#y'all are really into fell universe fics recently

[undertale-fic-librarby]

Any underfell sans x reader filled with angst fics??!!?!!

Howdy, thanks for asking! Here are some fics that might fit what you're looking for!

Not the best way to go about Life by Llama_Goddess (Explicit, Complete)

Monsters have been freed from the underground, and honestly, you don't really think they should have. You wouldn't consider yourself 'racist', you just fear for your own safety when murderers wander the streets and move in next door. So spilling coffee all over a very large and intimidating skeleton monster was probably not your best move ever. But instead of gutting you, he offers to buy you another coffee. And, despite his... 'crude' language, he seems to be a nice guy. Maybe monsters aren't so bad after all? But why do the monsters who used to pay you no mind now cast you pitying looks and avoid you all together?

Secretly Yours by Melda_Burke (Explicit, Incomplete)

Red gets you as a roommate for his wallet's convenience and ends up liking you a bit too much. One day, you're late coming home from work, so he decides to search your room for clues as to why. What he finds catapults you both into an awkward, tsundere dance around emotions.

Masquerade by TeaLeafe (Explicit, Incomplete)

You have never felt as pathetic or unneeded as you do now. You look at them from afar, seeing her beautiful figure on his arm as if she belonged there. Grin and bear. Force a mask of happiness for them, even if it hurts and couldn't be farther from your true feelings. ‘Smile. Laugh.’ Try not to think about the fact that he isn’t yours. Don't show how broken you are inside. A month passes and you hadn't realized until now, that you aren’t the only one who has been affected with this new dilemma. You see him there, miserable and defeated, just like you. For the same reasons. Mirrored broken hearts falling onto one another for comfort only the other can give, because you both know exactly how the other feels.

A cigarette at a time by Bubbleteasing (Explicit, Complete)

Even though monsters were already part of human society, you didn't really know how to react when you found your dog attacking a random monster in the street. Mortified, you got yourself promising him you would do him a favour in exchange of ignoring what just happened. Things get worse when you realize he also works at the same building as you. Do you like angst? This is your fic. Don't worry, you'll laugh too.

Big Cats Like Bones Too by Kertneyk (Mature, Incomplete)

You are a cop stuck in a large city that is suddenly half-populated with monsters. This brings you all sorts of trouble as monsters and humans learn to cooperate with each other. You receive push back from all sides; monsters, humans and other cops as you try to find a just solution to problems that arise in your district. Sometimes this leads to violence, but that's ok. You were never one to run from a fight, and being a were-leopard means you are made of sterner stuff than most. But just because you can turn into a big cat, doesn't mean you should. And you are not really keen on letting your new skeletal roommate or his brother find out about your more animalistic side. Even if one of them really loves cats... and the other is practically a cat himself. This is a paranormal cop drama meets K-drama romance sitcom. There will be fights, there will be laughs, and there will be friendships built that cross the divide between the different species.

[hgfictionwriter]

Maybe This Time

Jessie Fleming x Reader

Summary: UCLA was a long time ago. Jessie couldn't bring herself to make a move back then and missed her chance. But now that you're back in her life, maybe things can be different.

Warning: None

A/N: A bit more fluff for y'all! And sorry for flooding the Jessie tags. I’ve got a bunch of fics just sitting around!

"Jessie?"

Jessie turned and couldn't believe her eyes. Y/N. Y/N L/N. The girl she'd pined over at UCLA; who her friends had relentlessly made fun of her for liking and never pursuing; the girl who still showed up in idle daydreams from time to time, even all these years later.

"I heard you were playing in town now. Oh my gosh - it's been so long. I was hoping I'd run into you at some point."

Here you were standing in front of her. Smiling at her. Instead of being the...relatively...confident person Jessie now was - she was national team captain, a gold medal athlete, for goodness sake - she wasn't a young girl anymore hiding behind textbooks and her friends, instead though, she felt her cheeks burn hot and her words got caught in her throat. She stood there staring speechless at you.

"Don't tell me you don't recognize me," you said, a hint of apprehension beginning to cast over you.

Finally, Jessie began to react. She closed her eyes briefly in hopes of resetting, shaking her head and allowing herself to smile.

"Of course I do," she finally managed, only stammering slightly. "I mean, I recognize you. Of course."

"Okay." You let out a small laugh of relief. "For a second I thought worldwide athletic stardom made you forget your favourite lab partner."

"Of course not," Jessie readily assured you. "I'd never forget you."

The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. She clenched her jaw as she reprimanded herself internally for imploding so quickly and after so much time. She cut herself some slack when you smiled again at her.

"That's comforting to hear. Well, I mean, I know you're just leaving," you gestured to the door of the coffee shop, "but, um, I don't know." You laughed nervously before settling on what to say. You offered her a resolute nod. "It was nice to see you again."

Jessie's mind whirled with ideas and options. Anything coming out of her mouth now was mere instinct.

"Nice to see you too. Um, I don't know, maybe we could chat sometime? Are you in Portland too?"

"Yeah, I work at a logistics firm in town." You cracked a smirk. "Not nearly as glamorous as being a national icon, but you know, I do my part."

Jessie chuckled and ran her fingers through her hair.

"If you call 4 am wake-up calls, jet lag, and bruises to high heaven glamourous, then sure, I guess it is."

"Sounds not too unfamiliar from your UCLA days," you teased. "I still remember when you showed up to class with a black eye. And I see you've healed fine from your recent one."

Jessie blushed. So you watched her games? And you remembered moments from uni.

You'd been friends in university, but that's all it ever was. Her friends had goaded her again and again to ask you out, but Jessie could never work up the courage. She'd doubted herself too much. And then before she knew it she'd lost her chance. You dated other girls and that was the end of it. She stepped back and time ticked on.

You remained close friends throughout uni, sharing deep conversations, hopes and fears, silly moments, too. There were moments where Jessie felt hope starting to blossom in her chest - that maybe you had feelings for her, but she'd stamp it out. She’d just be setting herself up for disappointment.

After you both graduated, that was it. She'd gone off to London and you fell out of touch. It was for the best really. Well, maybe.

"Anyway," you started again, drawing Jessie back from her thoughts. "Sure, I'd love to catch up. I'd say I'll message you on Instagram, but I know your social media is a black hole. I can give you my number if you like."

Jessie gave you a tight-lipped smile as she scratched the back of her head and let her gaze fall to the bulletin of flyers instead.

"Yeah, I'm not much for social media."

"I know," you chuckled. "You never were."

Jessie cleared her throat and looked back to you. "And sure, what's your number?"

She almost missed you telling her because her mind drifted back to class when you reached over and scribbled your number on the top corner of her paper and told her to text you about the reading. Jessie’s words had died in her throat and she had to settle for merely offering you a delayed nod as you gathered up your books and left. She’d felt light on her feet, nearly dizzy even, all day. Her hands had shaken when she texted you and her palms were clammy as she awaited your response.

That was a lifetime ago. But now here you were, and number newly confirmed. Jessie tucked her phone away in her pocket.

"Okay, I'll let you go," you told her. "And truly, if you aren't up to a chat of any kind - no pressure. You probably have so many people vying for your time. I won't be offended." You said with true earnest. "In case I don't see you again, I just want to say I'm really proud of you for everything you've achieved. And I'd say I'm impressed, but A) that goes without saying, and B) I always knew you were going to do great things. I told you time and time again. Anyway, it was so good to see you. Take care."

Before Jessie could respond, you'd turned and disappeared to the other side of the shop and into the line. She forced herself to turn and leave.

The door had barely closed behind her when she opened her phone and pulled up her messages with Teagan.

"You will NEVER guess who I just ran into."

-----

"Hi Y/N. It's Jessie. UCLA."

"Lol the one and only. How are you?"

"Well forgive me for not assuming that you would know who a random 'Jessie' is lol. I'm doing well, thanks. How are you?"

"You were always very humble. It was always very endearing, so I'm glad to see you haven't lost that. I'm doing well. Working late. Some of my vendors are shitting the bed, so I'm scrambling to find alternatives."

"Seriously? That sounds brutal. I'm sorry to hear that. Well, if it makes you feel better, the team had to run extra drills today because of how bad our last game was."

"It's the start of the season - lots of new players. Chemistry takes time. You guys will find your groove soon. I'm positive. How is Portland treating you, by the way? I'd love to hear more about your time in London too at some point."

"Well, if you still want to grab coffee, I can tell you all about it. And I want to hear about you too. Did you ever make it to the Ghibli museum?"

"Oh my gosh lolol. You remember that. And yes! I did. And it was amazing. And coffee would be amazing, too :)"

Jessie belatedly realized that she was smiling as you texted back and forth. It was an odd feeling - it was strange to be talking with you again, yet entirely natural.

To her surprise, you ended up texting every day until you met up Sunday afternoon. She'd mentioned to Teagan that you two had this scheduled and soon Jessie was hit with an onslaught of messages from all her Bruins mates stepping right back into form and teasing her.

