#what - i get the idea of moonstone making people crazy

[lazlolullaby]

Moongene concept, lingering Sundrop scars, and bonus RTA s3 rewrite

My friends i’m not an artist, so just take these words and go.

Rapunzel has a clear indicator of her being nearby the Moonstone - her hair floats upward and glows. I think it’d be nice if Eugene had some kind of effect on his body as well.

and uh...season 2 ending rewrite into season 3 AU happened

More under the cut

Eugene has been healed by the Sundrop twice at least.

(I feel like Rapunzel certainly banged him up while putting him in the closet and did a healing when she tied him up in the chair, but eh. It was offscreen and not dramatic enough.)

1st time: Cut on the palm on his hand, healed by wet hair directly on the wound.

2nd time: Stab wound in his stomach, healed by tears on his cheek.

Both of those scars glow when he’s near the Moonstone. He doesn’t know it at all because he’s got his gloves on and his shirt on, but he feels it. His hand sweats, his stomach/liver area is warm. He dismisses it as nerves, but once they’re in the chamber...

“Rapunzel you’re glowing~”

“So are you~” Rapunzel strokes his cheek, where there are bright little dots.

“Aww. wait what?” Eugene flinches, pulls out his compact mirror (because of course that man would have a compact, have you not been paying attention) and pulls off his glove. The scar itself is glowing a steady gold, and there’s a faint impression of hair strands surrounding it, also glowing.

(if Cassandra would have let him open up his shirt, they’d see an impression of the Sundrop flower - perpetually blooming, glow flickering in time with his heart. Arianna also was healed by the Sundrop as well, so she has glowing lips from when she drank the tea.)

“That’s - a nice thing you did, Sunshine.” because clearly it was just happenstance that he was healed and made it here, of all places. And this kind of ties in with my impression of Eugene - that he doesn’t really feel like he’s worth much, he has to upsell himself.

“When you take care of people and things – you go for the burning building first. The kids who broke an arm or are throwing up. Being as independent as I was, I just waited my turn. Other people got affection, I got leftovers.” Secondhand clothes from the older kids and secondhand affection from fans of Flynnigan Rider. He’s just – used to it. It’s what he thinks he deserves.

Edmund may have told him it’s his destiny to protect the Moonstone, that he’s worthy. but it doesn’t sink in. Not until Rapunzel reaches for it, and his scarred hand twitches.

It’s an easy grab, all things considered. Just a dash forward and (ignore that look of pain and shock in her eyes, shut yours tight, man this hurts) Easier than the Crown, at least. The remnants of Sundrop that was in him react with the Moonstone, both protecting him and causing a minor shockwave that throws everyone to the walls.

(he doesn’t want to think about if the full Sundrop made contact, he won’t think about what almost happened, it won’t ever happen, now.)

He looks up. Cassandra is holding Rapunzel back. Betrayal in both of their eyes.

“I can’t let you do this!” He’s not going be be able to get Rapunzel’s trust, her love back.

But he owes her an explanation. “I can’t let you die.”

(aaand cut to black. Cliffhanger baby~ and most of what’s left is an outline of s3, kind of mixing around the episode order too.)

Eugene’s Armor - skill skintight, but he places the Moonstone near his stab scar, the blue band is like a sash across his body.

“Woah oh ho! What a rush!” He looks up at his hair, it’s bright blue and he’s like “No. Bad color.” A silvery white. “heavens no.” black with dark blue strands. “Better.”

“What is going on?”

“The Sundrop - you saw how just a remnant just hurt everyone. I don’t want that for you.” Eugene starts. “If someone can control the Moonstone - retract all of the Black Rocks. That’s it. The world is safe, right?”

“Right.” Rapunzel nods. “But - what’s going to happen to you?”

He laughs, “Isn’t it my luck to be loved by the most compassionate woman in the world?” but he doesn’t answer. There’s not really an answer.

Eugene reaches for his knife, and the Black Rocks just - start encircling him, crawling over his skin. He uses his finger to make a divot and presses the Moonstone inside the hilt.

All at once the power fades. If he calls upon it, he could get armor. (so he couldn’t be hurt again.) But if he doesn’t. “Ah. Finally found a use for my second-favorite knife!” (it’s the knife that is strapped to his leg in his s3 outfit.)

So Eugene and Edmund start working on removing the Rocks. And - it’s great. They’re bonding - Lance has convinced Edmund that he’s his second son, Adira has been accepted back into the fold, there’s viable land underneath and Rapunzel is very sure she sees some curious travelers on the horizon that would like to settle down.

They’ve already made a new Caravan and were just about to leave, removing the Black Rocks on the path back to Corona. The other mystery this season is how to remove the Sundrop from Rapunzel. They want to stop by the Great Tree and research the library there - it may have an answer.

...and then the Balloon comes, and Rapunzel has to go back to her Kingdom immediately to save it from the Saporians.

Eugene can’t leave, he has to take the slow path back to Corona. Lance stays behind with him. They use Hamuel as their mail service.

(So instead of Rapunzel being betrayed by Cassandra and feeling her absence, wanting to reach out and come back and be friends again, how to deal with a friend fallout, it’s Rapunzel missing her partner Eugene, and how to deal with being apart from the person you love, and appreciating the other people in your life a bit more.)

They deal with the Saporians - instead of Eugene picking the lock to the jail cell, Cassandra gets the spare key since she knows where it is.

Most of the episodes do fine with Cassandra pinch-hitting for Eugene. She gets to be Captain like she’s always wanted, since her father is in the wind. But it’s not really fulfilling - she still has to listen to Rapunzel, and the Guards still listen to Rapunzel - Cassandra is slowly getting frustrated.

“King and Queen of Hearts” Rapunzel is missing Eugene fierce and is pouring all of that romantic energy into making Arianna and Fredrick remember and love each other again. She sees how Cassandra is trying to help and thanks her.

The “Return of the King” episode is actually a check back in on Eugene and Lance, and it’s combined with “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?” because I still want Lance to be a Dad. Eugene is able to let his father know he belongs in Corona with Rapunzel - and Catalina speaks up and wants to go with them.

“Islands Apart” - Cassandra gets to confront her father about everything. His favorite version of her is a little girl - he still sees her as a kid and she’s mad about it.

“No time like the Past” is a story that Lance is telling Angry and Catalina while they’re on the road. Eugene is just like “eughh I miss my wife tails...i miss her a lot.”

“Race to the Spire” is a split perspective episode, Eugene and Lance find out about the Mind Trap, send Hamuel to tell Rapunzel, and they race there. Rapunzel and Cassandra race there as well. There’s a Reunion and it’s glorious and sweet.

“Be Very Afraid” is Eugene’s fears getting the better of him now that he’s back in Corona, and it’s affecting the Black Rocks, turning them Red. Solved like Canon, but Eugene has his fears solved with help from Cassandra and Lance, because - yeah they are his friends.

“Cassandra’s Revenge” is changed to Cassandra getting frustrated and stealing the Moonstone for One Episode Only. Rapunzel and her have a big battle talk, and she sets the Moonstone down and fully steps down from being Captain of the Guard, feeling like it’s not her.

“Flynnposter” Cassandra is there tracking down Brock-as-Flynn, so she sees how much he’s changed from the start. Cass nominates Eugene as Captain of the Guard. (but we all know it’s Maximus that’s really in charge.)

“A Tale of Two Sisters” this is where the reveal of Cassandra being Gothel’s kid goes - it’s a rough reveal for both of them. Cassandra is starting to learn that it’s not her origins that make her who she is. But also Rapunzel is a Princess and is a Princess and Eugene is a Prince is a Prince so...that doesn’t hit really well.

Edmund “disowns” Eugene and Lance so they don’t have to go back to the rebuilt Dark Kingdom. “We’re orphans...again.”

The Demanitus Scroll has a way to combine a person with magic and then separate a person from their magic. So they use it on Rapunzel so she’s normal - well. more normal than magical.

and uhh...for the finale we can have Hector pop back up trying to steal the Mind Trap because he’s worried that someone is going to control him and the Brotherhood. Culminating in him stealing the Moonstone, controlling the Brotherhood so the same doesn’t happen to him.

Cue huge finale fight.

Cassandra actually tries to reach out to Hector, saying she understands what it is to chase after a dream and be loyal to something that isn’t their destiny. This works. And Cassandra and Hector go traveling into the sunset as besties, trying to live their own lives.

Rapunzel and Eugene live happily ever after, as if that was even in question.

[hisunshiine]

To All The Men I’ve Fucked Before ; (M) jjk

↣ When your secret 'sex' journal entries are somehow texted to the people they were written about, including a couple of coworkers and your best friend, you find your quiet work existence turned upside down. based off of TATBILB.

moodboards | playlist | Netflix ReImagined BTS Masterlist | TATMIFB masterlist 

↳ #NetflixReImaginedBTS: Jeon Jungkook x Reader starring in a fake dating au, photographer!JK, stylist!Reader

⟢ pairing: photographer!jungkook x stylist!reader

⟢ word count: 30.7k

⟢ genre + warnings: nsfw 18+, fake relationship, smluff © & angst, kissing, fluffy fake relationship cuteness, jealousy, jungkook needs help with feelings, clothed humping, explicit sexual content in the form of unprotected sex, multiple orgasms, body worship, cunnilingus, fingering, handjob, hickies, blowjob, creampie, begging, strip tease if you squint, baby petname, crying, feelings of heartbreak, oh did i mention angst? namkook fist fight, minimal arguing, minimal blood, other idols make brief appearances, OT7 is present 

⟢ summary: When your secret 'sex' journal entries are somehow texted to the people they were written about, including a couple of coworkers and your best friend, you find your quiet work existence turned upside down. based off of the netflix film and novel by jenny han, but different.

⟢ an: hello, hello! this is probably my favorite story to date that i’ve written and the longest one shot! I am so grateful to everyone who helped me by reading this (most are not on tumblr), but especially my baby hana, @taestulip​, who always reads and hypes me up. the movie/book series it’s based off of is honestly one of my faves, and turning it into an adult version was a lot of fun! I know i took out some characters and changed a lot of the plot devices, but for good reason, as it is it’s own novel, I did not want to encroach on that territory. fake dating au’s are some of my absolute faves and so i hope you enjoy this! sorry for the length, sksksks.

⟢ prologues: NJ & Reader | Love Triangle (coming soon) |

The large glass building was located on the corner of the block, in the heart of the city. A sight to see from all corners of the downtown area, you loved that you worked at BigHit Music. Of course, housing the globally recognized idol duo, SeoulM8, made working there fun. You walked into the building, and swiped your badge as you made your way through the secured entrance and up the elevator to your office. 

The gold plaque on your door highlighted your name and position. To this day you’re still in awe to see your name engraved in sans serif with the words “Lead Wardrobe Stylist” written beneath it. You entered the office, flipping on the lights and smiling at the large board along the back wall. It was covered with the designs you would need for the upcoming shoot for SeoulM8’s fan content, first single off their newest album, and plans for the concert wardrobe as well. 

Placing your empty insulated coffee tumbler on your desk, you set down all of your belongings, organizing your design tablet, notebook, and favorite writing utensils before once again taking the tumbler in hand. A cup of coffee would be perfect to start your busy Monday before your meeting with Jimin and Taehyung about their wardrobe later today. 

Walking into the employee lounge area, you set about making your coffee. Others walked in and out, dropping off packed lunches and grabbing coffee as well, so you can’t help but hear the gossip as two of the women who work with SeoulM8 discuss the latest office drama.

“I can’t believe it. She broke up with him!” Becca said, her colorful pixie cut swaying slightly as she shook her head.

“She’s crazy, Jungkook is gorgeous; have you seen his thighs?” Theresa responded, twirling her dark purple curls in wonder.

You stirred in the caramel creamer slowly, listening to their conversation. Jeon Jungkook and Jeon Somin (no relation) had been dating for almost as long as you could remember. It was surprising to hear that they were broken up. 

“Somin is really pretty too, though, she could have any guy… What if that’s what it was?”

“You think someone better than Jungkook came along and wooed her?”

“I mean… I swore I heard a rumor that she went out on a date with one of the actors, but who knows. All we know for sure is that Jungkook is single.” 

Finishing your coffee, you closed the lid to your favorite cup and left the room, smiling politely to Becca and Theresa who provided you with the information that had your head reeling. The entire walk back to your office, and even once you were seated at the desk, you couldn’t stop thinking about Jungkook and Somin.

Somin was one of the first friends you made at BigHit School for Music and Artists when you transferred in after completing your AA requirements at another university. BHSMA operated differently than traditional universities, converting students to employees at the company associated with the school. It was where you met Jungkook, Jimin, and a few other people that you worked closely with at the company. After that first year though, you grew apart from some of the people you spent that entire first year with, making new friends, like the one walking in through your office door.

So lost in thoughts of the past, you almost knocked over your perfectly made coffee onto your design tablet, where you had been sketching aimlessly. A dimpled smile was the cause of your quickly beating heart, complimenting the face of Namjoon, who startled you when he called your name loudly.

“Joon, I swear, one day, you will be the death of me, and my electronics.”

“Listen, you dropped your phone all on your own, no one told you to be scared when I walked into the room.”

“Stop being so fucking loud when you enter, you startle people!”

He just laughed, his pretty eyes disappearing as he expelled joy. Namjoon was glowing, his tanned skin looking healthy and youthful. You couldn’t help but smile at him as he pushed his falling platinum hair out of his dark eyes and set his gaze on you.

“I think I’m gonna do it today, Y/N.”

You froze, smile still on display, but a little less enthusiastic than when he had first walked in.

“Do it?” You asked, wary as you saw his hand drift to his inside coat pocket.

“I love her, Y/N. I think I’m gonna ask her to be mine, always.” Namjoon removed a small velvet box from his pocket and you reached for it, hand trembling slightly. Namjoon, in his excitement, was oblivious to the way you shook, as well as the sound of your heart splintering. “Do you think Jennie will like it?”

Looking at the ring tucked into the box, you nodded, not trusting your voice. Of course Jennie would. It was beautiful. A rose gold band with an opulent Moonstone set in the middle, and two smaller diamonds set on either side. You knew that the moonstone was Joon’s favorite, he talked about how much he loved the moon countless late nights that you would sit with him in his studio.

“It’s gorgeous, Namjoon.” You said quietly. This time, he noticed the tremble of your voice, and stood worriedly from where he was perched on the corner of your desk.

“Whoa, what’s wrong?” He asked you, concerned by your demeanor.

“Nothing, I’m just so happy for you.” You lied, tilting your head back to blink away the forming tears. Believing you, he enveloped you into a hug and you hugged him back tightly, afraid to let go.

“Ah, you have a meeting soon and I’m here making you cry… I’ll see you after and tell you how it went! Good luck, Y/N!”

Namjoon exited your office, footsteps light as he headed towards his future… and away from you. Sinking into your chair, you take several steadying breaths in order to settle your heart. Why did it hurt so much? You had given up on the idea of you and Namjoon a long time ago. This wasn’t what you expected to have to deal with when you arrived to work, but you were a professional. Wiping your smudged eyeliner to clean up your makeup, you looked down at your design tablet, where you see the sketch of a professional camera held by a large hand up to a large doe eye half finished on your screen. 

Hitting the “new” button, you begin to draw anew on a clean canvas creating the concept for the concert design for your meeting with SeoulM8 later on.

—

Sitting at home, you massaged the soles of your feet as you rested on your couch with your younger sister, Yuna, who was doing her homework at the coffee table. It had been a long day, but Jimin and Taehyung loved your idea for their concert concept: young guys traveling Seoul for group songs, and angelic, soft individual images of them with feathered outfits to match their solo songs. 

“Yuna… Namjoon is getting engaged today.”

Your sister stopped working, turning to look at you with eyes wide. She had been diligently studying for the cosmetology courses she was taking at your alma mater in hopes of getting hired at the same company as you. This news threw her off track.

“What? He—wait, what?”

You nodded, letting out a deep sigh as you turned towards the floor to ceiling windows in the living room. Rain was steadily falling, the perfect backdrop to your mood.

“Both of our dreams are shattered. He showed me the ring and said he was proposing today. To Jennie.”

Yuna flung herself onto the couch dramatically. 

“Can we please drink to drown our sorrows? This homework can wait.” 

You nodded, turning on Netflix before getting up to grab the wine and glasses. While you stood on tiptoe at the edge of the counter, reaching up into the tall cabinet for the long stemmed glasses, the doorbell to your apartment rang.

“I’ll get it!” Yuna yelled, and so you clambered onto the counter, knees digging into the marble as you finally managed to reach your goal. 

“Oh! Namjoon?”

You almost slipped from where you were perched, confused as to why your newly engaged best friend would be loudly squelching his tennis shoes into your apartment and not ravishing his fiancee. You expected a text or call about the engagement, not a personally delivered update. 

You wouldn’t be able to pretend this time. 

Turning to look at the entryway, you see a downtrodden and sopping wet Namjoon, eyes rimmed red from crying.

“Joonie?” Your voice was soft, questioning. He maneuvered across the kitchen with just three big steps and pulled you into his arms. His body slotted between your thighs where you sat on the counter after almost falling, and he let loose a sob that broke your heart even more than earlier.

“Joon, what happened?” You asked, scared.

“J-Jennie… she said no.” Your eyes widened in shock, but you waited patiently for him to continue. “She’s moving to Japan, she took that expansion position… She broke up with me.”

—

It was a long night to say the least. 2 wine glasses turned into 3 once Namjoon had shown up. You grabbed some of his spare clothes for him to change into, threw his stuff in the washer, and joined Yuna and him back in the living room where they had both curled up and began watching The Start Up on Netflix. 

Climbing onto the couch, you wrapped your arm around him and placed your head on his shoulder. He kissed your forehead before settling in to watch TV, and you couldn’t help the way your heart reacted to it. He had always been affectionate with you during your time as best friends, though it had lessened some the more serious he and Jennie became. The difference now was that this time, he was single. A part of you hoped it could mean more in the future. 

By episode 2, Namjoon was asleep on Yuna’s shoulder; no surprise considering how tired he must have been. He had cried on his way to your apartment, and the last of his tears onto your shirt when he arrived. Luckily, you hadn’t yet changed out of your own work clothes, so when you grabbed his garments, you took the opportunity to change into a spaghetti strap tank and sweatpants for couch cuddling. You turned off the TV as you untangled yourself from him, stretching as he roused slightly from your movements. 

“Don’t you two just look like the sweetest couple,” you say yawning, gently teasing your sister who was beet red from your words. Her crush on Namjoon was nothing new, but not something she wanted him to know about. She already knew she was too young for him; seen as nothing more than his best friend’s little sister. A part of Yuna was jealous that you had better chances with him than she did.

“Shut it!” Her whisper is harsh, but Namjoon slept on, unaware of the sisterly teasing. “I already know you’re gonna write all about this in your sex book!” 

You rolled your eyes, having forgotten about your old journal that you kept. You just shrugged, leaning down to gently wake Namjoon so you can put him to bed.

“Come on sleepy… Let’s get up and go to bed okay?” 

His large frame shuffled across the living room and down the hallway to your room. You heard him plop heavily on your bed, probably already asleep without having pulled back the covers. You put the empty wine glasses into the sink and straightened up the living room a tiny bit before you went to your room as well. 

Not yet ready for bed, you sat at your desk with the small lamp on, staring at the old journal your sister reminded you about. The image on the front is faded; you can barely make out what it used to be as you’ve covered it with doodles and stickers that are peeling at the edges. Opening it, you turned through the pages, taking in the lengthy entries about the boys you’ve slept with, starting with the one you lost your virginity to. 

Your finger grazed across the fancy calligraphy where you wrote his name at the top in a purple gel pen in. Jeon Jungkook. You laughed at the way you wrote about him, first describing him as a person before giving the intimate details of the experience, and finally ending it with a brief message of what you had wanted to say to him. Your eyes scanned the page, certain sentences catching your attention as you read it. 

“...and the way he held my neck when he first entered me, I think I’m in love.”

“He said it was his first time too. Does this mean something?”

“Jungkook, having you as my first… I want you to be my last. You looked at me as if the galaxies were reflected in my eyes. I want to feel the way you make me feel all the time. I hope that this does change things between us, but in a good way.”

You cringe a little, remembering how it didn’t turn out that way. Instead, after that night 5 years ago, you didn’t talk to Jungkook for a couple of days due to exam week. You texted him after your last test and he told you to come over; he wanted to talk to you about something too. But when you went to his dorm to see him and confess, you found him with Somin, your best friend at the time. They weren’t doing anything outrageous, just sitting on his twin bed in his dorm room talking, but you heard what she was saying through the door that was cracked.

Somin was confessing. You had no idea that she liked him too. It made your heart tight knowing that he had slept with you a week prior, and now your best friend was confessing to him. To be fair, neither of you had told the other about your feelings towards him. So instead of walking in and telling him how you felt, you left. He had texted you later asking what happened to you coming over but you lied, saying you had gotten busy. 

On the last day of the semester, Somin shared that she was dating Jungkook. Shocked and heartbroken, you wasted no time packing up your dorm for the summer and traveling home. Phone calls, texts, and plans to meetup became less frequent between your group of friends over the following semester until they eventually stopped. Did you stop talking to Jungkook and Somin… or was it them that stopped talking to you? 

Turning the pages, you move on from the thoughts of the photographer and stop at the next blank page. Grabbing a blue gel pen from the cup on your desk, you write with flair. 

Kim Namjoon.

How do I even begin to express how I feel about you? God, you make my heart flutter. I met you at a time when I needed someone. You were the bane of my existence at first, blasting your loud music from the apartment under mine. Going to yell at you turned out to be the best thing. You turned out to be the best thing. Of course, you had just started going out on dates with Jennie and you would be graduating a year ahead of me, but I knew that we would stay best friends. I mean, most BHSMA students intern at and get hired by the company. So for the longest time, I hid my feelings from you. That one night, before you and Jennie were exclusive… when we had sex, I thought my heart would burst. I never wanted a man so badly before that night. You are the moon in my sky, Kim Namjoon. What other body could pull an entire ocean from shore to shore? What other being could wrap me in love from beginning to end? Tonight you have just lost your moon. I am a terrible person because a part of me is happy to not be losing her moon. So now, I will climb into bed next to your sleeping body and hold you close as we sleep, and pray when the morning comes, in the light of the day, you will open your eyes and see me—the faint moon in the sky that has always been there for you. Maybe you will finally see me—and decide you want me too.

Setting the pen down, you reach for your phone. In your slightly drunken state, you decided to take pictures of each entry, in order to move these to a more secure environment and take your journal digital. You snapped a picture of each page (not that there were many) before you checked your phone for messages and plugged it in. You left your room to shut down all the lights now that Yuna was finished putting away her stuff and making her way to bed as well. 

“Hey, can I grab an extra notebook from your stash? I need to finish taking these notes on mixing hair colors.”

“Sure, it’s under the desk in the blue bin.”

She nodded and you continued past her, double checking the door to make sure it was locked before moving to throw Namjoon’s clothes into the dryer. Once satisfied that the house was in order, you went to your room. Yuna was standing over your desk, eyes reading your latest entry into the journal.

“Yuna! Get out!”

“This is beautiful though, he should see it. You need to tell him how you feel!” 

You shook your head.

“No. He just got his heart broken. It’s not the time to tell him.”

“You’re stubborn,” she whispered back at you, “you’re gonna lose him again!”

“Then that’s how it was destined to be. But I am not taking advantage of his vulnerable state.”

“You’re gonna be single forever. Spending every night with your baby sister, drinking wine because all the men you have ever loved have moved on!”

“Go to bed, Yuna!”

She shrugged as she walked out of the room, knowing that she was right. Deep down, a part of you felt like she was right too. 

Climbing into bed, you struggled to lift the covers over Namjoon’s slumbering frame before it pulled free and you could cover the two of you. As you settled into the bed next to him, he instinctively wrapped his arm around you, pulling you to his chest in his sleep. 

You knew that his dreams were imagining Jennie in his arms instead. 

—

That next morning, you checked Namjoon’s phone for his calendar. Having known him for several years, you know his passcode and that he keeps his work schedule exclusively on his cell. Typing in the code, 0613, you saw that his calendar stated that he didn’t need to go to the office until around noon. 

Lucky, you thought, eyeing the time on the phone. It was a little past 6:45am, and you had to wake your sister for her hands-on class before you got ready for the day. 

“Yuna! It’s almost 7,” you say as you knocked on her door and heard a muffled response. You headed back to your room and chose your outfit, knowing that the day would be busy and long with the concept photoshoot for SeoulM8 starting today. Choosing your outfit wisely, you climbed into the shower a few minutes later and spent at least a half hour just trying to cure the small hangover from the wine. 

Once dressed, you found Yuna packing her bag for class. It was getting close to 8, which is the latest that you could leave to be at work on time, so you wrote a quick note to Namjoon and ran back to leave it on the bed. His hand snaked out of the covers just as you were pulling your hand back, a gentle grip to your wrist holding you there.

“Y/N, thank you for last night.” His voice is like a bullfrog’s croak, and you chuckled. 

“Let me get you some water and some pain meds, okay? And of course Joonie, I’m here for you.” You leaned onto the bed with one knee, smoothing his hair back from his face once he’s released your wrist. “Always.”

Pressing your lips to his warm forehead, he pulled you down onto the bed with a hug and you can’t help but laugh.

“I’ve got to go! I’ll see you later, okay?” He nodded before he grips your neck, bringing his lips to your forehead this time. His lips linger longer than usual, and you shut your eyes at the tenderness of his kiss. 

“Go back to sleep, now.” You pulled away from him, going to grab the medicine and water before you and Yuna leave the apartment. 

—

You made it to work with extra time to make your coffee, so after you dropped off all of your extra stuff, you grabbed your tumbler and work tablet with all of your drawn designs for today’s shoot and made your way through the busy halls to the employee lounge. Today, the door was propped open for ease as it was a busier day in the building. 

You stood at the counter, stirring in the caramel creamer that you loved, when you felt a presence enter the room behind you.

“Y/N.”

Turning lazily, you cocked your eyebrow at Jungkook, who was standing awkwardly behind you. He had kicked the doorstop, allowing the door to close so that the two of you stood alone in the small staff kitchen. His hands were tucked into his joggers, while a white button down hung loosely from his frame. 

“Whats up JK?” You asked, expecting him to address something about the shoot. You hadn’t yet seen the men you were to dress, so you couldn’t fathom he was here to complain already about the costuming. “If it’s about the wardrobe, I haven’t even seen Tae or Jimin yet, so—”

“Actually, no. Um,” he rubbed the back of his neck before making eye contact with you, “I know that when we had sex that one time, it was great—”

Instantly, alarm bells went off in your head. What the actual fuck was Jungkook doing talking about the night you lost your virginity to each other?

“—but I just... don’t feel the same way that you do about me. You know? That was years ago, and yeah while it was just as good for me as it was for you, I’m not in love with you or anything, I just broke up with Somin too, so—”

“Jungkook! Wait—what are you talking about?”

“The text you sent me.”

“Jungkook, I haven’t texted you in weeks.” You looked down at the phone you had pulled out of the back pocket of your ripped black jeans, and opened up the messages. You noticed his text thread was now at the top. “Wait, what?”

Opening his specific thread you see the screenshot of the page from your journal that you took last night, sent to him. How the fuck did this happen? In your drunken state, did you send it to him? You begin to ramble as you throw the spoon in the sink with a loud clunk and begin screwing the lid on the coffee.

“Jungkook, stop. That was from a long time ago, it’s not recent at all, oh my god. I am so sorry you had to read that—you know what, I’m just gonna head to the set now. Okay, bye!” You breezed past him, feet carrying you out of the employee lounge with a swiftness. Once back in your office you stared at the horrid message, outraged at yourself for your drunken antics.

Drunk you must really hate sober you.

—

Work was just as hectic as you thought it was going to be. After the most embarrassing morning, you were summoned right away to a last minute meeting with Jimin and Tae, where you made minor changes to their wardrobe. 

“Y/N, you were always good at this in school, but damn. You are amazing now.” Jimin stared at you reflected in the mirror after you had turned his outfit into something fit for the concept with a few movements of the material that wrapped his body. Park Jimin, one of the few people you were still somewhat close with from that first year of school, was now a big shot idol, and one-half of SeoulM8. Kim Taehyung, his best friend, was the other part of the duo. He had met him after everyone split off after that first year. Going by the stage names Jimin and V, the two had met in their vocal lesson classes when Taehyung had switched his major, and BigHit saw potential in them. 

You walked with Jimin towards the set of the photo shoot, one of the bigger production rooms today due to the use of the second level. They would be posing next to a hole in the floor, feathers falling around them. Taehyung was already antsy to get started, and was playing around with Somin, who was one of the group’s managers, while he waited for Jimin to arrive back to the set. Now, it looked like the only person missing was the photographer. 

Walking to the fold out table set up at the back wall, you heard your phone chime. Opening to your messages, you saw a text from someone you hadn’t talked to in a while. 

“Seo Joon?” You question quietly to yourself, but before you could even read the message, you saw a similarly embarrassing photo above his reply.

“Oh God, oh God...” You clicked out of his message thread, ignoring the reply because you honestly didn’t care. What you actually cared about was if you had somehow sent the most recent entry of your journal to the last person on Earth who was ready to read it. Namjoon.

“Fuck. Oh no. Oh no.” Sitting there, you saw the message clear as day with the small read receipt that it indeed had been read by him. The door to the set opened and Jungkook came waltzing through with his assistant. Before the door had a chance to swing closed all the way, you saw Namjoon’s form enter the room. 

“Alright, let’s get started!” Jungkook’s voice was loud and called everyone’s attention except for Namjoon. His eyes were on you. He beelined your way, and you readied yourself to apologize to him, but before either of you could say anything, Jungkook interrupted.

“Hey Joon, good to see you hyung! I’m so sorry though, we got a closed set and need to get started… tight time schedule and all.”

“I just need to talk to Y/N.”

Jungkook took in Namjoon’s demeanor; eyes red, hair disheveled, voice wobbly. It was so unlike Namjoon to look this way that Jungkook looked at you before speaking. Your expression was confusing to Jungkook, as he knew Namjoon was your best friend. Your eyes were wide in fear with tears forming… when you didn’t say a word, Jungkook took charge. A part of him saw that fear in your eyes and wanted to protect you.

“Look Joon-hyung, normally I wouldn’t mind, but we need Y/N on set the entire time today. Wardrobe is important for concept photos, you can understand right? Maybe at break time or something?”

Namjoon nodded as Jungkook’s arm wrapped around your waist and he led you away from the table and back towards where the staging was set. When you finally chanced a look back, you saw the assistants leading Namjoon and a few other non-essential workers out of the room. Everyone else on set had watched the exchange between the three of you, including Somin. Her eyes narrowed as she took in the way Jungkook’s fingers curled around your frame.

At break time, you hid out, avoiding Namjoon who had, reluctantly, waited several hours until break was called. He would have to go into the studio soon, which you knew since you saw his calendar, and after the short 30 minute break, Jungkook retrieved you from the small side room you were hiding in when they resumed the next set of shots using black leather and wings. 

The shoot kept your thoughts off of the incident, as you so aptly decided to call it in your head, until it was time to leave. You walked out with a large group, stealthily making it to your office. You sat on the floor with your back to the door, reviewing how many received these drunken messages of yours, happy to see that only 3 actually went through, since most of them were no longer in your phone anymore or had changed their numbers. 

Park Seo Joon, an ex from your second year at BHSMA, had moved to Japan for work, and while he did respond, he figured it was a mistake and as the smart person he was, he noticed the date in the corner and was aware that it was old. You breathed a sigh of relief, glad to have avoided that potentially awkward scenario.

Hearing your phone ping, you checked the message and saw it was Jungkook. A series of messages came in from him, and you read them in succession.

Shaking your head, you stand, grabbing the white outfits from the rack an assistant had brought in earlier after the set change. Throwing them over your arm, you head off to the set in a rush, shooting back a quick text to let him know you were coming.

Most everyone from earlier was back on set, expressions showcasing various stages of irritation. You handed the clothing to an unusually quiet Somin, and lifted your now free arm to wave at the artists. Somin walked away, throwing quiet looks over at you and Jungkook, who you were standing near now that you had approached the table. Jungkook was leaning on that same table, arms crossed as he reviewed the printout of what was needed.

“You know they sent us an updated list 2 hours after we started shooting? While we were all here, they thought that we could somehow read their minds. Then when I uploaded and sent the file over to have them double check, they responded that we had to finish it tonight.”

“It’s annoying for sure, JK, but you know Jimin and Tae will deliver. Once they’re dressed I bet we’ll be done in like 15 minutes, max.”

He nodded, smiling at your optimism.

“Hey, are you gonna tell me what earlier was about? With Namjoon hyung?”

You froze, not expecting the question, but you were saved from having to answer right then, since Namjoon walked in at that moment. It was too late for you to go anywhere; you were standing too close to the door, trapped between the table and Namjoon, who looked hurt. Jungkook read the situation and took several steps away to give you some privacy with Namjoon. 

“You’ve been avoiding me all day. After that message—did you think that I wouldn’t read it? I just broke up with Jennie, Y/N, it’s… I’m not… You can’t just say this shit to me right now.”

“Namjoon—I didn’t mean to, I was drunk and I promise you it’s not what you think, I don’t feel that way, okay?” You try and take it all back, wishing more than anything that he hadn’t read what you had written the previous night. 

“You don’t feel that way? Are you kidding me? I read it!”

“No, I don’t feel that way, okay? I’m with someone else.” You lied. You hoped that he would buy it.

