#where everything is loud and you can barely hear the person on the other side and you're stressing out and worried-

[jungwnies]

wreckage - charles leclerc (3/4)

୨ৎ : pairing : charles leclerc x wife!reader ୨ৎ : synopsis : as charles fights for his life, his wife faces the hardest decision: let go or fight for him. a small miracle gives hope for recovery.

୨ৎ : genre : emotional fiction, very... very... emotional, again ୨ৎ : tws : car accident/injury, arguments/conflict, anxiety/panic, trauma, medical trauma. ୨ৎ : wc : 1676

part one | part two | part three | part four

They say that the hardest part of love is knowing when to let go. The decision to hold on is easy—it’s the decision to release, to trust that the other person will be okay without you, that’s the hard part.

You’ve been sitting in the sterile, white hospital room for hours, each minute feeling like a year. Charles’s body is hooked up to so many machines, monitors flashing with numbers that seem foreign to you. His face, once so full of life, now looks pale, bruised, and still. They told you to prepare yourself for the worst, but you haven’t let yourself believe it. Not yet.

Not while there's still hope.

You’re not even sure what you're hoping for anymore. Some miracle, maybe. But deep down, you know the odds. They’ve been giving you the numbers—stats you can’t quite process, numbers you can’t make sense of. His condition is critical, and they’ve told you, over and over again, that his survival chances are slim. His organs are struggling, his internal injuries severe. The brain scans were grim at first, showing little to no activity.

But you can’t let yourself fall into that darkness. Not yet.

The room feels too cold, too empty.

"How are his stats?" you ask quietly, though you already know the answer.

The nurse glances at you, her face trying to remain neutral. "Not good. His heart rate’s been fluctuating. His oxygen levels aren’t improving, either. We’re doing what we can, but his body’s fighting against us." She hesitates, looking back at the monitors. "We’re not sure how much longer we can keep him stable."

You nod, feeling the weight of every word, but you can’t give up. Not yet.

Minutes turn into hours. You stay by his side, holding his hand, whispering to him. Every time you speak, you tell him how much you love him, how much you need him to come back. You’re not sure if he can hear you, but it doesn’t matter. You need him to know.

And then, just as you’re beginning to feel the overwhelming weight of your decision, something unexpected happens.

The steady beep of the heart monitor suddenly begins to accelerate, growing faster and faster. You freeze, your heart pounding in your chest. Something’s wrong.

The nurse rushes over, her face pale as she watches the monitor. "His heart rate’s spiking," she mutters. "It’s too fast. His blood pressure’s dropping."

The room erupts into action as doctors rush in, all moving in synchronized chaos. You’re shoved aside as they begin adjusting the equipment, calling out orders, but your mind goes blank. You try to focus, but it feels like everything is spinning.

"His stats are crashing," one doctor says, his voice tense. "We need to stabilize him now."

"Is it time?" you ask, barely able to speak over the noise. "Should we—"

But before you can finish, a loud, sharp sound cuts through the room—the unmistakable alarm of a failing heartbeat. The doctor turns toward you, his eyes filled with grim determination. "I’m afraid we’ve reached the point where his body might not be able to hold on much longer."

Your breath hitches in your throat. Everything feels like it’s slipping away. You squeeze Charles’s hand tighter, as if willing him to come back to you.

But then, as if the universe is playing some cruel game, the chaos calms, just for a moment.

The alarms start to fade into silence, and the doctor presses his fingers to the side of Charles’s neck, feeling for a pulse. Your heart lurches, praying for any sign of life. The seconds feel like hours.

Suddenly, the doctor looks up, his eyes widening. "Wait… there’s something." He leans in, checking the monitors again. "His blood pressure’s stabilizing. His heart rate’s slowing down to a more normal rhythm."

You barely dare to breathe, your eyes never leaving Charles’s face.

The nurse who’s been working on him moves closer, shaking her head in disbelief. "It’s like he’s coming back."

You don’t know what to think. The last few minutes have felt like an eternity, and now, you’re afraid to believe it. "What’s happening?" you whisper, your voice trembling.

The doctor looks up at you, and for the first time, there’s a flicker of hope in his eyes. "It seems like he’s fighting. His body’s responding… it’s too early to say for sure, but this is a good sign."

You stare at Charles, trying to process the sudden shift. Is this the miracle you’ve been waiting for, or just another false hope?

The minutes stretch on, and then, just as you begin to allow yourself a small breath of relief, the monitor lets out another shrill, jagged alarm—the unmistakable sound of a fatal arrhythmia. A shocking wave of panic shoots through you as the machine flashes with an erratic, spiking rhythm.

"V-fib!" The doctor shouts, his voice urgent. "We’re losing him. Get the defibrillator ready."

The nurse scrambles to prepare the machine, and you feel your stomach drop out. This can't be happening. Not now.

"Charles!" you whisper, gripping his hand harder, your eyes welling up. "Please."

The doctors are already on him, paddles in hand, but it feels like time is standing still. Your eyes dart from the monitors to Charles’s face, feeling as if your heart has stopped with his. Then, the shock.

The force of the defibrillator sends a jolt through his chest, and the monitor flickers. Nothing.

You close your eyes briefly, bracing for the worst.

"Again," the doctor orders, and another round of defibrillation. This time, there’s a slight blip, a change. It’s not much, but it’s something.

The doctor presses the paddles down once more, adjusting the settings. "One more time. We need him back."

The seconds stretch as they try again, and then finally, the heart monitor begins to beat again—slowly, but steadily.

"Heartbeat stable," the nurse breathes.

Your breath escapes your lips in a shaky exhale. You look at Charles again, feeling a rush of relief flood through you as the panic of the past few minutes settles into a wary calm. But it’s still not over. His fight isn’t done.

Just as you think the worst is behind you, Charles’s mother bursts into the room, her eyes frantic as she surveys the scene. Her voice cracks as she calls out his name, "Charles!"

You feel a flash of guilt. You should’ve called her sooner, but there had been no time. The doctors had been focused, and you’d been too overwhelmed to think clearly.

You step aside, giving her space, but you can’t look away from the man you love, still unconscious, his body fighting to survive.

The doctor steps over to you both. "We’re stabilizing him, but we’re not out of the woods yet. We need to make some decisions."

Charles’s mother looks at you, her face pale with concern. She reaches for your hand. "Whatever it is… I trust you. You’re his wife, and you know him better than anyone. What do you think we should do?"

You swallow hard, your voice barely above a whisper. "I… I don’t know what to think. I don’t know what to do. He’s… he’s still fighting. But we’ve been here for so long, and I don’t know how much longer we can wait."

Her gaze softens. "You don’t have to do this alone. I trust you. We’re a family. We make these decisions together." She squeezes your hand tightly. "But if you think there’s still a chance for him, then we have to keep fighting too."

You look back at Charles, uncertainty and fear clouding your judgment. How do you even begin to make this decision? His body is failing him, but his heart—his spirit—is still trying.

"Let’s give him more time," you decide, your voice shaking with fear but firm with resolve. "But if his chances are too slim… if we’re just keeping him alive on machines, then we need to think about letting him go."

The doctor nods solemnly. "We’ll run more tests. But if things don’t improve soon, we may need to consider other options."

As the minutes pass, the machines continue to monitor Charles’s every movement, every breath, and the room remains tense, every decision weighed in silence. But then, something begins to shift.

"His blood pressure’s coming back up," the nurse announces quietly. "And… there’s more brain activity. His oxygen levels are improving too."

You feel like you might be dreaming. "Is this really happening?"

The doctor steps forward, shaking his head in disbelief. "I’ve never seen anything like this. His vitals are stabilizing. I think… I think he’s fighting."

"Fighting?" you ask, still not quite believing what you’re hearing.

The nurse, who’s been checking his monitors, speaks softly, her voice a little hopeful. "He knows you’re here. I think he’s holding on for you."

And in that moment, you realize: you’re not alone in this fight. Charles is fighting for you too.

The room fills with a cautious optimism, but the road ahead is still uncertain. Will he wake up? Will his organs continue to improve?

Only time will tell.

Then, the unthinkable happens.

"His breathing," the nurse says, voice shaky, "it’s improving. He’s trying to breathe on his own. We can extubate him. He doesn't need the tube anymore."

You stare, wide-eyed, as they carefully begin the process of removing the intubation tube, your heart in your throat.

Everything changes in a moment.

There’s still a long way to go, but for the first time in hours, you feel a flicker of hope.

He’s still here. And he’s fighting.

But you know deep down that the next few days will be critical.

You stand there, feeling like you’ve crossed a line between despair and hope. But Charles has always been a fighter. And if he’s fighting, so will you.

For him. For the life you built together. For love.

You look down at him, and the smallest of smiles begins to tug at your lips.

Maybe… just maybe… he’ll make it through.

And for now, that's enough.

taglist: @emryb , @htpssgavi , @aleatorio1234 , @ayap4paya , @prttylight , @meadhbhcavanagh , @iluvnewtie , @hiireadstuff , @armystay89 , comment to be added

© 2024 jungwnies | All rights reserved. Do not repost, plagiarize, or translate.

[persicipen]

𑑛 “GOLDEN HOUR” ﾉ SUNDAY. HONKAI STAR RAIL

afab gn reader ﾉ words 1.2k ᯽ reader is sunday’s personal assistant. secret affair. boss and employee relationship. slow sex after waking up. pulling out. cum swallowing. surprisingly domestic making out. happy sunday :3 ᯽ ADULT CONTENT ﾉ MINORS DO NOT INTERACT ᯽

“Please, don’t get up yet. We still have some time… I can always explain if you’re late,” he murmurs into your hair, scooping your body closer.

The only reply he hears is just a soft sigh as you let yourself be convinced.

The sheets are messy, crumpled, and you already think how long it will take you to change them because of this delay. As if sensing your mind being preoccupied with something else, Sunday starts smooching you all across your head, getting closer to your face, the feathery touch tickling you here and there slightly until you giggle into his lips and reciprocate the direct kiss.

There are no mornings or evenings in Penacony.

Always an hour set by the clock, and everyone just lives around it. It’s dark behind the curtains of the guest bedroom in his office, but, in all honesty, it’s constantly dark in here, if not counting the dazzling and sparkling, shimmering spectacle of lights of the neons, billboards, lamps and other attractions the Golden Hour can offer.

There’s only one rule here — live to the fullest.

For once, the prim and proper young man tries to apply it to his own routine, risking not arriving according to the schedule to his upcoming meeting just to feel your body close to his own once more.

“I promise I’ll be quick. Well, am I even wrong if I said you’re not against such a welcome after opening our eyes, hm?”

“Hush, now… You always surprise me.”

“How so?”

“Calm and benevolent leader of the Family suddenly acting a little bratty, a spoiled boy who needs his hugs before work.”

He runs his hand across your shoulder, leaving goosebumps where he touches. Then his fingers glide downwards along your side and waist until he cups your thigh and pulls your leg over himself before you can even react.

“Don’t say that.” His voice is buttery soft, a tingle of laugh reverberating at the ending note meaning he liked the joke. “You’re the only one who can see me in such a state. You’re the only one I allow in my bed… and to make scandalous claims about one of the most important figures in Penacony.”

He shifts slowly with the smile — a genuine one — disappearing from the corner of his mouth a moment before he rubs his cock between your folds. The intent is obvious — to have you wrap yourself around him with every limb like ivy.

Resting foreheads against each other, dishevelled hair tangled together and, almost moaning out loud from your intoxicating heat and wetness, he places the tip inside.

“Ah…” you hum sweetly and your whole frame trembles at this movement that was meant as a casual gesture and gets turned into a pleasurable foreplay so easily.

It’s difficult not to rush. He holds onto control tightly, keeps himself contained and careful so much that sometimes it makes you want to see him break out of these walls, come undone completely with passion. This time is no different. It seems as if you could barely hear his heartbeat quickening up against your ear while you press your lips against each other, swallowing little sounds. But he slides into you with caution nonetheless, enjoying every inch of you wrapping around his length.

Slowly, carefully, steadily, he’s making love to you for minutes now. Soft cries die out between ruffled bedsheets along with the quiet, slick noises of his cock dragging through your walls and pulling back in, covered with your juices. The leisurely pace is just perfect for you today — there’s no need for excitement nor to have a shattering orgasm.

Everything is so warm, cosy and satisfying…

And then Sunday picks up the tempo abruptly.

The feeling is so sudden; it catches you off-guard. Your inner walls are hugging him tightly in response to the new, rougher approach, but he doesn’t give up. Now it’s the tip hitting that sensitive spot inside, which sends waves of pleasure all over your body and you have to moan out loud to release the tension.

“I… ha-aah! I thought you decided to take it s-slow!” You pant in surprise and protest. It only makes him chuckle at first as he watches your flustered expression with interest and adjusts your hips slightly to reach even deeper.

“Forgive me this time, will you, dove?”

“Mhm, I should’ve not teased you, then…”

“Exactly— ngh!”

The friction is too much to handle. What he sees is you — a quivering mess — panting faster with your eyes closed shut to deal with it, borders perfection. Your chest heaves shakily against his own one with every huff. But he wouldn’t dare stop again when you’re reacting so intensely, not unless you tell him so.

Untangling your arms from himself before he manages to pull himself up just so he can comfortably reach between your bodies and put his hand on your clit, just above the delicate flesh that now parts with each of his thrusts. You squeal from this stimulation at once and squirm under him, trying to hold on to his forearms.

The tender bud swells even more under his fingertips and Sunday smiles watching your body jerking suddenly and reflexively with every move he makes. He knows exactly how you like to be touched, never turning away his gaze from your reactions.

You’re moaning out loud as if you had no worries about being heard and he wonders if maybe he could make you scream out his name someday — but maybe not yet, not when you two shouldn’t even be in one bed.

Brows furrowing with an upcoming climax, he gives some extra attention to your clit for a while until, at last, there’s no way back for you. His wings flutter, hearing you singing cries of relief and pleasure. You shudder through your entire silhouette; your hole grips on him from the inside and releases him with sodden warmth. Hissing at this, he’s barely able to pull out in time and clumsily crawls up on top of you while fisting his cock above your face.

Ignoring the heatwave rushing down your every nerve, you open your mouth and let him smack the tip over your tongue a few more times before spurts of cum fall right on it. High on the ecstasy of the recent orgasm, your mind goes blank, you let your lover milk the last drops out into your throat whilst you continue to suckle on the very end of his slit.

As you’re coming to your senses and the bliss of afterglow subsides, Sunday begins cleaning you and his own cock up, planting a gentle kiss on your temple with a heavy breath before sitting upright on the bed.

“Would you consider not wearing me down first thing after waking up?“

At first, after hearing your question, he remains silent with a distant smile, stroking your cheek as he continues cleaning your body with wet wipes he keeps on the nightstand.

“Well, just another perk of staying here until late system hours,” he eventually replies, quietly, almost like an afterthought, and then proceeds to gather the clothes for another day. “I’m always waiting to see you come to tell that I should rest. Just so I can hug you and take you to bed with me…” he confesses softly, the same vague, half-amused, half-wistful look in his eyes.

“I see you’re always planning two steps ahead.”

“Unfortunately, not this time. As much as I would love for it to be true, I’m yet to think of a satisfactory excuse for my delayed arrival.”

[mylifestylearedilfs]

⇢ ˗ˏˋ joost klein x singer!reader ࿐ྂ

ੈ✩‧₊˚ ESPRESSO : fluff ; imagine ; all is fictional ; joost is such a babygirl here ; english is not my first language

, , ,

_________ ׂׂૢ་༘࿐ WHEN JURY ANNOUNCED YOU as a representation of your country, you couldn’t be happier. since your childhood, you were a fan of eurovision, only because you loved the idea that every country could show off their culture, beautiful language etc. you weren’t the most extrovert, so the thought of being filmed almost every second, having to take part in those interviews— which most of the time wasn’t even that necessary — stressed you out.

but someone decided to send you a literal angels, every contestant were just amazing, helping you with stress before performing at pre-parties. but your main partners in crime were nemo, bambie, your two baby girls marcus & martinus and your favourite person in this world — joost klein.

they all were your shoulders to cry on. you even created a group chat for your little eurovision gang. and let me say, you cried a lot during some pre-parties, both from laughing & crying. you couldn’t believe that you met that beautiful and amazing people, you were super grateful for that.

, , ,

today was the last pre-party before semi-finals, for you personally it was also a very important event, because you wanted to create a bond with your audience, and all the music parties before real contest were a must. that’s why you wanted everything to be perfect about your performance. but then you were woke up by a sharp pain in your throat, you started to panic immediately. when you tried to sang whatever song you had in mind in that moment, all you could hear was rasp voice and in this circumstance it wasn’t this sexy type of rasp.

as you walked into cafeteria, where almost every contestant were eating breakfast before rehearsals. when you saw bambie & nemo a big smile appears on your face. even if your mood were dead today, they will always make you smile no matter what. with loud sigh you sat down at the table, saying quick ‘hello’

“hi babe, what happened to your precious voice?” bambie asked and you just hided your face in your hands.

“i guess i just screamed too much at your performances and now my voice said bye bye everyone” you joked and they just laughed, but then nemo sat down next to you and bring you to side hug.

“so you won’t be performing today?” bambie asked with worry tone, they knew how much you wanted to take part in every single evening.

“did i heard something about no performing?” you heard well known voice and second later you felt his hands on your shoulders.

“our little singer is mute for today unfortunately” bambie said, as joost sat next to you.

“i don’t even want to hear about this, of course you will perform” he said with such a lightness in his voice, and everyone else send him questionable looks.

“but i barely speak, there’s no way i can sing today” joost just laughed at your comment.

“who said anything about singing, honey?” after seeing more confused looks, he just added “you will see, now let’s eat” he clapped his hands and took some fruit out of nemo’s plate.

, , ,

right now you finally were on last pre-party, the atmosphere was fantastic as always. everyone was getting ready to show, without that much stress as at the beginning of this project. you admired how people that were shy and very formal to each other now can be a hundred per cent themselves. also watching them growing as artists was another great experience, sometimes you felt like a proud mother, especially when it comes to your safe group. at this point, you didn’t even care who would win, because in any scenario you would be extremely proud of your friends.

joost told you to get ready for the concert as usual, you didn’t even question him anymore, because you knew that he wouldn’t tell you anything, so it was pointless. you wore your stage outfit and patiently waited for your turn, right now at the stage you could see your favourite twins, even if you couldn’t sing, you still loudly supported them, but only with your applauses.

finally it was your turn to go on stage, but right before your leg touched the floor, joost showed up with his iconic blue suit, he took a microphone and started talking;

“hello everyone! i know you’re all waiting for our amazing y/n, but unfortunately she won’t be give you guys proper performance today, but good for her - i’m here” he said smiling, as the crowd just laughed, then he invited you at the stage and you were loudly welcome by audience. joost handed you microphone that was turned off and you heard the beginning of your song. a few moments later instead of your voice, you heard joost who were holding a phone with the lyrics of this song.

you couldn’t believed what was happening, all you did was laugh, when you heard how he tried to mimic your singing style. but then you realised, that you should start to lip syncing, and that’s what you did.

everyone, the audience & the contestants started laughing, but also singing along with joost. that was officially your best performance at all eurovision pre parties.

when the song ended, you turned on the microphone and said shortly “you’re crazy” shortly after you heard his response “anything for you, honey”

[bouquetface]

TAROT: Gossip on you

As always, I will be detailed. This won’t be for everyone who comes across it.

one.

