#you’ll also begin to get really really comfortable with the language when you read it and it’ll make reading more of them easier

[moonchildsfae]

the “shakespeare was meant to be performed/watched, not read” sentiment is actually theater kid propaganda.

read the plays! soak in every word! READ THE FOOTNOTES, I BEG OF YOU!

signed, a literature and cultural studies student and former shakespeare hater

[mrkis]

you'll never find anyone like me — one. (l.dh)

PAIRING: lee donghyuck x afab!reader GENRE: college au, fluff, mature WORD COUNT: 14.9k

SYNOPSIS: you’ll never find anyone like lee donghyuck, and that’s what makes him so exciting.

CHAPTERS WARNINGS: slow burn(ish) type, so much plot & way too much dialogue, alcohol consumption, explicit language, a lot of mentions of donghyuck being obsessed, heavy tension between reader and donghyuck, mentions of parties & drugs, donghyuck comes across as very straight forward and also flirty, pretty people make reader nervous lol (especially donghyuck), tension between two main characters but no smut yet.

AUTHORS NOTE:: its finally here!! i'm so excited to start this series with you all, thank you for your patience!! also, for anyone new, this is linked to my 'NEO TECH COLLEGE' jaemin series 'the way life goes' although this can be read as a standalone.

[SERIES MASTERLIST]

It wasn’t exactly ideal enrolling into class halfway through the year, knowing you’ll have to go through that godawful stage of trying to make friends with people who already have chosen their own clique to spend the rest of their college years with.

You’re, unfortunately, the new student, the one that’ll be singled out during group projects or the one they pick last for the group because they didn’t want to choose you first… you really don’t know which one is worse.

Looking for a place to settle down was a close second to being one of the worst things to do after enrolling late. You didn’t have enough money to live by yourself and you sure as hell didn’t want to live with someone you hardly even knew, but you had to pick one, so you went with the latter.

Areum was actually the sweetest (and coolest) person you have ever met. 

She welcomed you into her two bedroom apartment with open arms and even helped get you settled into your new room by offering to unpack your boxes and decorate the way you preferred, allowing you to have all the creative freedom you needed to call this place your home too.

Areum had even taken time out of her own busy schedule to show you around, letting you know about all the best food joints, best places to go to get coffee, best album stores to get your preferred music and even the best hangout spots. 

It was, undoubtedly, a lot to take in. 

Areum even introduced you to Minjun, a childhood friend of hers who is a college dropout and now the drummer in a two-man band with his older brother. (They’re pretty good, even though the older brother scares the shit out of you). 

Minjun was the complete opposite of Areum yet they were alike in so many ways, it was easy to make friends with him just as it was with Areum. Minjun was sceptical of you at first though, but he immediately warmed up to you when you complimented his drum set to which he then showed you how to play. (You had no idea, but it was fun).

You cherish the friendships you have made with the two deeply even though you felt like you were intruding at the beginning, especially when you realised how long they have actually known each other and how close they are. But the pair happily invited you into their small friendship with big grins and playful jokes.

You were grateful to be starting something new with people who you felt instantly comfortable with, you were excited to see what your time in college had in store for you. 

“Shit!” You repeatedly curse under your breath as you hurry across campus grounds with your bag strap sliding down your shoulders and your phone held tightly in your grip, staring down at the time that shined angrily at you due to your lateness.

Being late on your very first day wasn’t exactly something you wanted to experience, but the pressure of getting everything ready and the stress of overthinking lead you to being exhausted and oversleeping—you wanted the ground to swallow you up when you received the mass texts from Areum asking if you made it to your class in time. 

You fix the strap on your shoulder as you rush into the building, eyeing the signs on the walls that would easily lead you to your music class and you groan when you realise it’s at the far end of the building, breaking out into another sprint and you’re grateful there’s no one around to see you make a complete fool of yourself as you run.

Glancing down at your phone, you wince at the time and you look back up to make sure you’re going to right way but you curse under your breath when you realise you’re heading straight towards someone’s back and you don’t even have time to stop yourself or control your speed, already bumping into them at full force which causes them to stumble forwards from the impact.

The person they’re with steadies them and you manage to get a quick glimpse at the girl who’s looking at you in shock before the victim spins around, his eyes angry and ready to curse you out but you don’t even notice how his eyes soften when he looks at you as you’re already profusely apologising to him.

“I’m so sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going and I—fuck—I didn’t mean to fall into you like that, I’m just late and—”

“It’s fine.” The girl cuts off your rambling, sending you a reassuring smile as the guy continues to stare at you and you nod, mumbling another quick apology as you turn your head and see the door to your assigned class, quickly slipping through the door and letting it close shut behind you, heart racing rapidly in your chest at the full class of students who briefly glance at you before returning to their work.

The Professor looks up from his computer when you enter the room, gazing at you over the rim of his glasses and he gives you a welcoming smile, beckoning you over with his hand and you head straight towards him, getting ready to apologise for being so late but he’s already opening his mouth to speak first.

“I’m surprised you’re starting halfway through the year, but I’m happy to have you in this class. Welcome,” He smiles warmly at you and it instantly makes you feel better, your shoulders relaxing with a breath of relief as you smile back at him thankfully. “I’m Professor Kim Hongjoong. I’ll be your music Professor during your time here and if you need any help with anything, I’d be happy to give you some guidance… although, I have to encourage my students to ask one another. Team bonding type of stuff.”

“Noted.” You laugh lightly with a nod, adjusting the bag strap on your shoulder.

“Great.” Professor Kim grins up at you. 

He dismisses you to a seat at the far back of the class next to a boy whose face is shoved into his computer screen, chunky headphones resting on his head as his fingers dance across a piano keyboard, nodding to the notes that play smoothly in his ears and you pull out the seat to sit beside him, sliding your bag off your shoulder and letting it rest by the legs of the chair.

Capturing your seatmate's attention, he turns to look at you and gives you a warm and welcoming smile, pulling the headphones from his head to rest around his neck. He introduces himself as Xiaojun and he takes the opportunity to point out everyone in the room to let you know their names, and even though it didn’t exactly help and you sure as hell wouldn’t remember everyone's names, you were grateful at least.

“How come you enrolled in the middle of the year?” Xiaojun suddenly asks you and you give him a sheepish grin in response. He raises a questioning brow, “Wasn’t going to enrol or something?”

“Something like that.” 

“Interesting.” Xiaojun hums and he turns his head back to his computer screen while your attention is brought towards the classroom door that swings open, and embarrassment immediately washes over you when you recognise the guy that steps inside, the one you had forcefully slammed into on your way here.

You sink down into your seat in hopes to avoid him to keep your own dignity and your brows pull together in confusion when you see his eyes glance around the room, tilting his head to the side in thought and tongue prodding at his cheek as he scans over the row of seats before he finds you.

His lips curl into a smirk and his eyebrows raise in a way that has your heart thumping rapidly in your chest, immediately drawing your attention away from him when he drops down into a seat beside Yangyang, (a guy that Xiaojun had pointed out to you when filling you in on everyone’s names), who is too busy scrolling through his phone to notice his presence. 

“Donghyuck.”

“What?” You hum, glancing at Xiaojun when you hear him mutter.

“That’s Donghyuck, the one that just came back in/” Xiaojun tells you and you made a small noise of acknowledgment, taking another peek over at him only to avert your eyes away when you realise he’s already looking at you and you feel hot, a little embarrassed and awkward at being caught.

“Has he got a staring problem or something?” You catch yourself mumbling under your breath and your eyes widen when you hear Xiaojun snort, completely capturing what you had just said and you groan, leaning back into your chair with a frown as Xiaojun looks at you with an amused smile.

“Something like that.”

The class surprisingly goes by quicker than you thought and both Professor Kim and Xiaojun were kind enough to fill you in on what you’ve missed so far, and what’s coming up soon. Luckily, as you enrolled in so late, you were excused from the upcoming assignment but were given a side task to write down everything you had knowledge of, including the instruments that you’re skilled in playing.

You found it quite simple and you’re positive you can jot down everything tonight so you wouldn’t have to worry about it later on. You’ve always been eager to please, so there was no way in hell you were going to leave this until the last minute.

You rise from your seat and grab your bag, slipping the strap over your shoulder as you subconsciously peer over at the other end of the room, your heart thumping wildly in your ears when you catch Donghyuck’s eyes already looking back at you while talking to Yangyang, leaning back on the desk with his hands shoved deep into his pockets and leather jacket draped over his arm.

His deep and intense gaze makes you feel nervous and you find yourself fidgeting in your spot, unable to tear your own eyes away from him, locked under his stare and the smirk that he gives you sends goosebumps rippling down your spine.

It’s when he pushes himself off the desk that brings you out of your trance, panic flooding through you when it seems like he’s about to advance towards you but he stays in his place when a hand carefully touches your arm, causing you to quickly turn towards the person that wanted your attention.

Xiaojun’s smiling warmly at you, but you’re surprised when you see that he’s not alone and instead, there are two other guys standing with him.

One wears a green hoodie beneath a grey jacket and matching coloured jeans, a beanie on his head with blue strands of hair peeking from beneath. The round, thin framed glasses on the bridge of his nose makes him look cute, yet the boyish grin he gives you makes you feel a little flustered and you move your attention to the other boy beside him.

He’s a lot more quiet and awkward, opting to give you a tight lipped smile as a greeting and nodding his head to say he’s acknowledged you. You’re not surprised by his shy demeanour𑁋especially with how he’s refusing to make eye contact and how his fingers nervously fiddle with the bracelet dangling on his wrist. 

“This is Mark,” Xiaojun points to the one in the hoodie. “And this is Jihoon,” He points to the other before he turns to you and gives you a smile, “These guys are who I spent the majority of my time with, unfortunately”

“You love us, dude,” Mark’s boyish grin returns as he pats Xiaojun’s shoulder who playfully rolls his eyes and Mark looks at you. “You’re welcome to join us for lunch if you want?”

“Oh, thank you,” You smile appreciatively but it slowly drops when you realise what you had planned already. “Can I join you some other time? I have somewhere to be today.”

“Of course you can.” Mark’s grin widens as his hand removes off Xiaojun’s shoulder to gently knock yours and you grow nervous under the small contact, a shy smile spreading across your lips as you bid them a silent goodbye, brushing past the trio to get to the door and your mouth goes dry, your nerves amping up to a hundred as you once again meet Donghyuck’s eyes from his position next to Yangyang, how he watches you with a hint of intrigue and interest swimming in his irises. 

You miss the way his eyes snap towards your new friends with a locked jaw, tongue prodding at his cheek as you leave the room.

Watching Areum work has always been fascinating to you: in awe of the talent that pours out of her hands and the patience she has when it comes to sculpting certain objects and/or people for projects or just to pass the time, how every piece is precise and perfect𑁋a complete masterpiece.

It’s the look of determination and joy that seals the deal for you, how happy and content she seems to be whenever she’s in her zone, and having the opportunity to witness her working in the studio at college for the first time is definitely the highlight of your already long and interesting day.

You bite into your lunch as you watch her from behind get her hands dirty while sculpting her recent project, soothing out the curves of a woman’s body that she has been putting together while humming a tune that plays quietly from the radio on the windowsill beside her.

Areum takes a step back to admire her work, a sound of approval slipping past her lips before she decides to take a break, unzipping her black overalls halfway to take her arms out of the sleeves and tying them around her waist securely so the rest doesn’t fall down completely, allowing her tattooed arms to be freed and on show with her white shirt. 

“Did you make it to your class in time this morning?” Areum asks you as she leans against the open window, pulling her strawberry vape out of her pocket to take a drag and you shake your head, causing her to chuckle lowly. “I thought Minjun put an alarm on your phone before he left last night?”

“I slept through it,” You say bitterly, taking another bite of your lunch as she clicks her tongue against her teeth. “Thinking about today got me stressed and I overslept. Ended up almost being an hour late and not only that, I practically body slammed someone because I rushed to get to class. It was embarrassing.”

“Ouch,” Areum teases while scrunching her nose up, taking another hit out of her vape and blowing the smoke out of the window. You roll your eyes, twisting the cap on your bottle of water to take a sip. “Made any friends in your class though?”

You side eye her, “You sound like my mother,” She smirks at you. “Got to know this guy called Xiaojun. He introduced me to his friends Mark and Jihoon just before class ended. I only know those three so far.”

“Good,” Areum hums with an approving nod. “I know Mark and Xiaojun, I’ve bumped into them a few times… don’t know Jihoon though.”

“He’s kinda quiet,” You admit, remembering your very brief encounter with him. You smile, “He didn’t say anything but he seemed welcoming at least. They offered me to join them for lunch but I said I already had plans today.”

“You ditched them to hang out with me?” Areum looks at you with a blank expression and you nod, giving her an innocent grin as you finish off the last bite. “I don’t know whether to thank you or call you stupid.”

You swallow thickly, “I know you better than them so being with you right now is the safest and comforting option to me. I’d like to get to know them more eventually and hang out with them… but it’s kind of hard to do that when I get shy and awkward around people I don’t know.”

“You did well with me and Minjun,” She praises you and you feel your cheeks grow hot at that, trying to fight the smile that threatens to slip onto your lips. “But don’t worry, you got this. Take your time, there’s no rush.”

“I’m not going to rush,” You tell her, resting your chin on your hand as you look over at her, your other hand tapping a mindless tune on the wooden table. “I’m taking everything slowly.” 

It took you just over a month to get comfortable in your new college. 

You managed to remember everyone's names in your course and despite not talking to some of them, they had become easier to remember overtime. 

Xiaojun, Mark and Jihoon never left your side during classes and just like Areum and Minjun, they also welcomed you into their group with open arms and jokes that had you laughing until your stomach cramped up and tears pooled in your eyes. 

Jihoon became a lot more open with you as you did him. He was just like you—shy and awkward around people he barely knew or wasn’t comfortable with yet, didn’t want to speak up or take control of the conversation in fear of saying something silly, but when getting comfortable with the people it was non stop talking and cracking jokes, even pitching a few sarcastic comments here and there to make others smile.

Xiaojun and Mark were similar—outgoing and confident, striking up conversations and making friends as if it was the easiest thing to do, making others feel invited and welcomed although there was a few moments where you see their shy tendencies come through the cracks, noticing how shy Xiaojun got when being compliment on his voice when singing a song to himself under his breath and when Mark gets shy when he receives unwanted attention from others that compliment his work or his looks. 

Aisha, a girl in your class, was one of the people that would compliment Mark over and over again, making him flustered and cheeks grow red with each word and giggle that slips from her lips. She’s gorgeous, so it doesn’t surprise you that Mark gets shy easily when she comes near.

Aisha is one of the people you haven’t properly spoken to yet. Her sociable and popular presence leaves you a little intimidated. You’ve shared a few friendly smiles and some small words in passing, but you haven’t had the courage to speak to her fully. 

You, admittedly, like to admire her from afar. Seeing how confident and friendly she is, how she teasingly flirts and prettily smiles at others who conversate with her, how her delicate hands play with her healthy hair that cascades down her back, how her siren-like voices lures people in when she’s talking or even singing.

It makes you jealous, but not in a bad way. You could only wish you had the same confidence and likeness. 

Donghyuck is another person you haven’t spoken to yet. You feel nervous being in his presence, how his intense gaze leaves you speechless and unable to think properly. How his lingering touches on your skin leaves goosebumps running down your spine every time he brushes past you to either get to his seat or if he was just walking by in the hallways. 

He glances over his shoulder each time, lips curling into a grin, dark eyes piercing through you as he meets your eyes and takes in your appearance, tongue sweeping across his bottom lip before it tucks between his teeth as he takes in your outfit of the day. 

Even if you’re wearing something that completely covers you, he makes you feel bare. 

Xiaojun is the one that tells you to stray far away from Donghyuck, that he’s nothing but a ‘slut who loves attention and flirts with any living thing’. Mark did however clap back and told Xiaojun that he himself loves the attention too, which caused Xiaojun to jut out his bottom lip in a pout and turn away, but Mark mentioned how Donghyuck can be a little crazy sometimes and to try and not let his continuous stares and actions get under your skin. 

You agreed, saying that wouldn’t be the case, even though you’re lying through your teeth already.

He is getting under your skin, leaving his mark on you and truthfully, it’s interesting. 

You will never admit that out loud. 

“Why are you being so quiet?” You hear somebody ask you suddenly and you rip yourself out of your thoughts, blinking at you try to see where the source of the sound came from but you let out a huff as a weight is knocked against your shoulder, hissing as you turn your head to see Minjun who had dropped down to the sofa to sit beside you.

He’s grinning at you in greeting but mumbles a quick apology when he realises he’s hurt you, rubbing the sore area before pulling his hand back to pull his phone out of his pockets.

You stay silent for a moment, staring at him as he mindlessly drums his fingers against the side of his phone as he reads a text and you immediately recognise it as the new song that he and his brother have been working on, the corner of your lips stretching into a smile.

However, his drumming comes to a sudden stop when Byeol pounces up on the arm of the sofa on his left, staring at Minjun with his tail slowly swishing behind him before he steps down onto Minjun’s thighs to find the perfect spot to rest and Minjun clicks his tongue against his teeth in annoyance. 

“I hate this cat.” He grumbles under his breath despite raising his hand to pet Byeol behind his ears, loud purring noises rumbling from his chest. Minjun glances at you, “You didn’t answer my question.”

“What question?” You mutter as you reach over to pet Byeol too.

“About why you’re being so quiet.”

“There’s no reason,” You tell him truthfully, smiling as Byeol nuzzles his head into your palm. “I was enjoying the silence and just thinking about some things.”

“What things?”

Your eyes snap to him, teasing in your tone, “None of your business.”

“Ouch. You wound me,” He speaks monotone, pulling his hand away from Byeol to adjust the beanie on top of his head. “I have a show this weekend at Cherry Bomb, you’re coming right?”

“Obviously,” You hum. “Me and Areum never miss your shows.”

“Lucky charms,” Minjun grins, raising his hand with his pinky outstretched and you snort, wrapping your own pinky around his and squeezing tightly. “EJ and his girlfriend are coming too so we’re going to grab a few beers with them after it, yeah?”

“Sounds good to me,” You nod, retracting your hand from his to pet the cat who’s now climbing into your own lap, rubbing his face in the cotton of your shirt. You purse your lips in thought, “Can I invite people?”

Minjun raises his brow in interest, “Who?”

“Just these guys I’ve made friends with—they’re on my music course,” You briefly explain but you feel the need to go further as Minjun continues to stare at you. “They saw my Instagram post at your show a few weekends back and they asked about you, and they said they’d be interested in seeing you play and—”

“They can come,” He cuts off your rambling, grinning up at you and your brows pull together when he nudges your shoulder. “You don’t have to ask, you know. The more the merrier, right? Besides, Seungwoo will be happy to see some new faces listening to our music.”

“Is he giving you a hard time?”

“Just the usual,” Minjun shrugs. “Worried about the number of people showing up to watch, the amount of unfinished songs he’s written, stuff with our parents too… they’re not exactly supportive of me dropping out of college and him leaving work to pursue music. They say it’s a waste of time.”

“But you’re good at what you do,” You tell him truthfully with a kind smile. “Both of you. You’re booking out bars and performing in front of big crowds almost every weekend, I say that’s pretty impressive.”

The corner of Minjun's lips lift upwards, his head tilting to the side slightly as he looks at you, “You think so?”

You nudge his shoulder, “I know so.”

Minjun breaks out into a full smile this time and he nudges you back as a small gesture of a thank you before he shifts in his seat, getting comfortable leaning against the cushions as he resumes scrolling through his phone.

