#I can't like things in a chill and normal way and that's okay I think maybe
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timeslipcamp · 15 hours ago
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thoughts on episode 18
boy howdy can i just say how nice it is to read this when it's coming out and not when i'm like. at work and actively in meetings lmao
anyways we made it!! the festival of stars is here!! i'm going to cry when i see lyca's little bun i can just feel it. live reading here we go!!
spoilers through ep 18
i'm screaming already everyone pray for my roommate who is asleep
UGH THE CARDS RIGHT WHEN I OPEN THE APP they're all so prettyyyyyy i love them oh it's just towa hi jin
rip bunny girl. i was so ready for a jumpscare there lmao
VAGASTROM CAMEO RIGHT OFF THE BAT hiiii alan. note to self: get the vagastrom kids to help build my ikea furniture. stop wait are you telling me alan just carries around chicken. in his pockets. for the cats. chicken??? just in. his pockets??? BE CAREFUL AROUND DARKWICK GOD ALL THE GHOULS KNOW NOT TO TRUST THEM UGHHHH alan i love you
oh wow i've been so busy rereading chapters i forgot we got diamonds for new ones lmao
BLACK MARKET CAT TREATS god i love this game
oh canceled last year you say? perhaps because of the clash or a murder mayhaps?? looks like they're going with the traditional 7/7 date, that's cool. SKY KING IS REAL?? PROTECTION? oh she's still got two months okay interesting good to know. so potentially two more inter house missions then before they switch it up for the plot.
YES GRILL THAT LITTLE BITCH MC GO GIRL exhausting every avenue my ass.
the vibe hahaha i bet he learned that from rui. PLEASE tell me lyca is going to say "oh, truth!" at some point too. LOVE that subaru is suspicious. get him on my investigation team!! "choose a weaver" bitch who else would towa EVER choose hahaha except haru subaru blushing!!!!
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towa is so funny dude
lyca will you please just tell me about my scent :( is it the kyklos be honest
omg zenji hi!! i feel like that meme whenever i see him, he's so fun. god i'm typing too much already i gotta chill. THAT LITTLE PERSON lyca i love you so much. zenji's actually gonna make me cry and we're like five chapters in dude i can't do this
FENYANG okay had to pause the fun music to look that up. apparently it's not a sheep but a river valley region in china lol. earth spirits in game though!!! that live in burial jars, that's super cool. someone remind me to add that to my anomalies list later. towa's little giggle is so cute ugh. such a fantastic group of ghouls for this mission im so excited.
ZENJI YOUTUBE VIDEO LETS GO i love that hes the one who tells us these stories. this is such a fun way to do this. who do you think draws the pictures for him? THREE OUT OF TEN hahaha towa PLEASE
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ooo a riddle, that's fun. towa saying another wish is crazy. i wonder how powerful the sky king is? is there a limit to the wishes he can grant? is it a monkey paw thing? oh okay got my answer right away lol. oblivion and immortality....interesting. she could wish for the memory of the kyklos to disappear into oblivion. YES lyca we are on the same page!!! god lyca is so smart THATS MY BOY
NEW TOWA NICKNAME LUPIN making a post RIGHT NOW so i do that tomorrow. i mean lupin obviously latin root lup--wolf. so. anyways! it's actually so funny that zenji can't clap and make sounds hahaha i love that. fun detail. towa and lyca are so funny this is so good. "i'm good at jumping over things" omg the fox is back lyca said its on SIGHT
sho in a track suit????? the sky king is blessing me already HELLOOOOOOO BABY!! he's worried about salmonella ilysm sho
AND RIGHT AFTER IS THE MAN BUN oh god okay okay okay okay okay okay okay i can be normal about this okay okay
everyone looks so good!!! ugh top tier outfit design as usual. hodge and podge!! my favs!!! i love that they fixed her outfit omg. this is so sweet dude. subaru saying "carefully worn" makes me feel like someone's gonna rip theirs lol. my money's on towa. oh i bet the lantern floating is going to look so pretty.
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STUFF LMAO HAKU STOP oh my god zenji might accidentally get laid to rest?? hello???
"here chimi take my hand" dude where. your hand is INSIDE your sleeve. love you tho. oh nvm he did that on purpose hahaha. "today, the line between our world and other worlds like the spirit world becomes blurred in hotarubi." FASCINATING. wait students get spirited away?? lmaooo at least they come back weeks later?? this is so funny. no big deal. super chill.
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sky king is a smash. i am not taking comments at this time.
towa and lyca not sitting is SO funny i love these dudes. "child of beast," lyca; "shade" subaru??; "miraculous one" towa; "cursed being" mc; HELLO?? SHADE?? unless he was referring to zenji but like. shade? hello? as in a spirit shade or a shady soul or WHAT? i mean i've seen some stories where shades are like, reflections of beings so maybe because of subaru's stigma? oh that's so interesting. super cool that his stigma didn't work on the scroll, love that. can't wait to see what these challenges are!!
HARU HEY BABE omg wait are they rainbow toffee apples??? the gay apples we get to level up?? no way hahaha. omg lyca paying for us ill cry rn. little robot gear dude??? how much you wanna bet gen or mio or whatever made that? clockwork anomaly is adorable and i love them. THEYRE FROM DIONYSIA!!! ITS MIOS LETS GOOOO
does towa not like it because it's mechanical? more points in my nature being theory basket. also instantly pacified by haru complimenting him. love them
oh i bet it's ultio that fucked up the dorm then lmao. no wonder it hasn't gotten fixed.
love that someone's sabotaging this though, that'll make it fun. ramen buddies!! hell YES they're hanging together!! detective reaching shinjo lyca PLEASE subaru using his stigma to find the winning ticket is SENDING ME. romeo is going to kill him hahaha ritsu is so funny dude. too bad he ditched his date for legal matters sorry ren :(
oh cool subaru's controlling his stigma more! love powers that are tied to emotional states. it makes sense then, that basically confirms why jin's is on the fritz. zenji's been so worried this whole episode stop that you're making ME worried.
close up on sho don't mind if i do! lyca is so excited omg look at him. i love this episode everyone is so cute. oh my god the heart attack i just had when i thought sho could see zenji hahaha my jaw DROPPED. sho being so confident we'll be around next year please ill CRY. im so obsessed with him. i keep thinking other ghouls are my favorite but then here he is still being AMAZING. ugh.
magpie building a bridge!! story reference!! wishes on bamboo!! aw towa wants to be a hero :') lyca wishing for nero ughhh. "i would never again make a wish upon something i can't see." uh oh zenji, demonic pact reference? oh elias makes the soda that's funny.
SUNS GONE CONFIRMATION FOR TOWA i love having obvious theories proven. boosts my ego. anyways i hope this place is a spirit road this is sick. is the voice repeating wishes or something? repeating her thoughts???
oh hey alan. HAHA WAIT HE TOLD SHO HE WAS LOST oh my god i love you alan never change. whats the vibe between alan and subaru why is it weird. ALLY?? DISSIDENTS HAHAHA i just choked on my snack. "i'll return the favor" oh i can't wait to see that come back around. bye alan love you. zenji calling him dashing is great, who wouldn't have a crush on alan?
WATERMELON EXORCISMS?
kaito and luca festival date!!! oh my god i am eating GOOD today!! omg luca and jiro being buddies mention, fav rarepair if imma be real. it's up there. THATS WHAT ROMI CALLS HIM oh no lyca is getting the bar boys nicknames for everyone this is so funny. "toadstool here!" kaito i love you dude
i love when they make subaru taller than the gen ed students. he's like 5' nothing in my head. damn lyca you're cool as hell. can we eat the watermelons after we exorcise them. asking for a friend. OH MY GOD WE CAN
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is the sky king the cowherd do we need to find his weaver? why is my mans crying :(
SHAMEPLANT??? oh my god towa. power rangers!!! omg this is so funny.
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SUBARU SNAPPING LETS GOOOO i just had goosebumps hoooly shit oh my god. dude the music going quiet too was CRAZY. oh my god. ohhh my god. towa's immediately like "yeah you should have said it louder actually. i recommend lightning." oh that mask sequence was so cool i watched it three times ngl
dude the way i just got so sad that the wish isn't getting granted even though i knew it wouldn't happen smh. give us the panel of towa and lyca hugging cowards. oh what was with the creepy music behind zenji at the end there? interesting.
i really feel like this episode could have benefitted from like, two more chapters at least to wrap everything up. still though, good story, and i'm super bummed we never found out why the sky king was crying. what did zenji mean about the original japanese?? literally gonna be scouring people's posts for that, i'll link it here when i find one.
ugh such a cute episode this was all so so so cute. good episode. VAGASTROM NEXT LETS GO BABY!! maybe we'll get some more lore. mc said two more months, so we'll see where in the time frame this next one is!! posts coming tomorrow on towa's nicknames for lyca and subaru and i'm sure i'll do a couple theory posts on the new info once i've slept
the most important part of this episode was lyca's bun thank you and goodnight it's almost 2 am hahaha
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jessesluvr · 2 days ago
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too good for your own good and scare shitless are my favorite writing's of yours! enemies to lovers and friends with benefits are 😭🤌 can u do something like moments where the sexual tension between you and jesse almost snaps until it does? like fingers touching when you walk or pass something, casual flirting, looking at his lips when he talks or him holding your waist to move you when you are in the way and this sort of stuff until both of you can't pretend anymore 🤭
pulling gravity | jesse x reader
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author's note : hiiii ! it's a bit suggestive, but heyyy who cares right?? anyways, please enjoy !! gotta start writing my requests again..
summary : it’s been months of almosts and unspoken glances. fingers grazing, stolen touches, words that mean more than they should. jesse’s always there, close enough to touch but never quite yours—until the tension finally snaps and neither of you can pretend anymore.
word count : 2.3k
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jackson’s quiet this morning.
the air bites, crisp and cold, as you tug your coat tighter and walk toward the gates. most of the town is still asleep, the sun not fully risen, a pale smear of light just beginning to bleed across the snowy mountains. your boots crunch on the frostbitten earth.
he’s already there, of course. leaning against the fence, arms crossed, head turned toward the horizon like he’s waiting for something. or someone.
his breath curls in the air like smoke, and when he turns at the sound of your steps, his face breaks into that lazy, crooked smile you’ve learned to pretend doesn’t make your stomach twist.
“you’re late,” jesse says, voice warm despite the chill.
“you’re obsessed with me,” you answer, because it’s easier than admitting how fast you walked here just to see him.
he shrugs, the smile lingering. "maybe."
your eyes meet. something quiet hangs between you. it’s not awkward. it’s never been awkward with jesse. it’s just... there. heavy in the air. unspoken, but undeniable.
he falls into step beside you as you head out, and when your arms swing just barely in sync, your fingers graze. just a touch. accidental.
neither of you pull away.
for the next few minutes, neither of you say much. it’s a comfortable silence—cold air, fresh snow, two pairs of boots creaking across the path that curves toward the south watchpost. your breath fogs in the space between you, but jesse’s presence is warm like sunlight, grounding in a way you’ve never wanted to admit.
“maria said there’s been fresh prints near the ridge,” he murmurs eventually, his shoulder brushing yours as he leans in just a little closer. “probably nothing. but she wants us checking the outer fence before noon.”
“right,” you say, and it should feel like a normal patrol. it should feel like the dozens of others you’ve done together. but it doesn’t.
not when his glove brushes yours again. not when he tilts his head to glance at you, all dark eyes and half-lidded lids and that look he gets when he wants to say something but doesn’t.
“you sleep okay?” he asks.
it’s a normal question. you’ve asked him the same before. but this morning, it sounds different. it sounds like he means something else. like he’s asking if you dreamed about him, too.
you nod. “yeah. you?”
“kinda.” he’s looking ahead now, but his voice dips lower. “kept waking up. think i was waiting for this.”
“this?” you echo.
“walking with you. it’s the best part of my day.”
you stop walking.
he takes two more steps before noticing and turns, boots crunching in the snow. his brow lifts.
“what?” he says with a soft smile.
you’re staring at him. you know you are. you want to say something. anything. but your mouth is dry and your chest is tight and his words are still sitting too heavy inside you.
“nothing,” you manage. “you’re just... really dramatic for someone who acts tough.”
he grins. “and you’re deflecting.”
“you’re imagining things.”
he takes a slow step closer. then another. until the space between you is thin as thread.
“you really think i don’t notice how you look at me?” he asks.
you look away. heat creeps into your cheeks.
he leans in again, voice low. “you gonna pretend your hands didn’t linger last time we passed the rifles?”
“you gonna pretend you didn’t put your hand on my back for no reason at all?”
he laughs under his breath. soft. close. intimate.
“maybe i like the way you feel,” he says, and it’s so direct you forget how to breathe.
and just like that, he steps away. like it didn’t cost him anything to say that. like he didn’t just gut you with it.
“c’mon,” he calls. “sun’s climbing. you don’t wanna miss the view.”
and you follow, because what else can you do?
you’re already falling.
it starts again in the kitchen.
not your kitchen. maria and tommy’s. they’d asked you and jesse to house-sit while they made a supply trip out west. just a weekend. water the plants. check the wood stove. take care of benji.
benji, who’s five and somehow already a menace. sweet, sure. but sticky-handed and wild, with a laugh that shakes the walls and a talent for turning any moment into chaos.
jesse’s the one who says yes before you can even answer. “of course,” he tells maria, slinging an arm around your shoulder like this is the most natural thing in the world. “we’ll be great at it.”
you raise your brows but say nothing. and now here you are.
jesse’s leaning against the kitchen counter, arms crossed, one foot braced behind him like he owns the place. benji’s in the next room playing with action figures. and you—you’re standing too close. again.
jesse doesn’t move when you step beside him to grab a glass. doesn’t shift when your hip brushes his. doesn’t even flinch when your fingers graze his knuckles.
“you’re in the way,” you murmur.
“you always say that,” he murmurs back, and doesn’t budge.
the glass clinks on the counter as you pour water, slow and deliberate, pretending you don’t feel him watching you.
jesse finally leans in. not far. not enough. just close enough that you feel the heat of him against your arm.
“you’re good with him,” he says, nodding toward the living room. “benji. he likes you.”
“he likes everyone who doesn’t make him eat vegetables.”
jesse grins. “still. you’d make a good mom.”
your hand slips. water spills over the rim of the glass.
jesse doesn’t laugh. he doesn’t take it back. just watches the drip slide down your wrist like he’s fascinated by it.
“jesse,” you say quietly.
“i mean it.”
you meet his eyes. there’s no teasing in them. none of the usual playful deflection. just a soft, raw kind of honesty that makes your throat tighten.
“i think about it sometimes,” he adds. “what it’d be like. waking up to you. having a kid. having... more than this.”
“we’re not even together,” you whisper.
his lips twitch. not a smile. something smaller. something sad.
“aren’t we?”
before you can answer, benji calls from the other room.
“jesse! can you be the monster again?”
jesse doesn’t look away from you. “i’m already halfway there.”
“go,” you say, barely managing a breath. “before he breaks something.”
he lingers a second longer. then leans forward, lips ghosting your temple in a barely-there touch. “we’re talking about this later.”
and then he’s gone.
leaving you with your pulse racing and your hand still wet.
that night, benji falls asleep between the two of you on the couch. one sticky hand wrapped around jesse’s finger. the other clutching your wrist like an anchor.
jesse looks over his head at you.
the tension simmers like an open flame.
“we should get him to bed,” he murmurs.
you nod.
“and then?”
you hesitate. “then we talk.”
his eyes dip to your mouth. his voice drops. “no more pretending?”
“no more pretending.”
and that promise hangs between you, heavier than anything else that came before.
the night is thick and quiet around maria and tommy’s house. the only light comes from the flickering fire in the living room, casting shadows that dance over jesse’s face as he watches you carefully. you can feel the weight of his gaze like a hand on your skin.
benji is finally asleep upstairs, his breathing steady and soft. the chaos of the day has settled, leaving just you and jesse in a fragile, intimate silence.
you sit close enough to feel the heat radiating off him, and when your knees touch, neither of you pulls away. it’s like the last invisible barrier between you has cracked.
jesse reaches out, fingers trembling slightly as they brush a loose strand of hair behind your ear. the touch is electric, a silent question hanging between you.
“i can’t keep doing this,” he admits, voice low, rough with emotion. “all this... pretending. like we’re just friends when everything’s screaming something else.”
you swallow hard, heart pounding, every nerve alive. “me neither.”
his hand slides down, tracing the curve of your jaw with gentle reverence, like he’s memorizing every line, every scar, every part of you he’s wanted for so long.
“do you want this?” he asks, voice barely above a whisper. “me. us.”
you nod, words tangled in your throat. “i want you.”
he leans in slowly, giving you every chance to pull away. but you don’t. instead, you close the distance, lips brushing, soft and tentative at first, then deepening into something hungry and desperate.
his hands find your waist, pulling you closer until there’s no space left between you. every kiss is a promise, a confession, a release of months of tension and longing.
you break apart only for breath, foreheads resting together, hearts racing in sync.
“i’ve wanted you since day one,” jesse murmurs.
“me too,” you confess, voice trembling.
the fire crackles, shadows flickering, but all you see is him. all you want is him.
and tonight, nothing else matters.
you don’t know how long you stay like that, curled into him on the couch—chest to chest, knee slotted between his, his thumb stroking your hip like he doesn’t even know he’s doing it. everything feels fragile and enormous at once.
jesse’s breath is warm against your temple. his voice, even softer than the firelight.
“we can stop. if it’s too fast.”
“jesse.” your fingers curl in the front of his shirt. “i don’t wanna stop.”
he exhales slow, like he’s been holding that tension in his chest for months. maybe he has. “okay.”
the next kiss is slower. not urgent—just reverent. he kisses you like he’s trying to memorize it, lips brushing yours over and over until your whole body’s leaning into him, chasing the warmth.
when his hand finds your jaw, tilting your head just so, it doesn’t feel rushed. it feels like gravity.
like this has been coming for a long, long time.
he pulls back enough to whisper, “you sure?”
you nod, whispering into his mouth. “i want you.”
that’s all it takes.
his hands roam with purpose now—fingertips dragging over your waist, your spine, like he’s relearning what touch means. his lips trail from your mouth to your jaw to the hollow beneath your ear, and you shiver.
“you’re shaking,” he murmurs, kissing the corner of your mouth again. “cold?”
you shake your head. “not cold.”
his lips curve against your skin. “good.”
the couch is too narrow. too stiff. and neither of you says it, but you both move at the same time—his hand sliding into yours as he leads you toward the guest bedroom down the hall.
you barely make it through the door before he’s kissing you again—backed against the frame, his hands on either side of your head like he can’t bear to let you go.
your arms wind around his neck. he lifts you gently, like it’s instinct, like he’s dreamed of doing this a thousand times.
he lays you on the bed like you’re precious, hovering over you with a look in his eyes that makes your chest ache.
“jesse,” you breathe.
“i got you,” he whispers, pressing a kiss to your forehead, then your cheek, then lower. “just let me take care of you.”
his touch is slow. worshipful. the kind of undressing that feels like being unwrapped, layer by layer, not just of clothing but of fear. he trails his hands down your arms, over your ribs, kissing every stretch of skin he uncovers.
when you arch into him, he groans low—like the sound’s been pulled from the deepest part of him.
you tug at his shirt. he helps you peel it off, and when you reach for his belt, he catches your wrist—not stopping you, just grounding you.
his forehead rests against yours.
“i love you.”
your breath stutters.
you blink up at him, heart in your throat. “say it again.”
he smiles, so softly you feel it in your bones. “i love you.”
your fingers slide into his hair. “then don’t stop.”
and he doesn’t.
after, you stay tangled up in each other under the thin blanket. your fingers trace lazy patterns on his bare chest, and he keeps his arm wrapped snug around your waist like he still needs to prove you’re real.
the firelight from down the hall flickers just enough to outline the curve of his cheek. you kiss it.
“that thing you said earlier,” you murmur.
“which one?”
“about kids.”
jesse hums, eyes flicking toward yours. “too much?”
you shake your head. “no. i just… i didn’t know you thought about that.”
“with you?” he says. “yeah. i think about it a lot.”
your breath catches.
he continues, voice quieter. “not just the big stuff. like, i think about what it’d be like waking up to you every day. you in my shirt, stealing all the blankets. yelling at me for leaving dishes in the sink. then maybe one day... there's a little one running around, kinda like benji, but ours.”
you blink up at him, stunned by the warmth rushing to your chest.
he leans down and kisses your collarbone. “you’d be an amazing mom.”
you whisper, “you’d be a great dad.”
he looks at you, really looks. “you think so?”
“i know so.”
his hand slides to your stomach, resting there with the barest pressure. “not now. not yet. but someday.”
“yeah,” you say softly. “someday.”
you fall asleep like that—his arm wrapped around you, your breath even against his chest, both of you wrapped in something stronger than just the aftermath of sex.
it’s comfort.
it’s love.
it’s the beginning of everything else.
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orions-aether · 7 days ago
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nothing will haunt me like evan kelmp getting his arm exploded to death. nothing will haunt me like "there is a very real part of him that struggles under the effort of staying." nothing will haunt me like "if it depends on what was important to him, then obviously it is his friends" and "all of these things are easy for him to haunt" and "there is something in whatever drifting space he is now that wonders what he mattered to, and if it needs to be even".
nothing will haunt me like "it's easy to drift and to move away, but it's hard to close your eyes when it's so bright around" and "the shadow reaches out, and starts to slowly put objects back in the backpack" and "the main thing I'm going to do is take the shoes off my dead body and put them on."
#me and evan kelmp and adaine abernant holding hands worrying that we want other people more than they want us#THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE FUNNY SEASON AABRIA#evan kelmp stop making me cry challenge impossible edition#I forgot how much this ep fucked with my whole shit my god#like I was still reeling from all the homelessness stuff#staring at the bags I've been living out of for nine months because I can't settle here or maybe anywhere#(we did just like yesterday get long term accommodation somewhere though so yay for that)#and then it's like oh yeah the arm explosion situation that's here too#the way evan interacts with his things makes me feel insane and also very seen and validated#looting his own dead body for his nice shoes that are a symbol of never being clocked and called out as something different and wrong again#carrying everything he owns in a backpack even after he has a home because he can't bear to risk losing them or leaving them behind?#fuck me man#also aabria's description of what haunting his shadow feels like is just like perfect rendition of dissociation#“everything feels like the understanding of what you should feel and not the feeling of it. it's dull and removed”#like I've used this but less poetic to describe dissociation goddammit do I spend my life haunting my fucking shadow#him kicking his body violently into the backpack I'm going to throw up#my reaction would imply this is a first time watch it's absolutely not#this is like the third or fourth of season 2? and I've lost count of how many times I rewatched before season 2 came out#I can't like things in a chill and normal way and that's okay I think maybe#shoutout pissberg for making this episode not just me ugly crying about the kelmp of it all#mismag#mismag 2#misfits and magic#dimension 20#dimension 20 misfits and magic#mismag spoilers#misfits and magic spoilers#evan kelmp
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ms-demeanor · 2 years ago
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I think the eight alarms thing is usually a maladaptation. You've trained your brain to ignore the eight alarms because you kept avoiding the training of willpower following the first alarm would require. I think some sleep therapy might help?
Hey so first of all fuck you, thanks.
