#Chapter II: The Butterfly | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

writing-fanics · 1 year ago

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More Than Anything

Lucifer Morningstar x F!Reader

[summary: final battle lives lost but the show must go on!]

Masterlist > chapter I > chapter ii > chapter iii > chapter iv

[a/n: since it’s technically been a month Lucifer and Y/n’s relationship has blossomed but not into a romantic one just yet. Just maybe the occasional flirting but I will have flashbacks to moments to have it not feel rushed.]

[also y/n likes making cursed animal combinations like a dolphin with wings.. being in hell for a month has brought her out of her shell so much she’s much happier. also the reader is whatever height you are, but to me she's slightly taller than Lucifer. sorry if this seems rushed.. its alot of work y/n trained with vaggie in weapon combat. she also kinda had help from lucifer. if ya'll want I'll write another side chapter about what lucifer and her did in combat..]

word count: 3,789 {6-7 pages)

[warning: major spoilers for episode 7-8: mentions of sex: slight smut in the end (full poorly written smut in side chapter): death spoilers:

song

[Y/n] helped prepare the hotel while Charlie and Vaggie were out, she still couldn't help but think that if it all were to end tomorrow. Should she confess her feelings to Lucifer. She tried but failed weeks ago, and now with extermination day being 24 hours away. But even then would it even matter, if she did? If they were going to die what's the point? But then..

"Ugh, why do feelings have to be so complicated?!" She groaned to herself, as she helped fortify the hotel. In her own thoughts. Yet, she remembered how awkward Lucifer was acting this morning when they were eating breakfast. It could've been because of extermination day in the next 24 hours or maybe something else?

"A-Are you okay?" She asked worriedly, at Lucifer. Who scoffed in response and smiled nervously, "Y-Yeah, I'm alright fine perfectly fine." He sweats, as he looked at her nervously.

He watched as she left the manor to go help his daughter and the hotel prepare, and cursed to himself.. God, he was absolutely infatuated with her and couldn't even confess his feelings, for her. What if she dies? No don't think that he couldn't even bare the thought of losing her again.

He reached into his pocket and revealed the rubber duck with butterfly wings, and started at it softly.

[ Flashback ]

[Y/n] bit down on her lower lip, as she tried to make her first rubber duck. Squinting her eyes as she tried, to attach some butterfly wings. She smiled, jumping out of her chair in her guest room and ran down the hallway. She bursts into the room,“Lu, I did it!” She exclaimed, holding the rubber duck in her hands. Flapping its wings occasionally lifting itself off the palm of her hand. Flapping its wings.

“Wow, you did an even better job than me.” He said, causing her to blush. But shaking her head, “Nah, yours are way better.” She said, smiling looking at him.

She looked down at the rubber duck nervously, the extermination was only a few days away and people were preparing for a bloodbath a massacre, an all out war.

“I-I..” She sighed and downcasted at the ground, before shaking her head and smiled. “I made caramel apple pancakes.” She said, smile and Lucifer’s eyes lit up.

“Why didn’t you just say so!” He exclaimed, before she knew it he was already out the door of his study. Towards the delicious caramel apple pancakes.

She smiled sadly, looking down at the rubber duck. Pressing the secret button on its wing. “I love you!” It said its robotic child like voice exclaimed, and she looked down sadly. “I feel butterflies in my stomach when I’m with you,” she clenched her fist, almost crushing the duck but stopped. Looking at it sadly, “I really am pathetic.” she sighed, she walked over towards the shelf.

That had a rubber duck with similar top hat, to that of Lucifer and hesitantly placed it beside it. On the shelf, before backing away and leaving going downstairs to eat breakfast with Lucifer.

- ——

Lucifer entered his study after [Y/n] had left, to help prepare for war being a recently fallen angel and all. He sat at his desk, he glanced over at the shelf. Noticing a new rubber duck, figuring she must’ve placed it there.

He admired it in awe, the translucent butterfly wings. He remembered how much she loves butterflies, he remembered when she joked about combining the two. A Duckerfly. A duck with wings. Even then she was absolutely adorable, her jokes always seemed to make him laugh.

He titled his head noticing a hidden button on its wings, pressing it curiously. “I’m a duck with wings!” The duck said, and he chuckled.

“Duckerfly!”

“I love you!”

He stopped for a moment, processing what the duck had just said. Pressing the button again, “I get butterflies when I’m with you,” His heart seemed to skip a beat, he pressed it again.. and again and again. Until it looped back to it saying, ‘I love you.’

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

[Y/n] smiled as she returned the hug, wrapping her arms around Charlie. “Thank you for everything,” thanked Charlie, looking up at the older woman smiling. "Ever since I was little," She said, looking up at her, "The stories, my dad used to tell me about you inspired me." and the older woman, looked at her and smiled her heart swelling with joy.

She chuckled softly, "When I was in heaven, I thought he'd forgotten about me." said [Y/n], her gaze soften as she reminisced of memories of the past. "Seems, it was quite the opposite who could've thought he'd tell stories of me to his own daughter." She said, smiling as she took Charlie by both hands.

She looked down at her, "You're like the child I've always wanted but never had," She said, the princess of hell couldn't help but chuckle, reminding her of the weird rivalry both her father and Alastor had.

"But, I'm not trying to replace your mother." She reiterated, "Not at all, I just want you to know. That I'm always here for you." She said, looking at her. Charlie pulled back from the hug, "I can see why my dad likes you so much," said Charlie, causing the woman in front of her cheeks to go red.

"Ah...Um.." She mumbled, but Charlie placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled, "It's okay, I think the two of you would be cute together." said Charlie, smiling. Even though she missed her mom Lilith, and that her dad might still possibly miss her. She couldn't help but notice even though on the small instances, her and her dad have spoke before all this.

She could see how happy he was having [Y/n] here, in Hell. She noticed the occasional flirting. Yes, it might sound weird but she loved seeing her dad happy more than anything. "U-Um, thank you." stammered [Y/n].

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

[Y/n]'s eyes widened as the force-shield shattered, but she snapped back as an exorcists attacked her and she could've sworn, she heard her shout traitor. She made quick use of her weapon, and ended the exorcists life by cutting off her head.

Patches of her clothes covered in yellow ichor, a tiny cut on her cheek she sustained when fighting an exorcists. But slowly, everything seemed to go downhill as the one who was supposed to take care of Adam. Alastor had suddenly disappeared leaving Charlie to fear the worst.

[Y/n]'s eyes widened in horror as Sir Pentious' airship was destroyed, right before everyone's eyes. "No!" Charlie wailed, as tears brimmed her eyes in shock. She'd barely gotten to know Sir Pentious, in the month she was in Hell.

But, he seemed like a good person who genuinely wanted to redeem himself. Who gave trust to his friends. and in the end made the ultimate sacrifice. Gripping the weapon tightly in her hands, she charged towards Adam.

Almost impaling him, but he dodged out of the way. "Why look who it is?" He said, looking down at her mockingly. She glared at him, "Why isn't it little miss traitor." He said, and she snarled gritting her teeth as she lunged towards him, but he laughed and dodge.

"Wow, you look even worse than you did in Heaven." He mocked, and she pursed her lips eyes filled with rage. As she dodged his attacks, "Says the arrogant bastard who let himself go after Eden," She spat, and he glared at her sending a beam that almost hit her.

But wasn't so lucky about the next one, causing her to groan in pain. "Wow, you really suck at this don't you." He laughed, god she wanted to rip out his fucking tongue. "Do you ever stop fucking talking?!" She shouted, angrily.

Adam dodged her attacks as she sent them his way. Swiftly flying out of the way angering her, as her eyes started glowing as she swings at him with the angelic weapon. She glared at him angrily, “All this for a dick you can’t suck!” shouted Adam, and she glared at him angrily. Gritting her teeth, “Ugh! Fuck you.” she spat. Missing him once again.

“You really are pathetic you know that?” He laughed. Before she could even react a yellow beam, struck her already bleeding side. Gold ichor dripping from the wound, her movement faltering, "S-Shut the fuck up!" She shouted angrily, but a blast sent her flying backwards. Causing her to crash into, the hotel knocking her unconscious.

“Y/n!” Charlie shouted, watching as she plummet to the ground. But she didn’t, and felt a pair of arms wrap around her holding her, she looked up and smiled. She quickly wrapped her arms around him, “Lu,” She whispered.

Then her eyes widened, “Please tell me you didn’t hear that.” She looked embarrassed, cheeks red. Lucifer cocked his head to the side,“Not all of it just the, a dick you can’t suck part.” He said, her cheeks bright red. How she wanted to curl up into a ball and hide in a cave.

She pursed her lips inward and groaned, “I would kiss you now-” Her cheeks turned red, as a tomato as he said that. Even more so as he looked down at her with a mischievous grin, “But, we can do that later.” He said, a grin on his face then turning to are at Adam.

Glaring at him as well as she pulled away from Lucifer, “I’ll take you up on that offer, but first.” She clicked her tongue, gripping her weapon as she glared at Adam.

Seething her teeth, as she gripped the weapon tightly. “Let’s get this fucker.” She spat, with swift speed flying off towards the angel.

Lucifer smiled watching as she flew off, “That’s my girl,” He smiled, as the two of them flew off towards Adam. Following after her, the look of anger on his face seeing his daughter in danger.

Lucifer cackled as he looks down at Adam, dodging his attacks."So, this is what you've been up to since Eden?" said Lucifer, a he flew around him."Gotta say, you really let yourself go buddy." He said, as he transformed into a snake. Adam grabbing him by the tail, and trying to throw him. But before he could Lucifer transforms into a duck. "You judgin' me? You're the most hated being in all of creations." Adam shouted, angrily at him.

"Well, your first wife didn't seem to hate what I had to offer." said Lucifer, using his fingers to make a 'V' shape bringing it to his lips. "or the second. Bow-chicka-wow-wow." said Lucifer, as he makes a thrusting motion in the air. Angering Adam, "I'll fucking end you!!" Adam shouted, as he chased after Lucifer.

[Y/n] flew up towards them, she laughed mischievously, as she transformed into different animals. Teasing him, “For someone who calls himself dick master, your own wives didn’t even want yours!” She laughed, grinning as you transformed into a dolphin with wings.

She slapped him using the tail across the face. Smiling mischievously, “Ugh! You bitch!” He shouted, angrily trying to grab her but she ducked. Flying away swiftly.

“The bully gets bullied,” She cackled, making faces at him before disappearing in a poof of yellow clouds. She giggled, as Lucifer took her by the hand. And the two of took pride in dancing to dodge, Adam’s attacks. “Oh, can’t catch us..” The two of them teased.

“That duck you left me,” He said, as the two of you disappeared from Adam, dodging his attacks. Her cheeks turned red as she looked at him, “I love you too,” He said, and her heart swelled with joy. Really was he saying this now?!

Adam gagged in disgust, “Stop moving you freaks!” Adam shouted, causing the king of hell to shake his head, “Hey, I’m trying to confess my love over here!” shouted Lucifer, causing her cheeks to turn even redder. Adam growing angrier, as he glared at them.

Adam groaned in anger, as he sent a beam of yellow ichor towards them. But Lucifer holding [Y/n] close protectively, as he swiftly pulled her out of the way. “Charlie!” She shouted worriedly, and swiftly as she said that Lucifer was off towards his daughter.

[ slight time skip ]

[Y/n] placed her hand on her bleeding side, as she stood up to her feet. Glaring at Adam as she stood beside everyone else, "You don't get to end this." Adam said, as he stood to his feet weakly. Climbing out of the hole, "I'm fucking Adam! I'm the fucking man," He shouted, looking at the sinners and demons in front of him, "and you're just some fucking clown or something." He spat, glaring at them.

"I started everything on Earth." He shouted, rambling. "All of mankind came from theses fucking nuts." He shouted, staring at them. While they just stood their listening to his tantrum, "You all should be worshipping me." He screamed.

"you ungrateful, disgusting fucking losers!" He shouted,Adam wails, and everyone stars at him in shock seeing the dagger protruding from his stomach. "Hey, you got something sticking out of your..your thing there." said Lucifer, pointing nonchalantly at the dagger sticking out of his stomach.

Adam fell forward, revealing Niffty holding the blade in her hands. "Niffty?" Charlie said in shock. Niffty sat there for a moment before, "Stab! Stab! Stab!" Niffty shouted, as she laughed manically. As she continued to stab him repeatedly. "Blood! ha ha ha!" She laughed, a crazed look in her eyes.

Lute screamed, as she rushed towards Adam turning him over as he died. Crying over her friend and leader, who sent her a final smile before dying. "It's over," Charlie and [Y/n], said glaring down at Lute.

"Take your little friends," said Lucifer, as he glared at Lute angrily in his demon form, "and go home." He shouted, is voice distorted and demonic. "Please.!" He asked, relaxed and calm yet with a sinister tone to his voice. Everyone watched, as the exorcists retreated back to heaven.

Lucifer sighed and turned back towards everyone, "Alright who wants some pancakes." asked Lucifer, as he wrapped an arm around [Y/n]'s waist. "This lovely lady right here makes some delicious, caramel apple pancakes." He said, a huge grin on his face. She smiled sheepishly, as she looked at everyone. Niffty raised her hand. "But first, I need to get this bandaged." She said, looking at the others smiling softly as she pointed at the wound.

She winced in pain as she climbed, over the rubble. “I’m okay,” She smiled, looking at Lucifer. She looked over towards Charlie, as she stared at the destroyed hotel. Everyone looked at her sadly, as she stared at the destruction and bloodshed that the war had caused. Holding KeeKee in her arms, she looked down at the banner they had made for Sir Pentious month's ago. Tears welled up in Charlie's eyes, realizing the ultimate sacrifice.

"He did it for us, the ultimate sacrifice," Charlie sang, as she choked back a sob. Vaggie placed her hand on her shoulder, "He gave me his trust, and look how we pay the price," She sang, as she walked away. She looked around at the cranage and destruction, "This bloodshed could have been avoided." She sang sadly, even though they won. She felt as if in a way it was all for nothing with the lives that were lost, "If I convinced Heaven to work together," She sang, tearfully.

She walked over towards the ledge, revealing the destroyed Hazbin Hotel and what remains, "I took a hotel and I destroyed it," She sang sadly, seeing the damage she couldn't help but blame herself for, "I know I could have done better." She sang, as she hugged her self tears welling up in her eyes, as she fell to her knees. "Better, instead of letting you down," She sang, looking down at the ground.

'Come on little lady, why the frown?' Lucifer sang, as he looked down at his daughter, placing a hand on his shoulder. 'In the last ten-thousand years. You're the first one to change this town' He sang, standing up on his feet getting in front of her, 'You can do this, now I know it!' He sang, placing his hand underneath Charlie's chin. 'For your story has just begun'

"You can't quit now, hell, you owe it," [Y/n] sang, as she smiled at Charlie warmly, "There's still damage to be undone," sang Lucifer, as he smiled at his daughter.

"You've changed my mind," He sang.

"You've touched their hearts." sang [Y/n].

"Found the good in souls gone bad"

"The stage is wrecked, the crowd is gone,"

Lucifer looked at his daughter triumphantly, and sang."But by God, Charlie!" [Y/n]wrapped an arm around her, "The show, it must go on" Lucifer and [Y/n] sang, Charlie looked up towards her friends.

“We can do this!” Charlie’s friends sang, as they looked down at her smiling comforting her, making the best of the situation. “We can build it!” everyone sang, smiling at her.

‘Best hotel that you’ve ever seen!’

‘Twice the bedrooms’

‘We can fill it’

“With more sinners than you can dream,” Lucifer sang, as he wrapped an arm around [Y/n]’s waist, a slight tint of red appearing on her cheeks. “It starts with you, you know, it's true.” They sang, as they looked down at her smiling. Hopeful despite the hotel being destroyed, despite the sinners lost.

“Fulfill your destiny!” Charlie looked at her friend, and wiped away her tears and smiled looking at them. “So long as I've got all of you with me!” Charlie smiled, as she wrapped her arms around them.

[Y/n] spreads her wings and smiles, as she flies around. Helping everyone work on rebuilding the hotel. From scratch to be grander than ever. As she sang to help rebuild the hotel she, still couldn’t believe that he loved her back. Almost feeling like a dream that he told her he loved her back. Her heart still skipping a beat, as a wave of relief seemed to wash away.

After a seemingly endless period of wallowing in self-pity, she had finally found happiness with him. With him by her side, she was filled with a sense of anticipation for what was to come in the future.

Suddenly, he scooped her up in his arms like a bride, and she let out a yelp of surprise. As he leaned down towards her, she felt his lips against hers, and a soft gasp escaped her. Her body tensed up in response as her heart began to pound against her chest, overcome with a mixture of nervousness and relief. Her eyes slowly fluttering shut as she melted into the kiss. Wrapping her arms around his neck, leaning more into the kiss.

He whispered into her ear, causing her to shudder and turn beet red. Despite her flustered demeanor, he couldn't help but chuckle softly. Furrowing her eyebrows as she looked at him, and playfully leapt out of his arms.

Transforming into a duck with butterfly wings, and flying off. Lucifer chasing after her, as she switched between each forms giggling, as they continued to help rebuild the hotel. She smiled, as magic flew through her fingers butterflies flew around the hotel glowing with yellow ichor.

Everyone stood at the portrait of Sir Pentious, memorial saluting the great general who sacrifed himself for his friends. “We can do this,” everyone sang, as they stared at the portrait mourning the loss. But a smile on their face, knowing that his sacrifice guaranteed them a better and hopeful future towards redeeming sinner.

“We can do this,” Charlie sang, as she stared at the “We'll be better,” everyone sang smiling, as they remembered Sir Pentious. Saluting their fallen friend.

“We'll be better,”

‘Though redemption may take a while’

“Though it may take a while,” Charlie sang, smiling as [Y/n] placed her hand in her shoulder.

‘Wayward sinners, clear their ledger’

‘And we're doing it with a smile’ Alastor sang, as he appeared between them. Charlie’s eyes lighting up smiling, as she hugged him. “Yeah!” everyone except Lucifer, smiled as they looked towards Alastor.

‘We made a difference, wait and see’

‘We're gonna do this, you and me.’ Charlie and Vaggie sang, as they hugged eachother.

As they walked out towards the courtyard with a hopeful smile. [Y/n] smiled as Lucifer took her hand into his squeezing, she looked down at him and smiled. Fireworks lit up the red sky of hell, as they looked at the newly rebuilt Hazbin Hotel.

Lucifer used his magic shrinking the key, and handing it to Charlie. Who smiled looking at the hotel, “And then tomorrow, it will be a fuckin’ happy day in Hell!” They all sang, as they looked at the newly completed and rebuilt grander than ever. Hazbin Hotel.

[side chapter sneak peek]

Lucifer and [Y/n}, had left suddenly after saying goodbye to Charlie and everyone saying they needed some. "rest" But Angel knew all to well, he saw right past through it. "Yeah, they're about to fuck." Angel said, earning a groan of disgust from everyone. In particularly, Charlie. "Ew, that's my dad." said Charlie, in disgust looking up at Angel Dust.

"What? It's pretty obvious!" He exclaimed, folding his arms across his chest. Before looking off in the distance curiously, "I wonder what kind of kink the Short King is into." He wondered curiously, he took notice of the apples.

Charlie covered her ears, while everyone started walking off. "He's definitely into food play, whipped cream and apples." Angel continued, and "Lala! I can't hear you!" Charlie shouted, as she walked off. "Hey, Charlie give me Y/n's number so I can ask!" He shouted, running after her, "No!" shouted Charlie, as she walked towards the hotel.

"Aw, come one I need to know!" Angel shouted, chasing after Charlie.

meanwhile.. in lucifer's room{ya'll will get the actual smut later so rn its the morning after}

Lucifer's eyes fluttered open and he was met with the most wonderous sight, of [Y/n] and her crinkled up nose as she slept letting out the occasional snore. He smiled softly, as he brushed his fingers against her cheek causing her to smile. His heart seemed to flutter, how did he get so lucky?

"Aw, Lucifer." She said playfully, looking at him as he attacked her neck with kisses, "I've gotta make breakfast." She said, and he nuzzled his head into the crook of her neck. "Mm, not yet." He said, as he pulled her underneath the covers. She was in for a long morning.

a/n: no y/n didn't know that Lilith was in heaven im not kidding. She had no idea, but with her coming into play for season 2. There will def be some drama stirring, if she's a villian or not.

also lemme know if theres any gaps so i can go back and fix them.

taglist: @supernerdycookietrashblrr @96jnie @mit-suri @koji-akeme @dinawss @xx-all-purpose-nerd-xx @wanderlustingcastaway @only-cherry-blossom @runaway-expert @buubsii @darkknightsandredrobins @kokoneai5 @colletepop @asheitoshin @thesimppotato11 @cherry-4200 @jolynetodd @blaire-blake @thedarkkitten @astrxwitch

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misguidedasgardian · 4 months ago

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AMOR VINCIT OMNIA II.

II. Floating Jasmines

Summary: He did want to marry you, did he not?

Warnings: Use of she/her pronouns, reader has hair, Ancient Rome accuracies and inaccuracies, animal slaughter for ritualistic purposes, arranged marriages, age difference (Marcus is late forties reader is 20), cursing, reader gets waxed and takes a milk bath, use of historic characters that don’t belong on this timeline, mentions of consumations, one sided fluff and ANGST a bit in the end, MIGHT MISS SOME WARNINGS

Due to topics discussed and future warnings…

+18, MINORS DNI

Notes: I feel like the first chapter was a bit rushed, but I hope that I can find a “pace” I’m comfortable with! I hope you like it! I feel like this chapter is very descriptive, but I wanted to set a tone… hope I did justice to all those rituals and all! I didn't check this so sorry for any mistakes, I was so exited!

This fic was inspired by the coolest @stylesispunk's "Soldier in the armour"

You caressed your mare’s coat with delicacy, Marcus has gifted her to you tamed already, so you rode her constantly. He had said it came from his own stables up North where he had a villa.

One of the few things he had said to you.

You did not understand, he was supposed to want to marry you, then why after the betrothal he never even spoke to you again?

He found you with Lucius in the garden, but it haden’t mean anything, you were steps apart, it was nothing, just a few parting words to the one you had wanted to marry.

He led you back to the celebration that night, and he had remained at your side until he left you and your mother in your villa, and then he retired for his.

You never saw him again

It’s been three months.

Your mother had explained that he left to take care of some things, you knew that winter was coming and as General and as owner of villas and country he needed to care for his estates, especially since he was to be wed.

But the temperatures were lowering and your doubts were ever higher.

Was he angry at you? That he found you alone with a man? Was he doubting his decision?

Have you done something wrong?

“Amica mea”, called your mother, you turned, letting a soldier take your horse back to the stables. “Did you have a pleasant ride?”, wasn't a long one, as you had not much space to go, especially alone…

“It was mother”, you said softly, you both entered back to the villa

You removed the shawl you had placed around you, it was getting cold, you had to put on wool socks now, and closed shoes, and a thicker tunic under your stola.

You were entering winter, it had been three months since your betrothal.

Every day you grow more anxious.

Your mother assured you that everything was alright, and you still kept your ring in your finger

“Actually, Marcus has returned to Rome”, she said softly, “he is to remain here until after you are married, and until the Emperors decide on who they are going to appoint as consuls”, she said softly, your wedding, as the appointment of the consuls were to happen in the first weeks into Ianuarii

You didn’t know where he went, you knew he wasn’t on campaign, so he must have been in his villa in the country, but it didn’t matter to you.

“Mother, did I do something wrong?”, you asked her for the tenth time, “for him not wanting to see me?”, you asked her then

“Darling I swear you did nothing wrong”, she assured you, “he had business to take care of”, you were not convinced, not really, and she could sense that, “there’s more, he is coming at sundown, he just arrived back to Rome and he wanted to see you”, she said excitedly

“Really?”, you asked her, hope returning to your features

“Yes, my dear”, she said, smiling softly. “so go get ready”, with a smile, you did as she requested, putting on your most beautiful stola. Your mood had lifted completely at the news.

At the prospect of him wanting to see you, made your stomach filled with butterflies, and you found yourself excited.

If Marcus was the man you had to marry, you were going to make the best of it, you were determined to be a good wife to him, and make him proud, and do your marital duties.

And soon he was there, entering your home with a soft smile on his lips, and those kind eyes you discovered you liked so much.

From the first time he had come to your home to now, there was a whole sea of difference. He seemed relaxed, his eyes were shiny and his smile sincere, or at least, it looked like it.

He brought you an amphora filled with delicious wine.

Your mother, after eating with you in the triclinium, excused herself and left you both alone with a knowing smirk on her lips

You were incredibly nervous, but… his gentle demeanor helped you ease a bit

“I wanted you to know”, he started, “that I left to settle some business in my states, it was the harvest and I wanted to oversee it”, he explained softly

“Is your state… big?”, you didn't know how to follow up to what he had told you, he only chuckled

“Not much, but we have many apple trees, and pears, some olives”, you smiled at that, “is a villa in the edge of a lake, it is quite beautiful”

“Sounds incredible”, you said with an excited smile

“I wanted a place to have solace after my campaigns”, he explained

“Are they going to send you out there again… after we are married?”, you asked him

“I should think so, yes”, he murmured with a soft smile, “there are always revolts and uprisings, we need to oversee our territories, care for our subjects”

“I know they are important, though… I hope they feel brief”, you said with an apologetic smile, he looked at your face and smiled kindly at you, making your cheeks heat in embarrassment.

You had to admit the subject really interested you, about geography, and culture. Well, also battles as well, the strategies, the ones already fought and how they happened, and you were marrying a General, that is what most excited you, you were going to be able to ask him about his campaigns and about the battles he had fought, you felt so emboldened, you went ahead and ask him…

“I wanted to ask you, who was the most difficult enemy you ever faced on the battlefield?”, you asked him, he took a sip of his cup of wine and left it on the table in the middle of the Triclinium

“I do not wish to bore you with tales of wars, my lady”, he said softly, and your smile dropped. You should tell him that you wouldn’t be bored, but you didn’t press on it. “How do you find your new mount?”, he asked after an uncomfortable silence, the previous soft atmosphere now destroyed

“Luna is so calm, and sweet”, you said then, “thank you”

“You named her Luna?”, he asked

“She is silvery as the moon”, you explained gently.

“It’s a beautiful name”, he assured you, “and I’m glad, I made sure she had a good temperament, I would never put you at risk, my lady”, he assured you. And that made your heart beat fast in your chest, and your cheeks heat up

“Thank you”, you say shyly, he smiled at you then. But as he seemed to truly gaze at you, he got serious all of a sudden.

“This might be what you asked the Gods for”, he started, and you felt your cheeks heated, was it really that obvious? although you were trying your best to not show it, “but I promise to keep you safe, and to care for you”

“And I promise to be a dutiful wife”, you said, over excitedly, you must have looked so childish. His face turned serious, and you could swear you saw a glint of sadness in his eyes, but it was probably your imagination.

He might be rough around the edges a bit, but he was joust, and generous, and caring. You beamed at him again, and for the first time since this whole thing started, you found yourself wanting to marry him.

Your mother didn't show up again, and Marcus left shortly after, and when he was in the threshold, in the Atrium, he grabbed both your hands, leaned in, and kissed you on the edge of your mouth.

You saw you could see stars even if you were inside, and he left you with tingles all over your body and promises that soon you were going to get married, with no setbacks

The day of your marriage ceremony, it was so cold, you only managed to get out of bed because you knew that today you were getting married to Marcus.

You knew what you had to do, you had been taught all the rituals, all the processions.

As your eyes trailed around your room, that was kissed by the first rays of the morning sun. You started to see small remnants of your life, today, you were going to marry a man and leave your home, to go and live with him.

Today, you were going to leave your girlhood behind.

You raised from your bed and grabbed a little doll that was on a wooden shelf in the corner. You were old enough to have gotten rid of it quite a few years back, but you didn’t have the heart to. It was a little dolly made with articulated wooden limbs and dressed in a tunic.

You smiled at it, and put it inside a beautifully carved wooden chest, as you did the rest of your personal artifacts that you were not going to take into your new married life.

“To Venus”, you whispered.

Once you were done, you turned around and found your mother looking at you from the door, with a sad smile on her face.

“My only daughter”, she whispered, her eyes shiny with unshed tears. “You are leaving too”, she said, you smiled at her and hugged her tightly. She caressed your hair and kissed the side of your face, “but this is for your safety”

You found that odd, but it was such a heartfelt moment, you didn’t think more about that.

“But this is a happy day”, she said, releasing you and smiling through her tears.

“Yes it is”, you said happily

“Ah!”, you screamed, “Fatue!”

“I’m sorry Domina”, the maid said apologetically. You knew the sweet maid wasn’t at fault, but… it hurt nonetheless, “just a little more”, she said with a weird smile, as she raised your arm to access the tiny hairs in your armpits.

“It hurts”, you whined childishly

“I know”, she placed the warm thick substance, she waited a few minutes, and then she pulled, making you whine. It all had to go…

For your wedding night.

“We prepared a milk bath”, she said as if that was going to be of any comfort, “to soothe your skin”, you looked at her, frowning, she tended to…

“Au!” ...take you by surprise.

Once the torture was done, you were led to the indoor bath. As she had said, it was filled with goat milk, and soft and aromatic essences. Your maids fixed your hair up, so it wouldn’t get dipped in the liquid, and then abandoned you, you undressed, dropped your thin tunic into the floor, and slipped in the beautifully tiled space, she was right, it was soothing on your skin.

MIlk baths were not strange, but rather, a delicacy, only being done in the most special of circumstances, like your wedding day, for example.

You enjoyed the peace and quiet of the secluded place, as you faintly heard all the servants and maids walking all around, surely preparing for sundown, the ceremony was going to take place in your home, as it was customary.

In the midst of all the flowers floating in the milk bath, you found a beautiful jasmine, your favorite, you grabbed it, making more ripples in the quiet you had created, you took it to your nose, letting the sweet smell soothe you.

You didn't know where it came from, as it was winter, so you took it as a sign from Juno herself, the goddess of marriage, then, you rubbed it against your neck, you really hoped its sweet smell would cling into your skin for today.

You smiled, you felt dreamy, thinking about what exciting things are to come.

Time seemed to fly by you, your mind blinded by a soft mist, and before you knew it, your hair was being fixed in six braids, you were looking at yourself in the mirror, a large polished piece of copper. You had been dressed in the softest fabric you had ever felt, thin, sheer too, you could see your most intimate bits, but it wasn't less beautiful, delicate, soft and sewed with gold, and then, they placed a beautiful white tunic above it. All white and sewed with golden as well, it fell loosely to your feet, but it clinged to the just right places in your body.

Your mother came into your rooms then, and they finished fixing your hair, she brought what looked like a golden rope in her hands.

But you knew what it was.

You believed it was pride you saw in her eyes, as they passed the golden rope around your waist, and then tied it in the traditional way.

“I’m so proud of you”, she said with a wide smile

“I love you mother”, you said happily, she leaned in and kissed your cheek, and then she hugged you tightly

“You are going to be happy with him, I know you will”, she murmured

“I really think I can”, you said with a wide smile

And when you were all ready, with the crimson red veil placed upon your head, you were left alone in your rooms, waiting for the right moment for your entrance.

You were supposed to be escorted by your handmaidens, but just now you realized that the only friend you had was Cecilia, and right now she was in Sicily with her husband…. so you found yourself alone.

“Do you need anything, domina?”, asked Alba, the lovely maid who had been by your side all day, and for years back

“I’m a bit nervous”, she smiled, she nodded, and brought back a trail with what recognized was a small amphora

“A bit of mulsum”, she said, “that will comfort you”, she said with a soft smile

She was right, the wine did help you relax your nerves, especially when you heard people arriving at your home. Finally everything fell on you, the reality. You were going to marry a man, this very night you were going to leave your home to never return, and you were going to live in a foreign place, you had never been to Marcus’ home, you didn't know where you going to end up this very night, you did know though, you had to consummate the marriage.

You knew what was going to happen, you were a Roman woman, you were raised in knowledge of pleasure, war, wisdom, passion, love, and many others. Tales of Conquerors driven by mythical love and a passion that conquered empires and transcended thousands of years…

Would that kind be the kind of love you’ll have with Marcus?

You had barely a cup of wine with honey, it managed to soothe you to a certain point… but you couldn’t have more or it was going to cloud the rest of your senses, so you started fidgeting with your fingers.

You started to feel uncomfortable, your scalp began to itch under the veil and your tight braids, the cold winter air began blowing through the window, but your hands were sweating and your breathing was becoming rasher.

You went to the window to have some fresh air, but you found that the garden was, well, not blooming, again, it was the middle of the winter. But as the sun was hiding in the horizon, the air got colder by the second. So you took long breaths and then you came back to sit on the bed.

You didn’t even got to before the door opened, and Alba came back

“It’s time”, she said with an excited smile

You wanted to throw up as you were so nervous. She came and grabbed your hand, and led you out of your rooms. The ceremony had been prepared in the main atrium of your house, the most propitious space for that gathering of people.

They were all there, they had lit fires all over the space, and everything looked so magical and mythical, even though that was the same atrium you saw everyday

Your mother received you at the threshold and led you towards the small altar they had set for the occasion. You were so nervous your legs were shaking, but they still held you upright.

Marcus was standing in front of a woman you could only guess was the matron of honor, right behind the altar

The ceremony was led by a woman you didn't recognize, but the Protuba, the matron of honor, was supposed to be a woman who had been married once, and still was living with her husband, so it couldn’t be your mother as she was a widow.

You looked around and found mostly men present in the ceremony, but that wasn’t odd either, there was supposed to be at least ten of them, then you looked at Marcus. He was looking at your mother, you couldn’t quite identify the feeling behind those eyes… it seemed like he was asking for some sort of permission, your mother met his eyes with decision, you looked back at Marcus and he seemed to nod.

And then he turned to you, his eyes fixed.

“You stand as Venus in front of me”, he said softly, your cheeks heated

“That would make you Mars then”, you murmured. He smirked

“Let’s begin”, said the woman loudly, it all got so quiet, you could hear a single straw fall into the marble floor. You took a long breath. She presented a long scroll, the contract to your marriage, the details of which you did not know, it had been made between them both with your mother.

“We are here free, of your own wills, to join in matrimony”, you both nodded, he was first, to sign the paper, you followed, scribbling your name shakily. Once that was done, you stood right in front of the other again.

You both looked at the matron, she then looked at you and nodded, so you turned back to Marcus and smiled at him, taking a long breath.

“Ubi tu Gaius, ego Gaia”, you said shakily, now you understood your friend, the way of the words constricting your throat

“Ubi tu Gaia, ego Gaius”, he said firmly, with a strength and conviction you envied.

“Now, the concordia”, it wasn’t without cause that the wedding ceremony was often called ‘the joining of hands’, you tried to wipe the sweetness of your hand in your dress but didn’t get to as the Matron grabbed it rather roughly, and Marcus’, and joined them together, his hand was so big, rough though, but warm, so warm, as you yours, you held your breath as his warmth in this winter night made you warm too.

“With the concordia, you are agreeing that a mutual affection made by the Gods themselves has bonded you”, she said, “Where she is woman, you are man, this is the will of the gods”, then came your least favorite part, the sacrifice to Juno.

They brought forth a big piglet, and you looked away as someone slaughtered it, its cries ringing in your ears. You were brought back to the present when you felt a caress in the back of your hand, you realized it was Marcus’ thumb, caressing it, as he saw your distress.

