#with friends who refuse to say what you’re doing wrong but will hold grudges against it and will be mad at you for it

[yay-depression]

thinking unhappy thoughts at 1 am except these can’t even be categorized into the “no feelings past 4pm in winter are real” bc it wasn’t inherently a negative thought it was a positive thought which upon saying aloud sounded really fucking sad

[coralinnii]

Silver (ghost!Reader x exorcist!Silver) 

genre: hurt/comfort, bittersweet, tragedy, vehicle manslaughter

summary: Silver works as an exorcist working on a hit-and-run case, and he’s trying to console the victim of the incident. He’s trying his best to convince you to leave before it’s too late.

notes: this prompt is not meant to resemble or reflect on any real event or the emotions of those who may have similar experiences. This is purely fiction. 

series index

Silver has seen his fair share of injustice in his career. Perhaps not as much as his father but he has seen an unfortunate number of victims that couldn’t be avenged for the crime done to them, especially when it caused their death. 

He has the title of a detective in charge of his district alongside his father but his true work lies with the deceased that wail out for retribution over their death. He, his father, and a colleague work under a powerful sorcerer that gives him the ability to see and occasionally interact with the souls that refuse to leave the world they once knew. 

That was how he met you, a spirit that refused to leave his district until you found vengeance over your hit-and-run incident with a powerful businessman. Despite evidence of his unethical driving, your family were left heartbroken and with a terrible debt dealing with the lawsuit and your hospital bills despite failing to save you. 

“He shouldn’t have been on the road! He was clearly drunk and rammed straight into my car!” You screamed at Silver, who stopped you as you attempted to haunt the man that broke your family until he either admitted to his fault or perished himself. You were fine with either one. “His brake was fine before the crash yet he dared to blame me!” 

“I understand, I truly do” Silver tried his best to console you. “But what you’re doing is wrong. Also, the longer you hold your grudge, the faster you will turn to a vengeful spirit” and I’ll have to exorcise you. he kept his last thoughts to himself. 

“And let him get away with it?! I’m not some pushover, Silver!” The air around turns ice cold, your energy running rampant as your emotions pushes you into a darker form, if not for Silver wrapping his arms around you. 

“You’re not a pushover. You’re also not vengeful” he whispered into the air where you could still hear him “You’re someone loving, and believed in the goodness of others” 

He knew that from the stories shared by your friends and family, who cried and protested against the businessman through every trial and investigation. Silver got to witness that side of you himself, as your aura turned warm as you watched over your sleeping family as they worked to bring justice to you. 

“So believe me when I say I’ll clear your name” 

“It’s not about my name, Silver” you cried phantom tears as you broke down in front of the silvernette. “It’s my family. I can’t let them live with such a debt” 

Silver felt your aura spiraling with a mad mixture of emotions; sadness, anger, guilt, and love. He carefully wrapped his arms around you which made you flinch. You never imagine that you could ever feel the warmth of someone else again. You lay your soul onto Silver’s shoulder, the only person who could hold and comfort you since your end.

“I promise to bring you peace” he spoke with such conviction, a sense of honor that you would have thought was corny in your past life. But now, it gave you a sliver of hope.

Once he brings justice to you, you can soon depart with a smile on your face and hopefully he can send you off with one as well when that day comes.

[notchesandbullets]

Life After Luck (Black Panther!Shinsou x Reader)

Art credit: Pixiv ID 123370838

Warnings: harassment, descriptions of injuries and blood, mention of a past character death (minor) and violence, angst, fluff, protective Shinsou and endearing dad!Shinsou.

A/N: second work for @ultimate-astridwriting​ hybrid collab!!

Words: 9.4k

You and Shinsou had been seeing each other secretly for years. And in the famed city of Musutafu where the existence of hybrids were extremely rare, that wasn’t exactly an easy feat.

The statistics varied around the globe but the general trend ended up to be less than 5% of the world’s population being born with some kind of animal trait.

Because they were so rare, most humans lived out their whole lives without encountering a hybrid in person once, but for the odd individual, sometimes they would catch a glimpse.

Ever since he was young, Shinsou had to fight every step of the way to get what he wanted. He had to work harder than most just for the mere scraps of attention from scouts that came to search for those with talent to become future heroes, but he never once complained. Until a fight broke out at school, the jocks beating him up in the cafeteria, calling his aspiration to be a hero stupid while everyone else just sat there and watched.

They called him all sorts of horrible names that made his skin crawl and at the end of it all, they didn’t even get punished for starting the fight. He did.

After that, he stomped away from the school grounds and never looked back.

Overcoming life’s great trials, he made a name for himself in his own community in Japan with the help of his mentor, Aizawa.

The scruffy man demanded that he at least get the bare minimum of an education with him if he really refused to go back to his original school, and that’s how the odd pair that resembled father and son more than anyone else ended up getting homeschooled by the veteran underground pro. 

Eventually, the once scrawny black panther without a quirk transformed into a seasoned pro that Japan’s law enforcement called on whenever a case called for his skills. 

Shinsou’s hybrid traits made it easy for him to sneak around despite his size, making him one of the idealistic hires when police needed someone for undercover work. Coupled with the prowess of his build body, he was more than capable to takedown whatever targets were given to him.

Once he reached adulthood, he left the police reserves and went out on his own, seeking a life that lacked the emergency sirens and ways of deceit that it had been filled with previously.

He bounced around from job to job, starting from the bottom up. He washed dishes in a kitchen for a restaurant then went on to be a cashier and then finally worked on the side of the road, cleaning up litter left behind by inconsiderate people.

Shinsou found that over time, he appreciated doing those jobs more and got fulfillment out of it that he didn’t find before.

Little things that happened daily put an extra spring in his step, like strolling down the street and seeing an elder needing help to get across. The simple actions of holding open the door or complimenting someone in hopes of making their day, it was so much clearer than it had been before.

That wasn’t to say that life was a walk in the park for the estranged panther. He still got comments about his appearance when his hood slipped off or from people who looked closely enough spotted his tail, but he no longer cared. His self-worth didn’t rely on pleasing them.

He was done with trying to blend in with the humans. He was different and he was proud of it.

Shinsou’s jaw clenched and his eyes hardened every time someone muttered something not-so-kind under their breath but he pushed on out of sheer determination, shoving it down until he could process it and release the feelings that came with it. He didn’t want to be the type of person who held a grudge.

Nothing good came out of that.

It was hard, but he had an example to set. He didn’t want his son to end up like the person he used to be. 

A loner, an outcast, filled with so much anger aimed at the world that he lacked the ability to get along with anybody. And he didn’t want that for his son.

Naoki. His five-year-old kid with as much spunk as you had.

His wife of seven years.

Shinsou had met you on the eve of a grand ball being hosted in honor of Midoriya’s birthday, a party thrown for the Number One Hero by his large circle of friends. The black panther hybrid had been serving as protection for the night to Kaminari, an old human friend of his from high school who had hooked him up with a steady job within his own company.

Private security.

Since his panther genes gave him a much more built physique, Shinsou didn’t have any troubles convincing the big boss that he was the right fit for being a bodyguard. Coupled with his impressive background, that sealed the deal in one go.

Shinsou had been over at the bar getting a drink for the hyperactive blond conversing with his other guard, Jirou, when it happened.

The grand doors to the Victorian ballroom opened and in you entered, causing everyone’s jaws to drop to the floor.

Your floor-length gown was breathtaking. Diamonds glittered on soft skin from where the expensive necklace sat just above your collarbone. Ruby heels peeked out from under your dress as you floated through the entryway, coming to a stop at the balcony high above all the guests’ heads.

White chiffon skirts sweeping the marble tile, your satin heels clicked against the floor as you strode in, your chin turned delicately at the audible gasp that left the doorman.

An easy smile popped up on your features as he hastily apologized for staring and you brushed it off with an airy wave of your hand.

Shinsou didn’t even know if you were aware of all the eyes on you as you glided down the steps and warmly greeted Todoroki, the one who actually reserved the ballroom for the night, and Bakugou, one of your oldest friends.

Thank Eraserhead for his enhanced hearing.

However, Shinsou practically fainted when you walked over to him, commenting that he looked nice right before introducing yourself. The dress code that he had previously complained about to Kaminari earlier went out the window as soon as his eyes settled on you, drinking in your figure. 

You were the embodiment of a goddess.

At that point, he wasn’t sure if he died and went to heaven or what, but he knew one thing. You were absolutely breathtaking.

Your elegance, your ease and instant kindness whenever you interacted with someone had him weak in the knees. 

You were a vision. 

Radiating pure light and beauty.

Sliding over to him, Kaminari had flashed him a cocky grin and reassured him that Jirou could handle his responsibilities if he, oh, wanted to pay a visit to a particularly stunning girl. 

Jirou, his right-hand woman, swatted the electric blond’s shoulder as he doubled over with laughter but calmly told Shinsou that if he wanted to stroll around for a little while before coming back, then well, there certainly was nothing wrong with having a little bit of fun.

Blushing, he refused, claiming he couldn’t possibly leave Kaminari alone that long. He would find a way to set something on fire somehow. 

The man had a weird affinity with fire. 

Shinsou busied himself with the glasses, pouring the drinks that he had originally came over to get and he was about to get back to Jirou and Kaminari, both who suspiciously disappeared from sight, when he glanced up and saw you in all your splendor. 

Right in front of him.

The crystal flutes he had been holding smashed onto the floor, clear shards flying everywhere. All heads turned to him but this time, the attention was unwanted. 

Shinsou was frantic, trying to amend his mistake before you saw, even though that was literally impossible at this point, and Kaminari popped up out of nowhere, intervening before the enraged caterer could say some not-so-kind words to him. 

That was fortunate for him. 

What wasn’t as fortunate was you crouching down the second you heard the crash, disregarding everyone else’s shouts for you to be careful as you raced to his side, bending down to help.

“Are you alright?!” You asked, eyes wide with panic when your gaze landed on his palms and you froze. “Oh no, you’re bleeding!!”

The next ten minutes consisted of him adamantly refusing to let you help him clean up the shattered crystal and you arguing against him. Shinsou was forced to cave into you as you insisted on helping, threatening to haul him into your car to take him to the hospital yourself if he didn’t at least let you look at it, so he wasn’t left with much of a choice.

It wasn’t long before all the dangerous fragments were swept up and once the situation was handled, you led him out of the way to tend to his injuries.

Shinsou was quiet the entire way out, only protesting when you finally reached your destination of the nearest single stall bathroom. Here, at least it was quieter than the party that had resumed out there. Definitely wasn’t his crowd, but he wasn’t about to stomp all over the opportunity that Kaminari gave him just because he was a bit uncomfortable.

He could handle it. He was a panther, for crying out loud. 

His frame was broad, his sharp indigo eyes terrifying and he was tougher than anyone else out there.

And yet, you didn’t flinch away from his wary gaze, going so far as to tend to the cuts and scraps on his bare hands, disinfecting them gently before bandaging them up in soft gauze you found in the cabinet.

It wasn’t odd to have amenities at an event like this where some kind of physical discourse was bound to happen. You knew it well. 

Shinsou eyed you while you worked. “... I didn’t catch your name.”

If you were put off by the low drawl edged with a slight growl clearly meant to intimidate you, you didn’t show it at all. 

Shrugging nonchalantly, you ducked your head somewhat shyly as you tied off the cotton. “L/N. L/N, Y/N.”

Shinsou smirked. “Nice to meet you.”

You flashed him a grin. “Likewise.”

This time, he was the one to look down shyly as his heart skipped a beat, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck with his newly banadaged palm as you wrapped the other one. “... Thanks for doing that.”

The snort that left you had him doing a double take.

“Thanks for letting me.” You retorted, tugging a bit harder on the end of the gauze to emphasize your exasperation with his earlier stubbornness and Shinsou winced, already regretting it.

“Sorry about that.” He murmured. He didn’t want to be on your bad side already. He had just met you.

Your gaze softened a tad as you picked up on the genuine strain in his voice. “It’s okay.”

After you finished tending to his injury, giving him a lame excuse why you knew first-aid so well, the two of you returned to the ball. 

He let it go. For some reason, he had a feeling he shouldn’t pry.

Shinsou readjusted his tie, knowing that if he didn’t, Kaminari would do it for him. That’s just the type of person the electric blond was. It was hella annoying.

But his indigo gaze kept on you the entire time as your skirts swept across the floor, capturing all the attention of the guests once again. 

Shinsou tapped the rim of the champagne glass to his lips contemplatively, mulling something over in his mind.

He saw through your weak excuse that you just knew how to do first-aid. He spotted the way your hands shook when you saw the blood, no matter how shallow the laceration was, and he couldn’t help but do a little bit of digging.

Jirou helped him find out that you weren’t a doctor or a nurse. In fact, you weren’t in any kind of profession in the medical field. 

While Shinsou was slightly glad you weren’t so that he wouldn’t run into you when missions went sideways, he was more disappointed than anything else.

What if he never saw you again after tonight?

The thought of today being the last time he laid eyes on you was too much for him to bear and even though he tried to keep his distance, tried to stomp out the blossoming warmth in his chest for you when you giggled and threw him a smile through the crowd with logic, nothing worked. 

Shinsou gathered his courage and with a push from Kaminari, literally, he had a date with the bashful bartender by the end of the night.

Waving goodbye to you after he walked you to his car, his arm dropped back down to his side as you drove off into the night. This is going to be fun... 

Two weeks passed by and he still had yet to see you.

At first, he was the one to get called away. Kaminari needed him for a gig while he closed a deal on the nightclub that he owned that he was looking to expand. Apparently, Jirou and Sero were unavailable. He apologized profusely, promising to make it up to you, but you didn’t even mind.

You understood that sometimes life just happened and things got in the way. He had nothing to be sorry for. You rescheduled for the following week. 

That was when you got called away. Family emergency.

Shinsou spent twenty minutes on the phone with you, promising that he wasn’t holding it against you for needing to push back the date again. His eyes softened when he clearly heard how distressed you were through his cell and he sighed, murmuring into the receiver that it didn’t matter how long it took or how many obstacles the two of you would have to get through.

His heart still longed for you just as strongly as the first day he saw you.

With his quiet yet passionate reassurance, you were able to attend to all that you needed to, keeping in contact with him throughout the week. You were ashamed to admit it, but with how easy he was to talk to, you found yourself falling hard.

Then, the day finally came where life allowed you this one happiness.

According to you, the first date went well. Sure, Shinsou was a bit shy and awkward, fumbling over his words but you found it extremely cute. 

He wasn’t nearly as intimidating as his figure portrayed. Underneath all that brawn, the black panther was sweet and he was kind. 

It took some time for him to actually warm up to you, but you were there waiting for him patiently. You never pushed him, never asked him to reveal secrets he didn’t want to talk about or divulge information about his personal life unless he himself wished to talk about it. 

But when he finally did open up, close to a year later after that initial meeting at Midoriya’s birthday party, he found that he couldn’t stop running his mouth when you trained your keen gaze on him so intently, hanging onto his every word.

Shinsou told you everything.

He told you about his lonely past, about the man called Eraserhead but how he knew him as Aizawa, how he preferred coffee over tea because while neither of them actually had any taste, one of them did a much better job of keeping him awake at night when he had to work. 

You giggled and told him you took note of that, leaning forward to plop your chin in the palm of your hand as you regarded him mischievously. 

“Does that mean the great and famous Toshi doesn’t like water?” You teased lightly, stirring your hot chocolate while the snowflakes fell outside, melting the instant they hit the window.

The pillowy softness looked deceptively soft and cozy but you knew after many experiences of jumping into piles of snow that that was definitely not the case.

Shinsou scowled at the lilt in your voice but the edges of his mouth twitched, desperately trying to hold back a fond smile at the sound of your nickname for him.

You gave him that nickname after you learned his given name. He had shared it with you months after you two started dating regularly. You had pestered him for it for a while after the first coffee date but after he asked you to stop, that he would tell you when he was ready, you stopped immediately.

Boundaries had to be respected. 

One of your old girlfriends made fun of you for it, claiming that it didn’t make sense so you shouldn’t feel the need to respect it.

You dropped her right after. 

Understanding didn’t matter. If it was close to him, then it mattered to you. And that went for everyone. 

Shinsou tucked his hands into the pockets of his pants and leaned back in the booth, a low chuckle rumbling from his chest. The only other person he let call him Toshi was Aizawa and that was on the rare occasion that his mentor praised him for a job well done.

“You have some nerve, doll.” Shinsou teased right back, the barest amount of amusement twinkling in his eyes and he cleared his throat. “But no, I actually do like water.”

In spite of the common misconception that all cats hated water, he got that a lot once people saw his ears and tail, fangs poking out between his lips. But if anything, he had no issues with it. Let them say and think whatever they wanted, it didn’t matter to him.

You however… he couldn’t have you thinking things that weren’t true.

Shinsou made a face. “I just am not fond of baths.”

You slapped your knee and cackled at that, laughing so loud that you drew the attention of some of the other patrons in the vicinity but you couldn’t even catch your breath long enough to apologize for ruining their calm coffee cafe experience. 

The two of you dated for quite a long time before Shinsou popped the question.

For you, it had taken you by a complete and utter surprise. You had expected him to ask you to move in with him first or something since his place was big enough, not this. No one had ever committed to a relationship with you long enough and serious enough to make you think that marriage was part of the equation.

But while you were startled, you still agreed, tears caught in your lashes. You may have been shocked but you were so elated.

Shinsou, keen as ever, wiped away your tears and coaxed your face up, finger hooked underneath your chin as he examined you closely.

Indigo hues softened in concern. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, nothing,” You reassured him with a sniffle and bright smile. “I just— Sometimes I forget how good of a person you really are, Toshi.”

He was taken aback at that. His whole life he had been told the opposite. And yet here he was, with the love of his life telling him otherwise.

His heart was going to explode.

It hadn’t been the first time you said it but he hoped that it wouldn’t be the last. 

And when the news that you two were now engaged finally hit you, you took some time to soak in the scenery.

The place he picked was absolutely perfect.

An alcove secluded and filled with fragrant flowers, vines trailing up the expanse of the old stone ruins. Soothing streams cut paths through the quiet garden, a serene and tranquil place hidden amongst the bustling town of Musutafu. There was no one else around. Just you two.

It was perfect. It was perfectly Toshi. 

“Thank you.” You whispered, leaning your head and resting it on his shoulder. 

He booped your nose softly, smiling slightly when you scrunched it up cutely and his tail curled around your waist protectively, holding you close. 

“I love you.” Shinsou murmured, closing his eyes as he breathed you in.

There was no hesitation in your soft reply. “I love you too.”

But your relationship with Shinsou wasn’t all sunshine and roses. There was a time where you thought you might lose him.

That he might die.

It was bad. Kaminari had called you right after it happened but because you had been working at the time and your dick of a boss didn’t let you have your phone, you didn’t see any of those messages until after you got off your shift. 

But when you finally did look at it, your heart stopped.

What happened next was a blur. Your phone slipped through your fingers, uncaring how the screen cracked and went black the instant it hit the pavement and you tore off in the address now ingrained in your memory despite only looking at it once.

Please be okay, please be okay, please be okay, You chanted in your head, tears streaming down your face and the city lights faded into the background as you zipped down the familiar path to the hospital you swore you would never step foot in again. Toshi, I can’t lose you too.

The front desk receptionist didn’t even stop you as you barreled through the front doors with panicked eyes, chest heaving. She simply waved you on. You knew where to go. 

When you finally got to his room, your heart stopped.

Kaminari wasn’t kidding. It was bad. 

No one else was in the white room with white walls that contained your beloved lying deathly still on the single cot in the center of the room. 

The hospital room was vacant. Empty. No color.

You hated it. 

But you suppressed those feelings of unease that made you sick to your stomach and stepped a foot inside, racing to Shinsou before you could talk yourself out of it.

“I’m here.” You cried out, reaching for his hand. A choked sob left you when his fingers weakly curled around yours. “I’m here, Hitoshi.”

The doctors came and went but you stayed by his side, not even batting an eye when Kaminari, Jirou and Sero came to visit.

There were heavy bags under your eyes from lack of sleep due to the past few days. “When will he wake up?”

Kaminari hesitated, glancing at Jirou, hoping to find her usual reassurance but a foreign worry wrought her features.

“I… don’t know.” He said finally, placing a hand on your shoulder, sighing when you didn’t even look up at him and smiled like you normally did. “He’s under a pretty heavy anesthesia—”

“He’s going to wake up.” You stated firmly, brow kitting stubbornly and you squeezed his hand tighter.

But when it was clear he wasn’t going to squeeze back, your grip loosened and your hands fell back in your lap.

“He’s going to wake up.” You repeated, voice shaking this time around with insecurity as you faced the possible reality that he might not.

That you had just grown close to someone else who was going to leave you.

According to the report that Jirou had tried to tell you about, Shinsou had gotten attacked by someone he had helped the police put away a long time ago. 

A retaliation hit. 

Stabbed in the shoulder with a gunshot wound through his femoral artery, there wasn’t a lot of hope for him. He lost a lot of blood.

But you were certain he would fight. He could make it through this. He promised you that he would never leave you. 

Resolve strengthening, you wiped away your tears harshly with the back of your hand before covering his motionless hand with yours once more. As long as you were here, you would provide him all the support he needed to get through this.

“Toshi…” You sobbed as the other three took their leave after failing to convince you to go home and get some rest. They would get some food and bring it up to you, sure you hadn’t eaten in days. You didn’t want to be the one to tell them that they were right.

Shinsou never liked it when you skipped meals. What would he say if he saw you now?

You pressed a wet kiss to the back of his hand, tears blurring your vision. 

“I’ll be right here when you wake up.” You promised, eyelashes fluttering close as you failed against the anguish.

“Please, don’t leave me alone.”

Days turned into weeks and your hope was dwindling with each passing hour. 

You had lost your job at the diner that you worked at because you refused to leave his side. You were lucky to have Kaminari reassure you that money wouldn’t be a problem and you were eternally grateful that he knew just how important it was that you didn’t leave Shinsou’s bedside.

Jirou and Sero rotated shifts to keep watch over their friend, coordinating with Tsukauchi, All Might and Eraserhead to provide top security but you couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to their activities.

All you did, from sunrise to midnight was stare at Shinsou’s peacefully sleeping face in hopes that he would blink open those tired eyes and gaze at you once more. 

Please, You begged for what seemed like the millionth time to someone, anyone who was listening. Please help him.

Let him be okay.

When a month and a half had passed, you were at your wit’s end. There had been no change since day one. The doctors said that all his injuries had healed, thanks to Recovery Girl, but that it was likely he would never come out of the coma.

You had no more tears to cry. Your figure was gaunt, facial features sunken in like you had seen a ghost and lost your mind. No one could convince you to eat or sleep. 

If Shinsou died, there was a good chance you would too.

Life was empty without him in it.

You couldn’t take this anymore. The waiting, the not knowing. You hated it.

You begged him even though you knew he couldn’t hear you, angry at him, angry at the guy who put him here, angry at the world for being so unfair that you lost it. Yelling at him, you fought back frustrated tears as you poured your heart out to him.

But then you stopped. He didn’t know.

Sinking back into the uncomfortable plastic chair that your body had molded to, you closed your eyes in defeat.

That’s right. You never told him.

Eyes growing sad and regretful, you debated for a second before you decided that if you were feeling this way, you might as well tell him why.

Holding his hand that teetered on the edge of chilly due to the slowed down circulation, you took a deep breath. 

“You always wanted to know, ever since we first met.” You started softly, playing idly with his fingers to distract yourself from the horror of this story. “I knew you saw right through me then, should’ve taken the warning and run.”

You smiled faintly. He never would’ve let you. 

“I…” You trailed off, losing your courage. Breathing shakily, you tried to gather yourself. You knew this wasn’t going to be an easy feat but somehow, this was the hardest part of it all. 

Where you had to admit what you felt with no hidden truths.

Clearing your throat, you started over. 

“I never told you about Ryuu.” You confessed, blinking up at the stained tiles of the ceiling in an attempt to hold back the tears that welled up in your eyes. “He was my little brother, passed away when I was 15.”

You exhaled shakily. “He was only six.”

Your dad had gotten mugged and was beaten to death on the outskirts of the city before you were born. Your mom raised you as best as a single mother her age could but it was hard. 

She had no job, no family, no one to help her. Your childhood consisted of you bouncing around the streets to make a penny, then crashing in whatever crumbling, rundown building you could find for the night. 

Any run-ins with the law weren’t good.

You knew that they would take you away from your mom if they knew, put you in the foster care system. You couldn’t let them do that, who would take care of her?

She didn’t tell you that she was pregnant. You found out when she started showing.

You didn’t say anything about it for the nine months she carried that baby, supporting her with all you could. Life was okay. You got a job running errands for the kind man who owned a grocery store at the corner of the street. 

You had enough money to put some food on the table.

When she birthed the baby, you were there the entire time. You were there when he had his first cry, when the nurse cut the umbilical cord, and when your mother passed away on the hospital bed, too weak from labor to carry on.

You didn’t mourn. No matter how hard you tried or how much you wanted to, no tears came out.

Instead, you held Ryuu in your arms, kissing him on his little forehead as you vowed to protect him.

He was life. He was precious.

But you couldn’t protect him from himself.

Ryuu was born with a flawed heart. The doctors predicted that he wouldn’t live more than a year.

But your little brother pushed through. By the time he turned four, he was already showing signs of great progress and healing. You were hopeful that he could grow up like a normal kid and experience life to the fullest.

You hoped for too much.

Visits to the hospital became more frequent when he started coughing up blood. Violent seizures overtook him and one day, it claimed his life.

And you didn’t cry.

Onlookers speculated that you had no heart if you couldn’t even grieve for this poor boy, but no, that wasn’t it. That wasn’t it at all.

You thought you were over this already, that you had gotten over your fear of hospitals and all the despair that came with it, but no. 

Seeing Shinsou laying there, deathly pale, had your heart beating right out of your chest, and not in a good way.

“When you wake up, I’m going to kill you.” You swore through the hot tears stinging your eyes and rolling down your cheeks. 

Slouching heavily back down in that same uncomfortable plastic chair that dug into your back and made your butt incredibly sore, you clasped Shinsou’s hand tightly.

“You’re such an idiot.” You sobbed, fingers shaking as you let up the pressure, grazing over the back of his hand as though you were afraid he might disappear on you if you pressed too hard.

Vision blurry, a sob welled up in your chest and your body trembled uncontrollably as you let it all out. The build up of all the emotions you had been suppressing since you were younger released onto him and you cried and cried until you couldn’t anymore.

But your eyes flew open as something soft and fuzzy ruffled your hair. 

Shooting upright, fresh tears gathered at the corners of your eyes and your hands clapped over your mouth in shock. 

A broken cry escaped you. “Toshi…” 

Shinsou’s indigo eyes opened just a crack but they were trained on you and the faintest of smiles graced his lips.

“Hey, doll.” He breathed tiredly.

His mouth barely moved but you heard him.

With an astonished and disbelieving cry of relief, you flung your arms around his neck.

Despite his body just waking up and getting accustomed to its surroundings, he didn’t hesitate to catch you, tucking your head under his chin and he buried his nose into your hair and inhaled deeply. Damn, he missed you.

“Fuck, I’m so sorry.” Shinsou apologized, wincing a bit as he tried to prop himself up. You were quick to realize what he wanted and helped him, fluffing the pillows behind him as best as you could even though it was hard to reach around his much bigger frame. “How long—”

“Too long.”

Shinsou’s eyes softened and he gently brushed away the teardrops escaping with the pad of his thumb as he cupped your face tenderly. 

“I’m sorry, Y/N.” He whispered, eyes closing briefly as he rested his forehead against yours.

You glowered at him even though your heart was already surging towards him with open arms. “You better be.”

The sound of his throaty chuckle was a welcome one and you melted into his embrace, sighing at the deep purr that rumbled from his chest. 

“Princess…” Shinsou murmured, Kaminari’s outburst and Jirou’s relieved expression as they burst into the room going unnoticed as he focused only on you. “Forgive me?”

Vaguely, you registered Sero bolting out the door to fetch the doctor but you blinked up at him and pouted, playing with the collar of his hospital robe.

“It wasn’t your fault.” You mumbled under your breath. 

Shinsou’s eyebrows drew together. “I heard about your brother, I think. I’m sorry I didn’t—”

“You don’t need to ask for forgiveness.” You whispered, grip tightening on him when the doctor entered the room and asked you to leave so he could examine him. “There’s nothing to forgive.”

Shinsou begged for just one more minute with you, one more minute to hold you in his arms but the doctor was insistent. Reluctantly, with great difficulty, he let you go, the man taking your place in a second.

You swallowed harshly as you stepped away from him, Jirou patting your shoulder comfortingly and you turned to her as Kaminari peppered the exhausted panther with endless questions.

“Toshi?”

Shinsou turned his head at your soft voice and motioned for you to complete your thought. He knew that look on your face.

You broke away from Jirou, leaving her with Sero as you approached him once more. Slowly, with intent, you strode towards him, watery eyes diminishing as your resolve strengthened.

Taking his hand in yours, something flashed through your eyes. “I’m gonna make them pay.”

In spite of his vision growing foggy as the anesthetic kicked in, a small smirk played upon the edge of his mouth and his gaze flickered over your shoulder to lock purposefully with Kaminari’s. A silent request to keep you safe while he was out.

Shinsou sighed, settling into the thin mattress as comfortably as he could when you pressed a loving kiss to his forehead.

He smiled, eyes fluttering shut as the last thing he heard was your hushed declaration of how much you loved him. 

“Go get ‘em, doll.” 

Seven quirk-cancelling handcuffs, demolished turkey stuffing and a plate of thrown pudding later, you left the individuals responsible for attacking your Toshi in the police’s capable hands. 

It had taken you forever to heal from the trauma of that day that landed your life partner in the hospital in such a dangerous predicament, but taking one slow step at a time, you managed to get back up on your feet and move forward.

Now, years later, the shining daylight turned into the ambiance of night, and that was when the real party started.

Purple lowlights glowed softly in contrast against the glittery sparkles of the disco ball hanging above the dancefloor. 

Jirou spun tunes at the DJ booth, Sero jamming with Kirishima unabashedly to the loud EDM in the crowd, Bakugou violently fighting against his best friend when Kirishima begged for him to come join. 

You poured drinks from behind the counter with an impassive Todoroki, bopping to the music that pumped through the air and reverberated through your bones. Your coworker continued to serve customers, strolling out into the dining area as someone waved him over. Uraraka and Aoyama, you think.

Kaminari had given you a position at his nightclub, asking if you wanted to put your bartending skills to good use since his last guy quit once he got a better gig. You accepted immediately.

You bustled around the back of the counter of the bar, glass shelves stocked with liquor high behind you. Polishing glasses, you handled several things at once as customers put in orders and talked to you all at once.

Tonight was a celebration and a bunch of your friends were here. 

Bakugou was now begrudgingly dancing with Kirishima on the dancefloor, the permanent scowl on his face growing once Todoroki leaned over and casually noted how much he resembled a put off skunk in that moment. Midoriya had to intervene and drag away a clueless Todoroki while Kirishima wrangled back a furious pomeranian. 

Kaminari hung out with Yaoyorozu by Jirou, Shoji and Ojiro drifting over to them as soon as they stepped in through the front door.

Excitement thrummed through your veins at all the familiar faces. With all your friends in one place, you were eager to see the one person you had been looking forward to catching up with all week.

He should be getting off of work soon…

A ring from the doorbell as it opened caught your attention.

“I’ll be right with you!!” You called as the figure who had just shuffled through the door of the bar sat down at the counter.

“No worries.” The man responded smoothly despite his tired tone. “Take your time.”

At the sound of the familiar voice, you casted a glimpse at him, spotting ruffled purple hair and indigo hues brimming with love fixated on you.

He waved you off with a lazy grin and you fought back a smile as you continued to make the requested cocktail for the customer you were currently serving.

You had both agreed to not act with familiarity at your workplace but that didn’t stop you from putting an extra bounce in your step as you flitted around from behind the counter with grace and practiced ease to help ease Todoroki’s workload.

Shinsou’s gaze followed you as you swapped places with the dual-haired man.

He had just got off of patrol with his old mentor, Eraserhead. Kaminari had given him the day off and let him spend time with the scruffy man. And of course Aizawa wanted to spend it doing work.

Taking off his signature mask to let it hang around his neck, Shinsou set down his keys on the polished obsidian tabletop, tapping his fingers idly while he waited for you to come back, his eyes flickering to the employees’ door that led to the back.

But he had no complaints while waiting.

One of his favorite pastimes was watching you work. The grace while you floated around the crowd of people coupled with the delicate precision you used to handle each glass while you poured liquor in different combinations, he could watch you for hours on end and never be bored.

Wiping your hands on your white apron dirtied with stains from this shift, you dashed back behind the counter to send out a few plates full of food that a table had ordered.

Shinsou rested his chin in the palm of his hand nonchalantly, his tail swishing lazily from side to side as you took care of things seamlessly, picking up the influx of business that came with the busy hour.

He briefly wondered why there were only you and Todoroki waiting on tables, scowling slightly when he thought that you had to deal with waitressing on top of bartending but you didn’t seem to mind. 

With an easy smile and light shining in your eyes, you dealt with all of it with grace. 

“Hello!!”

Shinsou glanced up, one of his rare smiles threatening to break out across his face at the sight that greeted him. You were leaning over the counter towards him, spinning a pen between your fingers smoothly as you whipped out a notepad.

“What can I get for you?” You asked politely but the mischievous glint in your eye gave it away.

Shinsou had been so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t hear you come over. Easily enough, a smug smirk curved at the edge of his mouth and he recovered rather quickly as he chuckled.

“Just water is fine, thanks.” He said and you nodded, flashing him a quirky smile.

You got him his water within seconds and in the blink of an eye, you were back to serving others. Caught up in the craziness of the rush hour, you barely noticed a little someone toddling up to stand up behind you as the door burst open.

“Mama?”

The babysitter you hired for the night came rushing in behind him, hauling your son back frantically, wrought with worry from when he sped ahead of her. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry, L/N-san, I just—”

You held up a hand to stop her, calming her down. “It’s okay, Gen. Take a deep breath and tell me what’s wrong.”

In a single hurried breath, she relayed in a panicked manner that she had a family emergency to take care of. You reassured her that it was okay to go, ushering her out the door when she continued to spew out apologies for bailing like this. 

This wasn’t the first time something like this had happened and you were quite sure it wouldn’t be the last. The girl was nice and she got along great with your son but her parents struggled with their health and usually one of them or both of them landed in the hospital every week.

The stress. 

You shook your head. It was unfair to put such a young girl through something so strenuous but you didn’t have any say in it and you inserting yourself into their lives would be intrusive so you settled for supporting her whenever the opportunity presented itself. 

“Need a ride?” You asked, eyes sympathetic as you headed over to her, snatching your coat from the hook, already ready to help in any way that you could.

Gen waved her hands quickly, the smile that appeared gone as fast as it came. “That’s okay, but thank you, L/N-san!! Monoma is taking me to the hospital.”

Her knuckles turned white at how tightly she gripped the strap of her bag and your eyes softened understandingly as her boyfriend’s sports car pulled up just outside. 

“Go on.” You urged softly. “And be careful.”

“I will.”

And with that, she turned around, leaving behind a fidgeting little boy tugging on the bottom of your apron.

“Mama? Where’s she going?” Naoki pouted, cheeks puffing out. “I thought we were gonna play…”

You hid a smile, reaching behind you to pat him on the head as you expertly handled a tray of empty beers and put the glasses in the sink. As Todoroki took over for you, you bent down to ruffle his hair.

“What is it, little one?” You questioned softly and somehow your son managed to hear you above the noise and clamor of the partying going on. 

Normally, you would’ve done everything you could to keep him away from your workplace. Having your husband watch him in the back room was preferable until your shift was over. Naoki particularly enjoyed coloring. 

The last babysitter you hired before Gen ended up being careless and lost track of him, letting the small boy wander out of the house. He found you at your workplace easily enough since it was a few blocks away but you were in hysterics when he trotted in through the door with his favorite Eraserhead plushie as one of your regulars held open the door for him. 

Grandpa Shouta would never admit how much he loved the little guy but it didn’t matter. He and Hizashi constantly showered Naoki with gifts every weekend when they came over to take your family out on a shopping spree and obligatory trip to the cat café.

You didn’t have any relatives that lived close by or else you would’ve asked if they could babysit Naoki and Aizawa was out of the question since his job was just as dangerous and demanding as Shinsou’s. 

Your workplace wasn’t exactly the traditional nightclub, it was actually a very sophisticated bar with tight security and respectful customers. Rarely you got anyone new but the steady stream of regulars was more than enough to keep the place up and running. 

Nobody usually got violent when they had too much to drink but if they did, the bouncers Kendo and Tetsutetsu were both quick to throw them out of the establishment until they sobered up.

Naoki liked to cling to your legs when you were at home and since all your regulars knew of him from that little incident before, no one was surprised when the small boy tucked himself behind you shyly.

The disco music’s volume lowered a tad as Jirou realized that Naoki was with you, reducing it to a much more acceptable level for conversations to flow easier. 

Shinsou sipped his water. Gen was in and out as quickly as she came, and there was no need for him to do anything when you took care of it so fast. Besides, his son hadn’t even noticed him yet. 

Until now.

Beaming widely, Naoki faced his dad and hugged your leg. 

Shinsou fought back a fond smile, waving at him discreetly to avoid catching the attention of the others. He rolled his eyes though when his silent and goofy conversation was interrupted by a Kaminari and Sero obnoxiously hooting from the side.

You remained oblivious, cleaning up a pile of dishes to clear your workspace as Todoroki disappeared into the kitchen where Sato and Tokoyami were continuing to crank out plates of food for the night.

Tugging on your apron, Naoki’s wide eyes met yours as you knelt down to his level. He pointed to someone sitting on the opposite side as his dad.

“Mama, that man looks mean…” He whispered fearfully, cowering behind your legs as you straightened up to your full height. 

“Can I help you?” You asked with a pointed glance, tone hard as you addressed the one intimidating your son.

While any other person would’ve bristled at your icy tone, this burly man just snickered and leaned closer, making his intent clear.

Arching an eyebrow, you crossed your arms over your chest and pulled out your notepad. You hadn’t seen him around before, he must be a newcomer. 

You sighed after a beat of him just ogling you, tapping your pen to the edge of the mini spiral impatiently as you suppressed the urge to vomit at his behavior. “If you’re not going to order anything, please sit at one of the tables instead so that another customer can take your place at the bar.”

Naoki whimpered and scuttled to hide more as the man stood up. He towered over you and the little boy’s heart started to beat faster with fear.

“Oh, is that right, princess?”

You bristled at the nickname and bit the inside of your cheek to stop some very colorful words from escaping, throwing a hard side glance at your husband when he abruptly stood up with a snarl painted on his face.

Moving to stand in front of him, blocking the man’s view from Shinsou and also stopping your husband at the same time should he do anything reckless, you plastered your best customer service smile on your face.

“Please do not call me that.” You stated, making it clear that you weren’t actually asking. “If you cannot treat me with respect then you should leave.”

“Oh?” The man chuckled, the sound grating against your ears unpleasantly. “And what are you gonna do about it, sweet thing?”

Oh, that was it.

“I’m taken.” You responded dryly, crossing your arms over your chest. “I really don’t appreciate how you’re talking to me, and my husband wouldn’t either.”

He smiled a sinister smile, causing your skin to crawl. “I don’t see him.”

And Shinsou was done letting you take this disrespect.

“Hey.” He barked, standing up to take his place next to you. “If a lady tells you to back off, you listen.”

A snort came from the other and then condescending laughter followed. “Yeah right. All girls are ever good for is being a pretty little thing to show off on your arm, am I right?”

“You’re dead wrong, prick.” Shinsou hissed, indigo alight with unparalleled fury as he came up behind you, wrapping beefy arms around your waist and glaring at the guy who had the audacity to harass you like that. “You don’t talk to anybody like this, especially not my wife.”

The man should’ve taken the obvious warning and backed down but he didn’t. Instead, his interest transformed into judgement and you could visibly see the walls coming down and locking as his hatred overtook his entire being.

“Hybrid, huh?” He sneered in disgust at you. “No wonder you went after someone like her.”

Shinsou’s arms curled around you tighter protectively and he stiffened behind you, coiled like a cobra and ready to strike but you held him back again.

But before you could throw him out of Kaminari’s establishment yourself, someone beat you to it.

In two seconds flat, the man who had been snickering at you and high-fiving his buddies folded over, clutching his stomach as his expression contorted in pain.

Naoki planted his hands on his hips and nodded his head proudly as he kicked the man where it hurt. “No one talks to my Mama like that!!”

“Naoki!!” You cried out.

He had slipped away so quietly and so fast that you didn’t notice in time to stop it. 

Leaning over the counter, you spotted him blinking back at you innocently as Yaoyorozu hustled him away from the troublesome men he had just put in his place. 

Bakugou appeared, a menacing aura surrounding his broad frame as he loomed over the sniveling man now cowering beneath him.

“You’re fuckin’ lucky she asked you nicely, cause the rest of us ain’t gonna, bastard.” He snapped, explosions popping from his palms.

Twisting his arm behind his back, the fuming man marched out the front door with the captured one in his iron grip squealing like a pig, followed by Kaminari and Sero taking the others with Kirishima cracking his knuckles while flashing a smile over his shoulder, shutting the door behind him. They were going to teach him a little lesson.

