#which they should’ve called me about around lunch earlier after getting it approved with my insurance

[heartual]

sigh cardio appointment today didn’t sleep at all last night left with heart monitor that’s starting to feel itchy fell asleep for two hours and somehow woke up WORSE

[jiminrings]

lunchbox koo first time ughhh it’ll be so cute >< jungkook is shy but after the first time he gets freaky and gets more confident regarding that

cold senior!y/n x stem major!koo masterlist :D

it’s stem koo’s first time, and he could cry in bliss just knowing that it’s with you — it would always be you.

Jungkook thinks he shouldn't complain.

He thinks he shouldn't complain not because there isn't any room for it (plenty for it actually), but because he thinks there's nothing about it at all that's complaint-worthy and is demanding of any revision.

You're used to him complaining at this point and atleast he has the nerve to feel quite sorry, but it's just something that eats at his nerves when he wants to raise his grievance with you.

In fact, Jungkook thinks he should be grateful because after all, his so-called "problem" is something that some people would fight tooth and nail for to have.

His ears perk when you instruct him to move the full-length mirror to his right, cheeks puffing out mid-thought at the word that it stops him completely from adjusting the placement of the mirror to your liking.

“Don’t," he softly mumbles, brows knitting in the barrage of emotions he doesn't know how to dissect, “don’t call me that.”

He sees the confusion register in your face, staring down on him while you’re stood on your bed and he suddenly feels the need to back-track his words.

“Call you what?” your eyebrows furrow in recollection of everything you’ve ever said and called him for the past hour, seeing your boyfriend shy away from your glance with a childish look on his face that it sinks in eventually. “Baby?”

Jungkook cusses under his breath on how you managed to catch on so quick, putting his hand on his nape as if you were gonna eat him alive on what he’s gonna say next.

He sometimes hates himself for being so honest when it comes to you, and sometimes he hates how understanding you could be because he couldn’t predict what you’d react to him now.

“Yoongi teased me awhile ago.”

It’s a pathetically small mumble and Jungkook isn’t even sure if the words ever crossed past his lips, but he’s sure that they left him somehow because you’re laughing.

You’re full-on cackling either at him or with him and as much as it makes his lips curve at the sound of your laughter, it makes him defensive.

Defensive enough that he doesn’t realize he’s pouting because it’s his second nature, scrunching his face in the process.

“You’re not supposed to laugh. Even Jin elbowed me when you called me that.”

He's dancing around the term of endearment and he chalks it up to how he distinctly remembers Yoongi repeating it with his eyes squinted and his eyebrows wiggling, added with Seokjin's sharp elbows that made him consciously feel his ribs.

“Shouldn’t you be happy?” you tilt your head with genuine curiosity, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Don’t get me wrong, but didn’t you tell me that you wanted to be closer with them? That you want them to loosen up to you? They’re just teasing you, Jungkook.”

“Y-yeah, I did say that, you’re right,” he sheepishly admits, already aware that he was contradicting himself from the start. “I swear it could count as bullying though.”

Jungkook feels appalled for a split second before he realizes that the laugh he's given you is worthwhile, a tiny bit satisfied that his complaints atleast gave you sincere amusement.

It's in ridiculous moments like these that you realize your boyfriend tends to be a little more sensitive than the rest of the people you're accustomed to. A little more fragile, a little more eroded around the edges but it doesn't mean that he isn't any less compact at the core.

“Take it up to student affairs then.”

“Seokjin is student affairs. You’re not funny.”

The frown on his face gives you all the more reason to observe him this way — sensitive, warm, lovable.

Jungkook can't be Jin because your boyfriend would whimper at the slightest onset of an inconvenience but he'd whimper even more if he can't manage to resolve it. Meanwhile, your friend installs Ikea furniture without a manual and sleeps on it for weeks until he finds the resolve to continue trying.

Jungkook can't be Yoongi either because the former would bend over backwards and drink a mistaken order given to him, even if it means he paid extra for something he didn't want. On the other hand, the latter isn't afraid of coming straight to the counter holding your burger when you clearly said that you don't want pickles in it.

He can't be the other two people you treasure in your life and it's more than okay for you, the special distinction of how he stands within your heart already being enough.

“Alright, alright,” you wave him off, going straight to the mirror to adjust it because he's clearly too perplexed on how you just agreed with him. “I won’t ever call you baby again.”

Jungkook has no qualms with you but he certainly has one now, mouth parted at how that was too easy. How his request that he didn't even wholeheartedly mean became approved that quick.

A squeak leaves him before he knows it, looking between you and the reflection of himself.

“Well now you’re just guilt-tripping me.”

“I’m respecting your wishes,” you whisper playfully, making him gasp as he loops his arm around yours to effectively pull you closer out of panic.

“Don’t say ever,” he emphasizes and then could you see how his eyes widen at the particular word, cheeks puffed while he tries to get you to meet his eyes. “You’re never gonna call me baby? Ever?”

“Nope,” you breathlessly chuckle as you attempt to unloop your arm from his, earning yourself an even more eager pull to his direction. “Why would I? I’m just granting your wishes.”

Jungkook looks stupefied at your retort and you have an inkling in your mind that he looks like he'd actually plead with you, being unmistaken when you see his bottom lip actually quiver.

“Can I take it back?”

He hugs you from behind, resting his chin on your shoulder and effectively nuzzling his nose to the crook of your neck. It's a habit of his to burrow into you whenever he gets his hands on you, something you've noticed him doing to comfort himself.

You obviously don't mind it but it's something you've come to know that Jungkook doesn't even realize the effect of, not that it matters, but it's in softly domestic moments like these that it packs an extra effect.

“Call me baby again.”

He mumbles against your neck and with the way you look at his reflection, you're sure it's not out of that eager will. He's hung-up on the pet name and you're clearly hung-up on much different things.

"No."

You disagree so certainly and you're clueless that you've already uttered it out loud. It's a clear no to the things that materialized in your head out of thin air, all because of the way Jungkook nuzzles into your neck and your first thought is to give him more access.

He's oblivious to the internal conflict in your mind — oblivious to the way how there's a lump on your throat from realizing that at your point of view in front of the mirror, Jungkook engulfs you as a whole unit.

It's a weekend and the only plans you had were to buy a mirror and get takeout for lunch; simple as that. But then Yoongi caught wind of your plans, and decided that he'd come with because he reasons that he wants to see if the mirror you're buying is worthy enough because of course, it's only natural that whatever you buy is his too — or atleast because he argues that it's the law.

Then came Jin, who woke up because of Yoongi's insistent voice that if you don't let him come with you to the store, it could only mean that you don't love him anymore. Naturally, he shoots straight up from bed because he can't pass up on egging either of you. Coincidentally, it also happens that he bought a new keyring and he wants to drive to see if it would obnoxiously jangle around. Even more coincidentally, he has an extra hundred dollars in the event that the needs to add in to your budget because he wants your mirror to atleast be three feet taller than him.

You should've expected that when you replied to Jungkook's good morning message at an earlier time than you usually did, which he knows could only mean that you're running an errand, he automatically asks if he could come with and walks to your dorm even before you say yess.

It's far too hot for his usual hoodie and sweats combo that he came straight into your space without much thought of what he should wear for an errand he just only had a vague idea of — a fitted thin black shirt and black basketball shorts that cut off above his knees.

Jungkook's too oblivious with the way he has his arms around your middle, snaked snugly right below your boobs, with his face nuzzling your neck and the costly effects it has on you and your sanity.

“Why not? That’s my wish. You just told me that you’re granting mine.”

He's still fixed on gaining back his name but you're way past it, instead fixating your gaze downwards to empty your thoughts.

It's okay. It's completely and utterly okay. It's just hot, your boyfriend's wearing a different outfit, and it just happens that he's naturally clingy. He's clueless and you're not pointing it out to him that you're bothered in a way that you're certain he's not quite ready to help with.

“Pick another, Jungkook. I’ll rethink it in two business days because apparently, someone’s embarrassed of me.”

You recover fairly quickly and you don't have to shrug him off you because he detaches himself to look at you in shock, his only points of warmth on you being his hands on your shoulders while he looks at your reflection.

“W-what? I’m not! I’m just-“ he trips over his words when you look at him with a mocking raise to your brow, making him mumble in defeat. “Shy. You know I’m shy.”

“I know, bab-“ you intentionally slip up and only then could you see him scowling at your teasing, bumping your elbow to the back to lightly jab at him.

You still have your mind to purge your thoughts from and mirrors to clean, laying your point as best as you could when you suddenly push him off you with your hips, getting an offended gasp afterwards.

“I know, Jungkook. But you know that Yoongi and Jin are my friends and they’re just teasing you. You can’t whine at everything, y’know?”

“I am not whiney!”

Jungkook's eyes widen considerably, talking in a pout while he desperately defends himself from what he thinks is your most ruthless dig at him.

His eyes are still wide at you even if he waits for you to say something, anything, that would give him the peace of mind that you agree with him not being whiny at all. He's blinking every second in the fear that you'd mouth the words anytime now, but it never comes. The agreement to be in his side never comes band all he gets is your nose scrunching up at him.

“Sure you aren’t.”

You didn't know what to expect now that you've egged him further but it's definitely not him tugging your shirt towards him, making the fabric cling onto your front more than snugly as he cages you in to his chest innocently.

“Take that back."

“Jungkook,” you warn him with no real bite just yet, sending him daggers through the mirror but he doesn't relent and in fact returns your glare that's twice more stubborn.

He frowns petulantly, brows knitted together in his attempt at correction. “It’s baby.”

A breath you didn't even know you were holding leaves you in a breeze, unaware that your boyfriend's stubbornness all along is something that would knock you out of breath.

You try to ignore how Jungkook easily pulled you into him without much thought, only to possessively embrace you into his hold — all of that done out of pure innocence, just because you agreed to not call him baby.

“Do you know what you did just now?”

His wide curious eyes later turned into realization, hand scrambling to cover your mouth for what you're gonna point out next but you get it out even before he could.

“You just whined.”

Jungkook audibly groans to your ear and you have to close your eyes just to stop thinking full-time, not wanting your mind to wander to the other scenarios that would pull out such a guttural sound out of him once or rather several more.

He frowns and you're unfazed because you're used to him doing so when he doesn't get what he wants, edging you to the thought that he's really quite the stubborn one out of the two of you. The clingier, stubborn, and more eager one in the relationship.

Jungkook stands up fully and just when you think that he's letting go off you, his arms bend at the elbows and proceed to level them underneath your armpits — poised in a position as if he's holding you back and keeping you still while he looks at you in the mirror but of course; he's clueless.

You try to keep your thoughts at bay but it's beyond hard knowing that he keeps feeding into them without knowing, not being able to resist either when you break out of his hold to get out of such an enticing position you've once seen in your dreams, making him tumble back a little with a pout.

"Move away a little."

He doesn't take your dismissal to heart because he sees you pulling up a chair in front of the mirror, standing on top of it to hang the crochet heart Jin made for you.

Did you plan to put up the powder blue crochet heart on top of your mirror? Yes. Did you really need to do it now? Not at all, but you felt it was necessary to buffer your impure thoughts into focusing on a wholesome and handmade craft your friend gave you.

You think it's helping because it's immediately removing your attention on how delectable your boyfriend looks and instead refocus it onto sticking it up as even and as proportional as you could. What doesn't help, is that Jungkook's first instinct upon seeing you stand up on a chair is to put his hands on your waist tightly.

His hands are large and pretty and warm and it makes you cuss underneath your breath of how this is the second time the vision of him holding you up appears, the plan of clearing your thoughts immediately backfiring.

“I can make another wish, right?”

“If it makes you whine less, sure.”

You reply almost immediately, relieved that he's talking and deviating the conversation into somewhere else. His whines always seep into the back of your head and as much as you'd want to hear them, the timing of it all doesn't match up.

You're just about to pry his hands off from your waist but it doesn't happen because Jungkook holds you even more tightly than before, a heavy breath leaving him that it has you glancing at his reflection in the mirror.

“Take my virginity.”

Jungkook doesn't hesitate thinking twice that he's caught you off-guard because you make no move in hiding your surprise, the crochet heart you were in the verge of sticking onto the wall with mounting tape already falling unceremoniously.

His eyes widen when there's an impalpable silence that consumes the both of you but he doesn't find himself wanting to take the words back, completely confused when you step down to the ground with no hesitation.

“Give me my first time.”

He makes it clear by saying it again, strengthening what he's just said seconds ago but it feels like it's been hours since your face is indifferent, nonchalant even as you sit on the edge of your bed to open your phone.

“Don’t just say that.”

He hears you grit through your teeth and Jungkook fears that he's offended you for a second, although he doesn't find any hint of it on your face that remains the same. You look unbothered just as usual and not as if he just asked you to fuck him — he thought he'd get a bigger and perhaps more loving reaction than what you're giving him now.

“But I mean it — I do want it,” he explains sincerely, plucking your phone from your fingers and tossing it behind you, earning a squawk in return. “But not unless you don’t want to.”

Jungkook's voice becomes small and becomes regretful that he just snatched your phone away from you because initially, he just did it to get you to look at him and not avoid eye contact! But here he is, the little stunt he pulled already biting him in the ass.

You look up at him and it's unlike of him to be the one to shy away from all the gazing he does at you, already knowing that he feels touchy at the moment. He's pretty just like you've realized before; defined and soft at the same time, his faded blonde hair longer as they reach past his ears and are tucked behind them, his eyes more visible since he's taken off his glasses and perched them on your vanity just minutes ago.

“Of course I want to,” your voice is as gentle and as soothing it could be, instantly garnering the attention of your boyfriend who's standing in front of you. “It’s just that I don’t want you to feel obligated because you’re with me.”

It's true and you mean it wholeheartedly, comprising the majority of the reasons why you always try to tone down the mature thoughts you have regarding your boyfriend because it feels intrusive almost, even if he's boldly told you about the thoughts he had of you before.

It's internalized pressure you always try to contain because you can't exactly tell Jin nor Yoongi how much you want your boyfriend to fuck and do the likes with you, knowing that it would invite even more pressure into your mind.

Jungkook's heart expands twofold at the consideration you always have for him, eyes bulging as he desperately shuts down the concern you have for him.

“I’m completely sure, I promise.”

He bobs his head up and down in lightning speed and his hands automatically reach out for you to take, wanting you to pull him down on the bed, but you apparently don't do it quick enough which is why he immediately sits down beside you and places you on his lap instead. "Never been more sure ever than right now, I'm telling you."

Your laugh gets cut short because he puts his hand behind your head and pulls you close fervently, kissing you like he means it that you're pleasantly surprised when he immediately manages to take control, drawing out a moan from him when you happily cooperate.

You've always known that Jungkook's an attentive lover; always keen and eager and trying to please. He's giddy and vocal and it crosses your mind that you're all he's ever known when it comes to this, the realization of the fact giving more warmth to you than you initially thought it would.

Jungkook makes you tilt your head so he could kiss you deeper and it doesn't make him glaze over the fact that he doesn't want you to strain your neck, his hand affectionately cupping your nape while your hands get busy trying to get his shirt over and off him, feeling the warmth of his hand on your exposed skin.

"How do I-" he whispers, grunting particularly when you grind on his clothed cock that's straining through his basketball shorts, "how do we do this?"

He feels an unmeasurable heat within and he knows he can't chalk it up to the weather this time, but rather, he'd point it out to you who's grinding on him as your hips rut forward, the warmth of your center slowly bleeding into his own because your shorts are thin and he could make himself silly just trying to imagine you bare.

“It’s your first time, Koo,” you scratch lightly in circles on his back, turning him over the edge more than it does to soothe him. “I’ll take care of you.”

Jungkook's eyes prick at your promise and he finds his mouth falling open because not soon after your assurance, you undress right in front of him without hesitation, instantly finding religion in the silent worship he gives you with his eyes.

“I think I’m gonna cum already.”

The words tumble out of him without filter and it makes you snort mid-way in making him shimmy out of his shorts, cock springing up to his tummy that he feels almost embarrassed under your watchful gaze.

“Save it,” you stifle giggles at his candidness but it became his turn to stop breathing when you sit on his thighs, eyes wide in realization that the two of you are so close and the fact alone makes him want to explode.

Jungkook's vow of speechlessness becomes void the moment your hand pumps his desperately pink and throbbing member, mewling into your kiss that makes his eyes squint in pleasure.

His hands dig into your hips and you relish with the way he kneads it like he's learned how to when he massages your neck when you're buried in schoolwork and it's the only thing he could do to help you out because you're in your senior year and he has no clue when he squints at your textbooks. There's eager intention with how he kneads the flesh, his neatly-trimmed nails leaving marks when you squeeze his cock a little too tight.

“I’m not gonna hurt you, am I? I read somewhere that it can hurt sometimes.”

Jungkook speaks the moment he feels you slowing down with your ministrations, figuring out that this is the part when it actually happens and it makes you smile unexpectedly.

He's humble and there's no cockiness behind it (even if next time you want him to own up just rightfully), just full of worry in theory and soon in practice because after all, you are his first.

“You’re big, Jungkook,” you mumble to his lips and he doesn't know how to take what you've just said, the worry leaving his face when you press your lips to him to calm his worries. “But it’s okay. It’s just gonna be a bit of a stretch for me, while it’s gonna be tight for you.”

“Are you sure? I don’t wanna hurt you,” he's looking up at you with innocent eyes and the intimacy in it almost knocks you out of breath, a chuckle leaving your lips.

“You’re not,” you assure him sincerely, the thought of having it otherwise next time making your tongue poke your cheek in thought, shaking the thought away in the meantime as you runs your hands down his arms. “If it makes you feel better, you can stretch me out first.”

“Yes please.”

Jungkook nods and eagerly heeds your suggestion to satisfy his qualms, licking his lips when he looks down at you because you're practically dripping and he could feel the wetness sticking into his inner thighs.

He feels your lips on his neck as you let him get lost looking at your pussy, his breathing evidently getting heavy until you let him fuck you with his eyes enough, disrupting the static in his head.

“There. Put a finger in me.”

Jungkook's eyes widen at the bluntness of your words, his hand brushing accidentally to your inner thigh that it makes you exhale loudly. “I just put it in?”

The comical gaze he's fixed on you makes you snicker, humming a tune while he barely blinks.

“Well you fuck with me it for awhile, but yes, Koo. You put it in me as the first step.”

Jungkook blushes and he avoids mulling over the stupid question he's just asked that should've been rhetoric by now because for fuck's sake, the last time the two of you were in bed, he did eat the cum out of you while you were still in your shorts.

He wastes no time and inserts his finger into your dripping hole, seeing his finger disappear seamlessly, engulfed in your tight warm walls that the sight makes the lump in his throat hard to swallow.

The intrusion of his middle finger as he plunges the entirety of it makes you throw your head back at the sensation you haven't quite achieved in the past few months by yourself, clenching around the digit in bliss.

“B-but you’re so tight."

He stutters when you clench around his finger once more, experimenting in pulling it out until only the tip of his digit is in you and plunges it back again, a heedy moan escaping you with no remorse. “Fuck.”

You lift your hips to sink down on his finger and it makes him realize that he's sat frozen at the thought of how your pussy is so tight and he finds it overwhelmingly pleasurable even if it's just his finger in you, finding it within him to come to his senses and thrust it upwards when you didn’t expect it.

“Imagine it’s your cock in me,” you mutter in between moans when he experiments with ramming his digit into you faster, withdrawing a fucked-out whine when he unintentionally hooks it upward. “Feels like this but it’s much much better.”

Jungkook whines from your words alone because the thought itself makes him salivate, adding another digit into your pussy as he looks down to how it stretches and accommodates them snuggle, pointing them curved inwards that you instantly rub yourself around his fingers in small circles.

He keeps focused as he tries to draw more of the sounds you give him, egging him on to fuck you harder with his fingers because the way you moan his name is a reward within itself.

“You ready?”

In his selfless attempt at pleasuring you, Jungkook didn't realize that your hand's holding his wrist in place to keep it still, not even sure at all if he's made you cum already because his head's clouded with pleasure from giving you your own.

His eyes are dilated and focused entirely on you, watching your every move as you ease off from his fingers, holding his digits like he's never seen them before and sees them glistening with your essence — and Jungkook finds himself popping them into his mouth, moaning in ecstasy at a full taste of you.

The sight's enough to make your eyes widen, clenching around nothing when you see your boyfriend lapping up at his fingers to taste every last bit of you as if you aren't in front of him.

“You’re too precious,” you kiss the corner of his mouth that’s glossy with the taste of you and he hums in contentment with it, eyes shifting open when you pull away and you stand up from your seat on his thighs.

“Where are you going?”

He doesn't hide the panic in his voice at all and you want him to get rid of it entirely because you're not going anywhere, looking back at him as he gets back to his sense on how you're literally just five feet away from him.

“This is the part where you come with me,” you nudge him with a tilt of your head, a blush dusting his cheeks because he panicked for no reason. He stands up attentively, walking to where you stand right beside the chair you've just stood up on minutes ago. “Sit.”

Jungkook doesn't complain but he finds himself confused while he complies either way, looking back to the bed that he thought would be in use just like all the prior knowledge he's seen in the media he's consumed.

“I’ll ride you first,” you say and he effectively catches his attention, head whipping up to you. “Told you I was gonna take care of you, right?”

It's only then that it clicks in Jungkook's mind that he's sitting on a chair in front of the mirror because you're gonna ride him, the dots connecting as he's never realized that his impromptu request of you taking his virginity would end up in front of the very thing that got him coming over to your dorm today in the first place.

He's excited and he can't understand why you can't just ride him right now, your eyes flickering as if you're looking for something that he just now realizes.

“Are you looking for a condom?”

“Yeah,” you nod with amused eyes, pleasantly surprised that Jungkook noticed your silent search and even more surprised when he pipes up right after.

“I have one.”

“Since when did you carry around condoms?”

The giggle leaves you before you even realize it and Jungkook doesn't even flinch, the words leaving him determinedly and seriously that it makes him smile at the end of it.

“Since you gave me a blowjob.”

He watches your face register confusion until it turns into genuine laughter, making his mouth drop open in faux offense because you seem to not believe him. “I’m not kidding! I thought I should be ready at any moment after that.”

"You're insufferable. Where is it?"

His own chest rises in laughter when you speak in between peals of giggles, pointing to the pocket of his shorts as you walk to retrieve them.

“I went home hard that night because I literally couldn’t stop thinking. A-and I made Jimin drive me to the grocery as soon as I got home,” he winces in recollection and it makes you throw your head back when you come back to standing beside him, holding a silver packet between your fingers that his eyes glint at.

“No you did not,” you gasp in shock for what he probably made Jimin go through, although not entirely surprised because he's told you countless times that his roommate acts as a brazen older brother for him.

“I made him buy me my condoms because I was too shy to do it myself.”

“What a friend Jimin is.”

You chuckle as you put your leg over Jungkook's, getting acquainted his thighs and dangerously near his cock that it makes his reply weaken in anticipation while you're still dazed in laughter.

“You should hear when he asked me my size and I didn’t know how to determine it.”

“Oh my god,” you remark once you visualize the scene of Jimin asking your boyfriend his size in condoms, the laughter dying down as Jungkook's chest is frozen still. “I’ll kiss him on the cheek next time that I see him because he’s a saint.”

“Now don’t do that.”

He scoffs at the tiny reminder you set for yourself, rolling his eyes that later narrow when he sees a long line of your spit droop down to his member that already so wet, already slick and leaking even if you've barely done anything.

He watches you tear the packaging with nimble fingers and it reminds him how he's just practically seconds away of feeling and filling you, watching you pinch the tip of the condom before snugly fitting it on his cock.

“You take care of me so good.”

Jungkook mumbles and he says it not because you've just put on a condom for him, but because he feels the thought flash in neon lights on his head and he feels compelled to say nothing but the truth.

You kiss him on the lips for it, his eyes shutting close in sweetness when you press one more peck before pulling away.

“Tell me when it gets too much for you.”

Jungkook could never anticipate the sheer euphoria he feels at the back of his spine when you sink yourself on him achingly slow, head thrown back at the gush of newfound tightness.

His tip prods in you and once he looks down to see where your pussy stretches around him, it makes his eyes roll back sinfully, mouth parted open.

“So fucking tight.”

You sink down completely on him and that's when you feel the fullness of him that you've been craving for, stretching you into a pleasurable ache that could only be fixed as you have more of him into your pussy.

“You fill me up so good.”

“Oh my god,” Jungkook moans as he feels you on the hilt of his cock, unconsciously bucking up as he maxes out his length into your pussy that makes you shudder.

“That’s the spot, baby,” you whine at his pulsating length and he mewls attentively at the return of your endearment for him, wanting to milk out your sounds as much as he could at the moment.

He's stuck on how to do because he's sure he could just sit here and cum from your warmth alone, his thoughts being interrupted when you whisper to his ears in a definite tone.

“Sit pretty while I fuck myself on you.”

You suddenly bounce on his cock and Jungkook’s tummy clenches at the feeling of you and it shows with how he moans pornographically, your warm walls clenching around him for an even tighter fit that it suffocates him in the best way possible.

His balls feel full and Jungkook has his arms around your naked waist tightly and possessively, almost as if you’d slip away when you’re holding onto his shoulders just as tight.

“You love that? Love it when I bounce up and down your cock?”

Your voice is desperately on-edge and has the slightest hint of a mock, making your boyfriend's stomach tighten as he hits an intimately soft part inside you that makes you moan just as instantly, his closer position of him leaning against his chair making his cock graze your g-spot.

“I love it so much please.”

Jungkook's overwhelmed with pleasure but it's just not enough because he wants all of it, adjusting his grip on you in a way that he can easily lift you from underneath your thighs, bouncing you down even harder as he watches your pussy embrace him completely.

His neediness rubs a part of your ego you didn't even know you possessed, sucking a hickey on his neck and he obediently gives your more access, his eyes shut close in ecstasy.

Jungkook looks beautiful underneath you as you fuck yourself onto him but it's just not enough for you, wanting to see him in entirety.

“Open your eyes, baby,” you graze your nails on the length of his spine that makes him whine in sensitivity, eyes bursting open. You briefly stop riding him that it makes him whine at the loss of contact, bending backwards to grab his glasses that's perched on your vanity. “Wear your glasses for me.”

He blinks at your through thick lashes when you put them on him, holding by the chin to kiss his jaw as you make him look at the mirror behind you, the reflection of you turned against it while he's facing the glass, legs open and cock inside you as he realizes that he gets to see the entirety of you in this way.

“Look at how pretty you are while you’re fucking me.”

It's the last thing he hears before you bounce on his cock harder than you ever did, throwing your hips circling around him into the mix that it pushes him closer to his impending climax.

“Moaning for me prettily too. Aren’t you a treat, hm?”

Jungkook's vocal and it's never been lost on you that he tells you exactly how he feels, no shame in being loud because it's exactly what you make him feel.

His eyes are open and his eyebrows are raised in bliss, mouth parting open as you leave open-mouthed kisses on his neck that makes him whine even harder.

His eyeglasses were barely at the brim of fogging but now they're slightly frosted, making you wipe at them in hurry to see how your boyfriend's eyes are fixed on nothing but you at the moment but that's when you see — the whole reason why they were starting to fog up anyways.

“Are you crying?” you wipe on his tears from underneath his glasses and you slow down your pace, whining in place when he pinches your ass before ramming into you from his position below because you stopped moving.

“I’m crying because you make me feel so good.”

Jungkook admits immediately and he only became conscious of the tears on his cheeks when you pointed it out, unaware of them altogether because he's so stuck in his cloud of pleasure that nothing else mattered besides you and the high you give him.

You grind on him as soon as he bottoms out, keeping yourself pressed to him that drawls a needy stutter of your name in an instant.

“I’m gonna cum, I’m gonna-“ he rams extra harder into you and grinds his hips in in small circles, “-cum! I’m gonna fucking-“

Jungkook moans the loudest you've ever heard from him as he shoots his release into the condom, feeling you riding out his high that makes him sound even more guttural.

He cums loads, knowing that he has it in him that his own high gives you your own not shortly after, the extra warmth enveloping his member that makes him whine in overstimulation.

He's sweaty with his head tilted back in the chair, his hair damp and his neck wet as he hears you chuckle, snapping him back to reality as he pulls you to his sweaty chest while he’s still inside of you.

