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ahgasegotarmy116 · 6 months ago

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Just Take It | Jeon Jungkook | Bonus Drabble 5

Summary: Jungkook has treated you like a princess all day for your birthday and it's all lead up to this very special moment (a little glimpse into their future 🤭) Pairing: Inexperienced f!reader x Best Friend's Dad Jungkook (20 year age gap) Word Count: 1.5k~ Warning: Honestly no warnings I think. Just some cute fluff and some suggestive language. Nothing crazy (written very quickly but I hope you guys still like it!) Requested by: 🧜‍♀️ anon 💜 (Happy Late Birthday my love) & another anon from a while back 💜 (sorry I didn't get it out till now 🥺) Start from the beginning

"Can I open my eyes now?" I ask, humoring him in this silly game that he's made of my birthday today.

"Not yet, just a little closer" he say, guiding me by my hips and I soon feel the ground change from some sort of pavement to that of a stonework pathway. "Careful" he warns as I stumble when my foot gets caught on a rock. "I wouldn't have to be careful if I didn't have to keep my eyes closed" I grumble and he laughs before bringing me to a halt.

I feel him walk around me until he's standing right in front of me and tilts my head up towards him. "You and I both know you would've tripped on that rock anyways" he whispers against my lips causing me to shudder. The intensity of his words and actions mixed with the cool crisp air in this open area giving me goosebumps.

He places a chased kiss on my pouted lips that try to respond to his but he's pulling back before I can even try to deepen it. "Okay, you can open them" he say, now standing behind me and I once I open my eye my breath is instantly taken away.

"Jungkook" I whisper, a recreation of a beautiful white gazebo covered in twinkling lights and vines full of white roses accompanied by a table for two is the scene I'm met with. The warm glow scatters across the pathway as he ushers me closer. I turn around to face him once we've taken a closer look and I can see how nervous he looks after having revealed his hard work he had put together for the night.

"You remembered" I say, blinking back the tears that I feel are no doubt making my eyes gloss over. "Did I do a good job?" he asks while he rubs the back of his neck, a nervous habit of his that always makes this strong confident man turn into a shy teenage boy, melting my heart and making me fall in love with him all over again.

"It's perfect!" I say, going on my tippy toes and kissing him, hints of how I'll show my appreciation to him when we're alone again lightly laced through it.

"It's almost as if we're in the actual movie!" I say, walking inside of the gazebo and admiring how much attention to detail he's put into this. "No wonder we've been watching A Cinderella Story so often" I say, now connecting the dots and finally figuring out why he had been so sneaky recently.

"What? Can't a man just simply like a movie?" he playfully scoffs, walking closer to me and wrapping his arms around my waist to pull me close. "Thank you" I say and he hums in response. "Happy Birthday Darling" he replies, leaning down and rubbing his nose against mine.

He pulls back and waves someone forward that had been hiding in the shadows and when I turn around I realize he's somehow managed to get a stringed quartette for the night. "Jungkook this is too much" I say, knowing that stuff like this definetly isn't cheap.

"Don't worry, I only booked them for half an hour" he says making me laugh at his ways of trying to explain away how much he's spent on me the entire day as he's bought me almost everything I've so much glanced at, even when I asked him not to.

I turn around and take a couple steps closer to the table and see the candles just waiting to be lit accompanied by my drink of choice on ice.

"You-" I start off, turning around to face him but notice he's holding a white gift box wrapped with a white satin bow. "Jungkook" I scold, remembering how I told him to stop buying things for me already. "This is the last thing I promise" he says and I give him a warning glance before tugging on the ribbon and opening the lid and what I see inside really makes me want to cry this time.

"I don't deserve all this" I say, tears welling up in my eyes and he panics and places the box on the table. "Please don't cry. I didn't mean to make you cry" he says, pulling me closer and placing a kiss on the crown of my head.

"You've been treating me like a princess this whole day and then you not only do that but then plan all of this as well? Even down to the smallest details" I say, pulling away from him and reaching back into the box to pull out the beautifully, intricately designed pure white masquerade mask.

"Well I did want to give you your own Cinderella Story for your birthday since I know it's your comfort movie. You do deserve this darling, and so much more" he say, wiping a stray tear off my cheek. "You even had us get breakfast at a diner this morning too" I chuckle and he does so right along with me.

"What's wrong with that? Sam worked at a dinner in the movie right?" he asks and I nod my head in confirmation. "I should've known something was up when I saw roller skates" I say, joining along in his laughter.

"You're just lucky I didn't try to get Hillary Duff over here to take your order" he teases poking me in the side which gains him a wack in the arm that he so dramatically responds to by faking a wince. "I would've preferred Jennifer Coolidge. She was so mean to Sam in that movie I would've loved to see her slip and fall in roller skates again" I wink and he continues laughing at my devious words.

"You know she's like 60 years old now right? She could fall and break her hip" he says and I wave him off. "She's 62, she's not that old. If you're talking like that about her then you better start counting your years grandpa" I say patting him twice on the same bicep I hit earlier.

"You're a little trouble maker you know you" he says, and tries to corner me. "Yes, yes I do. Don't get ahead of yourself though Daddy, we have company" I say, nodding towards the four who have been giving us a backing track to our nonsensical interaction.

"Careful Bunny, you shouldn't be throwing words like that out in the open. I'm not opposed to bending you over that little table" he threatens and I visibly gulp, having forgotten exactly who I'm dealing with. "You know" I squeak out before clearing my throat, "You know you still haven't asked me to dance" I say and he smirks and steps back, giving me some breathing room and grabs the mask.

"May I" he asks, holding it up so he can put it on me and I respond by turning my back to him so he can tie it. Once he's done his hands trail down my body and rest on my waist while he leans in and places some feather light kisses along my neck.

"Jungkook" I breathe out, trying but failing at adding a sterner tone to it. "Yes darling?" he asks, running his nose along the column of my neck. "A dance, just a dance" I say regrettably, lost in the feeling of him touching me like this but too embarrassed to let any of this go any further.

He sighs against my skin before placing one more kiss this time under my ear and then twirling me around before dipping me into a low heated kiss.

He stands back up and steadies me on my feet, still feeling a little woozy from the unexpected motion. He laughs and keeps a hold of my waist so I don't stumble before pulling me close and into that dance that I had mentioned.

"You still didn't ask me" I grumble and he chuckles before pulling away, doing exactly as Austin Ames had done with his princely bow. "May I have this dance?" he questions and I wait a moment as if contemplating it and when he cocks his brow at me I immediately take his hand and he whisks me off my feet and twirls us about the small space.

"Jungkook put me down!" I giggle and he slow his turns to a stop and places me back on my feet. "Are you trying to make me sick or something?" I ask in reference to all of the dipping and twirling and his casual efforts that just continue to take my breath away.

"Not unless it's lovesick" he chuckles, placing a kiss on my forever pouted lips and walking over to pull out my chair.

We continue the night with a candle lit dinner and his continued efforts to make me laugh and it's at that moment that I truly, with my entire heart hope that we will spend the rest of our lives together...

And maybe in the next one too if he's lucky.

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zepskies · 10 months ago

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Being Human - Part 3

Pairing: Alec McDowell x F. Reader

Summary: Your life made sense before Alec slipped his way in. He unravels your threads without even trying. He frustrates you as easily as he weasels back into your good graces. But you soon realize that this man is worth the challenge.

AN: Remember that in this point in the season, we're in the year 2020 (DA season 2 was released in 2001). And we're about to dive into some rocky waters...

Chapter Summary: The weight of Alec’s secret is starting to create fractures. Because now, you have a secret of your own.

Song Inspo: “Attention” by Avant (ft. Snoop Dog)

Word Count: 4,400

Tags/Warnings: 18+ only! For smut, elements of mate claiming, fluff, angst, perilous situations, and a cliffhanger...

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Part 3: Complications

These are the nights you live for.

The gang’s all here at Crash. You’re accompanied by Max, Logan, Original Cindy, and a fruity cocktail Alec got for you. Though you roll your eyes at the way your boyfriend is trying to hook people into playing a game of pool with him, clearly so he can hustle them. The man has freakish skills.

He’s already won two or three paychecks’ worth off Sketchy, who bows out by necessity.

“Come on. Anyone, anyone! Step right up and test your skills!” Alec calls throughout the back of the bar.

“Babe, would you give it up?” you say, even though you’re smiling. “No one wants to get swindled.”

He turns to you, zeroing in with a flirtatious grin.

“Want to try your hand, sweetheart?” he asks.

You snort. “I think not.”

“Aw, come on. We don’t even have to play for cash. How about sexual favors?” he offers. The more he thinks about it, the more he likes that idea, with a growing smile. His gaze locks on yours.

“I wouldn’t even mind losing,” he says, giving you a cocky wink.

You smile, fighting a blush. Max and Cindy roll their eyes. Logan ducks his head in amusement.

“That white boy nonsense actually works on you?” Cindy asks.

You take a decided sip of your cocktail in lieu of answering.

In the end, Logan steps up to the plate, to much cajoling. When he actually wins, Alec is forced to accept a bruised ago as he forks over $50.

You beckon him over and he joins your half-booth table. You lean against him after he slides in behind you, his arm wrapping around your waist. He presses a kiss to the side of your head, and you know he doesn’t care all that much about the game.

You all cut up as usual for a while, laughing and telling stories from the day of package slinging. Logan patiently listens to all of you Jam Pony alumni commiserating over how each of you would choose to prank Normal (if there were no repercussions). Sketchy ends up with the best idea: putting super glue in the glue stick the man uses on his hair.

When the laughter dies down, Alec offers to buy the next round of beer. He often does, you’ve noticed; he’s a generous person, whether he thinks of himself that way or not. Logan gets up to join him at the bar, wanting to chip in for the pitcher with his “new winnings.”

You shake your head at that. Alec’s pride probably won’t allow competition from Logan for a second time tonight.

“We’re about to be short-staffed again,” says Cindy, earning your attention. “Jenny got knocked up.”

Max’s brows raise, while you give a happy clap and a sound of excitement.

“Oh, good for her! She and Carlos have been trying for months.”

“Hmph. That is one thing I’m not envious of,” Cindy says.

“No kids on your wishlist?” you ask.

“Not a chance, boo,” she replies.

You turn to Max next. “Are you in Miss Anti-Family’s camp too?”

“Hey, ain’t nobody said I’m anti-family,” Cindy cut in. “I believe it comes in all shapes and sizes, and they don’t gotta be your blood.”

You take a moment to think about what she’s saying, and you conceded with a nod and a smile.

“Fair enough, OC. You’ve got it right,” you gestured at her with the hand that held your drink. She clinks her half-empty beer with your glass. Both of you then turn to Max with expectant gazes, still waiting on her answer.

“I’m not into all that domestic stuff, really,” she says. Though her gaze drifts toward Logan, who’s still arguing with Alec at the bar. “My life’s complicated enough.”

Cindy snorts into her glass. You don’t quite get it; maybe because you don’t really know Max all that well, for how often you guys hang out. It’s like she keeps you at an arm’s length. It hurts you sometimes, when you see how close she is with Cindy, but you suppose it’s her right to keep her circle small.

The world’s become a lot tougher after the Pulse. The more people know about you, the more they can use it against you. That’s why finding people you can trust, and even love, is all the more precious.

You glance over at the bar again, where Logan and Alec have seemed to come to a consensus. (Logan’s bowed out of paying for beer.) Alec has a victorious little smile on his face. He looks over, as if sensing your gaze, and he shoots you a wink. Your smile grows.

Meanwhile, Max and Cindy watch you with twin looks of wry amusement.

“So you want the family package, huh?” Cindy asks.

You twirl your straw around your glass.

“I haven’t thought all that hard about it, but…I wouldn’t mind, with the right person.”

Max chortles, pointing a finger towards the bar. “You think that’s Alec?”

Cindy’s brows furrow slightly as she shoots her friend a warning look. You bite your lip and look down at your drink.

“Now’s not the right time but, maybe someday,” you reply.

Later that night, you treat yourself to a bath in Alec’s apartment. The heater here is amazing. His place is so spacious, with a huge TV in the living room worthy of his obsession with cartoons and soap operas.

He has another one in the bedroom, where he’s made himself comfortable watching some old sitcom.

When you eventually get out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around you, Alec is predictably glued to the TV. You don’t even think he’s noticed you when you walk by him to grab the change of clothes from your overnight bag, but he pulls you into his lap before you can get dressed.

“Why the hell do you need clothes?” he says, stealing a kiss. “Those cumbersome things.”

You giggle, and he smiles against your lips. He rolls you underneath him on the bed and you help divest him of his clothes, down to his boxer briefs. He’s in a good mood tonight, you can tell.

He takes one corner of your towel and peels it off you slowly, until your body is bare for his gaze. His eyes take in every inch of you before they make it back to your lightly blushing face.

He smiles, and he takes down the messy bun from your head to have your hair fanning wildly across his pillows. Your hands move across his chest and further down, but he puts a stop to your exploration. He grasps your wrists and pins them down to the bed with a strength you can’t escape.

You raise your brows. “Alec?”

“Trust me,” he says, dipping down to kiss your neck. “Let me take care of you tonight.”

You suck in a breath. Far be it from you to argue with that.

“Is this one of those sexual favors?” you tease.

He laughs against your skin. “You’re about to find out.”

Then his mouth drifts away from your neck, burning a hot, wet trail across your dewy skin. He finds his way between your breasts, before he lavishes attention to each one. While his tongue swirls around one pert bud, he rolls the other under his thumb and pinches just hard enough to elicit a gasp from you.

Your back arches off the bed a bit; your fingers rake through his sandy hair, clenching whenever he finds a sensitive spot. Both your grip and your voice spur him on, letting him know he’s in the right direction.

You don’t know this, of course, but before a few months ago, he wasn’t so well-versed in this arena. He’s learned his way down a woman’s body with much practice. And he’s come to find that every one of them is different, each with their own set of tells, as he likes to call them.

For example, he knows that even you don’t mind it fast and rough, you prefer it slow, like this. You like a full work up, with his lips dragging down below your navel and his thumbs guiding your knees open, so he can slot himself between your legs.

Already you’re breathing deeper as he makes his way down, pressing open-mouthed kisses down the inside of your left thigh. His tongue licks a languid stripe up the seam of your pussy.

“Alec,” you whine, like you want him to speed up the pace. Maybe you do, but all he gives you is a smirk from between your legs.

“Patience is a virtue,” he teases.

You huff and will yourself to be virtuous, closing your eyes with deep breaths. “Please…”

He chuckles. “I gotcha, baby. Don’t worry.”

His hand slides up your lower belly, both to comfort you and to hold you down. You cover his hand with yours, but your nails soon dig into his skin as his fingers deftly slip past your folds and find your entrance.

“Already drenched for me, I see,” he remarks approvingly. He gathers some wetness and finds your clit, circling with the pads of his fingers. He searches for the right angle, using the sound of your voice to guide him.

When you suck in a gasp and shudder, he knows he’s found the right spot. He replaces his hand with his tongue, while he slips two fingers deep inside you. As he works you over, unrelenting when your hips threaten to raise off the bed, he holds you down with a firm hand. Your hands fist in his hair as your eyes close and your mouth drops open with your moans.

Finally, you buck against his chin and let out a wordless cry. He feels your wetness coat his tongue and knows he’s making you come. Your inner walls are still quivering around his fingers when he slips them out of you. He actually licks them clean, making you shiver again at the sight.

Alec crawls back up the length of your body while you catch your breath. He smiles down on you and brushes your cheek with the back of his hand.

“Not about to pass out on me, are you?” he asks. A teasing gleam is in his eyes. “I think I can resuscitate you.”

You laugh breathily in response and pull him down to you, crashing his lips to yours. You taste yourself on his tongue, which isn’t unpleasant. Your nails drag down the back of his neck. Alec groans into your mouth and sinks his fingers into your hair.

Now he’s more on your wavelength as you reach for the waistband of his boxer brief and quickly roll them down. He helps you by kicking them the rest of the way off, allowing you to wrap your thighs around his hips tightly.

“Hey, wait a second,” he says, laughing with his forehead pressed to yours. He grabs your hips and angles you a bit higher, then he reaches between your bodies and holds the painfully hard, weeping head of his cock at your entrance.

He meets your eyes, and you smile and squeeze the back of his neck in encouragement.

As slowly as he can manage, he pushes inside you. He stretches open your inner walls inch by inch. Both of you take in deep breaths and utter mingled moans as he continues to push inside, until the head of his cock reaches the very depths of you.

You toss your head back against the pillow with a heavy breath.

“You okay?” he asks.

“Yeah,” you nod, licking your lips. “Just move, baby, please.”

He doesn’t need to be told twice. He likes when you call his name, but he thinks he likes even more when you call him baby. He knows that you mean it, unlike women he’s had to pay for.

But he doesn’t want to think about any of those exploits when he’s with you—there’s no comparison. He slides out almost the full length of his cock, before he pushes back in. He builds a slow, sensuous, steady rhythm that serves both of you well.

He actually works up a sweat, and you help him by meeting his thrusts, encouraging him whenever you give him your voice, your instructions and praises, your hands attempting to squeeze the circulation out of his arms.

He's so focused on rocking your world (and his own) that he doesn’t realize what you’re about to do.

He’s deep inside you when you brush your hand along his jaw and utter the truth.

“I love you,” you whisper.

Alec pauses.

Both of you are breathing hard, but the fact that he doesn’t say anything makes you freeze. Neither of you have said that before. You hold in your breath.

Alec’s pupils are blown wide as he dips down, nosing along your throat before he begins to move inside you again. You moan in response as your legs squeeze his hips. He sinks his teeth just above where your neck meets your shoulder, making you gasp and arch against him, gripping his hair tight.

The way you’re squeezing him so tightly, from the inside out, means he reaches his shuddering end before you do, but he still makes sure you get there for a second time. His fingers reach between you to press and circle around your clit before his last few hard thrusts. It has you coiled tight, before you gasp and moan your release.

He licks a long stripe along your neck. You hiss in pain when he laps over tender flesh.

“Sorry,” he pants.

“You got me good, Count Dracula,” you quip.

Alec breathes warmly against your ear. He pulls back and examines the bite mark on your neck. He barely remembers doing it.

It’s like…some kind of claim.

Like an animal, he thinks wryly. For the first time, he wonders just what the hell they put into his cocktail at Manticore.

He clears his throat.

“Uh, I’m sorry,” he says, contritely. “Didn’t mean to…”

You slide your hands up his arms and catch his gaze. You smile in amusement, even though you’re blushing.

“Didn’t say I didn’t like it.”

The two of you don’t talk about what you said.

Or what he didn’t say.

You don’t know what’s happening, but you think it stems from that night.

Alec begins to pull away from you.

Dinner plans get “rain checked.” Trips to the farmer’s market, to the park, to Pike Place get cancelled.

For the next few weeks, the only time you see him is at work or at Crash, or occasionally in the line for boxed and canned goods in Sector 2.

Max can’t give you a straight answer on what’s going on with him (and really, you should be able to figure out your own boyfriend without her help). So you finally have to put your foot down.

You try to pull him aside at work, in front of the Jam Pony building. He’s on his way in, while you’d been on your way out.

“Alec, can I talk to you?” you ask. He gives you a strained, apologetic look.

“I’ve gotta pick up my next deliveries.”

“Alec, please,” you implore. You squeeze his arm enough to hold his attention. “I feel like…like you’re avoiding me. Is there something going on?”

His expression dims further. “I’ve just been really busy.”

“We’re always busy. That’s not it.” You frown, and your body tenses. “Is there…someone else?”

Alec briefly closes his eyes, emitting a short sigh. “No. Nothing like that.”

You let out a subtle breath of relief, because you do believe him this time. But that just makes your next question even more difficult. Your arms cross, to disguise the way you’re bracing for a figurative blow.

“Then…have I done something wrong?” you ask.

That hurts Alec even more. Though his training, so deeply ingrained, allows him not to show it.

“No. No, it’s not you,” he says, wiping a hand over his mouth. “It’s… Listen, I just think we needa slow down a bit, you know?”

“Slow down?” you ask. A trill of panic laces down your spine. “Is it about…what I said?”

Alec doesn’t want to answer, but you both know then that you’ve hit the nail on the head.

“I just need some space,” he says. “I think it’ll be better for both of us.”

“Really?” you ask. Your voice flattens, and hot tears well up in your eyes.

It threatens to undo him. Somehow, he’s able to hold firm in what he believes he has to do, in order to protect you. Even from himself.

Alec reaches for your cheek. He hesitates just slightly, but he drops a kiss on your forehead.

You don’t want to let him. You can’t help it though; you savor his touch. You feel his warm lips on your skin, and then he’s gone by the time you open your eyes.

A few days later, you still feel like hell. You manage to reach your locker and you lean against it. Your stomach churns with nausea—the constant sign of your stress as you try to get through your morning.

On the TV, some government agent is exposing a genetics company called Manticore. That it created “transgenic” subjects as genetically engineered soldiers, often using animal DNA. They escaped almost a year ago now.

They’re not human. They’re living among you. They’re dangerous, and you have a right to be scared.

You’re only half-listening, because the truth is, this sounds like a bunch of fearmongering bullshit, and you’re too tired to be all that alarmed. Humans are dangerous enough, as far as you’re concerned.

The government is probably trying to cover up something even more heinous by concocting this ridiculous story.

You rest your cheek against the cool metal of your locker and just stand there for a while in time in space. You don’t care much about the world around you, until Max comes into your line of vision. She touches your arm.

“Hey, are you okay?” she asks.

“I’m fine.” A vast overstatement, though you know that you aren’t convincing anyone.

You look up just in time to see Alec standing at his own locker. He’d been glancing at you and Max, but being caught by your gaze makes him turn away, closing his locker as he leaves.

Max’s lips press together. She returns her attention to you in thinly veiled concern.

“What happened exactly?” she asks.

“Max, I don’t know,” you confess. “Things were fine. They were good.”

You let out a deep, exhausted breath.

Oh yeah, you haven’t been sleeping much lately either.

“Deep in my gut, I have this feeling. Like he’s going through something,” you say. “Or he’s hiding something from me. He just won’t talk to me. Every time it feels like we’re headed somewhere good, solid, he pulls away. I can’t fucking do it anymore, Max. I just can’t take it.”

You slam your locker closed and try to get on with your day before your tears fall. Max sighs and watches you go.

She doesn’t know that you head to the bathroom and heave your breakfast into the toilet bowl, spilling what little you could keep down this morning.