“Y/N, I’m your best friend. Don’t you think I would know?”

“Yeah, you're my best friend, but you and Jennie are always together, it’s been forever since we actually caught up, so yes, it’s recent okay?”

“Who are you dating then?”

You say the first name that popped into your head. The person closest to you.

“Jeon Jungkook.”

“I don’t believe it.” His words come out harsh, and a part of you, the part that already feels like shit because Namjoon chose to be with Jennie a couple of years ago, lashes out in hurt.

“Why? Cause someone like him could never date someone like me?”

“Yes, Y/N. You guys are too different!” His voice was getting louder, and you knew that you had to do something in order to get him to believe your lie. So you do the only thing you can think of in your heated state. You take the several steps needed to cross the space between you and Jungkook, who looked up from where he was absorbed into his phone. 

“You ready?” he asked, looking down at your small frame. 

“Yeah baby, I’m ready.” Your hand snaked behind his head, and firmly grasping his neck, you leaned up on tiptoes as you pulled his mouth toward yours. You kissed him, and in his surprise, his free hands gripped your waist and he pulled you closer to him, before you were separating from him, slightly breathless. His grip tightened before it rested gently on your hip and you settled back onto your heels. 

You see the back of Namjoon’s coat trail behind him as he disappeared out the doors, pulling them shut loudly behind him.

You look back up at Jungkook, whose fingers squeeze your sides quickly to grab your attention.

“You’re definitely gonna have to explain after that kiss... baby.” 

—

Later that evening, you sat with Jungkook in his car. A black Mercedes Benz GT63S to be exact, with dark grey leather and a small bit of wood grain along the spacious dashboard. Your fingers trailed along the wood grain as you explained to Jungkook what happened, starting with the accidental drunk text messages, leading up to the reason behind your kiss. 

“So now what?” Jungkook asks, looking sideways over at you.

“I don’t know. I feel so stupid.”

“Look, Y/N… I think this could be mutually beneficial.”

You meet his eyes, a look of incredulity across your face.

“Please explain Jeon.”

“Look, earlier when I stepped in and kicked hyung off set, Somin was already eyeing the way we were behaving. She may or may not have texted me about it. Of course, I told her we were broken up, so she didn’t need to concern herself with my business. And then, when we came back to set, she made a face when they asked me to text you to come back too.” He smirked.

“I may or may not have peeped it, and may or may not have used it to my advantage. Of course, you kissing me definitely helped.” He glanced down at his phone as it lit up. Once again a message from Somin tiled above 17 other messages from her. He had been actively ignoring them while the two of you talked.

“So I say that we date.”

“We what?”

“Date. I can teach Somin a lesson about how to treat me and you can keep hyung off your back.”

“Teach Somin? I thought she broke up with you?”

“It was mutual. But this always happens. And I for one am tired of the back and forth. So this can teach her that other people want me, and I can move on, or she can stop with the drama and we stop breaking up every other week.”

You nodded. It sounded like a feasible plan, and you told him as much.

“So it’s agreed. We’re now together.”

“Not so fast, Jeon… I think we should have a backstory, get some things straight, set some rules.”

“Rules, Y/N? You sure know how to take the fun out of it.”

You rolled your eyes.

“When did we start dating?” you asked, ignoring his snide comment.

“We got together… at the beginning of the week. Somin and I broke up 2 weeks ago, though we didn’t make it public because she always does this shit...” he trailed off, before smiling back at you. “So yeah, let’s say we’ve been talking here and there everytime me and Somin would break up, and then we went on a couple dates during that first week we broke up and made it exclusive this week.”

You commit this to memory, then pull out your tablet and begin jotting it down with the stylus.

“Okay, so this is new, but we’ve been on each other’s radar for a bit. I think that’s believable, especially since we’ve known each other just as long as you and Somin have. How do you plan to make her jealous? It has to seem real, you know?”

“Trust me, she already thinks this is real,” he nods to his phone again, now at 28 unread messages from Somin, “so I think something that we can do is start arriving together. Maybe do little things for each other that are cute coupley things, be seen together. Kiss at work. Maybe I can sleep over a few nights or you at mine?” He winks at you.

“I thought you didn’t see me that way, Jeon.” You looked down at the tablet, furiously scribbling what he said in order to avoid looking at him and showing the way he caused your cheeks to warm.

“I said I wasn’t in love with you, babe, not that I wasn’t interested in sleeping with you again.”

“Yeah, well that’s off the table Jeon. This isn’t real.”

He just wagged his eyebrows at you seductively, but you laughed and moved on from it, reviewing the list you wrote out.

You made sure to underline number seven so he could see it easily. 

“And when does this end?” You asked.

“Um, I don’t know. I guess we just play it by ear. Let it be natural. Obviously not too early or too late, and it should be mutual. I mean, if Somin learns her lesson, we would obviously have to end things, but I don’t see that happening sooner than a month.”

“Okay,” you tilt your head, thoughtfully, “So we can re-examine this in like a month then.”

“So is this like a contract or what?” he jokes. “Want me to sign it?”

“Sure,” you say, playing along and offering him the stylus. He took it from your hand and signed his signature, and then handed you back the pen, gesturing for you to sign as well. You followed suit, a quiet chuckle as you saved the page to your tablet’s files.

“Wanna drive me home, boyfriend?”

—

Dating Jungkook was… interesting, to say the least. You were a little surprised when he texted you the next morning asking what your coffee order was, and you weren’t expecting him to be so punctual when he pulled up to your apartment. But as you and Yuna exited the apartment that morning, he was already parked at the curb, music a little too loud for the early morning transit, but you were thankful nonetheless. 

“Why are you taking us?” Yuna asked in her very blunt manner. She, of course, had heard of Jungkook, more so due to your falling out with Somin, but Jungkook took her question in stride.

“Because I’m dating your sister.” 

He handed you an iced caramel latte with a soft smile that you couldn’t help but return. Jungkook looked stunningly handsome, hair floofed to your desired preference and an all black outfit to match. His pants were the perfect fit to his well-toned body and the black bomber jacket gave him a bad boy edge that was softened by his doe eyes.

Yuna coughed, choking on her strawberry flavored poptart as you turned to look out the window. Yuna, seated behind you, hit the back of your seat.

“You’re dating him? And you didn’t tell me?”

“I wanted to be sure it was going to work out this time… He and his ex used to be on and off a lot and I didn’t want to tell you if they got back together.” You answer, mixing the truth into it.

“Ohhhh, I see. You a player Jeon? Gonna break my sister’s heart?” Yuna eyed him, pupils narrowed as they stared at him. 

He cleared his throat, not expecting to have to defend himself against the small pitbull in the backseat.

“Not planning on it, Yuna.” Jungkook reached over and took your hand into his large one, interlocking your fingers before he kissed the back of your hand sweetly as he released the brakes and pulled off. 

Walking into the BigHit building, Jungkook held the door open for you before placing his hand in the back pocket of your black skinny jeans as you walked to the elevator. You wore a black knit sweater that fell slightly off the shoulder, and you knew it looked like you two had coordinated outfits. His other hand held the strap of the backpack he had slung over his shoulder while you clutched your coffee and your bag. 

You started to walk off towards your office once you made it to your floor, but Jungkook’s hand on your ass pulled you back towards him. He leaned down to your ear, whispering quietly.

“Where are you off too in such a hurry?”

“Um, my office… why?”

“Come with me to mine first, let me drop off my bag and I'll walk you back.”

“Oh-kay?” 

Letting his pocketed hand guide you, you fell in step with him down the hallway. You passed several other people, including Jin, an actor signed to the company who was known for his gossip, who nodded their hellos to Jungkook before ducking their heads together or reaching for their phones. It felt like high school all over again. Jungkook removed his hand from the warmth of your ass in order to open his office door, to which he then pulled you inside. Closing the door, he backed you into it rather loudly. The windows in the door are frosted, but you knew that pressed to it like this, anyone who looked could see your outline against it. 

Jungkook pushed his body into yours, lips following suit as his hands found purchase on your hips. He kissed you languidly, the mint from his toothpaste clashed with your coffee, though not unpleasant. You kissed him back, enjoying the feel of his soft pout as it glided to your neck. He wasted no time in latching on, suckling your neck for a few seconds before he pulled away with a loud smacking noise. 

“I must say, we put on quite the show this morning. My roommate was out there, and he will definitely have everyone talking about our PDA.” He grinned, eyes still glued to your neck. “Once that hickey sets in, it will really be the talk of the town.”

You blinked, finally coming back to your senses. Of course. This was all a part of the plan. Jungkook stepped away from you, moving to put away his belongings in his office. You stepped away from the door, looking around as you willed your body to cool down. That kiss had been quite an experience, and you yourself had gotten carried away with the plan. 

Turning on the spot, you notice all the different camera equipment lining the walls, the beautiful still photography of various buildings throughout the city, but the most surprising was a photo from the first year you had all met. The picture had you, Jungkook, Somin, Jimin, and a few other friends in it; smiles wide as you stood at the fairgrounds you attended, ferris wheel lighting up the sky behind you. You walked towards it, taking in how carefree you looked, arms wrapped around Jungkook’s waist and his arms thrown over your and Somin’s shoulders, who was making the peace sign with both hands at her eyes. Jimin was making a silly face, arm wrapped around Somin’s waist. Simpler times.

You moved on, turning to the small polaroid camera and you couldn’t help but grab it. Turning, you snapped a photo of Jungkook, who was caught off guard. You took the developing film from the camera and set it down on his desk as he smiled at you.

“Hmm, that’s a good idea. Let me take a few photos of you, I can place them around my office.”

You tried to reject his idea, but he takes the photos anyways, pinching your cheeks and tickling you until he gets what he wants. Finally, 6 clicks later, he stood next to you, facing the camera to the two of you before he said your name softly. You looked up at him, and he surprised you with a kiss. That 7th click captured a kiss, and he placed that one in the back of his phone case.

“You are such a… a lover, Jeon.” You say, pointing at his phone. He shrugged, ignoring your jab.

“It’s something Somin always wanted me to do… I never did though. So seeing this will piss her off.”

You nodded, understanding. Everything he did had a purpose for getting at Somin in some way, shape, or form. You chided yourself that you would do well to remember that. 

—

Lunch was a whole new ball game. Used to sitting with Namjoon and Jennie, or some of your assistants, you were now eating lunch with Jungkook, who ate in the employee cafeteria. You followed his request to meet him there and stood in the doorway lost until you heard his voice call out to you.

Noting his waving hand, you wove through the circular tables until you reached the one he was at with Jimin, Taehyung, Jin, and Yoongi, a producer friend that you knew through Namjoon.

All of the seats were taken, but before you could stand there looking out of place, Jungkook scooted his chair out and all but pulled you onto his lap. Wrapping his arms around your waist, he nuzzled into your neck, breathing in your clean scented perfume and strawberry shampoo.

“Get a room, JK.” Yoongi said, face contorted with a mock look of disgust.

“What? She’s just so cute and warm.” His fingers drifted towards the hem of your sweater and disappeared up into the material, cold fingers pressed against the soft skin of your belly and you shivered with a giggle, pushing his ice box hands away.

“You’re cold as fuck, Jesus Jeon! Were you hanging out in a freezer?”

“You could say that...” Taehyung laughed while elbowing Jimin, and you raised an eyebrow at them, wanting in on the joke, too.

“He was reviewing pictures with us and our managers.” Jimin clarified, and you nodded. 

“I take it that Somin wasn’t very warm?” You asked, leaning more into Jungkook.

“Not at all,” Tae disclosed, “she was very icy, had a lot to say about our dear JK over here, didn’t she?”

“Nothing we haven't heard before.” Jimin answered, and the two laughed, but you didn’t find it all that funny. Hearing that Somin trash talked Jungkook to his friends while working didn’t sound like the kind of person anyone would want to date. 

“Well she can talk shit all she wants, she’s just mad he’s moved on.” You defended, and are surprised to hear a quiet ‘thank you’ just for your ears as Jungkook tightened his hold briefly.

“I really dislike that girl,” Jin said, “I for one will be glad to not see her trashy ass around the apartment anymore. You are a breath of fresh air, Y/N.”

You smile shyly at Jin, enjoying how well everyone seemed to have welcomed you into their group.

“So, Y/N, we were just talking about the party Yoongi was throwing. He and Hobi live together, and they’re throwing a small rager this weekend. You’re coming with JK, right?”

Oh, this was not something you were expecting. You hadn’t gone to a party with co-workers in a long time…

“Um—”

“Of course she’ll be there, she’s coming with me. Right, babe?” Jungkook’s doe eyes looked up at you and you couldn’t say no. It’s not like you had plans anyways. You nodded and smiled at him, and he leaned into you, lips seeking yours in a quick kiss. You feel your body react to it, like it had been doing since this started, and pulled back before he could turn it X-rated. 

“Okay, seriously you two, get a room.”

—

Standing in the mirror in your bedroom, you turned from side to side to take in your outfit. As a head wardrobe stylist, you had a pretty good sense of fashion, but liked to stick to basic pieces and blacks, dressing up your look with delicate jewelry or layered pieces. 

Tonight was no different. With the beginnings of winter creeping in, you wanted to be comfortable in the weather once the sun set. You had on black sheer leggings that disappeared into a cute black skirt with thin white lines that had a revealing thigh split. Your top was an asymmetrical design, having one long sleeve and turning into a bandeau style on the other side. You paired it with black velvet boots that had crisp white laces, then finished the look with a matching set of simple dangling skinny diamond earrings, bracelet, and necklace. 

Despite this thing with Jungkook being fake, you wanted him to still feel proud to showcase you on his arm at this party. People were already talking about the two of you, and tonight would fuel the gossip even more. You were nervous of course, knowing who typically attended these types of parties, but Jungkook had assured you that he would keep you safe tonight.

The polite knock on your bedroom door had you turn your head to the sound, a tossed “come in” over your shoulder to who you thought was Yuna, but revealed a very handsome looking Jungkook, who was in his typical all black attire. You stood there, body warming as you took in his height, broad shoulders, and long legs. 

“Wow.” 

His voice was low, but his eyes looked like they sparkled as he took you in. 

“You don’t look too bad yourself, Jeon,” you responded, reaching to grab your bag off of your bed.

Jungkook snapped out of the daze he was in and pulled his phone out of his pocket. 

“Let’s take a photo for the ‘gram.”

You nodded; for a second you thought he wanted to have a photo of you because you looked good. Posing in the mirror, he pulled you close by your waist and adjusted his phone to capture both of you in the frame. He took a few photos, switching poses slightly each time.

“Hey,” he said, gaining your attention. You turned to him, shocked when his lips met yours. You melt easily into the kiss, hearing the camera shutter click several times as you tangled tongues, his hand sliding from your waist to cup your butt and pull you closer. You were unable to stop the moan from his action, and when he pulled away, lips a bit fuller and pinker from kissing, he quirked his eyebrow at you, paired with his signature smirk.

“Y-You messed up my lip gloss,” you fake huffed, turning away from him to rummage through your bag to grab your gloss and reapply. Your attempt to avoid him from seeing the way he affected you didn’t go unnoticed, but Jungkook kept quiet on it.

“It was worth it, these pics are hot. Plus, you taste good. What flavor is that?”

“Strawberry,” you mumbled, still feeling the heat from the kiss warm your neck and face.

“Strawberry is slowly becoming my new favorite.”

—

Yoongi and Hobi knew how to throw a party. The music was playing at the perfect level that you could still hear people talking to you, a variety of alcoholic beverages were supplied in ample amounts, and several games were being held in various rooms of their home. 

Currently, you were seated on the couch with a few other women from the office. Unfortunately, one of them was Somin. Across the room, your ‘boyfriend’ was engaged in a game of beer pong against Taehyung and Jimin. They had challenged him solo, citing he was good at everything and didn’t need a partner. As you watched him toss the small ping pong balls into the same cup, you knew their concern was right. 

“Y/N, you and Jeon?” Seline, one of the girls seated next to you, asked suggestively.

“Yea,” you giggled, the cup of something or other making you a little... giggly.

“Color me a little surprised. He’s like, such a social butterfly, and you’re...” 

“Oh, Y/N used to be a social butterfly, but she thought she was too good for us back in college.” Somin piped up. 

Her statement caught you off guard. Somin was once your best friend, but when she started dating Jungkook, she had distanced herself from you, not the other way around. 

“I never thought that. Some people act differently once they start dating people though. I never changed.” You sat back with a huff, crossing your arms. She ruined the buzz the alcohol had given you. 

Seline leaned closer to you, interested to hear more. The other’s seated nearby also tuned in with interest.

“Oh, you knew them in college?” 

You nodded, and Somin got up and walked away from the couch, seemingly annoyed at the attention you were getting for being Jungkook’s new girl.

You told the brief backstory of your friendship, leaving out the obvious part of losing virginities and finding out your best friend confessed to Jungkook when you were on your way to do the same thing, but ending it on good terms, saying that it was just the process of naturally growing apart. 

Seline nodded, and you saw her eyes widen as she looked past you. Following her gaze, your eyes narrowed at the view. Somin was all over Jungkook. You weren’t exaggerating; both of her hands were holding on to him as if she was too drunk to maintain her balance. She was falling into his arms and he was holding her, one of his large hands pushing her hair back from her face and a look of concern etched upon his own. 

Two feelings hit you at once. Nausea at the sight of him looking so tenderly at her, simultaneous with a boiling fury of jealousy that it wasn’t you. 

“Looks like Somin wants him back.” Seline snickered towards the other girls, and you stood up abruptly. You made eye contact with Jimin, who’s eyes were unnaturally large as he registered the scene before him.

Jimin was relieved that Somin interrupted the end of the game so that he could escape before he had to drink more, but he also felt annoyed seeing her all over Jungkook. Jimin had been glad when Jungkook told him and Tae that he was done with Somin; even more glad when he heard that Jungkook started seeing you. 

Back in college, Jimin was the only person, other than you and Jungkook, who knew what happened between you two. Both of you had confided in him your actions and feelings for one another. Color him surprised when he found out that Jungkook was not dating you, but instead your best friend, Somin. He wasn’t sure what happened but soon after, you stopped being around as much and Somin was around all the time. 

Watching Somin pretend to be too drunk to function and fall all over Jungkook made Jimin purposefully search the room for you. Watching you stand, drink clutched in your hand, Jimin had a feeling something was about to happen.

The drink you were nursing was downed in its entirety within a single swallow. You were now several drinks in, and you were feeling the alcohol start to hit as you stood up fast. Pushing your shoulders back, you walked over towards your ‘boyfriend’, whose back was turned towards you, and slid your arm around his waist.

“Heyyy babe,” you leaned into his body, staking claim on Jungkook as you stared daggers at Somin. She had taken a few steps back when you had approached, but now, seeing the challenge in your eyes, she stepped closer once more.

“Ggukk-ah, I don’t feel so well...”

“Min,” Jungkook stepped out of your hold, hands moving to cup Somin’s face as she feigned weakness in her knees. The level of concern in his voice let you know exactly how he felt. You scoffed, not believing Jungkook would behave this way in front of everyone. He was the one who had came up with this idea for ‘mutual benefit’ and here he was fucking it all up.

“She’s fine, babe. She can handle her alcohol.” You felt yourself growing hotter, the alcohol actually having an effect on you, as it always had. Your increasing body temperature only made you more frustrated.

“Seriously Gguk, I’m getting so hot...” Somin reached for the hem of her shirt, and in one fell swoop she had exposed the lacey bra she wore underneath. You could hear people talking over the sound of the music, taking in the scene of a shirtless ex making a brazen show.

“Jungkook!” Your voice is no more than a harsh whisper, but he’s so scandalized at Somin’s action, the protective boyfriend in him coming out to aid in shielding her body from onlookers, he doesn’t hear you. 

You hate the sick feeling bubbling in your stomach, unsure if it's from watching your ‘man’ flirt with his half naked ex or if it’s from the alcohol not sitting right with you.

Throwing the scene one last look, you turned on your heels and headed off to the kitchen for a bottle of water, or perhaps, another cup of something stronger.

Walking past him and Taehyung, Jimin caught sight of the look on your face before you blew past on your way towards the kitchen and he knew he should warn his friend.

“Jungkook, hey.. Jungkook!” Jimin yelled, his voice louder the second time he called his name. 

Jungkook had been leaning towards Somin, hands cradling her face as he continued to speak quietly to her. When he looked up at Jimin, his face appeared slightly annoyed at the interruption as he was taking care of her.

“What, bro?”

“Um, your girlfriend? Y/N? She just went into the kitchen and she looked a little upset.” Jimin said, his face trying to communicate to Jungkook what it looked like that he was holding his ex that way and his new girlfriend had stormed off. 

“Oh, for fuck’s sake. Jimin, can you?” Jungkook gestured his head towards the kitchen and Jimin thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head.

“How about I take Somin and you go find Y/N? Your girlfriend. Remember?”

Jungkook paused for a millisecond before depositing Somin into Jimin’s arms. He made his way to the kitchen, where he found you engaged in taking shots with Yoongi, Hoseok, and Jin, the latter of which was shit talking Somin with a smile. When you felt his presence enter the kitchen, you ignored him, gesturing for your now fourth shot in as many minutes.

Sensing the tension, Yoongi decided against more shots, instead leading Hobi and Jin out of the kitchen, much to Jin’s complaints of having to be around the ‘trashy tramp’. The three headed back to the party, a bottle tucked under Yoongi’s arm as Hobi carried the shot glasses out. 

“We were enjoying our new friend, JK. Stop keeping her to yourself,” Jin said with a drunken glare. 

Sighing audibly, you turned to walk out of the kitchen but Jungkook’s grasp on your wrist stopped you.

“Hey, why are you ignoring me like this?” He asked, confusion tinting his voice.

“Um, maybe because you’re supposed to be dating me and you were too busy with Somin to remember you even had a girlfriend.” You said back harshly, spitting the words at him with such vehemence you wobbled precariously on your heels.

“Come here.” Jungkook said, dragging you behind him through the bodies in the hallway until you had made it into one of the unoccupied back bedrooms. Shutting the door, he turned to you as he dragged his hand through his hair. The action only made him more handsome, tousled hair falling gently to frame his face.

“Look, it’s... complicated with Somin right now.”

“I get that you’re trying to teach her a lesson, see if you want to be with her or whatever, but not at my expense. You said mutually beneficial. Making me look like your second choice and embarrassing me does not benefit me.”

During your speech, you poked him in the chest several times, the alcohol starting to take its effect on you. Stumbling slightly, Jungkook caught you to steady you, keeping his hands on your waist. The warmness of his palms felt nice as he helped keep you balanced.

“You’re right, Y/N. I’m sorry. Like I said, it’s complicated. We dated for a long time. I still care for her. She’s... been making this difficult.”

“Oh? Difficult how? By faking being drunk so you can take care of her?”

“She’s a lightweight, that’s not fake,” he defended.

You were once close enough with Somin to know that she was not a lightweight, since she had been drinking at parties since she was 14; her earlier interaction was indeed, all an act.

“Whatever, Jungkook. So what is she doing that’s so difficult?” you asked, cutting him a look of narrowed eyes until he answered you.

He walked backwards, tugging you gently along until he was seated on the bed. You stood between his parted knees, waiting patiently for his answer. Realizing you weren’t going to drop it, he rubbed the back of his neck gingerly.

“She’s, you know.. She still texts me all the time, saying shit and sending pics and stuff. She says she wants me back, but I just,” he looked up at you, his doe eyes unable to hide his emotions.

“I don’t know if I believe it. I want to. But she’s hurt me, and I’m tired of it. I want her to feel how I felt.”

Your ire towards him faded as he opened up to you. Cupping his face gently, you leaned in and rubbed his nose with yours softly back and forth.

“You’re amazing Jungkook. Until tonight, you’ve treated me like a princess the entire week we’ve been dating. But she won’t learn if you give in. You’ve got me now, okay? When she texts you, text me instead. Don’t entertain her. She’ll think I’m not enough for you if you keep responding, and that doesn’t show her you can move on.”

You had sunk into him the whole time you talked to him, and he shifted your body so you were now straddled over his lap, head resting on his shoulder. You yawned sleepily, the loss of the anger leaving you feeling the tired effects of the alcohol. Unlike Somin, you were a lightweight, and 3 shots was over your limit.

As you got comfortable on Jungkook, he thought over what you said, smoothing your hair carefully.

“You’re right. You always were so smart in school... ” Jungkook said, and you nodded your head on his shoulder in agreement, humming an affirmative.

“Let’s get you home though, you’re halfway to passing out anyways.” Pulling out his phone, he ordered an Uber. He held you like that, your strawberry scent surrounding him until the Uber driver was outside. His hands gripping you under your thighs, he stood up and carried you out of the party, nodding bye to his friends and hosts of the party.

Placing you into the Uber, he climbed in after you and you curled into his lap, seeking his warmth in your drunken half-slumber. Jungkook chuckled, noticing the way his chest reacted to the action but ignored it. This was an arrangement, you seeking him out wasn’t real, and your anger earlier wasn’t jealousy, he told himself. You were worried about being embarrassed. He still loved and wanted to get back with Somin, right? 

As he looked down at you in his lap, enjoying the weight of you pressed against his body, he wasn’t so sure. 

“This the correct address, sir?” The Uber driver asked, verifying with Jungkook once he shut the SUV door.

“Yea, both of us are headed there.”

—

The weekend passed by fast. Waking up at Jungkook’s place Sunday morning had been a little shocking, but his bed was soft and clean, and smelled of him. You had snuggled deeper into the sheets until he woke you up to go get breakfast and get his car from Yoongi’s place. He detailed to you what had transpired to you being in his bed, expressed that he had not taken advantage of you, per rule number 7, plus the basic concept of consent, and promised to take you home as soon as Jin was awake and could take the two of you to go get his car. 

He gave you some clothes to change into, and while you weren’t surprised to find he had jeans to fit you, neither one of you asked or shared the obvious: they were Somin’s. At least the shirt he gave you was his, and you also stole a hoodie to wear. December may have only just started a week ago, but the cold was pervasive.

Breakfast with him was fun. Getting to know Jungkook again was just as exhilarating as it had been the first time, during that first year at BHSMA. He had changed, but in a good way. More mature, but still playful. An adult who was a hotshot photographer, but still humble and considerate. How someone could be built like that and have such a big soft heart was beyond you. 

The trip to get his car was slightly awkward, as Jin, Jungkook’s very nosy roommate, commented on how bad drunk sex must be with Jungkook if you were able to keep so quiet. 

“Somin was always so loud, I swear she was exaggerating. No one’s dick is that good; sorry JK.”

Once Jin dropped the two of you off at Yoongi and Hobi’s, it ended up turning into hanging out with them for a bit, talking about work and your relationship with Jungkook. Hobi swooned with oohs and ahhs while Yoongi cringed, faking disgust at such a cute story, as was his trademark. 

Jungkook apologized once the two of you escaped to his car, for both Jin being cringey, and for staying longer than anticipated with Yoongi and Hoseok, but you weren’t mad. You enjoyed meeting his friends and getting to know them. You were only a little concerned because Yoongi was also friends with Namjoon, who worked in the same department as him.

Jungkook turned to you before you climbed out of the car, not wanting to say goodbye just yet, but unable to think of a reason to get you to stay. Afterall, the relationship was fake. 

“Hey, thanks for your advice last night.”

“Honestly, I barely remember what it was, but if it helped you, I’m glad.” You smiled at him, and he had to blink a few times to remember what else he wanted to say.

“So, um—I was thinking we could go on, like, a formal date Monday? After work? Monday should be a chill day. I know the comeback is planned for January, so going out sooner than later is best, right? Get it out of the way? That way we won’t forget, and we won’t be too busy with work to try and squeeze it in, and—” 

Jungkook knew he was rambling, feeling nervous despite it being you, someone he had known for several years now. For fucks sake, he’s seen you naked. He felt his cock twitch and internally scolded himself. This was not the time for remembering the way you felt beneath him, the sweet sounds he had pulled from you as he learned your body, shared with you in giving each other your virginities. 

When his cock twitched again, he took a deep breath and tried to focus on your answer.

“You okay, Jeon?” you asked, noticing he had zoned out slightly.

“Yeah... ” he responded, shifting as if uncomfortable.

“Well, I said I would love to go on a date with you. What did you have planned?”

“It’s a surprise. Just dress for the weather.”

You nodded thoughtfully, a small smile gracing your face as you gathered your purse and stepped back out of the doorway of his car to shut it. He rolled the window down, smiling back at you.

“Can’t wait,” you say, standing outside his car on the sidewalk through the rolled down window, waving your fingers at him cutely.

Jungkook’s signature smile spread across his face as he winked at you just before he pulled off, turning his music up loud as he whipped his Benz out of your complex. 

—

Now sitting at your desk, you clicked through the selected shots that Jungkook emailed you of the photo shoot from last week as you reminisced on the weekend. You were supposed to be checking the outfits, detailing the different designers for the credits. But your thoughts kept drifting to Jungkook, and what should have easily been a 15 minute task took 45. 

Finally sending the email, you stood to stretch when a loud knock announced a visitor. Walking to the frosted door of your office, you opened it and revealed a large bouquet of tiger lilies. 

“Delivery for Y/N Y/L/N,” Kim, one of your assistants sing-songed as she walked into the room.

“Where did you get this? And why?” You searched the flowers until you found the card inside.

“I’m not supposed to give any details other than to read the note!” She pranced away, a smug smile on her face for knowing the secret you wanted to know.

Opening the envelope, a small polaroid fell out, fluttering to the ground. You picked it up, noting the image of a small park nearby. At the bottom, in Jungkook’s neat writing was a time. 2:30PM. Glancing at the clock, you see that the time listed is in roughly 15 minutes, so you gathered your purse, plucked a flower from the bouquet and headed out to meet Jungkook.

Walking into the elevator, Namjoon suddenly entered just before the doors shut, trapping you inside with him.

“Why are you avoiding me?” He asked. You studied him, momentarily at a loss for words at his ambush.

“Joonie, I—I’m not avoiding you. I’ve just been busy...”

“Too busy for your best friend? Jennie left me, and now I feel like I’m losing you too.”

Hearing his voice crack as he mentioned his ex hurts you more than you let him know. In all of the panic of the secret sex journal being released and fake dating Jungkook, you had forgotten what Namjoon had been going through.

“I promise, you’re not losing me, Joonie. You’re my best friend. I’m sorry that I haven’t been acting like it. I swear, I have been busy.”

“Yeah, busy going to parties with your new boyfriend. I saw him carrying your wasted ass out of Yoongi’s house.” Namjoon sounded a little irritated as he spoke.

“Listen, it’s complicated.. Can we talk about this later, please? It’s not a conversation for the elevator.”

“Okay, where are you going? I’ll go with you.” The doors opened and you both stepped out, Namjoon following you like a lifeline.

“Joonie, I—Look, I’m going on a date with Jungkook, I’m sorry!” you halted your steps and explained to him as a look of hurt flashed across his face.

“You know what? Forget it. Hit me up when you remember your best friend, if I’m even that.”

Namjoon walked away from you, ignoring you as you called after him. You sighed, giving up as he disappeared around a corner of the lobby, guests and coworkers looking at the exchange with interest.

You rubbed your temples and took a deep breath before braving the cold to walk to Ttukseom Park.

The walk was surprisingly pleasant. Despite the temperature, the sun was warm on your face whenever you were able to evade the shade along the sidewalk. It may have been the very beginnings of winter, but the scenery was anything but the cold melancholy you tended to associate with this time of the year.

The grass was vibrant still, and as you made it to the spot that matched the small photo you still had clutched in your hand, you noticed how the butterfly art installation along the wall of the J-Bug Cultural Complex glittered in the sunlight seeping in. Jungkook was seated on a bench right underneath the art with his trusty camera hanging from his neck, a picnic basket next to him.

“This is beautiful,” you said in awe, taking in the entire view. Jungkook followed your gaze, humming his agreement before picking up his camera. You heard the shutter of the camera several times. You looked over to him glancing at the small screen on the device before adjusting the lens and taking several more. 

“Have you never seen this?” He said as he stood and grabbed the basket. You stood as well and followed him, falling into step beside him as he walked out from the shade and into the grassier area.

You shook your head no. “Don’t really have the time I guess. I’ve always wanted to explore the J-Bug though; Namjoon said the museums all along the Hangang are amazing.”

“I’ve taken photos at several of the murals nearby, they’re some of my favorite locations actually.” He smiled at you, and you can’t help the way your heart squeezes. He nodded his head to an area that had a decent amount of sunlight to combat the winter chill.

“Yea, I remember seeing some of them in your office. You’re really talented Kookie, I remember how passionate you were about photography even back then.” You helped spread the blanket he produced from the basket and once seated you leaned back on your palms, eyes closed. 

Jungkook looked at you, taking in the way the midday sun made you glow, how pretty your lashes looked leaving shadows across your content cheeks. He couldn’t hold back the smile that took over his face upon hearing you use the endearment he hadn’t heard since that night so long ago.

“Ah, yeah, but my photography wasn’t that good then.”

“Stop being so humble, the photos you took were amazing, even then.”

You opened your eyes, catching him staring at you, and you felt yourself grow self-conscious.

“What? Is there something on my face?”

“Oh—uh, no sorry, it was just the sun—you know, lighting and all.” He gestured to his camera.

“Ah, I guess the talented eye never rests. Though I don’t know why you would want pictures of me,” you laughed and Jungkook tapped your knee in reproach.

“You’re a pretty good subject, don’t downplay yourself.”

You nodded, looking in the basket to hide the way your cheeks had warmed at his comment.