Naoki raised his hands high above his head joyfully, a wide smile spread across his face. “Mama, Mama, did you see?! Did I do good?!”

Immediately, you and Shinsou rushed over to Naoki, pulling him in for a hug.

“Are you okay?!” You exclaimed, scanning over him for any injuries, making sure he isn’t hurt. “Naoki, you can’t just run off like that!! Or kick people!!”

He pouted, lowering his hands slightly. “But Papa taught me how!!”

Shinsou collapsed into a fit of laughter when he heard that and your head snapped towards him. 

Your eyes glittered with a hint of amusement, wry tone rolling off your tongue. “Did he now?”

Naoki nodded vigorously, his mop of purple hair flopping around on his head. “Yup!! He said that if someone’s mean, then they’re a bully and I can fight back!!”

At this point, you didn’t know whether you should applaud your son or scold your husband for teaching him such things. 

Yaoyorozu shook her head as you deftly tickled Naoki’s sides, making him laugh loudly. He looked so very proud of himself, rambling on and on about how he protected you against the big bad scary man, just like his daddy showed him.

Shinsou, who was leaning back against the counter casually as he observed the two of you, pushed off as his son tunneled into his legs.

“Papa, Papa, are you proud of me?” He pleaded to know, staring up at him with wide eyes just like a koala as he hugged his father’s shins.

Shinsou patted his head, brushing the wispy curls away from his eyes and chuckled. “Of course I am, squirt.”

“Toshi!!” You scolded good-naturedly, pushing up onto your feet. 

Despite the talk about how nonviolence is a better route you knew would have to come later, you simply picked up Naoki and rested him on your hip as Shinsou tapped your cheek and murmured into your ear that he was going to go check on things outside.

He tucked your hair behind your ear. “Will you be alright?”

You nodded reassuringly. “Of course. Go. But don’t beat him up too badly, love.”

Shinsou huffed out a curt laugh, the waggle of his eyebrows making you giggle, dissipating the tense atmosphere in an instant.

When he disappeared from the establishment, you took Naoki to the back room to get away from all the craziness and clamor that came with your son kicking the prick in the balls. Midoriya offered to help Todoroki with serving the food while you took care of your son.

“Here you go, little one.” You whispered as you gathered up the coloring books and crayons hidden away in the bigger desk, placing it on the smaller one Tokoyami built just for him. 

Naoki clapped his hands excitedly, making grabby hands for it, a happy noise emitting from him as soon as gave it to him. “Thank you, Mama!!”

While he busied himself with coloring in a tiger with blues and yellows, you kept him company. That was, until the door clicked open. 

You stood in a second, running over to him and flung your arms around his neck to hug him tight. Naoki remained engrossed in coloring in the Disney Princess on the page as you checked over the black panther.

“You okay?” You whispered shakily, a hint of fear slipping in as your collected façade cracked.

Shinsou rested his forehead against yours, breathing softly as he cupped your jaw. “Yes, I’m alright. Don’t worry, doll.”

The corners of your mouth twitched as you protested childishly, “... ‘m not worried.”

He exhales sharply, chuckling faintly at your characteristic stubbornness and hummed nonchalantly. “Whatever you say, princess.”

He lowered his voice, murmuring repeatedly that he was okay as your trembling fingers brushed over his bruised knuckles. They were a little busted up and bloody from a particularly hefty punch he delivered to the jerk’s jaw. He was going to feel that in the morning. 

Shinsou kept you in his embrace for as long as Naoki took to finish coloring his picture. By the time he did, you had calmed down enough to go back out and finish your shift.

Wiping sweaty palms on your uniform, you sniffled and raised your head up high. You could do this. You had come a long way from the little girl who became paralyzed at the mere sight of a drop of blood. 

He was a bit battered but he would heal. He was okay. 

As you bustled about behind the counter, fighting back a smile as Kaminari sashayed up to you and asked for your favorite so that he could give it back to you, you laughed out loud when Shinsou smacked him upside the head for doing such a thing. 

Naoki ran around, looking for more bullies to kick in the balls before Shoji caught onto what he was doing and diverted his attention to helping Jirou spin some tunes, with some earplugs in, of course, so that his hearing wasn’t damaged.

Shinsou’s cheeks colored as you stretched up on your tiptoes to press a gentle kiss to his temple.

“Thank you for defending my honor.” You whispered somewhat teasingly. “It’s nice to know that my boys have my back.”

His chest rumbled with laughter and an arm looped around your middle, drawing you close to his side as the night rush slowed down and you were finally given a chance to breathe. Tail wrapping around your hip, the cool metal of his ring kissed your skin as his fingers intertwined with yours. 

Ignoring the banter of an indignant Naoki and a pouty Kaminari, Shinsou nudged his nose against your temple and sighed softly.

“Forever and always, doll.”

[cipheress-to-k-pop]

Hi hi! I was wondering if you could do a dick Grayson x Avatar like fem reader with either a jealous Babs or Zatanna I hope that made sense🥲

True Love’s Kiss

Pairing: Dick Grayson as Nightwing x Reader

Warnings: I don’t think so

Word Count: 4.1K

@writing2sirvive : Hi love, me again but with a request this time. If you have time of course. I was thinking true love’s kiss with Dick Grayson. You can go crazy with it because I know you love Dick Grayson as much as I do. Btw I love your writing so much.

A/N: I think I did it wrong...cuz even though this is a Dick Grayson x reader fic, it’s mostly centred around reader and Zatanna???? Sorry about that???

You were fine with knowing that Dick was still friends with most of his exes. You completely accepted that he was able to keep functional relationships with most of them. In fact, it showed you how amicable and neutral Dick was and how he never held any grudges against people.

Of course, you were surprised by the sheer number. And the fact that he seems to interact with them practically every day. But eventually you managed not to let yourself get too bothered by it.

I mean, how could you? Barbara was the smartest, funniest, most approachable person you had ever met. She always made sure not to overstep her boundaries and was unusually open with you, given that Dick was her ex-boyfriend.

Raquel was adventurous and fun and you always had a good time when you were around her. She was another one who was respectful of your relationship. She never brought up her past flings with Dick, nor did she ever try and put you down. In fact, she was one of the people who really shipped the two of you.

You liked most of his exes. To the point where it made Dick kind of uncomfortable.

You liked most of his exes.

Ever since you had joined the team, being introduced as Nightwing’s significant other, Zatanna had been a constant thorn in your side. She was nice and sweet but there was something about her that rubbed you the wrong way. You could tell almost immediately that she wasn’t quite over her relationship with Dick. Short as it was.

Or maybe she was just the type of person who didn’t want someone, but didn’t want others to have the same person either.

Nonetheless, being around her put you constantly on edge. You lost count of how many times she redirected a conversation to be about her previous relationship with your boyfriend. ‘Oh, Dick took you to a fancy restaurant for your birthday? Well, I remember back when we were dating, he threw a huge party for me on mine.’

‘Oh, you celebrated your one-year anniversary with Dick in Paris? Well during our 3-month-aversary he bought me an expensive necklace.’

It didn’t bother you in the slightest. At least, not in the way that she hoped. It didn’t make you insecure or doubt or feel intimidated by her. It was just an annoyance that you couldn’t shake off, like the teacher you didn’t like or your annoying neighbour.

Unfortunately, Zatanna couldn’t take a hint that it made you and your friends (Barbara and Raquel included) uncomfortable and slightly irritated. Yet, everyone was just waiting for you to express the slightest distaste, not wanting to step on your toes. However, they were quick to change the topic in case they thought she was going too far.

Dick had been blissfully unaware of everything and you wanted to keep it that way. The last thing you needed was this turning into some sort of issue, especially since Zatanna was still his teammate.

However today you had enough.

You could look past Zatanna’s petty jealousy but allowing the jealousy to come to the forefront during a mission was where you drew the line.

Dick, M’Gann and Conner had been on a covert mission for Batman and out of the country and under team vote decided that you should be made in charge until he returned, since you were the only other older member (other than Zatanna but you were voted leader unanimously. Something you were extremely proud about). That was well and good, until you had been given a mission.

Regardless of how much you did not want to work with Zatanna without the others there to wrangle her, you had to put your personal feelings aside when you had a mission to complete.

You thought you could both be professionals about it and act like mature adults.

You were dead wrong.

If it wasn’t disagreements, it was insubordination. If it wasn’t insubordination, it was blatant arrogance. She questioned your judgment in front of the other members and even had the nerve to argue with you about mission strategies. You were trying to look out for everyone and put yourself in the line of fire since the squad members were better at stealth.

Zatanna seemed to think you were trying to steal the show and insisted that she be partnered with you even though you wanted someone with the younger members to keep them safe.

When you relented and agreed to go stealth, she accused you of ducking out and intentionally trying to put her in danger. The others had to watch as steam practically came out of your ears when you relented once again and decided you’d be with her because you honestly couldn’t argue with her much longer.

As if that wasn’t infuriating enough.

The straw that broke the camel’s back was when she refused to work as a team, putting the mission at risk and nearly getting the both of you hurt. She was fighting on her own, not bothering to have your back and going into it alone. Obviously, the two of you were overpowered quickly once they realized that you were pretty much behaving solo.

Luckily, the others pulled through and got you both out of there before anything horrible happened.

You sat in the ship, jaw clenched so tightly that they swore they could hear your teeth cracking, fists nearly white as you tried to control your anger and keep yourself from screaming at her while you were still in the air.

Once the ship landed in the docking bay and Zatanna was the first one to leave without saying another word, you snapped.

“What the hell did you think you were doing today!” You growled out, fisting her collar and stopping her in her tracks.

“What are you talking about?” She feigned innocence and you felt your skin burning. Everything around you faded out and all you could feel was fury. In hindsight, you would have liked to handle this issue in a more refined manner, but you honestly couldn’t care.

So, you didn’t notice the rest of the team, along with the a few members of the Justice League watching you chew Zatanna out.

Whatever would keep you from lighting her on fire was enough.

“I’m talking about putting the mission, not to mention ourselves in jeopardy, all because you can’t stop acting like a spoilt brat!” You hissed.

She rolled her eyes and you and the thought of strangling her briefly crossed your mind before she shoved your hands off her, dusting herself off like your fingerprints were dirt, “You need to stop blaming others for your inadequacy.”

She turned on her heel sharply and walked away. Blood pounded through your ears and your fingers twitched by their sides before you formed a whip of water from the bay and lashed it against her feet.

Zatanna, caught off guard, was thrown across the room before she caught herself with a muttered spell and turned around, glaring at you furiously.

“We’re going to settle things, right here, right now!”

“If you would stop being so insecure, then we could sort out our differences like mature adults!” She screamed back at you and before you could control it, flames erupted from beneath your feet and raced towards her, scorching the ground beneath it.

Each puff of breath you took released sparks. Zatanna immediately got into an offensive stance, levitating one of the weapons crates and chucking at you. You blocked it effortlessly using a wall of earth before throwing an inferno at her.

You kept fighting, flames and splashes of water going into the air every time you collided. The others watched in fear as you both raced towards each other, it looked like neither of you were holding back.

Before you could strike her again, you were being pulled away by Superman and as Zatanna was by Batman, they both pulled you yards apart. Even with his strong, authoritative grip on you, you couldn’t stop thrashing in his arms, throwing gusts of air at her.

“(Y/N). Enough.” Superman spoke in your ear and you calmed down, relaxing in his grip. He let you go after and you winced, feeling your skin bruise where he grabbed you. He gave you an apologetic glance at that.

“You both have to put your differences aside and work as a team or you won’t be allowed to go on any more missions.” Batman told you, voice firm but it didn’t shake you.

“No, Zatanna is going to have to put her issues with me aside and learn that when I have been elected as leader of the squad then you are supposed to put your petty jealousy aside and know your place.” You spat.

“You weren’t right for the position!”

“I did everything right! And if it hadn’t been for you, we wouldn’t have been under open fire tonight!”

“You’re not the boss of me!”

“When I am the leader of the squadron then I am! And you’re meant to listen and not question my judgement because you’re being blinded by your pathetic jealously!”

“I’m not jealous of you!”

“Oh, please! That’s the biggest load of crap I’ve heard from you and it was all proved today! Admit it! You were immature and fucking stupid because you can’t get over that fact that you dated Dick for what? 3 months?”

“That’s because he’s supposed to be with me!” 

“LIKE HELL HE IS!” You roared.

Batman felt a little helpless watching the two of you scream at each other. All this fighting? Over a boy? His son, no less? He had other sons and you were free to have your pick. But at this point, he wasn’t even sure what to say.

“You just can’t seem to accept the fact that he doesn’t love you anymore! Get over it! Because he certainly has!” You shouted, spinning on your heel and stomping away from her, determined to have the last word. Superman sighed in relief. He thought another fight would break out.

“You’re just insecure because you know that if he had the chance, he would come crawling back to me!”

A chill went done your spine and you felt cold fury run through your veins, turning around to glare at her murderously and clenching your hands tightly. You were so angry your feet were rooted to the floor, body seizing up slightly.

The others looked anxiously between the two of you as you glared at each other for a minute before you spoke with the calmest, yet most terrifying voice they’ve ever heard from you.

“Zatanna, you can try your damn hardest to win him back. But I promise you, you’re never going to get what you want.” You told her darkly, before walking away.

As Zatanna glared at your receding figure she decided she was going to prove you wrong.

***

To keep you from fighting with Zatanna again, when Batman came to you with a solo mission you couldn’t agree fast enough. Even though you knew you’d miss Dick’s homecoming, you still wanted to get the hell away from here. Not like you’d be missing anything important, other than Zatanna fawning over him.

You’d get to tell him how much you missed him in private anyway.

As soon as you were out of the cave, you couldn’t help the relief that filled your bones. You had been so on edge the past few days, still furious with her so the distance between the two of you was appreciated.

When Dick got home, he was ecstatic to see you again. It had been nearly 3 weeks since he had last held you and his skin was practically buzzing with excitement when he reached a cave, desperate to hug you, kiss you, touch you.

He got to the mess hall quickly, running all the way there and when he opened the door, he was instantly disappointed. You weren’t there.

“Where’s (Y/N)?” He asked Beast Boy, hoping he would tell him that you were just back at your apartment or that you had gone out for a while and would be back soon but he felt his heart sink when Gar gave him a sympathetic smile.

“She’s on a mission for a week.”

“A mission? Who’s with her?”

“No one. It’s a solo mission.”

Now he was worried. You usually didn’t take solo missions, liking to work in a team, knowing that there would be people who would be watching your back was reassuring. He knew you were more than skilled to handle a solo mission but not being by your side made him nervous and slightly antsy.

He was also upset that you weren’t here. So, he decided to do the most adult thing. Go home and sulk in bed while holding your sweatshirt that smelt like you.

But apparently the world had something against him because when he was about to go through the Zeta tube he was intercepted. By non other than Zatanna.

Now, poor clueless Dick had no idea that you had thrown hands with Zatanna just a day ago and was the reason why you weren’t there to welcome him when he got back. If he had he would’ve sulked at her and whined loudly for her to hear while he dragged his feet.

But, poor clueless Dick had absolutely no idea Zatanna was the reason he was being deprived of your kisses. So, he just smiled brightly at her and asked her if she needed anything.

“As a matter of fact, I found an old spell and I need someone to test it out on!”

“I don’t know how I feel about being your non-scientific experiment, Z.”

“Come on, it’s totally harmless, I promise.”

“I don’t know...”

“Don’t you trust me?”

He did. But there was just something about this situation that made him uncomfortable. Maybe it was because he missed you like crazy and just wanted to go home and sulk until you came back. Maybe it was because he felt uncomfortable to go somewhere private with his ex-girlfriend without telling you first. Or maybe it was because of the way Zatanna felt the need to guilt him into it.

Nevertheless, he agreed, albeit reluctantly and went to her room. Inside Zatanna had a bunch of ruins written on a paper and some weird poultices beside it.

“Now this isn’t going to work unless you give me your consent.” She informed, bustling about the room and Dick suddenly felt the air was a little stuffy.

“What do you mean by consent? Consent for what?”

“It’s a love spell.” She told him, smiling slyly but he couldn’t quite understand why. His hands got a little clammy at the announcement. What did she mean by love spell? Was she trying to get him to fall in love with her? Why would she be so open about it then? Especially when she knew he was in love with someone else?

“What do you mean?”

“Oh relax, stop being so tense. It’s just a love spell that proves who you truly love.” She said, immediately noticing how stiff his body was. Though she chalked it up to confusion. Dick was simply confused about who he loved, he was clouded by his attraction to you and he felt guilty about being unfaithful. But deep down, he really loved her. And this spell would prove it.

“In the olden ages, people would use it on their wedding to prove that their significant other truly loved them.”

He nodded, mouth falling open with realization. He already knew what the answer would be so why even bother? He assumed it was because Zatanna was curious to whether it actually worked.

“Too bad (Y/N) isn’t here, I mean I know who I love but I’d like to try it out on her. I mean, who takes a mission the day before their boyfriend comes back to town.” He complained, more to himself but Zatanna still heard it.

“Anyway, can I cast it on you?”

“Sure, couldn’t hurt.”

Oh, how he’d come to know just how wrong he was.

***

You raced through the halls, panicked, hearing your heart beat out of your chest as you sprinted to the Med Bay. Even though you were running as quick as possible you still pumped your legs to run faster, needing to get there quickly.

As soon as you saw Zatanna outside the Med Bay, you skidded to a stop in front of her and grabbing her collar, pinning her against the wall. She hit it with a thud and she saw white for a second when her head collided with the hard surface.

It was then you got a good look at her face. Her eyes were red and face wet. Her lips were bitten until they bled. You gritted your teeth, grip tightening around the collar as tears pricked your eyes.

“What the hell did you do!”

She whimpered, eyes getting glossy again before she started crying, incomprehensible words leaving her lips and you snarled before shaking her again, “You don’t get to cry! What the hell did you do to him!”

“It was a love spell!” She cried out, “It was supposed to reveal who he truly loves.”

“AND?!”

“It’s activated by a kiss.” She sniffled, “And I did.”

“Is it done?” Dick asked just as she finished casting the spell. His body was enveloped by a slight glow that was only visible to her and Zatanna’s lips curled when she realized it had worked. Now there was only one thing left to do.

“Yep.” She said, slinking over to his side and he pouted curiously.

“Are you sure? I don’t feel any different. You said it was supposed to reveal who I love. What happened?”

“We’re gonna find that out. Hold still.” She said, smiling and wrapping her arms around his neck to press a kiss to his lips. Dick froze, feeling her lips move against his and his mind went blank for a second before his chest contracted painfully.

He gasped against her mouth, before his legs buckled and he tumbled to the ground. Zatanna’s eyes widened when she saw the way his body twitched, pained gasps leaving his mouth and tears began falling from his eyes.

“Are you okay?!” She panicked, wrapping her arms around his thrashing figure but he couldn’t choke out an answer.

“Someone help! Anyone! Please!”

“A kiss doesn’t put people through cardiac arrest!” You screamed, feeling your chest tighten as you heard it out loud for the first time. Your eyes began burning and your throat contracted, feeling tears build. It was the first time you had admitted it to yourself.

You were scared. Emotions that you could barely process or understand swirled around you in a dark cloud and you were scared that Dick wouldn’t make it out of his critical state. If he was taken away from you because you hadn’t been there to stop it, you would never forgive yourself.

“I’m sorry.” She whimpered, sobbing and her body went limp in your fists. The urge to rip her head off her shoulders resurfaced. She didn’t get to be upset, not when this was all her fault.

“I don’t give a shit.” You hissed, “How do we save him?”

“A true love’s kiss should stop all the side effects.” She whispered, looking up at you with wide eyes, “If Dick truly loves you, then when you kiss him, it’ll reverse the spell.”

You needed to get in there.

You released your hold and Zatanna and she slid to the floor pathetically, holding her body as she cried. But even with her heartbroken sobs, you couldn’t feel any sort of remorse to her, glaring at her instead, “You better hope this works. Or I’ll kill you myself.”

And then you rushed in.

When you got to Dick’s side your breath stuttered when you noticed just how many things he was connected to and you felt your body shake. Batman was carefully watching him from his bedside.

You carefully walked to his side, gently brushing your fingers against his cheekbone. He looked like he was in so much pain. He looked so weak. You wanted to help him but a part of you was scared. For the first time in your life, you doubted Dick’s feelings for you.

The time you needed his love and devotion to be true the most, you were doubtful. A million thoughts rushed through your head and for a second you were tempted to just avoid doing this at all. But you knew that you had to at least try.

So, with trembling hands, you held the ventilator fastened to his mouth, taking a deep breath before tugging it off. Batman, already knowing what you were about to do, let you pull it off him before pressing a fluttering kiss to his lips. Tears gathered underneath your lashes when you didn’t feel anything happen.

Just when you were about to pull away, Dick took a deep breath through his nose and panted against your mouth, kissing you more firmly. You couldn’t help the sob that bubbled out of your throat and he swallowed it without any qualms.

Even through bleary vision, you were able to make out his blue eyes and the small smile on his face. 

His hands came up to weakly cup for cheeks, gently wiping away the tears with his thumbs, “I missed you.”

You sniffled, letting more tears fall because you knew he’d be here to wipe them away, “I missed you too.”

***

Bonus:

You walked into the mess hall quietly. Dick had just fallen asleep in the Med Bay where he would be kept for a couple days under observation. It was past 1 in the night and you wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed but you had some unfinished business left to handle.

It was dark and it was hard to make out your surroundings until your eyes adjusted to the darkness. As you walked to the kitchen island, your eyes landed on the sorceress that had her head in her arms and wondered if she was asleep. Batman had said you were free to deal with her anyway you liked and that had been exactly your plan.

“He’s okay now, if you’re curious.” You told her. Her head shot up and she looked at you out of the corner of her eye before bowing it away shamefully. But you caught a glance at her face. She looked like she had been crying for hours, eyes bloodshot and face red and blotchy.

“Thank god.” She croaked out.

There was a beat of silence.

“I’m so so sorry, (Y/N).” Zatanna whimpered out before crying again, “You were right. I was jealous. And I did a crazy, wrong thing. And I’m so sorry.”

You sighed, nodding at her apology even though you knew she couldn’t see you. You weren’t sure if you accepted it, and you didn’t have to. For now, it could remain in the air.

“He really doesn’t love me....” She whispered out and you sighed once again, stepping up beside her and setting something on the table.

Zatanna glanced at the bottle of tequila and the two shot glasses you left. You didn’t look at her, instead choosing to stare straight ahead. You opened the bottle, pouring yourself a shot before tilting your head back and downing it, hissing at the burn.

“Obligatory break-up drink.” You mumbled, pouring her a shot and passing the glass to her.

She sniffled, looking at the glass in her hands before gulping it down. You took a deep breath, refilling the glasses. You still didn’t look at her, didn’t speak to her, just poured a refill when either of you finished and downed it in one gulp. The excitement from today and the tense feeling from sitting beside Zatanna kept you from getting drunk too early.

You two ended up finishing half the bottle, drinking in the dark until she passed out first and you followed soon after.

The others found you the next morning, passed out at the kitchen island, clutching empty shot glasses.

***

Bonus bonus:

Batman sighed, smelling the overwhelming scent of tequila as he came closer. None of them were able to wake either of you up. You were out cold, face scrunched up and head against the table in a position that would no doubt have your neck in a crick.

Zatanna was no better. Her hair was a mess, tequila spilt on her clothes and she was drooling all over the table, snoring unattractively.

“All this over a boy?”

Forever Taglist:

@simonsbluee

DC Taglist:

@emmacata

@p--e--a--c--h--e--s

@sometimeseverythingsucks

@sokkas-honour

@unstable1902

@lostgirlheart

@missdisapear

@tadpole-san

[kyoomiii]

♡ Kiss and makeup [hcs]

-  ➣. . . ❝ Hey bby ~ ive got a request if its alright! A scenario for making up after a fight with Oikawa please! Tysm! 🤍🤍 ❞

― 𝚛𝚎𝚚𝚞𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚢: @ anonie ​ ―

- ✎ 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜 ❝ oikawa, atsumu, and sakusa ❞

- [ 𝚝𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚐𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐(𝚜): heavy mentions of fighting/arguing ]

- ⚘ 𝚐𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎 ❝ fluff, angst ❞

❝ hi everyone, i’m not dead- c: ❞

-yoomi ♡

Reconciling with Oikawa takes time

He has a lot of pride and often refuses to admit he’s wrong

Hates apologizing first, but will begrudgingly do it if he has to

It may take time but when he does come to you, he comes to you completely raw and vulnerable

He’s someone emotional and speaks with his heart when it really matters to him

Overall, he’s stubborn and prideful, but at the end of the day he recognizes that none of it is worth losing you.

After making up he’s very clingy and wants to spend as much time with you as he can.

Expect lots of love and tears because he will cry if you cry, and even if you don’t he will still cry

.·:·.☽✧☾.·:·.

The little tap that comes from the window pane is the only thing that draws your attention at this time of night. Turning your head to look at the clear glass, you’re thoroughly surprised to see Oikawa’s face, his cheeks slightly puffed out as he struggles to hold himself up against the window sill. 

You’re quick to hop up from your bed, rushing to open your window as you hurriedly wipe away the trail of tears that have stained your face for the past 2 weeks. You’d be lying if you said you didn’t miss him or that you weren’t happy to see him. However, while that may be so you were still mad at him.

“What are you doing here Tooru.” You huff, arms crossed over your chest as you try to uphold your stern exterior.

“I came to apologize-” He freezes, eyes squinting as he scans your appearance with nothing but the small glimmer of the moon, “Have you been crying?”

Eyes wide and mouth almost agap you frantically shake your head, “No.”

Oikawa feels his chest tighten, guilt consuming his entire being as he takes in your exhausted appearance. It’s pure instinct, but he feels himself reach out to brush your cheeks, the slight tenderness left after so many spilled tears only breaks him further.

“I’m sorry y/n… You’re sad because of me and I promised myself I’d be the reason why you smile.” He scoffs, disappointment in himself evident in the way his eyes stare into your own. Crystal like tears welling up in pools of chocolate.

Sighing you offer him the best smile you can muster, “I will always be worried about you Tooru. You push and push until you can’t take anymore and it scares me. I know volleyball is something you love, and I support you in your goals. But you have to know your limits.” 

His tears finally spill, painting his cheeks in clear streaks, “I’m sorry…”He chokes out, the longing and desperation seeping into every word.

“It’s okay.” You hum pressing a kiss to his forehead, “I forgive you.”

...

“-Now that you guys are finished can you please get off my shoulders Shittyawa.”

Through grateful tears and a snotty nose Oikawa glances down at his best friend who is currently supporting said setter on his shoulders.

“Way to ruin the mood Iwa-chan you brute.”

“Shut up.”

Atsumu is childish to say the least. He has pride, and much like Oikawa he doesn’t like admitting he’s wrong

Arguments are one thing, but when Atsumu fights he fights with his whole being saying what he thinks only to feel guilty later

Him and Osamu argue and fight a lot, and when they apologize it’s always indirect or silent

He’s use to quickly sweeping things under the rug because of that

At first he kind of expects it to be the same with you, until he realizes that simply isn’t the case

Nevertheless it’s still pretty easy to make up with him because he’s not one to hold grudges. Plus he’s clingy and would probably die without constant affection

.·:·.☽✧☾.·:·.

Atsumu can’t help but wonder exactly how he had gotten into this position. Perhaps it’s his knack for being an asshole, or maybe it’s the jealousy he feels towards other guys despite the fact that he has fangirls trailing after him like lost puppies. Nevertheless, he finds himself missing your presence, craving your touch and attention.

“What do ya mean?”

“I said no Atsumu.”

He’s confused to say the least, why won’t you hold him? Are you still mad? It’s been awhile hasn’t it?

“y/n… Are ya really still mad?”

“Yes I’m still mad Atsumu, what you said really hurt me.” You can feel it bubble within you. The frustration and the hurt that has lingered, harbored in your mind for days on end, “I don’t care much for your jealousy. But it's the fact that you think our issues can just be pushed aside. You always ignore the problem, and I’m tired Tsumu… I’m tired.”

Your words set his body ablaze. Atsumu feels breathless as he hears the slight choke of your voice. He reaches out to you, uncertain in his touch as the pads of his fingers meet your uniform. His fingers grasp the fabric, desperate in the way that they curl so tightly around your shirt.

You miss him, you really do. His touch, his smile, his antics. Miya Atsumu’s presence is addicting and you find yourself craving him everyday, even more so now that you’ve spent so much time pushing him away.

“I’m real sorry y/n- I really am. I pulled a shitty ass move and I shouldn’t have treated you that way. I just-” He inhales tilting his head back to hide away the tears that build in his eyes, “I’m an ass and I know that so If you’re done with me, I’ll respect your choices...” 

Fighting with Atsumu isn’t an entirely rare occurrence but you always find a way to reconcile. However, this time feels different. A blooming fear settles itself in his chest. The thought of you leaving terrifies him, but for once he lets go of his ego, his pride. If it’s what you want he’ll live with it. Just as long as you’re happy.

Sighing, you turn to look at him, “I’ve missed you Tsumu.” You hum softly as you gently place your hand on his cheek.

Atsumu leans into your touch, basking in your warmth, as he feels a rush of relief flood through his body, “I’ve missed ya too baby…”He feels like he can breathe again, his body slumping against your own in his moment of shock.

“You’re such a jerk you know?” 

“Only yer jerk- I really do love ya y/n.”

“I love you too Atsumu.”

Much like Oikawa and Atsumu, apologies take time with Sakusa

Not because he refuses to admit he’s wrong, but simply because sometimes he doesn’t know nor does he realize that he’s being a bit much 

It takes time for him to register that he’s being an ass, because while he can be a bit dense he’s not completely oblivious

Reconciling is a quiet, long, and slow process, neither one of you knowing how to approach the other

But nevertheless, both of you are still there quietly mending things as you go

Though it’s a frustrating process. You don’t know where either of you are standing. It’s one big mystery that lingers in the form of tension as you sleep with your backs to one another

Touches filled with longing and days of silence grow tiring. One of you has to crack before things return to how they were

.·:·.☽✧☾.·:·.

Sakusa knows he’s not the easiest person to be around, and that only makes him that much more grateful that you love him so willingly, so easily. It makes him feel full, filled to the brim with the warmth that you give him. 

So at first, he doesn’t understand why you turn your back to him, why you won’t look at him, why you don’t speak to him properly. You’re there but you're not, and he admits he’s the same. It’s straining. Both of you are physically there, but it feels so empty and lonely, like falling into a void of nothing.

He misses you, more than he knows how to say. Especially now as he watches you get ready for another night of silence. 

And he’s right, the room falls into a daunting quiet. The tension in the air is so thick it’s almost suffocating. His body aches to hold you close against him- the only person he feels comfortable embracing so dearly.

“Do you plan on staying so far away?” The sudden break of silence is almost startling. It leaves your body tense, even Sakusa himself is shocked.

“I don’t know Kiyoomi…” And you really don’t. Granted even if you are upset with him you can’t bring yourself to resent him, you know you would be lying to yourself if you said you did. However, at the same time you don’t know if you could let yourself cave so easily.

Sakusa acts faster than he can think, shifting to face your back. Hesitantly, he reaches for you. Fingers delicately brushing against the fabric of your shirt, “I’m sorry.”

It’s overwhelming, all the emotions that flood through your very being. Your body begins to shake as you’re racked with tears, quickly turning to bury yourself in his much needed embrace, “I’m sorry too Omi.” You sob, soaking his shirt much to his distaste- though he can’t bring himself to comment.

And you stay like that for the rest of the night. Basking in the warmth of one another. Holding on so tightly as if to make up for lost time.

He wonders how he was lucky enough to find someone like you.

[voiceless-terror]

More than Enough

For @tma-mspec-week Day Three: Polycule

Characters: Jonathan Sims/Sasha James/Tim Stoker/Martin Blackwood

Rating: Teen

Summary:

“But what if-” Once again, Jon struggles to find the right words. He knows their situation is unorthodox to most people, and the thought of Martin looking at him differently is too much to bear. “What if he doesn’t understand?”

“Then explain it to him,” Sasha relays patiently, her hand never leaving his. Things are always so clear to her, Jon envies that. “You’re my partners, you’re dating Tim, sometimes me and Tim have-”

Or: How One Became Four.

It starts with Sasha and Jon.

She’s fresh off six months in Artefact Storage, shell-shocked and stand-offish. Jon starts a few months later and they learn the ropes together. She warms up, divulges little tidbits of her time in the other department that Jon devours. He’s young, hungry for answers and Sasha’s already jaded by her few years in academia. This is just a transitional job, she assures him. It pays better than most research gigs and allows her to keep up a certain lifestyle. 

“I’m looking at other places, putting out feelers,” she confides in him one day over coffee. It’s become their daily ritual, a mid-morning break where they can commiserate on the staid academics that ask too much of them and the fanciful statements that end up on their desk. “Whatever you do, don’t get stuck here.” She leans back in her chair, gives a cynical little smile. “Or maybe you should. It’ll be different for you, you’re a man.” He starts a protest but she cuts him off. “It’s an old boys club and you know it. Besides, I know all about your extra meetings with Bouchard. He’s never done that with anyone else. Who knows - in a few years you might be my boss!”

He scoffs at that. Jon feels like he’s treading water. He’s a great researcher, sure, but he hasn’t exactly made himself popular among the others. He’s quick to bite, dismissive, blunt. It’s why he and Sasha get along so well, tucked away in their own little world. Of course she would notice the attention from Elias; Jon’s flattered by it, even if he stammers his way through every interaction. Elias seems to find this amusing, but Jon wants to impress him. 

Though not at the cost of his friendship with Sasha. “I always mention your work to him. I’m rubbish with technology, but you-” She rolls her eyes.

“Don’t, he’ll see right through that. Manipulation’s not your strong suit.” Jon stares down at his rapidly cooling drink, an embarrassed flush spreading across his features. But her hand reaches out to grasp his and a fond smile lights her features. “Thank you, though. It’s sweet of you.”

Jon likes Sasha. Their personalities occasionally clash, but never for too long. Jon’s quick to forgive and Sasha’s too fond to hold a grudge, though she’s loath to admit it. So when her roommate suddenly moves out and she’s left in a bind, it’s only natural for Jon to take her place. He’s been rent-poor, living paycheck to paycheck in a shitty studio that’s still an hour’s commute. Sasha’s closer and her flat’s substantially nicer; she offers and he accepts, easy as that. It’s a practical move, and Jon has to admit his lonely little flat is starting to feel suffocating. 

They fit together easily, like pieces of puzzle slotting in place. Sasha’s brutally efficient in her personal matters; bills and maintenance that Jon finds overwhelming and confounding she takes care of with ease. He’s heard her on the phone in that light, practiced tone of hers as she casually threatens the landlord for necessary repairs. Jon finds himself relaxing bit by bit, feeling comfortable in his own skin as she snarks at the dinner table over a dish he’s made. He used to cook for Georgie like this. Now he cooks for Sasha.

“You’re good at this,” she comments one night over chana masala. “Loads better than the frozen meals I’m used to.”

“It’s nice, having someone to cook for. Harder to do it for one.” He feels a bit uncomfortable with the admission, though he knows he shouldn’t - this is what it’s like, when you love someone.

He’s never said that to her, of course. He gets attached too easily but never knows quite how to show it. And it’s not his usual sort of love, he doesn’t want to date her. She’s more than a friend, and Jon’s never had many of those; he has no metric to measure this against. He thinks he could stay in this flat with her forever, so long as he could see her smile every morning and yawn every night. 

On a Saturday morning she stumbles out of bed and makes her way over to the kitchen. “Morning,” she grumbles, as she reaches for the coffee pot and kisses his forehead. Jon doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t need to.

On a Wednesday night Jon drinks too much. 

“Sasha,” he slurs, her arm the only thing keeping him from falling off his stool. “I want you t’ know…”

She smiles indulgently, takes a sip of her drink. “Yes, dear?”

“I-I love you.” She pauses and Jon’s heart drops. “N-Not like that, but like friends. Good friends. Very good friends. But m-maybe not.” She’s still smiling, that’s got to be a good sign, right? “I-I just love you, okay?”

And then she laughs, puts an arm around his shoulder and pulls him close. “I love you too. Stay with me forever, okay?”

He takes her hand between his and promises, with all the solemnity a drunken man can muster, that he’ll stay with her forever and then some. The next morning, while they’re both nursing massive hangovers, Jon broaches the subject again.

“Did you mean it?” he asks tentatively, trying to keep the worry out of his voice. “What you said last night. Do- do you want me to stay forever?” She turns to look at him, bleary eyes suddenly alert.

“Yes.” There’s no tease in her words as she leans into his side, a warm weight on his shoulder. “I don’t think I’ve ever meant anything more.”

Jon stays.

______

Two years later, Tim joins the Institute.

He’s handsome; charming, but subdued. He’s been assigned a desk near theirs, invading the quiet little corner that had become their world. Tim greets them both with a smile and a perfunctory handshake before settling down at his desk and powering up his laptop. He doesn’t speak to them again.

Jon watches as he goes back and forth between circulation and his desk, building an impressive stack of books- The Pantomime Life of Joseph Grimaldi, The Congress of Clowns and Other Russian Circus Acts. Sasha told him he worked in publishing, Jon knows she got that information through her usual nefarious means. Perhaps he’s writing a book, Jon says. Sasha thinks otherwise.

“He’s one of those,” she says over sandwiches and tea. She invited Tim, but had been turned down with an apologetic smile. 

“Hmm?”

“Like you.” She sets her drink down, eyes him with her steady gaze. “He’s got a reason.”

Mr. Spider doesn’t like it.

Jon shivers at the reminder. Sasha never brought it up after he initially confided in her one vulnerable night last year; she just held him through the shaking and the tears. He’s only told the story twice; once at eight, again at twenty five. It never got easier.

“No one believed me,” he whispered, tucking his face into her shoulder as his body itched from phantom legs skittering across skin. She squeezed him back.

“I do.”

They’re friendly enough to Tim, giving him his distance while still trying to be helpful. Jon points him in the direction of texts and scholars who might be useful, Sasha teaches him a few of her more invasive tricks that Jon refused to learn. Slowly, bit by bit, he opens up. Never shares his story, no- but he smiles, jokes around with them, accompanies them on their lunch breaks and eventually entices them to after work drinks. 

He’s handsome when he smiles, Jon thinks to himself as Tim regales them with stories of dates gone wrong. Sasha catches his eye and winks. He wonders if she’ll tire of Jon now that Tim’s around. He’s everything Jon’s not; good-looking, confident, secure in his intelligence. Sasha laughs so freely around him. He could ground her where Jon cannot- they can be a chaotic force, the two of them. It’s why they keep to themselves.

But at the end of the night it’s Jon’s hand she takes, swinging it gently with hers. “Stay with me forever?”

He smiles. “Forever.”

They invite him over to their flat one night in spring, when the trees are blossoming and Jon’s allergies are acting up. He’s sniffling miserably on the couch, Tim sprawled next to him as Sasha pours some wine. Despite his misery, Jon’s content.

Tim nudges him with his foot. “So what’s your deal?” he asks in a wheedling tone, though his smirk betrays an almost imperceptible anxiety. It’s strange. “You and Sash. Dating, roomies…?”

It’s Sasha who answers, handing Jon a glass of wine and standing before Tim, tall and proud. “Jon’s my partner.” It’s matter of fact, and Jon can’t help the warmth that floods him. “We’re not dating. I’m not interested in that.” She hands him his glass with a smirk. “But if you want to romance Jon, feel free.”

Jon sputters as she laughs- he’s transparent, as usual. They’d talked about it briefly- Sasha’s fine with him dating other people, but Jon’s never felt the need to. Sasha’s enough. She still is, but he can’t deny the way his heart swoops whenever Tim aims that smile in his direction. Sasha likes him too, in her own way.

Tim’s still gaping at them and Jon can’t help but join in on the laughter, as embarrassed as he feels. “Is the great Timothy Stoker nervous?” Sasha says in between giggles. “Guess we know how to shut him up now.”

“L-Look, can you blame me?” Tim says, a smile growing on his face. “You two can be very intimidating, not to mention gorgeous-”

Jon kicks at his leg. “Don’t joke.”

“No, we are.” Sasha interrupts, daring him to disagree. She turns that deadly smile back on Tim, delighting in his falter. “So what’ll it be, Stoker?”

There’s silence, Jon can feel his heart racing. They’ve got this all wrong, Tim doesn’t want him, Tim’s going to leave, Tim doesn’t understand-

“Can I take you out to dinner tomorrow night?”

Jon blinks. “Uh, yes?”

“He likes Thai!” Sasha calls as she walks over to her bedroom, leaving the two of them on the couch, laughing nervously. 

“So you’re bi, then?” Tim asks, scooting closer to Jon and throwing a blanket over their legs and an arm around his shoulder. It’s warm in all the right ways and Jon leans closer, the awkwardness dissipating at the touch of his hand. 

“I prefer pan,” he replies. It’s the first term that felt right to him. Georgie used to make some stupid joke about a ‘gender buffet’ and him ‘having one of everything.’ It still makes him smile. “And- and you should know I’m also ace. So there’s some things I won’t be able to do for you.” He looks for disappointment in Tim’s eyes and finds none. “I hope that’s alright.”

“Of course.” Tim smiles like he means the words and Jon feels light, almost dizzy. “Are kisses alright?”

He nods shyly, and Tim takes this as his cue to pepper him in obnoxiously loud smooches- one in his hair, another on his nose. Jon manages to bat him away after Tim almost gets him in the eye. 

