#I don’t need help with my math homework

[ceruleanmage]

Out of all the songs to have stuck in my head rn why did it have to be Macarena

[russett-pots]

Frat Boy

Kim Minju

Tags: Too lazy to put tags. Just read if you wanna know ;)

Words: 3.6k

Sorry it took a while. It was supposed to be uploaded yesterday. But thanks to Finals approaching I got busy.

It is already the end of class, and you get down the elevator and head to your dorm. But before you can get home. You see one of your frat mates come over to you.

“Dude!” You shout.

Your friend comes over and brofists you.

“You coming to the frat party tonight?”

“Bro, I got a big test next week.”

“So? Your smart ass already studied for that.”

“I just don’t want to fail. I’m still gunning for Dean’s Lister.”

“Come on, man. A sorority is coming over. Time to find some chicks, you know.”

You’re reluctant. Even if you are in a fraternity, you have been hands-off. It is mainly for you to make connections. You have met a couple of interesting figures but nothing much that is interesting.

“You coming?”

“Fine.” You groan.

“It is later tonight. Just come to the house.”

“Yeah. Yeah.” You wave your hand. “I have to go.”

“Hehe. See ya tonight.”

“Yeah.”

~~

You knock on the door. One of your fraternity brothers opens the door.

“Hey.”

“Everyone! Mireu is here!”

You hear cheers for your name.

“Welcome. Sorry for forcing you to not stay in the frat house.”

“Don’t worry. I got my own room anyway.”

“Nice! By the way, do you have the assignment for our physics class?”

“I’ll send you the answers tomorrow.”

“Great! I need them by Monday.”

“No problem.”

You enter the room. There are typical things happening in the house, drinking, playing games, and other roughhousing. But there is one thing new with the place. A set of new sorority girls have arrived. They are the talk of the town with how beautiful they are. But one of them catches your eye.

With all your confidence, you march up to one of them.

“Hey, my name is…”

“Mireu!” She completes your sentence.

“Yeah. I guess you heard.”

“Hi, my name is Chaewon. You must be pretty popular.”

“Nah, it’s mostly because I do their homework.”

“Wow. Can you do mine?”

“Depends. What is it?”

“I don’t know if you can help me. It’s some math assignment.”

“Hand it over to me. I’m sure I can help you with something. Just ring me up. We can have a private tutor session.”

“Oh, that’s nice.” She giggles

Then suddenly someone pulls your arm. “Mireu, let’s play a game.”

“What the heck?!”

He plops you down in a circle with half boys and half girls.

One of the girls grabs a bottle and places it in the center. She spins in and it lands on you.

“What’s this?” You question.

But all the girls giggle and whisper to each other. You can discern that there is someone they want to partner with.

“It’s seven minutes in heaven.”

“What the fuck?!”

You try to stand up but you can’t. The guys around you are already pushing you down back to your seat.

“You got picked. There is no turning back.”

You close your eyes, take a deep breath, and spin the bottle to pick your partner.

It spins. It goes around and points are different people in the circle. You pray and hope that you didn’t get a guy. Then it lands on this one girl. She is quiet and seems like she doesn’t talk much.

Without much hesitation, all of your frat brothers carry you to the bedroom while the girls are bringing the girl you picked to follow you.

They toss you to the bed, then leave you. The girls brought the girl that picked you up and lock the door as they leave.

The girl smiles and introduces herself.

“Hi, my name is Minju.”

“Ugh! Whatever. I’m Mireu.”

“Aren’t we supposed to have sex?”

“Don’t bother. I didn’t want to play this game anyway. So don’t get any ideas.”

“Oh…” Minju sits down on the floor with her back to the wall.”

“You alright?”

“Is…Is… is it because I’m ugly? I saw you talking to Chaewon-unnie. Don’t you want to play with her?”

You get up from the bed and kneel down in front of Minju. “No, I’m not in the mood for sex. Just be quiet or something.”

“Okay…”

She sounds disheartened and quiet for the next thirty seconds.

“Did you want to have sex?” You ask.

“Well, the girls said it is a good idea and a great way for me to lose my virginity.”

“You’re a virgin?”

She affirms with a very slight nod.

“Is this how you wanted to lose your virginity? With a random guy?”

“Maybe…maybe it’s just the pressure. All of the other girls already had sex.”

“Don’t worry about it. Do it with a guy you trust or love. It’s going to feel much better than something like this.”

“You sure?”

“Trust me.”

Then there is a series of loud knocks. “You guys done?”

You shout back. “Yup, we’re just about to finish.”

You stand up and head to the door. But before you can touch the handle, Minju tries to hug you. It is a big surprise from Minju.

“Thanks”. She says as she buries her head into your chest.

You are shocked to see such a gesture from some you just met.

“Uhh…. What are you doing?”

“Oh..sorry.” She lets go of the grip on you. Instead, she turns around and heads out of the door. You can peek thru and see her run into the crowd.

Chaewon comes over and checks you out. “You done I guess?”

“Sure…” You reply. Minju is stuck in your head all night. She is shy and quiet, something you found cute. But with her? She seems like an outsider compared to everyone in the room.

The night goes on. You are done with playing seven minutes of Heaven. Good thing that they didn’t invite you to play again. Instead, you are with Chaewon, talking to her. You found her fun to be around. Just asking random questions and things seems to click.

“So, Mireu, what’s your major?”

“Me? Actuarial Science.”

“Oh, What’s that?”

“Just think Statistics.”

“Oh! You must be smart then?”

“You can say.”

“What’s your GPA?”

“3.95”

“Oh…. let me use the restroom.”

She leaves you to be on the couch. You wait there while she does her business. You wait ten minutes. Then fifteen. It becomes thirty. You check your watch and see it is already almost midnight. At this point you give up, you head out of the house and into your car.

But before you can step on the sidewalk you turn to your right. It’s Minju.

“Ya!”

Minju is jumps since she was startled.

You look around and see no one else then you put your attention to her. “Need a lift?”

“Uhhhh…. Chaewon-unnie told me that she is going to pick me up.”

“She’s long gone.”

“You sure?”

“Has your text even been delivered?”

“No….”

“She’s probably hooking up with another guy. Come on, you can ride with me.”

“You sure?”

“Do you want to be left alone here?” You almost scold her.

She follows you to your car. You head for the driver’s seat while she goes for shotgun.

The car ride was mostly silent. She just gives you her address as your head to her place.  You observe her. She is very timid, leaning at the window but then you see a shed of tears coming out of her ducts.

“Are… are you crying?”

She sits up straight and wipes the tears off her cheek. “No.” She says while she sniffles.

“Don’t make a mess on my seat.”

“Sorry….”

“There is some tissue on the glove box.”

She takes some out and wipes her tears. 

“Ugh fine…. What’s wrong?”

“It’s….. it…just you didn’t want to have sex with me.”

“You really think that having sex with a random guy is going to fix your problems?”

“No….”

“So why did you join?”

“Same as you, I guess….my friends pressured me. Chaewon-unnie always describes how good it is. But I never experience something like that.”

“Don’t fall for that peer pressure. You find the guy when you find the guy.”

This cheers her up a bit but she still continues to cry. Soon as you reach her house, she is already cleaned up.

Minju exits your vehicle with a smile. She waves at you before she gets in her door. As soon as you know she is safe you back up to the road and go home. But suddenly a small smile forms. You feel happy a bit. You haven’t felt like this since your last girlfriend who cheated on you before you left for college.

~~

That girl Minju lingers in your mind for the rest of the semester. You go thru classes. Everything that happens, you can see Minju doing it. Her face is plastered to all the girls in the room. You can’t get that girl out of your mind. All you see is her. She is the only thing on your mind.

Now it is the start of a new school year. You already became an inactive member of your fraternity. Finally, you feel a bit free from your old responsibilities. But you still try to keep a connection with them but now you gave your pin to the president.

~~

Finally, you can give one hundred percent of your attention to your schooling. But then you can see that face again, that mysterious face. You see it then it is gone. Like she is following you but you can’t really tell who it is.

You go to one of your classes. When you get in, there aren’t a lot of people yet. It is early, what do you expect?

As the good student you are, you take a seat where you can get a good view of the class. As you take out your notebook, you see her. It’s Minju. It has been a while since you last saw her. But now you can see her every week.

She looks around for a seat. It didn’t seem like she noticed you. She just goes around finding a decent seat. Then she sees one beside you. It still doesn’t seem like she knows you. But as she comes closer, a sense of embarrassment ruins her.

The first thing she does is to do a ninety-degree bow to you and walks away.

“Wait! You can sit here.”

She looks at you and goes back to the seat that she originally wanted.

“Hello.” She mumbles.

“It’s Minju, right?”

“How do you want me to address you?”

“Just…Oppa, I guess?”

“Okay….Oppa.”

“You okay?”

“Sorry, I didn’t expect you to be here.”

“Just relax. I know the prof. He is chill.”

“Really?”

Then the door opens. It is the professor that you told Minju about. He comes in front and introduces himself. He is a chill prof unlike the many that you wish could change him. As the class is about to end, he gives out an assignment for everyone.

You turn to Minju. “Wanna work together ?”

“Sure.” She happily agrees.

It’s the first time that she has been relaxed with you. But when she smiles. It hits you. You noticed how beautiful she is despite her dorky appearance. When he wasn’t very confident with her looks, you can see past that. You are starstruck.

“Do you need my number?” Minju asks.

You snap out of the trance the nod. She hands her phone to you and you type down your number.

“Sorry, Oppa. Let’s do the assignement later. I have a class.”

“Just text me or call. Whatever works for you.”

She chuckles. “I’ll just text you.” She waves bye as you sit on your sit, smitten. That one moment when you look at her, you wish that she is your girlfriend.

~~

The day goes on. You keep on staring at your phone to check to see if Minju has responded to you. Hour by hour, minute by minute, second by second. Each moment is filled with your thoughts of Minju. Then suddenly, during one of your classes, your phone vibrates.

“Hi, Oppa. Sorry for being so forward. Wanna do the assignment together?”

You quickly grab your phone. “Sure. When are you free?”

“I’m thinking after school. Umm….. I’m busy until then.”

You ponder for a moment. It shouldn’t be this easy to get a date. “You sure? I don’t want to keep you busy.”

Bubbles pop up on the bottom of the screen. Then it disappears.

Is this too much?

Then it pops up and a message is sent. “It’s no problem. Can we meet at your place? My place is a mess thanks to my roommate.”

You get nervous. This isn’t like you. The feeling inside your gut isn’t something you are used to, especially for a girl.

“Sure. I’ll meet you at 7?”

~~

You wait near the exit of your school. You check your watch and see it is almost seven. She is still not there. You check your watch again, barely anytime has passed. Then you see a group of girls passing by. You can see there is less than a handful of them. In the back is Minju. She comes closer and greets you, still wearing those nerdy glasses she had when you first met.

“Hi…oppa…” She is still nervous like you are meeting for the first time.

“Hey, Minju.”

The pack of girls behind are now giggling. Minju’s hands are shaking. “Sorry about them. They’re my sorority sisters.”

“You okay?”

“Yeah….”

“Don’t worry about them.”

“Okay.” Her voice is now more stable.

Then one of the girls shouts as you leave. “Treat her well.”

You can remember that voice as Chaewon’s. The girl you are supposed to meet that night before you met Minju.

Your attention is now on Minju as you bring her home.

Minju asks you about your dinner. “Have you eaten?”

“Oh, not yet.” Your mind has been nothing but Minju that you forgot to eat.

“Where do you want to get food?”

You check around the area and you see nothing but a convenience store.

“You…want 711?”

“Sure.”

You head inside and see what’s being served. There are some packed meals, sandwiches, and other quick and easy goodies. You look around and see the options. Minju is looking around as well and picks up something while you grab something more filling,

“You sure that’s enough, Minju?”

“It’s fine. I had a late lunch.”

You shrug your shoulder and head to the counter.

The clerk asks. “Want me to heat this up?”

“Sure.” You say. “Minju can you get me something to drink.”

She nods and waddles to the drinks section and turns behind the shelves.

“You dating her?” The clerk asks.

“I wish.”

“She seems nice.”

“Really?”

“Not my type but I’m sure. She’ll be fine for you.”

“Thanks. She’s cute.”

Minju returns with two cans of soda. “Here, I hope you like Coke.”

“It’s alright.” You look at her with a smile.

“Okay, is that all?”

You nod to the clerk as he packs up your food and drinks.

You and Minju leave the place but she is a bit clumsy but you pick her up before she falls to the ground.

“Are you okay?” You carefully ask Minju.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

Then you both head up to your apartment.

“Let’s eat first. I’m hungry.”

“Sure…”

Dinner is quiet. You eating and Minju is right beside you. It calls you to do something but you cannot find anything to start the conversation.

“Minju…” You try to open up.

She turns to you.

“Oh, wait.” You get up and grab a napkin then return back. “There is something on your face.”

Then there you are after cleaning up her, you face up against each other. You can feel her heartbeat and it is going fast. She isn’t backing up.

You look up and down then focus on her lips. This feels like forever. The thought of kissing those lips. The thought of your first kiss with Minju. Then you got tired of waiting and go for it. You kiss her lips. It is sweet as nectar the taste of Minju is on your lips.

You break the kiss for a moment.

“Minju, you like that?”

“Very much.”

Then you go for it. You cup her cheeks as your kiss her for the second time. Your hands from her cheeks down to her neck and to her breast. But she stops you and moves back.

“Minju!” you call her out. “Are you alright?”

“Ummm…..sorry. It’s just. You’re my first and….I don’t know if I’m ready.”

“Remember that night? When we first met?”

“Of course I do. You rejected me.”

“Minju!”

“Yes?”

“Do you want me to be your first?”

“Yes but can we be… ge—”

For the third time, you dive into her lips and into the couch. The force you put upon her makes the both of you laugh. So you kiss again as she starts to undress you. You remove your shirt and unbutton her blouse. You can see her pair of breasts locked by a brasserie.

Minju removes her blouse and unbuttons her bra. Her breasts are now free for you to use. You start to suck on them, playing with the nipple simultaneously. As you enjoy your time with Minju’s breasts, your hand starts to linger down to her blue jeans. It unbuttons her pants and slides inside her panties.

You play with her gently. First slowly, then turn into rough. But as soon as Minju feels it, she stops you.

“Let’s just do this gently please.”

“Okay, how do you want to do this?”

“Umm…I’m not sure. But….”

“You just want to go straight to sex?”

“Sure!”

You lead her to the bedroom. Her chest is exposed and her pants are halfway down. You push her to the bed and move back to kissing.

“After that night, I never thought you’ll actually be in my bedroom.”

“Aren’t you happy?”

“I’ll wouldn’t have done it any other way.”

You peck her lips one more time then stand up.

“You ready?”

She gets up and removes her pants and her panties while you get naked. You look at each other and laugh a bit.

“You think it is small?”

“Well, I don’t have a comparison.”She squeezes her breasts. “You think these are small?”

“I don’t care. Boobs are boobs and yours are great.”

She blushes.

You grab her and pull her closer. “Let’s just do this simple, okay?”

She looks up to you and smiles. “Sure.”

You kiss her again and gently lay her on your bed. Your hands interlock in this passionate set. Then finally you align your tip to her entrance. You thrust inside. Minju grunts as there is a hint of pain.

“You okay?”

“I’m fine. Just continue.”

You run in deeper and you can feel as if you are at your max. Then you slowly start thrusting. First in and out, just getting used to her unused pussy. Then when things are running smoothly, you move faster and faster. Things become more and more pleasurable which causes you to moan.

You notice that Minju’s eyes are closed but with a smile of satisfaction. She also grunts as she takes you in. But those grunts turn into moans like yours. They both become louder and louder. You try to silence her but forcing a kiss. It works for a second but instead of kissing you for longer, Minju bites your lip.

“Fuck me. That’s hot.”

“You like that?”

“Very much.”

You fuck again and kiss her again. It is getting up to you. You thrust faster and faster, feeling the deepest parts of her womb.

You can’t stop. Her pussy feels better after each second. Her breasts jiggle as your large force is inside Minju.

“Fuck! Minju! Ugh!”

“Come on, get me more, Oppa!”

Those words encourage you to move in deeper and deeper. You try to pleasure yourself and Minju as much as you can and it works. Your cock is feeling the best as it can with a virgin hole while you can hear Minju shout in delight.

It is hard for her to stop moaning and groaning. It starts to fill the room. For you, your own sounds of orgasm are in perfect key with Minju’s.

Then you can feel your gut turn. It is time. Your cock is throbbing.

“Minju! I’m going to—”

Then you spew your seed. You empty every single drop of semen inside her. Rounds, rounds of cum run inside her.

You pull back and see Minju catching her breath. She looks tired but still beautiful. You jump in bed with her and pull her in your arms.

“Oppa, that was amazing.”

“You must have enjoyed that.”

“Mhm.” She nods.

You pet her hair as Minju falls asleep. As you see her gently slumbering, you start to drift to rest.

~~

It’s the next day. Laying beside you is Minju. She is sound asleep so you try to quietly leave the room, still naked from last night. You quickly try to pick up something to wear. Once you are dressed, you head out and look for something to eat in the morning. 

You can still see the food you left for dinner and then pack them up. You clean up the small mess you left behind. Then you hear a creak on the door. It is Minju. She is still holding her clothes from last night.

“You wanna leave?”

“Sorry, I thought you left.”

“Minju, do you want to date?”

“Date?”

“Do you think that last night meant nothing?”

“No, I mean….I’d love to be your girlfriend.”

You open your arms open and walk to Minju. You embrace her as she snuggles up against your chest.

“Come on, we still have class.”

[mukbeez]

peter with a reader who always forgets things??!?!

like she forgets where she put her sword and to drink water and he has to constantly chase after her and remind her??

that's so cute

ty babe <3

peter pevensie with a gf who forgets things.