Second: I love it when you read literature on sleep disorders, especially if it's on sleep disorders among folks with ADHD, and you see time and time again "when allowed to sleep on their preferred schedule subjects maintained healthy, normal, restorative sleep cycles" and "effects were not lasting without ongoing intervention; resetting the sleep schedule is a permanent effort."
Like, if I sleep *great* from 6am to 2pm and I wake up feeling rested and alert with no special help but I need to turn off the lights in my house and shut down all electronics at 8pm and beam a spotlight into my face starting at 5am to wake up at seven and feel exhausted all day, I think perhaps it is not actually my sleep cycle that is wrong it is perhaps society that is wrong.
BELIEVE ME, when I find the job that pays well and has decent insurance that lets me exist as a cheerful nighttime ghoul I am jumping on that with both feet. But until then I literally feel better getting six hours of sleep and occasionally sleeping so hard that i can't hear my alarms because of chronic sleep deprivation than I do turning off all the lights in my house and ceasing all activity two and a half hours after I get off of work.
Also: the eight alarms aren't all there to wake me up, it's just that sometimes I *also* sleep through the ones that are supposed to remind me to go sit at my desk and start work. One of the first three usually gets me up, but on a day when I sleep through all three of those I will be sleeping through all eight of them and usually a phone call and someone trying to shake me awake to.
ANYWAY after being treated with melatonin and light therapy and staring listlessly at the ceiling in the dark bored out of my skull with racing thoughts for sleep disorders that I didn't have for like twenty years the single most effective intervention that allowed me to get more sleep as someone with both ADHD and DSPD was to start hanging out and being active in places where it would be easy to fall asleep if the sleep caught me there instead of turning my bedroom into a dark, silent shrine of snoozing. Giving myself permission to fall asleep late instead of laying awake chewing myself up with guilt for not being asleep helped too.
Actually here's some tips for the sleepy bitches in the crowd:
1 - If you're laying down and not falling asleep in half an hour, you're not actually sleepy; read something or get up and do something because you're more likely to get sleepy faster that way than you are staring at the clock going "if I fall asleep now I'll have three hours and forty five minutes of rest when I have to go to work; If I fall asleep now I'll have three hours and twenty minutes of sleep when I have to get up, etc. etc."
2 - Allow yourself to be ambushed by sleep. Fall asleep on your cozy couch. Fall asleep in the comfy chair. Let yourself sleep where you fall asleep instead of dragging yourself to where you're 'supposed' to sleep if doing so will wake you up.
3 - The mythbusters thing. If you just lay down and close your eyes and pretend to rest you will feel more rested when you get up than when you laid down. Laying down to rest is better than nothing, it literally causes cognitive improvements similar to sleep in tests, and knowing that can help take off some of the pressure of not being able to fall asleep and can thus help you fall asleep.
4 - It's okay to "hang out" in the area where you're going to sleep. Read in bed. Play games on your cellphone in bed. If you want to go to sleep put on comfy clothes and bring a chill activity and hang out in your bed to do it so that all you have to do when you start getting sleepy is close your eyes.
5 - It's better to get some sleep than no sleep. Sometimes you look at the clock and it's six AM and whoops, fuck it. Okay, time for bed, don't stress that you're only going to get a few hours, a few hours is better than nothing. Lay down to pretend to rest at least and you'll probably feel okay.
6 - This one sounds silly and might not work for a bunch of people for a bunch of reasons but apparently there's some research suggesting that "well-rested" is a state of mind? I've had a reasonable amount of success with just telling myself "Yeah, I actually feel pretty good," and pushing through the day on a couple of hours of sleep. I don't *recommend* that and you should try to get as much sleep as possible, but yeah the next time you're low on sleep see what happens if you just try to decide to not be tired. It sounded like bullshit to me when I first heard it but I've found some success with it.
7 - This shit is cumulative. If you're doing a couple nights a week on low sleep that's not ideal but you're probably going to be pretty functional and you can work on it. If you overbook and overextend yourself for too long - I'm looking at you college students and new parents - it's going to add up. Try as much as possible to at least keep your sleep deficit nights spread out. (This message brought to you by writing 60k words of fiction in october and completely frying my brain because i wasn't getting enough sleep).
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hans-wh0re · 3 months ago
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PRAISE ME, BABY
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Synopsis: Jisung just can't act normal when you praise him. A.N: Idk how this turned out to be as it's been a while, so don't have high expectations lmao (i wanna kms).
Jisung prided himself on being a pretty calm guy. Sure, he got flustered easily, especially around his friends. But he considered himself to be pretty chill, all things considered. That is, until you came along.
He had known you for a while, you were one of his closest friends. You were always bubbly and outgoing, the life of any party, and always ready with a compliment or word of encouragement. He always appreciated your presence, but recently, he's been feeling a strange pull towards you, something he can’t quite place.
It all started with your voice. He swore he’d never been so attentive to his own name until you were the one calling him for a project. His stomach would twist, his palms would sweat, and the tips of his ears burned. At first, he figured it was just a passing thing, the nerves that everyone has when they begin a new friendship. He wanted to be your friend, and it only seemed right that the nervousness would wash away eventually. Yet weeks turned into months, and the only thing that faded was your shared space for the project.
And now, even though you’re done with the thing you were assigned together, you spend just as much time together as you did while working on the project.
The real problem began when you decided to tell him he’s good at things. Things he knew he was good at, but for some reason, meant so much more coming from you. A compliment on the new song he wrote? He nearly passed out. You telling him you thought his drawing was good? He felt like his skin would melt off. You telling him he was the best friend you could ever ask for? He was a goner. Completely gone.
It was starting to affect him in ways he couldn’t explain. He'd find himself thinking about you at the most random moments, his heart racing whenever you were near, and an insistent pull between his legs whenever you were even the slightest bit nice. And as much as he liked the feeling, he also hated it. He didn’t want you to know that he was so easily affected by you, that your kind words could turn him into a blushing mess. He wanted to be cool, to play it off, to pretend it didn’t bother him. But he just couldn’t.
Which brings him to now, in your living room, trying his best to focus on the statistics research you’ve assigned him.
“Jisung, can you check these numbers over one more time?” You ask from across the room, and he tenses at just the sound of your voice. He wants nothing more than to scream, to run into the bathroom and jerk off, to cry at the overwhelming amount of horniness you cause him.
He nods stiffly, pushing away from the small table with a gentle “mhmm” before leaning over to peer at the numbers on your laptop. His face burns hot as you lean closer to him, your shoulder brushing against his as you point out what he’s supposed to be looking for.
“Okay, so what you need to do is– oh! Good job! Thanks, Jisung!” You practically sing as you reach over to pat him on the head, and that sends him over the edge. His cock jumps in his pants, and he feels his face turn tomato red.
Your hand, still resting innocently on his head, feels like a fucking brand, searing through his hair, through his skull, straight down to the mess you’ve made of his insides. Good job. The two simplest words, uttered in your bright, infuriatingly cheerful voice, and he’s instantly, shamefully, rock hard.
He jerks back from the laptop, pulling away from your touch like it’s electrocuted him, though every nerve ending is screaming for more. His face is burning, radiating heat he’s sure you can feel even from a foot away. He can’t look at you. If he looks at you, sees that oblivious sunshine smile, he might actually combust. Or worse, grab you, shove you against the wall, and demand you say it again while he grinds his aching erection against you.
“Uh… yeah,” he manages to choke out, his voice cracking embarrassingly. He clears his throat, turning away, pretending to be intensely interested in a dust bunny near the leg of the table. Anything to avoid your gaze. Anything to hide the pathetic state you reduce him to with a casual pat on the head and a few kind words.
This is fucking pathetic. He hates this. Hates how easily you unravel him. Hates how that simple, genuine praise ignites something dark and needy deep inside him, something that feels distinctly wrong for a friendship. He shouldn’t be getting hard because you think he did a good job double-checking some stupid statistics. He shouldn’t be picturing the way your mouth would look wrapped around him while you told him how good he is, how much you need him.
But he is. Fuck, he is.
His hand instinctively drops to cover the embarrassing bulge straining against his zipper. He shifts uncomfortably in his seat, trying to discreetly adjust himself, but it’s useless. He’s thick, throbbing, painfully aware of every beat of his pulse echoing between his legs. He needs release. He needs it now. Needs to lock himself in your bathroom, your scent probably clinging to the towels, and just fucking ruin himself thinking about you, whispering your praises back to himself like some kind of mantra while he pumps his fist raw.
“Jisung? You okay?” Your voice again, closer this time. Concerned. Fuck, why are you always so nice? Don’t you see what you’re doing to him? Or maybe… maybe you do? A tiny, insidious thought worms its way into his brain. Maybe this bubbly, outgoing act is just that – an act. Maybe you know exactly how much power your words hold over him. Maybe you like seeing him squirm.
The thought sends a fresh wave of heat through him, darker this time, mixed with a confusing flicker of anger. He forces himself to look up, meeting your earnest, slightly worried gaze. God, you’re so fucking pretty it hurts. Your eyes are wide, lips slightly parted, head tilted in that way that makes him want to either kiss you senseless or push you down onto the floor.
“Fine,” he bites out, the word harsher than intended. He sees you blink, taken aback by his tone. Good. Maybe if he’s an asshole, this feeling will stop. Maybe if he pushes you away, the relentless throb behind his fly will finally subside.
But then you offer him another smile, softer this time, understanding. “Okay,” you say gently. “Well, you did a really great job with this, Sungie. Seriously, I was totally stuck.” You even reach out, squeezing his arm briefly.
Sungie.
His breath catches. His cock gives another violent jump, straining against the denim, slick head weeping pre-cum he can suddenly, agonizingly feel dampening the inside of his boxers. The urge to groan, to grab your hand and press it against his hardness, to make you feel what you do to him, is overwhelming.
He stands abruptly, the chair scraping loudly against the floor. Your hand drops from his arm. He can’t stay here. Not another second.
“Gotta… uh… bathroom,” he mutters, already moving, practically fleeing towards the hallway, avoiding your confused expression.
He finds the door, shoulders his way inside, locking it behind him with trembling fingers. He leans his forehead against the cool wood, breathing hard, trying to regain control. The small space smells faintly of your cherry blossom body wash. Torture. Absolute fucking torture.
His eyes squeeze shut. Good job, Jisung. You’re the best, Sungie. Lifesaver. Your voice echoes in his head, sweet poison fueling the fire. He can almost hear you whispering other things. Filthy things. Telling him how good he feels inside you, how much you need his cock, how perfect he is while he pounds into you.
With a ragged groan, he rips his jeans open, yanking himself out. He’s dripping wet, painfully hard, veins standing out in sharp relief. He doesn’t bother with lube, doesn’t need it. He wraps his fist around his shaft, tight, punishing, and starts stroking, fast and frantic.
He needs friction. Needs pain to cut through the overwhelming pleasure-ache your praise causes. He imagines you kneeling right where he’s standing, eyes wide and adoring, chanting his praises while he fucks your pretty mouth raw. He imagines pinning you against this sink, lifting one of your legs, shoving into you while you gasp out how good he is, how perfect his cock feels splitting you open.
“Fuck… yes…” he pants, knuckles white, pumping harder, faster. He can feel the orgasm building, coiling tight and low in his gut, spurred on by the phantom echo of your voice telling him he’s good. He bites back a louder groan, thrusting his hips forward, fucking his own fist against the closed door. He pictures your face contorted in pleasure beneath him, screaming his name, telling him he’s the best you’ve ever had.
He’s close, so fucking close, vision swimming, when he hears it. A soft tapping on the door.
"Jisung? Are you… sure you’re okay? You sound kind of… strained."
Your voice. Right there. Concerned. Oblivious. Or maybe… not so oblivious?
Panic crashes through him, cold and sharp, momentarily dousing the heat. He freezes, hand clamped tight around his still-throbbing cock, slick with sweat and pre-cum. Did you hear him? Did you hear the harsh pants, the low groans, the frantic rhythm?
Fuck. He is so fucked!
A.N: This man makes me have urges i don't normally have like uhhh the things i wanna do to him! Also i have so many thoughts on how/where i want this to go from here, but m not sure! So this will stay like this until i settle on one ending. Sorry :(
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cheftsunoda · 2 months ago
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secrets are no fun (unless shared with everyone)
part two
smau + real life
lewis hamilton x !sister reader
hamilton reader x max verstappen
ayana hamilton, the younger sister of seven-time world champion lewis hamilton, has seemingly achieved everything she could ever desire— a successful career as a music producer and artist, been all around the world, has a supportive family and a loving husband—however, that’s a secret that no one, not even her brother, knows about—her husband is also an f1 driver. lewis has always made it his mission to prevent ayana from dating a driver— but is it technically considered dating if they are married? ;)
part one here
fc : tyla
tag list : @klauslovemepls , @omgsuperstarg , @msliz @samanthaofanarchy , @mayax2o07 , @goldenstrawberryx , @hannahmotors10 , @alireads27 , @1800-love-me , @htpssgavi , @cmgmikealson , @babygirl-4986 , @star73807-blog , @glow-ish , @just-tingz-virgo , @majapapaya4 @lina505, @hc-dutch
ayanaaa
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liked by sza, carmenmmundt, charles_leclerc & 7,594,375 others.
ayanaaa : countin my blessings twice as much
username : you and sza been in the stu recently?
ayanaaa : obvvv- we abt to deliver album of the year
liked by sza
sza : album of the century mamas
liked by author
kikagomes : ^^ can't even begin to explain how excited i am for this album
liked by author and sza
alexandrasaintmleux : ^^same
liked by author and sza
ayanaaa : i vote for wag listening party
liked by alexandrasaintmleux, kikagomes, carmenmmundt, lilymhe and lilyzneimer
charles_leclerc : what about me
lando : i have fomo
georgerussell63 : bless my ears please
scuderiaferrari : are we invited?
sza : girls onlyyyy sorry
liked by author, alexandrasaintmleux, kikagomes, carmenmmundt, lilymhe and lilyzneimer
lewishamilton : are big brothers allowed?
ayanaaa : possibly...and admin you are invited !!
scuderiaferrari : best day of my life
usermame2: sza and that damn bug mask
liked by author
ayanaaa : she won't take it off...she was just casually sitting in my apartment with it on and scared the living shit out of me
liked by sza
sza : im instilling survival skills in you
liked by author
username8: there is a man- this album will be V E R Y good
f1 : Paddock appearance soon??
liked by author
ayanaaa : sooner than you think ;)
ayanaaa : and merc admin wherever you are - you have a soft spot in my heart so you're invited too
liked by lewishamilton and mercedesamgf1
mercedesamgf1 : hold on im fangirling
This event was supposed to be chill.
That’s what I told myself as I checked my mic backstage, adjusting the sleeves of my oversize blazer. The event was part of a music and innovation summit — nothing too flashy. Just a casual Q&A with some of the industry’s top producers. I was there to talk about the future of sound design.
Then Max walked in.
My heart stopped like a needle scratching off a record. He looked unfairly good in that fitted black polo and jeans, hair still slightly messy like he’d just run a hand through it on the way over. He wasn’t even looking for me — he was talking to someone from TAG Heuer, who happened to sponsor this event and is a major sponsor for...Redbull.
I ducked behind a speaker, hissing into my mic pack like it was going to help. “Solana. Emergency.”
Solana, who was currently sipping a matcha backstage and doing her best “I’m not famous today” routine, poked her head out. “What’s the—oh. Ohhh.”
“Why is he here?” I whispered.
“I dunno, babe, maybe fate? Karma? F1’s brutal PR schedule?” she shrugged. “Also, why does he look like that? Like he just stepped off a runway-slash-motorcycle ad?”
“Sol!”
“Okay, okay.” She cleared her throat and straightened. “It’s fine. Just pretend you don’t know him. Like a normal ex—wait, no. Current. Very-secret-husband thing. Right. I got this.”
We both peeked around the corner just in time to see Max spot me.
And smirk.
The moderator opened the floor to audience questions.
And Max’s hand shot up.
My stomach dropped. Solana, seated next to him, physically grabbed his arm and pulled it down. “Nope. Nope,” she said under her breath, but the moderator had already called on him.
“Yes, you—front row in the black shirt.”
Max stood. “Hi. Max Verstappen. Big fan of your work,” he said, eyes locked on me.
I blinked. “Hi… Max.” My voice cracked like a teenager’s. “Thanks. Um. Likewise.”
“Just wondering,” he said, somehow managing to keep a straight face, “how you balance creative expression with, you know, maintaining… discretion in your personal life.”
I almost choked on my water.
Solana let out a sound that was either a laugh or a cough — no one knew, not even her.
I narrowed my eyes at Max and leaned into the mic. “Well, when you’re married to your work, discretion kind of comes with the job.”
Max raised an eyebrow, clearly biting back a grin. “Right. Of course.”
After the panel ended and the crowd dispersed, I slipped backstage, fully ready to tackle him. But he was already waiting.
“That was a great answer,” he said, stepping into my space with that low, smug confidence that made me weak and annoyed all at once. “Very subtle. Especially the whole ‘married to your work’ bit.”
“You are such a menace,” I whispered, poking him in the chest.
He caught my hand and kissed my knuckles, totally unbothered. “I missed you.”
Before I could reply, Solana stormed in, waving her phone. “Okay, fun update — Twitter thinks you two made eye contact for too long, and now there’s a whole thread analyzing your body language.”
Max looked pleased. “Was it a good thread?”
“No!” she groaned. “You two are a disaster.”
I sighed and leaned into Max’s shoulder, hiding my smile.
Maybe. But we were a disaster in love.
And somehow, against all odds, still undiscovered.
For now.
f1gossipgirls
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28,367 likes.
f1gossipgirls : Ayana Hamilton was a special guest at a recent event for music innovation that was hosted by Tag Heuer, a sponsor of Redbull Racing. Max Verstappen was also present due to contract obligations and asked Ayana how she dealt with work life balance— the two shared quite a lot of eye contact and user f1girllyyy on twitter analyzed the two’s body language throughout the event! let us know what you think about these two!
username : oh i never ever thought of this couple but i ship it so hard
username2 : guys they don’t even follow each other on ig 😭
username4 : max even introduced himself like they had never met before
username8 : they’d be so damn cute together
username10 : I don’t see lewis ever letting this happen
usernameee : yall are reading wayyyy too deep into this — it was like a 20 second interaction
username1 : he was lowkey probably just teasing her bc she is Lewis’ sister
usernameeee : side note she is SNATCHED
alexandrasaintmleux posted to her story!
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seen by charles_leclerc, lewishamilton, ayanaaa & 256,368 others.
charles_leclerc : pls stop rubbing it in
alexandrasaintmleux: sorry mon amor😁
The loft smelled like vanilla candles, takeout sushi, and just a hint of fresh vinyl. Solana and I had spent all day setting up for this — pillows fluffed, drinks on ice, and the speakers queued up with our joint project: an album we’d spent the better part of six months pouring our hearts into.
Tonight wasn’t about promo. It was about celebration — girlhood, music, and champagne in real glasses. Our favorite kind of night.
Carmen was the first to arrive, hair effortlessly slicked back and hugging me like we were old friends — which we kind of were at this point. Lily showed up right behind her, carrying cupcakes. “I couldn’t show up empty-handed. You know my brand,” she joked.
Then came Alex and Kika, both looking straight off the cover of Vogue, laughing about something that had happened at a shoot the day before. Kika pulled me in for a tight hug. “So proud of you, babe. I’ve been counting down for this.”
Solana popped a bottle in the kitchen. “This isn’t just a listening party — it’s a vibe. A ritual. A girls’ night only.”
We all cheered and clinked glasses.
As the first track played — a sultry, layered intro with a slow-burn beat and the kind of harmonies only Solana and I could stack — the room went quiet in that sacred way music sometimes demands. Heads nodded, eyes closed, a few quiet “oh my Gods” murmured between verses.
“This is crazy,” Alex whispered, reaching for her phone like she needed to write the lyrics down immediately.
“I feel like I’m floating,” Lily said, curled up on the arm of the couch. “Like… this is what silk sounds like.”
“Y’all,” Carmen added, “track three made me want to text an ex and delete it in the same breath.”
We were halfway through track five when we heard the sound.
Keys. In the door.
Solana froze mid-sip. “Wait. Did you give anyone else the code?”
Before I could answer, the front door opened — and in walked Lewis.
Wearing sweats. Holding a Tupperware of something suspiciously healthy. Completely aware of the very curated girlhood bubble he’d just walked into.
Everyone turned.
He blinked. “Hello Ladies.”
A beat of silence.
Then Kika leaned over and whispered to Lily, “That’s your cue to hide the tequila.”
Solana narrowed her eyes. “Lewis. This is a girls-only space. Read the vibes.”
He held up his hands in surrender. “I brought protein brownies?”
Another beat.
Then Carmen shrugged. “Okay, he can stay.”
I gave him the death glare I usually reserved for nosy journalists. “You’re so lucky these girls like you.”
Lewis flopped onto the floor with a grin and popped a brownie into his mouth. “What can I say? I bring the snacks.”
The next track rolled in — the one I was most nervous about. A little more vulnerable. A little more me. The one Max had quietly helped me produce in our home studio on a rainy Tuesday, layered with sounds he’d chosen just for me. The lyrics that he very clearly inspired. My heartbeat picked up as it played.
Lewis nodded slowly. “Yo… this one’s special.”
Solana caught my eye and smirked, clearly knowing who inspired it. I bit my lip to keep from smiling too much.
The girls, now sprawled across the floor with wine and throw blankets, were lost in it. And I realized something.
This was the kind of moment you didn’t plan for — the kind that just happened. Messy, loud, emotional. Full of secrets and sound.
Exactly like me.
Exactly like us.
The party had trickled into soft goodbyes and sleepy hugs. One by one, the girls had slipped out — Kika stealing another cupcake for the road, Carmen promising a playlist trade, and Solana leaving to go meet with someone she probably should not.
I was curled up on the couch, hoodie now half-zipped, when Lewis came back from the kitchen carrying two mugs of tea.
“I made that weird ginger-honey stuff you like,” he said, handing one to me.
“Look at you,” I teased, “embracing your inner wellness girl.”
He chuckled, settling into the other end of the couch, legs stretched out and socked feet poking near mine. For a moment, it was quiet — the kind of stillness that comes after something really good. Or something really real.
Then he said it.
“That track. The one after the interlude. The one with the synths layered under your vocals?”
I glanced at him over my mug, heart skipping. “Yeah?”
“Who’s it about?”
I blinked. “What?”
He gave me a look. Not pushy, but curious. Brother-level curious. Protective-level curious. “You wrote that about someone. I know that tone. It’s not just vibes and metaphors — that one’s personal.”
I laughed a little too quickly. “You think everything has a hidden meaning.”
“Because in your songs, it always does,” he said, leaning forward. “It’s not just the lyrics. It’s the way you sing them. Like… I dunno. Like your heart’s right there in the booth.”
I swallowed hard, my fingers tightening around the mug.
“You don’t have to tell me,” he added, voice softer now. “I’m not trying to pry. Just… whoever he is, sounds like he means a lot to you.”
He doesn’t know.
He really doesn’t know.
But my throat is thick and there’s this stupid, overwhelming warmth in my chest, because it’s Lewis. My brother. And even without the full truth, he sees me. He always has.
“Yeah,” I say, keeping my eyes on the tea. “He does.”
