing presence with him at the same place and time. 

"Y/n! Hey!" He warmly greeted you with a wave, to which you reciprocated. 

"Been a while, hasn't it? You've gotten taller, much more resembling Mr. Hong" You proceed, trying to cover over the fact that you were dying inside. "Well thanks to him for that I guess, but I still owe him more for moving back here. And you? I mean look at you, beautiful than ever. Aged well huh?" He joked as you hit his arm lightly as an instinct accompanied with a smile. Was Elle right all along? Why would your stomach form a whirl when you met him if Elle weren't right about it? All these thoughts crossed your mind the way the conversation crossed old paths and memories. 

"How have you been lately? And school? Come on we need to catch up on each other's lives" the curiosity in his eyes seemed beyond formalities. And there, you seized this opportunity as your revenge catalyst, as your mind went places your heart didn't want to go, phasing Elle's warnings out completely. "School's been good ish, To be honest I don't really know what's been going on there, I'm mostly just too busy with Jihan and the others to keep track of academics." This sentence raised a questionable look on Joshua's face, as his expressions dropped from cheerful to confused ones.  

"Jihan? Lee Jihan? That popular jerk? Is he still that way? I doubt that cause you do hang out with him now." Your plastered smile almost turned into a real smirk, as you could sense your plan coming to play. 

"Yeah, Lee Jihan. He's still the same though, maybe I'm the one who changed in that case" You chuckled as he faked a smile in disbelief, knowing how much you failed to stand Jihan and the 'popular kids' back in the days.  

"Jihan makes school a lot less annoying for me, you know how stupidity just roams free with those studious kids. Like Lea-" 

"Wait, Lea? Weren't you guys best friends? She was a sweetheart though, what happened?" It was obvious his concern wasn't Lea, rather you. 

"Ah well, she just got too much on my nerve. Always talking about grades and school and boring hangouts. Who even likes ice cream meet ups anymore? I'd much rather go to the downtown restaurants with the gang." You mentally cursed yourself, knowing Elle would sulk extensively when she finds out about your 'opinions' on ice cream meet ups, even if they were false. Although around this part of the conversation, your mind set clear warning alarms again about the situation, almost as if it was a gut feeling this time. Yet, your plan did seem on track, the way Joshua looked astonished with his eyes questioning your confidence with those words, so you kept going, swerving past any potential warnings. 

" That's about me Josh, fill me up on you, how have you been? What school will you be going to now?" You sweetly display your interest while he trues to shrug your words off by shaking his head and proceeding to talk about his part. 

"I've been better, I did learn a lot about myself in LA too. And-" His words abruptly cut off by your figure shooting up and gasping at what seemed like a latte, which was much more over your dress now than the cup in the waitress' serving tray inches from you. She instantly begun apologizing in heaps as she attempted to fetch you tissues for help. "How dare you! Do you have an idea how humiliating this feels?" You spat out nothing but rolls of anger over the waitress, who showed nothing but guilt even though whatever took place was unintentional, in trying to remain in character, but quickly got a hint of your plan's downfall the moment you glanced at Joshua, who now had to poke his tongue on his cheeks to prevent him from confronting you furiously about your mistreatment towards the waitress. Well, the desire of bring superior to your past self took over more than you envisioned, leading to a trail of words leaving your mouth next which shocked you too. "That was so stupid of her! Gosh, why can't people just do their work properly, it's not like they could afford getting fired anyway" and that was Joshua's last reason. In a taken aback manner, he left a slight part between his lips as a sign of speechlessness. His glare being so strong, you could quite feel it pierce through your face. Nevertheless, the most intriguing part still remained how you managed to ignore your obvious mistakes and following guilt and realisation, even through all this. 

Some moments of uneasy silence and a glass of water down by Joshua, that's when he decided to speak. "Y/n, I've been observing your behavior since the moment you walked in. This is really not you, why are you doing this" His eyes reflected on his internal disappointment, and a bit of sadness. This sight did more to you than any of those mental alarms, or Elle's warnings did. Something in a way you couldn't find in yourself to explain. Yet, having no other choice but to pass him a response, you took a deep inhale and proceeded. "This is me Joshua. You know, I've changed. Do you really expect me to be the same naive, innocent, pure girl who fell for you back then? Utopian beliefs then, Mr. Hong." 

This caused him to lean back in his chair in utter shock. "Who are you, Y/n. What have you done to yourself."

"You can't blame me Joshua, you did it, and you know. You were the one who didn't even feel the need to owe me an explanation for that rejection. Obviously I would change myself from that state, wouldn't I?" You lean a little forward on the table between the both of you.

