#...kinda a filler chapter I guess?

[vivaciousoceans]

Imma finish chapter two today and I might upload chapter one because I am really proud of it.

[doitforbangchan]

All Bark and No Bite- 16

Masterlist /Series masterlist

Chan x reader (y/n) x ot8

ABO!Nonidol!SKZ Alternate Universe

Previous - Next

Chapter warnings: Fem/Afab reader, kinda smut, kissing, bathing together, cursing, crying, pet names, fluff. Really not much for this chapter but lemme know if i missed anything important.

WC: 6.2k

Not gonna lie, this is kind of a filler chapter. But I hope yall enjoy nonetheless :)

The rumbling that escaped out of Jeongins chest as he pumped you full would have been off putting to anyone around. They would have found the emittance to be dangerous- vicious almost- and possessive, with how deep and gravely the growl was as he bit into the tender flesh of your shoulder for the second time today. Having spent nearly three days with the young Alpha you knew well enough by now that he was nearing control over himself once again as he finished inside of you, the growl more of a warning he had cum. 

He let your used and bruised body slump into the sheet below you, your arms acting as a pillow under your head. Jeongin draped himself over you, pressing you further into the bed. His knot was still locked tightly inside of you and with each movement from him it rubbed against the sore walls of your core. 

The alpha laid wet kisses along your spine after he licked away the blood from his final claim on you. In total over his rut he had bitten into you eight times, in varying places all over your body. You could imagine you looked like you were mauled by a wild animal, though that wouldn’t be far from the reality. 

“I think it’s finally over, baby.” Jeongin breathed into your ear from above. He had a lightness in his voice you hadn’t heard since before his rut started. “I feel the effects lifting from me as if I can breathe again.”

“M’ so glad, Innie.” You murmured, the pure exhaustion you felt was coming through you clearly. “Now you can be comfortable again.” 

He cooed at you, “Oh omega, you sweet baby. I’m more happy for you. You have been so so good to me the last few days, taking everything I gave you with no complaints, letting me take whatever I needed from your precious body.”  He nuzzled into your neck and hair as he felt his knot begin to deflate. You both grunted as he slowly pulled out of you. His copious amount of cum was seeping out of you and onto the already soiled bed. With how much cum, blood, and sweat was covering it Jeongin knew it would be better to just toss it out at this point. “I can’t express how much it means to me- how much you mean to me. You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and to our family.” 

You knew it was his post nut clarity that was making him sappy, but you couldn’t stop the sniffles that left you. “Innie… I feel the same way about you and everyone in this pack. You’re my family now and I love you guys.” You strained your neck over to kiss him and he returned the gesture. 

“Even Minho?” He teased, giggling when you rolled your eyes. 

“Hmpf.” You felt your cheeks heat, “Yes, even Minho” You threw a finger at his face menacingly “But don’t you dare say anything!” 

He laughed harder and pulled you closer, kissing your nose. “My lips are sealed. Buuuut, I’m not so sure about the gremlin who's listening outside the door as we speak.” He raised his voice slightly for the last part of his sentence . “You’re not slick, you Pabo! I could smell you from down the hall!”

Your mouth was agape when you heard a shriek- that sounded suspiciously like Jisung- coming from the other side of the door and then the scuff of scurrying feet. “I didn’t even know he was there!” 

Jeongin hauled himself off the bed with a hearty laugh, “He’s been doing that since day one. He comes around periodically, most likely to check on you to make sure I hadn’t eaten you alive. The whole pack does it. You seriously couldn’t tell?” 

You shook your head as you slowly arose from your laid position, wincing when you felt the throb between your legs. “Uh uh, I didn’t notice at all.” 

“I guess I did have you a little… preoccupied.” He had a smirk on his face as if he was proud of himself. “My senses were in overdrive so it made it easier to smell and hear them. My alpha instincts were on a constant high alert.” 

You nodded, “That makes sense. I felt similarly when I was in heat.” You could still feel the pooling liquid seeping out of you, the now coolness of it was making you grimace. “Since your rut is ending, do you think we could please go take a bath? The last few rounds have left me kinda.. Sticky.” 

“Oh yeah!” He slipped off the bed and found a pair of shorts somewhere amongst the wreckage of his room. He put them on and returned back to your side. “Come on, baby. Lemme carry you.” You lifted your weak arms up to him as he bent to scoop you into his hold and you wrapped them around his neck. 

He walked out of his room freely for the first time in a few days. All the other times you had to make sure the coast was clear and that no other pack members were on the same floor. Innies possessiveness and alpha aggression when he was in a rut was on another level so the young alpha generally tried to avoid leaving the room during that time anyways. Thankfully it was not the same for you. During his moments of rest and clarity you had been able to exit the room for bathroom breaks and food. The pack members always greeted you with gentle kisses as they assessed you and you had to assure them you were ok. Innie was particularly rough in his fucking of you after you came back, though; the scent of the other boys on your skin driving him crazy. 

“Wait! Should I put something on? I’m still naked..” You trailed off, biting your lip. 

Jeongin chuckled, “It’s nothing most of them haven’t seen before at this point, baby. Plus we’ll get you some clean pjs after you're all cleaned up.” 

Jeongin carried you into the bathroom and set you on the counter while he went to start heating the water and filling the tub. You watched as he found a few different bottles of bubble bath, and giggled quietly when he opened each one and smelled it before he decided on one he deemed acceptable.

While the tub filled you turned to look at yourself in the mirror. You hadn’t seen your reflection since this morning so you were anticipating seeing the new marks that had been left. You gasped lightly when your eyes found all the dark marks and bites left on your body. Innie really did a number on you, he was unable to control many of his urges when it came to claiming your body. You poked and prodded at a particularly deep bite wound on the side of your left breast. 

‘That's gonna be sore for weeks.’ You thought as you poked. 

“I think that one is my favorite.” Jeongins voice startled you as he rested his head on your shoulder, looking into your eyes through the glass. He had a cheekiness in his tone. “Was my favorite place to bite you. So soft and tender.” He sighed wistfully, as if remembering the moment. 

“Yeah, tender enough that it’s going to take forever to heal.” You huffed, narrowing your eyes at him. 

He snorted, pulling back. “You’re one to talk. Look at this monster you gave me!” He tilted his head to show you his neck that he had asked you to bite into the previous day. His skin was marred and dark red, showing just how deep your teeth had buried into his flesh. “Stings like a bitch now. But it’s ok, I kinda like it.” He grinned and gave you a clumsy wink.  

You laughed and shoved him playfully, “Ok mister masochist, help me into the tub please.” He obliged your request and hauled you into his arms once more before he lowered you into the heated water. Your head fell back with a deep sigh as you relaxed into the tub. He has chosen a lavender scented soap that was divine. Innie stepped in and settled himself directly behind you. He then leaned your back against his chest, letting you rest your head on his shoulder. “Mm this is nice.” 

He hummed in return, leaning over to grab a washcloth. He dipped the cloth into the water then pulled it up, giving it a squeeze to release the water inside. The alpha lovingly ran the cloth over your neck and shoulders, wiping away the remaining blood and saliva. Then once your top half was wiped clean he brought the cloth back down into the heated water, then gently to your core. Your breath hitched when he made contact with your folds. “Shhh baby, I know it hurts. Lemme clean you up, ok?” He whispered reassuringly in your ear. 

You let go of the breath you didn’t know you were holding, trying not to close your legs to keep him from touching you where you were most sensitive right now. He continued his slow and delicate ministrations while peppering kisses on your cheeks every time you let out a pained whimper. Eventually he finished his task, throwing the cloth onto the edge of the tub. Then he just let you rest in the still hot water.  

Sitting there in the tub was peaceful. Neither of you were talking anymore given how the fatigue was catching up to you both. It was nearing nightfall already, you could tell it was late evening by the setting sun casting in the small window. The lavender fragrance of the bath soap combined with the heat of the water was easing the tension in both of you. 

“Ya know, I haven’t had a bath in years.” Innie's voice startled you lightly, just as your eyes were about to droop. He laughed quietly when you jumped. “Sorry, baby. Just reminiscing, don't mind me.”

“Why haven’t you had a bath in so long? Do you not like them?” You asked, keeping yourself awake now. 

“I’ve never been a huge fan of sitting in hot water. Maybe my blood just runs hot. I also think it’s kinda boring. Just doing nothing in a tub. But right now I can honestly say I’m loving being here with you. I’m feeling very relaxed, and happy that I get to be with you.” He had a blush on his cheeks. 

“Aww Innie. You really are such a sweet boy.” Your heart swelled and you beamed at him. “ We can take baths together anytime you want.” You leaned up to kiss his jaw. 

“I’ll be taking you up on that offer, don’t you worry.” He kissed you back. 

“Can I cash in that offer too, baby?” 

You both looked up at the door being cracked open just slightly and a pouty face appearing, looking at you with hopeful eyes. 

“Hyunjin, what the fuck are you doing in here? Get out!” Jeongin groaned, annoyed now by the new presence. 

“No! It’s not fair! You’ve hogged her for days! I missed my baby!” The beta whined, his pout growing even bigger. “Plus you left the door unlocked so really this is your fault.” 

Jeongin scoffed, “You still got to see her everyday, your stink was all over her every time she came back to my room. And what about me?! Didn’t you miss me?!” He pulled you closer to his body, making the water slosh off the side of the tub.

“Of course I missed you, Innie. We all did.” Hyunjin replied with an eye roll. “But I’m not mated with you now am I? No, I’m claimed by my baby and now it’s my turn with her.” He skulked closer into the bathroom and grabbed the towel that was left on the counter. “So give her here.” He looked at the alpha expectantly as he held out his arms for you. 

Jeongin grumbled a whine, “Hyunnng you’re being so mean to me.” Still, he scooted you forward slightly so Hyunjin could grab you. Jeongin gave you a final kiss, “ I love you, I’ll see you in a while, baby.” He whispered to you before he handed you over to the beta. 

“Love you Innie.” You replied then let Hyunjin pull you from the tub and into his arms, where he promptly wrapped you in the big fluffy towel and whisked you out of the bathroom. 

Once you were out of the bathroom Hyunjin nuzzled into you with a purr as he carried you to your room. “Mm I missed you so much baby.” 

You giggled, his hair tickling your neck. “Missed you too Jinnie.” 

He set you gently on your bed as he ran the towel over your form, being mindful of the fresh bites and bruises. He bristled when you winced, “Sorry, love. Innie sure did a number on you, huh?” 

You gave a weak chuckle, “Yeah, he got a little rowdy. He always apologized afterwards so I don’t mind.” 

Hyunjin went into your wardrobe after he wiped you down and pulled out some pjs for you. He helped you dress even when you insisted on being able to do it yourself. “I wanna take care of you, baby. Let me help you.” You couldn’t deny him when he pouted like that, batting his eyelashes at you. 

He had put you in a tank top and panties, then he turned away to get you out some pj pants. That small distraction was all that was needed for the peeping tom at the door to spring in. Hyunjin screamed in surprise as Jisung swung the door open with a lightning quickness and launched for where you were seated on your bed. You yelped a laugh when he scooped you into his embrace. “Ahh Jisung! What are you doing?!” 

“Hi baby.” He grinned as he stood up now with you in his arms. He smooched you on the lips.He gave Hyunjin a glance “Sorry, gotta blast!” Then he sprinted out of the room, holding you.

“No! Jisung you asshole, I was having my time with her!” Hyunjin screeched as he chased the younger beta. Jisung was running down the hall towards the stairs cackling loudly. You were holding on for dear life, a nervous grin on your face. “Stop! I’m serious! It’s not fair!” 

“It’s my turn now! You had yours, I missed her too!” 

“I had a whole 6 minutes with her!” 

“Sucks to suck!”  Jisung had gotten down the stairs and had barely made it around the corner when he ran into another figure. Jisung nearly fell backwards at the impact. He ended up backing up into Hyunjin who had been right on his tail. 

Amidst the whole debacle, it was Changbin who grabbed you from Jisungs falling form. Jisung had run into him when he was coming to see what the commotion was. “What a pleasant surprise.” The alpha grinned. “Nice to see you, baby.” 

You giggled, letting him take you. “Hi Binnie.” You wrapped your arms around his neck. 

“Changbin! Give her back, it's my turn.” Jisung whined like a child when he was able to set himself upright again. 

Hyunjin pushed him with a scoff, folding his arms. “You stole her from me, asshat. It’s my turn.” 

“Sucks to suck, right guys?” Changbin snickered, then turned and walked down the hall. 

“Boys I’m not a toy! There are no turns.” You protested from your place in Chanbins arms. Your pout was light; you couldn’t be mad at any of them for this game of toss around. You had missed them all so much, even though you saw them all briefly during the last few days. 

“Of course you're not a toy, baby. These young boys need to learn some manners when it comes to a beautiful woman.” Changbin threw a playfully dirty look behind him at the betas who trailed behind. 

“Are you gonna be the one to teach them, Binnie?” You teased, nuzzling into him. 

He flexed with you still in his hold, boasting of his strength. “Who better than a strong alpha like myself?” You laughed into his neck. “Take notes, boys.” 

Changbin carried you all the way through the house and out the back door onto the back patio. The outside string lights were on, illuminating the patio as the sun continued to fall further from view and the night settled in.  The grill was on and there were various plates of vegetables scattered around the table next to it. The air was hot and mildly humid. Summer was definitely here now.

 Leaning on the banister next to the grill was Chan and Minho. Chan's face lit up at the sight of you coming out the door. Minho couldn’t hide the twitch of his lips when he saw you, his delight peaking through. 

“There's my love. Was wondering when you would come down and join us.” Chan approached you and Changbin as the latter plopped down on the outdoor sofa with you in his lap. Chan cupped your cheek and leaned in close to you, rubbing noses with you. He gave you a gentle kiss with a smile. Changbin huffed in mild jealousy, pulling you even closer. “Oh come on Bin, our girl deserves all the love we can give. Why be stingy, hm?” Chan hummed with a laugh as he pulled back.

“Exactly!” Jisung came crashing down onto the furniture beside you on the right, grabbing onto your arm attempting to pull you away. “You read my mind, oh wonderful leader.” 

Hyunjin was the next to speak up. “ You literally stole her from me! If anyone is stingy it’s you Ji!” He stomped his foot petulantly before coming over and sitting on the left side and grabbing one of your legs.

All this tugging was starting to make your wounds hurt, so you tentatively and quietly tried to interject, “Umm guys, can you please be easy on m-”  

“Jinnie, you went and took her right from Jeongin! Don’t act all high and mighty, I see through that shit!” Jisung cut you off, seemingly unable to hear your timid voice. He pulled on your arm a little harder. 

Changbin squeezed you to keep you in his hold, making you wince. “ You guys are children.” He rolled his eyes. 

Hyunjin scoffed, his grip accidentally digging into one of your darker bruises. “ You’re one to talk, you ripped her right from Ji.” 

“I saved her from you idiots!” 

You felt your eyes start to water from the pain and from being ignored. You felt too timid to interrupt them again so you just took it. Though, you didn’t have too for long. 

A deep growl halted all the boys in their actions. All of you swiveled your eyes to Chan who still stood a few feet away, now with a menacing look on his face. His eyes were narrowed at the three boys who held you captive. “That is enough from you three. Can’t you see your fucking hurting her?” He stalked closer and reached down for you. 

Immediately they all let go of you. Changbin spoke up, “ I’m so sorry baby, we should have been gentler on you.” 

“Especially since you just got done with Innie. I forgot about your wounds baby I’m sorry. Hyunjin apologized sheepishly. 

Jisungs lip wobbled as tears welled up in his own eyes. “M sorry, please don’t hate me.” 

“It’s ok, I’m not mad. And I could never hate you, Ji.” You wiped your tears once Chan had you secured in his arms. He still had a pissed off crease to his brows. You brought your thumb up to smooth over his brows, smiling when he kissed your palm. He carried you to the picnic table they had set up, placing you down on the bench. He straddled the bench and had you lean against him. 

“Mm much better, huh omega?” He hummed, kissing your head and holding you close. 

“Yes alpha.” You relaxed against him. You could hear his heartbeat from where you rested. It was calming. “ I’m gettin tired, Channie.” 

He chuckled, “I would be surprised if you weren’t tired, my love. You have been kept very busy lately. You gotta stay up for a while though, dinner is almost ready. The pack has been excited to share a meal together as a whole again.” You nodded, trying to keep yourself awake. 

Looking around you noticed how much food had already been laid out. There was a pile of kabobs, fresh veggies and a plate with some chicken. You looked up as Minho brought another plate full of done food and set it on the table in front of you. 

He gave you a teasing smile, “Hi baby. Welcome back.” 

You couldn’t hide your grin, reaching a cautious hand out to him, unsure if he would grab it. “Hi Min. Glad to be back.” Thankfully, he did. He held on to your hand for a second, running his thumb along the skin of your knuckles. Then he brought those same knuckles up to his lips, placing a kiss there. It was so soft you almost didn’t feel it. It only lasted a moment though, before he let you go and returned back to the grill.  

You let your hand drop with a sigh. Sometimes you wondered where you stood with Minho. One moment it seemed like he hated you, the next it was like he cared for you. Almost as if you were lovers. The back and forth from him was giving you whiplash to say the least. Chan was behind you, running his lithe fingers along your exposed thighs. “Hey now, no more thinking for tonight. Just relax, omega. I got you, Alphas got you.” 

You nodded and were going to reply when you were distracted by the sliding door flinging open. Felix stepped out holding a plate, Seungmin was right behind him also holding a big plate. “Ok this is the last of it!” Felixs eyes found yours quickly and he shoved the plate he held at Minho, who cursed him out for almost dropping it. He scurried over to you quickly, kneeling down to be beside you. “Y/n, baby. Are you ok?” He looked deep into your eyes, pressing his forehead against yours. 

“Mhmm, I’m fine Felix. Just really sleepy.” You shrugged sleepily, giving him a kiss. 

Seungmin sat down in front of you with a snicker. “Oh I bet you're really exhausted after what Innie did to you, huh baby? If the sounds that came outta his room was any indication.” He deepened the pitch of his tone, “ ‘Oh omega I’m gonna ruin you, I’m gonna breed you and make you mine.’” He imitated the youngest pack member, adding in fake growls. 

“Seungmin!” You pushed him away as he laughed, “Don’t be vulgar.” 

He leaned in real close with a smirk, “I thought you liked it when I talked dirty to you, puppy.” 

You stuttered, turning your face away from all the boys. “Well… I- um..” You felt your face heat up as you tried to come up with a witty response but fell on none. “ Well you're a jerk so, blah.” 

You felt Chan laugh from behind you, clearly he was amused at your turmoil. “You’re so cute, omega. So feisty.” 

“Don’t you start making fun of me too!” You craned your neck back to see him biting his lip to hold back his chuckles. “You’re supposed to be on my side!” 

He held one hand up in defense, “ I am on your side, baby. But I also know he’s telling the truth, so why fight it.” 

You huffed, crossing your arms but wincing when you accidentally brushed against the deep bite on your breast. Felix was the one to notice your discomfort. “What’s wrong? Are you hurting?” 

You rubbed the spot that was sore, “It’s nothing, just a leftover battle wound from helping Innie.” 

Seungmin was still sat in front of you and he had zero hesitation before he reached for the bottom of your shirt and yanked it up to expose your chest to him. 

You gasped, trying to pull it back down, “Minnie! What the fuck?!” 

He smacked your hand away as he tried to locate the area that was bothering you. “Oh stop, we’ve seen you naked before there's no sense in being shy. Let me see what’s bothering you.” 

Chan soothed you by pumping out calming pheromones and rubbing your back. He wanted to see the damage himself anyways. 

You slowly felt yourself calm down, giving in to the boys around you and dropping your arms. “Thata girl.” Your alpha praised you with a kiss on the back of your head. You had calmed down so much in fact that you hadn’t even noticed your outburst has caused every member present to stare at the scene unfolding, each of them eyeing your now exposed breasts. Chan continued to pour praises and sweet words into your ears as the beta in front of you got to work inspecting.

Seungmin held your shirt up with one hand, while the other was prodding around at your fresh bites and marks. His gaze was searing into you in a scrutinizing way, as if he was meticulously counting each and every tooth mark and finger print that lingered on your body. He clicked his tongue when he saw just how deep some of these bites went, “Jesus, pup. You got fucked up didn’t you? Poor thing.” He had a sympathetic tone to his voice.

When his nails accidentally dug into the wound on your breast you winced and squirmed. Felix - who was still beside you- ran his hands comfortingly along your exposed thighs. “You’re ok, lovely.” He reassured you the best he could, but if he was being honest with himself; seeing you sitting here almost naked, just in your frilly pink panties, was making him drool. He risked a glance over at the other boys and could see the same thing for them. 

Jisung and Changbin both had their hands in their lap, as if trying to conceal their erections. Hyunjin had a proud smirk on his face (he had picked her panties out, afterall) as he bit his lip. The only one not ogling the omega was Minho, who had his back turned to the scene but Felix could see the tight grip the elder beta kept on the spatula. 

Chan and Seungmin had total concentration on your body, both looking you over for the particularly painful ones. Everyone was so invested in you that no one heard the door slide open again until the youngest alphas' voice startled them. 

“What the fuck are you guys doing?” Jeongin had stepped out to join the pack, his hair was still wet from the bath and he was barefoot. “Is this some kind of weird orgy?” 

Seungmin let your shirt fall back onto your torso with a scoff, “You wish, you sick pervert. We were examining all the marks you left on her.” 

Jeongin rubbed the back of his neck nervously, “Ha uhh yeah, I got a little carried away.” He came to your side, pushing Felix out of the way. The beta responded with a quick ‘Watch it, asshole!’ before he moved out of the way and went to sit at the table. Jeongin crouched down beside you and took your hand, “How are you feeling, baby? Still feelin sore?” 

You nodded, “Uh huh. ’m also really worn out. I need a nap.” 

Chan cooed at you from behind you, “My poor girl, you have to eat a full meal first. We gotta get you to heal up.” 

“Good thing it’s all ready now then.” Minho brought the last big platter of grilled meats and veggies to the table. He set a plate down in front of you and began to serve you your food first. He gave you a little of everything. “Here you go, be careful it's hot.” 

“Thank you Min.” You grinned appreciatively. He nodded in return, setting a lemonade down in front of you as well. 

“Come and get your food, ya filthy animals.” Minho called to the other pack mates who weren’t yet around the table. For that comment he received a few middle fingers (that he just laughed off evilly). 

After everyone was sat and served, it really dawned on you how much you enjoyed this life. The teasing and comradery was something that was still taking you some time to get used to, but it felt more like home each and everyday. While you ate Chan kept one arm around your back, keeping you close to him while he ate with the other hand. Seungmin was to your left, keeping his hand on your thigh under the table. Changbin was seated across from you playing footsie with you under the table. 

It seemed they all had their own ways of wanting to be close to you. The realization made a wide grin appear on your face. 

“What's got you so happy over there, sweet girl?” Felix brought you down out of your own little world. 

“Nothing,” You replied, crinkling your eyes at him. “Just thinking about how happy I am here with you all and how much I love you. ” 

The silence after your statement was deafening. There was a beat where no one said anything, and for a split second you felt your heart drop into your stomach. A creeping feeling of doubt began to wash over you, but it was quickly erased by the  loud chorus of “AWWWWW”s that flooded out of each boy. Suddenly you were swarmed by the pack, ending up in the middle of a huge pile of man. The sudden overwhelm of all their scents was beginning to make you dizzy. 

“You’re so cute, omega.” Chan had a cheekiness to his tone as he giggled in your ear from behind. 

You felt a wetness falling onto your chest, the drops seeping in through the shirt you wore. And then you heard the sniffles. “Ji… Please don’t cry. You’re gonna make me start crying.” You could already sense the tears welling up on your lash line, threatening to fall at any moment. 

“I can’t help it.” He wailed, burying himself into your shirt even further. “You make me- us- so happy, baby. Plus it’s not just me crying! Look at Lix and Hyun, they're crying too!” 

Now that he mentioned it you could faintly hear the little hiccups and sniffs from beside you. 

“Don't bring us up when you know we’re emotional, you dick head!” Hyunjin shrieked, pulling Jisung away so he could now hold you closer. 

“Alright guys, let’s get off of our baby. She’s still sore, ya know.” Chan was casual with his demand, being the first to pull back from you. 

“Yeah thanks to Jeongin.” Seungmin snickered and eyed the youngest Alpha. 

Jeongin cast his gaze down quickly, riddled with sudden nerves, then looked back at you with an apologetic crinkle of his eyes. “Sorry again, omega.” 

You reached your hand out to him to take, “Innie you don’t need to apologize to me anymore, or at all. I took care of you like a good omega does for her alpha. Plus, I had a lot of fun with you. You made me feel… really good.  ” You beamed at him to show you meant every word. 

He grabbed your hand, ignoring the hollering that erupted from the rest of the teasing pack. He sent you a wink before he leaned in to give you a peck on the lips. 

“Our little boy is a man now!” Changbin laughed loudly as he gave Innie a hard pat on the back. 

“Hyung, I’ve always been a man. At least more of a man than you.” Jeongin dodged the smack that was sent his way from Changbin, cackling with amusement at the elder alpha’s displeased huff. 

“You wish you were half as man as I am!” Changbin tried to puff out his chest to give a more dominant display, but all it did was make everyone laugh louder. 

“And you wish you were half the man that Channie Hyung is.” Felix added to the banter, looking to get a rise out of Bin. 

Changbins chest deflated as he pondered the statement. Then he shrugged in agreement, “Yeah pretty much.” 

“Ok ok, If we’re done eating we should clean this up. All this food left out will attract bugs.” Chan stood from his place, grabbing both his and your plates in his hands. He smooched your cheek as he stood, “sit tight love.” 

“I want to help!” You protested, eager to help the pack with even the simplest tasks. 

“You are helping. You’re sitting there looking pretty for us.” Minho patted your head as he passed you, carrying a large platter back into the house. 

You felt your cheeks heat up, turning away from him so he didn’t see the pleased look on your face. 

It was a few minutes later that the whole table was cleared and cleaned up. Chan came back for you and held out his arms for you. You lifted yours so he could grab you into his hold. “Let’s get you to bed, omega. I know how tired you must be especially now that you’d have a full meal.” 

Now that he mentions it you were starting to feel that fatigue from earlier. You covered your yawn with your hand, then nodded in agreement. “Yeah I think I’m ready for bed, Alpha.” 

He passed by the kitchen so you could say your good nights to the other boys. “Goodnight guys. I’ll see you in the morning.” You offered them a lazy smile. 

“Damn, is it that time already? I feel like I haven’t gotten to see you at all.” Jisung pouted, coming in to kiss you. 

“I know I’m sorry, ‘m just really tired.” You were starting to feel guilty about needing to sleep. ‘He’s right, they have barely seen me. Maybe I should just stay up for a while.’ 

