#when i first heard this audio- i immediately thought of these two hehe

[wingedqueenlynx]

"Do you think I'm spooky, Dark Dutchess?"

Interviews at Arkham are quite silly between Foxy and Eddie lol

This took longer than it should've ;<;

The frames are a bit janky due to how flipaclip imported the frames but fuck it we ball 😌

[himitsukki]

𝙩𝙨𝙪𝙠𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙢𝙖 𝙠𝙚𝙞 // 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩

warnings: none! (now edited <333)

wc: 1,927

happy birthday, my little flirefly.

⊱ ────── {.⋅ ☼ ⋅.} ────── ⊰

when you first met tsukishima kei, you thought he was an asshole.

now, as your boyfriend of almost two years, he’s still an asshole… that you love.

it always comes off as a surprise when you inform people about your relationship, because, quite frankly, you both seem like polar opposites: you’re a person who can calm people’s hearts with just your presence. you always try to  offer help, and you try your best to be nice, because you know the world needs it. and, it’s always free of charge.

tsukishima, on the other hand…

“i told that bastard to get away from you at lunch.“

“kei!“ you scold him with his name. “i told you before, he’s not doing anything bad!“ your boyfriend continues to complain about your classmate who “keeps staring at you”, ranting so fast that you can barely understand his words through the sounds of the video chat.

despite the fact that he always picks the video chat option over the voice call whenever he calls you at night, it’s almost always just him doing his homework, with his phone leaned against the wall, or him doing his chores from around the house, with the back camera on and his phone tucked into the waistband of his shorts; you can’t recall having a total “proper” one-on-one video chat with him, with your phones directly in front of you and replicating a face-to-face conversation .

you’ve grown accustommed to his antics, however, and grown to love how it feels so domestic to just casually ask each other about your days. you even keep track of his chores in the tsukishima hoursehold, especially after the incident when his mother told him to turn the oven off after fifteen minutes and he forgot because he was in the middle of arguing what the correct answer was to that day’s homework.

you’re currently folding laundry on your bed and decided that while you’re at it, you’ll reorganize your entire wardrobe. you had your phone rested on top of two pillows and leaned against the headboard, you took a seat by the lower half of the bed to have you visible in your camera, but with various clothes thrown atop your sheets and pillows and even draping on your headboard, you’ve lost sight of your phone. you can only hear the slightly muffled voice of your boyfriend, now that it’s buried somewhere deep in your clothes.

“hurry up already, we still have homework to do.“

“i’m sorrryy!“ you whined, quickening your pace at folding your shirts into a neat pile. “i don’t know why i even decided to do this, this is a complete waste of time.”

“at least your closet will be organized,“ he tries to reason. you whine that it’ll only stay that way for a couple of weeks, and he tells you you’re an idiot because you’ll be the one at fault for that.

“just the jackets and sweatshirts left, then i’ll be done,“ you inform him after a few minutes of silence. it’s not rare for the two of you to be silent while calling each other; both of you actually enjoy the silence, and neither of you feel obligated to fill the silence with talking, especially if it’s just about nonsense. it’s just nice that he’s still with you despite the day having ended and that he’s one bus ride away from you.

“do you still have that jacket? the one i gave you when you dug out my closet a few weeks ago?“

“uhh...” you ruffle through the remaining clothes on top of your bed. “is it the purple one? with the cresent moon at the—“

“—back of the hood? yeah.“ you fished out the said jacket and tried it on, enjoying the impossibly soft material that’s only possible through years of constant wearing. 

it fits perfectly.

“it still bothers me how ten year old you and current me most likely have the same size.“

“you’re just small and short,“ he snorts. “i bet it’s even slightly loose on you, especially at the sleeves.“

“yeah,“ you agree as you pull the cuff of the sleeve to their maximum potential without stretching the fabric too much. “it’s hanging just a little bit past the tips of my fingers.“

“you’re forever a shortcake, [name].“

“listen, i never asked to be short, okay?“ you complain, but you can’t deny that you’re smiling as you joke around with your boyfriend.

it’s beyond comforting that he’d given you his clothing from his childhood. you didn’t even ask for it (as you do with his other clothing), but you remember organizing his closet and seeing a pile of clothes that he “kept” from childhood, and when you asked him about it, he pulled out what he said was his favorite,  gave it to you with a teasing smirk and said “you’d definitely fit in this.“

“hey,“ he starts. “hurry up.“ you dismiss him by sticking out your tongue even though you know he doesn’t see you, but tsukishima knows you too much to actually do that reaction, then scolds you for being childish while teasing you about doing that even he can’t even see it.

“heeeeey.” he drags. “it’s almost nine pm.”

“i know, i only have the jackets left. sorry,” you mumbled a genuine apology, aware that tsukishima’s tired from class and volleyball practice. how he’s able to balance being a student athlete while claiming to “not care about the sport”, you’ll never know.

“hey,” he starts once again.

“last two jackets, i promise—“

“i love you.“ you nearly drop the last jacket from your hands and look over where your phone is, finally locating it with it’s screen facing the sheets; his voice was low and muffled, but you heard it loud and clear. slowly, you reached for your phone, turned it over and see him properly facing the camera, his head turned to the side with his eyes checking up his screen for your reaction every few seconds.

“that’s unfair, you’re telling me that over call? and i wasn’t even in the video chat?“

“it’s rare that i even tell you ‘i love you’ and you complain about it?” he asks, his voice monotonous but his lips growing into a small that you’ve only seen him do when he’s really happy. “unbelievable.“

“i’m done with the clothes,“ you announce, placing your phone back to its initial spot as you transfer the piles of clothes back into your closet.

“great, it only took you almost an hour, congrats shortcake.“

“thanks, asshole. you’re the best boyfriend ever.“

the night continues on with doing your homework together (and fighting over which formula to use because you’re in different classes and have different teachers, for some reason) and just before you get ready for sleep, you let the call run a little longer as you do your night time routine.

“do you actually do this everyday?“ he asks when you tell him every step of your skincare routine. “i only do the basics. that’s so tiring to do everyday.”

“you’re complaining and you’re not even the one doing it… ‘kay then.“ you jokingly roll your eyes at him as you gently pat your final layer of moisturizer on your skin. “at least i’m taking care of my skin. they’re a wonderful organ.“

“okay, weirdo.“

he proceeds to continually pester you to go to bed as it’s almost eleven, and you both have to get up at five so you can meet up an hour later at his house (his mom adores you) and walk to school together, but you ignore him and his groans of complaint as you slow your pace to annoy him even further (then he threatens to end the call, so you run to your bedroom and flop down on your bed immediately.)

“end the call. i’m tired, i wanna sleep.“

“you know you’re suppossed to go all “nooo, i don’t wanna end the call” or “you end the call, hehe” right, kei?“ he glares at you through the screen, and you can only laugh in response since his cheeks are squished on one side of his face as  he’s lying down on his side. instead of intimidating, he looks adorable.

“i’m too tired to even lift a finger,“ he says as he closes his eyes. for almost a minute, you let the call drag on, enjoying the comforting sound of his breathing and the sight of his relaxed face.

it’s rare enough to see him so unguarded and at ease; it’s in moments like these where you continuously remind yourself to appreciate and be thankful of every little thing in your relationship. 

that being said…

“hey,“ you start. he hums a reply, but you won’t take that as an answer.

“hey,“ you start once again.

“what? i was already enjoying the silenc—“

“i love you.” the second you see his eyes open, you rush to greet him a goodnight as best as you can without giggling before immediately ending the call and muting your notifications for that app until five am.

⊱ ────── {.⋅ ☼ ⋅.} ────── ⊰

tomorrow starts smoothly with a wake-up call from tsukishima, your monring already complete with the sight of his bloated face and crusty eyes. he knows that you don’t care about his appearance, so he lets you see his worst visuals (in your eyes, however, he’s still unfairly handsome with all of that.)

you quickly got ready for the day; time flew by fast, and soon you’re ringing the doorbell at his gate, waving and greeting at his mom (who’s also the same thing) and greeting your boyfriend a good morning by taking out his (well, now your) jacket from last night.

he eyes you as you put it on. he’s unable to surpress his smile when he sees that the sleeves are, indeed, hanging a bit past your fingertips.

“i told you, you’re be forever a shortcake.”

“you’ve called me "shortcake” so many times, it doesn’t really mean like an insult anymore,“ you noted out loud, looking up at him through your lashes. "it doesn’t even sound like a word anymore.”

“well you are a shortcake, shortcake.”

“annoying,” you playfully chide him with a roll of your eyes. at that action, he scoffs and grabs you by the sleeves, pulling you closer and reminding you to bring out your (matching) headphones since he’ll be plugging in the audio splitter.

“what do you wanna listen to?” you hum as you think about it, but tell him to go for whatever he feels like.

you let the clean tones from the guitar relax you, enveloping you in an atmosphere where you feel like you’re starring in an anime or some kind of movie. honestly, you feel as you are in one, because you know your type of  relationship isn’t all that usual, complete opposites and all. 

with the leaves turning orange and falling slowly around you, the visuals only supplement the atmosphere, the song sounding like the OST to your and tsukishima’s story.

suddenly, you feel his finger nudging itself between the gaps of your fingers and trapping one of them in it’s grasp. looking down, you see his pinky bent at the joints to hold your little finger captive. it’s shaped like a crescent. 

looking up, you see him audibly clearing his throat, awkwardly looking away when he sees you noticing. the faint blush on his cheeks makes you laugh, and you feel the atmosphere increase tenfold.

you’ll happily be in any movie, only if it’s him by your side.

⊱ ────── {.⋅ ☼ ⋅.} ────── ⊰ 

m.list

[pompompurin1028]

Hi hi! It’s once again me 👀💕 Ah you blessed me so much today Kat, I feel way too happy that we’re talking about this stuff😭

So ahem, as for the recommendations, I wouldn’t recommend starting with Requiem, it’d be like watching the season finale before getting to know the characters, it wouldn’t make any sense. I’d prefer that you at first get to know the usual cheerful and comforting Mozart before discovering his darker side, since the reason it gives such a big joy to me is because it’s rare and unusual for him. Think of it as a side of your personality that you only show to your closest ones. So for now, in order to not overwhelm you, I’ll tell you two of my favourite pieces of him!

First of all, Piano Concerto no.23. I definitely recommend this recording, you can’t even guess how much the quality of recordings change the vibe of the piece. I’m listening to the first movement as I write this in order to get in the mood, and I’m already about to have tears in my eyes haha- This work gives me such an immense comfort with its beauty. If I had to choose one adjective to describe Mozart’s music, it would be beautiful. You’ll definitely see what I mean with this one. Mozart is known for his beautiful melodies, and the first movement’s main melody is still in my top 5. Just rest and let your soul flow with the soft touch of the wonderful pianist. 💕

I’ll also have to say that the second movement is even purer🥺 Pay attention to the softness of the emotions there, it starts with a soft piano section and then the moment where the orchestra comes in for the first time (12.08) always gives me tears. And pay attention to the ending of that movement! (17.25) You’ll hear a short passage where the strings start making a tic-tac sound, just like a ticking clock. It always gives me such a strange feeling… it makes me question everything, the notion of time, of life, I don’t even know what I’m feeling at this point it’s just too beautiful😭

The first two movements definitely surpass the 3rd, but it’s still very joyful, the usual cheerful Mozart stuff~

And as for the second piece, it’s his Concerto for Flute and Harp. For this one, I recommend this recording.

This piece… I probably won’t be able to find the right words to express its beauty, pureness, innocence. I simply can’t.