Lewis nods slowly, a quiet little smile tugging at his mouth. “Well… he better treat you like gold. Or I’ll have to start asking questions.”
I raise an eyebrow, smirking now. “Wouldn’t be the first time.”
We sit in silence a little longer. Outside, the city is humming. Inside, the track is still looping quietly in my head — the one Max helped me finish, without ever needing to sign his name to it.
I glance at Lewis again, this time grateful he hasn’t pieced the puzzle together. Not yet.
Some secrets deserve a little more time.
The apartment was still.
Late afternoon light poured through the tall windows, casting warm, honey-gold streaks across the hardwood floors. I was curled in the studio nook, legs crossed under me on the swivel chair, laptop open, final mix exported. I’d been sitting on this track for a while now — too long, maybe. Part fear, part nerves.
Max was in the kitchen, barefoot and shirtless, humming off-key as he made tea. I hadn’t told him I was going to play it.
I just… hit spacebar.
The song started.
That slow build. The synths we’d layered together. The crackle of vintage tape I’d added without telling him — the same sound from the first night we ever stayed in, rain falling outside, him humming under his breath while I tweaked knobs on my sampler.
He stilled.
Didn’t turn. Didn’t speak. Just listened.
And then my voice came in.
Soft. Honest. No layers this time. Just me.
I watched him slowly put the mug down on the counter.
His shoulders rose, then fell — like he was breathing through something he hadn’t expected to feel.
By the time the chorus hit — that surge of melody, that ache I hadn’t been able to explain when I first wrote it — he turned around.
His eyes were a little glassy.
“You finished it,” he said, voice low.
“Yeah.”
His eyes searched mine, like he wasn’t sure if he was allowed to ask what it meant — even though I knew he already knew.
“You used that sound from that night… the rain,” he added softly.
“I wanted it to sound like home,” I said.
He crossed the room in a few strides and stood in front of me, silent for a long second before reaching out — fingertips gentle under my chin, tilting my face up toward his.
“This is about us,” he whispered.
I nodded. “Every word.”
He kissed me like he didn’t know what else to do. Like music had said the part his voice couldn’t. Like he’d just fallen in love with me all over again, even though we were already too far in to fall any further.
When we pulled back, he rested his forehead against mine.
“Can I be cheesy for one second?”
I smiled. “Only if you’re really committed.”
“I never thought I’d be someone’s favorite song,” he said. “But you just made me one.”
p2 finished! let me know what you guys think and as always requests are open:)
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skeletonh0e · 5 months ago
Text
The boys in heat
Extremely self indulgent UT Sans x Reader, US x Reader, UF Sans x Reader, HT Sans x Reader, and UL Sans x Reader. Talks of impregnation, breeding and a lot of overstimulating. AFAB Anatomy but pronouns are gender neutral. NSFW obvs
No trigger warnings I think? Some minor blood & cnc play with Horror Sans + cum inflation with Underlust Sans but that's it
🔞 Minors DNI
Classic Sans :
Awkward is the best term to describe him during this time, Sans does not like being out of control of his body in any form and his heat especially as it progresses is gonna be an experience to say it lightly
Generally hard to be easy and laid back when your body is not uh....not that
He deliberately does not tell you about it, avoids sex like the plague, and is just generally acting weird, until you either put the pieces together or he genuinely thinks he might pounce on you at any moment
He personally admits he normally rides these out alone and doesn't know how he'll act around a partner
Now that you're here though, things are different
A brief chat mainly to ease him into it as you genuinely trust Sans regardless of what pheromones are doing to him
Once things get started well? It is a lot
Sans had previously been attentive during sex don't get me wrong, however he just kind of treats it like anything else he does. Chill and laid back.
During his heat? He's clingy, impatient and needy, going for several rounds at a time, begging to pump you full of his cum, groping at anything and everything.
Naturally rougher as a result, though it's less intentional and more out of sheer desperation because even without extreme horny brain you turn him on so fucking much
"sorry baby i can't help it-" being said as he fucks you through your fifth orgasm of the day, he's cum inside you many times at this rate but his body screams for more and for more of you specifically
When he does tire himself out or manage to calm his urges enough to think properly he does help clean up, order take out and cuddle. The occasional pun here or there, "i'd make a dick joke but that'd come across as cocky wouldn't it"
But per usual cool down periods do not last for that long, you have woken up before with him grinding against you nearly whimpering as he needs another round
Never been extremely heavy on dirty talk, but he's a lot more quiet during his heat cycle outside of grunts and moans. When he does speak it's normally making sure you're okay, praising you, telling you he's close.
Occasionally he'll mumble things to himself likely things he didn't mean to say outloud, stuff like how good you're gonna look knocked up, how much he wants to fill you right now, and that he wants to breed you so fucking bad
Kinda...protective in a way he just isn't, even when he isn't balls deep inside you. Hovering over you, attending to your needs outside of the bed room attentively, and on the off chance you need to speak with someone else. He is there, as if waiting for the moment he's needed to intervene.
Definitely some nesting behavior, that's pretty endearing.
Underswap Sans :
Does tell you about it beforehand, blunders a bit, sort flustered, but he wants a gameplan before anything else and he did not want to risk scaring you off.
You get the whole run down, how long the cycle lasts, what to expect, the likely good if a kid happening, etc, etc.
You start out very informed and you do prep for it accordingly, though Sans did insist that you could just sit this out as he is aware he becomes a lot during this period
And boy howdy was he not fucking joking
This man has some serious energy, combine that with his over energetic nature in general and his need to please you feel like you're basically rendered into his personal fleshlight as he pounds into you over and over
Anytime he cums, he simply just doesn't stop. Still hard and thrusting into you like jack hammer, as if the previous orgasm was just a little hiccup.
Don't worry he's just as eager to please you as he is himself
Sans has always been a bit of a worshipper in the bedroom regardless of who's on top (you two switch it up quite a bit), he really gets off on just knowing he's making you feel good and likes to praise you cuz he looooooves you
He's sickeningly sweet sometimes and on his heat
Every orgasm you have is getting milked outta you
He'll happily play with with clit and tits while pounding into you, man handling your form in passionate manner. Anything to make you moan louder and cum on his cock again
Very chatty too, not that he was ever quite but it's full force here. On and on about how pretty you look stuffed with his cum, how you're so tight, how he wants to never stop and how he's going to keep making you feel so good
Due to his high stamina cool down periods almost like never happen, he will still stop and tend to your needs when you're hungry or tired but he has a raging hard on the entire time.
You work on a compromise of him jerking off and cuming on your nude form either when asleep or utterly wrecked with your over flown pussy needs a break
Which while at first he doesn't seem that thrilled about the idea, changes his mind as he really likes the idea of you being covered and marked in his scent.
It's less out of jealousy and more out of pride to mark you a deliciously nude way
Underfell Sans :
Would have told you about his heat....if he remembered
You're both kinds thrown for a loop by it, you more than him honestly. But thankfully you at least knew monsters did have heat cycles so it wasn't as out of nowhere as it could be
Though at first it did just seem like just Sans but hornier
Sans seems to have two main moods that be flip flops in-between, VERY aggressive in which he fucks you with malicious almost violent intent telling you that he owns your pussy, that you're his little fuck doll and he's going make sure everyone knows it
And a big massive softie that's extremely sweet and lovey dovey to you. Something that was normally only happened in very small doses or when he's utterly shit faced
It's not just praise but adoring you, talking about how much he loves, you that he's lucky to have you, how he just knows you're going to make a great parent
The whiplash is real, especially since sometimes he'll change his tone half way through fucking you. It's never entirely clear what sets either side off, other than occasionally his sweet side normally happens once he's cum once or twice
Very...possessive during it all, constantly rambling about how you belong to him and he'll kill anyone that even thinks about doing this to you
You don't know how much he'll actually act on that threat, but it's probably a good thing that neither of you are able to get out much.
But frankly while he's like this he would be willingly to fuck you someplace public tbh
So. Many. Fucking. Hickeys. You're covered in them by the time it's all over.
Cool down periods he does his best for after care, but like....he's very quiet. Almost like he feels guilty, especially at the sight of all the bruises you have. Which you will have to reassure him that he didn't cross any lines and that you liked it
"you're really some kind of freak ain't cha?"
"Your freak."
Horrortale Sans ;
Primal and animalistic are the best terms to describe him while he's like this.
Before the famine heats were no big deal, now however the term "wanting to fuck like animals" has never been more accurate
Sans never told you he got them, but you learned about them via other monsters so you were prepared on some level and even a little intrigued
Once a monster sets his sight on a mate, they'll frequently hunt them or fight off any other possible suitors. And given how you and Sans like to play Prey and Hunter, this allows you take things up a notch
The moment you know he's gone into heat, you run, you hide and he comes after you. It's a hell of a thrill, especially since you know it guarantee a better pounding once he finally gets you
You shifting around in the forest, sneaking around before you hear a husky voice call out "i know you're here sweetheart-"
You attempt to book it the other direction but the only thing you can comprend is a simple phrase before you're pinned to the ground
"gotcha."
The way you're fucked is brutal, he's never been gentle really but this is something else. Your entire body quakes with his thrusts, you're screaming as his cock is jammed against your g-shot and nearly rendered to tears from it all
He bites too, not just bruising you but definitely drawing blood then lapping it up with the same feral hunger that he fucks you with
Not very talkative, mostly just growls and groans. Only occasionally barking out "mine" or a "you're not going anywhere sweetheart" if you attempt to squirm away from him
Not that you really want him to stop but the struggle turns both of you on, he likes working for it and you like driving him up the wall to be honest
You're brutally fucked outside, clothes ripped off you, covered in bloody bite marks, pussy full of his cum, on the verge of passing out until he seems to either we decide to let up or is tired himself. He'll drape his coat around your naked form then carry you back to his place
If anyone attempts to stop him they're killed on sight, this is his mate and no one gets to touch them during this time.
When you wake up there'll simply be a low growl of "told ya you weren't going anywhere" before the cycle continues.
He does halt to care for you, you're his mate after all, but again weirdly silent throughout most of it.
It'll be a while until he's more chatty again, it's best to reassure him you were into his somehow more violent and extreme side of him.
Underlust Sans ;
Literally just his entire personality dialed to his natural extreme
Also doesn't think to tell you simply because he forgets it's not a common thing and to be fair it takes you while to notice
It's not until you're ten round today that you ask if something it up as while yeah he's got serious stamina and loves to fuck normally his dick would be a little soft by now
"Babe please tell me you didn't take some monster viagra-"
It makes him laugh before he breaks it down for you but also assures you there's no shame in tapping out and that monsters down here have ways to handle this without a partner
You take it as a challenge especially as he tells you it's not a challenge
It's one you enjoy though
The shift is his personality are far more subtle, rougher, a bit more dominant, and extremely fixated on pumping you full of cum. Like extremely fixated on it.
And whether it's the heat or some other factor you're not accounting for he cums a lot more than usual. Sometimes you'll just pinned down feeling his cock gush waves of his seed for several minutes as it fills you up.
He praises you through it all, telling you how good you are for him, how you take it all so well, and reassures you when it's almost done.
Your stomach looks more than a little bloated with it glowing with all the magic he just pumped into you and he definitely has a toy blog that helps you keep all of it in there
When you need a break from getting your pussy filled, anal play and oral keep you mouth entertained. You try swallowing his massive load but you end up having plenty spill out then the rest paint your body
And Sans looks super smug after wards the entire time
Definitely likes to tease you when he can, "bet you've never been fucked this good before huh?" said playing with your overstimulated clit while your whole is still plugged with a belly full of HIS cum
Having the most control over himself and already being a king of after care you're pretty much set when you do need a break for real
But you can't help being cheeky when you two are cuddling then you feel his erection rising up again
"You having fun?"
"i dunno it's a little hard."
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d3n1r · 1 year ago
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fwb: nanami kento (18+)
nanami kento doesn't know how to be just "friend's with benefits".
tags: (fem aligned user) (uses y/n) (jealousy) (not proofread also sorry this is my first real smut ive posted on tumblr) (uses the L word (gasp!))
(art for header found on pinterest)
•—————————————————————————•
fwb!nanami didn't know how to approach you, his friend and colleague, about being friend's with benefits. he wasn' the kind of man to just have sex with someone. he didn't fuck- he made love. it wasn't until gojo dug his nose in, asking you if you'd ever want a fwb within earshot of nanami- you saying you wouldn't be opposed- that made him even think to ask.
fwb!nanami who brought a bouquet of roses to your apartment the first time he came over to "netflix and chill," stumbling over his words and acting like an utter fool in front of you. it was cute, and you eased him into the situation as naturally and slowly as your body would allow. his arm was awkwardly placed on your shoulder as you nuzzled up against him on the couch, and he seemed all too focused on the movie that was playing.
"kento, do you just wanna watch the movie and try again another day?" your soft voice cooed, and it made him fall apart, the sweat on the back of his neck rolling down his back. oh god, you were so pretty. he knew he wasn't doing anything right, and yet you still looked up at him so affectionately. this isn't what friends with benefits act like, was it?
"n-no, i'm just.. i've never done anything like this before." he swallowed whatever moisture had stayed in his dry mouth, forcing himself to meet your eyes, only to meet an understanding gaze that tore down all of his walls.
"it's okay, we can go slow."
fwb!nanami who's so gentle with you during your first time together. even though you wanted your brains fucked out, his gentle touch and praise that spilled from his lips as you sunk onto his length was equally satisfying.
"you're so warm n tight, y/n.. i can't, 's too much. you feel so good," nanami groaned, his hands kneading your hips as your lips kissed along his neck, licking soothing stripes along his sensitive skin to ease him through it.
he wasn't a virgin, but still.. this. this was new. fucking someone just to fuck them. to fuck you, his gorgeous friend who had always behaved so normally towards him. would things stay normal between you two? he was already overthinking. how did friends with benefits just stay friends when all he could think about was how pretty your face twisted in pleasure, how soft your skin felt-
"kento," the sound of your sighed moan snapped him into reality, and he whimpered in his low, gentle voice, his head falling back against the couch as you rolled your hips against him. that's right- all he needed to think about right now was how good you felt milking his cock, not how your friendship was gonna turn out tomorrow.
"oh, fuck, y/n."
fwb!nanami who didn't wanna leave you that night when you fell asleep in his arms, your head resting on his chest. carefully, he carried you to bed, tucking you in while stroking his fingers through your hair.
"stay," your sleepy, mumbly voice shot an arrow through his chest just as he was trying to quietly leave your bedroom.
yes, of course he'd stay. you'd taken such good care of him, making sure he was comfortable while taking every last drop of cum he had to offer. he didn't realize how pent up he was until he unloaded into you the first time. but once your lips wrapped around him maybe an hour later, he grew more needy, thrusting his dick down your throat as he gently massaged the nape of your neck.
hesitantly he snuggled into bed with you, your sleeping form molding perfectly against his, your face subconsciously nuzzling into his chest and wrapping your arms around his waist to pull him close. were friends with benefits supposed to be this intmate? should his heart be racing like this?
but as the events of the day weighed heavier on him, he couldn't bear it, trying to find a way to fall asleep. with your steady breaths and warmth as you cuddled him it wasn't hard to get drowsy, but his thoughts consumed him. maybe this was a mistake- him and his bleeding heart.
fwb!nanami who made you breakfast the next morning. and everytime after that. he always brought you an offering like roses or flowers when he'd come over, and treat you like a queen each morning, kissing along your body to wake you up, tasting you before you'd get a taste of his cooking.
it was cathartic for him. no strings attached, just pleasure. it took him a while to understand the point in it, perhaps less stress?
though his heart still raced everytime you sat with him at work or hung out with him- not calling it a date.
"ken, you shouldn't have. we're just grabbing coffee," you whined with your face flushed red. again, this princely man bought your coffee for you and pulled out your chair as you sat at the cafe.
"i wanted to," he would say everytime, shaking his head. and he said the same when he insisted on walking you home from work, fucking you when you got home from work, massaging your muscles from the stress of work, oh lord this man was head over heels-
fwb!nanami who didn't realize he had fallen in love with you until someone at the grocery store asked for your number.
how could someone walk up to you, standing so pretty next to the shopping cart both you and him were putting groceries in, and ask if you were single? as if nanami wasn't standing right there, pushing your shopping cart, guiding you out of the traffic of other shoppers with his hand on the small of your back?
"oh, thank you, but i'm not interested in dating right now." was your response, making nanami's neck tighten. what does that mean? what were you two doing there?
you weren't dating, no. the point is that you were friends with benefits. no strings attached. just fucking, just pleasing each other. this grocery trip was as friends, the breakfasts together were as friends, the sex was as friends-
"ken," again, your voice was like the smooth, untouchable hand pulling him out of a bush full of thorns and pulling him into your softness. "did we get garlic already?"
"mhm," was the only sound to escape his throat. to hell if you were dating or not- he needed you, perhaps even more than you needed him. or at least more than you realized you needed him.
fwb!nanami who pounded you hard into the mattress that night. he was a gentle lover for the most part, always checking in on you, whispering your praises, moaning into your ear as he finished in you.
not tonight. he needed to let out that pent out rage, towards the person who asked you out of course- not you.
"who's this pretty pussy belong to, hmm?" he chuckled as he gripped your hair tighter, pressing your face down into your pillow harder. His free hand was holding your hips with a bruising grip, keeping your ass up as he fucked you into another orgasm.
"k-ken, aagh," you mewled, your hands balling into fists as you held the sheets tighter. "'m yours kento, f-fuck.."
he smiled- it was dizzying, your voice being so broken and yet so his. "that's it beautiful. all mine."
by the time he was satisfied he was dripping sweat, his chest against your back as his breath came out in ragged pants.
of course, ever the gentleman, he slowly slid his cock out from you, watching with possessiveness and satisfaction as his cum dribbled down your folds, and then your bruised thighs. a part of him felt bad for being so rough, but then watching your legs tremble and your pussy pulse around nothing made him feel much less guilty.
"lemme take care of you, pretty," he murmured, helping you stand before carrying you to the bathroom. he was so sweet, sitting down on the bench in the shower, having you on his lap facing him as he washed the sweat and mess off your body with his large yet gentle hands.
you were drowsy from the mix of getting fucked stupid and the heat of the shower, and nanami's soapy hands kneading at your flesh was only making you feel more at ease. you nuzzled your face into the crook of his neck, arms weakly wrapping around him.
"love you, ken," you murmured into his neck, eyes fluttering to try and stay open.
nanami froze, feeling an intense rush of heat rise to his face from ear to ear. he was sure that he would be the one to say it first. with how he worshipped you, he was positive that the words would leave his tongue first.
but alas there you were, softly kissing his collarbone as you fought to stay awake. his heart swelled, more than his cock as it twitched. god, he could fuck you again just for saying that. but more than that he wanted so desperately to kiss you.
"i love you too, y/n," he hummed, tilting your head up to meet your content smile, pressing his lips to yours, lovingly, as if he had never kissed you before.
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nanamiskentos · 7 months ago
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going to a cafe with the jujutsu kaisen men a/n: (based on irl experience with a wide variety of subpar men) 😭 gojo's order being my order...aurkay!
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gojo — def the type to walk in and push his sunglasses down to check out the place. his order def goes something like a venti caramel macchiato with almond milk, two pumps of vanilla and two pumps of hazelnut, and a little caramel swirl at the top. smiles and is friendly to all the baristas, he's never rude to workers. tells the barista is gojo, with an o. whoever's unfortunate enough to be stuck next to him is doomed to hear him wax poetic about how coffee beans are the soul of the earth, and its 'really deep, you wouldn't get it lol'. if you order a black coffee, he'll ask if everything is okay at home. can't leave the cafe without ordering a $8.00 sweet treat and then wondering why all his purchases are adding up
geto — walks in as if he's a regular and tells the barista that he'll have his 'regular'. the barista has never seen him before. probably orders a flat white, double shot of espresso, no foam. he always says he doesn't have to pretend to like foam because he's chill like that. he'll ask for the wifi password, but only so he can show off how good he is at working in a cafe, but his ass is on coolmathsgames. will nod and pretend to care about whatever you're saying but he's still thinking about coolmathsgames. will also drop random metaphors like 'life is just like coffee. you either take it strong or with sugar.' you tell him to save the bad metaphors for his cult.
nanami — doesn't wander or hesitate when he enters the cafe. checks his watch every five minute. orders a black coffe, medium, and adds one packet of sugar. he's pretty good at ordering what he wants efficiently, and it leaves even the barista worried. he's here to relax so don't ask him any unnecessary question because this man needs a break. actually enjoys eavesdropping on people's conversations, and ends up tilting his angle to snoop on gossip better. avoids small talk like its another curse. you can't really make him react too much in a cafe, unless you spill coffee on his freshly pressed suit. will be passive aggressive and suggest that the cafe chooses better music. likes a good, dependable pastry. apple danishes are a favourite.
sukuna — prefers tea, without debate. but still orders relatively normal things. likes a good latte with chocolate syrup. but the king of curses kinda has to look cool, so he powers his way through a black coffee, with no sugar or milk. you swear his eyes are tearing up as he pretends to like it. after every sip of coffee, he sighs really loudly and it gets a bit annoying. even after you ask what's wrong, he says its nothing and continues to sigh loudly. nanami may be the one who eavesdrops, but sukuna is the one who interferes. will turn around in his chair to give unsolicited advice, but he genuinely thinks he's being helpful by telling schoolgirls to buy cleavers to chop their friends' hands off. is mildly offended when they move tables and give him weird looks. passes loud comments on other people and tells couples when he thinks they will breakup. attempts to connect to the wifi three times before threatening to burn the router.
toji — the barista asks if he wants a pastry with his drink and he asks 'do i look like the type of man to eat a muffin?' but if they're free, he'll take two. sits with his back to the wall like he's in a mob movie. god help anyone who sits too close to him, he really just doesn't trust anyone in his personal space. doesn't even acknowledge the existence of others until he's had at least three sips of his coffee. you could tell him his house is on fire, and he’d just mutter that he can't do anything about it now. types the wifi password on his phone with one finger like a caveman. tells parents to 'control their spawn' but entertains kids with coin tricks when no-one is looking. sometimes struggles to fit the lid on his go-to cup, and refuses to asks for help. wrestles with it for five minutes, getting increasingly annoyed before rushing out the door.
choso (this one is dedicated to pookie @creamflix) — frowns at the menu like it's written in an ancient language, like wtf is affogato. if someone behinds him coughs, he scolds them and says he's going as fast as he cans. spends 10 minutes deciding and then panics at the last second, tells the barista to give him whatever. if the barista asks any follow up questions (like milk preferences) he genuinely short circuits, "what kinds of milk are there?" he's genuinely baffled that there are options beyond 'cow.' he'll point at a pastry and ask what's in it. the barista explains and he replies with 'okay i trust you.' always ends up picking a wobbly table by accident and spends 15 minutes trying to fix it with folded napkins. if someone asks to share his table, he'll look like they just asked for his kidneys. if someone asks for his opinion on his pastry, its always a dumbass cryptic answer like 'its interesting.' uses his phone on full brightness and everyone can see him look up 'how to pronounce cafe au lait.' cleans up after himself because he's nice like that. if the staff get his order wrong, he never says anything even if it tastes like dirt.
