#with long bright yellow hair and bangs

[iinterstellaarr]

imagine having a crush on highschool!suguru geto…

you were always able to hear him before you saw him. okay, maybe not him, but definitely his best friend. it was hard to ever see suguru alone, he was usually attached at the hip with satoru or hanging around shoko. although, at night, he was always with you

the air was crisp on your cheeks and the sound of your shoes crunching against the snow was one of the only sounds you could hear. two drinks clinked together in your plastic shopping bag when you made it to the park by your house. the swings swung gently against the cold wind. to some, the sight was eerily reminiscent of those liminal spaces you’d see online, but to you, this was a place of comfort. you found your spot on the middle swing and kicked your legs back and forth gently.

this was your routine. you’d go to the convenience store, grab a drink for you and suguru and you’d talk. his voice always calmed you down after a long day of school work and you could tell letting him vent his frustrations or even just have someone else to talk too helped.

“hey.” his hair draped over his face with a sort of elegance, although his eyes said anything but. he always looked tired. that was the first thing you noticed about sugurus eyes, well, second to the piercing black color of them.

“i was wondering where you were,” you pulled out a green tea and gently handed it to him as he sat on the swing next to you

“satoru wanted to play overwatch and i told him i was going to bed soon so i couldn’t.” he tucked the long bangs away from his face while he talked to you, it was almost like he was pulling away the curtain he put up around everyone else.

“ooo, bad boy lying to his best friend to go sneak out and meet a girl? how would satoru ever manage if he found out?” you dramatically drapped your hand across your forehead with faux worry. his lips tugged into a small smile at your antics

“he’d be just fine if he knew” suguru rolled his eyes and chuckled. his laughter was deep and it made your chest feel like it was vibrating. something about suguru held such an intense mystery. it was a miracle you and him became so close, and it’s a miracle he let you in close enough to grow a blooming crush for you.

“no, i’m quite sure he’d go up to you tomorrow with bright red cheeks and huff about your treacherous ways.” you hypothesized, satoru was always one for the theatrics, even if he never meant all the drama that came with him. it made you smile when you’d see him and suguru standing next to each other. suguru had an aura of mystery while satorus mystery was a deeper issue that he angrily pushed to the side, that much of satoru you could read. the rest was written in a different language from your mother tongue unfortunately.

suguru laughs and it sends you to another planet. his small chuckle always means the world too you, even if you hear it all the time.

“he’ll be fine. i promise.” he tips his head back and takes a sip of the drink you brought. you look out onto the snowy playground and reminisce on the times you and suguru would come here as kids.

“we’ve known each other for a while, huh?” you looked over at suguru who seemed to be remembering as well

“yeah, i remember when you thought it’d be a good idea to jump off that slide and broke your arm.” he pointed to a curly yellow slide and you huffed

“oh give me a break, i was like seven” he shrugged and turned to you, smiling

“and i told you it was a bad idea, but no,” you pushed him slightly and he steadied his swing with his long legs.

“i can’t believe we’re gonna be graduating soon” you stand up with a huff and walk over to the play set with a sad smile

“just 5 more months, then me and satoru will become sorcerers and you’re gonna have to get a real job” he follows you, his shoes crunching in the thin layer of frost with each step

“i’m sad.” you looked back at suguru who seemed confused

“why?” he watched as you lightly touched the shiny yellow slide, the plastic freezing under your touch.

“we’re gonna become strangers”

“whoah, who said anything about that?” he almost looked offended you would suggest he would forget you

“well, you’ll be busy with all the sorcerers stuff. i’m gonna be busy with…life. there’s gonna be hardly any time to hang out.” you shrug slightly

“well yeah, but we’ll make time”

“we hardly make time now. these meetings are the only time we actually see each other.” you sat down on the cool slide, suguru crouching in front of you

he seemed lost for words, or maybe lost in thought? you could never read him which pissed you off to no end. you wished you could jump in his brain and see exactly what he was thinking

“we’ll run away.”

you laugh curtly at his suggestion

“i’m being serious, fuck all the sorcery shit. me and you, we’ll run away.”

you never took his suggestion seriously

that was until he actually did run away,

forgetting you in the process.

part two here!

[kittydoodle]

[ID: Art of a laidback humanoid alien OC, holding up a peace sign with a bright yellow, orange, green, pink, and black checkerboard-patterned skateboard propped on his shoulder. She has teal skin that fades to yellow extremities, shaggy blue neck-length hair with bangs that cover his eyes, a long tail, and short antennae. He has piercings and she's wearing a large black and grey striped t-shirt with a cross on it, a white long-sleeved shirt under it, black sandals, and baggy black pants with checker-patterned straps hanging off the side. She also has necklaces, bracelets, and rings. End ID.]

my awesome new oc lyler (named after lylers gorks), she/he

[echantedtoon]

A Lovers' Circle (Poly Haishira x Reader) Ch7 Date Weekend: Sunday

(Or alternative title- Obligatory anime shopping montage. Just an excuse for Y/n to get to know everyone before the real romance starts. I'm using the chart above as headcannons ages for Sanemi's sibs for a modern au for future reference. Short chapter. 

Warnings for some nudity mentioned but nothing NSFW.

Hearts conquered so far: Mitsuri and Gyomei and secretly Kanae.)

Taglist: @shadyd3ar @jcrml @tengensangel

@miniverse-zen @mysteri0uz

Remember if you want to be added to the taglist lemme know

Bright sunlight shown down from the sky and illuminated the entire world in a nice warm glow. Soon fall would be hear turning the leaves shades of yellows, reds, oranges, and brown. Cold weather would soon follow after with the spookiest day of the year right around the year before eventually snow would fall and bring with it icy sidewalks and the likelihood of being pelted by snowballs. 

So it was a good idea to get out and enjoy the warm weather while you could.

"Dammit! Im fine!" Obanai scrunched up his face and narrowed his eyes but didn't stop his girlfriend from pushing his bangs from his face to frown at him.

"But what if you get lost?"

"We're going on a hiking trip to see a waterfall and then we're going to the movies," he deadpanned, "It's not like we're going skydiving."

"I know but what if you run into a wolf? Or a wild bear?! "

His hands were held up bluntly. "We'll be fine. It's not the first time we've been in the woods. You go have fun at the mall."

She still frowned at him but didn't argue- Only reach over to give him a big kiss to his forehead leaving a red lipstick mark he'd wipe off later. Right now they were in front of the local park waiting for everyone else to arrive. Most of them were already there, minus Shinobu who needed to wrap up some last minute emails concerning her part time job at an office and Gyomei who was coming by bus after picking up his .. Girlfriend? Did she count as his girlfriend if they've only been on three dates? He guessed they were still just casually dating right now and testing the waters. Y/n seemed like a nice girl or 'unicorn' as Shinobu put it but he still wasn't too sure what to think..She seemed ok at least to him. Maybe that'll change later but who knows?

The sounds of the park around them continued through the air as kids ran around giggling and squealing their little heads off playing. Swings to be swung, slides to slide, and jungle gyms to climb. Lots of little smiles on little cute faces running around playing or toddling after parents walking around. Or in Sanemi's case allowing his little brothers and sisters to be climb all over him where he stood eating an energy bar in one hand while his other arm was slowly lifted up and down with two little boys and one little girl clinging to him. Three of his little siblings with a fourth standing just standing off to the side. The second oldest other than himself. No doubt babysitting a few of their little siblings today.

Kanae was letting one of their other little sisters mess with her hair and admire how pretty she was. She was rather pretty. However the sounds of a little PING sound took his attention off his friends and towards the pocket on Mitsuri's right side as her hand automatically dug out her phone and looked at the screen. 

"It's Shino! She says she's running late so she's just heading to the mall to meet us there."

"Oh. That's convenient." He didn't think they'd be able to leave on their hiking trip until Mrs. Shinazugawa came back to take over her youngest children. "Anything else from Mei?"

She shook and one of her braids smacked against his cheek. "Nope! But the bus should be here soon! Ooh! This is gonna be so much fun!"

Considering if they'll get here already. They were taking so long and it was already painful enough to have to fork over fifty bucks after loosing that stupid game Tengen decided to make them do. Sigh. Oh well still better than loosing a hundred dollars each. He didn't want to lose that too-

"THEY'RE HERE!"

Well it's about time!

The tall, unmistakable form of Gyomei walked down the road and started making his way towards them walking slower than normal because of the smaller woman walking next to him holding his arm. You smiled at them all and waved an arm at them all as you got close enough to be heard.

"It's about time you all showed up. I was starting to grow a beard from how long it took."

"My apologies." Gyomei smiled despite his apology. "But we're here now. Is everyone else here?"

"Except Shinobu. She's gonna meet the girls at the mall. We still gotta wait for Sanemi's mom to come back before we leave too-" he gestured behind him at the giggling little kids despite Gyomei obviously not being able to see them. "-but she should be back anytime now. The girls can go ahead and leave." 

"Are you sure?" Mitsuri gave him a puppy eyed look. 

"Yeah. We'll be fine. You girls go enjoy your frilly spa day. Well meet up with you after Sanemi drags us to the movies."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

It wasn't him her cupping his face and gifting him a giant smooth to the forehead before excitedly looping an arm around your arm and excitedly began to pull you towards the other girls. In fact you were barely able to shout a goodbye to Gyomei before the unusually strong woman literally dragged you off towards the other girls. They were all there except for Shinobu whom Mitsuri briefed you about meeting you all there, and Kanae who had to wrestle one of Sanemi's baby sisters off her before joining you all there. Mitsuri and Suma both super giddy with excitement.

"This is gonna be great! We're going shopping and then to Salan,Sauna, and Beyond!"

..You blinked. "What's Salon, Sauna, and Beyond?"

As if you had insulted her,her family, her friends, and cat- Suma gasped so loud you jumped as she clutched her turtleneck. "YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT SALON, SAUNA, AND BEYOND IS?!"

"Um. No? Should I?"

"YES!," She yelled at you waving her arms around, "It's like only the greatest place ever to get your nails done and get pedicures and it has like these REALLY good massages that help melt stress awa- HEY!!"

MAKIO shoved her head aside with a hand with a deadpanned look. "It's a salon and spa with an attaching sauna room and one. It's a pretty popular place to go unwind and relax."

"Oh. I've never been there before."

"YOU'VE NEVER BEEN THERE?!"

"YOU DON'T HAVE TO REPEAT IT, BLOCKHEAD!!"

"Kanae, tell her to stop being mean to me!"

"Ok. Let's calm down now. C'mon. We don't want to end up missing our bus."

Hinatsuru was lightly surprised you didn't run away or show annoyance at the fighting but remained smiling as Kanae hered the still arguing wives towards the bus station where you first arrived with Gyomei. It also turns out the boys were not going to be going with all of you like they did Friday night and all day Saturday when you weren't around. Instead they planned on having a few hours to just bond with the boys as the girls just bonded with each other which includes a nature hike, movie Sanemi insisted on dragging them too, and then they planned to go somewhere to eat before meeting back up with the girls near the end of the day at the sauna. Sounded like a plan. 

The ride to the mall was pretty generic. On the way there you sat by Mitsuri and talked with her about your pets. Her cats and bunnies and your goldfish you named Goldielocks.  It was a peaceful ride up to the ginormous building that was your city's local mall complete with a lot of stores inside. And conveniently waiting for you all in the parking lot was Shinobu, eating what looked like a granola bar while she was waiting for you all to show up by the entrance. It got a raised brow from Makio.

"Really?"

Shinobu shrugged again looking at you all. "You all were taking too long. I got hungry and ate something."

"Too long? It's eight in the morning still!"

"Let's not fight anyone! I wanna swing by CePora's! They have this new Summer's End eye shadow palette I've been wanting!" 

"I think the yellows and oranges would look good on Makio," you added trying to get the group moving, "Let's go in and see if it's still there!" Your arm gestured towards the large building.

Luckily that seemed to have worked and the group ended up being dragged by Mitsuri all the way to the escalator and up to the second floor where she then proceeded to not stop until she was dashing through the automatic front doors of the famous make up chain of stores. It was ok. You got a cute little compact mirror in the shape of a Tanuki so it all worked out before someone directed your group towards the check out and then a few different stores. This time a few clothes stores.

Honestly you were surprised one mall could have five different clothes stores and no one seemed to care. 

Your attention was mainly upon the plethora of outfits Suma and Mitsuri thrusted into your arms and insisted you try on because-

"You'd look even cuter next to Gyomei if you wore these!"

Nice to know that they cared about their friend at leas and you did end up liking a few of the outfits so that was a plus. Until Hinatsuru pointed out something with a gentle hand on your shoulder. 

"Hey. We've been going to all the places we like. It's not fair to Y/n to just drag her everywhere without stopping where she wants to go as our guest. Let's go where she wants." She smiled at you. "Pick wherever you want to go, Y/n."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes! Where do you want to go?"

"Well, there's a bookstore here that has a new recipe book on deserts from Canada I'd really like to get."

"Consider it done!"

It was a nice trip to said bookstore where Mitsuri bought herself at least three romance novels and you think Shinobu got herself a book of space sciences. It was another small thrift store or two before it had occured to you all that it was noon already and you all were very hungry. Mitsuri's immediately reaction was to suggest going to the resident cat cafe, but knowing her appetite Shinobu suggested that you all go to the other mall restaurant that had an all you can eat buffet instead. Yeah. That was probably the better idea considering that Mitsuri had finished off her twelveth plate by 12:45 and about ready to go back for her thirteenth. You weren't even done with your own plate yet but giggled as she looked at you in question before you held up a napkin to her and smiled sweetly.

"Here. You have some gravy on your cheek from the mashed potatoes."

She blinked at the kind gesture but smiled widely. "Thanks!"

It was a mutual agreement that they approved of your gesture by the many smiles you've gotten from them. "So, Y/n. How's your day so far?"

You beamed brightly. "It's been wonderful! I can't remember the last time I've had so much fun!"

"Don't you go to the mall?"

You shook your head. "Only sometimes if I need to pick up something or if I'm shopping with my family. I don't really have a lot of friends who're free or like to go shopping with me."

"You don't have friends?"

"Well...Not a lot. My one friend is usually working and studying hard for his bachelor's and he's already busy enough with his boyfriend so we don't get to hang out as much as we used to."

"AW! That's so sad! It's ok!" You were suddenly grasped up into the arms of one pink haired girl who squeezed you tight enough to make you wheezed and pop a few of your bones as she hugged you to her. "We'll be your friends now! We can go on trips and I can do your nails and-"

"Mitsi! You're suffocating her there!"

Green eyes blinked before looking down at your pale face before she squealed out and pushed you away with a worried look. "Sorry, sorry, sorry! Oh my gosh! Are you ok?!"

You slowly gasped a lungful of air after getting squeezed like a lemon before nodding. "Y-Yeah. I'm ok." 

If you counted being squeezed like an orange ok. But you weren't going to fault her for it especially since she's been so nice to you so far. After a moment of you all just talking, mostly about what they were doing for classes starting Monday tomorrow or what they all did at the beach together yesterday when the waiter stopped by the large table to collect the dirty dishes ..and gave an annoyed dirty look at Mitsuri who was scarfing down the remainder of her thirteenth plate before adding it to the stack he had to take away eventually.

"Eh...Is there anything else I can get you ladies?," he asked despite still eyeing the stack of plates with narrowed eyes. His tone not hiding his annoyance either.

"Can I get some of the devil's food cake on the menu?" Mitsuri beamed up at him widely as his nose wrinkled up. 

"I'm sorry but we're OUT," he bluntly stated before reluctantly grabbing the tall stack of dishes and grunting annoyed. "Can I get anyone else anything?"

Mitsuri blinked giving a glance at the stack of dishes the waiter was forced to carry away before guiltily and ashamedly looking down at her own hands. It caused a chain reaction of glares and frowns from the other girls glaring at him annoyed back.

"No. Just bring us the check."

The waiter seemed annoyed still but relieved to start collecting everyone else's plates adding it to the big pile in his arms before pausing as you gently reached out to gently tug on his sleeve and smiled politely. "May I please have some of the devil's food cake on the menu? Just add it to my part of the check please."

Now this time every gave you wide eyed looks at the audacity of the situation especially when Mitsuri was literally right THERE next to you but the waiter was all too happy to smile at you. "But of course. Give me just a minute to get back to you."

"Thank you very much!"

There was just dumbfounded silence as he walked away after picking up Kanae's dishes and hauling them away from the stunned group as you all sat there stunned other than you who only smiled... Eventually Mitsuri broke the silence with a mumble. 

"I thought they were out."

"What the heck, Y/n?!," Makio demanded as you just smiled at her as she gestured to Mitsuri and you. "She's right there! Did you freaking forget or something?!"

"Oh no. I know exactly what I'm doing."

"Why you-"

"Makio, calm down. We can't stop her from buying her own dessert if she's paying for it herself." Despite Kanae's soft tone, her look was obviously disapproving. "It's not like we can demand someone that they can't eat something."

Makio didn't say anything but she shot you a glare as you still smiled at her and Mitsuri sunk down further into her seat as everyone awkwardly waited for the checks to be delivered along with your dessert. About five minutes later the same waiter returned looking a little less annoyed but still had that blunt tone to him as he placed down at least seven checks for you all and a second later a VERY big delicious smelling, mouth watering, chocolate upon chocolate cake slice in front of you. 

"Here you are, Ma'am."

"Oh thank you! If you wait just a second, I'll give you your tip!" You clasped your hands happily as he smiled at you... Before you bluntly reached over, grabbed the plate, picked it up, and just placed it back down in front of Mitsuri who blinked in surprise. "Look, Mitsuri! They had some after all and what luck we were able to get you the last piece!" Her eyes widened bigger at you. "Aren't you lucky?"

Everyone stared gobsmacked as you just hummed along going to dig around in your purse for a second to pull out a five dollar bill before holding it up to the waiter whom looked like he was slapped across the face. The moment you waved the bill in his face, he glared at you before snatching it from your hand and stomping away from you table. There was another awkward moment as you left the thirty dollars for your part of the meal on the table before you blinked at the wide eyed stares given to you.

"What? Did I get her the wrong cake?"

Instead of an answer you were given a squeal from Mitsuri and then after another bone crushing hug as she hugged you with a large smile. "THANK YOU SO MUCH!  THIS IS LIKE THE NICEST THING A NEW PERSON HAS EVER DONE FOR ME!!"

You smiled wider looking at her. "No need to thank me. You shouldn't be treated badly just because of your appetite." She blinked as you patted her arms. "That guy's a jerk. Forget about him and just enjoy your cake. My treat."

She continued to stare at you before her face turned to a bright red and her hands let go of you to clasp her cheeks. "I-I don't know what to say. Oh my- Such a gesture!"

"You don't have to say anything. Just enjoy yourself. Sorry if I didn't explain it earlier."

"Oh. So that's why you ordered it." 

Makio slowly relaxed as you nodded.... Oblivious to the lovestruck, blushing face Mitsuri was giving you before you slowly got up to excuse yourself to the bathroom and asked them to watch your shopping bags in the meantime. The SECOND you disappeared from sight, Mitsuri slammed a determined palm down on the table and clenched a fist.

"Ok! It's official! Let's do all we can to get her together with Gyomei! She's absolutely perfect!"

"Huh? Where did this come from?"

"Oh..N-No where but we owe it to Mei to try and get him a great girlfriend like he deserves! So let's make her feel welcome! I mean like c'mon! She's literally perfect! She even tipped the waiter so we didn't have to!"

"Are you..blushing?"

"N-NO! I'm just very flattered at the gesture!"

By the time you got back, Mitsuri was already done eating and giddy again especially when you came back. The group gathered up the bags and decided to stop by two more small shops to pick up some pre-ordered stuff Tengen already paid for (a canvas and a box of hard to get paints) before they ushered you back out of the mall and on the street. At least four shopping bags hung from your own arms as Mitsuri held your hand and pulled you along behind her continuing to babble on about...Well you lost track after the part where she told you about how she got into ballet but you politely listened since she seemed so happy now dragging you down the road as cars drove by and people passed by on the sidewalk.

The building they stopped in front of was a smaller building than the mall but still bigger than your house. The sign on the front saying Salon, Sauna, and Beyond. Ah! So this must be the place that they were so excited to go. You allowed Mitsuri to excitedly drag you in after the others and the nice smells of rose air freshener hit your nose along with the cool air from the ac. The inside of the building was mostly white with a few paintings on the wall, some soft looking chairs, and a reception desk where a middle aged woman smiled at you all. Ah. This must've been the waiting area. 

The woman smiled at the group and waved a hand. "Good afternoon. Are you here to book an appointment?"

"I have a reservation for a group under Kocho actually!"

The lady took a moment to rummage around on her desk and look for something.. before nodded and happily looked at Shinobu. "Of course! We have your party booked for our three o clock reservation. If you'll follow me, you can get a locker for your belongings before proceeding to the salon floor."

In an instant Mitsuri looked excitedly at you. "Have you ever been to an onsen before, Y/n?"

You nodded. "My cousin had everyone go to one for her bachelorette party, so I've been to one once."

"Oh you'll love it then! The water is from natural hot springs so it's got minerals that's really good for your skin! But first we're getting our nails done and-"

And off she went again. 

It was ok still. You still were going to have a good time. It was just a small matter of getting a small safe place to put your shoes and bags before following the others to the other section of the salon separate from the onsen addition. Other an an older woman getting highlights in her hair, your group had the entire place to yourselves. 

It was a strange and new but not unpleasant experience there. After all you've never had your nails done let alone had anyone else take a nail file to your nails or had your feet soaked before getting a pedicure for the first time. As said it wasn't a bad experience just new. However you declined the massage offered to you. By the time three hours had passed and everyone had a turn to everything that was offered to them(none of you noticing the second group being escorted towards the onsen), it was time for the onsen according to Suma. There was only one problem however-

"Hey. Um..I don't know how any other way to say this,  but I don't feel comfortable washing with you all before we go to the onsen."

You weren't actually planning on getting into any onsens either and was just going to sit on the edge as they soaked, but you had to bath before going into the onsen and you didn't feel comfortable doing that as a group. Luckily Shinobu seemed very understanding and smiled at you. 

"That's fine. We're not going to make you do something you're not comfortable with so why don't you want outside for about fifteen minutes? We'll all be done by then and you can join us when you're done."

You sighed relieved. "That's great!"

"Good. When you're done just go through the doorway and down the hall. We'll be through the green door."

"Ok! I'll remember that!"

Guess who decided to show up in your life again? Yep that's right. Bad luck.

You had waited outside of the bathing area with the long fluffy white robe and the soap the spa ladies had given you to use and waited about twenty minutes for them all to get done (an extra five minutes just to be sure) before deciding to see if everyone was clear. A quick shout didn't get any response and a careful peek inside revealed that indeed no one else was in the room. Perfect! You were able to scrub down really quick and change into the robe you were given before wrapping a towel around your hair. Now let's see. Shinobu said they'd be in the room down the hall from here through the green door. Perfect! Easiest directions ever!

...or it would've been if you weren't staring at two exactly identical green doors at the end of the hall. 

You stood there dumbfounded staring between the doors again. There was a sign saying which one was the men's section.. unfortunately it had fallen off the wall where it was hung up and for some reason had been kicked to the middle of the hall so you had no idea which door it had been hanging above. Was someone trying to play a joke?! Or did no one notice the sign on the floor?! Or did they just not care and just kick it out of the way?! Either way you were screwed in this situation. Great.

Ultimately you decided to go through the right door. There was no one else in the spa besides yourself, your group, and the employees. The worst you'd do is enter an empty room or run into an employee who you'd just explain that you were were lost, and you might just run into the group. So you didn't think when you pushed open the door. When you stepped inside. When you smiled at first hearing the sloshing sounds of water. When you called out happily.

"Hey! I'm sorry I took so long! I got lost so-"

You froze as at least six heads turned to look at you in the doorway. 

It felt like an eternity to process what you were seeing as your mind just blue screened, but at the same time it felt like someone dropped a boulder into your stomach and jabbed ice into your veins with a syringe. There was definitely a group occupying the onsen in here alright...however it was uh...

They were definitely not girls. 

Six pairs of eyes stared at you. Some frozen in shock, some confusion, and at least in Sanemi's case it was a big 'wtf' look. Speaking of which-

IT WAS THE WRONG DAM ROOM!!