There was a sudden twinge of sourness that was leaving your body, your contrition coming through clearly for all to smell.  

Jisung was speedy to backpedal his words, “No, it’s totally ok! You should definitely get your rest!” His boba eyes were wide and his hands were raised in a defensive way. “In fact,” He deepened his voice to act intimidating, “It is my command that you get some good rest, asap.” 

Chan snorted a laugh and there were a few scoffs and chuckles from the other boys. You had hid your smile behind your hand, you couldn’t help but feel amused at his phony display of dominance. “As you command, master.” 

Jisung visibly gulped at the name, but his reaction was nothing compared to the reaction Minho was having, the beta practically choking on his spit. He attempted to cover it up by pretending he accidentally ran into the counter when he received a side eye from Hyunjin. Minho's mind went racing at your comment, liking the way the title sounded on your lips. 

“Say goodnight to Baby, I’m taking her to bed now.” Chan brought you to each of them so they could all give you small kisses and wish you goodnight. Then he swiftly carried you up the stairs and to his bed. You will never get over how strong he is, carrying you like you weigh no more than a teddy bear.  

He set you down and covered you in the blankets. He then climbed in next to you and cradled you in his arms. You purred affectionately as you nuzzled into him. You felt instantly soothed at being back in his embrace, in the bed you share together. The alpha felt the exact same way. He was more than thrilled to have you back with him. One day he could handle, but the three days were borderline torturous. 

“Channie..” You whispered, your voice quiet as it cut through the silence within the darkness. 

“Mhm” He answered, his own eyes beginning to droop. He hadn’t slept much the last few nights, too anxious to get any real rest. 

“I love you.” 

“Mm, I love you more.” 

The both of you were out like a light.

Minho's mind has been stewing for a few days. Ever since he met Changbins new friend, Wooyoung, something hadn’t felt right. It felt like he was missing something. 

He remembers the encounter very clearly. The beta man had been friendly, almost too friendly. And very personable. He had answered each of Minhos questions, none of which seemed to raise any alarms. 

‘Where are you from?’ ‘Goyang, it’s a city up north.’ 

‘What brings you to town?’ ‘Here to help out my uncle.’ 

‘Whos your uncle?’ ‘Park Jin-young.’ 

‘Are you mated to an alpha?’ ‘Yes, his name is San. We've been mated for a few years.’ 

‘Where is he at?’ ‘He’s back at home, taking care of the cats.’

All of his answers seemed to check out. Though to Minho, the answers did seem a little too clean. There was just something that was off. Something he couldn’t quite place a finger on. He knew he would have to be diligent going forward. He didn’t want to say anything to anyone about it yet, in fear of being completely wrong. But he would hold this thought close to his chest. 

Comments and reblogs are very much appreciated!

Also if any one wants to chat about the story or share predictions please send me an ask!!

Beta read by my loves @ayejaii and @jehhskz <3

©doitforbangchan

Taglist- Closed

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the bolded names couldn’t be found for some reason 🥲🥲 sorry y’all

[hwaslayer]

the space between us three (jyh) | two.

⇢series masterlist | series playlist

⇢summary: while juggling the demands of life, yunho continues to do his best to raise his independent 11 yr old daughter, seora. throughout the years, they've built a strong foundation, an unbreakable bond— one that consists of late night talks and food runs, father/daughter dates, and sideline cheerleading at her basketball games. so when you unexpectedly come into their world, things shift. despite the uncertainty and the fear of stepping outside of their comfort zone, yunho and seora eventually learn how to open their hearts and learn how to rebuild a home where three can thrive together.

⇢pairing: single dad!yunho x f. reader

⇢genre: (18+ - minors dni) strangers to lovers, single dad au | fluff, angst, eventual smut

⇢word count: 4.3k

⇢chapter content/warnings: cussing, the cliché coffee incident pls forgive me lol, parents pushing expectations, honestly not much but an intro to y/n and her family - bit of a filler chap!

"Can you visit mom and dad this weekend with me?" You nibble on the rest of your ramen while you wait for your brother to respond. You're currently sitting on a table outside near the trees, taking your lunch under the shade.

"Can't. I have plans with the boys."

"Wonwoo." You sigh.

"What? I promise, I'll head up there the weekend after. You can come with if you want. Sorry. I just planned this ahead of time and can't go back on my word now."

"Fine." You sip your water and toss your trash onto your tray before standing and throwing it into the appropriate bins.

"What, has mom and dad been on you again about us not visiting?"

"Kinda, yeah? You know how they always make passive aggressive comments because we don't come to see them often." You grab another cup of coffee, taking your time mixing it with half and half and some sugar. "It's always 'you two are always too busy for your parents!' or a 'it doesn't even take long to visit your parents!'" Your younger brother sighs as you quietly hand over some cash to the mobile coffee shop attendant.

"I know, but they also don't understand we've got our own things going on, too."

"I guess, yeah." You lick your lips and take a small sip, being careful enough to not burn your tongue from the scorching temp. "We really should do better, though."

It's not that your parents were bad. In fact, your parents were amazing. They had brought up both you and your younger brother comfortably and happily, sending you both to the best schools and supporting you until you two were able to fully walk on your own two feet, soar high with your own two wings.

It truly was just life.

You had gotten busy; always working at the hospital, growing from the bottom up, barely taking any of your vacation or sick days. If you did, it was because you had to or else you'd reach your max, or because you truly were rotting away in your death bed from a bad flu or food poisoning.

Otherwise, you were always at work. You were always with your girls. You were always going to lagree or bootcamp style studio classes. You were always doing something to occupy your time— mainly work. And the same thing goes for your brother, younger than you by 2 years.

He's just a boy.

But, he's your brother and you're incredibly close to him. He was always listening, was always good growing up. Would always protect you, especially from dumb boys and fake friends. He got good grades and went to college overseas before moving back home and settling down. Since then, he's always learned how to be on his feet— barely ever staying stationary. He, too, was always out with his boys. Working as a full-time software engineer, working out. Traveling when he gets the chance. Dating every now and then. But, you do love that he's living life and spending time with good people. He seems to have a good balance between his work and personal lives, which makes you happy.

It's just unfortunate that you two can't seem to manage slipping in more time with your parents. You both had agreed to do better about it, especially with your parents getting older.

"Are you still gonna see them this weekend, or are you gonna wait for me?"

"Yeah, I'll pop in for a second. I already told them I'd swing by."

"Hm." He hums. "Tell them we'll stop by for longer next weekend."

"Yeah, after I get the earful first." 

"They won't." He clears his throat. "So, how's work been? Ate lunch well?"

"Yeah, I did. Work's been kinda crazy. They're opening this new department at the main hospital and it's expanding into the pediatrics side, too. We've been gearing up for it."

"Oh, really?" You nod as if your brother can see you.

"Yeah. They've been working with adult patients for their two studies, but they're going to start their pediatrics study soon. Pending on the IRB approval. But, once that's all good, they're hoping to secure their first patient, and we need to have everything ready to go."

"That's pretty cool."

"It is, but kinda hectic. Too many moving parts and people involved. It's a lot to keep up with."

"I'm sure you'll handle it well. You always do." You let out a small sigh before checking your watch and slowly walking back towards the peds hospital. 

"Hope so. Work's been okay for you?" He chuckles.

"Same old! Nothing much has changed. Not like that, anyway."

"I see. So, what happened to that one girl you were seeing recently?"

"Uh, we're just better off as friends."

"Better keep that to yourself before mom starts setting you up on blind dates."

"Same goes for you. She'd probably go for you first. Been tryna marry you off." You roll your eyes.

"It's not my priority and she doesn't get that."

"She wants a grand baby and lowkey, I kinda want a nephew or niece to spoil, too." 

"You're no help." He snorts. "Anyway, I gotta head back to my office and get some work done, I got a big meeting for that new department later today."

"Alright. Well, text me when you get home and try to take it easy."

"I will, you too, punk." Wonwoo chuckles. "Love you."

"Love you too!" And with that, the call ends. Your eyes are glued to your phone as you continue to walk back towards the hospital. The weather isn't too bad today, a slight breeze hitting your skin to balance out the warmth from the sun. You continue to switch between keeping your eyes in front, back down to your phone as you scroll through social media to catch up to things you've missed over the past few hours. When you finally get into view of the familiar building and the side lobby entrance, you slip in and head straight to the elevator without paying much attention— especially when it dings and slides the doors open for the individual behind to step out. You feel a soft thud; your body slightly coming into contact with theirs, causing some of your coffee to spill out of the opening on the lid. 

"Oh— oh shit, I'm so sorry!" You look at the tall figure, wide-eyed as you survey his outfit to make sure your coffee didn't spill everywhere on his jacket.

"You're good." He says, eyes coming down to his jacket. There's a few drops of coffee dripping down near the zipper, but nothing that can't be fixed.

"I'm soooo sorry." You repeat as you dab a napkin at his jacket.

"No, seriously. It's fine. You're good." He laughs, brushing you off in a friendly manner. "Nothing laundry can't fix."

"Still another piece to add to your load." You look up at him and slightly pout. "Sorry."

"Maybe just be careful next time?" He gives you a small smile before he brushes past and out of the elevators. You realize he's got his large hand still propped up to prevent the elevator doors from closing on you, and you can't help but feel extra embarrassed. You do a tiny nod before he lets out a small chuckle and walks away, allowing you to be in your peace as you slip into the elevator and watch the doors close in front of you.

It just had to be him.

you: i almost spilled my coffee on a really cute guy ☹️

wonwoo: he'll def never come near you again. way to go sis 💗

you: you're a piece of shit

wonwoo: 🥰

You click your teeth and sigh as you step out of the elevator and onto your floor. You had been working as project manager supporting the pediatrics unit for about a year and a half now, starting at the hospital a few years ago as an admin associate and slowly working your way up.

"What? What's wrong, hun?" Your coworker and also one of your childhood bestfriends, Noeul, chimes in. She works as an HR manager, but her team sits nearby— giving you two the numerous opportunities to chit-chat and catch up in between meetings and tasks.

"I almost spilled my coffee on some really cute guy." She purses her lips together before giving you a toothless smile.

"I mean, you didn't, right?"

"No. Maybe a few drops. Now he'll have another piece of laundry to add to his load. All because of me."

"That's a good way to be memorable." You sigh. "I'm sure he wished he got your number."

"Wow, you're the complete opposite of my brother and I love that." She laughs.

"Of course, I'll always support you."

"How'd your meeting go?" She shakes her head.

"I don't know. So many sensitive issues. I think they only keep escalating and getting worse."

"Are you still dealing with that one manager and her staff member that weren't getting along?"

"Yup. That's exactly the thing that's getting worse."

"Sheesh. I hope they find middle ground soon, or at least find new avenues so they don't have to work with each other."

"Hope so too!" She looks at you. "When's your big meeting with the hospital people?"

"Hm." You hum and check your watch. "In the next hour." You settle at your desk and she follows along, sitting on the edge of the corner. "My inbox blew up over lunch so I gotta take care of a few things before I head over." You sip on your coffee.

"My busy bee." You give her a look. "Goodluck! Let me know how the meeting goes. I've gotta file a few reports and hop into a few other meetings myself. I'll see you later for a quick break?" You give her a small smile.

"Goodluck to you, too." She blows you a little kiss before she's prancing away to her desk, greeting people on the way over. You busy yourself before you need to start packing up and heading over to the main hospital, drowning in a few urgent emails that came in over your lunch break. Time sure flies when your brain is scattered everywhere, your to-do list seemingly never-ending and tossing you in a million different places at once. 

You gather your things about 10 minutes before the meeting, which, doesn't give you much wiggle room in case you get lost. You don't go to the main hospital often, and you're not even sure if you have access to the room or how all of this would work. You are familiar with a few people also attending the meeting, but they're equally just as busy and are probably coming from other commitments. 

You let out a small breath as you power walk over to the main hospital, happy you're at least getting your steps in for the day. You trickle into the huge lobby along with others, turning towards the left where the elevators are located. You press the button, waiting alongside a visitor as the elevator makes its way down from the 6th floor. You step in and patiently wait off to the side, checking your work calendar on your phone to make sure the meeting was indeed today.

Why does it feel like you're the only one heading over?

Were you the only one late at this point?

You step out of the elevator once you make it up to the 7th floor, pausing in your steps because— where the fuck do you go now? It was such a maze in this hospital, you didn't know whether to go left or right; the numbers on the doors skipping from one number to another. You turn to you right just because you go with your gut, hearing a trail of soft voices as you finally see a group of people heading towards a huge conference room further down [and definitely closer to your left had you just turned that way]. You pick up your pace, nodding and sending soft smiles to the familiar faces that catch you through the window of the room as they settle into their seats. Rushing over, someone is stationed at the door— probably waiting for you to make it inside.

"Thank you— oh, hi." You look up at the same, tall figure you damn near spilled your entire cup of coffee on.

"Hi." He gives you a toothless smile as he holds the door open for you. "Well, at least you aren't ramming into me with your cup of coffee this time." He jokes and you can't help but feel the heat rise to your cheeks.

"Yeah, mm'sorry about that still." You wince and slightly pout.

"I'm just joking. No worries. It happens." He smiles down at you, waiting for you to walk into the conference room. You give him another subtle, short bow before slipping into a chair on the opposite side of the table. You watch as he greets people coming into the room, a bit confused as to why he's still standing by the door until he finally sees the face he's been looking for. 

He's got some kind of wit, some charm. Can't deny it's pretty attractive.

And to your surprise, he plops down in the seat next to you, followed by one of his team members [the said face he'd been looking for] you assume.

"Hope you don't mind."

"No, not at all." He gives you another toothless smile before eyeing your badge. 

"Nice to meet you, Y/N." He puts out a hand for you to shake. "Yunho."

"Nice to meet you as well, Yunho." You shyly respond. "At least I don't have to call you the guy I almost spilled all my coffee on anymore."

"Yeah, no." He laughs. "This is Taehyun, my team lead. Taehyun, Y/N." You and Taehyun give each other small, curt bows just as the higher ups step in and settle at the front of the room. 

"Hey everyone! Thanks for meeting. I know everyone is super busy so it's much appreciated." Yoori says as she flips her laptop open and pulls up the agenda slide on the powerpoint presentation. The meeting kicks off with small introductions around the table since a lot of people hadn't worked together like this, especially you and a select others mainly supporting pediatrics. When Yunho introduces himself, you find yourself enjoying the way he speaks. He's got a deep tone, but nothing off-putting. He speaks lightly and positively, chuckling in between statements.

Yeah, he's def got a witty charm to him.

When it's your turn to speak, you can feel Yunho's eyes from the side. He's paying attention and listening closely even if these are quick introductions to the team. He notices the way you shyly smile at those around you, still managing to speak clearly and concisely despite your nervousness that's physically manifesting in the way that your hands tug on the material of your jeans, fiddling with your fingers underneath the table in between the conversation.

Cute.

Then, after the light, airy introduction portion, the presentation gets a lot more technical, and you find that you're actually more involved in this than you expected. You're being asked to oversee the development of the clinical trial room in the pediatric wing, along with scheduling biweekly meetings to discuss updates. Making sure all required attendees are at the meetings and driving things forward. Coordinating across calendars, providing updates every step of the way.

And things seem to be picking up, moving real fast. Things were stalled and slow just a few months ago; now, it's all gas, no brakes.

When it comes to dealing with the ordering structure and IT developments, Yunho takes the lead and discusses the current updates and how they're still figuring out a few tweaks. Yoori is diligently taking notes on her own laptop, along with everyone else who is clarifying through questions of their own.

"Y/N, can you please work with Yunho and his team and the clinical informatics team to make sure the patient ordering enhancements will be taken care of and pushed through? Along with securing the data storage and network? I'll send you the list of required attendees that need to be at each meeting to help push these efforts forward. Let's prioritize this and try to get that done within the next week." You nod, glancing over to Yunho afterwards. He's got his chin resting on the palm of his hand and his eyes dart down to you. His brows perk up before he gives you a tiny, toothless smile. You feel your hands get sweaty from the look alone, so you divert your attention back to your laptop— typing up the rest of your notes on the side. Yunho can't help but glance over at your incredibly organized notes and the way your emails are categorized; all the folders within folders. 

Never-ending folders.

Definitely Type A. 

He does like that, though. Can't help but feel a little endeared by it. 

As the hour long meeting progresses, you feel yourself getting slightly overwhelmed by your growing task list. You can't help but feel an itch to get to your desk to scribble in your planner and get your thoughts organized. 

And as soon as the meeting ends, you cut out with quick goodbyes before rushing over to your office. Yunho was hoping to catch you afterwards to talk a little more, but he watches as you leave, the opportunity now a long gone thought. 

"Where'd you go?" Sian, your other good friend, asks. She's in the finance department, and typically comes over to check in with you and Noeul, especially when she has to drop off some mail for the peds hospital. "You and Noeul were both gone."

"I had that meeting, remember?"

"Oh shit, yeah. How'd it go?"

"I don't know." You plop onto your desk and let out a huff, pulling your planner from your bag before pulling up your notes in the cloud on your desktop computer. "So many things to do and everything feels so urgent." You've already got a few people to meet, along with pushing the operational aspect of this huge project. You've got your hands tied.

"Wow, they're moving fast with this."

"Yeah, very." You shake your head as you write out your thoughts, suddenly pausing to look back up at her as she fiddles with the figurines on your desk. "Hey, do you know the IT managers well?"

"Most of them, yeah."

"Do you know Yunho?"

"Jeong Yunho?" You shrug since you didn't really catch his badge on him. "He's the only Yunho I know of. How could you not know him?"

"Girl, I'm mostly on the peds side, I rarely come to that end." You giggle.

"He's handsome as hell. Tall. Super nice and helpful. Him and his team are so good about coming to the rescue ASAP." Sian nudges you and wiggles her eyebrow. "He's a single dad. I believe his daughter is 10? 11? Probably 11."

"Mm, dad of a pre-teen girl."

"Hey. He's making it." Sian shrugs. "Heard he's a really good father despite losing his wife years ago. I'm sure it must have been incredibly hard." You nod.

"Yeah, I can only imagine."

"He's good friends with Park Seonghwa from marketing. I think they're besties or something." You nod. 

"I only know Seonghwa from the one interview I did with him when we did the remodeling project at the peds oncology unit. After that, barely have spoken a word to him."

"He's a little hottie, too. But, I heard he's got a thing going on with Yoori."

"Yoori? Like.. Director Yoori?" Sian nods.

"They're so weird about it, though. Definitely not known publicly, but people have seen them out together a select few times. Or, seeing Seonghwa go to her house."

"Nosey." You laugh.

"Well, it's definitely a small world around here." 

"Hm." You hum. "So interesting, especially after I just saw her. I would have never suspected."

"What about Yunho, though?"

"First, I almost spilled my coffee on him this morning." Sian nods.

"Why am I not surprised?"

"I'm not that clumsy." 

"Mmkay." Sian laughs. "How much coffee?"

"A few drops." You make a face. "And then he ended up being in the meeting and sitting right next to me." 

"See, big hospital but small world." You chuckle. 

"Feels like college."

"Yeah."

"Speaking of Yunho." You furrow your brows when you see a little notification pop up in your Slack app.

yunho: hey! 

you: hi there! you found me!

yunho: 😀 sorry, i tried to catch you after the meeting but you rushed out. 

you: oops, yeah. i just had a few things to catch up on. 

yunho: all good! do you wanna schedule some time to meet before scheduling the wider meeting with everyone else? i can walk you through everything so we're on the same page.

you: sure, yeah! that'd be helpful. i'm pretty free next week. i just prefer not to schedule anything over lunch if it can be helped. 😅

yunho: i'm the same, don't trip. lol. i'll send you an invite for early next week. what time do you get in usually?

you: mm, around 7:30-8am.

yunho: hm, wanna do 10am on monday then?

you: good with me. ☺️ thank you, yunho!

yunho: sure thing!

"Aw, he even went out of his way to message you." Sian watches you exchange messages from behind.

"Girl, please? We need to talk about getting the patient ordering system together and fixing all the infrastructure for the peds unit." 

"Sounds like you'll be working with him closely? I'm actually kinda surprised his team is on this. Not saying they aren't great, but they're a bit smaller and support other departments." Sian ponders for a bit. "The other IT teams are pretty swamped though, now that I think about it. They probably have the best bandwidth right now."

"Who knows. But, yeah. I guess so. His team lead was also there."

"Maybe you'll get close to Yunho."

"Maybe I won't and just get my job done while minding my own business."

"Y/N. You're single and he's single, don't be so quick to cut him off just because he has a kid. You should put yourself out there again." She teases and you roll your eyes.

"Get out." She snorts. You hate that she's a little right about it; it had been awhile since you were in a serious relationship. You might've messed around with an old college classmate a few times, but it was so casual it ended up fizzling out all by itself and that was that. It's not like you had any bad relationships, either. They just weren't a fit, but you didn't hold any bad blood towards each other. Your mom was tired of it, though. She was hoping you'd finally stay in a serious, committed relationship— one where you'd end up walking down the aisle, settling down in a nice family home, one or two little ones running around [or more, she wouldn't be mad about it]. Maybe that's why you also dread visiting home, because she never fails to remind you that she's waiting, and that time doesn't wait for anyone. She gives Wonwoo a piece of it, too. 

Just not as much as you.

It's always this game of comparison, trying to one-up her friends in some fashion. It's frustrating to deal with. She didn't understand that you were good with where you were at. And even if you did long for a partner and affection in that sense, it's not like you could wish for it to happen and change your life overnight. These things take time. These things need to develop naturally, wholeheartedly, genuinely;

It wasn't your time yet, you guess.

"Anyway, are we still having our little girls night at your place tomorrow?"

"Mhm. Just gotta visit my parents first then I'm all yours."

"Ah." She nods. "Is your brother coming along?"

"Nope. Next weekend, though."

"Goodluck, sweets. Tell us all about it when we come over." Sian looks at her watch. "I was gonna try to wait for Noeul, but I guess she got caught up in some things. I should head back." You nod. "See you tomorrow, my love."

"See you." She smiles before giving your shoulder a gentle squeeze and turning on her heel to take her walk back over to the main hospital.

As the afternoon rushes by, you're able to dock off a few more things on your list before feeling satisfied enough to call it a day. You decide you're a little too tired and worn out to be driving elsewhere for food, so you'll pop into the main hospital cafeteria.

wonwoo: did you spill your coffee on anyone else today?

you: no 🫥

wonwoo: [sends money]

wonwoo: go get a massage or something dude, relax

you: are you serious?!

wonwoo: yeah. 🙄 got a lil bonus from work, so if i'm eatin, you eatin too i guess.....

you: best brother award 😭

wonwoo: u don't mean it

you: i do!!! ily!!! 💕 i'll never call you bighead again!

wonwoo: yeah u def don't mean it

You giggle to yourself, feeling comforted by your brother even at a distance. The thing about your relationship with Wonwoo is that you two were always sharing in each other's ups and downs— good days, bad days. There was never any competition or need to feel like one had to do better than the other, thankfully; and this was a prime example of how close you and your brother were. You truly can't wait to hang out with him next week. You adore him to bits.

As you head back to the main hospital to grab food for dinner before leaving for the day [you definitely prefer the food there], you catch Yunho speaking to one of the nurses on her way out. She's blushing, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear while she laughs. Yunho looks nervous, but he's keeping himself pretty composed by the way he's smiling and laughing along with her. You brush past them quickly, and you aren't sure if Yunho noticed you or not— not like it matters, anyway. 

He was definitely asking her out. And by the looks of it, she said yes. She had been wanting to say yes for awhile. 

Welp, there goes the really cute guy you spilled coffee on. 

It wasn't your time yet, you guess.

⇢taglist: @asjkdk @interweab @woojirang @svintsandghosts @cheolliehugs @persphonesorchid @mxnsxngie @jycas @cowboydk @nopension @curse-of-art @thechaotictheoryy @likexaxdaydream @dalsuwaha @enha-stars @yasuraokaa @professormingisglasses @yunyunrin @pommelex @astral-trashcan @laura1399 @domfikeluva @tournesol155 @hwaskookies @yusalterego @hwa-stars @hyukssunflower @chngbnwf

[sweet-pea-channie]

Shadows of the Exile - Part 3

Azriel x female!reader

Summary: Azriel opens up to Y/N about his traumatic past, and she listens with understanding, offering comfort without pity. They share quiet moments, growing closer as Azriel learns he doesn't always have to be strong. The story explores themes of trust, vulnerability, and healing.

Warnings: mentions of abuse, trauma, physical and emotional pain, nightmares

Word count: 5.4k

A/N: This is not really a filler, but kinda. This chapter shows some snippets of Y/N and Azriel living together. I hope you like it.

series masterlist

Y/N had slowly started to settle into Velaris over the past few weeks. She had moved into her rooms at the Town House, was working with Madja to learn the healing arts of the Night Court and had even spent a few quiet evenings with the Inner Circle. But even though she liked the city, it still didn’t feel like home.

Maybe it had something to do with the nights.

In the Dawn Court, the night was never truly dark. The gentle glow of the sunrise always shimmered in the distance, and even the darkness carried a warm, comforting light within it. But here… here the night was deep and unyielding. Even the soft light of Velaris couldn’t chase away the shadows that stirred at the edges of her thoughts.

And Azriel's shadows had noticed.

She felt them sometimes when she tossed and turned, sleepless. A soft whisper, a barely perceptible breeze, as one of the dark figures moved through her room. Y/N ignored it, attributing it to nightmares or the stress of a new beginning. But she knew it wasn’t just that.

Still, she forced herself out of bed every morning early – out of habit. In the Dawn Court, she had always risen with the sunrise, watching the colors of the sky and feeling the first warm rays on her skin. But here, surrounded by mountains, the sunrise was just a pale glow behind the peaks, and it didn’t feel the same.

And so it was that on this morning, she found herself standing much too early in the kitchen of the Town House, arms crossed, waiting for the steaming tea she had just brewed.

What she hadn’t expected was that she wasn’t alone.

Azriel was already sitting at his usual spot at the kitchen counter, a book in one hand, a cup in the other. His wings were loosely folded, his dark hair slightly tousled. But his gaze was alert as he looked up at her.

Y/N blinked. “You’re up early.”

Azriel raised an eyebrow. “I’m always up early.”

Of course he was. She should have guessed. While Cassian was probably still snoring loudly in his bed, Azriel seemed like the type who was already making productive use of the sunrise.

“And you?” he asked, his voice calm, but with a hint of curiosity. “I wouldn’t have thought you were a morning person.”

“I am actually,” she murmured, picking up her cup, “but I don’t sleep particularly well.”

His shadows stirred almost imperceptibly. As if they knew she wasn’t telling the whole truth.