On a scale from 1-10, how red did you blush? And why was it 20.

Can I finally tell her you mumbled her name in your sleep? Several times?

Please tell me you immediately pulled out a vision board with her face all over it.

LOL the universe said, “Think you’ve suffered enough pining for this girl? Think you’re over her? Guess again!”

She still hot? Send pics.

Jessie sat in her car down the street from the coffee shop and essentially gave herself a stern, mental talking to about your get together. She was not who she was 5 years ago, and neither were you. She didn't need to be so nervous. There were no stakes at all, she could just relax, be in the moment, and reconnect with an old friend.

When she stepped into the coffee shop, her pulse picked up just so when she saw you seated at a table, but thankfully by the time she sat she'd composed herself again.

"The good news is, the rain is nothing new to me after being in London," she joked as she swept some rain off her baseball cap.

You looked up from your phone and a large smile crossed your face.

"Yeah, I hear you. And what's going on - how did we both go from sunny LA to rain central?"

Not entirely surprising, conversation flowed easily between you two. And it wasn't all reminiscing and nostalgia, it was easy to talk about current things as well. Pretty soon, you were both at the ends of your second cups of coffee and yet neither of you made a move to leave.

"So, um, you've been in Portland for a while now," the ease Jessie had felt faltered some as she broached a topic she'd been highly curious about, "did [y/gf] come with you?"

You screwed up your face and laughed.

"No," you answered easily. "We broke up like a couple of months after convocation. Let's be real - that was never going to last."

"Oh," Jessie replied, surprise showing on her face at how readily you dismissed the notion. "I had no idea. I thought you two were solid."

"Well," you drained the last bit of your drink, "I guess I wasn't entirely forthcoming then. Sure, things were okay. But, I was lying to myself if I thought that was going to be a 'forever' kind of relationship." Jessie's look of surprise lingered and you rolled your eyes, leaning in. "Jessie. She'd get distracted every time she walked by a mirror. I wish I was exaggerating, but I'm not. Come on, don't tell me you didn't notice. Her full on checking herself out anytime she caught her reflection?"

Jessie sat back and gave you a brief look of disbelief, shaking her head. "I tried not to notice."

"Smart," you retorted good naturedly. "She was nice, and we had fun, but beyond our values not exactly aligning, an equal partnership it was not."

"Well, okay, she's out of the picture. You must be with someone new, then," Jessie went on. She ignored the twinge in her chest when you shook your head 'no'. Just as quickly, she scolded herself. Why would it matter? She was getting way ahead of herself here. She supposed that old habits - and evidently dormant feelings - died hard.

"No. I mean, I dated a couple of girls since I've been here, but nothing's really stuck." You looked up from your drink to Jessie. "Now, superstar, you have to tell me your update."

Jessie mouth contracted into a tight smile and she felt her cheeks begin to burn under the scrutiny.

"That's confidential," she quipped.

You rolled your eyes dramatically and leaned forward. "That is so not fair." Jessie remained smugly silent and merely shrugged. You let out an exasperated sigh and slouched back in your chair. "Fine," you relented not wanting to push too much. "You were always tight-lipped in university, too. You could've had anyone and you - as far as I know," you said pointedly, "didn't date anyone."

"Oh come on." Jessie now rolled her eyes. "I was so shy and quiet. Even if I'd liked someone I would've never gotten up the courage to ask them out." She felt a buzzing in her head as she watched your reaction. You smiled sweetly.

"You were shy and quiet, yes. But you opened up once you were comfortable. I mean, look at us, look at you with your teammates. And you were so smart, incredibly sweet, and pretty, and you had that dry sense of humour. And, hello, captain of the football team!"

"Co-captain," Jessie interjected pointedly. You hung your head briefly with a laugh.

"I repeat - you could've had anyone."

Jessie subconsciously fidgeted with her hat and planted her feet further apart as she shifted down in her chair. "Well, didn't seem that way at the time."

"Wait - so who did you like?" You probed.

"No one," Jessie retorted, her features scrunching up as she played off the question dismissively. "I barely had time to breathe. There was no way I could date someone."

"You are so cagey sometimes," you said lightly, not being able to resist ribbing her once more. "Fine, so, what about now? Are you seeing someone?"

Jessie's composure was long gone and her face burned hot as your interrogation got her flustered. She took a subtle breath and worked to calm herself.

"No, no one's caught my eye just yet," she relayed.

You studied Jessie, discerning whether to drop the topic or not. You eventually relented as you crossed your arms and reclined in your chair.

"Well, I imagine that's not easy. There's a lot to live up to. And you're surrounded by impressive people every day, so the bar's gotta be high. Again, you can have your pick."

You grabbed your phone and looked it over quickly.

"I need to get going. I have a few errands to run still before the weekend's over," you said, a hint of regret in your voice before you offered a smile. "I had a great time though. It was so good to catch up with you."

Jessie removed her hat, running her fingers through her hair briefly before pulling the cap back down on her head.

"Yeah, I had a great time, too."

For the first time this conversation, a small lull formed and neither of you jumped to bridge it. Eventually, Jessie cleared her throat.

"Maybe we could get together again. Coffee. A drink. Whatever, really."

A mild look of surprise crossed your face, puzzling Jessie.

"Sure, I'd like that," you told her warmly as you shrugged on your jacket.

"Okay." Jessie gave you a small smile as she, too, rose from the table. "Will you be at the game next weekend?"

"I hadn't planned on it, but I could be." You smirked.

"No pressure," Jessie said as she felt that old nervousness begin to bubble up. "I could get you tickets if you ever want to go. That's all."

You smiled, looking at her in appreciation. "I'll have to take you up on that."

Jessie chuckled, but gave you a pointed look. "Honestly, you don't have to. I know you weren't a big soccer fan even in university."

"But," you started, drawing the word out and returning her pointed look, "I started going to games after becoming friends with a certain someone. I just haven't had a reason to go to a Thorns games yet."

Jessie resisted her impending blush and instead crossed her arms loosely in front of her, shifting her weight to one leg. "Okay, just let me know," Jessie said. She gave you a small nod. "And I promise these games are even better than Bruins ones."

You cocked your head, a hint of a smile on your face as you lifted a finger to your lips and narrowed your eyes in mock contemplation.

"What are they calling you these days? Midfield Maestro?"

Somehow, Jessie didn't even feel the urge to blush. Instead, she gave you a cocky smirk.

"So you really have been following my career."

She nearly grinned at how your cheeks flushed pink and you broke eye contact. You only took a moment to compose yourself and look back to Jessie with a half smirk.

"Hard not to," you simply said.

Jessie relented, feeling like she'd teased you enough. For now. She smiled and spoke earnestly.

"Offer stands - if you wants tickets, just let me know. Regardless, let's get together soon."

"Deal," you told her, your blush slowly fading.

There was a brief moment of stillness and uncertainty before you stepped forward and pulled Jessie into a hug. It only took her a moment to relax into it, her arms wrapping around you. Even though your body felt different now - so was hers - it felt natural to hold you close again.

You stayed like that for several moments, surprise and tampered excitement filling Jessie when you tightened your embrace before letting go. She noted the renewed colour on your cheeks when you stepped back.

"Text me?" You asked.

Jessie nodded. "Of course."

A\N: Part Two is available here.

[kindlingkeen]

Here to pleed for that Jason Todd in Star Wars universe fic you mentioned 🙏🏻🙏🏻

Y'all are a terrible influence 🤦‍♀️ /pos

I really would love to write Jason in a Star Wars universe. Reblogs of this post keep popping up on my dash and needling me. There are a couple of roadblocks though …

I don’t have a specific plot/time period/place in mind. As a kid, I was a huge nerd and fell in love with the old Star Wars novels from the 1990s. Especially the Thrawn and Callista trilogies — Luke is traveling the galaxy trying to restart the Jedi order, Leia is helping rebuild Republic, the Empire plots on, lots of good stuff there. The problem is I don’t remember them well enough, so I’d have to go back and re-read them, and I really don’t have time for that. Something based off the recent Ashoka or Andor TV series might work, but nothing is jumping straight to mind. Now if someone were to drop a juicy prompt in my lap…

The one piece of it that is clear to me is that it would be a Batfam story, rather than just Jason. Which sounds like so much fun, but the time I would need to devote to working out all of those characterizations … 😬

Given the above, and all the other associated world-building that I would have to put into it, I would want to make it a series/long fic rather than a one shot, and that’s really daunting.

I have so many unfinished pieces going on right now, and more on the assembly line, I’m really loathe to start anything new until I wrap at least a few of those up.

Request noted, friend. We’ll see what happens. 😉

[flyingsassysaddles]

The Missouri Compromise

Notes: So guess who really likes Early United States history! Yup, moi, so here’s a quick fic on the Missouri Compromise, well, at least the first Missouri Compromise. The character of Maine is from @askaphmaine , so check them out if you’re interested! The states represent their representatives here, like how Henry Clay, the senator of Kentucky at the time and is called the Great Compromiser/Great Pacifist because he orchestrated the whole mess, is shown as just normal Kentucky. The representative of New York, Benjamin Tallmadge, the person who proposed the Tallmadge amendment, is shown as New York. You get the idea.  