You relax into him, peering your head over his shoulder to watch the screen as he shows you his current Instagram home page filled with musicians, concert photos and the occasional selfie of those he follows. You hardly recognise any of them, apart from the few Areum had posted and EJ with his girlfriend, but you still wiggle your eyebrows suggestively and make flirty comments when you see the sexy mirror pictures posted by some. 

Minjun just rolls his eyes and tells you to be quiet, huffing as he angles himself away from you.

“Oh, I didn’t realise you were here,” You hear Areum’s teasing voice from behind and you crane your neck to see her make her way over to the both of you, a fluffy white towel wrapped tight around her body and another wrapped around her hair from her previous shower. 

She sits in the single loveseat opposite, crossing her legs beneath herself to get comfy and a smile slips upon her lips as Byeol meows loudly, jumping down from your own lap and to find comfort on hers, nuzzling himself in her towel and Areum holds him to her chest, stroking his fur and cooing softly.

“I’m always here.” Minjun gives her a grin.

“Unfortunately~” Areum hums, pressing gentle kisses on the top of Byeol’s head and Minjun rolls his eyes, clicking his tongue against his teeth as he shakes his head.

Areum grins, already feeling proud at already getting under her best friend's skin but you knew deep down that it was just a little joke, knowing first hand how they always bite at each other to try and get one of them to react and lose, adding another point to their mental tally chart.

She coos as she talks to Byeol, scratching below his chin and rubbing behind his ears as you smile at the sight, hearing his loud purrs resonate from where he’s sitting on her lap and Areum’s phone that’s been gripped in her hand vibrates loudly, causing her to pull away from Byeol for a moment to check her screen.

You watch as her brows raise slightly, a smirk spreading across her cheeks and her bottom lip gets caught between her teeth, thumbs quickly tapping against the phone before she raises her head up, looking over at you with an unfamiliar glint in her eye. 

Your face scrunches up, confused. “Why are you looking at me?”

Areum cocks her head to the side, “How do you feel about experiencing your first college party tonight?”

The sight in front of you is definitely… something.

The house is a lot bigger than you anticipated, expecting to be brought along to a little apartment or even a club for your first official college party, but Areum had thrown you into a complete loop as she brought you to a not so little apartment or club that was already filled with drunk college students, some already even sprawled across the front lawn messily making out or even staring up at the sky giggling to themselves. 

However, you grimace a little when you see someone come stumbling out of the house with their hand clamped over the mouth, barely making it towards a bush before emptying out their stomachs with the most gruesome of sounds. 

A guy comes jogging out of the house shortly after with a water bottle in hand and his phone in the other, your mouth starts to feel a little dry, the attractiveness and confidence that oozes from him as he comes closer stuns you for a moment, the shyness taking over you when he grunts and squats down to tend to the drunken person with their head shoved into the bushes.

The tight black fitted shirt he wears shows off the muscles beneath, how they bulge and tense when he reaches out to caress the person’s back as they retch loudly and your eyes can’t help but shift to his thighs, how the pants are tightening around them which each movement and you gulp, pulling your attention away when you feel Areum slip her arm through yours.

“Seems like you got your hands full already.” Areum speaks first with a teasing tone that’s directed towards the guy and he raises his head, dark eyes glistening under the night sky as he grins at her.

“You got that right,” He chuckles softly, putting the water bottle down on the grass to run his fingers through his dark mullet, gazing at you. “You’re new. I’ve never seen you here before. I’m Jeno.”

You introduce yourself and he repeats your name back to you with a hum and a nod, then he smiles and wishes you a good time at the party before turning back to the person who had seemingly stopped throwing up, ordering them to drink the bottled water and saying how he’s going to call a cab for them to get home safely. 

Minjun, who had been quiet this entire time watching every thing unfold, gently pushes your shoulder to get you to walk and Areum pulls you towards the house by your arm, the loud music blasting inside already hitting your eardrums and you’re instantly hit with the smell of alcohol and weed when you enter. 

The inside is a lot more chaotic than the outside, you conclude. 

Sweaty bodies pressed against each other as they dance or makeout, some even fondling each other to which you immediately avert your attention away when they glance your way. Others are in small groups talking and even playing drinking games, you can just about see a group playing cup pong from where you’re standing at the entrance. 

Minjun leans down to murmur in your ear, “So, what do you think so far?” 

“It’s…” You pause, pulling a face. “Something. Very crowded. There’s people everywhere.”

Minjun’s chest rumbles with a laugh, “And this isn’t even the half of it.”

Your eyes widen at the possible fact of there being more people in the house, already feeling overwhelmed and Areum’s hand slides down your arm to take your own, lacing her fingers through yours as she helps weave you through the crowds, Minjun hot on your tail as he follows behind. 

You glance around while she leads you both to wherever she wants to go and you spot a couple lounging together on the sofa, the pretty blonde smiling at her boyfriend who’s gently tucking her hair behind her ears as he’s mumbling something to her and she nods, causing the boyfriend to grin and clink his drink against hers.

“Here,” Areum’s voice grabs your attention and your turn your head to look at her when you feel her hand slip from yours, noticing that she’s brought you to the kitchen where only a few partygoers are standing, nursing their drinks and chatting with friends. Areum opens the cooler and passes a beer over to Minjun who dips his head in silent thank you before turning to you, “Want a beer? A seltzer?”

“Beer.” You’re thankful she hands you one that you’re familiar with, the ones that the three of you have shared in your apartment during movie and game nights, immediately cracking it open to take a sip and the satisfying burn and flavour that that runs down your throat has you smiling.

It unfortunately doesn’t take long for you to start to feel out of place, your back pressed against a wall in the far corner of the kitchen as you watch Minjun smoke with a guy you overheard is called Sunwoo, a dopey grin smile spreading across his cheeks every time someone had waltzed up to him with money in their hand for one of his baggies that he takes out of his pocket to slip into theirs. 

Areum had politely excused herself from you a few moments prior to greet someone you somewhat recognise as one of her previous hookups, watching as Areum’s hand slips around her waist to hold her close to her body and the girl lets out flirtatious giggles, winding her own arms around Areum’s shoulders as they whisper in each others ears.

You sigh, pursing your lips as you take a glance down at the beer in your hand, shaking the can slightly to feel how much drink was left for you to drink and you frown when you notice it’s empty. You push yourself off of the wall and discard your empty beer in the overflowing trash can, opting to open the cooler and grab another to keep yourself preoccupied but you’re startled when another hand reaches in too, brushing against your own.

“Oh, sorry—” The voice pauses mid sentence and you glance up, your eyes widening in surprise when you see Xiaojun staring back at you with a similar expression. “It’s you!”

“What are you doing here?” You ask with a smile, excitement flowing through your veins as Xiaojun gives you a welcoming side hug, rubbing your back comfortingly. 

“I could ask you the same thing.” Xiaojun pulls back to adjust the backwards cap on his head, not before running his fingers through his hair. You take this moment to take in his appearance, surprised to see him out of his knitted sweaters and chinos which is replaced with a loose fitted grey tank top and dark jeans, showing off his physique which caught you off guard immensely, not expecting to see the muscles.

“My roommate told me to tag along,” You briefly explain to him, pulling your eyes away from his arms and he hums in understanding, handing you a beer before grabbing one for himself. “Are Mark and Jihoon here too?”

“Jihoon’s at home. This isn’t his, uh—” Xiaojun waves his hand around comically. “—type of scene, you know. Mark’s around here somewhere though, lost him when this girl tugged his arm wanting to speak to him in private.”

You make a small noise as you nod your head, assuming that it was another student proclaiming their attraction towards Mark as you have witnessed many times before, feeling bad every time Mark had rejected them even if he was sweet with his words. 

The confidence that people had to confess their feelings to the person they liked always made you jealous, wishing you had the courage to admit your own likeness towards someone but you could never get it out, knowing that the words would constantly get stuck on the tip of your tongue and the fear of rejection wasn’t exactly something you wanted to experience.

So you always held back on telling people how you felt, especially if you liked them. But yet again, seemingly lucky for you, there has never really been anyone that you’ve truly liked. You’ve had small mindless crushes that you knew would lead into nothing and you’ve been in the presence of a few attractive people that definitely make your heart flutter, but it’s never enough to make you want to confess. 

A gentle touch on your arm brings you out of your thoughts and you turn your head to see Minjun standing beside, a gesture to show that he was finally back with you and you couldn’t have been more happier to have more people at your side, giving him a smile to which he returns, the corner of his lips twitching upwards.

“Oh. You’re the guy.” Xiaojun speaks up, eyebrows raised to his hairline in shock as he points at Minjun who looks back at him, seemingly confused but he slowly nods anyways which makes you snort quietly, finding the sight comical. “The drummer from that band, the one on her Instagram—LŒV, right?”

“Yeah,” Minjun hums in surprise before he makes a noise of realisation, piecing two and two together. “You must be one of the guys she told me about, that wanted to come see us play this weekend.”

You zone out of their conversation when Xiaojun praises him for his musical skills, the pair diving deep into the music discussion which usually you would’ve participated in any of time, but you find yourself getting distracted as you watch Areum delicately stroke the back of another girl that she’s talking with, pulling her in closely to whisper in her ear and laughing when the girl pushes her shoulder playfully before tugging her back in. 

Your attention however pulls away from the pair when Areum places two fingers beneath her chin to bring her in for a kiss, feeling awkward to give them an audience and finding interest in a potted plant in the corner of the room, your lips quirking up into an amused smile when you see a drunk cradling it like a newborn, stroking the leaves and cooing.

The sight in front of you is hilarious and you would’ve taken out your phone to take a picture it if wasn’t for the fact you didn’t know this person, not really wanting to be caught and questioned taking pictures of someone you barely knew even if it would make a great memory… and definitely a great birthday card. 

But your eyes flit away from the drunk to the guy that you met outside. Jeno, you remember his name. He strides into the house with a dark wet patch over the front of his clothes and an empty water bottle. 

First, you grimace at the thought of that person he was taking care of outside throwing the water over him in a drunken fit, but then you feel a little warm and flustered when you realise that the water had made his shirt and pants stick to him more than it originally did, outlining his body perfectly, defining the muscles beneath the materials. 

“Why are you ogling Jeno?”

“I’m not,” You immediately defend yourself, attention snapping back to Xiaojun who's already staring back at you with an amused smirk, raising his eyebrow. “I’m not.”

“Pretty sure you are,” Minjun joins in this time and you harden your gaze at him, causing him to grin. “You like him?”

“No.”

“He’s attractive, for sure,” Xiaojun hums, taking a glance at him over your shoulder and watching him as he disappears up the staircase, probably to change out of his wet clothes. “I wouldn’t get too close to him though,”

Now that piques your interest, “Why?”

Xiaojun opens his mouth, ready to tell you what you’re surprisingly desperate to hear until he closes his mouth, brows rising in shock when you feel someone's arms slip around your shoulders to bring your back into their chest.

You immediately recognise it as Areum, the sweet citrus smell of her perfume overwhelming your senses and you turn your head to the side to see her already smiling at you, giving you a comforting squeeze before letting you go to stand beside you to greet Xiaojun.

Xiaojun seems hypnotised by her beauty just like many others are and it doesn’t surprise you, the beauty and the confidence that radiates off of her is enough to have your own heart thumping in your chest and feeling shy whenever she meets your eyes or gives you a pretty smile.

“I’m Areum,” She introduces herself as she reopens the cooler to fetch herself another beer. “Her roomie.”

Xiaojun whispers back in a daze, “Hi roomie.”

The look on Xiaojun’s face was comical when it slipped into conversation that Areum wasn’t interested in men, his eyes widening and mouth dropping open in shock as he profusely apologised, worried that his dazed look and minor flirtatious comments made her uncomfortable but she shook her head, laughing as she explained everything was fine and that he had no way of knowing her preferences. 

Still, the trio got along quite well and even Mark, who joined in a few minutes prior after complaining about how he was locked in the bathroom for five minutes, got along with Areum and Minjun too. It made you smile, seeing the people you liked getting along with each other and exchanging socials and numbers, it also made you miss Jihoon a little bit, wishing he was here so you could introduce them to your duo of friends. 

However, you did make a mental list to remind yourself to text Jihoon tomorrow morning and tell him you’d add him to the groupchat that Xiaojun was desperate to make.

It doesn’t take long for you all to split from each other too: Areum grabbing your hand to steal you away for a little while and you were surprised that Minjun didn’t follow behind like he usually does, but you were happy to see him so comfortable enough to stick around with Mark and Xiaojun who were happily discussing music techniques and even other bands they both seemed to enjoy.

Areum brought you to the living room this time where the music blasted from the stereo, making it a lot harder to hear what she was saying to you but you managed, opting to lean in close so she could whisper in your ear and you did the same. 

You’re feeling awkward and uncomfortable now though, nursing the third beer in your hand as everyone around you either dances or heavily makes out with the person they’ve come with or even just met, finding it hard to focus your attention on anything as in every corner you look, you see people wrapped up in each other.

A gentle touch is placed on your arm, “Are you okay?”

“Hm?” You hum, looking at Areum who is staring back at you worryingly. “Why?”

“You’ve gone quiet,” She points out and a frown makes its way onto your lips, “Want to go home?”

“What? No. It’s fine,” You quickly shake your head. “I don’t want to ruin your night.”

“You’re not ruining anything,” Areum chuckles softly and when her gaze flicks over your shoulder, you see the surprised look on her face. “Seems like you’ve got an admirer tonight.”

Her words have you making a noise of confusion and she nods in the direction of your so-called ‘admirer’ and you’re embarrassingly quick to whip your head around, not making your movements subtle at all which she snorts at in amusement. 

Your heart thumps loudly in your ears as you spot Donghyuck manspreading on the sofa a few feet in front of you, long dark hair hanging over his eyes and a joint resting between his lips which he inhales deeply, holding the smoke in his lungs for what seems to be an eternity until he exhales, passing the joint over to Yangyang all while staring directly at you. 

You feel hot beneath his intense stare, the dress you're wearing now seeming a little too tight and revealing that you subconsciously wrap your arms around yourself to cover up, not missing the way Donghyuck’s lips curl into a smirk before he brings a bottle up to his mouth, chugging the alcoholic beverage. 

You clear your throat, “That’s Donghyuck.”

“I know.”

Your head snaps towards Areum in surprise, “You know?”

“Yeah, of course,” Areum laughs lightly as she puts down her empty beer can on the windowsill. She presses her lips together as she leans back against the wall with her hands shoved into her low cut jeans. “Everyone here pretty much knows Donghyuck. He’s best friends with Jeno and that group.”

“Jeno…” You repeat the familiar name and you jab your thumb in the direction to where he’s standing, now dressed up in something completely different than last: wearing a white and dark grey ombre dress shirt with the buttons left undone, revealing his toned chest. You couldn’t look at him for too long without feeling flustered. “Him?”

“It’s his house—” She pauses, “Their house. They all live together, all five of them. But the sixth one recently moved out to live with his girlfriend.”

“Oh,” You blink, the curiosity inside of you building. “How do you know so much about this stuff?”

“They’re well-known,” Areum shrugs nonchalantly. “Some might say popular, I guess. Everyone pretty much knows everything about them… For starters, Jeno is the main guy that throws all these parties. He’s kind of a gym freak and he’s secretly really smart, he’s an engineering student. Jeno’s also one of those quote unquote ‘renown fuckboy’. He dated Miwoo for a long while—she’s the black haired one wearing a pretty black dress—but they broke up,

“Jaemin is one of the quiet ones, kind of mysterious in some ways too. You’ll hardly ever see him that much though, but he does appear every now and again to be around Jeno—they’ve been best friends for years. He’s a photography student who used to be in a serious relationship with a girl named Eunbin but they broke up. He did end up having a friends with benefits relationship with one of the girls in the group and then they got together, she’s currently away on a writer's trip,

“Renjun’s also one of the quiet ones, more of an observer. He sits in silence the majority of the time but he’s mean when he wants to be, plus doesn’t exactly take shit from anybody either so he can be kind of intimidating to some people. He’s an art student, some of his work is showcased on the walls in the art department. He’s also dating the pretty blonde that he's sitting with his arm around right now—Haru,

“Shotaro is the friendly and cute one that constantly smiles no matter what type of situation he is in. He’s pretty chilled out, carefree. He’s a dance student too… a really good one. He’s practically the baby of their group—everyone has a soft spot for him. He did however end up getting into a fight with Hyunjin because Yeji—Hyunjin’s ex—kissed him at a party. But even though Hyunjin was the one that threw the first punch, he ended up looking worse than Shotaro thanks to Yangyang who jumped in,

“Yangyang is another renown fuckboy, practically fucks anyone with a pussy between their legs. I’m almost positive he has slept with the majority of the girls in this room. He drinks and smokes weed a lot, and recently he’s been taking some harder stuff until he can’t physically function too. He once had a crush on one of the girls in their group—Jaemin’s now girlfriend—but nobody really knows what happened between them. I’m assuming he kept his feelings to himself considering Jaemin and her are all coupled up now, but anyway. Yangyang’s best friend is Donghyuck, you probably won’t ever see one without the other, they’re like two peas in a pod,

“Donghyuck… he’s interesting, I guess. A jokester, pretty dramatic at times but he can also switch into his serious mode which hardly no-one has ever seen. He parties a lot, definitely can outdrink anybody in this room. Smokes weed too and pops a few pills thanks to Sunwoo. He’s a little emo too which gives him a lot of attention—he’s attractive, he knows it. He sleeps around a lot and with anyone too, he plays both teams. But something kinda flipped in him after a while when he got a little obsessed with Aisha who actually rejected him not so long ago—”

“Isn’t, like, obsessed too much of a harsh word?” You cut her off with a frown, not liking the way she explained him to you. “Maybe he just had a crush on her or something? A big one?”

Areum laughs at that, clearly amused as she shakes her head. “No, sweetheart. When I say obsessed, I mean obsessed. The thing with Donghyuck is that he gets obsessed with people he likes pretty quickly… It’s like he gets infatuated with them, wants to give them his all and more.”

You can’t help but ask, “Is Aisha the only one that he’s been… obsessed with?”

“I doubt it. I heard that Donghyick was once obsessed with Jeno when they first became friends. It’s not that shocking, to be honest. Jeno is an attractive looking guy,” Areum explains to you as she pulls her hand out of her pocket, now holding a strawberry flavoured vape and placing it between her lips to inhale. She blows the smoke out of the corner of her mouth, making sure not to aim towards your face. “Donghyuck’s obsession with people can be pretty intense and sometimes I think Aisha made a lucky escape, although I’m familiar with how much she enjoys attention so she’ll probably want it back once she realises he’s got a new obsession.”

“A new obsession?” Your brows raise in surprise at that and you lean in closer as if what she’s telling you is about to be top secret. “Who is his new obsession?”

The smirk that spreads across Areum’s cheeks makes your body buzz and heart beat rapidly in your chest, growing even more curious but also nervous to know the answer as you watch as she takes another quick inhale of her vape before glancing over your shoulder.

“Well, with the way he’s staring at you over there with that look in his eyes, I think you’re the next target,” Areum’s eyes meet yours. “You’re his new obsession, sweetheart.”

His new what? 

“No I’m not,” A laugh forces its way out of your throat, a nervous one at that. You found it slightly ridiculous, really. There was absolutely no way that you could be his ‘new obsession’. It doesn’t make any sense. “He hardly knows me. We haven’t even spoken a word to each other… I think you’ve got it wrong.”