You smiled at him widely

You took the time to gaze upon your now husband, he looked so handsome, dressed in perfect white, golden laurels sewed into the fabric, his beautiful dark locks combed backwards, and a pleased smile on his face, he looked like he just received laurels back from his campaign. You even saw little wrinkles that were born in the outer edges of his eyes, but that made him look even more handsome if that was even possible, and that nose…

He turned towards you and found you gawking, he leaned in and kissed your cheek, you believed you were going to faint.

When he placed his big warm hand on your lower back to meet your guests, -which you completely forgot they existed-, you believed you could swoon, his touch comforting and soothing, he then turned to you and smiled. He seemed to search for something in your eyes, and you hoped you could see the devotion within them.

You married one of the most important generals of Rome, a handsome man and you truly thought you’d be the happiest woman alive.

The feast began right after, and you realised your mother had gone all out, dancers in the pools of the two atriums, more servants than guests walked around offering food and wine. Cheerful music was playing, and all the guests had dispersed and were talking in loud conversations. You believed you could put together an older empire than Rome if you summed their ages together.

You had no people of your own, as Lucius and his friends were not here. His father was, and you guessed he didn’t want to see you get married to Marcus. His friends were here though, all men dedicated to war, pretors, some other generals. Some of their wives were about your age, but you didn’t recognize them.

Some even giggled in corners after looking thoroughly at you.

You tried to eat, but your stomach was in knots. You tried to drink, and you managed, water though, not wine, you didn't want to. As Marcus chatted with his fellow man of arms, you as much as clung to your mother’s skirt as she indeed was talking with the wives of men of the Senate.

Sooner rather than later, a comitive came from what was once your rooms, carrying coffers filled with your belongings, one of them held, you guessed the golden one, carrying what you guessed was your dowry.

Now you truly clung to your mother, as the time to leave your home for your husband’s had come.

“Don’t be sad my beautiful girl”, she whispered against the top of your head, “you’ll be just fine, and this will always be your home”

“I’m scared mother”, you whispered.

“You will be alright”, she said, “I promise you”, you nodded, surprised to realise you were crying.

Marcus came to your side, grabbing your hand softly, releasing you from your mother’s arms. He had to struggle, you weren’t embarrassed to admit, but you released her and clung into his arm instead.

You left your home, your villa, and you both led the procession to Marcus’ villa, that you didn’t even know where it was.

This could be a long walk or a short one, you didn’t quite know.

It was already pitch black, being late and winter, but the torches taken by the people who were following you lit the night.

It was cold, and your clothing was thin, but you held onto the arm of Marcus. He stood deadly silent, and you couldn’t find the words either.

When you finally arrived at the gates of Marcus’ villa, your feet ached, it was in the very center of Rome, near the curia, it was… big. Your mother had not come, but a group of people you had known your entire life was there, looking expectantly at the both of you.

You gasped as you felt Marcus’ thick arms raise you from the ground, taking you in his arms.

He left all of them behind with no words spoken and he entered his home with you in his arms, you heard the cheers and lude remarks, and then the gates closed behind you, as you grabbed onto Marcus’ neck. His body was warm against you, cold from the walk.

He released you at the atrium.

He directed you towards a table where two copper bains stood, and you know what follows.

Marcus used two small stones that sparked a fire that burned a few twigs and moss. The Other basin had water in it. So Marcus was indeed a traditional man, a religious man even.

“Touch the water first”, he whispered in your ear, making you tingle, “so you won’t burn”, he suggested, you smiled nervously, and slipped your hand inside the copper basin, then as it was wet, you placed it above the fire. When you felt the sting, you removed it. The small rite was supposed to purify you and your new home, your new family home.

You then realised you were very much alone with him, for the second time, and now… he was your husband.

The air was thick with expectancy, and your nervousness.

But he had been so gentle… that gentleness was going to translate into your intimacy as a marriage, right?.

“Well, this is my home”, he said. You looked around and you found it comfortable, and… quite new, if there was such a thing in Rome.

Your home was ancient, as the Palatine hill, some say it was made by Romulus and Remus themselves after they founded Rome.

But Marcus’ was perfect, the pillars white and straight, the tiles unscathed by the passing of time, the pools were clean and with fresh water. Not like the ones at your villa which even had water lilies in them, and your pillars looked more like stone than marble, with wallflowers clinging to them. These walls lacked the paintings that decorated yours.

If you and Marcus weren’t there, there was no other trace of life.

But it was beautiful nonetheless, and this was your house now too.

“As my wife”, he started, “you can do as you please with this home”, he said, the warmth that decorated his features at the ceremony now were lacking, now he seemed like he was sad.

“Thank you Marcus, you are so kind”, you offered with a soft smile

“This way”, he said, with a thick arm pointed at a hallway.

This was it, the root of all nervousness, you were going to consummate the marriage, you were going to… take him…

You arrived in his rooms, he entered in front of you, and you played with your fingers nervously. You prayed to Juno a week before, for him to be gentle and kind with you, to hold you with passion and devotion alike. That she blesses you with children. And the thought alone was enough to make you less nervous.

Maybe this was the day you were going to start your family.

But he didn’t move.

He rubbed his face with his hands, as he was exasperated, his back was to you, and he stood still, unmoving, hiding himself from you.

Did you have to do something?

He finally seemed to come to his senses, as he revealed his face and turned, but still not to you. You looked at yourself, begging the gods for wisdom in this… strange time… you then remembered the golden belt around your waist.

And it finally dawned on you, maybe he needed a little push

“The husband is supposed to take this off…”, you trailed, playing with the fabric nervously. It was braided beautifully, it was customary to be made of wool, but you, being Lucilla's daughter, and granddaughter to an emperor, they had woven it out of golden silk just for you.

It was the most beautiful knot of Hercules you had seen, and you were wearing it today on your wedding day, where your husband was supposed to untie it, before he claimed you in the marital bed for the first time.

“I won’t”, he said simply, looking over his shoulder, to finally turn on his feet to look at you. His right hand grabbed his left wrist in front of him, as he stood still and solemn, and he was standing in front of his superior, or the emperor's themselves, “I will not touch you”, you didn’t seem to understand as you stood there, frozen in front of him

“But you are my husband”, you offered weakly. Of all the scenarios you played in your mind, you never thought this was the way it was going to go. You’d think he was going to be too eager, maybe too rough, too impatient, but never this… unless… “have I done something wrong?”, you asked, your voice broke at the very last word, and it was worse as he seemed to look at you with pity, “did I do something to displease you?”, you asked shakily

“You did nothing wrong”, he said, so simply, but his voice sounded too serious, too cold

“But…”

“It was a long day, we both could use some rest”, he said, his eyes soft at this, as he was begging you. He came to you, cradled your face in his big hands and kissed your forehead, and then he left you alone in the room.

Your heart shattered inside your chest as you sat on the edge of the bed, you grabbed into the fabric tightly. You were seized by an awful feeling that you didn’t even recognize at first, your chest ached, as bitter tears down your cheeks.

“But I did everything right”, you whispered

MASTERLIST

PCN: So the angst begins MUAHAHA

I thought the word "domina" was said by slaves to their "owners" but apparently not... it means "Lady or Mistress" use to call ladies of "status" so yeahhhh

Taglist: @orcasoul @peelieblue @raynetargaryan2 @thereallchristine @sesdeuxyeux

#misguidedamor #marcus acacius fanfiction #general marcus acacius #marcus acacius x you #marcus acacius x reader #ancient rome au #gladiator fanfiction #gladiator ii #gladiator 2 #Lucilla

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im4rmy · 7 months ago

Text

park jisung x fem!reader (idol AU)

IMAGINE: You and Chenle finally convince him to go on a double date.

TW: suggestive, mention of sexual activities, MDNI

• “It’s going to be awkward!” “Only if you make it awkward, baby.”

• He’s not used to interacting with you around other people—he gets even shyer than when you’re alone.

• You’re having a blast with Chenle and his girlfriend. The two of you are close friends and play on the same volleyball team. But even when the three of you are clearly having the time of your lives, you never forget about your sweet, socially-inept boyfriend—making sure to include him with something as simple (and heart-melting) as a loving smile.

• He honestly thinks you’re the most extraordinary person to ever exist.

• He watches you, completely enchanted, no matter what you’re doing—cooking, working on a college project, doing your makeup, styling your hair, or even fixing things in his dorm.

• “How do you even know how to do all this?” “The real question is why you don’t, Ji.”

• He blushes every single time you call him baby, so you’ve started calling him baby boy just to mess with him—and every time, he’s overwhelmed by a storm of butterflies in his stomach.

• At first, he never initiated anything intimate. But over time, he’s learned to simply follow your lead.

• “Shit... that feels really good.”

• You love whispering a teasing little good boy—and watching him melt like ice cream in the sun.

• He’s completely obsessed with you, and his bandmates tease him whenever he totally short-circuits just from seeing a text from you.

• “It’s just that she’s so... how can anyone be that cool?”

♡♤♡♤♡♤♡♤♡♤♡♤♡♤♡♤♡♤

other jisung's chapters:

bf!jisung scenario ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ you're here!

jisung - when you first met

jisung - your first time together

bf!jisung scenario II

OT7 chapters:

your contact names in each other's phone

his favourite part of your body

when he hurts you during sex by accident

when he comes back from tour

⇘ nct dream idol AU index ⇙

·˚✎ ﹏im4rmy's masterlist

♡♤♡♤♡♤♡♤♡♤♡♤♡♤♡♤♡♤

#nct fanfic #park jisung #nct #nct dream imagines #nct dream #nct jisung #nct dream jisung #jisung imagines #park jisung imagines

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66stitches · 8 months ago

Text

Marigold (II)

𑁍 best friend!abby x reader

𑁍 Summary: Abby loved you in a way she believed you could never reciprocate. Per her friend's advice, she began to avoid you in hopes of healing her aching heart.

𑁍 CW: sfw, angst, a little bit of fluff, unrequited love, happy ending yippe, jealousy, friends to lovers, hurt/comfort, reader neither described as masc nor fem, no physical description of reader besides that she is able-bodied, fighting, swearing, violence, ellie mention, a lot of crying, pet names.

𑁍 WC: 4.4k

𑁍 Daily click - Palestine masterpost - TLOU and israel

𑁍 divider creds

𑁍 Chapter 1 - Chapter 2

You buried your cold hands deep within the pockets of your maroon-colored jacket in an attempt to ward off the biting cold, each breath you took formed a slight cloud in the crisp air.

"Don't you think it's a little cold for ice cream?" You spoke, looking over at your friend walking alongside you.

"Maybe you'd enjoy it more if you actually got a good flavour."

You and Ellie wandered through the familiar town, your thoughts running as you dragged your feet across the pavement beneath you.

You tried to focus your thoughts on anything besides Abby: the cold breeze of winter stinging your nose, your coffee-flavored ice cream that, according to Ellie, tasted like burnt shit, the fallen leaves and the sound they would make when you'd step on them.

But she always managed to find her way back into your thoughts, contaminating your brain with the presence of her memories. The memories that once brought you joy were now nothing but painful.

Your steps came to a halt as you stopped by the town's bar. Wooden panels adorned with colorful string lights and a paper that read "winter dance" stapled on the entrance.

"Oh, I almost forgot about the dance tonight," Ellie spoke as she finished the last bite of her ice cream. She tossed it in a nearby bin. "You're going, right?"

The town hosted dances and gatherings quite often. It was never really your thing, but it was Abby's, being the social butterfly she is. She always dragged you along, and you were happy to follow.

But Abby was no longer with you, and now you had no reason to go.

"No, I don't think so," you replied. "Are you?"

"Yes, I am, and so are you." She said it as if you had no choice in the matter, her tone leaving no room for argument.

"Come on, don't just say no because of Abby. This is the perfect opportunity to get your mind off her," she sighed dramatically. "It's also the perfect opportunity for me to show off my dance moves."

You sighed, and though you were not yet convinced, you allowed yourself to consider it. "I don't know, Ellie.”

"Please? If not for yourself, then go for me. You're not really gonna let me go to this thing alone, are you?" she pleaded.

"Stop that. You know guilt trip always works on me."

She grinned. "I know."

"Alright," you said as you threw your hands up in defeat. "I'll go."

Ellie was right, you needed this. It was unfair for you to miserably lay heartbroken when God knows Abby was probably already out having fun, relieved to be rid of you at last. It wasn't fair for Ellie either who came a long way to see you.

𑁍

Nora slipped on her last layer of clothes and started combing back her dark hair.

"You're awfully quiet," she spoke, looking over at the blonde resided beside her, currently styling her hair into her signature braid.

Abby offered no response for a moment, simply going back to her task.

"Uh, you okay?" Nora asked.

"I'm fine, Nora," Abby replied, speaking without a glance at her friend's way. It was clear that she was lying, Nora could see that. Abby had been evidently troubled for weeks, her distressful demeanor was something no soul could miss.

Nora sighed as she placed her hairbrush down. "No, you're not. Tell me what's going on with you," she asked, though she knew she didn't need to. She knew it was you who's causing her this sorrow. In truth, that had always been the case, even long before you two had stopped talking.

"I don't know, I'm just a little worried about her, I guess," she said. Merely talking of you was most difficult for her. She had been trying to avoid the topic of you for quite some time now, always shutting her friends down when they tried to ask what happened between you and her.

"You don't have to worry about her, Abs. She's got that redhead friend of hers to keep her company." Nora tried her best to be comforting.

Abby almost had to physically stop herself from rolling her eyes at the mention of Ellie. Of course she had noticed the two of you spending time together quite often, and as happy as she was that you had someone to keep you company, she couldn't help the seeping feeling of jealousy that contaminated her to the core at the first sight of you two.

“Please, don’t talk about Ellie,” she practically groaned, not doing much to conceal her obvious jealousy which earned her a slight grin from Nora.

“Jealous, much?” Nora asked.

That’s when Abby really rolled her eyes. “Nobody said that, Nora,” she said, albeit she knew she didn’t exactly give much room to conclude otherwise.

Abby didn’t want to admit truly how jealous she was of the red-headed girl and how badly your falling out had affected her.

She no longer wept, though she always felt as if she was on the verge of doing so. She tried to distract herself with the gym, but what once brought her happiness and contentment now felt like a chore. She didn’t need a distraction, she needed you.

She envied Ellie: she envied the way she got to hold you without that awful feeling of sheer guilt in the pit of her stomach; without that nagging voice in her head telling her what a disgusting person she is.

She envied the healthy relationship Ellie had with you, how comfortable she was in sharing affection without feeling as though she was fulfilling some perverse fantasy.

She was constantly plagued by the urge to go back to you, always having to remind herself of what a horrible idea that would be, as well as Nora’s persistent lectures which stopped her from doing something so foolish.

She was happy that you had someone to keep you company and comfort you, but she still couldn’t help the way she felt about Ellie. Her jealousy eating away at her every time she saw you together, doing things you once did with her, and she felt endlessly guilty for being jealous.

“Do you think she’s going? You know, to the party?” Nora inquired.

Abby considered it. She was unsure whether she wanted you there or not.

The sight of you would dim her mood, that she knew for certain, but she missed being in the same room as you.

“Probably not. T’was never really her scene.” She sounded different whenever she would speak about you. Her tone would change significantly. She sounded softer. Sadder.

Nora considered her next words for a moment before speaking. “Do you want her there?” She asked.

Abby zoned out for a moment, contemplating.

“I don’t know.”

𑁍

You stood beneath the cold wind staring at the town’s bar. You could hear everyone inside. Dancing, talking, yelling, singing along to the music. You took a deep breath and walked in, your eyes immediately scanning for Ellie.

You found the redhead standing by the bar with two drinks in hand. She met your eyes from across the room and gave you a smile as you walked up to her.

“So you came.” She handed you a drink.

“Yeah,” you responded as you fiddled with the bottle. “You were right, I’ve got to stop moping. This is good for me.”

Ellie tilted her head and smiled. “See? Told you. I’m always right.”

Moments passed, and you mostly followed Ellie around like a lost puppy while she socialized and met some new people.

That’s something you always envied about her: how she can make friends so easily and how confidently she carried herself most times.

You two then sat at the bar, allowing yourself to rest a little as you indulged yourself in conversation.

A conversation you were no longer paying attention to, Ellie’s voice slowly beginning to sound faded as your eyes were locked on someone else across the room.

And that certain someone was watching you right back. Deep blue eyes locked onto yours, keeping you connected from the other side of the room. Her brows were furrowed. She looked pained, tired, and yet still as beautiful as ever.

You didn’t think you would ever be in the same room as Abby again, but there she was, in all her glory.

She wore a tight green shirt that hugged her strong figure in all the right ways, along with some faded brown pants that accentuated her thighs.

“Stop looking at her.”

Abby was first to break eye contact, snapping you out of the trance that were her eyes. You averted your gaze from Abby and back to Ellie.

“Again, I am so sorry. I seriously didn’t know she’d be here,” Ellie apologized for what seemed like the millionth time.

“It’s fine, Ellie”, you reassured her, but you both knew it wasn’t fine at all. You sought a fun night to distract you from the ache in your heart that was Abby, only to have her come and bring that ache with her.

You were unsure whether you were surprised to see her here or not. You knew that she enjoyed these parties, but you assumed she wouldn’t be attending this time after what had happened. Perhaps you should have known better.

“There she goes staring at you again,” Ellie groaned and rolled her eyes. “Come on, let’s just get out of here.”

“Way ahead of you.” You were already throwing the remainder of your drink and getting ready to leave. Ellie followed shortly after, but not without bidding her new friends goodbye.

You stood in the sidelines waiting for her as she moved all around the room.

You then found yourself praying to whatever god there is up there to allow the ground to open up and swallow you (or Ellie) whole, because with all of her careless wandering, she mistakenly bumped into Abby, nearly spilling the last of her drink on her. Nearly. That part you were grateful for.

“Oh shit, man, my bad,” Ellie chuckled. She did not sound the least bit apologetic. In fact, she only sounded proud of herself. You wondered if it had even been accidental at all.

Abby recognized Ellie immediately, of course she did. She was not only looking at you the whole time, but as well as glaring holes into the back of Ellie’s skull.

“Oh please, don’t pretend like that wasn’t deliberate,” Abby said harshly. Ellie grinned mockingly, glad that she managed to get such a reaction from the blonde.

“Aw, what’s making you so hostile, Abby? Makes it seem like you’ve got a personal grudge against me.” Ellie just kept pushing Abby’s buttons, speaking in the most condescending tone she could muster. If there was one thing Ellie was good at, it was riling people up.

You practically sprinted to them, grabbing Ellie’s hand and gesturing for her to leave.

You met Abby’s eyes once again, but this time was different, because now you stood close enough to really look at her again; close enough to get another hint of her intoxicating smell.

Once again, she broke eye contact.

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think someone’s a little jealous,” Ellie pushed again, trying to get another reaction from Abby. She wrapped an arm around your shoulder. “You’re jealous that she’s got me now.” Ellie grinned again, enjoying the sight of Abby’s scowling face.

“Ellie!” You yelled. You were getting upset as well as embarrassed. Whatever Abby was mad at you for, she was definitely never forgiving you now. You pushed Ellie’s arm away and tried to grab her and leave once again. You were ignored.

“Jealous?” Abby scoffed, she was the one grinning now. “You’re just a replacement. You realize that, right? If it weren’t for me leaving her, she wouldn’t even spare your desperate ass a glance.”

You were left aghast at Abby’s words, Ellie clearly was too. She tried to hide it, but it was clear Abby’s words had hurt her.

You opened your mouth to defend Ellie. You loved Abby, that would never change, but you would not stand for anyone talking to Ellie like that and speaking lies about you. But Ellie interrupted you before you had the chance.

“Yeah? ‘Least I never fuckin’ ghosted her or made her feel like shit the way you did; at least she’s happy with me. So yeah, got your girl now, bitch,” Ellie retorted, looking evidently proud of herself for that last sentence. Clearly she still found this fun.

Abby’s clearly had enough of childish banter. One thing about her is that she was never afraid to get violent.

She took a step forward and shoved Ellie, nearly knocking her off her balance. You were ready to interfere, until Ellie shoved Abby right back with the same amount of zeal.

Everyone’s attention was on them now, not including those who were black out drunk. The entirety of the bar went quiet, staring at the two women in excitement. As if you thought this couldn’t get any more humiliating.

“You both are fucking childish,” you yelled and tried to get in between them.

Quite the dumb move on your end. The punch Abby threw was meant for Ellie, but with your careless action of stepping in, you were the one taking the hit, your head snapping back.

What you didn’t expect, though, was for Abby to hastily grab your face, softly cradling it between her hands.

“Fuck, marigold, are you okay? I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to hit you,” she spoke quickly. The tone in her voice was scared and replete with concern. It was evident on her face.

She seemed surprised by her own actions as well. She didn’t think nor intend to hold you like that. When it came to her, protecting you almost felt like a natural instinct.

The feeling of her hands on your skin and her face so close to yours nearly made you forget the aching pain on your cheek.

You snapped out of it swiftly and pushed her hands away from you, sending her back.

“You don’t get to call me that anymore,” was all you said. It was bitter, laced with venom. Abby looked hurt, but mostly ashamed of herself. She didn’t speak.

“Now can we just leave already?” You groaned and turned to Ellie.

“Yeah…” she breathed, still glaring holes at Abby.

You grabbed Ellie’s arm and finally left. It took everything in you not to look back at Abby. You wished you didn’t care about her so much.

You were now back at your house, examining the swollen area on your cheek which you knew would soon be a shade of purple.

You spent most of your time in your head, replaying that incident continuously.

What you truly could not manage to get out of your head was how Abby had reacted when she’d accidentally hit you. That name she called you: you were certain you would never hear her utter that word again.

You were both confused and comforted by the gesture, but you tried not to dwell on it.

“God, she’s even worse than you described. What a bitch.” Ellie had been ranting and moaning about Abby for what felt like all night.

You tried to tune her out, not wanting to think about Abby so much. Is this what Ellie felt with you?

“You should’ve let me fight her. I mean, she’s big as shit, but I could definitely take her on.” She took a moment to observe herself in the mirror. “Definitely,” she repeated.

“Ow!” You flinched as you poked your swollen skin. That got Ellie to stop her ranting and come to your aid.

“You okay?” Ellie held your jaw and observed your cheek.

“I’m fine, it’s just…” you trailed off. “You started that fight on purpose, didn’t you?”

Ellie raised her brows at your question and smiled slightly. “Nah. Trust me, if it was deliberate, I would’ve spilled my drink on her. This was just a happy accident, as Bob Ross once said.”

“Yeah, well your happy accident got me a punch to the face, but I’m glad you found it fun.” You rolled your eyes and stepped away from the mirror.

“Actually, you jumping in between us is why you got punched. Seriously, what were you thinking?”

“I wasn’t thinking. I just wanted you guys to stop.”

Ellie frowned and crossed her arms, an expression of remorse scrawled upon her features. “Shit, I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. She’s just… she’s so fucking confusing, Ellie,” you said and buried your face in your hands.

“I know,” Ellie empathized. She wasn’t the best at comforting, always getting awkward in serious situations. But what she offered was her ear, and that was all you needed.

“I mean, what the hell was that? Did you see how she grabbed me? What she called me? Why does she think she can just do that after everything?” You were trying to remain calm, which wasn’t easy with Ellie staring at you so sympathetically. “Why does she still act like I mean something to her?”

“Maybe it’s ‘cause you do,” Ellie suggested, placing her hand on your back and offering you some much needed physical comfort.

It really did not make any sense, Abby’s actions only managing to confuse you more. Could she really have cared about you? Was there still something there, or did she merely feel guilty for hurting you?

Now what you had planned to uplift your mood and ease your sorrow had been ruined by Abby’s presence. It seemed as though she haunted you everywhere, bringing nothing but ache and destruction alongside.

𑁍

Abby felt weak.

She had tried to avoid you, as she usually did, but the memories of what had occurred the other night played endlessly in her mind, fueling her with guilt.

She’d tried to make herself stop caring, convincing herself that you meant nothing to her and that what had happened the night prior did not affect her, but to no avail.

She cared about you, and that would never change. She could avoid looking at your face as much as she wanted, but your image was forever seared into her mind.

Today was a particularly gruesome one. You did not bother to hide the bruise that formed, and Abby didn’t fail to notice.

She had tried to walk up to you and apologize, each time cowardice and shame taking a hold of her and turning her back around.

The idea of speaking to you again after everything intimidated her, which was quite unusual for someone like Abby. She never anticipated a time would come where she would be apprehensive about facing you.

Unfortunately for her, you did not lack discernment. You noticed her reluctance in making her way to you; noticed the way she was internally battling herself.

You stood outside, bidding Ellie goodbye as she left to go back home.

When Ellie was finally gone, Abby walked up to you again, and you hoped for what seemed like the hundredth time that this time she would not turn back around. You didn’t know whether you planned to forgive her or not, but you still wanted her to speak to you.

When she noticed you looking at her as she made her way to you, she stopped at a halt and turned back around.

Her actions and timidity were beginning to frustrate you, but right as you were about to speak up, she turned around once again and walked towards you, this time faster, as if she wanted to get it over with before her apprehension got a hold of her once more.

“Hey,” she spoke, her voice laced with discomfort.

The gleam in her eyes changed as she got another look at your bruised cheek, feeling infinitely more guilty.

You didn’t reply and simply waited for her to get to her point. You wanted it to seem like it was because you were mad at her (and you were), but in truth you were at a loss for words.

Because she was here. She was speaking to you; she was looking at you. It took everything in you not to break down into tears at that seemingly insignificant act.

“So…” she trailed off, eyes scanning everywhere timidly. “I just wanted to say that I am so, so sorry. For hitting you, I mean. I swear, I meant to hit Ellie but you got in the way— not that I’m saying it’s your fault, because it wasn’t—” she was rambling now, her nerves getting the best of her. If you were any less hurt, you would laugh and call her cute.

“What the hell do you want, Abby?” You interrupted aggressively, which earned you a look of both shame and bewilderment.

“To… apologize?” She said it more like a question. She was slightly rendered uneasy by your anger, but she did not blame you in the slightest nor was she surprised. It only made the guilt grow into something more unbearable.

“Apologize, huh? Don’t you think you have other things to apologize for? You think this—“ you pointed at your bruised cheek, “is what hurt me?”

Abby took another look at your cheek. She didn’t reply. She looked down and crossed her arms, hugging her sides. Your eyes followed her hands and noticed the way she dug her nails into the skin of her hips, her knuckles slightly turning white.

You remembered all the times where you would scold her for that bad habit of hers, asking her why she’s so nervous and having her brush you off and ask you not to fret.

“Just let me-“

“No, Abigail. I don’t wanna fuckin’ hear you right now,” you interrupted. “You said you never wanted to see me again, so why don’t you just stick to your word?” Your heart broke into a few more pieces at the mention of that night, remembering all the things she had said and that distant tone in her voice. Her heart broke as well, remembering how cruel she was and the painful look on your face.

“Why do you have to be so damn confusing? Why are you contradicting yourself by saying you never want to see me again, only to keep looking at me with those fucking eyes, starting childish fights, calling me marigold, and now you wanna try to talk to me and expect forgiveness?” You were yelling at this point, letting everything spill out with no control or filter.

And Abby was quiet, understanding. She was listening. Her knuckles were turning whiter with every word you spoke, her eyes slightly glistening.

“You left me without a word. You never tried to talk to me about what happened, maybe we could have fixed it!”

“You wouldn’t-”

“No!” You interrupted again, not wanting to hear her voice and only spilling what has been bottled up inside you. “Don’t speak and let me finish! You didn’t talk to me, Abby. Do you have any comprehension of how terrible I felt? Did you enjoy knowing that I spent nights wondering how the hell I was supposed to fix what you destroyed?”

“I-”

“I’m not done! What made you think that you could just walk up to me and-”

“Stop!” She was the one to interrupt you this time. “I love you,” she said before she could think. It was said quietly, softly, and this time she was looking you in the eye.

That definitely shut you up. You stood there, gawking. You were trying to form words, but none came to mind. Your head was empty, but your heart was heavy, filled with emotions you couldn’t quite place.

Abby was clearly getting anxious by your lack of response, so she spoke again.

“I don’t know if you’ll accept my reasoning for what I did, but that’s it, and I’m sorry. I did it because I loved you. Because I love you.” Her voice was shaking slightly. She was afraid. It was painfully obvious.

��Why- why didn’t you tell me?” You stuttered, dumbfounded. Of all the possibilities you considered that might have been the cause of what happened, this was something that would have never crossed your mind. Not in a million years.

“Isn’t it obvious?” She laughed, though her voice held no humor in it, laden only with pain. “I didn’t wanna lose you. I was afraid I’d ruin what we have,” she said, digging her nails even deeper into her skin. “But now I already did.”

The last part was quiet, spoken slightly above a whisper. She no longer met your eyes, detaching herself from you almost completely. She was sure this was the last time you would ever speak to her again. This is where you would let her go.

It undoubtedly hurt and scared her to reveal herself to you; to finally speak the words that were sure to cause you to let her go, but she didn’t want to be selfish anymore.

She would face her feelings and allow you to leave because of it. The words you had just screamed at her did not fall on deaf ears and she would no longer leave you ignorant to the truth and pained from the untold.

You offered no response. Endless words and confessions played in your head, but none left your mouth. You felt frozen, but you also wanted to know what else she had to say.

Abby’s apprehension only grew at your silence. “Shit, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I knew you wouldn’t take this so kindly but I just needed to get it off my chest and I am so, so sorry. I understand if you don’t wanna talk-”

Her profuse rambling was interrupted by your lips on hers. Your mouth didn’t move, only feeling the soft plush of her lips against your own.

The kiss ended as quickly as it came. Her eyes were wide and she was left gawking. “So that’s how I get you to shut up,” you joked.

“Fuck, come here,” she breathed. She grabbed your face and swiftly pulled it to hers, meeting your lips in another, more passionate kiss.

You pulled her in further by the collar of her shirt. You were so close that you could feel your hearts beating against each other. You could not imagine anything more intimate.

Her lips were slightly chapped, yet still soft and plush, and she tasted beautifully. It was as if the heavens had descended from the skies and given you a taste of its richest, most forbidden fruit.

You forced yourself to separate your lips so you could catch your breath. You pulled away and met her face, her eyes heavy and mouth slightly agape. She looked beautiful like this, all blissed out. The sun kissing her face reflected the gleam in her eyes like light beams in the sky. You smiled at the scene.

“I love you too, you idiot.”

“I love you, my marigold.”

𑁍

a/n: this took so fucking long I don’t even know if people are interested in reading it anymore but here it is

Taglist

@grey-jedi12

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kjiscrawlingbackformore · 18 days ago

Text

Peace - Act II : Chapter three

Lottie Matthews x fem!reader

Masterlist | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Summary: Reader comes back to her hometown and transfers to Wiskayok High School after getting expelled from her previous high school. Follows Junior year into Senior year, all the way up to the crash. (Eventual NSFW mdni)

Warnings: None

When you come home. Your aunt isn’t there. No note, no food in the kitchen, but your met with peace and fucking quiet. So you decide, you’re taking a break from school. And when your aunt still doesn’t come home, it becomes a two-day break from school. The curtains are drawn tight.

A bowl of cereal sits half-eaten on the desk. The TV is on low, reruns of The X-Files flickering across the screen. You lie in bed, facing the wall. Your eyes are puffy. Not even thinking about how you haven’t seen your aunt since Monday.

Then-click.

You bolted upright. The window creaks open.

“WHAT THE FUCK—?”

Jackie climbs through like it’s something she does every day. Winded from the climb, strands of blonde hair falling in her face, cheeks flushed.

“You skipped,” Jackie says, breath catching. “For two days.”

You scowl, pulling your blanket tighter. “So you break into my room?”

Jackie brushes herself off and crosses the floor. “You wouldn’t return my calls. Or answer the door. What was I supposed to do?”

“Leave me alone?”

“Yeah,” Jackie says, voice rising, “well, you disappeared, Smalls. I thought something happened.”

You stare at her, eyes narrowing. “You mean like when you called me Lottie’s project at that party?”

Jackie goes still.

Your voice cracks, not angry - just tired. “Did you mean it?”

Jackie opens her mouth. Closes it.

“No,” she says, too quickly.

You scoff and look away, not believing her. Jackie crosses the room, kneels by the bed. “Look, I was… I was jealous, okay? I saw you with her and I panicked. You and I-we’ve been through more than anyone else in that entire school combined, and I felt like you were just… gone.”

You feel your eyes glisten, but you refuse to let the tears fall. “So you made me a joke?”

“I didn’t mean it like that.”

“You never do,” You murmur.

Silence blooms between them. Jackie sits down on the edge of the bed, her voice small. “I came here because I miss you. I miss how we are when it’s just us. And I know I messed up. But I’m still your person, Smalls. You’re still mine.”

You don’t answer. You keep your eyes steady on the wall again. Truthfully, you don't even know what to say to her.

You’re still mine.

If this is what being anyone’s person meant. You didn’t know if you liked it. You were exhausted and confused, for some stupid reason you felt hurt. But despite all that those words made your heart was racing. Because your Jackie said them.

The concept that you were her person. The possible hidden meaning made your palms sweat, but instead of giving you fluttery excited butterflies, you just felt it fall flat into nausea.

Jackie leans in closer. “Say something. Please.”

You finally whisper, “I don’t know if I want to be anyone’s person right now.”

And Jackie, heartbroken, doesn’t push. She just stays. Sitting beside you. Silent. Her frown makes the ache in your chest worse.

You don’t make her leave. And when she makes it clear she’s staying, you make room for her on your bed. Like you were still 11.

The overhead light is off. A lava lamp on the dresser casts warm blobs of red and gold across the walls. Jackie is curled next to you, using the blanket she brought in from the couch downstairs.

Your back is to her, lying in bed with the covers tucked up to your chin. Silence hangs between you, but not the kind that hurts, more like a truce.

“You don’t have to talk to me,” Jackie says gently, staring up at the ceiling. “But I’m not leaving until you go back to school.”

Your voice is flat. “That’s blackmail.”

Jackie grins into the dark. “Yeah. Emotional extortion. You should be flattered. Not everyone gets this level of my attention.”

You almost smiled. Almost. Sighing, you finally turn to face her. And Jackie’s eyes light up in a hopeful way.

“I’ll go,” you mumble. “But I’m not promising to be fun.”

Jackie exhales, relieved. “I’ll settle for the crumbs.”

When you make it inside of school, you move through the crowd like a ghost. You don’t talk much during homeroom, you don’t make your usual jokes in English when Mr. Rosen mispronounces “Kafka,” and you skip lunch altogether, opting to sit outside by the loading dock.

Jackie watches you from a distance, anxiety bubbling under her skin. Unable to keep her eyes off you all day. Shauna watches too, from the other side of the quad

You're in the corner, delivering a sealed envelope from the front office to Coach Martinez. Something about permission slips for some tournament. You linger after handing it over, as the team begins filtering in from the field.

Van’s the first to spot her.

“You surviving or just doing a great impression of a corpse?” Van jokes, tugging off her gloves.

You blink, surprised. Then “Little of both.”

Van nods like she understands more than she lets on. “That’s fair.”

You hover, unsure. Looking around you see not everyone is out yet. A sudden relief washes over you. Not needing to see Jackie or Lottie right now.