“Seriously, Y/N, I used to want to take photos of you all the time back then... you should’ve seen my camera roll. It was embarrassing. Jimin used to tease me all the time.” Jungkook helped you set up his small spread of food and you used the meal as a distraction.

“Ooh, did you prepare all of this?”

“Ah, some of it,” he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “I had some help from Jin hyung.”

“It smells delicious.” You took the proffered chopsticks from his large hand and dug into the bowl of japchae before placing it on your rice to gather for one bite; Jungkook followed suit.

The rest of the lunch date went incredibly well. Jungkook was just like you remembered him to be, except he was more filled out, and a little taller with a jawline that could cut glass. But his humor, his compassion, his deep thoughts that led you to fall for him all those years ago were still painfully there. Spending more time with him one on one did nothing but show you that the feelings you once had for him were still easily accessible. 

As he led you back to the office, his hand swinging yours between your bodies, you couldn’t help but wish this was real. How nice it would be to just pretend that Jungkook really was yours, allow those creeping feelings to spread like spring, blooming across your chest until it was vibrant and unforgettable. You couldn’t imagine what it would be like after; after when you were single again and Jungkook had either gotten back with Somin or moved on to someone else.

“What are you thinking about?” Jungkook squeezed your hand. You hadn’t even noticed that you were not only back at the office, but standing at the door to your locked office.

“Oh, sorry. Honestly, that lunch date was just so nice… It felt good to get out and do something different for a change.”

“Oh, well yea, I remembered you used to like stuff like this, I figured you probably still did.”

You nodded, hope blooming. 

“Take a look at this post, let me know if it’s okay.”

He handed you his phone, and you admired the way he had caught you off guard, a photo that looked like it could be moving, the way your hair frames your face as you looked longingly off into the distance. The caption was simple. “It’s not about where you go or what you have, it’s about who you’re with along the way.” 

“It’s perfect.”

“Okay, post it then. And post a few more pics of me on your page too? I’ve been posting and tagging you...”

If you didn’t know any better, you would think that Jungkook sounded… upset? You nodded as you clicked the post button, and as it loaded, the phone vibrated in your hand. Thinking it was a like or a comment on the image of you, you glanced at it. His phone had locked by this time, and instead of seeing notifications for Instagram, you saw a message notification instead. 

Handing him back his phone, you push down that blooming sensation. It would be foolish to think Jungkook was upset that you hadn’t posted him as much as he had posted you. Clearly he must’ve spent time with Somin after he dropped you off yesterday. 

“You got a message. Umm, I’m gonna finish up here and then head home, you don’t need to wait for me. See you tomorrow?”

You wanted to get away from him desperately. Jungkook looked at you, confused at your sudden shift in mood.

“I thought I was driving you home? Jin said he was staying out late tonight, I figured we could hang out for a few—”

“We’ll see! There’s still so much to do for the album release.” You leaned up and kissed his cheek chastely before unlocking your office door and all but disappeared inside of it.

Jungkook stood there, staring at your closed door for a few more seconds before he felt his phone buzz in his hand. Checking his notifications, he saw a series of texts from Somin. 

Looking around confused, he noticed Somin standing across the office area, a deadly smirk on her face as she waved her phone at Jungkook. All Jungkook could do was sigh. Somin wouldn’t leave him alone long enough to sort out his thoughts, and now she was sending purposefully misleading texts? Jungkook didn’t know how to explain to you that what you saw was untrue.

You clearly believed it.

—

Jungkook gave you two days of space before he decided to track you down. He always hated that Somin would know he was upset (typically because it was her fault) and immediately pounce on him, forcing her company upon him and not allowing him the ability to forgive and move on. He wanted to give you that time, so after two days, Jungkook felt that it had been long enough, and the two of you should reconcile whatever misunderstanding there had been.

You posted a photo with him yesterday, and from the caption you wrote it appeared like you had a fun time with him on Monday despite the way you left him standing at your office door. 

The image you posted on your Instagram with Jungkook was a candid shot; he hadn’t realized you had taken a photo. While it brought about that warm feeling in his chest seeing the photo appear in his feed, it didn’t clearly depict his face. 

Instead, the focus was on your fingers intertwined. Jungkook’s profile could be seen, blurred from lack of focus, but it matched the caption you had chosen so well. “Even if someone shakes this world, please don’t ever let go of this hand you’re holding...”

Motivated, Jungkook made sure to be bright and early at your door ready to drive you and your sister. 

You weren’t expecting to see the flashy Benz outside of your apartment. Yuna was excited to not have to take public transportation, leaving you behind as she all but ran to the passenger rear door.

“Morning JK! We missed you these past few days.”

“Ah, sorry about that, I had to be at the office way earlier; didn’t want to make you guys wake up even earlier than you already do.”

Yuna waves off the apology and you finally followed; feet moving across the pavement until you’ve climbed into the car and buckled your seatbelt.

“Morning princess,” Jungkook says, leaning towards you and pecking your lips. You were caught off guard, not expecting him to be so lovey, but you returned the kiss, a double peck that you started and continued on as the traditional way you greeted each other.

“Morning.”

“Didn’t sleep well?”

“Yea, been a bit out of it these past few days...” You trailed off, not wanting to talk about it in front of Yuna. Catching on, Jungkook turns up the music and shifts into drive, pulling off towards the University for Yuna.

The drive to the office isn’t too long from the school, so once Yuna was out, Jungkook wasted no time in asking you to talk.

“So, can we talk about Somin?”

You huffed out a sigh. It was too early in the morning to deal with the Somin issue, but you nodded, allowing Jungkook to breach the topic.

“I know you saw her message. I want you to know that nothing happened. She sent that text because she saw us. She was doing the same bullshit she always does, part of the reason I don’t think she’s learned anything yet, like you said.”

You nodded, still not sure what to believe. He had no reason to lie to you, it’s not like you were actually in a relationship. He could go back to Somin anytime. 

“I hate that you’re mad at me.”

You turned your body towards him. 

“I—Look, I’m not mad, okay? Not at you. I just hate that Somin gets under my skin so much. That she’s a bitch to you. Neither of us deserve it, especially you.”

Jungkook reached over, encasing your hand in his.

“I’m learning that now. We’ve been together so long, I never noticed at first what she was doing. But I think subconsciously, it was making me resent her. And you really said some shit that had me thinking. And you’re right. I—I’m really glad to have you back in my life, Y/N. Having you in my corner has made all the difference.”

You looked down, eyes staring at the tattooed hand to hide the warmth on your face. 

“After work, come over. Let me buy us dinner and we can hang out.” You felt his smile as he stared at you while pausing at the red light before your office, and you met his gaze.

“Okay.”

“Good, we need to make Jin believe we’re having hot, loud sex, since rule 7 prevents you from experiencing the real thing.”

He let out a shout of pain as you punched his shoulder.

—

Walking to get food was not the smartest idea for 3 reasons. First, because neither of you checked the weather. Second, due to number one, neither of you had an umbrella. So naturally, third, running in the rain while carrying takeout was almost a disaster.

And still, the two of you laughed the entire way, bag clutched in one arm while your fingers were intertwined between your sprinting bodies, one block left to get to Jungkook’s apartment. By the time he’s unlocked the door, you're both sopping wet, rain water dripping onto the floor of the entryway to the apartment. After getting the food situated to stay warm while you guys got cleaned up, Jungkook gave you a towel and led you to his bathroom.

You appreciated that he was such a clean guy, his apartment and subsequently, the bathroom was pristine, and he actually had a trashcan and stocked toilet paper, unlike some men you knew. He planted folded clothes for you to change into on top of the sink counter, and surprised you with a kiss.

“What was that for?” You asked, dazed.

“Practice.” He said with a wink, and he backed away, closing the door as he left you alone. 

—

While Jungkook showered, you heated up the food, your mostly dried hair now up in a messy bun as you danced around his kitchen. His sweats were a little (a lot) too long, so you had rolled them up so you could avoid tripping. 

A knock at the door made you jump, before you moonwalked over to the entryway, now clean of the rain water the two of you had trudged in. Thinking it was Jin, you didn’t check to see who it was and opened the door. You froze as you took in a young man that was not your ‘boyfriend’s’ broad shouldered roommate. Instead, doe-eyes similar to the man currently naked in the shower stared back at you.

“Oh, hey… I thought my brother lived here. Sorry about that!” The man stepped back, checking the number on the apartment again before his eyes landed on your shirt—or rather, his brother’s shirt.

“You’re not Somin...”

“Hi, and no, I’m not,” you laughed, “um, but this is Jungkook’s apartment.”

“Ahh, okay. I’m JungHyun. His older brother.”

“Oh! Come in!” You stepped back so that he could walk past you, and you led him into the living room once he had shed his shoes. 

“Oh, did I interrupt dinner?”

“Oh, no we haven’t even started eating yet. No worries.”

The two of you sat down, and you tucked your feet up under your bottom, turning to face Jungkook’s older brother.

“So, I know who you’re not...”

“Oh, fuck, manners.” The look on your face is sheepish, and you smiled to cover your nerves. “I’m Y/N, Kookie’s girlfriend.”

“Oh, you’re the famous Y/N! Finally got you, did he?”

His words confused you, Jungkook had been with Somin since forever, when had he ever wanted you? Smiling to cover your confusion, you’re saved when Jungkook appears in the hallway, a loud laugh as he barreled over to his brother and all but jumped on the man.

“Hyung! What are you doing here?!”

“Oh, I finished that project at work early, so I’m headed to visit mom and dad. Staying with them through Christmas before the next contract at work starts.”

“Ah, it’s good to see you!”

Jungkook’s enthusiasm is abundant; it’s clear he loves his brother dearly and misses him. He pulled back from a hug and sat comfortably in the space between you and JungHyun, his palm resting lightly on your leg absentmindedly.

“So, I’ve met your new girlfriend. I must say you didn’t do her justice when you described her to me.”

You felt the blush creep across your face, and Jungkook also seemed to turn red, his fingers rubbing at the skin on his neck.

“Yea, seeing her in person is best.” He says awkwardly, and you can’t help but laugh.

“So? Does dad know? Mom is gonna be so excited. She hated Somin.”

“What?” Jungkook says at the same time that you say “Really?”

JungHyun nodded, sitting back into the couch comfortably.

“Yea, no offense, lil bro, but Somin was a bitch. Mom thought she was so fake.”

“Wh-why didn’t you guys ever say anything?”

“Eh, you know, cause you were in love or whatever.”

You get up and go to the kitchen, grabbing bowls and the last of the heated food, hoping to avoid being present for this part of their conversation, but still curious all the same.

“Definitely not.”

“Mmhmm, sure.”

“Seriously. I wasn’t actually in love. Or if I was, it faded. I think for a lot of it I was just… dependent or whatever. I thought it was love, sure. But it wasn’t; I know that now.”

“Ah, so Y/N showed you what love is?”

“She definitely cares more about me and my happiness than Somin ever has.”

You cleared your throat as you walked back into the living room.

“Ready to eat?”

Dinner with Jungkook and JungHyun is, in so many words, fun. They bantered and joked and you spend the time eating and laughing, enjoying your time with the brothers. You didn't even realize how late it had gotten, not until Jin waltzed into the apartment, noting the late hour for you all to be chatting so loud. 

“Shit, Yuna messaged me an hour ago.” 

“Just stay here. We can pick Yuna up in the morning when you go home to change.”

“Are you sure? Your brother’s visiting, I don’t want to be in the way.”

“Y/N, don’t worry, I’ll take the couch. I was going to anyway.” JungHyun smiled at you, and you nodded back. Standing up, you stretched, not realizing how tired you were. Jungkook took the opportunity to tickle your exposed sides, and you squealed, causing the brothers to laugh as you squirmed away from Jungkook, who didn’t let you get far.

“Let’s get you to bed, princess.”

Turning in Jungkook’s arms, you looked over his shoulder at his brother.

“Good night, oppa.”

Jungkook stiffened as JungHyun and Jin laughed, enjoying the way the youngest one reacted to your words.

“Ah, if it doesn’t work out between you two, hit me up.”

“Hyung!” Jungkook glared at his brother, not enjoying the joke.

“What? At least she wouldn’t need to meet our parents twice! She is coming for Christmas, right?”

The two of you looked at each other, a little thrown off by the question. The holidays were coming up, but you hadn’t discussed this far into the relationship. It wasn’t real after all, did you have to go through such lengths to teach Somin a lesson?

“I haven’t told mom and dad yet about her...”

“No worries, I text them ages ago. They’re expecting her for Christmas.”

Jungkook sighed, dropping his forehead to yours, so all you could see was his eyes staring into yours.

“Is this okay? Do you wanna, you know? Meet my parents?” Jungkook’s voice was low as he whispered the question.

“I—Yes.”

The look on his face when you agreed was beautiful, a scrunched-nose smile that is reminiscent of a bunny. You couldn’t help but smile back, lost in the mahogany of his eyes.

“Are you guys over there kissing when I’m waiting for an answer?” JungHyun broke the tension filling the air between you and his brother.

Jungkook smirked before capturing your lips with his own, a breathless kiss that lasted only a couple seconds before he pulled away to smirk at his brother.

“You can tell mom and dad I’ll be bringing her home for Christmas.” With those words, Jungkook whisked you down the hall and tucked you into his bed before climbing in behind you. Wrapping his arm around your waist, he pulled you closer to him. His hands skimmed your body before he began tickling you again, a squeal leaving your mouth. You retaliated, hands attempting to tickle him before he pinned you to the bed, and the two of you began to wrestle for a bit. 

You were unaware of how sexual the wrestling sounded; his headboard hitting the wall roughly and the two of you grunting and groaning as you fought for dominance, some added squeals and moans when Jungkook decided it was a good idea to bite you in his quest for submission. Finally winded, you gave in, laying back on the mattress in defeat. Jungkook tugged at your sweatpants, removing them swiftly and throwing them onto the floor, his own joining the pile. He then grasped your face, peppering it with kisses.

You were about to ask him what he was doing, when someone knocked. Jungkook called out a ‘come in’ and his brother walked into the bedroom, his sights set on the bathroom.

“Don’t mind me, just gonna wash up before bed. It seemed safe to enter now.”

He disappeared into the bathroom as Jungkook continued to hold you, affectionate even after his brother was out of sight. Even if this relationship was fake, you could pretend in this moment that it was real, that Jungkook pulled you closer, not to fool his brother, but because he wanted to be close to you, that he was falling in love with you. 

For one night, it should be okay to pretend it was something more, right?

—

The next two weeks passed by in a blur. Namjoon had basically confined himself to his studio at work, intent on avoiding you. Seeing you hand in hand with Jungkook seemed to bother him, and because you couldn’t tell him the truth (or wouldn’t), you left him to his own assumptions. He ignored all of your texts attempting to reach out to him, despite him saying he wanted you to let him know when you had time for him. This just made you more frustrated, and you were done trying to chase Namjoon, romantically or otherwise. When he was ready to behave like an adult, you would be willing to talk to him. 

After telling Yuna about how you were asked to go home with Jungkook and meet his family, you received a call from your own parents. Yuna had told them about Jungkook, and you were bombarded with questions until you too agreed to bring Jungkook home.

It took some discussing, but it was finally decided: the 23rd and Christmas Eve would be with your family, and Christmas Day and the 26th would be with Jungkook’s. You were a little worried that the parents would be able to see through your ruse, despite having fooled everybody else at work, but Jungkook assured you that it would be easy enough to trick his parents. 

On the train ride to Daegu, you sat a few rows away from your sister, who had her headphones in as she watched the latest K-Drama she missed due to her busy school schedule. The ‘arriving soon’ message plays throughout the cabins of the KTX, and you figure it’s important to bring up your parents. 

Turning to Jungkook, who was drawing on his iPad, you removed an airpod from your ear, pausing the music. You take a moment and admire his face, the way his jawline was so angular, the sharp planes of his cheekbones, the concentration held in his eyes.

“Like what you see?” Jungkook’s voice is teasing, but you still felt embarrassed at being caught staring at him.

“I just think we should talk about the next 2 days.”

“Y/N, listen. Parents love me. Despite the tattoos and long hair.”

“Cause you’ve met so many parents? You’ve been dating Somin since we were 20.”

“My friends have parents too, you know. Don’t worry. Just be like we always are and it’ll be fine.”

“Your parents may be easy to trick, but mine? They’re a bit more… scrutinizing. Plus, they’ve heard me talk about Namjoon, and probably don’t remember me talking about you...” you trailed off, a slight warmth subtly coloring your cheeks.

“So you used to talk about me?”

“Well, yea, first year, you know? I had a crush on you, so my mom heard all about it. Not about—you know, but I told her I thought we might date.” You buried your nose in your phone to avoid looking at Jungkook. 

“You know, you never told me why you nev—”

Jungkook’s words were cut off by an attendant walking through the aisle, asking everyone to start packing up their belongings as the train would be pulling into the DongDaegu Station momentarily.

“My dad should be here to pick us up—Yuna!” Your sister turned to you, a smile on her face as she waved her phone.

“Dad’s here!”

The drive to the house was short, and you spent most of the time taking turns with Yuna filling in your dad on your life in Seoul. Your mom was busy in the kitchen when you arrived, and she shooed you all upstairs to your rooms. Unsurprisingly, your parents were having you and Yuna share her room while Jungkook would be across the hall in your room. 

Your parents were more conservative, and while you were an adult and perfectly able to do as you pleased in Seoul, while under their roof, they wanted to make sure that you remained as pure as they could keep you. 

Dinner that first night went well. Jungook and your dad bonded over sports, despite Jungkook not playing any team sports, he was still well-versed on the topic and joined your dad in watching a basketball game while you, Yuna, and your mom cleaned up after dinner and then sat in the sewing room. 

Your mom asked you all about Jungkook, which she surprisingly did remember you talking about. It seemed you had her and your father fooled, but while you sat at her embroidery machine, she shared she was confused about the lack of presents you had for each other to open tomorrow night. Saying it was because you still had to wrap them and she would find them under the tree tomorrow was an easy enough excuse, and paired with a very real yawn, you excused yourself to get ready for bed.

Sleeping with Yuna was uncomfortable; she was a wild sleeper. Restlessness won over sleep, so you got out of bed and made your way downstairs to grab a bottle of water from the kitchen. Your parents were already in bed in their first floor room on the other side of the house from the kitchen and the stairs.

When you returned back upstairs, you noticed the light on in your bedroom, so you knocked softly.

“Come in,” Jungkook’s voice was subdued, and you pushed the door open gently.

“Hey,” you said, eyeing Jungkook’s lean, topless form as he sat at the edge of the bed. You never tired of the view when you would sleep over at his place. 

“Can’t sleep?”

“Yea, Yuna isn’t the best person to sleep next to, flops around all night, hogs the sheets.”

You walk into the room, joining him on the bed. He’s swiping through images from the SeoulM8 shoots he’s recently done. You watched his finger move across the iPad leisurely.

“Ahh, sounds like you miss sleeping next to me.”

You scoffed, shoulder bumping into his.

“You snore a bit. And your body temperature runs pretty hot. I wake up sweating half the time.”

“Ah, not the first time I’ve made you sweat, love.”

You raise your eyebrow at his insinuation of your loss of virginity.

“Kidding, babe,” he jokes, locking his iPad and setting it down to charge on the bedside table.

“Can we go into town tomorrow? I want to do some last minute shopping.”

“Sure.” Jungkook yawned and you took that as your cue to leave so he could get some sleep after your journey across the country.

“Where ya going? I thought you couldn't fall asleep with Yuna?”

Jungkook pulled the covers back, making space for you to climb in in front of him.

“Well, yes, but my parents—”

“Sleep downstairs and wholly expect us to pretend to sleep apart but know that you’re going to sneak in here anyways because we’re madly in love.”

You had to cover your mouth to keep from laughing loudly.

“And how do you know that?”

Jungkook smirked, still waiting for you to get into bed.

“You’re dad told me. He also said we need to give him grandchildren, sooner rather than later.”

Stunned silent, Jungkook leaned forward and grabbed your wrist, pulling you towards him. He turned off the light and you climbed in over him, keeping him at the front just in case. 

“C’mere,” he rolled over and pulled you to his chest, snuggling into you as he got comfortable. “We have to look madly in love. No funny business though. I know you think I’m irresistible, but we are in your parents house and must be respectful.”

You elbowed him in the rib, and settled into the comforting darkness of your childhood bedroom with Jungkook’s arm wound around your waist, holding you close. 

——

Christmas Eve, in your family, is the night that presents are opened. As a child, this tradition was done in order to make room under the tree for Santa’s presents. As adults, your parents keep the tradition alive, instead putting stockings with 1 or 2 of the more expensive gifts for you to have on Christmas morning. 

After shopping in town and spending time wrapping, you had finally placed a few gifts for Jungkook under the tree that Yuna was now passing out. You were surprised to see a couple gifts for you from Jungkook in the small pile you amassed, and when you caught his eye, he winked at you. 

Yuna opened her gifts first, then you and Jungkook, where you saw that he gave you a matching jewelry set: necklace and earrings in a soft rose gold, a small cherry blossom bloom dangling from the small hoop of the earrings and from a small hoop on the necklace. It reminded you of your date at the park. The two of you sat under the winter sakura tree that day, the only blossoms that bloom twice a year, where you told him how much you loved cherry blossoms in passing. 

“It’s beautiful, Jungkook.” You almost can’t believe it, but he just smiles softly at your gratitude and helps put the necklace on you. Your parents looked happy, enjoying seeing their daughter so happy. Jungkook was excited to see what you had gotten him; a special lens for his camera that he had talked on and on about purchasing soon. He was giddy, running upstairs to grab his camera, testing out the new lens on pictures of you and your family.

Once again, you found yourself in your old room, curled up with Jungkook, but this time you were unable to sleep. Rolling over, you faced Jungkook, who cracked one eye and peeked at you.

“What’s wrong, babe?” he asked, voice laced with sleep. You noticed how easily the endearment rolled off his tongue even with no one around to convince.

“I—the gift you got me,” your fingers fidgeted with the small cherry blossom on the necklace. “I hope it didn’t cost too much. You can return it once we break up if you need to.”

“Y/N, that gift is for you. For being such a great… friend. Helping me do this. I really think it’s working.”

“You deserve to be happy Jungkook. I’m glad you were able to get space long enough to work out how you feel, and that you’re working your way to being happier.”

“Yea, I think I’ve been much happier lately...”

You watched his tongue run along his lips, and you couldn’t help but train your eyes on the movement. He caught your eyes, his hands gripped you a bit tighter as the tension in the dark room grew.

“...much happier...”

You weren’t sure who moved first, you or Jungkook, but at that point, it didn’t really matter. The way your lips sought his, the way his hands pulled you closer, the two of you were acting on instinct. This kiss wasn’t for practice or for show, who was to know what happened here, in this room tonight, but the two of you?

You let out a moan as he dipped his head lower, tracing kisses from your neck to what was exposed of your collarbone. His touch is impatient, tugging and kneading, unable to stay still on your body. His scent alone, a musky vanilla scent, engulfed your senses and you wanted… more.

You threw your leg over his body, turning the two of you until you’re straddled on top of him, able to press your core down onto his very firm cock. His boxers and your sleep shorts are the only things holding it back from assaulting you, and you’re annoyed that they’re in the way. Reaching down, you slide your hand roughly into the waistline of the boxers, fingers gripping him.

Jungkook groaned into your neck, the feel of your hand as you palm him building the craving he had for you. He wanted you. Not just physically. But you had those stupid rules, and he couldn’t just break them. He respected you more than that, and falling in love with you? Well that wasn’t part of the plan.

Jungkook slows the way he’s kissing you, slows the way he was thrusting into your hand and pushes you gently off of him and back to your side of the bed. You’re both panting, barely able to catch your breath as he pulled your back to his chest and held you close.

“We’ve got a long trip tomorrow morning to Busan, babe. Let’s get some sleep.”

“Oh… okay?” You were so confused. You had never been turned down before, especially not when you were so far into the act, practically ready to pull your panties to the side and ease him into you. You were throbbing, body aching with want, and you knew he was too; could feel the hardness as it nestled in the dip between your cheeks.

You felt him kiss your head, followed by a soft double peck to your neck, and not 10 minutes later his breathing slowed as he drifted off to sleep. 

You, on the other hand, laid awake, thoughts running wild.

——

Christmas morning you had an early breakfast with your family before opening stockings. Your parents had only a couple of weeks to prepare for Jungkook, but they had prepared a stocking for him as well; your mom embroidering his name onto it and stuffing it full to the brim. 

You were surprised at the gifts; a couple boxes of polaroid film, a bag of banana kick chips, individually packaged egg snacks, and colorful candy canes. Yours were similar as well, a small collection of sewing items for designing, and your favorite snacks. Your mom ruffled Jungkook’s sleepy-head hair as he offered his thanks to your parents, and you couldn’t help but feel your heart swoon at the sight. You realized something heartbreaking at that moment: breaking up with Jungkook once this was over would hurt more than just you. 

Heading to Jungkook’s parents house was a different experience after the previous night. Yuna had obviously stayed with your parents, and would be catching the train back the same day you left Busan. 

This was the first time the two of you had been alone since the rejection the night before, and you were doing your best to ignore the hurt feeling that would bloom every time you caught yourself dwelling on it. You focused on your phone instead, posting a few photos on Instagram so that you were sticking to your end of the deal. Somin would see these posts some way or another, and it would hopefully do what it was intended to.

Jungkook didn’t seem to think twice about the rejection, wrapping his arm around your shoulder and treating you like you were really together, a true couple going to meet his parents for the first time. 

“Nervous?”

“A little. I’ll be meeting your parents, and we’re not really together,” you looked down at your hands, missing the way Jungkook’s face fell for a few seconds before working it’s way back to a smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.

“I think we’re together enough where it counts. No one watching us would doubt it,” he intertwined your fingers and gave it an encouraging squeeze, “sometimes even I forget you’re not my real girlfriend.” He laughed, and the sound leaves an ache in your chest.

“Same, haha...” You looked out the window of the KTX, ready to breathe the fresh air of the nearby sea. Jungkook released your hand and you both went back to your tasks, Jungkook reading emails and you sketching designs for work.

Jungkook’s parents treated you much like yours had treated Jungkook. Like you were the greatest thing to happen to their child.

“Y/N, you’re so pretty! Oh, thank heavens, we have a chance at cute grandchildren now.” Jungkook’s mom bowed her head in thanks to a higher power, and you couldn’t help feeling a little bad that you weren’t actually dating Jungkook. You would have liked to deserve the praise she was giving you.

“He looks so much happier, happier than we’ve seen him in a long time.” She smiled at his father and their eyes, so similar to their two sons, crinkled in the corners. JungHyun greeted you with a hug, and you reciprocated it.

“Hi, Oppa,” you teased, and Jungkook glared at you. 

“Yah! That’s Jeon JungHyun to you,” he leaned closer to your ear in a mock whisper, “only I get called Oppa.”

JungHyun cringed back in mock disgust.

“I do not need to know about your ‘Oppa kink’ in the bedroom.” He shivered as he walked back to the living room, where he put away his laptop to make space for gifts.

Their dad, who you were very glad had not heard his eldest son’s comment, gestured to you to leave your suitcases in the entryway and come sit down.

“Kookie, pass out the gifts please. Your mom has been waiting all morning in excitement for you two to get here. We can have lunch after you guys get situated.”

Jungkook, ever the dutiful youngest son, began to distribute gifts amongst you all, while you handed your own gifts that you had gotten for his family out to them. 

“You didn’t have to get them anything,” Jungkook whispered as he dropped a gift off for you from his own parents.

You gave him a pointed look, gesturing subtly to the gift.

“I did.”

He shook his head with a smile and continued until the space under the tree was empty.

“So, we just open them all at the same time! Save your thanks for the end, ready?” His dad looked at you, and you nodded.

“Let’s get it!” Jungkook shouted, and everyone laughed at his phrase as you began to open your gifts. You didn’t have many, one from his parents and JungHyun, and 2 from Jungkook. His family had given you a Pantone Color Swatch book that was easy to carry around, to help while on set working. It was very thoughtful, and you knew it could not have been cheap. You bowed deeply, on your knees and forehead to their floor as a show of your gratitude and respect.

They motioned for you to sit back up, waving off your thanks as if it was no big deal for them to get this gift for you. You turned to Jungkook’s gift, eyes already threatening tears at their sincere treatment of you, and once opened, you did cry.

Nestled inside a satin lined box was a beautiful set of Dwikkoji, traditional hair pins, that came with a small card identifying them as from the Joseon era.

“Jungkook!” you gasped, sure that they couldn’t be real.

“Don’t worry. I didn’t have to pay for them. But they would look much better displayed in your office as our head fashionista then collecting dust in storage.”

You couldn’t hold back your feelings any longer. Acting on instinct, you tugged him towards you, wrapping your arms under his own and around his frame as you let your tears fall.

“They’re beautiful, Kookie.” 

Jungkook reciprocated your embrace, his hand smoothing down your hair as his parents smiled at the scene in front of them.

“Ah, young love, remember when that was us?”

—

Unlike your parents, who wanted to pretend that the two of you were a modest young couple, Jungkook’s parents assumed that the two of you would room together. His dad had clapped him on his shoulder and congratulated him on bringing home such a fine woman. Apparently in the two weeks that JungHyun had been home, he had raved about you to his parents, showing pictures from your social media accounts of the two of you together, as well as your fashion talent. Jungkook too had talked on the phone to his parents, you came to find out, which was why his parents were so enthralled by you, despite only dating Jungkook for a short time.

Lunch was fun. Spending time with the Jeons was full of laughter. His family was like him, generous and kind hearted, and you enjoyed spending time with his mom in the kitchen making cookies for dessert.

That night you went out for a drive to look at Christmas lights, before you all stopped off at the town center where they had outdoor ice skating set up. Jungkook had his camera with the new personalized strap you made him (yay fashion classes!) around his neck, taking photos of you and his family as you glided across the frozen water. You spent an hour there before heading home to warm up with hot cocoa and Christmas movies. You found out that this was their tradition every year, and it made you happy to know they wanted to share it with you. Even if it was only for this one Christmas.

Having showered first, you traveled down the hall to get water from the kitchen while you waited for Jungkook to finish his. His family had a one level house; His parents’ room was located on one side of the living room and kitchen, while Jungkook and his brother’s room was on the other side. 

You heard his parents talking at the table and you slowed down, resting the back of your head on the wall as you heard them say your name.

“Oh, honey, Y/N is so darling! I haven’t seen him this happy in years.”

“He looks so in love with her.”

“Well, remember, he used to have the biggest crush on her.”

“But that was years ago. They were what, 20? And somehow he chose Somin?”

“Sometimes, people aren't ready. Now, they’re older. Better chances of them working out. Oh, honey, I hope they work out. She would be such a cute daughter in law.”

“I know, but don’t pressure them. Let them realize how in love with each other they are on their own.”

“Do you think she loves him too?”

“I don’t have a single doubt in my mind. I saw the way they were together.They’re in love, whether they realize it or not.”

“Ahh, so we could have grandchildren soon? JungHyun seems like he’s never going to settle down... ”

“Aish, grandchildren? I’m too young to be a grandpa!”

Instead of interrupting them, you headed back to his room, mind racing with their words. Jungkook had a crush on you? They thought the two of you were in love? Daughter in law? Jungkook chose that moment to come into the room, towel wrapped low around his waist as he checked his phone and you couldn’t look away.

“You’re starting to drool there, babe.”

You swallowed and looked away, grabbing your hair and running your fingers through it to put it into a bun on your head.

“I just uh—I wanted to talk to you about the contract.”

Jungkook, who was facing his dresser where his suitcase was opened up, froze. His eyes sought yours in the mirror, his reflection giving away nothing.

“Oh? What, uh, what about it?”

“Well, our parents seem to like us together, I mean, they’re talking about grandkids, and well, I would hate to break up so soon after having met them. I know this was only supposed to go on until you figured out what to do about Somin, but if it’s alright with you,” you look away, twisting your fingers in nervousness, “I would like for us to continue to date.”

Jungkook’s mind was racing. He understood what you meant. Your parents seemed to love him, discussing future visits for the holidays and his family had been no different. And thinking about ending the contract? Well, he had already been thinking about doing that. So he could date you, for real. Somin texted him while he was in the shower, upset about missing Christmas with his family. Jungkook thought that it would bother him, his first holiday without her, but he realized he couldn’t care less. 

Somin treated him like a prize to be toted around and shown off. He was good for bragging; his face, body, high paying job, it all granted her status. She had no ambition to grow within the company, still a one act manager after graduating as an interning manager’s assistant. But you? God, you were different. You had ambition, you didn’t care about what Jungkook could provide for you, and you listened to him, to his dreams. You were thoughtful, appreciative, and everything you had done was to help him be happy. Even fake dating, while it benefitted you as well, you had gone above and beyond for him.

You stood up, walking closer to him where he was lost in his thoughts.

“Jungkook?” you intoned, your fingers softly settling on the back of his shoulder, waiting for his response.

“I think, yeah. I think that would be a good idea. My parents and brother love you.”

Your heart soared. He wanted to continue this. Not go back to Somin right away. He barely brought her up this whole trip. You felt giddy, hopeful that maybe one day, this could be something more.

“So then, it’s settled.”

Jungkook turned around, catching your hand before you could drop it back to your side.

“I think we should reexamine that contract, but tonight, I’d really like to say fuck it.”

Jungkook stepped into your space, and in a heart’s beat, he had ensnared your lips, his arms pulling you closer to him. Your own arms snaked up his body, hands pulling his head closer to you, your fingers playing with the wet strands at his nape. His kisses were fervent, lips almost rough as he pressed them to yours before he was swiping his tongue across the opening of your mouth, seeking entrance. 