The first movement: you’ll hear how soft the flute and harp can sound together. That melody… Mozart, that melody came from the heaven to your hands. This has always been my biggest comfort piece, comfort melody even. It’s usually always the first part where the melody is purely introduced to the listener without any addition, so pay attention to the beginning if you want to recognize the melody throughout the piece which makes the experience more enjoyable~ It’s not so hard to recognize it with Mozart since he creates such beautiful melodies though, contrary to some composers of the Romantic Era, so you don’t have to worry about it for now.

The second movements are always divine with Mozart… You’ll sense the same pure emotions as the Piano Concerto’s 2nd movement from before.

And the 3rd movement is as always a joyful Rondeau!

I always have more commentary for the first two movements since they are the parts where the composer fully shows their musical abilities (especially in the Classical Era). I hope this “guide” helps you a little bit to grasp what’s going on during the pieces 💕 I’m aware that suddenly trying to listen to 35-40-minute pieces is hard especially if you’re a beginner, so if you feel like you won’t be able to concentrate, feel free to only listen to their first movements (since those are the most juicy, beautiful parts!). Then, after some time, if you’d like, the second movements etc. Since we’re discovering the Classical Era, we can treat every movement as a different piece in itself, they have no connections that would require you to listen to them together. I wouldn’t be able to say the same thing with late Beethoven, for example. But with Mozart, it’s totally OK!

Enjoy! ❤️

And if you listen to them and want more, just drop by my ask box and give me a sign, I have a lot more up my sleeve😌❤️ Or we can discuss these first as well!! I’ll be OK with anything, as long as you’re enjoying yourself~

Thank you so much for the recommendations and tips on what to look for Req omg🥺😭❤

I found some time to listen to it today just fully with my full attention to I could pay attention to the details. And I used headphones so I could possibly enjoy it better hehe💕 

I also wrote down my thoughts as I listened to it so let’s go!! (also please excuse my limited knowledge on music terminology and prepare for a lot of words below haha😖)

Piano Concerto no.23

The first movement was beautiful, when the pianist started playing I audibly gasped I tell you. The softness of the piano in contrast to the harder(? is that how you describe it haha) sounds of the violins in the beginning just accentuates the tune of the piano, and it just grabs your attention immediately even though it’s not loud at all, and frankly quite the opposite. And the pianist’s solos have me, I am literally in awe of how soft and beautiful they are, and I keep looking forward while listening to this to hear them again. I loved the parts at (7:23, 8:26) ahh, the contrast is immaculate and beautiful, from forte to piano in such a short time haha it took my breath away for a second. 

Okay the second movement. So beautiful🥺 From the beginning just listening to the soft piano section here alone I could feel the different vibe and emotions here, it feels almost melancholic and lonely. The notes that are played here clearly showcases a sadder emotion than the first, though it is just as soft. The flats (I think?) on the piano here help bring it out so much better. As for the orchestra part, I really liked it when they joined in for the second time as well, I don’t know how to describe it, it’s just so in harmony, and soft, blending so well together😌. Oh and I definitely heard that change in 17:25, that part was very striking. And I love the gradual change of the tone of the piano there and the emotions it seems to convey. And coupling this with your explanation, it almost feels like it’s conveying how sadness and those feelings of melancholy will fade will passing time (maybe that’s just me). 

And yeah I could tell how the third movement is less impressive than the first two. It seems a bit different that the first two, and the emotions this part conveys doesn’t feel as strong it feels. But I definitely agree it’s joyful! But I actually loved how the whole piece flowed! The flow of different emotions throughout it (I’m not really sure of the background of the piece) but to me it feels like it’s highlighting how our emotions go up and down in life, but it will get better, like how joyful it becomes in the third movement in contrast to the second. [do tell me your thoughts Req I want to know👀]

Concerto for Flute and Harp

Oo great tip about the melody part!! It’s the same for the piece earlier as well in the first movement in particular, I can definitely hear the same leitmotif (I believe that’s what it is called?) Okay but the way the flute and the harp blends together? Ahh so beautiful and sounds almost ethereal🥰🥺 And oo that’s nice to know! I have some knowledge of the Romantic era and their styles, they emphasize a lot on emotions, nature, beauty and the individual I believe? Since it’s seen as an opposition to the industrial movement’s hard and mechanical facts. I have studied the history about that period for a bit as well as some of the literature during that time so I do have a bit of background information haha, so I assume that other composers emphasize more on other perhaps more negative side of emotions? 

And the second movement is so breathtaking😭 The whole piece in general is so soft and pure as you said. It just feels out of this world almost, it’s just heavenly how pure and innocent everything sounds. And I can see what you mean when you say his second movements are “divine”. And yes! The emotions here are very pure like the other piece! But at the same time very different in what they are conveying, they are both very beautiful and yet this feels much more hopeful🥺 And that part at (16:41) with the harp really has me ahh, then the flute going in afterwards, it is just beautiful so so beautiful.

And the third movement, it’s so joyful omg🥺though it is much faster and a bit different in terms of the tone and vibe from the first two movements, it still feels connected, especially with the flute and the harp movements in some parts they sound familiar(? I don’t know how to describe it haha)

And I just read your part about concentration, it was a bit haha, but typing out my thoughts as I listened to it helped, though it is probably not the best way to enjoy the piece😅 And that guide definitely helped thank you so much Req!! I really appreciate it! And you taking your thoughts to type all this out for me as well as choosing the videos that you believe had the best audio💕 I don’t know if you’re able to tell but I really enjoyed Piano Concerto no.23 haha, maybe it’s because I used to play the piano for a bit so I’m a bit biased😖

And of course!! I’ll be sure to drop by if I had any questions! And please tell me your thoughts after reading this too haha, I’d love to hear! Have a lovely day💕

[khaosgaming22]

Date Night

Hailey walked uptown to the restaurant she had selected, most of the time her and Bee would just go to the Stardust Tavern but personally she wanted something a little more romantic this night. The tavern was alright but the stories that she had heard about the parties her mom and dad had there definitely prompted her to find another option. She checked the time on her watch, 7:00 on the mark, which meant Bee would be here in exactly five minutes. It was something that always made her laugh, Bee always felt like she was late but Hailey didn’t mind. It had become routine at this point, she just found it funny because Hunters were usually the most mobile of the classes, but she supposed that Warlocks were the most punctual too.

She sat down on the bench outside the place and waited the extra five minutes when she saw a sunflower yellow blur come dashing up the street. Hailey wore a nice orange skirt and a black top, she admitted she was never very fashionable. Her mother never really passed that trait down, and when you go shopping with Aleina that many times it kinda knocks any enjoyment out of nice clothes early on. Hailey however, was not expecting to see Bee in that.

“I’m so sorry I’m late! She apologized quickly as she usually did and straightened her purse back to her side. “Couldn’t figure out how to walk in these stupid deathtraps...” She scorned looking down at her black high heels and when Hailey said nothing she looked at her. “Are you okay? You look like you just saw a Ghost, not like a Ghost I mean like a y’know.” She made a motion with her hands that was supposed to mimic one.

“No no yeah.” Was all Hailey could get out of her mouth, in truth she was absolutely speechless. Bee had dressed up a bit before but this? This was a new level, and the Titan liked it. “W- why don’t we head inside?”

“Okay.” Bee shrugged still a little confused at what was wrong with her date. They walked into the classy restaurant and immediately knew this place was very different from their usual hangout. The tables and booths had red cloth over them, the waitstaff was all dressed up in suits and the lighting was mostly by candlelight save for one crystal chandelier. Bee didn’t know how to feel about all this, it was a bit overwhelming but it was what Hailey wanted for tonight so she’d go along with it until she couldn’t.

Hailey pulled a chair out for Bee before sitting down in her own across from her still being quiet. There was light chatter around the restaurant as they both looked at the menu. The selections were all expensive but then again she expected that from a place like this, she decided on a pasta dish with marinara and went to look at the selection of cocktails. They were all too fancy for her liking so she decided to ask for just a simple glass of Vodka and Orange Grenadine.

Bee was stuck as well, this place hadn’t even been her idea in the first place and Hailey was being awfully quiet. Granted Bee was usually the talker even she had to admit that but still, it was strange for her to go this long. She wanted to break the ice a bit. “So uh... that’s a nice um dress you picked out, it really matches your hair.”

“Th- thanks.” Hailey responded smoothing out a wrinkle on her top. Well that was a fail, she barely talked. A waitress got to their table soon after.

“So what will it be to start off you two ladies?” She asked cheerfully taking out her pen, this place got guardians and civillians alike so it was a bit hard to tell who was who. Bee thought she was probably a civilian.

“I’ll have a Vodka with Orange Grenadine and a splash of lemonade thanks.” Hailey said opening up more to the waitress then Bee, what was going on? She jotted down Hailey’s drink order and turned to Bee.

“Oh. And uh I’ll have the... um I guess I’ll have what she’s having actually.” She said giving up on looking at the menu at all the fancy sounding drinks. If you asked her for tea or coffee she would know right away but alcohol was more Hailey’s area. The waitress walked off to get the two drinks and Bee focused on getting her Sunbreaker back.

Hailey didn’t really know what to do, she picked out this place to add to the romantic aura not snuff it out. It just made her wish they were back in their cozy, rustic tavern. Bee’s outfit didn’t help either, for a strong and defiant Titan let alone Sunbreaker, Hailey was melting inside with every glance of her she allowed herself. She figured alcohol would help her chill out so she asked for something that would help with that.

As for Bee she was still trying to figure out what was going on. She put a hand on the table as descrete as she could so Hailey would hold it but she still wouldn’t budge. She was pretty much looking everywhere around her but her. Finally Bee couldn’t stand it anymore.

“Alright, come with me.” She demanded and motioned for her to take her hand getting up from their table.

“Wh- why?” She stammered and looked up at Bee’s face for a second, it looked a bit annoyed. Something the Titan had never really seen before out of her.

“Just- cmon.” She crossed her arms and walked off toward the restroom while Hailey followed close behind. This was new, she had seen Bee sad but never angry. She followed her into a stall and Bee locked it behind them. Hailey didn’t really have anywhere else to look but her now as her heart pounded in her chest.

“Okay. What is your problem? You wanted to have a date together here and now you’ve been avoiding me all night what is going on!” Hailey looked down at her shoes blushing red that matched both her hair and outfit. Finally she spoke.

“I- I’m sorry. I thought this place would be nice but it’s so... I dunno suffocating? No that’s not the word- You get what I mean.” She explained and Bee nodded.

“O...kay but that still doesn’t answer why you’ve been avoiding looking at me all night.” She pushed and Hailey put her hand up to nervously tuck a lock of hair behind her ear.

“Th- that’s just because... well the way you’re dressed-“

“Why? What is there something wrong with it? I wanted to dress up since this place was so-“

“No no no! The dress is fine... it’s more than fine is the issue, you just look so... hot in it.” She blushed more and Bee’s optic shutters widened.

“Oh.” Hailey smiled sheepishly red still painting her cheeks as she moved a little closer.

“The moment I saw you in it my heart just stopped and I couldn’t look at you without blushing, so I didn’t... sorry.”

“Just blush then!” Bee laughed. “I like seeing you blush, it’s something Exo’s like me can’t do... plus it’s really cute.”

“Oh don’t you dare start talking about who’s cute now missy.” Hailey giggled with her putting her hands at her hips. The two stayed in the stall together for a bit like that until Hailey finally spoke.

“Hey if we both hate this place so much why don’t we get outta here?”

“And ditch the waitress? That seems a little mean.” Bee said concerned.

“We’ll pay and leave her a big tip, would that help your soul?”

“You know I don’t physically have one silly.”

“Oh shut up you absolutely have a soul.” She leaned in to whisper into her audio sensors where her ears would be. “You got a heart too.” She pulled away and smiled.

“Sh- shut up no I don’t.” She said flustered proving she did indeed.