♬ fandom: chronicles of narnia

♯ genre: fluff

♪ mars thoughts: AJAJAJAJJA I LOVE HIM SM <33 this is perfect because he’s the loml and i suck at remembering stuff 😭 also i put it as hcs cause that’s how i first imagined it in my head!! dividers by @/benkeibear

♮nav - masterlist

hes so <3

like you’re just walking around minding your own business and then you’re like “hey. wait where’s my water???”

and then your pretty bf is beside you holding it like “you forgot it AGAIN”

and then he lovingly makes fun of you for forgetting you put your water bottle in his hands before walking away and not saying anything

other than the fact he’s constantly chasing you to remind you where you put something (and this can be fairly annoying to him) he finds it cute <3

he’d try to find a way to help you remember when you put them but you forgot how to remember it 😭

you tried dw

he also. kinda hoped you didn’t because he liked being the person you came to when you needed help finding stuff

he seems like one of those people who gets rlly happy knowing he helped another person

so it’s like a huge ego/energy boost for him

BUT if he’s leaving for somewhere and won’t be back for awhile he starts writing down where you put things and gives you the paper so you can look and add to it <3

would def say “don’t forget you have the paper” to be a lovingly boyfriend bitch

ALSO ALSO if you forgot your sword it’d be the funniest thing ever to him

cause like you’re this rlly strong and talented and very pretty sword wielding girlboss

and nobody knows that seconds before you wielded the sword you couldn’t even remember where you put it

and if you forget things like drinking water or even eating cause your busy

he’s a little upset cause like. you’ll die?? if you don’t?? but he doesn’t ever like chastise you cause he knows you’re busy

so he just reminds you or brings you water and food and is kinda just like “eat”

also. he didn’t cook that food. man can’t cook for shit

but if you forget it because you’re just forgetful and not busy hed def scold you a little

it’s not that like. effective 😭 cause he’s just standing there like “you can’t not eat y/n!! >:(”

AND if it takes place in the normal world instead of narnia and y’all go to the same school i have some thoughts

you’ll be like sitting in the cafeteria kinda upset cause you forgot your lunch

and he comes up and sits with you and has like a whole extra lunch prepared

hes so <3

and if you forget to do your homework or some shit like that right before the teacher comes to collect it he slides his hw onto your desk and tells you to write your name and gets in trouble for you

and then susan gets mad at him and everytime she knows you have homework she makes you come over and helps you with it <3

and he also helps!! i feel like he’s english/history smart and susan is geography/math smart so they like choose certain subjects to help with

it gets to the point where they have a whole detailed schedule

edmund is horrified with it because it hangs on the wall and is extremely visible

hes known for trying to destroy it with lucy’s help but that’s not important

MOVINGGGGG ONNNNNN

he’s overbearing. and he knows it.

at first he tries to like not immediately think you’re leaving after forgetting something

BUT HE CANT HELP IT

he asks what you forgot and when you run back inside to get it he probably starts laughing

i’ve officially run out of ideas for this <3 but tysm for requesting it

it made my brain itch /pos

[toxictrannyfreak]

To be fair she’s 14

Azula: "Trust is for fools"

Also Azula: *trusts people*

The limits of her cognitive abilities are truly beyond anything we've ever seen before

[nope-body]

.

[oddballwriter]

The New Teacher’s Aid

꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦

Summary: Mike has Abby signed up to be part of the after school program at her school since he can’t pick her up due to him working, there’s nothing too special about it until a staff member catches his eye and he tries to explain it without thinking the obvious. 

Warnings: Reader is kept gender neutral and is a teacher’s aid and member of the staff that work in the after school program. This is in second person perspective at first but shifts at times. “Y/n” is used two times in here. Mike has a crush on you lol. I actually can’t think of many things that are actual warnings but if there are any just let me know

Author’s Snip: Surprise! I’m alive! I’ve been relaxing since I took the summer semester off to unwind from my first year of college. Anyways, I’m sure some, if not most, of us have seen the teaser and trailer for the FNAF movie. I’ve been seeing people going bonkers over Mike and William and so have I a little. This thought came to me last night and I wanted to write it so bad but it was 2am then and I had things I needed to do with family so I wrote it down in my notes so that I didn’t forget. 

Notes: This is sort of meant to be before Mike takes up the job at the abandoned plazeria. And I just saw that there are some implications that Abby walks/rides a bike home to and from school but I’m just going to ignore that because I can and because then this shot doesn’t really work. So yeah. 

I’ll shut up now. Enjoy! And don’t be afraid to request.

꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦

  You’ve been working at the school for a month and a half now as a teacher’s aid and an additional member of the staff that work in the after school program. The program wasn’t much if you had to be honest, it was pretty much just babysitting kids who didn’t get picked up once school was over. 

  You weren’t complaining though, but then again, you worked in the spare classroom with the older kids rather than the younger ones. This group wasn’t too much of a hassle. Usually these kids would talk, do their homework, or some quiet activity and rarely cause any trouble. That’s how you met a little girl named Abby. 

  Abby was like the other kids who minded their own till their parent or guardian came to pick them up. You noticed that she didn’t interact with any of the other kids and either drew or did her homework quietly at a desk. You decided to check on her. Now you two have formed a really nice bond. You usually help her with her homework or talk about whatever comes to mind which helped pass the time since she was one of the kids that stayed the whole time the program operated. 

  Speaking of which, it was rolling around that time. You knew that the person who usually gets her is always here when the clock hits  five pm but it always makes you a little worried that they won’t come since after five there wasn’t meant to be any students still on campus. 

  “Okay, last one. What do you think?” you say, you were helping Abby finish up a tricky math sheet. Abby stared at the problem for a moment and worked it out on a blank space next to it before writing down the answer she came up with. “There you go! Great job. Now you’re all done, you don’t need to do any at home.” you smile. Just then you hear a knock at the door to the room. When you turn, you see a man in his mid twenties or early thirties standing in the doorway. You stand up to go talk to him but you hear Abby chirp “Hi, Mike!” to the man. He gives her a nod as a hello back as you grab a clipboard and walk up to him. 

  “Hello. Can I get a name?” you ask. This was common check out protocol whenever someone came to pick up a child from the program. “Mike Schmidt.” he responds. You nod and check the name that’s correlated with Abby, it checks out. “And the password?”, that was another part of the protocol. He says the correct one and you smile with a nod before letting him sign his name as the last part of the process. 

  By then Abby had already packed up her things and skipped over to Mike and took a hold of his hand to leave. “Goodbye, Abby!” you wave. She waves back with some more energy to it, “Bye, (y/n)!”. You give a wave back to Mike as well out of courtesy, “Goodbye, Mr. Schmidt.”. He gives you a small wave goodbye too as he leaves with Abby by his side. 

  With Abby gone home, you were set to pack everything in the classroom so that you could leave. You usually did this earlier but the other staff member went out and hadn’t come back yet, so you needed to keep an eye on Abby. Usually they checked Abby out to Mike, who you were told was her older brother, so she could go home. But since they still weren’t back, you met him for the first time. You were a bit surprised to finally see him. He was actually older than you thought he would be. The age minimum for someone who could pick up a child was sixteen and that Mike met that requirement, but you thought that he would be younger. Turns out he’s around the same age as you.

  Abby actually told you a lot about Mike. As already mentioned, he was her older brother. She also told you that he works and that the two of them live together. She’s also told you about how cool he is but that’s a given since most younger siblings think that their older siblings are cool. 

  You didn’t think too much about Mike after that, but strangely enough, Mike spent a good part of the evening thinking about you.

  “Are they a new staff member? I don’t think I’ve seen them before.” Mike asked Abby while she picked at the reheated veggies on her plate. “No, not really. They’ve been here for a while.” Abby responded. “They seem nice.” he mentioned. “They are. They help me with my homework and we talk. They even said they like my drawings!” Abby explained with a smile. “ Well, that’s nice to hear.” Mike said as he got up from his seat at the table. “You finish those off before you try and watch TV, alright?” he said with a little bit of demand as he pointed to the uneaten food on her plate before heading off to get ready for the rest of the night. 

  Soon after that, Mike had formed a habit. Everyday, just before getting out of his car to go pick up Abby, he would check himself in his rearview mirror. He would subconsciously fix any loose hair, fix up his jacket to look neater, or check for food in his teeth. He didn’t know when it started but he noticed it when he was fighting with a piece of food from his lunch earlier that day that didn’t want to leave it’s spot between his teeth. “Why am I even doing this? It’s barely noticeable.” he thought to himself. But something irked him to get it out before he got out. 

  After he finally got the pesky piece out, he stepped out of his car and made his way to the classroom that the program was held in. Abby noticed him but the staff member who came to check her out to him wasn’t you. After he gave all the information, signed, and took Abby’s hand, he found that he felt slightly disappointed that it wasn’t you this time and thought that he fought that food between his teeth for nothing. 

  The drive home consisted of silence as Abby stared out the window and Mike stewed in his thoughts on why he wanted see you every time he came in. It shouldn’t matter if it’s you, or the new teacher Miss Hill, or the old teacher Mrs. Flores, or someone who was a part of that group. 

  “Did you have fun with (Y/n) today?” Mike asked as he peaked at Abby in the rearview. Why did he ask that? “Yeah. I didn’t have a lot of homework so we spent most of the time talking while I drew.” Abby responded. “What did you talk about?” he questioned. “Not much. They talked about being a teacher’s aid and how they want to be a school teacher.” Abby commented, Mike nodded his head. “I talked about us a little. I told them that you work and take care of me.” she explained, “And they said that’s really nice of you to be doing both.” Abby referenced. Mike thought about that for a second. “Did they?” he responded. 

  The rest of the evening and night went on as normal. But Mike found that he didn’t really pay attention to the late night TV like he usually does. He was caught up on what Abby said today about you. Mike tried to brush it off but just couldn’t, and he didn’t like it all that much. It made him feel dumb. Why was he so consumed with what you thought of him, with Abby saying that you think he’s nice for taking care of his little sister and being their breadwinner and him recently starting to care about how he looked under the possibility of you and him seeing each other while he got Abby. 

  There was no way he had some stupid crush on you. You were just some staff member who took care of Abby after school and he was just her older brother. That’s all you should be to each other. 

  He thinks that while also thinking about how maybe he should pack a mini toothbrush and toothpaste tube so his lunch doesn’t end up in his breath in case you catch it next time you talk. 

[yeagerfate]

YELLOW MORNINGS

Summary: Your parents make you ride on the bus on the first day at your new highschool. You soon realize that this bus is full of both kids you’re scared of and want to be friends with. Who’s on it, and what are they like? + Headcanons on what they’re like in school.

Warnings: None. This is fluff and slight crack! Also, reader is a minor in this and Miguel’s is platonic since he’s a grown ass adult and reader’s 15. (Every other character in this is assumed to be either 15 or 16.) Additionally, the sketchbook thing mentioned in Miles’ is a true story. That actually happened at my school LMFAO

Characters: Miguel O’Hara, Miles Morales (Earth-1610), Hobie Brown, Gwen Stacy, Pavitr Prabhakar, and Gabriela O’Hara gets her own little feature in Miguel’s.

Notes: I’m a bit nervous for how this’ll go, but I’m excited for its reception, since I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone write this before. Anyways, thank you guys so much for all the love on my posts. From the bottom of my heart it means so so much to me. I have always loved writing, but it’s a hobby I’m really shy about. Your support really helps me come out of my shell more, which is greatly appreciated. You all are awesome and I love being in this fandom so much. It is so so much fun!

MIGUEL O’HARA

is the angry bus driver that beeps at you four times despite you walking towards the bus in his direct line of sight. He says “good morning” to you in a gruff, tired voice and tells you to just sit down and not cause trouble. As you walk in the aisle of the bus, you can see his daughter in the front seat right behind his, wearing the school uniform for the private elementary school down the street from your high school. She’s sipping on apple juice while holding a bag of chocolate chip mini muffins, staring out the window blankly. When he drops you off at the high school, he tells you to stay out of trouble. The questioning look you give him makes him sigh exasperatedly before telling you to have a good day. Maybe he isn’t so bad?

MILES MORALES

Is staring at the black sketchbook in his hands thoughtfully before he makes eye contact with you. He smiles politely and waves at you, but doesn’t say anything else. When you sit with him, he places the sketchbook on his lap and asks your name. He seems grateful for your presence and tells you it’s been ages since someone new has been assigned to this particular bus. Suddenly, he asks you for your schedule, and is elated when he sees you have biology class together. Though, he lets out a pitiful sigh when he sees who you have for Algebra II. “Good luck with her,” Miles says. “She took away my sketchbook last year because she thought it was a phone.” Miles is always asking you to go to his basketball games on the weekends. He’ll even give you his jersey to wear to cheer him on. Also, if you ever need help on homework, he’s your guy. Especially if it’s math related.

HOBIE BROWN

Has his expensive looking Sony headphones on, and his foot is bouncing to the beat of the song he’s listening to. He nods at you, and waves you over once he sees that all the other seats are taken. You are taken aback by his eccentric fashion style. He asks if you’re new. When you say yes, he tells you which teachers to specifically avoid. The next day, he brings in his earbuds so you both can listen to his music. Hobie is always snacking on the bus, and makes sure to bring you some food too, even if you already have some. Gets yelled at by Miguel for not sitting in his seat (He’s just tall. He does sit.) Even though he’s pretty much always a respectful student, he repeatedly arrives on the bus with detention slips for shadow boxing. Also got suspended for a week for piercing people’s noses in the bathrooms during third period. Oh well!

GWEN STACY

Is quietly scrolling on her phone before she makes eye contact with you. She’s the only other girl in the back of the bus, so you decide to sit with her. Gwen seems shy, so you are the one to make conversation. You quickly find out that she’s a catcher on the softball team and is in a band with Hobie, the kid in the seat next to yours. Gwen informs you of all of the school’s drama from the year before, including the time she got an ISS for giving girls ibuprofen for their period cramps. Regardless of this, she tells you, “I still have it in my bag. If you need it, just ask.” She also sends you the quizlets she makes for the Spanish class you have together. Frequently, Gwen gives you gum, but it is a silent exchange as to prevent the other students from asking for it as well. She is a very generous person.

PAVITR PRABHAKAR

Is fiddling with his bright school bag before he insists that you sit with him. He is a talker, and tells you all about himself. He urges you to join theatre for the winter musical, which is apparently “The best school event of the year!”. Pavitr is very involved with the school, and is the president of the theatre club, the secretary of the choir club, and is starting a culture club this year. He tells you to sit with him at lunch kindly. Though, his pleasant rant is interrupted when he tells you to avoid the lunch lady whose name is Linda. His reasoning is that, “She argued with me over chai tea.” which you laugh boisterously at. Although Pavitr has a somewhat ingenuous spirit, he forges your mother’s signature on a detention slip you got for going to the bathroom despite your English teacher’s hard “No.” He’s always going out of his way to help you!

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE FRIENDS WITH THEM?

Miles is known as one of the best players on the basketball team. Even though he doesn’t bounce it in the hallways, teachers are always telling him to put the basketball in his hands away, which irritates him to no end. Although teachers adore him, they always have to tell him to turn his phone off because it’s always buzzing from Snapchat notifications. He trades food with people at lunch and is on the Robotics team. Miles is one of the only two in the friend group who hasn’t gotten a detention. Is the only boy in your P.E. class who doesn’t treat it like the olympics and makes sure everyone has a good time. Cried once on FaceTime with you because out of stress he drew a dick on his AP Calc packet and forgot to erase it before turning it in. Unironically, Miles will play mermaids with you in the pool.

Hobie has both girls and boys fawning over him all the time, and people are constantly asking for his number. Never pays attention in class but passes. Hobie’s a “C’s get degrees” type of person, regardless of how well he does in school. For school spirit week, instead of bringing a backpack, he brings a Walmart shopping cart. Makes people laugh in class, but does it respectfully to not piss off the teacher. Teachers get sick of how often you pair up with each other for group projects but he tells them you’re a package deal and that you can’t be separated. Once you get your driver’s license, you make him check your parking jobs. He proceeds to ask you who gave you your license. Grew from 5’9 to 6’5 in the span of a school year and was always asking when second lunch was.

Gwen wasn’t on the bus last year, so she was introduced to the friend group because of her role on the theatre’s stage crew. It’s how she met Pavitr, who played the leading role in the Spring musical. To her dismay, her hydro-flask always falls off her desk, which makes such a loud clang she almost cries. Gwen’s locker is messy, with little magnets all over it. Has the best handwriting you’ve ever seen. Says random Disney bully quotes like, “I’ll kick you into next week if ya don’t give me your lunch!” when she sees you in the hallway. When she gets partnered up with you for a lab, she makes sure you finish before everyone else so you can just chill. Gwen always gets you a snack at the vending machine before any class you have together. She paints your nails in the back of the class.

Pavitr is a straight A student. People think he’s stuck in 2016 because he still wears those bands that you slap on your wrist. Gives people haircuts during break time, and wants to become a hairdresser when he’s older. During a fire drill he got yelled at because he stopped, dropped, and rolled for no reason. Tears fall from his eyes frequently because he holds in coughs in class. Jokingly put in a quote from the Lorax for his senior quote when he was on the yearbook team but forgot to take it out. His senior quote is, “Let it grow.” Pav fake falls in class but nobody suspects a thing because they think he’s innocent. He screamed with you when he saw a spider. Gets out of getting in trouble for being late because he got everyone Starbucks. (He got you a cake pop)

[morganbritton132]

Idk why this popped into my brain but it occurred to me that Eddie was probably on those celebrity editions of game shows. Celebrity Jeopardy, Celebrity Who Wants to be a Millionaire, etc…

And it just made me laugh so hard. The idea of Eddie Munson with Regis. Of calling Steve as a phone a friend for a basketball question and Steve being like Eddie I don’t know everything about basketball. But the answer is Larry Bird.

Just TikTok finding clips of Eddie yelling “suck it, Dan Cortese!” after obliterating them all at final jeopardy.

This fills me with so much joy! I love it so much.

Eddie does not go on Celebrity Who Wants to be a Millionaire by choice. He pissed off the band’s manager just enough that they signed him up for it without his knowledge, and he’s not doing it. He got the letter in the mail and it’s not happening.

Eddie ‘Six Years of High School’ Munson is not going on national television and making himself look like an idiot when he doesn’t even get to be in on the joke. No way.

“Dick move, man,” Gareth shrugs after Eddie put his foot down. “Even if you fuck the first question, they’re still gonna donate to your charity of choice. And like, maybe this is just the amount of money needed to cure cancer. Or epilepsy.”

“…You fucking suck, Gareth.”

“Yeah, I do!”

Eddie begrudgingly shows up and goes through the whole rigmarole to get mic’ed up, just ready to make a fool out of himself and call it a day. It turns out that he knows a lot more than he thought he did because he breezes through the first round of questions.

He knows enough about history, music, and the arts just from planning his D&D campaigns and reading about things he likes. He’s surprised by how much surface knowledge he’s gained from listening to the kids logic their way through their science and math homework, but sports are a bust.

He gets lucky on a few questions, but ends up using his Phone a Friend to call his partner, Steve. Steve and Eddie spend the first fifteen seconds arguing about how Eddie shouldn’t have wasted his phone a friend on Steve because he doesn’t know anything. And then once he hears the question, he’s like, “Larry Bird” and hangs up.

Eddie doesn’t win a millionaire dollars for his charity, but he wins quite a bit.

Afterwards when he’s still so hyped up about not being dumb, Steve’s just like ???? “Ed, you were never dumb. You just had trouble taking tests and none of your teachers accommodated your very obvious ADHD. You’ve always been brilliant.”

“Now everybody knows it.”

“Yeah,” Steve agreed. “Yeah, they do.”

Eddie signs up for Celebrity Jeopardy himself.

One of the first things that Steve and Wayne bonded over was a love for Jeopardy. Wayne has watched Jeopardy before he left for work for as long as Eddie has known him, and Steve was more than happy to sit with him when it was on. They both continued to watched even after Steve and Eddie moved to Chicago and sometimes they’d call each other if Final Jeopardy was “crazy.”