Summary: Missouri wants to become a state. Problem? He wants to be a slave state. This would cause the 11-11 balance the free and slave states had at this point to crumble and let the slave states control Congress, which doesn’t fly for some people. An amendment was proposed that granted all children of slaves born after Missouri became a state would be freed, and slaves would be freed when they reach 25. The Tallmadge amendment is hotly contested, and a conference is called to settle the issue.   

Happy Reading!

________

   There were only 17 people in the conference room, New York noted, putting his coat on the long table and dragging out a chair, pretending that every state's eyes weren’t on him. New Jersey sat to his side, which was a relief because then his mind was torn away from the glares of the South and the grins of the North by a quip from his old friend.

“Some of the South’s late,” he said, putting down his worn little notebook filled with who knows what and looking New York up and down before hissing to him, “They’re really freaking mad about the Tallmadge amendment, and they don’t want to settle. Heard Kentucky is trying to calm Alabama to simmering instead of off-with-your-head.”

“And Missouri? What are his thoughts on the amendment?” New York asked, glaring back at Maryland on the other side of the table. Slave states were so stubborn.

“Haven’t heard that, but he’s probably not happy. He wanted to enter the Union as a slave state, remember?”

“Of course I do,” he grunted, looking away from Maryland and meeting New Jersey’s eyes, “But when do new states ever get what they want? Did he want me to sit there like a sad turnip while the South grabbed the majority in the Senate and break the 11-11 balance between us?”

He shrugged. “Probably.”

New York looked back around the table and let New Jersey be, counting each of the northern states one by one and furrowing his brow when he came up short. He turned back to his old friend and asked, “Why is, um,” he looked around again, “Massachusetts late? Isn’t he usually the first one in these little Senate-Houses of Representative conferences?”

New Jersey perked up at that and glanced around as if seeing if anyone was listening -no one was at this point- and whispered, “You know old Mass’s little girl, right? The one who’s like 6 feet tall?”

“Yeah, what about her?”

“Well, her movement to become her own state passed recently.”

New York looked at him oddly. “This isn’t new news and you know it. Maine has been calling for statehood since the War of 1812.”   

New Jersey rolled his eyes. “Well duh, of course, but THIS time, Mass actually brought her to Washington DC, and she’s going to be speaking in front of the Union to try and get her statehood bill passed.”

“And?”

“AND now Mass is all up in arms about how his little girl is too fragile or too sick to speak.”

New York rolled his eyes this time, facing away from New Jersey as another state walked in and he muttered, “Sounds like normal Mass behavior to me. States get protective when their counties leave them.” He shot a disgusted look to a humming lady in the corner. “Just ask Virginia.”

“Virginia was special, and no one thought she would burn that house down! Anyway, now that she’s in the capital-” New Jersey was interrupted when the rest of the South barged into the conference room and started jabbering amongst themselves, dragging a grumpy looking Missouri behind them. New York flicked his attention from the sneers and sloppily disguised whispers to a tall girl hanging back in the corner. A quick look at New Jersey confirmed his suspicions, and the conference was called to order while Missouri and Maine sat in the back, puffy skirts and all.

“We’ve called this meeting,” began a droning Connecticut, “To resolve the issue-”

“That New York made!” one of the slave states hooted, only to be seconded by the rest of the South.

“Oh shut up Alabama! Congress has a right to restrict slavery, you morally bankrupt grout!” New York shouted back, and a chorus of rebuttals soon drowned out Connecticut's call for order.

“Well maybe if y'all wasn’t all up in state business then Missouri would finally be a state and we could move on to something more important!”

“Maybe if your blatant power grab for a slave state-controlled Congress had even a shred of subtly and respected the human right to not be born into SLAVERY then Missouri wouldn't have had to wait this long to be accepted into the Union and human decency could live on!”

Indiana soon joined in his defense. “Yeah, you think you can just walk into the Senate and have a slave state join your little party and expand slavery while destroying the balance of power in the Union?!” Indiana spat, and then the room became even louder, filled with South Carolina's protest on slavery and the South’s universal condemnation of New York’s stupid amendment.

“QUIET!” Connecticut screamed, and the room fell silent as glares replaced thrown chairs and sharpened words. Missouri looked on at the broken Union in front of him, and he started to wonder if joining them was really worth it. One look at Maine to his right confirmed his thoughts that everyone in the capital were deranged lunatics.

“Now we can move on to why we are here in the first place,” Connecticut continued. “On my right I have the bill passed by the Senate, Missouri’s state request thing WITHOUT the Tallmadge amendment,” the South gave hoots and cheers when he raised the non-amended bill, “and to my left I have the bill passed by the House of Representatives that DOES have the Tallmadge amendment.” Now it was the more populous North turn to cheer and smile smugly at the other side of the table. “Now, we obviously need to come to an agreement on which version of the bill should pass.” Ten hands shot into the air for the chance to speak, and Connecticut sighed, choosing to let the worst come first before calling on New York. “You are recognized, State of New York.”          

“Thank you, chairman,” he replied smugly. It paid to have someone on your side be the head of the conference meeting. “Now, we all know what this is.”

“Be more specific you Republican bigot!” someone shouted.

“THIS IS,” he said louder trying to drown the voice out, “WHAT we here in the capital are here to do. We are here to keep the balance of power and make sure everyone has a voice-”

“Except Missouri!”

“AND that means we need to keep this Union balanced and in check! Missouri wishes to come into the Union, and Congress has to approve his wish. This includes whether he should be a slave state. It is frankly in federal power to restrict the expansion of slavery-”

“No, it’s not!”

“Someone shut him up!” The sound of someone being hit in the face followed his order and New York continued. “As I was saying, Congress controls whether a state enters the Union and if their constitution is acceptable and Republican, and that means there must be freedom for all under the Republican system of government. As slavery is morally wrong and is un-Republican, it is Congress’s responsibility to limit it! And if the South wishes to destroy the equal balance of power among the states in the Union, with 11 free states and now 12 in slave states, what will become of it?! What will become of a group of people controlling the Union and imposing their disgusting beliefs on the rest of the citizens of our country?! We cannot let stupid, morally bankrupt, power hungry heathens to-”

“New York, your time has elapsed,” Connecticut hissed, banging a gavel and trying to get the man to shut up before the South burned the room to the ground. “South Carolina, you are recognized.”

South Carolina sat up, brushing off his jacket and glaring at a fuming New York who was being comforted by New Jersey and the rest of New England. “Thank you, sir chair. First of all, I would like to address a previous delegate’s point on how the federal government can control a state’s decision on whether to legalize slavery or not.”

“That’s not what I said!”

“This amendment should not be allowed to pass, sir chair, simply because it is illegal and a disgrace. It is none of the federal government's damn business whether a state wants slavery or not! It is the state’s decision, and any attempt to control this right is a breach of the state’s autonomy and the sanctity of trust we states put into the federal government and this mighty Union.” South Carolina gestured with his hands dramatically, pointing to Missouri and ignoring how New York was red with fury and how the South gloated behind his back. “Sir, this amendment, for Missouri sake, should be tossed aside and he should join the union with any stance on slavery that he wants! Is this not fair?! Is this not justice?!”  

“Here here!” seconded Virginia, and the South echoed her response. Missouri seemed to shrink and he swore Maine rolled her eyes so passionately that he saw the white of her eyes.

“Order, order!” Connecticut called, and as the ruckus died down, one lone hand shot up in the air. “Kentucky, you are recognized.”

“Great,” New York mumbled, “Another slave state to echo South Carolina and make the blatant power grab looked like a fight against the federal government and its tyranny. I’ve only seen this 3000 times.”

New Jersey nudged him before raising an eyebrow. “I don’t think so. Kentucky looks like he’s up to something.”

“Thank you, sir chair. Ladies and gentlemen of the United States’ Representative Congress, both North and South alike, I ask you this.” He paused dramatically as the states perked up and leaned closer and he tapped his feet on the wooden floor and gestured past the stale white walls. “How long have we’ve been fighting on this? How long has Missouri lingered in the capital as we all went home to celebrate Christmas or Easter or the fall harvest? How long can we go on with the debates on slavery bogging down Congress and threatening our unity as a nation?!”

New York looked down at his shoes, crossing his arms and mirroring the other states’ fidgeting. It was true. The debate on letting Missouri in as a slave state and the rigorous arguments that followed seemed to be the only subject thrown around in the congressional halls, and even the most passionate state knew that unless a solution could be found, this subject would be written on their graves. Missouri cast a glance around the room and felt a strange feeling worm its way into his gut as Kentucky waited.

“A solution must be found!” Kentucky finally continued. “And I have that solution. A compromise.” Mummers erupted in the conference room, and Connecticut banged his gavel as whispers snaked into Kentucky’s ears and mumbles of defiance were already made known.

