#would you still love her if she was a bug..... a very large bug

[8thsniper]

hunter melly ideas

[luveline]

omg can I request a more timid luna lovegood reader with remus lupin?? I feel like he’s more serious, so she would compliment him well!! maybe the two of them falling asleep with one another and her dozing off while talking about bugs or something and he’s just like, wow I love her!!

“Oh,” he says quietly, more to himself than you as he pulls you to his chest, “lovely, I missed you.” 

Your pyjamas are made of a soft, thin material you favour and he can’t name. Your vest doesn’t cover much, but he’s covered you up with his arms and the blanket, and the space between you is roiling with body heat. “We were apart for twelve days.” 

“I know.” He could not be more regretful. 

“That’s almost three hundred hours without seeing one another.” 

“We spoke on the phone.” 

“It’s not the same,” you say. Remus would have to agree. 

He feels like he can sleep well for the first time in those three hundred hours, knowing you’re alright, happy, and fed within arm’s reach. He really can’t decide what he missed most, your smell, your hair, your nose as it rubs against his throat. It must’ve been this, your weight on his side, and the sound of your voice as you murmur intricacies into his skin. 

“I caught fifteen bugs while you were gone, that’s more than one every day… I kept the ladybug, but then she exploded into even more ladybugs. I noticed she laid eggs in the tank but I wasn’t expecting them to hatch so quickly… it was…” Your lips curve into a smile against his neck. “It was only a few days, baby. So many bugs.” 

“I’m sure she lived a very good life.” 

“She’s still alive, I think. I let them out into the back garden, I wasn’t expecting to be responsible for so many.” 

You fold an arm across his chest and kiss his chin, to his sleepy delight. Your presence is lulling him to sleep, once slow sentence at a time. “I’m sure she was just as happy in your tank as the outdoors, lovely,” he says. Your tank being a very large space that you customise to whatever bug you’ve found. You do your research, and you give them long, healthy lives. You’re kind, and you keep them only to watch them and love them. 

“You know ladybugs are beetles?” you whisper. 

“I didn’t know that.” 

“Mm-hm,” —you kiss his chin again, soft and with warming breath— “there are five thousand different species of ladybugs. Thousand. And they’re all different colours and sizes and…” 

You rub your nose into his cheek.

“I missed you so much,” you say. 

“I missed you too. I missed your voice.” Remus rubs your back, feels your top ride up. He draws a line along your naked spine. “Tell me more about the ladybugs, please? I was almost sleeping.”

“If I tell you and you fall asleep, you won’t remember.” 

“Can you tell me again at breakfast? Would that be okay?” 

You sound pretty sleepy yourself as you answer. “Okay, I’ll tell you twice, but only because you asked me so nicely.” 

Wow, he thinks, feeling the length of your back in sluggish drags, I love her.  

[midnight-els]

It is a truth universally acknowledged that the West Wing would have been even better if they'd had a White House cat. Some headcanons bc I was thinking about it today:

Jed gave the cat a very grand, biblical name. Everyone else has shortened it to something very stupid.

Obviously all of the press and the public adore the cat. There's a minor upset in a polling themed episode when Joey confirms that once again the cat has higher approval ratings than the president. Josh is cross that they are polling on this at all.

There is one chair in the Oval Office that is The Cat's Chair. The staff know not to sit there as you'll get a. covered in fur and b. screamed at by an irate cat trying to force you off. They never warn any of their least favourite congresspeople about this.

The cat wanders around in the background of episodes, often being chased or petted by the extras.

The cat is not allowed in the situation room. The cat is always in the situation room. They had to come up with a special bug detecting protocol for the cat in case anyone tried to take advantage of this.

Ripped from the headlines plot about a congressional investigation into something related to the cat, based on the incident about Clinton's cat's postage.

The cat LOVES Air Force One. The Secret Service do not love having to get him on board or captured to get back off.

Leo and the cat are best friends. They're basically this meme. Leo's the grandma. Jed is the mom.

Aside from Leo, the cat loves the secretaries best. They always have lots of treats for him in their desks. Debbie is the only one he doesn't get on with; she has resorted to using a plant mister to spray him when he tries to get on her desk.

Josh thinks he and the cat are archenemies. The cat hasn't paid more than 2 seconds notice to Josh in his life.

CJ and the cat are archenemies. CJ was very pro-cat until she caught it fishing in Gail's bowl one day. Now she's at war to keep it out of her office. She's still trying to convince Danny to write a piece exposing the cat's dark side to its adoring public. Carol is very tired.

Sam wants so badly to be best friends with the cat. The cat thinks he's trying too hard. Will ends up exactly the same way.

Toby and the cat have never properly interacted and both are very happy to leave it that way.

The cat is supposed to stay in the residence during big events. Abbey stopped enforcing that after he got out and scratched Lord John Marbury when he picked him up against his will.

The cat has a secret service code name. One time, the code names are changed and an overenthusiatic reporter tries to break a story on the first lady's 'unusual activity' by following what he thinks is her code name. It's the cat's. CJ dines out on this for weeks.

The cat occasionally goes missing. The secretaries and Charlie have a recurring B-plot where they have to go and recover him. Somehow, the cat has always ended up somewhere relevant to the A-plot.

The cat properly goes missing after the incidents with the Thanksgiving turkeys and the goat in CJ's office (aka prime cat territory). Each time she claims she'll be nicer to the cat when it returns. Each time it lasts about two days.

Margaret thinks the cat has psychic powers and frequently provides warnings based on her interpretations of 'the signs'. Usually she's right.

The cat somehow makes off with the final edits for the state of the union one time (of course they were only handwritten on one piece of paper). Chaos ensues.

Jed tries to send the cat to Manchester partway through the series. After large-scale outcry from the staff, press and public he is returned to the White House. Unfortunately, after a couple of months as a barn cat he is even more badly behaved than before.

The cat is in both Jed and Abbey's official portraits.

[cinnahoons]

౨ৎ. 𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐋𝐔𝐂𝐊, 𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐄! - 𝖭𝖨𝖲𝖧𝖨𝖬𝖴𝖱𝖠 𝖱𝖨𝖪𝖨

CHAPTER 03. #missmovingon - written - 1.7k (masterlist)

YOU ARRIVE AT THE HYBE BUILDING A LITTLE BEFORE NOON. It’s hot; sweltering, even. Summer in Korea has never been something you’ve found all that appealing. It gets really humid here. Case in point: there’s already sweat collecting at the nape of your neck.

A sigh of relief escapes your mouth as you swing open the door, cool air conditioning sweeping over your skin in an instant. Thankfully, you haven’t sweat off any of your makeup. It’s a small victory, but all you can wish for in this cruel, cruel world. 

A nervous buzz permeates your senses. You fiddle with the sleeve of your pink tweed coat as you make your way up to the information desk.

“Hi,” you blurt, before you can find the sense to stop yourself. A woman with a shiny black bob whips her head toward you, thick black-framed glasses perched on the tip of her nose. She smiles warmly.

“Hello,” she greets, dipping her head. “How can I help you?”

“Um,” You blink nervously, a hot flush traveling down your back. “I’m the new stylist and makeup artist…for ENHYPEN.”

A look of recognition passes over the woman’s deep brown eyes, and she claps her hands together in excitement. 

“Oh, you’re Y/N?” She sounds delighted, enough that it starts to ease the knot in your stomach. You nod a little more enthusiastically at her, which only brightens her smile. “Lovely! Follow me.”

She rises from her chair, gesturing with her hand for you to tag along. Her black heels click against the flooring, and you have to skip a little to keep up with her pace as you begin to navigate down a long hallway. Her bob swishes as she turns to make sure you’re following.

“You’re going to love this, really,” she gushes, pushing her glasses up her nose. “They’re the sweetest group of boys.”

You hum in acknowledgment, offering her a little smile of your own.

“I’m sure they are. I’m excited to work with them.”

You’re fighting a very pesky and self-sabotaging urge to tell her that you already know them. You’d met them all before—two years ago, to be exact, when a bright-eyed and slightly younger version of Riki had brought you home to his dorm one day to meet them. He managed to keep you a secret from their management, but to hide you from the other members would’ve been an impossible task.

You swallow nervously.

At the end of the hallway is what appears to be a conference room. The door is large and…important-looking. There’s a little silver placard on it, and the woman flashes you an excited smile before rapping her knuckles against the wood.

There’s a pregnant pause—one in which you start contemplating whether any of this is worth it. There’s a lot on the line here, namely your dignity. You hadn’t thought that you would ever have to be face to face with Riki ever again, that that chapter of your life was over and the page had turned for good. But as fate would have it, all that separates you now is two inches of wood and a festering urge to run for the hills. You’re trying hard to remember Wonyoung’s words of encouragement when the handle turns with a click, and the door opens to reveal a tall man with shoulder-length black hair.

The woman waves at him before turning around to gesture at you.

“This is Y/N.” To you, she says: “Good luck with everything!”

You thank her, and then she’s off. Turning back to the man in the doorway, you give him a polite bow.

“Hello! I’m Y/N.” 

He smiles. 

“It’s nice to finally meet you. My name is Yuki; I’m the boys’ manager. Come in, come in.” He opens the door wider, but the large meeting table is still obstructed enough that you can only see the corner. You slip inside, which is the very moment your world begins to crumble.

All seven of the members are sitting around the table, conversing idly with one another. Their heads pop up one by one.

The progression is comical. Jungwon’s jaw drops first, followed by a bug-eyed Sunoo. Heeseung and Sunghoon look like they’re two seconds away from bursting into laughter while Jay and Jake watch nervously, their eyes flickering to the left. It’s probably Riki.

Oh, god. It’s definitely too late to turn back now. You find yourself contemplating whether or not you’re a good enough actor to fake passing out of heat exhaustion. Probably not.

Your eyes slide to the left. And; it’s Riki. Of course it’s Riki.

He’s different. Where there was once a soft roundness to his cheeks, he’s now grown into his face. His lips are plush, his eyebrows neat and thick above the dark angles of his eyes. His hair is dyed black. He also looks like he’s seen a ghost.

You’re standing stick-straight in front of the table, unmoving. Yuki seems to catch onto the weird energy that’s enveloped the room, looking from you to the members. 

“What is it?” He asks.

Heeseung actually barks out a laugh.

“Isn’t that—“

“Our old friend,” Jungwon interrupts. He’s managed to wipe the shock off his face, instead shooting Heeseung an unreadable look before turning back to you to smile with just a little too much teeth. “She’s our old friend.”

“Oh, are you? You didn’t mention that.” Yuki turns to you. You stare at Jungwon for a second before plastering on an awkward smile.

“Yes. Yeah. Um, I didn’t want to influence the company’s decision.”

He nods, smiling.

“I understand. Well, that’s actually great to hear. I hope you’ll feel a part of the team quicker this way.”

You haven’t spared Riki another glance since the first one. Frankly, you’d rather take a nice, long stroll over hot coals. The awkward energy in the room washes over you in waves, and your face feels oddly robotic as you attempt to maneuver it into another positive human expression. 

“Oh, definitely. I’m, uh, excited to get started.”

Yuki smiles widely, turning to the members.

“Okay, boys, this is how it’s going to go. I’ll leave you to get situated with Y/N, and in about…” he pauses, checking his watch. “...twenty minutes, I’ll come back to grab Sunoo and Sunghoon so that Y/N can get started on styling them for their variety guesting today. We’ll have our first group shoot with her tomorrow for EN-O’ Clock. Does that sound good to everybody?”

There’s a chorus of distracted hums from the members. Yuki barely pays them any mind, flashing you a quick thumbs up. 

“Let me know if you need anything,” he whispers, before he’s slipping out of the room.

Then, it’s just you and the door. You and the big, brown, important door.

And also the seven pairs of beady eyes drilling holes into the back of your head.

Someone coughs from behind you. Begrudgingly, you turn around. 

“So,” Jungwon says.

“So,” you parrot back. You feel awkward, standing there in your pink jacket and your matching pink heels. Obviously, you look good, but still. You suddenly wish your friends were there to say something helpful, like diffuse the tension! or fuck Riki! Either would work.

“Someone say something already.” Jay breaks the silence, shifting in his seat awkwardly. You sigh.

“Look, this is weird. But it doesn’t have to be weird. Because, like, this is my job now,” you drone on, the panic in your voice increasing with every word you get out. “And I obviously wasn’t going to turn it down just because of… er, I wasn’t going to turn it down.”

You almost flinch at your mistake, hoping nobody else caught it.

“Anyway, I’m not looking to be friends with you guys or anything. I’m your stylist now. So we can be, like, all weird and stuff outside of work, but in this building I’m going to do my job, and you’re all going to have to let me.” You inhale deeply, trying to calm your nerves.

“Can I just say—” Sunghoon tries to speak, but your gaze snaps over to him and he shuts his mouth promptly.

“Uh-uh. I’m not done,” you say, standing up a little straighter. “Just so you know; I’ve worked my ass off to be here, and I’m not letting stuff from my past ruin that. This is my career, and I’m not who I was two years ago. Okay?”

“Understood,” Jungwon murmurs. Almost all of the boys nod in agreement. Almost all.

Riki clears his throat, standing up from his chair. He’s much bigger and taller than you remember, his frame having practically doubled. He doesn’t spare you a single glance, his dark eyes trained on the door.

“I have to go,” he mumbles lowly. There really is a lot that’s changed about him; you can barely recognize the timbre of his voice. You try to say something back; nothing comes out.

As Riki announces his departure, a heavy silence settles in the room. He pushes past you, avoiding eye contact, his footsteps echoing down the hallway. You feel a pang of something—confusion? Anger? Regret?—as he disappears from sight. The rest of the members exchange uncomfortable glances, unsure of what to say or do next.

You swallow roughly before deciding not to get too caught up on it. After all, you weren’t lying. This is something far more important than a failed relationship; it’s your career. Riki can be as immature about it as he wants to be.

Taking a deep breath, you force a smile and turn back to the group. 

“He didn’t start insulting me the second I walked in, so I’d call that a win,” you say. Jungwon snorts, and Sunoo flashes an apologetic smile as you smooth your hands over your jacket and move closer to the table. “Also, I know I gave that whole speech, but…I really do hope you guys don’t think this is weird.”

“It’s a little weird,” Sunghoon chirps. Jake elbows him in the side.

“It isn’t weird,” Jake corrects, casting a sideways glance at Sunghoon, who’s now rubbing at himself dramatically. “Promise we’ll make this as not weird as possible.”

The rest of the members—save for Sunghoon, of course—hum in agreement. The uncomfortable feeling in your throat eases just a little bit.

“Thanks, guys.”

You can only wonder what tomorrow will bring.

💭 A/N! so sorry abt the wait on this one!! they have finally met each other again omg...riki is emotionally constipated wbk but now the real #story begins!! pat urself on the back for making it this far friends

TAGLIST. @vousty @neos127 @junityy @aenify @en-ner-jay @laylasbunbunny @k1ttylvr @uolarie @en-gelic @mmygnolia @sol3chu @nikiswifiee @somaya2928282 @sleepyxxhead @chokichips @smuchsmut @camprock101 @heesw1fe @yourmyst4r @sugariricookies @13tter @limonadeistasty @heart4hees @illvding @heartheejake @nctrawberries @nyfwyeonjun @itsactuallylina @tall-girl-t @ramenoil @thenastone @laurradoesloveu @wonwootakemyheart @heeseungmyman @unhakki @randomanothercreature @rairaiblog @pkjay @jiyeons-closet @jakeyverse @d-dilemma @martinqqq @im-lovely-stfu @isoobie @natalunae @ksjluvrbot @tyunni @riksaes @xyzyx01 @i03jae @gweoriz @kkamismom12 (send an ask to be added!)

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[sunflowerrosewood]

Let Me Between Those Thick Thighs ~ Alastor

Author's Note: Since my other account @cheekyredwillow got deleted. I am adding some of my favorite fanfictions to this account and revamping this one with new ones. I hope to make an actual list of fandoms I am still a fan of! NO requests for the time being.