Y/N pretended not to notice, sitting down on the chair opposite him and warming her fingers on the hot cup. “What are you reading?”

Azriel studied her for a moment, as if weighing whether to ask further questions. Then he tapped the book. “Reports on old healing methods. I thought it might interest you.”

She raised an eyebrow in surprise. “You’re reading about healing?”

“I like to learn about the skills of the people around me,” he said simply.

Y/N took a sip of tea, her thoughts still partly rooted in the night. But just as she was about to relax, she noticed Azriel reaching for his cup. His fingers closed around –

Nothing.

She was holding his cup.

Azriel blinked slowly, then his gaze moved from the cup in her hands to the identical vessel in front of Y/N.

“That’s mine,” he stated.

Y/N frowned. “I just took it.”

Azriel shook his head slightly. “I use the same one every morning. And it was right here when you came into the kitchen.”

Y/N studied her cup – plain, dark, nothing to indicate ownership. She glanced over at his – identical.

“Maybe you moved it somewhere else today,” she suggested.

Azriel just looked at her.

A telling silence settled between them until Y/N finally grinned and pushed the cup across the table. “Here. I don’t want to be the reason your routine gets thrown off.”

Azriel took the cup, and she could have sworn there was a flicker of amusement in his usually serious eyes for a split second.

“I’m used to disruptions,” he simply said, then took a sip and returned to reading his book.

Y/N leaned back with her own – now definitely not stolen – cup and watched him from the corner of her eye. Azriel had a strict daily routine that usually kept him calm. At least he had something during the day that always stayed the same with his job.

Maybe it wasn’t so bad if her nights stayed sleepless. Because that way, she got a rare glimpse into a moment when Azriel was simply Azriel – and that was somehow fascinating.

-

The air in the clinic at the House of Wind was filled with the scent of herbs, a mix of lavender, thyme, and the slightly bitter note of verbena. Y/N stood at a massive wooden counter, a mortar in one hand, while she carefully ground a dried root into fine powder with the other. The mixture she was preparing was for a healing potion – nothing complicated, but effective against muscle inflammation and minor wounds.

The past weeks had put her into a steady rhythm: during the day, she took care of patients – warriors, scouts, sometimes even civilians from Velaris who had been brought up. At night, she tried to sleep, though her dreams were often disjointed, an echo from her past.

Madja had entrusted her with much of the clinic, and although it was a challenge, Y/N enjoyed the work. It reminded her of her life in the Dawn Court, of the peaceful moments between wars. Here, amidst salves, potions, and healing spells, she could briefly forget that a new war was on the horizon.

She reached for an ampoule of distilled moonwater and carefully added a few drops to the mixture. The liquid shimmered briefly before blending with the herbs. Perfect. She wiped her hands on a clean cloth and stretched as a gust of wind blew through the open window.

A bad omen.

Y/N paused for a moment. Maybe it was just her imagination – or maybe something was about to happen.

On the training grounds of the House of Wind, two bodies collided with force. Cassian dodged a strike, letting himself fall back intentionally, only to bring Azriel off balance with a quick swing of his sword.

“You’re getting slow, Shadowsinger,” Cassian teased as Azriel rolled smoothly and quickly got back on his feet.

Azriel didn’t flinch. “Or you’re just becoming more predictable.”

With those words, he launched into an attack – fast, precise, his blades whispering through the air. Cassian blocked the first strike, dodged the second, but the third hit him on the side. Not strong enough to cause serious harm, but enough to force him back a few steps.

Rhysand watched the scene from the edge of the training ground, arms loosely crossed over his chest. He could feel that Azriel was fighting more aggressively today than usual.

Maybe it was overcompensation.

Maybe it was because of her.

Y/N had been in Velaris for months now, and Rhys had seen how Azriel was slowly changing. It was subtle – Azriel was not a man who could be easily read. But Rhysand had made his quiet observations.

How Azriel always chose a spot near Y/N at the shared dinners.

How he discreetly made sure she settled in.

How his shadows never strayed far when she tossed and turned in her bed at night. And Cassian had noticed too.

Azriel attacked again, and Cassian countered with a quick movement of his wing. But Azriel was faster – he ducked under the strike and used all his strength to bring Cassian to the ground.

But in his haste, he missed a small irregularity in the ground – and as he shifted his weight, he slipped slightly. It wasn’t a heavy fall, but the unfortunate impact sent a sharp pain through his right forearm.

Cassian landed on his back and laughed, breathless. “Not bad, brother. But – was that a wobble I just saw?”

Azriel said nothing. Instead, he examined his arm – it didn’t feel broken, but definitely sprained.

Rhysand stepped closer and raised an eyebrow. “Injured?”

“Nothing worth treating,” Azriel muttered.

Cassian jumped to his feet, dusted himself off, and grinned widely. “Oh no, my friend. We have a healer now, and you’re going to see her.”

Azriel shot him a sharp look. “That’s not necessary.”

Cassian exchanged a glance with Rhysand. Then he leaned against his sword with feigned thoughtfulness. "You know, Rhys, isn't it interesting how our usually reserved Azriel suddenly becomes very... present when Y/N is around?"

Rhysand smirked. "Oh, definitely interesting. And he will become even more interesting when he tends to his injury and lets her treat it."

Azriel sighed. "It's just a damn scratch."

Cassian placed a hand on his heart. "But what if it gets worse? What if your arm just falls off?"

Rhysand shrugged with feigned sympathy. "And what if Y/N is disappointed that you don't trust her?"

Azriel glared at them both. "You two are impossible."

Cassian grinned. "Thank you."

Azriel rolled his eyes—but inside, he knew he had to give in.

When Y/N heard footsteps, she was preparing a fresh salve with arnica and dragon root on a tray. The thick mixture gleamed golden under the light of the magical lamps that hovered in the clinic, casting a soft, warm glow.

"I'm almost done," she called out without looking up. "What do you need?"

"To get rid of Cassian."

The deep, calm voice made her look up—and there stood Azriel.

He casually leaned against the doorframe, as though he wasn’t in a hurry to actually step inside. His right arm was slightly bent, a subtle hint that he didn’t want to strain it too much. His dark clothes were slightly torn in one spot, right at his shoulder, where a thin, bloody line could be seen.

Y/N raised an eyebrow. "Did Cassian send you?"

"Cassian and Rhysand," he corrected dryly.

She snorted in amusement and motioned with a tilt of her head for him to sit on the treatment table. "Then come here before the two of them come over personally to make sure you don’t just walk off."

Azriel made no move to get up immediately. Instead, he let his gaze wander through the clinic. It was different than Madja had furnished and arranged it, but Y/N had already filled it with her own style.

Shelves with dried herbs, glass bottles with carefully labelled tags, a large wooden table where she mixed her potions. A blanket with golden embroidery lay over one of the chairs, and on the wall hung a map of Prythian—not the usual one, but an old, hand-drawn version with fine details of territories that hardly anyone remembered anymore.

He hadn’t expected her to settle in so quickly.

"Azriel," she said with feigned sternness. "If you're here, then sit down."

He barely shook his head but finally stepped closer and sank onto the chair.

"Let me see," she said, and reluctantly, he extended his arm.

Her fingers gently touched his skin, testing. Her touch was warm but not intrusive, her hands sure in their movements. He watched as her brows furrowed slightly while testing the tendon at his wrist.

"It’s not broken," she stated, "but you’ve strained it slightly. I can speed up the healing with magic, but it would be better if you don’t overdo it tomorrow."

Azriel remained silent.

By now, Y/N was used to him not talking much, so she focused on using her magic. A gentle warmth spread beneath her fingertips, a golden shimmer that sank into his skin.

He kept watching her.

He noticed how her pupils dilated slightly when she worked her magic. How her lips barely twitched when she was thinking about something.

How a single strand of hair had come loose from her braid and fell against her cheek.

How she unconsciously bit her lower lip slightly when she was especially focused.

Azriel let his gaze wander further over her while he felt the soft tingling of the healing. She was completely immersed in her work, as though she was here in this moment with every fibre of her being.

Then his gaze moved to her throat, to the barely noticeable rise and fall of her breath. She had reached a point where she wasn’t afraid of him anymore—or at least pretended not to be.

Interesting.

"All done," Y/N said finally as the glow faded. She released his arm, leaned back slightly, and studied him critically. "Now for the shoulder."

Azriel hesitated.

It was just a scratch.

"Y/N, that’s unnecessary."

"Oh, it is." She tapped her finger on his injured shoulder. "You surely don’t want to risk dirt getting in there. I can seal it, and it’ll heal in a few hours."

He could see she wouldn’t back down. So, he let her proceed.

She slipped fresh gloves on and grabbed a soft cloth, which she dipped into a clear liquid—moon water, mixed with an antiseptic solution of silver moss.

Then she gently pulled the fabric of his shirt aside.

Azriel felt her fingertips linger on his skin for a moment before she carefully cleaned the wound. It burned slightly, but he didn’t react.

Instead, he kept watching her.

The way her eyelashes lowered just a bit when she looked closely. How she wrinkled her nose ever so slightly when she was unhappy with a wound. How she seemed to be exactly where she needed to be.

Azriel was a trained observer. And everything he saw here was fascinating.

"Finished," she said finally and set the cloth aside. She then took a small jar of salve and opened it with practiced fingers. "I’ll apply this, and then you’re free to go."

He expected her to use a bandage, but instead, she gently rubbed the salve into the wound with her fingertips.

It was a moment, so small and insignificant—and yet it felt different.

Azriel, used to pain, used to touches that were rarely gentle or careless, felt his muscles relax for a brief moment.

Then Y/N lowered her hands and stepped back.

"That should be it," she said as she pulled off her gloves. "But remember—no strenuous training tomorrow."

Azriel slowly stood up, tested his arm. The pain was almost completely gone.

But something else remained.

Something that had nothing to do with magic or healing.

"Thank you, Y/N," he said finally, and when she looked up, her gaze was warm, yet challenging.

"You're welcome. But next time you want to ruin your bones, at least wait until I'm done with my potions."

He hesitated for a moment, then slightly tugged the corners of his mouth upward.

It wasn’t a smile. Not really.

But it was enough.

And Y/N noticed.

—

It was late at night when Azriel finally entered the house, closed the doors behind him, and left the cold outside. The day had lasted longer than expected, and the mission had been more exhausting than it initially seemed. Twilight had long turned into the deepest night, and the House of Wind was quiet. The only sound echoing through the corridors was the soft tap of his boots on the floor.

He was exhausted, but he knew he wouldn’t go to bed right away. Azriel could never simply sleep when returning from a mission. Instead, he pulled the hood of his cloak lower over his face and quietly made his way through the house. But as he walked down the hallway, he caught a tantalizing scent coming from the kitchen. It was the familiar aroma of herbs, spices, and something fried—a scent he had long associated with Y/N.

When he stepped into the kitchen, he found her there, alone, in front of the stove. Her hair was tied in a loose knot, and her eyes were glowing as she turned to greet him. She wore a simple, comfortable dress and seemed completely absorbed in her task as she prepared dinner.

"You’re late," she remarked when she saw him. But her gaze wasn’t reproachful, rather curious and inviting. "I hope you haven’t already eaten. There’s still plenty here, even for you."

Azriel wasn’t swayed by her friendly offer. "Sorry I’m so late," he muttered, although he knew she never truly needed an apology. "I thought it wouldn't take longer."

"No problem," Y/N replied with a smile. "You don’t have to apologize. You’re here, and there’s enough for both of us."

Azriel hesitated for just a moment before nodding. "I’ll freshen up quickly, then we can eat together."

"Sure, no problem," she answered, turning back to the stove and flipping a pan. The scent of freshly prepared herbs and fried meat filled the room, awakening an appetite in Azriel that he hadn’t felt in a long time.

He quickly changed to freshen up, while Y/N continued preparing the food. When he returned to the kitchen, she had set the table. Two plates stood ready, the light from the candles casting gentle shadows on the walls, and the room was filled with a calming, almost familial atmosphere.

"You’ve set the table nicely," Azriel commented quietly as he sat down. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Y/N replied, taking a seat as well. She filled the plates and handed him one. "Food is important. We sometimes forget how much it can give us, not just for the body but also for the mind."

Azriel nodded, although he knew she meant more than just the meal. The times they shared meals together were always more than just eating. It was the rare feeling of peace that he never really found, except in those moments. Eating together. Simply being.

The first bite was good, better than good. The flavours blended perfectly, and for a moment, Azriel could forget the exhaustion and stress of the mission.

"You’re a great cook," he remarked with a small smile as he took another bite.

"Thanks," Y/N replied with a smile, one that gently played at the corners of her lips. "It’s nothing special. But I like making simple things well."

Azriel found it hard to enjoy the moment without being distracted by thoughts of the mission or the constant tension that followed him. But Y/N had this strange ability to pull him out of his own world and into the moment.

"Tell me about the mission," Y/N said after a while, watching Azriel silently. "What happened?"

He sighed, keeping his gaze on his food. "It was just a simple reconnaissance mission, nothing more. Nothing extraordinary. But sometimes, that’s what wears you out the most—the constant traveling and the watch that never ends."

"I understand," Y/N said calmly. "But there’s more, right?"

Azriel looked up and met her gaze. Her eyes were gentle, but in them lay a determination to truly see him. She wanted to hear more. And somehow, he knew that he could trust her.

"There’s always more, Y/N," he said quietly. "There are always those moments you try to forget because they catch up with you if you think about them too long. But when you leave them behind, they come back with every new mission."

Y/N took another bite, never looking away from him. "And what do you do when those moments catch up with you?"

"I ignore them," Azriel said, a bitter smile spreading across his face. "I try to do things that distract me – like work, train, eat… just keep going."

A moment of silence hung between them before Y/N turned the conversation in another direction. "What about the scars?" Her voice was soft, but direct, as she looked at the hand he always kept hidden.

Azriel stared at the table for a moment, his fingers wrapped around the fork as he processed her question. The thought of his scars was never easy for him, but she was the first person to ask about them without pity.

"The scars…" he began, his voice steady as he gathered the words he had long kept hidden. "They come from a time I'd rather forget. As a child... let's just say, I didn't have the childhood one might imagine."

Azriel sank heavily into the chair, his hands resting on the table, fingers stiff and tense as he began to speak about his past. Y/N listened intently, never once breaking eye contact. It was a story he rarely told—too often had he encountered pity when speaking of his childhood, too often had people felt sorry for him without truly understanding.

He spoke quietly, almost as if in thought, describing how he was held in a dungeon as a child. His half-brothers, who despised him, sought to break him. And they did so in the worst possible way. The pain he endured during that time was nearly unimaginable. Y/N sat silently, her gaze calm, but there was an understanding in her eyes that Azriel had not expected. When he finished, he said no more, simply painting the image of the flames in his memory. Deep down, he knew that he had never told anyone more than that.

But Y/N didn’t look at him with eyes full of pity. She didn’t look at him with those soft, sad eyes he had so often seen in others when he shared his story. Instead, her gaze held a kind of quiet compassion. It was as though she understood why he had become who he was—a warrior who could never show himself, never appear vulnerable.

"I’m sorry that happened to you," she said finally, her voice soft but not gentle. It was more an expression of understanding as she spoke. "But that doesn’t mean you have to always be this way. You are more than your past, Azriel."

Her words hit him differently than all the others. No apology, no unsolicited comfort. Just a simple, strong compassion that made him feel that she wasn’t just seeing him, but understanding him—and that was all he had ever wanted.

"It’s not necessary to show pity," Azriel said, the words coming out a little sharper than intended. "I survived that. I’m here."

Y/N nodded, holding his gaze. "I don’t think it’s pity, Azriel. It’s just... I understand. Not everyone has to go through it to know what it feels like."

A flicker of relief washed over Azriel as he heard her words. He had never sought pity, never wanted anyone to feel sorry for him. But Y/N understood. She understood in a way he hadn’t expected—without the burden of pity.

"Thank you," he said quietly, and in his eyes lay an indescribable amount of gratitude.

The rest of the meal passed in pleasant, silent communication. There was no need to say more because Y/N had given him something he had never truly experienced in his world—the feeling of being understood without feeling weak.

-

It was always the same hut.

Dark, damp, cramped. The walls were made of rough wood, the roof barely more than a hole-ridden shield against the rain that fell in cold drops upon them.

The dampness crept into their clothes, making their skin burn with cold. Her hands were rough, sore as she pressed them against the floor, trying to push herself up—but a heavy, unyielding hand pressed her down.

"Stay down, girl," growled a deep voice above her, rough and mocking.

Y/N gasped, struggling to break free, but the fingers only dug deeper into her shoulders. Above her stood a man—tall, twice as broad as her, with hardened, weathered features and cold eyes. A sharp knife slowly glided between his fingers, as if he were taking his time.

Another man beside him laughed. "Go ahead, call for your father," he taunted. "Do you really think they’ll come?"

Y/N’s breath came in quick gasps. "Father! Kieran!"

But the only echo was the men’s laughter.

"There’s no one here, little thing," the first man hissed. He ran the knife tip across her face, just lightly enough not to leave a cut, but deep enough that she felt the threat.

"Next time, think twice before healing one of the girls here."

A scream—her own, but it sounded so distant, so foreign.

Then came the darkness.

Y/N knew she should sleep. She knew it because her body longed for it, because her limbs were heavy from the work at the clinic. Yet she lay awake, her gaze fixed on the ceiling of her room as the shadows of the night settled around her.

But she was afraid to close her eyes again, afraid that the dream would return and she’d be trapped in that hut once more.

In the Dawn Court, the night was gentle. Here, in Velaris, it was deep, endless—and full of memories she didn’t want to invite. So, she finally got up, threw on a thin cloak, and quietly left her room.

The coolness of the night wrapped around her immediately as she stepped onto the balcony of the Town House. The wind played with her hair, carrying the salty scent of the sea and the quiet rustling of the Sidra.

And then she noticed him.

Azriel was already there, standing at the edge of the balcony, his arms loosely crossed over his chest.

He had been so still that she almost missed him—but that was nothing new. Azriel had the ability to blend with the shadows, even when standing in the light.

"Can’t sleep?" His voice was calm, carried by the wind.

Y/N flinched slightly, then sighed and stepped beside him. "Yeah. I can’t sleep. Too many thoughts keeping me awake." Her voice was quiet, but it was more than just a simple conversation. Azriel had learned to listen between the words.

"I know that," he replied, though it didn’t sound like an answer to her words. It was more a reflection of agreement. "There are nights when my mind can’t find rest."

She nodded again, but then looked at him, her eyes open and honest. "What’s on your mind, Azriel?"

The moment was still, almost heavy, and Azriel felt the pull of always having to be strong. He had never really thought about how he felt—only what he needed to do. But Y/N seemed to understand that without pushing him. Her question wasn’t curious or probing; it was more of a sincere interest that sparked a small sense of freedom within him.

"The darkness," Azriel finally said, his voice almost a whisper. "I’ve carried it with me for so long that sometimes it feels like the only constant."

Y/N looked at him for a long moment, as if weighing his words. Then she stepped a little closer, her hand brushing his as though she felt some invisible bond between them. "The darkness can teach us a lot," she said softly. "But it doesn’t have to define us, Azriel. You’re not just the shadows you carry. You’re also the one who stands against them. The one who’s there for others."

Azriel looked at her, and in her eyes, he found something he hadn’t expected: no pity or mercy, but a simple, firm trust. Trust he didn’t believe he deserved. Yet her words echoed in him, deeply, and touched something he had long kept hidden.

"You understand more than you know," he murmured. "I never sought this understanding. But now, with you... it’s as if I can finally let go."

Y/N smiled gently, and it was a smile full of warmth and acceptance. "No one has to carry everything alone, Azriel. It’s okay to admit sometimes that you can’t bear it all."

That moment was the first time Azriel questioned himself a little, the first time he began to understand that he didn’t always have to be the unyielding one who just endured. Y/N had given him a space where he could simply allow himself to be who he was—without the constant burden of always having to be strong.

Azriel watched her from the side for a while, but she didn’t immediately return his gaze. Instead, she focused her attention on the sky above them.

Velaris was a city of light, but here, far from the hustle of the streets, the stars were clearly visible. They twinkled, embedded in the vast night sky—endless, timeless.

Y/N crossed her arms over her chest. "In the Dawn Court, the nights aren’t this dark," she said quietly.

Azriel tilted his head slightly. "How are they?"

She thought for a moment. "Softer. Gentler. Even the darkness carries a golden glow, as if the sun never fully sets."

Azriel fell silent, but she could feel that he was listening. So she continued. "I loved getting up before sunrise. When the sky slowly shifted into pinks and golds, when the first rays of sunlight touched the temples of Cesere…" She briefly closed her eyes. "It always felt like a new beginning."

She felt his gaze on her. Azriel was studying her with that intense attention he sometimes showed—as if he were trying to decipher something that couldn’t be put into words.

"And now?" he finally asked.

Y/N opened her eyes and looked into the night.

Silence.

Not uncomfortable but charged with something she couldn’t name.

Azriel turned his gaze away from her and directed it at the city below them. "Velaris can be patient," he said after a while. "It will give you the time you need."

Y/N snorted softly. "And what if I don’t even know how much time I need?"

He didn’t answer immediately.

Then, after a moment, he said calmly, "Then you wait. And one day you’ll realize you’re not counting anymore."

His words were simple, but Y/N felt they came from experience.

She turned slightly toward him, studying his profile—the sharp angles of his face, the faint shimmer of his scars in the moonlight, the way the wind played with the dark feathers of his wings.

"You’re often out here, aren’t you?"

Azriel nodded. "The night is easier than the day."

Y/N studied him for a moment. She knew he wouldn’t say more—but she understood enough.

Then, almost without planning, she said, "Tell me about the stars."

Azriel looked at her, surprised this time. "What?"

Y/N shrugged. "You stand out here every night. So, I assume you know them." She gestured with her hand upward. "Tell me about them."

Azriel remained silent as though considering whether to do so. Then slowly, he raised his hand and pointed at a constellation in the sky.

"There," he said softly, "that’s the Hunter. An old story from the mountains. The legend says he was once a mortal man who reached for the stars to save his great love. But the gods forbade him, so he climbed higher and higher… until he never returned."

Y/N followed his gaze, seeing the glowing points that formed a vague shape.

"Sounds like a tragic story."

Azriel nodded slightly. "The best stories usually are."

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "So, you’re a romantic."

His mouth barely twitched. "If you say so."

A light gust of wind made her shiver, and almost imperceptibly, Azriel removed his cloak. Before Y/N could protest, he draped it over her shoulders.

She froze for a moment, surprised by the sudden warmth, which came not only from the fabric. Then she pulled the cloak tighter around her and gave him a brief glance. "Thank you."

He shrugged, but she noticed that he leaned a little closer to the balustrade, as if making sure she wouldn’t give the cloak back.

They stood there a while longer, silent but not uncomfortable.

It was a quiet moment, one that somehow… felt right.

And when Y/N finally felt the fatigue reach her, she turned to him.

"Good night, Azriel."

He met her gaze, and for a split second, she thought she saw a hint of softness in his dark eyes. Then he nodded. "Good night, Y/N."

She disappeared into her room—and felt the warmth of his cloak on her skin long after.

The next morning, when Y/N entered the kitchen, her hair still dishevelled from sleep, Azriel was already sitting at his usual spot.

He was drinking from his cup—this time, definitely the right one—and glanced up briefly when she entered. For a moment, they locked eyes.

Then Azriel raised an eyebrow. "Can’t sleep?"

Y/N leaned against the counter and gave him a crooked smile.

"Not anymore."

Azriel said nothing—but his gaze told her he had noticed.

-

Taglist: @princesssunderworld@tele86@quiet-because-it-is-a-secret@rose-girls-world@iluvyewman-blog

Want to be added to the taglist? Let me know :)

[thedarkmistress16]

A/N: The last two parts were mostly finished so thats why this chapter and future ones are gonna take longer to pump out btw. sorry in advance!

my schedule is still kinda inconsistent, lol. and i got sick, but I luckily kicked procrastination and writer's block in the ass to finally pump this chapter out! it's been too long, sorry for the wait! this one's longer so settle tf in chat.

Stalker!Yandere!Tony Stark x Fem!Reader- To Steal and Dote On (Same tags as prev. apply, plus: Camera stalking, Watching without consent, Listening without consent, Recording without consent, Tampering with private property, Tony the delusions of grandeur extraordinaire, Tony having perverted thoughts of Reader, Pepper's having none of Tony's antics, Tony and Pepper interacting like siblings? probably Ooc there sorry)

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 |

Chapter 3: Give and Take

(source is unavailable; gif is not mine I promise.)

Taglist: (if anyone wants to be added for this fic just let me know!)

——————————————————————————————————

There’s another package.

You falter mid-step, keys loosely dangling from your finger. They lightly jingle as they continue to sway with the remaining momentum and ring together from impact.

It’s the only sound accompanying your thoughts as you stare at the wrapped present sitting in front of your door.

You almost feel like you’re sent back in time repeating the events of yesterday, but… no. This one is different.

A basket, not a box.

Decorated with all the bells and whistles, unlike the unassuming box of chocolates. Gift filler and bows galore wrapped securely in cellophane.

There is one similarity that mocks you: a thick cardstock folded in half, your own name staring at you in black ink.

And just like last time, there’s a message.

“Some more for you to try, (Name). The best of the best. Hope you like them. —Your knight in rose-gold armor ❤️💛”

Peeking through the contents basket for the first time, you saw various boxes stuffed inside with different signage and decals that hinted at something familiar.

…

More suspicious chocolate?

From the same sender?

Your head swivels back and forth, analyzing the halls on the off chance that whoever dropped this off was still lurking closeby to gauge your reaction.

No dice.

An exasperated exhale leaves your lips as you turn back to the basket.

Reluctantly, you haul the thing inside.

Unwrapping it leaves you more befuddled.

It's a slew of chocolate brands you've never heard of, and all from different countries. Each has their own origins with confectionery detailed in fluffy and exaggerated scribbles, too. You take a wild guess and figure they’re in the caliber of high-end decadence.

Despite your unease at the quantity, you highly doubt all this chocolate is poisoned.

So, at least your admirer doesn't want you dead.

Still, it is an excessive amount to go through, so you suppose the first step would be figuring out the ones you do like.

You limit yourself in testing the most basic flavor you can surmise out of the assortment; one brown morsel per box to test the brands in an effort of fairness and avoiding sugar-induced nausea.

Just like that first time.

Cut to you leaning against your kitchen counter swigging a glass of water with two piles of opened chocolate boxes on the granite surface of your counter, littered with crumpled up wrappers next to you.

Moving the glass from your lips, you breathe out a sigh as your eyes fall upon the last unopened one of the bunch. Scooting it closer with one hand as the other sets down the water, you peel open the packaging with practiced ease. Plucking out the blandest one you need to test, you pop the last chocolate in your mouth and chew.