General read. Not every reading you come across is for you. So please take as entertainment.

I think these people may be family members. They seem very concerned with your direction in life. When will you get married? When will you have kids? And a lot of questions about career. You might be unemployed because it seems someone here is expressing you don’t do enough. However, you probably work very hard. Even if you are unemployed, you likely are applying for jobs. And making good use of your free time. Especially physically, you may work out or walk/run a lot.

They still see this as useless. It seems your values are different from theirs. They may see you working out & going for walks and roll their eyes.

Logically, it makes no sense why this upsets them so much. They seem very bothered by you having your own hobbies/interests. They feel it’s all a waste of time.

I’m assuming your family may be traditional. And they let their expectations for you be known very loudly. You probably grew up constantly being told to fix yourself. Go fix your hair, go change your outfit, etc. You may not even care much for their opinions. Their opinions roll off your shoulder. But they are so loud and consistent in their comments. It’s very frustrating and has probably affected you more than you’re aware. You are likely in a place in life where you can’t even dwell on that. It seems you have a lot of work that needs to be done. Even if that work is looking for work. It’s difficult and exhausting. Wishing you the best of luck, pile 1.

two.

General read. Not every reading you come across is for you. So please take as entertainment.

Someone is talking shit about you. It’s exactly who you would expect. For some it’s an ex lover, for other’s it’s an ex friend. They’ve convinced themselves they did nothing wrong to you. Your reaction was “crazy”. You “changed” for the worse. And they secretly hope you get your karma.

It’s like they have selective memory. They can only remember your reaction to their actions. They can’t remember/acknowledge their actions that got you to react that way. Whoever they’re talking with, is eating up everything they’re saying. You barely know this other person, if at all. It could be their close friend that never was close with you. This friend is loving the drama. They’re going to take this information and spread it to their friends. For them it’s entertainment, they don’t even care about your ex as much as you did.

I almost feel sorry for your ex friend or lover. They have no clue about the person they’re confiding in. It seems karma will get them through this friend. This friend just loves drama and gossip. Give it a few months and they’ll be trashing your ex just like they’re doing you now.

But right now, unfortunately, the two are bonding over tearing you down. I’m hearing this friend say shit like “I hope she gets hit by a car” “I would’ve punched her in the face”. It’s sooo funny to them. Literally witches cackling. They may have given you a rude nickname. In their group chat, they may only refer to you as this name. And someone has definitely called you a “cunt”. Just nasty shit. Sorry pile 2.

On the bright side, I believe for most of you this person is out your life. This seems to be why they’re so hurt. They don’t have the same access to you. Talking about you and checking your socials is the only way they can connect with you now. And ironically, they’re calling you a “stalker”. They’re convinced you’re checking their tiktok and ig religiously.

You might have ghosted them. To you it might be obvious how they fucked up, but they’re in denial. They see themselves as a victim of you.

three.

General read. Not every reading you come across is for you. So please take as entertainment.

Some of the gossip about you isn’t bad at all. You look like you’re doing well in life. You could drive a nice vehicle or people feel you’re just blessed to have a vehicle at all. You have likely done something recently that has people thinking you’re doing well financially. A few comments have been made about this. Doesn’t seem negative though. Just people stating “she’s doing good/ she’s good”.

Now, for someone very specific. The gossip seems to be you’re lying about doing badly when you’re actually fine. It could be work place gossip. Maybe you took some days off but someone here doubts you’re actually that sick. Someone seems fed up in your workplace. It may not even have to do with only you. Lots of stress and irritation from this person. Physically, they may be kinda tall and blonde.

[c00kietin]

I rarely call people, I prefer text way more :')

How do you talk to people??

Like, on the phone-

I will talk for like 5 minutes and then I go silent and just listen to everyone else talk

Occasionally I’ll make a little noise so they now that I’m not dead but that’s it

[rootedinrevisions]

Attention (Kinktober 2024: Day 2)

SUMMARY: Amidst the chaos of storm fronts and unpredictable skies, your playful bratty antics spark a fiery dynamic between you and Tyler, who knows just how to tame your spirited nature. But as passion ignites and boundaries blur, a day of teasing leads to an unforgettable night at a hotel, where he reveals a different side of the southern gentleman you’ve come to adore.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This was meant to be a short drabble like yesterday's Kinktober Post (my goal is for them to be at or under 1k words). But as I was writing this one it kind of just took off and I kept going and now here we are at almost 6k words! There's also just something about Tyler and the way he would smirk whenever Kate gave him any kind of sass in the movie that screamed brat tamer to me. So I hope you all enjoy this!

PROMPT: "I'm really not in the mood for you to tease me today."

KINK: Brat / Brat Tamer

WARNINGS: Teasing. 18+ SMUT. (Spanking. Unprotected Sex. P in V Sex.) Aftercare (because we love a man who takes care of his partner after.)

WORD COUNT: 5.8k

TAG LIST: @omgbrianab I @shanimallina87 I @fanficmom94 I @smoothdogsgirl I @djs8891 @saucy-sassy-sparkly  I  @alipap3  I  @dudinhastuff

If you would like to be added to my Tag List please feel free to comment, send an ask, or send a DM and I'll be happy to get you added!

The day had been a whirlwind, literally and figuratively. Storm after storm popped up on the radar, each one stealing Tyler’s attention. Tyler sat behind the wheel of his truck, his eyes fixed on the screen displaying swirling wind patterns and the ominous hook echo of a forming tornado. His fingers tapped against the keyboard of his laptop, occasionally flicking to the handheld radio on the dash as he communicated with the rest of the team who were following behind.

You, on the other hand, were sitting in the passenger seat of his truck, idly watching him as he clicked through the radar images.

It wasn’t unusual for him to get this absorbed in his work. In fact, it was one of the things you admired most about him—his drive, his passion for what he did. 

But today, you were feeling a little left out. Maybe it was that normally you had his attention while you were driving to a storm. Normally he’d hold your hand or have his hand on your thigh as he drove. Or maybe it was the fact that he hadn’t looked at you in over an hour, but a small part of you craved his attention.

Leaning back in your seat, you crossed your arms and let out a quiet huff, eyes narrowing as you stared at him.

Nothing. He didn’t even blink, fully engrossed in tracking the storm. You knew better than to expect him to drop everything just because you wanted some attention, but that didn’t mean you couldn’t have a little fun.

“Think we’re almost done chasing storms for the day?” you asked, knowing full well what his answer would be but fishing for a little attention nonetheless.

Tyler barely looked up from the screen. “We’ve got three more cells popping up, so it’s looking like it’s gonna be a long night,” he said, his voice steady.

You frowned, crossing your arms and huffing just loud enough for him to hear. “Bet you’d marry the tornadoes if you could.”

The corner of his mouth twitched, but he didn’t take his eyes off the screen.

Bingo. A reaction, even if it was small.

You smirked and leaned in a bit closer, tapping your fingers against the console between you and him. “I can see why you like them. They’re unpredictable, dramatic, always showing off when they  don’t need to...”

He didn’t respond, just turned back to the radar, a smirk still playing on his lips. The lack of attention stung a little, but mostly, it ignited the brat in you. 

Ignoring you was one of his favorite tactics when you were leaning into your brat personality, but it was your least favorite. You could feel the frustration bubbling up inside you, but it only fueled your determination to push him a little further.

“They’ve got everything you love, don’t they?” You quirked a brow, turning in your seat to face him more fully. “Reckless, impossible to control, full of attitude, and always causing trouble…”

Tyler’s lips twitched as if he was fighting off a smile, but he remained focused on the road. "You describing the tornadoes or something else?" he muttered, his tone teasing.

You shift in your seat, uncrossing and recrossing your legs with a huff, making sure he heard you. You make sure as you do this that your tight denim shorts ride up just a little bit showing more of your thighs. You then reach up and adjust the white tank top you’re wearing, adjusting your bra ever slightly to push your boobs up ever so slightly.

Tyler finally shifted his gaze from the storm to you, his eyes narrowing in that way that let you know he knew exactly what you were doing.

His voice was low, almost daring you to push further as he said. "Tornadoes are unpredictable, sure. But if you know how to handle them, if you can figure out what makes them tick...”

He let the words trail off, and you felt the tension rise again, this time not because of the storm outside. You gave him a slow smile, but your pulse quickened.

“Do you know to handle them?” You teased, though your voice wavered just enough to betray the heat simmering between you.

Tyler’s gaze locked onto yours, and the air between you shifted, heavy with unspoken understanding. “Darlin', I’m really not in the mood for you to tease me today.”

The directness of his words caught you off guard, and you blinked in surprise. His tone wasn’t harsh, but there was a weight to it that told you he wasn’t messing around. He glanced back at the radar, clearly still tense from the day’s events, and you could see the stress etched in the lines of his face.

But instead of backing down, your frustration only deepened. You leaned forward in your seat, crossing your arms tighter over your chest. “Yeah? Well, I’m really not in the mood for being ignored,” you shot back, your voice laced with that bratty edge you knew would get a reaction.

Tyler let out a slow breath, his hands pausing over the keyboard for a moment before he turned his head to look at you fully. His eyes narrowed slightly, and that stern look—the one that sent a shiver of both excitement and challenge through you—was back. “There are a lot of storms happening right now. You really wanna compete with a tornado for my attention?”

You held his gaze, unyielding. “Maybe,” you said, shrugging with feigned indifference. “I think I could give them a run for their money.”

For a moment, neither of you said anything. The tension hung in the air, heavy and charged like the storm outside. Tyler leaned back in his seat, his eyes never leaving yours, but he didn’t rise to your bait just yet.

Instead, he shifted his focus back to the radar, the smirk on his face barely noticeable but definitely there. He was doing it again—ignoring you on purpose. And it was driving you mad.

You let out another exaggerated sigh, leaning closer to him, but he kept his eyes between the radar screens and the roads in front of him.

“Oh, come on,” you said, your voice playful but with a hint of challenge. “What’s more important? A tornado or me?”

Tyler didn’t even flinch. “Right now? The tornado.”

That was it. That smug, calm tone of his always got under your skin in the most thrilling way. You shifted in your seat, biting your lip as you considered your next move. You could stop here, but where was the fun in that? No, you were going to push him just a little further.

You waited for your next move until the next stop where Tyler pulled off the highway and into the parking lot of a small mom and pop type gas station. The rest of the team hurried inside to use the bathroom and grab some drinks and snacks. 

Meanwhile you and Tyler lingered in the truck for a few minutes. You leaned over the center console, your voice low and teasing as you whispered, “Maybe I should just find something else to entertain myself if you’re so busy.”

Finally, Tyler turned his head to look at you, his eyes darkening with a mixture of warning and amusement. He gave you a long, steady look, the kind that always made your pulse race, before speaking in that slow, Southern drawl of his. “I’d think real carefully about that, sweetheart.”

You smirked, unfazed by his warning. “Oh? And why’s that?”

Tyler’s lips twitched into a faint smile, but the sharpness in his gaze remained. He leaned in closer, his voice dropping so low that it sent a shiver down your spine. “Because if you keep pushing, you’re not gonna like what happens next.”

You could tell by the way his eyes lingered on you that he was reaching his breaking point, and it only made you want to push further.

You straightened up, flashing him a defiant grin. “What, you think you can handle me?” The challenge was unmistakable in your voice, and you watched his reaction closely, waiting to see if you’d finally get what you wanted.

Tyler’s eyes darkened, and in one smooth, deliberate motion, he leaned in close—so close that you could feel the warmth of his body, the faint smell of his cologne mixing with the rain-soaked air. His lips barely brushed the shell of your ear as he whispered, “Darlin’, I tame tornadoes. You don’t think I can tame you?”

The way his voice rumbled against your skin sent a jolt of excitement through you, but you swallowed down the reaction, determined not to give him the satisfaction.

Instead, you tilted your chin up defiantly, pretending his words hadn’t rattled you, even though you could feel the heat rising in your cheeks.

“Is that so?” you shot back, your voice breathy, daring him to make good on his promise.

Tyler pulled back slightly, his eyes locking onto yours with that same stern intensity. He didn’t speak for a moment, just let the weight of his gaze hang between you, thick with unspoken meaning. Then, in a voice that was all command, he said, “You better start acting like the good girl I know you are. Or you won’t be getting any of my attention for the rest of the night.”

His words hung in the air, and your heart skipped a beat. You knew that look. He was serious now. The playful banter had shifted into something more intense, and you could feel the shift in the air between you. It was a warning—one you knew better than to ignore.

But still, the brat in you wasn’t ready to give up just yet. “Guess we’ll see if you can keep that promise,” you quipped, your voice full of playful defiance as you met his gaze head-on.

Tyler raised an eyebrow, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Oh, you’ll see, alright,” he said, his voice low and gravelly. He gave you one last lingering look before reaching for the door handle and exiting the truck

As you watched him make his way into the gas station, looking hotter than should be legal in just a backwards baseball cap, a button down shirt, some Wrangler jeans, and a pair of cowboy boots, you knew you had crossed a line. The line. He was in full brat tamer mode now, you had his full attention now, and that meant you were in trouble.

* * * * *

The storm had finally passed, leaving behind soaked streets and the distant rumble of thunder as Tyler pulled into the motel parking lot around nine o’clock later that night. The quiet hum of the engine faded, replaced by the sound of rainwater trickling off the roof.

You glanced over at Tyler, but his face was unreadable, all traces of the playful banter from earlier wiped clean. He parked the vehicle, his jaw clenched as he cut the engine.

You were still trying to gauge his mood when Tyler opened his door and stepped out into the cool night air, rain droplets catching the faint glow of the streetlights. He didn’t say a word as he grabbed the keys and walked around the front of the truck. 

He opened your door and waited for you to get out. He reached into the backseat and grabbed both of your bags, throwing them over his shoulder. Then without saying a word he motioned for you to follow. A thrill of anticipation coursed through you.

When you reached the room, Tyler unlocked the door and pushed it open, gesturing for you to enter first. The door clicked shut behind you, and the sudden quiet of the room felt stifling. You could hear your own heartbeat pounding in your chest as you stood there, unsure of what was about to happen next.

Tyler took his time, tossing the keys onto the table by the door before slowly turning to face you. His expression was calm, but his eyes—those sharp, stormy eyes—told a different story. He was still every bit in control, but there was a spark of something dangerous beneath the surface. And you were the one who had lit the fuse.

“You’ve been testing me all day,” he said, his voice low, steady. He took a slow step toward you, closing the space between you in a way that made your breath catch. “And now, you’ve got all of my attention.”

You met his gaze, swallowing the nervous flutter in your stomach. This was what you wanted, wasn’t it? His full, undivided attention. But standing here now, under the weight of his stare, you realized just how serious he was.

“I told you,” he continued, his voice dropping lower as he came even closer, “if you kept pushing, you weren’t gonna like the outcome.”

You smirked, still holding on to that last shred of defiance. “Maybe I’m still not convinced.”

Tyler’s eyes narrowed slightly, his lips curling into a knowing smile. He was right in front of you now, close enough that you could feel the warmth of his body, the scent of rain and earth still clinging to his clothes.

“Well,” he said, his voice a low rumble that sent a shiver down your spine, “you’re about to be.”

Before you could respond, Tyler closed the distance, his hand sliding around the back of your neck as he pulled you in. His hand then moved to your hair where he tightened his grip and pulled your head back slightly.

He leaned in and pressed his lips to yours. His kiss was hard, commanding, and you could feel the pent-up frustration from earlier in the way his lips moved against yours. 

When he finally pulled back, you were breathless, heart racing as his fingers lingered in your hair. His gaze locked onto yours, and there was no mistaking the seriousness in his voice when he spoke next.

“You’ve got two choices now, darlin’,” he said, his tone firm but not unkind. “You can behave and I’ll give you the attention you’ve been beggin’ for all day, or…” His thumb brushed along your jaw, his eyes never leaving yours. “You can keep being a brat, and I’ll make sure you regret it.”

A thrill shot through you at his words, the heat between you palpable as you weighed your options. But the brat in you wasn’t ready to give in so easily. You bit your lip, eyes gleaming with challenge as you tilted your head slightly, daring him.

“What if I like regretting it?” you quipped, your voice laced with that same teasing defiance that had gotten you into this situation in the first place.

Tyler’s eyes darkened, and for a brief moment, you could see the flicker of amusement there, quickly replaced by something far more dangerous. He let out a low chuckle, shaking his head slightly.

“Oh, sweetheart,” he drawled, his voice thick with Southern charm, “you really don’t know what you’re askin’ for, do you?”

And with that, he took a step back, his hand dropping from your neck as he moved over to the bed, sitting down at the edge. He leaned back casually, his hands resting on his thighs as he looked at you with a calm, almost predatory gaze.

“Come here,” he commanded, his voice soft but firm, leaving no room for argument.

You hesitated for a moment, that last flicker of defiance warring with the butterflies in your stomach. But you knew the game was over. Tyler had won, and now it was time to face the consequences.

Slowly, you stepped forward, your heart pounding in your chest as you approached him. When you reached the edge of the bed, Tyler reached out, grabbing your waist. His hands moved to the button of your jean shorts, popping it open before he hooked his fingers into the top of your shorts and pushed them down your legs.

He then reached for your wrist, pulling you down across his lap. His grip was firm, but there was no mistaking the tenderness beneath it.

“Now,” he murmured, “we’re gonna start with getting rid of that little attitude of yours.” His voice was low, filled with that unmistakable authority that always made your stomach flip. You felt one of his hands move to your back, holding you down against his thighs, and you knew exactly what was coming next.

"You’ve been a handful today, haven’t you?” he whispered, his breath hot against your skin.

“I wouldn’t have to be a handful if you’d given me a little attention today,” you shot back, though your voice was quieter now, that bravado fading.

Tyler chuckled, low and deep, the sound vibrating through you as his hand moved to cup the side of your face, his thumb brushing over your lower lip. “Oh, you’ve got my attention now, darlin’,” he said softly. “So how many do you think you should get for running that pretty mouth of yours?”

“Two.”

He chuckled again. “Two? You really think two is enough for all the attitude you gave me today, baby?”