Warnings: This is a smutty story. Minors DNI. Read at your own risk. Reader is AFAB and plus size.

~~~

You have been dating Alastor for a couple months now. It was interesting how you two got together because it had to do with Charlie. Apparently Alastor had been harboring a crush on you since you arrived as a maid for the hotel. As silly as it sounds, you looked very soft and like you did not belong in Hell. It had to be one of those mistaken identities again. But when Alastor watched you pick a large demon over your shoulder and threw him down the stairs for making sexual comments, he realized that there was no mistake.

He had watched you from afar and loved every minute. Charlie knew how much Alastor liked you because he got drunk one night and began to delve into his desires to protect you, love you, and even have you under him. He bragged that having a plump stomach made you look soft yet strong. Your large ass was so full that he would love to squeeze it as he walked by. And he loved how the maid outfit showed the stretch marks on your body. Charlie made it her mission to get you two together because then you confessed how much you loved Alastor. 

You two got together after Charlie asked you to clean Alastor’s room. He was going on and on how to ask you out to Niffty as she was sitting and avidly listening. You had walked in when he said you would not love a man like him and you just had to confess. That’s how you two became a couple. 

But since you two have been together for going on three months, you two haven’t had a whole lot of time together. It was always him running the hotel while you were cleaning it. You never had to worry about unwanted guests as Alastor would usually torture them. But you two really wanted time together. 

You were thinking of how Alastor always promised when you were ready to worship your entire body. It always made your panties wet and sometimes you just had to walk around with them soaked. Alastor would always get off in his office just thinking about your large breasts and plump stomach bouncing as he pounded into you. 

It was also your 4th month anniversary in the next week and Charlie and Vaggie knew how much you two needed time off. So they gave you the next week off and told Alastor to take the next week off. Even with his stubborn attitude, he took time off. And as soon as Charlie gave you two time off, it came just as quick.

The only thing that began to bug your mind was the night of your anniversary was the next day. You were hoping to tell Alastor that you would like to have your first time with him but the little voice in the back of your mind said to not say anything. You are fat. Why would Alastor want your body? 

“Y/n? You ready for bed? Tomorrow is our anniversary.” Alastor said softly as he bent down to kiss your temple.

“How did I get so lucky?” You sighed as he squeezed your ass and caused you to gasp.

“You mean that the other way around. I’m one of the most vile demons in Hell and here you are loving me like a teddy bear.” He teased as he kissed your lips gently. 

You got into bed and Alastor immediately held you against him. His face was burrowed into your neck to breathe in your scent. Your mind still raced with the thought of Alastor not wanting to be sexually with you. You sighed and fell asleep. 

As you woke up the next day, you smelled fresh breakfast and noticed Alastor with a tray of food. He must have not woken up that long ago because his hair was standing on all ends. 

“Morning Love.” Alastor said in a deep voice. You felt a chill go down your spine.

“Morning Al.” You said lovingly as he sat down to eat with you.

The entire day was just you two staying in bed and talking about everything. Luckily television was a thing and you two could watch whatever shows you wanted to. As you two were laying in bed, you felt Alastor’s hand run under his oversized shirt you were wearing to rub your thick thighs. You blushed as Alastor began to pepper your neck with kisses. 

“Alastor.” You whimpered. 

“I won’t push you darling.” Alastor whispered against your neck. 

“Are you sure you want to be with me? Like sexually?” You asked as you felt something hard press against your ass. 

“I have been thinking about it for a while how much I wanted to make love to you.” Alastor growled in your ear and massaged your thigh. Wetness pooled into your panties as Alastor smirked. “And I can tell you have been thinking about it too.”

His hands began to go deep between your legs and you felt him tap your panties. He began to rub softly as his other hand was kneading your breast through his shirt. Your nipples perked through the shirt and you let out a moan.

“Tell me you don’t want this and I’ll stop. But if you do not say a word, I won’t be able to stop.” Alastor growled as you spread your legs.

“Please Al, have me.” You whimpered as Alastor’s lips met yours in a harsh kiss. It warmed your body up immediately. Alastor pulled you to him as your eyes widened.

“I’m too heavy!” You exclaimed as Alastor yanked you onto his lap. His hard cock pressed against your panties.

“Fuck I can’t wait to show you how much you mean to me.” Alastor growled as he nibbled down your neck. He nibbled until he found a soft spot just where your neck met your collarbone. His sharp teeth bit down and you let out a deep moan. The blood dribbled as Alastor lapped at your neck. He left a large bruise on your neck as he left more hickies down your neck.

Alastor was already unbuttoning your shirt and your large breasts dropped out. You saw Alastor lick his lips as his red eyes blew with lust. He pulled you forward from the middle of his chest down so he could suck and nibble on your breasts. You felt more of your cum coating your panties as he began to leave hickies on your breasts. 

“Al please.” You whimpered as he squeezed your thighs.

“I am going to love every part of your body and I will show you.” Alastor growled as he tugged your panties off. You whimpered at the cold air as Alastor pulled you to straddle his face.

“But Al-”

“If you say you’re heavy one more time. I will have you begging for release.” Alastor growled before pulling you down onto his mouth. “Now let me between these beautiful thighs.”

Before you could think twice, his tongue began lapping at your pussy. He held your thighs tight against his face as he drank your cum like a man who needs water. He laps at your clit as his long fingers delved into you. He began to thrust his fingers in and out of you.

“Oh Alastor!” You moaned as he began to use his sharp teeth to nip at your clit. You were squirming as you felt a tightness in your stomach. You began to hump his face looking for relief as his fingers curled to hit your g spot.

The dam broke as you let out a scream and came hard. Your cum dripped into Alastor’s mouth as he continued to lap all of your juices. You were squirming away as you were oversensitive. As Alastor pulled back, he pushed you down onto the bed and his hard chest met your breasts. He bent down and kissed every part of you. From your inner thighs, to your plump stomach, to your perky large breasts, to the soft lips of yours. You could taste yourself in the kiss as Alastor began to drop down his pants. You noticed his red and engorged cock drop out and precum leaked from the top. 

Before you could ask him to let you up so you could pleasure him, he slammed his cock into your pussy. You yelped as it was your first time and Alastor began to kiss your tears.

“I know it hurts love. Tell me when to move.” Alastor said as you were digging your nails into his back.

“Please move! God Alastor move.” You begged as you saw his smile turn into a smirk. 

“Never knew my girl was such a begger. I’ll have to do this more often.” Alastor said as he began to thrust. “But now, I want you.”

His thrusts began to speed up just so Alastor could watch your body bounce with his thrusts and your eyes roll back. He spent most of his time thrusting and kissing every part of his body. 

“You are so beautiful Y/n. You are bouncing so nice on my cock. I love watching your breasts and stomach bounce. I love you so damn much Y/n. Fuck you are so tight and warm around my cock. I can’t wait to cum in you.” Alastor growled. 

His thrusts got harder as you were trying to meet his thrusts. Another orgasm ripped through you and caused you to scream his name. You were babbling his name as he rubbed and scratched your body to leave his marks. Alastor was growling your name and other dirty words as he came. A flood of his seed gushed into you and filled you to the brim. Alastor’s thrusts got sloppy as he sighed. He leaned down to kiss you as he pulled out. 

“You look so divine dripping in my cum. I’ll give you a break for now but there will be more rounds.” Alastor said as he nipped your earlobe. 

You sighed as you felt his cum drip out of you and down your thighs. He continued to leave kisses down your neck as fingers were rubbing your clit softly. You whimpered as Alastor continued to kiss you.

“Shush my dear. I will satisfy you for this entire week.” Alastor growled in your ear before kissing the first hickey. 

That entire week you were left satisfied and unable to walk. Alastor usually brought food and water to bed or to take a bath. You two would have to ask another week off just for you to recover and to keep Alastor sedated. 

[chimcess]

Waterlog || pjm (4)

Pairing: Jimin x Reader Other tags: Olympic Swimmer!Jimin, Ex Olympic Swimmer! Reader, Swim Coach!Reader Genre: Strangers to Friends to Lovers!AU, Coach!AU, Swimming!AU, HEAVY Angst, Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, fluff, eventual smut, I'm so soft for these two it's crazy. Word Count: 11.8k+ Synopsis: After a car accident ends her athletic career, Y/N has slowly started rebuilding her life again as a high school swim coach. That’s until she gets a request from an old friend and finds herself back in the spotlight as the new coach of Olympic swimmer, Park Jimin. Warnings: ANGST, crying, mental health issues, talking about mental health, I'm so soft for them it's actually wild, best boyfriend Jimin, did I say angst????, past drug use, past alcohol addiction, past trauma talk, crying, anxiety, hand holding, touching as a love language, Jimin can't keep his hands to himself, he does try his best though, pining, sexual tension, banter, I love these two A/N: I know we're a couple of weeks late updating, but I've been very busy with moving so I haven't had the energy to write. I did a very quick edit, so this might not be perfect. I'm planning on coming back once I'm in my new place to do a full proofread. Hope you like the update!

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Hand clutching my phone, I sighed. All around me the airport buzzed with life. I had almost forgotten how hectic the Denver Airport was. A few feet away I saw a mother struggling to keep her children together while her husband scrolled on his phone. I must have made some sort of noise, subconsciously voicing my annoyance, because Jimin laughed.

“What’s going on, gran?” He teased, voice light. “See a couple of youngins on your lawn?”

I scoffed, tearing my eyes away from the family. “Just a shitty husband ignoring his children.”

He hissed, sucking in air through his teeth, “The worst kind of dude. Are you alright?”

Softening, I finally spotted my luggage on the conveyor belt. Twisting my torso, I did a light stretch and then quickly snatched the heavy bag up. “Not too anxious, right?”

He had been very worried about letting me come home for a visit. When I had originally brought it up he offered himself up for the job, but I was not a fan of that idea. My friends would definitely bring up our date and I did not want to deal with the awkwardness that would cause. Especially since we had yet to go on it. That would not matter to Hoseok, however, and the teasing would have been endless. Better to spare Jimin from their wrath for just a little while longer.

“I’m cool,” I replied, softening. “Just got my stuff from baggage claim. I’m going to let you go so I can call Andy.”

“Okay bug. See you in a few days.”

Harper had recently started calling me that, forgetting my real name and not caring enough to ask for it. Eloise had tried to scold her for it, but I told her I did not mind it. It caught on with Cameron not too long after that, and soon the entire Park family had started using the little nickname. Jimin thought it was adorable from the beginning but had only started using it after our talk the other night.

I laughed, “I’m going to call you tonight.”

“Aw,” I knew he had that stupid smile on his face. “Miss me that much?”

“Someone needs to make sure you’re staying out of trouble,” I replied, a confident pep in my step I had not had in years. “But yes, I do miss you.”

There was a pregnant pause. 

“I miss you too.”

I could feel my heart melting. I was still getting used to our new dynamic. On most days we were strictly business, and were able to set aside the very large, very apparent elephant in the room. It was not until we had finished with work that those roles dropped, and we were able to just be us. 

Ever since my confession in the car Jimin spoke a hell of a lot more. Apparently, he had a hard time keeping his feelings to himself and chose to talk a little less in order to avoid a slip up. He wanted to give us both a little bit of time to get to know one another before springing his crush on me.

“Going soft, kid?” Playing things off with humor was Jimin’s thing, but it had slowly started to rub off on me. “It’s only two days.”

“I know,” He pouted. “Call your friend. It’s cold and you’ll get sick.”

“Hey,” I cut the teasing tone I had, “You’re not upset I came here by myself, right?”

“No,” He chuckled with an unmistakable fondness. “I’m just messin’ with you. I’m not ready to meet your friends and you need some alone time. We’re good, I promise.”

I sighed in relief, “Okay. Good. I’m going to go now. Talk to you later?”

“Call me when you can,” He replied, voice light.

“Okay, bye.”

“Bye, bug.”

I was disappointed to hear the line go dead but knew I could aimlessly walk around this airport all day if given the chance, so long as he was there with me. Trying to get my thoughts back on track, I sent a text to Andy asking if she was here yet. If not, I was already making plans to call Jimin back.

Andy: I’m parked in 5 near C Gates

Andy: Be careful

Andy: Saw a lady almost get hit by a car just now

Me: See you in a sec

Me: Should I be worried?

I knew she was trying to make a joke, but car accident punchlines never went over all that well with me. Even if I knew the chances of that happening to me were almost zero, I really did not want to have a panic attack in the airport parking lot. 

Andy: Not at all. I’m so sorry for even saying anything. I can come meet you at the doors if you want.

Deep breath. In. Out. In. Out. Deep breath. In. Out. In. Out. Sigh of relief. I was fine. 

Me: I appreciate you

Me: Is babygirl here?

Dani would help the spike of anxiety dissipate. The girl was fearless and was sure to be distracting enough to keep me from paying attention to the oncoming traffic. I suddenly wished that Jimin was here. He always knew what to do.

Andy: Jin and I are weak

Andy: We let her play hooky

Bobbing and weaving through bodies, I tossed my phone into my purse and made my way out of the airport. The arrivals station was packed, and I would need to take the automated train to where Andrea was parked. It was my least favorite part about this airport, but it beat Dallas-Fort Worth by a landslide. I had gotten lost in that airport more times than I could count. 

Three minutes later I was getting out of the train and stepping into C Gates. I could smell Auntie Anne’s and felt my mouth begin to water. Checking my clock, I decided it would not hurt to make a quick spot for lunch. Andy would appreciate it and I knew Dani loved their pretzel dog. 

There was a little less traffic in C Gates. More of the expensive airlines let out here, and all you could see were business professionals pacing back and forth. A family on vacation bumped into me while I was waiting in line, and I almost gave up my spot when their toddler started screaming. 

“No, no,” His mother insisted, her hair a mess on the top of her head. “Between the girls and my mom, we’ll be here all day. Go ahead, sweetie.”

Two little girls danced around me as we waited, the line moving at a snail's pace due to the airport being understaffed. They asked me questions incessantly, and while their mother had tried her best to keep them in line, I told her I was fine with the extra attention. I loved kids and the girls were harmless. The boy in her arms kept repeating “pizza” and soon an elderly woman joined them. 

If the girls talked a lot, they had nothing on grandma. Not only did she never shut her mouth, she was loud and obnoxiously laughing every few seconds. The boy was quick to beg to be in her arms and mom got a break. She was back to attempting to corral the girls, but again they did not really listen. 

“They’re only like this when my mom’s around,” She sighed, frustrated and tired. “We’re meeting up with their father and they’re all a little restless.”

“It’s no bother,” I lied. The girls really were not that bad. Just a couple of four-year-olds having fun. The only person who was really getting on my nerves was her mother, but I was not about to say that. “Better to get it out now than in the car, right?”

She cracked a tired smile, “Right.”

Finally, it was my turn to order. The young girl behind the counter gave me an award-winning smile while another young blonde was in the back getting all of the orders out.

“Hi, welcome to Auntie Anne’s. How can I help you today?”

“Can I get one original pretzel, one cinnamon sugar pretzel, and a pretzel dog combo with a lemonade and cheese,” Glancing behind me, I sighed. “Throw in a pizza pretzel, two orders of pretzel nuggets, and whatever else the family behind me wants.”

She smiled, blue eyes twinkling prettily in the bright lights. Turning around I waved the mother over and told her to get something for her and her mother. She put up a small fight, but eventually gave in when she realized I had already put our orders together.

“Thank you so much,” I thought she might burst into tears when my card was approved. “You really didn’t need to do that.”

I shrugged, “It was nothing. Have a nice vacation.”

Walking to the pickup area, my order was already waiting for me. With nothing more than a simple wave, I left the dysfunctional family behind. The grandmother’s loud thank you seemed to echo off of the airport walls, but it was a little less grating now that I knew I would never hear it again. 

Andy threw herself at me when I finally made it outside, little Dani wrapping her arms around my legs with squeals of delight louder than her mother’s. Taking her pretzel, Andy gave me a fat, wet kiss on the cheek and told Dani she could eat in the car. 

“How’s gymnastics, girlie?” I asked the little girl once we were in the car. “Still kicking ass?”

“No,” She laughed. “I quit, like, forever ago. Appa put me in ballet classes.”

I gave Andy a look. The red head rolled her eyes, fixing me with a knowing look. I had been telling Jin to put her in dance for years.

“It’s been two weeks and she’s already trying to talk him into figure skating.”

“You’re a little hustler, huh?” I reached into the back, squeezing her knee. Dani giggled, angling her body away from mine. She was very ticklish. “Keep at it. You know your dad’s a sucker.”

Dani laughed, “My vovó says the same thing.”

We listened to Olivia Rodrigo on our way to the Kim house. Hoseok and Matilda had planned a huge coming back party for me, and from what it sounded like, I was going to meet Tilly’s new boyfriend. 

“Anything I need to know about Max?” I asked.

Andy was almost as in the dark about the guy as I was but was able to tell me he was a tattoo artist from California. The two of them met at Frank’s bookstore and by the end of their conversation Max had managed to get her out to dinner and in his bed. It was a whirlwind romance, one that made me feel uneasy about its foundation, but I was still obligated to be happy for my friend. They could be soulmates for all I knew, and I was not about to judge anybody else for their version of a first date.

“I don’t want to talk about tattoo guy anymore,” Andy whined playfully, turning up the radio when “Good 4 U” came on. “I need to know more about your little boyfriend.”

I groaned, “He’s not my boyfriend.”

This was why I was so adamant Jimin stayed away. We had yet to have a real talk about what we were, choosing to wait for our first date to iron out those details, but no one in my circle seemed to understand. All they heard was the word date and suddenly wedding bells started going off. 

“Stop deflecting. We both know he’s your boyfriend, official or not,” She laughed, stealing looks at her daughter in the rearview. “What’s he like?”

It was a hard question to answer. On the one hand, I felt like I knew him better than anybody else, but I was self aware enough to know I didn’t. His body language, the way he looked when he beat his best time, and all of his preferred gear were seared into my mind. The movies he liked, his favorite albums, and all of the best tv shows ever made. He went to college. He was the sweetest, kindest, most understanding person I had ever met, and yet… he still felt far away. The shadows that oftentimes clouded his vision were still a mystery to me, and when he came into practice with a lost look on his face, I felt helpless. I knew him and yet I didn’t.

“He’s quiet,” I finally landed on. “Very nice. Always willing to help other people out if he can. You’d like him.”

Andrea scoffed, “That’s it? The first guy you’ve dated in years and all you can tell me is I’d like him?”

“We’re still getting to know each other,” I sighed. “What do you want to know?”

We spent the rest of the car ride going over the last two months' worth of pining. I told her about Fiona, Jimin’s family, and all of my new friends. She almost pissed herself laughing when I told her about the night he asked me out, making so many Hoseok and Tilly jokes I had a difficult time focusing on the story. Andrea seemed to be finished with her interrogation when we pulled up at her house. 

Dani ran to the front door, her excitement about the party making any discomfort I had disappear. It was hard to feel uncomfortable with her around. Taking my hand in hers, the little girl shifted her weight from foot to foot, shouting at her mom to hurry up, and opening the front door anyway. Andy told her to calm down, and I just chuckled and went along with it.

The living room was filled with all of my favorite people, a large ‘welcome home’ sign hanging on the large, backwall. Underneath it was a huge table covered in food, a cake in the middle of it, and I had a feeling Sarah made it. Both her and Frank were the first people to notice me, their faces lighting up, and I let go of Dani’s hand in favor of embracing the elderly couple. The rest of the party comers erupted their voices loud and filled with love as they took turns passing me around. 

“Missed you, Otter,” Hoseok murmured in the crook of my neck, hands secured around my waist.

“Missed you more,” I replied, releasing him and catching Tilly. “Jeez, girl. Trying to kill me?”

“Come meet Max,” She replied, dragging me away from Hoseok.

Max was a tall, lanky guy with black hair that fell down his back. His clothes were on the baggier side, all black, and I recognized the band on his t-shirt from the shit Matilda liked to listen to in the car. He smiled at me, and I was surprised to see him rocking adult braces. He introduced himself, his voice deep and warm, and shook my hand. They were baby soft and covered in tattoos. 

“It’s great to see you,” I replied, genuinely meaning it. If I had to picture a guy more perfect for Tilly, I would come up empty handed. “Thanks for coming.”

He flushed, impossibly pale skin turning a bright shade of red reminding me of Jimin. 

“Anything for Mattie,” He replied.

Huh, he had his own nickname for her and everything. I would need to hang out with Max more before I could say if I liked him or not, but so far, I had a good feeling. Andrea’s worries seemed a bit silly now. They really liked each other, and Tilly’s heartbreaking, dimpled smile made me feel more confident in her partner. They would be just fine. 

The party was fun, and I ate more spinach and artichoke dip than was healthy. Hoseok and I talked about my afterschool visit tomorrow. The boys had a swim meet Saturday and the two of us were hoping we could tag team in order to iron out any issues they had been having. I was being placed in charge of the freshmen while Hoseok made sure the other kids were feeling confident and ready for the meet.

"Let's party!" Frank boomed, lifting a beer into the air.

I laughed, "Be careful, old timer. Don't want you to hurt yourself."

I thought of Jimin again. That sounded like something he would say. Surrounded by the people I loved, I laughed hard and partied harder. The plates of food came one right after the other, and I was happy that I still had a place here. Falling back into my step, I fit seamlessly back into the fold.

"Dance with me," Hoseok demanded, tipsy and red-faced.

"It's your toes," I replied, taking his head and letting him take the lead.

The other couples were already dancing and hooped and hollered as I awkwardly followed the steps. I was not always a bad dancer but lost some of my rhythm in the accident. Hoseok never minded and let me step on his feet without a single complaint.

"You look happy," He commented, spinning me around.

I smiled, "I am."

He smiled back, wincing when I stomped down on his toes again. I apologized, but he just held my hand a little tighter and kept moving. I hummed along to the song, filled with joy. He spun me again, and finally let me go when I slammed into Jin.

"Go get some cake or something," He laughed. "You're too dangerous to be out here."

I rolled my eyes, "I tried to tell you. It's your fault you don't listen."

"Don't need you anyway. I have enough swag for the both of us."

I watched, thoroughly amused from the sidelines, as he moon-walked around the living room.

I left just before midnight after staying behind to help Andy and Jin clean up. The others left a few hours before to get back to Denver at a decent time. My house looked the same as always, dark and empty, but I could tell the landscapers had been around. The grass was recently cut and edged.

The silence inside was deafening. I had always known my place was too big for one person, but after spending so much time in my little she-shed at the Andersons’ house, everything here just felt excessive. Tossing my keys in the bowl beside the door, I wiped my eyes and decided to just head to bed. I would only be here for three days. I would be back in Saline before I knew it.

Dragging my body upstairs, this sudden depression-filled fatigue made my shoulders feel ten times heavier. A chilling, almost insidious, hollowness began to spread across my body. I knew this feeling all too well and it made me feel pathetic. Could I not be on my own anymore? Had I really grown that attached to my life in Michigan? Finally getting into my bedroom, I realized that I had.