So Tim and Jon are dating. Tim takes him out to dinner, the movies, one memorable night of karaoke. Sasha joins in when she wants; they go to museums and lectures. One night she laces her fingers through Tim’s, smiling at his wide eyes.

“What?” she says innocently, doing the same with Jon. “I’ve got two hands.”

On Wednesday nights Tim goes to the gym. Jon sits at the table, passes Sasha a bowl of reheated spaghetti before settling down in his chair. He fidgets, not touching his fork.

“What is it?” Sasha asks, setting her own fork down. “You’ve got that look on your face.”

“I-” he stutters, sighing as the words won’t come. Just tell her like you practiced. “I’m not trying to, well- hmm. I don’t want to insinuate anything-”

“You would never.”

“But, I’ve noticed- I’m not- Tim is very handsome.”

Sasha smiles indulgently. “Mhm. Go on.”

“And I’ve noticed. I don’t- if you wanted to-” Goddamnit. Pull yourself together. “I wouldn’t mind it, if you were to - that is, if you’d like to engage in-” He closes his eyes, purses his lips in frustration. “Please stop me.”

“Why Jon,” she replies, her voice coy and teasing. “Are you giving me your blessing?”

Jon sighs, his face warming as he opens one eye- she’s grinning, just as he expected. “...Yes?”

Six months later, Tim moves in.

_______

“Jon wants to bring a boy home!”

Jon smacks him in the arm and scowls. “Tim, don’t-”

“What, it’s true!” He leans back in his chair, a self-satisfied smirk on his face. Jon wants to knock the smile off his face and maybe onto the floor, if he can get a good kick in. “I don’t blame you and in fact, I encourage it. Martin’s a catch-”

“Martin?” Sasha perks up. “Finally!”

“Not you too-”

“Jon, he’s a very sweet boy-”

“-good-looking, too!”

“And if you want to bring him over, please do.” She reaches across the table to give his hand an encouraging, if condescending, squeeze. “I’ve seen the way you look at each other.”

“But what if-” Once again, Jon struggles to find the right words. He knows their situation is unorthodox to most people, and the thought of Martin looking at him differently is too much to bear. “What if he doesn’t understand?”

“Then explain it to him,” Sasha relays patiently, her hand never leaving his. Things are always so clear to her, Jon envies that. “You’re my partners, you’re dating Tim, sometimes me and Tim have-”

“I don’t think I’ll need to go into that much detail just yet,” Jon cuts her off, ignoring Tim’s snicker. “It’s just...what if he thinks it's weird?”

“Weird can be good. And if he doesn’t agree, well - he’s not worth your time.”

If only it were that simple.

It’s been about three months since he first ran into Martin in the break room. He’d seen him around plenty of times, but despite his hulking form, the man can make himself very, very small. It wasn’t until he quite literally ran into him, causing him to drop his newly organized files, that Jon got a good look at his face.

It was a nice face. Soft, kind, with big blue eyes and curly red hair that fell across his forehead. He wanted to touch it, tuck it behind Martin’s ear and he almost did, despite the man’s rambling apologies and meek demeanor. He stood there, frozen, even as Martin handed back the file with a bashful smile.

“Sorry, I’m pretty clumsy. Are you alright?”

Jon was fine. He should probably say that.

“Y-Yes. I’m Jon.” Wow. Smooth.

“I know.” Martin put a hand behind his neck, nervously chuckling. “You’re quite known around these parts.” His eyes widened and his face turned red. A nice red. “N-Not in a bad way, of course! You’re- you’re just very smart and- and direct- and oh Lord, that’s not a compliment, is it-”

“Thank you for my file,” Jon replied robotically, his eyes trained somewhere over Martin’s shoulder and not on his very, very blue eyes. “I have to take my leave now.” Why are you talking like this?

Their next few encounters were similarly stunted and awkward. Martin made tea at ten every morning, coincidentally when Jon got his yogurt from the fridge. He started making Jon a cup as well; he wasn’t sure if Martin was particularly excellent at making tea, or if it just mattered that he was the one making it. Jon tried not to dwell on the sentimentality of it all. 

He shouldn’t want another partner. He’s got Sasha, who he loves, and Tim, who he also loves, albeit in a different way. They should be enough for him. They are enough. But Martin makes him tea and asks him how his day is going and smiles at him and people don’t do that. He tells himself he just wants a friend, but he finds his mind wandering- Martin’s hand in his while they walk down the street, Jon nestled into his side on a movie night and Tim’s there too, because Martin is very comfy and handsome and warm. Sasha’s in her armchair reading a book because tonight they’re watching a romantic comedy and she hates those. Jon hates them too but Martin likes them, of course Martin likes them-

No. He’s getting distracted. And he’s standing in front of Martin like an idiot, saying nothing. This is going terribly. Why did he ever think this would not go terribly-

“Jon? Are you alright? You look like you’re about to have a stroke.”

“I’m not having a stroke,” Jon responds on auto-pilot. “I’m trying to think of a clever way to ask you out but you are very distracting.”

Shit. Martin stares at him, mouth open in shock. He’s got nice teeth. Very straight.

“Um- I-I thought you were with Tim?” Martin squeaks out. Oh God, I’ve scared him. Do I keep going? “Or- or Sasha, oh! I’m not accusing you of -”

“No, you’re correct,” Jon grinds out, willing himself to be calm. He doesn’t want Martin to think his frustration is aimed at him. “Sasha’s my partner and I’m dating Tim, and sometimes Sasha and Tim-” No! Abort! “-sorry. We’re together. But, um, I-I also like you, and I think Tim likes you but he hasn’t said- I’m sorry, this is going all wrong.” He looks down at the floor, clenching his jaw. “I understand if you say no.”

“I’m not saying no,” Martin’s voice is lower now and Jon feels a hope rise in his chest. He’s not? “So it’s, it’s like an open thing? You’re accepting applications?” Jon would laugh at the joke if he weren’t so paralyzed with fear.

“Not really? It’s, we aren’t dating around or anything, but I suppose it is open, in a way.” He pauses, takes a deep breath. “Open for you.”

Martin’s smiling like he can’t believe his luck, and it confuses Jon because who wouldn’t want him? Kind, handsome Martin who makes him tea and doesn’t laugh at his stupid jokes but rolls his eyes affectionately and tells his own in turn. Jon doesn’t think he’ll ever understand his humor but it makes him smile and that’s important. And now Martin’s taking his hand and he- oh fuck Martin’s taking his hand Martin’s got his hand and it’s warm, just like he knew it would be-

“I-I think I’d like that.” A squeeze. Jon dies but only a little. “Wow, this is sort of crazy for me, y’know? You’re all so, so intimidating and good-looking-”

“Yes, we are,” Jon agrees, squeezing his hand back. “But we’d like to buy you dinner, if you’re amenable.” Martin laughs and says yes, he’s very, very amenable. It feels right holding Martin’s hand. It feels right to see him with Tim and Sasha, smiling and joking. It feels right to lean into him at the end of the day, to nudge his side in the night and apologize in the morning.

Martin’s lease expires in seven months. They start looking for a new apartment after three.

ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29032062

[blossom-hwa]

pirate!ateez |2|

The continuation of the pirate ateez au inspired by pretty much every wonderland stage and the kingdom wonderland performance!! Once again credits to mai @wingkkun for the ideas that sparked san, mingi, and yeosang’s stories!

(Reading part 1 isn’t required to understand what happens here; however, there are spoilers for previous members’ stories!!)

Pairing: Ateez x gender neutral!reader

Word count: 11.9k (total)

Genre: some fluff, mostly angst, pirate!au

Triggers: cursing, blood and death (sometimes semi-graphic) - specific triggers for each section are listed below the header!

Part 1 (Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang) | Part 2 (San, Mingi, Wooyoung, Jongho)

Ateez Masterlist

san (ABS - specialty in swordsmanship)

warnings: cursing

so. san.

poor dude i put him through a lot in hongjoong’s part :/ he didn’t deserve that i’m sorry san

but let’s start from the beginning

unlike some of the others, san has only ever known the streets. he has no memory of real parents, just various random caretakers who ended up causing him more harm than good

there are two singular exceptions to this during san’s childhood: you and an older pirate named jongin

you’ve been there ever since san can remember. even now he’s not entirely sure how or when you two met, he must’ve been very young, but he just knows you’ve been with him for what feels like forever

the two of you wandered the streets together, begging and stealing food whenever you could

it only makes sense that you two would fall in love once you were old enough to understand it (which comes a little later than either of you would’ve liked - you’re probably sixteen or seventeen when you get the guts to press san against a wall and kiss him like person starved as san kisses back with just as much fervor)

when you were still together, it sometimes felt like you were the only reason san could stay alive

you mean the world to each other. the literal world

so that’s you - someone san knows will never abandon him willingly, will always stay by his side as long as they can

now uh moving on to jongin

you two were young when you tried to pickpocket him that one time

immediately it was clear you’d messed with the wrong guy - he noticed you two immediately and you were caught

but surprisingly, all he did was smile and offer to buy you something to eat

and being the hungry children you were (san thinks you were around twelve at the time) you said yes without a second thought

luckily jongin didn’t have any ulterior motives - in fact, he taught you and san to become better pickpockets, how to take advantage of people’s blind spots and your natural talents

so naturally, he became both of your role model

and because jongin was a pirate, you two resolved to become pirates just like him when you grew older, even asking him to take you on his ship whenever he returned to the city to visit.

but every time, jongin refuses. when you’re younger you kind of accept it, but as you and san grow older you start to insist more and more

there’s nothing left for you two here except a life still on the streets, and isn’t being a pirate pretty much the same? stealing and pillaging, just on the ocean instead of on dry land

neither you nor san flinches at blood, and you can both deal with injuries

but jongin still refuses, finally telling you just how far from heroes pirates really are. they kill and steal, often more than they need, not taking just enough money and food to survive or pass out to those less fortunate the way you and san both do

this kills the dream a little for you and san, though you both come to the conclusion that not all pirates have to be horrible - look at jongin

so you still resolve to become pirates, maybe on a crew that isn’t as terrible as the ones jongin has told you two about

this sort of dream goes on for another year or so. you and san figure out your shit and finally kiss, jongin mock claps when he finds out before disappearing again, you and san wander the streets again still with little aim but your interlocked hands are purpose enough

until you get kidnapped. 

san literally almost goes insane when he can’t find you after two days. tears around the city like a man possessed, looking everywhere you might be and then everywhere you definitely aren’t on the off chance he’ll find you

but even when jongin arrives back in the city a few weeks later and joins san’s frantic search, you’re never found

it’s all too much. way too much for san - he’s literally lost the one person who keeps him sane - and honestly the last straw is when jongin asks if he wants to join his crew now

deep inside san knows he means it out of the goodness of his heart. jongin isn’t evil and he’s hurting too with your disappearance, he’s just trying to give san a semblance of a new home

but san explodes. none of this would’ve happened if jongin had taken them in earlier, had let them join the crew together, if he’d even taught them more - it’s his fault, it’s his fucking fault

jongin tries to grab san but he just twists away - jongin’s touch feels like fire burning against his skin - and runs

for how long he runs, san genuinely doesn’t know. he just knows that he can’t stay here, can’t stay in this city anymore 

so he becomes somewhat of a highway robber? holding travelers at sword point and demanding what they have

the sword he uses was gifted to him by jongin and it makes him feel sick every time he pulls it out, but even though san is sometimes irrational, he’s not stupid - he needs a weapon, and if this is the only one he has, so be it

doesn’t matter if memories of you and an older pirate come flooding back every time he grips the handle.

san makes a name for himself - people whisper about him, tell travelers to avoid the paths he frequents, but the thing is he doesn’t really frequent anywhere. he’s a wanderer too, which makes him so dangerous because he’s so unpredictable

until hongjoong appears and san makes the mistake of challenging him to a fight. 

i say mistake but really, it was probably one of the singularly most life-changing events for san except for 1. meeting you, 2. your disappearance, and 3. leaving jongin 

because when hongjoong has his sword positioned over san’s neck and san thinks he’s about to die, hongjoong gives him a choice - join his crew or get his throat cut

san just scoffs at first and is like why would you want a highway robber on your crew? don’t you know who i am?

hongjoong does know, of course - he actually tracked san down because he needed a good swordsman to join his crew and thought san would be perfect

san is on the edge of saying no, but hongjoong is one of three people who’ve ever beaten san in a fight (jongin, you, and now joong) so he’s got a little grudging respect for the guy

but even more than that, he remembers you and remembers your pact to find a semi-decent ship and join the crew 

it seems like a childish pact now, but for some reason, once he remembers it, he can’t put it out of his mind

(maybe it’s because if you’re dead, which you probably are, san wants to at least fulfill his part of any promises you made so long ago)

so he says yes

for the first few weeks, san really considers jumping ship

seasickness is a bitch, first of all, even if the ship’s doctor is nice enough to give him tips on how to handle it

but the main issue isn’t just him being sick - it’s the people

not all of them. most are fine. but san has a particular problem with wooyoung and his partner, not because they’re assholes or anything, but because they remind him way too much of him and you. childhood friends who grew up together and wouldn’t part for the world, except they’re still joined at the hip while you’re lost

and san just thinks it’s horribly unfair that you had to be torn away from him while others are allowed to stay together

but really, the ship is better than living on the edge on land. besides woo + his partner, the others are nice, and san has found himself a match in sword fighting with hongjoong and yunho

so as time passes, san acclimates to the ship. he gets closer to everyone there and comes out of his shell, even becoming friends with yeosang whom he previously deemed too close to woo + his partner to deal with

and because yeosang is a package deal with the other two, san eventually becomes friends with them too

for the first time in a long time, san thinks he’s happy, even though he still sorely misses you and wishes you were here. but you’re dead or at least long gone, and he’s not going to find you again

so when you turn up on an enemy pirate ship several years later, san nearly has a heart attack when he sees your face (wooyoung actually has to catch him when he stumbles)

from the widening of your eyes, it’s pretty much the same reaction for you

there’s no fight, at least not then. the town your ships have docked in is safe ground for pirates, meaning the villagers will deal with them but won’t tolerate fights

so your crews resupply, all the while studiously ignoring the pirates from the other ship

but san is itching to talk to you - even just see your face one more time

you look so different yet somehow exactly the same and san wants to know what happened to you - how did you get that scar down the side of your face?

you feel the exact same way. 

when you were kidnapped, you were taken on a pirate ship that was far less respectable than hongjoong’s. meaning you went through a fucking lot

you tried to escape at least five times but each time you just got caught, so you eventually gave up. so here you are, ignoring the literal love of your life because your ship is shit and happens to have beef with hongjoong’s

meaning you couldn’t escape if you tried. 

so you’ve resigned yourself to mere stolen glimpses of san’s face but then your captain gives all of you a mission

he wants a hostage. and he wants you to lure one of them in. 

you don’t want this mission. you fucking hate it and you hate your crew and you don’t want anything more than to just run away so you just ignore it and resolve to subtly sabotage your crewmates’ efforts in any way you can

and for the most part it works

but then you’re on deck, helping one of your crewmates put some supplies away

when a crowd comes on board, bruised and bloodied, and drops choi san onto the wooden floor.

the captain is ecstatic - they’ve managed to catch hongjoong’s best swordsman, no doubt they’ll get a hefty ransom for him

but you’re not listening. all you can do is avoid san’s sharp gaze

and think of a way to help him escape.

the ship sets sail within hours, trying to get away from hongjoong as quickly as possible. san lives his days in one of the tiny cells belowdecks, barely fed between questioning sessions during which he says nothing

but he can feel hope slipping away, day by day - even he can’t break through chains, and even if he could, his sword is gone. five or six pirates he could maybe take alone without a weapon, but there are far more on this ship

still, when the ship finally docks, san has resolved to at least attempt an escape. he knows the captain is in negotiations with hongjoong over getting him back so hongjoong has to be in the same port, or at least nearby

so when someone opens the cell again, san literally launches himself at them in an aborted attempt to run

you subdue him quickly - you’re not dehydrated and underfed, after all

san just gapes into your face that’s barely lit by a torch on the wall outside his cell. he has so much he wants to say, the first being how could you do this to him, did none of your time together mean anything - 

but then you unlock the chains around his wrists, toss him a bundle of fresh clothes, and tell him to get changed

dressed in the new clothes, he looks like a member of the crew, and you tell him to keep his head down as you bring him up out of the ship and into the village

san’s still kind of dumbfounded so when you tell him to run, he doesn’t understand at first. run where?

hongjoong’s ship is in the next port, you say. on foot, it’ll take a few days to get there, so he needs as much of a head start before people realize he’s missing

therefore - you push back his forehead with a finger - fucking run, choi san. i don’t recall you being stupid before.

when he understands, he tries to tell you to come with him - hongjoong’s a decent captain, he’ll probably understand

but you shake your head. you yourself need to leave. once your captain realizes san has disappeared, it’s only a matter of time before you get found out, considering the number of unconscious and dead bodies you left in your wake, and you need to be long gone and away from san before that happens. you’re not going to bring more harm on him again. the least you could do is maybe divert their attention for a while

san’s heart sinks when he realizes you have no intention of coming with him, no matter how much he tries to convince you

and he almost starts crying again - just when he’s finally gotten you back, fate is forcing you to slip through his fingers yet again

you just hug him and apologize for everything, for getting kidnapped, for not helping him escape until now even though none of that is your fault

san says that and more, apologizes for even thinking you’ve changed - he should’ve known you were still the same person he’d fallen in love with so long ago

but there’s no more time and now you’re pushing him away and telling him he needs to go before it’s too late. in the process, you press a blade into his hand. 

for protection. 

it’s faintly familiar. and when san looks a little more closely, he realizes it’s the blade that jongin gave you so long ago, a copy of the same one he gave san. only the initials etched into the handle are different.

it makes him feel sick. san had switched his blade out for another sword the second he could, too many memories of you and jongin attached to it. but you never stopped using yours. 

that knowledge makes his insides burn with shame and he tries to give it back to you but you force him to take it. i have more weapons than just this. you have nothing. and now you need to go.

he kisses you one last time. you kiss him back with just as much fervor and when you break away, there’s a small smile on your lips 

you tell him you’re glad he’s found a kind crew, a crew he’ll be happy to remain with. you’re glad he’s luckier than you

san tries to tell you again to come with him, but you shake your head. hongjoong won’t be happy to take in a member of an enemy crew, and even if he was, that’d only turn your ship’s sights on san’s for a long time. you won’t have that. 

so you disappear with a last reminder not to be stupid, a wavering smile on your face 

it takes everything san has to return to hongjoong’s ship without chasing after you, and he’s welcomed back with open arms and warm words

but despite being back with his family, san’s heart sinks the farther they get from the harbor, knowing that he’ll probably never find out what happened to you, his original family, after this

wooyoung tries to comfort him, saying not to lose hope - after all, you met once after your separation, you might meet again

however, fate isn’t kind. san knows that very well. twice you’ve met, and twice you were separated

san hopes wooyoung is right, hopes he’ll see you once more

but as the ship cuts through the water into the open ocean and land fades from sight...

deep inside, something tells san he won’t.

mingi (ABS)

warnings: cursing

you look me in the eyes and ask how it is possible for me to write angst for someone like mingi. i tell you i will try my best

that is a threat and a promise

anyway! let’s get on with it

mingi is a pure-hearted orphan who has somehow survived the demoralizing and horrible orphanage system in his hometown

he never knew his parents, all he’s ever known was that shitty little orphanage, it’s a miracle that didn’t break apart his pure personality

it helps that from a young age, mingi was taller and bigger than his peers - people didn’t want to mess with him

also when he’s not smiling, he can look pretty scary

but that left mingi lonelier than he wanted to be, so he resolved to smile whenever he could so that people wouldn’t feel intimidated by his stare

it didn’t win him many friends??? like the kids his age were more just weirded out by him smiling when they lived in a fucking orphanage. but he did get more free handouts from adults when he’d pretend to act like a cute kid, so he just kept doing that

eventually when he grew older, maybe mid-teens, he got a job working at his town’s port

mingi’s pretty smart and more importantly here, he’s very strong - just the type of worker his supervisors were looking for

the job is okay - not horrible, but it’s kind of boring and mingi’s supervisors aren’t always the nicest

but mingi’s always been the type of person to just content himself with the fact that hey, things could be worse

he might not have survived the orphanage

he might not have been born with strength

he might not have gotten a job that comes with a semi-stable roof over his head

so for a couple of years, this goes on, mingi helping ships unload and reload, stuff like that

until hongjoong’s ship pulls into port

it normally wouldn’t mean anything if hongjoong hadn’t been half dead on his feet with his partner and seonghwa pretty much carrying him down the gangplank

most people were just shoving them around, totally ignoring the fact that hongjoong clearly needed help

but even though his supervisor told him to go help one of the bigger ships, mingi saw hongjoong and went off to go help them

recommended a cheap place to get rest and offered to help them with some of the ship repairs so they wouldn’t have to pay so much (because their boat was... a little beaten up to say the least)

after a few days, hongjoong recovers from his sickness (brought on by exhaustion, not eating well, and god knows what else - his partner chewed him the fuck out), and they all thank mingi profusely

they’re about to leave then - the ship has been repaired thanks to mingi’s help and they’re ready to set sail again

but a glint appears in seonghwa’s eye and he suddenly turns around and asks mingi if he’d like to come with them

mingi: wha - you mean me?

seonghwa: is there another guy named mingi around?

mingi: i mean technically yeah, there’s a lee mingi working on the other end of the shipyard -

at first mingi’s like... no i don't think so because he has a stable job here, right? nothing really happens and it’s kind of boring, but being a pirate sounds kind of scary

but another part of him has been aching for something more interesting than the monotony of working at the port day in and day out

besides, hongjoong seems like a much nicer person than his supervisors

so in the end, mingi throws caution to the wind and joins the crew

he kind of questions it at first because he really doesn’t seem to have a knack for swordplay, also he kind of tends to panic/get squeamish when there are fights

but seonghwa keeps faith in him no matter what - he was the one to ask mingi if he wanted to stay, after all

so as time goes on and more people join the crew, mingi adjusts to life as a pirate. he finds his role on the ship in making repairs when they’re in port or even when they’re on board, which makes him happy - mingi likes being useful

he also likes jongho, who joins him as one of the ship’s repairmen when he ends up with the crew

he even becomes a fair swordsman - definitely not the best on the ship, not by a long shot, but after being trained by first hongjoong and then yunho (with san occasionally interjecting when he joins the crew), he definitely has the skills to defend himself and others

emphasis on others. because while mingi might panic during a fight where he’s only defending himself, when those he cares for come into play, mingi is a demon. an absolute demon. 

an enemy pirate once got within a hair’s breadth of killing seonghwa once and mingi just unleashed absolute fury. first time he ever killed someone

it haunts him sometimes, but the knowledge that he was protecting seonghwa keeps him from dwelling on it too much. that’s how much mingi cares about his crew

and that comes into play when you enter his story

you’re the child of a couple corrupt aristocrats who have never, not once in their lives, given you the attention you deserved

no matter what you did, they didn’t care

you studied your ass off. you worked so hard on swordplay. you’re literally the golden child in the aristocratic circles of your region and other nobles wish you were their child, but all your parents ever do is give you a passing glance and a fake smile

sure they’ll praise you at parties and things when they talk to other nobles, but it’s all empty - they only barely remember all of your accomplishments. they just don’t care

then one day, hongjoong’s crew pisses off your family - ruins trade at some port or whatever

so your father puts a bounty on his crew’s heads

it’s not exactly a common thing to put bounties on the heads of pirates, but it can happen if a crew fucks around a little too much

and when the bounty goes out for the crew of the aurora (hongjoong’s ship), you seize on it as your last chance to gain your parents’ approval, the approval you’ve been seeking for quite literally your entire life

you’re not dumb - you know it’ll be hard, and you know your family is only going to be completely satisfied if you bring back proof that the captain is dead. not some other random crew member, though that’s a step in the right direction

you decide to go for one of those crew members first, preying on the fact that if one goes missing, the captain will likely be easier to capture

you’ve heard stories about hongjoong, he isn’t heartless. he actually does care about his crew, each of whom plays an integral role on the ship

which means if you can get one of them, you can lure him out - you might not even have to kill off the rest of the crew if you can just take him out

therefore you set your eyes on one song mingi. from the rumors he’s the worst at fighting, but he’s also essential when it comes to ship repairs 

the perfect target for your plan

so you set out on your journey. your idea is to try and see if you can befriend mingi somehow, get him to trust you, then take him hostage

and somehow, you get lucky at the first port you visit - hongjoong’s ship is right there, aurora emblazoned on its side

it’s not hard to spot mingi - he’s one of the tallest, and he’s busy tinkering around the side of the ship

it’s even easier to get his attention

because your master plan is simple and dumb as fuck

fall into the water and pretend to drown. 

mingi, being the pure-hearted lovely soul he is, jumps in to save you despite you being very able to swim

he’s worrying over you when he pulls you out of the ocean, spitting and choking water

and all you can think is 1. mingi is very handsome but more importantly 2. all of this is genuine. like too genuine

it unnerves you - how can a pirate be so pure of heart?

but you push that thought away. there has to be some hidden side of mingi that he hasn’t shown yet, he’s a pirate after all. you can’t feel guilt for using him - you need to gain your parents’ approval. you need to

so you do your damn best to keep him in port. every night you go out and subtly undo some of the repairs he’s made and create a few new problems as well

the ship ends up staying in port for a few more weeks than expected

and during that time, you find that mingi... is really not hiding anything

at all

you keep trying to prod at him when you invite him to bars for a drink, when you “coincidentally” catch him on the streets, etc. 

but there’s nothing to mingi except his very kind personality that sometimes, against your better judgement, sweeps you off your feet

like when that horse-drawn carriage almost hit you and mingi pulled you away just in time

or when you bumped into the wrong person and they pulled a knife on you that mingi was fast enough to deflect

by the time those several weeks are over, you haven’t made any headway in your plan to kidnap mingi

you tell yourself that it’s fine, this mission was always going to take a long time - you could be here for over a year before the right opportunity presents itself after all, and mingi probably doesn’t trust you enough just yet for that to work anyway

mingi ends up sailing off again, and he promises to come back

also makes you promise to stay and wait for him. 

you tell yourself another lie, that you’re happy he’s asking you to wait just because it’ll make your plan so much easier - plus, it means he likes you, which is a step towards trust

it’s definitely not because mingi’s smile is as bright as the sun itself. 

the next time you see the aurora come into port, you swear to yourself you’ll do it this time. you’ll kidnap mingi, force hongjoong to come out so you can put his head on a silver platter

but it doesn’t happen. and the next time it doesn’t happen, either. 

and in the end, you have to accept that the reason you keep sabotaging the ship, trying to keep mingi in port as long as you can, is that you like his smile. way more than you actually should. 

some stupidly hopeful part of you tries to convince you that it’ll be fine, you can continue living like this

but another part of you knows lies never last

and a last part of you screams that you’re a disappointment to your family, falling in love with one of the pirates your parents have put a bounty on when that pirate probably doesn’t even love you back

he does, though. he really does

mingi loves the curve of your lips when you smile genuinely, when the clouds in your eyes disappear for a moment of pure, blessed happiness

he’s fallen in love with your mind, with your quick wit and light banter when you speak

for the past two trips on the ocean, mingi has dreamed of little more than holding you close and kissing you and he’d resolved to that, finally, when he came back this time

which is why his heart completely shatters when he finds you by the ship one dark night, carefully undoing some of the repairs he made just this morning

he never suspected it, but as he stands, watching you work, the pieces begin to click together

mingi isn’t stupid, after all - he knows you’re smart, knows you’re good with your hands, and you’ve also been extremely secretive about your past

even more secretive than he is about being a pirate.

you sense his presence when he gets closer before he even says anything and your hands freeze

for a moment, neither of you says anything

then mingi just lets out a cracked why?

you could lie. you consider it for a few frantic moments, mind working to conjure something credible 

but it’s mingi. it’s fucking song mingi, the pirate you’ve fallen in love with against every single one of your wishes

so the truth behind all of your lies spills out in one go

in the moonlight, you can see mingi’s eyes turn from confused and betrayed to even more betrayed

but what really drives it home is when you mention hongjoong, and how you were trying to use mingi to lure him out

mingi’s eyes turn angry for the first time since you’ve met him

because like i said, mingi doesn’t take kindly to anyone who tries to hurt those whom he cares about

like yeah, he cares about you, but hongjoong is his captain, the captain who’s saved mingi’s life multiple times, often at risk of his own

that’s when mingi’s eyes narrow and his expression turns cold

a chill runs down your back, a chill you’ve never felt before in his presence

and mingi tells you then and there that he better not see you ever again

because if he does, it won’t end well

you’re in the next town before you allow yourself to process anything that just happened, mainly because you know that if you try you’ll start crying

and that’s exactly what happens in a dark little tavern at the edge of the city

you cry over yourself, over losing mingi, over failing your stupid mission for stupid parents who were never going to accept you anyway

you cry because you hurt someone so pure of heart just for two cold aristocrats who didn’t give a shit

you cry because now you have no purpose in life - you’ve catered your entire existence to your parents, and they don’t even care

what’s the point of anything now?

back on the ship, mingi doesn’t cry. he just stares at the fading town as the aurora draws farther and farther from land

your story plays in his mind over and over again

he sympathizes for you, he really does - mingi isn’t cruel or heartless, he heard the desperation in your voice when you talked about your parents and he’s seen the clouds in your eyes firsthand

but it doesn’t change the fact that you’d sought him out with the intention of hurting his crew beyond repair

he tries to tell himself this as comfort, to reaffirm that he did the right thing by chasing you off

deep inside, though, even if he’s sure he did right

the pain of a broken heart and what could have been, he knows, will never fully go away.

wooyoung (ABS)

warnings: cursing, death, blood

before i start i’d like to preemptively apologize

probably should’ve done that before every other part too idk why i'm only doing it now

maybe it’s because this one is 3.4k long and the second longest is a mere 2.8k (fuck you san)

doesn’t matter i've done it please don’t come for me

wooyoung is a ball of pure sunshine aboard the ship. almost literally

sometimes shines a little too bright (ie he gets annoying), but without him, the crew would fall into darkness

but a light needs a source, doesn’t it? it doesn’t just spontaneously emit out of nowhere - fires need kindling, candles need wax, even the sun burns on fuel

and wooyoung’s fuel is you.

like i mentioned in san’s part, you and wooyoung are childhood friends. probably not quite as long as san and his partner - you met when you were a bit older, maybe just after you turned twelve or something, but that doesn’t mean your bond is any less strong

wooyoung remembers your first meeting very clearly - in fact, it’s one of his favorite memories

some older kids were pushing him around, and wooyoung was just trying to run away

he’d just broken free and was running off when a hand grabbed his wrist, dragging him behind an empty market stall, and another hand slapped over his mouth to muffle his cry of surprise

the older kids ran past, then stopped, looking confused, but when they couldn’t see wooyoung anywhere they just left

you finally let go of wooyoung and he turns around to look at you

and from then on, he swears you’re his savior

seriously, wooyoung thinks you’re literally the greatest fucking thing on this planet. might not act like it all the time because he’s a little shit, but you mean more to him than anything in the world

you don’t plan to get attached to him, not at first - you’re a little more standoffish, you told wooyoung you only helped him because you really hate the group of kids that was messing with him

but wooyoung attaches himself to you like a fucking limpet and as the months pass, you find you don’t mind. not at all. 

you’re both street orphans, pickpockets and all that - neither of you are in the orphanage (wooyoung just never ended up there, while you ran away early on) and you’ve both been alone for a long while, so it’s nice to have someone with whom you can trust your back

and as time goes on, you start thinking of wooyoung less as an ally and more as a friend, then less as a friend and more as someone you love

wooyoung, on the other hand, has been head over heels since day one - getting into your space, pressing stupid little kisses onto your dirty face even as you try to bat him away

but he obviously doesn’t make a move at first because he’s like fucking twelve and doesn’t understand what he feels, and when he grows older and figures it out, he refrains from doing too much (like kissing your lips) because you don’t seem to feel the same way

except you are an impatient fuck

so once you figure it out and more importantly, you figure wooyoung out, it takes less than a day for you to have him pressed up against a wall, kissing him with all the strength you can muster

when you pull away, lips swollen and eyes suddenly shy, wooyoung tries to crack a joke like wow, didn’t know i was that irresistible

you just smirk and say you’re the one who’s been staring at my lips day in, day out for the past several years, woo

oh yeah that’s when wooyoung knows you’re the one

(he does ask why the fuck you waited so long if you noticed everything over the past few years)

(the truth is you only really figured it out a few days ago, but you tell him you just wanted him to suffer)

(it cues a lot of angry whining and cute pouts even though he knows it’s a joke so what can you do but kiss him until he shuts up?)

anyway you and wooyoung more or less rule your small section of the streets

master pickpockets and all that, plus you know how to use a knife very well and wooyoung is adept at fighting with whatever the fuck happens to be nearby

you’ve got a good head on your shoulders and though you never truly lie, your reasonable-sounding words always have several layers of meaning, which is very useful in negotiations

meanwhile wooyoung is just really, really good at sliding out of sticky situations - you turn your head the other way for one second and he’s disappeared

people don’t really dare mess with either of you because they know that if one of you get hurt, the other will literally go out for blood

the same goes for yeosang - you met the quiet orphanage boy on one of the rare times he went outside, and everyone knows not to mess with him since he’s under your protection

this reputation precedes you, which is why you and wooyoung are very surprised when a tall, gangly looking dude comes into your little pocket of territory looking very lost

both of you immediately think this is someone good to pickpocket, or at least harangue for news - he’s clearly not from here

too bad mingi has a hongjoong on his side who is very worriedly looking for his tall lost repairman

and in the middle of you two getting up in mingi’s space, hongjoong appears, wielding a very scary-looking sword

both you and wooyoung know this is someone not to be messed with, but curiosity gets the better of you - who is this guy, why is he here, and why doesn’t he know to stay away?

instead of asking, though, you both run away fast enough that hongjoong doesn’t have to deal with you

the next day, though, when you see a familiar face with a familiar sword hanging around the market, you decide to tail him for a bit

turns out he’s a pirate, which is intriguing in and of itself - it also explains the unfamiliarity with the territory

but what’s even more intriguing is how he manages to defend himself against your knives all the while answering your peppered questions in the most evasive manner possible

in the end, hongjoong has you pinned against an alley wall, sword inches from your throat

he clearly expects you to start begging for your life

but you just laugh breathlessly and say - hey, i’ve got two friends who’ve got nothing left here, just like me. do you have an opening for three on your crew?

hongjoong thinks you’re joking but you’re dead serious. there’s nothing in this town, you’re sick and tired of pickpocketing people and protecting your little territory to no end - there’s no point to it all

you know wooyoung feels the same way. he’s so energetic, always looking for something new, and even though he doesn’t say anything, you know he’s itching to get out of here

yeosang might take a little convincing, but if you can prey correctly on his desire to visit the lands he’s only ever marked on maps, he’ll come too

hongjoong asks what you have to offer to his crew. you say a sharp tongue, resourceful fighters, a navigator

and most importantly, a source of light. 

(hongjoong doesn’t ask and you don’t elaborate on the last one, even though you can see a hint of confusion in his eyes)

he gives you two days to convince wooyoung and yeosang, if you don’t show up by then he’s setting sail

wooyoung is convinced almost immediately - his only qualm is seasickness, and you tell him he’ll get used to it

yeosang takes a little more effort, but with your persuasion skills, he agrees

and so the three of you join hongjoong’s crew

being a pirate isn’t as glorious as you originally thought it’d be - the first few weeks are just being seasick all the time, and there are fewer fights and less exploring than you’d like, more just running around and maintaining the ship

but the crew makes up for it more than tenfold

you and wooyoung have never really had family - just each other and then yeosang

but now that you’re with the crew, that sense of home you’ve only ever felt with woosang just multiplies

you love it on the ship. so does wooyoung

(he says it’s because there are so many hidden places where you can hide to kiss, but you think it’s because he has seonghwa to annoy now and not just you + yeosang)

both of you are on cloud nine, even with the nonstop work day in and day out

it’s all worth it when you can see the new cities, pilfer a little something in the marketplaces every now and then

life goes on like this - some crew members are lost and others join

you mourn for those gone, especially hongjoong’s partner, and you try to welcome the new members as best you can

(san is a tough nut to crack, but in the end, you and wooyoung are both happy that you kept at it long enough to see the results)

it’s a constant give or take - you know the ocean isn’t kind, know that the life of a pirate isn’t kind, and you’ve learned to live with it even though a piece of your heart breaks away with every crew member who falls

but then yeosang falls. literally. 

and wooyoung begins to fade away.

wooyoung feels his emotions deeply, he’s always known that - it’s what binds him so strongly to you and what bound him so strongly to yeosang

so when he fell during that battle, stabbed several times, and could only watch yeosang fall into the ocean from the crow’s nest - essentially yeosang’s home on the ship - 

wooyoung cries for hours after the battle, locked in your arms

and for once, even the knowledge that you’re by his side doesn’t seem to be enough to fill the void left by yeosang’s loss

the entire crew is experienced with their own types of loss, loss of partners and friends

but this is the first time wooyoung has felt it so deeply, like a knife carving out a hole in his chest

eventually, though, he recovers

it takes months, but he still has you. he still has san. he still has yeosang’s grieving friend, who might have become his partner had he lived, and he still has all of the crew

and you let him latch onto you whenever the void comes creeping on him again, because though wooyoung might be the light, you’re the source of fuel that keeps his sputtering flame burning

(guilt eats at you, too - you’re the one who convinced yeosang to join the crew, after all. but wooyoung calls it bullshit - you’re not at fault, not at all, yeosang understood what he was risking - and when he latches onto you, you take your own comfort in the warmth of his arms)

life goes on after the battle and yeosang’s death. wooyoung takes a long time to recover from his injuries and you’re by his side the entire way

but then san gets kidnapped and wooyoung almost goes off the deep end again - he can’t lose another friend

thankfully, san returns, so wooyoung doesn’t lose himself completely

but he begins to fear the disappearance or death of one of those whom he loves even more than he used to

as time goes on, he realizes he might not be able to handle the life of a pirate - he cares too deeply, too much, losing the people he cares for is breaking him slowly, bit by bit

you ask him what’s wrong one day and he spills all of this to you, sobbing

the next day you ask hongjoong to leave you and wooyoung at the next port - you can’t be on the crew anymore

hongjoong asks why, but when you explain he doesn’t even hesitate to nod and thanks you for your service

he does say that he’ll miss the source of light on his ship, the light and its kindling, but if this is what you and wooyoung really want, then it’s what he’ll give you

wooyoung feels a guilty sense of relief when you bring him back the news - he’s relieved that you two are going to leave, but there’s also the guilt of taking you away from a life that you enjoy

but you remind him that he’s your life. wooyoung is everything to you, and if he isn’t happy, you’re not going to be happy, no matter what

so it’s settled that you two will split off from the crew at the next port, which you’ll reach after a few weeks of sailing, maybe

you reach the port and are ready to part ways, saying goodbye to the rest of the crew

the aurora is staying in port for a couple of days for repairs, and you and wooyoung decide to stick around for at least the night before you go off

you go on a walk that night with him, darkened streets lit up by evenly spaced torches and lanterns

which is why you see the other ship pull into port with a navy seal on its side. and your blood freezes. 

with one look, you and wooyoung are racing off to where you know the crew of the aurora is staying because you have to warn them

hongjoong looks grim. there’s a fight, it’s going to be inevitable, and you can feel wooyoung tensing up next to you

your former captain says you don’t have to fight if you don’t want to, you’re technically not part of the crew anymore

but one look between you and wooyoung settles it. one last battle to help the family that took you in

the battle is in the dark, bloody and brutal and made even worse by the fact that you can’t see the rivers of blood flowing down the streets - it’s all a mess of sticky black that your feet leave tracks in on the roads

you and wooyoung are back to back with san, the three of you fighting to the last

until there’s finally an opening and you manage to escape into a little alley

except the alley ends in a wall. a wall tall enough to climb over, maybe, but wooyoung has a wound in his stomach and san’s bleeding out of his side and you’ve got injuries of your own so you’re wholly, completely fucked

as several naval soldiers appear at the end of the alley, all you can think is how you and wooyoung were supposed to have gone off today, were supposed to have left to find a more stable life together

but at the same time, you know that if you hadn’t stayed for the night, your crew, your family, might not have gotten enough warning to save at least a few of their lives

wooyoung is starting to wheeze behind you. san doesn’t look much better, and you feel like you’re going to collapse

there are four soldiers standing in front of you, and there’s no shred of uncertainty in your mind when you think we’re not going to survive this

except - maybe if you can buy yourselves some time - 

your eyes light on one of the torches on the side of the alley and a really dumb plan springs into your mind

you spring forward, ignoring wooyoung’s cry, and snatch up the still-burning torch

with a prayer that the ground is flammable, you hurl the torch in front of you 

and thankfully, a flame begins to burn

you turn around and start helping wooyoung boost san over the wall

wooyoung is about to go next, grasping san’s hands - you go to help push him up

but then metal flashes in corner of your eye and you have to whirl away, dropping wooyoung to dodge the sword that came a hair’s breadth within slicing the skin off your cheek

how the soldier got past the fire, you have no idea - it’s still burning

maybe they got over it when it was still low

but then there are two shadows, not just one, both with blades flashing

and you know with a stark certainty that both you and wooyoung are going to die if you don’t get up that wall immediately

the problem is, there isn’t enough time to get both of you up - one is going to be slashed to pieces by the time it’s their turn

but one of you...