Suddenly, without warning, you feel the sharp, sudden sting of Tyler’s hand coming down on your ass. The impact sends a jolt through you, heat rushing to your skin, but before you can process the sensation, another smack follows on the other side.

After several smacks, you stopped keeping track after seven or eight, his hand lingers on your flushed skin, his fingers brushing lightly over the spots where his hand had made contact. The tenderness makes you shiver, and you let out a small whimper.

He hadn’t been rough—Tyler never was—but he made sure his point was clear. You could feel the weight of his gaze on you, his firm control slowly giving way to a softer touch as he released you from his lap.

Without saying a word, he gently pulled you to straddle him, his hands guiding you to settle on his thighs. The change in position felt intimate, almost grounding, as he wrapped his arms around you, pulling you close. His chest rose and fell steadily beneath you, and the weight of the moment shifted from tension to something deeper, something more comforting.

Tyler’s hands moved in soothing patterns up and down your spine, his touch slow and deliberate. His fingers grazed the small of your back, the motion calming, as if he was silently asking you if you were okay. You leaned into him, resting your forehead against his shoulder, breathing in the scent of his cologne mixed with the lingering trace of the storm outside.

“You alright, darlin’?” His voice was softer now, barely a whisper, laced with concern and affection.

You nodded, your breath still catching in your throat, but not from discomfort. It was the intensity of it all—the push and pull between you, the way he could shift from firm to gentle in an instant—that had you feeling unsteady, yet safe. Tyler had a way of doing that, of reminding you that even in your brattiest moments, you were always safe with him.

He pulled back slightly, just enough to tilt your chin up with his fingers so your eyes met his. There was no trace of the stern look he'd given you earlier, no hint of the control he’d exerted when he made you bend to his will. Instead, his gaze was warm, full of care.

“You pushed me today,” he murmured, his thumb brushing along your jawline, “but I’m not going anywhere. I just need to make sure you’re good before we go any further.”

Your breath hitched at the sincerity in his tone. It wasn’t just a question of your physical comfort—Tyler was checking in with your heart, your mind, making sure you were completely with him in this moment. It was one of the things you loved about him most, the way he balanced his strength with such tenderness.

You offered him a small smile, your hands sliding up his chest to rest against his shoulders. “I’m good,” you whispered, your voice soft but steady.

He nodded, satisfied, his hands resting on your waist as he pulled you closer once more, his lips brushing against the side of your neck in a kiss so gentle it made your skin tingle. 

“That’s my girl,” he whispered, the words a quiet reassurance. His hands continued their slow, calming path along your back, grounding you in the safety of his embrace. You could feel the steady beat of his heart beneath your palm, the warmth of his body seeping into yours, making you feel secure.

Tyler stayed like that for a long moment, just holding you, letting the tension melt away in the quiet. His thumb traced idle circles on your lower back, a quiet reminder that no matter how far you pushed, no matter how much fire you brought, he would always be there to catch you.

It was the kind of attention you had been craving all day. Sex with Tyler was great. You loved being with him in that way. He was by far the best partner you’d ever had. But it was this kind of affection, full of love and care, that you had missed while the storms had his attention.

When he finally spoke again, his voice was a soft rumble, still laced with that familiar, protective edge. “You ready for more?” His question was a gentle nudge, letting you know that he was still in control but giving you space to choose.

You nodded again, feeling the heat rising between you once more, but this time it came with the unspoken promise of safety and care in every touch.

Tyler’s hands guided you to the bed, his grip both firm and gentle as he positioned you exactly how he wanted. The air between you felt thick with tension, charged with the anticipation of what was coming next. You could hear your own pulse in your ears as you lay on your back, Tyler standing over you with that same intense gaze that sent shivers through you.

Your heart raced as he climbed onto the bed, hovering over you with one knee pressed into the mattress and the other still on the floor, effectively trapping you beneath him. Tyler’s fingers traced along the curve of your thigh, sending electricity through your skin as he leaned down, his breath hot against your ear.

“You wanted my attention, darlin’. Now you’ve got it.” His voice was barely more than a whisper, sending a thrill down your spine as his hand slid higher, teasing the hem of your shirt.

You couldn’t resist. Despite the tension, despite the way he commanded every ounce of your focus, that last bit of brattiness bubbled up again.

“About time,” you muttered, eyes flicking up to meet his with just enough sass to provoke him further.

Tyler’s eyes darkened, his lips curling into a smirk as he pulled back, shaking his head slightly. “Still got that mouth on you, huh?”

Before you could respond, he leaned down again, capturing your lips in a kiss that was all-consuming. His hands gripped your hips, pulling you closer, and for a moment, everything else disappeared. The world outside, the storms, the teasing—all of it faded as Tyler poured every bit of the attention you'd been begging for into that kiss.

When he pulled away, his forehead resting against yours, his breathing was heavy, matching your own.

"You’ve been testing me all day," he whispered, his voice low and rough. "Now, sweetheart, you're gonna learn that I don’t mind giving you what you ask for—but it comes with consequences."

With that, Tyler’s hands slid up your body, his touch sending waves of heat through you. His fingers paused at the bottom of your tank top, his eyes meeting yours, waiting for the confirmation he needed.

You nodded, your breath catching in your throat. You could feel the tension mounting, your body responding to the way his hands moved with both authority and tenderness. He was right—you’d pushed him, teased him, and now you were at the mercy of the man who was more than capable of taming the most dangerous storms. Taming you, however, was something entirely different.

Tyler took his time, every touch deliberate as he undressed you, leaving no inch of your skin untouched by his hands. The slow build of anticipation was almost unbearable, and by the time his lips found yours again, you were desperate for the contact.

“You’re gonna be good for me now, aren’t you?” Tyler murmured against your lips, his hand cupping your jaw, tilting your face up to meet his gaze. “No more sass, no more pushing.”

You swallowed hard, your pulse quickening as you nodded again, feeling the weight of his words sinking in. “I’ll be good,” you whispered, breathless.

Tyler’s smirk softened into something more tender, though his grip on you remained just as firm, his touch as commanding as ever. "That’s what I like to hear," he said, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Good girls get rewarded."

Without saying a word, he stood up, his movements deliberate but unhurried, giving you time to take in the shift in the air. You followed him with your eyes, feeling your pulse quicken as he reached for the hem of his flannel shirt, fingers slipping under the fabric.

With one smooth motion, he pulled the flannel off over his head and tossed it onto a nearby chair. The muscles in his shoulders flexed as he moved, and your gaze lingered on the defined lines of his chest, the way his skin gleamed in the soft light filtering through the hotel curtains. Every inch of him seemed to radiate confidence, strength—qualities you’d been drawn to from the moment you met him.

Your mouth went dry as his hands moved to his belt, unfastening the buckle with an almost lazy precision. The soft click of metal filled the room, each sound amplifying the rising anticipation in your chest. He tugged the belt free and let it drop to the floor with a soft thud, his gaze never leaving yours, as if he was fully aware of the effect his every movement had on you.

Then came his jeans—he unbuttoned them, the zipper coming down slowly, teasingly. You couldn’t take your eyes off him, the slow reveal making your skin tingle with anticipation. Tyler’s fingers hooked into the waistband of his jeans, and he slid them down his hips, letting them pool at his feet before stepping out of them.

Your heart was pounding now, each layer of clothing he removed making the room feel smaller, more charged. He stood before you in nothing but his boxer briefs, and even then, he didn’t rush. Tyler’s eyes were dark, locked on yours, and the energy between you both felt electric.

You swallowed hard as his thumbs slipped beneath the band of his underwear, slowly peeling them off. The fabric slipped down his legs, revealing the rest of him, his body sculpted and strong. Your gaze trailed over every inch of him, heat pooling low in your stomach, the tension between you like a wire pulled tight.

Tyler straightened, his eyes still fixed on yours, and you could feel the intensity of his gaze settle over you like a weight. He was giving you a moment to drink him in, to take in every part of him, just as he’d done with you before. And the way he stood there—confident, steady—made your pulse race even faster.

He took a step toward you, the air between you thick with the anticipation of what was coming next, but he didn’t rush. Tyler was never in a hurry when it came to you.

You bit your lip, trying to steady your breathing, as he made his way on to the bed again. One hand slid behind your back as he unclasped your bra. He slowly removed it from you before you felt his warm lips wrap around one of your nipples, while his calloused fingers pinched the other.

Your head fell back against the pillows, a soft moan leaving your lips. The hand that had been pinching your nipple then slid down your stomach to between your thighs. You felt him run his fingers along the lace covering your center.

You tried to roll your hips down against his fingers, desperate for more of his touch. Tyler’s lips curved into a smirk as he pulled away from a kiss to look down at you.

“Need something, baby?”

You tried to grind down against his hand again, but this time he pulled away, leaving you with nothing but the musty air of the motel.

“Tyler!” You almost whined at the loss of his touch.

“What is it baby? What do you need?”

“You!”

Tyler chuckled and leaned down, his lips moving to your neck as he started gently biting at the spot below your left ear that he knew drove you insane.

“You’re gonna have to be a little more specific than that.”

“Want you between my legs.”

Tyler’s lips curved into a grin as he moved his leg higher up on the bed, spreading your legs. He pressed one of his knees right up against your center, pressing the lace of your underwear that you still had on against your clit.

This wasn’t what you meant and he knew it. But you ground down against his leg a few times, trying to get some kind–any kind of friction that you could.

“Ty, please,” you breathed out when you realized it wasn’t helping. “Need you.”

“Was that so hard to say, baby?”

“Yes.”

Tyler chuckled again before he positioned himself between your thighs. He wrapped his hand around his dick pumping it a few times before he put the tip against your entrance. He slowly slid into you.

The feeling was overwhelming for a moment. This. This was what you had been waiting all day for. You lead out a loud moan as your eyes fluttered close as he slowly stretched your walls as he pushed further and further into you.

Once he was all the way in, he paused for a moment, letting you adjust to him. Then he started to move. His hips pulling out slightly before pushing back in. Your hands moved to his arms and then his back, your fingers digging into his skin.

Tyler began to pick up the pace of his thrusts, your hips started to move, meeting each of his thrusts. The musty motel room was filled with the sound of your soft moans and his deep grunts as both of you became lost in the moment. 

“Come on, baby. Let it go for me.” Tyler breathed out as he started thrusting faster and deeper into you.

You moaned his name as your back arched off of the sheets as your orgasm hit. Your walls clenched around him and you felt Tyler groan as something that sounded like a string of swear words left his mouth. He then stilled inside you a moment later as you felt him fill you with his release.

The room was enveloped in a warm silence, the air heavy with the aftermath of your passion. You lay side by side on the bed, hearts still racing as you both came down from the heights of your releases. The world outside faded away, leaving just the two of you, intertwined and blissfully spent.

Tyler shifted slightly, a soft rustle of sheets breaking the quiet as he reached for a damp cloth. With careful, gentle hands, he began to clean you up, his touch tender and attentive. You could feel the warmth of his body beside you, a soothing presence that eased any remnants of tension. There was something profoundly intimate about the way he cared for you, each stroke of the cloth both practical and affectionate, reminding you of the connection you shared beyond just the physical.

Once satisfied, he set the cloth aside and padded quietly to the small fridge across the room, his movements fluid and relaxed. You watched him, a small smile tugging at your lips as he rummaged through its contents. He emerged moments later with a bottle of water, the coolness of it contrasting against the warmth radiating from your skin.

“Here,” he said, his voice low and comforting as he handed you the bottle. “You should stay hydrated, especially after all that.” There was a playful glint in his eyes, a mixture of mischief and affection, as he leaned back against the headboard, propping himself up on one elbow.

You took a sip, the refreshing liquid quenching your thirst, and the sight of him—bare, relaxed, and utterly himself—made your heart swell. Once you set the bottle down, Tyler slid back down the bed, shifting closer to you.

“Come here,” he murmured, opening his arms invitingly. You didn’t hesitate, rolling into him and snuggling against his chest. He wrapped his arms around you, pulling you in tight, as if he never wanted to let go.

The warmth of his body enveloped you, and you buried your face in the crook of his neck, inhaling the familiar scent of him—like fresh air and a hint of cologne, grounding and comforting all at once. Tyler’s fingers began to brush gently through your hair, the rhythm soothing as he held you close.

“Was that enough attention for you?” he asked softly, his breath warm against your forehead as he pressed a tender kiss to your temple. The teasing tone was laced with genuine affection, and you could hear the hint of a smile in his voice.

You tilted your head back to meet his gaze, your heart fluttering at the sight of him—the way his eyes sparkled with a playful challenge, but also the warmth that radiated from him. “For now,” you replied playfully, smirking slightly. “But you know I could always use more.”

Tyler chuckled, the sound rich and deep, reverberating through your shared warmth. “Well, I’ll make a note of that,” he said, his voice playful yet serious. “I’m always ready to give you the attention you need, darlin’. Just promise me you won’t be too much of a brat next time.”

You grinned, feeling the warmth of his affection envelop you, grateful for this moment of intimacy. It was in these quiet seconds, nestled against him, that you felt the strongest bond between you both—the balance of playful teasing and heartfelt connection that defined your relationship.

As you lay there together, the world outside fading into nothingness, you knew you had found your home in his arms.

[icallhimjoey]

I feel like Joe's the type of guy during a heatwave to complain about the heat but still insist on cuddles. And I just imagine both parties being grumpy from the heat but also from not being able to just cuddle.

lil short one! sticky sweaty cuddles with a lil side of grump! Wordcount: 1.5K

---

That Better?

"Where do you think you're going?" you can barely make out the words Joe's mouth tries to shape. He's pressed up against your chest, his whole cheek stuck to your skin in a way that makes his lips go funny.

It's uncomfortable. Way too hot and sticky. Outside you can see another flash, and hear the sky rumble in the distance. No rain yet, though. Just humidity.

"Joe," you warn when he tightens his grip on you as you try to move away a little. "Please, it's too hot." You use both hands to find his shoulders to create some space in between the two of you.

It's difficult, because you're fatigued with the heat, and Joe is stronger than you.

"The fan's on." Joe argues, though it's dry and flat, no energy to put any heat behind his words. It's already hot enough.

He holds on, quite tightly at that, and you huff a breath into his face as you relax again. You're too weak. The room already feels stifling and heavy without a person stuck to you, but Joe's lying right on top, and you desperately need the fan to hit the areas of your body that he's covering with all of his right now.

But Joe doesn't want to move.

He's grumpy for it too, but he needs the cuddles to get to sleep, no matter how warm and sweaty and gross it feels.

Which, it does.

Everything feels damp.

It's silent for a while, until you can feel a drop of sweat make its way down your scalp, sliding through your hair slowly and then picking up speed when it gets to your neck.

It's disgusting.

"I'm not even moving and I can feel myself sweat." you complain, but Joe just hums. Adds, "Yea, it's sweltering." in agreement. He can feel you sweat too, but knows that it just means that the fan feels nicer for it. He doesn't add that bit of information - fan feels like a sensitive subject now. You had just had a big fight over whether or not to sleep with the floor fan on.

It wasn't exactly a silent one - the fan or the fight.

Joe desperately wishes for the fan to be moved out of the bedroom; it's a big floor fan that sounds like an airplane taking off, he'd always say. But you need it on. You'll take the loud constant whir that will bring you an actual breeze over suffering in a dead silent humid room that feels more like a sauna than anything else.

"Baby, you know I can't sleep with it on. It's too loud."

"Can't sleep with a fan on, but can fall asleep in the middle of The Expendables." you'd sarcastically said, making a face at him. The Expendables was basically a whole film of big loud explosions. He'd insisted on watching it the other day, and then fell asleep about 15 minutes into it.

"You know that's not-" Joe sighed with frustration. "That's hardly the same."

You could feel the sweat sit between your toes, it was that hot.

"Joe, without the fan on, I don't even want to touch my own body! Let alone yours!"

You fought, back and forth until you'd cut it off by going for a cold shower. When you got out, you found Joe in bed with all the lights off and the fan on, and you silently accepted Joe's kind compromise.

When you'd laid down on the bed, Joe had immediately rolled half onto you, and you knew that in return for the fan being on, he wanted to at least be able to fall asleep the way he wanted to. Needed to.

Touching.

All snuggled up.

Breathing your breath, limbs crossing limbs, bare skin pressing into bare skin. Feeling heartbeats and hearing heartbeats, until one of you can't feel their arm anymore from lying on a shoulder weird. Joe needs the comfort of a whole person to make a psychical connection with to feel instantly at ease.

It not his fault that you calm him down so much. That he loves you.

And you love Joe too.

But it's definitely too fucking hot for any of it. You feel too grumpy, and you know Joe isn't in the best mood either.

Joe might feel at ease, but you don't feel at ease at all.

You're still holding out hope that the clouds that had threatened rain all day will actually give way. The heat needs to break already. So far, no luck though. Just some flashes and some rumbling thunder up high in the sky.

You're not a fan.

You don't like thunder storms. There's something so very threatening about them. Every loud crash makes you jump a little, surprising you every single time.

Joe knows.

He remembers the first time he'd been around you during bad weather, and he had watched you from up close for a little while until something inside of him took over.

I, big giant man. You, small little defenseless woman. Must protect.

Cave man behaviour.

Cute when you're after a little babying, but absolutely awful when the heat and the humidity had you in an awful mood. Like right now.

Another flash lights up your bedroom for a split second, and you can hear how the storm's getting a little closer.

"I'm not scared, you know," you comment softly, and Joe just hums again. Acknowledges what you're telling him, but keeps you close for his own comfort. Doesn't seem to care if you're scared or not - just pretends that you are, because he likes that a little better.

He ducks into his shoulders a little more, curls up to you a little more, and you can feel how the side of his face slides against your chest.

Slides.

You try to hold back an audible wince at how much you hate that, and you endure Joe's weight for a little while longer. But then, slowly, the itch under your skin becomes too much and it builds until you feel like you're about to burst.

"I can't," you suddenly sputter, pushing at Joe's shoulders again. "Sorry babe, but I cannot." you say definitively, groaning as you move to sit up. This time, Joe lets you go.

When you see Joe's sad little face, half of you wants to reach out to wrap your whole self around him. But the other half wants you to go sit in the freezer.

Unfortunately for Joe, the latter wins.

"M'sorry, just..." you turn in the bed and find a piece of cold mattress to lie down on, your head near the foot of the bed now, your feet near your pillow. You get the best bit of air from the fan from there too, right in your face, and it feels a little better.

It really does help that you're damp all over.

Makes the air actually cool you down.

You suppose that's what sweat's meant to do in the first place, so it makes sense.

Joe watches you from his spot.

Watches as you starfish on top of the bed in the dark, hair blowing in the breeze, and Joe wants to frown, because this isn't what he wants. But then he sees how the creases on your face slowly disappear, and just witnessing you be a little more comfortable makes his own frown smooth out a bit too.

