#whiplash chapter 8

[lorainedoesthings]

Coming on to say that chapter 5 is… a thing. I’m not even going to lable it, it’s its own thing. I’m very scared of it. It’s going in the opposite direction from which it started.

[sleep-deprived-luka]

I AM DONE

[xuchiya]

accidentally have 8 pets || ateez || chapter 5

| genre: fluff. slice of life. small tinge of angst. kind of supernatural(?) | mentions: doctors. vets. needles. adoption. a bit cruel. magic starts. abuse to animals. laws. douyin saving the day. TAGLIST: CLOSED

back to masterlist || chapter 6

It had been four months since I enrolled Mingi in the training program, and Bangchan had been kind enough to keep me updated on his progress. A smile tugged at my lips as I stared at the latest photo he sent—a playful snapshot of Mingi and Yeo towering over Bangchan, who was dramatically attempting to piggyback ride them.

I giggled at the sight.

Mingi had come so far.

From a timid pup who once hesitated behind me, he had grown more confident with each passing week. He was learning to trust, to play, to stand on his own four feet. Bangchan had even mentioned how Mingi had leaped to reach the bell outside the indoor playground—either as a challenge for Yeo or to prove something to Bangchan himself.

It had taken time for me to let Mingi be on his own, like a parent nervously watching their child on their first day of daycare. But it had taken even more for Mingi to learn how to be independent. With a soft sigh, I saved the photo and tucked my phone away before heading toward the kitchen. The next batch of croissants wouldn’t make themselves.

Just as I reached for the ingredients, the soft chime of the bell above the entrance rang.

I turned instinctively, expecting to see a new customer stepping inside. But there was no one. The only people in the shop were the usual customers, quietly enjoying their meals. No one stood at the counter. No one had walked in.

My brows furrowed. Shaking off the strange feeling creeping up my spine, I made my way toward the back, where Wooyoung and Hongjoong were eating their lunch. Something felt off. And I had a feeling I was about to find out what.

I gently ran my fingers through their soft fur, giving them a few affectionate pats before straightening up. The comforting warmth of the kitchen wrapped around me as I turned toward the oven, where the golden pies sat nestled inside. 

The rich, buttery aroma filled the air, mingling with the subtle sweetness of baked fruit. Through the glass window, I watched as the crusts slowly rose, turning a deep, inviting shade of amber. Tiny bubbles formed along the edges, a sign that the filling inside was thickening perfectly. The sight made my mouth water, a quiet sense of satisfaction settling in my chest as I anticipated pulling them out at just the right moment.

Moving to the other side of the kitchen, I reached for my gloves, preparing to work on the croissants—only to realize I was missing a few key ingredients. Clicking my tongue in annoyance, I made my way to the back, where I stored the frozen supplies.

"Wooyoung, can you keep an eye on the café?" I called. Wooyoung let out a soft meow, finishing his meal before trotting toward the front. Hongjoong, however, stayed behind, his golden eyes watching me from the floor. 

I chuckled, grabbing a small wooden bar to prop the walk-in fridge door open. Stepping into the freezing air, I shivered slightly as I scanned the shelves, grabbing two blocks of butter and a few other ingredients I would need later. A sudden gust of cold air sent a shiver down my spine as I adjusted my grip on the butter, turning to leave, when a sudden, sharp hiss echoed through the cold space, followed by the eerie screech of metal against metal.

My heart lurched, spinning so fast that it almost gave me whiplash, I watched in horror as the fridge door swung shut. The ingredients slipped from my hands as I lunged forward— But it was too late. 

The heavy door slammed closed with a resounding thud. My breath caught in my throat as I grabbed the handle and twisted it. It won’t budge and panic swelled in my chest. I twisted the handle again, harder this time. Nothing.

The cold air wrapped around me, seeping through my clothes as my breath came out in short, misty puffs. 

No, no, no—this wasn’t happening.

I had propped the door open. I was sure of it. I slammed my fist against the metal, the sound echoing in the confined space. "Anyone! Can someone hear me?!" My voice was sharp, edged with urgency. Outside, I could hear the faint hum of the café, the distant chatter of customers—so close yet completely oblivious to the fact that I was trapped.

The dim light flickered slightly, casting long shadows over the frozen shelves. My breath hitched, shortening as fear slowly crept in. Panic shot through me before I could think. My foot caught awkwardly against the cold tile, and a sharp jolt of pain shot up my ankle as I twisted it in an attempt to step back, the cold from the ground seeping through my clothes instantly. I winced, sucking in a sharp breath as I tried to push myself up, only to feel a dull ache radiating from my twisted ankle.

Something moved at the edge of my vision, making me panic even more. But instead of the threat my mind had conjured, a large, fluffy golden retriever trotted beside me, his pure boba eyes gazing up at me with quiet curiosity. His coat was slightly unkempt, his tail swishing lazily behind him. I blinked through the lingering sting in my ankle, my mind scrambling to process what I was seeing.

Where did he come from?

My mind suddenly had something to be distracted about, “W-Where did you come from?”

The golden retriever woof softly before turning the door as if showing obviously where he came from yet beyond that as I took a short realization. The café door chimed a while ago yet no new customer in sight— My pulse still thrummed from the lingering ache in my ankle as I stared at the golden retriever. 

“Was it you?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

The dog simply stuck his tongue out in acknowledgment, tilting his head as if studying my reaction. But I hadn’t heard paws against the floor. No scratch of nails, no soft padding of footsteps. And yet, here he was—walking in like he had belonged here all along. 

For a moment, I just stood there, staring. The logical part of my brain screamed that this didn’t make sense. No customer had brought a dog in. No stray had been lingering outside. And yet, this golden retriever had appeared out of nowhere, slipping into the fridge like a ghost.

A sudden chill prickled at my skin. My breath came out in uneven puffs as I turned toward the heavy door, still locked, hoping—praying—that someone would notice I had been gone for too long.

Fear crept through my body, cold and suffocating. The flickering lights cast erratic shadows, feeding the anxiety already clawing at my chest. My breath shortened, each inhale jagged, struggling against the growing tightness. The pressure built, making it harder to breathe, my vision blurring at the edges. Even as tears streamed down my cheeks, my body refused to cooperate. My fingers trembled as I gripped my pants, gasping for air, willing the panic to subside.

Then, warmth.

A gentle weight pressed against my side, grounding me. A soft whine broke through the haze of my spiraling thoughts. Blinking past the dizziness, I turned my head, he nudged me carefully, his body solid and warm against mine. His slightly unkempt coat brushed against my arm as he pressed closer, sensing my distress. A low, reassuring hum rumbled from his chest as he rested his head against my lap.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I remembered—rescue dogs. Medical dogs trained to recognize anxiety and panic attacks.

Was he one of them?

Another soft whine, another nudge. The rhythmic rise and fall of his breathing urged me to match it. Slowly, shakily, I tried. Inhale. Exhale. The weight on my chest began to ease, just slightly.

I wasn’t alone.

The golden retriever stayed close, his warm weight grounding me as I focused on his steady breaths. Slowly, my own breathing evened out, the tightness in my chest loosening bit by bit. The dizziness faded, though my body still trembled with the aftershocks of panic.

Just as I was beginning to gather myself, the dog suddenly perked up. His tail gave a slow, gentle wag before he trotted off a few steps—only to return with something in his mouth.

The butter.

I blinked at him in disbelief as he carefully nudged it toward my injured ankle, his eyes gleaming with what I could only describe as triumph. A startled chuckle bubbled up in my throat. “Such a good boy,” I murmured, my voice hoarse from earlier.

He wagged his tail at the sound, as if pleased with himself.

As I reached out, my fingers sinking into his soft fur, he huffed in contentment and rested his head on my lap once again. I leaned against the cold door, exhaustion settling over me, but the warmth of his presence kept the lingering fear at bay. I absentmindedly combed my fingers through his slightly unkempt coat, finding comfort in the rhythmic motion.

Time slipped by and thirty minutes must have passed before a sudden rattle at the door made the retriever lift his head, ears twitching in alertness. A moment later, the door creaked open just enough for a familiar voice to break through the quiet.

“Noona!” Douyin rushed in the moment he spotted me, his eyes wide with concern. He dropped to his knees beside me, his hands hovering as if unsure where to check first.

“I’m okay,” I started to say, but the slight shift of my leg sent a sharp jolt of pain up my ankle. I sucked in a breath, a small hiss escaping before I could stop it. That was all it took before the golden retriever went over to my side, nudging my arm. I ruffled his fur, pain pumping through my legs,  “I’m okay, babe.”

The sound had barely left my lips before another set of hurried footsteps approached, "Twisted ankle?" Taehyun’s voice was calm but firm as he crouched beside me. I nodded, still a little breathless from the pain.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair before glancing at Douyin. "We need to get her out of here. Can you walk at all?" I hesitated. The retriever, still beside me, let out a quiet huff and pressed his nose to my knee, as if he, too, was waiting for my answer.

I shake my head, “No I can’t.” 

The hospital room carried the sharp scent of antiseptic, softened by the faint traces of lavender from the fresh linens. My ankle, wrapped snugly in a bandage and resting on an ice pack, hadn’t swollen as much as usual, yet the dull ache served as a lingering reminder of the earlier panic. Despite the sterile surroundings, one thing remained unchanged.

The golden retriever hadn’t left my side, well technically, he sat just outside the hospital room doors, his ears perked and his deep, boba-like eyes watching over me. It was as if he had appointed himself my personal guardian.

I chuckled as I waved at him, amused by the way his tongue peeked out and his tail wagged excitedly at my acknowledgment. Near the door, Douyin stood with his arms crossed, observing my interaction with the dog before letting out a deep sigh.

"Okay, this golden dog here kept barking at us when the ambulance doors were about to close. And now, he's guarding you like you're his owner," he said, tilting his head as he eyed the retriever warily.

I sigh, “I am not sure but he could be lost or anything.” 

Taehyun hummed, his hands in his pockets as he leaned against the wall, eyes scanning the hallway. “He was also trapped in the freezer with you, wasn’t he?” I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “I’m not sure either.” glancing down at the retriever, his warm brown eyes filled with an unspoken familiarity.

“That’s strange,” Douyin muttered, rubbing his chin. “Most dogs would’ve panicked in that situation. But he stayed beside you the entire time?”

“He did,” I murmured, recalling the way his presence had kept me grounded in the freezing darkness. “It was like he knew I needed him there.” Taehyun exhaled through his nose, his expression unreadable. “Then maybe he smelled something from you.”

Douyin scoffed. “Great. First, a freezer incident— you getting injured, and now a mystery dog that won’t leave your side. What’s next, we’re gonna adopt him?” 

“Okay, I was just being sarcastic!” Douyin exclaimed as he helped me into the wheelchair. I chuckled, glancing at the golden retriever, who sat casually by the car Taehyun had brought earlier, his tail thumping against the pavement.

“I didn’t say that,” I said, adjusting the blanket Taehyun had placed over my legs as he began pushing the wheelchair toward the car. “I just want to find out where he came from and return him to his owner.”

Douyin started the car, but his voice carried a knowing edge. “But will you?”

A sudden ache bloomed in my chest at the thought of returning the retriever to someone else. I sighed softly, stealing a glance at the dog, who sat beside me, patiently waiting for me to get into the car. His warm brown eyes held a silent understanding, almost as if he could sense the conflict in my heart.

Taehyun and Douyin must have noticed my change in expression. Douyin crouched to my level, placing a warm hand on my knee. “I don’t know what’s really going on with all of this—the dog, the freezer, that symbol on your wrist—but if you know something, I’ll help you.”

I smiled, reaching out to give his hand a grateful squeeze. “Thank you, Do,” I said softly.

Taehyun let out a sigh before squatting down as well, his expression serious yet familiar. “And whatever crazy shenanigans are happening in your lives, count me in. I have a feeling I’ll be needed here more than I thought.”

I gave his hand a small squeeze too. “Thank you, Taehyun.” Just then, the golden retriever suddenly hoisted himself up onto his hind legs and let out a soft bark, his ears perking up. We all chuckled at his adorable actions, the weight of the moment lifting ever so slightly.

The ride home is quiet, the hum of the car lulling me into a half-conscious haze. My eyes remain closed, my mind drifting, until a gentle nudge against my hand pulls me back. My lashes flutter open, and I find myself staring into a pair of warm, doe-like eyes. A soft chuckle escapes my lips as I thread my fingers through the golden retriever’s thick fur.

“How are you, baby?” I murmur, my voice barely above a whisper.

He lets out a small squeak, shifting closer, pressing himself into me as if seeking comfort. With a deep sigh, he settles, his breaths evening out into the soft rhythm of sleep.

From the front seat, Douyin glances at us through the rearview mirror before speaking, “Do you think Min would like a temporary roommate?”

Beneath my touch, I feel the retriever twitch slightly, but my fingers continue their soothing strokes through his fur.

I exhale a quiet laugh. “He already has a playmate he looks forward to seeing every day. Maybe having a temporary one will help him socialize more—see more dogs besides the two felines ruling the house.”

Taehyun, seated beside me, hums in agreement. “That’s actually great for Mingi, though.”

The mention of my husky’s name sends a jolt through the retriever. His head shoots up, eyes darting around the car in search of the familiar presence. I startle for a moment, fearing I may have accidentally hurt him, but then I see it—the flicker of recognition, the way he looks at me with silent curiosity, I smile, rubbing his ears gently. “You’ll meet him soon,” I assure him. “I think you two are going to get along just fine.”

Yet when I observe his ears and body language, he seems anxious. 

“What? Is he okay, noona?” Douyin’s voice is sharp with concern, but I can’t bring myself to answer. My mouth hangs open, words caught in my throat as I watch the dog whimper, his wide eyes scanning his surroundings—searching, desperate.

The unease thickens in the car, the tension palpable as we pull up to the apartment. Douyin parked the car and when Taehyun opened the door to help me out, the moment he saw the doors swing open, the retriever bolted.

“Hey! Don’t go!” I call out, my voice laced with panic. But he’s already gone, a golden blur disappearing into the night.

A sharp jolt of fear surges through me. I try to move, to chase after him, but the throbbing pain in my ankle anchors me in place. I sink down in frustration, helplessly watching as he vanishes down the street.

Douyin, seeing my distress, doesn’t waste a second. His seatbelt is off in an instant, and without hesitation, he’s out the door, his footsteps pounding against the pavement as he takes off after the runaway dog.

“Douyin!” I called out, my voice strained with worry, “I’ll be back!” he shouts over his shoulder, his figure disappearing into the dimly lit street.

Even with Douyin running after the dog, my heart refuses to settle. It beats wildly against my ribs, the anxiety pressing in like a vice. My fingers curl into the fabric of my clothes as I stare after them, a sense of helplessness washing over me. 

Taehyun’s warm hand finds mine, a grounding touch against the rising tide of panic. “Hey,” he says softly, his gaze steady. “Douyin will find him. Let’s get you inside first.”

I hesitate, my eyes flickering toward the street one last time. But the dull ache in my ankle reminds me that I’m in no condition to chase after anyone. With a reluctant sigh, I nod. “Okay.”

Taehyun moves swiftly, helping me into my wheelchair before guiding me toward our apartment. The air is cool against my skin, but my mind is too preoccupied to register the chill. As we roll up to the door, it swings open to reveal Bangchan’s familiar, ever-cheerful face. His smile, however, falters the moment his gaze drops to my injured ankle. His brows knit together in alarm. “What happened?”

I wave him off with a tired chuckle. “Accidents happen at work.”

He exhales sharply, clearly unconvinced, but steps aside to let us in. “You seriously need to be more careful, your babies being surprised to find a stranger in their territory,” he mutters, giving Taehyun a nod in greeting as he holds the door open wider. 

I chuckle, “Mingi loves you, Bangchan.” 

“Undoubted.”

The second I’m inside, a blur of movement streaks across the room. Wooyoung and Hongjoong, my two beloved felines, leap from their cat houses, their tails flicking as they meow in concern. Mingi, my husky, is not far behind. He jolts upright at the sight of me, his ears perked before he launches himself forward, nearly knocking into the wheelchair in his excitement.

“Okay, okay, I missed you guys too,” I laugh, reaching out to scratch behind Mingi’s ears as he presses his face on my uninjured leg. Taehyun carefully settles me onto the couch, ensuring my ankle is elevated before stepping back. I lean into the cushions, the exhaustion from the day creeping into my bones, weighing down my limbs.

Bangchan plops onto the armrest beside me, arms crossed. “Good thing I was already on babysitting duty for your little monsters. I got the call last minute when you were rushed to the hospital.”

I smirk, my eyes fluttering shut for a moment. “What would I do without you?”

“You’d probably be buried under a pile of fur and bad decisions,” he quips, nudging my shoulder lightly. A soft laugh escapes my lips. Despite the playful banter, a heaviness lingers in the air. My thoughts drift back to the golden retriever, to Douyin still out there searching for him. My fingers tighten around Mingi’s fur as I murmur under my breath, “Please find him.”