you block one of the blades and send the soldier crashing to the ground. the other is farther away and for one split second, you lock eyes with them

there’s enough light to see your smirk

give me a moment here, will you? you say

then you turn around and kiss wooyoung on the mouth. 

it’s a brief kiss, barely longer than a second, but it’s all you have time for before you bodily lift wooyoung as much as you can so that san can reach him, arms pulling him up

san acts on reflex - he doesn’t realize what you’re planning just yet and neither does wooyoung

but they sure as hell figure it out when you duck under the second soldier’s swipe and begin fighting, despite the blood streaming from your face and body

in the background, you can hear wooyoung screaming and no doubt he’s thrashing around in san’s grip

but it’s all you can do to focus on the fight at hand - two against one with the one injured isn’t fair, but since when has the navy played fair?

you notice the sword flashing down at your side. you notice it, but you’re not fast enough

white hot pain bursts below your rib cage and you fall to your knees, blades clattering from your hands

another explosion of pain enters your back and you let out a scream of agony, collapsing to the ground

wooyoung watches you fall in the moonlight, red and black blood pooling beneath you

and only then does he stop thrashing in san’s hold

because he’s crying too hard, too hard to see or do anything but let a silently crying san carry him away

san takes him back to the ship where hongjoong manages to set sail in record time, leaving the navy behind

wooyoung doesn’t even move from where san has laid him on the floorboards - the only sign he’s still alive are his eyes, deadened eyes that track the land they’ve left behind, growing smaller and smaller in the distance

the land that holds your body

the body he’ll never see again.

several hours pass. someone’s moved him into the medbay, wooyoung doesn’t know who because all he can see is you collapsing to the ground over and over again, dark blood flowing endlessly from your wounds

tears build up behind his eyes again and he wants to scream, scream how nothing is fair, nothing is fucking fair, he was the one who wanted a new life that wasn’t that of a pirate and you were just going along with it but now he’s still alive and on the same fucking pirate ship he wanted to leave in the first place 

and he’s lost both of his childhood friends, first yeosang to the waves and now you to the navy

with this loss, wooyoung is grasping his will to live by a mere thread

and he isn’t even sure he wants to hang on any longer.

there is no sun aboard the aurora anymore, at least not in the form of jung wooyoung

because once a fire’s fuel is gone, it can no longer burn

and wooyoung’s fuel is out.

jongho (ABS)

warnings: cursing, death, blood

ah yes jongho stronk boy

when i listed the best fighters i bet you were expecting me to put him in there too

but what i meant by best fighters is best sword fighters

see, jongho is extremely good at fighting and has the arms to prove it

however, his skills don’t solely lie in swords - hongjoong/yunho/san are better than him there - but he will fight with whatever the fuck else happens to also be around him

mingi sometimes likes to bring up that one time there was an enemy pirate fighting next to him and jongho just picked him up, swung him, and knocked out a second enemy pirate right then and there

so yeah. that’s jongho. well-rounder extraordinaire

no one knows how the fuck he’s so good at everything and at this point most of the crew is afraid to ask

but anyway let’s talk about the back story a little shall we

unlike most of the others, jongho has parents that he remembers and as far as he knows are still alive

however that does not mean he likes them

they weren’t abusive, exactly - they just were never around and when they were, jongho mostly got ignored or ordered around to do stuff like cook dinner or fucking whatever

so that’s what he suffers through for most of his childhood

during that time, he learns how to be pretty self-sufficient - he’s the one who takes care of himself, after all

he learns to cook, clean, etc.

but most importantly he learns to repair things, like the house

he gets really good at it too, to the point that people start hiring him to help them with fixing their shit

which is how hongjoong finds him

well, more accurately, yunho finds him

the aurora has docked in jongho’s town after a long storm and the ship has a lot of damage that’s going to take mingi a lot of time to fix

so yunho sets out to find someone who they can hire to help mingi out

he asks around and everyone recommends jongho, so yunho goes to find him. after losing his partner in that storm, hongjoong is in no shape to leave the ship, san is still recovering from injuries and guilt, and seonghwa’s busy tending to the crew members and making sure they don’t fall apart

when jongho answers the knock on his door, yunho is like ???? at first because what the fuck this guy can’t even be older than him - is he really that good at fixing things??

tbh yunho was expecting some middle aged man with massive muscles or something

but jongho’s staring at him like wtf do you want and yunho remembers he actually has a purpose here plus jongho does have really big muscles even if he isn’t middle aged so he’s like hi i heard you’re jongho can you help us fix our ship we’ll pay you

and what’s jongho gonna do? say no? 

so he works with mingi for the best part of a couple of months, fixing up the aurora

and during that time, he meets the rest of the crew, who come and go

jongho gets to know them and he grows to like them - he used to be a pretty solitary person, but it’s really impossible to stay that way after meeting one jung wooyoung and his partner

even after he puts it together that they’re pirates, he still likes them

jongho isn’t stupid, it’s pretty obvious after working with mingi for a couple of weeks - they talk of treasure and travels when they think he doesn’t hear

but really, jongho doesn’t care too much - pay is pay, no matter who it comes from

and really, pirates can’t be much worse than the greedy nobles and aristocrats who run his city, right? their illegal acts are just blatant and out in the open, while the aristocracy try to keep their wrongdoings under wraps

he does ask mingi about it one day - why he decided to join the crew of the aurora

after the initial spluttering of we’re not pirates, cueing jongho’s deadpan expression that has mingi immediately quailing, mingi tells jongho more or less his story of joining the crew

maybe a few embellishments because yknow it’s mingi and we love him for it

and jongho listens carefully. his story is a little similar to mingi’s, actually, even if he knows his parents and was never at an orphanage

they were both alone, they both learned to do repair work...

that night, jongho lies awake in bed in his empty house, thinking about what mingi said

as they continue working, jongho prods mingi for more and more stories about the crew and their adventures, and though he visibly shies away from some topics (major fights and major storms, particularly the one that drove them into this port), mingi tells jongho enough for him to see that hongjoong’s crew isn’t immoral. far from it, really

there’s no explaining away the battles and murder and pillaging, but as far as jongho is concerned, at least they’re upfront about it

nobility does the same shit, they just prefer to call murder “the hanging of criminals” and pillaging “taxes”

and jongho is tired of both

after about a month or a month and a half, he decides to himself that he wants to join the aurora

so he asks mingi one day how hongjoong might feel if jongho wanted to join the crew

he doesn’t know hongjoong, he’s only caught maybe a glimpse or two of the captain because he’s been grieving this whole time, which is why he goes to mingi first

mingi tells him to come back the next day, he’ll see if seonghwa can better answer that question as the second in command since hongjoong is still out

seonghwa takes a liking to jongho almost immediately, and the feeling is mutual

even just minutes after meeting, seonghwa gives jongho the sense that he truly cares for him in a way that jongho really hasn’t felt before, not even from his own parents

so the deal is settled and after the repair job is finished, jongho returns to his small home to pack up his stuff. the next day, he’s sailing into the open ocean without looking back

like almost every other new crew member, jongho gets seasick for the first few weeks he isn’t on land

meaning he stays in the medbay more often than he’d like to

but it’s fine - because that’s where he meets you

you’re the ship’s doctor. relatively new since the last doctor was killed in battle maybe half a year ago, but wooyoung was lucky enough to befriend you, an apothecarist’s apprentice, in one of the towns the aurora docked in 

you come from a town that’s a safe zone of sorts for pirates - the locals are friendly if wary, and pirates don’t get into fights on your land

it’s a pretty decent existence if you ignore the fact that royalty/nobles would have all of your heads if they could find definitive proof that your town likes to harbor criminals, but people keep their mouths shut here so it doesn’t happen

however, as decent as this existence is, you got a bit of the short end of the stick

your parents died after you were apprenticed to the apothecarist, leaving you with no nearby relatives or places to stay other than the orphanage or the apothecary

and the orphanage in your town majorly sucks so you just opted to stay at the apothecary

except the apothecarist is not a good human being. major leech. creepy. you hated being around him any more than necessary

which means you learned everything as fast as you could just so you could stay away and look after customers on your own

and when the opportunity to use your skills elsewhere came up, you barely hesitated before telling wooyoung please get me the fuck out of here

only thing that made you balk was the possibility of death on the seas, but you’re young and naive and when you’re at that age, you feel like you’re invincible - therefore you brush it off

plus, everyone dies eventually, right?

you’re the new blood for several months until jongho joins the crew

and because he’s the new guy now, you take it upon yourself to familiarize him with how the ship and the crew work while he’s currently bedridden

it gives him something to focus on other than the rolling sea beneath him

and it’s nice to talk to someone who’s just mildly sick and not bleeding to fucking death

even after jongho gets better, he continues to spend a lot of his free time in the medbay because he likes being around you. your voice is soothing and somewhere in the back of his mind, he probably associates it with care and comfort, given how you treated him during those first few weeks

slowly but surely, you grow closer and closer

you’re the one jongho goes to when he feels a little stifled, too used to independence on land and unfamiliar with the teamwork that comes with being part of a crew

and you like to talk to him when you’re exhausted after treating wound after wound after wound after a harsh storm or bloody battle

it feels like you understand him, no matter what, and jongho does his best to lend you a listening ear as well - it’s the least he can do

you feel comforting, but in a different way from the rest of the crew

like yeah, seonghwa’s comforting in that mother sort of way, hongjoong has that tired dad vibe where jongho knows he can go to him with whatever, and the rest of ateez are like older brothers he knows he can trust

but there’s something different about you

he figures it out, of course, because jongho isn’t dumb or clueless - but he is a little afraid of being so attached to you

because what if he loses you? then what happens?

he tries to go to seonghwa to talk about it because he’s genuinely so scared

but seonghwa’s not in his room and instead, a tired-looking hongjoong catches jongho in the hallway knocking on seonghwa’s door and asks what he needs from hwa

jongho is slightly nervous because he hasn’t spoken that much to joong, or at least not as much as some of the other crew - after all, he joined the crew when hongjoong was still in grieving and has only really been talking to him for a few months

and by now he knows what happened to hongjoong’s partner in the storm - the same storm that wrought the damage on the aurora that jongho helped repair

so he isn’t sure if it’s a good idea to talk to joong about it

but hongjoong presses him a little, saying that hwa is dealing with some other stuff at the moment and that jongho can talk to joong if he wants

so in a fit of recklessness (he’s also been holding it in for kind of a while, he needs to talk), jongho spills it in hongjoong’s office

and hongjoong goes silent. 

jongho regrets his entire existence during the few minutes of silence and he’s opening his mouth to apologize and take his leave

but hongjoong talks first

and he says to go for it. 

you can’t live your life in fear of what might happen, especially when it comes to love

losing love hurts, but the memories you make are worth the pain

hongjoong’s eyes look haunted, but there’s a faint smile on his face that jongho somehow knows isn’t faked - his words are the truth

and he takes them as comfort when he goes to talk to you later about how he feels

turns out you’ve felt the same way for a while, but you didn’t think the feelings were reciprocated so you didn’t say anything, just kept caring for him in the ways you know best

you talk the entire night about what this means for the two of you, and it ends with you and jongho holding each other on one of the medbay beds, curled into the other’s warmth

it turns out to be a blessing that jongho talked to hongjoong about this and not someone else

mingi/yunho/san don’t have partners on the ship, while wooyoung and his partner have been together for literally forever - getting together was barely a decision for them, more like the only logical path to follow

seonghwa would’ve been good to talk to, probably - he lost his partner (at this point he still thinks they’re dead) and would’ve said something similar to hongjoong 

he still wears the ring, after all

but the talk with hongjoong breaks down that last wall between him and jongho, and they grow closer

which is something jongho really appreciates, because hongjoong is as dependable as seonghwa and another figure jongho can now trust

life goes on - it gets better for jongho, actually, what with you and finally growing close to every member of the crew

he loves sword fighting practice and delights in terrorizing his crew members during mock fights by using whatever happens to be nearby, not just his sword

he also loves sitting with you on deck and breaking an apple in half, wordlessly handing one part to you and keeping the other for himself, all the while staring at the clouds during the day or the stars at night

just being near you makes jongho instantly feel not safer, but more comforted

because jongho’s in as much danger as he always was, he knows that

but having you close by makes him feel more able to handle that danger.

at least, until yeosang dies. 

jongho watches him being flung off the crow’s nest and into the water, never to resurface

watches his partner race to the railing and scream until their throat goes raw and the screams die to begging wails

the scene replays itself in his head again and again after the battle is over

only instead of it being yeosang flung through the air, it’s you

which doesn’t make sense. you’re the doctor, you stay belowdecks during fights and have never ventured into the crow’s nest as far as he knows

but suddenly jongho is confronted with the very real fear that you could die any second

he knew that before, but like you, he was young and reckless and thought himself invincible

now, though, he knows what could happen

and it worries him. you’re not the worst at fighting on the ship, you can defend yourself pretty well, but you don’t have have as much experience as even mingi because 1. you’ve been on the ship for less time, and 2. you don’t go above decks during fights - you stay in the medbay with someone designated to protect you. a ship’s doctor is valuable, after all

your instincts are to heal, not to destroy, and that terrifies jongho

it gets even worse after wooyoung loses his partner and jongho sees the shell that he’s become

jongho didn’t see it happen, but san tells him and seonghwa several days later, eyes haunted as he tries to describe the sight of wooyoung’s partner jerking under the blades, wooyoung going limp as a rag doll as they fell, san being forced to bring basically a corpse back to the ship - the only reason he knew wooyoung himself wasn’t dead was because of the tears running down his face

the story cuts deep into jongho’s heart - wooyoung’s partner was a very good fighter, far better than you, and even they were lost

what if it was you, not them?

jongho decides it’s better to be paranoid than to do nothing and he trains you harder, asking san/yunho/hongjoong to help

you notice the change in his demeanor but don’t question it - after all, you’re wrestling with similar thoughts to his

you confide to him during long nights with you two curled up together on one of the infirmary beds and jongho talks, too

neither of you wants to end this, and you both agree that ending it won’t do much, anyway - you still live on the same ship together, and breaking apart will only hurt you two more

but jongho wishes there was something he could do about this constant fear that he’s going to lose you

wooyoung is still a shell of his former self - jongho doesn’t know if he’d become the same way if you died, and he doesn’t want to test it out

he tries to ignore the fear, to just enjoy every day with you like it’s his last

pressing his lips to yours always makes him feel a little better, anyway

the fear never goes away, though - it’s almost like something is warning him that he will soon suffer the same fate as wooyoung and his partner

jongho ignores it. prays to every higher being he knows that you’ll be safe and extends his prayers to those he doesn’t even know

but prayers don’t work when fate has already decided its path. 

the battle comes quickly, and jongho is thrown into the fray, incapacitating as many navy members as he can

he’s so focused on the fight to see the two navy soldiers going belowdecks

because nobody goes belowdecks. the fight stays on top of the ship, only when the ship is being pillaged after the fight do they go below to see what’s there

but since when have naval officers played fair?

jongho has just stabbed an enemy soldier when he hears the muffled yell through the floorboards

a yell of fear, familiar yet unfamiliar at the same time because he knows the voice, but he’s never heard it so frightened

no one has ever seen jongho move that fast. he crashes through the throng of individual battles, earning himself a scrape in the side and several cut ons his arms, but in the moment, he doesn’t feel any of the stinging pain

he crashes belowdecks and freezes for a second at the sight of a dead crew member on the floor, the crew member who was assigned to guard you during this battle

and in that frozen moment, he realizes that there’s no screaming anymore. 

jongho throws himself into the medbay

and the first thing he registers is the blood all over the floor.

grief pulls a desperate cry from his lips

the soldiers turn around

and jongho doesn’t know what happens next.

when his mind catches up to the present, jongho’s throat is raw and two naval officers are dead at his feet, their blood seeping into the floorboards, almost ripped apart

but he can’t even take sick satisfaction in that

because no matter how much navy blood he spills, you will still be gone

dead

your blood staining the medbay floors

jongho falls to his knees - blood soaks into his pants, your blood or the officers’ blood, he doesn't have any fucking clue

all he knows is that you’re dead, gone forever the way he always feared

and no amount of blood he spills will ever bring you back.

If you enjoyed, please don’t forget to reblog and leave a comment to tell me what you thought! Thank you for reading and have a lovely day <3

(1 reblog = 1 prayer for me these parts were so much longer than they should’ve been I think I’m going insane)

[filterjeons]

only you | kth

✦ pairing: kim taehyung x reader

✦ summary: you didn’t like getting jealous but it was hard not to, especially since taehyung is the man of every girl’s dreams. luckily, he convinces you that he has his eyes for only you

✦ rating: M, not suitable for minors

✦ genre: smut

✦ word count: 10.4k

✦ warnings: hard dom!tae, dirty talk, rough sex, degradation, spanking w paddle, orgasm denial, usage of toys (vibrator and anal beads), oral (m and f receiving), handcuffs, daddy kink, sadism/masochism, cumplay??, hand kink, aftercare 🥰, poor y/n acting bratty 😔, slight slight angst (nearly non-existent), yeri and joy being my spirit animals, and cute ending <3 (tf was that warnings list….n e ways)

You scoff at your boyfriend talking excitedly with your co-worker Irene about an art museum that opened up downtown. As you swirl your straw into the whipped cream of your strawberry milkshake, you mentally kick yourself at your look for a hang-out with your friends. The light blue dress was no match for Irene’s more mature pantsuit which suited her body well. What’s worse was you wore your iconic pigtails, instantly making you look like a child compared to everyone else’s more sophisticated clothes. Even Taehyung, who was just wearing a black T-shirt that fits his form well and beige pants, looked ten times better than you. 

You typically have a lot of self-confidence because after years of being bullied for looking like an elementary schooler, you didn’t have time to mope about yourself and you slowly started to not care anymore but today you feel it all goes down the drain.

“I think Van Gogh’s art is one of my favorites because…” you drown out their conversation and place your head on your hands with annoyance etched all over your face.

“What’s wrong, Y/N~?” Yeri teases, shaking you affectionately. You only grunt in response, which made your close friend giggle. “Is it that time of the month again?” You nod (although it was a lie) as you keep staring at Taehyung and Irene, feeling your stomach do somersaults whenever you see them laugh. Although Taehyung had an intimidating demeanor, he was very sweet and made friends easily. Good for him, since he could make friends with the entire town if he tried. Unfortunately for you, he was prone to many girls being drawn to him like a moth to light and constantly asking for his number, only to give you looks of disgust once they found out that you were his girlfriend. 

Why is he dating some girl who looks like a high school freshman?

Are you sure she’s 20? She looks like a 14 year old!

You absolutely hated that you were treated as a child. The looks you received whenever you walked down the street with Tae already made you feel uncomfortable. You knew you were never good enough and you were terrified that he’ll leave you for someone else, causing your jealous tendencies to kick in. There were plenty of fish in the sea and yet he chose you. You were surprised that he hasn’t broken up with you for your much hotter senior Irene.

Irene and you just strictly had a professional relationship, especially since she was above you in the workplace, and the only person she had a crush on is Kang Seulgi, the founder of a local dance studio near the building where you work. After your work shifts, you would sometimes stop by and watch kids train to be artists, reminding you of the dreams you once had when you were young.

Although you would give anything to be on a stage performing for millions of fans, you were content with your job as a fashion designer and be with your boyfriend who’s such a big flirt. 

“Did anyone tell you that you look like a 6th grader because you’re short and have no boobs?” your other friend Joy cackles, finding your annoyed reactions a source of comedy. Yeri chimes in with the harassment as they continuously made fun of your stature. You immediately throw French fries from Taehyung’s plate at them, embarrassment and anger bubbling inside you from the all-too-familiar teasing. It was different because you were close to Joy and Yeri but it still hurts as they were much more beautiful than you. You couldn’t compare to any of the sexier and mature girls and you didn’t like that way. 

“Aww, don’t say that! She’s still very gorgeous to me and trust me, her boobs are nice,” Taehyung smiled, placing your head on your shoulder. You relished in his praise before realizing that you were mad at him as you immediately pull your head up and look away from him. He looks back at you with confusion on why you were acting that way. Maybe something happened at work or you’re just having a bad day, but he wants to help you in the best way that he can. 

“TMI, man!” Yeri gagged dramatically, Joy following suit as they started to goof around. You would join them but you were still upset. Irene liked girls and Taehyung only had eyes for you so why were you so jealous? Despite your constant second-guessing, your heart was set that you were mad at him, even though the reason was extremely childish. Irene softly chuckled at you three before turning Taehyung’s attention back on her. 

“So, would you like to go to the museum with me sometime?” Irene asked calmly, somehow acting like nothing’s going on. Your insides were fuming, knowing that he’ll say yes because of how sweet he was. You grip Taehyung’s hand, trying to signal him to refuse but when his head bobbed up and down, you knew it was no use. 

“Yeah sure, let me know what time you’d like to go!” he smiled politely to which Irene returned the same

Oh no he didn’t. Not only will the town gossip think that your boyfriend dumped you for Irene but what if he starts to have feelings for her and throw you away? If there was one thing you loved the most in the world, it was Taehyung and you just weren’t ready to let him go.

You’re acting so stupid. It’s just a normal friendly hangout- Despite your head’s protest, you got up dramatically and glared at the two of them.

“Uh y’know what, I’m going to go home now. Irene, I’ll email you the designs for the future lineup and Taehyung, I hope you have fun hanging out at the museum or whatever. If you ever need me, I’ll be in my room by myself and I don’t want you near me,” you spat, immediately getting up and storming out of the diner. You knew you were acting extremely immature and some part of you regret it but how come he doesn’t like it when you interact with your guy friends but it doesn’t work the other way around? 

“Y/N sweetie-” he tried to go after you but you were already out of the door. He sighed with frustration, annoyed that he didn’t get to explain his side. 

“I think we should cancel since your girlfriend’s upset. I’m sorry, it was wrong for me to ask you to hang out and I know that we see each other as friends only. I just wanted to ask you because I was thinking about taking Seulgi there and she really likes art plus I figured Y/N would enjoy that kind of date,” Irene sighed, regret forming in her eyes.

“It’s okay, it’s not your fault. I’ll talk to her, she’ll understand once she hears the full story.” Taehyung bids the girls farewell and runs after you. Irene gives him a nod as Joy and Yeri sit uncomfortably. 

“Well, who’s gonna pay the bill?” Yeri shrugged and all eyes were immediately on Irene, who only replied with an eye roll. 

You refused to come out of your room for the rest of the day, still holding onto that grudge. Taehyung was getting annoyed at your lack of communication, he initially tried to get in by baking your favorite cookies but you didn't budge. You didn’t like ignoring Taehyung as well and you would rather be in his arms instead of sewing dresses for work but your petty heart didn’t want to let go.

You tried reasoning with yourself but once you’re set on something, you can’t get yourself to go the other way. As you stitch pieces of fabric together, the temptation grows even more.

Eventually, you couldn’t be cooped up in your room forever so as you sneakily made your way down to your kitchen to get some of Taehyung’s cookies (although he didn’t know how to put on an apron, he was an amazing baker), you felt a pair of arms wrap around your waist and his body behind yours. You gasped at the shock as his low chuckle vibrated against your back.

“Got you baby!” he grinned, hugging you tightly. You wanted to melt yourself into his embrace and beg for his forgiveness but a part of you wanted to prolong the chase and continue to be a brat because inside that sweetheart is a scary hard dom, and you wanted to see him turn aggressive. His duality always kills you and as much as you love being sweet and soft with him, his dominant aura is always your favorite. 

“Leave me alone,” you grumbled, trying to push him off but he still kept on, even when you’re trying to go back to your room. 

“I’m not going to let you go~,” he said in a sing-song voice, clinging onto your back like a koala. You debated to yourself if you wanted to do this and on a whim, you did what would be one of the scariest things in your life.

“Leave me the fuck alone! Go away, I-” you growled, using your force to push him out and that’s when you immediately knew you fucked up. 

“Go on, repeat those fucking words,” Taehyung’s voice suddenly dropped extremely low, thanks to him being a baritone as he turned your shoulders around to face him. His eyes were now filled with anger and lust and you felt sweat dripping down your back, you knew you were in trouble. 

“I-I-” you couldn’t find the courage to talk, your heart was pounding against your chest and you knew that you can’t make a comeback so you immediately got into your submissive position on your knees, fear evident in your face. 

“I’m sorry, Daddy! I-I didn’t mean it-” you blubbered, knowing that he’s not going to go easy on you tonight and you were terrified of what was to come. 

Taehyung only scoffed and pulled you up, dragging you into your shared bedroom by your hair and manhandling you onto your bed on all fours. You felt your heartbeat a billion times faster and you tried sticking your ass out to feel him but to your dismay, there wasn’t his familiar warmth. He was on the other side of the room, going through the black box in his closet that kept all of your toys. You tried decorating it to at least make the outside look cute but it still looks intimidating inside and out. 

“You’ve been such a brat today and it made Daddy so fucking angry. Now tell me baby girl, why am I mad at you?” 

“U-um, I was jealous towards Irene, I was overreacting, I didn’t talk to you about it, and I was a meanie bitch and ignoring you.” “Do you wanna know why Irene asked me out that time? She wanted to go because she was thinking about taking Seulgi on her first date there and she asked me to visit it with her to see if you might be interested in going with me sometime. I assume you already know that Irene liked girls but you were jealous for what? Do you not believe me when I say I love you everyday?” You felt your heart drop to your chest as you started to cry with embarrassment and shame on how you acted. You definitely shouldn’t have stormed out without an explanation and here you are paying the price for it. 

“I-I’m sor-” “I’m not accepting any apology from you tonight because it’s my turn to be mad. Don’t think you’re getting a break tonight because the only way to make up for what you did today is to take everything that I give you. Are you going to obey or be the naughty slut that you’re always are?” he suddenly appeared next to you and growled deep into your ear, nibbling your earlobe. You nodded quickly, your panties slowly becoming wet as butterflies started to fill your stomach. 

He felt your panties underneath your dress and scoffed at the slick coming out. “Stupid fuckslut likes that? Of course she does because she’ll do anything just to get a cock stuffed inside her. What a shame, I thought you were a good girl but I guess I was wrong. You’re just a dumb little baby.” You mewled quietly at his degradation, his voice was cold and cruel but it was such a turn on. 

“What’s the safe word, honey?” “S-star-” “Alright then, fifty slaps with no exceptions. Don’t think you can bargain with me baby because I’m not going any lower,” he snarled, tearing your flimsy panties off and massaging your ass cheeks to prepare you for what’s going to come, a small act of kindness in comparison to his terrifying aura. “Count bitch.” 

You braced yourself for the sharp hit but instead of his familiar calloused hand, your ass was met with a harder sting that immediately turned your flesh red. You widen your eyes as you piece together what’s happening. Although Taehyung bought a paddle long ago, he never had any reason to use it but today was the day because of your bratty behavior. 

After that slap, it was hard for you to talk due to how sudden the hit was. Tears were threatening to fall down your face as you tried to take in the spank. 

“Did I fucking stutter? I said count,” he said sternly, hitting you again and snapping you out of your daze. 

“O-oh, one!” you cried, your ass hurting from the force of the paddle. What’s worse is that it’s a wooden one, leaving your marks and bruises for the next day. Although it’s the weekend, you were sure that you’re not going to sit properly for a whole week. Then again, have you ever sat normally whenever Taehyung fucks you? Meanwhile, Taehyung is completely enjoying the red and purple bruises that are forming in your skin as he hits all of his frustration at your behavior to your ass. It sounds completely wrong but the way your body reacts to the paddle and your choked moans and whimpers of pain is just a turn on to him. He never knew he liked having you act like this until he put you in this position, giving him all of the control. His pants started to tighten as he thinks about you attempting to walk or sit down after he’s done with you. 

You stifle in sobs as you called out numbers following the hits you received. Despite the absolute pain you felt, you could feel even more slick coming down your thighs as he continues to smack the back of your thighs and your ass. Even though a part of you is chiding you for finding some pleasure in being hurt like this, you liked the pain nonetheless. 

Apparently, your arousal couldn’t be more obvious because as he reached the halfway point of his 50 spanks, he started to notice how wet your pussy was.

“Wow, you fucking slut, you seem to be enjoying this huh? Does it turn you on? Does being in pain get you off?” he mocked, your heart taking his words sensitively. You let out a shaky moan, nodding with pleasure flowing through your body. 

“Well lucky for you because I like this as well. Honestly, I like it too much if I’m being completely honest.” You were shocked at his confession, trying to consume the fact that your sweetheart boyfriend actually liked hurting you. It was definitely a surprise but for some sick reason, it was such a turn on. Hey, maybe you two were truly meant for each other because you liked the pain that he gave you. However, that statement was a distraction from your current situation at hand. He started to slam the paddle faster, the pain hurting 10 times more and you swore that there will be splinters by tomorrow. You let out screams and higher-pitched moans from the impact, covering your face with your pillow to somehow relieve you from his actions. 

“Did you want to piss me off? Were you that much of a horny bitch that you’ll do anything to have my big cock stuffed inside you? No, I don’t have to ask that because I know you do. You’re aching in that tight little pussy from my words, huh? Even though you’re lowkey scared of it, you’re getting wet from the spanking. Stupid little cockwhore.” You could nearly cum from his cruel words, his deep and raspy voice talking to you as if you’re inferior to him. You could barely form words now as you just drooled and babbled on the pillow. 

He landed the last two hits on the back of your thighs and the top of your ass respectively. Just for the fun and pleasure for him, he gave you an additional slap with his hand and giggled at your sobs from the surprise. 

“Jesus, that was so hot. I nearly jizzed in my pants thanks to you. Seeing you in pain is such a turn on,” Taehyung muttered, sitting next to you on the bed and facing you towards him. He mockingly pouted at your sniffling face, wiping away the tears that were splattered around your cheeks.

“Are you okay? Did I go too hard?” he asked with concern, a complete 180 from what he was before as he gave you small kisses on your face. You found it so sweet how as much as he likes punishing you, he still cares so much about your safety because he is your boyfriend after all. Although the spanking was intense, you weren’t in danger and everything was consented. 

“Daddy...I’m okay,” you croaked, trying to nuzzle your face in the crook of your neck and although his eyes showed some warmth, his face turned expressionless after a minute of checking up on you.

“Did you learn your lesson yet?” 

You knew that this was like child’s play to him and he can go longer. Even though you were kind of nervous, you wanted him to snap and show his scarier side. You shook your head in response to his question, starting to revert back to your bratty self. “Well, that was nothing. I don’t know if you can handle me but it didn’t work.” Taehyung obviously didn't believe you, judging from the look in your eyes and your quick movements that you were clearly affected by the spanking. He also knew that you were lying right out of your teeth and you want him to put you in your place. Obviously, it’s what he’s going to do. He’s going to make you learn your lesson no matter how much you’re going to act up because a fact that Kim Taehyung knows is that there’s no better brat-tamer than him. 

“Hmm, I don’t think I can forgive you yet because you’re still lying like dumb little girls do when they want something. How sad, I guess you’re going to need more punishments until I get that attitude out of you,” he says, feigning disappointment in his tone. 

You felt your heart dance at his words before realizing that he has more in mind than the spanking. You whimper at his words and he rolled his eyes at you, knowing how much you’re enjoying this. 

All of a sudden, he ripped off your dress like it was nothing, the now ruined fabric fluttering lifelessly towards the ground. How was he able to tear it apart like that? Has he been working out?, you thought, especially since you swore that the dress was hard to tear. You whined at what he did, especially since it was a staple part of your wardrobe and one of your favorites. However, he didn’t care about your reactions as he easily snapped your bra into two pieces, throwing the destroyed material in some corner of the room. 

A wave of embarrassment ran through your body at the fact that you were completely bare and he was still clothed. You tried to cover your chest but it was no use as he forcefully pulled your arms away, exposing your breasts to him. 

“Your body is so beautiful, don’t be shy,” he crooned, playing with your nipples and flicking the sensitive bud. Taehyung’s face went up to your neck, kissing your sensitive spots and sucking on it to make hickeys. “But they’d look more gorgeous with my marks, huh?” You let out a shaky moan, already turned on by his ministrations and the ache between your legs growing worse but to your dismay, he ended there and got off of the bed. Disappointed at his sudden stop, you started to whine and thrash among the sheets but a sharp glare from him had you obey instantly. 

“Stay there baby girl, you’re definitely not off the hook,” he sighed, walking back to the black box to retrieve some of the toys. You inhaled a shaky breath, nervous on what’s going to happen. You tried to peer behind his broad back to see what he picked up but you could only hear his sinister chuckle instead. 

“D-daddy, what are we gonna be using?” you squeaked, hating the obvious fear in your voice because he knows that you’re nervous about what he’s going to do and use it to your advantage. Your boyfriend comes back and throws a bunch of toys on the bed, each one somehow being more intense than the previous. The handcuffs and vibrator were easily familiar to you as you’ve used them before but the last toy was what caught your attention the most. 

Anal beads?! He’s absolutely insane!, you internally screamed, staring at him with wide eyes while he brought a bottle of strawberry lube on the nightstand. It wasn’t like you were scared of it or anything, it was just so surprising that he’s going to use it on you now. You’ve heard about them from Joy who said that although the feeling was strange at first, it felt good later on and you took her word in mind. Now that the toy was out in the open, it reminded you of when you saw it in the box while you were searching for your sewing kit and talked to Taehyung about it. While you both decided that you’ll wait a bit until there was a time where it’ll be used, you never thought it would happen now (but you sort of understand as you are getting punished now).

“Are you ready honey? Is this okay?” he asked gently, rubbing your back to calm you down. You nodded, slowly feeling your nerves go away after some reassurance. 

“What about you? Do you think you’re ready?” you sassed back, the all-too familiar bratty attitude showing. “Oh, you wanna play that game? I’m just worried because you can barely take my dick but since you’ve been too naughty, you’re gonna take it like a good girl,” he teased, a blush forming in your cheeks as he settled you down on all fours. Compared to your height and Taehyung’s, he was obviously huge under his pants and although you liked getting dicked down until the next day, the aftermath is definitely not that pleasurable. 

You instructed yourself to take deep breaths, bracing yourself for the toy. 

“You ready, kitten?” he called out from behind and you nodded rapidly, wanting to get it over with as soon as possible. All of a sudden you felt the first bead ram inside you, making you feel sparks of pleasure. “That’s my good girl.”

Luckily, there were a total of three beads for a start since it was your first time but the first one already felt huge. Maybe it’s due to your inability to take big stuff well but you were terrified on the other two that are twice as big.

“O-oh my god...I-“ you gasped out, trying to accommodate the small sphere into your hole. 

“Why are you acting like it’s too much for you? Come on, I know you can take more than that,” he chided playfully, lubing the second bead to insert it inside you.

“I-I- don’t know if I can!”

“Shh, you want Daddy to forgive you right? You’re my big girl, it’ll be alright.”

You let out a whine as the second was inserted, making you feel full already. Taehyung thumbs at your hole soothingly to try to make you less worried and to make the bead more comfortable in you.

He observes your state right now: your face red from the stimulation and smothered on the plush pillows, your body was bent to display your gaping hole, and your walls fluttering around the pink bead to accommodate the intrusion. Your position was just enough to make his pants feel increasingly tight and uncomfortable.

“Damn, you look so sexy,” he murmured, his praise making you feel good and embarrassed at the same time.

“One more sweetie, one more.” That was the sentence that had you in fear. Surely two beads was enough for you, it’s gonna be hard for you to take the full thing!

“Daddy, i-it’s too much! I don’t think I can handle it!” you cried but the pillow muffled your words.

“You got this, you’ve been a good girl so far,” Taehyung coos, tapping the end of the bead that was currently in you to tease you. With his praise in mind, you decided to go through it as you tried to spread your legs and push your ass out even more to make the last bead more comfortable in you.

Luckily, he was kind enough to add a large amount of lube to make it less painful while toying with the end of the previous one inside you. 

You focused on relaxing yourself so that you’re not tense and reveled in his gentle motions against you. After one more, it’ll all be over, right?

“Good girl, you’ve been such a good girl for me. One more, okay?” 

He slowly inserted the last bead, watching your hole attempt to expand and take it in. You let out a squeal, trying to fit it inside. Your boyfriend watches your fluttering walls straining around the pink toy as it stretches to fit it in alongside the other beads. Eventually, you made it fit with the aftermath of being completely plugged up in your behind.

“Hah~ oh, s-so big,” you moaned, trying so hard to fit the beads inside you. Your nerves were on fire, the toy giving you new sensations you never knew you could feel. It didn’t hurt but you felt full despite only being three spheres.

“That’s my good girl,” Taehyung sighed with content, tapping the end of the last bead to slowly push it inside you by centimeter.

“Daddy, it’s too much! I-I-I don’t think I can do it, it’s too big-“

With one quick motion, Taehyung flipped you on your back and you felt the beads push deeper in your hole, hitting your spots.

“Aww, my little slut can’t take it? Is she too sensitive? Such a little baby, you look so cute in this position, especially since you’re so sensitive!” Taehyung cooed as you let out broken moans due to the overwhelming pleasure. “You’re lucky that I’m not that mad as I was before. Keep those beads in you until I decide when I want to take them out.”

You nodded blankly, his words barely registering in your hazy mind. You didn’t know how much longer you can to, especially since Taehyung sounds like he wants to fuck you stupid. 

“Hey, you okay?” he asked softly, waving a hand over your face. Quickly snapping out of your daze, you nodded and tried to snuggle up towards him. He laughed at the cute action, playing along with the simple moment until he brought out a pair of handcuffs in front of your face. Yup, you’re still in trouble, you sighed to yourself, forgetting about why he’s acting that way.

“It’s not the furry ones?” you pouted, blatantly swallowing at the hard metal.

“You’ve done too much to even think about getting the soft ones. It’s okay, you won’t feel the pain once I make you feel good.” Obediently, you brought out your wrists without him asking and he attached the cuffs within a second. Surprisingly, he gave you a kiss on the cheek and patted your head affectionately, your all-too familiar kind boyfriend emerging for a split-second.

“You’ve been a good girl so far, keep it up and maybe your punishment will end quickly,” he murmured, massaging your sides and spreading your legs apart. You felt him kiss the inside of your thighs and kitty-licking your slit, the teasing immediately turning you on even more.

“T-tae,” Although he was barely doing anything, you already felt even more sensitive especially with the anal beads inside you. You wanted to tug on his dark black locks, at least clutching onto a part of his body, but the handcuffs made it impossible to. It wasn’t even chained to the bed but it was no use fighting against it.

Taehyung could sense how impatient you were, your hips thrusting up uncontrollably to try to at least have some more movement inside your aching pussy. He chuckled to himself at how he made you instantly want him but since he’s in charge, he gets to decide whether or not to pleasure you.

“Shh, only patient little girls get what they want. What’s the magic word?”

Is he seriously doing this right now?, you thought but you immediately answered the question, desperate to at least have something. It must’ve been obvious how needy you’ve gotten because Taehyung’s long slender fingers were inserted in you with no warning.

You let out a shaky moan, your cunt immediately clenching around his fingers as he pushed them in and out at a quick pace. Your brain was completely fried as you couldn’t think or say anything except the feeling of euphoria you were in. Despite having his fingers inside you before, it felt more sensitive and pleasurable this time and you were ready to cum.

Unfortunately for you, he pulled his hand away from your needy pussy despite your attempts to trap it with your thighs. You started to whine and kick from the denial, upset that you didn’t get to finish.

“Calm down, we haven’t gotten to the real fun yet. You’ll be my good girl, right?” he said calmly, reaching over for the vibrator and inserting the batteries in. Normally, the pink toy didn’t have an effect on you because you used it numerous times while Tae was gone but for some reason, you felt nervous as if it was your first time using toys. You absolutely knew he was going to edge the hell out of you and although it was not that pleasurable for you, the build-up to your orgasm only for it to be cut away is a source of entertainment for him. 

But since you’ve been consistently good ever since he put in the anal beads, you were hoping that he’d let you come this time. 

You felt the head of the vibrator rub against your folds, the moisture slowly gathering onto the tip and the sheets. It was currently at the lowest speed and you were aching for it to be filled inside you. The buzzing of the toy was the only sound that rang out in the room and Taehyung didn’t say a word but his expression told you about what he’s going to do. 

All of a sudden, he suddenly inserted the vibrator inside you, the sudden intrusion igniting a small fire inside your body as it tries to take in the sensation. Even though the feeling shouldn’t be completely new to you, you felt overly sensitive like it was your first time. 

“T-tae, oh my god. I-i, oh...” you moaned lightly, wanting to feel a part of him but he prevented that from happening. Knowing the effect that he had on you, Taehyung slowly started to peel off his shirt due to the increasing temperature in the bedroom. With his tanned skin and toned stomach on display, the temptation of wanting to break free from the handcuffs was just too much. 

“Da..daddy...please…” 

“Yeah? Does it feel good? Are you glad you finally had something in that slutty cunt?” he taunted, turning the vibration up to the highest. The switch in level made you clench around the toy tightly, slick coming out of your system rapidly. He aimed the head to your clit, making the sensation feeling even better and getting you near your orgasm. 

Your body felt like it was on fire as you didn’t know where to focus yourself on. Since Taehyung restricted you from grabbing onto something to settle yourself, it just felt like you were in a different headspace. The amount of pullings you did onto the handcuffs are going to leave marks on your wrists but honestly, it was the least of your concerns at this point. 