The boys all stared at you from somewhere in the room. Rengoku, Tengen, and Sanemi from in the water. Obanai sitting on the ledge looking wide eyed frozen at you with a towel around his middle and his mask still on his face. And Gyomei and Giyuu standing off to the side looking like they had been having a conversation but stopped when you walked in. However-

HOW WERE THEY ALL SO RIPPED-

"*ahem*" Eventually it was Gyomei who broke the extremely awkward silence by clearing his throat making you jump and calmly gesturing a hand back to the door. "Y/n, I believe you meant to enter through the o-other door."

"IMSOSORRY!!OHMYGOD-"

The door all but slammed behind your quickly disappearing form and the sound of your quickly retreating footsteps left everyone else staring there stunned in the aftermath.. before Tengen snickered body shaking lightly before his entire head was thrown back with his loud booming laughter echoed off the tiled walls.

"HAHAHAHAHA!! Well if she didn't think you were good looking before she does now!," he loudly announced with more laughter that turned into sputters and coughs once Sanemi splashed water into his face.

You didn't mention anything about this to the others. Didn't even answer them when they asked what took you you so long and why your face was burnt red. You only squealed out that you got lost but didn't answer anything else. Thankfully they didn't push it and you were able to try to forget about it..but failed. You were horrified by the time you all left and the guys were literally RIGHT THERE  in the lobby and...

Absolutely chill?

They didn't look the least bit out of the ordinary and just greeted their girlfriends like it was any other day except for Tengen who gave you a deeply amused smile but before he could say anything Obanai kicked his leg hard enough to make him wince. So hopefully he wouldn't be telling anyone else about this- A gentle large hand placed on your shoulder causes you to jump out of your stupor and snap up to a concerned looking Gyomei. 

"Are you alright?," his tone was gentle and concerned. "If you're uncomfortable being around after..*ahem*" His own face dawned a light pink. "I-I can pay for a taxi to take you home."

"N-No! I-It's ok! That was m-m-my fault! Um...How was your hike?" You quickly changed the subject.

Taking the hint he nodded clearing his throat. "I-It was wonderful. The forest was very vibrant with life and the waterfall was especially alive. There's not really anything that sounds quite as powerful as the Earth's own power."

"It sounds beautiful."

"It was."

*Until Sanemi dragged us to that ghost story knock off."

"HEY!!" You turned to catch Sanemi pointed and angry hand to Obanai. "SUPERNATURAL ACTIVITY TWO IS A FANTASTIC HORROR MOVIE! WAY BETTER THAN THAT SNAKE CRAP SHOW YOU BROUGHT!!"

"YOU DON'T KNOW GOOD STORYLINES WHEN YOU SEE THEM!!"

"That is enough!" The sudden shout from the otherwise soft spoken Gyomei was so out of the ordinary that it made everyone turn on the spot in shock and surprise. His face turned down on a frown towards the both of them. "This entire day was supposed to be about spending time with one another not argue over who has better taste in films. Further more you both are being very inconsiderate to make such fools of yourself in front of our guest for this trip. Now will you both please kindly stop going at each other's throats?"

There was a stunned small moment of silence as the both of them slowly relaxed back looking suddenly guilty. After another few seconds Gyomei nodded before looking back to you apologetically. 

"I'm very sorry."

"It's ok. I really don't mind anyways." 

"No. It's not ok. We were supposed to relax today without any fighting. They promised and now-.." He just sighed. "It's getting late and we all have classes and work tomorrow. We should all return home and get a good night's sleep. Do you need me to drop you off?"

You shook your head at him. "No it's ok. I can walk home after I take the bus back." 

"Then allow me to walk you home. It's the least I can do."

After such a kind gesture,how could you say no? That's what lead to you both walking down the street with your arms linked and the sun barely in the sky, and him carrying your bags in his other hand even though you told him he didn't have to but he insisted. It made a warm fluttery feeling go off in your chest that barely let you register saying goodbye to everyone else. And you definitely didn't see the way Mitsuri was giving you the 'first crush' eyes or the very approving look Kanae gave you. Only focusing on the fact that you were home now and the good feelings in your chest didn't go away even when he handed over your bags. 

"Thank you for walking me home."

He smiled. "As I said before it's the least I could do. I'm just happy you had fun with the girls today. I hope Mitsuri and Suma weren't too overwhelming. I know they can be a lot." 

"No they're great! I had so much fun. It's the best time I had for a long time to be honest." 

He chuckled too and looked like he was going to say something but at the same moment and elderly couple smiled at you while walking into the building next to your home. "Oh look, Dear. A young man walking his lady home. How charming. I remember when you used to walk me everywhere-"

"Oh no. He's not my boyfri-..He is?"

The look of surprise on his face as his head turned to you wide eyed. "I am?"

There was a silence other than the chatting older couple just entering into the building and leaving you both alone staring at each other for a long moment. Eventually you looked down at your feet and rubbed your arm.

"I-I mean.. Would you like to be?"

His white eyes widened to the size of plates as he was taken aback before the brightest shade of red came over him as he just.. couldn't believe it. Before a big smile replaced the shock and he nodded. "Y-YES! I mean- *ahem* I would like that very much. However are you sure you'd like to have me for a boyfriend. I will not sugarcoat the obvious." A hand gestured to his face. "I am blind and scarred."

"If I was really shallow to not date because of looks, then I wouldn't have agreed to that first date with you."

"I am seeing other people whom I love and care about very much. .. I'm not going to break up with them or any other outrageous demands."

"I wouldn't even dream of asking you to break up with them! I think they're wonderful people so I couldn't ask you that. And it's not going to be me dating them. I'm going to be dating you and I'm ok with that." You smiled. "You're the first guy I dated that's been completely honest with me and so kind. It makes me feel like I'm the luckiest person in the world."

"I-... Don't speak like that please."

You blinked. "Huh. Why?"

"Be-Because the beauteous genuity of your words only make you sound more beautiful to my mind."

Huh. You were both closer than he remembered. Just a few inches from one another twinkling under the lights. And you blinked at the sudden closeness too. Face going a dim pink and a few chuckles from the moment escaping you. Barely anyone was outside now, too busy inside mingling, eating the food, and enjoying the evening. So it was just you two. Alone out here with nothing but each other for company. His mind felt completely blank and numb but in a good way, compelling him to reach his hands up and cup a cheek of yours something his rational brain wouldn't allow himself to do. Inches away now. You didn't move away.

He stared at the woman in front of him, this silly silly woman with the beautiful voice. If he was watching this as an outsider, he would've laughed at how they were literally just strangers less than a while ago, but right now it didn't seem any of that or anything else mattered. Not even the topic they had been discussing just a few seconds ago. Or removing the hand that now cupped her cheek. Maybe it really was a mutual madness they both shared or some form of chaos in their lives, but right now....With them being so close...And so vulnerable. It was only natural of course-.. It's what soulmates do-.. Of course they would since-...

They kissed.

"Hey. Do you think Gyomei is going to be angry at us still?" Sanemi gave his girlfriend a glum look as she patted his back. 

"Of course not. He's just stressed trying to make a good impression is all. I'm sure he'll be just fine." Her boyfriend didn't look convinced as he gave her a pout. Oh well. She was distracted anyways by the ringing of her phone in her pocket to which she promptly pulled out and automatically held up to her ear. "Hello?"

"Kanae! Quickly I need help!"

She blinked as Gyomei's voice cut through the phone. "Mei? Are you ok? What happened?"

"I DON'T KNOW HOW TO BOYFRIEND!!"

[five-thousand-loaves-of-bread]

cumulus / nephos / “cloud” / ☁️

[plain text: cumulus / nephos / “cloud” / ☁️ cloud emoji]

[id: pastel fem looking person in pastel manual wheelchair looking down to slug in lap. there also slug on head n slug slide down skirt (don’t ask how). (all color pastel). person hair pink bangs, purple side hair, & blue low loose pigtails go below hips. purple eyes & medium-light ish skin. wearing bright turquoise ish color shirt collar with pink ruffles, & white shirt body with blue ruffles decorate, n green long sleeve cardigan over it also with ruffles. rainbow midi above knee skirt with white ruffles overflow from side of wheelchair. wear mismatch stockings, person’s left side rainbow stripes, n person right side turquoise blue with clouds on it. person not wearing shoes.

their wheelchair has yellow headrest, teal stroller push handle, green contoured backrest with supportive panels on two side lateral, teal to blue transition arm rest, orange big wheels with rainbow windmill candy swirl as cover & red push rim. frame is turquoise blue gradient to pink, has dump/slant, with yellow slug on one side’s turning point. purple fat caster wheels. attach to backrest is big white angel wings, & above arm rest has glowing yellow halo. their AAC device floating by them, has turquoise blue case with white cloud patterns. is saying “slug” icon. border of art lined with rainbow gradient lace. end id]

☁️.

(otherwise known as hate names terrible at decision)

VERY pastel n rainbow overload >:)

they level 3 autistic (“requiring very substantial support”) with high support needs—meaning they cannot independently do most adaptive functioning skills, needing other people physical help to do/do for them. they also need 24/7 supervision & physical help for all iADLs & bADLs.

they nonverbal & use AAC full time. their AAC is symbol based speech generating device.

their (most likely [<haven’t decided] partner who act as their) disability caretaker is hyacinthos shinya🪻🌌.

they also full time non-ambulatory wheelchair user with very specific posture & seating positioning needs so not out of it for long or really much at all.

angel wing on back of wheelchair is power assist! is magically powered by hyacinthos (who angel) & can be powered even remotely / far away. way control wheelchair & power assist part by intuitive / hand motions & gestures / etc, part by halo hover above armrest that act as joystick. can use it like traditional joystick or wear as bracelet n control that way! (gimme it i want one) (if you recognize this setting it may be because previous version)

they do mix of self propel, power assist, & caregiver push. their wheelchair have stroller style push handle instead traditional push handle for easier caregiver push, especially one handed.

is set in magical world & they do some magic (< haven’t decided]!

character not slug obsessed, artist the slug obsessed one

character sheet below cut!!

artfight character profile (VERY wip)

please do feel free draw them (with credit) n tag me!!!!!!

reblog welcome but please don’t repost

will fight you if debate about autism levels & support needs

.

hi under cut

[character sheet. functionally described below]

top left is full character clothing (with wheelchair translucent in background) because in original there some key parts blocked by wheelchair especially arm rest.

skirt around waist have purple band with blue small ruffles. center have rainbow bow with rainbow star on top.

n also have front n back of AAC device. what drawn here is 5x7 grid with various colored squares showing different parts of speech but grid size more so because like. is how much could fit comfortably. so even when redraw n isn’t exact 5x7 with colors exactly right where is right now, is okay. colors & where they are based on own AAC device >:) because of course

design of aac device case basically same as above. back side just have bigger clouds. oh also device has handles. tho it float around so handles get used less. float around so don’t have worry about how to carry it how to mount on wheelchair etc etc etc it follows you it automatic come to your hand when you wanna say something (kinda also acting as prompting bc sometimes think about say something but don’t actually say in device) it get out way when you don’t want it. if only like this irl lol

bottom left is info about character already said

bottom right is wheelchair design

parts covered up by person: rainbow gradient side guard, blue contoured cushion.

n also drawing of back of backrest: when not in use, wings power assist shrink to small decoration on back. not big there all time.

also have stickers! sticker of nessie, banana slug, sheep, cloud, star, rainbow, & an AAC symbol of “AAC”

wheelchair may also have magical tilt & recline & elevate. how? don’t know!!! why not just make full powerchair? uhhhh like manual chair look better

n picture of irl windmill candy

border of art also rainbow gradient lace.

yea that all please draw them 🥲

praise me put lots work into them

pls be nice to them

[sapphicandgraphic]

The Mary Celeste—Chapter 1

Synopsis: You’re a grad student who starts digging into a decades-old unsolved mystery for your thesis. When you uncover a dark conspiracy, you’re forced to enlist the help of your reluctant professor, Agatha Harkness. 

Chapter: 1/10 (The Fellowship)

Series Warnings: Academic suspense, historical intrigue, enemies to lovers, slow burn, eventual smut, fem reader, age difference, WLW

Chapter Warnings: Super hot Prof!Agatha 🥵, mentions of parental death

——————

You stared at the journal in your hands, fingers tracing the familiar frayed edges of your father’s handwriting. The ink was starting to fade, and the paper had yellowed with age, but the words still cut through you like knife. The last entry, dated a few days before the accident, had been scribbled hastily: “Find the manifest.”

You closed the journal with a decisive snap and tossed it onto your cluttered desk. You had been up all night, reading and re-reading your acceptance letter into the Archival Society, still not quite believing it. You had spent weeks agonizing over your fellowship application and waiting to hear back. Now it was finally secured.

Professor Franklin, the university’s most distinguished and legendary history teacher, selected a single grad student each semester to mentor. Being the archival fellow was an enormous honor that came with special privileges. You’d benefit from his personal knowledge and guidance. You’d also have access to several private libraries and collections within the department. You allowed yourself a brief, triumphant smile. Now, nothing could stop you from continuing your father’s work.

Standing up, you caught your reflection in the mirror across the room and stilled, struck by the familiar face peering back at you. You had inherited more than just your father’s insatiable curiosity. You favored him—gray eyes, blonde hair, mischevious smile—especially as you got older. You suddenly wished you could talk to him, tell him about the plan you had set in motion. The desire was so intense and visceral that you actually felt a physical ache in your chest. 

The sound of your phone buzzing interrupted your thoughts, and you glanced at the time. Your heart skipped a beat when you realized you were late for class—and not just any class. The American Folklore seminar was taught by none other than Professor Franklin. Grabbing your bag and throwing it over your shoulder, you shot out the door, hoping you wouldn’t be too late to sneak into the back of the lecture hall unnoticed. 

Your sneakers slapped against the pavement as you rushed across campus, the early fall morning sun casting long shadows. You had been at the university for a few weeks now, but it still felt like a maze—an endless labyrinth of stone buildings and echoing hallways. 

Outside the lecture hall, you paused to gather yourself, running a hand through your long wavy hair and straightening your Oxford button-down shirt. Then you opened the door and slipped inside. 

It was dark in the hall. When your eyes had adjusted, you spotted an empty seat a few rows down and began creeping toward it. You had almost reached your destination when your bag caught on someone’s books and they fell to the floor with a loud bang. 

You winced as several heads turned, and the professor’s voice paused. Glancing up at the lectern, you frowned in surprise. Instead of Professor Franklin, you saw a woman. She had long brown hair and dark blue eyes which were currently fixed on you.

“Sorry,” you said, voice cracking.

“By all means, make yourself comfortable,” she drawled, sounding bored. “We’ll wait.”

She pulled on a pair of reading glasses and glanced at a piece of paper on her dais, as if cross-referencing something. Then she called your first and last name, and you froze again like a deer in headlights. 

“This isn’t a trick question, pet,” she purred, and a few other students sniggered. “I have to ask for attendance.” 

“Present,” you said, cheeks flushing bright red. 

“Hmm.” She tapped the paper with one long finger and arched an eyebrow at you. “See me after class.” 

“Yes, Professor,” you said. 

Finally, after a few more agonizing seconds of silence in which you shuffled to the nearest available desk, she resumed her lecture. You pulled out a notebook and pen, slouching low in your seat.

“As I was saying,” she said, a tight, deadly smile lighting up her angular features. “Professor Franklin has taken a medical leave of absence.“

Your head snapped up, your mouth parting slightly in surprise. Was it your imagination, or did this woman’s dark gaze linger on you, as if gauging your reaction?

“My name is Dr. Agatha Harkness,” she continued. “Professor of Medieval Folklore, and I’ll be filling in for the rest of the semester.”   

Most of what came next—an overview of modifications to the syllabus, a walkthrough of expectations for research papers, office hours—you missed, unable to concentrate as you processed the bitterly disappointing news about Professor Franklin. 

He had been your golden ticket, a guaranteed ally in the critical research you had planned over the coming months. Without him, everything hung in the balance. You needed to regroup, strategize, figure out your next move.

Before you knew it,  Dr. Harkness was dismissing the class. You stayed seated as the lights came on and everyone collected their belongings, exiting the hall en masse. Finally, it was just the two of you. 

“So,” she called softly, voice echoing in the empty room. “You’re the Archival Fellow.” 

You nodded, uncertain what to say. 

She removed the wire-framed reading glasses which were still perched on the end of her long nose.

“Come down here, pet,” she said finally. “Let me get a look at you.” 

You stood and descended the few steps until you were standing directly across the lectern from her. She leaned forward, mouth pursed in a thoughtful half-smile. You met her gaze evenly, trying not to feel intimidated. Agatha Harkness was strikingly beautiful. Her hawkish eyes were bright, predatory. When she licked her lips, you had the mad urge to kiss them…or to run for your life. 

“What happened to Professor Franklin?” You asked, hoping your voice didn’t sound as breathy as it felt. 

“That silly old fool.” She rolled her eyes, but her tone was surprisingly gentle when she spoke. “Overworked himself, no doubt. Something to do with his heart.” 

“Oh,” you said, a fresh wave of disappointment washing over you. It was difficult to determine the most diplomatic way to ask your next question. Luckily, Professor Harkness took pity on you. 

“Not to worry,” she said shrewdly, seeing straight through your thinly veiled concern. “I’ll be making myself available throughout the duration of your fellowship. I understand your thesis is focused on an early 20th century shipwreck?” 

“Not exactly,” you hedged. “It���s a ghost ship. The Mary Celeste.” 

Dr. Harkness’s hand stilled. For a brief moment, you could have sworn there was a flicker of genuine surprise, maybe even fear in her eyes. But just as quickly, it was gone.

“I see,” she snorted. “How mysterious.” 

You felt a ripple of irritation, but tamped it down. Clearly you had gotten off on the wrong foot with this woman. Taking a steadying breath, you decided to try a different approach. 

“For what it’s worth, I’m looking forward to working with you, Dr. Harkness,” you said, schooling your expression into something warm and animated. “Your expertise in folklore will provide such a valuable lens to my research.” 

“Oh, flattery,” Professor Harkness laughed, gathering up her papers. “Now I see why Franklin chose you, pretty thing with a pretty mouth.”

The smile slipped off your face, replaced by a deep flush of uncharacteristic shyness that you tried to pass off as outrage. 

“Nothing personal, pet,” she assured you, seemingly unfazed by your reaction. “But I operate a little differently than Franklin. You may have charmed the old man, but I’m not so easy to impress.” 

Her heels clicked sharply on the floor as she walked away from you. She had almost made it out the door by the time you found your voice. 

“I earned my right to be here,” you said, shaking with fury. “And I didn’t come this far just to be insulted by some professor whose name I’ve never even heard.” 

She stilled on the threshold and you held your breath, preparing for the backlash. But instead, Agatha hummed in approval.

“So,” she purred. “The fawn has fangs.”

Then, with a dark chuckle, she was gone. 

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[pupkashi]

new year, new superstition

whoever said red underwear on new years brings love was onto something

a/n: happy new years [eve] !! i cannot wait to spend another year with y’all and making more silly stories that i hope u guys will enjoy :3 let me know what y’all think of this silly thing i thought of at 4 am <3

wordcount: 1,246

masterlist

you never believed in myths dealing with the new year. you never cared to run around with a suitcase or wear polka dots or to start sweeping and somehow eat twelve grapes all in under a minute.

and you most definitely never went out to buy yellow or red underwear to wear on new years.

until today, when you consciously wore your red pair of underwear, what’s the harm? it won’t do anything anyway you thought to yourself, continuing to get ready for the party your friend had invited you to.

your friends cheered as you they spotted you among the crowd of people, motioning for you to join them as they said hello, handing you a champagne glass as scooting over so you could take a seat.

after a couple minutes of talking you excuse yourself to the bathroom, hurrying as you check the time.

11:56 pm

you’re walking quickly, stopping in your tracks when you can’t find your friends.

there’s a light tap on your shoulders, “excuse me,” the voice is unfamiliar, making you turn around quickly. you’re greeted with stunning blue eyes and snowy bangs falling into them, a charming smile on the strangers face.

“hi,” you smile softly, not wanting to seem rude, “can i help you with something?” your head cocks to side a bit, confused as to why this drop dead gorgeous man was tapping you on the shoulder minutes before midnight.

“yes actually!” he grins, “see my best friend over there, thinks i have no game,” he points at the bar, you subtly glance over, seeing a man with long black sipping on a drink, observing the two of you, “he thinks i won’t be able to find someone to kiss by midnight.”

you stare at him dumbfounded, what the fuck was going on. “so you want me to..?” you trail off, staring at the much taller man as he ran his fingers through his hair.

“kiss me at midnight, yes,” he grins, “only if you want of course! if not feel free to walk away,” you weigh the pros and cons of the situation.

pro’s: you kiss a hot guy on new years, he proves he has game

con’s: ?

“yeah why not,” you laugh, “I’m y/n” you smile, the man flashes you a smile before replying, “satoru!”

the people around you begin to countdown and you step closer to satoru, giggling when his arm snakes around your waist, pulling you a bit closer. you let your arms snake around his neck.

“five! four! three-!”

“can i kiss you?” he breaths out, you nod, crashing your lips onto his as balloons fall from the ceiling, fireworks popping can be heard from outside as everyone cheers.

your lips fit together perfectly, you can taste his vanilla chapstick and the champagne he was sipping on. satoru feels like he’s on cloud nine, smiling widely when you two pull away.

“happy new year, satoru” you grin, lips still tingling as he smiles back at you.

“happy new year y/n” he replies, about to say something else when your friends find you, quickly whisking you away. you look back at him, an apologetic smile on your face as you wish your friends a happy new year.

it’s almost an hour later when you’re walking out of the building, tugging your jacket a bit closer to you when the cold breeze hits you.

“you cold?” the voice makes you stop in your tracks, a smile fighting it’s way onto your lips when you turn around, bright blue eyes meeting yours.

“aren’t you?” you reply, watching as he approaches you with a grin, he shakes his head.

“only been out here for twenty minutes” he laughs, teeth chattering a bit. the sound makes your mouth fall open, laughing softly.

“why have you been out here for twenty minutes? you don’t even have gloves on oh my god!” you squeal, instinctively taking his hands in yours, face burning when you realize how much larger his were than yours.

“didn’t wanna miss you,” he admits, cheeks even rosier than before as he looks at you, “couldn’t leave my new years kiss without getting to know them a bit more” he smiles, “especially when they’re an amazing kisser,” he teases.

you can’t help but roll your eyes, a bit embarrassed as you tug him back into the lobby of the building.

“if you wanted my number all you had to do was ask” you reply, satoru wiggles his nose a bit, smiling at you and humming.

“yeah but then i wouldn’t get to talk to you while i slowly unfreeze” there’s a flirty glint in his eyes, his gaze makes you look away for a second, flustered as you try to think of something to say back to him.

“we’ll what kind of person would i be if i left you hanging after giving you the best kiss of your life?” you laugh, watching as his smile grows even wider, giggling at your words.

you can’t help but immediately become even more attracted to him as he laughs, dimples popping out and making you swoon.

the two of you talk for a bit longer, deeming him warm enough to live before you’re scribbling your number onto his palm, kissing his cheek and waving goodbye.

you wake up the next day with a message from an unknown number:

it’s satoru :)

would you wanna get lunch sometime ? you see my best friend thinks i have no game … :3

you can’t help but laugh, biting your lip as you reply to his text,

well what kind of person would i be if i didn’t help prove him wrong :/

satoru swings his feet as he reads your reply, shoving the phone in suguru’s face, sticking his tongue out before texting you.

maybe he should be glad shoko accidentally washed his clothes with hers that one time, turning all his whites red.

he’s glad he wore that pair of white turned red pair of boxers that night, he can’t imagine a life where he didn’t have you in his arms right now, celebrating new years together once again.

it’s just the two of you in your house this year, 24 grapes in a small bowl on the table next to you, giggling softly as you cuddle together on the couch, watching the live feed of the countdown.

“kiss me at midnight? I’ve got something to prove to my best friend” he smirks, you can help but roll your eyes at him, sitting up and grabbing him by the collar of his shirt, pulling him gently.

“oh shut it” you smile, crashing your lips onto his as the clock strikes 12 fireworks displaying on the tv screen, lighting up the entire living room.

you pull away quickly, grabbing the bowl as the two of you scarf down the grapes, laughing when satoru almost chockes on one of them. as the final chime of the clock sounds you press a kiss to your lovers lips, both of you smiling as he chases you for one last kiss.