Oh…

…

Oh?

You blink. Then blink again. Your tongue moves around, drawing out more of that taste as your hand lifts the accompanying chocolate guide card to your face. Upon re-reading the flavor profile of the confection it is that you're savoring, you realize you don't want to spit this out.

It's good.

It's really good.

Which is surprising, considering the rest of the chocolates were subpar or duds, at best. Gazing the said piles of opened treats over, you figure you'd share them with your coworker tomorrow, pawning off what you could to her and dumping or rationing out the rest as you discreetly keep the one good box to yourself.

This was given to you as a gift, after all.

There'd be no harm in that— in keeping just one… right?

——————————————————————————————————

To say (Friend name) was over the moon when you showed her your newfound chocolate stash the next day at work would be a gross understatement. She was practically fawning over them to the point of unhealthy infatuation. She had then briefly explained that she recognized them in a previous business trip she took, and something about the brands being the best of the best, alongside mention of another trip she was taking soon.

You had honestly stopped listening to the details at that point, her excitement over something that was disconcerting for you severely dampened your mood enough to confide in her about the first gift.

Judging by her initial reaction when you walked in today, you had a dreaded feeling that you would know how she would take your impromptu therapy session, and it went over about as well as you expected. Yet it didn't hinder the intensity of your emotions at her response any less.

“So… what’s the problem?”

You sigh, completely at your wit's end after explaining your dilemma in full a second time now and she still didn’t get it. (Friend name) was more content with sampling the morsels of cacao, sugar, and milk to really pay your worries any mind. Or at least with the level of severity that you did, anyway.

“Look,” you hear her roll closer with her chair as you busy yourself with planting your face onto the surface of your desk, your arms encircling your head as a cushion. “You’re getting gifts from this mysterious admirer, right?” You silently nod your head, still not looking up at her. “Right. And you don’t know why this person likes you?” She further questions through audible chewing, though it sounds more like a statement she's telling herself.

The air around the two of you falls silent for a moment.

“And you still don’t want them?”

At that, you groan aloud, muffled by your arms.

“Hey, all I’m saying is don’t look a gift horse in the mouth! If this person hasn’t threatened you at all, then what’s the real harm? And besides, it’s not like you can really do anything other than leave a report.” The comment hits you like a jab in your side, a sudden sharp sting of cold-hard reality dousing your brain cells. It unfortunately made sense, as much as you hated to admit it.

A shuffling sound of plastic can be heard as her fingers dive for another treat.

“Still, I mean if you don't want them…” She playfully ventures, gazing at your pitiful form, “I can always take any excess gifts off your hands.” Another groan escapes your lips as she laughs heartily at your expense.

You’re almost envious of how your friend is taking this all in stride before you remember that she isn’t experiencing this first-hand. Feeling the unease and caution that swirl in your gut with the first gift that was untampered yet clearly not meant for you. Not knowing who it's from and why it was happening to you, only to receive more even after trashing it.

Or maybe she's only saying this because gift receiving is her desired love language.

Regardless, your friend is clearly of no help in hindering this behavior. And despite her assurance of the harmlessness of it all, this mystery is eating you up alive.

Another miniscule part of you darkly recognizes that this all can become sinister in the blink of an eye.

You had to try something, you just don’t have any clue where this all begins.

And not only that, but…

It’s just— there’s just no way all of this stuff is for you.

——————————————————————————————————

“Seriously, (Friend name), this is ridiculous.”

Tony's ears perk up when he hears your voice through the surveillance feed of your apartment he's had opened in the background as he looks over schematics. Now, however, his full attention is on you as he spins his rolling chair for a front-row view.

“Silent lockdown, J.” The billionaire mutters, his eyes scrutinizing you through the camera as you flit about the kitchen and living space. You're on the phone as you carry a bouquet of flowers under the crux of your arm, almost like an infant.

The ones Tony sent over on his lunch break earlier today.

A pleased smile spreads across his face as you place your cellular device down and hold the tall glass in the sink, running the tap into the vase.

You want to keep them alive, he realizes with soft eyes.

“Oh, come on girl, it can't be that bad.” The call’s on speaker now, he notes, as he can hear your friend, her tone full of light teasing. It's too high pitched to sound anything short of shrill and it has the man cringing, vaguely reminding him of his past conquests. “Whatcha get this time?”

“Flowers,” you mutter. A dejected sigh falls from your lips that has Tony's heart feel a tiny bit heavier and his eyebrows furrow. Did you not like them? Were you not a woman who cared for flowers, then? That wasn't a problem, he could fix that. Tony’s eyes cut to another monitor, pulling up a document and using his finger to cross out the word in a bullet-pointed list. He peers back to observe your fingers gently stroking the leaves and the action has the stalker thinking about how soft your skin is. Your cinched expression, however, draws the man's focus as he peers at you, a plethora of inquiries running through his mind.

“What's wrong sweetheart?” Tony ventures in a hushed tone, as if whispering to you yet no one at the same time.

“I just don't understand. Why me?” Tony entertains the notion that you had just heard and answered him for a fleeting second.

“Uh, why not you, (Y/N)?” While the implication that you're dumb in her grating tone irks him, he can't help but agree with your friend’s statement.

“I mean, what did I do to deserve this?” You sound exhausted and saddened as you gingerly place the gift in question onto the countertop of your kitchen. As you run a hand through your hair, Tony's gaze falls down your body, humming at your cute business ensemble of a button-up dress shirt, knee-length skirt, and heels. He licks his lips as he spots a tiny slit cut into the fabric of your skirt that subtly gives him more of your leg to see. He runs his hands over his jeans, briefly acknowledging how clammy they are as he thickly swallows the saliva pooling in his mouth.

Could he get you to work for him?

Move into the tower out of convenience for your job and his spying?

Have you wear the same outfits?

…

More provocative ones?

…

Nothing at all?

“Are you still pouting about this? Girl.” Your friend deadpans unsexily, popping Tony out of his daydreaming. “And are you seriously asking why you don’t deserve flowers?” Your head shakes, and the way your hair flows with the movement has the man mesmerized again.

“I don't even know who would bother going through the trouble of—”

“You are more than worth the trouble, (Y/N).” (Friend name)’s tone is softer now, as if trying to be encouraging. “And it sounds to me like your little crush thinks so, too.” She sing-songs as your face burns, absolutely speechless. Then you’re indignant, chastising your friend as she giggles in the background.

Tony loves every second of witnessing your reaction, unexpectedly laughing from the sheer delight he’s feeling. (Friend name) took the words right out of his mouth. He mulls the thought over for a moment, then concludes that as long as your friend continuously acts as his wingwoman unknowingly from the sidelines, he could tolerate her presence in your life.

For now at least, until she does something to hurt you.

Still, it wouldn't hurt to further clarify her oh-so helpful sentiment…

As he stares at you, something else clicks in the brunette’s mind and he starts swiping and tapping away at the other screen again; this time perusing a new website for a little number he can't wait to see you in.

——————————————————————————————————

After the mysterious second chocolate bundle was sent to your door, many other random care packages were sent your way.

Coffee and tea pods and packets.

Sample meats and cheeses.

Party-sized chips and cookie packs.

Soaps, perfumes, and lotions.

The gifts kept coming with no sign of stopping. It feels like you're being pushed out of your own apartment by whoever’s responsible for sending them. It’s been driving you up the wall so much that you took advantage of the absurd amount of deliveries to exercise your best efforts into unearthing some answers.

All potential leads you followed resulted in absolutely nothing to show for. Anyone you could think of in close proximity to the occurrences— neighbors, landlord, the post office— were all of no help. No one in your apartment knew of or saw anyone dropping off these packages at your door. Nor did the establishments care to tell you who ordered the deliveries in the first place; it was “private information that couldn’t be released,” apparently.

That’s when you finally decided to report the incidents to law enforcement.

The only thing the police were good for was filing a report to build a case. But even without looking at the officers’ faces, you knew that what you provided wouldn’t lead to anything substantial. You barely had a complaint, really. You were just lucky they decided to humor you with opening a case instead of immediately shutting you down.

Luckily, you still had the notes that came with the gifts to hand over, proving they were meant for you and were referencing the deliveries.

Unluckily, it only helped to prove that someone had taken a shine to you; and because the contents were all printed out with a typed font, you couldn’t prove that it wasn’t just yourself who set this all up to cry wolf for attention.

Yes, that was a real speculation the officers had to your story.

Their assumptions confused you at first, but the more you thought about it on the walk home, the more peeved you got.

If this weirdo admirer wasn’t doing this to you in the first place, you wouldn’t have to deal with all this nonsense.

Pouting all the way back to your apartment, your emotions immediately turn to displeasure as your vision recognizes the slew of things piled up at your doorstep. You surmise that many of these were delivered as you were out just now, causing a pit to form in your stomach.

The clacking of shoes echo down the hall, and your head tilts up to notice a man walking in your direction. It’s an older gentleman; the hair on his head and chin are greyed out and he sports a long sleeve shirt and fleece vest combo in green, blue, and brown plaid. His dress slacks are devoid of wrinkles and are of a toffee color just like his loafers. The closer he approaches, the easier you can spot the round, thin wire spectacles perched on the bridge of his nose.

Compared to the neighborhood you resided in, the male was completely out of place— which was expected of him considering that’s who he was as your landlord.

He looks at the pile of stuff at your door before halting. He makes eye contact with you and nods, which you return in kind.

“Miss (Last name), I trust all is well?” Like with every question he poses, it comes out as a gruff statement or observation.

“Yes, Mr. Garrett, I’ve been fine.”

His attention noticeably shifts to analyze the stack of gifts once more and you shift your weight from side to side uncomfortably.

“Have you solved your little problem yet?” You know he’s essentially asking you if you’ll bother him again— his words— after questioning him on the matter a few days ago. Mr. Garrett claimed to be very irked by your insinuation that he was somehow responsible— you said nothing of the sort— and for you to kindly leave him out of your trouble. You had to end the call abruptly before you became more infuriated and did something you couldn’t take back, like yelling at him and unceremoniously granting yourself a one-way ticket to the streets. After that unpleasant exchange, you weren’t too keen on probing your landlord on the subject again.

“I already went to the police.” You announce resolutely, squaring your shoulders to steadily meet his eyes. “They’ll handle it now.”

“Good.” He curtly responds, turning to walk past you now. “Rent’s due in a few days.”

You nod in acknowledgement, reminding yourself to travel to the bank to pull the necessary cash out and place the money in an envelope, as your landlord preferred to do things the old-fashioned way “to ensure his tenants actually paid him.” Perhaps he was fooled one too many times in his youth to allow anyone an inch of leniency.

Mr. Garrett stops mid-step, turning to brazenly stare at your doorstep for the third time before locking eyes with you. “Don’t leave them there too long. A pileup like that is considered a fire hazard and I will have to fine you for it if it's not moved.” It takes a good chunk of your willpower to keep your frustrations at bay.

“Yes Mr. Garrett.”

He departs without so much as another word, and it isn’t until he turns the corner that you release the breath you’ve been holding in. You glare at the offending packages, cursing whoever they were for causing you this much of a headache.

Reluctantly, and despite your overwhelming desire to be petty and leave the gifts there, you begrudgingly bring them inside your unit and start opening and organizing the products like you had just gone grocery shopping.

You falter, almost dropping the box of coffee in your hands when a realization hits you.

This will help you save money, wouldn’t it..?

If you accepted these gifts?

You adamantly shake your head, placing the coffee where it belongs in your kitchen.

The last thing you need to do is encourage this behavior, no matter how convenient it makes your life in certain aspects.

When you finish putting everything away, you move into your living area and pick up the remote for your T.V. You thumb the power button and start walking back toward your kitchen to fetch yourself a snack. The familiar noise of the television powering up is cut abruptly short as a loud, electrical popping noise startles you before your unit falls silent.

Swiveling on your heel to turn back toward your T.V., you quickly discover that it had just decided to short out on you if the still-black screen was anything to go by. “Aw, hell. There goes my vegging out for the night,” you casually muse to yourself as you power the device down and place the remote back on your living room table.

Ultimately shrugging off your ruined plans, you really don’t have the energy to get worked up over something like this. You didn’t use the thing that much anyway, and when you did it was once in a blue moon for an indulgent night of nostalgia films. You could always watch them on your laptop or phone if you needed to.

You then resign yourself to start getting ready for bed, hoping that tomorrow will be a better day.

——————————————————————————————————

Watching over the recording of your little technical mishap last night was a wonderful reason for Tony busy himself in your space again in the heroic effort to repair your modest electrical box for you, free of charge.

And, well— Tony Stark was nothing if not an opportunist.

And possibly, a glutton for adrenaline-induced activities.

Because why else would he make another trip to your apartment so soon with the intent of modifying things in your unit when you could arrive home at any time instead of sending you a new smart T.V.?

Not because he wanted a chance to survey you in your element a lot closer than his cameras would allow at a safe distance.

Or for him to selfishly indulge in your natural scent lingering in your space and pretend he was a welcomed guest.

Definitely not Tony Stark of all people, and surely not because he was an antique restoring, sentimental man at heart.

Of course not.

But he digresses.

Dismantling and understanding the issue your television had was a fairly quick feat, repairing it even less so.

He then got a better understanding of your personal tastes as he rifled through your cabinets for the items he sent. He also took notes of the shopping reminders magnetized on your fridge for preferred products he wasn’t privy to before.

The only problem that came with finishing both tasks was figuring out what other excuse he could use to linger in your apartment without feeling more like a creeper than he already was. Tony had quickly decided to meander and poke around to find more unaware issues his mechanical prowess could easily solve.

He soon found himself half-under the pipes of your kitchen sink, various tools scattered around his body as he eliminated a pesky leak and improved the water pressure for your faucet.

Then he was tinkering with the electrical wiring in your lights.

And later, when he thought there was absolutely nothing else to do, he almost exited your apartment via the front door like he was actually supposed to be there. Tony recoiled quickly, fractals of icy fear nipping at his heart, and quickly turned on his heel to finally leave your apartment.

Maybe for good this time.

His brain, however, was bugging him about how horribly the doorknob jiggled in his hand, like it was about to fall off if given a good tug.

How easy it would be for someone to…

Tony’s face cinched together as his hands curled into fists, his nails biting uncomfortably into his skin as he fought with himself to continue walking.

He did, just in the wrong direction.

That is how the man ended up kneeling at your front door that had to be slightly ajar to be tinkered with, opened toolbox at his side while he played with the locking mechanism.

It was akin to a mantra as he continuously told himself he had to do this for your own general safety and not out of his own selfish need to deter any foul players from stealing you away from him. Reassuring himself that he was doing this because he was a superhero in Gold-Titanium armor looking out for a New York civilian in a shady neighborhood. That he was Tony Stark who did what he does best: taking precautions and countermeasures to avoid future complications.

Not because he wanted you all to himself.

“Sir,” Tony's A.I. drawls abruptly, too loudly for the covert operation he was attempting right now.

“Not now, Jarv, I'm almost done here.” The man chides to the robotic voice under his breath, frustrated over how long it’s taking to fix your finicky lock. His hand fumbles with the tool in his hand, and the billionaire grumbles before huffing in irritation. Thanks to his A.I., Tony’s concentration broke and caused his grip to slip and almost nick the metal handle of your doorknob. He's not too sure that little detail would go unnoticed, and leaving evidence like that is the last thing he needs to worry about right now.

“Sir,” J.A.R.V.I.S. insists, and Tony grits his teeth as he wipes an arm across his sweaty forehead. “(Y/N)’s heat signature is rapidly approaching.”

The man freezes in place, his blood running cold.

Then his ears distinctly catch distant footfalls thumping against a hardwood floor, accompanied by a muffled speaker.

“Yeah, (Friend name), I’ll be free this weekend.”

“Shit!” Tony hisses, flinging himself away from your door like it burned him and his hands fly around to throw his supplies back in his toolbox at the speed of light. He all but sprints toward your window, hastily fiddling with the rusty latch. In his panicked state, he almost doesn’t contemplate how long it’ll take for him to climb up to the roof, and urgently commands J.A.R.V.I.S. to bring his suit down, now.

When your window finally unlocks, Tony uses all his strength to lift the frame and shimmy out in one fluid motion. He has to turn back and let the glass slide down gently with both hands, but then he hears a familiar whir behind him. Tony pivots himself in one fluid motion to lunge toward the peeled-open metal casing of Iron Man hovering just past your building's metal staircase.

He bursts off in flight when his body's fully concealed, soaring dangerously fast into the sky. Tony almost can't think when he's breathing this hard, yet his mind's in overdrive. It's a perpetual cycle that burns his lungs, quickly leading to tunnel-vision that is all-too similar to another experience.

Then he reaches the roof of Stark Tower, touching down on the landing pad. Mechanical arms help open up the metal armor as he walks further down the platform and Tony feels he can finally start breathing properly again, gulping in fresh air like water for his dehydrated lungs.

“Where have you been, Tony? I've been looking for you everywhere!” Pepper, clad in white and black business attire, speeds toward her boss with a binder and manilla folder clutched to her chest.

Releasing a shaky breath, Tony’s mask retracts and his head turns to grin dazzlingly at his secretary despite feeling accosted.

“Pep! I didn't know you were capable of missing me that much.”

She rolls her eyes at his double-edged-ness. “I think you’re confusing me with the world in that statement.”

Tony heaves a sigh when he’s out of his suit and the action draws his assistant’s eyes back toward him. Pepper gives the man a once-over and wrinkles her nose.

“You look awful. Where were you?” She presses tersely, and Tony's face falters. “I can't even count how many meetings have to be rescheduled, and that's if those prospects aren't lost now. You can't go AWOL like that without telling someone, Tony. I almost called Rhodney.”

“Ouch,” he remarks, striding over to the closest couch. “Straight to business as always, huh, Pep?” There is no verbal response as Tony plops himself down onto the cushions, letting his body start to relax. “It was nothing, just a little charity work. Some fixer-upper stuff.”

Pepper raises a brow.

“Okay,” Tony relents, his hands raised in a surrender motion before dropping, his brain calming down and beginning to think coherently again. “It wasn't exactly charity; more like a favor for a friend. I was repairing some things of theirs, and had to bring my tools with me since they’re not very mechanical-savvy.” It was the closest he would get to telling the truth, as unintentional as it was to reveal. But knowing Pepper Potts, she would poke until the answer was satisfactory or she got tired of his deflecting. If he went with the latter option today, she'd come back to the topic with a vengeance. And after the close call he had, the last thing he wanted was Pepper digging into this matter and being a thorn in his side over it. “Oh yeah,”  He continues, closing his eyes and rubbing his forehead with his hand for a moment. “While you’re over there doing nothing but lecturing me, could you be a doll and bring over that toolbox I mentioned?”

Silence ensues, falling over the pair.

Curiously, Tony opens his eyes to find a frown souring her pretty face— a detail Tony's about to comment upon when she speaks up.

“What toolbox?” She bluntly states, staring him down with an unreadable expression.

Tony freezes before twisting his torso to look around where he last was, and—

…

..

Oh.

…

Fuck.

——————————————————————————————————

This is bad, clearly.

The person sending this stuff hasn’t made themselves known and there’s been nothing more substantial you could submit to the police, either.

But it’s not as alarming as using your address as a drug delivery hotspot or something. And you checked them again— your cards had no outrageous or suspicious charges on them, so that info was safe. It was only your home address that was being utilized without your consent.

As far as you were aware, at least.

You shiver at the unspoken thought.

Bottom line, this could’ve been a lot worse.

You looked over at your doorstep, spotting another package greeting you from your long day at work as it lies there innocently.

But it doesn’t mean you want this to continue happening either, you solemnly think to yourself. Lifting the object up and clutching it against your chest with one arm, the other searches for the distinct ring of jagged metal in your purse.

Fishing out your keys successfully, you select your apartment key and hold it out in preparation as you continue to focus your gaze onto the cardboard box, peering at your name scrawled on top of the attached parchment. Stepping forward, you blindly thrust your arm out and feel the door impact the metal tool in your hand before it yawns in protest.

Your eyes shoot up and your breath stops.

You realized with growing panic that it had— indeed, gotten worse.

Someone broke into your apartment.

——————————————————————————————————

[lovemni]

𝒾𝒾𝒾 ┆ ꗃ (현진) : JUST FINE “ 𝑠𝑜 𝑐𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑒! 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑡𝘩𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑏𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑛 𝑡𝘩𝑖𝑟𝑡𝑦 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑡𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑔𝑜. ” ── your best friend or rather crush, with his friends at the party. where were you?

p𝓻ev. | 𝒊n𝒅ex | 𝒏e𝒙t ₍⑅ᐢ..ᐢ₎

𓍯 dancerbsf!hyunjin ʚଓ dancerfem!reader ：（ 𝒾 ） 721wc ── ༯ SERIES, angst, drama, mature themes, fluff, comfort, suggestive, petnames, unrequited love, melancholy, one sided, skz ensemble, uni au. ⸝⸝𓂃 𝐥𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲. /ᐠ.ꞈ.ᐟ\ྀིྀི

yani's note ˖˙ ᰋ another chapter, more of a filler though. >< timings may be kinda confusing, sorry about that. so is it obvious who the guy was? taglist for all fics/this series is open, so are requests. i'll try to stay as consistent as i can ;3. comments, likes and reblogs are always appreciated ! happy reading <3

saturday night, 7:21 pm.

the grad party was buzzing, a soft murmur of voices intertwined with the familiar hum of the speakers that played an upbeat mix of pop and r&b. the dim glow of fairy lights hung lazily around the room, adding a cozy warmth to the celebratory atmosphere. the small apartment was packed—everyone scattered about, drinks in hand, laughter spilling freely.

“dude, i’m telling you, there’s no way your aim is better than mine,” a certain blonde argued, leaning against the wall with a stubborn pout.

a puppy-like guy next to him, huffed, shaking his head. “right, because button-mashing totally counts as skill.”

“hey, don’t act like you’re some god-tier pro.” felix’s mock offence drew laughter from jisung, who was idly sipping his drink on the couch nearby.

hyunjin smiled at the exchange, but his mind was elsewhere, mostly drifting back to someone, who’d promised to meet him later that night. he was absentmindedly twirling the stem of his glass when felix, spoke again.

"you good, mate? you’ve been zoned ever since we got here."

the raven haired just blinked, bringing himself back to the present. "huh? oh, um, just… thinking." he swirled his mocktail idly, not quite meeting his friend's gaze.

"thinking, huh?" seungmin, chimed in. the sophomore arched an eyebrow, clearly picking up on something. "about seori, maybe?"

a smirk tugged at the corner of felix's lips. "yeah, hyun. everyone knows you've been hung up, badly, on her. you two gonna make it official or what?"

hyunjin shrugged, a noncommittal sound leaving his lips. "i don't know? …i guess we’ll see." his response was casual, but the way he avoided their eyes said more than he realised.

across the dimly lit room, chris was mingling with the others, mainly laughing with the two others from the friend group, one of them slightly quieter than usual, as his eyes flicked over to where hyunjin sat. minho’s jaw clenched slightly before he turned back to the conversation, but his frustration was clear.

changbin nudged minho, his dimples lightening up the slight tension. "you’re real quiet tonight, hyung. upcoming graduation blues already hitting you?"

the quiet guy let out a half-hearted chuckle, shaking his head. "mm.. just thinking about some things."

but the younger caught the pointed look he shot in a familiar direction and raised an eyebrow, before pulling him to the rest of the group .

he wasn’t oblivious to what was happening—not by a long shot.

"hyung, where's y/n? i haven't seen her since the party started." a younger ginger spoke, approaching the group with a soda in his hand.

hyunjin shrugged once more, taking a sip of his drink. "she’s been busy with school, i think..? plus, she’s got her own.. thing going on or something."

seungmin raised an eyebrow. "yeah, but it wouldn’t kill you to check in on her once in a while, would it?"

"whenever i try to talk to her, she just pushes or shuts me out and i can't even talk to her for more than 5 minutes." hyunjin responded, a frown on his face.

"and why do you think that is?" mumbled minho, his jaw clenched and voice slightly inaudible. but he heard that.

"what?"

"she's been pretty quiet lately," felix suddenly spoke, sensing the tension. "maybe you should give her a call or something! you know, just to see how she's doing." he awkwardly laughed.

hyunjin furrowed his brows, clearly puzzled by the sudden concern. "what’s with you guys? y/n is fine, she’s just busy." he waved it off like it was nothing, his eyes drifting back to the room where seori was standing with some of the other girls. "anyway, i’m focused on seori."

minho’s grip on his glass tightened slightly, but he kept his voice even. "yeah, you’re real focused, alright," he muttered under his breath, though no one seemed to catch it.

felix sighed softly, glancing at the others, exchanging looks. they had all noticed the way y/n's mood had shifted lately—the way her bright, infectious energy had dimmed, especially when hyunjin wasn’t paying attention. but they weren’t going to push. not yet, anyway.

jisung, trying to lighten the mood, clapped hyunjin on the shoulder. "well, just don’t forget about your friends while you’re chasing after seori. you never know who might need you, yeah?"

hyunjin offered a half-hearted smile, not fully understanding the deeper meaning behind jisung’s words. "yeah, yeah, i get it. i won’t forget about any of you."

but the party had only began thirty minutes ago.

just fine taglist [open]: @babybreadddd

[project-sekai-facts]

what is your least favorite event in terms of story ?

sekai happy new year is the most filler event to ever filler but if we don't count the filler new year events then.... detective tenma? aside from that one conversation between daigo and tsukasa where the untrained is from it's abysmally written. like i get that that slot had to be a tsukasa event and there was no way around it, but it needed more time in the oven. like he's been shown to be pretty athletic and flexible and the fact they backtracked on that especially when he's still doing the splits and high kicks in every other 3dmv is just really lazy. the wall thing is also kinda stupid and Not That Hard but idk metaphor for him struggling to overcome walls in terms of skill, and he's the kind of character to obssess over those sorts of things. he's married to the grind it's fine.

the thing that probably frustrates me most though is that he doesn't actually learn anything. he learns how to climb a wall but that wasn't his real goal here. his goal was to be able to do stage combat in-character, and work on his core strength (actually consistent detail) and flexibility. only then this plot device thief shows up and now tsukasa's issue is that he can't run fast enough or jump walls to be able to catch them. and admittedly the parkour thing was something he needed for a role (also. he loses the audition for lead role. this is an important plot detail. it's shown in a card story) but it's just. comical that they couldn't even keep his goal consistent for more than like 2 chapters. and when he finally is able to catch the thief and do all the cool parkour, HE'S NOT ACTING. He just happens to see the thief and then chases them down. and the people in town think it's part of the show so he does some adlibbing, but that's after he did all his cool stunts and has caught the guy. so he literally doesn't learn how to do stage combat in-character but the story treats it like he did so. cool i guess.

also they immediately forget the thief and then in the last chapter they're like "oh i wonder who that guy was" which is the biggest tell this story is bad. literal writer's worst nightmare aside from it was all a dream. the best part was when tsukasa did the splits and injured his crotch because it was funny.