He suddenly removes the wand from your clenching pussy, hovering it around your folds as you leave more slick from the slight movement the vibrator had on you despite not completely being inside you. Your juices were drenching onto the bedsheets and his hand and a part of you felt embarrassed but if Taehyung had no shame, neither then you. 

“Do you want something inside you? Does your cute little pussy want to be filled up?” he said darkly, waving his long and slender fingers in front of your face. He absolutely knows how much you love his fingers, at least 3 of them filling you up well. 

“Y-yes daddy, mmph, p-please fill me up with your long, oh god, fingers…” you purred, your eyes drooping from how much pleasure you’re receiving. 

“Keep your eyes up babygirl, I want you to stare at me while I make you feel good.” Taehyung aligns the head against your clit again as he inserted one of his fingers inside. The action caused you to let out a small scream, your body starting to shake on how much he’s doing to you. 

“T-Taehyung-” “Is that my name?” “I’m sorry, D-daddy! I-i-it’s so much, I don’t know if I can take it!” you whimpered, your juices coming out of you at an increasingly fast rate and your hands pathetically thrashing onto the restrains. 

“Yeah? My little baby can take it, this is nothing isn’t it?” he smirks, adding two more fingers to completely stretch your walls out. You felt yourself jolt from the increased action, tears starting to form at the corner of your eyes. 

“Da..daddy, shit, shit, oh, it’s so much, I, I,” you mewled, your body in cloud nine as you try to form sentences in your brain. Although you didn’t talk much, your moans and whimpers were music to his ears as Taehyung was satisfied with himself that he got you in this way. 

“Aww, it’s too much? Too bad, you know you want more than a vibrator. I know you’re dying for me to pound this tiny little pussy with my big fat cock. You want to feel my dick deep inside your stomach and try to keep my cum inside you, huh? Do you want that, you little fucktoy?” 

You didn’t know how he could read you like a book but it was what you wanted nonetheless. A flash of pink flew across the room before hitting against the wall, the identity being the vibrator that Taehyung was using on you a few minutes ago. Although you could still feel his fingers pump inside you, your clit was instead covered by his mouth. 

“Ahh! Oh my god, oh my god! Daddy!” you shrieked, your attention being directed on him. He swirls the bud with the flat of his tongue and occasionally flicked it to help send you off. Surprisingly, his fingers were still moving as well and you felt them hit the spongy texture of your g-spot, your body reacting to the sensation sensitively. 

You felt the all-too familiar knot in your stomach, signalling your orgasm. With the insane amount of pleasure, he would be too cruel to deny it. With your mind becoming absolutely hazy, the last thought you had was to finally release. 

Unfortunately, your thoughts weren’t answered because after a few more pumps, he immediately pulled his fingers out and his mouth was nowhere to be found on your clit. 

“Do you think I’m gonna let you cum? I don’t think so,” he mocked, sucking off the liquids and watching your body thrash against the bed from the denial. 

“Wh-what? Why? Why?” you whined loudly, the build-up fading away and your mind was back to the present. Of course he wasn’t going to let you cum right away despite how good you were because it was still a punishment. 

“Because I said so,” he stated in a matter-of-fact way, mesmerized at your body’s reactions. 

“But I’ve been good! I obeyed when you put in the anal beads-” “That’s not enough though.” 

“What the actual hell? You’re such a dick!” you muttered angrily, trying to catch yourself from the denial. Although it was pretty quiet, Taehyung’s ears picked it up and he was definitely not happy with what you said. 

“What the fuck did you say?” he growled, placing himself next to you and choking your throat with just enough force that was typical whenever you were acting up. You gasped at the lack of oxygen as you tried to form an excuse. 

“I-I’m sorry-” “Shut up. I thought I fucked the attitude out of you but I guess you still need to be taught a lesson. You’ve been using your bratty mouth too much, perhaps you’ll learn how to silence yourself with my cock inside it,” he snarled, standing up to remove his pants and boxers, the outline of his dick already making you hot and bothered. 

Although you’ve been living with your boyfriend for a long time now, his dick size never fails to impress you. Unfortunately, it means that he’s not going to have mercy on you, especially since you pissed him off. 

“I thought you were going to be a good girl but you just love acting up, do you? Do you like being a stupid slut? Did my little girl grow up to be a dumb brat?” he scoffed, pulling down his undergarments to reveal his huge cock, the tip hitting his belly button area before standing up proudly. You felt your mouth water at his size, wanting to take the whole thing inside you. 

“Well, what are you waiting for? Are you going to obey like a good baby or are you going to keep on talking with that bratty little voice?” he snapped, taking you out of your gazing. You nodded obediently, not saying a word otherwise you would get in even more trouble. Taehyung stroked his cock for a bit, the pre-cum acting as lube to make it easier for you to swallow. 

Once his tip was placed in front of your lips, you immediately opened and took his length inside you, trying to fit as much as you can. Normally, you could suck a good half but since you’re on thin ice from your behavior, he’s definitely going to make you take the whole thing. Hearing his low husky moans made you feel better, knowing that you’re at least doing it right. 

You could feel him inch deeper inside you until you were nose deep between his balls. Taehyung’s head was thrown back and sweat was dripping down his face as his tip went past your gag reflex, the warm and wet sensation making the feeling extremely sensational. 

“D-addy, do you want me to-” you garbled, trying to form words but they came out as mostly gibberish due to the amount in your throat. 

“Choke on it, slut.” He starts to thrust forwards and backwards at a fast pace, one that you’re not accustomed to. Due to his length being too much for you to handle, you felt a long stream of tears flow down your cheeks as you try to hollow your throat to accommodate him.

“God, that feels so good. Finally my little baby is using her mouth for something good,” he grunts, placing his hands on your shoulders to thrust quicker. The low moans and growls he makes while you suck his dick turns you on, the all-too familiar ache between your legs building up again. “Do you like gagging on my cock baby girl?” You let out a nod which only made your breathing harder so you instructed yourself to breathe through your nose. Taehyung wasn’t looking empathetic for now as he smiled sadistically while chasing his own high. 

With your face being near the base of his cock and your jaw slacked to attempt to take him and make it easier for you, you truly thought he was cruel for making you take him whole. Hearing your little gags and garbles starts to make him go faster as he thrusts in and out of your mouth at an inhuman-like pace while you try to suck on him better to get more of his reactions. 

“God, you look so fucking hot like this. Your mouth feels so so good, I’m gonna cum,” he gasps, your little whimpers vibrating against the underside of his shaft. You felt a line of saliva flow down the corner of your mouth as your throat starts to close around his dick. 

“Gonna cum, yeah fuck baby, I’m gonna cum,” he chants, his thrusts slowing down and after a loud moan of your name, his hot and sticky liquid spurted down your throat. You decided to take it down your throat, slowly sucking on it to clean his seed from his dick as he gently took it out from your mouth. With the length removed, you let out a deep gasp of breath as you struggled to breathe properly. 

“Whoa, baby, are you okay?” he asked, patting your back gently in an attempt to help you breathe. After a few minutes of clearing your throat, you nodded while wincing from the ache from the back of your throat. 

“Y-yeah, I’m fine. I’ll be okay,” you gasped, slowly breathing in and out. 

“Good,” he beamed before turning back into his dominant self. However, instead of the coldness that he showed you before, his eyes are more playful and loving. “Did you learn your lesson?” You nodded weakly, cuddling your face against his chest. “I did, I’m extremely sorry Daddy! I didn’t mean to say that.” He pretended to think deeply as if he wanted to accept your apology or not. You prayed that he does because you’ve already been punished enough. 

“It’s okay baby, I forgive you,” he smiled, his iconic box smile popping up on his sunshine-like face. “But know that I’ll always be yours, no matter what and I hope the same for you.” “Duh, now shut up and kiss me,” you snarked and although he rolled his eyes at your abrasive personality, he complied anyways.

“Hold on, let me take your toys off,” he sighed, unlocking the handcuffs and bending you over to remove the anal beads. You moan from the movement as you’ve gotten accustomed to the toy inside you. You watch intently as he carefully places them on the nightstand to disinfect later and carries you to the bed. “You ready for my dick, baby girl?” His tip was placed against your folds, teasing you slowly. You let out a shaky moan, wanting this just as much as he does. Taehyung took it as a yes as he slowly entered inside you, grunting from the inclusion. “Damn, you’ve gotten so much tighter, huh?” You just let out shaky moans and whimpers in response as you feel him completely enter you and fill you up. Your walls were fluttering around his length as you tried to take as much as him in, causing him to let out a low groan. 

“Jesus fuck…” he grunted, as he immediately took his cock out, hovered it above your cunt, and slammed it inside you with such force. You let out a scream from the action, catching you off guard as you try to match up with his quick pace. 

Like it was nothing, Taehyung snapped his hips quickly like it was child’s play as he fucks you deeper and harder, more intense than all of your previous rounds. He touches his bulge that’s deep inside your stomach, causing you to let out a whimper from his smirking face upon you. 

“Yeah, does my little baby like being filled up and having my cock be deep inside her?” he asks while fucking you like no tomorrow. 

“O-oh my god, yea, yes Daddy,” you purred, your half-droopy eyes interlocking with his, a simple but cherished action he likes during sex. It can be intense and a bit awkward at times, especially since he has a look that could make anyone fall on their knees on a normal day, but his dark starry eyes were to die for. After a minute, you look away with embarrassment but Taehyung cups your cheek and continues to stare for a moment longer. 

“Don’t look away from me baby, I wish you can see how much your cute face looks while you’re getting your pussy pounded.” You were getting close to your orgasm again, your pussy clenching and fluttering around his dick. He could sense it too as he starts to pick up the pace and hit against your g-spot more often. “Shit, kitten, are you going to cum now? F-fuck yeah, cum for me now. I wanna see your cute face while you cream around my big dick.” His words were like the tipping point for you to orgasm as the knot that was building up finally lets out. You let out a scream as you felt your liquids gush around him, your mind having no thoughts in the world other than the feeling you have right now and your body is shaking violently from the pleasure. But instead of your usual intensity of an orgasm, you felt yourself squirt everywhere. Not only were your juices splattered onto your boyfriend’s cock but you felt the area around you feel drenched and some of them got onto Taehyung’s stomach and arms. 

He stared at you with wide eyes and an open mouth as he started to thrust sloppily, chasing after his high as well due to the sight. “Fucking shit, you squirted all over me baby. Damn that was so hot.” You whimpered from the sensitivity as he continued, his grunts and moans increasing in volume. “Jesus fuck, holy shit, the things you do to me baby girl.” After letting out a guttural grunt, his dick started to inflate and shoot out thick loads of his seed into your battered cunt. Taehyung slowly exited himself out of you and flopped down on the bed next to you while pushing his long fingers inside to keep his cum in there. You let out a squeal from the intrusion as he slowly brought some of his load in front of your face and tapped on your lips, slightly coating them.

“Can I have them Daddy?” you whispered and he gave you a nod in response. Like there was no tomorrow, you immediately inserted his fingers into your mouth and wantonly sucked on them, savoring the salty taste of his cum. He raised an eyebrow at your behavior and pushed them deeper, the flat of his fingers feeling the back of your mouth. This caused you to gag, the action reminding you when you were sucking on his dick a while ago. 

“O-okay baby that’s enough unless you want to go for another round, but I assume you’re too tired from that,” Taehyung laughed softly, slowly pulling them out to which you whined from the loss. “Are you okay, did I go too far? You did so well.” “Y-yeah, I’m okay,” you mumbled but he still wasn’t completely convinced. His duality always kills you but you were here for it anyways. 

“No, I must’ve gone too far. At any moment, did you feel like you wanted to use the safe word? Remember that if-” “Taehyungie, you were okay! I’m okay and I didn’t want to use it. Besides, you were really hot dominating me like that,” you tried to assure him, rubbing his arms (which have gotten buffer) gently. “You took care of me well too.” “I’m glad to hear that! Hold on babe, I’m going to clean you up and get you some clothes.” He already left to go to the bathroom and during that, it gave you some time to think over your thoughts. Taehyung was truly a marvelous person: his looks were to die for, his personality was sweeter than honey but he can truly dominate someone the next second. You truly were thankful that he appeared in your life but a part of you didn’t understand why. 

He comes out dressed in his old vintage T-shirts and shorts with another oversized T-shirt and a damp towel in his hands. 

“Alright honey, can you lay down on your back for me? I must’ve made a mess.” “Dude, I literally squirted on not only you but the bed as well,” you dead-panned, causing him to laugh. He gently wiped the excess seed that laid on your inner thighs and the top of your private area before slipping a pair of your comfortable panties onto you. You quickly pulled on the shirt, the hem reaching the middle of your thighs and shyly gave him a hug (which was considerably rare for you to start them but with Taehyung, you would do it no matter what). He returned the hug back and laid you down on the bed with him cuddling you, being the big spoon within your relationship. 

You like how his bigger body can easily make you feel warm and you could hear the sound of his heartbeat, the soft feeling making you drowsy. 

“Do you want to sleep now, baby?” he rasps, rubbing the back of your neck and finding the particular spot where it was relieving for you. You nodded back in return as you turned over to face him, completely relishing his warm embrace. 

“Can I ask you something, Y/N? I hope you don’t feel uncomfortable,” he asked slowly, breaking the silence that lingered around the room. 

You nodded, slowly breaking out of his cuddle to face him with wide eyes. Although he didn’t want to break the hug either, he sat up to look at you as well. 

“Y/N, you know that I’m dating you and when I date someone, my attention is on them and because I’m with you, I only see you. My eyes will always be looking at you, I breathe and bathe in your presence daily, and I’ll even shout out to the world that I love you if you ever asked me. I’m completely yours honey and I’m curious on why do you get so jealous whenever a woman talks to me? It might sound insensitive but today you acted different when I talked to Irene. Why is that?” You let out a ragged sigh, unsure if you truly want to tell Taehyung. Of course you knew that Taehyung loved you until the end of time and you obviously feel the same way, but that was the problem. You would completely drop everything just to be with him forever but is it possible for a man like him to agree to that? Taehyung was an obvious romantic and if he had to choose between the world and you, he would choose you but why? Why were you so special that he’s dating you? There were plenty of other fish in the sea but his eyes were set on you. 

You were just another girl who’s trying to survive in the cutthroat fashion world, constantly thinking to yourself on how much of a disappointment you were. Being an idol was a dream you were dead-set on ever since you were a child but you were too chicken to go to an actual audition and spent the early stages of your adult life fighting with your mom to go on a fashion major: a second choice you didn’t really care for but it was a second choice nonetheless. 

Taehyung was a successful photographer with many deals and collaborations from multiple people, some even for famous magazines. His visuals were good enough to even be a Gucci model! He’s good with children and elderly people, he’s an amazing baker, he can play the saxophone, and he could even sing! He shouldn’t be dating some girl who acts like a little kid and has a personality that is absolutely intolerable to most people. 

“Taehyung, why are you dating me? If Irene asked you out on a date, would you go on it while you’re in a relationship with me?” “Of course not, I only have-” “But Irene’s ten times more gorgeous than me, it’s like comparing a swan to a baby duck! What kind of man would turn down a sexier woman for a toddler look alike?” you cried, your emotions showing out as you sobbed onto the comforter. He looked at you with sad eyes, rubbing your arms in an attempt to soothe you but your tears didn’t stop running. 

“Taehyung, you’re literally every girl’s dream boyfriend! Yet you chose me out of all of those girls who I can’t compare to! Why?! I’m literally nothing compared to them; all of my life I’ve been bullied by my stature, my dreams didn’t come true, everyone thinks I’m annoying, and it fucking hurts to hear gossip from the people in this town on why I’m dating you! I’m just not good enough and I’ll never be-” Your ranting was stopped by a kiss, a romantic and passionate one. You started to whimper inside his mouth as he didn’t break away. His lips were quickly detached from yours to kiss away the tears that were slowly dripping down your face. 

“Don’t say another word. I don’t understand why you don’t see yourself the same way I see you,” he said sternly, cupping your face gently. 

“Wh-what? I’m not-” “Never say you’re not something because you’re such a beautiful, smart, funny, creative, and witty person. I know it’s hard to not compare yourself to other women but out of all of them, I only see you. Even though you hate that you’re short and you look young, I promise you it’s one of the things I love the most about you. You’re so cute and it makes me so happy whenever I’m cuddling you and I love taking care of you. And it’s okay if your dreams didn’t come true, everything happens for a reason and if you were an idol, would you’ve met me?” “Not really-” “Exactly, it’s like fate did something and we were always meant to be with each other! Besides, I have some friends who are idols and they absolutely hate it.” “Wow, Taehyung, way to make me feel better,” you said sarcastically, a low chuckle vibrating against you. 

“Plus, I don’t find your personality annoying. It highlights you really well and I think it’s okay to have that kind of humor but if you act too bratty, I’m always there to punish you-” “God, you’re so perverted and this was supposed to be wholesome!” you barked, pushing him off while watching him with disgust as he tries to catch his breath from laughing too hard. 

“Sorry, sorry, the main point is that I love you no matter what and I’ll always think, dream, and bathe in you. You’re my girl and it’s always going to be that way,” he said, giving you another kiss before pulling you back down on the bed and cuddling you again. 

“Th-thank you Taehyung,” you said softly, wrapping an arm around his waist and pulling yourself closer to his chest. It’s so warm and familiar, just the way you like it. You shift around until you’re more comfortable as you melt yourself into him. It was hard to not feel jealous of other girls but you felt better after talking it out and hearing his words. 

“I love you,” he mumbled softly, slowly starting to fall asleep. 

“I love you too.” You moved around for a bit but a sudden pain in your lower area stopped you from wiggling too much. Of course you forgot that you were getting railed a while ago and it’s now the aftermath. 

“Yo Taehyung, why the fuck did you go hard on me? Now it hurts and I don’t think I can walk normally. Hell, I don’t think I can sit down because you spanked me as well!” you snapped, the all too familiar tsundere personality coming out. 

He only had a smirk etched out on his face, pulling you close to stuff your face within his chest. “Sorry, I guess,” he replied sarcastically, chuckling on how you grumbled and complained in response. 

“What does that mean, ‘I guess’? It’s always the doms with the biggest dicks.”

Your ringtone blasted across the room, waking you up from your comfortable and warm sleep with Taehyung. You grumbled to yourself as you groggily stared at the caller ID. Sure enough, it was Irene. Your heart dropped to your stomach as there was no other reason why she was calling you unless to fire you for your behavior at the diner yesterday. 

“Hello?” you answer timidly, praying that you won’t get kicked out today. 

“Hello, Y/N. I hope you’re having a lovely morning today.” “You too. Listen Irene, I’m really sorry on how I acted during the diner that time. It was extremely immature of me to have that attitude and not listen to your side of the story, I guess jealousy got the better of me. I-I promise there won’t be any more instances like this and I’m sorry for causing such inconvenience,” you rambled, sweat dripping down your back as your fate was determined on the other line. 

Silence filled the room and you waited impatiently, tapping your fingers along the headboard of your bed. Suddenly, laughter rang out from Irene’s side and you sighed in a breath of relief that you’re off the hook. 

“It’s okay, I completely understand why you acted that way and I apologize if it may seem like I’m making moves on your boyfriend. Although I would like it if you listened to my side, I’m hoping he did at least.” You stared at his sleeping figure and softly rubbed his bread-like cheeks with affection. “Y-yeah, he did. So, what did you want to call me about?” “Oh, do you know the dress designs that you submitted to me a few months ago?” Your mind went back to you staying overnight at the studio, scrapping pages and pages of different designs to find the perfect one to turn in. Although you were extremely proud, at that time Irene didn’t spend a second to even look at them which lowered your spirits. 

“Yeah, what about them? Did I do something wrong?” “No, you didn’t. In fact they were really lovely and I’m sorry it took me a long time to review them. Actually, I really liked it so much that I turned it into some big name fashion companies and they are deciding to feature them in their latest runway for a fashion week.” Your eyes widened, shock filling your brain as you tried to comprehend what was going on. There was no way, the design that you spent hours perfecting was able to go on the runway?! You let out a high-pitched shriek, instantly waking up Taehyung as he slowly opened his eyes. 

“Oh my god, thank you thank you thank you! I-I can’t believe this is happening!” you squealed, your excitement radiating the room like sunshine on a bright morning. 

“You’re welcome honey, I hope you’re coming up with more designs to possibly submit in the future.” “Of course! Thank you so much, have a great day!” you grinned as the call ended. You started babbling to yourself while Taehyung watched you with admiration surrounding his face. 

“Congratulations baby,” he grinned, giving you a kiss on your lips. 

“Hey, how did you know?” “I heard you screaming ever since the phone rang.” “I mean, I guess you would’ve found out that way. Anyways I’m so excited and happy since this is such a huge opportunity for me! Also, thank you for the support and love you gave me last night,” you said, pecking his cheeks. 

“Anytime baby girl. How about I make some of those fluffy pancakes you like for celebration,” he smiled, walking out of the bed and into the brown slippers you got him for his birthday once. 

“Alright, I’ll be-” Unfortunately for you, your legs stopped working and you tumbled out of the bed. Taehyung only laughed at your fall before carrying you bridal style, much to your embarrassment. 

“Thanks a lot Tae, you really ruined me last night,” you pouted as you made yourself comfortable in his arms. 

“You know you love me right,” he cooed, flicking your cheeks which turned into an embarrassingly bright red. As much as you don’t show it that much, you’re definitely in love with him no matter what. 

Just as Taehyung was about to head off for his photoshoot consisting of a beauty model, he slipped his hand underneath his drawer and beneath the ties hides a velvet red box. And inside the box was a wedding ring that was passed onto from generations of his family. 

You have been dating him for a few years now and although you never admitted it, you were hoping that one day he’ll propose to you. 

Taehyung smiled at the box before closing the drawer to head out his way. There was a legend throughout the Kim family that the ring fits the person who's the perfect wife for the son. The ring was quite small which meant most girls couldn’t fit it but since you have small hands, he checked the size of your fingers and it fit perfectly. 

Many people would ask him why he would choose a short abrasive girl like you as his girlfriend and some may judge but frankly, he didn’t care about what everyone else thought. 

Because he was lucky that destiny allowed him to be with you and the person that he set his mind and future on was only you. 

a/n: this was initially a drabble but i liked the idea sm that i decided to write a whole ff on it lol. thanks for reading, i hope you enjoy and let me know what you think! <3

taglist: @cherrykocho​, @knjkitten​

[charmingyong]

The Rose’s Queen

Genre: prince!Taeyong x hotel manager!reader, humour, fluff

Warnings: just a teeny bit of angst… I tried to keep this angst free

Word count: 12k

Plot: Prince Taeyong didn’t want to marry the King’s choice from Yong Land. With his servant Doyoung, he traveled abroad to search for his Queen.

A/N: Inspired by Coming to America. A Taeyong special for his birth month :D

© 2021 charmingyong.

- ❀ -

His eyes were closed, head leaning backwards and resting on the pillow beneath him. Candles were lined up along the ledge, burning to give off the scent of his favourite flower. The rose aromatherapy bath always relaxed his senses, and the peaceful moment didn’t last too long when-

“Your Highness!”

Taeyong didn’t need to open his eyes to see who it was and let out a heavy sigh. “What is it, Dons?”

“It’s your birthday today.”

“That I know. As you can see, I’m enjoying my present.” Rose baths were only prepared for the young prince on special occasions, including birthdays. On other days, lavender, chamomile, sandalwood, ylang ylang, jasmine, and other varieties found in the garden were used to prepare the prince’s bath.

Doyoung scoffed. “And you are now at the age when the King will be preparing your marriage with the future queen.”

Out of surprise, Taeyong lost grip and slipped under the water.

“Your Highness! Don’t leave us!” he cried dramatically.

Taeyong’s head popped up, shaking off the water and brushed back the long, now wet, silver strands. “Stop being dramatic.”

The servant sighed. “It’s a shame.”

The prince sent an unpleasant glare.

“Your Highness, the King has prepared an event tonight for the announcement of-”

“And before that even happens...” Taeyong stood up from his lukewarm bath and wrapped himself with a robe, tying it closed. “I have to speak with him.”

-

“Yong, my pride! Happy birthday. Have a seat, son. Your favourites have been prepared for you.” The King beckoned for the servants to serve the young prince.

But Taeyong didn’t sit down in his usual seat at the other end of the table. He marched over to the King. “May I have a word with you?”

“Of course, have a seat here,” his father responded by pointing at the chair on his right.

Taeyong plopped down and refused the sweets that a servant offered, shocking that the prince rejected sweets on his birthday. The matter was indeed a grave one. “This is about tonight.”

“Ah yes. Doyoung must have relayed the message to you.”

Speaking of him, the man with the resemblance of a bunny entered the dining hall, frantically searching for the young prince. “Your Highness, you could have at least worn your undergarment,” he huffed, holding a tray with Taeyong’s silky boxer neatly folded.

The male servants stifled back their laughter while the female ones blushed hard at the impure thoughts.

Taeyong only rolled his eyes at Doyoung and focused back on the King. “Why must I go for the queen of your choice?”

“Yong, we chose the best queen for the next king.”

And the prince didn’t like it, especially having met her once at a formal ball where she only did as trained and asked. “But I don’t want her to look at me only as the future king, I want her to look at me as Taeyong, which she can’t do. Please father, I’ve spent all my life doing everything you say. I’ve done my very best to train myself in becoming the next best king in Yong Land. Can I at least have a say in the selection for the next queen? Please?” Taeyong pleaded with soft eyes, hoping to melt the King’s heart.

The King thought for a bit before sighing in defeat. “I want you to be happy. But I also do not want any compromises for the future of this kingdom. If you can find a queen who can rightly stand by your side for the kingdom, then there shouldn’t be any problem.”

A huge grin was plastered on the young prince, relieved that it went a lot more smoothly than predicted. “Thank you very much. I’m sure my choice for queen won’t disappoint you or the people.”

The King gave him a nod. “Very well then. But how will you select your queen? Our kingdom is very small and surely you won’t find your queen here.”

Taeyong smiled, having already thought that through. “With your permission, I will travel abroad with Doyoung as assistant to find my queen.”

Doyoung was dumbfounded by the sudden request without prior notice. “We are?”

The King nodded. “You have my permission.”

- ❀ -

There was one thing Taeyong had to do before leaving for the quest.

His pet.

His best friend.

His family.

His dragon.

The dragon whimpered, saddened by the prince’s leave, and crouched down, nearing its head by the prince’s stance.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon with a surprise,” Taeyong said in a tender tone as he lovingly stroked his dragon’s face, placing a kiss on the top of its head.

- ❀ -

Taeyong stepped out of the airport and was met with the busy streets and tall buildings. He breathed in the fresh air, smiling to himself as he bathed under the sunlight. “The air is certainly more polluted than back home. Don’t you think, Dons?”

The said servant panted as he wheeled the luggage bags in each hand, annoyed that the prince had so much to carry. “I recommend traveling light next time.”

Taeyong scoffed. “I need it all to maintain my beauty.”

“You don’t need anything. You’re gorgeous without having to try.”

“I wonder if you truly mean that or you’re saying it to reduce your load.”

Doyoung fake smiled. “To be honest, both.”

Taeyong rolled his eyes. “How are we arriving at the accommodation?”

Numerous taxi cars awaited along the curb, and Doyoung pointed at them. “One of these vehicles should help us.”

The prince hummed and waited for Doyoung’s next move, and when he didn’t budge from his spot, Taeyong asked, “Are you not going to prepare the transportation?”

Doyoung groaned. “You really can’t do anything on your own, huh?” Doyoung was lucky that he grew up by Taeyong’s side, otherwise he would have been reprimanded by the royal member. He dragged the baggages to one of the stopped cars. “Can you drive us to the most luxurious hotel around here, please?” he asked.

The taxi driver nodded. “Hop in, mate.”

During the ride, the man frequently checked his review mirror, taking note of Taeyong’s hairstyle and decided to give him some free, though unasked for, advice. “Mate, if you didn’t have a pretty face like that, you’d be mistaken for being a grandfather.” Taeyong scowled at the driver while Doyoung nearly burst out laughing before covering his mouth. “No offense, but do you have a girlfriend, mate?”

Doyoung replied, “We’re here to search for his queen.”

The driver was amused by the choice of title. “Won’t be finding one with a hair like that.”

Taeyong scowled. “There’s nothing wrong with my hair,” he defended. It was his charm and he wasn’t going to let it go.

Doyoung stared out the window at the pedestrians and took note of the popular hairstyles for men in the area. “He is right. We have to change your hair if you want to win your queen’s heart. Excuse me, could you please detour to the best hairdresser nearby?”

-

The prince was forced down onto the swivel chair by the servant. “Quit frowning or you’ll get wrinkles,” Doyoung taunted.

That made Taeyong lessen his frown marginally.

“Damn son, where did you come from? I’ve never seen hair like this before,” the hairdresser asked as he prepared his tools.

Taeyong observed himself in the mirror. He had a deep attachment with his silver locks and couldn’t imagine having it cut. “Touch it and I’ll behead you,” he threatened dangerously under his breath.

“Sorry, what was that?”

“Nothing!” Doyoung exclaimed and turned to the prince. “You can’t say that here,” he hissed in a hushed tone.

“Alright then, I’ll be cutting his mullet off. What about the colour? Do you want to keep it or change it up?”

Doyoung and Taeyong blurted out at the same time. “Change.” “Keep.”

Taeyong glared at the taller boy and argued. “I’m already sacrificing my hair. Can I at least keep the colour?”

Doyoung ignored him and requested the hairdresser to change it to “Brown.”

-

The two walked into the foyer of the grand hotel. Taeyong looked up at the high ceiling where grand chandeliers hung elegantly, lighting up the vintage hotel in a mesmerizing manner. “Nice,” he approved.

Doyoung strolled up to the receptionist and asked her, “Do you have a deluxe suite available for immediate reservation?”

She nodded. “Yes, we do. I can book one for you,” she replied and began typing into her system.

Taeyong leaned against the counter and found a couple of girls from a distance stare at him, giggling amongst themselves. He smirked and silently greeted them with a nod. They squealed, blessed to have such an ethereal being notice them.

“Looks like I still have the effect despite my changed hairstyle.”  

“See? Just because you don’t have a unique haircut doesn’t mean you’re no longer special.”

“I still haven’t let go of my grudge.”

“And I don’t expect you too.”

Taeyong scowled. “I’ll behead you.”

Doyoung scoffed.

The concerned receptionist looked between them and the servant noticed. “Don’t worry. It’s his favourite empty threat.”

She only nodded and said, “I have one ready. What name should I book it under?”

“Your Highness.”

The woman’s jaw hung open. “Sorry?”

Taeyong elbowed him hard which resulted in the poor man to grunt out in pain. “Please book it under Taeyong.” He glared at the boy beside him. “You have to use my name at times like this!”

“I can never be disrespectful and utter your name!”

Taeyong huffed, knowing that his servant only had the courage to drop formalities but would never dare to speak of the royal name.

The woman warily watched the men and handed over the card keys, informing, “Your suite 2707 is on the 27th floor. The bell staff are at the front and you can request them for assistance to bring your belongings up.”

Doyoung retrieved it with a bow. “Thank you.” He passed one to the prince. “You can go up to the suite while I have the staff bring the bags.”

Taeyong found the elevator and pressed the button. The doors opened and he walked in, pressing 27. Just as the doors were about to close, he heard a loud “Wait!” Taeyong quickly stopped the doors from closing and his breath got caught in his throat when he saw you burst in.

You were relieved to have caught it in time instead of having to wait for the elevator to return. You casually thanked the man and pressed the top floor of the hotel.  

Taeyong’s cheeks dusted pink as he shamelessly gawked at your beauty, your cream-coloured blouse amplifying your radiance. “No problem.” He was surely blessed by the divine beings to have found his queen on his first day abroad. “Do you come here often?”

You blinked at the man, flabbergasted by his inquiry. “Sorry?”

“Will I see you around here often?”

You nodded slowly. “Yes, you will.” You didn’t have a name tag like the staff as you were a special person at the hotel. Not only were you the hotel manager, but also the daughter of the wealthy man who owned the establishment.

He hummed and stuck out his hand. “I’m Taeyong.”

You stared at his hand incredulously. Sticking to professionalism, you ignored his hand and replied back with your name and a courteous smile.

Taeyong dropped his hand to his side and the elevator doors opened to his floor. He stepped out and faced you. “I hope to see again, Y/N,” he beamed, his bright face not wavering when you didn’t meet the excitement. You quirked an eyebrow at him as if he were crazy. Taeyong was surely desperate to meet someone who he had been with for a brief moment.

The doors reopened once reaching the penthouse of the hotel and on the way to your room, a smile grew on your face. He’s interesting, you thought.

Taeyong plopped onto an armchair happily, munching on the sweets available as complimentary upon entry into the luxurious suite.

When Doyoung came inside with the bellhop behind him, Taeyong announced, “I found my queen.”

Doyoung rapidly blinked. “We've just arrived here and you found her already?”

“I met her on the elevator.”

“That’s interesting. Who is she?”

“Y/N.”

Doyoung blinked. “Y/N who? What does she do for a living?”

Taeyong shrugged. “I only know her name.”

“What? Your Highness, you can’t decide on a queen just by knowing her name. You have to learn about her too.”

Taeyong shrugged. “There wasn’t enough time. But I do know that she’s here.”

- ❀ -

Taeyong and Doyoung walked up to the receptionist. The prince leaned against the counter as the servant inquired, “Is there a garden nearby with roses? We would like to handpick some.”

The receptionist lady nodded. “Yes. In fact, our hotel has a garden exclusively for the guests and there’s plenty there for you. It’s located down the hallway with the amenities.”

“Ah, thank you very much. Let’s go, Your Highness.”

The woman looked at the servant with a puzzled face when hearing the title again before shaking her head and resumed back to her tasks. Just as the two men were about to leave for the garden, you walked up to the desk. Your eyes met Taeyong’s and he pushed himself off the counter to watch you with full attention. He took note of your outfit, casual activewear which was a contrast to the professional attire he had last seen on you.

You ignored him and asked Sana for any updates, to which she replied with a no.

“What updates do you speak of?” Taeyong asked curiously with his head tilted.

Guess this was the time to reveal yourself. “I'm the manager and daughter of the man who owns this hotel.”

Doyoung’s eyes went wide at the news of the prince’s future queen being of nobility. Meanwhile, Taeyong’s lips curled up at the information. Even if you weren't from a noble background, he still would have chosen you as his queen. Now there was no way that his queen selection would be rejected by the King.

“We shall take your leave,” Doyoung said and pulled Taeyong by his arm for the direction of the garden. You watched them leave with a blank look as Taeyong’s bright eyes didn't leave from yours and waved his hand.

When the men were out of sight, you asked Sana, “Did Ten arrive?”

She nodded. “Yes, he’s in the studio.”

“Okay. I’ll be there for a bit.”

At the garden, Doyoung got to work with handpicking fresh roses while Taeyong strolled around with hands clasped behind his back. He stopped by one and bent down to take a deep breath in. The scent filled his lungs and went into a state of bliss for a brief moment. He needed to pick that one out for you.

After ending their quest with Doyoung carrying a bag full of roses, they walked down the passageway for the main lobby. Taeyong hummed happily, twirling the stem between his thumb and index finger. His steps slowed when hearing music start from a room. “Where’s that sound coming from?”

Doyoung’s ears perked up. “I think from that room,” he pointed to a dance studio. The door was slightly ajar and curiosity got them to lean their heads against the door. There was a huge mirror covering the wall and in front of it was you.

Boy Bye by Helly Luv blasted from the stereo system and you appeared in their sight. Taeyong’s breath hitched when seeing you dance so smoothly and precisely to the music, being mesmerized by the way your hips moved.

Got a crown on my head make Boys bow down "Are you ready for the Queen?" We shout out loud

Taeyong smiled at the lyrics. He was ready to take you back home as the queen. He could envision the people cheering happily for your entry, and bowing with respect as you’d walk past them.

He definitely needed to see you with the crown on your head.

I don't wanna hate you Boy I try This is for my bitches Ride and die

“Biches? What’s that?” Taeyong asked with scrunched brows.

Doyoung shook his head. “Maybe it was beaches, as in the shore?”

The prince hummed. “I see.”

I don't lose Sit on my throne Sippin' on champagne, gotta pick up my phone You lose

Taeyong was so whipped for you that he couldn’t wait to see you sit in the throne, sipping on champagne, wine, and tea out of your golden cup.

The dance break initiated and you swapped places with Ten. Taeyong was confused where the unknown man came from as Ten did his solo dance before the chorus returned. And that was when Taeyong became furious, seeing the man touch you during the dance.

“How dare he touch my queen! I’ll behead him!” he grumbled through gritted teeth.

Doyoung rolled his eyes and reminded, “Your Highness, she’s not your queen yet.”

When the song ended, you plopped down onto the floor, breathing heavily. “That was fun.”

Ten snickered. “More fun than being a manager, huh?”

You rolled your eyes at him, staying quiet on that. It wasn’t that you hated helping your father out with managing the hotel, but you wished to do something more exciting.

Knock knock!

Your eyes snapped up to the door, finding Taeyong and his friend from earlier. “May we come in?” the charming man asked.

Standing up, you invited them in. “Of course, please come in. Can I help you with something?” you asked with the manager tone that you had been taught to use on guests.

Taeyong could see that you didn’t suspect him and his servant secretly observing your dance and so he didn’t bring it up. He couldn’t have the future king be labeled as a spy. “Yes, I was in the garden and I found this rose. It appears to be lacking something. Can you have a look at it, please?” he asked, holding the rose up for you.

What a bizarre request, you thought, but you did as asked. You took hold of the red rose and inspected it, even taking a sniff of its aroma. Nothing seemed off about it and replied, “Well, it seems perfect to me. What’s wrong with it?” You were very confused when Taeyong had picked out the most perfect flower you would see in aesthetic pictures.

Taeyong hummed while softly staring at you. “Now it’s perfect. The rose was just lacking its queen.”

Doyoung started choking on the air while Ten let out an amused “Ooo~”

You felt blood rush to your cheeks from his flirting, his smirk making your heart beat faster and you muttered under your breath, “What are you?”

- ❀ -

The next morning, you woke up in your plush bed. Sitting up, you stretched your arms above your head and yawned. You suddenly thought of the handsome man staying at the hotel, thinking about the way he had been friendly with you, flirting with you. You looked at the rose resting on the nightstand, sinking in the sunlight that seeped through the uncovered windows.

Sighing out a breath, you slipped into your slippers and strolled through the hallway, arriving at the breakfast table where your father’s secretary Kim stood.

“Good morning, Y/N,” the middle-aged man smiled.

“We’ll see how today goes before determining it’s a good morning.” Your day could get hectic and hair-grabbing depending on the number of guest complaints. “We have a meeting soon with the marketing team, right?”

Kim nodded. “Yes.”

-

In the conference room, the team lead was presenting information that highlighted the daily and monthly sales revenues. To increase the sales, the leader suggested to create advertising campaigns for promoting the hotel. In the midst of the speech, you didn’t realize that you had zoned out until you heard, “How does that sound, ma’am?”

All eyes were on you and you grew flustered and slapped your cheeks to snap out of your daze, making the team concerned if you were feeling unwell. You were once again thinking about the alluring man that went by the name Taeyong. “Sorry, I- can you please send me a copy of the report?” you asked, pressing your lips together from the embarrassment.

-

You walked into the dining area where various sweets were on display as complimentary for the guests. During your routine check, your eyes traveled around the seating area to make sure the guests were enjoying the treats and immediately spotted Taeyong a few tables away, sitting with the same man you saw from before.

Taeyong felt your gaze while eating his slice of chocolate cake. He turned his head to meet your eyes, sending a wink your way while smirking.

You looked away with your erratic heartbeat. Why is this happening, you thought pointlessly. You knew you were falling for the man whose identity you didn’t know of yet.

- ❀ -

Though Taeyong would love to spend the entire day in the hotel unexpectedly bumping into you, he did want to go out and see the kind of world that you lived in.

Taeyong and Doyoung walked up to the receptionist, the same one they had always encountered since they first arrived. At that point, the prince had memorized the name on her nametag, Sana.

Just when Doyoung was about to open his mouth, Taeyong beat him and leaned against the ledge asking, “Ms. Sana, can you recommend some things to do around the city? I would love to learn some things that my queen-to-be has grown accustomed to living around.”

Sana’s eyes went wide from the latter. “Sorry?”

Doyoung nervously chuckled and added, “Haha sorry, please don’t mind what he said.” He turned to the prince and harshly whispered, “Can you stop using the word queen around casually?”

Sana looked around, landing on your graceful figure leisurely strolling up to her desk. You disregarded the men, which one of them beamed at your appearance. You tried your best to ignore him as your heart rate picked up with Taeyong’s gaze heavy on your side profile. “I’ll be taking a break for a few hours,” you informed her to which she nodded.

Taeyong was pleased to hear that and said, “Perfect!”

You blinked at him confusedly. “Sorry?”

He did his signature half smile and suggested, “Why not take a break with us?”

-

A walk in the lively park was splendid for the prince. He enjoyed seeing cheerful children running around, dog owners walking and playing with their dogs, couples sitting on the benches sharing sweet treats and even riding rented tandem bicycles.

Taeyong was curious about those two wheeled vehicles. He had never ridden one and to see such luxury where two could ride one… he needed to try it. “Let’s ride that,” he said pointing to a couple riding one.

Your eyes followed his finger and felt blood rush to your cheeks, suddenly feeling shy at the thought of being close to Taeyong, behind him on the wheels. “Um, do you mean you and me?” you asked just to be sure.

