#when the friendship is already THIS close
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⥠05: i bet we'd have really goodâ
series m.list // taglist
note: wowie,, thank u for 1.5k and for being so patient đ iâm so happy to be ending this mini fic and to have been interacting with u all :) my apologies if this ch sucks LOL i'm so sick rn but i'm tired of rewriting n writing... so enj !!! it's been so fun and i can't wait for more fics to come in 2025 !!! kisses my kittiesđ˝đ
âąď¸ this part goes thru time skips!
đ which bed chem jk moment was ur fave?
warnings: tension/slow burn (friends first yk),, mean!jk trying to figure out how to be nicer to oc,, jk calls oc baby and kitty !!! teasing/dry humping (bc jk has glasses on. jk plays with her titties/nipples & jk cums thru his sweatpants),, jealousy (v teeny tiny),, virginity talk/actual sex; oc loses her virginity to jk (jk eats her out/fingers her, ass slapping, dirty talk, rawdogging,, missionary, doggy, blowjob/headpushing & face cumshot)
//
itâs been a week since jungkook kissed you, and he has made it your problem.
truth be told, he has made a game of thisâhovering without hovering⌠just close enough to test the line. whatever way he plays, jungkook is always shameless in the most subtle and maddening ways.
sometimes his hand brushes yours as you walk, light and fleeting⌠and itâs impossible not to notice the way his fingers twitch. itâs like heâs debating whether to grab it or not.
you donât make it any easier on yourself, either.
thereâs this suffocating tension between you two and some days are better than others⌠like today.
âwhy are you so quiet?â you ask, glancing at him over your shoulder.
he tilts his head, feigning confusion.Â
âwhy? does the silence make your heart race?â
you scoff, rolling your eyes, and thatâs when he strikesâhis foot nudging yours mid-step. itâs just enough to throw you off balance, making you stumble slightly, your bag slipping again.
âjungkook!â
heâs already reaching out, catching the strap before it can fall.Â
âcareful,â he says, his voice all mock concern, but the way his lips twitch gives him away.
you glare at him, yanking your bag out of his grip.Â
âyouâre the one who tripped me.â
âprove it."
"seriously?"
"if you can't prove it... you have to kiss me. you know, as compensation for accusing me so unjustly." he says, wide-eyed and innocent, though the corners of his mouth are curling into a smirk.
itâs infuriating, but itâs also... not.Â
not when heâs looking at you like that, like he knows exactly how to get under your skin and is thoroughly enjoying it.
âdo friends kiss?â you narrow your gaze at him. âdo friends trip each other over? do friendsââ
âdo friends wait for each other?â jungkook leans towards you. âmhmm? do friends have ulterior motivesââ
âyou have ulterior motives?â
âoh, absolutely.â
friendship.Â
itâs odd to say the leastâthe way you and jungkook have fallen into this friendship. thatâs what youâve both agreed on.Â
friends.Â
but the lines are blurry.Â
so blurry they might as well not exist at all⌠because what kind of friends kiss on the cheek as casually as saying hello? what kind of friends text each other goodnight every single evening, or linger too long in conversations that could end with a simple goodbye?
the rules of your agreement feel more like suggestionsâones jungkook seems intent on bending just enough to keep you guessing. and you let him, which might be the strangest part of all.
⌠because deep down, you know this isnât just friendship. not with the way he looks at you, his gaze lingering a second too long, or the way his touch always feels like a question heâs waiting for you to answer.
but maybe thatâs the thing about blurry linesâthey give you just enough room to pretend you donât already know where youâre headed.
yet, even with all his teasing, thereâs a hesitancy to him sometimesâa split-second pause when your hands brush, a quiet shift in his expression when he catches you looking at him. itâs like heâs still figuring out how to balance whatever this is between you, testing the waters but not wanting to dive in too fast.
and honestly?
you feel the same.
itâs why you let him get away with stuff like this. why you donât pull away when his hand accidentally-on-purpose brushes yours for the third time in as many minutes. why you donât tell him to stop following you to your study spot or showing up outside your class with some excuse about âjust being in the area.â
because the truth is, you like having him around.Â
you like the way he keeps you on your toes⌠even if itâs by trying to trip you up, only to catch you before you fall.
and maybeâjust maybeâyou like the way his smile softens sometimes when he thinks youâre not looking.
tonight, the group decides on a night out.
the street food spot everyone agreed on is already buzzing when you get there, the warm glow of string lights crisscrossing above the narrow alleyways, casting soft shadows on the busy stalls below. the air is alive with the scent of sizzling tteokbokki and freshly steamed hotteok, mingling with bursts of laughter and the occasional pop of oil from a nearby grill.
you arrive late as usual.Â
by the time you weave your way through the crowd, the others have scattered, splitting up to hunt down whatever caught their eye.Â
thatâs when you spot him.
jungkook leans lazily against a lamppost near the edge of the main street, one hand tucked into his pocket, the other holding a stick of half-eaten odeng. the glow from the lights above reflects faintly in his dark eyes, making them look warmer than usual, though his expression stays comfortably neutralâlike heâs been waiting.
but he doesnât mind.
âyouâre late,â he says as you approach, not even bothering to straighten up. his voice is low, unbothered, but thereâs something teasing in the way his lips twitch into the barest hint of a smirk.
âiâm literally 5 minutes late.â
âstill late.â
jungkook takes one last bite of the fish cake before tossing the stick into a nearby bin. he steps closer, casual but deliberate, and before you can come up with a snappy reply, he leans down and presses a quick kiss to your cheek.
itâs smoothâtoo smooth.
itâs like heâs been doing it forever.
you barely have time to register the warmth blooming in your chest before heâs grabbing your hands, shoving them unceremoniously into the front pocket of his hoodie along with his own.
âjungkookââ
âyour hands looked cold,â he says simply, his tone light, like this is the most natural thing in the world.
his fingers shift slightly, brushing against yours, and though his expression stays neutral, you catch the subtle curve of his mouthâthe smug kind he tries to hide but never quite manages.
you roll your eyes, more out of habit than anything else, and let out a sigh...
but you donât pull away.
âi have gloves.â
âthey're ugly."
you glare at him.
"... and you have me."
the air stills.
âwhat?â he asks, his shoulder bumping yours as he starts walking, steering you toward the first row of stalls.
ânothing.â
but the corner of your mouth twitches. you try to hold back your smile.
he catches it, of course.Â
his grin widens, soft and slow.
jungkook nudges you again, this time with more intention. you can feel the warmth of his hand through the fabric, steady and sure, even as the cold night air bites at your skin.
you can't help but give in. a laugh escapes your lips as you nudge him back. jungkook laughs too, but pulls you close at the very last second.
he breathes you in.
the first stall serves fresh tteokbokki, steaming and spicy. the scent alone makes your stomach growl, but jungkook is already a step ahead, paying for the food before you can reach for your wallet.
âyou didnât have to do that,â you say, trying to grab a pair of chopsticks from the tray.
he beats you to it, of course, picking up a piece of tteokbokki with the kind of exaggerated precision that makes you squint at him. then, he places the chopsticks in between your fingers.
âfeed me," he says.
âabsolutely not."
he steps closer.Â
âokay, fine. iâll feed youââ
you shove the tteok in his mouth.Â
he chews, chuckling and enjoying your choice.Â
âyouâre so annoying,â you tell him as he swallows.
âreally? am i?â
âreally. you are."
jungkook shrugs.Â
then, he takes the chopsticks and picks up a tteok, and feeds you. he watches closely as you chew, his wide eyes fixed on your face in a way that makes you feel exposed.
âhow annoying?â
in between chews, you fixate on his smirk. as he leans into level with you, you almost choke at how his nose nearly brushed yours. you can feel the weight of his gaze, daring you to say something.
âjungkookâŚâ you warn, your voice flat, but your hands betray you. they reach up to cup his cheeks, and though your intention is to shove him back, you donât.
instead, your thumbs press lightly against the soft skin of his jaw as you squint at him.
âwhatâs this smile?â you ask, narrowing your eyes. âwhat are you so excited over, bestie?â
his expression flickers for a second, his brows twitching in annoyance at the word. you know he hates it when you call him that. bestie? who are you even talking to?
âyour lips look cold. can i warm them up for you?â he asks suddenly, his voice dropping low enough to send shivers down your spine.
you scoff, warmth creeping up your neck. ânice tryââ
âno, no, i insist,â he interrupts, tilting his head slightly, pretending to think it over. âdon't want you to be all cold and shit.â
âjungkook.â your tone is sharp, but itâs laced with amusement, and he knows it.
âwhat?â he murmurs, leaning in closer, his lips curving into a smirk. âyou said you want to take things slow. iâll kiss you real slowââ
your jaw drops.Â
âyouâre impossible.â
he stands back up with a grin, his hands still in the pocket of his hoodie, keeping yours snugly tucked inside. he rocks back on his heels, clearly pleased with himself.Â
âletâs not pretend we donât know what we know.â
âi donât know much,â you retort, but the small smile tugging at your lips betrays you. âiâm not a nerdââ
âyah! hurry up!â taehyungâs voice booms from a stall across the street, breaking the moment. you glance over to find him waving dramatically, his other arm slung around yoongi, who looks less than thrilled.Â
âwe found the mandu!â taehyung adds.
âmandu sounds good,â jungkook says as he gives your hands a small squeeze. then, he gently pulls you toward the others. "let's go."Â
âstop dragging me around,â you complain, though you donât actually try to pull away.
âyouâre walking too slow.â
but you arenât.Â
you know you arenât and so does he⌠but you let him hold your hand anyway.
a week later, jungkook feels like he might piss himself.
he leans against the edge of his desk, scrolling through his phone for the 5th time in as many minutes. his thumb hovers over the screen, debating whether to check his messages again, even though he knows thereâs no point.Â
you havenât replied yet.
the fundraiser for marine conservation is tonight, and heâs been pretending itâs no big deal... but fuck.
he was so nervous when he asked you to go with him and now he feels like all his efforts are being wasted.
...
âso, uh,â he starts, his voice a little too casual, âthereâs this fundraiser gala thing on friday night. save the dolphins thingâa-and⌠itâs no big deal butââ
you glance at him, eyebrows raised.Â
âyeah? sounds fancy.â
he shrugs, keeping his eyes fixed on the road ahead. âi guess it is. itâs a black-tie kind of event⌠and i, uh⌠i was thinking... maybe youâd want to come with me?â
you blink, caught off guard by the sudden invite.Â
âi hate dolphins.â
âi know.â
you sigh, pretending to be burdened by his request. âbut iâll go. if you want me to.â
âi do want you to.â
âokay.â
âgood,â he breathes, glancing over with a lopsided grin that he hopes hides how nervous he actually feels. âyouâll make me look good. people are suckers for pretty dates.â
âoh, so youâre using me as a prop?â you tease, though your lips twitch into a smirk.
âobviously,â he replies smoothly, though his grip on the wheel tightens slightly. âbut, hey, itâs a dinner, you get to see my in a tux which is practically dessertâ.â
you shake your head, laughing softly.Â
âyouâre ridiculous.â
âso ridiculous that this can count as our first date?â he presses, glancing over again, this time with a flicker of uncertainty he hopes you donât catch.
after a beat, you sigh dramatically, turning in your seat to face him.Â
âitâs a date.â
just as heâs about to make another comment, you lean over and press a quick kiss to his cheek, catching him completely off guard. his hands freeze on the wheel for half a second before he recovers.
âyou missedââ
you laugh and hit his chest. then, he gets out of the car, helps you out, and walks you to your doorstep.Â
...
now, as he sits alone in his room, the anticipation bubbling just under his skin, his phone buzzes on the counter. his heart skips for a moment before he grabs it, only to feel it sink as he reads your message.
yn [4:31PM]: nurse said itâs food poisoning yn [4:32PM]: she gave me some meds to help but i literally feel like shit yn [4:33PM]: i donât think iâll be able to make it tonight, baby :( iâm so sorry nerd [4:34PM]: donât apologize. iâll be over in a bit yn [4:35PM]: what ?? no !! get ready for your event. itâs important nerd [4:35PM]: so are u yn [4:36PM]: iâll survive. go save the dolphins :p
his brows knit together as he reads it again, leaning back into the couch with a frustrated sigh.
he knows he shouldnât feel disappointedâyou canât control being sick, and itâs not like this event means anything special.Â
at least, thatâs what heâs been telling himself.
still, he stares at the message for a long moment, debating whether to reply right away or wait a few minutes so he doesnât seem too eager. his fingers hover over the keyboard before he finally types out a response, keeping it short and light, like heâs unbothered.
nerd [4:40PM]: get some rest. iâll be telling everyone you ditched me tho yn [4:41PM]: be sure to let the dolphins know too đ
he lets out a chuckle, but the weight in his chest doesnât go away.Â
he tosses his phone onto the coffee table and rakes a hand through his hair, wondering why the idea of showing up without you feels so much worse than heâd expected.
then, his phone buzzes with messages from the fundraiser committee.Â
yet, he can only think of you⌠itâs a sinking feeling in his chest.Â
youâre sick.Â
the thought of going to that event while youâre home feeling miserable doesnât sit right with him.
he sighs, grabbing his hoodie and pulling it over his head. he knows this is unprofessional and such an pussy excuse butâforget the event.Â
itâs you that matters to him the most right now.Â
so, jungkook calls his event and lets them know that something came up. he tosses aside his tux and puts on comfier clothes before heading to the kitchen to make you some chicken noodle soup.
before he heads out, jungkook hears a familiar groan from the living room. he turns, already annoyed, knowing exactly who it is.
jimin and taehyung are stretched out on the couch, looking like theyâve been hit by a truck.Â
their faces are pale, eyes glassy with fever, and they groan as they shift under the blanket. itâs obvious theyâre just as sick as you, if not worse.
âyo, jungkook,â taehyung calls out, voice nasally, âdid you make soup? be a good boy and give us someââÂ
jimin, equally pitiful, sits up a little and gives jungkook a pleading look. âyeah, weâre starving, man. plus, youâre not gonna leave us to die alone, right?â
jungkook raises an eyebrow, crossing his arms over his chest.Â
âyou wonât die from starvation.â
âhow are you so sure?â
âcos iâll kill you first,â jungkook snorts. âyou guys got my girl sick with that stupid omelet you made her.â
the two of them groan in response, sitting up slowly. taehyung rubs his face with his hand. âwe didnât mean to! bro, look at us. you think we wanted this? weâre sick, too, you know.â
âyeah,â jimin adds, âthereâs two friends sick here for you to take care of.â
jungkook just looks at them, his gaze hard.Â
âwho do you think iâm gonna choose right now?â
jimin squints, looking him up and down. âdonât you have that gala tonight?â
jungkook hesitates for a split second, but quickly shakes his head, giving them a dismissive wave.Â
âit got canceled.â he lies.Â
then, he turns away to head out the door. before he leaves he yells; âiâll text yoongi hyung to make you some soup. donât bother me. not coming home tonight.â
about 25 minutes later, jungkook stands in front of your doorway and his gaze falls on you as you open the door.
you're wearing his oversized t-shirt, hair up in a messy bun, and a pair of shortsâlooking exhausted and a little pale. his stomach churns with worry, but he keeps his cool as always.
"what are you doing here? the gala..." you trail off, but before he can answer, you quickly turn and rush to the bathroom.
"shit," he mutters under his breath, following you at a steady pace.
when he enters the bathroom, you're already kneeling over the toilet, retching. his heart drops, but he doesnât flinch. moving to your side, he gently pats your back.
âit was this bad?â he grumbles, a frown pulling at his lips. âwhy were you downplaying it through text?â
you wipe your mouth with the back of your hand, barely acknowledging him.
âiâm fine, seriously. just... just a little nausea.â
âfuck, ___..â he snaps, but his voice isnât angry, more like exasperated. "this is stupid. you canât be alone if you canât even handle standing up to get the door without throwing up. are you fucking serious?." his eyes are narrowing now, the concern clear despite his snappy tone. âwhat the hell, ___?"
you sit back on the floor, leaning against the wall, your face pale.Â
âi already bailed on the date. i couldnât let you bail on the gala entirely.â
he shoots you a look, incredulous.Â
âyou think Iâd rather be at a gala without you? honestly?â
âi justâ"
âshut up,â he interrupts, his voice softer but firm. "you need someone. iâm here. deal with it."
thereâs no room for argument in his voice.
you give him a tired smile despite the situation, wiping your mouth with the back of your hand.Â
âyou shouldnât be here, though.â
âsay that again.â
your lips tighten.
then, you gag and rush back to the toilet bowl. jungkook remains by your side, rubbing your back as you deal with another wave of nausea.
the moment is quiet except for the soft sounds of you breathing in between. for a second, it almost feels like everything has stopped, like itâs just the two of you in your small bathroom, nothing else in the world mattering.
after 40 minutes of hovering over the toilet, jungkook gets you settled on the couch.
he brings you water and asks if youâre down for some food. he brought over chicken noodle soup and you need to have something in your stomach before taking your medicine. you simply agree and wait for him to serve you.Â
as you eat the soup, he scrolls through netflix and plays something. he talks for most of it and it helps distract you from feeling the full extent of your sickness. after youâve eaten some of the soup he brought, you ask him to grab the medicine from your bag.Â
âcan you grab the other medicine bottle from my bag? the one the nurse gave me?â
jungkook, of course, doesnât hesitate.Â
he gets up and finds your bag in your bedroom. he pulls open your bag and begins rummaging through it, looking for the bottle. when his hand brushes against something thick and solid, he pulls out a book titled, âeverything you need to know about dolphins a to z.â
his eyebrows furrow for a second as he stares down at it.
he doesnât know why, but a strange warmth spreads through him. itâs pretty obvious why you have this bookâbut seeing it in your bag... it makes him pause.
his lips tighten slightly as he puts the book back down in your bag, quickly hiding his reaction. he doesnât want you to see how much itâs affecting him right now.
when he returns with the medicine, his expressionâs back to its usual, nonchalant self. as much as jungkook wants to pretend like he didnât see it or that seeing it didnât matterâhe canât.Â
to him, it mattered.Â
it mattered a lot.
a few days later, youâre sitting across from jungkook in the library.Â
the late afternoon sun streaming through the tall windows and casting a golden glow over the table. textbooks and notebooks are scattered between you, his handwriting messier than yours but still oddly charming. youâre mid-sentence, asking him about his opinion on a the newest theory you learned during your lecture when he suddenly tugs off his crewneck, revealing the black t-shirt clinging to his frame underneath.
itâs warm in the library, the kind of cozy heat that sneaks up on you, and he doesnât think twice about it.Â
but you do.
âwoahââ you blurt out, your question forgotten as your gaze catches on his arms. you've seen his tattoos before but for some reason... they look different to you now.
they appeal different to you.
jungkook looks up from his notes, brows raised.
âwhat?â
you blink, trying to refocus, but your eyes betray you, flickering back to the ink winding its way down his arm.Â
âyour tattoos,â you say, almost dazed. âtheyâre... really hot.â
âthink so?â
âyeah,â you admit. âgets me horny. â
you then feel the warmth crawl up your neck as the words leave your mouth. you quickly look back down at your notes, hoping the earth might just swallow you whole.
jungkook freezes for a moment, the tips of his ears turning the faintest shade of pink. then he shakes his head, a small, lopsided smile tugging at his lips. itâs not his usual confident grinâitâs softer, like heâs caught off guard but not in a bad way.
he doesnât say anything, just ducks his head slightly, the corners of his mouth twitching like heâs trying to hold back a laugh.
you try to ignore the way he shifts in his seat, casually stretching his arms behind his head like heâs showing offânot that heâd ever admit it...
for the next two weeks, jungkook suddenly seems allergic to long sleeves.Â
he starts showing up in short-sleeved t-shirts, rolling his sleeves higher than necessary when he wears his uniform jacket, and leaning in just a little closer when he knows your gaze will drift.
âyouâre shameless,â you mumble one day, catching him flexingânot subtlyâwhile reaching for a book on the top shelf.
âwhat?â he asks innocently, glancing down at you with those wide eyes that donât match the smirk tugging at his lips.
you roll your eyes, biting back a grin.
âyouâre annoying.â
âwhy? are you horny?â he says, his voice low enough to make you want to shove him.
you donât answer, but the way you avoid his gazeâand the small smile tugging at your lipsâsays enough. he notices, of course, because he always does.
after a few moments of silence, you huff at him.
"is everything you say always so... dirty?"
he shrugs.
"you brought up being horny first..."
"yeah, butâ"
"you think i'm dirty?" jungkook interrupts you. "should i shower?"
you scoff at him. before you can say anything, he adds;
"youâd join me though, right?"
a month later, jungkook does it again.Â
you find yourself standing in the middle of your apartmentâhe shows up.
your phone is clutched tightly in your hand as you try to blink away the tears threatening to spill. the call you just hadâa frustrating, heart-wrenching argument with your familyâleaves you feeling raw and small. the weight of their words presses heavily on your chest, and all you can do is stare blankly at the mess of papers scattered on your desk.
a sharp knock on your door pulls you out of your thoughts. you freeze, wiping at your cheeks hastily, but the door creaks open before you can say anything.
"is that my hoodie?"
"jungkookâ"
âyou haven't been answering my texts all day,â jungkook says, stepping in without waiting for an invitation. heâs holding a bag of takeout.
"everything okay?"
âiâm fine,â you say, your voice shaky despite your best efforts to sound convincing.
he narrows his eyes at you, placing the takeout and hoodie on your coffee table before crossing his arms.
âyeah, no.â
you try to argue, but heâs already moving, shrugging off his jacket and plopping onto the couch like he owns the place.
âwhatever it is, you donât have to talk about it right now,â he says, pulling out containers of food. âbut you do have to eat. and iâm not leaving until you do.â
your throat tightens at his matter-of-fact tone, his presence somehow both comforting and overwhelming. he doesnât pry, doesnât demand to know what happened.
âyou didnât have to come,â you murmur, sinking onto the couch beside him.
âyeah, i did,â he replies, handing you a pair of chopsticks. âand donât even think about pretending youâre not hungry.â
a small, shaky laugh escapes you, the tension in your chest loosening just a little.
âyouâre so annoying.â
âfriends are supposed to annoy each other. learned that shit from you.â
jungkookâs door swings open with a suddenness that startles him.Â
the faint squeak of the hinges cuts through the quiet. heâs mid-motion, towel slung around his neck, tugging a loose white shirt over his head when you stroll in without so much as a knock. heâs also wearing grey sweatpantsâŚÂ
wet hair, white shirt, and grey sweats?Â
the holy trinity.
âyou know,â he begins to scold you. âboundaries exist for a reason.â
he shakes his damp hair as you plop onto his bed like itâs yours.
âboundaries?â you scoff, grabbing your plushie. your precious hello kitty plushie. âthis is practically my second home.â
he doesnât argue, just lets out a quiet chuckle as he pulls the hem of his shirt down.Â
holding up the plushie like itâs the most precious thing youâve ever seen. âcan i take her home today?â
âsure,â jungkook says, his voice carrying that infuriating mix of teasing confidence and barely veiled challenge. he leans against his desk, arms crossed, watching with a smirk as you clutch the hello kitty plushie tightly to your chest, as if itâs your only lifeline against his charm.Â
âcan i be your boyfriend today?â
you groan, throwing yourself back onto his bed with a dramatic sigh, the plushie landing on your face.Â
âseriously? youâre really holding this poor plushie hostage?â
he laughs, low and amused, pushing off the desk and taking a few steps closer.Â
âa dealâs a deal,â he says lightly, but thereâs a glint in his eyes as he towers over you. âyou can take her homeâwhen youâre my girl.â
you yank the plushie off your face, sitting up sharply.Â
âdo you think weâre better friends?â you huff, your tone indignant but your heart racing under the weight of his gaze.Â
jungkook crouches slightly, leaning in until his face is just a few inches from yours. his smirk softens into something more playful, but the shift in proximity makes your stomach flip.Â
âi think soâŚâ he murmurs, his eyes flickering between your face and the plushie pressed against your chest. âaside from me trying to kiss you every chance i get and you being horny every time you see my tattoosââ
you narrow your eyes at him, holding the plushie tighter, as if itâs a shield against the way heâs looking at you.Â
âyouâre unbelievable.â
âand yet,â he starts, his voice dropping an octave as he moves even closer, one hand bracing on the bed beside your knee, the other reaching out to gently brush his fingers over the plushieâs soft fabric. âhere you are.â
his free hand slides around your waist, tugging you just slightly toward him, and your breath hitches. âbut if you donât want herâŚâ he teases, his voice trailing off as his face inches closer to yours. his gaze dips briefly to your lips, and before you can fully process it, heâs leaning in to press a kiss to your cheek.
except you shove hello kitty between you two just in time.
ânope!â you say quickly, holding the plushie up like a barrier, your cheeks flaming as you hear him laugh, the sound vibrating through the air between you.
âseriously?â he says, pulling back just enough to raise an eyebrow, though his grin never falters. his hand stays firm at your waist, his thumb brushing the fabric of your shirt in slow, lazy circles. âyouâre really using her to block me?â
âyou started it,â you shoot back, glaring at him even as your grip on the plushie tightens.
âfair,â he admits with a chuckle, straightening up slightly but keeping his hold on you. his other hand moves to tap the plushieâs head. âbut the deal still stands. not my girlfriend, not your hello kitty.â
âyouâre ridiculous.â
he tilts his head, his grin softening, though his hand still lingers at your waist, his warmth impossible to ignore.Â
âi donât know,â he says, his voice quieter now, almost coaxing. âsounds like a pretty good deal to me.â
you glare at him again, this time with less heat, and shove the plushie into his chest.
âyouâre insufferable.â
he laughs, taking the plushie from your hands but not letting you go.
âmaybe,â he says, âbut youâre still here.â
hours later, the room is quiet except for the soft scratch of jungkookâs pen against paper and the occasional shuffle of his chair as he shifts at his desk. youâre curled up on his bed, the hello kitty plushie still clutched against your chest, your breaths slow and steady as sleep overtakes you.
he glances back at you every now and then, a small, unspoken fondness softening his features. when you stir, rubbing your eyes and sitting up, he turns back to his notes, feigning nonchalance.
you pad over to him, your steps muffled against the carpet. without a word, you slip onto his lap, one arm draping lazily over his shoulders as you pluck his glasses from his face.
âgood nap?â he asks, his voice a mix of amusement and exasperation as you slide the frames onto your own nose. âthoseââ
squinting dramatically, you nag him; âugh, how do you even function with these? everythingâs blurry.â
âthatâs because theyâre prescription, genius,â he says, reaching for them, but you lean back, keeping them out of his reach.
âmaybe iâll keep these,â you tease, poking at the side of his head. âyou canât study without them, can you?â
âgive them back, or iâm kicking you off my lap,â he warns, though his hands settle firmly on your waist instead of following through on his threat.
âyeah, sure... because you hate this so much.â
âtry me,â he challenges, his grip tightening just slightly as if to prove his point.
âyouâre so bossy,â you grumble, sliding the glasses off and placing them haphazardly on his desk. âhappy now?â
âecstatic,â he says dryly, though his lips twitch upward.
you lean closer, your face just inches from his, your playful smirk softening into something quieter, more genuine.Â
âyou know, youâre really cute when youâre all serious, studious, and grumpy.â
âand youâre kind of annoying when you donât let me finish studying,â he shoots back, though thereâs no real bite to his words.
âfine, fine,â you say, preparing to climb off his lap with exaggerated dramatics. âgo be a nerd. iâll be over there cuddling hello kittyââ
âi could use a 5 minute break.â
you fix your posture, perking up.Â
âreally?â you tilt your head at him. âi mean⌠iâd hate to distract you.â
âreally?â he mocks you. âyouâre sitting on my lap and moving your hips and yetâyouâd hate to distract me, huh?â
you nod innocently. then, you shrug and confess;
âiâm bored.â
âwhat do you want me to do about that? this final is really importantâf-fuck. ___, donât move like that.â
you shift again.Â
âlike what?â
âyou know what youâreââ
âwhat am i doing?â you ask, leaning your body closer to his. you caress his face and pout at him. âis 5 minutes even considered a break? donât you need more time?â
âmore time for what?â jungkook lowers his gaze at you.Â
âi donât know,â you giggle. âwhat do you wanna do?â
jungkook canât take it.Â
playing cat and dog or whatever this bullshit is.Â
youâre on top of him, prettier than ever. youâre wearing a low-cut tank top with a fucking bow in the middle⌠and he canât breathe anything in except you. what is he supposed to do right now?Â
â___⌠if you donât get off meââ
âif i donât get off you⌠what?â
you smile at him softly. shifting again, you drag your hips towards him. his eyes widen.Â
âi might cum.â
you pout. âreally?â
jungkook swallows.Â
âkeep moving your hips like that and youâll find out soon.â
âohâŚâ
a beat.Â
âlike this?â
before he knows it, youâre humping him.Â
he grunts as he feels himself harden under you. you bite your bottom lip as you drag your hips back and forth. you feel the pressure against your clit as your clothes rub together.Â
jungkook hisses at your pace.Â
âf-fuck..â
as he bucks his lips, he places his hands on your waist, helping your movement. you let out a few breathy moans and jungkook feels like he could die.Â
youâre so pretty.Â
his hands tighten around you when he senses that youâre close.Â
âam i doing this right? it feelsâfeels g-good.â
âyeah? feels good, baby?â jungkook breathes.
âmhmmâŚâ
âdo you feel my dick?â he asks. âfeel how hard it is against your fucking pussy?â
âi do,â you moan. âso big, jungkook. can i take it soon?â
he hisses.Â
âpromise me,â you whine. âpromise me that youâll fuck me soon.â
jungkookâs breath hitches.Â
he was wrong.Â
that time he ran his mouth about your virginity being too much or a burden or somethingâfuck was he wrong.Â
itâs not a burden.
itâs the greatest privilege he could ever be given⌠now to have you like this? begging like that? holy shit is he more than ready to give you anything and everything you want.Â
âpromise, baby,â he says. âpromise itâs gonna be me.â
you nod, happy with his answer.Â
and just as youâre about to continue, you take his hands to your tits. first, he squeezes them⌠then you guide them to the strap of your tank top. taking the cue, jungkook tugs your straps down, revealing your bare tits.Â
â___âŚâ he moans. âshit.â
you bring his hands to your tits again, helping him cup them. as you hump him with more intensity, jungkookâs mouth parts. your tits bounce up and down and it sends shivers down his spine. your tits are so full in his hands and so fucking perfect up close. he loves all of itâthe shape, the size, the way it feels⌠so soft. heâs always been an ass type of guy but holy shitâyour tits are a game changer for him.Â
nevertheless, he tries to focuses on you.Â
âbouncy.â
âyeah?â you pant. âyou like them?â
jungkook nods pathetically.Â
he fights shutting his eyes. he wants to remember all of this. every detail.Â
how hard he is right now. how hard your nipples are and how they feel being played in between his fingers. he runs his thumb around them, pressing, squeezing, and tugging⌠he loves how your moans soundâlike theyâre music to his ears⌠he canât⌠he canât picture anything else. he canât hear anything else. he canât breathe anything in but you.