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suiana · 9 months ago
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omg guys!!! i've been thinking about it but like yandere! jirai kei bf >>___<<
he wears pretty clothes and has all these super cool fashion stuff! he has a really cute sense of fashion and is an absolute pretty boy!!! bro is actually loaded with money too and loves to buy you cute plushies so u and him can match :3
unfortunately he's also a bit crazy!
YOU: haha bae ur so funny im gonna go sleep now
mentalhospitalpatient#69: ok babe good night ❤️
5 minutes later
mentalhospitalpatient#69: baby how could u not invite me to sleep with you? r u cheating on me? do u want me to die? u know how much u mean to me i cant believe this im going to breaki into ur house and explode
yeah hes an absolute landmine. u remember there was one time where u didn't say u loved him and he went batshit ballistic CRAZY
YOU: lol ok see u later
mentalhospitalpatient#69: yay >w< see u later bby!! i love u!!
seen at 14:23
mentalhospitalpatient#69: okay i see how it is u dont love me anymore is that it? u hate me? i knew u never liked me i shouldve just gone the kidnapping route n made u mine that way ud never lose feelings for me. the normal route was too risky i cant believe that i actually thought things would work out for once but
YOU: what the fuck vro
YOU: i love u now chill damn
mentalhospitalpatient#69: okay❤️ yay❤️
mentalhospitalpatient#69: actually no why did u speak to me in that tone i knew u hated me im going to burn your house down
you can't believe ur dating someone like him. you know that he overthinks a lot and is... unhealthily attached to you but seriously?? he can't go 5 minutes without a fraction of your time and it's actually making you crazy.
if it weren't for that monstrous dick and his pretty face you probably would have shoved him into the mental hospital.
actually he'd just break out.
"wtf what r u doing here bro u should be in the mental hospital???"
"yeah i broke out because i missed you <3"
...you swear one of these days he's actually gonna act on his words. and when that day comes you'll probably explode and die. stupid boyfriend. you're gonna throw him into the ocean.
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rafesbuzzcutseason · 3 months ago
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wicked game
chapter 2 - kappa tau
synopsis: y/n is sarah’s roommate and the embodiment of sunshine. rafe, on the other hand, is her complete opposite. when the boys place a bet that he can't win her over, rafe takes the challenge without hesitation. after all, he never backs down from a dare. the closer rafe gets to y/n, he finds himself drawn to her warmth in a way he never expected, and for the first time, he wants to be more than just the guy with a bad reputation.
but secrets don’t stay hidden for long, and when y/n finds out the truth, rafe is left to face the consequences. now, he has to prove that somewhere along the way, the bet stopped mattering, because losing her was never part of the plan.
masterlist
cw: mentions of drugs and alcohol, language
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"how are you feeling?" sarah asked as you were doing the finishing touches of your makeup.
"nervous." you replied.
sarah smiled, leaning against the doorframe as she watched you. “totally normal. first frat party jitters. it’s a rite of passage.”
you set your lip gloss down, exhaling. “it’s just… not really my scene, you know? loud music, drunk people, chaos.”
sarah grinned. “oh, it’s definitely all of those things. but that’s the fun of it! you don’t have to be the life of the party, just survive it. and hey, i’ll be right there with you. and i'll introduce you to cleo and kie who you will love.
you met her eyes in the mirror, appreciating how quickly she had taken you under her wing. “thanks, sarah.”
she smiled. “anytime. now, come on, let’s go. you look beautiful.”
with one last deep breath, you grabbed your phone and followed her out the door, the bass of the party already faintly thumping in the distance.
sarah linked her arm with yours as you walked. “okay, quick rundown. frat parties can be a lot. idiotic men, screaming girls, a lot of drunk conversations. but as long as you stick with me, you’ll be fine.”
you nodded, nerves still fluttering. “and cleo and kie? they’re your friends?”
sarah beamed. “yep! they’re the best. i knew them from home. you’re gonna love them. cleo takes no shit, and kie’s the most chill person ever. they’ll have your back.”
that made you feel better. you weren’t exactly shy, but stepping into a house full of strangers, loud music, and whatever else frat parties entailed? that was way out of your comfort zone.
as you approached the kappa tau house, the scene was exactly what you’d expected. just like the movies. people spilling onto the lawn, red solo cups in nearly everyone’s hands, music so loud you could feel the beat in your chest. the air smelled like beer, cologne, and the faintest hint of weed.
sarah squeezed your arm. “welcome to kappa tau y/n.” she then waved dramatically. “there they are!”
two girls turned and grinned when they saw sarah. “about damn time. we were starting to think you bailed.”
“as if i'd miss this,” sarah scoffed before turning to you. "guys, this is y/n, my roommate and our new favourite person.”
“hey, it's so nice to meet you! i'm kie." she said, pulling you into a welcoming hug.
"and i'm cleo." she smiled, "so first frat party?"
you sighed. “that obvious?”
“oh, yeah,” she teased. “but don’t worry, we’ll keep you alive.”
before you could say anything else, a loud voice cut through the crowd.
“ladies!”
you turned just in time to see two guys approaching. one was tall and tan with a cocky grin. the other, a blonde with wild hair and an even wilder energy, practically vibrating with excitement.
“finally!” the blonde boy threw an arm around sarah's shoulder. “we were wondering when you’d grace us with your presence.”
the first boy gave you a curious look before glancing at sarah. “new roommate?”
sarah beamed. “yep. y/n, meet john b and jj.”
“nice to meet you,” john b said with a friendly smile.
jj, however, wiggled his eyebrows. “very nice to meet you.”
kie smacked his arm. “behave.”
jj put a hand over his heart, feigning innocence. “i am always on my best behaviour.”
cleo snorted. “that’s the biggest lie i've ever heard.”
sarah rolled her eyes, then turned back to you. “okay, now that the introductions are done, can we please go inside?"
you hesitated for half a second before nodding. “let’s do it.”
kie grinned. “that’s the spirit.”
you piled in together, letting the party swallow you whole. you took a deep breath, scanning the room. it was overwhelming, but there was an undeniable energy to it. you let yourself feel excited.
cleo nudged you playfully. “come on, let’s get drinks. it’s, like, step one of surviving a night like this.”
you nodded, "alright. let's get started.
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a/n: i promise rafe will come in soon...
🏷️: @heartzshiftamy @hoefordrewstarkey @luvrclub @yesterdaysproblemm @leleee3 @yktayy9669 @miumiuestmoi @anacamofficial @cokewithcameron @bloodofadoll @shorttandsweett @mysticbby2009 @emmiesummers @wintercrows @drewrry @starkeyxcameron @xxbirkindoll2 @stoned-writer @drewstarkeyslover @hannieskzzz @verycherryblossomhideout @letstryagaintomorrow @@jjsbbg7 @mariamadison6-blog @laniirackssss @xeneasworld @countryclubwhore @drewsphswife @mattyskies @moonywhisp3rs @starkeygirls @lmaolmaos @thereallifebambi @emeloyy @vcnillafairy @rafecameronswhoore @st8rkey @angeldiaryy @therealfairybatman @drewsephrry @vanessa-rafesgirl @dreamybabbyy @pogueprincesa @happy-mushrooms @hannaa20002000 
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willowser · 2 months ago
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decode—
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geto suguru x f!reader wc: 6.4k+ tags: sci-fi au—tbh i leaned into the cyberpunk futurism thing again i can't help myself 💀, suguru's job is never explicitly mentioned but hopefully you get the gist, he's also a bit scary but i think that's normal ?? idk hehe thank you thank you thank you to dear @rabbbitseason for allowing me to write this ! it's my first time with him 🥹 i hope it's okay ! very grateful for all your support 🥹
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ONE
On the night you meet Suguru, an outage swallows the bar in one gulp.
No flicker, just a snap and everything cuts. The holosign outside dies in a whine of static, fans grind to a halt, light collapses, and you're left standing in the dark, holding a tray of warm glasses in hands that suddenly feel too small.
It's disappointing, but nothing new. You’re used to this. Your part of town doesn’t scream when the power goes out—it just sighs.
There’s a rustle near the door. Not the scrambling kind, not like the usual patrons stumbling out to smoke and curse the grid; it’s measured, heavy boots on concrete, too slow to be familiar.
This part of town isn't kind, even to someone it's grown. You step behind the counter in preparation for something—anything.
The figure comes into view in pieces—at first, just a tall silhouette framed by the dim spill of emergency glow leaking in from the street, but then he steps closer, and you see him: all in black, lean and broad-shouldered, his coat trailing like a shadow that's grown too long. The emergency light catches in his eyes, plum; dark and sharp and sweet.
You try not to stare. He probably notices anyway.
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"Power out everywhere, or just here?" His voice is low, silk wrapped around steel. Calm in the way that makes you wary.
You shrug, but aren't sure he sees it. "Whole block, I think."
He hums, like that tells him something, and you reach below the counter to fumble for the old lantern. It flickers to life, casting amber light across the counter and his face. He’s handsome—suddenly so—but there’s something else. Something in the way he stands, relaxed but alert, like a man used to being watched.
You clear your throat. "Can still serve you something, if you're not picky. Got a few bottles that don't need cooling."
He smiles, slow and deliberate. One strand of his long black hair has come loose from the tight bun at the back of his head, and it swings slightly as he leans closer.
"Something warm, then," he says, not looking at the bottles. He’s looking at you.
You nod and turn, shoulders rising as you reach for the chipped ceramic pot. The movement’s an excuse to hide, give you a moment to settle the uneven flutter in your chest. You’re not used to being looked at like that. Not with focus. Not with intention.
The power’s out, but the pot’s still warm from before the lights went. You kept it wrapped in a thermal sleeve—old habit from long nights, colder ones. You pour the tea slow, steady, hoping your hands don’t shake as much as they feel they might. The silence thickens around you, too many shadows in too little space.
When he speaks again, his voice is low and steady, curling around edges in the dark. “City’s quieter with the lights out.”
You don’t answer right away, letting the sound of tea against ceramic fill the gap. Letting the heat of the cup chase back the chill climbing your fingers. “It’s always loud,” you say finally. “Just changes the kind.”
He makes a soft sound—agreement, maybe. Or understanding. Or neither. “No neon, no noise,” he says, more to the air than to you. “Funny how much the city depends on its own distractions.”
You slide the cup across the bar. He doesn’t reach for it right away, just watches the steam coil upward, like he’s waiting for something to reveal itself.
“I like it better this way, feels…cleaner, I guess.” You say, and it's true; this part of town isn't kind, no, but without the automated glitz and glamour, there's no need to pretend.
You hear the soft shift of fabric as he leans in—not close enough to touch, but closer than before. His presence hums against the edges of your awareness.
“You’re not scared of the dark?” he asks, voice smooth, teasing. His smile is wide, charming, disarms you in a way that it shouldn't.
You hesitate, trying to bite back your growing timidness. “Only when it’s creepy,” you say, "when it creaks or breathes back at me.”
That makes him huff, amused. Not quite a laugh, but close enough. “So, no ghosts in here?”
“Well, yeah, we have those,” you shrug, “They just mind their business.”
That pulls something out of him, something real and small that feels like a reward. “Interesting bar,” he continues, finally reaching for the tea. “Do you see much traffic here?”
You keep your face still. “Some.”
“Travelers?”
You nod, wary of where this is going, though nothing in his tone gives anything away. Not pushy, not prying. Just drifting. “People passing through,” you say. “They come. They leave. Same as anywhere.”
He sips. There’s something practiced in the way he does it. Measured, like he’s used to watching, used to waiting. “This part of the district,” he says after a beat, “doesn’t get much patrol. No official presence. Doesn’t that bother you?”
You shrug. “They never helped much anyway.”
Another pause. Another small pull of his attention. You realize too late how much you're giving away, when you see the thought behind his eyes, whatever he's cataloging for whatever reason, but he doesn't press it.
“Sometimes the places with the least oversight are the ones that know best how to take care of their own,” he says, almost like a proverb.
You nod. You’ve learned to let silences hold the things you don’t want to voice.
He drinks again, not watching you now, not exactly, but still aware of you. His presence wraps around the room like heat—delicate, thick, hard to ignore. You wonder if he’s just a traveler; surely not, with how handsome he is, how subtly elegant, the way he speaks. You wonder what he’s really looking for.
The thought doesn't go farther than that before a stool screeches from the back of the bar. Not the clean scrape of someone careful, but the lazy sprawl of someone who thinks the world owes him the space and time.
Jogo has been here since before the outage, hunched in the far corner like he’s part of the decor—one of the peeling posters or half-lit neon strips that doesn’t work right anymore. You should’ve made him leave with the others. You didn’t. You never do.
“Still no power?” His voice lurches into the dim, louder than necessary, too smug. “Place like this, surprised it had any to begin with.”
You press your palm flat to the bar. Not in fear—just to keep still. Shame flickers inside of you at the insult, a small flame, ever-burning; no pretending in the dark, no pretending you and your handsome stranger could be from the same world.
Jogo gets up, boots thudding against the composite floor. “Surprised you’re still running this place at all. Must get real lonely in here, huh?”
The sound of his approach stretches the silence thin. You don’t answer. Words feed men like him; it's always best to let them starve.
He stops at the bar, leans in with that breath like rot and synth-spice. “What’s wrong? Cat got your—”
He sees Suguru—who you don't know is Suguru, not yet—still half-sitting, one elbow resting on the counter like he’s got all the time in the world. Jogo must not have noticed him in the shadows before, but now he has, after the air has changed around him, gone colder, thinner. Like the room is holding its breath, too.
Suguru lifts his gaze to Jogo, calm as still water. "She’s busy," he says, voice smooth enough to be polite, but not a bit friendly. "Maybe try saying what you need without spitting."
The smile he wears is soft. Mannered, almost pleasant, though it doesn’t reach his eyes.
Jogo blinks, tries to laugh. It dies somewhere in his throat. “Didn’t mean anything by it,” he mutters, suddenly smaller. “Gonna smoke.”
He turns on his heel and stumbles out, too fast to be casual, too slow to be brave, and the door hisses shut behind him. The silence returns, heavier than before—but gentle, too. You breathe, slow, and let your hand drift from the counter. Suguru hasn’t moved.
When you risk a glance, he's watching you, eyes like dusk, plum-dark and unreadable, but not cruel, not smug; observant. Like he's measuring the weight of the moment and choosing not to tip it.
“Didn’t mean to bring any problems with me,” he says, voice low, dry with something like an apology.
You shake your head, smiling reflexively. “No problems, just finicky ghosts.”
He smiles, enough to show his teeth, and something sour in you eases, recedes. “That so?”
You nod once. It feels like the right answer.
He leans back again, and the moment should pass, but it doesn’t. Not really. The bar settles around you both like the world has exhaled, but there’s still something coiled in the space between you, waiting. Watching. Becoming.
TWO
Suguru comes and goes like a rumor—whispers first, then footsteps, then silence.
You don’t know what Suguru does, or what he has to do to come back. He doesn’t tell you, and you don’t ask—not because you don’t care, but because some part of you already knows it’s nothing soft. Whatever world he disappears into when he’s not here, it stains his silence, lingers in the way his eyes avoid yours when he’s too tired to pretend he’s fine. It sits between you like something alive and untouchable, a quiet, clawed thing neither of you dare disturb.
Sometimes he brings strange gifts—tokens you don’t understand, bought in currencies you’re sure you never want to learn. Once or twice, he shows up with that white-haired menace in tow, loud and too tall for your doorway, trying too hard to be funny and laughing like he owns the air.
But most of the time, it’s just Suguru, and the rain.
He comes when he wants to, leaves without warning, watches you too long sometimes, like he’s memorizing the shape of your silence. Like there’s something he wants from you but doesn’t know how to hold without breaking. And still, he never says why he comes, and, still, you never ask him to stay.
But the space between those two things—what you don’t say and what he won’t admit—is shrinking.
In the morning, you stir—bones stiff, muscles whispering their usual complaints—and the city mutters back outside your window, indifferent. Your apartment is still, small, the kind of place that remembers everything you’ve ever done in it, that won't let you forget.
You don’t want to wake up, but your body doesn’t care what you want. You shift, stretch, dreams still clinging to your lashes like cobwebs—and then you hear it: soft, wrong, from the kitchen.
And that easily, you’re no longer alone.
It only takes a breath for your nerves to remember themselves. You already know who it is. No need to ask.
The air has changed. Sweet, smoky, with something metallic curling at the edge; sharp, familiar, a memory you didn't have to invite back in. He’s here, Suguru, and of course he’s made himself at home again, like this place was carved to fit him and not the other way around.
The clock says six. Early, but time doesn’t mean anything to Suguru; he isn’t ruled by it, doesn’t bend to it. He arrives when he wants, leaves when he’s done, and you—you just let him.
The floor is cold beneath your feet. Not just icy—artificial, indifferent, the kind of chill that comes from old synth-tiling, worn thin by time and use. In the corner, your heater clicks to life with a tired hum, flickers once, then settles into its usual half-hearted wheeze. It’s trying, and failing, just like every other morning.
Suguru’s already steeped in the hush of the kitchen, the shadows wrapped around him like old friends. He doesn’t turn, just moves, slow and precise and controlled, the way he always does—tea, window, silence—and your exhaustion finds you again, soft and sudden. You should be used to this—used to him—but surprise has a way of wearing new faces; even the expected can weigh heavy.
His voice cuts through the morning, low and smooth. “Good morning.”
You rub at your eyes, suddenly too aware of yourself. Of the old pajamas clinging to your skin, the sleep still dragging at your limbs, the way your hair’s decided it has a mind of its own. Bare, vulnerable things.
Your words are dry, meant to sound casual. “Back so soon?”
He glances back, just enough. Eyes finding you like they were made to—slow, deliberate, full of something unreadable that still manages to see too much. You catch the shape of his smile in them before it ever touches his mouth.
“Don’t sound so disappointed.”
His ease scratches at something inside you. Not longing, not quite, something worse, maybe, that doesn’t have a clean name. The kind that slips into your throat and settles there. Every time he comes like this, unannounced, unbothered, it’s like he leaves part of his shadow stitched into your space when he's gone.
You sigh, slow and shallow, trying to collect your thoughts before they show on your face. “No Gojo this time?”
His name lands heavy in the room: Gojo—noisy, untouchable, always dragging storms in behind him. You already know the answer; if he’d come, it would have been obvious, because the walls would still be vibrating. He’s never hidden the disgust in his mouth when he talks about this place, your dirty little corner of the star-system, as if it's a smudge on Suguru’s reputation. Shame and relief crawl into your chest together and sit there, when Suguru shakes his head.
“He can handle things on his own every now and then.” A pause. A glance. “Don’t tell me you miss him.”
Your laugh breaks out too fast, too sharp. It’s loud and uglier than you want it to be, but real, the way everything Suguru drags out of you is.
He turns fully at the sound and steam curls from the mug in his hand, held like an offering. He doesn’t speak, just smiles—that Suguru smile. The kind that knows too much. The kind that doesn’t need words to press against you. His presence settles like warmth between you—just enough heat to stay. Just enough to forget it will burn when it leaves. You take the mug, fingers brushing his, barely, and he steps aside.
And then you see it.
A package on the counter no larger than your hand, plain brown paper folded with precision, sharp corners and clean edges and neatly tied with a band of thin copper wire.
You eye it warily. It looks expensive. More than that—it looks deliberate. That kind of care—small, quiet, meticulous—is more him than any signature. You feel it in your chest before your brain can catch up. No one else wraps things like that. Not in this city. Not for you.
“What's this?” you ask, already knowing he won’t answer the question directly.
Suguru just slides it toward you quietly.
You pick it up slowly, running your fingers along the cool surface. The band slips off with a soft click, revealing beneath the paper a slim e-journal—compact, beautifully made. The kind sold by back-alley specialists who don’t advertise but somehow always have a waiting list. The kind you’ve lingered near before, just to stare. A soft hum rises from it as the display lights up with a warm, golden pulse. Your name flickers in the top corner, small and elegant.
You blink. “These aren’t easy to get.”
Suguru doesn’t respond right away. His eyes flick to yours, unreadable. “You said your old one was glitching.”
You can’t even remember when you said that. Weeks ago, maybe, in passing. You doubt you even meant for him to hear it.
Your chest tightens, that odd pull of gratitude and disbelief tangling behind your ribs. You press your thumb against the screen, watching it open to a clean interface—blank pages, empty folders, but one tab already labeled: Home.
"Suguru…" you start, voice shaky, barely pushing past your throat.
He just tilts his head slightly, smile twitching at the corner of his mouth. “Don’t mention it.”
The journal hums gently in your hands, in response. It’s light, sleek, and somehow heavier than it should be. A gift like that isn’t about what it is, not with him, it’s about the way he remembers. The way he’s been gone for weeks, and yet, when he returns, he still knows exactly what you need.
You keep your eyes on the journal even after the screen fades to black, the glow slowly dimming beneath your fingertips. It feels like the only thing anchoring you, like if you let go too quickly, the quiet swell of feeling might show on your face.
He’s here. He brought you something. He thought of you.
And you like the way that feels. You don’t hate it—not at all. You’re just shy about the way it wants to spill over. You’re not sure what he’d do if it showed too obviously, but from the way he’s watching you, eyes half-lidded and amused, maybe he already knows.
You squish your lips together, trying to tide back your smile. “You know, I was managing just fine with my ancient, barely-functioning piece of junk.”
Suguru hums, warm and buttery. “Mm. I noticed.”
“I was!”
“You say that, but I watched you slap the screen four times just to open the calendar.”
“It still worked.”
He lifts a shoulder in a slow shrug, like the act of teasing you is something luxurious, a taste he wants to savor. “Barely.”
The air feels lighter already. You’re still holding the journal—still feeling the warmth of its casing, still tracing its smooth edge with your thumb like it might disappear if you let go.
You move to the kettle to keep yourself from lingering too long in your thoughts. The tea’s already ready, still warm in its ceramic pot. You pour him a cup without asking—it’s second nature by now—and the motion steadies you.
When you pass it to him, your fingers brush again. This time, the contact lingers just a little longer than it should, and you pretend not to notice how your breath catches in your throat. You don't dare meet his eyes.
“Thank you,” Suguru says, voice softer now. How many times will you have to say it back before you're even?
You nod once, keeping your arms folded loosely across your chest. “You didn’t have to bring anything, you know that, right?”
“I know.” He blows gently across the rim of the cup before adding, “but I wanted to.”
You glance at him out of the corner of your eye. The steam from his tea curls upward, catching the low light spilling through the window behind him. His expression is unreadable—somewhere between patient and quietly pleased. And it settles deeper than you expect it to.
“Well,” you say, small this time, “it’s nice. You’ve officially outdone yourself.”
Suguru leans beside you, shoulder brushing yours as he shifts. His presence is always heavy, but now it feels warm, grounding. “I’ll try not to make a habit of it.”
You let out a breathy scoff. “Liar.”
His mouth curves, a small, knowing smile. “Maybe.”
The silence that follows stretches—not tense this time, but gentle. Lived-in. The kind that doesn’t demand anything from either of you. Just... a moment shared. A stillness made from something softer than what this world usually offers.
When you finally look over again, he’s already watching you—eyes dark, but not distant.
This time, you don’t look away so quickly.
And for a second, everything feels suspended: his hand cradling the tea, the warmth of his shoulder against yours, the soft click of the journal as it powers down completely. The hush of the kitchen wraps around you like a secret, and you let yourself stay there just a little longer than you should.