“Mmmm we’ll see about that when we get outta here.” Hailey winked. Out of the two of them she was definitely more smooth and seductive, Bee had tried a few times before but Hailey always just laughed at her being cute.

“I have one condition.” Bee said determined which made Hailey giggle.

“And what’s that my darling Bumble?” Oh yeah, nervous Hailey was long gone.

“You have to carry me with your big Titan muscles.” Bee smirked and Hailey answered by opening the stall door and sweeping her off her feet in a princess carry.

~

They paid for their drinks and Hailey downed hers making it clear to everyone that she was indeed a Guardian cause only they could take that much alcohol at once. Bee took a sip but immediately hated it so she left hers for the waitress. True to her word, Hailey carried her all the way back to her house. Ken was in the living room playing a video game from the Golden Age where you collected and fought with adorable little monsters. He heard the door open and was not expecting who walked in.

“Hailey? What are you doing back so early it’s barely nine o clo-“

“Where’s mom’s stuff?”

“Uh....”

“Never mind, we’ll find it cmon my little pollenator let’s go to my room.”

“Hehe, okay.”

“Hey dad?”

“Y- yeah?”

“Don’t come up.” She kissed Bee as she walked up the steps and Ken went back to his game with a shrug. Bee ended up staying over.

[yes-i-write-fanfiction]

Among The Enemy Part 1

*I plan on starting an Ao3 account and then post this story there but until then I will post it on here*

You sighed, feeling tired from a day of hard work. Momentarily you stopped typing on the keyboard in front of you and moved your stiff shoulders, slightly easing the tension in them. It was hard work, managing a space station all by yourself, no matter how tiny it was.

You always woke up from recharge early, starting the day by checking that every part of the station was undamaged and still functioning. If something was broken you had to fix it before doing anything else. Once that was done you could finally take your morning fuel. You always drank it in silence and while going through all the files, making sure that nothing was out of order. When that was done you had another exciting day of watching for decepticons. Not that you ever found any. So most of the time you spent the day performing some personal experiments. It wasn’t your official but it was your passion in life so you never stopped doing it.

As you decided that it was enough work for one day you stretched once more while looking out the window next to your work station. The stars of the galaxy twinkled outside and the gray and harsh ground of the moon the space station was situated on was the same as it always was. You couldn't help but feel lonely as you gazed out into the emptiness of space. How long had you been on this station? Ah, for too long to be without any company at least. You had never been a particularly social bot but that didn’t mean you enjoyed the isolation. But you couldn’t do anything to change it now. Not that you had any choice to begin with.

Turning of the computer containing the weapon schemes you were currently working on you suddenly noticed how empty your tanks were. Scrap, you knew it wasn’t a good idea to miss out on the midday fuel. But you had been so into what you were doing and just stopping felt like such a waste of time and energy. You wouldn’t be able to recharge properly with such low fuel levels so you decided to take a slightly bigger portion of evening fuel. And so you made your way towards the fuel dispenser. Pressing a button a single cube of energon appeared.

The fuel tasted bitter, just like it always did when you were alone. Energon never tastes quite right when you don’t drink it with friends. Not that you had any friends back on Cybertron but at least you weren’t completely alone. Ah, bad thoughts, go away. You don’t need more negativity in your life. Quickly you downed the energon, not wanting to linger on the taste, and quickly refilled half the cube and downed it just as fast.

“Ah, guess it’s time to recharge…” you muttered to yourself, something you had come to do a lot recently. You assumed it was because you could not stand the silence.

The space station was quite small so there were only four rooms in total, if you didn’t count the airlock and the hallway. The four rooms consisted of the lab/medbay, where you took care of any injuries or malfunctions you experienced, the washroom, wish was remarkably tiny, your personal habsuite which was also your office and lastly the supply closet. Home sweet home, right? Ugh, you really hated this place.

You practically crawled onto berth, ready to drop into recharge within a second. You took of your visor before rubbing your optics and yawning loudly. Tomorrow you had to send in your weekly report to Cybertron about all updates. Which was none but you still had to send in the report. Probably to show that you were still online. Not that they cared They didn’t even respond. Did they even read your reports anymore? Probably not, nothing ever happened.

“Stupid fragging…” you muttered sleepily to yourself. “I should at least send in a request… for a transfer… Yeah, that’s what I’m gonna do…” And like that you fell into deep recharge… For about five clicks only to be suddenly woken up by the whole room shaking. Groggy and disorganized you fell of your berth and faceplanted onto the floor. “What the-!?” you exclaimed before jumping up on your pedes, grabbing your visor and rushing out of your habsuite. It wasn’t just your room that was shaking, in fact, the entire station did! What was happening!?

Quickly you made your way to the monitors in the hallway and tried to bring up the surveillance feed from the cameras outside. You noticed that all the energy was out and had to wait a few seconds for the spare generator to kick in. Finally the screens came to life and you could see through the cameras. Your face paled at what you saw.

“It can’t be…” Outside was a massive warship, bigger than anything you had ever seen. And it was decepticon in origin and currently landing on the moon. They must have used an EMP to cut out the power and stop the alarm from going! “Frag… FRAG!” you screamed before rushing to the supply closet. You had all your weapons in there and you had just grabbed the nearest gun when suddenly the airlock got destroyed. You dove into the closest room, which was the medbay and leaned against the wall next to the door.

“Knock knock!!!” a screechy voice suddenly called out and you leaned at the site, slightly peering out the door, only to immediately retract when a couple of shots came your way. One hit your gun and quite literary blew it to smithereens. “Oh, don’t hide autobot! I only wiz to play!” the voice shouted before maniacally cackling. Oh Primus, this decepticon was insane! A sudden whirring sound could be heard before another voice suddenly spoke up.

“It is in your best interest to surrender” the new voice said and it sent shivers down your spine. It sounded so cold and indifferent. “I can assure you I will make your death quick and painless if you”. You shook your head, despite knowing that the decepticon would not see it from the other side of the wall. You had no plan to die. Despite being lonely you were quite pleased about being alive, actually, you’d say that you’d absolutely prefer to stay alive! The cold voice suddenly sighed. “Ah, if that is how you wish to do it”. Loud footsteps started approaching, slowly, as if taking their time savoring the moment. Sadistic fragger. But hadn’t you heard two voices? Then why was only one pair of footsteps? Ah frag, you didn’t know.

You were starting to slightly panic. You couldn’t beat a decepticon without a weapon! And the only weapons you had were the ones that were in the supply closet and-! Oh. Oh, those could do. They were only prototypes but they would be better than nothing, right? Quickly you ran in front of the door and to the other side of the room, narrowly avoiding getting hit by some more shots. Without hesitating you opened the cabinet containing all the devices you had created during your time on the space station and selected which ones were going to be the most useful and least likely to blow up in your face.

You closed your optics and took a deep invent. You could do this. You could defeat those two(?) decepticons and while they were down head to the escape pod where you would contact the autobots. You could survive. No, you WOULD survive. You would not die out here out in nowhere.

The footsteps were right outside the medbay now and you decided it was time to give your plan a shot. You stepped right in front of the door opening and before the decepticons could react you threw one of your homemade grenades at them. Your optics slightly widened as you saw how close the decepticon actually was. It was bigger than you had imagined. Much bigger. And there was only one? Weird. But you didn’t have time to think about that.

The decepticon attempted to shield himself from the grenade with his left arm but this wasn’t that kind of grenade. Instead of causing a violent explosion it detonated on impact and blue foam came out of it, covering his left arm completely and most of his upper body. Hehe, he won’t get out of that anytime soon. Your own special recipe, you won’t find it anywhere else. The foam turns as hard as steel three seconds after exposure to air. The decepticon’s face looked shocked and then something weird happened. It changed. Instead of the blue it had previously been it turned red. The one google had turned into a visor. And the now red face contorted in anger.

“WHAT THE FRAG IS THIS!?” he shouted and you couldn’t help but notice the obvious tooth gap. It was… surprisingly cute. The started to twist and turn, struggling to get out of the foam. You could only shake your head. That wouldn’t be getting him anywhere. In his furious attempt to get free the decepticon lost balance and fell on his back. The decepticon screamed in fury. There was not a doubt in your mind that if his servos had been free then he would have been strangling you.

As the decepticon laid on his back you realized that this was your chance. He would not be able to grab you. Quickly you rushed forward and towards the exit. Or at least you tried to. But somehow the decepticon managed to throw himself at you, screaming while doing so, causing you to fall on the ground face-first for the second time that day. The decepticon landed on your back and O O O F F. Frag he was heavy! You could feel your frame dent under the weight.

“I’VE GOT YOU NOW YOU PUNY AUTOBOT, NOW GET RID OF WHATEVER YOU THREW AT ME!!!” he shouted straight into your audio, causing you to wince slightly. Did he really have to yell? You were right underneath him after all. When you didn’t immediately answer him the decepticon shouted again. “I SAID; GET RID OF THIS!”

“I-I can’t!” you gasped. “It takes, ugh, one hour until it dissolves”. Apparently that was not the answer the decepticon wanted as he started shouting at you again and threatened to crush you under his weight. Not wanting to die yet you decided to say something that might help him. Ugh, you were such a disgrace to the autobot cause. “A-Ah! Freezing it will cause it to shatter!” The decepticon stopped shouting and a few seconds passed before suddenly his face switched, turning blue again.

“Thank you for your cooperation” the blue face replied and then there’s a sudden chill in the air as the foam freezes to ice and shatters. The decepticon stood up and as you desperately tried to get away, crawling pitifully and dragging your frame along the floor, he grabbed you by the neck and brought you up till you were at his optic level. “This foam, is it your invention?” You nodded while desperately grasping at the servo holding your neck. For a second the blue face seems to think before nodding back. “Originally we only came down here to erase the evidence that we have been passing through but it seems we found something more”.

“Wh-What do you mean?” you ask. A part of you knows what he’s going to say. But you can’t help but ask.

“This can’t be your only invention, no, there must be more around here. And we have been in need of another scientist for a while now”. The blue face stared at you as your optics widened and your mouth opened and closed at loss of words. The decepticon’s face started turning again and a new face appeared; jet black with red mouth and optics and jagged teeth. It cackled loudly.

“HAHAHA! WELCOME TO THE DECEPTICONS LITTLE AUTOBOT!”

And then the world went dark.

[tayegi]

New Rules Ch. 5

Word Count: 10,058

A few minutes later, you sit on the bleachers with Hoseok, notepad and audio recorder on the bench between you two as you watch Taehyung roll around in the grass with his high-tech camera, trying to get a good candid shot of the players.

"So," you clear your throat, calling attention back to yourself, "I'm going to begin recording now, and why don't we start off with some basic information?" You ask as you press the little red button on the audio recorder.

"Sure," Hoseok agrees, "What would you like to know?"

"Just the basics," you say, "Full name, age, year in school, position, etc."

"Yeah of course," he says with a smile, "Name: Jung Hoseok. Age: Twenty-two. Senior, and I'm an attacking midfielder."

"Oh, but I've heard that your position is flexible and you can easily shift between striker and defender in the same game," you say, miraculously spouting off knowledge you've read from Somin's notes just minutes ago.

"Wow, you knew that?" Hoseok asks, clearly impressed, "No one except like really die-hard soccer fans know that."

You rub the back of your neck, embarrassed, "Ah, wasn't it obvious?" you bluff through your teeth, "You're a very well-rounded player, Hoseok. No wonder you're captain."

His subsequent smile is as bright as the sun, "Thank you. That really means a lot to me."

Flustered, you anxiously fidget with your hair, feeling uncharacteristically self-conscious as you scramble for the next question, "S-so, the team's ten-game winning streak is all under your leadership. Can you tell us a bit about how you managed to accomplish that?"