“happy new years sweetheart” he mumbles, grinning when you card your fingers through his hair.

“happy new years angel boy,” you reply, pressing a kiss to his dimples before landing on his lips once more.

safe to say the two of you definitely believe in the new years myths now (suguru tells satoru he should get the credit, not shoko’s terrible laundry skills).

taglist: @chilichopsticks @anime-for-the-sleepless @4sat0ruu @safaia-47 @nanamikentoseyebags @fushironi @nineooooo @the-mom-friend-dot-com @gojoshooter @sat6ru @beautiful-is-boring @sweetheart-satoru @luna0713hunter @torusmochi

[geraskierfanficprompts]

Prompt 76

Yennefer has seen it all. She's become a sorceress, She's healed someone's obvious gay-crush right before sleeping with the man crushing on him, She's seen a man come back from the dead and explain he's a dragon, She's seen a lot, alright? She's not surprised by much. One day, however, she hears very loud knocking on her front door. Eulgh. She answers it, already expecting to be annoyed. A woman stands there, with brown skin, and long straight black hair. She has an odd pale marking on her face. The woman gestures to two horses she's leading behind her. One is a handsome chestnut, with a fluffy short mane that has bangs that dip past it's shockingly blue eyes. The stallion is anxiously tapdancing in place, as if it knows what Yennefer can do. The other is a larger, stronger horse, with a very dark midnight coat, with stunningly white mane and tail. The horse's long hair isn't enough to hide it's alarmingly bright yellow eyes... With familiar pupils. Yennefer turns to the woman again, and narrows her eyes. "Roach?"

[sweater-daddiesdumbdork]

Smutty Shorts- Thanksgiving Edition

Jake Jensen x Reader

18+ Only Blog

Your hand braced on the top of the humvees leather back seats, your knees making the supple leather creek as you rose up and down above Jake, riding his cock nice and slow. Swiveling your hips had you clenching around him, slowly breaking his resolve to start pounding into you. Appreciative hands explored your body, right now palming your breasts while he sucked on your nipple, making the harsh pull be felt down to your toes that curled. 

“How late do you think we are?” You moaned out, dragging your fingers through his hair, already it was stuck every which way, his glasses askew and fogged as he glanced up at you from your breast, taking one last teasing bite before pulling away. 

Jake already looked so thoroughly ruined, swollen lips where he was panting, ruddy cheeks and half-closed eyes that studied you riding him.

He slid his hands down to frame your hips, making you ride him just a little faster. “I already sent a text saying I had to stop for gas.” 

You giggled, cupping his face and falling in closer to him to kiss your man senseless, nipping on his swollen lips. That made his hips jerk up into you, his cock twitching deep inside you. “Im sure they didn't even question it with this gas guzzler.” 

“You hating on Daffy?” He was somehow able to pass off his puppy dog hurt face, right in the middle of ruining you. Of course, you did insult his beloved bright yellow humvee. 

“Just stating facts, you know I love Daffy.” You curled in closer to him, your thighs squeezing around him. “I’m close Jakey, are you?” You buried your face in against his neck, pressing kisses against tensed tendons and up to his ear, moaning against the shell. “Please? Come with me Jake.” 

“M’right there Baby.” His fingers circled your clit, pushing you to finish. “Lemme have it.” You both rushed to finish, burying himself while you cried out into his shoulder, clutching him as your pussy fluttered around him. 

Panting filled the humvee, the only sound for the moment. 

It wasn't long though till a bang thumped against the door, Cougar yelling from outside. “Get your asses inside before Clay comes and drags you in, you two aren't very inconspicuous in this thing, even parked down the street.” 

You started giggling, Jake trying to muffle you while yelling “Get lost Cougar!” 

[heartfullofleeches]

Holiday period at the fast food reader's workplace. Do they have costumes for Halloween? Do anything special for thanksgiving? What about Christmas, do they do something like a secret Santa? Do they all celebrate Reader's birthday/anniversary of them being hired?

I'm fine if you focus on one or do any of them/something unrelated that I haven't thought of. I just want more fast food reader and the gang of nightmares that adore them 😭

(Going with Birthday because I thought of the funniest thing, but maybe Christmas Special in the future?)

Twenty minutes left on the clock.

You shoved your coat and bag beneath the counter before the start of your shift to make for an easy get away. You'd recently invested in a lanyard you keep hidden down your shirt to keep your keys secure and on you at all times. The line was moving quickly thanks to the new hire that had yet to witness the horrors of the establishment. You could probably even get away with leaving without clocking out if you sucked up to your boss enough tomorrow. There would still be consequences, but as long as you could make it through today everything would be fine. Just twenty more minutes...

"Hey..."

A gentle tap on your shoulder draws your ailing mind from the depths of dread this cursed day traps you in. The janitor stands behind you, hands tucked into their pockets. You eye the slight bulge of a square item in their left, but decide its none of your business as you raise a hand in greeting. "Hey. What's up?"

"Not much..." They rock on their heels, more fidgety than usual as their hands shift in their apron pockets. "Hope I'm not bothering you, but I was cleaning up the break room and noticed there was a mark on the calendar with your name on it... It's your birthday today, right?"

Oh no.

No. No. No.

You open your mouth to make up some ahitty excuse, but your tongue remains glued to the floor of your mouth. Your eyes dart towards the boarded doors of the party room as they speak.

"If I had known sooner, I would've gotten you something better, but this was all I could pick up during my break. Honestly, birthdays are a new concept to me, but a lot of things are. You've... helped me learn a lot about myself so I just wanted to say-"

The Janitor pulls their hand from their apron - presenting a yellow box with a bright red bow.

"Happy birthday."

A loud bang shakes the doors of the party room, rocking tower of unused tables and chairs used to keep them closed. You knew they wouldn't be enough to keep what's inside in - a distraction to keep it at bay hopefully giving you enough time to flee. You quickly grab your things and vault over the counter, shoving past customers still waiting patiently in line as another bang knocks down the top layer of defense. Bang. Bang. Bang. Your heart leaps in your chest with every crash of furniture hitting the ground. You force yourself to look ahead as the doors fly open - stale air raising the hairs on your skin. The squeaks of its shoes send chills down your spine - raspy voice crawls in your ears like maggots to a fresh carcass.

"Did I hear it was a certain someone's.. Birthday?..

Against the voices in your head screaming at you to do otherwise, you glance over your shoulders. There are still smudges in its makeup from your last encounter with it dating exactly one year back to this day. You shutter as its twin tongues, still tied in that braid it tried shoved your esophagus snakes over its painted lips.

"No?"

Its smile grows. "You don't have to lie... I have the date written right here... And here...."

The clown points its gangly fingers at its forehead and chest respectively.

"I think you might have my birthday confused with that guy over there."

You pick up your feet as the clown snaps its head in the direction your finger aims. Seeing a blank wall, and hearing your shoes slap against te, it gives chance - crouching on all fours and bounding after you. Its cold hands latch around your ankle, yanking you off balance and towards the party room doors. You scratching at the floor doors, clawing faster as you feel its eyes on you from over its shoulder.

"No! My birthday was last year - I swear!"

"Silly, silly. You have one every year, and it should be celebrated every. Single. Day.... I've got cake!"

[roro-the-drago]

The question arrives, who will claim the Soul Jam? The Jester? Or the King?

[ID Below!]

[ID: Full rendered drawing of two characters, one right-side up on the bottom, the other upside down at the top. They're both reaching for a sky blue club-like gemstone in the middle which is glowing brightly. The figure in at the bottom looks like; Short, pale blonde hair split in the middle, tan skin with closed eyes that have white eyelashes and a star like mark in the middle of his forehead, big pale yellow hat that has a waffle cone pattern with the brim being a darker yellow and more pointed. Holding together his cape is a cross-shaped metal object with a light blue club-like gemstone in the middle and underneath flows two long tassels. His robe is white and loose with a bit of brown dripping down the middle like chocolate ice cream. He holds a staff with a flower at the top. The flower has a half opened eye and is staring at the middle shape. The figure up top looks like; Long black hair with blue eyes near the ends and white and blue bangs near his face, light blue skin with a teal [left] and deep blue [right] colored eyes. He wears puffy sleeves, one white one black, with blue teardrop shaped patterns in it. He wears a white ruffled collar with a steel colored diamond shaped object that has a upside down club-like gemstone that has a line through it to look like an eye. He wears a tight black leotard with teal diamonds on his chest and knees. He holds a staff that seems to hold a light-to-deep blue orb with a bright teal iris. Under the orb is something that looks like a milk splash holding it in place. He grows more transparent the further down he goes. The background is a deep-to-light blue with a dark-to-light squares-to-diamonds pattern. End ID]

[badasbebi]

home is where the heart is

navigation

✦ pairing: bada lee x fem!reader

✦ summary: new to seoul in search of revitalizing opportunities, you're excited to see what the city has in store for you. however, after numerous awkward encounters with your (hot) neighbor and other unfortunate circumstances, you start to doubt whether this move was right for you.

✦ genre/au: fluff, smut MDNI!!, neighbor!au, accidentally turned into a coffeeshop!au as well. maybe some slight angst?

✦ word count: 14k

✦ warnings: probably has grammatical/spelling errors. switch!bada and switch!reader?? sort of?? y/n has a toy collection that could probably contribute to the production of toy story 5.

✦ a/n: initially really liked this story. then, i sat on it for three days, and now I'm not really a fan of this? i also feel like i forgot to how to write? hope yall still enjoy though! i have a few ideas I'm rlly excited abt anyway <3

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The elevator lobby echoes with the shuffling of your feet and the thud of the cardboard box shifting within your grasp. Your new apartment complex seems to grow larger with each step, the space stretching endlessly as you aim for one of the metal doors. The box, marked “fragile,” presses into your arms, and beads of sweat drip down your forehead as you internally curse at yourself for your excessive overpacking and stubbornness. 

 You don’t know who or what made you believe you were capable of doing this move entirely by yourself, but you are now facing the consequences for past you's groundless self-confidence. As you take a step forward, your arms wobble under the strain, and the box slips precariously, threatening to escape your grasp. You tighten your grip, determined not to let the flimsy box defeat you. You were not going to let a box labeled fragile, of all things, be the reason for your demise. No way.

While attempting to steady yourself, you vaguely hear a loud ping reverberate throughout the lobby. Like the easily hyperfixated person you are, you pay no mind to it, focusing only on the task at hand. The last thing you need is to drop the box and have its contents shatter against the floor. You would never forgive yourself.

Just as you pause to readjust the box, the elevator door opens, and footsteps follow it. A tall, dark-haired woman with bangs stumbles into the opening, her phone in her hands. She stops in her tracks, clearly distracted, and you foolishly walk straight into her.

The box falls from your grasp, and as it plummets to the ground, you have an out-of-body experience. This was it. The box is going to hit the ground, and you will have lost this uphill battle. In slow motion, you watch the box tilt backward and forwards, suspended in midair for what seems like forever until, suddenly, you feel your hand wrap around it. As you blink away the stars clouding your vision, you register that you've saved the box from certain doom, just barely. A sigh of relief escapes your lips.

A triumphant smile graces your lips as you clutch the box tightly. It’s a bit more crumpled than before, but it is still very much in one piece (ignoring the fact that the fragile item inside the box was most definitely broken). Gravity was no match for your superior reflexes.

As you look up, your smile falters. Your eyes widen, and you feel heat rise to your cheeks. You just ran into the most beautiful woman you have ever seen, and she is staring at you. Her eyes, framed by thick-rimmed glasses, gaze at you, wide and unblinking. She looks at you as if you were the most embarrassing thing she has ever seen, and it takes all your willpower not to turn around and run back down the hall.

Her long, dyed black hair hangs in a braid down her shoulder. Her outfit consists of a plain, oversized black t-shirt, baggy pants, and a pair of worn nikes. The only pops of color are the bright yellow socks poking out from underneath the white shoes, and the streaks of blonde in her hair. 

"Oh, my god, I am so sorry!" you finally manage, stumbling over your words. "I should've been paying attention to where I was going."

The woman seems to snap out of her daze with a vigorous shake of her head. "No, no, it's fine. Don't worry about it," she responds with a small laugh. Her voice is light and melodic, and the sound makes your heart skip a beat. She glances down at her phone, and a slight frown creases her forehead. "I wasn't watching where I was going either."

You give a small, awkward chuckle in response, but you feel your nerves ease a little. She didn't seem weirded out, thank the stars. 

She glances down at the box, and her eyes widen as if she is just noticing its existence.

"Here, let me help you," she says as she effortlessly picks up and takes the box from your hands before you can even think to say no, a shiver running up your spine at the contact. 

"You really don't have to," you protest weakly, making much of an effort to actually stop her. 

"It's the least I can do after making you almost drop the box." She gives you a warm smile, and the butterflies in your stomach start dancing wildly. 

"Thank you." You return the smile, feeling the corners of your mouth twitch.

She turns on her heel and gestures to the elevator doors. "Where are you headed?" she asks, pressing the up button with her elbow.

"Uh, floor 8," you answer. She nods, and when the elevator doors open, the two of you step inside.

The combination of the woman's vanilla-scented perfume and elevator music does little to soothe your anxiety. You stand side-by-side in awkward silence. You shift uncomfortably, feeling your cheeks burn. What do you even say to a person this gorgeous? You clear your throat and will the courage to speak. You are an adult. You can talk to people. You got this! Just be casual. Easy peasy. Just say words! Just. say. them. 

"So, uh, is this your first time using the elevator?" You wince.

Maybe not those words.

"No, I usually use the stairs." She says with a giggle, seemingly unfazed by your pathetic attempt at conversation. "But, um, is this your first time here?"

You nod. "I just moved here today." You pause. "How did you know?"

"I just—haven't seen you here before," she says simply, looking you up and down with an expression you can't quite decipher. "I'm Bada, by the way."

"Bada," you repeat, testing out the name on your tongue. It sounds nice. You smile, and the tips of your ears grow hot. "I'm Y/N."

"Y/N." She returns your smile. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise." Your fingers fidget with the hem of your shirt. Your eyes wander over to the numbers lit up on the panel, and your face pales when you see that the two of you are already on the eighth floor. The elevator slowly comes to a stop, and you swallow thickly. "Well, I guess this is my stop," you say as you step into the hallway. 

"Did you want me to walk you to your apartment? This is actually the floor that I-" Bada starts, but a faint chime rings out before she can finish. She pulls her phone out, holding the box with one arm, and frowns at the screen.

"Ah, damn, I gotta go," she says. She looks back up at you and gives you a smile, although a little less bright. "I'm going to be late for a meeting. Do you think you can manage?"

You stare, momentarily perplexed by the kindness this random stranger is displaying towards you, but then you catch yourself, and smile.

You shake your head, waving a hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it, I've got it. I'm a big girl," you reassure her. "Thank you for helping me, though."

She hands the box over, and your fingers brush again, sending a jolt of electricity up your arm.

"Of course," she replies, smiling. "Anytime. It was nice meeting you."

"Yup."

You give each other a brief wave, and you watch the elevator doors slide shut. 

As you stare at the spot she was once at, you feel a pang of disappointment in your chest. You wish you could have gotten to know her better, but there was always another day. You lived in the same building, after all. Maybe you'd run into her again. 

You struggle with the box a bit more, and then you finally enter your apartment, the door clicking shut behind you.  

The first thing you do is drop the box in the entryway and walk over to the nearest wall. You lean your back against it, sliding down until your butt hits the ground. You sit there for a moment, gazing out of the floor-to-ceiling window across the room, trying to process everything that just happened. And, well, everything else that's been happening in your life. 

As the sun dips below the skyline, casting long shadows across the city, you find yourself finally having to wrestle with contrasting feelings of excitement over this fresh start, mingled with a weariness that's settled into your bones after a day of moving boxes and thinking of the uncertainty surrounding the days ahead of you. 

Just a month ago, you made the spontaneous decision to move to chase your dreams in Seoul, a country an entire ocean away from where you're from. Now you are in a new city, a new apartment, a potential new job, and you have mixed feelings. You're excited about the possibilities but also scared of the loneliness you know is inevitable. It is a loneliness that is necessary, though. You’ve spent too long stuck, moping about your unfortunate circumstances in the same mundane city you grew up in. You were aching for something new. As terrified as you are, you know that it’ll eventually feel worth it. It has to. 

In the meantime, your living space echoes with emptiness and awaits your touch. Exhausted but determined, you eventually drag yourself off the ground, the weight of the day catching up to you, but not stopping you.  

You scan the space in front of you, surrounded by the remnants of your previous life, now neatly packed into cardboard containers. The living room, cluttered with boxes marked "pictures," "books," and "memories," feels too overwhelming, so you decide to tackle the kitchen first. Igniting your last reserves of energy, you unpack your pots and pans as your thoughts drifts to old routines. As the clock ticks away and you find new sacred spots for your favorite items, your exhaustion begins to fade as you infuse the space with pieces of yourself, fueled by the realization that this is your sanctuary that you could call your own.  

By the time you empty your last box for the day, the apartment glows with your presence. It’s nowhere near finished, but you already feel as if your choices have been validated. You collapse onto your makeshift bed, and as you close your eyes, a smile plays on your lips. 

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 "I asked for three and three-quarter pumps of brown sugar. Is this really the best you can do?"

You stare at the cup sitting before you. Three and three-quarters, your ass. Who the hell was going to measure that? You glance up at the man before you. His face is contorted into a snarl as he glares at you, as if he expects an apology. It takes everything in you not to throw the steaming hot cup of coffee in his face.  

"Sir, I'm sorry, but I believe that this is indeed three and one half—i mean—three quarter pumps," you lie, attempting to brush past your stumble in the calmest voice possible. You try to muster a professional smile, but it's a difficult feat. 

"Bullshit. You clearly can't read a scale properly or hear. Just do it over, and make it right. Three and three QUARTERS," He huffs, shoving the cup in your direction.  

Your fists clench behind the counter. "Yes, sir," you mutter through gritted teeth, your politeness hanging by a thread.

You dump his original drink in the trash and grab a fresh cup. The man watches as you add the pumps, one by one, ensuring that each one is added correctly. It is, and instead of being grateful that you did not put three and three-quarters of spit in his cup, he rolls his eyes, mumbling to himself about younger generations being too lazy to do their jobs right the first time. He takes the cup from you, without saying thank you, and struts off. 

You sigh, shaking your head. You needed to get your blood pressure checked. 

"You okay?" a voice asks.

You turn around, coming face to face with your coworker, Mijoo. She stands before you, leaning against the counter, a sympathetic smile on her face.

You groan, running a hand over your face. "I don't know how much longer I can take this. How have you worked here for this long?" you reply, your voice muffled by your hands. 

Mijoo shrugs. "Honestly, you get used to it after a while. And on the rare occasion that you run into a genuinely nice customer, I promise they make up for the hundreds of shitty interactions." 

Without moving your hands from your face, you state, “That doesn't make me feel any better." 

Mijoo laughs, bright and bubbly, and pats your shoulder. "Don't worry, it'll get easier, I promise. You'll be desensitized in no time! Seriously, I feel nothing when people call me stupid, or an imbecile, or a bitch-"

You frown, dropping your hands. "Mijoo, that's awful." 

Mijoo sighs and walks around the counter to wrap her arm around your shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. "Just don't stress about it, okay? You'll be fine. Plus, we've got each other!" 

You return the gesture, wrapping an arm around her waist. "You're right."

Mijoo has been your rock throughout this whole process. She was the one who interviewed you for this crappy job, and she was the one who showed you the ropes inside and outside of the cafe you work at. In addition to showing you her go-to spot in the cafe for mental breakdowns, she's shown you her favorite spots in Seoul. If it weren't for her, you're sure you'd be a complete and utter wreck.

"What would I do without you?" you ask.

Mijoo chuckles, squeezing you tighter. "Probably have a lot more panic attacks," she replies, causing the two of you to erupt in laughter.

The alarm on your phone blares, signaling that it's time for you to go home. You and Mijoo share a dejected glance. You hated leaving her alone at the shop, but she always insisted that you go home before the rush. You had no choice but to agree. 

"See you tomorrow," you tell her as you shrug on your jacket.

"Bright and early," she responds, throwing you a wave.

"Are you at least going home soon?"

She shakes her head. "Nah, I've got a few things I need to finish up, so I'll probably be here for a few more hours. I'll lock up."

You sigh. "Alright, but please text me when you get home."

She smiles, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "Will do. Now, go. Go home and get some sleep, you deserve it."

You make your way to the entrance, giving Mijoo one last glance. She waves to you, a big grin on her face. When you open the door and step out, the bell above you chimes.

As the crisp air hits your face, you can feel the tension drain from your body. A content smile graces your lips, and you can feel your mood instantly improving. Even though your job was stressful, there was nothing quite like coming home after a long shift.

The sun has already begun to set, and the streets are bustling. People pass by you, not paying attention as they make their way home. Some have earphones in, while others are on their phones. You watch as couples and groups of friends chat and laugh as they make their way to whatever destination they have in mind. You feel a small pang of loneliness in your chest.

Your apartment isn't too far from your work, so you reach your destination quickly despite the heaviness in your heart. You're exhausted, and all you want to do is go home, cook dinner, and crawl into bed.

You ride the elevator to your floor, and you're reminded of the time you ran into Bada months ago. Her name echoed through your head every time you heard this elevator music, which was every day. You haven't seen her since that day, which wasn't really a surprise. It was a big building.

When the doors open, you make a beeline to your door, fishing your keys out of your pocket. As soon as you unlock your door, you practically skip inside. You immediately slip off your shoes and toss your jacket and keys onto the counter. You let out a satisfied sigh as you plop down on the couch, closing your eyes. You stay like that for a few moments, listening to the quiet hum of the air conditioner. After a few minutes, you hear your phone ping. Yelping, you sit up and pull it out of your pocket, hoping it's the text you've been anticipating from a landlord. Disappointment settles in the pit of your stomach when you see it's just a spam email. Groaning, you drop the phone onto the couch next to you.

You sit there, wallowing in your misery and loneliness. The quiet hum of the AC does little to soothe your worries.

You miss your friends, but the distance has made it hard for them to keep up with you, and vice versa. They all had lives, and jobs, and families. But you didn't. All you had was an empty apartment. And you had Mijoo, but you felt terrible relying on her for everything. 

As you’re ruminating on the pathetic reality of your social life, a loud bang comes from the wall behind you. You jump in shock and quickly turn to look at the source. You can barely make out a muffled, feminine voice, saying something that sounds like a curse. Seconds later, music starts playing through the walls. Loud, bass-heavy music. You sit up,  your hand hovering over the plaster, feeling perplexed. You haven't heard anyone in the apartment next to you since you moved in. You just assumed you were neighborless. Maybe someone new moved in? You haven't seen anyone with boxes or anything all week, though, and there's no way someone just managed to move in within the last 8 hours. 

A beat passes. You can feel the vibrations from the loud music rattling the walls. You frown, and walk over to the wall. You raise a hand and knock loudly, but it's useless. You sigh. There was no way you could relax with this noise.

You turn away from the wall, and pick your phone up in case you need to dial 119 during this confrontation. You make your way out into the hallway, slamming the door shut behind you and ignoring how your heart pounds in your ears. You walk to the door next to yours and, after a moment of hesitation, knock loudly. The music stops, and your heartbeat slows. The door remains closed, so you knock again, even harder this time.

After what feels like an eternity, the door finally swings open, revealing a woman you thought you'd never see again.

"Bada?" you question, bewildered.

"Hey," she replies, sounding equally surprised. She's wearing sweatpants and a black tank top, and her hair is in a messy ponytail. You can smell a faint hint of sweat. She's still gorgeous, though.

"What are you doing here?" you ask, trying to hide your shock. 

She looks behind her, as if to verify that she's in the correct place, then turns back around. "This is my apartment," she states, slowly, as if she's speaking to a child requiring stabilization. 

"Since when?" 

She laughs at this, and your heart flutters. "Since I've lived here. Which is a long time, considering this is the second year."

"No, I mean," you pause, searching for the right words. "I haven't seen you around? I mean, you're right next door. There's no way I could've missed you."

Her lips form an 'o' shape, and she nods. "Ah, well, I travel a lot for work so I haven't been home much. I was out of the country for a while."

You nod, "Oh. That makes sense. Well, see ya!"

You turn on your heel and make your way back towards your apartment, embarrassment beginning to flood through your body, when Bada's voice stops you.

"Hey, wait."