You haven’t been sighted at Crash in weeks, but Alec comes here every night, Max notices. He drinks alone tonight, once again looking more woe is me than ever.

It boils her blood.

She takes a seat next to him and punches his arm with a heavy dose of her transgenic strength. Alec flinches with a cry of protest, but she just glares at him.

“Why are you doing this to her? To yourself?” she demands.

Alec wants to glare at her, but he doesn’t have it in him. He just quirks his head and sips his drink. He doesn’t even know what kind of liquor this is, but the bartender promised it’s the strongest thing he has back there.

“Leave it alone, Maxie,” Alec says, as he takes a sip. Though strongest be damned, he’s slammed down four of these and he’s still not drunk. Ain’t that a bitch.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” he says.

“I don’t?” Max raises her brows. “You’re fucking with her head and her heart. And for what? So you can have a little pity party?”

Alec does glare at her this time. “You know what, why don’t you just leave me the fuck alone?”

“Not until you tell me,” she demands. “Why’re you pushing away someone who clearly cares about you? Not that I get why. If this selfish, pigheaded, asshole behavior is supposed to be charming, then maybe she’s better off without you.”

He slams down his glass hard enough for liquor to slosh out over his hand.

“Don’t you get it?! That’s exactly it,” he hisses, low enough that only the two of them can hear. “When are you going to understand that we’re a threat to them? We’re being hunted every damn day. You think Ames White and his cult cronies’ll think twice about a little collateral damage?”

“Alec—”

“You think you and Logan are any different?” he adds. “Let me remind you, you were a danger to him even before a genetically engineered virus came into the picture.”

She’s angry, but he knows she can’t argue with logic. They both know that Alec is speaking from a place of experience.

“So you’re just gonna break her heart?” she asks. “Again?”

Alec shakes his head and casts his gaze down into brown liquor. Max leans toward him with a steely glower.

“You’re a coward,” she says, before she slips away.

Alec wipes his wet hand on his jeans.

…Maybe she’s right, he thinks. You’ll probably end up regretting the day you ever met him, but at least you’ll be alive to hate him.

“Oh God,” you utter, a hand covering your mouth.

You haven’t been to the doctor in several years, but you managed to scrape enough money together to afford this little test. It gave you a more definitive answer on why you’ve spent the last few weeks fighting sickness and fatigue in equal measure.

How could this have happened? You were on birth control. What could possibly have…

You don’t know what possesses you to go hunting for the little round packet in the medicine cabinet. You examine its contents and confirm that you haven’t missed even one pill of your pharmacy-issued birth control.

On the bottom of the packet, however, you spy something small in the fine print: EXP – 02/2017.

Expired…THREE YEARS AGO?!

Apparently, you can’t put it past pharmacies to sell outdated meds now.

You sit alone on your couch in silence for nearly an hour. You run down every scenario, every path you could possibly take and try to consider its most likely outcome.

Medical care is a joke nowadays, unless you're still part of the wealthy 1%. That also includes...termination.

Even you did try to find a way to do it, somehow scrounging up the money to end this, the thought alone makes your heart ache.

Alec is young, and so are you. You two had barely been together for six months before he basically broke up with you, and you're not even sure how he'll react when you tell him. (At this point, you don't have high hopes.)

And yet, it hurts. What you'd told Original Cindy was the truth; you want a family. You're tired of being alone, even though the two options laid out before you scare you in equal measure.

A thousand thoughts are still running through your mind, contradicting each other with brutal logic, versus what your heart tells you. But one decision is certain...

You need to talk to Alec first.

You wait until the morning at Jam Pony HQ, when you’ve settled your nerves enough to see Alec.

He never shows up for work, even an hour into shift. Damn it.

Okay, you suppose you’ll have to do this another way. You grab your phone, and you call him.

Thankfully, he picks up on the fourth ring. “Hey.”

“Hey,” you reply, a bit awkwardly. The two of you haven’t spoken in nearly a month.

“What’s up?” He doesn’t sound like himself. He sounds guarded, almost hesitant.

“We need to talk, Alec.”

He blows out a sigh. “Look, I haven’t changed my mind.”

You swallow past the pain.

“I know," you dully reply. "It’s not about that, but this isn’t a conversation I want to have digitally.”

“...Okay,” he relents, with another sigh. He sounds a bit distracted. “Uh, I’m taking care of something right now, but I’ll tell you what. Why don’t you stop by my place after work?”

You nod. “Okay, I’ll meet you there.”

Of course, it’s hard to focus on your work after that. You wonder how many months you have until you can’t work anymore. Until you’ll have to fend for yourself…and for your child.

With or without Alec, you plan to do whatever it takes.

So you do your best, as you always do, to get through your day. You fight exhaustion and nausea and anxiety with every delivery, but at the end of the day, you have a clipboard full of signatures and a clean docket.

You leave right at 7:00 p.m. to head over to Alec’s apartment. You use your spare key to unlock the door and find the apartment shrouded in darkness. You flip on the closest light switch before you turn to shut and lock the door behind you.

The door pushes open abruptly.

It knocks straight into you and throws you off your feet. You crash with a pained cry into a wooden table, knocking off a half-empty glass of whiskey that cuts into your arm when it breaks.

A pair of strong hands take hold of you and haul you up, spinning you around. You stare up with wide eyes into the face of a man you think you’ve actually seen before. He’s tall, white, dark hair, piercing eyes.

On the news, you realize. You saw him on the news.

“Where is 494?” he demands to know.

You blink in confusion and fear. “What?”

The man rolls his eyes.

“Alec McDowell,” he says.

Your breath stills in your lungs.

“Why’re you looking for him?” you ask. “You…you work for the government.”

“That’s right.” His smile is thin. “It’s a federal matter. And I suggest you tell me what I want to know.”

His grip on your arm tightens enough to make you whimper.

“I don’t know where he is,” you blurt out. Mostly because it’s the truth.

He raises a brow. “He lives here, doesn’t he?”

You refuse to answer, but the man lowers his gun and seats you forcefully on the couch.

“Then we’ll wait.”

Minutes turn to an hour. Alec’s late—a fact you’re half relieved about, and half cursing him for. You turn to the man who holds you at gunpoint without even looking at you. Though you instinctively know that any attempts to run will be short-lived.

His men wait by the door with guns at the ready.

“Who are you?” you ask.

The man turns his head and gives you a cold smile. “Agent White, at your service.”

“Okay, Agent White. Why are you after Alec?”

“Oh, I’ve been looking for him for a long time,” he says.

You frown, with pursed lips. “Why? What do you think he’s done?”

“It’s not what he’s done. It’s what he is,” White says. “Him, and everyone like him.”

“What the fuck are you on about?” you snap.

White rolls his eyes. He lets out a sharp sigh before he stands. He grabs you up along with him. Fear churns inside you, tightening in your throat.

“I have a better idea,” White says. “Instead of using you as leverage to make him come quietly, I think I’ll just let him walk in, nice and easy. He’ll find you gutted. On the floor. And then I’ll do the same to him.”

Frightened tears well up in your eyes when his grip moves and tightens on your jaw, like he’s thinking about breaking your neck.

“Wait, please!” you plead. “I’m pregnant!”

White actually pauses, tilting his head. He smiles.

“Interesting.”

AN: Ames White has entered the chat...

EDIT (2-05-24): I made some edits here on the reader's thoughts of what she should do after her discovery. In hindsight, I realized I'd left out some aspects of the world. Specifically how access to medical care would influence her decision vs. what this particular character wants for herself.

Next Time:

“Hello, 494.” A man’s voice—one that Alec would know anywhere. It prickles his skin with unease and makes his blood boil all at once.

“Ames White.” Alec’s teeth grind. “What game are you playing now?”

“This isn’t a game. It’s business,” White claims. “I have something you want. How much are you willing to pay to make sure she stays alive?”

Alec forces himself to calm down, even though his pulse is racing.

“What do you want?”

“You. And 452. With no bullshit on your end,” the agent replies. “Or this girl is going to pay that price for you.”

Keep Reading: Part 4 (Finale!)

Series Masterlist

Alec McDowell Masterlist

Main Masterlist

Ko-Fi Me ☕

Alec M. Tag List:

@kazsrm67 @letheatheodore @agothwithheavysetmakeup @jacklesbrainworms @foxyjwls007 @wincastifer @ades106 @iamsapphine @simpforbuckyb @vanillawhiskeyflavoredkisses @roseblue373 @brianochka @branj19 @hazel-eye-coffee-shop-girl-blog

@globetrotter28 @charmed-asylum @waywardxwords @deanwinchestersgirl87 @this-is-me19 @rachiem4-blog @sweettimelady @leigh70 @clinicallydepresso @emily-winchester @xiphoidbones @skoveu @nyotamalfoy @kmc1989

@waters-2567 @iwishiwas-sleeping @jessjad @pieandmonsters @akshi8278 @honeybabycherry @deans-spinster-witch @angelbabyyy99 @jackles010378 @nancymcl @idiotdyslexic @heartlessdelusions

#Complications #Being Human #Part 3 #alec mcdowell #alec mcdowell x reader #alec mcdowell x you #alec mcdowell x female reader #smut #logan x max #alec mcdowell smut #max guevara #original cindy #logan cale #ames white #Dark Angel #Jensen Ackles characters #Jensen Ackles #zepskies writes

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tswaney17 · 7 months ago

Text

I Do Bad Things with You - Part 49

It's here!!! The final part of this massive fic. 😭 I can't believe we're finally at the end. I'm still in shock that I get to close the door on this fic that has taken up the last three years of my life. I have so many emotions running through me right now. 🥺

The epilogue will be posted during @elriel-month in addition to a little surprise I'm so excited to share with you. Stay tuned!! 💜💙💚

My fanfic account: @tswaney17fics

My ao3 account: tswaney17

Please let me know what you think about this update. I love getting your feedback. Constructive criticism is always welcome. 💕

Catch up here.

Credit to @featherymalignancy for Cassian’s nickname, Cash. 😘

Trigger warnings: violence, sexual assault , language, NSFW

This part also features descriptions of birth and complications from it.

Word Count: 7,225

Elain had spent a good portion of the late morning getting ready for the baby shower scheduled for noon. At just over eight months pregnant, they were cutting close to the wire of the twins’ arrival.

She was beyond exhausted. Growing the babies was work enough, but she ached everywhere at this point. Her boobs, her hips, her ankles. Her back…that hurt the worst. She looked like she swallowed two extra large watermelons. Elain hadn’t seen her feet in two and half months and she was praying that her toenails looked well enough for sandals today.

On top of her aching body, she also slept like shit the night before, having woken up in the wee hours with Braxton Hicks contractions that seemed to never want to go away. They were getting obnoxious at this point.

Oh! And her boobs had already started leaking. Aside from the contractions, Elain also woke up to a soaked sleep shirt and an attitude that poor Azriel was desperately trying to keep calm. She felt bad that her irritation got directed at him, but he took her mood swings in stride, giving her the space when she needed it, and focusing on taking care of Kaden and getting him ready for the party.

Her husband knocked lightly before entering their bedroom, shutting the door behind him and locking it when he saw her standing there in an ugly pair of panties and a strapless bra—which she had no idea how it was going to hold up her tits, but here they were. “Hello, my love. How are you doing?” he asked, striding further into their room. He was already dressed in black slacks and a white button-down rolled up to his elbows. It was one of her favorite looks on him. Casual but classy and sexy as hell.

“I’m all right. Better than this morning,” which was true. In the time she took to get ready, she felt her irritation slowly dissipate. “I’m sorry for snapping at you.”

He gifted her a soft smile he reserved only for her and their children. “El, you’re carrying two babies. You’re allowed to let out your frustrations. I’m here to spar if you need it, you know that.”

She knew he meant spar as in letting her yell and shout and hiss words until she felt better while he just took it. Gods, he really was the perfect husband. Elain held out her coco butter lotion towards him. “Do you mind rubbing this on me and helping me dress?”

Azriel took the bottle from her outstretched hands, dropping a sweet kiss on her plump lips before squirting some into his scarred palms and gently rubbing it all over her swollen stomach. He knelt before her, dutifully getting every inch of her covered. “You are so beautiful, Elain,” he murmured, kissing her at the fullest part of her belly.

She snorted. “I am a beached whale who ate too much.”

“You are a gorgeous woman carrying life inside of her womb. That will always be beautiful, sweetheart.”

How he always knew what to say was beyond her, but she tugged him up off the ground to kiss him thoroughly. It should’ve annoyed her with how just a few sweeps of Azriel’s tongue had every concern and irritation simply melt away. He knew when to play that card and fuck did he play it well.

But even his tongue couldn’t stop the hiss of pain as another contraction wracked her body.

He immediately pulled back at the sound, eyes scanning her face. “Are you all right?” he asked, concern etched into the tone.

She breathed through the wave that tightened in her abdomen. “Braxton Hicks contractions,” she said as an explanation.

His brows shot into his hairline. “Do we need to go to the hospital?”

Elain reached up to cup his cheek in her palm, her thumb swiping over the stubble there. “No, it’s a normal thing this late in the pregnancy. I’ve had a few this morning starting before dawn. It’s why I was grouchy.”

Understanding lit his face and he carefully ran his hand down her stomach again. “Why didn’t you wake me this morning?”

She huffed a laugh. “Because I knew you’d go into full-birthing-dad-mode and neither one of us would’ve slept any longer.”

Azriel shot her an unamused glare. “You will be thanking me for that birthing-dad mode when you’re in labor and I have everything packed up within minutes.”

This time Elain laughed loud and joyfully. “Yes, you’re probably right.” She nodded to the dress on the bed. “Help me slip that on?”

He grabbed the fabric, bunching it in his large fists, and pulled it over her head. It was an off-the-shoulder, loose, pale pink cotton dress, decorated with roses. It looked vintage, gathering just under her bust, with oversized puffy sleeves that sat off her shoulders, over her biceps. Ruffles accentuated the bottom hem, emphasizing the vintage style. It was the perfect spring dress. When Elain first saw it at the store, she knew she had to buy it for the shower.

Azriel tugged her loose curls from the back of the dress, letting them brush against her spine. He placed a kiss on her bare shoulder before grabbing the rose-pendant necklace he bought to go with the dress and draping it around her delicate neck. “Perfect,” he murmured onto her skin, his smile pressing against her neck.

Elain sighed softly, reaching up to thread her fingers through his dark hair. “How am I still horny for you?”

He nipped at her throat, a rumble shaking his chest. “Because you know I can deliver what you need without even blinking.”

This time she laughed, letting his hands run across her body in possessive little touches.

Azriel brazenly cupped her sex through the dress, growling as she let out a mewling sound and began to writhe against those skilled fingers, searching for the friction she desperately craved. “Would you like to fuck my hand, love?” he murmured, mouth grazing her jaw.

Elain fell slack against him, letting his strength hold her up. “Az,” she breathed, eyes fluttering shut as he began to rub her in earnest. “Please.”

He nipped the curve of her ear, tugging the lobe between his teeth. “You beg so prettily, El.” Bunching up the dress in a fist, Azriel slid her panties aside, swiping his fingers over her soaked pussy. “Fuck, baby. You’re so wet for me. Always desperate for my touch.”

She gripped him, nails digging into his exposed forearms. “I need—I need,” she panted out, wiggling in his hold. “Please, Az.”

Giving her exactly what she wanted—needed—Azriel sunk his middle finger into her aching cunt, pumping once before adding a second digit. “Such a good girl,” he whispered, thrusting in and out of her. The heel of his palm grazed her clit sending bolts of pleasure up her spine.

Elain bit her lip, stifling the moan that threatened to burst from her. His fingers scraped along that special spot inside of her, building her up and up and up until she teetered on the edge of bliss.

Barely conscious of her surroundings, Elain caught the sound of the door handle jiggling, followed by a “Momma!”

Azriel clapped a hand over her mouth as he continued his machinations. “Momma’s getting dressed, Kaden. We’ll be out in a minute,” he called out, pressing his palm firmly on her clit and sending her spiraling into her orgasm.

Too far gone to care, she tumbled into sweet oblivion, coming hard on his fingers. Elain moaned, only quieted by the muffling against her husband’s scarred hand.

He worked her through her release, slowing his movements when she started to come down from her high. Az peppered her skin with sweet kisses, removing his fingers from her pussy and readjusting her panties back into place before letting the dress fall back down. “Better, my love?”

“I’m gonna have to change my underwear, but yes.” She twisted in his arms, catching him sucking his fingers clean. Elain brought his mouth down to hers, tongue licking the drop of her release dotting his bottom lip. “Thank you, husband.”

He smiled into their kiss, deepening it once more. “I’ll go check on Kaden while you finish up. We’ll head out when you’re done.”

Twenty minutes later, they were in the car on their way to Rhys and Feyre’s place. It was a gorgeous day full of sunshine, the air warm with the oncoming of summer. It was as if even the Mother wanted to grace her presence on that day with her radiance. They really couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day for a baby shower.

“Momma?” Kaden called from the back seat. “Where are we going?”

His speech had improved so much since they first brought him home that the therapist they hired had told them after the end of the school year, that he likely wouldn’t need to continue seeing a specialist to catch him up. He was reading and writing the way a five-year-old should be and was on track to pass kindergarten with flying colors.

She glanced over her shoulder at him. “Remember how we talked about going to Aunt Feyre and Uncle Rhys’s for the baby shower today.”

He seemed to think about that. “What’s a baby shower?”

Her lips quirked up at his curious mind. Thankfully, he hadn’t asked about where babies came from again. “It’s a party to celebrate the upcoming arrival of your brother and sister.” Her hand came to rest on her belly instinctively.

His face scrunched up. “Will I have to take a bath again?”

Azriel let out a snort, glancing at her. “It’s a fair question.”

She laughed. “No, sweetheart. Not that kind of shower. To shower with love. The party is just to celebrate the babies before they arrive.”

“Will there be cake?” he asked, excitement lighting up his face at the prospect of sweets.

“For my sister’s sake, there better be.” Elain’s late-stage pregnancy craving was anything sweet. Cookies, cakes, pastries, whatever she could get her hands on, she was eating it. Azriel was barely able to keep the pantry stocked with desserts for her to snack on.

Her husband chuckled. “If she doesn’t, we’ll stop by a bakery on our way home and get each of you a cake. How’s that sound?” he asked, grasping her hand and bringing it to his mouth to kiss her knuckles.

She grinned. “You spoil me.”

He looked at her then. “You deserve to be spoiled.”

They were fashionably late to their baby shower, and Elain completely blamed her husband’s morning sexual charade for the delay in their arrival. Not that she minded at all. She had another Braxton Hick contraction in the car, Azriel eying her with worry and once again asking if they should make a pitstop at the hospital just in case.

But that would’ve made them even more late and Elain knew it was unnecessary.

All of their friends and family were waiting for their arrival. And she hated being late.

“What am I going to do with you gone for six months, Elain?” Thesan teased, taking a sip of his beer.

She shot a devilish grin at the head nurse sitting on the couch across from her. “I’m sure Viv would love to pick up all the slack.”

Viviane squawked in outrage and pointed a menacing finger in her direction. “Don’t put your work on me while you’re enjoying your babymoon, Elain Archeron-Knight.”

The group laughed as she pushed herself up off the couch. Another contraction hit her and she winced, catching the attention of the sharp-eyed nurse. But before she could ask, Kaden came bounding up to her, tugging on the skirt of her dress.

“Momma, can I have a cake pop?” He looked up at her with those damn puppy eyes he knew she couldn’t resist.

Elain ran a hand through his hair. “Sure, sweetie. Only one. You don’t want to spoil your appetite for Uncle Cassian’s good barbeque.”

Said uncle was out in the backyard tending to the grill with her husband, Rhys, and the Moonbeam brothers because, apparently, that’s where men gathered. Aelin and Rowan had joined them, the former getting an eyebrow raise from Azriel at her company’s appearance.

She made her way to the kitchen, hoping to perhaps score one of those cake pops herself—she was the guest of honor, surely she could snag one too. Feyre, Nuala, and Cerridwen had been busy putting together the final touches for lunch and were just waiting for Cassian’s proteins to serve food.

But just as she reached the breakfast bar, a wave of excruciating pain washed over her. Catching herself on the counter, Elain gripped the side of her stomach, groaning loud enough that the other room went silent. And then she felt it. Liquid surged between her legs, puddling the floor beneath her.

No. No, it was too soon. They couldn’t be coming already.

Viviane rounded the corner from the living room as Feyre and the twins approached her.

Somebody breathed her name, but she couldn’t decipher who it was over the blood rushing in her ears.

More footsteps sounded as her friends and family came from the living room to see what was going on.

“Elain.” It was Feyre’s voice that broke through the fog of fear that had clouded her, but she was too numb to respond. Too nervous. “Somebody get Azriel!”

Her panic grew and her breathing turned shallow. It was too soon. She wasn’t ready, wasn’t prepared enough. The anxiety of giving birth hit her like a freight train.

She couldn’t do this.