"No, it wasn't all me," he says, but can't help but laugh at the flattery, "It was a whole team effort! We would be nowhere without Coach Bang's guidance. And we have some really outstanding players this year. For instance, there's Jeon Jungkook, who's scored the most goals not only in our team, but the entire district this season."

"Ah, I see," you mutter under your breath, "No wonder he's so damn cocky."

"Huh? What was that?"

"Nothing!" you exclaim, eyes widening as you realize your mistake. Oh well, you can always crop that out of the recording. "Anyways, can you tell me more about your goals moving forward this season?"

"Yes, of course. So as you know, we're playing our rivals in the district this Saturday. It's going to be a big match. But no matter how we play on Saturday, we will be able to advance to the finals, so it's really not—oh," Hoseok suddenly stops, mid-sentence, to blink up at the sky when a raindrop hits him in the face.

Soon, more follow the first, covering the metal of the bleachers with a sheen of cold water. "Oh no, my notes!" you exclaim, diving forward to protect your things under the cover of your sweater.

"Damn, the forecast didn't say that it'd rain today," Hoseok says, looking up at the dreary gray sky with concern.

"Ah, it's not a big deal though," you say, "It's only sprinkling, and I think we can continue."

"But your sweater doesn't have a hood," Hoseok says in concern, "You're getting rained on."

"It's fine," you say as you wipe moisture from your eyelashes, "I'm sure it'll stop raining soon."

"But what about your hair? Or your makeup?" he continues to pressure, "Aren't you worried it'll be ruined?"

"My makeup?" you snort, "Who the hell wears makeup the Monday before midterms start?!"

"I… oh," Hoseok says, taken aback by your bluntness, "Um… I don't know?"

Your face flushes with heat when you realize your mistake… that has been caught on tape, "Um… anyways," you gulp, trying to ignore the way he threads his fingers through his wet hair, making rainwater trail alluring down his sinewy neck, "Why don't we go back to the topic of the finals? What do you think—?"

"Hey, Hoseok!" a loud voice calls out, interrupting your interview.

The two of you look up from the bleachers to find the entire team trickling off the field. The source of the voice comes from Jungkook, who stands on the track in front of you, looking superbly displeased, "Coach is moving practice to the gym. Let's go, Hobi."

"Ah, can you give me a few more minutes?" Hoseok asks, glancing over at you.

"No," Jungkook bluntly replies as he crosses his arms over his chest, "Shouldn't you set an example as the captain?"

That sobers him up quickly. "Ok, I'm coming," the older man says as he gets to his feet and hops off the bleachers, "Sorry, ___. Maybe we can reschedule our interview for a different date?"

"Yeah," you say, trying not to sound as disheartened as you feel. "What time works best for you?"

"This week's a bit difficult for me because of the game. What about next week? Does Sunday—?"

"Alright, alright, stop it," Jungkook irritably butts in, "Let's go to practice."

"Wait, ___. Can I get your phone number or something?" Hoseok asks, even as his teammate starts dragging him away by the arm.

"Yes, it's—"

"I'll give it to you later," Jungkook snaps as he continues to drag the redhead across the field, "Bye, ___."

"Wait, Jungkook!" You call after him, but it's too late and they've disappeared off the field. You plop back down on the bleachers with a deep sigh, wondering what you can do with the now useless recording, when Taehyung emerges with a giant striped umbrella.

"Hey," he says as he walks over to share his umbrella, "You finished your flirting already?"

"Flirting?" you repeat as you wring out your wet hair, "What flirting?"

"With that really hot redheaded guy," he explains, "It looked like you were about to eat him up."

"What?" You exclaim, blood rushing to your face at once, "What the hell are you talking about?!"

Taehyung gives you a pointed look, "Oh come on, ___. Don't even try to deny it. It looked like you were two seconds away from mounting him in front of everyone."

You groan deeply in embarrassment and bury your face in your hands, "Oh god… Was I that obvious?"

"Yup," he chirps, gleeful in the face of your distress, "But don't worry. It seems like he reciprocated."

"Wait…" you slowly peek up from your hands, "What?"

"Yeah. Did you really not notice how badly he wanted to stay at the end? Or how hard he was trying to get your number? For some weird reason, that guy's got the hots for you."

"Oh," you simply say in response as you pat your warm cheeks, "I… I'm surprised…"

"Me too… How do you even get all these hot guys fawning over you?" Taehyung whines, "It's not fair."

"I… I don't know… I just… Wait—did you just say 'hot guys' as in plural?"

"Yeah, Jungkook was crazy jealous!"

Your immediate reaction is disbelief, "No way. Stop bullshitting me, Tae."

"No, I'm serious. I kept trying to take natural shots of the members, but Jungkook ruined all of them. He kept looking up and glaring in your direction, and that really killed the mood of the photos."

"Oh my god, stop lying."

"No really! Do you want to see the pictures?"

"No, I'm fine. Let's just go home, okay?" You quickly say, embarrassed by the very idea.

"Okay… But I just want to let you know that this is totally unfair! Why do you get to be the protagonist in a stereotypical love triangle drama? Look at your damn hair in the rain! Meanwhile, I wore my favorite gucci jacket today and nothing! So unfair!"

You lightly smack the back of his head to stop his whining, "Shut up. None of them like me. Just keep wearing your gucci, dummy."

"Wow, how nice of you to actually answer your phone for once," you grumble when Jungkook finally picks up after your third call.

"Sorry, I was in practice," he says with a little groan.

You pause, concern outweighing your anger, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. The physical therapist was a just a bit too harsh on my back earlier today… I should really get a massage. But I'm too lazy," he sighs.

"Oh… Do you want me to come over? I can give you a massage instead," you offer.

"Wait, would you really do that for me?" Jungkook asks in astonishment, "It's kinda late."

"Yeah, of course," you say, "I really don't mind and I'm pretty good with my hands."

"That you are," he says, and you don't have to see him to know that he has a lascivious smirk on that stupid face of his.

You laugh, "How are you such a pervert?"

"It's been over two weeks since we last had sex!" He angrily points out, "I'm dying here!"

"Don't you have a big game coming up?" you point out, "You should be focusing on that instead."

He grumbles under his breath for a few seconds before agreeing, "Fine… I'll let you off the hook this time… But once the game is over, I want to fuck you."

"Yeah, okay," you easily agree.

"And not just once," he quickly adds, taking advantage of your strange compliance, "I'm always horny again after like fifteen minutes. One time isn't enough. For once in my life, I actually want to get my fill. I want to fuck you until my dick falls off."

"Of course," you chuckle, "Once you win that game, you can do whatever you want to me."

"Really?" he asks, suspicious, "Can I be in charge this time?"

"Anything you want, baby," you say with a giggle.

"What if I want to tie you up and have you call me 'daddy'?" he questions.

"Oh, Jungkook!" you exclaim, bursting into girlish laughter, "You are so bad. Hehe, of course you can, baby."

"Oh god, what's gotten into you?" Jungkook marvels at the other end, "On second thought, maybe not… This is kind of scary coming from you."

You throw your head back and laugh again, "You know me too well. You're so sweet."

"Are we not speaking the same language right now?!" Jungkook barks into the receiver, "Are you fucking high?"

"Aw, you too," you chuckle, "I'll be over in ten, babe. I miss you."

"Huh? What the fuck—?"

You hang up before he can finish his sentence and spin around in your chair to face Mijoo and Jimin with an award-winning smile, "Ah, guys, I would love to stay here and chat, but Jungkook needs me."

"I see," Jimin says with a suggestive arch of his brows, "He 'needs' you? What a cute euphemism."

"Are you sure you don't want to hang out with us instead?" Mijoo asks, concerned.

You shake your head as you sling your backpack over your shoulder, "Nah. You guys have fun on your own. Because Jungkook and I definitely will," you say with a wink.

"Can you guys at least put a sock on the doorknob so I don't walk into something that'll scar me for life tonight?" Jimin requests with a wry smile.

"Maybe you shouldn't come home at all," you airily inform him before marching out the door, "Don't wait up, Mijoo!"

As soon as you walk out of the sorority house and into the bleak cold of the night, a moment of emptiness seizes you. It feels like your heart has been seized by a skeletal hand, threatening to crush it to a pulp.

You stand there for a moment, deeply inhaling the frigid wintry air through your nose. A few seconds pass before the feeling finally dissipates. But even though the grip around your heart is gone, you still feel the heavy organ sink to your feet with every step forward.

But still… At least it's getting easier.

"Have you been possessed by the fucking devil?" Jungkook asks as a greeting when you arrive at the frat a few minutes later.

"Nice to see you too, asshole," you say as you irritably brush past him in the hallway.

"Ah, that's more like it," Jungkook says with a sigh of relief, "Thank god. I thought I was going to have to perform an exorcism."

"Why are you like this?" you snort as you follow him up the stairs, "Wouldn't you prefer me to be all soft and compliant for you?"

"No, not at all," he says at once, "That's just weird."

"Well, you call me weird all the time," you point out, "What makes this any different?"

"It just is," he insists as he leads you up to his bedroom and closes the door behind him, "I don't like it. It gives me the creeps."

"I think you're the weird one," you laugh as you toss your bag on his desk, "Most guys would love it if I lost the Ice Queen demeanor."

"Nah, that's just creepy," he says, "Why were you acting like that, by the way?"

"Jimin was over," you explain as you throw yourself on his bed with a sigh.

"Ah. That makes more sense," he says as he sits down next to you, "It's better than what I thought."

"What did you think?"

"Besides temporary demonic possession? That you might be in a rough spot with some overly handsy dude or something."

You scoff at that, "Yeah right. Do I look like I'd have any issue setting some yogurt slinger in his place?"

He grins, "Ah that's right. I'm forgetting who I'm dealing with here."

"Just worry about yourself, Jeon. I can handle any limp noodle dick."

"Speaking of limp noodle dicks… That damn Jung Hoseok keeps asking for your number. Can I tell him to go fuck himself?"

"Wait, what?! No!"

"Why? Do you want to go curse him out yourself?"

"No! What's wrong with you? Jungkook, I need to finish interviewing him!"

"Why?" He asks with a look of annoyance, "I'm right here, so why settle for less?"

"Hon, he's the team captain. Of course I would need an interview from him! Just give me his number already, goddamn it," you say as you make a grab for the phone in his lap.

But he immediately moves it out of the way with his quicker reflexes, "No way. I don't want you talking to that creep."

"Why not?" you whine as you scramble forward to reach for his phone. But he easily keeps you at bay with his longer arm reach, "I really need to talk to him!"

"Hoseok might look all cute with that innocent smile of his, but I can promise you that he's the biggest fuckboy of them all."

"So what?" You demand as you attempt to climb up his body for the phone, "It's not like I'm going to fuck him or anything! I just want to finish the interview."

"Maybe your intentions are pure, but let me assure you that his are anything but. Did you even notice the way he was looking at you?"

"Maybe I wanted him to look at me that way!" you shoot back as you practically tackle him to the bed for his phone.

"Ouch," Jungkook hisses in pain when this accidentally places pressure on his sore back.

You stiffen with horror and immediately flinch back, "Oh my god. I'm so sorry, Jungkook, are you okay?"

"Yeah," he says, wincing as he reaches back to rub at the pulled muscles, "I think I just need some ibuprofen and a good night's rest, and I'll be fine in the morning."

Your mouth tightens in sympathy, "What about the physical therapist? Can they fix your back?"

"She's not back in the office until the morning," he explains, "But don't worry. It's fine."

You chew on your bottom lip for a moment, watching the way he gingerly rubs the kinks from his neck before you make up your mind, "Roll over on your stomach."

"Wait… Are you serious?" He asks, looking up at you with wide eyes.

"I'm no professional… And you should really see your PT in the morning… But I've taken a massage class in the past and I won't be able to fix your back, but I'll be able to make you feel better."