Saline was perfect. Living in Colorado Springs has always bothered me. The people here held more traditional values and making friends was difficult. I had Andy and Jin, but they were both very busy people. Andrea was a full-time nurse, Jin’s schedule was somehow even more erratic than his wife’s, and when they were off, they wanted to spend time with Dani. I was lucky if I saw them once every two weeks. 

Hoseok, Tilly, and Minho all lived in Denver, and while I saw them more often due to the meetings with Frank and Sarah dragging me into the city, it was not like we hung out every time I was out there. Days would go by with me speaking at all, and most of my weekends were spent in bed sleeping. Working at the school helped, but I would never claim anyone from the swim team to be a friend. I was not in the habit of befriending children.

Living in Saline was different. Jimin was always there to make me laugh, and when he wasn’t, I had people like Taehyung and Sam to keep me company. Giselle was young, but we got along so well I often forgot about the difference in age between the two of us. Megan and Yoongi were Michigan’s own version of Andy and Jin, and I could see myself becoming good friends with them given enough time. No one had kids, no one was too busy trying to keep up with crazy expenses, and I could find a little house away from the rest of the world to spend my life in.

I thought of the Parks, a family who I had come to love more than I thought was possible, and the Andersons who took me in and always tried to make me feel comfortable. Eloise and her kindness. Luna and Cameron. All of them. I loved and adored every single one of them, and it was then that I finally let myself really think about what I wanted.

Did I want to come back here after I was finished with the season? Did I really want this massive house if it meant I had no one to share it with? No, I decided. Stripping out of my clothes, the numbness was being replaced with a different strange feeling. It felt suspiciously like hope. Excitement came to me so rarely it was foreign and odd, but nice all the same. Jittery, I took my phone out of my pants pocket.

“Hello?” Jimin’s voice was scratchy when he finally picked up.

“Sorry,” I muttered. “Did I wake you up?”

“Yes, but it’s okay,” I could hear him shuffling around in his bed. “Did you have fun?”

“Yeah,” I breathed, climbing into bed. Then, without thinking, I blurted, “I think I want to move to Michigan.”

I held my breath as I waited for his response. There was no telling how this conversation would go, but I was hopeful. Even if this whole date thing did not go very well, I was positive that we would be able to move past it with a little bit of time. We worked well together and if he was comfortable with it then we could continue working together. Regardless, there was always coaching at a school.

“Like, permanently?”

I nodded but after a moment of silence remembered he could not see me.

“Yeah.”

My stomach started to churn. As the silence on the other end began to stretch, the excitement I felt before faded. Even if I said Jimin and I could get past a potentially awkward break up of sorts, I would not pretend that the thought did not make me physically ill. We would never be the same if that happened. It would be something to think about if it came to pass before the Olympics was over.

“Did something happen?” He finally asked, and I could hear the genuine worry in his tone. “Are you okay?”

The fear shifted to hurt, irritation, and anger, making my eyebrows knit together.

“I’m fine,” I could not keep the bite from my voice. It was petty and wrong of me, but his insinuation that I was not in my right mind was insulting. It made me feel like a child. “Just- forget I said anything. I don’t know what I’m even talking about.”

“Don’t do that,” His steady calmness made me even angrier. “I’m only asking you because it came out of the blue, not because I’m not happy with the idea.”

Now I just felt silly. Here I was making these small revelations, waking him up from his sleep, and then getting snippy because he did not respond the way I had wanted him to. Ugh, I wasn’t even his girlfriend yet and I’m acting like Darcy. A shiver went down my spine. That was an insult above all others.

“I’m sorry,” I murmured, the attitude from a few seconds before gone as quickly as it came. “I got defensive for no reason. Sorry.”

He chuckled, the sound barely audible over the phone.

“I forgive you. Now, why do you want to pack your life up for good?”

That made me laugh. It was a sad, pitiful sound. One that did not hold my usual spunk. One I don’t think Jimin had ever heard before. It was impossible to feel sad when he was around.

“I forgot how quiet my house is,” I admitted softly. “I love my friends, but I think coming back just reminded me of how easily I was able to fall back into the routine of it all. Jin and Andy are parents, Tilly has a new boyfriend, and Hoseok and Minho are always so busy with their own lives that I don’t see any of them as often as I would like to.”

Turning on my side, I blinked back a few tears.

“It might sound stupid, but I really do love Saline. I like how busy I am and all of my friends. I bought this place with the hopes of kids and a dog one day, but I don’t think that’ll ever happen, and now it’s just rooms collecting dust. I just-” I let a tear fall, my emotions starting to bubble over. “I don’t like how lonely it feels out here.”

“Doesn’t sound like you like it there. Have you always felt like this?” He asked.

I shook my head, the tears free falling in between sniffles and shaky breaths.

“Not always. Ever since Namjoon died things have been weird. There was a point when I felt suffocated because no one would leave me alone, and then one day everything resumed, and I just got left behind. It was like I woke up and two years just passed me by.”

Jimin comforted me while I cried, telling me how much he hated to hear me so upset, while I worked on calming down. There had been a time in my life when I was not so emotional, but therapy had opened up a whole new side of myself I didn't know existed. Rubbing my face, I sniffled and sank deeper into my mattress. For now, the waterworks had stopped.

“You were recovering,” He soothed. “Your body needed time to heal, and you were traumatized. I don’t think anyone can blame you for zoning out for a bit.”

I hummed, “I know. Doesn’t make it easier to swallow.”

“I know how you feel. When I pulled out of the Olympics last time there was a part of me that felt like a huge failure, but my dad was there to help get my head back on straight. He doesn’t seem like it, but he’s a really great shoulder to cry on.”

“That doesn’t surprise me,” My voice was like sandpaper. “James is the sweetest person I’ve ever met.”

I felt heavy. Worn. Used. My eyes begged for me to shut them, but we were just getting back into safer waters, and I didn’t want to burst the bubble. I yawned, covering my mouth and hoping Jimin could not hear the sound. He had gone quiet.

“Can I ask you something?” Jimin’s voice broke through the comfortable silence that had formed around us. “You don’t have to say anything.”

“Shoot,” I forced myself to smile.

“What happened to Namjoon?”

I closed my eyes. This was something I knew would come up sooner or later. My lip wobbled uncontrollably as the second wave of tears crashed over me. I hated talking about this, but I knew it was going to come up sooner or later. Jimin deserved the truth, and honestly, I wanted to tell him. Being vulnerable with someone felt good. Being vulnerable with Jimin was divine. He was always so ready and willing to go along with things, listening and watching my every move, and trying his best to understand me. It was refreshing. It was nice. It was familiar.

“Was he in the accident with you?” He asked and his voice was so, so gentle. 

“Yeah,” I croaked, finally finding my voice. “I went out with some of my friends and got pretty drunk. I was tired and ready to go home, but my ride didn’t want to go home yet. So, I called Joon.”

I sucked in a deep, loud breath. Jimin told me I could stop, that I didn’t owe him anything, but I ignored him. This wasn’t about owing him. This was about letting the guy I liked get to know me. This story was a part of who I was, as fucked up as that may sound, and I wanted him to get to know this facet of my life as deeply as he knew the present day one. 

“Anyway,” I continued. “He offered to come and pick me up. Twenty minutes later I’m getting into his car and we’re on our way home. We’d just gotten engaged and bought our first house together- things were perfect. I had never been happier.

“We ended up taking the long way home because of an accident on the interstate. It was my idea, and Namjoon had a knack for going along with whatever I wanted. We were only two minutes away from the house when we got hit.”

I took a few deep breaths and wiped my face. Jimin was quiet on the other end. After a minute or two, I jumped back into the story.

“There was a four-way intersection around the corner from our place. Our light was green when we drove up. I don't think he thought to check if there was another car coming. He never even saw the truck. He, uh, died on impact.”

“Jesus,” Jimin breathed.

“The other guy was drunk as hell behind the wheel. Not paying attention. Funny thing is, he was the only person who didn’t get critically injured. Just a broken arm and a concussion. He wrapped our car around a light pole. My leg was pinned between the car and the light, and the airbag is what caused the brain injury.”

Jimin cursed under his breath, “I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry that happened to you.”

“Yeah,” I gritted out. “Me too.”

He let me cry for a little while, saying over and over again how sorry he was and how he wished he was in Colorado with me. I did not have anything to say to him. It felt like my chest had been ripped open and my heart was on full display. 

I never questioned how quickly we went from barely talking, to joking around, to sitting up late at night on the phone talking about life. It just happened. Clutching my phone in my hand, I let out a deep breath and held back any more tears from falling. I never said it, but I wished he was here, too.

“Hey,” His voice was gentle when he spoke, so fragile and sweet, that I had to force down the sobs threatening to come out. “I just want to say I’m sorry for how I reacted earlier. You wanting to move here is probably the best thing I’ve heard all fucking year, but I just didn’t want to sway your decision.”

Sniffling, I tried to tell him I wasn’t upset, but he shut me down almost immediately.

“Let me finish,” His voice did not leave room for argument. “I know I don’t act like I’m insecure, but I am. I can be selfish and self-centered, and I’ve always had to really work on those parts of myself.”

“I don’t understand what that has to do with anything,” I mumbled, curling into a ball beneath my blankets. 

“Like I said, I can be a very selfish person,” He sighed. “There was this part of my brain just wanting to hear you say you were coming here and staying with me for forever. I didn’t want that to take over the narrative. And- no offense, but if you did move all the way out here just to date me, I think I’d be a little creeped out honestly.”

I snorted. Hearing that he felt the need to explain any of that to me felt like a small win, even if it did make an alarm go off in my head. It took courage to be that open and honest with another person, especially someone who just cried their eyes out. His compassion and understanding never failed to amaze me, and I was grateful he trusted me enough to let me into his mind for once. Still, it did not make the creep comment any less funny.

“Don’t laugh,” He whined, unable to stop himself from chuckling. “I’m being serious.”

“So do you want me to be a creepy stalker or not?” I joked, hoping to lighten up the mood. “Make up your mind, kid.”

“I think I just want you to be yourself,” I melted. “That’s been working out just fine so far. I mean, if you are a creepy stalker, you managed to get me to like you.”

“Mission accomplished,” I breathed, still reeling from his sweet words. “You better watch out, 007. There’s a new spy in town.”

“So, I’m Bond and you’re Joe Goldburg?”

“Exactly,” My cheeks hurt from how much I was smiling. “Penn Badgley would be a decent James Bond. He was really great in Margin Call.”

I bit my lip, trying to suppress my smile.

“Holy shit, you actually watched it?”

Margin Call was one of Jimin's favorite movies from 2011. He kept a very large notebook filled with all of the movies he’s ever seen, along with ratings, and if he should ever watch them again. He went through it one day and came across the action film, rewatched it, and then spent most of the day talking my ear off about how great it is. 

“Someone I know was very passionate about it, and it managed to pique my curiosity.”

Jimin sighed, but I could not tell what emotion was behind it. Definitely was not anger or frustration. Not sadness either. 

 “What time are you getting back on Sunday?” He asked, and I could definitely hear the affectionate tone his voice had taken on.

“Um,” I thought about it for a moment. “Six, I think.”

“PM?” 

“Yeah,” I curled up under my blankets. It was beginning to get really cold inside, but I did not want to get up to turn the heat on. “I have to double check my flight times, but I know it’s somewhere around there. Why? What’s up?”

“I know we already made plans for next week, but I was thinking I could pick you up from the airport and we could go out.”

My face grew hot, “I don’t think I’ll be dressed for a date.”

“You always look great,” He assured me.

I laughed, nervous and embarrassed, “Thanks.”

We had originally planned our first date to be the weekend after I got back. Jimin was adamant about giving me an experience, and I had been more than happy to indulge him a little. He was just so cute when he got excited. We were running on a limited timeline right now, though, since he had an upcoming swimming fundraiser with Swim Across America in Allendale. The team was raising money for cancer research, and I was very excited to be there to show my support.

Moving the date up meant we would have less to do next weekend, unless Jimin still wanted to keep our plans in place, but it meant we could focus on the fundraiser instead of trying to juggle a date at the same time. 

“I hate to go, but I’m really tired,” Jimin yawned. Pulling my phone away from my ear I was startled by how late it was. “I’ll text you in the morning, okay?”

I apologized for keeping him up so late. “Promise I won’t do it again.”

He hummed, already beginning to fall asleep, “Don’t mind. You’re always welcome to bother me in the middle of the night.”

“Night Jimin,” I whispered, blood pumping.

“Night bug.”

There was one thing I missed about Colorado- how quickly the snow melted. Michigan was seeing more snow as each day went by, but here in the mountains they would not start seeing the worst of it until the spring. For the first time in a month, I was able to forgo my large, puffy jacket in favor of a long sleeve and jeans. Jimin found my excitement over this endearing, sending a slew of heart-eye emojis in response to the mirror photo I sent him.

It was almost the end of the day when I pulled into the high school parking lot. The entire front office erupted in excitement when I walked through the front doors, hugs and well wishes overwhelming me. Sandra, the receptionist, could have talked all day if I let her, and after signing in, I politely told them all I needed to meet up with Coach Jung. I lied about stopping by on my way out and only felt a little bad about it. They were way too much for me.

“They’re going to be so excited to see you,” Hoseok mumbled, a smile stretching across his face as loud teenage boys got closer and closer to the pool house. 

“I’m happy to see them, too,” I replied. “Should we wait until they change to make the grand reveal?”

He shook his head. “Would you rather hug now or when they’re in speedos.”

I shivered, disgusted by the mental image.

“Thanks for putting that in my head, you sick fuck.”

Choking on his spit, Hoseok bent over, laughing so hard he started to screech. His laughter reminded me of a ghost's wail and was contagious. We were both so wrapped up in our little bubble we did not notice the doors opening.

“Coach?”

Wiping my cheeks, I caught my breath and made eye contact with Jordan. Baby blue eyes widened while a large, dimple smile overtook his face. Behind him, Gabriel announced that I was here, and the room was filled with excitement. I was not much of a hugger, but I was happy to greet each boy with one. Gabriel hadn’t stopped speaking since catching sight of me and had a few accidental slip ups about how much he disliked Coach Jung.

Hoseok had alluded to that being their main issue right now. The boys were having a hard time adjusting to a new face and missed me dearly. To his credit, Hoseok admitted that he was still getting used to the coaching thing and made a couple mistakes his first few days here. He had made it a point to apologize to them for being a dick, but the teens hadn’t forgotten or forgiven him for his snappy attitude. Especially the two oldest.

“When are you coming back?” Marcus asked. 

I smiled sadly, “I’ll be out for the rest of the year.” The tall boy deflated, sending a nasty look Hoseok’s way. “But,” I was quick to fix my mistake, “I’m planning on making trips to assist Coach Jung throughout the year. I wanted to be here for your last meet, but something came up.”

That something had been Jimin’s birthday, and I was not going to risk missing his party.

Regardless, Marcus and the team were very happy to hear they would be seeing me. 

“I promise I’ll be here for graduation, too,” I added.

Gabriel offered to give me one of his tickets and I gratefully accepted the extended offer. We stood there and talked for at least fifteen minutes before I finally told them to get changed and into the water. Without protest, all twelve of them went to the locker room.

“You know,” Hoseok chuckled. “You're going to have to teach me how you manage to do that.”

“Cinnamon buns from Mountain Shadows,” I put on my whistle and grabbed my clipboard from my duffel bag. “They’ll be eating out of your hand in no time.”

The team was glowing. Jordan stood in the middle of the boys, a large smile on his face, as he praised them for giving the meet their best effort. Having another win under their belt, all of them were buzzing with excitement at a chance at nationals. They only needed to win three more competitions to qualify. 

For the first time since I arrived, the icy contempt they held for Hoseok seemed to thaw. It brought a smile to my face. If I did not come back next year, I had a feeling the boys would be getting along much better. 

“What’s for dinner?” Marcus asked, looking at me for an answer.

“Coach said something about burgers,” I replied, gesturing towards Hoseok. “You should ask him though. I could be wrong.”

Gabriel chimed in, “Yeah, we’re going to Bingo.”

My mouth watered. Bingo Burger was one of the best spots in town. Their fries were hot and crispy, and I loved their shakes. Mulling over my options for dinner, I always found myself stuck between the Gone Shroomin’ Burger and the Happy Hippie. For a vegan burger, that thing was really fucking good. Then again, a thick, juicy beef patty smothered in bacon, cheese, and mushrooms would hit the spot. Indecisive and bored, I fiddled around with my phone and somehow ended up texting Jimin.

Me: Gone Shroomin’ or Happy Hippie?

The noise on the bus was just in the background now and easy to tune out. Hoseok was laughing loudly with the freshmen while the two seniors were in a quiet conversation in the seat in front of me. Marcus and his girlfriend broke up recently. I stopped paying attention once my phone vibrated.

Jimin: No idea what that means

Jimin: Gone Shroomin I guess

I bit my lip, suppressing a smile.

Me: We’re going for celebration burgers

Me: The boys won and Hobi is treating them since we’re out in Pueblo and not getting back to the Springs until after dinner.

Jimin: Speaking of food… I was thinking we could get some BBQ on Sunday

“Y/N!” Hoseok called, making me look up from my phone. “Tell your boyfriend you’ll call him later.”

“We need you to be the tiebreaker,” Twig chirped.

“What for?” I sighed, glancing down at my screen.

Jimin: Have you been to Union Rec yet? It’s BBQ and a taqueria

Me: No but I’m always down for a burrito

“Do mermaids have gills?” Twig asked.

Fully pulled out of my phone, I flipped it around and gave the boys my undivided attention. 

“Of course not. They’re mammals, so it would be a blowhole.”

Hoseok clapped his hands, “Thank you! That’s exactly what I said.”

Sliding further down in the booth, I closed my eyes and drowned them out again. Colorado’s air was so dry and crisp I was having to get used to the altitude change. I missed how wet and cold Michigan was. Smiling to myself, I remembered how much I hated it when I first landed. So much has changed…

Shuffling, I made myself more comfortable. We were only thirty minutes out from the Springs now, and we would be at Bingos right on time for Hoseok’s reservations. Feeling myself growing tired, I sunk even further into the booth. Eyes heavy, I let them slip closed, and slept for the rest of the bus ride.

Standing in front of my bathroom mirror, I smoothed down my skirt for the millionth time. The gray sweater I had thrown on seemed too casual now that I was looking at myself, but I did not know what else to do. It was a laundry day, but when I went to put my clothes in the dryer it refused to turn on. Violet said they needed a new one anyway, but that did little to improve my mood. The pretty red dress I wanted to wear was soaking wet and hanging from the shower rod to dry. I played with the skin on my lip, willing the black and gray outfit to somehow look nicer. On the other side of the phone, Andy sighed.

“You look fine,” She insisted, running her hand through her auburn hair. “Do a cute hairstyle and put on a nice pair of earrings, and you’ll be golden.”

“You don’t think it’s too plain?” I had asked her this five times now, and each time I got that same reply. “I mean, do I look like I’m going to a funeral?”

“The guy has seen you in sweats and no makeup and still wanted to take you out. Do you honestly think he cares about the color of your outfit?”

She had a point. Finally deciding to cave in and give up on my obsession, I took her advice to do something with my hair. A few of the strands were beginning to look silver, and my sideburns were looking paler every day, but after Hoseok told me he was starting to see a few grays, I decided to leave them be. If we were both going to be silver foxes, I liked the idea of doing it together.

“Are you wearing heels?”

“No,” I shook my head. I picked my phone up and went to my bedroom to find a pair of earrings. “It’s too icy. Silver or gold?”

She thought about it for a second, her face scrunched up cutely. 

“Silver.”

I landed on some thick, gun-metal hoops. They matched the color of the sweater perfectly and did not take away from my face too much. I had spent too much time on looking this nice to have an accessory dominate. Andy was happy with my choice.

I had gotten back a little earlier than I originally thought I would, and asked Jimin if it was okay that I meant him at the restaurant out here instead of making him drive all the way to Detroit to pick me up. He had put up a bit of a fight about it but relented when I said I was hoping we could hang out at his house after dinner. I said I wanted to get myself home, but I was really trying to see how bad the drive was from his place to mine. The thought of spending more time in his space made me feel like a teenage girl.

“How’s ballet going?” I slipped on a pair of black tights. It was freezing outside, and I wanted to have as many layers on as possible. “Has Dani made any progress in getting her figure skating career started?”

Andrea laughed but said that her daughter was getting closer to her goal every day. Jin was weak and did anything the little girl wanted if he could. This was the only issue they were both bull-headed about. Jin wanted to teach her to be responsible and follow through on things, and Dani was tired of preparing for figure skating. She wanted to be on the ice and her dad was afraid of pushing her too far too young. I was most definitely a team Dani instigator, and it was a point of contention between Seokjin and I.

“What did you think of Max?”

I smiled. That boy was definitely a character. The gang and I had a nice dinner before I left Colorado, and Tilly brought along Mr. Tattoo guy. He was quiet and when he did talk, he always had something completely random and out of the blue to say. He fascinated me and when everyone started huddling in their own groups to chat, I turned most of my attention to the new guy. 

He was a sweetheart, and it was a nice change of pace getting to know him. He hated being called Peter (his first name), went to college for nuclear engineering, and became a tattoo artist on a whim. A buddy of his wanted a new piece, paid Max to draw it, and trusted the guy with a tattoo gun. He was an apprentice in San Francisco for three years before moving to Denver to open up his own shop. For all of his eccentricity, he was very successful and down to Earth.

“He’s good for her,” I finally replied, zipping up my Doc Martens, I checked the time. I would have to leave soon. “I’m just happy there’s no drama between her and Hobi.”

It had been a year since they officially broke up, but I knew they fell into bed with one another a handful of times since then. Hoseok and I had talked about their weird relationship on one too many drunken nights, the swimmer the only person able I liked enough to force a glass of whiskey down. Tilly knew that I knew and would vent to me sometimes. They loved each other, knew one another better than anybody else, and it was easy to fall back into each other since we were in the same circle.

 I doubted Andy knew anything about that, we tried our best to keep her out of the loop, but she always said that they still had lingering feelings. I hoped Hoseok was handling this news well. He seemed fine, happy even, so I just rolled with it. If he had a problem, I was sure I would have heard about it by now.

“Speaking of Hoseok,” The humorous tone in Andy’s voice caught my full attention. “Apparently, Jin saw him at The Rabbit Hole with some blonde girl before you got into town. He just remembered to tell me last night.”

This was news to me. Wracking my brain, I tried to figure out if he had brought up a date, or even a person he might be interested in, but nothing came up. Shrugging, I let it go. It was probably just some girl he picked up at the bar. Still, that would be an expensive date.

“He hasn’t told me anything about that,” I murmured.

“Might be why he’s not bothered by new boyfriend.”

I laughed, “Or it could be that they’ve moved on.”

“Oh, please,” She pulled a face, eyes rolling to the back of her head. “We all know that’s not true. At least, not until recently.”

“Regardless,” I sighed, grabbing my purse and walking out of the front door. “It’s none of our business. If they’re happy that’s all that matters.”

Andy raspberried, “Boo. I hate it when you’re all mature and adult-like.”