“Order, order! Commonwealth of Kentucky, you may continue.”

“Thank you, sir chair. As I was saying, a compromise is needed. And it consists of three parts, my good, er, colleagues. Agreement number one, Missouri comes into the Union as a slave state, no amendments.”

New York bolted up and slammed his head on the desk, snarling, “Over my dead body!”

“Seconded!”

“Third!”

“Like hell we’re going to let that happen!” Vermont hissed, one in a sea of jabs and protests.

“Order, order!” Connecticut cried for the millionth time, and eventually, the sound of outrage and bitterness was stamped down by the gavel and a shaky Kentucky was allowed to continue.

He coughed a bit, taking a deep breath before continuing. “Now I know some of you might find this unacceptable-”

“Damn straight!” Rhode Island spat.

“-and that is why there is the second part of this proposal. If a slave state enters the Union, a free state must join in order to keep the balance, correct?” Murmurs of agreement swept through the room, and it was only then that New York jerked his head up in realization, opening his mouth to speak only for Kentucky to rush in and drop the bombshell on all of them.

“Well, isn’t Maine a free state?” Pandemonium ensued as soon as it clicked together, and Kentucky smiled while the South and the North both objected, with Massachusetts being the loudest of all.

Connecticut sighed and waited for the room to drift back to normalcy, meeting a smug Kentucky’s eyes and nodding his personal approval. All too soon everyone was seated again and suits were straightened, as the hushed voices replace the outrage at the possibility that this could actually work.

“For those of you who don’t understand,” -everyone shot a look at one of the more intellectually challenged states, both North and South- “we can make both Missouri and Maine into states in the Union, and then the balance stays the same. Twelve slave states, twelve free states. A bit of a quid pro quo, if you will.”

A ruckus could be heard from the back as a woman marched her way to the front of the room, brown hair loose and violet eyes blazing. Maine stopped in front of Kentucky, eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms and spat, “And why should I go along with this, this manipulative and despicable little-”   

“Listen, sweetheart,” Kentucky smiled, “Why don’t you go talk to Massachusetts and get your story settled out, hm? Let’s be honest, you are in the exact situation as Missouri here, minus the whole argument on slavery and the power of the federal government. Unless you take this, though you don’t have much of a choice, you will never be a state.” Kentucky turned to Missouri on the other side of the room. “Either join together or don’t join at all.”  

New York sat up again, scowling at Kentucky and saying, “Alright Virginia boy, I think you’re jumping the gun on this whole compromise thing. Why should I, or anyone with a conscience and a moral compass, vote for something that advocates for the expansion of slavery into the west and the territories of our great nation?”

Kentucky made a clicking sound and smiled charmingly at New York, though that didn’t diminish the scowl the man wore. “Excellent question! That is the third part of this proposal, after the whole baton switch for Maine and Missouri. All of the Louisiana Purchase above the 36°30’ parallel will be free soil!” Once again the room was thrown into chaos, with the South jumping up with objections and the North gaping, and then Kentucky and the Maine-Missouri baton switch was all but forgotten in favor of screaming debates on the legality of such as move and how it was the stupidest thing that might have ever come out of Kentucky’s mouth, though Illinois winked at Kentucky as he passed.

“Thanks for including my amendment,” Illinois said in a hushed voice, almost drowned out by Indiana’s screaming claim that Southerners never knew what was good for them and who cared if Missouri was above the 36°30’ parallel, etc. Kentucky smiled back and walked to a seat with the other slave states while everyone fought over the proposal he threw in the air, already plotting on how to drag votes out of the states around him and drown out the voices of the opposition that surely was already forming. As he walked towards the back, he locked eyes with Missouri, who frowned and looked away. What does he have to be so angry about? He practically saved the Union and the wild brat’s chance of becoming a state! Typical. A glance at Maine confirmed his suspicions that the woman now hated him forever, with her fuming face and burning eyes, though he saved her chances as well, now that he thought about it. The compromise would solve everything, even if they were still too stubborn to see it.

Maine found her eyes drifting over to Missouri, and for the first time, they shared the same expression. The weary face of her Southern counterpart looked away from her and unto the many arguing states in front of him. With a concluding shrug and the fading thought to never be dragged into this kind of political game ever again, the man walked out the door and left Maine and the United States of America to forge the Missouri Compromise.                                       

[artificialqueens]

Sometimes All We Need Is A Little Touch (Trixya) - Thomo

( A/N: Hey y'all, am back with a new request for m/m trixya. It’s a teacher/student fic, and i know it was just recently requested but I needed to write it, sorry bout it. It’s 2.9k words of slight angst, smut, and just overall rushed lust. Probably not my best work, but if you guys like it I could probably turn it into a little chaptered thing. If not, I hope you enjoy what’s here! Thanks for reading x -Thomo)

The sun shone bright, directly into Brian’s eyes. His head was leaning against the passenger-side window of his mom’s car. The car was zooming through his hometown, passing all the -awful- memories he had made there. The hardest, yet most satisfying to see behind him in the sideview mirror was his old high school. That wretched building, the place where he spent most of his suffering, was finally behind him.  Unfortunately his mom must of heard his sigh of relief because she decided to start some sort of conversation.

“Brian, sweetie… How are you feeling? What’s on your mind?” his mom’s hand fell to his shoulder. He looked back at her, noticing the soft smile pulling at her lips. Brian’s mom was always gentle and caring with him, especially after all the incidents with his latest step father. He never had a true father figure, only assholes who tried to prove their masculinity by “beating the faggot out of him.” Even though it never worked, the men in his life didn’t get the hint that it would never would work. To pull him away from the bitter thoughts that invaded his mind, Brian’s mom squeezed his shoulder and hummed to get him to reply.

“Just…. So, so ready to finally leave, mom.” Brian admitted, giving his only source of support a sheepish grin. As much as he wasn’t ready to part with his mom, he knew this was the best option for the both of them. For Brian, to escape the horrors he’d only continue to experience if he stayed. For his mother, the relief of knowing her baby was going to be somewhere he could be himself and not get bullied for it. Well, that was a big hope for the both of them. His mother hummed again, in agreement this time. “I’m so proud of you, honey, getting accepted into a great college.” his mom’s smile widened.

“Yeah, mom, me too.” this college, the college of his dreams, would be the start of his new life. Finally, he would be able to do as his heart desired and be with who he wanted to be. There would be nothing holding him back from the joy he’d get to feel of self-acceptance. The college was quite far from his hometown, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it will just be rough to not have his mom to lean on when he really needed it. He just hoped that he’d be quick to find solace in his roommate or something. Luckily the college he got accepted into was solely based on members of the LGBT and he hoped he’d snag a hot roommate as well as a kind one.

The rest of the car ride was spent in a comfortable but slightly awkward silence. Upon arrival at Magnetic Art University, the awkwardness rose. Brian gave a final hug to his mom and kissed her on both cheeks, promising to keep in contact as much as he could. Then, he made his way into the building he would find himself calling “home” for the next four years. He found his dorm and found it empty yet. So, he made himself at home, claiming one of the beds and setting up his stuff. Once Brian’s side of the room as made up in a way he could call comfortable, he decided to head out to check out the rest of the campus. It was a decently sized University, but not so big that he got too lost looking for his classes. In fact, he found the rooms pretty easily. Hopefully he would remember well enough to find them just as easy tomorrow when the walk-areas would be full of other freshmen and upperclassmen. After getting a little familiar with his new surroundings, Brian went back to his dorm. There he found his new roommate all set up and getting comfy in the other bed.

Brian’s roommate was just a bit taller than he is. They’ve got long, dark, curly hair that cover both of their exposed shoulders. They’re extremely slim and have legs for fucking days. Brian could feel his jaw slacken slightly at the pure beauty of his roommate. The mysterious roommate turned when they finally noticed the new presence in the room. They smirked at Brian, flipping their hair over one of their shoulders. “See somethin’ you like, mister?” they grinned harder, examining their roommate. They would say that he’s pretty cute, not exactly they’re type though. You know, the causal-white-dad look. When Brian didn’t reply, the tall one scoffed. “Well, you can call me Violet. You are?” they raised a perfectly painted brow. Yes, painted. They were wearing a half-done mug, with foundation, brows, eyeliner, and a dark lip. Honestly, they were gorgeous. Brian kicked himself for just staring, he probably seemed like a creep. “Uhhhhh, I’m Brian..” he stuttered, blushing and looking down.

Violet nodded and turned back around, fiddling with their makeup on their desk. “Well, Brian,” they sighed. “Don’t fall too hard for me, I’ve already got my eyes on someone else ‘round here.” Brian physically shook himself. “Yeah, right, okay.” He huffed in mild annoyance. God, his roommate sure was a cocky bitch. “Thanks, doll.” Violet laughed. “I’m hittin’ the sack, bitch, don’t make too much noise or whatever.” They didn’t wait for a response and just crawled under their sheets. Brian shrugged and followed suit, crawling under his own sheets after stripping down to his boxers. Tomorrow would either be super stressful or super laid back and he wasn’t sure which to expect just yet. He had to shake himself from deep thought again if he actually wanted to sleep tonight. Brian just turned and faced the wall that his bed was pressed against. Let’s hope for the best, he thought to himself before slipping into a sleep like state.