THREE
Something eats away at him.
You don’t notice it at first—he’s always been distant, unreadable in ways that feel deliberate—but something shifts. Subtle at first, then sharp as a crack beneath ice.
Whenever the mask slips, Suguru speaks in riddles. About rot. About weakness. About the way curses cling to people like smoke in their lungs. Suguru never says what he means outright, but you start to understand that what he hunts is no longer just out there: it's in him now, settling deep. You’ve always been afraid to ask where he goes, what he does in the stretch between his visits—but one day, something starts ticking inside you, soft and slow, like a countdown. And you know you have to ask, soon, before the poison spreads.
He comes in just after midnight; a whisper of the stairwell, the slow press of the door, the scent of cold air and blood and rain. The room bends with his presence, drawn to him like gravity to a star, but tonight he is no source of light. Now he swallows it whole.
For a long, terrible moment, he simply stands there, tall, broad-shouldered, soaked through the folds of his coat. Hair down, black and heavy, falling like a curtain, hiding more than it shows. You don't speak. You don't want to fill up any more of the space than you have to.
Suguru crosses the room like a man half-remembering the shape of it, as though he’s not really here, not yet. His eyes skim the walls, the ceiling, the half-empty cup on the counter like it’s all unfamiliar, like he’s unsure whether he’s still dreaming.
He finds the edge of your bed—an altar he has never bowed to—and sits slow, deliberate. The same way someone eases into the bath after a long battle.
The silence feels brittle, glass under pressure. His hands are braced on his knees, fingers twitching, opening and closing like he’s trying to hold something he can’t quite name.
“Did you eat?” you ask, because you don’t know what else to say.
His gaze flicks to you. Something unreadable in the dark plum of his eyes, bruised purple, shadowed and strange.
“No,” he says. Then adds, almost like an afterthought: “I'm not hungry.”
You don't care if that's true or not. You have to do something with your hands, offer comfort made just for him, even if it's instant and simple and comes from a packet—but before you can leave the room, he asks:
"Do you think people are born evil?"
He’s not looking at you. Just at the floor, at the space between his boots, like the question fell out of him without permission.
“I don’t know,” you say softly, and it's true—you don't.
You never had time to wonder about things like good and evil, never had the luxury. Your choices were simpler, narrower. How to keep the lights on. How to make enough for the next meal. How to stay whole in a place that’s always trying to carve pieces from you.
But this—this is a crack in his armor, and through it you see the shape of his world. A world built on consequences, on lines drawn and crossed again. You wonder who you’d be if your life asked those kinds of questions, if every choice you made had to hold up under the weight of whether it was right or simply necessary.
Suguru looks up—and in that moment, he’s someone else. A snake in the grass, coiled so tight you hadn’t noticed his presence until too late. He remains seated on the edge of the bed, and you’re still standing, but the distance between you feels like a black hole, sucking you in; it doesn’t give you control, doesn’t make you feel safe.
“What if I told you they were evil? Would you believe me?”
The question hangs in the air, sharp and unsettling. You don’t like the way he asks—don’t like any part of it, truthfully, but this, especially, settles under your skin like a stain that won’t wash out. It makes you wonder if he’s lied to you. If he’s been playing you all along, smiling just long enough to hide the knife in his hand, to keep you from seeing the truth.
Suguru has always unnerved you, in ways you never quite could face. From when he stepped into your bar, drifting in from the dark street outside, bathed in the emergency lighting. Like a warning you were blind to.
Since he walked into your apartment tonight, his attention has been scattered, drifting through the room like smoke, but now it’s all on you. You thought you wanted it, thought you could handle it, but now, under the weight of his gaze, you feel like prey. His focus presses on you, slow and deliberate, until every breath feels too shallow. When he rises from the edge of your bed, you step back, head bumping into the wall of your cramped room. The space between you disappears with one swift motion, and suddenly, he’s right there—close, too close.
"Would you kill them if I told you to?"
The question hits you before you’ve even had a chance to form an answer. You shake your head, words bubbling out in a rush, helpless. "I don't know."
"If I told you they were born wrong, would you kill them?"
You don’t know. The answer drips out, thick and slow, but it's the truth. "I don't know."
"If I told you they were little demons, twisted and demented, brought nothing but death and ruin—would you kill them? Even if they were young?"
You can’t answer anymore. The question feels unceasing, endless, like it’s reaching beyond you. His eyes, once dark and intense, have gone empty—hollow like a well. You don’t know if he’s even still looking at you, if he sees you at all.
Then, you notice it—blood. Slowly seeping through the chest of his white shirt, dark and damp, spreading like ink across the fabric. The realization hits you harder than anything he’s said, because there’s truth in it: something has collapsed inside him, something broken that you couldn’t stop.
“Y—you’re bleeding.” The words sound too small, too stupid, leaving your mouth like an afterthought, but he's still so close, close enough that you could count the long, dark lashes of his closed eyes when he blinks—and something flickers across his face. A snap, and then everything cuts.
His expression barely changes from that haunted look, but his voice is steady when he says, “It’s nothing.”
“It’s not nothing.” The words leave you with more force than you expect, anger flickering beneath the surface of your worry. You latch onto it, grounding yourself with it, needing something to steady you against the unease crawling up your spine. “You’re hurt and you didn’t tell me.”
Suguru straightens, settling back onto his feet, back into his bones. It should be terrifying, how familiar he seems in that moment, how quickly he slips back into himself, but you're so desperate to get him away from that horror that you don't care.
His voice is sharper now, edged with something close to irritation. “Was I meant to?”
“You could’ve said you were bleeding.”
“It’s not new.”
“It’s new to me.”
That stops him. The space between now and the last time you saw him flickers behind his eyes—not like before, not like a wound he couldn’t name, but something else. A fact. A shared recognition: That was then. This is now. He is not whoever he was then. Not here. Not with you.
He closes his eyes, eventually. Breathes out a quiet sound, almost a hum. “It is,” he says. “I’m sorry.”
But he doesn’t step back. Doesn’t give you the space to go. There’s no hand on your wrist, no body blocking your path—but you know, with a kind of terrible clarity, that you couldn’t pull away from him right now, even if you tried.
It can’t be life-threatening, you realize, now that your heart isn’t pounding so loudly in your ears. Not a picked scab, but not a torn stitch either; the blood looks worse than it is, startling against the clean white of his shirt, thin and vibrant where it crosses in straight, resolute lines. In better lighting, you might have been able to see through the soaked fabric. You’re not sure that would do either of you any good.
The top two buttons of his shirt are undone, something so profoundly unlike him it feels like a slip in character, and the pale glimpse of his collarbones is distracting, delicate in a way you hadn't expected. You shouldn't be looking, but it's hard not to. Enticing in a way that pulls gently at your attention, makes your breath catch for reasons you don't want to examine, not with him so close. You almost can’t stop staring, can’t help but wonder what else you’re missing—until the corner of his mouth twitches. Barely, but enough.
You clear your throat and press your spine against the wall, like it might make more space between you. It doesn't. "How recent is ‘not new’?”
“Weeks,” Suguru says, casually—so easily it startles you. You’ve never talked about his work before, and you’re still not, not really, but you’re closer now than you’ve ever been, in too many ways. “I’m fine.”
“You’re fine now,” you say, not quite believing it. His smile tightens, enough that it reaches the corners of his eyes, though you wouldn't call it warm.
And then his hand moves. Slow, deliberate, like he’s afraid of startling you. His fingers rise until they hover beside your face, and when they finally make contact—just the backs of his knuckles brushing your cheek—it’s featherlight. Reverent. It’s not possessive, not even asking; it’s a question in the shape of a touch, and somehow you already know the answer is yes. The air between you grows impossibly still, as if the world stopped turning just to see what you'll do next.
Your heart stumbles. You’ve never seen him like this—not the version that walks in shadows, not the one who smiles like a blade—but something else. Something stripped down and aching. It terrifies you how badly you want him to stay.
His eyes don’t leave yours. They could lie, but they don’t. "Yes," he says, "I'm fine now."
FOUR
Not much time passes, surprisingly.
Days, maybe a week or two, though time stretches differently when you're waiting for something—or someone—you’re afraid won’t come back.
Outside, the neon gutters spit their color against the wet pavement. The air smells like ozone, like the sky’s about to split open again. Maybe it will. You wouldn’t mind. Rain makes everything seem farther away. The night is nearly over; you’ve wiped the counters twice, swept the floor even though no one spilled anything, stacked the chairs with a little more force than necessary. You move slower than you need to, hands lingering on small tasks just to stay busy, just to keep from looking at the door.
The place is quiet—finally—and you welcome it.
Suguru left as he always has: without reason. Something has changed, yes, but still, he left you in the same shape he always does—like the world has flipped itself inside out. He never leaves without unmaking something. Every return, every departure, carves a new gap into you. They don’t heal. You don’t even notice they’re there until you're trying to stand still and find you can't—until gravity presses in wrong, sideways, like it's trying to fold you in half.
You've never seen him that way, so unraveled. It's been replaying in your head on repeat, unending: what if I told you they were evil? Would you believe me? Sometimes you think you should’ve said yes. Not because you would believe it, but because maybe—just maybe—he would’ve stayed, but that thought brushes up against something inside of you that’s cold and rotten and not meant to be touched. It makes your stomach twist. You don't like who you are in that version of the story.
You tell yourself, maybe it's for the best that he's done, that he doesn't come back—but the thought feels distant, like it doesn't belong to you. Like it doesn't belong to him, either.
You don’t hear the door open, but you feel it, a shift in pressure, like the world exhaling. You turn just as he steps inside, though it's not quite the same as before; his hair is down again, though only half-way, not the wild ink-spill it was before, and his shoulders seem more relaxed, like he’s shed whatever that unseen weight was. He’s not walking with that same tight, controlled confidence; this is different, lighter, somehow, but there’s still something about him, something sharp behind the soft way he moves.
And he's not alone.
Two little girls are with him, though they haven't moved from the door, haven't commanded the space as he has. They're just watching. One of them has her arms crossed tight like a shield, the other clutches something—maybe a toy, maybe a scrap of cloth—pressed to her chest like it might anchor her. Both of their eyes seem too old for their small, round faces.
It's been playing in your head on repeat, unending: would you kill them? Even if they were young?
You stand there, unsure of what to say. The silence stretches, taut as a wire, until his voice cuts through it.
“It’s quiet tonight,” he says, lightly. Too lightly. Like he’s trying to smooth the air between you, pretend nothing’s changed. Maybe it’s for the girls’ sake. Maybe it’s for yours.
You open your mouth. Close it again. A question rises and flattens against your tongue. You don’t ask. He doesn’t offer. But that’s always been your dance, hasn’t it? The space between what’s said and what’s not.
He follows your gaze, then crosses the bar to stand in front of you. In front of them. “I’m tired,” he says, quiet and sharp. “Of that world, of the filth it feeds on. Of fools who think hurting someone small makes them strong.”
That word—small—lands like a dropped glass; the question you never asked answers itself, shattering quietly between you.
Suguru lifts his hand to your face, like he did the last time—but now the gesture is different. Looser. No tremble at the edges, no hesitation, as if he’s no longer afraid he might break whatever he touches.
His thumb grazes the arch of your brow, traces down to the soft skin beneath your eye. You think—maybe—he’s counting your lashes.
“I want them to live in a world that’s better than ours,” he murmurs, barely louder than a breath. “Safer.”
You've always thought Suguru was built from something other. Something finer, sharper, less breakable. A different species from whatever you are, clinging to the bottom rungs in your corner of the world, but now, up close, that divide feels thinner. Imagined.
You don’t know where he came from, not really, but you know where he is now. You’ve seen the edges of it, the pieces he hasn’t named and maybe never will, and they’re ugly. Embedded like grit beneath his fingernails, worn into the quiet lines of his face. Ghosts clinging to the hem of his voice.
You’re not the same. But there’s something unkind that lives in you both. Something heavy, and tired, and human. Something he wants to cut out—for their sake.
You glance back at the girls. They’re clinging to each other now, as if the world might fall out from under them at any moment, and the only thing they trust to hold is each other. Their small hands are tangled in fabric, sleeves bunched in fists, pressed so close they breathe as one. The sight turns something in your gut—sharp, instinctive, like a wire pulled too tight.
The thought that someone, anyone, had wanted to hurt them—had tried—makes your throat close. Your body moves before your mind does and you lean into Suguru’s touch. Maybe it’s deliberate, maybe it’s not, but his hand doesn’t hesitate. His fingers drift into your hair, curling there like a root finding soil, like he belongs.
For a moment, neither of you speak. You don’t have to. The quiet stretches, warm and fragile.
Then, softly—barely above a whisper—you say, “I don’t know where you’re going to find a place like that.”
Because you don’t. You’ve lived your whole life in the dirt of this city, in the cracks of what people like to pretend is order. You’ve never been offworld, never even dreamed of it, but you’ve heard enough to know there’s no such place waiting out there, not one untouched, not one that won’t eat girls like those alive the moment you look away.
Suguru hums, low in his chest. The sound rumbles through his fingers where they rest against your scalp.
“I’m not going to find it,” he says, quiet but certain. “I’m going to make it.”
And when he says it, you believe him. Maybe not in the way of miracles, but in the way storms believe in rain. His hand lingers in your hair a moment longer, then slides down, slow, catching at your jaw, your cheek. He doesn’t move away. You don’t either.
Behind you, one of the girls makes a soft noise on the tile, barely a scuff of her feet, but it tethers everything back to the moment. The realness of it. This isn’t a story. It’s a turning point.
Suguru glances toward them, then back at you. You're not used to seeing him like this, less worn, less closed off. Like the jagged edge he’s always carried has been tucked away for a moment of stillness.
“It's not going to be easy, and I’ll need someone who knows how to build things that last. Someone steady.”
He’s not smiling, but his eyes hold the weight of something close to it. Hopeful, uncertain, wanting. A line cast into a dark sea.
You could laugh, if it didn’t feel like your whole chest was shaking. There’s no question what he means. Not really.
The silence sits between you again, but it’s different now—waiting, watching. Becoming.
And when you speak, your voice is quiet, but it doesn’t tremble. “Someone like me,” you say.
Suguru's thumb brushes your cheek again, soft as a promise. “Exactly like you.”
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bellesaisonn · 2 months ago
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i light the fire
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is this even long enough to be considered a fic? idk but it's about alex being your friend's hot dad
chapter one | series masterlist
contents: age gap (reader is around 19 and he's 38), dad!alex, blowjob, cockwarming
word count: 1.1k
You're spending a few summer days at your best friend's place. Sun, quiet, the pool. Exactly, what you needed after a grueling semester at uni.
What you didn't expect was him.
Her dad.
At first, you barely notice his eyes on you. But slowly, it starts. The glances that linger a beat too long. The way his head turns slightly when you walk by in your tiny bikini, book in hand. He’s always by the pool now, stretched out in a lounge chair with his sunglasses on and a book he never seems to be reading.
You can’t see his eyes, but you feel the heat of his gaze on you.
You notice how the pool is suddenly always clean, the water just right. “Gotta make sure you enjoy it,” he says with a knowing smile.
Sometimes, he asks you to help him with sunscreen. “I burn easy,” he says, shrugging off his shirt like it’s nothing. You pretend it is too, dutifully applying sunscreen to his back, his arms, his chest... your knuckles graze the cool metal of his chain, and the contrast of chilled gold against his warm skin sends a shiver down your spine.
After, he always offers to return the favor.
So you stretch out on your stomach, heart racing, letting his strong hands glide along your body. The only thing keeping him apart from you is the tiny fabric of your bikini bottoms.
His touch is careful, thorough. He doesn't miss a spot. It feels more like a massage than sunscreen application, but you don't mind. You love the feel of his hands sliding up your thighs. His fingertips are rough, calloused from years of gripping guitar strings. You feel the texture of them, the contrast against your soft skin, and you find yourself holding your breath.
The sauna’s always ready now, too. He stands in the doorway, eyes drifting over you as you step inside, towel barely holding on, skin flushed from the heat.
“It’s good for the muscles,” he mutters, but his gaze tells you something else. You can feel it, the way he looks at you like he wants to devour you, lingering on your damp skin, your disheveled hair.
Later, he offers to teach you how to play tennis. He’s behind you, his hand firm on your waist, adjusting your form. His breath is hot in your ear. “Call me Alex,” he murmurs, voice low. You feel the shape of him hot against your back, you try to ignore it, but you can feel your underwear get slick with your own arousal.
Still you don't act on it.
Your friend notices it too. "He's not usually around this much," she says, the tone of surprise in her voice. "It's weird. I'm used to him being gone more often. But this summer..."
You try not to think about it. But it's impossible to ignore.
He starts showing up everywhere.
Mornings, he's already in the kitchen when you come down. Shirtless, making coffee, acting casual. He always pours you a cup without asking.
"You sleep okay?" he asks, eyes flicking to your legs.
You say yes. Try to act normal. But the air between you feels charged, like something waiting to spark.
Most nights, he sits outside by the patio, smoking. He asks if you'll keep him company. Hands you a drink. The ice clinks. His hand brush yours when you take it.
The tension builds quietly. No one says it. No one moves. But it's there.
Later that week, you head downstairs for water and on your way back, you notice a faint light coming from the living room.
Alex is there, sitting at his piano, notebook open. The only light in the room is from a tiny lampshade.
He doesn't startle when he sees you. Just lifts his gaze and says, "Can't sleep either?"
You nod and you can feel his eyes roaming over your body. You're wearing a tiny sheer dress, and you're sure he can see your nipples.
"Had this idea for a song stuck in my head for days," he murmurs.
You step closer, voice teasing. "That sounds awful. Wish I could help..."
He watches you approach, gaze fixed. He turns fully toward you on the bench, legs parted slightly. You stop between his legs. His hand slides up your thigh.
He tilts his head, voice low. "You already are."
You place a hand on his shoulder. He's solid, tense. His other hand moves, slow and sure, tracing the edge of your dress where it meets your thigh.
"You should go back to bed," he murmurs.
"Should I?" you whisper, leaning in, your lips just inches from his.
Then he's kissing you, mouth open and hungry, tasting like cigarettes and something uniquely him. You gasp into him as his tongue slides against yours, hot and demanding.
You climb into his lap, straddling him, feeling the way his muscles tense beneath you.
But he pulls back with a shake of his head, "No, no... I'm working, love."
You frown, unsure. "But you kissed me."
He glances down, and you follow his gaze. He's hard, straining against his sweatpants. "I want you to warm me up."
You don't wait for him to say more.
Sliding down off his lap, you kneel between his legs. His eyes follow you, watching with a kind of quiet hunger as you hook your fingers under the waistband and ease his cock free. You breathe him in, and his scent is heady.
His hand rests at the back of your neck, silently urging you to take him in. You lean forward wrapping your tougue around the head of his cock and sucking lightly.
"This is gonna be too distracting," he mutters.
"Sorry," you murmur, pulling back slightly to glance up at him through your lashes, feigning innocence.
You lower your head again, this time taking him in deeper. Inch by slow inch, until your lips are flush with the base and your throat tightens around him. You breathe through your nose, fighting the urge to gag, trying to stay quiet so you don't wake anyone.
"Fuck," he whispers. "Just like that."
His praise washes over you like warmth. Your thighs squeeze together instinctively, aching. But this isn't about you, it's about helping him work. So you keep going.
He shifts slightly, fingers brushing over the keys, scribbling something in the notebook with his free hand.
Once in a while he reaches down, pets your hair and tells you how good you're making him feel, how much he likes having your pretty little lips wrapped around his cock.
You moan softly in response, and his breath hitches.
He shifts just slightly, cock twitching inside your mouth, reminding you he's still hard, still aching.
But he's focused. And you stay quiet. Warm. Wrapped around him.
You close your eyes and stay where you are.
Just full of him.
Exactly where he wants you.
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messenger-of-babel · 8 months ago
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Alive In Memory
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Summary: Even after everything he endured, the memory of you kept him alive. Even if that meant losing you forever. (Leon S Kennedy x fem!reader)
Word Count: 2.5K
Notes: Two Leon's coming up in a row wowwwww. This was written earlier but completely just me forgetting to post since I had an event on tonight. A little OOC I believe but I'm trying to pull it back in. I'll hammer out the fanon aspects that swirl around and re-engage with the canon like I normally would, but I have SH2 now so resi replays are gonna need to chill for a bit. Much love!
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Leon often thought about September 30th, 1998.
It was the day his life changed forever, entering as the bright eyed, kind-spirited rookie and leaving with all of that stripped away from him. His hands became stained, and he'd seen more death than ever before, coating his skin with the ashes. The years passed and he was forced to recount the story over and over, like a toy responding when it's string was pulled. He'd speak of the horrors he saw that night, the tragedy that was Umbrella, the destruction that littered the city. Yet he also remembered the night for another reason, a reason that he kept tucked away in the corners of his memory, just for him.
It was the day he lost you.
You and Leon had been dating well before he left for Raccoon City. You had shown up to every cadet function he had; arm linked with his when you went to get drinks. You got along well with his friends, you patched him up when he got bruised from falling off obstacle courses, you came to pick him up some days and you'd go get a treat down by the pier. Even after all these years he could still see your face, all rugged up and cup of tea in your hands, crook of your knees thrown over the edge of the couch. You'd stay there while he studied, a soft presence behind him while he studied, head in his hands. You were there for him always, and that included when he graduated. He had sought your eyes out first thing, seeing you in the crowd wearing an ear-to-ear grin, eyes sparkling. His chest had puffed out in pride, beaming back down at you.
That was supposed to be the start of your new life together.
The life you had both decided to build. He was planning to get a job, start off as a desk cop rookie and move his way to detective. He'd save up all his money so he could get a plane ticket to fly to your folks’ place and ask to speak to your parents about something important. He was going to save up all of his bonuses so he could buy you a pretty ring, with enough left over that you could have anything you wanted at the wedding should you choose to say yes. He loved your parents, the way they treated him like a second son. He loved you. So that's why he had no hesitance in heading to Raccoon that night. The sooner he started, the sooner that dream could come true.
"I'll be back." he said softly, kissing you on the cheek as he got into the driver’s seat. "I'll head in and see what's happening. I'll phone you."
Despite his reassurance you still frown, fingers curling around the door so he can't close it. "Didn't they call and tell you not to come?" you ask, eyebrows furrowed. "In that case shouldn't you be staying here?"
He shakes his head. "They won't respond when I ask. I think it'll be faster if I go and ask myself. I'm sure it's just a mistake. The movers are still scheduled this week to pick us up and move us in. If I get time I might get the keys to the apartment early, and we can go see it together." he smiles softly. He can see the way your jaw clenches thoughts racing around in your mind. "Hey," he says, placing his hand over yours on the door. "I'll be fine. It's not like I'm a SWAT team or S.T.A.R.S." he chuckles.
"S.T.A.R.S?" you inquire, and he waves his hand.
"They're a special task force in the RPD. Way above me." he says. He sighs, seeing you're not convinced. "Honey, I swear I'll be okay."
You fiddle before sighing yourself. "How about I pack a bag too, I'll stay at a hotel while you’re working and figure it all out. That way there's somewhere for you to sleep too if they say you've got another start date. I don't want you to drive back tired."