He huffed. “I would never ride that bike with this one,” he gestured to the servant.

Doyoung was offended and clutched his breaking heart. “I thought you loved me!”

Taeyong waved his hand dismissively. “Not right now. All of my attention is currently on this beautiful queen,” he flirted with a wink sent your way.

“Don’t say stuff that isn’t true,” you muttered under your breath. Beautiful queen and you? You could only dream.

Though he retorted with a tut. “It is true and I will prove it to you.”

Once you arrived at the stand for renting out the bicycle, Taeyong observed the surroundings, taking note of how the riders paddled their feet in synchronization. He practiced the feet movements using his hands, and quickly hid his hands when you faced him again. “Are you ready?” you asked.

“Ready as always.” Taeyong would always have to be ready for unexpected events in Yong Land. Riding a bike was nothing compared to that.

Or so he thought.

You sat down on the rear end and waited for the one who showed great interest in the bike to sit down. When you and Doyoung held the bike for Taeyong, he threw his leg over and gripped onto the handle, immediately a worry taking over. “Is this going to balance by itself?”

You quirked an eyebrow at him. “You don’t know how to ride a bike?”

Doyoung answered, “No, Your Highness has no prior experience with riding such vehicles.”

You gaped at his words. Not at the fact that Taeyong didn’t know how to bike but… Your Highness? “What did you call him?”

Realizing his mistake, Doyoung’s hand flew to his mouth while Taeyong laughed it off. “Doyoung loves calling me that. Don’t mind him.”

Your eyes shifted between the two and at the end believed him. “Well then, I’ll sit at the front and lead.”

So that was how Taeyong ended up sitting behind you and let out a yelp when you started paddling. He screamed when you zoomed down a small slope as Doyoung chased after you two, fearing for the prince’s safety.

- ❀ -

You were having a talk with a guest in the lobby until you saw your father walk through the entrance with a man of his age beside him, laughing among themselves. You bid the guest a wonderful day and waited to see where your father went. He met your eye and waved at you, gesturing the man to follow him as they made their way towards you.

You smiled warmly and greeted them. “Hello, sir. How are you?”

Your father chuckled and said, “Y/N dear, this fine gentleman here is actually willing to affiliate with our brand.”

You beamed at the great news. “That’s amazing!”

He nodded and continued, “And it will be through your marriage with his son.”

Your smile dropped in a heartbeat. “Sorry?”

“His son is actually the CEO of-“

“Dad, I’m sorry but can I speak with you for a minute?”

The two glanced at each other and your father sighed. “Sure.”

After being a safe enough distance for the man to not hear you, you got straight to the point. “I like someone.”

For a moment, he didn’t say a word, thinking through his thoughts. Your palms grew sweaty when he let out a long sigh. “Who is he?”

“His name is Taeyong. I don’t know what he is but I can go figure that out right now. He’s been staying at our hotel for some time.”

He hummed and said, “If I find that this man is right for you, then I’ll have no objections.”

Your jaw dropped, not believing how easily your father was willing to let go of an affiliate offer. “Seriously? What about the hotel?”

“We’re at the number one spot for the best hotel in the city. I can’t get any greedier than that,” he joked before turning serious and patted your head gently. “You’re all I’ve got. You’ve done so much helping me with the hotel and in return, you deserve someone who will keep you happy. If this Taeyong is the one, then I have no objections. But of course, I can’t have him easily take my daughter away until he’s earned my trust.”

You grinned widely. “Thanks, dad.”

You went up to the receptionist desk and waited for Sana to finish her phone call. Once she hung up, she asked. “Yes, ma’am?”

“Which room is Taeyong staying in?”

Sana recalled the familiar name, one who she couldn’t shake to forget. “2707. But please be careful. They sound like complete lunatics,” she spoke the last part quietly. It was very impolite for staff to speak ill of guests.

Lunatics? “What do you mean?”

“The way they talk- I mean I don’t why the friend refers Mr. Taeyong as ‘Your Highness’ as if he’s some sort of King. And not only that, Mr. Taeyong even called me the ‘queen-to-be’ and I… I don’t know what to do.”

That sounded like how it went with the park outing. The way Taeyong called you queen and Doyoung called Taeyong Your Highness. You thought that was just them playing around but for the situation to arise with Sana as well… You sulked a little merely at the thought of Taeyong not calling you a queen exclusively. “He called you a queen?” What on earth is Taeyong?

“Well, he didn’t directly call me that so it may have been for someone else. But still, these two men really are… different.”

You hummed and informed her, “I’ll go check on the situation. Don’t speak of this matter to anyone else.” She nodded and you strode away.

-

“Prepare me a rose bath.”

Doyoung did as told, setting up the bathtub like the way he did in Yong Land. He was glad that he had all the essentials for the prince’s special time, only the addition of rose petals were courtesy of the hotel.

Once the prince got into the tub, Doyoung said, “I’m going to the garden for more petals.”

Taeyong simply hummed in response.

Not to long after he left, a series of knocks was heard. He groaned as he wasn’t expecting anyone, and even more at the thought of having the answer the door himself. “Who could possibly be disturbing me?”

He stepped out of his bath and put on a robe. Shaking his brown hair with his hand and letting water droplets fall on the floor, he opened the door with his eyes fully blowing up from having to be blessed by your presence.

You took note of his wet self in the robe and felt a rush of heat taking over your face. “Sorry, did I disturb you? I think I should come back la-”

Taeyong shook his head frantically. “No! No, you didn’t. Please come in.” He stepped aside and gestured you in.

You walked in and composed yourself from the distraction.

“Please have a seat, Y/N,” he said and settled himself into an armchair across from you, leaning into the back with his arms on the armrest and crossing his legs like a king on his throne. “How can I help you?”

First, Sana. “Did you call the receptionist the queen-to-be?”

He stared at you blankly and answered with a slow shake of head. “No, I would never call anyone else but you the future queen.” His eyes turned playful when he noticed you release a breath of relief and asked, “Did you come all the way here to ask me that?”

You pursed your lips and looked away shyly. “Well, I did need this cleared up because…” Should you just get straight to the point? Yes. “The talk of my marriage was going on and I wasn’t happy about it.”

Taeyong jolted upright, the stress immediately rushing to him at the thought of losing you. “Why weren’t you happy?”

A smile threatened to tug at the corner of your lips when seeing Taeyong’s panicky eyes. “Because I like you.”

Taeyong calmed down and shrunk back into his seat at your words. But when the words actually got processed into his brain, his eyes almost fell out of its sockets and bolted upright again. “Did you say that you…” He couldn’t believe it was happening.

You chuckled quietly and nodded. “Yes, I like you. While all your flirting might be obvious, I still need a confirmation though. Do you like me?” You could have been wrong and it was just him being a charming man for ladies. But if he was only calling you a queen, then he had to be feeling something exclusively for you.

Taeyong feverishly nodded. “Yes I do! Ever since I first laid my eyes on you, I wished for you to be my queen.”

You felt like you were on cloud nine, knowing that your feelings weren’t one sided. But you did cringe a little on something. “I’m glad, but can you stop calling me queen. It’s kind of starting to sound cheesy.”

Taeyong held back the adrenaline rushing in his veins and furrowed his brows. “What do you mean cheesy-“

He was cut off by the door to the suite being unlocked and in walked his servant with a big bag of freshly picked roses. He stopped in his tracks when he noticed you and the prince looking at him. Though instead of greeting you or informing the prince of the accomplished task like he would always...

“Your Highness! Please don’t tell me you’re not wearing any undergarment again,” he spitted through gritted teeth. “Especially in front of her.”

Without meaning to, your eyes went there, and your face was on fire at the thought.

Taeyong noticed it and with wiggly brows asked, “Want to see my royal member?”

Your jaw dropped at the absurdity. “I’m leaving!” You stood up and was about to bolt for the door until Taeyong blocked you.

“I’m sorry! Please don’t leave! I won’t do that again,” he pleaded with desperate eyes.

Doyoung snorted. “Well it’s nice to see that your queen-to-be has a reign on you.”

Your hands clenched in anger and yelled, “Will you stop calling me that?”

“Calling you what?”

“Taeyong’s bloody queen!”

“Don’t speak like that!” Doyoung yelled.

Taeyong gasped at the audacity for his servant to raise his voice at his beloved. “Don’t yell at my queen! Wait till we get back and I’ll behead you!”

Groaning, you held back your desire to kick him there. “Stop talking like that! You sound like some king wannabe!” you shouted over them.

It suddenly went eerie silent as Doyoung gave Taeyong a look to tell her the truth. Taking a deep breath, the prince said, “That’s because I am the future king. I’m currently a prince in line for the throne. And this is Doyoung, my servant.”

An unnerving moment passed and it felt like you stopped breathing for that time. You looked between the two men who were seriously watching for your reaction, which was you bursting out in laughter. Laughing as if you had completely lost your sanity. Sana was right. They were lunatics. “You know what? I retract my confession and go marry that other guy my dad initially set me up with. If I stay here any longer, I’ll lose my mind like you guys.”

“No!” Taeyong held his arms out posing a ‘T’ to stop you. “I’m not joking. I really am a prince.”

“Really?” You expected princes to enter your hotel in a grand extravagant way. Not just with one other person who wasn’t even a personal guard but a servant. “Prince of what country?”

“Yong Land.”

You rolled your eyes. “The more the reason to not believe you. I’ve never heard of that place.”

“I can prove it to you in due time, but for now please believe me,” he begged with his hands clasped.

Doyoung gaped at the prince’s unfamiliar gesture. “Your Highness has never pleaded to anyone before,” he told you.

You waited to see if there was a change in Taeyong’s expression but he remained resolute. You asked, “So when my dad asks what you do, you’re saying that you’re a prince?”

“Yes.”

You let out a loud sigh and threatened, “I’ll kill you if all this is a lie.”

Doyoung couldn’t believe that someone was threatening to kill the prince in his presence. Taeyong noticed him and held his hand up to stop Doyoung from saying anything. “That won’t happen. I intend to go back to Yong Land with your hand in mine.”

Your heart fluttered at his words, at how serious he was taking you as his queen. You eventually gave up your defenses and softly muttered, “I’d love that.”

Taeyong tenderly smiled at you and clapped his hand excitedly. “Let’s go see your father then.”

“Wait not yet. I should tell him first and see how he reacts. After that, we can set up a meeting.”

Taeyong nodded. “That sounds good. And we should celebrate now that we both like each other,” he said with a radiant smile.

You grinned widely. “I agree.”

In the midst of you and Taeyong staring at one another with bubbling joy, Doyoung said, “I recommend Your Highness to dress himself before the celebration.”

-

You added the final touch to your look with your favourite lip gloss, twisting the cap back on and pressed your lips together before releasing a pop sound. Once you were pleased with your look, your bouncy feet headed out of your room.

Your father was discussing something with his secretary in the living room and caught sight of your dazzling outfit, his brow arching and silently questioned your night plan.

Walking closer to him, you asked, “Can I go out with Taeyong?”

He nodded at the familiar name. “Did you find out who he is?”

You nervously gulped. How ridiculous was it going to sound that he was an unconfirmed prince? “Yeah…? Well, I don’t know. He calls himself a prince and-”

“Did you just say prince?” he asked in amazement.

You nodded slowly.

“Of where?”

You tried to recall the name. “Something like Yong Land. I’ve never heard of that place.”

He turned to Kim and gave him a look that instantly made the secretary pull out his phone and tapped away, presumably to web search about the land. “I’m afraid no such land exists,” Kim informed.

Oh shit.

Your father gave you a deadpanned look. “This man is a liar?”

You hoped not. “Dad, hear me out. He said he’ll prove it to you.”

“I’m not letting you go out with him until this is settled. Call him over right now.” His voice was stern and left no room for objection.

Sighing, you called Sana on her mobile and she picked up after the first ring. “Yes, ma’am?”

“Send Taeyong up to the penthouse. And tell him to bring that proof.”

“Which proof are you speaking of?”

“He'll know.”

“Okay, ma’am.”

Sana placed down her cell phone and picked up the handset of the telephone, dialing the suite number.

Doyoung answered the incoming call. “Hello? Yes? I see. Thank you very much. We’ll be there shortly.” He found the prince lazing on the couch with a bowl of chocolate covered strawberries. “Your Highness, the queen is calling you up to the penthouse with the proof.”

Taeyong hummed and smirked. “You know what to do,” he said and popped the remaining piece of the bitten fruit in his mouth.

The servant nodded. “I’ll bring it.”

-

The clock kept ticking as you waited impatiently for the so-called prince. Your father was lost in his thoughts, thinking about what if scenarios in case the man did in fact turned out to be a prince like you claimed. His foot tapped repetitively against the shiny floor until the doorbell rang.

“I’ll get that!” You jogged away before your father would say a word. Just as you expected, it was Taeyong and behind him Doyoung. “Did you bring it?”

Taeyong smirked and gestured his hand to the briefcase that Doyoung held. You guided them to where your father waited solemnly and once his eyes landed on Taeyong, he gestured to the couch across him. “Please have a seat.”

“Thank you, sir.” Taeyong sat down while Doyoung stood at the side, ready for the prince’s command.

Your father let out a deep sigh and asked, “You wish to have my daughter’s hand?”

Taeyong gave him a reassuring sincere smile. “Yes, sir. I only wish for hers.”

You pressed your lips together to stop yourself from smiling like crazy when hearing Taeyong say that to your father.

Your father let out a hum in content. “You claim to be the prince of Yong Land, is that correct?”

“Yes, sir.”

“What proof do you have? According to my source,” your father pointed at Kim who stood off to the side, “Yong Land does not exist.”

Taeyong gave him a curt nod and waved Doyoung over. Doyoung understood the cue and placed the briefcase down on the center table, unlocking the latches and opening up the case. You gasped, covering your mouth for what laid inside. Kim’s eyes blew up in shock while your father’s eyes lit up with amusement.

In the case laid numerous stacks of shining gold bars.

“These bars hold the future of Yong Land. You will see my face imprinted on every single one of them. And as for Yong Land, it is a place of its own and not known to the world outside. That is why your source was not able to locate it via phone. To learn of the land, you must visit the land through special accommodation.”

Your father was silent for a moment before beckoning Kim over. “Check those bars,” he ordered.

Kim nodded and picked one up, weighing the luxury in his hand and inspecting it all around. His brows arched up when he indeed found the face of the man sitting across his boss. For confirmation, he picked another one up and found it to be exactly identical to the first. “The man is speaking the truth. His face is carved in along with the inscription ‘Lee Taeyong, King of Yong Land’ on these bars.”

Your jaw dropped and your heart pounded in your chest at the news. The Taeyong that had been living at the hotel sending friendly signals towards you and calling you a queen was indeed the prince and future king of his land. You were all this time being indirectly courted by him and the news was too much for your faint heart to handle. “You’re kidding…” you mumbled under your breath.  

Doyoung met your eye and smiled sweetly, knowing that big news like this wasn’t going to be easy to take in.

Dumbfounded, your father stared at Taeyong who only gave him a sincere smile before shifting his gaze towards you. “I need to have a word with you.” He stood up and headed for the bedroom. Gulping nervously, you followed him out of the living space.

Taeyong watched your retreating figure and waited patiently for your return. He noticed the secretary gawking at him, still stunned by the identity reveal, and offered, “You can keep one bar here. I have plenty more back home.”

You trailed behind your father into your bedroom and he shut the door behind you, pressing his lips together for his next words. “Y/N…”

It was the moment when he would make his mind up and it was a frightening one. You really liked Taeyong and the thought of a ring on your finger that he didn’t put on didn’t sit well in you.

He took a deep breath in and softly muttered, “I can’t believe you’re going to become a queen, sweetie.”

You stared at the floor for a moment, all senses of reasoning left you before his words hit you.

Your father accepted Taeyong.

Hesitantly, you lifted your gaze and asked, “I’m going to be a queen? You’re letting me go with Taeyong?”

His eyes twinkled as he lovingly stared at you, patting your head gently. “As long as this is what you want.”

“Seriously? You’re probably the first parent ready to send their daughter away to some unheard land all because of a prince.”

“Such fate isn’t written for everyone and I’m not going to hold you back from living your best life. Just don’t forget about me and make sure Taeyong invites me there one day,” he joked, pinching your nose.

You rolled your eyes. “You think I’ll never want to see you again? I’ll make sure you see me one day on my throne next to his.”

He chuckled softly at your words and kissed your forehead. “Now you have my permission to go out with him.”

-

“What is this place?” Taeyong asked as the three of you stood in front of a resounding building with guards at the door.

“It’s a night club. I come here often,” you said.

“What happens here?” Doyoung inquired.

You flashed a smile. “You’ll see.” Your fingers laced with Taeyong’s and pulled him along through the door with Doyoung right behind. The bouncers recognized you and let you all in.

Inside, the music blasted and the timing couldn’t get any more perfect when the song Good Thing played. You giddily guided the puzzled prince around the dancing bodies as Doyoung panted to catch up to your quick movements. Finally, an ideal spot with decent spacing was found and you let go of his hand, moving your body happily to the exhilarating beats.

Taeyong only watched you with a fond smile and you weren’t happy with that. “Come on, Taeyong. Show me that the future King of Yong Land can dance.”

He laughed at happy words and right at that moment, he noticed a couple behind you unknowingly get progressively close to you. Just as the guy was about to bump into you, Taeyong wrapped his arm around your waist and pulled you into his chest, twirling around to shield you from the collision. The man instead bumped into Taeyong and apologized with a “Sorry dude,” and moved away.

Your heart went into a state of shock as every muscle in your body tensed from the proximity. Eventually, you melted under his touch and smirked, wrapping your arms around his neck and swayed your body to the upbeat music.

Doyoung saw the intimacy and cringed.

- ❀ -

“Ah!” Taeyong yelped from the sharp pain.

Doyoung rushed immediately to the prince’s side in panic. “Your Highness! Are you all right? Should I bring the first aid kit?”

The prince licked the pain off his finger and dismissively waved the servant off. “I’m fine. There’s no need for that.” A bright smile stretched over his lips as he stared at his handcrafted masterpiece. “Y/N is going to love this.”

-

Your lively feet bounded to the receptionist desk and in the greatest mood ever in your life, you informed, “I dealt with the complaint.”

Sana stared at you, worried that you had misplaced your brain somewhere. “Ma’am, are you okay?”

“Of course! Why would I not be?” you giggled.

Sana blinked at your unfamiliar demeanor. “You’ve never came back after a complaint this happy. And it’s Mr. James, one of the rudest guests here.”

You nodded and merely said, “You’ll find out soon.” Sure you were happy that you would be leaving your responsibilities as the hotel manager, but your great mood was because of the man who had captured your heart.

Prince Taeyong.

Just his name made your heart squeal.

She nodded and caught sight of the known face. “Mr. Taeyong is coming this way.”

Your head whipped so fast that you might have snapped it. And indeed he was, leisurely strolling towards you with Doyoung behind him carrying a tray with an item covered by silk cloth.

“Y/N, my Queen!” Taeyong exclaimed with his arms open for a hug.

Sana gaped at him and then at you.

You gave her a nod to her unvoiced question. “I’m apparently the queen that Taeyong was talking about.”

Her lips formed an ‘oh’ at the misunderstanding.

You skipped over to your lover giddily into his arms. He chuckled happily, loved seeing this side of you. “I prepared you something.” He pulled back and beckoned Doyoung over to his side. “I present my Queen a rose crown.” He lifted the silk off and your eyes landed on a uniquely woven rose crown.

“You’re unbelievable,” you breathed out. “Did you make this?”

He squared his shoulders proudly. “I did. Here, let me put it on for you.” Just as Taeyong went to take hold of the crafted crown, you noticed a bandage on his finger. He carefully fitted the crown on your head and stepped back, smiling proudly. “It looks more ethereal on you than I imagined.”

You huffed out a breath. If anyone wanted to learn how to make a girl’s heart go crazy, they should take notes from Taeyong. “Thanks, but what happened to your finger?”

Taeyong’s eyes widened by a fraction and hid his injured finger behind his back. “Nothing.”

Doyoung scoffed at the prince’s lie. “Your Highness got pricked by the thorn on the rose when making the crown.”

You gasped loudly and then pouted. “You got hurt for me?”

He leaned closer till you were inches away from his lips. “Anything for my lady.”

You huffed and smacked his chest lightly.

Doyoung cleared his throat. “If you’re done, we have to prepare for our leave.”

The prince nodded and said to you, “We’ll leave whenever you’re ready.” Right before the men parted from you, Taeyong quickly dove in to peck your cheek. You yelped in surprise and your heart furiously pounded, the feeling of his warm lips still lingering on your skin.

After they left, you turned to Sana who had her jaw fully dropped to the ground. “Taeyong is actually a king?”

- ❀ -

“I’m surprised you’re not crying.”

“It feels like I’m sending you abroad for school except you’ll be living with this fine gentleman who will be taking care of you.”

At least your departure from the home that you lived your entire life in wasn’t tear-filled. And it shouldn’t be. Not when it was Taeyong that you were going with, aka the prince and future king. No matter how many times you’d heard that or thought of that title on him, your heart still squealed as if it was the first time.

You turned to the man beside your father. “Thank you, Kim, for teaching me everything.”

He gave you a curt nod. “It was a pleasure, Miss Y/N.”

Up next was Sana with moistened eyes. “I will miss you, ma’am!”

You grinned and gave her a warm hug, rubbing her back soothingly. “I will too. You will see me again. And I’m sure your new manager will be just as great as me.”

She sniffed and muttered, “I doubt they will be. You were the best.”

You laughed and pulled away, moving towards your friend who helped keep you sane during your dreadful times. “Ready to see me as the queen one day?”

Ten snickered and mockingly commented, “You as a queen would just ruin the kingdom.” You smacked him and he burst out laughing. “Kidding. I can’t wait to see your power on the throne with that guy.” He nodded to where Taeyong stood patiently.

Once you were done, you bounded to Taeyong. “I’m ready,” you told him with an ecstatic smile.

He chuckled and held out his arm for you. You happily latched on as he grabbed your suitcase with his free hand. Doyoung, as usual, struggled to wheel the prince’s heavy ones. You waved your arm one last time to everyone before stepping out of the hotel towards the prepared vehicle.

Once you were out of sight, Sana burst out wailing, startling your father. “What’s wrong?” he asked her.

Her glassy eyes didn’t leave the doors to the hotel. “I wish a prince courted me like the way it happened to ma’am.”

Your father sighed. It was tough to let you go as he now only had the secretary by his side, but a fate like yours wasn’t written for everyone.

Ten coughed pretentiously. “Well… if you’re down, I can treat you like a princess.”

Like a flip of switch, Sana stopped crying and stared at Ten in shock. When she figured that he was being serious with his hopeful eyes, she blushed hard, shying her gaze away. A slow smile broke onto her face and muttered quietly, “I’d like that.”

- ❀ -

No.

You were not.

“I’m not getting on that!” you cried out.

Doyoung sighed. “Your Majesty, this is the only transportation we have to the kingdom. Yong Land is a land strictly entrusted to nature. Therefore, we don’t have an airplane or such technological facilities that can take us directly to the castle.”

If it weren’t for your quicken heartbeat when staring into the huge black eyes of the dragon that patiently waited for your decision, then your heart would have danced when he called you the highly respected title.

Taeyong neared the dragon with such calmness that was beyond your control at that moment. He lifted his hand to stroke its head tenderly and the dragon groaned in delight. “She is our new queen. You won’t hurt her, will you?” he asked with softness.

The dragon shook his head. He would never hurt any of his Master’s people, only the enemies.

Taeyong smiled and turned to you. “See? He won’t hurt you.” He outstretched his hand for you.

You swallowed a lump in your throat and asked, “What if I fall off?”

“I would never let that happen.”

After much reluctance with you staring intently into the prince’s serious eyes, you took Taeyong’s hand. He was super pleased that you trusted his word and he intended to keep it that way.

Taeyong climbed on the dragon before hoisting you up, settling you in front of his body. Your cheeks heated at the feeling of his chest flushed against your back. His arms wrapped around you tight enough to make you feel protected. And you did, letting your body relax just slightly ever since learning that dragons were after all real.

-

Taeyong helped you off, while Doyoung grumbled incoherent words under his breath when trying to get the suitcases off the dragon.

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Taeyong asked.

You shook your head timidly, not when riding in Taeyong’s arms.

His lips curled up and draped an arm over your shoulder, guiding you to the entrance of a massive castle. “Let’s meet the King.” Just when you were feeling lighter, your steps became heavier and Taeyong felt your body tensing again. “What’s wrong?”

“I… what if he doesn’t like me? What if the people here don’t like me?” You were a new face in a land ruled by great monarchs. What if you didn’t meet their expectations as you were, quite frankly, a nobody in Yong Land? This wasn’t your hometown where everyone in the city recognized you as the daughter of a wealthy hotel owner. Even worse than the people, what if the King didn’t like you because you didn’t come from a noble family within his network?

Taeyong squeezed your shoulder gently to comfort you. “The King is looking forward to seeing my selection for the next Queen. As for the people, if anyone dared to even glance at you in disrespect, then they will have to go through me, and that will not be good,” he spoke the words with such lethal seriousness that his sudden change of expression for his next words surprised you. With fondness, he added, “Plus, there’s absolutely no reason for anyone to not like you. You’re perfect just the way you are.”

You sighed out a breath of relief and nodded. “Okay, I’m trusting you. I think I’m ready now.”

The meeting with the King went a lot more smoothly than you expected when he was sincerely polite with you and was more than pleased to hear about your background as a manager, mentioning that your resourceful skills would help you fulfill your duties to help the people and negotiate with other region rulers. The King couldn’t have been prouder of his son to have found the perfect Queen.

Taeyong guided you to your personal room until the ceremony was over for you to share with him. Whispering in your ear, he joked, “My room is open for you if you can’t wait till the ceremony.” You rolled your eyes at him and he gestured the guards outside your room to open the doors. Your bedroom was massive and elegantly designed with vintage masterpieces. Female servants strode in and stood upright and ready to assist you.

He offered to let you explore the castle as the sky grew darker. The prince decided to show you around outside another time when you were well rested. When it was time for a meal, he forced you to sit at the head of the dining table in a throne that you assumed was his. Your mouth watered at the sight of all the delicacies laid before your eyes, noting how there were equal number of sweet dishes as the savory. The King mentioned that the prince loved filling his belly with sugar-filled goods. Throughout the dinner, you were grateful for the warm welcome into the family, but your jitteriness wasn’t completely forgotten about.

At night, you stared at the ceiling with a growling stomach, the monster inside demanding for food. You only ate your meal earlier in moderation, worried if you would defy any unspoken rule if you ate to your heart's content. Combine that with restlessness from having to be in a land where you knew no one except for the ones you arrived with…

There was no way you were falling asleep anytime soon.

You sat up on the enormous bed. No one was in the room, giving you utmost privacy. Peeking outside your door, you found a guard who was alert and kept his stance showing that he was on duty but relaxed enough as there was no danger in sight.

“Um, excuse me? Can you tell me where I can find Taeyong?” you asked quietly.

The guard blinked before nodding. “I’ll direct you to Prince Taeyong.”

You follow nervously behind his confident strides, slowing down your steps once he halted by a set of double doors larger than yours. He knocked on the door for you and called out, “Your Highness, Your Majesty is here.”

You thought it would take him a while considering it was late into the night. But when Taeyong heard that it was you waiting on the other side, he darted, nearly tripping over his own feet to answer the door.

He did his best to appear indifferent, but his heart crashed in his chest with nerves and excitement when he saw you. He gave the guard a curt nod who mirrored it back and left the prince’s sight.

Taeyong leaned against the door frame and a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. “What can I do for my lady at this time?” The smirk completely wiped off his face when you nervously avoided his gaze while fidgeting with your fingers. He stepped closer to you and with concern laced in his tone asked, “Are you okay, Y/N?”

Your hunger for the moment left your mind and you didn’t feel so well. After much thought of what to tell him, you lifted your gaze to meet his worried eyes. “I’m scared.”

He stared at you. “Scared?”

You nodded. Taking a deep breath, you explained yourself. “It’s a new place and I don’t know anyone. I don’t know what to expect and not-“

You stopped breathing when he opened his arms out for you, making you melt into them and breath out a long sigh at the comforting feeling of his protective arms around you. Planting a kiss on your temple, he rested his chin atop your head. “I’ll always be here, Y/N. Don’t worry. Do you want me to be with you? I can come to your room or you can come inside mine.”

You nodded stiffly. “Can I sleepover here?”

He pulled back and met your hopeful eyes. “Of course. Anything you want.” He was about to pull you inside until a rumbling sound in your stomach reminded you of something, making you press your lips in embarrassment. It was loud enough for Taeyong to stop and stare at your belly with wide eyes before his smirk made a reappearance. “It looks like we have something else to take care of first,” he playfully commented.

-

The two of you descended down the massive stairs and he said, “I can get someone to arrange something for you. What would you like?”

You felt bad that the cooks would have to wake up in the middle of the night to fix you something. “Are there any leftovers from dinner?”

He shook his head. “Any remaining are given away. We have fruits and there’s stock on some sweet goods, you know for me.” He winked and you chuckled softly. “Do you always get hungry at night? I can make sure we keep food for you.”

You shook your head, embarrassed to say the truth. “I actually didn’t eat properly because I was worried l would eat too much. I don’t know what etiquettes I have to follow and I didn’t want to seem like a pig.”

Taeyong was stunned by your response and wished he had known sooner to make you feel at ease. This was supposed to be your new home where you could do anything as you please without limits. With sad eyes, he said, “Y/N, you don’t have any restrictions on anything. You can eat to your heart’s content, even tell the cooks what you want to eat at any time of the day or night. Please don’t hold yourself back. It may take a while to get used to this, but this place should and will feel like home one day.”

You stared at him, all previous worries leaving you as a new worry took place. You didn’t expect to make Taeyong disheartened with your words. “I’m sorry. I’ll keep that in mind from now on.”

He shook his head. “I should be the one apologizing. I should have expected that with you being new here.” With a clap to change up the mood, he smiled hoping for something. “So will you now want me to call a chef here to make you something?”

Pursing your lips, you had another idea in mind. “Well, you did say that I should treat this place as my new home, right?”

He blinked at you but nodded regardless, wondering where you were going with your words. “Yes.”

“Then will you let me have the pleasure to cook something in the kitchen?”

Taeyong arched an eyebrow at you. “Are you sure? You don’t have to go through the trouble.”

“Well… It won’t be me going through the trouble because I wasn’t allowed to cook back home so… can I try here?” Frankly, your father’s traumatic experience of having to witness the kitchen in absolute mess one time was what banned you because he was not about to have you start a fire and have the entire hotel evacuated for your mistake.

He tilted his head and squinted his eyes on you. “If this is you saying that you’re going to cause a mess while cooking, then feel free to.”

You blinked, surprised that he agreed even when catching onto your drift. “Really?”

He smiled and stroked your head. “Of course. Like I said, I want this place to feel like your new home.”

After an unfortunate yet foreseen failed attempt to cook yourself something, without starting any fire thankfully, you settled with having some fruits, accepting a few baked sweets that Taeyong offered you. When you were satisfied, the two of you headed to his room, being mind blown by its size being two times larger than yours and was decorated with hints of roses everywhere.

“You must really love roses a lot that you gifted me one.” You were suddenly reminded of his flirting that time and your heart fluttered at the memory.

“It’s my favourite. Come here.” He pulled you towards the gigantic bed, lifting the cover for your side.

You giggled, saying “You’re such a romantic.”

Taeyong’s lips turned up into a lazy smile. “Only for you.”

When he settled in beside you, you turned to your side, meeting him face to face. His arm wrapped around your waist and pulled you closer to his chest till you could feel his hot breath fanning over you. You hummed at the warmth of him surrounding you, all fears from before shutting down as you dozed off into your dreams.

Taeyong was relieved to see you fall asleep and pecked your forehead before shutting his eyes with a wide smile stretching his lips.

The next morning, you woke up expecting to be in the penthouse bedroom when your surroundings appeared unfamiliar, until the roses brought back your memories and realized you were in Taeyong’s bedroom.

With the prince nowhere in sight.

“Taeyong?” you called out with a shaky breath, hoping he’d hear you. But instead, a knock on the door followed by a familiar voice was heard.

“May I come in, Your Majesty?”

“Um… yeah. Come in.”

The door swung open, being met with a happy looking Doyoung. “Your Highness had a matter to attend and invited you.”

Your brows scrunched. “What matter?”

He smiled genuinely. “It is regarding your gown for the ceremony tonight.”

-

Taeyong hissed as he carefully inspected the intricate design. “I see you followed through my plan just as described.”

The tailor nodded. “I will do anything as you wish, Your Highness.”

Johnny, Taeyong’s personal guard, raised a point. “Your Highness, isn’t the dress code gold? I’ve always seen in the pictures that the queens wore gold.”

“Yes, but I’m changing it. Your new queen is worth more than gold, specifically priceless. I prefer her to wear something that represents my ideal queen.”

“And what is your ideal queen?”

Taeyong smirked and was about to answer until you caught his eye, trailing behind the servant. You noticed the other men in the dressing room and focused on the prince. “What’s going on?” you asked.

Taeyong grinned widely with perfect white pearls. He stretched his arm out for you. “Y/N, come here.”

You slowly shifted your feet towards him, taking his warm hand. He excitedly positioned you till you stood before the most breathtaking dress that you had ever seen before. A fully red gown with diamonds studded across the corset and from the waist down to the floor…

Numerous large layers of handmade rose petals were sewed onto the entire skirt.

And if that was what you were wearing to the ceremony, then you were going to stand out in the crowd for looking like a living resemblance of a red rose. “Is this really for me?” you asked breathlessly, your eyes not daring to remove itself from the dress.

“If you like it,” Taeyong said with worry stretched across his forehead. “If you don’t like this, that’s completely fine-"

“Are you kidding me? I love this! It’s incredible! Who designed this? I need to meet this person!” you beamed.

Taeyong rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and answered, “Well, you’re looking at that person right now.”

You gaped at him. “Seriously? You? How? I mean what made you think of this?”

He chuckled and gestured to his guard. “I was just about to tell Johnny and now I’ll share it with you. I always wanted a beloved queen who will flourish with my lovely roses. Therefore, I wish for my queen to glow luxuriantly in this rose gown. Like my saying goes: a beautiful rose for a beautiful queen.”

A maddening fire took over your cheeks as you stared at him in shock with your blushing heart. Doyoung gagged while Johnny buckled over laughing at the servant’s reaction. “Your Highness, please refrain yourself from using such phrases… at least in front of others,” Doyoung grumbled.

-

“Do I always have to sit on horses?”

“For ladies, we have carriages. But I thought for experience, you can sit with me,” Taeyong winked at you.

You rolled your eyes and watched him hoist himself up onto his horse, holding his hand out for you. You gave him an anxious smile, taking his hand and placed your foot on the loop but failed to bring your body up. He offered to count to three and at the cue, he used his strength to pull you up as you jumped. You crashed into his chest with his protective arm tight around you to prevent you from falling off the shaking horse and you settled into the seat.

“Good?” he asked with a sly smile.

“More like perfect,” you mumbled with warmth spreading across your body.

“Hold tight,” he said and let go of you for a quick moment, taking off his princely crown to fit it on your head.

“Woah, why are you giving me this?” The weight of his crown felt as if you really were a royal member of the family. You couldn’t wait for the ceremony to announce you officially queen.

“This will let the people know that you are their future queen. We can’t have them misunderstand you as one of the people.” He leaned in close to your ear and whispered, “Otherwise, the ladies will get jealous.”

You huffed out, annoyed. “So I do have something to worry about.”

Taeyong chuckled. “Not the kind you were nervous about. No one’s going to throw eggs at you. You’ll just see them have heart eyes for me. When they learn that you’re the queen, they’ll respect you.”

And he was right. The second the people found out that you were going to be their queen, they went from sulking that it wasn’t them sitting with the prince to cheering for your new life in a blink of an eye. You waved at them with a relieved grin from your seat. They felt your sincerity and tried to offer you small gifts as a token of success. Though the guards on their own horses were well trained on what to do in such situation, politely declining them all. But your eyes landed on a small girl, her tiny arms pleading for you to accept her gift.

“Taeyong, can we at least accept hers?” you pointed at the small girl.

Taeyong smiled at your kind heart and nodded. He clapped for the guards to accept the child’s token. Johnny was the one to make the move, hopping off his horse and promised the girl to pass the gift on. He quickly strode over to your side and handed it over.

You observed the vintage gift, an antique bronze and ruby red crystal beaded bracelet. “It’s beautiful,” you muttered.

Taeyong inspected the item in your hand and smiled. “It’s a Victorian bracelet with Swarovski crystals, suitably worn for weddings.”

Your eyes blew up at the information. “That sounds fancy. I can’t just take this without giving something in return.”

“It is a gift and I’m sure she won’t take currency in return but you can try.” Taeyong gave Johnny a nod, making the guard hold his hand up to help you down. You made a beeline to the little girl who was ecstatic to meet you.

You crouched down to her eye level. “Thank you for the beautiful gift. It’s too precious for me to take it without giving you something in return. Tell me, what would you like?”

Her toothy smile touched your heart. “I like Queen and King to always keep us safe and happy.”

Your eyes sparkled at her request, the honesty and innocence radiating from the little girl made your heart grow a deep sense of duty for what you came here for. With the manager smile you always put on for grateful guests at the hotel, you promised, “I will do everything in my power to keep everyone safe and happy.”

She beamed at you so widely that you thought it was going to break her face, and you patted her head softly. Taeyong watched the two of you, smiling to himself for having found the absolute perfect Queen for the kingdom and himself.

- ❀ -

The horns were blown and an announcement was made by the now-former King, who stepped down from his current throne, ready to crown the future monarchs of Yong Land.

The grand doors opened, revealing the new Queen in her stunning red rose gown, her arm linked with the new King who wore a matching colour royal tuxedo. The two walked down the red carpet, posture perfect and elegantly waved at the people standing on either sides of the carpet. Reaching the end, the former crowned the new monarchs, making the crowd cheer happily, with Doyoung wiping away his dramatic tears as Johnny rolled his eyes and patted Doyoung’s shoulder in comfort.

The music cued Taeyong to ask your hand for a dance in celebration to which you gladly accepted. He led you onto the floor and held your waist with one arm while the other held your hand. You stared into his tenderly eyes, the reality too good to be true. Taeyong pulled you in closer, making your heart spike up and warmth overwhelmed you at the intimacy.

You were his Queen now.

[seungmvnnie]

Gryffindor!Jeno x Hufflepuff!Reader

word count; 4.3k words (I GOT CARRIED AWAY)

warnings; female reader, bullet point au, enemies to lovers (last enemies to lovers in this little series), you kind of need to understand quidditch to understand what they’re talking about, I expose myself as a fucking nerd in this one because I didn’t have to research anything for this fic, also somewhat of a ‘pushing people off/jumping off towers,’ joke at the end

Quidditch was your life

Ever since you could walk, your parents had put you on a broomstick

they were determined that you were going to be the next best quidditch player

You had taken to it immediately, although that was pretty much guaranteed, considering your family were entirely professional quidditch players

There was lots of pressure on you to be the next best thing, especially since your cousin Jaemin had rejected the family legacy as soon as he could

He was happy to play for fun but not as seriously as your family took it

He was kind of ‘the family disappointment,’ for a while, but that was until you both went to Hogwarts and you were sorted into Hufflepuff and he was sorted into Slytherin, which was the house everyone in your family had been in for centuries

Then you were both disappointments so it kind of cancelled out

Despite being sorted into Hufflepuff, you spent the majority of your first year with your cousin and his friends 

Which was when you met Lee Jeno, the Gryffindor puppy-eyed muggleborn and Jaemin’s best friend

It was hard not to be friends with Jeno for your first year and a half at hogwarts

He was sweet and likeable and if you were being honest with yourself, you found yourself with a bit of a crush on him in 2nd year

That was, of course, until you both became seekers for your respective quidditch team in 2nd year

You didn’t hold anything against him at first

What was wrong with some friendly competition? 

It wasn’t until the final match of the year, Hufflepuff vs Gryffindor, that everything went went wrong

the Hufflepuff team had a strong lead

your chasers were miles better than theirs

Realistically, the only reason the Gryffindor team had made it to the final was because Jeno hadn’t failed to catch one snitch the whole season

But neither had you

people had been betting on which team would win all year

You were faster than Jeno was, but Jeno was faster at spotting the snitch than you were

Maybe the fact that every student in every house was comparing which of you was better was where the cracks in your friendship with Jeno has begun

You had been idly circling the quidditch pitch, eyes peeled for any sort of flash of gold 

It wasn’t until the Gryffindor chasers finally scored a goal that your attention was drawn to the stands draped in gold and red, the Gryffindor audience’s boisterous celebration deafening everyone else on the pitch

Unbeknownst to the poor Gryffindors, their screaming was what made you spot the snitch, darting frantically above their heads

You dove into action from where you had been lazily hovering, groaning as the snitch similarly took off, zooming around the stands

Unluckily, Jeno was just behind you in spotting the snitch, but you zoned out his presence behind you and the screaming of the audience coupled with the quidditch commentators shouting and focused only on the snitch

You were so close, your outstretched fingers grazing the metal as your urged your broom to go just that little bit faster

When Jeno, who had gained on you without you even realising, slammed into you with his shoulder

The force as well as the surprise meant your grip on your broom loosened and his knock sent you hurtling about 30ft to the ground

The aftermath of the match was a bit hazy - apparently your head had slammed on the ground too hard when you fell and you had a concussion, which would heavily contribute to your difficult recollection

Not to mention a broken arm and a few fractured ribs

Jeno had caught the snitch shortly after you fell, which meant Gryffindor had won

You spent a week in the hospital wing following the match and whilst magic definitely healed you a lot faster than normal muggle remedies would, you still were banned from quidditch or flying for two months to make sure it definitely set properly

You were livid, to say the least

Jeno knew how much quidditch meant to you and your family but he seemed to care more about winning than the fact your parents would kill you for loosing the match

he didn’t even come visit you in the hospital wing when everyone else did

Needless to say, from then on you held quite the grudge against Jeno 

He tried talking to you a couple of days after you got out of the hospital wing, but apparently he hadn’t realised that he had basically declared war 

He got the message when you told him to ‘Fuck off, you cheating wanker.”