The band wasn’t touring as much as they used too and they’re all pretty much working on their own projects at this point. Steve’s finishing up his master’s degree while teaching full time and doesn’t really have a lot of time for him. Eddie is in between projects and creatively tapped out, and worst of all, he’s bored.

So when his manager passively mentions Celebrity Jeopardy, Eddie tells him to sign him up for it. When they accept his application, the only people he tells about it are Dustin and Nancy.

He only tells them because he wants their help studying for it because he wants to win this time. So, they study and it sucks. If Eddie ever sees another world famous Nancy Wheeler flashcard again, he’ll tear off his arm. He hates every second of their study sessions.

Eddie makes it through the quarterfinals and then he makes it to the semi-finals (knocking out Dan Cortese). He doesn’t win the tournament because he bets big on a Daily Double and gets it wrong, but he’s fairly close to the lead after Final Jeopardy.

It’s not bad for a guy that failed his senior year three times.

The fun part comes when it airs. He painstakingly sets up their camcorder so Steve won’t notice it before the show starts. The video he gets has a good five minutes of Steve fussing with a blanket up until they say ‘Eddie Munson.’

Steve looks up and then looks at Eddie, and then back at the tv, “Wha- what? Is that – that’s you! You’re on Jeopardy! Eddie, you’re on – oh my god, we’ve got to call Wayne.”

Before Steve can even do that, their phone is ringing and Steve answers it like, “HE DIDN’T TELL ME EITHER!” while Eddie is laughing his ass off.

When Eddie posts a TikTok about it like, ‘LOL remember when I was on Jeopardy?’ it includes this moment. It also includes footage from the semi-finales where Steve is just pacing the living room and repeatedly telling Eddie to just tell him if he won or not. Steve cheers like he’s at a football game when Eddie wins.

It’s just as tense when the video cuts to Steve watching the finale. Steve knows the answer to the daily double that Eddie gets wrong and is like, ‘This is why they should do Jeopardy Couples, we’d win so hard.’ Steve’s not even disappointed that Eddie lost, keeping the same enthusiasm through the show and then is like, “I’m married to a Jeopardy contestant. I’m so telling Janet about this at the staff meeting tomorrow.” 

[noramoons]

seasons (waiting on you).

pairing: yeonjun x reader, (eventual) taehyun x reader

genre: college au, angst, slight fluff at the end

rating: T/13+

word count: 16.5k (i am so sorry)

warnings: explicit language, one (1) mention of alcohol, descriptions of a breakup, depression and anxiety depictions, mentions of harmful behaviors and thoughts, just so many post-breakup emotions being described for way too long BUT angst with a happy ending :)

summary: when your high school sweetheart choi yeonjun is off to grad school, you aren’t too worried about how your relationship will last—but your favorite coworker, kang taehyun, is.

OR:

a study in the seasons of loving and losing choi yeonjun—and how you put yourself back together afterwards.

playlist: telepath - conan grey, let you break my heart again - laufey, back 2 u (A.M. 01:27) - nct 127, i don’t know you anymore - eric nam, drive - ashton irwin, seasons (waiting on you) - future islands

I. PROLOGUE. 

Loving Yeonjun was like watching a meteor shower cross the sky. It was beautiful, and you considered yourself blessed to have been able to see it with your own eyes—but like everything else in life, it was inevitable that it had to end. 

And it ended too soon.

You still remember the day he transferred to your high school—everyone had practically stared as he walked down the hallway, beaming politely at the people at he passed on his way to his first class. He was like a celebrity almost instantly, and not just because he was a transfer student—Choi Yeonjun was beautiful, and jaw-droppingly so, at that. 

You ended up having two classes with him, to the mostly-pretend envy of your friends. They did all say that they would be far too nervous to even try to talk to someone like Choi Yeonjun, but you didn't feel that way. He was stunningly handsome, certainly—but he was still just a high schooler like you. You didn't feel intimidated by him in the same way that your friends clearly did. 

So one day you offered to help him with Mrs. Jung's pre-calculus homework—she was a notoriously difficult math teacher, but this was the second year you'd had her. You knew what to expect with her by that point. You didn't, however, know what to expect with your offer towards Yeonjun—it was just a passing remark you made at the end of class that you would be more than happy to give him some pointers on how to pass her quizzes if he ever needed them. Nothing too serious. 

But he'd looked up at you. Blinked. And then smiled, meeting your gaze with those soft bright eyes that practically made you melt right then and there in that classroom. "Thank you," he'd said, as genuine a thank you as you'd ever heard.  "I'd love that. Could I ask you for another favor, actually?" 

You weren't entirely sure what he was going to say next, but you nodded anyway, despite your gut telling you no. 

"Can you tell me some good places to eat here? My family just moved—you know that, obviously, but I'm getting kind of tired of takeout every single night. So if you have any recommendations that, um...aren't chain restaurants, I'd appreciate it a lot." He had laughed slightly nervously after that. 

Something fluttered within your chest. Oh. Choi Yeonjun, for all his good looks and charming attitude, was kind of awkward, too. 

It just made you melt even more. 

You did end up telling him the best local places to eat in your city, surprising yourself with your own bravery when you told him you wouldn't mind showing them to him yourself sometime—and he replied with that reassuring smile once again. "I'd love that, too," he'd said. 

You'd exchanged numbers, but you didn't really think anything would come of it—it was always possible that Yeonjun had just been polite, after all. He surprised you once again, though, with a text that weekend asking to meet him at the breakfast bar you had recommended. 

Just me? you'd asked. 

Yeonjun had responded within minutes. Just you. 

On Saturday, you stressed for nearly an hour over what to wear, trying on combination after combination of outfits. Everything you had was too old (there's a difference between vintage and gross). Too new (trying too hard, much?). Too short (what will he think of you?). Not short enough (did you time-travel in from the 1800s?). But eventually, you settled on something that was just slightly above casual wear and made your way to the restaurant to be ten minutes early.

Yeonjun was there before you, giving you a small wave when you pushed open the door to the restaurant. You'd thought someone as cool in appearance like him wouldn't be the kind of person to get somewhere super early, even earlier than you—bur Choi Yeonjun seemed to be the kind of person who just kept surprising you. His outward appearance that made nearly everyone you knew practically fall at his feet clearly wasn't all there was to him. 

You learned quite a bit more about Yeonjun that day, and you'd continue to learn more when he asked you to meet him for lunch again later that week. He wanted a dog, but the apartment he was living in with his family wouldn't allow it. He listened to just about every kind of music you'd ever heard. He was a good, genuine kind of listener, hanging on your every word whenever it was your turn to speak. It was a little detail, but you would've been lying if you said it hadn't made your heart beat faster every time you noticed it. 

It wasn't until the third outing that you finally gathered up the courage to ask him what had been on your mind since that very first invitation. "Yeonjun?" you asked, almost stuttering on his name as it passed your lips. Get it together. 

He looked up from his bowl of noodles. "Mmm-hmm?"

"Is this, um...is this a date?" 

He only hesitated for an instant. "Is that okay? I mean," he had started, trying to hold your gaze, "would you want it to be?"

You nodded, maybe too quickly. "I would."

The grin that instantly tugged the corners of his lips immediately melted any insecurities you'd had away. That was always what being around Yeonjun was like—he just set you at ease. 

You felt that same way a month later, when you'd agreed to meet him at an art museum downtown that you'd mentioned wanting to go to. He'd led you through the halls, warm hand in yours, gazing at the different paintings hung on the walls together—different expressions of love and hate and sorrow and every expression that man could expel into a paintbrush. 

Well—you had been staring at the medley of colors and brush strokes on the painting directly in front of you. Yeonjun, unbeknownst to you, hadn't taken his eyes off you since you'd walked into this particular room. "I have something to tell you," he'd said. "I...I don't like beating around the bush with these kinds of things."

You turned to face him at the sudden declaration. Your heart was pounding against your chest loud enough that you wondered if Yeonjun could hear it, but you swallowed down your nervousness and nodded. 

He took your silent reply as confirmation to keep going. "I like you," he said, never looking away from your eyes for an instant. "I want to keep going out with you, if that's something you want." 

You remember thinking that Yeonjun had to have been able to hear how loud your heart was from inside your chest—you'd never felt that kind of nervous excitement before in your life. Still, you managed to nod again, smiling softly at his words. "I'd really like that too, Yeonjun. Because I like you too." 

He'd beamed at you, looking at you like you were the only thing in the room, as if you were a piece of art to be marveled at despite the awe-inspiring works surrounding both of you—and you returned that grin as much as you could. 

And now you're here, years away from that day where you and Yeonjun had both confessed. It's like everything has fallen into place just like it was meant to. 

It's the longest relationship you've ever been in, not to mention the first long-term relationship you've ever had, and you've been fascinated by the way it has evolved. Seeing Yeonjun when you walk into a room doesn't fill you with nervous excitement anymore; rather, it calms you down, simply grounding you with his presence. You don't feel nervous about bringing your concerns to him, worried about what he might think about  you when you overanalyze the conversation afterwards—instead, you take comfort in the fact that he brings his concerns to you, too. He loves you. And you love him. 

You'd spent a year apart when he had graduated high school before you, but you'd promised with teary eyes as you helped him move into his college dormitory that you'd keep this going if that was what he wanted. "Don't, um...don't forget about me while you're having fun at college," you'd quipped in the parking lot right before you left. It was a joke (mostly), but Yeonjun had heard the worry in your voice. He'd smiled at you then, just like he had all those years ago. 

"Of course," he'd said, holding you tightly to his chest in an attempt to not betray any of his own worries about the next year. "You'll have to try a little harder to get rid of me, I hope you know." 

You did know—there was never any doubt in your mind that he loved you just as much as you loved him. Yeonjun had always kept his promises, and that year apart didn't change a thing. He made sure the two of you FaceTimed at least once a week, even during his exam seasons, and both of you always sent a goodnight, i love you text every day, even if it was the only thing you said to each other that day. You'd surprise him occasionally, making a trip up to his university to visit and spoil him all weekend, taking him wherever he wanted to eat, and he'd do the same to you on weekends he could come home. 

You had been so proud of both of you for keeping that relationship alive for the year you were apart, and Yeonjun was overjoyed when you told him you'd gotten into the university he was currently attending. It wasn't long before you were side-by-side every day once again, just like you'd been in high school, and you were still just as in love as you were back then. 

Yeonjun is remarkably smart—but you knew that already, knew it even when you offered to help him with pre-calculus back in high school. That's why it doesn't surprise you when he's able to graduate college early, on top of getting multiple grad school offers for his Master's degree. He takes you with him to tour the schools he's looking at, even though he knows you won't be there for a while—you're as much a part of his decision-making-process as he is. You'd waited for him in that interval before you'd gone to college—you can wait for him here, too.

Being with Yeonjun was like a dream, all of it. 

You suppose you had to wake up eventually.

II. FALL

It surprises you when those seeds of doubt begin to sow themselves in your mind. It's been three months since Yeonjun has left for grad school across the country, but you can count the number of times he's called to check on you on both hands. You know you aren't the same lovesick teenagers you were when he had gone off for college and left you for a year in high school, but you had thought that it wouldn't be that different.

But a good relationship is nothing without communication—you and Yeonjun haven't made it work this long without reminding each other occasionally to keep in touch. So you send him a quick text. 

< everything going okay? miss u <33

You don't have time to wait around for his reply, though—your shift at the university library starts in just under thirty minutes, so you decide you'd better go ahead and head that way.

Your coworkers are all lounging against the front desk when you clock in, clipping your nametag underneath your collar. "What's so funny?" you ask, tilting your head at their sudden giggling. 

Taehyun points towards the study corrals. "Kai's drooling." 

"I am not," Kai interrupts, frowning. "I..."

He trails off as a girl walks out of one of the study corrals, pulling her headphones out of her tote bag before placing them delicately over her ears, smiling softly as her music starts before she heads for the doors. 

You share a knowing glance with Taehyun, who smirks at you. He's been a close comfort as you've started university—you feel blessed to get along with all your coworkers, but Taehyun is someone you've meshed with practically right from the start. Your majors are in the same department, so you've had quite a bit of overlap with your required classes—you and Taehyun have already spent many a day off together back in the library, comparing notes and cramming for quizzes together. He's a much better note-taker than you, which is slightly aggravating, but your memory is better than his, so you usually remember class material better than he does. It's an unusual equivalent exchange between the two of you, but you're both pleased with how well it's worked so far. Not to mention how easy he is to spend time with—you swear your study sessions with Taehyun almost always feel like minutes instead of hours. It reminds you, sometimes, of how your first few dates with Yeonjun had gone (this, of course, is a thought you squash the moment it appears). 

"Oh, my God," Kai says, practically groaning even as you and Taehyun giggle at him. "She's so cute. What am I going to do?" 

Taehyun turns to you, smirking. "What do you think? Think he's got a chance?" 

You raise both your hands in mock self-defense. "Hey, this is all between Kai and that girl. Besides, I'd never date a coworker. Just gets too messy, you know?" 

Beomgyu pokes his head out from organizing the storage closet behind you. "Aren't you literally dating Yeonjun?"

You scoff. "I'll have you know I was dating Yeonjun long before he worked here. Or before I worked here, either." Yeonjun had only worked at the university library his first year, but he'd gotten along really well with Soobin, one of the managers, and putting in a good word for you certainly didn't hurt when you had told him you were looking for a job at the start of the school year.

Beomgyu makes a face. "Well. Shady application or not—you're reshelving the architecture textbooks upstairs since you're almost late." 

You aren't late, actually—you've clocked in five minutes early, but you don't quite have the energy for getting into a mostly-pretend argument with Beomgyu today. So you offer him a wink before grabbing a handful of architecture textbooks from the desk and heading upstairs to the art section. 

You pass several couples studying together on your way up to the third floor. Only a few are really studying, though—most have notebooks and laptops spread out, sure, but just about every other couple on a study date of their own is putting much more emphasis on the date part, rather than the study part. 

Not that you blame them at all—you and Yeonjun used to do the same thing. You remember plenty of study sessions where you'd gaze up from your computer to find Yeonjun taking a silly candid photo of you before you'd scoff, playfully begging him to delete it (which he would never do—you look too cute so focused like that, he'd say). But you always saw them later when he made them the lockscreen on his phone. 

You wonder what his lockscreen is now, you think absentmindedly as you haul several books onto one shelf. It's been months since you saw him or his phone. At that thought, you glance down at your own phone tucked into your jeans pocket to see if he's sent you any kind of response to your message earlier—but your notification screen is just as empty as it was the last time you checked. 

Those seeds of worry dig themselves deeper. 

But you tell yourself again not to worry. There's no point—you and Yeonjun have been through plenty together. You know you have no idea how busy and stressful graduate school must be, but you're sure you'll hear all about it the next time you see Yeonjun.��

It's the same thing you tell yourself when you get in your car to go back to your apartment once your shift ends, checking your phone once again to see an empty screen. 

And again tomorrow morning, when your notification screen is still blank (aside from the outdated memes Soobin is spamming your work groupchat with) on your way to class. 

There's no doubt about it now. Those seeds are planted. You're worried. 

But, as it turns out, only for a few hours—because you do finally, finally receive a reply from Yeonjun halfway through your shift at the library, your heart nearly pounding out of your chest in a way it hasn't in years when you finally see his name pop up at the top of your notifications. 

> hey! 

> can you talk soon? 

You look around the library. It's a Friday night—hardly anyone on campus is studying, but Soobin has still scheduled you, Taehyun, and Kai for tonight—you're practically over-staffed, so you're sure he won't mind if you step outside for a quick moment. 

You make your way towards the chemistry section, where Soobin is currently organizing some kind of midterms display. "Hi," you say, sweetly. 

He turns his head to face you, suspicion tugging at the corners of his eyes. "Hi," he repeats, slowly. "What's up?" 

"Mind if I step outside really quick? I have to make a call." 

Soobin narrows his eyes, and you know he's onto you. But he still gestures towards the door with his head before tapping on his wristwatch. "Just make it quick, alright?"

You nod way too quickly. "You got it," you say, beaming at him before practically dashing for the doors, pulling up Yeonjun's contact information on your phone and calling him immediately. 

He picks up on the third ring. "Hey," he starts.

"Hi," you respond, trying not to sound too terribly excited to hear his voice. "How's school going?"

He hums. "It's alright, I guess. You?" God, he sounds tired—you'll have to come up with something really nice to surprise him with the next time you see him. You're not sure what his favorite restaurants are in his new city, but you can ask around with his friends—you're sure he has plenty already. He's always been that way—that charm of his had certainly worked on you too, after all.

So you make a similar hum of agreement. "It's okay so far. I really miss you, Jjun." 

There's a strange pause after those words—as if you and Yeonjun had a script for your conversations, and he had lost his. You had fully expected him to return the sentiment, just like he always had before. Instead, you hear him take a breath. "Do you have time to talk, Y/N?"

The seeds of worry are back, digging themselves deeper and insisting on growing roots within your head. "Um...sure," you manage to get out, trying to ignore the sudden panic clawing at the bottom of your stomach. 

He sighs, and there's a long space of time before he continues. "...I really wish I could see you. You deserve this in person at least, you know? But...fuck, there's no easy way to do it, I guess. I—I don't think we should do this anymore. Us, I mean—I think we need to be done." 

You aren't sure if you heard him right. There's no, no way your Yeonjun just said...that. "...What?" you say, laughing nervously. "I'm sorry—are you saying we need a break?" 

Yeonjun clears his throat. "No," he says. "Not a break. I don't think that would be fair to either of us. I think we need to be done." 

Blindsided doesn't even begin to cover how you feel. You feel like Yeonjun has just dumped a bucket of ice water over your head through the phone. "Yeonjun—you're breaking up with me?" 

He takes a moment to reply. "Yeah, Y/N. I am. And I'm so, so sorry, I—"

"Over the phone?" you sputter, indignant tears blooming at the corners of your eyes. "You're ending a four and a half year relationship...over a phone call?" 

You can't see him, but you know the wince he's making, judging by the sound of the sigh that leaves his mouth. "I told you, I would've had to fly out to come see you—and I figured you probably wouldn't have let me stay the rest of the weekend at your place afterwards," he says, laughing awkwardly. "I'm too broke as it is these days anyway." 

You just can't believe what you're hearing. This is a nightmare. It has to be. "So...what?" you choke out, brushing back tears threatening to fall from the corners of your eyes. "Did I...do something?" 

"Oh, God, no," Yeonjun says hurriedly, and the concern in his voice is genuine. You know what that sounds like, at least. "Honestly. You didn't do anything, Y/N—it's my fault. I let this relationship grow static, and I let myself fall into a routine—and I just sort of stopped feeling the way I had before. I should have done this before, but I was too much of a coward, and I'm so, so sorry—I know it's a lot to ask of you, but I hope you can forgive me. Maybe we can be friends, one day." 

