#you're forcing three people to share a room and you're not even giving us the biggest room

[thatrandomlemononyourcounter1]

literally about to scream

[peachesvault]

Sprayed secrets

Archenemy!Bakugou x reader

𖦹*ੈ‧ 𓇼 ₊˚𓆝 You're locked in a bathroom with your enemy. What secrets come up?

A/n: There will be a part two! This was the hero x hero in the poll. I think I ate lowk.

If there was one person you hated with all your heart, it was Bakugou fucking im-better-than-you Katsuki. That fucking BOY got on your fucking nerves. Somebody had to put him in his place (Not that you hadn’t) by tripping him and making him eat shit. His cocky attitude and constant yelling often made you fantasize about seeping mustard gas into his room in the dead of night. You hadn’t yet through sheer willpower.

So, colour yourself rainbow and call yourself Pedro pony when asked why and how the fuck you ended up in the shower with him.

You both sat fully clothed under the cold spray of the shower, drenched to the bone. Your backs were pressed up against opposite walls, just staring at each other as the two of you bent your knees to fit in the cramped space.

Honestly, this was all Kirishimas fault. After Izuku and his friends got Bakugou back from the LOV, he never was quite the same. And you suppose everybody was concerned You included so his friends decided that locking him in the bathroom with one of them until he spoke was the way to deal with it, and you just happened to get stringed into their obnoxious schemes.

Honestly, it made no sense, sure you lost rock paper scissors against Kirishima but like from a logical point of view, it was his worst enemy vs his bestest little friend. Why in the world would they lock him in a room with you over Kirishima? Were they all stupid? He would never talk to you.

You had started off on separate sides of the bathroom, but your patience quickly died a few hours in. If you were forced to be in a room with him, it might as well be for a reason, or at the very least to have it done with.

“Get in the shower” You had said harshly.

“No what the fuck? You pervert.”

“What? No you weirdo. I think best in the shower, so we’re going to talk in there”

He had obviously fought it, and he could tell you didn’t want to do this just as much as him. But after his so-called friends didn’t unlock the door even after three hours, he decided he might as well, if only to get out sooner.

So thats how you ended up here.

Maybe you didn’t tell him the whole truth though. The water also helped in feeling more protected. Less vulnerable. It was easier to ignore the tear slipping down his face as he recalled what happened, easier to brush it off as just the water. It was easier to ignore his voice cracking, easier to play coy and say you didn’t hear anything over the water roaring over your head.

But something had shifted. The conversation had started off with Bakugou realising that neither of you would be let out until he started talking, so he did. It started mundane, he kept up his strong persona, making it seem like it wasn’t a big deal. But he could see that you saw straight through his bullshit, yet were choosing not to call him out on it. It was slow, but he gained some respect for you, not enough to stop hating you but enough to acknowledge you weren’t all that bad if you were choosing to not mock him when he was talking about his most vulnerable moment.

Perhaps the same happened to you. You saw through his bullshit. But you also saw he was used to putting up a front, something you knew personally. It was a defense mechanism as much as it was self-preservation. Maybe you had to give the real Bakugou a chance.

“It was… hard” He whispered, and you understood him. Any idea of putting him in his place was gone, you were just two people who had been through a lot.

” I know what that's like” You whispered back

“You do, don’t you?” He replied chuckling dryly.

You don’t know when you started sharing parts of your life too but letting him be the only vulnerable one felt wrong. You never meant for it to get this far, but over the past few hours, he knew things about you that you had never dared to mention out loud to anybody, and it was the same for him.

You were strangers. Enemies. Yet you both shared secrets that were so… personal. Words that would never see anything past the cramped dingy walls of this shower. Yet they were the same words that slowly crumbled both your walls, that you both connected over, over things nobody should have ever experienced let alone connect over. Eventually, the thought hit you like a truck.

Maybe Bakugou wasn't so bad.

It was another couple hours until you were both let out, both of you were shivering despite being under hot water, your skins wrinkling and lightly purple. Your friends were panicked, and the two of you were dragged away to the different dorms to be taken care of.

Looking back at him as you were doted over by all the girls, you saw him staring back receiving the same treatment.

You squinted as he mouthed something.

KATSUKI.

That's when you knew.

Nothing would ever be the same again.

Do not plagiarise/copy/post on other platforms. All work is @peachesvault original works. | Masterlist

[rcmclachlan]

okay, so if you’re not writing the aquarium scene in the 118/217 scheming fix-it (god i love this) can you at least share what mishap and or shenanigan gets them banned from the aquarium?? (since you mentioned it in the tags i assume you picked one!)

The aquarium is Christopher's idea, because getting Buck and Tommy back together is the one thing he and Eddie can talk about without it devolving into shouting or week-long silences that make Eddie want to put his fist through his living room wall.

So if plotting to interfere in the open bear trap that is his idiot friends' breakup gets him an hour of uninterrupted screen time with Chris three times a week? He'll meddle in a way that would make even his abuela say, "cariño, that's a little much." He'll change his legal middle name to el metiche.

"Buck used to take me to see the otters when I was younger; they're his favorite. But the exhibit has been closed for a year because they've been redoing it," Chris says, then texts him a link to the aquarium website. "The big reopening is next week. If someone asked Buck to take Jee-Yun, he wouldn't be suspicious."

"Chris, you're a genius," Eddie says, a little awed. His entire body aches to reach through the laptop screen and across state lines to pull his kid into a hug, but all he can do is sit on his hands and hope his face shows all the love he feels.

A small, but genuine grin unfurls on Chris's face. "That's not news, dad."

Eddie decides to take the aquarium idea to what Chimney keeps calling the weekly 118-217 Shadow Summit to see if the rest of the group thinks it holds water—no pun intended—and is extremely offended when Dana gives him a slow blink and says, "That's actually not bad. Who came up with it?"

"Is it that hard to believe it was my idea?"

"Very."

Dana presses the rim of her wine glass to the sly, crimson curve of her mouth. With her victory rolls, winged eyeliner, and tattoos, she looks like the winner of a car show pinup contest. She also looks like an evil queen out of an old school Disney movie. At least five people in their general vicinity look like they'd thank her if she force-fed them a poisoned apple or turned into a giant dragon.

Eddie reaches into the bowl of popcorn by his elbow and throws a handful of it at her. She just takes a sip of her wine and serenely lets the kernels bounce off her.

"Knock it off before I put you both in a time out." Lucy drains the dregs of her beer and says to Chimney, "Having Buckley take your kid is the perfect excuse—she's, what, two? Three?"

"Five," Chim says with the heartache of a man whose baby is almost old enough to rent a car. "As long as we don't tell my wife that Jee's playing the part of the cutest MacGuffin ever in this little plot, we should be good. But how do we get Tommy there?"

"Short of planting a bomb in the penguin tank, I can't think of a reason Mr. Nature Boy himself would ever voluntarily go." Hen roots around in the popcorn bowl for the kernels with the most butter. "Actually, he might be thrilled if we did that. I don't think he likes birds very much."

Dana lifts a brow. "I smell a story."

"Does it smell like KFC?" Chim pops a pretzel in his mouth and chews loudly, grinning. "Once we've adjourned the cabal for the evening, remind me to tell you about Maurice."

Eddie doesn't know Nico very well—he can't get a read on the guy to save his life—but the smug smirk he's sporting looks entirely out of place. Nico takes the last mozzarella stick off the platter they'd ordered to share and puts it between his teeth like a cigar. He looks like the world's lamest oil baron.

Eddie looks at Dana in askance. Wordlessly, she plucks a piece of popcorn out of her hair and throws it at him. It nails him right between the eyes.

"Let me handle Kinard," Nico says. "I'll get him there, no problem."

To his credit, Nico does get Tommy to the aquarium the day of the sea otter exhibit grand reopening. And thanks to Chimney planting Chris's idea in Buck's head at the start of their next shift, Buck does take Jee-Yun.

Unfortunately, their paths never cross, because while the penguin habitat doesn't explode, the sea jelly gallery does, completely flooding the first floor. When the aquarium is forced to evacuate everyone, Buck and Jee-Yun end up at the Chili's down the street, while Tommy ends up riding in an ambulance with an old woman who gets stung by a box jellyfish.

"I don't understand how this happened!" Lucy shouts, keeping her fingers on the ankle pulse of a man in the middle of an allergic reaction to a lilliputian jelly sting as Hen and Chim pump him full of epinephrine and then start administering compressions.

Eddie would help, but he's carrying three kids—two in his arms, one on his back—through shin-deep water to safety while attempting to dodge all the bluebottles floating on the surface. Dana glides past him to get the next group of kids waiting to be rescued, not a hair out of place. She looks like a fucking mermaid. He's gonna trip her the next time they pass each other.

Annoyed, Lucy casts around and then asks, "Has anyone seen Nico?"

Just in time for the man himself to sedately walk through the pandemonium, two bewildered penguins tucked under his arms like purses. He smiles brightly. "Hey, did Kinard pass through here, by any chance? Phase two of my plan is ready to go."

Eddie stares at him. "What was phase one?"

He never does find out what exactly phase one entailed, but it's enough to get them permanently banned from the aquarium for life.

"If you ask me, the punishment so does not fit the crime," Nico says, digging an elbow into Eddie's side as he jostles for room in the back of Athena's squad car.

Eddie says nothing. He's too busy mentally composing the short-answer portion of his application for the El Paso Fire Department, although, in the end, it doesn't matter. He completely forgets everything he plans on writing when Athena slides in, glances in the rearview mirror, and shouts, "Those better not be penguins in my back seat, Edmundo Diaz!"

He and Chris spend two hours talking about it during their next call, so Eddie calls it a win.

[thevoicefromanotherworld]

"ANSWER THE FUCKING QUESTION, PRINCESS"

I WROTE ANOTHER FIC WITH TANGERINE

(With my idea of enemies to lovers with him lol)

I hope you like it!

WARNING: EXPLICIT SMUT UNDER THE CUT

You and Tangerine were coworkers.

Anonymous people paid you to take care of certain jobs that no one else wanted to do.

So there you were, on the bullet train on your way to Tokyo.

This time, you couldn't travel first class, since your contact didn't pay for those seats, but rather for a cabin you had to share. It's worth mentioning that you didn't get along well.

When they told you he would be your partner, you tried your best, but as the days went by, his dislike for you became increasingly evident, as did yours for him.

The two of you tried not to argue over stupid things for more than three fucking minutes, but it was impossible, since you had little patience and Tangerine kept saying stupid things to get you to argue with him.

When you saw the hovel you had to share, you decided to do what you always did: try not to talk too much to get through the trip as best you could without arguments.

As soon as you got in, you asked for the bed next to the door, complete with its nightstand, so he took the other one, which didn't even have room to charge his phone.

You smiled when you saw him sit up in bed, holding his head in his hands while cursing loudly. "I wish it had been faster," you thought, sitting up in bed.

You were dead tired, but you still wanted to do some writing before going to sleep. You turned on the nightlight and placed your computer on your knees so you could type. After exactly 45 minutes, he turned to you.

"Turn off the fucking light," he complained, frowning. "What the hell are you writing?"

"My will, in case you kill me during the night," you blurted out as you continued typing, partially ignoring him.

"I'm serious, whatever you're writing can wait until tomorrow," he growled, pulling the thin blanket up.

"You're an asshole," you blurted out, tired of his comments.

"Fuck! You're…" he gritted his teeth tightly to keep from saying what he was thinking before speaking again. "Look, we're still hours away from our destination, which means we're going to have to share this place for quite some time, which means you need to be fucking reasonable." he looked at his wristwatch. "It's 1 a.m. Now go to sleep already."

You didn't reply, so he opted to get up and pull the bottle of alcohol he'd taken from the dining car out from under the bed. You raised an eyebrow, making him shrug.

"Don't give me that look," he blurted out. "If you insist on keeping me awake at this hour, I'm going to drink to drown my sorrows." He offered you the bottle. "It's vodka, it's strong," he warned. You frowned even more. "Hey, the guy who hired us forced us to share this shitty booth," he said, pointing out the obvious. "The least we can do is lighten the situation by giving him a little joy." He gestured with the bottle again. "Take it."

That's what you did. You held it in your hands and took a long swig before giving it to him again. He drank too and set it aside, shaking his head as the alcohol ran down his throat with force and settled in his stomach.

"See?" "Nothing happened," he snorted. "I'm sure you feel a little lighter now."

"Maybe," you muttered, not entirely agreeing with him. "You did really well at work the other day," he blurted out, surprising you. "I didn't know you could handle katanas like that. It was impressive."

"Was that a compliment?" you questioned. "Wow, it really hit you fast," you said, nodding at the bottle of alcohol.

"I'm not drunk yet, honey," he whispered. "It takes a lot more than that to knock me out."