"Oh god, you're the best," he says, instantly flopping over on the mattress.

You laugh at his excitement and sit up on your knees for better access. You rub your hands up and down the wide expanse of his back a few times before you realize how awkward it is through the fabric of his hoodie, "Do you mind taking this off?"

As quick as a flash, his hoodie is on the ground, along with the t-shirt underneath. You blink at the sight of his bare back laid out for you across the bed, "Not what I meant, but I guess this is okay, too" you laugh as you lay your hands on his hot skin.

Jungkook hums in response, "This might be the only chance I get to have you touch me. Gotta make all I can out of it."

"I touch you all the time, you needy little brat," you mumble before getting distracted by his physique, "Damn," you curse softly as you begin working at the knots in his broad shoulders, "Were you always this buff?" you ask as you watch his thick muscles ripple every time he adjusts on the bed.

He chuckles at the compliment, "Are you seriously only noticing this now?"

"Yeah," you say as you silently marvel at how solid his muscles feel under the palm of your hand. It feels like you're touching solid metal instead of flesh. But his warm, velvety-soft skin stretched over the steel makes the experience strangely enjoyable.

"What? But you've seen me naked so many times now!" he complains.

"Only once," you remind him, "And we were both pretty drunk that night."

"Wait, seriously? Fuck, we need to change that."

"Yeah, okay," you agree, "After we turn in the first part of this project, of course."

"Oh shit, when's that due again?"

"Friday," you remind him, "Don't tell me you've forgotten…"

"Sorry, I've just been distracted by this game on Saturday," he sighs, "But don't worry, I'll turn it in by the deadline."

"Hmm. Since we're here anyways, should we just work on it together?"

"Um…" Jungkook hesitates, clearly unwilling to leave the pleasure of your hands, "I mean… I guess… If you think it's really important…"

"You don't want me to stop, do you?" you ask in amusement.

"Fuck no," he blurts out immediately, "This feels incredible."

The breathy, raspy quality of his voice makes heat flood the pit of your stomach. You lick your lips as you slide your hands down to his lower back and press down on the tense muscles there, "Alright," you agree, "Just this one time… Damn, you're really tense, Jungkook. How rough have your practices been?"

"The worst," he moans softly into his pillow when you work out an especially tight knot along the base of his spine, "Coach is out to kill us."

"These feel more like stress knots though," you comment as you continue to unravel him, inch by inch, "Have you been under a lot of pressure recently?" Then you stop and snap your jaw shut. You regret your question as soon as you ask it. The two of you are definitely not on that level to talk about such personal topics, nor do you think you'll ever be on that level.

It's quiet for a moment as you wait for him to brush you off with the stoic masculinity you're used to. Instead, he turns his face to the side and murmurs, "A little bit," in a small voice that takes you completely by surprise.

"O-oh," you try to hide your surprise by rubbing firm circles into his thick shoulder blades, "It's understandable… There must be a lot of pressure since you've been on such a winning streak, huh?"

"Like you wouldn't believe," he sighs, "And also… I've heard that there might be recruiters at the game on Saturday… I really have to play my best."

"Ah, isn't it still early?" you ask, trying to soothe him, "We still have another full year of school."

"Yeah, but Hoseok was recruited as a junior," he points out, "In fact, he was recruited in the beginning of his fall semester, so he was younger than I am now… And I can't deny that I'm beginning to grow antsy."

"Don't worry, Jungkook," you say as you continue to loosen his stiff muscles, "You are such a great player, and your hard work will pay off."

You can see the way his mouth curves into a smile from the side of his face pressed into the pillow, "Thanks."

There's a moment of amicable silence as you both enjoy the warmth of each other's presence. Then, Jungkook suddenly bolts upright, nearly dislodging you from the bed.

"Hey, wait a minute—isn't this coming from the girl who didn't even know I played soccer a week ago?!"

"Shh," you gently press his face back down into the pillows, "Don't worry about it, sweetheart."

Three days later, you meet up with Yerin for your weekly lunch dates. You'd normally have lunch with her on Sundays, but due to unforeseen circumstances (i.e., lying around deathly hungover in Jungkook's bed), you had to reschedule for today.

"Wait, I forgot to ask, but nothing happened when you were trying to get back home on Saturday night, right?"

"Nope, I was perfectly safe. Don't worry, ___."

"Of course I worry. Mijoo shouldn't have called you out so late at night… especially not to a damn frat party… What was she thinking?"

"___, you know that I'm a legal adult now, right? I go to frat parties all the time."

"What?!" You exclaim in shock, "With who?!"

"The girls on my floor go all the time," she informs you, "It's really not a big deal."

"Seriously?! Why don't you ever invite me?"

"Invite you?" she repeats in confusion, "But you hate frat parties."

"I do, but who else will protect you from nasty frat bros?"

"Who said I wanted to be protected from them?" She says with a playful quirk of her brow.

Your jaw drops, "Watch it, kid. I almost bent you over my knee."

"I'm not your baby anymore," she whines, "Stop it, ___."

"You'll always be my baby," you inform her in a serious tone, "Which is why I can't have you running into dangerous frat parties like that!"

"It was fine," She assures you, "I was with Mijoo the entire time, and at the end of the night, those boys from BTS showed up as well," she said, face flushing at the memory, "You were like the protagonist in a romantic drama, ___, the way three men rushed over at your beck and call to rescue you. I was so jealous," she sighs dreamily.

You look at her in utter bewilderment, "Yerin… you do realize that I was a belligerent drunk rolling around in a hotdog costume? And that Mijoo only called over the BTS boys to keep me from getting arrested. How the hell is this in any way romantic?!"

"Jungkook carried you in his arms like you were newlyweds," she sighs again, "It was so lovely… Wait, ___. Tell me, did he ravish you in his room?" she asks, wide eyes sparkling with excitement.

"What the fuck? Yerin, what's wrong with you?"

"Oh come on, just indulge this poor virgin," she begs you, "Did he throw you to the bed and rip off your clothes because he couldn't wait to have his way with you?"

"How the fuck would he be able to rip my hotdog suit?!" you exclaim, "That thing was like fifty pillows piled on top of me. And besides, it wasn't cheap! I would be so pissed if he ripped it!"

Yerin's face falls, "___, you're ruining the fantasy!"

You snort, "Sweetie, I have no idea what wild, idealized notion of sex you have in your mind, but it's really not like that. It's usually just messy and gross."

"Maybe with the wrong men," the younger woman argues, "But Jungkook is ridiculously hot. No matter how messy it got with him, there's no way it'd be gross."

You have to begrudgingly agree with that. Against your will, you're resentfully attracted to the fuckboy. "But it's not always rainbows and butterflies!" you argue, "In fact, it's never like that. It's just… merp. Just a relief of a basic need. Like scratching an itch. Or letting out a nice fart."

Yerin's face scrunches at your disgusting analogy, "___! Ew!"

Clearly you're a bit too much for her delicate sensitivities, "Sorry, Yerin," you automatically apologize, "That was a lie… Farts are better than sex."

"Even sex with Jeon Jungkook?" She asks in disbelief.

You pause a moment to think about that, "He's like a particularly juicy fart," you acquiesce, "You know, like the ones you've been holding in all day, and you finally take off your pants at the end of the night and just let it rip? Yup. That's sex with Jungkook... But still just a fart. Nothing more."

Yerin buries her face in her hands in anguish, "You're completely ruining this for me!"

"Good," you retort, "I'd rather you wake up to the harsh realities of intercourse now rather than later!"

"God, ___," Yerin groans into her hands, "We're in public."

"Are you embarrassed?" You ask. When she nods, you snap, "Good. You'd be more embarrassed if you were pregnant with a fuckboy's kid! Men are less than farts, never forget! I would rather cut the cheese any day instead of letting a nasty snot-nosed fuckboy put his moldy little carrot stick anywhere near my— Oh, hello, Yoongi," you break off to greet the silver-haired man who suddenly appears over Yerin's shoulder.

The blonde whips her head around in astonishment. Then her face strickens with anguish as she recognizes the older man standing behind her, "Oh… oh… shit."

Yoongi has clearly caught the tail end of your rant by the way his face scrunches in disgust, "Ah, I'm suddenly reminded of why we're only business acquaintances, ___."

"You're saying we're not friends?" you ask weakly.

"And hear you talk about bodily functions in my free time as well? No thanks."

"That's not all I talk about!"

"Yeah, that's right. You cursing me out on Saturday night was a nice change of scene," Yoongi says in a sarcastic tone.

"I was drunk and out of my mind!" You exclaim, "You can't possibly hold that against me!"

"___, you nearly threw out my back," he reminds you in a dry voice, "I had to lie in a tub of ice for a full hour afterwards… How is anyone so annoying and destructive when drunk? Goddamn it, woman…"

You flush with embarrassment, "If you just came here to berate me, then you can just keep walking!" you exclaim, "No one asked for your help!"

"Pssht, without me, you would've been arrested that night," he informs you, indignant at your lack of gratitude, "And besides, what makes you think that I'm here to talk to you, you self-centered brat?"

"What? If you're not here for me, then—"

"Yerin, I wanted to thank you again for coffee the other day," Yoongi says, interrupting you, "That was really kind of you."

Yerin's face turns a rosy shade of pink when he smiles directly at her, "O-oh," she mumbles, ducking her head as though to try to hide under her bangs, "It really wasn't a big deal… Thank you again for walking me home, Yoongi."

"Wait, he did what?!" you exclaim in horror.

Both of them ignore you, "If you're free this weekend, maybe we can grab a bite to eat?"

"Oh," Yerin's eyes light up like it's Christmas, "I would love that."

"What? No, you wouldn't!"

"Okay," Yoongi ignores you, "I'll text you then?"

"You gave this fucker your phone number?!" you screech.

As always, they politely pretend that you don't exist, "Yes, that sounds great!" Yerin happily tells him.

"Great, see you later then," he says, cheerfully waving at her before walking off.

"No, you won't see her later," you spin around in your chair to bark after him, "You won't ever be seeing her again!"

But he simply flips you off from behind his back before sauntering out of the café. You glare at him until he's out of sight, then whirl back around to face Yerin, "What the hell was that?"

She blinks innocently at you, "What do you mean, ___?"

"Are you dating him?!" you bark at her.

"No, we're friends… just like you and Jungkook, right?" she coyly informs you.

Your vision flashes red for a moment from the implication of her words, "Don't you fucking dare do this to me," you whisper in a low voice.

She giggles at your reaction and reaches across the table to squeeze your hand, "Why are you so freaked out by the idea of us dating?"

"I just don't like it," you say with a stubborn jut of your chin, "He's old and weird."

"He's only a year older than you," she kindly reminds you.

"So?" you snap back, "I'm old and weird too! Min Yoongi might seem like an okay guy on the surface, but I know for a fact that he's a weird pervert! I don't approve of all!"

"I think you're just unreasonably overprotective, ___." Yerin says in amusement, "What kind of guy would you actually approve of?"

You take a moment to think about it before the answer comes rushing to your mind, "Park Jimin," you say in a quiet voice, "I would approve of a man like Park Jimin…"

"Ah, is that why you're all over my ass and not Mijoo's?" Yerin laughs, missing the significance of the confession, "Well, not every man can be Park Jimin, ___."

Your gaze drops to your lap, "Yeah, I know," you whisper, "I know…"

Later that day, when you walk Yerin back to the dorms, she springs you with an unexpected question.

"Hey, ___, do you have any free time tonight?"

"Hmm? Yeah, I do. What's up?"

"Do you mind looking over my powerpoint for tomorrow? I'm not sure if all of my citations make sense."

"Sure," you instantly agree, "But I'm not sure if I can be of much help. What class is this for?"