“Maybe,” She hums, eyes flickering over your shoulder once more. “But with the way he’s walking over here, I think I might be right on this one.”

He is what?

You’re glued in place, unable to turn around and see if she’s telling the truth or teasing you. The look on her face seems serious which makes you feel nervous, but the tone she uses is light which makes you think maybe she is playing tricks, wanting to tease you and see your reactions. 

But it’s the deep call of your name and the warm hand touching your upper arm is what makes you realise that she is, in fact, not lying. 

The nerves and the anxiety kicks in as you turn to face the person who had called out your name, your breath getting caught in the back of your throat as you meet Donghyuck’s dark eyes and that smile you have seen plenty of times before in class—the smile he always gives you when you catch his attention and when you meet his gaze. 

Having been this close to him, Donghyuck, without a doubt, is prettier up close and your tummy flutters at the proximity, almost wanting to take a step back just to put some space between you so you can breathe properly, to conjure up a thought or to even start the conversation as it dawns on you how long you’ve been embarrassingly quiet for.

“Hi,” You greet him, mentally kicking yourself for how silly your voice sounded. You open your mouth to speak again and you immediately regret what comes out, “You’re the guy from my music class.”

One of Donghyuck’s brows lifts in amusement, seemingly surprised but also enjoying how you’re pretending you don’t already know him but he plays along anyways, nodding his head slowly with that smile that makes your hands clammy. “I’m Donghyuck.”

“Donghyuck,” You repeat with a nod. His eyes darken at you saying his name, tongue coming out to sweep over his bottom lip to wet it. “I’m—”

“I know who you are.” He cuts you off and the embarrassment you feel amps up to a hundred, remembering how he called out your name a few moments prior. You’re unsure why you’re acting weird and awkward, maybe it was because he made you feel nervous. 

“I’m going to get us another drink,” Areum tells you, placing her hand on your shoulder to get your attention and you turn to her, eyes widening at the thought of her leaving you. “I’ll be right back. Stay here.”

The second Areum slips into the crowd to head towards the kitchen area, Donghyuck takes her place by the wall, leaning against it comfortably as his ringed fingers run through his dark locks, pushing his bangs out of the way and revealing his forehead for a split moment before his hair falls back into place, the tips almost touching his eyes that never seem to leave you. 

He finally asks, “Why did you pretend not to know me?”

“I don’t know,” You immediately reply, unable to stop yourself. “I didn’t mean it. I think I’m just nervous.”

The smile on his face widens before his bottom lip gets caught between his teeth, tilting his head to the side, “I make you nervous?”

“Big parties do,” You partially lie, clearing your throat. “People everywhere, you know… gets overwhelming.”

Donghyuck hums, “Right.”

“I’m serious,” You defend yourself for whatever reason and Donghyuck finds amusement in your voice and actions, eyes sparkling as you seemingly come out of your awkward shell for a few seconds, talking to him in a tone as you would with close friends and he even spots the corner of your lips twitching, almost smiling at him. “Being in a room crowded with people isn’t exactly something I enjoy.”

“I believe you,” He tells you softly. He wants to keep this conversation going, enjoying this side of you that’s slowly becoming comfortable with him already. He likes it, the sparkle in your eyes, the tone of your voice, the subtle peaceful expression on your face. He wants more. “Are you enjoying yourself here?”

That makes you pause. Are you enjoying yourself? You came with Areum and Minjun, two people who you enjoy being in the presence of. You stumbled across Xiaojun and Mark, two other people who bring enjoyment into your life and you were actually ecstatic when seeing Xiaojun for the first time earlier. The beer that was available in the cooler happened to be one of your favourite alcoholic beverages (you’ve had three of those already.) and the music that blasts from the speakers happens to be of a genre you listen to on the regular. 

You finally have your answer, “It’s not so bad.”

“Could it be better?” Donghyuck presses and your lips press together in deep thought before shrugging your shoulders, somewhat agreeing. Donghyuck leans in towards you, “Could I make it better?”

Your brows pull together in confusion, “You can do that? How could you do that?”

Donghyuck can’t help but smile at that and you grow even more confused when he begins to laugh softly, shaking his head. You wonder if you said the wrong thing or if there was a certain meaning behind his question that you failed to pick up on.  

A frown forms on your face due to you feeling a little stupid, thinking that he’s laughing at you or your dumb response and Donghyuck immediately notices you rebuilding the walls, how that look on your face that he adores slowly starts to slip and he straightens up against the wall, toning down his teasing.

“I like your dress, by the way.” His compliment shocks you, not expecting it to come from him and you instantly look down at your dress. 

At first, you wonder what’s wrong with it. If there was a stain you didn’t notice or if there was a tear in the fabric, but then you come to terms with that fact there’s nothing wrong with the dress and, actually, it’s probably one of the best that you own. It doesn’t cling to your body uncomfortably nor does it seem loose, it fits you well. 

You raise your head to thank him, but your words are stuck in the back of your throat when you notice the way he’s looking at you. He’s drinking you in, taking in your appearance, gaze roaming over the length of the dress with a deep inhale before his eyes snap back up to yours, the dark look returning.

“It’s pretty,” Donghyuck exhales, leaning his head back against the wall while keeping eye contact with you. “You’re really pretty.”

You’re flustered now. The attention from him becomes a bit too much and you find yourself feeling hot under his intense stare and there’s an unfamiliar feeling swirling in the pit of your tummy, something you’ve never felt before and it shocks you, but you try to not bring too much attention to it.

You debate on whether to thank him or to compliment him back on his own outfit: a loose graphic white shirt of a band you recognised paired with denim ripped jeans with chains hanging off the sides and a pair of doc martens on his feet. His signature leather jacket, one you’ve seen multiple times before in class, drapes across his shoulders. 

He does look good (really good, but you won’t admit that part.)

As you open your mouth, surprisingly finding the confidence to compliment him on his own outfit choice, it gets taken away from you when Areum announces her return as she comes towards you with drinks in her hand, followed by Minjun, Xiaojun and Mark who decided to tag along. 

You smile when Areum passes you a fresh drink, completely forgetting about the other that had become lukewarm in your hand and you’re unsure on what to do with it until it’s plucked from your grasp and you turn to look at Donghyuck who had taken it from you, clinking the can against your own in a small ‘cheers’ before he pushes himself off of the wall, his shoulder brushing yours as he heads back to where he originally came from.

You’re a little confused on why he left, watching as he drops down on the sofa beside Yangyang who looks like he’s exhausted, slouching against the sofa cushions and nodding to whatever Shotaro—you remembered him from when Areum pointed him out—was talking about and Donghyuck takes the joint from between his fingers, leaning against Yangyang as he takes a drag all while watching you.

It’s almost deja vu, the whole scene reminding you of earlier when he was looking at you from afar before he came on over to introduce himself. You find him odd, extremely odd, but you can’t deny the fact how intriguing he is. 

“So,” Areum’s voice grabs your attention. “How was it?”

“Fine,” You quip, turning to face the four. “He seemed fine. Nothing about that conversation screamed ‘I’m obsessed with you’ so, I think you were wrong with that one.”

Mark almost drops his beer, the alcohol sloshing and spilling over his hands as it almost slips from his fingers as he stares at you in shock, mouth agape, “Dude… you’re the next target?”

You deadpan, “Can you stop calling me a target? It feels like I’m about to get assassinated.” 

Xiaojun frowns, giving you a look of sympathy as he steps in closer to pat your back comfortingly, “You poor thing… my condolences. Stay strong, soldier.”

"Be quiet."

An hour or two later you find yourself standing outside to get some fresh air alone, staring down at the liquid in your cup. You’re not sure how many you’ve had but you hate how you’re unable to feel the buzz that’s affecting those who are around you, glancing up at the few strays of people that are stumbling across the well-kept grass or are giggling to themselves as they stare up at the star filled sky. 

You wonder at first if the drink you have isn’t actually alcoholic, but from the reactions of your friends (who had been drinking the same brand with you the majority of the night.) they were already tipsy, or in Xiaojun’s case, drunk.

Maybe you just weren’t feeling it.

First college party jitters, Areum had called it when you had confided in her about the problem and you were undoubtedly embarrassed to hear her call it that, but she had reassured you that it was fine and that it was normal, and even she had experienced something similar when she came to her first college party at the beginning of the year. 

Still, it made you feel embarrassed.

With a heavy sigh, you finish the rest of your drink, pulling a face at the burn that trickles down the back of your throat as you turn on your heel to head back inside where your friends are but you crash into something hard, causing you to stumble backwards in shock and a pair of hands come out to grab your elbows, steadying you on your feet.

“Careful, princess.” The person speaks. Any other time, the pet name would’ve made you flustered, especially with that deep tone, but you barely acknowledge it as you try to shake yourself out of your startled state and you wince when you put too much pressure on your ankle, figuring you must’ve twisted it awkwardly when you bumped into the stranger. 

You curse under your breath as you feel the throb but you try not to pay too much attention to it as you finally meet eyes with Donghyuck who is already staring back at you, the grip he has on your elbows tightening slightly as you make eye contact with him. 

“I’m sorry.” You apologise instantly, “I didn’t see you.”

“It’s okay,” Donghyuck dismisses it with a shake of his head and his attention drops down to your ankle, his brows pulling together. “Did you hurt yourself?”

“Oh, yeah, just a bit. But it’s fine, honest—” 

The words get caught at the back of your throat as Donghyuck kneels down onto the grass to inspect the damage, cold fingers delicately touching your leg and trailing down to your ankle, the sudden action causing goosebumps to rise to your skin and you can just make out the corner of his lips twitching.

He traces the area with the pads of his fingertips slowly, suddenly aware of how close he’s leaning in as you feel his breath fan over your calf. His hand takes a hold of your ankle gently and carefully not to hurt you, the delicate strokes of his thumb sending a shiver up your spine and you wonder if he notices how nervous you’ve become.

Donghyuck presses his fingers down on a certain spot on your ankle and you hiss in surprise at the throb that comes with it, your hand instinctively slapping down on his shoulder in retaliation for the pain he caused but your mouth drops open in surprise while he glances up at you with a grin, eyes twinkling with amusement. 

“It’s not broken or anything,” He informs you before you could start to apologise again for your sudden actions, raising back up onto his feet. “You just twisted it awkwardly when you bumped into me.”

“Do you major in nursing alongside music or something?”

Donghyuck smiles at that, a laugh leaving his lips. “No. I’m just good at knowing my way around a body,” You immediately pick up the suggestive tone in his voice and your brows raise in surprise, feeling flustered and shy under his gaze that doesn’t waver from you. “You know, that’s the second time you’ve crashed into me—”

“Accidently.”

“Right,” He hums. “What’s that saying? Once is a mistake, twice is a coincidence—”

“And three times is a pattern,” You finish. “It’s not a coincidence or pattern. Both are mistakes. I don’t go walking around searching for you in hopes to bump into you.”

“Aw, that’s a shame.”

“That I’m not purposely bumping into you?”

“That you’re not searching around for me.”

Your face grows hot at his forwardness and your eyes flick downwards to a patch of grass you suddenly find interest in, the shyness that creeps upon you making it hard for you to look at him.

Donghyuck remains staring at you and the corner of his lips curl into a smirk, amused at how easily you seem to be flustered when it comes to him already. He basks in it, he loves knowing how much he affects you and it excites him even more when he dips his head to meet your eyes but you avert your attention elsewhere. 

He dips his hand into his jean pocket to pull out a singular pack of cigarettes, “Do you want one?”

“I don’t smoke.”

Donghyuck pauses, his fingers ghosting over the opening of the pack. “Do you mind if I smoke?”

You frown and that's when you look up to meet his eyes, confused. “Why wouldn’t I mind?”

“Some people don’t like being around smokers,” Donghyuck shrugs. “The smell and all.”

“I’m at a party where the air reeks of cigarettes, weed and alcohol,” You point out, a smile slowly starting to form on your lips. “I wouldn’t be here if I minded the smell. And besides, I can smell the weed on your clothes from earlier too and I haven’t said a word about it. I’m fine.”

He blinks once, twice, “Do I smell bad?”

“No,” You rush out to reassure him, shaking your head. “No, not at all. You smell fine.”

“Just fine?”

“You smell good.” You correct yourself.

The smirk returns as he tilts his head to the side, “Yeah?”

You come to a conclusion that he definitely enjoys making you embarrassed and flustered, and you let out a breathy laugh, tongue prodding at your cheek in slight annoyance at how easy it is for him to make you feel this way. 

If it was anyone else, you fight back. You always fight back. Being roommates with Areum and close friends with Minjun, Xiaojun, Mark and Jihoon had made you defensive, being a victim to their countless teasing and jokes you had learned over time to return it. 

But unfortunately there is something about Donghyuck that makes your words get caught in the back of your throat and your mind go completely blank, unable to think properly or even say something back.

“Whose is this?” Donghyuck’s already changing the subject, almost giving you whiplash at how easily he can switch to different topics without hesitating or missing a beat. His fingers reach out to touch Minjun’s jacket that’s draped over your shoulders, something that he had given you to keep you warm while you stepped outside. Donghyuck hums, brows pulling together. “You weren’t wearing this earlier.”

“Oh.” Your own fingers graze over the leather jacket. “It’s Minjun’s.”

Donghyuck drily asks, “Who?”

“He’s a friend.”

Donghyuck clicks his tongue against his teeth with a hum, “Yeah, well, your friend's jacket is covering this pretty dress of yours.”

The tone in his voice made your brows raise in surprise, the slight annoyance and disapproval of Minjun’s jacket covering—what he claims—a pretty dress was something you weren’t expecting, although it made your chest blossom with warmth and your face grew hot at the subtle compliment. 

He’s not speaking now, which makes you feel a bit awkward having to stand in silence with him, minus the music that’s blasting from inside the house and a few lingering people out in the garden that are having drunken conversations around you. His lips are pressing together tightly, jaw locking and unlocking as his brows furrow as if he’s thinking deeply about something, fidgeting in his spot with his fingers twitching around his own jacket after he retracted them from Minjun’s. 

You think maybe it’s time for you to leave, to say your goodbyes and find your friends so you can be free of the awkward tension you’re feeling. You want to stay with him though, not exactly eager to disappear away from him so soon just like how he practically walked away from you earlier when the others had come to join the conversation.

“Do you want another drink?” You catch yourself asking him before you could ever register the question in your head and your heart thumps wildly in your chest as Donghyuck slowly turns to look at you, “I mean, I noticed your hands are empty—and I want another drink too, so…”

Donghyuck stares at you for a moment longer before a smile breaks out onto his lips and he nods, agreeing to get another drink from the kitchen with you. But what you didn’t expect was Donghyuck to hold out his hand, wiggling his fingers enticingly in the air to coax you into taking his hand in your own. 

You’re hesitant to take it, not wanting him to feel how clammy your palms already are and you most definitely didn’t want to embarrass yourself for being so nervous during this entire interaction.

“I don’t bite, you know,” He says with a whisper and it sends shivers tingling down your spine at how close he leans in to tell you that. He tilts his head to the side as he smirks, “Unless—”

“DONGHYUCK!” 

The unfamiliar voice that shouts out his name startles you and your head whips around so fast you swear you hear a crack, immediately noticing a pretty, long haired girl stumble out of the backdoor of the house, almost tripping over her own heels before she collects herself, bringing her hand up to her forehead and squinting as she scans the garden for the boy in question. 

You slowly face Donghyuck again and he’s still looking at you, not even paying attention to the calls of his name that echo throughout the garden, not even flinching at the loudness. He’s still holding his hand out to you, waiting for you to take it so you could both go inside but you feel as if maybe it’s the wrong thing to do right now, looking back and forth between him and the girl.

You state, “Someone is calling for you.”

“I know, she’s drunk, ignore her,” Donghyuck dismisses it with a shake of his head and he reaches out further towards you, fingertips brushing over the top of your hand. “Let’s go get that drink, princess. Yeah?”

You don’t even get the chance to decide to accept or decline as the girl approaches you both and immediately throws herself at Donghyuck and punches his arm repeatedly, rambling about something that he had kept hidden from ‘the rest of them’ and she even goes as far as shoving her hand into the front pocket of his jeans.

You blink away awkwardly, unsure of what to do or even to say but you look back at the pair when she pulls out a small bag of weed with a wail of victory.

“I knew you fucking had it,” She hisses, landing another punch on his arm and he rolls his eyes, trying to snatch it out of her grasp but she pulls it away quickly out of his reach, almost bumping into you in the process and her eyes widen in surprise. “Shit, I’m sorry!”

You shake your head, “It’s fi—”

“Miwoo.” Donghyuck speaks her name through gritted teeth and it instantly rings a bell, remembering that she was one of the girls that Areum had told you about earlier, one of Donghyuck’s best friends exes. “Why don’t you take the weed and go share it with Yangyang? Yeah?”

“You’re really pretty,” Miwoo completely ignores Donghyuck to compliment you, eyes checking you out from head to toe with a smile that makes you feel a little flustered but it disappears, replacing with a grimace as she jabs her thumb back at Donghyuck, “Why are you talking to him?”

Donghyuck’s hand comes up to rub the bridge of his nose, seemingly getting frustrated with his friends words and you can’t help but smile at that, finding the situation a little comical and you watch as Donghyuck manages to get her attention, the pair getting warped into a miniature argument that has you trying to bite back your amusement, pressing your lips together tightly to try and not smile even wider.

Although, your watching moment is cut short when you hear Areum call out your name and you turn to look over your shoulder to see her beckoning your forwards and you nod, wanting to politely bid your goodbyes to Donghyuck and Miwoo but you decide against it when you them at each other's throats with petty insults, quickly making your escape to Areum who loops your arms with hers, tugging you back into the house where the others are patiently waiting for you.

Donghyuck notices your disappearance almost immediately and his shoulders drop with a sigh, glaring at Miwoo who isn’t the least affected by his darkened gaze as she dips her fingers inside the baggy to pull out a pre-rolled joint.

“You’re unbelievable.”

“I know,” Miwoo grins before she meets Donghyuck’s eye, “She’s really pretty.”

“Yeah, I know,” Donghyuck mumbles under his breath, tongue prodding at his cheek in annoyance as he rips the bag and the joint out of Miwoo’s hands. “Give me that. You don’t deserve it, asshole.”

The amusement on your face is obvious when Xiaojun and Mark step into the Dreamies Café, both dressed in oversized hoodies and wearing sunglasses to block out the brightness of the sun and the lights from burning their eyes, arms dangling at their sides as they drag their feet across the flooring towards the table where you and Jihoon are sat waiting for them. 

You arrived ten minutes before the two of them did and you were surprised to already see Jihoon sitting at the table with everyone's preferred drinks, and even when you tried to hand over the money for your own, he just looked at you as if you deeply offended him and swatted your hand away before pulling out a chair and telling you to sit.  

Xiaojun doesn’t seep a word as he slumps down in the seat opposite you, but he does gesture a quick thank you to Jihoon for the drink and he lifts the straw to his lips to take a long sip, chest rumbling with a satisfied hum as he relaxes into his seat, the ice clinking in his iced matcha as he continuous to drink.

“Hey,” Mark greets you both as he sits on the seat at the end of the table, fingers curling around the plastic cup of his watermelon ade as he glances over at Jihoon. “Thanks, man. I’ll venmo you the money.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Jihoon dismisses with a wave of his hand. “It’s on me anyways. You paid for my drink last time we were here,” His gaze suddenly flicks over to Xiaojun, the corner of his lips twitching. “You look like shit.”

“I feel like shit,” Xiaojun grumbles, craning his head back. “But fuck those cocktails tasted good.”