Taehyun notices the way she shifts slightly, her breathing evening out, the exhaustion finally catching up to her. Mingi rests his head gently on her lap, while the two felines, Wooyoung and Hongjoong, curl up beside her, their small bodies rising and falling with each soft breath. Bangchan watches the scene unfold, his gaze lingering on the quiet serenity surrounding her.

He exhales, a knowing look crossing his face. These animals aren’t just pets to her—they’re something more. A connection that runs deeper than mere companionship. A bond woven by fate.

A destiny that slowly builds itself up, piece by piece.

Sensing the shift in the air, Taehyun nudges Bangchan toward the door. Without a word, Bangchan gets the message. He moves to grab his bag, pausing only to give a small wave to the resting trio before following Taehyun out of the apartment.

As Taehyun closes the door behind them, he turns to Bangchan. “Thanks for taking care of her babies. And sorry for the last-minute call.”

Bangchan scoffs, slapping Taehyun’s back lightly as they walk toward the elevator. “It’s nothing, man. Besides, taking care of fur babies isn’t exactly new to me.” Taehyun chuckles at that, but as they approach the elevator, something in Bangchan clicks in his mind. His brows knit together. “Wait… where’s Douyin?”

Taehyun lets out a sigh, running a hand through his hair. “Well… He ran after a dog, and I don’t know where they are now. I’ll have to go out and look for them.”

Bangchan frowns, his curiosity piqued. “A dog? She adopted another one?”

Taehyun shakes his head. “No. It’s… complicated.” The elevator doors slide open, and they step inside. The air between them grows heavier as Taehyun continues, his voice lowered this time.

“The golden retriever was found inside the walk-in freezer… with her. In her café. It—” he hesitates, piecing the words together, “—it was like it was protecting her. Like it knew something. And to be honest, I have my suspicions…”

Bangchan’s eyes narrow, his mind working quickly. “That’s weird. And what’s even weirder is that she keeps meeting these animals—like it’s some kind of pattern.”

Taehyun nodded, agreeing with him. He leans against the cool metal of the elevator wall, rubbing his jaw thoughtfully. “Think about it. Wooyoung appeared on the night she finished her shift in the cafe that marked her anniversary since opening the cafe. Hongjoong? She met him almost a year ago in the same place where she met Wooyoung. Then Mingi. And now, a golden retriever just conveniently shows up when she’s in trouble?”

Bangchan shakes his head, a dry chuckle escaping his lips. “Man, you and your suspicions.”

Taehyun smirks, but deep down, he knows Bangchan is thinking the same thing. Then—almost like a silent cue, a shift in the air—they both turn to each other at the same time.

“Don’t you think—” Bangchan starts.

“They’re…” Taehyun trails off.

Silence hangs between them, thick and charged. Then, as if fate itself had been listening, the small monitor above the elevator doors flickers to life. A commercial fades out, replaced by breaking news. Their gazes snap to the screen just as the images of missing idols flash across it. The breath in their lungs stills. A strange, sinking realization settles deep in their bones. Something isn’t right. Reality just became far more complicated than they ever imagined.

Douyin bent over, hands braced on his knees, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His chest heaved as he exhaled loudly, trying to steady himself. Sweat trickled down his temple, gathering at his jaw before sliding onto his already damp neck. The fabric of his shirt clung uncomfortably to his back, soaked through from the relentless chase. He pushed back his messy hair, strands sticking to his forehead as he scanned the dimly lit street.

He had been running after the golden retriever for at least an hour, weaving through alleys and side streets, only to lose sight of it when it turned a sharp corner. Now, his legs ached, and frustration gnawed at his stomach. He leaned against a cold cobalt wall, pressing his palm against it for support as he reached into his pocket for his phone to call for his friend.

Before he could dial, something tugged at his pants. He froze.

The golden retriever had returned, its mouth gently latched onto the fabric of his jeans, insistently pulling him forward. Its eyes, deep pools of urgency, flickered with something that made Douyin's heartbeat quicken.

“Woah, woah—easy, boy,” he murmured, but the dog didn’t let up. Instead, it tugged harder, urging him toward the shadows.

Douyin hesitated as they entered a dark alley, a place where the glow of a distant streetlamp barely stretched. The air was damp, thick with the scent of rain-soaked pavement and something faintly metallic. He pulled out his phone, its screen casting a bluish glow over the cracked concrete, but the retriever kept leading.

Then, it stopped.

Douyin followed the dog’s gaze—and his breath hitched.

At the far end of the alley, nearly swallowed by darkness, sat a small cardboard box. The golden retriever whimpered before lowering itself onto its haunches, nudging the edge of the box with its snout.

Douyin’s pulse pounded in his ears as he approached. His trembling fingers tightened around his phone, using the dim light to illuminate the contents.

A tiny, frail puppy lay curled inside. Its fur—what little was left of it—was patchy and matted, its ribs faintly visible beneath sickly skin. The rise and fall of its chest were barely perceptible, but as the light hit it, a weak shudder ran through its small body. It was alive. Barely.

Douyin swallowed the lump in his throat and turned to the retriever. “Is he your brother?” His voice came out softer than he expected, almost breaking at the end. The retriever didn’t answer, but it didn’t need to. Instead, it pressed its snout against Douyin’s hand, a silent plea. Save him.

Douyin’s fingers curled into a fist before relaxing. His gaze darted between the trembling puppy and the loyal retriever sitting beside it, eyes filled with desperate hope.

“I’ll save him… good boy.” His voice was steady this time, filled with quiet resolve. The golden retriever let out a soft bark, as if in relief.

Carefully, Douyin adjusted the box, making sure the frail pup was as secure as possible before lifting it into his arms. The retriever padded closely beside him, watching his every move, trusting him.

Douyin took a deep breath and stepped back into the light. There was no way he was going to let the little one die tonight.

That night, Douyin rushed toward Taehyun’s veterinary clinic, his heart hammering against his ribs. The golden retriever ran beside him, ears pinned back, eyes filled with silent urgency. At the same time, Taehyun was already on his way to find Douyin, his phone gripped tightly in his hand as he relayed instructions to his nurses.

By the time Douyin arrived, the clinic was brightly lit, the sterile scent of antiseptic filling the air. Inside, Taehyun and his team were already gathered around the examination table, carefully assessing the frail puppy. The golden retriever sat rigidly by Douyin’s side, ears twitching as he let out a soft whimper, his gaze locked onto his injured sibling.

Douyin swallowed hard and crouched down, running a steady hand along the retriever’s fur. "He’ll be okay," he murmured, his voice quieter, reassuring. "You did a good job rescuing your brother."

The retriever didn’t move at first, his body tense. But after a moment, he nudged his snout against Douyin’s wrist and exhaled shakily, as if absorbing his words. Douyin let out a small chuckle, continuing to run his fingers through the dog’s soft coat.

“Hey, man…”

Douyin turned at the sound of Taehyun’s voice. He gave the retriever one last pat before carefully lifting the exhausted dog onto the clinic's couch. As he approached Taehyun, he caught the relieved sigh leaving the vet’s lips.

“How’s the pup?” Douyin asked, glancing past him toward the operation room.

Taehyun rubbed the back of his neck, his gaze briefly drifting toward the doorway. “The little guy’s stable. There was an infection around his right leg, but it’s healing well. He was probably left out there for days, maybe even longer.” He sighed, glancing at Douyin. “How did you even find him?”

Douyin exhaled, his eyes shifting to the retriever lying on the couch. “I didn’t.” He glanced back at Taehyun, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his face. “He did.”

Taehyun’s expression faltered. His lips parted slightly before he turned to look at the retriever in silent astonishment. “You’re telling me he led you to him?”

Douyin nodded.

Taehyun’s fingers curled slightly at his sides, his mind racing. His conversation with Bangchan earlier—about the strange way animals seemed to find him, to trust him, to appear in his life as if drawn by some invisible force—crept into his thoughts. He hadn’t wanted to bring it up. Not yet. But now, with everything unfolding like this, with Douyin neck-deep in an investigation that seemed to twist further into the unknown, he had no choice.

He let out a slow, measured breath. “Do, I know how much you love your sister and all…”

Douyin raised an eyebrow at the sudden shift. “Are you asking for my permission to date her?”

Taehyun shot him an incredulous look. “I mean, I was planning to at some point, but—” He shook his head. “That’s not what I meant.” He hesitated for a second before finally meeting Douyin’s gaze, his voice dropping to something more serious. “You guys don’t know where these animals keep coming from… but I think I might have an idea.”

Douyin stared at Taehyun, “What is it?”

Douyin sat in his dimly lit office, the soft hum of the overhead lamp casting long shadows across the stacks of reports and photographs sprawled before him. His fingers hovered over the latest file—eight new names, eight more disappearances added to an already unsolved case.

The weight of it settled in his chest.

The case had gone cold for years, whispers of missing idols fading into the background of newer scandals and distractions. But now, the sudden reemergence of these disappearances—paired with the fresh addition of eight more victims—had forced the justice system to take a second look. And for reasons still unclear to him, Douyin had been assigned to piece everything together.

He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples as his thoughts ran wild. It was unlike him to be pulled from the courtroom into something this intricate. Prosecutors do investigate but—they build cases, argue in court, and lay out evidence prepared by detectives. Yet, here he was, combing through inconsistencies, looking for a pattern that others had missed.

Douyin’s eyes narrowed as he skimmed the reports again, this time more carefully. The dates, the locations—at first, they seemed scattered, random. But when he laid them out on a timeline, something clicked. The disappearances weren’t as sporadic as they seemed. There was a rhythm. A strange, almost ritualistic spacing between them—months apart, nearly a year apart in some cases.

It reminded him of something.

Or rather, someone.

His fingers drummed against the desk as his mind flicked to his older sister. For the past months, she had been adopting animals—abandoned pets, two that had wandered into her life as if drawn to her.

And there was something else.

His gaze dropped to his own wrist before he slowly looked toward the framed photo of his sister on the shelf. He had ignored it before, brushed it off as coincidence, but now he couldn't shake the unease creeping up his spine.

That mark. That strange symbol that had appeared on her skin. It was similar to the group that she had been idolizing for years before their disappearance.

At first, she’d hidden it, dismissing it as nothing more than an odd birthmark or a smudge of ink. But Douyin had seen it more than once, traced in faint, intricate lines, sometimes more pronounced than before. He had never questioned it—until now.

His heart pounded. Was there a connection?

The rational part of him told him no, that his sister had nothing to do with this. But the prosecutor in him, the one who thrived on uncovering truths buried beneath layers of deception, knew better than to ignore a lead—no matter how personal it felt.

He reached for his phone, fingers hesitating over the screen before dialing. The call rang twice before a familiar voice picked up.

"Douyin? What's wrong?"

He swallowed. "… I need to ask you something." The case had just become more complicated than he had ever imagined.

MEET THE CUTIE PROSECUTOR:

TAGLIST: @soso59love-blog . @yoongisgirl69 . @forever-atiny . @ateezswonderland . @fr34k4c1dr41n . @breadedloafs . @k1xiara . @nkryuki . @beabatiny . @berryguks . @miniverse-zen . @fight-me-uwu . @xh01bri . @eclipwze . @blue-angel24 . @nkryuki . @matchahintonagar . @asyamonet22 . @szakias . @sanaegi . @notyaelly . @wolviejex . @bby-boo4u . @popcatx0

[darklordofthesimp]

Anything VII (König x Reader)

The 7th instalment in the Anything-Verse

Main Masterlist

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - 7 - Part 8

Like the characters? Read their fics below!

Sunshine Masterlist || Saint Masterlist

Series Summary:  A lack of information from the chain of command results in König mistaking you for an enemy sniper.

A/N: I’ve already got the next chapter mapped out hee hee

Category: Angst || Hurt/Comfort || Unrequited Pining || Tension

Warning: Graphic Language

You’d barely slept, how could you?

Though you supposed that you should have been used to broken rest, this time it wasn’t for the usual reasons. There were no nightmares that clawed at your mind, no anger that made you sweat- but, there was paranoia. 

There was crippling anxiety that had you wanting to hide beneath the covers, there was fear that gripped you by the throat. The sensation of being stunned was overwhelming, your thoughts were scattered and your world was tipped upside down.

Everything that you believed, everything that you had come to terms with, it was all a lie. 

You risked a glance at the clock, groaning as you realised that you’d have to get up. It was a mission, more so than usual. Dragging your sorry ass from the safety of your sheets was proving difficult, but the knowledge that you’d have to go train with König made it all the more impossible. 

You took a deep breath in as you pulled your top over your head. It was different now, the lines were blurred and König might not be the enemy that you imagined him to be. If there was anyone that was going to help you unravel this with the same urgency that you felt, it was going to be him. 

He’d do anything to prove himself, anything to stay as a sniper.

He wanted to keep the life he’d stolen from you. 

Your stomach turned at the thought, the words weren’t sitting as right as they used to. The anger that occupied your chest with relentless heat has begun to cool as of late. If König was truly misinformed, it would mean that he really was just trying to do his job. 

It meant that he was paying the consequences for someone else's misdeeds. 

It meant that he was also a victim. 

A chill ran down your spine and the fire in your chest reignited. Maybe he was a victim, but he sure as fuck didn’t look like one- he didn’t look like you. 

You groaned as you stepped through your broken doorway, the reminder of how unhinged König could truly be was unwelcome as always. You thought that the Austrian kicking the door down would terrify you, it told you that you were never safe no matter where you locked yourself up. Instead, the fact that he’d done it to ensure your safety confused you. 

You mulled over it as you walked towards the gym, mindlessly stepping one foot in front of the other. 

A couple of minutes spent trying to decipher how you felt towards König felt like hours, any small bead of energy expended suddenly blew out to exhaustion. The man was an enigma who left you stranded in your own thoughts, flailing to find land.

“Good morning, Birdy.” 

You forced yourself not to flinch away from König’s voice as you stood deathly still in the doorway. The man offered you a small wave from inside the gym, his arm stretched over his head as he loosened his muscles. 

You didn’t want to gawk at him, honestly. It was just kind of hard not to. 

He was larger than life, something that would never fail to amaze you. The sheer size of him was one thing, but his presence took up the rest of the space in the room. The breath in your lungs dissipated into nothing as you took in his visage. 

“Good morning, König,” you managed to say softly. 

You both froze for a moment, the gentle return of his greeting had caught the pair of you off guard. You supposed that there had been a shift between the two of you over the past few weeks. 

But the way you felt about the man before you gave you whiplash.

Torn between hatred, fear, familiarity and comfort, you wished you could just chalk him down to a psychotic beast that wished you harm. 

But he wasn’t and he didn’t. 

The path your mind had begun to wander reminded you of the revelation you’d come to. 

König cleared his throat, slowly standing upright as if he didn’t want to shatter the fragile friendliness between you both. Finally, you stepped into the room, one heavy foot after the other and your heart in your throat. You wanted to break the silence between you before that unnamed tension could grow, feeding on the quiet and everything that went unsaid. 

“What did you have planned today?” You questioned with a raised brow, “anything torturous and terrifying?” 

The Austrian snorted softly through his nose, crossing his arms over his chest. The slight smirk that pulled his lips upward had your breath catching in your throat. He cast his eyes downward before flicking that jade gaze back up to meet yours.  

“Isn’t everything I do “torturous” and “terrifying” according to you?” König said, the playful tone was obvious but tentative.

You took a deep breath. He wasn’t diminishing the incident, he was finding some semblance of humour between the both of you. You swallowed the small drops of rage that threatened to open the floodgates. 

“No,” you said, pushing your hands into the pockets of your hoodie. “That’s just you, I meant the training this time.” 

You watched the shift in König’s features, the way his shoulders relaxed and his eyes softened. The olive branch had been extended, received and the see-saw of emotions between you had finally tipped to fall on the opposite end. 

“Well,” König offered a small smile, “I promise that the training today will not be as scary as I am.” 

You tried to ignore the genuine relief that flooded through your chest, tried to maintain the easy-going air that had settled in the space between you. Despite your best efforts, anxiety threaded itself across your throat as you stepped closer to the looming figure before you. 

König slowly uncrossed his arms, sensing the shift in your attitude. It seemed like he always knew, even when you said nothing and your face didn’t change, he knew. Sometimes it irked you, but at times like these when he could read you and adjust, you appreciated it. 

“I promise,” he reiterated, that jade gaze as soft as ever. 

You took in a shaky breath, then released. “Okay.”

“Okay?” König repeated, taking a step toward you. 

“Okay.” 

And right there and then was the first time you’d seen him smile. 

It was brief, barely a flash of his teeth as he quickly regained control of himself, but it was enough. You knew that you’d never be able to dispel that image from your mind, you knew that you’d be thinking about it as you went through the never ending cycle of wondering whether you hated him or not. 

You knew that you’d want to see it again. 

A shiver ran along the length of your spine and an unfamiliar heat spread across your neck. You cleared your throat in an attempt to clear your thoughts. It might have been unsuccessful in that regard but it did get König to step into action.