You turn around, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

She looks amused. "Are you going to tell me why you came knocking? Or did you just want to see me?"

Your eyes widen and your cheeks burn. "What? No, I'm sorry, I-"

She interrupts you with a laugh. "Relax, I'm joking."

You nod, feeling relieved. You weren't sure why this woman made you feel so incompetent. "Well, it’s the music. It's really loud, and-"

"Oh, shit," she cuts in, her eyes widening. "I'm sorry, I forgot. I'm not used to having neighbors. It's been a while since someone lived next door."

"It's totally fine, it's just...a bit much."

"Gotcha," she replies.

You stare at each other for a few seconds, and you can feel yourself begin to sweat. You clear your throat. "Well, I should probably go now."

She nods, a slight frown on her face. "Okay. See you around."

"See ya," you reply, awkwardly, before walking away.

When you reach your door, you let out a deep breath As annoyed and embarrassed as you were, seeing her again was a bit of a pleasant surprise. She seemed even more beautiful now than she did in the elevator. Your mind wanders back to the sleeveless shirt she had on. The hair bun that gave you a clear view of her neck, her jawline, her collarbones.

You shake the thought from your head and walk into your apartment. You needed to put yourself out there, soon. It’s been too long since you’ve felt a woman’s touch, and now you can barely look at an attractive woman without spiraling into a frenzy. 

You decide to go take a shower and call it an early night, hoping that a session with Rosalia 3000 will ease your mind. 

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You stand behind the counter, boredly wiping down the surfaces. It's a slow day, and Mijoo is off, finally using her vacation days. The cafe is mostly empty, save for a few students studying in the corner. You've already cleaned the entire place twice today, and the clock hasn't even struck 4 o'clock yet. It was days like these that you hated most. As much as you disliked angry customers, having to stand behind the counter doing nothing all day was enough to make you want to claw your eyes out.

You sigh, and lean back against the counter. You check your phone, just in case you missed any messages you’ve been waiting for. When the screen loads, the familiar white background greets you, with no new notifications.

You lock the screen, and stuff the device into the pocket of your apron. You look around the cafe, hoping to find something to occupy your mind. Your eyes land on the display cases of cakes on the far end of the counter, and an idea pops into your head.

You grab a bag of flour, sugar, eggs, milk, and baking powder from the storage room. You mix the ingredients together, and add a few teaspoons of vanilla extract. After about ten minutes, the batter is ready, and you scoop some into a pastry bag. You start to pipe the dough into shapes, filling the space. The familiar motion relaxes you, and you can feel the stress slowly leaving your body. There were only a select few people in the cafe who were permitted to contribute to the array of treats your cafe housed. Unfortunately, you weren’t one of those people, leaving you little time to partake in your passion in between busy shifts and tiring days. You needed this. 

Working quickly, you fill up the space within 30 minutes. After placing the cookies in the backoven, you start cleaning up the counter, throwing away any leftover bits of dough and tossing the used bowls and utensils into the sink. When you finish cleaning the area as best as you can, you turn back around, and your eyes widen as you realize you aren't alone.

Standing before you, his arms crossed, is the man with the ridiculous coffee order from a couple days ago. Yikes. 

"Um," you begin, trying to keep your voice from wavering."Can I help you?"

"I’ve been standing here for two minutes,” he begins, and you can hear the aggravation in his voice. "Do you not know how to do your job?"

"I-"

"So you’re not just a terrible barista, you’re a terrible worker too,” he spits out.“There are barely any people in this cafe and you can’t keep up?”

You clench your jaw, trying to keep the anger bubbling up inside of you at bay. "Sir, I apologize for not noticing you sooner, but I’ll be happy to assist you now."

"Yeah, I’m sure. Where’s your manager?”

Your eye twitches. “He isn’t here right now. I can assure you I’ll be able to help you with anything you need."

"Well do you have a way to contact him? A phone number? Zoom?”

You shake your head. "Sorry, sir. Our manager prefers that we only contact him when he is away if there’s an emergency.”

He releases a maniacal laugh, then immediately straightens his face. “Is this not an emergency? How is this not an emergency when the service in this shop is so fucked that you don’t see a customer standing in plain sight for ten minutes?” 

You blink. “I thought—never mind. Sir, again, I’m terribly sorry. If you’d like, I can give you this drink on the house and—"

He cuts you off. "I don't want a refund. I want better quality of service…”

He drones on, and at this point you tune him out. There was nothing you could do or say to satisfy him. Really, the irony of the situation just made you want to laugh. He was complaining about you wasting his time, and by doing so was wasting even more time. Did this man actually have a job other than being a menace to innocent baristas? Probably not. As you mindlessly watch the man flail his arms in exasperation, you hear the bell above the entrance ring. You’re about to glance over, when the man in front of you slams his palm on the counter, demanding your attention.

"I'm not done yet! I've spent the last fifty six minutes telling you everything you're doing wrong, and you've barely apologized. In fact—"

"I'm sorry, sir, but if you don’t calm down I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” You cut him off, your voice surprisingly steady.

"What?" His mouth hangs open.

You cross your arms. "You are disrupting the environment and harassing me.”

"Harassing?" He repeats, incredulously. "Are you fucking kidding me? Who the hell are you to tell me what to do? You don’t have the authority to kick me out.”

You roll your eyes. "I'm not kicking you out. You are free to stay and order anything you'd like. If, however, you choose to continue to cause a scene, I'll have no choice but to have you escorted off the premises."

His eyes narrow, and this time he crosses his arms. "Yeah? And who’s gonna escort me?”

Customer service thrown out the window, you open your mouth to call him a prickly little bitch, but are interrupted by the sudden appearance of a hooded figure walking up beside him.

"Leave her alone," a familiar voice states. You look over, and realize the individual you’re looking at is Bada, who towers over the man beside her. 

The man scoffs, and looks her up and down. "Excuse me? Mind your own.”

"This is her cafe, and she has a right to kick you out if you're being disruptive."

"I'm not bothering anyone," the man retorts.

"Well, you’re bothering me. I’ve had to stand here and watch you squeal for the past few minutes and quite frankly it's starting to piss me off. If you don’t leave, I'll escort you out myself."

The man opens his mouth, presumably to spit some more venom, but the sight of Bada's clenched fists and murderous glare causes him to snap his mouth shut. He glares at the two of you for a moment, before turning on his heel and stalking off.

Both of you watch him leave. As the door closes behind him, you witness the door swing shut with surprising speed, smacking into Mr. Grumpington's rear end just as he reaches the threshold. Stumbling forward with a startled yelp, his briefcase flies out of his grasp, scattering papers across the sidewalk. 

Your hand flings up, over your mouth as you observe him stand slowly, his knees wobbling. A woman and her child pass by him with bewildered expressions, and you repress your laughter. Once he gathers himself, he shoots a withering glare in the direction of the café, and storms off. 

Old man finally gone, Bada turns back to you, her expression soft. "Sorry. I know I probably overstepped, but I saw the whole thing and I was worried he was going to hurt you.”

You sober up and shake your head, smiling slightly. "No, it's okay. He was being an asshole and I didn't know what to do with him. I'm glad you were here."

Bada returns your smile, and you're once again taken aback by her. “Anytime."

"I have cookies, if you'd like some," you offer, suddenly remembering the sweets baking in the oven. "On the house, for the trouble."

Bada's eyes light up. "I'd love some! And an iced latte, please.”

You nod. "Sure. Have a seat and I'll bring it out."

Bada takes a seat in a booth in the corner, and pulls out a laptop. As the coffee brews, you glance at her as she types and reads something on the screen, her expression concentrated. She purses her lips as as she focuses on whatever she’s looking at, and you find yourself staring.

She looks up, catching your eye. You blush, and spin around to face the display case, pretending to wipe it down. You grab the iced latte and a plate of cookies, and walk over to Bada.

"Thanks!" she says, smiling, and grabs a cookie. She takes a bite and hums in satisfaction.  

"Good, right?" you question, a smile tugging at your lips.

"So good!" she affirms, her cheeks full of the pastry. 

You break into a wide grin that you’re not sure is because of the woman’s cuteness, or the pride blooming in your chest. "Thanks. I made them." 

She raises her eyebrows. "Wait, really? Woah. I'm impressed."

Playing nonchalant, you shrug. "It's whatever."

She laughs. "It's not whatever! These would sell out in seconds if you displayed them in here," she remarks, grabbing another one. 

You're reminded of the call you're still waiting on, and try to dispel the anxiousness growing inside you. That’s the plan, just not here. You decide not to bring that up, though. You dont wanting to put a damper her spirits with your oversharing.

But you're not tired of hearing her praises. "You think?" 

"Definitely,” she confirms. "I'll come by every day to buy a dozen.”

"I'll hold you to it."

"Please do," she responds, and you swear you detect a hint of flirtation in her voice. Before you can retort, a notification pops up on her computer, and her eyes dart down. She sighs. 

"Everything alright?" you ask.

She nods, but her brows are furrowed. "Yeah. I'm just stressed. My job has been keeping me super busy lately."

You nod, and hesitate before asking, "If you don't mind me asking, what do you do?"

"Oh," she answers, her face clearing up. "I'm a dancer. And I choreograph for kpop groups."

Your eyes widen. "Whoa. That's cool."

"Thanks," she responds. She pauses for a moment, and she looks like she wants to say more. "It is, but...I don't know, sometimes these companies get on my nerves." She says with a tired laugh. 

You're a bit surprised by her confession, and the dejected look on her face makes your heart hurt. "What do you mean?"

She shrugs. "They're never quite satisfied with what we do and it sucks, you know? The only time I have fun is when I'm working with a company that doesn't treat their artists like shit."

You frown. "Yeah, I can't even begin to imagine how frustrating that is. I'm sorry." 

She smiles, looking sheepish. "No, I'm sorry for venting. It's been a long week."

You shake your head. "Don't apologize. You're saving me from having to clean the counter for the nth time today."

She smirks. "I thought the jerk from earlier was already doing that?"

"Oh god, please don't bring him up again." You groan, and she giggles in a way that makes your chest warm.

"Don't worry. He won't bother you anymore. I scared him away," she says, wiggling her eyebrows.

You laugh, and a comfortable silence falls between the two of you. You're about to ask her another question when you hear the bell on the door chime. You look over, and see a group of college students walking in. Your stomach drops. 

"Guess it's time for me to actually do my job,” you mutter. 

She nods. "What time do you get off? Maybe we could talk more after you're done? Walk home together?"

Walk home together? You should’ve put on a better perfume today. "Sure, but I'm gonna be here for another couple hours."

She slaps her hands together. “That’s actually perfect. I have a bunch of videos to review anyway. I'll be here." She gives you a small wave, and returns to her laptop. You walk away, unable to contain your grin.

And she is there. As the night drags on, as the rush comes in and finally calms, as the clock strikes 8, and as you close the doors.

You turn the keys, locking the door. You turn around, and she's there, waiting for you, laptop in hand.  She kicks a rock and it skitters away, hitting a lamppost. When she notices you watching, she offers a shy smile.

"Ready to go?" she asks.

"Sure am," You respond, and the two of you start heading down the street. 

The air is warm and the night sky is clear, the stars twinkling brightly. You glance over at her, and admire the way the streep lamps lights up her face. Her eyes are focused ahead, and you stare at her profile. She notices you staring, and turns her head, smiling softly.

"What's up?" she questions.

You shake your head and face forward, wanting to crawl in a hole at your slip-up. "Nothing." You feel the heat rise to your cheeks. This is silly. You've seen this woman plenty of times recently. Hell, you were just in the cafe together not even fifteen ago. But now, walking side-by-side with her, the air between you heavy, you can't help but feel a need to impress her. The idea that you could possibly have a friendship (or more?) with her makes your heart soar. It's silly, and maybe a bit childish, but you're not one to let a good feeling pass by. So, you take a chance, wanting to make this work. 

"So, I don't know much about you, but I'd love to," you begin, and her gaze darts towards you. "Tell me about yourself. You said you were a dancer, right?"

"Oh, yeah." She nods. "I started dancing when I was a kid. It was fun, but I didn't start taking it seriously until I was older. I started out doing covers, and eventually landed an audition with a company. That's how I got my foot in the door, and then I kept climbing and now I'm here."

"That's amazing," you tell her. "I'm guessing it's a lot of hard work?"

She nods. "Definitely. It's rewarding, though."

You want to know more, so you ask her more questions, and you follow into comfortable chatter as she tells you all about her life. She asks you a few questions too, some of which you avoid, like why you moved here, or why you're working at the cafe that you obviously dislike. But, overall, the conversation flows easily, and before you know it, the two of you are standing in front of your apartment building.

As the two of you approach the lobby, Bada speaks. "We should do this more often."

"Which part? Walking home together, or me talking your ear off about the ending of Twenty-Five Twenty-One?"

"Mostly the first part. Although I didn't mind hearing you talk about that kdrama. The lead actress is really hot."

You snort, and she follows suit. "You know, I'm glad you came into the cafe today," you confess.

"Me too." She responds, and the two of you stop in front of your door. You're unsure of what to say next, but Bada steps forward, and you tense. Was this really happening?

But then she's inching away, her hands tucked into her pockets. You relax, and ignore the slight disappointment built up in your chest. Duh, you think, shaking your head. What were you expecting?

"Well, have a good night." You say, offering her a small smile.

"You too," she says. "I'll see you soon."

She waves, and you watch her go, before unlocking the door and walking into the apartment. You close your door behind you, and lean against it, releasing a breath.

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Over the next week, you see Bada in passing in the hallway multiple times. Each time she sees you, she stops and says hi, and you talk for a bit. She stops by the cafe a few times too, although she hasn't been able to walk home with you again yet, having a late-night schedule nearly everyday.

But each encounter makes your heart race, and by the end of the week, you feel like your chest might explode. You're not sure the attraction is reciprocated, but even if it is, would she actually be interested in someone like you? Someone who had to deal with a shitty customer service job, was running increasingly low on money, had a terrible sleep schedule, and was depending on one call to determine whether or not this move was a mistake? Probably not. The videos you've been watching for the past hour have made that evident. 

Curiosity got the best of you, and you finally looked up Bada about an hour ago. It didn't take long for her to pop up. A ton of information about her was available, from her birthday, to her favorite food, to her shoe size. You mostly ignored that stuff, opting to watch her choreography videos instead. A horrible mistake. She was undeniably talented and captivating, and watching her perform made you feel a million things all at once, the most powerful being desire, much to your dismay. Why was that woman always humping the floor? 

After watching the last video, which was a choreography of a popular girl group's song, you shut your computer and lean back on the couch. You stare at the wall separating your apartment from hers, wondering  what she's doing right now. Is she getting ready for bed? Did she have a busy day? Is she thinking of you, like how you're thinking of her? Doubtful, but the thought makes your stomach flip. 

A notification from your phone interrupts your pity party. You assume it's a notification about a delivery you have coming, but you're surprised to see a text from one of your hometown friends. 

Jasmine: heyyy how is everything going over there!

Jasmine: opened up your dream bakery yet?

Not this. You really, really do not want to get into this right now, especially with your friends and family from home, who had high expectations for you. But they were your friends, and you didn't want to keep them in the dark. You take a deep breath, and respond.

y/n: almost. just working at a cafe while I'm getting everything settled.

You wait a few minutes, but she doesn't respond. You sigh. Another thing you miss from home—texting your friends in real time. It would have been nice to be able to vent.

You're about to stand up when you get a response.

Jasmine: oh okay! just be careful not to fall into the same trap you were in here. I don't want you working yourself to death :(

y/n: i won't.

Jasmine: good.

Jasmine: anyway, met anybody cute out there yet?

You stare at the screen, and you can't help but smile.

y/n: yes.

Jasmine: OMG!!!

Jasmine: details plz!

You laugh.

y/n: it's none of your business, lol.

Jasmine: come ooooon y/n!

y/n: nope! I don't want to jinx anything

Jasmine: fine. just keep me updated.

You're about to respond, but a knock at your front door startles you. You set your phone down, and walk over to the door, looking through the peephole, and speak of the devil: It's Bada.

You quickly comb a hand through your hair and rub the sleep out of your eyes. Taking a deep breath, you open the door, trying not to look flustered.

"Hey!" you greet.

"Hi." She responds, and you immediately recognize that something is decidedly off. She looks tense. Her brows are furrowed, and she’s avoiding eye contact, shifting her weight from side to side awkwardly. You see her clutching something behind her back, but cannot make out what it is. 

"Um, are you okay?" you ask hesitantly, half-ready to grab the (tall and grown) woman to pull her inside your apartment to protect her from potential imminent dangers.

"Yeah. I just-um. I think your package was delivered to the wrong address?" She pulls her arm from behind her back, and hands you a large box with it flipped to the bottom. "Sorry."

"Oh!" you take the package, are immediately met with the recipient name printed in bold font that is, of course, addressed to you. "Thank you. Sorry about that."

"No worries." She smiles, but it doesn't reach her eyes. "I'll, uh, see you around."

"Yeah, definitely."

She walks away, and you're left standing in the doorway, a bit confused. That was...weird. You step back inside, shutting the door. You set the package down on the coffee table, and just as you are about to rip it open, you make eye contact with the imagery on the front of the package. 

Your eyes widen. Oh no. How could you have forgotten?

There, plastered across the front of the box, was a clear picture of a very suggestive toy. You read the words below the image.

"Battery-Operated Love: Your Guide To The Best Vibrators, Toys, and Dildos!"

You stare. You blink. You look around, as if someone is playing a prank on you. You stare some more. 

Then, you hurriedly reach for the throw pillow sitting next to you on the couch, and scream into it.

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You sigh, tapping your foot against the floor to the rhythm of humming washers. It's early morning, the sun barely peeking out, and you're currently in the laundry room in your building, waiting for your clothes to dry.

It's been a few days since your package fiasco, and Bada hasn't made another appearance. You'd say she's trying to avoid you, but in reality, you’re the one going out of your way to steer clear of her potential judgments. You've even taken to staying in late, leaving the apartment only to go to work, where you've adjusted your schedule to further avoid the woman in case she tried to stop by. You acknowledge the fact that you're probably overreacting. It wasn't that big of a deal. You're a grown woman with needs! And you weren't going to let those needs fester when you had such an accessible way of gratifying them. You couldn't let the hard work that ancient physicians put into developing such helpful products go to waste. You love to support small businesses!

Although, you weren’t a big fan of the one you ordered from this time. So much for "discreet packaging.”

You stand up, deciding to grab a drink from the vending machine outside to cool your nerves. You reach the lobby, and walk towards the corner, where the row of machines are lined up in front of windows that belong to the gym. You insert your coins, press a few buttons, and wait for your drink. The vending machine is old, and the whirring and clanging of the dispensing mechanism are loud, so it takes longer than usual.

You glance around as you wait, and your eyes finally settle on the windows. You squint, noticing a familiar silhouette performing a series of exercises.

Bada is inside, doing pull-ups. Her back is to you, and her hair is pulled into a ponytail. She's wearing a loose t-shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and shorts. Sweat drips from her forehead and down her back, and the muscles in her arms flex and move with each lift.

You feel your throat dry up. The machine spits out the can, and you grab it. You hesitate for a moment, and then step forward, pushing open the glass door leading into the gym as if you were moving on autopilot. You don't know what you're doing.

"Hey!" you greet.

She turns around, eyes wide, and lowers herself onto the ground. "Hi."

"How are you?" you ask.

"Good! Just finishing up my workout," she answers, reaching for the towel draped on a bench beside her.

"Cool," you answer, trying not to focus on the way her chest heaves as she catches her breath.

"What about you? Haven't seen you around lately," she says, wiping the sweat from her neck.

"I've been busy," you lie, weakly holding up your can. "Just got something from the vending machine while I'm waiting for my laundry. Probably gonna head out and run some errands after this.”

"Ah, okay." She nods, and reaches for a water bottle. You watch her tilt her head back, gulping down the liquid, her Adam's apple bobbing as she swallows. Your eyes travel to her neck, and her collarbone, which is exposed, and the droplets of sweat that rest on her skin. You watch her throat move, and suddenly, your mind is filled with images of her lips trailing down your neck, nipping at your throat, and you're overcome with desire. 

You swallow, then continue rambling, trying to rid yourself of your debauched thinking. "Yup, heading over to Itaewon with a friend tonight. Probably won't be back home until tomorrow morning!" you say with the projection of a teenage boy who had his first drink yesterday. You weren't lying this time, though. After the incident, you were humbled into a state of reflection. You wanted to try putting yourself out there, and potentially find gratification beyond something that was battery-powered. Mijoo was ecstatic to hear this, and immediately sent you a list of clubs she and her friends frequented. 

"Sounds fun." She takes another sip, and sets the bottle down. "Hope you have a good time. Actually, do you have time to do me a favor before you get back to your laundry?"

"What kind of favor?" you ask, a bit suspicious.

"Can you spot me?" she asks, and you're confused for a moment. She gestures towards a padded spot on the floor. "I was gonna do some more reps, and I’d really appreciate it if you could help me—um—make sure my form was right. f you don't have time, that's fine, I can ask someone else."

"No!" you answer. She jerks her head back in confusion, and you flush at your stumble. "No, I have time. I can spot you."

"Awesome! Thanks so much," she says with her signature heartwarming grin. "I'll just do a couple of sets. It shouldn't take too long.”

”I should warn you that I don’t know anything about weightlifting. Or strength exercises. Or cardio—”

"Not a problem. I’ll just do sit-ups." She reassures as she sits on the floor, and lies down.

“Oh. Okay,” you felt like you were in grade school. "Are we counting or not counting?"

"Um, counting would be helpful," she says.

You nod, and kneel beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder. You feel her tense for a second, but are quickly distracted trying not to focus on the way the damp fabric of her shirt sticks to her skin. "Okay. Ready when you are."

You count, and with each sit-up, the muscles in her arms flex, her jaw tightens, and her breathing becomes labored. You're in such close proximity to her, her arm brushes against yours every time she goes down. The heat radiating from her body is palpable, and you feel yourself begin to sweat, the air becoming hot.

When she's finished, she falls back onto the mat, and you release the breath you hadn't realized you'd been holding. She gets up, and wipes the sweat from her forehead.

"Well, that was fun," she says, standing up to grab her stuff. 

"Yeah, it sure was," you murmer, trying to hide the fact that you're completely out of breath despite doing nothing but count. You stand up, and follow her out the door. "See you later, Bada."

Bada waves, looking you over once more in a manner that makes your insides twist, before turning around a speed-walking toward the elevators. 

You take a minute to breathe and head back into the laundry room, where your clothes are ready. Instead of grabbing them, you collapse into one of the cheap folding chairs in the corner of the room. Your clothes are probably tinier at this point, but you can't bring yourself to move. Why did you even walk in there in the first place? You knew well that you weren’t capable of acting normal in front of that woman.

You remind yourself of your plans with Mijoo tonight. A club. In the city. With pretty people. Where alcohol was served.

You take a deep breath, and stand up, taking your clothes and throwing them in your basket.

You'd be fine. 

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An ear-splitting wail from the girl next to you almost makes you drop your drink.

"I CAN'T DO THIS SHIT ANYMORE!" the woman screeches, and Mijoo, who is currently attempting to console her, rolls her eyes.

"Honey, please, don't make a scene."

"But it's true! I'm a loser, and I'm going to die alone! I might as well stop trying!”

"No, you're not, just stop drinking," Mijoo responds, her voice a few octaves higher in annoyance. She glances at you, and rolls her eyes.

The two of you are at the gay bar in Itaewon, and after an hour and a half, it seems that the night is coming to an end. Mijoo's friend, Naeun, had a mental breakdown after spotting her ex-girlfriend making out with the woman she told her not to worry about. After that, the mood was completely killed. Naeun feigned nonchalance at first.That relationship was seven months ago, she said. I’ve moved on, she said. I’ve had better, she said. it was almost convincing, until you saw her gulp down three shots at a pace you did not know was humanly possible.

And now…

"It's like, you don't listen to anything I say," Naeun sniffles, and you genuinely feel bad for her. You give her a gentle pat on the back, and she turns to hug you.

"I know, I'm a horrible friend or whatever. Let's just go home and eat ice cream or something," Mijoo sighs, and the two of you help Naeun stand.

"Yes. Thank you. You guys are the best," she whimpers. "I don't deserve you."

"Yes, you do," Mijoo assures.

"Yeah, it's all good," you chime in. "Let's just get you home. I think you've had enough alcohol for the next week. Or year."