Morning came too soon for either of the occupants of room 224. They groaned and pulled themselves from their beds. Violet got ready in their bathroom while Brian quickly hopped into some clean clothes and left before they even got under the shower’s water. Brian had a morning class for the History of Music. He decided to take that one because as much as he knew about music, there was always something else he could learn from a new perspective. He casually strolled into the lecture room, trying to keep a calm exterior. Brian knew from experience that coming off as a mess for a first impression led to a long lasting impression. Though, as soon as he saw that he and the professor were the only ones in the room, his nerves got the best of him. The professor knotted his eyebrows together as he noticed the sudden change of mood in the boy. Brian pulled the schedule to his face as to hide, but also check what the professor’s name was. Apparently they shared the same first name, so he’d probably just stick to “Mr. McCook” to avoid confusing himself. Yes, he had the tendency to confuse himself with something as simple as that.

Brian forced himself to brighten up and put a smile on as he approached Mr. McCook. “Hi! I’m Brian Firkus, pleased to take this class.” he reached out his hand to take McCook’s in a greeting. The teacher had to use a lot of willpower to not recoil when the hand even slightly touched his. He wasn’t used to casual touches, let alone casual touches from men as attractive as the other Brian in front of him. Instead, he forced a smile back, bright but fake. “Nice to meet you, Firkus, please, have a seat anywhere you’d like.” He wanted to say, ‘as far away from me as possible’ but it probably wasn’t a good idea to come off as an asshole on the first day. He didn’t want to scare away any students. Brian just wasn’t prepared to have someone as forwardly friendly nor handsome as this freshman in his class. It was making him feel uncomfortable, in a sense. If uncomfortable meant horny in an unwanted way. He sighed softly as the student took a seat directly in front of his desk. Great, now how could he focus on actually teaching with this fine, beefcake of a boy in direct eyesight? He just didn’t know how he would survive this semester without charges of sexual harassment, honestly.

Soon, the class had as many students as it would today. Not a lot. That was expected as firstly, not a lot of people took this class, as they found history of anything to be boring. Secondly, it was the first day of college. Either the freshmen were too nervous to show up, or the upperclassmen knew nothing really happened on the first day. Hopefully with this the instructor could get away with making most of his eye contact with Bri (he decided it would be easier to call him Bri). Which, even if it seemed weird, he would still do it. That’s just McCook for you. Bri blushed nearly the whole class, looking down shyly every time Brian would meet his eyes. At the end of class, before he finished his introductory lecture, he looked Bri in the eyes one last time and winked at him. Bri nearly lost his shit at that, hiding his face in his hands. Neither of them could really believe the forwardness of Brian, there was just some sort of pull between them. They couldn’t really describe it but it was definitely there.

When class was actually over, Bri tried to scurry out of the room as fast as possible, but once he was down the stairs, Brian was already there. “Hey, Bri, wait.” Bri stopped at the nickname and looked at Brian with slight fear in his eyes. “Okay, you can stop looking like i’m about to beat you verbally…” he chuckled, stepping back to give the other space. “I just.. I just wanted to say I enjoyed your, participation, in class today.” Brian smirked. God, what is it with sexy guys and smirking at this school? Bri thought to himself. “Errr, well, thanks.. I think…” Bri laughed nervously still, looking anyway but the older man’s eyes. Unfortunately that led his eyes to look at his chest, arms, and jaw. This man really was sexy and seemingly super confident. Bri sucked in a sharp breath before finally looking into the other’s eyes. There he saw a smoulder of lust and curiosity. Fuck, he could feel his knees buckle and ankles turn to jelly. He literally almost tipped over. Brian was there to catch his sudden clumsiness though, which really didn’t help with the source of weakness. “Fuck.” Bri mumbled out loud. “Sorry I just…” he tried to make an excuse for why he had to be kept upright, but he was also pretty sure Brian knew exactly why. This was happening too fast for Bri to keep up. Yeah, he was hoping to find a whirlwind romance and a sexy guy to fuck and all that, but this soon? This suddenly? With this intensity? It was too overwhelming right off.

“You doing okay there?” the older Brian asked, trying to read the emotions passing through the younger’s eyes. Bri stuttered out a small yes before trying to push out of the strong arms of the other. “I really need to get to my next class, sir, if you don’t mind.” he tried to keep the amount of bite just right to get his point across. Brian slowly let go of him and stepped even further away. “Of course. If you need me,” he smirked, looking Bri up and down, noticing that he was in fact slightly aroused. “My office is just across the hall from here.” With that, the student hurriedly left, leaving Brian with minor guilt and major arousal. The older man sighed and plopped his ass into the chair behind the room’s desk. Maybe this was just a little too much for him, as well. Yeah, maybe he was used to instant attraction and quick fucks, but never with a student. Never has he ever had the urge to fuck a student with this intensity. Oh well, he’d be fine. He just hopes he didn’t scare off the younger man. He’d want to see him around more often. Eventually, he got up and made it to his office. Brian damn well needed some alone time.

Throughout the next few weeks, Brian and Bri have had similar encounters. Brian flirting, heavily sexual flirting at that, and Bri simply blushing and smiling at the attention. Even Brian’s usual students (new ones too!) could tell that Brian was somewhat infatuated with this new student. There was no doubt that they’d fuck soon. Just how soon, they weren’t sure. Brian hoped for sooner than later. Luckily for him, it just happened to be that night. He was in his office, grading papers lazily, barely skimming over them and just grading them for the general effort put into the pieces. There was a soft, almost unnoticeable knock at his door. Brian just happened to have advanced hearing thanks to his shitty eyesight. “Come in, come in.” he called dismissively, not expecting for a student to come in this late, let alone the man he’s been trying to fuck since the first day of school. His jaw fell before immediately snapping back shut.

Bri shuffled his feet nervously as he played with the hem of his shirt. “Mr. McCook? Can we talk?” Brian nodded, also telling him that he could just address him by his first name. Bri awkwardly agreed to then sat in the chair before Brian’s desk. “So, what’s on your mind, Bri?” Brian asked, trying to distract himself with the ungraded work. “You, sir.” Bri admitted, shyly looking up to his professor’s face. There was a look of pure shock plastered there. “Uhh, have I… Have I been misreading your signals?” Bri asked, blushing furiously and standing up to make a quick escape. Brian instantly grabbed one of Bri’s wrists before consoling him that, no, he had not been misreading his signals. “In fact, Bri, you’ve been reading them perfectly. I’d like to fuck you, if that’s alright.” The blunt words went straight to his jeans. He nodded, still blushing. “Come over here, Bri, I’d like to finally touch you.” Bri made his way over to the older one, stopping in front of him. He stripped off his shirt and jeans slowly, shyly looking into Brian’s eyes. Goddammit, he was driving him crazy, how unknowingly sexy the younger man was. He wanted to bend the younger man over and eat his ass until he was seeing stars. So that’s what he did. Brian grabbed him by the hips and directed him to bend over his desk.

“You’re so sexy, so pretty, Bri. Gonna show you.” Brian spread his cheeks, pressing light kisses to the puckered hole. Luckily, Bri decided to prepare himself before heading over, so he was all clean and ready to be eaten or fucked. Hopefully both. Brian licked from his taint to the top of his crack. The man on the desk shuddered and moaned, his grip on the front of the desk tightened. “More, please, sir.” Brian growled lowly at the sudden sexual turn of the addressment. He pulled the younger’s cheeks apart more roughly and smacked at them. He licked the hole harder before pulling away to grab the lube out of the bottom drawer on his desk. Obviously he’s had more fun in here before. He lubed up his fingers and then slid one inside the bottom. Bri moaned louder, loving the feeling of fingers starting to fill him. As Brian added more, the other got needier. “Please fuck me, sir, I need you!” Brian hummed in agreement, found and rolled on a condom before slicking up his own cock. “Gonna fuck you now, baby.” he let the pet name slip out as he slipped in. The bottom Brian barely noticed, instead focusing on the pleasure running through his body as he was pounded into the desk.

Brian spanked Bri hard with each thrust in. The younger was a moaning mess, not being able to hold his noises back with the deep pleasure he was consumed with. The older Brian bent over the other, biting into his shoulder as he came deep in Bri’s ass. Now, as nice as that’d be, once Brian came he couldn’t really find it in him to stay inside an ass. But, he wasn’t a complete asshole. Once he pulled out and tied off the condom, he flipped the bottom over and dropped to his knees. He sucked Bri off, tongue running over the shaft of his cock while his mouth bobbed up and down, stopping at the tip to suck and swallowing when his lips touched the base. Bri soon came, spilling down the older’s throat, a little dripping down his chin. He got up and wiped it off. Bri thanked him for his time, kissed his professor’s cheek and left his number on the stray paper on the desk. Looks like all Bri needed for some true confidence was a good orgasm, because he kept showing up at Brian’s office. Who knew what their relationship would progress into, but for now they were both satisfied with what they had.