"That better?" Joe asks, and you're not sure if it's a sarcastic question or not. If saying yes will hurt his feelings or not. You detect a little hidden bite in there though, so you don't answer.

Instead, you sigh a little contently and say, "Come over here."

Joe doesn't need telling twice.

In an instant, his legs have swung around on the bed and he finds a nice much cooler spot next to you.

"Here," you say, and you hold out your hand.

Joe gives it a glance before looking at your face. He knows you've only just showered, but your hair's mostly dry already. He notices it now as it drapes over the edge of the bed, swaying in the wind. You may be sweaty, grumpy, sticky, and uncomfortable, but you're still gorgeous. It's almost annoying how he likes the way the heat makes you look.

"Hold my hand." you say when it takes too long for Joe to grab hold of it.

It's your compromise.

Joe smiles.

Takes it.

It's not as nice, but Joe will take it, fingers intertwining as your palms glue together.

"That better?" he asks again, and this time there's no doubt about his intentions, voice much sweeter and softer, no hidden bite left in there at all.

"Hmm." It's your turn to hum now, agreeing as you add, "Better."

Joe gets to touch you.

You get the fan on.

It's not the best of both worlds - it's still fucking boiling - but it's definitely better than before.

And then, just when you think, maybe you actually could fall asleep like this, you can hear the soft patter of a few raindrops hitting the bedroom window.

Just a few at first, but it quickly picks up into a gentle, rhythmic pattern as the sound grows.

You squeeze Joe's hand, and there's still a slight slick to your palms and fingers, kind of clammy, definitely warm.

But it's kind of nice to be stuck together like this.

Joe squeezes back, and you let a happy sigh escape you.

You can actually fall asleep like this.

"Much better."

---

The Taglisted

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@witchwolflea, @yunirgo

add yourself

[heeverseblog]

take me away (sjy)

pairing: vampire!jake x human!reader

summary: you’re in a secret relationship with one of the hottest male ceos in korea. but that’s not the real secret. the real secret? he’s a vampire.

genre: SMUT, established secret relationship, vampire au, rich people au

warnings: oral (male and fem receiving) a lot of cursing, jake sucks reader’s blood, it's filthy ngl

note: reader and sunghoon aren’t officially engaged so no form of cheating was involved

*read more under the cut*

***

your parents wanted you to attend this masquerade ball where elites such as your family are invited.

you’re an heiress to your father’s interior business that his family’s worked hard for years. when really, he only ended up having the title because his older brother died when your father was 17 and he was the only heir left.

but like any other child, he was forced to marry your mother and like where you are now, they met at a ball and ended up getting married a week later. except they didn’t meet at a masquerade ball.

anyway. that’s why you’re here. your dad wants to marry you off with park sunghoon since his father owned one of korea’s richest banks.

you’ve met sunghoon once and he was nice. but that’s it. you don’t like him like that nor want to start anything with him.

“y/n!”

you roll your eyes, pissed that you were enjoying your glass of champagne. but being the professional person you were, you turn around and greeted sunghoon.

“park sunghoon.”

“you having a pleasant evening?”

i was until you arrived.

“my glass of champagne was keeping me company.”

“maybe you need extra company tonight?”

you internally curse at your father for letting park sunghoon flirt with you. ever since you two met he’s been trying to win you over.

the music turns into a slow, sensual song. you scrunched your forehead, wondering why the heck would they let this type of song play at a formal event like this. you were just thankful that you’re wearing your mask and he wouldn’t see you.

“shall we dance?”

you gave sunghoon a fake smile that he was oblivious to notice before accepting his hand he offered to you.

sunghoon placed his right hand on your waist while his left hand holds your right hand. you revert your attention to the other attendants of the party. they were busy dancing with their partners. your father was busy chatting with sunghoon’s father, both of them were laughing, probably talking about your marriage with sunghoon. the thought made you want to vomit.

suddenly you were spun around and changed partners. your hands landed on someone else’s chest. his chest was bare and covered with only his black blazer.

“like what you see princess?”

hearing the owner of that voice erased all your worries and anger you felt just now.

“you made it,” you whisper.

even if he was wearing a mask, you still think jake sim was the most handsome man in this room. and to be fair, it’s because he is the man you love, and you’ll ever love.

“wouldn’t miss a chance to see you.”

jake slides his hands down to your waist, teasing you by subtly sliding it to your butt. you pull his hands up to your waist again, raising your eyebrows then remembering you were wearing a mask.

“you changed your hair.”

“do you like it?”

“i love it.”

jake changed his hair from blonde to black but still he looked so hot.

“was sunghoon bothering you?”

“nevermind him,” you pull jake closer to you, “you’re here.”

jake bit his lips and turned you around. your back pressing on his chest and you can feel jake’s lips hovering on your neck. his touch made you shiver that you rest your head on jake’s shoulder from behind you.

“like the music tonight?”

you roll your eyes when you realized jake was this naughty to suggest this type of music.

“admit it, it made everything better.”

“hmm…it’s too public though. wanted something more private.”

“my princess is so naughty.”

jake took this as a chance to kiss the side of your neck and you sighed, loud enough for jake to hear that you liked it.

your bliss was cut off when sunghoon saw you in the arms of another man.

fuck.

you quickly turn around and even though your mask was covering half of your face, jake can sense you were panicking.

“what’s wrong, princess?”

“sunghoon saw us.”

jake eyes at sunghoon looking at him with a glare. he smirks and looks down at you, “let’s get out of here.”

you smile too and let yourself be pulled by jake away from the crowd.

you didn’t bother asking how jake knew a way out since you trust him and he was willing to take you away from your worries. at that moment, you didn’t care if your father saw you running away, let alone running away with a someone who wasn’t your supposed fiancée.

you and jake used the emergency stairs and both of you ran as fast as you could. both of you were like naughty little kids running away from their parents. and it felt freeing that you did.

minutes later, you reached jake’s tesla and both of you drove away from the place.

you take off your mask and laughed, “did you see the look on his face?”

you continue laughing and jake could jake laugh at how happy you looked.

“glad to take you away.”

“i’d let you take me away anytime.”

you lean forward and took a good look at jake tonight. his exposed chest and his hair got you all worked up tonight.

so how did you and jake meet?

you met jake at the golf club where you and your parents go to every weekend. they always use the “spend time with your family” card on weekends since you like to hang out with your friends or go to night clubs.

your parents were busy talking to some co-business owners and the owners of the gold club. you were just using your phone and you felt something hit your ankles and it made you hiss.

“what the fuck.”

“sorry, miss.”

the owner of the voice had a gentle yet husky voice. when you looked up, you were met with the most beautiful face you’ve ever seen. his eyes were so gentle that you could stare at them all day and not get tired of them.

“are you alright, miss…”

“y/n!”

you turn around and see your parents walking over to you along with mr. and mrs. choi, beomgyu’s parents.

“ah, sim jaeyun, isn’t it?”

“yes, sir. you can call me jake,” jake shook hands with your father.

“y/n, this is jake, current ceo of sim tuxedos. as a matter of fact, your tuxedos are always the ones i grab.”

“really? thank you, sir.”

“jake, this is y/n. my daughter.”

you face jake again and he holds your hand and kisses it. the action made your heart flutter, considering it’s an action that you find too vintage and weird because why would you kiss someone’s hand on the first meeting?

but jake…he changed the way you thought about that.

“nice to meet you, y/n.”

you smile, thinking that you might be seeing jake often in the golf club after that. and you did.

you and jake would often find yourselves talking about your life. both of you were the only child. you learned that jake lost his parents at a young age and you didn’t miss the way his eyes became sad.

“i’m sorry,” you touch his hand, “it must have been hard for you.”

jake nods, “it was at first. but i didn’t want them to die without making their dream come true.”

“which is?”

“become successful. for me to meet a beautiful girl.”

your eyes grew wide and you shot your head up. jake laughed at your reaction.

“don’t you often hear that?”

you hesitantly shake, “n-no. i don’t think i do.”

“i guess i have to say it more often then.”

before you knew it, you fell in love with jake sim. he let you be yourself without thinking of responsibilities and made you feel loved without asking for anything in return.

but you didn’t tell your father yet. you had to find the perfect time to tell him without your father thinking it’s just a fling.

but when the news of your father wanting you to marry park sunghoon dropped, you wanted to argue but your dad was fast enough to tell you that this is good for your business.

you couldn’t help it so you immediately drove yourself to jake’s place and wanted to tell him to take you away in any part of the world.

on the way to jake’s penthouse, your nervously tapped your foot repeatedly on the ground. you were scared to tell him of the news and how he would react.

when the elevator doors opened, you breathed in before calling out his name, “jake.”

minutes later, jake came walking to you with him wearing his white shirt and joggers.

“y/n?”

when jake saw you crying, he immediately held your face.

“what’s wrong, princess?”

“my dad…he wants me to marry park sunghoon.”

you couldn’t help but release your tears and pushed yourself to jake’s chest. jake immediately hugged you and brushed your hair, hoping it would calm you down.

“shhh…shhh…”

“take me away.”

jake stopped his movements and pulled away from the hug, “what?”

“take me away, jake. please.”

“y/n…i…”

jake stopped, thinking of what to say.

“y/n, i love you but…i can’t.”

“w-what?”

“i can’t, y/n.”

“b-but…you said you love me.”

“i do but…we can’t be together together.”

you were shocked, speechless, confused, pissed?

you snort, “what?” you shake your head, “what the fuck are you saying?!”

jake tried to calm you down by holding your shoulders, “princess, calm down.”

“don’t sweet talk me right now! why can’t we be together?!”

jake was speechless, he didn’t know what to say.

“y/n…i’m sorry. i can’t…”

just like that…your hopes and dreams were crushed by the man you thought would save you from hell.

“you know what…fuck you jake.”

you pushed jake but ended up stumbling backwards and hit the vase behind you. the vase broke and shards of glass got into your leg.

“fuck!”

you looked down and saw your leg was bleeding.

“y/n!”

jake walked closer to you but he stopped. he lost balanced and fell to the ground and he was flinching.

even though you were angry, you were worried of jake’s state so you stood up and walked closer to him.

“jake?”

“y/n, no!”

you flinched when he raised his voice at you but he wasn’t facing you.

“j-jake. you’re scaring me.”

jake was covering his face, specifically his nose and mouth. when you got a better look at him, you were surprised to see his eyes turn red.

“what the…”

jake immediately stood up and went to his refrigerator where he immediately drank from his water jug with red…wait.

is that…blood?

the metallic sort of smell from the liquid spilling from jake’s mouth filled your nose as he gulps it in. the liquid was dripping from the side of his mouth as he finishes the whole jug. once he was done, you can see how his teeth suddenly became sharp.

oh my god.

“j-jake…”

when jake heard your voice, only did he notice what he has done. your reaction filled with fear was written all over your face.

“y/n—”

“no!” you scream, telling jake to stop his tracks.

“you—you’re…”

you couldn’t continue what you wanted to say, still hurt and shocked of what you’ve seen just now.

without a thought, you ran and fled.

that night you came home with your leg still bleeding, forgetting that it ever did. the only reason you could tell your mother was that you fell.

jake didn’t come to the golf club after that. he stopped texting and calling you.

you thought that it was for the best but...you love him. and you want all of him.

you immediately rushed to jake’s penthouse and without a doubt, kissed him the moment you saw him.

“y/n?”

“i don’t care who or what you are. i love you and i want all of you.”

jake didn’t give it another thought to pull you again to a kiss and both of you ended up giving yourselves to each other that night.

remembering what happened to the both of you instantly made you quiet throughout the whole ride until you got to his place. jake noticed your change of demeanor and immediately held your cheek.

“what’s on your mind, princess?”

“nothing, just…what would i do without you?”

you leaned into jake’s touch and he kisses your forehead before both of you get out of the car.

when you got out, only did you notice that you’re in an unfamiliar place. you were in a more remote place where it’s only a wooden house by a hill.

“where are we?”

jake smiles before holding your hand, “come on. i’ll show you.”

both of you ended up taking a long walk before you got to the house.

when you opened it, the interior looked cozy like it was one of those houses from “little women” but with a twist.

“it’s my parents’ house. i just had it remodeled a little.”

you took a look around. you can see now it did have a vintage vibe in it.

“do you come here often?”

“sometimes. when i want to take my mind off of things.”

“and…how many women have you brought here before?”

jake snickers, hugging you from behind, “you’re the only one i brought home here.”

you roll your eyes, “so there were others before me? what did you do? bring them home to their parents and to have tea like how men do in the olden times?”

“first, i was never serious with them. second, did you just call me old?”

“well you’re four centuries older than me.”

jake tickled you from behind and you ran away but jake was too fast that he caught you, trapped you in the wall.

“think you can run away from me?”

you answered back by pulling jake down and giving him a passionate kiss. jake kissed you back and pressed you closer to him by holding your back. his touch made you open your mouth, almost taking jake’s lips inside. you grin when you felt something poking you from down there.

jake pulls away for a second, “i have to fuck you.”

“fuck me hard then.”

jake pushed you inside a room and you hit your back on the bed.

you watched as jake undressed himself above you. the sight was mouth-watering that you immediately sat up and took jake’s dick in your mouth.

“fuck just like that!”

you watch jake throw his head back and felt proud of yourself. you bobbed your head up and down as you continue sucking jake’s cock. the squelching sound was turning you on too that you continued what you were doing.

“you taste good.”

your words and tone just made jake turned on for you more. you were surprised when he held your head and bobbed it up and down the base of his dick. you were letting out choked moans and you had to hold on jake’s hips to hold yourself.

“you’re making me cum, fuck!”

after two minutes of sucking, jake came on your mouth and you licked every bit of him. you stood up and wrapped your arms around jake’s neck as he held your waist.

“i want one too,” you say, putting your lips, “please.”

“of course.”

jake started unzipping your dress and let the garment fall down your body, until it reached the floor. you were almost bare, only leaving you with your panties.

“get on the bed for me,” jake says with his husky voice.

you immediately sat on the bed, waiting for jake to come over you. and when he did, he laid you down and he went down on you, taking off your panties.

you moan when jake started sucking your clit and the feeling made you arch your back. jake was eating you and not just your clit but you felt like jake was sucking your soul into him.

“a-AAAAH!”

“cum for me.”

jake lifted your ass cheeks to lift your lower body as he continues to eat you out. your eyes rolled to the back of your head as you feel your legs shaking and toes clenching. you were thankful that the house was secluded, or else people would have heard your screams. you held the sides of your

after jake sucked every bit of juice in you, you kept panting and you can feel sweat dripping down your neck as jake sucked every bit of your essence from your clit to your inner thighs.

jake sets down your legs and immediately help the back of your neck to pull you in an intense kiss. he pushes his tongue inside your mouth and you opened it.

“i love it when you’re eager,” jake says before kissing you again with a growl.

“you make me eager.”

jake wasted no time in putting his cock inside you and it immediately made you roll your eyes at the back of your head.

“look at you,” jake smirks while looking down at you, “such a mess for me already.”

jake rocks his hips forward and you let out another scream. his movements were harder than usual. and in most cases, it’s you taking the lead but this…it made you turn on so much. he kept thrusting in and out that you were craving more and more.

the moment you felt your hole squeezing jake’s cock, he lets out a grunt followed by a moan.

“jake…m-fuck! you’re so fucking good!”

you and jake screaming curses and each other’s names for god knows how long. your head was spinning thanks to jake’s powerful and strong thrusts but it was also sending you to heaven that you didn’t want it to end.

“jake…i’m gonna cum.”

“hold on a little longer.”

if jake was gonna be honest, he wanted to cum right there and now but he wanted to make this moment last forever that he wanted more time inside of you.

you held jake’s shoulder, calling his attention, “come here.”

jake leans down and gives you a very hard kiss. you inhaled sharply as he gave you more thrusts as he locks his lips on yours. when you gasped, jake opened his mouth and entered his tongue on yours.

“i can’t take it anymore…”

jake nods his head, “cum for me.”

jake thrusted more and you felt a lot of cum dripping down your legs. both of you were a mess and continued panting until the two of you came.

you look down at your legs and moan at the sight.

“shit.”

jake laid his body down at your chest, you can hear and feel him panting heavily. you rubbed the back of his head and kissed his temples.

you and jake got under the sheets and clinged to each other the whole night. it’s been a while since you last saw jake that you wanted to cherish this moment.

“have i told you that you look beautiful tonight?”

you blush and hide your face at jake’s chest.

“how can you manage to act so cute when you literally just railed me?”

jake caught your cheek and pulled you close to kiss your forehead then your lips. when you pulled away, you gave him a smile before lying down on his chest again.

“so…this is your room.”

“actually…it’s my parents’.”

your eyes grew wide then you pulled yourself up.

“WHAT?”

jake was surprised at your reaction that he ended up laughing.

“wait, you’re joking right?”

jake sits up, “my room is at the other end of the hall.”

you slapped jake’s chest and he yelped, “ow!”

“why didn’t you tell me before we started fucking?”

“and break that sexual tension we had?”

“we fucked in your parents’ room!”

jake couldn’t say anything and laughed instead.

“oh god they’re gonna think i’m some girl who likes to have sex anywhere.”

“i swear to you, my parents aren’t like that. they’d love you. and besides,” jake holds your face, “i didn’t think it was just fucking. not when it’s with the woman i love.”

you felt like tearing up and when you did, jake used his thumbs to wipe your tears away.

“i love you so much,” you whisper.

jake pressed his lips on yours.

“can i take you away?”

your heart started busting a move. after that incident with jake, you didn’t think about bringing it up with him again. but you’ve always wanted to escape your shitty home and spend the rest of your life with jake.

“you mean it?”

“of course, i mean it.”

jake gives you a longer but slow kiss, sealing the promise he made to you just now.

“would you…bite me then?”

jake should be worried that you suddenly asked this butt he knew the way you were looking at him right now that you have made up your mind. you were ready to be like him. you were ready to spend a lifetime with him.

wasting no time, jake moved your hair and with your neck exposed, he gave it a quick kiss before piercing his fangs onto your skin.

you flinched, not doubting that the feeling is painful but jake held your body close to his and lets you clutch to him.

after a few minutes, jake was done sucking your blood and he licked your wounded area.

“give it a few minutes.”

you literally felt that blood was sucked out of you and it made you dizzy. you were still hugging jake so he gently placed both of you down, not letting you go.

“i’m…my head…”

jake gently brushed the back of his fingers on your face, “i know, princess. just rest. tomorrow, you won’t need to worry about loosing me.”

with that last statement, you drifted yourself to sleep, dreaming what it would be like to spend an eternity with jake by your side.

[bgomtori]

☆ colours - c.bg

synopsis - despite everything you two have been through, all good things must come to an end right?