“You can sit,” Van offers, patting the bench beside her. “It’s not radioactive.”

You consider the spot, like it’s a bad idea. But you still sit. Quietly. You don’t say much, but it’s not uncomfortable. Van pulls out a granola bar from her bag and offers you half. You exhale and then take it.

Jackie walks in moments later, still flushed from practice, she catches sight of you across the room. You and Van, heads bent, sharing a quiet nothing of a conversation.

Jackie doesn’t say anything. But the jealousy is unmistakable in her eyes. Shauna clocks it immediately. Most of the team has already filed out back out from water break, sweat-slick and exhausted. The sky is starting to dim, casting golden lines across the concrete walkway.

Lottie leans against the brick wall near the gym exit, fiddling with the hem of her shirt. She spots you exiting behind Van, eyes tired, lips pressed into a line that says I’m fine, but doesn’t mean it.

Van gives you a soft nudge and peels off toward the field.

You slow down when you see Lottie. Lottie offers a small smile, careful, soft around the edges.

“You okay?” she asks gently, searching your face.

You hesitate. Your body still, except for the way your fingers twitch around the strap of your bag. You weren’t great that’s for fucking sure.

“I don’t know,” you admit.

Lottie steps closer, her voice lower now. “You don’t have to pretend around me, you know?”

You stare at her for a long second. Then something in you gives way, like a clean break. The tension in your shoulders, the stiffness in your posture. You step forward suddenly, wordlessly, and wrap your arms around Lottie.

It’s tight. Desperate in a way that catches Lottie off guard. Lottie’s eyes widen, but she doesn’t hesitate to hold you back, warm, steady, grounding. The hallway’s mostly empty, and everything around them quiets. The hug lingers. Longer than either of you expect it to.

You finally pull back, eyes a little glassy, but your lips are set again, like armor snapping back into place. “I have to go,” you say softly. “Yearbook stuff.”

Lottie nods, but her eyes follow you as you turn and walk away, disappearing into the next hallway. She stands there alone for a moment, her arms crossed like she’s still trying to hold on to the shape you left behind.

After practice, you're halfway across the lot, bag slung over one shoulder, hoodie tucked tightly around you. The sky is overcast, threatening drizzle, and your breath fogs faintly in the cool air.

“Y/N!”

You turn at the sound of your name. Lottie is jogging toward you, still in her practice gear, hair damp and clinging to her neck. You slow down but don’t stop completely. “Hey, what’s up?”

Lottie skids to a stop next to you, just a little breathless. “Do you want to come over? Like-tonight? We could… work on the project. Or just hang out. My parents are out again. It’d be chill.”

You raise an eyebrow. “You want to do more homework?”

Lottie laughs, but it sounds nervous. “Not really. I just… I don’t know. I don’t feel like being alone tonight. And I don’t think you do either.”

You look at her, really look, and see that thing in Lottie’s eyes again. That barely-hidden worry. The gentle, desperate hope. There’s a beat of hesitation, then you give her a small nod. “Okay.”

Lottie’s face lights up in a way that’s too quick, too big, like she was scared you might say no. “Okay. Cool. My car’s over there.”

She starts walking, and as you follow, Lottie reaches back, hand brushing the small of your back, just enough to guide you without saying anything. The touch is light, but you notice. The way Lottie’s fingers linger just a second too long before dropping away.

In the car, Lottie taps her fingers against the steering wheel like she’s trying to keep herself grounded. Music plays low from the radio, something mellow and warbled on cassette. As they drive, she keeps glancing at you out of the corner of her eye, like she’s still making sure you're real.

By the time they pull into the long, winding driveway of Lottie’s house, the air between them feels full of unspoken things. You step out, and Lottie is at your side again, hand resting at your back as they walk up the path. It isn’t possessive, just steady. Like an anchor.

Inside, Lottie tosses her keys in the bowl by the door and turns to you with a small smile. “I’ll grab you some socks. My house is freezing after practice.”

You watch her disappear down the hallway, the weight of her touch still lingering. You have no idea what will happen. But Lottie wants you here. That, for some reason, was all you needed to want to stay.

#lottie matthews x you #lottie matthews x reader #lottie mathews x reader #lottie matthews #jackie yellowjackets #lottie yellowjackets #jackie taylor x reader #jackie taylor #natalie scatorccio #yellowjackets #shauna shipman #van palmer #taissa turner #taivan #mari ibarra #charlotte matthews

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auraisereigh · 9 months ago

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Star is Fen Riorson's daughter and Xaden's older sister. When the Rebellion ends she finds herself mourning her loved ones while trying to pick up the pieces her father left behind. All the while she finds herself feeling things about a certain Sorrengail. Masterlist ☆ Support me ☆ Standalones New chapter every wednesday.

Pre- fourth wing

Part one, July 628 AU - July 629 AU

Chapter 1: "Promise me, little star"

Chapter 2: "Watching the stars"

Chapter 3: "A darkness in ash"

Chapter 4: "The general's son"

Chapter 5: "Assembling an assembly"

Chapter 6: "For the love of... Whatever lord you pray to"

Chapter 7 part I: "Hello to you too, Star"

Chapter 7 part II: "For love now lost, for endless pain"

Chapter 8: "Way too sweet"

Chapter 9: "A dive into the past"

Chapter 10: "One chance"

Chapter 11: "Conflicted"

Chapter 12: "Peace in the quiet"

Chapter 13 part I: "Blades to celebrate"

Chapter 13 part II: "Sweets"

Chapter 14: "A proposition"

Chapter 15: "Warmth in the cold"

Chapter 16: "Regal"

Chapter 17: "Heavy is the past"

Chapter 18: "A painful tale"

Chapter 19: "Bittersweet snow"

Chapter 20: "A warm solstice"

Chapter 21: "The red gem"

Chapter 22: "What the heart wants"

Chapter 23: "A short lesson in magic...or in cold"

Chapter 24: "Flowers for the night"

Chapter 25: "A chocolate sweet birthday"

Chapter 26: "The edge of peace"

Chapter 27: "Butterflies and scars"

Chapter 28: "Lanterns"

Chapter 29: "Old wounds bleed the same"

Chapter 30: ""Where the light lingers"

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

Part two, August 629 AU - July 631 AU

Chapter 31: "Never fall for aristocracy"

Chapter 32: "Something like peace"

Chapter 33: "Where is my daughter?"

Chapter 34: "Pain and love and some flirting"

#dragon #fourth wing #onyx storm #brennan sorrengail #xaden riorson #mira sorrengail #the empyrean #brennan sorrengail x reader #xaden riorson x reader #brennan x star

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maybankslover · 1 year ago

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dropped your hand while dancing

the masterlist

finished

summary: what happens when the only love you've ever known, your fiance, the one you considered the love of your life, leaves you.

warnings: pregnancy, mention of miscarriage, mature contents, rafe isn't a psycho, the cameron family has a good dynamic, rafe's mom is alive.

playlist

chapter I

chapter II

chapter III

chapter IV

chapter V

chapter VI

chapter VII

chapter VIII

chapter IX

chapter X

moodboard

before he dropped her hand

dropped your hand while dancing

drabbles, the reality universe.

post-partum. requested

butterfly fly away

#maybankslover #outer banks #obx #rafe cameron angst #rafe cameron x kook!reader #rafe cameron x y/n #rafe cameron x reader #rafe cameron x you #rafe cameron x female reader #rafe cameron idea #rafe cameron imagine #rafe cameron imagines #rafe cameron one shots #rafe cameron one shot #rafe cameron outer banks #rafe cameron series #rafe cameron #dropped your hand while dancing

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seospicybin · 1 year ago

Text

ON THE ROAD.

PART I

Bangchan, Han & Jeongin x reader. (s,f,a)

Chapters: Part II

Synopsis: A group of friends going on a road trip that, little did they know, will change their lives forever. (19,1k words)

ON THE ROAD PLAYLIST.

Author's note: My inbox is always open for feedback and your wild theories hehehe enjoy this one too! x

A famous author once said that friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: "What! You too?"

For years, Chan believes that in order to make friends, he has to have common things with them, for example, having the same favorite books having the same hobbies, etcetera.

That's what he thought until he found out that in real life, that's not always the case.

Chan learns all about friendship when he meets his friends. He first met them at the art school 8 years ago and they remain good friends to this very second.

Because they're now living in different places and working in various professions, they have this weekly group video call every Friday at 8 pm.

Chan is so busy editing videos that he almost forgets that it's Friday and it's ten minutes to 8, he hurriedly opens his laptop to start a video call with his friends. He knows it'll take them some time to come online so he notifies his friends through the group chat too, not forgetting to add that he'll not make them watch a foreign movie tonight in the hope that they'll hurry.

That's one thing about Chan, he's passionate about movies and dreams of becoming a great movie director someday. Other than that, Chan has many great qualities about him. He's smart, he's good looking, he lives a healthy lifestyle, and a true social butterfly, something about him that makes people comfortable being around him. Those qualities combined with his dimpled smile create this magnet that attracts a lot of girls.

However, Chan only has eyes on one girl and one girl only.

"Oh, hi, Chris!" A voice that's way too familiar says through the laptop, a voice that evokes something deep within him and sends a tingle down his spine.

"Hi, Jinnie!" Chan says back with a smile.

Jinnie's Friday night is like any other night, she's drawing in her studio with the scented candle filling the room with the soft and sweet smell of vanilla. At times, she'll take a break to sip her tea and check her phone for the time.

It's almost 8 and she wonders why the group chat isn't blaring with notifications, she pouts thinking that everyone is too busy to have a video call tonight.

Just like the universe heard her wistful thinking, her phone chimes with a notification and her face lights up as she opens it.

It's Chan sending a link to the video call. Jinnie wastes no time to get on her laptop and clicks on the link that takes her to where everyone is going to virtually meet. A few seconds later, her face appears on the box on the screen next to Chan and that means she's the first to come online after him which is not a surprise.

"Oh!" She delightfully gasps, feeling happy to see a friendly face even though they had one of the video calls a week ago.

"Hi, Chris!" She greets him while smiling and enthusiastically waving her hand through the screen.

"Hi, Jinnie!" Chan replies with his sweet, dimpled smile.

It's kind of adorable to find him waving with his muscular arms and Jinnie can't help but smile. She adjusts her desk lamp to give her proper lighting then stacks her hands together.

"It's always us, huh?"

"What?" Chan asks as he leans closer to the screen.

"It's always you and me," Jinnie says, pointing at him and then at herself while half laughing.

Chan cracks a laugh at that, "And that means Jeongin will come next."

"Cause we all know who will come last."

"You mean who will come late?" Chan corrects him with a smirk.

Jinnie lowly chuckles and grabs her cup of tea from the other desk, "How are you, Chris?"

"I'm doing great, I guess," he answers.

"I guess?" Jinnie squinted her eyes at him as she repeated his words, "You've been staying up all night again, did you?"

"Well, uh..." Chan tries to make up an excuse but fails, he covers his eyes in embarrassment and laughs it off, "I tried not to."

"Are you working on something?"

"Yeah, I'm editing these videos for a short film I did with a friend," he answers.

"Oh? Is it the same one as the one you told me?"

"No. It's a different one."

"I know you're working, I hope you keep taking care of yourself well, Chris," Jinnie warmly tells him, genuinely concerned as a friend.

Jinnie has always been like that, kind, attentive, and a great illustrator, she's as gentle as the colors she uses in her art. She's beautiful but not solely because she's the only girl in this group of friends.

Jinnie's outer appearance matches her inside and you rarely find that kind of person.

The other often think of Jinnie as an angel that unluckily fell on this part of the earth, right in the middle of this friendship, and has become a blessing to everyone ever since.

"Oh, there's Jeongin!" She gasps, showing the same enthusiastic and bright smile whenever she sees her friends.

In other words, there's lucky to have Jinnie as their friend.

The letter feels heavy on his hand even though it's only a piece of paper, a piece of paper that holds his future and will forever change his life.

Jeongin should be happy, this is what he wants but something is tugging at his chest. He slips the paper back into its envelope and hides it in between pages of the book he's reading.

He reclines on his chair and runs his hands through his hair, feeling torn but he doesn't know what makes him feel that way. He closes his eyes as if it would help him shutting his mind off and ignoring the chimes that come from his phone until he remembers to check it.

Using his hand, he gropes around the table to find his phone without looking and unlocks it to find some notifications, the first three are coming from Chan.

Jeongin rushes on his chair realizing that it's Friday and he forgot about the video call. He immediately gets on his computer and logs into the link Chan sent him through the group chat.

Despite knowing that he's late, he remains calm because he knows he'll not be the last to join, there's someone else who will come later than him.

The screen takes a moment to load the video call and he appears on the lower box between his two friends, Jinnie and Chan.

"Oh, there's Jeongin!" Jinnie exclaims in joy, as beautiful and bright as usual like she's bringing her own sun wherever she goes.

"Well, Chan said we're not going to watch a weird foreign movie so here I am," Jeongin jokingly says.

"Thank you, Jeongin," Chan says, poking his cheek with his tongue, easily offended as expected which truly shows he's the oldest one in this group of friends.

"But the last one we watched was really good," Jinnie says, defending Chan with his exquisite taste in movies.

So here's the thing, everyone knows that Jinnie and Chan would make a perfect couple but it's a mystery why they're not dating yet.

Jeongin knows for sure that Chan has a feeling for Jinnie and it's so obvious, but he can't say the same about Jinnie even though it's impossible that she missed all of those signs.

Or maybe love is a simple thing because Jeongin is someone who watches from the outside and it's different for those two individuals involved. But still, Chan has been there all along and Jinnie doesn't see it, which infuriates Jeongin at times.

Whenever he sees them together, he gets the urge to point out everything but instead of that, he lets out a sigh and then puts on a smile.

"So, how are you guys?" He asks.

Jeongin has always been the quiet one, but don't take his silence as ignorance, he's very observant. He watches everything and remembers everything to the tiniest details, that's also why the others become extremely careful with what they say or do around Jeongin because they know he has their cards under his sleeves.

But being observant also means he has sound judgments about things, he's fair and sensible and that makes Jeongin the most reasonable one.

"I'm great. I'm having a cup of tea with me," Jinnie says, showing the cup of tea she's holding with both hands with her eyes forming two crescents as she smiles.

"And I'm good, thank you for asking," Chan says with his dimpled smile.

"I'm not asking you, Chris," Jeongin jokes.

Chan presses his lips together until they form a thin line and lets out air through his nostrils with his eyes closed while Jinnie is giggling.

"How was the recital going?" Jinnie asks.

"It went well," Jeongin answers.

Honestly, everything went so well, he's still playing piano as always and has shows to do but something about it makes him feel a little distressed that he feels the need to shift the talk.

"Well, we're not watching Chris' weird movie tonight—"

"It's not weird," Chan groans in disagreement and a glare aimed at him.

Jeongin refuses to correct his earlier remark and continues, "So what we're going to do tonight?"

Truthfully, Jeongin really needs the distraction tonight and he doesn't mind at all even if it means he has to endure three hours of watching a movie he can't understand, plot or language-wise.

"I have an announcement," Chan says.

"What kind of announcement?" Jinnie curiously asks with her eyes comically widening.

Chan swivels his chair to the side and plays with a stress ball in his hand, "I can't say anything yet until everyone gets here," he says.

Jeongin groans as he reclines on his chair and covers his face, knowing that it'll take only God knows how long until the last person finally comes online.

"In that case, I'll get myself a can of soda first," he says to everyone, then gets up from the chair.

When he returns to his room, Jeongin notices that the fourth person has joined the video call. Actually, he can hear it even before he enters the room from his babble.

"I know you guys have been waiting for me. No need to get that excited!" Han says, acting like he didn't just make everyone wait for him as usual.

Han is trapped in his own head like usual, arranging words in his head to make good lyrics for the track he made last night. He pictures those words in his head as he hums the melody to himself and then jots them down in his notebook.

He puts the headphones on again to hear the track once more, singing the lyrics to fit the melodies and only realizing that his mom is calling for him once she appears in front of him.

Disoriented, Han sits up on the bed and puts his headphones down, "What's wrong?"

"I've been calling you for dinner!" His mother scolds him.

He lets out a chuckle and takes his headphones off altogether, "But it's only five," he says.

His mother must have been so used to seeing him in his room and unaware of the time.

"I put the dinner in the oven," she informs with a dramatic head shake before exiting his room.

Is it dinner time already? He looks around for his phone on the bed, he's sure it's somewhere in there. He's flinging the duvet and then there's the sound of his phone falling onto the floor.

"Owh?!" He gasps, covering his small mouth with his hand.

Han rushes to the other side of the bedroom and picks it up, fortunately, his phone doesn't crack or break, but the time...

"Oh??!" He gasps again in a rather panicky tone.

It's almost 9, he's late for the video call again. He rushes to his laptop and it won't turn on because it runs out of battery.

"Ugh!" He groans as he struggles to plug it in the first time and groans again as he plops onto his chair.

It's always like this, losing track of time when he starts working on something. He remembers it was only four when he started writing his lyrics and now it's almost 9 pm.

It's like the laptop knows he's in a hurry it decides to take more time to boot and Han nervously taps his fingers against the desk, knowing that he makes his friends wait for him for the umpteenth time.

His fingers are typing as fast as they can to log in to his account but it takes him another moment to load the video call.

"Work faster you piece of a—"

"Welp. There he is!" Chan exclaims, looking annoyed but relieved at the same time.

"Thank you for finally gracing us with your presence," Jeongin says with the right amount of sarcasm in his tone.

"Oh, hi, Han!" Jinnie says, being the most welcoming out of the three.

"I know you guys have been waiting for me. No need to be that excited!" Han playfully says. He knows they're upset and tries to lighten the mood.

In his defense, he didn't do it on purpose. It becomes a habit at this point and he knows everyone will eventually let it slide.

"I guess you've been busy working on your lyrics again, huh?" Jinnie asks, propping her hand under her chin.

"No, I was helping my mom fold the laundry," Han makes a joke out of his own life.

Unlike everyone else, Han is the only one who hasn't figured out yet what to do with his talent for producing music. He's been working on some tracks but that's about it.

"Anyway, what kind of weird movie are we going to watch tonight?" He asks, shifting the talk to something else.

Chan clicks his tongue and says, "Thank you for making it obvious that you didn't read the group chat."

"Well, I opened them but didn't read them like all cool people do," Han confidently says with a sly grin plastered on his face.

Despite the uncertainty of his career, Han thinks he's the coolest of them all and doesn't care if anyone thinks otherwise. He's funny, and he's the mood-maker of the group but in all honesty, he's just being his authentic self 24/7.

"Okay, now since we're all here..." Chan says, sitting upright in his seat.

"Oh, so we're not watching a movie tonight," Han says in utter confusion, this is why he shouldn't be late so he won't miss out on a lot of things.

"Just shh..." Jeongin hushes him with a finger in front of his jutted lips.

"You're not like... dying, right?" Han hesitantly asks because Chan puts on a serious face, "It's cause you look so pale..."

"I've always been pale. What are you talking about?" Chan grumbles in disbelief, not accepting the fact that his pale skin makes him look like he's dying to him.

"Hannie!" Jinnie sharply calls his name, that is her way of sparing herself from using profanities

"I told you to just shh..." Jeongin scolds him more.

"Okay, okay, I'll shut up," Han says with both hands raised in defeat.

"Anyway," Chan reels the conversation back to the main thing and claps his hands together to get everyone's attention, "I need you guys to get days off for a week at the beginning of next month."

"But why?" Jeongin asks.

"Jinnie, Jeongin, I give you guys a month of forewarning so there's no reason you can't do it," Chan explains, not taking any excuses.

"And you're not concerned about me?" Han asks, feeling left out.

"That's because I know you're always available," Chan shortly answers.

"I need to ask permission from my mom!"

"To do what?" Chan squints his eyes at him.

"Permission to go on a road trip with you guys," he innocently answers.

"You're not some 12-year-old going on a school field trip," Jeongin reminds him that he won't be needing that.

"Oh, yeah, okay," Han meekly says with a nonchalant shrug.

"Well, that means I only need to finish some of my drawings early," Jinnie calmly says.

Chan smiles at her through the camera, "I know you can do it," he sweetly says.

"Thank you, Chris," Jinnie says with a smile.

"Wait, wait, you haven't answered my question," Jeongin interrupts the tender moment between the two, "Why?"

Chan sucks air through his teeth and stretches his arms out, not sure if he's trying to show off his muscular arms or just wanted to stretch them out.

"Because we're going on a road trip!" He announces in a cheery tone.

Jinnie grins in reaction and then claps her hands in excitement, "That sounds fun!"

"Where are we going?" Jeongin further asks.

"I don't want to spoil it yet. It's a surprise," Chan replies.

"I doubt that it'll be a good surprise," Han says just to annoy Chan.

"Just trust me on this!" Chan remarks with a confident smile.

"I just can't wait to spend time with you guys," Jinnie warmly says, being not shy to show her excitement which makes Chan get a little flustered.

"For the rest of this month we'll stop the weekly video meeting," Chan comes with a shocking announcement.

It's the only way they can hang out with each other and knowing that they won't meet until further notice kind of bummed him out.

"Why? Why? Why?" Han repeatedly asks like a parrot.

"So you guys can sort things out," Chan explains, "and Jinnie needs time to finish the drawings, right?"

"Yeah, but..." Jinnie looks a little taken aback too, "I'm sad that we'll not be hanging out for weeks."

"But we'll meet again," Chan assures her.

He clasps his hands in front of him and goes into serious mode once more, "I need you guys to gather at Jinnie's on the first day of July and I'll pick you up there," he informs.

Jinnie nods

"What should we pack?" Jinnie asks, even getting her notes ready to write them down.

"Pack clothes for a week, swimsuits, sunblock, hiking shoes..." Chan lists various things.

"Hiking shoes?" Han gasps, "I'm not going then."

"Even better," Jeongin lightly comments.

"Any more questions?" Chan asks everyone.

Han raises his hand even though he's not in a class, "How's your little sister doing?"

This is where Chan gets a little more serious, he hisses and then says, "I'm not taking any more questions then."

"Why are you so against us dating?" Han pokes fun at him, knowing that he doesn't like it, especially when he asks about his sister.

"Wouldn't it be nice if we become in-laws? We can be brothers for real!" Han annoys him more.

"I'm going to say this once and for all, I don't want to become in-laws with any of you," Chan firmly remarks and then crosses his big arms together.

"So that means you're okay with us dating..." Han relentlessly annoys him with a smirk dance on his face.

Jeongin drops his head into his hands and shakes his head witnessing the interaction while Jinnie is quietly giggling with her cup of tea in hand.

"How am I going to survive not seeing you guys for weeks?" Jinnie sadly says with a pout.

"Not me. I'll manage," Jeongin coyly says, reclining on his seat while playing with his hair.

"We'll see each other soon," Han assures her this time.

Jinnie smiles and cups her cheeks with both hands, "I can't wait to see you all," she says.

There's a moment of silence but the comfortable kind and not conjure any questions, everyone lets it go on for another moment before it gets to the time to end the video meeting.

"See you guys soon," Jinnie says, blowing air kisses through the camera.

"See you guys. Don't miss me," Han says with a sly grin on his face.

"There's no being late," Chan warns a specific someone.

"Jeongin, don't be late!" Han averts the blame to Jeongin.

Jeongin shakes his head again and raises his hand at everyone, "Bye, everyone!"

"See you guys in a few weeks," Chan says, waving his hands close to the camera then ends the video meeting.

A FEW WEEKS LATER

When you asked Chan if you could tag along on their road trip, he said no for what you guessed these two reasons: one, he hates seeing you around the boys and two, he hates for you to see him act around the girl he likes.

But, of course, in the end, he said yes for one solid reason: because you're his sister and he can't say no to you.

It's so obvious that Chan is nervous and you guess it's because he's going to meet the friends he hasn't met in weeks and more importantly, a certain someone that he secretly misses but can't tell.

As Chan's little sister, you notice these kinds of things, the change of attitude or how he gets nervous all of a sudden.

"Unclench your jaws, Chris," you remind him.

"I'm not—" he stops himself from talking and does as you told him, unclenching his jaws.

He may have unclenched his jaws but now his shoulders tense up. You take matters into your own hands and push his shoulder down.

"You're way too nervous to see a friend," you poke fun at him.

"Shut up!" He spews out and you know it's coming out of his nervous system.

Everyone knows that Chan likes Jinnie and he's always been for only God knows how long, you guess you're not the only one annoyed by the fact that they're not dating yet because they're just so perfect for each other.

"Okay, shutting up now," you say, making a gesture of zipping your lips together to not let the scary mad Chan come out.

The car makes a turn toward an apartment building and Chan parked it next to the entrance. It seems like Jinnie has been waiting for his arrival, she comes rushing down the stairs from the second floor where her apartment is.

"Oh, my God! Chris!!!" She excitedly comes up to him with open arms

Chan is obviously as excited to see her and catches her right into his arms, he even lifts her off the ground for a moment and gives her a spin.

They're so stinking cute that you can't help but smile watching them through the rearview mirror.

"Good to see you!" She says once he puts her down.

"Good to see you too," Chan says back while holding her hands in his.

When you deem that it's the right moment to insert yourself into the scene, you get out of the car and slowly make an entrance.

They're so immersed in each other that you hesitate to burst their cute little bubble.

"Hi!" You awkwardly wave your hand at her.

Jinnie's face lights up when she sees you, "Oh, hi! Long time no see!"

You come up to her to exchange a hug with her, "Long time no see, indeed."

The fact that she, possibly, would become your sister-in-law doesn't bother you at all, Jinnie is as perfect as one can be. She's beautiful and kind, the nicest human you've ever known, you couldn't be happier if that becomes true.

"I hope you don't mind that I brought her along," Chan says, flashing a thin smile at you.

You shoot him a side eye in return and stay by Jinnie's side.

"Are you kidding? I'm happy that I have a girl companion," she says, pulling you close to her side and squeezing on your shoulder.

"Jinnie, do you mind if I use your bathroom?" You ask, getting the urge to pee all of a sudden.

"Not at all. I'll take you—"

"That's okay. I know where to go," you kindly refuse her help to show you where her bathroom is.

That way, you can give them another moment to catch up with each other. As you climb the stairs to Jinnie's apartment, you see how Chan is grinning from ear to ear and it seems like it will stay like that until the road trip ends. Maybe that's also another reason why he agreed to let you join the road trip, Chan needs a good wingman by his side.

The moment he got out of the taxi, Han immediately thanked Jeongin non-stop.

"Thank you Yang Jeongin," he says, calling Jeongin by his full name.

"If you didn't pick me up, I'd be dead late," he grumbles, lowering his voice as he's a bit ashamed to admit it.

"I just knew you'd be late," Jeongin says while hoisting the strap of his backpack higher on his shoulder.

Han hurriedly puts on a smile to greet his friends, acting like he almost got here late for the road trip. He sees his two friends, Chan and Jinnie putting their stuff in the back of the car.

"Rejoice everyone. Your favorite boy is here!" Han announces his arrival while walking in big, confident strides.

Chan and Jeongin just leer at him and Jinnie is the only one giving him a proper welcome.

"It's so nice that everyone's here!" She exclaims, smiling even brighter than the scintillating sun.

She gathers everyone into a circle and puts her arms around Han and Chan's shoulders.

"I missed you guys," Jinnie says, jumping on her feet like a child. She really is the special glue that sticks them all together.

Deep down, everyone feels the same way, Han must say it feels good to reunite with them, it evokes the same feeling of coming home. They're huddling together for a big group hug, relishing that longing for each other.

Han breaks away first to take the last empty spot on the trunk for his backpack, "Dibs!"

Chan and Jeongin groan in unison but at the same time, not surprised to see this display of childish behavior from Han. Chan continues organizing everyone's stuff in the trunk with Jeongin's help while Han comes around the car.

"I'm riding shotgun!" Han shouts, calling dibs for the passenger's seat.

Jinnie appears from behind the car, "I think Chan's sister will ride shotgun," she informs.

Han thinks he misheard her, he lingers by the car door and turns to ask her, "Who?"

"Chan's sister, she's coming with us for the— oh, there she is!" Jinnie points at the stairs.

Han's eyes are following where she's pointing and turns his head that way.

"Oh, everyone's here!" You say as you look at everyone from the top of the stairs.

Time suddenly goes so slowly as you descend the stairs, softly smiling as the gust of wind blows your way, sending your hair flying, and with the sun shining down at you, it creates a halo around your head.

Jeongin accidentally bumps him as he opens the car door, "sorry," he shortly says.

Han is completely gobsmacked to care, his eyes just can't stop following you even after you arrive at the base of the stairs and walk up to the car.

"I think it's true," Han foolishly says with a gaping mouth.

"Huh? What?" Jeongin asks in confusion.

"When the love is real... it finds a way," Han dramatically sighs with eyes big and wide like seeing something so wondrous.

Jeongin gives him the side eyes, but he decides to ignore him and gets into the car.

"I'm going to lock my apartment first," Jinnie informs, going up the stairs to her apartment.

"Hi, Han," you greet him.

Han tries not to crumble hearing you calling his name and instead of answering, he awkwardly raises his hand at you with a stupid grin on his face.

"Are you sitting in the front?" You ask.

Han's brain is not well functioning yet and it takes more time for him to compute a word.

"Well, then I'm going to take my bag," you say, stepping forward and getting in between him and the car door to take your bag from the passenger's seat.

The smell of your perfume is sweet and soft yet it's enough to get him intoxicated, he wants more of it. He suddenly has no desire to ride a shotgun and arranges a new plan in his head.

He rushes to the back of the car and yanks at Jeongin's jacket, "Jeongin, get in the backseat!"

"What?" He asks in utter confusion.

"Get in the backseat! Hurry!" He urges him, opening the seat to the back so he can move.

Doesn't want to deal with him, Jeongin reluctantly moves to the back as requested and Han sets the seat right back up, then keeps the car door open for you.

"Get in," Han says to you.

"Oh, thank you," you mutter, carrying your bag in one hand as you get in.

Noticing Jeongin in the backseat, you smile and greet him, "Hi!"

"Hi," Jeongin sheepishly says to you.

Han sees that Jinnie has returned from locking her apartment and hurriedly opens the car door for her, "You can sit in the front, Jinnie."

Jinnie looks at him, perplexed, "I thought you are..."

He can't hear the rest of what she's saying as he gets into the car and sits next to you.

"I hope it's okay that I tag along for the road trip," you say, putting your bag on your lap.

Han realizes that he should get his act together and forces his brain to function, "It's more than okay," he says with a smile.

This road trip turns into a chance of a lifetime for him. What could be more fun than being stuck in a moving vehicle with a girl he likes?

Chan gets into the driver's side, sighing as he's exhausted from arranging the trunk, and puts the keys into the ignition.

Oh, fuck, Han forget about the part that her brother is in the mentioned moving vehicle too, and drives it. Now, his sense of protection is heightened after seeing you sitting next to him.

"What's with this seat arrangement?" He asks, glaring at Han through the rearview mirror.

He innocently shrugs while Jeongin is staying quiet in the backseat by himself, enjoying the spacious seat for himself.

Jinnie is the last to enter the car and lets out a delighted sigh once she buckles her seat belt. She then looks around at the people in the back and asks, "Everyone is ready to go?"

In response to her question, Jeongin raises a thumbs-up while Han is weakly cheering with his fists in the air and you're laughing at him.

Jinnie then turns her head at Chan and says, "Let's go!"

And just like that, the road trip begins.

Everyone else thinks that Han's liking toward you is just a joke and he does that as a way to annoy Chan. Unfortunately, it's not.

He admits that at first, he didn't think of you that way. The very first time he received the information that Chan has a sister, he thinks of you not more than that, a younger sister of his friend.

That night Chan invited everyone to the bar to celebrate his birthday and you've recently turned 21 that year which is why your brother finally took you along with him to hang out with his friends for the first time and he believes that was when things take a different turn.

Han met you once, briefly at Chan's graduation and you've just entered college at that time. When he met you again that night, he almost couldn't recognize you because you've grown so much.

You were just a young girl when he met you for the first time and that night, he saw that girl had flourished into a grown woman and attracted him immediately.

He was so deeply mesmerized by you that he just stared at you the whole night that Jeongin had to constantly snap him out of his head.

The one moment that got him enamored is when you decided to take your jacket off that night and revealed the white camisole you wore that night, he could tell you were wearing nothing underneath because your nipples were poking through the silky fabric. He remembers watching you enjoy the night and dancing your heart out with Jinnie the whole night.

Han couldn't get you out of his head ever since, he grew some sort of infatuation with you, and he followed you on your social media.

When he feels bold enough, he slides into your DMs and asks how you're doing. Chan doesn't know and the fact that he's still oblivious about it means that you don't mention it to him and that's good, it spares him from his doom coming sooner than everyone else's.

Now that he gets to see you in person, sitting side by side when all he could do was just admire you through the pictures you posted. It feels a little surreal that he has to pinch himself a few times to convince him that you're real.

Since Chan is busy talking with Jinnie in the front, he takes it as an opportunity to talk with you because he's wasted three hours secretly staring at you.

"So, how are you doing?" He awkwardly asks while still getting used to sitting next to you.

"I'm doing great," you shortly answer, placing your hand on the space between you and him.

"I heard you're working at the magazine now?" He asks, making it sounds like he heard it from Chan but he actually knew it from your Instagram post.

"Yes, I am," you answer with a sheepish smile.

"I think that's great!" He praises and tries to keep his excitement in check.

"I'm just a copy editor for now. I don't think it's that great," you sheepishly say.

"No, I think that's great," Han feels the need to convince you so he seeks validation from a third party, "Right, Jeongin?"

Jeongin scratches his chin and stifles a nod, "Yeah. That's great!"

"Thank you," you mutter with a shy smile and tuck your hair behind your ear, "How about you? How are you doing?

"Good," he shortly answers but he knows you need more from his answer, "I've been working on a few tracks."

When it comes to you, Han doesn't feel like the coolest person but the objective remains the same, he wants to impress you.

"And I worked on that thing," he scratches his head while considering whether it's right to share it with you.

You tuck your hair behind your ear and look at him, "Worked on what?"

"I made this jingle for an ad," he hesitantly shares.

You shift your body toward him and ask further, "Do I know this ad or...?"

Seeing that you're genuinely curious about it, Han gains a little confidence to share more.

"It's for a shaving cream commercial and it goes like this..." Han starts humming the melody and serenading it to you.

"Didn't you do that thing last year though?" Jeongin interrupts his serenading with a truth bomb.

Han looks over his shoulder and glares at him, making Jeongin see his displeased expression that he's not a great wingman at the moment.

"Yeah, but..." he turns his body more to look at him but can't find something to defend himself.

"I did that," he continues as his confidence deflates in each passing second, "nonetheless."

"Everyone," Jinnie says from the front, "We're going to stop for gas."

Even Jinnie makes a better wingman than Jeongin and she's clueless about what happened in the back earlier.

"Oh, great timing! I need to go to the bathroom," you exclaim, gathering your hair to put it into a ponytail.

This is not a good start, he can tell that you're not impressed at all and far from attracted to him. He consoles himself with snacks, eating them right outside the convenience store.

"I blew that up," he sighs, then shoves chips into his mouth.

"That's because," Jeongin says, then pausing to take another sip of his soda, "you keep staring at her like a creep."