“Right,” he said with a sigh, scanning the space around him. “The sooner we get started the sooner you can escape the torture.” 

Now it was your turn to snort as you took your sneakers off. “If only it were that easy.” 

König rolled his eyes, approaching you with slow and lazy steps that had your heart racing. You straightened up, letting him move closer until he was barely a breath away. The moment that you had both shared in the kitchen raced across your mind, the scene beginning to look dangerously similar- hopefully Graves wouldn’t appear around the corner to trigger your fight or flight reflex this time.  

“Can I help you?” You managed to choke out, dropping your gaze from his. 

“Uh, no.” There was mirth in his voice. The man took a step backward, his hands raised with his palms facing outward. “Are you not ready?” 

You tried to not look at the size of his fingers, you tried not to remember how they felt wrapped around your throat. 

“Ready?” You stammered. 

You couldn’t bring yourself to make eye contact, frozen as you stared at those fucking hands. They’d done so much damage, so much. 

You tried not to remember. 

Saint had always told you to replace a negative interaction with a positive interaction whenever you’d begun to spiral. When you remembered how hard his eyes had been when you'd been on that roof, you tried to remember how soft they were when he spoke to you now. 

Your mind fell back to the moment in the kitchen. 

“I’m ready.” You nodded, taking in a deep breath as he moved in close again. The scent of him flooded your senses, the faint recollection of his deodorant, something sweet and woodsy. 

Those hands slowly lowered and you watched as they fell to rest on your forearms. 

You remembered them holding you down, pinning you to the concrete as the weight of him pressed into your stomach. But, you also remembered those same fingers holding you ever so softly as he inspected you for burns. 

You let loose a soft breath, forcing your gaze upward. He was already watching your face, his eyes scanning your features for any sign of serious distress. 

“Well,” König murmured, his words tasting of the caramel latte he’d been sipping on earlier. “You going to take me down or not, kleine vogel?” 

You raised a brow, “you don’t need to cuss me out, I’m getting there.” 

The man frowned for a short moment, mouth opening and closing as he fought to find the appropriate response. “I did not swear at you?” 

The sentence was more of a question than a statement and while he was stuck in his confusion, you saw opportunity. 

You swung your hands around the grip that he had on your forearms, digging your fingers into his skin instead. You dragged him towards you with a sudden jerk that took every ounce of strength that you had. 

For a moment, you were worried that the giant wouldn’t budge. However, his whole body fell forward as you dropped onto your back with him above you. Both your feet came up to rest on his pelvic bone, bracing as the entirety of his weight fell onto your legs. The momentum was your best friend with this movement, pulling his hands to your chest as you kicked him over your head. 

The sound of 300 pounds hitting the ground hard behind you had your heart soaring. Adrenaline was pumping through your system, propelling you to your feet as you spun to mount your victim. 

König’s face was contorted, teeth bared as he gritted them hard. His hands were above his shoulders, fists clenched and you could tell that you’d stunned him. 

Satisfaction flooded your being. 

You scrambled up the length of his body, pressing your weight onto him as you clenched your knees hard onto either side of his hips. Your hands came down to push against his wrists, pinning his body as best as you could. 

The silence between you both was only broken by the sounds of panting. König’s chest heaved beneath, shallow and quick breaths as his eyes slowly fluttered open to glare up at you. 

“That was rude,” he groaned. “Smart. But rude.” 

“Yeah, well,” you replied with a shrug, taking a moment to try and wet the dryness in your throat. “Fights are often unfair.” 

König’s eyes narrowed for a moment before conceding your point. “Yes. Yes, they are.” 

You’d seen the signs too late, the way his lips quirked upward before he ripped his hands from yours. You’d felt his fingers grip your waist but you were unable to react before the world tipped from beneath you. The floor met your back hard enough to banish the air from your chest and your body froze as you were spun right back into the disadvantage. 

A gasp ripped from your throat, eyes wide as you stared at the man now above you. His hair fell across his forehead, resting atop his lashes as he watched you through a hooded gaze. Neither of you said a word and you didn’t bother trying to fight him off. König made a show of slowly moving to grip your biceps, your fingers scrabbling uselessly against his forearms as he pressed you into the ground.

His body was tucked between your thighs, spreading your legs far enough apart that they were rendered useless from beneath him. You swallowed hard, struggling to catch your breath. 

“Very unfair,” he confirmed with a husky murmur. 

“It’s always unfair with you,” you rasped, your fingers gripping his skin tightly. “Always, König.”

König’s face fell, any trace of satisfaction turning into something akin to sorrow. He cast his gaze aside. 

“Perhaps,” he said. “ But, perhaps if you were prepared it wouldn’t have been so unfair.” 

You watched him carefully. 

“Wrong place, wrong time.” You whispered. 

König met your gaze again, observing you for a long moment before offering a hesitant nod. “Yes.” 

Maybe, this was your chance. This was the opportunity to talk to him about what you suspected, to hear his side of the story entirely. Maybe, if you could sift through the discrepancies between your stories and what his chain-of-command had told him, you could both unravel the mystery. 

Either someone was trying to kill you and used him as the weapon to do so or something bigger was at play. 

Maybe, both? 

“Speaking of,” you began shakily, your fingers nervously tapping against his skin. There was no real way to gently ease into the topic, you’d just have to drop the bomb. “Do you think that maybe the whole incident was a little too… convenient?” 

König fell completely still, his eyes baring into yours. 

You supposed that maybe you could have been a little more tactful. 

You swallowed nervously when his chest didn’t move to breathe, he was as still as a sniper watching for their target. He reminded you of a snake lying in wait, preparing to strike out at any given moment. Suddenly, you didn’t feel so confident that he was the one that you should have spoken to about it. 

The man said nothing and you’d begun to realise that he didn’t plan to. 

“I just mean that,” you scrambled for words, anxiety clawing at your throat when he only stared. “I just mean that maybe it wasn’t just an accident or a miscommunication, maybe they were using you as a way to get what they want.” 

König’s face didn’t change when he spoke. “And what would that be?” 

You hated how perfectly still he was. 

“To take me out.” You could barely spit out the sentence.

The mans grip tightened against your arms and the small amount of trust that you’d built between each other teetered on the edge of a proverbial cliff. Adrenaline dumped into your system when he took in a deep breath, clenching his jaw. His eyes never left yours, holding you captive not just physically but mentally. You were scrambling for air. 

“I think that you are overthinking,” he finally said, relaxing his grip and releasing the tension from his lungs. 

Your heart dropped. 

Overthinking? 

Why wouldn’t he want to investigate this further? It would exonerate him, it would relieve him of the guilt, it would make him innocent. 

“What?” You rasped, blinking as though it would clear your confusion. “How can you say that?” 

“Easily,” König said, sitting up. His demeanour was suddenly so cold. He let go of your arms, shooting you one last look before he attempted to stand up. “You’ve been through a traumatic event. Overthinking is normal.” 

Desperation clawed at your chest. Before you could stop yourself, you reached upward to snatch his hands. König’s fingers interlocked with yours and his eyes widened when you pulled him back toward you. Your hands were trapped between his and the floor once more, his face only a breath away. 

But you couldn’t even think about the proximity and, for once, you didn’t even care. 

How could he just dismiss you like that? 

How could he just try to leave without even hearing you out? 

“König,” you whispered pleadingly. “Please, just listen.” 

The man shook his head immediately, trying to pull his hands from your grip. You held on as tight as you can manage, his name falling from your lips over and over as you begged him to stay. You needed him to hear it, you needed him to help you. 

“Let go, Birdy,” his voice was firmer than you’d heard in months, the sound of it a shock to your system. How the tables had turned, this time you were not the one trying to escape. Regardless, you disobeyed, only tightening your hold on him. 

���Just tell me what happened, maybe we can work it out,” the words sounded desperate, even to you. You sounded like a lover pleading for a second chance to make the relationship work. You sounded like you were holding to your last tether of sanity. You sounded crazy. 

König’s face was hard when he tugged back again. “We already know what happened, Birdy.” 

“Listen to me-” 

“Let it go, Birdy.” 

“But if you just-” 

“Enough!” 

You recoiled, flinching as he yanked his hands from yours, breaking your grip as easily as tearing a cobweb. König’s fingers wrapped around your biceps, pushing you back against the floor, restraining you from getting a steady hold on him.

The man leaned down, jade eyes alight with something you’d never seen. He burned, the thunderous expression painted across his features warned you that his blood was simmering beneath his skin. 

“Enough,” König seethed, his voice dangerously quiet. 

Fear trickled down your spine. 

Your heart dropped. 

As you watched the Austrian soldier lean over you with a ferocity that rivalled that godforsaken night, you realised that in your desperation you had been so stupid. So, so, so fucking stupid. 

König wasn’t going to help you. 

König was in on it.

[itacats]

Butcher Shop Connection

FT: Simon x gn!reader

Warnings: DV, abuse, please let me know if anything else should be here!🙏

SUM: The fragile joy of connection with Simon is quickly overshadowed by the suffocating weight of home. Confronted by Tom’s cruelty, you struggle to protect yourself, both physically and emotionally, while clinging to the small glimmers of kindness Simon offers. In a world defined by shadows, hope flickers like a hesitant flame, but it’s a light you’re not ready to embrace—yet.

A/N: Ah, the emotional whiplash chapter. One moment, you’re swooning over rolled-up sleeves and car repairs, and the next, you’re wading through the muck of heartbreak and resilience. Hang tight; the rollercoaster isn’t over yet. 🎢

Part 1 Part 2 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10

Part 3 - Cracks in the Foundation

The moment you step through the front door, the warmth and joy from your encounter with Simon evaporate like dew under the harsh light of the morning sun. The house is quiet, but not in a comforting way—it’s the kind of silence that makes your chest tighten and your senses sharpen. The faint creak of the floor beneath your shoes feels deafening as you step into the kitchen.

Tom is there, leaning against the counter, arms crossed tightly over his chest. The shadows from the dim overhead light stretch across his face, making his expression even harder, more menacing. His eyes lock onto yours immediately, sharp and unrelenting. You can feel the judgment radiating from him, an oppressive weight settling on your shoulders.

"You’re late," he growls, his voice low and heavy, each syllable dripping with accusation.

Your heart races as you glance at the clock on the wall. It’s not that late—barely past eight—but you know it doesn’t matter. Tom’s moods don’t follow logic or reason; they’re a storm that sweeps in, indifferent to your explanations or pleas.

"I... I got stuck at the store," you begin, your voice trembling slightly. You hate how small it sounds, but before you can finish, he cuts you off.

"Out with someone else, are you?" he snaps, his voice rising. His face twists, his features contorted into something unrecognizable. "Who is it?"

The questions come at you like a barrage, cold and sharp, each one landing with a sting from his fists. You try to answer, to explain, but the words stick in your throat. Your mind flashes back to Simon—his gentle smile, the warmth in his eyes—and for a split second, you imagine what it would be like to tell Tom the truth. But you know better.

"Tom, please," you manage, your voice barely above a whisper. "It was just the car—"

"Don’t lie to me!" he shouts, slamming his hand down on the counter. The sound echoes through the room, and you flinch instinctively, your body betraying the fear you try so hard to conceal.

"I’m not lying," you say, your voice breaking. "Please, just—"

"What? Do you want kindness?" Tom interrupts, his lips curling into a cruel sneer. "You know kindness never looked good on me."

His words hit like a blow, the same venomous refrain you’ve heard countless times before. The bitterness in his tone is more cutting than the words themselves, a reminder of how far you are from the kindness you once hoped for in your life.

That night, you curl up on the couch, your knees drawn tightly to your chest. Silent tears trace cold paths down your cheeks as you replay the argument in your mind, each word cutting deeper than the last, the memory of his hands staining your skin in ugly hues. The house feels colder than ever, the darkness pressing in on you from every corner.

When morning comes, you force yourself to your feet, your body moving on autopilot. You reach for the makeup on the bathroom counter, your hands trembling slightly as you smooth the heavy foundation over the forming bruises on your cheek. It feels like a mask, a way to conceal not just the physical marks but the emotional scars that run much deeper. The person in the mirror doesn’t look like you anymore.

You step into the butcher shop later that day, the bell’s cheerful chime feeling oddly out of place against the weight in your chest. You paste on a smile, the same practiced expression you’ve perfected over time, and make your way to the counter.

Simon is there, his eyes lighting up as he spots you. But the excitement in his gaze dims slightly as he takes in your stiff posture, the way you shift uncomfortably as you dig into your bag for your wallet.

“Are you okay?” he asks, his voice gentle and full of concern. The question is simple, but the way he asks it feels different—like he truly wants to know, like he’s ready to hear whatever you have to say.

For a moment, you hesitate. The warmth in Simon’s voice feels like a balm against the chill that’s settled deep in your bones, and you’re tempted—so tempted—to tell him the truth. To let someone else carry the weight for a little while.

But then the walls go up, as they always do. You smile, the expression tight and forced, and shake your head. "I’m fine," you say, the words hollow even to your own ears.

Simon doesn’t press, but the concern in his eyes doesn’t fade. If anything, it deepens, and for a fleeting moment, you think he might not let the matter drop. There’s something about him—his quiet determination, the steady strength you’ve seen in the way he carries himself—that makes you wonder if he could be the one to finally break through your defenses.

But you can’t let him. Not now. Not yet.

As you leave the shop, you glance back over your shoulder. Simon is still watching you, his gaze steady and unwavering. In that brief moment, you allow yourself to imagine a life where kindness isn’t just a fleeting encounter but a constant presence. Where the warmth of someone like Simon could replace the cold reality of your world.

"Maybe one day," you think, the words both a hope and a prayer. For now, you carry the thought of Simon with you, a small light in the darkness that has become your reality.

Here's the current post schedule with some upcoming stories to look forward to!

Thank you to @ghostlythots for the extra tags that I should have added!

[cosmerelists]

Cosmere Characters Read the Kaladin Chapters

As requested by anon. :)

I once did a post about Stormlight Archive characters reading the Stormlight Archive, which you can find here. This post is similar, except characters are only reading the Kaladin chapters.

(But if you're wondering WHERE Hesina & Lirin are, there're in the first post!)

[Stormlight Spoilers through Rhythm of War!]

1. Adolin

Adolin: So, uh, you and Shallan sure...had a time in those chasms, huh? Kaladin: W-We HAD to huddle together for warmth and stuff! Adolin: [eyes narrowing] Uh-huh. Kaladin: Are you mad? Adolin: Of course I'm mad! Adolin: We've been on TONS of adventures and you've NEVER cuddled ME for warmth! Kaladin: ... Kaladin: That's what you're mad about? Adolin: We are cuddling at the FIRST opportunity we get!

2. Shallan

Shallan: I know that you killed my brother. Shallan: But READING about you killing my brother... Shallan: That was a uniquely horrible experience. Kaladin: I-I had to though. He was killing everyone. Shallan (much too brightly): Oh I know! It's not like I haven't killed my own family members! Shallan: Just saying that if I could still successfully suppress memories, I'd be burying that one! [finger guns] Kaladin: ...This post is giving me whiplash.

3. Elhokar

Elhokar: Um, okay. Wow. Elhokar: So multiple of my guards--including Kaladin Stormin' Stormblessed--really did want to kill me! Elhokar: I was SUCH a bad king that even KALADIN STORMBLESSED wanted to kill me! Elhokar: I'd fall over dead if I hadn't already been MURDERED. Kaladin: I did save you, though. Kaladin: ...The first time, anyway. Kaladin: That has to count for something? Elhokar: Yes, and I was invested enough to see you completely lose it after my actual death so... Elhokar: Let bygones be bygones and all of that. Elhokar: But REALLY. Elhokar: So bad at kinging that even KALADIN STORMBLESSED was in the "kill him" party! Elhokar: Not good for my self-esteem, man. Elhokar: Not good.

4. Bridge 4

Teft: So, lad...that Honor Chasm scene, huh? Sigzil: We knew we were all miserable and angry; we did not know you came so close. Moash: Yeah, you idiot! That was the closest you ever came to dying--by your own hand! Probably the only way you COULD die! Lopen: And it would have meant you didn't meet me, the Lopen! That would have been a tragedy on top of a tragedy! Rock: And no stews either! Skar: What we're trying to say is that we're glad Syl stopped you. Drehy: Yeah. You saved all of us. Kaladin: Guys... Rlain: But also...maybe consider some of that therapy you invented. Lyn: Yeah, for real.

5. Thaidakar

Thaidakar: I should definitely recruit this guy for the Ghostbloods. Thaidakar: Always survives... Never gives up... Collects followers wherever he goes... Thaidakar: This guy could DOUBLE recruitment! Thaidakar: I just need a way to make the Ghostbloods seem honorable...

6. Taravangian

Taravangian: Wow, in a different life, you would have been in Kharbranth, studying medicine. Taravangian: Working at my hosptial. Taravangian: Where I killed people in the basement. Taravangian: ... Taravangian: Very glad that didn't happen.