âjungkookâŚâ you cry, feeling yourself about to climax.
âs-shit,â he hisses as you begin to whimper.Â
the humping is great.Â
amazing in factâbut the way youâre whimpering right now?Â
fuck.
âjungkook,â you breathe, trying to catch your breath. âa-are you close? mhmmm⌠f-fuck!âÂ
you hump him faster and harder. he lets out a few moans before sharply inhalingâ
âo-ohh,â jungkook moans. ânghhhh⌠fuck.â
you grind on him slowly, easing his release. his crotch area is wet, making an obvious stain on his grey sweatpants.
he throws his head back. you lean over and kiss his neck. he bites his lip, attempting to hide his smile.Â
a silence fills the room.Â
you two are in total disbelief.Â
then, you shift and he places his hands on your waist again.Â
âdid you cum?âÂ
he lets out a chuckle. âyeah. did you?â
âi think so? i donât know.â
âsorry,â he sighs, a little disappointed you didnât get to finish. âdo you wannaââ
âitâs fine that i didnât come. i had funâŚâ
jungkook shakes his head. âno, itâs okay. i canââ
âcan i see?â
jungkook blinks at you.Â
âwhat?â
âyou came right?â
âyeahââ
âcan i see what your cum looks like?â
some days with jungkook are so easy, itâs almost laughable.
the dynamic feels less like a friendship and more like a game youâre both playingâteasing, flirting, seeing how far you can push before one of you finally gives in.
but then there are days like this.
itâs been 3 month and a half since the kiss, and the comfort between you has grown in a way that makes everything feel light, almost effortless. youâre more yourself around him, and heâs let down his walls in ways you didnât even realize were there.Â
still, sometimes, you push his buttons just a little too hard.
today is one of those days.
it starts with a series of texts.
your usual banter that, for whatever reason, strikes a nerve.
maybe heâs stressed, or maybe youâre just too good at knowing exactly how to get under his skin. either way, it doesnât take long before his responses turn clipped, each word laced with an irritation youâre not used to seeing from him.
yn [1:41PM]: CââHââNââOââSâ nerd [1:48PM]: đł yn [1:50PM]: am i speaking ur language nerd [1:53PM]: fluently, yes yn [1:54PM]: cool. dohwan taught me it yn [1:55PM]: what does it mean nerd [1:59PM]: not funny. yn [2:00PM]: why am i laughing then seen yn [2:01PM]: aw donât get all mad nerd [2:08PM]: not mad. jus uninterested in this topic. yn [2:10PM]: iâm sorry seen yn [2:14PM]: sorry :( yn [2:15PM]: jungkook !!! yn [2:16PM]: wanna make out? typing⌠nerd [2:21PM]: yes
you donât mean for it to escalate, but by the time you realize heâs genuinely annoyed, itâs too late to fix it over text. you bite your lip, staring at your phone, debating your next move.
and then, because youâre you, you grab your bag and head straight for his lab.
jungkookâs reputation precedes him on campus.
professors practically gloat about having him in their classes, like his achievements are trophies they get to display. it isnât just his grades or his researchâitâs the way he carries himself. sure, he's a little antisocial but he's focused, driven, and somehow still effortlessly cool.
you always knew he was smart, but seeing him in his element, tucked away in the chemistry lab during his solo hours, is something else entirely.
the lab is a world of its own.
notes scrawled in sharp, precise handwriting cover the workspace, surrounded by neatly labeled vials, bubbling solutions, and meticulous arrangements of equipment.
jungkook stands at the center of it all, wearing a crisp lab coat with the sleeves rolled up just enough to reveal the ink decorating his forearms. protective goggles perch on his nose, and his brows furrow as he scribbles something into a notebook. heâs intimidatingly focused, and for a moment, you hesitate in the doorway.
he notices the movement immediately, his sharp eyes snapping up to meet yours. for a beat, his expression doesnât change, and your stomach churns with nerves under his scrutinizing gaze.
âwhat are you doing here?â
âi, uhâŚâ you shift awkwardly, trying to find your footing under his intense stare. âi wanted to check on you. you seemed upset earlier.â
jungkook exhales, a hand dragging through his dark hair, slightly disheveling the strands sticking out under the goggles. his posture stiffens slightly before he stands straighter, folding his arms across his chest.Â
âiâm fine,â he says, the words clipped and automatic, like heâs said them a hundred times before.
he doesnât look at you again after that, instead turning back to the dense notebook in front of him. his pen taps against the edge of the table, a sharp, rhythmic sound that fills the silence between you.
you glance around, taking in the scrawled notes and bubbling glassware, and suddenly, you feel like an intruder.
this isnât just a workspace; itâs his domain, and youâre a trespasser.
âright,â you whisper. âsorry. i justââ
your words catch as his head snaps up again, this time really looking at you. his dark eyes flick to the way you stand there, hands shoved deep into your jacket pockets, shoulders hunched slightly, and chewing the inside of your cheek.
the tension in his jaw softens, and he exhales again, but this time, itâs quieter, almost resigned. his shoulders relax as he sets the pen down, giving you his full attention now.
âdo you want a tour?â he asks, his voice losing some of its earlier sharpness.
you blink at him, caught off guard.Â
âreally?â
he shrugs, a small, almost reluctant smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.
âyeah. just⌠donât touch anything.â
you hesitate, unsure if this is a genuine offer or just him humoring you. but the way his gaze lingersâsofter now, like heâs extending an olive branchâmakes you take a small step forward.
âyouâre sure?â you ask cautiously, your weight shifting between your feet.
âwouldnât have offered if i wasnât,â he says, already turning to gather a few items from the cluttered table.
his words are casual, but thereâs something unspoken in the way he says them. itâs as if heâs acknowledging your effort without outright saying it, inviting you into a space you know he doesnât share lightly.
âokay,â you say softly, stepping closer as he gestures to the setup in front of him.
jungkook guides you through the lab, his hand casually finding its way to the small of your back as he gestures to the next setup. the touch is subtle but grounding, the heat of his palm against your waist sending a quick flutter of awareness through you. his fingers rest there, steady, as he moves you along with a quiet confidence, his focus more on the equipment than the way your heart picks up its pace.
âthis is my catalytic synthesis project,â he starts, motioning to the crowded workspace. his tone is calmer now, almost instructional as if falling into the rhythm of explaining makes it easier to let his guard down.
as he starts detailing his work, his body language shifts. his shoulders loosen, and the furrow in his brow disappears as he picks up a flask of pale yellow liquid. his hand moves with precise confidence, holding it up to the light as if to showcase his work.
âwhat does that even mean?â you ask, leaning in closer to inspect the array of equipment.
âitâs about creating biodiesel,â he explains, holding up a sheet of paper covered in equations and diagrams. âbasically, iâm optimizing the reaction process to make it more efficient. fewer byproducts, higher yield.â
you blink, squinting at the equations like they might magically make sense.Â
âthatâs cool⌠i think. but how do you even do that?â
he chuckles, the sound low and surprisingly soft.Â
âthis,â he says, holding the flask again. âthis is the feedstock. itâs like the base oil we start with. i mix it with methanol and a catalystââ
âwait,â you interrupt, raising a hand. âwhatâs a catalyst?â
his lips twitch into a small grin, clearly amused by your cluelessness.Â
âa catalyst is a substance that speeds up a chemical reaction without being consumed in the process.â
you nod as if you understand, but the tilt of your head gives you away.
jungkook sets the flask down and leans a hip against the table, crossing his arms loosely. âokay, think of it like this. imagine youâre cooking something. the catalyst is like the panâit doesnât get eaten, but it helps everything cook faster.â
âohhh,â you say, the metaphor finally clicking. âwhy didnât you just say that from the start?â
he raises an eyebrow, biting back a grin. âbecause i thought you were smart enough to keep up.â
âwow,â you deadpan, crossing your arms. âi come here to check on you, and this is the thanks i get?â
he shakes his head, a quiet laugh escaping him as he nudges your shoulder lightly with his. âfirst of all, you annoyed me. second of all, youâre the one who wanted a tour. iâm just giving you the full experience.â
âoh, sorryââ you let out a shallow laugh. âshould i leave thenââ
jungkook shakes his head and points to another setupâa small beaker bubbling over a hot plate.Â
âlook! this is the reaction in progress. that bubbling? thatâs the methanol reacting with the oil. and over there,â he gestures to a series of tubes and a larger flask, âthatâs where i separate the biodiesel from the glycerol. basically, the good stuff from the leftovers.â
you narrow your eyes at the apparatus. âthis still sounds like youâre making moonshine.â
jungkook snorts, shaking his head. âiâm not making moonshine.â
âsure,â you mutter, your lips curving into a teasing smile. âthatâs what someone making moonshine would say.â
he rolls his eyes, but the faint smile pulling at his lips betrays him.Â
âyouâre really annoying today.â
âyou like me, though,â you shoot back, leaning against the table with newfound confidence.
jungkook pauses, his gaze lingering on you for just a moment too long. his lips part, and you catch a flicker of something in his expressionâsomething softer, almost vulnerable.
âyeah,â he says quietly, almost under his breath, before turning back to his work. âi guess i do.â
as you lean over a neighboring table to inspect a beaker filled with an ominous-looking solution, your elbow bumps against it, sending it teetering dangerously close to the edge. the moment stretches out, everything moving in slow motion.
his words catch you off guard.
what did he just say?
holyâ
âshit!â you yelp, reaching out instinctively to steady it. but before you can, the beaker tips over completely, the sulfuric acid inside spilling onto the floorâand dangerously close to your feet.
jungkook moves faster than you expect, his hand darting out to grab your arm as he yanks you backward with enough force to make you stumble into his chest. the acid splashes onto his hand as it hits the ground, and the sharp crack of shattering glass fills the room.
he flinches, a quiet hiss slipping through his teeth as he pulls his hand back.
âoh my god, jungkook!â you gasp, panic knotting your stomach. his hand lingers briefly on your arm before he steps away, already moving toward the nearest sink.
âstay there,â he orders, his voice clipped but steady, as he flips on the cold water and thrusts his hand under the stream.
your eyes are locked on his injured hand, where faint discoloration is already starting to show.
âare you okay? does it hurt?â you ask, your voice shaky.
âitâs fine,â he says tightly, jaw clenched as the water rushes over his skin. âare you okay? nothing got on you, right?â
you take a step closer, your gaze flicking between his face and his hand. he looks calmâtoo calmâbut the way his lips press into a thin line tells you otherwise.
âno. nothing got on me⌠jungkook,â you say softly, guilt and worry twisting in your chest. âiâm so sorry. i didnât mean toââ
âdonât,â he cuts you off, shaking his head as he grabs a paper towel to dry his hand. his voice isnât harsh, but thereâs an edge to it, like heâs holding something back. âthis is why i donât give tours.â
you wince, the weight of his words making you shrink slightly. âiâiâll make it up to you,â you blurt, your voice desperate to fix this. âwhatever you want.â
he glances at you then, finally letting out a soft, exasperated laugh. his expression softens, the corners of his lips twitching into a faint smirk.Â
âyouâre giving me that much power?â
âjungkook,â you warn, narrowing your eyes, but your voice wavers. youâre still too focused on his hand, your own tightening into fists at your sides. âthis is serious. do you want to go to nurse or hospital or somethingââ
ârelax baby,â he says, his tone lighter now as he flexes his fingers experimentally. âitâs not that bad. really. it was just sulfuric acid.â
âacidââ
âstop,â jungkook sighs. âseriously. itâs okay.â
âyou shouldnât have done that though,â you say, your voice barely above a whisper.Â
he shakes his head, smiling faintlyâhalf amused, half surprised by your concern.Â
âwhat, and let you burn yourself instead?â
a beat.
"i'm dating a klutz," he chuckles, the words slipping out so naturally it takes you both a second to realize what heâs just said. his eyes widen slightly, but instead of backpedaling, "guess i should get used to you fucking my shit up, right?"
your chest tightens.
dating?
jungkook clears his throat.Â
âdon't over think it," jungkook grumbles.
"jungkookâ"
he doesnât let you finish, his jaw tightening.
â___, what are you doing here if you donât think weâre dating?â
âwhat does that even mean?â you fire back, crossing your arms defensively. âyou canât just say shit like that and expect me not to overthink it.â
âthen maybe donât think so much,â he mutters under his breath. "you're good at that anyway."
âdonât think?!â you huff incredulously, stepping closer. âjungkook, youâre impossible.â
he glares at you, setting down the equipment with a loud clink. âand youâre confusing. ___, youâre acting likeââ
âacting like what?â
âlike you donât want this.â
the tension doesnât ease as you both leave the lab.Â
he grabs his bag, muttering something about not wanting to talk here, and before you can argue, heâs already halfway down the corridor. you jog to keep up with his long strides, half-annoyed, half-confused, as he leads you across campus.
the walk is silent, save for the occasional rustle of leaves or the faint chatter of students in the distance. his jaw is tight, his shoulders stiff, and you can tell heâs barely holding himself together.
âjungkook...â you try, your voice softer this time, but he doesnât respond, doesnât even glance back.
by the time you reach his place, your confusion has morphed into frustration.Â
he unlocks the door without a word, stepping inside and leaving it open for you to follow.
you hesitate for a moment, then step in, the familiar scent of his space wrapping around you. before you can say anything, he drops his bag on the floor and turns to you, his expression unreadable.
âsit,â he orders, pointing to his bed.
your brows knit together.
âiâm not a dog,â you snap, but the weight in his tone makes you obey anyway. you sit at the edge of his bed, crossing your arms and glaring up at him.
he exhales sharply, running a hand through his already messy hair. his pacing starts then, a restless back-and-forth motion across the small room. the air feels heavy, thick with unspoken words and the lingering tension from earlier.
âokay,â he starts, his voice low and strained. âletâs just⌠get this out in the open.â
you raise a brow, waiting for him to elaborate, but he doesnât. instead, he keeps pacing, his hand dragging down his face as if heâs trying to physically pull the words out of himself.
âget what out in the open?â you prod, your frustration bubbling to the surface. âjungkook, whatâs your deal? one second youâre fine, and the nextââ
âfine?â he cuts you off, his tone sharper now. he stops pacing to face you, his hands planted on his hips. âyou think iâm fine?â
you blink, taken aback.
âwell, no, obviously not. but youâre also not making any senseââ
âyou want to talk about making sense?â he scoffs, a bitter laugh escaping him. âyouâre the one whoâs impossible, you know that? one minute youâre here, acting like weâreâlike this is something, and the next youâreâŚâ
âthe next iâm what?â you challenge, standing now. âgo ahead, say it.â
jungkook looks at your sternly. then, he gives you his heart.
âi canât keep doing this, ___. i need to knowâare you in or are you out? because i get the whole wanting to make me miserable part. i get it. iâve been awful to you. iâve put words in your mouth and iâve said shit that i canât take back⌠but iâm trying. it feels like you arenât.â
the weight of his words crashes over you, leaving you rooted in place. you want to respond, to say something, but the lump in your throat wonât budge.
he steps closer, his eyes searching yours.
âjust⌠tell me what you want. because if you donât want me, i need to know now.â
the silence stretches between you, thick and suffocating. you feel his gaze burning into you, his desperation palpable.
âi donât know how to have you,â you say, your voice breaking slightly.
his shoulders drop, and for the first time since this started, he looks less angry and more⌠hurt.
âwhat do you mean?â he asks, his tone gentler now.
âi donât know,â you breathe. âiâve never⌠gone this far. guys give up after the chase⌠youâre⌠youâre still here. what happens now? sex?â
he shrugs. "is that all you want?"
"no."
"then no."
silence.
â___, i'm here. i've come this far and i want to go further. sex or notâwhatever,â he says, taking another step closer, his hand reaching out to lightly brush against your arm. âis that what scares you?â
you nod.
âam i⌠am i supposed to justââ your chest tightens, and the room feels too small, too charged. his words hang in the air, and you know thereâs no going back after this. âi donât knowââ
âwhy are you here, ___?â
âyou asked me that already.â you retort.
âyeah, and you didnât answer,â he shoots back.
you sigh, exasperated. âiâm here becauseâi donât know⌠youâre my friend, okay? or whatever.â
his laugh is sharp and humorless. âfriend. right.â
âwhatâs that supposed to mean?â
âit means i donât want to be your friend,â he says plainly, his eyes burning into yours. âi havenât wanted that for a while now.â
your breath catches. âjungkookââ
he steps closer, and for a moment, you think he might kiss you. but he stops just short, his voice low and rough.Â
âi want you to stop pretending like thereâs nothing here. i want you to stop running every time i get close.â
you open your mouth to argue, but the words catch in your throat.
âagain, if you donât want thisâmeâthen tell me,â he continues, his voice softening. âbut donât keep showing up, acting like i donât drive you as crazy as you drive me. donât⌠please, donât make me feel stupid.â
the room feels too small, the air too thick.
jungkookâs hand lingers on your arm, his touch grounding even as your heart races wildly. his dark eyes search yours, flickering with emotions you canât fully decipherâhurt, hope, frustration.
âyou donât have to know everything right now,â he says softly, his voice carrying a steadiness that contrasts with the storm raging between you. âiâm not asking for perfect, ___. iâm not even asking for easy. i justâŚâ he exhales shakily, the vulnerability in his tone cutting through your defenses. âi just need to know youâre willing to try.â
your throat tightens, his words hitting you in a place youâve tried so hard to ignore. the thought of tryingâof letting yourself fall completely, with no safety netâterrifies you. but the thought of him walking away? itâs unbearable.
âi want you,â you whisper, the fear laced in your voice so raw it feels like youâve just exposed every guarded corner of yourself. âi want you, jungkook.â
his fingers trail down your arm, stopping just above your wrist.Â
âsay it again,â he says, his tone almost exasperated, but not unkind. âplease?â
you bite your lip, the weight of his words pressing down on you. everything about this moment feels pivotal, like a single word could either shatter or rebuild everything between you.
âi want you, jungkook,â you admit, your voice trembling but resolute. âi⌠i want us.â
his expression softens, relief washing over his features like a tidal wave.
âgood,â he murmurs, stepping closer, so close that his scentâclean, familiar, entirely jungkookâinvades your senses. then, his hands come up, gently cradling your face as he tilts your chin up to meet his gaze.
âi⌠i want us too. i think itâs all i ever really wanted. to be yoursâŚâ
his thumbs stroke your cheeks, and before you can overthink it, he leans in, pressing his forehead against yours. the tension in the room shifts, softening but no less charged.
âdoes this mean i get to take hello kitty home today?â you whisper, your voice barely audible.Â
âis that all you really care about?â he says, a small, lopsided smile tugging at his lips.Â
âi care about other things.â
âlike what?â
âlike you.â
and then he kisses you.
you and jungkook have been dating for 6 months when you suddenly say; "happy 6 months, baby! wanna have sex?"
jungkook practically jolts out of his bed and takes the plushie. he places it on his desk and turns hello kitty over to face the wall. (no, you haven't taken it home. for some reason, it suits being in jungkook's room more than yours).
you laugh as he turns back to you and says;
"good timing, ___. i'm ovulating."
jungkook can't breathe.
⌠and you? you never expected it to feel this way.Â
the thrill of it⌠the intensityâthe intimacy.Â
as jungkook towers over you, he pulls his shirt over his head. the minute his chest is bare, your hands find your way to roam around his body. his abs, his biceps, and down hisâ
âwait,â jungkook pleads, eyes hungrily looking into yours. âwanna take this slow with you. wanna do it right for you.â
you nod slowly, understanding what he means.Â
the truth is; your virginity is your virginity.
there isnât much to it aside from that the fact that itâs not taken. you were never wronged but you were also never pursued right⌠sure, itâs special⌠but it isnât everything.Â
jungkook treats it like it is though.Â
you donât mind.Â
for the past 6 months, he's been really careful with how he acts around you sexually. sure, a few pussy eating moments and heated make outs have been happening... but not the full thing. actually, you've never really seen jungkook's dick yet.
he refuses to let you give him a blowjob.
said something about how easy it is for him to cum at the thought of youâhe isn't ready to embarrass himself in front of you just yet.
but today, at your 6 month mark, it's different.
jungkook can't hold it in anymore and you showed up extra pretty. you planned this, didn't you?
(yes.)
gently, he helps you undress.
he takes your shirt off for you and takes a deep breath when you arch your back for him to unclasp your bra. nervously, he does so. then, he tosses your bra aside and takes in the view.Â
the prettiest fucking tits heâs ever seen.Â
jungkook reaches, cupping and squeezing your boobs. you watch him as he does so, unsure of what to do.Â
he then lowers himself, placing kisses over your tits and down your stomach. positioning himself more comfortably, he finds himself in between your legs. lifting them up, he takes your pants off⌠then, his eyes flicker from you to your panties.Â
his fingers play with the hem of your panties. then, he scrunches them together, tugging them up so your folds are exposed.Â
âfuck,â jungkook groans. âso prettyâŚâ
âyeah?âÂ
âyeah,â he breathes, watching your pussy begin to swell. âthink your kitty can be good for me? think you can be patient? thatâs it⌠good kitty.â
you tilt your chin down to look at him.Â
heâs licking his lips, lowering himself down to your pussy.Â
âbe a good kitty, okay?â he says, as he begins to massage your pussy with his hands. your panties are still on so the friction of the fabric make you a little annoyed.Â
arenât you having sex soon?
shoudnât this shit be off be now?
âjungkookââ
âi know, baby,â jungkook pouts at you. âi know itâs hard to wait⌠look at your pussy⌠so wet and your panties arenât even off.â
âi get more wet than this?â
âif i play my cards right, yeah.â
you whimper. âplease, jungkook⌠just.. take them off.â
âyou want me to?â
âyes,â you huff. âwant you to take my panties off.â
he nods slowly⌠as if heâs thinking about somethingâconsidering something.
then, he decides to give in.Â
jungkook tugs your panties down entirely, leaving your pussy out in the open. he throws his head back in admiration. itâs like heâs been hit by cupid or something.
without warning, he buries his face inside.Â
jungkook begins with a couple licks and spreading your folds a part. his tongue brushes against your clitâup, down, side to sideâeverywhere. god, you feel him everywhere. after a few licking and sucking moments, he pulls away and rubs his thumb against your clit. he spits on your pussyâletting his saliva drool down slowly.Â
you watch.Â
âyou like that, baby? you like when i spit in your pussy?â
tongue-tied, you nod obediently.Â
he grins before giving in again.Â
jungkook eats you up, devouring every inch of your pussy. before you know it, heâs shoving a finger inside you as he sucks on your clit. you almost yelp at the sensationâa feeling completely new to you.Â
âohhh⌠yeah⌠f-feels so good, jungkookâŚâ you moan, throwing your head back.Â
honestly, the added finger burns.Â
but heâs gentle with it. he moves his finger inside you with lots of intentions. he gradually shoves it in deeper and deeper too.. it just⌠it feels good.Â
so good.Â
you throw your head back and grab a fist full of his hair.Â
âuh, uhhhh⌠mhmfffphââ you moan. âohhhâŚ. f-fuckâŚâ
jungkook looks up and watches the way your lips twitch. how your body reacts to him eating you out⌠and it all just boosts his ego.Â
heâs so glad to be here.Â
jungkook then pulls away, taking his tongue out of the equation. he focuses on fingering you, making sure youâre enjoying the way it feels. you two catch each others gaze and continue to look into each others eyes.Â
as jungkook picks up the pace fingering you, you bite your lip and love the way his eyebrows furrow in concentration.Â
âf-fuck,â you utter. âiâm gonnaâo-ohhh!â
you cum on his fingers.Â
jungkook pulls them out, taking your cum and spreading it around your folds. he massages it in like lube before taking his fingers to his mouth.Â
he tastes you.Â
then, before you can catch your breath, jungkook leans down and kisses you.Â
he kisses you deeply.Â
when he pulls away, you ask; âc-can weâŚâ
jungkook chuckles.Â
âsoon,â he assures you, tucking your hair behind your ear. he presses his lips against your cheek.Â
then, his lips find yours with a hesitance that feels almost reverent, like heâs afraid to ruin something sacred. and then, slowly, he deepens the kissâtentative at first, but with a growing confidence that feels utterly jungkook.
itâs the kind of kiss that feels like discovery. like heâs studying every angle, every curve, every reaction, cataloging them in his mind like a scholar with his favorite subject. his hands hold you as if youâre delicate but unshakable all at once, his thumbs brushing tenderly against your jawline.
when he tilts his head, changing the angle, itâs with a deliberate slowness, as though heâs savoring the moment, pulling apart the layers of this kiss to commit it to memory. you can feel the way his lips curve faintly against yours, like heâs smiling, like heâs finding joy in every second of this new experiment.
and you realizeâheâs not just kissing you.Â
heâs learning you.
nerd.
you gasp when he pulls you closer, your arms instinctively wrapping around his body. his lips part slightly, and the way he kisses you now feels like a question, like heâs asking for something without saying a word.
heâs meticulous, like he wants to explore every inch of you through this kiss, leaving no detail untouched. the way he holds you is tender but firm, grounding you while setting your pulse on fire.
when he finally pulls back, his breathing is uneven, his forehead pressing lightly against yours. his eyes flutter open, and theyâre soft, full of something you canât quite name but feel all the same.
âi want you forever,â he murmurs, his voice low and thick with awe, as though heâs just unraveled the worldâs most beautiful equation.Â
you giggle at him. âgreat. can we start now?â
âway to kill the moodââ
âplease, for the love of god!â you squirm. âfuck me already.â
jungkook canât help but laugh.Â
but he gives in.Â
jungkook shifts out of his pants, revealing his hard cock.Â
you stare at it.
it's pretty.
it's thick all around and his tip looks like it's angry. you like the way it looks though... looks delicious. his cock has you completely mesmerized. you almost want to crawl to it but he saves you the journey as he brings it close to you.Â
truth be told, jungkook's a little nervous.. he doesn't want to fuck this up.
âyou knowâŚâ he begins, as he jerks himself off in front of you. âi want to be mean. like, really fucking mean. i want to make you beg. i want to make you choke on my fucking cock and have you scream my name butâfuck, ___⌠i look at you and i canâtâŚ. i canât even do all i want with our fucking foreplay because i fold so easily when it comes to you. you want me to fuck you? fine. iâll fuck you.â
âbe mean,â you whimper. âcome on. donât be a pussy. just because this is my first timeâf-fuck! holy shit, jungkookââ
jungkook has slowly puts his cock inside you.Â
you gasp for air.Â
he caresses your face as you adjust to him being inside you. then, he drags his tongue around your neck. he sucks on it a bit, causing you to grip the sheets.
âo-oh my⌠j-jungkookâŚâ
âyou okay, baby?â he asks, slightly moving himself in deeper.Â
you take a deep breath and exhale from your mouth. âf-fuckâŚâ
heâs so big.Â
you can feel every curve of his dick and vein. when his tip entered, it felt funny. like, uncomfortable but also really fucking good. as he begins to thrust in and out, you breathe through the sharpness of his movement.Â
âhurtsâŚâ you confess.Â
jungkook shifts, and kisses your neck. against your skin, he murmurs; âiâm sorry, baby⌠do you want me toââ
âno,â you tell him, as you open your legs wider. you wrap yourself around him and hold on tight. âthink⌠think iâm okay. can you move more?â
jungkook nods and kisses you once more.Â
he begins to fuck you.
slowly but surely⌠he begins to drill himself into you.Â
missionary isnât his favourite but having you this way⌠especially for your first time? god, did he love this. as you dig your nails into his back, you whimper every time he thrusts back inside you.Â
âf-fuck,â you moan. âjungkook⌠itâsâŚâ
âwhat?â he almost panics. âa-are you okay?â
âyeah,â you breathe. âit feels good now⌠can you⌠go harder?â
jungkook hisses, feeling like he could lose his mind.Â
âcan we switch position?â he pitches.
you agree.
jungkook then pulls out of you, and you suddenly feel the emptiness. he goes on his knees and takes you by your waist, guiding you to turn over and go on all fours.Â
doggy.Â
jungkook helps you position yourself before angling himself. he licks his hand and spreads your entrance. he then guides his dick inside you. as he begins to thrust, you suddenly feel him reach around and start to rub your clitâŚ
and oh my god.Â
does it feel heavenly.Â
âoh,â you hum. âfeels so good.â
jungkook leans over, and kisses your shoulder. as he pulls away, he takes his other hand and grabs a fistfull of your hair. he pulls your hair back and you moan at the tightness.Â
âyou like that, my little bitch?â he grunts as he fucks you.Â
he feels your pussy clench. then, he smriks.Â
âoh? you like being called a little bitch, huh?â jungkook then takes his hand off your clit and uses it to slap your ass. "my fucking cockslut. always so fucking horny but you're just a little dirty minded virgin, right? not anymore, okay? i'm taking it. taking all your sticky fucking cum. you're all mine, baby. you know that, right? you're mine, bitch."
smack.Â
your pussy tightens around his cock again.Â
smack.Â
you moan his name.Â
âjungkookâŚâ
he inshales shaprly and moves both hands and grabs your waist. he pulls you into him with each trust, adding more intensity.Â
jungkook fucks you harder and harder and you canât help but love the way it feels. you moan his name, whimpering pleads like; âplease⌠please, fuck me harder.â you canât help it⌠itâs the way that his hard cock feels inside you that make you say shit like that. itâs the way that his hands roam around your body and you feel him everywhere⌠because he is everywhere.Â
his mind goes dizzy.Â
he goes blank actually.Â
then, when you reach back and wrap your arms around the back of your thighsâjungkook feels like he might lose it.Â
how do you know how to move like that?
god, youâre so hot.Â
âmhmm. thatâs itâŚ. fucking me so good, nerd.â
then, jungkook loses it.Â
like⌠really.Â
he fucks you harder and harder until youâre whimpering his name and almost near tears. he doesnât realize how hard heâs fucking you until youâre near climaxâ
âiâm cumming!â you cry. âbaby, iâm gonnaâahh, a-ahhh! fuck..â
it happens so fast.Â
suddenly, you cum and you lose your balance.Â
jungkook helps you lay down properly. he gets on top, continuing to fuck you in missionary. he fucks you through your orgasm. as you catch your breath, you feel him hiss against your skin.Â
âfuck.â
just then, jungkook pulls out.Â
as he jerks himself off, you tug on his hand and pout at him. he tilts his head, a little confused but quickly catches on.Â
âcum right on me?â
(i mean, camaraderie)
a few seconds later, jungkook straddles your face.Â
he places his dick inside you mouth and you focus on licking the tip of his dick. you do it softly, not adding much pressure. it sends shivers down his spine⌠then, you use the topside of oyur tongue to add more stimulation. you dig your face deep, licking his balls a little.Â
he moans.Â
you suck him offâslow but so fucking intense.Â
jungkook canât take it.
he places one hand on the back of your head and helps control how deep you take him.Â
his dick reaches the back of your throat and itâs fucking toe-curling for jungkook. you take him in so good. as you suck him off, he canât help but not last long.Â
âahhâaahhhh.. f-fuckââ jungkook moans deeply. ânghhh.... fuck, ___! holy fucking shit...â
jungkook pulls out seconds later and cums all over your face.
as his cum drips down your face, you catch it with your finger and look at it.Â
âohh,â you pant. âthatâs what cum looks likeâŚâ
jungkook rolls his eyes at you before dipping his head low and kissing you. you two laugh as you pull away, completely in disbelief of everything that had just happened.