A long time passes before you answer. "One day," you repeat. "But not now." 

He lets out a short laugh. "I didn't think you'd want to be friends now." 

"I...fuck, Yeonjun," you say, nervous and shocked laughter escaping your throat. "I don't want this to be over at all. There's...there's no way this just came out of nowhere." 

He hums apprehensively. "I don't know what else I can say. It's the truth—I just let myself become bored with the relationship, and that's my fault. I should have tried harder a long time ago, and for that, I...I really am sorry." 

"I—I guess I just don't see why it isn't too late to try now," you stammer. "Why?"

"...Y/N, I don't want to try now, anymore," he whispers, and it's only then that you really get what he's been trying to tell you all along. He's done with you—whatever he felt for you all those years ago when you whispered your mutual confessions in that quiet art gallery, is gone. 

Yeonjun does not love you anymore. How you feel about him doesn't matter. 

It takes several uncomfortable beats of silence before you speak again. "Okay," you say, voice shaking. "Okay. I get it. G...goodbye, Yeonjun." 

He lets out a shaky sigh of his own. "Goodbye, Y/N. I'm so—"

But you hang up before he can say anything else. You don't want to hear another word from him now. You're trembling as you end the call, sliding your phone back into your back pocket. You're going home—there's no fucking way you can make it through the rest of your shift after this. You walk back inside as calmly as you can, sliding your nametag off your collar and placing it on the desk. 

Taehyun hasn't quite turned around to see you when you do so. "Oh, Y/N, you won't believe what Kai just sent—huh?" He frowns, finally noticing your nametag on the front counter. 

"Can you, um...can you tell Soobin when he gets back that I'm going home? I'll come early on Saturday, I'll do whatever he needs me to do to make up for this time, but I really need to go home." You absolutely cannot, under any circumstance, let them see you like this—especially not Taehyun, your favorite coworker. You don't think he'd ever let you hear the end of it. 

His eyebrows furrow in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," you say, way, way too quickly to be nothing. "I'm sick. I...I-I'll see you guys on Saturday, okay?" You turn around and walk towards the library doors as fast as you can, practically making a beeline for the doors—but you aren't fast enough to not hear the familiar sound of Taehyun unclipping his own nametag and slamming it on the desk behind you. 

"Kai, tell Soobin I'm feeling sick, too. I'll call Beomgyu to come cover for me for the rest of this shift." 

"You...what?" Kai practically splutters, leaning over the front counter to call after the both of you. "What the hell's wrong with you two?" 

You have to make it to the car. You can have the breakdown you so desperately need in there, but you are not going to sob your eyes out right outside the university library. 

Taehyun, however, apparently isn't going to let you do either. "Y/N," he says behind you once the two of you are outside, grabbing hold of your bicep. "What's going on? What's wrong? Please—just talk to me."

You shake your head. "Taehyun, please, I just need to go home. I'm going to have a fucking meltdown right on the street if you don't at least let me get to my car," you sputter, voice trembling as you try to keep the tears at bay. 

But Taehyun shakes his head too. "No. We can go in my car. You said you parked in the guest lot today because you were almost late. Remember?"

You do remember—and at this point, you don't care enough to argue with him. So you nod in agreement, following him into the lot in a walk that has to be the longest minute and a half of your life. Once you're in Taehyun's car, though, shutting the passenger door behind you, you can't fight the tears prickling at your eyes anymore. 

"Hey—hey, talk to me, Y/N. Please. What's going on?" 

You shake your head, burying your head in your hands to try to muffle your sobs. "He broke up with me, Tae," you manage to choke out, even though the verbal confirmation of what just happened just makes you cry harder. 

"He—what? The fuck? Yeonjun?" 

"Who else?" you snap back, voice shaking. "He said we've...grown apart since he moved away. That he doesn't love me anymore. But I still love him, Taehyun," you sniff, tears tracking down your face and slipping into your open mouth in what must be an absolute mess to behold. "What am I supposed to do?"

If Taehyun thinks you look a mess, though, he doesn't tell you. "Fuck...Y/N, I'm so, so sorry," he starts, gently. "I know that doesn't mean anything—but I really am."

You shake your head. "No. It does mean something." 

He gestures towards his backseat. "If you want to beat up my backseats, go for it. I've done that after a few shitty shifts before—it can be pretty cathartic." 

But you just shake your head again, sniffling. "I just want to go home, Taehyun. Please." 

He just nods, turning the keys in the ignition before reaching into the center console in his car to grab an envelope of tissues, taking several and handing them to you. "In case you need these." 

You sniff again. "Thank you," you say, even though you know you're nowhere near done crying about this. 

You don't live too far from the university, so Taehyun's pulling into the parking lot of your apartment building before you know it. Your apartment is only on the second floor, and there's a set of stairs outside, so Taehyun is able to park almost right below your apartment. He turns to face you again. "This is you, right?" 

You nod. "Yes. Thank you, Tae." 

He glances for a moment at your door before looking back at you, worry etched on his features. "You want some time to yourself? I can come back tomorrow if you want me to check on you." 

Normally, you think, you'd say yes. You'd want to go finish crying by yourself and getting it all out of your system right before you force yourself to fall asleep—but you think about your apartment. You think about the hoodies in your closet, the pictures adorning your shelves, the stuffed animals on your bed—Yeonjun is everywhere in your apartment. You can't face these remainders of him alone.

So you shake your head. "No, I...um, can you come inside, please? You don't have to stay, I just don't know if I can—"

But Taehyun doesn't let you finish, turning off the car's ignition and opening his door, immediately walking around to open yours. Normally, you'd make some quip here about chivalry not being dead, but you can't find the energy within yourself to make anything of the sort. 

You make your way up the stairs before unlocking your door and making your way to your bedroom, trying to avoid the onslaught of photos of you and Yeonjun in the living room before collapsing onto your bed, covering your face in your pillows and sobbing the way you wanted to earlier. You hardly even notice Taehyun beside you, rubbing small circles on your back while you soak the pillowcase below you, chest heaving with hiccups in between sobs. 

You don't turn around to face him until you feel like you've emptied every tear in your eyes, now red and puffy as you catch your breath. 

Taehyun frowns at the state of you, finally moving his hand away from the small of your back. "Where are your washcloths?" he asks. 

What? "Um...o-on the rack beside the shower," you say, gesturing towards the bathroom in the hallway. 

You're perplexed when he leaves, even more so when you hear the sound of the sink running, but he's back in an instant with a wet cloth, sitting back down beside you on your bed. He hesitates for an instant. "For your cheeks," he says, tapping his own. "It'll feel better." 

Oh. "Thanks," you say, somewhat lamely, before taking the washcloth from his hands. It's warm, you realize, and he's right—it does feel nice on your tear-stained cheeks, especially under your now-puffy eyes—a gentle contrast to the sobs that had racked your entire body minutes ago. 

You set the washcloth down, looking back up at Taehyun, who offers you a reassuring smile—one you've seen plenty of times at the library, when one of you has messed up on organizing a section and had to endure a lecture from Soobin. It's not a bad expression to be on the receiving end of. "Come here," he says, opening his arms, and you let him pull you into his chest without a second thought. It's the first time you've hugged Taehyun, you think absentmindedly—but you suppose that doesn't matter. You're grateful to have him here with you now—you can't imagine how much worse you'd feel alone in your room now. 

He lets you hold onto him for as long as you need, only pulling away when you do. "Did you eat before work?" he asks softly. 

You shake your head. You'd planned on making something from your pantry after your shift, but the thought of getting up and being productive right now feels like a Herculean task. 

Taehyun must be able to see the exhaustion on your face, because he just nods. "That's okay," he says. "I'll order in." 

And he does. You spend the rest of the evening eating takeout from the Thai place down the street on your bed with Taehyun, who stays beside you and makes sure you have a nearly-full glass on your nightstand at all times, to make up for how you'd practically dehydrated yourself sobbing. And you do cry again in the middle of eating dinner, but Taehyun doesn't flinch—he just nestles you in his sturdy arms again until you don't have any tears left to cry. 

He does make a comment about leaving if you'd prefer sometime past midnight, but one look from you causes the rest of the sentence to die on his tongue, and he doesn't say another word about it. 

You wake up in the morning just before noon, and you feel only a single instant pang of panic before you see Taehyun's outstretched limbs on the couch in the living room, chest rising and falling evenly in sleep. You aren't sure when he got up to let you sleep on your own—you hardly even remember falling asleep, but the sight of him causes your heartbeat to even back out for a moment. 

That doesn't last long, though—it's only an instant before your barely-awake mind remembers what had caused him to spend the night in the first place, and you immediately feel that now-familiar twinge of sorrow in your chest. 

And it doesn't go away—no, that feeling hangs heavy in your chest. You know, then and there, that it's going to be a weight you'll carry around for a long time. 

III. WINTER.

You're right on all accounts. 

You never flat out tell the rest of your coworkers what happened between you and Yeonjun, but they must be able to read between the lines—all of them tiptoe around you for weeks. Even Soobin never teases you at work anymore, which you almost miss. You aren't a piece of glass, after all—but with the way that everyone treats you at work, you'd think you were. 

But maybe there's some truth to their treatment. Not a day goes by that you don't think about Yeonjun's words—that he'd basically just gotten bored with you. You know he'd said you hadn't done anything, but you had to have done something for that to occur, right? It didn't make any sense otherwise. 

You are proud of yourself when your track record for "crying over Yeonjun" goes from every day to once a week, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't still hurt. Just like the love you'd known from him had been something beautiful like you'd never experienced, you've never known anything as painful as this.

So much of your identity before had been being Yeonjun's partner. For Christ's sake, he was the whole reason you'd been able to get this job at the library in the first place—and now you have to distance yourself from that. You have to. You don't have another choice.

At one point, Beomgyu does suggest going out for drinks after work with Soobin. "Everyone's going," he adds gently, as if that will somehow be the thing to convince you to pull yourself out of your mental wallowing. "Won't be as fun without you, though." 

You force a smile across your lips. You do still remember how to do that, right? Smile? "I, um...I'll have to catch you guys next time. I'm busy that night." 

Beomgyu's eyes narrow. "I haven't told you what day we're going out yet, Y/N." 

You wince. "Beomgyu, I—I'm sorry. I really appreciate you trying, but I just don't think I'm there yet. I'm sorry."

He rolls his eyes a little at that. "I think this is exactly what you need right now, personally. We'll make sure you have fun, I promise. So much fun that you won't even think about old what's-his-name the entire night." 

You know good and well that Beomgyu remembers Yeonjun's name, and that he's practically putting on a show to convince you to go get drunk with him and Soobin and God knows who else—but you can't. Not yet. So you turn him down again, and this time he finally relents, taking the hint and leaving to sort through the returned books bin. Going out and getting drunk enough to forget Yeonjun probably is what you need right now—but you know you aren't there yet (Even admitting the 'yet'—the knowledge that you eventually will be at that point, whether you like it or not—is painful). Wanting to forget Yeonjun is accepting that what the two of you had is over, and truth be told, you aren't ready to do that. You're fully in denial—and you know it. 

But that doesn't mean you're in the right state of mind to do anything about it. For God's sake, you haven't even been able to go through the photo album of you and Yeonjun on your phone yet and delete a single photo. The scraps of sanity that still call out to you occasionally within your mind tell you that you need to delete those photos of the two of you, that seeing them later will just make you feel worse—but you can't. Any act of cementing the end of the relationship is still just nothing short of unthinkable to you. 

You're very much a prisoner of your own mind for the rest of the semester, whether or not you're willing to admit it, as you continue replaying Yeonjun's last words to you in your head, over and over. And over. And over. And over again. It's unhealthy—you know that. But you don't stop. You can't stop thinking about what you should have done differently to prevent this. Sure, he'd said you hadn't done anything, but that must have been a polite lie. Something must have happened. Had you been overbearing? Annoying? Had you changed, somehow? Had he? 

Your friends and coworkers all tread lightly around you for the first month or so after the breakup, checking on you occasionally and reminding you that everything will be alright eventually (a lie, you know). Beomgyu gives you the notes from your morning class whenever you skip. Kai covers for you when you call out of work. Soobin looks the other way when you take fifteen minute bathroom breaks (which usually end up with you crying in the stall) and doesn't say a word when you come back, eyes puffier than before. 

But that's exhausting to keep up with—you know that. Everyone becomes less forgiving around the middle of the semester—you still haven't gotten over that guy? What's wrong with you? You're still missing class and falling behind on assignments? Why can't you get a grip? No one says this out loud to you, of course, but you can pick up on the subtext—the implications between a shared glance between Beomgyu and Kai at work when you're almost late, between your friends when you tell them you have to finish an essay that was due yesterday—looks that pierce like a dagger to your stomach. Everyone is sick and tired of you.

Well—almost everyone. Kang Taehyun is a different story altogether. 

You fully expected him to behave like everyone else—why wouldn't he? The two of you were friends, and good friends, at that, before your life as you'd known it had imploded in on itself, but you wouldn't have considered him to be a best friend by any means. Maybe you had missed some kind of memo, though—because if the way he's treated you since Yeonjun broke up with you is any indicator, his feelings towards your friendship are not at all what you'd thought they were. 

Not a day goes by that you don't eat at least two meals a day, and that's because Taehyun is checking on you daily to make sure you've eaten. More than once, he's driven over to your house with food from his pantry to ensure there is something in your apartment to eat. He helps you stay on top of your schoolwork, too—hell, the only reason you even remember to do that essay at all is because Taehyun reminds you. And yet, these reminders never feel like a scolding, or like he's judging or chastising you—rather, it just feels like he's looking out for you. He's the only person looking out for you, you think—maybe even more so than yourself. 

Which is why it surprises you, one cold, melancholy November evening as the two of you walk home from class, when Taehyun suggests talking to Yeonjun again. 

Your eyes widen. "What?" 

Taehyun nods, shifting his shoulders as he adjusts his backpack. "Sure. I...I think it would be good for you to get more closure from the whole thing. That's what's keeping you so upset, isn't it? That you don't really get why he did it?" 

You suppose there's an element of truth to that. You certainly don't understand Yeonjun's actions—but the truth of the matter is that you aren't ready to let him go. You weren't three months ago when he called you, and you still aren't now. The ache in your chest that you've felt for so long hasn't subsided in the least—like a knife that only digs deeper every time you remember it's there. 

But you nod anyway. "Yeah, I...I guess that's part of it. But—I can't just text him, Taehyun. What the hell am I supposed to say? 'Hi Yeonjun! Miss you, hope you haven't been feeling the same soul-crushing loneliness that I have for the past three months?'"

Taehyun winces at that before turning to face forward again, gazing at the sidewalk ahead of you with a sigh. "Maybe not quite like that. But...I don't know. He said he wanted to be friends, right? I don't see why you couldn't at least try."

But you don't want to be friends with Yeonjun—that's been the problem. Not just friends. You want to let yourself love him again, to feel that kind of tenderness and contentment and perfect warmth like you've never felt from another person before. 

But that clearly is no longer an option on the table for you. What Taehyun is suggesting, however, might be. Maybe he's right. Something would be better than nothing with Yeonjun. Wouldn't it? 

This conversation is how you find yourself later that night with your phone on your bed in front of you, fingers shaking slightly over the keypad from the nervous weight you feel at the bottom of your stomach. You've already typed out the entire message. You should just send it. 

< hey, did you mean what you said about being friends? 

God, why are you so nervous? It's not like you don't know the man—for Christ's sake, you spent over four years of your life convinced that you knew just about everything there was to know about Yeonjun. You knew about his favorite flowers, the piercings he wanted to get, how comically tremendous his appetite could sometimes be and how he'd always compliment your cooking, regardless of how you felt about it—but maybe none of that had mattered. You hadn't known that he'd felt bored with the relationship. You'd let that knowledge slip past you, somehow. 

You press send on the message before you can talk yourself out of it, turning your phone over and stepping into the bathroom to take a shower, hoping you can think about something, anything else to hide the bubbles of anxiety floating upwards into your chest at the thought that Yeonjun may have responded already. 

You practically leap out of the shower when you're finished, hair still dripping beads of water down your back as you wrap a towel around yourself, making your way back into your bedroom and grabbing for your phone. 

Your eyes widen. 

> yeah, i did. 

> would you be okay with that? 

The anxiety within your chest dissipates like hot water under the sun, if only for a moment. Your Yeonjun, and the effect he still has on you. 

< yeah, i would. 

His reply comes only a few minutes later. 

> okay. cool :) 

> i actually thought about sending this to you the other day. reminded me of you

[link]

Attached is a link to a YouTube video—a piano rendition of a song you'd listened to all the time (and probably forced Yeonjun to listen to in the process) when you'd first begun dating. It sounds beautiful on piano, the melody a bright cascade of hopeful and energetic sounding chords, and you feel your chest tighten with warmth as the video keeps playing. 

It had made him think of you. 

The warmth you'd felt in your chest before suddenly shifts to a suffocating cold. This is probably a bad idea. Yeonjun saying he wants to be friends probably means just that—that he wants to be friends. Nothing else. You, of course, don't feel that way at all, if the way your heart had soared when you saw his message is any indicator. You're just going to get attached again to someone you know doesn't feel the same way about you. You're only setting yourself up for more heartbreak—part of you knows that. 