7. Syl

Syl: I was there, of course. But getting to read it made my realize something... Syl: I literally saved you SO MANY times! Syl: Without me, you never would have made it! Syl: Like, repeatedly! Kaladin: It's true. I needed you. Syl: You may address me as "Syl, my lifesaving savior" forever now. Kaladin: I'm not doing that!

8. Dalinar

Dalinar: You never told me the full story. Kaladin: About what, sir? Dalinar: About how my sending Roshone to a "place where he couldn't do any harm" meant sending him to your actual hometown where he tormented your family and sent your brother to the army where he died. Kaladin: Seemed better not to bring it up. Dalinar: I wish that you had. Kaladin: ... Kaladin: I am surprised that this is your takeaway. Not the fact that I, you know, nearly killed your nephew... Dalinar: You did not kill him. You saved him. Dalinar: If we weighed your almost crimes against my actual crimes, there would be no comparison. I am not one to judge someone else's journey. Kaladin: ... Kaladin: This is where we're supposed to add in some humorous joke to end our dialogue, I think. Dalinar: I don't think that's going to happen. Kaladin: No, I guess not.

[hopelesslygaysstuff]

50 Shades of Red Masterlist

Started: 7/05/2024

Last Updated: 03/18/2025

Chapters: 12/?

Word Count: 46,245

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x Natasha Romanoff

Ao3: @hopelesslygaystuff

Photo Cred: Me

ⴵ ~ Chapter 1 ~ ⴵ

summary: A reimagining of 50 Shades of Grey, featuring a healthy, consensual relationship and safe BDSM scenes. And lesbians, of course. Wanda meets Natasha, and their captivating story begins. word count ~ 4.9k+

ⴵ ~ Chapter 2 ~ ⴵ

summary: Wanda returns home to her roommate's many questions, and runs into a surprise guest at her job. word count ~ 4.5k+

ⴵ ~ Chapter 3 ~ ⴵ

summary: Kate is excited and there's a photoshoot. And lots of gay pining and panicking. Mostly on Wanda's end. word count ~ 4.5k+

ⴵ ~ Chapter 4 ~ ⴵ

summary: Our girls go on a lovely date and there's lots of gay tension. word count ~ 3.7k+

ⴵ ~ Chapter 5 ~ ⴵ

summary: Wanda receives a gift and finishes her final exams, then decides to go out drinking to celebrate with her friends and accidentally makes a very awkward phone call. word count ~ 4.2k+

ⴵ ~ Chapter 6 ~ ⴵ

summary: Wanda wakes up in an unfamiliar bed, then goes through emotional whiplash. Curtesy of a rich, sexy CEO. word count ~ 4.2k+

ⴵ ~ Chapter 7~ ⴵ

summary: Natasha drives Wanda home, where she meets Yelena and debriefs with Kate. word count ~ 3k+

ⴵ ~ Chapter 8 ~ ⴵ

summary: Wanda goes on her first helicopter ride, with a hot woman right beside her. word count ~ 3.3k+

ⴵ ~ Chapter 9 ~ ⴵ

summary: Natasha shows Wanda around her playroom, and they have a discussion. word count ~ 2.4k+

ⴵ ~ Chapter 10 ~ ⴵ

summary: Wanda loses her virginity to the most eligible bachelorette in America. word count ~ 4.2k+

ⴵ ~ Chapter 11 ~ ⴵ

summary: Wanda makes breakfast and then has sexy bath time, another first. word count ~ 4.8k+

ⴵ ~ Chapter 12 ~ ⴵ

summary: Natasha introduces a bit of kink and rewards Wanda. word count ~ 2.5k+

All work is my own. None of the content on this blog is yours to translate, steal, or repost on any platform.

[rensaries]

જ⁀➴ one look give 'em whiplash ~ na jaemin smau

chapter 8: working hard or hardly working?

note ʚɞ idk what to say so i guess i'll say that big things are coming...

» next » masterlist

taglist : @urlocalbeaner5 @222brainrot @multifandomania @iamsimplyasimp @joonsprettygf @kukkurookkoo @cherry-rosess @i-kai @mmjhh1998 @kaosuni @f6llsun @sibwol (comment or dm to be added to the taglist!)

©️rensaries │ please do not copy my work

[xerotiny]

╋━ SO IT GOES [Chapter One]

Chapter One

Stranger on the Dance Floor.

Note: reader has a name and isn't simply written as [y/n]. there are no specific warnings, except for the ones already mentioned before, smut warnings will be given for chapters containing smut.

Word count: 4,716

Taglist: @yunlazia @kyeos4ng @playboygeniusphilanthropist

          You stand in front of the mirror, vulnerable to your reflection; squinting your eyes closely against the surface, finding your flaws, searching for the imperfections which are so see-through. There has to be something wrong with you. There had to be. Notions of flaws created waves of overthinking in your mind; the more you sailed in the sea of darkness, the more your ship rocked, the crashing cold waves threatening for your ship to capsize and sink. Like a derogatory slang stuck in your head, your husband's words give you a dreadful whiplash. You shouldn't be so focused on what he said. Yet, his words ring louder in your ears and coerce a demented speculation about him every time you think about it.

Hubby ♥️ ⛰️ Can't wait to see you in that black teddy Remember to wear the matching garters too They suit you

[Delivered 8:34 pm] [Read 9:08 pm]

You hold your phone in your hand, bright screen flashing the black letters etched on it. Shifting your eyes between the mirror, your reflection and your husband's texts, an unruly surge of insecurities courses through your mind. Maybe he didn't mean the words he said before. Maybe this is his way of apologising to you. Maybe you should stop overreacting and start loving him for once. Every "maybe" had a different effect on you, growing heavy on your well-constructed conscience and dwindling it down to the ground. Regardless of the poorly circuited responses of your brain, you know you'd cave in the moment you watch him walk in through the front door. You'd cave the moment he asks for a freshly brewed tea, his favourite drink to have after work. You're weak for him. And your weakness, he holds in the palm of his hand. Like a puppet on a string.

Countless moments have riled up an insatiable rage in your heart, but even those meagre seconds of anger have dissipated to minutes of hollow apologies and empty promises. In this house, arguments have a way of solving themselves; apologies came to you in the form of kisses from your husband. He tried. But his words would push further to your edge. In the end, he resorted to using his charm on you. Seduction, if you will.

You bite down on your lip, contemplating texting him back. You were already dressed in that black teddy; alongside the garters he had told you not to forget about. All dolled up, standing in the bathroom adjoining your master bedroom, staring at your reflection in the body mirror; that was your night. You tug at the ends of your silk robe, tying the loose ends together to cover your body. The longer you stared, the more insecure you got.

Huffing a breath, you text him back as you're sauntering out of the bathroom.

You I'm all dressed already. Come back soon Will be waiting for you in our bedroom. ;)

[Delivered 9:15] [Read 9:15]

Oh no, that makes your anxiety bubble up.

Hubby ♥️⛰️ Hey darling Small problem There's a minor holdup at work today

[Delivered 9:16] [Read 9:16]

You What's wrong now?

[Delivered 9:17] [Read 9:17]

The bubbles on his side appear and disappear, reappear and disappear—the cycle continues for a few seconds until your phone starts ringing in your hand. He's calling you. Without wasting a beat of your time, you answer and press your phone to your ear.

"What is it this time?" you deadpan, only to hear your husband click his tongue, "darling, I'm sorry. I wanted this night to be perfect as much as you did."

"That's not my question," you groan, "what's the holdup?"

"Shipment issues," he states, "my employees have been at it since the last hour. I wouldn't be making a good impression on them if I choose to leave them alone to deal with this. I'm their boss."

"And maybe, for once, you should use that to your benefit?" you suggest quite spitefully, after his word had left a bitter taste on your tongue. "It's fine, San. I wasn't expecting much from you anyway. After that ugly blowup in the morning, I hadn't pinned my hopes on anything."

You hear him suck in a deep breath. "Baby, please. I'll be back before you know it." he has a certain lilt to his voice, "it won't take much time, I promise."

"Fine," you grumble from your chest, the disappointment fleeting tears in your eyes. "Take care." Before he could say anything, you hang up the call and set your phone down on your dresser.

Trying to hold your emotions together, a stray tear streams down your cheek regardless. The sullen details from the morning come rushing back to you, reeling you down in the deep dark waters of aversion and despair. It's not the why you were disappointed with your husband, it was the way you had seemingly left your words unsaid, following the little altercation you had with him.

As any other day, your morning took off with lazy kisses and warm hugs from your husband. The warmth of his embrace is unparalleled to anything, even the fiercest of fires couldn't compare. There were times where you'd catch yourself wondering if these moments were all just in your mind, if you were supposedly seeking your happiness in these deluded instances. These thoughts don't come and go naturally, they adhere to your heart and soul, altering your morals and beliefs.

Was today one of those days?

Unfair quarrels influence more passive-aggressiveness from both of you. If today's dispute was anything like the ones you've had in past, then maybe, San has every reason to lie to you. What happened in the morning, wasn't just a simple mistake—a deliberate attempt to hide his emerald traces. After all, an intricate piece of silver and emerald had struck a match to light the fire between you.

San is see-through, pretty transparent with his intentions and his heart. So, when you found a piece of jewellery in his coat's pocket, you knew something was up. It didn't belong to you. You didn't like emeralds. And even so, San knows you like the back of his hand; he'd never get you anything short of diamond or platinum. Suspicions rise above all loyalty; above all years you've been with him—it is a detrimental thing.

One thing led to another, and before you know, you were both going at it. Both defending your loyalty, both striving to validate yourself. Anger, frustration, doubt, these are momentary responses; all of it simmers down to guilt in the end. You were regretting bringing it up, regretting ever questioning his character over your sense of doubt. And he? San felt the same, he voiced his truth.

However, you didn't believe him. His story was so well spun and weaved in with his mistakes, that you had no idea how to comprehend your own thoughts over it. He left no room for doubt. He could be a storyteller, if he wanted to.

Reality does break you apart, stringing you along the sound of your phone buzzing on your dresser. There it was the group chat spam. Ten years of knowing them, and yet you never learn to silence your group chat. You peer at the bright screen, reading the notifications as they cascaded down your lock screen one by one.

'Boohoo, she's become such a killjoy.'

'I hope she's enjoying herself :('

'Marriage really does suck the life out of people.'

'Yes, we have quite a few living examples amongst us.'

And they continued on, bashing your married life and your husband, and it only got worse from then. You heave out a sigh and roll your eyes, deciding to ignore them for the time being. Running a hand through your hair, you tie it in a low bun and tease out a few strands in front to frame your face. You proceed to take off the lip-stain from your lips and the subtle highlight on your eyelids. Disappointed still, you leave your shared bedroom and saunter downstairs to the kitchen; your throat suddenly pleading you for a drink.

The kitchen lights were turned on. You could make out light shuffles coming from there. Anyone else would be alarmed, but not you, considering it was someone you knew quite well. So, the moment you step up to the counter separating the dining space and the kitchen, you can't help but let your lips twitch to a smile.

"Second dinner?" you remark with a small grin, teasing the black-haired man slouched over the kitchen island while preparing himself a sandwich—of sorts.

He clicks his tongue. "A post-dinner snack, if you will." he raises his head up, smiling softly in your direction; when he stares at you for a minute longer than he had intended to, he rolls his eyes and scoffs playfully, "relax, I was going to leave you two alone after this."

"I don't recall myself making any assumptions but okay," you mutter, folding your arms over your chest. "Your brother isn't getting back home any sooner."

"Of course, he's the devil of his will." The said man chuckles and shakes his head, taking his eyes off you. He slaps a slice of cheese on the bread, and hums, "so, what did my asshole of a brother do now to disappoint you?"

"I'm not disappointed." You clear your throat and sit down on the stool in front of the counter, keeping your attention on him. "What gave you that idea?"

"A beautiful woman, such as you, are dressed in her finest of lingerie, made some efforts to put on her makeup and even with all her stunning grace, she wears disappointment on the tip of her nose like a pretty piece of jewel." He peers up at you, "lie to someone else. My brother for that matter. But don't lie to me, Ye-rin."

You're rendered speechless by his observation and honestly, you'd rather not ruin it further by whining and feigning ignorance about this situation.

"You could retort and still stick to defending yourself," he shrugs and picks up the made sandwich on a plate. "Or you can—you can live in the little freedom you have for the night. The choice is yours."

"What are you talking about, Jongho?" you scoff, "well, yeah. I'm not going to lie to myself and try to stay deluded about this situation. Yes, I'm disappointed. I'm really mad at your brother for getting me all warmed up and then leaving me dry." Taking a deep breath, you look away and fix your gaze down on your trembling fingers. "But he doesn't have me trapped in a cage—I'm not wrapped around his finger as you suppose I am."

Jongho stays in the silence taking over, his eyes fixated to your anxious mannerisms and body language. He knows it all too well, he knows everything.

"I know you love my brother, a lot," he breaks the silence, "and so does he. I'm sure of it he does. But you're allowed to be a bit selfish in the relationship, Ye-rin. It's not the end of the world if you do."

He makes his way over to you and sets the plate down on the counter, in front of you.

"Eat up," he states, "eat this, get dressed and go to wherever your friends wanted to drag you tonight."

You raise your head up to stare at him, dumbfounded and completely caught off guard. "What?"

"The night-out your friends were talking about?" he bites his tongue and scratches the back of his neck, "I overheard you talking to your friends earlier in the evening. You should go."

"First of all, you were lurking around my room?" you gasp, questioning him, "second, will San be okay with—okay, okay...I'll go." You correct yourself the moment he glares at you.

"If you don't feel like staying for long, give me a call," he shrugs, crossing his arms over his chest, "I'll come pick you up right away."

"Jongho, I—"

"—I'll come pick you up." He interrupts you with a grunt, "stay with your friends for an hour or so and forget about what happened in the morning, drink, dance, or whatever that is you do. I know you'll be in your limits, so I will not say anything more." The frown on his lips, twitches to a soft smile. "Just have some fun for a night. Don't think about my stupid brother, okay?"

You nod your head, used to him saying stuff like that all the time. "Okay, fine! You win. I'll go but you better come pick me up the second I ring your phone."

"Relax, gee. I am aware clubs and pubs aren't really your scene," he rolls his eyes, huffing out. "It's alright. Give me a call and I'll be there. Just make sure you don't get yourself drunk. I'm not sure if I'm fit to handle an inebriated Ye-rin."

"What makes you say that?" you scoff, clearly taken back by his judgement of your drinking capabilities.

"From the stories I've heard from your friends, not about you perse, I'm sure they would try to get you drunk and..." he trails off as if to indicate something; some unsaid thoughts which click quite quickly in your head. "That's why you're eating that." He points at the sandwich, now in your hand. "It'll absorb most of the alcohol and you won't be—yeah, maybe a little tipsy, but not pissed drunk."

He shrugs lightly and retorts to your parted lips, as if he had read your mind, "I'll make myself another one. Don't worry."

"Great." You grumble before taking a bite of the sandwich in your hand.

It was a so-so sandwich. A simple sandwich. Slice of ham and cheese between two untoasted pieces of bread. Usually, such things would satisfy you, but this time—you were left for craving more. Something spicy, something more than satisfactory.

             The night only dwelled on the darker inhibitions in your mind. Everything was fine until you left, until you parted ways with Jongho and the house you were supposedly waiting for your husband to come early to. Your friends picked you up on their way to the club, shared a couple of slurs against you on your mere involvement with them and cursed out your husband. At times like these, you'd like to think the girls were being supportive. They could never have ill thoughts about your husband, or your married life. Though, there were times where either of them would blurt out the most unhinged thing and pretend otherwise. Given such situations, you'd swallow down all your second thoughts and wear a facade of solitude. Because in the end, it was your "own" decision to marry San.

San was everything you wanted when you were a freshman in college; the first year of your undergrad was seemingly the talking phase for you two. You had decided to take things slow for the sake of maintaining a healthy balance between your studies and love life. To say San was more than understanding about your situation would be an understatement. At the beginning of your relationship, he had been the first to suggest taking it slow between two of you. And so, it went on for the first year, with countless date nights and weekends filled with picnics and staying in at his place.

Four magical years led up to the day when San had finally asked you the question and popped the ring on your finger. It was a pleasant year, the year after your graduation. Your career took an unanticipated turn that year however—marriage, one puzzling pregnancy scare and your changed perspective of life. Dedication to your husband somehow started nudging past all your other priorities; it wasn't an unnerving situation for you, you knew this would happen. Marrying the man, whom you always dreamt of spending your entire life with, was cherry on top when paired with your stable career. The one you'd thought of having before anything else. One pregnancy scare, and everything seemed bleak—it wasn't just a false positive, it was more than that. There's only so much you could do against the will of nature; if it didn't make you compatible to bear kids, then it didn't. It was a hard pill to swallow, that one. The hopes of ever becoming a mother and welcoming motherhood with your open arms, it was all crumbled into a heap of ash of your fiery desires.