“And right,” I joked. “Don’t forget about that part.”

Locking up my little house, I made my way through the Anderson’s. Violet was watching the Golden Girls on the couch while Calvin was reading a book beside her. It was a sweet scene that made me smile. I wanted what they had. 

I gave them a smile and wave as I passed by. Violet returned it in full, her eyes kind and gentle, before going back to her show. Calvin put his book down and asked what time I was planning on coming back. He wanted to keep an eye out for my car.

“Around midnight,” I replied, moving my phone away from my mouth. Andrea was rambling about the new doctor on staff. I trusted her disdain enough to know he was a huge dick. “See you two tomorrow.”

“Be safe out there,” He replied, going back to his copy of The Catcher and the Rye.

Andy and I were on the phone for the entire car ride into Ann Arbor. I enjoyed hearing her voice, the small distraction welcome when I felt my anxiety spike. Thankfully it was a Sunday night, and the streets were somewhat empty.

Once I got into the downtown area, I drowned out her voice completely. Andrea never minded. She just kept talking like I hadn’t stepped out of whatever conversation we were just having. Never got mad when I kept asking her to repeat herself either. She was a wonderful friend to me, and I was grateful to have her in my life. If I moved to Saline, she would be the person I missed the most.

I still hadn’t talked to anyone else about the possibility of moving. I was not sure how they would react, and I needed to have my mind made up before giving any of them the news. While I knew Andy and Jin would be supportive, and Tilly and Minho wouldn’t really care all that much (it just gave them an excuse to vacation in Michigan), it was Hoseok I was most on the fence about.

With him it could go either way. He would either be really happy and supportive or call me crazy. It came from a place of love, and I respected his opinion more than any of the others, so I had to be completely sure of myself before getting into something like that with him. If he thought for a second I was rushing into things he would go into overprotective, big brother mode and kill all of my excitement. He might even be able to change my mind if he fought hard enough. 

Pulling up to the restaurant, I was impressed by the sheer size of it. One half looked like an old warehouse while the other half was a small, white bricked building. A red neon sign glowed in the night and a large party was hanging out outside of the building. I could see Jimin in their little group and smiled. He was a very popular man in this area and was able to make new friends wherever he went. If I had to guess, he knew someone and is now best friends with all of them.

“Hey, I just got to the restaurant. I’m going to let you go.”

“Okay, baby,” Andy replied. “Have fun. Talk to you later.”

“Text you when I get home,” I replied. 

Andy was as hypervigilant about getting texts as I was. She was on staff at the hospital when Namjoon and I first arrived. I can’t remember anything from that night after getting in Joon’s car, but when Jin and I spoke about it he said Andy was one of the nurses having to help triage me. She had to be physically pulled away from my body once the doctors found out about our connection, but the image of my body that night is burned into her mind. She was the person who took care of me the most upon release and quit her job at the hospital for a little while in order to make sure I was well taken care of. Calls and texts were just our thing now and I always felt horrible for being part of such a traumatic event for her.

“Love you,” She said.

“Love you too,” I replied, hanging up.

Getting out of my car, I locked the doors and made my way over to Jimin. He caught sight of me before I reached the small group and broke out into a huge, heart stopping smile. Unable to stop myself, I smiled back and waved awkwardly. He said something to the group before meeting me halfway. 

“Hey, you,” He said, wrapping his arms around me. “You look really pretty.”

I laughed nervously, squeezing his waist. “Thanks. I tried my best.”

Pulling away, I was able to admire him a bit better. He was wearing light jeans tonight, a rarity as he preferred sweatpants and slacks, and a black t-shirt. A leather jacket was a staple in his wardrobe, and he always said they kept him warm enough. I never believed him. As always, everything was a tight fit and showed off his body perfectly. 

“You don’t look too bad yourself,” I said once my appraisal was finished. “Nice boots. Where’d you get them?”

He looked down at the black, Chelsea boots and shrugged, “Nordstrom, I think. Taehyung got them for me a few Christmases ago.”

Of course he did.

“Let’s go inside. I’m cold.”

Jimin laughed, “My apologies, ma’am.”

The restaurant was packed, but Jimin had arrived thirty minutes early to get us on their waitlist, so I only had to wait five minutes for our table to be ready. Jimin brushed off the gesture as first date etiquette, but I knew better. The kid was late to everything and yet he got here early so I wouldn’t have to stand outside in the cold. It almost made me reach out and hold his hand, but my nerves got the best of me. We were at our table before I could gather up some courage, leaving a disappointed, bitter taste in my mouth.

“I’m feeling Disco Fries as an app. You?”

Searching the menu for them, I nodded. “That sounds really good.”

We were quiet for a few minutes as we decided on what we wanted. The menu here was rather large, filled with Mexican foods and copious BBQ items. Having never been here before I had no clue what was good and what hasn’t, but from how many people were here I had to assume nothing was bad.

“Know what you want?” Jimin asked, breaking the silence.

I shook my head, “No idea. What about you?”

“I get the same thing every time I come,” He laughed. “The Korean BBQ Burger is really fucking good. I also like the enchiladas.”

Finding both items, my mouth watered. Everything sounded amazing, but I wanted to get a little out of my comfort zone. I just had burgers yesterday, so I was not feeling that. Maybe BBQ? Looking at the options, I shook my head. I could not eat a half pound of anything. Biting the dry skin on my lips, my brain felt like it was working on overdrive. Too many options.

“Welcome to Union Rec,” I jumped a little, startled. “I’m Annie and I’ll be your server tonight.”

My eyes locked with a pair of baby blues, and I immediately recognized her. She was the brunette from the bar a couple of months ago. Eyes sliding from me, she landed on Jimin and the bored expression on her face morphed into one of pure bliss. I did not understand why she had given me that nasty look back then, but it was much clearer to me now. She had a thing for Jimin. Remembering she had a boyfriend, one she screamed at over the phone, it made me feel nauseous. Poor Tom.

“Oh my gosh, Christian. What are you doing here?” She asked, sneaking a look at me.

“Got a hot date,” He replied cheekily, gesturing his hand my way. “You remember Y/N, right?”

She gave me one of those tight-lipped, fake smiles. I returned the favor. I was not really jealous per say, Jimin’s declaration making any possibility of that disappear, but I did not appreciate anyone trying to make me feel small. I was a gold medalist. I was a fucking Olympian. Whoever the hell this chick thought she was, I would make sure she never thought for a second she got under my skin. 

“Yeah, we met at Brecon’s,” Annie replied, completely ignoring me. “Thought she was your coach.”

Jimin either did not catch the insult or he was choosing to ignore it. His smile was still just as pleasant as it was when we first sat down. I envied his ability to keep his emotions so controlled. I knew I must have been glaring at the poor girl.

“She is,” He shrugged. “Doesn’t mean she’s not my girlfriend. Are you taking our order or…?”

Annie spluttered for a second before regaining her composure. All affection in her eyes was gone and replaced by irritation. It was definitely directed at me, but Jimin’s dismissal must have stung. I was happy to be rid of her. Putting in our order for Disco fries, Jimin got a Sprite and Annie left before I could ask for a drink. Sipping on my complimentary water, I forced myself to breathe in and out. She was just a petty, annoyed girl with a crush. That was all. So, what if she was being rude? I was fine. Everything was fine. After the fifth sip, I actually believed it.

Trying to keep my tongue in check, I went back to looking through the menu. Finally able to make a choice, I decided on the birria beef ramen and closed the menu. Hopefully little miss Annie wouldn’t spit in it. Hot again, I took another long sip of water.

“Excuse me.”

Jimin flagged down another waiter, a pleasant smile on his face. Confused, I put down the glass and raised an eyebrow. He winked at me before laying the charm on thick. 

“Hey Marty. Would you mind if we got a different server?”

The young girl nodded frantically, “Of course. Is everything okay?”

Jimin smiled, eyes like crescents. “Everything is fine. Just Annie on her bullshit. Don’t want to get her fired by talking to your dad.”

Marty rolled her eyes, “Figures. I’ll tell her I’m taking care of you guys. Just don’t expect me to be running around for you, man. I have an entire section by myself.”

“I want privacy anyway,” Jimin replied, smirking at me. “Thanks. I’ll tip you well.”

She laughed, “Just make sure you put it in my hand. That bitch has been stealing tips. Cosette is trying to convince pops to fire her, but you know how he is about the girl.”

Jimin shook his head, “I already know. Can you get my girl a drink? Annie ran off without taking her order.”

Marty looked at me, her deadpan stare making me burst into laughter. Apparently, it wasn’t just me. That helped. 

“Sorry about her. She’s a massive bitch. What can I get you?”

I smiled, my mood a million times better, “Iced tea, please.”

“You got it, babe. You ready to order?”

Marty took our orders and promised to be back with my drink soon. 

“How do you two know each other?” I asked Jimin, finishing off my water.

“We were in the same class back in high school. Her mom owns that flower shop on Michigan Avenue.”

That was surprising. I was positive the girl was no older than eighteen. She reminded me of a porcelain doll, her chubby cheek and big eyes adding something angelic to her overall look. Then again, Jimin did not look all that old either. It was easy to forget he just turned 24. The age gap was really messing with my brain.

Annie was back with Jimin’s drink a few minutes later. She said nothing when she practically slammed his cup on the table before stalking off. It was then that I knew who she reminded me of. Darcy. I wondered if they were friends. Definitely had the same attitude problem, that was for sure.

“Ignore her,” Jimin told me once she was out of earshot. “I’ve been doing it since middle school.”

The rest of our dinner went back without a hitch. With Annie out of the way, and Marty’s small and infrequent check-in’s, we were able to be in a bubble of sorts. He asked about my trip back home and filled me in on what happened over the weekend. He had finally told his parents about our date and said that his mom thought it was a great idea. James called me perfect a few times, too. I had a hard time believing it, but Jimin had never lied to me before. It was nice to know the people around him accepted me even if I was a few years older.

“My mom’s 9 years older than my dad,” He revealed in between bites of food.

Shocked, I stopped eating all together. I had no idea they were that different in age. Ne-Yeon looked so youthful and pretty it was hard to guess just how old she actually was. Even fighting cancer, that woman did not look a day over 40. James was also in great shape for his age. To hear they had their own age gap made me feel a little bit better. 

“Wait,” Something else occurred to me. “Your mom was in her forties when she had you?”

Jimin nodded, “45. She had Haru at 48.”

It made sense to me now. To Jimin, our age gap was nothing special. It was smaller than his parents’, and having an older mother did not bother him at all. In his eyes, we had all of the time in the world for marriage and kids. A small weight came off of my shoulders. It really did not mean anything to him. He was not just saying that to make me feel better either. 

“Do you want dessert?” He asked, his plate empty in front of him. 

I was almost done with my bowl, “What do they have?”

He squinted his eyes, thinking.

“I know they have this horchata banana pudding. It’s literally the best dessert I’ve ever had in my life. There are a few other things, but I can’t remember what they are.”

I chuckled, “Then we’ll have the banana pudding.”

Jimin was not exaggerating either. The pudding was delicious. I almost wished we had each gotten our own serving, but after seeing the bill we were happy we hadn’t. Jimin paid this time. We had a back-and-forth deal when it came to meals. I got us breakfast last Wednesday, so he was picking up this bill. This was, unfortunately, much higher than Denny’s.

“I’ll put gas in your truck,” I offered on our way out. “To make up for the difference from Denny’s.”

He scoffed, “Don’t worry about it.”

“But-”

“We’re together now,” He interrupted me. “If I want to pay for a meal, then I will. You don’t have to pay me back.”

“We’ve always done that,” I argued.

“That was before,” He countered, walking me to my car door and opening it. “This is now. And right now, I’m trying to take a pretty girl, in a pretty dress, on a nice date. That includes paying for her meal.”

Getting into my seat, I pointed out that I let him do the gentleman thing all of the time. Opening my door for me, pulling chairs out at restaurants, and even walking on the curbside when we were out together. The list was endless. The least I could do was pay for half of a meal.

“I don’t do those things to get on your good side,” Jimin replied. “I do them because I want to. This isn’t transactional. So, stop worrying about being a burden. I enjoy taking care of you. You deserve to be taken care of.”

I could not think of a good enough comeback, so I just decided to drop it. If he wanted to pay for me then he could. It was his money to spend. 

“Send me your address.”

“You still want to come over?” He seemed surprised.

“Yeah,” I nodded, already pulling up the GPS. “What is it?”

He sounded like Charlie when he won the golden ticket as he gave me his address. 

“Don’t get too excited now,” I joked. “Just because I’m coming over doesn’t mean anything.”

Jimin laughed, “I pretend I don’t even know what sex is until after date three, so don’t worry about it.”

That made me laugh, “Get in your truck. I’ll meet you there.”

Looking back at him, I felt giddy. His eyes were so alight, his joy written so clearly across his face it took my breath away. A happy Jimin was the only kind I wanted to see. Blowing caution to the wind, I finally reached out. Touching his stomach, I felt the muscles clench beneath my fingers.

“Thank you,” I said earnestly.

“What for?” He rasped, placing one hand over mine, pressing my hand further into his skin. 

“For-” I broke off, taking my hand away. The feeling of him underneath me was too much. “For being so accommodating. I really appreciate it.”

He laughed, the sound strained and airy. I was too embarrassed by my actions to look at his face, but I could feel his eyes burning into the side of my eyes. Unlike me, Jimin was always brave. Hopefully some of that confidence would rub off on me. Maybe then I could reach out and hold him whenever I wanted to. 

“You’re welcome,” He replied, and my thighs clenched together at how rough he sounded. Did touching him do that? Or was it the praise? It could be both. “Drive safe, okay? You can follow me if that helps.”

I nodded, swallowing. The icy air outside did nothing to put out the blistering heat coursing between us right now. It was overwhelming how hot it was. Turning up my A/C, I pointed the vent directly at my face.

“See you in a few minutes,” I breathed, still unable to look at him.

Jimin closed my door, and I leaned back in my seat breathing heavily. I watched him as he rounded the front of my car, those pants sticking to his legs like a second skin and groaned. I had never felt this level of desire for anyone before. 

He reminded me so much of Namjoon. His beautiful brain and love for music and poetry so reminiscent it managed to bring me back to happier times. In the beginning I was afraid my attraction to him stemmed from that link. Because he reminded me of something I had loved so dearly that meant what I was beginning to feel was just a projection.

I was wrong. So unbelievably wrong. Jimin had a passion that Joon could never replicate. If Joon was a warm blanket, then Jimin was like the tide in the sea. On the surface it was calm, steady, and beautiful. Underneath that was life like nothing I had ever seen before. He was refreshing and filled with this fire for life that reminded me of my own from years ago.

Namjoon was perfect, a boy-next-door, and soft spoken. Back then I had enough of that passion for the both of us. Now I saw more and more parallels between us than ever before. I was uncertain, waiting for someone else to bring excitement back into my life, too afraid to reach out and take what I wanted anymore.

And then Jimin was there with that big smile willing to take me on whatever adventure I desired. All I had to do was ask. It was exhilarating, fun, and I was happy to be a part of the ride. His softness, his kindness, his understanding- all of it wrapped up in a pretty red bow. A gift that kept on giving.

I did not love Jimin, but I knew then that I could. With his sharp tongue and charisma, it was impossible not to. Everyone else did. Who was I to think I could be any different? I was a slave to his happiness. It was in that moment, sitting in my car, that I finally understood what was happening.

I was falling in love and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

Taglist: @ownthesunshine @screamertannie @lovelytaes-blog @pernesianparapio @tae-with-some-suga @sumzysworld @chimmisbae

© chimcess, 2024. Do not copy or repost without permission.

[bearieio]

ellie w. hcs :3

bc im seeing them everywhere and i need to put in my 2¢. thank you. (also not proofread :P)

⋆ biggest hayley kiyoko fan for like 3 years (the intro to ‘girls like girls’ was her ringtone when she was 14). would beg joel to take her to random record stores that they passed by just to see if they had any hayley kiyoko cds.

⋆ because of joel, she listens to a lot of 70s-90s dad rock. 

⋆ can’t drive for shit. like literally she’s not allowed to drive without her glasses

⋆ she needs glasses btw. she doesn’t wear them because she’s already too much of a loser. but when she does where them, you tease her endlessly about them. 

⋆ can and will sleep on the floor whenever prompted. no blankets, no pillows needed. just her and the floor.

⋆ isn’t allowed to drink any sort of energy drinks on account of a previous incident that had to do with about 3 cans of redbull and 2 large cans of the ‘Java Monster.’

⋆ isn’t allowed to own small pets (like gerbils, guinea pigs, hamsters, etc.) because she’d definitely forget about them. 

⋆ owns big dogs. great danes, newfoundlands, irish wolfhounds, mastiffs, st bernards, YOU NAME IT, SHE HAS IT (or has had it)

⋆ when she’s older, i feel like she’d be like one of those white people who has 192793999 dogs for no reason 

⋆ since her mannerisms are so much like joels, you guys argue playfully all the time about how things should be done, often bringing others into it too. 

“jesse, tell her!” he flips her phone screen around to reveal a very tired jesse, “it’s 1AM, ellie-“ 

“TELL HER!” 

⋆ i feel like at random times, she’ll just grab your boob(s). i don’t know why and you’ve never said anything about it, so she hasn’t stopped…… very handsy….

⋆ audibly goes “honk honk!” almost every time she gives ‘em a squeeze.

⋆ she’s a really sloppy kisser. not like boy-sloppy, but like the hot, messy, girl sloppy bc that sounds better and honestly i think her kisses would be the best.

⋆ she was one of those kids who’d eat dirt and find bugs all the time

because of this, she’s the designated bug killer/bug-getter-outter…. idk

⋆ she’s the worst drunk you know.

like literally sssoooooooooo messy oh my god. but you love her nonetheless :)

she’s soo clingy, and, touchy (like more than usual), but also much more emotional and sensitive than usual when she’s drunk or when she’s sick.

⋆ ellie tends to be quite difficult when she’s sick. BUT! you make it work bc you love her and she loves you :>

when you bring ellie her favorite drink from her favorite coffee shop, you literally have to fight her to be able to get out the front door. when you get up to serve her lunch, you’ve got to peel her off of you because she refuses to let you leave her side. when you go and get the medicine she says she doesn’t need…. you guessed it, she fights for you to stay in bed next to her.

“babe, what if i die right here, when you leave- like- BABE PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME-“ she bewails, crossing her arms and huffing at the sight of you leaving her.

⋆ when you catch her playing her guitar, she sometimes gets all shy and plays the wrong chords n stuff. 

“don’t LOOK! >:(” she says, gripping the body of her guitar, glaring in your direction.

“oh!- okay” you say, throwing your hands up in a playful manner, giggling. 

⋆ but the times where she’s not shy about playing in front of you, she’ll ask you if you want to play.

“do you uh- maybe wanna play? i could teach you” she suggests, gesturing toward the stringed instrument.

but then after, she’d tease you about your finger placement :(

“i said the fourth fret, girl, not the second, or, the third!” she says, in between laughs.

“well fourth from the top or the bottom?!” you scoffed, looking at her, still puzzled.

she knows your trying your best but it’s still fun to poke at you when she can >:)

constructive criticism is appreciated !!!

[ladytesla]

Cowboy Halsin

I saw @aerynwrites musing about how Halsin would be as a cowboy or rancher. I thought I'd throw in my two cents, since I live on a farm myself.

There's more to it than just seeing Halsin speaking softly to horses, as awesome a sight as that would be. There's more to living out in the country than horses, believe me. This kind of morphed into Country Halsin and not Cowboy Halsin, but I hope y'all like it anyway. Let's go through a day in the life, shall we?

Halsin would probably be up before dawn, kissing your cheek before getting out of bed as carefully as possible, trying not to wake you. You have your own goals to accomplish today, he wants to let you wake up on your own.

Besides, he loves the stillness just before the sun rises. The nocturnal creatures are seeking their nests and burrows, the diurnal ones have yet to wake. This solitary commune with nature is one of the highlights of his day, listening to the wind in the leaves, the crickets and the frogs. It is a very referent time of morning that seems to stretch for ages and at the same time end far too soon.

As he reaches the barn, the day officially begins. Animals need to be fed. Mostly they graze in the pasture, but some need special treatment. An old swaybacked mare needs a little something extra to keep her weight up. Maybe there's a colt who managed to hurt himself somehow, and the wound needs to be tended to. Maybe it's cold outside, so he throws out alfalfa with the hay. Alfalfa is also called 'hot hay' because it raises an animal's body temperature, which is a great trick for winter.

He speaks to the horses as he works, maybe fondly berating the colt for being so clumsy in his excitement, or encouraging the mare to eat everything he's set out for her, smoothing a large hand down her side and smiling to himself when he feels her ribs much more faintly than he used to. One of the horses who is usually waiting in the mornings isn't there... that's a bit odd. He'll turn up eventually. The chickens milling around outside have heard his voice and know The One Who Feeds Them has arrived, so they peek around and wander into the barn themselves, waiting very impatiently. The goats in another small paddock nearby are just as impatient. They start yelling and bleating as if they're starving to death and He Is A Cruel And Unjust Father And They Are Going To Scream.

He likes hearing the chickens chatter as he scatters out feed for them. They don't have anything of real importance to say, but they never stop talking. Mostly it's "Food! Food! Food! Bug? Food! Scratch. Peck. Scratch. Bug!" in a dozen warbling little voices. He brought a bag of veggie scraps from last night's dinner with him to throw to the goats, which stops them yelling. "I don't think the neighbors heard you yet," he would say dryly as he throws hay to them as well. Sometimes they headbutt each other for access to the best morsels, and while he wants to prevent this to keep anyone from getting injured, he knows it's in their nature. He keeps an eye on the smallest and oldest, however, making sure they get their fair share. The twin kids born last week toddle after their mother like baby ducks. It seems like she has enough milk for both of them, though he still has powdered formula and bottles from the last kidding season, just in case they're needed once more.

Now that everyone's been fed, it's time to walk the fences, looking for that missing horse in the process. A lesser known but very important job when it comes to country life. Any breaks could not only let animals out, but predators in. He'd keep an eye out for signs of predators nearby. He hasn't seen any today, but he heard coyotes crying out in the darkness the night before. By this time of morning, though, he has company. You've made your appearance, bleary-eyed and handing him an insulated cup of coffee. You're already on your second.

The fog from earlier hasn't been burned off completely by the sun yet. It's a quiet time for the two of you to walk the property lines together. Halsin is a bit concerned about that horse. He hasn't shown up yet. Soon, though, he sees a silhouette in the last bits of fog, and sighs with relief. The horse isn't lying down from illness, he's just... trapped. The two of you look at this big strong chestnut gelding, eyes rolling and sides heaving, barricaded in the corner of the pasture because... there's a rabbit in the way. A fat little gray-brown bunny, nibbling delicately at the grass without a care in the world. Truly a terrifying sight to behold.

"Arthur we've spoken about this," Halsin sighs as he walks closer to the horse. "Rabbits can't hurt you. They eat plants, and they're tiny. Look!"

Still, Arthur isn't convinced. Halsin soothes him, stroking his nose and smiling to himself at the absurdity of it.

"My heart," he glances to you, "please convince our visitor to release Arthur."

You smile as you shuffle closer to the rabbit, gently shooing it back through the fence. Now that Arthur is out of mortal peril, he happily walks off towards the barn.

"They're majestic creatures," Halsin admits, "but sometimes..." He shakes his head, then keeps walking the fence. "Come on, my love... we're only halfway."