But you don't stop yourself from playing the video again, butterflies rushing through your stomach. 

~~~

The weeks leading up to winter break are infinitely better than the beginning of the semester. You're comfortably caught up and staying on top of all your assignments. When Soobin assigns you more hours at the library, you don't utter a word of protest. One of your professors even comments on how much better you've done on this last essay than your first of the semester. 

Taehyun seems pleased to see you in better spirits too. He still checks on you just about every day, but there seems to be less urgency in his messages. He's not as concerned as he was a few weeks ago, and you almost feel a twinge of...something at that thought, not quite regret but not quite disappointment, either—but you brush it away just as quickly. 

Thoughts like those are easy to push away now that you're speaking to Yeonjun again. 

If it was one of your other friends in your situation, you think, you'd probably be concerned with how fast they turned around on their ex-boyfriend, going from being completely, utterly heartbroken to gushing over a cute TikTok he'd sent—but you ignore those thoughts when they come, too. Maybe you are making a bad decision by trying to be friends with Yeonjun, but you can't find it in yourself to care enough to stop. This momentary happiness is worlds away from the unbearable heartbreak you'd felt before, even if it is likely temporary. Besides, there haven't been any repercussions of this choice yet, anyway. 

Yet being the key word. 

A few days before fall break, Soobin approaches you, Taehyun, and Kai in the middle of your shared shift, the three of you definitely doing the work he'd assigned to you and definitely not talking behind the counter about a movie you're making plans to go see after your shifts end. 

Soobin clears his throat, and the three of you jump, turning to face him. He lets out a sigh. "Are all three of you going home for break?" 

You all shake your heads no. 

He perks up a bit at that. "Oh. Okay. Good! The library isn't going to be open all week, but we're still doing limited hours. Would any of you be open to working over the break? It'll be time-and-a-half pay."

Kai suddenly grabs for his phone in his back pocket, even though you don't think you heard it buzz. "Huh—look at that. My mom just texted and said she actually does want me to come home for the break now. Sorry!" 

Soobin makes an exasperated frown, but he doesn't say anything else to Kai, turning to you instead. "Y/N?"

You shrug. "Sure, I can work. I'll be here anyway." 

Taehyun suddenly shifts, standing up a little taller beside you. "Me too. I don't mind." 

Soobin nods. "Okay, great. Thanks, you guys. I'll be here the first day, but the other four days it'll be just you two here. So..." he takes in a slow breath. "Don't do anything stupid. Okay?" 

You can practically feel Taehyun fighting back a grin beside you out of the corner of your eye, and you have to bite your tongue to keep a laugh of your own from escaping you at Soobin's remark. "Okay, boss," you say, bringing a hand to your forehead in an overly enthusiastic salute. "We won't." 

Taehyun and Kai both snort at your words, but Soobin just crosses his arms. "I mean it. Don't do anything I wouldn't do, okay? Or...anything I wouldn't let either of you do. You know what I mean." He narrows his eyes. 

But you just laugh. "I promise, Soobin. We'll be fine. It's just limited hours, like you said, right? And it'll be over the break. We'll probably be the only ones in the library the whole week. What could go wrong?" 

His frown only deepens at that. "...I don't even think I want to imagine that," he says before walking away, and the three of you only let out giggles once he's out of earshot. Truthfully, as much as you enjoy teasing Soobin with your other coworkers, you really don't think working over the break will be bad at all. 

And in truth, it isn't the working part that ends up being the problem. It's what happens when you're at work. 

To absolutely no one's surprise, the library is completely, utterly dead over the break. You can count on both hands the number of people that walk in for the first three days as you and Taehyun stand behind the counter, chatting quietly until you run out of things to talk about. By noon on Thursday, the two of you are the only people in the library, scrolling on your phones aimlessly with your shoes propped up against the help desk as the soft scratch of classical music plays over the speakers above you. 

You smile when you see you've gotten a message from Yeonjun, opening your messages to see what he's sent now. Out of the corner of your eye, you can see Taehyun giving you a knowing smirk in response to the grin tugging at the corners of your mouth—but you can't hide it. You wouldn't dare, you think. 

It's a video of Yeonjun talking, telling you about a baby that kept waving to him on the plane back from his university. His fall break is the same week as yours, so he's going home today to spend the rest of the weekend with his family. 

You take a quick response video, teasing him about his and the baby's apparent shared brain cells before going back to your mindless scrolling. 

Or—you try to, at least. The moment your Instagram feed refreshes, you find yourself staring, unblinking at the first post on your page. 

It's from Yeonjun's account. It's a picture of him at the airport. And he isn't alone. Standing beside him, arms wrapped around his middle with his around their neck, eyes closed and lips turned upward in a practically radiant smile, is a girl. She looks like she's been caught off guard by Yeonjun, but she's not disappointed about it by any means, if the candid joy radiating from her expression is anything to go by. You glance down at his caption. 

thankful for you. 

There's only one comment so far, which you're assuming is from her. 

SO happy to spend this week with u <3

He might as well have put up a neon sign, you think. You know you can't know for sure, but you almost feel like this was directed at you—the caption, at the very least. Yeonjun has a girlfriend. He's moved on from you, in every sense of the phrase. 

Taehyun must have noticed your suddenly expressionless face, because you see him frown across from you out of the corner of your eye. "Everything alright over there?" 

You extend your arm towards him, showing him your phone screen wordlessly. His eyes widen. "Is that...no fucking way. He has a girlfriend?" 

You nod, that all-too-familiar lump in your throat making its presence known once again. "Yeah," you reply, avoiding his stunned gaze. "I guess so." 

Taehyun doesn't look away from you, even after you draw your arm back into your lap. "Y/N," he starts, quietly. Speaking to you the way you'd speak to a wounded animal—gently, but as if you could practically explode at any moment. It almost makes you feel worse. "Are you..." he stops, trailing off before he can even finish the thought before shaking his head. "Do you want to take a break for a minute?" He gestures with his head towards the punch clock on the wall behind the two of you. 

But you shake your head. "No, I...I don't think so," you say. As strange as it seems, you don't feel nearly as upset as you did when Yeonjun had called to break up with you. Seeing that he's already moved on feels like ripping a metaphorical band-aid off. In a way, you sort of needed to see that he's moved on—that your hopes that the two of you could get back together, somehow, were foolish. Maybe this neon sign of an Instagram post is exactly what you needed. 

Taehyun, however, doesn't seem entirely convinced, frown only deepening at your words. "Are you sure? We can get out of here, you know. It's just us in here right now." 

You shake your head again. "No. We've still got nearly another hour—I don't think Soobin would be very happy if he found out we closed the library early just because I flipped out over Yeonjun again," you say, laughing weakly. 

He snaps his fingers at you. "So you admit it! You are flipping out!" 

You roll your eyes, crossing your arms across your chest. "That is not what I—"

But Taehyun is already taking off his nametag, placing it under the counter and grabbing the keys for the front door. He turns around once he's within a few feet of the front door, gazing at you expectantly. "Well? Come on." 

You gesture with your arm at the library before you. "Taehyun, you've got to be joking. We cannot just get up and leave. What if someone needs to come study?" 

He raises an eyebrow at you. "You think someone's going to need to come study? Over fall break? The day of the holiday? Not a chance."

"How are we going to punch out then, smart guy?" you ask indignantly. 

But Taehyun just shrugs. "I'll just tell Soobin tomorrow that we both forgot, and he'll have to enter our punch-out times manually. Shouldn't be a big deal." 

But you narrow your eyes at him. "'Shouldn't be a big deal?' You seriously think Soobin won't find it a bit suspicious that we both just happened to forget to punch out as we were leaving?" 

"Not really. Look..." he says, starting softer this time. "If something happens, I'll take the fall for it. Alright? You need to get out of here." 

You take another glance at the empty, quiet library. It's only an hour early. Maybe Soobin won't find out, somehow, by some miraculous stroke of luck that you know you don't exactly tend to have—but that lump in your throat hasn't gone away since you saw the picture of Yeonjun. So you nod. "Okay," you say, pulling your nametag off and sliding it under the desk beside Taehyun's, an action that wins you a growing smile on the man's face. "Let's get out of here, then." 

You follow him out of the library, watching him lock the door and swallowing the momentary twinge of guilt at his actions. 

Taehyun seems to read your mind, though. He looks up at you once the doors are locked. "Don't chicken out on me now. Okay? I promise. We'll be okay." 

You nod wordlessly. "Let's just get out of here, then." 

He smiles at you—that big ear-to-ear grin that causes nearly all of your worries to dissipate at just the sight. "That's the spirit. Come on. Are you up for going for a drive?" 

"Sure," you say, nodding. Anywhere is better than being here, slowly falling into the trap of your own thoughts that you thought you'd narrowly escaped a month ago. 

So you get in Taehyun's car once again, gazing out the window at the sun slowly lowering against the horizon, oranges and pinks spreading across the sky as if they were deliberate brush strokes from some invisible hands—just as beautiful as those paintings you and Yeonjun had gazed at that day you both whispered your mutual confessions to each other. 

You shove that thought away just as Taehyun parks the car, and you look out the windshield to see where you are. You're at the top of a tall hill, trees around you on all sides as you gaze down at the college town before you. It looks so small from this distance, you think. 

"I've never been here before," you say, turning to look at Taehyun. "I didn't even know this place existed." 

He nods, still looking at the city below the two of you. "Beomgyu took me here once after a really bad shift. Got yelled at by some grad student for not having an extra copy of a textbook for them to loan when they had an exam tomorrow—you know the drill. It's a good spot to clear your head, I think."

You find that you'd have to agree the longer you stare down at the city, thinking about the perspective it affords you. 

"We don't live in a huge college town, compared to some others, but there's still so, so many people down there. You know?" Taehyun says, as if he's reading your thoughts. Again. How is he so good at that? "I don't want you to ever think one person is the only person you could ever be with. That he's the only chance you'll ever get at love—that just can't be possible." 

You know what he means. You even think it's true—you know it is, logically. But that doesn't mean this lingering heartbreak aching in your chest, in your lungs, in your veins, hurts any less. "Damn you, Kang Taehyun," you say quietly. "You make too much sense." 

He laughs at that, finally tearing his gaze away from the city before him and turning to face you. 

But you aren't finished, taking a deep breath before you continue. "I should've never let myself care about someone this much. This—this whole thing," you say, waving your arm in front of you in a vague gesture, "is just so stupid."

He frowns at that. "No," Taehyun says, shaking his head. "This isn't stupid. You're not stupid." 

You shake your head right back. "I let being Yeonjun's partner be my most important trait. It was all I cared about—he was all I cared about. I shouldn't have done that, shouldn't have put him on such a pedestal like that." 

Taehyun mulls your words over for a moment. "Maybe," he says. "But I don't think you should be mad at yourself for loving him. There's nothing wrong with that. And I think you've learned and grown through the relationship—you'll probably be a better partner in the next one you're in, too." 

That thought still stings—of another relationship, of giving up completely on Yeonjun. Even though he's obviously given up on you. "I just don't know what I did wrong. I have to have done something—a relationship doesn't just end like that. Does it?" Yeonjun had been so many of your firsts—and now, he was the first person to ever break up with you. You'd always been the one in charge of that in the brief relationships you'd had before him, the ones that hadn't left nearly the kind of impact Yeonjun had had on you. 

Taehyun shrugs lightly. "I don't have that much experience, but I can tell you that sometimes that is exactly what happens. People really can fall out of love—of course, that's because of their own feelings. Not usually anything to do with the other person," he adds quickly. "If anything, it says how much more equipped you are to handle a long-term, long-distance relationship than he is. You're the mature one. He's not." 

"Clearly not," you scoff. "I'm still the one crying over him, and he's already moved on. Sounds like he's more mature than I am." 

"That I disagree with," Taehyun counters immediately. "The fact that it's still upsetting you means that the relationship meant something different to you than it did to him—he must not have taken it as seriously as you. And that's his fault." 

You're quiet for a moment after that. The sun has almost completely set now, dusk enveloping the college town before you as the city lights begin to twinkle in the dark. But you still find yourself ruminating. The hollowness you feel now is almost scarier than the heartbreak—you aren't even that sad anymore. Just empty. And you tell Taehyun this. "It still scares me—feeling like I don't know who I am now. I feel like I built up an entire imaginary future with him—and now I don't know what to expect of anything anymore." 

Taehyun takes a breath as he nods. "I know," he says gently. "But the future is always like that. You know? Nothing's ever guaranteed, no matter how much we cling to the things we care about. Still—I want you to know that you're so, so much more than being someone's partner. I think you're incredibly clever, and funny, and smart, and beautiful—don't you dare look at me like that, Y/N," he says, only somewhat teasingly as you raise your eyebrows at that last addition. "I'm serious. It's okay to care about someone, but I want you to know that you are still worth so, so much as your own person. Regardless of whether you're with someone or not."

You wish you had better words to say to Taehyun—poetic, soft words to thank him in the same way that he's comforting you. Instead, you let the silence speak for you, losing yourself to the soft hum of Taehyun's radio and the glittering stars that have finally come out in the sky. It's a comfortable silence, though—and you feel those knots of worry and heartbreak at the pit of your stomach slowly start to untangle themselves. Just a little—but they do nonetheless. 

It's long past nightfall when Taehyun finally drives you home, telling you goodnight and looking like there's more that he wants to say, even as he drives away—but you find yourself content in the moment anyway, even when you get ready for bed and slip under your covers.

But that doesn't mean the pain has gone away entirely. 

Taehyun had told you to call him if you started feeling down about the whole situation, but when you wake up in the morning and feel that familiar heavy sorrow in your chest, you don't tell Taehyun a thing. Instead, you let yourself lie on your side and bring your knees up to your chest and weep, burying your face in the pillowcase until it's practically soaked through from your tears. You let yourself cry for yourself—for the version of you who has died, for the Yeonjun you had loved for so long and with such intensity, and for you now who will never again be the person you were before. 

It would be different if the two of you had ended things dramatically, you think—if Yeonjun had cheated on you, or if you had been an unsupportive partner—but none of those things happened. It just ended. And he has already moved on, the way you imagine a normal person does. 

Somehow, you think, that still makes it worse. 

But you think back on what Taehyun had said to you last night, even as you brush away the tears staining your cheeks. Choi Yeonjun is not the only person in the world—it doesn't make sense to think of him as the only person who could ever love you. Yes, your relationship coming to an end still hurts like nothing you've ever experienced before—but already you can feel that ache subsiding, even if those moments are few and far between. Yeonjun had fully severed what was left of the two of you, but it now feels to you like it was necessary. Like it was something you needed—the beginning of a new path for you. 

~~~

The rest of the semester goes by in a blur after fall break. You're so caught up in the mess of finals and work that you barely have time to think about anything else, let alone what's left of your feelings towards Yeonjun. 

If Soobin knows about you and Taehyun closing early and conveniently forgetting to punch out, he never says a word—but you do work considerably more hours than usual in the weeks leading up to your final exams. Soobin says it's the busiest time of the year for the library, so he needs all hands on deck to help all the students coming in and out. Which you do believe—but you still have a sneaky feeling that you and Taehyun are working more than Beomgyu and Kai. 

You wonder if your professors are all in some kind of secret conspiracy to make their students suffer as much as possible, since all five of your exams are stacked over the course of three days. You survive, even after pulling an all-nighter to prepare, which does mean that you should be able to relax at the end of the week while your other coworkers are still cramming. On Friday, though Beomgyu and Kai still have one last final, which is why you and Taehyun both find yourselves working a double to cover for them while they take their exams. It's a long shift, full of snappy students and an exhausted Soobin—by the time 10 p.m. finally rolls around, you feel yourself on the verge of collapsing as you clock out with Taehyun. 

Your favorite coworker raises an eyebrow at your exhausted state. "You alright?" he asks, tapping at his shirt collar before extending a hand to you. 

Your nametag. Christ, you'd almost forgotten. You sigh, nodding as you slip your nametag off of your shirt before placing it in Taehyun's waiting palm, who then moves to slide it under the front counter with his and your other coworkers' tags. "You mean you don't feel like you're about to pass out after that? I thought today would never end."

He laughs a little as the two of you walk towards the front door. "Sure I do. But you saw what Kai sent in the work chat, right? He and Beomgyu are going out later tonight now that they're done with finals. Of course, I'm not sure if that means they feel like they did good or bad, to be honest—but I guess we'll know when we get there. I told them I'd meet them once we were done with work."

You laugh too, pulling your car keys out of your pocket now that you're only a few feet from your respective vehicles. "Yeah, I saw it. But you guys can go ahead—I think I need to turn in early tonight. I'll see you all after the break, okay?" 

The look on Taehyun's face fades a little, and he stops walking right in front of your cars. "Are you sure? It might be fun—you know how funny Beomgyu gets." 

You stop walking too, standing beside him. The thought of tipsy Beomgyu does bring back fond memories of work parties past—the occasion where he tried to convince everyone to jump into a pool, fully clothed, at the house party where you all barely knew the owner was a particularly fun one—but you don't feel up for it tonight. So you shake your head. "No—I'm too tired, Taehyun. But you all have fun, seriously. Just be safe, alright?" You wink at him teasingly. 

But he doesn't return the gesture. Rather, an unusual look washes over his face—an expression of determination that you aren't sure you've ever seen from him before. "You're going home tomorrow, right?" he asks suddenly. 

You nod. "Yeah, I'm spending the break with my parents. Why?" 

Taehyun visibly swallows before he opens his mouth again to speak. You feel a sudden uneasiness develop in the pit of your stomach just before you hear him say "I'm telling you now, then. I like you, Y/N." Suddenly. Just the way Yeonjun had in that art museum all those years ago. 

The two of you are outside, but you suddenly feel like all the oxygen has been sucked out of the parking lot you're standing in. You blink. "What?" 

He nods, gaze unwavering from yours. "I like you." 

He's joking. He has to be. Either that, or you really did pass out in the library earlier, and this is all some kind of dream. "...You like me," you repeat, slowly. A short laugh escapes you before you can stop yourself. "What do you mean?"

"I mean exactly what I said," he says. "I know this is a pretty terrible time to tell you this, but—"

"Yes," you say, practically unable to believe what you're hearing. "Yes, Taehyun, this is a terrible time to tell me—God, why would you tell me this?" 

"Because it's true," he replies almost instantly. "And I'm not telling you because I want you to say the same thing. You don't have to say anything, actually, I...I just wanted you to know." 

Your heart sinks to your chest at that. "So, you...you'd confess to someone who you know won't reciprocate? Why?" 

Taehyun shakes his head. "I'm not telling you because I want anything to happen. Not right now, anyway—I'm not that stupid. I think." He tries to laugh, but the sound doesn't quite come out right. "I just want you to know, in case you ever feel the same way." 

In case you ever feel the same way. He doesn't think you like him back. Hell—do you? The thought of romance has been so banned from your mind for the last several months that you haven't even entertained the notion, whether it was Taehyun or anyone else in the world—but you think about that. You think about the way those feelings of tight anxiety in your chest loosen when you see that you're scheduled to work with him, how your heart beats faster when you get a notification on your phone from him—not to mention that evening you'd spent in his car on the hilltop overlooking the city. Those feelings of warmth that ignite within you every time you'd looked over at him that night probably were feelings of attraction. You just haven't been able to even entertain this thought, of liking someone else, in ages. You almost can't ever remember when—and that frightens you. "I...I think I do feel that way, though," you say. "I care about you, Taehyun. So, so much. You've been the only person I could depend on for the last three months, but...but I think you deserve better than this. God, you should know better than anyone that I'm nowhere near being over Yeonjun. That I'm in no state to even think about dating someone right now." You laugh, tone dripping with self-deprecation. "I'm a mess. I barely even remember what those feelings are even like. You have to know that anything I do in this mental state now would just be a rebound, even if I didn't want it to be, and I...I don't want to do that to you." 

Taehyun nods quickly, taking a step closer. "You're not a mess. But I do know how you feel—which is why I wanted to tell you. You don't have to do anything about it now if you don't want to," he says again. "I just wanted you to know." 

You shake your head, surprised to feel sudden tears of frustration brimming at the corners of your eyes. "God...Taehyun, please don't do this to me," you whisper, holding back a sniff. He's close enough to you that he can hear, even at this volume. "I don't want to lose you too." Things will never be the same between the two of you—you know this as well as you know your own name. No matter how much the two of you try to awkwardly dance around each other from now on, you'll never forget that you had this conversation. You can never go back to just being friends. 