1 month later...
âyouâre such a bad boyfriend,â you say, crossing your arms dramatically as you sit on the couch, watching jungkook fiddle with the back of your laptop.
he pauses, turning his head slowly to look at you over his shoulder. his glasses are sliding down his nose, his hair is a bit messy from pushing it back so many times, and he looks entirely unimpressed.
âbad boyfriend?â he repeats, sounding genuinely offended. âyou asked me to fix your laptop. i'm a chem major, not tech.â
âsmart boyfriends are supposed to be well rounded."
he glares at you. "again. you asked me to fix your laptop. i'm doing my best, baby."
"yeah, but like... i asked you over an hour ago,â you tease, leaning back and pretending to sigh. âyouâve been ignoring me ever since.â
âignoring you?â he scoffs, turning back to the tangled mess of wires. âiâm literally upgrading your RAM so you can stop complaining about how slow it is. if anything, iâm the best boyfriend.â
you hum thoughtfully, pretending to consider it. âdebatable. the best boyfriend wouldnât make me sit here in silence while he nerds out over motherboards or whatever.â
âokay, first of all,â he says, setting the screwdriver down and turning to you fully now, âitâs not âwhatever.â this is your motherboardâs lifeline. without it, you donât get to binge your little dramas.â
âso youâre saying youâre not doing this for meâyouâre doing it for the laptop?â
âiâm doing it so you donât keep stealing my ipad to âwatch just one more episodeâ and kill my battery in two hours,â he fires back, but thereâs a little smirk tugging at the corner of his lips now.
you tilt your head, grinning. âi think you just proved my point.â
âfine,â he says, pulling his glasses off and tossing them onto the table. âwhat do i have to do to reclaim my best boyfriend title, huh? flowers? chocolates? fixing this annoying laptop isnât enough?â
âhmm,â you pretend to think. âiâd say⌠maybe you stop being a nerd for five minutes and come cuddle me instead.â
he rolls his eyes but moves toward you anyway, tugging you into his lap without hesitation.
âthere,â he says, wrapping his arms around you as you snuggle into his chest. âam i forgiven, or do i need to sit in front of a claw machine and lose $200 again?â
âhmm,â you hum, grinning as you tap your chin. âhello kitty does look a little lonely. but maybe she deserves a friend when you really screw up.â
âyouâre planning for that?â he asks, incredulous.
ânot planning,â you tease, shrugging. âjust preparing. iâve already picked cinnamon roll for when you really drop the ball.â
he stares at you for a long moment, narrowing his eyes. âyou know, this feels like extortion. i bet you mess with me on purpose just to stock up on plushies.â
âmaybe,â you say sweetly, poking his cheek. âbut you canât prove it.â
he sighs, leaning his head back against the couch dramatically.
âgreat. iâm dating a scam artist.â
âyouâre dating a genius,â you correct, grinning.
âgenius or not,â he counters, tightening his hold on you, âyouâre stuck with me.â
you tilt your head up to look at him, biting back a laugh at the slight pout on his lips.
âwow, jungkook, thatâs so nerdy of you.â
he groans, letting his head fall against your shoulder.
âiâm never fixing your laptop again. let me know when you need help naming all the isomers of butanolâ"
"baby, did you hear that?"
"hear what?"
"you put the dolphins to sleep. good job! yay, your marine conservation bullshit finally came in handyâ"
"wanna break up?"
"meanie."
"you're mean."
"sure, let's break up," you tell him. "how about never?"
"never?" jungkook asks, tucking your hair behind your ears. "sounds good."
you glance at him, a playful smirk tugging at your lips.
"it's you, me, and the fucking dolphins forever, nerd."
#bts mini series#bts fic#bts jk fanfic#bts jk fic#jk fic rec#jk fic#jk smut#jungkook smut#jungkook x yn#jk e2l#jungkook fluff#jungkook f2l#jungkook scenario#jungkook imagine
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Yandere! Mr. Crawling
Content: SFW hcs + Established relationship + Overprotection + Manipulation + Baby trapping + clingy! Mr. Crawling + Gaslighting + Somnophilia + Stalking + Death + Breeding kink + Slight size difference.
Summary: Human! Mr. Crawling who tries to keep his deep love secret from you
Note: I hope all of you are having a good day!! I'm trying to do my essays but they're so boring... Let me know if you have any suggestions/things you want to say to me, I love answering to people!!
SFW:
Human! Mr. Crawling who falls in love as soon as he sees your face.
Human! Mr. Crawling who decides to try and keep you safe and protect you from all possible dangers. This ranges from leaving small gifts for you, buying you something to eat when he hears a rumble close to him, or buying you a drink if he has seen you working so hard on keeping up with all the classes, to sometimes intimidating the other guys that kept trying to get closer to you.
Human! Mr. Crawling who tries his hardest to speak to you, even if it's just a few words to make sure you know he's listening to you. Nodding his head and keeping his eyes completely focused on your face.
Human! Mr. Crawling who tries to make himself look smaller, crunching a bit and walking with his back a bit arched, not something that can be easily noticeable for others, but just enough to reduce the height difference between the two of you.
Human! Mr. Crawling who is finally able to make you feel safe with him, allowing him to get into your bedroom, even to the point of making a sleepover. He just had to try his hardest not to act in any weird manner.
Human! Mr. Crawling who keeps following you like a lost puppy. You can almost see two ears and a tail appear when he acts like a small puppy, being easily excited when you compliment him, even if it's for the smallest things.
Yandere! Mr. Crawling who begins to feel how his pure love becomes something more twisted the moment he realises more people keep getitng interested in you. He looks so kind when you look at him, but as soon as you turn your head, his gaze becomes much darker, his expression is always serious, his brows slightly furrowed as he tries to keep himself restrained.
Yandere! Mr. Crawling who takes advantage of you great "friendship" and starts to try and get rid of your friends. He keeps on interrupting when you meet with your other friends, creating different reasons why he just couldn't wait to meet you, as he truly needed you.
Yandere! Mr. Crawling who takes advantage of his sickly aspect to make you worry about him, calling you to ask you for small gestures, making sure that they are small enough to avoid you from refusing him.
Yandere! Mr. Crawling who is finally able to ask you out. He made sure to get rid of each and all your friends who could get in the way of your relationships, after all, he is everything you need, right?
NSFW:
Yandere! Mr. Crawling who had already seen you way before both of you met each other in class, his phone filled to the brim with pictures of you. The fact that most of them involve you in embarrasing positions while the rest are of your sleeping face. They definitely have no effect on him, hell no (just ignore the raging bulge he gets from seeing your lips slightly parted, totally normal reaction).
Yandere! Mr. Crawling who put a small chip on your phone while you were sleeping. How was he supposed to keep you safe if he didn't know where you were the whole day? Don't be so dramatic, he was just doing it for your sake :((
Yandere! Mr. Crawling who killed someone in front of you. He was stalking you around town when he saw that strange man grabbing you by your wrist and taking you to the closest dark alley. Before he could think, his hands were already gripping his throat, his face turning blue as his grasp got even stronger. When he finally was sure that man was no longer alive, he turned around, a happy smile on his lips as he waited for your compliments. He was now on his real height, allowing you to notice how he was over one head and a half taller than you, despite that, he made you pet his hair, forcing you to smile as the body of the strange man got colder.
Yandere! Mr. Crawling whose obsession only increases the moment the two of you decide to date. His arms are now always around your waist, his hands always touching you, no matter if you are alone or in front of other people. He just loves hugging you from behind, his dick rubbing against your ass, grinding against you as soon as he saw you do something he didn't like.
Yandere! Mr. Crawling who forces his cock inside you, filling you load after load just to prove that you're truly his one and only. He doesn't stop until he sees his seed dripping from your hole, your eyes rolling to your skull with fat tears rolling down your cheeks from the overstimulation.
Yandere! Mr. Crawling who keeps blabbering about impregnating you during sex, he doesn't even care about your gender, he WILL impregnate you. He will defy Mother Nature for you, filling you one after the other and not pulling out until the next morning.
Yandere! Mr. Crawling who masturbates with your clothes the moment he misses you, he doesn't care if you have been away for barely a few hours, he just misses his sweet darling so much :(( Not his fault that your clothes are filled with your sweet scent...
Yandere! Mr. Crawling who masturbates to your sleeping face while the both of you sleep together. He loves feeling you close to him, all relaxed as your expressions sometimes change to one of pure bliss... He hugs you from behind, beginning to grind against your ass as an attempt to keep himself in check. This of course doesn't work, which forces him to use his own hand to masturbate, slowly getting on top of you so he can get an extremely detailed view of your sleeping face.
#fanfiction#x reader#smut#homicipher headcanons#homicipher smut#homicipher#mr crawling#mr crawling x reader#mr crawling headcanons#yandere smut#yandere x reader#yandere x darling#male yandere
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Always
summary: you and Hyunjin have a peculiar relationship with your roommate Felix
pairing: est. relationship Hyunjin x fab!reader x roommate Felix
genre: sprinkle of fluff, smut-18+MDNI
word count: 2.7k
warnings: cockwarming, spanking, breeding kink, mention of pregnancy, partner sharing, unprotected sex (don't), multiple creampies, squirting, nipply play, dirty talk, use of term slut
notes: short, sweet, and filthy lol I just love hyunjin and felix omg
If you enjoyed, consider a reblog, comment, or like as it keeps me motivated âĄ
Divider by @saradika-graphics
Please do not copy, translate, modify, use, or repost this work without my permission. Šmoonchild9350 (2024)
Itâs the end of the day, the part where you start to wind down, your mind exhausted from the dayâs activities. Youâre sitting on your bed holding your penguin plushie as you scroll through your phone when you notice the time.
Seeing that it is almost seven, you sit up as excitement courses through you, your core clenching in anticipation for the evening thatâs in store.
Hyunjin will be home soon after a long day at work. You miss your boyfriend dearly, the hours long without him.
At the thought of seeing him soon, you get up out of bed and shimmy out of your sweatpants and panties, leaving yourself in only his oversized shirt, the hem barely grazing your thighs.
You pad to the door and open it, making your way to the living room where a certain blond is sitting, his eyes trained on the tvâŚthat is until you walk in.
At your entrance, Felix looks up and flashes the smile you have grown to love, all teeth and dimples, as he sets his phone down. He beckons you over, his tiny finger making a come hither motion as he invites you to sit on his lap.
You stand there for a moment, gazing at the beautiful man, your hands behind your back. You take him in, how the bulge within his grey sweats is ever enlarging, his cock twitching as you take one step forward.
âThatâs it, come here sweetheart,â Felix purrs as he pushes his hair out of his freckled face.
Youâre wet, incredibly so, as your body is trained almost like Pavlovâs dog. At the stroke of seven, you become horny, the thought of cock filling you up making the feeling almost unbearable.
You arrive in front of Felix and giggle, as your cheeks flush at the sight of the blond.
âReady sweetheart?â Felix asks, his hands reaching into his sweats to pull his cock out, giving it a few strokes as he spreads the precum thatâs leaking from the tip around.
You nod as you take in his hard cock, perfect and chubby, all ready for you.
He holds it steady as you straddle his legs and bring your core to his length. Felix helps you line his cock with your entrance as you experimentally lower yourself, sighing at the stretch his tip provides.
You left your hips up before bringing them down once more, this time taking all of him. You let out a whimper at feeling full, your pussy keeping his member nice and snug within your wet walls.
You wrap your arms around Felix and nuzzle your head in the crook of his neck as he holds you close. You just sit there, feeling his chest rise and fall with each breath, reveling in the comfort of being in Felixâs arms.
You relax further as his hands sneak beneath your shirt, his fingers gently trailing your back as he continues to watch the show on the tv screen.
And so it goes. You and your boyfriend have a particular arrangement with Felix, your roommate. He joined your little abode around a year ago, all sunshine and happiness, and thankful for you both taking him in.
As time went on and you three became closer, feelings of friendship turning into something a little more with each passing day. You were already dating Hyunjin, and Felix knew that, but he couldnât let his feelings go to waste, confessing one day while at movie night.
You remember looking at Hyunjin, a smirk forming on your face at the confession. Little did Felix know that you both liked Felix too and were more than willing to open up your relationship to include him.
Felix was delighted, as the best case scenario played out. However, before he could get too excited, Hyunjin laid down some ground rules.
The first rule he imposed was you were his at the end of the day and only his, but Felix can enjoy the perks of having you close by, whatever those perks may be. He also demanded that Felix prep you and get you ready for him before he got home.
Felix readily agreed, as he got to be with you, feel you, and that was more than he had bargained for.
So here he was, âpreppingâ you by having you warm his cock. He loved how you felt around him, your pussy always warm and wet, your slick dripping down onto his pants, forming a constantly enlarging wet spot.
You both sat there for a while, waiting for the door to open and for Hyunjin to walk in. However, you were starting to feel needy, Felixâs cock feeling too good within you. You knew you were playing with fire, but decided to proceed, needing some type of relief as you waited for your love.
Smirking against Felixâs neck, you clenched down on his length while pressing wet kisses to his neck, a soft whimper escaping your lips.
Felixâs breath hitched for a moment before he recovered, lightly tapping your ass and gripping the flesh tight. You grinned before repeating the motion, this time feeling his cock twitch within you as he let out a low groan at the sensation. Felix gently rocked your hips over his cock, his length dragging deliciously against your walls.
You gripped his neck tighter as you breath caught, hoping he would do it again. However, Felix recovered, remembering that Hyunjin gets to have you first.
âBehave,â he said, his deep voice rumbling deep within his chest and flowing to your ears.
You let out a sigh, as you lightly nipped his skin, Felix jumping at the slight pain. Youâre not sure how much longer you could wait, needing to move, to gain any type of friction to ease your aching pussy.
As you thought of moving again, the door opened and in walked Hyunjin. You watched as he dropped his bags and kicked off his shoes before walking over to the living area. He smiled at seeing the two of you, wrapped in an intimate embrace, as you warmed Felixâs cock.
âYou two are adorable,â Hyunjin cooed, taking out his phone to snap a picture, wanting to add it to his ever growing collection of his two favorite people.
Hyunjin continued to gaze at you two, the blood flowing to his cock as he took in your flushed cheeks, your disheveled hair as you continued to nuzzle your head in the crook of Felixâs neck. He took in Felix, his eyes dilated and veins prominent on his hands as he gripped your ass tighter. He knew how Felix felt, your pussy too warm, wet, and just perfect.
âReady love?â Hyunjin asked, walking closer to you.
You nodded your head, keeping your face tucked into Felixâs neck as Hyunjin wrapped his arms around your waist. You let out a moan as Hyunjin lifted you off of Felixâs cock, the sudden emptiness making your walls contract as he carried you bridle style to your bedroom.
He laid you down on the soft sheets and began stripping his clothes off, his eyes on you the whole time. You watched as his cock sprang free, as he dragged his sweats down his thick thighs, licking your lips at the sight.
âTake your shirt off love, you know the drill,â Hyunjin commanded as he stood before you in all his glory.
You shuffled to take the garment off, your tits now on display for your lover. You leaned back and fondled the flesh, watching as Hyunjin stroked his length.
âMm spread your legs love, show me your pussy,â Hyunjin said, as he bit his plush lips.
He let out a moan as you spread your legs, your folds parting and displaying your wet entrance and puffy clit. You whimpered as you swiveled your hips, wanting to touch yourself to ease the ache. However, you didnât dare touch what was his, wanting him to have his fill first.
âThatâs it love, such a pretty pussy just for me.â
Hyunjin approached you, as he slotted himself between your legs. He leaned over you, his body hovering over yours as caged you in, his lips finding purchase against yours. He kissed you passionately as he brought his cock to your entrance, pushing the tip in with a swift motion.
You moaned loudly against his mouth as his cock speared you open, your pussy welcoming him in with no hesitation. Hyunjin smirked at your reaction as he snapped his hips into yours once, twice, as he pushed your body up against the bed with the force each thrust. He set a fast pace, as he pounded into you, his hips withdrawing until his cock was almost out of your pussy before slamming back in.
Loud moans rang through the room, as Hyunjin fucked you, so loud youâre sure Felix could hear you from the living room. However, that was part of the thrill, the thought of Felix with his cock out, his hands stroking his length, the thought of fucking you at the forefront of his mind.
You squealed as Hyunjin adjusted his hips, the new angle causing his cock to brush against your sweet spot with each thrust, the drag sending little shockwaves through your core.
You tried to say his name, but nothing came out, your mouth left wide open as Hyunjin brought you closer to your orgasm.
Hyunjin could tell you were close, as your walls clenched around him, attempting to keep him deep inside you. He listened intently as you mumbled words, the syllables barely audible as you became cock drunk, chanting that you need his cock and donât stop.
He could never get used to your pussy, how wet you get as he fucks you, as Felix teases you as you cockwarm him every night. Your pussy was made for him, stretching perfectly to accommodate him.
âCum in me,â you whimpered, hoping he would not pull out like he usually does.
You wanted to be filled, to have his cum stuffed within you, so much so that it leaks out and doesnât stop.
Hyunjin was shocked at first, but quickly recovered, grinning at your words, more than happy to oblige.
âMy love wants me to fill her up, breed her good hmm?â Hyunjin asked as he swiveled his hips against yours.
âYes, baby please, breed me,â you whined as you locked your legs around his ass pulling him as close as you could.
Hyunjin sought out your lips, pressing sloppy kisses to them as he continued to grind into you, the neatly trimmed hairs rubbing against your clit with each thrust. He felt like he would go insane as your walls clamped around him, urging him to cum, your tits rubbing against his chest perfectly, adding extra stimulation to his sensitive nipples. He placed his lips right at your ear as he continued to whisper dirty words to you.
âFuck this pussy, love. Gonna cum, breed this pussy so good that itâll stick and make you a mommy.â
At that you let out a loud cry, the thought of carrying Hyunjinâs child causing you let go, your orgasm wrecking through your body. You clutched onto him as he continued to fuck you through your high, his pace never faltering.
You whispered in his ear, your litany of his name causing him to moan as he came, spurt after spurt of his cum painting your walls white.
You rocked your hips against his thrusts, holding him close as he finished emptying himself within you. With a shaky breath he stilled, collapsing gently on top of you.
You laid there for a while, your breathing slowly going back to normal as Hyunjin pressed lazy kisses to your neck.
âWeâre not done yet love,â Hyunjin finally whispered in a sultry voice.
He got up, withdrawing his now softened cock from your core. You could feel his cum slowly seep out, the trickle forming a sticky path down your ass. Hyunjin tutted at the sight, his finger gathering his cum before stuffing it back inside of you.
âNeed that to stick donât we? Keep it in love.â Hyunjin warned as he gave you a stern look.
You nodded in agreement, as he maneuvered behind you. He brought you back against his chest, his arms wrapping around you snuggly. He pressed a kiss to your hair whispering sweet nothings as you both rested in the moment as two.
âFelix,â Hyunjin called shortly after, his arms still wrapped around you as he cradled your body.
The blond opened the door and walked in, a smile plastered on his freckled face.
âSounds like Hyunjin took good care of you sweetheart,â Felix cooed as he got undressed. âThink you can take me too?â
You knew it was a rhetorical question as you would take his cock regardless but you answered nonetheless, wanting to please Felix.
âGive me your cock Lix,â you said, spreading your legs wide for him. Hyunjin gripped your thighs, bringing them to your chest to keep you open for him. Felix wasted no time slotting himself between your legs, his eyes trained on your swollen pussy.
âWould you look at that, youâre dripping in cum,â he teased. âLetâs just push that back in,â Felix grunted as he slid his cock into your pussy, a loud squelch echoing throughout the room as his cock pushed Hyunjinâs cum further inside you.
âYouâre so wet sweetheart, take it all yeah?â Felix grunted as he slid his cock in and out in and out, your pussy letting both men know how wet you were with each thrust.
You whimpered as Felix began to pound into you, your eyes on his beautiful face. Your walls clenched at the sight of him falling apart above you, his hair falling in his face with the exertion.
You were about to reach up and grasp his face when Hyunjin let go of your legs and pinched your nipples, the jolt of pain sending waves of pleasure straight to you core.
âAhh!â You moaned as Hyunjin toyed with your nipples, his fingers alternating between brushing against them and pinching them.
âIs Felix fucking you good love? Keep those legs open,â Hyunjin said, his voice right at your ear.
âMm yes!â You said as you took a shaky breath.
âLove this pussy, just taking me. Look at that, sucking me right in,â Felix groaned his eyes trained on your walls stretching over his cock.
âNot gonna last long sweetheart, gonna cum, gonna give you my cum yeah?â
Hyunjin chuckled, his breath tickling your ear. âHear that love? Gonna let Felix breed you full too?â
You were floating at his words, wanting nothing more than Felixâs cum within you.
âLix give me your cum,â you begged as you spread your legs even wider, keeping them open just like Hyunjin instructed.
âDamn sweetheart, Hyunjinâs cum not enough for you that you need mine too? Are you our little cum dump?â Felix teased as he smirked.
You nodded quickly, little âmmmsâ leaving your lips.
As Hyunjin continue to play with your tits, he said in a low voice, âmy little slut, gonna let Felix breed you too. Fill you up, give you his baby hmm?â
At the thought of carrying their babies, not knowing who the father was, you let out a loud whine, as you squirted, your walls contracting rhythmically around Felixâs cock.
The feel of you clamping down on him, holding him in tipped him over the edge, his cum filling your pussy, the fluid mixing with Hyunjinâs.
You whimpered as he pulled out, a gush of fluid leaking out down your ass and onto the sheets. You preened as Hyunjin whispered praises in your ear, his hands softly stroking your sides.
You watched as Felix left to go find a towel, returning shortly after leaving. He helped clean you off, before pressing a soft kiss to your lips.
âGood night sweetheart,â Felix said as he gave you a smile. He then got up and snatched his clothes, leaving to go back to his room.
âLetâs get you ready for bed. Get under the blankets love,â Hyunjin said as he helped you maneuver under the warm fabric.
He got in next to you and pulled you close. You were on the verge of sleep when Hyunjin broke the silence.
âI hope it really did stick and youâre carrying one of our babies.â
You didnât say anything but laid there thinking about what he said. You wouldnât be mad but actually happy at the thought as you loved both of the boys.
And that was a thought that you knew would always remain.
Taglist: @jehhskz @jeonginsleftcheek @simpforleeknaur @armystay89 @palindrome969 @slut4hee @ivydoesit23 @amarecerasus @kaysungshine @fun-fanfics @baby-stay92 @velvetmoonlght @possum-playground
#stray kids smut#stray kids x reader#hyunjin smut#hyunjin x reader#felix smut#felix x reader#hwang hyunjin smut#hwang hyunjin x reader#lee felix smut#lee felix x reader#skz smut#skz x reader#stray kids fanfic#stray kids fluff#hyunjin fluff#felix fluff#hyunlix smut#hyunlix x reader#hyunlix fanfic#stray kids imagines#stray kids#stray kids hard thoughts#stray kids hard hours
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serpent hybrid hyunjin 2 đąđ
his venom doesn't have the effects to kill you, instead you find your body craving for him...and his eggs
@seo--changbin gave me brainrot
reblogging > liking
part 1
-contains mature themes (idk wtf possessed me while thinking of breeding and monster cocks aaaa)
its been a while since changbin's come over to your apartment. the rabbit hybrid had grown buffer. stronger, with his muscles quite literally bulging from his armsleeves.
hyunjin and him being the best of friends. an unusual friendship between a serpent and his prey.
lithe and tall versus buff and small.
you couldn't help but ogle at bin's wide upper body, sipping on some tea while you listened to their conversation.
it only lasts for a few minutes, and you stare at hyunjin. taking in the sight of your boyfriend. his scales shining under the light. the newly grown scales on his collarbones giving him a sleeker appearance.
you gulped, watching his long slender tail swish around mindlessly on the floor. eyes wandering to the way he sat on the couch.
legs parted and maybe...just maybe you could see the outline of his length. well his 'lengths'. mentally slapping yourself as you tried to look away.
"hyun...need your help" you say, already going to the kitchen. smiling at changbin. hearing hyunjin saunter into the other room without even questioning why you were calling him there.
"you look too handsome. kiss me."
grabbing his collar, pulling him down to kiss you. a surprised noise leaving him but he laughs. giving you a firm kiss.
"should we buy some pizza for dinn-"
you cut him off, with another kiss. looping your arms around his neck to jump on him. he holds you up, groaning at the sudden eagerness.
firmly squeezing your thighs. pulling away to press a palm over your mouth.
"whats up with you?" he cocks an eyebrow. truly confused with your behaviour.
you bring your hands up to touch his lips. poking his canines. they had grown longer, much sharper.
"not now. later." he lets out. and you feel your mind shut off with how sternly he warns you. whining into his neck.
its only when bin leaves that you realise why you're feeling so desperate.
were you ovulating?
was it just him being hot?
a part of you wondered if it was because he playfully bit you in the morning?
"come here." hyunjin calls out after an hour. finding you sprawled out on the bed with no thoughts in your brain.
standing at the edge of the bed, with his hands on his hips.
"i think you made me horny..." you mumble, staring at the ceiling. lower abdomen burning with want.
he hisses softly.
"this is not normal horny...this is horny on another level..."
glancing at him and you close your thighs. panties soaked. every part of your body screaming for him.
"is it cause i bit you?" hyunjin asks.
his tail wrapping around your ankle casually. and he pulls you closer to him. the display of strength leaving you breathless.
"you're a black mamba. shouldn't i die if you inject me with venom?" you whisper, unconciously spreading your legs apart.
watching as his eyes go down to your panties. the shirt you had on was his.
"so you're saying my venom is actually a 'fuck me please' aphrosidiac ?" hyunjin lets out, letting his finger prod over your panties. feeling how wet you were getting.
"hyun....give it to me"
"give what to you, baby?"
"give me it all"
"what all do you mean, sweetheart?"
"your babies...your e-eggs"
and hyunjin chokes on his spit. the grip his tail has on your leg tightens. watching you with a sharp gaze. tongue peeking out every few seconds . tasting the air.
"god, whats wrong with you" and he pulls you closer.
using the tip of his tail to push your panties to the side. hissing at how you're practically dripping. a mess between your thighs.
"h-hyunjinnn"
"mh?" tail slipping and sliding against your slit. bumping into your clit. chuckling at the way your legs close around it. but he continues poking at your cunt.
"hyunjin!" you whine, awkwardly trying to grind onto his appendage. gasping when he forces your legs apart.
the same musky smell filling the room. his tongue growing longer, fangs peeking through.
"fuck. my heat's creeping up on me" he groans, dropping his head down to exhale heavily. his scales appearing more bolder.
"your smell...you smell fucking delicious" and you whimper. watching as he tastes the air, eyes closing.
"are you gonna eat me mister snake?" you tease nervously. squeaking at the expression he makes.
obviously turned on with you acting so hopeless.
a predator and his prey.
.
.
.
writhing at the mere slide of his girth against your insides. bumps on his length hooking onto your walls.
forcing him to thrust into you with short movements. gripping your thighs with clawed fingers. leaving his marks on your body.
"yeah? i don't usually fuck my prey before eating them whole" the serpent grunts.
a long hiss slipping past his lips. throwing his head back at the feeling of your cunt pulling him in. squeezing his dicks and coating them with arousal.
"h-hyun" you cry, body overheating with how much you wanted. this wasn't enough. you needed to feel him in your cervix.
this wasn't how you'd act. was it really his venom?
"shhh~" as he sits on his haunches. fucking into you harder. his pupils turning into pretty slits. taking in the sight of your body reacting so well to him.
shivering when he places a claw on your breastbone. gently sliding it down to where your uterus would be. and he draws slow circles over the skin.
"want me here, don't you~" and you nod aggressively, not expecting him to slide his finger lower.
placing the pad of his calloused finger over your clit gently. his thrusts having you slide up on the bed and back down.
"you'll take my eggs like a good mate would, won't you, my precious.."
gathering your slick and pinching at your swollen bundle of nerves.
grinning lazily when you let out a little scream. squirming at his tortorous teasing. cooeing as you beg for him.
hands flying down to weakly hold onto his wrist. but he's strong and only flicks your clit meanly.
.
.
.
to say its a weird sensation is an understatement. his hand intertwined with yours, calming you down as one of his dick throbs.
stuffed so deep inside you that when you feel the first egg, its another sensation of fullness.
filling you with more cum while he pumps another into you. maybe soft shelled eggs weren't that bad.
the third egg, however makes you whine at the stretch. a tinge of discomfort.
gasping at how his tail seems to have a mind of its own. wrapping around your ankle and quite literally spreading your legs apart. hooking your left leg over his shoulder.
"m'here. f-fuck taking me so well" hyunjin praises. pressing down on your lower abdomen. revellling in the way you keep it in.
"no venom for you next time" he chuckles, and you breath heavily. overwhelmed with everything. body buzzing with pure pleasure and satisfaction.
"m-more" you tease. laughing at how his eyes widen. going back to normal.
"MORE?!"
.
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.
.
.