“You know, you’re probably going to have to give Jeno the money back for raiding his stash.”

“Actually, it belonged to Yangyang,” Xiaojun corrects as he digs his hand through the front of his jean pockets, pulling out his phone and swiping up to get to his notification bar and he angles the screen towards the three of you with a grimace. “He dmed me on Instagram this morning telling me to pay him back but I’m not even going to open it.”

“Dude,” Mark gives him a pointed look. “You can’t do that.”

“But I can,” Xiaojun locks his phone and places it down on the table with a grin. “And I will.”

Jihoon murmurs, “But you drank his stuff without his permission.”

“He uses my laptop in classes without my permission!” Xiaojun argues back immediately, “It’s payback.”

“You shouldn’t have given him your password.”

“I didn’t. I gave it to Donghyuck because he wanted—” Xiaojun suddenly pauses, blinking a few times as he registers his own words before smacking his lips together with a nod, exhaling deeply through his nose. “Yeah. That’s my fault. Should’ve guessed Donghyuck wouldn’t keep his mouth shut about that.”

The mention of Donghyuck has you thinking back on last night and a subtle smile makes its way onto your lips, twisting the straw of your coffee in between your teeth as you go over the interaction in your head.

The smirk he always has, the tone of his voice as he speaks to you, the way he always keeps eye contact and doesn’t even falter once when something else is going on around him. His somewhat flirtatious comments and his lingering touches is what surprises you the most, but you tell yourself that maybe that’s just his personality. 

He’s like that with everyone, he must be.

“What’s got you smiling over there?” A teasing voice breaks you out of your thoughts, startling you as your head shoots up and you see Xiaojun grinning at you across the table, chin resting on the palm of his hand as he waits for you to explain the reason for your smiling but you remain tight lipped, causing his grin to drop. “Don’t be like that.”

“Don’t be nosy.” You fire back jokingly.

A soft call of your name makes you turn your head to Jihoon, “Did you enjoy the party yesterday?”

“It was fine,” You nod your head. “Didn’t get as drunk as everyone else did, but it was fine. College parties can be kind of overwhelming though,” You scratch the back of your neck awkwardly as you admit, “I don’t know why but I didn’t expect that many people to be there…”

“Yeah, Jeno is pretty well-known,” Mark hums as he takes a sip through his straw, leaning back in his seat comfortably. “Don’t get me wrong, like, that entire group are pretty much well-known but it’s mainly Jeno that gets the most attention and rallies everyone up for parties.”

“Areum kind of explained everything to me about them last night,” You say. “They’re an interesting group, I think. They also come across as a little intimidating apart from Shotaro… he was just smiling the entire night.”

“Shotaro’s sweet,” Mark agrees, nodding his head. “Also, once you get to really know them, they aren’t that intimidating—”

“I don’t know about that. Renjun still makes my skin crawl.” Xiaojun interrupts with a shiver.

“Renjun’s just not a people person,” Mark explains with a shrug of his shoulders. “He’s actually really nice if you have a one on one conversation with him,” Mark then turns his attention back on you, “But seriously, none of them are that intimidating once you get to really know them or be around them. Take Yangyang and Donghyuck for example, we don’t find either of them ‘intimidating’ since we share a class with them.”

“They’re just annoying,” Xiaojun chimes in again with a grimace on his face. “Especially Yangyang.”

You can’t help but chuckle at that, “What’s your problem with Yangyang?”

“Yangyang likes to annoy people a lot,” Jihoon is the one to explain to you as Xiaojun rubs at his temples at the mere thought of Yangyang. “He enjoys getting on people's nerves and, fortunately for him, Xiaojun reacts to everything he does so that just makes him do it even more… although, he hasn’t really been doing anything lately. He’s just been kinda numbed out.”

You hum, “Areum also mentioned that he indulges himself into some hard shit, alongside the weed and the alcohol.”

“That’s heartbreak for you, I guess.” Mark mumbles under his breath with a frown, tone sullen and your brows pull together in confusion, wanting to question it a little bit more but you struggle to find the opportunity when another topic is brought up.

“And obviously you know so much about Donghyuck already.”

“No I don’t,” You snip, sending a hard look Xiaojun’s way as he bats his pretty eyelashes at you. You repeat, “No I don’t”

“You were outside in the garden with him for quite some time last night~”

“I’m surprised you even remembered that considering when I walked back into the house, you were on your eighth shot dancing with one of the kitchen chairs.”

“Hey,” Xiaojun points his finger at you, “I may have been drunk but this brain of mine remembers everything.” He then smiles at you, “What did you guys talk about? Did he mention that you’re now his new obsession?”

Jihoon almost spits out his drink, “You’re his new obsession?”

“Why do you all call it that?” You huff with a frown, leaning back in your seat with your arms crossed over your chest. “It sounds mean—and wrong.”

“It’s kinda the truth,” Mark gives you a sorry expression. “Donghyuck does get obsessed with people and I’m almost positive he even knows it himself… He falls for people hard and he becomes so infatuated with them until they say they want nothing to do with him, and he just… stops.”

“He was into Aisha before,” Xiaojun states but you already knew that from Areum’s previous explanation. “He liked her a lot and I’m pretty sure she was into it for a while considering she flirted back and there were even rumours that they hooked up, like, once or twice… but I guess she got bored with that so she made up a lie and told Donghyuck that she was dating Mark—”

“Me. Of all people.” Mark points to himself in disbelief and shakes his head, the expression on his face being enough to get a laugh out of you. 

“I mean, I would believe it,” Jihoon shrugs his shoulders, causing Mark to look at him incredulously. “Come on, you once walked out of a bathroom with her at a Halloween party with your spider-man costume unzipped and your mask gone—”

“I had to fucking piss really bad and I couldn’t get out of the costume because I was drunk so she helped me,” Mark immediately defends himself, a pout forming on his lips. “Besides, it was hot, I wasn’t going to wear the mask all night.” He then fires back up, “I wouldn’t fuck someone in dingy club’s disgusting bathroom, dude!”

Xiaojun blinks, “You lost your virginity in a cheap motel room with your ex-girlfriend.”

Mark bites back, “You lost yours in your grandma's basement, shut up.”

“Okay, wow, uncalled for.”

“Don’t argue…” Jihoon sighs, rubbing his forehead at their raised voices and your brows raise as the pair both turn to look at Jihoon with blank expressions before they speak in sync.

“You lost yours in the college janitor closet and got caught.”“Wait, really?” You gape at Jihoon in shock, not expecting someone like a quiet and socially awkward Jihoon to do something so scandalous on campus grounds. But your shock dies down and morphs into shyness when you realise the trio are now looking at you, expecting you to chime in with your own embarrassing virginity story but the problem was, you had none. Your virginity is still intact.

“Do you not have one?” Mark questions after a few minutes of awkward silence and you shake your head, avoiding his eyes. He questions genuinely again, not a hint of teasing in his tone as he whispers quietly. “Are you a virgin?”

You nod.

“Aww…” Xiaojun coos softly, causing your head to snap towards him as he smiles sweetly at you, “That’s cute.”

Your face immediately burns with embarrassment as you sink further down into your seat, a deep frown settling on your lips, “Don’t ever call my virginity cute again.”

“Wow… I’m immensely impressed,” Professor Kim mumbles under his breath as he slips the headphones off of his head after listening to a little recording you had made on your computer, his lips curled into satisfied grin as he places the headphones down on the table and you beam happily, glancing between him and your computer screen. “I’m also really impressed that you finished this today. I was expecting you to show me the finished product by at least next week… I’m grateful that you take this class seriously.”

“I enjoy music,” You tell him honestly as you tap your fingers nervously on your desk, “Is there anything I need to change or to work on?”

“There’s nothing you need to work on, it sounds great,” He compliments yet you prepare yourself for the rest, “But for changes? I would like to encourage you to partner up with some of the other students in the class, work together on a piece and let your music styles blend together to see how well it compliments each other, or even try and create something new.”

“So, like a group project?”

“Exactly,” Professor Kim nods. “Like I said, you’re impressive. You’re an amazing guitarist and pianist, your music is incredible when you’re solo. But I would like to hear it within a group too. Yangyang is an incredible bass player that you can maybe add. Xiaojun and Aisha are amazing vocalists, Donghyuck too and he’s also great at the guitar. Jihoon is talented with the keyboard and Mark can do just about everything. Seriously, think about it. I would love to hear how you sound within a group.”

With a kind smile and a gentle pat to your shoulder, Professor Kim excuses himself to go talk to another student, leaving you alone to think about his words.

It’s not that you didn’t want to work in a group. You’re almost positive that working with your friends will be a fun type of chaotic mess that will have your stomach cramping and tears streaming down your cheeks from laughing so much.

It’s just that you didn’t know how to work in a group. You’ve always been independent in some sort of sense, especially with your own creations. You preferred sitting alone with your headphones snug on your head, testing out different sounds and techniques all by yourself, choosing what sounds best and what suits your needs.

But working in a group? Settling on one thing that will make each of you happy? That is foreign territory… that is stressful.

“So, what did he say to you?” Jihoon asks with a gentle nudge at your shoulder to get your attention and you pull your eyes away from your laptop screen to give him a tight lipped smile.

“He liked it. He just wants me to try out group work,” You almost start pleading, “Got any room in your group project for me to fit in?”

“Sure,” Jihoon nods with a kind smile, “Although I feel like I should probably warn you by saying that sometimes it’s not just me, Mark and Xiaojun working together… Donghyuck and Yangyang sometimes come back and forth, especially for Mark.”

Your brows raise in surprise, “They’re in your group too?”

“Not exactly. It’s more like them coming to us when we’re working to borrow Mark for their project,” Jihoon explains to you as he nods over at Mark who’s currently leaning on a desk with Donghyuck and Yangyang at his sides, peering over his shoulder to look at his laptop screen. “Mark pretty much floats in and out of other people's groups. It’s what you get for being an allrounder I guess.”

“Professor Kim mentioned something like that.” You mumble as you watch the trio, the corner of your lips twitching upwards in a slight smile as Mark scoffs at something Donghyuck says, swatting him away with his hand as Donghyuck grins mischievously and murmurs something in his ear, causing Mark to push at his head this time and Donghyuck stumbles back with a laugh.

Yangyang remains silent, idly drumming his fingers on the desk and rubbing tiredly at his sullen eyes beneath his hood. He seems to stop when turning his body towards you, as if looking your way to which makes your back straighten up, especially when Donghyuck’s head whips around at a mumble from Yangyang, looking directly at you. 

From across the room, Donghyuck smiles that crooked grin of his and his eyebrow quirks up when he sees that you’re already staring back at him. You can feel the warmth rising to your cheeks at being caught, and though you try to suppress the shy feeling that creeps in, you know he can already tell exactly how you’re feeling as his eyes twinkle with amusement, tilting his head to the side as if to tease you even more.

Donghyuck’s eyes never leave you as you turn away, trying to busy yourself with something else as your heart thumps wildly in your ears, feeling too overwhelmed to glance back at Donghyuck despite seeing him in your peripheral vision.

“You really have caught his attention,” Jihoon mutters beside you with a chuckle and you whip around to face him, eyes wide. “I thought that maybe Xiaojun and Mark were teasing you… but I guess Donghyuck really has started to take a liking to you. You are his new obsession.”

[maybanksmusings]

THE WALLS ; JJ MAYBANK

SYNOPSIS ; when an unknown face appears in the outer banks searching for a father she's never met, she's unaware of how her life is about to be completely turned upside down.

WARNINGS ; jjmaybank x routledge!oc, strong language, depictions of violence, afab!reader, sexual content, mentions of abuse, drug and alcohol consumption, strangers to lovers, fast burn to slow burn, canon adjacent, not proofread.

AUTHORS NOTE ; changes are being made! see this post to learn more. to me, this part seems a little like a filler, but i want to explore veronica as a character and develop each relationship with each character as something more than a side character, not just honing in on her relationship with jj, which of course is a huge part of the story also.

part one. part two. part three.

when veronica begins to stir, the sun had long set. there was no way of knowing how long the pair had been asleep, all she knew was the lights of the chateau were off and there was a bright pink post it note stuck to jj’s head.

‘gone fishin’. jb pissed.’

pope signed off on the note, a small smiley face drawn inside the o of his name. veronica knew the pouges hadn’t actually gone fishing, that is was some sort of code jj would decipher when he came to.

in this moment, veronica was content. wrapped in the arms of the most beautiful person she’d ever seen.

what could only be described as a war was ongoing in her head. she wasn’t exactly one to believe in love at first sight, she thought this entire ‘spark’ thing was something made up by male authors to keep women reading their shitty romance books to keep them hooked, waiting for it to happen to them.

but then she met jj, and he was like a magnet. every time veronica was in his presence she was mesmerised, whenever he was gone she felt like all the colour was drained from the world.

there was only two problems.

there was a maximum of forty eight hours that they knew each other, add to that he was her brothers best friend, then add to that said brother made it crystal clear that inter-group dating was not allowed.

oh, and then the whole ‘nobody knows i’m his sister but us’ thing.

“you’re staring, baby” jj mumbled, his voice low and tired as he stirred beneath her “can’t say i blame you”

with a sarcastic scoff, veronica sits upright in the hammock, her legs laid out across the blonds lap “just admiring the drool on your face”

“aren’t you funny.”

comfortable silence follows, jj crosses his arms behind his head and blinks the sleep out of his eyes. even though she was staring off into the water, veronica could feel jj’s eyes on her.

“can i help you?” veronica quipped, a teasing lilt to her words as she face the boy in question “use your words, you’ll get there.”

unexpectedly, jj sighs and lets his head fall back “what am i doing?”

veronica knows he didn’t intent for her to hear him, but she did. she would be lying if she said she wasn’t disappointed, but she was even more disappointed in herself at the pang of sadness that hit her.

before she can say, or do, anything, jj is sat up a little straighter and speaking again.

“listen, you’re a really cool girl,” he pauses, shaking his head and starting again “you’re hot as shit, damn it!”

barely, veronica manages to mask her giggle with a cough.

“don’t ask me how or why, but i gotta tell you i’m super into you.” he blurts out “yeah, makes no fuckin’ sense, we barely know each other, no pouge on pouge macking, you ain’t feeling me like that-“

her body is moving before her brain can even comprehend what she’s doing, chipped nail polish framing blond hair as she held his face in her hands and pressed their lips together.

then, her brain kicks in, and veronica jumps back like she’d just been burnt.

“fuck, jay i’m so sorry. i wasn’t thinking,”

seconds pass agonisingly slow and veronica can’t help but think about just how badly she had just fucked up.

but she doesn’t get to overthink for long.

a calloused hand tangled in long, brown hair. the other gripping her waist like it was a lifeline, helping her into his lap as his tongue makes its way into her mouth.

the kiss is messy, it’s desperate. like two people drowning, taking in the other like they were air. hands cling to whatever they can, afraid if they let go it would all be over.

any reservations veronica may have had about ‘the spark’ were discarded, undermined even, this wasn’t a spark, it was fireworks.

but fireworks don’t last forever, and when the sound of john b’s rickety van can be heard drawing closer. the newfound excitement being dulled by the shadow known as a protective older brother, a protective best friend.

by the time the missing pouges pour out of the twinkie, veronica and jj are in much less compromising positions, now sitting beside each other trading menial conversation about the earlier events of the day.

“welcome back to the land of the living,” kiara teases, a yellow vape coming up to her mouth as she took a hit “you two were out cold.”

instinctively, veronica’s hand shot out, wordlessly pleading for a hit of her vape. with a groan, kie handed it over.

veronica lets her head fall back against the hard oak of the tree behind her, relishing the feeling of her first hit of nicotine in two days. she had a vape when she left home, but it died before she even made it to the outer banks and being broke meant she couldn’t even go buy a replacement.

“you could’ve woke us up, y’know” jj defended, trying his hardest to act as if nothing happened, reminding himself to stop staring.

pope scoffs, not missing the longing stares sent the brunettes direction but purposefully ignoring them “we tried, it nearly cost us our lives.”

unamused, john b walks past the rest of the group in silence. when he gets to the door of the chateau he looks over his shoulder and nods for veronica to follow.

the girl is suddenly more attentive, climbing over the human embodiment of a golden retriever and padding her way into the house behind the older of the two.

“does the name redfield mean anything to you?” john b questions, passing a beer from the fridge and getting one for himself “like, the surname.”

veronica is quiet, her finger tracing the rim of the can as she goes through every crevice of her brain in search of any name even remotely close, there’s only one.

“chris redfield.” she answers with a nod, popping the tab of the can and taking a swig “but i don’t get how he’s involved.”

“why not? who is he!?”

“a video game character.”

with a huff of annoyance john b drags a chair across the kitchen to sit beside veronica, unscrewing his compass and placing it down on the table. the name ‘redfield’ is carved into the metal.

“we went back to the boat, found a motel key, whatever.” john b shrugs off the rest of their findings, more invested in whoever this redfield person was. “then i remembered when you showed me that note, the one in the compass. then i found this, figured you would know more than i do.”

veronica gently traced the carved metal, it was definitely their fathers scrawl, she’d memorised it from the note she read over and over and over.

it couldn’t be a coincidence, her fathers note asking her to meet, the matching compasses. now this?

“if i’m going to help you, i need to know..” she trailed off, biting at the edges of her nails as she wondered how to phrase her next question “does this have anything to do with dad dying?”

“he’s not dead.” john b’s voice is louder, stern. then his face softens and he tears his gaze away from the compass and to the floor “sorry, just, i know he’s out there. and this? this is proof.”

“john b, i get it.” the younger routledge speaks slowly, trying not to tread on any toes “you’re not the only one who wants him to be alive, that needs to see him. but i don’t see how this—”

“dad found the royal merchant. four hundred million dollars in gold, and he found it. he’s trying to tell us where to find it.”

veronica sighs, fingers rubbing at her tired eyes as she once again tried to think of any connection to any redfield. when it came to family, she only knew the bare minimum, her fathers name and her mothers maiden name.

what she did know, however, was the royal merchant. as a child her father sent her maps and books on birthdays and christmases without fail, until one day they stopped.

“you’ve got books and stuff, right?” she finally asked, not wanting to get either her or john b’s hopes up. a nagging feeling was telling her their dad was alive, but she knew he wouldn’t just up and abandon his son.

the walls of her fathers study feel like they’re closing in on her, john b let her inside and left her to it. veronicas hand ghosts over the framed maps and dusty books. blueprints of ships with her fathers messy scrawl written randomly around the paper.

there’s pictures of john b littered all over the office, all different life stages, a few feature jj and veronica can’t help but smile at the photo of two little boys holding a fish between them.

on the desk there’s a picture frame, immediately veronica recognises her mother, years younger and a gentle hand placed on her tummy. in the same frame, there’s an ultrasound that veronica almost bypassed as john b, but when she looked at the date it was a long time after he was born.

it was her ultrasound.

it was her in her moms tummy, framed and proudly placed right on her fathers desk.

everything comes back at once. finding the note, and in turn the years worth of letters her mother had hidden from her. the dateline special with john b pleading for information about his father, their father. the fight with her mother, packing a bag in the middle of the night and making her way to the address stored safely inside her compass.

the tears don’t register until they hit the glass of the frame, the last few weeks of pent up anger, sadness and hurt bubbling over from the flame that single photo sparked.

her dad loved her.

for years she’d heard about her absent father, then the absent father that passed when she was a baby. the father who didn’t want the responsibility of a child and ran away once he found out.

but the letters, the compass, this picture? john routledge loved the daughter he was forbidden from seeing, from the second he knew about her he loved her.

and now he was dead.

a sudden wave of anger rushes from her head to her toes, glass shattering when she throws the dusty old frame against the wall with a scream. papers fly and maps fall from the walls as she turns her fathers office into her own personal rage room.

the racket coming from the small room shakes the chateau, so it’s no surprise when the pouges come crashing through the door.

the pouges eyes briefly flash with fear when their eyes land on the destruction caused by the newest arrival, but it’s quickly replaced by a familiar sadness when veronica crumples to the ground, screaming as loud as her lungs would allow for them to get out.

they don’t know what’s wrong, but it doesn’t matter. veronica was now considered a friend, and they gathered that’s what she needed right about now.

jj is the first to enter, drawing closer slowly as if he were being cautious “it’s okay, ronnie.” he mutters softly, dodging shattered glass as he knelt beside her “we’re here, we got you.”

kiara, john b and pope are close behind, wrapping veronica in what could only be described as a group hug until her tears subsided.

taglist!