Yerin stops in the middle of the street to stare at you with wide eyes, "___, please tell me you haven't forgotten about our creative writing presentations tomorrow morning."

It feels like the world has caved in around you, and for a moment you can't breathe. You slowly whirl around to face her, "Oh….. oh….. fuck my life," you croak out in a tiny voice.

"Oh no… Please tell me that you've at least started on the project!" She exclaims.

Your heart drops to your stomach and your throat closes up, "I… I…"

"Aren't you working on this with Jungkook?" She continues to scold you, "How could both of you be so forgetful?"

"I don't know!" You finally cry out, "Shit!" And with that, you turn on your heel and break into a sprint.

"___!" She yells after you, "Where are you going?!"

"I don't know!" you yell over your shoulder, even as you continue to run down the street like a mad woman, "Fuck!"

You call Jungkook twice on your frantic trip home, but the calls go to voicemail. It's a Thursday afternoon, and you imagine that he must be at practice, since the big game is coming up in just two days, but you can't help but feel anxious. How could you have forgotten and put off this presentation until literally the day before it's due? It is unlike you to be so careless.

You nearly bodyslam some sisters out of the way when they take too long to move, and rush up the stairs of the sorority, taking two steps at a time. As soon as you enter your room, you throw yourself at your desk and anxiously boot up your laptop. You have no idea why Jungkook isn't picking up his phone, but you trust him to turn in his part for tomorrow morning. There's no way he could be as forgetful as you… right?

You stumble into class the next morning with a venti container of pure espresso in hand, sunglasses on your face to hide your bloodshot eyes.

"Oh god, what happened to you?" Yerin exclaims in alarm when you remove your glasses to reveal your swollen face.

"Sorry I can't be beautiful all the time," you quip as you stifle a yawn with the back of your hand, "I pulled an all-nighter trying to get this presentation together."

"Oh," Yerin's face furrows in sympathy, "Did Jungkook help you out at the end?"

"No," you groan, "I wasn't able to reach him all night… that bitch better have the greatest presentation of all time planned for today."

"Ah, you completed your parts separately?" Yerin asks, "Aren't you afraid that it will be disorganized?"

You shake your head, "Nah. I texted him very explicitly what he needed to finish. So it should be fine."

"Okay, but class is starting soon… Where is he?"

"He's always late," you attempt to defend him, "It's fine." But even as you speak, the tendrils of worry curl in your stomach. You anxiously glance at your phone, but before you can send him a text, Professor Cha steps to the front of the classroom and claps her hands to capture your attention.

"Ok, everyone. Let's get started with the presentations. Do I have any volunteers to go first?"

Embarrassed, you slowly slide down in your seat, trying to make yourself appear as small as possible as you nervously wait for Jungkook's arrival.

Except he never shows.

Your anxiety is at an all-time high when the groups finish their presentations one by one in the front of the classroom. You can't help but glance at the door every few seconds, hoping against reason that the dark-haired athlete will miraculously materialize in the room.

When the last group finishes their presentation, you're practically trembling with nerves. You slowly make your way to the front of the classroom, feeling on the verge of vomiting, and not even Yerin's quiet encouragement helps.

"Miss ___, where is your partner?" Professor Cha asks in surprise when she finds you standing alone next to the screen.

"Um… He's just a bit late," you mumble, uncharacteristically shy before the dozens of eyes trained on your figure, "I'm sure he'll show up though…"

"Miss ___, you do realize that this is a group grade, right?" She asks with a quirk of an eyebrow, "If your partner doesn't show, then both of you lose points on the presentation."

You gulp, "Y-yes. I am aware of that…"

The older woman nods, "Alright… Well, whenever you're ready, please proceed."

You take a moment to inhale through your nose, deeply unnerved by the full classroom of people scrutinizing your every move. You can feel the sweat beading at your forehead, but it'd be too embarrassing to wipe it in front of everyone, so you let it stay there as you fumble with connecting your laptop to the projector, "H-hi, everyone," you stammer, "My name is ___, and this is my presentation on Chang Eileen… Um, my partner, Jungkook, is running a bit late, but he should be here soon."

Forty pairs of impassive eyes stare back at you, so you quickly hasten to change the slide, "Anyways, let me start off with some background information on Miss Chang…"

As the minutes slip by, you grow more and more stressed. You try to focus on this presentation that you've spent so much time on, but you can't concentrate on anything other than the fact that you're alone onstage while the whole class judges you. Where is Jungkook? How could he do this to you? When he knew how important this was to you?

Your heart has permanently sunken to the pit of your stomach when you come to the last of your prepared slides. Your pulse is thundering and for a minute, it's hard to even breathe. As though expecting a miracle, you glance at the door one last time, praying that Jungkook will breeze right in with his easy-going smile. But you're not that lucky. You pause as you stare into the judgmental faces of your classmates. Then you resign yourself to your hopeless fate.

"A-and, um… That's it. Thank you."

There's a confused smattering of applause, nothing as exuberant as the what the other groups had received.

"Ah, Miss ___, you didn't address any of your author's contemporary works. Did you forget that half of the presentation was supposed to include a comprehensive literature review?" the professor asks.

You can only stare at your feet in shame, "Yes… I'm sorry, professor."

She simply clicks her tongue in blatant disapproval, "I see… You may sit down."

You lower your head as far as you possibly can as you drop back into your seat. But the embarrassment never leaves you.

"I'm fucked," you croak at Yerin.

She sympathetically rubs your back. But not even your closest friend can bear to lie to you.

"I'm going to fucking kill him," you growl as you make your way with Taehyung to the stadium for the big game the following morning, "I can't believe I have to go to this stupid fucking game when he couldn't even show up to a presentation worth twenty-five percent of our grade!"

Taehyung sympathetically squeezes your shoulder, "Have you spoken to him yet?" he asks as he hands the attendee the tickets.

"No. That bastard won't pick up his damn phone because he's a cowardly fool!"

"Or maybe it's because he had a game to worry about?" Taehyung wryly offers.

"No, I don't think that's it," you growl.

"Hey, where are you going?" he asks as you march right past him, "There are two seats right here."

"My friend's saving us seats near the bottom… Which is great, because I want to stare that bastard in the eye and make him feel guilty about even being born."

"This is a totally healthy method of communication," Taehyung sarcastically says, "You guys totally aren't in need of some major couple's counseling…"

"We're not a couple!" You bellow at him, attracting the attention of everyone around you. "Why does everyone think that?! We're not even friends, for god's sake!"

"Oh, ___!" A sweet voice calls out, interrupting your rant, "There you are!"

You turn your head to the side to find a pretty blonde girl waving at you a few rows down, "Ah, Yerin!" You happily wave back, "You saved us seats?"

"Yeah," she calls back, "Come down here!"

"Okay!" You sing as you cheerfully skip down the aisle to meet her, "Thanks for saving us seats, honey," you say as you swing your arms around her for a tight hug, "You must've gotten here so early to get such great seats."

"It wasn't that early," she says in embarrassment, "Besides, I knew how sleep-deprived you were, so you really needed to sleep in."

Your heart melts at her thoughtful action, "Aww, my sweet baby," you coo as you squish her to your chest, content to plant little kisses all over her cute face until the end of time.

Until Taehyung awkwardly interrupts with a little cough, "Um, hello, I'm Taehyung."

Yerin immediately reaches over to accept his offered hand, "Hi, my name is Yerin. It's nice to meet you."

Taehyung doesn't respond for a moment, uncharacteristically flustered. You frown at the way his gaze drops to his lap and he moistens his lips with his tongue. You're about to call him out for it, when Yerin suddenly gets to her feet.

"Oh, the game is starting soon. I'm going to run to the restroom real fast. Can you save my seat?"

"Of course, sweetheart," you coo, already covering her seat with your bag. You smile fondly after her retreating figure when Taehyung suddenly grabs you by the shoulder.

"___," he hisses at you in a low tone, "Why didn't you tell me that we were meeting up with your friend?"

"Huh? I mentioned it several times, actually!"

"Ok, maybe, but you didn't say that she was this cute!"

"Wait, what happened with Hoseok?" you ask in amusement.

"He's hot, I'll give him that," Taehyung begrudgingly admits, "But even I can acknowledge a lost cause when I see one."

"What do you mean by that?" you frown.

Taehyung shoots you a wry look, "Come on, we both saw the way he was looking at you," he says, "It's obvious that he'll never look at me that way, so why bother trying? It's pointless to chase after someone who will never reciprocate."

It feels like an unpleasant weight has dropped to the pit of your stomach as you process his words. You swallow tightly and break eye contact, "Yeah, you're right," you gruffly say, "So now it's Yerin?"

"Yes, she's so pretty and sweet, I thought my heart would burst!" he dramatically exclaims, "And if you would've just let me know in advance, like a good friend, I could've worn my gucci!"

"Wait, who said we were friends?" you deadpan.

He ignores you, "Why couldn't you have been a bud and told me to wear my new gucci loafers?!"

"Because they're ugly as hell," you inform him, "And besides, why do you care? Do you wanna date my baby or something?"

He cowers under your sudden death glare, perfectly aware of how overprotective you are of your girlfriends. Namjoon made the mistake of asking you for Mijoo's number last semester and you nearly roasted him alive. "Um… maybe…? I mean… no? I don't know!"

"Okay."

"I didn't mean it like that!" Taehyung cries out in fear, before your response finally settles in, "Wait… what did you say?"

You shrug, "If you want her number or something, I'll give it to you later… With her permission, of course."

Taehyung warily peeks at you through his fingers, "Wait… are you really offering to help set us up? Me with your precious baby?"

"Well, this isn't the damn feudal era. It's not like I can sell her for three cows… Although that would be nice…"

"You know what I meant!" He exclaims, "You'd be okay with it?"

You simply shrug again, "Yeah, why not? You're a pretty okay guy."

"Wow, that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me!" he exclaims in genuine delight.

You smile at his reaction, "It's true though. You're not as bad as the rest of them. I can trust you to treat my dearest Yerin well."

Taehyung cocks his head to the side in confusion over your cryptic words, but before he can question you, Yerin comes bouncing back, "Ooh guys, look! The game is just about to start!" she says, excitedly gesturing towards the field.

At that, your face hardens, "Look at that stupid smug dumbass brat," you mutter darkly under your breath as Jungkook walks out on the field with his teammates, "Coconut bitch."

Yerin glances over at you in concern, "Are you alright?"

You simply grunt as you dig out a notepad and a pen from your bag, "Yup. Just peachy…"

"Haha. Look at that clumsy fool," you snicker as Jungkook has the ball stolen from him for the umpteenth time.

Both Yerin and Taehyung look at you in surprise, "Why are you being so mean?"

"Yeah, whose side are you on anyways?" Taehyung adds, indignant.

"Oh please," you say with a roll of your eyes, "This big baby can handle a bit of my teasing. He's doing so well already. So whatever."

Yerin frowns in confusion, "___, what are you talking about? He's made so many mistakes today."

"Yeah, look at him," Taehyung says, pointing down at where Jungkook is streaking across the field, ball in possession, "He's really fucking up bad today."

"No way, he's by far the fastest. See, look at him run!"

Both of them turn to look at you at the same time, "Do you even know the rules of soccer?" Yerin murmurs in disbelief.

"___, he's been off-sides like six times now," Taehyung adds.

"What, is that like a bad thing?"

"…Why are you the sports reporter again?"

"Wait… so he's not supposed to run like that?"

Taehyung narrowly resists the urge to smack himself in the forehead, "No! He can't pass the last defender on the other team, or the ball goes back to the opponents. And he's missed most of Hoseok's passes… This is really bad."

"Oh shit…" you curse under your breath, brow furrowing as you finally realize the severity of the situation, "And this is such an important game… There are recruiters attending…"

"Wait, what?"