"You would never naturally change to the ignorant, arrogant person you show yourself as right now. This can be nothing but a show. To blind the people you intend to prove your point to, but frankly, you're the only one it's blinding, Y/n. I didn't realise Mrs. Jeon meant this drastic of a change when she mentioned it." 

Oh, great. Another things your mother pulls out from your box of secrets with her.

" Y/n, if you are actually doing this to prove to someone you have changed or are worth it, then stop. You already are worth it, you always have been. Putting a fake show can't make it any better, f it doesn't make it worser already. It's going to just harm you and the love who love you at the end, trust me."

You bitterly scoff at his words, partly because you slowly did start to grasp onto the truth you had given a blind eye to all this time, no matter how many people brought it to your light before. "Oh yeah? Did you do the same thing hurting me? The one who loves you?" That did not come out in past tense, as you wanted it to. Rather in a present one, as your heart wanted it to. 

"No. I did what I did to prevent you from falling into the hole I fell into. I back then was where you are right now. And hurting the one and only I love, and continue to love, wasn't something I could claim as my actions or intentions. I was someone at that time who didn't deserve love, let alone from this one and only, so I chose to space away from her to make myself deserving of her. And I am sorry that I had to in turn keep you in the darkness giving no deserving closure to you." 

Something about that response did something to you. A tingling sensation over your heart, perhaps due to the notable fact of him mentioning his love for a 'her' the way you did for him, believing that this 'her' could never be 'you'. This was enough to finally occur to you that your feelings aren't only past tense, you still feel that way. Alongside too came the two things you had been unknowingly waiting upon since morning–realisation, and regret. 

"So....so why me? Why did you choose to hurt me to save 'her'? Am I that irrelevant, or is she that captivating, or is your love that blind..." At this point every word that escaped your mouth just added on to your regret level. All of it just building up more and more with each passing thought and breathe, threatening to pull the trigger of tears every now and then. 

"Y/n.....really? Who are you." He lowly spoke trying not to let his anger on you, continuing, "Cause the girl I am talking to right now is not the same girl I fell in love with. The girl I still love. You right now, you're not the girl I fell in love with." And that's what pulled your trigger. Tears circling the rim of your eyes all new to this you, the version of you you wanted to shed away with every tear escaping you at that moment. But wait, among all this had you lost the confession he made. You shot your head up at him who was now packing his things to leave. 

"Did you really love me Joshua?"

"Did? I still do. The real you." His cold gaze met your teary one, one last time before he sternly dashed off. 

You lost control over your emotions and it's consequences at that moment. Shutting your eyes seemed like the only means to stop the out pour, which sadly only led to a stronger flow of tears. You let it flow, considering it was all you could realistically feel after that numb realisation. Like everything ever said and done around you which you neglected, all summed up in that moment with a massive outcome of reality. Still, at this moment you didn't let your blurred vision blur out your mind, too. 

"He made one mistake, I made one. Equal. And it should stop there. If I don't do something about this right now, it won't be equal again, ever." 

You hurriedly bolt out to the Cafe front yard, the sight of a shining white SUV catching your eye as you watch the boy opening it's driver's door with one hand, while wiping the corner of his eye with another. Without wasting a minute, you make your way behind him, quite honestly not caring what he had to say about your thoughts next. 

"Joshua, I....... You're right. I am across the realisation now, that I am not me right now. But I'm sure you know the old Y/n well enough to know she would never ignore a mistake and not worl on improvement. As low as I have gotten, I still haven't let go of that trait. So please, give me another chance or forgiveness if you can. I blamed you for the character shift, and now you're going to be my reason for the reshift, regardless or your forgiveness. And if you can't bring yourself to love me again, at least find it in you to help me as your dear childhood friend, I will find it for you. Please." He slowly turned around at your words just to finding your tearful figure trying to control your breathes in order to not let any sob escape your mouth for him to catch on. His gaze emotionlessly rested over yours for a minute or two, which sharply affected your throat in some way unexplainable as you couldn't hold the sobs in anymore. His gaze in turn softened looking at your genuine, vulnerable state, proving how real every word you just said meant. Eventually he opened his arms out a bit, giving you a nod of assurance and you, just astonished by the fact that he didn't reject your apology, crash into his arms for the hug you have long awaited for. 

"You are genuine, just the way you have always really been. And in what world would I need to bring myself to love you, when that's all that has occupied my mind since before any of this happened. I'm not leaving you alone, I'm here to help you through this too, no matter how patient that requires me to be. In fact, knowing you still feel the same about me, what makes you think I'll be leaving your side after that too huh?" He whispers towards the end while you flash him a happy small smile from between your tears, which he then wipes away with his sleeve as he chuckles at your cuteness even in this state. 