Han elbows his side quite hard that Jeongin yelps, "and you didn't help at all," he grumbles with his cheeks full of food.

"You're hopeless," Jeongin easily replies and steals some chips from Han.

"And you didn't think that's why I need the help?" Han grumbles again and shoves more chips into his mouth.

Jeongin coyly shrugs as he drains his can of soda empty then proceeds to crumple it and toss it into the trash bin.

"Hey, what are you guys having?" You appear from the corner along with Jinnie.

"Where's Chris?" Jinnie asks while fixing her hair.

"He's inside," Jeongin points to the convenience store.

Han quickly swallows everything in his mouth and brushes the crumbs on the front of his shirt, "Do you want some?" He offers you his bag of chips.

"Do you have something sweet with you?" You ask.

"I do, I do," he eagerly answers, rummaging through the bag of snacks he bought and pulling out a pack of strawberry jellies, "I think you'll like this."

"Oh, no, I'm allergic to strawberries," you inform.

Han quickly pulls out another pack of snacks from the plastic bag, "How about this?"

You take it from him and delightfully gasp, "Oh, I love these."

Chan comes out with Jinnie carrying packs of drinks for everyone and without warning, he tosses the car keys at Jeongin, fortunately, he has a good reflex and catches it right into his hand.

"Your turn to drive," Chan says to Jeongin.

Jeongin doesn't say anything else but walks up to the car with everyone following him from the back.

Han opens the car door for you when Chan grabs your hand and stops you on the track, "You ride shotgun."

"Yes, sir!" You also obey without complaint.

"And you," Chan points at Han, "Get on the backseat!"

Han frowns that Chan purposely separates the two of you and reluctantly goes to sit by himself in the back while Chan and Jinnie sit in the middle.

From the back of the car, Han can only watch you share the pack of chocolate maltesers with Jeongin in the front.

After four hours of driving, the car stops for dinner and everyone gets so quiet once the food arrives.

Chan makes sure everyone has finished so he can have all of their attention as he explains what the next plan is. Before you can ask for his dessert, he slides his plate towards you.

"Can I have everyone's attention?" He says.

Jeongin is mindlessly stirring his glass of soda with the straw but putting his attention on him meanwhile Han is slowly dissociating so Chan snaps his fingers right in front of his face to reel him back to reality.

Han swats his hand away and groans, "I'm listening, I'm listening."

"Okay, so, we're not going to continue to drive," Chan announces.

"Oh? We're sleeping somewhere for the night?" Jinnie asks, then dabs her mouth with a napkin, "And I need you guys to sleep early tonight because—"

"Because of what?" Han asks as he lazily brushes his hair to the back.

Chan sighs because Han cuts him off instead of letting him continue talking, "Because we have to leave early tomorrow morning."

"And where are we going?" You ask, sliding the plate back to him. Chan glares at you for leaving a small piece of dessert for him and you grin at him in return.

"Let me guess, surprise?" Han says with a mocking grin.

Chan scoops the last piece of cake into his mouth and ignoring Han's insinuation, he has a way to get back to him.

"Who voted for Han to pay the bill?" He says with his hand already raised in the air and Jeongin is the next one to raise his hand.

"W-what? Why? Why me?" Han blabbers in a slight panic.

Everyone turns their heads at Jinnie and since two of his friends already voted for him, she follows the majority and hesitantly raises her hand.

"Sorry," she meekly mutters at Han.

When it comes to you, you hurriedly shake your head and refuse to be a part of their shenanigans. Chan intensely glares at you, pressuring you to also raise your hand.

"Please, leave me out of this," you plead.

Having no other way to make you do what he tells you to do, Chan grabs your hand and raises it in the air. He then triumphantly grins at Han until his dimples sunken into his cheeks.

"Everyone says 'Thank you, Han'!" He orders.

"Thank you, Han!" Everyone says in unison while Han is slumped on his seat, suddenly not looking drowsy anymore.

With the information gained from the restaurant staff, Chan easily found the motel a ten-minute drive away. Arrive there, he immediately goes to check in while everyone is getting their belonging from the trunk.

Without saying anything, Jeongin hands you a bag and you look at it for a moment until you realize that it's yours.

"Oh, thank you," you mutter.

You also take Chan's bag, it's so heavy and you bet he's taking his laptop and camera with him which only reminds you to be careful with it. Once he gets back with the room keys, you hurriedly hand him his bag.

"This one is for the ladies," Chan hands one of the keys to Jinnie.

"Got it," Jinnie says, linking her arm with you to start walking to your room.

Everyone is heading the same way since the boys are staying in the next room. You can't wait to lie down after spending more than ten hours sitting in the car.

"It seems like we're sharing the bed," Jinnie says, seeing there's only one bed in the room.

"Don't worry, I don't snore like my brother," you immediately remark as you throw yourself onto the bed and sigh in delight.

Jinnie laughs as she unpacks her bag, "Wait... Chris snores?"

You roll to the side and prop a hand under your head, "I thought you knew," you say.

"I've seen Chris sleeping but he didn't snore," Jinnie shares, taking clean clothes out of her bag.

"Of course," you talk to yourself, Chan wouldn't let his crush know about his sleeping habit especially something as bad as snoring.

"What's that?" Jinnie asks, hearing you mutter to yourself.

"I just remember I need to charge my phone," you lie, rolling over to the other side to rummage through your bag.

"Do you mind if I use the bathroom first?" Jinnie politely asks, holding her clothes close to her chest.

"Sure," you answer with your hand still groping around to look for your phone charger. Getting hopeless, you call for Jinnie as she's about to enter the bathroom.

"Hey, Jinnie, can I borrow your charger?"

She stops on her track and then puts her clothes on top of the dresser, "Sure," she says, going back to her bag to get it and give it to you.

"I think I dropped my phone in the car," she mutters as she looks through her bag.

"Oh, no," you mumble but an idea comes to mind.

"I can call Chris to help you find it," you offer, turning her misfortune into an opportunity to set them up.

"No, it's okay. It's probably under the seat of the car," she says but she looks worried.

"Are you even sure that you dropped it in the car?" You ask, making her doubt herself.

Jinnie looks concerned now that she clasps her hands together in front of her, "I don't want—"

Before she gets to finish her sentence, you hit call on Chan's number and he picks up on the third ring.

"What's up, baby sist?" He slurs his words, he's just as tired as everyone.

Without greeting him first, you talk straight into the phone, "Jinnie dropped her phone in the car. Can you help her find it?"

You hear rustles from the other end of the call and his tone changes all of a sudden, "Just need to get my car keys and I'll be on your door in a minute."

There's no need to plead or beg, you only need to mention Jinnie's name and he's ready to do anything, he'd probably move mountains for her too if she asked for it.

You hold the urge to laugh and calmly look at Jinnie, "He'll be here soon," you tell her.

"Oh, thank you," Jinnie says, canceling her plan to wash up and putting her sweater back on.

A few minutes later, the knocking comes on the door and Jinnie goes to open it. You peek from the side to watch the interaction.

"Heard you dropped your phone in the car," Chan says to her.

"Yeah, I hope I didn't disturb you," Jinnie says.

"Not at all," he immediately says.

Jinnie looks at you and you pretend to be busy looking at your phone, "Hey, I'm going out for a bit."

"Yeah, sure, take your time," you say with a smile then realize that you're not using the right tone.

"Hope you find your phone," you quickly add.

Jinnie is trailing behind Chan as they walk back to the parking lot and he hurriedly unlocks the car at the first sight of it.

"I'm sure it's somewhere in the middle seat," Jinnie says, opening the car door and going straight to feel the gap between the seats.

"I'll look from the other side," Chan says.

He walks around the car and looks from the other side, he turns on the flashlight from his phone and shines it under the seat. All he finds are candy wrappers and he knows who the culprit is.

"Let's get these seats up," he suggests, turning the lever to fold the seats and making it easier to search for the phone.

As they're busy looking for the phone, their heads meet in the middle, and bumps against each other. Chan reflexively reaches for Jinnie's head and rubs on it.

"I'm sorry," he says while giggling, "Are you okay?"

Jinnie can't answer as she's busy laughing and after taking a breath, she nods, "I'm okay."

"You know, it'll be much easier to call you," he says, coming up with a faster way to find the phone a little too late.

"Why didn't I think of that earlier?" Jinnie says, feeling embarrassed as she holds her hair from curtaining her face.

Chan looks for her number and presses the call buttons, he waits for the dialing tone while Jinnie looks around in the dark.

"Oh, I heard it!" She gasps.

The muffled ringtone comes from the back and Chan flips the seat to the front, discovering Jinnie's phone caught between the seats. With his long arm, Chan outstretches his arm to get it and hurriedly hands it to her.

"Thank God!" She sighs in relief and takes the phone from him.

Chan closes the car door and quickly locks it again, he checks by pulling at the car handle to know if it's locked for good.

"I was so scared that I dropped it somewhere else," Jinnie shares, clutching her phone close to her chest.

"I'm glad you found it," Chan says, smiling because he feels good knowing that he makes Jinnie happy.

"Thank you for helping, Chris," Jinnie sincerely says with a smile that is as soft as the moonlight.

Chan would do anything to see that smile on Jinnie's face again, he then looks away before it gets too intense.

"Don't mention it," he coyly says.

As they walk back to the rooms, their hands lightly grazing each other's, and on a nice, summer night like this, Chan feels tempted to hold her hand.

He looks down and her hand is right there, a grasp away from him. All he needs to do—

Jinnie draws her hands and crosses them together in front of her, "I'm so curious where you'll take us tomorrow," she says.

Chan clears his throat and shoves his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants.

"Trust me, you guys will like it," he confidently says, "especially you."

Jinnie looks at him with a bewildered expression, "Me?"

"Yeah," he nods and grins.

"That only makes me more excited for tomorrow," she says, hugging herself tighter as a gust of wind blows their way.

Jinnie stops right in front of your shared room, she looks at Chan who's standing on the door to his room, "Thanks once again, Chris."

"It's not a big deal," he says with a smile.

Jinnie knocks on the door and a while later, you open the door with your head wrapped in a towel, "Did you find it?"

"Yeah," she answers, showing you the phone in her hand.

"That's a relief!" You exclaim, then step to the side to let her in.

Jinnie looks at Chan for one last time and smiles, "Goodnight, Chris."

"Goodnight," he says back, and once Jinnie gets inside, his foolish smile drops from his face knowing that you're watching him.

"Get back inside. Lock the door and sleep!" He strictly orders.

"Yes, sir," you reply along with a salute.

You grab the handle of the door and take one more chance to poke fun at him.

"Goodnight, Chris," You try your best to copy Jinnie's soft tone of saying it and quickly close the door before Chan gets the chance to scold you.

When Chan said they needed to leave early the next day, Han didn't think it would require him to wake up at 6 in the morning.

He doesn't know how Chan did that because he was the last one to sleep but he also woke up the earliest and even brought breakfast with him when he came to the room.

"Your turn to drive today," Chan says, throwing the car keys and clanging against the floor as Han fails to catch them.

"Ugh..." he lets out an exhausted groan and picks them up from the floor.

Concerned with his state, Chan grabs his shoulder and squeezes, "You sure you can drive?"

Han knows that if he says no, then Chan will take the task from him and he doesn't want that, Chan already did so much. He's sure he's more tired than everyone.

"Yeah, I can drive," he assures him with a not-so-convincing smile.

The doubts linger in Chan's eyes, he gives him a pat on the back and then says, "You know what? I'll get you another cup of coffee!"

The sun is peeking from the horizon and slowly climbs its way out, the sunray hits his eyes as Han arrives at the parking lot.

He unlocks the car from a meter away and puts his bag in the trunk first before walking to the driver's side.

"Ugh..." he groans again with one hand on the handle of the car door.

The last person who drove was Jeongin and thanks to his long limbs, Han has to readjust the seat because his arms aren't long enough for the steering wheel.

He's yawning as he takes his phone out and connects it to the car stereo, at least, being a driver means he has full control over the music.

"Morning," Jinnie cheerily says, with a smile that shines brighter than the morning sun.

Something about her smile that makes him can't help but smile back.

"Morning," he says back, "Do you need help with the bag?"

"It's okay. I'll do it myself," She says, heading to the back of the car.

Not long after, Chan comes carrying bags on each shoulder but looking unbothered by them, he ends up helping Jinnie with her bag. Jeongin comes next, handing his bag to Chan before getting into the car and sitting in the back.

Han is busy scrolling his phone to compile a playlist for the trip to realize that everyone is already getting in except for one person.

He looks to the back and sees Chan sitting in the middle with Jinnie so that means...

"I have your coffee with me," you say, climbing into the passenger's side.

He turns his head to the back to check if Chan approves of this seating arrangement but he's already snuggled up in his hoodie to sleep.

"Americano, right?" You ask, handing the cup of coffee to him.

"Oh?" Han looks at you and then at the coffee.

The second he realizes that you're waiting for him, he hurriedly gets it from you, "Thank you!"

Sensing that the coffee is hot, he carefully puts it into the cup holder and turns on the car engine. He waits until you're buckled in to start driving.

"So, where are we going?" He asks in utter confusion.

You let out a chuckle thinking that he's joking and Han chuckles as well, maybe it is a joke that he didn't ask Chan where to go before he started driving.

"Chris said you only need to follow the GPS," you inform.

"Oh, yeah, that's right," he feels embarrassed to ask and even more embarrassed to say that he is not good at multitasking.

It feels as if you read his mind, you look at him and say, "Don't worry. I'm a good navigator."

The cool morning air is so refreshing that Han doesn't feel sleepy anymore and with every sip of coffee, he feels more awake than ever.

He looks through the rearview mirror and sees that everyone in the back is sleeping so that means only you and him are awake in the car.

"Oh, wow, look at that," You sigh at the view of the sun rising on a hill, "It's beautiful!"

Han briefly glances away from the road to see it but the view he sees is of you and your hair flying around your face basking in the soft glow of the morning sun.

"Yeah, it's beautiful," he mutters and looks back at the road.

He's only an hour away from the destination but he likes this scene, the view and the road ahead of him, the person sitting next to him, also the faint music that plays through the car stereo. He wants to stay in it for a little longer.

"I love this song!" You exclaim out of the blue as the playlist plays a new song.

Han recognizes the song right away because it's coming from his playlist and it's one of his favorites.

"You know this song?"

"The Beatles, right?"

"Yes."

"It's in one of the playlists you sent me," you tell him.

The playlist is Han's love language. When he likes someone, instead of flowers or chocolate, he compiles a playlist of songs that reminds him of that person and gifts it to them.

When he sent them to you, Han isn't that confident that you will heartily listen to them because it's just a playlist of songs and you'd barely see the romantic gesture behind it.

"I'd like to be under the sea..." you start singing along to the song.

"In an octopus's garden in the shade..." Han joins in on the second line while keeping his eyes on the road.

"He'd let us in, knows where we've been. In his octopus's garden in the shade..." Together you sing the rest of the verse while smiling as the sun is getting higher in the sky.

"In an octopus's garden with you... In an octopus's garden with you..."

The GPS says the destination is only ten minutes away and it's directing him to turn onto the small road with nothing but trees that line up on each side.

"Are we going the right way?" Han asks you in a slight panic, not seeing any road signs.

You check the GPS and turn to look at him, "You're going the right way, yeah," you confirm.

Han bends down to see if there's any sign of life or if Chan accidentally puts the wrong address into the GPS.

"I'll wake my brother," you offer, turning around in your seat and outstretching your arm to reach Chan who's still sleeping.

You manage to grab the sleeve of his hoodie and yank at it, "Chris, wake up!"

Instead of Chan, Jinnie is the one who answers your call, "Mmh, are we there yet?" She asks.

"We're not sure," you answer and yank harder at Chan's hoodie.

Jinnie notices you need the help, she places her hand on Chan's arm and gently shakes him awake, "Chris?"

On the second try, Chan finally wakes up to Jinnie's call and you roll your eyes because it's getting ridiculous now that he recognizes her voice well instead of his sister.

Han decides to pull over to the side of the road and turns his head around, "are we going to the right place?"

Chan pulls down his hoodie and quickly brushes his curls to the back, he closes his eyes for a moment to adjust them to the light.

One glance at the GPS and he slumps back on his seat, "Yes, it's right," he slurs his words.

"Why am I not seeing anything else but trees?" Han hesitates but keeps driving anyway.

"Just keep going," Chan mumbles, getting a bottle of water and drinking it.

A moment later, Han's doubt is answered as a sign appears in front of him and it says that the campsite is 100 meters away.

"Oh, my God!" Jinnie loudly gasps, making everyone in the car startle in surprise, including Jeongin who's just woken up from his nap.

She looks at Chan with eyes widening and sparkling, "We're going camping?"

With a stupid grin on his face, Chan answers, "Yes."

While the boys are busy setting up the big tent, you and Jinnie are making sandwiches for lunch. Jinnie does most of the work while all you do is unwrapping the cheese singles and preparing the loaf of bread.

This is one of those moments that makes you think how can someone be this perfect? Jinnie is beautiful, smart, kind, and patient, she's great at drawing and now, you find out she's good at cooking too.

"What can't you do? Really?" You praise in awe as she meticulously arranges the ingredients from the vegetables to the condiments.

She lets out a shy chuckle in reaction and doesn't let it get to her head, she's concentrating hard on putting everything together without making a mess.

"You're an only child, right?" You curiously ask.

Jinnie wraps each sandwich with a food wrapper and does it so meticulously as if she's wrapping a gift, "Yes, I am."

"Would you like a younger sister?" You jokingly say.

She smiles at you and hands you the first sandwich she wrapped, "I already think of you as a younger sister," she says.

You grin at that and put the wrapped sandwich into the basket, "We should make it official then," you teasingly say.

"And what do you mean by that?"

"You know... you can be my sister-in-law," you coyly say while paying attention to her reaction.

Jinnie shakes her head in disbelief and shyly laughs, "You silly!"

It's too obvious for her to miss it, right? She should have known that you're hinting at something and it's your way to cajole her to open up but in the end, you're always the one left puzzled by the mystery of why Jinnie and Chan's ship is not sailing yet.

The peaceful nature sounds are interrupted by the sound of Chan hammering the spike to pin down the tent while Jeongin is setting the canopy. He pauses once he notices that you're struggling to carry the cooler box by yourself. He rushes to get it from you and puts it down next to the tent.

As a form of gratitude, you grab a can of soda from the cooler and hand it to him, "Here!"

Jeongin softly smiles and it's enough to make his dimples appear on both of his cheeks, "Thanks!"

"Baby sist, I want one too!" Chan grumbles as he sits on the ground, also exhausted from setting the tent.

It's fine when he called you that ten years ago but as you grow older, he should know that you've outgrown that pet name. You let it slide because his friends got used to hearing him calling you that around them.

"Catch!" You warn before tossing it his way and he catches it right in his hand.

Jinnie comes not long after, carrying the sandwiches along with some snacks on the side, "Lunch is ready!" She announces, putting everything on the table.

Han hurriedly carries more folded chairs and arranges them around the table. Everyone stops working to huddle around the table for lunch.

"Is it done?" Jinnie asks while distributing the sandwiches around.

"Yeah, we just need to put the mat and sleeping bags inside but we can do it later," Chan answers, ripping through the wrapper and taking a hearty bite.

Despite it being the beginning of summer, there are only two other campers on the site. But that's a good thing, it's not crowded and it won't spoil the serene, relaxing experience of camping.

The lunch feels so rewarding, especially to those who worked on the tent and everyone gets so quiet after. You and Jinnie work together to gather the trash and put it into a plastic bag.

"So... what now?" Jeongin asks, glancing his eyes from side to side.

Chan crumples the empty can in his hand and puts it into the trash bag, "We're resting for now and we'll go hiking in an hour."

"Hiking?" Han asks in panic, not in favor of the idea.

"I told you to bring hiking boots for one specific reason," Chan explains, putting his hat backward and then reclining on his seat.

Han slumps on his seat and makes those high-pitched groans while flailing his arms in the air.

To avoid the harsh sunlight, the hike starts a little after three and the boys are tasked to carry a backpack full of snacks, water, and clean clothes.

The forest hums with life as the five of you walk the trail with the sun breaks through the cracks, lighting up the dirt path ahead, decorated with outgrown roots, wildflowers, and fallen leaves that crunch beneath your feet.

You're gazing up at the canopy, searching for the birds that sing sweetly against the soft sound of the wind whistling between the leaves.

Chan leads the way and once in a while, he looks back to check if anyone needs a break. Seeing that everyone needs a break, he stops on his track and turns around.

"Let's have a quick break!" He announces to everyone, then uncaps a bottle of water to hand it to you.

"Thank you," you mutter.

You lean back against the tree and reorganize your breath to finally have a long sip of water that quench your thirst.

"Is it still far?" Jinnie asks, taking a new bottle of water from Han's backpack.

Chan swallows his water and wipes his lips after, "About half an hour more of hiking."

Han takes off the plaid shirt he's wearing and hangs it on one shoulder, "And how long have we been hiking?"

Chan looks at his smartwatch to be able to answer him, "About 25 minutes."

"Fuck!" Han curses, scaring away the small animals hiding between the bushes, "Why does it feel like we've been walking for hours?"

"That's just you," Jeongin sneers, drinking his water like he's shooting an advertisement video.

"It's going to be worth it, I swear," Chan convinces, brushing his hair to the back before putting his hat back on.

Hanging on to his words, everyone continues the hike, following Chan's lead while enjoying the greenery. Jeongin catches squirrels running in between tree trunks.

"Han, say hi to your friends!" He says to Han.

Funny that Han decides to play along with it, "Furry babies, hi!"

Chan notices that you're getting exhausted as beads of sweat roll down your neck, "Here! Hold the back of my t-shirt!"

You don't see why it would help you walk, "Why should I?" You ask in utter confusion.

He grabs your hands and makes you hold each side of his t-shirt, dragging you along with him as he tirelessly keeps following the trail.

"I swear to God if it isn't worth it like you said..." you grumble as you feel every muscle in your legs strained and screaming in pain, and your mouth is dry from you constantly panting, running out of breath.

The scenery slightly changes the further you walk, there are no more dead leaves on the path and the rich earthy smell is soon replaced by water-saturated air.

"Oi, look!" Chan taps your hand and then points at the view ahead of him.

Getting a glimpse of what lies ahead, you walk past Chan to discover a view that is too beautiful for your eyes to comprehend.

A white, frothy cascade of water falls into a plunge pool with mist billowing out in soft clouds, creating a mystical atmosphere but when the sun hits and refracts the lights, a rainbow appears.

It's a waterfall, a majestic one.

"Be careful! It's slippery!" Chan shouts, watching you walk down the rocky outcroppings. He knows that there's no stopping you and you can't hear him anyway.

Han dashes after you with the backpack bouncing on his back, trailing after you like a puppy.

"I was right to trust you," Jinnie stands by his side and places a hand on Chan's shoulder, "It's worth the one hour of hike."

Jinnie shoots him a warm smile that makes Chan's inside melt and turns into jelly and in response to that, Chan unknowingly grins at her, the kind that shows how much of a fool he is for her.

Unbeknownst to him, Jeongin has been quietly watching this interaction, including the shit-eating grin Chan has on his face.

"You're pathetic," Jeongin says to him once Jinnie leaves.

"Hey!" He yells in disagreement but Jeongin ignores him and walks away.

Taking a little rest from the hiking, Chan sits on the sun-baked rocks while admiring the waterfall and the serene surroundings.

"This is a beautiful place to tell someone your feelings," Jeongin says, taking out a can of soda from his backpack.

Chan scoffs and plays dumb, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, come on!" Jeongin groans and subtly rolls his eyes at him.

"We all know you have feelings for someone," he pauses to gesture at the figure standing on the rocky perch, "There she is!"

This proves two things, their years of friendship and that Jeongin always observes, either way, he feels so caught by his own ineptness.

Worse, Chan decides to keep playing dumb and looks away even though it's too late for him to do that, there's no way he can escape Jeongin's observant eyes.

"Why-why should I..." he scratches his head in a slight panic.

"Just tell her how you feel," Jeongin says, "I think she feels the same thing for you."

At first, Chan wants to keep it to himself but since Jeongin knows already and it's tiring to have to keep hiding, he decides to tell him.

"It's hard," he openly admits with a heavy sigh, "We've been close friends for too long that I can't tell the difference anymore."

It feels so good that Chan is finally able to get that out of this chest and he knows he can trust Jeongin to keep it between them.

"And she's just... she's just perfect," Chan says with a hopeless sigh, he picks up a pebble and throws it into the water, "and I don't want to lose my good friend."

Jeongin leans back by propping his hands behind him and lets out a sigh, "It doesn't matter if the guy is perfect or the girl is perfect, as long as they're perfect for each other," he eloquently remarks.

"Wait, I think I heard that somewhere before," Chan's forehead wrinkles as he rakes his brain to recall where he heard this line before.

All of a sudden, Jeongin punches him in the arm, "It's from your favorite movie. Good Will Hunting!"

"Oh?!" Chan loudly gasps, it feels like a crime that he doesn't recognize the quote taken from his favorite movie.

"At this point, Han will beat you up to it."

"What?"

"He'll date your sister faster than you get to date Jinnie," Jeongin says with sheer indignation.

Chan's eyes dart at you and Han talking under the shade of a tree that stoops so low it's almost touching the surface of the water.

"Ugh, no, that can't happen!" He says in disgust.

"I bet he's serenading your sister with the jingle he made, again," Jeongin mumbles.

At the same time, Jeongin and Chan look at each other and start singing the jingle together, surprising themselves by how well they memorized it.

"Are you guys talking about me?" Jinnie jokingly asks as she walks by.

They immediately shut up and Chan turns his head away even though his eyes are searching for her, demanding her to always be in his sight.

"Are we waiting for Christmas to swim or what?" Han shouts, fussing like a child with his hands planted on each side of his waist.

Han once thought that if someone ever gets to see your body, he believes they'd turn to stone and that's because he thinks no one can handle that much magnetism and sex appeal.

Today, he gets to put that notion to a test even though he's risking himself to the possibility of getting petrified. He tries to keep his cool as you stand not far from him, tugging the hem of your t-shirt and then pulling it over your head, revealing the top half of the swimsuit you're wearing underneath.

So far, he still finds himself breathing and able to move his limbs but let's see when— he holds his breath as you unbutton your denim shorts and pull it down, slightly bending down to get it off your legs.

His eyes immediately travel down your body, admiring every curve of your body as you bask in the warm sunlight and the tiny droplets of water land on your skin.

You flip your hair to the back and slip your fingers under the strap to adjust it on your shoulder, his breath hitches as you pull it and let it slap against your skin.

Now, he's petrified. He knows he shouldn't be ogling at his best friend's sister, especially with her brother around but he can't help it, he's instinctively attracted to you like a moth drawn to light.

Jinnie offers her hand at you as she's already in her swimsuit as well, "Come on!" She says.

You take her hand and giggle as you slowly make your way toward the water with pebbles against the bottom of your bare feet.

"Ack!" You shriek, feeling a shock of cold water touching your feet then back to giggling again.

Han realizes that if he doesn't want to miss anything, he should get changed now. He gets up from the bed of rock he's sitting on and finds Chan is already hallway to get naked, exposing his muscular upper body, his pale skin shines under the sun.

"Show off," he mutters, placing a gentle slap on his abs as he walks past him.

"What's that for?" Chan says with a perplexed look.

The breeze plays with Han's hair as he treads the water and more droplets of water hit his skin the closer he gets to where you are

For a second, he loses sight of you until you emerge from the surface of the water, glistening wet with your swimsuit stuck to your skin, enhancing the features of your heavenly body.

You're saying something to Jinnie as you're floating in the water but the words are lost in the roar of the waterfall. With a grin plastered on your face, he doesn't need to hear it to know you're having fun.

"Hey, come here," you shout in his direction.

Han looks around thinking you're talking to someone else but there's no one else but him there. He looks back at you and you're already making your way to him.

"I want to show you something cool," you say, taking his hand and dragging him with you.

Honestly, he's willing to go anywhere you take him even if you take him to the pit of hell and sweat he'll follow you there.

"Now, we have to dive in," you say, getting to the center of the pool where it's deep enough for a dive.

Han draws a big, deep breath before following you where you lead him, he sees through the blurry water where your figure is diving to and then comes out of the water.

You wipe the water off your face and put your hair away, "It's cool, isn't it?"

Han doesn't realize it at first but once he rubs the water off his eyes, he's standing on the other side of the waterfall, and behind him is a tall, slippery wall of rock.

It's just you and him, concealed behind an iridescent wall of water.

"Yeah," he nods as he looks at you to which you respond with a smile.

Out of nowhere, two figures emerge out of the water and startle you both. It's Jeongin and Jinnie, discovering the spot and finding you both there.

"Wow! This is amazing!" Jinnie gasps as she looks around while wiping the water off her mouth.

Jeongin doesn't say anything but stands close to the back, his skin a contrast with the dark of the rocky wall behind him.

The smile on Han's face slowly fades knowing that someone has shattered the tender moment he's having with you. He looks at you and your eyes are nowhere near his eyes, the next thing he knows, you dive your way out back to the world.

The fun continues as you and Chan team up to fight against Jinnie and Han. He's carrying you on his shoulders and clashing you at Jinnie who also rides on Han's shoulders, coming at each other until one of you falls into the water. Thanks to Chan's strong lower half body, you won most of the time.

Tired from swimming, everyone is chilling on the big bed of rock, drinking and eating the snacks they packed while drying up under the warm afternoon sun.

With your fingers pruning up, you're struggling to open a bag of chips and someone takes it to help you to open it.

"Here," Jeongin says, after swiftly opening it for you.

"Thanks," you mutter.

Jinnie let out a sigh as she hugs her knees, "I think this is the most fun I ever had in a long time."

Han gets up from lying down and puts his arm around her shoulder, "That's true."

Chan triumphantly grins as he uncaps a new bottle of water, "I told you guys to trust me."

"I trusted you," Jeongin mutters in defense.

Chan points at Han as he drinks his water, hinting that he's talking about a specific person. Grinning as he sees Han feeling called out by that.

"I didn't say anything," he defends himself, waving his hand in front of him in strong disagreement with Chan's accusation.

"Yeah but you were like whining the whole hike," Chan says, giving him a head shake of disbelief.

"I didn't," he resists to admit it, then looks at Jinnie to seek someone on his back, "I didn't, right?"

Jinnie looks at him and then looks at everyone, "Well, I wouldn't call it whining," she says.

Han glares at her as he senses a but trailing behind Jinnie's sentence. He puts his arm away from her and grumbles, "You know what? I'll not say anything on the hike way back."

On the hike way back, Han doesn't whine like he promised but he makes grunting noises. Chan knows he wants to complain but he wants to stick true to his own words.

He guides the hike back with you by his side and he's been catching you looking back a few times. He scoffs, knowing his sister so well to know that you're not just looking, you have eyes on someone.

"Who is it, baby sist?" He curiously asks.

You snap your head back and look ahead, "Huh? What?" You play coy.

With his hand on your shoulder, he stops you on your track and looks into your eyes, "I'm your brother. I know when my sister likes someone," he states.

You sigh because that's true, you can't hide the things from someone you've grown up your whole life with.

"Yeah, okay, you got me," you say in defeat.

"I didn't think much about it then but now, he's always in my head," you share, surprised that you don't find it awkward to tell personal things like this with him. Deep down you know it's not awkwardness you feel, you fear that Chan wouldn't be accepting of your choice.

"So, what do you think?"

Chan softly laughs and offers his hand at you as support to climb the outgrown tree roots, he waits until you safely land on the other side to answer.

"Well, I don't really have a say on that, do I?" he says.

"As far as I remember, you're really against it," you say, reminding him of the same ultimatum he says to his friends plenty of times.

"Yeah, but you know, as long as you're happy," he answers, along with a coy shrug.

Out of the blue, he playfully nudges your shoulder with his, "Ooo, baby sist is falling in love," he teasingly says.

You shove him hard until he's staggering to the side, "Stop calling me that!" You slap his big arm with each word.

Chan is as protective as a brother can be but he knows that he can't dictate every aspect of your life, including the person you like. However, as your brother, his opinions matter and it feels good to know that you have his approval.

The sun is setting when everyone returns to the campsite, painting the sky with bursts of red and yellow, gradually sending the day into the calm of night.

Before it gets dark, Chan orders everyone to work for dinner, he and Jeongin immediately build a campfire and the rest are setting the gas stove to cook.

"Can I help you with something?" Han offers his help to you and Jinnie who's busy prepping ingredients for dinner.

Jinnie hands him a pot, "Can you fill it with water?"

"How much water?"

"Just fill it full," she answers.

"Got it!" He takes the pot with him and comes back a few minutes later, carrying the pot of water with a lot of focus and cautiousness.

"Where do I put it?" He asks in a panic.

Jinnie gets out of the way to make space for him, "Here! On the stove!" She says.

He is concentrating hard on putting it right on the stove without spilling a drop, "How do you turn it on?"

You look away from the vegetables you're chopping and notice something on Han's leg, it seems like he scraped his knee without him knowing.

"Goodness, Han!" You gasp.

"Wh-what?" He asks in panic, looking at you in worry when he should be worried about himself.

"Your knee is bleeding," you point at the blood gushing out of his scraped knee. You scramble to find something for his wound.

Jinnie gets ahead of you, she comes with a bottle of water to wash the blood and tells him to sit down as she runs to the tent to get a first aid kit.

"Does it hurt?" You ask, finally find a napkin for it.

Han is surprisingly calm about it as he gently places the napkin over his wound, "I think I hurt my knee when I was getting water."

Chan pauses on grilling the meat to know what the ruckus is about, "What's going on?"

"Hannie scraped his knee," you shortly answer.

Jinne comes through with her bag of first-aid kit and pulls out a tube of ointment, she takes a dollop with a cotton bud and with so much gentleness, she dabs Han's wound with it.

Han hisses and winces in pain, reacting to the treatment and Jinnie quickly blows on it to soothe the pain.

"I just need to put a band-aid on it," she says and proceeds to take one from the pack. She puts a lot of care into covering his wound with it then sighs in relief.

"Thank you, Jinnie," Han sincerely says while holding the side of his knee.

Jinnie looks up as she's kneeling in front of him and warmly smiles, "You're very welcome, Han."

Despite the minor incident, dinner was a success as everyone finished the food in under an hour, and there was no better way to end a tiring yet fulfilling day than with cans of cold beer.

The night brings such a silence that the crackle of the campfire is all that could be heard with the sparks flickering and drifting upward. The smell of smoke mixed with the sweet smell of roasted marshmallows.

Being the good brother he is, Chan hands you the smores he made and takes the stick of marshmallow you're still roasting.

"Thanks," you mutter, wasting no time to bite into that gooey, crunchy sweetness.

Han wants to do the same for you, he makes smores out of the marshmallow he roasted a little too long and nudges Jeongin by the elbow.

"Pass it to her," he whispers, asking for his help to deliver it to you.

Jeongin doesn't say anything but takes it from him and without hesitation, he bites right into it.

"Hey, I made it for her!" He scolds him, putting his hands around Jeongin's neck to choke and force him to spit the smores he ate. That doesn't faze him, Jeongin has another bite to finish it and has no problem swallowing it down.

Thinking that Han is mad because Jeongin ate his smores, Jinnie gives the one she made to him as a consolation, "Here. You can have mine."

Han looks at it and feels bad to take it, "I– It's okay, I'm full anyway," he lies with a grin.