@ren-ni @marleymarleymarleymarley @miidollaasignnn @rainingcecilias @tanyaherondale @xspideyhollandx @sluterainterlude @loverofmarsss @xoxo-ada @gigistalked @genderlessmenance

[the-moth-archives]

☾My Personal Moon Knight System HCs☾

Type: fluff - small hurt comfort with Marcs'

Word Count: 1187

Notes: hello !! I didn't really proof read this so there might be some errors. im also not 100% familiar with Jake's character so he might be a little ooc and I apologize for that. I tried to keep this as gender neutral and body neutral as possible. I'm also going to try a new aesthetic for my Moon Knight stuff :)

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Steven

he walks around with dinosaur arms and only puts them down when someone points it out. but there was one time when you pointed it out and he tried to put his hands down but you stopped him, saying it was cute. that sealed the deal with him feeling 100% comfortable with you

sometimes he wakes you up in the middle of the night to ramble about a book he’s been reading 

“hey love, got a minute?” you jumped awake and hummed as he plopped down next to you, book in hand. as he began to ramble, you stayed awake for a little bit, silently listening until he felt your head slump on his shoulder. he still continued to whisper about what he learned as you softly snored, body weight almost complete dead-weighted onto his side. he’d just have to fill you in when you wake up.

if you get off work before him, you’d stop by the museum gift shop just to say hi to him. you can physically see his face brighten when you walk in. he trods over to you to say hello and you two walk around the gift shop, pretending that Steven is helping you find something. but in reality, you’re just chatting about your day and planning for dinner.

if he gets off before you, he also visits you,, or tries to. depending on where you work, it can become hard for him to go in and see you so he’ll sometimes text you that he’s outside for you to look out the window and see him OR go outside to be with him. sometimes he likes to come to your work right before you’re about to leave just so you can both walk together and take the bus back to your shared apartment.

he likes to sleep on top of you in some way. sometimes he likes to lay on top of you when you’re on your stomach and sometimes he likes to lay on your chest. he can either to half of his body laying on your or full body (he prefers full body but he doesn’t mind if you can’t handle it ! he wants his partner to be very comfortable) think of it as you being his personal teddy bear.

pls play with his hair. or just touch him in general. he would literally bend over backwards for you if you promise to comb your fingers through his hair or rub his face/back/literally anywhere on him. when you play with his hair, his grip on you gets tighter as he looks up at you with a love drunk expression. please just touch him, he’ll love you forever.

his love language is acts of service. when you’re not feeling good, mentally or physically, he’s always up and ready to help you. he makes soup for you, gets you flowers and puts them next to the bed, always watches over you and snuggles with you when asked. 

Marc

in the beginning, he’s very standoff-ish. he’s mostly just scared of getting hurt again or messing up and making you angry. but there’s one night where he catches himself feeling very vulnerable around you and ends up breaking down to you. you say nothing and just hold him for however long he needs you. that was his own “sealed the deal” with you

sometimes he has very bad nightmares or vivid flashbacks where he would jolt up and gasp really loudly. sometimes you’ll wake up and hold him close, shushing him back to sleep. you also gave him the ok to wake you up if he ever needs you during the night. he still feels guilty but you always wake up with a sympathetic smile and a warm embrace 

he falls asleep during movies, even if he picks them out. you’d be knees deep into a thriller movie and you’ll get spookie a by his head connecting with your shoulder. you laugh and wake him up if the movie is important to you or if it’s a movie you’ve both wanted to see for a while now. but most of the time, you let him sleep through the rest of the movie and fill him in on what he missed

in the beginning, he was firm on being the big spoon but as time when on, he’d start asking you to spoon him until it became your default position. he only ever becomes the big spoon when you ask him to or you had a bad day.

another touch starved alter, please touch him. he will cry. the first time you actually hugged him, he felt like he was going to sob violently. sometimes he does cry when you hug him or just hold onto him in some way. you’re so gentle to him, he’s never experienced this and wants to bathe in that feeling. please let him be selfish with your touch.

his love language is quality time. he’s attached at the hip with you. wherever you are, he’s also there. Steven and Marc switch off times when sitting in the shower with you. you’d be in the water while they sit outside and talk about either of their days. once you’re done, he gets in the shower and you go on about your day while you dry off and do your nightly routine. if you don’t have a nightly routine, you’ll just sit on the floor where he was previously.

Jake

VERY protective. once he gets to know you and gets used to your existence, as you do with his, he becomes very protective and watches over you like a hawk. if he sees any small bruise or cut on you, he’s gonna play 20 questions with you so be ready.

he likes when you rest your head on his chest or just lay on him period. it makes he feel strong and like he’s succeeding in keeping you safe and loved. he always, ALWAYS, wants you to feel safe with him and to be comfortable around him. he’s a guy with a rough shell and seeing how much Steven and Marc adore you, he wants to keep you there not just for himself but for the other two.

for any special event or holiday, he loves to get you flowers with a small little card, telling you how much he loves you. the cards are usually in Spanish! 

he’s love language is gift giving. anytime he’s out and about, he likes to buy small trinkets that remind him of you and gift them to you when he gets back. you have a whole collection of random keychains hanging on the wall and a small box filled with silly things he’s picked up for you.

yes he does the Gomez thing where he kisses up your arm.

he’s always gotta be touching you. hand around your waist, in your butt pocket, hand in hand, hand on your shoulder, hand resting on your thigh as he drives, etc etc. he will die if he can’t touch you. (pls just touch all of the alters, they’ll never leave you)

[atinyniki]

nap of a star.

group: tomorrow x together !

pairing: idol bf!choi beomgyu x f!reader

genre: hurt/comfort, angst, fluff

warnings + additional info: reader is referred to as y/n, established relationsips, petnames, crying, insecurities (beomgyu), txt is unknowingly hurting beomgyu, beomgyu teases members, just rlly sad :(

authors note: screaming and crying over this. i thought this would be the perfect title for this little fic. posting to see this if my work is unshadowbanned, and if so ill post my new jisung fic !! this is also not proofread. english is not my first language, so please excuse any grammatical or spelling errors. happy reading :)

wc: 1394

“name one thing you like most about yeonjun”

the order goes by age, soobin answering first.

“i really love… hm… his butt”

the four of them burst into laughter, disbelief evident on their faces. “his butt?”, taehyun asks incredulously.

“yes! it’s so cute”

“ok. ew. weirdo. next?”, yeonjun moves on quickly from his comment.

beomgyu just giggles, not saying a word. yeonjun rolls his eyes. “nothing? really?”, he smiles.

beomgyu shakes his head no, a smile still on his face. all of them laugh, yells erupting throughout the entire room.

“nothing.”, beomgyu repeats, a matter-of-factly.

“yeah yeah…”, yeonjun knows beomgyu loves him, so there’s no need to push it.

the game goes on, continuing with soobin, and then comes beomgyus turn.

he sits down on the stool, waiting first for yeonjun. yeonjun just giggles, parroting beomgyus actions from earlier. it was no surprise to him, so he just jokes around with yeonjun. 

soobins turn comes next. no answer. just more giggling. beomgyu knew that yeonjun wouldn’t answer, that’s just how they are. they love teasing eachother, but soobin?

beomgyu laughs it off, waiting again for more. no one said anything. they joke around for a long time, instead talking about things they don’t like about him.

they sure can name a lot…

beomgyu just sits back down in his chair, mood deflated and drained of all cheeriness he’s had before. nonetheless, he tries to keep a smile for the camera.

the game continues on again, beomgyus voice has gotten duller, but no one seemed to notice. the shoot ends, and they all finally let loose and begin to laugh about it.

“my butt?! soobin what were you thinking?!”

he giggles, “i was thinking about your butt!”

“oh my gosh. shut up.”, yeonjun fake gags.

they all giggle together. all but beomgyu. they still don’t notice. 

they go out to eat after, beomgyu continuously stuffing his face so he doesn’t have to speak. he just wants to go home. you, he wants to go to you.

his home.

“baby? i’m home…”, he calls out softly.

no answer.

he closes the door behind him, kicking off his shoes lazily and walking towards the kitchen. he sees you there, making yourself another bag of popcorn.

you turn around, gasping dramatically when you see him. “beomgyu!”

you rush into his arms, a smile erupting on both your faces immediately. “how was your day sweetheart?”

“oh you know… the usual. lots of filming, though”

“yeah i bet, you were there for a while.”

you dump the popcorn into the bowl, taking beomgyu to the bed to watch the remaining half hour of the movie with you.

“what movie is this?”

“uh… home alone? duh. how could you not recognize it? this is one of your favorites…”

you watch as he leans towards the screen again, when it clicks. “oh… yeah. must just be tired.”

you two finish the popcorn together, finishing the movie not too long after. after such a long day, it feels amazing to be in your arms.

he just couldn’t get what they said out of his mind. or… what they didn’t say.

you set the laptop onto the dresser, along with the bowl full of kernels. “hi dorky”

“oh… hey pretty”

you turn to him, smiling and pecking his nose. “you tired?”

“just thinking.”

he looks back up at you, smiling and wrapping his arms tighter around your waist.

“yeah? what’s on your mind?”

the question sits on the tip of his tongue. you’ll be able to answer right?

you love him… right?

“what’s something you love about me?”

so many things came to mind. he’s so caring, so funny, and so incredibly perfect. he makes you and everyone else around him feel so loved and appreciated, even people he isn’t close with. he’s so snarky but it’s in the best way possible, and you just can’t truly express how much you love him in words.

small sniffles pull you out of your thoughts. it’s only felt like seconds, but it’s been an entire minute since he’s asked the question. he buries his head in your chest to muffle the sounds, and you immediately wrap your arms around him. it makes him feel safe.

he looks back up at you again, small sobs escaping his lips as he stares at you with bloodshot eyes. it seems as if your entire world has shattered just at the sight of him. 

“please… can’t you- can’t you think of something? just one thing? you love me… right?”, he begs desperately.

you immediately shut down his thoughts.

“what? no… no sweetheart no! i love you, my star. i promise. don’t ever doubt it for a second. its just… so many things came to mind, i didn’t know which one to say first.”

a sigh of relief leaves his lips again, and he sobs even harder, clutching onto your shirt and drenching it with his tears. “i’m so sorry… i didn’t mean to rush…”, your own eyes tearing up at his words.

“i love you, beomgyu. everything about you. i love how your heart is so incredibly big, and how you seem to make me smile with everything that you do. you’re perfect beomgyu.”

the sincerity in your voice makes him wail, breaths broken up by hiccups and more cries. “th-thank you.”

you hug him closer towards you, but you don’t ask about anything. talking would be too much for him to handle right now. he just needed you.

“you’re so incredibly funny, gyu. i love that about you. you care about everyone, even if you’re not necessarily close. i love that too. i love everything about you. the love i feel for you is just simply… unfathomable.”

his heart swells in his chest, head tilting up to give you a small kiss. “i’m sorry. i didnt mean to break down on you like that.”

you kiss his forehead, pulling him close again so that the two of you are face-to-face. “no need to apologize, i’m always here for you, my star. was there… something that triggered that?”

he frowns, eyes still pouring out tears steadily. he explains the entire thing, how filming went, what they said, and you cant help but feel for him. 

you run your fingers along his spine, “oh baby… why didn’t you tell me?”

“i didn’t wanna worry you. it’s kinda.. dumb… anyways”

“it’s not dumb, it hurt you.”

“it’s okay… i’ll get over it… i know i will. it’s just… sometimes i can’t help but think they mean it.”

you smile, hugging him close into your chest and kissing the top of his head repeatedly. curse his brain for making him think like this.

“they love you beomgyu. don’t worry.”

he laces your fingers together under the sheets, kissing your collarbone and parts of your neck and jawline. no one could ever make you feel more loved. 

you giggle, “that tickles…”

“i know.”, he smiles mischievously. instantly, more kisses are planted onto your neck and the parts of your chest he can reach, playfully nibbling and licking over your skin.

you look back down at him, love and adoration swimming through your eyes. you hold eye contact for a long time, as if your true feelings were passing through just by a look in that moment.

the love you feel for eachother is unexplainable, it’s a true miracle that you are such a perfect match. you lean down to kiss him again, watching as he chases your lips when you pull away.

“i love you, y/n.”

you kiss his forehead again, and you open your mouth to speak. you stop once you look at his face again.

his lips are slightly parted from your kiss earlier, hands loosely placed onto your waist and chest. its becoming difficult to resist the urge to smother him in kisses, but he deserves his sleep.

you bring your hand up, the one that’s still holding beomgyus, and kiss over his knuckles. you run a finger over his cheekbone, admiring his adorable sleepy pout. you could definitely get used to this.

if you aren’t spending the rest of your life with this man, you don’t want to spend it with anyone at all.

smiling, a tear leaves your eye at the sight of your boyfriend. you’re so lucky to have him, you just can’t believe it. do tears of adoration even exist?

“i love you too, my star.”

<3

[thehiddlebum]

I’m cold as ice, but in the right hands… I’ll melt

Summary: Loki is afraid to show you his true self, for the fear of scaring you away. You are the only person he could call a friend, and whilst everyone else thinks of him as a monster, you think quite the opposite…

Warnings: Angst, self-deprecating thoughts, touch starved loki, lots and lots of soft loki, language, hurt/comfort, fluff

Pairing: Jotun!Loki x female!reader or GN!reader

You had been living with the rest of the Avengers for a few months since you joined them and Loki had joined them around the same time as you.

You can remember Thor arriving back at the tower and hearing his booming voice down the corridor, shouting “Isn’t it wonderful here Brother?! You’ll love it!”

You knew who he was as you could remember his attack on New York, but you weren’t one to judge.

You knew that there must have been a deeper reason to his actions, you were very good at reading people.

The rest of the crew definitely were not thrilled that Loki would be joining us, but you held no grudge to the man because you had never met him before.

Who were you to judge a book by it’s cover?

You were more of a loner yourself, and you weren’t that close to the others but you didn’t feel excluded.

You mainly chose to be on your own, it brought you comfort.

But sometimes it also brought you loneliness.

At first, you never really saw Loki. He would simply stay out of the way in his chambers, not that you could blame him.

He knew that everyone basically hated him, and you understood why.

But you couldn’t help but feel a pang in your chest when you saw him scurry away upstairs when someone other than you would walk into the room.

You had noticed that you and him were often both up at around the same time every morning, being the first ones awake.

And as you both made your coffee in the kitchen, you would steel little glances at him and offer him a small smile.

You could tell every time that he didn’t know what to do, you could see his mind working as he stared down at his mug of coffee.

Maybe he thought he was being tricked?

That you were only being nice to somehow hurt him?

That definitely wasn’t the case, you just wanted to show him that he wasn’t alone and that he had a friend.

Words were never exchanged between the two of you in the beginning, Loki always not knowing what to say to the beautiful creature in the kitchen and you not having the confidence to speak up.

But that eventually changed when you worked up the courage to ask him if he wanted his usual cup of coffee when he walked into the kitchen after you.

“That would be lovely, thank you.” He said and you were stunned by his beautiful voice.

You smiled at him and started making it for him the way you have watched him do it in the past, eventually placing it in front of him at the breakfast bar where he sat.

He thanked you again and you both sat in comfortable silence for a while, neither one of you knowing what to say.

That was the first breakthrough with Loki, you knew that he was definitely a tough one to crack but you were so intrigued by him.

You couldn’t believe that voice came out of his mouth, it was something that you wanted to hear more often.

You needed to hear more often.

Your wish was granted over the next few weeks as you started to see more of him, he would come into the kitchen more frequently during the day and scan the room until his eyes landed on you.

You wondered what he could possibly be doing in his room all day and were curious enough to ask Thor to see if he knew anymore, “He may be reading in his room or he could be in the library, he always did love a good book!”

“The library?” You questioned, “I didn’t know we had a library!”

Thor told you what floor of the tower the library was on and you immediately headed down there, shouting a quiet “Hello?”

You didn’t get anything in reply to tell you that someone was already in here, so you walked in and you were amazed by the size of it.

There were numerous rows of bookshelves, and the room was dimly lit with lamps all over the place.

It had a small area in the middle with a few fluffy beanbags and a coffee table, it looked so cosy you could have cried.

You wondered up and down the aisles looking for a book to start now and you nearly jumped out of your skin when you saw a figure sat on the floor, leaning against the bookshelf with his legs crossed and a book in hand.

He flinched at the sound of your footsteps and immediately looked up to meet your gaze.

“Oh— I’m sorry! I didn’t know anyone was in here…” You said and you turned back around ready to leave.

“No it’s quite alright… you can stay if you wish.” Loki said and you smiled, taking a seat on the floor opposite him.

That was how your relationship with him grew, once you got talking about the books you were both interested in, you would talk for hours.

You would meet in the library at the same time everyday, and it quickly became the highlight of your day.

It was almost like a safe-haven for the both of you, no one else would ever come in so you could just talk and be with each other for hours on end.

Although there was one time when Thor came down in search for the two of you, saying that you had been missing for hours and everyone was starting to get worried.

Time didn’t exist in the library, not for you and Loki.

You would talk about random things from your favourite books to recommendations for the other to read, you even brought your annotated copy for him to borrow one day.

“You’ll love it, honestly. I got it years ago from my favourite bookstore down the street, I must’ve read it a thousand times!” You said and he laughed at your exaggeration.

“Well I think you must show me this bookstore, I don’t think it can top ours.” He smirked as he used his hands to gesture around the room.

“Oh I’m not sure… I’ve been going to it since I was a little girl because I grew up here in New York, but it’s not far from here! I’ll take you…” You said and you saw his facial expressions drop.

Oh.

“You’re from New York and you still wish to speak to me?” A bitter chuckle escaped his lips, but you saw the sad expression linger in his beautiful green eyes.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I?” You looked at him knowingly and he stared right back at you.

“I’ve noticed that people aren’t that fond of me around here, but who can blame them?” He shook his head as he looked down at his hands.

“I don’t blame you,” You said to him and he turned to you in shock of your words.

“How could you not blame me? I was the one who brought down an army from space,” He chuckled and you could see the pain in his eyes as he recalled the memories.

“I know there was something else going on then Loki, because from what I’ve seen with my own eyes… you couldn’t hurt a fly.”

His eyebrows raised in surprise and you felt your heart shatter just a little bit more as you looked at this beautiful, broken man before you.

“You clearly don’t know me then, Y/N.” He looked into your eyes.

“No I don’t, but I want to.”

_______________________♡______________________

That moment was a month ago now, and you and Loki were more close than ever.

Your daily library time together was still going, and it brought you both so much comfort.

It was your escape from everyone else and the outside world, and that’s what Loki loved.