“Hmm, are you okay? Do you want some water?” you check up on him amidst being in quite of a pant yourself. “I have some Gatorade in the fridge, I think. It’s for my next game but you can have it.”

Jungkook rolls his eyes, pinching your side at the sound of you teasing him as you've literally just finished giving him his first and most mind-blowing orgasm he's ever had.

“Again?”

He toothily grins as he exhales, making you roll your eyes while he waits in patience.

“Catch your breath first, Jungkook.”

“I am, I am! Give me like two minutes and after that, we can fuck again, right?”

The transparent anticipation on his tone makes you coo at him, scratching his hair that makes him hum in contentment.

“Do you have any more condoms?”

What was supposed to be an innocent and genuine question makes Jungkook suddenly straighten up on his seat, almost making you fall backwards if he hadn't secured a hand on the small of your back.

His eyes widen comically, his cheeks reddening in recollection.

“When Jimin drove me to the grocery that night I uh, I used my debit card because all the bills I had were too big for the regular packs.”

“Jungkook...” you mumble his name and then could he hear the tone that basically inquired him on what the hell did he do, making him sheepishly look at the ceiling to avoid your gaze.

“A-and I didn’t want the cashier to hate me, nor Jimin because I made him buy them, because it was night and the cash registers were already probably collected and they didn’t have change.”

“Jungkook, oh my god...”

You should’ve noticed the way Jungkook’s backpack crinkles, or why the front pocket must be bulging even if he explains that he barely puts stuff in it because it's easily the most stealable portion of anyone's bag.

It explains why Jin once thought that he was hiding a tinfoil lunch in there one time when he walked into your dorm, not finding any reason for him to pack a lunch when you automatically make an extra portion for him when he comes over.

You make Jungkook look at you and his cheeks are bulging as he tries to hide the laughter from seeing you look beyond shocked at him, knowing that your boyfriend's considerate but not to this level.

“I bought a whole tray.”

.

.

.

and at last here it is!! stem koo's first time :D we've finally come to this peak besties omg if you've been here sometime when the chronological series was on-going, you'd know how this moment is ultimately monumental <3

as always, lmk what you think!! i love answering asks :D what do you want to see from the lunchbox lovers next? send them here <3

[minshookie]

Invasion of Privacy.

Pairing | mafia!yandere!Joon x Reader

Genre | smut, angst, gore, yandere.

Summary | “while Joon is at work unwanted company comes to visit, opening your eyes to unwanted secrets.”

!warnings! | 18+ mature language , mentioned sexual acts, smut (just a little bit), violence, background character death, naive reader insert, dumbification, caretaker Joon.

| this is not in anyway shape or form a true depiction or representation of BTS, this is a work of fiction and is not to be taken seriously. For entertainment purposes only.|(this is my work, please don’t repost or steal)

Requested [closed for request] words: 2k.

A/N | I struggled LOL But it’s finally here! I hope you enjoy. Forgive my mistakes please 💜

“Ready for breakfast hm?” Joon Spoke softly head resting in the crook of your neck, blanketing you with his warm damp body. “Yeah I guess.” Butterflies still fluttering in your tummy from the activities you both just enjoyed. “Mm well I’m not trying for waffles today kitten I have to go to work, so think of something quick.” He yawned before taking the tender skin of your neck between his supple lips again, sucking you in nibbling playfully. “Joonie when will Mary be back, I like her breakfast.” Almost whining. He chucked against you, “I told you Mary will be back after she’s had her baby.”

Feeling pouty you huff no motivation to eat knowing he’ll be leaving you soon. yawing you simply shrugged away the idea of this mornings breakfast. “Cereal again hm? If you insist.” He groaned pulling his self up on his forearms, gazing down at your connected bodies, he glided out with ease sighing in pleasure. Leaving you feeling empty yet warmly stuffed full. “I’ll be back, you stay put.” He began to walk towards the closet, watching silently in admiration. “Wait!” Stopping he turned. “Panties?” You request, fully knowing he’d get them for you. “Panties...of course.” He swiftly turned pulling some from the drawer. You reached for them, softly swatting your hand he went to your legs. “Up.” Complying, you let him dress your bottom half. “Being needy this morning i see,need a shirt too?” You nodded, letting him dress you again. “Alright cereal coming right up babybug.” He gave you a sweet Eskimo kiss before leaving.

His heavy steps thumped the hardwood stars, getting softer and softer before they disappeared. Never could you have imagined a simple round of dates would land you here, wrapped in Eucalyptus sheets, in the middle of a giant bed, upstairs of a Manson. Getting loved daily by a man with millions to his name. Your face began to grow warmer of subtle humiliation as you felt your heat drip of him. This whole situation felt like a long, long fairytale dream and you were loving every minute of it. Your reminiscing was cut short by the thudding of Joon’s feet coming up the stairs, finally he renters a smile on his face dimples prominent. Obviously proud of his limited culinary skills.

“A sugary cereal for the sweetest person I know, and a fruit cup too.” He walked slowly with he bed table careful not to spill. “c’mon get up and eat.” You sat up wide eyed ready for the meal he set before you. “What do you say greedy girl?” He held you back from the simple breakfast. “Thank you Joonie.” He nodded in approval letting go. “Remember, drink your milk, clean up your mess...eat all your fruit.”

He walked to the bathroom letting you eat in peace. You obliged his orders enjoying your modest breakfast quickly. Soon though, you started swaying the rose gold spoon around in the matching bowl watching the bland cereal chase each other. You’d finished all the marshmallows, you knew Joon would protest. Finishing the milk you began to pluck your favorites from the small fruit bowl, growing bored rather quickly.

“Joonie!” You beckoned, cheek full of berries. “yeah!” He yelled over the heavy patter of the shower. “Can I watch TV?” Tightly you closed your eyes in wishful thinking. “No Princess, it’s too early you know that, don’t you?!” You huffed, swallowing your fruit. “Yes!” He didn’t respond expecting you to eat the rest if your breakfast, in your true fashion you ignored the kiwi and bland cereals uneaten in protest of no early morning TV.

Annoyingly you shifted uncomfortably along the plush mattress once again. The once comforting fullness you felt now just starting to make an unpleasant mess...“Joonie!” “Y/n!” He yelled back while exiting the bathroom, his body glistening the scent of his masculine body wash and cologne engulfing the room. “I need to shower, I’m making a mess.” You stated shyly, making him smile in laughter.

“A mess huh, why don’t you take care of it?” He asked knowingly making you pout, he walked closer picking up the clear bowl, kiwi left behind. “Ah, eat this.” He held the green fruit between his fingers. “Eat one at least.” He rubbed it along your parted lips, you obliged his glare making you feel small. “Do I have to start giving you my cereal seems your tummy is getting full on sweets before you make it to the real breakfast?” Teasing he took it upon himself to finish the cereals.

“What do you say?” “Sorry for not finishing.” no way could you disobey him. “Good,Tell me about this mess though.” He inquired placing a kiwi slice in his mouth, walking to his suit closet letting his towel fall, he was already clad in his briefs. “You know!” He chuckled “I do? Oh is it my cum baby?” He stated lewdly while pulling out a dark suit. “Joon c’mon!” You whined, moving the the table. “Well Y/n if you wanted my help you should’ve joined me in the shower, you spoiled little brat.” He began to get dressed, “go wipe, go shower, and I’ll have someone clean the sheets yeah?” You rolled from the warm bed, a breeze catching your wet spot. “Yeah.” He smoothed the suit out over him , choosing a belt. “C’mon, I’m going to work big girl panties y/n go clean up please.” You took your time to walk past him , secretly wanting him to stay. You hoped he’d feel bad if you played hurt, or incapable of washing up maybe he’d stay late to help.

With a sigh of disapproval he turned from watching you walk begrudgingly in the mirror, giving your bottom a firm tap. “Now please so I can see you before I go okay?” Nodding you did as told, your scheme unsuccessful you resorted to complying. Striping and folding your clothes before throwing them in the hamper. Pulling the body wash, hand picked by Joon you lathered and showered as throughly and quickly as you could. Examining the dark areas he’d left behind, your neck,legs, and stomach, even scattering some along your pelvic area. Namjoon was extremely through when putting his claim over you, not like he had any competition. “All day kitten?” He knocked lightly on the door. The time spent Wandering in your thoughts taking a little longer than Joon’s liking you followed routine rinsing and turning off the water, drying you left with the plush towel around you.

He sat on the edge of the bed, an outfit laid over his thigh. “All dry?” You nodded catching a slight shiver, “you sure?” He called you over with a finger, tenderly he unwrapped you taking it upon himself to make sure you were dried, helping dress you as well. “When do you have to go Joon?” “Now.” Sighing you fell into his chest for a hug. “Yeah yeah, c’mon I gotta go love.” He kissed your cheek. “Kiss me before I go.” You pulled out of the crook of his neck latching onto his lips. Grabbing your neck he took the lead invading your mouth lustfully with his own. “Still taste sweet hm, remember to brush your teeth, lunch at twelve,have a snack around four, I’ll be home for dinner...and do not open the door.” You nodded your hands still in his. “I have a friend downstairs okay anything you can’t take care of...and I don’t mean the little things...ask him okay?” “Okay.” You crawled into bed avoiding the soiled area.

He got up smoothing his suit over again. “Uhm Joonie-” “I know I know.” He threw the remote to you before leaving. “See you later my pretty girl, remember I’ll know if you’re naughty. ” You smile turning on the TV. “See you later.”

After tedious hours of watching, and flipping through channels you enviably you became extremely bored with the flashing pictures playing before you. The nap you’d gifted yourself earlier began to wear off, you were sure it’s already been two hours, nobody’s came for the sheets. Strange of the morning staff to forget that. Rolling your eyes, you brushed off their neglect sitting up from the bed striping the stained sheets.

As bored as you were, you didn’t mind the walk down to the wash room. Once you gained balance of the heavy load, the trek began, only able to peak over the large bundle the stairs were a challenge. Once conquered you repositioned the bundle in your arms beginning to weigh on you. “Hey I brought the sheets for you!” Too lazy to complete the mission at hand, you tossed the sheets on the nearest couch, throwing yourself in the seat next to them. “Hello?!” Nobody seemed to call back as you voice deflected off of the walls. No way would they leave you all alone.

You stood from your seat, leaving the laundry behind as curiosity got the best of you. Where had everyone gone? You could’ve sworn you heard Joon conversing with them before he left. Roaming past the kitchen, Joon’s left his cutting board and knife out fruit juice displayed across the marble surface. Nobodies been on their job, and to think of it you haven’t seen or heard Joon’s friend he’d left for you yet.

You hated being alone, and Joon knew that. He wouldn’t leave you that way. Meandering down the elongated hall, which located staff bedrooms leaving a firm knock on the door....nothing. Fear draped over you the silence becoming too loud, taking panicked strides leaving the hall. Wandering the house looking for any other life form. Until you met face to face with a forbidden room. Joon’s office. Throwing rules away you griped the stubborn knob. Locked damn. “Help.” Whimpering like a kicked puppy you kept searching. “Joonie.” Wandering around, like you were lost in your own house, you skipped down the small flight of stairs, the washroom maybe they’re in there ...a dumb thought but this is the only room you haven’t rampaged.

Swinging the fragile door, a pungent rusting scent crashed into you. “And who the fuck are you?” Frozen in the door frame your brain fell blank. A group of men you’d never met covered in drying blood. The staff and who seemed to be Jungkook, sat lifelessly bound by their legs and arms in chairs in a perfect line. “Where’d come from?” Unable to speak you stared into the glossed eyes of people you once called friends. “Where’d you fucking come from!” Your mouth dried nervously, unsure what to answer...“Bed-bedroom ups-stairs.” They shared a look with each other, the only visible feature being their eyes. “Well you see these dunces doll...they lied...you won’t do that huh?” You shook your head, “Jungkook...he doesn’t lie.” They all laughed in frenzy. “No but he sure does fight back, don’t do that either...c’mon over here princess.”

“Don’t call me that.” You stepped only one step closer, in fear of getting near the corpses. “Alright, heard...who are you?” Fiddling with your shirt you looked to your toes. “C’mon baby answer honestly or I’ll have to...sit you down.” You looked up, hot tears piercing your eyes begging to fall. “I’m y/n...Joon’s girlfriend.” Nodding in approval, someone in the back butted in. “He fuck you good?”You sniffled, looking back and forth between the few of them. “Don’t answer that, we don’t give a fuck about that....here’s the real test, where’s Namjoon hiding hmm?”

Oh, that’s easy, “Joon...he’s at work.” Scoffing in disbelief he reached behind him into his back pocket. “One more time cutie, where’s your little boyfriend.” Wide eyed your mouth quivered with no words. “I told you he’s at work.” He turned to his darkly dressed men “get a fucking chair, you y/n go sit in it.” You turned to run, a gun shot landed above you dry wall crumbling. “Sit your tight ass in that chair, or the next bullet will be buried in your chest.” Frozen in your tracks, you knew siting would land you right where Jungkook was. “Kim Namjoon is at work you won’t find him here!” Shaken you peered over your shoulder.

“Okay...okay, where does he work huh?” You turned back towards the stairs. “Uhm...I-I I’m not sure...big business I think, he has suits and a home office and people p-people follow him-” your rambling in cold sweat was cut short by the sound of bullets ricocheting along the cement walls. “Get out of the fucking way you dense bitch!” Unable to see your hero you rushed past him bolting away as quick as you could, blinded by tears. Eventually you fumbled into someone. “Hey hey y/n you hurt?” “JOONIE!” You climbed him his voice mesmerizing you. “Joonie it was disgusting, joonie please help.” The commotion still echoing in the wash room, Joon took his large hands over your ears guiding you upstairs into your shared room.

Finally silence to comfort you a wave of anger rushed over you as you processed your situation. Your ears pulsating. “Y/n...I’m so sorry princess.” All you could do was fall back onto the bare mattress. “Please do- who are they?” He sighed rubbing the back of his neck. “Business rivals.” He leans a leg on the maters caressing your thigh. “Joon don’t fucking lie I almost died.” He swatted your exposed tummy. “Hey don’t talk to me like that y/n.” Tears of anger replacing fear, “is this a game to you am I a damn toy to you...Joon I know you’re not telling me the truth and it hurts.”

He sat on the bed with an aggravated groan, you laid back staring at the smooth ceiling. “Y/n it’s best if you don’t know.” “Joon I’ll leave. Tonight i almost got my brai-” he darkly chuckled cutting you off “and to where, c’mon where?” You breathed deeply with anger. “I’ll- uhm...” “I’m the best thing that ever happened to you, face it you’d be fucked over without me.” You rolled over, you could scream your figure shook in frustration. “I’ve pulled you in and treated you like a queen and you want to leave because you had to dodge a bullet?” “Please stop, Joon I’m leaving.” You sat up only to be pushed down, “you’ll die without me bitch, there are eyes on you, you take one step out of my house your just as good bounty as me.” What bullshit has this motherfucker pulled you into.

“Plus I’ve had you here, dumbed you down so much you can’t even shower right, let alone live alone, I feed your ass, wipe your ass, clean your disgusting ass, dress you, protect you, service waiting on you every damn hour of the day...fuck you how you please never how I please and yet you wanna go?!” Tears spilled from you, he straddled you peering maliciously, never has Joon spoken to you this way.

In surprise the door swung open, making your stomach drop, Yoongi’s face speckled red. “Joon it’s Guk he’s dead.” “Get out.” His voice flat no emotion present Yoongi obliged slamming the door on his way. “You even got one of my men-” “no.” You earned a slap like no other for cutting him off “I’ve trained you so much better, so much better than to cut me off and to snitch on me...I was at work huh...they wouldn’t find me here huh?” You couldn’t respond, the left side of your face throbbing from the assault. “Once I caught word of the invasion I check the cameras for you and low and behold your mouth never fucking shut...saving yourself? Fucking cunt.” You looked away from his accusing gaze.

“No words? Just how I like you...now be a good girl, apologize.” “I love-e you joo-nie I’m sorry.” You recite from memory. “I love you too, don’t ever disobey me again, and don’t you dare try to leave if you do, I’ll blow the little brains you have let by myself.” Tears pooled your face causing him to smirk. “Remember I own you, everything you are, everything you want, everything you believe, is mine to keep.”

Not my image

[yslkook]

#move the needle (10)

#corporate masterlist summary: you and jungkook go on a date (or two), and work is...work. word count: 10k warnings: cursing, alcohol, smut (fingering, grinding, making out, sex), discussions of mental health a/n: omg lol this chapter really got away from me. enjoy and ty to @cutechim​ for loving this couple 

Your calendar has quickly become overtaken with periodic lunch dates with Hae-Ri. She feels like a friend now, though you are still cautious with crossing professional and personal boundaries with her. But it feels easy with her- to talk about both the workplace and about personal things.

You’ve dubbed it powersuit hour, because you and Hae-Ri had both showed up in sharp powersuits without telling the other. You had wanted to make a good impression on her and it seems that she just lives in powersuits and heels.

You hate tall heels, but you put them on to match her (sometimes). You decide that the blisters and cuts aren’t worth it and opt for a smaller heel, loafers or oxfords.

Not a single hair of Hae-Ri’s is out of place, not a single smudge of lipstick can be found on her lips (even as she eats) and she oozes charm. She makes you want to straighten your back and sit tall (which you normally do, but now you’re just aware of it). 

She makes you want more. Well, she’s part of the reason why you want more from life, from work, from yourself.

The thought of returning to school gradually worms its way into your brain more often than usual, but you stamp it away as quickly as it comes. Dr. Lee tells you to embrace it, but you don’t think you’re ready yet. But maybe one day you will be. Dr. Lee tells you that you’re ready for more than you think you are, that you’ve almost allowed yourself everything you’ve subconsciously forbidden yourself from.

Maybe someday you’ll gather the courage to unlock those parts of yourself.

It’s only been several weeks since you had stayed the night at Jungkook’s apartment and had shared your first of many kisses with him. You find yourself daydreaming about his lips, specifically of his kisses and the slip of his tongue in your mouth quite often during the day.

When you had gone to Yuna’s apartment the next day to pick up your small duffel bag, she had only looked at you knowingly. Despite your cheeks burning, you neither confirmed nor denied anything.

And now, because you and Jungkook both can’t seem to keep your hands off of each other, you’ve taken to waking up forty-five minutes earlier than usual to drive into Seoul to pick him up and go to work together.

Grandma looks at you knowingly, teasing you most of the time as you leave the house. You only glare at her half-heartedly.

It’s a time for you both to have a coffee and a small breakfast together in his apartment. Sometimes Taehyung joins you, giving Jungkook sly looks. Looks that Jungkook pointedly avoids.

On the days that you and Jungkook are alone for an extra ten minutes in his kitchen, he finds himself kissing the gloss right off of your lips with you slotted in between his legs and his hands cradled around your hips. He wishes he could have just a little more with you, a little more than quick morning kisses and coffee, a little more than catching glimpses of you at work.

Jungkook wants more of you. He wants you in his life as a permanent fixture, as his girlfriend. As his best friend. Which is why he’s planning on asking you on a real date today. He’s timed it perfectly, he’ll ask you right after you park the car at work.

He’s already made reservations at a restaurant you had briefly mentioned to him over the last week. You had really only told him out of innocent intentions- simply to tell him just because you had found something you wanted to try. You hadn’t intended to say it as a means for him to ask you on a date.

But if it so happened that way, you wouldn’t complain.

The car ride to work is sometimes quiet, with the faint sound of his playlist coming out of the speakers. Sometimes you both idly chatted about what your morning would look like, or you’d both be singing along to whatever song was playing. You were either holding his hand or touching his thigh with your hand, at any instance that you could, whenever you could.

For someone who hadn’t been held or touched very often, you sure couldn’t get enough of it recently.

“Hey,” Jungkook murmurs when you pull into your usual parking space, “Gotta ask you something, baby.”

“Hmm?” You say distractedly, unbuckling your seatbelt and reaching for your bag in the backseat.

“Pay attention,” Jungkook says gently, cupping your neck. You turn your head to look him in the eyes with a raised eyebrow. His palms feel clammy and he wonders if you feel it against your skin. But he doesn’t pull away.

“Will you-,” Jungkook takes a deep breath, “Go on a date with me? I made reservations at that restaurant you mentioned the other week- fuck, was that presumptuous of me? Should I have asked you first and then made reser-umph-”

You cut him off with a firm kiss to ease him. You smile against the kiss, surely a good sign. But still he needs to hear your approval.

“Ask me again, baby,” You encourage softly, thumbing away stray gloss from his lips.

“Will you go on a date with me? I really like you, if you couldn’t tell, and I want to go on a date with you,” Jungkook says, ignoring the way his cheeks must be red by now.

Your face splits into another beaming smile.

“Yes,” You breathe, “Yes, yes, yes. And if you couldn’t tell. I really like you.”

Another minute of his lips on yours, stealing your breath right before work. The worry of someone seeing you both seems to slip away with the slip of his tongue in your mouth.

“You must be a mind reader,” You say hoarsely, “Because I was just about to make reservations at that restaurant for us.”

Neither of you notice the sly eyes of one Kim Seokjin glancing at you both through the windshield as he walks past your car. You and Jungkook are too blissfully wrapped in each other to notice him.

“So,” Jin says, his voice saccharine sweet. You know that voice, but you’re hardly paying attention to him. He has a secret. A secret about you. 

“What?” You bark, not taking your eyes off of your dual monitor as you reply to an email from Hae-ri.

If you paid attention to Jin’s voice, then maybe you could have stopped his questioning before it started. But your back is turned away from him and when he smugly tells you what he knows, you nearly fall off your chair-

“I saw you k-i-s-s-i-n-g Jung-”

“Shut the fuck! Shut the fuck up,” You whisper-shout and discreetly kick him in the shin. He gasps, his pillowy lips parted in feigned shock.

“Hey! These are my good pants,” Jin protests indignantly, “Besides it’s not like either of you were hiding, I mean you were sucking the poor man’s face off-”

“Seokjin!” You hiss, “Will you shut up-”

“You should be grateful it was just me and not someone more important-”

“At this point, I would rather it have been someone else, considering how obnoxious you are-”

“Really? You would’ve rather your boss have walked by you sucking face with our resident golden boy?”

“Shut up,” You groan and sink into your seat but you can’t help but laugh, “We should’ve been more careful…”

“Oh so now there’s a we?” Jin says in hushed tones with wide eyes, “I knew it. Yuna and I both called it, after that night in the bar. But you wound me, I can’t believe you didn’t tell me-”

“Jin,” You complain, “Later, I promise.”

“Okay,” His face splits into a wide smile and he pauses for a second before saying, “I’m proud of you.”

He squeezes your shoulder reassuringly before leaving your cubicle. 

Jungkook’s throat is dry when he pulls up in front of your house. He takes a sharp swig of water before texting you with nervous fingers that he’s arrived. 

And when you step out of your house in heels, a burgundy long sleeved top tucked into your tight, black pants, Jungkook groans to himself.

How do you always look so good? 

He immediately hops out of the car to greet you with a quick hello and a side hug. Without saying another word, he approaches your Grandma and swallows his nerves immediately and bows in front of her.

Parents and grandparents love him, he has nothing to worry about.

“You must be Jungkook,” Grandma says swiftly, crossing her arms across her chest and eyeing him carefully.

If he sees the panic in your eyes, he doesn’t acknowledge it. 

Jungkook smiles widely, bunny smile on display and Grandma, to your surprise smiles back. 

“You must be Grandma,” Jungkook says, his voice a little teasing.

“What gave it away,” Grandma says sarcastically.

“Your granddaughter has the same pretty eyes,” Jungkook says genuinely and you hold back a roll of your eyes. But Grandma eats it up, because who wouldn’t?

“Bring my granddaughter back before midnight, huh?” Grandma says, half joking and waving a finger at him.

“Grandma! Don’t embarrass me,” You nearly whine and try to tug Jungkook away but he stays rooted on the spot.

“Wouldn’t dream of anything else, Grandma,” Jungkook says, “I’ll have her back safe and sound.”

“No funny business-”

“Grandma! We’re leaving,” You hiss, glaring at your laughing Grandma as you drag Jungkook away.

“Sorry about her,” You mumble once you're seated in the passenger’s seat and press a kiss to the corner of his lips.

“Grandma’s right there, don’t try any funny business,” Jungkook teases and waves at Grandma. Of course she waves back.

“Alright, princess, you ready for the best first date of your life?” Jungkook says airily, not really expecting a response. But you make a funny noise in between a laugh and a groan.

“I don’t have much to compare this first date to, if I’m being honest,” You confess with a shrug.

“That doesn’t matter,” Jungkook says easily, “Besides, this is the only one that matters.”

Jungkook is the perfect gentleman the entire night, not that you expected anything less from the man who has a heart of gold. He walks you into the restaurant with a hand over your lower back as he smoothly gives his name for the reservation. The host leads you both to a quiet corner of the restaurant- you wonder if he’d specifically requested that. The lights are dim, miniature chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and illuminating you in a pretty golden wash.

“After you, baby,” He murmurs, giving you a squeeze of your hip and gesturing for you to slide into the mahogany seats of the booth.

Jungkook sits across from you, eyes sparkling in the glow of the restaurant. The host leaves you both with menus, embossed in red and gold.

Dinner with him is easy- it’s easy to be yourself, to let yourself relax. You playfully push your foot to his and let it slide up his calf. To which he does the same and winks at you. Talking to him is easy, and just being in his presence makes your heart burst and speed up in anticipation.

The backseat of Jungkook’s car even smells like him, but maybe that’s because your head is against the broad expanse of his chest. The warm, spicy scent of his cologne pleasantly fills your nostrils and you hum. His heartbeat is pressed right against your ear, a calming symphony that has you mesmerized. Jungkook’s arm is draped over your shoulder and he rubs your shoulder over your blouse.

You both sit in a comfortable silence together. You don’t really want to let the night end, not just yet. 

Jungkook looks down at you, a small smile on his face as he tugs your hand in his and squeezes. Your heart jumps in your chest at the small action- you can’t resist looking up at him and leaning in closer.

Your gaze dips to his pouty, pink lips back to his doe eyes. “Kiss me, Bambi,” You demand softly, and his lips are on yours in the same breath. He’s playful, squeezing your hips and giggling into your mouth.

But at some point, your tongue slips into his mouth with a satisfied hum and your hands thread through his soft hair, tugging gently. He moans into your mouth and you swallow everything he breathes into you.

Jungkook tastes like everything you want. The city lights around you fade away when you’re in his arms- all you see is the swell of his lips and the way he looks at you as if you contain the universe in your kiss.

You always want him to look at you like this. It’s easy to push away the distant memory of his cold eyes from months ago when he holds you tightly and kisses you as if he’s trying to pour his soul into you. His chest is flush against yours- his warmth enveloping you in every crevice. Jungkook presses his forehead against yours when your hips start rocking into his, a low and broken moan spilling from his throat.

“Jungkook,” You mumble, tightening your grip around his head, “Feels good…”

The heat of your clothed pussy against his clothed cock is enough to tint his cheeks. Jungkook holds you steady with one hand on your hips and the other cradling your neck. You lean into his touch eagerly, speeding your own movements up against him.

“Rock with me, baby,” Jungkook says hoarsely, moving your hips in time with his. You look at him with hooded eyes as you lean forward for a rushed kiss, the sound of your broken moans cut off by the urgency of your kiss.

Your hips roll into his in a practiced symphony and neither of you are patient enough to pull away for a breath. You just want him- you want all of him, anything he’ll give you. You want him to devour you- you want to feel his heartbeat beside yours.

You want him to feel good with you, as good as you feel with him. You want more.

“Can I touch you,” Jungkook asks softly, pulling away to look at you. You’re nodding already before he even finishes the question, impatiently untucking your blouse from the waistband of your pants.

“Take it off, baby,” You nearly whine at him, “Want you to take it off.”

“Are you sure,” Jungkook rasps.

“Yes,” You say impatiently, “Don’t you wanna see me baby? See your dream girl’s tits?”

Jungkook’s throat goes dry, his cock jumping at your words and you smirk at him. Your eyes are swirling with mischief and desire.

For him. You want him.

Jungkook tugs at your top impatiently, pushing it up and off of your shoulders and unclasps your bra in one quick motion.