She couldn’t.

~~~~~

Azriel took a swig of his beer, rolling his eyes at the cad comment Rhys made. His tanned skin warmed in the sunlight even with the sleeves of his button-down rolled up to his elbows. With a glance at the large window, he caught Elain rising from her spot on the couch, Kaden gripping her dress to speak with her.

Gods, that fucking dress. Elain looked like a maternal goddess in it, emphasizing her swollen belly, brimming with the life of his children. Az never realized he had a breeding kink until he and Elain got back together. His desire to fill her with his seed, to watch her grow with life had him hardening in his pants.

Now at eight months, she had reached the stage where little things irked the hell out of her. Honestly, her temper was cute as hell, but he tried to be considerate of her exhaustion and short-fuse, offering himself up to take the heat of her ire. It was only fair—he’s the one that got her pregnant.

It may have made him a primitive, alpha-douchebag, but fuck did he love to see her waddling around, pregnant and barefoot in their home. She was already such a wonderful mother to their boy, Kaden. Cassian had been right. He was so incredibly grateful for Elain’s maternal instinct.

“Something caught your eye, brother?” Cassian taunted, grinning. His brother knew exactly what he was looking at. Or whom.

He shot him a dry look that had Cash chuckling.

“If she wasn’t already pregnant, I’d say that look alone could’ve knocked her up,” he teased. “Who knew you had such a kink, Az.”

Azriel opened his mouth to retort, but the sliding glass door opening caught his attention.

Nuala peeked her head out, a worried look on her face that had his stomach tightening in knots. “Azriel! Get in here now!”

But he was already moving, dropping his drink on the table and running after her into the house, his brothers and friends hot on his heels. He froze in the entryway of the kitchen, taking in the scene for a split second before his eyes settled on Elain bent over the counter, a puddle of clear liquid beneath her.

His feet ate up the space between them in three long strides, her name falling from his lips as he cupped her face and forced her gaze on his. Azriel prided himself in knowing exactly what Elain was feeling, what she was thinking by just the look on her face. He read her better than he did himself. So, seeing the blatant apprehension and worry written as clearly as a tattoo on her forehead had his heart racing in his chest.

Her eyes were wet with the tears he could tell she was trying to hold back.

“Love,” he said quietly, unsure how to proceed at the moment.

She blinked like hearing him cleared a bit of the fog that had washed over her. “Azriel.” Her voice cracked.

He folded her into his arms, trying to soothe whatever worries were troubling her. “You’re okay, my love.”

Elain seemed to melt in his embrace, her tension slowly ebbing away the longer he held her. He gave her whatever time she needed, ignoring the audience they had around them, but it was long enough for another contraction to hit. She cried out, gripping his hand in hers and squeezing tight.

Viviane snapped into action at that. “Azriel, her contractions are about nine minutes apart now. She’s going to have at least two more by the time you reach the hospital.”

“No hospitals,” Elain growled.

That had him pulling back to look down at her. “El, the babies are coming—”

“No. Hospitals.” He could see the wavering in her face. “I—,” she paused, hesitating. “They’re not ready. It’s too early. Too soon. They can’t come out yet…” Her head fell until she was looking at the wetness still sitting on the floor. “I’m not ready,” Elain whispered so quietly, that he almost missed it.

Azriel knew that was nerves speaking. While Kaden made them parents, the idea of giving birth to the twins was the primary source of her fear. The books he read said that many expectant mothers experienced this type of anxiety right around the time they went into labor. If they were going to have any success in her having a smooth birth, Azriel needed to get her to calm down. He glanced at Cassian. “Can you get her a chair?”

His brother grabbed one from the dining room, setting it out for Az to carefully guide Elain into. He knelt in front of her, keeping her hands clasped firmly in his. “Elain, sweetheart,” her dark eyes latched onto his, needing to hear his reassurance. He kept his voice low, wishing they didn’t have to have this conversation in front of their friends and family.

Rhys seemed to sense that and began ushering people out of the room. “Let’s give the couple a few minutes.”

He shot his brother a grateful look before returning his attention to Elain. “Sweetheart, I know you’re scared. I know it’s earlier than we were expecting. But if there is one thing that I am certain of is that you can do this.” He squeezed her hands in comfort. “You are the strongest person I know. You’ve been through so much that once all is said and done, you’re going to look at me and tell me that this was the easy part. I promise you that if anyone can do this, it’s you. And I will be right by your side for every step, holding your hand, giving you ice chips, and bearing whatever you need me to bear to bring our children into the world.”

She sniffed, a small smile tugging at her lips. “You’re sure?”

“Without a doubt, Elain. You can do this.” He brought their joined hands up to his mouth, kissing her fingers and letting her absorb whatever confidence she needed. “So, what do you say? Are you ready to have our babies, love?”

Elain huffed a laugh, his words settling the nerves she had. “Yes, let’s go have our babies,” she breathed, her grin taking over her entire face, lasting all of thirty seconds before a look of panic took root once more. “Az, the birthing bag is still at the house.”

He let out an undignified snort. “Do you think after having that contraction in front of me this morning, I’d leave the house without having absolutely everything packed and ready to go? Come on, baby, you know me better than that. It’s all in the back of the car.”

She blinked in surprise. “The birthing bag and my pillow?”

“In the car,” he confirmed.

“Kaden’s overnight bag?”

“In the car.”

“The car seats for the twins?”

He scoffed. “You know I installed those weeks ago, try again.”

Her lips quired up at the corner. “What about the slippers I was wearing this morning?” she asked, thinking she had him.

Az rolled his eyes in playful exasperation. “I grabbed them when I snagged the birthing bag.” He kissed her hands again. “I’ve got you, love.”

And then she was leaning forward, kissing him with so much love and devotion, he felt it down to the soul she brought back to life. The sound of their family’s cheers forced them apart, a pretty blush dusting the tops of Elain’s cheeks, but she didn’t dare look away from him.

Without looking away from her, Azriel reached into his pocket, pulled out his keys, and tossed them to Rhys. “Can you grab Kaden’s bag from the trunk? The one with dinosaurs. And then Elain’s purple one as well.”

Elain’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Why is he grabbing mine?”

His lips pulled up into a knowing grin, brushing the shell of her ear as he leaned forward to whisper, “I thought you might like to change your underwear and put on a maternity pad for the ride to the hospital.”

Her cheeks heated in embarrassment, but she nodded in agreement.

A little body shuffled closer. “Momma?” Kaden murmured, looking so very worried over the state of his mother.

She held her arms out, motioning him forward. “C’mere sweetheart.” Elain tucked him into her chest, kissing the top of his head. “You’re going to stay here with Aunt Feyre and Uncle Rhys while Daddy and I go to the hospital to have your brother and sister.”

He looked up at her with those puppy-dog eyes and damn, the kid knew how to work them. “But I want to go with you!” His lower lip quivered and Azriel could tell he was on the verge of tears.

But his wife took it in stride, cupping his little face in her palms and swiping her thumbs across his cheeks. “I know, sweetheart. I know you do. But you’ll have a much better time here with your aunt and uncle. Momma’s not going to be fun to be around until your siblings are here.” She kissed his plump cheek. “But I promise that you will be the first to see us once they arrive. Okay?”

Feyre stepped forward, reaching out a hand for their son. “Come on, Kaden. We’ll have lots of fun eating all the desserts left over.” She shot them a wink when he finally relented, taking her fingers.

After cleaning her up as best as he could and getting her a maternity pad from her bag, he and Elain were in the car on the way to the hospital. As Viviane predicted, she had two more contractions on the way, grabbing his offered hand and the “oh shit” bar as she groaned her way through it. And then promptly went into a third one right as they arrived.

Az timed them out, still sitting about nine minutes apart. “Breathe, baby. Good, love. Just like that.” His thumb grazed the back of her hand. Her grip was tight, on the verge of painful, but he didn’t dare let his face flinch or show an ounce of discomfort. She needed his strength and that’s exactly what he was going to give her.

They were immediately escorted to their private room and Elain’s vitals were checked over. She was sitting at only two centimeters dilated, which meant they were looking at being there for a bit.

Between her contractions, he swapped out his clothes for a fitted black t-shirt and grey sweatpants to get more comfortable and then sent a text to their siblings to notify them that they were in and settled, but it would be a while before they would have any progress.

“Can you check in with Kaden?” Elain asked, taking a scoop of ice chips from her cup.

The corner of his lips curled up at the question. “I already did. Feyre said he wouldn’t leave the front window for a while and had to persuade him with his baby cousin and a lot of sweet treats.”

She snorted, shaking her head. “He’s going to have a mouth full of cavities before we get home.” Elain twisted to look at him. “Do you think we made the right decision by not letting him come with us? It sounds like he’s waiting for us to return. I know that some families let their little ones be present for the birth of their siblings and we discussed it—”

He interrupted her train of thought. “I think we made the right call, love. We’re going to be here for a while and we both know that things can upset him. I don’t know how well he’d handle watching you go through that.”

She nodded but didn’t look very convinced.

Azriel reached for her hand, covering it with his own and squeezing her fingers. “He’s safe and well-cared for. Remember that while we focus on bringing his little brother and sister into the world.” He brushed his lips over her knuckles in a sweet kiss.

Elain smiled softly at him. “Okay.”

And so, they waited.

Per his wife’s birthing plan, she wanted to attempt to go natural. Azriel admired her strength and resilience in doing so. But after over sixteen hours of hard labor, he could see her resolve fading.

He stroked her cheek, fingers brushing hair behind her ear. “Talk to me, sweetheart.”

Dark circles already lined the underneath part of her eyes. She looked so weary. “I’m so tired, Az.” Her voice came out nearly broken and fuck if that didn’t just rip his beating heart from his chest.

Kissing her forehead, he murmured, “Do you want to get the epidural? It’ll help you get some much-needed rest before the delivery.” As of now, she was only at seven centimeters and the doctor had said it could still be a while longer until she reached a full ten.

Her chin dipped in confirmation. “Please.”

Azriel didn’t waste time calling for the nurse. Within ten minutes, he watched as a grossly large needle was inserted into her back, sending that relief washing over her. He peppered her face with kisses during the procedure, murmuring words of praise and comfort in her ear as she gritted her teeth through it.

Elain spent the next eight hours in a fitful sleep, dosing off and waking up not long after each time. Azriel didn’t bother to try and sleep, not when she wasn’t really getting much at all.

But finally, after just past nine, she was fully dilated and ready to push.

His wife pushed and pushed and pushed for a half hour with nothing to show for it. She was in tears, frustrated, and so exhausted he was practically supporting all her weight having slid an arm around her shoulders to keep her upright.

“I can’t, I can’t,” she sobbed, half burying her face into his chest.

“You can, love. You’re so strong. Just a little bit more,” he tried to reassure her. It fucking killed him to see her like this.

“Can’t you do it for me?” she pleaded, looking up at him with wild, desperate eyes.

He gripped her cheek in his palm, kissing her temple. “You know I would, El. I would give anything to switch places with you right now. But I know you can do this. Just a few more pushes and then they’ll be here.”

Whatever she read within his words seemed to do the trick, her brows furrowing with a determination he hadn’t seen since they left the house. Elain pushed herself up, trying to get into a kneeling position, and he was right there, sliding behind her and supporting her weight.

The nurses squawked, muttering something about hospital policy, but frankly, he did not give a fuck, snarling, “Her body is telling her to push like this. Listen to your fucking patient.”

Changing the position was exactly what she needed because their son was born within the next two contractions, entering the world with a healthy set of lungs.

They sagged back against the pillows, his face wet with tears as they placed their new baby directly on Elain’s bared chest. He couldn’t stop himself from tipping her head back to kiss her softly on the lips, pausing the savor the moment.

Az traced the pads of his fingers over the curve of their boy’s cheek, just needing to touch him to prove he was here with them. Even covered in fluids, he was so beautiful. The perfect blend of the two of them.

The nurses gave them just a few minutes with the first baby before Doctor Chen said that she needed to start pushing again. She took their boy from Elain’s arms, promising to bring him back for Azriel after he was cleaned up and their daughter was born.

Delivery of their little girl went easier than with their son. But whereas their boy came out crying, their daughter came out silent.

Azriel knew something was wrong just by the silence, but it only grew the anxiety in his stomach when the doctor turned her back on them, taking their little one with her to work on.

“She’s not crying,” Elain breathed, worry clouding her voice.

He could only squeeze her shoulders in comfort, watching as they shoved things into her nose and mouth.

“Suction,” Chen ordered.

“Azriel, why isn’t she crying?”

“She’s going to be okay, love. They’re helping her. She’s okay.” The words passed his lips even as his heart dropped into his stomach when they started doing compressions on her tiny body.

No.

This couldn’t be happening. They couldn’t lose her. It would kill him to lose his little girl, but Elain, fuck, he couldn’t even begin to fathom the devastation she would face at this loss. There was nothing he could do. He couldn’t pay to fix this or threaten someone to save their baby girl.

So, he did what any father would do.

He prayed.

He prayed to every god, every deity, everything, and anything he could think of to keep his little girl safe and bring her back to them. To take her place if they demanded it. A life for a life. He’d pay it for his child, his family. “Come on,” he murmured. “Come on, baby. Come on.”

Elain curved her face into the side of his chest, howling in a way he’d never heard from her before.

His arms went around her, that dreaded feeling turning his blood cold. The terror he felt of their little one dead before she lived was unlike anything he’d ever experienced. But still, he did not stop praying, clutching Elain’s shaking body to his. “Come on, little one. Come on!” he chanted. “Please.”

And then, a rattled cough tore from her tiny body, followed by the sweet, beautiful sound of her cry.

Elain’s wail turned into relieved sobs, as the doctor walked over their bundled little girl and placed her into his wife’s awaiting arms.

“Somebody was just so excited to meet you, she took a breath a little too early, but we cleared out her passages and lungs and she looks good now.”

His wife tucked their daughter into her chest, kissing the top of her head. “Hi sweet girl, Momma’s here,” she whispered, tears still falling down her cheeks. Tears that matched the ones running down his face.

She was here. His baby girl. Fuck, she looked just like him, with dark hair and tanned skin. He hadn’t gotten a look at her eyes yet, but already she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

“Here you go, Mr. Archeron-Knight,” one of the other nurses said, pulling his attention from his wife and daughter as she handed him his son, cleaned up and wrapped in a soft blanket.

The small bundle was gently laid in the crook of his elbow. Azriel didn’t think he’d ever feel the amount of love he did on Kaden’s adoption day, but sitting here with his gorgeous wife, holding their newborn twins, he felt his heart soar in his chest.

Sweaty and fatigued, Elain glanced up at his face, the sweetest, exhausted smile pulling on her lips. “I love you,” she murmured.

He let out a sound that was a cross between a chuckle and a sob. “I love you more.” And then he kissed her, sealing that moment in time with his undying love for her.

~~~~~

Elain woke to the sound of a whimpering cry, swiftly followed by Azriel’s low voice.

“Hey, sweet girl. What’s wrong, huh?” She heard some shuffling as her husband lifted their daughter from the nursery bed. “Momma needs her sleep so we need to be quiet.” He kept his voice low enough to not disturb her—fuck she loved him so much—but she was already awake, rolling over in the hospital bed to face him.

Azriel holding his children was, hands down, the sexiest thing she’d ever seen. How she could even feel the need for him after pushing two babies out of her currently aching and severely injured body was beyond her, but just watching him bounce their fussing daughter made all those desires come roaring to the surface.

Almost as if he could sense her presence, hazel eyes slid to hers. “I’ve got her, love. Go back to sleep.” His voice remained soft as night as if anything louder would disturb her.

She curled up on her side, watching him. “I think we should get used to no sleep now.”

He huffed a laugh, patting Rosalie on her back as she further settled into the crook of his elbow.

Their daughter was almost two pounds smaller than her brother, coming in right at five whereas Ryder was a healthy six pounds, fourteen ounces. The doctor was a little concerned over Rosalie’s lower birth weight, but Elain had managed to get both babies to latch and feed earlier and she ate well, so they were mainly playing it by ear.

Because of her smaller size, Azriel already placed an order for some preemie clothes and sent a photo of her with the twins to their siblings. They asked to give them a day to recuperate before coming to the hospital in the morning. After the scare with Rosalie, both she and Azriel wanted to take some time to spend with the babies. Plus, the medical team was in and out of their room, taking Rosalie for some additional tests just to be sure everything looked good.

It was just after seven that night, and they were settling in for the evening. Tired of hospital food, Azriel ordered hamburgers from DoorDash for them to eat. Elain was starving and it sounded so good that she drooled when she suggested it to him. Both babies had been fed only an hour earlier and she anticipated not having another feeding till late evening or early morning.

Elain grabbed whatever sleep she could, knowing she’d need it when they were released in a couple of days, but she was sure Azriel hadn’t slept a wink since she’d gone into labor.

She pushed herself up, reclining on her pillows. The nurses cleaned her after the delivery and stitched her up from tearing, but Elain couldn’t wait to get home and take a proper shower. “Does she need to be changed?” she asked, nodding to the now-sleeping baby in her husband’s arms.

Azriel shook his head. “No, I think she was just fussing.” His dark hair was still mussed up from when he stripped out of his shirt earlier, taking time for skin-to-skin contact with each of the twins.

Elain had to rein in her laugh at how the nurse blushed as he revealed miles of gloriously tanned, tattooed skin and corded muscle. Her husband was a fine specimen, but he never flaunted it, so seeing another woman react to it was humorous especially since he didn’t even seem to notice her blushing, stammering state.

“You should sleep too, Az,” she said instead.

He looked at her, his lips curving up. It had been doing that a lot since the birth of the twins. The sweetest, smallest smile that crept up the corners of his mouth. Almost as if he didn’t even realize he was doing it. It was utterly adorable and made him look younger. “I’ll rest later. You need it more than me.”

Her shoulders shook in amusement. “You know, we can sleep when they do.”

“I just don’t want to miss a second of them.” His attention returned to his little girl who already had him wrapped around her finger. To be fair, all of their children did. “Fuck, I can’t believe they’re here already. It seems like it was only a month ago you found out you were pregnant.”

“I can’t believe our first anniversary is coming up in just a handful of weeks.”

At that, he laughed. “I guess a trip for our anniversary is out of the question?”

She grinned. “Not unless all our little ones are coming with us.” Because like hell was she going to be able to leave them so soon. Plus with her nursing, it just wouldn’t be ideal.

He seemed to consider her. “We could take the jet to the Summer District. Kaden will be out of school then and we’ll both still be out on leave. Just a thought.”

Gods, he was fucking perfect. “That might be nice.”

A knock on the door interrupted whatever he was going to say. He frowned in confusion, looking at her.

Elain shrugged, sitting up further on her bed. “Come in,” she called out.

She thought it might be a nurse or a doctor, coming to check on her or the twins. What she didn’t expect was for Rhys to peek his head into the room. Surprise lit her features and she glanced at Azriel, who looked equally as bewildered at the sudden visit from their brother.

“Hey,” Rhys said. “I apologize for dropping by unannounced, but somebody really couldn’t wait till tomorrow to see you.” He opened the door slightly, revealing Kaden clutching a teddy bear, eyes puffy and red from crying.

Her heart ached at the distress their son must’ve been in for Rhys to come all the way here. “Hello sweetheart,” she said, keeping her voice soft. “Come here, my love.”

He took a small step further into the room, Rhys’s hand guiding him at the backside of his head. Kaden took slow steps as he approached the side of her bed. “Momma, are you sick?”

She reached out to cup his cheek in her palm. “No, baby. I’m not sick. Your brother and sister decided it was time to come out of my tummy.” Her eyes found Azriel’s as he rose from his seat on the couch, moving toward them. “Would you like to meet them?” she asked, returning her gaze to Kaden’s.

His head dipped in confirmation.

Elain pushed herself back even more. “Rhys, can you help him up and then grab me that flat pillow over there.”

He set the boy on the bed between her spread legs, Kaden shuffling backward and bumping into her sensitive lower area.

She hissed out in pain before she could stop herself. A wave of agony washed over her with enough intensity that her stomach curdled with nausea.

Azriel reacted immediately. “Easy, buddy. Momma’s going to be sore for a while and we need to be extra careful with her.”

“I’m okay,” she spoke quickly, not wanting to upset Kaden any more than he already was, and kissed his plump cheek as she breathed through the pain. “Okay, Rhys. Place the pillow over our laps.”

Adjusting his arms in preparation, Azriel gently lowered their daughter until she comfortably rested on the nursing pillow.

“Kaden, this is your sister, Rosalie,” he announced, letting his finger stroke her rounded cheek.

Elain couldn’t see his face directly, but she did catch his eyes widening as he stared down at her, his fingers carefully tracing over her delicate features just as his father did.

“Rosawee,” he said, not quite catching the ending syllable. It would be something they would have to work on. When she kicked a leg within her swaddle, he pulled his hand back, startled.

She laughed, feeling the bed dip as Azriel sat down next to them, bringing over their son. “And this is your brother, Ryder.”

He reached out to trace the outline of his brows, the touch gentle and exploratory. “I’m a brother?” he asked, turning his head to look up at her.

“That’s right sweetheart. You’re their big brother, and they’re going to love you so much,” she told him, kissing the top of his head.

Elain took in her family, her incredible husband, and three beautiful children. It sounded so wild to even think about. She was a wife and a mother. Thinking back, she remembered the day that had changed the trajectory of her life forever. The bank robbery a few years back. It was crazy to think how such a terrifying moment altered her life in the best of ways. It brought her back to the love of her life.

It put her on this very path.

She’d face every one of the moments since then tenfold as long as it brought her to this point in time, sitting here with her gorgeous little family.

“Perfect.”

She looked up at Rhys, catching him with his phone out.

“Your first family photo.”

Her lips turned up and silver lined her eyes. “Thank you, Rhys.”

He waved her off. “Do you want me to take Kaden back with me?”

“No,” Azriel said, ruffling his eldest son’s hair. “He can stay here with us tonight. Can you put his booster seat in our car? The keys are in my bag.”

“You got it.” He grabbed the keys but paused on the threshold. “And congratulations you guys. Rosalie and Ryder are beautiful.”

Azriel leaned further into her side, kissing her temple. “Thank you, brother.” Once alone, he turned her head toward his, bringing her mouth to his for a slow, sweet kiss. “I love you so damn much, Elain.”

His smile was infectious, making her lips turn up at the corners. “Thank you, Azriel, for giving me this life—these babies. You have made me the happiest I could ever imagine. I love you.”

“Momma! She’s got my finger,” Kaden’s giggle interrupted their moment.

They laughed, looking at their three beautiful children.