"Nothing!" you quickly say, turning your attention back to the game. Now that you're aware of the rules, you can confirm that Jungkook really isn't playing his best… And even from your distance up in the stands, you notice his frustration in the stiffness and the hard line of his jaw. You glance back at the scoreboard and your chest tightens when you realize that they're down by one goal… Jungkook and his team can still catch up, and he can still impress the recruiters, right?

Stressed beyond belief, you gnaw your bottom lip and sit straighter in your seat as you anxiously focus in on the game.

Half an hour later and the two teams are finally tied. Unfortunately, it's no thanks to Jungkook. He misses both of his shots to the goal, and not a single one of them are anywhere close. Luckily, Hoseok steals away the ball at around the 75-minute mark and manages to impressively dribble the ball all the way from midfield into the goal, sliding past nearly four different defenders. It ties the game, and then they advance to the free kick.

The tension is at an all-time high in the stadium. As unfamiliar with the game as you are, you find yourself biting your nails as you anxiously watch the action below. Losing a coin flip, the opposing team begins first. And the whole arena erupts into mutual groans of disappointment when the first kicker easily makes it past the goalie.

Then, it's your team's turn. Hoseok, as the team captain, starts off as the first of the five players from his team for the free kick. The talented redhead stops in front of the goal, carefully planting the ball in place before appraising the other team's goalie. There's a moment of silence as he knits his brow in concentration. Then, quicker than the eye can perceive, he suddenly jumps into action. The ball is neatly at the back of the net by the time anyone notices what happened.

As though of one mind, the entire stadium bursts into cheers. But you can't bring yourself to feel at ease until the next two opponent's players miss and your team scores again. The score is now 2-1 and you slump a little in relief, smiling at Yerin as she turns to reassuringly squeeze your shoulder. You force the negative thoughts out of your mind as you watch the remainder of the free kicks with a lightened heart… Until the next two players on your team miss… and the opposing team makes the last shot…

You're now trailing 2-3. Your team has to make another goal just to tie with the opposing team and enter the sudden death round. The arena seems to quiet with apprehension and everyone around you in the crowd begins to murmur prayers under their breath. You're right there with them, chest tight and sweat beading at your forehead as you clasp your hands together tightly and pray for a miracle.

It seems as though your prayers are answered for at that moment, your salvation arrives in the form of Jeon Jungkook strolling across the field as the last kicker. It feels as though the entire stadium heaves a sigh of relief. This is everyone's beloved idol—the highest scorer in the entire district and the superstar leading the school to victory for the first time in decades. As long as you have Jungkook, you're fine. You're all in good hands.

You exhale deeply as you lean back in your seat, consciously unclenched your balled-up fists. Everything is going to be fine.

Everyone is visibly relaxed as Jungkook sets up the ball in front of the goalie and carefully takes three long strides back. He might not have been playing his best this game, but this is Jeon Jungkook. He can't do any wrong.

Jungkook visibly sucks a deep breath through his teeth down on the field, then lightly jogs the one, two, three steps to the ball. His foot meets the ball in a loud punch that echoes throughout the eerily silent stadium…

Followed by a metallic clink as the ball promptly smashes against the post, flying far away from the goal. There's a moment of hushed disbelief in the stadium. Then, the opposing team promptly bursts into rowdy cheers. You watch in stunned silence as the boys happily hoist each other up and rip off their shirts in celebration.

Then your eyes dart back down to where the players on your school's team half-heartedly pat each other on the back and congratulate the winning team. You turn to Yerin and Taehyung with wide eyes.

"What the hell just happened?"

"Hey guys, let's go to the back and talk to the team," Taehyung suggests when the three of you finally recover from the shock to begin trickling out of the arena.

"Isn't that a bit weird?" You say, balking at the very thought.

"No, that sounds like a great idea!" Yerin pipes up, eyes shining at the idea of meeting all those athletes, "___, can we please go?"

"Ah, I don't know. Shouldn't we give them a bit of space?" you hesitate.

"I think it'll be good for us to give them a bit of support after that upset," Taehyung argues, "Don't you think it'll be a nice thing to do?"

"Yeah, please ___?" Yerin is practically whining at this point, "We really should go! You can even curse out Jungkook or whatever you want there."

You purse your lips into a thin line, but can't help but begrudgingly agree, "Fine," you grit out, "Let's just get this over with."

Moments later, the three of you stream down the hall where the home team exited the field from. Your stomach flips at the sight of Jungkook leaning against the wall, talking to a few girls who you recognize from your sorority.

Yerin notices you hesitating in the hallway and slips her arm into yours, "What's wrong, ___? Let's go talk to him."

But you shake your head, strangely discomforted by the whole situation, "Nah. I'm not feeling well. I'll wait for you guys outside."

Taehyung looks a bit perplexed, but Yerin is too excited to stop and question you, "Okay, we won't take long."

And with that the two of them happily jog away to greet Jungkook and the sorority sisters. You freeze when the tall redhead in the group turns, revealing herself as Hyejin. Surprised, you instantly duck behind the door to peek at them from a distance. You've gotten into enough trouble with your sorority sister over the past few weeks, and you don't want her to think that you're trying to steal Jungkook or anything ridiculous like that… again.

From down the hall, you can hear their conversation as clear as day. It's really just frivolous, with the sorority girls whining over the unfairness of the game and Taehyung patting Jungkook on the back and telling him there will be other games. Yerin is a little better.

"You played well, Jungkook," she tells him with the sweetest of smiles.

"Not that well," he says with a humorless laugh, "I kinda fucked up the game for everyone."

This is met with a chorus of protests from the entourage surrounding him, "No way!" Taehyung exclaims in horror.

"This was like no big deal!" Hyejin adds, "You really can't blame yourself!"

"Yeah, it was just a bad day," her friend says.

Jungkook smiles the entire time, but you know him well enough to see that the smile doesn't reach his eyes, "Thanks guys," he says, "But you should go on in and say hi to the other members. They'd really appreciate it."

The group mumbles their assent before they begin filing into the building. But Hyejin pauses by the door when she notices Jungkook still lingering in the hall, "Are you coming, honey?"

He offers her a tight smile, "I'll catch up."

"Alright, but don't keep me waiting too long," the beautiful redhead grins, and with a flirty wave of her hand, she disappears into the building.

As soon as she's gone, Jungkook crumples against the wall, head held in his hands. It's such a shocking 180-degree change that you're unsure what to do. Unlike how he looked during the game, dominating the field, he's practically curled up into his dirty, wrinkled uniform now. He looks so damn broken, just leaning against the cement as though his body will no longer support his weight. You've never see the bigger-than-life star athlete look so small before. And it breaks your heart.

You know more than anyone else what this means to him. Jungkook isn't the type to talk about his emotions that easily. And the fact that he told you about his worries and how important this was to him… The recruiters were there today. And he fucked up in front of all of them.

As though possessed, you find yourself stumbling forward into the hallway. The logical part of your mind curses you for this mystifying behavior. What are you even doing? This is clearly an uncomfortable situation for the both of you. And now he's going to know that you were eavesdropping on him like some kind of stalker… You really should've just left when you had the chance… But now it's too late and Jungkook has noticed your approach.

It's striking how he instantly tenses up when he recognizes you. It's so different from the friendly greeting he offered Yerin and the others, the way he eyes you with cold distrust. His jaw tightens and his hands subconsciously ball into fists, as though he's anticipating a fight.

"___," he murmurs your name in a dark voice, "Listen, I really don't have the time for this. Can we talk about this tomorrow or something?"

It suddenly occurs to you that he thinks that you're talking about the creative writing project… That you're here to scold him and make him feel worse, even in his vulnerable state.

You stand there for a tense second that stretches on for what feels like forever, helpless but to stare at him while he watches you back with guarded, suspicious eyes. And then you move forward again.

Jungkook exhales in frustration as he realizes that you're not letting up, "Okay fine, I'm sorry, alright? I am a disgusting fucking bastard and you have every right to—oh," he grunts in surprise when you suddenly spring forward to grab him.

He stiffens under your unexpected aggression, as though expecting an actual attack, and it takes him a long three seconds to realize that you're not actually hitting him… You're… you're embracing him.

More confused than he's ever been in his life, he nevertheless lowers his fists back to his sides and slowly unclenches them so that he can awkwardly pat your back. When have you ever willingly hugged him like this? It's so strange that Jungkook doesn't know what to do with himself.

"___?" he calls out your name in a quiet voice, "What are you doing?"

But you ignore him and bury your face in his chest as you cling onto him harder. He smells like sweat and the dirty grass of the field. But underneath it all, he still smells like Jungkook. And you delve your nose deeper, seeking out that familiar scent.

There's a moment of strained silence.

Then, Jungkook slowly relaxes, inch by inch, into your tight embrace. Still bewildered beyond belief, he nevertheless wraps his arms around your shoulders and pulls you more comfortably against him. You're so relieved that he hasn't pushed you away like you expected that you push in closer towards him. Soon, the two of you are so intertwined that you can hear the hard pitter-patter of his heart as it beats against his ribcage, inches from your face. You're so close to him that you can feel his every breath and the way the air empties and fills his lungs in a never-ending cycle like rhythmic waves beating against the shore.

He disintegrates further after a minute of this, muscles loosening and whole body growing slack as he rests his head heavily on top of yours. He's taller than you, and has his arms surrounding your figure while you can only cling to his waist. But still, it's obvious that you are the one holding him, and not the other way around.

Another minute, and he has all but melted into you, body bending like putty under your touch. He's clinging onto you at this point, desperate for your warmth as he digs his fingers into the fabric of your clothing and presses you hard against his heart. You allow him to, eagerly allowing him any comfort you can give as you tighten your hold around his waist and simply breathe him in.

It's impossible to tell how long you stand there in the cold alleyway, allowing Jungkook to hold onto you with such raw desperation that it's contagious. You clutch onto him in return, stroking your hands gently over the tensed expanse of his back and soothing him over your unspoken words of comfort. Words that would instantly break the spell if voiced out loud.

He holds you like a man drowning, and you're the life preserver. He holds you like you're a precious treasure that he will never let go. You can't remember the last time you've been touched like this—if you ever have, that is—and his pain seeps from his skin into yours until you can't tell what's his and what's yours.

For this moment in time… in this dirty, forlorn alleyway, the two of you have reached a tacit understanding that transcends the need for words. For this moment in time, you have melded into a single entity, connected by one beating heart. You can't feel the wintry air whipping in your face or the discomfort of his filthy uniform staining your clean clothes. You can't feel anything but the heat of his body against yours, the feeling washing away every other sensation.

There is something tying you to him in ways you can't explain. But you know he feels it too.

But then, you hear the sound of footsteps beyond the closed door.

You break from Jungkook's hold so quickly that you nearly send the both of you flying. Somehow, you're more paranoid about being caught in this seemingly platonic embrace than you would in an illicit affair. For indescribable reasons, this feels more intimate. Your heart pounding in your chest, you rapidly turn on your heel to flee for your life.

"Wait!" Jungkook calls out in surprise, "___, where are you going?"

But at that moment, a group of people come streaming out of the building, "Oh, Jungkook? What are you still doing here?"

"Yeah, it's really cold out here," Hyejin says, cutely reaching over to grab at Jungkook's arm, "Let's go inside."

Still, he hesitates, trying to peer around the corner for you, but you're long gone, "Okay," he agrees. He has no idea what the fuck just happened in this alleyway. He's still reeling from the experience, and trying his best not to feel disappointed by the fact that you didn't even look back.

With a forced smile, he follows them back into the building. Because they're right. It is quite cold outside… now that you're gone.

A/N: I’m sorry that the chapter got away from me and became much different than I was originally planning towards the end... But after this terrible week, it was such an emotional catharsis writing this and I hope that you guys can feel the same relief I did when reading it. 