“Fuck,” Jungkook breathes, eyes glued to your chest. He’s unable to look away from the color and swirls of ink painting your glowing skin, blooming on your shoulder and dipping into your chest. He sees a wash of color nearly hidden in the valley of your breasts.

“Will you tell me about your tattoos someday,” Jungkook asks softly, cradling your cheek.

“Mmm, maybe if you get a second date,” You tease and turn your head slightly to kiss his palm.

“And what does a guy have to do to get a second date?” Jungkook asks, curling his hands around your tits.

“You make me cum twice and you get a second date,” You sigh breathily when he squeezes you delicately. You grind your hips into his to get him to touch you more and he pinches your nipple playfully.

“Oh, that’s all?” Jungkook asks cockily, his voice bursting with confidence.

“You-ohhh, Jungkook,” You gasp when he dots your neck in featherlight kisses, tracing his way over your tattoos with his lips as he learns the curves of your body. 

“Shit,” You groan, throwing your hands out to brace yourself against his broad shoulders, “Fuck, Jungkook…”

He buries his face in your chest, inhaling your woodsy, musky perfume as his big hands trail your sides and heat you up from within. Jungkook’s lips suddenly shift to kiss your tits and you moan, possibly louder Jungkook’s ever heard you moan before.

You’d be a little more embarrassed (maybe, likely not), if you didn’t want him to do that again. And again. And again.

Jungkook thinks your tits look good in his hands and he thinks buried in between them might be one of his favorite places to be. You’re so warm in his lap- you look like an angel, a goddess above him.

His dream girl. His dream girl in his lap, in his arms, moaning his name. Moaning for him. 

His cock hardens more just from your soft sounds. He’s desperate for you, rutting his hips against you as he licks your nipple. He looks up, watching for your reaction- your eyes are hooded, lips parted in desire. You thread your hands through his dark strands and push his head further into your chest. 

Jungkook pulls away from kissing your tits with a soft pop! The haze clouding your mind begins to lift and you frown at him, about to chastise him, but he only maneuvers you so that your back is flat against the car seat and he’s hovering over you.

Your breasts bounce and he can’t look away. He is only a man, after all. You smirk at him and drag your foot over his thigh before wrapping both legs around his narrow waist.

“Do that again. I’ve never felt like that before,” You confess airily, pressing a hand to his chest and scratching lightly.

“Nobody’s sucked on your tits before, princess?” Jungkook asks curiously.

“Well, not like that…” You shrug, “And… it’s been a long time, you know? I didn’t really… Didn’t really want to do much of anything for a long time.”

“I know, baby,” Jungkook coos, settling his weight on top of you and kissing you deeply, “I’m happy you picked me.”

“Me too,” You mumble, “I’m happy you picked me, too.”

It’s a tight fit, but Jungkook finds a way to make it work. You tug at his sweater wanting to feel and see his arms and his chest. He’s your Bambi, your golden boy, and you want to feel golden, too.

Jungkook pulls away for a moment and pulls his sweater off of him, rustling his dark hair in the process. You hum, delighted that his bare skin is only inches away from you.

You trace his tattoos with your fingers curiously, enjoying the way the corded muscle of his arm feels under your skin. “Will you tell me about your tattoos someday,” You repeat his words back to him, rubbing his arm fondly.

“Maybe if you get a second date,” Jungkook teases, giving your words right back to you. He kisses your lips quickly, then licks a stripe down your neck, kissing your collarbones...your chest, your belly. He wants to keep his lips here, along the swell of your tits, just to pull those noises from your throat for even a second longer.

“And what does a girl have to do to get a second date,” You exhale shakily.

“Mmm,” Jungkook says thoughtfully, “I make you cum twice, and you get a second date.”

A choked noise rips from your throat and Jungkook only grins salaciously at you. He brackets your head with his thick forearms- you can see the blooms and swirls of colors of his tattoos in your periphery. But really all you want to do is focus on him.

Jungkook can’t get enough of the smooth push and pull of your lips against his. Somehow, you both move in synchronized harmony- you follow him and he follows you. You swallow his moans and he swallows your sighs. Give and take.

But right now, he just wants to give. 

You roam his forearms, his biceps, squeezing and touching lightly as you make your way to his shoulder blades. A moan of his name sits in between you both when you feel the corded lines of muscle.

You can’t believe this beautiful man is laying on top of you like this. “You’re pretty,” You mumble, “Pretty boy Bambi.”

Jungkook takes your teasing without complaining, so long as you continue to rake your nails along his back like that. 

Besides he has plenty of time to quiet your teasing.

Your back arches off of the seat when he licks your nipple, swirling his tongue around your sensitive skin. 

You didn’t think it could ever feel that good, but the man clearly knows what he’s doing. And that’s a conversation for another time. As he nips and licks your tits, he grinds his hips into yours. You feel the hot glide of his clothed, hardened cock against your already soaked pussy- and how are you supposed to let him leave this car without making him cum as well?

“You could cum like this, couldn't you?” Jungkook says softly, looking up at you from your chest with hooded eyes. 

You nod- words seem to fail you.

“Use your words, baby,” Jungkook encourages, cupping your chin with his index finger and his thumb. 

“Yes, but-“ You cut your train of thought off as he speeds his hips up against you. He’s struggling too, it seems, his brow furrowed and sweat beginning to gather at his forehead. His hair falls into his eyes and you instantly push it away.

You always want to see his eyes.

“But what,” Jungkook murmurs. his grip on you is tight, and he’s right- you could most definitely cum like this. Just from his simple touch and his warm mouth.

“More, I want more,” You breathe, “Will you…”

But Jungkook doesn’t let you finish, only rolling your nipples in his fingers as he kisses your tits. He senses your thighs beginning to quake and your eyes beginning to roll back. You latch your hands onto his upper arms as Jungkook rocks into you, and you feel the coil snap with a loud call of his name you cum in his arms.

He hasn’t even touched you yet. He smirks at you but you return his gaze unabashedly, despite the heat in your cheeks.

If you look that beautiful coming undone just from grinding on him, he wonders how you’ll look when he eats you out. When he fucks you on his cock. Or even his fingers. 

“One down, one to go,” Jungkook teases and you swat his chest. 

“I liked that,” You admit softly and pull him down for a gentle kiss to his neck and then his lips.

“Me too,” Jungkook smiles, eyes sparkling as he nudges your nose with his. He kisses you again, lazily and slowly as you float down from your bliss. Your bliss with him in it.

“You were saying something earlier,” Jungkook murmurs, barely a hair’s breadth from you.

“Oh,” You reply, a little dazed, “Oh yeah.”

“Wanna finish your train of thought?” 

“Absolutely,” You grin, threading your hand through his and pulling his other hand to rest on your chest. You hum contentedly when he squeezes, eyes glossing over your tattoos in curiosity.

For another day.

“I wanna fuck you,” You say bluntly, taking Jungkook by surprise. His lips part in surprise and it makes you giggle. “What, cat got your tongue, Bambi?”

“N-no,” Jungkook stutters, “No. ‘M not fuckin’ you for the first time in my car.”

“And why not,” You complain, raking your nails over his abs impatiently and palming his cock through his pants, “I mean I know, it’s a tight fit, but-”

“No,” Jungkook says firmly, “I’m not making love with you for the first time in my car, baby. Gonna wine, dine, and sixty-nine you-”

“Oh, now you’re making love to me, huh?” You tease with a knowing smile, cradling his face in your hands, “But I just want your cock, and you’ve already wine and dined me…”

“You’ll have my fingers instead,” Jungkook murmurs, his voice low and rough. You gasp at how deep his voice has gone, how smooth it sounds. 

How his words demand respect and you want to listen to him.

“How does that sound, baby? Does my pretty baby want my fingers?” Jungkook asks and you nod, biting your bottom lip harshly.

“You’ll tell me if you want me to stop,” Jungkook says, pulling your bottom lip out of the grip your teeth have on it.

You only nod but Jungkook shakes his head. “Use your words, baby,” Jungkook murmurs, “Use your words with me.”

“Y-yes,” You say, cheeks heating up, “Want your fingers. And I-I’ll tell you if I want you to s-stop.”

“Good girl,” Jungkook says, not missing your soft but sharp inhale, “Gonna unbutton your pants now, alright?”

His hands are gentle and firm as he drags your pants down your legs, but not all the way. After all, it’s too tight of a space to properly do much of anything. The sight of a large group of flowers on your upper thigh distracts him- his kisses up your calf and along your thigh make you feel a little shy.

You’re on a cloud, you must be- a slow moving, cotton candy soft cloud where your head is empty and filled with thoughts only of Jungkook and his touch. His big hands gripping your thighs as if it’s nothing, cramped but close to you as much as he can be.

“Cute panties, baby,” Jungkook teases, snapping the waistband of your plain baby pink underwear.

“Shut up,” You grin, tugging at his hair playfully.

“You know,” Jungkook says throatily, “Wanna take my time with you. Make you cum with my fingers first, then on my tongue… but you’re so fuckin’ impatient, baby. What am I gonna do with you?”

What comes out of your mouth next isn’t your fault, it’s really not. It’s not your fault that his abs flex right in your face, that his arms flex and bulge in front of your very eyes. It’s not your fault your eyes instantly land on his big hands, specifically, the hand lined with tattoos on his knuckles spilling into his forearm and his bicep.

“Choke me,” You blurt out without thinking.

Your stupid, silly mind. Running faster than you can keep up with. And yet, embarrassment eludes you. You grin a little sheepishly when he looks at you with wide, surprised doe eyes.

“Too soon?” You shrug, your smile fading and feeling a little self conscious when he stays silent for longer than a moment, “I’m sorry, ‘m awful at reading the room-”

“No, no,” Jungkook murmurs, stopping your train of thought before it begins, “You just surprise me. That’s all.”

“I hope that’s a good type of surprise,” You laugh nervously, “And not like the type of surprise you get when you turn your work computer on and realized you missed a meeting that was put on the calendar after you logged off-”

“Definitely a good type of surprise,” Jungkook nearly purrs.

“Okay,” You say faintly.

Your mind is spinning, taking off in another direction with Jungkook right by your side. He parts your thighs easily, dotting your inner thighs with needy kisses. 

“You’re so fucking pretty,” Jungkook moans into your skin, “Smell so good. Bet you taste even better, pretty girl.

“But that’s for another day, when my legs aren’t about to give out from being cramped.”

You laugh, pulling a crinkly-eyed smile from him too. He shifts a little to kiss your hips, hands never leaving your heated skin. Vulnerability crawls up your arms uneasily when he pushes your panties to the side. He wants to pull them off of your bare legs but there’s not enough room in the car, so this will do. You don’t recall the last time anyone had seen you like this- you swallow in anticipation, trying to prop yourself up on your elbows to watch him.

But Jungkook only looks at you adoringly, as if he can’t believe you’re opening yourself up to him in this way. He hovers over you, slotting himself in between your legs and presses his lips to yours quickly. 

You gasp into his mouth, a soft cry of his name filling the comfortable quiet when his index finger slips into your pussy. It’s been so long- and you can’t recall a time when it felt like this. Pretty noises spill from your bitten lips as you try to wrap your legs around his narrow waist. His eyes are burning into yours, your cheeks heating up from the intensity of his gaze. 

You don’t know where to put your hands and your brief panic is evident in your face. You feel awkward around him a little- he’s clearly adept with his fingers, his hips rolling in a practiced symphony. And then there’s you.

You can’t even meet his eyes when the soft noises of your wetness fill the space between you both.

“Hey,” Jungkook says a little gruffly, his fingers still stuffed in your pussy, “It’s just me. You can touch me, baby.”

“O-okay.”

You tentatively press your fingers to his sides, trying not to feel so awkward. But the more he reassures you, the more he drops kisses to your neck and the more he rubs your clit, you relax. 

Jungkook is nothing if not a quick learner, and he’s on a mission to learn what you like. He watches your face carefully with each stroke of his fingers in you and quickly finds a steady rhythm that has you gripping his arms tightly. The slight bite of pain from your freshly done nails is nothing compared to the way his name sounds like flowers blooming on your lips.

He thinks he’s got a pretty good read on you.

“Good girl,” Jungkook tests and smirks when a gush of wetness coats his fingers. You squirm in his arms, from embarrassment and to get more friction, but he’s not having any of it.

“I told you,” Jungkook rasps, “It’s just me, princess. Just wanna take care of you. You gonna let me?”

Before you can reply, Jungkook draws lazy circles on your clit and your head jerks backwards as you squirm. The back of your head hits the door panel with a thunk and you wince with a laugh.

“Sorry, baby,” Jungkook murmurs with a soft grin and cradles the back of your head, “Next time, I’ll take you home like you deserve.”

“Next time? You still owe me an orgasm,” You tease.

Jungkook’s eyes shift as he strokes you again, your teasing words dying on your tongue. “I know you’re close, baby,” Jungkook groans, “Can feel it.”

He scissors his fingers inside you and speeds his circles on your clit. “O-oh-Jungkook,” You mumble, “Fuck, that feels good- Oh!”

Jungkook catches it before you do, the way your thighs begin to quiver, your grip on him tightening and your eyes squeeze shut. 

“Cum, baby, cum all over my fingers,” Jungkook murmurs, “Good girl, my pretty girl.”

You whine at his words, the sound ripping out of your mouth sounding foreign to you as the pressure building finally blossoms in your belly and snaps. Waves of pleasure push through you, haziness surrounding your eyes. But all you can really make out is Jungkook and his pretty, brown eyes.

He pulls his hands away from your pussy and you blink at him with wide eyes when he shows you his glistening fingers with a crooked grin. Your mouth falls open in surprise when he licks his fingers clean and grins at you salaciously. You swallow nervously.

“Knew it. Knew you’d taste good,” Jungkook says and kisses you harshly. You wish you weren’t in the confines of the car, so you could properly feel him.

You feel as if the air has been punched out of your lungs. The man slotted on top of you, pressing soft kisses to your hair and caressing your cheeks is somehow the same man with a filthy mouth on him.

Ah. The duality of man, you suppose.

“Holy shit,” You mutter.

“How was that?” Jungkook asks, sincerity in his voice, “Too much? Are you okay?”

“Holy shit,” You repeat, “That was...fun. I liked that. A lot. And…”

You look away from him, feeling a little shy but he has a hand on your chin and pulls your gaze back to him. “And?”

“And… I-uh,” You stammer, “I-I’m- it feels really good with you. With you specifically. And I hope… that I can make you feel as good as you make me-umph-”

He cuts you off with a bruising kiss, somehow holding your hips tight in his hands. You can feel the hardness and heaviness of his cock against your hip and it makes you swallow.

“W-what about you,” You mumble against his lips, “I wanna take care of that for you-”

“Next time, baby,” Jungkook promises you and you pout at him. He only laughs, eyes crinkled and he kisses your pout away. “I promised Grandma I’d have you home by midnight-”

“Glad to see you’re a man of your word,” You murmur and Jungkook pulls off of you, somehow ignoring how hard his cock is in the confines of his pants. He helps you button up your pants and cleans up your smudged lip gloss. Your eyes are immediately drawn to the tent in his pants and he clicks his tongue at you.

“My eyes are up here,” He teases, “Second date, baby. Just wanted to make you feel good.”

“There’s a lot riding on that second date, huh?” You muse, “Maybe I will, too. Ride you, I mean. On our second date.”

Grandma is asleep when you fumble with the keys and try to open the door as quietly as you can without disturbing her. Your face is incredibly heated and your lips are pulled apart in a permanent smile. As they usually seem to be around Jungkook.

He waits for you to go inside and waves at you as he takes off.

You’re giddy as you tiptoe to your bedroom to change, do your nighttime skincare routine and get into bed. You had told Jungkook to text you when he gets home, but really, you might just text him anyways. It should take him about twenty minutes to get home, considering the late hour.

Your phone lights up with his name and you can’t help but smile fondly. 

Jungkook: im home You: me too Jungkook: very funny You: :)  You: I had a great time tonight kook Jungkook: me too :)  You: goodnight  You: baby  You: 💗 Jungkook: goodnight princess 💖

Sleep comes easily to you that night.

You: i’m really sore You: also good morning

And somehow Jungkook is supposed to respond to your text as if that doesn’t send a pulse of desire down his spine. He knows you say it innocently, probably just to genuinely tell him. But he can’t help where his thoughts go.

Honestly, the minute he got home, he had to take a shower and jerk himself off with how uncomfortably hard he was. He flushes when he thinks about how pretty and pliant you looked in his arms the night before, how the blatant trust and adoration in your eyes was reserved only for him.

It sends another rush of heat to his cock. He can’t believe he fingered you in his car of all places- he genuinely hadn’t planned for it to happen. But it did, and he loves that you feel comfortable with him.

He wonders if it’s going too fast- too much, too soon. He had confessed to Taehyung later the following afternoon over ramen that he was scared of making you uncomfortable-

“She hasn’t been in a serious relationship before, I don’t want to push too hard,” Jungkook says after slurping his ramen.

“I think she would tell you if you’re pushing too hard,” Taehyung says bluntly, “She’s never held back before, has she?”

“No, but-”

“Have you ever known her to be anything other than honest with you? Besides, she’s the one who stopped you both from going further that one morning she came over for coffee before work right?”

“Yeah… said it was making her nervous how quickly we got to this level of closeness.”

“Exactly. Just ask her to be honest with you, ask her if she’s comfortable, and go from there.”

Taehyung punches his shoulder and Jungkook nearly chokes.

It feels so easy with you- easy to talk to you, easy to gauge your feelings, your wants and desires. He can’t recall it being this easy with anyone else. Jungkook chastises himself for comparing you to other women in his past.

He has to remind himself to not think of you with rose-tinted glasses. You’ve chastised him for it once or twice before-

“Jungkook,” You mumble softly, running a hand through his hair.

“Hmm?”

“You know I love when you call me your dream girl,” You admit, “But you have to promise me something.”

“What’s that?”

“Don’t… don’t put me on this pedestal. Don’t think of me a certain way where you excuse when I hurt your feelings or do something wrong.”

“O-okay.”

He thinks you’re perfect, imperfections and all.

The only instruction Jungkook gives you for your second date is to dress up a little, on the dressier side of casual. And he tells you that you’ll be outdoors and that he has a backup plan in case it rains. Though he’s hoping that it doesn’t.

A few weeks have gone by since Jungkook had taken you to dinner and made you cum twice in his car (a memory that you tuck away for when your fingers dip into your panties). You still see Jungkook pretty often- picking him up from his apartment a few times a week, seeing him at work, sneaking glances and kisses.

He asks you if you’d like to stay the weekend with him as part of your second date.. Your first instinct is to wholeheartedly say yes, but you hesitate. Is it too soon?

Does that even matter? You panic, telling Jungkook you would let him know. And immediately talk it out with Jin and Yuna, feeling much better after-

“Do you want to stay at his place?” Yuna asks bluntly.

“Yeah-”

“Then stay at his place,” Jin chimes in.

“But you don’t think it’s too soon? We’ve only been on one date, I mean what if it’s moving too fast and we just- we just get tired of each other-”

“I think you’re both two consenting adults who are super fuckin’ into each other. Just enjoy yourselves,” Jin shrugs, “We’re too old for games anyway.”

“I know that,” You sigh, “I just- isn’t there supposed to be more of a chase?”

“You can make him chase you while still sleeping with him before the second date,” Yuna says slyly.

“You speaking from experience?” You grin and Seokjin sputters, a dash of red tinting his cheeks.

And then Grandma had convinced you to spend the weekend at Jungkook’s apartment. She knows more than you let on, you think. She must know how you’re both itching to have each other and be in your own bubble for a bit. She manages to persuade you that final inch and give into what your heart wants. She tells you to be happy and embrace it for once.

She tells you she’ll call you everyday and you nod. So you text Jungkook, telling him that you’ll come by on Friday after work.

And Jungkook can’t help the rush of giddiness that follows. Friday can’t come soon enough- the rushes, stolen glances and kisses aren’t cutting it for him. Excitement courses through his veins at the thought of you spending the entire weekend with him. He makes sure the already clean apartment is spotless for when you arrive, groceries are stocked, and he makes sure that your favorite candle of his is stocked up.

You had gone to Jungkook’s apartment complex from home after work on Friday with your night bag and promises from Grandma. You had picked up a bottle of wine, a box of chocolate croissants for Jungkook and Taehyung and some flowers, as it was your first time spending the weekend at his place. 

Excited nerves bounce around in your head.

Jungkook had come down to greet you once you had street parked (an impressive parking job, if you do say so yourself), and he had planted a deep kiss on your lips. As if he hadn’t seen you only a few hours prior. But still, you laugh and it’s loud and giddy.

You’ve never stayed the night with any boyfriend (not that you have one to compare the experience to), but because it’s Jungkook… it makes you giddy.

Jungkook wordlessly takes your bag from you easily and slings an arm around your shoulders, his eyes crinkling with his smile. You staying the weekend makes his heart burst- he hopes you have as much fun with him as he has with you.

He kisses you hello in the elevator, arm still slung around your shoulders. “Hi,” Jungkook breathes.

“Hey,” You say just as softly, “I’m glad I’m here.”

“Me too,” Jungkook says into your hair and takes your hand once you arrive on his floor.

He smiles at you brightly, your favorite bunny smile sending butterflies through your belly. He tells you to get comfortable, so you say hello to Taehyung who pulls you into a hug and shoots Jungkook a sly look over his head.

Jungkook can’t even bring himself to roll his eyes at Taehyung, too caught up with the fact that you were in his apartment for the entire weekend. 

Friday night had been spent watching scary movies, eating soup and meat and drinking wine in the living room. You had fallen asleep cuddled close to Jungkook, tucked into his side in your night clothes.

He carries you to his bed, kissing your forehead and quickly falling asleep next to you. He dreams of you and wakes up with you, a rosy notion that he falls in love with more each time.

Jungkook feels you peppering him with barely there kisses, your arm lazily sliding around him to cup his cheek. He doesn’t open his eyes, only holding your wrist in place and leaning into your warm touch.

“I know you’re awake,” You murmur, a smile in your voice. He loves your morning voice, the rich honey of it that only he gets to hear.

Jungkook only hums. You huff, sidling up closer to him and throwing your leg over his waist. His grip on you drifts to your waist and a smile ghosts his face.

“Good morning, baby,” You try again, pressing a kiss to his lips. This seems to wake him up and he rolls you on your back, slotting himself between your thighs and murmuring his own ‘good morning’.

“Wanna tell you somethin’ Kook,” You murmur against his lips. 

“Yeah?” Jungkook says, lips pressed against the column of your throat. He pulls away when you whine at him for his attention on what you’re about to say and he blinks the still warm arms of sleep from his eyes.

You wonder if you should splay your heart out to him, or turn your back on your heart and allow your brain to speak for it. But he’s looking at you so endearingly that you embrace your tender heart this time.

“I really like you,” You say softly. It’s not new information for him, but you like repeating it to him whenever you can.

“You don’t like like me? I’ve missed a step somewhere,” Jungkook teases, laughing when you smack his shoulder. But you laugh with him, because that’s how it is between you both. Only smiles and laughter and almost love.

“I really, really like you, sweet girl,” Jungkook murmurs.

You look at him with hearts in your eyes, excitement in your smile and pull him in for another kiss. “I like you so much, Jungkook,” You mumble, determination in your eyes. Before he can reply and tell you the same, your nails scratch at his chest. 

It doesn’t take much for his cock to harden fully- he’d already been more than half hard when you had woken him up with kisses. It only takes a few whispered words, a few strokes of your hand on his bare chest, a few slips of your tongue in his mouth, a few glides of your hips.

Jungkook lazily lets you flip him on his back, his hands nestled over your hips from under your shirt. Your nails are gentle over his skin, eyes wide as if you’re trying to soak in every inch of him and commit him to memory. He pulls you down for a kiss, and then another, and palms your tits playfully. Pulling a soft groan out of you.

The gentle tug of fatigue still dots your limbs, your body moving just as slowly as your mind. All you know is that you want him to feel good, your pretty boy.

The way the dim sunlight filters onto your skin makes you glow golden. Jungkook is mesmerized when you pull your night shorts off, hovering over his hips. You look to him curiously, hands stalling over his boxers.

“Wanna ride you,” You say simply.

“Thought I told you that was for after our second date,” Jungkook teases, “Besides, you’re not wet enough-”

“I can ride you like this,” You mumble, brushing your clothed pussy over his clothed cock, “Wanna make you feel good, too.”

“Is this okay?” You whisper unsurely, eyes wide and searching for his approval.

“More than, baby,” Jungkook says hoarsely, “You’re so pretty. My pretty girl.”

You grind your hips into his, the warmth of his body lighting you up from within. Just being near him, being on top of him like this, makes your pussy clench around nothing. Jungkook can see a wet patch forming on your panties with each drag of your clit over his cock.

You groan softly, bursts of slow honey erupting from behind your eyelids. You reach for his hand on your hip and thread your fingers through his, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. His eyes begin to wander just as yours do- to your thighs and the swirls of ink curling along your skin, your wide, blown out eyes. 

Jungkook lets the pads of his fingers sink into your thighs and he groans with half-lidded eyes. A soft flush creeps up his chest and blooms on his cheeks at the noises coming out of your mouth and spilling into the quiet, morning air.

He doesn’t know where he wants to touch- he just knows he wants to touch you everywhere. He can’t get enough of the feel of you in his arms. You’re a vision above him, hips moving languidly, hands raking over his forearms. It’s quiet between you both, the stillness of the early morning still weighing on his shoulders. 

Jungkook feels it building in his belly, a coil almost ready to snap. It only takes a few more drags of your nails on his skin, a few more of your breathy sighs of his name, a few more lazy swivels of your hips on his aching cock for him to cum in his boxers. His eyes nearly roll to the back of his head, swirls and images of you at the back of his eyelids imploding as he groans your name. 

“Kook,” You mumble, “Wanna cum. Help me, make me cum.”

Jungkook focuses on you, eyes drawn to the intensity with which you grind on his softening cock. He presses his thumb to the wet spot on your panties that has dripped onto his boxers, mixing with his own cum.

“Oh, honey,” Jungkook sighs, “Look at you. Messy girl. My pretty baby can’t cum on her own, huh? Need me?”

“Yeah,” You nod eagerly, “Yeah, I need you, baby…”

It only takes the slip of his fingers into your panties, swiping over your glossy folds and a few lazy rubs of his thumb for you to come undone just by his touch. Your eyelids flutter, a quiet whisper of his name tucked into the planes of his chest.

“You’re messy,” You grin and eye his boxers. He gives you a sheepish grin.

“Stay here,” Jungkook murmurs. He rolls off of the bed, feeling quite gross with his sticky boxers sticking to him like a second skin. He takes a pair of clean underwear and washes himself down carefully.

“It’s still early,” You say once he returns to bed with you, pulling you into his side and rubbing your shoulder adoringly, “Sun’s barely up yet.”

“So let’s go back to sleep for a bit,” Jungkook murmurs, rolling onto his side and pressing his chest to your back. He’s already dozing off, your warmth filtering around him like a cloud.

You wake up with his soft lips on your neck, his hands loose around your waist, and his nose in your hair. “Lemme make you cum again,” Jungkook says groggily into your hair. 

So you do.

Jungkook hadn’t told you much about where your second date would be taking place. You had been suspicious when he had packed the trunk of his car in a rush, not really allowing you to poke around and ask questions.

It’s about a twenty minute ride to wherever he’s taking you to, and you spend most of it chit-chatting or staring out of the window, enjoying the cool springtime sunshine.

A beautiful park comes into view, lush trees and shades of orange, pink and purples. When he parks and pulls out a large picnic basket for you with a shy smile, you can hear your heart beating in your ears loudly. You can’t help the grin that threatens to take over your face. He has a hand at the small of your back loosely as he leads you further and further into the park. 

It’s a beautiful day, perfect for your blouse, light jacket and your jeans.  Kids are running around with their friends and parents, but really, it just feels like you and Jungkook are alone in a bubble. 

“What’s all this, Jungkook?” You murmur, sitting next to him once you lay out the dark green checkered picnic blanket on the grass.

“Well, we’re at a park. See the Han river is right there,” Jungkook rolls his eyes and you swat his shoulder, “I-uh… Open the basket.”

You gasp, pushing Jungkook’s shoulder in disbelief when you see the assortment of food containers and two bottles of wine in the basket.

“You made this?” You murmur, “You did this for us?”