Or were they?

[beautiful-liu]

Chapter 26 - Remember me - Kryber

Title: Remember me

Pairing: Kryber [Amber Liu x Krystal Jung] Fandom: f(x) Genre: Drama, romance

Summary: The bad ass androgynous girl Amber Josephine Liu with a sex, drugs and rock-‘n-roll attitude whom everybody seemed to fear and admire at the same time, with the flash of a smug smile on her handsome face, and a sigaret or lolly pop in her mouth, depending on her mood. A leather jacket always hugging her shoulders, ripped jeans and a loose tank top that displayed just a tiny bit of her sports bra when she lifted her tattoo-filled arms. Everyone was weak for Amber Liu. Krystal simply didn’t see it. Until that one night she accidentally met her, and met a whole other person than the stories she had been made to believe. Word count: 5900 Rating: T A/N: Excuse the grammar mistakes. This is my first time writing a multi chaptered fic. Hope y'all enjoy the progress!

Read it on: AO3 & asianfanfics

Moodboard: x

Amber met her backstage and Krystal fell into her arms, locking them around Amber's waist so tightly the other woman made a strangled sound. But they were laughing and Krystal let the tears she had been holding all that time fall over her cheeks. Amber kissed her and she kissed back, not even caring that the staff was still around. "You were fantastic!" Amber praised, as soon as they had found enough will-power to let each other go. Krystal chuckled shyly. "No really, I couldn't even see that you were nervous. You came up and you spoke to them so clearly and with determination that it blew my socks off!" "You're wearing slippers, Amber," Krystal laughed. "As a matter of speaking, of course." Both women just laughed relieved. They were still entangled in a hug, when Krystal heard the stage manager mutter a formal greeting. Before they could let each other go, Krystal's father stepped towards them, clearing his throat. They let each other go immediately, a little clumsily. "Interesting speech you gave there, Krystal," he said. His voice was low and gruff. The frown on his face told her that he wasn't in a good mood. "Sadly I don't know what you were trying to accomplish there." Krystal tilted her head slightly to the left. "I don't feel like explaining it much to you, father," she replied. "If you can't understand how difficult this was for me, then I don't owe you an explanation." Her father chuckled lowly. "I do understand, in fact. But I would not dare to guess your intentions. Are you perhaps trying to win over my employees?" he asked her. Krystal snorted. "I already have. I started with that the moment I became an intern here. I worked all of these jobs. They all know me better than they will ever know you. After today I have a large amount of people scaling behind me." Her father frowned. "It won't matter if you have a few secretaries backing you up. They don't have a vote in what's going to happen to this company," he said nonchalantly. "The strength of the group is more powerful than the strength of the elite," she replied. Her father laughed disdainfully. "If you're planning to attack me in court with a handful of interns, then I have not raised you well," he said. Krystal simply shrugged. She didn't want to reveal her plan with Evans to him. In fact, she wanted to keep it a secret as long as she could. It wouldn't do her any good if she revealed it to him now, then he'd be able to do something about it. "We'll see, dad," she simply said. "Please, go home now. You still need to rest." Her father suddenly turned angry. "If you think that I can't beat you because I'm sick then you are gravely mistaken!" he hissed at her, pointing her index finger so close to her chest that she had to suppress the urge to slap his hand away. "No, father," she said respectfully. "That makes you only more dangerous. But if you won't leave, I will, because I have business to take care of." And with a final nod, she took Amber's hand and walked away from her father, off the backstage and back into the great hall. There were still small groups of people, probably discussing the contents of the speech she had given just a few moments ago. Some looked at her, but most went on softly talking, not even paying attention to her like she just hadn’t given the most important speech of her life. Even though there were quite a few pairs of eyes set upon them, Krystal didn't let go of Amber's hand. They were about to leave the hall when she heard a squeak behind her. "Ms. Jung! Wait, please!" She turned around, with a frown on her face. To her surprise, she saw a woman coming to run towards them, as fast as she could on her high heels. When she came closer, Krystal recognized her as the girl who had gotten up from her seat to clap after the older woman, the newbie whom she hadn't known the name of. "Yes?" she replied, a bit surprised. The woman was a bit out of breath and took a few seconds to regain herself. "I just.. I wanted to say that what you just did back there.. it was incredibly brave," she started. "I wish I'd be as brave as you to confess to something like that to so many people. I just wanted you to know you have my full support." Krystal couldn't help to smile. She and Amber exchanged a gaze for a second. "Thank you," she said. "I don't think we have met formally, yet? I'm Krystal Jung. This is my partner.. eh, girlfriend, Amber Liu." Krystal and Amber both shook the hands of the woman in front of them. "Nice to meet you!" she chimed. Her voice jingled like bells which was pleasant to hear. "My name is Stephanie Hwang, but you can call me Tiffany. I recently started working here as the Personal Assistant for Mr Mitchell." "Ah, yes, I remember he told me he got a new PA," Krystal said. She noticed they were around the same age, perhaps Tiffany had a few years on her, but that was barely visible. Tiffany smiled brightly to both of them. Her broad smile reminded her a little bit of the smile the Liu family all had, only Amber's eyes didn't smile too when she did. Suddenly, her face turned grave, causing both Amber and Krystal to frown alertly. "I just remembered I have something important to do for Mr. Mitchell. Excuse me, but I have an appointment to get to. It was nice meeting you, though, keep up the good work," she said. Tiffany showed them a last smile before she ran off. "She's a nice one," Amber commented, as they watched her disappear back into the crowd. Krystal nodded in agreement. And since there was no one to stop them anymore, they left for her office. Once there, Krystal grabbed her coat and purse. "This little victory deserves a good lunch. And it's all on me," she said, with a wink. Amber rolled her eyes. "Probably the first and only time it's on you," she said. Krystal playfully hit her arm. "It's not my fault you sneak of with the check every time," she commented, eye-rolling. "Come on, let's go!" Not soon after her speech, Krystal called together all of Jung Internationals' associates. Liu Economics, Song Software, Lee Electronics and The Universe Group, a group which had a hotel in every important city in the United States. If every company would take their representatives with them, the meeting room would soon be filled up all the way, that's why she had only invited the CEO's and their direct Vice-Presidents. Victoria Song of Song Software came with a man that had at least ten years on her. Jackie Liu came with Jackson. Amy Lee walked in with a woman of her age – meaning quite young. And the CEO of The Universe Group, Eric Nam, came alone. Krystal had no one to back her up. It crossed her mind to ask Evans but she decided not to. He would only try to catch attention and try to fulfill her job whilst he wasn't even her Vice-President yet. She wanted to approach the partners of Jung Internationals her way. The news had probably already gotten out and the other CEO's had agreed that they had already heard of it. When Krystal asked them for their opinion and their plan who they were honestly going to support, there was a silence. "I support you, Krystal, no matter what. I owe that to you, I owe that to Amber, I owe that to my parents. You should be the CEO," Jackie had told her after a few moments of silence. To her surprise, most of the other CEO's nodded. Only Victoria stayed silent, but she wouldn't have expected her otherwise. Krystal has a closer bond with Jackie, Amy and Eric than she had with Victoria. In fact, Amy and Eric joined Jung Internationals because Liu Economics did as well, but that didn’t mean they didn’t like Krystal enough to back her up. Victoria, on the other hand, was known for being suspicious about making deals. "Ms. Jung, I don't believe that what you're doing right now is.. smart," she eventually said, carefully choosing her words. The other people in the meeting room looked at her surprised, only Krystal had expected this. Victoria smiled weakly. "Like your father said, you will need the board to stand at your side if you want to become the following CEO. All you have now... is loose promises that you're going to make Jung Internationals' better by staying true to your heart – how sentimental – and a few secretaries to back you up." The group stayed silent. Uneasiness spread through the people surrounding her. Now that Victoria had spoken the words out loud - the words they had all been thinking – it almost seemed inevitable that her father was going to win. Only Krystal smiled. "That's why we're going to have a vote, Ms. Song," she replied. "And if we vote, those secretaries will count. After the judge has found me the most suitable for the job, they will need all five board members to overthrow me. That won't be possible, because I have a friend in the board." Victoria started to laugh. "I believe you're misunderstanding me. Yes, your situation is bad. That's exactly why Song Software is going to back you up." Krystal stared at her in disbelief. Victoria simply snickered. "What, you didn't think Song Software would help you out? Because we have only just started our cooperation does not mean I will stay silent in this battle. I was about to turn down your father's proposal when I heard you were going to follow him up. Understand me well, Krystal. I am 33 years old woman. Unlike you, I have not worked through every job at the company and I simply became CEO – whilst I would've preferred to become an actress – when my father died. In the first few years of my new status, my own advisors used their power against me. I was naïve and easily impressed. Whilst I thought I was the most powerful in the company, I certainly was not, until I opened my eyes. I fired all of them and surrounded myself with people who shared my visions. I wasn't going to be led by old white men anymore. I am a strong woman and I do not need anyone to tell me who I am. I saw a bit of myself in you that day, when you held your speech and promised to be a good CEO and how you'd stay true to your heart. You were vulnerable and really