"But wait what do you mean 'help me as your childhood friend'? Am I in the friend zone now?" He playfully squints his eyes as the last sob leaves your mouth, replaced with now an all big smile, perhaps laughter from his contagious one too. "Friend zone? Sure, add a 'boy' in front of that, how does that sound?" You hug him even tighter maybe taking the 'never letting you go' phrase a bit too seriously, feeling him reciprocate the idea as his arms basically trap you. Not getting any response from him, you shook your head knowing exactly what was on his mind. "You look like a tomato, Shua, come on already" without even looking at his face, you already know. "No I'm not! And that sounds perfect to me, thank you for the kind offer" Tries hiding his flustered state in the crook of your neck, only for you to catch up on his heated cheeks and tease him even more. All this cut off when you receive a call from your mother. 

" 'No proposals or acceptances or all that happening' I reckon someone mentioning that earlier, how well are you sticking to that with 'Elle'?" 

Before you open your mouth to speak, Joshua snatches the phone from you, throwing you into confusion until you hear what he said. 

"Not 'Elle', Mrs. Jeon, you're talking about her boyfriend now." Crimson. Your entire face went ever so crimson like the flower hearing that. 

"Now whose the tomato huh?" He smirks at your state before you lightly hit his chest and take the shot gun seat in his car.

[babytaes]

coke & comebacks

genre: angst,

pairing: woozi x female reader

word count: 700

warning: cursing, angry woozi ;)

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Ji Hoon was the type of person that everyone around him knew when he got into a funk, particularly the one closest to him.

When his members told you to 'look out" as you entered his studio, you found out he was in one. This wasn't the first time dealing with one of his little tantrums. You were ready for it. But you were always a little bit frightened of how he would react to you.

You took a deep breath and opened the door, and as soon as you stepped in, you noticed the cold surrounding you. He was your boyfriend, and part of you wanted to run and hide in his arms, and part of you wanted to help him. He wasn't going to hurt you....

"Hey sweetie, Iove of my life, you doing good?" You cautiously approached his desk and as he mumbled to himself, you began hearing him tap his pen on his keyboard.

You know this feeling all too well. Whenever it was comeback season, he was like this. That rechecking and rechecking new songs and polishing them. The process was the one that really stressed him the most. Don't get me wrong, Ji Hoon was one of the best producers, not to brag, but you hated seeing him in this state

You announce your presence again to see if he heard you. He didn't even turn around, but all you could hear was, "Love can you not bother me. I've got to get this done. So, if you have nothing else to say, may you leave.”

His remark took you aback, but you accepted it. You softly said that you had bought him some coke before you walked out of the room and left it in his mini fridge. There was something he mumbled and went back to his work.

You closed the door and made your way to the dance room to see Hoshi, Vernon, Dino and Mingyu practicing for some dance they had for their separate schedules.

As you thought about Ji Hoon, you sat quietly in the back and watched them practice, you threw up a tiny "fighting" in support of his work.

As you worried about the condition of the boys in front of you, you went on your phone to pass some time. " They're all working too hard," you thought to yourself.

Hoshi glanced at you, walked over to you and sat down next to you, nudging your shoulder. With compassion in his eyes, he stared at you, seeing the position you were put in. He knew the feeling all too well, trying to perfect something to have the best outcome.

Hoshi patted your head and said, "Don't stress it too much, you just have to let him work. I'm sure you don't have anything to worry about." You nodded and thought about something quickly.

"Hey, I'm going to buy, you guys hungry." As they placed their order, you were quickly surrounded by the hungry and sweaty boys, remembering to order some for Ji Hoon.w

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Vernon called out to you as he grabbed the delivery man's food. As you walked back to Ji Hoon studio, bracing for his reaction, you thanked Vernon and allowed the boys to get their food.

You opened the door and said to him, "Hey, Ji Hoon, I got som-," as you held the food in your hand. You were abruptly cut off when Ji Hoon threw up his hands and cursed in front of his computer.

"I fuckin told you guys to leave me alone, I have to do this, so leave me in peace, please." You coughed as you dropped his food on the table and began tearing up.

"Well, you don't have to be rude, I'm just trying to be nice, you don't have to fuckin scream." You stormed out of his studio and slammed the door.

"Y/N, I didn't know you were there-" Ji Hoon realized and turned around. You were already down the stairs as you approached your car driving away crying as you drove home.

He cursed at himself and shoved his hands in his face as a slew of curse words fell from his mouth.

“Stupid idiot.”

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

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