You groaned as you arched your back, seeking to deepen the kiss as you pressed higher on your tiptoes, wanting more of him. His palm skimmed your back down to your butt, where he applied pressure and lifted you with brute strength. You pulled away with a gasp, not expecting to be lifted up. He just looked at you with pupils blown, one eyebrow raised suggestively as he carried you to his bed.

“I think we should practice making ‘grandchildren’ for them.”

He set you down, long enough to grip the hem of your shirt before he pulled it over your head. His eyes moved to your chest, and he closed his eyes as he sighed in defeat.

“You’ve been keeping this from me?”

“You’ve seen me naked before,” you remind him, but he just shook his head.

“Years ago, Y/N, and let me tell you, my memory didn’t do you justice. I think I need a reminder.”

You throw him a suggestive look, knowing that you’ve both had some experience with sex since your shared first time all those years ago. This time, there was no fumbling, no nervous laughter, or apologizing. This time, Jungkook was in command of his body, and of yours too. He rid you of your shorts, leaving you naked on his sheets as he dropped his towel. 

You marveled at how his body had changed: the muscle gained and the chiseled jaw you loved to admire. Jungkook bit his lip and did the same to you, eyes roving along your curves, the way you weren’t shying away from his touch as his fingers trailed up your thigh.

“You’re beautiful, Y/N.”

You didn’t get a chance to respond, as Jungkook kissed you again, this time with less fervor, his body crawling above yours as he joined you on the bed. His hands touched you everywhere, fondling your breasts and your ass as he kissed down your neck, nipping the skin and leaving marks along your neck. You feel the ache as your wetness pools between your legs, and Jungkook’s growing member sits heavy where it’s pressed against your thigh. 

“Jungkook, please—”

He nips a bit harder, the sound of you begging for him made him infinitely larger. He wanted to be in you, but he didn’t want to rush it, wanted to savor you for as long as he had you under him. Kissing down your body, his tongue leaves a cool, wet trail and you writhe, ticklish to his tongues path to your core. 

Parting your legs wider, he smirked at you from where he's sat on his knees, your thighs on either side of his gloriously naked body. Leaning forward, he never breaks eye contact as you watch his lips meet your mound. Gentle kisses pressed to your lips, and then his tongue is parting them, flicking your clit in greeting. Your head is thrown back, you know you should be quieter, but the onslaught of his lips and tongue as they pleasure your sweet spot has you reduced to base instincts only. And right now, they want Jungkook to know that he had better not stop.

You rolled your hips, seeking more, and he gives in, thick fingers immersing themselves inside of you. You clench, walls shocked at the intrusion but welcoming it all the same. He felt so good, and you tell him as much, so he continued to finger fuck you as he lapped up your release, carrying you through your orgasm.

He was so hard, cock throbbing as he kissed back up your body, and after spitting into your hand, you reached down to stroke along his shaft, palm twisting and gliding as he nuzzled his face back into your neck, quiet little moans rolling out of his mouth with each stroke. You made him feel so good, your body warm and soft as your smaller hand stroked his larger ego, in more ways than one.

Without preamble, you positioned him at your opening and lifted your hips, allowing him to feel how warm your walls were, waiting for him. He pushed up on his palms on either side of your head and the look he gave you was indecipherable before your own eyes shut; he engulfed his cock in the swollen velvet that was your cunt, buried to the hilt.

He had tried his best to prepare you, but every glorious inch stretching you out was a breath you needed to take in order to grow accustomed to his size. You counted nine breaths, then opened your eyes, taking in the trembling of his arms as he held himself back from pounding into you.

“Move, Kook, please,” you whine, and he wasted no time following your orders.

His hips grinded into you as he rolled them, angling himself to take you as deep as humanly possible. His pace started off fast, but soon he was slowing down, head dropped into the crook of your neck as your nails dragged red marks down his back. You rocked your hips in time to his thrusts, using your grip on his back as leverage to meet him halfway. 

“You feel so good, so wet for me,” he murmured with each thrust, and you bit his shoulder, afraid if you didn’t gag yourself, you would say the wrong thing.

Everything about you enveloped him, your scent, your arms and thighs that were holding him close; he could barely think straight as he tried to get you to cum again before he got himself off. But you felt so good, tight clenches as your arousal gushed and coated his cock, he didn’t know how much longer he could last. Then you bit his shoulder, and he sped up his stroke, hips rolled in fast succession as your body jostled underneath him.

“Fuck, fuck, I’m so close baby,” you mewl into his ear, and he lifted his head up out of your neck, resting his forehead on yours. 

“I want to watch you, don’t close your eyes,” he pleads and you try your best to keep them open, not closing them for long as the coil builds in your lower abdomen. He adjusted your bodies, lifted your legs up slightly which allowed him a deeper angle that hits your g-spot. Your mouth hangs open, a fucked out expression on your face and Jungkook loses it.

The first spurt of his hot cum sends you over the edge, and you're spiraling down, pussy contracting around his cock, milking him for every drop. You maintain eye contact, watching each other for a few seconds before you can’t help but close them, the pleasure too great.

Jungkook pressed his lips to yours as you both cum, using them to cage in the words he wanted to say, wanted to shout from the rooftops, but wasn’t yet sure you felt the same way.

——

Waking up in Jungkook’s arms, you felt sore. So sore, but also satisfied. You hadn’t slept this well in ages, and if Jungkook’s deep slumber and dead weight arm draped over your waist was anything to go by, he hadn’t either. You moved his arm slowly, headed for the shower, and let out a small gasp as JungHyun also exited his bedroom at the same time.

“Well, don’t you look... rested,” he trailed off, a look of knowing on his face.

Your face burned in embarrassment.

“Don’t worry, as soon as I heard little brother start to get a little… feral, I turned up my TV while I gamed. Parents didn’t hear a peep.”

“Thank you, oppa.” You bowed, gratitude seeping out of each of your pores.

“Now, those marks on the other hand,” he gestured to your neck, “might I suggest an ice pack for 20 minutes and then some really good makeup?”

You hurried into the bathroom as he laughed his way towards the kitchen. A minute later he knocked, passing you a small ice-pack through the cracked door.

“20 minutes,” he reminded you with a wink, and went back into his room with his cereal.

—

Saying goodbye to Jungkook’s parents after a late breakfast was tough. His mom cried, saying her baby son did not visit enough and that she would miss him. She also said she would miss you greatly, and that you better come back with him soon to visit.

It was tough to promise her that you would, knowing that there was a very real chance that you wouldn’t. This was fake after all. You had just agreed to extend the contract briefly, to get through the holidays and while Jungkook said ‘fuck it’ last night, with the rising of the sun came the clarity of the situation. 

Jungkook behaved much the same, holding your hand and showering you with PDA, and while you reciprocated, you couldn’t help but feel like the magic of Christmas was over. Heading back to Seoul meant back to reality. You weren’t sure you were ready for that. For the first time in your life, you felt like you could see a future with someone, with him, despite the relationship being fake thus far. To be honest, it hadn’t felt fake since the night of the party. 

The entire trip, all 3 and a half hours of it, you ruminated on last night and what it meant. You hated to admit that you had fallen for Jungkook, and had given up rule number 7 on a whim. For all you knew, he would be going back to Somin at the end of this. 

In his own little world, Jungkook too couldn’t stop thinking about you and what last night meant. He wished he had said to forget the contract all together, instead of just for the night. He wanted to see if you felt the same way, but he wanted to be sure that his Somin chapter was done. He needed to see her and make sure he was over her, and not just using you as a rebound. You didn’t deserve that.

Jungkook’s body language had you on edge, as his foot tapped incessantly as the train got closer and closer to Seoul. You placed your hand on his knee, a reassuring move for both of you. 

“Jungkook, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I just—Somin messaged me.” He had been thinking about it the whole trip back to Seoul, about how her messages didn’t affect him anymore. Before, he could barely go a few minutes before responding. Now, almost 18 hours had passed and he wasn’t bothered.

“When?” Your voice came out sharper than intended, and Jungkook flinched back from you.

“Uh, last night, right after I got out of the shower.”

Your brain began to connect dots that you didn’t want it to.

“Oh,” you respond, trying to keep your voice light. Jungkook was confused at your reaction; usually you were jumping to keep him and Somin apart. This response felt like you didn’t care, like if he met up with Somin, it wouldn’t impact you at all.

“She just… I think that you’re right. The plan is working and I’ve been happier than I’ve been in a long time. But I guess there’s that part of me that needs to talk with her, express how I feel. I want to be sure.” Before I confess my feelings to you, he thought.

“Right. Well, that was the goal, getting you to figure out what you want.” You turned your head away from him and deeper into the neck pillow, trying to get this conversation done and over with before he said something that really broke your heart.

“I know. I guess I’ll meet up with her when we get back? The sooner the better I guess.”

“True, the faster you meet with her, figure it all out, the faster we can move towards breaking up.”

Jungkook freezes, but you don’t notice, too focused on not looking at him.

“At breaking up?”

“Yea, that was the plan right? We date for a couple more weeks, then break up, so you can get back with Somin, if she’s changed, you know?”

“You—”

“Hey Jungkook? I’m really tired, can we talk about this later?”

Jungkook stared at your form, taking in how closed off you were from him. He didn’t understand what changed. He sat back, finally replying to Somin’s text, agreeing to meet at a cafe by his apartment later that evening.

—

Jungkook saw you home, worried the entire ride to your place about what was happening between the two of you. He thought everything had been going well, and after last night, he didn’t know how he could have possibly fucked up. He hoped you were just PMS-ing, like Somin used to always blame moods like this on. 

You let him carry your suitcase upstairs to your apartment and when he leaned in for a kiss, you kissed him back, but he felt it was almost out of obligation; your sister was sitting on the couch watching the two of you. Jungkook paused at your door, but you had turned away from him, so ready to be alone. So he let you close the door in his face, let you have time to yourself.

Jungkook got to the cafe, eyes searching for the long black hair of his ex. When he approached her she smiled at him. Jungkook saw the way her face lit up, the way the smile graced her pretty face, and felt nothing for it. Sitting down, a cafe worker took their drink order and left them alone.

“So, you said you wanted to talk?” Jungkook asked, fidgeting with his fingers drumming on his knee.

“Kookie, I miss you.” Somin leaned toward him, chest pushed out in her off the shoulder zebra print dress. Her black heel nudged against Jungkook’s leg, rubbing it suggestively.

Jungkook moved his leg out of reach and sighed.

“Somin—”

“Minnie.” She pouted, red painted bottom lip jutting out after she cut him off to correct her name.

“Somin. I—I’m sorry.” Jungkook felt awkward. Here he was, sitting in front of his ex, who was undoubtedly a gorgeous woman. But after all they had been through—all she put him through—and all the healing you had done to his heart, he realized he had fallen out of love with her a long time ago. “I know you had hopes of us getting back together.”

“Well, of course we’re getting back together Kookie. We’re made for each other. Since we were 20! I know this thing with Y/N is just revenge. You wanted to make me mad, teach me a lesson,” she said as she reached out and grabbed Jungkook’s hand in hers, “and I have learned it. Christmas without you was so sad. I had no one to go out to all the holiday parties with.”

Jungkook shifted in the metal chair. “Look, Somin—”

“Why do you keep calling me that?” she interrupted again, and Jungkook let out a loud sigh as he tried to maintain his cool.

“Because, I’m trying to tell you that I—”

“Jungkook! Somin!”

The loud yell of the barista reading out orders cut Jungkook off for the third time, and he groaned, running his tattooed hand over his face. With a huff, he stood up, walking through the crowded cafe to get the drinks so he could just tell Somin the truth; he may have initially wanted to teach her a lesson, but he ended up being the person who learned something from it. He was in love with you; wanted to spend more holidays like the one that just passed, with you. He truly didn’t feel anything for Somin anymore, other than friendship.

While Jungkook was up, Somin noticed his bag was open, a fancy camera strap hanging out of it. It was embroidered; the phrase ‘you shine brighter than anyone’ apparent once she pulled it free from his oversized black backpack. Somin threw a glance over her shoulder at Jungkook, seeing him still busy, so she stuffed the strap into her purse. Grabbing her phone, she sent a text to Taehyung.

Jungkook set down the drinks before sitting down himself and commanding the attention of his ex. 

“Look, Somin, I just—I’m sorry.” Jungkook looked down at his hands before making eye contact with her. “I don’t see us getting back together. I—” he paused, taking a deep breath before he spoke his truth, “I’m in love with her, Minie. I know that’s not what you want to hear, but I want to be happy. I want you to be happy with someone who feels about you, how I feel about her.”

Somin stared at Jungkook before she laughed. He was unsure of the emotions she was actually feeling; perplexed by her reaction to what he just told her. He didn't want to be with her anymore, and he wasn’t looking for her to beg, but he expected a little more... sadness? Push back? Once she was done laughing, she leveled her gaze at him.

“You, you’ve barely been seeing her Jungkook. How can you love her?”

Jungkook took a sip of his drink, gathering his thoughts before he answered her. The judgement that laced her tone made him angry, but he didn’t want to give Somin the upper hand. He wanted to be an adult about the situation. In retrospect, he hadn’t been honest with Somin when she first confessed to him, and you deserved for him to share that honesty now, even if it was coming 5 years later.

“I think—I think a part of me has always loved her. Since that first year. Don’t get me wrong, I think I loved you too and at some point we just… I think we just broke up and then made up too many times because it was easy… familiar. I love you Minie, and you were a huge part of my life. I’m just not IN love with you.” Jungkook leaned forward towards Somin, placing his hand over here, hoping that she would see and feel his sincerity and his benevolence. 

“Wow, I—You’re serious?” Somin’s voice was quiet as she questioned him. “I guess I didn’t think I’d be starting the new year without you.”

Jungkook watched as she slid her hand out from under his and placed it in her lap.

“Please, be happy for me Minie, and when you’re ready, I’ll be happy for you too.”

The loud chime from Somin’s phone went off. Jungkook watched as she looked at her screen, eyes growing wide.

“Shit, an emergency with Tae.” Somin looked up at Jungkook, her face soft and apologetic.

“Koo—I mean Jungkook, I was just surprised is all. I—I am happy for you and Y/N. Or, I guess it’s more like, I will be. I’m sorry, I have to run, but thank you for meeting with me.”

Somin gave him one last smile, as if showing she was throwing the towel in, before she stood up and left the cafe in a hurry. Jungkook watched her as she dashed off, disappearing down the sidewalk towards the nearest bus stop. He thought the meeting had gone well, or at least better than expected. Maybe Somin has grown up, he thought to himself, unaware of the way she made off cunningly with his gifted camera strap, using a text that confirmed the time for the next morning’s meeting with Taehyung as an excuse to escape.

——

After closing the door in Jungkook’s face, you retreated to your room, claiming that a headache was creeping in from the long train ride. Your sister nodded, engrossed in her latest K Drama. You rolled your suitcase into your room, stripped your travel clothes from your weary body, and entered your shower. 

Free to do as you pleased, with the water to cover the sound, you wept. How foolish you felt, letting Jungkook close to you once again, only to see him rush off to Somin. It was almost like what happened 5 years ago, when you had gone to his dorm room and found her confessing. Just like then, Somin was winning Jungkook; once again he had slipped through your grasp.

That night you texted Jungkook to tell him you would be going to the office early and that he needn’t pick you up.

Jungkook was relieved upon seeing your text. He had spent the better half of the evening and the morning tearing apart his apartment. He had called his parents, his brother, and overturned his luggage onto the floor. He could not find the camera strap you made him. 

He knew that he shouldn’t have taken it off the camera, but he spilled a bit of leftovers from his mom on it while on the train and removed it to make it easier to clean once he got home. 

Unfortunately, it was nowhere to be found. 

Jungkook was frantic; he knew that you made it for him that night you sat in the sewing room with your mom and sister while he was with your dad. Your mom had an embroidery machine, and so you snuck in there under the premise of bonding time and worked on it. He loved the phrase you chose for him; it reminded him of your love letter to him, the way you had written about him making you feel as beautiful as a night sky. “you looked at me as if the galaxies were reflected in my eyes...”

Dumping out his black backpack for the umpteenth time, Jungkook sifted through notebooks, film, wrappers from snacks, a small hygiene bag, and loose photos. He doesn’t know why he continued looking through the same places. It’s not there. Glancing at the clock, he realized he would be late to the Monday morning meeting. Giving up and putting everything he needed back into his bookbag, he stepped over the mess and headed out to his car.

Walking into the conference room, everyone looked tired from their holidays, but with the New Year around the corner, it was important for everyone to attend before January. SeoulM8’s comeback was fast approaching, and making sure everything was moving smoothly was imperative to whether the next holiday was spent relaxing or spent stressed out. 

Stirring your coffee, you walked through the propped open door and maneuvered your way over to where your assistants sat. Kim, the same one who brought you the tiger lillies several weeks ago, smiled at you as she slid you the stapled packet she printed out from the email.

“I think we’ve done all our parts, the photos Jeon emailed over have been approved by the boss, and we double-checked the designers they are wearing. I think all that’s left is to get final approval on the outfits for their comeback shows and interviews during comeback week.” 

You nodded, sipping the still hot coffee as Kim spoke quietly about the role you played for SeoulM8, eyes on the printed email. It didn’t help the way you could feel the mocha eyes of a certain ‘missing in action’ best friend burning into the side of your face; or the way the empty seat across from you saved for a certain ‘boyfriend’ of yours had your anxiety on edge.

With 5 minutes left until the meeting commenced, you had done a pretty good job at tuning out all of the mindless chatter around you, that is until Somin’s nasally voice interrupted your response to Kim.

“Oh, this? It’s just a little gift for JK.”

“But you broke up? He’s with Y/N now...” Hobi said, cutting off a reply from one of the assistants sitting near Somin.

“But we dated for 5 years, he’s still important to me. I think he’ll love it.” She turned her back to Hobi, who tried to make eye contact with you. You looked down at your coffee instead.

When Jimin and Taehyung walked into the room, everyone quieted down and took their seats if they weren’t already, assuming Bang PD, the head boss, would be quickly approaching behind them. Before the glass door could swing fully shut, Jungkook sprinted into the room, out of breath.

“Oh Jungkook, here!” Somin stood up, making a big show out of handing him the small gift bag that had been on the table in front of her. 

“Oh? Uh, thanks Minie.” Jungkook said, looking for the head boss. Bang PD was still missing from the room, so he grasped the colorful tissue paper from the bag and removed it in one swift pull. As the paper fluttered to the table, Jungkook’s eyes lit up as he took in the present.

“Oh my God, thank you!” Jungkook wrapped his arms around Somin in a huge hug, surprising everyone in the room watching, including you. Despite all of your negative thoughts about you and Jungkook’s future, seeing him react that way was unexpected and you felt your heart ache seeing him hold her in an embrace.

Sitting down, Jungkook turns to talk to Somin when you notice Bang PD walking down the long hallway towards the closed glass doors. 

You turned to the front of the room where SeoulM8 was seated next to the only empty chair in the room, fully intending to pay attention, but Jungkook’s movements directly across from you pulled your attention away. When you see the embroidered strap that YOU had given to him for Christmas a mere 2 days ago slide free from the bag, you see red. Before Bang PD can enter the room, you’ve already stood up. 

Both Namjoon and Jungkook look at you, followed by everyone else’s gaze; it’s too late to hide the tears that fall down your face. 

“Y/N, I can explain—” Jungkook said as you make your way around the table toward the door. He grabbed your wrist to stop you, but you pulled it from his grasp.

“Save it, Jeon. It’s over.”

You leave the meeting, walking brusquely past your boss with your head down. You type out a quick text to him as you take the elevator down, apologizing for leaving and saying that an emergency came up. Bang PD responds within a few moments.

Back in the conference room, Jungkook attempted to call you, but you sent him to voicemail twice. Giving up, he grabbed his bag, fully planning to follow you, when he saw Namjoon stand before he could. Throwing a dirty look at Jungkook, Namjoon shook his head at him before quickly following you out the door. 

You haven’t gone far, making it only to your office where you gathered up the rest of your belongings when Namjoon burst in.

“Y/N,” he sounded a little out of breath, probably from running to the elevator and then to your office, you assumed, “I—”

“Save it, Joon. You didn’t want to talk to me these past few weeks, so I don’t know why you’re here now.”

“Because I realized I love you.”

You stopped packing up your laptop, eyes slowly moving to meet his.

“What did you say?”

“I said I love you. I didn’t realize it until you started dating Jungkook, but I do.”

You shook your head back and forth, unable to hear or deal with his feelings right now.

“No, Namjoon, you don’t. You just miss Jennie.”

“Y/N, listen, I should’ve realized it was you. It’s always been you. You can’t honestly tell me that you’re in love with Jungkook?” Namjoon said this last part with contempt.

Tears fell once again, and you dropped your hands uselessly to your side.

“I do, Namjoon. I honestly love him.”

“Well, I hate to say I told you so, but-”

“Then don’t,” you voiced, cutting him off with an edge to your voice.

“You and Jungkook? Please. Anyone can see how different you are. You and me, though? We’re better for each other.”

“How different we are? Why? Am I too out of his league? Not pretty enough?”

“No, that’s not what I’m saying, and you know it. You guys just aren’t compatible—”

“And how the fuck would you even know?! You saw us together at what? One party? And then at work? What do you even know about our relationship, Joon?! You’ve been angry at me ever since you found out!”

“Because you and him together isn’t right! It’s supposed to be you and me!”

“Oh please, Namjoon. If Jennie hadn’t taken that Japan job and dumped you, you wouldn’t even be here right now. I wouldn’t have even crossed your mind. This is a pointless conversation.”

You walked towards the door, bag over your shoulder and laptop case in hand. Namjoon blocked the doorway, and behind him you could see nosey coworkers watching the interaction. 

“Move, Namjoon.”

“Not until you talk to me.”

“No,” you go to shoulder past him, and you were able to back him up into the common area outside of your office. He grabbed at your shoulders, holding you still. 

“Namjoon, let go of me!” At this moment you hated that you had dressed up for this meeting; a tight a-line pencil skirt and heels that don’t allow you the movement that you needed.

Before you can shimmy from his clutches, he’s leaning forward, his lips meeting yours in a kiss. In shock, you don’t move at first, not until your free hand shoved his shoulder and pushed him a step back.

“I can’t believe you.” 

The look you gave him could burn the sun, and this time you were able to push past him; the elevator getting closer and closer as you approached. You saw Jungkook, motionless, at the platform in front of the elevators; his eyes low in a glare aimed at Namjoon, who had followed you in your haste to escape.

“Hyung, you need to leave her alone.”

“Me? I’m her best friend. I would say you were her boyfriend, but we all heard her break up with you when she left the room crying.”

“That was just a misunderstanding. So like I said, leave her alone.” Jungkook stepped forward to his full height, chest to chest with his hyung, who prior to watching him force a kiss on you, he respected a lot. The tension on the floor was thick. You were mere steps from freedom, from Namjoon and Jungkook, when his words stopped you dead in your tracks. A misunderstanding? 

Did he not understand what the words ‘It’s over’ meant? That the contract, the relationship between the two of you, however real or fake, everything was null and void? 

“It wasn’t a misunderstanding, Jungkook.”

Big, confused, doe eyes turned to face you. “Y/N, please let’s just talk about th—”

“Why don’t you take your own advice and listen to her, Kook. You could never treat her how she deserves.” 

“Why don’t you go mind your own business Namjoon.” Jungkook bit back, fists clenched as he shook, holding back his anger. He just wanted to be alone to talk to you, but Namjoon was making it difficult.

“She is my business, she’s my best friend. She’s nothing to you now. Though, knowing you, that’s probably the reason she broke up with you. I bet you didn’t treat Somin right, and now you fucked up with Y/N. Can’t do anything right, can yo—”

Jungkook’s fist flew through the air before you could tell either of them to stop talking about what they don’t know. The sound of Namjoon’s jaw connecting to his fist echoed through the large room, and the crowd of bystanders yelled out in shock at watching a full on fight start in the building.

You yelled as Namjoon tackled Jungkook around his middle, tackling him to the ground before he reared back his fist to punch him back. 

“Namjoon, stop, STOP!” you yelled as Jungkook flipped Namjoon onto his back, swapping places as he took the liberty to return the blow. Putting down your laptop and bag haphazardly, you rushed closer. Leaning down, you grabbed at Jungkook’s arm that was cocked back to throw another punch, yelling his name frantically.

“Jungkook, Kookie, PLEASE STOP!”

The two men looked at your face, their chests rising and falling rapidly as they tried to catch their breath. Jungkook’s eyes were dilated. As he took in your state, he seemed to come back to his senses. He started to climb up off of where he straddled Namjoon, pinning him to the floor, his hand reaching up towards you from where he was kneeled on the ground.

“Y/N, I’m sorry baby, please just talk to me.” Jungkook’s bottom lip was split, a small bit of blood leaking from the cut. His cheekbone was red; you knew a bruise would form there. Namjoon too tried to sit up, leaning on his elbow as his split eyebrow spilled his blood down the side of his face. He too would be sporting a shiner for the next week or so. 

You almost reached for Jungkook, returned the gesture to cradle that beautiful face, but you couldn’t. Him fighting Namjoon changed nothing about the fact that Somin had the present you gave him, that she brought it to him as if she had given it to him, let alone the response he gave her when he saw it. Backing away, you almost tripped over your belongings before you thought to collect them, and then dashed into the elevator, leaving the two men bleeding on the floor as the doors shut, cutting off the view.

——

Dealing with the aftermath of the fight was not something you thought would be so difficult to do. 

Working remotely meant not being able to turn off your phone so you didn’t miss any important calls or texts. Unfortunately, it also meant you had to deal with the barrage of texts and calls from friends and co-workers wanting to know about the fight. 

According to Jimin, the only person other than Kim who you were responding to, the whole office heard about the fight. With Jin being Jungkook’s roommate, and of course being the resident gossip, news traveled fast that the two men got into a fist throwing match over you. This only had you double down on avoiding messages, calls, and not posting to social media. It was unlike you; as a fashionista who worked with models and artists like SeoulM8 and Kim Seokjin, people looked to your accounts for updates. 

Your silence was killing Jungkook, the one person who had not given up. Jungkook hated to not give people time, but he had the feeling like the more time you had, the faster you would slip from his fingertips. You stared at your phone, watching his name light up on the screen as a picture of the two of you, set as his contact photo, taunted you with memories. 

All you could do was lay there, curled up on your bed in your pajamas for the second day in a row, hating yourself. Hating the fact that you allowed yourself to break your rules, that you let Jungkook into your heart for a second time, only to watch it all come crashing down because he couldn’t let go of Somin. What did Somin have that you didn’t? How was it that she always won?

5 years ago you lost Jungkook to her, after giving him your virginity, something he knew was a big deal, as he had given his to you in exchange. And now again, you had so foolishly fallen into bed with him again, and he ran back to Somin. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice? You were already blaming yourself heavy for this one. 

Another day passed before you finally pulled yourself up out of bed long enough to shower and get dressed in a different set of sweats. A knocking sound at the front door had you tense up. Luckily, your sister answered the door, able to field away anyone who wanted to see you.

Creeping silently to the door of your bedroom, you cracked it open and listened to see who was there. From the angle you could see your sister, but not who was outside, nor could they see you. The warm tone was instantly recognizable, and your eyes widened as your sister looked back at you. Shaking your head profusely, she denied entry and shut the door, walking over to you. You back away from the door, letting her in as you sit on your bed. Crossing your legs, you grabbed a stuffie and clutched it to your chest.

��Hey, can you tell me what happened? Why are you hiding out at home and not answering Jungkook’s calls? What’s going on?”

You sighed, taking a much needed breath before you recounted the whole story. You told her about the journal entries being sent out, about how Namjoon had confronted you leading to you lying and saying you were with Jungkook, who came up with the plan to fake date each other until the Somin and Namjoon issues calmed down for both of you. 

She listened intently, shocked to hear that it was all fake, and she told you as much once you finished sharing about the fight that ensued on Monday.

“Sis, that man loves you. I could see it when he came to the door. I think you should talk to him.”

“No. It’s all my fault all of this happened anyways. If I hadn’t been drunk and sent those messages out, I would have never had to lie to Namjoon and start all of this.”

Yuna squirmed in your computer chair, her mouth twisted as if holding herself back.

“Actually, you didn’t do that.”

“What are you talking about Yuna? I saw the messages. I took the photos the night before because I wanted to upload them to an online journal platform.”

She nodded her head, wringing her fingers in her hand. “I know that, but you didn’t send them… I did.”

You stared at her, anger silently rising as you waited for her to continue. 

“I waited until you got into the shower. You know I read the entry to Namjoon, and so when you got into the shower, I used your phone and sent a message to each guy who’s name was both in the book and in your phone. I wanted you to have someone, instead of always spending your evenings at home, bored.”

“Yuna, you knew that I did not want Namjoon to know, he and Jennie had just... and I was trying to protect him, do you see what this did?!” You threw the plushie at her angrily, standing abruptly.

“I can’t believe you would invade my privacy, you could have ruined my career, if one of those messages had been sent to the wrong person, god damn it Yuna! You’ve ruined my fucking life!”

Yuna was crying, but she set the stuffed bunny back on your bed gently before she got up and headed to leave your room. Pausing at the door, her hand poised on the door knob, she turned back to face you.

“I didn’t ruin your life. You finally had a life. You’re the one running away from it now.”

With those parting words, she left your room, closing the door and leaving you alone with your thoughts.

After Yuna left you, she went to her own room, where she scrolled through social media to find Jungkook. You already blamed her, though she felt like it was misplaced, but she felt like she might as well do something to help fix the situation. Finding Jungkook’s IG account from the photos you tagged him in, she followed him. When he returned the follow, she messaged him to contact her. 

It didn’t take long for him to respond, and she asked him to meet her out somewhere. Agreeing on a local park, Yuna changed her shoes and left you moping in your room, a note on the counter that she was headed out.

Sitting on the bench, it wasn’t hard to spot Jungkook. His tousled black hair peeking from under his black beanie and the familiar black jacket was easy to spot against the white snow that had recently fallen, but like a Seoul snowfall, it wouldn’t stick for long. Carrying a hot cocoa for him and herself, Yuna held it out to him before she sat down, sipping on the warm drink.

“Yuna, I will say I’m surprised you reached out to me.” Jungkook’s usually bright voice was tinged with sadness as he looked over at her.

“I have something to tell you.” Yuna started, and Jungkook’s nerves grew.

“I was the one who sent the journal entry to you. Not my sister.”

“Oh? Okay. Thank you for telling me I guess.” Jungkook took another deep pull from the drink, letting the heat fill his body as he swallowed.

“I mean, I sent it because I didn’t want her to grow old and be alone. Every night, coming home bored to drink wine with her baby sister and watch reruns on Netflix? I wanted her to fall in love. And she did. With you.”

“I don’t think so, Yuna. She wasn’t in love with me.”

“She was; she still is! She told me everything that happened. About how dating you was all fake. But I know it wasn’t. Not for her. And not for you. No one acts the way you two acted. I know my sister; when she told me what happened, I knew that she was hurt because she’s in love with you. Like, still in love with you. She just doesn’t believe you love her back.”

Yuna stared at Jungkook, watching the way her words sank in, waiting to confirm what she already knew: Jungkook was in love with you, too.

Jungkook’s voice was quiet when he finally spoke. “How do I convince her? That I love her back?” 

“I wish I knew Jungkook. I wish I knew. But if you don’t do something soon, I think you’ll lose her.”

——

Friday was New Year’s Eve, and you had to put up with Yuna running around like a lunatic cleaning the apartment to ring in the new year. You had finally resigned yourself to forgiving her for sending the journal entries. It was over and done with, and there was nothing more to do. Monday, you would be back at work like nothing happened, and didn’t want to go into the new year holding onto this year’s anger or sadness.

Yoongi, surprisingly, had reached out to you the day before about a party he was having to ring in the new year, and at first you didn’t want to go, but the longer you thought about it, you figured you should. Why spend the new year at home, where your sister would relentlessly tease you until she left. She had her own plans this year, going to a classmates to drink and watch the fireworks; so if you stayed home, you would be alone.

And you were tired of being alone. Sleeping in, you didn’t get up to join your sister in cleaning until later in the afternoon, going through your closet, bedroom, and bathroom.

You were scrubbing your shower when you heard the doorbell, but your sister, ever the nosey one, yelled that she would get it, so you continued cleaning, forgetting that someone had come to the door by the time you finished cleaning the bathroom. 

When you finally stopped cleaning for the day, it was close to 9 PM, so you decided to get ready for the night out at Yoongi and Hobi’s place. After about an hour and a half, you were dressed, makeup done, and ready for the party. You ventured out of your room, noticing a large blue hatbox on the kitchen counter.

“Yuna! What’s this blue box?” you yelled, and her reply carried from down the hall.

“A delivery, for you, from earlier!”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” you grumbled, cursing your sibling as you reached to remove the lid off of it. Inside was what looked like a photobook, a beautiful ombre of pinks and purples decorating the cover. Removing it from the box, you flip it open, noticing right away the neat handwriting that could only belong to one person. 

Sighing, you carry it to the couch, where you read the inscription he penned inside. 

“Right at this moment, I think of you.” 

Flipping through the pages, you see he’s created a scrapbook of the past month spent together. Pictures of the two of you at work, the park, each other’s places, and visiting each other’s families. Pictures of you sleeping in his arms, candids where you aren’t even aware of him taking the photos.