-> beomgyu x reader

-> listen to colors by halsey for an experience 🤍

-> friends to potential lovers to acquintances, highschool au

-> warnings! beomgyu pushes reader away, angst, talks on mental illness and eating disorders, yn becomes an insomniac, beomgyu's a year older than you

-> notes! i've gotten back into jjk for the 7th time, and i saw like 3 edits abt stsg to the song colors, so i just wanted to LET IT OUT. GEGE AKUTAMI WATCH OUT

love is the most twisted curse of them all

tired eyes scanning through the folder of memories on your phone, your head dipping into the fluffy cushions underneath you. you didn't want to go through it again, but you couldn't stop your fingers from moving. your eyes watered, tears dripping from the corner. this was at least your 50th time rereading past messages, past folders, and old voicemails you had with choi beomgyu

choi beomgyu, the man that he was. talented, charming, and pretty. he was constantly bombarded with the squeels from your schoolmates along the hallways. however, he would always stick to you like glue, to him, you were everything he wanted. what a trope, maybe opposites do attract.

he was the light to your darkness, even if he stuck onto you like a emotionally attached puppy, you appreciated his presence. as much as you wanted to ignore his pestering, you enjoyed it, too much, to the point where your heart starts beating rapidly whenever he's around.

"ynn, let's go to the arcade after school. you don't have anything after right? let's go." the way he drags his words to persuade you into doing something he wants to do with you, and how your name rolling off his tongue perfectly, has an effect on you. his arms leaned on your desk, giving you puppy dog eyes.

"beomgyu, we have a test next week, i can't just waste my time playing games with you." you closed your textbook, placing your pen back into your pencilcase, making eye contact with beomgyu.

"come onn, you've been studying so much this entire week, you've barely hung out with me." beomgyu whined, using the tip of his shoes to kick your shins.

"beomgyu. this test is important for my final grade." you firmly stated your point, hoping that it'll get through beomgyu's thick skull. you sigh when beomgyu continues to look at you with the same puppy eyes, your words going deaf to his ears.

"fine.." you muttered out, you could have sworn that you saw beomgyu's eyes sparkle when you said that. he jumped out of the random chair he stole from the person who sat infront of you.

"i'll wait for you outside your class! see you!" beomgyu beamed, messing your hair before skipping out of the class like a lunatic. you watched as he left your class, smiling to yourself.

"are you giggling over choi beomgyu like everyone else?" your tablemate, natty, commented. knowing the teasing glint she had in her eyes, you glared at her.

"shut up."

ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁

"i'm graduating in a month, will you miss me?" beomgyu smirked, biting on the straw of his drink. you took small bites out of the bread beomgyu got for you, giving him a disgusted glare.

"what's with that look." beomgyu gasped, swinging his arm around your shoulder, pulling you closer to him. the side of your body was completely squished against him, you could feel your heart about to jump out of your throat. he was too close, too close for your liking.

"i'm going to miss my favourite junior ever, you know that right? you're my favourite junior, no one can ever compare to you." beomgyu reminded you, your lips pursed into a line, pushing his body away from yours.

"don't you have other juniors to care about? why me?" you asked, your eyes not leaving his own round ones.

"isn't it obvious.." he mumbled, not loud enough for you to hear.

"huh? speak up."

"it's nothing! come on hurry, i have a new song to play for you on the guitar." beomgyu grabbed your hand, running towards the direction of his house. you screeched as he pulled you at a speed you were not ready for. you felt like you were running a track competition at this point, just how much stamina does choi beomgyu have?

your head was dizzy, you haven't ran in such a long time at a distance you don't even want to remember. the click of beomgyu's door caused your head to look up from your phone.

"sorry for making you run, i was just excited." beomgyu apologised, placing a plate of fruits and a cup of water on the floor, finding himself on the floor beside you.

"it's fine." you shook your head, poking the fruits on the plate, not having an appetite for them. beomgyu noticed your odd behaviour throughout your entire conversation with him, from the way you just took small bites of the fruits and taking huge gulps of water.

"have you been eating these days?" the sudden question had you panicking, is he always this observant? your eyes darted around his room.

"i ate the bread earlier, doesn't that answer your question?" you replied non-chalantly.

"i meant like proper meals, when was the last time you have eaten an actual meal?" his face has gotten serious, you thought to yourself, your nails dug into the flesh of your thigh, trying to think of a plausible answer.

"i can read you like a book yn, you can't lie to me." beomgyu sighs, his hands reaching out for yours, pulling them away from your thighs.

"i know i'm always not serious around you, but this has to stop soon okay? don't starve yourself, it's unhealthy, and i'm worried for you okay?" beomgyu carressed the knuckles of your fingers. slowly, you calmed yourself down from the unsettling thoughts that were eating you alive, smiling at beomgyu,

"i'm sorry, i'll stop. i don't like seeing you all worried because of me."

beomgyu's lipped tugged up into a smile, standing up, "i'll make something for you to eat, wait here."

from that day on, you knew you could rely on beomgyu with whatever problems you had. he's your best friend either way, opening up to him was easy. he was your solution to everything.

that was until a week before beomgyu's graduation, you've noticed that his radiant aura was turning dull, his eyes slowly getting more tired by the time. despite that, he has been wearing a fake smile around his batchmates, smiling whenever he was with them, returning the same energy they were giving him. your eyes squinted at his odd behaviour, you too, could read him like a book.

"you're not actually that optimistic right?" you stated, trailing behind beomgyu. beomgyu paused in his tracks, turning to face you.

"what are you talking about yn?"

"you know what i'm talking about. if you need it, i'm here to help you." you inched closer to beomgyu.

"please, if you're hurting let me help you too. let me return that favour. isn't that what friends are for?" you gagged at your words, friends? of course. you two were just friends, nothing more.

"aren't you cute? don't worry about it yn, i'll tell you everything soon." beomgyu patted your cheeks, waving a quick goodbye to you before disappearing into his classroom. you stared at the empty spot infront of you, why isn't he telling you anything after everything? didn't he tell you that he trusted you with all his life, if not, why isn't he opening up to you?

you bit your lips, trying to suppress the tears that were about to flow out. you groaned, walking back to your class as if nothing happened, but your mind was overthinking, again.

what you failed to notice was that beomgyu was watching you from the window of his class, his heart ached seeing your pained expression. he then felt a tug on his sleeve.

"when are you going to tell her?" seungmin whispered, his eyes watching beomgyu's actions carefully.

"soon enough."

ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁

it was finally the day every senior had been dreading or anticipating. you stayed back after school to watch the ceremony, in hopes of seeing your seniors for one last time before they leave, including choi beomgyu.

you felt so proud for him, he's finally done with this hell, and now he can follow his dreams. however, you couldn't escape the feeling of emptiness, without him, what were you? ever since he started distancing himself from you, you felt horrible, you felt like shit.

before you knew it, the ceremony was over, the crowd screamed in joy, running to find their best friends in the crowd. you did the same, dashing to where beomgyu might be at. you hated running, but in order to talk to him in school one last time, you ran as fast as you could.

finally, you found him, your eyes watched as he took multiple pictures with the girls from his batch and yours. your face fell as you realise that the crowd practically engulfed him, you probably wouldn't have enough time to have a decent conversation with him.

however, your eyes met his, your body tensed up, he looked exhausted, yet he was still able to flash you a cute smile that you reciprocated. he signalled you to go towards him, telling the crowd that he needed to leave soon, and that was when you walked towards him.

"congrats on graduating." you hugged him, feeling his body slowly soften under your touch.

"lovebirds, wanna take a picture together?" seungmin shouted, his hand stretched out, asking for your phones. both you and beomgyu handed him your phones. seungmin smirked, snapping numerous shots for the two of you.

when he returned your phones, he whispered something in beomgyu's ear, causing him to blush and yell at him to shut up.

"don't mind him. come with me, i have something to tell you." beomgyu shoved his phone back into his pocket, dragging to towards a familiar direction.

the walk was comforting, you talked about everything that came to mind. beomgyu stared as you rambled, watching you as if you hung the stars in the sky, you were stunning.

"sorry, was i saying too much?" you mumbled, sitting beside beomgyu on a bench at the park where you first met. beomgyu shook his head.

"i like hearing you talk don't worry." reassuring you.

"what did you want to tell me anyways?"

"before that, take this, i want you to cherish this forever, as if your life depends on it okay?" beomgyu pulled out a ring, placing it on your pinky. your heart raced, the butterflies in your stomach turned into a whole zoo, your face felt warm.

"what for..?"

"i'm leaving daegu to pursue my dreams, i may not be able to see any of you again, so i just want you to have this as a reminder of me." beomgyu suddenly announced. your eyes widened, a lump formed in your throat, leaving your mouth dry.

"what are you saying? can't you at least keep in contact with me? that's stupid, you can't just cut everyone out of your life like that." you argued, biting back the tears that were watering your eyes.

"you're making this harder for me." beomgyu laughed, "you'll distract me from achieving what i want, my priority isn't you."

you were smacked with the hard truth, beomgyu was more determined to pursue his lifelong dream, and in order to do this, he has to let go of one of his dreams, and that dream was to be with you forever. your goals were completely different, you would only hinder his progress towards success. your eyes stung with tears, it hurts.

"gyu, you can't do this, maybe we can figure something out?" you pleaded, you couldn't live without him by your side. beomgyu wiped your tears with his thumb, making you look at him.

"you know i love you right? if you love me back, promise me that you'll let me go." beomgyu forced a smile, trying to calm you down.

"you? what? why didn't you tell me this earlier? we could have spent more time together as a couple." your voice was shaky, you wanted to leave, but you wanted to stay by his side till the end.

"yea i could have, but i guess i was too scared, so were you though." beomgyu shrugged, laughing dryly to himself. he hated this, he hated the fact that you were crying because of him, he hated that he can't do anything to stop you from crying. beomgyu watched you sobbed, his eyes beginning to sting, but he blinked the tears away.

"this is just a bad dream right?" you looked at beomgyu. beomgyu held your hand, shaking his head slowly, your eyes tearing up once more.

"sometimes love can be the most twisted curse of them all." beomgyu chuckled, looking off to the side.

"then at least curse me a little at the end." you hiccupped. beomgyu's eyes widened, softening once he made eye contact with you. he pulled you into a kiss filled with longing and desperation. you were quick to kiss him back, you didn't want this to end, you wanted him to stay by your side forever. you slowly pulled away from him, wiping off the dried up tears from your face. beomgyu took your pinky, intertwining them with his,

"i'll go now, take care of yourself for me okay? please eat well." beomgyu kissed your lips once before walking away from you. leaving you to cry by yourself on the bench, at the park where you first met, and now you've ended it at the same spot.

ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁

bonus!

beomgyu started sobbing when he walked away from you. you must have endured so much pain when he left you in the dark for so long. his first love, a love where it could have blossomed into something more than friends, crumbling down like that. he hated himself for that, he hated seeing you hurt, but you would still suffer the same fate if you stayed by his side. thus he made his decision that week prior to his graduation.

perm taglist! (send an ask to be added) @mrsyawnzzn @tinyelfperson @woncheecks @boba-beom @naveries @be-argyu @defnotleee

[arcanesea]

sorry i can't say it sober | mingyu x reader | 1.4k w. WARNING: mentions of alcohol ((drink responsibly !!))

It’s not the first time you got a call at 2 in the morning, and it’s not the first time you unconsciously pick it up.

“I am so sorry for bothering you again, but Mingyu drank a lot more than he’s supposed to, and now he’s refusing to leave the bar and kept on asking for you…” A voice talking on the other end of the phone, from the frantic voice, you can tell it’s Seokmin. You could also hear other voices faintly in the background, complete with loud grunting.

You sat on your bed, rubbing your eyes before throwing your blanket away. Sighing, you replied, “Can you give this to him? Or put me on speaker.”

You heard rustling on the other end before a whiny voice calling your name.

“Can you not be a pain in everyone’s asses?” you ask. You went to the bathroom, securing your phone between your shoulder and ear.

“What do you want me to do? I’ll do everything you ask me,” he responded in an instant, making you confused. Usually, he would make you go out there and pick him up. Despite his height which is almost twice yours, you always manage to take him to the front door of his apartment.

“Just go home with your friends, Gyu,” you answered. There are 12 other guys with him right now and everyone can’t be drunk, right? Right?

“Okay…” he whines.

“You’re a real lifesaver, truly,” Seokmin talked to the phone again. “We’ll drive him home and I’ll text you when we arrive, thanks again!” he half-yelled before disconnecting the phone call. You stood there in front of your sink, groaning in frustration.

You walked back to your bed, picking up the blanket before fully covering yourself in it. You don’t know why is it always you that Mingyu asks for when he’s drunk, or why all of his friends immediately call you when something happens to him. It’s not that you’re uncomfortable, you know all of the guys and they’re nice guys, but sometimes, sometimes, thinking that everyone referred to you as Mingyu’s closest friends makes your heart do a backflip.

Obviously, emphasize the words friends. But isn’t it nice that you’re the first person everyone thinks of when they can’t get ahold of Mingyu when you know exactly where he is and it’s never with you?

You groaned again. Now you wished you were out there, driving him back to his apartment so you could hear him talk about how he’s grateful for you, about how pretty you look under the dim streetlight, and how you’re all that he has.

You were half asleep when you heard a knock on your door. You ignored it at first, but then it grew impatient. So once again, you leave your bed, annoyed.

What you saw on the peephole was enough to wake you up. You immediately unlock the door and pull it open.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” you ask, voice barely audible with a hint of irritation. You didn’t expect Mingyu to show up here in only his plain black t-shirt.

“Are we not best friends anymore?” he just asks back, pushing his hair back. It’s gotten longer now and he has no intention of cutting it since you said that he looks more charming with that hairstyle. “It’s freezing cold out here, can I get in?” he whines again, cupping his hands in front of his mouth and blowing it. “Don’t you love me anymore?”

You step aside to let Mingyu in. Eyes wide open in disbelief, unable to answer a single question.

He makes his way to the sofa, plopping down instantly, and pulls a piece of fabric in the backrest to cover the upper half of his body. You shook your head, walking over to take a spare blanket.

“Why are you even going out with only a T-shirt at this temperature, stupid,” you mumble to yourself. You move some pillows to make more room for him on the sofa. You tried to take another one from underneath his neck, but clearly, you underestimated his strength without even trying. In return, the pillow pulled you down.

Your hand was quick to support you on the side of his head, but you could feel heat creeping up on your face as you held his gaze. For a second, you stayed there until his eyes shifted to your lips and you felt your throat dry. You stood up abruptly. Throwing the pillow on the floor before getting to the bedroom. 

You close it with force, leaning on the closed door as you try to slow down your heart rate.

A soft knock came after some time. You can hear him sitting down on the floor. He called your name once, then twice when you didn’t respond. Then one more time before you open the door to him sitting cross-legged in front of it.

“Do you need anything?” you ask, trying to steady your voice. He only shakes his head, pouting. 

“I need you,” he answered. His brows knitted as if he’s not sure of his own words. 

You let out a shaky laugh, leaning to the doorframe.

“Why are you even here, Gyu?” you asked. He’s been here plenty of times, but never drunk.

“When Seokmin said he would take me home, my immediate thought was you,” he answered. For someone who’s had too much drink, he articulate his answer pretty well.

“How much did you drink?” you ask again, laughing genuinely this time. He looks at you and then starts counting on his hand.

“I don’t remember, I can’t count,” he said, pressing his hands to his head. “Ow… There are two of you… I feel attacked…”

“You need sleep, c’mon.” You said, helping him stand up. You lead him to the sofa, trying to arrange the pillows before ordering him to lie down. “You came here, try to survive on this sofa because I am so not sharing a bed with you.”

You were about to leave when he called your name once again. He was half-sitting, just looking at you.

“I mean it, you know… I’m sorry I can’t say it sober, but you’re all I ever wanted.”

“And I would gladly respond to that when you are. Good night, Gyu.” 

He would probably forget it in the morning, right? 

You weren’t the one who drowned in liquor the night before, but you got a massive headache from the thoughts of Mingyu in your living room. You suppose he would already leave by the time you step out of your room, leaving you with some kind of sorry notes, and then everything would go back to how it was before. Except you remember every detail from last night clearly and he might not.

So when you saw him in your kitchen, you almost got a second heart attack.

“What are you still doing here?” you ask with a low voice. Mingyu turned around with a wide smile and a pan in his hand.

“I made you breakfast.” He said. The way he said it, was so natural, almost like he didn’t just said all that the night before. You sat down cautiously, trying to get a read on him. He poured half of the scrambled egg on top of the toast he already prepared.

You pour yourself a glass of water and take a sip. 

“I’m starving,” he said. You watched as he started clearing the content of his plate while you took a small bite, pushing the nervousness down.

“I’m also here to wait for your response. I think I’m sober enough,” he said. You choked on your water, making him laugh a little as he pushed a napkin in your direction.

“You… remember?”

“Yeah… It was weird, wasn’t it?” he asks back, eyes squinting. “But I… I actually don’t know how to say it to you, because we’re too comfortable like this, and if I told you how I feel, I’m afraid you will hate me.”

“So, you what? Hook up with other girls, trying to see if it will make me jealous?” you retort.

“Oh my God, is that what you think I was doing?” he quips, standing from his chair. “I was never… Wow… Why would you think that…”

You just rolled your eyes in response. Trying not to smile.

“I’m serious,” he said again. “I can’t… no… I don’t want to stay friends.” 

“Who said we should?” you answer, standing in front of him. You put your hands around his neck, smile blooms on your face as you press your lips to his. He smiles into the kiss before pulling you by the waist. 