~~~

A round bale is delivered around lunchtime. The thing is as tall as you and just as wide and weighs an ungodly amount. But it needs to go out into the pasture somehow. Moving a round bale is a two-person job. Your job is to hold the gate open and keep the curious horses at bay... and to watch as Halsin, sleeves rolled up and muscles bulging, easily rolls it into the paddock as though it weighs nothing. He barely has time to set the feeder ring around it before the horses are nosing greedily at the fresh hay.

"I wish I could help more," you say as you close the gate.

"You help plenty," he replies, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Besides..." There's a faint glint of mischief in his eyes. "I've flattered myself into thinking you like to watch."

You grin and say he's being ridiculous, but you both know the truth.

~~~

As active a man as he is, Halsin isn't content to spend the heat of the day indoors. There are still so many things to be done. Bird feeders to fill. Eggs to collect from the chickens. The vegetable garden to water and weed. Water troughs to top up. Finally, there's a little time to take a break. Sometimes you have other things on your schedule, but today you decide to join him. The two of you find a shady spot under a tree and settle in with a book, some whittling, perhaps a snack, and you let yourselves get lost in nature. The afternoon sounds are different from the early morning ones. There are no crickets or frogs, no reverent stillness. Now there are raucous little songbirds fighting over birdseed, the chatter of a squirrel, the crow of the rooster, maybe even the far-off braying of a neighbor's donkey a quarter mile away. The windchimes you hung from the back porch. And underneath it all, the wind humming in the trees. Halsin leans back against the rough bark of the tree, closes his eyes, and feels the undercurrent of life running through all things. You can't help but admire the sheer expression of peace and happiness on his face, and set your little diversions aside to lean your head on his shoulder. His arm instictively wraps around you to pull you closer against him, and you enjoy simply existing as part of nature for a while.

~~~

The sun is about to set, casting mile-long shadows and lighting up the fields like gold. It's nearing time to go inside and help make dinner. But first the old mare and the colt need to be tended to once more. Another helping of special feed for the mare, sequestering her in her stall so that she can eat in peace without a certain someone (whose name may or may not be Arthur} attempting to share. The colt's wound is healing nicely, and Halsin digs in his pocket for a cookie in exchange for the colt standing still enough to be treated. He tosses another cookie to Arthur who protests that he too needs special food because he is a special boy.

He comes inside to clean up and help with dinner. He'll need to go back out in an hour or so to let the mare out of her stall, but in the meantime he's happy to be in your company as you maneuver around each other in the kitchen. If you're cooking, it may be a bit difficult with those big arms around you from behind. The two of you have been busy all day, and now that you're done with your work, he has decided to make things a little difficult.

"Love, please, I need to get to the spice cabinet." "I can reach it just fine. Tell me what you need."

"Halsin, I can't work with you right behind me like this!" "I fail to see how this is a problem, my heart. I'm having a wonderful time."

Halsin is normally a mild-mannered type, but his sense of humor sneaks out in sly ways from time to time. At least he hasn't broken out the horrible puns yet. And you have to admit, it's nice to be able to feel his deep voice resonate against your back.

Halsin is ready to sleep when it's time for bed (as long as you are too, of course. He's always up for 'extracurricular activities' if the mood is right). "We did well today, my heart," he says quietly in the darkness, pulling you close. "Pleasant dreams." He can hear the faint sounds of frogs and crickets outside your window, and that coupled with your soft breathing is enough to lull him into a deep sleep.

Was it a long day full of hard work? Yes.

Would he trade away any of it? Never.

[lucimiir]

MY FAV DUNE PT 2 COSTUMES

And my (mostly visual/aesthetic) reasoning

(In no particular order)

Ok starting off STRONG with this Irulan look:

It’s simple, it’s classy, it looks comfy AND elegant. I love the beadwork on the headpiece and how it’s Bene Gesserit-adjacent but you can still completely see her face and hair. The light colors look good on her and that collar made me question it for just long enough to make it better.

Next up is Jessica’s early sayyadina look, and I loooooove this robe. The earth colors are nice, I like how it kinda blends in with the sietch while emphasizing her eyes, and the fabric is very rough and functional looking while still being beautiful. Mostly I’m psyched about the patterns in the weaving (I think it’s woven) and the way that creates continuity with her tattoos.

I had trouble finding good pictures for this, but

Everything about this scene was GORGEOUS. I swear I didn’t breathe for the first ten minutes of the movie, and these Harkonnen uniforms were part of it. The colors here are amazing and make the black look so harsh and unnatural compared to the sand and rocks and the Fremen clothing. Their shiny helmets are terrifying and sterile and buglike and I am living for it. (Little me would have gotten nightmares)

Obviously we’ve all acknowledged Lady Margot’s amazing dress, but it’s just That Good. The structure! The open shoulders and low neck + hood! The color! Sinister and sexy. And despite the fact that I loved the color, I might love this even more in the black and white scenes because it shows off the construction so well and the opera glasses honestly tie it all together.

Ok bringing back Jessica because she Doesn’t Miss:

I loooove this. The gold printing (?) around the hood might be my favorite part, and the beads under the collar are awesome without weighing down her whole face like the outfit she wears for most of the film with all the metal on the forehead. I also like how the structure and design of it is extra similar to Reverend Mother Mohiam, with the giant rectangular hood, but the color and the face beading are actually more reminiscent of the gown she wears when the Atreides arrive on Arrakis in part one.

A shoutout for Feyd-Rautha’s armor in the duel:

Idk I just really like how shiny it is. All the Harkonnen stuff reminds me of bugs (those evil looking shiny black beetles) I like how this is actually very much like a stillsuit and really similar to what Paul’s wearing, but more evil and shiny.

Last but CERTAINLY not least is just Chani’s blue scarf. BOY does this pull its visual weight. Like symbolism and meaning aside, it’s such a necessary piece of color in the all the desert scenes, and adds visual interest to what is a largely beige movie. In tons of the scenes most of the color is bright bright blue in the characters’ eyes and this scarf. And I think it adds a lot of joy and lightness to Chani’s appearance, which obviously symbolically changes as she does.

I just love costumes! This was a visually stunning film! I’m feeling very happy!

[mixelation]

i found a part of reborn au that's just like "here's how i justify team 7 still existing"

Minato was having a conundrum. 

He had the files of twelve of the current academy students lined up in front of him. These were the twelve their teachers had deemed reasonably likely to graduate; the rest would be given their fair shot at graduation, but were likely to need further training. He’d already sorted the bottom of the class into teams he thought were reasonable. 

Of the top twelve, some could still fail. It was his job for the day to finalize their proposed genin teams, with the goal of maximizing their success for graduation and also the beginning of their genin careers. The Academy liked to lie to its students and pretend the teams were all composed to be evenly matched, but this was only partially true. It would be detrimental to both the students’ development and Konoha’s interests if an unworthy candidate graduated simply because they were put on a team with more all-around skilled classmates, or if an otherwise promising student was barred from graduating because their teammates bungled their Jounin’s test. 

At the same time, Minato understood better than anyone how this sort of system stacked the deck in favor of clan-born students. If you stuck all the best students together, then you ended up with a lot of teams of all clan kids who’d had access to more training opportunities than students without large shinobi families to rely on. 

This year was especially annoying to balance, in that it had five clan heirs graduating, plus the second children of two clan heads and Minato’s own son. This meant the top portion of the class was all especially heavy-hitters in terms of current skills. 

He wanted to spread these eight students out with the other, more “normal” kids, but… well, he couldn’t split up the latest iteration of Ino-Shika-Cho, and his analysis team had made an incredibly good case for a Hyuuga-Aburame-Inuzuka tracking team. 

Hyuu-Abu-Inu? Abu-Inu-Hyuu? Excellent Tracking Combo Team: All-seeing Bug Dog?

He pondered this title for a few moments. Well, it was a work in progress. 

So that was two teams that were basically guaranteed to pass, and he now had to arrange another two teams. This is where things got tricky. 

The analysis team had identified that Naruto and Sasuke had the potential to make an incredibly effective combat duo. Minato agreed with this. He also understood that they… ah, didn’t really get along, and suggested the third member be someone who could balance them out. His analysis team had suggested Haruno Sakura. 

He stared down at her class photo, right at the center of his desk. He’d talked to Sakura maybe twice. She was the only student without at least one Jounin parent to make it into the top twelve. Between her near-perfect written scores, excellent classroom behavior, high chakra proficiency, and acceptable scores in physical tests, she probably would be a stand-out in a less competitive year. Compared to other students in this year, however, she wasn’t really anything to write home about. Minato only recognized her because Naruto happened to have a giant crush on her. 

Through Naruto’s mooning, he also knew she had her own crush on Sasuke. He knew more about the intricacies of this little preteen love triangle than he wanted to, really. It was very dramatic. 

Maybe Sakura would be a good balance. Or maybe her presence would make the team one highly flammable tinderbox. His analysis team promised the former, but they seemed inexperienced with the nature of insane pre-teen crushes. 

Minato leaned back in his chair and swiveled it around to stare out the window. 

They were twelve years old. Maybe they’d just get over their wild feelings. 

Then again, he’d never gotten over his first crush… 

But wasn’t it important for young shinobi to work with different kinds of people despite their previous feelings about them? Or was this just him trying to justify favoritism towards Naruto, wanting him to be friends with Sasuke? 

He turned back to his desk, to see if he could figure out another way to arrange the teams. 

Actually, the three remaining students would make an excellent infiltration team. It would be stupid to break them up. 

He went back to pondering a team title for the Hyuuga-Aburame-Inuzuka team. 

xXx

Minato finished his speech with, “...so you see, choosing the right sensei for a team is imperative, and you’re the only man for the job.”

He smiled nervously at Kakashi, who looked like he’d aged about ten years over the course of the last five minutes. 

Kakashi’s shoulders slumped. He looked up at Minato from the file on his new team with incredibly tired eyes. 

“Why would you do this to me?” Kakashi asked. 

“Er, well,” Minato tried again. 

He’d been much more assertive with the other jounin sensei. But the other jounin sensei weren’t his personal students he was maybe possibly screwing over in a very personal way. 

“Shouldn’t Naruto be exposed to other people?” Kakashi asked. “I heard you gave Asuma a team. Wouldn’t he be a better fit?”

Asuma was Minato’s top pick for Naruto’s jounin sensei, actually. Asuma had wind chakra and also intimately understood what being the son of a Hokage was like, and he was also someone Naruto hadn’t grown up with. Minato was originally going to hand Kakashi the tracking team. 

(Dog Bug Eyes. The Legendary Eyes Guiding Dog Fang Insect Symbiosis.)

Unfortunately, Team 7 would eat Asuma alive. Also…

“It’s not about just Naruto,” Minato said. “I need someone who can handle the whole team.”

It would undoubtedly be weird for Naruto to have his former babysitter as a sensei, but that type of conditional role swapping was something clan kids navigated every day. Importantly, Kakashi was someone Naruto would trust not to give him special treatment for being the Hokage’s kid. Kakashi was also a rare Jounin who could help Sasuke with lightning jutsu, which he wouldn’t necessarily be able to get from his clan. 

“And Sakura is a wildcard,” Minato continued his pitch. “She’s been identified as a genjutsu-type, but her chakra control could lead her to many different specialties, and she has no familial connections to help her explore them. A jack-of-all-trades like you is an ideal teacher for her.”

Kakashi’s eyes drifted back down to the file in his hands. 

“Isn’t she that girl Naruto likes?” he asked. 

“Well,” Minato said levelly. “Naruto does like her, but you shouldn’t think of your new student that way.”

“Doesn’t Naruto keep fighting Sasuke over her?” Kakashi asked, ignoring this statement. “Sensei, you’ve somehow made something worse than Team 4.”

Wrong, Minato thought. Nothing is worse than Team 4. 

“I have full confidence you can handle it,” he said. 

Kakashi met his eyes. “Why would you do this to me?” he repeated. 

“If only you’d taken one of the four other teams I tried to give you,” Minato replied dryly. 

Kakashi straightened his shoulders, exposed eye gleaming. “I’ll just fail them too,” he said.

Minato smiled tightly back at him. “I have full confidence in them.”

[hotsingledragon]

ok so,, im back!!

THIS ONE ISNT A SMUT REQUEST (but if you want to make it smut go for it !! its your blog), but I’m thinking of maybe like a really sensitive and shy reader and just like normal miles😭but he’s very strict in this. let’s say little reader makes a mistake and miles is having a bad day, so he yells at her and is like “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?? STOP” and she gets really scared and upset because this huge 9’5 man just screamed at her for something so small and she’s just thinking he could crush her like a bug, and how intimidating her boyfriend truly is so the poor thing just cries on the spot :((

would prefer human reader but anything is fine !!

in the morning i’ll be better

Recom!miles quaritch x human fem!reader

warnings: mean quaritch, cry baby reader, emotions!

Miles quaritch is rude, egocentric, and ignorant. It's who he is, and who he has to be as a commander. He's sarcastic and privy to his emotions, though his temperament can really get the best of him.

but Q loves his shy little girlfriend. she’d been so quiet and small when they first met, in her own bubble until quaritch decided he needed to pop it. He loves the challenge of working her out of her shell and is rewarded with her sweet smile and laughter.

Miles finds that she’s actually an open book. He can’t help but fixate on her delicate features when there’s only so much space between them! Miles always finds the smallest twitches in her expression, revealing exactly what she’s feeling. she feels so deeply. miles loves how expressive she is, silently rejoices in the fact that he gets to have her like this as very few have the opportunity

-loves when he can tell her a mundane snippet of his day and she’s glows in delight for him, as if compensating for his lack of enthusiasm

-Q will sneak glances at her when they watch movies, hearing her sniffles and he just pulls her in his lap. his heart squeezes when she wraps an arm around his middle and lets herself cry openly, allowing herself to be vulnerable in his arms.

-but it seems quaritch woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. What had started as simple as early morning grogginess turns sour and quaritch becomes an irascible, mean man. not even her bright spirit can bring him out of it.

“what are you doin’ in here?” his voice carries as he enters his office and she’s already there.

she perks up at his presence and smiles.

“hey, i had a bit of time and wanted to stop by,” she says, swinging her legs as she’s perched on his abnormally large desk- on top of his paperwork.

“dammit!” quaritch flares, stomping across the room. “get off my desk.”

she startles at his low, thundering voice and scrambles to jump off of the polished wood. She’s slightly alarmed and confused, but this is not the first time Q has been in a bad mood. She chances a glance at him from her small stature, an uneasiness growing in her belly. Quaritch is tense, shoulders bunched and fists clenching. He's so large compared to her, it’s impossible to not be intimidated. she begins to nervously fidget with her manicure. 

“I- i didn’t mean to intrude, i missed you before you left this morning and i wanted to see you,” she mumbles

Quaritch doesn’t acknowledge her as he takes the opposite side of the desk and assesses the clutter of paperwork. He rests his palms flatly on the desk, hangs his head and sighs deeply.