It may not seem as unlikely, however, San had encouraged you countless times to restart your career. And he had been for the past eight years of your life with him. He had overlooked it so easily; he did show disappointment and regardless of the melancholy trapped in his heart, he didn't treat you different to how he had in your best of years. It was then when your mind had drowned in the deepest darkest oceans of woes and depression. An inkling which crawled under your skin and threatened to burst out into flames; were you ever good enough for San?

Just how in the morning, the ground beneath your feet was trembling with cracks, you were fighting the urge to bawl your eyes out. Neon splotches taint your skin in acrid hues as your hips sway lightly to the raving techno music. The dance floor reeks with sweat and sex, and the pungent concoction of everyone's perfumes and colognes. You wouldn't have permitted yourself to let loose until alcohol had somehow made its way into your bloodstream. You'd have to blame one of your girlfriends for forcing you to drink, coaxing you to do a shot before stumbling your way on the dance floor. In no hell would you have agreed to Hyunju's invitation to the dance floor if you were sober; now however, even with the stench of booze and sweat, with bodies clambering against each other, you were dancing to the arrhythmic music. Lightheaded in the beams of dimmed down lights, your half-lidded gaze lifts up to your best friend. Her face scrunches up lightly as her eye catches on the frown on your lips.

She takes a step close to you, synchronised with the beat of the thumping music, and screams in your ear. "You feeling okay?"

You nod your head and yell over the music, "I'm fine."

No sign of conviction graced her face, yet she let you do as you'd please. Dazed by the stammering lights, you continued to delve into your tipsy mind, as your body rocked to the deafening music. You've been here before, in this particular moment countless times before—the booze, the smell of perfumes and cologne, and the pumped-up adrenaline buzzing you to the loud music. It's all happened before. You were used to it all.

On the crowded dance floor, in the heat of sweaty bodies lurching together, you felt a pair of arms snake around your waist, pulling you back into a strong chest, exactly on the rhythm of the song. You gasped, oh louder than you could've ever perceived yourself. Glancing to the trace of his warmth skittering over your dress and waist, you almost gasp again at the sight of his hands. The twinkle on his finger was long forgotten as his lips caressed just lightly under your ear, just lightly. His hot breath fanned the nape of your neck, his hair tickling a side of your cheek as he buries his head in the crook of your neck. You stay frozen in your place, eyes wide, alcohol coursing out of your system to make you more alert.

A whimper parts your lips when you hear him mumble into your ear, his voice dulcet yet coarse, throaty even.

"If you keep this up," he trails off, his breath lingering on your ear, "I might end up breaking more than just your heart tonight."

This time, a hollowed gasp wrings out of your chest, causing the man behind you to heave a dainty chuckle. Your trembling thoughts conjecture a straightforward retort, regardless of how feeble you'd been rendered by his fluttering lips tracing out every little vein under the skin of your neck. You couldn't think for yourself, let alone for the little bit of confidence left in you.

Is this what Jongho warned you about?

Unfathomable movements under the pretence of lighthearted caper, which seem to only prolong the effect of incomprehension and confusion. And amid all, the overwhelming sense of shame crawls from the pit of your stomach to your burning heart. Your face was flushed, cheeks red and hot, eyes half-lidded to relish the fervour this supposed stranger gave to you. His hands slide down to your hips, fingertips grazing frail strokes over your sequin studded dress, tugging ever so gently at the hem. He brought a whole new meaning to 'dancing on the dance floor', maybe he made it even better. Jammed between the crowd of unwanted people, he was someone you didn't want to shove around.

The man's lips part against the nape of your neck; a few seconds of anticipation almost knocked the air out of your lungs because his tongue had darted out and licked up a patch. You should be icked by this. If anything, under the sober-spirited circumstances of your mind, you'd have punched the man right in his gut. But not this time. Was it the way he held you? Was it how his lips knew your skin? What was it that made you so unresponsive to a man toying with your body, toying with your outdated sense of perceiving pleasure. The music starts to fade, and so do you; harrowing reality slips the bounds of time and space, melting your mind to his warmth.

"Back off, dick face!" and in the middle of you losing your mind, your best friend's voice rings out in your ears. "Can't you see she's married?"

Hyunju holds your hand up to the guy behind you, who, upon catching a glimpse of the twinkling rock on your finger, detaches himself and saunters backwards. Before you could comprehend the events under the saccade of your eyes, the stranger had already disappeared in the waves of people dancing around you. He's long gone in the darkness, in the space where the neon lights don't shine.

"Are you for real, Ye-rin?" Hyunju takes your hand in hers and drags you off the dance floor. "Who was he?"

Only the echoes of her question remain still in your head, other than that, you're replaying the last few minutes in your mind like a broken record.

"I don't know," you shrug, regardless the dark, "he came out of nowhere."

Neon lights bleach out to proper amber lights as you come to the booth your friends had occupied. Hyunju forces you down on the couch, next to another one of your girlfriends and stands in front of you, glaring at you with her arms crossed over my chest. Her skirt rustles a bit as she shifts her weight on one leg, and the sleeves of her blouse overflow the length of her arms as she raises them up in air.

"And you let him do as he pleased with you?" she grumbles.

The gradual attempts of your brain unraveling the moments from dance floor sink in and you scoff in disbelief.

"I wasn't thinking straight." You could hear your other friends whispering, confused and wondering.

"Ye-rin," she huffs and settles down on the other end of the circular couch, "you should be careful. If it weren't for me, chances were that you would have been...never mind."

You see her shake her head and peer at the other girls, deep in thought—not for long however, because she turns back to you and questions:

"Why didn't you shove him off though?" her curious eyes settle on you. "Didn't your brain activate flight or fight or something when he first touched you? Honestly, you didn't seem uncomfortable with him either."

You suck in a sharp breath, your head hanging low. Contemplating, you hear one of your friends tease, "did you like it, Ye-rin?"

Yun-Ah receives a cold glare from you, and she pipes down, pouting. She exchanges a knowing glance with Hyunju who sat next to her.

"Oh, she did. She so did." Ah-ri chimed in from next to you, hitting your shoulder.

"Guys, stop it!" You snap and relax once realising how tensed your voice sounded. "Maybe—fine, okay, you guys win. I didn't push him off because I—" your voice dwindles to a whisper, "—because I liked it. He...he knew exactly where to touch me. My body—I really wished my body had reacted to it with disgust and grimace, but it couldn't."

Your friends listen to you explain, and the same words reverberate inside you.

"I knew this was a bad idea. I shouldn't have tagged along with you," you mumble, feeling guilt consume your gut and heart. "If San knows about it—"

"—wait a minute, why and how would San come to know about this?" Hyunju interrupts you, continuing with a scoff, "look, no one has to know. It was a stupid mistake anyway. Things like this happen all the time. Pretend it never happened and forget."

"Woah, advice of the year," Ah-ri slow claps, monotonously mumbling. "Seriously Hyun, you should've become a marriage counsellor. The world needs you. The people need you. Divorce rates would've dropped if you had just observed married couples instead of picking up a pen."

Hyunju dry laughs, "oh gee Ah-ri, did you know sarcasm is one of the biggest turn offs for guys? Poor Jiung."

Ah-ri scoffs and opens her mouth to retaliate but is shut up by Min-Ji, who strides while balancing five glasses of cocktails in her hands.

"Not you two again." She groans, setting the glasses down on the table. "And by the way, guys? I think we should bail. The bartender here is an absolute jerk and a sleazeball. I had to wait fifteen minutes before he got to me. There was no one at the bar! No one."

"No can't do, baby girl." Yun-ah states, already reaching out for her glass, containing swirls of pink and red. "Ask Ye-rin."

"What...?" Min-Ji turns to you, bemused.

"It's nothing, Min. Don't heed them any attention." You click your tongue and glare at the girls, taking the only glass left on the table now. "You guys make a big deal out of everything."

"Uh, this is a huge deal?" Hyunju deadpans, "you almost got molested. God knows what would've happened if I wasn't there."

Min-Ji sits down on the couch when Hyunju moves aside. "What is happening?" she whispers.

"What happens on the dance floor stays on the dance floor," you stress on the words, "now can we please drop this?"

"No," Ah-ri states, her tone determined, "is everything okay with you and San, Ringo?"

Listening to her, everything comes rushing back in and you sigh, "no."

Hyunju mumbles, "so there's more to him abandoning you on your special night?"

You nod your head and Min-Ji pipes in, "well I know you had an ugly blow up in the morning..."

"It's stupid really," you utter, taking a sip of your drink; the alcohol burns your throat as it slides down. "Very stupid."

The girls watch you with pity as they sip their own drinks. None of them had anything to say, none of them tried too either. The silence which settled in the cracks of the moment, became too comfortable for anyone to break it. Until, you had had too much and spoken the truth biting at your heart.

"Guys?" You murmur, getting their attention. "The reason why—look, the man on the dance floor—he had—he had his way with his body and lips. It was something so..."

"Exhilarating?" Min-Ji finishes your line. "Is that right?"

You nod, "I didn't want that feeling to end. You know...the buzzing, the electricity rushing under my skin—I was aching to feel more." Taking a pause, you glance up at them and lick your lips, ready to be straightforward.

"Twenty-eight days, it's been twenty-eight days since San, and I have had sex."

To be continued.

Master list | Next Chapter

[kadextra]

I finished beast yeast episode 8 🙌

spoilers below!

HEY GUYS! SOOO WHAT WAS THAT

first! black sapphire my new silly!!! his character brought such ~style~ to this chapter and made it extra fun, he’s one of my new favorites now. I loved his and candy apple’s banter too, you can tell they’ve known each other a long time, besties who hate each other <3 and the reveal that candy apple is a jealous yandere- checks out. the scene where she almost got killed by shadow milk made me scared for a second

next, some wildly freaky screenshots I took:

honestly I was shocked like woah okay

ONTO TALKING ABOUT PURE VANILLA COOKIE. king I wasn’t familiar with your game…… I’m impressed, he went to that level and out-lied smilk in order to overpower him. I didn’t guess that would happen at all! but I did guess correctly that it was memory manipulation that happened before, so yippeee!! also his awakened form looks very pretty :D

fortune teller cookie suddenly appearing at the end with pure vanilla as separate entities gave me whiplash 😭 and then they merged? pv said they were both always the same guy, the same soul and spacetime reflections whatever that means so I guess that answers that, I will not question it further <3

NOW.

ogugughghghhhh what a beautiful and touching scene 😭😭 the art is lovely too

and then shadow milk of course got super defensive and angry afterwards but heyyy at least the door is open… maybe a redemption arc could be in the cards? who’s to say

overall combined with episode 7 this whole story was just really good. shadow milk is a fantastic antagonist deserving of his popularity + his followers were great too. pv received some nice development. the angst was delivered in truckloads, yet at the end there was a glimmer of hope and I enjoyed it all <3333

now im going to go do whatever that matching game is. wish me luck in getting awakened pure vanilla 🫡

[katyawriteswhump]

love and other catastrophes at the Omega Cafe (4.2/8)

Aaaaand here's part 2 💚 💚 💚 

Summary: Steve is a runaway Omega who gets a job at an Omega café, where he’s basically paid to curl up and purr in Alphas’ laps. It’s legal, and he earns a living, rents his own place. He’s getting along fine for a packless Omega. Then Alpha rockstar Eddie Munson turns up for an hour of ‘kitty’ petting, and shatters Steve’s fragile little world…

Rating: E; No major warnings; Tags: omega steve, alpha eddie, a/b/o dynamics, fluff and angst, sexual content 💚 

Chapter 1 on tumblr (also index post) Chapter 2 on tumblr Chapter 3.1 Chapter 3.2 Chapter 4.1

🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛

Chapter 4.2

Chrissy watched Eddie like a hawk as he approached the chais-longue, and…

…dropped to one knee in front of it.

Steve’s jaw dropped.

“Steve,” said Eddie. “I’m sorry. It seems there’s a lot you don’t know about me. Did I tell you that impulse-control wasn’t my strength?"

“I think it’s better than mine,” mumbled Steve, dipping his gaze. Eddie’s sweetness and sincerity was as crushing as anything. Especially as this was undoubtedly, a ‘I’m off, have a nice life, Omega,’ kind of speech. “I’m really sorry. I made a complete moron of myself.”

“No, you didn’t.” Eddie’s hand hovered over Steve’s, which rested, still trembling, on his knee. At the spark of near contact, Steve looked up sharply. “May I?” asked Eddie.

“Uh, yeah?”

Eddie took Steve’s hand properly in his large, warm, wet one, setting Steve’s senses reeling giddily.

“Steve, I had no idea my music would trigger you like… that. I ran, because…” He shook his head, scattering a fresh spray of raindrops into Steve, who shuddered. “Look, I am used to taking what I want, when I want. It’s not a great way to go about life. I’ve been working on that, I swear. Tonight, I… ahem, I guess, you tempted me a little too far, Honey. I almost took something I shouldn’t have.”

“I guess.” Eddie’s damp thumb chafed his hand, and Steve struggled not to cry. Eddie had come to the café for relaxation, not sex. Steve had proven himself a wanton little hussy, one that didn’t even know what he was doing. Clearly Eddie had figured that out, and now this was over. His brain was so busy catastrophising, it took a moment for it to process what Eddie was actually saying:

“Steve, I’ve never felt a pull to an Omega like I’ve felt toward you. You deserve to be courted properly.”

Steve’s chin snapped up: “Say what?”

“I would like to court you, Steve.” Eddie’s gaze captured Steve’s and held it. “Is that something you would consider?”

“Yes… yes! I’d like that very much.”

OMG OMG OMG!

Steve whiplashed from misery to undiluted joy. If he hadn’t been so stunned, he would’ve unleashed the highest, most excited squeal of his life. Chrissy, however, was doing that job for him— transformed from killer-kitty to a bundle of bouncing, jingling excitement.

Steve blinked hard. Okay, reality check. He dabbed beneath his eyes, because his mascara must be wrecked: “Are you on the level? You don’t know anything about me.”

“You know nothing about me.” Eddie chuckled gently. “It’s one of the many things I adore about you.”

ADORE! HE ADORES ME! OMG HE IS LITERALLY TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE!

“I’m a runaway,” blurted out Steve. He felt he needed to share something, to at least prod at the barriers remaining between then.

“Stevie, everyone has a history. You need to know mine soon enough, and then you can tell me everything when you’re ready—in your own time.”

“You know that… um, I’m… m-maybe not as innocent as you think,” he stammered.

“I wouldn’t give a damn either way, my darling.”

With that Eddie planted a tender kiss on the back of Steve’s hand, and Steve finally squealed with pure happiness. If Chrissy hadn’t been there, he would probably have thrown himself at Eddie and begged to be mated, there and then.

Instead, he tumbled forward into a relatively chaste hug, while Chrissy looked on, giggling and clenching her fists in excitement.

When she finally scooted off, Steve snuggled up in Eddie’s lap. He buried his face in the crook of Eddie’s neck, finally breathing deeply of Eddie’s scent without pain. Steve was so calm now, so relaxed—unbelievably so, given how revved he’d been earlier. It was like a dream, one he still hardly believed was real.  The heat rolling from Eddie seemed to set any dampness remaining on his clothes and skin sizzling.  He rocked Steve and soothed him, and then, too soon, he husked in Steve’s ear:

“I’m gonna call two Ubers, Baby. One to take me home for a cold shower, and another one for you. I’ll hit you up with ideas for our first date. Sound good?”

“Sounds perfect.”  Short of clinging to Eddie’s lap like a kitty with its claws in. Eddie passed Steve his phone, and Steve fumbled his number in. “I’m uh, off tomorrow… afternoon… evening… literally whenever.”

Steve would blow off any shift to be courted by Eddie. They shared a dopey grin, till Eddie’s melted into a slight grimace. He reached behind himself and plucked Steve’s kitty ears from between the cushions. “I wondered what that was digging into my butt.”

He slid them back onto Steve’s hair then rose, stooping to kiss the tip of Steve’s nose before he left. Steve waited till the door closed softly to kick his bare feet madly and press his knuckles to his lips to smother his most excited squeal yet.

On the journey home, the driver bitched that Steve was stinking out his vehicle. Then stopped bitching abruptly, and thanked Steve for the generous tip, which must’ve come through from Eddie’s Uber account.

Steve fizzed with excitement even at that. Maybe Eddie’s driver had complained too! It was out of this world! How could anybody provoke such a strong reaction in him? He’d not even skipped any blockers! The whisper from the depths of his soul excited and scared him in equal measures.

It’s because he’s your soulmate… Woah, Harrington, seriously? Even if he deigned to mate you, it’s not like he can marry you…

Steve was too excited to listen to the demons. Before he’d got home, Eddie texted suggesting a meal at his place the following night. His uncle would be there, and he suggested Steve brought a ‘friend/chaperone.’

He burst through his front door and instantly called Robin. He told her everything in a garbled rush.

Including exactly who Eddie was.