The night is a special kind of blackness, the kind that wants only to hold the stars and help them shine all the brighter. You tilt your head up and see those stars like pinpricks against the dark of night.

"Woah, look at those stars..." You sigh in wonder.

Everyone else follows suit, looking up at the night sky and feeling the same feeling of awe. When we realize how vast the universe is, our matters suddenly feel so small, don't you think?

"I have something to share with you guys," Jeongin suddenly announces.

Everyone stops staring at the night sky and looking at Jeongin, some are merely curious and the rest are anticipating what he tries to share.

"Remember when I told you guys I auditioned to join the Royal Orchestra?"

"Yeah, a couple of times," Chan says, bobbing his head at him.

"Last month I got the letter," he shares further.

"Oh!" Jinnie gasps in excitement even though Jeongin is not finished with the announcement yet.

Jeongin looks down at the blazing fire that gnaws on the logs of wood, making everyone wait for him to continue. After a while, he looks up and finally announces, "Well, I got in."

"Oh, my Gosh..." Chan sighs in relief with one hand clutching his chest.

"Yeah, man!" Han gives him a celebratory punch in the arm then puts his arm around him, "I just knew you'd get in."

"Duh!" Jinnie eggs in, "You're a great pianist, they're stupid if they didn't let you in."

"Congratulations, Jeongin! We're so proud of you," Chan says, giving him a pat on the back and a proud smile that exudes his paternal side towards Jeongin.

Jeongin looks at you and his eyes drop to his hands, "Which also means that I'll leave soon," he continues with shocking news.

The smiles on everyone's faces slowly fade at that announcement, it turns quiet again as everyone processes that there's a downside to this happy news. Jinnie looks devastated and she rests her head on Chan's shoulder to seek comfort.

"When do you have to leave?" Han asks.

"Next month," Jeongin replies.

"So... this will be the last time we're going to be together?" Jinnie sadly asks even though she's on the verge of tears already.

"Guys, I'm not dying," Jeongin says with an attitude.

Everyone lightly chuckles at that, Chan rearranges the logs to keep the bonfire alive and looks at Jeongin.

"How long will you be there?"

"It's a two-year contract," he answers.

Jinnie sniffles and puts on a small smile, "Just promise us that you'll always come to our weekly video meeting," she demands.

Jeongin chuckles and nods, crossing his fingers together as he says, "Promise!"

"Two years isn't that long," Han coyly says, poking the burned log with a tree branch.

"By the time I get back, I expect one of you to already be married to someone," Jeongin jokingly says, secretly throwing a glance at Chan and raising his eyebrow at him.

"I'm getting drowsy," you say, stretching your arms up and tilting your head side to side, "I'm going to head in and sleep."

Jinnie lifts her head off of Chan's shoulder and crosses her arms together in front of her, "Yeah, I'm going to sleep as well," she says.

It's getting late and the night only grows colder, Chan decides that it's time to sleep. He volunteers to put out the bonfire while Jeongin heads straight into the tent.

After taking a quick trip to the bathroom, Han enters the tent and sees that the sleeping bags have been arranged. Jinnie takes the farthest right and you're sleeping next to her, bundled in the warmth of your sleeping bag.

The middle one belongs to Chan and since Jeongin takes the farthest left which means he's going to be sleeping between them. He slips himself into his sleeping bag and turns his head only to find that you're still awake.

"I thought you're sleeping already," he lowly mutters.

You don't say anything but smile at him with your eyes soft and tender, blanketing his heart with warm feelings.

When it occurs to him that he's sleeping in this shared space with you, he gets that fluttering feeling inside, a kaleidoscope of butterflies flying around in his stomach.

"Goodnight, Han," you lowly murmur.

"Goodnight," he murmurs back, not taking his eyes off of you until you turn your head to the other side.

Han continues to admire your profile from the side, your eyes, your nose, and the plump of your lips that he's dying to taste. You're so beautiful and he gets to enjoy that beauty as much as he pleases.

"I'm surprised I didn't find you snoring already," Chan says as he enters the tent and zips it close.

Then there's the brother who always ruins this special moment. Han turns his head away and scoots slightly to the side to make more space for Chan, knowing how big he is.

"Let's see who gets to snore first," Han dares him.

The next thing he knows, Han finds himself in the forest again and he can hear you laughing. He looks up and finds you standing next to him with your hair wet and your feet bare.

"Take you somewhere..." you vaguely say.

Han doesn't answer but takes your hand, together you're walking through the forest. He feels the rough stone handholds against the palms and fingertips and tall lush grass sliding across calves.

Then he looks at you and you're smiling at him, your eyes bright and droplets of water are dripping down the end of your hair.

"It's cool," you say, laughing at him.

He thinks you find something funny about him so he starts to grope his body around and checks what is it that makes you laugh.

"Come here," you say, giggling with your hand still holding his.

"What?" He asks.

"It's cool," you say again, then you take the straps of your swimsuit and pull them down your shoulders. You're giggling while keep pulling the straps down, revealing your bare chest to him little by little until—

"Han, wake up!"

The image blurs as someone shakes his body awake. He ignores it and tries to go back to sleep, hoping that he gets to continue the dream.

"Wake up!"

"Ugh... mmh," he incoherently complains and curls up in his sleeping bag.

"Just let him sleep," you say to someone.

Han's eyes snap open the second he hears your voice, he then scrambles out of his sleeping bag, disoriented with his hair tousled.

"Are you coming?"

Without looking, Han can tell that it's Chan's voice.

"I'm coming, yes, coming," he mumbles with half-shut eyes.

He shivers as cold air blows into the tent, he gropes around for his jacket with eyes barely open, "What time is it?"

"It's four," Chan answers.

"In the afternoon?" He gasps in shock, can't believe that he slept through the day.

"In the morning," Chan corrects him.

It's even more shocking that he wakes up at four in the morning when the sun is not even out yet. He opens his mouth to complain but he sees you coming into the tent.

"Chris, can I borrow one of your hoodies?" You ask.

Han grabs what he assumes is his hoodie and hurriedly gives it to you, "You can wear mine," he offers with a sleepy smile.

Chan takes it from his hand and then gives it to you, "Hurry up! It's sunrise in any minute now," he rushes him.

Han is barely functioning but he tries to keep up with the group, walking through the path in the dark of the night that still lingers and the stars that insist on shining bright against the bruised sky.

He rushes to walk next to you while hugging himself to shield himself from the cold, "Where are we going?"

"Just to the top of that hill," you answer, looking beautiful even with your face bare and your eyes puffy from the lack of sleep.

It gets tricky as the path turns into climbing the rocky outcroppings and it's a bit embarrassing that you're the one helping him not the other way around.

"There she is," Chan says, pointing to the golden disk that rises on the horizon with its honeyed glow.

It is the time when the day casts away the cloak of night and makes an entrance with a bright, gold light of warmth, making it known that she rules the day once and forever more.

Jinnie walks up to Chan's side and stands so close to him, arms brushing and elbows grazing.

"It's like you have to whisper," Jinnie murmurs, thinking that she would disrupt the serene view by talking loudly.

When Chan looks at her, he realizes one thing. Jinnie is like the sunrise, she doesn’t care if anyone watches it or not, she will keep on being beautiful, even if no one bothers to look at it.

"You know what, Chris?" She suddenly asks.

"Yes?"

"This is one of those moments that I'll share with my future husband and children," she says, her eyes set on the sun that keeps on rising, gently and swiftly at once.

Hearing her talking about the future makes Chan wants to make it all true for her and have the chance to tell her future children, 'Yes, Dad was there too'. Just the thought of it already makes him so giddy that he finds himself smiling.

Jinnie slowly rests her head on his shoulder to enjoy the sunrise together and Chan gets what she said earlier, he also feels like saying things out loud would only ruin the moment so he decides to keep it in his heart a little longer.

"Ugh! He's stressing me out," You mutter to yourself, seeing Jinnie and Chan sharing an intimate moment and instead of using this as an opportunity to say something, Chan does nothing but stare at her like usual.

"That's my hoodie," Someone says.

You turn to the side and find Jeongin there, "Sorry?"

"You're wearing my hoodie," he says, pointing to the hoodie you're wearing which you thought belonged to Han.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know," you meekly say, torn between keeping it on or not, but you know you need it, it's so cold to take it off.

"That's okay," Jeongin says, leaning on the rock next to you.

It's hard to interact with Jeongin because he rarely talks, he only talks when he has important things to say or has savage takes on things. You hesitate to talk to him without feeling like you'll waste his time. Still... you muster up the courage only to get interrupted by Han's head lolling onto your shoulder.

You check on him and see that he's falling back to sleep. You quickly put your arm around him to keep the back of his head from hitting the rock.

"We should have let him sleep," Jeongin says.

"Yeah," you respond with a soft laugh.

Now that he's speaking to you, you use this as an opportunity to congratulate him, "I didn't get the chance last night but congratulations for joining the Royal orchestra," you tell him.

Jeongin brushes his hair to the back and then clears his throat, "Thank you."

"I went to one of your shows two months back," you share and instantly regret doing it, what are you expecting though? For him to thank you.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Jeongin asks, he seems to find it important to know the reason.

"Well, I just... I don't know, I don't want to disturb you and I was with a friend anyway so..." you vaguely explain.

There's no other reason why you came to his show except to watch him playing his piano, you thought of seeing him after the show but you were afraid that he'd be too busy for that.

"We could have hung out. I'd treat you to dinner," he says while scratching his ear.

"That sounds nice," you comment with a smile.

"I'm not a cheapskate like Han," he jokingly adds with a soft laugh.

"Well, I was think— Oh!" You abruptly stop talking as Han nuzzles his head further into your neck and puts his arm across your chest.

Jeongin gets on his feet and makes you switch places with him. He takes Han's arm from around your shoulder, offering himself for him to lean on instead of you.

"Is Han sleeping?" Chan asks, noticing his friend is draping on Jeongin's shoulder.

"I told you to let him sleep," you grumble at him.

The walk back isn't as bad as the climb, Han is being dragged by Chan to make sure of his safe return to the campsite. Jeongin is tasked to brew coffee for everyone while Jinnie and Chan are making breakfast together. You volunteer to tidy up the tent and fold the sleeping bags.

Once you're done, you join everyone around the campfire and Jeongin immediately hands you a cup of coffee.

"Thank you," you mutter, holding it with both hands to absorb the heat.

Chan mischievously slaps Han's shoulder, startling him awake from his sleep and making him jolt on the chair.

"Time for breakfast!" He informs him.

He looks at him with wondering eyes, stretches his arms out, and then lets out a big yawn. Even with a barely functioning brain, Han knows that it's time to eat, he takes a plate and a piece of toast.

"Here. Have an egg," Jinnie says, sliding an egg onto his plate from the frypan.

She then turns at you and says, "You too."

You hurriedly grab a plate and mutter your gratitude at her, wasting no time to start digging in. Soon, everyone is stuffing their mouth with food and it gets quiet that you can hear the forest come alive around you.

"We're going to drive the whole day today," Chan informs out of nowhere.

"Can we know where we're going now?" Jinnie asks, taking a bite of her bread.

Chan pulls out something out of his jeans pocket, a piece of paper but he continues to unfold it open. With an excited grin, he turns it around and reveals a poster.

"How long have you been keeping that poster in the back of your jeans?" Jeongin curiously asks, then takes a small sip of his coffee.

Not getting the reaction he expected, Chan frowns and his shoulders slumped. Han snatches the poster from his hands and looks at it with utter bewilderment.

"What? Did you get tickets to this? How?" He asks with his cheeks full of food.

You don't recognize it at first until you see the logo of the band and gasp in surprise, "Am I seeing The Hare concert poster?"

The grin blooms on Chan's face once more, "More like the poster for their secret gig this Friday night," he humbly brags.

"What?" You ask again with eyes widening.

Han roughly yanks the sleeve of Chan's sweater, "How did you get the tickets?"

"Let's say I knew someone who knows someone," Chan cryptically says, deciding not to tell everyone how he acquired those tickets.

"Anyway, I think it's better if the girls take turns to drive first," he continues with the planning.

"Yep. It's best if you boys get some rest before driving all night," Jinnie agrees, already collecting the trash from around the table.

You're representing everyone when you say that Jinnie and Chan make a great team, they're the ones who came up with the planning and handled the financial stuff, and they make sure everyone is doing well and having fun. They're basically playing parents to you, Han, and Jeongin which adds one more reason why they should date as soon as possible.

Jinnie offers to take the first turn to drive and Chan is the last one to get into the car as he has to return the rented tent and pay for it.

"Everyone please make sure you've checked your belongings," Chan says as he puts his safety belt on.

Jinnie turns on the car engine and checks everything, her safety belt, and the angle of the rearview mirror, and then adjusts the seat.

"Do you mind if I play music from my phone?" You ask.

"Not at all," Jinnie replies, tucking her hair behind her ear as she backs the car from the parking lot and starts driving.

Not long after the car driving through the main road, Han startles in the backseat and then asks, "How long have we been driving?"

Chan glances at his smartwatch and turns his head to the back, "About 35 minutes. Why?"

"I want to pee," Han says, his face doesn't show any expression but it makes his face appear so round.

"Can you hold it?" Chan asks.

Han considers it for a moment then slowly leans back on his seat, "Yeah, I'll– I'll hold it," he doubtfully says.

"Distract yourself, you know, think of something so you don't want to pee anymore," Chan suggests.

"Think of the waterfall we went to yesterday," Jeongin playfully adds with a suppressed laugh.

"Hey!" Chan slaps Jeongin's arm, saying the opposite of what he suggested.

"I'll try to sleep," Han finds a better solution to detain his urge to pee.

"That's a great idea!" Chan says.

It's a good thing that Han is one of those people who can sleep anytime anywhere. He manages to sleep through two hours long of drive until the urge comes back.

"Guys, I don't think I can hold it anymore," he mutters, biting his lower lip until it turns pale.

Jinnie looks at him through the rearview mirror and sees how he can't hold the urge anymore, "The sign says rest area is only 10 kilometers away," she informs.

Han grips the headrest of Jeongin's headrest, "Okay."

"Are we good?" Jinnie asks.

"Yeah," he meekly answers.

"Just a few more minutes," you convince him.

There's nothing you can do to help him but you can relate to that feeling, you look back to check on him once in a while.

"Jinnie?" He calls again.

"Yeah?"

"Please step on the gas!" Han says, looking a little pale now.

Considering the urgency of the situation, Jinnie allows herself to go above the speed limit, she steps on the gas and the car picks up the speed, launching the car forward.

Sensing the change in speed, Chan wakes up from his nap and looks around in confusion. But the first thing he does when he gains his sense is check on Jinnie.

"What's wrong?" He asks.

"Han needs to pee," you answer for her since she focuses on driving.

"Almost there!" Jinnie says as she changes the lane to enter the rest area.

Han hops out of the car once the car gets to the parking lot of the rest area and immediately runs to search for the bathroom.

Once the car is parked, Jinnie lets out a sigh and leans back on her seat, "That was the most intense ten minutes I ever had in my life," Jinnie says.

Seeing the hilarity of it all, the three of you burst into laughter almost at the same time, making it one of those memorable little things that happened on this road trip.

The laughter wakes Jeongin up from his nap and he looks confused as to why everyone is laughing, "What's happening?"

No one is answering him but keep laughing until we're running out of air. Oh, there's nothing like the deep breaths after laughing that hard.

Since they're stopping at a rest area and it's close to lunchtime, they may as well take a break from driving to ear. Everyone scatters the second they step into the food court to order the food they want. You decide on a bowl of ramen and get in the queue with Jinnie behind you.

Even though he's already carrying a tray of food in his hands, Chan stops next to the queue and scans the menu.

"Hey, baby sist!" He loudly calls you.

The people in the queue turn their heads to see who he calls baby sist, you hurriedly turn your back to them and glare at Chan.

"Please don't address me with that name in public," You scold him through your gritted teeth.

"Order a portion of fried dumplings for me," he says, ignoring your complaint and leaving with a grin.

Everyone gathers at one of the long tables in the middle of the food court with their choices of lunch, you slide the plate of fried dumplings at Chan and steal one piece with your chopsticks.

"You better not drink a lot of sodas if you have a weak bladder," Jeongin and his savage intake make an appearance.

Han pretends not to hear him and continues to stuff his cheek with more food.

The lunch is not enough, so everyone scatter once more to buy snacks. You're getting a bag of mini fish-shaped cakes for desserts and Han appears behind you with a big smile on his face.

"Got you ice cream," he says.

"How nice of you!" You delightfully exclaim.

"I don't know what you like so I chose three flavors at once," he explains the different flavors of ice cream in one cone.

"Thank you," you mutter your gratitude with a smile.

"I have to go for another bathroom break," he says with a grin lingering on his face, then leaves the other way.

The ice cream would make a great dessert if it didn't have strawberry ice cream in the mix. It's obvious that Han completely forgot that you're allergic to it, you can't eat it, or throw it away. You can give it to Chan but Han would know that you're not eating the ice cream he specifically bought for you and he would find that disrespectful, or worse, upset him.

Making your way out of the food court, you carry the bag of snacks in one hand and the ice cream in the other, still have no idea what to do with it.

Out of nowhere, Jeongin comes from the side, also carrying an ice cream in hand. He takes the one from your hand and switches it with him, a chocolate-flavored one.

"You can have mine," he says, not waiting to bite right into the ice cream.

Not only that he remember your allergy, but he also comes with a new ice cream and you find that endearing. You let out a mix of scoff and laugh, "I've never seen someone bite into ice cream."

"Well, there's always a first time to everything," he coyly says.

It's your turn to drive now and thankfully, you have set up an hour-long playlist for it. Jinnie remains in the front, sitting on the passenger's side and putting her legs up as she draws on her sketchbook.

The boys don't find it hard to fall back to sleep after a hearty lunch, you lower the volume of the music and only hum along to the song currently playing in the car to not wake the sleeping beauties in the back.

"What do you think?" Jinnie asks, holding her sketchbook out to you.

You keep the steering wheel steady to glance at the rough drawing of you from her point of view, then look back straight ahead.

"Wow. That's good!" You compliment.

Jinnie is a great illustrator, she mostly does illustrations for children's books and magazines which explains her exceptional talent for drawing.

"Please tell me you'll finish it and then email it to me," you say, already planning on making it your profile picture for your social media.

"I'll finish it when I'm not in a moving vehicle," she says, putting her pencil back into its case and putting it on the dashboard along with the sketchbook.

"I think it's cute," Jinnie says while stretching her arms to the front.

"What cute?" You ask with a perplexed smile.

"The way Chris calls you baby sist," she answers.

Oh, she must be talking about that little incident that happened back at the food court. You nod and tap your steering wheel to the rhythm of the song playing.

"Look, I don't mind when call me that in front of you guys. Just don't do it in front of a bunch of strangers," you explain, briefly shifting your focus to driving by a big truck.

"I mean... what if there are cute guys there and they heard it," you playfully remark.

Jinnie softly chuckles and grabs a bottle of water from the cup holder, "You're beautiful and smart, you shouldn't have any problems getting a cute guy," she says.

"That I agree!" You jokingly say with a sassy eyebrow raise.

When it occurs to you that this would be the perfect opportunity to have another crack at her, you arrange the words in your head before saying them out loud.

"I can say the same thing about you, Jinnie. You're beautiful and smart, except you have a lot of patience in you," you pause for a chuckle and briefly glance at her, "you shouldn't have any problems getting a hot guy."

Jinnie gets quiet and you begin to think that your words offended her in a way yet you give it another moment for her to digest your words thoroughly. She suddenly looks back, probably making sure that none of the boys are listening in on this conversation.

"I'm just a girl," Jinnie meekly says, lowering her voice as she slightly slumps in her seat, "All I can do is wait for the other person to profess their feelings to me."

Oh, finally! You manage to successfully crack her this time. You keep your cool and continue to crack deeper into it.

"I have to stop you right there!" You tell her with your hand raised, making a stop sign at her.

"You're not just a girl, you're incredible!" You may have exaggerated your tone a little bit but she needs to hear the truth in your words.

"You're not just beautiful and smart, you're kind, compassionate and you're strong and gentle at the same time. And if I'm being honest, I look up to you a lot," you openly admit.

"Aww..." Jinnie coos, she seems to be taking your compliments well along with a shy smile.

"And a girl like you shouldn't wait. A girl like you take matters into your own hands and you know, tell him how you feel," you encourage her.

Yeah, okay, maybe there's an underlying motive here but that doesn't make what you said to her a lie.

"It's a different thing when the person you like is your friend and you've been close with that person for so long," Jinnie sighs, her voice drops lower and she seems smaller than ever.

However, the mystery is now solved. Jinnie is indeed having the same feeling, she's hesitant only because they've been friends for too long. You get it that sometimes it's a bit scary to date someone who knows so much about you but if you focus on the good side, it means that they'll be more accepting and understanding towards your qualities.

If there are two people who truly deserve each other, it's Chan and Jinnie.

"Isn't that a good thing? You've known each other long enough to learn so much about each other and understand each other better," you give her your opinion and secretly glance to see her reaction.

Jinnie plays with the lint on her jeans as she digests your words while looking at the ever-changing scenery as the car keeps moving forward.

"You're right," she finally responds to your words.

Now, that you've tried your best to give her that little push, you can only hope for the outcome and hopefully, it'll be the best one.

"I know I'm right," you confidently remark, then burst into laughter.

Unbeknownst to you and Jinnie, Chan has been listening all along and behind his dark hoodie, he's smiling from ear to ear.

After stopping for dinner, the trip continues with Chan behind the wheel and Jeongin on his side. Jinnie takes the middle seat with Han and you occupy the backseat, using the extra space to curl up and sleep.

It's a bummer that you're not sitting next to him but this way, Han can easily look to the back and see you peacefully sleeping with a hand under your head, lost in your sweet dream.

"Hey, Han, can you get me a can of soda?" Chan asks without looking at him.

Since he's too busy watching you sleep, Han doesn't hear it the first time and snaps his head to the front, "What?"

"Get me a soda," Chan repeats while holding his arm out to the back so Han can hand it right into his hand.

Han rummages inside the small cooler box next to his feet, grabbing the first can that rolls into his hand and putting it into Chan's hand.

"Thanks!" Chan shortly says to him.

The road is eerily empty as it turns smaller from four into two lanes and the last sliver of sun has fully disappeared, replaced by the soft moonlight on a hot summer night.

Having nothing to do, Jeongin looks into the GPS to assess the route and the final destination.

"It says we'll arrive at 7 in the morning," he says.

"Yep, there's no hurry. We have plenty of time until the gig," Chan calmly says, still holding the soda in his hand, unopened.

Jeongin reclines on his seat and crosses his arms together on his chest, "And what we're going to do until then?"

"I booked us rooms at a hotel nearby," Chan informs, "we'll have some rest before leave in the afternoon."

"Hotel, right? Not motel?" Jeongin asks with suspicious eyes because the last time they stayed at the motel, he had to share the bed with Han.

"Yes," Chan hastily answers.

"I'm going to get my own room," Jeongin says.

"I thought you like sharing the bed with me," Han jokingly says.

"That's the least of my worries," Jeongin says, then gives each of them a glare.

Han pops his head in the middle of them, "Then what's the problem?"

Jeongin gives each of them a glare, "It's you guys snoring. It's like a whole orchestra in there but all the instruments are tuba," he says with a shiver.

Han grabs the front of Jeongin's shirt in response, "My snore sounded nothing like tuba!"

"How do you know what your snores sound like?" Jeongin asks, giving him the side eyes.

"Last time I checked it's Beethoven's Symphony No. 9," Han answers without a beat.

Jeongin leans at him and gives him a perplexed look, "What?"

"What?" Han asks back with daring eyes.

"Beethoven's Symphony No. 9," Chan says, finding himself giggling to it and his giggles gradually turn into laughter that fills the small, enclosed space.

Chan slows down the speed and holds the steering wheel steady with his forearms to open his can of soda. The second it pops open, the carbonated drink fizzles and spills out of the can.

"Oh, no, man..." he groans in complaint, seeing the soda get all over the steering wheel and dripping onto his lap.

"You made a mess, Chris," Jeongin grumbles, pulling multiple tissues out of the box and then handing some to him. He helps to wipe the droplets that somehow land on the console.

With one hand steadily holding the steering wheel, Chan keeps on dabbing the wet patch on the jeans with a ball of tissues.

"Ugh, it's sticky," Chan groans in disgust and then looks down at his lap to see if he misses anything.

The moment Chan's eyes are off the road, the headlights shine on an object that comes into sight, and Jeongin, as the only one aware of the deer standing in the middle of the road, reflexively grabs the steering wheel and turns it hard to the right.

Losing control of the car, no one can do anything to stop it. The tires are screeching against the asphalt as the car spins around, and eventually stops as it hits something with a loud banging sound, but no one is moving.

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peach-top · 13 days ago

Text

:: 𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 ::

:: ACT II. | CHAPTER II.

:: UNNAMED HUNTRESS ::

An injured Longan Dragon dropped to their knees as blood began to drip from their head. Their horn had been torn off, painful, yet they were still alive.

The broken horn landed before them, tossed by the equally injured Red Spider Lily, who remained standing while all the other dragons lay wounded from the battle.

“Pathetic. But… I think you amused me the most out of all of them,” Red Spider Lily said, stepping on the broken horn with his heel and crushing it beneath him. He then snatched the floating eye, squeezing it in his grasp. “Erasing all of cookiekind sounds… interesting. The sight of Cookies enjoying their lives, full of warmth and harmony…it makes me sick. I envy them… and I’ll make sure they suffer through my pain.”

“Let's hope to meet again…dragons…” Red Spider Lily crushing the creature, finally making his leave.

· · ─ ·𖥸· ─ · ·

:: present ::

“Fuck…Why does it itch now??” Pitaya Dragon hissed as they scratched their neck where the mark was left behind. They were able to regain their voice and haven't vomited blood or petals ever since Red Spider Lily’s mysterious death.

They froze in place. The feeling…it felt so familiar. The same feeling that they felt thousands years ago, but it's different. Yet again, they don't like this feeling.

“Don't tell me…” Pitaya Dragon's eyes widened with realization. “That bastard is alive…?”

· · ─ ·𖥸· ─ · ·

“Beast-Yeast is filled with beasts I've never seen before…” [Y] murmured, gently stroking the fur of one of the creatures. Shadow Milk Cookie observed how naturally the beasts were drawn to the wanderer.

❝you must've had a lot of experience with animals back in the forest, huh?❞ Shadow Milk asked.

“Yeah… They're my family. I miss them.” The wanderer replied, a hint of longing in his voice.

Hovering midair, the spirit of deceit lazily kicked his feet. ❝so... what's your deal with that tree spirit?❞

“Millennial Tree Cookie? We're really close. He saved my life... and gave me my name, [Y].” [Y] answered as butterflies gracefully fluttered around him. “He taught me about the forest and a bit of magic… Wind Archer taught me how to protect the forest as the guardian of the Millennial Forest.”

❝hmph. you spend too much time with him. it's not safe to be around him.❞ Shadow Milk pouted.

“Huh? What do you mean?” [Y] tilted his head.

❝i mean…you might be used by him. he’s probably fooling you with that ‘kind’ smile he has on his face. did he really revive you just so you can get a second chance?❞ Shadow Milk Cookie asked. ❝what if he's lying to you? betrayed you??❞

[Y] clenched his fist over his chest where his heart is located, feeling the ache in his chest.

“S-stop!” an unknown cookie gasped. “This isn’t why I created you—”

RIP!

Shadow Milk Cookie stopped yapping when he noticed the male clenching to his chest as if he was hurting. Except he was hurting. Mentally.

The jester gently placed his hands over [Y]’s, trying to make sure he's alright.

❝are you ok, pookie?❞ Shadow Milk asked softly.

“...” [Y] frowned. “Sorry. It's just the thought of betrayal…suddenly made me feel uneasy.”

“Also…Millennial Tree Cookie wouldn't do anything to betrayed me. He never lied to me. The thought of him betraying me really hurt my feelings. What if you betrayed me one day…?”

Shadow Milk panicked, ❝a-ah! don't think it that way! i didn't mean it to hurt your feelings! i was just joking!❞

“You're lying…” the wanderer shook his head. Shadow Milk looks down at the ground and fiddle his fingers. “But…you're only lying to make me feel better. Thanks. I know you never meant to hurt my feelings.”

This made Shadow Milk Cookie lit up, wrapping his arms around the wanderer, ❝of course, i never meant hurt your feelings! i’ll be careful with my words from now on…❞

“Thank you.” [Y] smiled gently.

❝oh, my pookie. I hope that smile on your face never disappeared!❞ Shadow Milk Cookie cooed, squishing [Y]’s cheeks. ❝as long as you're enjoying your journey, i’ll make sure no one take away that smile from your face…if anyone dare to hurt your feelings, I'LL TERMINATED THEM❞

“Don't take it too far…” the wanderer sweatdropped. “Let us continue our little journey.”

The two continue their journey to leave Beast Yeast. It was quiet until Shadow Milk Cookie break the ice and asked:

❝are you really willing to keep that promise of freeing us? you did kind of lie to everyone in the faerie kingdom…❞

“…” [Y] closed his eyes for a few seconds before opening them again. “Even without the memories of my past life, I still believed it was the right choice to set you all free.”

“My actions may come with consequences… but I don’t regret them. I’ll accept whatever punishment comes for lying and for releasing you from the tree.”

❝…❞

“I want to help all of you find redemption. So we can be together again. I know you went through so much pain that drove you to corruption. But I’ll make sure you never have to suffer like that again. I’ll help you live in peace.”

❝…geez…this is what you like before corruption…? warmth must be your biggest strength. you know how to comfort others around you❞ Shadow Milk Cookie mutter under his breath. ❝how can something so cruel happen to a poor soul like you…?❞

“Huh? Did you say something?”

❝nothing. let's carried on.❞

“???”

“Stay back! Stay back, I say!” a voice shouted from afar.

Shadow Milk can tell that someone may or may not be in trouble and judging by the look on [Y]’s face. He sighed, ❝…you're not actually planning on actually doing what i think you're gonna do.❞

“Can't refuse.” [Y] said, grabbing his bow and arrow before rushing in to help.

❝well, can't stop ya❞ Shadow Milk Cookie shrugged as he followed the wanderer.

· · ─ ·𖥸· ─ · ·

A woman in the hood was holding off the furry beast with her wooden shield to prevent it from hitting her.

“Hahahaha! This is more like it!” The woman grinned, but her grin faltered when she noticed a crack in her shield. “Oh dear…”

WHOOSH

In a swift gust of wind, an arrow pierced the chest of the furry beast, knocking it unconscious. The hooded woman stared at the creature in confusion. She reached out to check if it was dead, but—

“Don't worry. They're just sleeping.” [Y] told the woman, stepping out of the bushes. “Are you alright?”

“Of course. Thank you.” The woman smiled. “How are you able to use your arrow without killing it?”

“Just a little magic. I wouldn't kill animals. That's animal cruelty…” [Y] replied. “This helps calm them down and put them into peaceful sleep.”

“I see! I see! That sounds pretty impressive!” The woman beamed. “What's your name, unnamed traveler?”

“[Y]...” The wanderer introduced himself.

“[Y]? Hm. I felt I've heard that name before…” the woman scratches the back of her head. “[Y]...[Y]...[Y]...Where did I…? Ah!”

The woman pointed her finger at the wanderer, “You're the one Dark Cacao Cookie been talking about! I've heard that you tame the beasts and the Licorice Dragon!”

❝the fuck is her problem?❞ Shadow Milk raised his eyebrows.

“Language…” [Y] whispered, he then spoke out loud, “You know Dark Cacao Cookie. Who are you then, miss?”

“Oh. I'm Holly—ahem…Sweet Pinkberry Cookie.” The huntress introduced herself.

❝bitch’s lying.❞

“What exactly is your real name? I won't tell anyone.” [Y] said.

“...Ah…my name…I guess I should tell you since you're Dark Cacao Cookie’s friend.” The woman sighed. “A friend of his is a friend of mine! I'm Hollyberry Cookie. Pleased to meet you, [Y]!”

“Pleased to meet you too, miss Hollyberry Cookie.” [Y] smiled.

❝yeah, no. i’m going to do what i’m going to do. i’ll be here if you need me, pookie~❞ Shadow Milk placed a kiss on [Y]’s cheek before disappearing.

· · ─ ·𖥸· ─ · ·

Nighttime hit, [Y] and Hollyberry seated near the fire, set up by Hollyberry. The furry beast she has fought before, was cuddling with [Y].

“My, the beast seems calmer than before. Thanks to your magic.” Hollyberry smiled.

“So…you and Dark Cacao are friends?” [Y] asked.

“Of course. I'm surprised to hear him making friends with a wanderer like you.” The pink haired female rubbed her chin. “He mentioned you a lot in the letter. That must've meant he likes you a lot.”

[Y] smiled softly, “He seems harsh at first, but he's actually really soft once I get to know him. He gave me a tour around the Black Citadel and told me a few things that I don't know. Like, plants don't grow on the floor. That explains the flowerpot.”

“Affogato taught me how to read and write in normal languages since I only know ancient languages. And I have my first ice cream coffee. It's really delicious.”

“Ah. Dark Cacao taught me how to play Gomoku. It's so confusing that it makes my brain hurt.”

“My. You seem to have a lot of fun~ When we meet again, I'll tease him! Hahahaha!” Hollyberry laughed. “He seems to have some fun as well. Say the guy who does not know how to laugh.”

[Y] tilted his head, “Oh? But he seems to smile and laugh a lot. And I can’t forget how he kissed me. Was that not normal?”

Hollyberry's eyes widened. Her shock expression then slowly turned into a smirk, “Oh-ho~ This is getting interesting. He got some explaining to do.”

· · ─ ·𖥸· ─ · ·

“Achoo!” Dark Cacao sneezed.

“Your majesty! Are you sick?” Caramel Arrow frowned.

“No…”

“Perhaps someone's talking about you.” Affogato shrugged.

“No…It's something worse than that…” the king sweatdropped. “And I think I know what…”

╭ ⁞ ❏. trivia

┊ ⁞ ❏. [y] never enjoy the thought of betrayal

┊ ⁞ ❏. the beast cookies are overprotective of [y]

➤ chapter i.

➤ chapter iii.

everytime [y] lies:

-- spoiler under cut --

#cookie run kingdom #cookie run #cookie run x reader #crk x reader #crk x you #cookie run x you #cookie run x male reader #crk x male reader #dark cacao cookie #shadow milk cookie #hollyberry cookie #longan dragon cookie #pitaya dragon cookie

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harpsinfinity · 2 months ago

Text

Opposites attract

CHAPTER I → CHAPTER II

Frat-boy!jock!Chris X nerdy!fem!reader

→ needing the extra credit, you begrudgingly decide to sign up as first aid for the rugby team in their upcoming league. In which your existence become apparent to the schools top dog

→ word count: 1.5k

→ THEMED PLAYLIST

Chris Redfield wasn't an uncommon name to be heard around school,

Known by the guys for his phenomenal skills as the rugby teams captain, loved by the girls for his charming charisma and flirtatious glances he'd shoot them

The guy was practically top dog, the leader. What Chris said went, and wherever he walked people followed. Like dogs on a lead. He was confident and charismatic, the image of the perfect boyfriend for a girl to have.