Your throat begins to close up and tears prick the back of your eyes, despite your watery smile. He’s so incredibly thoughtful and kind- everything you never thought you could have.

“I like that one the best,” You muse, swirling your glass of red wine (you can’t remember which one it is) in your hand.

“I hope you know which one that is, because I sure don’t,” Jungkook says.

“It’s the red one.”

“You don’t say.”

You laugh and lean against his shoulder. The people around you have begun to thin out as the sun had begun to go down. It’s a nice view of the river, but your favorite view is the one right next to you.

“Thank you,” You murmur, “I...I’m really happy and flattered you did this for me.” You stamp a kiss to his cheek quickly and lean further onto his shoulder. The silver hoops decorating his ears nearly tickle your head. He only wraps an arm around you and squeezes your waist. Jungkook looks at you, only to find you already looking at him. Your gaze flickers to his slightly parted lips and back to his deep eyes. 

You close the gap and kiss him quickly. It’s chaste, only lasting a few seconds- you’re not used to kissing him like that out in public. Heat crawls up your cheeks, but you still grin at him.

“Want to go for a walk?” He murmurs into your hair. You nod and stand, feeling a little wobbly with all of the wine going straight to your head. Jungkook steadies you (because of course he does) with a hand on your back.

“Are you good to drive after?” You implore, folding up the picnic blanket, “Should I call Jin and Yuna to pick us up?”

“I’m good,” Jungkook says with a crooked smile, “I got us, baby. Let’s go put this in the car.”

You’ll always be safe with him, he wants to say. But he doesn’t, only opening the picnic basket for you to slip the boxes of food into. Jungkook gently nudges your shoulder and follows your lead to his car.

The sun is slowly dipping down, illuminating the sky in hues of pinks, purples, and oranges. You and Jungkook walk side by side along the river- you’re unable to keep your eyes off of the way the sky reflects in the water and Jungkook is unable to keep his eyes off of you.

Your hand brushes along his accidentally, the warmth of his fingers sending goosebumps up your arms. Giving yourself a pep talk, you slip your hand into his and he can’t keep the pleasant surprise off of his face. 

Jungkook squeezes your hand every so often as you both quietly talk and walk, enjoying the light spring breeze.

Jungkook wants to learn every curve and soft sinew of your body- he wants to learn what gets you to sigh his name in that way, that way that causes a seed of possessiveness to plant itself in his belly. He desperately wants to learn what makes you tick, what you like.

For now, he’ll keep it slow. The slow, hot glide of his cock in your wetness is enough for now. The tight grip you have on his forearms, the bounce of your tits brushing against his chest is enough. You beg him for a kiss as your legs lock around his waist, pulling a deeper brush of his cock inside of you, and he’s happy to indulge you. 

Jungkook swallows everything you give him. He had stilled inside you with the first push of his cock into your pussy-

He watches your face, looking for any signs of discomfort. You tell him to wait while your eyes are squeezed shut, holding onto his biceps tightly. 

You’re so wet and warm for him. He wants to stay like this for as long as he can- the feeling of your pussy clenching around him (inadvertently or not) is addicting. 

“Okay,” You mumble, “I’m okay. Be slow with me?”

“Yes,” Jungkook replies instantly, kissing your forehead, “Yes, baby.” He thinks you like slow, but he thinks you might like spicy, too.

You cum rather quickly on his cock with his voice low in your ear and his fingers tracing over your clit and your nipples. He holds back, biting his tongue and instead nips at your neck as your pussy pulses around him. You’re smiling at him, a little dazed and a little dopey, your fingers tugging his hair.

“Gonna cum for me, baby?” You murmur sweetly, your cheeks heating up, “You’re so good, your cock feels so good…”

Jungkook groans into your neck, his grip on your thighs tight as he tries to stop himself from ramming his cock into your pussy.

That’s for another day. Jungkook lifts his head, nudging your cheek with his nose and peers down at you. A thin layer of sweat coats your skin and Jungkook cradles your cheek protectively.

“Kiss me,” You demand softly, needily. He drops his head once more, capturing your lips with his and moaning into your mouth when you slip your tongue into his. 

Jungkook loses himself in you, tracing your tattoos with his fingers as his rhythm sputters. Broken moans of your name spill into your lips as he cums into the condom when he stops his strokes. 

“Holy shit,” Jungkook murmurs into your neck and you hum in agreement. He drops his weight onto you and you smile lazily, enjoying the feel of him all around you. He thinks your pussy is made for him- the velvety grip of your walls around him is dreamy. He needs a minute to regain his bearings, but he can see your eyes starting to flutter.

He’s already made you cum four times- or was it five? You’re deliciously tired. You groan in protest when he pulls out and pushes himself off of you with shaky legs to get up to clean the both of you up. 

“Kook,” You complain softly, “Come back.”

You close your eyes for a minute and he’s in between your legs, cleaning you up and pulling a shirt over your head and sliding your arms through. “Figured you’d get cold,” Jungkook murmurs, his own bottom half covered with fresh boxers.

“Have some water,” He says, tipping the bottle of water towards your lips. 

“Thanks,” You mutter, “Let’s nap. And then eat after.”

You’re already rolling closer to him, face pressed to his chest and hands loose around his waist. 

Before he succumbs to sleep, Jungkook wonders if this is too much, too fast. But he doesn’t allow himself to go down that path- you both have spoken extensively about what you felt okay with and what you wanted from each other. Even if it might be early in this, it feels right and that’s something you both can agree on.

Sleep comes easily for both of you.

Diversity and inclusion in the workplace makes you scoff out loud and roll your eyes. You’ve only been here for five years, but you’ve seen how this plays out. While the concept itself might have western origins, the company is embracing the idea. But with workshops like this, people have their eyes open for the hour (or however long the workshop is) and don’t do the work outside of the workplace. It’s checking the box, in your opinion. Which is why you’re so reluctant to get involved with things like this.

Maybe you’re a cynic. Maybe it’s because you’ve been stonewalled at this company for so long. Maybe you should and could appreciate it more if the people around you would actually utilize the principles they preached about.

But the fact that your boss is leading today’s workshop makes you curious. What could your boss, the same boss who publicly ridicules you and blocks you from your own personal and professional development, have to say about a topic as pertinent as diversity and inclusion?

Your eyes are narrowed and sharp as you assess the conference room. Your boss is flipping through slides and speaking as if he knows anything and everything about the topic.

“...As a global company, we should be aware of the impact of our actions and words. And something for us to be proud of is the number of female executives at our company, we have some of the highest…”

You scoff out loud, drawing the surprised eyes of everyone in the room. You return their stares and ignore the way your heart speeds up at the unwarranted attention.

“Do you have something you want to say?” Your boss all but sneers at you and you double down on your icy gaze. You choose your next course of action a little recklessly, but you can’t bite your tongue. Not this time.

“You really wanna hear what I have to say?” You say, gripping your mug of coffee tightly, “We can’t talk about this without people acknowledging the way they continue to perpetuate toxic work environments- I mean, are you the best person to discuss this?”

A harsh, ruthless silence falls in the room and nearly chokes you. Anxiety crawls in your veins and suddenly you feel like throwing up. You leave quickly and quietly, but not before throwing another icy stare to everyone in the room.

Holy shit. You’ve definitely just lost your job, there’s no question about it. You can already hear the rumor mill. Your boss would be more than happy to let you go and cut his losses. What had you just done?

You make a beeline for Jin’s office. You don’t even know if he’s in a meeting or has something he’s working on but you don’t know where else to go. He tries to soothe you and calm you down, but you’re full on freaking out by this point-

“I’m gonna lose my job,” You say, your face in your hands, “What the fuck, I don’t know what came over me-”

He calls your name firmly, “Stop. I shouldn’t say this but… he deserved it. And you’re not the only person who has problems with him. You know that.”

“I’m the only one who embarrassed him like that! I’m gonna fucking lose this job, and then what? What am I going to do? I don’t want to go to HR-”

Jin stands in front of you and holds your upper arms steady, telling you to breathe with him. Your heart begins to slow and your vision clears a little. 

“You know if it comes down to that, you have people to vouch for you,” Jin murmurs.

“Okay,” You say, a little lightheaded, “Okay.”

Jin hugs you, but he can’t quite stop the trembling that follows. “If I hear anything, I’ll let you know,” Jin promises, “In the meantime, you should leave early. Or go find Jungkook, and then leave early.”

You crack a small smile, “That’s hardly appropriate. Thanks, Seokjin.”

You leave the building after seeing Jungkook. He walks you to your car, holding your trembling hand discreetly and kisses your hair, telling you to be brave and that everything will be okay. And you want to believe him, you really do. But this pit in your stomach feels too familiar for you to ignore.

tags: @koo-zy​

[justhockeythings-blog1]

You look really good in my jersey

A/N: Let me know what you guys think of this one! I have a specific part that is my fave, bonus points to anyone who can guess it!

Request: Prompt : “You look really good in my Jersey ” with Morgan Rielly

You and Morgan had been friends for years, inseparable from the second you moved into the house next door to him. Many people over the years had assumed that you two were dating, starting as young as middle school. You had always shaken your head and laughed it off, ignoring the way that Morgan looked at you momentarily before agreeing with you.

Now, after nearly twenty years of friendship, you still had those rumors. Whether it was from your friends, his friends, your parents. It seemed like the two of you couldn’t do anything together without someone making a comment that you two should be dating or assuming that you already were. 

To be honest, you had realized that the feelings you had for Morgan extended beyond that of friendship when you were back in high school. You should’ve seen it coming, you had noticed the shift in your feelings, the way your stomach would flutter when he smiled at you. Your cheeks heated up more often when he said something kind. You two went to a dance together your senior year and you were convinced that you would pass out from fighting off those feelings.

You couldn’t have those feelings. This was Morgan, your best friend, practically your brother. Those were the same words you had repeated to so many people over the years and now you were struggling to convince yourself. 

Then college came, you went to your university and Morgan went off to make his star career come true. It had been easy to avoid those feelings when you weren’t seeing him every day, at least not in person. You two still kept up regular contact, between facetime, phone calls, and texts, it was almost like you weren’t hundreds of miles apart. 

When he was drafted, you were watching. When you graduated, he was there. He had been your date to your best friend’s wedding, you had been his to many events for the Leafs. It only made sense, after your years of friendship, that you found a job in Toronto and be by your best friend again. 

“So when are you finally going to come to one of my games?” He asked, cocking an eyebrow at you as you lounged in your bed, his face smiling at you from the phone in your hand. He was on a roadtrip in Montreal and still found time to call you, making those butterflies erupt in your stomach again. 

“What makes you think I want to come to your game?” You teased, to be honest this was the first time in a long time you hadn’t been able to go to a game. Throughout your friendship you had made it a point to go to every single game you could, especially in high school when your emotions were high. 

Now though, it seemed like your job and his hockey schedule never lined up to where you could go to a game in person. You were slammed recently, up to your ears in meetings, reports, and a big presentation coming up. You wanted to be at the games, you wanted to be at them all but you just hadn’t found the time.

“Ouch, I take back my invitation.” He laughed, placing his hand over his heart as if pained by your statement. 

You smiled a little, biting your lip as you eyed the box at the end of your bed. You had finally bit the bullet and purchased his jersey, your heart jumping when you had laid out the bright blue jersey on your bed and saw ‘Rielly’ sprawled out across the back of it. Now you just had to find a game to wear it to. 

“Once I’m caught up on work, I’ll try and make a game, I’m sorry Morgs.” You offered, using your childhood nickname for him. One you knew would soften him up no matter what. 

“That’s not fair.” He commented with a smile, in reference to your nickname usage. The nickname only you could use and the one that made his stomach flip every time you said it. 

“Of course it is. You love me for it.” You teased and Morgan had to pause at that. It was one of the many reasons that he loved you but before he could say anything another yawn left your lips. “I’m sorry Morgs, I gotta get to bed, I’ll talk to you later, yeah?”

As you both hung up, miles apart from one another, you both fell asleep thinking about the other. 

A week after your phone call you had finally gotten caught up on your work, your presentation had been approved by your boss, and you had taken a long weekend just for the occasion. Which meant it was finally time to go see your boy play live, in person. 

You had arranged to sit with some of the other girls, wanting to see them as much as you wanted to see Morgan play. It felt like your whole social life had taken a toll because of your job. You caught sight of your reflection as you made your way to your seat, smiling to yourself. You hoped Morgan would like your surprise, you hadn’t told him that you were coming tonight or that you had bought his jersey. 

“He’s going to love it you know.” You turned your head, pulling your eyes away from the ice for the first time since the game started to look at Zach’s wife.

“What?” You asked, playing dumb though you knew exactly what she was refrring to. The girls had been a part of promoting a relationship between you and Morgan before, this was only going to perpetuate it.

“I know you might not see it, but you two are madly in love with one another.” 

You felt the heat rise to your cheeks, turning your eyes back to the ice as the third period began. Thankfully, she let the conversation end there, turning it back to hockey quickly but the seed had been planted. You had always assumed that Morgan only saw you as friends, as a sister even. 

You accepted the fact that you were forever going to be in the friendzone, but one comment that you had heard a thousand times, sent your mind reeling tonight. You felt yourself losing concentration on the game as your mind went deeper into the idea that Morgan could be in love with you. You began to analyze every little thing that could have pointed to that outcome. The way he put his hand on your lower back at an event, how he would shift closer to your side when out at a bar full of creepy men, or how any time you fell asleep at his place he would cover you up and let you stay as long as you wanted. You had always assumed that was just him being a good friend, now though you wondered if it could have meant more. You were pulled from your thoughts by the final buzzer. A Leafs win would hopefully distract you from your thoughts about the boy you were about to see. 

You joined the girls outside of the locker room, knowing that the guys would have media but there had been talk of a group going out for a late dinner after the game. If you knew Morgan, you would probably end up along with the group and you were okay with that. 

You smiled as you saw him coming out, watching as he faltered in his steps when he realized what you had on. It made your stomach flip, it wasn’t like you had never worn a jersey or something of his before, but this time felt very different.

“Hey.” You broke the ice, moving to meet him where he stood and hugging him. “You did great tonight, nice goal.” 

You felt his arms wrap back around you, hugging you tightly as though the two of you hadn’t seen each other earlier in the week for lunch. He pulled away, smiling down as he took in your appearance once more.

“You look really good in my jersey.” He commented, his eyes raking over the jersey one more time, which inevitably brought a blush to your cheeks. 

“Glad you think so, it’s a little expensive for me not to.” You chuckled, shrugging your shoulders under the weight of his hands as they held you.

“You know what would make you look even better in it?” He asked, seeming to have a newfound air of confidence around him. You assumed it was from the win, little did you know that it was actually from the fact that seeing you in his jersey had finally given him the push to make a move.

“If we were sitting at a restaurant eating? I don’t know about you but I am starving and the other guys already left.”  You laughed and Morgan chuckled a little, shaking his head, he had to do this now before he lost his nerve.

“If you were my girlfriend wearing my jersey.” He commented, leaving you stunned as you stared up at him.

Your silence was making him nervous, maybe he had misinterpreted the signs. He was mentally cursing his teammates for giving him the push to ask you out finally, but seeing you in his jersey made him realize that he didn’t want to risk seeing you in anyone else’s. 

“You know what, just forget I said anything. Let’s go get food.” He rescinded, letting his hands fall from your shoulders, his cheeks a bright red. His stomach dropping at the idea that he may have just ruined his longest friendship on a whim.

“No, wait!” You grabbed his hand, stopping him from moving. “Ask me again.” 

He furrowed his eyebrows confused by your demand, “What do you mean?”

“Ask me again.” You insisted. “I don’t want to have to tell people that I stood there like a fish out of water when you asked me to be your girlfriend.”

He laughed at that, a genuine laugh, one that was filled with relief and joy at what your statement insinuated.

“Will you be my girlfriend?” He asked again, staring into your eyes to make sure you were serious about this.

“Yes.” You smiled widely, nodding. “Now can we get food?”

[dustofbrokenheart]

The Covenant: Tech Guy

Reid Garwin x Reader

Word Count: 3,826

Summary: After renting a laptop from your campus library, you run into a download problem. A call to Library Tech Services for help introduces you to Tech Guy. Good at his job, but with questionable people skills, you learn to work with him. It certainly helps that he has an attractive voice.   

This was not good, not good at all. It was less than an hour to midnight, the sun long since having set, and time seemed to pas faster, not slower, the later it got.

Now, you considered yourself to be pretty good with technology, perhaps not a computer genius but good enough to be able to troubleshoot most of your problems. It was pure bad luck that the night your capabilities failed was the night before you had an assignment due in Graphic Design.

Your own laptop had been ruined after an accident in the library had left the screen nothing more than a web of shattered fragments, but thankfully the library also carried laptops for checkout which saved you from having to fork out money that you didn’t have to buy a new one. You thought that checking out a laptop would be a quick fix to your problem, but you underestimated how high their demand was.

The librarian you spoke with at the circulation desk put you on a waiting list much to your disappointment and you left the building empty handed, unsure when one would become available.

The answer was six days later, the night before you had something due.

When they left a voicemail on your cell phone around seven o’clock to tell you that it was ready for pick-up, you immediately hopped on a bus bound for the library. The anxiety should have been somewhat alleviated because you could actually start to work on it now but when you got back to your dorm room and opened it up, another problem presented itself: the program you needed wasn’t installed.

Bad luck 1 – You 0.

Every time you tried to install it a message would pop up prompting you to enter an admin username and password in order to start the process. You had never seen that message before and innocently tried your own username and password. When that didn’t work, you tried three more times just to be sure.

Next stop was the internet, everyone’s favorite place to ask questions. You ran a quick search describing the problem and read through a couple of chat room threads. Disappointingly, nothing really applied to the situation at hand.

In hindsight, you shouldn’t have spent so much time trying to fix it because all that came of it was a lot of wasted time and you still hadn’t installed the program. You really didn’t want to take another trip to the library tonight if you could help it.

Frustrated and stuck you opened up the library’s webpage to see if there were any answers to be found. They didn’t but you did find the phone number for Library Tech Services, which was miraculously open even this late in the night.

Punching in the numbers you dialed and waited for someone to answer and when they did, it was short and to the point. “Library Tech.”

“Umm, hi… my name is y/n and I’m having an issue installing a program on my laptop rental.”

“Hmm. What’s the problem?” Again, not much to go on but the you could admit that tech guy’s voice sounded attractive.  

“Well. I clicked on the install button, but as soon as I did a message telling me that I needed admin permission to continue flashed on my screen.”

“Did you try your university username and password?”

“Yes.”

“Did you double check that you typed everything correctly?”

“Yes.”

“Did you try Google?”

“Of course, I did,” you answered with exasperation. He snickered and you felt your hackles rise. You called the number to get helped, not to get laughed at. Attractive voice be damned.

“I promise I exhausted every trick I know, I’m not stupid. But I do have something to finish tonight so if you can help me out here, that’d be great.”

For a split second you felt bad for being short with him but the aggravation was quick to return. He was the one providing terrible customer service… why should you feel bad calling him out on it?

He must’ve gotten the hint because he cleared his throat and started being serious. “The library puts restrictions on its laptops because they don’t want people downloading stuff willy nilly. What do you need to install?”

“Just Adobe Illustrator.”

You heard him typing on a keyboard in the background. “Sounds okay to me. I’ll just give you the admin credentials so you don’t have to make a trip over here tonight.”

You started to say thanks until you processed the end of that sentence. “Wait, what do you mean by that?”

“Normally we require people to come in person to fill out a form. Once the request is approved, a person is supposed to enter in the admin stuff, but I’m going to give it out over the phone to save you some time.”

His words left you speechless. You had no idea there was a whole process to do something so simple as install a program; you should’ve asked more questions before you walked out with it. It was a good thing to remember for next time. And the earlier guilt returned, too. He was being so nice now, bending the rules so you didn’t have to make another trek on the bus, which was quite frankly a gamble after dark.

You thanked him profusely, the tension draining from your shoulders. Once you told him the laptops id number and he was able to confirm that it was rented out to your account, he shared the username and password with you.  

With baited breath, you typed in exactly what he told you to and couldn’t help the happy noise that escaped you when it worked. It was impossible that tech guy saw your chair dance through the phone but he laughed again, making you question if he somehow knew anyway.

“Thanks, you’re a life saver!”  

He cleared his throat and said “Glad to be of service.” Then he hung up without another word.

You pulled the phone away from your ear and looked at it blankly. What the heck was that about? Thinking back on the conversation left you feeling very confused but you threw yourself into getting your images drawn up on Illustrator and soon lost yourself in the work.

You ended up staying up late well past your normal bedtime but the deadline was enough motivation for you to push through the drowsiness and yawns. Around 3:30 you finally finished and emailed it to the professor so you wouldn’t have to worry about it in the morning.

Sleep came easy that night and you vaguely remembered dreaming about tech guy’s voice which was utterly ridiculous. He hadn’t even mentioned his name, for goodness sakes! Plus, he was so hard to read, bouncing between jerk and nice on a whim. Nope. You were not going to stoop to finding out who he was. Not a chance.

After yesterday’s incident, your first course of the new day was to go grab a cup of coffee. You weren’t an easy riser on a good day, even less so after being up until the wee hours of the morning and caffeine was going to be essential for powering you through your classes.

Your go-to place was a campus coffee shop two blocks down from your dorm. It was still winter but you found that as long as you bundled up, the walk over went quickly and the cold air worked wonders for organizing your thoughts. But the real reason it was your favorite was not its closeness, it wasn’t even for the coffee; it was because of the heavenly pastries they made daily. The croissants, the eclairs, the danishes… they were all excellent. None was above their banana chocolate chip muffins.

A little bell chimed as you opened the door and the blast of heat from inside the shop felt nice against your chilled cheeks. The familiar worker at the register looked up and smiled when they saw you. “Hey, y/n! Should I start working on your cappuccino order?”

“Yes, please!” You approached the counter, removing your gloves to make it easier to take out your card from your wallet. A gleaming dessert case also caught your eye and you tried to glance over discreetly. As subtle as you tried to be, the cashier knew you too well after serving you for the past couple of years.

“Oh, sorry. We’re out those again.”

“Again?” you questioned sorrowfully.

He gave you a sympathetic shrug. “They’re very popular, they always go fast.”

It used to be that you could get your hands on a banana chocolate chip muffin whenever you wanted one but the secret must’ve gotten out to the rest of campus because you’d struck out for the past weeks. With a dramatic sigh, you settled for a chocolate croissant. It was no muffin but it was something to tide over your stomach until lunch.

“You know,” you started conspiratorially, “How can someone be so talented yet stupid simultaneously? If that no-good-baker bothered to make more of them knowing how fast they sell, this wouldn’t happen.”

You had never actually met the baker that was the source of the yummy pastries. In fact, you’d never even seen him and only knew that he was good at what he did and that he never came out to the front of the shop. There was really no reason why you ragged on him that morning other than you had major plans for that muffin that now had to be put on hold.

The cashier chuckled as he rang you up and looked back at the door to the kitchen for a moment. “I’ll pass along the message.” He slipped the croissant in a brown paper bag and handed it, along with the travel coffee cup, over to you.  “Have a good day. See you next time.”

You accepted it with a “You, too,” and were out the door to catch the next bus to your class.

*** 

Later that week, you ran into a familiar problem with the laptop. This time you needed to add Photoshop but figured that it shouldn’t be an issue now that you knew the password. So when you typed in the exact same thing as last time and the computer told you it was incorrect, you dragged a hand down your face and groaned. Well, you weren’t going to make the same mistake twice.

Swiveling around in your chair you grabbed your phone and called the Tech Services line again. The only thing that would make this even better would be if tech guy answered again, that’s how your luck was going that week. And sure enough, “Library Tech Services.”

You refrained from groaning again. Out loud anyway. “Hi, it’s y/n again. I was the one who called about the admin credentials Monday night?”  

“What’s up?”

“I’m trying to install Photoshop right now and it’s telling me the username/password is incorrect, which is impossible because it’s what I used the last time.”

“Right. We had to change the password for our monthly maintenance, it’s a security thing.”

“You’re kidding,” you said surprise coloring your voice. “Any chance you can share the new one with me?”

“Technically, I wasn’t supposed to give that to you last time.”

It was time to turn on the charm and convince him like you managed to previously. As you pleaded with him to do you this favor he interrupted you.

“How bad do you need it?”

What was wrong with you that hearing him say that put your mind in the gutter? He definitely hadn’t meant it that way when he said it! He was much chattier this time around so you were able to appreciate his voice better and his voice just did it for you.

You cleared your throat. “It’s not an emergency this time, no impending next-day deadlines, but I do want to get working on this new assignment…”

“Okay, okay. You’re lucky I like you.” That was news to you because you didn’t get that vibe based on the last call. It was nice to hear though. Some clicks sounded from the other end of the line and you waited silently for a few moments before he was ready to say the new password.

“Whew, we’re good to go,” you updated him as the Photoshop installation started. Another moment of silence passed.

Finally, he said a quick, “Good.”

You weren’t caught off guard when you heard the click that signaled he had hung up. Unlike the last call, he hadn’t seemed rude and he did mention that he liked you. Maybe he was just an awkward sort of guy, despite his killer voice. That might explain why he worked an IT job, weren’t those kinds of guys supposed to have terrible people skills?

You worked with Photoshop for a bit and when you reached a good stopping point, you got ready for bed. That night you laid awake for a while, unable to drift off to sleep. Instead, you replayed the conversation with tech guy over and over in your mind.

He was very helpful when he wasn’t giving an attitude and he this was the second time he had bent the rules for you. That pesky word ‘like’ kept rattling in your brain and you started to wonder if that nice voice belonged to a nice face. Furthermore, was there a chance that he found your voice attractive as well?

***

Sunday morning on a college campus seemed like a smart time to visit the coffee given that most of campus wasn’t up yet, which increased the chances of you getting your hands on a banana chocolate chip muffin. Maybe even two or three if you were honest, to make up for the past several failed attempts.

The sun hadn’t been up long when you opened the door, the little jingling bell announcing your presence. A barrage of delicious aromas caressed your nose and to your extreme delight, one of the scents you detected was a banana-chocolate combination.

You walked up to the counter and the cashier smiled as he told you good morning.

“So… can I get three banana chocolate chip muffins?”

He merely smiled and started working on your cappuccino. “Of course. Reid just finished them so they still in the kitchen, piping hot.”

Reid must be the baker that was responsible for the muffins as well as responsible for never making enough. “Finally! This is a long time coming for me.”

“I passed him your message, I think he took it to heart.” He handed over the drink and turned to go to the kitchen. “I’ll be back with the muffins.”

He pushed the door open and for a split second you caught a glimpse of a side profile belonging to a blonde guy. He was too far away to distinctly make out any facial features but he had nice shoulders framed by his black tee and obvious blonde hair that was hard to miss. He looked cute to you, at least from a distance.

Those two details were the only things you took note of before the door closed, effectively blocking you from more staring. Too bad. It was totally ridiculous to think about but tech guy’s voice would be a good combination with baker guy’s looks.

You picked at the lid of the coffee cup while you waited for the rest of your order already anticipating how they would taste. Your plan was to only eat one this morning and to ration the rest, but you were honest enough with yourself to know that you might enter a feeding frenzy and have all three finished by lunch.

When the door opened up again your eyes searched for the seemingly cute baker but there was no sign of him. There wasn’t a chance to get down about it, however, because a smile lit up your face as soon as you saw the medium sized brown paper bag that held the muffins.

“Reid says these are especially for you,” the cashier said as he lifted the bag over the register.

You were quick to raise your hands to take it from him and made sure to thank him as you left, not questioning why Reid, a person you’d never met, would make a comment like that, figuring that he was referring to how you complained that the muffins were always sold out.

The morning air was especially cold as you trekked back to your dorm, your breath condensing into a fleeting, frozen cloud around your face and the only thing keeping your hands warm was the cappuccino you held between gloved hands. Still, the trip to the coffee shop was definitely worth it and you were hoping that it was a good omen to start the day off with.

***

Perhaps you were still experiencing the high of the morning victory at the coffee shop, but later on that night while you were working on homework once again, you started thinking about tech guy again. There wasn’t any need to call him; you now had both Illustrator and Photoshop on the laptop and there wasn’t anything else that you needed to install.