[hopelesslydevoted2paige]

004. vicious

pairings: paige bueckers x fem singer!reader

word count: 409

warnings: mentions of hate comments, cursing (like once maybe)

su’s notes: this is kind of a filler chapter tbh my bad.. BUT WE GET A FLASHBACK CHAPTER NEXT YAY!! also maybe azzi should be a potential love interest? idk because i do have a plan for the future which involves another love interest but maybe it should just be azzi… idk guys let me know and enjoy this chapter

series masterlist

everyone thinks you’re an angel but shit, i would probably use different wording

You groaned to yourself, slamming your phone on top of your notebook and putting your head in your hands.

For the past 3 hours, you decided to get back to work and start writing songs for your next album. Though you found it pointless because who would like it if no one even liked you?

You posted a picture of yourself and the notebook on your instagram, only to get hated on by Paige’s fans and some of your own.

You just wanted to dig a very deep hole, crawl into it, and ask Azzi to put the dirt back on top of you.

Curious, you checked the comments of Paige’s new post. Sure enough, there were barely any hate comments. Everyone adoring the chemistry between her and her new girlfriend.

You manically laughed to yourself as you scrolled through their pictures, remembering the times where she would come to you with tears streaming down her face.

And to think that was just 8 months ago.

You started to overthink your past relationship. Did you guys take it too fast? Did you miss any signs? Or was she really just bound to get back with her the moment she showed interest again.

Azzi knocked on your open door, breaking you away from your thoughts. “You okay?”

You shrugged. “I guess.”

She sighs when she sees your phone screen. “You need to stop torturing yourself.” She walks over to the bed to turn it off.

You lean back, your head hitting the soft pillows. “I just don’t get how they’re actually on Paige’s side. Why are you even on my side? You’ve been friends with Paige since high school.”

Azzi crawled into the spot next to you and leaned back, mimicking your position as you both stared at the ceiling. “Maybe because I actually know what happened.” She turned her head to face you. “All these people are just assuming things about you, when no one knows what really happened. I bet Paige isn’t talking about it because she knows she’s gonna get so much shit for it.”

You laugh for the first time in days and turn to make eye contact with her. “Thanks for dealing with me this past month.”

Her cheeks flush slightly. “Of course. You’re kinda starting to annoy me though..” A grin forms on her face.

You glare playfully and grabbed the pillow next to you, hitting her in the face.

She gasps dramatically. “You’re so on!”

crush my heart and wreck my image, why you gotta be so vicious?

[xetlynn]

Chapter Three, Date Night

(Alice X Reader X Jasper)

[Two] [Three] [Four]

[Warnings: Sexual topics(not much)]

[Filler chapter, doesn’t truly affect the storyline]

That night I ended up going home with Charlie, he drank a little too much to drive and I didn't want something happening to him. He was half asleep the drive home so I was glad when I made that decision. I got him to lay down on the couch and that's where he fell asleep.

After everything I fell asleep in my room. I knew if I stayed up I would have to deal with things I didn't want to. I took advantage of being a Hybrid. Sleeping away my problems was always my answer as a human and now I can do it again.

Very grateful for it too after I woke up to Alice and Jasper in my room going through my laptop. I sigh loudly, earning their attention. "You're awake." Alice announces, coming over to me and peppering kisses on my face. "Yeah, what's going on?" I ask, my eyebrows scrunched. "We got here early. Had nothing to do so we were just checking emails." Jasper tells me.

I raise a brow but honestly I don't care enough right now. I lay my head back down on my pillow. Alice straddling my waist, hugging my torso tightly.

I rub her back gently, going back and forth.

"Has the married couple said anything to either of you? Or anyone else?" I ask them, Jasper chuckles, shaking his head. "They are enjoying that honeymoon." He says, coming over and joining us on my bed.

I smile awkwardly, now just overly worried about my sister. Dying from vampire dick? What a way to go, but hopefully not the way Bella has to go out. Ugh.

I shiver in disgust at the thought.

"Rosalie and Emmett invited us to a double date." Alice suddenly says, Jasper and I look at her as she sits up, still straddling me. "Oh?"

"Yeah, I said we'd be there, it's later tonight." She tells us, I look back over to Jasper who has the same expression. Not very surprised but a little disappointed as it's our first night alone since having to plan the wedding and get everything done for that.

"It's as if we don't see them all the time." I joke, well kinda.

"It'll be nice, a relaxing night out."

"Where are we supposed to go out on a date? Four Vampires and Hybrid. You guys can't eat. We can't play a sport we will literally destroy whatever we play with unless it's baseball." I remind her, crossing my arms. "And I'm sorry but I genuinely do not want to play that." I tell her earnestly.

"You'll see." She gives me a smile that she normally does and here I am actually wishing that Edward was here so I could read her mind.

I also realized that my eye changing color thing wasn't brought up which if that means I have to go on a date for that to still not be a conversation. I will take it. She lays back down, her chest against mine. Jasper laid his head on my arm that he pulled out. I was like their heating pad or something.

I didn't mind it though.

"Swim wear?" I ask, stretching out my arms, checking myself out in the mirror. I was put into a one piece swimsuit with shorts over the top. Its not summer time though so I did not expect this. "Isn't it so cute. We match!" Alice gleams, showing off her bikini and then moving to show Jasper's swim trunks. We were all in black. Somehow all the same exact shade too.

I smile, nodding my head. "We look attractive." I tell her, then go back to looking in the mirror, flexing my arms. "When do we leave?" I ask her, still checking myself out. Noticing certain muscles pop out more with the bathing suit on. "Now actually, let's go." Alice takes both mine and Jasper's hand. It was already dark, it being 11 pm. I wonder if we're just going to the beach.

I purse my lips out trying to guess what we're going to do. We get into Jasper's new car, it being a convertible. I sit in the back, sprawling out dramatically. I notice him glance back to me, shaking his head with a small smile.

"Took you guys long enough!" I hear a voice shout behind us as we get our few things out of the car. We all look back to see Emmett with his arm around Rosalie. Both wearing swimsuits as well. Rosalie wearing a red bikini and Emmett wearing white swim trunks with red kiss marks all over it.

"We're not even late, it's thirty minutes before we said we'd come here!" Alice yells back to the buff vampire who just laughs in response. The couple hurrying over to us. "That's late." He rolls his eyes playfully but it bothers my girlfriend nonetheless.

"All right, all right, let's go have this stupid date." Rosalie attempts to hide her smile, dragging Alice by the arm. All of us following behind them. "What are we doing tonight?" I furrow my eyebrows as we go onto the sand.

"Didn't your lovers tell you, Hybie?" Emmett asks, nudging me. He watched as I didn't flinch. He does it often to see if my strength falters at all. Also with calling me Hybie ever since I turned into my wolf form in front of him. He knew I was a Hybrid, I mean obviously.

"No, obviously not bird brain." I nudge him back but purposefully a little hard causing him to stumble. "No need for the hostility." He puts his hands up in defense. "What ever, what are we doing?" I switch the subject with a smile.

"We are going to swim. Play a few water games." He winks at me, I give him a confused expression in return. "Water games?" I repeat back to him. He puts a finger up to my lips, shushing me. "I've said too much." He joins his girl along with my girlfriend. I stare at the back of his head still genuinely confused. I feel arms wrap around my waist and slightly lift me in the air. I squeal a tiny bit.

"Don't mind him, darlin. We're going to have a good time. No worries." He kisses gently at my neck, now both of us walking. "He... confuses me sometimes. I now know Rosalie can never get bored with that man." I snicker. As we get closer to the water, we get to this large blanket that has candles set up along with blood bags.

"It's our own makeshift picnic." Rosalie clasps her hands together.

"This is cute in a... way." I nod my head. "Let's dig in. I've been waiting for your ungrateful ass." Emmett plops down, grabbing a blood bag. My eyes widen but I begin to laugh. "Sorry." I mutter, Rosalie sits next to Emmett as Alice and Jasper sit on either side of me.

The waves are stopping just before the blanket, the moon was bright tonight. Brighter than the candles beside us. The temperature of the air wasn't bad either for it being autumn. It's been weirdly warm this November. It wouldn't matter to any of us even if it was super cold. "So, thoughts on the wedding?" Alice questions everyone. We all begin to chuckle. We could've figured that was going to be her first question. "I mean we set it up, it was beautiful." Rosalie gives a simple answer. "Exactly." I add in, taking a sip out of my blood bag. It would've been cooler if we put the blood in like wine glasses or something. "I mean like how it went with everybody that showed up. Idiots." She gently shoves me and reaches over to slap Rosalie.

The blonde and I make eye contact, trying not to laugh. "Oh wait before the questions begin, I brought something." Alice pauses the conversation, standing up and speeding off to the car trunk. She swiftly comes back with a bigger bag in it. "What is it?" I furrow my eyebrows, curious.

"Open it." She puts it down in front of us. I go to reach into it but Emmett beats me to it. He lifts out a bottle of wine. His face scrunches up in disgust. "Wine, seriously?"

"There's more." She motions. He goes to reach in but this time I shove him back. I take out a Jack Daniels and I mentally taste it from when I tried it as a freshman. Disgusted I put it down and take out two other bottles. Spirytus Rektyfikowany, a Polish Vodka that is harsh, so I've heard. And Everclear a pure grain alcohol. Both banned from most states. I widen my eyes but they're taken from my hands as Jasper and Emmett cheer. "Don't worry, we don't get hungover." I hear Rosalie say in front of me. "We do however, get drunk off our asses like any other being." Emmett smirks, taking the cap off of the Everclear and the Jack Daniel's. Taking a swig from both bottles.

I shake my head, opening the wine bottle. "Oh there's glasses in the bag." Alice stops me from drinking from the bottle, giving me a wine glass that I don't understand how it didn't break in that bag.

It also irritated me as I could've been drinking the blood from these glasses instead of a bag like a freak. Well either way we're freaks. But I could've been a classy one.

I pour the wine in mine and in one for Alice. Rosalie hands me her glass and I pour some into it, handing it back. "So answer my question now." My girlfriend waves a hand for us to start talking. "I had a blast. Those Wolf mutts are kinda cool. No offense Hybie." Emmett takes another drink of both alcohols. Passing the Everclear to Jasper. "Thanks, bird brain." I snatch the Jack from his hand and take a drink, roughly giving it back. I attempt not to gag but the taste brings me back to horrible memories.

"I had a chill time, nothing memorable." Jasper shrugs his shoulders, lifting up the bottle, I watch as some of it drips down his chin. He goes to wipe it but I stop him, licking it off myself. He hums in response, pulling me into a short kiss. I feel a tiny buzz but I know I haven't drank enough yet.

"I'd say the same thing, I also don't like what that marriage stands for." Rosalie huffs, drinking her wine, ignoring what I just did to Jasper. But I see Emmett smirking at the sight, his eyes kept on me. I give him the finger in an elegant way by scratching the side of my face as I drank the rest of my wine. He snorts.

"I feel you there, Rosie." I sigh out, "but I'd say I had a good time. Truly got to say goodbye to Angela really my only friend I made in high school." I roll my eyes, taking the Spirytus from the bag and opening it. Alice places a hand on my arm. "That's strong, be careful love bug." She gives a short smile. I give her a nod.

"Oh, I saw you with that girl, she had the glasses. Even with glasses to help her see she had her eyes fixed on you. I don't get it." Emmett roars into laughter. Alice glares at him, Jasper squints. He goes quiet but it's now him trying not to laugh. "Excuse me?" I smile, teeth showing. "She was so into you." Rosalie chimes in. "Yeah!" Emmett nods his head. He practically drank most of the Jack already. Splitting the Everclear with Jasper that's almost gone as well. He was swaying. Drunk.

"You guys think that?" I look at both of my lovers who agree with the other couple. "Hm, wouldn't have guessed." I smirk, licking my lips before taking a large drink of the Spirytus. "You already knew, didn't you?" Rosalie asks, finishing her second glass of wine, going to pour a third. I shrug my shoulders in response. Sipping some of the blood after that horrible alcohol.

"She was a good friend, didn't matter to me. I also have two loves of my life. I can't get too greedy." I lean back onto Jasper, and laying my leg over Alice.

It's been about two hours of us talking and joking around over stupid shit before Emmett stands up, having to use Rosalie to keep himself up. She lets him which surprises me. Drunk Rosie is definitely more calm. It's kind of silly to see. Her anger kind of disappears.

Alice is more handsy and Jasper is more vocal. Letting loose. "Last one to the water is... is a loser!" Emmett huffs out, about to use his speed but then trips and ends up falling into the water instead. Jasper gets up, laughing. Following behind but helps him up.

"Man, I think you're the loser." I hear my boyfriend say, laughing heartedly. Something I don't think I hear often. I smile, standing up. "You heard the man, don't be a loser." I kiss Alice swiftly. Running into the water.

The two girls don't rush into the water, only going in to their ankles. I go to say something to them but I get dragged under the water. Hands stay on my shoulders to keep me down. I open my eyes once I register what's happening. I put my arms back behind me and take the legs of my attacker. Lifting myself up, bringing them under water with me. I laugh as I finally reach the surface. Emmett stands up, his drunken self swaying still as before. "It's so on, Hybie." He murmurs, going to attack me again but I move out of the way. I'm definitely drunk but not as much as him.

"You missed!" I laugh out, easily blocking every attack. Splashing him so he can't see me. "Just give up, bird brain!" I yell at him, Jasper cheers me on. Telling me to just attack him. "Never." He huffs out angrily. His large arms almost get me but I get out of the hold quickly. Running over to Alice and Rosalie to save me. I get behind them. He slowly stands out of the water. Standing in front of them.

"Rosie, baby, move." He points, motioning for her to move over. She doesn't say anything but I can tell she made some sort of face for his eyes to soften. "Please, baby." He pleads with her. She sighs. Then in a quick motion I wasn't expecting to happen she pushes me over to him. Getting him to lift me up.

"Rosalie!!! You traitor!!" I screamed, flailing my body around. "I'm sorry!" She laughs back to me. "Oh don't worry, you're next!" I yell just as I get thrown under the water. For the next five minutes it's me and Emmett fighting with one another. Lifting each other up and down into the water. Our bodies repeatedly hitting the lake floor.

The others could feel every time our bodies hit it as well. Forgetting our strength most of the time.

"All right, all right. I'm dizzy." Emmett stops me from getting him again. I cross my arms. "Weak." I mumble under my breath. "What ever." He grumbles, shoving me away from him with a smirk.

After all the rough housing I climb onto Jasper, wrapping my legs around him. Alice and Rosalie were sitting in the shallow part of the water, talking about something as Emmett joins them. Laying his head on Rosie's lap.

I kiss Jasper repeatedly. "Did you have fun, darlin?" He asks me, I bite my lip, glancing back to our set up on the sand and then back to his face. "The most." I nod my head, kissing his lips once more. Jumping up a little bit to get a better position on him. He grunts a little. Holding me closer.

"Was this a distraction from something?" I quietly quizzed him. Laying my head on his shoulder. "No, just some fun before reality hits further." He kisses my neck sweetly.

I hum softly, squeezing my legs around him. "Don't start something right now. I can't hold back with this alcohol. I'll even do it in front of Rosalie and Emmett at this point." I whisper to him softly, nibbling at his ear. He snickers. "Looks like Alice is all for it." He whispers back and I throw my head back groaning. "Stop." I warn him.

"Seriously, you sickos." Rosalie yells at us. We look at her and laugh. "I wouldn't mind." Emmett shrugs his shoulders, his head still on Rosalie's lap.

"Gross, bird brain." I laugh.

Master list

A&J M.L.

Taglist: If you want to be added lmk!

@stevenandmarcslove

@steh-lar-uh-nuhs

@l3ejm

@kisekihany

@aureliacorvina

@marit332

@marsyay78

@small-town-wayward-daughter

@sugathy

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[drewsswifeyy]

miss americana & the heartbreak prince

PART 2

PAIRINGS - rafe cameron x thornton!reader , topper thornton x sarah cameron

WARNINGS - fluff , swearing , gunshots , mentions of drowning , mentions of near death , drinking

1 | 2 | 3

•••

once they arrived at the bonfire the sun had begun to set, leaving a beautiful haze over the beach. sarah and tessa had decided to climb a tree that had fallen so they could get a better view of the sunset.

"it's kinda weird, isn't it?" sarah asks the blonde next to her. "what's weird?" tessa turns to look at her in confusion. "this. all of it. i mean looks vs. pogues. the bubble wrap. it just doesn't feel right to me." 

"what do you mean?" sarah sighs, "i feel like i don't fit into it. i'm- i don't know... bored." they set in silence for a moment before tessa speaks again. "you're bored?" she asks.

"i don't know- it's stupid. i shouldn't have brought it up." she turns to look at tessa, "do you think me and topper are a good fit for each other?"

"yeah- of course. you guys love eachother, right?" she noted, causing sarah to hesitate. "yeah, i guess." she shrugs. before tessa can respond rafe comes over to the pair.

"hey, you wanna walk with me?" he gestures up to the blonde girl. before she answers she looks over to sarah, who gives her a nod of approval.

"uhm, yeah sure." rafe puts out his hand to help her off the fallen tree. they begin to walk down the beach, away from the party. "so, what's up?" she asks the tall boy, looking up at him.

"nothin'. just wanted to talk to you alone. you having fun?" he asks tessa. "yeah, you?" he nods his head at her question, "did you drink much?" "no, i only had two drinks." she confesses.

"you look pretty tonight, by the way." he smiles down at her. "thank you." she smiles up at him. "so- what uh, what was sarah on about?" he asks curiously, making you giggle. "i think that's between she and i."

"ohhh come on! you tell me everything!" he throws his arm around her shoulder, making her laugh even more. "not everything." he looks down at her, a jokingly offended look on his face. "what? you don't tell me everything little thing that happens in your life?" he acts shocked.

tessa was quickly pulled from the situation when she heard two gun shots down the beach,causing her to quickly turn around.

"what the hell was that?" she quickly asks, making him grab her hand and begin to pull her away from the water, towards the parking lot. he drags her through an assortment of cars before they makes it to his.

he quickly opens the passenger door before lifting her inside as people run past them to their own cars. he makes his way to the drivers seat and jumps in, starting the car. "where's sarah?" tessa gasps as she scans the crowd in front of her.

"she'll be fine- don't worry about 'er." he reassures her, beginning to back out his car. she quickly stops him by grabbing his bicep. "we aren't leaving her." she quickly opens the door and runs out to the beach. "tessa! no! tessa get back- fuck." he opens his door before running out behind her.

after tessa and rafe locate sarah and drag her back to rafe's truck sarah begins to explain what happened. "it all happened so fast! jj just offered me a beer and i said no but he insisted and topper got all defensive and pushed jj. then john b came over and topper and him started to fight! then topper was drowning john b, like he was going to die! then jj walked over and held a gun to toppers head and after topper let go of him jj shot the gun in the air and that's when everyone started to run!" she says so quickly she runs out of breath.

"stupid fucking pogues, always starting shit." rafe mumbles. tessa gives him a look that could kill. "pogues? this isn't the fucking pogues fault, rafe! this is all topper and his big ego!"

"speaking of where is that asshole?" she groans from the passenger seat. "he ran as soon as jj shot the gun, i'm guessing towards your house."

"my parents at gonna' love this."

•••

A/N - kinda a filler chapter 🫤🫤 but a little foreshadowing with sarah!!

[homestylehughes]

do i know you?

coffee girl: part 2

pairings: luke hughes x fem!reader

summary: y/n's first day on the job, after her encounter big spill with luke hughes. her first day's is going as expected, until she locks eyes with luke, the tension begins to unfold.

wc: 1.6k

warnings: nervous and shy reader and luke. cuteness overload, cussing. fluff? nothing too crazy yet! cliffhanger kinda AGAIN

authors note: OMG HI!! i'm so so sorry it took me forever to get this up. college is actually kicking my ass. (someone help me). ANYWAYS this chapter is more of a filler, more reader focused. we will be getting to the good stuff soon, promise!!! thank you for all of your love and support, so so thankful. like and reblog if you enjoy. as always much love.

happy reading <3

Holy shit I got the job. I got the fucking job. The job that I was late to my interview for, because I ran into cute, sweet, day ruining Luke Hughes, spilling coffee on me and now we’re here.

I'm practically skipping out of the prudential Center, a smile on my face that nothing can take off, even the split coffee on my shirt. 

I start the walk back to my apartment, with a pep in my step. opening my door, my little orange baby Moe greeting me at my feet. 

“Hi, little baby” “mommy got her job” I said to him in a whiney pet voice as I lifted him up into my arms, cradling him into my chest. God, I need more friends, I think to myself.

But none of that matters because I got my dream job, that world is on my side right now. I put Moe back on the ground after our cuddle session, picking up my bag and making my way towards the bathroom. 

I take in my state, Luke's hoodie still covering my body, his scent filling my senses. Letting out a deep sigh, I pulled off the hoodie and put it in my laundry basket. Slowly making my way to my closet, pulling on the first things I find, and plopping myself into my bed. 

My eyes began to slowly close, the events of today filling my mind as I drift off to sleep. 

—

Today is the first day of my job. I'm shitting bricks, I'm not ready for this. You can do this y/n I think to myself, this isn't anything you haven't done before. You are more than qualified for this position. You've worked with athletes before, but these are insanely attractive athletes, but most importantly Luke Hughes is one of them. Fuck…Luke Hughes. 

Im quickly pulled out of my day dream, when the elevator door dings open. Swiftly making my way to my office, my office. 

Walking into the office I call my own, seems unreal, looking around once I set the box of my things on my desk, along with setting my purse in one of the chairs in front of it. Walking around the space taking it all. 

I'm quickly pulled out of my daydream again today when I hear a man's voice behind me. 

“I'm guessing youre y/n y/l/n?” turning around quickly, to meet eyes with the nameless man standing in the doorway.

“Hi yes, I'm y/n, nice to meet you?” I say holding out my hand to the man, whose name I still haven't gotten. “Hi, it's lovely to meet you! I'm Tyler but everyone calls me Ty!” Tyler or I guess ty says, shaking my hand with a smile on his face. 

“I'm guessing you like your place?” Tyler says behind me as we both look around the office, “Yes it's great! I love it already '' I smile back at him.

“Great! Hope you're ready, to meet the team, in about… 5 minutes” he says, as he checks his watch. Oh god, in 5 minutes, i haven't even unpacked yet. Oh gosh what if they all hate me. Oh my god, Luke. Will he remember me??

“I can see everything you're thinking on your face, they're going to love you, the whole team is excited to meet you. It's not everyday we get a female athletic trainer.” Ty says to me pulling me out of my thoughts, calming me down slightly.

“Thank you, i needed that” I sigh out back to him 

“Of course, are you ready?” 

“Yes? I think” Ty chuckles in response, as we make our way out of the office. 

“I'll give you a better in depth tour than the one you've had earlier, later. Sound good?” he says from beside me, nodding my head in agreement. As we make our way through the halls of the center. 

We finally make our way to what I think is the Devils locker room, my heartbeat begins to pick up. 

“The boys finished up practice about 45 minutes ago” Ty says as he's going to open the door, his back now turned to me. “I'm going to go in first to make sure they're all dressed and somewhat put together” he chuckles out to me. 

“Okay, I'll be here,” I say before he enters the locker room. 

It feels like 30 minutes goes by, but it's actually probably only been 2. 

I see Ty head pop out, “y/n, are you ready?” 

“Yes!” NO I  want to say, but I'll keep that to myself. Taking a deep breath, I follow Ty into the locker room. 

Walking in the locker room, I instantly feel 40 pairs of eyes on me. Oh gosh this is scarier than I thought, I say to myself. 

“Gentleman, this y/n, our new athletic trainer!” Ty says gesturing to me, our eyes locking briefly, silently asking me to say something. 

“Hi guys! I'm y/n! I'm really excited to work with guys "I say, as I pause to try and think of something else to say. 

“I'm not going to lie, I'm not sure what else to say… you guys make me nervous.” I laugh nervously. The whole room erupted in chuckles. 

They found that funny? I'll take it. 

“I like her already” I hear a few players chuckle out. My nerves are finally beginning to settle, until I lock eyes with him. Luke. 

It feels like my whole world stops, as his eyes lock with mine, our eyes swimming in each other, his gaze is so strong, it's almost like he’s trying to figure out who I am. 

I'm the first to break contact. Turning around to only get pulled into a conversation with the training staff, as they quickly pulled me out of the locker room, to show me around the rest of the building. 

I can't shake the feeling of Luke's eyes on me, as they show me around. My mind is still foggy from our interaction. 

— 

My “first day” was more of a tour and getting the feel of where everything was. I was even able to get my office together. This is beginning to feel like home I think to myself. Im pulled out my thoughts when I hear a knock on my door.

“Come in!” I shout out, from my desk, my face in the paperwork I'm currently filling out, not bothering to raise my head, thinking it's one of trainers. 

“One second, just trying to do this last bit of paperwork” I say, as my pen is quickly moving across the page. 

“You're okay, take your time” says the voice that I know oh so well, the voice that's been stuck in my head for the last 4 days. 

I slowly bring my head up from my desk, my eyes slowly taking over Luke's figure, taking in his appearance. He's just as beautiful as I member

Quickly snapping out of my trance, clearing my throat “Hi Luke, did you need something?” I ask as politely and professionally as I can. 

“Do I know you from somewhere?” Luke quickly says to me.

“Um.” I am trying to figure out a way to continue this conversation.

I feel Luke's eyes run over my face for the second time today. I see his mouth slowly open, as he runs his hand over his face, letting out a sigh. 

“Oh my gosh, you're the girl I spilt her coffee on like a week ago aren't you?” 

“It's actually been four days but, yes that's me.” I say back letting out a breathlily laugh to my desk. 

“Shit, i'm so so sorry” he rambles out quickly. “Its okay, I promise, it was an accident” 

“But I made you cry, oh my gosh. You were on the way to your interview here, weren't you?”

“Yes I was, but it worked out, I still got the job,” I say, gesturing to the room around us. 

“This is so embarrassing, I'm so sorry.” Luke begins to apologize again. 

“Hey hey, i promise it's okay” i say getting up from my desk, walking around to lean up against the front, to stand in front of Luke. 

“We can start off again on a better foot if you'd like?” I say holding out my hand to him, “Hi, I’m y/n” my hand still being held out in front of him, luke's eyes look me up and before he grasps my hand finally shaking it. “Hi, I’m Luke” he says, staring my eyes. 