"Okay," you laughed, taking another sip, not enough to be drunk, but enough to make me feel pleasantly dizzy. "Why are you being such a jerk to me?" you asked. He knew there was no way he could get out of answering, so he did. "I realize I can be a little… critical at times, but I'm the number one jerk at this," he maintained. "No one can do this better than me."

"You didn't answer the question," you observed. "Why are you so irritable?"

"Maybe because someone didn't turn off the fucking light at a normal hour so I could go to sleep," he snarled, boring into you with his blue gaze. He shook his head, as if he'd realized his tone. "Sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you," he murmured, his head bowed for a moment before taking another sip of vodka. "The alcohol's helping a lot," he observed. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," you blurted out simply, making him smile.

"I guess we both needed to take the edge off a bit," he murmured. "Especially you, you've been very tense since we got on the train," he chuckled at the look on your face. "Although I guess I can't blame you." You're trapped here with me

You felt an electricity, the overwhelming urge that was pulsing between you like a living organism.

You didn't know if it was because the alcohol had begun to take its toll on you, or because you were feeling brave at that moment, but you took a deep breath before speaking.

"Say what you have to say."

"I have nothing to say."

"You're lying," you smiled. "You're fucking asshole at it, I've told you countless times not to."

"You tilted your head at him. "Spit it out."

He thought about it for a few moments, during which he took another sip from the bottle, before resting his elbows on his knees, so that they brushed against yours.

"Okay," he agreed, his gaze fixed on you intensely. "I find you incredibly, ridiculously, distractingly attractive," he confessed.

Of all the things he could have said, that was the one you least expected. You stared at him as if his skin had suddenly turned green.

"And being locked up here with you alone…" he shook his head. "Well, like I said, the alcohol is helping."

You sat up straighter in bed, trying to find a steady position, but to no avail. You raised your arms to stretch, revealing the shape of your breasts beneath the thin pajama top you were wearing.

Tangerine's gaze couldn't help but drop there, before returning to yours.

"Are you trying to make fun of me?" she whispered. "I don't like jokes, baby," he warned. "We've known each other long enough for you not to know." His body betrayed him, and his gaze dropped again. "Look at you, without a bra…" He pressed his lips together tightly. "You have to stop, princess."

"Why?"

"Because I don't like being made fun of, and if you keep doing that, I'm going to have to do something about it," he decreed, his tone making something deep inside you twitch nervously.

"Oh yeah?" you asked playfully. "Tell me what you'd do," you murmured.

He swore softly, making you smile. His deep, intense blue eyes looked down at you before he nodded toward you.

"Take that off, baby. I want to see you," he growled, watching your every move closely.

He didn't have to ask you twice.

He stared at you when you obeyed, patting the edge of his bed with the palm of his hand.

"Come here," he commanded softly.

His hands rested on your hips, possessive yet gentle. You felt the cold of his rings against your skin as he leaned down to kiss you.

His lips covered yours with need and calm, as if he couldn't wait to devour you but at the same time wanted to do it slowly so you could enjoy every minute of it.

He kissed your collarbone and neck before teasing your breasts before pulling away to look at you.

"Did you like that?" he asked. You nodded, unable to answer, overwhelmed by all the sensations you were experiencing.

But that didn't help.

He placed his hand on your throat, not applying any pressure, simply so you could feel his fingers wrapping around the base of your neck.

"Answer the fucking question, princess," he demanded softly.

"Yes, I liked it," you moaned, causing him to remove his hand from your neck.

"Good girl," he smiled, causing you to sigh against his mouth. "Now stand up and take off your pants," he whispered. "I want to know how you taste."

When you got rid of them, he stepped back for a moment to admire the view, making you feel desired, which you enjoyed more than you were willing to admit.

"Shit," he blurted out. "Now how am I supposed to focus on the other jobs, knowing what you were hiding underneath all that?" “Baby, you’ve been wanting me as much as I’ve been wanting you,” he gave an amused smile. “Maybe you’ve been wanting me more, seeing how quickly you’ve taken off your clothes.”

“Even now, you can’t help being an asshole,” you blurted out, making his smile widen.

“Maybe so, but I’m the asshole who’s going to fuck you, gorgeous,” he growled, making you blush violently.

He pulled you onto his lap and kissed you again.

This time, the kiss was more needy as you felt his fingers wrap around your clit, causing you to gasp against his mouth.

“I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time,” he growled as he kissed you, sliding his fingers deeper and deeper inside you.

You bucked your hips against him, and within seconds, you felt your lower belly tense, warning you that your impending orgasm was about to arrive.

-Please Tangerine… - you gasped - please…

-Ask me nicely, baby - he whispered - ask, and I'll give it to you

-Please Tangerine, make me cum, please…

-It's hard to refuse if you ask so politely - he whispered, tugging at your clit between his fingers - but you're going to cum with my cock, like I know you want to - he said - sit down and spread your legs for me - he ordered, he shook his head - more - he said before nodding - that's it baby, such a good girl for me…

He sank into you gently at first, then began to move his hips against you with pure need.

“Do you know how many times I’ve wanted you like this, underneath me?” he growled in your ear. “Do you know?”

“I know,” you gasped, scratching his back with each thrust. “Please, Tangerine…”

“I have you, baby,” he said. “Cum for me.”

That’s what you did, unloading against him hard, just as he did moments later.

“Shit,” he took a deep breath, trying to catch his breath, just like you.

“That was very…” he whispered before giving a knowing smile. “Now I guess we can both sleep at a decent hour,” he said. “For once, don’t argue and come here, please.”

He opened his arms and you snuggled against his firm, solid chest.

-Let me hold you while you rest- he whispered in your ear- work doesn't matter now- he said- now I just want to rest with you, we'll deal with work tomorrow, together- he murmured- after all, we get along very well now

[writingwisterias]

heyyy!! how are you? I hope you're doing good !!

my request is, how do you think ERAs Leon would react with reader with selective mutism? ^^

Hiiii! I'm sorry this took a while omg!

Warnings: None

Gn!Reader

Thank you shy for some of the suggestions 💕

RE2:

He sort of just clung onto you in school, you never really replied back in lesson or the lunch hall but it never bothered him

He would talk you ear off about a new record he got, the grades he got and how he thought we unfair

Ramble galore he didn't care you barely replied

It was only when your mum invited him round that he saw a glimpse into your true personality

Your room was decorated with essence of you, your hobbies/interests. If he could describe you it would be this space

It was only natural that he respected it and in term you replied, had full blown conversations about anything and everything

He felt honored that only he got to see this, the expressions you made when your eyes would light up about the things you loved.

The giggles that left you lips as you both played games together.

He didn't care that you didn't talk in larger open spaces because he got this side to you all to himself

If only he had the guts to ask you out though...

RE4R:

You were to replace Hunnigan for a mission as she had a family event

She was worried with your silence that you wouldn't talk to Leon as often as you should

So she arranged for the three of you to get comfortable together, a lunch with friends

You still didn't talk, barely said a word but she decided to trust you since Leon clearly did

And she was right to

Leon has injured himself, panicking slightly as he waited for the response team to help him

His heart rate elevated and fast

Then he heard you talk, he had heard it early but you held the conversation about something completely different

Talking about some crappy show you had watched and managed to distract him

When you later went to see him in the med bay, you smiled seeing him okay.

Once once you replied after the nurses left, a small conversation that Leon treasured as much as the one before

Infinite Darkness:

Compared to the other agents you were with you kept to yourself

Listened and observed them instead of spoke

He thought he would be amongst that until the rats came

A simple call of his name to warn him caused the relationship between both of you to flourish.

You only spoke to the others if he was close...like really close

He took most of the heat of the conversation, keeping the people directed to him but it was hard not to smile as you stood your own ground with him around

The flight back he was privileged to share a conversation with you, one of the best he's had for a while

Damnation:

RE6:

Vendetta:

Doesn't really prefer the quiet but he does enjoy it if you cling onto him more

There's lots of stuff running through his mind and conversation is appreciated to distract him

However he would never force you and to some extent he understands

He loves it instead if you cuddle on him so he can run his fingers through your hair, or trace circles on your back

Using that as his distraction instead

If you do talk he's appreciating every moment of it, and smiles the entire time hearing you get excited about things or just seeing you loosen up a bit.

Death Island:

During dinner he will order your food for you, except that if the restaurant is busy you are more than likely to eat in silence

He can see you are enjoying it anyway so he doesn't mind, he knows you'll give him an earful of how you liked it when you leave

Its the same with any other casual outings, he'll just accept that you might not want to talk offering a hand if things get too overwhelming

He'll squeeze it and bring your attention back to him, acting like a wall to separate you from the loud world

Even if you are silent at home he doesn't mind, he just loves to be in your presence

[bowsellie]

we have chemistry

warnings: college!ellie x college!reader, stoner!ellie, chronically ill reader (not specific, just mentions of fatigue and a medical accommodation for a single room for plot reasons lol), weed usage (Ellie and reader), mild language, briefly proofread, no use of y/n minors dni! smut in 3rd section! top!ellie, some degradation, praise (reader called a good girl, pretty girl, etc., ellie told she's doing a good job), SO MUCH CONSENT WE <3 CONSENT, fingering (r! receiving), oral (r! receiving), aftercare.

💗💗💗

You didn't want to be taking organic chemistry. Nobody in that class did--not even the chemistry majors. But as finals season rolled around, you found yourself spending extra time to make sure that it would at least be worth your while. Needless to say, not everybody shared the same drive.

As the clock hit 8:49am on the last class before the exam, everybody started shoving their laptops away despite the professor's continuing drone. To your right there was an extra loud snap! as the student beside you--an auburn-haired girl you'd never seen before--shut the screen with finality. You shot her a glare, gently closing your notebook as people began to trickle out.

"You're smart, right?"

You angled your face towards the sound, assuming somebody was having a side conversation close by. Instead, you found yourself face to face with striking green eyes leaning to reach your line of sight.

"Hi. Yeah, you. You're using an actual notebook and have all the fancy pens and shit, so...are you smart?"

Your eyebrows drew together slightly as you shrugged with one shoulder. "I try, I guess. Um...why?"

One corner of the girl's mouth picked up. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I've literally never been to this class before. My grade sucks. But I really don't want to retake this shit. Do you think you could help me?"

You stared at her incredulously, mentally calculating the equation of audacity and arrogance it must take to expect a complete stranger to help despite a clear lack of effort.

You opened your mouth slightly to say some variation of hell fucking no, who do you think you are anyways?, maybe you should have considered that before skipping literally every other class meeting when she stuck out her hand. "I'm Ellie, by the way. I'll pay you for helping me." When you hesitated to shake it, she added a "please".

You rolled your eyes, shaking the girl--Ellie's--hand with slightly too much force. "Fine. Whatever. Give me your number." You slid your phone across the table, already open to the contacts app, and watched as she typed.

"You're a lifesaver! Thank you..." she asked, pausing for your name. You gave it. "Thank you."

💗💗💗

Getting back to your dorm and settling into bed for a nap, you briefly texted the number now in your phone as "Ellie" with the last name "Wehavechemistry".

hey

Almost immediately, three dots popped up.

hey there. do you like my contact? lmao

i mean, we do have chemistry together. so like...sure?

no no no. i meant like...we have chemistry. wink wink nudge nudge. and my last name starts with a w so it's funny. do you get it?

...

it's funny.

yeah yeah sure. very funny. hahaha. anyways.

when did you want to come over? i'm free all weekend, and the final's monday. sooooo

oh shit

didn't realize the final was monday

ummmmmmmm how does tomorrow at 8pm work? do you have a roommate or something we need to accommodate for?

no, no roommate. tomorrow at 8pm works fine for me. see you then, ellie.

:)

Turns out, texting with Ellie wasn't all that insufferable. She was friendlier than you expected, and every time you put your phone down to try and fall asleep you found your heart beating too fast at every notification to actually put it down.

Instead, you kept the conversation going until 8pm the next day rolled around, when instead of a text you got three loud raps at the door.

Opening it up, you saw Ellie in the same hoodie as yesterday. This time, her hair was slightly damp and she smelled like...old spice and something pungent and earthy. Did she shower already?

"Hey," you said, suddenly feeling awkward and over dressed in your jean shorts and crop top, hair still done from that afternoon. "You can come in."

Ellie grinned at you as she slid in the door. "We have a semester of schoolwork to cover. Hope you're prepared for a long night," she said.

"Trust me, I am. Did you bring anything?" You asked, looking for a bag as she climbed on to your bed.

"Nope. Not school stuff, anyways." Curious, you tossed your notebook towards her and watched as she pulled a pre-rolled joint and lighter from her hoodie pocket. "I'm assuming you don't smoke since you're like, a nerd, but do you mind if I do?"

You shook your head, dropping your jaw in false offense. "How lame do you think I am? Just because I actually go to class doesn't mean I'm a nerd."