"And miss your big presentation tomorrow?" he raises his eyebrows. "That's super important to you. You could get promoted for that, and you've been working hard on that for weeks." he says, recalling the sleepless nights you had sacrificed. "I'll be fine." he muttered, swinging his legs out the car and standing up briefly just so he could kiss you again. You melted under the contact, fingers loosening against the door.
"I'll be fine." he soothed you for the millionth time, offering you his boyish grin before sitting back in the car and buckling himself in. "Go get some rest."
"Love you." you say quietly, hand coming through the window to grip his shoulder as he turned the engine over. He smiles, hand coming off the wheel to cover yours and give it a squeeze.
"I love you too."
And then he was gone, pulling out of the driveway while your eyes chased his taillights into the darkness. Little did you know that he had kept his eyes trained on the tears staining your cheeks and the bridge of your nose, heart panging as he saw you on the rearview mirror shrink smaller and smaller.
No, he hadn't lost you, you had lost him.
he had survived Raccoon with the desperateness to go back to you, your parents, his family. He cursed himself constantly. He shouldn’t have come, he should have listened to you, he should have thought about it a bit more. Yet if he could go back, he'd make the same mistake again and again, unable to stop the thoughts that there could be someone in trouble if he had never come. He just thanked every god above that he hadn't caved when you had asked to come with, his heart settling knowing that you were safe (albeit worried) back in your home. When he had finally gotten out of Raccoon, all he wanted was a cold shower and to go back to your shared place. To take a break and scrub his brain of everything he had seen. His hands shook when he wiped his face of the grime, uniform biting into his skin and making him feel like he was suffocating.
he wondered if you would be angry at him when he told you he wanted to quit the force after a single day.
Yet he never got a chance.
They had been intercepted almost immediately after the city was destroyed. At first he felt relief, he thought he had been rescued. That it would all be over soon, and you were closer than ever. However, it turned out to be quite the opposite. He was locked in a room with some agents for the better half of a day, wearing him down till he agreed to work with them. he was unable to return to his old life, everyone and everything that had made him who he weas before Raccoon.
 He could no longer go to you.
They redacted his files, pulled his documents and ID. He sat there with dull eyes seeing his digital footprint be wiped from the map, all the photos of you together being deleted off his media before his account was shut all together. He had managed to keep that flame of himself alive all through the city ordeal, but with each deleted image it flickered more and more until eventually, it was extinguished with a defeated breath.
They had put him almost immediately in the army training, all of their communication monitored. Every day he still thought of you, writing you letters you'd never get. He knew they were burning them, the way he'd drop it in the collection box for soldiers knowing that would be the lasty time he saw them. He liked to imagine differently, that instead of being sent to the burner they made their way back to you. You would know that he was still alive and hadn’t been caught in the explosion. That he loved you, and he wished more than anything that he could go home. He imagined the letters decorating your mantle or filling up in a shoebox while you waited for him to come home, instead of his handwriting curling with tongues of flame until his words never existed.
As the years past they broke him in more and more, until he was an agent with the DSO, no longer a flight risk and allowed to be unclipped from his leash. It was nearly a year after he had gone to Spain and rescued Ashley that he found himself in a bar in some big city, hunched over the whisky he knocked back. He kept himself holed up in the corner, obscured in the shadows and scowling at anyone that came too close, leaving the booth free to himself.
He spent a lot of nights like this now, fiddling with the callouses on his fingertips while he counted the grains in the wood table. Until a laugh makes him pause, head rising. With the chiming of the bar door, a group of women all walk in. He watches as they settle at a reserved table near the bar, and when the sea of dresses part his heart stops in his chest.
 It was you. Older and more mature, but you nonetheless. It didn’t matter that you had worn your hair differently, he could still point out the way it framed your face so nicely, eyes the same sparkling colour he remembered. The lines of your face, the arch of your nose, the dip of your lips, he had committed all of it to memory in those long nights alone. He studied your face like a saint, the image permanently etched in his mind’s eye.
His fingers twitched with the urge to go to you, to see if you remembered him. If you could still tell it was him under all the scars and bruises, and the way his lips always sat in a frown now. If you could still see that his eyes were the same shade as always, even if they had dulled a little. If you would still tell his hands were the same when they interlocked with yours, even if they were calloused and rough now. He pushes his drink to the side, standing up slightly before he gets a look at what you are wearing and slowly lowers himself back down.
The hope that was in his chest sputters out, and he bites back the bitter taste of reality. Of course, just because his life before Raccoon got frozen, doesn't mean that yours was. To you, he had died in a horrific incident and was a number among the thousands of deaths. You still had to dry your tears and go to work the next day and the next and the next, knowing he wasn't going to be coming home. You had pursued your career undoubtedly, winding up in the big city, and now you were in this bar seven years later wearing a white sash printed 'BRIDE' in gold lettering. He calmed the shake in his hands with a trained breath, hanging his head.
He was happy for you. He was happy, knowing that him leaving hadn't destroyed your life. The question of what you were doing now, that he thought about every single night, was finally answered. You were alive. you were happy. You were getting married, just like he had always wanted to.
 He slips a hand into his shirt, fingers toying with the worn silver chain. He tugs it to look at the silver engagement band lying there. It had always been fruitless, and honestly quite selfish of him. However, Leon couldn't find it in his to scold his past self, still a lovesick puppy who had been kicked in the ribs by life. He couldn't scold the young man who had taken a walk down the main street the day he got his very first pay check working as an agent. Sure, there were still a few eyes on him, he could see them trailing him, but he couldn’t care less. The pay was good, exceptionally so, which allowed him to push open the glass doors of the jewellers and pick out a ring. It was your favourite stone and your favourite cut, things he had asked your parents before he had left. he knew it wouldn't ever reach you, but it soothed the young man at night when he was restless and tormented by nightmares.
He rolled it between his thumb and forefinger, watching at how it still had a spark of light despite how worn it had become from missions and late nights alike. He tucked it back inside, closing his eyes to recall the face of you like he remembered, looking at him as he shut that car door.
He never should have left.
he then opened them and looked up, taking a mental snapshot of what you looked like now, the way you smiled and the way you laughed.
he needed to leave.
Silently he slips from the bar, a few bills left under his half-drunk glass. He casts one last glance at you, smiling softly. He has to pry the fingers of his rookie self off of his chest, his young love making his heart beat faster. Eventually the internal war ends, the young cop backing off and slipping back into the corner of his mind that Leon had shoved him into. When your eyes meet, he's already leaving, controlling the clench in his fists.
You were happy. You were safe now.
 Your girlfriends are giggling and drinking around you, chatting with each other as you celebrate your bachelorette. The night has been fun, attention focused wholly on your future. However, the ringing of the bar bell manages to steal your attention for a moment, making you look up from your drink. You catch the eye of a man as he walks out the door, a jolt of lightning running down your spine and hair raising on your arms. His eyes that were so deeply familiar yet foreign to you, then they were gone. You see a glimmer in the eyes of a stranger that leaves the bar. It might’ve just been the alcohol or melancholic speeches your entourage has been reciting all night, recalling the ‘good old days’. That’s what logic dictated to you.
But when you listened to your heart for a split second, a barely tangible moment, you saw a glimpse of a young police academy graduate you knew years ago, a glimmer of a young boy you once loved but now struggled to recall the name of.
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nnight-dances · 2 years ago
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LOVE & OTHER CLICHÉS
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PAIRING: jeon wonwoo x fem!reader (ft. kim mingyu)
GENRE: fluff, angst, suggestive content
TROPES: brother's best friend, slow burn question mark, skirting around communication because that's a good plot point, jealousy as requested, banter, teasing, arbitrary social norms about words like "cute" and "sweet" pls don't listen to a word i say ever, etc.
WORD COUNT: 12k (for some reason)
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The first time you re-meet Jeon Wonwoo, your brother Joshua's best friend, you think a lot of things. He does, too. It's really interesting how neither of you say exactly what you think.
"Y/N! Is that really you?" 
If you hadn't been on the phone with Karina when you heard Wonwoo's voice, you think you might've genuinely passed away because his voice is something of nostalgic value to you, something distant and definitely not in the same living room as you. You look up and your eyes widen when you find the man gaping at you. "-Oh, hi–" you shoot up from your seat on the couch and then quickly remember your friend still on the line. You tell her, "Sorry, Rina, mind if I call you back later? Okay, thanks, love you. Night." 
Wonwoo raises an eyebrow at you like you'd said something amusing and it's turn to take him in as you drop your phone onto the couch. "Wonwoo, god, you're alive?" you start with a small smile and continue, "Wow, um, you look… the same." What you mean to say is: How did you get even taller, you attractive bastard?
Wonwoo offers you one of his smug smiles at that and replies, "Thanks? I think. You look much more… grown up, you know." He really should've said: Holy shit, you're pretty. And then he opens his arms, "Bring it in, kid. Let's see if I can still get away with tackling you to the ground."
You scoff even as you step closer to him, ignoring the way his arms are a lot bigger than they once used to be when you tell him, "I think you're remembering it wrong, dude. I was the one tackling you."
 It's no use, though, because when he wraps his arms around you, you sigh contentedly because this right here? This is a hug. Wonwoo's so warm around you and you can only pretend that the way you feel his hard muscles tense around you doesn't send chills up your spine. Wonwoo's smiling wide, only barely controlling a comment about how good you smell and how you might've grown taller but somehow still manage to fit just the same in his arms.
All in all, it's a pretty sweet reunion. You haven't seen each other in over five years so the curiosity and surprise is barely uncalled for. You only wished you could've held onto the hug longer before Joshua entered the room with a disgusted grimace on his face.
"Gross. Can you guys not do that?" 
You're the first to pull away with a flustered sigh at Joshua's comment, rolling your eyes. Wonwoo tries to cover up the way he's slightly out of breath by countering, "Why? You can't handle us interacting like two normal humans? Want us to claw at each other's eyeballs like the good old times?"
"I don't get it, though," Wonwoo tells you, a slice of donkatsu hovering near his mouth, "Why didn't you just move in with Shua?"
"That's what I've been asking her! Haven't I been a good enough brother to you? What did I do wrong? Huh?" 
You'd already seen Joshua's reaction coming, sipping the beer from your glass to brace yourself. "And as I've politely reminded you many times, big brother, it's not personal. I just thinking that would be the equivalent of moving back in with my parents. Plus, I can afford to live alone now, remember? The promotion that came with the reallocation?"
Joshua flashes you the unconvinced glare he always does when you reason with him. But you train your eyes on Wonwoo instead, determined to get him on your side at least. "It would be waste to just live with him and not do the independent thing. Plus, I literally live across from you, man, so I might as well be moving in with you."
Wonwoo nods quietly as he washes his bite down with some beer, "Hmm. That's fair enough. I don't know why Shua's been whining about it then."
You break into a pleased laugh at that where your brothers gasps in offense. "Hey, Jeon Wonwoo, whose side are you supposed to be on here?"
Wonwoo shrugs, "I'm on the side of logic, my man, I'm sorry."
"God, don't let her fool you. She says all this reasonable stuff but–"
"Oh, so you agree that it's reasonable then?" you question him with a raised brow but he ignores you as he spews his nonsense. 
"-- But the real reason she wants to live alone is so she can get laid."
You hit Joshua real hard in the arm at that, "Ew, dude, don't be a pervert." 
Wonwoo looks postively entertained between the two of you as he provokes you, "What does he mean?"
"Fuck if I know. I don't know what gave this guy the idea that I like to sleep around, if anything, he's the player."
Joshua narrows his eyes at you, "Uh-huh, me, the guy who was in a long-term relationship of nearly five years?"
"Emphasis on was in a relationship. How many people have you slept with since then? I don't want to know. I'm just making a point."
Wonwoo chuckles, "She's right, man. You're not exactly on the higher ground here."
"Okay, okay, but I did overhear you telling your friend that, quote, living with my brother would be the greatest clockbock there is, end quote."
Your jaw falls open when you hear him recount your words to Karina only a few hours ago. "You're eavesdropping on my calls? Wow, see, this is why I don't want to live with you."
"You weren't exactly very quiet! And you were sitting in the living room, too!"
"Whatever," you roll your eyes and then catch the questioning look Wonwoo sends your brother and you take matters in your own hands. "Fine, I said that because I mean, yeah, it's not like the hottest thing to be living with your brother, okay? Like what if I meet a cute guy and lose him to the fact that Shua's the biggest prude to exist?"
"Man, you just made a player, and now I'm a prude? Choose a story, goddamn it!" 
You shrug with a grin, "People can be two things, bro."
– 
"So, you all moved in yet?" Wonwoo asks you and you try to ignore how silly he looks with the edges of his glasses fogged up against the heat of the coffee in his hands. Last week, he'd texted you asking if you'd like to get coffee and catch up. You'd replied with a goofy grin playing on your lips at 1 AM with a: sure :))) if u pay!
You hum as you stir your own latte, "I think so. But everytime I think it's all done, there's always something small I forgot. Like, this morning I realized I don't have wine glasses."
He chortles, "Ah, I know what you mean. Something small but inconvenient. Like a good night lamp."
"Ugh, I need one of those, too. I brought my old one with me but ended up leaving it in the study because I didn't have one there." You sigh as you slump in your seat, "God, I hate moving. I'll have age twenty years by the time I'm fully done."
Wonwoo watches you with a bemused smile. "I can help you with shopping, if you'd like."
"Really?"
"Yeah, I mean, it's not like I moved in recently but I still remember some good places for this stuff. And it might be less tiresome if you have some company." 
Your replying smile is so genuine that it's got Wonwoo smiling and he thinks he's helping you out more for himself than Joshua. It's an unsettling thought for a moment but then your voice pipes back up with an anecdote from your work and he can't care for the thoughts. 
"...So, you have any luck finding cute guys to bring home?"
The question catches you off-guard and your grip on the wine glass you were inspecting loosens dangerously, but you hold onto it before it can break like your pretense of sanity. 
"God," you groan as you look at a chuckling Wonwoo who's standing next to you, arms crossed in that infuriatingly attractive way. "I was slightly drunk when I said that, so it would be nice if you forgot about it."
"Why? I mean, it's understandable you'd want to get into the dating pool here. It's one way to get to know a new city."
You turn all your attention to a different glass. "I guess. But I haven't had too much luck, no. Maybe waiting around to find love organically is my problem."
Wonwoo doesn't immediately respond to that, making you uneasy and sending heat to your ears. Whatever. You'd just have to scream into your pillow and cry yourself to sleep so you could forget this embarrassment. 
"Hmm, I don't know. It'll just take more time that way, I suppose. If you're willing to wait."
It's your turn to go mute except this time the silence is comfortable, only broken by a comment here and there about the glasses. 
"What about you?" you ask Wonwoo at checkout, watching the worker wrap up your chosen set of glasses in bubble wrap. "Are you… with someone?"
Wonwoo's lips twitch with a small smile at your question. "Not at the moment. I like the space of being single." You nod in understanding. 
"And I haven't really met anyone worth spending my time with," he says, eyes floating to you as he pushes his glasses up with a finger. 
You pause at his words, thanking the cashier for their help and making your way to the exit. "You make it sound like dating's a chore, Wonwoo."
He shrugs with a shoulder, "It can be. With the wrong person."
– 
"So… tell me all about your hot brother's hot best friend?" 
"Ew and ew, Karina, do you want me to block you for real this time?" 
"I'm just being honest but all right, do you want to talk about your years-old crush on your brother's best–"
"That's not any better. And I don't have crush on him. Also, it would really nice if we didn't say the word crush anymore. We're both adults with jobs."
"And adults with jobs aren't allowed to have a little fun?" Karina's voice is laced with laughter and you groan in frustration. Who has she been hanging out with to make her so much worse? Not you. 
"Anyway, since you asked so nicely, I'll tell you. My older brother is okay. And so is Wonwoo. There."
A few minutes of further pestering from Karina and you finally let slip that Wonwoo and you have been hanging out here and there, sometimes over coffee that led to shopping dates (Karina's words, not yours) and other times spent over at Joshua's, drinking or playing video games on his couch. It was pretty cozy and you couldn't really complain about this new life.
"Oh, so you don't miss me then, huh? Nice to know. But also it seems like you're hitting it off with Wonwoo and before you cut me off, you did like Wonwoo for like half your childhood, remember? Maybe this could become something. Who knows?"
Oh, you remember. It was you who spent long summer afternoons staring at Wonwoo as he came over to your home after class, spending all his time arguing with Joshua about a card game they'd been playing or about which villain was cooler in the new movie they'd watched. For a while, it had been a distant thing but over time, you'd warmed up to them and started talking more to Wonwoo, now a regular participant in their arguments. 
And as it turns out, it doesn't take a lot of arguments to fall for Jeon Wonwoo.
– 
One thing about you is that you're stubborn. You like to think it's a genetic thing because the only person who could rival your firmness was none other than your brother. And this meant that when Karina tried to convince you that you still had a soft spot for Wonwoo, you tried to tell her that's all it was: a soft spot. Like a platonic affinity for someone you'd spent a lot of time with growing up.
And you reasoned it out with yourself that night, thinking back to the time you'd spent with him recently. It was familiar in the best way possible. Where meeting new people at work was absolutely exhausting, coming back home to your brother and Wonwoo was like a hug to your soul.
Speaking of hugs, your mind rolled over to the one you'd shared with Wonwoo a few weeks ago, an event that you often found yourself thinking. As sane and rational as you thought yourself to be, the way you'd find yourself unable to control a giggle in the dark every time you remembered the way you all but melted into his arms, strong but fond in their embrace around your waist. 
And when you come to your senses, you realize it's ridiculous how stuck up on that hug you are. It's stupid your smile that breaks through anyway and the way your heart beats faster when you remember the plans you'd made with Wonwoo for tomorrow, a trip to a local bookstore because he had found your collection of books lacking the day he'd come over for a visit.
You roll over in bed then, groaning a little because you're starting to think the soft spot might be… growing. 
"You know I really didn't think I would spend this much on books today," you mumble as you tap your card at the register. It was almost funny how many conversations you and Wonwoo have had at check-out, almost inevitable because often the shopping experience itself meant a lot of focused silence as the two of you browsed around in tandem. 
It was a weirdly heartwarming way to spend time together. Or maybe that was just you and your weakness for quality time. 
"What do you mean? We literally mutually decided that you needed a better collection." Wonwoo leans against the counter with a cocked brow.
"Well, the mutual part is up for discussion. It's more like you shamed me for keeping a modest book collection. And I mean, I wasn't so sure if I'd find anything good here."
"Really?" he asks, picking up the heavy bag from the counter before you can reach for it, "Because I remember you agreeing pretty quickly and enthusiastically to my proposition to go book-shopping."
"That was only because you made it sound like fun." And it meant that I'd get to spend more time with you. "And it was fun. So that's one thing you're right about."
Wonwoo's smile turns smug as you exit the bookstore, each with a paper bag in hand. You'd settled for carrying Wonwoo's own purchase of two new books that he'd apparently been meaning to come out and buy. 
"Anyway, now what? You wanna go to my place and break into one of these bad boys?" You shake the bag in your hand with a gleeful grin. But Wonwoo's looking at the mall across from you with mouth slightly ajar in concentration. And then he smiles, pure excitement plastered across his face when looks back at you.
"I have a much better idea." That's all he says before his unoccupied hand finds yours and tugs you after him. Admittedly, you're a little dizzy at the sudden touch and let him pull you across the road with quick steps, struggling to keep up with him. At the back of your head, you store away how attractive it is that Wonwoo's holding a good dozen books in a hand and yours in the other, racing ahead like it was the most important thing in the world. And honestly? If it was with Wonwoo, you think you feel the urgency in your veins as if it were travelling across your intertwined palms.
It's a good day to be a romantic for you, as you later find out, standing in line with Wonwoo to purchase tickets to a newly released movie. The genre? Rom-com.
"Well, it's not so much a rom-com as the poster makes it seem. That's actually a deft marketing stunt. It's actually a pretty serious movie about love and I've heard it's not for the weak."
So many questions. You have so many questions. 
For one, "I didn't know you were into romantic movies," you comment, watching Wonwoo from the corner of your eye, too afraid to look him in the eye now that your hand was no longer in his.
"It's possible to avoid romance. Everything is about love these days, even if it isn't."
You also can't believe that you're about to watch a movie with Wonwoo. It's all strangely… different. You'd never been to the movies alone with him. It's a new territory for you. But you're not mad. If anything, the smile on your lips is playful. 
"And it's not just that you're too scared to admit that you like rom-coms?"
"I'm not. Into rom-coms, I mean. The humor is straight-up bad and the romance is tolerable at best. It's like if you're going to do a x to death, you might as well do it well."
"I can't believe this," you mutter more to yourself than him, "Jeon Wonwoo watching a rom-com? This must be a dream."
"You dream about me, hmm?" 
You narrowly avoid whiplash when you turn to look at Wonwoo, his teasing only another addition to the list of things you didn't think you'd hear your brother's best friend every say to you. But the more you know, huh?
The movie itself is insane. The plot is devastating enough on its own but the way Wonwoo's shoulder pressed into yours the whole time, despite there being more than enough space between the two seats, has you more vulnerable than usual. So find yourself tearing up halfway through the movie and sit through the credits with half-contained sobs. And where Wonwoo had laughed at your tears mid-way, when he noticed your sobs, his hand found your back, rubbing it comfortingly. 
"That was horrific," you mumble when you're less overcome with sadness and pout at Wonwoo. "I hate you for making me watch that. I will never find happiness. And worse, I will never find love."
Your words, punctuated with that small pout of yours, has Wonwoo a breath away from falling to his knees with his head in hands because fuck, you're adorable. And truth be told, he was tearing up at the end, too, but he wouldn't let you know that because the way you accuse him for your state is just incredibly precious to him. 
"It was terrific," he corrects you, "And I'm sorry, I didn't think you'd get so emotional."
You glare at Wonwoo at that, as if you hadn't just been dabbing at your eyes with his pocket tissues, "Okay, Mister Emotionless, don't think I didn't catch you wiping tears away in the closing scene."
Wonwoo shoots a guilty grin and pats your head, "You're cute." 
The statement leaves you speechless enough that Wonwoo gets away with it, starting to walk away with a gaping you in his wake. You're deeply confused and slightly jittery when you finally catch up to him with a small "I wasn't trying to be" of affront under your breath. 
– 
"That's bad, right, isn't it? It's so bad. It's horrible."
"Calm down, Y/N, he called you cute, just so we're clear? Not a bunch of bad words right? So why is it bad?" 
"Because!" you cry out, "Because cute is like the most platonic adjective. I thought we were having a moment, what with a movie date and all– but if he thinks I'm cute then I was wrong. So unbelievably wrong." 
"Okay, I know what you mean but that's not always how things work. I mean, you said he held your hand and stuff, right? That's more than platonic. And it's all about the tone. Cute can be a very romantic word if in the right context."
"The context," you tell Karina with a sigh, "is that he's my brother's best friend! He couldn't make it any clearer. Wow, and I was all up in my head over him, too."
"Can we just take a moment to acknowledge how I told you that you still had feelings for Wonwoo?"
"We will do no such thing. Because the feelings are gone now!" 
"Right. I believe you, Y/N," Karina deadpans over the phone, "You can call me when you're done being an idiot. Bye."
– 
It's Karina's sarcastic tone that your thoughts catch onto the next few days, the ones you spend half in agony because Wonwoo hasn't contacted you and after your personal dilemma, you think you'd let someone shoot you before you texted him first. 