Realistically, if he hadn’t gotten the message at that point, you would have been incredibly concerned

The next year, the competition between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor was insane

Your house had supported you in being angry about Gryffindors dirty tactics and the Gryffindors were angry about being accused of cheating - contact was allowed in quidditch

At the centre of all of the competition was Jeno and you

It wasn’t long until you both had gotten the reputation of being the best quidditch players in the whole school, which your family weren’t very pleased about

You were meant to be the best, but you let someone who didn’t even know what a broom was until three years ago beat you?

And so, you started working harder

You pretty much bullied your quidditch team into training every second morning

You wanted to do every morning, but the quidditch captain at the time, a 6th year named Kun told you as nicely as he possibly could, to fuck off

The second the Gryffindor team found out about your training schedule, they were out training every morning too

When you were friends, Jeno was never as competitive as you were, or easily irritated, but apparently you had perfected getting on his nerves

Your team won that year, in record time 

Gryffindor vs Hufflepuff was the second game of that season and you and Jeno had both spotted the snitch about 5 minutes in, but unluckily for him, you were faster

Gryffindor won the year after that

Then in your fifth year, the quidditch captains for Hufflepuff and Gryffindor both left and you and Jeno got the job

The competition heated up even more 

The Gryffindor and Hufflepuff teams were trained religiously and if anyone had a problem with it, they were off the team

It wasn’t as though you had a lack of interest in people joining your teams; everyone wanted to say that they played quidditch with Lee Jeno and (Y/N) (Y/L/N), especially after the article on you two came out in the daily prophet about halfway through your fifth year

you and Jeno had been dragged out of your potions class by the headmaster and some annoying reporter who had apparently heard of your reputation and wanted to write an article on the, ‘future of quidditch,’ as she had put it

You were happy to comply at first, taking pictures with the Headmaster and Jeno and answering questions

simple stuff like, ‘when did you start playing?’ and ‘What are your plans for after school?’

You got questions about your parents, seeing as your family were already well known within the quidditch world

It wasn’t until the very end when everything went wrong

She had been shoving her parchment into her strange leather briefcase as you two hovered awkwardly at the door of the unused classroom, waiting for her to leave before you could go back to class

when she looked up and, adjusting her glasses said,

“Well, it was very good to meet you two. You make a very cute couple!”

You nearly choked as your eyes widened

“We are not together!” You exclaimed

Jeno had infuriatingly said nothing, almost as if he wanted this random woman to think you’d date him

She had only smiled knowingly, and replied,

“Sure.”

The walk back to potions was almost excruciating as you walked in an awkward silence, the stupid reporter’s words laying heavily with you both, until Jeno cleared his throat

“Well that was weird.” He glanced sideways at you, but you refused to look at him

“You’re weird.” You grumbled

He inhaled sharply as if he was going to say something, but stopped himself, taking a moment before he opened his mouth again

“You can insult me all you want, (Y/L/N), but I’m still going to beat you.”

You scoffed

“Not bloody likely. Your team is terrible, the only reason you’ve won a match this year is because the Slytherin and Ravenclaw seekers are terrible. Your chasers won't last 5 minutes against mine.” You looked at him this time, ignoring how his stupid red quidditch captain badge gleamed on his chest and how his stupid perfectly styled dark hair only emphasised his stupid good looks

He raised an eyebrow at you (which was stupidly attractive) and came to a stop as you approached the door of you potions classroom 

“Well then isn’t it a good thing that as long as I catch the snitch before your team can score 15 goals, I win.”

You scoffed again. As if you would let him beat you?

You mirrored his stupid eyebrow cocking thing and, taking a step towards him, lowered your voice to a whisper

“Well then isn’t it a good thing that there’s no way I’m going to let you beat me.” 

The annoying confidence he exuded flickered as his cheeks warmed to a pinky blush and you watched as the previous competitive glare in his eyes softened to something else as they scanned down your bod- Hang on, was he checking you out?

“Eyes up here, Lee.” You sniped, enjoying how his eyes snapped back to your face flusteredly

You spun on your heel before he could retort and entered your potions classroom, leaving him in the corridor

The article appeared in the sports section of the daily prophet a few days later and caused a massive uproar at Hogwarts

You had expected a small nerdy article about how both of you wanted to play quidditch after school and the upcoming Hufflepuff vs Gryffindor match, but that wasn’t quite what you got

“ -it appears that, outside of discovering a skill which could boost these two talented teens to success upon leaving school, they have also discovered their first whirlwind romance with eachother. A regular ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ their tragically romantic relationship blossomed amongst the fierce competition between the two’ - What utter bullshit!” You slammed the paper down onto the table, accidentally spilling poor Chaeryong’s (One of your chasers the year below) orange juice over her breakfast in the process

“Hey!” She cried out, but with a quick mumbled, ‘Scourgify,’ and a flick of your wand the orange juice vanished

You preoccupied yourself with slamming your head off of the table repeatedly as Chaeryong patted your back comfortingly

“If it helps, I doubt anyone will even read it.” 

She couldn’t have been more wrong

It was all the entire school was talking about by lunch time

You couldn’t turn a corner without someone asking you if you were actually dating Jeno

What was worse was when you received a letter from your parents the next day

You thought they were going to disown you, considering they had spent the past 4 years putting great emphasis on how badly you needed to beat Lee Jeno

but somehow, their actual reaction was worse

You weren’t expecting two pages of them gushing about how your children would be the best quidditch player the world had ever seen

They were honestly more disappointed whenever you sent them a letter informing them that would never happen 

Everyone wanted to join the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff teams because they seemed to be convinced that the teams knew you had some sort of affair going on that you didn’t tell anyone about

Most infuriatingly, Jeno didn’t seem to be trying to combat the rumours whatsoever

His nonchalant nature was so annoying that it only seemed to spur on your competitiveness

Which resulted in a Hufflepuff win that year

and the year after that

You had destroyed them two years in a row by your last year of school, although the last year was the most important for recruitment

There was one spot open on the best quidditch team in the country, the team your parents and aunt were on, and the team captain was going to watch your match against each other and choose one of you to join

Your team was trained harder than ever before and you made it very well known that winning meant you actually had a future when you left

you had the best team you think Hufflepuff had ever had

pretty much everyone was talented and incredibly competitive 

If one of your chasers, Zhong Chenle put his mind to it, he could definitely   go pro 

But he was more inclined to a career in music and he was friends with Jeno so you didn’t like to praise him too much

Your teams both flew (pun very much intended) through your games against slytherin and ravenclaw

The 7th year Gryffindor vs Hufflepuff match fell at the start of march, as to not interfere with your NEWT exams, which left plenty of time for preparations, and you left school for the christmas holidays content that you were ready to destroy Gryffindor

Which was lucky, considering it became the topic of conversation during boxing day dinner with your extended family, Jaemin included

“So, (Y/N), I hear you have a big match coming up.” Your aunt asked, taking a sip from her wine glass

You looked up from where you had been toying with the food on your plate and smiled politely

“Yeah, the finals are at the start of March against Gryffindor, as per usual.” You mumbled the last part of your sentence more to yourself than anyone else, but that didn’t stop the dirty look Jaemin sent your way

“Oh against Jaemin’s friend? Are you still dating him?”

You choked on your water

“Uh- we were never dating.” “Oh, that’s a shame. You would have been a very talented couple, you know. With very talented children, I’m sure.”

You were about one more comment about how beautiful or talented you and Jeno’s nonexistent babies would be away from stabbing yourself in the eye

You awkwardly laughed in response and kicked Jaemin under the table, who was positively dying laughing

“I’m sure you’ll win though.”

You perked up. Baby talk, you couldn’t do. Discussing how you were going to destroy the Gryffindor team so badly they’d be crying for years? That was right up your alley

“Oh, definitely. Their team is terrible, no one except Jeno could probably tell the difference between a Quaffle and a Bludger. He entirely carries the team. I lucked out, I have two beaters who are planning on going pro as well as one of the best keepers I think Hogwarts ever seen. We’re going to ruin them. There’s no way he’s getting that spot over me.”

Jaemin wasn’t laughing anymore, and instead made an indignant noise

“What’s wrong?” You asked, attempting to sound as though you were genuinely concerned for your cousin’s wellbeing to your parents, although you knew he was about to go off on one about Jeno

“Did you ever stop to consider maybe getting that job means a lot to Jeno too?”

Your hands halted their chore of playing with your food as you narrowed your eyes at him

“That job’s been mine since before he was even born, Jaemin.”

He rolled his eyes and you ignored the way your mum was tapping your leg in a silent attempt to get you to stop

“No it hasn’t. If it was, you’d have it, but funnily enough you don’t. Jeno needs that job to support his family, he doesn’t have any other career plans whereas you, little miss daughter of multi-millionaire quidditch players could never work again and live a much more comfortable life than him.”

“Na Jaemin!” His Mum scolded, cutting him off as he rolled his eyes and slumped down in his seat

Suddenly, the egg-shell table cloth was the most interesting thing in the whole world to you

You had never thought about what this meant for Jeno - you thought he had simply wanted to piss you off

On top of that it was important to you too! Your parents would be so disappointed if you didn’t get the spot on the team

but would living up to your parents expectations be worth what Jeno would loose if you won?

The rest of the dinner was... awkward, to say the least

So was the rest of the holidays; you just wanted to get back to Hogwarts and train the weeks away, which you did

You spent the next two months drilling your team as vigorously as you had been before the christmas break, but this time a lingering guilt panged at your chest with every exercise you put your team through

Finally the day of the quidditch match arrived and you were almost sick with anxiety

“(Y/N), you have to eat something.” Chaeryong brandished the toast she had brought you to the dressing room almost threateningly as you fidgeted with the neckline of your quidditch robes

“I’m being entirely honest when I say if I eat something right now, I will just throw up on you.” She stopped trying to force feed you pretty quickly after that

The entire Hufflepuff team was feeling your anxiety

Chenle even kicked out his friend, (they were definitely in love with each other, but no one talked about the hypothetical babies THEY were going to have, everyone was just obsessed with you and Jenos, which was entirely that stupid reporter’s fault) who usually sat in the dressing room with your team before you went out to play

Eventually the time came and you entered the quidditch pitch, for your last time at Hogwarts and maybe your last official time for the next while

The snitch was released 18 minutes into the game, at which point the score was already 50-0 to Hufflepuff

You hovered above the quidditch pitch, scanning the field as though your life depended on it - technically it did

But then you thought about it for a moment; your life didn’t depend on this snitch. Jeno’s did.

Almost perfectly timed, your eyes were drawn a golden glint just above the Gryffindor goalposts

You dove instinctively, Jeno who was behind you, mirroring your actions

You were so close, reaching out your arm towards the Snitch

Jeno was alongside you this time and you were almost neck in neck

almost

you had gotten that head start

although, your position here mirrored almost exactly the match in second year where everything went wrong which meant, if Jeno wanted to, he could slam into you again and win

but he didn’t

Maybe that was what made you purposely slow down that tiny bit that allowed Jeno to catch the snitch

You spent the entire afternoon and evening deliberating exactly what had made you let him catch the snitch

Also regretting it; the Gryffindor team and their supporters were definitely ones for rubbing their victory into the Hufflepuff teams faces

So much so, that to avoid the constant partying and celebrations of how Lee had finally beat you after a two year streak you decided to find somewhere quiet to yourself

which was how you found yourself perched at the top of the astronomy tower, legs crossed staring out at the Great Lake that wound around the castle and the dark sky which illuminated the dark countryside

If there was anywhere to lament about life, it would be here

You could hear the Gryffindor’s party from where you perched, the thumping music and screaming almost causing the whole castle to shake

You still found the space to think

Had you simply felt sorry for Jeno? You wished that you could say that was what it was, because maybe then it could save your pride

But in actuality, when you had pulled back, you hadn’t been thinking about what situation his family may be in, but instead those puppy dog eyes which lit up whenever he won

You had spent so many years determined to beat him, you had never stopped to really think about him as a person as opposed to the declared enemy on the quidditch pitch

You had been sat there for about an hour eyes closed and leaning against the wall, when a voice cut through the stillness

“You know, when Chenle said you had gone to the top of the Astronomy tower, I was almost scared you came here to throw yourself off.”

You didn’t have to open your eyes to recognise Lee Jeno’s voice

“Don’t flatter yourself, Lee. I would never throw myself off a tower because of a man. Throwing a man off a tower is a completely different story, though.” 

You opened one eye to look at where he stood at the top of the stone steps, clutching two red plastic cups, no doubt filled with firewhiskey

He had long ditched his quidditch uniform, much like you, and traded it instead for a pair of black ripped jeans, white t-shirt and oversized jacket which all looked annoyingly good on him

“Should I be worried?” He quipped, although you could sense there was no malice in his voice, but instead a joking tone

You didn’t say anything but stared out at the scenery of the castle grounds you would soon be saying goodbye to, not acknowledging the fact he sat down next to you, placing a cup beside your leg

He had taken the fact that you hadn’t tried to push him off the tower yet as permission to sit beside you

You sat in silence for a moment - although the silence was not awkward or uncomfortable in anyway, but instead comforting

“We’re still even by the way.” You mumbled, breaking the silence

“Huh?” He looked at you with those stupidly adorable puppy eyes

“We’ve been competing for six years. I’ve won three matches and so have you. Even.”

He stared down into his alcohol which he swirled in the cup for a moment, before he replied

“Not really. If you hadn’t have let me win, it would be four-two.”

You froze

“You think I’d let you win? Get a grip, Lee.” You covered. This was your worst nightmare. First you let him win, but now he’s going to ask you why you did it and realistically you didn’t even know why

“We both know if you had really tried, you would have beat me.” 

“Well, it’s not like you tried very hard either.”

“What do you mean?”

“You could have very easily pushed me off my broom again.”

“Yeah well- last time I did that I started world war fucking 3, so I wasn’t about to make that mistake again, was I?”

His words weren’t laced with hatred, but were instead playful and actually made you let out a small laugh

You lifted the cup he had handed you to your lips before speaking

“Why did you do that? In second year, I mean. You hadn’t really cared about quidditch that much before that match.”

“Honestly? I fancied you and wanted to impress you.”

You furrowed your brow glancing up at him, an amused look on your face

“Who the fuck told you breaking a girl’s ribs was a good way to impress her?”

His face flushed the same way it did that day in the corridor as he stared at his hands

“I was 12! And I thought winning would impress you which was why I went so hard, but I think I realised in fourth year that I was in the competition way too deep to give up at that point. By then I had grown to love it as much as you did.”

You crossed your arms and leaned forward, letting the silence envelope you again for a moment, the only sound the faint music radiating from the Gryffindor tower

“So - When’d you stop fancying me? Was it calling you a wanker or the fact that I literally wanted to destroy you?” You half-joked

You seriously wanted to know how long he had fancied you for

“I don’t think I ever stopped.” 

You straightened up immediately

That was certainly not the answer you had expected

“Don’t be ridiculous.” You scoffed, staring at him with wide eyes

You hated how cute the way his face had flushed was, as well as the honest look in his eyes

“I’m being serious. You hate me, (Y/N), but the hate was never reciprocated.”

You huffed out a sigh

“I don’t think I hated you, I just- I was jealous. You’re perfect, Jeno. Jaemin just had to knock some sense into me that maybe winning doesn’t mean everything.”

He faked gasped

“The Slytherin lecturing the Hufflepuff on being a good loser? How backwards!”

“Har, Har.” You said, rolling your eyes, but you couldn’t stop the real smile grow on your face as you met his eyes

The fond smile dropped from your face as you saw how he looked at you

Lee Jeno, the boy you had sworn vengeance on when you were twelve was looking at you as if you were his world - and you liked it.

“Can I- Can I kiss you?” He almost whispered, as though saying it any louder would break the spell

“If you don’t, I think I will actually throw you off this tower.” You joked leaning in to meet his lips halfway

He kissed you with 7 years worth of love and in that moment, you didn’t care about who got the spot on the quidditch team

Life was more than just quidditch, and you were lucky enough to have Jeno to show you that.

[nothingbutimagines]

Last Christmas (Wanda Maximoff)

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x Reader

Warning: a bit of cursing, mentions of unrequited love, bit of angst and fluff

Summary: Last Christmas, Y/n spent the night heartbroken and crying in the bathroom after Wanda rejected her at Tony’s Christmas party. This year, Y/n tries her best to put the past behind her, while Wanda refuses to go without saying why she didn’t reciprocate Y/n’s feelings.

Author: Dizzy

A/N: Wham! The fourth day of ficmas has come with a bit of heartache after many many days of fluff. As always, I am taking requests as I clean out my inbox and the holiday season comes and goes. 

Masterlist Request Any Of These Peter Parker/Tom Holland Masterlist

__________________

“You okay, sweetheart?” Tony asked from beside you, his hand on your lower back as he made his way around to face you. “You’ve seemed a bit off all night.”

You nodded, setting down your champagne flute on the bar table beside you. “I’m fine, Tony.” 

“This wouldn’t have anything to do with the reason you and Wanda have been making awkward eye contact all night, would it?” 

“You observant bastard.” You cursed, giving him a smirk. 

“I like to think of myself as a pretty intelligent guy.”

“Yes, so intelligent I had to point it out to him.” Natasha added, walking up behind Tony, a smirk matching your own on her face. 

“Guys, really, I’m fine.” You insisted, unsure of if you really meant it. 

“You know, it’s okay if you’re not.” Natasha reached out, rubbing your arm with her hand. 

“Oh, we’re getting emotional. I’ll leave you to it.” Tony nodded to Natasha before giving you a shy smile and walking away. 

“I had a feeling he didn’t really mean to come check on me.” You forced a small laugh.

“No, of course not. He’s not a very good actor, is he?” Natasha laughed along with you, leaning against the table as she took Tony’s place. “He was in such a hurry he left his scotch. You want some?”

She held the crystal glass out to you to take, only for you to shake your head. She shrugged, downing the last of what was left in the glass before setting it back down. 

“Shit. He wasn’t wrong, that was fantastic scotch.” She chuckled, attempting to lighten the dark cloud that seemed to be looming over you. 

You looked past her, catching Wanda’s eyes once more before the other woman looked away quickly, as if she hadn’t wanted to be seen. 

“Hey, don’t worry about her. We won’t be repeating last Christmas if we can help it.” Natasha placed a hand on your arm, getting your attention once more. 

You tore your eyes away from Wanda, who was occasionally glancing at you from her peripheral and turned your gaze back to Natasha, who was studying your expression closely. 

“I just wish she would at least talk to me.” 

“It’s kind of hard to do that. Especially when you two have barely spoken since last year.”

“That isn’t my fault.” 

“I never said it was anyone’s fault.” 

Natasha glanced over her shoulder at Wanda before she turned back to you. She fully took your hand in hers, her other hand resting on your elbow as she took a step back, pulling you away from the table. 

“Come on,” She spoke softly, giving you a reassuring smile, “Let’s take a step outside for a second, get some fresh air.” 

“Nat, it’s freezing.”

“That’s why God invented coats.” She glanced back at you, a smirk on her face as she rolled her eyes and guided you towards the patio doors. 

“I think Eddie Bauer created the first coat.” 

“And who created Eddie Bauer?”

“His father who didn’t pull out?”

“Wrong. God.” 

“You don’t even believe in God.” 

“Doesn’t mean I can’t use him to get you to come outside with me.” Natasha shrugged, letting go of your hand to pull two coats off of the rack by the door. 

You took the coat from her, shaking it in your hand. “This coat isn’t mine.”

“Who cares? We’re just going outside for a minute.” 

You shrugged and pulled the maroon coat over you, watching as she pulled on a leather jacket three sizes too big. 

“You look ridiculous.” You chuckled, following her through the sliding glass doors and onto the ice covered patio. 

“I think I look quite stylish.” She pulled the jacket around her tightly. “I’m pretty sure it’s Steve’s. He’s the only lunatic who would wear a leather jacket in New York winter.” 

“I don’t think you should be calling him a lunatic when you dragged me out here in nothing but a dress and someone else’s coat.”

“We needed somewhere more private to talk.”

“And we couldn’t just talk in the bathroom?”

“I didn’t want to return to the scene of the crime.” 

Your smile fell off your face as you nodded. “Right.” 

“Y/n,” Natasha took a step toward you, huddling close.

“Yeah?” 

“I was going to say something helpful, but I forgot because of how cold it is out here.”

You laughed lightly, pulling her closer to you, immersing yourself in the warmth you shared. “I expect nothing less.”

“I’m starting to agree this was a dumb idea.” Natasha admitted, laughing softly. “But, I will say this,” She moved to look you in the eyes, “I know it’s hard to deal with someone not reciprocating your feelings, but you are the strongest and most beautiful girl I know. It is not your loss, but hers.”

“Thanks, Nat.” 

“You know I’m always going to be there for you. Except for right now, because I am really cold and I really have to pee.” 

You rolled your eyes and cracked a smile. “I can’t believe you.”

“Just stay here and I’ll be right back! We’ll talk more in a second!” 

You laughed as you watched her pull away from you, taking quick and careful steps around the ice patches on the patio as she made her way to the door, opening it and slipping into the warm air. You gave her a small wave before turning back around, facing the view of the city as you shivered in the wind.

You couldn’t help but drift off into deep thought as you watched the lights of the city twinkle in the distance. Your mind kept bringing you back to the Christmas before, as much as you tried to fight the thought of how you spent the night locked in the bathroom, sobbing and how you had gotten so anxious, Natasha had to spend the night with you, holding your hair back as you vomited. 

You weren’t one to hold grudges, always opting to forgive and forget, but you could never shake that night off no matter how hard you had tried. 

It wasn’t that you hated Wanda, you didn’t, but you could never get over her nor the situation you had been put in that night. You couldn’t get over the way she has kissed you that night on the balcony and when you told her you wanted to be with her, she said nothing, just shook her head, stammering to herself. 

“Oh, so that’s where my coat went.” 

“I’m sorry, my friend-” You turned around, tugging at the jacket before looking up to meet the person’s eyes. “Wanda.”

“Hi, Y/n.” She gave you a shy smile, wearing a coat you recognized as your own as she stood in front of the doors. 

“I see you have my coat.”

“And I see you have mine.”

You slipped the coat off your shoulders as you walked towards her, the coat in your outstretched hand. “Here, you can have it back, I’m going back inside anyway.” 

“Y/n, please, just put it back on. I came out here to talk to you.” 

“I don’t think we have anything to talk about.” You shook your head. “Just take the coat so I can go inside.” 

Wanda pushed your hand back towards you. “Y/n, you’ve been exchanging looks with me all night. Let’s just talk about this.”

“What if I don’t want to talk about it, Wanda?” You replied, your tone a bit snappy. “Can’t you just accept that?”

“No, I can’t just accept that! You’ve been avoiding me all year and won’t say a word to me!” 

“And you never said a word to me, either!” You argued, shoving the coat into her hands. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go.”

“Y/n, wait.” Wanda grabbed your arm lightly as you pushed past her. 

You wanted to yank your arm from her hands, but couldn’t do it as you took a step forward. You could feel your foot slip from underneath you, sending you down to the ground along with Wanda, who was still holding onto you. 

“Shit!” You groaned, falling onto your back, the ice cold and wet as it soaked into your dress and Wanda’s warm body landing on top of you, almost knocking the wind out of you. 

“Well, I guess this was one way of getting you to stay.” Wanda chuckled awkwardly, looking down at you. 

“Oh my god, get off of me!”

“Not until you let me talk to you!” 

“If I agree to let you talk to me, will you give me a coat to wear? I’m going to die of hypothermia out here.”

“Yes.” 

“Okay, then I’ll talk to you.” You agreed rather reluctantly. “That means you can get off of me now.”

Wanda blushed and nodded. “Oh, right! Right.” 

She rolled off of you, sitting up herself as she slipped off your jacket and handing it to you before putting her own back on. 

“Y/n, I just want to start by saying I’m really sorry for what happened last year. I really mean that. I know you’re upset that we never talked about it, and you have every right to be, but I need to tell you that I was never going to say no to you.”

“Your silence was enough of an answer.”

“I don’t know if you remember, but you didn’t just like confess your love to me, you kissed me first.”

“That was because we were under a mistletoe and Tony was drunkenly yelling at us to kiss!” 

“I know, but we can both agree that Tony only said that because he thought it would be a show. And we could’ve both say no, but we didn’t.”  Wanda corrected, sighing softly as she looked up at the sky. “So, you can understand my surprise when you told me you reciprocated the feelings I had for you. That I had been having for you.”

“But, you never-”

“Said anything, I know. And I had never planned on saying anything. I just thought I would keep it to myself until something happened and when it did, I froze. I didn’t know what to say and while I was standing there, tripping over my words as I tried to find the right ones, you ran away from me, crying.” 

You tried to think back to the moment, but you couldn’t remember the exact details of it all. All you could remember was your drunk tears staining Natasha’s sleeve and sleeping on the bathroom floor. 

“I never meant to hurt your feelings by not saying anything,” Wanda continued, “but you had ran away before I could tell you how I felt and by the time I finally had the chance to say anything, when I had found the right words, you had already locked yourself away and wouldn’t talk to me.” 

“But, Wanda, you had so much time to talk to me, so many chances. Why didn’t you?” 

“Because I couldn’t just swallow my own pride and explain myself. I felt that it was easier having you hate me than tell you how I felt and have you reject me like you thought I had done to you.” 

You could see a tear fall from Wanda’s glossy eyes. You wanted so desperately to reach out and touch her, to tell her it was okay, but you weren’t sure it was. 

“Wanda-”

“I know you probably don’t feel the same, and that’s fine, but I just want you to know that I did feel the same way and I still do. I couldn’t get over it, or over you.” She sniffed softly, wiping her nose with the back of her hand as she began to stand up. “I should probably go. I won’t hold you hostage any longer.”

She walked past you slowly, trying not to slip on the ice as you grabbed her hand quickly. She looked down at you, just as shocked by the gesture as you were. 

“Wait, please.” You begged, standing up slowly. “I’m sorry, too. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions and I also should’ve been more forgiving and understanding of the position I put you in.” 

“Y/n, you shouldn’t have to apologize.”

“No, I want to.” You insisted, looking down at your hand that was still in hers. “I also want to say that I never got over you, either. I just couldn’t. I like you a lot, Wanda. I always have.” 

You could hear her laugh softly, watching her feet as she took a step towards you and grabbed your face with her free hand. 

“I don’t think you understand how much I have been dying for you to say that.” She smiled, lifting your face up to look at her.

You mirrored her smile, leaning into her hand as you took a step towards her, only for your foot to slip once more. You grabbed her by the coat, pulling the other girl down with you, once again having you in the same position she did earlier. 

“We have got to stop ending up like this.” Wanda giggled, her hands rested beside the two sides of your head. 

“Just shut up and kiss me already.” 

Wanda smiled, leaning in close to you before you leaned forward, connecting your lips. 

You could feel yourself melt into her, smiling softly into the kiss as she pushed herself into you. 

“Sorry I took so long there was a super long line to the bathr-” Natasha cut herself off as she walked onto the patio. “Oh. Sorry.” 

You pulled away from Wanda quickly, looking at Natasha with wide eyes. 

“I’m just gonna-” Natasha pointed to the door, turning on her heel and walking away as Wanda fell into a fit of giggles, rolling off of you. 

“That was embarrassing.” You blushed. 

“Oh, lighten up.” Wanda smiled, pulling you close once more.

[not-all-dead]

angstpril day twenty: the silent treatment

CW: mentions of a breakup but that’s pretty much the worst of it

fic under the cut

November 3rd, 142

Lin,

Mom made me promise I’d write to you, so here’s me doing that. Grandma and Grandpa say hi, and they want you to visit soon. School’s boring as ever and I have no friends here which is just great. Thanks for that. At least they have good food here, the chef is pretty amazing. Still, I think I’m going to run away soon, just for the sake of it. Maybe I’ll find a family actually worth keeping. Anyway, I don’t miss you or mom, have fun arresting people or whatever.

Su

February 7th, 143

Lin,

Heard you’re chief now. Congrats I guess. Does mom finally pay attention to you? Who am I kidding, of course she doesn’t. Anyway, I left Grandma and Grandpa’s. I’m part of this cool travelling circus right now, but I think I’m going to try something new soon. It’s been fun though, lots of flying through the air above lava pits and other super dangerous things. I bet I’m having a better time than you are, stuck in the stupid city.

I call Grandma every week or two to keep her updated on what I’m doing, otherwise she’ll freak out and think I’m dead or something. She told me today that mom called her yesterday. Mom said she was going to Gaoling to drop off her things before travelling wherever just like I’m doing. Guess I have more in common with her than I thought. I also guess that means you’ve got the apartment to yourself now, must be nice.

How’s Tenzin? You two still madly in love? Actually, don’t tell me, I don’t really care. Not that you’re going to respond to this at all. Whatever. I’ve got a performance to get to, so bye.

Su

December 19th, 145

Lin,

I wish you’d write back. I’m much older now, and I’d be happy to talk things out with you if you’d respond. But I guess that’s something you have to want too, and clearly you still hate me, so I won’t count on it.

I know I haven’t written in a while. I was on a pirate ship for a while, learning to sail and such, and we didn’t dock often. Any paper we had on board was constantly damp, too, so I didn’t see the point. After that I live in a sandbender commune. It was really interesting to see how different people lived, especially different earthbenders. I tried learning to sandbend but it didn’t go so well.

But that’s all past now. I’m building a city now, a city entirely of metal. I’ve got this wonderful architect named Baatar helping me with it, and thank goodness I do. I honestly don’t know how I’d execute my plans without him. I think I might ask him to marry me. I mean, I really do like him, and the idea of a family sounds so nice. If I did I’d really like for you to be there.

I hope everything in the city is alright. Last time I spoke to mom, a couple years ago now, she said you were still going steady with Tenzin. I don’t know how you two have stayed together this long already, you always seemed so different from one another to me. I guess opposites really do attract, as they always say. I’ll write again soon.

Su

April 2nd, 146

Lin,

It would mean the world to me if you could make it. Please come if you can, I’d really like to see you again.

Su

March 27th, 147

Lin,

You have a nephew! I was bummed that you didn’t come to the wedding, but it’s alright. Maybe you’d like to come and meet Baatar Jr. sometime this year… we’d welcome you here in Zaofu if you did. We’re still working on building up the outer cities, but the central hub where our house is is fully operational. I’d love to show you how it all works, we have metalbender staff in training to operate practically every part of the city. It’s a busy time, with the new baby and all the construction.

Please tell me you and your airhead of a boyfriend are getting married soon. I mean, come on! It’s been ten years already, I don’t see how you can possibly still be “taking it slow”. You make no sense to me sometimes, Lin. But then again, I’m sure you feel the same about me.

Mom’s been visiting Zaofu pretty regularly. She’s coming in next week to meet Baatar Jr. for the first time. She still seems to be holding a grudge against me. You two really are cut from the same cloth, you know. I might try to talk things out with her when she comes this time, or at least set a time sometime soon for us to flush things over. It would be great if you’d come too so we could put all this family drama nonsense behind us.

Su

May 30th, 150

Lin,

I’m disappointed that you still refuse to answer. Honestly, mom and I have spent two years talking and figuring things out. We’re good now, and there were plenty of opportunities we gave you to join us. I’m sorry you’re still so bitter.

Baatar Jr. is three now, you’d know if you ever cared to visit. He hasn’t shown any signs of bending yet, but Baatar is a non-bender and I started bending late so that’s not too surprising. We’ve got another one on the way, due in a couple weeks actually. I think if it’s a boy we’ll name him Huan, and if it’s a girl probably Hei-Ran. Again, I wish you’d come and actually be a part of my kids’ lives, but you seem dead set against it.

Kya actually dropped by not too long ago. I hadn’t seen her in ages, so it was a nice surprise. She says her travels have been going well, and she’d visited practically every place on the planet! I loved my time travelling, but ultimately family life is what suited me best. She said she was heading back to Republic City soon, so maybe she’ll drop in on you, too. Anyway, hope the triads aren’t causing too too much havoc for you, Chief.

Su

January 16th, 151

Lin,

Look, I don’t know what your problem is, but I’ve given up. If you’re really that set on giving me the cold shoulder, so be it. I’ll stop writing at all.

Sorry you’re not mature enough to handle this like an adult.

If you were wondering, Huan is very healthy and strong. Baatar Jr. too. Baatar Sr. took ill a while back, but he’s alright now.

I don’t know why I’m telling you any of this when I know you don’t care. Well. Sorry I’m such a bother to you.

Su

August 4th, 156

Lin,

Mom told me what happened with you and Tenzin. He’s an asshole, good on you for wrecking the island. You were always too good for him anyway. I know I haven’t written in a long time, I just didn’t see the point if you kept ignoring me. Maybe now you’ll come and see your family, it might be nice after losing Tenzin.

You’ve got a niece, now, too. And four nephews, the youngest being the twins. They’re only just over a year old now, and Opal recently turned three. I tell them stories about their Aunt Lin, you know. The older boys would really like to meet you, and I’m sure Opal and the twins will too when they’re a little bit more grown up. I want to see you again too, Lin, and I wish you’d at least try to let go of the past. Even just a letter back would make my day.

Hope you’re holding up as Chief there, not too much trouble with the triads or whomever else is committing crime these days.

Su

November 7th, 158

Lin,

Baatar Jr. is now eleven, and seems to be quite the budding architect just like his father. Huan has taken up metalbending little sculptures, so for his eighth birthday he got a little studio just for his art. Opal is five now, and growing up fast. I’ve never seen a five year old read as well as she does. Wing and Wei are still just three, but they seem to enjoy throwing pebbles at one another. I think they’ll be strong benders when they're older.

Mom and I finally made up properly. It’s nice to see her with the kids. She said she wrote to you asking you to come and chat too, but you ignored her. No surprises there. I might stop writing again if you keep this up, so don’t act shocked.

Su

October 21st, 160

Lin,

Mom’s here for a few weeks. Opal turned seven this year, Baatar Jr. thirteen, Huan ten, and the twins five. Wing and Wei invented a game for themselves to help with their metalbending training, they call it “power disk”.

I’m not sure what else to say to you anymore. I’m not sure why I’m even writing this now, after eighteen years. Eighteen years, Lin, and you haven’t even bothered to write back. At least I’ve tried to reach out. But now, I’m done. For real this time. Write if you want, I don’t care. I’m not going to keep sending these anymore.

Su

December 6th, 170

Lin,

Are you alright?! Mom had to tell me about you losing your bending, and she only found out through Katara! I can’t imagine what that must’ve been like. All I can say is that it would undoubtedly be awful.

I miss you, you know. It’s been almost thirty years since we last spoke. I know mom misses you too, and my kids would really like to meet their Aunt. It makes me sad that you’re still so sour about what happened, even after so much time has passed. We’ve both grown and changed as people, and I don’t understand why you can’t see that. Maybe I’m wrong, maybe it’s only me who’s changed at all. Even so, I do miss you, and I wish you’d write. Or visit.

I hope you’re alright, Lin, I really do.

Su

[danwylds]

Right okay I never actually got myself to write this fic so have my notes for the fic except I haven’t read through them since June when I wrote them and I refuse to edit anything

Right is bakery au but not

Neil either turned down the offer of exy for the foxes or for coach whatever the fuck his name was

He got caught earlier tho which is . Unfortunate

Stuart still comes in

Maybe I’ll have him move back to Britain for a while? To avoid the moriyamas n stuff

He NEVER misses a match of the ravens/foxes tho

Which leads to him seeing the frankly sickening interview of Kevin and riko

Neil is like yo Stuart let me start smth

Stuart is like Neil the only reason you’d go back to the states right now is if you did smth that you could hide and you can’t do that for shit

So Neil is like yk what I’m gonna find a way bc I’m not letting this kid go through this (Andrews quite into this idea when it’s shared)

So he says yo. Stuart. Uncle. Sir. Let me open a bakery or something in the states

Stuart is like no you fucking idiot

And Neil is like but c o n s i d e r

You can get info or smth

Just have another business in the states yk

AND I’d get out of your hair

And Stuart is like hm okay but you’ve gotta live in a complex I choose for you

And Neil is all only if I can choose where it’s gonna be

It’s a deal

He (very obviously) chooses a place near palmetto

Stuart is tired but is like he’ll be under protection n shit so I guess??? And he’s not stupid enough to start something right. Right.

Wrong.

Anyways.

It’s a bakery that starts out kinda slow

But Neil finds he likes baking and Stuart pays for his nephew to have some sort of normal life so it doesn’t matter too much

Renee starts to frequent it

At first it’s to pick up sweets for Andrew

But eventually she starts bringing Allison on dates there bc they have a cute little seating area (figure where Seth fits in? I think he’ll survive?)

Uhhh what’s a timeline

I think this’ll be around the winter holidays (Jewish neil? Look into it)

So thanksgiving will have happened . I think Andrew agreed to go Not bc he particularly wanted to but bc he cares for Nicky and knows he’ll probably go anyways

Yeah so thanksgiving. h

Andrew JUST got off his drugs and he’s so damn protective of his own that he hardly even leaves their sides

Edens is a def no for em

Meanwhile Neil is tentative friends w Renee who has brought all the upperclassmen there a few times

Allison bullies him for his clothing but it’s okay he deserves it

Renee is sweet and stops em from doing anything too drastic which Neil appreciates

Matt,, my baby,, he’s so happy he just asks Neil about random stuff

Dan is sweet too!!

Seth kinda hates him but Neil hasn’t paid enough attention to return the favor

One day close to the winter banquet the upperclassmen are like yeah Neil we’re gonna go to this thing and it should be really fun!! Oh you know what? Our teammate Nicky needs a date and his cousin doesn’t really like anyone from his class and he’s super fucking crazy abt it so if that doesn’t deter you then you should totally join !

Neil is like oh chance to fuck up Riko? Absolutely I’ll go

ALLISON DRESSES HIM

HE LOOKS SO GOOD

when he and Allison emerge from the girls room Aaron is like Who is that

And Allison is “oh nickys date (:”

Andrew gets twitchy and holds a knife to her throat

Renee is like Andrew I stg get away from my gf and Seth is like manic pixie nightmare fuel I’m gonna beat the shit outta you

And Neil is just like same shit every day I guess

And he’s like so you’re Nicky then? COMPLETELY IGNORING YK. ALL THAT

Andrew is like “he is. Don’t touch him”

And Neil straight up says I don’t think you get to set boundaries for people, actually

And Neil has no idea what the effect is of that on Andrew but it’s enough to make him glare

Which is terrifying to everyone but Neil bc again. Dumbass

Anyways Neil very purposely hooks his arm through nickys and they head off to the bus

Dunno what happens there but I’ll figure it out

RIKOOO ROASTTT **AIRHORNNNNSSS**

It’s glorious

Kevin and riko are like who the FUCK are you

And Neil is all wouldn’t you like to know weather boy

They relocate and they’re all like . Ah. That’s why you and Renee get along

It’s kinda funny ngl

Andrew doesn’t think so but fuck him

I think that they head back to the bus when this shit I’d over and wymack is like excuse me what the fuck

And Aaron in german is like thank god he never joined the team bc I could not handle more of that

And Neil in German is like would you believe me I’d I told you I was almost signed

And Andrew is like I fucking Knew it I hate it here

N e ways things go back to normal for the most part

The upperclassmen still show up

Seth has a bit of grudging respect for him

It’s later that all the foxes are getting drunk from a lose that Renee calls him and is like Neil please can I usher them inside for a bit I think they need a place to chill so we don’t get yelled at for being too loud in the dorms

And Neil is like uhh sure why not

It turns out it was not just the upperclassmen

He gives them all water bottles and whatever and lets them lounge around

Gives em some food which they pay for w the coachs card

Uhhh idk time passes and some of the foxes pass out so neil is like y’all can chill in the break room? They have couches

He stays out there bc the bakery is still open

Andrew comes out like hey fuck you but also can I get more of those pastries

Idk I want them to be in love already

Uhh yeah I think they don’t say anything until

“what happened to your face”

“A truth for a truth?”

“If you must insist”

“Fine, my father tried to kill me”

Andrew raises his eyebrow but neils like bitch you said a truth for a truth it’s your turn now

Neil asks him why he wears arm bands

We get the whole knives and scars

They’re quiet again

I don’t know man let them be in love

Uhhh okay

I think Andrew will tell neil like

“[code]”

“Huh”

“That’s the code for the court, Kevin practices at night.”