Quaritch raises to meet her eyes. “don’t I see enough of you at home?”

she’s stunned for a moment, unblinking as she processes his razor sharp words and finds his eyes burning with aggravation.

he raises his voice now, “go on. i got work to do and i don’t need you fuckin’ it up more than you already have.”

she’s still stuck in place, watching him. Quaritch begins to flare at her stall to action, rounds the desk again and takes strides to quickly approach her and thunders, “GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE.” 

it comes out quicker than he can catch it, and quaritch catches the fright that flashes through her and she takes a skittish step backwards. This immediately halts his steps, and quaritch is forced to watch as her sweet little face crumbles under his gaze. it happens in slow motion- her face becomes warm with humiliation, and that usual light in her eyes clouds over with a fresh spring of tears. her chin wobbles and she breaks their mutual gaze and dammit, now quaritch has really fucked it. 

she’s wrapping her arms around herself and turning her back on him towards the door and no no NO that’s not what he wants at all. He catches her wrist just as the door clicks.

and it’s a knife gouging inside his chest when she turns towards him, a veil of sorrow obscuring her usually radiant features. her cheeks are already blotchy from holding her breath, holding back her tears. Q feels awful, god he’s such a stupid prick.

“honey, i didn’t mean it”

and poor thing, she just bursts into tears. She tries to catch her sobs before they leave her chest, but she’s hurt, and even a bit frightened. It's heart wrenching, quaritch’s own expression falls and he’s immediately kneeling to her height. He holds her wrist gently, so fragile and small within his palm. He wants so badly to pull her closer. 

“baby, i'm sorry. so, so fuckn sorry,” miles says

“Do I bother you that much?” she cries loudly, looking up at him with tears clumping her lashes and tracking over her cheeks. Quaritch hates himself for ever putting that thought into her mind. He shuffles on his knees to be closer to her, reaching to take her other hand in his.

“no, no darlin’. you could never bother me. Don't know why I would even say somethin’ so goddamn stupid and incorrect. talkin’ out of my ass again.”

she doesn’t answer, her chest raking with every sob she lets out. miles begins to wilt, his heart in his stomach. he can’t stand being so far away from her. he takes a chance; sitting on his haunches and parting his legs so he can tug on her wrist until she’s crashing into his chest. he tries not to let his heart sink when she doesn’t reciprocate his touch right away. 

“didn’t mean it, doll. I'm sorry,” Miles says lowly, his chin resting on her head.

“you can be mean-you can be *so mean sometimes, miles.” she says wetly against his chest. she clutches the fabric of his shirt.

“I know, I know, i don’t mean to get that way,” he concedes, beginning to rub her back. He feels her take deep, steadying breaths.

“But you do, miles. more often than you think. Sometimes I feel like I'm tiptoeing through a landmine. I never know when you’ll blow up on me.” she sniffles.

-quaritch nods, truly considering her words. He knows he can be a dick, but he never wants to be that way with her. his heart clenches as he recalls the fear that flashed over her just minutes ago- and how he was the reason for it. Quaritch wants to kick his own ass.

The pair are quiet as she calms down, her tears subsiding. Eventually she wraps her arms around his shoulders, properly hugging him now. Miles is flooded with relief and pulls her closer. She smells sweet, like her conditioner and the fabric softener she uses. she smells like home, and god isn’t quaritch the biggest fucking idiot to even think of speaking to her that way. 

“stay here with me,” he breathes, nuzzling into her hair. she pulls away to meet his eyes warily, her own still rimmed red. Quaritch shakes his head as if to erase any doubt in her mind.

“Wouldn't want you anywhere else, sugar.” he tells her firmly, taking her hands. she sniffles and pouts, her eyes falling to their entangled digits. her thumb runs softly over his knuckles and miles heavy heart beats so fast. 

she takes a deep breath, finally meeting his eyes and nodding her head. Miles sighs in relief and hugs her close.

“Thank you, love you,” quaritch sighs. His anxiety eases when she locks her arms around him again. He wraps around her torso, petting her soft hair. They stay like that for a while, but quaritch really does have work to do. Wordlessly, quaritch moves to grasp under her thigh, pressing her close. Her legs instinctively wrap around his slim waist and quaritch easily maneuvers to stand with her in his arms. He walks them towards his desk and sits, holding her against his chest and begins to sort the scatter of documents. She lifts her head, eyeing the mess. 

“M’sorry i messed up your desk,” she mumbles.

“S’alright, wasn’t really organized to begin with,” he chuckles, then somewhat awkwardly clears his throat. “I'm really sorry, darlin’, you have every right to kick me in my hind end and tell me off. I don't ever wanna make you cry,” he says softly.

What quaritch doesnt know is that he’s an open book with her, too. Miles’ eyes are swirling pools of raw emotion, constantly changing and turning with the tide. She finds a genuine sorrow, a true apology darkening the chartreuse of his irises. She rises to kiss him softly in reassurance. 

And she feels the way the tension bleeds out of him, feels his slow sigh breathing from his nose. Quaritch lifts his fingers to cradle her jaw, brushing the soft skin. When they pull away, that cloudiness is gone and Mile's eyes are bright again.

She smiles at him. “Can I help?” she asks, already turning in his lap to face the desk. 

“Y’know, I’d appreciate it, actually,” quaritch says. His hands drop to her hips and he pulls her into him, her back pressing against his chest. He scoots further into the desk and drops a kiss on her shoulder and says, “I don't deserve you- too good t’me, too sweet,” in his low, american accent. She loosely throws her hand back to punch his chest. “I know,” she says, a light tease in her voice. Quaritch chuckles and holds her tighter, bowing to press another lingering kiss into her shoulder. And so they organize the clutter together, exchanging papers and reading off the information to one another. They’re a well oiled machine until every stack is bound and clipped neatly. She even writes sticky notes in her loopy handwriting to describe what the documents are about. When the job is done, quaritch is turning her around and kissing her like he’s been dying to ever since he stepped into the office.

notes: lol hello! thank you for sending this request! i was v excited to dig my teeth into this. i apologize for the delayed roll out, life punched me in the throat and took me out over the past couple of weeks but it was a nice reprieve getting to work on this. thank you envy for the request! please enjoy and leave some love! <3

[feederheart]

The Weightlifter

CW: feederism, ssbbw, weight gain(F), muscle gain(M). It's a wholesome story this time, no humiliation or BDSM, sorry.

Mr. Bruce slowly made his way to the podium where reporters awaited to conduct an interview with him. The ground shook when he stepped as his gargantuan, muscular, and bulky body walked across the hardwood, drawing the eyes of everyone in the room. He couldn’t feel his muscular arms, legs, glutes, or core for he had just competed in the Mr. Muscle weightlifting circuit. There was, however, something that he could still feel; the gold medal around his neck.

Normally Mr. Bruce didn’t care for interviews but he was in a darn good mood today; he was a world champion after all. Despite his willingness to answer pretty much anything, he wasn’t quite prepared for the first one.

“Mr. Bruce, records indicate that you only began weightlifting six years ago at the age of twenty-four. How did you go from a novice to a world champion despite being so far behind the competition?”

That was not an easy question to answer, not that Mr. Bruce couldn’t have told the truth in a short and concise manner for the purpose of the interview (or just lied), but rather because the story of why was too beautiful not to tell.

Six years ago, he was about as skinny and frail as an old fallen tree branch at the mercy of termites and bark fungus on the forest ground. He was quite tall as well; you may have seen him before walking down the street and mistakenly mistook him for a lamppost. Additionally, his name was just Bruce; he had yet to earn his “Mr.” moniker.

Beside him was his girlfriend, Rose, whose body could not have been more dissimilar. She was short and round, very nearly two hundred and fifty pounds. Her weight was somewhat evenly distributed, although most of the weight clearly went to her belly, she had soft, supple, and plump arms and legs, large breasts currently hanging slightly over her too-tight sports bra, and a big, jiggling ass that bounced with each step. Her olive skin was soft, smooth, and nearly flawless, her auburn hair shone in the sunlight and hung just past her shoulders, her round and chubby face was adorned with light makeup, and her feet slapped against the soles of her flip-flops as she walked. 

Bruce loved Rose and loved to show his affection in any way he could, especially by spoiling her with food; she was quite the bottomless pit. However, as they walked, there was something on his mind bugging him. As he walked, he noticed another couple on a stroll, both of whom were young and fit. The man picked up the woman and spun her around, giving her a big kiss as she laughed with joy. Bruce saw this and felt a twinge of envy. He wanted nothing more than to pick up Rose and carry her around like a princess but there was certainly no way he would be able to do so, he had never lifted a weight in his life.

As their stroll continued, Bruce spotted a gym nearby full of equipment that he had seen before but had no idea what they were for. He saw several men and some women inside who all had larger muscles than he did and were lifting more than he could. One man stood out as by far the largest; although he was by no means lean (his gut stuck out of the bottom of his XL t-shirt), he was busy putting away three-hundred and fifteen pounds on the bench as if they were nothing while his two spotters bellowed words of encouragement.

Bruce had seen enough. He walked into that gym, signed up, and never looked back. He began watching bodybuilding videos and guides as if they were religious doctrines. Five days a week he spent working on whatever part of his body wasn’t sore from the last time he worked it. Sometimes Rose would come along with him; not to work out, of course, to sit back, eat, and watch her lover get swole.

After a few months of working out, Bruce’s muscles had been beginning to show. For the first time, his chest wasn’t as flat and pale as an undercooked pancake. His arms and legs began to show some definition and although his abdominal muscles were still hidden, he could feel them with his finger. Most importantly, he finally surpassed a 250lb squat for 5 reps for the first time. Today was the day he was going to try and pick up his girlfriend.

Rose stood in their bedroom completely naked, her belly, breasts, and even her arms hanging down. She cheered him on as he knelt down and tried to pick her up; before she could get more than a half inch off of the ground, Bruce stopped. Rose asked him what had happened; Bruce answered honestly; she had gotten fatter. Her belly now hung over her fupa, she had gone up two bra sizes, and she had ripped two pairs of jeans and a dress just by putting them on.

“Oh no, now you’ll have to work even harder and get even stronger,” she cajoled sarcastically as she put her hands on his chest and rubbed his pecs seductively. 

Bruce, who was just cursing himself in frustration, smiled instead.

By the end of the year, Bruce’s hard work had been really paying off. He finally managed to cross the three-hundred-pound mark on the squat rack and also surpassed two hundred and twenty-five pounds on the bench. However, Rose had surpassed three hundred and ten pounds on the scale, nullifying his achievement. She giggled to herself as she looked down at her belly covering her lover’s head.

“Looks like you’ll have to keep lifting,” she cajoled.

Bruce obliged. He would keep getting stronger, challenging himself to surpass his previous limits no matter how much pain he was in. He was building muscle so fast that stretchmarks began to show on his arms. Every month would bring a new personal record for him to be celebrated by his new friends he made at the gym.

Meanwhile, Rose was hard at work too; after all, she didn’t want her boyfriend to lose motivation. She lounged on the couch for hours every day gulping down sugary sodas, heavy creaming milkshakes, buckets of fried chicken and potato wedges, entire family meals from fast food restaurants, and whatever fatty, delicious treat she could get her thick greedy fingers on. Her weight always increased at a faster rate than Bruce’s strength, just as she intended. As his peck grew, so did her beasts that spent most of their time hanging down her chest with no bra to hold them back. While Bruce’s abdominal muscles grew to be more defined, Rose’s were further buried beneath her ever-expanding belly which was now so big that it split her thighs. While Bruce’s glutes and quads grew bigger thanks to the squat rack, Rose’s ass and thighs grew fatter, so fat in fact that Bruce has to lotion the latter every day to prevent his princess from getting chub rub. Her fingers and toes, which Bruce painted red himself, were getting thicker and fatter as if her wrists and ankles intended to swallow them. Even her neck got fatter while Bruce’s became defined and strong.

A year turned to two, which turned to three, four, and five. Although both Bruce and Rose’s gains would eventually slow down, they never stopped growing for each other. Bruce’s body was now approaching the size and shape of a WWE wrestler while Rose’s looked more like a sumo wrestler. The former was now breaking records at the local gym and state weightlifting competitions while Rose was breaking furniture and scales. While Bruce was guzzling weight gain shakes after his intense workouts, Rose was guzzling them after her intense naps. Eventually, Rose would finally be too big to move meaning Bruce had to finally catch up and carry her.

Rose and her six-hundred-pound frame stood up next to her future husband wearing nothing but the massive ring that he had given her. Bruce, now over three hundred pounds of muscle, grabbed Rose’s right arm and dragged it over his shoulder careful not to suffocate via arm fat, knelt to the ground to reach underneath her apron-like hanging belly and between her thighs each the size of an average person’s torso, and he braced himself; he was ready. He began to push off of the stone tiles beneath his feet and lift her into the air. Her arms, belly, breasts, thighs, and even her neck quivered, jiggled, and drooped downward as Bruce pushed skyward with all of his might.

Finally, he was standing and his future wife was now hanging over his shoulders.

The two celebrated like never before with food, drinks, and the absolutely nastiest sex they’ve ever had with each other. The two fell asleep together happier than ever, perhaps the only exception being the day Bruce proposed to Rose (by hiding the ring in a container of weight gainer for her to find). 

It was now year six of the journey and Bruce stared down the reporter’s microphone as he thought of an answer to her question. He decided to keep it short and sweet.

“I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for my wife,” he answered. “She kept me on this path even when times were tough and I wanted nothing more than to quit. She was always there for me and I love her more than I could possibly express!”

[muffinsin]

Hey muffin, it's weird. Let's do more cat sisters if you wanna. Like deep dive cat. Can they ever be found sleeping contorted into odd postures or like over the back of two chairs and a sofa. Can you imagine all 3 sisters trying to sleep in that one warm sunbeam in winter. Or finding a nice place to perch and shoving the others off as only 1 can be king of the stump. I don't think catnip would work but maybe Donna could come up with an alternative that does. And how quick would Alcina ban it. Just three not!cat mutants. And how they definitely aren't just cats in fly form.

Oooooh this one caught my attention right away, thank you hon XD Let’s get into it! One big HC for em all this time! :)🙌

(repeating previous HCs regarding this topic, so they’re all in this one🙇‍♀️)

Other related posts:

Laserpointer HC

Purring HC

Masterlists

There is, of course, the most obvious trait: the purring

Bela purrs the loudest, at any little touch she receives from the ones she loves and treasures. Whether this be her lover, sisters, or mother. She purrs the easiest in those situations too, from mere praise or head scratches

Cassandra is the most embarrassed about her purring. She can’t control it, and she dislikes this. Ah, but perhaps- only perhaps- she will learn not to mind it when her lover scratches her scalp just right

Daniela, our energetic love bug. She purrs very easily, and proudly so. She purrs at any compliments from her many crushes, cuddles, even kisses pressed to the top of her head by her sisters and mother. It’s a way for her to express her adoration and happiness, to her

Of course, the first time they have purred this way, Alcina was very caught off guard. She was lounging in her large bed in her room, freshly reborn daughters sprawled out on her lap

Bela in the middle, with her head on Alcina’s collarbone and little hands clinging onto her nightdress although she was worried her mother would leave. Cassandra stuck strictly to her right, demanding more of the head scratches and whining whenever Alcina’s fingertips stopped moving against her head. And of course, Daniela, her youngest, on the left, clutching her arm as she eagerly accepted the scratches under her chin

Suddenly though, nearly in synch, purrs came from all three daughters. Naturally, Alcina was confused. If it was not for the few flies that still swarmed about or rested on her, she’d have perhaps been worried Mother Miranda mixed cats rather than flies with the cadou

Alas, upon approaching this subject, she learned it is her girls’ many, little fly wings flapping against one another in excitement, content, or happiness

She thinks it’s adorable

Then, there is the headbutting and staring at empty spaces

Yes, the headbutting, of course. Now, Alcina adores this. She often finds herself yelping in surprise when Daniela flies past, merely to return, shoot her a large, happy grin, headbutt her stomach, then runs off again

It seems, all three of her daughters have such a trait

Such as when Cassandra brings home a large prey for supper, and receives happy, thankful head buts in return. She of course returns these, all three daughters purring contentedly

Or when Alcina reads to them, she often feels a smaller head bump into her sides or arms, a silent appreciation. She shoots her daughters a loving smile each time

Then, there is the staring, and the apparent urge to cause trouble sometimes, or perhaps only to knock things over

Often, she tilts her head in confusion when she finds her fierce little Cassandra staring at the wall, teeth bared at times even. Yet, there is nothing there, and her daughter doesn’t claim there is, nor that there is not. Alcina normally leaves her to it- it doesn’t quite harm anybody or anything- until Cassandra does pounce, and her nails dig into the wallpaper

Or when she keeps Bela on her lap to cuddle and nap while she works; an activity that was sadly nearly entirely lost to time as the woman became older, more mature and busy. Still, Alcina remembers having her little pile of flies on her lap while she works, dozing off contentedly and occasionally flexing her small claws, small purrs soothing her mother even when she grows tired of her work. Ah, but I’m getting sidetracked

In such times, she was working, filling out paperwork with one hand, the other tangled in Bela’s hair to scratch her scalp. That is, until the blonde would sit up and stare at the far corner of the room

Why? Alcina hasn’t found out to this very day

Another thing are their odd sleeping positions, and the (thankfully quite temporary) clinginess

Bela loves to sleep in tight spaces especially, or even just relax in them. Often, Alcina has opened her closet and nearly shrieked in surprise to find Bela wedged between shoe cartons, nearly covered in her dresses with only a small part of her poking out. Distressed about the small space her daughter is in, Alcina has always lifted her up and out. After a month or so, she realised this is futile- Bela merely always returns

Still, when she opens her closet and sees her daughter napping contentedly between the boxes, she leans down to scratch her lightly behind her ear, presses a kiss to her forehead, then closes the closet door for her again. She knows by now, this is Bela’s safe spot, and it’s by far too adorable to hear the purring even through the closed closet door

At times, too, she finds Cassandra wedged in small gaps under a wall, her legs tucked up and her head resting on her arms as she snores away

The first time she has found her this way, Alcina nearly cried in happiness. She had been looking for her middle child for hours, having been unable to find her. Her worrying mind went as far as to fear her sweet, stubborn child went out to hunt in the cold and would forever be lost

Thankfully not. Still, Cassandra shrieked when she was finally pulled from her hiding spot, grumbles and complains leaving her lips and- at last- loud whines when Alcina noted how filthy she was from the dirty spot she’s hid in

To this day, Alcina knows Cassandra likes to hide there. Tucked away near the guest chamber, a small path hidden behind a fireplace. A tiny gap in the wall where she rests on the floor

She never bothers her there, she knows it’s her daughter’s spot to retreat and relax. Still, when she calls Cassandra and sees her covered in dirt, dust, and blood, the woman is in for a bath

And Daniela, of course, is also quite fond of odd sleeping positions. Her favourite by far, though? To stretch alongside edges of things

Yes, that’s right. Now, sometimes this means the edge of a sofa. Here, Alcina is quick to place many pillows on the ground in case her precious youngest daughter falls. Still, Daniela looks so content and happy, snoring lightly and fully stretched out, she doesn’t have the heart to stop her

At other times, Alcina all but yanks her in her arms

Such as when she finds Daniela at the edge of the balcony or a window sill, stretched out as usual and daring to fall off the edge and far down below

Immediately, the redhead’s eyes snap open and she whines when she is picked up and cradled, Mother’s fussing and worried scolding meeting rolled eyes and yawns. In the end, Daniela is happy to sleep in Alcina’s arms too, really

Lastly regarding the sleeping dilemma: there is one thing all 3 sisters like to do: which is to bask in the sun

Now, in summer this isn’t a problem. The castle has plenty warm spots for them in the gardens, or even in the woods. And they do so prefer stony surfaces. Alcina knows this, having often watched them first roll around on it and smudge their cheeks against it, then relax and doze off in the sun. Again, this poses no issue at all in summer

In winter however, when there is sun and the temperatures are still too low…it becomes a little challenging. Specifically, because all three women share one spot they like to sleep on: Alcina’s window sill

The sun hits it perfectly, and all three daughters know it. As such, Alcina hears them bicker for a couple of minutes, before finding them piled on top of each other, eyes closed and silent purrs and snores filling the room, limbs sticking out and bodies almost melting together in a large pile of flies so that the woman has difficulty telling whose hand is the one sticking out and who has lost her heel

Now, there was a period of time of incredible clinginess. Thankfully, this seems to have been limited to the few months to a year after their rebirth

Still, Alcina remembers it vividly

She remembers the chorus of screams when she would only close the door of the bathroom to use the toilet. The loud “Mama!”’s from the other side, almost wailing to be let in and back to her side. “Cassandra!”- her scolding when she heard claws move against the door, only to hear two more sets against it too, the eldest and youngest copying their sister. “I’ll be just a moment, my darlings!”- this never quite helped, merely resulted in more wailed yells

The second the door opened, however, three pairs of golden puppy eyes looked up at her. Bela’s; wide and bright, her arms slowly raising in a silent question to be picked up by her mother. Cassandra’s; dark, but wide, eyebrows furrowed and hands hidden behind her back as though Alcina didn’t know of the wood from her door that stuck to her claws. And Daniela; her eyes wide and teary, her bottom lip trembling and shaky arms raising in a request to be picked up as well. “Mama…!”