Ellie shot you a disbelieving look, but handed you the joint anyways as you joined her on the bed. "Here, have the first hit. As a thank you for helping me out."

She lit it for you as you inhaled, passing her the weed and opening your notebook. "If this keeps you from retaining information that's not my fault. Just saying."

"Trust me, I'm so alert right now it's crazy. All of tonight is gonna be stuck in my memory for a while."

💗💗💗

The room gradually grew darker, lit only by your adjusting lamp and the last smoldering ashes of the joint as you reached halfway through the notebook.

You breathed heavily through your nose, looking at Ellie seriously. "It's so late. We're not going to finish this tonight."

As she looked up at you, you suddenly noticed how much closer you two had moved over the course of the night. Had your thighs been touching the whole time? Has her breath always been so close it's hitting your cheek? Why did she have to smell so good?

Your own breath caught in your throat as she leaned even closer to you, placing a hand so close to your leg you could feel the fabric of her sweatshirt against her bare thigh. Almost imperceptibly, her gaze flickered down to your chest, now rapidly rising and falling.

"How set do you think I am for this stupid final?" Ellie asked seriously, a rasp in her voice either from smoke or the lowered pitch.

"You picked up on everything really well, so at least the first half I think you'll do fine."

She grabbed your left hand in both of hers, causing your breath to catch again. Her eyes flickered down again, this time lingering longer. Following her gaze, you noticed the top of your bra peeking out.

"Sorry," you said, quickly adjusting your shirt to cover it as heat spread through your body.

"No, no, you're fine. Sorry for looking," she said. You looked at her face, watching as her eyes seemed to trace the shape of your shoulders and the line of your throat.

The air thickened with tension, but you found yourself not wanting Ellie to leave yet. "So, why did you take this class anyways? If you didn't want to go?"

Finally, she met your eyes. "I need a chemistry for my major. Astronomy. I thought I would like this one, but didn't realize it was a fucking 8am when I signed up. By the time I realized I wasn't going to make it up that early it was too late to drop." She shrugged. "What about you? Big chemistry fan?"

You snorted. "Not really, but I also needed a chemistry for my major. I like the 8ams, it lets me have afternoons free to sleep. That's why I don't have a roommate--medical accommodations for fatigue or whatever." She nodded along, genuinely listening.

"Well, hopefully I don't have to retake this class. Next time there probably won't be a pretty girl willing to help me out."

You smiled at her, breathing sharply out of your nose in a laugh. "We'll see what we can do."

A beat of silence washed over you before Ellie pointed towards the pride flag on your wall with her chin. "So...are you..." She began, causing you to laugh full out this time.

"Yeah. Obviously, I'd hope, but if you're feminine people tend to assume otherwise I guess." You smiled and looked at her. "Are you?"

Ellie placed a hand on her chest. "I'm hurt you had to ask. I've been trying to flirt with you since I got your number, babe."

Oh.

"Oh."

She leaned back a little. "I can cut it out, if you want. I couldn't tell if you were into it or not."

Without giving her time to continue doubting, you sprung forward and attached your lips to hers. Threading your fingers in her hair and breathing in as you pulled back.

"So...you are into it?"

"I'm a little dense, Ellie. Don't let the color-coded notes fool you. But yes. Now that I know...I'm into it."

She smiled at you with one side of her mouth again, this time leaning forward to kiss you first. Lips opening slightly, you felt her body around yours as her hands found the bed and pushed you on to your back.

Ellie pushed her tongue gently into your mouth, settling between your legs as they fell open. As you felt her weight between your hips, you groaned a little.

Whining a little as she pulled away, your eyes fluttered shut as Ellie threaded her fingers through the hair by your ear. "Is this supposed to be my payment?" you asked, leaning into her touch.

"Shut up," she said playfully, leaning in to kiss you again. This time it was more forceful, teeth bumping against teeth as your tongues chased each other. Too focused on the overwhelming sensation of Ellie's mouth on your own, you broke the kiss to moan in surprise when you felt her knee push against your core.

Using the opportunity to trail her mouth down your cheek, to your jaw, to your neck, Ellie asked "is this okay, baby?" between kisses. You nodded before remembering she couldn't see you, instead responding with a slightly choked "yes."

In response, her lips attached right behind your ear as her teeth sunk into you and she began to suck. You groaned, bucking your hips against her knee. Kindly, she began to push it back into you, laughing into your neck as you continued whimpering.

"What?" you asked. "Why are you laughing?"

Ellie pulled away from the spot she had been working into your collarbone, meeting your eyes. "You're just so pretty. Can't believe I have you falling apart for me and I've barely touched you."

Your mouth fell open at her words, groaning. Ellie's mouth found yours again, her hands reaching for your tits over your shirt. "Can't blame me for looking at these," she said between kisses, "You look so good in this shirt."

"Take it off, then," you said. You sounded braver than you felt, your stomach doing absolute flips as the girl over you quickly complied to reveal your lacy nude bra.

"I like this," she said softly. "I want it off, though. Is that okay, pretty?" You nodded. The bra was nothing special--just comfy and the right color. If Ellie liked it, though, it was now one of your favorites.

Her mouth moved down your chin and neck to attach to your left nipple, bringing a hand to your opposite hip as she sucked and licked lightly. Your hips continued to buck against her knee, which was now stationary as you essentially rode her thigh.

Chuckling a little, Ellie looked up at you and began unbuttoning your shorts. "Knew you'd be needy. What kind of thoughts are you hiding from me?" she asked, pulling off your bottoms and panties in one go when you lifted your hips to help.

You smiled a little watching her eyes attach themselves to the spot between your legs. "What can I say?" you said. "Maybe I'm a little slutty if the right girl has me under her."

This seemed to light something in Ellie, who watched your face as she brought your face down to your pussy. Close enough to feel her breath, her eyes gleamed as she moved away from your hips chasing her.

"Please," you asked, voice breaking. "Please, Ellie."

"Guess you are a slut, huh? Begging for me already." Whatever response you had was cut off by a screaming moan as her mouth attached itself to you, immediately lapping at your clit before interspersing it with longer licks. Your legs shut around her face as your hands grabbed into her hair, pulling a little as you noticed the groan she made at the pressure.

"That feels so good, Ellie." Her motions sped up at this, and you hurriedly repeated the phrase as she focused more attention on your clit. Feeling everything tighten, you wrapped your ankles around her back as your hips lifted almost completely off the bed. Still attached to you, Ellie fully moaned as you pulled her hair and came over her face.

Whimpering softly as she pulled away, you audibly groaned when she looked up at you and wiped her chin with the back of her hand. "You did so good, baby. Do you have another one in you?"

You quickly nodded, feeling words escape you. All you wanted was for her to say you did good again.

Ellie leaned into you, placing her head into the crook of your neck as her fingers ghosted lightly over your hips, stomach, and thighs. Finally, you felt them dip into the pool of wet that had collected in your cunt. Spreading the mix of saliva, cum, and arousal up to your clit and around your hole, she slowly pushed a slender finger into you. Your back arched off the bed when she began pumping it in and out, chuckling against your neck.

"Such a pretty girl. You're doing so good," she whispered. Your moans grew louder at her words and she pushed another finger in. "Good girl," she breathed, kissing your neck and jaw as she worked into you.

"Ellie," you gasped. "Ellie, please."

"What, baby?"

"Please, Ellie, please. Wanna cum."

You felt her lips quirk up against your collarbone as she added a thumb to your clit and a curl to her fingers. Quicker than you'd ever been able to get there yourself, you felt the tightening of your gut. She swallowed your moans with a sloppy kiss, gently catching your bottom lip between her teeth before soothing it with her tongue. She used her other hand to hold on to your hair at the scalp as you writhed, second orgasm shuddering through your body.

"Good girl," she said as she worked you through it. Sitting up, she wiped her fingers on your thighs before moving up up to let you rest your head on her chest. "You did so good, baby. My smart, pretty, good girl."

You whimpered a little, not prepared to speak just yet. Ellie seemed to understand and didn't push you, holding you and playing with your hair until you leaned back to smile at her.

"That was good. Thank you," you told her, leaning in for a kiss that tasted of your sweat and pussy.

Ellie broke away, moving the hand wrapped around your waist to grab something out of your back pocket. She placed it on your bare chest, tucking it between your tits.

"What do I look like, a prostitute?" you asked. "Much love to them, but..."

Ellie raised her eyebrows. "I mean, you fuck like a professional, but this is for helping me study."

You grabbed the bill and pushed it back into her pocket. "Save it for next time. We need to finish that notebook if you want to actually pass this class."

Ellie kissed the top of your head. "How does tomorrow work?"

A/N this is basically a self insert...my bad. tried to make it as inclusive to different readers as possible. let me know if there's anything I can improve on!! <3

[lipstickreptile]

Courtesy of the Capitol

I guess we can call this a little practice run before Hayffie week! I decided not to dedicate this to any of the promts because I find it a bit too angsty.

TW: Slut shaming. Refrence to prostitution. General government control

-

Effie has always been a social person throughout her life. Yet the district 12 escort has lived alone for the past 10 years. Only accompanied by an aquarium of exotic fish that decorates her bedroom.

She likes to have things her way which has made it difficult to even have housekeeping. Therefore, when Effie enters her apartment on an early September evening she knows instantly someone is there.

The peacekeepers by her terrace door only confirms the gut feeling she instantly had. She doesn't bother to slip out of her flats, only drops her purse to the floor with a thud. They open the door for her to her terrace.

That's the only acknowledgement they give her.

"Euphemia Trinket! There you are." The voice is oddly foreign to her. Even though she has met the President several times throughout the years.

He is well seated in her lounge. Tea prepared with her family heirlooms. She feels like a child ready to be scolded by the principal. Therefore she doesn't know what else to do but stare.

'Manners, Trinket.' She scolds herself, followed by a a decently long courtesy. "President Snow. What an honor".

"You know I like to congratulate my escorts, Miss Trinket."

What is there to congratulate on? District 12 didn't do particularly well. They only lasted longer than usual. Franky, because the 72nd games lasted longer than usual. "Pliny Arausio certainly was a worthy winner". Effie says politely approaching the seating area. She has to remind herself that she is in her own home.

"He certainly was." Snow smiles and gestures to the tea. "I'm terribly sorry to be intruding. I was told you would be late home, so I thought I would get started". It isn't common that she has to force a smile.

Who told him? People in her office? Her doctor? Or do they just know her routine?

Snow pours water from the kettle for both of them into the tiny pink tea cups. "I imagine you're more of a coffee person".

"I am." She agrees. "You know the games can keep us occupied until late at night".

"Certainly. 'Your' girl died this year during the early morning I believe?".

Effie can oddly nod. The poor child had a severe case of hypothermia and had in her madness thrown off all her clothes. Freezing to death, thinking her body was burning. She had been on the phone with the makers for hours trying to censor the girl's death. Not even in death did they care to think about the child's dignity.

"Sugar?".

Effie didn't sleep for three nights after that. Not until Haymitch had talked her into sleeping in his room.

"Yes, thank you".

The president hands her the tea and then quickly returns to his own. Coughing a bit into the steam. She starts sipping, slowly. It gives her seconds to plan the correct responses, proper topics. "I suggest you get used to tea, Miss Trinket. You shouldn't drink coffee in your condition".

Her gut feeling was right. She is not really surprised but it feels like she's falling from a 10-story building. Her hand is shaking, sending vibrations through the porcelain. It's almost a victory when she is able to place the tea cup back on the table.

"I find you and your family amusing, Trinket. Certainly wouldn't think of you as a traitor".

The pleasantries are certainly over. Now she is confronted with the ice blue orbs staring into her. Waiting for a confession. "When Capitol women share their bed with Finnick Odair it's not an issue. I don't understand how this is any different".

"Do not act dumb with me" Snow has finished his tea now and is leaning forward. "Being the whore of a district dog is not the same".

All the powder that is doing it's best to keep her face white can't hide the red that is rushing to her face. She is so angry. Furious.

"Do not worry, dear. I'm sure it was not your intention to let that drunk impregnate you."

Do not cry, Effie. Don't cry! Do not allow him to use it as a admission of guilt. You did nothing wrong.

"I am not getting any younger. This might be my only opportunity to have a child. Besides all his flaws, Haymitch is a pretty man". She just called him a donor. A desperate attempt to conceal what had actually happened.

Of course it wasn't like that. It had been an accident.

They had been sleeping together for years. Every July, sometimes August if the games lasted long enough. And this year? They had more than two months together. Late nights and early mornings.

'I used him to get pregnant'. An offense surely, but not worse than what they had actually done.

"Don't lie".

"I'm not lying. He doesn’t know!".