“Yeah, we definitely shouldn’t.”

a/n. this is an old writing-

prompt from the lovely @creativepromptsforwriting

[kairiscorner]

when drunk miggy <33

drunk miggy headcanons

this is how i imagine the stages of drunkenness for miggy play out: sober but a little dazed, quiet, cranky, sleepy and sad, giddy.

sober but dazed is pretty tame and self-explanatory, he's still partially there for the most part, but when you talk to him, all you get are, "huh?"s and "nu-uh"s as he keeps swigging his drink.

then when you get to the quiet drunk miggy stage, he can barely hear what you're saying, all he can hear are his thoughts, which are amplified by the lack of sobriety he's feeling right now. he points out such obvious stuff like, "wow, jess' hair is so frizzy", "damn, peter's got a weird laugh", "lego peter is really cute". he also reflects a bit on recent shit that's happened, like a lot of regrets he's had about missions and judgements he's made, a lot of thinking, "i regret doing that".

when he's had a lot more to drink, he becomes slightly dependent upon the liquor to keep his thoughts as the only things he hears throughout the night. the effect of the liquor where his hearing becomes fuzzy wears off and he starts to hear everything, causing for the cranky drunk miggy stage to begin. every little thing is so audibly loud and irritating that he wants to leave and scream at everyone if they make another sound. this is when he usually leaves the drinking fray and waddles back to his office, with lyla preparing everything he needs to recover from his drunk and hungover stupor in the morning.

but when he doesn't leave, he becomes more emotional and tired as he steps foot in the sleepy and sad stage. he experiences just a general fatigue and lethargy from everything that's happened as of late. he says sorry for everything, he clings on to the nearest person and will most likely sob all over them. you can push him away if he gets too overwhelming, but that'd make him sob harder. he's so scared of being rejected and alone that the only way to quell him is to let him mellow in his pent up sadness. he'd apologize for hurting/lashing out at you, be it that night or any other time he might've lost his cool, which is probably all the time tbh.

then the last stage is the giddy stage, where if you haven't lost your patience with him before, you might now because he gets all over you. he isn't in the right state of mind anymore, it's this subconsciously loving and touchy miggy that you bear witness to, get all clingy and points out everything he loves about you; everything from your face, to your body, to your personality, to your toughness. it's the deepest part of miggy that he keeps hidden away from everyone else, and it's this side of him that's the realest. he'd say sorry for everything still but do it while embracing you, kissing you all over, and just nuzzling the crook of your neck while giggling and snuggling against you. it's the sweet miggy he tries to keep under wraps that you find with you.

a/n: if you guys use these headcanons, please tag me and credit me babes! i'd love to see what you guys make out of him ( ⸝⸝´꒳`⸝⸝) oh, and once my suit miggy fic is done, expect more drunk miggy content :> (or while i'm making it bc i'm so inconsistent TEEHEE)

tags !! @thecoolerdor @miguelswifey04

[tsxkkis]

# sugawara koushi - next door

a/n: idk why but i really like this one (it's kinda stupid, but i still like it for some reason) :33 anyways, let me tell y'all i HATE school rn i can't stand it but i also don't want it to end.

summary: your next door neighbor is incredibly helpful. and nice, and sweet, and oh so charming.....

warnings: none!

sugawara particularly enjoyed the peace of living alone.

it was a complete one-eighty from the nature of his work; as an elementary school teacher, his day to day life was incredibly loud. kids weren't exactly the calmest creatures on earth, and even though they caused a lot of mischief and problems, he couldn't say he didn't like his job. quite the opposite, in fact - he loved it more than anything, but after a long, tiring day spent with these little monsters, he appreciated some peace and quiet.

that was, until a new neighbor moved in right next to him.

'is everything... alright?'

sugawara was caught off-guard by the sound of his doorbell ringing, even more so when an unknown person appeared right in front of it, a can of what seemed to be anti-bug spray in one hand and a terrified look gracing their face.

you knew that meeting your neighbor for the first time in a circumstance like this one wasn't exactly ideal; you'd much rather come to his door with a freshly made batch of cookies, introducing yourself like in those rom coms your mother used to watch on a daily basis. instead, you ended up in front of sugawara's apartment with fear in your eyes and a request you wouldn't normally make when first meeting someone.

'there's a big, really big spider in my apartment. can you help me get it?'

the silver-haired man blinked at you a few times, as if he was processing your words, which shoot out your mouth at lights speed. he tilted his head to the side as silence took over for a few seconds, popping out of his bubble after a short while, lips curving up into a warm smile.

he stepped out of his apartment, closing the door behind him.

'where is it exactly?'

from that day forward, sugawara didn't experience even an ounce of his previous, peaceful home life. but he didn't exactly complain.

to his surprise, you popped up in front of his door the day after he helped you kill that spider. and the day after that, and the day after that. it was almost a routine for the two of you at this point; every time he came back from work, he would await to hear the doorbell ringing almost impatiently. you became a vital part of his day, and it wasn't full without your presence, so much so that even his old high-school friends, daichi and asahi, could notice that something has changed in the life of his silver haired colleague.

he was shocked to see that after a few months of your little 'thing', you didn't appear at his door.

sugawara immediately took notice of how odd it was; and took action even faster, putting his slippers on as he headed to the door of your apartment, his eyes quickly glazing over the clock hanging next to the door, the time reading barely after 7pm.

he knocked once, and then again, nervously shifting his weight from one leg to another.

he could barely hear some mumbling on the other side of the door, paired with quick footsteps and after a few minutes of waiting, he was met with your face standing on the other side of the door, an apron on and face smudged with something that he couldn't quite name.

'oh, you're alright.' he mumbled, lips curving into a smile the moment his eyes landed upon your figure, a feeling of relief washing over him. 'you didn't show up at my apartment today. i guess i got... worried.'

he stopped for a quick second.

'not that you have to come to my apartment every day, of course! if you're busy then-'

'no, no, that's not it.' you barged mid sentence, opening the door just a little bit wider. 'come in.'

the first thing he noticed was the smell; his nose picked up on the multiple spices mixing in the air together, head turning to the side as he noticed your kitchen being an absolute mess.

it makes sense, he thought. you were just busy. it was nothing to be worried about.

'i wanted to make dinner for the two of us.' your voice echoed from behind him. 'you know, to thank you for helping me so many times throughout these past months. as you can see, though- i'm no masterchef.'

sugawara chuckled when hearing all this; his smile warm as he looked closer at the food.

'it looks perfectly good to me.'

'you don't have to lie.'

'i'm not.'

the apartment fell silent for a short while, the silver haired boy's eyes darting away from the kitchen and towards the open living space, the table already set with candles, even though the food wasn't even half-made, and you took notice of it right away.

'i wanted this to be special.' the tips of your ears turned red, eyes turning away from the man. 'you know, a date.'

a date?

he looked at her, dumbfounded.

sugawara didn't consider himself remotely as interesting as his other friends, so it came as no surprise when they had more admirers than him. he was just kind of... there.

to hear that you, of all people, had thought of him as something more than just a friend, made his heart beat faster.

he smiled from ear to ear, a small chuckle leaving his lips.

'ah, so i guess you beat me to it.' he sighed, his body leaning against the kitchen counter. 'i certainly waited too long with asking you out.'

you looked down at your feet, face flushed pink.

'maybe a little bit.'

'well, i can help you finish cooking this and we can go through with the date.' he proposed, his body involuntarily moving towards yours, taking a few small steps. 'if you'd like that, of course.'

and who would say no to sugawara and his charming smile?

'yeah. i'd love that.'

taglist: @moonswolfie @wyrcan @kitsune-kita @haechansbbg @luvvrgirll @serotoninbarbz @sugaraddict301

[petalsonmoon]

but i'm a fire, and i'll keep your brittle heart warm

the three times you give each other peace.

part 1 of 3.

wc: 1.7k

notes: in this series reader has anxiety. of a specific situation. it’s based on my experience but i don’t want to treat this matter lightly so feel free to warn or discuss any concerns with me. thank you for reading <3

you really wish you’d outgrowned this by now.

you hear your name being called from the other side of the door.

“we’re almost up!” tetsutetsu affirms softly. “i’ll come back when we’re done, okay?”

at this point you don’t feel ashamed anymore. tetsu has been your person for a year now. his friendship had the softness his quirk lacked.

when you don’t respond he continues “i’m not desappointed in you.”

“okay.” you let out with soft snicker.

“i heard that.”

“aren’t you late?”

“it doesn’t matter.”

“please, go. you’re gonna be amazing”

“do you understand that nobody is dissapointed? i won’t leave until i’m certain you understand.” he says and his body leaning in the door is not a subtle sound. you take a deep breath.

“i’m okay.” you take a few steps closer to the door. “and i understand. thank you.”

your response is sincere enough for you to hear him getting ready to leave.

“you’re doing great.” his voice is as dweet as he can muster. you’re not sure you believe his words but you can feel he means them. “we’re proud of you! and i’ll be right back.”

he walks for a few seconds to deceive you that he wasn’t late but then you can faintly hear him running.

you walk towards where the drumbs were supposed to be and sit on the floor there, back against the closest wall.

right now, your defeated breathing and relaxed but tense heart were more frustated about the situation than the main issue of it all. you were in the 2nd year of the UA’s hero course. it’s shouldn’t be like that.

you’re mature enough to understand there’s nothing and no one to blame. you consider yourself a strong and secure person. since your first day here, you went out to find a way to have a private and open chat with professor mic and he was so very considerate.

you explained how sometimes really loud noises caused you to have a few anxiety crises. it didn’t happen much but you did want to become a hero so you wanted to be as clear as possible about this so it doesn’t affect your goals and your future.

not saying that noises in general are a problem for you but the whole ambient and the aggregation of noises is what set it off.

but you like to think that since the first day you’ve come a long and upright way.

you stayed in the music room for a while and felt your mind troubling. you feel a few tears falling down your face and you weren’t even feeling that sad but the disappointment in yourself was leaking from you.

you took few deep breathes and tried to trick your brain main focus.

this was your place of choice to calm yourself, not sure if it’s because of the sound isolation or it being the furthest from the arena where everything happened but it was a good place. a very nice room if you consider that barely anybody would be interested in music being in a hero course. no, that’s quite judgemental, don’t think like that. you’re here after all.

and it’s quite a contraditing thinking when as soon as you finish your thought the door slams open.

your eyes meets a pair of ferocious red dots and unintentionally you feel your whole body shiver. the fuck?

he stares at you for a full 5 seconds before he started to move. if he was even slighly surprised to see you there his expression weren’t showing it. apart from the very much common furrowed eyebrows he was blankly normal.

your gaze was glued on him as he walked towards you. he stops at the little drawer not far from you and gets something from the upper drawer as well as a coat that was hanging in the microfone stand. you blink and he’s already on the door again, he slams it as he leaves and you flinch.

right, katsuki bakugo was supposed to play the drums today. it’s really interesting that he, a wild rabbit (as you named him, you know, because of the red eyes and not being very tall) in form of human, would be patient enough to learn how to play any instrument. you didn’t know much of the boy, being from class B yourself but your classes have done enough training together to understand that he doesn’t really like your class or people in general.

you stay perfectly sitted there a bit longer, the shame and resentment you were feeling now it’s a snowball of sadness. you really wish you were brave as the kid you thought you’d be by now.

well, let’s not go that path again. you wanted to become a hero and you will. you still had a year ahead of you and all you needed was a bit of bakugo’s fierciness in you. midoriya also seemed to be a very dedicated person and far more approachable...

when you hear your belly complaining you decide it’s time to face the consequences of your brain’s actions. and exactly when you move a single leg to get up, the door opens and bakugo is back and you freeze. he opened the door calmly like a normal person and perhaps that’s why you froze.

he’s not looking at you when he makes his way to the couch a few meters away, on your diagonal. he throws his body there like he’s exausted and lays his head so he’s staring at the celling. and he just stays there.

you look around like you’re waiting for something in the room to indicate you what to do next.

time passes and nothing happens and your body relaxes a tiny little bit.

drums are so cool, actually. we all know the drummer is the coolest in a band. if you could learn one it’d be drums. maybe piano first cause they say that after learing piano everything is easier…

“we crushed your stupid class today” his rough and deep voice reverberates around the room.

anxiety fills you up for a slip of a second before you evict it out of your body. not exactly because of him but because of the possibility of him asking that one question.

“i too you would brag about my skills with instruments if i couldn’t act for shit.” you retort softly.

his head moves and his are on yours again.

“your plays always sucks.”

“not what the crowd says.”

“it’s exactly what the crowd says.” his tone intends to finish the discussion. in his head, maybe.

“well, do you believe what the crowd usually says about you?”

he immediately squint his powerful eyes, analyzing you. you look away like that would make his curiosity go away too.

“you guys are always great.” you continue, your tone off for those who knew you.

his furrowed eyebrows deepened and he shakes his head lightly.

“just say what you want to say.”

“you guys should change the genre once in a while. the sparkles and lights and glitter can only get you so far.” It’s out of you automatically.

he smirks imperceptibly and looks up once again.

“it’s what i always tell those idiots.”

“why would they listen to the one that can explode the whole auditorium because of a fly, am i right?”

“don’t shit with me, i follow their ideas every damn time.” he responds, in a rasply soft tone if you squinted.

you start fidgeting with your rings. it’s a surprisingly peaceful feeling, this interaction. but there’s a question flying around you both. did he even notice you weren’t there? you’re probably thinking too much about yourself.

the worst of it all is that you’re dressed to go. your make-up nicely done. well, a bit blurred because of the tears but that added a charm, you think.

but it took a second to everything seem impossible to achieve.

so you just keep talking and not thinking.

“do you know how to play the piano?”

“no” he grunts.

“is there another instrument you’d like to learn?”

he drops his head to look at you again and it’s starting to feel familiar.

“no”

“yeah.” you look down, there only so much red you can take. “nothing like the drums.”

just keep talking and don’t think.

“is there a secret to not get nervous before going up?” you ask without even noticing where this question is edging for.

“i’m here to be a hero.” his voice impossibly lower “a bunch of students are nothing to me.”

you chuckle lighly “aren’t you just a student as well?”

“i don’t usually believe what the crowd says about me.”

you’re smilling fantly when you’re looking up again. “you don’t?”

“not a single fuck is given.”

you nod still smilling. he’s kinda funny.

but his gaze is very still.

“i remember last month’s training our classes did together. you ended yaoyorozu.” he says, low and calm and you chuckle.

“that’s a way to put it.”

“is there another way?”

“no.” you answer suddenly feeling shy “it wasn’t easy, that’s all.”

“that’s what happened. you won.” his gaze is unrevealing and familiar but is also like a challenge.

“think i can take you?” his face tells you nothing and you’d give money for what he’s thinking.

“wanna try?” he says.

a giddiness fills you up. like the thrill of making new friends or the good kind of nervousness you feel before your friends sing you happy birthday. yet, you don’t have an opportunity to respond because someone opens the door.

“heyyyy” tetsu comes in with the biggest smile on his face and when you look at him it’s like all the heavy emotions in your bady wakes back up.

oh, no. he’s your friend. don’t feel that way. bad, bad heart.

“hi!” your voice shatters. snd now you’re feeling the fake kind of giddiness. you didn’t even want to look at bakugo. “i was about to look for you.”

“bakugo!” tetsu acknowledges bakugo while you’re getting up and his response is a grunt. “we’re about to get some food. kendo wanted me to get you immediately.”

you smile at him. “okay. let’s go.”

“they definitely cheered louder for us today-“

as tetsu leaves the area, that heavy but welcoming peace of whatever happened there hits you. you stop by the door before leaving and turn around to look at bakugo only to find his eyes already on you.

and with neutral face and inoffensive tone you tell him.

“i can take you.”

not waiting for a response you close the door behind you.

[breakyourrxles]

❥between two breaths (m) | 𝟠

𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭

↳ Sunwoo states the obvious, a heartfelt talk with Hyemi heals, and your favorite little coffee shop isn't only traversed by you, you're soon to find.

There's always worse news waiting around the corner, however.

kim sunwoo x fem!reader (side lee juyeon x reader) — idol!sunwoo, fan/trainee!reader. forced proximity, forbidden love, friends to lovers, angst, slow burn, idolverse-typical themes regarding; dating, image, public perception, etc. happy ending, plot-heavy!! reader thinks she's nonchalant about it but she rly isn't. smut. [6,1k wc ongoing] cws: heavy themes of wanting-but-can't-having, mild jealousy, explicit sexual content, a little alcohol consumption, dancing on the edge of career suicide, poor decision making because of The Wanting.

❥ masterlist | ao3

Sunwoo shrugs, nonchalant about the whole ordeal. "Well, there's more where that came from, but the having no idea part will at least remain intact."

The performance ends in a flurry of screaming fans and dimming bright lights, and the moment MVNE steps backstage, a gathering of staff come forward to help usher you away and back to your green room.

Sweat clings to your brow, your boots are uncomfortable and there is an unfortunately placed pin in your shirt that has long since come undone and sharply jabbed into the skin of your back. The worst of it has come to an end and you're happy to finally be finished with this; unplugging from the spotlight, shedding yourself of multiple layers of performative solace that realistically—could not be further from the truth.

Humorously now, Hyemi and her misdoings sit so far out of your mind that they barely even seem consequential at all. You steal a glance at her as a stylist helps her out of an ill-fitting coat and it takes you a moment to even remember what it was that you had been upset with her about to begin with. Rather, it has less to do with her, and everything to do with someone else who has seemingly made it his life's mission to cement himself at the center of your own.

As if you don't have enough on your plate already.

It replays in your mind over and over and over again, picking out new details in the aftermath as you sift through what recollection you have managed to maintain. Everything had been a blur leading up to that, during it, and immediately thereafter that it is difficult to even pinpoint a particular start or end. There are only choice seconds; hands on bodies and lips on skin, words spoken only loud enough for the other to hear. Hushed insistences to move forward, to take a plunge, to let go. 

Adrenaline is still rushing through you, though it slowly wanes from your body now that you are finally able to take rest. The day has ultimately come to a close with no other schedules and nothing more being asked of you. When you leave, you may have to acknowledge fans with smiles and waves, but that's easy. By far, the most simplistic ask of you made thus far today.

"Put the television on," Nara says, seated beside you. The majority of her attention is put towards unpinning her hair, but her eyes are cast up towards the screen. "They're up soon."

A member of the staff locates the remote, the screen flashes on, and it comes alive with a VCR beginning to play that you can dimly hear from the room you are now locked inside of.

Just as it comes to completion, Woori flops down onto the couch on your other side and with arms crossed, she glances at you from the corner of her eye.

"Is it strange?" she asks.

You look at her but quickly turn back to watch the television ahead. Music begins to play and, for so many reasons, it's a song that you immediately recognize. How could you not, after all.

"A little bit." Uncomfortably shifting in your seat, you attempt to find an answer to the question that does not implicate you to the person sitting on your other side, yet adequately expresses the way that you feel. Tricky. You say, "I think… all of this is still a little strange to me, the added layer only compounds that."

She hums, perhaps little more to say on the topic given your current company.

With so many people crammed by the exit doors, you're beginning to question whether or not idol groups need to have this many members.

It's bad enough when it's only MVNE trying to make their way somewhere, but when your senior group is also in attendance, space is crushingly limited.

Proper greetings and congratulations are shared among the members, mostly in passing and fairly awkward save for the handful of mixtures that have built a good amount of rapport as a result of content or other such commonalities. For the most part it's strange; a bunch of strangers who should not feel so foreign to one another and yet will remain so for what might be the duration of their working relationship together.

Juyeon, however, is not like that with you.

"Good work out there," he says once he finally makes his way through the crowd and towards you. "I was watching from backstage. I'm not going to take any credit, but you looked incredibly smooth. The audience was practically drooling out there."

"You'd never know that we're practically falling apart back here," you say through a disbelieving laugh, but Juyeon is quick to shake his head and wave the words off.