When he finally shut up, her silence deafened. “Robin? Did I bore you to death or have you ODd over there?”

“Don’t move!” she screamed, setting him yelping. “I’m coming over. Now. Don’t… just DON’T!”

“Don’t what, Robin? I—"

She hung up. Ooookay. That was weird. What was he not supposed to do? He was reluctant to shower, but he fitted in a quick one, because she’d given him the jitters. He was towel drying his hair, when she let herself in. She rushed over, braced his shoulders and shook him.

“Steve! Do you know anything about Eddie Munson? Anything at all?”

“I know he’s a rockstar. Carol mentioned something about him being a ‘bad-boy’ but that’s part of the gig. Um, Robin… you’re hurting me.”

“Shit, sorry.” She lessened her bruising grip, steering Steve over and sitting him down on his bed. “Steve, you need to listen. Eddie Munson is more than a ‘bad-boy.’ He’s in and out of rehab like a yoyo. His last stint was, like, a month ago. They managed to keep it relatively hush-hush, but it’s an open secret if you look on social media. Even if he’s no longer off-his-head on cocaine, or whatever nasty shit, he apparently drinks like a fish and—”

“Sssstop it!” Steve hissed, shaking himself free from her lingering clutch. “He drinks coffee, Robin.”

“So do we all! Especially after a night out boozing! Seriously, Steve?” Spotting the angry tears in his eyes, she softened her tone and sat down beside him: “Listen, Eddie Munson gets through sexual partners like you get through double espressos. Rumour has it that his latest rehab stint was for sex addiction.”

He let that little bombshell percolate through him.

She squeezed his knee. “I’m not sure you should go tomorrow.”

“Oh, I’m going!” He slammed her with a glare, lip hitching slightly. Truth was, he heard her. He didn’t care: “I want you to come with me tomorrow. Listen, he’s renting a place in the swishest part of the Alpha quarter. I know how you mainline all those ‘Ultra-Alpha my Pad’ property shows—that’s your addiction, huh?”

She crinkled her nose. “You’re really dead set on this? Ugh, I suppose at least you’re not lying to me this time!”

“I’m sorry about that. All I know is how he makes me feel. Tonight, I practically threw myself at him! I was out of control. He could’ve done what he pleased with me, taken whatever he wanted. Instead, he asked if he could court me. Why should I believe all that crap about him, when he’s been nothing other than a perfect gentleman?”

“Uuuuuugh!” She pulled him into a hug, which set his heart glowing. His mind raced ahead to some dream future where Eddie and Robin were besties, the stars aligned, and the whole world was as one.

A world where when Eddie whispered the word ‘home,’ it referred to a nest.

Steve’s nest. Their nest.

The anxious grit in her tone threw him, ever-so-slightly: “Just this once, Dingus. I don’t care if he’s a rockstar Alpha or Prince fucking Charming. If he hurts you in any way, if he makes you sick… I’m literally gonna rip his throat out.”

🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛

Chapter 5.1 on tumblr💚 If you enjoyed, every little like and reblog or comment means a lot to me so thank you💚

Chapter 5 on AO3

I am always happy to tag, pls let me know, or you can follow the tag #steddie omega cat cafe 💚

tags 💚🐈‍⬛💚 @disrespectedgoatman 💚 @bumblebeecuttlefishes

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💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚

[hart269]

Slithering Hearts

Chapter 8

Pairing : Regulus Black x Fem! reader

Synopsis : You begin an unlikely friendship with the little Black. And soon your whole life seems to have become a tumultuous pathway. The catch, James Potter is your brother.

A/N : The Altair and Vega lore deepens.

Masterlist / Series Masterlist

The chill that ran down your spine stopped once you entered the owlery, nose crinkling as the musty smell of birds attacked you. You silently waved your wand to a cleaning spell. Clutching the letters you searched among the rows of owls for your beloved Altair. A frown perched upon your face not finding him in his designated place. You didn't remember sending anything. You wondered if James used your owl.

You gave out a call, "Altair". Hearing a loud hoot from the east corner, you turned to see your beloved with his beloved, Vega. You gently picked him up, nuzzling his chin, "Shoul'dve known, you can't live without your girlfriend can you?". The owl hooted in response. Handing him the letters, you chuckled. That's when your eye caught something strange.

You moved cautiosly, remembering the symptoms from the 'Fantastic Beasts and where to find them' and general owl behaviour. As Vega moved towards you, your thoughts were only confirmed the more you stared. Well, that was unexpected.

Returning back, you plopped down on the sofa, "Hey Reg, how do feel about kids"

Barty snickered, "As he feels about his mother"

Regulus rolled his eyes, "They're fine as long as they don't annoy me".

You hummed, raising your brows.

"Wait, you're not adopting another cat are you"

Barty looked confused, "Don't you have like two already?"

You let out an offended gasp hitting his shoulder "Hey, you're just jealous cats love me"

Regulus smirked, "Sure they do". You scoffed, "Atleast beetlejuice does"

His voice was laced with confusion, "You named it Beetlejuice?"

"It is a mighty fine name, it took a long time to figure it out" you were going on about the names, before realising that it was going off track. "The point is you are gonna be a parent and I am ready to pay child support"

Barty almost whiplashed turning between you two, "When did that happen?"

"What, did you.... did you hit your head?" he speculated, turning your head after pushing Barty off the sofa.

You shook it out of his grasp, "Noo, Vega is gonna lay eggs"

"What?" he asked, processing the unexpected news.

"Yes" you admitted, "Altair is the father"

He drawled, "So, like who's gonna keep the kid"

Your brow furrowed, "Shouldn't the mother keep it?"

"She should" He nodded, he knew so but he was rightfully worried about taking it back to Black manor. Raising another owl there, he'd have to careful with that.

"I'll help you for sure, I mean it was my Altair because of which...this happened, but you shall not worry, it'll be a nice owlette" your rambling halted, noticing the melting gaze on you.

"Then if I'll have if you with me, I guess we raise a damn good owlette" His hand laid on top of yours, you squeezed it gleefully. "But I am not letting you name it"

You pouted, "I'll give it a good name". He rolled his eyes, "We'll see about that". He suddenly stood up, closing his books.

You looked up, "Where are you going?". He lend out his hand, you grabbed on it as he pulled you up. "To the owlery, to check on Vega"

"It's cold and I just came back" you groaned. He smirked, "You said you will take responsibilty right?". He chuckled at your unenthusiastic nod, dragging you with him.

Barty just went grumbling to Rosier, "They always disappear together, don't they."

Regulus checked Vega while you watched from the side. He turned to meet your gaze, "She really has been for some time". He would have noticed sooner, if sending or receiving letters to family had been a regular thing.

You seemed to realize the same time as him of your closed proximity. His nose was tinged red, cheeks flushed, eyes shining as his did when he looked at the stars. You wanted to stay frozen in this moment, until you were over the exhilaration though you doubted any amount of moments would be enough.

But you needed to move, it was not a right thing. To look at him that way, to feel that way about him, but you couldn't force your legs to move. You subconsciously moved foward, you think he did too because your breath mingled.

"Do you know why I named my owl Vega?"

"Why?" you asked, wondering why he chose to bring that up now.

"Vega was the godess of the sky who fell in love with Altair, a mortal. She promised to bring him to heaven, but it angered her father. Though he granted her wish, he separated them by the Celestial River. Yet each year, a bridge of magpies forms across the river. And then they meet." he paused, taking a breath, "So that day when I heard you had named your owl Altair, I could think of nothing but Vega, I hadn't even named her at that time but then no other name seemed perfect."

"It is perfect Reg" you muttered, grinning from ears to ears. You moved a strand of stray curl from his cheek, you were so full of the things you wanted to say to him, it was on the verge of overflowing. "Reg, I-".

"It's cold isn't it, we should return" he interrupted your chain of words.

Your face warmed up and you nodded, stepping back. "Yes, of course".

The walk back to the castle was awfully silent, yet you didn't wish to fill it. It remained such so for quite a while. Neither of you brought it up, and you assumed there was nothing up to bring. You were the one with terribly high hopes, and it had been wrong of you to assume he had felt the same. Still you couldn't shake the image of him up so close, but you guessed you could live with this thing inside of you rather than live without him.

The black and white motion picture across the page of The Daily Prophet led to quiet murmurs of distress and apprehension. A skull of shadows loomed pver the sky, a shadow snake protuding out of its mouth. The article "TERROR RISES AS THE DARK LORD DOES", showed another story of muggles and wizards being attacked. Houses set ablazed in flames, while humans, and animals eiyher ran or lay dead on the ground.

You teared the article trimming its edges, sticking it into your collection. With the whisperings of the upcoming war, you saved all of whatever information you could find of him. Voldemort as called by his lovely death deaters and those who feared him simply referred to him as He who must not be named.

His morphed face either raised deep terror in the hearts of the people or resentment or in some both. You however resented him, just for the sake of power, he had killed innumerable innocents. The thing you didn't get was the amount of lust he had for power. He was already probably midway through his life, what will he do with such power. He had no heirs either. Though you had heard some claims, all turned out to be false. But then his mannerisms were similar to Grindelwald, however Voldy did have a penchance for show off.

You were determined, to find out what you could about the supposed lord. Though you knew if you were to fight in the war, you not only had to defend yourself against the dark arts but learn them too. You glanced at the hidden copy of "Magick Moste Evil" on your nightstand that you had "borrowed" for a while. It was time to begin studying. It was better to think about this rather than what happened at the owlery.

To say Regulus didn't regret moving away would be an understatement. He did, but he thought he would have regretted giving in more, you were already in the deep mess as it goes, to pull you in deeper in the trenches of his life, he doubted he would be able to forgive himself. He knew, he knew for sure you would never side with his family, you hated them with a passion, he did too. Yet, he was a part of it. The house he was forced to call home was the place he could return to, and he had to, not like he had a choice.

It was way past midnight a small black cat could be seen slithering in the shadows of the darkened hallway, heading towards the doors of the library. There it slid past the books to the back of the library, sliding past the robes it reached the section it needed to be, the forbidden section.

It then transformed into a human, its dark curls merging with the shadows. A whisper of lumos, then a hand skimmed delicately through the titles of the books, before stopping and picking up one.

Taglist : @shycreationdreamland @mp-littlebit @girlbooklover555 @godofstory @misacc08 @starchaser-lily @moonywastakenn @lovemelikecrazyiloveyoucrazy @skepvids @venomsvl @hecateschildren

[kpop---scenarios]

Whiplash (8)

Pairing: Hyunjin x Reader x Felix

Warning: Mentions of blood, car accidents, guns, etc

Genre: Friends to lovers, street racing

Word Count: 2.8k

Taglist: @sheala--marie @kayleefriedchicken @chartrucewhore @cookiesnmilfx

@thicccurls @aznstoner @velvetmoonlght @dvbkie099

@fawnpeaks

Everything Taglist: @wife2straykidss @piscesrising01 @baby-stay92 @kisses-too-the-moon

@dwaekkiiracha @silly250 @rylea08 @imperfectlyperfectprincess1

@satosugu4l @gabriellamarie @tsunderelino @iovecb97

@1810cl @lordmaahes-nsc @sailorkoss @minh0scat

@pixie0627 @50-husbands @jinnies-muse @yaorzu-blog

@anskiiz @joyofbebbanburg @number1jeonginstan @skzooluvr

@jisunglyricist @ambersnowxxx @ayyonoona @31maze13

@stay-tiny-things @thegingerthatwaited @hoesheez

Previous Chapters

A/N: i really hope you like this version more than the other one!!

You stare at the man, you now remembered was named Mingi. “Who was it?” You ask, your heart pounding, it felt like it was going to shoot right out of your chest. Your palms were getting sweaty as he stood there just smiling at you, not saying a word. He nods towards the sound of the crash.

“Go see for yourself.” He murmurs, taking a puff of his newly lit cigarette. You turn around, walking away from him. Your speed slowly picked up, until you were running as fast as your leg would take you, moving past the groups of people who were just standing around, while others rushed towards the smoke that was filling the air.

You pushed your way through the group of people, pleading in your head that if it was Hyunjin and Felix in that crash, that they weren't seriously injured. You watch as a group of guys each pry the doors of the familiar car open, helping Felix and Hyunjin out. You hadn't realized that you were holding your breath until you saw both their faces, a little bruised and cut up, but they were alive, standing there laughing as they walked away from the car that came so close to being wrapped around the tree.

“Baby.” Hyunjin breathes, rushing towards you, Felix just steps behind him.

“Are you okay?” Felix asks, wrapping his arms around you, with Hyunjin on the other side.

“Me?” You scoff. “The two of you were just in a fucking crash. Are you two okay?” You ask. You were feeling all over their bodies, trying to make sure nothing was broken and that they were both truly okay. You can vaguely hear the others in the group, looking over the car, assessing the damages. The smell of burnt rubber, dripping gasoline filling your nostrils as you just take these two men in, thanking whoever that they were alive, despite whoever tried to interfere. You watched as the beads of sweat rolled down their faces, mixed in with the dirt and the blood. Fuck that was close.

“Are you sure?” You sniffle. “Are you both really okay?”

“I'm fine.” Felix laughs.

“I am too.” Hyunjin smiles. “Where were you?”

“I was on my way to the bathroom and I got stopped by Mingi.” You explain, rolling your eyes. You can feel both men tense up at the sound of his name.

“Was San there?” Hyunjin asks.

“I didn't see him.” You say. “I think Mingi caused the crash.” You whisper.

“Yeah I wouldn't be surprised. Someone cut the fucking breaks.” Felix spits.

Felix wraps his arm around your shoulders, while Hyunjin wraps his arm around your waist, the three of you walking away from the scene.

As you all approach the area where the rest of the racers and onlookers stand around, the crowd begins to slowly disburse. You try to bring Hyunjin and Felix to another car, wanting to take them home when an extremely expensive looking car pulls into the lot, parking not far from the three of you. You watch as two large men get out of the passenger and driver's seat, opening the back door for someone else. You can hear Hyunjin and Felix mutter to themselves as the scariest man, yet an extremely handsome man, in the nicest suit you'd ever seen, begins to walk towards you.

“Oh fuck.” Felix hisses, glancing at Hyunjin. “Where's Chan?” He asks, looking around, trying to find their leader.

“Y/N, go look for Chan. Now. Please. Go.” Hyunjin urges you.

“Hyunjin! Felix!” The man yells, sending shivers down your spine. You look back as you're walking away, the smile on his face even more terrifying. You looked around for a few minutes before you finally found Chan and it didn't take him long to notice the panicked look on your face.

“What's wrong?” He asks, grabbing onto your arms. “Did something else happen to Hyunjin and Felix?” He asks, holding onto you tightly.

“Um, No… well maybe? I'm not really sure.” You murmur. “There's a man. And Hyunjin and Felix didn't look happy about it. They told me to find you.” You murmur.

“A guy? What did he look like?” Chan asks.

“He was really hot… but also terrifying.” You answer.

“Fuck.” Chan snaps. “It's Soohyuk.” He says to Changbin. Both men leave you standing there as they rush towards Hyunjin and Felix. You weren't sure what was going on but you didn't have a good feeling about it.

You follow slowly behind Chan and Changbin, the knot in your stomach growing with every step, the closer you get to the man. You see San, Mingi and the rest of their group standing across from Hyunjin and Felix with the rest of the guys. None of them look happy, they're all frowning. You keep your eyes on the man, Soohyuk who seems to be scolding both groups. The closer you get the more you get an eerie feeling radiating off of him. He smiles as he talks to them, but his eyes. His eyes show nothing. No soul, the man is completely empty.

“Now.” Soohyuk says in a relatively calm voice. “What the fuck happened tonight?” He asks.

“San and Mingi cut our fucking breaks lines.” Hyunjin spits.

Soohyuk looked over at the two who cowered from his gaze. “Is that true?” He asks.

“I only did it for San's sake!” Mingi yells. “I got tired of him bitching about their girl.” He finishes, motioning towards you. The groups separate, revealing you standing there, looking over at Hyuniin and Felix who now look worried.

“So you almost killed two of my best fucking racers over a goddamn girl?” Soohyuk laughs.

“She was mine first!” San yells.

“Like 6 fucking years ago. Get over it.” Felix snaps back.

“I can solve this problem right fucking now.” He suggests, pulling a gun from the waist of his pants, cocking it and pointing it directly at you.

“Woah, woah!” Hyunjin and Felix yell, trying to rush towards you but they're both stopped by the big bodyguards.

“Okay, Soohyuk, put the gun down.” Chan suggests, slowly walking towards you, trying to protect you.

“Why?” Soohyuk asks. “If you guys are doing this shit, neither of you are out there trying to win me my fucking money.”

“They'll stop. Right, Hongjoong.” Chan says, motioning to him to agree.

“Uh, yeah… yeah They'll stop.” Hongjoong murmurs, Keeping his eyes on Soohyuk. He keeps the gun pointed at you as one of his guards, who is on the phone walks up to him, whispering in his ear, making Soohyuk smile.