He would actually be excited to wake up in the morning, because he knew he would be seeing you.

That was until today, when you were sat in your usual place on the beanbags waiting for him.

You stuck to your normal time of midday and Loki was usually here at bang on the hour, he was probably just running late.

Today was an extremely hot day in New York, with the forecasted heatwave hitting and it was sweltering.

Not to mention that the air conditioning in the tower was broke so Tony had been trying to fix it all morning, but obviously his room is his top priority.

You waited another hour for Loki to show up as you didn’t want to leave and miss him, but he never came.

You decided to go and search for Thor, maybe he knew if Loki was busy with something else.

“Hey Thor, have you seen Loki? He was meant to come to the library at 12 but it’s gone 1 o’clock!” Thor gave you a big bear hug like usual and you laughed.

“No I have not seen him today lady Y/N, but if he is not with you then I imagine he is in his chambers!” You nodded and carried on walking until you reached Loki’s bedroom door.

You knocked quietly, cautious of startling him or waking him if he was asleep.

“Who is it?” You heard his voice speak up, but it was different than usual.

It was more hoarse? Strained?

“It’s me Loki, are you alright?”

A weak voice answered back, “I’ll come to the library tomorrow Y/N, just… leave me alone.”

You knew something was wrong because his voice was always so perfect, now it sounded like he was in pain.

You panicked at the thought of him being hurt, “You don’t sound ok Loki, please just let me in and I can help.”

“No you can’t! Nobody can! I don’t want you to see me like this Y/N…” His strangled voice turned into a soft whisper.

“If you’re hurt or sick Loki then I don’t care, I just want to help you.”

“I am sick! Sick in the head for thinking for just one moment that— that I had a friend…”

You could actually feel your heart breaking at his words and you knew you needed to get to him.

“Loki… open the door.” You whispered softly and you heard his footsteps get louder.

“You’ll never see me the same way again Y/N, you’re going to treat me just like the rest of them do!” You heard a quiet thump on the other side of the door and you reached for the door handle.

“Open the door, love.”

It was silent for a moment until you heard the click of the door opening, and you slowly pushed it open to reveal Loki sat on his bed with his back to you.

“Loki…” You approached him slowly and laid a hand on his back, but he jumped at your touch and that’s when you saw it.

His skin.

It was blue.

Your eyes widened in amazement as the soft colour suited him so well, that was until you realised he was visibly shaking.

And his forehead was dripping with sweat.

You reached out slowly and carefully with one hand and rested it on his forehead, and he looked terrified as you touched his skin.

“Loki… you’re burning up.” You could feel that his skin was on fire, and you knew it wasn’t normal.

“I-It’s too hot… I had to turn into my Jotun form, Stark said the air conditioning was broken.” He opened his eyes and you bit your lip at the bright red colour.

The colour made his eyes even more intense, and you found yourself looking at him with so much love in your eyes.

“Oh Loki… I don’t know much about this, I’m not sure what to do!” You panicked slightly but tried to stay calm for him.

“I need to cool down… heat is torture for me— for a Frost Giant…” He told you and you looked him in the eyes, resting your hand gently on his bare knee.

You realised he was in a T-shirt and shorts, “Let’s get you out of these love, they’re only making it worse.” You said in a soft whisper and he looked at you with shock in his eyes.

“W-Why do you even care? Why bother helping me? I-I’m just a monster! Can’t you see that?!” He raised his voice but you didn’t budge from your place kneeling on the floor in front of him.

“No I can’t see that Loki because you are not a monster, you’re beautiful. And I’m going to prove that to you,” You cupped his cheek gently and stroked his soft blue skin.

You lifted his big arms up and pulled his top carefully over his head, and he released a big sigh as his top half was now bare.

“I’m gonna go and fetch some things to help you love, I won’t be a minute.” You said and as you stood up to leave, you felt a cold hand wrap around your wrist.

You looked down and saw the fear in his eyes, gently stroking the stray hairs out of his face, “I’ll be back, I promise.”

You made sure to shut the door behind you and you took off on a mission to find Tony.

“Jarvis? How long until the air conditioning comes back on?” You shouted whilst frantically jogging to the elevator.

“Mr Stark is still fixing it Miss L/N, shall I get a message to him for you?” His voice sounded over the speakers back to you.

“Yeah, tell him I’m coming to kick his ass unless he turns that fucking air conditioning back on!!” You pressed the button to the floor where the common room and kitchen was.

You ran straight to the freezer in the kitchen and grabbed as many ice packs as you could carry, and ran to Tony’s suite upstairs.

“Tony?! I swear to god if you haven’t fixed that damn air conditioning—

You barged into his room to see him typing away on his laptop, “Ah Y/N, polite as ever!”

“Please Tony, it’s killing Loki… you call yourself a genius when you can’t even fix something as simple as—

“Relax rolo, it should be back on any minute now. Now please, hurry on back to Reindeer Games!” You rolled your eyes at his sarcasm and headed back for the door, but before you left you reached over and grabbed his fan.

“Hey!!” He yelled out and you couldn’t help but laugh as you ran away with his electrical fan that he had plugged in.

You made it back to Loki’s room as quick as you could and you found him laying on the hardwood floor, his head lifting when he heard you.

“It should be coming back on anytime now Loki, but I got ice packs and I kind of also stole Tony’s fan… but he doesn’t even need it so!” You placed everything on the floor in front of him and he sat up slowly.

The cold air of the fan made Loki sigh in delight as it blew directly at him, and you handed him an ice pack to put on his forehead.

He lay on the floor for as you gently placed ice packs on his body, he hissed at the feeling at first but then it started to help with his temperature and you saw his body ease.

As if on cue, you heard the whirring of the air conditioning unit above you kickstart and cold air came rushing into the room.

“Oh my god, I swear I was about to kill Stark!” You mumbled under your breath.

“Loki? Do you feel any better?” You asked him, leaning over his shivering body.

“I’m cooling down, b-but it may cause me to become too cold after so much heat…” He said quietly and you took the ice packs off of his body, sitting him up on the floor.

“I’ll be here, you’re safe with me Loki.” You placed a delicate kiss on his forehead and he sighed at your touch.

You could feel that his skin had cooled down very quickly, so you helped him sit on top of his bed and he tugged on your arm for you to join him.

“Please… stay.” He pleaded and your heart melted for him.

“Of course, Loki.”

You layed back on his pillows and he slowly began to lean into your side, his head falling on your shoulder.

You closed your eyes for a moment and when you looked back down, his skin had gone back to a pale white instead of blue and his eyes back to green.

“Oh Loki…” You pulled him in closer to your body let him rest his head completely on your chest as you ran your nails up and down his back.

In that moment you swore to yourself that you would prove to him just how special he was to you…

[spaceagebachelormann]

Dating Tam Song headcanons for the poor please? Also, are you excited for the shadow and bone cast q&a? Cause I certainly am.

DATING TAM SONG

  ੈ✩‧₊˚ FANDOM: keeper of the lost cities

  ੈ✩‧₊˚ FORMAT: headcanons

  ੈ✩‧₊˚ WARNINGS: one teeny tiny angsty mention, like technically a few spoilers??

  ੈ✩‧₊˚ A/N: HI ALICE!!! i am over the moon for the shadow and bone cast q&a ive never been more excited for anything ever in my life

kotlc masterlist || masterlist || navigation

BEEN WAITING FOR THIS REQUEST SINCE I STARTED THIS BLOG

okay so he is like the greatest most awesomest boyfriend ever istg

he seems like his love language would be acts of service

and also he’d genuinely be upset if you walked into a room without him opening the door for you or sat down without him pulling out the chair

he’s a gentleman let him be one <3

you’re required to be friends with linh

if she doesn’t like you it’s an immediate red flag (unless your rayni)

sophie WILL make you take a 325 question quiz to see if you’re right for her bsf

no i’m joking it’s 5 questions

anyways

he’d like shows from like the 50s-early 70s

so you’ll walk in on him watching something in black and white and be like “what’s this” and you better sit down because he’s gonna tell you the whole plot

it’s so interesting watching him talk about stuff he likes <33 his eyes light up and he starts rambling

you can tell he’s passionate about it

THIS MAN IS A BIG CUDDLER BTW

your legally obliged to not tell anyone especially keefe this but he thrives on cuddles

like even if it’s for 5 mins in the most uncomfortable position ever it’s enough to make his whole week

hed also make an insane effort to keep you away from both the neverseen and his parents

hes lost enough and you don’t need to be added to that long list <3

okay um anywyas next

hed call you the most weirdest names ever

“hey i brought that thing you wanted” “thank you baguette”

he basically just calls you foods

also we’ve seen how protective he is of linh right??? yeah that but with you is 10x worse

will quite literally follow you around

and like it’s not in a “i don’t trust you” way it’s in a “i just want you to be safe” way

he’ll back off if you ask him too

the thing is he has that “anything for you <3” mentality but it’s more like “ANYTHING for you. <3”

more threatening basically

also so help me god if someone tries to hurt you in some way

they like can’t even look at you afterwards

okay next set of hcs!!

i think he’d like

LOVE to read and hed like go to the library every other day to get 15 new books

and i have this cute little idea of him going there because you go there and it gives him an excuse to stare at you for several hours <3

its probably how you met him

but then again he seems like he’s more likely to fall for someone who’s known for a few months/years

also he can sculpt because i said so

so if you like sculptures/mythology he makes you little statues

will let you mess with his hair and braid it and put it in pigtails and stuff

after much convincing

he’s like super shy at the beginning of the relationship but as it progresses and he becomes more comfortable you can tell how much he really does like you

linh tells you not to be alarmed cause he’s just getting comfortable

also when he gets excited he has this little look in his eyes

they become all sparkly and glittery

now it’s 5x more sparkly and glittery when he’s talking to you

OH HE COMES TO YOUR HOUSE A LOT

i kinda like the idea of him and a childhood friends to lovers and like he comes to your house a lot so he doesn’t have to go home

hed love holding your hands btw

no matter if they’re warm, cold, rough, soft, small, big, he loves them

will constantly be grabbing your hands and dragging you around (affectionately)

he loves kissing them also

before he’s about to leave to go do something he takes one of your hands and gently kisses it before skeddadling

he could talk to you for hours

theres times in conversations where someone will be talking and he internally WILL NOT CARE AT ALL but as soon as you have your own input/opinion he’s listening intently

also imagine going to something with him where you need to dress fancy and he sees you in your fancy pretty outfit and is like awestruck

unable to form words

thinks you are the most amazing person ever like he’d kill for you if you asked

also would love doing your hair

okay it’s 12am i have to sleep

he’s such a good bf i love him

[safetycar-restart]

Very self indulgent thot but please imagine with me leading a kink demo with Nyck as your model.

I really love leading impact play demos and I just know Nyck would fucking love being on stage with all eyes on him getting to prove what a perfect sub he is.

Nyck being introduced to the audience and giving a little wave before he gets manhandled over the spanking bench. Him getting to enjoy zoning out to the sound of your voice while you start talking about techniques and strike zones while you warm him up with your hand.

He loves getting to experience so many so many different implements in a short period of time. The only thing he dislikes is he knows you aren’t hitting as hard as you do at home but he also kind of loves that it enforces that this isn’t about him. He’s just a prop for you right now so that other subs can get what he has without him having to really share you. He loves listening to your voice and how confident you sound educating people about what you both love.

Then at the end when it’s time for questions from the audience you take him off the bench and hold him in your lap as you both answer questions. You just keep one hand firmly in his hair to ground him and keep him from getting too floaty while you are both in public like this.

And maybe after when you two leave Nyck is so turned on you two don’t even make it home, you end up pulling off the road somewhere so that you can ride him in the front seat of the car quick and dirty with one hand on his throat while you praise him for how perfect he was.

🔮

I… i think this ask might have permanently changed my brain chemistry holy shit.

Firstly, nyck LOVES being shown off. But he especially loves when it’s both of you being shown off? When he knows that everyone in the room is jealous of him, and of his Dom, when he can show how incredible his Dom is, how much his Dom knows.

So leading a kink demo with you is insane. He loves it so so much. He’s been all giddy about it for weeks already, cause he’s so excited to show everyone how good he is and how good his Dom is and what an amazing team you make.

The first thing you do when the demo begins to make a show of asking nyck to repeat his safewords and have him tell you what to do if he can’t talk and all of that. He’s smiling the entire time, showing the audience how happy and at ease he is, how he has complete trust in you. He’s also a little more mouthy than normal, but that’s just because he wants to show everyone how you two can joke a little.

And you love it. You love that he’s so comfortable here. You would call this whole thing off in an instant if you even suspected that nyck was feeling uncertain. But he’s not. He’s so ready.

He playfully waves goodbye to the audience as you manhandle him onto the bench and everyone laughs at that.

Then he just zones out. This is your show now. He knows his place very well and that’s just to stay still and take whatever you give him (though he does wriggle his ass a little after you give him a smack he really enjoyed, trying to tempt you to do it again, which you inform the audience of bedside you know exactly how to read his body language and he blushes so hard at all).

He lets the sound of your voice wash over him and gives himself to the sensations, not a care in the world. You aren’t hitting as hard as he likes, but that’s okay. This is so educate others and he loves that, loves that he can help others get what he has (though not with his Dom of course, he’s very possessive).

Every now and then you’ll stop and walk to the other side of the bench face him. You’ll kneel down and run your hand through his hair, checking that he’s okay. He always nods and maybe asks for a kiss, just cause he loves kisses.

At the end you slowly untie him and then rub lotion into his ass and thighs. You show everyone how to care for any wounds that may come up, even though you haven’t actually come close to breaking the skin. You aren’t willing to hit hard enough to risk that in front of people, because often hitting that hard will send nyck deep into subspace and you want him to at least be semi aware of his surroundings here.

You explain that to the audience, and nyck loves how you’re talking about him like he’s not even there. It really lets him feel like he’s just a prop for you, which is exactly what he likes to be.

Once you’ve finished with that, you help him off the bench, as expected he’s all shaky and unsteady on his feet. He leans onto you, knowing you’ll take his weight. You put some undies on him before you let him turn around. Nyck said he was fine being naked in front of the audience but he’s so floaty that you’re not sure he’d call yellow if he felt uncomfortable with it.

So you put some undies on him and then wrap him in a fluffy robe. He nuzzles into the tone, feeling so happy with the situation.

You sit down at the front of the stage, letting nyck curl up in your lap. He kisses your neck and smiles.

You tell the audience that they can ask questions now, and multiple hands go up. Nyck mostly just floats until someone asks a question directed at him.

Then you have to tug at his hair a little to get him to listen to you. He’s so dazed, smiling at you and not at all processing your words until you pull him a little and then he snaps out of it.

You inform the audience that he’s a little floaty, and he just smiles guiltily, not even trying to deny it. He half answers the question and then just leans back against you and looks up at you. No more words.

You laugh at him and kiss his forehead, finishing answering the question for him because he’s in no state to.

You try your best to keep him from getting too close to subspace but it’s very hard because he clearly wants to drop.

In the end you just quickly answer the questions yourself and then end the demo, thanking everyone for attending and helping nyck backstage where you put him in soft clothes and get him to the car.

He curls up in the car, and for a moment you think he’s going to just sleep for the whole ride home. But no, of course not.

He starts whining before you even get out the car park, and so you give him permission to jerk off. He tries, he does!!

But the poor thing can’t make himself cum. He’s been manhandled by you and looked after by you for the entire day, there’s no way his hand will satisfy him.

He tries his best, but he can’t!! As much as you want to just drive home, you can’t. Your sub is getting distressed.

So you pull over.

Originally you intend to just give him a handjob, but he’s whining and crying and asking for more and well… you can’t deny that riding him would be fun.

So you do, keeping a hand on his throat to make his quick and it is. It’s quick and filthy and amazing. He’s crying by the end, mumbling thanks over and over again, whining because you didn’t take your top off so he can’t nuzzle against your titties.

You give him a little cuddle and then get him home for more cuddles.

[quinloki]

Quicksand - ALTERNATIVE

If you haven't read Quicksand up to chapter 5 you're going to be terribly confused.

Fem Reader x Sir Crocodile

CW: Language, violence, blood, moral ambiguity, murder, sexual themes and situations, yandere, angst with a happy ending, a referenced instance of physical abuse. 18+ only

ADDITIONAL CW: Dub-con, kidnapping, imprisonment

The alternative version picks up at Chapter 6- there's a lot of overlap for the first few chapters as the story slowly peels away from the original. The alternative chapters explore Sir Crocodile's yandere tendencies in a setting where the reader rejects him (vs the original where she never ran).

You can read it as it posts to Tumblr, or sate your curiosity on AO3 // Wattpad immediately.

Chapter 9: Smile

You woke up at some point around 3am, having slept far heavier and more solidly than you meant to. At some point in the night you had rolled yourself right under the covers. Frustrating as it was, you didn’t have any missed calls or texts from Doflamingo. It was sheer luck, honestly, but you’d take it.

Tossing the covers aside you slide out of the comfortable bed and flinch as you move. Your body aches, and there’s grit in the bed. You’re probably sore from sleeping so soundly so unexpectedly, but you’ll have to let housekeeping know about the grit, if there’s something in the dryers leaving it behind it could upset other guests.

Sending a text to the on-call maintenance about it, you go into the bathroom to grab a shower. Your muscles are sore like you ran a marathon, though you don’t dwell on it too much as the hot water from the shower begins to soothe them.

Pangs of emotions flutter on the edges of your mind as you clean up. A dream you can’t really remember but haven’t wholly forgot. Something pleasurable, and maybe that’s why your body is sore and you sought the comforts of the covers, vs simply napping throughout the night. Something about the memory of it makes you sad, and so you try to think of other things, focusing on the needs of the day over the emotions of the night.

Sir Crocodile would be at Rain Dinners today, to take over seeing after the VIP guest that was Donquixote Doflamingo. The good news was that you wouldn’t need to see either one of them once the hand off was complete.

The bad news was that you would have to maintain an impeccable level of professionalism during the entire process. You didn’t need Doflamingo to pick up on anything, frankly.

After this you would only have a little more work to get done before you could head home. Sleep until you didn’t need to anymore, and then begin job hunting with the few days you had off before you had to come back in. You had offered your services to Buggy and his new venture, but you also didn’t know when that was going to happen, and you wanted to be able to leave Rain Dinners sooner rather than later.

. . . . . .

Fire and Ice. Heaven and Hell. A rock and a hard place. You were certain that you'd be more comfortable in any of those situations compared to how you felt right now.

Things had gone relatively smoothly at the beginning of the day - you hadn't been able to avoid sharing breakfast with Doflamingo, since the casino itself wasn't open yet you couldn't use the excuse of work.

The man had offered you a job, of all things, citing his appreciation of your work thus far. You had turned him down as smoothly as you had everyone else who had offered you a job as a matter of course. You expected that Doflamingo was far more serious than most, but the absolute last thing you wanted to do was go from being in the employ of one Warlord to another.

It had been at least a little tempting though, so your pause for dramatic effect as you “considered” it wasn’t nearly as dramatic as usual. You couldn’t shake the idea that it was simply walking away from one complicated situation and directly into a far more complicated trap.

Doflamingo pushed you a little, but not enough to make breakfast unpalatable. In the end, he wished you well in whatever endeavor you decided to pursue, and it was a little unsettling to realize he seemed to know you planned to leave Rain Dinners.

The mild discomfort of breakfast was nothing compared to the tension in the air when Crocodile arrived.