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.
plz i love snakie hyunnie so much. its an obsession at this point. soft serpent hyunnie drabble coming soon hopefullyyyy
#serpent hyunjin#snake hybrid hyunjin#snake hyunjin#stray kids hybrids#stray kids hybrid#stray kids hybrid au#stray kids smut#skz smut#stray kids imagines#skz imagines#skz drabbles#stray kids headcanons#skz x reader#hyunjin imagines#hwang hyunjin smut#hyunjin smut#hwang hyunjin imagines#snake hybrid ! hyunjin#dom hyunjin#bang chan smut#lee minho smut#FUCK I LOVE SNAKE HYUNJIN SO MUCH#fluffylino works#fluffylino's masterlist#fluffylino's favourites âď¸#stray kids monster#fucking?!?!??!?!#hyunjin big dick AAAAA
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I love this analysis. It makes me think about how when Will is prepared to shoot Clark Ingram in the stable, Hannibal makes him stop, saying "It won't be the same, it won't feel like you're killing me." Because Will was about to try to shoot a proxy -- it's been established that Ingram was Peter's Hannibal, in a way, the person who claimed caring friendship but instead betrayed and framed him. Will had already dealt in proxies to try killing Hannibal, and it brought no satisfaction.
A personal killing is something sacred and honorable. You use a special weapon, an implement that is part of a larger schema of caring and connectedness -- for acts of violence that are close to one's soul. I would go so far as to surmise this: Hannibal feels deeply that to engage in more proxy killing would be harmful to Will's soul. For Will it must be his hands or a blade. Nothing else would be honorable or worthy.
You know, I was thinking about Hannibalâs insistence on Will using his hands. I mean, that was practically an arc in and of itself. It got me to thinking about how Will habitually uses guns. Theyâre impersonal, etc. And Iâm thinking itâs important to note that Will WANTS to treat weapons as tools. He WANTS to distance himself. Certainly, thatâs for different reasons at different times, but the point still stands.
But forgiveness isnât a gun, not to Will. Forgiveness is a blade. And thatâs very important for me to note.
Hannibal would never use a gun. Itâs not that I donât think he could, per se. In fact I have every confidence that Hannibal probably knows how to use one, at least theoretically. But I donât think itâs just pretentiousness that keeps Hannibal from using one, and I donât think itâs just a sadism thing. It has to do with it being personal.
Hannibalâs aunt (who is mentioned in the show), Lady Murasaki, is Japanese. Sheâs the one who Hannibal inherits the armor from, and the swords. And man, there is TRADITION there. How and when you clean a sword. How you treat the sword generally. You bow to the sword. (Iâm not kiddingâwe still do this in iaido. You bow to the lowliest cheap bokken like mine or the genuine samurai katana my sensei has. Even in kendo, where the sword is bamboo and not a real katana, you still donât step over it, lean it with its tip on the ground, or point it at someone you donât intend to fight. The idea that it is a part of you and representative of your actions is very real.) If the katana is on your hip, you have a hand on it. If itâs not on your hip, itâs never more than five feet from you. That sword was probably blessed by one or more priests and prayed over during its forging. A sword was said to contain part of a samuraiâs soul. Lady Murasaki was fully aware of that and cleaned the armor and the swords religiously, and passed that knowledge on to Hannibal.
So what Iâm saying is, Hannibal was made aware of these myths and blade traditions at a young age. No wonder, then, that he so clearly prefers knives and hands over anything that puts distance between himself and the act of killing itself. No wonder he pushes Will to abandon them, if to Hannibal, Willâs heart, Willâs SOUL was so clearly not in the act.
Not to mentionâthis makes Willâs method of forgiveness in Dolce that much more interesting. Forgiveness is a blade, to Will. Itâs safe to say his heart is in it.
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Wanting for More (Ekko x gn!reader)
Warnings: None
Genre: Fluff
Fandom: Arcane
Summary: Ekko sees you asleep and covers you with a blanket
Word count: 767
â˘â˘â˘
You both had lost track of time, that was obvious. You two had been working on something in Ekko's workplace for a few hours, and a while ago you decided to take a break and lie down for a bit.
He'd been really concentrated in his work, but he suddenly realized he hadn't heard you in a while, so he decided to take a look at you, only to find out you'd fallen asleep. He couldn't help but smile at the sight of you, looking so peaceful and dreamy. This wasn't the first time Ekko got lost in his thoughts while staring at you, it was quite common actually, or it had been lately at least.
There was something more than just friendship between you two, you both knew that. But neither of you had the courage to do something about it, and both of you were scared, too. It seemed easier to not act on your feelings and just enjoy the relationship you already had, but the wanting for more was starting to be unbearable for him. He wanted you to be his, as much as he wanted to be yours.
No one understood him like you did, and no one supported him and trusted him like you did. You two had known each other for years now, since you were one of the first ones to join the Firelights, and from that day his life was never the same again. Ekko was genuinely happy when you were around, he saw hope in you, maybe even a future together. When you two were together, he wasn't the Firelights' leader, he was just Ekko, he could relax around you. In a world like yours, having someone like that was a privilege.
He got out of his thoughts when he realized you were curled up into a ball, clearly cold. He quickly got up and looked for a blanket, and when he found it he covered you with it. He got down to your level, next to the bed, and put a strand of hair behind your ear, putting it away from your face and leaving his hand on your shoulder. He smiled again, feeling grateful for having you in his life and being able to share these little moments.
You got a bit startled by his touch and slowly opened your eyes, seeing Ekko at eye level with you.
"Hey," you said in almost a whisper, and he replied with a shy smile. "How long have I been asleep?"
"I have no idea, I just found you a couple minutes ago", he replied, while caressing your shoulder a bit.
You still felt sleepy, but you could see how tired he was, his eyes could never lie, and definitely not to you.
"You should get some sleep, Ekko", you told him. "Here, I'll move so you can fit in here." You did as you said, leaving space for him to hop on the bed and lie down next to you. This wasn't uncommon between the two of you, but lately the tension in these moments had become obvious, even if you tried to ignore it. Still, you were so tired you didn't really care right now, you just wanted to go back to sleep.
"I should keep working."
"Just shut up and come here, working can wait." He was a very self-demanding person, but he knew you were right, so he took off his shoes and did as you said.
You ended up being face to face, and you could feel your heart beating really fast, like it was gonna explode. You closed your eyes and you rested your head on his shoulder. "Thank you for the blanket", you murmured, loud enough for him to hear.
"Anytime", he answered, wrapping his arm around you.
You closed your eyes and enjoyed his warmth and his touch, wishing you could stay like this forever. It didn't take long for you to fall asleep again, and he could tell from the way you were breathing. He gave you a little kiss on the forehead, savouring every second with you in his arms.
"You mean the world to me", he whispered. He imagined sleeping like this every night and couldn't help but smile. He knew life was hard and that the world was dangerous, but he also knew he couldn't live in fear and put a stop to his own life just to help and save others. He knew he had to tell you how he felt, and find a bit of hope with you amongst all the chaos that surrounded you.
â˘â˘â˘
okay so this is my first arcane post. i haven't written in a while so i'm a bit rusty and english is not my first language, but i hope you enjoy this!
requests are officially open for arcane characters, you can check my rules in my profile!
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| SYNOPSIS | genshin men as cliche love tropes.
| INCLUDING | Albedo, Diluc, Childe, Kaeya, Zhongli
| WARNINGS | modern/university au!, Kaeya's and Zhongli's are suggestive, age gap in Zhongli's, mentions of blood and obsession in Albedo's, mentions of death in Diluc's.
đđĽđđđđ¨ - áľáľáľáľâąĘłáľ áľâżáľ Ę°áľáľáľâż ËĄáľáľáľ.
ę¤ Albedo is quiet, reserved, typically someone you'd call a 'loner' in uni. he's super distant with everyone and seems to be repulsed by any form of interaction. mood, honestly.
ę¤ it was all until you came along of course. your blood smells divine, your thoughts are unreadable, everything about you seems so.. different. but not the kind of different he is.
ę¤ Albedo loathes the monster he truly is, which is why he's scared to approach you at first. he yearns for, craves an answer to why you stand out from everyone else; but for that, he has to push his thirst for your blood down his throat - which is way more difficult than it seemed at first.
ę¤ however, first and foremost, he doesn't want to scare his dinner you away! how could he seek answers if you were terrified of him? so, he starts showing up at places you usually go to. it doesn't feel like someone is watching you all the time at all...
ę¤ oh, this parasocial relationship he was in with you looked way creepier from 3rd person view. his behaviour is straight up concerning to others, and if someone didn't think he was weird before, now they do.
ę¤ when he finally manages to speak to you in chemistry class, his world turns upside down. your voice, your scent, the light in your eyes, the warmth of your body - each and every part of you just draws him in, chaining him to you in a way he never could have imagined in the past.
ę¤ the more time you spend with him, the less tense he gets around you, which leads to a big change in his behaviour. he eventually reveals his big secret with a lump in his throat, and - to his surprise - you take it well and accept him for who he is.
ę¤ naturally, he's very protective. not just out of jealousy, but because he understands how fragile humans are compared to him. expect him to be right behind you wherever you go (even if you complain about him scaring your friends away).
đđ˘đĽđŽđ - áśĘ°âąËĄáľĘ°áľáľáľ áľáľË˘áľ áś ĘłâąáľâżáľË˘.
᯽ your families were always extremely close, which is why you basically spent your entire childhoods together. your parents always joked about how you'll eventually end up marrying each other when you grow up.
᯽ even after Crepus' unfortunate passing, you two stay inseparable. Diluc changed a lot after that, but you understand and accept him the way he is; which is something he's eternally grateful for.
᯽ from day 1 of university, it's obvious for everyone that seeing either of you without the other is near impossible. and before you think there would be a bunch of rumours about you two dating, you're wrong. to others it's common knowledge that you're a couple.
᯽ it's not like you act like you are! but you look nothing alike, so that closes out the possibility of you being siblings and... what else could you be, really?
᯽ Diluc hears about this before you do. it makes him reflect on his feelings - maybe he does feel more than just friendship. you've been a part of his life since birth, after all. at first he tries to brush it off, convincing himself that it's simply familial love he feels for you. yet he can't help but look at you in a slightly different way after that, he becomes a lot more attentive to everything you say and do (he already was, but now even more so!).
᯽ after exploring his emotions in depth, his confession would be brief and confident in the comfort of his apartment. it catches you by surprise, but it also makes you extremely happy - for the past years you thought you were the loser for falling for your best friend!
đđĄđ˘đĽđđ - áľáľáľáľËĄáľĘł ËŁ ËĄáľâżáľĘł.
⌠'name someone on campus who doesn't have a crush on Childe' challenge, go! while it does seem impossible, there's one person that could not care less about the redhead - it's you of course.
⌠and when they say the seating plans can't be that horrible, he ends up getting seated next to the only person who doesn't bother to even look at him. how humiliating! well, it's even worse for you - since you're somewhat an enigma to him, he'll bother you all the damn time.
⌠the worst part is that he thinks he's doing you a favour by talking to you, since you don't have friends and all. he even offers to sit with you at lunch as a joke, which you immediately refuse. how can he even enjoy his meal with all these people trying to get his attention all the time?
⌠you don't humour him at all and it infuriates him. it lights something up inside of him that he can't quite place - he has the attention of the entire campus, yet he'd much rather try to get yours instead. you're hard to get and he loves it.
⌠luck shines upon him when you're assigned to work on a project with your seatmate. the deadline is in a month, so you know what that means! he has 30 days to win you over.
⌠he does everything, and i mean everything. he invites you over to 'work on the project' often, and since you do want to get this over with quickly, you can't possibly refuse. you notice him getting closer and closer in your personal space on each occasion, pushing his knee against yours, letting your hands touch, resting his head on your shoulder. all of this leading up to the faithful moment where he has his nose against yours, pulling you into the kiss he's been waiting for all this time.
⌠you have to admit that his charms did work on you after all. and he has to admit he prefers being with just you, far from the crowd he used to be in the center of.
đđđđ˛đ - ʸáľáľĘł áľáľË˘áľ áś Ęłâąáľâżáľ'ˢ áľËŁ.
âś his biggest mistake ever was choosing your friend over you when fate offered him two hotties at the senior party. he was drunk, okay? she seemed slightly more interested and willing to do nasty things with him, so... he went with the easier road.
âś well, he missed out BIG time. i'm not saying that your bestie is a bad person, no! but whenever you met up with him because your best friend wanted to spend time with the both of you at the same time, it became more and more obvious that he's much more compatible with you. he'd never show that of course.
âś your friend was devastated on the night of their breakup, calling you at ungodly hours just to cry on the phone to you. how sad. Kaeya didn't seem like a bad guy, you could only wonder what happened between them. funny thing is, your best friend did too. he didn't give her an actual reason for the breakup. he could never tell her that he was head over heels for her best friend.
âś he waits for a while. pouncing on you right after breaking up with your friend would be way too unethical and definitely suspicious. he still has your number though, and he knows that one place you usually get lunch from. he'll make a detailed, steadfast plan to get closer with you again - after all, you two haven't spoken since the day of the breakup.
âś he gradually starts with small gestures here and there. liking your posts (which he didn't do while he was in a relationship), saying hello when you walk past him in the hallway, sitting next to you in class when your bestie is absent. soon, he starts sending you tiktoks he thinks you might enjoy, starting small talk when he catches you alone, paying for your lunch when he gets the chance. he's more obvious than he intended to be, but he's impatient. and you catch on.
âś you didn't expect to be at his place one night, letting him see what he missed on his first opportunity, feeling so good but so guilty at the same time, knowing that your friend's heart would break for the second time if she found out.
âś so, you start dating in secret. he's awfully good at keeping a facade up. you only meet up at each other's place, anywhere in the city or on campus would be too risky. the walls have ears and eyes in university after all.
đđĄđ¨đ§đ đĽđ˘ - áľĘłáľáś áľË˘Ë˘áľĘł'ˢ ˢáľáśĘłáľáľ áś áľáľáľáľĘłâąáľáľ.
đ Mr. Zhongli has to be one of your favourite professors - you could very easily tell how much passion he has for the subjects he teaches, it was so motivating! i lied. he's just mad hot.
đ his hair tied back, his dark brown suit that looks like it was made just for him, the way his long, slender fingers held his pen... absolutely divine.
đ of course, the best way to get a teacher's attention is to either excel or underperform in their class and, well, the latter is way easier. he notices your lack of efforts when it comes to his subjects. intentional or not, it still needs to be talked about, so the day after your test, he asks you to stay behind for a minute (mission success).
đ he talks about how poorly your essay is written, how you should pay attention to both the structure and the factuality of your work. you obviously couldn't care less about that, being lost in the gold irises behind his glasses. he notices this and simply sighs.
đ never in his many years of teaching has a student try to get his attention this way, and he'd be ashamed to admit that it was working perfectly. your skirt being a bit too short during your one-on-one tutoring lessons, the buttons on your shirt that always seem to get loose, that look in your eyes when he's asking you to focus. he catches on. and he loves it.
đ Zhongli knows you're doing this on purpose, yet he doesn't cancel your tutorings. he also wants this, no matter how unacceptable it is from either of you. which is why you're sat on his lap, learning about the correct way to build an essay up, slightly shifting your position every now and then. he clears his throat and adjusts his glasses before grabbing your chin and turning your head back to the paper in front of you.
#genshin impact#genshin impact x reader#genshin x reader#albedo x reader#albedo headcanons#albedo#albedo genshin impact#albedo genshin#diluc x reader#diluc headcanons#diluc#diluc genshin impact#diluc genshin#childe#childe x reader#childe headcanons#tartaglia#tartaglia x reader#tartaglia headcanons#kaeya#kaeya x reader#kaeya headcanons#zhongli#zhongli x reader#zhongli headcanons
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I've been thinking a lot today about how easily people condemn Solas for making the choices he did or for so regularly refusing the help and love his friends or a romanced Lavellan extended to him and how that's a very easy thing to do from behind a screen in a fictional game where you are able to (with very few exceptions) curate a world in which your allies are loyal and your decisions will go the way you'd like them to.
And yeah, it's a game and that's kind of the point, but if I were to look at it a little more deeply (and who am I kidding, I got back on this website exclusively to process the aftermath of Veilguard) I'd say that there's so much to be found in wondering if the protagonists in any of the other games would have fared better in similar conditions.
Apparently I can't stop making long posts, so buckle in.
What would Morrigan have become in a world where the Warden never stumbled upon her cottage with Flemeth, if she never got the chance to see more of the world and decide what she wanted out of it? With just her mother (who, coincidentally in this Solas-y discussion is also kind of Mythal) and no support, who is to say what she would have unleashed upon the Korcari Wilds one day when the confines of her cage became too much?
What about Leliana? She, too, suffered at the hands of a very controlling abuser who tried to convince her that one lifestyle was all that her future held. What do we think she would have become if not for a chance meeting in Lothering with someone who could help her face down the woman that molded her?
Fenris, a character MANY people are just fine with was incredibly ready to kill a mage on sight if need be, no questions asked. Where do we think his story goes if he doesn't have someone in his corner early on enough in the game? If he doesn't get caught by Danarius, he's almost certainly going to end up on a murder spree, and he doesn't even have Justice whispering in his head to do it.
Cullen. Just all of him. It's an absolute miracle he hasn't snapped by the time you encounter him in Inquistion, and even then you get the benefit of intervening at a critical point in his story several times over.
Almost every other character could face this analysis and I think we'd reach a result that suggests perhaps the only thing keeping them lovable is your playable character's investment in their well-being.
Enter Solas. We don't meet him when he's twenty to thirty something and on the precipice of falling down a dark path. He's been there for literal millennia already, and with the exception of one close friend he's been alone. And not even Felassan is enough because of the years Mythal had prior to that friendship to make Solas exactly who she needed him to be.
I've had shit friends before that aren't just good at isolating people, they're naturals. I barely made it through high school with my mental health in place (in fact, looking back, it almost certainly wasn't). When you think you've got a true friend and they need something of you, it's so easy to blindly follow them because you think your love is enough to mark someone's soul as trustworthy. Solas doesn't learn that lesson until it's too late, and even when he does he can't turn back: the spirit that was once Wisdom has been exposed to several of the worst ancient elves to ever exist and now he has to stand his ground rather than let it all fall, because that is what Pride would dictate. Admitting that the person you gave your love and labor and time to is a monster is hard. And he was alone.
Give me Morrigan after centuries with her mother. Show me Leliana after the years have become a blur and the only voice whispering in her ear is Marjolaine's. Show me the innocent mages that don't make it through if all Fenris has for years and years and years are the scars Danaris left him and the means to make more. Show me Cullen if he stays in a chain of command under a Knight Commander who knows exactly what he fears and holds it over his head for so long he forgets what it was like to be an excited kid begging the templars for training because he just wants to keep people safe.
We get companions in these games who are broken by the time they're twenty. Solas has spent thousands of years in servitude to a cause of a woman he believed to be his only friend. He doesn't know who he is without her influence, anymore, only exists physically in the first place because she asked it of him and then asked again and again and again. He doesn't have a witty band of merry fools to pull him out of that cycle. He has Felassan, but he has him during war after war after war in the hopes of freeing others from the very situation that torments him.
Trauma from war affects everyone touched by it, nevermind the fact that Solas is actively responsible for saving the lives of thousands and feels each life like a weight around his neck because maybe he can save them like he cannot save himself. We should always be worried about the people trying to do the most good. Who is looking out for them? Why are they so determined to help others? Could it be that it's something they wish others had done for them?
Solas certainly feels comradery with Felassan from working together to free slaves from the very people he helped put in power because Mythal told him it would be okay only to leave him with the pieces, but even the Solas that Felassan knows has been turned into an attack dog shying away from the touch of the very person it desires to be near above all others by the time their relationship forms.
The fact that Solas is able to try and show the Inquisitor who he is at all is a miracle as far as I'm concerned, a sign of a peaceful spirit of Wisdom who loves knowledge for the sake of it finally sensing that there might be a chance to embrace its nature again.
Yeah, if you give him what he has come to expect from people with power, if you let near-absolute power over the masses corrupt you, he's going to bristle and try to shut your inquisitor down.
But if you show him even the smallest bit of kindness? If you treat him like the starving wolf he talks about and feed him instead of fighting him? God, it shatters his entire existence.
It's called a cycle of abuse for a reason. Finding friendship, finding the love of your long-ass life can be the first step in realizing there's better out there. But the time it takes to learn that? When you're too weary to even reach out for help in the first place and afraid of every kind word or gesture because you've never known such tenderness (on a platonic OR romantic level, both matter so so much) before?
Part of the compelling tragedy of Solas is that it's almost Orpheus-like how he knows what he has been made into and still cannot stop himself from yearning for more, from turning around to see if just this once something has changed. You can't convince me that he hasn't spent years hoping that someone will hear the legend of the Dread Wolf and see it for what it is, a leash the Evanuris created for Mythal's whipping boy to ensure that even if he ever escapes them, the people he fought to save will hate him. And I cannot blame him for the shock and terror that consumes him when he realizes someone finally has.
You give me any of dragon age companions after the amount of time Solas spent under Mythal's thumb without your character's intervention and you tell me how that looks.
You tell me if they're able to change at the first sign of something that feels too good to be true.
And then, I want you to tell me they're any less worthy of trying to save, especially when you know how good their best can be.
Solas might be hard for some fans to love, but it's only because he serves as the perfect representation of the beast we are all capable of becoming when the love that sustains us, assuming we receive any at all, is laced with poison.
The journey out of that place, out of a literal prison of regret, is brutal, and I'm thrilled that even with the many things about Veilguard I'm still struggling with, we have the chance to let Solas try again with the help of those who love him not because he never fell down, but because they believe in the beauty of a future where he gets back up again.
#solas#solas meta#solas spoilers#dragon age#dragon age the veilguard#solavellan#morrigan#lavellan#datv spoilers#datv#dragon age the veilguard spoilers#mythal#felassan#dragon age spoilers#dragon age meta#veilguard#fenris#cullen#leliana#varric#varric tethras
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Reader has been playing hard to get but then he stops chasing and she wonders if she played too hard to get
HARD TO GET - CS
No Nut November - Day 25
NNN Masterlist...
-⤠After months of playing Chris, he had enough
Denial
Thatâs all it ever was. God, it hurt the pair of you, but it was too addictive not to let go just yet. The feeling of being wanted but it was ever so slightly out of reach.
You and Chris had been an angelic pair, a match made in heaven. Anyone on the street thought you two were a couple, the hand-held touch was sign no.1. He wanted you so badly, and he had you. Almost.
He often found himself waking up besides you, wondering how even the sleep couldnât tousle your beauty. He savoured those moments because it wasnât long before your fists pushed back his chest, his heart further away from you. The day went as normal after that, except he couldnât ignore the skipped heart beats.
He often found himself viewing your body wrapped in his fabric from his closet. It wasnât anything special, just an old hoodie he thrifted a while ago. But it was his favourite, not because the material was soothing on his skin, but because you borrowed it the most.
He often found himself staring at you, normally while you did makeup before a party. Even though he didnât take long to get ready, he was guaranteed to do it before you even started. That way he could admire the techniques of your makeup as you taught him the names of each product. He never understood how holding your mouth open helped mascara apply better but who was he to judge.
From an outside perspective? They were perfect for each other. From an inside perspective? It was complicated. He spent countless times with you in his arms after a fight with your parents only for you to continuously act like it didnât happen. He couldnât do it like you could. So he waited like a desperate and lonely puppy.
He was addicted to your affection towards him, and it would kill him when you pushed him away. There were nights where he would stay up all night, wondering what he had done wrong to receive youâre short and cold attitude. He missed having you in his arms, talking about anything that comes to mind. He missed your beautiful laughing and smiles, those things always brightened his day.
He promised himself that he wouldnât get caught up in this feeling but once the infatuation seeped through, he never planned on making it stop. He desperately waited for the day where you would come to him, begging for him to hold you in his arms again. Wanting him to whisper sweet nothings in your ear as you lay in his lap, and gently runs his hand on your hair and face while you stare at each other. He craved those moments, and he hated that you stopped that. What was he doing wrong? Why didnât you crave his touch, or love like he did. Why did you act like nothing ever matteredâŚ
The truth was that you did, badly. You had this perfect situation planted in your head. Youâd push yourself close to him, tangled in the lie of âfriendshipâ taunting him. In your head it was a build up to eventually make Chris tell you how he felt. It was stupid, like a poorly written novel that had a script. A script that couldnât be moulded into the already written fate lines. You couldnât change a script that was already published.
Several months had gone by with no progress.
Parties were often a place of relaxation, the stench of alcohol on everyoneâs lips. Not yours, you knew better. So did Chris. He didnât another sign of familiarity between you two. He knew them all like the back of his hand.
The whole room had started to reek now with a mixture of drugs as the air grew thick. Thatâs when you covered up with Chrisâ jumper once more, his smell was comfortable to breathe in, lighter. Youâd been sipping mindlessly on a mocktail or two before Chris sauntered through the door to the kitchen. You felt your heart hitch and you had to drag your gaze to your drink, swirling the straw lazily. You knew what had been happening recently. You werenât a fool. It was obvious the way Chris looked at you. Youâd forced yourself away in hopes of making yourself more desired, in hopes heâd make the first move.
He wasnât stupid. He saw the batted eyelashes and twisted words; he hated how sweet your voice was to him. It was the same as always, playing into his feelings, a taste of what he wanted before you got drunk and ran off with another guy. When that happened once more that night, he couldâve sworn he felt a heart string snap in his chest, his jaw gritting. The red solo cup in his palm quickly contained a shot of whiskey before it slammed on the bar table.
When you found your number blocked by Chris the next morning, you were positive it was the hangover playing tricks on you. He wouldnât block you, he couldnât block you.
âcontact me when you know how you feel about me.â
âI cant play your stupid game anymore.â
âcya kidâ
Fuck. Maybe it was one time too many.
@melliflws @yuhayeee @st7rnioioss @sturn-bugz @bueckers @worldlxvlys @raysmayhem-72 @patscorner @y0urm4m @bernardsbendystraws @junnniiieee07 @luverboychris @jnkvivi @rac00ns-are-c00l4 @shorthairchris @colorthecosmos444 @anabethinking @zay-sturns @anyaa2s @emilyfaith2003 @zariyamitchell-blog @imjusthereforthesturniolosmut @sturniolosiphone @slutf4rmatt @flouvela @lovesturni0l0s @2prcntmilkluvr @ribread03
Š ENDEREIES 2024
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Endereies NNN#Šendereies#chris sturniolo#matt sturniolo#nick sturniolo#christopher sturniolo#nicolas sturniolo#matthew sturniolo#matt x reader#matt sturniolo x reader#matt sturniolo fluff#matt sturniolo angst#matt sturniolo smut#chris x reader#chris sturniolo x reader#chris sturiolo fanfic#chris sturniolo fluff#chris sturniolo angst#chris sturniolo smut#x reader#sturniolo#sturniolo triplets#sturniolo fanfic#sturniolo fluff#sturniolo hurt/comfort#sturniolo resolved angst#sturniolo triplets imagines#sturniolo x reader#endereies
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Azriel x reader - In Between, part IV
Summary: waking up, you realise Lucien was completely right: the man sleeping beside you is an abuser. But how will you escape him and why does this shadow seem to be belonging with you ?
Warning: angst, lots of angst, mention of SA attempt, fight, mention of blood, kinda fluff if you squint, so much sweet Azzy you could die, but also threatening scary Azzy, nightmares, not proofread sorry, my English of course.
Note: again I wholeheartedly apologise for the late posting. Iâm so so so happy to get back !!! Here I met 4 there surely will be a part 5 and maybe a part 6 or an epilogue. But for this one, Iâm not really sure I like about how it turned out. Let me know in the comments I love when you have something to say ! Just remember to be nice and polite please ! đđť love you all â¤ď¸â¤ď¸â¤ď¸â¤ď¸
Part I, part II, part III
The morning came quickly. Too quick for your liking. The second you opened your eyes, Aaronâs mouth was on you. You tried to push him back but seeing his face you understood that you were in a very bad position : his eyes were full of lust and hunger and they didnât seem to have anything stopping them.
Panic flooded in your veins and grabbing the sheets to have something covering you, you ran away from your bedroom. He followed you closely, screaming, and yelling that you were such an ungrateful slut, whom he had been too nice to wait for and that if you wanted it or not, he would take you anyway.
Fear had paralysed you and he caught you quickly before pining you roughly to the wall. His hands were on every inch of your skin. It felt disgusting, his mouth leaving saliva behind on the column of your neck, on your collarbone, your chest.
His hands were now dangerously closed to your core, and in a last moment of desperation you kicked him in the balls, pushed him off and ran in your bathroom.
Closing the door, he was already banging against it, screaming like a mad man. He was so strong that the door almost gave in twice. Fear had gripped you and you curled yourself in the corner of your bathtub, crying desperately for a different ending of your life than this.
You didnât want it to end now : you hadnât met your mate, your friendship with lucien was on thin ice because of you and you havenât even apologised. You regretted lots and lots of moments in your possibly missed life : you regretted not being able to see Nyx grow up, to continue your friendship with Feyre and last but not least you regretted not having kissed those beautiful lips that belonged to Azriel⌠Lucien was so right about you. How could he know you so much when you sign even yourself ? Of course you didnât want this psycho of male threatening to abuse you, as he exactly said the other day, you still werenât over Azriel. You still wanted Azriel, you needed him with every bit of your body and soul. They aches for the beautiful male. And now it was too late. The mere thought made you crying even more that you didnât sense the comforting and cold presence caressing your skin.
Not even minutes later the shoutings suddenly stopped and they transformed into pain, even agony screams.
Big steps were heard behind your door and you didnât even want to know who they belonged to : you had already accepted your fate. So you closed your eyes and waited for death to come like an old friend. But it never arrived, darkness and emptiness never found you. Strong arms wrapped around your shivering frame with care and attention, and your eyes bursted open when you sensed the familiar feeling of burn scars on your bare skin. Hazel sought for your eye colour with so much more worry than you could ever imagine. His mesmerising and deep eyes went down on your chest and shot up immediately with some light pink crawling under them : the sheet had managed to slide off your shoulder and it didnât cover you enough anymore. Ashamed you quickly out your hands to cover yourself a bit and draped the fabric better on your skin.
As Azriel walked out of your bathroom, you saw Aaron, hurt and unconscious lying on the floor of your apartment. He was in a bad state : blood coated his bruising face and you caught sight of two teeth or three inches away.
No words came out from Azrielâs mouth as he took off for the House of Winds and when he arrived. Even when Cassian and Rhysand came to him completely confused and panicked at your appearance. But he seemed to throw some orders at Rhys in his mind and definitely sent a warning glare to the long-haired man newt to him.