Of course, Alcina could never stay mad at her sweet daughters, and merely scooped the three women up in a hug

There are their other traits, too, such as their choice of toys and the gifts they retrieve sometimes

Bela loves strings. These are her favourite toys by far. While she won’t chase after them quite as much, Alcina enjoys the gleeful giggles from her daughter’s lips when she raises the string over and over again, Bela’s hands raising in an attempt to snatch it

Often, she brings her mother a piece of string; bright golden eyes looking up at her and pouty lips turning into a large, bright grin when Alcina takes the string from her. She promises, she won’t tell her two younger daughters about it

Cassandra on the other hand loves live toys, such as rats and birds, humans, or animals. As it comes to inanimate objects, however, her go-to is the laser pointer

Often is Alcina nearly rolling with laughter as she points it and watches her middle child race after the small, red dot. She stumbles over chairs and swarms through furniture, her arms outstretched for the dot

Her adorably confused expression when the dot is on her forehead, just between her eyes. Alcina coos at the adorable sight. Cassandra’s eyes going cross as she attempts to spot the shiny dot, her head tilting a little bit in confusion

Alcina’s eyes widen when she sees Daniela’s hips wiggle. She knows, her youngest is about to pounce, for unfortunately: the laser pointer is Daniela’s favourite toy too

And so, predictably so, a loud shriek, “EEK!”, comes from Cassandra when her younger sister tackles her and scratches her in attempt to catch the dot. Still, when the brunette pushes her sister, the dot is quickly forgotten and Alcina must now attempt to detangle her fussy little bugs

Of course, the mother of three often finds herself receiving lovely gifts, too

Bela opts for mice and birds, often brought to Alcina when she works, the animal in her mouth, trapped between her teeth. “Thank you, my smart little girl”, she thanks her daughter each time when the limp little thing is dropped on her desk and Bela swarms in her lap for cuddles and head scratches. She is never denied them, of course

Only once did she bring a possum, yet this was neither dead, nor caught between her teeth, but rather carried in her palms. Alcina nearly fell from her chair when she turned her head and the tiny thing hissed at her

“Mother, can we keep it?”

Then there is Cassandra’s gifts- often a little bloodier, and usually very large. Alcina knows, her fierce little huntress wants to prove herself to her. It seems no amount of reassurances help her darling understand that she will be loved regardless of how impressive her kill is

Still, Alcina often finds wolves, maidens, even a bear head dropped in front of her. Cassandra merely grins widely, her cheeks pink and silent purrs filling the room when Alcina scratches her neck and praises her for such a wonderful gift

Cassandra feels flustered and happy (despite trying to hide both) when she walks past a room and sees Alcina hung up one of her trophies. She feels so proud whenever her kill makes the wall!

Daniela opts for all kinds of gifts. On some days, the mother of three might find beautiful flowers dropped in her lap or standing at her desk, with a small note containing a bloody smiley and a text such as “from your favourite daughter”, or “I love you mama” or “They’re pretty like you, Mother” on it

At other times, she might find mice, deers, or limbs scattered on the floor in her room as a gift from her youngest. Daniela beams happily when she is lifted and receives light kisses all over her face for her gifts

“Thank you, my little fly”. She, of course, goes off to rub her Mother’s happiness about her gifts right into her sisters’ faces

There are times, in which the sisters get startled by the smallest of things, despite the fierce huntresses all three women are

Such as when Bela plays with her string with her mother, her hands eagerly grabbing for it as it is lifted over and over again. It’s all fun and well, until her claw accidentally gets stuck on it and the feeling makes her shake, swarm in shock and surprise, then run right into Alcina. The woman only ever stares in surprise at her daughter. What a curious little thing she is to her

Or when Cassandra could spend her days torturing the screaming victims of the Dimitrescu basement, laugh at and mock them even. Yet, when Alcina happens to drop her fork, she shrieks in surprise and jumps up, swarming high in the air before she drops on her older sister’s lap, hissing around and clinging to her. Cassandra has never lived this down, and never will

Only when the fork is lifted, inspected, and she’s swiped her claw-like nails at it, does she return to her seat with a big, embarrassed blush and a groan when she is immediately teased by her family for it all

And lastly, Daniela too gets startled by the smallest of things sometimes. By nothing at all, really. She is lounging on Alcina’s lap, purring and grinning happily when she receives light scratches on her scalp and under her chin. This is when her golden eyes open and spot her mother’s shoes on the floor. Not that they’re suddenly there or anything

Still, Daniela jumps up and swarms away fast, as though pierced by a needle. Alcina is confused regarding what happened to this very day, yet figures perhaps her daughter has just gotten a random energy burst

Catnip? Flynip?

The first trip with the three sisters to visit Donna was…eventful, really. Alcina thought nothing of it. Of course, she knows of the pollen of the many flowers in the lord’s region. Of course, she looks out for her daughters for this reason

Still, when they show little reaction aside from a little bit of dizziness, and practically beg for Alcina to let them roam freely, she at last gives in, instead opts for a conversation with Donna

Mere minutes later do they hear loud laughter- Daniela, Cassandra and Angie’s. Both lords jump to their feet. They know to be cautious

Still, Alcina can’t help but laugh at the image in front of her when she spots her daughters and the doll in the greenhouse

Bela in the middle of the flower field, twisting and turning, grinning and purring loudly at the orange flowers that surround her, pawing at them and touching some of the petals, the pollen dusting her face and clothing. She giggles and rolls around happily, pupils dilated. “Mother!”, she greets happily. Only when Alcina lifts her from the field and cradles her does she begin to whine, eager to return to the warm flowers

Cassandra giggles as she bites into some of them, her pupils dilated as well as she runs around quickly and rubs her cheek against the orange flowers she passes. She sneezes for a moment when pollen seems to tickle her nose, then continues rubbing herself against the flowers eagerly. She too whines and groans when she is lifted and thrown over Alcina’s shoulder. “Mother!”. Why can’t she keep playing!

And Daniela; pupils dilated and giggling as she rubs herself on the ground, dirt in her hair and clothing, pollen covering her by how much she’s headbutted the flowers. And Angie? Of course, she is making no attempt of stopping her, but rather tickles the poor, squirming thing and giggles when more laughter is drawn from Daniela. She too whines when she is lifted and thrown over her mother’s left shoulder

“Awwh!…Mama!”

[vanillablankcanvas]

John Dory and Sable ❤️

“Is this a date?”

Sable blinked at him and put her glass down before she could take a sip.

“Pardon me?”

No turning back now.

“Are we on a date right now?”

“Do you want it to be?”

“I ughhh…”

Do I…?

“What would you do differently? If I was on a date with THE John Dory?”

John thought for a moment. 

What do I do on dates? I haven't dated since… Wait, were those even dates?

“Well...” he tried to appear more confident. “For starters I'd take you somewhere a lot less ughh…”

“Snooty?”

“I was gonna say ‘crowded’ but yeah snooty works.”

“Perhaps I did overdo it. I only bring people here when I want to impress them. Which is silly I guess. I don't feel like I have to impress you.”

“Gee, thanks.” JD deadpanned.

“Wow! I worded that terribly, didn't I?” Sable snort-laughed at herself. “What I meant was… you…know me, so I don't have to be…fake… in front of you.”

“You can't be Sable for other people?”

“Not often. Part of being a public figure.”

“I can understand that I guess.”

Sable noticed the clothes John Dory was wearing. They were far different from his usual getup. Even at the Met Gala, his fancy dinner outfit was still very ‘John Dory’ inspired.

What he was wearing tonight, he wasn't being John Dory.

He was trying to be someone else for her.

She couldn't do that to him.

Before she knew it she had dropped her napkin onto the table.

She stood up and offered him her hand.

“Let's go somewhere less snooty.”

“What about dinner?”

She grabbed the bread basket.

“Done!”

JD smiled wide and took her hand.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

“Your beverage Ms. Sable” he said in a silly snobby voice as he offered her a can of soda.

“Why thank you, good Sir.”

“Sorry I didn't have a better place to bring you to.”

After some brainstorming, John Dory decided to take her to his workplace; the Pop Village stables. It was definitely quieter and less crowded, the occupants also didn't stare and judge you.

They made a pitstop on the way and grabbed junk food. Sable was having a great time but John was suddenly feeling just that little bit insecure about not having anything prepared in advance.

He was also suddenly very aware of the smell of the smell that the stables had. 

“Are you kidding? I love coming here. This place is so…serene.”

Sable laid back on the hay and sighed contently as she shut her eyes.

John Dory happened to glance up from his food at that moment after taking a bite from the basket of restaurant bread.

Was the lighting from the moon somehow making her glow? Or was that just his brain?

Beautiful.

…

What?

John Dory suddenly stood up in a panic hoping that a distraction would chase away that random thought.

“I got something to show you!” he yelled as she scampered off.

Sable stood up confusedly and followed.

John led her to one of the more enclosed stables.

The only light source was a set of large heat lamps set up over a large container.

Sable hesitated but she looked inside curiously.

Inside were what appeared to be some oddly shaped eggs.

“Those are some unique looking critter eggs. What are they? Buzzer bugs? Golden Beetrievers?”

JD leaned on the edge of the container and smirked.

“Shadow Spiders”

…

Sable took a huge step back with widened eyes.

“Shadow Spiders?!”

“Yup!” 

“As in, those creepy big spiders that have a habit of eating Trolls?”

John Dory just laughed.

“Yup they're the ones!”

“What the…? How are you still alive?!”

“Pfftt I've gone up against way worse than Shadow Spiders before! But these little guys we found all alone.”

“Aw. Poor little…ugh… things”

“We think the mother got eaten by something bigger.”

“Oh joy. Larger predators. What do you want them for?”

“Sooooo, Shadow Spiders stay out of each other's territory. We're thinking if we raise these little guys here then hopefully they'll make this their territory and-”

“-the wild ones won't come near Pop Village!”

“Exactly!”

“That is genius!”

“Thank you, thank you!” he bowed and blew kisses to an imaginary crowd.

“It was your idea?”

“Don’t sound so shocked. I have great ideas.”

“Well, I'm impressed.”

JD's face flushed red.

Sable softly stroked one of the eggs. She exaggerated a shiver from being creeped out.

“You plan on rearing them yourself?”

“No better Troll for the job! …Literally! Would you believe no one else volunteered? 

“Now why wouldn't Trolls line up to bottle feed bloody thirsty Shadow Spiders?!”

“Right?! Not sure how they'll respond to their new Mama being a Troll but hey it'll be fun!”

“I'm sure they'll love their new Mama.”

They both laughed at the absurdity of it.

John Dory introduced Sable to all the critters living at the stables. She had so many questions which JD was happy to answer.

The more Sable engaged with him, the more his insecurities were silenced.

JD was actually having a great time.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

When it started to get late, JD offered to walk her back to her pod.

The walk back was filled with chatter about their shared interest in critters.

“You know what? This might sound like a silly idea but…I actually have a trained Saddleback Spider. She's mothered quite a few hatchlings. If you needed a docile, mother spider present. So they can learn ‘spider behaviors’. I’d be happy to lend her to you.”

“That’d be perfect! I'll take you up on that!”

Sable pulled up her shawl to cover her shoulders more.

“So what is the verdict, John Dory? Was this a date?”

“I'm not sure yet. Still deciding.”

“I really appreciate you letting me make it up to you and you know what? I ended up having a lot of fun.”

“What? Did you think you wouldn't have fun?”

“I expected that I would ruin the night somehow.”

“Don’t sweat it! You did great!” He gave her two thumbs up.

Sable snort-laughed “I appreciate the feedback.”

They stopped outside Sable's pod in silence for a moment before Sable stuck out her hand.

“Thank you for walking me home.”

John hesitated but then he took her hand.

Sable tried to shake his hand, but he brought her hand to his lips.

He looked into her eyes as he gave her a small peck on her hand.

*Ding*

“Oh! Hug time?” Sable offered.

“You don't have to…”

“Come here.”

Sable pulled him in for a firm hug.

John was taken aback slightly but then hugged her back.

She smells nice.

…

Don't be weird.

Sable pulled back slightly and fluttered her eyes as she realized how close their faces were.

John noticed too.

Kiss her!

John pulled away from the hug abruptly and chuckled awkwardly.

He gave her a friendly punch on her shoulder.

“Goodnight, Sable”

“Goodnight, John Dory”

He watched the pod door close behind Sable as she entered her pod. 

He turned to head home but…

He hesitated.

He turned back to the door and raised his hand to knock.

…

But he didn't.

With a sigh he descended the stairs and started his walk home.

John Dory didn't go straight home to Rhonda. He walked around the village for a while to clear his head.

One thing wouldn't leave his head though.

Sable

She made him feel sick but in a good way?

She was definitely different from how she used to be.

She'd grown into a very attractive Troll.

…

What?

…

Okay, okay so I’m admitting that she's attractive. Any Troll with eyes and half a brain can see that! So what?

Does it mean I'm attracted to her?

…

Sure! I can be attracted to her if I want. Nothing wrong with that.

Doesn't mean I have to do anything about it.

Right?

I can be attracted to someone and not make a big deal about it! It's not like I have to see her again or anything?!

…

Do I want to see her again?

…

Yes I do.

That last thought hit him hard. 

He wanted to see Sable again.

Oh… Muses

I think I'm in

…

…

Trouble!

 -.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

*Splash*

What the fuck?

A sudden cold splash of water to the face brought JD out of his sleep.

He found Clay, Bruce and Floyd standing over him.

Death glaring.

“What the? What's the big id…?!”

“SABLE!?!?!?!” they yelled together.

The collective yell caused John Dory to fall out of his loft bed.

He rubbed his head and opened his eyes to a very excited Poppy and Viva, both holding copies of the same magazine.

Oh.

“How come you didn't tell us your date was with SABLE?!” Poppy squealed.

John Dory took one of the magazine copies and held it up to look.

He knew this was gonna happen.

One photo of the two of them at the restaurant, one outside the stables and one outside her pod. And of course, the photos were angled to look a lot more ‘intimate’ than they actually were.

“All the crap you used to give us about not being allowed to date a Sugar Gal!” said Bruce.

“But nooooo, of course John Dory is allowed!” said Clay.

“You threatened to ground us if we ever so much as looked in their direction!” said Bruce.

“The photo of my kiss with Summer? Two months of school then straight home! Yes, I did get a lot of studying done but that's not the point, it's the principle!” said Clay.

“You're right” John tried quietly.

…

…

Clay and Bruce suddenly stopped.

“I’m sorry, what did you just say?” Clay was confused.

“You're right. It wasn't fair that I tried to control who you could date.”

He grabbed a towel and dried the water from his hair.

The other Trolls present looked at each other for answers.

Was he like, sick or something?

He didn't take his eyes off the magazine as he dropped the towel and sat down on the couch.

“Sometimes you can't help who you're attracted to.” he said softly.

He smiled at the photo of him and Sable at hug time. He traced a finger over their picture.

Bruce squatted down in front of John and looked up at John's face.

JD darted his eyes around, trying not to look Bruce in the eye.

“Oh Muses, he's in love!” Bruce stated loudly!

They all gasped. The girls squealed.

“Oh my gosh this is so amazing! Have you told her?!”

“What? No no no no no I'm not in love!”

“This is the same dinner that had you panicking cause you weren't sure if it was a date or not?” Clay frowned.

“Well, yeah? But it wasn't! Sable and I... We went to dinner because we made a truce.”

“Looks like a little bit more than dinner, John.” Floyd smiled slyly as he pointed to the barn photo.

“It's not like that!” JD blushed.

Bruce sighed “Okay, you had your truce dinner. Are you gonna see her again?”

JD avoided eye contact.

“John Dory?”

“I mean…”

Floyd sat down with John and held one of his hands “John, ignore them. Be honest with me. Do you actually like her?

“...Yeah”

“Do you enjoy her company?”

“Yeah I do.”

“Do you want to see her again?”

“Yeah” he sighed.

“What's stopping you?”

“She's so…smart and sophisticated and I'm well…me”

Bruce patted his shoulder “It isn't about your pedigree or how many fancy diplomas you have on your wall. It's about the thought and effort you give to each other.”

“You really think I could do it? I don't even know where to start!”

“Amazinnias!” Viva interrupted.

Everyone looked at her.

“Sables’s favorite flowers. The magazines said so!”

“Chances are that the magazine is very wrong but it's a start!” Floyd said encouragingly.

Floyd and Bruce looked at Clay, silently telling him to try and be encouraging as well.

Clay groaned dramatically then sighed “The chocolatier in town, they keep records of people's choices. You could get Sable's favorites to go with the Amazinnias.”

Poppy jumped excitedly “There we go! You have a plan, JD!”

Floyd “And if you get worried about anything, please talk to us!”

“Go get your girl!” Bruce bumped his shoulder.

John stood up from the couch with determination on his face. He grabbed his goggles and started for the door.

Bruce suddenly grabbed his shoulder “Jonathan Dorian! For the love of all that is Trolly, put pants on first!”

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

A muffled voice sounded from outside her door “Sable, you have a visitor”

“Send them in.” She tied a bow on her robe as the door opened.

John Dory entered with a sheepish smile, holding a box of chocolates and a bouquet of flowers.

Sable snort-laughed “Hey! Do you actually watch my performances or do you just wait till they're over to-”

“Last night wasn't a date” He interrupted. He had to say it before his nerves took over.

Sable frowned.

“Okay, you came all the way here to tell me that last night wasn't a date?

“No no no. I came all the way here with chocolates and flowers to tell you last night wasn't a date.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

“You are such an odd Troll, John Dory.” Sable turned back to her mirror to remove her stage makeup. 

She eyed his nervous expression in the reflection.

“Last night can't have been a date because, if it was, then that would mean I wouldn't get to make a fool of myself and ask you out on a real one.”

Sable suddenly stopped and turned back to face him. 

JD cleared his throat.

“Sable, do you think you'd wanna go… you know… do an actual date with me?”

Sable stood up slowly and didn't take her eyes away from his.

She softly held the sides of his face, and pulled him down into a soft kiss.

John's eyes shot open and he gasped against her lips. After a moment he completely melted and his eyes slowly closed.

Flowers and chocolates dropped to the floor as his hands hesitantly landed on her hips.

He pulled her closer so they were chest to chest.

Her hands found their way to the back of his head and she softly stroked his hair.

Sable finally pulled back and stroked his cheeks with her thumbs.

She giggled at the goofy lovestruck smile on his face.

John shook the clouds from his head.

“Soooo….Is that a ‘yes’?”

Sable snort-laughed. “Yes, John Dory”

“Yes!” He threw his hands in the air in triumph.

“The last three nights have involved a lot of screaming, attack armadillos, mud and spider eggs. You've set the bar pretty high for yourself. How're you gonna top that?”

“Baby, you haven't seen nothin yet!”

“Baby?” Sable laughed.

“Don't like that? I have others! Toots? Sugar? Sweet Cakes? Princess?”

“What have I gotten myself into?”

“No, I ruined your gifts! I'm sorry!” He dropped down to his knees to pick up the scattered flowers and chocolates.

“It's okay John.”

“No, the chocolates are squished and the flowers are falling apart now…”

Sable gave him a comforting smile.

“Off to a great start aren't I?” he sighed sadly.

“Look, John. The chocolates are still edible and look, I can make potpourri with the petals.”