You and Mijoo drag her out of the bar and into the streets of Itaewon. It's dark, and the neon lights illuminate the sidewalks, where drunk patrons stumble through. You're a little buzzed, and Naeun's deadweight is difficult to carry. Somehow, you manage to get her onto the subway, and inside your building, which is closest. When you reach your front door, you can't help but glance over at Bada's apartment, and are surprised to see a light peeking through the crack between the door and the frame.

"You live here?" Naeun slurs, and you nod, opening the door and dragging her in.

"We'll put her on the couch. Do you mind if we stay over?" Mijoo suggests.

"Not at all," you agree, and the two of you set her down. She groans, and closes her eyes, stretching across your couch in a starfish position. Her dress has risen all the way up to her stomach, but she doesn’t seem to care, You grimace at the sight. "Poor thing."

"She'll be fine," Mijoo says, waving her off. "Come on, I’m starving,"

You follow her into your kitchen and lean against the counter as she reaches into your fridge to pours herself a drink. So much for ice cream. 

"Sorry our plans fell through," she apologizes, and you shrug.

"It's not a big deal. Shit happens. Besides, I had fun even though we were only out for, like, five seconds," you answer.

She takes a sip of the liquid in her cup. “We can try again next week? I'll make sure that Naeun is mentally stable next time."

"I don’t know. That doesn’t sound as fun,” you joke, and she grins.

"You’re so right,” she pauses as she opens your fridge back up, and gasps. "Ooh, y/n, can I have one of these?"

"One of what?" you ask, peering over her shoulder, only to find her holding cupcake that you'd made earlier. "Oh, yeah, sure. Go ahead."

She rips off the wrapper, and takes a bite, moaning. "Wow, this is—"

A loud thump sounds from the other side of the wall, and the two of you turn your heads, eyes wide.

"Is that your neighbor?" Mijoo whispers, and the two of you stand still, listening intently. There are a few more thumps, and then a sharp gasp.

"I think she's fucking someone," Mijoo whispers, and then a moan sounds from the other side, followed by a string of curse words, and the bed frame slams against the wall, a rhythmic knocking echoing throughout the apartment.

Naeun sits up from where she's sitting on the couch, and mechanically states, "I need to call her."

"Don't you dare," Mijoo growls, aggressively pointing a finger at the pitiful girl. Naeun whines, and collapses back onto the couch, and you continue to stare at the wall with wide eyes. This couldn't be happening.

You're quiet, listening to the creeks of the bed, the groans, the panting, the curses, and, despite the situation, you can’t help but feel…curious. You’d usually be irked by this situation, reminded of the particularly horrific nights you’d have when you lived with a roommate in your younger years. As made evident by the fluttering in your stomach (and in other parts of your body) you, this was not that. Not even close. 

Mijoo laughs. "Oh my god, does this usually happen?"

You snap out of your stupor. "Uh, no, actually. She's usually pretty quiet."

"Really?"

"Yeah. And besides, she's sweet, so it's kind of weird hearing this, but, uh, it's whatever," you reply, attempting to ignore a squeal that vaguely resembles Bada's name.

The bed's movements pick up speed, and the sounds become louder.

"Oh my god," Mijoo murmurs, covering her ears. Naeun starts crying again.

"She's gonna fuck her to death," Naeun sobs, and then the two of you can’t help but burst into laughter. You walk over to the living room, and pat her on the back.

"Come on, let's get you to sleep," you say, helping her up. "You can have the bed. Mijoo and I will take the couch."

"Thank you, I love you both so much," she blubbers, and you drag her into the bedroom, tucking her into the bed.

"We're gonna stay in the living room, so holler if you need us, okay?" you tell her, and she nods.

"I love you guys," she slurs, and then passes out, mouth wide open. 

"She’s so dramatic," Mijoo cackles as you close the door. 

You and Mijoo get ready to go to sleep, and soon enough the obscene noises from next door are gone. But, as you fall asleep on the couch, they still ring in your head.

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"I'm so sorry for the way I acted last night." Naeun apologizes, a pout on her face. You wave her off. “Don't worry, you're good. At least you gave us some entertainment while you were at it. Are you okay, though?"

She shrugs, adjusting the duffle bag on her shoulder. "Yeah. I mean, it was a pretty big blow, but I'll get over it. She's not worth the tears."

"Atta girl," Mijoo cooes, patting Naeun's head. She turns to you, and smiles. "Thanks for letting us stay over, y/n."

You open your front door, and wave. "Yeah, of course. I'll see you guys later."

Just as the two girls step out, the door to the apartment next to yours opens. You all look to the side, and notice a disheveled woman with blonde hair and bright red lipstick exiting into the hallway. You and Mijoo exchange glances as the woman's eyes meet yours. She gives a small, awkward smile when she notices the three of you, and then bows before hurrying down the hallway.

"Was that your neighbor?" Mijoo asks, and you shake your head. 

The actual neighbor in question steps into the hallway, and the three of you watch her with wide eyes. She's wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt, long hair cascading down her back. 

Bewildered by your stares, she looks at the three of you with confusion.

"Hello," she greets, bowing, and the three of you bow back. "How are you?"

Naeun's eyes become the size of saucers. "Y-you're Bad—"

"Good!" Mijoo interrupts, and gives a wide, forced smile. "We're all doing well."

"That's good," Bada replies, giving a polite nod. She looks at you, and the corners of her lips quirk upwards. "Hi, y/n. Nice seeing you."

After last night’s noises, her politeness makes you want to laugh. or scream. or cry. You return the smile, gripping your doorknob until your knuckles turn white. "Yeah, nice seeing you, too."

She turns her attention back to the other two, waves, then walks off.

Mijoo and Naeun immediately whip around to face you.

"Your neighbor is Bada Lee?!" Naeun screeches.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Mijoo yells, and you step back.

"Bye guys!" you say, closing the door on the two of them.

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Shortly before closing, the bell rings.

"Hello!" you chirp. "Welcome to—oh, hello!"

"Hey, y/n." Bada waves.

"Hey," you say, even though the two of you already said hello. "How are you?"

"Good, and you?"

"Great, thanks," she responds, staying put in front of the door. "Uh, I actually came here to, um, ask if you wanted to walk home together? I was just passing by, and I thought maybe we could just, like, walk back. At the same time. Since we both have to, um, go there. To our respective homes. I know it's been a while, but I thought it'd be fun. I-if you want some company, I mean. Sorry, I'll leave if you want me to, I'm just—"

"Bada," you interrupt, and she looks up, her eyes meeting yours. "I'd love to."

She blinks. "You would?"

The look of surprise on her face almost startles you back into hesitation. Why wouldn’t you want to spend time with the woman? Even with all the moments you’ve wanted to bury yourself in a hole because of your embarrassment, you couldn’t find it in yourself to ever say no. 

Untying your apron from around your waist, you nod. "Yeah! Just give me a second to grab my stuff."

"Okay." She grins. "Thanks."

You pick up your belongings, clock out, and the two of you stepping outside. You lock the doors, and begin to walk towards your building. 

"So, how was your night yesterday?" Bada asks, and you almost trip at the reminder of yesterday’s events. 

"Uh, it was fine," you reply, clearing your throat. "What about yours?"

"Oh, it was, um, good." She nods.

I’m sure it was, you think. You look at the ground, biting the inside of your cheek. "That's good."

The two of you walk in silence, and now you feel awkward. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. The only sounds surrounding you are of the rustling of the trees, and the occasional passing car.

"Was that your girlfriend?" she suddenly blurts out, and you whip your head around to look at her.

"Huh?"

"Last night, when I ran into the three of you in the hallway. Were one of those girls your girlfriend? Or…”

"No, neither of them," you reply, shaking your head. "One of them is Mijoo, the coworker I told you about, and her friend, Naeun. They came over after we went to a bar."

"Ah." She nods, looking at the sidewalk, and your eyes narrow. You swear you see a small smile on her face. 

"What about your girl?" you ask, and her head shoots up.

"My girl?"

"Yeah. Was the girl that was over last night your girlfriend?"

"Oh, no, no, she wasn't," she quickly answers.

"Hm," you hum. And then, your next words spill from your mouth before you can even process them. "I would've thought so with all of the…screaming that was going on."

"W-what?" she stammers, freezing in her tracks.

"Uh," you say, stopping as well. "Nothing. Forget I said anything."

"Did you hear...us?" she asks, her voice quiet, and you can't bear to look at her. Why did you speak up? You didn’t want her to feel embarrassed. Or worse, think of you as a creep for listening in. 

"Yes," you murmur, and she lets out a groan, her face turning a shade of pink.

"I am so, so sorry. I thought you were gone. Oh my god, that is so embarrassing." She buries her face in her hands, and despite your previous regrets, you bite your lip to suppress a giggle. Her reaction was too cute. 

"It's okay, really," you assure, and she drops her hands, still refusing to look at you. You smile, and continue walking. "Don't worry about it."

"But that's so embarrassing," she whines, and you laugh again. 

"You were clearly having a good time."

"Yeah, but I didn't want you to hear," she sighs, and you pat her back.

"Well, at least we're even now."

"What do you mean?" she asks, puzzled.

Uh oh. She probably already forgot about the delivery situation, and you just brought it up for no reason. What the fuck was up with you right now? You were just saying anything. 

"Oh, nevermind. Forget about it," you respond, waving her off.

"What was it, though? I haven't heard you…uh…do anything before," she protests, and you shrug, trying to brush her off.

"Nope! Forget about it! I confused you with someone else," you rush out, picking up your pace as you make eye contact with your building.

"You have another neighbor that could’ve potentially heard you having sex?" she replies, clearly confused, as she jogs slightly to catch up.

"No idea!" you sing, and open the door, stepping into the lobby.

"This makes no sense. Now I’m not gonna stop asking," she tells you, and you can't help but laugh. 

"And I'm not going to stop avoiding the question."

"Y/n!"

You enter the elevator, and press the button to the 8th floor, watching her enter. You give a polite smile, and she sighs, giving up.

"Fine," she finishes with a pout. 

The elevator goes up, and the two of you stand in comfortable silence. You don't know if it's because of the woman's earlier embarrassment, but something about tonight definitely has you feeling a little bold and ready to tease. 

"Hey," you pipe up, and she looks over at you. "You guys were pretty loud."

"Shut up," she grumbles, and you can't help but smirk, watching her glare at the floor.

"My friends almost called the police. It sounded like you were committing murder."

"What?" she exclaims, and then groans. "Oh my god, don't."

"And I almost let them. I was like, woah. I knew this woman couldn't be entirely perfect and had to be keeping some sort of deep, dark, secret. But a serial killer? I would've never thought. Turns out you just had a serial moaner in there, I guess."

"Please stop."

"I mean, what were you doing to that poor girl. I—"

"At this point, it just seems like you're trying to get details out of me," she interjects.

"W-what?" you squeak, and she smiles, turning to look at you, suddenly cool and collected. 

She shrugs. "You keep bringing it up."

You scoff. How dare she accuse you of such a thing! All of the thirst comments under her posts must have gotten to her head.

"You're ridiculous," you retort.

"Am I wrong, though?" she counters, and you stare at her with wide eyes.

"No," you reply quickly, and then you mentally facepalm, realizing what you said. "I mean yes. You're wrong."

"Right," she chuckles, and the elevator dings, the doors opening. "I have a question for you."

"Yeah, sure, what is it?" you ask, stepping out into the hallway.

She bites her lip, clearly trying to stifle a laugh. "Have you had the chance to use your Satisfyer Pro yet?"

Your jaw drops, aghast. "Wh-what? What the fu—"

"Goodnight, y/n," she grins, snickering as she runs inside her apartment like a little goblin, leaving you to watch her with a mixture of disbelief and irritation.

You can't help but let out a huff of laughter as you enter your own apartment.

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You're sitting in bed with a slice of cake on your lap, blanket tossed to the side due to the hot weather, binge-watching a new series. You contemplate checking your email for a message from that landlord, but decide against it, not wanting to put a damper on your decent mood. Instead, you tune in to another episode of a k-drama, in which the protagonist dies for a second time. Supposedly, it's for real this time. 

You're about to finish the slice when there's a knock at the door. You frown, pausing the episode. You stand up, place the plate on the dresser, then walk towards the front door, peering through the peephole. Your heart begins to beat faster when you see a certain woman standing outside your apartment. 

"What's up?" you greet, swinging the door open.

"Hey," she says, a soft smile on her face. She's wearing a pair of loose shorts and a white t-shirt, hair in a bun. Sweat glistens on her forehead, and her cheeks are flushed. You can't help but note how good she looks, despite looking rumpled. 

"Hi," you respond, returning the smile. "What's going on?" you ask, leaning against the doorframe.

"So, uh, my air conditioning broke," she begins. "And I was wondering if I could hang out in your apartment for a bit? The maintenance people said they aren't going to be able to get here until tomorrow. Apparently they don't work on Sundays."

You've suddenly become aware of the fact that Bada has never been inside your apartment. The idea of her being inside the same room as you, sitting on your furniture, breathing in the scent of your home, sends a wave of heat down your spine. Maybe it was best to reject her offer and suggest another solution.

"Come on in!" you say, and open the door.

"Thank you," she breathes out, walking in, and your eyes rake over her figure as she passes by you. 

She looks around, taking in the sight of your apartment. You notice her eyes linger on some of your old pictures from your hometown.

"Your apartment is really nice," she tells you, and you feel a rush of pride.

"Thank you! Feel free to take a seat wherever," you reply, gesturing towards the couch, and she sits, throwing her head back as she lets out a sigh of relief.

"You're a lifesaver," she declares, and you plop down next to her.

"What happened?" you ask, and she shakes her head.

”I wish I knew. I went to turn on my AC and it just, didn’t come on. Completely out of the blue.”

"That sucks," you respond, and she nods, a grim expression on her face.

"So," she begins, turning her head towards you. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," you answer, and then remember the slice of cake on the dresser. You point to it. "Would you like some?"

"Yes, please," she says, nodding fervently. "Water would be great, too, if you don't mind."

Grateful to put some distance between the two of you, you practically bounce out of your seat. "Coming right up!"

You return with two glasses of water and your cake. She thanks you, and you hand her a fork, taking one for yourself.

"This is really good, y/n. Did you make this too?" she praises, and you nod.

"I did. Thanks," you reply, taking a bite.

"You really need to give me the recipe for these things. Or start selling them! I'd buy them all," she compliments, and you blush, waving her off.

You stare at the ground for a moment, before laughing bitterly. "That was supposed to be the goal, I guess.”

She furrows her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

You inhale slowly, prepping yourself. You hated this. But maybe you needed this. "I used to have my own bakery. In my hometown That's actually where I moved from. But then my landlord jacked the rent up and I couldn't afford it, and I was forced to close," you explain.

"Oh." She frowns. "That's awful. What a jerk."

"Tell me about it," you mumble, carelessly dropping your fork on the table.

"Are you looking for another place here?" she asks, and you nod.

"Yeah. There's a lot of great spots in Seoul, but there's one building in particular that I've had my eye on. It's not far from the Han River, and the rent is relatively cheap, and it's got everything I could possibly need. I'm just waiting to hear back from the that landlord. We were negotiating and things were going pretty well. But now its been months. I haven't heard from him since I moved here."

You blink back tears, and clear your throat, picking up the fork again. Whenever you think of everything that's happened to you recently, you cannot help but feel like an utter failure. You worked hard, finally achieved success, only for things to all fall apart. It seemed as if all of your efforts were for nothing.

"Hey," she whispers, and her voice is soft, calming. "It's gonna be okay."

She gently squeezes your arm, and her touch is warm. You look at her, and the tenderness in her eyes is enough to make you want to cry more. 

"I know. It's just hard, sometimes," you confess, and her hand remains on your arm.

"I get that, but I can promise you that what you're going through is temporary. I can't tell you how many times I thought I was done for good when I first started out, but now, I've come this far. If you keep your head up, and just keep working hard, you'll make it. You’ve done it before.”

Her words resonate with you, and her unwavering support fills you with hope. "Thanks, Bada," you respond, smiling.

"Of course," she responds, her eyes never leaving yours. "I'm here for you."

"I'm here for you too," you whisper.

A moment of silence passes, and your eyes travel to her hand. Her skin is smooth, and her fingers are long and slender. You wonder what they'd feel like intertwined with yours.

"Um, I’ve been meaning to ask," she says, interrupting your thoughts, and your eyes meet hers again. "Any new dramas you wanted to tell me about? Or, what about the one with that married couple you talked about?”

You almost laugh at her obvious attempt to distract you from your depressing thoughts.

"Pretty good," you reply, and she gives you a pointed look.

"And by pretty good, you mean..."

"Amazing, wonderful, mind-blowing, spectacular," you continue, and she nods, satisfied. "I was actually watching it before you knocked on the door."

"Ooh, really?" she responds, eyes widening.

"Yeah. Would you like to watch it together?" you suggest, and she grins.

"Yes, please."

"Okay," you giggle, and grab the remote, pressing play.

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Halfway through the episode, you decide to move to your bedroom (because the AC works better in there, of course!). Somehow, while lying on the bed, your legs become intertwined. She's sprawled out, and her head is resting in the crook of your neck, her soft hair tickling your face. 

You can feel her steady breathing, and the heat radiating off her body, and all of your senses are filled with her. You're so focused on her that you can't even focus on the episode.

"Y/n?" she murmurs, and her voice is low, quiet.

"Yeah?" you reply, voice equally as soft.

"Would it be weird if I said that I'm glad my air conditioner broke?"

You snort, and her body shakes with silent laughter. "Not at all."

You pause the show, and sit up. She does the same, and her eyes are shining.

"Do you want anything to eat? I've got chips, and some ice cream," you offer, and she bites her lip.

"Not really. Thanks, though," she responds, and your eyes travel to her lips. They're plump and pink, and you're tempted to reach out and kiss her.

"Okay, no problem," you say, and her gaze is intense, burning.

"Thanks for letting me come over. I appreciate it."

"Of course," you murmur, and then clear your throat. "Anytime."

"Really?"

"Yeah! You can even stay the night, if you want. I don't mind," you respond, and her eyebrows raise, lips curling upwards.

"Okay," she answers, and leans forward, cupping your face in her hands.

The action surprises you, and you let out a gasp. She pauses, eyes searching yours, and you nod, giving her permission.

She leans forward, and you close your eyes, waiting for her to press her lips against yours. Instead, you feel a pair of lips softly kissing your forehead, and your cheeks, and your jaw, and your nose, and then they finally, finally press against yours.

The kiss is gentle and sweet, and when she pulls away, her eyes are filled with affection.

"I've wanted to do that for so long," she admits, and you chuckle.

"Me too," you whisper, and her smile grows wider.

She moves closer to you, and you wrap your arms around her, pulling her into a hug. Her body is soft, and her skin is smooth, and you can feel her warmth seeping into your skin.

"I really like you, y/n," she whispers, and you tighten your hold on her.

"I really like you too, Bada," you respond, and she nuzzles her face into the crook of your neck. You're in heaven.

"Thank god. I was afraid I was making a fool out of myself," she confesses, and you giggle.

"What? Oh my god. Not at all," you assure her, and she pulls away, a smirk on her face.

"So, I was right about you wanting details?"

"Oh fuck you," you mutter, pulling her back into a significantly more aggressive kiss. A surprised noise escapes her lips, but she eventually melts into it, moving against you with equal fervor. Her hands run up and down your sides, leaving a trail of goosebumps behind, and you're so caught up in the sensation that you don't even realize when she starts straddling you until she presses her body against yours in a way that has you gasping.

Your hands travel underneath her shirt, feeling the smoothness of her warm skin, the lines of her stomach, the swell of her breasts, and the curves of her waist. She groans into the kiss before slipping her tongue into your mouth, causing heat to pool in the pit of your stomach.

When you pull away, she's panting, and her lips are swollen. Her hair is slightly mussed, and her pupils are dilated, her eyes filled with desire. Without words, you both begin removing each other's clothes, tossing them to the side. She's left in only a black bra and boxers, and you have to remind yourself to move.

She chuckles, and you stare at her chest. You can see the outline of her nipples, and you reach out, brushing a thumb against them, and she bites her lip, closing her eyes. You can feel her heart beating rapidly, and you trace circles around her nipples, and she lets out a shaky breath.

"Please," she begs, and you smile, pulling her into another kiss.

Your hands move lower, caressing the skin of her thighs, and then you're cupping her center, and she gasps, pulling away.

"Y/n," she pants, and the sound of her moaning your name sends another rush of heat down your spine.

"Bada," you breathe out, and press kisses against her jawline, and down her neck, and collarbone, and chest. Your hand is still between her thighs, and she bucks her hips, trying to find friction.

"Y/n, please," she repeats, and the desperation in her voice is so fucking hot.

You slip a finger inside her, and you feel her walls immediately clench, followed by a whimper you're not sure belongs to you or her. You curl your finger inside her, and her head falls back into the crook of your neck as she rolls her hips, grinding against your palm.

"More," she practically demands, and you add another finger.

She's soaking wet, and the lewd sounds coming from your fingers sliding in and out of her has you squeezing your thighs together, desperate for some sort of relief.

You use your thumb to rub circles on her clit, and her movements become more erratic, her moans becoming louder.

"I'm gonna-ugh," she pants, and her nails dig into your skin as she orgasms.

You can feel her walls clenching and unclenching, and her body trembles, her eyes squeezed shut. She breathes heavily, and the sight of her is enough to drive you wild.

You continue stroking her until she opens her eyes, and you can't help but grin.

"Holy shit," she manages, and you remove your fingers, and she lets out a moan.

"Good?"

"Yes," she replies, and leans forward, capturing your lips in a heated kiss.

"Now," she begins, breaking away. "Let me take care of you."

You can only nod as she reaches for your breasts, fondling them, and her eyes never leave yours. She's smirking, and the intensity in her gaze is enough to make your heart skip a beat.

You close your eyes, enjoying the sensation, and you nearly jump when you feel her body shift, her lips pressing against the sensitive skin of your neck.

She moves down, taking a nipple into her mouth, and you groan, arching your back. Her lips travel to your stomach, and then your thighs, and then you're lifting your hips, and she's sliding your underwear off.

"Spread your legs, y/n," she requests, and her voice is low, seductive.

You obey immediately, and then her tongue is inside you, and her fingers are on your clit, and your entire body is on fire. She sucks on your clit, and then makes headway further down, sliding her tongue inside you. You can't stop the moans that escape from your mouth, and you're certain the whole complex can hear, but you don't care.

Suddenly, she stops, and looks up at you. Your eyes snap open, annoyed by the interruption until you observe the way he's smiling, her chin slick with your wetness.s

"I wanna try something," she begins, and she sits up, scanning the room. "Where's that thing you got the other day?"

You bite back a moan. "Nightstand drawer."

She opens it, and takes out a small, pink object. Your face flushes as she turns it on, the vibrations audible in the otherwise quiet room.

"Is this okay?" she asks, and you nod, eager.

"Yes," you answer, and her mouth returns to your center.

She teases your entrance with the object, and the combination of her tongue and the vibrator has you squirming, your hands finding their way to her head, holding her in place.

"Oh god," you whimper, and the pleasure is indescribable.

Her tongue picks up speed, and then the vibrator enters you, and you nearly scream.

She pushes the toy in and out, and as it vibrates against your clit, and begin to feel like you can't take anymore. Your back arches, and a wave of euphoria washes over you as your orgasm hits, and the only thing you can see is the light from the lamp and the white of the ceiling.

When you regain control of your senses, you can feel her body lying on top of yours, her head on your chest. You lay in silence, trying to catch your breath, and it isn't until you hear her voice that you speak.

"How are you doing?"

"Sleepy," you mumble, and she smiles, pecking you on the lips.

"Then let's go to sleep."

You can only nod as your eyes slowly close and your mind becomes hazy. Before you drift off completely, you think to yourself that this might've been the best night you've had since moving here.

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Two weeks later, you and Bada are going up the elevator to your respective apartments after a walk from your job. You'd just spent the past hour gossiping in between taking customer's orders. Apparently, Mijoo and Naeun are going out. Figures. You hoped it worked out for them, but nobody was beating the blissful few weeks you've.

The two of you are holding hands, and your free one is holding a box containing a dozen chocolate chip cookies, made especially for Bada.

"I'm thinking of moving out," she suddenly states, and the statement catches you off guard.

"What? Why?" you ask, and she shrugs.