You had expected the tension between them to be akin to rival gang members, or a couple Mafia bosses trying to keep the peace between their families in the middle of a wedding. Something out of a movie that was oddly debonair and impressively smooth – if not utterly terrifying given their collective power.

You had not expected that Doflamingo would flirt with Crocodile.

Doflamingo had met you in the morning with more flair than the day before, and you could see why Buggy got along with him. He was easily someone who was plenty flashy. His clothes were more casual, and he had been sporting the biggest, fluffiest, pinkest feather coat to possibly exist. You could hardly believe that this was the same person who had kept himself in check the day before and during breakfast. When he had greeted Sir Crocodile you had seen a complete shift in his behavior along with the change in attire.

"Croco-baby!" Doflamingo's entire space had brightened.

You're sure your face had looked completely horrified, but you didn't see Crocodile even twitch. The distraction had given you a chance to compose yourself, at least, and you did your best to keep your professional face intact.

"I'm delighted you agreed to this. I was surprised I didn't have the pleasure of your company when I arrived yesterday." Doflamingo was, as far as you can tell, laying it on thick specifically to get a rise out of the boss.

"I'm over-seeing several Rain Dinners branches, Doflamingo." Crocodile says in an impressively even and apathetic tone. "I hardly cared to make time to arrive today."

"Aww, you made time for me, I'm flattered. You have such capable people working for you Croco, you should let them shoulder more for you so you can relax properly. I can lend you the bed in my room to help you relax. Young Miss (Y/N) could run the auction in my place."

Doflamingo runs his tongue across his upper lip when he finishes speaking, making his implication clear. The scenario was uncomfortably hot, and you did your best to make sure not even the barest hint of appreciation crossed your features.

"You're here to run the auction as the CEO of Smile, you can't pawn that off on my employees." Crocodile replies flatly.

The sarcasm, irritation, and random hints of innuendo were going to give you gray hairs. Salt in Buggy's coffee wasn't going to be enough to make up for all of this. Your job was, at its core, to keep people happy. The more important the guest, the more you provided to make sure their stay was as pleasant as possible. However, there was no way you could interject between the two of them right now. Never mind the fact that Crocodile was your boss' boss' boss, and the idea of him being defended by someone in your position was laughable, but also you were sure there were years of back history between these two. You simply didn't know enough to effectively intervene.

Doflamingo's arm drapes across your back and his hand lands on your shoulder so suddenly you flinch. It wasn't him or the action itself, it was the fact that you had expected to continue to be ignored, not practically yanked into the conversation.

"Tell him, Miss (Y/N), we've gone over the details of the auction enough you could handle it."

"Capable as I may be, Doffy," you reply, recovering from your surprise quickly. "I'm not paid to do more than one job. I decline."

"Fufufu," the tone of his laugh wasn't something you had heard from him before, and there was a strange shift in air. A new weight settled on you, and you realize he's finally, truly, paying attention to you. "If it's a matter of compensation, Miss (Y/N)-."

"Hardly," you interject quickly, there's no way you're going to find out if he means to compensate you with his money or his time. "Being unofficially compensated is illegal, Mr. Donquixote. I decline."

There's a second of silence and then Doflamingo laughs. It's an impressive sound, but you're not thrilled to be hearing it, and from the flash of emotion on Crocodile's face, neither is he.

Doflamingo straightens up and removes his hand from your shoulder. You feel your body relax, even though you hadn't realized that you were tense to begin with. You curse inwardly, you're getting pulled around by a VIP instead of keeping him in line. Not that Doflamingo was your typical VIP, but you had years of experience at this job, it was frustrating to be in this position.

You pull your phone from your pocket to check the time as Doflamingo returns to bantering – or badgering - Crocodile. Despite the Warlord's words, you're not sure if he wants to sleep with Crocodile, so much as he wants to get into a fight with him. Though maybe for the Warlord there wasn't much difference between the two.

"My apologies for interrupting, but the Auction begins in an hour." You report when there's a breath of silence in which to do so. "Mr. Donquixote, you should head to the venue to finalize the item order and deal with any last-minute issues to ensure a smooth start."

"Capable indeed," Doflamingo muses, and his tone sends a shiver up your spine that you're barely able to suppress. "Very well, let's get this amusement going, shall we Croco-baby?"

Crocodile grunts at Doflamingo, before turning toward you. You face him, but you can’t meet his eyes. "Miss (L/N), send Buggy to the Auction Venue, and enjoy the rest of the day off."

You bow. "Yes, Sir Crocodile."

After you turn and leave you hear Doflamingo. "I'm still going to be here after the auction, why are you sending my little pet away? I was just starting to like her."

"I don't need you sending my capable employees running for the hills, you feathery bastard."

Something in Crocodile’s tone made your heart twist but given how steadily he had spoken you weren’t sure what it was about it that affected you.

. . . . .

You enjoyed your time off Wednesday, and you informed Buggy before you had sent him to the auction venue that you were taking Thursday as well, and it was his fault. Doflamingo was too flashy and if Buggy didn't want salted coffee for the rest of his days, he wasn't going to argue with you.

Getting home you barely went through your usual routine, staying up just long enough to eat and clean up, before you collapsed into bed and slept for almost a full twelve hours. It was the first time since you had left your weekend tryst that you slept so soundly for so long, and you were far past due for it. The added stress of the auction hadn’t been helping matters either.

You spent most of Thursday hunting for a new job, polishing your very neglected resume, and lounging as much as you could manage. Your phone was blissfully quiet, and so were your thoughts. You had made up your mind, and you only hoped you could hold onto that peace for long enough to completely move on.

A few weeks.

A few months.

Time was time, and eventually you wouldn’t be able to hear the voice that sunk into your bones. You wouldn’t smell the scent of hot sand and citrus…

“Why sand?” You murmur to the ceiling. Rain Dinner incorporated sand into its designs and decoration, but it wasn’t like the place smelled of sand, or heat. It was kept comfortable and almost cool in all of the branches within the Metro. You remember vaguely someone referring to him as the Desert King, but you couldn’t remember if it was one of White Beard’s boys, or someone else.

Dismissing the musings from your mind you focused on writing your letter of resignation. You’d print it out at work and hand it over to Buggy first thing in the morning, with the reassurance that you’d be happy to work for him no matter how long it took before he’d need you.

[flaringfoxsoul03]

hello!! could i please request a romantic twisted wonderland matchup, i prefer to be match with a boy pls thanks

my pronouns are they/them, my mbti is intp-t, virgo.

personality: im really shy and kind of awkward when socializing others bcos im not really good interacting with them so i just stay in the sideline where i observe people and their behavior and thats the reason why people depict me as intimidating and hard to approach and also bcos of my stoic expression too but when im with my close friends, im really bubbly and more comfortable with them. im really quite moody sometimes and i also tend to overthink things. i always listen to my friends whenever they're having a problem and just be there for them sometimes pitching in some advice now and then. im also the type of person to run away from their problems and tend to push people away bcos i dont want to burden them, i also laugh at small things, im also the type of person to read a body language very well bcos of my observant nature. i also get insecure with my appearance too. im also blunt with my words i do not sugarcoat things

my hobbies/likes:writing stories and reading books, poetry composition, learning about stars and outer space, watching horror videos on yt, staying up all night writing down my ideas about my next stories, sleeping, i also have a fascination to ocean and i tend to stare at it, dark academia, i also like abandoned places especially if its haunted, i also love matcha green tea, i really love a meadow full of lavenders.

my dislikes: loud people including loud places too, vegetables (depends on my mood), cheaters and playboys, worms, hot weather, arrogant people.

that's it and thank you!

-🍂

Crazy as this is a question thing I have been trying to set up on my profile and it works when an Anon asks. But, I digress, my first Anon and Twisted Wonderland request! I’m so excited, and I have just the match.~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I match you with…

Jade Leech!

————————————

I think you and Jade are kind of an odd beginning, but seriously would have it no other way. Even his twin, Floyd, would think it odd that you guys stopped seeing each other, he’s actually part of the reason you saw each other in another light, with Azul watching a live rom-com take place. Yes, Azul did think about making what he witnessed into an actual production, but ultimately decided against it due to it being so genuine and not for the gag like he initially thought Jade was doing

He enjoys the honesty without sugar coating. While he has to be crafty with his words around clients and possible enemies from working in Monstro Lounge, you often just call him out when he gets caught up in a eloquent usage of diction. He loves how fresh of a look this is, it’s not often he’s finding someone who’s just so blunt about it. And weirder as it can get (I mean, what did you expect from an all-male school full of traumatized boys?), you’re doing it because you despise the dancing of verbal language. It’s simply not your style

He understands why your neutral expressions might give off the wrong vibes, he has to thank his twin Floyd for getting down and dirty just to get you to open up. Jade is more there in the beginning to make sure his brother doesn’t try to tear you apart emotionally or physically, possibly even a bit of both. Fortunately, later down the line, he seeks you out on his own accord and stages these little ‘coincidences’ to really get to know you. This just causes him to fall deeper in the oceanic ravine that’s dubbed as ‘falling in love with you’, as for the first time, his heart pumps hard with anticipation of how you’ll react next. It’s always so fresh with you

Sees qualities of leadership within you, personally thinks it’s truly endearing how you started off as a simple human terrified out of their wits to one that now has the entire upper social rankings of Nightraven College all in the palm of your hand. Impressed even, that you even corralled creatures that were supposed to beyond reason and logic once aggravated. What’s all that more hilarious for him personally is that you shy away from the conversation when it becomes too rowdy for your tastes as the massive accumulation of the group starts a ruckus

However, his favorite treasurable moments come from when it’s only a few people. Your personality begins to shine brighter than any oceanic relic gleaming in the sunshine. You’re a lot like his twin in many ways, though a lot less brutal in your execution in ideas. You’re going to melt this eel’s cold heart 💙

However, just like you’re good at reading people, Jade also gets ridiculously good at reading you. As your observational natures often mesh well, you tend to forget that Jade is checking in on you based off how you’re reacting at any given situation. At first, when he saw your signs of distress, he thought it best to let you come to him or anyone for that matter on your own terms. One of the very few poor decisions this eel has ever made as when you reached your near breaking point, you literally ran away from them all. It ultimately turned into a game of ‘Cat and Mouse’ except the whole school was trying to chase you down as you were getting way too emotional due to the lack of communication. You’re just extremely lucky that Jade, Floyd, and Azul found you first in your hiding hole. They would joke about how similar you are to Azul in this aspect, but Jade would be the one to stop the jokes and try to coerce you out so he can hold you, soothing you so you can tell him what’s wrong. He then promises you along with the other boys present that they’ll absolutely chase you down in order to prove how much they want to care for your little non-magical presence. You’ll be sure to be whisked away to Monstro Lounge as they get you to open up while you’re in Jade’s arms in hopes that there can be a more mundane solution. But I think Floyd really likes the whole chase idea though, he’s not against doing reckless stuff to stop you from running from your problems again

Please join this merman’s club. He will literally be so overjoyed that you’re willing to spend more time with him when given the chance. He’ll take you to places you would have never guessed to be in such remote places. His favorite location is an abandoned aquarium that the island gave up on due to its mysterious habit of collecting damages and murders. It’s also a fabulous place for his love of mushrooms to grow! Do expect him to try and make mushroom based meals from these excursions together. Consider introducing him to camp cooking, if you dare, but I personally bet that he would fall in love with this and fall even harder for you~

If you all have a beach day, Jade, with a deal in place without the usage of Azul’s contracts, will absolutely change into his merman form and have you ride along holding onto his shoulders. However, if given the chance to, he will dart away to a beautiful spot secluded from the main activities and begin quietly whispering his affections for you in his slick arms with his tail wrapped precariously around your legs to prevent escape from his clutches. Only ones that will find him is his twin and dorm leader when they realize that can’t see you two playing in the waves anymore, but they won’t disturb you outright, they’ll just holler to remind you to come back for a more personal date experience~

=================

The follow ups are:

Leona Kingscholar

And

Jamil Viper

————————————

That’s all folks, until next time!

~Fox

[llycaons]

Section Two: Part IV

So this first love was all for you: anything short and sweet! despite the title, these works may not center wangxian or be set in their youth

Stay Right Here and Hide by etymologyplayground

summary: a low-drama and very tender getting-together work set during ep43 of cql. wwx is so confident in lwj’s love…it’s a lovely and comforting read work issues: none author issues: has written genderbends

*blue skies from now on* by cafecliche

summary: I LOVE this fic it makes me feel like a soft-boiled egg. modern wwx and lwj are tentatively planning to host new year’s at their shared apartment for the first time after years of estrangement from the jiangs, and wwx is nervous but excited about inviting everyone. the wens are involved! it’s so much about family and food and warmth and home and I am deeply fond of it work issues: none, it’s perfect author issues: none

*blue night by fruitys

summary: a gentle little modern with magic oneshot about how wwx and lwj, newly together, handle a minor curse that lwj’s been hit with. not really much of a plot,  it’s just very sweet. I love the writing style and the chemistry work issues: none author issues: has written cnc

an hour of sunshine by astrolesbian

summary: very short work, either canon but I feel cql. modern AU wwx, easing into mental health and listening to his body. attending a silly halloween party, experiencing the love of his friends and and a little balcony romance. really sweet and low-drama. bit corny but I just like it when things are nice for him! also jc is funny this is probably the purest distillation of this section’s themes <3 work issues: none author issues: genderbends

you can’t hate family by chadsuke

summary: a very short and funny wwx and wq fic where they drunkenly, jokingly rib each other. yanqing real! though only mentioned work issues: none author issues: none. I used to follow them on here

*i’ll have you and you’ll have me by sundiscus

summary: a humorous, sweet modern AU oneshot about a mistake in communication and the aftermath. ah, I love this work. they’re so tender here with each other work issues: none author issues: has written fuck or die

your light in the mist by seularen

summary: postcanon, wwx just has a really good day. although not very plot-heavy, I do love the language in this fic. novel verse work issues: none author issues: I’ve read a few of their other fics and found them quite good otherwise, but the sex scenes are incredibly weird in the way that novel-faithful fics tends to be (cnc). xiyao too

A Series of Endings, A Wonderful Beginning by pink_fluff

summary: the juniors speculate on how the cql wangxian reunion would go. it’s cute and funny and manages not to be annoying like most juniors-shipping-wx content is work issues: none author issues: none

If It’s You by etymologyplayground

summary: a lighthearted and sweet postcanon getting-together fic. no drama or tears, just kisses and humor. they way they write lwj rules, I love it so much. cql canon work issues: none author issues: genderbends

*2:08AM, softly by astronicht

summary: modern AU, a quiet and gentle moment pre-relationship in the early hours of the morning. cql verse work issues: none author issues: has written genderbends

I would take him into the twilight and unwind him by ladyofrosefire

summary: a really lovely and gentle work where wwx takes care of lwj. yes this is bottom lwj time work issues: none author issues: god damn, this person is a weirdo. xiyao, 3zun, cnc, xuexiao, xy/xxc/sl, but also xy/wq? why bring her into this????

heart’s desire by Luz_or_Laur

summary: pov of an old and lonely house that wwx and lwj move into and make a home. short and sweet and unique. made me go 🥺 work issues: none author issues: none

Afternoon Nap by Netrixie

summary: a cozy postcanon work with a lot of cuddling…sleepiness…kisses. it was really soothing and the atmosphere lulled me to such a state of peace. novel details mentioned but the characterizations are more cql work issues: none author issues: nhs/wen xu, A/B/O, and some kind of tentacle dubcon porn?

back for you by detectorist

summary: I almost didn’t read this because it came off as boring, but I powered through the first section and found a very nice little work and a relationship with some of the most tangible chemistry I’ve found in fic. I also like the lwj and jyl friendship here. short, sweet, and funny work issues: none author issues: has written genderbends

Back to Start

[maiega]

Discovering the Joys of Learning Arabic

When people think about picking up a new language, they often wonder, is Arabic fun to learn? The answer can be different for everyone, but there's a lot about Arabic that makes it a genuinely enjoyable and rewarding experience. From its rich cultural background to the unique structure of the language itself, Arabic can surprise you in many delightful ways.

The Beauty of the Arabic Language

One of the first things you'll notice about Arabic is how beautiful it sounds. The flowing, rhythmic nature of the language can make even everyday conversations feel like poetry. The way certain letters are pronounced—like the distinctive "kh" sound—adds a melodic touch to speech that many learners find fascinating.

The script is another aspect that stands out. Writing in Arabic is like learning a new art form. It might seem challenging at first, but mastering the elegant curves and dots of the script can be quite satisfying. Plus, there’s a sense of achievement when you start to recognize words and phrases written in Arabic around you, like on restaurant signs or social media posts.

A Gateway to a Rich Culture

Learning Arabic isn’t just about the language; it’s also about immersing yourself in a rich and diverse culture. From the intricate patterns of Islamic art to the vivid storytelling of Arabic literature, the language offers a window into the traditions and daily lives of people across the Middle East and North Africa.

Food lovers might appreciate learning Arabic when it comes to discovering new recipes and culinary terms. Imagine reading a traditional recipe for kebbeh or baklava directly from an Arabic cookbook. Even if you’re not aiming for fluency, learning a bit of Arabic can enhance your travels in the region, making interactions more personal and meaningful.

Challenges That Make It Fun

Like any language, Arabic comes with its challenges. It has a different alphabet, and the grammar can be quite different from English. But for many learners, it’s exactly these challenges that make it fun. It’s like solving a puzzle—each new grammar rule or vocabulary word is a piece that helps you see the bigger picture.

Arabic also offers a variety of dialects. While Modern Standard Arabic is widely understood, different regions have their own spoken versions of the language. This means you have the chance to pick up unique phrases and slang depending on where you focus your studies. It adds a layer of variety that keeps the learning process dynamic and interesting.

A Place to Start: Kalimah Center

If you’re wondering where to begin your Arabic learning journey, the Kalimah Center is an excellent place to start. They offer tailored courses that make the process accessible and enjoyable for beginners and advanced learners alike. With a focus on creating a supportive environment, Kalimah Center helps students learn at their own pace, making sure that each lesson feels engaging and rewarding.

Their approach balances the fundamentals of Arabic with practical language use, so you’ll find yourself picking up conversational skills quickly while also building a solid foundation in grammar and writing. Whether you’re looking to learn Arabic for travel, personal interest, or professional reasons, the Kalimah Center provides the right resources to make learning Arabic feel like a rewarding journey.

So, Is Arabic Fun to Learn?

The answer really depends on what you’re looking for in a new language. If you enjoy diving into a new culture, appreciate beautiful sounds and script, and don’t mind a few challenges along the way, then yes, Arabic can be a lot of fun to learn. It’s not always easy, but the sense of accomplishment you get with each new word or phrase makes it all worthwhile.

And with resources like the Kalimah Center, getting started is simpler than you might think. You can explore the joy of learning Arabic from the comfort of your home, and who knows—you might just find yourself captivated by a whole new world of language and culture.

[yesthatssadirichardslove]

'Frasier' returns to TV but you don't need to be a superfan of the original to laugh at its jokes

LOS ANGELES

You could say Joe Cristalli tweeted his role as co-executive producer and co-showrunner on the new “Frasier” sitcom into existence.

About 10 years ago as a fledgling TV writer and “Frasier” superfan, Cristalli started a Twitter account with “random jokes" about the show and character made famous by Kelsey Grammer in the sitcoms “Cheers” and “Frasier.”

“It was stupid and nobody cared about it. I think I had maybe 3,000 followers at its height," he recalled in a recent interview.

At this point, “Frasier” had been off the air for 10 years, but Cristalli used it as "an outlet to practice writing because I was such a super fan and I just loved the style of joke-telling, so I would work on it.”