“You know what? That's not a bad idea. Tell Mr. Jung, I like it.” he says, lowering his gun, tucking it back into his waist.

“Here's how it's going to go. Her, what's your name?” He asks, pointing to you.

You don't say anything. You feel like you're frozen in your spot, your brain isn't registering like it's supposed to. “What’s your fucking name?” Soohyuk shouts.

The sound makes you jump. “Um Y/N.” You mumble, your body shaking.

“Good. Now, things are going to change around here. I've got some investors, if you will, that want to watch some good fucking racing. And I want some good competition between the two of you. So Y/N, you're coming with me.” Soohyuk smiles.

“No!” Hyunjin yells.

“Over my dead body!” Felix says.

“Well that can be arranged.” Soohyuk smiles. His grin sends shivers down your spine. "If you want your fucking funding to continue, youll do as I say."

You didn't like him, you could tell he was nothing but a fucking monster. But you couldn't let anything happen to Hyunjin and Felix. They were always protecting you, so now it was your turn to protect them.

“I'll go.” You say.

Soohyuk grins. “That's a good girl. Come willingly. It'll make things a lot easier for me.” He says, walking towards you. He places his hands on your shoulder, leaning in closely to you. “Because now I don't have to hurt you.” He whispers.

You hold your head high as you let him guide you towards his guards. You mouth “I'm sorry” to Hyunjin and Felix as you fight your tears. You didn't want them to know how fucking terrified you were right now.

“We'll get you back!” Felix yells. “I love you!”

“Be safe baby. I love you.” Hyunjin yells. You try to turn around to tell them you loved them, but the guard shoves you forward towards the car, opening the door for you to get in. You slide in the passenger seat, your heart racing. It was getting harder to breathe. This was a bad choice. You feel like you fucked up. Soohyuk stayed with the other for a few more minutes. You wished you knew what he was saying.

**

“Now you both have something to fight for.” Soohyuk smiles. “We're starting over. You're all at zero point. You'll be racing those you've raced before, and when you do, there's no rules. Win at whatever cost. The more violent the better. If you make it to the final, and you fucking better.” He says, motioning to San, Hyunjin and Felix. “The winner gets Y/N. New rules for the final will be announced closer to the date.” he smiles. “Questions?”

“What if we don't make it to the final?” Hyunjin asks. “What happens to Y/N?” He asks through gritted teeth.

“Don't worry, I'll be giving you some incentives to win. The three of you are my most entertaining racers.” He chuckles. “But if that doesn't work, then tour precious Y/N, goes to whoever fucking wins.” Soohyuk finishes, turning around to walk towards the car. “I'll be in touch with information about your first race.” He yells back, putting up his hand to say goodbye.

**

You're sitting in the car, absolutely fucking terrified about what the hell was going to happen to you. Soohyuk slides into the other side of the back seat, watching his guards slide into the front, and drive away. You turn around to look back at a defeated Hyunjin and Felix. Your heart breaks at the sight of them. You continued to stare until they were finally out of view and you were stuck with three men you didn't know and had no idea what their intentions were.

The entire car ride was silent. You tried to control your breathing but it was so hard. You just wanted to hyperventilate but instead you watched through the window as you passed the city you knew, leaving it behind, heading to an unknown destination. It took an hour, after leaving the city for the driver to pull into a gravel driveway, having to stop a large gate to put in a code before heading onto cement, pulling up to a ginormous house. your jaw drops at the sight of it. You forget for a moment who you're with.

“You live here!?” You exclaim.

He chuckles. “Yeah this is where I live.” He says as the car rolls to a stop. You get out of the car, unable to pick your jaw up off the ground as you're guided inside. You're trying to take everything in but the place is just so big you don't know where to look. You're taken to a large living room, where you sit on a couch. Soohyuk sits across from you, resting his arms on his legs as he leans forward.

“Go ahead. Ask.” He says.

“What are you going to do to me?” You ask.

He laughs. “It's not what you think. You're not my type. Not to mention, my wife would cut off my balls and shove them down my throat if I did anything with anyone else.” He chuckles. You watched his facial expressions as he talked, and they looked so forced. Like he was trying to be nide but you could see right through the pretend nice guy act. You couldn't let him know, you needed to play along as best you could

“How did you get involved in this?” He asks.

“It just kinda happened.” You say. You weren't going to let your guard down too much. “Hyunjin, Felix and I had been friends for years and somewhere down the line my feelings changed. And so did theirs. And then we got together.” You explain. “But the whole street racing thing came out by accident. I had no idea.”

Soohyuk nods his head. “And San?”

“I used to hook up with him years ago. It was never anything serious. Ever. If I'm being honest, he's been nothing nut a fucking nuisance since he's reappeared in my life.” You sigh.

“I heard about the accident.” He says. “How's your head now?” He wonders.

“It's good. I get headaches sometimes.” You explain.

“Well let me know if there's anything I can do for you and what you need to make your stay more comfortable.” He smiles. “This is Chae, she'll be keeping an eye on you and helping you with anything you need.” He says, motioning to a lady behind you. You turn around to look, seeing a very nice looking woman, waiting for you.

“Thank you.” You say, giving him a small smile.

“One more question before you go.” He says. “If you had to choose between Felix and Hyunjin, who would you choose?” He asks.

You laugh. You'd never thought you'd need to.

“Honestly?” You ask.

He nods his head.

“I could never choose. They have my whole heart.” You say, walking towards Chae Who was waiting for you.

You leave the main house, Chae showing you the guesthouse, which is where you were going to be staying.

“This entire place? For me?” You ask. She laughs. “Yes, Mrs. L/N, just for you. Is there anything I can get for you?”

“I'd just like to shower and maybe eat?” You say.

She nods her head, showing you the bathroom. “Take your time. I'll be back.” She says, turning to walk away. You get undressed, starting the large walk-In shower. It felt so nice to scrub the smell of dirt, worry, gasoline and stress off of your body. But you were still so worried about Hyunjin and Felix. Are they worried about you? Were they going to come get you? Did they even know where Soohyuk lived? You had so many questions, your body began to fill with anxiety once again.

You finished your shower quickly, grabbing a towel from the rack to cover yourself. When you opened the bathroom door, there stood Chae, a pile of clean clothes for you to wear.

“Thank you.” You whisper, smiling at her, taking the clothes and closing the door. You get dressed, and surprisingly they fit you perfectly. When you left the bathroom, you headed back to the living room where there was a platter of food waiting for you. You were too anxious to eat a full meal, so you decided just to snack on a few things.

“Can I call Felix and Hyunjin?” You ask nervously. You Knew the answer was going to be a no, but you needed to ask just to be sure.

“No contact until Mr. Soohyuk says it's okay.” She answers. You figured. But you knew you'd feel uneasy until you were able to talk to them, to tell them you were okay. And no one was going to hurt you.

Or so you thought.

It took a few days, but eventually you had been told there was going to be a race. Hyunjin and Felix had gotten a new car and were the first ones to race against some entry level racers. You were terrified for them, especially considering there were no rules.

“Yeah, okay fine.” Soohyuk snaps, holding a phone to your face.

“Baby, you're okay?” Hyunjin asks.

“We miss you so fucking much.” Felix groans.

“I'm okay, it's okay.” You smile. “Please be safe. I love you. I love you!” You yell as the phone is being pulled away from your face.

“There. Win this one and you'll see her again. Don't win and see what happens to her.” Soohyuk spits, hanging up the phone and sliding it into his pocket. You still weren't sure about Soohyuk. He was so happy one minute and then a split second later, he was screaming and raging out. You felt sorry for his wife, at least you were able to hide in the guesthouse. You went back to your bed, instead of watching the race. You couldn't take it, the anxiety of what would possibly happen if they lost. You laid on your bed, in the dark as you heard the cheering from the crowd who was watching. You must have dozed off, because when you woke up, there was a man you didn't recognize standing in your bedroom, a sinister smile on his face.

“You're lucky Felix and Hyunjin won tonight.” He chuckles. “Cause the second they don't win, you're mine to give them incentive.” He says, turning to walk away. “Oh.” he pauses, looking back at you. “And I like to play rough.”

[hoseokslefteyebrow]

The Anomaly || JJK

Chapter 8: Seance

summary : In which you're isekai'd from your (own) parallel Jujutsu Kaisen universe to the canon universe.

wordcount : 2.9k

Pairing: Jujutsu Kaisen X Reader, eventually Character x Reader (idk who yet tho)

Masterlist | Next

Soon enough, you, Megumi, Yuuji and Ino are in front of the veil.

" Nope, it didn't even budge." 

Ino is watching with wide eyes as Yuuji punches the veil, which rumbles in response.

"N-nice try." 

It must be his first time seeing Yuuji's strength.

"  The veil's sturdy. We'll have to find a weak spot and put a hole in it, even for a moment. We can't do anything without getting inside."

While Megumi's speaking, Yuuji casually drop kicks a curse. You're not useless either. You've uncapped one of your two water skins, and have created a whiplash of the water, hitting curses left and right.

Ino glances at your skill, impressed. He's never seen anything like it before.

" Water Manipulation."

You answer the question he hasn't asked just yet.

His brows raise in surprise. He's never heard of that technique before.

Meanwhile, Yuuji blinks.

" Huh, why not?"

"Yuuji, this is the veil that keeps sorcerers from entering." 

You point out, cringing as Megumi's Demon Dog digs into the curse Yuuji just drop kicked like it's a meal.

"Veils are for cover and protection, right? Which fundamentally means that the one who deployed it must be inside." 

Soon enough everyone is brainstorming. It gets down to it that there's a good chance that the one who cast the veil is outside of it. Besides, if they were inside, Yuuji's punch must've worked. Which it didn't.

" By that logic, they must've centered it around a place that stands out, don't you think? because the increased risk of discovering would make it even stronger?"

You find yourself nodding to Megumi's words, eyes flicking to the high building behind you. If Megumi's words were true, then the building behind you would be a good, not so subtle, hiding spot.

" A place that stands out?"

All three guys follow your line of sight.

Cerulean Tower.

Soon enough, you've formed a plan together. Megumi would summon Nue, and Yuuji would use the cord he has kept around casually in his pocket (Maki said It'd be useful) to catch them off guard. You and Ino would take out the veil, which must be in some kind of bolt looking object, according to Yuuji. 

Soon enough, the plan is set in motion. Yuuji casually takes all three curse users by surprise, taking them with him with the cord, exactly according to plan. 

Ino glances at the odd bolt like sealed object.

"So this is the foundation of the veil?"

Yuuji nods, explaining that the conditions  for the veil were already inside.

soon enough, Ino breaks the object. 

However, the veil doesn't break.

" There must've been three."

You mumble, judging by the dots in the ground. You glance at the curse users, as do the others. Ino seems to catch sight of the curse user who's holding the remaining two at the same time you do. Yuuji is already chasing at the curse user by the time the two of you notice.

He calls something to Megumi as he launches himself and the curse user off the building, leaving you and Ino to deal with the two in front of you.

A grandma and her grandson, judging by the looks of it.

Literally, that's how they address one another.

" Now, I've got my underclassmen to look out for. I better snag some achievements and hit that first-grade rank." 

You're not sure why he's sharing this with you, or the curse users.

You don't bother asking, or uncapping either of your water skins. You need to be careful in your use of water. It's not like you can ever run out of a water source to be exact, but still.

You'd rather not turn to those measures.

Beside you, Ino summons something.

" Y/N. Join your classmates. I can handle this."

He'd rather keep all the first years together, just to be sure.

Your eyes flash with surprise. You glance at the curse users.

" Are you sure?" 

He nods.

You search his features before nodding. Turning around, you make quick work of jumping down. Still, you scream as you plummet right towards your friends. You hurriedly uncap one of your water skins, manipulating the water in it to the ground, the water reaching for you like an elegant wave. Megumi and Yuuji both seem surprised at your arrival.

" Wasn't the plan that you'd stay with Ino?" 

" he wanted me to join you two. What's the situation looking like?" You ask.

The two of them nod in front of them, towards the man who lies rolled up on the floor.

" Huh? His body is clean." 

You point out with a raised brow. Megumi nods.

"Exactly. Get up, sneaky old geezer!"

For a moment, the man doesn't respond. He simply remains there, ignoring Megumi's words.

" Good grief. Kids these days got no pity for us old folks." 

You watch as he gets up, snapping the wire around him like it's nothing.

" We can't waste time here."

" We won't. Y/N, follow me in."

You glance at Yuuji in surprise, before nodding, enforcing your whole body with cursed energy.

He must've remembered the training the two of you did not too long ago.

-

" Hey Y/N, we know you're pretty skilled with your cursed technique, but are you also good in hand to hand combat? Considering you always keep enemies at a distance." 

You glance up from where you're resting in the grassy field of the school, leaning against Nobara.

" What kind of question is that, Itadori? Do you want to fight her?" 

Nobara scowls at him from beside you. You smile at her expression.

Yuuji hurriedly shakes his head.

" Ah, no. I didn't mean it like that. I was just curious.-"

" I am. My mother wasn't sure if I would manifest a technique, so she made sure I knew how to handle myself if the other kids of the clan ever decided to pick on me. I used to fight a lot." 

Nobara raises a brow, turning to you in surprise.

" You did? You don't seem like the violent type."

" I'm not. At least, not anymore. I used to be before I manifested my cursed technique. I was a late bloomer as well, it didn't happen until I was 8.- But I used to pick a fight with any cousin who looked at me like I was dirt. That was a lot of cousins. Not Noritoshi though, we got along since the day we met. our mothers are fond of one another."

" Ah, right. You're part of the Kamo clan. what was your life like there?" 

You blink, shrugging.

" Hard. The Kamo clan hates me. My technique renders their own useless." 

They both nod. Truthfully, they don't really remember what the Kamo clan's technique was. Nor do they really care.

" Anyway-" 

You get up, dusting off your clothes as you turn to face him.

" You wanna try fighting me?" 

Yuuji blinks.

" Are you sure? I don't want to hurt you." 

" For that you need to be able to hit me first.-"

You grin at him.

" -Besides, I'm you twi- Sukuna's best friend. You think he ever goes soft on me during training?" 

Yuuji hums, grinning as he too gets up.

Nobara moves to the side of the field, your water skins laid beside her.

Megumi blinks, approaching the scene as he rubs his shoulder.

" What're they doing now?" 

" Training. How was your training with Maki?"

He grits his teeth, flexing his arm.

" Instructive." 

She smiles.

And then you and Yuuji move. 

You're surprisingly quick on your feet without your water skins adding extra weight on you. You dance around Yuuji like some kind of dancer, jumping around weightlessly as you avoid his hits and kicks. Sometimes, you dab at him right after you've avoided yet another punch.

Eventually, you haven't necessarily beaten Yuuji. However, he gives up, dizzy from the countless circling movements you move in.

-

Eventually, you end up making an easy gateway for Yuuji to punch through, time and time again. In between You and Yuuji's combined attacks, Megumi makes his way through with demon dog, along with aiming at him with a cursed tool. The old man is swift as well, avoiding most hits, and for some reason remaining unaffected by any other punch that does hit him.

Eventually, he takes out a pocket knife, shallowly slicing through Yuuji. Yuuji doesn't seem affected, back to punching him in the same second. Megumi comes between the two smoothly, Megumi's toad shikigami slinging the curse user into the wall.

" Itadori!"

" No worries, just a scratch." 

You follow the man's movements with your eyes, uncapping a water skin to heal the shallow cut on Yuuji anyway within seconds.

Yuuji nods at you in thanks.

" Such power. Such promising features."

How was this man still uninjured?

" Makes killing you all more worth it." 

Beside Yuuji, you can see Megumi puzzle as well from the corner of your eye.

Was he uninjured because of some kind of cursed technique?

" Demon Dog's claws can injure even special grades.."

" I hit him with all I got too.." 

" Then why..?" 

You can hear the frustration in Megumi's voice.

You wonder the same thing.

" Then how is he completely unscathed?"

You furrow your brows.

" He can't have something like cursed energy nullification.. right?"

All you get in response are furrowed brows of concern.

And then the man's on you again.

" We were free. But that freedom was taken from us! By Gojo Satoru!"

He manages to whack a kick right into Yuuji's face, Megumi's sword slicing right through the fence behind him.

" I will never retire!-" 

Megumi blocks his kick, the blunt back of his sword hitting the old man right in the head.

Sadly, he doesn't relent in his nonsense.

" I'll trample over the weak until the day I die!"

He manages to break free from Megumi, though Megumi does end up slicing him right across the face with his blade. You kick him away, creating a small distance again.

" Seriously, what's with this guy?! I get that he's tough, but there has to be more to it!" 

For a moment, you and Megumi try to puzzle his technique together, considering it has to have to do something with that.

"Hey! Gojo Satoru is here in Shibuya! You better leave the foundations for the veil behind and run!"

Both you and Yuuji glance at Megumi in question.

" What lousy bluff. Gojo Satoru is sealed. You guys yelled it out for the world to hear. Why do you think we curse users are out? Otherwise I would be sleeping."