He brought to a room, a big dark one but still full of light. You were delicately put on a silky enormous mattress and given a fresh glass of water. Still no one spoke a word and you didnât even register when you started to fall in Morpheus arms.
â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘
Sweat covered your body and a deep frown adorned your face when Azriel came back in his room to check on you. You were moving and kicking in your sleep letting fearful pleas and whines out of your presses mouth. Azriel ran to you trying to wake you up. He knew better than to let you in the horrible trap that can be your own fears all grouped in nightmares.
Tears stained your cheeks as your body went still and as your worst scenario faded away to leave room to the reality happening before you. Azriel was watching you closely, his hand caressing your still trembling frame and his voice shushing you. The sobs couldnât stop and you wrapped tightly your arms around his broad shoulders. Azriel never stopped your embrace and whispered :
âIâm here now, everythingâs fine. Youâre not in danger anymore, you are here with me and everything will be alrightâ
Rocking back and forth you calmed down a bit before responding.
âI thought.. I thought I was going to- toâŚ
-I know. But nothing will happen now, he will never be able to even lay a finger on you.â
With a shaky and raspy from all the crying, voice, you asked :
âYou promise ? Youâre sure ?
-I am and I promise.â
A strange tingling behind your ear and behind his as well marked your promise now forever engraved on your skins.
Since it was the middle of the night, you rapidly fell asleep again, in the comfort and security of Azrielâs arms. He tried not to sleep, but ended up doing so with the exhaustion from the panic and fear he had felt deep in his bones for hours today. You probably wouldnât even realise, but he had been so scared for you when the shadow came to warn him about what was happening to you. He had run and flown the fastest he could to come find you, knocking off some furniture in his trail. He couldnât possibly imagine another man laying forcefully his hands on you without your consent : no that was not going to happen, never, not when he was still breathing and his heart still beating.
Sound asleep, you were woken up by the sounds of dishes in the kitchen. What had happened last night slams back into you full force : Aaron and his attempt to ⌠no you didnât want nor need to think about it. You observed your environment, the dark room of Azriel, minimalist like him : a bed, a closet and some armoires but not much more. Except a mirror, a big mirror, standing in front of the enormous bed you were in. Your mind started to wander to the use of the said mirror just in front of a king-size bed costumed to big Illyrian wings, full of silky sheets so sweet at the touchâŚNo no no ! You couldnât go there stop that ! Your cheeks and neck heat up instantly. Shaking your head to make these obnoxious thoughts go away, you made your way outside the room and into the kitchen. There he was, beauty and charm both standing before you, making you both breakfast you assumed. He stiffened and turned to look at you when he sensed you. His hazel eyes trailed down your body to your thighs not covered by anything and quickly tuned back to continue what he was doing. You hadnât noticed but you were wearing a big and loose tee shirt that arrived to the middle of your thighs and a pair of boxers that were far from belonging to you. âOh shoot!â Embarrassment ran through your whole body of the situation : how could you have not seen that you were wearing his clothes ? But wait⌠how did you even get into his clothes ? Last time you remembered you were⌠oh cauldron boil you ! Your cheeks and hid behind your hand at some search of reassurance.
âI tried not to look if thatâs what youâre wondering about.
-Thanks, I guess. For that and the rescue and everything actually.
-Itâs okay really. About that, how are you doing, do you want to maybe talk about it or not, itâs up to you. I- I donât want you to think Iâm forcing you into something.
-Donât worry Azriel, Iâm okay, at least I guess I am.â
Silence returned and he placed two plates full of eggs, bacon, pancakes and fruits in them, on the counter, which you were seated to on a stool.
You ate in silence, enjoying a good meal after a whole day being asleep without eating.
âWho was he ? Azriel asked at of nowhere.
-What ?
-Who was he ? And why was he in your apartment ?
-His name is Aaron, Iâve seen him a lot these past few weeks. He slept at mine the night before.
-Like a date ?
-Yes like a date. And no Iâm not going to tell you details of our night. But the morning came and just as I woke he was on me and I couldnât do anything. And by the way, how did you even know I was in danger ?
-One of my shadow stayed with you after babysitting Nyx, despite me trying to get it back, and it came to me to warn me when you were in your bathroom.
-Where is he now ?â
Azrielâs look darkened and he didnât answer you.
âAz, where is he now ? You repeated your question, articulating each word.
-You donât want to know. Heâs being dealt dont worry if thatâs what is your concern.
-Oh..-â
As you were about to continue Cassian, followed quickly by Feyre barged in the kitchen. Feyre was the first hugging you.
âI am so so so sorry you had to live that, and I am so sorry I wasnât there to help you.â
She had tears in her eyes and still hoped that this was all a bad joke, that it never happened to you. Cassian was a close second to swim you in his arms for a big bear hug.
âDonât worry, with Rhys and Az weâre examining all the possibilities to make the bastard regret what heâs done to you.
-Thanks to you both.
-Yn, are you alright ? Feyre asked.
-Yeah I am, just feeling a bit empty but I am.â
You smiled at he worried face to prove what you were saying.
âDonât hesitate to ask any of us, if you need anything.
-Yes I promise, but I donât need anything for now⌠Actually, do you know where Lucien is ? And if he-âŚ
-Yes heâs aware, and feeling guilty about it but didnât want to tell me why. Heâs in his room here in the House of Wind because he didnât to be too far from you in case you needed him.â
You silently thanked her and sent a last thankful look to Azriel as you walked away to find your dear friend.
You donât even know how much time you spent in front of his door not knowing if you really had the guts to open it. As you put your hand on the doorknob, it opened and a sleep deprived red haired man appeared in front of you, shock adorning his features from seeing you. In a second you were in his arms and booths of you were crying so much that you were soaking each otherâs shirt.
âIâm sorryâ
You said at the same time.
âNo Lu, I am really I am. I shouldâve listened to you. I shouldâve understood your point of view and should not have treated you the way that I did. Youâve always been so good to me and all I have done is be such a brat to the bestest friend Iâve ever had. I am so so sorry.
-As I am. You are completely forgiven for what youâve said, even if I canât say that it didnât affect me.
-Yes I completely understand and I promis I will make up to you.
-I really am sorry too. I should have stayed and not yelled at you to tell you what I saw. I am sorry about that. I knew this guy was bad. I knew it !
-Yes, you were completely right. Again I apologise.
-Everything is forgotten now. And fortunately because I missed you braiding my hair.â
Cries transformed in laughs and hugs s and kisses from happiness of having finally found again your platonic soulmate.
You spent all day in Lucienâs room telling him about your babysitting week with Nyx and Azriel, about Aaron and what had happened. You avoided the parts where Azriel and you had slept tangled with each other or where you had made a bargain in the middle of the night, curling against him.
You left the House of Wind in the late afternoon with a pained Azriel, whose touch lingered on you a few seconds when he flew you down. The same shadow wrapped around your wrist and another one around your ankle.
You and Lucien has strolled around Velaris for the evening, you had tested out a little pastry shop near the Rainbow and had joked and laughed on the bridge of the Sidra.
You both walked to his flat, a mutual understanding that you didnât have the strength to go back to yours tonight. Before opening the door, you looked at the night sky, two stars caught your attention, one brighter than the other, that seemed a bit off tonight. Your hand felt drawn to your new tattoo behind your ear and gasped when your fingers made out the pattern now engraved on your skin : two shining stars that seemed orbiting around each others until they reached the other and became one.
âLu ?
-mmmh yes ?
-I think heâs my mate.â
â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘
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#acotar#acotar x reader#azriel x reader#writers on tumblr#azriel x you#azriel x yn#azriel acotar#acotar x you#acotar x y/n#rhysand#feyre archeron#cassian#lucien vanserra#lucien x reader
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SPIDERâS SECRET I
đ¸ď¸ SERIES MASTERLIST
â§âË when new yorkâs famous vigilante helps you out of a mugging, an arrangement is quick to turn into a friendshipâŚ.and perhaps more. after all, his charisma needs no face to work its magic on you â§âË
spidey!steve x fem!reader
wc: 4k
description of wounds and violence, fluff, slight pining, smoking
Three knocks stronger than the rhythmic pitter patter of the rain have your attention shifting towards the window. Had you not been welcoming him in your room for the past few weeks you wouldâve jumped right out of your bed out of fear. But this was becoming a regular thing, itâs now a matter of âwhenâ rather than âifâ.
Pushing your biology course books out of your lap, your mind on him rather than the endocrine system youâre supposed to be studying. As you briefly wonder the gravity of his wounds, you remember to close and safely lock your door to avoid interruptions, aware it would be worrying for your mom to find you patching up Spider-man, the boy in a tight, red suit who always makes it on the news. Some say heâs a necessary vigilante for the troublesome city, others state heâs just a dumb kid playing superhero.
Although he always refuses to tell you anything about his identity or his life, youâre pretty sure heâs certainly not just playing around, countless bruises and cuts can attest to that.
The sound of the rain gets louder as you open the window, droplets smacking against the emergency metal staircase climbing up the side of the building. Poking your head out of your room carefully, you look to the left, met with a dark figure sitting on the stairs, leaning back against the brick wall, chest still heaving, shoulders sagged yet tight with pain.
âCâmon Bug-boyâŚâ Urging him inside, you step back from the window, letting him come inside, droplets of water sliding down onto your carpet from his suit. Heâs limping, you notice as much, his usual flexible self being rendered to a few pained movements. You briefly wonder how he managed to make it here.
The moment heâs inside your room, he plops down to the floor, resting back against the foot of your bed while his body seems to finally relax a bit, assuming he knows heâs safe with you and youâll take care of him. Silently bending down, you reach under the bed and pull out the hidden first aid kit you bought a week ago, having realised that some small bandages and a disinfectant wonât do anymore.
Shutting the window, you take the precaution to pull the curtains shut, aware how paranoid he gets sometimes. Kneeling next to him, you tuck some hair behind your ears and speak. âWhere, and how bad?â Hoping heâs not actually too injured, hating to see him like this, he pulls his mask up to his neck, showing a cut on his jaw, and as you gaze down, you asses another injury on his waist.
Youâve never seen his face. Heâs kept his mask firmly in place, and has instructed you to do the same even if he passes out. Youâre not sure what would be so bad about seeing his face, but you stopped questioning it after a while, now staring at the sharp jawline, biting your lip as some wet, brown and blond-ish strands of hair stick to the side of his neck.
Forcing yourself from building him a face you think would fit him based on what youâve seen already, you rummage through the kit and furrow your brows as you fish the cleaning cloth, dampening it with disinfectant before you announce that itâs going to hurt.
He knows that, of course he does, heâs been through this with you before. But it does feel reassuring to acknowledge his pain. Focusing on the bloody split on his jaw, glad itâs not too deep, you donât bother to ask what weapon did this as you know he never answers. The pain you cause him is evident from the way his fists stay curled tightly, pressed against his thighs.
Wiping the blood away from his skin and ignoring his groan, you grab a bandage big enough to fit his wound and place it over, making sure it sticks to his skin. However, the cut on his waist is more concerning. His suit is damaged, cut just like his skin is beneath it, though luckily it has stopped oozing blood for a while now, saving the mess it would have made on your floor and carpet.
Scared to approach it, you stare at it and watch as he pushes himself up a bit, having slumped against the foot of your bed due to the pain. âThought you were about to become a doctorâŚyouâre going to leave me out to die?â His tone, despite trying to sound amused, still has that pained tinge to it. The absurdity of his statement has your eyes rolling, huffing while a bloody cotton ball falls onto the floor. Heâs here, laying on your floor after being beaten up, yet he still has the audacity to humour you.
âFirst of all, you are not going to die from two superficial cuts.â You can see his lips curling up, showing his white teeth as they split into a grin. Lips so pink, you stop to admire for a moment before remembering the point you were trying to make. âAnd second of all, I havenât even started my residency yet! Iâm purely working on you with the theoretical knowledge I have.â
He stifles his laugh, teeth biting into his lip before he quickly chokes up a gasp, grasping at his side. Pursing your lips, you let him calm down before shaking your head and murmuring about him being a dummy, regaining your confidence to approach his wound, you try not to think about it too much before you use a pair of scissors to cut more of his suit in order to gain access to his cut. Letting him know youâre ready, he breaches for the pain and you work through the mess of dried up blood, brows pulling together and eyes squinting while you carefully sanitise the wound, wrapping it up before you lean back, plopping on your butt with a soft thump before you gaze at him, his head now propped against the wooden pillar, taking calming breaths through his mouth.
âYouâll be fine, it didnât look too bad.â Silently appreciating your assuring words, he moves to stand up. He never lingers, this sort of agreement you two have never went beyond you cleaning and patching him up, moments later to have him jump right back out of your window and disappear into the night, swinging from building to building.
It didnât bother you at first, but now youâd like him to at least acknowledge you a bit more. Itâs selfish, you think. You canât demand something like that from him, so you keep your mouth shut and watch as he pads to the window, his steps as light as a catâs.
âSee you soon, doc.â The last thing you see is another stretch of his pretty lips before he tugs his mask down in place and opens your window, leaving you with a shudder as a wave of cold air enters your room, watching as he confidently jumps down from the rail.
Shaking your head and sighing, you close the window, lingering by it for a few moments before you pack up the first aid kit and throw away the bloody cotton balls.
â
THREE WEEKS AGO
Chilly weather always has you adding another layer beneath your jacket in hopes of maintaining a healthy body temperature. But as much as you want it to work, you always end up shaking, legs not able to carry you as fast as youâd wish. This late at night the streets are mostly empty, as was the uniâs library in which you spend your whole evening, revising one last time for your exam.
And just a ten minute walk is all it takes to get back home, so without hesitating, you walk with freezing hands shoved in your pockets. Youâre not aware of the man taking an interest in you until itâs too late, his voice, gruff and raspy, calls out for you, and you make your first mistake. Stopping in your tracks to turn around.
Heâs about the same height as you, a black beanie and hood covering his features, shielding him from the streetlightâs golden cast. He holds a knife, you can tell by the handle of it, the blade hidden behind his thigh as he speaks again. âGive me your bag.â He demands, his voice wavering as if heâs scared, paranoically looking back over his shoulder.
âI said give me the fucking bag!â He shouts, getting a bit more frantic now as he reaches his left hand for the strap of your bag, fist curling around the leather, but before he can even think of tugging on it heâs blinded by a web covering his eyes. You gasp, stepping back as his grip falls from your bag and instead scratching his covered eyes to free them, another âwooshâ sound echoes, another web collides with the man, this time glueing his hand to his chest.
A figure slowly comes down, hanging upside down, feet pressed to the thin string thatâs connecting him to the street lamp while he keeps hold of it. You notice him wearing a costume, covering his whole body, a spider shape etched onto his chest. He drops down on the pavement, easily tripping the mugger as he tries to run away. You stand there and gasp as you hear the loud thud as the man falls onto the concrete.
âYou, my dear sir, need to be taught a lesson.â The manâŚboy? in the spider costume tuts and crosses his arms over his chest in disappointment, pretending to care though heâs clearly mocking him. âThis young lady didnât do anything wrong. Itâs always the undeserving ones who experience the worst things because of assholes like you.â His words seem to hold a sort of personal value to him, you donât dare speak.
After the police picks up the thief, you continue making your way back, an uneasy feeling still lingering at the back of your mind. âSoâŚâ You yelp as the boy swings in front of you, landing on the side of the building a bit higher up and sticking to it effortlessly as if his limbs are made out of glue. âWhyâre you walking alone? You didnât get dumped, did you?â He tries his luck, jumping to the next building by crawling on the side of it to keep up with your walking pace.
âUmâŚno.â Keeping your hands tucked in your jacket, not daring to look at him, he jumps down from the building, and surprisingly enough he starts walking backwards in front of you, hands locked behind his back as he effortlessly side steps over a puddle of muddy water. âJust coming back from uni.â Youâve heard of him before, the one in the spider suit doing good deeds expecting nothing in return, but a few blurry images couldnât really convince you of his integrity, so as he walks in front of you, you���re not sure what he wants from you.
Maybe heâs just another creep, playing the good guy role to gain the trust of othersâ âHello, earth to pretty girl.â He waves a covered hand in front of you, making you snap out of your pretty ridiculous train of thought. âRelax, mâjust walking you home to make sure youâre fine.â He flicks his hand, trying to bat away your obvious worries. âSo, what are you studying?â
His question catches you off guard, eyes widening for a moment before he clarifies. âYou said you were coming back from university, right?â
âOhâŚâ The sound is breathy, feeling a bit embarrassed as you respond. âMedicine, general surgery.â The slight saunter in his walk doesnât fade, head cocking curiously to the side as he gives you an approving nod.
Stopping in front of your building, you bite your lip, eyes drifting away from the mask, trailing to his arm where youâre quick to notice the cut on his bicep, blood reddening the material of his suit. Stepping closer instinctively, you look at the damage before you frown. âYouâre hurt.â He curiously lifts his arm a bit before he notices his cut.
âHm, didnât noticeâŚmustâve cut myself while i was swinging.â By the way his words come out youâre assuming whoever is behind the mask is frowning.
âI could help.â Out of the blue, surprising yourself too, you offer to patch him up. Youâre not sure if he can be trusted, but the way he helped you out of a street mugging, you feel like you at least owe him a bit of help back. âIâm on the third floor, room on the cornerâŚthere.â You point to the window and he takes a mental note. âBe quiet, my parents canât know.â
After patching him up, he climbs out your window, and then once again, something in your mind has you speaking up. âIf you ever need helpâŚwith wounds and stuffâ you can always come by.â You fiddle with your hands and watch the curve of his back, head turning to the side to gaze back over his shoulder, at least you assume so since his eyes are covered by the mask.
âWill do, thanks doc!â You gasp as he flings himself over the edge, free falling for a few seconds before he shoots out webs, catching himself against the next building, watching him disappear into the night.
â
âThe amazing Spider-man, infamous hero of New York City, has saved a family from a burning building. Earlier today, the masked vigilante made his presence known by pulling out a family of four from their top floor apartment as it went up in flames. Authorities showed up to the scene and from what we know so far, they detected a gas leakââ
Tuning out the news reporter, you sigh as you wonder if youâll see him again. Itâs been almost a week and truthfully youâre glad he hasnât shown up at your window with another set of bruises and cuts on him, but you still feel somewhat empty. Maybe youâre expecting a sign? Something to let you know heâs alive and well, even though thereâs plenty of news attesting to that already.
Itâs absurd really, but spending your time sitting on your windowstill has become a habit, whether youâre studying or drinking a coffee, you look out into the night sky, hoping to see a dash passing by. Maybe it was for the best, maybe heâs found himself a licensed doctor to take care of him, not some second year student patching him up in her bedroom with shaky hands. Tracing your fingers over the spine of your book, the words jumble as your eyes pass over them, not making any sense of them in your brain. Itâs your third time reading this page, but you pull your eyes away from it the moment a familiar voice rings through the room, your eyes finding the TV where heâs apparently giving an interview.
âRest assured, New York, the Spider-man is here.â He gives a salute to the camera before he swings away, quickly disappearing from the screen. Great. Now heâs giving interviews.
Pushing yourself off the bed, socked feet dragging over the floor as you make your way to the kitchen, passing your dad in the living room. Heâs watching some game, newspaper sprawled open on his lap. After grabbing some water, you return to your room, a cold breeze darting over you, eyes widening as you find the window opened. âWhat theâŚâ
Stepping into the room to close it, your brows furrow as you turn around, a voice coming from above you. âLanguage, young lady.â You gasp, stumbling back against the bed, finding him sticking to the ceiling, hanging in the corner of your room. Clutching your heart, you close your eyes and take a deep breath. âThe fuckâs wrong with you?â Shaking your head, you watch as he drops down onto his feet, moving to rest against the wall by the window, youâre wondering if heâs looking for a quick escape in case itâs needed,
âSorry, sorry, didnât mean to freak you out,â He lifts his hands, as if surrendering, but you purse your lips, a brow cocking curiously. âYou say that while you were just hanging off my ceiling.â That makes him think for a moment, letting out a soft chuckle before he brushes a hand over the back of his head.
âI guess youâve got a pointâŚâ His smile is obvious in his tone, his body more relaxed than usual which has you wondering if heâs hurt, because thatâs why he must be here in the first place. Standing up, you walk to him and give him a once over.
âAre you hurt?â Not being able to find any injuries which might need your attention, you breathe in and watch as he dismisses your words with a shake of his head, making the furrow between your brows deepen. He pushes himself off the wall, walking around your room as he seems to be looking around curiously, pictures hanging off the walls, decorations propped up on furniture.
âNope, Iâm fine. Thanks to this new suitâŚsomething about impenetrable nanofibers I think.â His hand reaches for a teddy bear, grabbing it as he turns around, propping it in front of his face before he speaks in a higher pitched, mocking voice. âBad spider, scaring his trusted doctor like that.â
You must admit, heâs ridiculous, watching him do that makes you grin to yourself, rolling your eyes for good measure before you step closer, yanking the teddy away from him as you prop him back into his place. âHands off, bug boy.â
âBug boyâ really? Iâm- Iâm not some ladybug, or stink bug. Iâm a spider, I shoot webs. Iâm cool.â Defending his case, he makes a few âphewâ sounds as he pretends to shoot webs all over your room, but you cross your arms, standing still before he stops, leaving silence to settle in for a moment. âOkay, that was ridiculous, not cool at all.â Laughing softly, you bite your lip, taking a look at him.
âWhy are you here? Since youâre not hurtâŚimpenetrable nanofibres and all.â Waving a hand jokingly to dismiss the words as he had done earlier, he simply shrugs, moving to pull the curtains shut as a last minute safety measure.
âI guess I just wanted to check in on you, you know? I donât think Iâll be needing any patchwork done anytime soon.â Ah. So thatâs it, heâs come to tell you youâre useless to him now. You toy with your fingers and nod, assuming this is the last time youâll get to talk to him like this.
âThatâs okay. So that means you wonât have any reason to come here anymore.â That seems to make him silent for a few moments, this time itâs awkward, not carrying that comedic effect like before.
âI can still come and see you, you know? We could hang outâŚas friends.â Your eyes widen. He wants to keep coming to see you. Not because he has to, but because he wants to. Your mouth opens, no words coming out, instead you settle for a small smile and a nod.
This could be good, at least it seems to be that way.
â
Carefully stepping out of your room, holding onto the railing, you sit down on the metal platform, knees pulling up to your chest as you hug the sweater tighter over your body, not letting the cool breeze beat you.
Youâre not sure when you picked up smoking as part of your regular routine, all you know is that youâre out in the cold now, trying to take your nicotine fill. Red knuckled hand grasping the lighter in your hand, thumb flicking over the spark wheel a few times until a flame bursts out, burning the tip of the cigarette, taking a drag before stuffing the lighter in the pocket of your sweats.
Watching the cloud of smoke flow up into the air, the back of your head pressed against the brick wall, the cold not being such a bother anymore. âDidnât anyone tell you those are bad for you?â A familiar voice pulls you out of your own head, heâs crouching on the railing, maintaining his equilibrium perfectly.
Taking another drag as if to humour his words, you sigh. âYouâve got to stop doing that. One day Iâll have a heart attack.â He jumps from the railing, settling down in front of you, legs outstretched as they cage you in, feet pressing to the wall on each side of your body.
Though heâs not touching you at all, the position feels somewhat cosy, offering you a sense of protection. Blowing another lungful of smoke, you hold your hand out to him, offering him a drag. The way his head tilts lets you know heâs thinking about it before his hand reaches for the cigarette, his other tugging his mask up over his lips, exposing his lower face once again.
How is it that just his lips have you in a trance, trying your hardest to build him a portrait in your mind? Youâve never asked to see his real face, though you doubt it heâd actually show it to you. A so-called friend of Spider-manâs.
He puffs out the smoke in a similar manner to you, eyes following the way his tongue wets his slightly chapped lips, trying not to let certain thoughts encompass you. âSo how was your night? Any bad guys?â Deflecting with the start of a conversation, you watch as he ashes the cigarette over the railing, passing it back to you.
âPretty boring, but itâs gotten better.â Fighting the smile his natural charm tries to put on your face, you sigh and knock your foot into the inside of his knee lightly. âFunnyâŚâ Your word falls flat, followed by the slightest smile as you give him the last puff, letting him throw it away too.
âYou know, for someone who is all about the law, youâre pretty ignorant of littering.â Quirking your brow as if to scold him, you notice him grinning, his mask still pulled up. âMy apologies.â
Stargazing and small conversations ensued, heâd switched to resting against the wall right next to you halfway through talking about the moonâs colour tonight, shoulders and arms pressing together, you donât feel like moving away, more so, wishing to drift closer even if by accident.
Tearing your gaze away from his jaw, you tell yourself how wrong this is, to want to reach out and pull his mask the rest of the way up, wanting to reveal his face. Something about the mystery of it has you yearning for more of him, though that would be insane since you donât even know his name. All he gave to you was a few hours of his company from time to time.
âNo, clearly youâre colour blind.â He feigns shock at your statement, hand pressing over his heart before he tuts with a disappointed look on his face. âOh baby, donât talk to me like that..â
Heâs joking, of course he is, though the pet name, uttered so softly from his lips, makes you warm up, especially in the cheeks. Nudging your forehead to the side of his shoulder, feeling the solid muscle, yet still somewhat comforting, deciding to leave your head there, not uttering a word as he seems to accept the change in position, tilting your head back to gaze at his side profile.
You hate the way the moon lights up his angles perfectly, how the urge to reach a hand up to his face bubbles up inside of you and how everything is just nearly attainable but still out of reach due to your own self restraint. That doesnât stop the words from coming out though. âWould you show me your face? I feel like weâve known each other for a month already and all Iâve seen is that mask of yours.â
You feel dejected as he seems to tense next to you, his plush lips thinner now as they purse together. A beat passes where nothing is said, your head pulling back from his shoulder, gazing at him expectantly before he clears his throat, shaking his head with a small smile on his lips.
âI would, but thatâs part of the trick, isnât it? The wholeâyâknow, faceless act.â Looking down at your lap, you nod, feeling like heâs reducing you to the random passersby who might see his face while he swings from building to building. Trying to not let the disappointment show on your face, you force your attention back to the moon still high onto the sky, uttering softly.
âYeahâŚI get it.â
#steve harrington#stranger things#joe keery#fem reader#steve harrington fluff#steve x reader#stranger things fic#stranger things season four#steve harrington fanfic#steve harrington x reader#stranger things 5#stranger things fanfiction#stranger things fluff#stranger things characters#steve harrington my beloved#steve harrington x you#steve harrington smut#steve x you
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Sure, episode 7 doesn't really have much time to spend on Ekko's disorientation in this new reality and everyone else's reactions to it. But I have to respect that the writer's solution to this was to make AU Ekko pretty mentally unstable.
From Powder's perspective, she startles him, he throws something at her, becomes hostile, tries to defend himself with a screwdriver, and then just starts staring into space and goes nonverbal while giving clear signs of a panic attack, and Powder and Benzo's reaction to that is a benevolent and casual "One of those days, huh?"
Given where they leave off, and pick up in the Last Drop again, it's implied Ekko has his crisis the entire way over, and probably didn't react much to either of them the whole time. When Claggor and Ekko remain at the table while Vander and Powder have their conversation, Ekko is ignoring Claggor and drawing repetitive circles over his notes and constantly clutching his head in pain. Right up until he gets up, which is when Claggor finally reacts to what he's doing but is waved off easily, and stumbles outside throwing up in a dumpster. And no one seems to notice or care about him acting weird or being in pain.
Everytime he says something off-colour or outright concerning it's met casually or chalked up to his sleep deprivation and imposter syndrome. Man's dissociating like nobody's business and everyone just claps him on the back in understanding. If that's normal for AU Ekko, or everyone thinks that's normal for AU Ekko, that's uh, pretty concerning actually.
I mean, given context clues and Powder's conversation with Vander, all the kids (or at least Ekko and Powder) withdrew pretty heavily and keep themselves on the down low. I assume they both blamed themselves for Vi's death to some degree and became overly cautious and more quiet. Powder prefers to support her siblings similarly to how Vi did, but there's fewer problems to solve with violence as they grow up (and they all know how that ended) so Powder plays emotional support and prefers to stay in her familiar bubble (The Last Drop, close to her family).
AU Ekko seems to be overcompensating with his inventions, focusing on (academic?) success and productivity. Between his fancier clothes (even fancier than the others, who all have newer outfits, but stick more to zaunite dressing sensibilities than him) and his AU friendship with Heimerdinger it's reasonable to assume that he's involved with the academy in some way, maybe gunning to become a student if he isn't one already. That's a lot of pressure for a kid from the undercity, nevermind that academia itself is pretty competitive even if the deck isn't staked against him.
That all is to say, I don't think the AU is all sunshine and roses, for either of them. AU Ekko and Powder are both way less extreme versions of their canon verses, but especially AU Ekko is apparently way more quiet, withdrawn and insecure (and not at all active within his community?? I'm gonna be honest, I'm a bit mad the Firelights weren't even mentioned that episode, they've been Ekko's main family for the better part of a decade now, they deserve some focus, damn it).
So yeah, I don't think AU Ekko is doing too hot.
(And now I want a fic of him waking up in canon Ekko's body, lmao).
#i'm assuming AU Ekkos instability is the byprotect of the writers not wanting to spend too much time on everyone getting too worried overhim#but it's uh pretty noticable#it kind of makes sense tho#the firelights are ekkos source of identity and stability#AU Ekko probably didn't have much of an outlet for his grief over Vi since everyone else was grieving her too#so he like in canon gets his purpose out of it#but where the firelights are a community and there's a lot of practical staying alive work to be done#AU ekko's laserfocus grieving purpose leads to overcompensation that is largely encouraged by his environment#(brilliant inventor working on projects and participating in competentions)#and if that's were he gets all his identity and validation from#yeah#well that and the sleep deprivation#like damn bro take a nap#arcane#arcane season 2#timebomb#ekko#jinx#ekko arcane#jinx arcane#arcane season 2 spoiles
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A DAY LATE BUT OH MY GOD!! WHY ARE Y'ALL NOT REBLOGGING THIS MASTERPIECE?? (that's on me as well) DON'T TELL ME Y'ALL FORGOT ABOUT THE JOY THAT IS TYSON JOST!! I WILL BE SCREAMING ABOUT IT FOR THE NEXT YEAR PROBABLY!!
(speaking of screaming here it is, in-depth)
Letâs goooooo!!! I was excited when I heard Little Women inspired and now that itâs from YOU C!!! AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!