Still, you debated calling him. Not because you needed to but because you wanted to. Which was weird, even to you, but you had missed him the past couple of days, bad people skills and all. After the second call, you felt even more confident that he wasn’t as condescending a guy as you had first thought him to be. And you wouldn’t mind getting to know that awkward version of him better.

The hard part was you literally knew nothing about him other than he worked the night shift at the library. You didn’t have a name, a face, not even a work schedule to confirm whether he was working tonight or not. Reid must’ve been serious when he told the cashier those muffins were made especially for you because there had to have been a secret dose of recklessness mixed in there. How else would you explain this strange, and potentially creepy, call you were about to make?

The dial tone rang and you took a deep breath, not sure how this would turn out. On the fifth ring, someone finally picked up. “Library Tech Services.”

You laughed in relief. Tech guy was the on the other end of the phone. “Hey.”

“Hey, y/n. Having another crisis?” On one hand you felt a little embarrassed that you no longer had to say your name for him to recognize your voice but on the other, the possibility that he enjoyed talking with you, too.

“It may come as a surprise but I can get through a day without having a tech issue that needs solving.”

“Oh, really?”

“I swear.” You crossed your heart even though he couldn’t see you.

“Well, what do you want then?”

Time to be brave. “Actually, I called for you.”

“I would hope so, I’m the only who works this shift meaning I’m your only option.”

“No, um, I meant I wanted to tell you thanks for helping me out with installing that stuff on the laptop. You were a lifesaver.”

“I try.”

“Seriously! I definitely would’ve missed one graphic design deadline, potentially two if you hadn’t come to the rescue.”

That seemed to get his attention. “Is that your major? Graphic Design?”

“Yep. Don’t I give off bumbling artist vibes?”

“Hmm you seem pretty confident to me but there’s nothing wrong with that. My grandma was—” He started that sentence but abruptly cut off and you couldn’t help but laugh.

“Are you saying I remind you of your grandma?”

“Shit,” he grumbled. “My friends told me to stop bringing her up when talking to hot people.”

“Don’t sweat it, she sounds like she was awesome so I’m honored. But back to the part where I’m hot… do you really think so?”

“Obviously. Do you think I hand out library secrets to every person who calls? Your voice is strong and you sound super smart so I tried my best to be cool with you.”

“Okay but future tip: hanging up on people and not telling them your name is rude, not cool.”

His embarrassment was tangible through the phone and you let him sweat momentarily before speaking. “Luckily for you, I like dorks such as yourself and am willing to look past it as long as I get your name.”

“It’s Reid. Reid Garwin,” he rushed to say.

Now that was interesting. You fell back on your bed, your brain trying to make connections. The name while not super common, wasn’t rare either and what were the chances that you met two of them on the same day. If Reid with the nice body and tech guy, er, Reid with the nice voice were one in the same, you wouldn’t be upset. Quite the contrary.

“Reid as in Reid who bakes my favorite sugar fixes on campus?”

“One in the same. You seen me there before?”

“Only once,” you reveal. “When I went to pick up some muffins this today.”

It was his turn to laugh. “Wait. Are you saying that you’re that customer who called me stupid the other day?”

“…Maybe.”

“They don’t let me out front cause I’m ‘too much’ for people but rest assured that the door isn’t that thick. I feel like an idiot for not recognizing that it was you though.”

The revelation that Reid was baking a tech hero, a winning mix by the way, thrilled you all the way from your head to your toes. At the moment you didn’t even care that he heard you calling him names at the coffee shop although you were sure the mortification would set in later.

“Would you like to go out sometime—”

“You do want to go out with me sometime—”

The two of you spoke at the same time and when you realized that the other had read your mind, you both giggled.

“After you,” you assured him.

“Shit, would you like to go out sometime? There’s a restaurant downtown that’s really good and I promise not to bring up grandma Garwin again.”

The plan was to pretend to think about it but your excitement overrode your brain and you said, “Deal as long as you promise to tell me more about her, not less.”

He started to answer you but stopped suddenly and you could vaguely hear him getting scolded by someone, reminding you that technically he was still on the clock.

“Sorry,” he grumbled, “The librarian on duty told me to stop flirting and get back to work. Stop by the coffee shop tomorrow though and we can talk more.”

You said your good-byes and rolled around your bed, the comforter thoroughly rumpled by the time you stopped. It seemed that your luck may be turning around for the better.

_______________

Thanks for reading my most self-indulgent piece to date. Also my longest! Reid may consider himself to be mister cool, but he is also an awkward bean who would make a great tech guy. It's also my first time experimenting with moodboards, let me know what you think :)

[chaletnz]

Green Card Series: US Embassy Interview

[The first of some posts I wrote about the experience of winning and obtaining a US “green card” in the 2021 DV Lottery.]

As I sat on the metro headed towards my capsule hotel for the evening, I realized that I had forgotten to buy a Letterpack envelope from a post office. In the midst of rushing to Tokyo, going to the outskirts of Shinjuku to pick up my medical report, and coordinating dinner with an ex-colleague I hadn’t seen in 5 years that one little detail had slipped my mind. Unlike Kutchan, where I could’ve ducked into a post office until 7pm on a Thursday night, everything here was closed by 5pm. The panic began to set in with my friend also unable to find an open shop to get one from, but then I found online that the Central Tokyo Post Office would open at 7am. I would have an hour before my interview to take the train down and buy one and make it back in time to gather my documents and walk to the embassy. Of course, it was raining heavily, so heavily that the day after I left there would be reports of rain-induced landslides in Shizuoka that destroyed 80 homes. In fact, the internet was wrong once again and the post office was not open until 9am but inside there was a small kiosk and he sold me a Letterpack without any problem! I clutched it close to me to keep it dry while I walked back to the station and back to my capsule to gather up my documents and make the same walk clutching the plastic folders close to me to the US embassy in Akasaka.

When I arrived one of the guards asked me the time of my appointment and placed me in the queue as he saw fit. I showed my passport and my name was checked on a list of interviewees for the day. I was whisked on to put my umbrella in the rack, and my phone in a small blue basket. As we waited to get inside the security check room I chatted with the friendly guard outside which made me feel very relaxed. My phone screen was wiped with a swab and then sent through a scanner with my folders and small bag. At the other end I took one of their ratty loan umbrellas to cross the courtyard to the actual embassy building. My passport was checked again at the entrance and I was given a list of instructions and told to take a ticket from the machine inside. I arranged my documents in order as per the instructions and borrowed a pen to write my name of the back of my photographs. I approached the counter to submit documents but I think I should’ve just waited because my number was summoned to a counter where a lady asked me for all of my documents in the folder. She asked me if I had visited any other countries in the last two weeks (COVID check), whether I was married, had kids, or had lived in any other countries where I had a criminal record. I answered no to everything and she gave me a slip to pay the visa application fee and told me to return to her with the receipt. It was $330 and I tried to pay with card but as my Japanese card does not have my name on it this was not accepted. Instead I paid cash in Japanese yen (36,300 JPY) which luckily I had withdrawn as a backup while also at the post office – actually it’s not a bad rate! I passed the receipts to the same lady and then she asked me for financial support documents or an affidavit of support. I presented bank statements from 3 of my accounts which she struggled to understand and confirm, so she wrote a note for the attention of the consular officer. Then she told me to sit and wait to be called for interview. Hilarious, because there were only about 5 chairs for 30 people standing waiting. Slowly the crowds filed out and I was able to get a seat after about an hour of standing waiting watching Japanese people get grilled in English and not understand what was happening. “How can you study in the US when you don’t speak English?” I distinctly heard one poor guy get asked.

At last my number flashed and I was summoned to counter 8. I had been telling the universe I wanted to be interviewed by the lady as the bald guy seemed very strict and harsh, and she had approved all the cases before me. She seemed like a cheerful woman in her late 30s with thin blonde hair tied up into a bun, she wore a black facemask and a green and white flowing top with a lanyard around her neck sporting a yellow button with something written on it that I couldn’t read. “Good morning” I greeted as I placed my documents on the ledge. “Morning, how are you?” She had time for pleasantries and she seemed nice.

“Firstly, I’m going to return your original documents and payment receipt. Now please raise your right hand.” I was a bit caught off guard as I had not seen any other people in the hour I was watching ever have to raise their right hand! She recited a pledge and asked me to swear to tell the truth which I did. Next my fingerprints were taken on a little scanner box on the table. Then she got stuck in with the interview.

“Why do you want to move to the US?”

“How long have you lived in Japan?”

“Have you lived in any other countries for more than a year?”

“What work do you do now?”

“Where would you go in the US, what’s your plan?”

“Tell me about your education history after leaving school.”

“A Bachelors is your highest qualification?”

“How much money do you have in savings”

“Do you think that’s enough, to start a new life?”

“Do you have anyone that can support you financially if you need it?”

The one that got me was the “do you think that’s enough [money] to start a new life?”. I hadn’t really intended to start a new life, at least for the first year or so I guess I’m planning to treat the green card like a working holiday. Work, travel, meet people. I’m not sure that I will be starting a new life right away. It also implied to me that she thought I would be living my life indefinitely in the US – is that what most winners do? Suddenly the permanence of the situation was dawning on me. I explained that it would be enough for a few months to find my feet, as an experienced traveller and backpacker primarily I was used to staying in hostels and no frills accommodation. My experience in the hospitality industry was also brought up to convince her that I would be able to support myself by working those crappy jobs no one else wants to do if I had to! By the end of the interview she seemed satisfied and told me the visa was approved and I would receive my passport back in about a week. She invited me to ask questions but I didn’t have any, instead I asked if I could give her an omiyage (a small gift) to thank her but she said she could not accept which was expected actually. That was it, I made my way out of the embassy and gave the omiyage to the friendly guard who I had chatted with earlier and he took it happily.

A brisk walk back through the torrential rain to the train station and I found myself at Harajuku Station ready to enjoy a celebratory lunch at Sarutahiko Coffee above the station entrance. I sat in a cosy corner with a pulled pork sandwich and a latte to spend an hour texting my good news to everyone and gazing longingly at the cats of the cat café across the street lounging in the window. Sarutahiko café was recommended by Paolo in Tokyo who is a big YouTuber for English speakers interested in Japan and I explained that to the cashier who seemed thrilled although, Japanese people can seem thrilled about anything even though they only understand about 10% of what you’re saying... She recommended that I try their specialty coffee beans which have a aroma and flavour like whiskey so I jumped at that! It was a little bit strange (and expensive) but a unique coffee and whiskey combination to celebrate my visa.

[onemysticwriter]

Contest One Shot - Jumin Han x Lonnie

A/N: My dear joy1579 thank you very much for participating in my contest. You were the lucky winner and I wrote your one shot. I hope, that you’ll like it! Congratulations again 🥰🎉

I hope this is okay to read since I can’t log in on tumblr at my computer right now and it looks different on mobile. So if there’s any problem, please contact me! Also, please excuse grammatical errors and some „weird“ sentences as I don’t speak English as my first language. Thank you ❤️

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hopefully, I won’t bother him at work…he’s just always so busy.” Lonnie thought to herself as she walked down the streets heading towards the big C&R tower. She was humming her favorite song quietly as she thought about her husband.

Ah, yes…her husband was no other than the famous director Jumin Han. In only eleven days she managed to become a part of the RFA charity organization, help Jumin overcome one of his biggest crises and fall in love with the black-haired man.

Her life went from a “commoner”, as he would always say, to one of the richest people in South Korea. However, she never married him for his fame or his money. Jumin just was everything she always wanted in a man. He was sensitive, supportive, and overly protective of Lonnie. She just was his queen, his everything.

Together they lived in his luxurious penthouse downtown with his cat Elizabeth 3rd. Although they were already married for five years now, there was just never the right time to really start a family, so Elizabeth 3rd quickly acted as a compensation for Lonnie. Yes, she genuinely loved her life and her husband.

“Miss, watch out!” A cry interrupted her thoughts and brought her back to reality as a stranger pulled her away from the street and back to the sidewalk. She watched with wide eyes as a car drove fast over the spot where she was just a second ago. “Th-thank you. That…would’ve ended badly. I-I’m just always so clumsy. Sorry for the inconvenience!” She apologized to the man with white hair with a small bow. “Don’t worry about it. Just watch yourself. You’ll never know what dangers lurk around you.” He said with a small mischievous grin as he walked away. “That…was even more strange.” Lonnie thought to herself. “Gosh, I have to stop daydreaming. Maybe I should’ve asked Driver Kim to get me here. If Jumin finds out about this I won’t leave the penthouse for a while.” Just with that thought in mind she arrived at the huge building. Of course, she had a special ID-card and could come and go as she liked so she wouldn’t have to worry about getting in.

However, as she walked past a small alley next to the tower, she heard a few whimpers. “What was that?” Lonnie whispered and looked around for the source of the sound. Her gaze fell upon a small box right at the entrance of the alley with two small kittens in it and a sign that said, “for free”. “Oh no, who in the world would give away such cuties like you two?” She cooed as she picked up the box. The little ones immediately meowed at her and looked at her with big shiny eyes.

One of them was a calico and had mostly white fur with black and gold spots all over its body and had calming blue eyes while the other one was pitch black and had bright green eyes. They were just beautiful. “I can’t leave them here…god, I hope Jumin won’t mind me bringing them in his office.” Lonnie mumbled as she closed the box carefully and entered the C&R building.

When she arrived at the highest floor, she walked to the desk where Jumins assistant Jaehee Kang was working. Jaehee seemed to be very concentrated as she didn’t notice her boss’s wife standing right in front of her. With a smile Lonnie put down the box and cleared her throat. “Jaehee? May I interrupt you for a moment?” She said politely with a smile on her face.

“Huh? Oh, Mrs. Han! I’m so sorry I didn’t see you there!” She explained as she stood up to give her a little bow. “No, no. Don’t worry about it. And we talked about that. Call me Lonnie, just like before I married Jumin.” Lonnie laughed and winked at her playfully. “Yes, I know. However, these are Mr. Han’s orders and if it’s alright with you I will call you Mrs. Han here at work.” Lonnie sighed and nodded as she tried to be understanding of her husband. He had to maintain an image after all. “Alright, I see it can’t be helped. Uhm…do you know if Jumin is in his office? It’s his lunch break now and I wanted to visit him.”

Jaehee’s gaze went to her time schedule to check. “He’s at a meeting right now, but it should end soon. If you want, you can wait for him in his office? I’ll inform him that you’re waiting for him.” “Oh, no need to. If he’s in a meeting, we shouldn’t interrupt it just because I want to eat lunch with him. I’ll just wait in there. Thanks for your help. And…” Lonnie said as she digged in her bag to bring out a lunch box. “You shouldn’t be skipping lunch either, Jaehee. I hope that you’ll enjoy it.” She could see Jaehee’s eyes grow wide as she accepted the box gratefully. This wasn’t the first time Lonnie had brought lunch not only for Jumin and her but for his assistant as well as she knew how hard her job was. With a smile Lonnie picked up the box with the kittens again, which luckily went unnoticed by anyone, and walked into her husband’s office to prepare everything for his break.

After a short while Jumin walked in and looked at Lonnie with a surprised expression as he closed the door. “Lonnie? What are you doing here? I didn’t know you would come today.” He said as he walked up to her to greet her with a kiss. Her smile grew as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Well, I wanted to surprise you…so…surprise?” Jumin chuckled a bit as he placed another kiss on her forehead.

“You did surprise me apparently. But know I know why Assistant Kang was humming while she ate. You also brought her food again, am I right?” He asked with a small smile on his lips. Even though he didn’t understand her motivation for cooking herself and for others he loved how caring and even motherly Lonnie was. She was simply perfect.

“Yes, I couldn’t help it. She really does a great job- ““For which I pay her very well.” “Yes, however you should always be grateful to have her as your assistant and show her from time to time.” Lonnie quickly replied to him as she got their food out of her bag. “Alright, I’ll keep that in mind.” He told her as his gaze went to the slightly moving box. “Dear? What do you have in there? Don’t tell me you brought Elizabeth 3rd in that shady box.”

Jumin’s facial expression changed from curious to worried. “No, of course I didn’t. But…I wanted to talk about that…” Lonnie said as she opened the box for him. The kittens blinked at the sudden light and meowed at them tiredly. “I found them in a small alley next to this building. I know you don’t like stray cats, but these are so tiny, and I can’t- “” We’ll keep them.” Lonnie stopped for a moment and blinked. Did…he just approved of them that quickly? “W-wait…are you sure? But I thought…”

He smiled as he picked up the black kitten to pet it. “Yes, I know what I said, but look at them. These are purebred Persian cats. Even in black and calico which is very unlikely. Those are rarities and not simple stray cats.” He explained to her as he put back the kitten to pick up the other to also take a better look at it.

Lonnie let out a squeal of excitement and hugged Jumin tightly. “Hey, slowly…I still got the little fella in my hands.” He chuckled. “You know what? After our lunch you’ll go home with them and I’ll call Elizabeth 3rd’s vet so that he can check if they’re healthy.” “That is a great idea! Thank you so much, honey! Oh, I know that this will work out perfectly! You’ll see.” Lonnie grinned and kissed Jumin deeply. “My, my, dear wife. Not in front of those innocent eyes…”

Later that day Lonnie went back to their penthouse with the kittens. Just in case they were sick she put Elizabeth 3rd in a different room before she could meet the kittens. The vet arrived just like Jumin ordered and determined the perfect health of both kittens. As it turned out, the black cat was a male and the calico was a female. Now they just needed names for them.

Soon after the vet left the penthouse Jumin came home from work to see his beautiful wife sitting on the couch with their new kittens and Elizabeth 3rd. The white cat purred happily as she watched the two play with her fluffy tail. “Jumin…welcome home, darling.” Lonnie greeted her husband like everyday with a kiss. “Thank you. I see that the three of them get along?” He asked as he watched the scene with a smile.

“Oh, it’s beautiful. Elizabeth 3rd immediately adopted them, and she just loves to watch them play with each other. I think she acts as their new mother.” Lonnie smiled as well. “I’m glad to hear that.” The director said as he crouched down to pet Elizabeth 3rd. “Oh, and the vet just left earlier. The kittens are healthy and the black one is male and the other is female. However, we’re supposed to bottle feed them as Elizabeth 3rd won’t produce any milk for them. I just warmed up two bottles. Do you want to help me?” She asked. Jumin smiled and picked up the black cat. “Of course, I will.”

Together they sat down on the sofa and fed the small fur balls who eagerly drank the milk. “Am…am I doing this right?” Jumin suddenly asked. His wife looked at him with a questioning expression. “Yes, of course. You’re doing this perfectly, honey. Why do you ask?” “Well…” He began to mumble and then looked straight into her eyes.

“I think I want to have a child with you.”

[ggclarissa]

Not Real Pt. 2 (Five Hargreeves x Robot!Reader)

Summary: After disappearing for almost seventeen years, Five returns to the academy. He returns to you.

A/N: The part two nobody asked for, but the part I wanted. The reader acts a little more human here because of Five. Btw, the whole I Think We’re Alone Now dancing sequence never happened in this imagine. Also (Y/F/F) means your favorite flowers.

You sat on one of the plush sofas in the living room as Luther, Diego, Allison, Klaus, and Vanya discussed the death of their father. Luther claimed it was murder, which you didn’t quite understand. Pogo told you that Reginald had died of heart failure. Then again, you weren’t there when it happened. You were shut off as you were being recharged, apparently.

“Would anyone like anything to eat?” You spoke up, smiling sweetly. You didn’t mean to intrude on their conversation, but you hadn’t cooked or baked for any of the children in a long time. It was nice to see them all again even if it was during a despairing occasion.

“No, we’re good, (Y/N),” Allison assured you, sending you a pitiful smile. She knew you were only trying to liven up the conversation

Your smile faltered, and it became a little more synthetic. “Oh, okay,” You muttered, fiddling with the hem of your dress. As the children continued their discussion, you looked up at the painting above the fireplace. The painting of Five.

You never understood why Five left. He stormed out of lunch one day after an arguement with his father and never came back. Vanya had tried telling you that Five wasn’t really gone, that he’d be coming back soon. It had been almost seventeen years since his disappearance, and you were still waiting for him to come home.

You stood in the dining room as the children ate the lunch you and Grace had prepared. It was a bit too quiet for your liking, but you wouldn’t dare voice your opinion. No talking was allowed during meal times as it interrupted Herr Carlson. One of the many rules your master and creator, Sir Reginald Hargreeves, had set in place for those living in the Umbrella Academy.

You looked over at the children, each of them doing their own thing. Ben was silently reading a novel as he chewed his food, Klaus was rolling a joint under the table, Diego and Vanya were eating their lunch, and Allison and Luther were stealing subtle glances at each other. Five was staring at his father intently, his mouth opening and closing. You knew exactly what he wanted to say.

Five discussed with you earlier that he wanted to time travel. You opposed the idea, reprimanding him and telling him it was too dangerous. Five only scoffed at your words. He knew you only wanted to protect him, but he was ready. He would propose the idea, with or without your approval, at meal time.

In order to grab his father’s attention—as words wouldn’t be enough—he grabbed a butter knife and jammed it into the table harshly.

“Number Five,” Reginald scolded.

“I have a question,” Five stated, ignoring the look you gave him.

“Knowledge is an admirable goal, but you know the rules. No talking during meal times. You are interrupting Herr Carlson.”

“I want to time travel.”

“No.” Reginald shot down the idea immediately.

“But I’m ready,” Five argued. “I’ve been practicing my spacial jumps just like you said.” You watched as Five teleported and reappeared by his father’s side. “See?”

“A spacial jump is trivial when compared to the unknowns of time travel. One is like sliding along the ice, the other is akin to descending blindly into the depths of freezing water and reappearing as an acorn,” Reginald lectured.

“Well, I don’t get it,” Five admitted, looking slightly embarrassed.

“Hence why you are not ready.”

Five glanced over at you, and you shook your head, mouthing, “Sit down.” Angry at his father’s refusal and lack of explanation, he turned on his heel and ran out of the room.

“Number Five! You haven’t been excused! Come back here!” Reginald yelled out.

You wanted to go after him, but your circuits were screaming at you to stay put.

You snapped out of your trance as you heard a loud, thundering sound outside. Diego’s knives flew out of his hands as they jammed themselves into the wall, and the metal jar of Reginald’s ashes almost fell out of Klaus’s grasp at the strong, unknown force. You all rushed to the backyard to see a blue anomaly forming in the sky.

“Looks like some sort of temperal anomaly,” Luther stated. “Either that or a minature black hole. One of the two.”

“Pretty big difference there, Paul Bunyan!” Diego yelled sarcastically.

“Out of the way!” Klaus shouted as he rushed forward, holding a fire extinguisher.

“What are you—?” Diego started to ask, but he was cut off as Klaus threw the fire extinguisher into the anomaly. It merely repelled, flying back.

“What is that gonna do?” Allison questioned frantically.

“I don’t know!” Klaus retorted, throwing his hands up in exasperation. “You got a better idea?”

“Everybody get behind me!” Luther yelled out as he shoved Allison behind him.

“Yeah! Everybody get behind us!”

Vanya grabbed onto your hand, holding you closely as the wind began to pick up. You watched as a man—no, a boy—began to emerge from the anomaly. The boy fell to the ground, and the portal disappeared, swirling out of existence.

“Uh, does anyone else see little Number Five or is that just me?” Klaus asked as the Hargreeves stared at their long lost brother in shock.

Letting go of Vanya’s hand, you stepped forward cautiously. “Number Five?” You called out, your voice sounding oddly shaky.

Five looked down at himself before looking back up at his siblings. “Shit,” He cursed, realizing he was young again. After rushing him back inside the house, you were all seated around the kitchen table.

“What’s the date?” Five inquired, grabbing a bag of bread from the cabinet. “The exact date.”

“The 24th,” Vanya answered.

“Of what?”

“March,” She clarified.

Five nodded. “Good.” He reached into the bag, pulling out two slices of white bread and placing them onto the cutting board.

“So are we gonna talk about what just happened?” Luther questioned. Five paid no heed to his words as he continued to make his sandwich. “It’s been seventeen years!”

“It’s been a lot longer than that,” Five retorted, glaring up at him. He teleported, reappearing at the counter and grabbing a bag of marshmallows.

“Where did you go?” Diego spoke up.

“The future. It’s shit, by the way.”

“Called it!” Klaus exclaimed, clearly proud of his little achievement.

“I should’ve listened to the old man,” Five continued as he rummaged through the fridge. “You know, jumping through space is one thing. Jumping through time is a toss of the dice.”

Five looked over at you, a small smile breaking through his serious expression. “Nice dress.”

You smiled, looking down at the dress you were wearing. It was the one Five had gotten you for Christmas before he disappeared, the one with (Y/F/F) on it. “Thank you,” You beamed.

“Wait, how did you get back?” Vanya asked, interrupting your little moment.

“In the end, I had to project my consciousness forward into a suspended quantum state version of myself that exists across every possible instance of time,” Five explained.

“That makes no sense,” Diego muttered.

“Well, it would if you were smarter,” Five quipped.

Diego stood up angrily, but Luther held him back, putting his arm out in front of him.

“How long were you there?” Luther questioned.

Five shrugged. “Fourty-five years, give or take.”

“So what are you saying? That you’re fifty-eight?” Luther asked in disbelief.

“No, my consciousness is fifty-eight,” Five corrected. “Apparently, my body is now thirteen again.”

“How does that even work?”

“Dolores kept saying the equations were off.” Five shrugged, taking a bite of his peanut butter and marshmallow sandwich. “Bet she’s laughing now.” He glanced down at the newspaper on the table, reading the headline. “Guess I missed the funeral.”

“How did you know about that?” Luther asked.

“What part of the future do you not understand?” Five retorted. “Heart failure, huh?”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“Nice to see nothing’s changed,” Five said sarcastically, walking out of the room.

“That’s it? That’s all you have to say?” Allison questioned in disbelief.

“What else is there to say? Circle of life.”

The Hargreeves all sat in silence, trying to process what just happened. You stood up and walked out of the room, intending to go after Five. You hadn’t seen him in almost seventeen years—well, forty-five years, apparently.

You walked up the large staircase and into his bedroom. Five stood in front of his closet, wearing his old Umbrella Academy uniform.

“Number Five,” You spoke up, and he turned to look at you.

“(Y/N),” He breathed, stepping towards you and engulfing you in hug. He squeezed you tightly, tears suddenly pricking his eyes. He hadn’t realized how much he missed you until now.

You wrapped your arms around him, feeling your dress become wet with tears. “Why are you crying, Number Five?” You asked softly, a little concerned.

“I missed you so much,” He whispered, placing his chin on your head. He closed his eyes, inhaling the scent of your artificial hair. Even though you weren’t real and incapable of having a scent, he swore that you smelled of the loveliest things.

Five pressed a small kiss to your forehead and pulled away. He smiled down at you, something that he only seemed to do with you. “I love you, (Y/N).”

You smiled, reaching up to wipe away his tears. “I love you, too, Number Five.”

And those words were real.

[im-not-corrupted]

Safi, No (a Witchlands fanfiction) - Chapter Eleven

Also written with @un-empressed, who you can thank for the insanely long chapter.

Read chapters 1-10 here: Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Chapter Five | Chapter Six | Chapter Seven | Chapter Eight | Chapter Nine | Chapter Ten

Chapter Summary:

Merik gets a reality check and Aeduan wishes to be a blade of grass in Spain.

Also on Ao3!

Merik never bothered with so-called stress relief activities, but Kullen insisted that a walk after school would do him well and take his mind off of the rumor. 

So there he was, with Ryber and Kullen on either side of him, talking about simple, irrelevant things. Merik found it quite annoying. They couldn't actually want to hear every little detail of each others' lives, could they? But Kullen asked Ryber about her day, and Ryber asked Kullen about his, and they both smiled while the other talked. It was quite unnecessary.

Finally, after about an hour, Merik couldn't handle it anymore. The 'pretty meadow' Kullen said wasn't too far away was nowhere to be seen, and they were still talking. It wasn't even an interesting conversation! 

"We really don't care about Tanzi's opinion on french fries," Merik said, cutting Ryber off.

She rolled her eyes. "And we don't care about your opinion on the conversation you're contributing absolutely nothing to."

Merik was sure she would leave it at that, but Kullen looked much more offended. Suddenly Merik wished Ryber yelled at him, even a little bit, so Kullen wouldn't. He couldn't stand anyone saying anything against his girlfriend, no matter how true it was. 