Elain knew that this perfect moment was just the very beginning of the rest of their lives.

~~~~~

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kazoosandfannypacks · 7 days ago

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summary: ezra bridger has been following online microcelebrity spectre_pheonix for years. although her online identity is shrouded in mystery, he may be closer to her than he realizes. word count: 7309 (7974 counting alt text) co-authorship note: the video game sequences featured in this fic were written by my co-author, shadow-ninja-13, who also helped me figure out a few plot things and what video games to include where. he's also my teenage brother, known by some on this site as skyguy, and he's the coolest kid on the planet!a/n: After so, so, so much time working on this fic and talking it up IT'S FINALLY FINISHED!!! Shoutout to my tumblr follows for helping me out with a couple ideas in this fic! Some of this fic is told in embedded images. I have added alt text, so it should be accessible via screenreader as well. I can probably make a pdf copy of a full plaintext version of the story available if anyone needs it! taglist: @laughingphoenixleader@accidental-spice@kanerallels @piraterefrigerator @jedi-nurse@dootchster @lucasbridger@redroverrider @light-umbra @commander-tech @jedimandalorian@notanodinarygirl {if you’d like to be added to or removed from my Sabezra taglist, let me know!}

also on ao3!

need a player 2?

No, that definitely sounded insincere.

Ezra backspaced the message he'd typed into the livestream chat, then typed something else.

Duh. Too obvious. Try again.

Perfect.

Ezra hit the send button and waited for a response. It was very rare that spectre_pheonix responded to any of the hundreds of thousands of comments she'd get on her streams, but that didn't stop Ezra from hoping.

Ezra watched as the player found the Warthog, and perfectly drove, splattering the Aliens that got in her way. Nearby there was a small opening, he watched the player take the truck through, by driving on the stone wall. If she flipped, it’d be all over. If not, she’d be more awesome than usual. The landing was about to happen, the anxiety was building, and then… a hand got in between him and the phone, blocking his view entirely.

"Hey," Ezra said, pulling his headphone off of one ear so he could yell at his roommate, whose hand covered his phone.

"Hey yourself," Jai said, "we gotta get going; we're gonna be late."

Ezra hadn't looked at a clock since the stream had started, which was apparently three hours ago. Somehow it was already fifteen minutes before the dining hall stopped serving dinner, and it was at least a ten minute walk down that way.

"Shoot," Ezra sprang to his feet, "I must've lost track of time again."

"Because you were watching that gamer girl?" Jai asked, leaning on the doorframe.

"Maybe," Ezra said, as he reached for the nearest matching pair of shoes he could stuff his feet into.

"What's so interesting about watching someone game, anyways?" Jai asked.

"I think it's about loyalty now more than anything," Ezra said, "I've been watching her stream since before she became popular. It just wouldn't be right if I didn't watch her gaming sessions, especially when it's a game I love. Besides, she just has this way about her. She's so cool, so collected, so…."

"....hot?" Jai attempted to finish for him with a smile.

"I wouldn't know," Ezra said, "she's very good about keeping her personal life personal. I've never seen her face. No one has."

"So she's a mystery girl."

"She's just like any other celebrity," Ezra defended.

"So you mean she'd be way out of your league even if you knew who she was?" Jai asked.

"More like I haven't even considered it," Ezra said, "I'm one of millions of fans."

"Isn't her follower count only…"

"Enough talking," Ezra said, pulling Jai out the door of their dorm room, "I heard a rumor it's pizza night in the dining hall."

And with that, both boys were off on a new quest: Obtain Pizza.

💜.🎮.🧡

"I wonder how they'd react if they knew who was in the room with them," Sabine thought, sitting alone with her sketchbook in a corner of her college's student center.

Across the room, a group of boys were having a heated discussion over their game of Smash Bros. She didn't try to eavesdrop, but she'd always been aware of the world around her, and definitely heard the words "spectre" "phoenix" and "most influential gamer of our generation."

"You must be trippin'," one of them said, "her 'let's plays' are nothing more than a halfhearted follower grab."

"Oh, like you'd know," another said, "your youtube channel has, what, seventeen followers? Oh, and you just came in last place, again."

Sabine looked back up at their game to see that the fourth-place gamer had been playing as Bowser, then watched Diddy Kong deal a crippling blow on Captain Falcon.

Then, she glanced at the players, all of them laughing and roasting each other. One wore a t-shirt that said "official spectre spectator," and another had a hat on backwards with spectre_pheonix's logo on it. Sabine would recognize that merch anywhere— after all, she was the one who designed it— as merch for her own shop, and she couldn't say she was disappointed by how much praise its wearers spoke of her with.

"If only they knew who I was," Sabine thought, but she quickly reminded herself she was glad they didn't. Though she was thankful for her followers and their merch money paying her tuition, she wasn't prepared to have toxic dudebros hounding her everywhere she went. And once word got out at college that she was spectre_pheonix, there would go any sense of normalcy she had. Besides, if word about it slipped back home to her parents, she'd be deeper trouble than she already was.

So before she could do something regrettable and talk to them, she packed up her stuff and moved to a different study spot.

💜.🎮.🧡

The Flood surrounded her. In an unexpected turn of events, the creepiest enemy in the entire Halo saga had been introduced. She fired her assault rifle at the hoards of Flood crawling on the ground. The salvo was effective, but costly. She had forty rounds plus one full clip, but that wouldn’t be enough. As she walked the character up some stairs, she found allies, and promptly borrowed their ammo. At the end of the swamp, she encountered the monitor, and watched the cutscene at the end of 343 Guilty Spark.

"Sorry guys, gotta stop the stream for the night," Sabine said, "it's well past midnight here, and I've got an eight a.m. class."

She watched the comment section flare up with responses.

💜.🎮.🧡

Ezra stumbled into class a couple minutes late, but he was sure his professor would understand. It wasn't his fault that spectre_pheonix had been streaming late last night, right? As long as he quietly slipped into the back of the classroom, no one would notice anyways.

"Mr. Bridger," Professor Syndulla called to him as he tried in vain to hide his late entry, "so glad you've decided to join us this morning."

Ezra turned around and tried to hide his guilty expression.

"Of course, ma'am," Ezra said, with a dramatic salute, "I'd never miss out on one of my favorite teacher's classes."

"Flattery gets you nowhere in my class," the professor said, "take a seat, and we'll continue."

"Yes ma'am," Ezra said. He took a seat as close to the back of the room as he could and pulled out his laptop to take notes.

Ezra tried his best to pay attention, but the lack of sleep was getting the better of him as Professor Syndulla's lesson dragged on.

"Maybe I could get dad to sit in on class and take notes for me sometime," Ezra thought, "he could listen to her talk for hours."

It was, admittedly, a little weird that his adoptive father was dating his psychology professor, but at least her letter of recommendation helped him get into this school— on the condition that he "applied himself diligently to his studies" and didn't "discredit her influence by trying to coast on it" and all that other stuff they'd told him when she'd suggested he attend Atollon Alliance University.

"But I'm definitely not 'diligently applying myself' if I fall asleep in class," Ezra thought, the notes document before him blurring before his eyes, "and I need to do something to stay awake."

So, he turned to the one thing he'd never be able to sleep through— one of the many videos in his "watch later" tab on youtube. After double checking to make sure his laptop's sound was off and muted— you could never be too careful— he clicked a video titled "spectre_pehonix's top FIFTY EPIC saves!!!" and watched along as he listened to Professor Syndulla's lesson, finding that all that boring stuff about psychology was a lot more interesting when he also had spectre_phonix’s abilities with some grenades against Wraiths, Hunters, and Banshees to focus on.

💜.🎮.🧡

Class wasn't the only time Ezra used gaming videos to focus. He'd never been one for focusing on one task at a time, and usually found that if he sat down to study, he'd end up pulling out his phone and watching videos on YouTube anyways, and that it was better in the long run to start out with some gaming recap video in the background— except on days when spectre_pheonix was streaming during his study sessions, of course, and he'd watch it live, streaming Twitch in one window on his computer and whatever essay he was nearing the deadline on in the other.

Today, for example, he had her stream of Halo in the background of a rousing essay of the themes and morals of The Octopus.

The clock was ticking. 4:23 seconds left to go. The clock only counted down. She drove the Warthog through the groups of retreating Aliens and Flood. 4:07 seconds left to go by this point. She was told to stop, but she knew that that evac point wouldn’t help her. She’d played before, and she knew that the evacuation Pelican was shot down. She kept on driving. At max speed she used an odd floor detailing as a ramp, and jumped a whole group. The stress and tension of the final level made normal players stressed, but not Sabine. 2:25 left on the clock. The point was only about one kilometer away. She kept going, and going, and going. Nothing could stop her now. 1:22 left on the clock, she was within one kilometer away. She would make it! Unless she flipped by mistake. :44 seconds and counting! She saw the Pelican, and started running. She could take the Warthog no farther. She jumped in the Pelican at the last second. Barely beating Halo: Combat Evolved.

"It's like my teacher always says," spectre_pheonix said, "when things are at their worst, I feel like I'm at my best."

Ezra had only been half focusing, but this statement warranted his full attention. It wasn't as though the statement was profound or original— in fact, he'd heard it before. Abandoning his book report for the moment, Ezra expanded the Twitch tab across his whole screen, and ran it back ten seconds, thinking maybe his brain was playing some cruel trick on him.

"When things are at their worst, I feel like I'm at my best."

"That's exactly what Professor Syndulla said in psych class today." Ezra thought, "Is spectre_pheonix in my psychology class? Does she go to Attalon Alliance University too? No, that's crazy. Isn't it?"

His thoughts soon became a cluttered and jumbled mess, so he pulled out a notebook, flipped to random blank page, and after forty-seven minutes had constructed a list that looked something like this:

His results were inconclusive, but he suddenly remembered the book report due in less than an hour, and the two-thousand seventy-three words short he was from the word count.

💜.🎮.🧡

The last decade or so had gone pretty much exactly as Hera had planned. After realizing how important it was to her to help guide young people to their place in the world, she'd set her sights on a philosophy PHD so she could teach at Attalon Alliance University. She'd graduated with honors, and soon began teaching, and it was just as fulfilling as she'd planned it would be.

But what she hadn't considered in her plans was falling in love. When she was in college, she'd been too focused on her studies, and later on her duties as an RA in her dorm, to even consider pursuing a relationship, and by then, well, she figured there weren't a lot of single men in their late twenties interested in dating philosophy professors, so she poured herself into her work instead, and building good connections with her students as much as she could.

But, apparently, she hadn't been entirely correct in her assessment of her prospects. There was, apparently, at least one single man in his late twenties interested in dating philosophy professors— a man by the name of Kanan Jarrus, one who'd figured there weren't a lot of single women in their late twenties interested in dating the kind of guy who'd adopted an eight year old at the age of twenty-one and now had a sixteen year-old son who spent most of his time either playing video games or watching other people play them.

Hera had met Kanan in a chance run-in at a Wisconsin cheese festival, and though there was no denying the spark between them, it took a couple more chance run-ins before she'd agreed to a date. Their relationship progressed slowly, with Hera's career and Kanan's delicate balance of providing for and raising his son, but they'd had more time to see each other over the past year, since his son had enrolled at Attalon Alliance University.

"Morning, Professor Syndulla," Ezra grinned, walking into class one morning.

Though all of Hera's students may as well have been her children, she had a special fondness for that one— and took extra caution to make sure she didn't give him special treatment. Though he hadn't fathered Ezra, Kanan's influence on his life was evident through his actions. Ezra shared a lot of mannerisms with his dad, including an answer or an excuse always at the ready, and a charming smile he seemed to think would absolve himself of guilt. However, there were a lot of qualities they didn't share, and one of them was Ezra's propensity to be late.

It was this propensity for lateness that made Hera do a double-take. Class wouldn't start for another five minutes, and Ezra was here, in class, early.

"Good morning, Mr. Bridger," Hera said, "is there any particular reason you've shown up on time this morning?"

"Maybe I'm finally taking this whole 'education' thing seriously?" Ezra suggested.

"Mhmm," Hera nodded, "and maybe a certain gamer wasn't streaming last night."

"Well, there's that too," Ezra rolled his eyes and headed for his usual seat, towards the back of the classroom.

She watched as the rest of the students made their way into the classroom, and another one caught her attention, and not just because of her brightly colored hair.

"Miss Wren," Hera said, "I enjoyed reading your paper last night."

"Thanks, Professor Syndulla."

That was the entirety of their interaction, but Hera could tell by the smile on her student's face that she had taken it to heart. One time during Sabine Wren's first semester, Professor Syndulla had complimented something she said in class, and from the expression on her face, Hera could tell that kind of positive affirmation was foreign to Sabine— and she made it her personal mission to make sure it wasn't foreign to her anymore. Though their conversations rarely went further than a compliment on the student's hard work and a thank you for the professor, Hera could tell that Sabine appreciated it, in her own way.

💜.🎮.🧡

Ezra had had his own reasons for coming into class on time, and not just to improve his education. He hadn't abandoned his spectre search (or "wild ghost chase," as Jai had called it when Ezra explained it to him,) and his biggest evidence pointed to this class. Maybe if he actually showed up on time, he could get to know his classmates well enough to find out if one of them was her. Instead of listening to her in his headphones as their professor taught, he listened for her in his classroom as their professor took the students' questions, which didn't increase his focus on the lesson at all, but it did give him something to do in class other than watch YouTube recaps and pretend to be taking notes, so it was a nice change of pace.

After class, he hung around a little longer than normal, standing by one of the classroom doorways to see what he could overhear.

When only a few students remained in the classroom, Professor Syndulla approached him.

"Alright, Bridger," she said, "what's your angle?"

"Angle?" Ezra asked, "why do you assume I have 'an angle?'"

"You came to class five minutes early, and instead of making a break for the door as soon as possible, you're hanging around after class is dismissed. Pardon me for being suspicious."

Ezra didn't respond.

"If there's ever anything you want to talk about, I'm here," she said.

"Look, it's nothing," Ezra said, "don't worry about it."

Ezra decided to turn heel and leave before his dad's girlfriend started psychoanalyzing him again.

What Ezra hadn't counted on was someone else walking through the doorway at the same time, and him running into her.

"Watch where you're going," she grumbled, as a textbook and a few notebooks fell out of her arms.

Ezra had seen this kind of scene in movies before, so he figured he may as well pick up the textbooks for her.

"I'm so sorry," he said, crouching down and grabbing the books off the floor, "I didn't…"

She sighed. "It's alright."

Her voice almost seemed familiar— no, it did seem familiar.

"Here you go," Ezra said, getting up and handing her the books, "I, uh…."

He stumbled over his words, because not only did he recognize her voice as one of his favorites in the world, but when he looked up at her face, he saw rich brown eyes, and hair the same color as spectre_pheonix's logo.

"You're good," she smiled as she took the books from him.

"I, uh," he scratched his neck, "I like your hair."

"Nice shirt," she said, and winked as she walked away.

He looked back at her as she left, then back down at his shirt— his favorite shirt he'd ever gotten from his favorite streamer's online shop.

💜.🎮.🧡

Even when Sabine got back to her dorm room after class, the boy who'd bumped into her after class was still on her mind. There wasn't anything exceptional about him, but there was some kind of awe that sparkled across his blue eyes that almost made her feel special.

So, as soon as she got back to her dorm room, weird as it sounded, she decided to draw him— not his whole face, just those eyes that had been fixed on her, tucked between a shaggy crop of hair, and those mysterious scars underneath. It wasn't abnormal for her to draw inspiration from people she'd seen around campus like that.

She also could tell that he must've been a longtime fan of hers. She hadn't sold the "spectre spectator" shirt on her merch site for a couple years, but he had one, and he wore it proudly. She tried to remind herself that there was no way he could've known it was her; she'd been so careful not to leave a trace of her real self online.

Still, as she saw the awe on this fanboy's face, she wondered if that's how all her followers would respond to seeing her. Her follower count was just a number, but she wondered if that number was all awestruck and loyal followers like that one.

So, once she finished the sketch, she went to her Twitch profile. Six-hundred, seven-thousand and eighty-three followers. Six-hundred, seven-thousand and eighty-three people, people just like the one she met today, who appreciated her with an awestruck wonder.

She scrolled through the list of names, and noticed one near the top of the list— spectre_6, whose username she'd seen in the comments of many of her videos over the years. The notification said they were streaming Terraria, and, out of curiosity, she pulled up the stream and decided to check it out.

💜.🎮.🧡

It wasn't very often that Ezra found himself with free time. When he wasn't watching spectre_pheonix's livestreams, or doing homework, or attempting to do both at the same time, he was usually sleeping or hanging out with his friends.

However, today after class, he found himself with free time enough to do a little digging, and add a new page to his conspiracy:

It seemed like a good enough list for now, so he decided that, since spectre_pheonix wasn't streaming right now, he may as well pull up Terraria and do a little streaming of his own.

He was crawling through the pink blocks of his dungeon. Wielding his trusty Horseman’s Blade, he walked through the rough stones of this monster-ridden dungeon. He jumped down a shaft, relying on his jet pack to keep him from dying on the ground. He used the melee/range sword to promptly cut down a nearby Necromancer. He kept running through, and quickly slew several Blue Armored Bones.

Ezra heard the blip of activity in his comment section, and glanced at the sidebar on his screen. It wasn't unheard of for him to get comments on his streams, but it also wasn't very common either.

He glanced at the comment, then did a double take and a triple take. The color of the name was familiar. The username was familiar. There was a checkmark next to her name to show he was following her.

Ezra's heart skipped several beats, like when your teacher calls on you in class, but in a good way, like when you're prepared for it— but he wasn't prepared for this at all, no matter how much he'd dreamed it would happen.

Spectre_pheonix had commented on one of his livestreams.

"OH MY GOSH!" he yelled into the mic, not noticing The Paladin behind him until it was too late. Quite frankly, he didn't care that his “Incompetence was put on display by Paladin’s Hammer” because at least being dead gave him a chance to respond to her comment.

He tried to get back into his game, but couldn't focus, especially when she responded.

She didn't reply to that, and he wondered if she was still even watching. Rather than just check in a normal way, he instead blurted, "spectre_pheonix, if you're still watching, wanna do a collab sometime?"

He was mentally kicking himself in the shins for asking such a foolish question, but was excited when he saw a reply in the comments section:

💜.🎮.🧡

The past week had pretty much been the best week of Ezra's life. Spectre_pheonix rarely collabed with anyone, but the past week they'd joined in together for Minecraft, LEGO Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Dust: An Elysian Tale, the latter of which, being single player, was just spectre_pheonix playing and spectre_6 giving commentary. Not only was this a dream come true, but it also boosted his meager follower count, and Jai had even stopped picking on him for his fantasy fanboying, instead jokingly referring to Ezra's collabs as "the closest thing he'd ever get to a date." Ezra didn't care.

He'd also been on the lookout more and more for that girl he'd run into, Sabine. Whether or not Sabine was spectre_pheonix, he had yet to decide on, but that didn't change the fact that she was still a pretty girl who'd smiled at him at least once, which definitely kept her in the forefront of Ezra's mind.

💜.🎮.🧡

Sabine rarely shared any information about herself online, but it was hard to plan collab information via Twitch, so she'd exchanged discord handles with spectre_6. Admittedly, he would've been as great a gamer as she was, if maybe he'd had a little more practice playing instead of just spectating. Still, collabs with him were enjoyable, and his sense of humor turned even Dark Souls into a hilarious adventure.

As she took notes on Professor Syndulla's class on her laptop, she kept discord open in a separate tab.

"Miss Wren?" Professor Syndulla asked, "is there something humorous about my lesson on how having traumatic experiences as a child inhibit our ability to make connections in the future?"

"No, ma'am," Sabine said. She hadn't realized how much of a mistake it would be to message spectre_6 in class until now. Usually, the people she'd chat with in class didn't have nearly as great a sense of humor as he did. Surely that was the only reason his conversations had her giggling in the middle of psych class.

💜.🎮.🧡

Ezra had done just enough research in class to find out everything he needed to know about Sabine. He'd positioned himself where he could see her, notice the deep gray of discord in the side corner of her computer next to the class notes. She typed in response to his messages. She laughed in response to his messages. When the teacher called her out for giggling in class, the same thing apparently happened to spectre_pheonix. She closed discord and payed attention in class at the same time spectre_pheonic did.

Ezra was convinced now more than ever: spectre_pheonix's real name was Sabine Wren, and she'd been in his psychology class this whole time.

She was a very private person, and someone finding out who she was definitely wasn't on her radar with how careful she'd been about personal details, so he knew if he brought it up, he'd have to breach the subject very, very carefully.

💜.🎮.🧡

"I KNOW WHO YOU ARE!"

Sabine looked up from her notebook with a start, intending to stick around after class so she could apologize to Professor Syndulla, not so that some random peer could slam his hands on her desk and yell ungrounded accusations at her.

But to her surprise, and in some ways her delight, the student she saw in front of her was the boy she'd bumped into last week, with the same soft blue eyes, the same dark, shaggy hair, and the same purple and orange shirt she'd once sold on her shop.

"What do you mean?" Sabine asked, beginning to pack up her things in an attempt to make a hasty exit.

His voice lowered. "I know you're spectre_pheonix."

She tried to keep a cool head, not to show her abject terror. She knew of a lot of bad things that had happened to celebrities when a crazed fan found them, and couldn't let this one know the truth.

"Who?" she asked, "I'm sorry, I, I don't know what you're talking about."

"I think you do," he said.

"What makes you so sure?" she asked, trying to stall just a moment as she quickly slung her backpack over her shoulder and turned to leave.

"Because I'm spectre_6."

She stopped dead in her tracks and turned back to look at him, sizing it all up in her mind. He'd clearly been a longtime fan of hers, just like spectre_6 had. Now that she thought about it, his voice sounded familiar, too. He'd also mentioned sitting in class, right when she was, and that the same thing had happened in his class that happened to her.

Still, she needed confirmation.

"What?"

"You started laughing in class today because of my joke about tax evasion," he said, "and then decided to 'sign off and lock in' so you could keep your grades up. Last night after you finished your collab with me, I messaged you a gif of Master Chief saluting and saying "goodnight," and you called me a total dork— that was a high honor, by the way. And then the day before that…"

"Okay, okay," she said, a little quieter, afraid of the few students still in the room overhearing, "I'm convinced. But how did you find out it was me?"