As always, please don’t ask me about updates and Happy Holidays! Take care of yourselves and dress warmly <3 

[chibioniyuri]

Claimed by Shadow Reread: Chapters 1-5

Guys, I've just got to say that the audio books are magical. Not only am I taking advantage of an hour-long one-way commute to continue the book without attempting to read and drive at the same time (do not recommend), but Cynthia Holloway brings so much life to the story. Oh my god, the accents. But oh boy are they cutting into my budget. Ok, with that out of the way, on to the first part.

Chapter 1

In which Cassie tries to get information from a renowned ladies’ man while babysitting some demigoddess grandmas.

First off, the Graeae? I love them. I miss them. They are such comedic gold and I love their wacky hijinks.

Second, look! Cassie is getting some information straight up! No one is hiding information from her because it makes it easier to manipulate her, or to keep her safe, or because she’ll make decisions they don't like if she's fully informed, which goes back to manipulating. Good old Casanova, telling her all about the geis. I mean, it's not the info she wants, and it's yet another problem, on top of killing Tony, preventing Myra from killing her, rescuing her dad, and avoiding the job of Pythia, but you can't solve a problem you don't know about.

You can tell Ms Chance hadn't fully developed Casanova’s character at this point when you compare his actions to more recent stories. Or maybe Cassie is just an unreliable narrator. His speech makes it sound like Rian is in full control at all times here, with frequent directions to take care of “this body.”

Something that just occurred to me. Did Mircea spend that year at Tony's court, spending all that time with Cassie, just so she would develop some affection for him that he could build the geis on? In the last book, he told her that he would have taken her to his court if he wasn't worried about drawing attention to her existence, but that's a lie as well, isn't it? Because then the geis would grow in power over both of them, and he would see that as a problem. Is any part of their relationship genuine? I forgot that the geis didn’t kick in immediately because of her age, so that last speculation is incorrect. I still wonder if any part of their relationship is genuine, though.

And this book’s card: the Lovers. Looming choices involving temptation and pain, with the final decision having huge consequences for everything that follows. Pretty ominous.

Chapter 2

In which Cassie tries to avoid a nuisance and foils an assassination attempt.

Ruh-roh, this is where the geis gets doubled, this incidental contact when she gets pulled into the past to foil Mircea’s assassination and protect her own timeline.

Pritkin is being really, really exact in his wording here. Is that something learned from his time at his father’s court, or is it something he heard about dealing with vampires and those from their courts? And all of this, holding her at shotgun point with his golem for backup, just to talk? Over the top Pritkin has made a return lol.

“Normally I wouldn't lose much sleep over Pritkin's death” lol really?

Chapter 3

In which Cassie meets some church decorations, avoids fighting some war mages, and nearly gets taken out by more knightly decor.

This is one of the chapters I go back to read when I need to laugh. From finger sandwiches, to questionable Latin phrases, to “pleasant" meetings… this just tickled all my buttons.

At the end, Cassie chooses to keep her promise to talk with Pritkin. This may not be what the Lovers card is referring to, but it will involve quite a bit of temptation, pain, and huge consequences in the future. And one thing I’ve noticed is that the card is a theme for the entire book, so it applies to more than one situation. These books have layers, y’all.

Chapter 4

In which Cassie has a food fight and goes ice skating.

Casanova freaking out over Pritkin is so funny to me now. Can't let the boss's son die when he could have prevented it, right? But Pritkin is not having it. Eff my dad and eff you too, says he.

“Maybe one day I'll meet a guy who doesn't think of me primarily as a weapon.” Oh Cassie, you already have. What he thinks of you currently isn't very flattering, but I don't think he's ever thought of you as a weapon. Hang in there, it'll get better!

Cassie winds up racking up so many favors this chapter. Miranda, for helping some gargoyles not get deported, and Chavez for handing over Dracula, however unknowingly.

Chapter 5

In which Cassie goes to a tattoo parlor and has a talk.

MAC! For a character that's only in one novel, he makes a lasting and fantastic impression. I miss this guy.

Hey, Pritkin's scar. Which novella is that from again? I wanna say A Family Affair. Hmm, need to find my timeline guide for the books and novellas again.

Reading how upset he gets over the name John reminds me of that post about him spending all that time thinking up an interesting family name, only to completely forget about the given name and scramble for anything that came to mind lol.

Being raised in a vampire's court really messed her up. I'm pretty sure Cassie's seeing shadows and motives that don't exist here. They’re against the Council, yes, but not for personal profit.

I'm finding the runes pretty suspicious all of a sudden. It's incredibly coincidental that they might potentially be traced back to Faerie a long time ago…. I'm not up on my history and don't know the timeline between Vikings and King Arthur. What if Cassie happens upon some tinker playing with bone discs one day and is like, hey, I've seen something like those before, with runes carved into them, and ta-da, a new magical weapon is born! Though wouldn't Hagalaz be so useful right now, with the ability to calm any storm?

Hehe, a Jonas mention. He's definitely not my favorite person right now, but his intros - here and in Curse the Dawn - paint quite the picture of him.

Another intro before we meet them: Nick. Not a guy I miss, frankly.

I find the image of two grown men racing for a bag incredibly amusing. It's made me laugh every time I’ve read it.

[colinbakerstreet]

(idle question, feel free to ignore) How do you think Brax feels about the Watchmaker and his own timelines? I don't have a very good handle on him, but he seems resigned? tired? relieved to have been 'caught'? (On the other hand, it's Brax and a very, very, tiny part of me half expects him to find a loophole.) Just wondering what you thought...

I’d never miss a chance to ramble about Brax! And boy do I ramble in this post.

Spoiler warning: Enemy Lines, Gallifrey IV, Missing Persons, Benny series 11

My short answer is that he wants this. (At the very least, he’s been expecting it, in which case I reckon he has already accepted that he’d need to make this decision, and yeah he has probably made preparations so that the situation would turn out in his favour.) I’m thinking he played an active role in making the encounter happen, like he purposely stopped hiding from the Watchmaker and enabled her to find him, hence his line, “You’ve been waiting for me, haven’t you?” – meaning she’d been waiting for him to reveal himself to her. I’m thinking that the Watchmaker is part of a grand plan of his. And I imagine that there’s an element of tiredness here, yes, because I think that this Brax has been through a lot. I’ll explain in a bit. 

First, here are some versions of Brax: 

Brax1 was in Gallifrey series 1 to 4. In series 4 he fell through a portal and ended up someplace where he met Benny for the first time. This Brax was the first to get Pandora in his head, and she was still there when he fell through the portal. (The “someplace” was possibly Dellah, based on the novel Dragons’ Wrath.) 

Brax2 was in Benny series 2 to 11, running the Collection. He had Pandora in his head, though iirc this was never explicit in the audios; Gary Russell just said it. In series 11, Brax mentioned wanting to bring back his people. (“They’re doomed.”) He was last heard getting shot and falling into a wormhole. 

Brax3 was in Benny box sets 3 to 5, managing the White Rabbit bar on Legion. He had found a way to get Pandora out of his head. At the end of box set 5 (Missing Persons), he was last heard discussing a plan to find his “home” which he had “lost”. 

If you consider the Benny books and single CD releases, particularly that Brax and Benny’s meeting on Dellah leads into the founding of the Collection, then Brax2 could be the immediate future of Brax1. But if you consider the Benny box sets, especially the way Brax3 was written in them, then Brax3 would be the immediate future of Brax1; it’s unlikely that Brax3 had already lived through everything that happened in Benny series 2 to 11. Also, this was Gary’s intention – that after Brax3 got Pandora out of his head, she ended up in Brax2′s head. So in this case, Brax1 fell through the portal, then he met Benny (possibly not on Dellah since this was not explicit in Gallifrey series 4), then he left Benny and whichever planet they were on, then he got Pandora out of his head, and then he went on to manage his bar on Legion. 

There are more versions of Brax, like the one in Theatre of War and the one in The Shape of the Hole. There are ways to argue that version x and version y are the same; there are also ways to argue that version z is actually two separate versions. You could say that Dellah!Brax refers to the Brax in the Benny books, distinct from any of the Braxiatels in the Big Finish audios. Personally I want Brax1 and Brax2 to be the versions retained. The character is just far more interesting that way. I think that what Gary had in mind was Brax1 –> Brax3 –> Brax2, which I can also get on board with, but if I had to choose between excising Brax2 and Brax3, then I’d rather excise Legion!Brax. I wonder what Justin Richards thinks. 

I also want Brax1 to have emerged from the portal (becoming either Brax2 or Brax3) into a post-Time War universe (post-Time War from the Doctor’s perspective… I’ve explained why I think there’s no categorical post-Time War period). I like this idea because he’d have no direct experience of the Time War, no significant knowledge to pass on to his younger self, except that there was a Time War. The supposition that Brax3 is post-Time War is possibly supported by the novel Big Bang Generation. 

I’m thinking that when Brax2 emerged from the wormhole, he was still in the same universe, just displaced in space-time. (I’m also thinking that his bullet wound healed without regeneration, so he’s still voiced by Miles Richardson hehe.) 

Which brings us back to the Watchmaker and my theory (a more appropriate word would be “wish” lol). Take either Brax2 or Brax3. He was last heard wanting to bring back Gallifrey. What if he’s been trying to get back to an early-enough point in Gallifrey’s timeline, as well as his own timeline, so that he could effectively help out with the Time War? He could use the Watchmaker to make that happen. When she does her thing, he will revert to an earlier point in his timeline. I want the little shit to fight for his planet, okay. So maybe he went and saved Romana from the Moros precisely to summon the Watchmaker. 

I suppose in the end it wouldn’t matter which Brax is talking to the Watchmaker. She’d erase all but one of his timelines, then he’d revert to a younger version of himself in the remaining timeline, but at that point he could change his entire future (which is exactly the plan). Look, when Romana II (who should have died on the Moros) and the older Leela (who should never have existed) died towards the end of Enemy Lines, Romana’s timeline didn’t just reset. Her future has changed; she lived through the Moros incident. So Brax could also return to an earlier point in his timeline and change his future – to be there during the Time War (“during” from the perspective of Romana II). I guess I just want Collection!Brax to be the version making the decision, because to me that seems more poignant somehow. I’m probably just emotionally attached to the Benny single CD releases hehe. 

Ah, it’s you. I was wondering how long it would take you.

I know what you are, Irving Braxiatel.

Do you indeed? You know, I’m not sure I know myself these days. You’ve been waiting for me, haven’t you?

Just as you have been waiting for me.

Indeed. So, now you’ve tidied up all your loose ends, what happens now?

Now, you’ll come with me. You knew this time would come. You are a creature born of paradox, wreathed in anomaly. It is time we found your true past.

And that would be … ?

That is your decision, Irving, and my gift. You can return to Dellah or to Legion or the Collection. You can remain on Gallifrey, knowing what is to come, or you can hide yourself away forevermore. But you cannot do all. The paradox of your existence must be resolved.

[Brax sighs dramatically.] Oh, must it?

You know that it is so. But come, now is not a time for words. It is time to make your choice.

I understand. Irving Braxiatel is dead. Long live Irving Braxiatel.

I have one more comment about the Watchmaker. Brax’s lines, “You’ve been waiting for me, haven’t you?” and “now you’ve tidied up all your loose ends” could mean that Brax is the last paradox that the Watchmaker needs to resolve, after which she can… I dunno, rest in peace hehe. I think her character needs to be explained away (or quietly ignored, that’s fine too lol) before more stories are told about Time War shenanigans. Otherwise she’d have to be in the background of every story involving time manipulation and paradoxes, and that’s not much fun. 

(Invested in Brax and Gallifrey and the Time War??? Me??? I don’t know what you mean.)