Each photo is vibrant, in his style of catching the light just right as it caresses your face, and you’ve never seen yourself look so beautiful. He’s scribbled little notes here and there, of what he noticed or what was happening when he snapped the camera, and you can’t help but blush when you see a photo in there of you after the two of you had sex. 

“I reach out my hand, and feel your breath. With eyes closed, before we know it, we’re together.”

Your fingers trace over the photo, where Jungkook’s face is, looking at you so lovingly as you sleep on his chest, the bed sheets from his childhood bedroom covering you both strategically so nothing indecent shows. 

The last page has a handwritten letter, not unlike the one you wrote for him all those years ago, with a tiger lily pressed inside. You looked up the meaning of the flower earlier in the day when you found the large vase while cleaning. Please love me. With shaky hands, you held the photobook and began to read.

Y/N, 

5 years ago, you thought you were in love. I can tell you with certainty that 5 years later I pray that you are, because I am so in love with you. The way you see me, I don’t think I’ve ever been seen before. My whole life I’ve been behind the camera capturing others. And somehow you have taken the camera from me and now I’m the one being captured and seen. And I love it. You make me feel like I’m not just made up of the same ingredients that make up the stars in the sky, you make me feel like the very galaxy reflected in your eyes when you look at me. You’re beautiful, and I, Jeon Jungkook, am so in love with you. When I say I’ve always loved you, that there is no start, so there can be no end: we are fated—destined; you are mine as much as I am yours. These photos are only a fraction of the way I see you, the many shades that make up who you are, how could I ever capture them all? Please know, I want to spend the rest of time trying. So in case you didn’t see it, or weren’t sure: I love you. I want to be with you. No contracts, just you, wholeheartedly as mine, and me as yours.

——

It was nearing 11 when you reached Yoongi and Hobi’s house, leaving the Uber driver with a confused look at the way you dashed out of his car. You could care less; the man you were in love with was inside that house, right now, and you would be damned to let him get away again.

Pushing through the crowd of bodies, you looked side to side, searching for the familiar black tresses, ears straining to hear his musical laugh or catch someone saying his name. Entering the living room, your eyes fell on the beer pong table, where Jimin and Taehyung were playing against Yoongi and Hobi. 

Destination set on getting to that table, you wade through the throng of people with the obligatory happy new year. Some attempted to stop to ask you how you’ve been, fill you in on the latest office gossip, or inquire about the exact relationship status of Jungkook. Those in the latter category were met with major side-eye. Plastering a fake smile on your face each time, you finally shake the last of them, jogging the last few steps until your right on the edge of the game.

“Y/N! Glad to see you!” Hobi was his typical cheerful self, greeting you with his signature smile as he watched Taehyung try and line up his shot in the cups Yoongi just re-racked.

“Hey Hobi, Happy almost New Year! Have you seen Jungkook?” you asked, skipping straight to the point.

“Um, yea, he came by earlier to drop off a few kegs for us, helped us move the furniture, but he went home. Said he wasn’t really feeling like celebrating.”

Yoongi, who had just grabbed the ping pong balls before they bounced off the table, handed one to Hobi as he gave you a pointed look.

“Yea, looked pretty heartbroken all week, if you ask me.”

“Well, no one did Yoongi. Give her a break,” Hobi answered before turning to you, “he’s probably at home. You can get there before midnight if you get an Uber quick.”

Thanking him, you threw your arms around him and Yoongi in a shared hug before waving to the other two on the far side of the table. You had someplace to be.

Outside in the quiet, you requested an Uber, happy to see one not even 2 minutes away. Thankfully, Jungkook only lived 10 minutes or so from the guys. You hoped traffic would be on your side. You knew you were cutting it close; 11:30 was approaching fast.

The ride to Jungkook’s apartment gave you too much time to think. Those 15 minutes (thanks drunk pedestrians) on the car ride over allowed the nerves to settle in, along with the doubt and fears. What if he didn’t feel that way about you anymore? What if he just wanted to bring you the photobook as a goodbye?

Shaking the thought from your head, you took a deep breath before you climbed out of the car and into the hushed cold of the last day of December. You had never shown up to his place unannounced like this, so used to trailing him into his apartment. The closed door was daunting to you, but you didn’t have much time now.

Knocking louder than you needed to due to those pesky butterflies in your stomach, what feels like an hour is only 10 seconds or so until Jungkook is standing before you. 

“Hi,” you said, breathless from the cold and from the sight of him after so many days apart.

“Hi,” he responded, looking just as mesmerized to see you at his doorstep, “uh, wanna come in?” Jungkook took a step back, giving you space to come in and you stepped forward into the welcomed warmth of his home.

The scene before you is not what you were expecting. Jungkook had been sitting in the dark, a half eaten pizza and a beer bottle on the coffee table, with his favorite blue and grey plaid blanket haphazardly cast aside on the couch; most likely from when he stood to welcome you.

Shucking off your boots, you walked into the living room, Jungkook silently trailing you.

“I—I’ve missed you.” His voice is low, as if afraid he would spook you.

“I’ve missed you too.” You turned to face him, the light from the paused Netflix show reflecting in his beautiful orbs. You took in his face, split lip mostly healed and the bruise faded along his cheek.

“I got your gift.”

“I’m glad.”

The conversation between the two of you was static, neither sure of what to do. The silence ticked on for a few more seconds before you decided to stop being a pussy.

“Did you mean it? What you said?”

“Of course I did.”

“I’m glad,” you repeated his earlier phrase, stepping closer to him. You placed your hands on his chest, solid muscles reacting to your touch as he subconsciously flexed them. “Because I love you, too.”

Rising on your tippy toes, you pressed your lips to his, your body relaxing when you heard the sigh he let out from the contact. His hands pulled you closer, deft fingers gripping you in all the right places as he deepened the kiss. He tasted faintly of pizza and beer, and smelled so strongly of his vanilla musk. You couldn’t believe how much he felt like home to you. Being in his arms felt right. 

Bending slightly, Jungkook wrapped his arms under your thighs and lifted you up, never breaking the kiss. Hoisting you up, he carried you down the hall to his room, foot kicking the door shut behind him. So turned on by his show of strength, you rolled your hips down onto what was his growing length, seeking any friction that would help ease the ache between your thighs. 

Letting out a groan, Jungkook’s hands guided your hips roughly to where he wanted you, lining up your sweet spot so you could grind on him better. Licking into his mouth, your hands tangled in the hair at the nape of his neck. A slight tug exposed more of his neck, where you planted markers of your territory as you continued rolling your hips in time to his movements. 

“I want you.” The whispered words went straight to your core; hearing Jungkook’s voice break with need, need for you—you couldn’t get out of your clothes fast enough.

“Bed. Now.” You demand, and he laughs as he follows your directives, setting you down once he approached the edge of his queen sized mattress. You tug your jacket off, tossing it to the foot of his bed before peeling your shirt up over your head to reveal your bra to him. He doesn’t get to look too long; you’ve gripped the waistband of his grey sweatpants and pulled them low enough to free him from it’s confines. His cock sprung free, and, licking your lips, you switch positions with him. 

With his back to the bed, you pushed him down, and he went easily. Pressing your hand to his chest, you lay him back as you bend at the waist, bringing your mouth to his leaking head. You lick the bottom of his shaft up to the slit, collecting the pre-cum with the tip of your tongue before you take the head into your mouth, swirling your tongue around the sensitive tip. Under your hand, you feel his abdominal muscles contract as he lets out a moan letting you know how good you feel as you take him farther into your mouth. 

Speeding your ministrations, you hollow your cheeks as you slurp around the head, using your hands to massage the dripping spit along the exposed skin you can’t reach. His hands grip your hair creating a makeshift ponytail to keep it out of your face so he can watch you. And wow, does he love the sight of your lips wrapped around his cock, innocent eyes blinking coyly up at him while your mouth is stretched around him. Keep it up and he could cum too quickly in your mouth.

When your free hand traveled to his scrotum, he jumped, feeling an overwhelming sense of pleasure as his sack tensed up.

“Wait, baby, I don’t want to cum yet.” Jungkook panted, and you pop off of him with a lewd sound that filled the quiet of his room.

Tugging you towards him, he scooted back on the bed until his head was flush with the headboard. 

“Strip for me,” he urged, and you did, undoing the button on your jeans and sliding them down until you were naked from the waist down. His eyes stared pointedly at your chest and you unclasped your bra, adding it to the growing pile of clothes the two of you had made. Watching as he shed his shirt before laying back fully, kicking his sweats free from his body, you climbed onto the bed, and he directed you farther up his body until he could maneuver your thighs to either side of his face. 

“Jungkook—”

“I’ve wanted you like this for so long, baby, please.”

Giggling softly, you lowered yourself slowly and he wound his arms around your thighs until his palms were wrestling lightly on them. The slow caress as he drew patterns on your skin matched the same pattern he drew with his tongue, you realized once he had you fully seated. Gripping the headboard, you threw your head back, rolling your hips as his lips and tongue ravaged you, the sexual sounds of him eating you out creating more for him to drink down. 

Curving your back to make you hunch forward, you adjust as the pleasure builds and you see his eyes, those bright galaxies staring at you as he pleasured you to climax and you tensed as the coil in your abdomen snapped, a mix of curse words and his name pouring from your lips as he worked you through it.

Placing your hands on his sweat laced forehead, you pushed to try and pull away from the overstimulation as he let out a laugh.

Scooting yourself down his body once he released you, you fell back and to the side of his muscular thighs, trying to catch your breath. You feel him moving, a low chuckle released as his hands grasped your wrists. Pulling you up, you see he’s now seated flush to the headboard, back against the soft grey padding. He guides your hips so that you straddle him, sitting your still sopping wet cunt onto his cock. Pressed against his stomach, he can feel the warmth emanating from your opening, and groaned, wanting to be inside of you.

Pressing his forehead to yours, his eyes meet yours as he intertwines your fingers before resting your interlocked hands behind your back at the curve of your ass.

“I love you.” His voice is strong, sure and confident in the words he says as he bares more than just his body before you. “I wanted you so badly back then, I want you even more now.” He presses a kiss to your lips, causing you to grind down on him. 

He kisses down your neck, hands still holding you in position over him. “Want to be inside of you, baby.” He nips at your neck, making you gasp, and when you rock forward, he’s rocking his hips down. 

The head of his cock presses against your core, and you settle back onto it, walls stretching to accommodate his girth. The two of you move in tandem, lips once again reunited in a raunchy kiss that only serves to turn you on more, sending enough slick between your lower lips to allow him to slip further into you until he’s bottomed out, a snug fit as the tip of his cock kisses your cervix. 

Releasing your hands, his large palms hold your back to pull you closer to him as you swivel your hips, rocking so the shaft slips in and out of you in short bounces. You rock, arms wrapped lazily around his neck as you play with the wet locks of hair as you ride him at your leisure, just enjoying the feel of your bodies connected as one. Chest to chest, you can feel the speed of his heart beat; it matches your own. 

“Can I go faster?” you asked, not wanting to go at a pace he wasn’t comfortable with.

“You can use me however you want, baby,” he replied, eyebrow cocked smugly as he gripped your waist tighter, “but please tell me I can cum inside.”

Nodding as you sped up, you bounced with more friction, his pelvic bone rubbing against your clit as you chased your high, fucking yourself on his formiddable cock.

“That’s it, fuck, baby, right there—” Jungkook’s moans, musical as he egged you on, brought you to your peak for the second time that night. Your walls clenched around him, and as your body froze, he took advantage of the moment to shift your bodies so you were on your back with your head to the foot of the bed. Bracing his feet on edge where his mattress met the headboard, he began to piston his hips into you, chasing his own high.

“Fuck, Jungkook, I’m gonna—again—” You can barely get the words out when your third orgasm is crashing around you, legs shaking from where they’re wrapped tightly around his narrow hips. Your release makes it wetter, and your swollen walls ache to feel his cum fill you.

“Gonna fill you up so good, baby, fuck a—baby into you, fuck, I want to see you carry my—my kid,” Jungkook’s cock is drowning in your essence, and hearing him talk about kids with you causes you to tighten around him, and he’s cumming, long ropes of his hot cum filling you until it’s seeping out around him as he continues to thrust indiscriminately, velvet muscle milking him dry.

Laying skin to skin in his bed, you laugh as the alarm clock numbers alert you to the fact that you had missed the New Year by 38 minutes. 

“What’s so funny?” Jungkook asked, eyes alight as he takes in your smile. 

“We missed New Year’s.”

“We didn’t miss it, we were simply enjoying our New Year’s kiss for longer than most.” He quipped back, fingers tracing patterns along your back. Your own nails were lightly scratching shapes into his chest as you rested your head on his shoulder. You spent the next 20 minutes of the first hour of the new year listening to him explain what happened with the camera strap, though you had already forgiven the incident. 

He wasn’t sure how Somin had the camera strap, though he suspected she stole it from his bag at the cafe. Jungkook told you about the meeting, how it helped him see that you weren’t a rebound; he was in love with you and while it was obvious to him, a part of him wanted to be sure before confessing to you. He didn’t want you to think he was rushing into things to get over his ex. He also apologized for fighting Namjoon, saying he was worried that seeing him fight would change how you viewed him, change his chances of being with you, this time for real.

“I love you, Jungkook, in case you didn’t know.”

“I love you too, in case you didn’t know.” 

“Hmm, but, I think we need to talk about children though, I think it’s a little too soon, despite our parents' ideas.” You giggled, and his cheeks turned red in embarrassment.

“It was just sex talk, we’re still just practicing, okay?”

Stretching, you roll away from his body, and he follows your body heat subconsciously, his body not wanting you far from him after almost a week of radio silence. 

“Hey, get back here, you’re mine.”

“Oh am I?” you teased, staying just out of his reach.

He pouted, accent slipping out as he moved closer to your retreating body.

“Yes, you’re mine, no rules, no contracts; just mine.”

“ ‘m all yours, baby,” you mumbled as you rubbed your nose to his in an eskimo kiss as he gathered you up in his arms, “and you’re mine.”

UPDATE (5.18.21): 1st Prologue is Out Now!

BTW, ily ⟢ summary: Taking place in the To All the Men I’ve Fucked Before (TATMIFB) AU, this pre-story is the backstory to you and Namjoon’s friendship. A year after losing your virginity to Jungkook, you meet Namjoon, who becomes your best friend… and who you want so much more with. Before you and Jungkook get it together in To All the Men I’ve Loved Before, there was BTW, ily.

Thank you all so much for reading! I plan on doing an epilogue and some drabbles to get more insight into the pasts of these characters! I love them so much, I don’t think I am ready to let go. The masterlist will be updated as more are added! TATMIFB Masterlist

↣ all rights reserved © hisunshiine 2021. please do not repost. translations & modifications are not allowed.

[temperancecain]

Hello, everyone!!! I wanted to share a Vampire Diaries Elejah Season Three Canon-divergence fic I've been working on for quite some time now. This is the first chapter, and if you enjoy this, there's twelve more on Fanfiction.net. I'm also going to be cross-posting onto AO3 as well. I hope you enjoy!!!

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Nothing Goes As Planned Chapter One: People Say Goodbye

She had everything planned. Every single detail figured out perfectly, an intricate web of cover stories and truths mixed in. Elena gave it a few days, long enough to make sure Katherine had been telling the truth about Klaus' blood being the cure for a werewolf bite, and then she began the process of saying goodbye to life as she knew it. While it may look easy in movies and on TV, Elena realized just how hard it was to disappear, especially if your face is not your own and you're supposed to have died in a magical ritual. Therefore, she didn't say goodbye completely.

First of all, she had to go to Bonnie, explaining what she intended to do. That went as well as one could expect. As in: not great. But they were best friends, and they'd always support each other, so Bonnie complied to Elena's wishes and cooked her up a few things so that she could stay off of Klaus' radar for as long as possible. The first was a bracelet, fashioned after Katherine's -her daylight one- so that anyone who came into contact with her would sense she was a vampire, and not human. The second was a locator spell blocker, so if a certain vampire -cough, cough, Damon- tried to find her, which he inevitably would, the only witch who could locate her would be Bonnie and there was no way she'd ever give in to Damon, no matter what stunt he pulled, she promised.

The next was a new car, happily provided by Caroline, who likely got it through compulsion-aided channels, as well as a new phone, completely untraceable.

Although she wouldn't be able to touch her inheritance until she officially turned eighteen in a few weeks, Elena luckily had enough money put by to find her travels, although she had no idea just where this crazy plan of hers might lead her. Surprisingly, in all that time, no one cottoned on to her plan who wasn't already in the know, despite how obvious it all was.

Elena was going after Stefan.

She refused to sit back and let Damon take the reins on this one, refused to watch the days go by and let this agonizing worry eat away at her. If she was going to find him, she'd have to do it herself, Klaus and his threats be damned. Stefan would do the same for her, if their roles were reversed. She knew he would; she knew it in her heart, her bones. Elena had lost too many people to let the love of her life go, too.

The time drew nearer to the date she'd picked out, June 2nd. Elena began getting extra gas and spare tires so she wouldn't have to worry about stopping when she got on the road. Shifting her wardrobe into duffel bags, taking only the barest of essentials, which unfortunately didn't include her beloved journal, but she planned to get a notebook on the road, something she could use to help her map out her thoughts as well as serve as a place to record her progress with finding Stefan. She'd already gleaned as much as she could from Damon, having found his little research project fairly easily. It seemed the elder Salvatore hadn't learned from his whole 'Moonstone in the soap dish' debacle when it came to hiding places. His closet? Seriously? Then again, it's not a place Elena would exactly be familiar with, and she might not have peeked in there at all if Damon hadn't fallen asleep on the couch one night and she'd gone looking for a blanket to put over him, so maybe she wasn't giving him enough credit. But she'd found it nonetheless.

It had hardly been two weeks, not time at all, and yet Klaus had managed to leave a pile of bodies in his wake. Figures.

She told Jeremy and Ric the night before over dinner. Her stepfather threatened to chain her to her bed if he had to, but there was no real heat behind it. He knew he couldn't stop her, knew she was smart and kind and brave and would fight to the bitter end for those she cared about, as she had cared for him these last few weeks since Jenna died. At least she promised to call. Jeremy was tight-lipped and stoic, but while she was brushing her teeth he broke down and begged her not to go. Her heart broke in that moment, all over again. She hated to leave him, she hated it, but none of this would have happened if not for her. Klaus wouldn't have happened if not for her, and she knew if she didn't do something to try and assuage this guilt in her chest she'd go mad, and this was the only way how.

"Would you do it for me, Jer?" Elena had asked him, toothpaste still clinging to her cheeks like tears, tears she refused to let fall, lest they crumble her resolve. "Would you do it for Bonnie, if she'd been the one Klaus took?"

"Of course I would. You don't even have to ask that."

"Exactly. It's time I call the shots when it comes to my life. Starting with this."

She tried explaining it all to Matt, but he'd been reluctant to be clued in on her plans, trying to stay out of the supernatural as much as possible. It stung, considering how close they'd been all their lives, but she respected his decision nonetheless.

Saying goodbye to Damon was harder than she thought it'd be. These past few weeks, they had grown closer, their pain over Stefan uniting them like never before. For the first time, his walls were down around her, and Elena mourned the fact that they would go right back up, and grow, once he realized she'd gone.

They had decided to watch a movie, a romance of all things. She sat beside him on the couch, her legs touching his, laughing at the ridiculousness that was eighties fashion.

"I don't think it's that bad," Damon remarked, gesturing to Adam Sandler's pale blue suit as he crooned into the microphone. "I saw worse in my day."

"I bet you loved the eighties," Elena smiled, grabbing some popcorn from the bowl. In truth, her stomach was knotted so tightly that the thought of eating was immensely off-putting, but she had to act normal, like nothing was wrong. It seemed she was always acting.

Damon shook his head. "Nah. The eighties was more Stefan's style. I'm sure he was the first person in line at the cinema to watch The Breakfast Club, the dork."

"Hey, I take offense to that! Breakfast is a classic, and therefore beyond reproach."

Using his vamp speed, he snatched the popcorn away from her, pelting her with stray kernels as he yelled, "So not! I won't stop until you admit it!"

"Well, then, I guess you're gonna run out of popcorn."

Fifteen minutes -and a carpet littered with sugar- later, the two were back on the couch, dusting off their clothes.

Damon broke the silence unexpectedly. "Thank you," he murmured, taking her hand in his.

Elena paused. "For what?" she asked breathlessly.

"For always being able to make me laugh. For not letting me spiral these last few weeks. I don't think I could have done it without. Heck, I know I couldn't. You really are something, you know that?"

God, why did he have to make this so God damn hard?! Why couldn't he have stayed all villain-y and snarky? Why did he have to have such a great heart under all that leather and piercing blue eyes? And why had it taken Stefan leaving to realize what a great friend he was?

Why did her life have to be so hard?

She squeezed back and murmured, equally soft, "I think you're really something too, just so you know. Don't ever forget that."

Those were the words she left him with, the words that swirled in her mind, stuck on repeat, as she placed her bags in her new car, gave Jeremy, Ric, Bonnie and Caroline, Tyler -who wouldn't stop shooting looks at the blonde all night, the blonde who had supposedly started spilling all of Elena's secrets to- and Matt one last hug before she shut the door of her childhood home, the click of the lock seeming to reverberate through her bones, pound in her heart, and within a blink shed started the car and was pulling out of the driveway, making her way into the darkness of the night without looking back.

Yes, she'd had everything figured out, every detail under control. But this was the life of Elena Gilbert, supernatural doppelgänger and magnet of all things magic, so of course nothing was going to go as she'd planned. And maybe, just maybe, that wasn't a bad thing.

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Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you decide to read the rest.

Temperance Cain.

[violxtdreams]

I really hope Zombies 3 comes out, so here are some thoughts/theories/predictions/ random stuff I think the film may be like! And some opinions :D.

-I noticed there’s a running gag of Addison speaking a monster language (and failing) so maybe this film will have her speak it perfectly.

-The new creatures will be Aliens, and they’ll have a white, blue and silver color scheme with moon motifs.

-The aliens will be one big metaphor for immigration. Perhaps something happened to their home planet

-or they have a space empire that colonizes galaxies and Earth is next.

-Addison will be adopted,

-Alien hair has special powers that manifest as a blue glow.

-The aliens will have something to do with the moonstone and werewolves

-The alien’s planet will have a fancy name. I think Alextros is nice.

-It’ll be a monarchy, and the king and queen are Addison’s true parents.

-Addison was meant to kickstart an alien invasion since she’s so good at fitting in,

-The moonstone is from the aliens,

-Everything supernatural is linked to the aliens

-The aliens will have their own intergalactic anthem,

-Their powers will be varied, but I think energy bursts, telekinesis, telepathy, mind reading, causing tech to go berserk, and perhaps teleportation are good choices.

-The aliens will be heavily associated with blue moons.

-Addison’s hair powers will go crazy and she’ll run away to control her powers. The aliens may help her.

-The werewolves and zombies will be suspicious of the aliens

-Earth will almost be invaded. Or at least Seabrook

-Addison’s parents will get their fair share of karma,

-Addison will have a new hairstyle. Maybe bangs, braids, or space buns for very subtle foreshadowing of her alien heritage.

-The aliens will all have white hair that can’t be dyed and also glows blue, (did I say that already? Sorry if I’m being redundant!) their hairstyles will mainly include space buns. Because space buns are cute.  

-All the alien names start with ‘A’.

-Their will be a main trio of aliens. 2 girls, and 1 boy. I think Alyssa, Amaya, and Axel are pretty names!

-One will be legitimately smart but have a large ego. Another will be shy, a smol bean, and be afraid of humans. Another will be just vibing and brave.

-Addison’s biological parents will look like they came right out of a Sci Fi movie.

-At least 1 UFO will be seen

-SPACE PUNS!

-The alien language will sound East Asian (Japanese, Korean, Chinese, etc.), Greek, or like this “Kiro-Leo monolona zia?” (“What nonsense is this?”) (I made that whole thing up-)

-Star Wars and Star Trek refs

-There will be an alien kid to be Zoey’s friend. Adalie is a cute name.

-The aliens will have peculiar food preferences. Perhaps they like drinking vinegar, eating tin foil, or some other thing.

-The aliens will have a habit of speaking alien instinctually. Example: (“Have a good yia-cozo!” “Oops, I mean have a good day!”)

-The aliens will be prone to space puns. (“I’m over the moon for you!” “What in the universe?” “Hold your comets,” “Get your shooting stars out of here!” “That’s so stellar!” )

-The aliens will mention overthrowing planets and destroying moons like it’s no problem.

-The aliens have beef with the werewolves.

-The humans seem to learn they’re lesson and actually try to be nice.

-Alien abductions

-In every film so far we’ve visited the monster homeworld things (Zombie Town, Wolf Den,) so we’ll see the planet of the aliens.

-Addison will have her identity crisis used against her. (“Join your fellow aliens and be at peace with yourself or stay lost here without a group you belong with”)

-Instead of helping the aliens,  the aliens will help Addison.

-Addison will wear alien clothing at some point,

-The aliens will betray everyone and use their powers to start an alien invasion.  

-At least one character will do the Vulcan salute 🖖

-Bucky will fail to speak alien and will speak Klingon instead.

-Addison will gain an obsession with space.

-Zed will walk right up to a male alien and tell them to stay clear of Addison.

-Eliza will be incredibly interested in alien technology.

-The werewolves and aliens will fight to see who’s the most powerful.

-One alien will compete against Bree to be Addison’s best friend.

-LASER WEAPONS!

-The ending song will go like this: Cheerleader, Zombie, Werewolf, and Alien  

(Time to stop cause at this point it’s just fanfic material)

And now, some opinions ! :D please don’t get mad if you disagree! I apologize in advance if it makes you upset.

-I’ve heard some people say that Addison’s identity crisis isn’t a good idea, but I think it’s actually incredibly interesting and relatable, at least for me!

-Some just want Addison to be an odd human. it may be my astronomy and fantasy obsession but I reallllly want her to be an alien. First, it seems obvious. Second, another clear metaphor. Third, it’ll have a bunch of story opportunities and fanfic potential for the supernatural creatures. Fourth, I just think her being an alien makes more sense than being human. No other human has the glowy, undyeable, white hair that she has. Unless more humans are revealed to have crazy hair colors due to some weird effect, (aftermath of the zombie apocalypse maybe?) I doubt she’s human. Plus, her mom is the mayor and her dad the Z Patrol chief. If she’s not human, then this makes sense because her parents may be keeping her on watch, in case she causes some weird thing.

-I don’t really think the zombies will be ‘lost’ story-wise. They managed to get a good deal of focus in the second movie so I expect the same in the third.

-I think the vampires actually have good story potential. If they decide to make a fourth film, I think it could work with some creativity to come up with a metaphor for vampires.

-I don’t think the film series is a mess :D in fact it’s my favorite DCOM since the first came out,

[roseworth]

you thought i was done? you fool

i am very upset that the Dark Prince Eugene plot line was basically forgotten about. i remember watching destinies collide for the first time and eugene found out he was a prince i was so excited bc omg??? its so crazy and cool and i was hoping the show would do a lot with that

but. they did not.

the last time we hear anything about him technically being a prince is the line in destinies collide when he goes "thumbnail: im a prince. probably." then its never brought up again. we do get more edmund, which is cool, but nothing about either of them being royalty (other than people calling edmund "your majesty"). the idea of him being a prince is completely forgotten, along with fitzmom, but ill get to her in a sec.

there was so much potential for eugene being a prince! ive seen some posts about theories people made before season three and its just so disappointing to look at them and realize that none of it happened. imagine if we got dark kingdom history and how it relates to eugene! or if we got any plot line surrounding eugene as the dark prince! that would have been so cool for his character and his arc to need to come to terms with the fact that hes actually royalty and hes part of this bloodline sworn to protect the moonstone

dont get me wrong, i love that he chooses to trust rapunzel in destinies collide. he realizes that he cares about her and her safety, but wont stand in her way. i love it! but i wish we had more about what it meant to him that he knows his heritage now and he realizes that his family now (rapunzel, lance, etc) is more important than his birth family.

also think about how literally nothing would change if he wasnt a prince. i like the meaning of how the lost prince and the lost princess found each other (🥰) but it was never brought up again. if edmund was just a random dark kingdom knight instead of the king, it wouldnt change a single thing. why even bother making him a prince if you dont do anything with it?

honestly, everything about the dark kingdom was completely ignored. they didnt give us any information about what the dark kingdom really was until destinies collide, then never again after that. they even set up an important plot point regarding the dark kingdom with quirin's note, but that was tossed aside too. rewatching that part of qfad is always weird because quirin has such a strong scene when he's alone and looking through his dark kingdom things, and the audience is like "wow i cant wait until we learn more about his past!" and then we dont learn anything other than that the dark kingdom exists and he used to live there. they even took the time to highlight that he was writing a note to varian, assumedly with information about the dark kingdom, then that didnt happen.

we get no information about what the dark kingdom used to be other than that they were protecting the moonstone. and the mind trap just... exists. for no reason. they dont bring it up until halfway through season 3 and they dont give an explanation as to why it exists in the first place (or why it was at the spire and not IN the dark kingdom?) there are a lot of holes to fill in when it comes to dark kingdom history, which is very sad because finding out more about where eugene came from would have been so cool :(

and fitzmom! the way she was treated shows a lot of the problems in the show, but im just gonna focus on how it shows the mistreatment of the dark kingdom. basically, she had plenty of potential. shes eugenes mom, she died because of the moonstone, anything could happen, right? then she didnt even get a name, and she was never mentioned after destinies collide. we didnt get to see her at all outside of that one picture. but the moonstone and the dark kingdom are a huge part of the show, and she lived in the dark kingdom and was killed by the moonstone, so it would make sense if they talked more about what happened to her. but instead they just forgot about her?? we dont even know HOW she died other than that is was related to the moonstone.

but going back to eugene, we barely get to see how finding out about his mom then finding out she died because of the stone that rapunzel is about to grab affects him. hes sad for a little bit, then after he talks to pascal suddenly all his feelings about it go away. i feel like asking for her to be mentioned more than once throughout the whole show should be the bare minimum, but we dont even get that.

this is already a lot longer than i thought it would be so im gonna stop, but i just want to say that i wish we got more canon dark kingdom content. the fact that the dark kingdom wasnt really even talked about in season 3 until the very end when edmund and the brotherhood went back is really sad. and along with that, a major part of eugenes backstory was forgotten about because the dark kingdom was ignored.

tl;dr: eugene as the dark prince should have been talked about more in canon. the dark kingdom as a whole was ignored and it's sad because there is so much heritage surrounding it, and the moonstone is the reason the whole plot of the show is happening.

[fallingfor-fics]

Teachers Pet-chapter 19: the universe

All chapters

chapter 18

Nothing crazy happened in DADA today and I was heading to potions with Draco, we were going over the properties of Amortentia in hopes to brew it perfectly with no mishaps. I was also a bit worried, I was aware that the way it smells is different for each person, and I was afraid to find out what mine smelt like. We walked into class and took our seats, still quizzing each other on each step. 

The bell rang and everyone was seated waiting for instructions. "Open your books to page 324 and begin prepping your tables as usual, all the ingredients are here and you know where your supplies are, get started and let me know if you have any questions, please do not make me have to take my time to clean up any messes." he said coldly and sat back down in his chair. I went up and got the cauldron and our ingredients. "Ok Y/n would you like to do the honors and I'll stir it this time?" Draco asked smiling "If you really trust me then yes" I said laughing, I worked on this for so long with Snape so I should be able to do it perfectly! I just needed to focus and not overthink it, it was a simple potion and if Draco can do it, so can I. I added peppermint flowers and leaves, powdered moonstone, and Draco stirred between each teaspoon, I then sprinkled in the rose thorns and placed in the Ashwinder eggs. Draco watched closely as I did so making sure I was getting everything correct. After letting it sit we uncovered it and stirred it counterclockwise and it took on its pearl sheen. I smiled wide and refrained from jumping up and down. "Hell yes" I whispered to Draco "We did it!" he said high fiving me. I looked up at Snape and we made eye contact. I motioned to the cauldron and smiled, to which he returned with a very small faint one and turned back to his work. I felt butterflies again and a sense of joy that I succeeded for him again.

"Ok now take a whiff Y/n'' Draco said, "What? no you first" I said afraid of what may happen. "Ok ok fine." he leaned over and took in a light sniff, I looked at him expectantly, "Well?" I questioned looking at him thinking of what it smelt like "Hmm it smells sweet like warm cookies and pumpkin juice" he said with a confused look, "ha you know who likes pumpkin juice?" I said teasing, "Who?" he questioned seriously trying to figure out who it was, "Harry" I said smiling. "Oh buzz off Y/n It certainly does not smell like Potter, that's absolutely revolting" he said a little too defensive, I shrugged my shoulders and giggled, "Your turn! Better hope it doesn't smell like Filch!" he said trying to tease me like I did him, I cringed at the idea and leaned over the cauldron I took a deep breath preparing myself, I closed my eyes and took in a small whiff, "Well what do you smell?" Draco said, waiting. I opened my eyes and took it in, "Um, just pine trees and rain" I said lying, I took another whiff and the scent of old leather shoes, parchment, and firewhiskey filled my nose, I closed my eyes once more taking it in and letting it linger, "I'm gonna use the restroom" I said to Draco, walking past Snape not bothering to ask and exiting the class, I quickly walked outside, shaking hands and began to take deep breaths, counting to ten and doing everything in my power to keep the tears that brimmed at the edges of my eyes in. I can't. I couldn't deal with this right now, none of this made any sense. A hot tear ran down my cheek and I quickly swiped it away. No not right now, not here. I closed my eyes shut and the smell lingered in my brain. How could this be possible? I leaned over my hands on my face, trying to slow my heart back down. How could it smell like him?