But Taehyun shakes his head fervently. "You won't lose me," he says, voice unwavering before he makes a slight move to reach for your hand out of instinct before stopping himself. "Not if you don't want to. I'll stick around for as long as you want me to." 

You grab his hand anyway, even as he looks up at you in shock. "So...what? You'd wait for me?" you say, laughing quietly. "I can't ask that of you. That isn't fair to you." 

He just shakes his head again. "If you want me to, I will. I'll wait as long as you need me to—I'm telling you, I don't mind."

You scoff a little at that before you can stop yourself. "You say that now, but I...I have no idea when I'll feel ready to think about being with anyone again. I'm sorry, Taehyun—but I don't know how long this could take. You know? I mean, I'd hope it wouldn't be years," you say, laughing hollowly, "but I just have no idea. And I just don't understand why you would do this—wait for me. I mean...look at you," you say, laughing nervously as you gesture vaguely towards his figure. You haven't thought about him in that way before—or maybe you haven't let yourself think of him in that way, you realize now—but you can't ignore the sharp lines of his jaw, the clearly defined strength beneath his sweater—Taehyun is beautiful. There could never be any denying it. "You're perfect, Taehyun. You could have anyone you wanted—certainly someone less fucked up than me. Someone you wouldn't have to wait to be with, I—"

But he just shakes his head. "I most certainly am not perfect—but I just want to see you happy," he replies, voice as calm and steady as ever. You wonder if this is how he imagined this conversation going. "Whether that's with me, or someone else, or on your own—that's okay. And I...you know now. I'd like for it to be with me, if that's possible," he adds, laughing a little, "but if it's not, that's okay too. You just deserve to be happy, and I want to see that happen for you." 

You let his words hang in the air between the two of you for a long, long time. The only sound in the entire parking lot is the occasional soft jangling of your keys when a gust of wind passes by. 

He'd wait for you. 

"...I really don't know how long it will be until I can think about this," you say again, breaking the momentary silence. 

But Taehyun just nods, gently squeezing your hand. You'd almost forgotten your fingers were still interlaced with his. "I'm telling you, that's okay. I'll wait as long as you want until you want to talk about this again—and if you don't want it to go any further, it doesn't have to. I just...just wanted you to know how I felt, regardless." 

You nod. Before you can say anything else, though, Taehyun's phone rings from his back pocket, loudly interrupting the two of you in the otherwise empty parking lot. 

He turns slightly to glance down at it, and makes a face when he sees who it's from. "It’s Kai," he says softly. "They must be wondering where I am."

"Go ahead," you say just as quietly, gesturing with your free hand towards his car. "It's okay. I...I need to think, anyway." 

Taehyun keeps his gaze on you for a moment, mind clearly racing through a thousand different responses as he sets his mouth in a worried line—but eventually he nods. "Okay," he says, finally letting go of your hand. "I...I'll see you after break, then."

You nod wordlessly. 

His words still echo in your mind, even as he gets in his car and offers a small wave your way. 

He'd wait for you. It's more than you could ever ask for. At the same time, however, you realize that it's an admission to yourself—admitting that getting over Yeonjun is still going to be a long, difficult path to walk. 