put yourself out there. As a female CEO, I'd love to see more around me. Luckily, I am sitting at this table with two other female CEO's and one female CEO-to-be. We will be four loners in a man-centered world. No offense, Eric, but it's true." Eric nodded and shrugged, agreeing. He had always been open-minded. "And I will fight for every woman who is planning on breaking through, who has enough ambition to handle a job like this. You need to have guts and a strong love for the company to pull it off. It's exhausting and sometimes you'd rather just quit. But it's worth it. And I see that ambition in you, Krystal. Song Software will declare openly their support for you, as I am sure all of us at this table will." And so, it happened. A few days after Krystal's speech, Song Software declared their support for Krystal, as well as Liu Economics, Lee Electronics and The Universe Group. Krystal at first hadn't thought that their statement would matter much – after all, their associates had nothing to do with the politics inside Jung Internationals. But as soon as they had announced their statement, suddenly a lot of other companies started to get involved too. Smaller ones that Jung Internationals' had sometimes had contact with. And some they had never even spoken with, but were associates of one of their associates. It created a whole network of CEO's who supported Krystal in her activities to get to the top. But because of the upcoming network, the media started to get involved too. At first, they had only been there at the announcements – Krystal's speech, Song Software's statement – but soon journalists were clouding the exits of Jung Internationals' Headquarters, just to get a glimpse of Krystal Jung, the daughter of Charles Jung who was planning to become CEO by deposing her father. And interviews were inevitable, that's why Krystal eventually invited one of the reporters of NBC to ask her a couple of questions. She figured that she'd have to do an interview sooner or later and she guessed she'd better do it soon, so she could make win a few more supporters. The video that was made quickly hit a few million on YouTube. There clearly were more people invested or at least interested in who was going to be the new CEO. It flattered her a bit. She had gotten a lot of negative reactions but those didn't out-shadow the good ones and that gave Krystal the power to go on. That, and Amber. Her girlfriend was so supportive of her it was almost sickening to the stomach. Whenever she gave another press conference, Amber was there, in the midst of the supporters, always smiling encouragingly towards her. It helped a lot. Amber helped her with preparing her speeches and helped her pose for photos. Weirdly, she had a lot of experience with these things and it really helped. And during these hard and difficult times, in which Krystal often stayed late at the office, Amber was understanding as ever. Even though Krystal didn't have much time to visit her or go out for lunch with her, she didn't hold a grudge. These few weeks were hard on her too and Krystal understood that only too well. Even though she was working hard physically, it was hard on them both mentally to be without each other. And Krystal had time to drown herself in work so she'd be too busy to miss Amber, but she was just at home, waiting for her to drop by. Of course, she was able to write songs, but that only would make her think of Krystal more. Most of their contact consisted of chatting online but even that was relieving. It eased her mind whenever she was talking with Amber. It made her realize that she was all doing this because of her. If Amber hadn't come back, where would she be now? She'd never have stood up against her father; forever his lap dog. Now she was running her own campaign, with posters and flyers, and people were actually backing her up. Surprisingly, her father hadn't even taken action against her. He didn't come up with his own campaign; it was simply Krystal's face hanging around the halls of Jung Internationals. It was a little bit embarrassing, almost to a point where she wanted to take off all the posters. But she knew her father and she knew that he had insiders in this company too. He was just biding his time, waiting for the best time to hit. Perhaps he even thought it was childish to even participate before the trial started. Two weeks after her speech, Krystal received a letter that the hearing would occur in two days. They were all allowed to bring people who pleaded for their cases in front of the judge. Krystal was planning to bring Jackie and Victoria at least. She wasn't going to risk bringing in Evans just yet; she wanted to have him as back up. If her plan worked, she should win the trial and become CEO. But she'd only be able to maintain that position with Evans. "So, when will you be going?" Amber asked. She was sprawled over Krystal's bed, the sheets still unmade because neither of them had had found the time or the motivation to get up yet. It has been two hours since they woke up together. The nights Krystal could spend with her girlfriend were still as amazing as ever. Even simply cuddling was able to make her heart pound and the corners of her mouth pull up with happiness. Let alone the kisses. Amber laid with her head upon Krystal's arm, using her shoulder as pillow. It was a rare sight; usually it was the other way around, but definitely not uncomfortable. Amber always kept up such a rough, harsh facade in front of other people, but Krystal knew better. Amber was vulnerable whenever she was with her and they both knew it. She was glad to be the person with whom Amber could feel vulnerable without feeling embarrassed. "The case starts at 16:00, but I'll have to be there at 15:00. It's a one-hour drive and it takes another hour to get dressed and get my stuff. So, that means I have to get going in half an hour," she muttered. Krystal had already thought out her complete schedule — she didn't even need Eloisa for that — like she always did. "Okay, so do you want to get out and get breakfast or-" "Nah, I included getting breakfast in my 'get-ready' time. We literally only have to get up in half an hour," she chuckled. Amber looked up and rolled her eyes. She was the complete opposite of her girlfriend and literally planned nothing, therefor she didn't understand what an insurance it gave Krystal to have it all planned out. Amber preferred to make it up as she goes, completely spontaneous. "Sounds nice, I don't want to let you go yet.." she muttered. Even after two months of dating, those little confessions made her blush. "You don't have to, I booked you a seat," she replied, trying to keep her voice as steady as possible. But the big grin that started to grow on her face betrayed how excited she was to take Amber with her. The other woman rose one of her eyebrows. "And you didn't think it'd be a good idea to tell me? Now I have to go home and get a blouse," she sighed. Krystal laughed, bowed down and kissed her on the lips. Amber kissed her back and eventually she felt the other woman smile against her lips too. When they broke apart again, Krystal smiled back. "That's why I got you some new clothes for today," she said. Amber frowned "Do you know my size?" she asked surprised, which made Krystal huff. "Puh-lease, you sleep over so much that half of the things in my closet are yours. And since you don't bother to wash them yourself, I do it. So yes, I know your size." Amber chuckled apologetically. "I'm curious what you got me, but I don't want to get up just yet," she muttered, as she buried her face in the crook of Krystal's neck. It tickled a bit and she laughed, as she placed her hand around her neck, caressing her head and playing with her hair by twirling it around a finger. They waited half an hour, then got up to get dressed. Proudly, Krystal took the bag with Amber's new clothes out of its hiding spot and handed it to her. The other woman unpacked the packages and held the clothes against her body. "Did I now officially abandon my 'bad girl' image?" Amber laughed, as she held up the white blouse and neat pants, that would end just above her calves, Krystal got her. She laughed. "No, you'll always be one. But now you look a little less like 'I can make girls drool by just smiling at them' and more like 'I can make girls swoon with just my looks'. Nowadays the classy look is very popular. And we'll match when it comes to outfits." "I thought you liked my leather jacket?" Amber pouted, as she took a look at the final piece of clothing: a jacket that hugged her body tightly but was a bit looser around the arms. It looked a bit like a bomberjack only one that looked a hundred times more expensive. Amber shuddered at the at the thought how many money Krystal had spent for her. Even though they both had enough money, it still felt weird to take it so easily. Amber sighed and held up the jacket. It still looked like she could kick some ass, but it was less threatening. "I do. And I like your image. But you're mine now and you know how much I love it when you wear formal clothes. And they're all black so don't whine." In fact, she loved Amber's androgynous, alternative style, especially when she wore her leather jacket. And don't get her started on those loose tank tops... they displayed Amber's sleeve, biceps and collar bones so well it was almost too much to handle. But it simply was more convenient if she wore something that screamed 'I take this matter seriously!' instead of 'I'm here to turn all of your daughters gay'. Her father would pay close attention to both of them and she wanted Amber to look like she had more money than all of the CEO's combined. Amber rolled her eyes and let Krystal run her hand through her hair. The taller girl couldn't help to bite on her lip as she studied Amber's face. Amber had been attractive eight years ago but she had matured so well that it was almost painful to look at her. Amber still seemed to doubt a bit, until Krystal bowed down and whispered. "You can still be a bad girl in the sheets tonight..." Amber immediately bowed away and started to grin. "Okay, I'll wear the jacket!" she immediately called out, causing both of them to laugh. They both started to get dressed after that. Krystal purposely went to take a shower first, whilst Amber was putting on her clothes; she knew one hundred percent sure that if she had stayed in the room when she was changing, that she'd just would keep staring. She dried her hair afterwards, straightened it as well and put it in a ponytail. Loose hair would be too casual for something like this and she had never been a fan of a bun. Krystal went back into the bedroom, in just her underwear, to get dressed when she saw Amber on her way towards the kitchen. She couldn't help to chuckle to herself when she noticed how well the new pants shaped her buttocks and legs. At those moments, Krystal sometimes wondered if her puberty hadn't