"Mr. Malfoy where did Ms. L/n just run off too?" Snape asked, noticing she darted from the room. "She said she had to use the restroom, I'm guessing it was an emergency." Draco stated. "Yes, well pour the potion into a vial and get to cleaning up" he ordered the boy and walked out of his room.

I looked to the sky again wanting to scream at the universe. Of all the people in the world. There had to be something wrong with the potions? Or my nose? There's no possible way this was real? I mean there's no way he's- I began crying at the thought that the one person for me was the one person I couldnt have. "This was just supposed to be some silly little crush and now I've just found out my whole future" I sighed to myself. I refuse to believe it, I must have it mistaken, I mean lots of people probably smell like this, its very popular scents. I thought as I wiped my tears, the pressure was getting to me and I couldn't help it. There was a light mist falling and my hair grew a tad frizzy and my skin damp. "Ms. L/n what's going on?" I stood up straight at the sound of his voice. No. why is he out here what's he doing? "Nothing, I'm fine I'll be back in a minute" I said, trying my best to sound like I hadn't been crying. Now wasn't the time I needed him here to comfort me, I wanted more than anything to run and hug him and let him hold me in his arms, but the thoughts of what this all meant were reminding me of why I couldnt and why I'd never be able to. "Did Mr. Malfoy say something?" he pressed on "What? No, I said I'm fine" I said sniffling quietly and still not turning to look at him, "You can't just run out of class Y/n, what happened?" he said in a more stern but soft voice walking closer to me. "I just needed some air, that's all I felt l-lightheaded" I said, tears forming again as I thought about the scent that was now growing closer to me. "Do you need to go to the infirmary?" he asked, slowly growing closer. "No, I'm fine" I said thinking about what the hell I'm going to do with this information. I mean what does this mean? Am I gonna be alone? Will it change once these feelings pass and I can find someone else? I knew the answers to these, but I wasn't going to accept there was nothing I could do.

"Y/n tell me what's the matter?" he said putting his hand on my arm and turning me to face him, I looked down tears still flowing down my face, this situation was becoming all too familiar. Why did we keep finding ourselves here? "Y/n." he said, wanting me to spill my heart out like id done in the tower, but I wasn't going to, I couldn't, "Y/n come on." he said in a calm tone. I looked up to him wiping my tears and then looked off to the side. "I can't, it's none of your business." I said in a calm but stern tone. "You said we were friends right? So tell me what troubles you or else I may need to inform Albus." he said, not taking his gaze from me. I looked up at him "Are you going to continue to threaten me with my godfather everytime I dont tell you something?" I said upset he was using this factor against me, "As long as it works yes" he said with a slight smirk. "When you brew Amortentia what do you smell?" I asked looking at him in his eyes, they flashed with a sense of regret and he looked away for a moment "I don't see how that matters?" he said looking back at me. "Well when I did it, I smelt the same someone I was troubled over at the tower, and I'm not sure what kind of sick joke the universe keeps playing, but i'm not gonna be able to withstand the...humiliation any longer.'' I spat out getting more frustrated and another tear falling. He sighed and looked at me, "No don't say anything, I need to get back to class, just pretend this never happened ok?" I said wiping my tears and looking up at him. His hair was lightly dusted with mist and his face looked sadder than normal, he looked empathetic and concerned, his skin beautifully painted with the damp water and his dark eyes clear through the mist. He looked so handsome. I walked past him and headed back inside not wanting to risk him reading my thoughts and picking up on my emotions and what was causing them.

   Draco didnt question anything and after class I went to visit Albus before dinner. I needed family right now and some of his wise words. I waited outside his office and it opened up. I walked in and was greeted by the kind old man. "Ahh evening dear, how are you?" he said smiling as I just silently walked over and hugged him, "Oh whats wrong my child? Bad day?" I laughed lightly and let go, he sat down in his chair, hands crossed as I paced back and forth. "You could say that." I said sarcastically. "We brewed Amortentia in potions today" I said slowly walking around his office. "Oh and how did that go?" he said innocently, I know he knows everything, so I know he knows I didn't have the easiest time. "I just feel like the whole universe is against me you know?" I asked laughing. "Yes I'm aware of the feeling" he said smiling still. I went and sat down, my feet draped over the arm of the chair. "Is it possible someones cursed me?" I said looking at him. "Possible, but unlikely" he said offering me a lemon drop. I took it and popped it in my mouth. "Well if karmas real, what did I do to deserve this punishment?" I questioned looking up at the ceiling. "Well what happened that you believe is a punishment?" he asked patiently. I looked at him and swung my legs back over to face him. "I smelled the potion, and it told me that i'm never gonna be happy" I said shrugging "Do smells talk to you often y/n? He said grinning through his half moon spectacles. "Haha you know what I mean." "Well how can you be certain? Is the person dead?" he asked looking at me. "No" I said in a small tone. "Is the person in Azkaban?" I looked at him noticing what he was doing "Nooo." He placed his hands on his desk and leaned forward a bit, "then how can you be sure?" he questioned. I pondered for a moment, "You don't understand, I literally can't be with this person, they'd never feel the same, and it just won't work." I said sighing, "Well the universe is never against you my dear, it may feel so, but everything that happens, no matter good or bad, happens for a reason. And the universe has a plan, so if it wanted you to know your person is easily accessible, for lack of better words, then it would have. Never underestimate its powers." I listened deeply and took in everything he said. "So you're saying it is possible this may not be as irrational as it seems?" I said still confused "Im saying its more than possible." I smiled up at him and walked around his desk hugging him. "Thank you" I said smiling and waving as I headed to leave for dinner.

[kingreywrites]

your opinion on moongene?

Your opinion on _____?

Sorry I got really rambly but I have like. A lot of contradicting thoughts about this ghdjkdjd

My favourite character getting to have fun magical powers with a side of angst is obviously a concept that really drew me in at first gshjddj Truly, i was really interested in Eugene's link to the moonstone as in, this is the thing that is more or less responsible for a lot of what he went through in life? His abandonment directly stems from his family's obsession with protecting the stone, his mom probably died because of it too, and the idea of him getting stuck with it was genuinely a concept i couldn't get out of my mind for a while. I was also fascinated by the relationship the Dark Kingdom had with the moonstone, and the paradox between how they wanted it gone and how they couldn't actually destroy it so they started protecting it, and the idea of Eugene being in the middle of all that + knowing Rapunzel thought it was her destiny + knowing the black rocks had been destroying corona (his new home) and could still do that if he kept it + A WHOLE LOT OF OTHER ISSUES ON HIS SHOULDERS was just..... very fun to think about lmao I literally could not start s3 right away despite it being available because I just kept thinking about Destinies Collide and how I wanted it to influence Eugene's arc and its possibilities etc and I didn't want to go too fast because I wanted to form actual theories before seeing if anything would be confirmed (and well uh I shouldn't have worried about that gdhjdjd but basically a lot of my moongene thinking was done pre knowing what mooncass was gonna do exactly)

And that leads me to my problem with moongene as it exists in the fandom because... I Do Not Like moongene as in "Eugene does what Cass did in s3 with some tweaks", and I quickly discovered that a lot of the content and discussions about this AU were... that. There's a lot of fics i just had to close because they were not really about Eugene, in a way 😭 Starting with the reason why he would take it because I have yet to find a fic that could convince me Eugene could / would ever 1. betray Rapunzel, 2. make it a long-term betrayal and 3. refuse when she asks for the moonstone back directly. And since most of the moongene content starts with these three points, I fundamentally disagree with Eugene's characterisation most of the time gshjdkd

(I also have trouble with the idea of a selfless betrayal very quickly because the rhetoric "I have to hurt those I love to save them" gets annoying for me if it goes on too long gdhkdkd for all that Cassandra's motivations can be nebulous in s3, at least it's not stupid as in "I'm protecting Rapunzel by taking the moonstone away and there's absolutely no easier way to do that than to run off in the woods with a demon while she's miserable")

Basically what I'm trying to say is that I think a lot of the moongene content doesn't feel like it's about Eugene as much as it is about putting him in a dramatized mooncass arc and it's a shame imo. There's a lot of eugene specific questions I feel we're missing out on by simply trying to recreate Cass' arc with him!! And like, a very stupid one I rarely see raised but I feel would be interesting is how much Eugene would hate having blue hair asgjdjdg the fact that his ego and love for his own appearance is practically never questionned in a scenario where that same appearance is drastically changed is a big missed opportunity! I also do love emotional vulnerability and all but, you know, Eugene is the guy who made a room tour of the place he died, humor and practical thinking are big part of his character, and a lot of the moongene melodrama misses this part of him

And this is... only concerning my issues with how he's himself treated in a moongene au, but then there's. how the other characters are written around that too. And again it gets tricky for me because like, new dream as soulmates linked by Destiny™ is something that instantly loses my interest if it's given too much weight which is not questionned at all, Rapunzel being an eplored maiden waiting for him to come back can quickly feel wrong in the sense that i don't enjoy any fic where Eugene needlessly hurts her and she ~doesn't mind it~ because she loves him and he's sad, and as you put it in this post (which was really interesting btw!) Cassandra gets the very shortest end of the stick most of the time and Zhan Tiri is just uhh floating around being mean. Also if we're lucky Lance gets mentioned (when like, I think Lance being his best friend since childhood should be a good reason to make him and his reaction important in any moongene story)

I'm not particularly picky and I have read stuff I did not necessarily agree with but in general there are no developed moongene fic out there which ever became a favourite of mine which is crazy considering how much i loved this concept. I really think that as long as this AU mostly stays stuck in the "I want what Cass had" stage, I'll have trouble finding something that speaks to me because I personally don't ghdhfgd And though I get that fan content is not obligated to touch on every issue in the show, I think that erasing Cass, her issues, the fact that she wanted the stone too and still has Zhan Tiri in her corner takes away a lot of possible conflict that would be interesting to explore in a long fic. Idk, it just feels like a lot of the content is "restricted" by the canon moonstone arc, even when people say they write about this AU to break away from what went down in the show :/

[evilbeanghost]

Snapetober

Participation #7: Day 15 “Stay With Me” (Moonstone fix-it part 2 of 2) - read on A03

(Read PART 1 - Abandoned first)

This is the AU fix-it ending - I call it “happy-sad” instead of the SAD SAD SAD of the original.

Thanks again to @ailec-12​ because she helped A LOT (and not just with this)

If you want to see Moonstone’s little furry face it’s HERE.

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In the end, Sirius was told that he had indeed saved the other's life that day. He couldn't stop thinking about how much time it would have taken the world to find Snape's corpse if it hadn't been for him. He would be dead if Sirius had not taken it upon himself to go demand some tea and light banter that first day some months ago – and how unlikely that had been anyway? Sirius could taste the words he would have said at Snape's funeral just there on his tongue, bitter and salty: fucking unhygienic bastard.

Now all that was needed was for the other man to bloody wake up already, just so Sirius could tell him what a bastard he was to his face instead of imagining himself spitting insults at his coffin. And it wasn't too much to ask after having already waited for six days now, anxiously being told that "no, he couldn't see Mister Snape", "no, only family", "no, he has not woken up yet", "sorry, I can't really tell you more". He was going to make something explode really soon. He knew that Snape didn't have any family anyway, these hospital people were just a bunch of buffoons in coats at this point. 

"Sirius?", someone said behind him, startling him out of his spiraling rage. Spinning on himself, Sirius was soon faced by a very confused Harry. 

"Harry? Is everyone alright?"

They were in a hospital after all.

"Oh. Yes, yes! It's not… everyone at home is well. Are you ok Sirius, what are you doing here?" Harry was searching his face anxiously.

"Oh, good. You had me worried here. Me? Well… as you see, I'm trying not to be thrown back in Azkaban for fucking murder. That's all," Sirius deadpanned, letting some of his frustration go in a surge of dark humor. 

The look Harry gave him was not amused. Sirius, too worried and tired to pretend anymore, decided to come clean:

"I'm here to see Snape… but those bloody hospital idiots won't let me see him even if I'm the one who took him here in the first place, can you believe that?", explained Sirius, all his frustration showing up in his tensed voice.

"What? You're the one who brought Severus here?"

"Who else? It's my fucking destiny apparently."

Harry laughed wholeheartedly at that, after all, he had been the one asking Sirius to take Snape to St Mungo the first time, the sly mongrel. But Harry was not going to let it go with so little information it seemed: 

"Now, I want all the details Sirius, you won't get away with this one, you and Snape…, it's too good for me not to ask: what were you two doing together?"

And Sirius, seeing the amusement in his godson's eyes, so like James when he was being mischievous like that, didn't hesitate before telling him everything, all the tea and talks and weird companionship of the last months. He felt better the more he shared too.

Harry seemed to lit up along his tale and Sirius wondered, once again, why he cared so much about Snape anyway? It was just how Harry was, it seemed.

"So, are you friends now then?" asked Harry when Sirius was finished, smiling at him like it was a very good thing indeed.

"I'm not sure… I don't hate him anymore… I can let you have that," replied Sirius defensively.

"Good!" was Harry's answer, and he still looked very amused with it all the little bastard, "Snape's sleeping right now, but he woke up a little earlier today. If you want, I can talk them into letting you see him tomorrow?"

"You were with him?" asked Sirius, astonished.

"Indeed," confirmed Harry.

"'Only family' my fucking dirty arse!" exclaimed Sirius, furious again.

"Sirius!" scolded Harry, looking around them in alarm.

"Sorry,"mumbled Sirius, "you have to admit that they're dirty liars though —"

"—I told them not to let anyone in his room… I… I am his emergency contact – don't ask – and as soon as I knew he was in the hospital again I tried to make sure that he would be safe here. You know how it is… you were there the last time some twats decided to make him pay for whatever," finished Harry, a kind of unexpected darkness oozing from his tone, making Sirius remember why Harry had secured his respected status even now, years after the end of the war. 

Choosing to let the matter drop then, Sirius took Harry's arm and dragged him toward the cafeteria, intent on distracting him now.

"So, how's my namesake, my pride, our future? and his little siblings?"

"Please, don't mention your school days again with James, Sirius, you won't believe the letter Minerva sent me yesterday, as soon as I read it, I knew it had something to do with you, it's not funny and I wanted to talk to you about that!" scolded Harry immediately.

"Oh, don't get all fatherly on me, you know that boy just need some more… should we say "fun"…? male representation in his poor life!", replied Sirius, as always highly amused by Harry's father persona. Sirius still remembered fondly the teenager who had asked him for dating advices when he was trying to make things right with Ginny just after the war, and he would never be able to not make fun of his godson, it was how their relationship was. He wouldn't change it for anything, Harry, and his family, was the most precious thing in his life after all. He wondered briefly if Snape knew about Albus' names?

"Oh that's how it will be?" replied Harry. "I will let you explain your idea of "fun male figure" to Ginny then, should I?"

"I'm fucked, aren't I", asked Sirius, more seriously.

"She's going to give you the lecture of the year I'm afraid", replied Harry, amused again.

"Well, I guess I deserved this one", concluded Sirius, he was a good-sport after all.

"Oh, about Snape", interrupted Harry, looking somewhat embarrassed, "you don't happen to know where Moonstone is then? It's his cat… he was awake for like fifteen minutes earlier and he kept asking for it apparently".

"She's at the flat", answered Sirius, blushing a little and trying to avoid Harry's gaze. There was a little silence after that… and then Harry roared with laughter.

"Oh my! not friends indeed," he concluded, highly amused.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

It was with some apprehension that Sirius waited for Harry in the hospital's lobby the next day. Harry's smile when he eventually made it grated on Sirius' nerves a little. Why was the thought of him wanting to visit Snape so amusing anyway? 

Harry didn't say anything though and left the room rather quickly after having greeted Snape in a formal yet warm manner that left Sirius wondering once again about their relationship. He knew Harry had been more or less Snape's only contact for years… well, before Sirius had decided to act crazy and insinuate himself in the git's life too of course.

Snape looked terrible but still better than the last time Sirius had seen him, to Sirius' great relief. It was a little awkward after Harry's departure at first. They looked at each other somewhat sheepishly. Sirius couldn't think of anything to say now that he was actually in the damn room. In the end, Snape was the first one to try to say something, in a grumpy tone that made Sirius smile despite himself:

"I guess I should thank you Black… apparently you saved my life or so I was told anyway…" he said, stubbornly staring at his hands where they were grasping at the sheets anxiously.

"I guess you should indeed. And you owe me so much cat's food at this point already that all I can see in your future now is bankruptcy really," replied Sirius, their usual banter coming back to him now that the awkwardness had dissipated.

"She's with you?" replied Snape at once, relief heavy in his voice. "I wondered about that… I… thank you." And this time he sounded way more grateful than before. 

"You're welcome Snape. You? Honestly it was a gamble, but the little furry thing? No way, she's too cute!"

"For once, I completely agree with you Black," Snape deadpanned before adding as an afterthought. "Brace yourself for the end of the world, I guess."

After that, despite Snape's prolonged stay at the hospital, Sirius resumed his visiting on their previous schedule. The tea wasn't as good and the purring was not included anymore, but they quickly fell back into their previous weird brand of insult-based camaraderie. 

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Severus was waiting anxiously for Potter, knowing already what this was about and dreading it. He had known it was coming but had voluntarily tried not to let his thoughts touch the topic, even with a very long metaphorical stick. He was not having this conversation.

The Healer had told him a few days after he had woken up that they wouldn't discharge him before he had found a "solution to his living situation" as they had put it meekly. Apparently he was now officially an invalid and not fit to live alone anymore. He still had the little booklet they had given him with all the horrible homes he could choose from to die in. He was not going to die in a home.

They didn't even accept pets in any of them, he had looked. This was not going to happen. He was ready to just end it all, right here and right now. They all thought he was some kind of coward, they didn't know whom they were talking about He had lied to fucking Voldemort's face and he was not going to die in a home, it was final. And Moonstone was with Black, it was ok… she was ok.

And he had thought for so long that he had no pride left… Well, apparently he still had limits. Hard limits at that.

A soft knock on the door made him turn his head. Potter entered without a word, closing the door and then approaching the bed.

"Hello Severus, how are you doing today?" he said softly, apprehension written all over his face.

"Cut the crap Potter. I know why you're here, you know why you're here. My answer is no and believe me it's final," replied Severus, cutting short any tentative at chitchat. 

Potter looked at him intensely then, before sighing and saying with so much care it hurt:

"You know you can't go on like before Severus. You need help. I'm sorry."

"Please, get out of my room," replied Severus, closing his eyes. He wasn't going to cry, not in front of Harry Potter, not when James's son sounded so much like his mother with his caring, and his soft tones, and his demanding that Severus just be reasonable now. It was fucking painful and it made such old scars hurt that it was surely a fucking time machine.

And when Harry sighed deeply, and then turned around and left the room with the heavy silence of regrets, it didn't feel like a victory.

The tears escaped then. Severus was alone again after all, he could be as pathetic as he wanted, no one was around to see anyway. There was no one.

He stayed like that, in an untidy fetal position, vaguely folded on his side, crying like a baby for the first time in a long time. He was too exhausted to stop himself, to keep it all inside. He couldn't stop and it wasn't even lifting any weight from him. He was being crushed on his hospital bed. This time, he absolutely knew that he couldn't do it anymore, he couldn't. Today was the day he needed it to stop.

Potter liked to repeat that Severus had helped save the world. Why was the world out to get him at every corner then? Didn't he pay enough already? He knew he should be angry about that, but really, he just wanted it to stop, please stop, everything needed to stop right now.

"Severus?"

Severus jumped outside of his own skin, his heart leaping painfully in his chest. Black was looking at him with a frown and a very worried expression on his face. He was on the side of his bed, at touching distance… and Severus had not heard him enter the room at all.

"What's happened? Talk to me please you fucking git, you're scaring me!" asked Sirius frantically.

Severus couldn't articulate the deep pain of feeling like the world had abandoned him, while simultaneously feeling like he deserved it but just couldn't deal with it anymore.

"I saw Harry in the corridor, he told me he had been in your room, did he upset you?" asked Sirius, looking lost.

And Severus just kept sobbing quietly. 

He could feel Sirius moving around, before he heard the door open and close, and he was alone once again. His sobbing returned with a vengeance and he lost himself in the profound sadness he was feeling. He stayed like that for some time, drowning in his own tears. But it needed to stop.

He knew already that only two common potions would be sufficient. Two potions which were in the drawer next to his bed. Two harmless potions as long as they were not mixed. And in his weakened state…

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Sirius was running back to Severus's room. He couldn't believe that the stubborn moron had known for weeks that he was not going to be able to live alone anymore and hadn't told Sirius despite the time they had spent together since then. Stupid prideful git.

Harry hadn't seemed to know but Sirius knew with absolute certitude what Severus was going to do next. He knew it like he knew what he would do himself. He ran like his own life depended on it, not paying attention to the angry people yelling at him for shoving them around in the hospital corridor. 

He violently banged the door of the room open and was nearly hit back in the face by it as it rebounded on the wall. Luckily, the noise had been enough to startle the man on the bed, stopping the little harmless-looking bottle he was grasping in his hand mid-air, half-way towards his mouth. Another one was already lying on his lap, directly on the white sheet; empty.

"You fucking greasy moron!" exclaimed Sirius while jumping on top of Severus without care and battling the potion out of his hand. 

"What the fuck Black!"

"No, you don't. You're not doing it, you hear me you dumb creep!" repeated Sirius frantically before looking at Snape and seeing that the man was shaking, his whole body vibrating with deep tremors. "What did you drink? ANSWER ME, damn you!"

"I… It's ok Black," said Snape in his broken voice, "the first one is harmless without the second one. It's the mix that's…" he sighed. " I didn't drink any of the second one."

Severus looked suddenly defeated and frail. He was just sitting there, on his hospital bed, dark shadows under his reddened eyes, hands trembling, painfully thin and looking haunted and hopeless. And Sirius could see it now, of course they were fucking friends, it was crazy but it also made sense, it just made sense.

"Stay with me", he blurted out without thinking.

"What?"

"Stay with me Severus," repeated Sirius, more firmly now, it just made so much sense, "I have a big empty flat, I feel alone all the time and I would like for you to stay with me. Your fucking cat is already there anyway…" he tried to lighten the mood, smiling impishly at the sick man.

"You love that cat Black."

"Yes, I do. And if you promise to take a shower now and then – because you fucking stink sometimes mate – I'm sure Moonstone will be happy with my new flatmate, she knows him already after all."

"You think you're funny, don't you? But let me tell you Black: you're not funny, you've never been funny.", replied Snape, his voice regaining some of his lost bite.

"Oh, I'm not funny? I'm sure you're just trying to show me your ugly teeth then every time you laugh at my funny jokes, right?"

"Arse."

"Git."

Sirius saw the other's hands relaxing a little, their grasp on the sheets getting a little looser, and he knew then that the danger had passed, he knew they will be alright now. 

"Be good then Snape, I'm going to tell Moonstone the good news and then I will be back tomorrow to take you home, okay?"

"Don't give her too much to eat", replied Snape in his lectury-voice, "she's got a delicate stomach, she needs just the right amount of freshly cooked meat or fish —"

"— she's been eating dry cat food for weeks now, she's never been better," answered Sirius,  laughing already at Snape's devastated expression.

"WHAT?"

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Severus complained about Sirius being late before Sirius had even entered his room the next day. His stuff was already packed but it was just because he was a very tidy person apparently. Sirius took him home as promised, smirking at the git's acerbic comments all the way from the hospital. 

Severus complained about everything once they arrived too: the room was too bright, Moonstone looked like she had lost weight, the flat was too big, the sofa too soft and the kitchen too modern. Among other things.

It didn't take them long before they found a new rhythm together: friendly insults and delicious meals becoming the landmarks between happy flatmates. The dry cat food had disappeared somehow in the first few days of their new arrangement, and Severus made sure that Moonstone was presented with freshly made meals everyday – even if he had to force Sirius to prepare them when he was having a bad day himself.

Every day, Severus complained about the food, about Sirius being too noisy, about Sirius keeping Moonstone in his room to punish Severus when he needed to cuddle his own damn cat. About Sirius in general. He complained about the weather too, about the neighbourhood – which Sirius found a little astonishing considering – about Sirius' cooking and Sirius not cooking enough. 

Sirius endured it all with a fond smile. He knew now that it all meant 'thank you' in Severus's weird language…

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

In the end, Severus didn't die in a home. He died in his bed, in his home, with his moronic flatmate holding his hand and their cat purring on his chest. It was more peaceful than his life had been for the most part, and it left him with no regrets. 

Sirius kept his promise and insulted him copiously in the very long eulogy he gave at his friend's funeral. 

[andrewmoocow]

Steven Universe Alternate Future chapter 12: Eye in the Sky (originally published April 5, 2021)

AN: Now here's a chapter I'm sure you all will find interesting. Out of everything I've heard people declare to be super underutilized in Steven Universe Future, a lot of them say Nephrite shouldn't have been borderline erased from existence. Okay, I'm being a little dramatic there, but you get my point. In fact, none of the other corrupted Gems get anything important to do after Guidance. Well, I plan on changing that right now!

Synopsis: Nephrite needs help coping with corruption trauma, so Steven sets up a therapy group for formerly corrupted Gems.

Cast:

Zach Callison as Steven

Aparna Nancherla as Nephrite, Nephrite's crew

Shelby Rabara as Peridot

Amy Sedaris as Teal Zircon

Kimberly Brooks as Cherry Quartz

Jennifer Paz as Lapis Lazuli, Zuli

Featuring Auli'I Cravalho as Orange Spodumene

Kimiko Glenn as Blue Chalcedony

Tara Platt as Heaven and Earth Beetles

Tara Strong as Grossular Diopside

Phillipa Soo as Chrysocolla

Anika Noni Rose as Watermelon Tourmaline

And Aimee Carrero as Moonstone

--

Steven took a deep breath in as his Dondai Supremo wheeled into Little Homeworld while "I'm Looking Forward" played on his radio. "It's just a quick visit, Steven." He muttered to himself. "No need to get so uncomfortable, everyone is just fine."

As Steven stepped out of his car and looked around the Gem village, he found many of its residents minding their business. In particular, he found Cherry Quartz at Lapis's sculpturing class, partnered up with Zuli for an assignment.

"Oh, hey Steven." Cherry greeted Steven and motioned him over to check out the clay pumpkin she and Zuli were working on. "Lapis gave us an assignment to mold a vegetable out of clay, so Zuli and I chose a pumpkin. You like what we got so far?"

"Actually, I think pumpkins are fruits." Steven stated while observing the in-progress gourd model.

"Are you sure?" Zuli wondered, picking up the sculpture she and the Quartz were making. "Then why are they put next to carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, and other foods?"

"That's a pretty loaded question," Lapis said as she turned to the quizzical trio. "Pumpkins do have seeds inside of them like a fruit, but the nutrition is when they're most like-"

"Hi, Steven!" Nephrite interrupted Lapis to greet Steven.

"Hi there Nephrite, been a while since we talked." Steven said to Nephrite. "How are things with you and your crew?"

"Everything's been going good." Nephrite answered while stretching her arms. "Hey, sorry to interrupt you guys, but I came here because I got a little problem in Peridot's class."

"Oh, anything to help you guys." Steven stated, and then he turned to Lapis's students. "Sorry to leave so soon, but I got other things to do."

"It's alright Steven, I think we can manage." Cherry Quartz said before getting back to the pumpkin.

"Alright Nephrite, what are we dealing with?" Steven asked the former Centipeedle mother as they walked over to the greenhouse.

--

Inside the greenhouse, a small group of Gems was huddled around Peridot as she info-dumped about azaleas.

"Although the azalea is very beautiful, it can be very dangerous to humans as well." Peridot explained to her pupils. "The leaves and nectar contain grayanotoxins that can mix with honey to create mad honey, hello Steven, and can cause many symptoms, particularly those related to the heart."

As Peridot continued rambling, Nephrite brought Steven over to a sunflower in a pot that had a little bug-like creature skittering around the soil and stem. "See, that's what I'm talking about." Nephrite said. "Is this little bug bad for my sunflower in any way?"

Steven examined the critter as Nephrite held the pot to his face, allowing him a better look at it. "No, it's nothing to be scared of." He assured Nephrite. "And that's not a bug, it's an anthropod. A centipede to be exact."

Although Steven meant well, the reveal of the creature's name brought chills down Nephrite's spine. She began breathing rapidly, trembling uncontrollably as she dropped the flowerpot in fright and finally, letting out a loud shriek as she dropped to her knees, catching the attention of the rest of the class.

"Is something the matter?" Peridot asked gently while trying to console the formerly corrupted Gem.

"I was just telling her about the little guy that crawled into his sunflower, and then she started having a panic attack!" Steven exclaimed, almost just as lost as everyone else is.

"Maybe she doesn't like that thing." Teal Zircon guessed when she spotted the offending centipede and let it crawl onto her hand. "Aw, look at the little guy. Hey, Steven, you said it was a centipede, ri-"

"DON'T!" Nephrite yelled at TZ. "Don't ever say that word again!"

"Teal, can you stop being so insensitive towards others?" Steven scolded the Zircon.

"Sorry Steven, this was kinda my fault." Teal said remorsefully. "Hey, no hard feelings Nephrite?"

However, Nephrite was still too panicked to respond. She had gone from screaming like crazy to cradling her legs to her chest in front of the other Gems though, but Steven still felt worried for the one-eyed green Gem.

"You are aware that she was a corrupted Gem much like all of you, correct?" Steven said to the other Gems in the class, and they silently nodded before Steven turned to TZ.

"Nephrite, in particular, felt really lost when the Diamonds corrupted most of the Gems unlucky enough to remain on Earth, since she was separated from her crew." He explained. "Thankfully, I was able to reunite them all, but was unable to heal them until I got help from the Diamonds." That was when he got an idea. "That's it!"

--

"Thank you all for coming!" Steven announced to a group of formerly corrupted Gems sitting in a circle of folding chairs. "Now, it's come to my attention that at least one of you is still reeling from having been corrupted for thousands of years. This is a term I call PCSD, or post-corruption stress disorder." He began explaining. "It's kinda like PTSD, but I'm sure you get why it's so different."

Teal Zircon raised her hand, wanting to ask a question.

"Yes TZ?" Steven asked.

"So, where did you get the idea from exactly?" TZ asked Steven. "I mean, you could've just had a one-to-one sesh with Nephrite and you'd kinda get the same effect."

"Well, there are groups like this on TV shows I've heard of." Steven answered. "One guy would sit down with other people suffering the same problem as him, and they'd all take turns telling their stories in the hopes that they would get help. Now, anyone want to go first?"

"Us, us!" the Heaven Beetle exclaimed. "Hello, we're the Heaven and Earth Beetles."

"And we were corrupted." The Earth Beetle added.

"Hi, Heaven and Earth Beetles." The other ex-monsters greeted monotonously.

"See, you're already getting the hang of it!" Steven exclaimed happily. "Now, tell us your story you two."

"Unlike all of you guys, I think our corruption ran the deepest." The Heaven Beetle declared sadly.

"I'm pretty sure we even forgot what kinds of Gems we were." The Earth Beetle added before she took a look at her gem. "I mean, we certainly aren't Diamonds, but what could we be?"

"I think I may have a decent idea of what you could be." Teal Zircon answered before she used her monocle to project a holographic image of Gems that looked similar to the Beetles. "I think you might be Cubic Zirconias. You may be little, but you got a big influence over Homeworld."

"Though I'm curious," Steven responded. "why exactly did you ditch those guys for us when you live such a charmed life?"

"Well, those charmed lives were so drab." The Earth Beetle said. "Would it be oh so wrong to have a little excitement in your lives?"

"That is a good point." TZ muttered, prompting the other Gems seated to applaud the pair of Cubic Zirconias for opening up.

"Thanks you two for coming clean." Steven thanked the tiny twosome. "Now, who wants to go next?"

"I'll go." Orange Spodumene replied as she stood up. "Hello everyone, I'm Orange Spodumene and I was corrupted."

"Hi Orange Spodumene." The Gems greeted Orange Spodumene.

"Back in the old days, I went on many deep-sea adventures to collect life forms in places that no other Gem would dare to go!" Orange Spodumene began telling her story. "You all should've been there, the ocean life was beautiful. One of my favorite adventures was when I collected coral so that there'd be room for this Sea Shrine where tons of time things are stored. I'd be so happy to show you all my collection someday!"

"I never knew you were so into coral." Steven said to the deep sea Gem.

"I don't think you ever asked." Orange Spodumene replied before she continued. "Anyways, I didn't get the message to flee back to Homeworld and hid in the ocean when they pointed right at Earth. I thought that I would be safe from the Diamonds since the ocean is so dark and they couldn't see me, but I thought wrong. For the next couple thousand years, I just kept roaming around the ocean floor until I found Steven and then got bubbled."

"I'll go now." Watermelon Tourmaline said as she got up from her seat. "Hey, I'm Watermelon Tourmaline, and I was corrupted."

"Hi Watermelon Tourmaline." The other Gems said just as monotonously as before.

"Now, you may be wondering, weren't you a single Gem once upon a time? Why are you a fusion all of the sudden?" Watermelon Tourmaline asked rhetorically. "Well, I'm a different Watermelon Tourmaline than the one the Crystal Gems beat. I still find it super weird that there's two of me, but we learned to get along and even smash watermelons from time to time."

"Hey." The other Watermelon Tourmaline waved from her chair.