So you try your best to distract yourself with work, showing up earlier than you'd built a reputation for, and staying a little later than most. It's a new routine for you, one that leaves you pretty tired in a way that your bones are not used to. 
Maybe that's why your legs don't seem to be working that morning when you bump into someone on your way to the coffee machine. You'd been rubbing your neck, trying to feel out the knot that you'd woken up with, and had effectively lost track of where you were going and collided with a solid figure, sending a few steps back.
You sigh as you regain your balance, ever so thankful that you didn't fall flat on your butt as you look up at the person in front you. He's tall enough that you should've seen him coming so you're first to apologize. "Shit, sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going. Sorry about that!"
"No, no, I should've been more careful. I'm lucky I wasn't carrying a coffee or that could've been really bad. I'm sorry." The man's voice is hoarse and he talks over himself, as if eager to get all his thoughts before he forgets what he's saying. 
You meet his eyes with a small smile, "I guess we're both at fault, huh?" 
He reciprocates your smile with crescent eyes. "Yup. Can I get you a coffee as reparation?" 
"I mean, it's not a big deal at all."
"I insist," the man levels his gaze at you and you wonder how he looks like he could throw you across the room without breaking a sweat, but still manages to be so soft. 
"I'm Mingyu, by the way," he tells you as he hands you a cup of warm coffee. "Thanks Mingyu. I'm Y/N."
"I've seen you around. You were a new hire, right?"
You take your time with a sip of your coffee before responding, "Yes, I was originally at another branch but my leader wanted me closer to headquarters before they opened up new branches in this city. I don't know, something exposure for me and experience for them."
"You must be good if they sent you here," Mingyu points out and you brush it off with a noncomittal shrug. You find yourself pleasantly enamoured by Mingyu for the next ten minutes or so and you wonder how you'd missed him at all in the first place. But when he tells you he better get going, you nod with a smile, "Of course. It was nice meeting you, Mingyu."
Mingyu becomes the perfect distraction, as one might predict he would. He has a unique charm, what with the contrast between his intimidating physique but surprisingly shy demeanour. He's the textbook golden retriever in people and though you're not a dog person, you find yourself grow fonder of him every time you run into him near the coffee machine or while leaving work in the elevator. 
"You have a work crush?"
You groan loudly, throwing a half-eaten cracker at Joshua. "Come on, what is it with all the people I know and having the most childish vocabulary?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, am I not erudite enough for you? You know it may not seem like it but I am four years older than you and I have that much more–"
"Yeah, yeah, something about experience and knowledge, I've heard it before. And by the way, it's technically three years and three months, not that I'm counting."
"You very clearly are," Joshua points out with a frustrated laugh, "Anyway, you gonna make a move on this guy?"
"No, because if you were actually listening to me, you'd have heard that I like him as a friend and that I need help buying a gift for his birthday."
"Right, right," your brother mumbles in thought, "And that's next week?"
You nod as you pick your phone up, scrolling through the chat with Mingyu to reach the text he'd sent you a day ago: by the way, i'm throwing for my birthday on the 6th. love it if you came ;)
Winky emoji and slightly short notice aside, you'd replied as enthusiastically as you could muster: your birthday??? when were you going to tell me!! and: ofc i'll be there but not before i make you suffer for hiding smth so imp from me :(((
Before you can squeeze any more vaguely helpful tips from Joshua, his bell rings and you sit up with a frown as he stands up to get it. "Ah, Wonwoo's here."
"Wonwoo?" is your shocked gasp to that information, body going stiff because you'd seen him only in passing since the day of the movie. You think you might pass out. Why does nobody think it's important to tell you anything these days? 
You hear their voices in the corridor as Joshua lets Wonwoo in and your mind races with your options. Hiding in the bathroom for the night would be feasible if your brother wasn't a monster who would drag you out within thirty minutes. Maybe you climb out a window? But you were on the eight floor and as much as you liked to joke about death, you'd prefer to escape alive. 
Your brother's voice breaks you out of your scheming, alerting you they're in the living room. "Oh yeah, Y/N, here's someone with not childish vocabulary if you want to replace me." 
You look over your shoulder with a scowl but immediately lose your spirit when you lock eyes with Wonwoo, a lopsided smile greeting you. He's wearing a cozy sweater that's a shade of blue so dark that it might as well be black and you want to start crying because his hands are concealed beneath the sleeves, fists turned sweater paws as he stands there, looking between you and your brother. 
"Why are you two fighting this time?" 
"Nothing." "She has a crush at work." 
Wonwoo lets out a sigh when you both answer simultaneously but seems intrigued by Joshua's statement, eyeing him. "What did you say?"
"She has a–" 
"I'm warning you, if you say the word crush one more time, I will do something so unimaginable to your face at night–"
"She likes a guy from work."
Wonwoo looks surprised as he looks back at you inquisitively and you frown. "Untrue. It's just a guy I made friends with recently. And I only mentioned him so I could get advice but clearly, nobody here supports me so I'm going to take this conversation elsewhere."
"I support you." Wonwoo's quick response has you freezing in your dramatic exit and you turn to look at him in doubt but when his expression is clear of any mischief, you sit back down. 
"Nice to know. But I'd love it if we talked about something else for now. Like dinner." 
The night takes on a more comfortable journey from thereon, with the three of you ordering take-out and fighting it out with a card game while it was on its way. You were actually proud of yourself for acting normal around Wonwoo, despite all your past internal conflict. And you would've gone to sleep somewhat peacefully if he hadn't approached you in the kitchen, while Joshua was taking out trash, having lost the game. 
You were placing the leftovers in the fridge when Wonwoo materialized behind you, the only warning of his presence the question he asks you, "You want any help?" 
You barely hold in a surprised squeak as you spin around to him. "Goddamn it, Wonwoo, make some noise next time you sneak up on me?"
"Then I wouldn't be sneaking up on you, would I?"
You roll your eyes, closing the fridge behind you as you declare, "Well, I'm done here. Thanks for washing the dishes, by the way."
"Sure, I know how much you Hongs hate touching water. I was surprised you installed a faucet in your kitchen at all."
You give Wonwoo a push in response, "That's a very funny way to conceal the fact that you lost at rock paper scissors." 
"I just think it was an unfair way to decide tasks. I'm really bad at that game."
"Right, and assuming one can be good or bad at a game of rock paper scissors, what else would you have preferred to play?"
Wonwoo's eyes twinkle with an idea and then, he puts up a hand and wiggles it around in your face. "Arm wrestling."
Your smile falls, "No. That's just–"
"See," he points at you, "That's how I feel about rock paper scissors." 
Despite how much you claim that the two games are not at all on the same par, you let Wonwoo drag you to the kitchen table, standing across from you and arm ready for the wrestling. Slowly, you lean closer to him, hand coming to rest against his.
"Don't be too cocky," you mumble when his hand squeezes yours, already triumphant before the game had begun. The result of the game itself is pretty obvious but when you start to wrestle and feel Wonwoo's forearm tense against you, it has you light-headed. Your eyes leave the match to look at him, only to find him watching you with a glint in his eye. He smiles when you make eye-contact with him, going strangely silent for all his gloating a minute ago. You raise a brow at him and the bastard has the audacity to send a wink your way before pressing your arm against the wood of the table.
"Whatever," you tell him before his already obnoxious grin can swell any more. He opens his mouth and you're already anticipating something insulting to meet your eyes. But instead, Wonwoo says, "Your hand's so small." You look up at him only for him to take your hand in his and carefully line it against his own palm. 
You feel your cheeks burn. It's all so cliché, especially if he's flirting with you. Arm-wrestling turns into a hand-measuring contest. So trite. And yet, you find yourself smiling.
"See?" your hand wriggles, imitiating Wonwoo from earlier, "This game was rigged. Maybe if you had a handicap or something."
"Okay, I think I better leave before you take a knife and cut my hand up or something…"
– 
wonwoo: hello you
you: hi?
wonwoo: heard there's live music at the pub today. wanna come with?
you: ok creep
wonwoo: excuse me??? just informed you of a one in lifetime opportunity. shua's treating
you: WAIT he is???????
you: the one time i can't come?
wonwoo: you can't?
you: yes… have to attend a coworker's birthday party tonight. sorry :(
wonwoo: u should be sorry
wonwoo: imagine how much damage we could've done to joshua's wallet
You throw yourself into your sheets with a disappointed sigh, stomach uneasy at the thought of missing a hang-out with your favorite duo. But then you roll over to your side and think it's better if you go out with people who you didn't grow up with, for once. It might be a new experience. Just to be clear, this was Karina's voice resounding in your head. She had her way of giving you advice without you calling her for it. 
Three hours later, you're tiring yourself out at Mingyu's birthday party. It's intense, the party, bustling with people but then again, you'd be a fool to think Mingyu wouldn't have a roster full of friends to invite to a party. You meet the man of the night an hour into the party and he throws his hands around when he recognizes you. 
"Y/N, I'm so glad you could make it!"
"Of course. Happy birthday, Mingyu!" 
He leans over the bar and yells something at the bartender who eyes Mingyu and upon recognizing him as the birthday boy, places two shots in front of you. 
"Have a shot with me?" Mingyu grins, a slight layer of sweat shining on his forehead. You chuckle in defeat, "Sure, why not?" 
A shot turns into two and you're working on swallowing the third one when your phone buzzes in the back-pocket of your denim shorts. You're about to take a look at the caller ID and decline almost immediately but when you realize it's Wonwoo calling you, you pause. You excuse yourself from Mingyu's side quickly, making your way to a slightly quieter cornern of the party and answer.
"Wonwoo?" 
"Oh," comes Wonwoo's voice, a little distant, and he seems shocked as if he hadn't expected you to pick up. "Hey, Y/N. How are you?"
"Um. I'm fine, Wonwoo, just at that party I told you about. Is everything okay?"
"Yeah. You're not too drunk, are you?" he asks, ironically slurring the question. 
"I should be asking you that question. Wonwoo, where's Joshua? Do you need me to come pick you up?"
"No," his voice is laced with disbelief, "I'm fine. Just a little tipsy. Sorry, you should get back to the party."
"Yeah," you reply, feeling a little uneasy as the liquid in your stomach sloshes around with each movement you make.
"Stay safe, Y/N. Call me if you need anything? I'm gonna go find Shua now."
Before you can ask him what he means by finding Joshua, Wonwoo's hung up on you, almost as quickly as he called you. Okay, so that was weird. And cool, now you're nauseous. 
– 
When Wonwoo drunk-calls you, he thinks he's officially lost you. If you didn't find him weird before, you probably thought him a lot weird now. That's great, he thinks. But the regret of his decision doesn't outweigh the need to see you right now, something about the fact that you're at some guy's birthday party making him all worked up. It should be obvious why he's like this but Wonwoo can avoid a serious thought for days if it keeps him slightly more sane than usual. 
But then the Joshua's bell rings and he opens the door, finding you standing there just like he'd imagined a few minutes ago. You're in a slouchy shirt that unbuttoned all the way to your mid-torso to reveal a black bikini top. He clears his throat to contain the thought that threatens to escape him: fuck, you look hot. 
"Shit," you exclaim when you see Wonwoo, "This isn't my place. Ugh. I'm stupid."
Wonwoo steps closer to you, "Are you okay, Y/N? Did you just get back?"
You nod silently and then take a step back from him. "Sorry, I'm just gonna go to the right place. You can sleep… or whatever."
"Wait, no," he rushes to your side, taking your elbow in his hand, "I'll help you."
You roll your eyes, "It's okay, I'm not drunk, Wonwoo. And by the looks of it, neither are you." But you don't push off the hand on you and simply let him follow you to your door, "Is Shua already asleep?"
"Hmm, he passed out. I don't know why he claims to be heavyweight when he can barely handle alcohol. I had force him to leave the pub before he made himself sick."
You listen intently, unlocking the door with a hum, "He's an idiot." You throw the door open and Wonwoo lets himself in after you. He's clearly not too sober because when you bend down to take of your shoes and your ass juts out dangerously close to his crotch, he almost falls over in an attempt to jump away to give you space. But he remains close just in case you stumble, his own shaky state be damned.
But you're unnervingly stable as you stand back up, taking your hand off the wall when you're done taking your shoes off and brushing them against yourself with a suspicious look thrown at him– unnerving because Wonwoo just wants an excuse to get his hands on you somehow. You're effortlessly magnetic, moving across the hall to your kitchen to pour yourself some water, still unebelievably stable, and Wonwoo follows you in a trance-like manner.
"You want something to drink?"
Your question hangs in complete silence and it's only when you look over at Wonwoo that he comprehends that you're asking him. He clears his throat again, "Um, I don't want to bother you if you want to go to bed." 
You raise a shoulder nonchalantly, "'M not sleepy. And you're here so we might as well hang." You disappear from his sight as you crouch down behind the counter, sliding open a shelf, "I have some shiraz I've been meaning to break open, if you're up for it?" 
"Oh, that sounds great actually," he replies and you reappear with two wine glasses in your hand. You beam at him and he feels a thrill down his spine, recognizing the set you'd bought with him. "Great. Go sit in the living room and I'll be right there." 
"No, I'll help you get the stuff."
You pause your movements toward the liquor shelf, "Come on, I thought it was clear I'm not drunk by now."
"I know," Wonwoo walks closer to you, picking up the glasses you'd set down earlier, "Just want to be here with you." 
You turn back around and Wonwoo doesn't know it's to hide the flush that colors your face at his confession. You spend a minute too long picking out the shiraz to recover and you're glad Wonwoo also doesn't know that you could pick the bottle of red out without actually looking. 
"Geez, I've got sand in my feet now," you complain as you take your first sip of the wine from your glass when you catch sight of the particles lodged in your toes. 
"Sand?" questions Wonwoo as he leans over to get a look. 
"Yeah, it was a beach-themed party," you tell him. He nods, thinking that your outfit makes a lot more sense now. "Mingyu's a silly guy for someone who's turning twenty-five."
"Mingyu, huh?" Wonwoo tries out the name, watching out for how you react. You don't give away much, simply taking another sip but your chest burns for reasons other than alcohol. 
"Hmm, yeah." 
"So do you like him? Joshua seems pretty convinced about it."
You hide your face against the couch, "Fuck Joshua. He's an idiot." 
"So you've said."
"No, but really. Mingyu's a sweet guy and all, but he's… not my type."
Now this is something Wonwoo can work with, relief flooding his veins at your honest reply. "What is your type?"
You meet Wonwoo's gaze for the first time in this conversation and groan again. In your head, you can't help but be burdened by how unbelievably cliché your situation is. Your brother's best friend sitting next to you swirling a glass of red wine, asking you about the guy you liked when it was clearly him you liked. In fact, you think your entire relationship with Wonwoo's always been full of clichés: falling for his charm as a youth and growing into the feelings long after, hanging out with him as grown-ups, going on dates that are left unlabelled, measuring hands with him for fuck's sake– It was a little too on the nose, you think. 
But you don't tell Wonwoo any of this, maybe because you're too scared to or maybe you'd liked to see the plot thicken a little. "I don't have a type." 
Wonwoo is surprisingly quick to leave the topic alone after that and you're thankful, but half-irked because you'd hoped for more. But you can't complain when he has you wrapped up in a completely different conversation, distracting enough that you can barely remember how you finished the wine in your glass. 
"Want a refill?" he asks you when the empty glasses have been sitting on the coffee table for long enough. 
"Mhm, I think I'll have some apple juice instead."
"As you wish." 
He doesn't even bother asking you where you keep your juice and takes off with the glasses to the kitchen. You watch him keenly, letting your heart lead your mind for a little as you take in how cozy the night is when you're in Wonwoo's company.
It's with that uncontrollable giddy smile on your face that Wonwoo catches you. 
"Happy about something?" he asks, placing a cup with golden liquid in front of you and keeping his glass of wine next to it. 
"Yeah. About everything. I'm happy."
Wonwoo smiles, arm reaching to your side and squeezing your hand in a way that leaves you thinking that you might actually like physical touch more than you've been led to think. "I like the sound of that."
Your smile only turns goofier. "What about you? Are you happy?" 
He huffs out a breathy laugh, "I'm not too bad myself. Things have been looking up recently."
Fucking fuck, even everything you say to each other sounds like it's been said before, somewhere else in an idealistic movie about two people slowly falling in love with each other. But you can't get yourself to hate the idea so you simply shift closer to him. 
Wonwoo notices, obviously, and smiles a little because he notices the light dusting of red on your cheeks. Your hair's come undone from what was presumably a low bun at the back of your head and he has an itch to brush the strands away from your face– a thought that if you were privy to would only be an addition the list titled reasons why wonwoo and you are a straight-up cliché.
But you find out soon anyway, because Wonwoo acts on the itch, hand coming to cup your face before a few fingers find the crown of your head, gently tucking the stray hair behind your ear. 
You hum in satisfaction and Wonwoo's heart hammers, thinking that is probably the best reaction he could've hoped for. He takes a sip of the wine in his hand and moves to rest his face on his fist. 
Except you intercept him mid-way, closing the space between you with a noise of surprise that Wonwoo lets out when he feels your warm lips against his. The shock causes the wine in his mouth to bleed into yours, just like you'd hoped, and before Wonwoo can act on your advance, you've already pulled back.
Your smile is warm with shyness when you notice the starstruck expression on Wonwoo's face. "Sorry, I wanted to taste the wine." 
Wonwoo's silent as he processes this, moving slower thanks to the wine in his sytsem and now– the feeling of your kiss on his mind. When he does break from the silence, he moves to take another sip of wine and this time it's him crossing over to you, big palm steadying your jaw so he can spill into you, literally and not. You let out a little noise this time, not expecting him to reciprocate your shameless move but delighted anyway as you move against his mouth. 
There's a third kiss. And you pull away with a dreamy sigh because really, this was straight out of your dreams. Wonwoo rests his head on his hand like he'd intended to about three kisses earlier and watches as you avert your gaze, suddenly bashful. You fix your gaze on the coffee table, proud that you'd finally chosen to place it opposite the couch instead of near the bookshelf. 
"I haven't dated anyone for a while, you know," Wonwoo suddenly blurts out, your hair once again in your face when you turn to face him. "I was in a pretty… fucked-up relationship after high school and that made me give up on love altogether."
You listen attentively, eyes on his as he tells about the person he was with, voice dropping to a soft octave. When he finishes you find his hands with a smile, "Thank you for telling me that. And I'm sorry. You deserve so much better than that. You're a pretty solid guy."
"Really?" Wonwoo's mood turns light again at your comment and you try to maintain your composure, reminding yourself that his smile might be casual but your words still hold weight. 
"Yeah, you're a rare find, Wonwoo. Quiet but not boring, witty yet funny, tall but nice to hug." 
You bite your lip at that last part, clearly giving yourself away. But Wonwoo's eyes light up anyway, "Nice to hug, huh? That's a new compliment. Glad to know." 
You can feel him lean closer to you without looking because his voice is closer to your ears. Flustered, you reach for your abandoned apple juice and take a sip, but overestimate your own sobriety because you manage to spill a third of it on yourself. "Fuck," you curse under your breath and throw your head back against the couch in frustration over yourself. 
"Fuck," Wonwoo echoes you, shifting beside you, "You okay? Wait here, I'll get you a towel." He's already standing up by the time you have it in you to find your footing. You stop him with a slightly damp hand on his arm.
"It's okay, I'll just go throw this in the laundry. Needed to change anyway." 
Wonwoo nods as he makes way so you can pad lightly to your room, ears adorably red. He lets out a heavy breath when you close the door behind you though, placing a hand against chest because the sight of your half-exposed chest slightly wet with juice– well, it was doing more things to him that he'd like. Your low expletive followed by your limp body hadn't helped his wild imagination either, instantly wondering what it might be like to run his hands through– 
"All right, that's it. I need some fresh air." Fresh air so he could feel less like a pervert and more like… normal. And it helps to step out onto your balcony, the scenery of the moonlit night a pleasant surprise to his senses. He hums happily, almost forgetting about his preoccupied thoughts entirely.
And then he hears your voice resound in the living room faintly. He calls out your name, telling you to come out to the balcony, and a minute later, you step out, now clad in a cozy night set, matching blue shirt with shorts. "Hey," you mumble as you join him near the railing, body visibly relaxing in the night air. "Woah, it's nice here."
"It is, isn't it?" 
"Yeah, this is actually my first time coming out here since I moved in. I always figured this place would be full of spider webs and like bird shit." 
Wonwoo chuckles, "I mean we're probably standing on something that's not supposed to be here but it's for us to worry about tomorrow." 
– 
When you wake up the next morning, it takes you a good amount of groaning and screaming to figure out if last night was real. Taking shots with Mingyu at his birthday bash? Understandable. Receiving a call from a self-proclaimed tipsy Wonwoo? Confusing but not impossible. Inviting Wonwoo over for wine and ending up making out with him? Insane. 
What's worse, you couldn't really remember how the night had ended, a consequence of your inebriated self combining with sleep deprivation. But that was a pretty important thing to remember, wasn't it? It could be difference between a regretful farewell and a promising one. You don't know which one would ease the storm in your stomach faster. 
You roll over to unlock your phone and sit up when you see you have two unread texts. And then, you see they're both from Mingyu. 
mingyu: thanks for coming last night :D
mingyu: sorry i couldn't see u out. hope you made it home safe! 
You sigh in barely contained disappointment as you throw your phone back into the sheets, looking up at the ceiling. You suppose you ought to do something about the Mingyu situation soon but right now, you find the idea of suffocating in your bedsheets for the next two hours much more comforting. 
– 
See now, this right here is your problem. As much as you complained about hating being a cliché, you kind of wish your situation with Wonwoo was more of a cliché because right now doesn't exactly feel like something out of a film.
It feels like hard cold reality. And it's not the first time either.
1: things will happen between you and Wonwoo: he holds your hand, he kisses your lips.
2: he doesn't text you about it and you're too much of a coward to force him out of his shell.
3: things end up all in the air. And now, you're miserable.
But later that evening, you find out there's more to this list of not-so-cliché things that happen between you and Wonwoo.
4: you run into Wonwoo at your brother's place.
He's so casual, too, dressed in a plaid shirt and lounging on Joshua's couch, gaming his time away. You almost immediately regretting making an impromptu trip to your brother's place but it's too late to back out because Joshua's already set the dinner table for three. How you despise your extroverted, loving brother. 
"Did you make that deadline you were complaining about yesterday?" Joshua asks you over a spoonful of his soup. You nod, "Yeah, turns out it was easier when I stopped whining about it."
Wonwoo lets out a laugh, earning him a look from you which you quickly retract, going back to your quiet self when the two engage in conversation. You're glad to ignore but they find it less than easy to, given how unusual your disengagement is. Wonwoo does have an idea for your mood but he doesn't feel like discussing it with your brother just yet. 
So when Joshua asks him, "Do you know what's up with her?" when you excuse yourself to the bathroom, Wonwoo stiffens. Why was he asking Wonwoo? … Had he been obvious?
"Dunno. Maybe work's busy or something."
"You think I should go pester her with some ice-cream later tonight?" 
 "Best if you don't do that. She might disown you."
"That's like legally impossible, Wonwoo. Right?" 
When you take an unexpectedly long time in the bathroom, Joshua goes on. "Did something happen between you two?"
Again, Wonwoo tenses up. "...No. Why do you ask?"