"Tanzi is at least funny, so when she decides to interrupt our dates, they're still great." Merik made a face. He wasn't interrupting anything!  They invited him to go on a walk, and even if it was a date, it was deathly boring. They were his friends and Merik cared about them, but judging by that conversation they were having before, they picked awfully boring people to  be in a relationship with.

"The two of you invited me here! It's really not my fault that you have to give up kissing for a whole walk."

Kullen was usually calm, but he looked really irritated in the moment. Irritated wasn't the right word, actually. He looked like he was about to explode. 

But it stopped as soon as it started when Ryber shook her head. "Don't bother with him." 

"What's that supposed to mean? Do you have something against me?"

Kullen and Ryber shared a look. Something told Merik it wasn't just a romance thing. "Should we tell him?"

Ryber nodded, and Merik never felt more confused in his entire life. Well, maybe when Vivia was acting so... cheery earlier. It seemed like the point of the whole day was to leave him wondering what he had just witnessed.

"Tell me what?" Merik said. Then he realised how eager that sounded. He really did want to know what Kullen meant by it, but it couldn't actually matter. So he mockingly added: "Am I adopted?"

Kullen cracked a smile at that, but it disappeared more quickly than usual. "No, you're just... Self centered. I know how it sounds, but it's the truth. You always have to be the victim and it's really irritating at this point."

Merik didn't expect his best friend to say something like that. Even more so, he didn't expect Ryber to nod along to what he was saying. She was usually against every argument. And she was usually the reasonable one. There was no way she was on Kullen's side here.

But she was, and that made Merik uneasy. He found himself replaying his whole life in his mind. But before he was confused, he was furious. They were his friends, they weren't supposed to think that!

"Oh, so you brought me in this forest to kill me? Because I'm such a burden on society?"

"That's exactly what I'm talking about!" Kullen exclaimed. "We can't even say anything about your oblivious flaws without you getting defensive and blaming us."

"I don't know what you mean."

Ryber didn't look like she wanted to be there. She sat on a nearby rock, listening to the exchange. Merik focused on her, because he couldn't look Kullen in the eye. Was he really like that? Did he really play the victim?

Kullen sighed, and Merik returned his attention to his best friend. "Look, I don't mean to be offensive, but it's something you have to fix if you want us to be around you any longer. You're my best friend and you know I love you, but if you don't listen to me now then I'll know you simply don't care."

That left Merik speechless. Many people told him he had a problem with arrogance, but it was mostly people who hated him. Mainly his sister. He wouldn't believe Vivia if she said milk was white, but if Kullen said his attitude was too much... He couldn't lose Kullen.

"I do care, but I just don't understand. Tell me what I'm doing wrong and I swear I'll try to fix it." Merik knew how desperate he sounded. He knew his father wouldn't approve of changing himself to fit someone's perception. Not because he cared about Merik, but because Merik was so much like him and Serafin Nihar couldn't possibly have a son who cared about others' feelings. 

"Merik, why does Safi hate you?" Ryber asked. It wasn't an answer to his question, but Merik figured he should answer. He was still confused about what was happening, but he knew he hurt his friends. That was far below him, and it needed to change. He couldn't lose Kullen. Or Ryber, either. 

"Because I spoke over her."

"And that's a reason to hate somebody? To spread a rumour about them?"

Merik was suddenly attacked with a thousand thoughts at once. "No," he said. He had the urge to repeat it as he further thought about it. No. He just saw someone who didn't immediately like him and accused her of spreading a rumour. 

"See? Now that you think about it, doesn't it-," Ryber was cut off by Kullen's phone going off. 

"It's Stix," he said before answering. Kullen had a habit of having even the most serious of conversations on speaker, which Merik usually found irritating, but this time he welcomed the distraction. "Where were you at lunch today?"

A moment later, as if she was considering her answer, Stix's voice filled the forest. "Yeah, sorry not sorry. Anyway, I met this really cute girl and we kind of flirted for a short time and I just realised I don't even know anything about her? I don't know what classes she takes, I don't know what she likes... Hell, I don't even know her last name!"

"Unless she's deaf that won't be a problem," Kullen said with a grin. Merik didn't know how he could possibly smile after the conversation they had just had.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're not the best at flirting." Merik had never heard Stix flirt with anyone but he had the urge to agree just to spite her. In the light of the current events, that didn't seem like a feeling he should've had. Not if he wanted Kullen and Ryber around any longer.

"Oh, hush, we don't all have a stable relationship," Stix said. She would've been way harsher if it was Merik who insulted her. For the first time in forever, he doubted that it was her fault.

"And your flirting skills are to blame."

"Is Ry there? Ry, tell him to stop."

Ryber rolled her eyes, but unlike Kullen she didn't have that fond smile on her face. Merik was glad he wasn't the only one affected by the tension of the previous conversation. The conversation they didn't finish. 

Ryber got up and spoke into Kullen's phone: "We both know he'll ask about the details as soon as you see each other in person."

"That's a great idea! Can you come over? Like, right now? She said she doesn't talk to many people but there's a small chance you guys could know her in passing. Maybe even a social media username?".

"Can't you just ask her tomorrow? We're on a date right now," Kullen said. This time the date comment made Merik feel bad. 

"Well I could also be on a date in near future if you help me!"

Kullen was full on laughing on now. "Bye," he said, "we love you"

"Kullen Ikray, you get your ass right here or so help me!" Merik heard someone speaking in the background but he couldn't make out a single word. Stix groaned. "Well I wouldn't threaten my friends if they weren't useless!"

"Fine, we'll be there," Kullen said, hanging up. He turned to Merik. "This conversation is not over. Just... Go home and think about what we said, okay? I know you don't do it on purpose. Or at least I hope so. It is infinitely easier to act like the world revolves around you, but it's also incredibly unfair to the rest of us."

"Okay... Okay."

Ryber and Kullen resumed their conversation from before, and Merik found himself joining in. He still wasn't interested in Tanzi's opinion of french fries, but he didn't cut Ryber off this time. 

When they finally made it out of the forest, they all went their separate ways. Ryber said she "didn't have it in her to listen to Stix right now," but she didn't live anywhere close to Merik so he was left to walk to his house alone.

Alone. With nothing but his thoughts to keep him company. It was an objectively short walk, but there was too much on Merik's mind for it to be considered anything but torture.

And even when he got home, it was all too much. Was he really self-centered? Did he make everyone feel that way? 

Turning the TV on didn't help. He debated texting Kullen to ask him if he could come after he and Stix finished gossiping, but decided against it. The only thing worse than his mind telling him he was wrong would be Kullen doing so.

Merik gave up on watching whatever film was playing. He just couldn't do it. Not while so much was happening inside of him. He couldn't be alone, but there was no one else inside of the house who would be willing to talk to him. 

Merik didn't even think about telling his father what happened. He'd just get laughed at, with that harsh, cold laugh that he got enough of from Vivia. 

Vivia wouldn't want to see him either, and though a distraction would be welcome, Merik didn't want to start an argument. He didn't believe his newly discovered self-absorbed attitude hurt her like it hurt Kullen, but he couldn't help but wonder if maybe her coldness towards him was a response to it.

Merik tried to remember if he and Vivia ever talked about anything that wasn't the others' flaws. Occasionally he'd go to her room to ask her if she could lend him her charger and she'd tell him to get lost. 

Looking back on it, Merik saw how it must've looked to someone else. Kullen only met Vivia once, but he was vocal about his disapproval of how distant they were. Merik asked him not to tell the others about Vivia, though, and Kullen didn't. Maybe he truly was self-centred. 

But he could fix that, couldn't he? At least he hoped so. 

As Merik approached his sister's room, he heard laughter. It was the genuine kind once again. The kind that was seemingly reserved for everyone but him. 

Merik knocked once and entered. Vivia looked at him. There was a smile on her face, and it disappeared for a second, as if she was consciously trying to make it go away, before it resurfaced.

"What do you want?"

"I just wanted to talk, you know, see what you're doing," Merik said. Vivia rolled her eyes at that and the smile was replaced by a frown for a minute.

Vivia looked like she might yell at him when her phone vibrated. She read the message and quickly responded. Then she looked at him once again. "Okay."

"Really?"

"Yeah! Let's play truth or dare. You go first." Before Merik could say anything, Vivia's smile became aggressive. "Did you say truth? All right! What the hell are you doing here?"

Merik sighed. There was no point in lying to her, was there? He sat down on the chair next to her desk and turned to Vivia. "Kullen called me self-centered and he... He might have a point."

"Well it's nice that someone could push you off of your fucking high horse, but what does that have to do with me?"

"It's my turn, Vivia. Truth or dare? You said dare? Okay," Merik mocked. Vivia rolled her eyes but she no longer seemed as irritated as before.

"Fine, give me a dare and get lost."

"Read the next message you get out loud." Vivia looked conflicted but she nodded, never the one to lose, especially if it meant Merik would win. Her phone soon vibrated again, and she looked confused.

"Uh, it's an unknown number, I don't- Oh." Vivia smiled again, this time wider than before. 

"So? Read it!"

"It's a personal conversation. Make me drink tea with pepper or something else," Vivia said. Merik noticed that she was blushing a bit. Well, now he had to know.

"A dare is a dare, you can't take it back."

Vivia groaned. "Fine! But I am not telling you who it's from." She seemed to be mentally preparing herself before she read the message out loud: "I don't usually take phone numbers from group chats, but 1. My friend made me, and 2. You're just too cute and I don't think the group chat would appreciate me saying that in front of all of them."

That left Merik speechless. Group chat. As in, Vivia had more friends than just Vaness all of a sudden. And this person, whoever they were, was openly flirting with her. And there was no introduction in the message, so that meant they'd probably flirted with Vivia before. 

"You can't not tell me who it is!," Merik said. Vivia rolled her eyes, and started typing a response. "What are you saying?"

"None of your business."

"It kind of is now-"

"Get out!" Vivia shouted at him. There was no usual harshness in it, though. "Get out of my room before I strangle you!"

And Merik did, but he felt like he was still there, talking to Vivia. He replayed their short, yet surprisingly civil, conversation in his mind. Kullen will be so proud. [x] Aeduan was sure that one of these days they were going to get kicked out of the ice cream place. They were a big group, after all, and Safi had absolutely no filter. None.  Aeduan honestly didn't know why he was putting up with her when he could have just walked away the first time. Hell, he could've sued Leopold for somehow getting his number. Not that that would work out in his favor. Leopold's uncle was awfully rich, and apparently really influential as well. Still, Aeduan would've at least gotten the satisfaction of wasting Leopold's time, much like he wasted Aeduan's. And maybe Henrick would even yell at Leopold. On a second thought, Aeduan didn't think Leopold would particularly care for that. He never seemed to listen to common sense, also known as Iseult and Vaness (if you take out the insults and occasional swearing).  They were all waiting for Safi to come that day. It was unusual, because she was always the first one to come to their after school meetings. Hell, she was the one who scheduled them, if she wasn't on time, why would the rest of them be?  She usually came with Iseult, too, but this time not even her best friend knew what she was doing wherever she was.  "I bet this has something to do with the 'smell of unnecessary revenge'," Iseult said after a short time. Aeduan had to agree. He couldn't even begin to guess what the madwoman did this time, but he had no doubt every one of her antics would be worse than the last.  Leopold said it was "because you love us!" but that was clearly not the case.  "If she robbed a bank without us, I'll go rob her." Aeduan heard Vaness telling Stix she was a careless idiot and a sarcastic 'thank you'. "I wouldn't put it past Safi to have actually murdered Merik," Aeduan said. "Maybe she's hiding from the police now." Iseult laughed, but still checked her phone. Aeduan didn't know if she expected a message from Safi or if she just wanted to see what the time was. She seemed genuinely worried for her friend.  "I'm sure she'd tell you if she was delayed. It's Safi, she probably wants to make an entrance." "You're probably right," Iseult said. And Aeduan was, but as soon as Safi walked in he wished she had been late because she got hit by a car. But no, she was perfectly healthy. Excluding whatever mental damage she suffered because she was grinning like a maniac as she set the many bags in her hands on the closest table. Iseult and Aeduan shared a look full of dread as Safi sat down on the table where Lev, Caden, Zander and Leopold sat.  She looked around the place theatrically, still grinning from ear to ear, probably enjoying everyone's reactions. Vaness rolled her eyes as Stix grinned back. Leopold laughed as the other three at his table tried to take a look at whatever was in the bags. Vivia looked more confused than anything.  And then Safi said those words. Those four words that were enough to make Aeduan wish he was born as a simple blade of grass in Spain. "I got us jackets!" The group's reactions varied from "Fuck, that's so cool" (Leopold, Stix and Lev) to "What drugs are you on?" (Iseult, Aeduan, Vaness and Caden) to "That wasn't a joke?" (Zander and Vivia).  "Let me get this straight," Vaness started. "You bought not one, but ten personalised jackets, behind our backs, just because someone mildly annoying did something mildly annoying?" Safi pretended to consider her answer for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, that's pretty much it." She dug through the bags. Something told Aeduan that the jackets weren't nicely folded and put inside with care. Safi finally pulled out a small jacket with the words "Bribery & Corruption" written on the back. "Here's yours! I hope it isn't too big for you."

If Aeduan didn't know Safi, he'd think it might have been a genuine concern, but after spending almost a week in her company, he knew it was a jab at Vaness's height. Or the lack thereof. And he also knew Vaness wouldn't let it slide that easily. Safi had some serious guts. Or maybe she was just too caught up in the euphoria of having stupid personalised jackets. "This is ridiculous. I'm not wasting my money on that." She said 'that' with such disgust, as if she was looking at who knows what. "You don't have to. I paid for all of them." Vaness wasn't the only one protesting that. Vivia didn't seem to like the thought of someone paying for her things either. "Oh, shush. We're friends, aren't we? You didn't complain when I paid for everyone's ice cream a few days ago." "I appreciate this, but there is no way that these are anywhere near ice cream prices."  "So what if they aren't? You can repay me by wearing them. And you can't say no because I've already paid the bill. It's over." Aeduan was impressed at how thought out the plan was. Safi might have a lack of self control, but she wasn't stupid. That was even worse, in a way, because she had a mind capable of making her crazy schemes work.  "Then at least let me pay for your ice cream," Vivia insisted. "I thought it wasn't the same thing?" Vivia rolled her eyes, but there was a smile on her face. Safi obviously counted that as another point for herself because she smiled brighter. Then she threw Vaness's jacket at her. She proceeded to do that with everyone, going as far as to tell Caden to get up so she could throw it at him from a reasonable distance.  "I'm not going to wear this!" Aeduan shouted as he got his jacket. Safi just smiled knowingly, as if she already had a plan to fix that.

[hardyimagines]

Doctor Solomons

———————————————————————

Could you write a one shot or headcanons about alfie taking care of the reader when they have a cold/flu? I've been sick for like a month now and I just need the comfort. :(

P.S. I think this is super late and I’m so sorry!!!

———————————————————————

Tissues covered the floor beside the bed and the bedside table. Two opened medicine bottles and a sticky, used spoon sat crookedly in the pile of tissues. The duvet was wrinkled, scrunched up and hanging halfway off the bed. An empty glass of water resided in the middle of the mess, waiting to be refilled, and a damp rag, which had earlier been hot from the water Alfie had run the cloth under so you could lay it on your head, laid on the corner of the table.

You were sprawled out on your stomach, clad in one of the man’s unbuttoned big shirts. The fabric fell to the middle of your thigh, rolled up in the slightest from all your shifting around. Your locks of hair were stuck to your hot, sweaty skin, a sign that your fever was still present and he was going to have to give you some more medicine soon. Cyril was laid at the foot of the bed, wet tongue running along your calf as he tried to offer you some comfort. Though you were grateful for his presence and want to be helpful, you felt uncomfortable and grumpy. Wiggling your leg to silently beg him to stop, you whimpered out into your pillow before letting out a heavy huff.

“Cyril.” You moaned out quietly. “Quit it, okay? I’m sorry, I’m not in the mood.” Your foot pressed against his face when he neared again. Lightly nudging him until he understood, he pulled his head away with a quiet whine and instead laid his head beside your leg. You let out a quiet breath of approval at being left alone, but it wasn’t long until the bedroom door opened and the handsome bloke, who’d been caring for you, entered.

“You feeling better yet, pet?” His voice was quiet. He was always cautious, unaware if you were slumbering or not. Your head lifted heavily from the pillow before shaking in the slightest. The throbbing in your temple tripled and after you’d rolled over on to your back it took you a moment to lower your head back down.

“No.. my head’s still killing me and I.. Alfie it’s burning up in here.” Your breathy words pulled a look of confusion from the man.

The window in the corner was cracked, freezing winds blowing into the room to waft over your skin. He was doing his best not to shiver and he’d only been in there for a few seconds. Alfie set the bowl of hot soup in his palm down on the table. Brushing some tissues to the side and into the trash bin, he made a mental note to wash his hands, before slowly pressing his cool palm against your forehead. Your skin felt like fire, but he didn’t say anything. He didn’t want to worry or frighten you.

“That’s alright then, innit, im gonna take care of you.” His thumb brushed from the middle of your eyebrows, down to the tip of your nose. A little sniffle escaped you before you tried to roll alway. You knew he wanted to take care of you, but you were sure you looked hideous. Snotty nosed and watery eyed with a croaky, sore throat and an aching head? What a sight. When you tried to turn your head away, the man merely guided it back toward his own. “It’s time to take more medicine, pet, innit, been a couple of hours since you had your last fucking dosage and as much as you may think it isn’t helping, right, I think it is because at least you’re moving around now.” The bed creaked when he removed his weight from it. Hunching over, he grabbed one of the medicine bottles and dumped a spoonful out and on to the metal untensil. You had no sense of taste, tongue numb to all flavors because you couldn’t breathe properly. A stuffy nose one minute and a runny one the next had deprived you of all chance of tasting. Alfie slowly slipped his palm beneath your head and assisted you in lifting it. Guiding the spoon to your lips, he let the top of it graze your flesh before he smiled slowly as your mouth opened. Guiding the medicine into your mouth, he waited for you to seal your lips around it and devour the majority before he pulled the spoon from your lips and set it to the side. “Atta girl.” The bed creaked beneath your movements as you flipped back over and on to your stomach. Laying face down, you hid your face in the pillow. Alfie moved his hand along the length of your back, lazily caressing your spine before he pinched the shirt and pulled it up so that he could get his fingers under the material. His skin was so cold, an immense relief from the internal heat you felt. You let out a quiet moan of enjoyment before shifting your eyes sleepily. “Pet, I know you’re drained, right, but that’s because you’ve just been laying in this fucking bed, innit. I think you should have a bath, walk around some, right, I’ll help you. But laying around all day, it won’t help you heal.” He leaned in and kissed the back of your head before standing straight beside the bed.

“Alfie, I can’t. I feel so achy and heavy.. I don’t think I can walk.” Your excuse was pathetic. But that was how you felt. You needed to be babied and cared for — just this once. You felt like absolute shit.

“Nobody said you had to fucking walk, pet, now did they.” He removed his hand from your back and instead laid it on the back of your leg. “Roll over for me, beautiful, and I’ll carry you, won’t i?” Your toes flexed briefly, stretching some life into them before with a quiet exhale, you flipped over far too quickly for your achy, unhappy form. Wincing visibly, you collapsed against the mattress and peered up at your boyfriend. You felt so sorry for yourself. Alfie hooked his arm under your knees and easily lifted you from the mattress. The soup on the bedside table was still steaming, waiting to be eaten, but Alfie figured that once the bath was finished then the meal would be cooled off and a perfect temperature to eat. The man cradled you delicately to his chest as he moved out of the room and down the hall to the bathroom. You really didn’t feel like having a bath, but you also didn’t feel like refusing his attempts to help you out. Maybe a bath would help? Alfie sat you down on the toilet in the corner before brushing your hair away from your face. The shirt that encircled your body clung to you tightly, thin material sucking to your skin because of how sweaty you were. “Off with this, pet, you’re burning up.” A frown of concentration settled on his lips as he helped your weak form out of the shirt. “Here we go.” He nodded once before taking the shirt to the dirty clothes bin in the corner. You breathed a sigh of relief, naked body vulnerable to the cool air. It felt so good.

You watched the man as he made his way to the tub. He rolled the sleeves of his shirt up to his forearm before beginning to fill the basin with water. He knew that you were burning up, but he couldn’t run you a cold bath because you’d definitely freeze. He’d read somewhere once that a warm bath would prevent spiking your fever — and causing chills. You watched as the waterline grew higher and higher and once it had almost reached the top, you stood on shaky legs and made your way toward the man. Setting your hand on his broad back, you caressed it lazily before leaning in and kissing the back of his head as a meaning of thanks. He twisted around to delicately take hold of your hand and help you into the tub. You took your time to get in and he didn’t rush you in the slightest, he was cautious, attentive, watching so intently you knew there was no way you’d fall if you had lost your balance. Lowering yourself down and into the comforting water, you let your head roll to one side. This was exactly what you’d needed.

Alfie lowered himself down to a kneeling position. Dipping his hand into the water to ensure it was a nice temperature, he smiled lazily at the sight of you, so calm and relaxed. He knew he should probably give you some privacy, but at the same time, he didn’t think you’d mind if he hung around. It was either go downstairs and work, or stay right here and take care of you. Your wet hand lifted from the water and found the one of his that was set on the border of the tub. Gripping it securely, you leaned in and kissed his thumb.

“Thank you for looking after me. You’d make quite the doctor, Mr. Solomons.” Your words were breathy, a sign that you were immensely enjoying the bath.

“Well maybe I’ll change my cover career.” He teased softly before beginning to absentmindedly caress your hand. “Pet, yeah, you’re too ill to come to work with me tomorrow, right, so I’m putting you on bed rest. I think I’ll be alright without my assistant for one fucking day.” He let out a puff of air in amusement. Your head nodded softly along to his words, too blissed out to verbally reply. “I’ll pop by around lunch though, check in on you. Yeah, gotta make sure my girl isn’t burning up while I’m gone.” He sighed gently before lifting his free hand to his beard. Stroking the length of it, his features seemed to harden as he felt into a deep concentration. He was thinking about something and you knew you didn’t have to inquire what. He was a talker. And he’d eventually tell you. “Right, what if you’re too sick to move tomorrow when I’m not here, pet.. what if..”

“Alfie,” You inhaled deeply before slowly sitting up. The action caused your back to pop, a delightful feeling that ceased the ache in that portion of your body. “I’ll be fine, I promise. I’ll call you if I need you. Don’t worry yourself, you need to work.” Lifting your hand to his cheek, you delicately caressed his warm skin before looking toward his lips. Temptation was a bitch. You sat back in the tub and moved your gaze to the ceiling before shutting your eyes.

“Right, well, if you’re not better in a few days then, pet, we’re going to the fucking doctor. Yeah, they’ll know if there’s something seriously wrong, won’t they.” He licked his lips slowly. The medicine should’ve been helping your fever surely, but he’d take it upon himself to send Ollie to the doctor tomorrow and make a few inquiries. He settled back down at your side and continued to caress your hand.

The room was quiet. A peaceful blanket draped over the two of you. There was no tension or awkwardness, it was a comfortable silence as the two of you relaxed, fingers interlocked and soft breaths mingling now and then. He wasn’t going to move from his spot, not until it was time to help you back to the bedroom. He’d clean up the tissues, give you more medicine when it was time, get you more water, help you eat your soup. You felt like a child, but before you even had time to think about being ashamed or embarrassed, the man was constantly reminding you that he didn’t mind coming to your aid, or helping you out. It was his job to care of you and he would spend forever doing so. No matter how little the tasks of ‘taking care of you’ were.

———————————————————————

Tagged: @captainbuckyboobear @peakblogbecauseimweak @bsotstory @mollybegger-blog @morphoportis @ghost-of-student-sufferings @drippydownes2002 @ellar21 @sovereigngoth @willowick13 @xxxxxeroxxxxx @wheresthewatermelon @anrm1 @pansexualginger @marvelgirl7 @evilspretty-dead @heyitscam99 @wow-he-cute @haroldpain @justrepostandlove @sparklyreaderx @emerald-bijou @multireality @innerpaperexpertcloud @goodiesintheclosetlove @giftofdreams @ihclipse @meer0rauschen @inkedfandom @thatsamegirl @doct0rstrange @jakechillenhaal @shanty-lol @centerhabit @clevertheoristpainter @jamierdr @favouritereadings @badmaax @thephuonganh @wewillfindourwaythere @uhhhemilyrose @scarrasco1325 @matoki-darkpanda @bignastyfan-nz @97freaknik

[svtmatokis]

Jihoon Office AUP2

And heres Part 2...

Genre: Romance/Fluff/Angst

Plot: You and Seungcheol have been best friends forever and as a favor, you agree to be temporary assistant of the one Lee Jihoon.

Words: 3528

Part 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 -

Jihoon and Wonwoo paced outside the hospital room as the doctors checked up on you. They had been told that you suffered a few cuts and scrapes to your arms and legs as well as a bruised cheek from the hit. The big thing was that when you fell, you hit your head really hard so you were currently unconscious. 

The suspect had been apprehended and  was now in police custody thanks to Wonwoo while Jihoon went with you in the ambulance. 

“Jihoon” Wonwoo said as the younger one stopped pacing and looked at the older one. 

“Hmm?” 

“Did you...call Seungcheol yet?” 

Jihoon facepalmed, “Shit,” he muttered before taking out his cellphone.

“Jihoon?” Seungcheol’s tired voice could be heard over the phone. 

‘Double shit’ Jihoon thought to himself as he looked at the clock, no wonder...it was already 3am.

 “Seungcheol…I’m sorry to bother you so late but...”  he started hesitantly, “It’s about Y/N….” he slowly explained what had happened in the last few hours and how you were currently in the hospital being checked over. 

Seungcheol didn’t even respond, he just hung up the line and fifteen minutes later, he, Jeonghan and Joshua were running down the hall. As Seungcheol went to the front desk to see what he could find out what was wrong with you, Jeonghan and Joshua approached Jihoon and Wonwoo who were sitting in the waiting area. 

“What happened?” was the first thing that left Jeonghans mouth.

“Seungcheol didn’t tell you guys?” Jihoon asked as the two shook their heads. 

“He only called me to ask to drive him to the hospital and we got Jeonghan on the way, he only said it was about Y/N but that was it.” Joshua said looking between Wonwoo and Jihoon. “So as Jeonghan asked, what’s going on?” 

Jihoon bowed his head, that meant that Seungcheol was that shaken up that he knew he wouldn’t be able to drive which wasn’t normal since it was rare to see Seungcheol without his car.

“Y/N was attacked.” Wonwoo started. “I was walking home when I heard a scream so I went to see what was going on, by the time I got there, Jihoon was beating someone up and Y/N was on the ground.” 

Jeonghan and Joshua then turned to Jihoon who started explaining. 

“I was near my apartment when I heard a scream in a different direction that sounded like Y/N’s so I started walking in that direction…then I heard her scream again and I started running and I got to an alleyway, Y/N was pinned against a wall..” 

Jeonghan gasped as Joshua continued to listen.

“The guy said somethings to her, like” Jihoon started imitating the guys voice, “Seungcheol isn’t here to protect you now. Then he slapped her, the moment he hit her, I ran towards them with a stick and started hitting him. I didn’t realize Wonwoo was there until we stopped hitting him” Jihoon looked down at his hands that were bruised.

He couldn’t remember the last time he had actually hit something or in this case, someone. He was a relatively calm person and was one to sort conflicts with his words but seeing that man touch and hit you had made his blood boil so much that he couldn’t control himself.

“What did the guy look like?” Seungcheol asked, joining the group, his body visibly shaking. 

Jihoon described what he saw but that didn’t help Seungcheol. He would have to wait till you woke up to know for sure.

Soon, the doctor came out of your room and took his mask off. 

“For Y/N?” he asked as the five men stood up.

Seungcheol stepped forward, “What’s going on with Y/N?” 

The doctor sighed, “We’ve conducted a standard exam and found various bruises and lacerations to her body, she hit her head and was kicked in the abdomen as well. We found some scarring from a previous operation so there is a chance that the scar tissue could tear which could cause major internal bleeding-”

Everyone gasped as the doctor continued.