"Anyways, my components were brought together because Homeworld believed that fusing two Gems of the same type would give them an edge on the battlefield." The primary Watermelon Tourmaline continued speaking. "However, all they got was a big bouncy ball, so they just tossed me out. Didn't stop me from "bouncing back" though!"

The Gems began laughing at the Tourmaline's pun before Chrysocolla stood up. But even among the chucking, Nephrite refused to speak up.

"Hello, I am Chrysocolla." Chrysocolla introduced herself. "And I was corrupted."

"Hi, Chrysocolla."

"I once used my whips to uproot trees, but when I was that silly Slinker, I used them to be a real pain in the neck for the Crystal Gems." Chrysocolla explained. "But now, I can use my powers to not annoy others, but instead just have fun with them."

"Anything else you'd like to share with the group?" Steven asked Chrysocolla.

"I also have a bit of a fondness for history too." The former Slinker answered. "Particularly that one guy. What was his name again, Anderson Harold? Alexei Hammer?"

"You're probably thinking of Alexander Hamilton." Steven chuckled. "Hey Nephrite, you want to go next?" Nephrite just curled up on her chair and shook her head, much to Steven's disappointment. "Never mind." He muttered. "Uh, Grossular Diopside, how about you?"

"Gladly!" the little Gem exclaimed and stood up on her chair. "Hi, I'm Grossular Diopside, and I was corrupted!"

"Hi, Grossular Diopside."

"I had just emerged in the Alpha Kindergarten when the corrupting light hit, and I just wandered around with no idea what to do." Grossular explained. "But now that I'm here, I don't care what I was originally made for! All I want to do now is just enjoy life here on Earth."

"Hello, I am Blue Chalcedony." Blue Chalcedony said robotically. "And I was corrupted."

"Hi, Blue Chalcedony."

"I was heavily involved with helping to create new Kindergartens with my drills." Blue Chalcedony said, turning her hand into a drill as an example. "My drills were top of the line, so much that they impossibly kick reason to the curb, which was why Rose recruited me into the Crystal Gems."

"Howdy, I'm Moonstone." Moonstone said last. "And I was corrupted."

"Hi, Moonstone."

"My type of Gem was specifically made for stealth operations." Moonstone revealed. "Heck, we even got more than one weapon for the jobs we got!" As a demonstration, Moonstone began altering various parts of her body into various tools she would've used for her infiltration missions, to everyone's amazement. All except one.

"Hey, I don't think Nephrite over there has said anything yet." Moonstone realized as she gazed at the one-eyed Gem, who shifted uncomfortably in her seat before sadly getting up.

"I'm sorry." Nephrite apologized and began to leave. "I can see you all moved on, but I just can't."

"Nephrite, wait!" Steven cried as she ran after her before turning back to the group. "Uh, you guys go on without us!"

As Steven left, Snowflake Obsidian and Larimar turned to Teal Zircon, who was all too eager to tell her story. "Howdy, I'm Teal Zircon, and I was corrupted!"

"Hi, Teal Zircon."

--

Nephrite strolled sadly back to where it all began at Peridot's greenhouse and gazed down at the flowerpot she had dropped to the ground earlier that day. As it turned out, the centipede that started this whole mess was still there, and she wasn't happy to see it. "This is all your fault." She said angrily to the anthropod and raised a foot, ready to squish it, when someone stopped her in her tracks.

"Nephy!" Steven exclaimed, racing up to Nephrite and hugging her while shooing the centipede away. "I only wanted to help you! But why did you just run away like that?"

"Steven, I'm thankful for the kindness," Nephrite replied. "but sometimes, there are things you can never recover from in seconds flat. You know that, right?"

"Yeah, kinda." Steven admitted. "If it makes you feel any better, I brought along some friends who could help you."

"Captain?" another Nephrite asked for her leader as she and six other Nephrites entered the greenhouse with concern.

"We heard what happened from Steven." Another one of the Nephrites revealed. "How come you never told us about this PC-whatever you were suffering from?"

"Well for one, Steven just made that term up." Nephrite answered. "And second of all, he set up this support group for other corrupted Gems, but I just couldn't bring myself to talk about my experiences no matter how much the other members of the group wanted me to."

"Well don't worry cap, we were here for you back in the Rebellion and we'll be sticking by you now!" a third Nephrite cheered, bringing a smile to their leader's face as she shed a few tears of joy.

"Thanks you guys." Nephrite said as she joined her teammates in a big group hug. "I think I'm ready now."

"That's the spirit." Steven declared and he took Nephrite's hand and led her out of the greenhouse. "Come on, let's get going. I don't know how long TZ can keep talking."

--

"And that was the story of how I realized Jasper would soon become my best friend!" Teal Zircon finished a story for her fellow Gems, and there was much clapping as Steven returned with the Nephrites alongside him. "Oh hey Steven, hey Nephrite! You guys should've seen it, I was telling them all about that fight with Jasper and-"

"I think that's enough TZ." Steven chuckled. "After all, Nephrite's finally ready to talk."

"Oh yeah, I'd love to hear your story." Teal said happily. "No hard feelings about that centipede Nephy?"

"Water under the bridge." Nephrite sighed wistfully. "But still, it pays to be a bit more sensitive of others." With that, she took her seat again and finally began to speak for the other formerly corrupted Gems. "Hello, my name's Nephrite, and I was corrupted."

"Hi, Nephrite."

Nephrite turned to Steven and her fellow Nephrites, who watched on happily. "My crew and I were sent down to Earth to fight for Homeworld in the Gem War. We fought with all our might, but when we were called back home because the Diamonds were about to launch their final attack, our team got separated. I was so scared about what was going on, but then we all got turned into monsters."

The other Gems gasped as Nephrite continued. "When I first met Steven, it wasn't on the best of terms. I think he threw some kind of container at me to poof me."

"That's true." Steven revealed jokingly.

"Anyways, the next times we met were a lot friendlier." Nephrite's story became on its way to a happy ending. "The third time around, he even almost healed me! But it didn't last long, though because of that, I was able to reunite with my crew. They were waiting for me in our old ship this whole time, and I'm pretty sure you know the rest."

The rest of the group aww'd while Nephrite sat down, and she gave her thanks to Steven with an earnest smile. Steven returned it in kind.

--

Sorry this chapter was a bit short compared to the rest, but I feel I did what I wanted to do. And speaking of which, next chapter we move onto Bismuth Casual, which will feature the grand return of a certain "mystery girl" that fans have been begging to see again.

[badlydrawntangled]

It’s not what he did to me...

...it’s what he did to Eugene! ok so we’re gonna get into my BEEF with King Edmund. THIS MOTHERFUCKER has a kingdom, right, and the entire kingdom is built around his ancestors protection of this crazy magical artifact that has kind of a One Ring effect to it. Somehow the rock kills his wife and he’s like OKAY EVERYBODY OUT and displaces ALL of his people. Ok, ok, so you say: “he did it for their protection! The Moonstone is dangerous! And it’s not like he killed anyone, he just sent them away.” True! This alone is not what makes Edmund a shitty person! But he also sends HIS SON away. Still, “for his protection!” you shout. Yes! Okay. So he sends baby Eugene off to an orphanage to be adopted. Good, a reasonable and noble course of action for a single father finding himself unable to take care of his infant child. But, he doesn’t just send him away- he also uses his ravens to keep tabs on him! That’s kinda sweet, isn’t it? He still cares about his boy and wants to see what he’s up to from afar.

But then, Eugene is suffering in poverty. He turns to a life of crime to make ends meet. He grows up a thief, a rapscallion, making friends in all the wrong places and getting into all sorts of trouble. He becomes known far and wide, his wanted posters are everywhere. He’s been at this since he was a kid! The earliest Flynn Rider wanted posters we see have him CLEARLY a child. How old was he? 8? 10? Putting his life on the line to steal because it’s better than starving to death on the streets?

And Edmund KNOWS about this! He collects his wanted posters! He watches his child son struggling and scraping to get by without ever ONCE being like “oh I’m a king I should send him some money/food/HELP OF ANY KIND WHATSOEVER.” he is content just to sit back and watch Eugene suffer!! What the fuck man?! That’s your son!!

THEN at some point he loses track of him and doesn’t know about his redemption story and his love affair with the Coronian princess and all that jazz, and at the end of S2 the gang shows up on Edmund’s doorstep and he almost kills them all. The ONLY reason he doesn’t slice Eugene’s throat is because he sees those eyes and is like “oh its the fruit of my loins I feel no remorse about abandoning!” How many people did Edmund kill for trying to get into the castle before our heroes showed up?

THEN. HE HAS THE AUDACITY. To act all lah-dee-dah and lackadaisical towards Eugene, EXPECTING him to accept him with open arms! And we’re supposed to be amused by this silly thinks-out-loud character? Hell man he refuses to refer to Eugene by his chosen name for a REALLY long time, too. He sent away a baby prince, watched him grow into a criminal from afar, and then expected his perfect baby prince to come back and love him? No! And Eugene, thankfully, isn’t just like “omg dad yay!” No he’s fucking pissed that he’s been lied to his whole damn life and his dad KNEW his struggles and did NOTHING to help while still expecting affection from him once they finally reunited!

to be completely honest I had really hoped that the show was going to take this in a “the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb” route and have Eugene be like you may have sired me but you’re not my dad and tell kids that like “hey it’s ok if your biological parents didn’t parent you and you don’t want to be forced to love them.” Tbh the show puts way too much emphasis on the bonds between biological parents and kids, even if said parents were awful. I mean Cass got redeemed in the end and kind of halfway went there? But her entire villain arc was based on the idea that she cared more about Gothel’s love than the man who raised her. Which I mean yeah that’s definitely something that Is important and they definitely did some things very well there, but...it could have been so much better than it was. Anyway yeah I was kind of disappointed with the whole Eugene eventually loving Edmund thing.

Also Edmund just annoys me to hell and back. They try so hard to make him likable and every single attempt at it just falls flat to me. He’s really dumb sometimes and even though they tried to build him up as this powerful like ace-in-the-hole he literally just sat back and ate cake while Cass flaunted THE MOONSTONE (as in The Very Thing he devoted his life to and destroyed his own kingdom for) around. Almost every line out of his mouth had me rolling me eyes. Like. hnng. Do better, man.

[chiscribbs]

PLUS EST EN VOUS Review

(Over a week later, and I’m finally posting this. At least I don’t have to worry about another episode coming out before it’s posted.)

Okay - there’s a lot to cover, so without further ado...  Let’s get right into it, shall we?

Things I liked about the finale:

All of the beautiful Cass / Rapunzel scenes! 

They were so emotional and beautifully done, it felt like everything that needed to be said was said, and seeing them act like friends again was very cathartic for me. In a lot of ways, Cass & Raps’ relationship reminds me of some of my own (old ones that didn’t end so smoothly, and then newer ones that I can already tell will leave a lasting impression on my life) and seeing them reconcile and talk about how much they meant to each other really warmed my heart. A best friend is an irreplaceable thing, and I love that their interactions showed that. I also really appreciated the “I love you”s, because the world needs more of those between friends. And it also reminded me of Eugene saying the same thing to Lance, in Beyond the Corona Walls.

The awesome Team Awesome content!  There was an abundance of it in this episode, and I loved every second of it! Truth be told, I was never a big “Team Awesome” fan until S3 came around. The relationship always felt a tad too one-sided to me, and I just couldn’t see them being particularly close, at least not as close as Varian and Rapunzel. The fandom helped me warm up to the idea a little bit, but this past season definitely sold it for me. Eugene has really matured and become a lot less self-involved since the first time they met. I absolutely love that he’s turned into sort of a cool older brother figure to Varian (in fact, many of their interactions are reminiscent of moments I’ve shared with my own brother) and Var now looks up to him rather than just the “Flynn Rider” persona. The fact that Eugene could tease him about his past mistakes and Varian just turned around and casually joked right back? That made my heart happy.

Speaking of maturing & happy hearts -

 I’M SO PROUD OF THIS BOY!!! 

I know I say that a lot, but He’s just come so far since S1, or even the beginning of S3! There were a ton of little moments showcasing his growth in this episode. Such as:  - Jumping onto the piano to help Raps rally the troops (did anybody think we were going to get pianist Varian? I sure didn’t, but I’m not complaining.) - Stating with certainty that he can rebuild Demanitus’ portal, before even seeing the schematics, and just overall showing more confidence in his abilities. (Quirin looked so proud when he was building the portal...you know, before going  all mind-slave and trying to pull the lever.) - Being the first - the FIRST - of the gang to walk into Demanitus’ tomb. This may seem small, but it was such a 180 from Be Very Afraid, where he was nervous and trailing behind Raps the entire time. Now he’s not only joining in on the adventure, he’s taking the lead on occasion! - Rigging Quirin’s helmet with a temporary stun mechanism as a fail-safe for the mind-trap. He seemed hurt and offended when Eugene initially brought up the possibility of his dad being a double-agent, but even so, he listened. He put common sense and the safety of others before his own feelings, and that’s not an easy thing to do.  - Firing an explosive concoction straight into the face of an enormous demon monster??? I mean,...heck yeah, boy!! Also - using his past mistakes (i.e. the amber and monster!Ruddiger) and repurposing them towards something good. I could go on, but you get the idea. he’s just come so far and I could not be more proud of his development. And the fact that he went on to become Corona’s Royal Alchemist Engineer was just the cherry on top! YOU DESERVE IT, BOY!!! 👏👏👏

You know who else I’m proud of? Rapunzel. She was never my favorite character in the series (despite being the protagonist,) but this story - and this past season in particular - has really endeared me to her. She’s grown so much, she’s become a strong and wise leader, and I’m proud of her for it. Honestly, I’ve related to her far more this past season than any other. And I don’t know if that’s because she’s older and more mature now, or because her naivete and eager-to-please attitude is all but gone, or because she just felt a lot more real and vulnerable in recent episodes - but I really, truly love her. And I’m happy to see her story reach its completion. (Also - long-haired brunette Raps is my new favorite thing, tbh.)

THIS:

‘Nough said, I think.

The epic new powers and abilities (and return of some old ones)!!! There were so many moments while watching the finale where I was literally just yelling at my sister like “wHOA, DID YOU SEE THAT?! THAT WAS AWESOME!!!” I had no idea that Cass could make ANIMATED WOLF HEADS of the black rocks, that completely blew me away! And then there were those golden rocks that Zhan Tiri manifested, that was so cool! I wonder if the sundrop alone could make those appear, or if you had to have both of the elements to make it work. Also - the Healing Incantation was finally brought back! I knew it would be, eventually, but I’d almost completely forgotten that was a plot point by the time the finale came around. It was good to hear Mandy’s voice saying those familiar, nostalgic words again. And she put so much emotion into it!

Now, onto the less fun stuff...

Things I disliked about the finale:

(Feel free to skip over this section if you’d rather just focus on the positives, I fully understand. I’ll do my best to be fair and only address the things that really stood out to me.)

This subplot went on for far too long:

It was pretty funny for the first few minutes (and I’m sure the animators loved getting to go crazy with the characters’ designs like this,) but after awhile, I was like “is this really what we want over half of our cast to be doing during the BIG FINALE?” I mean, we already had the monkey gag, which I actually thought was a riot. And this one came right in the middle of a pretty climactic moment, so it just seemed kind of out of place.  I’ll admit, the snake-hair joke and Lance’s multiple eyes had me rolling, but ultimately, I just felt like this whole bit only served to waste limited time that definitely could have been better utilized.

The portal was too quickly demolished.  They could have at least come close to a success with it before it was destroyed, so that it didn’t feel completely useless! I get that they wanted ZT to be defeated by her own power, and I’m down for that, but if the portal’s sole purpose within the story was just to temporarily remove all the secondary characters in limbo so that the mains could do their thing, I can’t really get behind it.  Especially seeing as their only Plan B was “throw things at the giant all-powerful octopus monster,” come on, guys. I would have preferred that be a last-resort after several failed attempts at other pre-orchestrated plans. They could have had Varian and Quirin working on repairing the portal while the others distract/attack Zhan Tiri and THEN have her destroy it (purposefully, rather than by some random falling rock.) Or, maybe everyone could have been in on the plan to get the sundrop and moonstone to meet, and then have Raps and Cass are the ones who finally succeed in doing it. I don’t know, I just feel like there was a lot of wasted potential there.

This scene:

I’m going to be perfectly honest, this scene bothered me. For a multitude of reasons:

Firstly; it was a shot-for-shot copy (not a parallel, a copy) of the iconic New Dream moment from the movie, just replacing Eugene with Cass. That wasn't necessary, Cass and Raps have their own unique relationship and their own moments, they don’t need to steal Raps & Eugene’s. This should have remained a New Dream-only thing, in my opinion. (Especially seeing as her parents already stole their gondola bit...I’m mostly joking about that one.)

Secondly; it didn’t make sense? Rapunzel was standing just as close to the blast as Cassandra, yet she wasn’t harmed at all. In fact, she seemed completely unfazed by it. Why was Cass the only one effected? (And we can’t even make an argument that the moonstone shard protected her, because the powers were lost the moment the two fused.) If they needed a brush-with-death scene, why not have ZT hurt Cass? I feel like that would have been a lot more dramatic, especially after manipulating her for an entire season.

And finally; it made every other character’s “death” seem unimportant in comparison. I get that the writers needed Raps to use the Healing Incantation, but, EVERYBODY ELSE WAS ALREADY HALF-DEAD, AT THIS POINT. I’m sorry, but, why wasn’t that incentive enough to use the healing power? Why did we need to have Cass’s near-death on top of everybody else’s?  I mean, I would’ve been maybe a little bit more okay with it had Rapunzel mourned everybody’s death and not just Cass’s, and then used the power to save ALL of them at once. But instead, she completely forgot about everyone else until the very last second, which was frustrating. I’m not a fan of plot devices that ignore other characters, especially when the protagonist is supposed to care about them but then just doesn’t even seem to remember that they exist for a hot minute. This felt like the ending of Freebird, only worse because you can’t make the excuse that she was unaware. (Just to be clear, I’m not blaming Rapunzel. I know it wasn’t meant to come across that way, I just feel like it was not well executed.) There are a lot of ways that this could have been done differently. Rapunzel and Cass could have BOTH been devastated about their friends/loved ones, I would have loved to see Cass show genuine concern and remorse towards the OTHER people whom her actions hurt, not just Raps. Or, Rapunzel could have at least landed near Cass so it would’ve made sense for her to notice her first, and then looked around and noticed everybody else before using the healing incantation. At least that way, the other characters wouldn’t have felt so much like a second-thought. I don’t know, I just didn’t appreciate the treatment of the supporting cast in this scene at all. It felt like they were forgotten right up until the very last second.

Cass didn’t get to sing in any of the songs.  I was really surprised by this, I figured given how important her role had become, she’d get to sing at least one line (like Lance and Varian did.) But nope. Actually, a good 90% of the music in this episode was sung by Raps, and as much as I love the songs & Mandy’s beautiful voice, I was hoping for the other characters to be a little bit more involved. Especially in the Life After Happily Ever After (Reprise), that would have been a great opportunity to have everybody sing together.

Things I would have liked to see in the finale:

More information about Demanitus and ZT.  We got so little! I was expecting this episode to answer all of our questions about that two, but I still have no idea; what their relationship was, where Zhan Tiri came from, why exactly she wanted the power (besides just to have it for herself, I guess), or how they came across the SD and MS in the first place! Like, just a little bit more information would have been nice, the only thing the flashback really gave us was what ZT looked like before spending a few millenia in limbo. (Also - apparently Corona is several thousand years old??? Which, I didn’t know, I was under the impression that it was a fairly new kingdom.)

Closure for this relationship:

This is probably what I was most disappointed by. Honestly, I’m still kind of surprised that this didn’t happen, even just a little bit. Given that Cass was wearing the Cassandrium at the end, we can safely assume that they at least parted on good terms. But the last few exchanges that they had really gave me the impression that we’d be getting some kind of closure before the credits rolled. We were given two whole episodes focusing on the unique bond that these two share (that’s more than we were given for Cass & Eugene,) they were painted as parallels, so it only makes sense to give them a proper wrap-up. In CR, Cass seemed hurt and devastated after realizing that she’d effectively pushed Varian away, it’s clear his friendship meant a lot to her. Not to mention, Var had the best understanding of Cass’s feelings, he could relate to her - especially about her guilt and fear of not being forgiven. But despite all of the build-up & foreshadowing, they didn’t even get an on-screen goodbye? Not a single “thank you” or “I’m sorry”?  I realize that the main focus was always on Cass & Raps’ friendship, and I’m totally fine with that. I’m just saying that after all the obvious parallels and time invested in this relationship, it would have been nice to get some closure. I just wish they’d included at least one little dialogue exchange to wrap it up in a satisfactory way, like we got with Cass and Eugene.

Actual pay-off for all the Varian - Demanitus parallels.  I think we can all agree that this seemed like it was going somewhere, and then it just...didn’t. He did rebuild the portal, but it turned out to be useless, and outside of that, the similarity was never touched upon. Not by Rapunzel, or Zhan Tiri, not even Xavier made the connection. I mean - this kid is doing at 15/16 what Demanitus did in the latter half of his life. He’s not only following the legendary engineer/inventor’s footsteps, he’s expanding the legacy. If that’s not foreshadowing for something, I don’t know what is! And I do love the fact that he became the Royal Alchemist Engineer, but at the same time, I just feel like there was so much wasted potential in this almost-but-not-quite-subplot.

An actual Brotherhood reunion, without all the mind-trap influence.  It would have been so interesting to see them all interacting! I was surprised that, even though Edmund and Quirin were both in the same place for most of the episode, they never really interacted? Outside of mind-controlled Quirin, Hector, and Adira attacking Eugene &  Edmund, they didn’t exchange so much as a word. And I get that a lot of that was time restraints, and having to focus on more important plot points (as Edmund said “bigger fish”) but honestly, if they had time to thrown in all that netherworld nonsense, a little Brotherhood interaction doesn’t seem like too big of a favor to ask. 

Rapid-fire Opinions: 

Favorite song: Through it All

In my opinion, this song is the best group number in the show (not counting the ones only sung by main 3, such With You By My Side or Next Stop Anywhere) It’s not quite as epic as Ready As I’ll Ever Be, but it has an infectious beat and a triumphant melody that I really enjoy. Also, the scene as a whole was so cheerful and fun, and we got Varian, Lance, Kiera, and Catalina all playing various instruments! (Plus more New Dream dancing! ❤ )

Favorite callback to a previous episode: Easy answer, because it comes from (what is still) one of my favorite episodes in the series - the Cassandrium.

Favorite scene: This one’s a little tough, but I did really enjoy the little moment that Eugene and Varian had after Quirin was incapacitated by the helmet. 

I also loved the final scene where Cass said goodbye to Rapunzel and they gave each other the biggest, warmest hug I’ve ever seen in animation history (and the prior exchange between her and Eugene was really sweet, as well.)

OH! And how could I forget? That beautiful New Dream proposal. 💜 That was absolutely perfect. The animation, the music, Mandy & Zach’s incredibly heartfelt voice work, just...I loved everything about it.

Most underrated moment: Catalina pushing Kiera out of Zhan Tiri’s way and getting grabbed herself. (Show of hands, who else briefly forgot that she was a werewolf and had a small heart-attack in that moment?)

Theories I had that were proven true: 

- Cass leaving Corona to “find her own destiny.”  I’d always felt like Cass never really had a dream of her own; she didn’t know who she was, and she was never going to get the answers by staying by Rapunzel’s side. So I had a strong feeling that she would be leaving, but I’m glad to see that it was on good terms.

- Everyone vs Zhan Tiri.  Granted, like most people, I was under the impression that Xavier’s “magic and alchemy” statement would be more...relevant? Turns out, we read into that way too much. Which, honestly, is a tiny bit disappointing, but it was still cool to finally see Zhan Tiri at her most powerful.

- Varian becoming Corona’s Royal Alchemist Engineer.  This is a theory I’ve had since my early days in the fandom, and I’m glad to see it finally confirmed! My only complaint is that we didn’t get to see Rapunzel bestow the honor upon him, because I would have loved to see that exchange.

Theories that were not proven true, but I still believe:

- Varian (and possibly Quirin) being a descendant of Demanitus.  You can pry this one out of my cold, dead hands, there are way too many clues pointing to it. I’m not even sure if Demanitus has any descendants (again, we have very little information on him still) but if he does, Varian’s a prime candidate. His lineage comes from the Dark Kingdom, he’s a genius alchemist/inventor, has a personal connection to both the Sundrop and the Moonstone; honestly, I’m kind of surprised this possibility was never even considered, at least one, in canon.

- Cass will eventually return to Corona.  I have no idea when, why, or how, but I truly believe she will. Her spirit may be roaming free at the moment, but the heart always returns home. And - as it stands right now, at least - her heart is still waiting in Corona. In the meantime, though, I’m glad she’s living her best life, seeking out adventure wherever destiny leads her! She deserves it <3 

Well, that’s my full Plus Est En Vous/Tangled the Series Finale review! I’d love to hear everybody else’s thoughts on the final episode, as well; how many people were satisfied vs unsatisfied with the ending? What were everyone else’s favorite moments, what else would have been nice to see? Let me know!

Final words: This show and this fandom have meant so much to me, and I’m far from done loving it. I still have many projects in the works to celebrate the show and its completion, but in the meantime - thanks for reading.

And God bless the amazing team that came together to bring us this incredibly beautiful, meaningful, story which will always have a special place in my heart. 

[whitecatindisguise]

Let Me Make You Proud 25

Reminder: This story has a happy ending! Onwards!

------

Chapter 25: ‘Cause I Long For That Look Of Surprise

Rapunzel was stunned. She couldn’t move from her spot, eyes wide in shock. Her mind was both blank and spinning at the same time, not really comprehending the situation in front of her.

Just moments ago it was a normal battle, Corona versus Saporia. Until that point it still made some sense. But that changed the moment Andrew attacked Quirin. 

Suddenly, Varian was rushing in their direction, only to be intercepted by Cassandra’s black rocks and pinned to the ground. Then, Ruddiger attacked the Saporian leader, saving Quirin. He was injured and Varian rushed to his side, screaming murder to Andrew. The next thing she knew was the full moon showing from behind the clouds, a piece of blue crystal embedding in the boy’s chest, his deadly screams, light and powerful wind. 

Then, everything stopped and she was terrified to see Varian encased in the black rocks, frozen in painful cry. But before her mind could catch up, there was another explosion. When the smoke cleared, Varian was standing free right where his rock prison was just moments ago. But there was something wrong about him. His eyes were hollow, shining like the moon, his hair flying over his head, luminescent blue. 

Andrew seemed to know what was going on and told the boy to attack. But, instead, the alchemist attacked him, encasing the man in the black rocks. Then the crazy Saporian woman came and tried to attack Varian, only to meet the same fate as her leader. After that, was the chaos. 

People started screaming and running wildly, terrified of the boy’s powers. And Varian… he smiled (but not the normal smile, his smile was evil, impossible to happen, taking half of his face) and shot after them. 

She felt her head hurt as she stood petrified, trying to make sense of the situation. But no matter how much she tried, she just couldn’t. 

“Rapunzel, watch out!” Eugene shouted and barrelled into her, sending both of them rolling to the ground. 

She looked back to where she stood, noticing with horror a trail of black rocks, ending with another encased victim. She scrambled up, terrified. 

“What’s going on?” She heard Pete scream, as he jumped away from another barrage of rocks, chasing a person. 

“Sunshine, we have to hide.” Eugene’s voice was urgent. She nodded and let herself be led away, running to find some cover. 

They barged into the most stable-looking house, meeting startled gazes of the villagers. 

“Princess Rapunzel!” Someone gasped and her eyes found a large figure standing protectively in front of the villagers. At her sight, he relaxed and dropped his sword. 

“Quirin…” She breathed, only now noticing they’ve taken refugee in the village leader’s house. “I am so sorry for intruding, but…”

“Don’t worry, Your Highness.” He shook his head, the sword hanging by his side. “It’s… it’s not safe outside.”

There was more shouting from behind the door, and more people poured in, flanked by the guards. Rapunzel was thankful Quirin had a big house and most of them could fit in. 

Captain walked in last, taking a watchful look outside, before closing the door and looking around.

“Can someone explain to me, what’s going on?” He ordered, his voice angered. His eyes landed on Quirin and he frowned. 

“Well, obviously the kid has got some weird Cassandra-like powers now.” Eugene spoke, trying to ease the atmosphere. He failed. 

“I always knew the boy was trouble.” One of the villagers huffed, others expressing their agreement. Quirin looked truly pained, hearing how they spoke of his son, and knowing they were mostly right. 

His gaze landed on the small grey form, cuddled on one of the armchairs. Ruddiger, bless the Sun, was alive, only badly injured. The raccoon was unconscious, one of the villagers thankfully had enough good will to bandag the injury. 

“Quirin…” Rapunzel approached the man and put a hand on his large shoulder. “Do you know what’s happening to Varian?”

The man looked uncertain for a moment, before sighing. 

“It’s my fault.” He finally said, head dropping. “I was there when King Edmund tried to destroy the Moonstone. I thought the explosion of power didn’t affect me, but somehow it must have been moved to Varian when he was born. His blue streak… it’s the symbol of those powers. We didn’t want him to hurt anyone, so we managed to lock his powers away.” He brushed a hand through his hair, unsure how to continue. “I… don’t really have an idea, how he managed to get them back. He wasn’t supposed to.”

“I might have the answer to that.” A sudden voice spoke up and everyone turned to see Cassandra sitting on the windowsill. 

The guards reacted immediately, surrounding her and drawing their swords. She sighed and lifted her hands in a ‘I give up’ motion. 

“Look, I don’t want to fight you… Any of you.” Her eyes landed on Rapunzel for a single second, but she looked away quickly. “You can deal with me later, I won’t run away. But I believe we all have a bigger problem to handle right now.”

For a few moments it was silent, everyone holding their breaths. Then, Captain let out a deep sigh and motioned for his soldiers to stand down. 

“What do you know, Cass?” Rapunzel stepped closer, cautious of the other’s every move. 

“It’s Zhan Tiri. She somehow found a way to release his powers.” The woman replied, shrugging. “I know it might sound crazy, but that demon is real. She’s the reason I…” Her voice subsided mid-sentence and she looked away. Rapunzel understood. 

“If he has the same powers as you do, can’t you do something about it?” Stan questioned, some of the people nodding. “Like, control the rocks or something?”

“Don’t you think I’ve tried?” She grit her teeth in irritation. “Look, his powers are inborn. Which means he’s much more powerful than I am. I can’t do anything to stop him.”

“So what? Are we supposed to wait here until he gets to all of us?” One of the village women snarled and Cass cocked her eyebrow.

“I don’t know if any of you noticed, but none of Coronans was attacked or injured.” She pointed out. “Last time I checked, he only went after the Saporians.”

“So you mean… he’s on our side?” Another villager asked, unconvinced. Oh boy, no wonder the kid had it bad. With that kind of neighbours?

“I don’t mean anything. I just said what I saw.” She stated and looked around. “But I also believe he doesn’t really know what he’s doing. So it might be a good idea to stop him.”

“I… I can try talking to him…?” Rapunzel suggested, tugging on her hair nervously. “It’s worth a shot.”

“Let me come with you, Princess.” Quirin offered, his face stern. “Varian is my son and my responsibility.”

The blonde smiled and nodded. She could use all help she can get. She turned, facing the door, a resolve in her heart. She will bring him back. She has to. 

[flowersandskeletons526]

“Broken Noses and Bad Ideas” - Modern AU Glitradora, Part 1

Quarantine is kicking my ass but writing in nice. Enjoy!

----

Glimmer lit a cigarette as she stood over two fallen punks in the alley, blood still trickling from her nose. One of the leather clad idiots groaned but stayed down. Glimmer waited a second to make sure neither were getting up to come after her. When they stayed still, she blew a puff of smoke towards the sky and stumbled out onto the sidewalk. 

Wispy clouds turned orange above her as the sun slipped beneath the skyline, streetlights winking to life and neon signs illuminating the city. The smell of rain hung in the cool air. The lights made colorful, muddled reflections in the puddles scattered across the pavement. Glimmer tuned out the car engines and police sirens, the thudding of footsteps all through downtown, and focused only on the wet concrete beneath her boots. A chilly breeze swept her unkempt hair away from her face. She popped the collar of her jacket to keep the wind off her neck. 

She made her way towards the outer rim of the city, to a tiny shop tucked between buildings. A pink and gold sign that read “Brightmoon Magics” hung above the front windows. Glimmer slipped into the cramped store, locking the door behind her and trudging to the back room. She opened the door to a narrow staircase. 

“Hey, Glimmer!” Adora chirped.

Glimmer yelped and fell back against the door. She groaned, dragging a hand down her face as Adora rose from her seat on the stairs. “Adora, what are you doing here?” she asked. 

“I came in earlier to tidy up while the shop was closed and I needed to talk to you, so I just hung out here until you got back,” Adora explained. Her Letterman jacket was tossed over her shoulder, a few stray locks of hair framing her face and the rest pulled into its usual ponytail. 

“How long have you been waiting?”

“Not long. I had a lot to do.” Adora paused, frowning as she cupped Glimmer’s cheek. Glimmer winced. “Is that blood? Glimmer, what happened?”

Glimmer shrugged and swept past Adora up the stairs. “I got into a fight. It’s nothing.” 

Adora followed. “With who?” 

“I don’t know. I went over to Mermista’s and she had another rager going. Some girl bumped into me, blamed me for spilling her drink, her buddy got loud, all of that. Mermista said she didn’t know who they were.” 