"It's about time. I can afford a better place, and I'm ready to move on from the apartment life. I need a house."

"I can understand that," you reply, nodding.

"You should move in with me," she continues, and the statement makes you laugh.

"What? Are you crazy? We just got together."

"Who cares? I want to live with you. Don't you want to live with me?" she responds, pouting, and she gives you puppy dog eyes.

"Yes, but...," you pause, and you can tell from the expression on her face that she's serious.

"But what? What's the problem?"

"Nothing. Let's do it."

"Really?"

"Yes, really," you confirm, and she beams, leaning in to kiss you.

You can't believe what you just agreed to. But, in a way, you're relieved. Maybe this will finally bring a sense of finality to everything that's happened.

"Damn, guess I'm gonna have to tell Jennifer about us. She's coming out here soon," you mutter, opening your email app. You go to type in your friend's email, but your eyes land on an unread email in your inbox, sent two weeks ago. It's from an unknown sender, and the subject is 'Regarding Your Application.'

Your eyes widen, and Bada nosily peers over your shoulder, reading the words.

"What's that?" she asks, and you gulp.

"I don't know."

"Open it!" she exclaims, and you do.

Y/N,

This is Kim Sung Soo, the owner of the property you inquired about. I was out of town for business and unable to contact you regarding your application. I've looked through the papers, and everything seems to be in order. I'd like to meet up with you so we can further discuss the terms of the lease before we finalize anything. When are you available?

"Oh my god," Bada gasps, and she stares at you, wide-eyed.

"What the hell?" you whisper, and Bada squeals.

"Oh, y/n! This is so exciting! Congratulations! I knew it would work out. Now, you can start your bakery, and we can move in together, and oh, my god, I'm so happy!"

"I'm confused," you mutter barely believing your luck, and the elevator dings, indicating that the two of you have arrived.

"Don't worry about it, okay? Come on, let's go have some cookies," she says, tugging on your arm.

You nod, following her down the hall without a hint of resistance. As you watch the woman drag you with a giant smile on her face, you cannot help but giggle. Who knew you'd find home and happiness in such an unlikely place?

[thanksbutno98]

we need a camping fic 😭😭 john gives such camper dad vibes pls 😭

Trouble Maker

John Price x fem!reader

Authors note: ask and you shall receive! I used an ask from @fanficwriterlover as inspiration so thank you both so much! That being said I’m still going to do that request to the fullest, stay tuned.

Summary: Leaving John Price in charge of weekend plans was never ideal. Being distracted with work your whole family is roped into a camping trip with a bit of a surprise.

Warning: sexual themes, swearing, arguments, guns, not edited.

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It was a crisp October day in the woods two hours from your home. The sun was shinning brightly through the canopy of yellow and orange leaves. The autumn air smelled like evergreens and maple. It was a clear day, the bad British weather had spared you from rain leaving a soft breeze.

You were dressed in dark green leggings with brown leather patches on the knees, a long sleeve fitted white shirt and charcoal grey fleece lined vest. You had your favorite baseball cap on and brown hiking boots. When John saw you all decked out he had trouble keeping his hands to himself. Seeing you all ready for the out doors stirred something primal in him.

You were incapable of denying John. He was freshly shaven and the oils he put on his mutton chops were tantalizing. You swore it was an aphrodisiac. He made a crude joke about applying said oil to his pubic hair which you told him would result in the sloppiest head ever. John looked so handsome in his brown and orange flannel that he only bothered buttoning half way up and the white t-shirt underneath. He wore blue jeans and a grey beanie you knew was older than all your children.

It was sweet and you gave into your husband trying to have a quickie in your shared bathroom. It had gotten far enough you were on your knees in front of him with his trousers pulled down just enough. Only your kids interrupted for the millionth time by banging insistently on the door until you and John were forced to stop.

John grumbled about taking you camping just the two of you next time. The frustration of the day started there for your husband who was now suffering from blue balls. John was quick to shove those feelings down and get back to being a father instead of your needy husband.

So you busied yourself getting Lily the now two year old ready. You dressed her in layers. Her brown fleece jacket and jeans looked adorable on her. She looked like a teddy bear with her brown fleece hat that had little round ears on it and her matching mittens that looked like bear paws. Her unruly brown hair was tied into low pigtails that peaked out of the bottom of the hat and she had a bright teal pacifier clipped to the collar of her jacket.

“Everyone ready!” John’s voice was as chipper as ever as he stood tall in front of his family.

You had Lily resting on your hip and Evelyn and Jj stood on either side of you. Both dressed in cargo pants and fleece quarter zips. Only Jj’s pants were camouflage and jacket black while Evelyn was in different shades of purple and pink. You were all dressed in your hiking gear with full backpacks and sleeping bags on your backs. Molly the family dog was by John waiting for her release word so she could go off running.

“Yeah.” You and Evelyn grumbled in unison.

“This is going to be awesome!” Jj threw both of his arms in the air. He had been bouncing off the walls since you left that morning. Lily let out a scream and chorus of giggles to her fathers delight. Kicking her legs and then pointing off into the woods and trying to tell you something.

“Trees.” Lily continued to point and let you know there were trees all around you. Then squealing in your ear and moving awkwardly as she pointed again into the woods.

“Birdie!” She shouted and then blew a kiss.

“Ah, even Lily’s excited. Cheer up girls it’ll be fun.” John smiled widely at you. You and Evelyn both rolled your eyes and she had never looked more like you. Both of you wearing the same sour look and shoulders slumped.

“C’mon, it’s not too far we can leave the truck here.” John motioned with his head for you all to follow. You were glaring at your husband for forcing you into doing this and he responded by open hand patting your bottom to get you to follow.

“Ew.” Jj muttered. Evelyn loved when Jj got uncomfortable so she wound up and then smacked his butt as hard as she could. The smack caught you and John’s attention and John had to hold back a snicker.

“Ow! Don’t touch my butt you weirdo!” Jj hissed at his little sister. Turning to John you glared at him.

“See what you’ve started.” Your tone was far from nice but it would take more than that to beat your husbands good mood.

“They would have found something to fight about eventually.” John wasn’t wrong but you still wished you’d be sleeping in your bed tonight, not on the cold hard ground with a two year old.

Evelyn ran by you and John in a dead sprint with your son hot on her heels. You could tell they were about to start shoving each other if Jj caught up to her. The two had been fighting like cats and dogs so you suggested some family bonding in hopes they would get along. John said he would plan it since you had just gotten a promotion at work and needed to focus on that.

John took advantage of that and planned a camping trip because he knew if he asked, you would have shot down the idea. Now you had no choice since all the appropriate gear had been bought and you already took a day off so this could be a long weekend for you all. It would be a two night camping trip and you prayed the kids would behave.

“Oi, hands to yourself.” John called as soon as Jj had Evelyn by the backpack. Jj didn’t listen and pulled hard and threw the pack to the side. Sending his sister tumbling into some leaves. Evelyn didn’t miss a beat scrambling back to her feet practically attacking Jj like a feral cat. John booked it to his children who were now trying to wrestle each other to the ground. Grasping both their packs John yanked them apart.

“Enough with the fighting!” John scolded both his children.

“Don’t throw your sister around. And you, don’t start a fight you can’t finish.” John was more mad at his daughter for starting it. Evelyn had been acting up more than ever and it was mainly targeted at her big brother.

“You’re such a jerk!” Evelyn lunged at Jj again. John tugged her pack so she couldn’t get to him. Jj looked unimpressed.

“Evelyn!” You scolded. Frustrated that she didn’t have the sense to knock it off after her father broke things up.

“You hit me first!” Jj retorted. He was smart enough to not go after his sister again. You could see John start to get upset as he let go of Jj’s pack but was still holding the eight year old back. The vein by Johns forehead was pulsing in aggravation. Normally his hat covered it but Lily had stolen that hours ago and would throw a tantrum if he tried to take it back.

“It was a joke! Mummy doesn’t push dad to the ground when he smacks her butt.” Evelyn spat back. John’s mind went blank for a split second. It was like his mind was playing tricks on him. Did he hear her right?

“Did you just call me dad?” John asked his oldest daughter. He was hoping he misheard her

“Yeah, cuz this camping trip is already stupid. Dad.” Evelyn emphasized the word ‘dad’. You could see your husband was instantly hurt. His lips pressing into a thin line and his hand that was holding her backpack falling to his side almost defeatedly.

“You can still call me daddy, Evie.” John pushed and you knew his insistence would only give the eight year old more ammunition. Now she knew it bugged John and would use that when it suited her. You swore there was a glint in her eyes as she geared up to be cheeky.

“Not when I’m mad at you. Dad.” Evelyn hissed the words.

“Evelyn Price. You watch yourself. I don’t want to see or hear you being mean to your father.” You were marching up the path eventually putting Lily down because she was squirming to much.

Lily booked it as fast as her little legs would take her and ran straight for John. Stumbling twice and falling but immediately getting back up until she had reached her father. John knelt down and hugged her. You could see just holding his youngest was helping with his hurt feelings.

“Hat.” Lily gave John his hat back and then showed him her dirty hands. John was quick to dust them off and then put her mittens back on that were hanging by a string that connected to her jacket so they wouldn’t get lost. John slipped his hat back on not noticing the small yellow leaf stuck to it.

“You don’t want to be here either!” Evelyn complained at you. In that moment it didn’t matter that you weren’t excited about the trip. Now you were going to be a positive force that made this as amazing as possible for everyone.

“Well your bad attitude made me have a change of heart.” The words were meant to be sweet but they came out a bit sharp which only fuelled your daughter’s attitude.

“You’re just saying that!” Evelyn shouted and stomped her foot.

“What has gotten in to you? Evie, it’s not nice to speak to people like that. You’re hurting my and your dad’s feelings.” You asked your daughter in absolute disbelief.

It had been a new development that when upset Evelyn was showing a mean streak. It was something you and John were working on with her but it proved to be more difficult than either of you imagined. The young girl really knew how to cut to the core which had left you both feeling horrible at the end of the day.

“C’mon. Let’s go.” John turned and continued up the path, he couldn’t stand anymore bickering. There was this strange ache in his chest at his daughter’s words. Clearly the little girl didn’t realize the effect her words had on him. John had been struggling with how much his children had grown and you two use to joke about the day Evelyn would stop calling him daddy and you mummy. You could see John had checked out and just wanted to get to the camping spot so you could all settle in and he could sulk.

“See what you did. Now dad’s upset.” Jj whispered to his sister.

“He started it.” Evelyn shot back. You quickly grabbed Evelyn by the shoulder and pulled her to turn and look at you. Jj was standing there waiting to hear his sister get in trouble.

“Go walk with your dad.” You sent Jj up the path and he was quick to listen. Jogging to go catch up with John who wasn’t slowing down. Jj grabbed Lily by her under arms and swung her around in a circle and set her back down. The toddler laughed uncontrollably and started to chant ‘again, again’

“I expect you to apologize to your dad. It’s not okay to say mean things just because you’re upset.” You informed your daughter who had a similar mean scowl on her face. She opened her mouth and you knew she was about to be fresh so you cut her off.

“I mean it. I can make this trip a whole lot worse.” It was an empty threat but Evelyn didn’t know that. She just huffed and got an even meaner look on her face.

“I hate you.” She mumbled and stormed away. You couldn’t help how your jaw dropped. Your little girl had never said she hated you before and it stung. A flash of rage ran through your body. Evelyn had ignored all your attempts to guide her to make the right choice. The disrespect had you reaching your boiling point.

“That’s it. You’re grounded!” Your words had John, Jj, and Evelyn freezing.

John turned to see you red in the face. It was as if the rage and anger you felt was radiating off of you. If it was possible the falling autumn leaves would have caught fire if they landed on you. John glanced at his oldest daughter who was staring at him with wide eyes and her bottom lip quivering. John could see she was about to burst into tears being reprimanded by you. She wasn’t sorry she was only upset for getting in trouble.

“Woah, mum never grounds us.” Jj whispered to himself and John nodded in agreement. They hadn’t heard what Evelyn said to you but clearly it was enough for you to put your foot down.

“Please don’t ground me, mummy.” Evelyn turned and sniffled the words out. The water works weren’t going to work on you.

“There’s consequences for the things you say.” You told your daughter deciding that would be the last of you scolding her for the moment.

You had lost all your patience and walked right by her to join your son, husband, and Lily who was now holding a rock she had just picked up. She was tugging on Johns jeans trying to show him this ordinary rock. Evelyn was quick to follow you sniffling and rubbing the tears from her eyes. You let her hold your hand but you couldn’t get yourself to look at her or comfort her at the moment. She needed to learn that saying things like that hurts people and she couldn’t go spouting off whatever mean thing she felt like saying.

“Only you could manage getting grounded in the middle of the woods. What’d you say?” Jj asked as the five of you continued the hike to the camping spot John had in mind. Lily was running ahead and you watched John chase after her before she fell and smacked herself in the face with the rock she wouldn’t give up.

“Mind your business.” Evelyn sniffled out. She cried lightly next to you and John shot you a worried and confused look as he dragged Lily back. He wasn’t sure what the little girl could have said to send you over the edge but it must have been hurtful.

“You okay, darling?” John asked. Glancing down at his oldest daughter who was avoiding his gaze. You waved him over and plucked the small yellow leaf off of his hat.

“No.” You said shortly. You and John exchanged a look and he knew you would fill him in once things had settled a bit.

“Whoa, look at that pond! Dad can we fish when the tents are set up?” Jj hollered and then took off running.

It was picturesque scene that encapsulated autumn. There was a large half moon cut out of trees that stretched about 50 yards in front of the pond. You instantly realized this was the camping spot John’s own father use to bring them to and it was still undisturbed by anyone outside the Price family. The shore of the pond was sandy with large rocks peaking out. The ground was even around the where the campfire should go meaning you I’d sleep easy. Birds chirped in the distant woods and the breeze rippled over the water that reflected the clouds above.

“Look, at pond! Fish!” Lily shrieked mimicking her brother. Jj stopped short and then jogged back to take Lily’s hand. The two made their way about thirty yards towards the pond at Lily’s pace of running.

John smiled to himself seeing his boy being such a good big brother. Taking out his phone he snapped a few pictures then as a joke turned the camera around and took a selfie of the three of you. You smiled and threw up a peace sign, only half of John’s face was in it and you could see he was concentrating on taking the photo. Evelyn stared at the camera with a mean look and her tongue sticking out.

“Ah, a beauty we’ll frame it.” John joked at the slightly blurry picture with you being the only one smiling.

“John, that’s a horrible picture. Let me try.” You were laughing now, leaving your bad mood behind. Taking his phone you snapped a few selfies of you and John. The first two were sweet and just of you two smiling. The last one was your face scrunched in laughter as John forcefully kissed your cheek out of nowhere. His arm wrapping around your waist so you couldn’t run away.

Evelyn had rolled her eyes at you two having fun and went over to where an old fire pit had been dug out in the ground. It had rocks of all shapes and sizes around it and there were even logs adjacent to it for sitting. Evelyn couldn’t help the tiny smile that came to her face. This would make for prime marshmallow roasting. Looking up the eight year old watched as Jj chased their baby sister who was laughing hysterically and making her way to Evelyn.

“Gonna get Evie!” Lily bellowed. Setting down her back pack Evelyn let her little sister chase her. A game of tag breaking out. Jj and Evelyn chased each other quickly but still involved Lily and slowed it down for her when she was it. Molly was running around and herding Lily, keeping her from going near the water or wandering off.

“They’re both so good with Lily.” You breathed out into the crisp air. John wrapped his arm around your shoulder and then placed a kiss to the top of your head.

“How do you ground a kid on a camping trip? What’d she even say?” John asked back to back question. With a deep sigh you began to chuckle a bit.

“She told me she hates me.” It still stung a bit but you knew your daughter didn’t mean it. It was empty words she didn’t quite understand but still she knew better.

“Hates you? Our little mamas girl could never. Now how the hell do we ground her?” John chuckled at the absurd information. He would never let Evelyn know he found it ridiculous enough it made him laugh. The plan was to be stern with her and set clear boundaries. He was still upset with her after all.

“No sweets?” You asked a bit unsure if that was enough.

“And early bedtime.” John tacked on.

“I know you’re going to take us to that fair tomorrow evening. Do I stay back with her?” You asked watching your husband sigh out a bit annoyed you had figured out his surprise.

“How’d you- you know it doesn’t matter. It’s scary how you know everything. I think if she shapes up by then it’ll be fine.” John squeezed you closer to him, his burly arm comfortably resting on your shoulders.

“What are we going to do with her John?” It was a question you two had been asking yourselves a lot recently.

“We could give her back.” It was a light hearted joke that had you laughing. John was chuckling to him self.

“Nah, I think we’ll keep her. She’s too cute. And when she’s not mad she’s pretty sweet and funny.” You and John both nodded in agreement at your words. Chalking this up to growing pains and your daughter learning empathy.

“You know, I don’t hate you.” Looking down at you John loved to see a bright smile on your face as you continued to watch your children run around having fun. Looking up you stood on your toes and John met you half way. Placing a sweet and loving kiss to your soft lips.

“Pretty sure you hated me when I stopped blowing you this morning.” The risqué joke had your husbands eyebrows raising and a dark mischievous look casting over him. He let out an almost evil chuckle that had you wondering what was on his mind.

“You’ll make it up to me. You always do.” John purred. His large calloused hand grabbing a handful of your ass.

——————

It had gotten dark and you were all gathered around the campfire having just finished dinner. Evelyn had told you how sorry she was for hurting your feelings while John and Jj fished. She told you she didn’t know why she said it but would do better to not say something like that again. It was easy to forgive her but the grounding still stood and she understood why.

John and Jj had caught two fish each which they ended up eating and so did Lily. You and Evelyn turned your noses up at the food and ate a can of pork and beans you’d packed with some bread and a bowl of fruit. It was not much of an upgrade but you’d hated eating fish John caught since your first pregnancy.

“Wow, Jj that marshmallows looks really good.” Evelyn was practically drooling over the sugary sweet. Watching as her brother blew out the flame that had caught the white fluffy dessert..

“Too bad.” Jj mocked making his sister face turn down into a frown. Her blue eyes flickered with the flame of the camp fire. That normal confidence she had faltering.

“Oi, be nice. Your sisters being a good sport about being grounded.” John was quick to jump in. Evelyn’s head shot up as she stared at her father wide eyed. This was the first time in hours John had spared her a second glance.

“Does that mean I can-“

“No.” John shot down her request before it was even fully out of her mouth. Nudging John with your elbow you gave him a disappointed look. You weren’t even sure what Evelyn was going to ask, so to shoot her down so quickly felt cruel.

“Lighten up.” You whispered to your husband.

John and Evelyn had both decided to pretend the other didn’t exist. Evelyn was avoiding the lecture her father was bound to give her and John was trying to enjoy the day. Knowing he might fly off the handle if Evelyn sassed him in the slightest way. She did attempt to say sorry earlier but John wasn’t in a place he could listen.

“Why? Apparently she hates you.” John grumbled.

You watched Evelyn’s face drop and she hung her head and avoided everyone’s eyes. It was humiliating for the young girl to have her bad behavior said allowed when you had made sure to keep it private for her. It was important to you that you didn’t shame your children into acting better it wasn’t a parenting style you were fond of.

“You told mum you hate her?” Jj turned so fast he dropped his marshmallow on the ground. Molly the family dog was quick to snatch it up.

“John.” You scolded him for purposefully embarrassing your daughter. He shrugged you off and continued to roast his own marshmallow that would end up going to Lily and her sticky fingers.

“My tummy hurts I’m gonna lay down.” Evelyn shuffled to the tent she was sharing with Jj. You called after her but she pretend like she didn’t hear you.

“No, Evie. NOOO.” Lily was screeching like she’d just been stabbed. Jj covered his ears and you and John flinched at the tantrum that was about to take center stage.

“No, no, no!” Lily was now screaming at the top of her lungs and flailing in your arms. You stood with her as she threw elbows and kicked with all her strength. One blow caught you on the jaw.

“Go make things right with your daughter.” You hissed at John.

“Darling, I didn’t d-“

“Or do you want the screaming toddler?” You snapped and John quickly got up and made his way to the tent. No way in hell was he about to deal with the tantruming Lily. She was just as strong willed and would fight tooth and nail to not be put down. You made your way to your own tent that was on the opposite side of the fire about ten yards away from the other one. You were going to get Lily down for bed if it killed you and knowing her it just might.

“Evie?” John asked as he unzipped the tent flap and peaked his head in.

“Why are you being so mean to me? I said I was sorry.” Evelyn snapped. She was sitting on her sleeping bag with her book sitting in her lap and stuffed octopus hugged to her chest.

“I’m not being mean.” John groaned out. It was exhausting for him to be dealing with the constant flux of emotions. Couldn’t the man just get some peace and quiet with his family and not have to constantly be doing damage control?

“Yes you are. You’ve been ignoring me this whole time and I apologized to mummy. I said I was sorry to you but you walked by like I was invisible!” Evelyn sat up straighter as she shouted the last sentence. Then immediately whispering out a ‘sorry’ because she had just shouted at her father.

“Come here. Let’s go for a walk.” The mean look on John’s face didn’t make Evelyn want to do anything with him. It was taking all of Johns self control not lose his temper. Being pushed and pushed was not something John would ever grow accustom to.

“I don’t want to go for a walk with you.” The response was just as bratty as her former comment.

“Evie, please I’m trying my best here.” John was at a loss. His patience thin and willing himself not to yell at an eight year old.

“No, just go. You always have more fun with Jj anyway.” Crossing her arms over her chest Evelyn cast her eyes down. John was visibly taken aback by the comment. He thought she was about to call him ‘dad’ again just to get under his skin.

“Now where’s that coming from?” Lowering his head John tried to get a read on the very upset little girl. Raising her head John watched as her face turned red and tears welled in her eyes.

“You always tell him how much you like him while you call me a ‘trouble maker.’ You take him fishing and hunting while I get left at home. You two stay up late and watch scary movies and don’t invite me, you even took him to get ice cream when he punched Lucas in the face. If I punched Lucas in the face I’d be grounded until I was an old lady! I get it, you like him more! Now leave me alone.” Through the word vomit Evelyn continued to wipe tears from her eyes but never actually cried. By the end of her rant she turned her back, laid down, and pulled her sleeping bag over herself. Clutching her stuffed octopus to her chest she curled into a ball and begged herself not to cry until her dad was gone.

John was too stunned to speak. Taking a moment to gather his thoughts. The words stung and John knew what she was feeling. Then it all started to make sense. Being the middle child was never easy and also being a handful didn’t help her case. John was realizing he hadn’t taken as much time and care as he should have with his daughter. Having been focusing on father son bonding he forgot his oldest daughter might have wanted to be included or just have some one on one time.

John never suffered the middle child syndrome because he was the youngest boy and his mother doted on him. He did watch his brother Grayson get forgotten or left out by accident. John wondered in that moment the advice his older brother would give him. So he tried to do what he thought would be best, after all, he couldn’t let his little girl lay there feeling forgotten or less than.

“Evelyn, I love you. If you give your old man a chance I’d like to tell you all about the things I like about you. Spend some time just you and me.” John waited, only to see his daughter wasn’t going to budge. So he stood, leaving the tent flap open and used one of his oldest tricks in the book. It didn’t matter the cost, he was going to get that girl out of her tent and by his side so he could set the record straight.

“Well, I guess I’m going to have to set these fire works off by myself.” John put his finger over his lips to keep Jj from saying anything as he watched the boys eyes go wide. Jj nodded in understanding, having heard the exchange. There was a beat before another voice was heard.

“There’s fireworks?” The sound of Evelyn’s voice was bashful and soft as John listened to the rustling in her tent. Slowly she emerged with rosy cheeks and her stuffed octopus in hand.

“Yeah, will you help me set them up? Jj stay back in case your mum needs help.” John didn’t wait for an answer, he knew this offer was too good for his boisterous little girl to pass up on.

Peaking his head into your shared tent John chuckled seeing you asleep on top of his sleeping bag. You were sprawled out like a star fish and Lily was snoring as she laid on your chest. There were books strewn about, Lily’s favorite teddy bear in one of your hands, and her pacifier in the other. Instead of hugging her teddy bear Lily was holding the same rock she had found earlier and refused to give up. Clearly the toddler had worn you out. Quietly John grabbed the bag of fireworks and almost silently zipped the tent back up. You were going to kill him once he set them off and woke you both up but it was too late now.