“In the meantime, we’ve taken her to run some tests and have some scans done to ensure that her head has no fractures and that the scar tissue wasn’t affected. Once she’s done, we’ll be moving her to a different room where we’ll be keeping her overnight for observation. A nurse will come get you once she’s all set.” he nodded as everyone thanked the doctor before he walked off. 

Seungcheol’s legs gave way and collapsed in the closest chair, resting his head in his hands. He couldn’t believe this was happening. You had literally been back for two weeks and you had already gotten yourself into trouble.  He knew that he should’ve kept better tabs on you after you left but you didn’t know that they were going to find out once you got back to Korea.

“Cheol…” Wonwoo said worriedly. None of the managers had ever seen Seungcheol this emotional before. He was known to be strong willed and quick to think on his feet so it was unusual for them to see him in this state.

The group sat in silence, watching Seungcheol warily as they waited for the nurse to come get them. One by one, dozing off in their respectful chairs.

The nurse who came to get them thirty minutes later was surprised to see such good looking men waiting for the one trauma patient they had that night. Quietly clearing her throat, Jihoon was the first to wake. 

“Sorry to wake you” the nurse said smiling apologetically, “Are you here for Y/N?” 

Jihoon nodded his head, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes causing the nurse to inwardly squirm at how cute he was. 

“Can we see her yet?” He asked, sleep evident in his voice.

The nurse nodded her head, “We’re in the process of moving her to an inpatient room. Why don’t you wake your friends up and head to room 1331? It’s going to be on the 3rd floor.” 

Jihoon nodded his head thanking the nurse before proceeding to wake up the four other men.

They made their way to your room with heavy hearts. Though most of them had just met you earlier that week, they all recognized that you fit in just fine with the group and all had somewhat grown a slight attachment to you. Seungcheol, Joshua and Jihoon’s being the strongest.  

Since highschool, Seungcheol had always looked out for you, be it from bullies or any potential suitors he did not approve of. Both sets of your parents were close so in turn, he looked at you like the younger sister he never had.

You and Joshua had managed to catch up over coffee and lunch that week and found out that you two had associated in the same circles in college, with many of your friends being mutual which blew you away. You two had a lot in common and it was really easy being friends with him, which made you wonder why you never got to know him in the first place.

Jihoon on the other hand was taking it hard because he had been there and was so angry at himself when he didn’t listen to his mind and offer to walk you home. He knew that the two of you lived close to one another since you two often saw each other leaving your respective buildings in the morning. He didn’t want to admit it, but as the week wore on and you constantly making sure that he was eating, he had developed a slight attraction towards you.

You and Jeonghan bonded over gossip, not that you two were big ones, but the two of you would share what you had heard that day in the break room from the girls in marketing and HR. Wonwoo had grown fond of you as well since the two of you shared a love for books, you even telling Wonwoo that your book collection might be bigger than his which he didn’t believe till he saw it for himself.

The five now stood in front of your door, unsure who should open it. Everyone looked at Seungcheol who was looking extremely stressed out though he told the guys nothing. It was Joshua who had reached forward for the door knob but before he could open it, the door opened revealing the same nurse. 

“Ah, great you guys are here.” She said opening the door wider so all five could enter. 

“How is she?” Seungcheol asked getting straight to the point while looking at you. 

You had a bandage wrapped around your head with various cuts and bruises noticeable around your cheek area which Jihoon noted was where you had been slapped earlier on. You had few bandages on your wrists and your legs were covered by a blanket so no one could see the damage down there. 

“She’s strong.” The nurse said looking at the chart, “Her vitals are fine but we won’t know about the extensive damage until after her test results come back. We’re going to keep her here till she wakes up and then the doctor said if there are no further complications, she’ll be able to go home.’ She hesitated looking at the five of them, “However, she’ll have to be under supervision just in case. She’ll be in a lot of pain and we wouldn’t recommend her being alone for the time being. Does she have anyone that she can stay with? Parents perhaps?”

All eyes turned to Seungcheol who shook his head, “Her parents are currently living in the States right now so she’s here alone. She can always…” he was about to suggest that you stay with him when he realized that he, Wonwoo and Jeonghan would be out of town this week due to a conference.

Jihoon saw Seungcheol’s hesitation knowing that he would have wanted you  to stay with him, but he knew that he was going out of town. Not knowing what compelled him to do so, Jihoon spoke up. 

“She can stay with me.” 

All eyes turned to him as Jihoon nodded his head in confirmation. 

“Are you sure? She can always stay with Joshua…” Seungcheol said not wanting to trouble one of the best managers he had.  “I know you’re busy with a lot of things right now…” 

Joshua nodded his head in confirmation not minding at all. He was originally going to offer after all.  

“It’s okay. I have nothing planned this week anyways except the usual work load” Jihoon said and received looks of doubt from those around him, 

“I don’t mind at all.” He reassured. “She can work from home for the time being till she heals. It’s my one week that I’m clear of meetings and I can handle the paperwork without her..”

The group nodded in unison amazed at Jihoons change of attitude, “Okay then, take care of her. Call me if anything happens.” Seungcheol said as Jihoon nodded wondering why something would happen. 

The nurse nodded her head, “If that’s the case, I’ll have you fill out her paperwork if you want to come out with me. Because she has the room to herself, we’ve left the second bed and a cot free should any of you decide to stay.” 

The five boys thanked the nurse before Jihoon left with her to fill out the appropriate paperwork leaving Seungcheol, Jeonghan, Joshua and Wonwoo to sit in your room.

Seungcheol let out a heavy sigh as he ran a hand through your hair, “It wasn’t supposed to happen like this…” he muttered catching the other three’s attention.

“Seungcheol, why would someone attack Y/N?” Joshua asked. The whole group was curious though it seemed like Seungcheol was the only one with the answers. 

Seungcheol let out a big sigh, “It’s...complicated..” he started, his mind deep in thought. “I’ll explain later okay?” he gave the group a tight smile in which they accepted. They could see that he was at his breaking point and didn’t want to drive that any further.

Soon, Jihoon returned and Seungcheol, Wonwoo and Jeonghan left in Wonwoo’s car despite Seungcheol wanting to stay till you woke up. They had meetings to attend to and they had a three hour drive ahead of them so they needed to rest. 

To reassure Seungcheol even more, Joshua offered to stay with Jihoon till you woke up. Which actually did. Jihoon and Joshua, both too worried to fall asleep, sat in your hospital room, talking about things like work, life and things that people spoke about in the middle of the night when they were really tired. They were very much alike, with Joshua treating Jihoon like the younger brother he never had. 

The next morning, you started waking up with a bunch of questions running through your head.. Where were you? Were you dead? No...everything hurt too much for you to be dead. Your eyes slowly opened but you shut them due to the brightness as you let out a moan in pain. 

Jihoon, whose was in the chair closest to your bed shot up when he heard your moan, in the process waking Joshua up too. 

“Y/N?” Jihoon asked quietly, getting a moan in response. 

“Y/N?” Joshua tried this time, both watching you hesitantly as you slowly opened your eyes as they quickly adjusted to the light.

Both sighed in relief as your eyes fully opened.

“What happened?” you croaked because your throat was dry which had Joshua handing you a cup with a straw. 

He and Jihoon helped you sit up as you sipped the water, the moisture making it easier to swallow.

After having the doctor check you over and explaining that outside of the bruise on your face and bump on your head that would be present for a while, there was no major damage, you were given the clear to leave that afternoon. He advised that you shouldn’t be alone since you may need assistance and explained to you that you would be staying at Jihoons for a few days until you healed completely.

Despite trying to argue with Jihoon that you were okay, Jihoon was adamant and used the excuse that since you were currently under him directly, he wanted to make sure that your well being was okay and knowing that you were injured and living alone didn’t sit well with him and Joshua explained that his place was currently undergoing renovations or else he would have offered for you to stay with him as well. 

At that you reluctantly agreed making the two boys happy.

After the doctor left, you, Joshua and Jihoon decided to have the nurse help you change out of the gown. Joshua had run to your apartment with the key Seungcheol had given him to grab a change of clothes and your belongings. 

Soon, you were sitting in Jihoon’s car on the way to his apartment. 

The drive was quiet as you looked out the window deep in thought. 

You were trying to process what happened in the last day. There was work, then you went out with the managers for dinner and drinks and you got to converse with Jihoon on a personal level and you got to know your boss more, after that you went home and then the attack…

You furrowed your eyebrows in confusion. ‘How did they find me and how am I still alive..?’  Thinking back to the hospital you recalled a conversation with the nurse who was looking you over before you got discharged.

“He seems to really care about you.” the nurse said humming as she looked over your charts and you looked at her with a confused expression.

“Sorry...who?” you asked, she was probably referring to Seungcheol. Joshua had said something about how Seungcheol was hesitant to attend a conference because of your state but the guys managed to convince him to go.

“The one who rode with you in the ambulance. He didn’t leave your side until the doctors started observing you  and when the police came to ask him questions about the attack but even after that he back at your side with the other gentleman.” she smiled at you, “The detective told me that he was really brave for what he did and that you probably meant alot to him if he was willing to protect you like that.” 

You realized then and there that the nurse had been talking about Jihoon. You heard from Joshua that Jihoon rode with you in the ambulance and with a quick glance at his hands which were holding the steering wheel, you saw that a few of his knuckles were bandaged up and blood was starting to seep through them.

You glanced at Jihoon’s face from the corner of your eye and met his causing you to both look away at the same time. 

As Jihoon unlocked the door to his apartment he took out his phone and called Joshua to let him know that the two of you were back at his apartment. Joshua soon responded saying that he’d be by with a few of your things Seungcheol packed for you before he left for the conference.

“This is my guest bedroom but I guess your room for now..” Jihoon said as he opened another door, “Please..make yourself at home and feel free to use anything. My room’s down the hall so if you need-”

“You’re already doing too much Jihoon.” you said softly with a smile and looked at him, “Thank you. For everything.” 

Jihoon swore he felt a blush creep up his face but shook it off and cleared his throat. “I-I’ll let you get settled in then.” he said before turning around and leaving you with what you had from the hospital.

After you washed up in the adjoining bathroom, you opened the door and heard a curse from the kitchen. You followed the silent curses and peeked around the corner and saw Jihoon trying to change his bandages but kept dropping the gauze that had to be wrapped around his hand.

Making your way over to him, you picked up the gauze when it fell again and gently placed it on the counter. No words were said as you took Jihoon’s injured hand and dabbed it with the ointment from the first aid kit. Jihoon tried not to react as you blew gently on the wound, instantly taking away the sting that he initially felt.

Taking the gauze, you placed it on the wound and held it gently as you wrapped it in place.

“Thank you.” Jihoon said touched by your kindness. He gave you a smile which you returned. “How are you feeling?”

You tilted your head to the side, “The doctor said I should be in more pain after the medication they gave me wears off but I’m fine right now. What do you want to do?” 

“We could...watch a move till Joshua gets here,” Jihoon suggested and you nodded your head. Jihoon was surprised to see that you agreed to watch an action movie but was happy to know that you were a Marvel fan as well.

“You seriously haven’t watched Black Panther?” he asked casually while getting popcorn. Joshua had texted him earlier and had an emergency at the office so he would drop by later in the evening.

“I never had the time to watch movies or anything. I always worked.” you responded while making yourself comfortable on Jihoons couch with a blanket and many pillows. 

Jihoon thought about your comment as he emptied the popcorn into a bowl. When was the last time he watched a movie? He turned to look at you from kitchen island and chuckled at how cozy you looked. He was happy you were comfortable around him and he could see why the other managers had taken to you so nicely, himself included.  You reminded him of someone but he couldn’t put a face to the name. 

Turning around, he chuckled at the sight of you rolled up like a burrito with your phone in hand responding to a text. He put the popcorn between the two of you on the couch and started the movie.

Midway through, you took the medication the doctor prescribed to you while Jihoon went to get more popcorn and water. Just before the end, Jihoon felt a weight on his shoulder and turned his head slightly to see that you had fallen asleep. He remembered the doctor saying that the medication may make you drowsy so he wasn’t surprised.

He debated in his mind whether to move you or not and saw that the next movie was another movie he enjoyed. 

‘It’s because I shouldn’t wake her’ he reasoned in his mind and ever so gently lifted his arm so that it wrapped around your shoulder and gently moved your head to the pillow on his chest and that was how Joshua found the two of you when he arrived shortly after..

[valenjuls]

that that is, is, that that is not, is not

words: 2k

chapters: 1/5

She was going to kill her and if not kill her then give her the ultimate silent treatment, something she knows would drive her crazy. Juliana glances at the clock right above the far wall, her annoyance mounting as the clock continues to tick without any sign of her boss coming in. Despite the fact that she called this morning to make sure she was getting ready and she called an hour and a half later to make she was actually on her way. Both times Valentina had said she was on her way.

On my way, my ass.

Juliana sighs as she steels herself in front of Valentina’s office, already preparing a speech in her mind, the third time she’s about to enter without their desired person. She glances at the clock again her annoyance growing larger by the second.  As she’s about to open the door, excuses at the ready, she hears the elevator ding and Valentina steps out in her perfectly pressed pantsuit, not a hair out of place, her expensive handbag that was probably the equal cost of two months rent for Juliana slung over her shoulder,  clutched in her hands were two cups of iced coffee from that place just around the corner that was usually out of the way

Juliana glares at her, not reaching out to take the peace offering that Valentina was holding out. She grabs the purse though to stash it under her desk. “Where have you been?! I’ve been stalling your brother and sister in there.”

Valentina continues to nudge the cup of coffee towards her, her blue eyes were bigger than usual, knowing the effect it usually has on people. “I got you your favorite.”

“My favorite is when my boss is on time so I don’t have to hold a fucking concert in her office!” Juliana says, her earlier annoyance already evaporating as she takes a sip of the vanilla latte.

Valentina perks up at that. “I missed your singing?”

"So not the point." She pushes Valentina towards the boardroom. “Now go and play nice. We need them to approve the latest project.”

Valentina grabs Juliana by the arm when she turns to go back to her desk, catching her off guard, so much so that her heels squeak against the floor too loudly. “Wait, you’re not coming in there with me?”

Juliana shakes her head. “Somebody-” she emphasizes, raising an eyebrow at Valentina, knowing exactly who she was talking about, “-kept me up with their rambling last night that I couldn’t exactly finish my portfolio.”

Valentina has this thoughtful look on her face at the mention of their night. “But it’s not my fault!”

“I know you can’t control your sleep talking,” Juliana interrupts before Valentina can get off track as she pulls the door open before pushing Valentina into the room. “Have fun!”

-

-

-

Juliana was finishing up the sketches in her portfolio, making sure the shading was correct as well as what pattern she intended she was going to use with each piece, trying to provide as much quality work as she can at such a limited time. She hears the door to Valentina’s office open and the other two Carvajals leave, but her eyes never lift from her work. She needs all the time she can get with this.

She feels her presence first before she sees her. There was something in the air that was pressing against the room, one that wasn’t there before, she couldn’t figure out what it was so she ignores it (a tactic that she’s learned to use whenever the young CEO was around). Without lifting her eyes from her work she asks, “How did the meeting go? Did you take notes?”

She was met with silence from her. Juliana stops scribbling and looks up to see Valentina propped up at the corner of Juliana’s desk, her finger pinching the bridge of her nose, eyes closed, neck tense and her shoulder basically bracketing the sides of her face at how high it was.

Juliana puts down her work, uneased at the sight of her easy-going boss looking so stressed from just one meeting with her siblings. “It’s okay if you didn’t take notes,” she jokes, hoping to lighten her mood.

She finds their relationship weird. They were so formal with each other, often refraining from talking about their feelings. They were ultra competitive and the few lunches or dinners that Juliana had been too was usually spent bragging about their separate companies, one-upping each other. They even made it into a game, which was bizarre to Juliana.  But usually, it’s when their older sister was present. When it was just Valentina and her brother, they were far more human (maybe it’s because Eva hates Juliana for unknown reasons.)

Instead of the usual sass that Juliana has been accustomed to after working with Valentina for almost 2 years (being friends for more than 3 now) all she hears is a deep sigh and sees her fingers seeming to dig even deeper into her face.

Her worry spikes. Juliana stands in front of Valentina. She gently takes her hands from her face, and holds them in her own.

Valentina groans as she slumps forward, her face immediately burrowing itself on her chest, finally taking her hand from her face. She sighs once as she straightens. Juliana immediately recognizes that sigh as her cannot-deal- anymore sigh She nods at the planner on Juliana’s desk. Her anxiety jumps at seeing the different colored inks littering the page. She turns to Juliana, her voice almost a plea. “Wanna play hooky?”

"Only if we do it at my apartment," Juliana answers.

Valentina raises an eyebrow, grinning slyly. "You're demanding today,  Juliana Valdes."

"C'mon let's take your clothes off so you can relax," Juliana says, tugging Valentina from the desk to help her pack up.

-

-

-

"You know when you told me you were going take off my clothes, this wasn't what I was expecting," Valentina says as she holds her arms out for Juliana to take her measurement. Her clothes were indeed off, hanging over Juliana's couch save for her underwear.

"I told you I have to finish my portfolio," Juliana says around the pencil that was between her teeth. She puts her measuring tape around her neck as she writes the measurements down. She shoots Valentina a bright smile, the corner of her eyes crinkling. "Thanks, boss."

Valentina covers her chest, squirming at Juliana's words. "I feel dirty," she jokes. She side steps to the couch to grab her clothes. She throws her shirt on before walking down the hallway to Juliana's closet, shouting over her shoulder. "I'm grabbing some sweats."

"Whatever!"  Juliana yells back as she sits on her desk to try to figure out how much fabric she's going to need.

Juliana hears Valentina heave an end-of-the-world-inducing sigh as she settles on Juliana's blue couch that she got from the dumpster almost a year ago. Juliana freezes at the sound, torn between finishing her assignment and actually comforting her boss. She waits, pencil in her grip to see if Valentina was going to make any more sounds that make you wonder if your heart was supposed to respond that way.

Valentina heaves another sigh, this time bigger and much more prolonged.

Juliana takes a deep breath and puts her pencil down. She pushes against her desk, rolling and turning her chair, deftly to face Valentina. She wanted to groan, not out of exasperation at how dramatic Valentina was being but at how cute she looks, curled up on the couch, her face free of makeup and wearing slouchy clothes that just about swallows her.

"Out with it," Juliana says scooching Valentina even more on the couch, almost crowding her.

Valentina turns and leans against Juliana, her head dropping to Juliana's shoulder, another sigh leaving her, but this one was almost out of relief.

Juliana feels a slight, weird tug at the pit of her stomach at that. She always felt her reactions super endearing. "What happened at the meeting?" she asks as she strokes Valentina's hair, smoothing it away from her face.

She knows their relationship is…weird, for a lack of a better word. It's not your typical working relationship.

They were friends, first and foremost. They met under unlikely circumstances thanks to Valentina’s sleazy boyfriend who thought he could have a side chick in Juliana. Needless to say, Juliana didn’t take a liking to that and immediately went to Valentina to tell her that her boyfriend was a douchebag. They’ve been friends ever since. Though Juliana was working part-time as her administrative assistant, once she graduates, she’s going to assume her proper vice president role of their magazine, that they’ve put blood, sweat, and tears in to make sure it actually succeeds in a world where print was steadfastly getting buried.

Valentina lets out a slight growl (more of a cute baby lion growl than a threatening growl really). “My abuelito  is an asshole.”

“Your family is full of assholes,” Juliana replies, the insult coming out so easily that it made Valentina laugh. “That’s like a rich thing right?”

“Am I an asshole?”

“You’re the biggest asshole, brat,” Juliana teases, her fingers curling around her hip, tickling at the spot she knows would receive the biggest giggle.

“Stop that!” Valentina squeals in between the giggles that Juliana managed to draw out of her, squirming away from Juliana’s touch. “I’m trying to be sad and angry!” When Juliana doesn’t stop her merciless tickling, she grabs her hand in frustration. “Let me be angry!”

“That’s not allowed in my crappy apartment,” Juliana says but stops her attack, resting her hand on Valentina’s stomach, lightly drumming her finger, letting Valentina focus on that instead of her anger, knowing her next question will probably set her off. “Now what makes your grandfather an asshole other than being rich?”

“Marriage,” Valentina says, her tone darkening.

“Alright, cynic, what about marriage?”

“He has a stupid clause in order for me to have full reign of my company. I have to marry before I can fully become CEO of the company,” Valentina says, the anger in her voice was growing larger.

Juliana knows that she should’ve tried to calm her down. She knows that but just hearing something so outdated and so archaic had her angry too. It undermined everything they established and worked hard for.

“That’s fucked up,” Juliana whispers, trying to keep her voice calm since Valentina has already moved to the deep end of her anger, which included gripping Juliana’s arm harder than she should. Juliana shakes it to remind Valentina there’s a human being behind that was currently attached to the arm. Valentina’s grip lessens, but her hand never moves from Juliana’s arm.

“I know!” Valentina huffs. “Papi’s lawyers are looking over it to see if there’s any way I can get out of this dumb clause without having to just be an interim CEO.”

“And?”

Valentina shakes her head no. “That’s why Guille and Eva came. They wanted to look over it too.” Her hand clenches into fists against Juliana’s arm. “Guille didn’t have to do this and I can’t accuse him of being sexist because he didn’t do this with Eva!” She raises her fist, angrily shouting at the ceiling. “Fuck you abuelito!”

“Woah, a little harsh there, Val?” Juliana says.

“Please,” Valentina says, dismissing her concerns. “This is how we talked to each other when he was alive.”

“He never talked to me that way.”

“Yeah because he liked you,” Valentina says. “He said you reminded him of his little sister.”

Juliana feels oddly flattered. “Oh.”

“Yeah, even dead he’s still ruining my life,” Valentina mutters. “Why?” Valentina groans, throwing back her arm over her eyes. “Did he really think I would end up alone that he needed to meddle like this?”

“Have you been seeing anyone?” Juliana asks. 

Valentina gives her a look, raising an eyebrow. 

Juliana shrugs. “Maybe you’ve been hiding him from me.”

“Unless you count our late nights in the office, then the only one I’ve been seeing is you,” Valentina reminds her. “I have no time to date when we’re preparing to launch the teen magazine.” She sighs deeply again, tilting her head to reach Juliana’s neck before burying her face against there, breathing in deeply to calm her down. Valentina had told her repeatedly that Juliana’s scent for some reason just helped her. “I don’t know what to do,” she whispers against her neck.

Juliana’s hand tightens around her stomach. “You sleeping over?”  She feels a small nod. “Then c’mon, let’s think about this tomorrow.” She pushes against Valentina gently to let her up. 

Valentina waits as Juliana gathers their stuff. She lets herself be tugged to Juliana’s bedroom, immediately going to the right side if the bed and slipping under the covers, watching as Juliana puts their dirty clothes in her laundry.

“Turn off your brain,” she says as she turns off the lamp before climbing into bed. She pats Valentina on the small of her back, trying to reassure her. “We’ll find your prince charming tomorrow.”

-

-

-

“How was the date?” Juliana asks as Valentina groans, launching herself on Juliana’s bed. Juliana complains at having the little nest that she’s built on her bed disturbed at Valentina’s movement.

Valentina grabs the pillow hugging it to her face and screams in it. Once done with her screamfest, she gives it to Juliana and lays down on the bed, blinking up at her, her blue eyes practically begging.  “If you really are my bestest friend in the whole wild world, you’ll suffocate me with this.”

“I should suffocate you for using the word bestest,” Juliana jokes, passing the pillow back to her. She rearranges the pillow around her to make it comfortable again after Valentina grabbed one of the support pillows. “Date that bad?”

“I can’t marry Sergio,” Valentina says. She cringes in disgust. “He’s like my annoying little brother that shows up when he’s unwanted.”

“Then why did you go out with him?”

“Do I need to remind you of that stupid clause that I’m pretty sure is illegal?”

Juliana shakes her head. “Yeah, but what if you just pay someone off?”

Valentina’s eyes widen as if she remembered something. “Right, you’ve been out for a week.”

“It’s not my fault! I’m sick!” Juliana defends, coughing for good measure.

Valentina waves off her concern. “It’s not that. You just missed a lot. So they couldn’t find a way to get me out right? But they also found that I have to be with someone for at least three years and ten months. Or at least have known them for three year and ten months.”

Juliana’s brows furrows at her words. “That’s oddly specific.”

“Right?”

“Your grandpa really was weird,” Juliana comments. “Sergio was the only one that fit that criteria?”

Valentina's eyes look down as she plays with the pillow as a sure sign that she’s thinking. She doesn’t have a lot of guy friends, really. She doesn’t have a lot of girl friends either. “Unless you count…” her voice trails off, haltingly, when she realizes it.

Juliana waits for Valentina to come to whatever conclusion she suddenly came to, eyes still watering and nose running. She coughs.

Valentina looks at her pointedly.

“What?”

Valentina keeps looking at her, a slow smile forming on her face. Her eyes were bright and shining as she stares at Juliana’s sniveling form as if she held all the answers in the world.

Juliana’s eyes widen as it suddenly dawns on her why Valentina was looking at her like she was the most refreshing drink in the world that she’d love to take a sip of. “My brain is a little dumb right now but are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?”

“We literally met three years and ten months ago,” Valentina says as if everything was falling into pieces. She can practically see her bouncing. “You fit the criteria!”

“But wouldn’t your abuelito have something against same-sex marriage?” Juliana asks. “Like c’mon, he wanted to marry you off that screams traditionalist than anything.”

“I don’t remember there being a specific part on gender,” Valentina admits as she takes her phone out as she starts texting their company lawyer. “Let me ask them and see what they say.”

“Val…”

Valentina looks up at Juliana’s tone, thumbs hovering over the keyboard. Her tone makes Valentina still. She turns to Juliana, making her blue eyes bigger and even managing to make it fill with tears. She kneels on Juliana’s side, her palms pressed against together. I know this is asking a lot. I know that and I usually wouldn’t ask something this big, but please?”

Juliana sighs, finger and thumb going to the bridge of her nose, eyes closing as she thinks.

“Jules, please,” Valentina whispers, grabbing the other hand that was not on her face and tugging on it. She places their entwined hands under her chin, imploring. “You’re the only one I could trust and we can’t let the board appoint another CEO when we’ve worked so hard for this.”

Juliana looks at the pleading in her eyes. She closes her eyes again before opening them again, sighing. She nods at her, raising an eyebrow. “This is the proposal I get?” She teases.

Valentina squeals throwing her arms around Juliana. “Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou.”

“You sooooo owe me,” Juliana whispers, a smile on her face, Valentina’s relief and happiness were contagious. 

[dreamworksworddump]

Captive in the starlight Ch.9

Katie pulls the drawstring tighter, and then takes a deep, burning breath. She exhales, and knocks on his door.

While he had originally been in the guest’s rooms across the castle, she’d had him moved to Matt’s rooms, partially because all of the sneaking between their rooms was growing tiresome, and partially because Shiro’d had enough of the sudden, startling knocks on her bedroom window and resulting security breaches.

She hears some rustling inside; a thud as something falls onto the floor. And then the door unlocks, and Keith appears in the doorway, wearing nothing but a pair of shorts, and a towel around his shoulders. His hair drips rivulets of water down his face, and onto his chest, tracing translucent trails down his scarred abdomen and onto the waistband of his pants.

“Yes? Um, I mean, you want to come in?” He steps aside awkwardly, and she passes by him just as ungainly.

The room had been cleared of Matt’s stuff before he’d moved in, except for his bookshelf, and the furniture, which remains the same. It’s strange being inside of it without seeing Matt’s scrolls discarded all around the floor, his staff leaning against the far wall, perhaps some clothes strewn around, but not in, his laundry basket. She forces herself to keep eye contact with Keith as she sits on the edge of his bed, and plays with the small, drawstring bag. Its weight is miniscule, but comforting, as she passes it softly from hand to hand.

“So, I, uh. I have some stuff to tell you, and,” Keep eye contact, keep eye contact, keep eye contact. “Will you please put on a shirt? You’re- that’s- it’s distracting!”

Keith snickers, but grabs a shirt off of the floor, and pulls it on. It’s black, and tight and only slightly better than him being half-naked, but she supposes that she’ll have to take what she can get. “So, is there a particular reason you came over, or…?”