Snow stands from his seat, stretching his back a bit. "A family should be united, Miss Trinket. Perhaps you would enjoy to stay in 12 permanently". The old man looks up into the sky like he is considering something. "You're expecting in April? May?" He pulls up his fingers and starts counting: "74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85." Effie stands up from her chair approaching him with such hurry, she doesn't even consider that his guards can decide to shoot her.

She is so close to him now that she can smell the rose attached to his jacket. That's when he says the obvious part out loud: "That's what I thought. Your baby will be old enough to countinue the family tradition on the 35th anniversary of their father's reaping"

Any resistance she had in her to contain her tears is gone. She's bawling. "I will quit! Give me another district. Whatever you want me to do. Please. Please don't do this".

"Oh no Euphemia. You're not going to quit. You're going to countinue as per usual. Next year we will find you a substitute of course. Spend time with your newborn miracle"

Snow looks away from her and calls for his assistant. The woman joins them on the terrace carrying a teddy bear with a big gold bow on it. ''Courtesy of the capitol. Congratulations, Miss Trinket''.

It's difficult to tell if the assistant is oblivious to the situation or if she too is here to twist the knife in her stomach. Effie accepts the bear simply out of instinct and then holds it like it was a living thing. Like a kitten, maybe even a baby. The comfort of the soft fabric is everything she has.

"When the 74th Hunger games comes around I want you to remember our talk. Remember how grateful you should be. How merciful I am to Abernathy's little bastard".

The words that are forming in her mouth hurts. She dooms Haymitch. She dooms the baby. And in the long run she dooms herself too. "He will never know about the child. I promise".

"You will have to become a better performer. " He studies her up and down. "You exposed yourself when you started wearing flats".

[maxsimagination]

𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗱𝗮 - 𝗰.𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗮

summary: alexia’s little sister likes a girl…

𖦹 masterlist

"𝗜𝗡𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗚!"

i only had a few seconds warning before someone crashed into me, full force, and wrapped their arms around me. i already knew who it was based on the short stature of the person and the tightness of the hug.

"hey, pina colada. what's up?"

claudia finally let me out of her embrace, but kept her hand in mine. we walked together to the covered gym on the opposite side of the pitch to join the rest of our team. training went by somewhat quickly and we finished off with a 7 v 7 match.

both me and claudia were on the same team; jona wanted us to work on pairing up to score goals since the performance at our last game resulted in three goals from us alone.

once everyone was sufficiently sweaty and tired, jona told us to have a shower and get changed because there was a meeting about our upcoming game he wanted to hold. we all traipsed back to the locker rooms, and as per normal, claudia and i were attached at the hip.

"okay everyone into the meeting room!"

again, all twenty-something people on the team filed into the room and found a seat in front of the screen that had been set up.

claudia found a seat at the front, however me being on the taller side - matching frido in height,  chose to sit on the floor in between claudia's legs. i caught the eye of my older sister, alexia, when she cocked an eyebrow at my actions with a smirk.

she was always poking fun at how close me and claudia were, never telling me outright that she thought we should be together but always insinuating something was there.

i discreetly flipped her off and got comfortable. we were halfway through the meeting when i felt claudia's fingers take through my now-loose hair. she was almost giving me a scalp massage but i knew she just liked to play with it. i leant back, my head falling into her lap as she continued to play with my hair.

finally we were allowed out of the meeting and i stood up, feeling my joints crack in the process.

everyone filed out and dispersed, most going their own ways for the day. however i stayed with claudia, and alexia joined us. we went to my car, planning on going to mine and alexia's shared apartment. "i call shotgun!" claudia yelled out and took off towards the passenger side door.

alexia only laughed and shook her head, making her way to the backseats. "i swear you're at our house more than your own, pina."

i just laughed at my best friend and sister, unlocking the vehicle and hopping in the drivers seat. we all drove home - to mine and alexia's home, claudia playing her music through the aux. when i got through the door i found the couch and flopped on it, letting out a sigh of relief.

claudia insisted we all watch a movie together, then promptly snatched the remote so she could choose what we watched. neither ale nor i minded, we were just happy to be sitting down. me more happy to have claudia happy.

alexia said she'd get us some snacks from the mini kitchen we have and left me and claudia to set up in the connected lounge. i looked across to the shorter girl sitting next to me and couldn't help but admire her. she was so engrossed in scrolling through our netflix that she didn't notice my fixed gaze.

butterflies erupted in my stomach whenever she subconsciously bit her lip or grin at a movie or series she saw. i knew there was a desire to be more than friends, but the logic part of my brain refused to accept the wanting. i didn't like the idea of risking loosing what we had between us already. claudia turned to look at me with a contagious grin. "do you wanna watch this?"

i glanced at the tv, nodding in agreement even though i had no idea what she had picked. "sure why not." claudia whipped back to the screen with excitement and i just watched with a loving smile on my face.

it was then that ale walked back into the room with an armful of snacks, placing them on the table. she picked up on my expression and its direction towards claudia, again raising her eyebrow at me. i pretended to not have noticed and tried to get comfortable.

eventually i gave up and shuffled closer to claudia. she curled up and leant into me, my arm instinctively went around her shoulders. we watched the series like that, getting through about five episodes before it was getting closer to dinner.

again, alexia said she'd cook, but yelled out for my help after a bit. "hermana, why don't you tell pina how you feel?" she spoke out of nowhere. "i don't know what you mean, ale." i could feel the blush staining my cheeks and knew that alexia would pick it up.

"come on, yn. i see the way you look at her. and you guys are attached at the hip. and she's literally sitting in our living room right now, probably going to stay the night." i opened my mouth to argue but didn't have anything to come back with.

"i guess i just don't want to risk loosing her. what if she doesn't like me? i'd rather live with her as my best friend and hide my feelings then loose her completely." alexia hummed as she took in my words and moved about the kitchen. when she'd finished dishing up whatever she'd made, she spoke.

"i know you don't like risks but i can see that she has something more than friendship with you too. you can see it in both of your eyes. just talk to her."

she passed me mine and claudia's plates and we went back out to the girl sitting on our couch. she happily took her serving from my hands, thanking both me and alexia for feeding her. "anytime, nene."

unsurprisingly, claudia stays the night. we both head to my room, where i can't stop thinking about what ale said earlier. i hand some pjs to claudia who gladly takes them and goes to the bathroom to change.

we end up lying in my bed, side by side, when i gather up the courage to speak. "pina colada?" "yea what's up?" i take a deep breath and sit up properly. "i like you. like a lot. more than a friend." it almost comes out like a stutter, in short bursts. there was some silence and me thinking that i totally blew it, i don't have my best friend anymore, when she sits up and turns to me with wide eyes.

"really? like for real?"

"yes for real. i like you for real claudia." using her first name meant it was serious. she looked a bit shocked but slowly a smile started to grow on her face. "i like you a lot too. more than a friend." the butterflies came back to my stomach in an instant as i took in her words.

"does that mean i can kiss you?" it was bold and it came out of nowhere but thankfully the awkward silence was short lived this time as claudia leaned forward to connect our lips first.

i kissed her back until we needed to break for air. then there was cheering from the doorway. "girls please use protection and don't be too loud. i would like to sleep tonight." alexia stood in the doorway to my room with a knowing smirk on her face directed towards me.

"ale!"

[jenniferjareauwife]

r is a new recruit at the bau and is also jj’s ex. the two are super awkward and tense around each other until forced to share a room due to limited room, where feelings are finally confessed

I Still Love You

pairing: jennifer jareau x fem reader

category: angst, fluff

warnings: none

word count: 884

summary: you join the bau and realize that your ex that you're still not over also works there

I walked through the doors of the BAU with a nervous smile on my face. It was my first day and I wanted to make a good impression. I was supposed to be taking over the media liaison job for someone so now I just had to go and figure out who that was. I looked around until I saw a friendly looking blonde woman. "Hey! I'm uh, I'm new here, I'm the new media liaison I was wondering if you could point me to where I'm supposed to go."

"Of course!" She said enthusiastically. "I'm Penelope Garcia by the way, most people just call me Garcia."

"I'm y/n y/l/n." I reached out to shake her hand but she just pulled me into a hug. Oh. So that's how they do things around here, maybe I didn't have to be nervous.

"JJ is waiting for you in there to train you a bit." My heart stopped. JJ? I looked inside the office and there she was. Jennifer Jareau. I couldn't speak.

"Is something wrong?" JJ asked with a bit of attitude once Garcia left.

"No I uh, I just didn't realize that you worked here is all." I put down my small box of things on the desk and tried to avoid her gaze.

"Yeah well I do. So get used to seeing me." I gave her a small nod and started unpacking my things. "You still wear the ring?" She asked quietly after a few moments. I looked down at my left hand and saw that I was wearing the promise ring she had gotten me six months ago when we were still happy and together.

"Yeah I...I do." I wasn't going to take it off in front of her, I didn't want to give her the satisfaction.

"Oh." That was the only thing she said before she actually started showing me how the job worked.

Three weeks had passed and it was awkward. It honestly just hurt. Someone I used to know so well is now basically a stranger and I want to know her again. I still loved her. She was a profiler now there's no way she didn't know it.

I took a deep breath and dried my tears off in the bathroom. It had been 4 months, she had moved on, and I was going to have to live with being in love with her and seeing her not even give a shit about me. I let out a choked sob and covered my mouth, my heart stopping when I heard the door open.

"Hey." It was JJ, I could recognize that voice anywhere. "What's wrong?" She sounded sincere for the first time in three weeks.

"It's nothing." I wiped the fresh tears away and leaned against the sink.

"It's obviously something. Why are you crying?" She came up next to me and leaned close to me, trying to get me to look at her.

"It's just the case." I lied.

"Oh come on. That's just insulting. I was in a relationship with you for a year and I'm a profiler. You really think I can't see through you?"

"Why do you even care?" My voice sounded weak as I turned to look at her, my tear stained face making her eyes soften even more. "I've been working here for three weeks and you couldn't care less about me. You've never shown any interest in talking to me and now you do? I'm sorry Jayje but I don't buy it." I winced as the nickname slipped past my lips.

"You think I don't care about you?" Her voice was so quiet I could barely hear it. I turned back to my hands and looked down. "Hey, look at me." She asked softly. "You really think I don't care about you?"

"I don't understand why you would."

"I still love you." There was no hesitation in her words. "I've always loved you. I've loved you since I've met you."

"Then why'd you go? Why'd you leave me JJ." She stayed quiet. "I need an answer JJ."

"I...I got scared." I could tell she was telling the truth by the way her voice wavered. "I love you so much and my job is so dangerous and I thought they would hurt you-" I cut her off with a kiss.

"I love you." My lips quivered as I held back tears. "I love you so much." She wiped away my tears and pulled me in for a tight hug. "I missed you so much." I sobbed into her neck so she brought one hand up to cradle the back of my head.

"I missed you too baby I missed you so much." She kissed the top of my head. "But it's ok, I'm here now, I'm here." She kissed my temple over and over again until I stopped crying.

"You're never going to leave me again. Ever." I looked up at her with stern but tearful eyes. She kissed my forehead and nodded, hugging me even closer.

"I won't leave you again. I promise."

[telephonezine]

What type of prompts are you looking for?

Hey! Here's a quick guide to the type of prompts that will work well for this project, using Baldur's Gate 3, Twin Peaks, and Frankenstein as examples. If you want to take part in the zine, but aren't sure how to write a sneaky prompt, we've got you!

Reveal below if you're interested in tips:

Baldur's Gate 3:

"Hero in a fantasy setting tries to save the world with friends." Too vague! This doesn't give the creator anything much to go on, and doesn't showcase anything interesting or unique about the setting.

"A D&D player character with a worm in their brain joins up with an adventuring party including a vampire, wizard, dark cleric, warlock and more to reach and protect a city across three acts." Too obvious! Anyone even passingly familiar with the game could recognise this, and the prompt also pushes too many pre-existing elements on the creator working from it, making it harder to build something of their own with the idea.

"A found family with suspicious backgrounds are brought together by a shared medical problem that cannot be solved without first killing a lot of people." Just right! The wording obscures what game this was inspired by, but to anyone who knows it, this summary makes sense after the fact. It would also be easy to take this and move it into a different genre, going from fantasy to horror, mystery, sci-fi, or maybe even something like a dark romance story.

--

Twin Peaks:

"Detective tries to solve a murder." Too vague! There's no detail to work from, especially for an artist.

"FBI Agent who loves coffee and pie tries to solve the murder of a popular girl in a small Washington town where the owls are not what they seem." Too obvious! Listing the best-known elements of the show and especially including a quote makes this prompt transparent.

"Kind detective with their head in the clouds tries to stop a killer using unexpected powers in a strange place connected to aliens and conspiracies." Just right! This gives an idea of both the main character and the setting, while still leaving lots of room for someone to get creative. Avoiding some of the most obvious details while still giving an accurate summary will let the artist or writer make something of their own before eventually enjoying the revelation.