Neil is like how would you know I’d enjoy playing exy? And andrew is like dipshit that’s how we met

I’m running out of ideas oh no

Maybe they play a couple of night game things

Exchange a few more truths

OHHH OKAY COOL SO THEN NEIL CAN GO TO EDENS W THEM THE WHOLE “DOESNT MEAN I WOULDNT BLOW YOU” THING CAN STILL HAPPEN

sick okay! They start dating but since Baltimore happened earlier they never actually come out to the rest of the team

I like to think when they play against the ravens again neils like haha babe you can have as many sweets as you want if you shut down the goal

Also Neil says it’s hot which is like a big thing to persuade Andrew but shhhhh

Yeah the foxes win they celebrate by getting drunk and they all show up at neils like hello again (:

Same thing happens but this time andrew and Neil are together and basically are doing nothing but making out

At least the store is closed

Nicky comes out and just YELLS

YALLLLLL COME LOOK @ THIS SHIT

Allison wins SO much money

Yeah idk how to end this but happily ever after :3

If you want me to turn this into a fic I will!

[prolestariwrites]

Tension

Fandom: Devil May Cry Rating: Explicit Characters: Dante, Vergil, Reader (no Spardacest) Tags: MMF, Threesome, Explicit Sexual Content, Oneshot Words: 5539

Collab with @solynaceawrites​

Summary: Dante and Vergil fight about everything, even you. Tired of the arguing, you decide to make them use all that energy in a much more productive way. Contains MMF threesome but not Spardacest.

━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━ You’re not quite sure when the tension got so unbearable. 

Maybe it's on you. After all, you had been the one to kick Dante to the van while letting Vergil stay in the shop, and you know that the two of them have a rivalry a mile wide and a thousand feet deep when it comes to anything and everything. So, you suppose that it's possible that Vergil had, in some way, seen that as you choosing him over Dante, though really all it had been was you needing time to deal with Dante being back. 

You and Dante had had a complicated relationship even before he went off to “fuck around Hell”, as you liked to call it. Friends? Friends with benefits? Love? You never had the chance to really define it before he left you for six months without a word of goodbye and the deed to the Devil May Cry, making you the owner. For six months, you thought he was dead, mourning the loss of the man you thought you’d be with forever, until he waltzed back into the shop like nothing was wrong and got a well-deserved fist to the face courtesy of you.

When they returned, you refused to give up ownership, too pissed at Dante for leaving so recklessly and breaking your heart to give him the satisfaction of getting it back. So you remained on as the boss, a role Dante didn’t seem to mind at all, even though your two new employees were very talented at driving you crazy. You had given jobs to both of them as equally as you could. You gave Vergil the same cold shoulder you gave to Dante. In all ways but where they were sleeping, you treated the twins exactly the same, but somehow it's all led to this. Even though you’re not quite sure what this is. 

After a month of living in the van, you had let Dante move back in, albeit begrudgingly. He'd wanted a second chance to apologize and make things right between you, and you missed him enough to let him do it. Slowly, painfully, he'd opened up to you, all of those secrets he'd held onto for so long spilling out in fits and bursts over weeks until you knew everything he'd been through and the hurt that'd been festering in him since his mother was killed. You hadn't quite forgiven him completely, but he'd been back in the bedroom by then and you made the choice to try and put the past behind you so you could grow together. 

You hadn't noticed Vergil's behavior until you walked into an argument between him and Dante that had wrecked half the shop. Sure, he'd been a bit nicer to you, or his version of it anyway, helping with the files and the bills, making sure that you got first call on the shower. Small things that you’d expect from someone walking on thin ice as far as you were concerned. Dante had told you later on that Vergil was doing his best to court you in his awkward way. It'd been a shock, but knowing what to look for had made it painfully obvious how blind you had been to what he was doing.

Which has led to your current predicament, standing between the twins and trying to keep them from tearing into each other. "Would both of you knock it off?"

"Tell Vergil to knock it off," Dante growls. 

"Stay out of my way," Vergil warns him. "If I catch you in my things one more time—" 

"The things I pay for?" 

"I work too." 

You clear your throat. "Stop it. I mean it." You side-eye Dante with hands on your hips. "What were you doing?" 

"Just lookin' for something. Such a damn baby—" 

"Say it again, baby brother." 

"Okay!" You cry. "Dante, leave Vergil's shit alone. Vergil, stop being so damn possessive. There." 

You hope it is over as you move to go back to your desk, but you hear Dante make a snort. "Right. He's possessive over shit that's not his." 

You freeze at the desk, the hair on the back of your head rising as you can tell they are gearing up for another argument. "What was that?" you bite over your shoulder. 

Your eyes land on him sharply and Dante gives a shrug that annoys you to no end. "I'm saying he thinks everything is his. The jobs, the weapons, even you." 

"What?" You frown in surprise, but they are arguing again, and you put up a hand to get their attention. "I'm sorry, who belongs to who?"

"Ol' Verge here thinks he owns you." Dante grins, but it lacks its usual humor. "So, I told him to keep his fuckin' hands off shit that doesn't belong to him, he said that I was the one who needed to keep my grimy paws to myself. What do you think, darlin’? You belong to him?" 

"I belong to myself," you say sharply. 

His brows flick up in surprise even as Vergil utters a wry laugh. "You say she isn't mine, she says she isn't yours. I suppose that means she could belong to me, does it not?" 

"Hell no! She’s my woman, not yours." 

"Like Yamato?" 

"I haven't touched that thing since you came back, jackass."

"How about this?" you snap at both of them. "I don't belong to either of you. You—" here you point at Vergil with a warning look, "—work for me, and that's it. And you—" Your gaze at Dante is even sharper, "—I'm still pissed at. So both of you can forget whatever this whole argument is." You fold your arms, silently fuming. 

The brothers glance at each other, both wearing expressions that are a weird, smug sort of anger. But then Dante walks towards you, and you slide back to sit on the desk and cross your legs, wanting to keep him at a distance. "Don't come over here like we're friends," you say. 

But your tone isn't harsh, and they both know it. You both know the smile he gives you is going to needle its way under your skin, and he knows just how to stand, one palm on the desk next to your thigh and the other on his cocked hip, looking up at you with a sexy smirk that is accentuated by the day's worth of stubble on his face. Fuck him and his stupid handsome face. "Come on, babe," he murmurs, giving you a wink. "We both know we're getting back together. You don't have to play it like that when you already have my attention." 

Ordinarily you would dig your heels in more, and the first words that rise to your tongue are you wish . . . and then he licks his lips, and you seem to feel the weeks and months without him all at once. 

"You don't have to answer that." 

Your attention is pulled towards Vergil, who is standing with arms folded. His gaze on you is so intense you actually gasp, and he starts to move closer, almost prowling. "Leave her alone, Dante," Vergil says darkly.

"Get yer own woman," Dante replies, his eyes still on your face. You had almost forgotten how mesmerizing he can be, those icy blues like a physical weight that pins you in place and demands your attention so that you don't notice a hand closing around your wrist until you are pulled to the side. 

Vergil's lips caress the back of your hand as he scowls at his brother. "I'm quite fond of this one." 

"Is that right?" Dante catches your knee and leans over you, crowding you half against the desk and half against Vergil, and you glance between the two of them in utter confusion. "Tough shit. You can't have her." 

It nearly makes you laugh, the age old tug-of-war you had gone through with Nero manifesting now with these two, but the air around them feels thick and heavy, and a thick coat of sweat dampens the back of your neck. Vergil pulls you farther backwards, ignoring your "hey!" as he tries to get you out of Dante's reach. "She'd be better off with me, and you know it."

"Stop that," you say. 

You step back again, the backs of your thighs hitting the desk. The air is crackling now, and your heart responds with an uptick in speed, your mouth going dry as you try to swallow. It's as if the room is filling with tension, and you laugh nervously. "You two fight over everything. What did you do when you were kids?" 

"What?" Dante looks away from his brother to frown at you. "What do you mean?" 

"When you had a toy or something you fought over," you explain. "What did you do to resolve it?" 

They exchange a glance, and you can see something pass between them. "We had to share," Dante replies. 

You laugh again. "Too bad you can't share me then." 

You grin at Dante, but they are staring at you with a look you’ve never seen. Your eyes go wide and you glance at Vergil, whose usual stoic expression seems to have intensified. "Guys, I was kidding . . ." Weren't you? 

"So you get to decide," Vergil proposes. "But we both have to prove why we deserve you." 

You blink in confusion, but as you stare at Vergil, you feel a hand slide along your arm and Dante's lips press to your temple, making your breath catch. "What do you say, babe?"

"Uh . . ." Fuck yes. "Isn't this set up to fail? I mean, toys, sure, but whoever I don't pick is gonna . . . You know?" 

Vergil steps forward, one of his hands pressing firmly against the small of your back while the other smooths over your cheek. "As children, whoever was proven to use what we both wanted most was given possession of it by our mother. We've learned not to hold a grudge." 

Right, like the grudge that brought all of this about, Vergil's desire to best Dante causing not one but two tragedies. You look away, but that puts your face right in front of Dante's, and he wastes no time in kissing you, ignoring Vergil's disapproving tsk as he sucks on your lips before prying them open with his tongue. "Really, Dante," Vergil sighs, "didn't you ever learn to treat a woman with respect?"

You laugh against his mouth, part in nervousness and part at Vergil's statement. Dante has always been like this, aggressive and sexy, even silly and sloppy in the way he kisses you, but it is always so sincere that you never minded. As if to drive the point home, Dante pulls your tongue into his mouth and sucks on it slowly, your faces tilted as he takes his time. The shameless display must look ridiculous, but you have to admit the way his teeth scrape and the slight pain from the tug has your pulse racing. He lets you go with a smack of his lips and grins, and you smile back instinctively. 

Then a hand is in your hair and your head is turned before Vergil's lips press against yours. Vergil's kiss could not be more different: hard, demanding, precise. The way he tugs your lips and slides his tongue in long strokes in and out of your mouth seem almost practiced, but it works. You are groaning in no time and leaning into him, trying to take more. It's as if he read a manual on how to turn you on and can hit everything you like in a kiss. By the time he releases you, your body feels weak and there is definitely a dampness between your legs that has you flushed.

You barely have time to gather thoughts before Dante scoops you up and strides towards the stairs, smothering your protest with another kiss. It seems like it's going to be a theme for the night; the two of them, fighting over which one of them deserves you more, and you caught in the middle. Not that you really mind. 

Halfway up, he pauses to call over his shoulder, "Hurry up, Vergil, or I'm lockin' you out of the bedroom!" 

There's a rush of air as Vergil appears on the landing, his eyes narrowed as his lips curl into a smile that sets your heart racing. "Always the fool," he proclaims. 

You huff and wriggle until Dante sets you down. If they keep carrying on like this, nothing is going to happen, and you make sure your hips sway and your body brushes Vergil's as you finish the climb on your own. "You've both got sixty seconds before I decide to go to bed," you say breezily.

One of them grabs your backside, and when you see Vergil stride ahead and push the bedroom door open, you smack Dante on the arm. He grins at you playfully but you grab his shirt and tug him close so you can whisper. "You sure about this?" 

"Oh fuck yes." His hands go to your hips and tug you against him, and as Dante grinds you can feel his erection already straining under his jeans. He presses a kiss to your jawline and then his lips go to your ear and whispers, "I want to watch you get fucking filled." 

You swallow and let him pull you to the bedroom. Vergil has already removed his shoes and his shirt, and you gape for a second as he opens his belt. He is just as gorgeous as Dante, his body carved, but leaner: where Dante is all strength and muscle, Vergil is a fighter, his body meant for movement. He catches you watching and gives a crooked grin before pushing off his pants; now just in his boxers, Vergil crosses the room towards you. He is as tall as Dante, forcing you to look up at him, and Vergil brushes your hair back over your shoulder. "Let's get you comfortable, hm?" he says quietly, and his fingertips slowly glide down your front and graze your breasts over your shirt.

You hold your breath as he works through the buttons of your blouse, slowly unhooking each one and parting the fabric before moving on to the next, leaving a trail of goosebumps in his wake. It's a different sort of anticipation than what you tend to feel; with Dante, it's hot and quick, leaving you impatient and eager. But with Vergil, it builds slowly, crawling up your spine and squeezing your ribs around your lungs. Each slight touch feels like a promise and a threat all in one, leaving you trembling as you wait to see what he'll do next. When he reaches the last button, you slide the shirt from your shoulders without asking, and his lips tilt at the sight of your bare chest. "No bra?" he murmurs.

You blink, and it's Dante who replies, "She doesn't wear 'em at home," as he comes up behind you, his bare chest scorching against your back. You gasp when he cups your breasts, his lips grazing your neck, and Vergil's hands land on your hips as he kisses you again while Dante teases and plucks your nipples into stiff buds. "Feels like we might need some ground rules?" Vergil hums inquisitively, though he doesn't draw away from your lips, and Dante chuckles lowly. "This one won't say no to anything. We gotta do it for her."

You sink against his touch as Vergil kisses you deeper, his tongue rolling around yours and leaving you breathless when he pulls away. "Well?" he asks with an arch of his brow. 

"What?" Your heart is hammering in your chest as Vergil slides his hands into the waistband of your leggings. Dante's mouth nips the side of your neck, making you yelp, and your lips open as you watch Vergil sink to his knees and drag the fabric down your legs. Vergil's mouth presses to your navel as he pulls your clothes away, leaving you bare, his hands sliding back up the sides of your legs as he leaves a trail of kisses down your stomach. 

"Babe," Dante says against your shoulder, his thumbs rubbing slow circles on your nipples. "What do you want?" 

"I . . ." You are squirming now, arousal dripping onto your thighs, and as Vergil's mouth works over the top of your mound your body gets even wetter. "Anything. Everything," you whisper. 

Vergil looks up from your sex and your eyes connect. "Just say when to stop," he says. 

You nod. Vergil opens one of your thighs, pressing his face to your center, and when you feel his tongue press against your hood you groan and lean your head back. Dante's mouth is on your cheek and you turn to meet his lips, and he kisses you slowly as Vergil's tongue finds your clit. They both hold you upright, your senses going a bit overloaded at the sensations. Dante releases your nipples to run his palms up and down your front, massaging your chest as he kisses you. Vergil presses against a particularly good spot and a moan catches in your throat, but Dante smiles against your lips and murmurs, "It's okay, let him hear how much you like this."

You reach down to tangle your fingers in Vergil's hair, surprised to find the strands silky and soft instead of tacky with gel or spray, and he lifts you easily, letting Dante support the weight of your torso as he drapes your legs over his broad shoulders. Like this, he can reach more of your sex, and you cry out when he kisses your body deeply, thrusting his tongue within your opening before swirling it over your clit. Dante holds you easily, fluid smearing along your back as he grinds against you leisurely; between the two of them, you are spinning, and it isn't long before you’re rocking into Vergil's mouth, chasing the pleasure tightening within your core.

"She's gonna come fast, Verge," Dante pants against your neck, and like magic, you arch against him as your orgasm breaks. Your hand yanks his eager mouth against your clit as the other reaches up to grip Dante, and you feel almost weightless as he licks you through the contractions, his tongue rough and electric on your body. A cry erupts as it crests, and Vergil gives your clit a final, gentle suckle before lapping you gently as it finally begins to finish. 

You are deposited on the bed, and one of them—Vergil, you realize after a moment—climbs over you to kiss your lips. You can taste your own arousal on him and you eagerly respond, sucking on his tongue and lips, the taste of him and sex driving you wild. How was he so good at that? The thought flickers briefly before he pulls away, and you pant as you look at the ceiling, the weight of what you had just done settling on you as the mattress dips.

You’re not worried about Dante being pissed. He'd been just as eager for this as Vergil, by his own admission, and if he tries to say something about it later, you’ll be more than happy to remind him of his comment about seeing you fucking filled. It's not even guilt, really. But there is something a bit strange about having your maybe-if-he-wasn’t-such-a-jerk lover's brother give you the best oral of your life while said lover watches, and you’re trying to process that when another mouth covers your sex, the heated insistence of it letting you know right away that it's Dante. 

Your back bends as you reach down to grab his hair. But hands catch your wrists, and you look up with surprise as Vergil carefully winds a strip of black fabric around them. He catches you watching and gives you a little grin. "You should pay attention," he murmurs, and you open your mouth to ask him what he means just as Dante parts your thighs and sheathes his cock within you with one fluid thrust.

You groan, long and loud. Dante's hands are heavy and familiar on your thighs as he massages your flesh, and then he starts to move slow and deep, your sensitive body sparking to life with his movements. Meanwhile Vergil leans over you and kisses your breasts, using that mouth that just gave you such an amazing orgasm on your nipples, teasing and driving you crazy. You are helpless with your arms tied, but that seems to suit you just fine. Being between them is overwhelming, and you want to give yourself over to it and see where they can take you. 

But his mouth is heaven while Dante's thrusts are sin, and the combination leaves you gasping for more. You turn your face and kiss Vergil's thigh, needing to do something, hearing one or the other or both laugh. Something like embarrassment flushes through you, but it's sweeter, twisting your lungs and making you stretch your body. Your only thought now is them, their eyes and hands and bodies on you, and you want to ruin them just as much as they will do to you. 

"You just had to ask, princess," Vergil murmurs. His hand cards through your hair and then his cock presses to your lips. Eagerly you open, moaning as it fills your mouth, and Dante stops his movements to watch. "Oh fuck," he groans, his hands digging into your open thighs. "Fuck, swallow him, babe."

You do your best, pleasantly surprised by how similar his cock is to Dante's. Along with the angle, it makes taking him into your throat easier, and you suck as he pumps in and out of your mouth, holding your head steady with one hand as he fondles your breast with the other. But he tastes different; the only way you can think to describe it is cooler, less earthy than Dante, and you moan around his flesh. Dante finds your clit with his fingers as he begins to move again. Quite literally pinned by their bodies, you willingly surrender yourself to them, uncaring which of them does what as long as they don't stop.

"So good . . ." Vergil groans. Something in his voice makes you shiver, like he is losing that tight grip of control, and you lift your head slightly to take him deeper, sucking hard on his length as you hold it in your throat. 

Dante curses again, his hips moving faster, and you can feel your body tightening. You gasp around the cock in your mouth but Vergil is thrusting just as hard, and before you realize it the thick fluid is filling your mouth and throat. You nearly choke on it before he quickly eases back, and with the taste of Vergil spilling over your tongue you start to orgasm again, a cry erupting as Dante's touch on your clit works you into another that is intense but all too brief. 

You come down moments later to the sound of your bodies slapping together. Dante leans over you and covers your mouth with his, and you groan into his kiss as he grinds deep inside you. "So damn hot," he whispers, his hands sliding along your arms. He pushes your wrists into the bed and jerks his hips sharply before he lets out a groan and his seed starts to shoot inside your body, hot and slippery and filling you up.

It's barely over before you become aware of Vergil moving to stand impatiently next to the bed, and Dante huffs a laugh as he draws his body out of yours, leaving you gasping at the drag over your sensitive flesh. "Can't even give me a damn minute, huh?" 

"You've had your turn," Vergil argues. 

Dante snorts. Each of them grab you, moving you as they move until you’re on your knees with your ass in the air and your face pressed to Dante's thigh. Vergil tsks as he settles between your trembling legs, and Dante cards a hand through your hair as he says, "What? I like it better this way."

Your wrists are still tied, and you run your fingers over his leg, looking up. "Untie me." 

Dante's lip rolls up as he grins, pulling the tie off and tossing it. You press on your palms to go upright, your lips grazing Dante's chest. "You want to stop?" he murmurs. 

Your eyes flicker up to his. "No," you say. Then you turn to look over at Vergil, who is watching intently, his palm rubbing his growing erection. "Touch me first." 

The corner of his mouth quirks and Vergil reaches between your legs with his free hand. His fingertips stroke your opening softly and you sigh, tilting your head back. Dante strokes your cheek sweetly, and when he runs his thumb along your lip you catch it playfully between your teeth. "I can't wait to feel your mouth," he says. 

"Stroke your cock and get it hard," you order, your words breathless as Vergil slides a finger along your clit.

He keeps his eyes on yours as he obeys. His knuckles bump your stomach with every pump of his fist, and his tongue slides out to wet his bottom lip. You watch his pupils dilate and his nostrils flare, and then he cups the back of your head and guides you down so your lips rub over the tip of his cock; eagerly, you part your lips, and as you sink down on him, Vergil sinks into you, and the sound of both of their groans mingling in the air is one of the most erotic you’ve ever heard. Instead of thrusting to meet you, Dante simply moves your head, and the slow, steady movements of Vergil's hips help you set a rhythm as you swallow his flesh.

You grip his thighs tightly as you bob your head up and down, swallowing the thick length as best as you can. He tastes like sex, pure and simple, and the sensation of being filled is different this time now that you control the movements. You start to rock your hips to meet Vergil's thrusts, and he presses one hand to your stomach and the other to your thigh, stretching you open to accommodate him. Vergil is long and thick and the precision he used to kiss you is still there as he fucks you slowly and methodically. Your orgasm builds just as slowly, tingling along your spine, and when his hand slides around your hip to your backside you shudder at his intimate touch. Meanwhile Dante strokes your hair, the movements intoxicating, pulling you under his spell as you suck him greedily. Usually he is playful, vocal and thrusting into your mouth, but now he lets you enjoy, his sexiness just as intense but different.

Your release this time crests in waves that rock you instead of pull you under, and you moan around Dante's cock as Vergil continues to fuck you with those steady, practiced movements. On and on it drags, fueled by the fullness of Dante in your mouth and the fullness of Vergil in your sex. "What do you think, hon?" Dante murmurs, sweeping your hair from your face. "Which of us fucks you better?"

You curse as you pull your mouth from his cock, sinking down to catch your breath and mouth at the base. "Fuck, fuck," you whisper as Vergil snaps his hips sharply against you. 

You dig your nails into Dante's thighs, drawing a hiss, and he tugs your hair, pulling your face up to his. "Yes . . .” he groans. 

Vergil's hands roam your backside, rubbing and massaging your flesh. "She's still coming," he pants.

"You serious?" You can't see whatever expression Vergil is making, but it draws a low whistle from Dante. "Damn. You been holdin' out on me, sweetheart?" 

You do your best to give him an unimpressed look. It's ruined when a hand curls under your throat, and you yelp as Vergil pulls you up until his chest is flush to your back. "Hey!" Dante complains.

You shudder as Dante’s eyes drag down your body, stopping between your legs where Vergil's cock fills your sex. His eyes go lidded as he licks his lips, and you wonder what he is thinking. But then Vergil pulls out of you, and the slow drag of his cock leaves you breathless, gasping when you are suddenly empty. "Time to choose," he murmurs against your cheek, his hand caressing your throat lightly. "Whose cock do you want?" 

"Both," you pant. You lock gazes with Dante for a moment before closing your eyes. "Please, both of you fuck me. Same time." 

You don't even have to look to feel something pass between the two brothers. Fingers press against your clit—Dante's, you are pretty sure—and stroke you softly. "Will you come again if we do?"

"Yes," you plead. Vergil releases you so that Dante can grab you and draw you forward into his lap. His lips cover yours as he pulls you down onto his cock, his fingers stroking over your clit with the patterns you love, and you fall into the familiar, comforting weight of his touch. Hands press to your back, pushing you forward into an arch, and then Vergil is behind you, his cock pressing against the seam of your body.

Dante's mouth covers yours, and he swallows your groan as Vergil's thick cock enters your opening. Three orgasms have you weightless, almost boneless as you drape your arms around Dante's shoulders, clutching him at being so filled. Dante stays still, his cock inside you halfway, and Vergil pumps his hips gently to bury himself deeper. "She's so tight," he gasps, the cool veneer finally cracking in the way his voice shakes, and you consciously relax your muscles, trying to open yourself to them. 

They find a rhythm where one withdraws as the other enters, a lovely back and forth that sends your body and mind into a tailspin. And they are everywhere, hands and mouths greedy on your body, not an inch of you untouched as they grab at your breasts and hips and shoulders and calves, tracing your spine and skimming along your neck and scraping your thighs. You’ll have marks everywhere tomorrow, you are sure, but it's like riding an ocean of bliss, and you start to drown in it, suffocating as the twins take over everything and begin to drive you towards another orgasm.

Dante finishes first this time, yanking your hips down to fill you completely as he comes. The seed pumps into you in gushes that make your body slick, and you can feel his cock pulsing as it continues. While Dante kisses you, Vergil continues pumping, his length stretching you and making you cry out when his hips go flush to your backside. With Dante still sheathed fully every time Vergil thrusts your body reacts with a shudder.

There is something inside you that starts to spark, and without warning your body snaps as you start to come again. This time it truly is devastating, your cries sounding foreign to your ears. Dante’s murmured praise and two sets of hands firmly holding you are not enough to steady the swell of emotion that sparks, and you let go a sob when Dante withdraws his cock. It drags over your clit and sets off another wave of pulsing bliss, and you are only dimly aware of Vergil’s mouth on your neck and the creamy heat that shoots inside you. Vergil leans forward as he grinds deeper as Dante grinds upwards against your sex, and you are trapped between their solid bodies, barely able to breathe.

Everything goes quiet except for the sound of heavy breathing. Vergil gently withdraws and you sag against Dante, whose hands hold you firmly against him. “Hey,” he says, and you press your face to his shoulder, aftershocks from your orgasm igniting and leaving you shivering. You can feel how flushed your body is, and when he tilts you back and you feel a cool cloth between your thighs, you sigh gratefully as you roll against the mattress, craving the softness after the two hard bodies that nearly tore you apart with pleasure.

You end up between them, their hands stroking you with gentle caresses that pull you towards sleep. Faintly you think about how sore you will be, but it will be worth it. A pair of lips meets yours each time you turn your head, and when their touches start to grow a bit more aggressive and sweep over your folds and your sore nipples, you groan internally. Dante was always an insatiable lover, and now it seems like you’ve woken a second beast.

“Sleep first,” you murmur as you push a hand away from your slit—Vergil’s, you’re pretty sure. 

“Told ya,” Dante chuckles, and he gives your shoulder a kiss. 

“You did not,” Vergil mutters.

You sigh as they argue quietly, and when the topic turns to who gets to give you your first orgasm tomorrow, you smile at what is to come as you drift off to sleep. It seems as if this argument isn’t resolved at all.

[colorsofmyseason]

good day

Pairing: Kieran Tierney/Ben White. Their friendship is so precious that I decided to pair them up together.

I’m really, REALLY sorry for Nico. I have nothing against him, but since I once wanted to pair him with KT, he had to be sacrificed for this fic.

Set within my supernatural au as usual.

***

Perhaps it’s his fault, though Nico has no idea what it is. But as he watches Kieran strolling across the corridor, hand secured firmly inside Ben’s, he just knows any remaining chances of him to be with the Scottish left-back just vanishes before his eyes.

Still, this turn of events leaves him slightly baffled, and his friends even more.

“I thought you like KT??” Auba inquires, in French, one morning as they sit together in the cafeteria to eat their breakfast.

He doesn’t really want to discuss it, but he supposes such talk is unavoidable when you have a friend like Auba, and even if he refuses to answer now, the Gabonese striker will only press him even more, so he decides to answer as diplomatically and to the point as possible. “I do.”

“Then what happened between you and him?? Thought you’re like, only one step away from having him as your boyfriend.”

Nico only sighs as he takes a bite on his toast. “We just naturally grew apart, I guess? Maybe he doesn’t actually like me back. Maybe there’s something else. I don’t know.”

“It’s not because you once accidentally transformed and almost crushed him to death, is it?” Laca pipes in, the tiniest grin playing on his lips.

The lines on Nico’s forehead go deeper as he recalls that particular memory. One disadvantage of being an animal shifter is that they’re sometimes prone to spontaneous transformation whenever their emotions get the better of them, and when it happens, they usually can't instantly revert to their human form. And on one of those unfortunate days, Nico was alone in the dressing room with Kieran, and apparently the mere presence of the Scotsman was enough to mess his mind up. The end result can be predicted. Half of the lockers there got smashed by Nico’s elephant form, and Kieran himself only survived thanks to him turning himself intangible at the last second. Needless to say, that incident left Nico unable to look Kieran in the eye for weeks afterwards.

But as painfully humiliating as it might be, Nico’s sure Kieran understands that he didn’t mean to do that, right? That it’s purely an accident, and therefore the left back wouldn’t hold a grudge because of it.

“I don’t think so,” he finally answers after much thought. “I mean, it’s an accident, it can happen to any of us. I'm sure even KT is guilty of such things sometimes.”

Auba shrugs and takes a sip on his coffee. “Alright, if it’s not that, what is, then??”

“I said I don’t know, Auba, I…”

“You could’ve asked KT yourself,” Laca suggests. “Come to him, talk to him about the thing between the two of you, clarify what has gone wrong, and…”

“What for, Laca?? KT and I aren’t dating. Never were, never will be. There’s nothing to clarify.”

As the words leave his mouth, Nico winces to himself as it sounds a lot harsher than he’s meant it to be. And indeed, Laca looks mildly hurt at that.

“I’m sorry,” Nico says, in a softer tone this time. “I didn’t mean to snap earlier. I wasn’t angry at you, I swear. But I meant it. There’s never been anything between KT and I, so I don’t think I need to talk to him about this. That’s all.”

The French striker still looks dissatisfied, but not angry, to Nico’s relief. “But you like him. And I’m pretty sure he liked you too. Why you two don’t end up toget-”

“Laca, shut it,” this time Gabriel, who’s been silent this whole time, finally speaks up. “I’m sure they have reasons for that. Or maybe they don’t need any at all except that they’re simply not meant to be. Whatever it is, they’re both adults so just let them handle everything themselves. They don’t need us interfering in their problems.”

Silence ensues as everyone in the table digests the Brazilian center back’s words. Then Auba asks, really softly, “Will you be okay though, Nico? KT being with someone else, I mean.”

Nico’s eyes inadvertently glances at another table on the other side of the room. Kieran is sitting there alongside some English players in the team, animatedly chatting with them in his accent which Nico always finds hard to understand yet endearing as ever. His hair’s slightly tousled, his eyes and smile bright, and the Ivorian winger quickly grasps at his wrist to make sure his restriction wristband is still there, just in case his elephant half threatens to break away again.

He still likes Kieran, adores him to bits, even. But as Nico watches the Scotsman laughing at something Ben says, he understands that, inside those deep, light brown eyes, there’s only Ben now. Ben and not him. No more of him.

So, ignoring the stabbing pain in his heart, he breathes out, “Yes. I will be fine. As long as he’s happy with Ben, or whoever else he chooses, I will be fine.”

I have to be.

***

[franniebanana]

CQL Rewatch - Episode 7

Their first vow together. So nice! I actually do like the parallels here between Lan Yi and Wei Wuxian, and Baoshan Sanren and Lan Wangji: you have one set being reckless and untamed (I said it) and the other set trying to restore order. It’s kind of funny that the ancestors are switched, though. So here we have Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji vowing to bring all the Yin Iron pieces back to the cold spring pond to neutralize them, and of course Lan Wangji’s first reaction is, “None of your business.” It’s cute how Lan Yi takes Wei Wuxian’s side and has a sense of pride for her close friend’s disciple. I think he’s an honorary Lan in her eyes.

And then Lan Yi gives them a warning to not make the same mistakes she made. Wei Wuxian’s like, “Yep, got it, I promise.” But we all know from the beginning that this obviously doesn’t go well for him, since he dies in the first five minutes of the series. He will go on to make some questionable decisions, most of which are driven by his emotions, which are often not in check. Side note: I love this series, but I don’t like how they took a great grey character like Wei Wuxian and turned him into a character where many of the things that went wrong were caused by other people.

Another side note. That fucking Yin Iron fell on the guqin so many times, and it didn’t dent it at all. Is the guqin made out of iron too? I thought it was wood. If I did that to my violin, I guarantee you the violin would not fare very well.

Forever a favorite moment. It was great enough that they were tied together by Lan Wangji’s headband, but even better that Wei Wuxian fell on him. So great—such a tease to the audience. And this is as close as we get to the scene in the book when Lan Wangji uses the body binding spell to keep Wei Wuxian on top of him all night (ooh, my heart skipped a beat when I read that).

Also, taking the screenshot, I noticed you can see the impression of the little metal piece from Lan Wangji’s headband. Little things like that interest me for some reason. I wonder if it bothered Wang Yibo—did it press too hard on his forehead? I remember him saying he’d get tan lines from the headband.

I love this little smirk he does. A moment when Wei Wuxian’s gift to gab really pays off. Instead of letting Lan Wangji talk and explain the situation, Wei Wuxian keeps speaking, lying about what they were doing. I’d like to think he does it in part to protect Lan Wangji and to stop him from breaking any of his clan rules, but likely it’s another chance for him to prove himself as someone Lan Wangji can trust. And I take Lan Wangji’s little acknowledgement of him there as his silent “thank you.” It says a lot, I think, that Wei Wuxian is willing to lie to Jiang Cheng in order to protect the Lan Clan’s secrets.

I’m sorry, but every time I hear Nie Huaisang say, “You were gone a whole day and night,” my mind immediately goes to the gutter—like the implication is that they were doing something inappropriate during that time. I keep expecting a sex joke, only to remind myself that this was on Chinese television and that would, of course, not happen. Jiang Cheng says a similar thing (and my mind goes the same way that time too), but in that case, canon book Jiang Cheng does later accuse them of having a more-than-friendly relationship, and he does not say it in a nice way.

Also, throughout the scene that precedes this, where Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji are discussing what to do next with Lan Qiren and Lan Xichen, it really feels like wangxian just want to go on a buddy road trip together, and they are so disappointed when they are turned down. Oh, I didn’t screencap it, but Lan Wangji has the saddest sad face at the end.

I think Lan Wangji is a little impressed here but he doesn’t want to admit it. Wei Wuxian has a great gift to come up with ridiculous stories and lies at the drop of a hat. I love that Wei Wuxian doesn’t have to come up with a scary snake story when he could have just told Nie Huaisang what he’d already told Jiang Cheng and Wen Qing, but he does anyway. Mad respect.

This also kind of amuses me because Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji can never really have a moment alone. They keep getting interrupted by other people when I think they just want to talk about what they experienced. Instead we just have all these shared glances. Nothing like a big fat secret to get close to each other, right?

Omfg Jiang Cheng is so jealous! I thought maybe I was imagining it or just projecting my own ideas onto him, but NO—he is jealous! He’s all like, “If you like Lan Wangji so much, why don’t you marry him?” I mean, that basically happened. I’ve gone on about this before, but I love the tension between Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji, and the fact that it continues even after Wei Wuxian dies makes it even better. Jiang Cheng is so stubborn and continues to hold a grudge against Lan Wangji, and it bothers the fuck out of him that there’s someone out there devoted to Wei Wuxian, by whom Jiang Cheng feels so betrayed.

And, I mean, by this point, it’s already started. As soon as they get to the Cloud Recesses, Wei Wuxian starts paying more attention to Lan Wangji than he does to either Jiang Cheng or Jiang Yanli. And Jiang Cheng likes to say, “You’re worrying my sister, you’re hurting my sister” when he really means, “You’re worrying me.” His stupid pride gets in the way of having a good relationship with Wei Wuxian. And I don’t think Wei Wuxian would ever put Lan Wangji above Jiang Cheng, who he considers his family—at least not at this point. It’s not until the second half that things switch, and really, even then, in the CQL-verse, the two are probably equal in Wei Wuxian’s mind. He backs off from Jiang Cheng due to Jiang Cheng’s attitude toward him.

Okay, Jiang Cheng’s jealousy aside, I love how steadfast and supportive Wei Wuxian is of him. As soon as he catches on that Jiang Cheng is jealous, he immediately starts trash-talking the Cloud Recesses and talking up Lotus Pier. It’s very cute, very sweet. He’s a good brother to him, really.

Now who’s jealous? Just kidding. I love his wistful expression here, as he watches them go off. Anyone who’s read the book knows that Lan Wangji does get jealous at times and certainly frustrated with Wei Wuxian’s coquettish behavior. I would say he is more longing at this moment, maybe even wanting to get closer to Wei Wuxian, without really understanding why himself. There’s such an isolation to his world: even though he’s surrounded by other disciples, he doesn’t have any friends. He’s maybe regretting how quickly he refused to the invitation to Lotus Pier. I think, on the one hand, Lan Wangji has found one person in this world who not only shares a secret with him, but who has similar goals—on the other hand, his code of ethics are all over the place. His heart and mind are conflicted: he wants to get closer, but he doesn’t want to make the wrong decision. To his Gusu Lan Clan mind, Wei Wuxian is all wrong, but his heart says otherwise. And I’m not saying he loves him already—but he is already seeing a kindred spirit in Wei Wuxian, someone who he can rely on, someone he can trust, someone who has his back, even if it means bending a few rules. And in a relationship, you have nothing if you don’t have trust.

I never noticed that they were communicating telepathically here. Or something. I dunno. I guess it’s not that clear.

Also if it feels like I’m ignoring all these parts with the Wen Clan, it’s because I am. I mean, not really, but this is all the Yin Iron stuff that I don’t really care about. And I’m not in the Xue Yang fan club either, so I’m not going to spend time on him until he’s actually in it in Yueyang (possibly) and Yi City. Actually, confession: I’ve never watched the Yi City flashback episodes. I read it, so I know it, but I never watched it hahaha. I will this time around. I made that pact with myself.

AWWW, HE SMILED!!!

Ahem, excuse me. This is too fucking cute, though. The rabbit lantern that Wei Wuxian drew just for him, his cute baby smile, and the Wei Wuxian pointing it out with a grin. Cuteness overload—my heart can’t take it.

But I also had a sad thought that if Wei Wuxian hadn’t come over, Lan Wangji would be sitting here alone. He’d make his lantern all on his own, send it off into the sky, say his own prayer to himself, and never hear Wei Wuxian’s, which likely sends Lan Wangji over the edge with his feelings. Everything he thought about Wei Wuxian was true, and maybe it’s okay to like him, maybe it’s okay to consider him a friend, maybe it’s okay to trust him that way.

Just a shot that I liked. Enjoy.

I feel so bad for Jiang Yanli here. I also feel bad for Jin Zixuan, even though he’s a complete dick. I understand how they both feel here—to be tied to someone you don’t know, from the time you were small children is incredibly unfair in my eyes. That being said, I know this still happens in other parts of the world, and it’s implied that it’s common in our CQL/MDZS world (which would make sense, of course). I like the feeling of siding with Wei Wuxian, wanting to come to Jiang Yanli’s defense and protect her honor, while also still having an understanding of how Jin Zixuan must feel about the whole thing. His choice has been completely taken away. And he’s, what, 17 here? What 17-year-old boy wants to be reminded constantly about how he’s already engaged? It’s not typically a young man’s dream to settle down and get married—not that it can’t be! But the implication here, with all the girls tittering about it, is that they’re all excited about marriage, and he wants nothing to do with it. Of course, Jiang Yanli isn’t either. I think she really just wants to get to know him and spend time with him, before even thinking about marrying him.

Ah, a momentous occasion: the first time Lan Wangji tries to stop Wei Wuxian from getting himself into trouble (not counting the first time they met, when he was literally trying to police him while breaking Cloud Recesses rules). I like this shot, because you have Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji on either side of Wei Wuxian, and Jiang Yanli in the front, literally putting her body between him and Jin Zixuan (actually this parallels her final scene). It kind of shows the depths of their relationships (or at least what the director wants to show us). You have Lan Wangji, who grabs onto Wei Wuxian to try to stop him from further brawling; Jiang Cheng, who stands beside him, but isn’t really involved otherwise—standoffish, in a way; and then Jiang Yanli, who physically gets in the way. She’s the quintessential big sister. And I’m not saying Jiang Cheng doesn’t care—he does, but I think his first thought always has to do with the honor of the Jiang Clan and, while he’s standing beside Wei Wuxian, it’s almost as if he doesn’t want to show any involvement with this brawl, because that would look bad.

Ah, the old dudes meeting, while Jiang Cheng stands off to the side awkwardly, wondering if he should be there or not. At the outset, this meeting to decide their children’s future seemed kind of bad, but it actually turned out nice, with them agreeing to call off the engagement. Very progressive, I thought.

Two things I learned in this scene: Wei Wuxian doesn’t want to marry a woman and he doesn’t want to leave the Cloud Recesses yet (TL: he doesn’t want to leave Lan Wangji). He seriously looks so disappointed when she says they’re going home soon.

This feels like a mixture of “I’m worried about you” and “I don’t want to be left out.” We already know at this point that Wei Wuxian doesn’t want to leave the Cloud Recesses (more that he doesn’t want to leave Lan Wangji, because he doesn’t like all of the rules, obviously). He also is very interested in what’s happening with the Yin Iron, as he has also vowed to protect it with Lan Wangji. He is very perceptive—he knows something is happening, that Lan Wangji is going to go off on his own, and he wants to go with. It’s kind of hard to say if this is more out of duty or his adventurous spirit, but either way, he wants to help Lan Wangji.

“After his leave, things will be as quiet here as before.”

Look at how sad he is! The only person he considers a friend has just left, and at this point, he doesn’t know if he’ll ever see him again. It’s possible, sure, but then only at clan gatherings, and that’s if Wei Wuxian and Lang Wangji even happen to attend the same one. I believe we know from the book that Lan Wangji doesn’t typically attend gatherings (when he’s older), he often skips them. And Wei Wuxian isn’t necessarily important enough to even be invited, so he would have to be a guest of Jiang Cheng. Obviously we all know that they do go to gatherings and see each other again, but this is what I’d be thinking if I were Lan Wangji, okay? Like, when am I going to see him again? Will I ever see him again?

I leave you with a wholesome picture of Wei Wuxian and a rabbit. Also adorable that he contemplates bringing the bunnies back to Lotus Pier, but doesn’t because Lan Wangji might get lonely. MY HEART!

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