(also love the name Delaney â just one of my favorites)
Of course Tyson is the only person to think her ex is a douche
âthe swell in her heart at the image of Tyson Jost holding her handâ *John Mulaney voice* NOW WE DONâT HAVE TIME TO UNPACK ALL OF THAT.
âsuch a kind gesture of friendshipâ this was the first of many times I was banging my head against my pillows. DELANY PLS
Yes you will have to kiss each other and it will be MAGICAL
The fact that theyâve both equated their feelings to being kids with crushes is so sweet
Tyson being soooo nervous to meet her dad!
âhe found himself hoping that he was at the top of the listâ I HOPE SO TOO TYSON
Tyson and Delaney are so cute already and their not even ~really~ together yet!
The way Delanyâs family remind Tyson of his and how seamlessly they fit together đŠľđ¤đŠľđ¤đŠľđ¤
âThough Delaney was sure he was referring to the glowing horizon in front of them, she found herself wishing that wasnât all that he meantâ ITâS NOT! (head in pillows x2)
Babe, youâre comparing him to your sisters significant others. That should be a siiiiigggggnnnn
âShe was impressed at how well he was selling their fake relationshipâ (head in pillows x3)
âhe didnât fancy an awkward conversation over coffeeâ uh-huh sure Tyson, thatâs definitely the only reason youâre staying in bed. Has nothing to do with your dream girl nestled against you.
Tyson being so good with all the kids is peak Josty in my mind
The way he is so happy at seeing her so relaxed MY HEART!
THIS EXCHANGE WITH OLIVIA HAD ME MELTING!!! The way she can see right through both Tyson and Delaney?? One of the first to be like âyou two love each other, duhâ. MY HEART!!!
âhe was only there out of pity, not out of any sort of inkling of real feelings for herâ (head in pillows x4)
TYSONâS DUMB LITTLE SMILE WHEN HE LOOKS AT HER!
Well, of course youâve never noticed Delaney, thatâs like rom-com 101
âshe made a mental note to compliment Tyson on his acting abilitiesâ (head in pillows x5)
âTyson saw her in a way that Mark never had â maybe in a way that even her family never hadâ THAT MEANS SOMETHING!!!
THIS ENTIRE DATE!! OH MY GOD THEY ARE SO IN LOVE WITH EACH OTHER IT IS SO PERFECT!
AND THEN TYSON HAD TO OPEN HIS MOUTH AND (accidentally) RUIN IT
âshe really needed to ask him where heâd learn to be such a good actorâ (head in pillows x6)
NOOO HE LOVES YOU!!! IT IS REAL!! GOD DAMMIT!!!
âWhich is all Iâve wanted since we metâ!?!??!?!?!
GOD SHE IS SUCH AN IDIOT! (AFFECTIONATE)
âYou know, your mother and I looked at each other like that⌠like there was no one else aroundâ DEAN I COULD KISS YOU ON THE MOUTH FOR THIS COMMENT THANK YOU
She was his Cape Cod!?!?!?!??!
âYou said not to say it unless I meant it. I mean itâ MELTED. PUDDLE. RIGHT NOW.
âI really, really would like to kiss you firstâ WHO WOULD SAY NO TO THAT?!
THIS FIC WAS MAGICAL!! I could so clearly feel the Little Women energy in every sentence. Delaney and her family, how close they all were, like AH MY HEART!! You nailed every single trope you chose i am over the moon so yeah overall =
Playing Pretend - Tyson Jost
Pairing: Tyson Jost x OC (f)
Summary: When Delaney Taylor needs a date to her family reunion, Tyson Jost volunteers his services. As they navigate their fake relationship, the line between whatâs real and what isnât begins to blur.
Word Count: 9.8k
Author's Note: Happy birthday, @senditcolton! Surprise, I was your Little Women anon đ¤đĽł I had a blast creating this and infusing the March family into the characters - I hope you enjoy! S/O to @wyattjohnston for helping to beta and to @smileysvech & @jostystyles for the extra details because I'm insane. đ¤ The birthday bingo prompts I selected were: Fake dating / Drunk confession / Argument Scene / She's oblivious / Free Space (Inspired by... Little Women)
Warnings: Angst, language, alcohol use. NHL Masterlist
A buzz on the coffee table alerted Delaney Taylorâs attention away from the television. Beside her, the gentle hum of a Theragun sounded over the low volume of an Avalanche game. She was at Tysonâs house, having accepted his invite to hang out and get takeout on his night off. Theyâd met through friends, and after finding a mutual interest in The Lagoons and bad reality TV, their friendship naturally veered off to form a branch and blossom on its own.
The phone buzzed again, prompting Delaney to lean forward and grab it upon seeing a text from her sister.Â
âFuck,â she said, âAlyssa just texted asking for a final count for my family get together in July.â
âAnd thatâs a bad thing⌠why? You love your family,â Tyson said, confused. He set down his Theragun on the ottoman, reaching for his water bottle. A car dealership commercial flashed on the screen.
Across from him on the couch, Delaney sighed. âI know. Itâs just⌠Iâm kind of the disappointment of the family.â
âWhy do you think that?â
âIâm poor, in a mass amount of debt, and working at a Kohlâs instead of at the Met like I was supposed to by this time,â she said, counting each sin on her fingers. Lifting a fourth, she added, âOh yeah, and Iâm single.â
Tyson rolled his eyes. âOh, come on. They donât care about that.â
âMaybe not, but Iâm only 26 and they make me feel so pressured to get married, start having babies,â she sighed. âMy older sister, Alyssa? Happily married with three kids. Violet? In a long-term, happy relationship. And Rachelâsheâs not even married but she still has a baby who is basically the light of everyoneâs life. Even both of my little sisters have âmade itâ more than me. Iâm just a grad school dropout who broke up with the boyfriend that everyone loved. They spent all of Christmas asking me if we were going to get back together.â
âYeah, well, did you tell them that Mark was a fucking douche?â Tyson asked, to which Delaney snorted in amusement. Youâre the only other person who seems to think so. He let the moment settle before adding, âDelaney, you donât have to check all of the same boxes as your sisters. Youâre literally the smartest person I know.â
âDropping out of grad school does crazy things for your self confidence,â she said, heart heavy with defeat. It was over halfway through the semester, but saying it out loud never got easier. Delaney wondered what her former classmates were studying, if they missed her absence.Â
At the end of the fall semester, sheâd been crushed to make the decision to pull out of her classes for the spring. Between work, schoolwork, and trying to balance the rest of her little free time between having a social life and having a healthy sleep schedule. her stress levels skyrocketed at the same rate as her student loan payment. It was a painful, but necessary, goodbye. Though she knew she made the right decision, she still felt sad and disappointed when her mind drifted, doing her best to quiet the what ifs that ran through her mind.
Delaney forced herself to focus her thoughts back to the present. âI just⌠I canât stand to be a disappointment anymore. I already failed at being a grad student. I donât want to have to fail at finding a boyfriend, too.â
âIâll be your boyfriend.â
He blurted it out so quickly that Delaney stared at him for a moment before the confusion seeped in. âWhat?âÂ
âI mean,â he said after a gulp of water, a slight tinge coating his cheeks, âIâll come with you. Pretend to be your boyfriend. That way at least thereâs one area they canât rip on you for.â
âTyson, I canât ask you to do that,â she said, ignoring the swell in her heart at the image of Tyson Jost holding her hand. She didnât have time to unpack that yet.Â
âYouâre not asking. Iâm offering.â His voice was confident, like he wasnât going to take ânoâ for an answer, but gentle, like heâd back down if she really vetoed the offer a second time.
Delaney considered. She felt guilty at the thought of subjecting him to her entire family, making him put on the doting boyfriend act without anything in it for him. That was just how he was, though; generous, giving, willing to do anything for his friends. It really was such a kind gesture of friendship, it almost made her heart ache.
On the other hand, it would save her a headacheâshe couldnât deny how much she dreaded the hopeful look in her dadâs eyes when he asked if she was seeing someoneâand she did think Tyson would get along with her family. And who wouldnât want Buffaloâs cutest resident to be her arm candy?
âOkay,â she agreed. âBut you need to promise to tell me if you change your mind.â
âDeal,â Tyson said with a grin, holding out his hand. Delaney accepted, shaking it; she ignored the warmth of his palm pressed against hers. âWhatâs our story, then, babe?â
Heat instantly rose in her cheeks at the pet name. âOkay, rule number one, donât overdo it with the nicknames. Itâll be too obvious.â
âSo no snookums? Honey pie? Sugar plum?â
âNo, no, and double no.â
âAww man,â he pouted. âI was even gonna let you call me âcupcake.ââ
Delaney rolled her eyes before returning to his original question. âI think our story is the same, for consistencyâs sake: We met through friends.â
âOur first date was putt putt and dinner,â he supplied, nodding along. âKissed you outside your apartment after the second.â
Again, warmth melted over Delaneyâs face at the mention of kissing; she felt like a teenager getting teased for having a crush on a boy in her class. And then she realized that she would, in fact, probably have to kiss him on the trip, if they were really hoping to make it believable.
Judging by the way Tysonâs face turned a shade of crimson, she assumed heâd come to the same realization she had.
Maybe they were in for more than they anticipated.
Six weeks later, after creating an entire relationship backstory and studying Delaneyâs family tree, Tyson was on a plane to Boston, Bose headphones snugly over his ears. How I Met Your Mother was playing on his iPhone, propped up on the tray table in front of him. Seated beside him was Delaney, lost in her Kindle. Her elbow rested against him on the armrest, her long braid tucked between their arms.
When they landed, Tyson knocked his knee against hers with a grin. A strange flare of nerves and excitement radiated in his chest for a moment, then was gone again.Â
âCâmon babe, Iâll get your bag for you,â he said. Delaney chuckled, shaking her head with a teasing roll of her eye.
He followed her to the rental car booth, waiting patiently while she sorted out the paperwork for a red Toyota Camry for the hour-long drive to Cape Cod. She nominated him road trip DJ, a title he wore with honor, and the two chatted comfortably as she made her way down the MA-3 South.
Nerves began to flutter again when the GPS had them exiting the highway and indicated he only had about eight more minutes to prepare for his new role as Delaney Taylorâs boyfriend. If she could tell, she didnât say anything, and he did his best to hide it. He could handle being surrounded by reporters with cameras and phones shoved in his face, peppering him with the same questions about his career and his future; if he could handle that, he thought, he could handle meeting his pretend girlfriendâs family.Â
Soon enough, they were pulling into the driveway of a large white house, and not thirty seconds after Delaney put the car in park, a small blonde head was running down the front porch steps to greet his new girlfriend. Tyson smiled as he watched Delaney throw the door open and scoop the little girl into her arms before spinning her around in a hug.
Olivia. Delaneyâs seven-year-old nieceâand favorite one.
âI mean, of course I love all of my nieces and nephews,â sheâd explained, âbut Olivia and I are soul bonded.â âLiv,â she said gently after setting her down, âthereâs someone I want you to meet.â When two wide, inquisitive eyes peered up at him, Tyson instantly understood why she was Delaneyâs favorite. He crouched down to meet her gaze as Delaney introduced him. âOlivia, this is Tyson.â
Olivia eyed him and he smiled, waving. She studied him thoughtfully, then said, âHi. Are you Aunt Delaneyâs boyfriend?â
âYeah,â he nodded. âIs that okay?â
The little girl looked over to her aunt. âDo you like him?â
Delaneyâs eyes flicked over to Tysonâs, an amused smile on her face. Heat lingered in his cheeks after her gaze returned to meet Oliviaâs. âYes, I like him.â
âLike-like him?â
âYep.â Tyson felt a flutter in his chest, like he was a kid on a playground finding out his crush like-liked him too. He hoped it didnât show on his face.
Olivia turned back to Tyson, observing him keenly for a moment before sticking out her hand. âOkay. Itâs okay.â
Tyson laughed again, relief unexpectedly washing through him at her instant approval. âThank you. Iâm really so honored to get Princess Oliviaâs blessing.â
The other introductions were easierâAlyssa and Ben (Oliviaâs parents), Rachel (Delaneyâs sister) and her eight month old daughter, Isla. Tyson smiled warmly at everyone, feeling almost instantly at home amongst the easy way they welcomed him in. Inside the house was the rest of the family: Delaneyâs sister Violet, her girlfriend Preethi, Hailey and Noah (Oliviaâs older siblings), and Delaneyâs dad.
Though he knew it didnât matter much if he actually made a good impression, as heâd likely never see her family again, Delaneyâs father was the person Tyson was most nervous to meet; he knew firsthand what growing up in a single-parent home was like and how close the bond can become with the remaining parent. Based on everything heâd heard about Delaneyâs relationship with her father, he knew it was an important impression to nail.
âMr. Taylor,â he said, extending his hand for a firm handshake. He was surprised at the way his voice trembled slightly, though he did his best to hide his nerves with a smile. âReally great to meet you.â
âCall me Dean,â he said with a wide, genuine smile. It put Tyson at ease, even as he registered how much larger Deanâs hands were than his own.
They exchanged pleasantries, and Tyson was happy with how the first meeting was going. He was impressed with himself, though he couldnât deny that it was Deanâs easygoing, warm nature that really made it seamless. As a single father of four girls, Tyson wondered how many people had come through the door with the intention of dating one of his daughtersâhow many people had Dean had this exact interaction with? He wondered what Markâs was like. He wondered how he measured up.
Tyson told himself it was just his competitive nature, but he found himself hoping that he was at the top of the list.Â
After introductions, Tyson and Delaney brought their bags in and settled into the third bedroom on the left, their home for the week. Once the door closed, Delaney turned and asked, âHowâre you doing out there?â
Tyson laughed, unzipping his bag to hang up a few of his shirts in the wardrobe. âAre you kidding? Your family is great, Delaney. I think we might have to get married. I want to come here every summer.â
âRelax, cowboy. You havenât even had a single meal with them yet,â laughed Delaney. She was grateful her face was hidden as she knelt to pull her toiletry bag out of her suitcase. Heat burned in her cheeks even as a grin spread across her face. Then, eager to change the subject, she added, âYou passed Oliviaâs inspection.â
âDude, I think I fell in love with her. Those eyes!?â
Snorting, Delaney nodded as she walked toward the bathroom to set her bag on the counter. âShe does have beautiful eyes.â
She thought she heard him say something like, âMust run in the family,â and she opted to wash her hands in the sink in order to will away the burn on her cheeks before returning to the bedroom to finish unpacking.
They returned downstairs a little while later, having unpacked and changed out of travel clothes to something more beach-friendly. Though it was nearing the end of the day and the sun was beginning to go down, the kids were not ready to give up swimming and making sandcastles for the day. Delaney gestured for Tyson to make himself comfortable when they sat down in the chairs on the deck. A few others trickled out, giving Delaney the opportunity to sit and catch up with a smaller group at a time; she spoke with Rachel about Islaâs new daycare, asked Violet about her anatomy final, and told Preethi about the latest book she read. She was grateful that no one seemed to be interested in asking about her future career plans; for now, it seemed, everyone was content with her handsome, charming boyfriend.
Rachelâs eyes flicked over to Tyson, who was smiling as he took in the conversation. He didnât have much to say or contribute, but he seemed perfectly happy just listening. It made Delaneyâs heart twist a little bit at the thought.
âHow you doing over there, buddy?â asked Rachel. Delaney cast an appreciative glance over at her sister, grateful that she was making an effort to include him.
âMe? Oh, Iâm doing great,â he said with a grin after a sip of his Labatt. âYou guys kind of remind me of my mom, sister, and cousins when theyâre all together.â
âWait, thatâs really sweet,â Preethi cooed.Â
âOkay, youâve heard us yapping,â Violet said after agreeing with a nod. âTell us about this infamous Tysonâwho Iâm still pretty pissed that I only just learned about your existence.âÂ
Delaney offered her sister a sheepish grin and a shrug as Tyson recited the story theyâd concocted about their relationship, peppering in details about their first date and their transition from friends to more. Violet seemed skeptical at first, but she seemed to warm up when he shared that heâd harbored a crush on Delaney for months before he asked her outâsomehow, that was enough to explain the lack of talk about him.
âWe wanted to keep things light in the beginning,â she peppered in. âJust in case things didnât work out. Didnât want to make things weird with the rest of our friends.â
Tyson nodded, going along with her ad-libbing and taking it a step further by reaching his hand over to hold hers on the armrest of her Adirondack. His thumb stroked her knuckles, a quiet and subtle gesture of affection that sent warmth flooding to Delaneyâs heart. âFortunately, it worked out and we still have friends.â
It wasnât long after that Rachel went inside to put Isla to sleep and Violet and Preethi left to pick up Chinese takeout for dinner, leaving Tyson and Delaney alone. The other kids had gone inside to shower, which left their view of the beach unmarred as the sun went down, oranges and purples dancing across the surface of the water. Warmth splayed over her legs, the cool breeze making an otherwise warm evening quite pleasant.
This, she thought, is pure happiness.
âWow,â Tyson awed, âI mean, I believed you when you said it was beautiful, but this is⌠itâs insane.â
Delaney laughed, nudging his foot with hers.
âThank you for coming,â she said softly after a pause. âIt reallyâI canât say how much it means to me that you really came and did⌠all this. For me.â
Tyson smiled, the chocolate of his eyes warm as his hand reached over to give hers another squeeze. âFor this view? I should be thanking you.â
Though Delaney was sure he was referring to the glowing horizon in front of them, she found herself wishing that wasnât all that he meant.
â
Dinner was simple, casual, and perfect, with everyone scattered around amongst the dining room table, kitchen bar, and coffee table in the living room. Delaney could feel her heart contract at the sight of it, her family, the sound of their voices and their laughter filling the room of her most favorite place on planet Earth. Every time she looked over at Tyson, he seemed to be laughing, that contagious, bright smile etched across his face. He flitted around, too; one moment, sheâd see him at the table with Olivia, Noah, and Dean, the next, at the bar with Rachel, Alyssa, and Hailey.
She was surprised at the way in which he fit in with her family as if heâd been around for years, the way Ben and Preethi had. It was so natural; she was impressed at how well he was selling their fake relationship without missing a single beat. Not a single person, she mused, had any suspicion that it was all a sham.
It sure didnât feel like a sham to her when he tugged his white t-shirt over his head, tossed it in his bag, and crawled into bed beside her later that night. Delaney did her best to keep from gaping, but sheâd never even seen that many abs on a person, let alone the shape of his bicep and the tempting dip of muscles that disappeared into the waistband of his plaid pajama bottoms.
âSo howâd I do?â he asked, pulling her out of her headâthe one that was imagining exactly where those lines ended beneath the cotton material. Heat flushed to her cheeks, realizing how blatantly sheâd been staring, darting her eyes away.
Delaney plugged her phone in on the nightstand and regained her composure before turning to face him. âYouâre doing amazing, sweetie.â
âAw, thanks, buttercup,â he said, tapping her on the nose with a fingertip. âIâm ready to play so much Marco Polo with Olivia tomorrow.â
âYou better get some beauty sleep if youâre planning to be the entertainment for the day. The girlâs got stamina.â
âBaby, I was born ready.â
When Tyson woke, it took him a moment to register where he was. The blue paint on the walls, the wooden beams, the spinning fan overhead was all unfamiliar, but there was something sweetly scented that he recognized.
Delaney.
She was sleeping beside him, hair disheveled and falling out of her loose braid. Her breathing was steady, soft, so quiet Tyson could barely hear it. He smiled, watching her for a few moments, appreciating the quiet simplicity of the houseâs aura and the effect it had on Delaney; she seemed so at home, so comfortable, like she could take off the armor and be unapologetically herself. He liked seeing that side of her, like it was a privilege to be able to witness her at her most authentic self. He couldnât wait to see more.
Delaney shifted, causing a strand of hair to fall into her face. Tyson felt a tug in his heart when she nuzzled into his warmth, exhaling softly.Â
He was her boyfriend now, and as much as heâd bonded with her family the night before, it was still early and he didnât fancy an awkward conversation over coffee with the few people who had awoken. So, he gave himself a mental shrug and let her sink into the crook of his arm, savoring her warmth.
The subtle floral scent of her shampoo made its way into his nose, and the steady rise and fall of her chest lulled him back into a cat nap, morning sun warming the ocean-cool air. It was her stirring in his arms later, after the sun had risen higher in the sky, streaming light and buttery warmth through the window, that woke him again.
âYou were snoring,â she said. Her freshly-awake voice was sleepy, softer than usual. âIt was so cute.â
Tyson hummed a soft apology and his cheeks warmed, heat weaving its way through his body when he realized how much of her was pressed against him. He found himself both disappointed and grateful when she stretched and rose first, padding quietly into the bathroom. The bed beside him felt cold, empty, and it was only then that he realized how much heâd been relying on her body heat for warmth.
Breakfast was casual, everyone helping themselves to the assorted bagels, fruit, and yogurt in the fridge. Delaneyâs leg brushed against his when he sat back down after a coffee refill, answering Noahâs earnest questions about how to become a professional athlete. He wasnât sure how he did until he received a grateful look from Alyssa after he told Noah that he always made sure to eat all of his vegetables at dinner.
Since he didnât need much time to prepare for a beach day, he offered to help Dean clean up the kitchen and load the dishwasherâhe was confident heâd made a good first impression, but wanted to solidify a spot on the Good List. By the time heâd started the cycle, Delaney had returned from their shared room and Tyson nearly choked on his coffee when his eyes landed on her. Heâd never seen her in anything less than a t-shirt and jeans, and the expanse of her golden skin wasnât something he had prepared himself for.Â
Of course heâd noticed the way her eyes bulged when he took his shirt off before bed; heâd bitten his lip to keep from smiling. She had told him to act normal and be himselfâit wasnât his fault he preferred to sleep sans shirt. But after seeing her in beachwear, Tysonâs confidence in his ability to manage his emotions as Delaneyâs fake boyfriend was starting to waver. The black linen pants she sported were enough to have him sweating for a moment before he collected himself, tearing his eyes away from the curve of her ass.
Fortunatelyâand unfortunatelyâfor him, he didnât have much time to dwell on how well her pants fit her hips and her ass, for Olivia was barreling down the dock, followed closely by Noah, both of whom were calling to Tyson to help them build the worldâs largest sand kingdom. Delaney grinned at him, offering a sympathetic shrug before he was being tugged to a spot on the beach by Olivia.
Right away, she directed him to dig the moat, while she and Noah worked on starting the base. Tyson kept the conversation going, asking them both about school and letting them ask him questions about life as a hockey player. Every so often, heâd glance over at Delaney, sitting on the deck with Rachel, Isla, Violet, and Preethi. He smiled at the light in her eyes as she sat, chatting and laughing with her family that he knew she missed dearly. For the first time in a few weeks, she was smiling, the weight on her shoulders temporarily lifted.
This was why he came. Why he traveled 500 miles from home, voluntarily staying in a house full of strangers and was now elbow-deep in wet sand: To take away a pressure point so that she could enjoy her weekend with her family without the unspoken still-single? narratives. She thanked him more times than he could count, but it honestly hadnât even occurred to him as something that was worth thanking him for.
She was a friend, and she needed something from him. Simple. There was no decision to make. If she needed him, he was there. When a friend asks for help, you help âem.
Even if it meant he had to spend an entire weekend with her loud, large family and pretend to be her boyfriend.
Something about playing that role, envisioning himself as the man beside her in her life, made him feel⌠warm? And kind of fuzzy? Prior to arriving, heâd been a bit anxious at the immense pressure of being able to act the part and pull it all off, but being Delaneyâs boyfriend was easy. Her warmth attracted everyone; it was only natural to be drawn to her.Â
âTyson?â Oliviaâs voice pulled him out of his thoughts.
âHmm?â
âAre you gonna marry Aunt Dee?â
Tyson felt his cheeks tinge with pink heat, stuttering for an answer; he got the strange sense that Olivia had been reading his thoughts. His gaze flicked over to the girl in question, gently rocking Isla in her arms. For a brief moment, his brain conjured the idea that she was holding their daughter, and he couldnât keep up with the surge of emotions in his chest.
He cleared his throat, blinking away the thought. âUm, yeah. Maybe. Do you think I should?âÂ
âYeah,â she said after a moment of introspection. âShe smiles a lot with you.â
âShe does?â
âDuh. Youâre her boyfriend.â
Tyson hummed, letting Olivia drop a handful of sand into the bucket he was holding. He packed it in before helping Noah place the next section of the wall.
Heâd be so lucky to marry someone half as wonderful as Delaney.
The sun warmed Delaneyâs skin, amplified by Islaâs body heat, sleeping soundly in her arms. She smiled down at her newest niece, drinking in her tiny features.
âYou got yourself a good one, Del,â Rachel said, causing Delaney to glance up at the use of her name. âHeâs wonderful.â
Delaney swallowed the urge to respond that Tyson wasnât hers, that he could only ever be hers in her dreamsâor, in this case, in an entirely fake scenario. Even in the first 24 hours, everything had come so naturally to them, she had to remind herself that he was only there out of pity, not out of any sort of inkling of real feelings for her. The thought stung, but she pushed it aside to unpack later.
âItâs actually so sweet how in love with you he is,â Violet agreed. âI love watching him look at you.â
âOh my God, right?â Preethi gushed. âEvery time I look over at him, heâs staring at you with that dumb little smile on his face. Itâs so cute.â
The thump of her heart quickened at her familyâs words. Sheâd never seen the looks they were talking about. In fact, sheâd never even seen him looking in her direction when sheâd sneak glances at him across the room, keeping tabs on his whereabouts and if he generally appeared to be enjoying himself.
âDo you loooove him?â Violet asked. Her sing-song voice made Delaney roll her eyes.
âNo, of course not,â she said, far too quickly, before she realized that being in love with her boyfriend is kind of the end goal when in a relationship. âI mean, not yet. Itâs not been that long.â
She ignored Rachelâs glance, allowing Violet to nudge her knee with her own. âAlright. Well, no time like the present.â
âJudging by the way he looks at you, I think your boy is already there,â Rachel said.
Heat surged to Delaneyâs cheeks. She knew it wasnât true, but they had every reason to believe it. It was strange to be at the center of a lie, watching as the strings began to weave an intricate patternâall because she couldnât bear to disappoint her family again.
And Tyson had been more than willing to jump in and help her; in fact, he wouldnât take no for an answer. She was overwhelmed with his generosity, his kindness. The display of friendship made her heart ache. And now, here he was, convincing everyone in her life that he was her boyfriendâso well that her sisters were convinced that this wonderful man was in love with her.
She made a mental note to compliment Tyson on his acting abilities. âStop. Heâs not.â
âGirl,â Violet said disbelievingly. âYou go off to la la land with that dopey-ass smile on your face when your sister says heâs in love with you, and you think you donât love him?â
âLet her get there on her own, Vi,â Preethi said, resting a hand gently on her girlfriendâs arm. She winked at Delaney before saying, âYouâre right, though.â
After another roll of her eyes, Delaney glanced to the sparkling water beyond the dock for a reprieve from her interrogation. The waves softly rolled toward the shore, whispering her name on their breath. She nudged Isla into her sisterâs arms before rising from her seat, stretching. âItâs time.â
Rachelâs âHave fun!â followed Delaney as she headed down the dock, slipping her linen cover-up down her legs and tightening the straps on her bikini. At the end, she wasted no time diving in, letting the water surround her.
Delaney swam around, letting the coolness of the water soothe her warm skin. Ever since she was a little girl, sheâd been coming to this place, and something about the feeling of the water on her skin was cleansing; purifying even. The weight of the world seemed to melt away in this place, pressures and stressors and everything else muted while she was there with her people.Â
This time around was different. This time, her life back at home was in shambles, unable to catch a break. But this time, she also had Tyson by her side, there to alleviate the pressure so she could have an escape. His presence was different from how Markâs had been, despite the fact that Mark was actually her boyfriend. Tyson seemed to understand her, listened without judgment, supported her without question.
Tyson saw her in a way that Mark never hadâmaybe in a way that even her family never had.
â
Tyson was helping Olivia put the final touches on the sandcastle, which included a garage for her Barbie Jeep, when movement on the porch steps caught his eye. His throat went dry when he saw whatâor whoâwas making their way toward the water.
Delaney, stripping out of that linen outfit, excitedly speed-walking down the dock. He felt heat rush to his cheeks, his heart thudding in his chest. Unable to help the way his eyes traveled over her skin, he let his gaze drag up her legs, over her curves. Fuck. She looked good.
A shriek sounded beside him, and Tysonâs eyes went wide as his head whipped to Olivia. Only when he saw her smiling did he realize that she was shrieking with joy, presumably at the sight of Delaney jumping in the water, if the cheering was any indication.
âAunt Dee! Aunt Dee!â she squealed, dropping her sand shovel and running back toward the shed. She handed him a Frozen floaty, indicating for him to help her blow it up. Once she was situated, the floaties wrapped securely around her upper arms, she was bounding down the dock toward her aunt. The sound of a splash, followed shortly by a squeal and laughter informed Tyson that she had successfully made it.
He smiled fondly, making his own way down to the end of the dock where Delaney was helping Olivia make a whirlpool.
âIncoming!â he shouted, tossing his t-shirt and sunglasses to the side before he cannonballed in amidst screams from both girls. Rising to the surface, he was met with splashes from Oliviaâs tiny feet, which he quickly grabbed and tugged her toward him to lug her over his shoulders. Another squeal left her mouth as he launched herâsafelyâout of his arms, crashing into the water.
Delaney laughed beside him, watching Oliviaâs triumphant smile as she rose to the surface. Moments too late, she realized that she was Tysonâs next target, her eyes going wide when his hands found her waist. He ignored the feeling of her skin beneath his fingertips and the way she fit in his arms as he lifted her, tooâmuch to Oliviaâs delight, who was chanting for him to toss Delaney.Â
âOne, twoââ
âTyson, put me down!â Delaney shrieked.
With a wink at Olivia, he shrugged and said, âYou asked.â With that, he launched her and watched her land in the water with a satisfying splash. When she emerged, Olivia was laughing so hard that Tyson couldnât help but join in. Delaney spluttered, sending a splash of ocean water toward him that he quickly dodged.
He turned to Olivia, still giggling, and ignored Delaneyâs sharp protests beside him. His eyebrow raised and he leaned in to Olivia. âWe playing mermaids next, or what?â
Prior to arriving at the Taylor family cottage, Delaney had taught Tyson the family dynamics and the Annual Family vacation rules. First and foremost, to relax and spend time with family. If you werenât having fun, you werenât required to participate in anythingâand there was usually so much going on that it wasnât difficult to find something to do.