You could say social anxiety was scared of him, he was always ready to talk, ready to socialise and party with his friends. The definition of a social butterfly that everyone couldn't get enough of

Enter you; a nerd. You weren't labled as 'popular', it was quite the opposite you were far more shy and soft spoken, more focused on your studies and getting a scholarship into a good college rather than partying until late at night and messing around with guys

The teachers loved you,

“She’s a delight to teach in lesson”

"one of my top students, A+ for the year!”

As much as you didn't mind the constant praise, sometimes your academic skills brought you misfortunes,

Like today.

The coach for the school's rugby team was in desperate need of a first aider. At first you thought nothing of it, knowing you were safe from such duties

Why would you want to be around a flock of sweaty guys anyway? Gross

That was until you'd been selected for the role; much to your despair. One of your professors recommended you to the coach, giving overwhelming praise of your skills and talents. It was that good the coach couldn't refuse, even though any sort of sport wasn’t for forte

You wish he had, wished he'd stuck his nose up and turned away to find a better candidate. But luck must've not been in your horoscope today.

Begrudgingly, you accepted the role.

It was for the extra credit

You told yourself. It was only for the team's upcoming league anyway, just a few weeks you hoped.

Before you knew it you'd be able to go back to hiding away in your little corner of the library, with little to no one acknowledging your existence as you worked away at your assignments and studies. Just how you liked it, really.

You really regretted your decision as soon as you were around for the team's first practice. Stood there in the sweltering heat as you watched them play on the field. You had no idea how they could stand the warmth, especially when doing something as physical as a rugby match

You felt more lucky that you were first aid, being roughly tackled and and hurdled into by a flock of sweaty boys really wasn’t for you. At all. It was a wonder how they even enjoyed such an activity, one that left you with cauliflower ear and bruises. So many bruises. Not to mention the aches and pains the next day? No thank you..

Luckily, you’d settled under a tree for some shade, it was right in front of the entire match so you were still there if any of the boys needed medical attention.

And there he was, the captain,

Chris redfield

Out of all the boys, he was the one who had girls tripping over themselves. Even some guys. He was always stuck in some crowd. His friends, you assumed. You couldn’t think of a more awful friend group to be in. They were always loud and rowdy, disrespecting the teachers, thinking they were soo cool.

You had to stop yourself from rolling your eyes at the thought

You knew his true colours. At least, you had an idea. He just loved batting his eyelashes at any pretty little thing that decided to look his way. Luring them in with sweet words and promises. Only to use them to get his dick wet, he’d often leave them feeling used and broken hearted. Though some girls didn’t see through the facade, just happy to be on the receiving end of his attention

His treatment, using girls how he does, made your blood boil. It was immensely

Satisfying to picture his downfall and loss of popularity, at this point you had started mentally betting on when he’d finally go into the real world and realise he’s not all that. Just a person who peaked in highschool

If there was anyway to get him to see how his actions affect people and just–

“Time! Everybody take a ten minute break, no more no less”

That was the coach. Great, now you get to tend to a bunch of very foul smelling boys where they would either completely ignore your existence or make crude comments about you.

And so, you started your duty. Handing out water bottles, a few ice packs here and there. Occasionally having to give someone a bandaid for a knee scrape. How dramatic…

Luckily, there were no life threatening Injuries that decided to make an appearance today

And then came your last ‘patient’, Chris. He was sat so nonchalantly as if he wasn't just tackled and hit with the force of a thousand sons

It was almost intimidating, you'd admit. Sat back and relaxed like he was on top of the world, hands resting behind his head. Sweaty no doubt.

As much as you didn't want to, you'd have to give him your attention and any assistance needed. You trudged towards the spot he was sitting in, Chris only noticed you when you casted a shadow. His eyes had a glint in them as his usual smug smirk spread across his lips

“bout time, I'm dyin’ out here”

He complained, you fought the need to roll your eyes as you passed him a water bottle. Which he gladly chugged down like his life depended on it

“Do you need any medical attention..at all?”

You inquired, attempting not to curl your lip in slight disgust as he drank the water down as if he was an animal, then wiping his mouth on the back of his hand

“No..I don't” he answered, he scanned you up and down, landing on your glasses that were sat on the bridge of your nose “though, I didn't know they were taking in bookworms for first aid”

Biting back a scoff, it's not hard to notice Chris eyeing you up. Taking in your appearance, you wouldn't be surprised if this was the first time he'd ever noticed your existence. It was only a quick glance though, it was obvious he didn't consider talking to you important enough due to both his and your social status

Though it was clear you didn't dress like the cheerleaders he was so used to being around. You were far from tiny skirts and tiny tops, if anything, you loved yourself a nice cardigan or long flowy skirt.

“Is that all?” You ask sharply, you couldn't muster a lot of patience with him, as much as you didn't want to let it show

Chris huffs in amusement at the display of the cracks in your annoyance, tipping his head forward

“Yeah, that'll be all, doll”

It took everything in you not to look at him like he was a freak, because what the hell did he just call you? You weren't one of his hookups, nor were you going to be.

To your relief, their break was over. Another match started and you got to do the same thing all over again

Chris gave you one of his usual, flirtatious winks before running back onto the pitch. Leaving you almost frozen as he messed around with his friends before the game started

Now, you got to just..sit there. Watch them fall over themselves for a weirdly shaped ball, help with first aid

Rinse and repeat

When practice was over, you could've jumped for joy. You could finally haul your ass off the field and go home, which was signalled by the school bell screeching at you

At your locker, you couldn't help but look over at the rambunctious group of people next to you; Chris' friends.

You were sure you heard some mention of you, he didn't know your name but you made out "nerdy girl with glasses"

Whether they were making fun of you or not, you didn't know. It was best to ignore it.

Though it almost made you wish, just for a moment, that you had a little friend group of your own. Your own little found family where you'd tell each other everything and trust each other with your life

It was a nice idea, though there were little to no people who would fit the criteria. As well as friend groups you'd have trouble fitting in, like the wrong final piece of a puzzle

Though for now, you could settle for being on your own. It was more peaceful to be with just your thoughts, no drama from friend groups you'd tell yourself.

Yes, it did reduce the drama in your life, it was much quieter and enjoyable to stick your head in a book with no one yapping your ear off about their boyfriend or something

But there was always something missing, whenever you'd look at friend groups, when they were laughing together. You'd try to imagine what it'd be like for you

But that wasn't the burning dilemma right now, what you needed to figure out is how you were going to get through this semester seeing Chris redfield more often than you wanted to

Now that, that was going to be a challenge.

#harpy speaks #resident evil #chris redfield #chris redfield x reader #resident evil 5 #highschool au #chris redfield resident evil #chris redfield fanfic #chris redfield fic #chris redfield fanart #chris redfield fanfiction #chris redfield smut #i love chris #chris

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skzdarlings · 11 months ago

Text

the kingsguard ; jisung x reader ; part ii

pairing: han jisung/reader summary: You are a queen. He is a kingsguard - a member of a holy order that vows to defend the king in the name of the gods. They forsake all earthly goods and swear a vow of chastity to avoid worldly temptation. When he stands in as proxy for the royal wedding, all those vows are tested.

content info: reader is described with curly hair.

content warnings: a royal affair between queen reader and guard jisung. the king is a violently abusive man and continually disrespects reader in this part. this chapter has an additional content warning for emetophobia.

word count: 5100 words.

Morning dawns with a cool, clear light, but it fades as quickly, dissolving in the burning sunshine. Every hand is at work, preparing the royal retinue for its return journey to the capital.

You watch as the last of your trunks are loaded onto a wagon. Each click and latch echoes inside you. Your life is bound in iron.

You walk to exert the worst of your nerves, fluttering inside you like a thousand frantic butterflies. You lift your gaze to the sky and will those butterflies to carry you away, but then you see your family waving from a balcony.

You cannot let them see your pain. It is too late to do anything about the marriage, even if your parents expressed some regret for the arrangement. That regret was tentatively posed to avoid treasonous speech but they were undoubtedly taken aback by the king’s poor behaviour.

Your mother insisted on dressing you this morning. She was teary-eyed so you faked your best and brightest smile. There was no sense in you both suffering.

The child in you wants to fling yourself at your family. The woman you are, the queen you have become, forces a smile and waves back.

You continue your walk. Your mother dressed you finely but comfortably, a long, loose gown with flowing sleeves, your curly hair pinned in a twisting up-do, a flower behind your ear in lieu of a crown.

There are courtiers milling about. Some are travelling with the king’s party while others will divert course to visit their own lands. Judgemental eyes trail the sweep of your hem across the earthen path. You feign indifference as you weave in-and-out of the bustling bodies.

The courtyard has never been so busy. The clamour of trunks, the stomping of horses, and the din of busy chatter blend into cacophony.

Distantly, you hear a guitar.

Han Jisung. The first name you associate with music.

You are flushed with embarrassment, remembering last night’s sorry return to your room. Jisung escorted you back, a silent trek that agitated your frayed anxiety at the time. In the light of day, you realize just how much he did for you. You would not have survived the journey, at least not in one piece, and if anyone else had caught you, your life would have been equally forfeit.

He committed an offense against the crown, a sin in his faith, one that would have demanded a great deal of reconciliation. You have heard stories of kingsguards self-flagellating in the pursuit of forgiveness for even meagre transgressions. The fact Jisung understood your betrayal, the fact he forgave it, the fact he saved you, is not insubstantial.

You wonder who this man is, to wear the cloth but help his friend first, to keep secrets for a woman he hardly knew because he sympathized with her pain. To have a sword at his hip and a song on his lips.

You follow the guitar. It leads you to the royal carriages and a circle of kingsguards in a hushed argument. Jisung is playing a comically frantic tune while they debate.

“What’s going on?” another kingsguard approaches. It is the shorter, stocky one from the ceremony. You learned the names of the other kingsguards at the evening festivities. You recognize this one as Seo Changbin, an undoubted force of brute strength, striding up to his brethren with a hand on his sword hilt.

“Felix disappeared,” Jisung trills, fingers dancing over the guitar strings, “and the kingsguard is afeared, because the king is not too dear—”

“What?” Changbin interrupts, looking at the others. “Felix is gone?”

“Not just Felix,” a brown-haired guard, Lee Minho, says. His brow is pinched. “The king’s mistress is missing too.”

Your eyes widen, your careful mask cracking under the assault of shock.

The woman who ran off with Felix was the king’s mistress?

It does not take much knowledge of the inner circle to deduce that does not bode well for anyone. A kingsguard breaking his oath is one thing, a kingsguard running off with a woman is another still.

A kingsguard conducting an affair with the king’s mistress is a personal betrayal heaped on top of sin. The only worse crime would be if he pursued the king’s wife.

Jisung looks at you.

He spots you across the crowd and strums a foul note, fingers clumsy with surprise. The bad note draws attention to him so the other guards follow his line of sight. They all straighten when they see you, their strong shoulders tense with anxiety.

Minho and Changbin immediately duck into a bow. The other two, Kim Seungmin and Yang Jeongin, exchange a glance before following suit. Hwang Hyunjin, the preposterously beautiful one, bows but not before he grimaces with discomfort at their conversation being overheard by the queen.

Jisung is still staring, his eyes darting from your face to the flower behind your ear. He meets your eyes. For a moment too long, he holds your gaze. The events of the previous evening seem to play in the space between you, every panicked whisper and solemn glance.

Then he notices the rest are bowing. With a yelp, he swings down into a bow too.

You take a breath to steady your voice. “What’s this about a missing person?” you ask.

They straighten one by one, sharing uncertain looks. Minho and Jisung have a mute conversation, Minho clenching his jaw and lifting his brows as if mutely scolding Jisung. Jisung stares back with furrowed brows as if challenging it.

In the end, it’s the youngest one who speaks. Jeongin is a shaggy-haired youth and his whole face is scrunched with worry.

“A kingsguard is missing,” he blurts. “But he’s not a bad guard!” He frantically waves his hands. “Really. We don’t know what happened. It’s not like him. And the king’s mistress is missing too, but that doesn’t make sense. No, it doesn’t make any sense at all. Felix wouldn’t do that. It’s not like Felix. It’s really very strange, your Majesty. We don’t understand, Your Majesty. Your Majesty.” He dips into a bow every time he utters your title.

Seungmin kicks him.

“Stop talking, dummy,” Seungmin says out of the side of his mouth.

“Right, I’m sorry,” Jeongin says, bowing again. “We’re all very loyal. We’re the kingsguard. You know that. Of course you do.”

As if anyone would not recognize the cluster of black-robed soldiers, looking very austere among the courtiers and servants.

You cast your gaze around the assembled soldiers, doing your utmost to avoid Jisung lest you betray too much secret knowledge.

“There is no cause for concern,” Minho says, drawing your attention. “Everyone is just… surprised.”

“Yeah,” Seungmin mutters. “Surprised it wasn’t Hyunjin.”

Hyunjin whips around to glare at him.

“Excuse me,” Hyunjin says, catty in tone. “I let them look, but I don’t touch.”

“And what do they touch?” Seungmin teases.

“Yah, knock it off,” Changbin says, waving them apart.

“We’ll fix it,” Minho says to you. “Have no concerns, your Majesty.”

You do not say that you are very concerned. You worry the king’s attentions will return to you sooner than he threatened. If that was his conduct when he had a mistress for pleasure, you are loathe to imagine how he might behave in her absence.

But that is not an admittance you can make to the holy order sworn to enforce the will of the gods-blessed crown.

The king is wearing that crown as he storms over. He is already ranting and raving, barking at the leader of kingsguard. Chan follows him, hand on the hilt of his sword, stoic face not betraying a hint of anxiety. He nods patiently at the king’s ranting.

When they reach the guards, a single look from Chan compels them all to stand in formation and bow before the king.

“I want them found!” the king hollers. “I want their heads on pikes outside my window! And if I find any conspirators in this fucking plot—” He shoves a passing servant. “They too shall pay the price of treason.”

The servant crawls into full obeisance, prostrate on the ground. The king snarls and steps over him.

“Sire,” Chan says curtly, a vague acknowledgement before he helps the servant up and sends him on his way.

The king has already moved on, still ranting to himself as he storms across the courtyard. He starts shouting about his wife, evidently missing you in the crowd. You swallow down the choking terror in your throat and follow him.

“If that whore ran off too—” He turns around and finally sees you. “It would have been preferable,” he says with a sneer.

You say nothing. You dip into a respectful bow and keep your eyes down. It conceals both fear and frustration. You hope it is interpreted as submissive.

“It is not necessary we overindulge in company,” he says. “You will ride in the carriage behind mine. The kingsguard will surround us. You will not bother them. You will not be a grievance to me. You will be quiet. You will be obedient. You will do as told and move only when bid.” He does not wait for a reply, turning to look at the guards. “We depart. Now. I want to leave this disgusting territory behind me.”

He spits. It is just on the ground, a slight against the land, but it falls close to your feet. It is abundantly obvious what he is actually spitting on.

You take another steadying breath, staring at that spot on the ground. When you find the strength to lift your gaze, the guards are staring at you. Their expressions run the range of pity and irritation. You suppose they would be offended by the king insulting you so outright. Though his blood is divine by birthright, they believe the gods control the fates of men, so if you are queen it is because the gods will it so. You have also been chosen by heaven and it is not appropriate for the king to conduct himself thusly.

They are visibly disgruntled, Chan included, his brow furrowed as he stares after the king. The shake of his head is nearly imperceptible. You would have missed it if you were not looking at that precise moment.

The king leaves an awkward silence in his retreat. It is broken when Jisung strums a melodramatic chord on his guitar.

Chan shoots him an unimpressed look. Jisung giggles nervously.

“Put it away,” Chan says.

“Heh, right,” Jisung says, spinning on his heel. He putters towards his horse where he packs his guitar with his saddlebags.

In spite of yourself, you feel the tug of a smile, very small but very real. Your eyes follow Jisung until Chan steps forward, his hand over his heart as he bows politely.

“Your Majesty,” he says. “I’ll escort you to the carriage.”

You start to follow, casting a final glance back at your home. When you do, you see something that draws you to halt. Your heart pulls like a lead weight.

“Your Majesty?” Chan says, tilting his head. He holds out his hand.

“I’m sorry,” you say. It comes out on a breath. You clear your throat but your voice is still shaking when you say, “Can you give me just one more moment? I’ll be fast.”

His squints, perplexed, but he nods.

You gather your skirts so you can run quickly over the courtyard bricks. You hurry to the cluster of household servants who are gathered in a teary-eyed throng by the palace. When they see you coming, they all rush forward. You meet them halfway, throwing your arms around the woman directly in your path.

You manage to restrain your tears, enveloped in the friendly embrace of the household that raised you. You spent more time among these people than anyone else, always respectful of their important duties, cherishing their friendships as dearly as any noblesse.

You know it is inappropriate for a queen to hug her servants one-by-one. You suspect you will draw ire regardless so you hug and thank them, wiping a few teary faces as they wish you well.

“You’ll come back and visit, right?” a little girl asks. She is the daughter of a handmaiden your own age, a woman you consider a friend. You spent many hours entertaining the little child, helping with chores, giving gifts, watching her grow.

You crouch down to her level, holding back tears as you nod. You know it’s not true, that the king will undoubtedly forbid it given his contempt for this place, but you say, “Of course I will. This is my home. I’d miss you all too much.”

“We’ll miss you too,” her mother says, hugging you next. When she does, she slips something into your hand, a small phial of a dark liquid. “Sleeping draft,” she whispers in your ear. “For the nights the king needs his rest so you may have yours.”

You laugh through your tears, kiss her temple, and a mouth a thank you as you withdraw. You tuck the phial into a pocket pouch inside your gown.

After a few more goodbyes, you stand before them and bow. You offer a smile as they return it. It carries a very different respect than the terrified cowering of the servant before the king.

You are not the only one who thinks so. When you turn, you find the guards all staring at you, their faces a wall of blinking surprise. Jisung is the worst at hiding his thoughts, his brown eyes the widest. Chan is the best, but even he cannot hide his contemplation.

“I’m ready,” you say gently.

You lift your hem and walk onward. You do not look back. You wait until the carriage door is closed behind you, then you bury your face in your hands and cry.

Your sorrow passes, bleeding into frustration then fury. Alone in the carriage, you have time to stew in this myriad of emotions as you deliberate on your circumstances. You resolve to stand firm before the king, to not crumple beneath his cruel sneers, to bear his wickedness with grace. You will make him ridiculous in comparison to your obvious virtue.

This commitment falters very quickly.

For the first hour of travel, you are passing through your family’s property then the village. The roads are paved and the passage is smooth. When you reach the forest path, it is a different matter entirely. Though there is a road that cuts through the great woods, it is a trail of gravel and packed, uneven dirt. The carriage jostles constantly, bouncing up and down at inconsistent intervals.

You last three hours. By the end of that third hour, you are so queasy that the scarlet interior of the carriage turns to a murky green. Your spotted vision swims through that grime even with your eyes closed. You do everything you can to ease the discomfort, taking down your hair pin-by-pin until every curl is loose, even discarding the flower because its scent was too strong. You sit in every possible position, craning towards the window and fresh air, but the nausea only worsens as the trail gets bumpier.

You try to distract yourself, listening to the aimless chatter and laughter from the kingsguards. Their horses trot along at an unhurried canter, far smoother than the carriage wheels jumping over rocks and earth.

After a particularly violent jostle, you give up. You are going to be sick and you would rather not do it in the carriage.

“Excuse me,” you say, waving to the first guard you see. Minho is not far from the window. “I’m sorry but I need to stop. Right now.” You want to elaborate but your stomach rolls and your voice catches.

You must look sufficiently ill because Minho clicks his boots and quickens his pace, riding up to Chan near the king’s carriage. You slump against your seat while they have a quick discussion.

Chan lifts a hand and the whole train comes to a halt.

You do not wait for them to open the door, bursting out of the carriage in a clumsy frenzy. You run to the treeline where you fall to your knees and promptly empty the contents of your stomach.

You feel hot and frantic, heaving as you struggle to hold your hair off your face. Your lips quiver as another wave rises inside you.

Someone jumps off their horse and lands beside you. You spare a brief glance up at Minho. His brow is pinched with concern. You want to reassure him but then the king shouts out aggravations, so you throw yourself forward to vomit some more.

Minho helps, gathering you hair as best he can and holding it out of the way. Hyunjin is the next closest soldier so he also dismounts and approaches.

Vomiting is not exactly dignified. It feels even worse to have every single person in the royal retinue watch you spew your breakfast over the forest floor.

You lift your head, turning to offer an apology but your voice is shot. Minho still looms rather protectively, Hyunjin nearby. You look around for Chan to address him, but your eyes find Jisung first. He is the farthest away, perched on horseback, fidgeting with the reins.

The king shouts again. It’s a block of noise to your ringing ears, but you suspect he is angry at the delay. He told you not to be a grievance.

You try to stand but your knees wobble. You use a rock for balance, then Minho when he takes your arm. Hyunjin steps in and takes your other arm. Together, they get you back on your feet.

“I don’t think she can continue yet, sire,” Chan says, riding into view. “Maybe we should rest here for a bit.”

“We are stopping to rest in an hour,” the king snaps. “I will not be delayed so near to our schedule.”

“What made you sick?” Minho asks.

“The carriage,” you say. You groan as you wipe your mouth. You are certain you make a ravaged sight. At least your stomach is empty now, the worst of the nausea passed, but you cannot imagine climbing back inside that rattling monstrosity.

You step forward, away from Minho and Hyunjin. Your legs quiver but you steady yourself.

“I’ve never ridden a carriage so far,” you say. “I’m very sorry, I am. The terrain is just so uneven. I’ve only ever ventured to the village and back.” Even then, you travelled on horseback with company. Sometimes you would sit on the back on a wagon or two, but it never went farther than the ends of the property.

“Why doesn’t she travel on horseback?” That sounds like Seungmin, speaking somewhere behind you.

“Can you ride a horse?” Hyunjin asks, to which you nod emphatically.

“It might be less intense at this pace,” Minho agrees.

They look at Chan. There is something significant about the fact every guard looks at Chan and not the king, but you are too unsettled to contemplate anything too deeply.

Chan is the one who looks at the king, lifting a questioning brow.

“There are no horses to spare,” the king says. “If one of you wants to wrangle the brat, then take her.”

Hyunjin promptly steps forward and offers his hand.

“No,” the king says sharply. “Not you.”

Hyunjin steps back again.

The king, who is still in his carriage, cranes his neck to look around the gathered guards. He snaps his fingers.

“Bard boy,” he calls. “Take the queen.”

“Jisung,” Chan says, waving him forward. “Come here.”

You look at Jisung who is visibly startled by his selection. His black hair is windswept, the longer tufts curling up at his nape. Wide, brown eyes find yours, slowly blinking to attention. With a shake of his head, he picks up the reins and rides over to you.

You step back, staring up at him on his perch. He says nothing but extends his open hand, blinking those captivating eyes at you. You are not sure why they ensnare you so, nor why your heart skips a beat when you delicately place your hand in his and his sword-calloused fingers grip yours tightly. It is not like you to be flustered by a glance or touch.

Minho and Hyunjin boost you, Minho holding your waist while Hyunjin guides you. You seat yourself side-saddle in front of Jisung, ramrod straight so you are not pressed against him. You do not look at his hands when his arms come around you to take the reins.

Despite the king’s presumption, Hyunjin would be less distracting than Jisung. The king simply sees what everyone else sees, that Hwang Hyunjin is startingly handsome for a kingsguard. The black cloth does not diminish his elegance but exaggerates his devotion and competence, his appearance as intensely maintained. His long black hair is tied back, sleek and pristine, and he has sharp features and a fine figure.

However, a handsome face has never much moved you. You always thought yourself too logical of a character, your heart shaped oddly next to others.

Now you are looking at Jisung’s dark-painted nails, his soldier’s hands on the reins. Now you are feeling his breath at your nape, the warmth that emanates from his body, hot from wearing black in the summer sun. You are very aware of him and it is not merely because of his athletic body or handsome face or any obvious charms. No, instead you think of him helping his friend. You think of him helping you. In the span of a few moments, he risked himself to help multiple people even though there was nothing in it for him. This makes him more than a handsome face.

Your stomach twists in a very different way than before. That feeling is exacerbated when he reaches into a saddlebag and retrieves a waterskin.

“Here,” he says in a soft voice. “Drink. Go on.” He puts it in your hand.

You take a deep drink, purging your mouth of the foul residue of sickness. You thank him just as softly and hand the waterskin back.

Once settled, the train resumes course. Chan waves and everyone marches on.

Despite your best effort, movement knocks you into his chest. Jisung sputters as your undone hair flies into face.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” you say, desperately smoothing it down. All your pins are the carriage and you suspect the king will not be too enchanted if you stop the train to fetch them.

“It’s okay,” Jisung says. “One second.” He lays the reins down, his thigh muscles clenching behind you to maintain balance.

You feel the brush of his fingertips on your bare neck. It sends an immediate cascade of shivers shooting down your spine. He gathers your hair carefully in his hands and guides it over your shoulder, away from his face.

Minho also pulled back your hair, but it was a very different sensation.

This you… feel.

He takes up the reins again, arms circled around you. You pull yourself upright as the horse moves along.

You think this might be a stiff, uncomfortable ride, but then he begins to hum. You find the gentle melody placates your nerves. Your frantic energy simmers to a cooler calm.

After a while, conversations resume. Jisung tells some jokes to the other guards and you smile, though it is weak. Their camaraderie makes you miss your own friends already.

Jisung resumes his humming, almost like he can sense your discomfort. It is most likely a coincidence but you still find yourself sighing pleasantly.

With the worst of your anxiety tempered, at least for now, you ask him, “Where did you learn to play music?”

“Sorry?” The question catches him off guard.

“I don’t mean to pry,” you say. “I’m just curious.”

Though there is often a bard-like character in the kingsguard, it is nonetheless an intriguing amalgamation of skills. They do not let just anyone into the kingsguard service, even if they are willing to take the vow of chastity and surrender their earthly goods. Jisung must be an exceptionally skilled swordsman to be admitted, an interesting background for such a talented musician. Though he was joking with his music earlier, he is very capable of composing melodic poetry.

“Music and swordplay just seem an odd match,” you say.

“Maybe,” he replies. “Maybe not. They both require dedication. Time. Practice.”

“You are a devout man, I suppose,” you say.

“Of course,” he answers confidently. “I am absolutely the most devout and most impressive one here—ow.” Someone, probably Seungmin, chucks a coin at his head.

You laugh, looking at Jisung over your shoulder. His eyes dart briefly to your smile, his own face brightening at the sight. He laughs back and nods.

“Honestly, I grew up with music,” he says. “I didn’t, uh… I didn’t exactly grow up in a palace to say the least. But, you know, it was definitely palace-adjacent and not a hovel on a street in the capital,” he jokes. As he talks, you picture a little boy with a guitar, strumming on the busy city streets. “I used to write songs and sing for money. Then I got older. I was looking for work when the war started. I got recruited like a lot of boys, but I was pretty disciplined and a fast learner. After the war, I met Chan. He put in a good word for me, so I was able to put myself forward during the new recruitment season.”

“So you haven’t been there long,” you say. The war only ended a year ago.

“Ten months,” he says cheerily. “But it’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”

“That’s commendable,” you say. “I can’t imagine making so many sacrifices.”

“Can’t you?”

The question is posed softly but lands heavily. You suppose Jisung is correct; you have both made sacrifices to be where you are, though the journeys were very different and your futures more so.

“I’m sorry,” he says quickly. “Fuck, that wasn’t my place. Your Majesty. Oh, fuck, I swore. Fuck, sorry. Ignore that.”

You laugh in spite of yourself, catching the sound in your palm. He laughs behind you. Even with a sliver of distance between you, you can feel his chest shaking.

“Good thing foregoing curses is not one of your oaths,” you say.

“Oh, fuck, no, I’d fail that one for sure. Sorry, ignore that too.”

He is being purposefully silly but you appreciate it, smiling as you move beneath a canopy of trees. It is much cooler in the shade, alleviating the discomfort of the hot sun. You exhale and let your posture slacken, just a bit, just enough your bodies touch on every downward canter.

“Were you ever scared?” you ask. The king’s carriage is ahead of you. You watch the wheels turn and turn.

“Yeah,” he says. “A bit. A lot. Completely. Entirely. But not about the vows. I was just scared I’d let everyone down. Especially Chan. He put his own reputation on the line when he stood for me. I don’t know what he saw in me. The gods only know no one else ever saw it. Me included.”

He laughs at his self-deprecation but you do not. You fall into thought as you watch the shadows of the forest roll over the carriage. You think of Jisung in that barn, risking everything for the wellbeing of someone else. Your cheek tingles, remembering where he wiped your tear during that lonely ceremony. Your heart still races at the memory of him singing a springtime song, dedicated to you despite the antagonistic crowd.

“I do,” you say.

“You do what?” he asks casually.

“I see something good in you, Han Jisung,” you say.

“Ohh.” He is stupefied for a moment. You are not sure of his expression, too shy to look at him. “Well, I don’t know about that,” he eventually says. “I’m definitely the lowest ranked in the kingsguard. Sorry for that, by the way.”

“Sorry?” Now you look back, meeting his gaze. “Why would you be sorry?”

“Well, uh…” He looks away, to the road ahead, his voice strained with awkwardness. “There’s a reason I was picked for proxy at the ceremony. I’m not the best swordsman or the most pious priest. I’m, uh, bard boy. And the king – His Holy Majesty – he uh… well, I mean… It had to be someone like a kingsguard but he didn’t want… I mean, that is…”

“It’s all right,” you say. “You don’t have to say it. I understand.”

Yes, that makes sense. The king was heaping insults on you and your family so of course he chose the lowest ranked kingsguard to stand in as proxy, just like he chose him now.

Irritation creeps up your neck, heating your skin. You glare at the carriage.

You are not even annoyed for yourself. What a disrespectful insinuation for the king to make about his kingsguard! The kingsguard service is as ancient as the regime. They are a respectable, powerful order. Admission to the order requires a great deal of work, more than simply being born in the right house. The king has no right to insult a soldier like Jisung. A good king should not insult any of his subjects.

“So yeah,” Jisung says. He clears his throat and tries to sound cheery as he says, “That’s why I’m sorry! Anyway, it all worked out. I’m sure I’m your favourite already, right? I’m everyone’s favourite, obviously.”

He is speaking jokingly but your heart skips a beat anyway. In the next moment, the horse jumps, manoeuvring around a ditch in the road. You fall against his chest with a thump, throwing your hands out instinctively. You catch his wrist and hold tight.

“Sorry,” you say in unison.

“It’s all right,” he says. “I got you.”

With a flush of embarrassment, you rip your hand back. In your flustered state, you quickly say, “I’m not sorry the king picked you. I’m glad it was you, Jisung.”

You turn, finding your faces closer than before. He stares at you, as surprised as he is rivetted.

Softly, so only he can hear, you whisper, “I believe you saved my life even before you found me in that barn. So yes. I’m glad it was you. I’m glad he chose you. I would have chosen you too.”

“Oh,” is all he says, moved to silence.

You remain in his arms, leaning against his chest. You pick up the melody he was humming earlier and hum it yourself, making him laugh on an exhale. You feel the tension leave his arms and his heartbeat skip then resume its normal cadence.

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anastaaaaaaasia · 1 year ago

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The First Queen

Aegon II Targaryen x niece!Reader

Previous chapter

Second Chapter

Mother always says that the princess should not leave her chambers after midnight. No, it’s not because you are a girl and defenseless in front of this world. Your brothers hear the same thing. Rhaenyra explained to the three of you that the castle is full of people with different thoughts and they are not always pure and noble. You didn't fully understand her words, but you hoped to make sense of her words at a later age.

Also, my mother always said in secret that girls should not rely on men in all matters. You weren't a damsel in distress, you have the blood of a dragon in you.

Therefore, when the master did not help you find the book with Helaena, you decided to find it yourself, under the cover of darkness, when the old grumpy warden was not around.

Now only the pale flicker of the moon and a lonely burning candle, which you hid prudently, illuminate your chambers. You tried your best not to fall asleep ahead of time, by the way, it wasn’t as difficult as you thought before. The Red Keep was crowded with guests, noble lords and ladies, knights from all over the Seven Kingdoms and servants always bustling about. So the constant sound of someone's footsteps, hoarse voices and muffled chuckles tore you out of sleep and drove away dreams for a week.

There really was a reason. The day after tomorrow will be Helaena’s seventh birthday and in her honor your grandfather organized a tournament. The holiday will last seven days and seven nights. The same week also included a holiday in honor of the mother, one of the seven. Knowing Queen Alicenta's religiosity, the entire royal family will take part in this. You have never been particularly religious, but if it is necessary, you will do it. Maybe it really was important to her.

Your relationship with the queen was simple. You interacted with all her children quite well. Together we attended classes with Septa, learned High Valyrian, and went to the dragon pit. Your eggs with Aemond never hatched. You handled it better than Aemond. Therefore, the prince began to skip dragon control lessons more often and paid more attention to sword control. Sometimes you would run away with him and even make him a pinky promise that he would teach you some exercises later.

The sudden noise of the passage opening brought you out of your thoughts. You turned towards the source of the noise and saw Aemond with a candelabra in his hands, standing in a secret passage. You accidentally found out about this when you were mindlessly poking at the ornaments on a carved cabinet. Now the passage seemed best suited for your little scam.

You threw your robe over your nightie and grabbed your own candle. Turning to Aemond, you smiled and told him “Good night” “Good night,” he replied and you involuntarily began to giggle, trying not to make too much noise. Otherwise, you won’t be able to explain to your guard why a six-year-old prince is in your room in the middle of the night.

You carefully walked down the aisles towards Helaena's room. Each of you had your own goal that you wanted to achieve that night. But they all led you to one place, the royal library. It turns out that books cannot be taken into the room. Absurd, you thought then. Who is the royal library for then, if not for the royal family?

Aemond wanted a book about the history of Westeros before the beginning of the Targaryen reign, which the maester did not give him, citing the prince's young age. He complained that the book was missing a page about Queen Nymeria and her fleet. It was brazenly torn out. “Barbarians,” you told him then, but remembered this idea as a plan B if something went wrong.

Helaena was looking for something about her insects, some rare butterflies. She wanted to see the drawings and make her own book, filling it with new notes and observations.

You, the organizer of this illegal raid, wanted to find a book about the language of flowers. Long ago, Septa said that every flower carries a sacred meaning. This memory flashed in your mind when you heard about the organized tournament. For almost two weeks you persuaded your mothers, Princess Rhaenyra and Queen Alicent, to let you make wreaths. Favor to your knight. You were sure that someone would definitely ask for your favor. When persuasion did not work on your mothers, explaining the refusals by your young age. You have decided to choose a path that will definitely lead you to success. You went to King Viserys.

He listened to your request, even your argument, and laughed good-naturedly, saying that nothing in this world comes easy. You looked at each other with Helaena and mentally agreed that you would do anything to give your wreaths. Viserys asked for some help with a model of Old Valyria. He taught you how to carve the shapes and you added some details, truly enjoying your time with him. Your aunt made a small figurine of a butterfly and placed it on one of the temples, and with the help of an assistant, you cut out a horse with a knight and placed it on one of the streets of the model. You have received permission.

When a couple of days later you visited the king’s chambers again, you noticed that the figures remained in their places and smiled.