"You quoted Professor Syndulla in your stream a week and a half ago," he said, "and then you complimented my shirt last week, the same shirt I'm wearing now— and yes, I have washed it between then and now— and your hair matches your logo, and, I was watching you today in class— not, like, watching you, watching you. Like, not in a stalker way— oh kriff, am I a stalker? I am so sorry, that's really creepy now that I think about it. Anyways while I was hopefully maybe definitely not stalking you, I noticed that you reacted to every message I sent spectre_pheonix, and my suspicions were confirmed."

And Sabine's suspicions were confirmed when she heard him ramble, the same way spectre_6 always did when he was nervous in-game.

"Nice deduction, spectre_6," she said, feeling so much more comfortable now that she knew that this stranger was a friend she'd already met.

"Call me Ezra," he said, extending a hand to her, "Ezra Bridger."

"Sabine," she said, taking his hand and shaking it, "it's nice to finally meet you."

"You have no idea," he said.

💜.🎮.🧡

Being roommates with Ezra Bridger meant you had to be prepared for anything. Walking into the dorm room and thinking you're alone only to find your roommate under his desk, watching vines, and claiming both those things were for "emotional support." Listening to the most insane rumors and conspiracy theories about your teachers and classmates. Helping hide that stupid orange cat he'd smuggled in. Waking up at 2am to the beeping of a microwave and the smell of pizza rolls. All of this came with the territory, and Jai was professional in handling the insane force of nature that was Ezra Bridger.

But none of it could prepare him for what he saw when he walked into his dorm room one day after lunch and found Ezra cleaning. For someone whose laundry was piled higher than his loft bed, and who acted like he'd never seen a bottle of windex in his life, Ezra sure seemed to have purpose as he rushed around the room, putting away clean clothes while also tidying up the cluttered pile of papers and funko pops that he claimed were hiding a desk.

"May I ask what the occasion is?" Jai asked.

Ezra didn't even turn to look at him as his tornado of tidiness swept across the dorm room.

"Surprise."

"Surprise what?" Jai asked, "like, 'you can't tell me' surprise, or 'you wanted to surprise me by cleaning our room' surprise or 'your dad is coming for a surprise visit' surprise?"

"The first one," Ezra said.

"I'm not even gonna ask," Jai said.

"Good," Ezra said, "because you wouldn't believe me."

There were a lot of things Ezra could do that were unbelievable, but he was pretty sure just cleaning up the room was enough to suspend his standard of disbelief.

Jai sat down at his own desk and pulled out his laptop, figuring he may as well work on his history homework while he waited for the inevitable Bridger surprise.

About ten minutes later, Jai thought he heard a knock on the door, followed by Ezra yelling out "I'M COMING!" and bolting for the door, picking up the last bits of trash off the floor on his way.

Jai watched his roommate fumble to open the door with the trash still in his hand, then toss it into a corner where it wouldn't be seen and pull the door open.

"Sabine," Ezra said, "come on in."

"Alright," a girl's voice said.

A girl?

Ezra Bridger had never talked to a girl in person in all their time at Attalon Alliance University, so naturally Jai was surprised when a beautiful girl followed Ezra into their dorm room.

"Oh, Sabine," Ezra said, "this is my roommate, Jai."

"Nice to meet you," Sabine said, with a smile.

"Pardon the disbelief on my face," Jai said, "I didn't know Ezra even knew how to talk to girls who weren't on his computer."

Ezra looked a touch embarrassed, but his new friend spoke up for him, with half a giggle.

"We met through his computer," Sabine said, "he may have mentioned me. Spectre_pheonix?"

"You mean the Wild Ghost Chase wasn't just another ungrounded conspiracy theory?" Jai asked.

"Wild Ghost Chase?"

"It's called The Spectre Search," Ezra defended, "and yes, as I predicted, spectre_pheonix is, in fact, another student in my psych class."

"I came over to do a collab in person today," she said, "it's a lot better than trying to voice chat over Ezra's grainy mic setup."

"Hey!" Ezra said.

"She's got a point," Jai said, "and I guess my prediction was right too."

"What prediction?" Ezra asked.

"I told you if you ever met her she'd be way out of your league."

"Hey!" Ezra said again. "Don't you have a history report due?"

"Relax, I'm just messing with you," Jai said, "besides, this one's an easy A."

And with that, he turned back to his computer and let Ezra and Sabine have the illusion of privacy for their first in-person edition of "the closest thing Ezra would ever get to a date." Jai put on his headphones and went to his favorite research material: opening Spotify and resuming where he'd last left off in Hamilton: An All American Musical.

💜.🎮.🧡

It wasn't uncommon after that for them to stream in Ezra's dorm room, or in Sabine's when Jai was busy with homework he couldn't risk interruption in. This time was one of those days, because, as Jai cited, "Lin Manuel Miranda didn't write us a musical about algebra," so Ezra found himself on the floor in her room, leaning his back against her bed, while she sat on her bed, her legs dangling off the side next to him.

While they waited to connect on their college's laggy internet, Ezra filled the silence.

"So, how do you think you'll do on that psych test next week?"

"Not too bad, I hope," Sabine said, "you?"

"I just hope dad has room on the fridge for another D-," Ezra said.

"Maybe I can put in a good word with the professor for you," Sabine said, a bit of a laugh in her tone. "She and I have a fairly good rapport."

"If only you knew," Ezra thought.

"Unfortunately, this is one area where I think I do have you beat," Ezra said.

"Are you crazy?" Sabine asked, leaning over the edge of the bed so she could see if his expression was sarcastic, "she's clearly got it out for you. I've never seen her go so hard on any student."

"And why do you think that is?" Ezra asked.

"Because you don't apply yourself in any of your classes and she thinks you're wasting potential?"

"Well, yeah," Ezra said, "but I'm not the only one who does that, and she singles me out anyways."

"And why do you suppose that is?"

Ezra sighed. Professor Syndulla had never mentioned having a boyfriend, at least, not in any of the classes Ezra had been in, and if she had, no one besides Jai would've known it was Ezra's dad. It was a touchy subject for him, so he didn't bring it up much.

But somehow he could tell Sabine would understand.

"She's dating my dad," Ezra said.

"She— what?"

This wasn't normal information for students to know about their teachers, so he understood her confusion.

"How do you think I even got into this school, what, with my grades?" Ezra asked, "if not for her glowing letter of recommendation, I wouldn't even be here right now."

"So your dad is dating your professor so you can get into college?"

"What, no?" Ezra said, "They've been together for years, and I wasn't even thinking about college until long after they met. But dad always thought college would be good for me, and Professor Syndulla offered to help me get in and found me some scholarships."

"So our psych professor is hard on you because she's dating your dad?"

"Yeah, lots of psychology to unpack there." Ezra said.

"How do you feel about it all?"

Ezra paused. He hadn't answered that one honestly in a while, not even when his dad asked him last saturday.

"Do you really wanna know?" Ezra asked.

Sabine slid down off her mattress and sat down next to him, and her presence was already familiar enough to inspire honesty.

"Yeah," she said.

"It's weird," Ezra said, "I guess I never really grasped the idea of having a mom again."

After a moment of silence, Sabine asked another question. "Can I ask what happened to your mom?"

"The same thing that happened to my dad," Ezra said, "my real dad that is— I mean, my birth dad. I don't wanna say Kanan's not my real dad. He raised me for more than half my life, anyways, after my parents went on a missions' trip and never came back."

"Oh."

"It's alright," Ezra said, not letting her waste time on awkward sympathy. "No, no it's not, and to be honest it really sucks, but there's nothing any of us could've done to stop it. And Kanan, he was always there for me, even before my parents left."

Sabine didn't answer, but it felt nice to talk to her about it anyways, so he hoped she didn't mind that he continued.

"They're getting married," he said.

"What?"

"Professor Syndulla and my dad," Ezra said. "Well, she doesn't know it yet, and maybe she'll say no again, but I don't think so. Dad's proposing at dinner on Friday."

Sabine nodded again, clearly trying to process everything he'd said.

"I'm sorry," Ezra said, "I didn't mean to make this a pity party."

"Don't be," Sabine said, "this is what friends are for."

"Friends?" Ezra thought, with a smile. Two months ago he'd been her fan, and she hadn't even known he existed. And now they were friends? He could get used to this.

"But just so we're clear," Sabine said, "I don't pity you."

"What?"

"You have a dad who thinks the world of you," Sabine said, "and I'd kill to have a mom like Professor Syndulla."

"Why?" Ezra asked.

"Because I know what it's like to have a mom who's not like her," Sabine said, "a mom who's not proud of you. A mom who doesn't compliment the sketches you draw in the margins of your notes. A mom whose biggest dream is for you to drop out of your art major so you can join the family business instead."

"I, I'm sorry," Ezra said.

"I don't need your sympathies either," Sabine said.

"You're getting them anyways," Ezra said, "do you want to talk at all?" "What's there to say?" Sabine said, "that family business always came before family? That even my own brother thought it was more fun to game with his friends than his sister? That my parents wouldn't give a single dime for my tuition, and if it wasn't for my merch money and some massive scholarships I wouldn't even be here?"

Ezra put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her, trying to find the words to say. Someone whose whole persona was built on a mask of online secrecy had just shared something so personal with him, and he didn't know what to say.

"Do you wanna come to dinner on Sunday?"

"What?" Sabine asked, apparently shocked out of her despair.

"I always go to my dad's for a family dinner on Sunday afternoon after church. Professor Syndulla does too. We're probably gonna be celebrating the engagement, and then she's gonna beat us in our weekly game of Ticket to Ride. It's incredibly boring, but if you wanna join us anyways…"

"I'll be there," Sabine said with a smile.

And instead of returning to her normal seat, she stayed next to Ezra as they remembered why they were there in the first place and began their game together.

💜.🎮.🧡

Sunday ended up being one of the most enjoyable days Sabine had had in a long time. She ended up tagging along with Ezra that morning when he went to church, so he wouldn't have to drive back to the school to pick her up. It was a new experience for her, but he didn't seem to mind. Afterwards, they went back to Ezra's dad's house— Ezra's house, technically— for a family dinner, along with Professor Syndulla, who was absolutely beaming as she showed off her engagement ring. Another one of Kanan's family friends, whom Ezra referred to as "Uncle Zeb," was there as well, along with the professor's cat, Chopper, who couldn't be trusted to stay at home alone for a whole afternoon without destroying the place. The game of Ticket to Ride that came out after dinner only had enough pieces for four players, but Ezra and Sabine teamed up so everyone could play— and even with their combined mental resources, they were still no match for Professor Syndulla.

As they drove back to school, Sabine reminded herself why Ezra had done this. Not a single person at that dinner was related to each other— and yet, they were family— and Ezra wanted Sabine to be part of it too.

Maybe this "friendship" thing wasn't so bad after all.

💜.🎮.🧡

Spectre_pheonix and spectre_6 had been doing collaborative streams for most of the past month. Her fans really enjoyed his commentary on her skills, often leaving comments about how well her dry wit complimented his whimsical sense of humor, and how well they worked together. Both of them gained more followers because of it, which Ezra thought was almost impossible, because how could there have been people on Twitch who weren't already following her?

"You ever read the comment section?" Ezra asked one day as they were playing Minecraft.

"Not often. Why?"

"Look at these," Ezra said, then read a few of them out loud.

"That last one is true, at least," Sabine said, and it would've been harsh if he hadn't seen the twinkle in her warm brown eyes.

"That last one was my roommate," Ezra said, glaring across the room at Jai, who smiled innocently.

"Oh, but this one isn't," Ezra said, reading off the latest comment:

He smiled at Sabine.

"That's a great question," Ezra said, into the mic so the commenter could hear. "Hey, spectre_pheonix, wanna go out on Friday?"

Sabine looked at him and smiled. "Sounds like a date," she said.

"Great," Ezra said, then turned back to his mic, unable to hold back an enormous grin as he said, "Yes, yes we are."

💜.🎮.🧡

By all accounts, it should've been weird for them to go out on a date instead of just hanging out and playing video games. It should've been weird when Ezra showed up at Sabine's door, wearing a nice button down shirt instead of her merch, holding a bouquet of purple and orange roses instead of his custom gaming controller. It should've been weird as they sat down to eat something nicer than dining hall pizza or a bag of doritos that ended up half-strewn across the dorm room floor as they blasted away at each other in Halo. It should've been weird when Ezra put on a playlist in the car of the cringiest but most endearing love songs she'd ever heard, and even more so when they found themselves singing along, and it should've been weird when Ezra put his arm around her during the movie and she leaned in closer, and it should've been weird when they walked out of the theater and he put his coat over her bare shoulders without her even needing to tell him she was cold. It should've been weird when, instead of ending the evening with, "so, Terraria tomorrow?" it ended with a couple "I had a great time"s and a delicate first kiss.

It should've been weird, but it wasn't. It wasn't weird at all that they had more in common than their love of video games. It wasn't weird at all that conversations with him came naturally and being in his presence felt like breathing. It wasn't weird at all that, as soon as she was alone, Sabine found herself leaning back against her dorm room door and sighing dramatically like the heroine of a cheesy romcom.

It wasn't weird at all. In fact, it was perfect.

#sabezra #the sabezra gamergirl au #sabine wren #ezra bridger #fanfic #sabezra fic #modern au #college au #gamergirl au #kanera #hera syndulla

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halfmoth-halfman · 1 year ago

Text

Mamihlapinatapai

Pairing: Kyle “Gaz” Garrick x F!Reader Word Count: 3.2k Warnings: alcohol mention, fluff, angst, jealousy Prompt: Commitment-to-the-bit to Lovers & "We're not just friends, and you know it." Disclaimer: I do not own modern warfare or any of the modern warfare characters. A/N: so i had this one already lined up, but thought it would be a good fic for @glitterypirateduck’s GazFest 2023 💜

Mamihlapinatapai (n.) - a look that without words is shared by two people who want to initiate something, but neither will start.

The first time they meet you, it’s a happy accident.

When Price calls him into his office, Gaz expects to walk into a debrief with Soap and Ghost. He doesn’t expect to find you sitting at Price’s desk. You’re wearing one of his old basic sweatshirts, one of the many you’ve stolen from him over the years, and laughing with his team like they’re old friends.

He freezes in the door, unsure of what to make of the scene before him. Price and Soap are the most engaged with you, Soap having pulled his chair up so he can sit close enough for your knees to touch as he jokes with you. Ghost stands against the walls, arms crossed against his chest as he watches, shadowed eyes filled with amusement. A box of cookies sits on the desk, already picked through and eaten save for the bottom row.

“There ye are!” Soap cheers as soon as he catches sight of Gaz, waving him over. You turn, beaming at him, but Gaz doesn’t fall for it. He can see the twinkle in your eyes, that little spark of mischief that tells him you’ve done something you shouldn’t have.

“What’re you doing here?” Gaz asks through a toothy smile, walking over to set a hand on your shoulder.

“Your Missus was just telling us about the last time you visited her parents,” Price explains with a smirk, leaned casually back in his chair. Gaz’s attention immediately snaps to you, smile tighter as his hand squeezes your shoulder.

“My Missus?”

“Where ye been hiding her all this time?” Soap laughs. “Could’ve used some more fun around here.”

You blink at Gaz, teeth sinking into your bottom lip as you try not to laugh.

“Well,” Gaz starts with a deep, calming breath, “I’d hate to interrupt the fun, but I’d like a minute alone with her, please.”

He’s not really asking, judging by the tight grip he has on you, and you stand from your chair with a polite smile to the rest of the team.

“It was nice to finally meet all of you,” you say, scooping up the box of cookies. “Kyle talks about you all the time at hom–”

“Let’s go,” Gaz urges, arm looping around your shoulders to lead you out of the room. Soap lets out a sharp whistle that has you snickering behind your hand, and Gaz groans in exasperation slamming the door shut a little harder than necessary. He waits until you’re far enough down the hall to pull away from you, staring at you with a look of utter disappointment.

You cut him off just as he opens his mouth, “Don’t even start. You said I could visit today!”

“I told you to call me first,” Gaz scoffs.

“I was already at the gate, and the…man…guard was just standing there glaring at me–”

“So, you told them I was…what? Your husband? And they just let you in?”

“Calm down, that’s not what I said,” you huff, rolling your eyes at him. Gaz crosses his arms, looking entirely unimpressed as if he’s already dreading what you’re about to say next. “I said you were my boyfriend. Your friend, Soap, was nearby and overhead. He’s the one who let me in.”

Gaz scrapes a hand down his face, already exhausted with you. He knows he should’ve expected something like this, especially with you. After over two decades of friendship, he knows you’re not one to follow a plan.

“Please don’t be mad at me,” you plead, giving your best puppy dog eyes. “You said if I came up to the gate, they’d just let me in, but he kept asking all these questions and how I knew you and–”

“So you went with boyfriend?”

“I panicked!”

Gaz knows he should be frustrated with you. He is frustrated, but more at the fact he’ll have to explain your antics to the team after you’ve left. Still…

“I saved you some cookies,” you grin, holding the box up to him with a playfully tempting smile. He looks at you, your teasing grin, and knows he can’t stay mad at you.

“Fine,” he relents with a dramatic huff. “Just don’t cause any more trouble.” He takes the box from your hands, nodding for you to follow him as he turns down the hall.

“No can do, Sergeant. As your best friend, it’s my job to cause trouble.”

Gaz sighs, giving you his best look of feigned annoyance, and trying to pretend his heart doesn’t skip a beat when you call him Sergeant.

The second time they see you, Gaz invites you along to one of their rare nights out.

It takes some convincing from him–you don’t want to impose–but he manages to persuade you with the promise of doing your laundry and cooking dinner the next time he’s over.

The team is happy to see you, raising their glasses as you walk into the small pub and join them at their table.

“Glad to see you again,” Price nods as Gaz pulls out your chair for you.

“We were startin’ to think you didnae like us,” Soap chuckles. “Or maybe Gaz was hidin’ ye from us.”

“She’s been busy,” Gaz answers for you, putting an end to the conversation. He doesn’t sit next to you, instead leaning down to ask if you want anything to drink.

“Just water,” you say, and Gaz nods turning to head to the bar. “Don’t forget with–”

“With two slices of lemon and no ice, I know!” he calls back. The others laugh, even Ghost gives a half-laugh half-snort behind his painted mask.

Gaz watches you from the bar. The team seems excited to talk to you, probably bombarding you with questions that you’ll give vaguely truthful answers to, no doubt feeding into the lie that the two of you are a couple.

It would be better to put an end to it now, not let you get carried away with your little prank as you sometimes tend to do. But his heart stirs when he sees you laugh, and he decides that you’re enjoying yourself, and that’s all that really matters to him.

He waits an extra minute after getting your drinks to let you have your fun, content to watch you talk with his team.

When he returns with your drinks, you’re in the middle of telling an embarrassing story about the first Christmas you spent with Gaz’s family, and he wishes a hole would open up and swallow him. But Soap says something that makes you laugh, a small snort that has your nose scrunching, and Gaz can’t stop the smile that comes.

Price catches his eyes, one eyebrow raised, knowing smirk pulling at his lips. Gaz chooses to ignore the look, handing you your drink as he takes the seat next to you.

“Got yourself a fun one here, Gaz,” Price chuckles. You preen under the compliment, resting your chin against Gaz’s shoulder so you can bat your eyelashes up at him.

Gaz laughs, patting you on the cheek and following it with a quick pinch that has you pulling away with an adorable pout. “Don’t I know it?”

The team doesn’t stop asking about you.

Every time he returns from leave, he’s met with smug looks and questions about how you’re doing. He keeps his answers short, telling them you’re fine and that you say hi. It eases up once the missions start, but once they’re done and it’s time for them to go home for a few days' rest, there’s always some kind of remark about him getting a proper welcome home.

Gaz would think after six months they’d be tired of it. Ghost seems to give him space, content to let Gaz carry his secrets, but Price and Soap have made it their job to make sure they’re updated on Gaz’s “relationship”. At least Price is more subtle about it.

Gaz complains about it whenever he sees you. There’s no actual hurt in his voice, so you listen to him in equal parts teasing and comfort.

Eventually, the subject isn’t as interesting anymore, and the questions calm to a few check-ins asking how you’re doing, and Gaz can’t help the relief when he tells you about it.

Gaz knew he should’ve suspected something when you softly congratulated him on his newfound peace and quiet, quickly changing the subject to what film to pick for movie night. He should’ve suspected even more when, the day he was set to leave, you gifted him with a box of cookies, a wide smile, and specific instructions to not open them until he was able to share with the team.

Soap takes the box the moment he sees it, ready to pick through another box of your delicious cookies. The cackle he lets out when he opens the box startles Gaz, and he can feel the dread growing in his stomach when Soap begins to turn the box to him.

The inside of the lid is covered in little hand-drawn hearts of every color and every size. They surround the words written in red ink across the center in your perfect handwriting.

I love you. Stay safe for me. ;)

Soap pulls one of the cookies, and Gaz realizes they’re all heart-shaped, decorated with sweet words and notes across them.

Gaz has to commend your commitment to the bit, but he is so going to kill you when he gets back.

He’s lucky enough to not be overseas when his birthday rolls around, and the team decides to surprise him with a night out to celebrate.

Soap is the one to invite you, having stolen your number from Gaz’s phone just so he could text you the invitation with an added note to dress up.

Gaz is surprised to see you when you join them, dressed up to Soap’s instructions. It’s not too much for a night out, a nicer outfit and hair more done than usual, but Gaz showers you in compliments as he pulls you in for a hug. He keeps an arm around you as the group heads into the bar.

It’s a long night of fun and perhaps too many drinks, but you enjoy yourself. You get separated from Gaz around midnight, but a handsome man asks you to dance and your attention travels elsewhere. He’s a good dancer, and you revel in the feel of his hands along your body as you dance. You get through three songs with this lovely stranger before you call it quits, weaving your way through the crowd to join Soap at the bar.

“Looked like ye were havin’ fun,” Soap teases, but there’s an edge to his voice, a hardness in his eyes, that gives you pause.

“That’s cause I was?” you say, tilting your head at him.

“Ye make it a habit to dance like that with other men like that?” he asks, nodding toward your former dance partner.

Soap frowns when you start laughing.

“Kyle and I aren’t actually together, Soap,” you giggle out the confession, watching the confusion wash over his face. “We’re just best friends.”

You’ll blame the alcohol for the way that sentence causes a sharp sting in your chest.

You expect him to start laughing with you, or ask more questions, but Soap narrows his eyes at you instead. He stares at you like he’s trying to read your mind. You wonder if he actually can, if he sees into the years of pent-up feelings you’ve kept buried for so long.

Soap takes a measured sip from his glass, keeping his eyes on you until you’re about to squirm. “Does he know that?”

“Kyle? Of course, he knows that.” You try to laugh it off, but something squeezes around your throat, a shock of anxiety shooting up your spine. There’s a pain in your voice you can’t hide, and you know Soap’s heard it too.

He glances at something over your shoulder, brows knitting together before he schools his face into an overly friendly smile.

“Well, s’pose you can spare me a dance then?” He stands quickly, grabbing your hand before you have a chance to say no and leading you to the dancefloor.

He’s not a bad dancer, you find. Not as good as Gaz, of course, but no one would ever be in your eyes. Soap makes sure you have fun, twirling you around and keeping you steady so you don’t bump into the other dancers. He talks to you the whole time, laughing and joking with you and you get the feeling he’s trying to keep you busy. It leaves you suspicious, but you are having fun.

He spins you again, and this time you let your hand slip from his, moving a few steps away from him with a wink. He laughs, stepping toward you, but you take a playful step back and turn toward the bar where–

Soap watches the smile fall from your face as you spot Gaz sitting at the bar with another woman leaning against him, trailing her finger along his arm as she leans in and he leans in too.