--

Frankenstein:

"Gothic horror monster origin story." Too vague! This is a very basic prompt, but it also forces a specific genre on the creator, cutting down their freedom.

"Man makes a creature which goes on to kill people out of anger." Too obvious! This is an extremely well-known story, so it's very hard to write a subtle prompt for it. The summary itself has been used many times to inspire other stories. If you do want to work from something this famous, you need to really bury the lede.

"Overambitious student's project gets out of hand and haunts him even after he runs out on university and has to leave the country." Just right! This is a silly way of describing the story, but it's accurate, and the original genre is well-hidden. There's just enough to work with, but it would still be easier to give more details if the story wasn't one of the most famous books in the world!

[livelovesimallways]

"Such A Thing"....Pt. 2

(Previous)

*after talking for a while* "As you can see, even though every experience is different, the willingness to meet and share aspects of their lives is what truly helps both parties. And again, you are the parents so you ultimately decide the route you want to take. We just strongly encourage openness as it helps adoptees cope. So if you have anymore questions, please don't hesitate to ask."

"I do have one...How was your experience reconnecting with your son?"

"Umm..." *lets out a deep sigh* "It was tough for both of us. If I could go back, I would have never chosen for it to be closed. I believe that's what hurt him the most. It fueled that feeling of abandonment and caused the question of why?"

"Wow, that hits close to home.” *shakes his head* “I get it now.”

*attempts to look sympathetic* “So your family never told you why she had to leave?"

"Nope. I don't know anything about her. Not even her name. It's interesting that you said she had to, I always assumed she just left. I guess this line of work changes the way you think."

"It does. Plus, these decisions don't come lightly. It didn't for me." *gets interrupted by a knock on the door*

"Hey guys, sorry to interrupt. I'm just checking in. Moses your wife had a list of questions. I'm sure I was being interviewed." *laughing* "So did Moriah help or?..."

"She definitely did."

"Oh good. I hope she told you all about her son as well. Their story is just so touching. She even has pictures from when he was a newborn until about three months old. Why don't you show him?"

“I’d rather not. Today was pretty heavy.”

“I happen to think it would help.” *stares at her* “You show everyone that comes through these doors. It’s always appreciated.”

“Okay.” *looks nervous as shit*

*Moses' silence speaks volumes*

"I can explain. Please let me explain. Janice can you give us a second?” *pleading*

*puts the picture down* "You should vet your employees more thoroughly. That baby she's holding…. is me. I have a similar one with just my father...Same outfit, same blanket, same balloons, same room."

"What???" *in shock* "Is he saying you're his birth mother?"

"Yes...but I can explain."

"Explain???" *turns to Moses* "I am so sorry for this, Mr. Muse. If I had any inclination, I would've..."

"Oh that's bullshit!" *cuts her off* "I told you there was a conflict of interest and you still pushed!"

"You're his damn birth mother! Nobody would ever assume that's what you meant! Then after that, you lied! You've been lying...for years!"

"I only lied to help other families. People tend to be more open when they can relate. I didn't hurt or hinder, it only made things better. No one would've ever expected him to come through these doors." *looks at Moses* "I am so sorry. I know you probably have questions. I really thought your family would have at least let you know something. I didn't want to leave, but my life at the time was very unstable. It was no place for a fifteen year old let alone a baby. I knew you would be safe with your dad, so when I was forced to move hours away, I left you with him. The next few years I thought of trying to reach out, but before I knew it, I was pregnant again. Miles died and I didn't want to complicate your life anymore so, I stopped. And look how you turned out? You have the life of your dreams."

"What about your family, Do they...?"

"My husband does but my children?...Absolutely not. Just like with you, it would've complicated things. Even with them being adults now."

"I guess you carved out a nice life for yourself as well." *smirking to hold back rage* "Well, look, I'm sure my wife is wondering what's taking so long." *gets up* "I'm gonna head out. We won't be coming back so you two take care."

To Be Continued........

Next

[anonymous-rendezvous]

He Comforts You - Ike 💙

Ike Eveland x GN!Reader

✦ — Written by Mod I ✨. Beta Read and Edited by Mod S 👿.

✧ — Comfort & Care Masterlist | 💙 You comfort him

✦ — Contains: Established Relationship, fluff, & comfort

✧ — Word count: 446 | Ao3

Snippets of time showing how you and your partner care for each other.

─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───

If you could only choose one word to describe how you were feeling after your day at work, it would be 'done'. Not only had your boss called out today, but they had also left you with the amount of work that would normally need three people to complete. Which meant you had to stay long after your shift had already ended. And you wouldn't even be paid more for it. You'd quit in a heartbeat if you could afford it.

You were all but stumbling as you entered your home. The door shutting behind you with a little more force than intended as you leaned your weight back against it. You don’t even have the energy to lean down to properly remove your shoes; toeing them off and leaving them haphazardly in front of the door. However, you don’t get even two steps further into the house before Ike emerges from the hallway. His expression softens at the sight of you, giving you a sincere smile. “Welcome home, darling.” You return his smile, albeit yours being a tired one.

He’s by your side in no time, taking your hand in his. The novelist starts leading you down the hallway and before you can even ask where you're going; he pushes the bathroom door open. The soothing smell of eucalyptus and spearmint fill the room thanks to the candles he’d lit beforehand; giving the room a soft glow. The tub was filled, and you eyed it longingly, no doubt that the water was still warm. Your attention is drawn back to your loving boyfriend as a hand lightly rests on the small of your back, the warmth radiating through your clothes “Come on darling, let's get you in, shall we?” His hand glides up to help slip off your jacket. “I have the kettle on if you want a cup of tea while you soak.”

“Ike you didn’t have to do all this–”

He silences you with a gentle peck to your lips, “You’ve had such a rough day hun, just let me treat you.” He helps remove the rest of your clothes before helping you into the tub. As you sink further into the warm water, you can’t help but release a sigh of contentment. He chuckles affectionately, kneeling beside the tub so he can brush aside a few stray strands of hair before placing a kiss on your forehead. “I’ll be back with your tea in a moment. Take as long in the tub as you need.”

Just before he leaves the room, you call out to him. He pauses with a questioning hum. “Thank you, Ike. I seriously appreciate it.”

“Of course, my dear.”

─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───

Likes are nice and we do appreciate them. However, comments/feedback is what really motivates us to continue writing. Even just a keyboard smash or emojis are a joy to see!

We do not allow our stories to be translated or reposted/shared anywhere. The only places our stories should be found are on Ao3 or Tumblr. Nowhere else.

[autism-autobot]

𝔹𝕠𝕟𝕦𝕤 ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕌𝕟𝕝𝕠𝕔𝕜𝕖𝕕

Tw: child abuse & neglect, swears,

Waving Through a Window

Less than three hours until school starts.

I've learned to slam on the brake

Before I even turn the key

Before I make the mistake

Before I lead with the worst of me

Nezha sat on the floor in his room with the makeup kit he used to cover up his bruises. Less than an hour until his brother picked him up to take him to school and his hands were shaking.

Give them no reason to stare

No slipping up if you slip away

So I got nothing to share

No, I got nothing to say

Another silent walk to school, and it was as good as Nezha felt his day would get.

Step out, step out of the sun

If you keep getting burned

Step out, step out of the sun

Because you've learned, because you've learned

Nezha tried to pay attention to the teacher while he prayed that no one would notice the dark spot tucked carefully under his uniform collar.

On the outside, always looking in

Will I ever be more than I've always been?

'Cause I'm tap, tap, tapping on the glass

I'm waving through a window

Secretly, his mind screamed out for someone to notice him, someone who could call someone to rescue him from the nightmare house and father that awaited him.

I try to speak, but nobody can hear

So I wait around for an answer to appear

While I'm watch, watch, watching people pass

I'm waving through a window, oh

Can anybody see, is anybody waving back at me?

Ao Lie sat behind Nezha and braided his hair. It was the only way either of them could settle down enough to pay attention.

We start with stars in our eyes

We start believing that we belong

But every sun doesn't rise

And no one tells you where you went wrong

Lie tapped Nezha's shoulder and mouthed the words 'what happened?'

Step out, step out of the sun

If you keep getting burned

Step out, step out of the sun

Because you've learned, because you've learned

Nezha took the deepest breath he'd ever taken and whispered the answer in Lie's ear.

On the outside, always looking in

Will I ever be more than I've always been?

'Cause I'm tap, tap, tapping on the glass

Waving through a window

Nezha wasn't sure if it was regret or hope he felt when he couldn't find Lie at recess.

I try to speak, but nobody can hear

So I wait around for an answer to appear

While I'm watch, watch, watching people pass

Waving through a window, oh

Can anybody see, is anybody waving?

"Nezha, you'll be staying with Erlang Shen from now on."

~~~

When you're falling in a forest and there's nobody around

Do you ever really crash or even make a sound?

How many hours had it been since Red Son was left alone in the Demon Bull Family palace? He couldn't shake the suffocating silence that he swore would be the death of him. His mother locked herself alone in her room as she grieved his father.

When you're falling in a forest and there's nobody around

Do you ever really crash or even make a sound?

Gods, why did these halls have to be so empty? Uncle Wukong had always told him that silence was a thing, but with how many people lived on Flower Fruit Mountain, Red Son never thought it possible. Now, here he was.

When you're falling in a forest and there's nobody around

Do you ever really crash or even make a sound?

Was Red Son going insane? The silence was screaming in his ears. How could anyone call this peaceful?

When you're falling in a forest and there's nobody around

Do you ever really crash or even make a sound?

Red Son didn't care anymore. Fuck the locked doors and windows! Fuck this house!!! He needed out. Red Son melted the locks, and with nothing but the clothes on his back, he ran straight for Flower Fruit Mountain.

Did I even make a sound?

Did I even make a sound?

It's like I never made a sound

Will I ever make a sound?

Five hours later, Princess Iron Fan dragged Red Son back home by force, and after a screaming match between the two, PIF made arrangements to both give her son the necessary freedom and ensure such a thing would never happen again.

~~~

On the outside, always looking in

Will I ever be more than I've always been?

'Cause I'm tap, tap, tapping on the glass

Waving through a window

They saw themselves in each other. It was so obvious they didn't even need to say it. On some level, they were one and the same. As messed up as it was, Red Son and Nezha were glad they got to spend time together in the safety of Nezha's house.

I try to speak, but nobody can hear

So I wait around for an answer to appear

While I'm watch, watch, watching people pass

Waving through a window, oh

Can anybody see, is anybody waving back at me? (Oh)

They played games together, they ate together, and sometimes when Red Son was lonely or scared, they'd sleep in bed together.

Is anybody waving?

Waving, waving, whoa-oh, whoa

They knew it wouldn't last, but they wished it could.

Masterpost

@istopaskingmemate @ainnur @weaverpop @swkbiggestdefender @starrclown @fruit-fight

[drvirgus]

The Idol who cant Smile

Minji X Fem! Reader

Description: You are the oldest Member of New Jeans, but Fans Never saw you Smile once. Why don't you Smile? Who's the Person that can bring back a smile to your Face?

Chapter 6:

My eyes fell on Minji, but I couldn't say anything. The camera was focused on Minji as she talked about our comeback. We all looked at Minji, but in my mind, the scene in her room kept replaying. It's been exactly 4 months since that happened.

Minji briefly turned her head to me while speaking. This caused her to stutter slightly, and she quickly turned her head away again. I swallowed as well. But I continued to look at Minji. If I were to look away now, the shippers would go crazy and analyze our behavior.

In these 4 months, our ship name has taken off. New videos kept coming out where we looked at each other or simply talked. Some even analyzed our behavior, and it's truly incredible what people come up with. But what's even more fascinating is that very few people were actually correct.

I felt Danielle's arms around me and leaned back a bit. Her arms were around my neck, while I leaned my back against her legs. This time, I was sitting on the floor to keep my back straight. Lately, I'd been developing a bit of a hunch from always being forced to sit on the couch. Apparently, they all wanted to be respectful.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Unnie," Hyein said softly. She stood by the door with her suitcase, looking at me with sad eyes. I raised my finger, as if warning her, "No tears. We'll see each other again in a few days," I said immediately. Hyein sighed sadly and looked at me for a while. She then opened her arms and pulled me into a hug.

I hugged the much taller girl back, "Now go. Your mom and dad are already waiting for you. Don't keep them waiting, and give them my regards," I said and playfully tapped her butt. With that, she moved towards the door, no longer looking at me with those sad eyes, "I'll be back as soon as possible, Unnie," she said and waved goodbye.

Amused by the younger girl, I let out a small sigh but waved back. She was the last one to be picked up. Everyone else was picked up earlier in the morning. As for me, I stayed in the dorm. After all, I had no one to go to. I only had my father at home... but he definitely didn't want to see me. So, I decided to spend our days off alone here. It was alright. I was used to being alone anyway.