A few years later, Cristalli read that Grammer was interested in reviving the character. He had his agent send a sample script and examples from his “Frasier”-centric Twitter feed to Grammer's team. He was eventually hired alongside “How I Met Your Mother” writer Chris Harris to be co-showrunners of a new “Frasier" series, debuting Oct 12 on Paramount+.

This “Frasier” stars Grammer in the title role of the high-brow psychiatrist, as he moves back to Boston. His son Freddy is now grown, working as a firefighter, and Frasier realizes he needs to prioritize their relationship (much in the way the character set out to connect with his father, played by John Mahoney, in the original.) He also begins a new career as a professor at Harvard.

Writing for the character is a fun challenge, said Harris, because “when you think of Frasier Crane speaking, you think of flowery language.” Because of time constraints, every line can't be in Frasier-speak. “We save those moments for certain times,” said Harris.

They also reference the original series sparingly and smartly — which is an act of restraint that Cristalli said Harris helped him to understand.

“I put in a very specific reference to something in ('Frasier') season four, and I remember Chris very gently saying, ‘Do you think maybe we should do jokes that everyone will laugh at?’”

“There are analogies and callbacks to the old show, but we try not to do any of them shamelessly," Cristalli said. "We’re not going to just throw a recliner or a Jack Russell in, like we’re trying to do them subtly and elegantly. So if you catch them, great, but we’re not hanging everything on those jokes. I love (the references) ... but Chris makes a very good point. We want other people to like this show besides me.”

The show is a throwback in that it's a multi-cam comedy taped in front of a live audience. Most comedies these days are single-cam and filmed without an audience.

Harris hopes the show is a success and provides a much-needed boost for the multi-cam format. “I will say that nothing feels as much like showbiz as a tape night," said Harris. "There’s a working-without-a-net kind of feeling and you really are putting all your work and all your creativity out there for people to judge. You don’t know something works until you get that immediate response, but that immediate response is awesome.”

Famed sitcom director James Burrows ("Taxi", “Friends”, “Will & Grace”) who worked with Grammer on both “Cheers” and “Frasier” signed on to direct two episodes.

“It’s such a comfort because he didn’t have to do the show," said Cristalli. "He didn't have to help out. But he read the scripts, he was in the auditioning process, he was pitching jokes and genuinely laughing and enjoying himself. It just made everybody more relaxed because it’s a lot of pressure to bring back something this iconic.”

Burrows shared his advice to the new actors on “Frasier” (including Jack Cuttmore-Scott as Freddy and Anders Keith as David, Frasier's nephew, the son of Niles and Daphne).

“What I tell them is, ‘When we rehearse, Kelsey is at 50%. When he’s in front of an audience, he’s at 100% and you better be on that level otherwise you’ll get blown away.' That’s what I used to tell guest stars on ’Cheers'... ‘They’re marking time in rehearsal. When they get on a stage and the laughter comes, if you don’t play up on their level, you’re going to disappear.’"

Cristalli said Grammer slowly morphs into the character.

“In the first rehearsal day, he’ll be in like, a T-shirt and shorts and it’s like, ‘Hold on. That’s not. Who’s that? That’s not Frasier.’ The next day he’s got, you know, longer pants and the next day it's a blazer. and then all of a sudden it’s like, ‘Oh, wait a second, I see him now.’ ... There’s a very clear distinction between Frasier and Kelsey Grammer, but he slips into those shoes real comfortably and it’s very seamless.”

For the show's theme, composers and father-son duo Bruce and Jason Miller were brought in to update the original “Tossed Salads & Scrambled Eggs” song. Bruce Miller composed the original ”Frasier" theme. Grammer also sings this version.

The composers first did a “hipper” version “that had movement to it, and energy" said Bruce Miller. Grammer listened and suggested the sound reflect how the character is older now, and looking for calmness at this stage in his life. They went back and used a small band, which is the version that viewers will hear.

This “Frasier” also has a bar, but it's not THE bar made famous in “Cheers.” Its name, Mahoney's, is a tribute to John Mahoney, who passed away in 2018. Just as the Martin character — a blue-blooded, retired police officer — was different than his sons, this set captures that juxtaposition. It's conceived as a place where both firefighters and academics gather.

“It's an older bar, something you would find near Cambridge,” said set director Glenda Rovello.

“There's a sweet line where Frasier is in Mahoney's and remarks, ‘I may have spent too much time in a particular bar,’ which I made sure the boys (Cristilli and Harris) kept because it was a wonderful tribute," said Burrows.

[almsautumn2023alex]

Academic reading: biochemistry coursebook 3/10/2023

As was mentioned in my alms record sheet this period I challenged myself to voluntarily read my biochemistry coursebook. Now that the period is soon to end and most of the book is covered I wanted to reflect and write down my thoughts. 

First of all, there are a couple of things I need to mention before proceeding. Since this is a course book for a completely different course and not related inherently to alms at all, besides the fact that it is English. I needed to make sure that the guidelines for my alms hours are clear and fair. 

Reading of the course book was not a mandatory requirement for the course. It was highly recommended, for the understanding and improving of ones education. 

In normal circumstances I wouldn’t be reading the course book, since I find watching educational videos and lecture slides effective enough. 

This being said, following with the reading was for me a challenge and a way to step out of my comfort zone, and improve my academic reading. 

I made a schedule to read 2-3 times a week. Some weeks I succeeded in that and some were not as successful. But I think the most important thing was that no matter what i still pushed myself to continue with the challenge.

In terms of reading there were a couple of things that I noticed. First, was that in the beginning because I didn’t have a lot of practice and was just getting used to, it took me a lot of time to get through the text. It was time consuming because alongside reading I had to really absorb the information and try to conceptualize it. I think this is the main difference between reading simple texts and academic, because with academic texts you can’t just read something and move on, you’ll have to be able to use the information you read about and apply it. As the time went though I got better and better at becoming more fluent with this task and my reading time shortened. Secondly, I really tried to focus on any potential new words I wasn’t familiar with. Of these words every time they occurred I wrote them down and firstly tried to explain to myself what they meant in terms of context and after that I looked up their meaning and translation to Finnish. This for me proved to be really effective and improved my knowledge of vocabulary for this course.  I will include the list a bit later in a separate post,  when the period is completely over and I’m sure that the list is actually finalized. 

In conclusion, I think challenging myself to this task was definitely beneficial for my learning of English. I know that this wasn’t a lot, but in my opinion the impact it had was definitely much bigger than anticipated. This also gave me a lot of information about myself that I wasn’t particularly aware of, for example that writing down confusing and new words help me with understanding. Regarding the future, every time I have the chance to read course material in English I will be doing it and even maybe switching the original language to English for the sake of a challenge. 

Alms hours: 1.25 h

[tuefortunate]

first ask lets goo!! (atleast i thinnk) how bout merc cuddling headcanons?

You sure are! I’m more than happy to supply :) Due to this being both the first ask and general enough of one, I’m going to go ahead and just do all the mercs in one post under a read more. If it gets too terribly long I’ll make separate posts, since normally I’d prefer only doing 3-4 in a go, but it can't hurt to try!

---

Mercenary cuddling headcanons

Scout

CLINGY. This boy will cling to you like a little koala and while it’s cute, you better hope you don’t have anything important to do. Scout is nearly the DEFINITION of touch starved and like hell will you be going anywhere without some serious persuading.

Will absolutely talk your ear off while he has your full attention. In his defense, he feels he rarely has someone’s undivided attention, so of course he’d want to take advantage of that when he’s able.

That’s not to say he won’t let you talk, just don’t be surprised if you have to listen to him boast a bit about how well he did in fights that day. 

Talking aside, he’s also probably a bit touchy. It’s almost awkward in the very beginning though he means no harm, he just loves physical affection more than he would let on. 

He’s very likely to want to lounge around in bed with you just enjoying each other’s company. He’s a very active guy, sure, but once you have him settled down enough sometimes it’s hard to actually get him back up until he’s ready.

Soldier

Soldier is a very… interesting case. It’s hard to get him to settle down enough to cuddle with you, though it’s never anything against you so much as it just being how he is as a person.

Often up SUPER early in the morning and sleeping relatively early to compensate for that, but if you catch him at the right time he won’t mind the company.

Surprisingly not very talkative (at least, not at night - he’s very focused with his routine for the most part), but in the morning if you wake up along with him you’re probably getting a rather intense pep talk whether you want it or not.

Back to actual cuddling though - like, 7/10 times he’s going to want to be the big spoon. Sometimes he actually enjoys being the focus of affection, but a lot of the time he has a pretty protective instinct about him. Would rather have his back to the door and the like. 

Not actually that bad to cuddle with as long as you don’t mind his rather strict routine. Uses his strength in a more comforting way surprisingly, holding you close with just enough pressure to feel secure.

Pyro 

Like Soldier, they actually have a pretty strict routine as well. Not like his strict, but in terms that they need to go to bed and wake up at pretty specific times. More for their comfort than anything like Soldier’s, however.

If you’re willing to join them in their routine, they are more than happy for the company. Assuming they sleep without all of that gear on, they probably prefer to have your back to them while cuddling. It’s not that they’re uncomfortable or distrust you with seeing them - again, it’s just a comfort thing for them. If you really insist on facing them once in a while, that’s okay as long as you ask first.

Obviously not all too talkative, more of a sign language or muffled talker than someone who likes to speak clearly. That’s not to say there’d be silence however. They’d probably hum a little tune if anything while rubbing at your arm or side.

A bit touchy, but in a soothing way more than anything else. They like the physical reminder that someone is there with them, considering how uncommon that probably has been for them.

If you can’t wake up when they do, that’s alright! They won’t force you, though they will at least wake you to make you aware that they’re leaving once they’re all geared up and ready to go. You’ll be free to doze back off after that.

Demoman

Considering how he’s something of an emotional drunk, I could honestly see him being a bit of a cuddly one too under the right circumstances.

Whether he’s drunk or not, sometimes he just finds himself wanting that kind of physical affection. 

Definitely one of the most likely to stay in bed late with you, I could see him being a tad bit clingy in the right situation. Surprisingly pretty gentle, too.

DEFINITELY going to either be cracking jokes while cuddling or complaining about the day if it was bad enough to warrant it, but odds are it would come back around to joking.

Will probably doze off before you though, and don’t be too surprised if there’s no getting up after that. He WILL cling in his sleep and once he has you in his arms you won’t be going anywhere for a while even if he were to wake up.

Heavy

Space heater. This man is 100% a space heater. Very comfortable to cuddle with actually, 10/10.

Joking aside, it would probably surprise you the first time you settled in together just how comfortable he was to be cuddling with. Not only is he just in general careful with you, he does what he needs to make the positioning comfortable for you as well.

Odds are, you’re probably much smaller than him, so he prefers to lay on his back and have you curled up in his arm and curled against his chest. It feels safest for you in his mind and it’s also a bit more comfortable as well.

Very quiet, especially when settling in for the night. He probably likes to read before bed on some nights, so if you ask he may read to you to help you sleep. Sure, you probably won’t understand it unless you know Russian, but it’s still nice to listen to him.

Will probably have to rouse you awake if he has to get up before you do in the morning, but won’t make you leave his quarters if that’s where you are. He’d honestly just feel a little guilty if he were to just up and leave.

Engineer

Look. Engie is polite. Engie is soft spoken and often rather sweet. Engie is still a killer. You know what else he has though? A teddy bear cosmetic. You absolutely cannot tell me this man is NOT a cuddler when given the opportunity, sorry.

He’s 50/50 on how talkative he might be. He typically prefers to listen to you if you have something to say, but sometimes he may have something of his own, whether it’s involving work or even something as simple as how he missed you.

He’s in the habit of laying on his left side so that he can drape his right arm over you - less likely that you end up laying uncomfortably on or against his prosthetic that way.

If you’re cuddling before bed, he prefers to wait to doze off until after you have. As long as he’s not too worn down from a job, he usually is perfectly capable of outlasting you. A man with that many PHDs does NOT get away without training themselves to stay awake.

Likewise, you’ll probably wake up to find him already awake nine times out of ten. He doesn’t mind waiting for you to wake up so long as he isn’t immediately needed, and you’ll probably wake up to him soothingly rubbing your back.

Medic

Admittedly, it’s rather difficult to pull Medic away from his work long enough to get him to cuddle with you.

That’s not to say he never will, of course! More just he’ll need a lot of persuading if he’s not ready to settle in just yet. 

Don’t be surprised if he talks a bit while cuddling, even if it’s topics that usually aren’t exactly cuddling topics. He likes to talk about his work and any new revelations he’s made, please humor the guy.

The more tired he gets though, the more relaxing he is to listen to surprisingly. Sometimes he slips a bit into his native tongue, murmuring words you may not quite understand (depending), but the tone itself is enough to be soothing.

Usually likes to sleep chest to chest, and he’s actually overly warm, so great to cuddle with on colder nights.

Sniper

Sniper takes the longest of the men to actually allow you close enough to cuddle with him.

It’s not necessarily an aversion to touch, more just an instinct he had driven into him due to his job. Stay away, keep a close eye, and don’t let anyone catch you vulnerable or you end up dead.

Needless to say it’s something of an achievement once he finally gives you the proximity you want, and it’s probably a bonus that he has his own little space in his camper. Not a lot, sure, but still easier for him to be vulnerable in than among the other mercs.

Prefers to keep quiet himself, but doesn’t mind if you idly chat.

He will always find himself being the big spoon though, preferably with your back to his chest. If you ever really want to be looking at him he’ll let you, he just never really likes anyone at his own back. Instinct, y’know.

Spy

We already KNOW this man is a romantic, so if cuddling is what you want? That’s what you’ll get.

He’s the type to probably like cuddling the most either before bed or just after waking up when everything is at its most quiet.

Though he doesn’t always like to ruin the peace and quiet with too much talking, he’ll often murmur quietly to you if the mood feels right for it. Little compliments or praises mostly, even if it comes off a bit sudden.

Also very touchy, in his own way. You’ll often feel light touches of his fingers over your arm or a gentle caressing of your back.It isn’t very often he finds himself having the opportunity to really feel at ease, so he takes what he can get.

Please don’t be surprised if he’s often gone in the morning when you wake up if you have a tendency to sleep in. Unless there’s a ceasefire and he can afford to lay in for a bit, he prefers to stay punctual. At the very least he’ll probably leave you a little note to apologize in his own way.

[hecalledme-jagi]

Having A Quiet MC

I’ve always been a quiet person, and usually, that means I go unnoticed by most people, so I find it really sweet when people take the time to notice the quiet ones in a crowd. Welp, anyways! Enjoy some HC’s with this topic in mind!

Zen

Picking a photo for Zen is literally impossible! I have so many favorites that I just can’t stick to one photo TT

- Zen is an excellent conversationalist.

- He makes a point of giving you ample time to verbally express yourself.

- Not only that, he’s also eager to give you feedback and ask questions about everything you're passionate about!

- He loves seeing how you light up when you talk and he loves hearing your deepest thoughts.

- He never judges you or your interests, he’s just happy to talk with you about everything and anything.

- But he doesn’t even realize that you’re a naturally quiet person until he sees you in a crowd.

- Suddenly the talkative, passionate, and comfortable person that he knows and loves, becomes quiet and reserved.

-He tries to get you involved in crowded conversations, but once he sees how uncomfortable it makes you or how everyone tries to talk over you, which clearly upsets you, he stops forcing something you’ll do when you feel comfortable.

- So he watches you during conversations, ready to be there If you want to speak up but no one is listening. When those moments happen, he’ll open the door for you, and if that doesn’t work he’ll exit the conversation just to hear what you have to say.

- Bonus: after realizing that you’re not as talkative as he once thought, he begins to enjoy the silence with you. He learns to slow down and admire you in the silence. He finds the beauty in wordless company, finally understanding why you look for silent moments throughout the day—but of course, he’s always ready to talk with you if that’s what you want.

Jumin

- Jumin has to be a conversationalist because of work, but outside of social events, he’s also quiet, so your quietness doesn’t bother him in the slightest.

- You guys can sit for hours without speaking and neither one of you find it uncomfortable or awkward.

- Now, that doesn’t mean you never talk to each other. On the contrary, you guys share long and in-depth conversations that last just as long as the spells of silence.

- Talking with you is incredibly important to Jumin, so he makes sure to stop everything just so he can give you his undivided attention, and you do the same for him.

- However, for the most part, you two are more than comfortable just quietly enjoying your time together without much conversation.

- You guys are really good at communicating through eye contact and simple body language.

- He can read when your silence is positive or negative. He can tell when you actually feel like talking or when all you want is to enjoy the conversation from the sidelines.

- He never feels upset if you don’t talk as much as a “normal” person would, he simply enjoys you as you are, and if you ever want to change your talking habits, he's more than happy to help, but he’d never force you.

Yoosung

- Yoosung is pretty talkative, albeit he’s awkward at first, but once he gets in a groove he can talk for days if people let him. However, he’s not the greatest conversationalist.

- Despite this, Yoosung wants to have conversations with you and tries his hardest to give you opportunities to speak, but he quickly realizes that you don’t say much.

- Of course, he has to ask the forbidden question, the one to end the age, “Why are you so quiet?”

- He didn’t mean anything by it, most people don’t mean anything by it, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s a ridiculous question.

- You looked at him, partly annoyed and partly amused by the stupidity of it all.

- “Does it bother you?”

- Seeing that your mood suddenly took a shift, he's quick to backpedal, “no, no, just curious, I guess.”

-You lightly chuckle to release the irritation that had built up in you, “I’ve always been on the quiet side,” you shrug. “I like listening to others and observing their talking habits, but honestly, I just don’t have very much to say.”

- He mulled over your words for a minute, “I always have something to say,” he chuckles with that cute smile you love.

- “I know,” you smiled, “and that’s okay. I like listening to what you have to say.”

- Yoosung struggled with giving you opportunities to talk, but he always put all of his effort into your relationship and tried his best to avoid one sided conversations.

- After the first few months he got a lot better and the communication aspect of your relationship grows stronger everyday.

Seven

- There are some things that legal documents and hacking can’t teach you about a person, things that Seven had the pleasure of learning on his own.

- Despite your witty and sunny personality in chatrooms and phone calls, Seven found that you’re a less than vocal person in real life.

- You were a great conversationalist, both online and in real life, but you chose quietness over talking more often than not.

- He realized this when he stayed at the apartment with you.

- It surprised him that you were two parts chaotic hilarity and two parts silent comfortability.

- He quickly learned what your silence sounded like and the meaning behind it.

- The kind of silence that communicated your hurt and sadness. The kind that was there to signify that you were idly enjoying spare time. The kind that pined for him and watched his back as he worked.

- He didn’t want to know those things so intimately, not at first anyway, and yet he did. He took note of them and treasured them despite his desire to avoid such attachments.

- However, now that the two of you are dating, he listens to your silence, despite his discomfort towards silence.

- Normally, Seven hates silence. It makes him feel vulnerable in a way that frightens him. When faced with that cold stillness, thoughts he’d rather not hear become deafeningly loud. So usually he wears headsets, fills up silence with his own voice, or blares music from speakers.

-But at the end of the day, your silence doesn’t bother him, it never has, and it never will.

- Your silence is comfortable for him, and the vulnerability he feels when in the presence of your lulled conversations isn’t painful but warm and gentle.

˚✧₊⁎𝒥𝑎𝑔𝑖𝑎⁎⁺˳✧༚

I do not own any characters, all ownership goes to Cheritz. Thanks for reading!