“I’m sure it’s nae what ye think–”

Soap turns, but you’re already gone.

Gaz doesn’t hear from you until four months later when he’s back from their most recent mission.

He’s tired and frustrated and missing his best friend after you disappeared during his birthday. He’d tried calling you the next day, and the day after, but you never picked up. He’d asked the rest of the team if they’d seen you leave, and while Ghost and Price said no, Soap assured him you were safe. The Scot refused to answer anything other than that, and Gaz wanted to strangle him.

He was left to agonize over what could’ve happened at the bar, his mind going to the worst possible places.

No. Soap told him you were safe, and he wouldn’t lie to him. Not about that.

Those four months away are pure torture, and the moment he steps off the airlift, he’s impatient and agitated. He glances at his phone all through the debrief, disappointed to see not one missed call or text from you. It takes Price several times to get him to pay attention, and Gaz tries, but all he can think about is you.

Soap, the little traitor, stays silent while Gaz stews in his misery.

When the meeting ends, and they’re given permission to leave, Gaz is off the base in record time.

If he breaks the speed limit on the way to your place, he doesn’t care. He needs to see you, needs to talk to you.

He doesn’t bother knocking, immediately going for his spare key, and bursting into your home to give you the shock of a lifetime. You nearly jump from your couch at the sudden intrusion, the bowl that was once in your lap spilling popcorn everywhere.

“Jesus Christ, Kyle–”

“What happened at the bar?”

“What?”

He stares at you waiting for an answer, and you’re staring back confused and startled.

“The bar we went to for my birthday. You disappeared and wouldn’t talk to me, and Soap wouldn’t tell me what happened. Did he do something to you? If he did–”

“Okay, calm down,” you sigh, sinking back onto your couch. Gaz clenches and unclenches his fists, more anxious than he’s been in years. “Nothing happened at the bar.”

“Then why–”

You groan in frustration, and Gaz worries about what you’re not telling him. He’s never seen you like this, never seen you battle with yourself so harshly. He steps forward carefully, slowly taking a seat next to you. He sets a gentle hand on your shoulder, a reassuring squeeze to tell you that he’s here for you.

“You know you can tell me anything, right?” he says it so softly, and you feel the knot constrict in your throat.

You pull away from his touch, clearing your throat as you look up at the ceiling. Gaz can see the tears building in your eyes, threatening to escape. He fights the urge to reach over and run his thumb over your cheek, giving you gentle words and comforts to take you out of this sadness.

“I saw you at the bar,” you say after two long minutes of agonizing silence. “With that woman.”

Gaz stares at you curiously, unsure of what the woman from the bar has to do with why you’re so upset.

“Had to explain to Soap that we weren’t actually together,” you laugh. A pitiful chuckle that has regret clawing at the deepest pit of his stomach.

“Oh shit, I didn’t think about that,” he sighs. “I’m sorry, I should’ve told them before–”

“That’s not the problem, Kyle!” You’re on your feet, stepping over the mess of popcorn to pace across your living.

“I–I don’t understand.” He truly doesn’t, but he so desperately wants to. if you would just explain it to him–

You stop your pacing, turning to face him with nervous determination. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” His response is immediate, and you squeeze your hands into fists until your nails break the skin of your palms.

“No, I mean I love you, Kyle. I’m in love with you.”

The words hang in the air as Kyle stares at you, eyes wide and mouth open.

The confession hangs in the air as Gaz stares at you, eyes wide and mouth open.

“How–” he clears his throat, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. “How long have you…?”

“A while,” you admit, crossing your arms over your as your eyes fall to the floor.

“How long is a while?”

“Since I broke my ankle on that holiday with your family, and you stayed inside with me for the rest of the trip.”

Gaz nearly chokes. That was over a decade ago when the two of you were still teenagers.

“Why…Why didn’t you say anything?” The words came out barely a whisper as Gaz stares up at you with pure heartbreak.

“I didn’t think you felt the same,” you mumble, keeping your eyes trained on the floor.

“Are you serious?”

He doesn’t know how you could’ve possibly thought any of his feelings for you were platonic. The soft smiles, the yearning looks, the long nights together. He supposes he can’t fully blame you; he’s thought the same of you for all these years.

He stands from the couch, not caring about the popcorn as he marches over to you. “After everything we’ve been through together, the way we act with each other? You thought I didn’t–”

“We’re…we’re friends–”

“We aren’t just friends, and you know it!”

Your mouth snaps shut, your mind unable to form words as you stare at each other. Gaz’s hands slide up from your arms to cup your jaw pulling you ever so slightly closer. His eyes fall to your lips, and you pause just as your noses touch.

“Kyle? Are you…sure?” Your words are a hushed murmur, close enough he can almost feel your mouth grazing against his own.

“Spent my whole life being sure about you. Think we ought to try giving it a shot, yeah?”

Your giggle brings a smile to his face as he closes the gap.

You’ve spent years dreaming about this moment, and still, it’s better than anything you could’ve ever expected.

When Gaz returns to base three days later, a glowing smile on his face and two boxes of cookies in his hands, Soap gives him a knowing smirk and makes a note to text you later to congratulate you.

#gazfest #kyle gaz garrick x reader #kyle garrick x reader #gaz x reader #kyle gaz garrick #kyle garrick #gaz #mw fics #moth writes #private

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tellnotalespod · 7 months ago

Text

TNT S1 E1 - Not For Long came out on 2nd May 2022, which means Tell No Tales turns two today!

(and if we're being honest, TNT being in the terrible twos explains a lot about how emotionally fraught it's been recently)

Going ahead with this show is the best decision I've ever made, and it changed my life for the better. I'm so incredibly grateful for this community for welcoming me in 💜

I got a little nostalgic and found an old voice note (from almost three years ago!) that's posted under the cut. I sent this to Michaela (one of our ghostie VAs) almost immediately after having the idea for the show. It's edited a lil to keep it down to a reasonable length, because much like Leo Quinn, I sure can Yap.

[Image ID: A whatsapp voice note sent by me, followed by another message by me that reads "oh I think I've decided the name of the main character is going to be Leo, bc hell if I'm going to do this completely self-serving project for no other reason than the enjoyment of creating it then I'm damn well gonna use the name I'd use if I ever decide to change to a more masc sounding name." The following messages sent by Michaela on 4 July 2021 are sent in quick succession, "omggggggggg yesssss" "I want to listen to thisss" "I am 100% happy to help" "I love this idea" "so much" "pls do it" /.End ID]

Note: audio quality changes around a lot because I was, I think, dyeing my hair at the time

Voice note transcript:

I have a… an idea. And it might be really stupid and it will probably never come to anything. However, I'm really excited about it. So... hear me out (LAUGHS). My idea is, uh, I want to write a podcast about an ex-employee of a ghost hunting company, and the- the basis of the podcast is... I literally just had this like half baked thought like five minutes ago, so bear with me while I talk this through. This character works for a quite renowned institute, company, whatever, organization that hunts ghosts. Uh, they destroy the ghosts whenever they're called to it, but the main character is starting to get suspicious of the fact that some of the ghosts that they're called to don't necessarily seem violent, and some of them are completely harmless and they just want to exist and so they have been working on a recording system that can capture the voices of ghosts. And they start off as an assistant to like the head of this company, but they're already starting to feel complicit in what they're becoming kind of more and more aware is potentially a very evil operation. And it's gonna alternate between like their their notes and the recordings of interviews with ghosts that they are sent to hunt, but don't. They sit down and they get their life story instead and then either leave them be or try to help them move on peacefully or whatever. And there's gonna be a bit of a, like a, an overarching plot in that the organization that they work for is corrupt, but not in the way that they think. And I'm thinking the main character is trying to, like, capture enough evidence, basically, before they can quit this organization- t hat's, that's, that's their intention, is they want to make sure that this recording system is completely functional. They want to capture enough evidence of completely harmless ghosts. They want to have like a huge backlog of stuff to use against the head of this company, and to do that, to have access to ghosts and all of that kind of stuff, they have to continue working for it, which they hate, but that's the only way that they see themselves being able to achieve good in the long run. So, the first season is going to be them, like, trying to work on this project in secret while you get glimpses of the boss doing some, like, shady shit. And like... who's to say that I need to finish my novel this month anyway? You know?? But fuck it, this is... I'm really excited about this, so I'm gonna give it a shot.

#tell no tales #tntpod

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abarbaricyalp · 1 year ago

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sambucky + 12. babysitting together 👀 if you like!

Oh, fun! Since this came from this forced proximity list I did it a little different than going a Wilson Family route.

(That said, I do have several Wilson Family fics 💜)

I'm sorry this is so so so late. I forgot how to write. Or really even think

Waltz of the Bees

Sam wasn't even aware that the library could close in the middle of the afternoon.

This stupid project just kept getting better and better. Which was probably his fault because he'd said something stupid after getting paired with Bucky Barnes, like that it couldn't get any worse. This was the universe laughing at him over and over. They were a month away from graduating and Sam was going to be stuck working with Bucky for most of it.

True, they could just not try with this project. It's not like it was really going to affect their GPA and they were both already accepted into their colleges. (College. That's where this whole cruel joke had started. Bucky was going to the same school Sam was) But they were both categorically incapable of not trying. This whole weird tension between them was born out of their inability to not try.

Sam had transferred to this school at the beginning of sophomore year and the next three years were a battle between him and Bucky for top marks. Bucky scored a chemistry award over Sam. The baseball coach took Bucky away from pitching to put Sam in. Sam took the basketball team to the state quarterfinals. Bucky placed at state in the high jump. Sam created a robotics club and Bucky won a pretentious English scholarship. This teacher adored Bucky, that one thought Sam might've created the moon and its gravitational pull on the tides.

He and Bucky had managed to avoid each other for the most part. They didn't sit near each other in class and, other than during baseball season, their extracurriculars didn't overlap. And now, thanks to this awful Modern History project, they were tangled together for the last part of their high school careers.

Possibly the worst part was that Bucky was fine. Nice, even. He was studious and friendly. He actually put in his part of the work, which was kind of a double-edged sword since it meant they were both passionate about various decisions and both of them were bad at the 'kill your darlings' part of the creative process. They argued about little things constantly, but the project as a whole was looking fantastic. So Sam couldn't even hate the actual work.

What he could gripe about was that Bucky was nosy. He asked a thousand questions about Sam and committed all the answers to memory. Walking into the Barnes house, because the library was inexplicably closed, Sam wished he had the same habit because he knew nothing about Bucky's life.

Like the fact that he had five sisters.

Or the fact that not everyone called him Bucky.

Bucky's two older sisters and his mom called him Jamie, while his three younger sisters and dad called him Bucky. The two baby nieces just babbled and anything with a B or U sound was interpreted as Bucky's name.

There were a lot of people in Bucky's house. Sam had known plenty of big families but never in a context where he was sitting in the house with them. And there were so many girls.

Sam also learned Bucky wasn't allowed to have boys in his room and the suggestive reminder of that from one of his older sisters was enough to make him blush furiously and scowl at her as he elbowed Sam back out of the kitchen. And, oh, Sam hadn't known that about Bucky either.

"Alright, Jamie, we're heading out," Mrs. Barnes said. "The show should be over around nine and we're going to get dinner after. We'll bring you and Sam something back." She ruffled Bucky's hair and leaned over to kiss his head afterwards.

"The girls need to be in bed by--" his oldest sister started to say.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Bucky waved off. "And Sam probably won't be here by the time you all get back." He gave his second oldest sister a hug and wished her good luck, then pulled on his twin little sisters' braids. Rebecca, the sister Sam knew from school, had escaped a few minutes earlier, off to a friend's house. She'd also had waggly suggestive eyebrows for Bucky when she and Sam had passed earlier. Sam had no idea what that meant, but it brought out the same blush and scowl.

Everyone else filed out of the house and suddenly the bustling, too small space became far too large. Especially when the older niece suddenly shot across the room like a rocket as soon as the door was closed.

"Gus-Gus!" Bucky called, hurrying after her while Sam still tried to fathom how something so small could move so fast.

The baby was in a small rocker by the couch and she watched Sam with the same crazy blue eyes that Bucky had. Most of the Barneses had those eyes. Becca and Mr. Barnes were the only exceptions. Sam was pretty sure the odds of that happening, genetically speaking, must've been astronomically low and yet. Augusta, the toddler, also had dark eyes, but she didn't sit still long enough to let anyone know it.

"How are you this evening?" Sam asked the baby. She grinned at him and then giggled wildly, kicking her little legs hard enough to get the rocker started. "Well, I'm glad to hear it," Sam continued, which just made her laughter that much louder. "You don't happen to have any opinions on Mutant Rights do you?" When the baby just kept giggling and chewing on a teething ring, Sam sighed. "I thought not. It's too bad. You would have been an interesting interview source."

"You're not really getting to recruit my niece into our project are you?" Bucky asked from somewhere behind the couch.

"She volunteered. She was interested in it," Sam defended lightly.

Bucky reappeared on the right side of the couch, holding his older niece. "Sorry about this. I don't know if it's better to get everyone out of the house or worse to be forced into babysitting with me."

"I don't mind," Sam said honestly. "Down in Louisiana, my mama had an open-door policy. Anyone who needed a place to stay for a little while was welcome in our house. I've done plenty of babysitting."

Bucky sat beside Sam, keeping Augusta in his lap and offering his fingers up as captives for her attention. "Right," he agreed, even though there was no way he could've known that. "Still, thanks for coming over. I know some of your friends from the team were doing something tonight."

Sam barely kept a grimace off his face. "Trust me, I wasn't going to that either. I'm not driving to a field to drink shitty beer. Could've stayed in Louisiana and done that."

Bucky shot him an almost shy smile and then pulled open his laptop on the coffee table. He passed it off to Sam when he opened the project file again. For the past week, they'd been conducting interviews with people who'd been there to see Leshner and Xavier go head to head in debates. They’d been trying to transcribe them, but it was slow work between all their other commitments. Luckily, the rest of the project had come together on its own without the interview quotes, so they weren’t too far behind.

“Do you think we have any homo Superior classmates?” Bucky offered up while Sam was in the middle of parsing out a name.

“I dunno,” he said with a shrug. “It’s not my business.”

“You ever think you were one?”

“I thought I could talk to birds when I was a kid.”

He could feel Bucky staring at him and he let it marinate a bit. “What, like you understood them?”

“Yeah, like what they were singing about and everything. And they understood me. Mostly, I was a bored kid with a second story window,” he admitted. “But it was fun to pretend.”

Augusta squawked like a bird and then giggled to herself. Sam smiled at her and chirped back and she copied the noise. “Yeah,” he agreed. “It was just like that.”

Bucky ruffled Augusta’s dark hair and moved her to the other side of the couch again so he could sit closer to Sam. They fell into another productive silence, broken only by Bucky pointing out when Sam transcribed something incorrectly.

“It just…it would suck, don’t you think?” Bucky interrupted again. “To be a mutant and have to watch some of your dipshit classmates talk about the fight for your basic recognition and protection.”

Sam’s eyebrows rose slowly. “We do it with the Civil Rights movement every year,” he pointed out. “And in the debate classes, someone always has to argue against something that should be innate. Healthcare, marriage equality, taxes for the stupidly rich.”

Bucky’s mouth twisted and he sat back heavily. “It just sucks. Other people are talking about super soldiers and spy rings.”

“We’re not taking a side. We’re just delivering information. Besides, I’m not a dipshit, so we’ll be fine.”

Bucky snorted and pushed a hand through his hair. It was longer than he’d ever worn it and Sam wondered if he was going to cut it back to his normal pomp and fluff before graduation. He played with it now, as he thought or while he was waiting for Sam to finish talking so he could argue or as he stood in front of the vending machine and worked out how to shake a snack free.

“You have a homo Superior friend you’re trying to protect?” Sam asked to distract himself from Bucky’s hair.

“Nah,” Bucky said with a shake of his head. He released the lock of hair he had been crimping between his fingers. “With Xavier’s school being in New York, I think most of them just go there. I wonder about your old school.”

“Louisiana has its own schools,” Sam said. “It’s not like X and Magneto are the only ones out there. A kid I used to go to summer camp with was a mutant. He was pulled out of our school before seventh grade but he kept coming back to camp. He had, like, lava in his veins. We always made him get into the pool first to warm up the water. He ran so hot.”

Augusta mimed an explosion, making a bursting noise as she threw her arms wide. Bucky quickly reached out to steady the small lamp on the end table. When the toddler yanked on his shirt, he leaned over to listen as she babbled nonsense. Sam had not inherited his mother’s ability to understand babies. Old people, no problem. Lisps and stutters, easy. Listening to his dumbass friends after they’d caught a linedrive to the mouth and had more gauze than teeth in their gums, sure. But babies were something else. He just took in their facial expressions and went from there.

“A phoenix,” Bucky said with a nod. Which, how he got any semblance of a question from the girl was beyond Sam. But that was closer than the fact that Augusta knew enough about phoenixes to ask about them.

She jumped up from the couch, threw her arms wide like wings, made the explosion noise again, and then took off, shouting Feeeeeeeeenix over and over.

“She’s gonna think she can talk to birds for years now,” Bucky said to Sam. Sam couldn’t tell if he was exasperated or fond as he shot an exasperated/fond half glare to him before following after the toddler again.

“Your uncle is difficult to read,” Sam told the baby next to him. He’d expected her to have drifted off, but she was still wide eyed and attentive. She blinked at him and smiled softly. "Do you think so too or does he just do that for me?"

June blew a raspberry and then brought a teething toy to her mouth instead of giving him any more information. Sam sighed and turned back to the laptop in front of him. Bucky's computer was as chaotic as his backpack. Nothing was organized and there were five different sets of browser tabs open, all full of research and YouTube links and documents. He clicked away from the transcription page, fully intending to go back to their PowerPoint, but he got distracted by a tab in the far left corner called Compos'R. He clicked over to it before he could convince himself not to be nosy. Bucky had dug through his journal the other day anyway.

The website was a simple affair, like one of a half dozen Sam used for drafting essays. No frills, no distractions. But instead of writing, it was full of sheet music. Lines and lines of complicated notes and piano riffs. Sam used to sing in his daddy's church choir–the ability had left him when his voice dropped–but he never learned to play an instrument and he'd never seen hymns with music this intricate. The piece was called “English Class Tango,” which helped Sam find the beat of the notes.

He'd noticed a piano tucked away near a window in what he assumed was supposed to be a dining room but had been converted into a pseudo-office. He hadn't really thought about it, except to think that it was adding to the cluttered, claustrophobic feeling of the house. Now, he couldn't stop thinking about it. About Bucky curled over the keys, papers strewn around him as he tried a bar over and over again. He thought about Bucky in the sleep clothes he sometimes showed up to early Saturday practices in, playing the piano in the middle of the night. Did he ever get kicked out when someone had to take a meeting? Did he have to cherish stolen moments in a shared space? Or was he good enough that no one even minded him playing while they worked?

Down the side of the webpage, there were tabs to other songs. "Waltz With Bees (under the trees and sun)" and "Just A Little Peace" and "Junebug, 3am" and "Triumph in Red," which was a title Sam recognized. Not from Bucky or music. It's what the newspapers had called Sam after a run of games where he had made several spectacular plays. Why would Bucky name one of his songs after Sam's compliment?

He navigated to that sheet music. It was less complicated than the tango, but Sam could tell it would sound more voluminous. There was a play button at the top of the screen. It wasn’t necessarily sitting there pulsing and glowing and begging him to press it, but he did so anyway. Logically, Sam knew he and Bucky had had the volume up to help with the transcriptions, but he hadn’t expected the music to blare out like that. He scrambled to get the volume turned down, which he did just in time to hear Bucky shout out his name. But his voice was far away, down the other end of the house, maybe changing Augusta’s diaper or something. So Sam kept the music playing.

It was like something from a movie. The brash entrance bars were soon dialed back to a lilting, easy melody that Sam just knew in his bones. It was the wind and the sunshine and the butterflies of an early day warm up. It was the scrapping of the field and the sprinklers sputtering to life. And then the music got faster, the notes got more intense and heavy, the pounding adrenaline of a game getting started, the thrumming of a crowd. And that crack of a bat that had started the song. The sailing melodic rush of hope in the form of high keys as Sam ran back to the wall, glove outstretched, fighting to find the ball in the sunshine. The decrescendo of the out nestled in Sam’s glove.

“Wilson!” Bucky snapped again, closer this time.

Sam quickly paused the music and tried to get back to the tab with their transcription page. But he couldn’t do it with shaking fingers and, at the same time, June began to wail. Sam almost went to cover his ears but decided instead to reach out to the baby. She grabbed his hand but didn’t stop crying.

“Junebug,” Sam heard from behind him. And then, “Gus!” again and the patter of small feet and then bigger feet as Bucky retreated once more.

Sam looked back for the visual confirmation that he was alone in this and then just decided to pull June out of her seat. Babies liked to be held, right? She continued to cling onto Sam and even put her tiny, incredibly heavy, head on his shoulder but still kept crying.

“I don’t know what to do for you,” he apologized a little desperately. “I don’t know how to feed you or change you.” He wasn’t even sure which room was the nursery, though he imagined he could follow Augusta’s shrieking laughter.

June reached over Sam’s shoulder and Sam followed her gaze to the piano. “I’m sorry, kiddo. I don’t play piano and I don’t think Uncle Bucky would appreciate you crawling all over it without him.”

This just made June sob louder. Sam sat down on the couch and continued to gently bounce the baby on his shoulder as he looked at Bucky’s laptop again. He’d managed to click out of “Triumph in Red'' but the tab was still on Compos’R. He went to the waltz songbook and hit play. As soon as the notes were loud enough for June to hear them over her own crying, she settled down. It was a softer song. Again, Sam could practically hear the bees dancing around Bucky’s head in the shade of a tree on a sunny day. Or maybe Augusta’s head. Or Becca’s. Had Bucky watched Becca twirl aimlessly under a tree as she danced away from playful, sated bees?

He stood with June against his shoulder and began to turn in a simple waltz. His parents both believed that the only things someone really needed to know was how to properly eat spaghetti in company and how to dance at any function. Most of Sam’s childhood memories involved standing on his daddy’s feet while he held onto Sarah’s hands–her on their mama’s feet–while their parents danced together, explaining steps and beats to them. It had not been useful at junior high dances when no one else knew what they were doing, but Sam held his own at prom.