With a sigh, I closed the door and went to the living room. There, I turned on Netflix, which we all shared since we usually watched things together. I decided to start one of the K-dramas that had been on my list for so long, but I never got around to watching.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was Korean Thanksgiving Day. Luckily, we had three days off. Today was September 28th, the most important day. However, I spent this day at home, at least after finishing up here.

As often as before, I stood in front of that door, unsure whether I should really ring the bell or just leave the food at the doorstep. I sighed once again and decided to ring the bell. It didn't take long for the all-too-familiar nurse to open the door. He smiled at me warmly.

"Nice to see you today. Have a good Chuseok," he said with a wide grin. He opened the door a bit wider and took the few bags from my hand. He watched as I took off my shoes, "I'm sorry that even on a day like this, you have to take care of my father," I said, bowing slightly.

The older man waved it off, "Oh no, Yumi will take over later in the day. We've arranged it so that both of us can spend the day with our families," he informed me, and I nodded in understanding. "But it's nice that you're here. Your father will surely appreciate it," he added as he led me into the living room.

There, I saw my father immediately. He was in his wheelchair, staring at the television. He was watching something, but he changed the channel as I entered the room. I looked at the nurse, "Well... let's hope so," I said softly as I then approached my father.

As always, though, it felt very awkward. I greeted him, but received no response. Now, I sat on the couch, drinking the tea the nurse had prepared for me, and like my father, I simply stared at the TV. We didn't talk. We didn't look at each other. As usual, we sat with some distance between us and just watched TV.

Painful minutes passed without us speaking to each other. After about an hour, I got up. Finally, my father looked at me. But he didn't say anything. He simply shifted his attention back to the television. I bowed once more and wished him happy Chuseok again. Then, I made my way back to the front door after placing the cup in the kitchen. There, I wished the nurse a happy holiday and bid him farewell.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sighing, I opened the front door and closed it behind me. I took off my shoes and also removed my jacket. I yawned a bit, but it wasn't time for me to sleep yet. It was only 6 PM in the evening. I hadn't eaten anything either, as I spent half the day watching my K-Drama.

I let out another sigh as I hung up my jacket, "There you are. Where have you been?" I heard someone say. Startled, I twitched slightly and looked with wide eyes at the person emerging from the kitchen. My mouth opened as I noticed Minji. I hesitated for a moment.

"I... What are you doing here?" I asked, visibly surprised by her presence. We still had a day off. Most people would probably come tomorrow...

"You're spending the holidays alone... I wanted to keep you company," the younger one replied. She scrutinized me closely, and God... her eyes...

I cleared my throat and nodded my head, "Uh, oh... That's nice," I said, and I could feel my face flushing. I immediately looked to the side, "Well... I was just about to order something... would you like something too?" I finally managed to look back at her face.

Minji looked at me. But I couldn't decipher her gaze. Why exactly... was she looking at me like that? She wasn't smiling, but she also didn't seem angry or serious. She just looked... so breathtaking...

"I'm here for a reason, Y/n," the younger one said. I swallowed, visibly nervous. She... had just said my name again. She was speaking informally to me again. I opened my mouth, "And... what's that?" I asked, my fingers fidgeting with the hem of my sweater.

Minji licked her lips. She sighed a bit and turned around, "My mother gave us something. I'm in the process of heating it up. Go ahead and sit in the living room," she said and then disappeared back into the kitchen. She didn't even wait for a response from me.

But why was she looking at me like that? Why, above all, did I feel so nervous around her? Why the hell couldn't I forget the kiss between her and Yeji? Everything was just so confusing... What was Minji doing to me? Why was she driving me crazy like this?

I did as she asked and went into the living room. There, I turned the TV back on and let my K-Drama continue playing. Meanwhile, I tidied up the coffee table a bit.

It didn't take long for Minji to come into the living room with the Japchae dish. My eyes widened as I looked at the food. It... was the first time I was having a holiday meal with someone, and to top it off, homemade food. I swallowed, feeling a lump in my throat already.

"Tell your mom thanks," I said. Minji sat down next to me and handed me my chopsticks. Together, we started eating. Every bite I took filled me with warmth. I could feel my heart rate speeding up. I inhaled the food.

I wondered how my mother's cooking would taste. Would she have made me Japchae too? Would she be proud of me? Would she love me?

"I like you."

My eyes widened. I abruptly stopped eating and looked up. I gazed at Minji, who was just staring at me. I swallowed in surprise, and slowly I set the chopsticks aside. I looked at the younger one, "What did you say?" I asked, and I started to stutter a bit.

Minji looked at me. Her eyes roamed over my face. She took a deep breath, "I like you. In a romantic way," the younger one repeated. My breath caught. She wasn't giving me a chance to escape from this conversation or misunderstand it.

In a romantic way...

I remained speechless for a while, completely taken aback. Minji just observed me. She was giving me time to process it all. I swallowed and looked at the younger one. Goosebumps formed on my arms. I... didn't know how to respond to that. I also wouldn't have expected Minji to like me...

"But... We haven't known each other for long," I said, and Minji nodded her head.

"I'm your Unnie," she nodded again.

"We... We're in a group," I said, almost breathless. Now Minji's expression became somewhat more serious. She shook her head, "Don't make excuses... Do you like me too?" she asked, silencing me. My breath caught as my eyes widened. I looked at the younger one.

I noticed Minji getting closer to me, "Say it... Tell me the truth, Y/n... Do you like me too?" she asked, her eyes narrowing a bit as her hand gripped my wrist. I swallowed. My face blushed as I felt her intense gaze on me. My heart rate sped up.

"D-Don't lie... If, if you really like me... Why did you kiss Yeji like that?" I asked now, and Minji's eyes widened. She took a moment, and after a short while, she began to laugh. She let go of my wrist to cover her mouth while she laughed. But I wasn't in the mood to laugh.

Minji chuckled. Her hand landed on my nape, "You're so adorable... after all these months, you're still thinking about that kiss?" she asked, and her eyes met mine directly. I swallowed, visibly nervous. I removed her hand from my nape. My eyes narrowed.

Minji still had a faint smile, "Forget about the kiss... I kissed her just to see if you'd react... I wanted to know if you felt anything for me before I confessed my feelings," the younger one answered as she continued to observe me closely. My eyes still narrowed.

I sighed incredulously, "Wow... You could have just asked me!" I replied, but then I faltered. My eyes widened, and Minji smiled even broader. She nodded her head, moving a bit closer to me. Her hand was now on my cheek, "I guess I don't need to ask anymore, do I?" she asked, a knowing grin on her face.

I hesitated. My eyes locked onto hers. Without giving an answer, I was the one who sealed our lips together. Minji had to smile into the kiss, but she kissed me back. I closed my eyes, and I felt my body visibly relax.

Minji stroked my hair with her hand before finding my nape again. She adjusted the angle of her head, intensifying the kiss. Yet, the kiss remained gentle.

"I think... we should go to my room," Minji said, almost breathless. Her eyes locked onto mine as I still struggled to catch my breath. I licked my lips. My heart was racing wildly in my chest.

"Okay," I replied and immediately stood up from the couch. Minji had her hand entwined with mine, and she led the way. My entire face turned red as she led us to her room.

[coochiequeens]

It is possible to have empathy for a woman with terminal cancer and also say that if adoption or foster care agencies wouldn't approve someone with a terminal illness to take in children then maybe surrogacy agencies shouldn't approve either.

Kellie and Jeremy Finlayson made multiple attempts to give their daughter Sophia a sibling in late 2024.

Kellie, 29, has reflected on their efforts to expand their family in her new book, There Must Be More.

The mother-of-one is living with terminal bowel cancer, having been diagnosed with the disease when her daughter was just three months old.

"I was craving a newborn. I so desperately wanted to give Sophia a sibling," she writes in her book.

"I wanted nothing more than to actually get to enjoy the first year of motherhood, to rewrite the narrative.

"But I started to wonder, at what cost?"

The couple found a surrogate who also agreed to donate an egg and made multiple efforts.

Sadly, it wasn't to be.

"We finished that one up in December. It became more of a cost than a positive," she told 9honey.

Kellie was diagnosed with late state bowel cancer in 2021, shortly after welcoming daughter Sophia, now three.

She and her AFL star husband were forced to cancel their elaborate future wedding plans in favour of a smaller, more timely do in March 2023, ahead of Kellie undergoing treatment for her terminal illness.

Throughout her cancer battle, Kellie has learned to use her voice to advocate for herself and others – including through her podcast Sh!t Talkers with fellow cancer sufferer Sophie Edwards, who was diagnosed with rectal cancer in 2022.

"It's really hard as a woman, in general, to be taken seriously sometimes," Kellie said.

"So finding that, I guess, middle ground and working out what was respectful, but then also what was good for me as well, was really important.

"I think I wouldn't have found the courage to do that had I not started to share my story and almost 'talk the talk', in terms of trying to encourage other people to advocate for themselves.

"I wouldn't have had to walk the walk myself if I hadn't, I guess, put that image out there."

She can see glimpses of those same traits in her daughter, whom she describes as "incredibly resilient and intuitive".

"She just knows what to say at the right times," Kellie said.

"Like, for example, one of my friend's daughters, who's Sophia's age, has just had a surgery recently and obviously, being a mum, you're pretty scared to put your daughter under an anesthetic.

"But Sophia, being the medical child that she is now, was so comforting and they came home and she's giving her a cuddle and saying, 'It's OK, don't be sad, the doctors are clever.'

"And I'm like, 'How are you a three-year-old consoling a 20-something-year-old?

"It just blew my mind and everyone in the room was like, 'Did that just happen?' It makes me so proud of whatever I've done to raise her this far."

Kellie's cancer treatment is ongoing.

"I'm on oral chemotherapy and a blood targeting immunotherapy," she said.

"I just do chemo every day, which is interesting, and immuno every three weeks ... so this treatment's, honestly, I don't want to say easy, because it's not easy, but in comparison to what I've been through it's easy."

Next, Kellie will head home to Adelaide and then off to a holiday in Bali with her daughter before embarking on more advocacy work.

"It's just here, there, and everywhere promoting the book, encouraging the right people to get their hands on it, hoping that I can give a bit of insight into even medical professionals," she said.

She doesn't expect Jeremy will read her book, for now at least.

"No, I don't think he will," she said.

"[It's] quite confronting for him. I mean, I don't think he's ever read a book in his life, but also it's, what's within that book is the worst year of his life."

When it comes to supporting loved ones with cancer, Kellie has important insights to share.

"Don't ask if you don't want the answer is probably one piece of advice," she said.

"If you don't want to know how they are feeling, don't ask them how they're feeling ... but then also doing the jobs that you don't want to do yourself."

"That small child that they've already lost so much time with is who they want to be spending time with. They don't want to be doing the washing while you look after the child, if it makes sense," she said.

"I think I'm very lucky in a sense that they were very good at reading me."

[timextoxhajima]

Sonder: Part III

Parts: I II III IV V

member: enhypen heeseung! x oc! woo ki yeom [3rd person pov]

genre: coming of age, slice of life, angst, romance

w/c: 5.8k

warnings: topics on religion, distressed relationships, mental health (I want to leave an a/n here that I grew up with my maternal family being Buddhists so what I've written is based off what I researched online and the way her family practised Buddhism. I'm personally a free-tinker and this narrative is not in any way meant to offend nor support any particular religion.)

synopsis: after being kicked out of her home, Woo Ki Yeom is forced to live life on her own. struggling to find herself in the midst of her chaotic life, she meets lee heeseung, who, like her, can't give any more fucks to life than she does.

"n. the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own."

By the time Sim Ji Yeon had realised what was happening, she knew deep down in her heart that it was too late. She was stuck with the dilemma of whether she should aggressively offer Ki Yeom support, or let her writhe in her own pain for a while, especially since she knew that Ki Yeom might take it the wrong way if she went with the first option.

Ki Yeom's pride and ego was fed to her since they were children. She had grown up in a stable home, both parents worked and so, they were better than the average household. She didn't have a difficult childhood that would've otherwise created a timid and inferior person.

Her confidence was further fed by the years in which she excelled in every single arts class she took. She had the perfect knack for it, always creating original pieces and never having trouble finding inspiration for her assignments.

Ji Yeon had always admired her eye for the arts, while she was stuck as the boring, better-looking-than-average girl who loved volleyball. She was well aware of the attention that dragged around with her wherever she went - boys would come to her matches just to see her and her teammates. She would get random love notes and gifts from people she didn't even know.

While Ki Yeom somewhat teased her and envied her for this 'small celebrity' life, Ji Yeon would've much preferred being talented in her own, safe bubble.

The hard part during the entire process of the falling out was the fact that Ji Yeon hadn't heard about Ki Yeom being kicked out of her home from her, but instead through friends who somehow knew people who had seen her looking for single-room apartments to rent.