Now you and Aemond were approaching Helaena’s chambers. You carefully opened the secret passage and the girl ran into you with hugs. You hugged her back with one free arm.

“I thought you wouldn’t come already,” said Helaena. The poor princess walked around the room in circles to drive away sleep.

“But now we are here,” said Aemond and hugged his sister too

The three of you walked down the halls towards the library. It was a dark, dusty room, spiders weaved their webs in the corners of the walls, but quickly ran away when you approached with candles. After 10 minutes of wandering through narrow corridors, Aemond said.

“We are almost here, we need to push on this partition”

You gently pressed, but nothing happened. Then you hit her with all your might, and the door opened, showing you an empty library.

“Welcome,” you said with a smile, pleased with your success against the door. Harwin was right, sometimes you need strength, not cunning plans.

The three of you walked inside and each started looking for the right book. After looking through three bookcases, you didn’t find the one you needed. You were already frowning, but you weren’t ready to admit defeat. You want to find this damn book and you will find it. Continuing to look for the thing that had already been cursed five times, you did not notice Aemond behind you.

“Need help?” He asked.

You suddenly jumped and hit your hand on the shelf. Turning around, you saw Aemond standing with that very book. It was big, you didn't expect it.

“I found it on the table” He said. Of course, the table. How could you not look there? Of course, it’s good to punish yourself, but the main thing is that, even with the help of your friend, you had the book.

“Thank you, you really know this place like the back of your hand,” you said and hugged your friend. He chuckled slightly and handed you the book. There was a whole collection of essays about various plants. After flipping through the book, you realized that you only needed 8 pages You didn’t want to carry this Talmud with your fragile hands, and suddenly an idea struck you. Plan B.

“May the seven and the old master forgive me,” you said and looking at your friends who were already standing with their books, you began to tear out pages. Aemond clearly did not approve of this, but did not say anything. Heileina giggled quietly into her fist, you smiled at her. Suddenly you heard the sounds of metal armor and someone's heavy footsteps. You quickly tore out the remaining pages. Your relatives were already standing at the secret passage.

Suddenly the door began to open, and having thought through all the options, you waved to your friends to go ahead and close the passage. Your nightie and robe didn't have pockets, so you couldn't think of anything better to do than stuff the sheets between your nightie and your body. A ribbon around your waist would prevent them from falling, and this way you won’t compromise yourself with the book you ruined. No evidence, no accusation. Really?

In addition, the idea of hiding such desirable sheets in the chest area did not come out of nowhere. You were certainly a smart girl for your age. But one day the day before, while walking along the corridors of the castle, you heard the head maid telling her subordinate that the main strength of women is between the legs and in the chest. Somewhere in the depths of your soul, you knew that this was not exactly what you were thinking about when you hid your trophy, but it helped. Perhaps you will ask your mother later the real meaning of that phrase.

“Princess?,” a male voice called out to you. You snapped out of your thoughts and looked at the figure in the doorway. You breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that it was none other than Ser Harwin. “What are you doing here at this late hour?” he inquired and approached you, crouching down to be on the same level with you.

You couldn’t say and just blinked your eyes, smiling guiltily.

“How about you tell me the reasons for your night on the way to your room?” suggested Harwin. You energetically waved your head and you began to walk to your room.

“I was looking for a book about the language of flowers,” you admitted, blushing a little. Harwin arched an eyebrow.

"At midnight? This is probably really an urgent matter.”

“Yes,” you screamed slightly. “There will soon be a tournament in honor of Helaena and with the permission of the king, she and I can give favor to the knight, if he asks, of course,” you said the last words a little hesitantly and confusedly. You didn’t know why, but you always trusted him. His kind eyes always calm you down, and his smell… he smells like home, even now he smelled of flowers, aroma of oils and candles. He smelled like your mother, maybe that’s why you always felt calm with him and you could tell about all your thoughts, even the most secret ones.

“I'm more than sure everyone will be flattered by the attention from you, princess.” He smiled.

“You are very kind to me Ser Harwin, I hope so too.”

“But why did you still go looking for information at night?”

“The Old Meister didn't give me the book, so I decided to watch it when he wasn't around,” you admitted awkwardly. You had already walked most of the way to your room and suddenly a single leaf rustled out from under your nightgown and landed on the stone floor lock.Harwin noticed this and grinned.

“I see this is the information you were looking for?” he picked up the piece of paper and ran his gaze over it. “You don’t have to ruin the books, princess.” He said softly.

“It was necessary, otherwise I wouldn’t understand what flowers look like,” you sighed and lowered your gaze to the floor. You were ashamed. But not because you ruined the book, but because Harwin caught you with the evidence. “Please don't tell mom about this,” you begged him.

“It will be our little secret if you promise me that you will return the sheets to the book after the tournament,” he smiled softly and you shook your head, accepting the offer.

You were already standing outside your room when he said “Good night, princess.” And I’m more than sure that many knights will be happy to receive your favor,” he smiled and walked further down the corridor. You went to bed with a smile, thinking that tomorrow would be a wonderful day.

Two hours. You spent two hours with Helaena to find all the necessary flowers. The bright sun rose above the Red Castle. You were wandering around the royal garden to get the necessary plants for your wreaths. Or to be more precise, mostly for yours. When Helaena limited herself to one wreath, you wanted to make several. For the knight, for his brother and his loved ones.

After your grandfather allowed you to make a favour, your mother explained the rules to you. You can only give one publicly during the tournament, the knight must ask for it himself, and then you will throw the wreath on his spear. In public. Behind the doors, you just wanted to please your loved ones and friends, so you did even more.

Now you and Helaena were sitting in the garden, you were digging in the flowerbed, but for different reasons. Helaena collected all the flowers and was now looking for insects to study them. You tried to pull out the flower as carefully as possible, after several unsuccessful attempts. Aemond was sitting under a tree next to you, reading a book about the history of Westeros. You talked about different things from time to time.

“What was the name of Visenya's dragon again?” asked Helaena. She was so busy catching the centipede that she missed half the words.

“Vhagar, she is the biggest dragon in the world,” Aemond responded admiringly.

“Yes, Aunt Leina flies it now,” you added. It was true. At the age of 15, your aunt tamed the oldest and largest dragon alive. Now she and Damon live overseas and rarely appear. The last time they were when you were three years old. Now they won't even come for Helaena's birthday. You thought that if they showed up, you would also make Damon a wreath.

“How is your training with the Aemond sword?” you asked while weaving the first wreath. It was intended specifically for Aemond, but he was not yet aware of it. You chose small branches of thuja for him as a sign of eternal friendship, an orchid in honor of his diligence and perseverance in various matters, and a bell as a sign of gratitude for everything he did for you.

“Okay, Ser Criston really pays me a lot of attention and even helps me train extra, he said that I would be an excellent warrior,” Aemond said with a little pride and sparkles in his eyes. You were happy for your friend, really.

Criston Cole was the queen's close friend and protector. You often watched them during training. Even though Criston treated your brothers and you somewhat coldly, it never became personal. You thought it would be nice to make Criston a wreath as a thank you for training with Aemond. If your friend is happy, then you are happy. Stockrose buds signified gratitude, thistles meant nobility and epigea in honor of best wishes. As you were finishing the second wreath, Ser Harwin approached.

“Can I have a word with you, princess?” he asked. You smiled and brushed off the skirt of your dress and walked up to him.

“What is it, Ser Harwin?”

“Remember yesterday’s conversation?” he began. You thought he was talking about a book and you abruptly interrupted him.

“I’ll return it, I promise, but for now I need the sheets,” you jabbered. He just grinned.

“No, I’m not talking about that, I trust you and will keep your secret. I'm talking about the tournament and favour. I wanted you to be the first to know about this. I will be performing at the tournament tomorrow and would be very happy if one princess gave me a wreath.” He looked at you tenderly. You smiled and nodded your head vigorously.

“I will make the best wreath in all of Westeros for you, Ser Harwin.”

“I have no doubt” and after that he left, and you began to sort through the bouquet of flowers in search of the right ones. You had a knight who would ask for your attention. You were happy, and when you said that you would do the best, you weren’t lying. You do.

An idea instantly appeared in your head. A wreath of green, white, red and blue plants, like the color of the coat of arms of his house. Blue bells as a sign of gratitude, white clover as a symbol of his oath and devotion to your family, green coreopsis as a tribute to all the joy he helps you experience. And the final plant, a red rose as a symbol of platonic and sincere love. The book said that every red flower meant love, so there was no problem with that.

While Helaena continued to search for new centipede specimens for her collection, Aemond went off to practice with the sword. You finished the fourth and fifth wreath, for your older brother Jace and dad. They were similar, they had blue violets as a symbol of loyalty, a few branches of straw as a sign of unity and red and yellow roses in honor of all the joyful moments you experienced together.

Satisfied with your work, you lay down on your back and looked at the blue cloudless sky. Only after closing your eyes for a moment in bliss did you realize that you had forgotten something. The answer came unexpectedly and quite unusually. Suddenly the sun was covered with something, and before you could open your eyes you heard a dragon’s roar. The body of a small golden dragon rushed over the garden. Sunfyre. His body shone under the rays, and his pinkish wings flapped vigorously, holding the dragon and his rider in the skies. How could you forget? You didn't make a wreath for Aegon. For the Sunfyre Rider and your beloved uncle.

He is now 10 and you are 6. Recently, you began to move away and there were no longer the usual walks in the garden or playing together. He spent more and more time in the dragonpit with his dragon. And you, not having a winged lizard, were doing other things with Aemond. Sometimes you still met in class and Aegon spoke in fascination about his winged friend. He grew fast enough that he can now lift his rider into the skies and fly over King's Landing.

Despite the fact that you began to communicate less directly, you still watched him furtively. I heard him laugh as he talked to Jace. How he encouraged Luke to go to his dragon, how he looked at the other daughters of noble lords during holidays and festivals. You wanted to be in their place, you wanted him to dance and laugh with you.

And you felt something, something light, but at the same time oppressive. You then described the symptoms to your mother and she laughed and replied that it was falling in love. You remembered this, but never said the name of your crush, answering simply, “Every princess and lady should have her own secrets.”

After sorting through the pages from the book about the language of flowers, you chose two flowers that would be best suited for your final wreath. White and purple lilac. Symbols of first love and purity of thoughts. You remembered seeing these flowers in one of the flower beds nearby. You and Helaena walked through the garden twice until you found that very place.

“Damn flowers, I can’t pick them out,” you said desperately and sighed. You wanted to maintain the maximum length of the stem to make the wreath more luxurious.

“Let’s dig a little and you can easily pull out the flower even by the roots,” Helaena said casually. After spending the day in the garden, you were already covered in dirt and plant sap, your dresses were ruined and your hands were dirty. There was nothing to lose. You started to dig up the ground when Helaena exclaimed joyfully

“The Dornish centipede! I want it!," after these words, she looked at you and you saw her admiration and genuine delight. After your nod, you began hunting for the insect. It crawled underground and crawled back out at the other end of the flowerbed. Three minutes later, the flowerbed was hopeless spoiled, and you laughed loudly, holding the trophy in your hands.

Helaena looked at the centipede in fascination, and you collected the flowers that were already lying. Shaking off the dirt for the sake of appearance, you walked into the castle laughing. You decided not to push your luck and escape from the scene of the crime, even though you were princesses, you didn’t want to meet the stern faces of your mothers.

When you entered the room, you finished the wreath, but something was missing. You looked around and went to the closet, opening it you pulled out the ribbon from the corset. It was as golden as Sunfyre. You carefully wove it into the flowers and smiled looking at all your work.

This day began for you with loud cheers and singing songs in the corridors of the castle. This cacophony of sounds helped you wake up early in the morning and you couldn’t fall back to sleep. After getting dressed with the help of the maids, you were escorted to your parents’ room. Your family was already here. Your mother, Princess Rhaenyra, was already sitting at the table, carefully wiping the cheeks of your younger brother Luke. He was a restless boy, with a mischievous sparkle in his eyes whenever something caught his attention. Unruly curls curled in different directions, no matter how much the maids tried to style them.

Opposite them sat Laenor, who was enthusiastically telling Jace something. From the fragments of sentences you were able to understand that it was about Triarchy. Your dad took part in those battles and you have already heard stories, including from your grandfather, Corlis. Despite being completely sure that Jace had already heard about this, he still listened in fascination, resting his chin on his hand. You laughed a little at that. He looked like a girl in love, maybe even like you when you looked at Aegon. But you will never admit it.

“What makes you laugh so much, sister?” Jace asked. Your dear brother got drunk and you exchanged glances with Luke.

“Nothing, Jacaerys,” you said his name deliberately louder and smiled innocently, batting your eyes innocently a couple of times.

“Don't call me by my full name,” he sighed loudly.

“Don't like your full name, Jacaerys? ” Luke said and laughed after. You chuckled too while Jace frowned even more. Your mom told you how Jace desperately tried to teach you to say his name and after that you never missed a single opportunity to hurt him. Luke later joined in, but it never escalated into bullying or bullying. You loved each other, your brothers were your friends and your support.

“Okay, calm down kids, let’s start eating already,” your father said and looked at each other with your mother, they both grinned. Breakfast began and, as usual, there was a lot of talking and laughter. Laenor will be participating in the tournament today and he told you in secret that he will ask your mother for favor while she is not listening. You giggled slightly. After breakfast, you approached your father as he stood on the balcony with a glass of wine.

“Father, I have something for you,” you began, moving closer to him.

“And what is this?,” you handed him the wreath and smiled slightly.

“You said that you would ask mom for a wreath, but I wanted to do something for you too,” he was slightly surprised and examined the wreath. The flowers were neatly woven and the ribbons shimmered in the light.

“Thank you, this is beautiful. Will you put it on me?” he squatted down and you chuckled as you placed the wreath on his head. He hugged you and you buried yourself in his chest. “Thank you,” he said sincerely. You stood there for a few minutes while he lightly patted your head. You didn’t know, but at that moment Rhaenyra was looking at you from behind the curtain and smiling warmly. She has a family that understands each other, for her this was the main thing in this life.

You caught up with your brother in the corridor while he was walking to his room.

“Jacaerys!” you exclaimed and laughed. You ran after him and when you caught up, you tried to catch your breath. He just playfully rolled his eyes and chuckled.

“Don't be like the old master, Jace.”

“Oh, you know my name” and after that you laughed together. The maids walked past you and also smiled slightly.

“Of course I know, Jacaerys. Even though you can’t participate in tournaments yet, I want to give you a wreath, I’m more than sure you will become a good knight and protect our family on Vermax,” you babbled joyfully and handed him the wreath. He was slightly surprised and thanked you afterwards. “It looks like the wreath I gave my father,” you didn’t notice, but he frowned slightly at the word “father.” Jace quickly changed the subject.

“I'm lucky to have such siblings,” he said.

“I’m glad too, maybe in the future we will have more brothers or sisters.”

“Why do we need more? We feel so good”

“Well, the queen has 4 children.”

“Do you think we will have another sibling?”

“Oh, I'm pretty sure of that,” you laughed and after saying goodbye to your brother, you ran to the other wing of the castle to find Aemond. And Jace remained standing in the middle of the corridor and wondered if you needed this family extension.

You found Aemond in the library. He was already reading another book, about Ancient Valyria. You were sure that it belonged to your grandfather, Viserys I. Based on it, he built his model of the city; you noticed this book back on the day when, together with Helaena, they asked for permission to bypass the decision of their mothers.

“I knew I’d find you here,” you smiled sincerely at your friend. Aemond looked away from the book and met yours. While you were talking to each other, you managed to hide the sheets and return them to their rightful original form. place, almost

“Were you looking for me?” His eyebrows were slightly knitted and his eyes looked interested. Aemond's gaze went down to your hands, which were holding a wreath of orchids and bells. “Are you so excited about the tournament that you’ll be wearing a wreath with you all day?” he joked lightly and your cheeks turned purple. Did you really have some kind of obsession? Perhaps, but you won't admit it.

“No, to be honest this is for you”

"For me?" his eyebrows shot up in surprise, and you could see interest and desire in his eyes.

"Yes for you." You spoke with confidence and held it out. Aemond looked at your gift for a minute, felt the thuja branches and smelled the aroma of the flowers. He slowly looked up at you.

“But I’m not a warrior, I don’t even have a dragon.” He spoke slowly, hesitantly, and even confusedly in some places. You knew about his complexes, you had them too. But now was the time to take care of Aemond and not of himself.

“But I believe, no, I know that one day you will have a dragon, just the way you want. And I doubt that you are not a warrior. You already hold a sword better than my brothers and even Aegon.” You remembered that one time Aemond defeated his older brother and Aegon ended up falling into a puddle. You will forever remember his wet hair and displeased expression on his face. But even like that, you still liked him. You smiled at the memories.

Aemond at that moment continued to look at the wreath until you took it from his hands. With an innocent smile, you placed the tangle of flowers on his head and giggled. He smiled and hugged you tightly, saying “Thank you.”

You hugged for a few minutes until Queen Alicenta walked in. You didn’t hear the sound of footsteps or the sound of a door opening. She was pleased to see her son happy, but it hurt that happiness was given to him by Rhaenyra’s child.

After waiting a couple of minutes, she coughed quietly to attract attention. You and Aemond abruptly pulled away from each other and looked at Alicent. "My queen." You said with a polite smile. Despite being close to her children, you still felt uncomfortable in her presence. You felt the tension within your family, your home.

The Red Keep was buzzing with rumors inside, they spread faster than the fires in the Royal Forest. Despite your young age, you weren't stupid. You understood that the queen’s glances towards your mother, comments about her marriage to your father and disapproving glances from the entire Hightower family when they came to the capital were by no means out of great love. You understood, but you still can’t find the roots of all this confrontation until now.

You heard rumors that Queen Alicenta, your adopted grandmother, wore a green dress to your parents' wedding. You thought about this for a long time, but unsuccessfully found answers to your questions. They multiplied at breakneck speed. Then, during your lesson with the septa, you learned that the color of the Hightower came from the light of the lighthouse in Oldtown. It glowed green when the Hightower troops gathered for war. But who did she fight with on her wedding day? And the more important question is, is this war still ongoing?

“Aemond, I think it’s time to start getting ready for the tournament. Y/N, I think your mom is looking for you too.” She said it politely. You realized that you were required to leave and therefore, with a final nod towards Aemond, you headed to your room.

You walked to your room and didn’t even suspect that the queen was watching you with a heavy gaze. An hour later you were already sitting on the royal stand. On the left side sat your dear friend Helaena, and on the right was Aegon. Your wreaths lay on the pedestal and you constantly giggled in anticipation of the start of the tournament. You vigorously clapped for each knight that was introduced while Aegon sat with a straight face.

“Why are you all so excited? It's just a tournament.” Aegon leaned over and asked you with some indignation.

“Because today Helaena and I will give favor to the knights for the first time,” you said casually and smiled. This was a small victory for you, you are one step closer to being considered adult girls. Aegon snorted and you looked at him again, the corners of your lips slowly began to droop, “What?”

“This is stupid,” the prince said with a grin, “Most knights throw away these things as soon as the tournament ends.”

Meanwhile, your father and a knight from the House of Baratheon were already galloping on horseback on the field. The bright sound of horse hooves drowned out everything around and forced you and Aegon to lean closer to each other to hear the words.

“And so what, I’ll at least give the knight a favor and he’ll wear it with pride during the battle.” you said defensively. You were absolutely not prepared for the fact that your secret object of affection was making fun of your desires.

“The wreath has no effect on anything, I’m more than sure that your knight will lose.” Aegon grinned, and you were already seething inside. It was unpleasant, it was painful. You pointedly turned to him and crossed your arms over your chest.

“At least my knight will have a wreath, and you won’t.” You whispered and went back to watching the game. Aegon wanted to say something else, but at that moment the next pair of contestants were announced. Ser Harwin and Ser Criston. You haven’t had time to give the latter a wreath yet, but you promised yourself to do it after the tournament. Both knights rode up to your bed.

“Queen, I would like to ask for your favor and give me your favor.” Criston said, Alicenta walked up without further ado and threw a wreath on his spear with a slight smile. You were worried because you knew you were next. Helaena has already given her wreath to her maternal uncle.

“Princess Y/N, today I would like to fight for your honor. Will you do me this honor?” Harwin smiled and bowed, a smile appearing on your face again. You stood up from your seat and looked at your mom. He nodded lightly in approval and you carefully placed the wreath on his spear.

“May the gods be favorable to you, Ser Harwin!” You smiled and the court was filled with applause. You truly were a ray of light in this castle.

“Your knight will lose,” Aegon continued to tease you. Aemond, hearing your conversation, just sighed heavily. You ignored the eldest prince as best you could. Why are boys always like this?

This round of the tournament was long, over and over again their spears broke, their horses roared as if on a battlefield. And then something happened that no one expected. They started fighting on the ground. It was quite a fierce fight. Few people knew, but at that moment Criston Cole, the queen's loyal defender, provoked Ser Harwin not only with weapons, but also with words.

Suddenly the entire court fell silent. You returned your gaze to the field, Harwin lay in terrible agony, the maesters were already running to his body. Criston stood, but his appearance was no better. Broken lips, blood and sweat ran down his dark hair. Your knight was carried away by servants, it was obvious that he was very seriously wounded. And you were wounded the next second.

“I told you your knight would lose. And the wreaths are of no use here; it didn’t help Harwin at all.” Aegon said with a smirk and you felt a burning resentment, tears gradually began to form in the corners of your eyes. You slowly looked up at him.

“That means you won’t get your wreath.” You said through clenched teeth and apologized and ran to your chambers. You cried in the room for a couple of hours. This day should have been one of the happiest in your young life, but in fact it turned into the most terrible. With the help of your handmaidens, you learned that Ser Harwin had injured ribs. And you began to cry even more, but the tears gradually subsided and a different feeling came. Anger.

You knew that at court you cannot directly express your feelings. Therefore, grabbing the last two wreaths, you walked with a firm gait towards Queen Alicenta’s chambers. You knew you'd find him there. And you were right. Seeing his face, you clutched the wreath that was intended for him, for Cole.

“I thought you were a noble man.” You said it again through clenched teeth and looked at him with a look full of hatred. Throwing a wreath at him, you hastened to retire to the garden, where you can be alone. Only now, in addition to the previous flowers, there was a hastily and carelessly woven orange lily.

“Oh, hatred and disgust,” said Larys. Cole, who had previously not understood anything that had happened, just looked at another close associate of the queen with incomprehension.

"What?"

“The orange lily is a sign of hatred and disgust, the princess knows how to express her indignation skillfully, albeit openly,” Larys chuckled.

At this moment, you were already sitting under the tree and began to tear small petals from the purple lilac, from the sign of your first love. You weren’t crying anymore, but there was still a pain in your chest. You sat in the garden, lost in your thoughts until sunset. The sun slowly set behind the horizon and the dark orange rays dimly illuminated everything around. You sighed and took one last look at the half-destroyed wreath and went back to your room.

Little did you know that at that moment Aegon was watching you from the shadows. The prince carefully picked up the wreath of purple and white lilacs that were so similar to his eyes and hair and sighed. He really messed up this time. Why did he even listen to the older guys who said that in order to attract a girl’s attention you need to tease her in every possible way and call her names. Why did he even listen to them? He felt so stupid. But one thought never left his head, he must fix this. Even though his pride and shame will prevent him from doing it directly, he must find a way.

The next morning, you found a wreath of white calla lilies and red tulips under your door. There was no note or clue as to who it was from. But after a night of more tears, you smiled for the first time. Today was a holiday in honor of Mother. And the wreath went perfectly with your dress in Targaryen colors.

Meanwhile, when the queen woke up her eldest son, she saw a pile of destroyed flowers that he was trying to hide in his closet. She didn't understand anything, but decided not to ask. She also did not know that under the pile of flowers lay carelessly torn sheets where it was written “King Jaehaerys presented his future wife with a simple but meaningful gift. Alysanne held a large bouquet of white callas as a symbol of respect and admiration, and the small buds of red tulips decorating the bouquet spoke of the feelings of the future king, of his love for her.”

Later, at the service at the Temple of the Seven, you appeared with a wreath on your head. You smiled and happily told Aemond about your morning discovery. Aegon stood at a distance, he smiled and constantly looked in your direction. You will be his Alysanne, even if it takes more time. He will no longer listen to other people's advice, not in matters that concern you.

Queen Alicent was deeply immersed in ceremony and celebration. But when she saw you, something clicked in her. She saw your head decoration and, having carried out all the logical chains, she just grinned.

The only people who were unhappy on Mother's Day were the gardeners of the royal garden. Next to one destroyed flowerbed, a second one appeared. Now the callas will not sprout here for a long time.

Taglist: @blurpleuni-squid

Note:

if you want to be tagged in this series, please write in the comments)

All this time I was thinking about what details I wanted to add to this series and breaking down the ideas into chapters. So far, according to preliminary estimates, there will be about 25 chapters. The next third chapter will be the last, which tells about the relatively carefree childhood of the main characters. The fourth chapter will be devoted to Driftmark and the beginning of active actions between the reader and Aegon)

Аnd honestly, I don't like writing warnings because there might be spoilers for the entire chapter:) Therefore, I think it necessary to say that the story will be a kind of mix of the serial and book versions.

#aegon targaryen imagine #aegon targaryen x reader #aegon ii targaryen imagine #aegon ii targaryen x reader #aegon x reader #aegon ii targaryen

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ginnsbaker · 1 year ago

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fic: if i bleed (you'll be the last to know) (14/?)

Part Summary: Leigh reconciles with Jules and then receives news from Danny that could potentially disrupt her new beginning with you.

Pairing: Leigh Shaw x Fem!Reader | Word count for this part: 5.200+ | Warnings: Spicy phone call | Author's note: The date will happen in the next one, and then after that, 1-2 chapters to wrap up this series :)

The date doesn't happen as quickly as Leigh expected. You don’t bring it up again for several days after your grand, against-all-odds declaration of love.

In the meantime, you text constantly. Sometimes you call, just to ask about her day. The first time, she’s so confused, waiting for the real reason behind your call. But there isn’t one—you simply wanted to talk, and texting wouldn’t do it.

She’s rarely on the phone with anyone these days. For her, phone calls are usually reserved for urgent requests from Drew or her mom, or from companies trying to sell her something. The last time she was on the phone just to talk was with Matt, during the stretches when work kept them apart for days. Before that, it was high school, chatting with friends and boyfriends about everything and nothing.

Talking to you on the phone feels like stepping back in time. There’s something intimate about it, something that modern-day texting can’t capture. She finds herself looking forward to your calls, the sound of your voice at the end of a long, tiring, or listless day.

Days stretch into a week before you finally ask her out, armed with the when and where. Leigh will never admit it to anyone, but the wait is excruciating.

The butterflies swarm in her stomach as she lies on her bed, fresh from a shower, in an oversized shirt and boy shorts, biting at her fingernails. She's already restless by the time her phone rings at the usual hour.

She picks up almost immediately, trying to keep her voice as blasé as she can manage. “Hey.”

“Hey, Leigh,” you reply breathily, not realizing how that tone makes Leigh press the phone harder against her ear, as if she wants to hear more of it. “How was your day?”

She rolls onto her back, stretching her hand out and drawing patterns in the air against the ceiling.

“It was okay. Nothing too exciting. How about yours?” she says.

“Pretty good. Just busy with work stuff. I was thinking about you, though.”

The simple statement sends a new wave of warmth through her. “Is that so?”

“Very much so,” you whisper, and Leigh can almost see your smile, just like the one forming on her lips. “So, uh, I was thinking…”

“Yeah?” Leigh prompts, her heart picking up speed. She hears some shuffling on your end and waits with bated breath.

“Maybe we should finally go on that date,” you suggest, hopeful and a bit nervous.

Leigh’s heart leaps, and she tears the phone away from her ear, burying her face into her pillow as a squeal escapes before she can contain it. Catching herself, she quickly schools her expression, tosses the pillow aside, and sits up ramrod straight.

“We should,” Leigh blurts out, still feeling her heart thumping wildly against her ribs. “When were you thinking?”

“How about this Saturday?”

Leigh pauses, mentally counting—one, two, three—before replying, “Great. I’m free then.”

Wanting to lock in the details, she asks, “What time?”

“Could I, um, have you for the whole day?” you ask hesitantly, and then quickly realizing how it sounded, you clarify, “I mean, could we make it a day-long date? I promise it’ll be worth your while.”

Leigh hums, pretending to mull it over, but inside, she's practically screaming yes.

“What do you have planned?”

“It's a surprise,” you reply, the playful secrecy in your tone drawing a grin from Leigh.

Unable to contain her intrigue, Leigh tries to coax out some clues. “Anything you need from me? Dress code? Anything I can help you with?”

“No, just be yourself,” you say, your voice dropping to a softer, more intimate cadence. “Wear whatever makes you feel most like you. You're beautiful in anything.”

Leigh feels a warm blush spread across her cheeks. She's grateful you can't see her, can't see how your words reduce her to a pile of mush.

“In anything?” she asks coyly.

“Or nothing,” you whisper back, almost without thinking.

Leigh nearly chokes on her breath at that, biting her lip to stifle a moan that threatens to escape owing to the boldness of your flirtation. She doesn't immediately realize she's drifted into a stunned silence until you apologize, worrying that you might have crossed a line.

“I'm sorry if that was too forward,” you say.

Leigh shakes herself, trying to clear the haze of memories—the soft moans, the way your body yielded to her touch that night. “No, it’s... I still think about that night,” she shares.

“O-Oh?” you stammer, your grip tightening around the phone. You're driving home with one hand, thinking it would be a short call. Suddenly feeling lightheaded, you quickly pull over to the side of an empty street, realizing you might not make it home safely if you don't.

“What do you... think about, specifically?” you venture, slowly unbuckling your seatbelt.

It’s as if a switch has been flipped in her. Her mind races back to that night—the way you touched yourself under her gaze, how she guided your movements, the feel of her finger inside you while she rode your thigh.

“Leigh?”

Leigh's breath hitches, and she feels heat spreading through her body. She kicks off the covers, finding herself lying flat on the bed, her fingers inching teasingly at the hem of her shorts. She closes her eyes, letting the memory of that night trickle into the forefront of her mind.

“I think about the way you looked under me,” she says softly, “The flush of your skin, the sounds you made, how your lips felt against mine.”

Her words send a shiver down your spine. “Leigh,” you murmur, “I-I think about that night too. How you took control, how you made me feel like I was the only thing that mattered.”

Leigh's fingers slip beneath the waistband of her shorts, teasing herself as she remembers the feel of your skin against hers. “I remember guiding your hands,” she continues, her voice growing huskier. “Watching you touch yourself, seeing the pleasure in your eyes. It was intoxicating.”

You can hear the desire in her voice, and it sends a surge of arousal through you. “I remember the way you moved against me,” you reply, your voice low. “Your skin was so hot against mine, it felt like I was on fire.”

As Leigh's fingers dip lower, brushing against the wetness between her legs, she gasps. She tries to contain it but fails, letting out a guttural moan—a sound of pure want—right into your ear. The rawness of that sound snaps you out of your lust-filled reverie.

“Fuck, are you... are you touching yourself? I-I'm so—” you start, your voice shaking.

“Don't apologize. Just keep talking. It's okay,” Leigh cuts you off sharply, switches the phone to speaker mode, and swiftly removes her panties. For a brief second, she thinks she probably shouldn't be doing this, not before the date they'd just planned. But the overwhelming urge washes over her, making rational thoughts blur into the background. She can't control herself; she needs to come, needs you to make her come.

“Tell me what you'd do,” she chunters, no longer concerned about sounding needy. “Please.”

“Shit,” you hiss, quickly connecting your phone to your car’s speakers and then tossing it onto the passenger seat. You then adjust the driver's seat to give yourself more legroom and hurriedly begin to unbutton your jeans. Though you're embarrassed to admit that you've never had phone sex before, you're not about to let inexperience stop you. Not when Leigh was practically purring in your ear, begging for it.

“Y/N?” Leigh’s voice rumbles through the confined space of your car and you hurriedly close your eyes as you formulate a response, your head buzzing with several things you want to do to Leigh at once.

“I'd start by kissing you,” you begin, your voice low and deliberate, though you feel a bit foolish at the tentative start. “Soft, teasing kisses, tracing a path down your body. I'd take my time, Leigh, tasting every inch of your skin.”

“Where would you kiss me first?” Leigh breathes.

“Your neck,” you reply, your fingers brushing against your own skin as if you’re tracing the path your lips would take on hers. “I’d kiss right behind your ears…then down your throat, lingering at your collarbone.”

Leigh’s breathing becomes more ragged, and you can almost feel her anticipation. “And then?”

“Then I’d kiss my way down to your breasts,” you say, your own arousal building. “I’d take each nipple in my mouth, sucking gently, then harder, feeling them harden against my tongue. I’d circle my tongue around them, flicking the tip, just like so.”

Leigh listens, her breaths becoming shallow, her body trembling with need. She closes her eyes, lost in the sensation, in the vividness of your description. She traps a rosy bud between her two fingers, mimicking the rhythm you describe, the tension in her belly coiling more tightly.

Meanwhile, your own hands are busy on your body. Despite the cramped space even with the car seat reclined, you manage to slide two fingers inside your pants, rubbing your clit, while your other hand tweaks your nipple.

A soft moan escapes Leigh’s lips, and you know she’s imagining your mouth on her. “I’d keep moving lower, kissing down your stomach, tracing the lines of your body with my tongue. When I finally reach your thighs, I’d spread them open and kiss the inside, so close to where you want me but not quite there yet.”

“I’d breathe you in,” you murmur, “taking a moment to just enjoy the scent of you. Then I’d lick, just once, a slow, teasing lick from the bottom of your slit to the top, tasting how wet you are for me.”

“Fuck,” Leigh groans wantonly, her fingers undoubtedly mirroring your words on her own skin. You can almost see her hand moving against her clitoris, fingers collecting her own wetness and spreading it all over until her inner thighs are glistening with it.

“I’d part you with my fingers,” you continue, your own breath coming faster now, “and then I’d dive in. I’d lap at you, my tongue moving in slow circles around your clit, feeling it swell under my tongue. I’d drink you in, Leigh, tasting every drop, getting lost in how sweet you are.”

“Don’t stop,” Leigh pants, and you can hear her movements quickening, the unmistakable sound of wetness and skin in frantic motion, as if she's placed her phone near the epicenter of her impending climax.

“I wouldn’t,” you promise. “I’d suck on your clit, gently at first, then harder, using my tongue to drive you crazy. I’d slide a finger inside you, curling it to find that perfect spot, the one that makes you see stars. I’d keep licking and sucking, adding another finger, thrusting them in and out, matching the rhythm of my tongue. I wouldn’t stop until I felt you trembling, until I heard you crying out my name as you came.”

Leigh’s moans grow louder, more desperate, and you can almost see her, writhing on her bed, lost in pleasure. “Y/N, I’m close,” she gasps.

“I’d be looking up at you, watching your face as you c-come for m-me,” you say, your voice faltering as you slide a finger inside yourself. “Fuck, Leigh, baby, come for me.”

It's the endearment and the mental image of your deep brown eyes, brimming with hunger and worship, that sends her spiraling into ecstasy.

“Oh god, Y/N!” Leigh moans, her back curving as an intense orgasm overtakes her.

You’re not there yet, but you close your eyes, letting the image of her climax burn into your mind.