June was peacefully quiet. Her little fingers curled in Sam’s shirt as she clung to him and part of his collar wound up in her mouth, but he didn’t mind. So long as she wasn’t still crying.

It took three more turns for Sam to find Bucky standing in in the entryway, staring at Sam like Sam might’ve hung the moon just for him. Sam’s steps faltered a little and June seemed like she was taking in a breath to cry, so he righted himself, just made his waltz a little tighter so he could keep Bucky in his eyeline more often.

“I think she’s gonna be a dancer when she grows up,” he offered when Bucky didn’t speak after a few more bars.

“She likes music. She always has. It’s usually the only thing that calms her down. Other than food and a diaper change,” Bucky agreed. The moment of awe and adoration seemed to have passed and he came over to the other side of the couch to turn off his music. “What were you doing snooping around my things?” he asked and took June from Sam in the same moment, which staved off any impending meltdown.

"It's hardly snooping when you left me with your laptop. Why do you keep so much open anyway?"

Bucky made a face. "What am I supposed to do? Remember all the shit I wanted to look at?"

"You could save them as bookmarks."

"You actually use your bookmarks? If I'm not staring at the page, I don't remember it exists. It has to stay up."

Sam rolled his eyes and sat back in the couch while Bucky tried to juggle the laptop and his niece. The inequity between them didn't last long. Augusta came running up from the other side of the couch and crashed into Sam's legs.

"I dance!" she shouted. "I dance, I dance, I dance!"

Sam almost nudged her away with a suggestion she show them before he realized she meant she wanted to dance with him. So he scooped her up in a grand twirl and let her laugh herself breathless. The same kind of adoring look was on Bucky's face when Sam turned to look at him again. He took it as permission to keep spinning in wild circles with Augusta.

About the time that Augusta had laughed herself into exhaustion, June realized what was going on and voiced her own disagreement. Bucky tried to quiet her down by bouncing her on his hip or blowing raspberries on her shoulder or tickling her cheeks, but she wasn’t having any of it. She made grabby hands towards Sam and bawled louder when he didn’t immediately reach back for her.

Sam and Bucky looked at each other. Bucky looked apologetic but helpless and he held the baby further out to Sam. With a sigh, Sam put Augusta down on the couch, making a show out of her ‘crashing’ down, and bundled her up in a blanket. He took June then and cuddled her close before beginning to gently dance again. She settled instantly. Augusta finished digging her way out of the blanket and stood on the couch next to Bucky, peering at his laptop, which he’d picked up again. A few seconds later, the same song waltz began to play.

“I didn’t know you were a composer,” Sam said quietly over the baby’s head. “Or that you played piano at all.”

“Yeah, most people don’t, unless they go to church with us,” Bucky agreed. “I don’t talk about it a lot. Doesn’t have anything to do with school.”

“Yeah, but you’re really good,” Sam insisted. “I mean, is that what you want to do in college?”

Bucky shrugged, set aside his laptop, and picked up Augusta. She was nodding off again, the momentary rush of adrenaline wearing off. He picked up the same easy waltz Sam was doing and copied him on the other side of the living room. “I’ve thought about it. I don’t know.”

“You should,” Sam insisted. “At least as an extra-curricular or a minor or something.”

Bucky snorted. “A Fine Arts minor. I think that’s a lot of work for very little reward.”

Which, yeah, probably, Sam agreed to himself. How were there so many hidden depths to someone Sam had always figured was very…ken-doll like? Sisters and nicknames and a notable amount of empathy for people he didn’t know and a hidden talent and eyes that were way more expressive than Sam had ever given him credit for. Turns out, they weren’t just ridiculously blue.

“Is she out?” Bucky asked, nodding towards June. “We could probably get them both in bed at the same time.”

Sam nodded. He didn’t have to check. She’d gone from weighing almost nothing to being like a sack of potatoes a few minutes ago. He followed Bucky down the hall of the house, trying-not-trying to peek into the rooms to catch a glimpse of Bucky’s. Earlier this afternoon, he would’ve assumed it looked like a locker room, but now he wasn’t so sure. He felt like he wasn’t sure about anything to do with Bucky.

“Hey,” he said, putting June in the crib and pulling the blanket up to her waist. (But not near her face, he knew that was a rule, right?) “Which one of your sisters has the kids?”

“The oldest,” Bucky said. “April.”

“Right. Is that why she chose more month names? I mean, that’s not a pattern in your family right?”

“Definitely not,” Bucky agreed. “She was the only month name. But she always thought it would be so cute if her and her daughter had the same kind of name. She was going to go with Julia for a while, but she thought it wasn’t obvious enough. There’s always the next one.”

“Could always go with Jan,” Sam suggested. “And May obviously.”

“She didn’t want April and May,” Bucky explained. “Even though I thought it’d be hilarious.”

“But she’d be willing to do June, July, and August?”

Bucky shrugged as he turned on a castle shaped nightlight and turned off the overhead light. They stepped into the hallway and Bucky pulled the door three-quarters of the way shut. “You wanna sit in my room for a while? I mean, unless you wanted to put on the TV or something,” he offered.

“Your room sounds fine,” Sam said and hoped it didn’t sound as quick as it felt.

If it did, Bucky didn’t react. He opened a door at the end of the hall, closer to the living room again, and gestured inside while he went to get his laptop. In actuality, Sam wasn’t that far off in his assumption about Bucky’s room. It was fairly messy and he had clothes and pieces of uniform thrown all over and a baseball mitt crushing open the book they were supposed to be reading in English class. But there was a lot that Sam wasn’t expecting. A lot of books. A lot of journals. He had a whole pinboard full of scraps of paper with quotes or doodles on them. There were also a lot of blankets. More blankets than Sam could really start to count.

“I know the guys rag on you for always bringing a blanket on away-games, but do you have some kind of thyroid problem?” Sam asked when Bucky walked back in.

Bucky snorted again and threw himself across his bed. His music was still playing from his laptop, soft and quiet, the perfect background to his bedroom. “I just hate being cold,” he said.

“Sounds like you could use a phoenix yourself,” Sam joked.

“Unfortunately, I have you and you are no furnace.”

“Hey now!” Sam objected. He sat down on the corner of Bucky’s bed. The computer kept his attention for a few seconds before he was looking across all of Bucky’s things strewn around the room. He reached down for a very well loved beanie baby that seemed to be crawling under the bed. It was a white cat with floppy legs and long whiskers. Sam tossed it at Bucky and he ran his thumb over its head and back absently until he realized what he was doing and shoved it under his pillow. All these blankets and he only had one pillow on the whole bed.

“Anyway, I was thinking for our conclusion slides, we could talk about some younger activists,” Bucky said, turning the laptop to half face Sam. “I know we’re supposed to focus on the old guys, but their whole motive was building a better world for others. You know, however misguided they might have gone about it.”

“You’re very forgiving of these guys. I mean, you see a bunch of nuance that everyone has just reduced them down to facts in a book.”

Bucky looked up at Sam with a frown. “You do the same thing,” he muttered. “It’s not like I’m giving them much more grace than you.”

“No, I guess not,” Sam agreed. Though he mostly was thinking of them more critically because of this project. Other than that no one’s existence should be legislated and it was pretty damn rich for homo Sapiens to say that because some homo Superiors were violent it was a mark against all of them. “I guess I just didn’t expect you to put so much thought into this project.”

Bucky leaned back on his bed and leveled a stare on Sam. God, those eyes were unfair. Sam tried to not squirm. “Why’s that, Wilson?”

“I mean, you don’t have to. Neither of us do. You doing well is just gonna help me too.”

“So?” Bucky prodded.

“So I figured you’ve been trying to get a leg up on me for three years. I know you were the golden boy before I showed up and happened to be into all the same things you were.”

Bucky’s relaxed sprawl tensed suddenly and his obnoxious eyebrows creased down. “What?” he asked and sat up in an ungainly flail of limbs. “You think I was battling you?”

“I mean…yeah?” Sam said with his own frown forming. “I couldn’t turn in an assignment without you finding extra credit to add to yours.”

“And you thought that was me trying to one-up you?” Bucky asked again.

Sam threw an arm up in the air. It brought the corner of a deep blue blanket up too and he batted it off of his leg. “Yes! Obviously I did! Last year, when I was having that fantastic season and was a shoe in for All-State? You had the most phenomenal second half of a season ever. You qualified just based on six games!”

“I wasn’t trying to outshine you!” Bucky insisted. “I was trying to impress you!”

Sam came up short. The blanket somehow came over his leg again. “What?” he asked. He wasn’t even sure how the word came out because his brain was just static. Like the noise after a train runs into a wall, because that’s more or less what had happened in his brain. “What?” he repeated.

“Everything I’ve done since you moved in has been to make you notice me! I wanted you to think I was cool and talented. That I could keep up with you.” Bucky pushed his hands through his hair and stood jerkily. “Oh my God, no wonder you’ve hated me.”

“I wouldn’t say hate,” Sam defended. Just, kind of, like, really irritated by.

“I have been trying so hard to make you notice me and the whole time you were purposely looking the other way,” Bucky continued. “It’s been three years!”

Sam’s frown turned defensive. “That’s not my fault! You could’ve just talked to me! Maybe then I’d have known you have sisters you’re close with and you care about protecting people you don’t know and you’re always cold!”

Bucky flushed deeper red–which only made his eyes bluer, absurd–and he looked away from Sam. “I didn’t think I could,” he admitted. “You’re so cool and your friends are cool and you never looked at me.”

“My friends are idiots,” Sam said. “My best friend lives in Montana on a ranch and I get to see him, like, three times a year. He’s nothing like the people I hang out with at school.”

“You’ve never mentioned that.”

“And you’ve never mentioned that you play piano,” Sam retorted. He stood and took one step towards Bucky before taking two back.

Bucky crossed the distance between them. His eyes dropped from Sam’s face quickly. He reached for the middle of Sam’s shirt and curled his fingers in the material gently. “I think we kind of fucked this up.”

Sam tilted his head in acknowledgement even though Bucky couldn’t see him. He brought his fingers up to Bucky’s shoulder, just so he could get Bucky’s eyes on him again. “Maybe we could start over,” he suggested. “Hi, I’m Sam Wilson. I think we have a lot of common interests.”

Bucky’s mouth twitched into something that was almost a smile. “Hi, Sam. I’m Bucky. What things do we have in common? ‘Cause you seem a lot cooler than me. And hotter.”

Sam laughed. “Well, baseball,” he said. “We could go throw a ball around now and then if you wanted. And I know you’re good at mech-shop projects. I like circuitry stuff, which is just mech but smaller.”

“I dunno about that, Wilson,” Bucky teased. “But maybe I could watch you work a little. See what it was all about.”

“Could probably use your ridiculously long fingers for something,” Sam pointed out.

Bucky’s fingers tightened in Sam’s shirt. “Yeah, they’re good for a lot of thing,” he promised in a purr, which made Sam laugh again. “I can think of something else we have in common.”

“What’s that?” Sam asked.

“My nieces are obsessed with both of us. I’ll make music and you can dance.”

Sam dropped his arms around Bucky’s neck. “That sounds ideal,” he said. “I could teach you how to dance too,” he offered. “In case I’m ever not available.”

Bucky slid his arms around Sam’s waist. “Now, that sounds ideal,” he corrected in a sigh and pulled Sam closer. “I’m a very good student.”

Sam tried not to shiver. Failed miserably. “I know,” he breathed. “But I’ll still go slow.”

“That’s okay with me,” Bucky said. “I like being near you.”

“Especially when I’m looking at you?”

“Especially then,” Bucky agreed. He brought his eyes up to Sam’s face and grinned when Sam was already looking at him.

They, and the bees, waltzed.

#sambucky #sam wilson #bucky barnes #writing #sambucky fanfic #the falcon and the winter soldier #i answer things #again i am so sorry about the delay on this

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msnanu · 1 year ago

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Life Twist 05 | JJK

⏤banner by the talented and sweet: @archivedkookie ❣

⏤summary ❧ After an enormous loss in your life and breaking a long relationship with your now ex boyfriend, you decided you needed a life twist. So you move into a new country to try restart your life and seek for your happiness. What you weren’t expecting was someone like Jungkook entering into your life as soon as you got to Seoul.

⏤𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 ❧ jungkook x female reader

⏤𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘳𝘦 ❧ fluff, angst, smut, slow burn, 4 years age gap (reader is JK’s noona)

⏤𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 ❧ mature language

⏤𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 ❧ 7.5K+

⏤ author’s note❧ This has been my favorite chapter to write as of now! I🤸🏼😍 As always, hope you enjoy this new chapter and let me know your thoughts on it. Have a great week loves, and thank you so much for reading!! 💜

Fuck. I look awful. You think to yourself while watching your own reflection on the bathroom mirror

Anyone could see a mile away those dark circles and puffiness of your eyes, it's obvious that you didn't sleep last night. So, you decide to apply some concealer to try your best not to look like a walking zombie.

You were nervous of going downstairs and face your friends. You feel embarrassed that maybe last night's scandal, the night was most likely ruined for everyone and even though you weren't the culprit that created the issue, you feel like you did your own contribution to it after screaming like crazy to Lina and crying in front of everyone.

Voices were heard coming from the kitchen while you were coming down the stairs. At least they all seemed to be talking as if nothing happened.

Knowing that Lina is out of the picture is a huge calmer for you, the air on the house feels lighter already.

Your best friend had texted you last night after he went to check on you and saw you sleeping - his exact words being 'Babe, the house has been exorcised, the blond demon has been kicked out' - he sent over to you, in hopes that it'll make you feel better as soon as you read it, which it did.

When you entered the kitchen, you saw from a far that everyone was starting to eat breakfast on the same dining table where everything unveiled last night - including Jungkook who looked like a zombie, just like you - you said a shy 'Good morning, guys' while walking towards them.

Everyone's head spined to where you were standing, and you could already see the pitiful looks towards you. Taehyung was the first to talk while he got up and grabbed you engulfing you in a warm hug 'I'm glad to see you here, we all are' he said while you couldn't help but to smile at his sweetness.

'Thanks Tae. I actually wanted to tell you something guys'

Their attention is solely on you, and you feel their worried faces as if they're thinking you’re going to start crying any time sooner, but you're not... you already cried to much yesterday on your room.

A little tired of the pitiful looks you say while sighing 'Please, don't look at me as if I'm made out of glass, I'm not going to break, I promise' and you see Chris smiling sweetly towards you and nodding like if he's saying a silent 'Go on'

'And...um, I'm very sorry about last night, most of you didn't knew that my dad had passed away last year and that sweater I was wearing was his, that's the reason why I bursted out like that. I feel like I kind of contributed to ruin everyone's night an-' you were interrupted by Namjoon's words

'Y/N stop please, you don't owe us any kind of apology or explanation. You're our friend and you didn't ruin anyone's night, Lina did. And as Tae said before, we're all just glad to see you here so, sit and enjoy your breakfast with us' he said while offering a comforting smile showing off those pretty dimples as always.

'Okay' you say as you sit down on one of the empty chairs right next to Aria who also hugs you as soon as you sit.

'Jimin has a surprise for you, sweetie' she says all mysterious and then she looks at Jimin who gets up and goes towards the family room. You furrow your eyebrows not understanding what's going on. Once he comes back, you recognize your dad's sweater on his hands. With no stains, no marks, perfect as it was before the blond demon threw the kimchi bowl on top of it.

Your eyes widened as Jimin put the sweater right in front of you and said 'It looks good as new' while giving you one of those beautiful smiles of him that makes his eyes disappear.

You jumped of your chair to hug Jimin that almost lost his balance, and he chuckled while he returned the hug.

Once you finished hugging him you said with so much happiness 'Oh my god, Jimin. How did you do this?'

'Chris came to me yesterday’ and you take a quick look over to where your best friend is, he looks so happy to see you smile and you say, ‘Thank you, bestie’ while he just winks at you. Then you go back to Jimin and say ‘This is amazing, I don’t know how you did it to make it look so perfect, Jimin’

‘You'd be surprised of my many talents' he simply says shrugging his shoulders acting all cocky.

'I really thought it was completely ruined; you don't even know how much this means to me. Thank you so much' and you hug him tightly again which he returns once again and says 'You don't have to thank me. That's what friends are for. Now come on, let's eat breakfast, I'm starving' while you both chuckle a little bit and take your sits to finally start eating breakfast while you all chit chat about anything but last night's events.

Well, all but Jungkook who's lost in his thoughts, you catch him looking towards you a few times. He looked really sad, but you are hurt and by now, you have too many doubts about him. So, you decide to ignore him for now. Sooner or later, you know you'll have to talk to him. But not now, now you'll just enjoy being with this wonderful group of friends.

°•○•°●♤♡◇♧•°○•°□▪︎☆♤

A few hours later you were chilling on the bridge by the lake, just a few steps from the cottage, with Emma and Aria while getting some vitamin D into your system with the help of the sunny day.

You talked for a while about tonight, the guys wanted to do a bonfire, Yoongi suggested doing a barbecue outside and drinks by the lake, which sounded amazing to your ears.

The only thing bothering you was Jungkook, Lina was already out of your lives, but you felt like you couldn't enjoy 100% yet, and you suspected it had to do with the fact that since you got here, you haven't been able to enjoy with the person that you most wanted to be with since the beginning, JK.

Luckily, it seemed like JK respected your decision and didn’t talk to you but all day long you could see he was as miserable as you were.

You closed your eyes while trying to take some rest of your thoughts when suddenly a shadow starts robbing you the sun that was warming up your skin

'If you're ready, I think you should talk to JK. He looks awful since he came downstairs’ said your best friend

Is he a mind reader? I was just thinking about that. It’s like your best friend can read you like a magazine

'I was actually thinking about that. I think I'll talk with him now'

'K, I just saw him, he's on the family room laying on the sofa. All the guys are outside so, you two can have your privacy'

'No need to give us privacy tho, you were all there witnessing everything yesterday and you're my friends so, I can talk whatever it is in front of you' you say

Chris nodded and then said 'Okay, then I'll be in the kitchen with Jimin, if you need me to kick JK's ass I'll be just a scream away'

You chuckled while you got up and headed towards the family room with Chris and Jimin. Chris winked at you and gave you a thumbs up while going to the kitchen along with Jimin who had preoccupied look.

Jungkook was indeed laying on the sofa with his phone, he didn't even realize you were there until you made your way right in front of him. His eyes widened as soon as he saw you, but he didn't say anything.

'I think we should talk now, if you're feel like you’re up to it' you said with your heart beating faster than ever, you were really nervous and his Bambi eyes that looked exhausted didn't help, you just wanted to give in and hug him, but no, part of yesterday’s events are his responsibility – you keep reminding to yourself - you have to focus Y/N

'Yeah, of course, sure... let's talk' JK said with his sweet voice.

°•○•°●♤♡◇♧•°○•°□▪︎☆♤

'You could have warned him a little bit before sending Y/N to talk to him… don’t you think? I'm sure you know the best way to patch things up with Y/N' said a worried Jimin to your best friend while waiting on the kitchen

'Warn him? She's like 7 inches smaller than him. It's not like she's going to kill him. Besides, what's the fun on warning him? I already gave him enough advantage. Any other guy that would made her cry would normally receive a nice ass beating from me so, in any case he should be thankful. Plus, I know these two like the back of my hand, Y/N is going to eat him alive as soon as he says the wrong thing' said Chris while giggling like a little kid.

Jimin was looking at him with furrowed eyebrows now. 'Um... I'm not fully understanding, do you want them to fix things up or do you want them to keep fighting?'

'Of course, I want them to fix things up. I'm friends with both and I love them. But JK did made a mistake, and he needs someone to put him in place. Turns out that Y/N is perfect for that job, and she also needs it. You know, Y/N is normally like a teddy bear but when she gets mad... oh boy, you should run' said Chris while chuckling at Jimin who was now perplexed.

'You have a really weird way to show that you love your friends, you know that?'

'Love is love. In any way it's manifested' said Chris while winking at Jimin.

'If you say so' the reason why Jimin was worried it’s because he knew JK, he knew he might fuck up because he tends to be impulsive when he’s fighting someone and says the first thing that come through his brain without filtering.

Your best friend seeing Jimin's worried features, put a hand on his shoulder and reassured him 'Hey - trust me, they need to get the frustration out of their system first, they're going to be okay' while Jimin silently nodded.

°•○•°●♤♡◇♧•°○•°□▪︎☆♤

‘So...' you start your conversation lingering over because you're not sure what to say.

'So...' JK repeats nervously after you, he's now sitting on the sofa while you’re sitting in front of him on a small little table.

'Um… okay. First, I wanted to thank you for respecting my decision of not talking to me' you saw JK nodding with his head.

'You were hurt, I understand that you didn't want to talk to me. I'm not gonna lie, it stinged like hell because the last thing I wanted to do was to hurt you' said Jungkook while looking down with sad eyes.

'Then why did you invite Lina?'

'I was told that you were coming with Minho. I was fucking jealous, and I somehow ended up inviting her to make you feel jealous too' he confessed feeling embarrassed as hell, but it also felt like a weight had been lifted of him

Well, Emma’s assumptions were correct. He wanted to make you feel jealous and boy... he had accomplished that without a doubt

You nodded at him and responded 'I honestly imagined that it was to make me jealous'

'So? Did it work?' JK said finally smiling at you, you missed that smile

'Yes, it did' you said rolling your eyes. His smile became wider, like if he was proud of being able to make you jealous. And you both chuckle.

Then you get a little serious and continue 'Sadly, I got hurt thanks to that, both physically and emotionally'

Then JK's smile dropped. He sighed while saying 'I'm sorry for bringing Lina, I never thought she was capable of doing such things'

'To be fair, I don't think anyone could expect someone being such an awful human being' you say while he just hums in affirmation, it seems like he is thinking about something and then he talks again

'You know what bothers me the most?' asks you Jungkook suddenly

'What is it?'

'What bothers me insanely is that all of this could have been avoided so easily'

'What do you mean?' you say furrowing your eyebrows, not quite following where's he's going with his comment

'I mean if you had told me sooner that you broke up with Minho, I would have canceled Lina's invitation here and things would have been totally different'

'Aaaaaaaaand there it is - he shouldn't have said that - wait for it, she'll be eating him like a snack' says Chris to Jimin while laughing

They were both hearing and watching everything from the kitchen in case things went south. Jimin hits his forehead with his hand, while saying over to Chris 'He's an idiot' and he's now more worried than ever about Jungkook because by the looks of your face you didn't like at all his comment.

And Jimin was right, because you couldn't believe Jungkook's nerve, you couldn't believe what you were hearing.

Is he really trying to turn the guilt towards you just because you didn't tell him sooner that you broke up with Minho? This is ridiculous

'Excuse me? Are you somehow trying to put the blame on me for your own decisions?' your tone wasn't amicable anymore, that's for sure

Jungkook rolled his eyes, and you were 10 seconds away from strangling him when he responded 'I'm not blaming you, I'm just saying... if I knew that you weren't coming with Minho then I wouldn't have invited Lina'

'Wouldn't it have been much more reasonable that you just acted as an adult and didn't pull the stupidest thing just to try make me jealous?' you bark at him

'There you go, I was waiting to see when you were gonna pull the adult shit thing, we are only 4 years apart from each other, okay? So, stop talking to me as if I were a kid' the way he responded you could easily sense he was getting worked up too. But you couldn’t care less, you were outraged at his attitude.