And when you're finally left in the parking lot by yourself, you find that you feel more alone than you have in a long, long time. 

~~~

The winter holidays go by at a snail's pace. All you want to do is sleep off the fresh heartache your conversation with Taehyun has caused and do practically nothing all break—but you find yourself hilariously bored on your fourth day of doing "nothing." 

Your parents are uncharacteristically lenient of your behavior—they used to never let you sleep in this late, especially if you were home from school after not seeing you for so long—but you know they know about you and Yeonjun breaking up. Your mother had been particularly fond of him, too. Maybe that's why she doesn't say a word when you go to bed early every night. 

It's ridiculously hard to keep your mind off of Yeonjun over the holidays—couples are everywhere. Nearly every holiday movie seems to revolve around a romance, not to mention all the ones in real life that you can't stop seeing. Your friends post about spending the week with their partner's families, about seeing the other's hometown for the first time, of a surprise and sudden engagement from one of your cousins and their long-time girlfriend—it's enough to make you sick. You know that's a horrible thing to think at such happy occasions for the people you know, but the thought forms itself anyway. 

Every time you feel like you've taken a step forward towards healing, towards finally, finally getting over him—you see something that sends you reeling back into that heartache and sorrow, sending you ten steps back from where you'd been. It's a vicious cycle, and as much as you beg for it to end—it doesn't. Not yet. 

Because Yeonjun haunts you in your home, too. It's hard to set up decorations with your parents without thinking about how you did this last year with him—how he had held onto your waist as he reached around you into the box of tinsel, how your mother had beamed at him as he'd helped her cook, how angelic he had looked as the two of you walked around your neighborhood looking at the different lights each house had set up. They were such beautiful memories, at the time—had only made you feel more confident and cemented in your relationship with Yeonjun as each one passed. You'd hadn't ever imagined a future without him. And now you can't help but wonder if he had already felt dissatisfied with you in each of those moments. 

But as unrelenting as those memories are, so is the passing of time—because you survive the winter holiday season, somehow, even with your shattered heart. Your plan is to move back into school right after the new year, which is how you end up at home on New Year's Eve. Your parents have already gone to their rooms to sleep by the time eleven o'clock strikes on the clock, and as hard as you try, you can't help but think about the fact that this is your first New Year's Eve in years that you'll be alone for. 

Or so you think, anyway. The instant you see your phone screen display 12:01 A.M., it buzzes. It's a message from Taehyun. 

> happy new year, y/n

The new year. 

Everything has hurt so badly for months—like a wound that refuses to form a scab, because you won't let it. You're the one who won't put the bandage over the cut, who keeps digging the blade into the metaphorical wound that was you and Yeonjun every time you think about him. 

But what's the alternative? Moving on? Accepting that your relationship with Yeonjun is over? That what had been the happiest years of your life up until now are through? It's unthinkable. It's unfair to that version of you who had loved him with all of your heart to just throw them away—to just lock the door and never look back. 

But it's what you have to do, you realize. You won't ever feel any better until you can accept that you and Yeonjun are done, for good—and Taehyun is offering you a way out. This is the ending of what you've known up until now—but a chance to finally, finally start anew. To put the past behind you and try again. 

< happy new year, taehyun.

IV. SPRING.

The spring semester hardly gives you a moment to breathe. 

You vaguely remember signing up for classes right before fall break—but those weeks were such a blur that you neglected to realize this spring would be your first semester in upper division courses. In other words—you're drowning in schoolwork with scarcely an instant to yourself, let alone to sort out your lingering feelings. 

And in the moments that you do have time to breathe, Yeonjun always seems to find a way to sneak to the forefront of your mind. But these recollections aren't always as painful as they were before. In one instance, you feel a wave of relief wash over you—but only for the single instant that it provides you comfort—when you remember turning down Yeonjun's offer to buy each other promise rings before he'd first left for college. 

He'd pointed at them in a jewelry store the two of you had wandered into while walking downtown together. "What do you think?" he'd asked, winking. 

You'd laughed. "Yeah, right. I hear getting engaged right after high school never ends up going badly for anyone." 

But he'd shaken his head immediately. "Not engaged," he'd corrected gently. "They're promise rings. It's a promise to you, from me. And from you to me—that we'll wait for each other, and only each other, until we're both ready. No matter what happens." 

Your heart had fluttered at the sudden declaration, cheeks flushing pink before you could stop them—but you had thought even then that it seemed like an awfully rash thing to commit to for a relationship of barely over a year. "That's...unbelievably romantic, Jjun," you'd admitted. "Even for you. Have you done something?" you'd teased, narrowing your eyes at him. 

He'd gasped, putting his hands above his head in mock surrender. "I most certainly have not. Can't I just be a hopeless romantic every once in a while?" 

You'd pretended to mull it over. "Hmm. Maybe on special occasions. We'll have to see if we can work out a schedule for your hopeless romantic tendencies in the future." 

Yeonjun had then made a show of wiping pretend sweat from his brow. "Thank goodness." 

You'd giggled, despite yourself. "I'm serious, though. It's a beautiful thought, but...do you think it's something we could come back to? At a later time?" 

Ever the gentleman, your Yeonjun had nodded sweetly at you. "Of course," he'd said, taking your hand in his before leading the two of you back out of the store. "We can talk about the future whenever you're ready. I'm just as happy in our present right now, anyway." 

That had certainly changed somewhere along the way, you think bitterly to yourself. But pushing past this memory still feels like a small victory, in a way. You hadn't wasted money on committing to a promise that Yeonjun had broken.

There are countless more memories that resurface in this way—but by the time they pass, you no longer taste that metaphorical blood in your mouth anymore at their recollection, no longer feel your heart yearning for them to stay the way you would have a few months ago. They just pass, and you don't think about them again after they go.

Yeonjun only texts you once. You haven't sent him a single message since his Instagram post before fall break—and of course, you imagine he knows why. You may not have expected him to break up with you when he did, but you did know him ridiculously well at one point, seemingly both inside and out—you know that he knows you well enough, too, to understand why you've suddenly gone radio silent. But he does text you once, right as the first week of your semester finishes.

> hey. is everything okay? do you want to talk? 

Months ago, you think, you would have leapt at the opportunity—jumped through the screen and across space and time, practically, to have a chance to talk to him for an extended period of time, for a possible chance to win him back. Now you just feel embarrassment towards yourself for ever having felt that way. 

You never respond.

Taehyun's presence in your life is different now, too. You still work together, of course, but you have several shared classes again—so you find yourself studying and comparing essays at either his apartment or yours nearly three or four times each week. It's challenging, all of it, but in between, it does make you remember why you became friends with Taehyun in the first place—because he's not like anyone else you've ever known before. Every time you want to throw in the towel on a particularly lengthy assignment, he has some witty comment that gives you just enough energy to keep going. Every time you come by his apartment, the way the corners of his eyes crinkle as he smiles upon seeing you sends a surge of warmth through you. If you have felt trapped in frigid ice since this breakup, Taehyun has been your sun, ever so gradually melting that ice away whenever you let him. 

And you do let him. One night, you're leaving his apartment after exchanging study guides for one of your midterms. You walk by his side, car keys swinging softly in between your fingers. 

"How are you feeling?" Taehyun asks right before you open your car door. He doesn't elaborate, but you know what he's talking about. 

So you turn to him. "I, um...I don't know if this will get better," you admit quietly. It's a fear you've harbored from the start—that you'll never get over Yeonjun, your first and last—that he will have created your perception of love, molded and shaped it to his design and his alone before shattering it, leaving you to pick up the pieces for the rest of your life. 

But Taehyun lets out a scoff at that. "It will. I promise, Y/N. It does get better." 

You narrow your eyes at him. "How do you know that? Hmm? Are you some secret fortune teller that I don't know about? Is that how you've been able to afford such a nice apartment here?"

He laughs at you. "No. I'm not a fortune teller. But I know this much—it'll get better. I can't tell you when, because I don't know that. It's something you'll have to figure out, I think. But one day, soon, you'll wake up one morning, and it'll hurt less. And then, a little later, it won't hurt at all. It'll feel like it was a bad dream. You'll get involved in other things, other interests, other people, and then you won't think of this when you wake up in the morning at all." 

You nod, slowly. "I want to believe you, Taehyun. I do. I just don't know how long that will take." 

But he just shrugs again. Damn him for being so easygoing. "That's okay. You know where I'll be, regardless."

You do know where he'll be—right by your side, just like he's been for the last six months. In truth, you had expected him to fall back on his promise to wait—you would have been sad, sure, but you wouldn't have blamed him. Putting up with you moving on from a relationship over the course of half a year, now, can't have been an easy task. But you've never heard a word of complaint from him. He isn't that kind of person—you know this now. He really will stick by you for as long as you'll allow him to—a kind of affection you haven't felt from anyone in a long, long time. 

But right beside you isn't the only place Taehyun seems to be. Your subconscious seems to have taken a liking to him, too—because that night, you see him in your dreams. You'd tossed and turned earlier, unable to fall asleep, throwing the sheets off the bed before you curl up into a ball and squeeze your eyes shut. When you finally find yourself lured back into sleep, you find Taehyun—strong and sweet and caring and beautiful Taehyun. He wraps his arms around you in the dream, hands grabbing hold of your waist before he presses his lips to yours in a heated kiss—as if he never wants to let you go. As if there isn't anyone else in the world that matters except for the two of you. 

You wake up in the morning and weep. 

Later in the day, you find tears brimming at the corners of your eyes again when you finally find the courage to delete the photo album on your phone of you and Yeonjun—but they never fall past your lashes, even when you hit the red delete button. 

Perhaps you've run out of tears for him, because none fall when you package away everything else of his in your apartment—every framed photo of the two of you, every stuffed animal he'd bought, every hoodie of his you'd once promised to give back all fit neatly in a single cardboard box, sealed and never to be seen again. 

Without the remnants of Yeonjun scattered throughout your apartment, you find yourself thinking of him less with each day that passes. The ghost who had once haunted every fiber of your being now seems like little more than a bad dream you've suddenly woken up from. This realization hurts you, just like the ones before it—but the hurt doesn't linger. It, too, grows faint before long, dissipated and fading away just like the rest of your relationship. 

The end of the semester doesn't sneak up on you this spring. You have a lengthy presentation for your hardest class, an argumentative speech that you've practically spent all semester preparing for. You and Taehyun practice for each other for weeks beforehand, critiquing and encouraging and teasing each other the whole way through—but it's still over before you know it. 

The morning after your final presentation, you don't wake up until the sun has risen high in the sky, peeking through the blinds over your window and finally raising you from sleep. You stretch as you walk over to the window, opening the blinds and peering out into the street below you. There's a couple walking on the sidewalk—and you recognize the girl as a regular from the library, the one with strawberry-colored hair whom Kai had been practically obsessed with back in the fall. 

She tugs at the sleeve of the man walking beside her, pulling him into a sudden kiss, and you instantly turn away from the window, giving them a moment of privacy despite their actions being in public anyway. 

Well—she obviously hadn't known about Kai's existence, but she'd still clearly been able to find some kind of happiness. The thought soothes you, in a way, and you think about how the scene below you would have made you feel six months ago. You would've been jealous, probably, and upset that you'd never experience anything like that again—but now the only thing it fills you with is longing. It makes you happy to see others experience something that you know feels like a gift. You want to experience that again too, you realize. 

The instant that thought forms in your head, another memory materializes. 

That's okay. You know where I'll be, regardless. 

You feel your heart soar at the recollection. 

Yes, Taehyun. I do.

V. SUMMER. 

Taehyun texts you the very first day summer break begins. 

> how'd your last final go? 

> omg i meant to tell you after work yesterday but kai's parents said he could stay in the beach house this weekend 

> like a very early birthday thing i think lol. it'll be a few ppl but you're more than welcome to come tomorrow if you haven't gone back home yet 

The invite sends a flurry of both excitement and nervousness through you. You haven't gone back home yet—your parents aren't coming until early next week to help you move out for the summer, not to mention the fact that you haven't see Taehyun or any of your other coworkers since the end of finals week. Excited doesn't even begin to cover it, you think. 

< i'll be there! 

Kai, thankfully, is a relatively easy person to shop for—you have no trouble at all picking up a wristwatch you remember him talking about a few times at work. And in truth, his birthday isn't for another two months, but you imagine he needed some excuse to convince his parents to let him throw an end-of-the-school-year party—so you don't mind the expense at all.

Kai is overjoyed to see you when you arrive at the beach house, thanks to Taehyun sending you the address, and even more so when he sees the gift bag in your hands. 

"You did not have to get me anything!" he exclaims, pouting, but you still see that glint of anticipation in his eyes despite his words. 

You beam at him, throwing your arms around him in a quick hug. You've missed this—being with your friends and not feeling like you were putting them through hell with you. Seeing them happy with you feels right in a way that nothing else has in months. "Happy birthday, Kai," you say, pulling back so he can tear into his present (which he does almost immediately). 

Taehyun is waving at you from the shallow end of the pool. "Did you bring a swimsuit?" you hear him call over Kai's shouts of excitement. 

You nod, biting back a grin as you pull your shirt over your head and tug your shorts off as quickly as possible, revealing the bathing suit that you'd worn on your way over underneath. You immediately run to jump in the deep end, splashing both Taehyun and Beomgyu, if the yells and laughs you hear when you resurface are any indicator. 

Beomgyu makes some excuse about needing to find the birthday cake, hauling himself up and out from the side of the pool when you start to swim over towards Taehyun.  

He doesn't budge, grinning at you as you make your way towards the shallow end. "Nice of you to make an appearance," he says, winking. 

"Well, I had to let you know I was here somehow, you know," you reply instantly, grinning right back. 

Taehyun's smirk widens. "Of course. And I'm glad you're here, Y/N. How'd you end up doing for your finals?" 

You shrug. "A’s and B’s. I'm still pretty satisfied with how that presentation for Dr. Lee went, though—how about you?" 

He pushes your shoulder playfully. "Look at you! I told you you'd kill that speech. I knew you could do it." 

You feel the ghost of his hand on your skin even after it's gone, shivers rippling down your spine at the thought—and that does it. You can't keep up the small talk any longer. "I have something for you," you announce, as stone-faced as you can manage. "Close your eyes." 

Something flickers in his eyes—surprise? delight, even?—but it's gone just as soon as you notice it. "For me?" He laughs. "But it's Kai's birthday party." 

You nod. "I know," you say. "I already gave him his present. You get one too." 

Taehyun's eyes narrow. "Am I getting the same thing as Kai?" 

You can't bite back the grin that tugs at your lips. "Not even close." 

He seems satisfied with that, finally, so he closes his eyes. You know you'll only get one chance to do this, to do it right with the element of surprise—so you lean in as quickly as you can, before the logical side of your brain can catch up with the rest of you, and press your lips to the side of his cheek. 

Taehyun looks at you, eyes wide open with surprise, until—"You missed." 

You frown. "I what?" 

He nods, as if that should have been obvious. "Mmm-hmm. You missed." There's only a split second for you to realize what he means before he's taken hold of your chin with two of his fingers and brought your lips to his. He's kissing you. 

Taehyun is kissing you. 

There are no fireworks or cannons shooting above your head, no angel floating down from the heavens to confirm that this moment has been the peak of your entire life—but kissing Taehyun is soft. Gentle. It's all the comfort he always makes you feel, has always made you feel—nothing feels more right than being pressed up against him here, with one hand cradling your chin and one settled securely on your hip as his lips move against yours.  

There still aren't fireworks or cannons shooting off behind you—but what you do hear are loud whoops and cheers from your coworkers (and maybe a few fake retching noises). Taehyun pulls back a little once he hears those, dark eyes scanning your face for any signs of discomfort—but there are none. Instead, you laugh, and Taehyun does too, breath skating across your jaw as you feel more right than you have in an achingly long time. When he presses his lips to yours again, still smiling against the kiss, you feel that sensation of right, of warmth, of comfort practically coursing through your veins as you slide your arms around his neck. This, right here, is where you're supposed to be. 

“You waited,” you manage to breathe out in between kisses, holding tighter to Taehyun’s shoulders above the water to steady yourself.

He smiles at you, beaming brighter and warmer than the summer sun above the two of you. “Yes, Y/N,” he whispers softly, moving his hand to cup your cheek in his palm. “And I’d do it again if it meant we would still end up right here.”

It's not the closing of one chapter and the beginning of another—life is hardly ever that smooth. It just is. 

You don't know the kind of partner Taehyun is yet. You don't know that he'll almost always keep a hand on your thigh when you sit together, that he'll write a list in the notes app of his phone of your orders at each of your favorite restaurants, that he'll love to take candid photos of you to show you later, that one day the two of you will be in a very similar position to the way you are now while a small black box holds a hefty weight in his back pocket—but you don't have to know any of that yet. 

You're here with Taehyun, now, your arms around him as his wrap around you, and that's what matters. The rest you can figure out together.

taglist: @petrichor-han @kangroo-chan @ot7lonelylover @lilacdreams-00 @mainexiii @awkwardnesshabitat @lotus-dly @elizabeth11moreno @nerdysl-t @seung-scrittore

©️ noramoons 2021-2022. do not translate or reupload my writing.

[soobnny]

love grows (where jungwon goes) — yang jungwon. classmates to lovers. mutual pining. jungwon just has a huge crush on you. tooth-rotting fluff.

synopsis. showing affection isn't jungwon's strongest forte, but when he sets eyes on you, it's obvious he has to figure out a way to make you reciprocate his feelings. he’ll take giving you homegrown fruits and vegetables from his garden as a good first step. from then, it’ll be one gift at a time. (4.9k words)

note. i got this idea when yun was talking abt growing lime in her garden. thank U for saying that yun (n tnx for proofreading hehe) also thank u lia and cici for helping me with the synopsis i ltrly lost my brain power n cici for helping me w the banner too ur doodles will always b my favorite : (

On a Monday morning, you receive a star cactus from your class president. 

A vest over his school uniform and slightly messy hair. His lips pull into a smile as he places it shyly on your table after muttering a quiet “good morning”. 

“Good morning, Jungwon.” His smile grows wider when you take the small pot in your hands, blinking down at it before looking up at the boy. What a pretty plant, you think. The clay pot feels cold in your hands as you outstretch your hands to give it back to Jungwon after giving it a good look.

“It’s a very nice plant.” You laugh a little awkwardly, fingers fidgeting at the edges of the plant before running them over the smooth surface of the pot. You’re not quite sure why your class president brought a cactus to school and chose to show it to you this early in the morning. You suppose it’s because you’re the only person who comes to school as early as he does.

“It’s for you.” Jungwon exhales, pulling down at his vest before bringing a hand to scratch the back of his head. His smile returns to his face as he pushes your hands back so you could keep the star cactus he had gotten from the little garden he grew with his grandmother. 

“Oh.” You respond, eyes widening as you take back the plant. You don’t know how to properly respond to him, eyes going from the small pot to Jungwon who’s standing in front of your seat. He’s studying your expression carefully, trying to gauge whether you genuinely liked his thoughtful present. He looked hopeful. 

“Thank you.” 

A smile finally breaks on your face albeit a little late from being confused with the situation (he’ll understand) as you set the star cactus at the corner of your table, bowing gratefully at the young boy. 

You were never close with Yang Jungwon - you shared less than four classes together excluding homeroom, and you only occasionally saw him in the hallways or in the cafeteria. Still, from the little time of knowing him, you’re more than confident enough to conclude that Jungwon is someone with comfort in everything that he does. His eyes are always round with hope, and he’s the embodiment of hard work and kindness. You don’t need to be friends with him to feel safe in his presence. 

He usually hung out with your seniors, particularly Lee Heeseung, who you were sure he saw as someone that resembled an older brother to him. You could recall the times you walked by the nearest ice cream stall in your school and saw Heeseung give Jungwon a cone before fondly messing with his hair. Sim Jaeyun often joined the pair when he had time outside studying for math competitions and playing in your school’s football team. Still, when he didn’t, you’d notice Jungwon quietly doing his homework (or tutoring Nishimura Rika who you were sure was younger than you) while Jake trained for his competitions at the same table. 

Aside from the people he hung out with and the fact that he was your responsible class president, you would say you didn’t know much about him aside from these few things you were sure everyone knew as well. 

Yang Jungwon was a beloved classmate, and everyone wanted to be friends with him. He was someone with the sweetest smile despite having had to turn down numerous confessions sent his way – he always let them down easily, even going as far as apologizing. 

So, with all things considered, you’re not quite sure why your school’s most loved student had taken the time to give you a potted plant at 7 in the morning while you were cramming to study for a test you had in the afternoon. 

The ringing of the school bell and the swarm of students walking into the classroom are enough to pull you out of your thoughts for the moment. 

Jungwon walks back to his table, not before showing a triumphant smile and adding a small skip in his step as he takes his seat. Your classmates walk into the room, unaware of the exchange you had with your class president just a few minutes ago. If they knew, they’d be teasing the both of you immediately and you were sure that every time you were in a 6-mile radius with Jungwon, they would push that awkward atmosphere that teasing brings towards the pair of you. Maybe that’s why Jungwon gave it to you when no one was around yet.

Did he want to be friends with you?

You push the thought back as you see your teacher walk into the classroom. In the meantime, everything falls back to the way they were with Jungwon organizing his notes and his stacks of colored pens and you trying to continue your procrastination.

Unbeknownst to you, for the rest of the class, Jungwon couldn’t do anything but stare at you. He’s unable to truly pay attention in class (he didn’t really have to, he had done advance reading on today’s topic a few weeks ago and knew more about the lesson than half of the class), constantly trying to subtly look at your seat that’s a few tables behind his. 

He couldn’t wait to tell Heeseung hyung of his successful first step.

+

The hallway of your school is so so loud as the bell rings for lunch period. 

Everyone around you is talking, crowded together with their friends. 

It’s almost ironic how since Jungwon had given you the star cactus - which you had kept with you for all your classes in the morning and was now resting in your hands as you try to hold it while opening your locker - you’ve felt as if you were floating in space. While everyone was down on Earth, laughing so so loud, you were stuck in a daze. 

“Why’d you bring a cactus to school?”

Your eyes snap towards the direction of your best friend, Kim Sunoo, who’s eyeing the plant you’re holding in your hand. He silently takes it in his hands as he motions for you to properly open your locker and get the things you need. 

You didn’t notice when he arrived next to you, but Sunoo always found his way to you as you did to him in every free period you had together.

“Funny thing is Yang Jungwon actually gave that to me this morning.”

Sunoo blinks at you as if he doesn’t believe what you’re saying. “Yang Jungwon? Like your cute class president who hangs out with Heeseung and Jake. That Jungwon?”

“No, I’m talking about Jungwon from math class, yes that Jungwon! There’s no other Jungwon in this school, idiot.” You smack him with the book you had taken out from your locker and he gasps dramatically at your actions, feigning offense almost immediately.

“Is that Yang Jungwon teaching you to disrespect your seniors? You owe me ice cream after class for hitting me with your book.” Sunoo returns the plant he’s been keeping safe for you in exchange for the books you’re carrying in your hands. He pretends as if it’s so much work carrying your books even though he was the one who took them in the first place.

You roll your eyes, knowing there was no getting out of treating Sunoo. He would find you in each of the seven circles of hell just to get you to keep your word of treating him. It didn’t help that his favorite ice cream shop was usually packed with people and the lines were always endless. Still, opposite to you, Sunoo was patient with the things he wanted.

He usually preaches patience to you when you complain about the line not even two minutes after you arrived at the shop.

“You think he likes you?” Your best friend prods, poking at your side as he wiggles his eyebrows teasingly. “I don’t think Yang Jungwon’s ever done anything like this for anyone before.”

“Oh, shut up. He was probably just being nice like he usually is.”

“Hmm.. sure. Or he just likes you. I’m willing to bet two tubs of ice cream.” Your face feels hot when he says that, hands clammy when you press them together against your cheeks.

“You sure you’re willing to bet two tubs of ice cream? That’s pretty expensive, you know.” You grip the plant tighter as you walk through the crowd of students in the hallway, keeping your voice low – you don’t know why you feel like everyone can hear you, including Jungwon, when you’re talking about him. 

“I can afford it if I’m wrong, but I’m never wrong.” Sunoo has a smirk on his face as he runs a hand through his black hair. Last week it was pink, you wondered what color he’d choose next week. You knew he was going to let you sit with him in the salon as he got his hair done anyway, so you didn’t think about it too much.

As the two of you walk towards the cafeteria, he chats your ears off about the classes he had this morning when you begged him to stop talking about Jungwon, so he talks about his morning; about Miss Lee being a “psycho for giving a project this early in the second semester”, about how someone forgot to return his tangerine-colored marker during an art activity, and about Park Sunghoon who he shared a class with since your best friend took Advanced Biology. 

Kim Sunoo is someone you feel the most human with. You wish you could capture every moment spent with him in a photo, just to remember everything by. And as you and Sunoo take your seats at your usual table, a pair of eyes follow you from the other side of the cafeteria.

“Heeseung hyung, she still has the star cactus I gave her this morning.” Jungwon’s smile is warm as he excitedly swings his legs back and forth at their table, taking a bite from the packed lunch his grandmother prepared for him. “Do you think she has me figured out already?” 

Jungwon chews at his lips nervously, looking up at his senior who’s trying to cram the Physics homework he had forgotten to make the night before because he had to overtime in work. 

“Won, you’re genuinely a good person. I’m sure she thought you were just being nice as usual.” Heeseung’s words make Jungwon pout. 

Even though he didn’t want you to know he had a crush on you quite yet, he also wanted to leave you a few hints and let you know that you were the only person in this school he had given a plant from his garden for (aside from his Jake hyung who he had given basil for his birthday).

As he grumpily finishes his food, Heeseung can’t help but laugh at the cute young boy seated in front of him. “What’s so special about her, Wonie? How come this is the first time I’m hearing about you having a crush?” 