“It's nice to meet you” I smile out to him, as our hands drop, his touch still lingering. “You're really pretty when you smile” Luke rasps out to me.

My cheeks begin to heat with a blush, lowering my head, now looking at my feet. 

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable.” 

“No, you didn't” i say suddenly “it just surprised me, that's all” 

“Good,” he says quietly, our eyes locked in a soft gaze. 

“I-I should probably get going, let you get back to work.” “Yeah of course, thank you for stopping by” I say, for some reason I don't want him to leave. 

“We’re really happy you're here y/n” luke says to me, there's something about the way Luke says my name, that makes my heart stop for a second. 

“I'm really glad, I'm here too.” 

“Have a great day” he says to me as he makes his way to the door. “You too!” I say turning back to behind my desk. 

Luke turned back once more, to take one final glance in my direction, smiling softly at me again, before closing the door behind him.

I released the breath I didn't even know I was holding out, letting my shoulder fall a little bit.

This job is going to much more difficult than i thought, and it's all because, of my stupid coffee and Luke Hughes. 

[chamomiletealeaf]

Sweet as Pie

Chapter 3

a/n: I'm having such bad writers block for this story guys but I kinda like this idea. It's just more of Simon being in awe of you from afar because I'm not sure how to move on with the story yet so this is kind of a filler chapter I guess? Idk, but hope you guys enjoy it anyway!

-

Simon found himself falling asleep faster, easier, and more soundly each night, and he didn't know why. It definitely wasn't because his mind is filled with thoughts of you rather than the horrors he's witnessed on the battlefield, right? No, that would be crazy. It's not like he had a little big crush on you or anything... Right?

Simon decided to take a walk the morning after you visited him to learn more about the area. It was truly beautiful. The lake was sound and quiet and there was a light breeze swaying the trees above him. In a way the lake was like Simon. Dark, looks dangerous and cold from afar, but once you get your feet in the water it's warmer than it ever could have appeared. The area was nice. Simon can't remember the last time he enjoyed what he was looking at, other than yesterday and the day before that when he first saw you.

With his hands in his jacket pocket, he slowly and carefully roamed the area by his house. He found a hiking trail and decided to follow it, purposely taking the direction he knew your house was by, but he would never admit that to himself.

As he followed the narrow dirt path, he heard a faint sound coming from nearby where your house would be. His curious ears perked up and followed the sound cautiously. As he inched further up the road, he heard that the sounds coming from your house was music. This part of the road passed right behind your house, which gave him the perfect view of your living room, where you were watering your house plants and singing your heart out to whatever song you had on your record player. He didn't care whether or not you were good or bad at singing. What mattered to him was that he was looking at you. Simon had tunnel vision take over him as his eyes softened and lips parted slightly in awe. You seemed to have that effect on him.

His honey-colored eyes fixated on the way you swayed to the music while you reached up with a green mini watering can to water the plants you seemed to treat as your own children. He watched you through the window standing in the middle of the narrow dirt road as if he was in a trance as you smiled and sang along, looking so peaceful, warm, and joyful. You were so unreal. So genuine. So, sweet. And he wanted nothing more than to feel that warmth you exhumed infiltrate his cold soul like an infection, lighting up every shadowed corner of his heart in a way he never thought possible.

Simon only saw you through your tiny, cracked open living room window, and he never wanted to look at anything else ever again. As you continued to dance and sing along to your music, you turned your body to face the plants by the window, preparing to water them next, and you froze when you saw Simon outside standing on the dirt road.

Simon snapped out of his hypnotic state when you made eye contact with him and felt a chill run down his spine from realization.

Fuck, what am I doing? I probably look like a creep he thought, and he turned his head down to look at his feet as he tried to hurry on his way.

You noticed his sudden movement and watched him fade from view from where he stood in the frame of the window. You quickly placed the watering can down and ran to the window. You quickly threw it open and called out to him, trying to catch him before he got too far away.

"Hey honey bunch! Where you off to?" You called out to him, leaning out the window with that smile he loved so much that melted him like a popsicle on black pavement in the middle of July.

Honey bunch, Simon thought to himself.

He turned around and looked at you, then immediately looked away, feeling his cheeks heat up and turn into that shade of pink you always seemed to cause. God why was this happening to him? Why is he blushing like a school girl?

"Oh hey, uh, sorry I didn't mean to stare at you like that." He apologized softly, bringing his hand up to rub his neck as he avoided your eyes.

"Oh don't you worry about that. Anyone would stare at a crazy girl like me frolickin' around like that." You reassured him with a laugh.

The soft wind kissed your skin and caused your hair to blow so angelically. It nearly made Simon sick. You looked straight out of a fairy tale with the way you leaned out the window frame and the way the strap of your dress was centimeters away from falling down your shoulder.

You stared at each other for a second in comfortable silence with the faint sounds of your record player playing as white noise in the moment. It felt so easy with you.

"You know, a little bit further down to the left on the bank of the lake, there's the biggest, most gorgeous willow tree you'll ever see. Can't miss it. It's been there for lord knows how long. Makes a real nice sittin' spot." You inform him, hoping to make his walk a little more interesting. But little do you know, nothing will be more interesting to him than you.

"That sounds nice, thank you." He says.

"You want me to show you?" You ask with a smile.

Simon wants to say no. He's not used to company. He likes being alone. But there's something about you he just can't resist.

After a pause of silence between you two, you retreat a little and start to move out of the window frame.

"It's ok if not-" You start to say, embarrassed of your boldness, but Simon cuts you off.

"I'd love that." He says a bit too enthusiastically, realizing he's scaring you off.

You lean back out the window and smile at him.

"Ok. One sec. Wait right there." You say, and then you were gone from the window.

Simon stands there waiting patiently for you, and then he straightens up when he sees you appear from behind your house, walking towards him on the path.

And of course, you had on your white cardigan he loved on you so much.

You caught up to him and he got a whiff of your hair. You smelled like fresh peaches and apples, which had just in this moment become Simon's favorite fruits, because he associated them with you now.

You walked up to his side and smiled, and he smiled back down at you. God you were so cute.

"C'mon hun, right down here." You motion to the road in front of you, and Simon secretly hoped that this would be the first of many walks you two would take together.

And as the two of you conversed and laughed on the way to the willow tree, and as hands occasionally brushed against each other, Simon found himself feeling something he hadn't felt in years.

Simon Riley felt joy.

taglist: @pussypinkbarbie @thatonepupkai

[jays-bonnie-on-the-side]

𝐋𝐞𝐟𝐭 𝐀 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤 - 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟏

PAIRING : dean winchester x original female character

STORY SUMMARY : in series masterlist

CHAPTER WARNINGS : age-gap. pining. fluff. language. family time with the winchester brothers. baby fever (kinda) if you squint.

A/N : mostly filler but in a good way, learning about ofc.

Maricela's POV

I hadn't realized how long it had been until the moment I pulled into my mother's driveway. After graduation, I hadn't been home very often. My parents weren't the biggest supporters of me becoming a hunter. I guess the danger of risking my life to save others wasn't very appealing in their eyes. For a while, they blamed the Winchesters, figuring they were the reason I got into hunting.

No matter how many times I played the 'I still would've become a hunter, help or not' card, they still didn't like the boys. Something about me living with two men almost a decade and a half older is 'unnatural.' And to make matters worse, they found out Sam was the one who trained me. I'm just thankful they don't know about my crush on Dean. Besides what they know already, I try not to bother them with the other aspects of my job.

For the past week and a half, Sam kept me updated on everything. Dean had basically turned into a dog. Then, he and Cas worked a case together while Crowley helped Sam and Kevin translate the tablet. And finding out Dean was in a home for boys at 16. As it turned out, he had quite the life in those few months—gone as far as winning a wrestling championship. My heart broke for the man; He had a chance at a normal life but the hunting one still roped him back in.

The boys were on their way to the bunker from New York so I got ready to meet them there. Children's screams fill the house. My siblings were arguing over who got to watch the TV in the living room. A knock sounds at the front door, causing the house to still. The moment quickly ends once they begin arguing over who would answer it.

A heavy sigh escapes my lungs, annoyed that I would be the one to do it. I walk out of my sister's room, down the hall towards the door. As I pass the living room, I shout at the kids, telling them to shut up just before opening the front door. My favorite men stand before me, their faces lit with smiles, bringing out one of my own.

"Hey!" I pull Sam into a hug. "What are you guys doing here?"

He answers as we pull away. "Well, we were on our way home when Dean thought it would be a good idea to surprise you."

"Really?" I lift a brow at the eldest Winchester, unable to resist a smirk.

"Well...we've never even met your family, and after what happened—I don't know—I thought it would be nice to see the place you miss so much."

"I guess it's the least you could do." I roll my eyes and flip my hair, faking my exasperation.

"Shut up." His deep voice non-threatening, earning a teasing chuckle from me.

"Who are they?" A little voice asks from behind me.

I turn around to see my little brother, Emilio, standing from afar, eyebrows drawn in curiosity as he stares at the men.

"These are my friends."

The brothers wave. I step away from the door and usher them inside. They stood beside me, prompting Emilio to observe the obvious: "You guys are tall."

The Winchesters chuckle, nodding in agreement.

"That's because they ate their vegetables," I respond.

"Ohhh. So I'm guessing you didn't know that when you were growing up?" He asks.

My eyes widen at his sassy remark. The hunters snicker, finding my brother's unfiltered question hilarious. "Why, you little..."

He runs to the living room, giggling with each step. I turn on my heel and hit each Winchester in the arm, attempting to silence them. We walk into the space where my siblings watch on, observing the unfamiliar men. I gesture towards my friends, introducing them.

"Children, this is Sam and Dean." I point to each kid, teasing, "Guys, this is Thing 1, 2. 3. 4. and 5."

They correct me immediately, introducing themselves. Shortly after, they disperse, doing their own thing. My mom finally comes from her room, stunned once she sees the Winchesters. Her eyes rarely leave the men as she walks toward us. A nervous smile crept on my countenance, bracing for her words. So, instead, I beat her to it.

"Ma, this is Sam and Dean."

"It's nice to meet you." Sam holds out his hand for my mom to shake. She pauses, contemplating if she should accept it or not. Finally, she takes his awaiting hand.

"You too." She utters, moving over to shake Dean's next.

"Mari didn't tell us she had an older sister," He says with his charming smile, his tone suggestive. I quickly nudge his side, glaring daggers into his skull. "Ow. What?"

"That's my mom, you fool."

"Funny." She responds with zero amusement. Awkward tension hangs in the air. "I'll be in the kitchen making lunch."

We nod, and she walks away. I let out the breath I held, glad the worst had passed. It went way better than I thought it would. After all, my personality was copied and pasted from my mom's. My dad has a similar personality but is more fearless, something I think he passed on to me.

We sit on the couch, the same one they sat on all those years ago while interrogating me. My youngest brothers, Jose and Emilio, had stayed, playing Mario Kart, and the older boys, Josué and Luis watched, each picking a brother to root for. We watch them play against each other, and after the first round ends, Emilio grabs extra console remotes and hands them to the Winchesters.

"Can you play with us?" he asks.

"Uh, yeah, bud. We can play, but we're not very good." Sam admits.

The eldest Winchester huffs cockily. "Speak for yourself."

"Dean, when have you ever played this?"

"A few years ago."

"Oh, really? With who?"

He hesitates, diverting his glum gaze toward his remote. It became obvious; Dean was thinking of Ben. His relationship with Lisa ended just before we met. Sam told me Dean spent a year-long hiatus from hunting after he thought his brother was trapped in the cage. I knew better than to bring it up, whether he knew I knew or not. Sam realizes who Dean implies, so I clear my throat, distracting from the tense silence.

"Why don't you guys play for a bit? I'll be right back."

I push myself off the couch and head towards the kitchen. My mom was gathering ingredients as I walked in. She closes the pantry door and turns to me. Her face wore a blank yet annoyed expression. A look I had seen often growing up, her patience wearing thin.

"Hey, Ma..." She crosses her arms, and I throw mine defensibly. "What? I'm sorry. I didn't know they were coming. I would've asked you if it was alright."

"So why are they here? To take you away again?"

"Now, you know that's not what happened. Besides, I told you I was only staying for a week, but I stayed longer." My eyes shift into the living room, watching the boys play. "My job is to keep people safe, and I'm good at it. Especially with them by my side."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" She asks, sarcasm laced with her words, drawing my attention back to her. "You're living with boys twice your age."

"See, that's not true. Dean's only 16 years older, and Sam's 12."

"Dean's older than me!"

"Only by a few months!" I exclaim but quickly shut my mouth, realizing I was only worsening my case.

My mom and the man I love are the same age: 35. She had me at sixteen, just a month before I was born. People judge her for having me at such a young age but fail to give her the credit of how far she's come. I couldn't imagine being a child and having one of my own. But despite the ups and downs, I couldn't have asked for a better mom.

"I know you worry about me and my safety, whether with monsters or those boys, but I couldn't be safer than with them. And if it makes you feel any better, there's no...there's never been any...I've never had or done anything with them...if you know what I mean."

"You mean sex?" Heat rises to my cheeks. I've always hated talking about that subject with her. It was awkward and embarrassing.

"Ugh! Yes, mom. That." I roll my eyes.

She uncrosses her arms, her lips curving into a smile. "Good. Keep it that way."

"Trust me, you've got nothing to worry about.”

As I stroll into the living room, the last player crosses the finish line. Sam, Dean, and my youngest brother had lost—groans of defeat and a cheer of triumph echo within the living room. Jose's eyes fog with tears, and a frown holds back his cries. Before I scold him for being a poor sport, Dean steps up.

"Hey, it's okay," he pulls the little boy into his side, rubbing his arm for comfort. "Second place is still good."

He stares at Dean, anger lingering in his composure. "But I didn't win."

"Well, you beat me and Sam! Which means you're way better than us."

He shrugs, "I guess."

"At least you weren't in 7th place."

"Shut up!" Sam hollers, shoving Dean's shoulder.

"What a loser," Dean quietly murmurs, earning a chuckle from the once-upset child.

A grin appears on my face, watching the scene before me. My heart soars with bliss. He handled the situation better than I would've. His eyes wander toward mine, his smile growing wider. God, I wanna have his babies.

"All right, boys. I think it's nap time." I call, snapping myself out of the trace.

"No!" "I don't want to." My brothers whine.

"Not you two. Let's go, Winchesters." They set the remotes on the coffee table and followed me into the hallway. "I know you guys had a long drive, so why don't you rest for a few hours while I plan something for us to do?"

"Okay."

They don’t argue. Instead, they choose a room and drive into the beds once they’re made up. I close the doors behind them and leave them to rest. Walking into the living room, I ask my brothers the question I already knew the answer to.

"Who wants to go to Target?"

"Wake up," I shake Dean awake.

"What?" He groans.

"I gave you your four hours. Now, it's time to get ready."

He sits up, his eyes level with mine. "Where are we going?"

A smirk pulls at my lips. I hold up the swim shorts I bought for Dean. It was black with blue palm trees. His eyes dart to the shorts, the area between his eyes shaping into a 'v.'

"The beach."

"The beach?"

"That's what I said."

"And I'm supposed to wear those?"

"Unless you wanna wear nothing at all. I wouldn't mind, but there will be children present, and I do not need you scaring my siblings."

He rolls his eyes while scuffing. "Shut up."

I get up from his bed and toss the shorts in my place. "Get dressed. We're leaving in 10."

"All right."

Just as I was about to exit the room, I stopped myself. "Before I forget," I remove the flip-flops from the bag and leave them near the door. "I got you some chanclas—sandals, whatever you call them—too. Figured you didn't own any."

"Thanks."

I leave the room for him to change and go into the bathroom to change into mine. Once I finish, I wait in the living room with the rest of my family, minus my mom. Sam joins us, waiting for his older brother. Finally, Dean steps out and walks down the hall. He carries his boots in one hand and his clothes in the other.

"You ready?" I ask, subtly checking him out.

"Let's go before I change my mind."

Everyone except my mom and oldest younger brother grabs their stuff and exits the house. We walk towards the vehicles when Jose tugs on my white, woven cover-up.

I look down and nod for him to speak, "What's up?"

"Can I go with them?" He asks as he points to the Winchesters.

"Sure, babe, but you have to ask them."

His face falls, and his shyness sets in. I roll my eyes before chuckling, knowing he wouldn't ask, so I had to on his behalf. "Hey, D," I call and he turns around. "My brother wants to know if he can ride with you guys."

"Hmm..." He looks up in thought, then pretends to have a solution. He leans down and holds his hand up to my brother. "Only if I can have a high five."

My brother quickly complies and runs toward the Impala. Having overheard the exchange, my other two siblings beg to ride along with the Winchesters. I throw my hands in the air, having been abandoned by my so-called brothers. Sam and Dean shrug as they sport cocky smirks. I hold up my car fab and pop my trunk.

"Whatever," I place my tote bags in the boot. Shutting it, I say, "Just follow me. Boys! Seat belts!"

The younger boys jumped into the back seat and did as they were told. The men follow suit as my sister and I get in my car. Once everyone's ready, we take off to the beach.

"I hate sand," Dean utters as he dusts himself after letting my brothers bury him.

"Go wash off in the water," I recommend as I lay in the shade of the umbrella.

My youngest brother runs up from the lake and asks, "Mari, can you go in the water with us?"

"Sorry, babe, it's too cold."

A little frown appears on his face, and his shoulders slump in disappointment. His mood didn't last long. Dean storms over and, in one quick motion, grabs and tosses me over his shoulder. I scream and pound against his back in protest. The closer he walked to the lake, the more my body thrashed, hoping to break loose.

"Dean! Put me down!" I demand.

He ventures into the water, walking until he's waist-deep. Then, my insistent pleas cease. "Put you down, huh?"

"No," His sandy hands grip my hips. "Nononononono! D, please."

"Plug your nose, sweetheart."

"NO—!" He tosses my body into the ice-cold lake. I frantically swim to the surface, gasping for air once my head is above water. "You bitch!"

Dean, along with everyone else, laughs uncontrollably. I push through the water, trying to get closer to the Winchester. He quickly sees my anger as I get nearer, and he dives underwater. I look around but can't find the jerk anywhere. Suddenly, a swift tug at my legs pulls me under. Water rushes up my nose before I can register what happened.

My limbs flail, trying desperately to get above the still surface. Once I do, my body gets engulfed in Dean's embrace. His body shakes with laughter as I cling to his body, trying to catch my breath. I tremble with adrenaline as his hand brushes away the wet strands stuck to my face. He lifts my chin towards his face.

"Y-you're an a-asshole."

He kisses my forehead and begins to walk us back to shore. "I know."

We get back to land, and he puts me down. I grab a towel and dab my body dry. The kids, including the two my dad dropped off, played near the water, building sandcastles. I open the cooler and grab a water bottle. A mischievous smile grew on my face. Perfect! I thought.

"Kids!" I holler, getting their attention. "Get him."

Without hesitation, they run towards Dean. His eyes widen in fear as he takes a few steps back, mouthing, "Oh, shit." My four brothers and two sisters tackle the oldest Winchester and pin him down. I stroll over, taking in the sight. He struggled against their hold, shocked they could keep him down. I walk between his legs and then straddle his torso.

I lean over and whisper in his ear, "You might have a soldier, but I have an army. Don't mess with me."

Dean gazes towards his brother, asking, "You gonna help me out?"

Sam watches with a smile as he enjoys seeing a group of children pin down the strong hunter. He shakes his head, admitting, "Hey, you got yourself into this."

With a grin, I unscrew the bottle cap and hover it over his head. He shakes it, pleading for mercy. Payback! I pour the liquid over his mouth and nose, waterboarding him. Once I emptied the entire contents of the bottle, he spit the water out and gasped for air. I hold my hand up and ask Sam to throw me another bottle. Without hesitation, he tosses me a second one. The kids giggle as I pour it over Dean's face, enjoying it as much as I did.

"There," I push off his chest and stand over him. "Now we're even."

"Yeah, yeah. Now, get your freakishly strong siblings off of me."

Once I step away from the oldest Winchester, so do the kids. I sit back on the beach blanket next to Sam as the children run off and play. Dean sits beside me and nudges my shoulder with his.

"Hey, thanks for today. Sam and I never had a beach day before."

"It's nice to have a distraction from everything that's happened and what's to come." I stare into his sea-green eyes. "I'm so happy you guys decided to come. I can tell my siblings like you both."

"Yeah," He chuckles. "Maybe they can come to the bunker sometime, come visit. After all, it is the safest place on earth."

"I'd like that."

“Just promise never to waterboard me again.”

I laugh and lean into him. “You don’t drown me, I won’t drown you.”

“Sounds like a deal.”

I counted my fingers, making sure I had everything I came with. Once I was sure I did, I loaded my bag into Baby's trunk. I go back inside and say goodbye to each of my family members. Since I was going away again, my mom invited them over for a farewell dinner. Once I reach Josué, I hold up my car keys.

"I swear if you let anything happen to it, I will hunt you down and murder you."

His eyes widen, completely surprised. He got his license recently, and I was told he's a very good driver. "You're giving me your car?!"

He reaches out for the keys, but I move them before he can take 'em. "Eh, eh, eh. I'm letting you BORROW my car. I want it back, so it better be exactly how I left it." Since we constantly use Dean's Impala, my car doesn't get driven much. And given the horsies underneath the hood, it practically begs to be taken out.

"I promise!" With some hesitation, I hand over the keys. And with a gesture we never do, he pulls me into a hug. Given that he's taller than me, my face buries into his chest.

"All right, all right. Get off." I pry his arms off me, and he beams as he shows everyone his gift. A smile pulls at my lips, and I see my mom wait by the door. "Bye, Ma."

She huffs before pulling me into a hug. I knew this hug. It was silent, and I knew she was holding in her sobs. When I heard her sniff, I lost it. We held each other tighter, not wanting to let go. We stood there for a few minutes, trying to gather ourselves.

"You better be careful," She demands.

A stiff laugh falls from my lips, lightening the mood. "I will, I promise."

Finally, we let go. We wipe our tears away, along with the sadness. After we’re composed, my mom looks at the Winchester brothers standing behind me.

"Keep my daughter safe, or I'll kill you both."

They nod and answer, "Yes, ma'am," "Of course!"

My mom opens the door, and the hunters file out. We kiss each other's cheeks and say, "I love you."

I wave to the rest of my family and exit the house, meeting Sam and Dean in Baby. She purrs to life before Dean drives away. I stare out the window, watching my mom's house get smaller until it's no longer in sight.

"You got a big family," Sam points out.

I chuckle, admitting, "And that's just my mom's side. Don't get me started on my dad's."

"It's nice that you have a big family. I wish we had that."

"Well, you're my family now. So mine is yours." I tell the boys.

And even though they didn't say anything, I watched as small smiles stretched across their handsome faces.

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[wooahaeruby]

Chapter 46: Normalcy

TW

This chapter is some filler, some jokes, and friendship. There are sex jokes-

AN: I lied about posting the next chapter, I forgot so two are going out today.

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If they were plotting something, you didn’t know. They hadn’t told you of any plans, even Wonwoo, and for some reason it was making you a little nervous. 

Tessa, though she had to cancel your appointment on Tuesday and you couldn’t see her until Thursday, was proud of you! All the progress you made was great, but she did think the little bit of humor was probably uncalled for since you were talking about a very serious incident. C’est la vie. Can’t change that. 

Though you went over a lot about what happened when telling the guys, she did help you draft an email to send to your work regarding your resignation. After the session, you had a plan to ask Seokmin to read it over since he was home. 

“Real talk.” You clicked your tongue and Tessa snorted a laugh. 

“I thought we were, but alright, go on.”

You narrowed your eyes in thought. “How do you explain that you aren’t fragile and that things don’t need to be hidden from you?”

“There are a few ways to do this, but you want the most to-the-point way to do it?” 

“Pretty much. I told them on Monday but they haven’t said anything. If they are plotting, I’d like to know to prepare myself for the worst.” 

“Simple, just ask if they are plotting anything. Tell them you want to be involved and you aren't going to break because of their answers.” Tessa shrugged on camera. “ You’ve progressed quickly, but you’ve also been good with your limits. You are self aware of what you want or need so I’m not worried too much about you. That being said, I hope you know that just because you’ve come so far rather quickly, doesn’t mean you are fully better. You haven’t fully integrated back into life.”  

“Oh trust me, I know. But I’m going to have someone get my car from my place so I can go out more. Not the city by myself, but maybe the town here and the stores like that.” 

“If you struggle with any of that, we can talk more next session.” 

You hummed, glancing at the time. That email did take a while but that’s okay. “I’ll see you next week? Tuesday?”

“Hopefully nothing emergent comes up again. Sorry again about that.” 

“Eh, I won’t hold it against you.” 

“Thanks.” She said sarcastically, smiling as she bid you a farewell. 

Sprinting up the stairs from Pandora, laptop in hand, you made it to Seokmin’s door, knowing loudly until you heard him. Pushing open the door, you took note of Seokmin sitting on his bed, sorting his overflowing basket of laundry. 

He fixed his thick framed glasses, raising a brow. “ ‘Sup?”

“Can you read over my resignation. I want to send it out so Sona can pick up anything I left in my office.” 

Seokmin motioned you over, giving grabby hands for your laptop and you shuffled over to join him on the bed. 

He took your computer, letting you enter your password before starting his review. With nothing to do, you started to match his socks together and fold some of his pants. Beside you, he fixed a few things in your email before passing the device back, nodding. 

“It’s fine, I’m guessing you’ve already asked Sona to pick you stuff up? I should have done it while I was there…” 

“Ehh, it’s fine. She already agreed to go so I also asked her to get my car once she gets back from the office.” You hummed, helping him finish off his pile of clothes. “So…” 

“Do not-” Seokmin glared halfheartedly. 

“Any big bad evil plans against Monsta X?”

“Mouse.”

“Minnie.” 

He pushed his glasses up to the top of his head and rubbed his eyes tiredly. “I haven’t heard anything. Cheol’s been really quiet, distant, and a little cagey. Kinda hard to talk to him. Joshua and Jeonghan can’t even get through to him either. Maybe blaming himself for it, you know how he gets.” 

You nodded along, a bit guilty since you did drop a fucking bomb of information on them – him – quickly. “So, work my magic I guess?” 

Seokmin cringed. “What fucking magic? He likes you. You don’t even have to do anything aside from batting your eyelashes and he is done for.” 

“Damn…You're right though.” The two of you shared a laugh. “I’ll try to get something out of him.” 

“Good luck.” Seokmin clicked his tongue as you sent the email, standing to bring some of his clothes to the closet. 

“Don’t need luck. I already have him wrapped around my finger apparently.” 

“You guys are gross, all four of you in your not-orgy orgy.” 

You paused, slapping a hand over your mouth to stop yourself from laughing out loud. You let out a snort and Seokmin looked over, shaking his head. 