'Then stop acting like one' you simply responded raising one of your eyebrows at him and crossing your arms across your chest

That's it, Jungkook was done of taking all the blame and you talking to him like a little kid.

'You know what? I don't even know why I’m still talking to you. I already said I'm sorry for what happened but I'm not responsible of Lina's behavior'

Is he for real? Oh my god I'm gonna kill him - it was all you could think of

'You are responsible for her coming here. That's enough for me'

'Okay then you are just blind as fuck, you just want to blame it all on me'

At this point you weren't talking anymore in a normal tone, you were almost screaming at each other. That's when you get up of where you were sitting and he repeats the same action, standing tall in front of you, both are looking to each other’s eyes with the most intense gaze, and you continue to respond at him.

'And who the fuck should I be blaming if not you? I repeat, YOU are the solely reason of her being here. Ugh, you know what, it was clearly a mistake even giving you a chance to explain yourself' you say already getting tired of discussing.

'You are just being stubborn and petty' he said with the coldest tone ever.

That's it, you'll kick his sorry ass

'What did you just said to me?' you say angrily while getting quickly closer until you're 1 cm from his face.

From a far Chris was laughing hysterically at JK's sudden scared face. You are intimidating and fearless when it comes to this. Anyone who would get in a fight with you, regretted it immediately because you are the kind of person who doesn't back off easily, especially when you're convinced that you did nothing wrong.

'K, that's it, you had your fun, we should go separate them before Y/N kicks his ass' said Jimin over to Chris who couldn't stop laughing.

'Don't worry I got it' said your best friend going towards you and JK.

'Okay okay okay, you both cut it out. I see you made a great progress, kids' said ironically Chris while you both rolled your eyes at him

'This was a waste of time' you say and go outside to get some fresh air and cool a little bit

JK just watched you go while sighing and rubbing his temples. He somehow thought that things couldn't get worse with you, but it did.

'So, first fight with Y/N. Congrats, you've survived! On a 1 to 10 scale where 1 is 'I'm not even sweating' and 10 is 'I shitted my pants when I saw her getting angry' how do you feel?'

'Definitely a 10' said JK feeling almost defeated.

'Don't worry Jungkookie, you'll work this out. She might be scary when she's mad but she's also the most awesome person I know when she's not. Also... it’s kinda difficult not to get angry at you based on the talk you two had' said Chris chuckling. The bastard is surely enjoying this.

'I'm not sure if we'll work it out, we were supposed to work it out now and look how it ended'

'Maybe you both just needed to talk freely even though you ended up getting angry. You should hear Chris, he knows Y/N' said Jimin to try and calm the youngest.

'Maybe tonight with a few drinks in, you'll both get calmer and be able to talk normally. Don't worry about it,’ said Chris

And Jungkook tried to listen to Chris and Jimin's advice. After all, Chris is your best friend and knows you well enough, if he says it’s gonna be okay, then it's probably gonna be that way. But he still feels bummed out. He needs to make things right with you. He'll make it right tonight, no matter what it takes.

°•○•°●♤♡◇♧•°○•°□▪︎☆♤

The night had come, and you all were sitting around the bonfire talking while Yoongi and Joey were a few steps farther working on the barbecue. You were sitting beside Chris drinking your second glass of Soju while Jungkook was on the opposite side of you between Jimin and Jin.

You didn't cross any words with JK after your last discussion. How could he call you stubborn and petty?

He was in no position of behaving that way towards you, especially after all the bad situations that you had to go through yesterday, all because a childish girl that he had invited.

You were busy with your thoughts when you suddenly notice something small and blackish moving on the grass not too far from you. It can't be, right? You haven't seen any bug almost since you got here... the weather it's not even humid or hot.

You need to confirm if your suspicions are right and there's no freaking way, you'll ever get close to that thing moving so, you whisper already with a trembling voice to your best friend's ear 'Hey - there's something moving over there, could you please check?' while pointing with your hand the area

'Sure babe, don't worry' he says and gets up from the log where he was sitting to check and then immediately looks over to you and moves his head in affirmation

Your eyes widened and you immediately got up and ran off to the cottage's porch saying 'Chrisssssss, please take care of it!'

'I'm on it' he said while chuckling because the others were all with puzzled faces not understanding why the heck you ran off all the sudden

'She has cockroaches’ phobia and she spotted one here' he explained to everyone while killing it and grabbing a tissue paper to get rid of it.

'Cockroach? Where where? Is it dead? Oh my god oh my god oh my god' said Hobi while getting up and also running off to the cottage’s porch where you were waiting for your friend to confirm if he had got rid of the disgusting bug.

The others started to laugh at the sight of scaredy cat Hobi who went to hug you and looked far more terrified than you to be honest.

'I guess Hobi is not anymore the only one scared of bugs' said Aria while laughing at his boyfriend and you.

'Yeah, but Hobi is basically scared of every bug, Y/N doesn't like bugs in general but the only ones that might make her cry of fear are the cockroaches' said Chris - he's like an encyclopedia of you - JK thought.

'K, it's done, no more danger over here' Chris screamed at you and Hobi while you both nodded and started to come back to your places around the bonfire.

'Thanks, you're my guardian angel' you said over to your best friend giving him a peck on his cheek while your heart was starting to calm down.

Chris just winked at you and smiled while patting at the sitting spot you had left empty.

'So... cockroaches, huh?' said Namjoon chuckling as soon as you sat down.

'Yeah, I know it sounds crazy, don't judge me. I really can't control it... my heart starts beating incredibly faster and I always end up running off' you say while also chuckling.

You're completely aware of how irrational it sounds because it’s not like a cockroach can kill you or anything. But that's exactly what a phobia is, irrational fear to something.

'Don't worry, I understand you, my friend' said Hobi offering you a comforting smile

'Of course, you would understand her, you would understand anyone with a fear, you fear almost everything' said Jin while laughing at his friend who only glared at him and said 'No, I don’t’

'Guys, you don't even imagine the level of phobia that this girl here has' said Chris and then he looked at you and continued 'Remember that time we were coming back to your dad's place at night?' and all the sudden you and Chris were laughing like two crazy people, you had tears in your eyes from laughing.

Jungkook's lips twitched, he loved seeing you laugh. Even after your discussion, he couldn't help but to stare at your whole form. You looked so beautiful.

'Ohhhhh, I wanna know! What happened when you were going to Y/N dad's place at night?' asked a curious Taehyung while wiggling his eyebrows.

So, Chris starts by saying 'Well, I think we were about 18 years old at that time. It was 2 AM in the morning and we were coming back from having a few drinks at a bar. Keep in mind, we were the only ones on the street around that hour. We were like 2 blocks away from her dad's place walking and talking normally when all of the sudden this brat’ – Chris pointing at you – ‘started to run as if her life depended on it' you couldn't stop chuckling while your best friend continued telling the anecdote 'So, I automatically thought...'maybe she saw someone that was going to mug us or something like that' and of course, I also started to run like crazy' and all of your friends including Jungkook were already laughing with you two.

'After running those 2 blocks and arriving to her dad's, we were both out of breath and I asked her 'What the hell happened? You scared the shit out of me' and I think that was one of the few times I almost want to murder her because while she was trying to recover her breath she responded, 'I saw 2 dead cockroaches' ' and immediately all of the group bursted on laughter not believing that you could fear a dead bug.

'Seriously Y/N? Dead cockroaches??' said Jin while his windshield laugh resonated around you.

'I swear to God. I couldn't help it. It's like I saw those disgusting things on the floor and my mind immediately though 'if there's 2 one’s dead, there might be a lot more alive and closer' so I started to run without even telling Chris' you said while cleaning the laugh tears that fell on your cheeks

Well, finally your tears were from laughter and not sadness.

°•○•°●♤♡◇♧•°○•°□▪︎☆♤

The food was delicious as expected, chef Min Yoongi delivered an amazing barbecue along with Joey’s help.

You kept drinking Soju during the night and by the end of dinner, most of you were tipsy or drunk as fuck like Tae and Chris who were already starting to sing and babbling nonsenses.

Chris started to cling on you while saying ‘Noooooooooooooona, I’m sleepy sleepy, really sleepy’

‘Oh my god you’re such a big baby’ you whine while trying to get him up

‘Noona?’ asked Yoongi ‘You’re older than Chris, Y/N?’

‘I’m just 3 months older but every time he gets drunk, he annoyingly starts to call me Noona’ you respond

Then Jimin commented ‘Wait, Chris’s birthday is in August, right? So…that means your birthday is this month Y/N’

‘Bingoooooooo!’ screamed Chris while the others laughed at his drunken state.

‘Yeah, my birthday it’s on the 19th’ you simply responded; you aren’t much of the people who enjoys celebrating your birthday. But it did come to your thought that the last birthday that you actually celebrated was 2 years ago. When you still had your dad by your side.

Last year you were nowhere near to have any energy to celebrate your birthday. By that time, your dad had passed away the month before. So, when your birthday arrived, you turned off your phone and avoided any calls or greetings.

You just couldn’t stop thinking how the most special person in the world to you, wasn’t going to say, ‘Happy birthday!’ to you for the first time. Maybe you should celebrate this time, at least have dinner with your new friends or something like that, to drift your mind elsewhere.

Jungkook noticed you spacing out a little bit. Once at the gym he had asked you the exact date of your birthday since he only new it was some day around May. And you were also very short with your answer. He can tell is not something that you like to talk about that much, maybe it’s because of your dad. That makes him feel sad too, it was beyond obvious that you shared a special bond with your dad. He himself can’t imagine how he would feel without any of his parents. It must be so hard for you.

You didn’t even realize that you were spacing out until Jin spoke.

‘We must celebrate then! Besides my handsome features, I’m a great birthday party planner. I’ll take care of yours Y/N!’ said Jin who sounded excited as if it was his own birthday

‘Um… yeah, sure, I’m not much of a birthday type person but it would be nice to celebrate it with you, guys’

Namjoon saw your struggle with your drunk best friend that wouldn’t stop saying that he felt sleepy. So, he approached to you and offered you help while grabbing Chris from your hold ‘I’ll make sure he gets to his room, I’m not that drunk don’t worry’ he said while chuckling

‘Thanks, Joon’ you said while watching Namjoon lifting Chris up as if he was a sack of potatoes. Chris can be a real pain in the ass when he gets drunk.

‘No worries, I’ll probably also head to sleep once I’ve delivered this package. Goodnight, guys’

‘Right behind you’ said Hobi going hand to hand with Aria while also waving goodbye to the rest of the guys.

The following minutes Joey and Emma followed the same path as the others along with Jimin who was carrying Taehyung that couldn’t even walk properly. The only thing that Taehyung hadn’t drank was the lake’s water, he was a mess.

So, at the end you were left sitting by the bonfire with Jin, Jackson, Yoongi and JK.

You had a small talk with Yoongi about videogames and different animes that you loved from your childhood; you had a lot of common being both ‘93 liners.

You told him how you loved ‘Cardcaptor Sakura’ especially the character of ‘Kero’ that you always wanted to have Kero’s teddy bear because you found it so freaking cute, but you never got it. While Yoongi told you how he still binge-watches ‘Slam Dunk’ every time he has the opportunity.

After that nice talk, Yoongi told you he was going to bed and waved you goodbye – incredible that he was one of the lasts to go to sleep, you thought to yourself.

‘I think I’m going to have a little walk’ you said to the rest of the guys while walking towards the forest.

That’s when Jin elbowed Jungkook and made him signals for him to go with you.

Jungkook almost whispered screamed at Jin ‘What if she tells me to fuck off, hyung?’

‘Then you deserve it, but you have to at least try talking with her again – you’re both tipsy, maybe that’ll make things easier,’ simply responded Jin.

‘We’ll get going to bed too. So, you two can have your little time together’ said Jackson while winking at JK and getting up from his sit along with Jin.

Jungkook sighed a little scared of your reaction whenever you saw him going after you.

Okay, here we go – he thought to himself.

°•○•°●♤♡◇♧•°○•°□▪︎☆♤

'Noona, you're drunk. Come back here, it's too dark and you might fall' you hear Jungkook’s sweet voice from behind you.

'I'm just a little tipsy, I'm not drunk' while you keep walking into the forest.

'Okay, if you say so. I’ll go with you' says Jungkook while following you behind. You could get easily lost in the forest and get hurt in the dark, he's not gonna leave you alone. Plus, he needs to make things up with you somehow, just as Jin said.

Suddenly you stop walking, and you turn around going some steps towards Jungkook who has a surprised face now because of the closeness that you’re sharing, and you say, 'Why would you bring someone that you don't even like just to make me jealous?'

'Or did you intended to hurt me?' you say pouting sadly at him, he swears he almost folds after seeing that cute face of yours.

'What? No! Noona, how could you think I would want to hurt you?'

'I don't know what to believe, okay? I don't know anymore; you keep confusing me Jungkook'

And you keep talking while he stares at you with those beautiful doe eyes ‘I thought we had a connection the day we first met, I was excited to see you on the night club that day on Jackson's birthday thinking we were both in the same page and what do I got? Lina sucking your face'

He takes a few more steps towards you, cupping your face, making you look straight to his eyes, and he says 'Noona, we did have a connection that day when we met and I also was excited to be with you on the night club, I told you this already... Lina was the one to kiss me. And we still have that connection; I know you feel it too'

'I... I don't know what to think. You told me there wasn't nothing more between you and her. But she was the first person that you thought to bring here just to make me jealous, that doesn't sound as nothing to me' you start to feel your eyes sting.

Jeez. Since when do you cry so easily?

'Why...' you get choked up as you start crying 'Why did you hurt me, Jungkook?'

‘Fuck' you curse between tears and put your hand on JK's chest putting some distance between you two 'Why do I always end up crying in front of you?' you say almost defeated.

Jungkook was lost of words. He never thought he made you this confused. Confused enough to start thinking that he might wanted somehow to hurt you intentionally. He never would do something like that. But he had to clear everything right now and put a stop to all the misunderstandings.

He grabs your hand that's still over his chest and moves it towards his heart while you just watch him with your teary eyes. His heart was beating insanely fast, you could feel it going crazy…just the same as yours felt. He was affected by you just as much as he affected you.

'Feel my heartbeat, noona. That can't be faked and that's how I feel every time I am with you, every time you laugh, every time you smile, you make my heart go crazy' he said as he also started to feel his eyes watering.

'I've been an idiot, I didn't understand how you could be dating another guy knowing that we both liked each other, I was impulsive inviting her, but I swear to you I never, ever, wanted to hurt you in anyway and the only girl that's in my mind is you, it's always been you since the day I saw you in Jackson's house. Lina and I were over months ago and it never happened anything else, only that kiss that you saw at the night club. I was pretty clear with her, and I told her that there was no way we would be restarting things. I just... want...you' he said while leaning his forehead against yours, you could see tears streaming down his cheeks.

You were sure he was being sincere; it was written all over his face. You shared one look at each other while your hand instantly started caressing the side of his face and you were about to kiss him when he said 'I don't want to take advantage of you, noona. As much as I want to kiss you and never let you go, I want our first kiss to be while we're both sober'

'You're not taking advantage; I'm giving you the advantage plus I told you I'm just tipsy' you said while looking at those lips that were almost calling you.

He smiled at you and whined saying 'Noona, you're not making things any easier for me, you know that?' while his eyes also dropped to your lips.

'Just a little kiss and we can go to sleep then' you whispered on his ear.

'Fuck - you'll be the death of me. How can I say no to you?' he said with that raspy voice that you love to hear.

You were the one to cup his face now and got closer to his beautiful, sculpted face and you whispered at him right in front of his lips while staring at his Bambi eyes 'I just want you too' - his eyes lighted up as soon as he heard you and you both smiled at each other.

And that’s when it finally happened, you both closed the short distance at the same time and connected your lips together. You both felt a wave of electricity running through your bodies as soon as your tongues touched.

He grabbed your waist tightly while making you walk backwards until your back was against a tree, you grabbed his shirt into a fist pulling him closer to you. The kiss was slow and passionate, your lips moved in sync as if they were made for each other.

Jungkook then started to kiss your cheek and continuing his kisses lowering to your jawline, then your neck where he sucked your skin as you tilted your head giving him more access, at that point a small moan escaped your lips and you could feel his smirk against your neck as he continued sucking it as if his life depended on it - he stopped for a second and watched proudly the mark he had left on your neck - and then he kissed you again on your lips.

Oh my God. Is this really happening?

While you kept your lips connected you started to run one of your hands against his abs while the other was busy pulling a little bit his hair. He groaned with that raspy voice of his that always was successful on making a pool between your legs. You stopped kissing and he pressed his forehead on yours.

'I-… God... I’ve been wanting to do that for such a long-time baby, I can't stop now'

'Then don't stop' you said breathlessly against his lips while biting your lower lip.

'Gosh, don't do that. Don't bite that lip. You’ll make me go crazy' when you looked at him you could see his eyes filled with lust and he immediately connected your lips again.

This time it was much steamier, you could feel him getting harder on his sweatpants and you were a mess - he felt so fucking big -, you couldn't stop moaning. You needed to feel him more, so, you grinded against his erection and he replied also grinding against you while you heard him grunting between the kisses.

This kept going for a few minutes until you had to stop to catch some air and as soon as your eyes met you both chuckled while he cupped your face and gave you a last peck on your lips.

'Sorry, I couldn't control myself; I have been waiting for you for a while now, baby' he said while smiling at you.

'Baby, huh? I like how that sounds coming from your lips' you smiled back 'I'm not complaining though, it's not like I was successful on controlling myself' while you both shared a laugh.

It was getting chilly outside and JK noticed you were wearing a shirt and leggings so, he said 'You're gonna get sick, it's getting cold here, gorgeous. How about we head inside?'

'Yeah, sure, let's go handsome' you said. He blushed at the compliment while smiling and offering you his hand to you and you took it as you both made your way towards the cottage with a smile plastered on your faces.

°•○•°●♤♡◇♧•°○•°□▪︎☆♤

You were in front of your bedroom when you beat him to talk first and say 'Um...would you like to sleep with me?'

His eyes went big as two plates and you realize that what you said sounded bad, though you would love to release all the sexual tension that there's between you two, you don't think it's the best idea to have sex when all your friends are sleeping literally on the same floor.

If he made you moan only for kissing you with your clothes on, you can't imagine how loud you'll be once he's inside you. Fuck, you should stop thinking about that

'Oh my god, I didn't think how it sounded before saying it. Sorry, I was referring to you sleep by my side. Not that I don't want to sleep with you in the other way, don't misunderstand me, I really really want to...but I think is not the best when our friends are sleeping on the same floor and maybe it'll be good for us to take it slow' you said to him while you both chuckled

'You really don't have any filter when you have a few drinks on your system...but I gotta say I really love it, you're so straightforward, noona' once again he had that lustful look that was driving you crazy and as he came closer to your face he said 'I would love to sleep with you, in any possible way'

You started to blush like crazy and giggling while you grabbed him by his hand and you both entered your room.

'Um... I wear only a big t-shirt to sleep, hope that's okay with you' you say, and you swear you see his lips twitch before he says 'No problem noona, I normally sleep only with boxers but maybe it's too much to ask, is it okay if I take off my shirt at least? It's hard for me to sleep with clothes on' asking for your permission with a smirk on his face.

Fuck fuck fuck. He's such a tease

You try to sound unphased saying 'Yeah sure, take it off, no problem' and you stayed there frozen while he took off his shirt slowly almost torturing yourself. Oh for the love of God, what a fine piece of man. Your eyes were concentrated on his six pack, how can he be this hot? It should be illegal.

'Noona' suddenly his raspy voice woke you up from your trance, he got really close to you and cupped your face again. You gulped when you came across with his intense gaze once again... you wanted to touch his abs so bad.

'Yes, JK?' you almost whisper.

'If you keep checking me out like that, I won't be able to control myself from fucking you all night long'

Yeah, your pussy just died

'I- I wasn't checking you out' you lie, and you both know is a big fat lie because you were almost salivating at the Adonis in front of you.

Jungkook chuckled, he loved seeing you this affected by him. 'Okay baby, if you say so... you're not gonna get your clothes changed?'

'Oh yeah, you’re right, I'll be right back' you grabbed your big t-shirt that you use to sleep sometimes and went to your bathroom to change clothes.

Once you exited the bathroom with your t-shirt on, you saw that Jungkook was already under the covers sitting on the bed with his back against the bed head, waiting for you. He lifted his eyes when he heard you coming out of the bath and you could see his gaze turning dark, looking at your now exposed legs.

He was intimidating you with that dark gaze. It was incredible that this man could be soft, cute and at the same time so hot and full of lust. You went quickly to your side of the bed and got under the covers too.

His eyes followed every step you took and once you were by his side he said 'You look beautiful' while smiling at you.

'And you look like a Calvin Klein publicity' you said and that got a proper laugh of him while you joined too. He was blushing now. He went in two seconds from hot and lusty Jungkook to shy and blushing Jungkook. The duality in this man is insane.

'No. Seriously. I knew you were hot' his eyebrows shoot up in surprise as soon as he heard you while you continued 'But this' - you say while touching his abs and his eyes just follow your hand while he gulps - 'It brings a whole new level of hotness'

'Fuck' he curses under his breath. 'Baby, you are such a minx' he said while grabbing your chin and you just smiled at him.

'We better sleep now. Do you mind if I sleep with my head on your chest?' you ask with a cute pouty face.

'Of course, you can do whatever you want with me' he shamelessly says, seeing how your cheeks start to get rosy from the blushing.

Please, stooooooppppp Jeon Jungkook

'Good to know that' you say shortly, while you make yourself comfortable with your head on his chest and your hand goes to rest right on those killing abs.

'I can't believe that finally I have you in my arms' he suddenly said, and you couldn't help looking him in the eyes and caressing his face.

'You and me both. But I'm glad it's finally happening' you said, and he felt his heart skipping a beat.

'Me too, noona. Sweet dreams'

You came closer and cupped his face to give him a sweet peck on the lips that made both of your stomach feel tingly. He smiled at you while you said 'Goodnight JK'.

With his arms around your frame, JK couldn't stop thinking that this had to be a dream. He feared falling sleep and that when he woke up you wouldn't be there. He didn't want you to slip away from him again.

He took one look to your cute face, you looked happy sleeping over his body. He couldn't help but to smile too. He decided to push away all his fears of losing you and he fell asleep while holding you tightly and thinking to himself – this time I won’t let you slip away from me, noona.

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#lifetwist #jjk #jjk x y/n #jjk x reader #jjk smut #jjk x you #jungkook smut #bts smut #jungkook fic

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