"It's small. It feels big now because you're so fresh out of the gate that everything is going to feel a little bit like it could be the end of the world, but nobody is going to remember this in a few months. It's a hiccup." Juyeon turns to look behind him and as if fate has ordained it, and immediately locks eyes with a passing by Sunwoo. He reaches out, grabs him by the arm, and yanks him over to join in on the conversation. "This guy got popped for allegedly saying he wanted to keep women as pets, and look! We're all fine."

Sunwoo glares at him, gives a sarcastic sort of mocking laugh and says, "You just love bringing that up, don't you?"

"I do, it's top three favorite Sunwoo moments, you should be proud."

You look at Sunwoo and without a second lost, your eyes lock. His face is fairly expressionless and even still, you can manage to find something wicked lingering in the depths.

"I'll leave you two to it then," Juyeon says. The statement is innocuous enough, but the evident subtext is clear.

With such little time standing between now and the stage, a light sheen of sweat still sits atop the skin of his forehead and his hair lies damply stuck against it. Eyeliner is vaguely smudged and the smokey shadows are mostly intact, but settle messily in creases. Unfortunately, your thoughts begin to wander back to a time not entirely unlike this one, and not so long ago, either. 

"Say something nice about me or I'll start making posts online about how you're a terror to the cafe staff."

You reel a little at the remark, your face twisting into something ugly and absurd. "I'm not a terror to the cafe staff! What are you talking about?"

"I know," he admits with ease. "It doesn't have to be true, I'll just start saying things."

Rolling your eyes, you relent to his ridiculous demands. "You looked good tonight, and you almost made me believe you could pull off a tough guy concept during Maverick, which in and of itself is a nearly impossible feat."

"I can pull it off!" Sunwoo whines. This discussion is far from new to the two of you, a thing you have enjoyed tormenting with despite its falsity for a long time now. "Everyone else thinks I look very cool, you're the only one who thinks—"

"That you look like a dweeb? Yes, well, I always have been a little bit ahead of the curve!"

And though this moment is fun and feels good—like the good and simpler days, even—you cannot help but feel as though you are not alone in enjoying it. Rather, you are more than aware that you are surrounded by your peers as the two of you carry on like this, but attention is far from being granted to you.

That is, except for one person who remains incredibly interested in the carrying on of your circumstances with this man in particular.

You look to your side ever so slightly and catch the watching eye of Woori. She does not make a play to hide the fact, and remains firm in her doing so despite being seen. Sunwoo, late on the pickup, finally realizes that your interest has been pulled from him and follows your line of sight to see what all of the fuss is about. He waves with a smile once he spots her.

"Ever get the feeling that we're the headlining act around here?" he mumbles under his breath.

"She has every right to be concerned." You look at him again, far more pointedly now. "Hell, she has no idea how every right she has."

Sunwoo shrugs, nonchalant about the whole ordeal. "Well, there's more where that came from, but the having no idea part will at least remain intact."

"You're insane."

"And you're high strung," Sunwoo says. He turns himself in such a way that his back is towards Woori and he leans down slightly to quietly utter, "But you did like it. I think your whole oooh, no, we can't do this schtick is really starting to lose steam, bestie."

"Yeah! I wonder why that might be!"

"Oh sure, blame me!"

Urgently, you press closer towards him and through playfully gritted teeth but an abject awareness of your surroundings you say, "It is your fault! None of this would be happening if you weren't… Doing things like that!"

He shrugs again, like none of this is of any consequence to him. "You know what's interesting to me about the whole thing?" Sunwoo asks, though the question doesn't particularly seem posed to you. "You've not once just shut it down. I've been waiting—figure, eventually it will come if that's what you want to do—but for some reason it just doesn't seem to be happening! Wonder what that's all about…"

A frown crosses your face, comically large though you cannot see it for yourself, and that makes Sunwoo smile in response. You don't like that, either.

"You don't have to answer, by the way. Up to you. Got to go, see you around… Whenever!"

Sunwoo waves lazily as he moves away from you, smiles brightly once again in Woori's direction, and then he is gone.

Throwing yourself onto bed is something of a ceremony; a small victory, of sorts.

You close your eyes and bask in the afterglow of a successful day. The performance was stellar and despite the mild tension within MVNE, nothing of any real importance has dug itself out of the mud and tarnished the land.

There is, of course, the matter of your phone.

It lies on the floor next to you and you know there is a message waiting there. You haven't looked at it, haven't really needed to on account of the fact that you know precisely who it is that it is coming from. 

Like all the other times, you can't ignore him forever.

Unfortunately, you have decided that there is little more option left to you than to come to terms with the fact of the matter: Sunwoo is dangling the promise of something that you do desire in front of you. Happily waving the potential of a thing that you would love to have right in front of your face and nothing short of now begging you to go ahead and take it. The car ride home had been a long one, full of a reckoning that you've been doing your best to try and ignore, but the more he insists, the harder you are beginning to find it to resist.

And now, you have to wonder how much longer you're going to be able to keep up a charade that all-in-all, appears to be fooling nobody.

Running your palms down your face, you succumb to one thing, at least. You're going to have to look at this text message.

Locating your phone, you swipe the lock screen and don't even bother to look at whatever the notification is intended to tease. You navigate straight to your messages, right to his box, and open it wide with a newfound sense of completely unfounded bravado.

S [01:14]: so i take it that's a no then?

You roll your eyes and begin typing up your response.

You [01:39]: isn't it a bit late for this? we both have work tomorrow you know.

S [01:40]: depending on what's on the agenda, it's actually the perfect time

You [01:40]: don't you have roommates still? if you want to be serious about this then lets seriously talk about the logistics, because they're certainly not making any sense to me!

The comment is a last ditch effort to try and get him to drop the subject. Once again, you recognize that you could just as easily tell him a first and final no and put the entire issue to rest, but you don't, you haven't… and worst of all, you probably won't.

A fun little game that you're playing, thrilling and new until the inevitable day comes that changes the trajectory of everything forever, should you continue.

S [01:41]: not to be crass but do you seriously think no idol in the history of ever has brought someone home to their shared living space to fuck? now who needs to be serious!? i just think it's funny that you won't tell me no. i'd never bring this up ever again! and yet… 🤔

It does cross your mind to throw your phone across the room and be done with this at least for the night, but before you have the opportunity to make a decision either way, you feel the vibration of another message coming through.

However, this time it is a photo, and you are glad to be alone considering the quickness in which you open it, zoom in, and press the device closer to your face.

There is nothing especially crude about it, which makes sense because it really is just far too dangerous for idols in any position of fame to be sending explicit photos through any apps, under pretty much any circumstances. Regardless of that fact, the effect ends up being the same; it's a selfie of him laid up in bed with no shirt on, hair damp and messy from being toweled off not long before, and a sheet pulled up enough that though the majority of his chest is covered—his arms, shoulders and collarbones most certainly are not.

Ironically, it's nothing you haven't seen before. Conceptually, it's not unusual for his group to leave little to the imagination through a plethora of photoshoots or stylistic performance choices. It is, however, the first time that you are the only one meant to see it.

This is so, so bad for you. Perhaps far worse than originally suspected.

Your throat runs dry, heart picking up in pace as you stare at the photo. There are just so many details to it that you can pinpoint in driving you mad, yet you can't seem to decide on which one is doing the most damage. The entire thing is a disaster. Sending even this out is a nightmare just waiting to happen. That is what you tell yourself when attempting to file this away into a folder that doesn't result in you coming to the conclusion that you've made the wrong choice tonight.

Collecting yourself to the best of your ability, you close your eyes, take a deep breath, and then finally reopen them to type out a response before too much time ticks by and your dishevelment is evident.

You [01:44]: are you insane? do you want to blow up your entire career? don't send people photos like this!!!

He begins typing immediately.

S [01:44]: lol yeah i'm sure that's what you're thinking about. and to answer both of your questions. 1) yes. 2) depends, will you come over if i do?

You want to scream. Unfortunately, having to explain that will not do you any favors. 

Ultimately, you break to some degree and begin typing out your reply. You have made your best effort to not acknowledge the elephant in the room with any explicit, direct words. Now? Sunwoo has worn you down and left you with little other choice.

You [01:45]: us fucking is not going to fix you!!!

Barely a second goes by, and he is typing once again.

S [01:45]: oh, i know that. it's going to make us much, much worse. goodnight!

You allow the conversation to come to its conclusion, but with unsteady breaths and a furiously beating heart, that us buries in deep and carves out a new home in your mind.

"Can we talk?"

Truth be told, you anticipated this.

The sound of a knock at the front door and subsequent voice that follows once it opens is easily heard from your bedroom. The apartment that you share is small and offers little privacy under the best of circumstances, but when there are visitors, it is difficult to avoid everyone knowing about it.

Especially when they have come specifically to talk to you.

Laid out on your bed, you glance up. From your view now, Hyemi stands there upside down and awkwardly fidgeting with her hands between the doorframe. Her short bob is unstyled and there's not a spec of makeup to be found on her face. It reminds you of one of those staged apology videos that influencers often give, though you force yourself to remain open-minded and to grant her more grace than that. After all, the two of you are stuck together for an undetermined future time; ought to make the best of it.

"Yeah, sure. Close the door behind you."

Hyemi follows instructions and sits herself down at the furthest edge of your bed, as if worried for any physical wrath that you may end up inflicting. It's a fairly asinine concern, completely unfounded, but you suppose that the two of you simply do not understand one another well enough to come to any such reasonable conclusions.

She stares down at the floor between her feet in silence for a long while, likely gathering her thoughts in relation to all of this. No doubt it has weighed heavily on her mind ever since.

"Well, first I owe you an apology for our trainee days," Hyemi says, voice quiet and a little shaky. "Admittedly, I had hoped to cast a shadow over others in an attempt to shine brighter myself. Not that it excuses my behavior, but we still didn't know how many cuts were going to be done until a final debut line-up was decided. I was just… scared. I wanted to debut so badly." She looks up and towards you finally. "And I wasn't brave enough to come out and be honest about my own past, so I told people about yours. I had seen you at events…"

"I gathered that much," you say. "How else would you have known?"

"I hadn't anticipated that we would both debut. Then, when we did make the cut, I realized I was locked into hiding this for as long as I could because you went with what was, in hindsight, the better route of handling it. We couldn't both just… come out with something like that at the same time."

There is truth within Hyemi's words, without any intention of spinning the fact. You know just as much as anyone else within the realm that the company would not have as plainly stated both facts with the simplicity that they had with yours. One is already a gamble, but two? No matter what, somebody is going to be living in the shadow of a secret. It ended up being her.

Granted, you are far from having escaped it yourself.

She laughs a little bit under her breath. "But I guess it was only a matter of time."

"Stuff like this usually is." Sitting up, you scoot yourself to sit beside her as a small offering of comfort and good will. "At the end of the day though, this just isn't that big of a deal, you know? I know it feels like it, but it's one of those things that's eventually going to pass. People will forget. With enough time, they pretty much always do."

Meeting your eyes, Hyemi gives a small smile and a nod of acceptance. 

"Sometimes… Sometimes I regret ever doing this, as crazy as that sounds," she admits, still picking at her fingernails. "Because I kind of miss that life. A life where no one was watching me and nobody cared about what I was doing. Just a fangirl in a sea of other fangirls, and even worse, I kind of miss him."

"You're still going to see him, just the circumstances will be different now."

"Yeah." A pause comes between the two of you for a moment, and then she asks, "Do you ever miss it? Do you ever feel regret in choosing this rather than just remaining comfortably where you were with him?"

The question catches you completely off guard, but you have no other option than to do everything in your power to not make that fact evident. Anxiety creeps up, your stomach twists, and you try to push away all of the circumstances that have found you as a result of your being here now.

It was easier then, different. However, you are being offered new opportunities that you hadn't really been prior to now. They are dangerous and ill-advised… But do you regret it?

There is a photo sitting in your camera gallery burning a hole in your phone.

"No, I don't. Our relationship is professional and he is kind to me. What more could I really ask for?"

"Yeah, that's true." Hyemi gives another contented nod. "I hope we can put this behind us, and I hope it's the last time that we as a group have to deal with something like this."

You take her hand into your own, and desperately, you hope for that, too.

Early March is still cold, and the wind is biting as it carries down the streets. Your hair whips across your face and the jacket you have on feels as though it is doing little to maintain your warmth. This early in the morning—just barely past seven—the sun has only just begun rising and as a result brings you no comfort, but on the bright side, the cafe that you're standing in front of will.

Their opening hours to the public are from eight, but you suppose this is one of the perks of minor stardom, because you have been invited to come at your leisure before or after; so long as any of the lights are on.

You pull the glass door open, take a single step inside, and then stop dead in your tracks once your sights are set on one of the tables inside.

A coffee, a plate with a half-eaten pastry on it, and a book are sprawled out across the wood. More than any of that, however, is the gentle smile that greets you.

"Oh, hello there," Juyeon says.

"Hi…"

"What? Did you think you were the only person that knows about this place?" He must pick up on your apprehension upon seeing him, an amused cock of his head accompanying the question. "One of my best-kept secrets, if I do say so myself."

The girl working quickly comes out from the back, takes your order, and begins to prepare it. Her awkwardness is evident and likely on account of the both of you being here at the same time. Perhaps a little concerned that she may be intruding on a sort of meeting between idols that she is not meant to be seeing. Her hands are swift and a little twitchy by the time she passes along your items. Admittedly, you're somewhat charmed by that fact.

"Sit," Juyeon says, and you do so.

"I thought this was my place," you say. "Now I have to share it with you?"

Shrugging, Juyeon happily accepts your playful annoyance and says, "I was probably here first."

"They never told me that anyone else from the company came here."

"Of course not, wouldn't be very covert of them." He glances up at you from across the table with his lips hidden behind the mug in hand. Still, you can tell there is a smirk pulling behind it. "I take it you aren't bringing anyone else here then?"

You scowl. "No! Who would I be bringing here?"

"Oh, come on. It's just the two of us here, you don't have to do that," Juyeon says, marking his page before closing his book with finality. "You know exactly who I'm talking about."

"We're just friends."

"Maybe to you." He gives you an incredibly knowing look then and it makes your skin crawl. "He does not want to be just friends. I think you know that."

Yeah, he has made that rather apparent.

Uncomfortable, you shift in your seat and say, "Sunwoo can be a handful, I doubt I have to tell you that." Your eyes catch Juyeon's, and though a part of you is advising against doing so, you cannot help the urge to find out more. You ask, "Has he said anything…?"

"No." The shake of his head is rather firm and believable. "He doesn't talk about you, if that's what you're asking. But I've been in the room and seen the way he acts in relation to you. Anyone that's paying attention would be able to see it. He isn't exactly covert."

You don't know what to say to that, and thus, you do not say anything.

The silence is short-lived, and Juyeon continues on.

"You're not interested? I mean… given the history that's a little surprising."

"Isn't it more complicated than that?" you reply.

"Sure, it's always going to be. That doesn't mean none of us are out here doing private business anyway." Juyeon's eyes narrow suspiciously as he looks at you and he says, "You two are barely even allowed to be in the same room together if there's a camera present, which opens up an interesting realm of possibilities where people who want to look at every single interaction under a microscope are no longer able to. You're… Maybe good at pretending something is nothing, but Sunwoo emphatically is not. It's sort of the dream opening, if you were interested."

"Are you saying I should get… involved, with your bandmate?"

Juyeon shrugs once as if none of this is of any particular interest to him, though the look on his face is evident of the exact opposite. In fact, he is quite enjoying all of this. A man who is delighted to be on the outside looking in.

"You don't want to?" he asks plainly, and it catches you nearly off-guard with the forwardness of it. "I mean, you don't think it could ever become something more than this?"

The whims of honesty take hold of you in that moment, and though you wish to be forthcoming with him, at the last minute, you choose not to be. You swallow down the desire to tell him the truth; that it already has become more than whatever it is that Juyeon sees it as, and that it is hurling itself towards something far more ruinous than even he knows. Juyeon discusses the topic with a sort of lighthearted airiness that you wish you could take on for yourself, but the weight of potential catastrophe has long since gripped you, and does not allow you that kind of peace.

You do your best to steady the shake of your hand, and with your mug pressed to your lips you quietly reply, "No, I think the two of us are better off just as friends."

Walking back to the company building is a short journey that you have long since become accustomed to, but this time, you find yourself wishing it left a little bit more to offer.

Juyeon walks beside you with a cupholder of four in hand—unable to carry more—and tells you that he intends to let whoever it is that shows up on time for practice their first choice of the offering. He tells you how Sunwoo is often late, but always brings a big smile and incredible energy with him no matter what may have caused him to lack a concept of time that day. This is something that, in theory, you already know about him, but due to the differences in your lives you have next to no personal experience with.

The breeze is warmer now and isn't as biting, though small flurries of snow carry within the wind and occasionally catch in Juyeon's black hair. Each time you look up at him to grant him your attention you see more, a pretty contrast that lends to making him all the more striking in your eyes.

You wonder for a moment why it hadn't been him. It is a thought that had come to you more than once during your time as a fan; why one member and not another? Juyeon is talented and kind, gentle and incredibly attentive to his own thoughts and feelings in ways that Sunwoo most certainly does not seem to be. At the very least, Juyeon conveys an adult maturity to him that spans well past his years; wise beyond them, emotionally intelligent and wise beyond his meager decades.

They are different, which is to be expected; and walking with him like this now, you find that difference to be a much welcomed breath of fresh air in your life.

"What do you have today?" Juyeon asks as the two of you round the corner.

"Well, I have a meeting with my manager for some upcoming CF opportunity that I know nothing about, then vocal lessons at eleven, media at one, a photoshoot for press at two, then a small break until four. After that it's—"

"I don't miss the days of being a rookie," he interjects with a pitiful laugh accompanying it.

"Yeah, it's fairly stacked, but we have the comeback right around the corner so it's to be expected." You look up at him, and with a small, quizzical cock of your head you ask, "You really don't miss it? Flying under the radar just a little bit more than you're able to now?"

"That's the trade-off, isn't it? Spend all of your time reaching this point where you finally have some semblance of comfort in your career, where you can finally take a sigh of relief and think this won't all go away when I wake up in the morning, but everything else about the life you once knew? That's gone, and you won't even really remember watching it disappear, either." Juyeon offers a tiny shrug. "Instead of waking up one day and your career is gone, you wake up one day and realize that you don't remember what anything was like outside of this."

"It's hard to imagine that ever being the case. I still don't feel like much is all that different. I'm busier, and I'm aware people are watching every move I make…" Looking around the two of you, people pass you by on the sidewalk without a care in the world. Until you spot a group of three girls perched up across the street with hands covering their mouths and excited notions shared between them. "I guess it just doesn't ever really feel like it's about me yet."

"You know what's funny about Sunwoo?" Juyeon says, balancing the precious cargo in one hand and reaching out for the door to the building in the other. "He's said before that what he really wants to do is just make enough money to be set, and then get out. Leave all of this behind."