“Popper what?”

“I'll show you sometime…Stud Muffin.”

That was hot.

Oh John Dory was definitely in… trouble.

And he didn't mind one bit.

[thequeenofneverland1]

James Potter///Echoes of Love and Loss

Anonymous Request: James Potter and Y/n Evans first meeting and she doesn’t like him since he keeps bugging her and keeps calling her his future Mrs potter and months go on she and James end up dating leaving her best friend Snape heartbroken who has loved her since childhood and her sister Lily, is not happy about it about her sister relationship with James and tells her about Snapes feelings but she tells her that she only loves James and only sees snape as a brother But months later at graduation, James asks Y/n marry him leaving Snape sad and Lily mad as the wedding approached Lily nor Snape show up but Lily regret it when she finds out about the death of her sister and James

Warnings: unrequited love, characters deaths and lots of angst

The sunlight streaming through the large, dusty windows of the Hogwarts Great Hall was sending ever-changing patterns of light and shadow across the tables as you joined your sister Lily at the Gryffindor table for lunch.

"Anyone I should be aware of, Lily?" You asked, eyeing the bustling crowd.

"Hmm," Lily chewed her lip, thinking. "Well, there's Potter and his group of troublemakers," she said, pointing towards a group of four boys. Amongst them, one boy was louder, with untidy hair and circular glasses, his hazel eyes twinkling under the sunlight.

"He seems fun," you commented, your eyes twinkling at the boyish charm reflected in James Potter's eyes.

"He's a menace, more like," Lily shot back, with an irate frown creasing her forehead. "All he does is flaunt his Quidditch skills and annoy Snape."

"Ah, Severus," you said, rolling your eyes softening at the mention of him. Lily rolled her eyes at you, for not being a big fan of Snape's blatant favoritism for darker magic.

Just as you finished your conversation, James himself bounced over to your table with a cheeky grin. "Ah, Evans! And other Evans!" He laughed at his own joke.

You frowned at his extremely familiar tone but still asked politely, "You need something, Potter?"

"I need a lot of things, but right now, I just wanted to confirm our Astronomy study session. At eight," he said, looking at Lily but addressing you.

"We don't have any Astronomy study session, Potter," Lily irritated says

"But future Mrs Potter and I do," he winked towards you as you felt a hot flush climbing up your neck from this comment made you explode, "Keep dreaming, Potter, because that's the closest you'll ever get."

"Oi, Evans! Have you seen my Invisibility Cloak? I swear it was here just a minute ago," James said, his messy hair sticking out in all directions.

You sighed, a trace of annoyance in your voice. "For the hundredth time, Potter, I haven't seen it. Maybe you should learn to keep track of your things."

From the very beginning, James seemed determined to capture your attention. However, his relentless pursuit of hulk only served to irritate you even more James would cheekily call you his future Mrs. Potter, much to your annoyance. Months went by, with James persistently trying to win your affections, but you remained uninterested.

"Hey there, Mrs. Potter-to-be," James said, flashing a mischievous grin. "I've got a feeling we're meant to be together."

"Potter, I've told you a thousand times. I am not your future Mrs. Potter. And stop following me around!" You replied, frustration evident in your voice.

“Ah, love!!”James called out, his voice carrying over the chatter of their housemates. "Fancy to go at Gobstones?"

You looked up from your Transfiguration textbook, an unimpressed frown on your face . "No, thank you, Potter. I'd rather not waste my time."

James sauntered over, a playful glint in his hazel eyes. "Come on, it'll be fun! Or are you afraid of a little challenge?”

You sighed, closing your book with a snap. "It's not about the challenge. It's about the company."

Sirius Black, who had been lounging nearby, let out a low whistle. "Burn," he chuckled, earning himself a glare from James.

Months went by and the same scenario played out over and over again. You found yourself warming up to James, despite your initial irritation. He was bold, courageous, and above all, he genuinely cared for you. He did more than just annoy you – he also protected you,teased you, made you laugh and was always there when you needed someone.

Meanwhile, your best friend, Severus Snape, carried a deep and unrequited love for you . Snape had harbored these feelings since childhood, but he stayed silent, never daring to reveal his true emotions. As time passed, your heart began to open up to James, and the two of you gradually started dating.

You saw James nervously approaching you and you could sense that something important was on his mind. With a mixture of curiosity and anticipation, you awaited his next words.

James took a deep breath, his usual confidence momentarily faltering. "Y/n, there's something I've been meaning to ask you," he began earnestly.

Intrigued, you prompted him to continue, "What is it, James? You can tell me."

With a determined glint in his eyes, James mustered up the courage to ask, "Will you do me the honor of being my girlfriend?"

You felt a rush of emotions overwhelm you as you processed his heartfelt request. Your heart swelled with joy and uncertainty, but ultimately, you knew that your feelings for James were undeniable. With a soft smile and a voice filled with warmth, you replied, "Yes, James. I would love to be your girlfriend."

A radiant smile broke out on James's face, his eyes reflecting pure happiness. He wrapped you in a tight embrace, whispering words of gratitude and affection. In that moment, you knew that you had made the right choice, and you felt a deep sense of contentment knowing that you had found love in James.

Your heart sank as Snape finally mustered the courage to open up to you about his true feelings. You could see the raw vulnerability in his eyes, a mix of longing and pain that had gone unnoticed for far too long.

"Y/n," Snape began, his voice tinged with a rare vulnerability, "I have loved you for as long as I can remember. How could you not see it all this time?"

Again your heart heart ached at his confession, realizing the depth of Snape's feelings for you. You took a moment to gather your thoughts, knowing that you needed to be honest with him, even if it meant causing him further heartache.

"I'm sorry, Snape," you started softly, your voice filled with regret. "I never meant to hurt you or lead you on. You've always been there for me, and I value our friendship more than words can express. But my heart belongs to James. I love him, and I can't deny my feelings for him."

Snape's expression fell, his eyes filled with a mixture of anguish and resignation. He nodded silently, understanding the weight of Yours words even as they pierced his heart.

You reached out to gently touch Snape's shoulder, your voice trembling with emotion. "I'm sorry that I hurt you, Snape. I care about you deeply, but in a different way. You're like a brother to me, and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

As Snape processed your words, a bittersweet acceptance settled over him. Despite the pain of unrequited love, he knew that the bond would endure, albeit in a different form. And as You offered him a sad smile of understanding and compassion, you hoped that the shared history and friendship would serve as a source of comfort and strength for the both of you, even as the two of you navigated the complexities of his and your intertwined lives.

Lily was devastated to hear that you were dating James. She had always known that Snape had feelings for you , but she never thought you would choose James over him. She confronted you about it, trying to make you see the reason.

"Y/n, you know how much Snape cares for you. He's loved you since we were kids. How can you just throw away his feelings like that?" Lily pleaded with you.

You sighed, feeling guilty for hurting Snape, but you couldn't deny your feelings for James. "Lily, I care about Snape, I really do. But I don't love him in that way. I only see him as a brother. James is the one I love."

She shook her head in disbelief. "But Y/n, Snape would do anything for you. He would never hurt you. Can't you see that he's the better choice?"

Your heart ached at the thought of hurting Snape, but you knew that you had to follow your heart. "I know you're worried, Lily. But James has changed. He's not the same person he used to be. He truly loves me, and I love him. I hope you can understand that."

She reluctantly accepted your decision, though she couldn't shake the feeling that Snape was the one who truly cared for you . As your relationship with James blossomed, Snape tried to move on, but his heart remained broken, longing for the love he could never have. And Lily could only watch from the sidelines, hoping that you had made the right choice.

She sat down with you, her heart heavy with concern. "I know you love James. But how can you be with someone who has hurt our best friend so much?"

You looked down, feeling guilty for not standing up for their friend. "I know, Lily. I've seen the way James treated Severus, and I hated it. But he's changed, Lily. He's not the same person he used to be. He's apologized to Severus and he's trying to make things right."

She sighed, still not convinced. "I know people can change, But what if this is all just a show? What if he's still the same arrogant bully deep down?"

You shook your head, tears welling up in your eyes. "I believe in James, Lily. I believe in the person he's become. And I can't ignore the love I feel for him."

She wrapped her arms around you, knowing that she couldn't change your feelings. "I just want you to be happy, But please, be careful. I don't want to see you get hurt."

You hugged your sister back, grateful for her concern. "I'll be careful, Lily. I promise. And I hope you can understand why I love James, despite everything."

As James and you swam together in the tranquil waters of the Black Lake, you found yourself unable to keep the weight of Severus Snape's confession to yourself, any longer. The shimmering light of the lake danced around the two of you as you took a deep breath and mustered the courage to speak.

"James, there's something I need to tell you," you began, your voice barely a whisper above the gentle lapping of the water.

James turned to you, his eyes searching with your curiosity. “ what’s wrong love?”

Taking a moment to compose yourself , you gathered your thoughts before speaking. “Snape confessed his feelings for me,"

James's expression faltered for a moment, a hint of concern shadowing his features. "Are you... thinking of being with him instead?" he asked, his voice tinged with worry.

Feeling the weight of his words, you grasped his hand tightly and looked into his eyes, your own filled with sincerity. "James, Snape's feelings mean nothing to me. You are the one I love. You are the one I choose,"

A wave of relief washed over James as he processed your words, a small smile breaking across his face. Wrapping his arms around you, James and you held each other close, the gentle ebb and flow of the water mirroring the calm that settled over the two of you

“I love you so much Y/n.” James pressed his lips into yours

James and you were sitting in the Great Hall by side, your fingers intertwined with his. You couldn't believe that you were dating the boy who had once annoyed you to no end. But as you glanced across the hall, you saw your best friend Snape sitting with your sister and he had a look of heartbreak on his face.

Months later, as their graduation from Hogwarts approached, James made a life-altering decision. He gathered the courage to ask you to marry him

"Y/n, will you do me the incredible honor of becoming my wife?" James said, his eyes filled with pure adoration.

Your heart swelled with emotion, tears of joy streaming down your face. "Yes, James! Yes, a thousand times yes!"

It had been a beautiful day, filled with love and laughter as James Potter and you exchanged vows in front of their friends and family. The sun shone brightly as the two of you said 'I do', promising to love and cherish each other for all eternity.

But there was an empty space at the wedding, a hole that could not be filled. Lily and Severus, two people who had once been important in your lives, were absent. You couldn't help but feel the sting of their absence, wondering why they had chosen not to share in this special moment.

Despite the absence of Lily and Snape, you felt surrounded by love. Your new husband, James, held you close and whispered sweet words of comfort in your ear. Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, stood by the side of the two of you, offering support and friendship in the face of sadness.

As time went on, Lily began to regret her decision to miss the wedding. She had let her pride and hurt feelings get in the way of supporting you on your special day. She reached out to you and James, hoping to make amends and rebuild their relationship.

But it was too late.

The memory of the last goodbye haunted James as you and him prepared for both sacrifices of his and yours. The weight of both of you impending fate pressed down on the two of you, but you and him found solace in each other's presence.

As the two of you stood side by side, memories of the past flooded the thoughts. The laughter, the tears, the love shared between James and you. And remembering the day that you and him had promised to always stand by each other, no matter what.

"James, my love," you said, tears in your eyes. "If this is the end, I want you to know that you have been the greatest love of my life."

James pulled you into a passionate embrace, your lips and his lips met with a desperate, final kiss. "And you, my darling Y/n, have been mine," he whispered. "I will love you forever."

Tragically, just a few moments later, You and James were killed by Lord Voldemort.

It was a scene of heartbreaking despair as Severus Snape held your lifeless body in his arms, tears streaming down his face. The woman he loved, the one person who had brought light and joy into his otherwise dark and lonely life, was gone.

He whispered your name over and over again, a desperate plea for you to come back to him. But you remained still and silent, your eyes closed and your chest unmoving. The reality of your death hit him like a tidal wave, crushing his heart and leaving him gasping for air.

Suddenly, a small voice broke through his grief. "Mama," Harry said softly, his own eyes brimming with tears as he looked up at Snape and the lifeless form of your in his arms. Snape's heart twisted at the word, a painful reminder of the family he had lost in one tragic moment.

He held you closer, his sobs echoing in the quiet room as he tried to come to terms with the devastating loss. Harry reached out a hand, touching your cold cheek with a trembling finger, his lower lip quivering with unshed tears.

"Mama," he whispered again, his voice filled with longing and sorrow. Snape closed his eyes, feeling the weight of his grief pressing down on him like a heavy burden. He knew that nothing would ever be the same again, that a part of him had died along with you. .

Lily was devastated when she received the news. The sister she had pushed away, the sister she had neglected to support, was gone. She mourned the loss of you and James, regretting the choices she had made that had led to this moment.

In the end, Lily realized the true value of family and friendship. She vowed to honor the memory of her sister and brother-in-law, to be a better friend and sister to those she loved.

And as she looked at Harry, the boy who had lost his parents so tragically, she knew that she would do everything in her power to protect him, to love him, and to make sure he never felt

But as he looked down at Harry too, his heart clenched with a fierce determination. He would do whatever it took to protect the boy, to keep him safe and ensure that he never had to endure the pain of losing another loved one.

[pttwice]

one more, please

|| little!sana, cg!jeonghyo ||

Sana woke up very grumpy.

She didn’t know why her mama wanted her to go camping. She didn’t see the point of it when she and her mommy had just gone camping in their living room last week.

In the living room, camping was fun. She had snacks, she could get water whenever she needed it, and she could even watch movies.

Why would she want to go outside and sleep on a bunch of rocks and sticks? It’s yucky outside anyway and cold.

“I know you don’t want to be out here, love bug, but look at all the pretty trees.” Jihyo paused from helping Jeongyeon set the large tent up. She crouched down to where Sana was sitting and picking at the grass.

“Yeah but I’m cold, mommy,” Sana mumbled as she looked up at her mommy.

Jihyo let out a soft laugh and kissed her baby’s forehead gently. “Are you cold, or are you grumpy? Because you’ve got a jacket and a sweatshirt on.”

Sana thought for a second before she let out a small, exasperated huff. She shook her head, silently answering her mommy’s question.

Satisfied that the little wasn’t going to freeze to death, Jihyo went back to her task of helping Jeongyeon put the tent up.

Sana sighed and crossed her legs underneath her, resting her chin in her hands. Once the tent was up and their bags were inside, she thought that maybe they’d play a game.

When Jeongyeon sat down with an exhausted groan and closed her eyes, tilting her head back, Sana knew she was going to be asleep for at least an hour.

“Mommy, I’m bored,” Sana whined as she picked up a small rock. She tossed it at a nearby tree before she stood up and walked over to the camping chair her mommy was in. She plopped herself down on her mommy’s lap and crossed her arms.

Jihyo wrapped her arms around Sana’s thin waist and held her close, gently rocking them back and forth. “Well why don’t you go play in the tent? I packed your coloring book and some of your toys.”

Sana sighed and looked up at her mommy. She really just wanted to go home, but coloring could be fun. It was definitely better than being cold and bored outside.

Sliding off of Jihyo’s lap, Sana made her way to the tent. She unzipped the front door flap and stepped in before zipping it back up.

As she sat on the mat of the tent, she searched through the bag her mama packed for her. There was a princess coloring book, a few of her favorite toys, and her favorite stuffy. Unfortunately, there was no iPad and she knew that her mamas had her phone.

Sana huffed and pulled out the coloring book. She scattered the crayons out in front of her and started to color, hoping that this would keep her occupied for at least a few minutes.

//

The birds weren’t chirping and the only light seemed to be small and glowing. When Sana sat up and rubbed her eyes, she was a little disoriented. She didn’t even notice she had fallen asleep.

Before she left the tent to see where her mamas were, Sana put the crayons back in the box and put her coloring book back in her bag. She unzipped the tent and poked her head out.

She expected to see her mama still asleep and her mommy reading or doing something else boring, but she was pleasantly surprised when she saw them quietly talking and laughing in front of the campfire.

Sana looked up at the starry night sky as she stepped out of the tent. Her mouth hung open in awe. She had never seen so many stars in her life. Seoul and Osaka were too polluted with light to ever get this clear of a view of the stars.

“Well good morning there, sleepyhead.”

Sana turned to see her mama smiling at her. Jeongyeon took a sip of her beer and set it down in the chair’s cupholder before holding her arms out to invite her baby to sit.

Sana sat down in her mama’s lap and leaned back, her head resting against Jeongyeon’s.

“Did you have a good nap?” Jeongyeon asked as she wrapped her arms around Sana, her hands coming to gently rest on her tummy.

“Yeah. I guess I was so bored that I fell asleep.” Sana softly giggled and looked into the crackling flames. There was something hypnotic about it and the smell was comforting.

“You needed it. Mommy and I were going to wake you up, but you were out like a light.”

Jihyo looked over at the pair and took a few pictures before slipping her phone back in her pocket.

Peaceful, serene moments like this were hard to come by nowadays. The girls were more than grateful of the time they got to spend together like this. No cameras. No interviews. No expectations to perform. Just them.

Despite thinking she’d be bored to death still just sitting quietly in her mama’s lap, Sana felt… calm. Looking into the fire and up at the sky reminded her of how beautiful things were and how lucky she was to be surrounded by beautiful people.

As she stared into the campfire’s inviting glow, her thoughts were broken by the light rustling of a bag. She turned to see her mommy pick up a bag of marshmallows and a few sticks.

Sana’s eyes lit up and she wiggled her way out of her mama’s arms. Standing in front of Jihyo with her hands behind her back, she flashed her cutest smile. “Can I have one?”

Jihyo chuckled and nodded. She kissed Sana’s forehead and put two marshmallows onto the stick. “How about you give the stick to mama and have her help you roast them?”

Sana gave Jihyo an enthusiastic nod. She took the stick with the two marshmallows back over to Jeongyeon and patiently waited for her mama to crouch down closer to the fire with her.

Jeongyeon held the stick with Sana, making sure to turn it every once in a while. After a few seconds, Sana’s marshmallows were golden brown.

Sana’s looked at the marshmallows hungrily as she blew on them. She took a small, careful bite, making sure it wasn’t too hot.

“It’s so yummy!”

Jihyo and Jeongyeon laughed as they watched their baby devour the two marshmallows. Her face was covered in sticky fluff, but they knew if they wiped her face now, they’d just keep wiping it.

//

Sana was about four marshmallows in by the time she finally sat back down. She snuggled into her mama’s arms, happy and full of sugar.

Jeongyeon had a feeling that giving her so much sugar before they went to sleep wasn’t the best idea, but she was okay letting it happen just this once.

Jihyo had two more marshmallows left on her stick. She didn’t really want them, she knew Jeongyeon most likely wouldn’t want them, and she didn’t want to give Sana anymore sugar than she really needed.

As she sat and thought, Jihyo glanced over at Sana. She looked so content. More content than she had seen her in months. Jihyo smiled to herself and shrugged her shoulders. If she had to deal with a little who was high on sugar for a night, so what? She’d come down eventually.

“Who wants the last two marshmallows?” Jihyo asked playfully as she looked into the fire, not surprised at all when she heard Sana sliding off of Jeongyeon’s lap.

Jihyo finished roasting the two marshmallows on her stick and stood up. She couldn’t help the laugh that left her as she looked at her baby’s sticky, marshmallow covered face. “You’re adorable, love bug.”

Sana smiled shyly and fiddled with the napkin in her hands. “Can I just have one more, please, mommy?”

Jihyo nodded and held the stick out for her baby. She watched as Sana happily devoured the marshmallow on top, leaving the second one for herself.

Sana hummed and happily bounced as she let the sweet and sugary taste of the marshmallow coat her tongue. There weren’t too many things better than a well toasted marshmallow.

When Sana made it back to Jeongyeon’s lap, she noticed that her baby was much happier, but she noticed that she seemed to be calmer as well. Despite the copious amounts of sugar in Sana’s body, it seemed like nature and the campfire were having the opposite effect on the little.

Jeongyeon held Sana close and rested her chin on her baby’s shoulder. She gently wiped her face with a wet wipe before kissing her cheek.

“You’re so sweet, bug.” Jeongyeon softly chuckled when Sana shyly tucked her face into her neck.

If camping had marshmallows involved every time, then maybe it wasn’t all that bad.