Talk about a small world.

And talk about not sharing your worst nightmares with your best friend.

Ji Yeon remembers the day she felt Ki Yeom had given up on her friendship, and till this day, she doesn't know exactly why. Ji Yeon had decided to wait near the building that Ki Yeom used to stay with her parents. She's been over multiple times, so it wasn't hard to blend in with all the convenience and food stalls owners greeting her.

She figured that Ki Yeom probably still had to come back to pick up more things.

But hours turned into days and by the time she had waited three days, Ji Yeon realised that Ki Yeom had completely moved out for good. Then, she spots her mother leaving the apartment building.

She's hesitant at first, but it's the only way she will ever find out anything about Ki Yeom without needing to spam call her.

With tired eyes and a broken heart, her mother tells Ji Yeon that she hadn't seen her daughter since the day she ruined the altar.

"Ruined the altar?" Ji Yeon's lips part in startled surprise. "But..."

Her voice trails quiet when she realises she doesn't know what to say. She can't imagine what Ki Yeom is feeling, much less her parents.

"I don't suppose... you know where she is?"

The elder shakes her head gently. "You're the only person who has a shot at knowing where she's gone. So if you don't know, then I definitely wouldn't."

There's something harsh and direct in her voice, that almost makes Ji Yeon uneasy.

"Alright," She chooses not to pry. "I understand. I'm... so sorry this happened."

A chilly gush of wind runs between them.

Her mother parts her lips and inhales slightly, as if already finding the words to say - but she decides against it and swallows instead. "I have to go run my errands."

"Of course," Ji Yeon slightly bows and lets her on her way. She stays, long enough until Ki Yeom's mother disappears down the corner.

Ji Yeon wonders if she will ever visit their home again.

She will spend the next few weeks leaving Ki Yeom texts. Calls. Even resorting to E-mails and leaving her DMs on Instagram. She starts to think of herself that she's pathetic, but no, she can't think this way. Her best friend was just kicked out. She's probably lost and afraid. And honestly, she might not even be alive. What if something happened to her and nobody found her body?

But somehow, she finds comfort in knowing that she hasn't heard from her in months now. At least she's alive, and her body hasn't been thrown in a ditch somewhere and in the news, with the headline 'MURDERER ON THE LOOSE'.

And yet, everytime she tries to comfort herself to think this way, she can't help but think - why is she not speaking to me?

What have I done wrong?

Months turned into trimesters and trimesters turned into a scholarship offer to a university in another state. Ji Yeon decides that fate will bring her back to Ki Yeom when the time is right.

She leaves, and decides that she will only come back during her longer summer breaks.

And in the blink of an eye, she graduates next year.

But to Ji Yeon, this meant that it had been four years without Ki Yeom. How could Ki Yeom pretend that she didn't exist anymore? How could she move on with life, not accounting for what happened to her? Doesn't Ki Yeom know that she cares, especially with all the shit she's sent her?

Ji Yeon is not one to get angry easily, but Ki Yeom is the exception. Perhaps she hasn't tried hard enough.

She googles her name. She scrolls through the 'Ki Yeom's whom she know aren't her Ki Yeom.

Then, she stops when she notices the name under a tattoo parlour's search result. Ji Yeon hunts for the address on their website, and finds it.

Just about thirty minutes away from where Ki Yeom used to stay.

"Ki Yeom might look a little cold, but she promises her best. Top of sales 2022." Was written as her description. No photo though.

Ji Yeon picks up her phone and drops her some messages.

"She hasn't spoken to you in four years and you still want to go look for her?"

Ji Yeon is quiet. She knows how ridiculous it sounds from someone else's perspective. Ki Yeom clearly doesn't want to be found and reconnected, so why should she go out of her way to do it for her?

"Think about how we left off, don't you think it'd be terrible of me to not even... get some kind of closure?"

Sunghoon frowns at her, crossing his arms over his chest and slightly rolling his eyes. He's never liked this 'Ki Yeom' whom he's never met. By the time he had met Ji Yeon in university, he thought the falling out was through and finished. He knew that Ji Yeon had always wanted to find her and find closure, but he thinks otherwise.

"It would've been terrible if you didn't try to reach out but the thing is you did and you tried. I don't know why you think you haven't done enough."

"Well, maybe you think I've done enough, but it's not enough for her."

"Come on," He pushes his hair back and sits in a chair, back slouched and his elbows on his knees. "Love, I just- From my perspective, she sounds like she doesn't care about anybody else. If she had wanted to reconnect or find closure like you do, she would've responded by now. But it's been four years. We met, dated, fell in love and moved in together in these four years."

Ji Yeon sighs.

"Have you ever thought that she just... outgrew the friendship? Like, I don't know, maybe her getting kicked out of her home just escalated it. Like it was an event that forced the two of you apart and it was just... meant to be? It hurts to see you trying so hard and she doesn't reciprocate. I get that she's your childhood friend but that doesn't mean she would do and think the same way you do."

"I know what you mean," She's quiet as she turns and looks at him. "But I just... Maybe if I see her one last time. Just over a cup of coffee or something. She doesn't have to catch me up nor does she have to give in to my 'needs'. Maybe I just want to see that she's well and taking care of herself."

Sunghoon stands and walks over to where she's sitting at her desk, standing near enough so she can rest her head in his stomach.

The next day proved a challenge for Ji Yeon, a challenge she didn't even think she had to deal with. She had found the tattoo parlour as early as after lunch with Sunghoon, who reluctantly left her alone. Ji Yeon felt nothing less like a creep, spending the entire afternoon sitting at the coffee shop just a few doors down from the parlour.

The challenge was mustering up the courage to speak to Ki Yeom after four years. Why was she even finding this hard? They were best friends, weren't they? And as far as Ji Yeon knew, she didn't do anything wrong on her end. If anything, this was just a case of a fading friendship, not a messy falling out.

She thought, and thought, and panicked, and thought again, until the sun had set. There were more clients leaving than entering, she thought that this was her chance.

Now or never.

Her throat had gone dry when she stood at the door, fingers wrapped on the metal handle and ready to push herself in. Ki Yeom had shoulder-length brown hair, but with her black roots growing out on the crown of her head. She was sat in a roller chair, backfacing the front door, turned and talking to a guy with bright, bleached pink hair who was definitely a couple years older than her. And another girl, around the same age or even younger, with her hair cut so short, some might mistake her for the opposite gender.

Then again, Ji Yeon knows better than to bother about that.

"Hi. I'm looking for Ki Yeom, I saw somewhere that she worked here."

WHAT? She thinks to herself. She's literally standing infront of you, why would you ask that?

Ki Yeom takes a moment to stand and turn, like she already recognised her voice before she even saw Ji Yeon.

Oh, my God. It's like meeting an ex again.

Ji Yeon's heart drops when she can see how much Ki Yeom has grown in four years. She aches to know that she wasn't by her side, following her through the healing she probably needed.

"Who told you I worked here?" The words are cold, and sharp. Like her mother's. Ji Yeon starts to sweat, the warm gush of uneasiness sweeping through her when you feel unwell or about to faint.

Ji Yeon's mind is running at a thousand miles per hour. Say something!

"I... I googled you," Ji Yeon gulps. She can see the knowing scowls and squints from Ki Yeom's two acquaintances. They must think she's a bitch. "Took me a couple of minutes, but it wasn't that hard to find your name as a tattoo artist in this parlour."

Ki Yeom rubs the back of her neck, looking exasperated and at a loss of patience, like she were thinking 'I don't have the fucking time for this.'

She turns around and begins a mini discussion with her acquaintances, which Ji Yeon realises, if she's close enough to trust them in times like this, then Ki Yeom must consider them friends.

She has been replaced.

Ji Yeon isn't surprised. It was a sooner-or-later thing.

But why did it hurt the same?

She can hear the 's'-es and the whispering they're doing whilst turned back. She wonders if they know who she was, or if Ki Yeom has kept her an embarrassing secret and memory she doesn't want to relive.

There's a little scuffle. Someone swats someone on the arm, and someone knees the boy in his groin. Then the short haired girl drags him away, leaving Ki Yeom alone with her.

When Ki Yeom turns around, there's this fierceness and sternness in her eyes. Ji Yeon knew that she wouldn't be meeting the same person she became best friends with back then, but it hit her harder now that she's seeing this new-and-improved version of Ki Yeom.

Ji Yeon can see that she doesn't have much to say, so she starts first.

"I know you've been reading my texts," She says quickly, hoping to get some reaction out of her.

Nothing.

"I just wanted to know how you were doing. I don't know anything about you anymore and I just can't stand to know that... I no longer know anything about you and your life."

"I don't know why it matters that you don't know anything. My parents don't know anything. Nobody knows anything, but I'm fine and well."

Ji Yeon is stunned at how quickly she responded. It's almost like she had rehearsed for a moment like this. Has Ki Yeom just been waiting for Ji Yeon to show up, so she can tell her to fuck off?

"It matters because I care," She wishes that Ki Yeom can hear the sincerity in her voice. "It matters because you basically disappeared, and for the last couple of years, I've been stuck wondering what I've done wrong. And if it was my fault that the friendship has turned sour."

"It's not your fault, it's mine. For being an ass."

Ji Yeon didn't even realise she was holding her breath until Ki Yeom finishes her quick-witted reply. The words start to come out naturally.

"So at least tell me how you were being an ass. You have so much spine to be out here making a life for your own but you don't have a spine enough to tell me why I had to google you?"

"'Spine to be out here'?" Ki Yeom snaps her head and squints at her, clenching her jaw as she strings the words together. "Have you... forgotten why I was even made to be out here making a life for myself?"

Oh.

Ji Yeon didn't mean for it to come off that way. Ki Yeom must know she didn't mean it like that. Right? ...Right?

"I'm sorry. That wasn't what I meant."

In Ji Yeon's peripheral vision, a client pays at the cashier's. He awkwardly walks around them, arm wrapped in a protective foil as the light reflects off the surface.

She thinks carefully about what to say next. It feels like years before she can think of how to put it across.

"Look, I... I just want to know what happened. And... if after all the clearing up, you still hate me and our paths have just... diverged too far and too long ago, then... I will just have to make peace with it."

Ji Yeon pauses. She thinks about what Sunghoon said to her earlier today.

"But I can't just leave this... it's like abandoning my house without reason."

Her eyes are teary and she can feel the sour ball creeping up in her throat and her nose.

But Ki Yeom doesn't look like she gives a single fuck.

Ki Yeom's head falls in the gap between her arm and herself, nodding herself awake. She looks down at her sketchbook, instinctively rubbing her forehead to get any pencil markings off her skin.

She turns and looks at the clock. 2.23am.

Sighing and yawning at the same time, she looks around her apartment, spotting the unwashed pot from her instant-noodle supper sitting by the sink.

She recalls the encounter at the tattoo parlour earlier that evening, where Miss Little Perfect showed up and demanded for a redeeming coffee break tomorrow.

Ki Yeom rubs her eyes and yawns again, finally getting up from her desk and making her way over to wash the dishes.

Suddenly, life had so many offerings to provide her.

Picking up her phone, she slips on her slides and heads out the door, making a point to close it quietly. Then she turns and heads for the lift, in her peripheral vision, noticing that the nosy boy's door was slightly ajar.

She ignores it, turning for the lift and dragging her headphones over her head-

Then she hears the piano keys, and the singing.

Ki Yeom will admit that she didn't think that would stop her in her tracks, but it did.

She stays in the same spot for a few seconds, listening to the random piano keys, then him singing or humming a tune, then the piano keys again.

He's writing an original, she realises.

Well, if he can be nosy, so can I.

She finds herself at the door, peeking in through the gap.

He's sat, angled backwards against the door, with a portable keyboard infront of him and a notebook in his lap. She looks around, and spots his desk - which was a round dining table that he probably picked up from someone's garage sale - strewn with lecture notes.

Ki Yeom leans against the door frame, quietly studying the apartment that resembled hers while listening to the music-in-progress. Her eyes are mindless, until they finally return to him sitting at his piano.

Except, now he's staring at her, wide-eyed and surprised.

"How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to tell that you gave up on studying," She pushes the door open and nods toward his dining table. "Sitting against an open door isn't very smart. I could've gone in and stolen something and you wouldn't have known."

"Well," He shrugs, picking up the notebook from his lap and tossing it on his dining table. He starts to gather the papers and binded notes. "Thank God it's you, then. I'd just have to worry about missing a washing machine token."

Ki Yeom rolls her eyes, but doesn't hide the little smile that curls up on her lips.

"Couldn't sleep?" He lifts the stack off the table, aligning them against the surface and placing them nicely in the centre.

She scratches the spot under her ear. "It's... a little more than 'couldn't sleep', I guess."

Heeseung turns to face her, arms reaching back to lean on the edge of the dining table. But it wobbles from how old it is, so he clears his throat and stands away from it instead.