"I remember that."

Holding the door open, you walk in ahead of him, and following closely behind he continues on to say, "And I don't doubt that there is a strong part of him that genuinely does feel that way. Sunwoo, more than a lot of us, really does still long for the way things were prior to all of this. He loves it… but you know how he is. A dreamer, romanticizer; I wish I could say the pathetic, lovesick softboy thing was all just an act he puts on for the fans."

"You make him sound a little bit like a liability when you put it like that."

Juyeon laughs and says, "Yeah, well, if it's going to be anyone, it probably would be him."

Looking up, your eyes meet his and the small smile that graces Juyeon's lips as he talks about Sunwoo is heartwarming, to say the least. It's clear to you that there is a lot of love there; built up and fortified throughout many years of hardship and success.

"Not you?" you ask with a hint of jest.

He looks down to you, something cunning sitting just behind the gaze.

"No," he says. "I just wouldn't get caught."

Having reached the elevator, you find it to already be on its way to the bottom floor. It lands with a ding, the shining metal doors slide open, and then standing in front of you is none other than your own, precious leader.

Woori's eyes widen for just a brief moment, a flash of intrigue so quick that you could just as easily miss it had you not been anticipating such a reaction. Regardless, it dissipates and is replaced with a pleasant grin and the typical pleasantries exchanged between senior and junior colleagues.

"I'll be off. At this rate, I'm going to be the one that ends up being late."

The doors close once again with Juyeon behind them, and as the elevator makes its way back up towards a new destination, you can already feel the weight of devious eyes boring a hole into the side of your head.

You close your eyes slowly and take a deep breath that is intended to steady you for whatever it is that is soon to come. "What?"

"Can't say for certain if I would consider this to be a better, or a worse option."

"We just so happened to be at the same coffee shop, it's nothing like that."

"Have you talked to your manager yet today?"

Finally, you open your eyes and turn to face her. "No, I'm about to right now, why?"

Unfortunately, the look that comes across Woori's face then is one that you cannot quite place. A perplexing mixture of amusement, anticipation, and also a little dash of horror. Truth be told, you can't make heads or tales of it, but what you do know is that it does little to bring any sense of comfort to an already taxing day ahead.

One thing you can definitely make from it all though, is her attempt at biting back a smile that is desperately trying to make itself known.

"What? Why are you grinning like that? What's so funny?"

Woori looks around to ensure that nobody in particular is close enough to hear, and then for good measure drags you elsewhere into a quieter, less traveled corner of the wide open entry space.

"We have a schedule tomorrow night."

"Okay…"

"A radio show."

Admittedly, you're not following whatever she is trying to get at. Your eyes widen and you shake your head abruptly, silently demanding that she arrive at the fucking point.

And all that she does is say the same thing over again; slowly this time, and punctuating each and every word. 

It works, but the pieces coming together feels a little bit like taking a freight train straight to the chest.

"Not all of us though," you say, voice urgent and insistent.

"Not all of us," Woori repeats, "but you are."

"Surely it's a mistake, they wouldn't have me… They wouldn't send me to go on his show. It's got to be a mistake."

Woori raises a hand and slams it down atop your shoulder, so much so that it causes you to nearly stumble in your already delirious and confused state. "You, Nara and Jubi," she says, now shaking you comically where you stand. "We're all the guinea pigs around here, and it looks like you're their favorite little piggy!" 

"This isn't experimentation, this is suicidal," you reason, voice laden with exasperation. "I thought we were all in agreement that—"

"It's going to be fine," Woori says. The last word is long and drawn out in ways that might lend one to the assumption that not even she believes what she is saying entirely, but with little other options and no right to refuse the fact; what are either of you meant to do about it? "May I offer some advice?"

Your head is still spinning, and without much of a thought, you simply say yes.

"No making out in the halls. It'll be a bad look, ya know?"

Yeah, great.

[hyuuukais]

⋆.˚𖦹°‧✮‧°𖦹˚.⋆ ERROR 404

pairing ~ yang jeongin x fem reader

synopsis ~ y/n starts getting messages from an unknown number after buying a used phone for cheap. as she finds out more about the boy she's talking to, it turns out there's much more to this than a wrong number --- he died, and she's talking to his spirit, yet he has no idea what happened to him. will y/n have what it takes to solve the mystery of his death? or will the boy's spirit remained trapped in his phone?

warnings ~ gen, blood/injuries, depiction of (non graphic or very detailed) suicide, y/n doesn't like physical touch so much

MASTERLIST | NEXT

CH 1 ~ UNKNOWN NUMBER (2.3k, 8 screenshots)

"...hello? How'd you get this number?" You ask, very clearly confused.

No one should know your new number other than you, and now Changbin, so who...? There's no answer on the other line and you sigh, frustration rising as you continue to question the caller. Who is it, what do they want, again, how did they get this number, etc. Silence is all you get, about to hang up when you think you can hear someone's breath hitch.

Leaning into the phone, like that'll help you hear any better, you listen to a shaky breath. It sounds far off, like their phone is placed away from them. Maybe they didn't even know they called you. Turning your volume up, you still struggle to make out any other sounds over the breathing, not that it's all that loud. You're about to ask if they're okay, do they need you to get help, when the line cuts. Pulling the phone away from your ear, you can't hide the look of worry and bewilderment on your face.

Unplugging the charger from where it sits in the outlet under the table you're sitting at, you gather your things and get ready to leave. You agreed to meet at a café deeper in the city, somewhere with more traffic in case something happened. The seller had suggested it, saying this place had the best slices of chocolate cake you could have and even ordered you one when you arrived. All was going well, ignoring their unsteady hands and the sweat beading on their brow bone. Handing the phone over was a quick exchange as soon as your etransfer went through to them. That was when they broke the news; the phone doesn't turn on or charge, but here's both and you can figure it out yourself. They left in a hurry, not leaving you room to argue or demand your money back. You felt stupid.

As soon as you inserted the charging port into the phone, it turned on immediately and you smirked. The phone doesn't turn on? Sure, okay. After a few minutes of fiddling with settings, everything was ready. You texted Changbin, figuring you could give yourself some moments of peace before contacting anyone else you thought needed to know your new number.

You grab your bag and head to the door, keeping your phone out to text Changbin about the number that called you. When you open the door to go out, you're met with a hard wall and stumble back. Hands barely grab your arms as you nearly fall into another person, holding you upright and apologizing profusely. Looking up, you see a man around your age, eyes looking you up and down to check you're alright. His blond hair glows in the sunlight and he's wearing a smooth button-down, effortlessly gorgeous and somewhat familiar, but you can't quite pinpoint where you've seen him.

"I'm fine, sorry for bumping into you like that," you chuckle, moving his arms away from you. Physical touch has never been your thing. "Should have looked before I opened the door... shit, is that-? Sorry again!"

Moving past him, you run out to the crosswalk, stopping abruptly when the hand pops up. Down the road is the bus you need to catch, and you know the food truck parked beside you is blocking you from view. Sticking your arm out isn't an option like usual, risking being hit by a turning car if you do. The stop is empty save for a man facing away from you. As soon as your eyes lock onto him, his face turns to yours like he could feel your stare.

The side of his face is all scratched up and you notice blood dripping from his bruised nose down his split, chapped lips. His skin is pale, bordering blue with veins visible underneath. You can't tear your eyes away, not even when you're prompted to walk or when the hand starts flashing again. The man's mouth is moving, but you can't hear from where you are. Vehicles are rushing past you, wind in your hair, and you finally tear your eyes away when the bus you were supposed to take drives past the stop.

When you look away from the bus, now fading in the distance, the man is gone... but the bus never stopped to pick him up.

Having only you and Changbin working in the shop full time often has you both forgetting what normal work hours are, and soon enough it's nearly midnight.

"Holy shit, Bin," you rub your bleary eyes, taking another look at the time on your phone. "We have to stop. Go to bed."

"I'm almost done..." he drags the last word, carefully placing a few more blue flowers into a bouquet before standing back to marvel at his creation. "This bride is going to be so happy!"

"It's beautiful, but Bin, let's go." You head to the door and wave goodbye. "Lock up behind me, and promise you're heading up after I leave? We don't need a repeat of Sunday."

"Hey, to be fair, I thought we'd be closed," he laughs. "Not my fault you decided to show up on your birthday only to see me drooling all over the stem cuttings."

You give a light punch in his arm, laughing with him at the image conjured in your head of him hunched over the table in the back. He'd stayed up all night finishing a last minute request, not even realizing he fell asleep until you woke him up that morning. The flowers had wilted enough overnight to be deemed unsellable, having to remake each bouquet and wreath in that order. It was terrible.

You're about to say goodbye again when your phone rings in your hand; unknown number. Putting it on speaker, you sigh loudly.

"This is what I'm talking about," you whisper to Changbin, hand hovering over the microphone. Rolling your eyes, you move it away. "Who is this and what do you want? Seriously, this is getting annoying quick."

Like before, all you can hear is heavy breathing, although it's much louder this time like whoever is on the other end has the phone held up to their ear. It doesn't take long for them to hang up again.

"Block the number," Changbin shifts uncomfortably, hands on his hips. "That's creepy."

Taking his advice, you enter your call logs, but there's no sign of of anyone calling you just now. In fact, the only log is from when Changbin called about the new clients. There's nothing from before that either.

"Weird," you mumble, pocketing the device. "Okay, well. Goodnight."

"Y/n," Changbin grabs your arm lightly as you move through the doorway. "Stay safe, please."

"When don't I?" You give a weak smile, trying to be reassuring. "I'll be fine. Now go! I better find you somewhat well rested tomorrow morning."

You take the last bus of the night going your direction, kicking your shoes off as soon as you enter your house. It's a small, but cute and cozy bungalow you started renting not too long ago, having saved up from the flower shop. Business is good, and you're content with how your life is going at them moment. Before, when you were younger, you imagined a life on the go. Busy, busy, busy, lots of travelling for work and nonstop action. But then Changbin offered you a job and you never looked back, enjoying the lack of chaos you once yearned for.

Dim lights, fuzzy blankets; it doesn't take long for you to fall asleep with your lamp still on. Now you find yourself standing on a bridge you don't recognize, the air still, not a sound to be heard. Looking over the edge, you're met with a busy highway, but the traffic is absolutely silent. Dream logic always messed you up, especially when you finally realize you're in a dream. You haven't had a lucid dream for a long time, but you were certain that's what this is. A long day mixed with extreme exhaustion and a hint of stress? Definitely could have concocted this.

Looking down each side of the bridge, you spot a boy leaning over the edge further down. You try to call out, but find you have no voice. As you get closer, you notice something- he's the same guy you saw at the bus stop earlier that day. He's wearing the same clothes, a tattered blue sweater over a white shirt that peaks out from the bottom and black jeans. Dried blood cakes his face and hair, especially matted in the back, kind of like he hit his head really bad. One leg swings over the edge of the railing and you speed up, realizing what he's going to do as the other leg joins. You still can't yell for him, can't talk him off the edge or cry for help. All you can do is watch as he pushes off, the air breaking with the sound of glass crunching, a crash, and a car horn honking loudly.

When you gain the courage to look over where he fell- no, jumped- there's nothing there. A light breeze moves your hair and you realize you can't hear the horn anymore, only crickets in the dark night. As you straighten back up, you can feel a presence behind you.

"That's not what happened," they whisper in your ear and you startle, turning around.

Before you can fully turn to face who whispered, you're grabbed and thrown over the same spot the boy jumped from. Now, you can scream. As you're falling in slow motion, you scream. As you reach out to save yourself, you scream. And as you hit the ground, you scream.

And then you wake up.

You wake up in a cold sweat, sitting upright and clutching your chest, trying to learn to breathe again. There's a pain in the back of your head, dull and aching, and your whole body feels sore and stiff. Beside you your phone flashes on and you barely register an incoming call before it declines. Picking up the device, you see there have been 3 missed calls since you fell asleep nearly an hour ago. Wait, only an hour? It felt so much longer.

Finger hovering over the phone icon, you're about to see if they left any voicemails when another call comes in. Unknown number- you almost hang up, but something compels you to answer again. Is it the mystery of it all? Getting to the bottom of the odd breathing, being unable to call back? Or just plain curiosity?

"Hello? Who is-"

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," you hear the sound of a man's voice on the other line, hoarse and distant. "Are you there?"

'Yeah, I just-"

"Hello?"

"Stop interrupting me-"

"Please, please be there," he sobs, followed by a wet cough. "It's so dark in here... and my head is pounding, I think I'm hurt."

"Listen, you need to call the emergency line, not a random number of someone you don't know," you say quickly, starting to panic at the sudden silence. "Hello?"

"I think... I think im dead."

Nothing. The line does dead after he's uttered those final words, leaving you to stare at your wall in the dark with your phone still held up to your ear. Slowly, you put the device in your lap and reach over to flick the switch on your lamp, dim lighting filling the room. There's a faint ringing in your ears, and you notice the pain from when you woke is gone. Your legs are jelly when you stand, a hand against the wall to brace yourself as your vision blurs for a moment. Once it's back to normal, you move toward your bedroom door and exit, heading to the bathroom down the hall.

Slipping out of your pajamas, you turn the shower on as hot as you can bear, steam filling the room. Contact with the water makes you hiss, adjusting to the sudden change in temperature as you let it flow over your body from head to toe. It's nice, warm and reassuring. When you're satisfied with the comfort provided by the near boiling water, you step out and wrap a dark green towel around yourself. With the window closed, your mirror has fogged up entirely. You dry your body facing away from the mirror, fully intending to wipe it down after yourself, but when you turn back around you're met with a message written in the condensation.

Help me.

To say you're freaked out is a severe understatement, choosing to wipe the words away with your towel and ignore it until further notice. As you take the fabric away from the reflective surface, you choke back a scream, flipping around to find nothing there. Just a second ago, you saw a man standing behind you in the mirror, but there's only empty space. You're almost scared to turn back, forcing your eyes up, but there's nobody in the mirror now either. The only logical explanation you can find for this is that it's late, you're tired, you're seeing things. Go back to bed, go back to sleep. Everything will be back to normal in the morning.

Walking back to your room, you don't notice the other person in each reflection you pass. He's beside you as you leave the bathroom, when you enter your bedroom and get back under your blankets. Your bed provides a warm and safe feeling of comfort from the weird day you've had, leaning over to flick the lamp off. As soon as you do, the room lights up again as your phone gets a text notification.

~

notes ~ first chapter woooo!!! so excited to share this one with u guys :3

taglist ~ @chaeryred @toplinelix @channie-143 @bloomingstay @sona1800 @dollschan @defnotfertilizedtoesw @thisisnotjacinta @kayleigh-28 @kayleefriedchicken

reply or send an ask to be added (18+)^^^

[iliketangerines]

Can I request oneshot of Mk1 Liu Kang x Fem s/o Jinx (Dc comics) whose power is to give bad luck because of this power she always isolates herself in fear of hurting others when she tells Liu about her power he doesn't care and still loves her anyway; she is gentle and soft spoken please?

jinx, jinx again!

a/n: i changed the personality of the reader around, but i think it makes more sense

pairing: liu kang x gn!reader

warnings: none :)

Liu Kang wonders where you are

you were a powerful champion, one with the power to turn the tides of luck and turn the war towards any one side

he had created you in this timeline with the intent to protect Earthrealm, and yet, you’re nowhere to be found on any speck of the planet

and so Liu Kang set out on a journey to find you, going through the sands of time to try and locate you with Geras to bring you to his side before Shang Tsung or anyone else could use your powers for evil

Liu Kang sighs and rubs at the headache forming in his head, it had been days since he had started looking

and yet, you were nowhere to be found, finding the other champions had not nearly been this difficult and yet here you were, unfindable

Geras calls over Liu Kang and points to something in the hourglass, a piece of sand stuck to the side, stubbornly refusing to fall in with the rest of them

Liu Kang raises his eyebrow and picks out the sand and opens its threads to show its life, and there you were

he scrolls through your life memories, searching for where you are, but now he sees why you were so hard to find

your power to change the tides had manifested as bad luck, and it had driven you away from society and only heightened your anxiety

and that heightened your powers, which turned into a never ending cycle of you falling deeper and deeper into your powers

and your powers had kept you away from Liu Kang, from forming connections with the right people to harness your powers

and so you lived in isolation in fear of harming others

Liu Kang rubs his chin as he tries to find your exact location, and he hums as he finds you, isolated high in the mountains, somehow surviving on your own despite everything

he summons a portal and tells Geras that hopefully he will be back soon with you in hand, and Liu Kang disappears

it’s snowing, trees covered in the soft powder, and the birds chirp quietly into the air as Liu Kang makes his way through the forest

he finds your house in the distance, a humble cabin barely holding itself together, and he knocks upon your door

he hears some crashing from within a house and a loud thud before the door unlatches, and you peek out from behind the door, eyes wide as you stare at him

your fingers twitch as you notice his glowing eyes and his lack of winter clothing, and he asks to enter

you shut the door in his face, and he can hear yourself mumbling to yourself, before you open the door again and ask who he is

Liu Kang tells you who he is, god of fire and protector of earthrealm, and he tells you he is here to recruit you in the defense of earthrealm

you raise your eyebrows and then laugh, cackling and howling even as Liu Kang stands in front of you with a stern face

you raise your hand up into the air, and the top of the doorway falls down right into your awaiting hands, as if you knew it was going to happen

you shove it back in place before telling him that that was a funny joke, but he shouldn’t have been able to find you in the woods

you open the rest of the door to reveal the sharp blade you carry, and Liu Kang raises his hands in surrender, trying not to provoke you any further

but he can see the way your hands slightly tremble and how your breath comes out a bit stuttered as you hold the knife towards him

Liu Kang says he truly is a god and he summons flames into his hand to show you

you look at him in surprise and nearly drop the knife into the snow, and you fumble with it, managing to cut yourself in the process

you hiss out in pain and press your thumb into your mouth, trying to clean the wound as Liu Kang looks upon you

he tells you he has the answer to your plight, that he can cure your bad luck if you come with him to train and defend earthrealm

you look up at him with quirked eyebrows, surprised that he even knew of your terrible luck

he summons a portal behind him, one that led to his academy, and he gestures that you can take his offer, to control your powers and make friends and to build connection

your eyes dart between the portal and your rickety home, unsure if you should leave everything behind

you always had bad luck, and it drew everyone away from you

you bounced from home to home, from school to school as your bad luck harmed everyone else and you

now, you have a chance to get rid of your bad luck, to make the human connection you so desperately craved after years in isolation

you spin in a circle and step out from under the doorway as the top of it falls down again

you don’t catch it and let it fall into the snow as you take a deep breath and take Liu Kang’s hands

he’s warm, warmer than anyone you’ve ever experienced, and he gives you a small smile before leading you through the portal to your new life