Katie fingers the bag once more, aggravating a tiny tear, and causing it to grow. “Your knife, I,” Her voice wavers and she has to pause to collect herself before it all comes spilling out. “Hunk and I found a way to make weapons against the witch, and we had to use your knife. When we came back from lunch, our lab was destroyed, and your knife, it was gone.” Keith’s face takes on that halted, stony expression he uses to hide his emotions during court, but she can tell by the tilt of his mouth that he has something to say. She holds up a finger. “There’s more.”

“More?” He asks flatly. “What else is there?”

“Your brother, I mean, Prince Lotor, he offered his assistance, and,” She can practically sense Keith holding his breath. “I took it. He offered his knife so that we could continue the experiments and I couldn’t let the chance pass me by. I’m sorry.”

Keith’s fists ball up, clench, and sit like rocks beside him. He takes a deep, wavering breath, and then meets her gaze. “What are you sorry for? Losing your token, or for letting my brother find a way in?”

“I-” She feels a flash of anger wash through her, and then leave, as fast as it came. She doesn’t deserve to be angry with him about this. It’s her fault. “I’m more sorry about the token; it meant a lot, to both of us. I’m sorry that I had to accept his help, but it wasn’t as if I knew someone was going to rob us!” She adds, unable to prevent herself from defending herself just a little.

Keith takes another ragged breath, and then the anger shifts. “It was Lotor’s doing; you shouldn’t trust him, Katie.”

Katie sighs a quiet sigh of relief. She doesn’t like being the object of his fury. “I don’t have a choice. The war will be here for us soon, and I don’t have the time to be picky about where help comes from.”

He harrumphs.

She holds the bag out as a peace offering. “I know that this is normally done in public, but this is- it’s important to me.”

Keith’s takes it from her gingerly, and pulls it open, dumping it’s contents onto his palm. It’s a ring, made from the rims of Matt’s glasses, and set with a ruby from one of her mother’s brooches. He holds it up in the light, and inspects it, and then slides it onto his ring finger.

“Thank you,” He says, his voice raw. He smiles, just a tiny bit, and pulls her into a one-armed hug. “And be careful, alright?”

Katie nods, and leaves his quarters in a much better mood than she’d entered with.

It lasts until dinner.

The main hall bustles with excitement as she and Keith walk in, sleep still evident in the curve of her eyes and slope of her shoulders. They’d been talking, that much she remembers, something about a shared childhood memory, a favorite food, a forlorn wish. Then a guard was knocking on the door, warning them of the quickly approaching dinner. Neither of them remembered falling asleep, but the warm, fuzzy feeling it’d left inside of her lingers on.

Katie takes her seat at the edge of the table, Keith to her right, and they wait for the servants to pile in carrying trays of mouthwatering food and wine. Allura sits to her left, one chair away; a frown lingers on her face, partially melted away by the wine, already half empty.

“Who’s sitting there?” Katie whispers. Keith shrugs.

A moment later, after everyone else has been seated, Prince Lotor slinks in. He wears a dark purple undersuit with faintly shimmering embroidery. It hugs his lithe body tightly, his modesty only protected by the tunic worn half-heartedly on top of it, and the royal blue cloak tossed atop it all. He takes the empty seat with a smile, giving a polite nod to Keith as a way of hello.

“Hello, Queen Kathryn. How goes your project? Have you made up for your losses?” Prince Lotor asks in an amicable tone.

Katie decides not to bring up his tardiness; she’s certainly done worse, and despite Keith’s glowering beside her, she responds with a similarly friendly attitude. “We’re still behind a bit, with all of our supplies having been destroyed, but yes. We should be able to present our findings to our munitions officers in a day or two.”

Prince Lotor grins. The servants begin to travel down the table, pouring glimmering, pink wine into their goblets. He swirls his cup delicately, and takes a small sip. “That is wonderful news! I am so happy that I could be of assistance; this development will surely help in our fight against Zarkon’s forces.”

His excitement seems too much, too overdone, but not by enough for her to feel suspect. Instead, it leaves her merely feeling uneasy. Does Prince Lotor really hate his father enough to feel that happy about his impending demise? Katie can’t recall any of this hate and disgust for him when they were children. True, as a child, she hadn’t been looking for it, but still. Thinking back on it should’ve revealed some insight. Instead, all that she can recall is a need for his father’s attention and approval.

“Yes, it is.” Katie replies.

Keith picks the knife off of his napkin and spins it between his fingers. Lance watches him for a moment, and then tries a clumsy imitation.

A server begins to place slices of meat onto their plates; well done for most of the Terrans, and just barely cooked for the Galrans. The Alteans receive a strange gelatinous scoop of something else as a replacement. Katie saws at her food carefully, but doesn’t eat more than a few bites. The mystery of Lotor’s behavior has stolen away her appetite.

Allura sighs dramatically as Prince Lotor tries to draw her into further conversation about the war effort, but even if Katie felt that same comfortable comradie she had felt the day before, she wouldn’t be able to tell him much. Her adaptation of Shiro’s prosthetic into further weapon use isn’t fleshed out beyond a vague sketch. Eventually, he lets the conversation die out, and that end of the table finishes their food in an uncomfortable silence.

The second course is served before she finishes even a third of her meat; a chilled soup with mint leaves floating on its surface. Keith dips a finger in, and sucks it off. The corners of his mouth perk up almost imperceptibly.

“Strawberry?”

Katie nods. “I know it’s your favorite, so I asked the kitchen to include it in our meal.”

“Is this your way of smoothing things over from earlier?”

Katie takes a delicate sip. It’s not her kind of thing, but she can see why Keith likes it. “Maybe it is. Or maybe I just decided to be nice for once.”

Allura downs her bowl faster than Katie had counted for, leaving a milk-moustache on her lip. Lance snickers, and Keith smothers a snort as she turns between the two of them suspicously. “What? What is it?”

Katie tries not to laugh as well; Allura is her friend, and it’s not nice to tease. She pantomimes a mustache with her finger. “You have a- right above your-”

Lance finally leans over, tilting her her with his finger. He licks it off of her lip, and then smoothly turns it into a kiss. When he settles back into his chair, both of them are blushing.

“So, Allura,” Prince Lotor drawls, the stem of his wine glass held between two, claw tipped fingers. “How goes the repopulation effort? After my father’s decimation of the capital, I heard that your armies numbers dropped to an all time low. It must be mighty hard to spare Terra the armies she needs when you have so few troops.”

Allura straightens up, and the jovial mood disappears. Her mouth straightens into a hard line, and Katie can see the slant of Lance’s arm increase as they hold hands under the table. “Do not presume familiarity, Prince Lotor. You will call me by my title.”

“Apologies, Empress.” Prince Lotor ducks his head in way of apology. “But if you would, please, answer the question.”

“She doesn’t have to do anything she doesn’t want to, jerkwad!” Lance says, his voice just a little too loud. Down the table, conversations begin to dim so that they can overhear their words better.

Allura holds up a hand before Lance can say anything further. “No, no. It’s fine, Lance. I’ll answer.”

Lotor smiles smugly.

“Yes, it is true that Zarkon’s genocide decreased our population by a major number, but you forget: Altea is a strong country, and we will not let evil overcome us. Our armies may not be the same size as before, but it is rapidly increasing in size as our countrymen and women train and join our ranks.” Her pink eyes glimmer coldly. “Does that answer your question adequetely?”

“Yes, your majesty. I appreciate your candor.” Prince Lotor responds, not at all upset about being shut down so savagely.

Katie is confused.

To what purpose would he talk to her like that for? What use does he have for the information she’d revealed in her anger? She can’t think of anything; as their ally, Lotor has no reason to anger another in the anti-Zarkon alliance.

Keith slams his cup down on the table just a little too hard to be casual. “Dear brother,” The words roll off of his tongue like boulders: strong, and heavy, and harsh. “For what reason would you have to ask such a private question? That is nearly as rude as me asking why you have one of your generals send a letter off with an unmarked bird every night.”

If Keith’s accusation offends him, Prince Lotor doesn’t show it.

“Why, I do have a country to run, brother. Not all that I have to say is safe to be sent so carelessly.” His tone implies that he knows that Keith suspects him of more; it’s almost daring in it’s casualness. “We can’t all frolick and play around whilst staying in Terra.”

Katie makes a note to ask Keith about the bird thing later. For now, she has to stop this, before they make more of a spectacle of themselves than they already have. “Enough.” Her voice is neither particularly loud or harsh, but the three of them pause in their arguing nonetheless. “Can we just dine in peace? We have enough fighting with the war; there is no need to instigate it here, among our allies and friends.”

Allura huffs, “That’s fair. Although I feel that I must mention that the instigating was not caused by my words.” She takes a long sip of her wine. “However, our … squabbling has rather ruined my appetite. I think I’ll be taking my leave.”

Katie feels bad that she hadn’t supported her friend more, but what was she supposed to do? Prince Lotor is her ally too, and his help has possibly swayed the result of the war. She can’t piss him off anymore than she can piss off Allura. “That’s...fair.” Allura offers her an apologetic smile, and stalks out of the room.

Lance narrows his eyes. “Katie is more diplomatic than I am, so just know this: you disrespect Empress Allura like that again, and you’ll have to deal with more than just some nasty words.” He shoves his chair away from the table with a loud screech, and stalks after her.

Katie curses the gods for inheriting this foolishness, and hopes to herself that Keith won’t make this spectacle any worse than it already is.

Of course, knowing Keith, that’s probably too much to ask.

Keith stands, and knocks his glass of wine away with an echoing clatter. The pink liquid spills towards Lotor, who stops its trail with a well placed napkin. “I don’t trust you. She does,” He jabs a thumb at her. “But I do not. I know that you’re planning something, and I’ll figure it out. I promise you that.”

Keith leaves in a flurry of red, like a flash of fire sparked by a raging storm, only to come back seconds later to grab both a bottle of wine and a pitcher of the soup from a dumbfounded servent. The rest of the table stares at them, and gossips in muted whispers. Prince Lotor stabs a spear of his meat, and leans back in his chair leisurely. “My brother is quite a spectacle, isn’t he?” He drawls, mouth spread in an amused grin.

[justanotherdumpingground]

Chapter Reviews: March 26-30, 2019

High School Story Class Act Chapter 7:

Man, I'm feeling worried for Ajay. I know that him taking out his anger is unacceptable, but at least he apologized to Skye. Their stories need to have good progress and satisfying conclusions that answer how they overcome their respective turbulent home lives.

Still miffed that the Clint and Graham side romance amounts to nothing of particular substance. As I've said before, it would've been better if Graham's so creepy obsessed that it makes Clint uncomfortable that he tells Natalie that this is how Rory feels like whenever they're around.

The ending of this chapter made me dislike the twin for taking the election too personally. I was like "your campaign for more sports is redundant because it's already the most supported program at school". This isn't even a joke that sports gets a lot of attention at schools. This is evident in the first trilogy. Book 1 focuses on getting ready for the Homecoming game, especially because Brian's rotten behavior and transfer to Hearst left Berry desperate to search a suitable quarterback. Book 2 has Ashley Faris diverting all funding from cheer and band to the basketball team after she appointed her brother as coach. I even saw some people calling Rory out for taking offense at the MC should they support the twin, who is family no matter how annoying they can be. I guess this means the election is dumber than I thought.

Across the Void Chapter 15:

Honestly, this chapter is much better than the previous ones. I get to learn about the lore of the setting for free, especially on The Void, the origin of the Vanguard-Jura conflict, and astradust creating various races in the story. About time the story goes somewhere, though it should've been shown earlier on. Regarding the Void, it seems that they're a bunch of nihilists who want to plunge the galaxy to oblivion while playing the Vanguard and Jura like sniveling fools.

One thing that captures my attention is the possible connection to Endless Summer and maybe even Hero. Barlow mentioned a planet that got destroyed millennia ago that lights blue flames and has pieces entering its wormhole creating various races. What if it reached Earth and played a role in La Huerta's formation? What if some of them entered through the wormhole in Northbridge and created the superhumans in Hero. I hope this will get addressed in Book 2 of Hero.

On another note, why do they make Barlow a love interest? MC already has five, one of them is shared with Eos. Honestly, the story's writers are wasting time, resources, and effort enticing us with more love interests than necessary, excessive amounts of time with Eos and Pax, and catering to insufferable passengers while not focusing on the Vanguard-Jura conflict enough.

Didn't buy the biodroid, though it remains a low priority choice to get for me someday. I also didn't pick the premium option to check the library with Zekei, but after I watched on YouTube that it's about the MC torn away from the people they love almost every time, I actually felt ambivalent because the love interests aren't developed enough, though Kepler comes close.

I'm starting to think Pax's loyalty is put to the test and allow us to determine whether she'll stay loyal to the Jura or sever ties. Either way, I don't care because I find her annoying.

Desire & Decorum Chapter 14:

Duke Richards's journal is just another proof of how deranged he is, which is getting redundant. At least I have proof that he has been manipulating Dominique, which is another step up I need. Might as well replay this book and get the other pieces of evidence to see the full outcome.

Oh, Hamid. I really want to spend time with you, but my diamonds for other books go first. Don't worry. I'll spend diamonds on you so you and my MC can live happily ever after.

*sigh* The sight of the MC's mom's ring thrown into the fire better be the last straw because I've had enough of Duke Richards being continually despicable, as if I don't know that already. A part of me wants him to have some sort of depth that makes him well-developed while still irredeemable. That would've made him memorable and interesting instead of just someone I should hate. Here's hoping the wedding day gets disrupted and the tables turned against him.

America's Most Eligible Chapter 11:

I'm so relieved Eden and Kiana are alive, even though they're injured and had to drop out of the show. Their safety matters first and foremost. To think that something life-threatening like this to occur in a fun show is proof of mismanagement. I still don't know whether it's an accident or someone rigged the go-kart, but either way, it's carelessness on Carson's part.

This chapter is surprisingly calming, and it helps that neither Ivy nor Vince are around to stir trouble. It's just me, Adam, Derek, Mackenzie, and Jen relaxing. My MC had a fine date with Adam and even had a steamy moment with him even though they have maximum relationship points. Anyway, can't wait to see what Iceland has in store for AME.

Passport to Romance Chapter 3:

I'm starting to like Sumire for giving her own spin of the Louvre tour even after the MC missed the one Yvette booked. It was a fun take, and I enjoy watching her incorporate her love and knowledge of art together.

So, I picked the premium option to find the Mona Lisa painting and flirted with the security guard. That was a really dumb move on everyone's part, including the MC's. I think taking a picture of Mona Lisa should've been pushed to a later chapter and have everyone involved to ask when it will be ready for display again. Might as well throw Elliot under the bus for suggesting that we trespass in the first place.

Wow! All the love interests look stunning in their formal outfits! It's making me hard to determine who my MC will pursue, even though his vlog is named Sexcapades (don't judge).

I'm starting to dislike Yvette for talking trash about the love interests, even though she warmed up to me earlier this chapter for approving of a fresh tour of the Louvre. I get that she wants her magazine to improve, but I also think a balance between work and friends is needed. During the dinner, I threw Elliot and Marisa under the bus and defended Ahmed and Sumire from her. I actually think Marisa's okay, however.

Open Heart Chapter 7:

I cringed when that kissass with Percy Mendoza's model tried to smooch Aurora into paying for her lunch. Talking about the downsides of popularity. I think her aunt rigged the list in her favor while handing out the "most interesting" cases. In other words, Harper Emery could be up to no good.

Okay, telling Bryce to flirt with Ines and Zaid is pretty fun to watch. It's like he thinks he has a suave way to get around people, and acts like he succeeds. Anyway, glad that he succeeded in buying the MC time to follow Ethan.

For Remy, I told him the truth about his condition that will deprive him from his ability to move his limbs. I'm willing to risk a patient's short-term anger over withholding important information on his condition. Not to mention the latter is unethical. It was touching to see him accept his condition and resolve to live his life to the fullest.

So Patient X is Naveen Banerji? No wonder he resigned. And Ethan telling the MC to not tell this to anyone else just comes across as suspicious. Were they trying to preserve Edenbrook's reputation while one of their top doctors was dying of an illness?

The Elementalists Chapter 3:

I'm worried for Atlas and their search for the girl Dean Goeffe was watching over. It makes me wonder whether they'll resort to extreme measures to take down Kane or something. I grabbed the letter, and it seems that Dean Goeffe served as the girl's caretaker in secret. I think she knows who she is instead of merely stumbling upon her.

I didn't get the enlargement spell when I first played this chapter, so I saved up diamonds and restarted the book just so I could get it. I hope it will come in handy, even when the MC and Atlas's magick goes on and off, probably because of a disturbance in the force or something.

For once, Beckett's presence is kept to a minimum. A welcoming thing, actually. As for the ward Kane sent to the MC, I'm starting to admire him for being as interesting as Redfield. He might be the kind of person whose sense of right and wrong is different from other people's. I'd love to know more about him. Here's hoping he's a genuinely complex character.

Ride or Die Chapter 11:

Well, Logan manipulating the MC in the first place only to fall for her doesn't change my stance on him. I continue to reject him for the mess he caused. Regarding Mona, who apparently didn't know about Logan's actions before, her comment on suggesting to kidnap the MC put me off. That makes her come across as cold-blooded in some ways that it makes me less secure.

Why am I at Riya's house? She pushed MC into pursuing Logan in the first place, then complained that she's feeling lonely as a result. At least she gave the MC a place to stay for now, and Jason told the MC that her dad misses her.

Anyone thinks Toby could be a Brotherhood agent? I mean, good for him that he didn't participate in Colt's foolish plan, but how did he reach Riya's house? Did he have some sort of tracker? Or did he search the area one by one? Whatever that is, Colt's package could be a super dangerous bomb capable of super destructive damage. It's really rash of him.

Regarding the Brotherhood, I think it being the greater evil is never expanded on. Even though the narrative mentions it as worse the MPC, it just comes across as bland and forgettable. It doesn't help that the only Brotherhood member MC encounters is a baseball hat guy Teppei met.

[writetoremainsilent]

12/29/18 the accompanying story

This is the followup to my other 12/29 post. 

I wrote this, out of nowhere, just to try and get into Michael’s writing voice. It didn’t go so well. It also might have formatting issues because I’m copy-pasting it from a Google Doc. A tl;dr at the top, so AVOID this till after because spoilers (like you care): 

I came up with the bedtime story Michael tells his daughter first, and built the rest of the story around that. Hence, the rest of the story sucks immensely. I’m particularly displeased with latter half; I think it’s quite weak. But, whatever. Maybe I’ll work on this tomorrow and upload it again. Who knows. Anyway, enjoy!!

STORY!!!!

“Are you going to tell me a story?” the little girl asked.

The tired man sighed. It was 10:30 in the night, and he had just gotten back from his commute home. He was tired. The little girl was not.

The mother, formerly known as the love of his life, was fast asleep. Her shift had ended. His was just beginning.

He looked into the little girl’s shining, expectant eyes. They were dark and looked just like his not beautiful, but the happiness inside them was. Suddenly, he felt how much power he had over her. He could snuff out her joy with just a single word, and she couldn’t do anything about it.

Of course, he didn’t. He sighed again and sat down next to her on the bed. The little girl handed him a book, one of those stupid three page cardboard cutouts with the animals that have the sense to speak to one another, but not the sense to figure out their pitifully simple dilemmas.

When he took it from her, it was almost as though he could hear the snickering of the money-grubbing rats that wrote these sorts of things. The tired man opened the book and shaped his mouth to form the first sentence.

(Piggy was hungry)

He couldn’t do it. It was just...so stupid. So instead he shut the book and turned to the little girl. He rubbed his hand over his face and said, most solemnly, “How about I tell you a story that my father told me when I was around your age?”

His father had done no such thing. But, kids are kids, and the little girl was no exception. She looked as though she were being let in on some ancient ancestral tale. Her eyes shone even more, and he felt like he was going to be swallowed up by their gleeful blackness.

“Can you, please?” the little girl asked. At least she had manners.

He licked his lips and nodded, and began to improvise:

“There were two brothers attending a high school. Both brilliant, both set on successful paths.

One of the brothers was very outgoing, the other was a bit of an introvert. Er, sorry. A shy fellow. Yeah.

Unfortunately, the outgoing brother, whom we’ll name Greg, kind of fell in with the wrong crowd.  Bad influences, my dad would’ve called them. Or wait, he did call them that. Anyway, these guys were real trouble-makers. They’d drink and drive (which is illegal, at any age), they’d smoke cigarettes (which is illegal, at that age), and they’d make an overall ruckus on the school campus (which isn’t exactly illegal, but it is pretty annoying). Greg relieved some of his academic stress by drinking with these children, which is illegal at that age. He hid it from his parents pretty well, but not from...

...the introvert brother, whom we’ll name...uhhhh...Michael. Yes, I know that’s my name. Just listen. Michael was a stellar child. He didn’t do anything or say anything that his parents didn’t approve of. In fact, he was more of a goody two-shoes than they were.

Obviously, he and Greg didn’t see eye-to-eye with their pastimes. Greg partied, and Michael read. But Michael, being a kind and gracious brother, never said a thing to his parents. Which, if you ask me, is pretty bad, considering that his brother would drink and drive, which is illegal. Shoot, I’m digres–getting off topic.  

Anyway, uh, yeah, these two brothers had different outlets for having fun, and spent countless nights apart from each other, indulging in these outlets. One such fateful night, the brothers’ parents were out on a ‘date night,’ which is when two parents trick themselves into thinking they can have a fun and romantic time together. Greg had driven to his friend’s house, and had drank a lot. That’s illegal at that age. And Greg, having never discussed these things with his parents, found it appropriate to drive back home after having drank, which is illegal. And so he told his friends ‘see you later’ and climbed into his car.

Beautiful car, by the way. His parents bought it for him as a birthday–sorry, sorry. I forgot you don’t like fun things. Anyway, he climbed into the car.

Now, can you tell me what happens when you’re drunk? No? That’s probably a good thing. Well, your brain doesn’t work properly. You get very, very dizzy, like those times I’ve seen you spin around in the living room and then fall down. Greg was very much feeling this dizziness on the drive home. He swerved in the lane, and had forgotten to turn on his headlights, meaning he couldn’t see very well. Thankfully, the roads were empty, but he was an accident waiting to happen.

He swerved, and swerved, and kept going back and forth. Eventually he came upon a red light, but didn’t realize he had to stop. He kept accelerating, and–

–And two armed robbers entered the house where Michael was reading all alone. They began cramming items into a large sack, and Michael heard them. He crept downstairs, quiet as can be. Well, that’s what he thought. They heard him, and one of the robber didn’t think. He just drew his gun and shot and shot until Michael was more lead than flesh. See, bullets are made of lead. We’re made of flesh.

Michael died, alone and in agony. The robbers cleaned the house and left him bleeding and dirty.

And Greg? He got home, safe and sound.”

The little girl was shaking. The tired man sighed and yawned, even more spent after telling this stupid, made-up story. They sat side by side in silence.

“What happened after that?” the little girl peeped out after a while.

“Eh? Nothing really,” replied the tired man. He really was exhausted. He wanted nothing more than for the little thing to just shut up and sleep.

“I can’t tell what the moral is,” whispered the little girl.

He gnashed his teeth. Moral. What a weighty word for a six-year-old to use.

“The moral is that people never get what they deserve,” he said. “Good night.”

“She was crying to me earlier this morning. Bawling about how she was gonna be found dead after some robbers break into our house. What the fuck were you thinking?”

The tired man, exhausted by sleep, sighed. The mother was grilling him for his less-than-child-friendly bedtime story, which he personally had thought was riveting.

Apparently, not so much.

The mother continued to deliver gut-punches, spouting things like “been distant ever since she was born” and his being a “reluctant father.” The tired man didn’t have the energy to retort. He didn’t have the energy to feel anything.

He waved, saying “I’ll see you when I’m back,” and headed out the door.  He’d forgotten it was his turn to drop off the little girl.

The mother stood there, mouth agape, in her suit and briefcase. She recovered in an instant, and got the little girl ready for school.

The time bomb detonated.

He found himself in some apartment closer to the city; a dilapidated neighborhood where rent was minimal and care for tenants even more so. The little girl didn’t ask to go with him, and he didn’t ask her to come with him.

He closed his eyes in the empty living room and sat down. He replayed the final moments over and over again. The moments were mostly a bunch of signatures, so they weren’t exactly scintillating replays.

At night, he plopped the futon left over from his college days

(back when they were in love)

in the living room and lay there, shivering. He was going to be tired in the morning.

The tired man drew the blanket over his aching body and slept like a baby.

He woke up feeling the same as when he fell asleep.

He reached for his wife and found that there was none. It was damn cold in this new place.

The tired man sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He checked the clock. A quarter past when he’d be taking his lunch break. He sighed (as is characteristic of tired men) and got up. His joints cracked and creaked and groaned, and he did with them.

He began his morning routine, splashing cold water on his face and finding it warmer than his futon. He brushed, shaved haphazardly, and dressed for work.

White collared shirt, black tie, slacks, sneakers.

He looked at himself in the mirror and decided to skip work for the day.

The tired man sat down on a bench by the river, and cradled his head in his hands. It was all crashing down on him.

She had looked so beautiful in those goggles and that goofy white coat. She was positively radiant when the TA, who was almost definitely high, assigned him to be her lab partner.

He was so much happier then. And funnier too. She laughed at almost all of his jokes, and he would laugh with her.

They took it slow, and then fast. His parents didn’t approve of getting married while in college. In fact, they thought it was idiotic.

So he did what any child excels at doing: he ignored them.

Time flew by, and she wanted kids. He wanted her, so he wanted kids too.

And then the little girl was born.

He should’ve felt proud, holding the tiny thing in her arms, seeing her little eyes flutter and hearing her diminutive heart make the lub-dub that his did. He should’ve felt proud, when she opened her eyes and her mouth and wailed, and he could see that she looked so very much like he did.

But he didn’t.

The love of his life started paying more attention to the little girl. He became lowest priority.  It stung him. The little girl became a problem to him. Fortunately, he was quite good at ignoring her. Unfortunately, the mother was not.

So they raised her together: him begrudgingly, and the mother most joyously.

The man became tired of this. He wanted love and affection.

The man grew tired: work became more demanding.

The man grew tired: he could not bring himself to love the child.

The man grew tired: he and the mother ended their physical relationship. It was never expressly said, but one day he came home from work and went straight to sleep, and that was it for them.

The man was tired: he suspected his brain was simply wired that way.

All he wanted was for the mother to love him above all else, like he thought he did her.

And instead of that, he got a eleventh-rate lawyer and a piss-poor settlement.

He yawned. His cheeks were wet. His throat was sore. He was so very tired.

Time passed. The tired man survived from day-to-day. He kept to himself. He kept himself busy.

On an unrelated note, everyone at the local dives knew him. The tall, bumbling recluse who slurred before his drink and was unintelligible after it. They didn’t know where he worked, or what he did. Neither did he.

The day was the little girl’s twelfth year. The tired man had been seeing a therapist, and decided to discuss the little girl this session, a topic he rarely broached.

“I didn’t love her,” he mumbled, slumped in his chair.

His therapist, a rather long-necked fellow by the name of J. Daniel, said nothing. He really was a fantastic listener.

“I don’t love her. I won’t love her,” continued the tired man.

The therapist stayed silent.

“I mean, she ruined my marriage!”

The therapist stayed silent.

The tired man closed his eyes, imagined his daughter, and felt his heart seize up.

The session was a failure. He left the office with a lighter wallet and a much heavier conscience.

He stumbled into his car and turned the engine over.

(Which is illegal, at any age)

The tired man squinted. It was late, and the road was hard to see. The lights all blended together, making a wonderful rainbow of light pollution.

He really couldn’t see all that well. His head was throbbing, and he felt dizzy. He swerved when he thought he was about to hit something, some weird dark blob that might have been scuttling across the street. Thankfully, the road was pretty empty.

The tired man, however, lost control after swerving. He careened awkwardly, and his stomach lurched and bucked and swerved with the car. His knuckles were white as he clutched the wheel, unsure of what to do and unsure of how to do it. He distantly realized the car was tipping, and then he was somersaulting over and over, the windows shattering, his head whiplashing, his arms flailing. He screamed when he saw the corner of the building rush up to meet him, and–

–and his daughter woke up in the middle of the night to one of the worst headaches she’d ever experienced. She didn’t know it, but she was undergoing a ruptured aneurysm. Her brain was hemorrhaging, bleeding uncontrollably, and she would be dead by the morning.

She didn’t deserve it.