“C’mon, this way.” Evelyn was standing awkwardly by her tent with her octopus in hand. She was quick to follow John as he made his way down to the shore of the pond. He squatted down rummaging through the bag and deciding on only using two or three and leave the big ones for tomorrow. Handing Evelyn the lighter they both silently started to set up the small cardboard structures. One was shaped like a house and the other two were little brown boxes with explosive warnings on them.

“Evie?” John asked still squatted in front of her. Looking up only a half a yard away Evelyn felt bashful. Her father was staring at her with soft eyes and it seemed like the anger from earlier had vanished.

“Yeah?” It came out as a whisper and Evelyn’s heart began to pound in her chest. She wasn’t sure why but the air started to feel electric.

“I’m sorry if you’ve felt like I prefer your brother. You’re all growing up so fast and I’m trying to be there for you three. I’ll do better and make sure to include you more.” John barely got his last sentence out before Evelyn threw herself into his arms.

“Thank you, daddy.” The words were muffled against John’s faded carhart jacket. He hugged his daughter tight and enjoyed this moment. It didn’t take many words to get through to her and John was thankful for that.

“Is that why you’ve been so upset lately?” John asked.

“Yeah. I hate that Jj’s easier for you to love. All I do is make you upset.” Evelyn had her chin resting on John’s chest as she stared up at him. Her words were like daggers to John’s heart. Taking Evelyn’s face in his palms their blue eyes connected in a serious stare.

“I love you with all my heart Evelyn Mae. You have never for a second been hard to love. Would a daddy daughter date help? We can start doing them more often.” John spoke truthfully and laid his feelings out for her.

“Yes! Please, please, please! I promise I’ll be nice and won’t say mean things. I’ll even try and stop getting into so much trouble.” Evelyn shot to her feet. Bouncing on her toes she rambled out her thoughts.

“All I ask is you be nice. Trouble seems to follow you.” John chuckled, taking his hand and cupping his daughter’s face.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know why.” Evelyn pressed her cheek into her father’s rough hand. She didn’t know why she always managed to get in trouble. It wasn’t on purpose some things were just too tempting or she had trouble controlling her big mouth.

“Your mums a trouble maker too. She can’t help herself sometimes and just winds up making trouble for herself. You might not see it but she drives me up a wall with the things she gets herself into.” It was one of your endearing qualities that also turned John’s hair grey.

Since the moment he met you trouble seemed to be waiting for you around most corners. Whether that be some asshole approaching you or a tempting game of poker. You found ways to hustle people out of money playing pool or knick a cool glass from a pub when the bartender wasn’t looking. John had seen and dealt with your antics long enough it was no surprise your daughter was just like you.

“What’s the last thing she got in trouble for?” Evelyn asked with a sly smile.

“She’s going to kill me for telling you this. But-“ John checked over his shoulder to make sure you weren’t in ear shot.

“The other night she baked that trey of brownies for us to all share and remember what she said?” John asked with a shit eating grin across his face.

“She burnt them.” Evelyn’s eyes narrowed, now becoming suspicious.

“Well, she sat her butt on the couch and ate the whole trey while we were all sleeping. I found her with chocolate on her face and she begged me not to tell because she knew you and Jj would be mad at her.” John chuckled out.

You looked so cute that night in his sweatshirt with a chocolate covered smile. You had poured yourself a glass of wine while you baked and ended up three glasses in and tipsy by the time you pulled the brownies out.

You told John in your slightly drunk state you couldn’t resist the fresh trey of baked goods. So John poured himself a large glass of whiskey and polished off the rest of the dessert with you on the couch. If John told the whole story you ended up getting him drunk off his ass and betting you could skip a rock farther than him. You two snuck down to the pond and skipped rocks ultimately winning and leaving the washing up to your husband in the morning.

“So you covered for her.” Evelyn concluded as if she had caught her father red handed.

“Don’t act like you and J don’t cover for each other too.” John laughed, puffs of white air filling the moon lit night.

“Fine. Mummy’s smart I would’ve done the same thing.” Evelyn looked impressed. John couldn’t help but feel weary of what Evelyn would manage to get herself into as she got older. Your father had shared some horror stories of the trouble you wound up in and John hoped he wouldn’t find himself in the same position.

“Well let’s light these suckers and run.” Evelyn squealed at John’s words. Flicking open the zippo lighter she quickly lit each fuse with no hesitation. John hated how his eight year old used the lighter with such ease like she’d practiced.

“RUN!” John shouted and they both did.

The loud whistle of the first fire work went off as it whizzed into the sky. It was followed by two more and then the sky burst to life in white and green lights. The loud pop of them going off as each cardboard box released four bursts. Jj was now by John’s side.

While John’s children watched the magical display above them John memorized there awe stricken faces being illuminated in different colored glows from the sparks above them. Wrapping his arm around both of them he brought them into either side of him and enjoyed the show. After a minute it had come to a silent halt and both children cheered and clapped.

“John, you’re seriously setting off fireworks while Lily was sleeping?” Your sweet voice cut through the smoke filled air. John turned to see you rubbing the sleep from your eyes and his two year old running towards him.

“Are you actually mad?” John asked seeing a smile on your face.

“No, I got some cute pictures of you three.” You raised your phone up and John couldn’t have felt happier that you had snapped a few photos so he would never forget this night.

——————

It was a twenty minute drive from the campsite to get to the fair John had gone to growing up. It had been ages since John and Evelyn had a daddy daughter date so that was going to happen tonight. The first hour John was going to take Evelyn around and then meet up with you, Jj, and Lily. Molly would follow Jj around.

The fair was an elaborate event. Fall decoration filled the expansive area. There were hay rides, a petting zoo, and to Evelyn’s delight a haunted house. You took Jj and Lily to the food section claiming you were just going to look around. John only rolled his eyes knowing you caught sight of something that had you salivating you needed then and there. You waved goodbye and then chased after your two year old who was running away from you with her rock still in hand.

“Okay where to first?” John asked, Evelyn was looking around frantically trying to decide.

“That.” Evelyn pointed to the section where the fair games were. She was pointing at the booth that sold tickets for the games. John took her small hand and lead her over there. John was ready to shell out all the cash in his wallet on tickets for the games. Anything to spoil his daughter and make her night something special.

The two started with ring toss and then played another where they had to throw a ball and smash glass bottles. John was far from good at the games and he could see his daughter eyeing the prizes. Evelyn didn’t seem discouraged going to the lucky duck game and not getting a single duck that would win even a crappy prize.

Taking a break from games Evelyn begged John to take her through the haunted house. John wasn’t sold on the idea but said yes anyway. After almost punching two actors in the face John realized he hated haunted houses. Not even thirty second in Evelyn was unmoving because she was so scared. John picked her up and carried her the rest of the way through. Once out and back into the crisp fall air they both agreed to not do that again.

“Cheer up, we’re still having fun. Right?” John was crouched in front of his daughter who looked like she was getting upset. Then her eyes lit up and John swore he saw the light bulb above her head buzz to life.

“Daddy, follow me! You’re gonna win me one of those big big prizes!” Evelyn was quick to take John’s much larger hand and practically drag him off somewhere. A bit confused John followed his daughter. Weaving through the crowd Evelyn stopped in front of one of the fair booths and stuck her arms out to the side as if she was presenting it to John.

“Ta-da!” Evelyn sang as John looked over what she had brought him to. It was one of those old shooting games where you shot targets with a pellet gun. John let out a small huff of a laugh and fished into his pocket for the last four tickets they had. The girl knew his strengths he couldn’t deny that.

“Which one do you want?” John asked as he pointed to the giant stuffed animals hanging above their heads. He wasn’t trying to be smug or over confident he just knew this was easy work.

“I want that giant hamster!” Evelyn was jumping up and down and pointing. It was a large stuffed hamster that was bigger than her.

“Slow your roll there. That’s going to take a perfect round kiddo.” The man who was taking John’s tickets laughed in the young girls face.

“Well my mummy said this guy right here has the best shot she’s ever seen!” Evelyn challenged. John only chuckled ignoring the exchange and picking up the shitty rifle and inspecting it.

“They just pop up?” John asked as he checked the ammunition in the gun.

“Yeah, you ready? Oi, Luke watch out this big tough guys an expert marksmen.” The man joked with cruelty. It was clear they all thought John was going to fail and didn’t realize he was in fact an expert marksmen. For John this was child’s play. It was as easy as winning a foot race against his toddler. John brought the pellet gun up to rest on his shoulder and looked down the barrel where the scope should be.

A loud ding sounded and small targets shot up from their hiding spots. John finally placed his finger on the trigger since he was still practicing proper gun safety and rattled off shots just as quickly as each target popped up. Hitting each and every one dead center.

More smaller ones began to pop up randomly and John shot them all down with ease. His feet stayed planted and the only portion of his body moving being his shoulders as he aimed to take down each target with the precision he had honed as a sniper in the military. He enjoyed the lack of kickback on the wooden rifle and the joyful screams his daughter let out watching him make this look like it was easy. It went quicker than anyone was expecting. A few passer bys had stopped to watch in awe at John’s quick display. Stepping back John admired his handiwork.

“Still want the hamster?” John placed the rifle down where it belonged and pointed up.

“THAT WAS SO COOL!” Evelyn shrieked. She was jumping up and down and giggling like a maniac.

“Told you so, told you so! Hamster, please!” Evelyn stuck her tongue out at the man who had doubted her father. With a chuckle the man took the long metal stick he had and brought down the giant stuffed animal.

“You military?” The guy asked as he handed over the hamster and gave it to the ponytailed girl.

“Yeah, SAS.” John nodded his stoic demeanor in full affect.

“Thanks for your service.” In that moment the mocking nature of the man disappeared and John shook his hand firmly. With a simple nod John turned back to his daughter who was struggling to hold the giant stuffed animal on her own. She was stumbling back slightly and using all her strength to keep the plush stuffed animal from touching the dirty ground.

“Daddy, can you hold this?” John couldn’t even see her as she struggled to get the words out. Her voice strained from effort and slightly out of breath.

“The things bigger than you.” John laughed as he took the giant hamster from Evelyn. Taking it and holding it under his left arm.

“His names Gary. Can I take pictures with it in the Photo Booth?” Evelyn began to jump up and down again. She was radiating excitement. John chuckled at the name she chose.

“Sure but let’s go find your mum first.” John smiled down and laughed at bit at his daughters huge smile. Evelyn waved her hand for John to bend down so she could tell him a secret. Placing a hand over John’s ear Evelyn whispered to him.

“I love you, daddy.” Pulling back slightly she placed a sweet kiss to his cheek. John was quick to return the kiss to the top of her head the biggest smile taking over his muttonchops.

“Love you too, bug.” John was beaming. His pride was soaring higher than the tree tops at how much Evelyn had come around compared to the start of this trip.

“What trouble do you think mummy got into?” Evelyn asked in a teasing tone. John’s smile faltered as he contemplated his daughter’s words. Looking around at the fair ground John sighed. There were so many options as to what antics you could have gotten up to. Hopefully your two children being around kept you from getting to out of hand.

“There she is!” Evelyn pointed and was laughing hysterically. Once again the little girl was bouncing from foot to foot.

John’s jaw dropped seeing you, Lily, and Jj. You all had your faces painted. Jj had his whole face covered to look like Frankenstein while you looked like a skeleton. What caught John most off guard was his two year old who looked like Penny Wise from ‘IT’. That wasn’t even the worst part as the three of you bustled over to John.

“Mum won me a life size stuffed banana!” Jj held up the yellow monstrosity that was practically the size of you and dwarfed the 10 year old. All John could think was how the hell he was going to fit both these giant stuffed animals in his truck. Then he looked at Lily’s face and the thought left his mind.

“Why does my baby look so terrifying?” John picked Lily up and inspected the face paint. She still had that damn rock in her hand from yesterday and showed it off like it was a new toy.

“She picked all of ours out and I couldn’t get myself to say no.” You were laughing so hard you were now bent over. John could see you had so much fun running around and acting like a kid yourself. But he couldn’t look at his youngest the same when she looked like a murderous clown that belonged in the sewers.

“Always a trouble maker.” John laughed and pulled you into his chest.