Another rule theyâd developed early on was that each couple gets a guaranteed, guilt-free date night. Established after Hailey was born so that Alyssa and Ben could have a night to themselves, it had simply stuck as each sister added a significant other to the ever-growing Taylor family.
When Violet announced that Tyson and Delaneyâs assigned night was Wednesday, his faux girlfriend was quick to assure him behind closed doors that they didnât have to do anything crazyâ âlike a real date, or anything.â Tyson, though, brushed her off and was determined to commit fully to the bit.
It took a fair bit of wrangling and no shortage of dawdling to get himself alone with Alyssa to ask where he should take Delaney on a date. He couldnât explain why his cheeks were so warm talking with her, taking note of her suggestions like he was in a Calculus class. While their relationship was a farce, he reasoned, that didnât mean that he couldnât take Delaney out for a memorable evening.
When the night arrived, Tyson fought a flutter of nerves in his chest. He had to actively fight the feeling of being a 16-year-old boy nervous for his first date, despite the fact that he was well into his twenties and had quite literally been sharing a bed with his date for three days. Waiting downstairs with Preethi, Violet, and Hailey, he did his best to act normal like it wasnât his first-ever date with Delaney.
Like a scene from a movie, he felt his heart leap into his throat when she made her way down the stairs. She was stunning, despite having thrown on âjust a sundressâ; the body of the dress fit her torso like a glove, the skirt flowing at her waist. A milkmaid dress, he was told it was calledâwhatever it was, he liked it.
Dinner was simple, one of Alyssaâs top recommendations at which he somehow managed to snag the last remaining reservation. Once they arrived, he understood why: the wall facing the beach was made entirely of windows, leaving the entire restaurant a gorgeous view of the bay and the subsequent sunset. The room was already beginning to fill with the rich oranges and pinks as the sun slid closer and closer to the horizon.
âHow romantic,â Delaney commented with a smirk, nudging him with her elbow. âCandlelit dinner at sunset? Should I be expecting a proposal later?â
Tysonâs face split into a grin, patting his pocket. He couldâve sworn his arm radiated warmth when she pulled away from him. âShh. Donât ruin the surprise!â
âAww, youâre so sweet, honey bee.â
The meal itself was goodâhomemade pasta and some kind of whipped eggplant that had him contemplating ordering a second helpingâbut the highlight was sitting across the table from Delaney, talking freely and feeling on top of the world when she laughed at his stupid jokes. The flickering flame of the candle on her face, illuminating her skin, her smile, the glint of her necklace resting on her collarbones; her thick hair falling in loose waves, the strands around her face soft and so very Delaney. All of itâall of herâhad completely sucked him in, fully underneath her spell and he couldnât have been happier.
Tyson didnât realize how much heâd been craving her individual attention until he had her uninhibited attention: her eyes locked on his, so in tune and in touch with everything he was saying, nodding along enthusiastically with every word out of his mouth. It was intoxicating to have her all to himself, immersed in him as he was in her.
He was addicted.
Tyson saw the waitress lingering out of the corner of his eye, praying she wouldnât interrupt Delaneyâs storyâsomething about a new exhibit at Buffaloâs art museum; honestly, he was mostly just consumed by the spark in her eyes. Instead of checking in, the waitress approached the table silently, refilling water glasses and wine without a word before walking away.
Iâm tipping you 50%, he thought to himself, leaning right back into everything Delaney, Delaney, Delaney.
Eventually, the waitress did return and burst their bubble, but Tyson was already on cloud nine, suggesting a walk on the boardwalk to get ice cream just to prolong the feeling for a little longer. The evening breeze paired with the lack of sun had goosebumps dotting Delaneyâs arms, and it was all too easy for him to slip an arm over her shoulder and tuck her into his warmth.Â
Driving home was like a scene from a movie, her phone plugged into the aux cord and Taylor Swiftâs You Belong With Me blaring from the speakers. With a grin, Delaney cranked the volume up and Tyson found himself loudly singing the words alongside her; fortunately, the sound of his off-tune serenade was drowned out by the music. She sang to him, using her fist as a microphone as she danced in the passenger seat of his car.
Pulling in the driveway didnât stop Tyson from continuing his performance, instead throwing open the door and running around to open Delaneyâs, tugging her out to spin her in a circle at the instrumental break. He pulled her back into his arms, relishing the laughter she let out when he dipped her backwards.
The song faded to its end, the sound replaced by a softer one, the melody sweet and lulling. A faint beachy breeze blew past, and Tyson found himself pulling Delaneyâs body closer. Her eyes were warm, looking up at him with a softness that made his heart melt and time stand still.
Tyson told himself it was gravity that drew him in, pulling him closer to her lips, suddenly yearning to know what her lip gloss tasted like. The world came to a spinning halt around him when he pressed his mouth to hers, like the universe wanted him to savor the moment. He kissed her more firmly, a strange tug in his chest letting his tongue flit against the seam of her mouth. She tasted sweet, like the strawberry ice cream heâd bought her on the boardwalk.
His hand moved up to her neck, cupping the side of her jaw to deepen the kiss, savoring the next sigh she expelled. He didnât want to ever stop kissing her, not now that he finally knew what her lips felt like against his own. It warmed him from the inside out, like a buttery sunshine spreading through his veins, pulsing in time with the beat of his heart.Â
Tyson forced himself to pull away, consciousness seeping back in through the Delaney-infused haze surrounding him. The expression painted on her face was dreamy, her eyes unfocused as she blinked them open, a little hitch of surprise in her throat as reality seeped back in around them. He swallowed the urge to kiss her again.
â
Blinking, Delaney stood in shock. A rush of cool air hit her face from the space that Tyson had just occupied. She blinked again, lips tingling.
Once Delaney managed to get her wits about her, she did her best to keep her voice level. âYou didnât have to⌠we donât have toââ
Tysonâs smile was nearly enough to make her knees wobbleâthough she was stabilized by his hands firm on her waist. He didnât seem to be nearly as impacted as she wasâheart thumping rapidly in her chest, mouth dry, fumbling to right herself on shaky legs. âViolet and Preethi have been spying on us from the upstairs window for ten minutes.â
âOh.â
In an instant, Delaney deflated. She glanced down at her feet, trying to hide her embarrassmentâat both the idea of her intimate moment being impeded on, and at her own stupidity for thinking that the entire evening hadnât been just an act. Heâd been so sweet, so perfect, that sheâd allowed herself to really believe in their lie, even for just a few hours. She couldâve sworn there was something so genuine about the way he held her hand on the boardwalk, the way his eyes watched her lipsâ
And that kiss. She really needed to ask him where heâd learn to be such a good actor, because he was convincing.
âCâmon, pookie,â Tyson said, taking her hand. Her thoughts vanished upon hearing his voice. âWeâve given them enough to look at.â
Back in the house, they were greeted by a few people in the sitting room, gathered on the couches watching a movie. Ignoring the barely-hidden grins from Violet and Preethi, Delaney offered a quick âhelloâ and exchanged a few words about dinner before heading upstairsââIâm tired,â was her excuse.Â
She hoped her family didnât notice that she couldnât get upstairs fast enough.
Inside the locked bathroom, she turned on the faucet to imitate washing her face. Instead, her face crumpled as a sob wracked her body, warm tears spilling freely out of her eyes. The shift from on top of the world after the kiss to the fall in realizing it was all for show was jarring; she knew what she was agreeing to when he offered to pose as her boyfriend, but she hadnât thought of the tease it would be for her heart to have Tyson be hers for the week. It hurt more than sheâd expected to have him openly acting, to know what it felt like to kiss him and have it be all for show.
The little smiles, soft touches on the back of her arm as heâd pass in the kitchen, the brush of his fingertips on her waist in the lake. All of it so natural, sly, clandestine, like he wanted it to be a secret just for the two of themâand because it wasnât an elaborate public display to uphold the falsehood for her family, it had only naturally drawn her to the conclusion that maybe there was some truth behind it.
That kind of thinking was too good to be true, she told herself. She wasnât the main character of some romance novel; she was just Delaney.
And guys like Tyson didnât go for girls like Delaney.
The next few days passed peacefully: jet skiing, swimming, and plenty of mermaids. If Tyson could sense any change in her after their date, he didnât show it. In fact, if anything, heâd doubled down on his affection, brushing her cheek with his lips when he walked by, falling asleep with an arm loose around her hip, stroking the back of her hand by the fire.Â
It was wonderful and infuriating all at once. Delaney couldnât help but lean into him, unable to resist his touch, even though she knew it would crush her even more once Sunday rolled around and it was time to leave. She could barely even think about telling her family theyâd âbroken upââbut she was getting ahead of herself.
She knew she should bring it up with him, tell him how she felt, but she couldnât bear to make things weird and ruin the rest of the trip. For the rest of the week, she reasoned, sheâd let herself live in the fantasy. Enjoy another few days of blissful ignorance. And sheâd deal with the consequences of her actions later.Â
Hurt feelings were future Delaneyâs problem.Â
It was Friday when the kids announced that everyone was cordially invited to a play performed by them that evening. Both Delaney and Tyson helped them to construct a few of the props necessaryâincluding a reindeer made out of a tarp and a bike and multiple paper crowns.Â
Before the show, Delaney followed Tyson into the kitchen to retrieve a beverage for the show. As she poured herself a glass of wine, Tyson passed behind her, hand brushing against her waist when he reached past her to grab a High Noon from the fridge. They turned at the same time, bumping into one another, causing her white wine to spill down her front.
âShit, Iâm sorryââ she said, only to have him interrupt with a sudden kiss.
Initially caught off guard, it only took her a few moments to recover before she was kissing back, addicted to the feeling of his lips against hers. That same beautiful warmth filled her, a kind of light that she only experienced with him. She wanted to devour him, to have him devour her, to think and feel nothing but Tysonâ
And then he pulled away. Lips wet, cheeks flushed, she could see the emotion swirling behind his beautiful brown eyes. âDelaneyââ
But, with her wits about her now that he wasnât making her dizzy with his kiss, she knew what came next. She interrupted him before he could finish. âDonât.â
âDonât?â Tysonâs brows furrowed together, confusion knitting between them. âDonât what?â
Delaney shook her head and repeated herself. âWhatever youâre about to say, I donât want to hear it. It isnât fair.â
âWhat are you talking about?â
âYou think youâre catching feelings, right? Because youâve had to act like it all week.â
Tyson blinked, clearly surprised that sheâd taken the words out of his mouth. But the surprised expression quickly morphed into one of frustration.Â
âSo youâre not even going to give me the chance to speak?â
âI canât hear you say it, Tysonânot unless you mean it,â Delaney said, then added softly, âNot when this has been the best week of my life because Iâve gotten to pretend you were mineâwhich is all Iâve wanted since we met.â
She watched his eyes soften, and the pity she imagined there nearly made her sick. It was a necessary evil, though; she needed to intercept his confession before he said it out loud. She couldnât bear to hear him emit those words, couldnât hear him confirm what she knew to be true: a future with her wasnât in the cards for him. Heâd never say it, probably wouldnât even admit it to himself, but she knew that he was too good for her, that someone like her didnât deserve someone like him. She wasnât ready to burst the final bubble of her beautiful fantasy, leaving her cold and sad and alone.
But instead of sympathy, or a patronizing statement, Tyson adopted a bite to his words. âYou think I fell for you on purpose? I didnât have a choice, Delaney.â
Something about the way he said it felt like a slash to her heart, like he had fallen for her but wished he hadnât. It stung more than she expected, more than him simply not reciprocating her feelings.
âThis was your idea in the first place, Tyson. You committed to this,â she reminded him coolly. âItâs not my fault youâve never seen a rom-com before. I didnât force you to do shit.â
âDelaney, thatâs not what Iâm sayingââ
Against her will, tightness formed in her throat, a sting hot behind her eyes. âI thought I could handle it. Having you be mine. Iâve always known it would come to an end, that Iâd have to go back to life as it was. But I didnât realize how much different itâd be knowing how it feels to kiss you, to hold your hand. To have you look at me like Iâm the only person in the world.â
âThen you shouldâve fucking told me that before you let me be your boyfriend!â
This is going nowhere, she thought to herself. She needed to walk away from him, right now, before the wall of tears threatening to burst through came pouring out.
Delaney took a breath, searching for the words that would wound him the way he wounded her. She steeled herself, feeling a cool exterior blanket her and harden into place like a cast. âWell, I didnât. Sue me. I just need you to do your job for another 24 hours, and after that, we donât ever have to speak again. Okay?â
She turned on her heel without waiting for a response, though she heard him say her name as she walked back outside to where her family was gathered on the patio. Her body thrummed as she returned to Rachelâs side, her younger sister casting a glance of concern in her direction. Delaney ignored her, smiling and turning to Hailey, Noah, and Oliviaâs performanceâFrozen, the musical.
A movement in her periphery told her that Tyson, too, had returned to the group, taking the seat beside the makeshift stage that Olivia had saved for him. She could feel his gaze lingering on her, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of acknowledging him.
âGood?â Rachelâs voice was quiet, subtle, concerned. Delaney nodded, and she knew that her sister knew she wasnât, in fact, good. She was grateful that Rachel knew her well enough to know to let it be, that sheâd talk when she was ready. For now, Delaney wanted to stew a little bit.
So stew she did, staying mostly quiet as the musical wrapped up. The performers received a standing ovation before a fire was started and the usual chatter began. Darkness fell, the moon rising higher in the sky, their voices swallowed by the night air. Delaney offered a few comments here and there and helped Noah with his sâmore, watching the group dwindle as more and more of them went off to bed for the night. Tyson, to his credit, remained by the fire too, helping to keep the kindle stockedâalmost like he was saying, âI can go all night.â
But so could she.
â
The crackle of the wood and the lick of the flames hypnotized Tyson, pulling him in and quieting thoughts running through his mind as he replayed the conversation theyâd had. Admittedly, heâd lost his temper a little bit, frustrated that Delaney wouldnât let him get a word in edgewise, that sheâd somehow made him out to be the bad guy.
As the kids began to make their way to bed, Tyson indulged in another beerâor three. Not enough to be drunk drunk, but enough to wash away some of the rogue emotions swimming around inside of him. He kept his eye on Delaney, who appeared to be stewing silently across from him and refusing to make eye contact with him.
But he was determined; he wasnât going to let her slip awayânot this time. Not after her confession. Not when he still had things to say that she needed to hear.
So he waited, making casual conversation with those remaining, the chairs around him slowly emptying out until it was only him, Dean, and Delaney remaining. He cast another glance over to her, startled to see her already looking at him. He couldnât read the expression on her face, but he held her gaze through the tips of the orange flames dancing between them regardless. Something in his heart swelled, even though he was pretty sure heâd fucked it all upâhe just wasnât exactly sure what he did wrong.
âYou know, your mother and I looked at each other like that.â
With a blink, Delaney broke eye contact to turn and look at Dean. Tyson had never heard her talk about her mom, save for an occasional memory. Her lips partedâin surprise, maybeâbefore she said, âLike what?â
âLike there was no one else around,â Dean said simply.
Delaneyâs eyes flicked to Tysonâs. He swallowed carefully, suddenly all too aware at Deanâs implication, whether intentional or not. As her boyfriend, he was supposed to want a future with her: that was the end goal.
He didnât have to feel guilty.Â
So he smiled, letting her see the warmth and happiness that Deanâs statement filled him with. He wanted her to know that when he was with her, the rest of the world faded away.
She was his Cape Cod. His escape from the upcoming pressures of free agency, of the already-exhausting training regimen that waited for him upon return home, of his future in the NHL on the line. With Delaney, none of it seemed to matter so much. As long as she was by his side, everything seemed like itâd be okay.
âGoodnight, you two,â said Deanâs amused voice. In his inner monologue, Tyson had completely forgotten that Dean was around, and he jumped slightly when heâd interrupted his train of thought. âPut the fire out when you come inside, will you?â
âYeah,â Delaney called after him, glancing back at Tyson. âGoodnight, dad.â
Tyson waited until the crunch of Deanâs shoes on the sand disappeared up the lighted walkway to the house. âDelaneyâŚâ
âIâm sorry,â she interrupted. âI was being selfish. I shouldnât haveâ it wasnât fair of me to not even let you say your piece.â
âI didn't know how you felt. I⌠I wish youâd told me,â he said, gently. âI wouldnât have wanted to tease you.â
âI didnât want to make things weird between us,â she confessed. âI didnât really think about anything being different after this.â
Tyson nodded in understanding. The fire crackled beside him, burning bright in the cool darkness around them. He wasnât sure if it was the alcohol or his proximity to Delaney that made everything seem so damn beautiful. Probably a mix of both.
âYou can say your piece now. I wonât interrupt this time.â She smiled, following where his gaze had just been, watching a spark pop beneath one of the logs.
âItâs not much of a piece,â he said. âI didnât really think about how I was going to say this.â
âSo, just say it.â
âI love you.â
Delaney snorted, rolling her eyes. âTyson, youâre drunk.â
âI know. This isnât exactly the way I envisioned first saying it to you, but I need you to know,â he confessed, aware that he was on the verge of drunk rambling. He composed himself and repeated, âI love you, Delaney.â
Delaneyâs smile faded, staring at him. Her eyes studied his face, almost like she was searching for the truth in his own eyes. Convinced he could prove it, he stood and walked around the fire, moving into the empty seat beside herâonly wobbling once en route. Her breath caught in her throat at the new proximity and he reached across the armrest to take her hand in his.Â
âYou said not to say it unless I meant it,â he whispered. âI mean it.â
He watched as the weight of his words settled in, even drunk Tyson having enough wherewithal to know that it was time for silence. Slowly, a smile began to spread across her features.Â
Illuminated by the glow of the fire, Tyson thought it was the most beautiful heâd ever seen her look.
âAre you still gonna mean it when we leave here on Sunday?â she asked, eyeing him. âYouâre not going to get back to Buffalo and shake out of this vacation high?â
âWhatever you need me to do to prove it to you, I will,â he said solemnly. âBut I really, really would like to kiss you first, if thatâs okay with you.â
Her eyes widened with surprise, just briefly, but then she was smiling again and nodding. With a finesse that only a drunk person could manage, he leaned forward to cup her jaw with his hand, nose brushing her own affectionately. He savored the feeling of her breath against his lips and closed his eyes.
As it had both times before, her kiss lit him on fire from the inside out. He poured himself into her, hoping that he could convey his sincerity with the depth of his kiss.
SIX WEEKS LATER
The buzz of her phone had Delaney setting down the Lego instruction booklet to glance at it. Smiling at the contact photoâTyson, freshly awoken, his hair sticking straight upâshe turned the screen to Noah, earning a wide smile with an extra tooth missing. She swiped to answer, letting the camera face her nephew.
âNoah! Hey, buddy,â Tysonâs voice greeted with a laugh. âWhatâre you up to?â
âWeâre making a Spiderman Lego set! Look!â
âWow, thatâs awesome. I wish I could do it with you. You look like a real hockey player with those teeth missing.â
Noah smiled again, showing off the two gaps where his baby teeth had recently fallen out. Delaney started to flip the camera back to herself when a voice sounded from the other room. âTyson! Tyson!â
Little feet pattered excitedly through the doorway, Oliviaâs face beaming as she ran to grab the phone from Delaneyâs hands. âHi, Tyson.â
âHey, Liv. When are you coming to visit me and Aunt Dee?â
She jumped up and down excitedly, looking at Delaney. âAunt Dee said we can come and have a sleepover over winter break!â
âThat sounds awesome. We can wear matching pajamas,â he said, earning a giggle from Olivia, who launched into an elaborate itinerary for their slumber party, including candy, a makeover, and a Frozen marathon.
âI canât wait,â he said. âHey, do you think I could talk to Aunt Dee?â
With a nod, Olivia said her goodbyes and made him promise to text her goodnight. Flipping the camera back to herself, Delaney smiled and raised her eyebrows. âHi.â
âHi, muffin,â he said, an easy smile curling up on his own face. He was sitting outside on a porch, curls peeking out from under a gray hoodie. âHow was your interview?â
âReally good. Weâre going to schedule a final interview at the museum next week once I get back. Iâm pretty sure Iâm going to get the job.â
Tysonâs smile grew wider. âThatâs great news. One step closer to the Met!â
âIâm good with Buffaloâs art museum for now,â she said. âI donât want to be that far from you.â
âAww, honey bear,â he teased. Delaney wrinkled her nose, rolling her eyes at him. Her interview had been over video call, taken from Benâs office at their house in Rochester. If all went well, she would soon become Buffalo AKG Art Museumâs new Membership Coordinator.
Things were looking up for her. And even though life wasnât perfect, she had Tyson and her family to help her get through whatever came her way.
SIMILAR CONTENT:
Third Timeâs the Charm* Adore You Love It If We Made It* One Night Standards
#nkh bookstore#AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!#JUST AMAZING WONDERFUL MASTERPIECE INCREDIBLE ETC ETC ETC#Y'ALL NEED TO READ THIS NOW OR ELSE! THAT'S A THREAT!!#!!!
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Gordon and Edward, Part 2
Hello and welcome back to "Jobey ruins beloved RWS characters for you, using the power of... the actual RWS text!" đ
Part 1: Gordon, what's your damage? đ / The Doylist Reason / Rent. Free.Â
Post 2 (this post):Â Edward's Defences / Gordon's Growth
Post 3 (upcoming post, link later): Collision / Uh⌠Cleanup Crew?
Edward's Defences
Pretty consistently, through the next 45 years, Edward (most conflict-avoidant engine ever built?) takes a four-pronged approach to dealing with Gordon and the threat he represents:
He keeps Gordon at a distance. He focuses on building connections with⌠Literally Everyone Else. Gordon is kept more than a good buffer's length away (and when they must be in close proximity things do tend to go south in a hurry).
He tries to never give Gordon a reaction, or any other ammo. Will not admit weakness or discomfort or upset. Difficult, because he has a transparent face when he's sad! And he's comfortable confiding in others! But he'll never, willingly, let Gordon see him bleed.Â
Instead he treats Gordon very lightly. Adopts a sort of affectionate knowingness, which allows him to "laugh off" Gordon's more irritating or threatening qualities.Â
He takes control of the narrative. He doesn't shy from telling humans the engines' business. He spreads stories (I'm not saying false stories) that counter Gordon's branding of himself as supreme and infallible. He also builds his own brand as reliable and sensible.Â
Where do I get all this from? The text:Â
"I've got some trucks to take home tomorrow," he told him. "If you take them instead, I'll push coaches in the Yard." (~1925)
We're less than one full book away from "now all three engines are great friends" and Edward is already shedded somewhere else, baby. That move was likely integral to developing those two new friendships with Henry and especially with Gordon⌠ironic but true. Hey, we know that the big engines seem to have only learned to appreciate Thomas after he left, too! And, of course, it gives Edward some space from all of the *waves hand vaguely* at the Big Shed. He doesn't like conflict (and Gordon is a conflict-generating machine).Â
They both rested at the next station; Edward told James how Gordon had stuck on the hill, and he had had to push him up! (1925)Â
Bro. Bro bro bro bro bro. I am pointing urgently.Â
This bit is so telling. It's been two years since the events of EDO/E&G and Edward is already seen defining Gordon's whole brand as we now know it to newcomers.Â
If it wasn't for that moment, I wouldn't insist with nearly as much confidence what I think then comes into focus as a clear fact: The early RWS itself is all evidence that Edward is winning the propaganda war, lol. Gordon's opinion of himself is a silly, endearing, limited point of view. Edward's opinion of himself is canon, bitches!Â
Incredible stuff.Â
This scene is a glimpse into the tactics that allowed Edward to eventually win this game (poor Gordon has no idea they're playing). Here he is laying the groundwork a good 20 years before the books about them were even published! And this is a good place to remind readers that, unlike in TVS where they make Gordon's hill problem a recurring gag, we only see Gordon stalling out there and requiring a banker's help once. In Christopher Awdry's Gordon the High Speed Engine, he also specifies that Gordon (who is about to have trouble on the hill again, in the 1980s) stuck before on this hill. "[O]nce." Once.Â
This is not a habit of his. It was a one-off thing. It's only remembered at all because his superior attitude and his ignorance of the words "thank you" offended Edward so deeply that he kept the memory of this event alive for over 20 years, until the Thin Clergyman got the story in print.Â
It's a bit messed up.Â
It's more than a bit petty.Â
It's so bloody funny.Â
No, I don't think Edward is some consciously evil Machiavellian genius. He's neither vindictive nor that far-sighted. But he's resilient, and creative enough to instinctively change the rules of the game when otherwise they'd grind him into rust. And there is his characteristic kindness mixed up in all of this, too: He needs to find a way to welcome Gordon's presence in his life, so he finds a narrative that makes Gordon funny and lovable instead of a threat. He sees James is insecure, so he tells that story at least partly from real solidarity and empathy. It's not like he's trashing Gordon, either â there is no lie told, and James is not put off trying to "motor-mouth" his way into Gordon's good graces. I'd characterize it, not as trashing Gordon, more⌠injecting an element of realism into his growing legend ;) We see in the same book that Gordon is continuing in his superior attitude (which involves putting others down, even if it's a bit more indirectly than he did two books earlier) and that his attitude depresses and dejects newcomers like James. There is good, civic-minded reason to slyly undermine Gordon's branding of himself as all-powerful and invincible â it's not good for the railway as a whole if Gordon is allowed to lord over them all on his throne unchecked, the new engines forever overawed. It is kind of Edward to welcome James and give him a boost, it's genuinely useful for everyone that in the end James triumphs to seize the role of a darkhorse rival junior but trusted colleague of Gordon's.Â
At the same time, while it's all justifiable and even beneficial, this action is also very useful in cementing Edward's own position. Let's just be clear-eyed about this.Â
"Shall I help you, James?" called Edward. / "No, thank you," answered James, "I'll pull them myself." / "Good, don't let them beat you." (1925-6)Â
Edward and James show a perfect understanding of each other in this moment â different though they may be, Don't let them beat you is a shared value. (Shared by a lot of engines, of course; probably a steam engine culture thing. Douglas says something similar in RWS after accidentally destroying the spiteful brakevan.) It applies here to trucks, but no doubt that's a value that motivates them in other areas, too.Â
It's just worth remembering this, when it comes to Edward's stance re: Gordon. He's more subtle about it than James is. He sort of has to be (he cannot directly compete with Gordon, as James can). But he's still determined to not be beaten.Â
Errr, but then Gordon triggers a chain of events that Edward could have never conceived of. The Fat Controller sends him to Tidmouth, Edward goes in with no idea what he's facing, and wham. We have the first of the two really severe strains on this relationship:Â
Gordon came clanking past, hissing rudely[...] / "They all hiss me, Sir," answered Edward sadly. "They say 'Tender Engines don't shunt', and last night they said I had black wheels. I haven't, have I, Sir?" (~1927)
Two things to note here. This clash doesn't only represent Gordon's and Edward's differing views on what is proper to the dignity of an engine and what he owes to his railway. That's all The Author can see of it, of course⌠The Author being a human, and thus with a vested structural interest in vindicating Edward's point of view on this matter â and in mocking Gordon's view to scorn. This is why, so far as the book is concerned, Gordon and his two big-engine followers don't have a wheel to run on here. The Gordon position is portrayed as thoroughly unreasonable (even if, despite the narrative's best efforts, the text must admit that the Fat Controller does actually have to get a new tank engine â which was Gordon's demand all along!)Â
Because of The Author's interest, there's no chance of any acknowledgment that the other tender engines' anger might have the slightest validity to it. However I think we are seeing another, parallel clash going down here:
Gordon naturally sees friendship as, well, as an Alliance. My friends are your friends and your enemies are my enemies. United we stand, together we fall. The problem is that while Edward is mild-mannered he's not a follower, like Henry and James â he has his own mind and he's not about to substitute Gordon's convictions for his own. Edward's idea of friendship is mutual sympathy and support. Emphasis here on mutual, because you just know that young Gordon was quite prepared to receive support (as his due!) but had trouble returning it. That's something Edward considers a serious insult⌠whereas his own idea of friendship simply has nothing to do with "how dare you cut the branch out from under me when I'm risking my tender leading collective action against management!" To Gordon that's a real betrayal. I suspect when Edward undercut his strike Gordon was genuinely hurt and felt a real righteous indignation â one that is never expressed in canon because to the Author there's nothing even slightly valid in Gordon's hurt. But canon (the Author, the railway, the whole institution of human society that made and employs these guys) does validate Edward's position that boasting and one-upmanship are hurtful, itself a sort of betrayal â which is a big problem, since for Gordon they're alarmingly close to a damn love language.
This is a position on which I feel no need to take sides. I know the Author's position. I think they just have irreconcilable values and that Gordon's values, while I don't share them, aren't just shit, either. I don't condone all his behavior here but I do think his idea of friendship is consistent over the course of the Wilbert books and that he would feel genuinely betrayed here. And if you've been betrayed then it makes sense that you are hurt and angry.Â
What a mess.Â
"Tender Engines do shunt, but all the same, you'd be happier in your own Yard." (~1927)
Guys, I'm telling ya, the Fat Controller knew what he was doing when he separated Edward from the other "great friends" after the events of TTRE. He knows. Letting Edward have distance from Gordon is policy. Pre-existing policy. Drafting Edward to Tidmouth was a last-ditch effort to avoid buying a tank engine but TFC is unsurprised when it takes less than one (1) day of proximity for Edward's "laugh 'im off" strategy to fail. Proximity causes the fragile Edward and Gordon relationship to collapse immediately â which inevitably means that it's Edward who gets hurt â and so Hatt is resigned to his new expenditure. Off to the engine orphanage.Â
After Percy is brought in, Gordon et. al. are suitably punished, and equilibrium is restored, there is again a long period of relative peace between 2 and 4. And it's not because Gordon has lost his capability to be an asshat to others (see "Gordon's Whistle" and "Off the Rails" and "Duck Takes Charge" and â etc.) But Edward's defences are restored and he continues to reinforce them. Again in safety at his own station, he regains his ability to laugh knowingly and to gather intel for the oppo file:Â
âIt sounds like Gordon,â said Edward, âand it ought to be Gordon, but Gordon never whistles like that.â / It was Gordon. / ⌠/ He screamed through the station and disappeared. / âWell!!!â said Edward, looking at Henry. / âIt isnât wrong,â chuckled Henry, âbut we just donât do it,â and he told Edward what Gordon had said. (1935-6)Â
After Henry's rebuild, there is a long "dark" period â end of Depression (including Gordon's rebuild) and WWII. During the course of the war the Thin Clergyman begins (and ends) his stint as publicity director for the NWR, and in 1945 TTRE is published. I reckon the focus on Edward, Henry, and Gordon reflects that this was a high-water mark in their friendship. The qualities and values that these three actually do have in common â duty, loyalty, determination â would have been at the forefront for those years. They would have faced a lot of very difficult days together, and together they got through them. The bond might have been heightened because frankly this is the sort of circumstance I can see them at their very best but the opposite being true for James, so there might have beena bit of "the old band getting back together" and re-bonding. In particular I can see Edward and Gordon during the war years learning to better appreciate the other's strengths. In 1945 you can easily imagine 'the three railway engines' looking ahead to a happy new era and genuinely believing that all their petty squabbles are in the past, they will never have problems between them again.Â
Lmao.Â
Well actually, of course, life goes on. By 1952 Gordon in particular is achieving brand-new levels of asshattery in the lead up to his ditch tourism. However, the interactions between him and Edward this year support my guess that this was a period of detente:Â
âI wonât go, I wonât go,â grumbled Gordon. / âDonât be silly, donât be silly,â puffed Edward. (1952)Â
This is their most obvious "tug-of-war" moment ever, but actually the stakes here are soooooo low lol. To me this is one of their cosiest and most comfortable interactions, actually. This is a rare case where they don't sound like stuffy, old-school, vaguely-to-explicitly dysfunctional colleagues. They just sound like siblings. For once they're being fairly frank with each other.Â
Wait⌠what's this... for twice?Â
1952 was a banner year for them, guys!