only started now, because she felt like an irresponsible, hormonal sixteen-year-old every time Amber walked by. But Krystal wouldn't be herself if she wasn't able to control those emotions as well — the skill to control her emotions had been one of the few things Krystal had actually liked when her father taught her; it came in handy in a lot of situations — and she got dressed. Krystal matched Amber's clothing in color: her pencil skirt was black, so were her heels and her jacket. The darkness was in contrast with her pale skin, making her look even paler which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Amber's tanned skin however looked even darker. Right now, she was the definition of 'Tall, Dark and Handsome'. Like Amber, the blouse she wore was white, and both of them had tugged it into their pants or skirt. With a few silver accessories here and a little make up there, Krystal was all set. She walked into the kitchen, only finding Amber behind her cooking island, cutting up some vegetables. She had stropped up the sleeves of her blouse, so they wouldn't get dirty. There were already two eggs boiling in a little pan and some toast in the toaster. "We don't have much time for breakfast," she muttered, as she took a look at the watch she had put on a few seconds ago. "And you still have to do your hair." Amber didn't look up and just went on. "I'll do that in the car. I just wanted your belly to be full before the sitting," she said, as she flicked the vegetables into a frying pan. They immediately started to sizzle when they made contact with the already hot oil. She spun around when the toaster beeped and took out the hot pieces of bread, putting them on a plate as she added two other slices to the toaster. "Just sit and relax for a moment, it'll be done in five minutes," Amber said, whilst still paying more attention to the veggies than to her. Krystal chuckled and rolled her eyes. "It better be five minutes, you know I'm a slow eater." Amber just chuckled and Krystal sat down at the kitchen table. It took her indeed only five minutes; the eggs only took a few moments to cool down, the second round of toast was done in a second and Amber knew Krystal liked her vegetables to be stir-fried at a high temperature for a short amount of time. She thanked her girlfriend when she put the delicious-looking plate in front of her. They both quickly ate, although Amber's idea of 'quickly' eating was a lot different from Krystal's; Amber had to wait a few minutes until she was done. There wasn't any time anymore to clean the dishes afterwards, and Krystal wouldn't want to risk that any of them got a stain on their clothes now right before the trial so they just left the plates in the sink. Together they hurried off towards the car. Krystal sat down behind the wheel and Amber next to her, already pulling out her hair products to put her hair in shape; she knew Krystal liked it best when it was pushed back. It sounded like something Regina George from Mean Girls would say but she simply couldn't help herself; it was the truth. Even before they hit the highway, the car was already smelling like hairspray. The characteristic smell made Krystal pull up her nose, but she had to admit that Amber knew her way around with it. Within a matter of minutes, her hair was parted and pushed back, giving her that classy look Krystal had been aiming for. It was an hour-long drive with neither of them saying much. Krystal was rehearsing her lines in her head and paying attention to the road, which meant she didn't even think of starting a conversation. She was often so concentrated that she wouldn't even hear Amber asking her questions. But this time the short-haired woman was quiet too, which was unusual. So unusual, even, that Krystal broke out of her concentration because it was so noticeable. "What are you thinking of?" she muttered, as she turned down the volume of the radio. Amber seemed to snap out of her own little concentration bubble when she heard Krystal's voice. She cleared her throat and awkwardly rubbed the back of her neck. "I don't know, just.. something," she mumbled. "It's not just something if it keeps you from singing along to Uptown Funk, even I noticed that it has already been played twice," Krystal replied. Amber made a sound that could best be qualified between a huff and a snort; she knew Krystal was right. "I was just wondering what was going to happen after today, you know," Amber eventually admitted. "This case isn't something small. It's going to decide the future of a whole international and I know that one of you will be devastated once the judge has made their decision. I'm just.. worried, I suppose. For you, mostly. You're acting so confident already but honestly I think it'll be a rough battle and it will hurt you, and your father, especially because you two are family.." Krystal listened and stayed silent, not sure what to say to make Amber calm her mind. She wasn't even sure if she should say something. "Just promise me that if you'll loose, that you won't shut me out.." This surprised her. Suddenly it was hard to stay concentrated at the road. Krystal regretted not buying a car with automatic control right now because she would've pulled Amber closer to her and kissed her passionately if she had, just to make her realize that she would never shut her out. But instead her fingers gripped the wheel so hard that her knuckles turned white. "I will not take out my anger on you," she replied. "That's not what I meant," Amber elaborated," I want you to come to me when you're happy but most of all I want you to come to me when you feel like crying or when you're so angry you could kill a man, because like it or not, Krystal, but you're an emotional person who lets herself be led by emotions whether you like it or not and if you keep bottling up your sadness then you're going to explode someday. You still have trouble opening up to me when you feel bad. I want to be the person who can help you get through it rather than the person who helps you stuffing your feelings away by not speaking up." Krystal fell silent again. She had no idea what to say. Amazement was the first feeling that she noticed had gathered in her body. "I didn't know-" she started, but she was stopped by a snort from Amber. "You didn't know I knew this much? I'm your girlfriend, I know you better than anyone. I had noticed this eight years ago already and partly why I was so attracted to you was because of that layer mysteriousness that held back your emotions. It was a challenge back then, nowadays I know it's only a burden." Krystal swallowed and sighed. She let the tip of her tongue run over her lips to wet them, and to postpone the moment she would need to speak up. "I didn't know you were so bothered by it..." she finished her sentence. "I thought it'd be just.. you know.. easier. If there's nothing wrong, then it's easier for us to be happy." Amber shook her head. "It would be easier but a person can't always be happy, and relationships can’t always be perfect. And that's why you have me: you can scream at me, cry on my shoulder or laugh with me, because in the end it will not matter because I love you. It's making me worry to see you put on a facade whenever you're hurt. I know I'm asking much but in the long run it's better if you let out your feelings immediately too." Krystal felt herself gripping the wheel tighter as she tried to hold back the tears that were forming. "I just really want to kiss you right now," Krystal blurted out in a shaky voice, with teary eyes. She didn't know how it got that far, but it suddenly felt like there was an enormous pressure falling off her shoulders. It was an uncommon feeling, because she had been taught to hide her feelings from a young age, but it felt really good to have someone whom she didn't have to pretend with. Someone who indeed knew all of her dark sides as well as her bright ones. She heard Amber chuckle. A moment later, she had taken her hand off the wheel and intertwined her fingers with Amber's. The feeling of her lips on the back of her hand lingered longer than her lips themselves. Krystal's hand shook, but Amber kept rubbing her thumb over it until she calmed down again. At that point, it took another ten minutes before they arrived at their destiny. As soon as Krystal had shut off the car engine, she basically jumped on Amber. She placed her hands in her neck, cupping her cheeks and placing a deep kiss on her lips. Amber immediately got the hint and didn't hesitate to kiss her back. It was uncomfortable to kiss in such a position; both of them were still sitting in their own seats and they had to bend awkwardly to each other to kiss well. Nevertheless, it was one of the most relieving kisses of her life. Perhaps now she realized why Amber smelled like a summer breeze: the kiss liberated her. It felt like she could fly. Right at the moment Amber's arms curled around her waist, she heard something tick on the glass. They quickly broke apart and saw Jackie Liu bending down, looking with a big grin through the window of the car. Krystal's cheeks immediately flared deeply red as she opened the window. "Krystal," Jackie started, obviously trying to contain her laughter," I hope you have a speech prepared, or will you kiss my little sister so sexually in front of the judge as well?" Amber started to laugh. "Just let the Princess be, Jackie," she laughed. The CEO of Liu Economics chuckled and shrugged. "I was just dropping by to say that the case will start in ten minutes, so if you could just quit your foreplay and make some time to win over Jung Internationals then that'd be great." "Yeah, yeah, just go already, we'll come in a minute." "If I catch you two having a quicky then-" "GO, Jackie!" Amber half bellowed, half laughed, as she scrolled up the window again. They could hear Jackie chuckle outside as she walked towards the building. Krystal started to moan out of embarrassment immediately, throwing herself backwards in her seat. Amber was still chuckling. "How come that every time we kiss Jackie is just popping up out of nowhere?" she muttered. "That's what big sisters do, they protect little sisters from having sex in their girlfriends car," Amber laughed. "Well I don't see Jessica anywhere around now, do I?" she sighed. "And I wasn't going to have sex with you.. here." "Wanna bet I can make you come in five? We could still be in time if we start-" "Shut up, you," Krystal chuckled, as she rolled her eyes. "Let's get just get going." As Krystal wanted to get out of the car, Amber grabbed her wrist. "You might want to correct your lipstick a bit, it has smudged." Krystal thankfully pecked her cheek, took out her tiny hand mirror and quickly wiped off the make-up that was not supposed to be there and got out. They immediately interlocked their fingers again. And as they walked hand in hand towards the court, Krystal couldn't help to notice how happy she was.