“You knew that when you married me.” You grinned up and attempted to place a kiss to his lips. John dodged your painted face which resulted in you chasing after him; your two year old laughing as she was whisked away.

~~~~~tag list~~~~~

@exhaustedpotat0 @glitterypirateduck @ivymarquis @crazymela @what-0-life @boredfairy4 @hihhasotherfixations @stephanswhxre @shanjisan @k4es @luvleywrites @kita03-0 @midwesternwitchery @aleynaleia @suckerforbassist @misshoneypaper @theaonlax @blackstar9005 @tooterbutt @havoc973 @maladaptivedaydreamingbum @freshlemontea @cosmoscoffeee @sae1kie @ohworm-writes

[redcoralpot]

Hey!

May I request a Sally x male reader?

The reader has some ugly scars over his body, mainly thanks to self harm(you can change this part if it makes you uncomfortable!) and when Sal found out, he opened up about HIS own scars.

Some fluff, a bit of comfort if ur okay with that! ;)

Before the Wave Hits - Sal Fisher x M! Reader

Summary: You didn’t want to go too overboard with clothes on your first date with Sal. Even through your curtains, you could see the sun beating down on anything below it, birds singing from their nests. The plan was to go to the dollar store, get some snacks to bring back to your place, watch a half-butchered slasher film, and maybe kiss. To give yourself some credit, this day was nothing short of perfect, so why didn’t you feel perfect?

Warnings: Mentions of scars due to s/h and other accidents.

Word Count: 1.8K

A/N: This is just a warm up before I get back on Smudged! I did tweak it a bit to make the reader a burn survivor, but I did mention s/h in it as well. Tread with caution!

-

A hiss escapes your mouth as you apply gel to your shoulder, feeling the raised tissue ripple unevenly against your fingertips. You close the cap with a click and wind an elastic bandage around your torso, covering your collarbone, before taping it firmly on your bicep. Pink flesh peeked from underneath the fabric and your eyebrows pinched, turning away from the mirror to put a shirt on. 

You didn’t want to go too overboard with clothes on your first date with Sal. Even through your curtains, you could see the sun beating down on anything below it, birds singing from their nests. The plan was to go to the dollar store, get some snacks to bring back to your place, watch a half-butchered slasher film, and maybe kiss. To give yourself some credit, this day was nothing short of perfect, so why didn’t you feel perfect? You sighed, tugging jeans past your boxers. The gel and remaining bandages were carelessly thrown into your bedside drawers as you sprayed cologne on your neck. Not too much; you had known Sal long enough to know he had some breathing sensitivities. The memory of when Neil had tried a new perfume in order to impress Todd in their shared apartment brought shivers down your spine. 

Keys jingled in your hand as you locked the door behind you. Your neighbor waved as you passed by, water spraying everywhere as they dipped a sponge in a bucket of water. Somehow, their back was still in great shape despite driving a Dodge Caravan, and you respected that. You returned their gesture, unlocking your similarly uncomfortable car. Your father had absolutely zero taste when it came to buying automobiles and you’d rather take anything else on a date, but you were broke. A little less broke than before, thanks to your summer job, but if someone were to shake you upside down, only a few pennies would fall out. The engine hummed as you took the wheel, chip crumbs biting your ass. 

Pulling into the parking lot of the shopping plaza practically made your heart beat out of your chest; Sal was sitting on a bench by the store’s main entrance, bangs covering most of his face. A portion of his hair was tugged back into a ponytail while the rest flowed down his shoulders, and fuck, he was handsome. College had changed both of you for better or for worse, but with junior year out of the way, you had some time to be curious. The slam of your car door broke his focus, the silhouette of his snake blinking, and Sal looked up at you. Sometimes, it was hard to discern his expressions through his mask, but you could guess he was quite unimpressed.

“Hey,” you grinned.

“Hi,” Sal said, raspy and muffled.

Gum was stuck on the ground beside his foot, so you offered him a hand, “Ready to go?”

“Sure. Though, you owe me something extra for ruining my high score.”

When Sal grasped your hand in his, you shook it, leading him inside the store. Newspapers were stacked by the counter, each detailing the latest trends and gossip with bright yellow font splattered all over. A grainy photo of the winter olympics, held in Japan this year, caught your eye. You held it up, “I remember when my parents dragged me to every ice skating rink they could find. Which, around here, there was only one.”

“You like ice skating?”

“Eh,” you shrugged, placing it back, “I kinda went for the food trucks.”

Sal ran his fingers over a cheap, small, plastic guitar on one of the shelves, “That’s pretty relatable. I was never into sports when I was a kid.”

You bumped your shoulder into his, wincing, “That’s ‘cause you were cool. Are cool. So, tell me, what kind of snacks do cool kids like?”

“Real smooth, man. I like applesauce and fries, but nothing chewy or coffee flavored,” he stated. 

“You’re telling me you wouldn’t eat dill pickle taffy?”

He watched as you shook a suspiciously bright green bag, “Ew– what?”

“Maybe not as cool as I thought.” Your tone was playful while placing the bag back on the shelf, eyes immediately drawn farther down. Glass clinked against metal as you reached for an applesauce jar, hidden in the depths of the store, hopefully not expired. You passed it over to Sal. Your other hand grabbed a generic snack, hell, you didn’t even know what it was. You were too busy looking at Sal. He tilted his head when he caught you staring, rolling his flannel sleeves up to his elbows. 

The cashier had his nose stuck in a newspaper as the two of you approached, and when you interrupted his reading, he glared at you as if you had thrown his children out a window. He certainly looked old enough. Regardless, his eyes lingered a bit longer on Sal’s prosthetic and the cashier carefully took the money from your fingers. Three dollars; one-fifty each. Kind of hypocritical of the dollar store, you chuckled. You almost said as much to Sal before the cashier interrupted you, “It’s a little early for Halloween, don’t you think?”

His breath smelled like weed and the bones in your neck popped as you turned to look at him, “What?”

“It’s a prosthetic,” Sal corrected, calm, much to your astoundment.

“Oh,” the cashier said, “close enough.”

Sal tucked the snacks underneath his arm and went on his way. You glanced at the cashier, already back in his reading, and then ran after your date. His one eye looked at you, while the other stared straight ahead. You unlocked your car door and Sal placed both snacks on a towel, then slid into the shotgun seat, fingers already toying with the radio knob. He switched through plenty of channels before settling on one that satisfied him; grunge with occasional death metal. You thought back to his electric guitar, always perched by his bed at his shared apartment. Sal was a funky guy. His fingers were moving once again, never still, wiggling as he hummed. You grinned, adding your own voice to join him. At some point, your voice cracked in a way that it hadn’t since you first started puberty, and Sal laughed. Laughed, with his full chest and his head cocked back to bounce against the headrest, eyes squeezed tightly shut. It wasn’t rare, per say, but definitely more scarce than in high school. 

After a few seconds, Sal allowed himself to breathe again, taking firm inhales through his mouth. The image of the cashier was far in the back of your mind. Now, there were more serious matters to discuss. 

“So, what movie do you wanna watch? I have Scream, IT, even Clueless and Interview With a Vampire if you’re into that kind of stuff.”

He paused, “Those are pretty random. Scream’s a hit but IT’s a total classic, so I can’t choose. Why do you have those last two?”

“Meh, I got them while fishing through the thrift movie pile. I thought Larry would appreciate, uh, vamp-ified Brad Pitt.” You pulled your keys back into your pocket, rushing to open the door for Sal.

“Jeez, now I gotta watch it,” Sal rolled his eyes, trailing behind you, watching in interest as he stepped into your home.

You raised your eyebrows, “You like Brad Pitt?”

“No, of course not! I like to get informed before I trash on something so I can trash on it expertly.”

You waved your hand in his direction, and then gestured towards the kitchen, “My mistake. Say, go get yourself a bowl of applesauce in the kitchen and I’ll get the movie set up, yeah? Vampire Brad Pitt it is!”

Sal’s footsteps grew fainter, slapping against tile as he entered the kitchen. You heard a thump and soft cursing, then cabinets opening. You shook your head, turning your attention to the tapes stored underneath the television, squinting at the messily written labels on faded cases. The Outsiders, E.T– you actually forgot you had that one– and many more from across the last two decades. Interview With a Vampire was in the very back, rarely touched, since your parents thought Lestat and Louis were a little too close throughout it. You snickered at the memory and slipped it out of its casing. When the television roared to life, it displayed a menu detailing a range of options, such as credits, extras, and playing the actual movie. With two clicks of the remote and an uncomfortable twist of your arm, the latter was chosen. 

The carpet was soft under your feet as you waited, staring at a frozen, black screen. You shifted your arm back and forth, unable to find a comfortable position for it. Sal swerved the corner with a bowl, seeming to lean extra far to avoid the wall, and returned to your side. He placed it on the table, sinking into the floral fabric of your couch. Tension leaked from his body, practically making a puddle at his feet, before he reached his hands towards his prosthetic. You looked away, the feeling of intruding on something so private gnawing at your stomach, especially on the first date. Sal only loosened the bottom straps, slipping the spoon in the space he created. You released a breath that you didn’t even know you had been holding.

Finally, the movie played, and the fun started. Sal made comments throughout, but stayed almost eerily silent during what he deemed was important. Those times, you could only hear tragic music and the sound of his breathing. You tried to relax with him, you truly did, but the hot air had dried you out in more ways than one. Your bandages became itchy and dragged against your scars with every movement; you had to subtly try to adjust them every time the issue came back with roaring vengeance. You needed to change them, but the bathroom excuse wouldn’t suffice– Sal knew where the bathroom was, and it wasn’t your bedroom. Sal was anything if not observant. You could feel his eyes, or eye, trailing your every move when you attempted to be sneaky.

“You okay?” Sal asked, plainly. 

You laughed, but it was humorless, your hand holding the collar of your shirt away from your body, “Sure, yeah, I’m just kind of uncomfortable, you know?”

“Obviously not with the movie,” he said, putting down his bowl, “but even that would be pretty understandable.”

“An old injury’s just acting up.”

He clipped his straps back on fully, “Scarring? Yeah, it can get sensitive sometimes.”

Does Sal know how on the dot he gets shit sometimes? You felt your cheeks, shoulder, and even self-made scars that you had all but forgotten about burning in the embarrassing spotlight placed on you. Too similar to the vampires you had witnessed on television. However, there was no judgment in his eyes; no malice nor pity. Sal just simply pressed the ‘pause’ button on the remote and spoke, “Do you have any ointment? I can help reapply if you need it.” 

You really wanted to kiss him later. 

-

@hexthemushroom @skitzomutt

[xmintpiex]

Good Boy - meguru bachira x f!reader

content: nsfw, 18+, mdni, hybrid!bachira, owner!reader, semi public, vaginal fingering, reader is wearing a skirt wc:344

“Meguru…”

His name turned to a gentle warning on your tongue, easily drowned out by soft music, humming espresso machines and endless chatter in the busy cafe. Meguru’s ears flatten slightly against his silky brown hair, big yellow eyes blinking slowly up at you through his bangs. The slight pathetic whine as he nuzzles closer against you tugging at your heart.

His fluffy tail thumping less exuberantly against your knee, hand finally stilling in its place between your thighs, thankfully hidden by the wooden table.

You feel a bit of relief, maybe the obedience classes were finally paying off. Your lips curling into a soft smile again, ready to pet his hair and call him your good boy.

Until you feel the sudden curl of his two fingers. The long, deft fingers buried in your tight, dripping heat easily finding that spongy area. Your teeth digging into your lower lip as you tremble and clench uncontrollably.

His thumb back to attentively petting your little puffy clit, the wet cotton of your panties against your pussy fully replaced with warm, firm skin. The bulge of his hand poking up against the soft fabric of your skirt making your lower stomach flutter.

“M-Meguru..”

His name shaky, a desperate plead heavy with saliva. His yellow eyes piercing even beneath his soft lashes and messy bangs. Uncaring as an old women sits at the open table next to yours. His grin sharp, sinister despite the bright lighting overhead. Wolfish.

“L-Let’s go to the bathroom..”

A feeble attempt at a command, more like an appeal on your wet, wobbling lips. But, your Meguru was a good boy. Most of the time.

So he eagerly led you down the hallway, tail wiggling excitedly, his collar jingling gently around his pale neck. Your hands shaky around the handle of his leash.

His hand like a vice on your hip before locking the bathroom door firmly behind you. Yellow eyes glowing in the darkness like little cold stars, reflective until he finally flicks on the light. Body already pressed against yours.

“Meguru!”

[intothegenshinworld]

Fate’s Destiny ~ Chapter 14 || Nodus Tollens

You somehow, not being able to explain it, had fallen into the Genshin world you know oh-so-well. You were no new player and had explored most of the nooks and crannies of the world. When you first had woken up in Windrise you wondered; it might be a dream, after all, you were behind your screen usually, and now- here? It made no sense, and the world was keen on keeping it that way.

Warnings: Spoilers for main story.

Word count: 2.1k+

Auteurs note: This chapter might be a bit shorter, but I realised halfway I wanted to put a bonus chapter between 14 and 15 DX So consider this the 'calm before the storm' XD

↺ PREVIOUS CHAPTER || ↻ NEXT CHAPTER || MASTERLIST

There is a high-pitched ringing in your ears. It hurts, yet what's more unsettling is how it disorients you. You move your hands over your head, to find any way to protect yourself, but you can only move your fingers when you try. When you blink your eyes, you notice that you can’t see. For a few painfully long minutes, your vision remains a blinding white before your surroundings take shape. 

The first things you see are the yellow and green leaves that spiral downwards. The colours swirl and mix with the twilight sky, blues and purples intertwining themselves with the others, giving an ethereal view despite the burning pain throughout your body. 

Your eyes fixate on one of these leaves. It twirls in the sky, before landing next to you on the ground. Its bright colour complements the browns from the dirt and is a stark contrast to the dark grey pebbles and stones. Now that it’s next to you, you realise you’re on the ground.

From the corners of your eye, you try to observe your surroundings. The first thing you see is a glimpse of gold. A few meters further on the ground, Lumine lays on her side. Her general appearance can only be described as dishevelled. 

Her golden strands that usually frame her face have fallen out of place. Hair spreads out beneath her head and acts as a cushion against the ground below, gold mixing with the brown and darkened red. Her clothes are in worse shape. Bits of fabric loosely hang from their threads and visible gashes and cuts are seen on the bottom of her dress.

Lumine.

Someone calls out her name. The voice is hoarse and you can barely recognise it as your own. 

When your heavy eyes move over to the silver spot next to her, you see Paimon. Her small body is curled up next to the traveller, reaching out with her hand even when she lies unconscious. Despite the odds, the two are inseparable. 

An unexpected blast echoes through the valley. It’s followed by another wave of hot air, which forcefully passes over you. You try, again, to lift your arms over your face in a last attempt to protect yourself from the destruction. 

Again, you fail.

Dust particles fly over you, the grey smoke obscuring your view from the twilight sky and the golden leaves. When it passes, you put all your effort into turning your body to curl up into yourself, coughing as you do.

It's dark. Everything is dark. 

In the far distance, you hear another low grumble followed by a low bang. This one sounds more distant but is undoubtedly more explosive than the last. It appears that the destruction is relentless. 

In your mind, you rethink your choices. When did it all go wrong, and could you have done anything else to avoid this fate? While you’re lying on the ground, defeated and unmoving, you realise that there is so much left for you to do, so much left to say. Yet, you yearn for one thing the most.

Home.

You miss your home.

A name calls out to you. Weakly, you turn your head to your companions but Lumine and Paimon continue to lay motionless.

All your energy has been spent. 

A last sigh escapes your lips as you close your eyes.

ㅤ

ㅤ…/n].”

ㅤ

ㅤ

“[Y/N].” 

Being forcefully awakened from your slumber leaves you partially stuck in your dreams. Visions of what might’ve been your memories, or things you had made up while you slept, fade from your mind and the present takes shape. You blink a few times before you realise you have opened your eyes already. 

Someone calls out to you, loud and clear. You realise that this call was not a dream. The person’s voice is low and masculine, filled with concern when he speaks. Many people have been affected by the destruction of Liyue Harbor. You're certain that your unknown companion is feeling the aftermath of the calamity too. At the very least, it would explain his worry.

You’re on your back, facing the navy blue sky. The stars are shimmering vibrantly tonight. They move in their place, gently dancing and twirling around in a mesmerising manner you haven’t seen before. 

It is nearly enough to lull you back to sleep. 

Instinctively, your eyes decide to follow the flow of the stars. Somehow, unlike anything you’ve seen, the stars move like the waves of an ocean, shifting and shimmering with each movement. When your eyes move up, you are met with more blue. Blue, then black, followed by dark grey, then, finally—blonde. 

Blonde hair framing a pale face and two azure blue eyes. 

“...Dainsleif?” His familiar face is a welcomed surprise. 

His shoulders relax when he speaks. “For a moment, I started to doubt your mental well-being. Fortunately, you appear to remember me.” His expression remains neutral, although you hear relief in his tone. “Seems like not all hope is lost.”

You frown. These surroundings… It isn’t the same as the ones you remember. Grass, tall bushes, many trees—you are in a forest, far from the path you last walked on. Your eyes move further. Yellow and green leaves, stone pillars, broken ruins—Liyue. At least you haven’t strayed too far from your original destination.

The heavy feeling in your body and the few scratches on your hands and arms confirm that what you remember was not a dream. The destruction of Liyue Harbor did occur. 

Perhaps it was for the best that you had left the city and came to the forest. How and when—you’re not sure. You don’t ask Dainsleif about it either. 

A groan leaves your lips when you push your weight onto your arms. While you can move your body, putting weight onto your limbs causes pain. You’re fortunate to haven’t fractured anything. It seems like you’ve left the calamity with mere bruises and a noticeable gap in your memory. At the very least, things can be a lot worse. 

As you struggle to lift your upper body from the grass, a stable hand finds a place on your back and supports you until you’re sitting upright. “Liyue Harbor…” you start, only to stop when memories of the past events flood your brain. You lift a hand to your temple to stabilise yourself. 

“Not a dream, I fear.” 

Dainsleif moves to grab something from his bag. He uncaps his waterskin, one you remember him carrying on your last journey together, and lifts it to your mouth. The taste of freshwater makes you realise how dehydrated you have been. When was the last time you had a drink? You wonder if water has always been this tasty.

“It seems like your body has finally caught up to Teyvat again.” Dainsleif lets go of the waterskin when your hands reach to hold it. “There is a river nearby if you need a refill. Drink as much as you need.”

You continue to tip the waterskin upwards. A small stream of water falls from your mouth to your chin—a simple punishment for your haste. The hand on your back is a great help when you tilt your head further.

Dainsleif’s words fall flat over your thirst and sudden hunger.

He continues to talk,  “I’ve brought us back to the Guili Plains. Now that Liyue Harbor has been destroyed, the only way left to go—is North.”

After reaching the halfway point of water in the leather sack, you stop to gasp for air. Your body burns in a way you’ve never felt before. It feels like you’re cold, warm, and cold again. With one hand you settle the waterskin down in your lap. With another, you reach for your throat. When you swallow it feels like the air passes through sandpaper.

When you take a moment to look around, you realise something important. “Where are Lumine and Paimon?”

Dainsleif continues to support your back. His hand is large and steady. It feels safe and you trust him to hold you. With him by your side you know you’d never fall.

You take another look at your surroundings. This time you take a better inspection to see any traces of your friends. 

A small distance away from Dainsleif and you, a campfire is burning. It is the main light source, a way to fight the suffocating darkness of the night. There are no tents or sleeping bags, but as your gaze shifts, your eyes land on two bags. One is yours, the other must be Dainsleif’s. 

Another closer look. They must be here. Can you see Lumine’s possessions? Her scarf, or maybe her boots. If she had gone hunting or scouting, Paimon could’ve gone with her. She’d have to leave her bag behind. So, maybe it’s out of your sight?

You push your body up and away from Dainsleif. His hand follows you, never letting his support fade. 

“Where are they? Where are Lumine and Paimon?”

Your wide eyes move from the trees, towards the ground, until they hopelessly land on Dainsleif. He is neither sad nor happy. Instead, he remains completely blank—eyes void of any answer. His lips are pulled in a tight line until he speaks. 

“They weren’t with you when I found you.”

Your back is turned to Dainsleif as he skins the rabbit he’d caught. It’s a sight you’d rather not remember when you’d eventually have to fall asleep, but with the boars fleeing from the area, Dainsleif made a valid point when he argued that any food was better than none at all. At the very least, your stomach seemed to agree with him.

The campfire thankfully covers most of the gruelling sounds. Once he finishes, he calls your name. In passing while turning to him, you see the two rabbits, skinned and pierced on a stick above the fire. And as much as you hate to admit it, it smells amazing. 

Your eyes move over to your companion. As weird as it sounds, there is an underlying feeling of anger when you look at Dainsleif. Perhaps not directed towards him, but you’re certain Lumine and Paimon had been with you when calamity struck. 

You were sure they wouldn’t abandon you, but you can’t find any reasons why Dainsleif would lie to you. 

A silence falls over the two of you. It isn’t as comforting as it used to be, and you try to pass the time by counting the sweet flowers in the area. It’s silly to throw accusations after all that happened. For one, can you trust that Lumine and Paimon haven’t been separated from you? You would never say it out loud, but your disappearing memories make you doubt your perception of the world. Perhaps he told the truth after all.

Dainsleif moves from the ground towards the fire to turn the two skewed rabbits around. And despite hating small talk, he initiates a conversation—either for his or your comfort. Given the frown on your face, it’s likely the latter.

“Have you noticed?” Dainsleif points up at the sky. “You were passed out for the majority of our travels. I was able to travel north while carrying you, until we reached the ends of west Guili Plains, meaning you were unconscious for at least half a day. But the sky has not changed since the beginning of our journey.”

You move your eyes upwards to follow his gaze. Part of you is unsure whether or not he is attempting to make a joke. You decide to answer him lightheartedly. “In that case, we had a long night.”

“When does ‘long’ end and become endless instead? And when something has no end, can progress exist?” 

You put your legs together and crouch into yourself, preserving any warmth from the cold night. A shiver falls over you, and you realise your cloak is gone. Either destroyed or removed. 

“Everything has to end eventually,” you answer. 

Dainsleif moves his eyes from the sky and turns to you. His bright blue eyes with star-shaped pupils find yours when you turn to meet his gaze. His blonde finge falls gently over his nose. When you look down at his chapped lips, you find his mouth parted. He is at a loss for words.

You pull your legs up to your chest and move your arms around them. Once in a comfortable position, you lean your head against your knee. You elaborate, “The destruction in Liyue, the night, this fire—everything will end eventually. Even this journey will, someday.”

“And what if it doesn’t?”

You look away from Dainsleif and towards the fire. The light of the flames twirls up until they hit an obstacle. The rabbits pierced on top of it with two skewers have grown brown. Your food is ready.

There is a sense of deja vu in the current situation. Where had you heard this question before? 

You answer him, hoping he can find solace in your words.  “If something can’t end, did it ever exist in the first place?”

If you liked this chapter and think I deserve a comment, please leave one behind! I appreciate it a lot and it'll make me more motivated to write in the future ♡

© intothegenshinworld. Do not copy, repost, translate or take heavy inspiration from my content. Thanks for reading.

[lovebugism]

Bugggggg, my dear! I need to know what happens when Eddie climbs through that window with Gareth sisterrr!!!

thanks for being so patient while i wrote a part two! hope you like it!! — the one where eddie sneaks into his best friend's step-sister's bedroom, stealthy like a ninja tw for allusions to smut (2.7k, find part one here)

bug's summer fic fest ♡

Eddie shows up at your house at eleven, even though you told him to be there at midnight.

He couldn’t wait the extra hour to see you. It felt like it was eons away — a whole lot more than just sixty minutes. After dealing all day in ninety-degree heat, he was aching to rest his tired bones next to yours. His thoughts of you weren’t even sinful — which isn’t something he can say very often. 

The way he yearned for you was innocent, palpable, and suffocating. Like honey or the summer sun. It was something sticky and sweet, nostalgic and boyish.

It’s why he parks three houses down, just like you asked him to, and why he scales the trellis of your bedroom window with all the finesse of a dog on roller skates. 

You left your light on for him like you promised— a glowing yellow let he climbs towards. Your window is open, too. Eddie gets all twisted up in your lace curtains when he finally reaches the second story. His ankle gets caught in the pane. He catches himself before he tumbles to the ground entirely, his palms melting into your carpeted floor.

Half-stuck in your window, Eddie’s wide eyes flit around your bedroom. You’re nowhere to be found, but some upbeat pop song plays on the radio on the dresser beside a shut door — the bathroom, maybe. 

“You are the dancing, young and sweet, only seventeen!” Your voice is muffled as you sing along to the words. You sound like sunshine in the middle of a cool summer night.

With the knowledge that he didn’t make a complete fool of himself in front of you or anybody else, he crawls the rest of the way in and stands in the middle of your pretty pink bedroom. 

It’s as girly as you are, filled with everything grownups convince children they’re supposed to hate when they get older — teddy bears, dolls, and other heart-sharped trinkets. Everything’s frilly and pale pink, delicate like you.

The door clicks open. Eddie’s eyes widen when you and a warm steam comes spilling out. The smell of roses and vanilla twirls out just like you do. Clad only in a too big Fleetwood Mac t-shirt, and with wet hair dripping down your back, you sing into your hair brush.

“You can dance! You can jive! Having the time of your life—” You cut yourself off when you realize Eddie’s standing in the middle of your bedroom. You don’t scream, but you feel sort of like your heart has stopped as your hand flies to your mouth. “Oh, my god!”

“Sorry!” the boy apologizes through his laughter, palms spread out ahead of him in surrender. “I’m— I’m sorry. I should’ve… I should’ve knocked.”

You’re still a bit too frightened to laugh at his joke. You bring your palm from your mouth to your racing heart and exhale a sigh of relief. “You weren’t supposed to be here until midnight.”

Eddie beams when you rush to turn down your music, only because you aren’t looking at him to see it. Instead of telling you he couldn’t wait that long to see you, he jokes, “Oh, is it not twelve yet? My watch must be an hour fast.”

“Or maybe you just don’t know how to tell time, Eighty-Six,” you tease with a bright grin.

Eddie’s brows raise beneath his curly bangs. His own smile curls at his pink lips at your harsh joke. It comes from a too-pretty face for him to take offense to it. 

He wraps you in his arms when you walk over to him. His palms spread along your hips as your arms wrap around his neck. He tries not to shiver when your fingers trace the wild curls at the base of his neck.

“Well, that’s not very nice of you, now is it, princess?” he asks in the same sarcastic tone.

“Or maybe you just really wanted to see me?” you follow up with an innocuous shrug and a hopeful glint in your eye.

Eddie scoffs. “That is very presumptuous of you, sweetheart.”

“It’s only presumptuous if I’m wrong— which I know I’m not, so…”

“You sound very sure of yourself,” he quips with narrowed eyes.

You meet his look with a grin. “‘Cause I can read you like a book, Eddie Munson.”

You rise on the tips of your toes, pressing yourself further into him with the intent to taste his lips. He stops you before you get the chance. 

His chin jerks back, though it’s not exactly intentional. With your chest more intently pushed against his own, he can feel much more of you than he’s used to. Your stiff nipples are crushed between both of your bodies. His brain short-circuits accordingly.

Eddie covers it up with a mischievous smile. “No bra?”

“It’s your fault,” you pout, not swayed by his teasing.

“Is it?”

You nod, wide-eyed like you’re all innocent. “You got here too early. I was gonna put on makeup and a pretty dress for you and everything…”

Though Eddie’s heart swells at the thought, he shakes his head in response. The bridge of his nose scrunches as his hands rise from your waist. His palms are warm along your blushing cheeks. 

“I like you better like this,” he confesses quietly.

“Really?” you ask with pinched brows.

He shrugs. “Yeah. I mean, I love your glitter and skirts and your… everything, but… I don’t know. I think you look pretty like this, too.”

Your chest warms so suddenly, you think your heart might be melting. 

No one’s ever said anything like that to you before — not that you weren’t pretty, but that you were still pretty even when you aren’t trying to be. 

A heavy feeling swells behind your ribcage that makes you feel like crying.

“You don’t have to be so nice to me, you know?” you joke with a halfhearted laugh. “I’m already obsessed with you.”

His own chuckle spills from his pink mouth. “I’m being serious.”

“If you wanted a blowjob, you coulda just said—” 

Your grin is wide and mischievous, full of candor, as your hands leave his neck and fall to the silver buckle of his leather belt. The giddy smile fades when his fingers curl around your wrists to stop you. 

Eddie’s eyes fly open wide. His mouth falls softly agape, as though surprised by your forwardness, though he knows he should be used to it now. He stammers. “We don’t— I mean, we don’t have to—”

You step back like you’ve burned him. Your features flood in a similar horror. “Oh, sorry— I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have… I shouldn’t have assumed—”

“It’s okay,” Eddie assures with a soft laugh to quell your worry. He chases you when you part from him and takes your wringing hands in his larger ones. “I know most guys sneaking into a girl’s room usually want one thing, so… It’s kinda my fault, actually.”

“And you don’t… You don’t want that?” you question with a furrow to your brow.

“No, I do! Trust me. I do, I just…” he trails off with a sigh. His chin tilts to his chest as he peers at you from beneath his lashes. There’s a twinkle in the deep chocolate of his eye. “I’d rather it be more romantic than, you know— than this.”

His hand motions somewhere beside him. You figure he’s referring to the scuff marks his sneakers left on your lace curtains.

You smile sheepishly as his wide palms engulf your own. “I wanna take things slow with you and… treat you right and everything…”

“That is very old-fashioned of you, Eddie Munson,” you croon lowly as you lean back into him. Your hands entwine when your chests push together all over again. His long fingers slot between yours as the tip of your nose traces the bridge of his.

“Maybe…” he hums in a sigh, the breath of it fanning over your chin. It smells like cigarettes and spearmint gum. “But also, if I’m gonna fuck you, I don’t want us to have to be quiet, you know?”

His eyes narrow with a mischievous squint when you part from him. You meet his smirk with a beam. 

“Like I said… Such a gentleman.”

You go in for a kiss, and this time he lets you. 

It’s much deeper than the one you shared behind the 7/11, but still just as pure. It’s full of honey and sunshine — your floral perfume and his muskier cologne — your candied breath and his nicotine-coated one. It’s filled with the innocence leftover from your lingering girlhood and his boyhood, both of which you’ve yet to grow out of.

It makes his mouth taste that much sweeter. It makes his lips that much softer. It makes you want to kiss the breath from his lungs, and it makes him want to swallow you whole.

—————

A breeze billows through the open window you forgot to close the night before. 

It smells like freshly cut grass and early morning dew and vaguely like teenage boy. It feels like silk as it rolls across your bed, though it’s cold enough to make you rouse. 

You feel the weight of Eddie Munson on your ribcage before you open your eyes to see him.

Your gaze is slow to clear, heavy with honey. You find the wild-haired boy snoozing on your stomach — long lashes brushing the apples of his cheeks, face smushed into your t-shirt, pink mouth agape to exhale soft snores against your ribs. The sight of him like this makes you feel a bit like you’re dreaming.

The two of you settled into bed some hours after midnight, equally fatigued after an intense bout of nonstop conversation. You’d been sharing a single pillow then, and trying very hard not to kiss him. 

“Wake me up before sunrise, will you?” he’d told you as his eyes drifted closed.

Your brows pinched together. “For what?” 

“So I can leave before everyone in your house knows I’m here,” the boy scoffed in a tired laugh. “Don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea, you know?”

You didn’t know what he meant by that. But rather than ask him, your brain shouted its own understanding at you — a blinking neon sign that was virtually unmissable. 

He must not want to be seen with me, the voice tells you. Maybe this isn’t as serious as I was hoping it’d be. Maybe we just have the night together, and maybe I have to be grateful I got it at all.

As though he could read your mind, a half-asleep Eddie Munson patched together your breaking heart without trying. “Don’t want your parents to think I’m just trying to get in your pants or somethin’… Also I’m pretty Gareth would kill me if he knew I spent the night here.”

He exhales a weary chuckle, and you force yourself to do the same.

It was never about you, but rather about the lingering implication that looked rather daunting from afar. 

The town freak sneaks into the bedroom of the local princess, and it’s certainly not to slay some sleeping dragon. It was a headline waiting to happen. No one would believe you if you told them Eddie was more interested in the stories behind each of your stuffies than he was in what your body looked like under your clothes.

You drifted off alongside him, expecting at least one of you to rouse before the sun came up. You quickly found that waking up from the best night’s sleep of your life was practically impossible. And with the way Eddie slumbers so soundly against your stomach, you figure he must be a lot of the same.

A smile quirks the corners of your lips as you look down at the sleeping boy. It’s too filled with exhaustion to be evident, but the sentiment is there and swirling like burning embers in your chest. 

Eddie rises and falls with each of your even breaths. His heavier ones are sighed in time with yours. He’s heavy like a weighted blanket. You hardly notice the burden of him now, but you’d feel the lack of him if he were gone. 

Ornery umber curls fall over his face, sticking to his cheek and his mouth. You reach down to sweep them away with a gentle hand, jerking back when Eddie huffs and shifts against you.

“Shit. Sorry,” you apologize in a whisper. “Didn’t mean to wake you.”

The boy sighs deeply through his nose and smushes his face back into your stomach. Still half-asleep, he slurs, “’S okay. Keep doing that. It felt good.”

You exhale a breathy laugh and return your hand to his hair. Your fingers dance through the curls at the crown of his head as you massage his scalp. You feel the warmth of his sigh when it fans against you, and you smile. 

“Sorry for not waking you up,” you confess in your second apology of the morning. 

Eddie’s breath jerks suddenly. You think it must be his drowsy laughter. “‘M sorry for using you like a pillow all night.”

“I kinda liked that, actually,” you admit with a scrunched nose and distant smile.

The boy lifts his cheek from your stomach and replaces it with his chin. He grins at you — plush, pink, and heavy like syrup. His chocolate eyes are a lot of the same. They’re swollen with sleep but twinkling with early morning adoration nonetheless. 

“And I’m glad you didn’t wake me up, so… I guess we’re even then, huh?”

He rises with a grunt. The mattress shifts under his weight as he leans his lankier body against yours. He props himself on the forearms he lays on either side of your head. His nose nudges against the tip of yours. You’re moments away from tilting your chin and pressing your mouth against his, morning breath and all, but a knock at your door throws a wrench in your plans. 

“Mom wants to know if you want pancakes,” Gareth calls from the other side of the entrance.

“Yes, please!” you singsong in response. 

You’d be an idiot to turn them down. Gareth’s mom makes the best breakfast this side of Indiana has ever seen. You figure you’ll have to find a way to smuggle some to Eddie before he leaves, so his lips will taste like your favorite food when you kiss him goodbye. Maybe that’ll hold you over until you can sneak him in again—

“What about you, Eddie?” Gareth calls again with a knowing inflection in his muffled voice.

It makes the both of you freeze. 

Eddie hardens like a rock on top of you, and not in the way that you’re used to. 

His eyes widen as he looks down at you, finding nothing but your own look of gaping horror. You shake your head at him — a silent plea to stay silent — even though you know that Gareth is somehow aware of his best friend’s company.

Eddie’s brain short circuits, and the words spill out before he can stop them. “Uh… Nope! I’m— I’m good.”

“Suit yourself…”

The boy’s footsteps recede down the hallway. 

Eddie exhales an embarrassed groan as his head falls to your shoulder. He tucks himself into the nook of your neck with the intent to hide there. His soft, untamed curls tickle the skin of your chin and jaw. 

Despite your own lingering mortification, your hands curl under his arms and sprawl along his shoulder blades — keeping him intently pressed against you. “How did he…?”

“I don’t know,” Eddie laughs against your skin before you can finish the question. His face finds yours again, and he shrugs. “I mean… I guess I wasn’t as stealthy as I thought when I climbed through your window.”

“Really?” you hum. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

“It was your curtains. They were trying to kill me, princess, I swear.”

“Well… At least, now we don’t have to worry about telling him,” you reason, even though your voice trembles.

Eddie’s grin wavers just the same. “Yeah, let’s hope he doesn’t punch me over pancakes and orange juice or something today.”

Your head tilts to your shoulder as you smile up at him. Your hands fall from his shoulders to cup his jaw. “I’d patch you up,” you promise quietly as you pull him down for a kiss. 

Eddie gravitates toward you like he was made to do it. His mouth falls agape to accept your own before he realizes. You taste like flowers and early morning and the rest of his life.

A punch in the face would be worth it if he meant he got to taste you forever.