The engines in the Shed were excited and wondered who would pull the Royal Train. "I'm too old to pull important trains," said Edward sadly. / "I'm in disgrace," Gordon said gloomily. "The Fat Controller would never choose me." (1952)Â
This is a remarkable moment in this dynamic. It's the only time Edward ever admits vulnerability in front of Gordon. Fascinating.Â
I think it's extremely relevant here that Gordon has been in dire disgrace for what appears to be at least two months by this point. His status (though soon to be restored!) is currently nuked. Gordon's been in a very amiable frame of mind towards everyone. He has never been less of a threat.
It's also extremely probable that, even if this book was published first, this scene almost certainly takes place after EtBE. So earlier this same year where Gordon hits his lowest-ever status, Edward has hit his highest since Gordon arrived â the Fat Controller has overhauled him and Edward returned to an enthusiastic hero's welcome from the other engines. Everybody's drinking their respect Edward juice just then.Â
So this is a very brief period where Edward does not seem to feel any need to keep a wall up around Gordon â nor the others.Â
Now, with James and especially Henry, perhaps that wall never goes up again. But with Gordon, well. Let's just enjoy the moment. Presumably the whole royal visit prolonged this high point in their relationship even a bit longer. But it won't last.Â
When Gordon and Henry heard about the accident, they laughed and laughed. "Fancy allowing cows to break his train! They wouldn't dare do that to us. We'd show them!" they boasted. / Edward pretended not to mind[.] (1952)Â
Backtracking to earlier the same year. Gordon's acting an ass here â but not like the asshole of the tender engines' strike affair. We're back, not to insults, but to mere boasting. But... reminder that while Edward probably feels an insult keenly (he feels everything else keenly; why not this?), it's boasting that really seems to get under his paint.
I cannot overemphasize the line He pretended not to mind.Â
Edward is not a pokerfaced engine! This is not natural behavior for him! He's the "why are you sad?" "hullo Edward, you look upset" "Where is Thomas??? peepipeeeep!!" guy. This is play-it-cool stuff is behavior he developed as a shield against Gordon.Â
To be sure, we also see him employ it later this same book, this time against James: "Late again?" / Edward laughed, and James fumed away. The difference is â well, the need for the life-saving chase was pretty lucky, of course ;) but the real difference is that at the end of the affair James makes a real apology. As a result, the narrative tells us (doesn't show us, which is too bad, but I'm going to trust the telling), their old friendship is restored, strengthened even. Unfortunately making a real apology seems to be something completely beyond Gordon, at least at this point. And even if it wasn't, well, Edward never directly asks for one or complains about the behavior of the other engines to their faces. I don't know if Gordon is capable of apologizing to Henry either, but at least in that case Henry is going to be very loud and clear that he wants one. (This is probably at the bottom of the success of the 3+4 friendship. Gordon needs things spelled out for him â and Henry complains and grumbles without restraint, so Gordon will always be kept up to date on exactly where they stand.) Edward doesn't do that, perhaps can't do it because it violates his "never admit weakness in front of Gordon [or, in this one case, James]" defense mechanism. His remark referencing the "Old Iron" insult hints that he's ready for an apology â and James is able to take the hint and respond appropriately. Maybe that's why we've only ever seen Edward have to use the laughing pokerface strategy with James once, and we see him using it re: Gordon many times.Â
Going back to "Cows." At the end of that story Edward needles Gordon the same way he later does James. Gordon responds, not so humbly and sincerely, but arguably a form of relationship repair happens:Â
"Well, well, well!" chuckled Edward, "two big engines afraid of one cow!" / "Afraid â Rubbish," said Gordon huffily. We didn't want the poor thing to hurt herself by running against us. We stopped so as not to excite her. You see what I mean, my dear Edward." / "Yes, Gordon," said Edward gravely. / Gordon felt somehow that Edward "saw" only too well. (1952)
Well⌠they too are restored to their status quo.Â
It's just that their postwar status quo is polite, passive-aggressive points-scoring.Â
Now, at least it's civil! It sounds friendly. It sounds like there's mutual respect there. But... Â
It's not enmity. But you might call them frenemies.
I also need to remind us that we are reading the above quote because it is in print. Post-war, there is a new factor playing in this dynamic, a nearly-invisible but probably incredibly important one: the Thin Clergyman keeps publishing one or two books about their goings-on, every damn year. His interviews and his publications have already stirred up all sorts of old history (notably Troublesome Engines came out like two years ago, so they got to re-live that pretty recently). But now the RWS has "caught up" to current events so the engines are having the interesting new experience of an account of their doings for the year coming out, like, right away. Everyone becomes famous, but this also means that the books (and The Author's take on them) are shaping more and more people's perceptions of these guys, who have enough foreign traffic on their railway in this era that they cannot be ignorant of this effect. You know what they say about fame: it takes already imperfect relationships, and makes 'em better! đ Wait, no, they definitely do not say that... There is no chance that this sort of meta "reality tv show" factor didn't affect their outlooks and relationships.Â
Especially in a relationship like this. Where the Thin Clergyman's account of things heavily favors Edward, and rather severely trims Gordon's wheels.Â
Ooooooooooooof. I don't even want to speculate about the details of how this play out, but just bear in mind that it's. there.Â
Maybe it illuminates a lot of stuff going on in Duck and the Diesel. Including thisâŚÂ
â[H]e told Edward what Gordon had said. / âDonât take any notice,â soothed Edward, âheâs just jealous. He thinks no engine should be famous but him.â (1957)Â
Erm. That's a pretty blunt assessment. Especially from an engine who usually has rose-colored glasses firmly attached.Â
I've never heard Edward say anything negative before about⌠anything. Literally anything. Let alone an anyone.Â
His prior remarks about Gordon always had the air of "haha⌠lol⌠Gordon, we love him of course đâŚ" There's no laugh here, no fondness, no attempt to soften things.Â
Not that this bluntness is a bad thing, in and of itself. But if the goal of Edward's defences was initially to find a way to maintain a good relationship (and I think it sincerely was), then the last example, from DatDE, is a yellow flag. It's been over thirty goddamn years now, and Edward is not growing more accepting and comfortable with Gordon â the opposite, actually. I don't hear Edward being unfair to Gordon there, precisely, but I do seem to hear markedly less tolerance than before.Â
And this is interesting, the hint that Edward is losing patience with Gordon. Because Gordon is actually engaged in a lot of self-improvement.Â
Gordon's GrowthÂ
He's been on a magical journey of character development, guys.Â
And it started way before his book/1952.Â
We see the little crocuses of Gordon's emerging awareness that Other Engines Have Something To Offer, Too almost from the get-go. I would count the fact that (back in 1923) it's Gordon who proposes that Henry is let out of the tunnel to try pulling his train. Which. Crazy idea, really. But even crazier because Gordon's been shown to have previously spent day upon day upon day whistling "Serves you riiiiiiiiight!"Â
Honestly, this is yet another hint to me that Gordon comes across as way harsher than he means to. I almost called the above "openly taunting Henry." But honestly, given his immediate and unexplained turnaround by the end of the story⌠once again, I think Gordon was being judgey and blunt, but really had no idea that what he was doing was so hurtful. Or that other engines have, like, feelings. Real feelings.Â
We see this pattern again and again. Gordon tells Edward "[I'll] be a splendid sight for you" and James "Ah well, we all have to begin somewhere, don't we? Run along now and fetch my coaches" and the two smaller engines, quite understandably, seem to say in their hearts oh my God, what an insufferable asshat. Meanwhile Gordon thinks he's being friendly. Or at least condescending (but, like, in the fun, benevolent way). Similarly, Gordon tells back-from-major-reconstructive-surgery Henry that he's been really letting the side down in, like, three different ways â and I bet if anyone had directly challenged him he would have sincerely been like "... What? What's the problem? I told him we were happy to have him back!" Even his spat with Henry that led to his boasting in "Off the Rails" began with what have may been genuinely mother-henning his friend. I would not be too shocked to learn that Gordon gets twinges of unease that he never examines every so often when he sees Henry with a train and has a subconscious flashback to their fears for Henry's life after the Kipper accident. Altogether, there seems to so often be a good and commendable instinct on Gordon's part â it's just that for the longest time he doesn't seem to have a clue about how to transmute those instincts into something that other engines are going to find legible. And then if he gets even slight pushback his good instincts collapse and he reverts to his childish "meee! meeeeeeee! đ¤đ¤" instincts.Â
It's a slow hard slog for him to learn how to Use His Words and Relate To Others, but we do get to see progress. And it starts early! He makes friends with James after James successfully takes the Express (1925-6) â and it's really quite a gracious overture. He, along with James, sympathises with Henry after the elephant incident (the Author, of course, explicitly denigrates this, suggests that it was purely a matter of politicking and scheming and that it would have been healthier to have mocked Henry, the way the proletariat should always be cutting each other down at the slightest opportunity, really sticking the boot in each other's neck gratis. But hell with that! Lmao. Catch me ever swallowing Management's narrative about how their striking workers banded together. Anyway, even if I granted for the sake of argument that Gordon was faking his sympathy, well, I mean. Gordon faking sympathy is still #Growth. Fake it till you make it!) He is also friendly and kind when he rescues Percy from the Big Bank of Earth â he indeed shows so much tact that he finds something to give Percy credit for, instead of saying (which would have been true) "This is all your fault, dumbassâŚ"Â
"Off the Rails" represents a bad week or so for him, but the incidents in the rest of Gordon's book don't show us a newly humbled Gordon â more just a recently re-humbled one. His behavior to James is perfectly in line with those previous incidents. His behavior to Thomas doesn't come out of nowhere either⌠although in that one Gordon is trialling some new material:Â
âIâm sorry I was cheeky,â said Thomas. / âThatâs all right, Thomas. You made me laugh. I like that. Iâm in disgrace,â Gordon went on pathetically. âI feel very low.â (1952)Â
We all see what's new here?
1) The Alliance. Now, Gordon putting words to it (and words that make it into the RWS) is new. The concept overall is not new; this seems to be a verbalization of an attitude that Gordon has adopted long ago. As I argued above, this is just Gordon's whole concept of friendship. It is worth pointing out, though, that he never before extended this concept to tank engines. (He could condescend to them. Not offer them alliance and equality, though. Therefore didn't get upset when Thomas didn't "understand" his concerns as A Tender Engine, either. There was no expectation of a pact. Not back then. It's only now that this changes.)Â
As the next decade or so goes on, we're going to see that Gordon (and Henry) seem to continue extending this implicit alliance to every steam engine. (Diesels, after that whole disastrous introduction to them via the most devious of engines, are a sort of last barrier.) Think "We engines have our differences, but we'd never talk about them to the trucks." Think Gordon laughing with Stepney and Duck over their triumph with "the heavy train." Think of rallying around Donald and Douglas when they learn there is a threat of scrap. That concept of alliance that was once limited between the big engines (plus or minus Edward, depending) is now extended. It doesn't mean that there are never conflicts or clashes within the ranks, of course! But it does mean that there's a new attitude spreading on this railway. This book is where we see the first sign of Gordon spearheading it. I wouldn't say he gets credit for creating or implementing it all himself â but he does deserve credit in the sense that, if he had not whole-heartedly bought into this idea, it wouldn't have become entrenched on the main line.Â
2) Vulnerability. I directed attention in the previous section to the way that Edward will not admit weakness in front of Gordon. Gordon has something similar⌠but worse. Until this point, Gordon would not admit vulnerability to anyone. At most would complain, or try to make some "objective" case as to why he is ill-used.Â
That isn't what happens in this exchange. He doesn't make the slightest argument for himself, he doesn't object to being in disgrace. He simply owns, aloud, that it sucks. I feel very low.Â
There are other indicators that this is not a one-off, that Gordon is simply coming to terms with the reality that he is, basically, a sensitive soul:Â
One day Gordon saw [Sir Handel] shunting, and laughed. / âMy Controller makes me shunt,â Sir Handel said sheepishly, âand take trucks to quarries too. Iâm highly sprung, and I suffer dreadfully.â / âOur Controllers donât understand our feelings,â sympathised Gordon. (195âŚ5?)Â
This isn't as vulnerable as the Thomas case â Gordon's not feeling Very Low in that moment, after all â but it is very intriguing. In a previous book, Sir Handel treated Gordon like they were equals, which left Gordon "speechless." As well it might! And now, when Gordon meets up with him again, he does have the upper wheel: He catches out Sir Handel not being so very express-enginey after all! But when Gordon laughs at him, Sir Handel owns up to his embarrassment. And this is exactly how you get Gordon's best side. When you're vulnerable, he stops acting the bully, and he's sympathetic. Very similar to the case from "Percy Runs Away." But this time, Gordon seems to be going a half-step further than just claiming the role of benevolent patron. "Our Controllers don't understand our feelings." He really does cement Sir Handel's claim to equal fellowship.Â
It's probably not mere politeness, though, that makes Gordon sympathize. He's revealing something important here about his inner life. When Gordon is seen as his most proud and demanding, he is actually troubled and upset â putting up a very good thick front over it, though.Â
We will see confirmation that he's a creature of Feels again in 1968, after he spends a whole page (that's a lot of time, in RWS-land) unable to express more than "I'm not happy" â which the other Tidmouth engines ignore or treat as a superficial complaint because, well, they just had no reason to think that Gordon would ever be like this:Â
Gordon backed down on his train, hissing mournfully. / âCheer up, Gordon!â said The Fat Controller. / âI canât, Sir. The others say Iâve got boiler-ache, but I havenât, Sir. I keep thinking about the Dreadful State of the World, Sir. Is it true, Sir, what the diesels say?â / âWhat do they say?â / âThey boast that theyâve abolished Steam, Sir.â / âYes, Gordon. It is true.â / âWhat, Sir! All my Doncaster brothers, drawn the same time as me?â (1968)Â
*dramatic gesture* Gordon the âI Just Want a Little Goddamn Sympathyâ Engine, ladies and gentlemen.Â
Returning to our overall topic, this is an interesting similarity between Gordon and Edward. Despite their numerous and obvious differences, they both have a lot of Feelings â like, to the point where itâs a burden, and figuring out what to do with âem drives their respective character arcs.Â
Being them, of course, they approach the problem from opposite directions, lol. Edward is basically toughening up, and starting to adopt the role of an elder/mentor (he does this a lot later than I gather people think he does, and in more limited circumstances. But you do gradually see him becoming less A Normal, Emotive Peer and more of A Sympathetic Listener, One Half Step Removed from Ordinary Engine Life, Giving and Not Asking For Support). Gordon has almost the reverse assignment. He's opening up, and gradually learning how to come down from his high horse and be on a level with others.Â
Once Gordon learns how to use his words to express himself like a rational being, he starts being able to form much healthier bonds with others. (I didnât say with everyone. And I didnât say they were perfectly healthy. Just⌠healthier than some of his past bullshit, lol.)Â
And, when Gordon gets the kind of support he needs, he becomes much less of a pain in the arse. This arc continues all the way through to the Christopher Awdry books.Â
To the extent that, as of Main Line Engines, he IS still a pain in the ass⌠well, I think we can infer that he hasnât yet got that support network quite in place.Â
Ironically, âemotional supportâ is a real strength of Edwardâs. Itâs something weâve seen him lend generously to a laundry list of other engines⌠and something we never see him offer Gordon.Â
For obvious reasons. Gordon burned him so many times before and (the key commonality, of course) Edward is sensitive, too. Itâs always obvious that he feels things keenly and takes things hard. His character arc has a lot to do with channeling that sensitivity into action and learning to build more backbone.Â
It's on a collision course with Gordon's character arc, which is about connecting with and owning his feelings and learning how to express them.Â
We can see the crash coming in part to, again, the absence of what we see between them in this pre-60s era. Gordon has repeatedly proven that he can be a very good friend, when an engine is down (Percy, James, Thomas, Sir Handel). This is a great footing for Gordon to show his best and most generous side.Â
Unfortunately Edward's entire strategy for dealing with Gordon since at least 1925 has been about NOT showing any weakness in front of him. A strategy he's followed with great success.Â
So it's no surprise, that both characters are growing and developing, but that their relationship is growing more and more hollow.Â
It's no surprise⌠but it is aggravating.Â
And the thing that makes you want to tear your hair out the most? Gordon â Mr. Oblivious himself â has no idea anything's wrong.
And, honestly, watching Edward getting slyer and slyer about forever keeping Gordon squarely on the back foot is a joy⌠Iâm so proud of him⌠even as part of me groans because, funny though this is, they could have had something even better.Â
Letâs take a closer look at MLE. Theyâve both spent decades now dosing on âcharacter development.â Unfortunately those arcs are on trajectory to criss-cross â and the smash-up happens here.
#long post#ttte#the railway series#ttte analysis#chatter#ttte edward#ttte gordon#ttte james#ttte thomas#ttte sir handel#2+4#2+5#1+4#4+sr3
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When men are having a tough time their wives and girlfriends become their cheerleaders, when women go through a tough time (like adjusting after having a baby) men use it as an excuse to cheat or just bail.
Taking on their partnerâs emotional needs is putting women at risk of burnout, says Maria Lally.
by Maria Lally Updated on 8th November 2024
When my friend's husband was made redundant last year, she spent the six months it took him to find a new role bolstering his confidence and reassuring him heâd find something soon, while holding down her own busy job. âHis ego, confidence and sense of identity were pulled from under him over- night,â she tells me. Now he has a demanding new job, she reassures him heâs doing great at it and calms his fears whenever he hears whispers of redundancies.
Another friendâs husband injured his back while training for a marathon, which meant he had to stop running. âNot exercising isnât great for his mental health, so I spend a lot of time managing his mood and encouraging him to go for a walk or see friends,â she says. Welcome to the world of âmankeepingâ. In a new study published in the journal Psychology Of Men And Masculinities, experts from Stanford University argue that women are taking on the emotional needs of the men in their life, adding to their (already significant) mental load. Study author Angelica Ferrara, who coined the term mankeeping, says her research shows women are spending several hours a week on it. Mainly because menâs social networks have been dwindling (a 2019 YouGov poll found that one in five men report having no close friends).
'Women tend to be better at cultivating meaningful friendships, where they can share their worries and go to for support,â says psychotherapist and couples counsellor Hilda Burke. âMen tend to rely on âlegacy friendshipsâ with those theyâve known for years but perhaps donât feel comfortable confiding in.â
Burke says that within most relationships there is a person who does the âemotional dumpingâ and one who supports. âWhat I see among couples is that one person tends to do the sharing, the feeling, the offloading, while the other tends to do the helping and the tiptoeing around of the feelings. Itâs not always gendered, but itâs often the women supporting their partner emotionally and practically. Women tend to look after the household calendar, organise social events and remember family birthdays. We all know the woman who buys their husbandâs mum a birthday card because she knows that heâll forget. Itâs a heavy, invisible load and itâs exhausting.â
Little wonder a 2023 report from Gallup found that burnout rates among women have more than doubled compared to men in recent years, largely due to taking on more unpaid and invisible household labour, childcare and eldercare.
Burke says that where mankeepers can come unstuck is when they have emotional needs of their own that arenât being met. âIf a woman builds her identity around being the coper, the strong one, the helper, when she hits an emotional wall or has her own crisis, will her partner be there for her in the way sheâs been there for him? Emotional caretaking needs to work both ways.â
#Mankeeping#Psychology Of Men And Masculinities#one in five men report having no close friends#This is why men fear the 4B movement#If I wanted a creature that needed to constantly be asked who's a good boy I would just get a dog#Men like to pretend they are the strong silent type
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đđ§đđŤđđđŹ- AddisonâCarolineâs best friendâand Paige had been inseparable since the first day of freshman year. Their connection was immediate, a bond so strong it felt effortless. Over time, their friendship began to shift into something deeper, something neither of them could deny. They grew more intimate, and then they became official, it was good-great even- Until one random afternoon, everything unraveled. They âbroke upââa word they hadnât even officially earned. Their fallout didnât just affect them but the whole friend group. What happens when they are reunited?
đđđđ˘đđ¨- addison is lowk a fein, paige moves on too quick
đđ¤đ§đ đđ¤đŞđŁđŠ- 1.7k+
đź/đ- this is like set last year bc i miss nika and liliâšď¸ also kinda happy ending but ends off on a cliffhanger, if you saw this last night- no u didnâtđ
Every month, the team and their close friends hosted a movie and board game nightâan unspoken tradition that brought everyone together. Addison had been looking forward to this monthâs gathering, counting down the days for an evening of laughter and familiarity. But everything had changed two weeks ago when she and Paige fell out. The rift had come out of nowhere, leaving Addison feeling disoriented and unsure of how to move forward. For the past two years, Paige had been a constant in her lifeâa rare anchor in a sea of unpredictability. Now, as Addison walked into the hangout for the first time since the fallout, her stomach twisted with anticipation.
She braced herself for the inevitable awkward reunion, rehearsing potential conversations in her head. But when Paige arrived, she wasnât alone. The girl at her sideâwhose presence Paige didnât bother to explainâsent a ripple of tension through the room, and Addison felt her composure crack. Her mood flipped instantly, and though she tried to mask her reaction, everyone could feel the shift in the air.
Addison knew her place in the group wasnât dependent on her connection to Paige or even her friendship with Caroline. She belonged there. But tonight, everything felt off. Awkward. Forced. Despite Addisonâs reluctance, Caroline had dragged her out, promising it would be fine. And now, here she was, sitting in the middle of a situation she hadnât asked for. As Paige laughed with the mystery girl, Addison couldnât take it anymore. She grabbed her pen and took hit after hit until, barely twenty minutes in, she was already high as hell.
When Addison excused herself to the kitchen, Caroline and Azzi exchanged a look and made a quick, clumsy excuse to pull Paige into Azziâs room.
âPaige, are you out of your mind? Who is that girl?â Azzi whisper-shouted, her frustration barely contained.
âChill, Az. Sheâs just a girl I met in bio. Weâve been, like, talking or whatever,â Paige replied with a shrug and a laugh, entirely unbothered.
âUnreal. Paige Bueckers, youâre actually unreal,â Azzi said, shaking her head.
âWhat? Why? Because Iâm not dropping everything for AddiâAddison?â Paige stammered, quickly correcting herself after nearly slipping into the old nickname.
âPaige, you couldâve at least told us! I convinced Addi to come, promising her youâd behave, and here you are pulling this!â Caroline snapped, throwing her hands in the air before storming out of the room.
Azzi followed, shaking her head once more, leaving Paige alone to roll her eyes and sigh.
Back in the living room, the night pressed on, though the tension was palpable. Ice had taken over the aux, playing her carefully curated playlist, while KK hopped on Instagram Live.
âHey yâall! Weâre chilling tonightâreal low-key vibes,â KK said into her phone. âIce is on aux, obviously. Aubrey, Carol, Yanna, and Nika are playing a game. Lili and Addi are making a TikTok. Oh, and P Boogers is hereâeveryone say hi!â
KK panned her phone around the room, stopping briefly on Paige, who awkwardly waved before shrugging Cindy off her arm. Addison couldnât help but laugh audibly, quickly covering her mouth to stifle it before returning to her TikTok.
Once Addison and Aaliyah finished their TikTok, Addison drifted back into the living room and took a seat across from Paige and the girl, whose name sheâd finally learned was Cindy. She kept her distance, scrolling through her phone, trying to tune everything out. Paige, meanwhile, sat next to Cindy, their conversation seeming worlds away.
And then, it happened.
The opening notes of Les by Childish Gambino filled the room.
Addison froze, her heart skipping a beat. Of all the songs, it had to be this one. Their song. The soundtrack to late-night drives around campus, shared AirPods during gym sessions, and countless stolen moments. It was the song that seemed to follow them everywhere, the one that had somehow become theirs.
For the first time all night, Paige looked up, her gaze landing on Addison. Their eyes met, and for a fleeting second, the noise of the room fell away. The unspoken history between them hung heavy in the air. Paige shifted uncomfortably, her hand twitching toward her phone as if to distract herself, while Addison quickly got up and walked away.
After a few momentsâjust enough time to avoid suspicionâPaige quietly followed Addison to her room. She hesitated for a beat before opening the door, finding Addison sitting on the floor next to her bed, knees pulled to her chest. The faint smell of smoke lingered in the air, and when Addison glanced up, her red, hazy eyes told Paige everything she needed to know.
Without saying a word, Paige closed the door behind her and sank to the floor beside Addison. The silence stretched between them, heavy and unyielding, until Paige finally broke it.
âYou shouldnât be smoking that,â she said softly, holding out her hand expectantly. âYou told me you were quitting.â
Addison let out a humorless laugh, taking another drag before handing it over. âI was,â she said coldly. âBut I got bored. Lost my distraction.â
Paige chuckled quietly, shaking her head as she set the pen aside. They sat in silence again, the weight of unsaid words pressing down on both of them. Finally, Addison cracked.
âWhoâs that girl?â she asked, her voice sharp but her gaze steady on Paige.
Paige turned to her, laughing softly. âEveryone keeps asking me that tonight.â
âWell, itâs just⌠quick. A little too quick,â Addison said, her tone cutting. âI mean, Iâm not surprised, but you didnât answer. Who is she?â
Paige shrugged. âSheâs just some girl from bio. I was at Tedâs, and she came up to me. Hasnât really left me alone since.â
Addison scoffed, taking another hit despite Paigeâs earlier protest. âIf she means nothing to you, why is she here? Did you bring her just to make me upset?â Her voice rose slightly, anger bubbling to the surface.
âAddi, come on. You know Iâd never do that,â Paige said, her tone soft but defensive. âI thought⌠I thought youâd moved on.â
Addison froze, the words hitting her harder than she expected. She exhaled slowly, her voice quieter now. âYou know me better than that, Paige. I loved you too much to move on so fast.â
Paige reached out, her hand cupping Addisonâs cheek, forcing her to meet her eyes. âAddi, I love you so much. You have to know that.â
Addison stood abruptly, pulling away from Paigeâs touch. âThen why did you leave?â Her voice cracked, betraying the hurt sheâd tried so hard to hide. âIf you loved me so much, why didnât you stay?â
Paige scrambled to her feet, her voice desperate now. âBaby, I thought you were pushing me away. I swear, if Iâd knownââ
âPushing you away?â Addison interrupted, her voice breaking. âI did everything to keep you. You told me you needed space, so I gave you space. And then you broke up with me.â She paused, her eyes brimming with tears. âI never pushed you away, Paige.â
âAddison, out of everyone, you should understand,â Paige said, standing up, her voice firm but laced with frustration.
âUnderstand?â Addison scoffed, her voice cracking as she rose to face her. âPaige, it was two years of datingâtwo yearsâand almost four years of being close. Do you even understand what it felt like to lose you? You werenât just my girlfriend, you were my constant. One of the only constants I had these past couple of years. And then we broke upâŚâ
Her voice faltered as she tried to steady herself. âI was so hurt, Paige. For the first week, I kept telling myself I could never love someone the way I loved you. That I could never care for someone the way I cared for you. And now, a week later, youâre already moved on? Youâve been seeing this new girl for what, at least a week? Thatâs insane.â
Paige took a deep breath, stepping closer to Addison, who crossed her arms protectively. âAddi, listen to me,â Paige said, her voice softer now, trying to break through the wall Addison had built.
âNo, Paige. Donât âAddiâ me,â Addison shot back, her tone sharp despite the tears welling in her eyes. âYou donât get to walk back in here like nothing happened. Like you didnât justââ
âI didnât move on!â Paige interrupted, her voice rising before it softened again. âI didnât move on, okay? Sheâs just⌠sheâs not you. Sheâll never be you.â Paige ran a hand through her hair, exhaling shakily. âDo you think this has been easy for me? Do you think I havenât missed you every second of every day?â
Addison blinked, her composure cracking further. âThen why, Paige? If you missed me so much, why did you leave? Why did you give up on us?â
Paige stepped closer, cautiously reaching out to take Addisonâs hands. At first, Addison resisted, but Paigeâs touch was warm and grounding, and she didnât pull away. âI didnât leave because I didnât care, Addi. I left because I thought you were slipping away from me. I thought you were unhappy, that I wasnât enough for you. And I didnât know how to fix it.â
Addison shook her head, her voice trembling. âI wasnât slipping away, Paige. I was scared of losing you, and I didnât know how to show it. And then youââ Her voice broke as tears finally spilled over.
Paige gently pulled Addison into a hug, wrapping her arms around her as Addisonâs walls came crashing down. âIâm so sorry,â Paige whispered, her voice thick with emotion. âI was scared too. I didnât know what to do, and I messed everything up. But I never stopped loving you. Not for a second.â
Addison buried her face in Paigeâs shoulder, her tears soaking into Paigeâs shirt. âIt doesnât feel like that,â she mumbled.
Paige pulled back slightly, cupping Addisonâs face so their eyes met. âI know it doesnât. And I know I canât undo the hurt I caused, but Addi, please⌠let me try to make it right. Let me show you how much you mean to me.â
For a moment, Addison just stared at her, the anger and hurt still raw but softened by the vulnerability in Paigeâs eyes. Finally, she nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. âYou broke my heart, Paige. You have to know that.â
âI do,â Paige said, her voice steady, âand Iâll spend as long as it takes proving to you that Iâll never do it again.â
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