“And they beat you up?”

“No! God, Adora, calm down. You know I never lose a fight.” Heading to the bathroom, Glimmer ran cold water over a rag and held it to her face. “Besides, they barely hit me.” 

“Glimmer.”

“What?” 

“I know you’re lying.”

Glimmer turned, leaning back against the sink as Adora crossed her arms in the doorway. “Adora.” She poked the blonde in the chest and pushed her back. “I’m fine.” 

Adora huffed and trailed after Glimmer as she tossed her jacket onto the table. “Since when do you go to Mermista’s parties?”

“I don’t know, for a while, I guess. I thought you liked Mermista.”

“Well, I do, I just don’t like all the yelling and drinking.”

“You’re a jock. Isn’t that your brand?”

“I’m an athlete, not a frat boy.” 

“Thank God.” 

Adora smiled and sat on the weathered couch. Glimmer flopped over the arm, stretching out and laying her head in Adora’s lap. Adora threaded her fingers through Glimmer’s pink and purple hair, exposing the black roots, and Glimmer smiled up at her. 

“You’ve got to redo your roots soon,” she remarked. 

“I can let it grow out a little more,” Glimmer said. 

“And then you’ll complain about the black showing through.” 

“Yeah whatever.” 

Adora chuckled. Her bright blue eyes sparkled, bright and carefree and happy. Glimmer’s heart twisted with memories of simpler times, and she turned over, facing away from Adora. Adora tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. 

“Hey, I think Bow gets off his shift pretty soon,” Adora said. “Want to call him over and order a pizza or something? We could have a best friend squad movie night like we used to!” 

Glimmer shrugged and closed her eyes as her brow furrowed. “I guess.”

“Or we could do something else? We could go bowling, head to the arcade, go out to eat somewhere. Do you want me to call Bow and see what he wants to do?”

“Adora, you’re doing it again.”

Adora’s hand stilled. “Doing what?”

“You did this right after she died. You try to distract me from it by just ignoring everything and letting it pass by. Please, just… not tonight.” 

Taking a deep breath, Adora sighed and smoothed Glimmer’s hair back from her face. “Am I that transparent?” 

“Like air.”

“That’s fair.” Adora leaned her head back. ���I can’t believe it’s only been a year since Angella died. It feels like we’ve been drudging through a decade already trying to deal with this place since then.” 

Glimmer hummed. In reality, she woke up every morning still aching like it was the first day, like she had just come home from class to meet the police on her doorstep. Her stomach coiled into knots as she remembered the night before the accident, how they fought and screamed at each other, how her last words to her mother were words of anger. The memory made her want to puke. 

“Glimmer?” Adora asked. Glimmer looked up. “Do you want me to call Bow?”

“Uh, y-yeah. Yeah, a squad movie night sounds good.” 

“Sweet!” Adora cheered. Glimmer sat up so she could stand, stretching her muscular arms above her head. “What do you want on your pizza?” 

“Pepperoni and extra cheese.”

“Okay, I’ll get one for you and me and a vegan one for Bow.” 

“Sounds good.” 

Glimmer picked her head up out of her hands and tried to relax for the rest of the night. Adora and Bow distracted her with jokes and old ridiculous movies that they used to watch when they first met. It worked, for the most part, dragging her out of her own head and drawing a few genuine laughs from her. She didn’t tell Bow about the fight, or Adora about her secretly continued smoking habit, or either of them about her pounding headache and the guilt weighing her down like cement shoes. Putting on a smile until they left drained what little energy she had left. 

Glimmer gave her friends one last hug as she walked them out. Adora smiled, one hand resting gently on Glimmer’s forearm. “Text us if you need us, okay?” she said. 

“Okay,” Glimmer mumbled. 

“Do you need us to pick up any extra shifts this week?” Bow asked. 

“No, I’ve got everything covered. Thanks, though.”

“Okay, well, we’re here if you need us.” 

“I know.” 

Bow and Adora wrapped her in their arms and held her tight for a few moments before they left the store. Glimmer locked the door and set the alarm. Returning to the apartment, she tossed the leftover pizza in a barren fridge and made an ultimately forgotten note to go grocery shopping. She sat on the edge of the couch with a sigh. 

Her phone buzzed on the table beside her. She groaned, reaching blindly with one hand and holding it up to her ear. “Hello?”

“Shimmer!” Seahawk shouted. “How are you, my friend?”

Glimmer jumped and held the phone away from her face. There was a scuffle in the background, and she heard a crash and Seahawk scream before Mermista’s voice came over the speaker. 

“Alright, he’s gone,” she said as Glimmer held the phone to her ear again. 

“No I’m not!” came his voice in the background. 

“Ugh, go fix your mustache! Sorry, he grabbed my phone.”

“Does he not know my name or is he picking on me again?” Glimmer asked. 

“I think he’s picking on you still. Anyway, Perfuma wanted me to call and check on you. She saw a post about those party crashers getting their asses kicked and thought you did something.” 

“Can people even crash your parties? I thought they were open invitation.” 

“Hey, I am trying to be nice here.”

“Yeah, I’m fine. They followed me and I left them in an alley.”

Mermista laughed, barely more than a huff but the most anyone could get from the queen of blasé. “I told her you’d do worse to them. I mean, Adora would have been breaking down my door if anything actually happened.” 

Glimmer grimaced, forcing a laugh. “Yeah, no kidding.” 

“Alright, so that aside, I’m taking a few people out this Friday. You know Netossa, right? She’s that grad student I was hanging out with a while ago.” 

“Yeah, why?”

“Her wife Spinerella is the manager at the new bar downtown.”

“The Crystal Castle?” 

“Yeah, now listen. Perfuma, Seahawk, and I are already going and wanted to see if your super pal trio or whatever you call it wants to come. They’ve got live music and a great bartender. I’ve heard she’s a little crazy, but cool.”

“It’s the best friend squad.”

“Whatever. Are you in or not?” 

“I’ll ask.” 

“Let me know. Bye.”

“See you.” 

The next morning, Glimmer drudged out of bed to open the shop. Both Adora and Bow had class all day at the state college uptown. Adora was a political science major and star of the track team, the golden child of the entire school. Bow studied engineering and competed on the archery team. 

Before everything, Glimmer was going to follow them and study politics or law or both. Now she could barely get through the online business classes she forced herself to take. 

Glimmer adjusted shelves of crystals and vials of various herbs, dusting off old books and charms. She barely remembered her father, the founder of the store, having only a dusty framed picture in her apartment to remind her of him. Angella, however, she remembered as clear as day. 

She was tall and regal, always dressed in flowy pink and sky blue dresses and dripping in moonstone jewelry. She seemed to float through the store between the cramped shelves and tables. Glimmer never quite understood how she managed to miss all the numerous creaky floorboards in the old building. She remembered Angella’s gentle smile when Glimmer came home raving about some new project, or the first time she brought Adora in looking for a job when the blonde first moved to the city. Glimmer had hung Angella’s portrait behind the front counter, but it wasn’t the same. It did nothing to ease the ache. 

A bell rang as the door opened. Glimmer didn’t look up. “Hey there,” she called. 

“Hey,” said an unfamiliar voice. 

Light footsteps circled the store. Glimmer looked up as they paused behind her. “Can I help you with… anything?” 

A tall, tanned woman stood by a shelf of vials. A mane of wild brown hair cascaded over her shoulders, held back from her face by a crimson band. A bright red tank top left her freckled arms bare, covered in toned, sharply defined muscles. Two gold rings pierced her bottom lip. She wore one gold hoop in her ear, reminding Glimmer of a pirate. Her long nails were painted black, and pale scars marred her knuckles. Bright eyes turned to Glimmer, one blue and the other a deep amber. 

“Burning sage?” she asked. 

Glimmer blinked, returning to her body and waving to a table. “In the corner.” 

She stepped back behind the counter as the woman picked out a bundle of herbs. Setting it on the weathered counter, the woman leaned forward with her arms on the edge, studying Glimmer as she rang her up. Glimmer glanced at the woman and met her eyes. The woman tilted her head, sizing her up, it seemed. Glimmer trained her eyes on the cash drawer. 

“Blessing a new place?” she remarked. 

“Just moved in,” the woman replied. 

“Welcome to the city.” 

“Thanks.” The woman looked around as she took her bag. “Cute little place. I wasn’t expecting to find a place like this here.”

“Do you practice at all?”

The woman shook her head and stood up straight. “Only the sage, and it’s just a bad superstition I picked up.” She smiled, flashing sharp teeth. “Maybe I’ll pop back in to check out the crystals, though. Thanks for the sage.” 

Glimmer nodded. Her eyes followed the woman out of the store until she disappeared down the street. A shiver raced up her spine. The intensity of the woman’s stare stuck with her like a frost frozen on her skin. It wasn’t unnerving, necessarily, but those bright, focused eyes tugged at Glimmer’s mind throughout the entire day. 

By the time Friday came around, Glimmer’s headache had yet to fade. If anything, it was worse. She sat on the couch, dressed in her leather jacket and torn pink jeans, pressing the heels of her hands against the eyes. She considered cancelling until Bow showed up in his favorite tight black crop top, grinning from ear to ear. Glimmer smiled and tried to avoid any bright lights as they headed out.

“So, Adora’s not coming?” he asked. 

“Late night study practice,” Glimmer explained. “She said she’ll be there next time.” 

“Sweet.” Bow touched her shoulder. “Are you okay? I know you’ve been tired lately.” 

“Yeah, of course!” Glimmer chirped. She linked their arms. “Come on, tonight we’re going to have fun and get wasted like real college kids.” 

Bow laughed. “There’s the Glimmer I know!” 

Glimmer forced a laugh and held his arm tighter. 

The bar was loud and hot and dark despite the neon lights everywhere. Mermista and Seahawk were already on the dance floor, and Perfuma caught up with Glimmer and Bow by the bar. 

“I’m so happy you guys made it!” she said as she threw her arms around them. “Come get a drink, the band is going to start in a few minutes.” 

Glimmer and Bow followed the tall hippie through the crowded room. “Who’s playing?” Bow asked. 

“Some new band, I guess,” Perfuma answered. “I think they’re called the Horde but I don’t know. Mermista does.” 

A short woman with impossibly long purple pigtails stood behind the bar. She wore weathered overalls with the straps hanging around her waist, and a pair of red goggles was pushed up on her head. She grinned at them. 

“Bow!” the bartender chirped.

“Entrapta!” Bow said. “Since when are you a bartender?”

“I needed the job to finance my projects. Mixology is technically a science, so it works!” 

“Awesome. Oh, Entrapta, this is my friend Glimmer. Glimmer, this is Entrapta. She’s in my robotics class.”

“Nice to meet you!” Entrapta said. “What can I get you two?” 

“Tequila sunrise,” Bow said. 

“Whisky on the rocks, please,” Glimmer said. 

The band came on just as they got their drinks. While Bow stayed by the bar to talk with Entrapta, Glimmer found a place against the wall to watch the show. Four people were already onstage, adjusting their instruments. The drummer was a burly man with green hair slicked back from his face and scales tattooed on his neck. The guitar player, a stocky woman with an undercut and dreadlocks pinned back from her face, hung back by the drum set. The bass player was a tall, strong woman with a white undercut and red scars up her arms, talking to someone offstage. Tucked off to the side was a pale, scrawny kid on the keyboard. 

Someone stepped onto the stage, and the crowd erupted into cheers. Glimmer’s eyes widened as the strange woman from the shop stood before the front microphone. She opened her arms to the applause, grinning with those sharp teeth and dressed in metal and leather. 

“Hello Etheria!” she shouted. “How is everyone doing tonight?” The crowd cheered, and the woman’s grin widened. “Alright. Let’s get this shit started!” 

The drummer counted them off. The music was heavy but bright, with harsh drums and grungy guitar. They pushed a fast tempo as the front woman grabbed the microphone. Glimmer’s eyes were glued to the woman as she sang. Her voice was low and raspy, and she sang with an explosive fire that set Glimmer’s heart pounding. She hardly listened to the lyrics, just the sound of the woman’s voice as she belted out the notes. 

Glimmer barely noticed when Bow slung an arm around her shoulders. “Aren’t they amazing?” he asked over the music. 

“Yeah, they’re wicked,” Glimmer said. 

The last song finished, and the woman paused for applause, inquisitive eyes scanning the crowd. “You guys have been great tonight,” she said over the cheers. Her eyes met Glimmer’s across the sea of people, and she grinned. “Come back again, we’re here all week.” 

That odd chill settled over Glimmer again as the band left the stage. She nudged Bow. “Hey, I’m going to head home. I’ve got a bit of a headache.” 

“Okay. Let me just say goodbye to Entrapta,” Bow said. 

“No, Bow, stay. You’re having fun. I need a walk anyway.” 

“Are you sure? I don’t want you walking home alone.”

“It’s not ten minutes. I’ll be fine. I’ll text you when I get home.” 

“Okay. Be safe.” 

“I will.”

Glimmer sighed as she stepped out into the cool night air. Lighting a cigarette, she rubbed her eyes as she ghosted through the empty streets. The woman was stuck in her head. The sight of her singing was seared on the inside of Glimmer’s eyelids, with her wild hair tossed back from her face and the stage lights a bold red behind her. 

Several pairs of footsteps clicked on the sidewalk. Glimmer turned. The people from Mermista’s party earlier in the week blocked her path, along with two more thugs to bolster their numbers. 

“Hey, you!” one shouted. 

Glimmer cursed. She spun on her heel to run, but they grabbed the back of her collar and flung her back. She managed to punch one in the jaw before they slammed her against a brick storefront. She opened her mouth to scream. The leader sucker punched her. Dazed and bleeding, she let her head hang as the punk laughed. 

“Payback, bitch,” she spat. 

The woman wore heavy jeweled rings. They left little cuts all over Glimmer’s face, breaking the skin through her clothes as the thugs rained blows down on her. She struggled to break free from their grip, but they held her tight against the wall. Blood poured down her face and soaked into her shirt. Her vision began to tunnel. 

Muffled shouting echoed from down the street. The blows paused. Someone screamed in pain, and Glimmer was suddenly dropped to the ground. She heard a scuffle and more screams. Two of the thugs collapsed in front of her while the others bolted down the street. Blood poured from wounds in their back or side, pooling beneath them as they struggled to get away. The unknown attacker stepped over the leader of the gang and kicked her in the face, leaving her there to bleed. 

Bloodstained boots approached Glimmer as her vision faded. The last things she saw before she lost consciousness were hands dripping with red and a pair of bright, focused eyes. 

[disregardcanon]

okay, so here are the inklings of a tangled superhero au. i would LOVE to write this thing, but i am not going to write the thing.

first order of business: frederick corona’s family is very wealthy. think the waynes in dc at the very least. one of the sixteen or so family businesses is a medical research facility. one of the employees of this facility is sixty year old dr. donna gothel, a biomedical engineer who has been doing some pretty... sketchy, lets say, experiments into expanding the human lifespan.

she’s had a limited amount of success so far, but that was before she found an asteroid that appeared to de-age her thirty years upon first touch. a discovery of this magnitude is hard to hide, and soon she’s the most talked woman in the world- doing the entire talk show circuit, publishing many books about the possible health benefits of materials from space, and looking into ways to replicate her results. 

she’s not really planning on sharing any of this, but she DOES plan on making as much bank as she possible can before absconding with the money and asteroid, moving to italy, and changing her name so that no one ever bugs her again in her immortal life.

but then, frederic corona, who is unfortunately still her company’s benefactor, appears requesting help with his nearly bursting pregnant wife, who seems to be suffering from a condition that no one knows or understands. none of the physicians they’ve seen have been able to help arianna, and he hopes that gothel can.

gothel doesn’t immediately comply, but frederic has some. lets just say blackmail material, because he’s been monitoring her research practices and knows about some immoral human experimentation. things that will definitely get her shunned by her colleagues, blacklisted, and possibly arrested.

through a series of events, she eventually has the queen just- hug the fucking asteroid. the queen seems to be healed, but the asteroid loses its glow- then. BAM

delivery- healthy baby girl with bright blonde hair. gothel does her incantation, and sees that baby rapunzel has the powers of the now dull asteroid.

and, like any reasonable witch, she requests his firstborn as payment. but just like three times a month so that she can absorb some of that good old immortality juice. gothel doesn’t want to take the baby full time if she doesn’t have to, she doesn’t want a baby or anything. she’s already got one kid to take care of, thank you very much.

frederic is concerned by the idea of promising something so thorough and possibly damaging to his daughter to a woman that he knows to be unethical as fuck, so he refuses the offer and threatens to have gothel exposed if she doesn’t comply.

he pays her handsomely to get her to shut up, but that’s obviously not enough for gothel. within the week, she kidnaps the child and absconds to a country home about fifteen miles away from the city. 

when she runs away, she leaves her four year old daughter alone in her apartment. cassandra is found by the police almost a day later in terrible health and crying. she is later adopted by james burr, the captain of frederic corona’s private security force.

eugene is catwoman, basically. no powers but his physical strength and agility, and his wits. he works as a low level IT guy at corona inc by day and a high level cat burgler by night.

lance strongbow is his partner in crime, but lance has actual powers over metal- think metal bending and magnetism all rolled up into one. they make a very good team.

unrelated, but adira is basically this world’s wonder woman.

one night when eugene’s running a solo mission, breaks into gothel’s mansion in the country and finds a young girl with long, blonde hair and a penchant for frying pans. rapunzel corona has been found. 

through a series of events, they find out who rapunzel is, get gothel arrested, cut rapunzel’s hair and he gets rapunzel to where she needs to go. she’s of course utterly enamored by him (and he’s enamored by her) but he’s like. we cannot be together. i am a thief and you are The Daughter of A CEO and he runs off into the night and rapunzel is furious and still pinning. she isn’t taking kindly to the guy down in IT who’s so intent on flirting with her, even though he seems weirdly familiar XD

rapunzel’s hair grows back later, but only as a part time thing that she can control. when her hair is long, she has powers. when her hair is short, she doesn’t. she is able to work this into a part time super hero secret identity thing where she’s The Sundrop by night and rapunzel corona, aspiring artist by day. eugene the thief is in love with both versions, which is awful because she’s only in love with the version of him that he can’t be with her as. 

cassandra wanted to be a police officer, but somehow ended up working a secretarial job at corona industries instead because her dad is well respected in the guarding community and made it clear that he would be Very Put Out if someone gave his daughter a dangerous job like that. so cassandra’s trying to figure out how to take her career in a sparkly, heroic and adventurous way that she wants to. she and rapunzel start flirting, then dating (omg guys! i did an au where cassunzel becomes canon BEFORE before new dream! cray cray)

varian is a disgruntled, gotham rogue’s type former unpaid intern of corona industries who is now doing mad sciency stuff in conjunction the sundrop, who keeps whisking him away when people try to arrest him, much to the disdain of law enforcement.

cassandra’s frustrated by all the crazy shit going on around her and the vigilante justice, because like. if people are doing crime fighting without being a part of the police, there’s a part of her that feels resentful that she hasn’t just gone ahead and done it and she’s just still waiting. she especially resents the sundrop, as the most famous hero, and the one who’s infamous for letting villains such as the most famous pair of suave thieves and varian the alchemist go.

of course, she’s going through some weird second puberty involving super powers (she was, actually, the result of one of her mother’s experiments with a moonstone) and she’s freaking out because- what the fuck guys. what is going on? 

she goes a litttttllleeee bit nuclear one day, bursting with all of her powers, and gothel gives an interview with a journalist from jail about how her greatest experiment must be working, and, oh just to fuck with rapunzel she’ll tell the world that the sundrop is CLEARLY rapunzel corona. how could anyone even doubt that?

cassandra goes a bit off the deep end with anger at her dad for controlling her life and not even telling her all the information about her life. then she gets pissed at rapunzel for not telling her about the vigilante thing and being the sundrop (THE SUNDROP!) and lying and hogging all the glory and being a vigilante and- UGH! FUCK! her powers explode on her and she runs off into the night to become not a full fledged villain, but not a totally good person either.

i’m envisioning something very red hood-esque, with her bile directed mainly towards her father, rapunzel, and the other petty villains who haven’t been properly dealt with, mainly... the boys.

rapunzel’s life is basically just crumbling apart, but... she can probably talk some sense into cassandra, right? RIGHT!?!

but zhan tiri, a shadowy, powerful figure (if we’re keeping with comics allusions, i’m thinking r’as al ghul kind of) bent on utilizing this new vulnerable, volatile super-powered person for her own gain might throw a wrench in rapunzel’s plans to get her girlfriend back

[phoenotopia]

2019 December Update

The game is officially playable from beginning to end!

That battle has concluded...

Soon begins the war! But first, a brief reprieve for the holidays.

And I must throw in the usual caveats. We're still playtesting, we're still polishing, we still gotta get age ratings, more red tape, etc etc. And most importantly, we need to figure out the launch strategy. Think Megaman, charging his shot for 5 and a half years... We're not allowed to miss at this point. It has to HIT.

Luckily, we're in a relatively stable position where we don't have to rush the game out immediately. It's not LAUNCH or STARVE - it's... take some time to aim a little. We don't want to launch in the shadow of a bigger behemoth game, and we don't want to launch completely unknown either. We have to build up the game's media presence, which has been neglected so far. I know it's annoying to have to continue to wait... but please bear with us a little longer!

Here's what we've been doing for the past couple months.

---------- THE SCRIPT ----------

The script sits at over 80,000 words. I didn't realize the significance until a teammate told me that that's actually as long as a novel! I looked it up, and sure enough, it's a little longer than the first Harry Potter. But unlike Harry Potter, hardly any of these words are wasted on, pffft, narration. It's all juicy dialogue!

(Some of the game's golden nuggets of dialogue)

There was actually a lot of mundanity getting to the end. Pirate, acting as my editor, caught tons of errors and inconsistencies. One of the most recurring issues had to do with capitalization. I like to capitalize things, often inconsistently. Some common questions that arose:

Why is this text highlighted yellow, and this one highlighted blue?

Why is this monster name capitalized, but this monster not?

Why is this item capitalized, and this one not?

... and so on!

All very mundane issues, but all very necessary to tackle. And there was a TON of 'em. (em vs 'em was another thing we had to make consistent). I actually did some research to see what capitalization rules Zelda had. From what I could tell, when it comes to animals and monsters in the Zelda universe:

All monsters are capitalized

All regular animals are not capitalized

The Cuccos are special, and ARE capitalized

(a collage of Zelda pictures I assembled to study)

In the Zelda universe, all regular items are lowercase, but highlighted blue when mentioned in a quest context (e.g. "butter", "hylian wheat"). Items can be uppercase, if they are special named items (e.g. "Sheikah Slate"). We adopted similar rules as Zelda in some cases, and deviated in others. For instance, in the Phoenotopia universe, there isn't a clear distinction between animals and monsters - that fish monster is really just an animal that happens to be the alpha predator in its natural habitat. So most entities are lowercase, but "big deal" entities can be uppercase.

(we made a formal document to consult whenever a question regarding capitalization arises)

---------- A SAMPLING of QUEST AND CHARACTERS ----------

A lot of new quests have arisen in our great writing effort extending over the past several months. And with it, new characters, big and small. I'll tease a sampling of some of them here (warning: some light spoilers ahead):

My favorite new quest is undoubtedly our game's new "Trading Quest". This one takes inspiration from the Zelda series - the trading quest similarly has you roaming the world and its towns in search of needy people who desire a particular item. Deliver them the item they desire, and get a new item. Do this 10 times, and the ultimate weapon awaits you at the end.

I tried some things to vary up the formula. Some NPCs don't reveal what they need right away - steps have to be taken to get them there. It's also possible to go down the wrong route in the sequence, and have to double-back. We try to keep it interesting.

---------- LOOT PLACEMENTS & GAME BALANCING ----------

A great effort was also spent towards balancing the game this past 2 months. Because even one good healing item, easily obtained, can throw the game's whole difficulty off-kilter. And this same principle applies to other areas, like the money economy and player powerup options. Altogether, they form a very delicate ecosystem for enjoyment.

One of the recent things I did for this game was put down exactly where each heart ruby, energy gem, and moonstone could be found. And this was actually a rather involved process because you have a limited number of rewards to distribute (you wouldn't want the final max HP count to be a weird number like 297). Put too many rewards in the beginning, and the late dungeons would have no rewards to offer. Put too much in the end, and the inverse happens.

I found myself going back into earlier areas and plundering their rewards to fill the later areas. And then to ensure a relatively even spread of rewards within each area themselves, I drew crude maps of the dungeons & their reward spots, so that they could be studied from a bird's eye perspective.

But it was still not enough. With NPC quests and towns also taking up their own allotment of the rewards, I found myself running low on things to distribute. So I went back to the books and upped the number of rewards across the board. Before there were 44 Heart Rubies to collect - there are now 55. Before each Heart Ruby boosted your max HP by 5, but now each one now boosts your max HP by 4, so your final max HP count would still end up the same. It's kinda similar to what happened with Twilight Princess, where they broke with tradition and made 5 heart containers required to gain a new heart instead of the usual 4. Overall, the final tally for treasure to find is:

55 heart pieces

30 energy gems

108 moon stones

Who's crazy enough to collect them all?

---------- BADGES / ACHIEVEMENTS ----------

As one of the game's finishing touches, there's a menu for BADGES - they're this game's version of achievements. This is an ongoing task that we hope to stamp out this December. A few favorites of mine from the original flash game will return ("Pillow Connoisseur" is among them).

(The menu looks like this before any badges are earned)

I allocated slots for just 33 badges, so we're selecting the badges very carefully. We got rid of most of the fluffy ones that appeared in the flash game - we wanted to reduce the number of badges that you would earn automatically for just playing the game (so no more "1st boss", "2nd boss", "3rd boss" achievements). We're aiming for a healthy mix of easily earned badges, hard earned badges, collectathon badges, secret fun badges, and so on.

The badges have another twist - they bear miniaturized portraits of characters from the game! In the initial brainstorm mockup phase, I wasn't really fond of the badge designs. You got a medal of a heart because you collected some hearts, and you got the medal of a moonstone for collecting moonstones, etc. It just seemed so... expected.

(various badge mockups)

How could we engage the players on a more fun and deep level? The idea came - what if we attached pictures of the people you meet on your journey? And these people's stories and character would have a connection with the achievement? That could keep the player guessing which character would come attached with an achievement, or even reveal a hidden detail about the character you didn't know.

---------- MUSIC ----------

Will has just one more task to do. And that's to recut the song for the trailer. One of our other goals for this December is to make a really good trailer... again. There's actually 2 other trailers we cut and never made public for reasons. Maybe I'll talk about them one day in the post-mortem.

Since this may be the last conventional update, we wondered with which song to best leave the audience. And we decided that the most suitable song is "Sanctuary". It's a song that the player will often encounter often when they happen upon a quiet resting place in the world.

There's a little story behind this song. Two and a half years ago, I linked Will the Earthbound song, "Buzz buzz's prophecy", and told him, make a song like that!

In response, Will made "Sanctuary".

Give it a listen HERE. What do you think? Did Will hit close to the greats?

---------- FAN ART ----------

Three fan arts have come in the last couple months. I display them here proudly:

Another submission by Cody G! Gale looking shy as she flashes the V sign for the camera. I like how Cody G's art is continually evolving. Note the additional detail on her eye, and how her hair is drawn extra fluffy. Very nice!

Shafiyahh is another consistent contributor, and made one in the spirit of Halloween. I really like their costumes! Gale as an angel, and Lisa as a demon, fittingly captures their relationship, since Gale is the responsible one and Lisa is the troublemaker. So cute!

A contribution from a new artist, Negativus Core! Wow, Gale looks so bada-- here! We often forget about Gale's tough side due to the cutesy graphics. This is probably how her enemies see her. And the gummy (slime) is a cute touch!

---------- FINAL NOTES ----------

Similar to last year, this will be the last update for a while. If things run too slow, I'll post a status update come end of February 2020.

It's possible, and this is a BIG IF, that something notable happens sooner than expected - like we're going to a con or we have reason to drop the trailer sooner than later. If so, this blog will update earlier than expected. BIG IF. Otherwise, it's end of February till next you hear of us.

The game's development has reached a new uncharted territory. We're going to take the time and figure out exactly what our next steps are. In addition, we'll still be doing some playtesting and script polishing. And we'll be taking a break too. It is the holiday season, things move kind of slow around this time of year. We'll enjoy the company of our family and friends.

Until then, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

[luna-flow]

🌑🌙✨Pick-A-Card Reading: Knowing more about my Shadow Self 🌑🌙✨

Hello friends! Life is still crazy hectic for me but I had a great meditation session and I became motivated to do this pick-a-card reading! I actually tried to do it 2 months ago but it felt lacking so I deleted it after it sat in my drafts for a week. Finally I felt it’s time to re-do it!

Here are the 4 piles with following assigned crystals: celestite, blue lace agate, moonstone and peach selenite. Pick the one you feel most drawn to and find out more about your shadow self!

(Sorry I’m typing this manually through mobile so please scroll down and no “continue reading” option)

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✨Cards reveal! ✨

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Pile 1: Celestite

Your shadow self is prominent at times of crisis and challenges. You are like brewing a cauldron of negative thoughts, allowing and almost purposely making yourself feel worse and overwhelmed. You start blaming the world, everything else, questioning why is life so unfair to you and it’s just a bad spiral of unhealthy, unproductive and self-putting thoughts. Almost as if you’re being pulled at both sides, knowing you can’t just blame everything else but you can’t help it to do so. It gets worse when you resign yourself to it, thinking your life is meant to be this bad when in actual fact, you’re just trapped in your own clouded mind and succumbing to your shadow self, letting it take over you. Really intense and highly fluctuating emotions.

How to work with it: as obvious as the card has shown, don’t bottle up your negativity. Don’t get addicted and comfortable in it, release it as many as you can consistently. RECOGNIZE AND APPLAUD every single tiny progress and effort you’ve made. It can be through doing something you enjoy or share your emotions with someone else. In anyway, you should never neglect it and add fuel to the fire. Tell yourself, life gets bad and while it can be due to other external factors which you have no control of, at the very least don’t make it worse yourself. A change in mindset is very crucial here.

Pile 2: Blue lace agate

Deep down you know how intelligent and competitive you are, and that is a double-edged sword for you. This can hurt a lil so buckle down for a sec. You’re someone ambitious, and you’re very determined to get what you want, which brings certain issues to the surface. Pride, jealousy, very mindful in controlling your life. Your life is dramatic and you can’t help it. You strive to be on top, if not, the best version of yourself so much that you forgot about sometimes it’s not about the results. This is worse when you have a particular field that you excel in and you place your self-worth in how well you do in that field. You get very competitive deep down. When your shadow self is in full bloom, you may even resort to unethical thoughts and actions. You keep comparing yourself to others and to be honest, you make yourself feel superior as a defensive mechanism. In all honesty, you don’t have to do those to “boost” or “protect” your self-esteem.

How to work with it: Reduce your controlling tendencies, which includes wanting to control outcomes and results. As your life has a lot of changes and changes, allow yourself to be open to them and just naturally see how things unfold. You don’t have to make sure everything goes in a certain way so that you feel a certain way too. Enjoy some parts of the unknown and excitement. Check in with yourself, is your pride getting in the way too much? Be open to the idea of people sharing the same hobbies and specialisation with you, level up TOGETHER.

Pile 3: Moonstone

You need to CALM DOWN and SIT DOWN when your shadow self gets prominent. (Your guide may often says: sit your ass down honey) You become naive, too much of a dreamer that you lose your sense of judgment. You are the type that is a really bad match with skillful manipulators. When there is an idea at hand, you jumped straight away due to excitement and get swept away by your emotions which often results to getting a slap of reality due to lack of practical foresight and careful planning. Also, you’re really bad with setbacks which often drives you thinking of a failure outcome which it’s just a bump along the road. Lots of anxious and lack of emotional stability here. 0-100 real quick, vice-versa.

How to work with it: lots of grounding. Better still, find a friend or any close associate who is logical, practical to calm you down and pull you back into the reality when you’re too swept away in your own thoughts. Don’t allow yourself to be too rash when comes to decision-making. Always double and triple check everything, plan out everything before diving into something. Don’t just assume it’s gonna be great or it’s gonna end badly. Take a deep breath and analyze things step by step. Collect your emotions, do your research, meditate and just see how it goes.

Pile 4: Peach selenite

Lots of rigidity here. Tend to stuck in an unhealthy cycle or habit. You’re intuitive by nature but also the type who doesn’t heed your own intuition when comes to your shadow self. Almost as if you are afraid to face and work on it. You feel lost, and you’re afraid to be dominated by it. You feel that have problems differentiating your intuitive thoughts and intrusive thoughts. Changing and releasing a part of your life is a real struggle for you. Most likely it is because you don’t know how to and you’re not willing to face the future without it. You are well-aware when a situation gets toxic and unhealthy but your shadow self stops you from moving forward and allows you to dwell in it, making you stuck in a bubble. This kinda feels like the devil card except that you both SEE the chain and chose not to remove it.

How to work on it: Draw your boundaries well. Write down a list of what you’re capable to do and what you should do. Match it up. Discard those you eventually feel that you shouldn’t do it. Don’t allow your past to chain you down. Look forward, not behind. Acknowledge that YOU have to be responsible of the mess and you have to be the one cleaning it up. It’s about being responsible of your own life along with listening to YOURSELF. Prioritise that inner voice of yours, it is going to save you out of many potential bad situations.

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That is all! Please support me by reblogging this and/or leaving a feedback, it will be deeply appreciated. Till next time, let’s have a fruitful time working with our shadow selves! ✨