So he can't beat Gojo sensei. It can't be cursed energy nullification.

" Fushiguro~, you suck at lying." 

Yuuji's pouting, laying a hand on his best friend's shoulder.

"It's okay though. You tried."

He's being dramatic, all puppy eyes. You can't help but giggle slightly at the behavior. Megumi seems more annoyed by it.

" Shut up."

" If you don't want to fight, I'll kill you now." 

" get ready."

You do just as Yuuji says, this time uncapping one of your water skins.- But then Megumi's eyes widen.

" Rabbit escape." 

At once, multiple rabbits hop up, out of Megumi's shadow, they block the man's vision. One ends up in Yuuji's arms, and you pick one up too. It's surprisingly soft. You didn't except shikigami to actually be soft. (  You've asked your universe's Megumi to let you pet his rabbits. He's always said no.) 

You glance at Megumi in surprise.

" Did you figure out his technique?" 

He nods, tugging Yuuji back by his hood.

Inverse, that's his technique. The harder you punch, the less damage he receives.

Megumi has a plan, one you can follow with ease. Act like you don't know. You will land an exceptionally useless attack, Yuuji a rough one, and Megumi in between. It should render his technique.

It takes only a few moments, and then you're back. Megumi opens the attack, landing max elephant right on the man's head.

The man grins.

" Is that all that you've got?" 

Max elephant dissipates. 

" Come down and face me like a real man!" 

The man yells up to where Megumi is currently stood on top of a lantern pole. Megumi simply points down.

" That's more their style." 

Yuuji straight up throws a car at him. 

Where he gets the strength from, you don't know. 

You follow him in, your water skin uncapped as you chase after him, a long elegant line of water following you at your command. Megumi and Yuuji follow in too, charging up for what would be 'the final blow'. All three of you at once, locking him in position. At the very last minute, your manipulation on the water loosens. It turns into one big splash, only strong enough to push over a young child at most. Megumi summons a toad shikigami at the last second, and Yuuji punches him square in the stumic.

The attack works. He's coughing up blood. You don't stop there, the three of you each punch him one by one, landing a hit square on him.

He doesn't like it.

" Don't get cocky over that, you brats!"

The three of you jump away. Yuuji charges up with cursed energy, pretending to hit him square in the face once more. However, just before his fist is about to make contact with the man's face, he drops all cursed energy. The power behind it disappears, instead landing a raw punch square on the man's face.

it seems like Megumi's plan worked out.

" You're surprisingly adept." 

" Really?" 

Yuuji cocks his head at Megumi's words. 

You smile, about to add on to their conversation, when you feel something.

It's like a call, pulling at your cursed energy.

Your smile falters, turning around in the directions where you can feel it coming from.

Was there perhaps another you in this universe with cursed energy? Or was it someone else?

-

" Pickled mustard leaf?"

Sukuna is angry. And disgusted. And irritated. especially irritated. How dare you disappear at the hands of the cursed spirit, causing him to chase after you? He's got zero idea what's wrong with Shibuya today. He can't leave, because of the stupid veil that keeps him from leaving. He's beating up curses left and right. ripping through them with a wicked blade, it's edges reversed, jagged, meant to inflict pain on curses ( for his own sick amusement, you cringe at it every time you see it.) there's something odd about the curses he's ripping through though. They're bleeding. 

Nonetheless, he keeps going, only pausing to look at Inumaki.

" Who the fuck you callin' Yuuji?!" 

For a split moment, tension between them rises. Sukuna raises his free hand, probably to swing it down for added dramatics, when he pauses, completely stilling. his eyes are fixed on his bracelet, the water in it swishing in a particular direction, even when he stands still. Sukuna's eyes are wide, realization hitting him.

Meanwhile Inumaki studies Sukuna. He looks like Yuuji, and he looks like Ryomen Sukuna, Yet he's completely different. He's much more buff, and for some reason, he's tall, taller than Inumaki, and taller than the Yuuji he knows. This must be your Sukuna. His tattoos are similar, yet not the same. There's no mark on his forehead, no slits under his eyes that should represent another pair of eyes. 

Meanwhile, Sukuna's focus shifts to Inumaki, his gaze hard. He still has no idea what's going on. As far as he's concerned. He's in his Shibuya. He has no idea about what's going on just yet.

" Where's Y/N?" 

Inumaki tenses.

He's heard that your Sukuna is different, kinder even, yet he's still intimidated. He's got no cursed energy. Yet the blood that's staining the jagged side of his blade, splatters of it on his face and clothes too, make him appear much more menacing than most sorcerers he's had to face. Especially with the cold look in his eyes.

He looks like he's ready to kill him.

[ A/N: Smoll heads up, I'm only catching up to what happens after Shibuya now and well,, err- it's a puzzle for the story line. After the Shibuya incident, updates will be slow.

ps. Would you be interested in silly little drabbles to keep you guys engaged in the story about Y/N in her universe? ]

Tag list:

@luxylucylou @kalulakunundrum @strxbxrrylover @aethersslave @jenniferrvsesi @hanatsuki-hime @betizda

[stervrucht]

Chapter 8 of Eidolon is out now!

⇢ Read on AO3

For the Eddie Munson Big Bang. We are Team 001 with @fracturedarkness and @hel-s-art as artists!

Banner by the talented @fracturedarkness

Updates every monday and thursday!

Pairing: Eddie Munson/Steve Harrington

Rating: E

Words: 27.2K

Status: Ongoing

Tags: Post-Season 4, Science Fiction, Psychological Horror, Eddie Munson Lives (with a twist), Character Death Fix, Getting Together, Slow Burn, Friends to Lovers, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, like...a lot of hurt and a lot of comfort, emotional whiplash, Pining, Steve is oblivious as hell, Obsession, Happy Ending

[ashleyfilm]

Seeing Clearly - Chapter 9. The Bison

Hi Everyone! Happy Friday! Enjoy a little bit of Jealous Joel today :)

Chapter Warnings: cursing, angst, alcohol consumption, negative talk about body image (not by Joel) - Minors - DNI

Characters: Jackson!Joel Miller x F!OC Plus Size Reader

Chapter Summary: A night at the Tipsy Bison brings you closer to Joel and his family. 2.3K

Ch 1 Ch 2 Ch 3 Ch 4 Ch 5 Ch 6 Ch 7 Ch 8

Chapter 9. The Tipsy Bison

You have your first patrol with Joel in the morning. It’s weird, feeling excited and nervous at the same time. You want to feel like you’re contributing but it’s scary beyond the walls and you didn’t realize how much you’ve started to familiarize with the comfort that Jackson brings. On the other hand, you feel similarly conflicting feelings about seeing your patrol partner. Joel Fucking Miller. He’s under your skin. He’s made you feel safe, made you feel alive, but he's also pulled the rug out from under you, abandoned you, and hurt you. And after last night when he came to your room, open and honest, you let him right back in. He’s so infuriating. He’s funny and warm and fucking sexy and then he’s cold, mean, detached. It’s like fucking whiplash.

As you wrestle with all these thoughts inside the dining hall, Maria notices you. “Ash, hey, you okay? She asks softly, not wanting to startle you. You meet her gaze and realize everything you’d been thinking is written all over your face. God, why am I like this? “Hi Maria, I’m fine, just nervous about patrol. Not to say that I’m not up for it, it’s fine just a little anxious that’s all.” You say this all very quickly, not wanting her to think you’re weak. Maria puts her hand on your shoulder lightly, its oddly so comforting in this moment. She’s really got that motherly instinct watching her other hand rub her belly. “Hey, listen, it’s fine to be nervous, I get nervous every time Tommy goes out. It’s incredibly brave of you to volunteer to go out there, especially so soon after arriving here. How about we go for a drink at the Bison, I’ll be your DD and make sure you get home safe,” she laughs. “Sure, that sounds good, Maria, thanks.” You smile at her, finishing up your food and clearing your table before walking with her across the street to the Bison.

Maria and You have been talking for the better part of an hour now and you’ve learned so much about her. That she used to be a District Attorney, okay – go off, that she’s been in Jackson since its beginning, and even that she lost her son in all the madness of the end of the world. You can’t believe how open and blunt she is, she doesn’t mince words, she’s tough but still loving, and she’s an instant friend, you know that now. The two of you are cackling when Tommy and Joel walk in together. Tommy with a million-watt smile starts laughing as he walks up to the two of you. “Ladies, what’s got you all in stiches’ this evenin’. You know, my wife shouldn’t be drinking right now,” he says to you, smirking. Maria trying to contain her laughter, “Honey, it’s not my fault, Ash is just that funny.” Tommy gives her a kiss and responds, “Well, I’m happy to see you two hit it off so well, right, Joel?” Joel, who is standing awkwardly and looking around the bar huffs, “Yeah, sure.” Maria says, “Well, come on, join us!”

Joel and Tommy, both join you at the table for four Tommy next to Maria and Joel next to you, as Joel speaks quietly to you, “We’ve got patrol in the morning, I don’t want to be dealing with your hangover tomorrow,” eyeing the whiskey in your glass. You scoff as you push your glasses up nose, “Oh be quiet, Dad, it’s my second glass in over an hour, I’ll be fine.” Tommy and Maria share a knowing look and try to contain their laughter as Joel glares at them. “Fine, but don’t complain to me when you’ve got a headache tomorrow.” You roll your eyes dramatically, down the rest of your drink and stand up, “I’m off to get another drink anyone want anything?” Joel stares at you and you stare at him. Tommy finally speaks up, “I’ll go with you.” Still staring at Joel like you’re daring him to say something, you begin to walk off toward the bar with Tommy in tow.

As you wait for your drinks Tommy clears his throat, great here it comes, “Listen, Ash, I know Joel can be a bit uptight,” at this you laugh through a scoff. He continues, “Look, I know he’s a lot, but he means well.” “Does he?” you start to speak but Tommy stops you, “All I’m asking is that you give him a break. It’s obvious he cares about you.” At this your eyes flick to Tommy’s in shock, he tries his best to contain the upturn of his lip. “When I told him about you volunteerin’ for patrol, he lost his shit, and not because you can’t handle yourself, we all know better than that. He was worried. I know he’s got a shit way of showin’ it, but you mean somethin’ to him. And if you give him time, I promise he’ll come around.” You nod, looking away to find Joel, but while Maria is chatting with a woman passing by the table, Joel is starring fucking daggers at someone. You follow his gaze to find, ugh, no, Brad or wait, Ryan. And Ryan, is looking right at you smiling with his table full of bro buddies.

Thankfully your drinks arrive then, and you grab them and walk back to the table. Trying to ignore Ryan and his pals as you walk past. Sitting down with your drink and Joel’s matching one you ask Joel, “Who popped your balloon?” He looks at you, confused and Tommy laughs. You’re smirking at Joel and his eyes betray him, like they always do and soften as he shakes his head, “It’s nothin’,” smiling slightly. He goes to sip his whiskey, and you watch his mouth, god his lips are beautiful. Pouty, soft, perfect. You can remember how they felt on you. Your mouth parts as you watch him, totally entranced. Then you realize Maria is talking to you. You look over at her and Tommy who are looking at you with sly little smiles, and you know you’re caught. Joel, thankfully oblivious, asks the two of them, “What is going on, why are ya’ll acting so fuckin’ weird?” You swallow and before anyone can say anything, Ryan comes over to the table with a stupid grin on his dumb face. His friends pretending not to watch whatever is about to go down.

“Ash, hey, Tommy, Maria,” he nods to both then looks at Joel, “uh, Joel.” Tommy and Maria nod back at Ryan but they look at you and Joel, noticing how you look unimpressed, and Joel looks like he might take Ryan’s head off. Tommy stiffens, bracing for impact. Ryan turns back to you, putting his hand on the table near you and leaning in, he says, “It’s good to see you, you look great,” eyes grazing up and down your form. Joel then puts his arm around the back or your chair. You notice it and look back at him but he’s looking right at Ryan. “Look, I was wondering if you’d want to get a drink with me sometime.” He looks back at his friends with a grin as if he’s got this in the bag. You start to speak, and Joel finally looks at you, seems like he’s holding his breath, you look back at Ryan. “That’s really nice of you but I’m not really interested right now. But thank you.” Ryan and Joel’s eyes both go wide but Ryan looks shocked, and Joel looks pleased. You hear a chuckle from Ryan’s table of dudes, but they’ve all looked away at this point. Ryan puts on a fake smile, but his eyes look filled with anger. “No problem, sweetheart, you have a good night.” His hand grips the table hard and then let’s go to walk back to his table, punching one of his friends in the arm that laughed at him and mumbles something to the group.

You look back to the table and Tommy and Maria are grinning at you. “What?” you say looking at them. But Joel speaks up first, “Nothin’, don’t mind them. You two,” scowling at Tommy and Maria, “mind your business.” Tommy and Maria exchange a look and small smiles as they go back to talking about something to do with the town council. And you look at Joel, a small smile on your lips, thankful that he took the attention away from you. He waits till Tommy and Maria aren’t paying attention, he looks to you and gives you a subtle wink, bringing his drink back to his lips. Your stomach flips and you hope you don’t look too flustered. For the rest of the evening, Joel never takes his arm off the back of your chair.

At the end of that third drink, you decide it’s time to go home. This being one of the nicest nights you’ve had since you arrived, spending time with your most favorite people and actually seeing Joel smile and laugh in between his eyerolls and sighs. You trot off to the bathroom before leaving and as you walk back, you catch Ryan scowling at you. It appears he’s had a bit too much to drink at this point. Loudly he speaks to his table saying, “I didn’t want the fat bitch anyway, was just curious what it would feel like, don’t even know how she keeps that weight on.” A couple of the friends at his table laugh, two others look uncomfortable, one man, a few years older than the rest, smacks Ryan on the shoulder, admonishing his behavior. Then you look around, stopped in your tracks and realize that everyone is looking at you, at your body. And you know that almost everyone heard what that asshole had to say. It’s not his words that hurt, it’s the attention they bring to you, the questioning looks from everyone else that make tears prick at your eyes.

Joel is already walking over to you, Tommy, close behind. Joel touches your arm and speaks lowly, “You good?” You nod, eyelids fluttering to try and keep your tears at bay. He looks up at Ryan, but you whisper to him, quiet but firm, “Joel, don’t. It’s not worth it.” Joel exhales out his nose, clearly fuming. But he nods and starts to walk you out the door, not before giving Tommy a look, silently asking him to handle it with Ryan. Maria comes up to your side linking her fingers with yours, Joel still has a steady arm around your shoulder. You turn your head into Maria’s shoulder as your tears start to fall. Maria says, “I got it from here Joel.” He looks like he might protest but he lets you go. Watching as Maria walks you toward your apartment.

By the time you get home, Maria makes you some sleepy time tea, insisting on talking a bit more before leaving you on your own. You’ve had this conversation before, with others. You’ve exhausted this topic over the course of your life, Before and After. But now, with Maria’s deep and beautiful eyes, your new friend, looking at you, you know she’s genuinely there for you. So, you start explaining how ever since puberty you’ve always been a larger person. Bigger than most of your friends. Plush, fat, curvy, plus size, however you want to put it. Men pointing it out to you, women much smaller than you telling you they admire you. Losing a tiny bit of weight and having a girlfriend call you skinny. You haven’t been “skinny” since you were fucking 10 years old. And now, at the end of the world, where people are starving, and you have to move your body to survive, you still have extra weight. It became something that kept people from trusting you. Thinking you stole food, or you didn’t do your part. You thought Jackson might be different. But tonight, all those feelings come back. And even though you love your body, and had lovers over the years, men and women, who showed you how much they liked your body and the effect it had on them, you still feel inadequate or that people may find you unattractive. You’re not proud that those thoughts still get to you, but they do.

When you feel you’ve gotten it all out, you take your glasses off and put your head down on the table next to your cup of tea and start laughing. Maria puts a hand on your head in it a comforting pet. And you raise back up. “Well, now you know this about me. It’s funny, I’ve survived over 20 years of a zombie apocalypse and I’m still fucking struggling with body image issues. Jesus.” Maria smiles at you now. A soft, sweet smile. She knows there’s nothing to say. There never is. This is a reality for you, and you just need to talk it out with someone you trust, and damn you really do trust Maria. She leaves you with a hug by the door and you assuring her, you’ll be fine to do patrol tomorrow, “Getting out might actually be good for me.” You finally go to bed that night thinking of Joel, the wink, his arm on your chair, that he seems to detest Ryan even more than you do. It makes you smile, and you can’t help but hope Joel doesn’t see you the same way Ryan does. You know Joel would never behave like Ryan but it’s a fact that people have their preferences. And maybe that’s why Joel pushed you away in the first place. Fuck. Well, now you’re not nervous for patrol, you just want to get through the fucking day.

Taglist: @somedayheaven @guelyury @elegantduckturtle @indiegirlunited @cheekychaos28 @ghostofzion @harriedandharassed @missladym1981 @littlemisspascal