“Do not say anything stupid, please .” 

“Joshua wouldn’t be into the orgy, he’d sulk until he had me to himself again. Jeonghan would share-” 

Seokmin screamed , throwing some of the bundled up socks at you. “I don’t want to know this! Keep your sex-capades to yourself! You are like my sister and they are my brothers!!” 

“A good Eiffel tower-” 

“OUT!” Seokmin shrieked, running further into his closet. “Or shut up!”

You cackled, falling onto his pillows, trying to catch your breath. “You started it!” 

“And I’m ending it before I end myself!”

You didn’t get to see Seungcheol until Friday evening when he came home. 

Thursday, you only got to have dinner with Seokmin, Jun, Chan, Soonyoung, and Vernon, but the group of you made the most of it. 

Junk food, watching bad movies, and enjoying the company of the night. Jun talked way more than you ever heard before, feeding off the chaos of Soonyoung and Chan, even Seokmin. You and Vernon sent videos of them arguing over dumb topics to the newly made group chat, the fan favorite video being them almost killing each other over whether Pokemon or Digimon was better. You had to deescalate that when Soonyoung got too heated. 

You had learned that Jeonghan, Joshua, Mingyu, Seungkwan and Seokmin would be out of town until Sunday evening at the same time as sending the videos. Something about money and a late shipment payment. Seokmin rushed to change and threw a bag together, complaining loudly that he wished he was told way earlier. 

After he hurried out of the house, Vernon called out his craving for chocolate chip cookies but it was late and the lot of you were too lazy to go out and get some. You got up to scour the kitchen for all the necessary ingredients, placing item after item on the counter until the list was fulfilled. 

It was surprisingly easy to rope Jun into helping you. Chan and Soonyoung tried to back out but you put them on portioning duty, having them place the balled up dough on the trays to bake. Vernon…he was high but was up to sitting (in the way) on the floor in front of the oven to make sure the cookies didn’t burn. All of them reminded you of cats with the exception of Chan, who was still an otter in your eyes. 

The group of you feasted on cookies with you saving plenty for those unable to indulge at that moment. You had to hide them from Jun and Vernon, the container ending up in Jihoon’s car since you found his keys. 

Friday, Seungcheol came home late, missing dinner and shutting himself in his room. Minghao had commented that it wasn’t a good day, nothing bad happened but his mood was down since he walked through the warehouse doors. Jihoon made a comment that Cheol was up his ass about security and keeping an eye out for any insiders. Wonwoo…He ended up staying in the city for some things. 

You had given him just over an hour of being home before knocking on his door. In your other hand, you held a plate of leftovers, heated up so he could hopefully eat it quickly before it cooled once more. When there was no answer, you knocked a second time, flinching back when the door was roughly pulled over. 

“Can you leave me alone- Mouse.” Cheol froze, looking like a deer in headlights as he took you in. His hair was tousled, long changed from his suit for a pair of sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt. 

Righting yourself, you handed the food over to him. “You need to eat.” 

“I’m not hungry.” He cleared his throat, shaking his head. 

“Hm.” You raised a brow. “Would you actually like to fight me on this one?” 

His lip twitched and his gaze fell away from you. “I’d like to not fight at all.” A pout was forming on his lips. 

“Great!” You shouldered past him, hearing a small grunt in response. 

Placing yourself on the edge of his bed, you waited for him to close the door and stand before you, an unamused look in his eyes. You offered him the plate once more, which he took, and sat down with a huff beside you. In majority silence, Seungcheol ate, grumbling to himself childishly, the only things you were able to make out was a jumbled comment of thank you and him actually being hungry. When finished, Seungcheol placed the plate on his nightstand and sighed, falling back onto his bed. 

“Sorry about how I answered the door.” 

Clicking your tongue, you turned to face him, looking down at his tired expression. “Forget that, do you want to talk about what’s got your panties in a twist?” 

Seungcheol groaned, frowning at the ceiling as it offended him. The frown quickly shifted back to that pout you knew well before his expression dropped overall. 

“I’m getting in my head.” 

“Oh I know.” You shifted closer, tugging part of a blanket over your lap. “I have a good feeling you are blaming yourself for what happened when it wasn’t your fault.” 

“But it was my fault!” The loud exclamation had you flinching back and he quickly apologized, sitting up to face you. “If this years old grudge between them and me didn’t exist, they wouldn’t have watched, stalked, and taken you from me- us. They wouldn’t have hurt you. How can’t I blame myself?”

You recalled Jeonghan’s explanation of the issues that started between MX, mainly Kihyun and Shownu, and the eldest of SVT. How bad decisions and low morals led to a fucked up situation. 

“I’ve learned in my time here that things don’t always go how we want.” You snickered but Cheol furrowed his brows at your words. “Hannie- He told me a little about SVT's beginning, your beginnings. The drug running to help keep you afloat, Pledis, how Kihyun went insane basically. Monsta X has held resentment, or obsession, over all of you for so long that adding me into the mix wouldn’t have done anything if I didn’t get more involved with Jeonghan, Joshua…And you.”

You reached out and took one of his hands into both of yours, gently running your fingers over his skin. “They were watching you way before I came into the picture, Cheol. They used me as a pawn in their game. I could probably place a bet that they planned something before me but I was the easy target. They hurt Mingyu on purpose too, to hurt everyone. Monsta X are vindictive people with sick ideals and fixations. They won’t stop until they get what they want. Blaming yourself for stepping away from their shit and wanting something different will never stop them. Blaming yourself for them hurting me won’t stop them. And blaming yourself won’t stop them from hurting us again.” 

There was a hard gaze in his eyes, focusing on anything but you. His jaw was tense and the vein in his neck bulged slightly. Seungcheol’s hand tightened around your own and you weren’t uncomfortable.

Like a switch flipped, his shoulders dropped along with his head and he let your hands go. Whether he meant to or not, he half dove into you, arms wrapping snuggly around your waist with his face buried into the blanket in your lap.

“Oh-” You held your arms up, staring down at his unexpected display. “Okay-” 

He radiated warmth, giving a gentle squeeze around your waist as he let out a tense breath. Then suddenly he was scrambling back, as if remembering your current issues with touch. An apology spilled from his lips, but he looked upset and your heart fluttered. 

“It’s okay. It was…nice actually. You’re also really warm which is great since it’s freezing out.” 

He lit up when you laughed, bright eyes watching you move from your spot to sit better under the covers. 

“Uh-” He bit his lip for a moment. “Can I-” 

“If you promise not to squish me, yeah.” 

You figured laying down was the best course of action, getting comfortable and opening your arms to him. Once more he dove into you, securing a tight hold on your middle with his head buried low on your chest to avoid the brand from how he eyed just under your neck and shimmied down. You struggled to get the blanket to cover you both but Cheol was content and so were you. 

When he finished getting comfortable, you carded your fingers through his unruly, curly hair, scratching gently at his scalp. 

“Joshua is right, this is the best.” He was barely heard properly with him talking into your abdomen. 

“Oh, so you guys talk about me behind my back now?” 

He turned his head, eyes closed. “They complain that they miss you but I’m soaking up the benefits for now.”

Chuckling, you shook your head. “Don’t rub it in. Jeonghan will scheme and Joshua will refuse to let you near me.”

“They are gone for two days, they can suck my dick.”

You could feel the deep rumble of his laughter against your body, one of his hands running up your back. 

There was pleasant silence for a long stretch of time. You continued to mindlessly play with his – surprisingly – soft hair, unable to tell if he was asleep or not. 

“Mouse?” You hummed when he addressed you, glancing down at him. “I’m going to make them pay for hurting my family.” 

There it was. 

“I expect nothing less. Kinda thought you already had a plan.” 

“I’ve been thinking of a plan. A few plans. I want to bring them down for good.” He lifted his head to rest his chin on your stomach. “I want it to stop.” 

Those big puppy eyes were hard to not stare into. There was a need for approval in his gaze. 

“I’ll support you anyway I can, but I want a promise that you won’t hide anything from me. Full transparency. I’m getting a little tired not being in on stuff if I’m probably gonna be working with you guys more.”

“Promise.” Seungcheol propped himself up on his elbows. “I promise and I’ll find you something to do with us. Maybe with Wonwoo or – Unless you want to pick-”

You shushed him and he settled, shifting about to get cozy again. 

“Maybe I can job fair this shit until I find what I like.” 

“Just please don’t work under Han or Shua. They won’t work.” 

“And you?” 

“Definitely not me!”

To say Jeonghan and Joshua were in a very particular mood when they got home was an understatement. They weren’t mad – no, far from it, but apparently Jihoon told Vernon, who, of course, told Seungkwan, who told Seokmin, who finally told your boyfriends that you and Seungcheol got a little closer while they were gone. 

Joshua, as you expected, huffed and puffed loudly, whining that they were only gone for two days. He, with plenty of your consent, stole you away for a few peaceful hours, soaking up your presence. From the moment you both laid down, his hands were gently holding you close, tracing small, uncoordinated patterns on your hips and back. On and off he spoke nonsense, whatever came to mind, work, life, some article he read online, occasionally falling asleep here and there after the exhausting few days, weeks . As he slept, you could feel a lot of the tension leaving his body, probably all the worry about you. 

When Jeonghan got his hands on you after dinner, there was no escape for the rest of the night. He yapped from the time he went to unpacked his bag, to when he pulled you to sit in the bathroom while he showered, and he spoke even louder as you brushed and dried his hair. He didn’t stop until he poked you into telling him what happened with Seungcheol with the widest smirk on his lips the entire time. He cooed and snickered through your little explanation, running his hands gently through your hair. Though he didn’t like not having you close, he did agree with the leader’s comment of not working with any of the three of them, knowing nothing would get done when they had such a ‘gorgeous distraction’.

Seungcheol did end up having a lot of fun gloating at first but mostly spared you from the ‘torment’. 

Your supervisor had replied to your resignation email with more compassion than anticipated. He was understanding, wishing you luck with your future endeavors, and let you know someone could get any left over things. Sona was quickly to reply to your text message of when she could go to your job to get anything you left behind. When asked if she could grab your car along the way to bring it to you, she was happy to, stating she was glad to get out of the city for a bit.

Chan had started to hover as well since Thursday evening. You noticed it rather quickly when branching off from Seungcheol. He looked like he wanted to say something but always backed out at the last minute. You cornered him after he came home Tuesday afternoon, asking him to go to the food store with you. He hesitated but you were already throwing his jacket at him and grabbing you keys. 

As you strolled casually through the aisle, grabbing things necessary to sustain the house of fourteen with Chan following behind, adding things to the car here and there. The silence was okay at first, it wasn’t a bother, but the longer it stretched on with each passing row of shelves, you had enough of it. 

“Alright, out with it, kid.” You stopped the cart and placed your hands on your hips, narrowing your gaze at him. “What’s wrong?” 

He froze, stammering out incoherently until his shoulders dropped in defeat and he pursed his lips. “Can I…get the number of your therapist?” 

“My therapist? Of course you can, is this why you’ve been hovering?” 

“I wasn’t hovering-” He paused, “Okay, maybe I was a little, but yeah, mostly. Between my own stuff and worrying about you, I’d like to give it a shot.” 

Instantly you pulled your phone out of your pocket and quickly sent over the number to him via text. “Tell them I gave you the number when you call.” 

“Thanks, Mo.” He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, staring down at his feet. “Any advice?” 

You grabbed his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze which surprised him. “Just be honest. She knows the life we live in. She is amazing. Don’t be afraid to open up to her.”

He nodded along to your words before he spoke. “Can we pick up more ice cream?” 

Your eyes ran over his face for a moment, seeing the seriousness in his eyes, only to laugh gently. “Yeah, but we need to finish grabbing everything else first so it doesn’t melt before we leave, got it?” 

From then on, Chan was chatty and happier, a bounce to his step as he helped finish off the grocery list. He was far too happy grabbing too many snacks but you did nothing to stop him. You didn’t have the heart to stop him.  He got more ice cream than expected once you reached the freezer section, only refuting your disagreement with ‘Someone will eat it’ , which you couldn’t deny. 

By the time you were at the check out, the shopping cart was packed to the brim and then some, a small mountain in the middle, items precariously stacked, at risk of toppling down the sides. You were lucky you decided to take (nicely stole) Minghao’s SUV after leaving a note (even if he wasn’t home) last minute. Not all of the food bags would have fit in your car…not even close. 

The line was long and you had a lot so you waited patiently, people watching quietly to pass the time. It was quiet, aside from the pauses for Chan to laugh and show you things on his phone as he scrolled aimlessly. He was showing you a video when a call came in, a rather curious name of ‘The Ass Man’ that had you confused. 

“Who-” You started but he swiped the screen to answer it, smirking. 

“Hey Woo, what’s up?”

On the other end of the phone, Wooyoung was yelling but nothing was able to be made out. Chan made a face somewhere between annoyed and entertained, letting the other man yell about whatever bothered him. It went on for a while, slowly moving forward in line as he went on a tangent that seemed never ending. Chan made a few comments here and there but it was nothing substantial to stop the other man. 

“Me? I’m at the store with Mo right now.” 

You heard a loud exclamation ‘What?!’ followed by Chan pulling the phone away from his ear to spare his hearing. The line went dead and seconds later your phone was vibrating in your pocket. 

“Oh my god.” You dug into your pocket to get your phone, rolling your eyes on Wooyoung’s contact staring back at you. “Hello?” 

“Girly, you finally answer now?! I’ve been calling on and off for days!” Wooyoung scoffed, chatter heard in the background from his end. 

“Ay, listen, I’m getting there, be happy I answered now. What’s up?” 

He gasped, groaning loudly, childishly. “What's up? What's up?! Mouse! You can’t just ask that after everything! How are you?! Are you okay?! Are you eating?!”

“Woo, I’m okay, promise. Honestly I planned to go through the mass of messages and calls soon to get back to people but you caught me first.” Chan hip checked you to take control of the cart, moving along. 

“Well, we all need to get together! I need to see for myself how my girl is doing. Everyone has been worried!” 

“First, not your girl, don’t let my boyfriends hear that.” You pinched the bridge of your nose, letting out a heavy sigh. “Second, you won’t let me say no, will you?”

“You know me so well. I’m making up plans for this weekend sometime! Be prepared. Love you bye!”

And Wooyoung hung up on you instantly. 

Chan was snickered at your side, starting to load items onto the checkout conveyor. Your phone vibrated in rapid succession, giving your companion a glare. 

“I’m blaming you for telling him you were with me.”

 “Whatever helps you sleep at night.”

Together, you managed to check out and pile everything into the car with haste, wanting to escape to the warmth of the house. The sun was set before arriving back and the helpful hands of Jihoon and Jun were waiting in the garage thanks to Chan calling them. They helped with ease, making mindless conversation as everything was put away. With you buying all the food, dinner was covered by the skillful hands of Jun, having prepped a lovely noodle dish for those who’d be home and leftover to spare. 

You fell onto the couch, starting your scroll through your texts with time before dinner. 

Your eye caught on the solo messages from Seungcheol, a thread of texts not typically looked through since intersections were mainly over phone calls.

[Lion Cub – Jan 1 12:01AM]  I know you won’t probably see this for a while but I just wanted to tell you Happy New Year. I miss you. I thought this was a good way to keep you updated on things. I hope we find you soon. No one has been sleeping or eating much and it’s only been over 2 days. I’m sorry we couldn’t prevent this. [Lion Cub – Jan 1 7:56PM] We finally found you. You are horribly banged up but you are in the great hands of Jihoon, Seonghwa, and Yeosang. You looked so fragile and it hurt more than seeing everyone else upset.  [Lion Cub – Jan 1 9:42 PM]  Jeonghan, Joshua, and I just got back to the penthouse after seeing you. You looked so peaceful laying there. They don’t know when you are going to wake up, but I’m holding out hope. I’ll do everything in my power to make this right, promise.  [Lion Cub – Jan 2 11:54PM]  I tried to sneak into the clinic to see you but I got caught by Seonghwa checking on your IV bag. He tried to give me a lecture but it definitely fell on deaf ears. He said you were stable but there weren't any signs yet that you were waking up.  Your hand was so cold when I held it. It felt so small in my hands but it felt perfect in mine. I don’t know how to explain it.  [Lion Cub – Jan 3 7:23AM] I had a dream last night. You and I were in a cabin in the woods, watching the wood burn in the fireplace while wrapped up in a blanket. We had cups of your hot chocolate to help keep us warm. You were saying something to me but I don’t remember what it was. You looked so pretty in that flickering light, I do remember that I couldn’t stop staring. You had this big smile on your face, like when I took you out on that date and asked if we could also go for ice cream. I can’t begin to express how you looked, ethereal is a good word. It feels so long ago that it happened. Like a million years. And it also feels like we’ve lost so much time that I can’t make up for it. There are so many things I want to tell you, things I can’t express over text. Things that would be better said face to face. Please wake up soon, Mouse. I can’t think I or anyone else can handle another day of you not being here in our lives.  [Lion Cub – Jan 4 6:57PM]  Not gonna lie, I miss your cooking a lot. Mingyu has been desperately trying to get your pot pie right but whatever you do to it just hits different. Everyone has been getting take out so we have been surviving on that, which isn’t ideal but as long as they are eating, right?  Jeonghan and Joshua have been overworking but visiting you a lot so I can’t really sit alone and just talk with you like you are there. That is the main reason I started to text you, to feel close even if you were far.  [Lion Cub – Jan 5 4:31PM]  I’ve been working all day but I’m really distracted. I have this tightness in my chest whenever I think about you and I’m just…out of it.  Maybe it’s jealousy.  No, it’s definitely some jealousy that Han and Josh are so close to you. They have been visiting you whenever they have time, day or night, and I wish I could do the time, but I need to keep the group in line, keep the ship running would be a better way to put it.  When you wake up, I plan to tell you what I really want to talk to you about. So please wait for that, okay? 

There were no messages since you woke up, leaving you grasping at metaphoric straws of what he wanted to say. You went back and forth on messaging him, asking what he wanted to say, but you decided against it for the time being, knowing it was best to talk to him in person. You…might have had an idea of what he wanted to talk about…

In the end, you pulled up the 99 line group chat, scrolling as far back as you could to messages right before Christmas, reading through the holiday well wishes and sharing jokes and memes. When you got to the messages just after you were taken, your heart hurt.

They were quick sharing locations, letting each team know where they had searched and where they didn’t with no luck in any place. Those texts morphed into asking Chan, Yeosang, and Yunho for updates on your condition, even their master plan to go in and see you the day you woke up. They were sad, the messages not having the usual bright enthusiasm they had, but it was understandable. Many of the same check-in messages followed with the intermittent input of a meme or a normal conversation. Wooyoung – or well, you thought it was Wooyoung with the group chat name of Attack Cell , was desperately trying to make plans for everyone, or at least with someone, last minute the further down you got. 

And you definitely thought him into existence. 

[Pass The Brain Cell]  {Attack Cell 6:29PM}  Great news I spoke to Mo Saturday I’m thinking like 9? Or earlier idc {Bitch Thots 6:31PM} You paying tf? {No Thots 6:32PM} Weren’t we supposed to have a meeting, Woo? {Attack Cell 6:33PM} Do u think if Mo cries on the phone with HJ again he will let us off

You called out for Chan who waddled down the hall, seeing him looking down at his phone with a grin. 

“I mean, it did work last time.” He took a seat beside you, shrugging. “I think it will work again. We could always try it!” 

“Worse than a child.”

[To Pass The Brain Cell 6:36PM] How about we ask everyone else if they are free instead of just giving times?  Also, who is who?? {Attack Cell 6:38PM}  Ur The Brain Cell (unanimous vote)  Yeosang is No Thots and Gahyeon is Bitch Thots Mingi is Never The Brain Cell San is Wide Cell, Changbin is Meat Cell, and Yunho is Spider Cell Chan is Maraca head Yeonjun is Empty Hamster Wheel  {Maraca Head 6:39PM} They said my head is full of beans and I made sound when I shake my head

“Ah!” You gasped, turning to Chan. “That’s mean.”

“Okay, maybe a little,” Chan laughed, leaning into your side, head falling onto your shoulder. “But Yeonjun’s is funnier.” 

“I can agree to that.” 

[To Pass The Brain Cell 6:42PM] What’s everyone’s availability? {Attack Cell 6:43PM} Checking ATZ rn {Bitch Thots 6:45PM}  I’m free all weekend, Yubin owes me a favor so I’m taking advantage of it.  {Maraca Head 6:45PM}  Mouse and I should be good, just need to get her THREE boyfriends to back off.  {Bitch Thots 6:45PM}  THREE? Girl…  {Meat Cell 6:46PM}  Ohhhh tea. I’m open Frinight + Sun  {Empty Hamster Wheel 6:46PM}  Friday i’m good  {Wide Cell 6:47PM}  WY got a call but we all can do Fri- There was supposed to be a thing but the buyer backed out. 

“Friday good?” Chan asked, peering curiously at you. 

You chuckled under your breath, sending him a look that had him joining in. “What else do I have to do? Clean and cook like a housewife more?” 

“Who is cooking and cleaning?” Jihoon shuffled in, phone in his face. 

“Me, with all the shit you guys leave around and how much you fucking eat.” 

Jihoon stopped in his tracks, pursing his lips but couldn’t stop the nod. “I will admit to those. And I appreciate everything you do around here.” 

You laughed, watching him crash out on the couch not far from you, typing something on his phone. He made a face and all your phones within the room chimed. 

[Squad]  {Lion Cub 6:51PM}  Saturday 9PM, warehouse meeting.  No bailouts.  Prep anything necessary to attend, no exceptions.  [Pass the Brain Cell]  {Attack Cell 6:52PM}  Saturday is a bust, Friday good for everyone? {Bitch Thots 6:52PM}  Chan, SVT meeting???  Hello??? 

“Oh…This is going to be the MX meeting, isn’t it?” Your eyes fell on Jihoon, thinking he knew something, but he only shrugged. 

“Probably, but this is the first I’m hearing about it. Chances are it was decided moments before the text.” 

“Welp, ATZ and DC are involved, probably SKZ and TXT so it’s going to be a full house on Saturday.” You smirked then raised a brow at Chan. “Do you think I can make enough cookies by Saturday to feed everyone some? My ‘ sorry they kidnapped me’ type of thing?” 

“You are horrible, Mo.” Chan shook his head but nodded not long after. “But if you start tomorrow, yeah probably.” 

Jun’s gasp was heard from the kitchen. “If you make cookies, can I help again? I never get to bake enough.”

“Of course you can, I’ll need all the hands I can get.”

You had to return to the food store a second time within two days to basically buy out all the ingredients to make the cookies you wanted to share. Jun accompanied you this time around, no plans with no jobs on the schedule from Cheol, just wanted to get out of the house. Most needed to return to the city to make arrangements for Saturday night, mainly for the clubs and any shipments they needed to get out. Jihoon bitched the most that he had to call someone in to  fill in for him, grumbling that he had to call someone in on their day off for it, knowing the weekends are the busiest for his clubs. 

Jeonghan had texted your group chat with Joshua that they would be home later, with the latter man being a little later due to something with Dreamcatcher’s leader that he was ‘ too lazy to explain’. You told him not to worry, you’d be having a busy day with Jun and Minghao, seeing as one wanted to help from the beginning and the other not having a single thing to do.

99 line had confirmed plans for Friday night, just dinner and maybe some drinking if everyone felt up for it. Changbin, Wooyoung, and Mingi were most excited, happy to be able to see their friends again, the whole group, in a few weeks. Yunho, San, and Yeosang were happy to have a ‘ normal people night’, the three having been busy with travel and they’d finally be in town for longer than a week to relax at home, even just a little bit. There was an overall agreement that they were happy to have you get out of the house. The agreed upon meet up would be closer to the house, further from the city for your comfortability, at a nice restaurant Gahyeon found, reservations for six-thirty sharp. Whoever was late, paid for the evening. You were not going to be late at any means necessary. 

“If we are baking this much, don’t expect me to cook.” You had the kitchen island absolutely covered in bowls, pans, ingredients, and more. “What are we ordering??” 

Jun snickered, stating the portioning of cookies for the first few pans. “Any ideas, Hao?” 

Minghao looked up from one of the recipes you wrote down, eyes wide from not paying attention to the conversation around him. “Huh?”

“Food, no want cook, ideas?” 

He blinked, nodding along before his eyes fell back into the papers before him. “I’m open for anything. That new hot pot place opened a town over, we can always get out of the house.” 

You mixed the dough in front of you, frowning. “That requires outside pants…” 

Looking down at your current attire and the other two, flour and probably other ingredients dusted your clothes, and you all barely looked put together. Jun was in a ratty shirt with holes and rips, paired with equally ratty flannel pajama pants. You, for once, were in your own clothes, but you needed to change if you were going out anywhere. Hao was similar to Jun but he wasn’t dressed for the cold with a t-shirt-turned-muscle shirt and old basketball shorts. 

Minghao’s head raised once more, starting to measure the flour, sugar, and such out into a new bowl for more cookies. “Then we…” He clicked his tongue. “No, fuck you, we need to get you out of the house.” 

“Boo, you whore.” You scoffed, scrunching your nose up. “Fine, I’ll be a real human.” 

Jun chuckled happily, sliding the filled pans into the over. “It’s okay, Mo, we only learned how to be real humans some years ago. Before that it was, like, Agent 47 type of thing. Well – minus the gene augmentation, but trained assassin, I think…”

“He has never seen or played the movies-slash-games, for context.”

“Eh, they are okay. Games were better in my opinion.” 

“I’ll take your word for it. Oh! And we aren’t bald so-” Jun hummed, starting the next pans. 

“He knows two things about the Hitman franchise.”

“Anyways – I’ve learned that you don’t need to dress up all the time, might just throw on a sweatshirt and change pants.”

“Okay, but you both get out of the house more than I do. I wanted to throw on some of my nice jeans and not Han’s or Shua’s shirts.” 

“Too much effort for warm food.” Hao countered, shaking his head. “Boring and lazy. That is what I am when I can.” 

“Says the person with the richest closet in the room.” Jun comments.

“That’s okay. Cheol’s watch collection could pay for everything for the rest of our lives if needed.” You handed Jun another finished bowl of dough. “He has one worth over forty-five thousand in there.” 

“Oh we know, he was like a kid in a candy shop when it came in.” 

“Ehhhhh, treat yourself sometimes.” 

“Says the woman with, now, an unlimited bank card that still shops on discounts.” 

You gasped at Minghao, picking up a pinch of flour and throwing it at him. “And?! It’s what I know! What I'm used to!”

He laughed, patting off his shirt but the effort was futile. “Nothing, nothing! Just saying you should treat yourself too!” 

“I’ll get there eventually!” Giving him a childish huff, you tossed flour at him once more before going back to the task at hand. “Chop chop boys, we gotta bake all my apology cookies!” 