Leigh lies there, basking in the afterglow, her body still trembling with the remnants of her orgasm. She’s about to check in on you, perhaps return the favor, when the front door opens and closes with a bang.

“Mom? Leigh?” Jules yells from the living room.

Panic surges through Leigh. She scrambles to her feet, hurriedly pulling on her underwear and shorts. The phone slips from her grasp, landing on the bed, the line still open.

Leigh reaches the top of the stairs, breathless and flushed, just as Jules appears at the bottom, looking up with a mix of worry and curiosity.

“What's going on?” Leigh asks, wincing as she feels the stickiness between her thighs. She silently curses, wishing Jules could have shown up after she had a chance to shower.

“Where’s Mom?” Jules demands, her eyes scanning the hallway. “And Logan?”

“She took him with her for a grocery run,” Leigh replies, coming down the stairs. “Is something wrong?”

Jules sighs. “I was just worried. The door was unlocked, and I couldn’t find anyone. Thought something might’ve happened.”

Leigh relaxes a bit, though the adrenaline from moments before still courses through her veins. “It’s fine. I just didn’t realize you’d be coming home tonight,” she says.

“Yeah, about that…” Jules trails off, tilting her head toward the kitchen with a meaningful glance.

Leigh follows, her bare feet whispering against the wooden floorboards. Striving for nonchalance, she asks, “You hungry?” Her hand hovers over the fridge handle, betraying none of her recent distractions.

Jules stops in her tracks and turns back to Leigh. “I’ve been thinking,” she starts, hesitating slightly. “I’d like to move back in.”

“That’s… great,” Leigh says flatly, unsuspecting of her sister’s announcement. She catches the sharp drop of Jules’ brows and hurries to cushion her words. “I mean, we never actually wanted you to go. You’re welcome back anytime, you know that.”

Jules' eyes sharpen, her lips pulling into a tight line. “But only if we talk first.”

Leigh nods, a hard lump forming in her throat. “Of course,” she says.

They end up ordering take-out when Leigh's nose wrinkles at the unmistakable stench wafting from the numerous boxes of leftovers crammed in the fridge. She can't recall how long they've been there, only that their rightful place is now the trash bin.

It's Jules who picks the restaurant, and Leigh bites her tongue over the choice of Vietnamese. The last time they'd ordered from there, Jules had barely picked at her food, pushing noodles around her plate more than eating them. Leigh tries not to think too much about it.

The dining table is overtaken by a clutter of takeout boxes, each one wafting a blend of lemongrass and ginger into the room—a scent so rich you could almost scoop it out of the air. Leigh watches her sister with that look—the one that's all walls and wariness, like she’s guarding the last piece of herself she can’t afford to lose. Jules, on her part, looks a little restless, her fingers skirting the edges of a white takeout box like it might offer some kind of sanctuary.

“So, talk,” Leigh prompts, twirling her chopsticks to pick up a fresh vegetable roll and dipping it into peanut sauce.

Jules takes a breath, a deep one. When she meets Leigh’s eyes, it’s with a resolve that seems to pull her upright. “Fine, since I’m the one who kicked this off, I’ll lead. I’m sorry. I know I tossed around some pretty nasty words last time I stormed out, and I meant them—then. But calling you a sociopath? That was me going off the deep end.”

Leigh’s face hardens, a quick, involuntary tightening of her features as she recalls the sting of that last confrontation. She pushes her noodles around her box, the chopsticks clattering softly. Jules waits, the steam from her own untouched meal rising and disappearing into the air.

“I appreciate your apology, Jules, really, I do. But you can't just throw words like that around, whether you mean them or not. Words stick. They fester,” Leigh says, meeting Jules’ gaze squarely.

Jules looks down, tries to mask the hurt that flickers across her face, biting down on her lip.

Leigh continues, “When I criticize you, it’s not meant as an attack. I’m not someone who likes to beat around the bush, especially not with family.”

The word ‘family’ hits differently this time—at least for Jules it does. Her heart aches at the mention, dragging up memories of a recent painful conversation where she had confessed to feeling like an outsider in her own family.

“Sometimes it's not about what you say but how you say it,” Jules mutters.

Leigh looks at her expectantly, clueless and curious at the same time.

“Not everyone can handle being talked to so bluntly. Not everyone’s as frank as you, okay? Sometimes it feels more like you're pushing me away instead of trying to help.”

Leigh goes quiet, letting the silence stretch just a bit before she nods. “You’re right,” she concedes, the words slipping out almost thoughtfully. It’s almost surprising, the lack of her usual quick-fire defense. “I think I got so wrapped up in the idea that being honest meant being harsh. I can work on that. I should work on that.”

Jules blinks, taken aback by the calm acceptance in Leigh’s tone, the ease with which she receives the criticism. It’s a side of Leigh she hasn’t seen much of—this reflective, almost gentle version. It's a welcome change, a sign of growth that feels both sudden and deeply necessary.

“I didn’t expect... I mean, I’m glad you took that the way you did,” Jules says.

Leigh gives a small, almost sheepish smile, a rarity on her usually stoic face. “I’ve been thinking a lot lately. About how I say things, not just what I say. It’s been... a lot to unpack. But hearing this from you, it really helps. It does.”

She means it. Ever since you’ve stubbornly eased your way into her life, she’s done a lot of thinking. She’s done a lot of grieving too, realizing that if she had seen the changes that needed to be made earlier, things might have been different for her—for Matt. She’s learned to accept that life is always going to be filled with regrets, but she’s grateful now to recognize that she still has the chance to change, even if it came a little too late.

Better late than never, right?

She looks at Jules, her eyes earnest and a little bit haunted. “I’m sorry, Jules, for everything I said, everything I made you feel. I love you. You’re my sister, always. I know I can be too hard on the people who mean the most to me, but I’m going to try, really try, to balance that love, to understand how you need to be loved.”

Jules sits frozen, speechless for the first time. Their confrontations usually spiral into heated exchanges until one of them storms off. She hadn't expected this to be so... civil and mature.

So unlike them.

Finally, she manages a small, shaky smile. “Yeah, this... this went way better than I played it out in my head.”

Leigh’s laughter is a quick splash of reprieve, a burst of surprise at how well things have turned. But it fades as quickly as it bloomed, her smile slipping into a frown as she catches the shadow creeping over Jules’s face.

“What is it?”

Jules fidgets, nervously twisting a napkin between her fingers. “I... need to ask you something that’s been eating at me for months... well, almost a year now. And I need you to be brutally honest with me, Leigh. Can you promise that?”

Leigh feels a slight tremor of worry, but brushes it off and nods. “You’re scaring me, but sure. I promise.”

“Here we go,” Jules says, taking a deep, faltering breath. “Remember that night? When I was so drunk you had to come and get me? It was the last night Matt was... before he... you know. Do you ever resent me for it? I did such a horrible thing, robbing you of his last moments because I couldn't keep it together—”

“You know I’ve never blamed you for that. Not during our last fight, not when Matt died, just... never, basically,” Leigh says, leaning back on her chair.

“But some part of you must have hated me, because—”

“No—”

“—maybe he needed someone.”

Leigh just shrugs and denies it which only frustrates Jules even more. “No, Leigh,” she tries, “I need you to listen to me. I was very drunk that night—”

“You were really drunk a lot of nights and you’ve done a lot of crappy things,” Leigh states frankly. “But none of them had anything to do with Matt’s death.”

Jules swallows hard, her eyes stinging. “But what if it did, though?”

Leigh, clearly frustrated, responds, “You really think that?”

Jules looks down at the table and stays silent.

“Jules,” Leigh sighs, searching for the right words to reassure her sister. Eventually, she opts for honesty. “Look, I can’t tell you how to feel, but that’s not how I feel. Okay?”

It takes a second longer for Jules to say, “Okay.”

Leigh stares intently at her sister, noting the way Jules's eyes avoid contact. She knows the soft okay from Jules isn't a signal of acceptance or peace, but a white flag in a battle mostly with herself. Jules is grappling with her own guilt, a feeling that has little to do with Leigh but still consumes her. Leigh wishes, not for the first time, that her sister could see the truth as easily as she reads into misconceptions. It’s the same thing she wishes for herself.

Feeling slightly vindicated to have aired her feelings, Jules turns her attention back to the food spread between them. She reaches for her bánh mì, grips it firmly, and takes a hearty bite. As she chews thoughtfully, she manages a muffled, “Thanks, Leigh.”

Leigh just offers a small, understanding smile.

As they continue eating, Jules suddenly grins, crumbs dotting the corners of her mouth. “You're probably wondering why we're having Vietnamese tonight,” she says.

Leigh raises an eyebrow, curious despite herself. “I was wondering.”

Jules chews quickly, then, with her mouth still full, blurts out, “Well, I've got one more piece of news for you.”

It’s almost midnight when Leigh returns to her bedroom.

As soon as her eyes land on her cellphone, carelessly tossed on the sheets, guilt floods her. She remembers she didn’t even say goodbye to you. Horrified, she realizes she left you hanging, high and dry.

She grabs her phone, her heart pounding in her chest, and checks for any messages from you. The screen lights up, but there are no new notifications, no missed calls.

“God, I’m such an idiot,” she mutters to herself, running a hand through her hair. She takes a deep breath and dials your number, her fingers trembling slightly as she presses the call button.

It rings once, twice, and then you answer. “Leigh?”

“Hey. Sorry, did I wake you?” Leigh asks, picking up on the sleepiness in your voice.

“No, not at all. What’s up?”

She lets out a relieved sigh before rushing into an apology. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to leave you like that. Jules came home and then I—”

“It’s okay, Leigh,” you whisper soothingly, grateful that she called you back at all.

That doesn’t alleviate Leigh's guilt, though. She racks her brain for a way to make amends.

“Can we… Can we pick up where we left off?” she suggests hesitantly.

You let out a kind chuckle. “I’d like that. But maybe we should save it for… later. Honestly, that was a bit reckless, Leigh.”

Leigh's brow furrows, even though you can't see it. “What do you mean?” she asks.

“I want to do this right,” you explain earnestly. “If taking things slow helps us build something real, then I’m willing to wait.”

“Well, clearly patience hasn’t been my strong suit either,” Leigh admits, her lips curving into a grin at your attempt to be chivalrous.

“I know,” you whisper, traces of a smile audible in your voice. “But I didn’t want you to think that’s all I’m after. And believe me, I want you—it’s driving me crazy.”

Leigh runs her tongue along her teeth, feeling the familiar tug of desire low in her belly.

“I just don't want us to get so caught up in the physical stuff that we miss out on really getting to know each other,” you say.

“Me neither,” Leigh agrees, tucking the blankets up under her chin, pretending it's you keeping her warm.

“While I obviously enjoyed our…conversation earlier,” you say, pausing to maintain your composure. You can still hear the echo of Leigh's moans in your car, the memory likely to revisit you on sleepless nights in the coming days. “I'm really looking forward to diving deeper into things, like your favorite book, on Saturday.”

“Maybe I'll bring you a whole list,” she teases.

“Guess I’ll have to find that library card I signed up for then,” you joke.

“A library card, huh? Dork,” she retorts affectionately.

You feign a wounded tone, “Ouch.”

The laughter that follows is light and easy. You sigh contentedly and say, “I should probably call it a day. I’ve got an early start tomorrow.”

“Good night, Y/N.”

“Good night, Leigh.” I love you. “See you on Saturday.”

The call ends with both of you reluctantly hanging up, smiles fixed on your faces as you lie back. Leigh is an addictive rush, coursing through your veins like adrenaline. You've excused yourself out of habit for sleeping early, but you doubt you’re going to get much sleep tonight.

Leigh nudges open the door to the crowded bistro tucked near the Basically News office. It’s the thick of lunch hour, and the place pulses with the chatter of midday patrons. It’s exactly the sort of public, non-intimate setting you'd want for meeting an ex. She weaves through the crowded room, spotting Danny at a corner table, his focus tethered to his phone as he absently taps on the screen.

“Hey,” she greets, sliding into the chair opposite him.

Danny looks up, a hint of irritation flashing in his eyes. “You know, I could’ve just dropped by your house later.”

Leigh shakes her head. “It's better to meet somewhere public from now on.”

His expression darkens, and he scoffs. “Why? So Y/N doesn’t get jealous?”

Leigh leans back, crossing her arms. “Yes,” she says, deliberately blunt.

Danny's jaw sets, a muscle twitching slightly, but he doesn't press the issue. Instead, he reaches into his bag and retrieves a folder, sliding it across the table toward Leigh. “Matt’s publisher wants to release his comic posthumously,” he starts, “but there are strings attached.”

Interest sparks in Leigh's eyes as she opens the folder, her eyes quickly scanning the contract.

“What kind of strings?” she asks.

“They want either you or me—or both of us—to join a group of artists to promote the comic—”

“That sounds fair and exciting,” Leigh interjects a bit too soon.

“—across the country,” Danny finishes, clicking his tongue in mild annoyance. “It’s a tour, Leigh.”

Leigh's fingers stall at the edge of the paper, the reality of the proposition sinking in.

“A tour?” she echoes.

“Yeah,” Danny nods. He flags down a waiter and orders a beer. “Early next year. Matt’s comic is in the final stages of editing, and it should be finalized in about three weeks. They’re aiming for a release in February, and the tour will follow right after that.”

“That sounds soon,” Leigh remarks. “How long is the tour supposed to last?”

“About two months,” Danny replies. “We'll be traveling across different states, attending conventions, signing autographs, meeting fans. It’s a big commitment.”

“We?”

Danny shrugs, the hurt briefly flickering across his face before he can hide it. “Yeah, we. Though I'm not sure I can join because of the new job in Vegas. There's a good chance you might be doing this solo.” His attempt at nonchalance doesn't quite cover the sting of her reaction—how distant the concept of 'we' seems to her.

Leigh chews on her lip, her thoughts drifting to her own commitments—her column, her classes at the Beautiful Beast, and you. The idea of leaving all that behind, even for just a few months, feels like too great a sacrifice.

“It’s a lot to take in,” she says, pushing the folder back towards Danny.

“He deserves this kind of recognition,” Danny implores, as if suggesting that Leigh thinks otherwise.

“I'm aware,” she snaps back, “I just need a bit of time to think it through, to sort out the schedules and everything.”

Danny raises his hands in mock surrender, indicating he doesn't want to escalate the argument. But Leigh knows him well enough to see through it—it’s a tactic. Danny has a way of guilting her into decisions without saying much, letting assumptions and insinuations simmer until Leigh finds herself making the choice he wants.

Leigh stands up, slipping the folder into her bag. “I’ll let you know as soon as I can.”

“Fine,” Danny says with a tight nod. “Just don’t drag your feet. The publishers are waiting on an answer soon.”

Saturday comes soon, but not soon enough.

All week, relentless rain showers have scattered across the days, and though the forecast promises sunshine today, Leigh wakes up to the soft splattering of rain against her window. The gentle patter seeps into her consciousness, easing her from sleep. The room is filled with a cool, damp scent, and is bathed in a soft, diffused light as the morning sun is muted behind thick clouds.

Leigh gropes blindly beneath the pillow to her left, retrieving her phone and squinting at the time. It’s 9:30 AM. She blinks, trying to shake the sleep from her mind, and her heart drops slightly as she notices five missed calls from you, each one timestamped progressively: 7:45, 7:55, 8:15, 8:30, and finally 8:45.

Guilt twists in her chest. She sits up, brushing sleep from her eyes, and dials your number back, hoping she hasn’t missed something important.

You answer on the first ring. “Hey. Everything okay?”

Leigh sighs, running a hand through her tousled hair. “Yeah, I'm sorry I missed your calls. I just woke up. What's going on?”

“It’s Saturday,” you say rather awkwardly. “We had plans to meet this morning, remember?”

Leigh sits up, suddenly fully awake. She’s been looking forward to Saturday all week, eagerly anticipating this date. The realization that she slept through most of the morning fills her with shame. She’s been so restless the past few days, and it was only the gloomy, sleepy weather last night that finally allowed her to get some decent rest.

“I’m sorry if I disturbed your sleep, but since it’s an all-day affair, I thought we could start with breakfast,” you continue, breaking the silence that had been filled only with Leigh’s soft breathing.

“Where are you now?” she asks.

You hesitate for a moment before replying, “I’m actually parked outside your house.”

Fuck. Shit. Damn it.

“Okay, okay. Sorry, uhm, can you give me five minutes?”

“Take all the time you need.”

Leigh ends the call and throws off the covers, scrambling to get dressed. She rushes to the bathroom, splashing water on her face and running a brush through her hair, muttering curses under her breath. Her hands tremble slightly as she picks out an outfit, the anticipation of the day ahead propelling her forward.

As she heads for the door, a small smile forms on her lips. This might not have been the flawless beginning she imagined, but just knowing you’re on the other side makes it perfect already.

#unbetad #my writing #my fic #elizabeth olsen x reader #elizabeth olsen #leigh shaw x reader #leigh shaw x female reader #leigh shaw #sorry for your loss au #leigh shaw x you #wanda maximoff x reader #wanda maximoff x you #sorry i had to tag wanda x reader for visibility

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astrcmoni · 8 months ago

Text

✮⋆˙⭒NIGHTS LIKE THIS✮⋆˙⭒

CHAPTER II: UNCHARTED ROADS

pairing: street racer!reader x billie eilish

MASTERLIST

warnings: cussing, implications of death…that’s really it

wc: 3.8k on the dot

authors note: i know i’ve been gone, life’s been lifing but please take this as a peace offering and enjoy. 🙏🏾 and if you haven’t read the previous chapter, i suggest that you do.

Your heart raced painfully in your chest as you sped off into the inky blackness of the night. The world around you melded into a dizzying blur of colors and shapes as you weaved through the escaping cars. The wailing sirens faded into a distant echo, barely piercing the adrenaline-fueled haze surrounding you as you tore down the familiar streets toward home.

Images of her flooded your mind like an unrelenting tide. You could picture her standing in the chaotic aftermath, eyes wide with shock, watching you rush to leave, her gaze lingering on your car until it vanished from sight, swallowed by the darkness.

“Focus,” you muttered under your breath, hands gripping the steering wheel tighter as you veered onto a dimly lit side street, expertly dodging an oncoming vehicle. The screech of tires and blaring horns melded into a chaotic symphony, the world outside a cacophony of noise. You glanced into your rearview mirror, catching the furious expression of the driver you cut off, who promptly flashed you their middle finger. A smirk crept across your lips as you returned the gesture, your irritation boiling to the surface.

The flashing lights of the pursuing police cars flickered in your rearview mirror like erratic strobe lights, their sirens blaring through the night air. You leaned forward, adrenaline surging through your veins with every second. The pulse of the chase throbbed within you, but all you could think about was Billie.

How the streetlights cast a soft glow over her, illuminating her freckles that twinkled like stars scattered across a night sky. Her blue eyes transformed into a stormy grey as she looked at you with admiration, a smile dancing on her plump pink lips, making your heart skip.

Butterflies fluttered wildly in your stomach at the memory of her compliment. Why had you gotten so flustered when she smiled at you like that? What was it about her that sent your heart into a frenzy?

You took a deep breath, trying to regain your focus. The narrow alleyways and sharp turns of the backstreets were your territory—you knew them like the back of your hand. With a swift flick of your wrist, you downshifted and swerved around a tight corner, the wail of the sirens fading as you pulled ahead. You pressed the accelerator harder, your tires squealing in protest as you sped up, until the only thing left in the rearview was darkness.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, you pulled into a shadowy driveway, cutting the engine. Silence enveloped you like a soft cocoon, broken only by your ragged breathing. The adrenaline that had fueled you moments ago drained from your body, replaced by a bone-deep exhaustion. Leaning back in your seat, you closed your eyes, trying to steady your breath.

“Goodness gracious,” you whispered, letting the words slip into the stillness. Your hands slid down your face, trying to gather your thoughts and regain composure.

With a resigned sigh, you pulled out your phone and sent a quick text to EJ.

you: You good?

Almost immediately, your phone buzzed with a reply.

emani janae🤞🏾: Yeah, I’m straight. We’re just chilling back at my place. Come through when you’re done being all miss mysterious.

you: Trust, I’mma be there. I just need to get ready first.

emani janae🤞🏾: For?🤨

Read at 1:24 AM

You shook your head, a chuckle escaping your lips. Of course, EJ was already back home, probably making fun of you with Zoe. Your fingers hovered over the keyboard as you contemplated responding. Instead, you pulled the keys out of the ignition and walked up the driveway, the cool night air brushing against your skin.

As you entered your house, you kicked off your shoes and flicked on the lights, rushing straight to your bedroom. The scent of cashmere and vanilla enveloped the air, a comforting reminder that you had tidied up before you left. You quickly headed to the connected bathroom, turning on the shower to let the water heat up before returning to your room.

After rifling through your clothes, you settled on an old graphic tee and a pair of comfy shorts. The soft hum of music filtered through the air as you tied your hair up and hopped into the shower, slipping into your familiar routine.

The room around Zoe buzzed with fragmented flashes of color and sound—bright bursts of a game show, the low murmur of a news anchor, the explosive chaos of an action movie. None of it captivated her attention. Zoe’s thumb tapped impatiently on the remote, flicking through channels like shuffling a deck of cards. Each scene dissolved into the next before she could even focus, leaving her feeling disconnected, craving something to latch onto.

Billie lounged on the couch, limbs sprawled out as she leaned her head against Zoe’s shoulder, letting out a long sigh as she watched and waited. Her mind buzzed with boredom while she waited for you to arrive. Heart still thrumming with adrenaline from tonight’s events, she reflected on how close she had been to not coming out at all, too consumed by her work. But the moment she stepped into the crowd, all that stress faded away.

The way the cars swerved and drifted sent an electrifying thrill coursing through her veins. But when the race ended and you emerged from your vehicle, all her worries evaporated like the smoke that lingered in the air.

How the streaks of grey and purple danced across your face, a captivating sight. The streetlights illuminated your lips, gloss shimmering against your soft skin as you flashed her a sly smile.

Hi, Billie.

She remembered how your voice flowed like honey when you called out to her. She could still smell the faint remnants of weed mingling with the warm vanilla scent that radiated off you.

A smile crept across her face as she continued to reminisce about you. Coming out of her daze, her eyes roamed around the room, taking in the space. Picture frames filled the walls, frozen moments encased in glossy prints. Scattered items dotted the surface until her gaze landed on a clock.

1:43

A groan escaped her lips as she read it. Almost 2 AM, and you still weren’t here. Her lips pushed into a dramatic pout, voice rising in a soft plea. “Zoe…” she dragged out your best friend’s name, eyes pleading, teetering on the edge of desperation. Zoe cast a quick glance her way before doing a double take.

“Oh my god, no, you do it.” With a resigned sigh, Zoe decided to give in, settling on a random education channel. Images of paint and canvas flashed on the screen before panning out to a pale man with a red afro.

“Bob Ross…really?” At this, Zoe shrugged and walked to the kitchen, Billie trailing closely behind. Billie leaned against the marble island, watching as Zoe rummaged through various cabinets, seemingly on a quest for snacks.

“Can’t you at least just text her or something?” she asked, tapping her knuckles against the smooth surface, the silver rings clashing with the cold marble as Zoe turned to her, a bag of Takis in hand.

“Can’t you just text her? No, you do it; you have her number.” She tilted the bag, silently offering Billie some. Billie stepped closer, pressing her back against the island as she took a handful of chips.

“But like I’m scared… What if I seem desperate?”

“Scared of what? I promise you, your girlfriend’s not going to care; she’s chill as fuck, so just do it.” A warm flush crept up Billie’s neck, spreading across her cheeks at the name. “Shut up,” she muttered, rolling her eyes, trying hard to keep a smile from breaking through as she playfully shoved Zoe’s shoulder.

“Ohhh my god, can you just do it, please? As my best friend, I’ll love you forever.”

“You’re already supposed to do that, but whatever.” Fishing into her pocket, Zoe withdrew her phone, the screen lighting up as she unlocked it and pressed on your contact. Billie sidled up next to her, peering at the bright screen.

zoe📸: Hey, you still coming over?

Your phone buzzed in your hand as you slipped on your fuzzy slides and made your way to your car, opening it to see a new message from Zoe.

you: Yeah, omw now.

you: Why, wassup?

Billie watched as her best friend immediately started to text back, fingers tapping on the blue arrow, sending a new message before catching what it said.

Your phone buzzed once again as it sat in the cup holder. Quickly glancing down with practiced ease, you managed to catch a glimpse of the preview message on your lock screen.

zoe📸: Nothing, Billie just—

You reached for it, taking stray glances at the road ahead, unlocking your phone. But by the time you opened the chat, it had vanished, replaced with:

zoe📸 unsent a message.

Your brows furrowed in confusion as you wondered what had just been deleted. In response, you sent a final message back.

you: Huh?

you: ???

Delivered

The two friends exchanged wide-eyed glances, processing what had just transpired. Billie had panicked, snatching the phone to delete the text before you could see it.

“Dude, what the actual fuck?” Zoe let out a quiet laugh, her eyes sparkling with mischief. Billie’s gaze was glued to the phone, her heart racing as it chimed with your double texts. Fighting against her impulse to respond, she flipped the phone face down on the counter, choosing instead to breathe deeply and calm the wave of panic that was beginning to swell inside her.

“Why the fuck would you say that?” she finally managed to ask, her voice edged with disbelief.

“It’s true, is it not?” Zoe grabbed her phone from the counter and slipped it into her pocket as she headed back into the living room.

“I swear you hate me,” Billie groaned under her breath, watching Zoe walk away. A rough sigh escaped her lips as she slouched against the island, silently praying you hadn’t caught the message.

The faint creak of footsteps echoed down the stairs, growing closer with each soft patter until the familiar jangle of jewelry announced EJ’s arrival. Notes of cherry and jasmine wafted through the air, catching Billie’s attention.

“Please don’t piss me off right now,” Billie heard EJ say as she stepped aside, allowing you to come into view.

“What?” Your brows arched in confusion at the girl in front of you.

“I know you weren’t just talking about some ‘oh, I gotta go home and change and blah blah blah,’ while you’re wearing the most basic fit,” EJ teased, her voice rising a few pitches as she mockingly mimicked you.

“So?” you shrugged her shoulders, kicking off your shoes and setting them by the doorway. “So? You know what…bye, ’cause I’m not even—” You watched as EJ turned her back, making a right turn and disappearing into the kitchen, frustration radiating from her retreat.

You turned to the mirror on your left, checking yourself out. You hadn’t put much effort into your outfit, not expecting to need to dress up. “What is it, bad?” you muttered softly, picking at your clothes.

“Hey!” A small gasp escaped your lips as a voice sliced through the quiet. You hadn’t even realized they were standing so close. Her voice was the one you’d been thinking about all night, and a soft laugh escaped her lips as her blue eyes met yours in the mirror. Spinning around to face her, you cracked a smile, her laughter so infectious that it was hard not to return it. “Hey” you said in response, playfully rolling your eyes at yourself.

“So…that was really something, huh?”

“What, the race?” you asked, raising an eyebrow.

She let out a soft “mhmm,” head bobbing slightly in a light nod.

“I mean, it happens…are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m good,” she reassured you, trying to shake off the adrenaline that still coursed through her veins. “But what about you? That was…intense.”

“I’m used to it.” You shrugged, remembering the countless raids you’ve endured since you learned to race. Cops were just people you learned not to fear as long as you knew what you were doing and laid low. EJ emerged from the kitchen, stepping in between the two of you.

“Can you go get some food? I forgot to ask you to get something, and I don’t feel like going out,” she said, annoyance creeping into her voice. You smacked your lips against your teeth in irritation as you grabbed your keys and started to put your shoes back on.

“Fine, but I hope you know you’re putting gas in my tank for the next two days.” Pressing the button, you unlocked your car.

Suddenly, Billie piped up, “I’ll go with you…if you want me to, that is.”

“Kay’, I’ll be waiting, but you’re driving; I’m tired.” You tossed her the keys with a flick of your wrist and bolted toward your vehicle, the cold rain falling against the bare skin of your legs as you slid into the passenger seat. You hurried to turn on the heat, shivering slightly. Damn, I should’ve worn my pants, you thought to yourself

A low, rhythmic hum filled the car as your phone vibrated with subtle urgency in the cup holder where you’d left it. Stretching out your hand, your fingers brushed against the cool edges of the phone as you picked it up. Leaning your head against the window, rain and condensation clouded the glass, the light of your screen casting a soft glow that reflected off your face as your eyes adjusted.

4 new messages from Nia💞

Your thumb scrolled through your notifications as you immediately began to reply back.

The dull interior lights flickered on as the door opened with a chime. Glancing up from your phone, you saw a shivering Billie sitting before you, inhaling deeply through her nose as she attempted to steady her breathing. You swiftly switched off your phone and placed it back in the cup holder, your hand reaching smoothly from the passenger seat to lightly brush the console, deftly pressing for the heating. You turned her air vent closer to you, a small gesture that didn’t go unnoticed.

“Thanks,” Billie said quietly as she tied her hair up in a messy ponytail before relaxing into her seat, the heat creeping up her arms and providing her with much-needed warmth.

The melody of End by Frank Ocean flowed through the car, breaking the slight awkward tension that hung in the atmosphere. Billie quietly hummed along, finally gathering herself.

“So, where am I going?” The engine purred to life as her fingers pressed on the push-start ignition. Her calloused fingers wrapped around the wheel, the cool metal of her rings rubbing against the black leather. Her face lit up, eyes wide and lips curling into a grin as the external lavender lights illuminated the streets before her when she pressed down on the gas and revved the engine.

You couldn’t help but be in awe at the sight, the way she marveled over the car’s little decals. It was undeniably cute. “You’re gonna pull out and make a left over here.” You pointed out as she reached for the gear, shifting into drive. For what felt like the millionth time that night, your phone started going off with notifications even after you switched it to Do Not Disturb. Trying your best to ignore it, you leaned over, turning up the volume on the stereo as it transitioned into another song.

“Are you gonna get that?” Billie asked, glancing at you before returning her focus to the road.

“Nah, it’s just some…family stuff.” A rough sigh escaped your lips as you rubbed your temple, silently hoping she wouldn’t press further. You leaned back into your seat, watching raindrops race down the glass, and listened to the soft music, occasionally giving her directions until she turned into the parking lot of a diner.

Twisting in your chair, you reached for something in the backseat of your car. As your arm stretched, your shirt lifted just enough to reveal the soft curve of your waist. Black ink lined your hip, swirls of plumeria flowers and other intricate designs etched into your skin, disappearing upwards, the rest concealed by your top.

From the driver’s seat, Billie’s gaze flicked down, caught off guard by the unexpected glimpse. Her heart skipped a beat as she traced the edges of the tattoo, her mind racing to figure out what it was without seeming too obvious. She forced herself to look away, feeling her cheeks flush, but her eyes kept drifting back, lingering on the exposed skin until you finally settled back into your seat with two hoodies in hand.

“Girl, are you okay?” Genuine concern laced your voice as you noticed the blush on her cheeks.

“Yeah…yeah, thanks,” she replied, her face burning even more as she accepted the black zip-up from you. The scent that belonged to you lingered on the jacket, notes of neroli, vanilla, and amber embracing her senses as she shrugged it on while you slipped your own hoodie over your torso, pulling the hood up over your head.

Both of you climbed out of the car and dashed into the pouring rain, making a beeline for the entrance of the little diner.

It had a vintage charm, rows of worn leather booths in deep red shades, giving each table a cozy look, as if they’d held countless late-night conversations over the years. Behind the counter, the neon glow of an old sign buzzed faintly, casting a warm, comforting light across the room, though it flickered from time to time.

The diner was fairly empty, save for a few patrons scattered about—a couple at the bar nursing drinks while another sat in a booth, indulging in whatever hot meal had been placed before them.

Fluorescent overhead lights cast a soft but somewhat washed-out glow over everything, adding to the sense of isolation. The walls were lined with mirrors and framed photos, relics of nostalgia. The faint hum of the grill could be heard, alongside the clinking of dishes from behind the counter—a steady rhythm that filled the silence between conversations. The air was thick with the scents of coffee, fried food, and something sweet, reminiscent of pies baked earlier in the day.

Your feet moved under you, guiding you to the counter you’d touched countless times before. The tip of your acrylics played with the cracks and grooves embedded into the smooth mahogany wood. The cashier took your long order and informed you it would be about a forty five-minute wait. You both decided to slide into a random booth across from each other. The moonlight streamed through the large window, highlighting the droplets of rain that clung to the glass.

“So tell me…” Billie adjusted in her seat, her curiosity evident as she spoke up.

“Tell you what?” you replied, glancing at her with a hint of confusion.

“How the hell did you get involved in street racing?” Her elbows rested on the tabletop, hands folding into one another as she laid her head on top, her blue eyes watching you intently. You noticed how her gaze made your body briefly tense before you turned your head to face her.

“Really?” you asked, surprised by her interest. She nodded, her head tilting slightly, cheek resting against her cold rings.

“My older brother… he taught me everything I know.” You pulled the hood from off your head, hair framing your face, snuggling a little tighter in the jacket as the memory began to unfold. “When I was about twelve or thirteen, I caught him trying to sneak out one night. I told him I would snitch if he didn’t take me with him—” Billie watched, her eyes lighting up as you recounted the story. A small smile played on your lips at the memory, and she scooted closer, hanging on every word.

“I remember us pulling up into the lot, and there were all these different kinds of people and sporty ass cars. I thought my brother was so cool…” you breathed out, your fingertips tapping lightly against the table. “Then the race started, and he was driving at speeds I didn’t even know were possible. You never forget the feeling of your first show, and you never forget the adrenaline of your first race. It made me feel…” You bit your bottom lip in thought, trying to find the right words to convey your feelings.

“—alive. I truly had fun that night, and I wanted to keep feeling that way, so I started racing with him.”

Billie smiled to herself, imagining a younger version of you, wide-eyed and eager, learning how to drive. “He sounds cool as fuck,” she said, her admiration clear.

“Yeah, he was…”

Billie’s eyes flickered to your solemn expression, her own softening with empathy. Reaching across the table, she took your hand in her own, her touch gentle. You noticed the intricate details of the angel tattoos etched into her skin that you hadn’t seen before, and how soothing it felt when her thumb rubbed the back of your hand. That simple gesture was enough to convey her own sorrows, a silent understanding passing between you.

A waiter approached with a complimentary basket of fries, sliding it toward the two of you. You both delivered brief thanks, the scent of the golden fries wafting through the air.

“Anyways, enough of the sad stuff. There’s something I wanted to ask you,” you said, shifting the mood back to lightheartedness.

“Yeah?” Billie picked up a fry and nibbled on it slowly, her hand still holding yours, maintaining eye contact.

“Well, if you’re interested in tonight’s race, there’s a car show in a couple of weeks. I’ll be speaking, and I was hoping you could come.”

“Yeah, I’d really like that,” she replied, her enthusiasm evident.

Relief washed over you at her response, the weight lifting off your shoulders. “Okay, cool. Now enough about me, let’s talk about you.”

And for the rest of the night, you two talked for what felt like hours, conversations flowing easily as you shared stories and laughter. The atmosphere felt warm and inviting, the outside rain creating a comforting backdrop to your connection. Finally, your name was called, and you picked up your order, the heavy rain seeping through your clothes once more, chilling your skin as you headed back to your car.

As the neon lights from the diner flickered in the wet streets, you couldn’t shake the feeling that this night would etch itself into your memory, a turning point in the chaotic journey of your life.

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