"I mean, she seemed fine yesterday when she came over. So I don't think I'm the problem here. Not that I'm accusing you of anything. Just… I know y'all have been bonding recently."
Wonwoo averts his gaze, deeply uncomfortable with this chat. "Um, yeah, I guess."
"Listen, man, I don't mean to take on the older brother tone in this conversation or anything but…" Joshua sighs as he plays with a leftover piece of bread, "You know I'm okay if something does happen with you and her, right? I trust you. And well, she was an adult long before me so I hardly have a say there."
Wonwoo stares at his half-empty glass of water, frowning. "Okay, cool." His answer is curt because he's still caught off-guard by this conversation. He'd wanted to bring up the developments between you himself, in his own way, but this left him a little panicked. Like, he was being rushed to make a move. And his brain ended up shutting down in the process.
…but it really wasn't the best time for his malfunction, given that you'd managed to overhear a good half of that conversation, specifically on the Joshua asking Wonwoo about you and him being indifferent about it. What was he thinking? What were you thinking?
5: you storm out of dinner without an explanation. you pretend you don't hear wonwoo call after you when you do. his texts that night go unanswered. 
How's that for a cliché, huh?
– 
These days, you're trying find the joy in small things. Like waking up to your very first alarm for the morning. Or brewing an especially aromatic coffee at home. 
Like making it to the end of a phone-call with Karina without talking about Wonwoo. 
"Oh, wait, before I forget to ask, how did it go with Wonwoo?"
Almost. 
You take a deep breath to steady yourself, "Not too well. I mean, we kissed. But then, he didn't text me for like three days after. Then I run into him at Joshua's and he acts all… cold. And judging by that one conversation I overheard, he thinks everything that happened between us was a mistake." 
"Okay, okay, hold your horses, friend, I feel like a lot happened there. You kissed? Why is this the first I'm hearing of it?!" Karina sounds genuinely upset and you let out a groan.
"Well, I was trying to stop bringing up Wonwoo every time we catch up. It's annoying and I want to hear more about your life than complain about mine."
"We can both complain about our lives, Y/N. I have all the time in the world. At least till six. Anyway, that's besides the point! You kissed but he ghosted you afterward? And did he actually say he thought it was all a mistake?"
You bite your lip in rumination and then admit, "He didn't actually say that but it was implied. You would agree if you'd heard the same conversation as I!"
As it turns out, Karina doesn't seem to approve of the conclusion you've come to all on your own. But then you point out that it's been over a week and it's been radio silence. So you have every right to feel as hurt as you do. 
"I suppose you do. But still, it wouldn't hurt to approach him first." 
"I would rather die."
"Okay, well, maybe find out how he's doing from Joshua?"
"Will not."
"You're being difficult right now, Y/N. What do you want to do then?"
"I want to move on and not think about Wonwoo. Maybe I should go on a blind date or something."
"We're not in a movie right now, man, plus, I'm pretty sure you were the one who swore your life to finding love organically and whatnot."
"...Gah, I was hoping you'd forgotten about that. Fine, I'll do… something." 
Your words are nothing if not misleading because by something, you don't mean to communicate with Wonwoo like a sane person might. Instead you check up on Mingyu, who you've still been succesfully making small talk at work with, and ask him if he wanted to get dinner. The enthusiasm with which he responds is comforting, a relieving contrast from the tension in your relationship with you-know-who. 
mingyu: omg i woud love to
mingyu: but im unfortuntely busy tonight :((((
mingyu: would you be down for tomorrow? i can make some killer spaghetti if given the opportunity
you: make???? i was thinking of buying the food… but i won't turn that offer down
mingyu: i'm a man of many talents ;) 
You work out the details of the date (neither of you call it that, but it's understood to be one) over the night and you feel a little uneasy as the afternoon of the day comes to a close. Either way, you find a comfortable dress that is flattering against your skin and welcome Mingyu into your place, letting his excitement work its contagious magic. 
If you're following the plot line of this story closely, you'd figure out that the next cliché is this: Wonwoo behind the door across from your home, just now learning about this date of yours with Mingyu. 
He's broken his pledge to himself and asked Joshua about you, after having missed seeing you there for the past week. Joshua had hesitated to respond but is honest anyway, muttering, "I think she has a date over."
"A date?" is Wonwoo instantaneous question, barely-concealed dread underlying in its tone. 
"Yeah, remember that guy from work whose birthday she attended?" Joshua pretends to have forgotten his name but his best friend is quick to chime in, "Mingyu?"
But you'd told him he was just a friend. You'd called him sweet for fuck's sake, and that was the most platonic adjective you could use for a potential love interest. Well, he's been proven wrong by your date tonight.
He looks down at his clasped palms, the same ones that were intertwined with your skin, first the skin of your hands, then your cheek when he'd leaned into kiss you. And if he hadn't spent the last four days regretting every minute he didn't call you up, he sure did want to punch a hole in the fabric of time right about now. 
"You okay there, buddy?" 
Joshua's concern brings Wonwoo back to his body and he looks up, lips pursed and your brother thinks how ridiculous it is that both of you won't just talk it out. But he keeps that judgement to himself, choosing to sit back and watch his best friend pace it out. 
"Yeah, I'm fine. Fine. Really fine. I'm okay." He clears his throat, the first tell. "I'm just… um, a little hot. It's hot in here, huh." 
Joshua tames his bemused smile. "Is it? I just turned up the air-con though?"
"Oh, well, it's just me then. Anyway, what was I saying? Oh yeah, um, I love this video game."
"Wonwoo, we were in the middle of choosing a card game to play."
"Fuck. Okay, sorry, just give me a minute, I need to go call… my mother."
"No worries, my guy, give Mrs. Jeon my greetings!" 
Across the hall, you're busy watching over Mingyu as he makes his way around your kitchen. You say watching over because really, the man is so clumsy in his own feet, you wonder how he's lived this long. You have to make sure he doesn't cut a limb off every two seconds.
But then your phone buzzes urgently in your pocket and you pull it out, the light smile playing on your face falling when Wonwoo's name pops up on your screen. Now he texts you?
wonwoo: hey! you think we could talk?
You lock your screen almost as soon as you read the message because honestly, you don't have time to dwell over this man in your phone when there's a whole another person cooking you dinner in front of you. That's what ends up leaving a heartbroken Wonwoo, slumped on Joshua's couch as he barely zones into the movie that was playing on the screen. 
Joshua's had it with sitting around when Wonwoo stays unmoving throughout the ending credits– the man hates the credits for crying out loud!-- and instead decides to play cupid. It wasn't ideal, having to set up his sister with his best friend but well, any commoner could see how clearly you were meant to be with each other and he'd rather not have to listen to both sides' misery. 
It's okay timing, you've finished eating dinner with Mingyu, showering his food with compliments the whole time and flustering with your genuine shock at his abilities the whole night. He's helping you clean up with a cheeky grin on his face whenever he leans in a little too close to place a utensil back in its place and you let a smile overtake your face. But you can barely let yourself enjoy the date because if Wonwoo ill-timed text wasn't enough, you're done for when both him and Joshua show up at your door.
"What the fuck?" you ask your brother because you're positive you told him you had a date tonight and then you spot a spaced out Wonwoo next to him, and suddenly put two and two together. 
Wonwoo's eyes never leave your figure, taking in how beautiful the blue dress you were wearing was and how you'd put your hair up in a half-bun, a few strands framing your face prettily. He feels sick, first in a good way and then Mingyu pops up behind you, and now Wonwoo's sick in a bad way. The tall man looks so comfortable next to you, arm brushing against yours as he raises his eyebrows in confusion at the two intruders.
"Sorry, Gyu, these are…" you start to introduce them as they are and then, find a particularly provoking way to put it, "...my brothers."
Wonwoo might actually throw up right here and right now. Gyu? Brothers???
Joshua butts in quickly, "Well, technically, I'm Y/N's older brother, and this is Wonwoo, my friend."
"Ohhh," Mingyu nods in understanding, bowing when he realizes Joshua's your sibling, "Nice to meet you. I'm Mingyu and I work with Y/N."
Before you know it, Joshua works his charms on Mingyu and suddenly, date night for two turns into family night for four. You watch in dismay as your date spends a full hour talking to your brother about one thing and another, actually considering setting them up for a minute. And then, Mingyu glances at his watch and sighs, telling you he needs to take off. 
Joshua, devil incarnate, offers to walk Mingyu out and before you can protest, Mingyu accepts (????) and you watch helplessly as your brother leaves you alone with Wonwoo, narrowly missing the pointed look Joshua sends his best friend on his way out. 
The room now silent with them gone, you stand up with a wary sigh, patting down your dress. Wonwoo's watching and you know because the first words he says that evening are, "You look beautiful tonight."
You hate how the heat creeps up your neck immediately at his beck and call. But you keep from telling him off because even that would mean you caving in. 
But then he follows you to the kitchen, steps in tandem as you pretend to busy yourself with the dishes. The space between you is small though and you end up bumping into the man trying to reach for the fridge. He takes the chance and holds your wrist in his hand. "Hey," he breathes, "You won't even look at me?" 
"No, I've seen enough."
"I'm assuming that includes the text I sent you tonight. And the ones before that?"
God, you hate how good Wonwoo is at frustrating you. You snap, "Don't act like this is on me, Wonwoo. You're the one who pretends like nothing's happened between us." 
"Really? Because a lot's happened between us, Y/N. A lot of things that haven't happened with you and that Mingyu." 
You scoff, brushing his hand off your wrist. "That is so typical of you. Coming around because you're jealous? But you can't stand to tell my brother something happened between us? What is this, a game to you?"
Wonwoo freezes when he considers what you've said. "Did Shua say something to you?"
You cross your arms, "No. I overheard you telling him. I can't believe it though. I really thought we had something good going for us."
You break away from the arm that Wonwoo raises to keep you close and throw yourself onto your couch with an exasperated sniffle. This couch sure has seen a lot, you think wistfully, silently listening as Wonwoo's footsteps came closer. He's sitting next to you then, hesitant arm around you.
"I'm sorry, Y/N, I'm really sorry. What you heard was… me being an idiot. I wasn't ready to talk about it with Shua so soon. I meant everything happened so fast. I hadn't exactly planned on falling for my best friend's sister, you know? Or kissing her in her apartment either. But it happened and I'm so glad it did. I was just slow at processing it. I'm sorry."
You groan. "It's not completely your fault, I guess. I just wish you would've talked to me about it. I felt so alone the whole time." 
Suddenly Wonwoo's moving up from next to you and dropping onto his knees so that you're now meeting his eyes. He looks concerned, mouth ajar as he takes your hands in his. "Are you with Mingyu?"
You let out a sound of disbelief, "No! I'm– I just called him over because I was mad at you! I thought you thought it was a mistake so I…"
"I don't. And I never did. I'm just scared. But I shouldn't have made that your problem. I love hanging out with you though and I especially love kissing you. It would be great if you'd let me take you out on a date instead, please?" 
And in that moment with Wonwoo on his knees in front of you, looking at you like you'd just told him he would live forever, you don't think you could do anything but say yes. 
– 
"You think we're a cliché?!" 
You flinch at Wonwoo's shocked question after you'd revealed to him the mental list of clichés that you embodied in your relationship with him. He's nearly seething when he finds out you're not joking. 
"Y/N, you know that's the meanest thing you could ever say to me? Am I really that bad a boyfriend?"
"Woo, my love, will you calm down?" you take one of his hands in yours, "I don't think clichés are as bad as you think they are. They're cliché for a reason! It's because they're meant to be done over and over again. They're tried and true."
"Tried and trite, more like."
"Come on, Woo, you can't act like you don't see it! From the very beginning!" 
He takes a lick at his gelato and you smile when you see him softening a little. You stop walking and stand in his way, barely concerned about the strangers littering the small ice-cream shop when you press a kiss to his lips. "I love you," you mumble against his ice-cold mouth. He shoots you a look that informs you that he knows what you're doing but he shoots back, " I love you, too."
"And love itself is cliché, don't you think?"
Wonwoo closes his eyes as if in physical pain while you uncontrollably laugh. "I knew I shouldn't have fallen for that! You're trying to make me cry in public, aren't you?"
"Aww, it's okay to cry, Woo, baby. Emotions are only natural–"
"I'm calling Shua and asking him to pick you up. I'm leaving."
"Okay, I went too far. Don't make me commute with my brother, I beg you."
– 
"Love, you ready to go?" you hear Wonwoo ask from the living room. You'd banished him to the couch after he'd made it his life mission to get in your way while you tried to get ready for your date. Well, double date actually. Karina was visiting you on break with her boyfriend, Taeyong, and she'd asked if you'd be down to get dinner with them. You had never agreed to dinner plans faster. 
"I am," you call back, just as you smear on lipstick, checking your teeth for any missed food particles for good measure. "Can I come in now?" 
You can see Wonwoo's silhouette at the door, gingerly watching you from the back for confirmation. You melt with a soft smile, beckoning him in, "Yes. Your exile's over."
Wonwoo celebrates with an exaggerated fist pump and you laugh at his antics when he skips over excitedly. "I'm a free man," he murmurs as his hands naturally slide down your arms to find your fingers. He twirls you around, admiring the black dress you broke out for the ocassion. "You look gorgeous," he says with a kiss to your cheeks.
"Are you quoting Taylor Swift at me?" you ask him with a giggle.
"Who's that?" he questions with a poorly feigned frown of confusion. You roll your eyes but open your arms invitingly, "Will you hug me?" 
Hugging had gradually become your favorite part of your skinship with Wonwoo, even more so than kissing, because the way he would shoot you a loving smile before wrapping his arms around and swallowing you into a world of cozy and comfort… yeah, you don't think anything could compare easily. Sometimes, he would hum happily, the vibrations would only soothing you into the embrace further and often your boyfriend had to peel you off him so you could actually get on with your day. 
Today, he lets you cling on longer than usual (he likes to say he's rationing his hugs. You tell him he's just a big tease), probably because he's busy relishing in being overwhelmed by your scent and the little kisses you sprinkle across his exposed neck. When he pulls away, you don't complain like normal, instead revealing the stars in your eyes to him. "You're warm. I love this sweater of yours." 
It was the same navy sweater that had you sweating over Wonwoo back when you were still going back and forth with your feelings for each other. He chuckles in amusement and then steps away without warning, earning a whine from you. But then he tugs the sweater off and your expressions turns playful. 
"Woo," you start warningly, "you know we're meeting them at the restaurant by nine–"
You're stopped mid-sentence when Wonwoo straightens out his garment and commands out, "Raise your arms for me, baby?"
But this is not his bedroom voice, no, no. This is his sappy voice and you already know what he's doing when he pulls the sweater over your head and down your torso. "It looks cute," Wonwoo comments by the time you have the sleeves pulled down properly. 
"You know I hate that word, Woo," you complain but he doesn't let you, pecking your forehead. You sigh in defeat and admire the sweater in the mirror, the fabric sitting surprisingly well against the skirt of your dress. You shrug, "I suppose I can work with this new outfit."
"If not, I can always just take it off for you–"
"Okay, we're leaving before you say another word!" 
Wonwoo laughs as he lets you pull him out after you, out the living room and into the hallway. He stands next to you, hands in his pocket while he waits for you to lock the door and glances at Joshua's door, wondering what his best friend was up to. You don't give a chance to do something about it though because your hands back on his arm in no time – and he swears you touch his arm for reasons beyond appropriate but you'd rather die than admit to it– and walk into the night. 
You meet Karina at a place called Love in the Air and Wonwoo's had listen to you go on, super smug, about how beautifully cliché the name and ambience of the restaurant is. Each dish has a romantic origin, like the shall I compare thee to a summer's day cocktail that Karina and Taeyong share, down to the lipstick-shaped bottles of wine served to your table. And as much as Wonwoo pretends to hate the cliché of love, he still orders the matching Valentine's soup as you just so you can watch his order come out in surprise. 
And as much as Wonwoo pretends he doesn't love the cliché of love, when you lean into his arm at the end of the night, already dozing off when he runs his fingers through your scalp, he can't help but let his heart soar with affection for you. And he thinks he would, after all, be in a cliché if it means to end up in your arms night after night. 
--
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
hiii oh my god why is this fic actually long!!! i wrote in like a day too so i'm just confused... it was 3k a minute and then 29 pages the other?? that's just wonwoo magic or smth i guess... this was requested and i hope the anon who asked for this enjoys it!!! writing it made a lil sick because of how sappy it is but ... it is what it is.
and consider this me admitting that i wouldn't mind having joshua be my brother... and that's just the flavor of parasocial relationship i'm dealing with these days lol
as always: lots of love to all friends and foes !!
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goodnightmemes · 8 months ago
Text
AGATHA ALL ALONG SENTENCE STARTERS
❛ You don't seem like yourself. ❜
❛ If you wanna be in control, you can be. ❜
❛ Is this really how you see yourself? ❜
❛ Do you remember why you hate me? ❜
❛ The things that you're roasting me for are the things that make me dangerous. ❜
❛ How long have I been here? ❜
❛ Call me "nosy," I'll cut out your tongue. ❜
❛ Can you put on some clothes? 'Cause you... 'Cause you're naked. ❜
❛ Do you remember pain? It kind of tickles, doesn't it? ❜
❛ Maybe I can't kill you, but I can make you wish you were dead. ❜
❛ I am not the only one that wants to see you dead. ❜
❛ Ugh! It really warms the heart. ❜
❛ You don't have a heart. ❜
❛ Be sure to tell the vengeance-seekers I said hi. ❜
❛ That's why I saved you from the spell you were under. ❜
❛ Wherever you are, a coven there shall be. ❜
❛ I feel really optimistic about this. ❜
❛ So you're a bit of a kook. Every witch has their process. ❜
❛ Witches like you are the reason people think we poison apples, and steal children, and eat babies. ❜
❛ Don't you miss the glory days? ❜
❛ The path you're currently on leads nowhere. ❜
❛ Hey! Where do you keep your jade eggs? I'm fresh out of marbles, and my pelvic floor is all over the place. ❜
❛ I haven't seen you since I made a really pointed effort to never run into you again.❜
❛ Historically, we as a group don't do well in courtrooms. ❜
❛ People like you are dangerous. ❜
❛ Are there any real witches in the house? ❜
❛ What a team of rejects. ❜
❛ This is just a really, really, really horrible party. ❜
❛ It's giving "middle-aged second chance at love" vibes and I'm here for it. ❜
❛ Okay, so a witch is really just another name for a bad girl, is that right? ❜
❛ I'm not saying that I wanna join the club or anything, but I would drink the blood of a virgin if it would smooth out some of these wrinkles. ❜
❛ So the hallucinations seem chill. ❜
❛ I can't protect you! ❜
❛ I do not wanna die here. This is not where I die. ❜
❛ They can take your power, but they can't take your knowledge. ❜
❛ I didn't think you had it in you. ❜
❛ We were supposed to look out for each other, but we didn't. That was our fatal mistake. ❜
❛ I wish we could go home. ❜
❛ People can't be replaced. ❜
❛ Are we in trouble? Like, more than we were ten minutes ago? ❜
❛ Honestly, I don't know how to feel. Do I hate her? Or do I want her phone number? ❜
❛ I'm feeling impatient. I'm feeling like I wanna cause some damage. ❜
❛ Once vengeance is loosed, you can't reel it back in. ❜
❛ The only way to end a curse is to face it. ❜
❛ Sad is better than angry. ❜
❛ You don't have to know a person's name to know who they are. ❜
❛ Are you really defending a noted serial killer, you creepy lurker? ❜
❛ The moral of the story, kids, is always finish what you started. Also, mercy is overrated. ❜
❛ Who better to commune with the dead than someone who's put so many in the grave? ❜
❛ I mean, or we could just slit her throat. ❜
❛ But we were getting along, weren't we? We were clicking. There was unity. ❜
❛ She's possessed! For real this time! ❜
❛ I hate ghosts. ❜
❛ Why do you hate me still?❜
❛ You were born evil. ❜
❛ Please take me with you. ❜
❛ She was protecting you. But you don't deserve it. ❜
❛ I couldn't... I couldn't control it. ❜
❛ Death comes for us all. ❜
❛ You're so much like your mother. ❜
❛ We love you more than we could ever hope to communicate in human words. ❜
❛ You don't need to be a psychic to see that you're a good egg. ❜
❛ Enjoy the now, baby. It's the only thing that's certain. ❜
❛ Nothing in my life has felt normal until I met you. ❜
❛ I want you to know the real me. ❜
❛ You're so adorably trusting. ❜
❛ Word to the wise, don't go sniffing around there. ❜
❛ You seriously don't know what kind of crazy that lady eats for breakfast. ❜
❛ I panicked, so I ran. ❜
❛ Could we, like, maybe not, with the physical violence? ❜
❛ Power doesn't interest me. ❜
❛ Yeah. Well, what you did was ehhh … but life goes on. Yours, anyway. ❜
❛ I mean, I've killed...uh...my share. But you don't see it holding me back. ❜
❛ Don't you dare feel guilty about your talent. You survived. ❜
❛ So you broke the rules. Big deal. That's what kept you alive. That's what makes you special. ❜
❛ I don't need you anymore. I don't know if I ever did. ❜
❛ If you really wanna finish this together, just know that I do not trust you. At all. ❜
❛ You'll get a nosebleed trying that hard to read my mind. ❜
❛ Hey, you want straight answers, ask a straight lady. ❜
❛ Tell me what more I should see, when I look at you. ❜
❛ You know, we really hated each other from the beginning. But now...I love you, guys. ❜
❛ I'm a forgotten woman. ❜
❛ Death comes for us all. It is what we all have in common. ❜
❛ I can see all the pieces falling into place. The gaps are filling in. ❜
❛ I'm telling you now because soon I'm not going to remember any of this. ❜
❛ I hope you'll join me. ❜
❛ I needed you. My coven. ❜
❛ What can I say? I like the bad boys. ❜
❛ I loved being a witch. ❜
❛ That's it? That's all the... That's all the time I get? ❜
❛ This can't be the end. It has to be the beginning. ❜
❛ I watch you. Just as closely as you watch everyone else. ❜
❛ No one in history has had special treatment like you. ❜
❛ You gave me nothing. You took. ❜
❛ Why do you let them believe those things about you, hmm? ❜
❛ What fresh horrors await us! ❜
❛ You seem relaxed. Usually at this point you're either complaining loudly or freaking out loudly. ❜
❛ It's nice. That feeling when your body knows it's safe. ❜
❛ Sometimes...boys die. ❜
❛ Congratulations, my love! I'm sorry I didn't have a ribbon for you to run through. ❜
❛ Why don't you want me? ❜
❛ Power looks good on you. ❜
❛ You do this and I will hate you forever. ❜
❛ Please let him live. Please, my love! ❜
❛ If you want to survive, get used to this feeling. ❜
❛ I cannot protect you from what's coming. ❜
❛ I saw you die. ❜
❛ And now, I'm a ghost. Can you dig it? ❜
❛ By the way, I did not sacrifice myself for you. I took a calculated risk. ❜
❛ You're making fun of me. This is just one of your tricks. ❜
❛ You have something of mine. I know you took it. ❜
❛ Why are you still here? Why won't you just die? ❜
❛ I'm sure he would forgive you for... whatever you did. ❜
❛ We could make a good team. You and me. ❜
388 notes · View notes