The three of you worked quietly on the cookies, only pausing for a ‘taste test’. You heated up some leftovers in the mess for lunch, sharing stories between the job. 

Minghao and Jun opened up some more regarding their background. They talked vaguely of the abuse they faced during baking of loving sweet treats since they couldn’t have any in the past. They touched on some of the scare tactics the ‘caretakers’ used to get them in line, the deprivation they experienced. Jun seemed more guarded about it all, having you believe he experienced worse, but you didn’t pry, simply lending an ear as he rambled here and there. Minghao told you more about Xiaoyu, how the times she cooked for them sparked Jun’s interest in the task. 

Jun got flustered at the attention on him. He sputtered when you praised his cooking from the previous night, with him saying it was nothing and he enjoyed cooking. He resigned to continuing portioning the cookies between bake times, helping you place the cooled products into the cheap plastic containers you bought. 

The flow was cranking out so many cookies you knew you’d have to get more the following day… 

You did send a picture to the Squad and Pass the Brain Cell chats, letting them see the treats you were creating. That got some a little too excited, especially 99 line after your Christmas brownies. 

Baking went on for hours, running out of containers hours prior, only to haphazardly stack them on plates and dishes until more storage was retrieved for them. Dinner with the two was chill, stomach rumbling until the food was placed in front of you. It was nice, conversation flowing and Jun showing you plenty of ways to elevate your hot pot soup base. The evening ended with finding Soonyoung trying to steal a few cookies before he turned in for the night, listening to him whine that they looked so delicious. 

You were in the process of taking the bandages off your chest and changing them for the sticky, plastic covering to shower when the door opened. Jeonghan trudged in tiredly, eyes half open as he closed the door behind him, not noticing you as he grumbled your name. You were half naked, standing in your jeans and a bra, brand uncovered, and unsure of what to do…so you froze. 

With your silence, Jeonghan looked about until he spotted you in the bathroom, taking you in in your current state. He didn’t move at first, only staring from the distance with a sad, wide eyed look in his eyes. You couldn’t tell if you should close the door, something told you you shouldn’t, and he took a step towards you. 

“Hi.” The word left his lips in a whisper, wishing to not scare you, moving slowly. “Can I come closer?” 

Gulping down the slip in your mouth, you nodded, dropping your hands at your sides. You were exposed, felt exposed, and Jeonghan approached only to stop at the doorway. You felt self-conscious. 

The bruising was healed, no longer a multicolored mess of injuries. The electrical burns at your sides were slightly discolored, but the brand was still stark, gross, gooey. It wasn’t pretty, you were worried he was going to be grossed out. So far, from context you managed to piece together while you were in the mini-coma, only Jihoon, Wonwoo, Soonyoung, Yeosang, Yunho, and Seonghwa had seen it, helped take care of you and it while you were down. 

Jeonghan would be the first to see this outside of your designated medical team and his reaction could make or break this. 

His eyes ran over your slowly, as if he was taking you in for the first time, cautiously. He held out his hands, palms up and open for you to place yours in, meeting your gaze with the softest look. When your hands were in his, he gave them a gentle squeeze, leaning forward to press his forehead against yours.

“Does it hurt at all?” 

Sighing through your nose, you shrugged. “Initially, yeah, a lot. Sometimes now, the skin around it itches like hell, like, I want to peel my skin off itchy, but the brand itself…I feel nothing. There are times where the skin feels really tight, not sure how to explain it. I can’t feel the brand itself, Seonghwa said it’s normal for a major third degree burn.”

“I’m sorry you had to go through this, love.” Bringing your hands to his lips, Jeonghan placed small kisses to your knuckles. “I promise we will take care of everything, okay?” 

Letting his hands slip from yours, you held Jeonghan’s face in your hands, running your thumbs over his cheeks. He searched your expression, his eyes running over your features again and again. Slowly, his hands settled on your waist, tracing aimless patterns on the skin there. 

To say he didn’t look worried or sad was an understatement. His hands on you were a little hesitant, even as he traced your skin, unsaid words playing behind his gaze.

“I’m okay, Hannie.” You attempted to reassure him, watching a faint smile bloom on his lips. “I’m tougher than I look.” 

Your boyfriend laughed out his nose, pulling you closer by the waist. “I know you are, it’s one of the reasons why I love you.” 

Leaning up, you placed a chaste kiss to his lips, letting him pull you even close to his body, careful of your chest. He hummed quietly, eyes slipping shut along with yours, stealing another kiss. 

“If I help you…” He stole a third kiss, this one longer, his arms slipping around your waist. “Get the bandages on to shower, can I join? You know…to save on water and all-” 

You leaned your head back in a laugh that bubbled from your chest, wrapping your arms around his neck. “Oh yeah, to save on water. Totally. ”

“Spare me the sarcasm. I miss my girlfriend and I get to shower with her? I’m taking the wins where I can.” 

You gave him an incredulous look, raising an eyebrow. “Fine, but no funny business, you got me?” 

“Oh, love, you know I can never promise that. Plus…we had fun last time showering together.” He gave you a wink, a mischievous smirk on his face. 

Leveling him with an unimpressed stare, you only saw that smirk turn into a wide, playful grin. 

“Come on,” He egged you on, reaching up to lift your chin, holding it between his two fingers. “Just me…you…the running water…you and me…You know.” 

“Jeonghan, if you want to have sex, you have words.” 

Dramatically, he groaned, pouting down at you. 

“Yes, fine, I want to have the most wonderful, cheesy, emotional, amazing shower sex, happy?” 

“Why do I date you?” You shook your head, but did nothing to stop the smile on your features. “Yeah, fine, now help me get the bandage on.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

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[1byhwng]

“Where’s the fire? What’s the hurry about?”

chapter 2 << or >> ???

A/n this is kinda a filler chapter ….

You left. Again.

The weight of Chan’s stare lingers in your mind, heavy and unshakable. You don’t have to do anything. “You’re just scared.” The words replay over and over, like a song stuck on repeat, pressing against the walls of your chest. He wasn’t wrong. And that’s exactly why you had to go.

You wrap your arms around yourself, picking up your pace as if you can outrun the guilt creeping up your spine. The familiar neon glow of the 24-hour convenience store down the street beckons, and before you even realize it, your feet are carrying you inside.

The bell above the door jingles, the fluorescent lights harsh against your tired eyes. The cashier barely glances up from his phone as you head straight for the back fridge, grabbing a bottle of water and some snacks you probably won’t eat. Anything to keep your hands busy.

As you approach the counter, the door swings open again, and the last voice you expect to hear makes your stomach drop.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

You freeze, fingers tightening around the water bottle. You don’t have to turn around to know who it is.

Chan.

Of course.

You swallow hard, forcing yourself to move, placing your items on the counter. The cashier scans them at a painfully slow pace, and you can feel Chan’s presence behind you, radiating frustration.

“You just left.” His voice is quieter now, but there’s an edge to it, something raw. “No explanation , no nothing. Just… left.”

Your jaw clenches as you hand over a few bills, waiting for your change. “I didn’t think there was much to say.”

“That’s bullshit,” He scoffs, voice tired and rough. “And you know it.”

You sigh, finally turning to face him. His hair is a mess like he’s been running his hands through it, his hoodie slightly off his shoulder, exposing the collarbone you had been kissing just hours ago. He looks tired. Frustrated. But more than that, he looks hurt.

Guilt twists in your stomach.

“I couldn’t stay,” you say finally. “I just… I needed to think.”

Chan lets out a breathy laugh, but there’s no humor in it. “Right. And the best way to do that was to leave in the middle of night ?”

You grab your bag, stepping away from the counter. “I don’t know what you want me to say, Chan.”

“I want you to be honest.” His voice is firm, steady, but his eyes betray something softer. “With me. With yourself.”

Your grip tightens around the plastic bag. “I am being honest.”

He studies you for a long moment, jaw tense. “No, you’re not. You’re scared, and instead of dealing with it, you run. That’s what you do, isn’t it?”

You flinch, but you don’t deny it.

Chan exhales, running a hand through his hair. “Look, I’m not asking you for anything you’re not ready to give. But don’t stand here and pretend that last night didn’t mean anything.”

Your heart stutters in your chest. “I never said it didn’t.”

That makes him pause. His brows furrow, and for a moment, neither of you speak. The air between you is thick with something unspoken, something fragile.

Chan’s voice is quieter when he speaks again. “Then why did you leave, y/n?”

You open your mouth, then close it. Because you don’t know how to answer that without admitting the truth. Without admitting that he makes you feel things you don’t know how to handle. That being with him feels like standing on the edge of something terrifying and beautiful all at once.

And you’re not sure which part scares you more.

Chan watches you carefully, as if he’s waiting for you to let him in. But when you don’t say anything, he nods slowly, something in his expression hardening.

“Right.” He steps back, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Guess I got my answer.”

Your chest tightens. “Chan—”

“Don’t worry about it.” His smile is small, forced. “See you around.”

And just like that, he turns and walks out the door, leaving you standing there, heart pounding, regret creeping in before the door even swings shut.

You left him first.

But for the first time, you wonder if you made the wrong choice.

[lunaroserites]

Art and Ice - New Perceptions

Pairing: Eventual Bucky Barnes x Fem!Reader

Characters: Natasha, Wanda, Pietro, Loki, Bucky, Sam Wilson, Clint Barton, a lot of the avengers cast is mentioned.

Summery: This kinda a filler chapter, some cute fluffy moments between Bucky and Doodle happen.

This might a 2 or 3 parter (it's gonna be more because cannot help myself). College AU, our boy Bucky is on the hockey team, and reader is an art major (because I love that trope and couldn't help myself)

Warnings: Not beta'd! All mistakes are my own. Friends fluff, swearing, mentions of college students being college students. Bit of friendly harmless flirting between friends. Bucky is a playboy. Flirting. Mentions of not eating or drinking for a hours (ADHD Brain)

Word Court: 3539

Likes, reblogs, and comments are appreciated! ❤️

Please do not repost, translate or otherwise copy my work elsewhere, without my express permission, thank you! Lunaroserites on tumblr and ao3

Catch up here: Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5

It wasn’t a surprise that your college finished out the regular season on top. Your college was known across the country for its sports programs. 

It didn’t surprise you when Bucky showed up with a bright cocky smile the day after the last away game. “Ooooh Doodle!” He said in a sing-song voice. 

You looked over your shoulder setting the paint brush down, raising an eyebrow at him, “yeeees Bucky?” You matched his tone perfectly. With all the away games you haven’t seen him since the weekend, you have made some decent progress on the painting of him. You were giddy to show him what you completed in his absence. 

“Guess who scored a date with Mandy, the head cheerleader?” He was beaming. Your heart sank momentarily, your facial expression dropping slightly before you composed yourself and gave him your best dazzling smile. 

“I’m not sure Buck, I’ve always been terrible at guessing games,” you murmured, trying to hide the discontent in your voice as you looked back at the canvas to compose yourself. He didn’t seem to pick up on your change in mood. 

“Ah come on Doodle, I’ll give you a hint. He’s charming, on the hockey team and incredibly sexy,” he sounded so cock sure. 

You turned to face him and tapped the end of the brush on your lip, feigning that you were deep in thought and then a bright smile split across your face. 

“Oh! I know who it is,” you said excitedly. “Sam!” You faked enthusiasm before turning back to the painting but not before catching his face drop for a moment. 

“Pfft, he’s about as charming as an out of tune piano,” Bucky deflected. “Come on Doodle, it’s easy.” 

“They’re easy huh?” You mused. “So must be you then,” you said flatly without missing a beat. He laughed awkwardly behind you. 

“Uh, yeah it’s me,” his cocksure attitude was gone and he sounded a little deflated. 

“That’s nice Buck, have fun,” you said quietly. 

“It’s not until tomorrow night,” he said, “I wanted to come hang out with you tonight,” your heart clenched and you bit your knuckle to stop the pang of hurt that threatened to crush you, you didn’t trust your voice at the moment so you just nodded. 

“How much of the painting have you done?” He asked quickly, changing the topic. You were grateful. “Last time I saw it you just had some base colours on.” 

You had the puck almost done, you were painting as if the puck was being shot at the person viewing it. Slightly different from your original idea, but you liked how it was turning out. Bucky was now standing next to you and you could smell the deep woody and amber tones of his cologne. He always smelled good, even after playing a game or practice. It was something you appreciated about him, Thor would smell like a locker room after practice. It was awful. 

You quickly focused back on the canvas and not how much you wanted to stick your nose into the crook of Bucky’s throat and inhale the heady scent he wore. This little crush was getting out of hand, you needed to squash it quickly. 

“That looks amazing, Doodle,” Bucky said in awe as he looked at the painting. “How do you make it seem so real?” 

“Practice, and a little luck,” you said with a shrug. Bucky moved out of the way when you picked the brush up and started to work on it again. “The inspiration was also a big help,” you looked over your shoulder at him and winked. He gave you a dazzling smile back. “What are you doing today?” He had pulled some books and notes out on the table and was staring down at them. 

“I’m studying for my astronomy final,” he said, his tongue caught between his teeth. His arm crossed over his chest and the other hand held his chin as he looked down at his notes. 

“Mind if I put some music on?” He hummed and you clicked the play button and let the music wash over you. You got to work, getting lost in the music and the brush strokes. 

The soft notes of Work Song by Hozier played soothingly over the speaker and you hummed softly along to the song and swayed gently back and forth. You jumped when you felt Bucky’s hand cup your shoulder and slide down your arm clasping your hand in his. 

“Can’t have a pretty thing like you dancing by herself,” he said softly. He pulled you to him and started to sway you two gently to the beat. Your heart was racing a million miles a minute, your cheeks were a bright shade of red as you hid your face against his firm chest. 

He moved you two effortlessly, he guided you in a small sway. He was smiling down at the top of your head as you leaned your cheek to his chest. His hand held the small of your back gently to him. 

You couldn’t believe this was happening, he was dancing with you randomly. It was completely out of the blue, but you couldn’t bring yourself to complain. He was firm and warm under your touch. He held like you were as fragile as blown glass, his touch feather light and respectful. You usually hated dancing but something about this moment felt right. 

As the song came to close and Bucky took a step back from you, you started to miss the contact as quickly as you lost it. He was smiling down at you and kissed you knuckles of the hand he had been holding at the time. “Thank you for the dance m’lady,” he tipped his chin and gave you a devilish smile. You couldn’t find words to express who you felt at the moment. 

“Thank you kind sir,” you stuttered back. He laughed his beautiful rich as chocolate laugh and made his way back to his studying and you went back to your painting feeling lighter than before. The pit in your stomach growing deeper, you could still feel his warm hand on your waist and the way he held you so carefully.

“Loki I don’t know what I’m going to do,” you whined as you draped over his lap dramatically. You had texted him “code red” before you left the art studio, Bucky had offered to drop you off at your apartment but you declined like you usually did. Code red meaning ‘I need you please come get me.’ Which he did without hesitation. 

“Darling you’re being a little dramatic,” he ran his fingers through your hair trying to sooth your nerves. 

“Loki, I’m not being dramatic. We had this whole conversation about just being friends and spending time together without him waiting to get me in bed,” you exclaimed. 

“Which he probably still does,” Loki added, you glared at him. 

“Not the point, how can that conversation mean anything if I can’t even hold myself to it,” you said in an exasperated tone. “Loki, he danced with me, out of the blue. Just took my hand and danced with me,” you peaked up at Loki who was running his long fingers through your hair, he had an unreadable expression. “Who does that nowadays, it’s something my grandpa would do with nana.” 

“Little brother,” Hela’s sing-song voice called as she poked her head into the room. “Oh hello sweetling! I didn’t know you were visiting,” she smiled at you. You had always liked Helena, she was always nice to you. She gave Loki and Thor shit when we were teens and they were acting like typical teenage boys, insensitive and immature. She looked you over, draped over Loki’s lap, your arm thrown over your eyes. You looked miserable, she entered the room further and sat down on the edge of Loki’s bed and gently touched your shoulder. 

“What’s the matter sweetling,” she asked soothingly. 

“Nothing Hela, stupid feelings and a crush a stupid boy,” you whined. She laughed at that. 

“Men tend to be like that, this is why I like women,” she chuckled. “Seriously sweetling, it can’t be that bad, who is it?” She asked softly. Her eyes drifted to Loki for a moment and he made a face. 

“Bucky Barnes,” you groaned. Hela’s eyes widened and she groaned. 

“You’re telling me you’re upset over that overgrown toddler on skates?” She asked with a raised eyebrow, you looked at her, god she was so pretty. You nodded and sighed heavily. 

“I know, I know. He’s just so.... Ugh.” Loki chuckled and Hela glared at him. She grabbed your hand and rubbed her thumb over your knuckles soothingly. 

“You know a couple years back he tried asking me out. I rejected him. He called me a stuck up bitch,” she said, you raised your arm off your eyes and looked at her. “He wouldn’t even let me tell him I had no interest in men, especially younger men.” You nodded and that was what Loki meant when he was rude to Hela. “He later saw me with Val on a date. He felt like an idiot and apologised for how he acted.” 

“He did?” Loki asked, he sounded surprised. Hela nodded. 

“He learned his lesson. Learned a few things too. From my understanding he’s not as pushy as he used to be,” Hela added. “Shame what happened with his girlfriend and her sudden departure to Alaska. He was apparently a lot different when she was here. She broke his heart. It doesn’t excuse his behaviour but it definitely gives perspective.” 

“You know Nat mentioned that he had a long term relationship that suddenly ended,” you said back, thinking back. 

“Val knew her better than I ever did, she apparently just packed up and left. No explanation, not warning. She was just gone. Barnes was devastated,” Hela said thoughtfully. 

“Huh, well that definitely adds perspective,” you agreed. 

“It doesn’t excuse his behaviour though,” Loki reiterated. You and Hela nodded in agreement. 

“What should I do?” You asked Loki after Hela left. He sighed and looked down at you, eyes swimming with uncertainty. 

“I’m not sure darling, if you told him what do you think would happen?” Loki asked softly. 

“He would probably pick up on trying to sleep with me again,” you groaned. 

You ended up spending the night at Loki’s house with him, falling asleep on his bed. 

“You know, it's a good thing you don’t share a bed with anyone,” Loki shoved you away from the centre of the bed. “You’re a fucking bed hog,” you couldn’t help but laugh at his groggy disgruntled voice. 

“Apologies Loki,” you laughed as he huffed. 

“Bull shit,” he exclaimed while standing up and going into his ensuite bathroom. You stood and leaned against the door frame while Loki pulled a brush through his hair and did his skin care routine. “Do you want me to bring you home so you can change and stuff? 

“I would appreciate it,” you smiled at him. 

“Morning Wands,” you called as you came through the front door, Loki right behind you, he grabbed your coat and hung it up as you pulled it off. 

“In here,” she called out as the toaster popped. You and Loki walked into the kitchen together. “Morning Loki,” she gave him a dazzling smile, which he returned. 

“I’m making cinnamon toast and eggs, hungry?” She asked. 

“I’d love some, I’m going to grab a quick shower and change.” 

“Princessa!” Peitro wrapped you in a hug tightly as he walked behind you and snagged a piece of toast off your plate. 

“Get your own,” you batted his hand away. 

“But I want yours,” he teased. You heard Wanda and Loki chuckle at you both. 

“I have a plate for you too, stop stealing hers,” Wanda ushered him over. 

“What plans do you have today?” Wanda asked as she sat down next to you. You looked to Loki, it was his turn to plan the Saturday plans. 

“The new book I’ve been waiting on is finally here so we have to stop by the bookstore in town,” Loki said, “then I think we’ll drive up the coast, we need pictures for our photography class.” You smiled at him, so thoughtful. “Then maybe some dinner and a stroll through the park,” he finished. 

“God Loki you’re making me look like a terrible boyfriend,” Pietro whined, you snorted into your juice and leaned back laughing loudly. 

“Maybe you should take notes,” Loki teased. You and Wanda were laughing together. Loki was an incredibly thoughtful friend. That’s why you adored him so much. But that’s where it ended. You two were the best of friends and that was where the line was drawn  and there was never a need to cross it. It took time for people to understand your friendship and the boundaries you two had in place. 

“Sounds like a fun day,” Wanda said thoughtfully. 

“What about you Wands? Vis is still abroad isn’t he?” She nodded at your question. 

“I’m going to practise with Pietro, it’s a nice day to be out in the sun,” she answered. “Vis gets back next week.” 

“I had fun today,” you said softly as you and Loki walked through the park after having supper at a sweet little Mexican restaurant. Loki had his hand on the small of your back guiding you and keeping you close. 

“I did too,” he hummed. You two walked around a little more, taking a seat on a bench to watch the setting sun. You looked out over the green space and saw some couples sitting in the grass relaxing. One couple caught your attention. 

“Is that bucky?” You said quietly, tipping your head in his direction. Loki squinted and nodded. 

Bucky was sitting a little ways away leaning back on his hands. Mandy sat next to him completely ignoring him. Something twisted in your heart as you looked at him looking up at the sky and she was scrolling her phone. Loki rubbed your shoulder soothingly. Drawn back to him you gave Loki a sad smile. 

“She probably just wants to sleep with him,” Loki whispered. You nodded in agreement. 

“He likes space a lot. He’s talking to her and she is not even pretending to listen,” it broke your heart. Soon his date leaned over and they got up from their spot. He trailed behind her as they waltzed across the green space toward Bucky’s truck. You watched him follow after her like some love sick puppy. 

But then for a brief moment his eyes connected with yours. His eyes narrowed in on you and he paused for the briefest moment as he looked at you across the field. You couldn’t place the look in his eyes, but it was something akin to longing, maybe you couldn’t be sure. As soon as it started it ended and Bucky was gone with Mandy into his truck. 

“Darling,” Loki’s smooth voice filled your ears and you looked at him. “You okay?” You nodded and sighed. 

“I think so,” you mumbled while shaking your head to clear it. 

You didn’t see much of Bucky over the next few days, practice and studying seemed to completely take over his days. He would text you little updates, ask how your day was going, remind you to drink and eat snacks. Your phone going off startled you out of the trance you were in. 

It was a FaceTime request from Bucky. You slide the answer button and gaze at him with a quizzical look. “Hello,” you chuckled, propping the phone on the easel. 

“Hey doodle,” his hair was wet and he was shirtless, you tried to not look at his shoulders. “Miss me?” He wiggled his eyebrows at you. 

“Like a toothache Bucky,” you mused. Your shirt rode up as you stretched your arm to reach up on the canvas. Your phone left you a perfect anglee for Bucky’s eyes to follow the now revealed skin. You didn’t catch him licking his lips at you. 

“I’m hurt doodle,” he feigned hurt and clutched his hand over his heart being dramatic which made you laugh. There was a sudden knock on the art studio door, you looked over your shoulder and then back at the phone. Bucky was trying really hard to not look suspicious. 

“What did you do?” You asked as you grabbed the phone and opened the door, you looked down and he shrugged. Opening the door you were greeted by a delivery driver. You raised an eyebrow and squinted at him. 

“Delivery for Doodle?” The driver said, he looked completely over the day and didn’t bat an eye at the nickname. 

“I didn’t order,” you looked down at your phone and were met with Bucky’s shit eating grin. “You cheeky bastard,” you accused him. “Thank you,” you took the food and sat down at the table in the art room. 

“Thanks Bucky,” you were touched. He had ordered your favourite, everything completely how you liked it. You had only ever ordered this once in his presence, weeks ago. He remembered. “You even remember the extra sauce,” you could feel tears well up in your eyes from how sweet of a gesture it was. You quickly rubbed the tears away and smiled at him. 

Everyone in your life had been so busy you barely spoke to them, Bucky had been the most consistent person by far. You didn’t blame the others, you had barely kept in touch being swapped with final projects and finals. Everyone was just busy. The fact he took the time to send you food, made your heart soar. 

“I figured we could eat together,” Bucky said as he sat up and positioned the phone so his hands were free and you could see his full torso and face. You almost choked on air seeing him. He was fucking hot, you stoped the that train of thought immediately and looked at his face and not his peaks or squishy tummy. He was a big dude, firm but soft looking. You wanted to run your fingers over his torso. 

“I’d like that,” you were impressed with how composed you sounded in that moment. 

“How’s the projects going?” He asked. You shrugged and sighed. 

“They're going. I’m almost done with three of them and I finished the last one this afternoon,” he nodded. Silence fell over you two again but it wasn’t uncomfortable. That was something you noticed shortly after his visits to art studios became more frequent, silence with him was comfortable and you never felt the innate urge to fill it. “How’s studying?” 

“Good, the practicals will be easy. I hate written exams,” Bucky was a kinesiology major, doing astrology classes for electives. What surprised you early on was that he was actually doing well in classes. It made you question those Reddit comments you read saying he cared little for academics. He wasn’t a valedictorian or anything but he was passing with 3.1 GPA overall. You weren’t surprised when he mentioned he wasn't interested in the arts, and that he only did the two mandatory English classes. 

“You got this,” you said to him with a smile. 

“So do you,” he gave you a dazzling smile back. “I'm sorry I haven’t been coming to visit,” he said quietly. 

“It’s okay, we’re all busy right now. I haven’t seen Nat in 4 days, she was hauled up in the dance studio getting ready for her practicals and the final performance,” you shrugged, the performance arts program did a big show at the end of exams the whole campus was invited to purchase tickets for. The funds raised went toward funding future projects. You had your ticket, and an extra because Loki had bought his and forgot to tell you. 

“She hasn’t been at practice either, Barton has been insufferable,” Bucky said with a mock exasperated sigh. 

“I’m not surprised,” you chuckled and smiled at Bucky, he admired the way the corner of your eyes crinkle when you smile like that. 

“You’re still coming Friday?” Bucky asked. 

“Of course,” you nodded. “Actually I have a question to ask you,” he looked at you attentively and waited. “I have an extra ticket to the performing arts final show after exams, did you want to come with me?” You didn’t build your hopes so high that he would say yes. “If you don…”

“Yeah, love too Doodle,” he cut you off. Your face lights up with a bright smile. 

“Awesome,” you cheered excitedly, you wouldn’t soon forget the beautiful smile that graced his face, you both looked into each other for a moment, smiles morning one another. You didn’t want to look away from him, his eyes snapped from yours at the sound of a crash from another room and some yelling. 

“Dammit Scott,” Bucky groaned and looked at you apologetically. “Gotta go Doodle, I’m going to try and swing by the art room tomorrow.” 

“Bye Bucky,” you waved at him as he waved the call ended. You saT back in the chair for a moment before giving up for the night and packing up to go home.

AN: Thank you all so much for reading! I've have been really enjoying writing this series!

Taglist: @vicmc624, @calwitch, @learisa, @aaqua-tofana, @charmedbysarge, @blackbirdwitch22

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