"I'd invite you to come in and talk about it but I don't want to seem creepy," A pause. "Nor does it seem like I have adequate, functioning furniture to host a guest."

Ki Yeom chuckles, which is a surprise. Maybe it's just the 3am lack of discipline and awareness.

"I was going to go on a walk."

"At..." He picks up his phone. The screen lights up his face. "3am?"

"Why, scared of the dark?"

"No, I'm scared that I'd be murdered in an alley and thrown in a ditch."

"Yeah, because you live in a dangerous country," Ki Yeom pushes herself off the door frame, hoping that the sarcasm can be detected. "No obligations. If you prefer to sleep, then good night."

Heeseung shrugs, picking up his keys and phone and shoving them into his pockets.

"Can't say no to a 3am storytelling session though," With a cheeky smile on his lips, he walks to the door. Ki Yeom moves to let him close the door, only now realising how tall he was.

Maybe Jun Yeol was just short.

"Who said anything about a 3am storytelling session?" She says as-a-matter-of-factly. As he locks the door, she heads to press the lift button.

"Well, I'm just a nosy stranger. And you walked right up to my door, striking up a conversation with me. Besides, who am I gonna tell about your dramatic life story?"

The boy pulls his key out of the door and turns around, tilting his head at her. His eyes are tired, the kinds that sleep but not quality. The kinds that try their best, but it's never enough.

Perfectionist eyes.

Ki Yeom knows because those were hers too.

"So why are you up at 3am?" She quietly asks.

"Hm," He hums in thought, eyes looking up at the panel displaying the floors the lift was climbing. "Somewhere between existential crisis and can't sleep. If that makes any sense."

"'Existential crisis', huh?"

There's a silence that envelops the both of them as the lift reaches. She doesn't even know his name but she can tell what type of person he is - or at least, she can guess. She conjures the thought, 'What if he's a serial killer luring her in so he can murder her in the middle of the night?'

Nah, Mr Hsien has seen his face. If he were a serial killer, he wasn't a very smart one.

"I'm Heeseung, by the way," He turns to her in the lift, awkwardly raising a palm to her. "I just realised I know your name but you don't know mine."

Ki Yeom gingerly takes his hand, giving him a firm shake as she does some of her clients. "Nice to know."

"So, what do you do? I mean, you don't seem like you go to university."

"I'm a tattoo artist."

"Oh, shit. No kidding?" Heeseung looks pleasantly taken aback. "Would love to get one one day. Where? Is the parlour nearby?"

"Just about a twenty minute bus ride into town," The doors open into the lobby, the security guard at the counter exchanging glances with them.

"Town? You're a fancy tattoo artist. What, do you like top sales or something?" He giggles as they walk out the building. The cool, crisp breeze kisses her skin and she instantly hugs herself. Ki Yeom remains quiet to his question, merely shrugging her shoulders.

"No," He turns to her and folds his arms across his chest, hugging his arm pits. "That's crazy! Are you really? You're like some super talented tattoo artist, and I'm just some... stupid student that can't beat the curve in school."

"What do you study in university?"

"Performing Arts - But the thing they don't tell you is that half the things you study is theory, which don't work that well with me."

"I heard you just now, with the piano and the singing. You sound good, is it an original? For a project or something?"

They stop at a traffic light. Opposite the building was a park. The crickets were chirping, the street lamps were sizzling and there wasn't a single soul in sight. Some cars driving down the main road, but it had been awhile since Ki Yeom had found the motivation to leave home for something that wasn't work.

"Uh- Yeah? I guess? It's more of just a 'me' thing. But, I also tutor kids. Piano lessons. So they help me sort of... sort it out in my head. Makes it abit easier to teach when I'm figuring out the notes and bars myself."

"Interesting," Ki Yeom nods. The traffic light turns to the green man. She smiles when she realises they didn't even need to wait for that, since it was so empty.

"Why?" Heeseung shoves his hands into his pockets, smile mimicking hers. "Realised we didn't have to wait?"

"Yeah. It's so empty."

"We're law-abiding citizens, what do I say?"

They enter the park, the scent of grass and trees filling their noses. Ki Yeom can see the birds scattered about in the grass, slowly walking or standing almost completely still. The leaves were gently rustling in the breeze. Empty cups, food wrappers, tissues, strewn here and there and on benches.

"By the way, I was joking about the storytelling. You don't have to share if you're uncomfortable. It's just... nice to talk to someone that's not from school."

Ki Yeom walks quietly, sitting in her thoughts. He must've understood her silence, for he goes quiet as well, matching her pace and looking around like he hadn't already been to this park a couple of times.

She considers the day's events. First, being told she had an opportunity to leave everything she had here, to go be part of an art organisation. Then, being told she had topped this months' sale (again), followed by Ji Yeon showing up at the parlour. It had been four years since she had seen her.

Suddenly, she's tired. Her lids are heavy and her heart is torn into shreds. Maybe it wasn't that great of an idea to go for a walk with a stranger at 3am.

"It was a long day. Alot of things happened," Ki Yeom starts, unsure how to continue. She didn't want to seem like she was trauma dumping or asking him for advice when he barely knew her.

"Oh," There's a hint of sadness in his voice as he can hear the reluctance to share. "I understand. It's alright. You don't have to divulge anything. We can walk the whole park in silence. Or if you want to go back, that's totally fine with me too-"

"No, it's okay," Ki Yeom shakes her head and rubs her palm down her eyes and the rest of her face. "I just..."

She strings the thoughts together, holding her breath as she does.

"I was offered... a thing. My boss told me that she had an opportunity to send someone overseas. To be part of a touring art organisation."

She looks up at Heeseung, watching his face for any reaction. As opposed to before, he suddenly had this slightly heavy look on his face, as if he instantly knew what it meant to have such a grand offer... in such a faraway place.

"That... That is something," He nods as he acknowledges it. "I assume there's a 'but'?"

Ki Yeom rubs the back of her neck and turns away from him.

"I mean, it's not easy for anybody to leave anywhere, honestly. Even if they had nothing else left, it still wouldn't be easy."

"You sound like you know this experience yourself."

Heeseung turns and looks at her intently, his tired eyes getting even more tired.

"I'm the total opposite, actually. I had... everything. Like I had a nice home, my family is intact unlike alot of my friends. Supportive environment. But... when I left to find... a purpose, I felt lost. It was my decision, yes, but... it's hard to leave somewhere you're comfortable in."

"You left home to find 'purpose'?" Ki Yeom stifles a little chuckle.

"Well, yeah," Heeseung grins, knowing how stupid it sounded out loud. "I wanted to find out what life was about, you know? I didn't want to stay sheltered. I wanted to meet crazy people and do crazy things and see where the wind blows me."

"That doesn't sound like the life a university student should be living. Just being a student on it's own already takes away the freedom to do that."

"I know, I know," He rolls his eyes half-exasperatedly. "I realised."

They both go quiet again. Ki Yeom is pleasantly surprised at how easy he seems. She wonders if she's being nice and vulnerable because it's 3am.

Yeah, probably.

"So what's keeping you here?"

Ki Yeom smiles, but it's weak and sad and depressing. "What isn't?" She turns and looks at him, then turns back to look straight.

"I grew up a devoted Buddhist and my family practised it to the T. Then, about six years ago, my father lost his job and we were broke for a few years. In those two years, we scrimped and saved. My grandfather had tried to help, but my parents... believe it or not, didn't accept it. Out of filial piety. It's one of the most valued principles in Buddhism. I came home one day, tired and exhausted from work, and my room was literally sold out. The furniture, the lamp, the damn bed."

She pauses. The memories come back in quick flashes in her head.

"I ruined the altar. Shoved everything off. My mother kicked me out. And I had so few things left that it took me an hour to get everything I needed out of the apartment. I walked aimlessly for hours, just wishing that a car would run me down and I'd never have to open my eyes again. I somehow fell asleep just a few shops down the tattoo parlour, and I don't know what it is that the owner of the parlour saw in me, but she waited until I woke up, gave me a pad and pencil and told me to draw. I don't know how she knew that I loved art. But I was at a loss and honestly, I had nothing better to do. So, I drew."

A pause.

The grains of rock and sand crunch under their feet as they stroll under a lamp.

"And she hired you."

"And told me that this apartment building had rooms for rent and that she'd pay for the first few months until I could sustain myself."

"What a lad," Heeseung nods. "What did you draw? That made her hire you?"

Ki Yeom stops in her tracks. Heeseung hears the crunching stop behind him, so he stops too and turns to look at her.

"I... I drew my room. Down to every single detail. Before it was sold and ruined."

Now, her voice is quiet, low, and raspy. The type that comes from someone who is about to cry. Heeseung can see that Ki Yeom is fighting all the urges in her throat and nose not to stifle a sob, because her eyes were already welling with tears.

But she blinks, and breathes through her mouth so he wouldn't have to hear the sniffling. Then all that resolution to keep it under wraps crumbles under the weight of letting it out for the first time, directly telling someone the whole truth without them having to probe and ask for them to fit the pieces together.

Ki Yeom squats and buries her eyes in the heart of her palms, her lips finally contorting into a quivering, shivering slobber as her tears and mucus start to run down her philtrum. She's feeling light-headed, but her chest heavy, from all the feelings that were bottled up and never once poured out.

A warm, gentle hand lands on her shoulder, a shadow casting over her as he stands in a spot to block the lamp from shining all over her.

Ki Yeom doesn't have a clue how long she was in that position, because it felt like forever. The tears were relentless - caught up for four years, and she hasn't even told him everything that happened that day. Would she cry even more?

One way to find out.

She lifts her head, hair messily stuck to her face because of the tears, and coughs, "You know... My best friend..." She chokes and hiccups in between the words as he looks down at her, tired eyes trying to show sympathy.

"She's just so fucking perfect, and I... I hate her for it.... She lived a perfect life, you know? Popular, smart, pretty... happy. Her family was so fucking... textbook. Sometimes I wondered if she was friends with me to... make herself feel better. I hated how much she tried to compensate for... something that wasn't even her fault. I hated that she started paying for me... or started defending me and protecting me in front of others just so they didn't think I was a loser."

She sighs and wipes her philtrum with her fingers, the glistening music on her nails and fingerpads as she wipes them off on her pants.

"I saw her for the first time today... In four years... asking me for a cup of coffee so we could talk about what happened... But I have nothing to say. What do I even say?"

"You can say what you just told me."

Ki Yeom looks up at him, wandering eyes unsure of what he means.

Then he squats, meeting her at eye level and awkwardly trying to pick her hair out of her face without it seeming like he was flirting with her.

"I think it's valid that you felt the way you did. I mean, all that that you went through? Not everybody knows how it feels. I'm sure she meant well, but I'm also positive that you would've felt the same way about anybody who tried to do those things. So, it was nothing personal."

He folds his arms over each other and wraps them on his knees.

"If it makes you feel better, I'd be annoyed too. If I had a perfect specimen of a person trying to make me feel better. Who wouldn't? It's like salt rubbing salt in a wound."

Ki Yeom gulps the phlegm and musuc away, rubbing her eyes.

"I think... you should go get that cup of coffee and push through it. It's the only way to resolve this."

"But I spent four years running, and I didn't hate it," She wipes the tears dripping off her jawline and stares at the rocks under his slides.

"Clearly, the more you run, the more she's gonna run after you and I'm sure you don't want to deal with her ten years from now again?"

Ki Yeom looks up and into his eyes now, his fringe slightly covering them.

"Here's the important question: Do you think you've been living life fine without her?"

Her eyes drift off to look at the bush on the grass.

"If the answer is 'no', then it's your chance to redeem yourself and mend things with her. But if the answer is 'yes', then sometimes a chapter just... ends. Without you knowing. Things happen. Just because it happened doesn't mean it's your fault."

She looks back at him, swollen eyes slightly drier, but eyelids heavier.

Heeseung is quiet now. He's said his piece, and has nothing else left to share.

"Come on," He whispers, just loud enough for her to hear as he gently grabs her arm. "Let's get you back home and to bed."

Ki Yeom weakly stands, knees trembling from squatting too long. He has a palm on her arm the entire walk home, in silence. The security guard almost looks concerned - he hasn't ever seen this resident cry.

The lift doors open with a ding, but before Heeseung can walk her rightways to her door, she pauses and looks at him.

"Do you think... do you think you can stay with me tonight?" She blinks her tired eyes, not even looking at him. "Not in the same bed, just... with me."

Heeseung blinks, slightly taken aback with the request. His lips are parted in a bid to protest and say that it would be inappropriate, considering that she was just tired and in a vulnerable state and it could've been easily misunderstood the following morning- but she puts a stop to it, for she quite literally mutters the words:

"I've been alone for so long, sometimes I wonder if I would be happier if I wasn't awake."

PART IV