Jungwon sighs out dreamily, setting his utensils down as he rests his chin on the palms of his hands, fingers digging at his soft cheeks. “Hyung, she’s just an exhalation of beautiful ideas.” 

Yang Jungwon thinks he’s lucky to have witnessed the brilliance of your existence. You speak about life in a way Jungwon has never heard of before, and he admires the way your mind works. Your thoughts and ideas are always so impactful, and he finds himself drawn to the way you carry yourself. You’re sweet, although reserved towards the people you aren’t close to – sometimes he envies Sunoo for having so easily navigated his way in your heart. 

He didn’t always know he had a crush on you. It was only when you were working on a group project together and you had smiled at him and commended him for his good work on the presentation did he finally understand what it meant to admire someone so deeply. 

Ever since that day, Jungwon has felt nervous around you, to the point that he feels it’s hard to breathe.

He will take staring at you in passing periods as you laugh with Sunoo as small accomplishments at concealing his feelings, but a hard talk with his Jake hyung, while he was at the library, made him realize that time is so fleeting and short to not make a move on something that genuinely makes you happy – which is how Jungwon found himself in his garden on a Sunday evening, asking his grandmother if he could take a star cactus. 

His grandmother smiles knowingly.

This is what Jungwon’s heart feels like. It doesn’t have to be complicated. It is in the simplicity and easiness of walking through the garden with his grandmother and giving the potted plant to you the next morning.

“Sounds like you like her a lot. Good luck, kid.” Heeseung smiles fondly at Jungwon who is politely cleaning the table from any spillage of his food or water before packing up his lunch containers back in the big backpack he wears around but doesn’t really need.

“I really do.” Jungwon is naturally shy in the way he’s pursuing his feelings, something he has never really done before, but the thought of the smile you had given him earlier this morning is enough for him to brave through the unknown of feelings and liking someone for the first time.

Life is about surprises, right?

He’ll take the encouraging words from his seniors and your smile as good enough motivation to continue his pursuit. He wonders what he should give you next.

+

Jungwon’s grandmother arrives from the market ten minutes after he had arrived home. She gives him a kiss on the forehead as she greets him, placing cartons of milk inside the refrigerator and the rest on the counter for Jungwon to help with.

He tells her a little about his day, skipping over how he had given you a homegrown plant the day prior in favor of talking about the test he did well on. Although, he doesn’t exactly get away with it.

His grandmother prides herself on a lot of things – like knowing when her grandson is hiding something from him. She can’t help it, and almost immediately as she brings it up, Jungwon crumbles and tells her about everything. He talks about you and how every step he takes near you makes him dizzy because you are so beautiful that he cannot fathom ever being part of your circle.

This is how Jungwon finds himself back in the garden, trailing behind his grandmother.

“What reminds you of her?” 

Jungwon’s grandmother’s voice cuts through the silence of the garden as they walk side by side with each other. This is her favorite time of day, spending time with her grandson as they walk around the place she loved the most. 

Her garden gives her a sense of constancy. She knows when each plant will bloom, and she takes in pride how she had watched Jungwon grow up from a little boy to the handsome teen he is right now. 

She smiles to herself as she thinks how much time has gone by – Jungwon used to ask her questions about shapes in this garden, and now he was asking what plant he should give to the girl he likes.

“When I think about her, I think of… strawberries. She smells a lot like strawberries.” He bites his lips to suppress the smile that’s slowly forming on his face as he stops and peers down at the strawberries he was growing with his grandmother. They’re bright red, cozily hanging from green stems. 

“She must smell nice then.” No more words are exchanged as his grandmother starts picking strawberries, placing them carefully in the empty container that Jungwon was carrying around. “Come on now, I’m not the one confessing, right?” His grandmother teases as she pushes Jungwon to harvest the strawberries. 

“I’m not confessing yet! Although, I’m not quite sure how to… if I do confess, which I won’t be doing yet.” He fumbles with his own words as he bends down to collect the ripe strawberries. 

He learned from his grandmother how to do this. The way you get it is important, it will determine whether you’ve damaged some part of the strawberry or not. So, you must grasp at the stem between your forefinger and thumbnail before lightly pulling and twisting at the same time. You let the berry roll into the palm of your hand before gently placing the fruit in a container.

This is what Jungwon does as he tells his grandmother about his day, her eyes fondly analyzing him as he speaks with so much comfort and warmth. He talks about you so highly. You must be so wonderful, his grandmother thinks. She can’t wait to meet you.

“The trick to confessing is to just be consistent. You’ll always reach your end destination if you put in enough effort and progress into it. You can do it, Won. You’re so worthy of the love you look for inside others.”

Jungwon repeats his grandmother’s words as he returns to your desk early in the morning a few days later with a container of strawberries in his hands. It scorched his fingers as he reaches out to give it to you. 

It was a strange sight, Jungwon being the one to give something to anyone that wasn’t Jake or Heeseung. However, no one really comes to school as early as you and he does – so no one gets to find pleasure in seeing the strange yet funny sight of a shy Jungwon and an oblivious you.

His unconventional gifts pull a smile on your face, and he finds himself mirroring your expression. He pockets the accomplishment to tell his Heeseung hyung later. “They’re strawberries.”

“I can see that.” You laugh a little, scanning the cute Hello Kitty container he had used to put the fruits in. “These look really nice, Jungwon.” A blush runs down his neck as he nods his head. “I harvested them from my garden. My grandma taught me how to pick the best ones.”

You look down at the fruit, its bright red color, and fresh-looking green caps reflecting under the natural light of the sun peeking through the windows. 

“I didn’t know you had a garden.”

You smile at the picture of him growing vegetables and fruits and herbs. He grins sweetly at you in return as he nods his head proudly, eyes drifting from the strawberries to you. The sun hit you really nice – does it rise just to greet you a good morning? 

“Jungwon, I can’t accept all of these.” You’re too shy to keep the whole container of strawberries (they were a lot in number, almost overflowing the container). You look up at him, extending the container as you did with the star cactus a few days ago. 

He shakes his head before mirroring his actions days prior and pushing it back to you. “Keep it. In case you feel hungry during class.”

“Thank you, Jungwon.” He gives you a smile, soft and subtle before he bows down and walks back to his seat. He gives himself a pat on the back.

During your lunch break, Sunoo finishes half of the strawberries Jungwon had given you.

When you return the container to him after class, you fail to notice how Heeseung playfully nudges at his side and gives him a thumbs-up, or the staring eyes from the students around you, or the way his cheeks turned pink when your hand brushed against his.

+

The next week, Jungwon gives you a basket of lemons. 

Kim Sunoo is overwhelmed with Jungwon’s determination as he half-jokes that you should just see where this goes – you’re getting free groceries out of it, anyway, and he’s getting free fruits. 

His comment earns him a smack in the arm.

However, all he does is return a knowing look and a teasing smile as his gaze travels towards where Jungwon’s leaning against his locker with his usual crowd. He looks deep in conversation as he fiddles with his fingers. 

Much like Jungwon’s grandmother, Kim Sunoo prides himself in just knowing. And he knows that Jungwon undeniably has the biggest crush on you and you might just reciprocate these feelings as well. 

He can tell from the way you instantly look for Jungwon in every room you walk into (even if it’s unintentional). He can tell from the way you smile at him in greeting in the hallways before fixating your gaze on the floor. He can tell from the way you deny all these, refusing to be one of the girls who admire Jungwon and ultimately getting rejected in the end.

When you follow your gaze to where Sunoo’s looking, you find yourself instantly locking eyes with Jungwon. It’s too late for you to look away and pretend you didn’t get caught when he sends a small wave in your direction. 

You smile at him before lifting the little picnic basket he had given you and bowing yet again in thanks. He sends you a thumbs up, dimples popping in his cheeks. 

Jungwon wants to confess so bad, but he doesn’t know what to say. There are too many things, feelings, that are difficult to describe. He feels a lot like a stitch that has come loose. When you pull at a loose thread, there is a danger that more stitches will come loose. This is how Jungwon feels about addressing his feelings. He is afraid that a confession would lead to rejection, one stitch after another coming loose. 

How can he tell you if there’s a risk of the hem falling free and all the stitches he had built from himself unraveling? 

He pulls himself together. Uncertainty and surprises are what make life worth living, they’re what makes feelings worth having. They’re eventually what’s going to make you worth having if the universe decided to be nice and didn’t give him rejection.

Still, Jungwon didn’t necessarily have a crush on you just to be with you. He liked your brilliance, your ideas, every little detail about you. It would be more than enough to be considered your friend. 

He thinks, wouldn’t it be nice to get ice cream with you or let you visit his little garden back at home? He knows his grandmother would love you. He could only hope you were interested enough in him to want him as your friend too. 

Similarly, though, you were having a crisis of your own. 

You’re unsure of how Jungwon feels about you, and it would be embarrassing to assume feelings that might not even be there in the first place. But then you think of his unorthodox gifts, and how he has given you probably one-sixteenth worth of homegrown plants from his garden, and you’re left to wonder if there was a greater meaning behind all this. 

You remember jokingly telling him that you didn’t want his grandmother to be mad at you, in which he replied that she actually liked you a lot and encouraged him to gift you fresh fruits and vegetables. 

You remember smiling all the way home after he had told you that. In the same way, Jungwon couldn’t stop smiling as he waited for Heeseung to finish his work; seated on the counter with his legs swinging back and forth and a cone of ice cream in his hand.

+

“Hey, Jungwon!” You try to catch your breath as you catch up to his fast pace of walking. In your hand is the basket he had given you a day prior. “I just wanted to return this to you.”

He takes the basket for you, thanking you in the process but you retaliate by thanking him instead. “I really hope these aren’t going to waste. I feel bad you’re so casually giving me these when they must take so long to grow.”

Jungwon reassures you that that’s not the case.

“Don’t worry about it, _____. I like giving these to you.” You smile at him, something you found yourself doing a lot in his presence. How was navigating through your heart so easy to him? 

“We still have plenty more in the garden, anyway. Plenty more I’d be more than happy to give you.” You don’t catch the underlying meaning of his statement. Instead, you thank him before excusing yourself and running towards your clubroom to avoid being scolded for being late. 

+

It isn’t difficult to accept your feelings for Jungwon.

You knew you always had them, tucked away and safely kept from everyone around you. So, as you stare at the tomatoes he had given you early this morning, you knew you had a lot to do to give back his sweetness.

You might not be sure of his feelings for you, but it wasn’t a bad thing reciprocating his acts of kindness.

Two weeks since he had given you a star cactus, you softly call his name on another Monday morning, patting the empty space beside you. Jungwon doesn’t get what you’re trying to do at first until you point at his seat and back at the space next to you.

Jungwon’s mouth forms an “ooooh” and you can almost hear the exact sound coming from his lips as he silently drags his seat before placing it beside yours, sitting down and staring at you as if waiting for you to do something. 

Jungwon would never tell you how his hands feel clammy and how his heart rate significantly sped up at being so close to you.

You break into a huge grin. “Look what I have.” 

He recognizes the clementines as you pull them out of your bag. “I just kind of wanted to share these with you this morning.” 

A lot of tension Jungwon was feeling disappears as his eyes visibly turn into crescents. It was odd, how you were the one bringing fruits this time, but he appreciates the gesture nonetheless.

You slowly unwrap the clementine, skin peeling back like it was made for that. You wordlessly pass him a slice as you casually talk about the coming day and how you were dreading the Chemistry test you had this afternoon.

Jungwon hums as he happily listens to you, wordlessly taking the slice from you as he chews on it. Your fingers are a little sticky from the fruit as you continue to peel it back, popping a slice in your mouth before handing him one. 

You share the clementine piece by piece – mirroring the little ways Jungwon has tried to show you his appreciation. From a star cactus to strawberries, to lemons and tomatoes. You continue to complain about the heat, and Jungwon listens, grabbing a clementine to peel for you as well. 

“I didn’t know the market would be so crowded in the morning.”

A simple comment like this catches Jungwon’s attention. “You went to the market this morning?”

“Of course I did. I had to make sure the clementines I bought for us were fresh and good. Although, I’m not as skilled as you in picking the good ones. I, uh, I hope I did a pretty good job though.” 

You can see the way he grows more and more flustered each time a word leaves your mouth. His cheeks are unbearably red, and he doesn’t understand why the thought of you going to the market before school just to get clementines to eat with him before homeroom has his heart leaping and his stitches loosening up, one after the other. 

“You really didn’t have to do that.” You shake your head, passing him another slice. “I wanted to, Jungwon.” 

His heart warms at the fact that you probably enjoy your little moments together just as much as he does. Maybe his feelings weren’t so unreciprocated after all. Jungwon looks at you as you continue to peel the clementines, separating them piece by piece.

“Maybe next time we can go to the market together?” He brings his hand to the back of his head to scratch it nervously. 

He had never seen you outside of school before, and he was always too shy to take initiative – maybe you were busy, maybe you didn’t want to hang out with him outside of school. Your friendship was nothing more than him giving you homegrown fruits and vegetables, and you thanking him for it. Still, he tries. There was nothing wrong in trying.

“So… So I can teach you which ones you should buy. I’m pretty good at that.” Jungwon continues, playing with the piece of clementine you had given him. He had hoped one visit at the market would turn into many other visits, preferably in different parts of the city, maybe his own garden.

You have a feeling you understand the hidden meaning in his words. 

“Is tomorrow a good time?” 

He turns to you with wide eyes, almost immediately breaking into a smile as he nods his head. Nothing has ever felt so perfect or right. 

“Tomorrow couldn’t be any more perfect.” 

[psychedelic-ink]

Can I get a fluffy Tommy Miller x reader? I liked the idea of reader being Joel’s neighbor and maybe Sarah and Joel play matchmaker? Anything works. Love your work

Awww thank you anon! and that's so sweet of you to say, I love me some Tommy 💜💜💜

𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐊 𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍

pairing: tommy miller x f!reader

genre: fluff, romance

word count: 1.4k

summary: joel and sarah devise a plan so that you and Tommy can go to the farmer's market together.

warnings: sensual strawberry biting, another installment of smoking is bad but sexy and i hate it

Something’s up. You can sense it in the air, shenanigans are taking place, you just don’t know what the end result of said shenanigans are supposed to be. You narrow your eyes at Joel and Sarah, eyes flitting between the father-daughter duo. Most of the time being their neighbor was a delight, unless they were planning something. 

“So tell me again why you can’t take me to the farmer’s market?” you inquire, eyebrows pinched together. “We said we would go together last week, you know I can’t drive,” 

“I have homework,” Sarah exclaims, her smile wide. Joel nods, patting her shoulder. 

“Homework. Needs my help,” 

“Homework?” you repeat, not believing them for a second. Sarah is a grade-A student, there’s no way she left any of her work to the last second, and even if she did, she wouldn’t go to Joel for math homework. 

“Can’t do it without him,” Sarah grins. 

Joel sticks his bottom lip out and shakes his head, “Can’t do it without me.” 

“Alright you two,” you sigh and roll your eyes. “I guess I’ll head ba—” 

“Uncle Tommy can take you!” 

You shoot Sarah a suspicious look, crossing your arms over your chest, you lean forward. But before you can interrogate further, the door slams open. A breathless Tommy stumbles into the house, nearly tripping over his own feet. 

“I’m here! I’m here! I’m—” 

He stops dead in his tracks when he sees you, his face is coated with a sheer amount of sweat, beads of it rolling down his cheeks. His chest heaves, brown eyes moving between Sarah and Joel who looks completely unfazed. 

“You said,” he takes a deep breath, and lets it out. He points to Joel as he attempts to catch his breath. “You said there was an emergency,” 

“There is,” Joel answers, not a care in the world that his brother is seconds away from passing out. “I need to help Sarah with her homework,” he points to you and Tommy’s gaze follows, you feel flustered all of a sudden. “I promised I’d take her to the farmer’s market but can’t,” 

“Since when do you help with homework?” Tommy mutters, rubbing the back of his neck. “But anyway, yeah sure. I’d be happy to,” 

A nervous laughter bubbles in your chest, your hand already reaching out to your bag so you can return home. “That’s okay. I’ll go another time, I wouldn’t want to trouble you,” 

“Don’t worry about it. Besides, I’m already here and have nothin’ better to do,” his hand moves to his back pocket and pulls out a box of cigarettes. He stuffs one between his lips, shaking his finger at Joel. “You, on the other hand, your emergency privileges are under view. Nearly gave me a fuckin’ heart attack,” 

He pulls out the lighter next, but before he can flick the flame alive, Joel shoots him a warning glare. “I swear if you light that death trap in my house…” the rest of the threat trails off but it’s heavily implied what might happen right after. 

Tommy rolls his eyes and grabs your bag before you can, already halfway out the door. “Come on then, let’s get goin’” 

Your hand still mid-air, your turn to Joel and Sarah, “What the hell is happening?” 

“Just move along now,” Joel ushers you out, you notice that Tommy is already in the truck. “Try to have fun,” 

“Fun?” you hiss out, brain still trying to catch up to the new turn of events. “Joel—” 

Sarah chimes in before you can finish, “Buy me some strawberries if they have some!” 

And just like that the door slams shut in your face, leaving you to stand there with your jaw on the ground. You have half the mind to knock and demand to be let back inside for an explanation. 

A loud honk echoes into the air, making you jump. You see Tommy’s hand gesturing for you to come inside. 

Shoulders slumping with defeat, you do exactly that. It isn’t that you don’t want to spend time with him, on the contrary, you wouldn’t mind spending every minute with him. It stings that Joel and Sarah are both abundantly aware of your crush. You always thought that you were masking it quite nicely. What if Tommy noticed as well? 

“If you don’t wanna go we don’t have to,” Tommy’s words bring you back to the moment, you’re sitting in the passenger seat, eyes glued ahead. A pang of immediate guilt tugs at your heart, he probably thinks that you’re ungrateful. 

“No no, I want to. Sorry about that,” 

He nods, cigarette dangling between his lips, “Seatbelt,” he says, twisting the key. 

You’re an idiot. Because instead of putting your seatbelt on, you just stare at him. You’re not really fond of cigarettes, but the way his lips suck on the butt of it makes you weak in the knees. He takes a deep inhale, filling his lungs with smoke. Then he takes the cigarette between two fingers, exhaling a gray smoke that fills the car with a wretched scent. You can’t really complain though. Some part of you wants to press your lips around the cigarette the same way just to feel the heat of his lips. 

You lift your gaze back up, noticing in horror that he’s already staring at you with a crooked grin. “You alright there?” 

“Yup,” you choke out, averting your eyes. “Just—Cigarettes are bad for you, you know?” 

He snorts, taking another deep puff, “So is not wearing a seatbelt,” 

“Shit, I forgot,” you hurriedly put it on, falling to your back with a sigh. “I’m all over the place today,” 

“Don’t worry about it. We all have our days.” 

You’re regretting all the choices that brought you to this moment. Hopping out of the truck, you look around and it’s flooding with people. You weren’t expecting it to be empty but you definitely did not expect it to be this crowded. You hate crowds. 

Tommy appears next to you and he brushes his shoulder upon yours, your face feels heated. “Let’s go,” he says. “So what did you want to buy anyway?” 

“Sarah said she wanted strawberries,” the sun beating down on your skin, you manage to pull out a small list you had made prior. “I don’t need a lot. Just some fruit and veg—I definitely need to buy some blueberries. I want to make some muffins this week,” 

“Sounds delicious,” Tommy says with a soft smile that nearly blinds you. Looking back down, you nod. 

You navigate through the bustling market, surrounded by a symphony of sights, sounds, and scents. Colorful stands overflow with ripe fruit and fragrant flowers, and the air is thick with the sweet fragrance of a warm autumn day. You feel Tommy's hand on your hip, guiding you through the crowd, and your heart flutters at his touch. You lean into it without thinking, swept away by the sensations of the moment.

As you walk, you take in the details of the market around you. Brightly painted signs advertise plump berries, crisp greens, and juicy citrus. Vendors call out to you, offering samples of their wares. You catch glimpses of shimmering piles of produce, arranged in artful displays. 

Tommy's hand on your hip is a constant reminder of his presence, grounding you in the moment and making you feel safe and protected. You bask in the warmth of his touch, feeling your body responding to him. 

You reach the strawberries, you marvel at the plump, red fruit, each one more tempting than the last. Tommy squeezes your hip, and you turn to him with a strawberry in your hand. 

“Gimme a taste,” he mutters, holding your gaze. You’re slow to lift your hand, pointing the tip of the strawberry to his lips. He bites into it slowly, the plush of his lips grazing against the pads of your fingers. He pulls you closer and you shudder, your breath hitching as he swallows. “Delicious,” 

When he catches your gaze, he grins, your hand is still an inch away from him and he presses his lips into your knuckles. You gasp and pull away, your pulse skyrockets and the rest of the noise fades into the background. 

“Sorry was that a bit too strong?” he asks, eyes dropping from yours but hand still on your hip. “I think Joel and Sarah might’ve had a plan in mind and I thought…Anyway never mind it’s stupid,” 

“Tommy,” your heart nearly stops when he lifts his gaze back up. You swallow. “Do you want to go on a date?” 

His wide smile soothes your chest and you find yourself smiling as well.

"Joel and Sarah are gonna be thrilled."

[blackheartsclub]

Studying || Charlie Walker

Charlie needs help studying and it escalates…

warnings: smut, reader has a female body, praise, slight degrading, dom Charlie, sub reader

word count: 1,8k

author’s note: okay so this is just smut right away… but anyways enjoy

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

“Hey Charlie!” you shouted as you entered your best friend’s house.

“Hey y/n! I’m up here!” his voice came from upstairs.

You ran up the stairs and found him at his desk; it looked like he was doing his homework.

“Do you need help?” you asked when you saw his furrowed eyebrows.

“Yes, please. Math is so hard,” he groaned.

“Alright, do you have another chair?” you looked around his room.

“No, but you can come sit in my lap,” he patted his legs.

“Uh, okay,” your cheeks felt warm all of a sudden.

You carefully climbed into his lap, and started reading the problem he was trying to solve. His breath on your neck made goosebumps appear, and your felt your heart drum loudly in your chest.

Charlie had some music playing in the background, and you started humming and moving to the music as you read the question. Suddenly, you felt him shift under you.

“Oh fuck, just like that,” his hand grasped your waist and you felt him rest his head on your shoulder.

“Charlie? What?” you stopped moving, feeling a bit flustered and confused, and then you felt it.

“Don’t stop moving,” Charlie groaned into your ear.

Oh. My. God.

“C-Charlie,” you whimpered quietly because of the feeling of his clothed boner repeatedly stroking against your heat.

“Oh f-fuck y/n,” he groaned and helped you move your hips.

You gasped when you felt his lips ghost over your neck. His soft lips started leaving gentle kisses down to your collarbones, while his hands held a firm grip on your waist.

“Stand up, baby,” Charlie whispered right by your ear, making you shudder.

“Okay,” you stood up.

He smirked, and then pulled you down into his lap again, this time so that you were straddling him.

“Can I kiss you?” he breathed against your lips.

“Y-yes.”

He cupped your face and pulled you even closer to him gently, only to smash his lips on yours. The kiss was deep right away, his tongue gliding against yours. He tasted so freaking good, it made you whine into his mouth. That made him buck his hips up and dig his fingers into your waist.

“Fuck,” you mumbled against his lips as you clung onto his shoulders.

The kiss was so aggressive now it was mostly teeth clashing against each other, but you were too hot and bothered to care.

“Y/n?” he pulled away to ask.

“Yes, Charlie?”

“Are you okay?”

“Of course, are you?” you felt your cheeks get warm.

“I’m perfect,” he smiled and squeezed your waist.

After making out for like 15 minutes, your lips were extremely swollen and it was almost impossible to kiss him back. But at the same time your body was on fire and you never wanted to stop. The ache between your legs was almost painful by now, and you desperately wanted him to touch you. When he once again bucked his hips, you couldn’t help that you moaned his name.

”What was that?” Charlie pulled away.

“Nothing,” you turned red.

“Did you just moan my name?” he breathed.

“Mhm.”

“Oh fuck,” he groaned and moved his hips again, making you let out small moans again.

”C-Charlie, touch me,” you whined.

“You want me to touch you, y/n? Hm? Show me where.”

“Stop it, you know where,” you grind your hips again, making him take a sharp breath.

“Tell me where,” he said while unbuttoning his shirt and letting it fall to the floor.

“I-, uh…” you stared at his toned chest, completely losing the ability to speak.

“Y/n,” he tilted your head up to meet his eyes, “can I take your shirt off?”

“Uh, yeah.”

He smirked at your flustered state, and pulled your shirt over your head.

“You’re so beautiful,” he mumbled and gently pulled you closer by placing a hand on the small of your back.

Before you could react, he had unclipped your bra behind your back. He breathed heavily by your ear and let it fall to the floor. The feeling of your chest flush against his made you whimper and press yourself against him.

“Y/n? I really wanna touch you now,” he breathed by your ear.

“F-fuck, really?”

“Y-yes,” his voice was shaking with lust, “I wanna feel how wet you are for me, baby.”

”P-please, Charlie, touch me.”

He bit his lip and then slowly slid his hand between your thighs, under your skirt, while the other held your waist. You inhaled sharply as he gently started stroking you through your panties.

“Does that feel good, hm?” he mumbled and pressed down a bit harder.

“Mhm,” was all you could answer.

”Is this okay?” he was stroking the skin just above the hem of your panties, wanting to put his hand in them.

“Y-yes.”

“Good.”

He slowly, painfully slowly, slid his hand into your panties. Both of you inhaled sharp breaths as he felt your wetness.

“Aw, baby, all this because of me? So needy, aren’t you?” he purred and gently stroked your clit.

“Mhm, all for you,” you half moaned, half whimpered.

“That’s a good girl. Are you gonna be good? Yeah?,” you nodded, “good, now be a good girl and cum when I tell you to, okay?” his voice was thick with lust.

”Y-yes, Charlie.”

He smirked at your obedience and sped up his pace on your clit with his thumb, while he slid a finger into you. A broken moan escaped you and you dug your nails into his arm.

“Aw, baby, you’re so ready for my fingers, so wet for me,” he praised and pushed another digit into you, and then moved them in a delicate pace.

“C-Charlie.”

“Yes, baby? You’re doing so good for me. Does my fingers feel good?”

You nodded desperately, already feeling the orgasm building. Charlie must have felt you clench around his fingers, because he knew right away.

“Aw, baby, already coming for me? Such a good little slut for me, aren’t you? Yes, that’s it baby, come on my fingers,” he sped up his pace, making you moan and leave marks on his arm from how hard you were pressing your nails into it.

”C-Charlie,” you moaned loudly when your orgasm snapped, and your legs started shaking.

Charlie helped you ride out your orgasm and held you steady by pressing down on your thigh. You clung onto him for dear life, moaning and whimpering as you fell apart on his fingers.

”Fuck,” you breathed when you came down from your high.

“You look so pretty when you cum,” Charlie said as he carefully took his fingers out of you, making you whine.

“Charlie!” your cheeks got even more red than they already were.

“I kinda wanna see it again,” he said quietly and squeezed your thighs making you jump.

“Do you want to take your panties off for me? Yeah?” he purred.

”Mhm,” you carefully stood up, and Charlie had to hold your waist to steady your shaking legs.

“Sit down on the bed, okay baby?” he said softly, while he also got up.

You nodded and sat down, clenching your thighs when you saw he was unbuttoning his pants.

“Y/n, panties off, now,” he ordered.

You bit your lip, feeling extremely flustered, but nodded and obeyed him.

“Aw look at you, darling, being such an obedient girl for me. Aren’t you? Hm?” he praised and stepped out of his pants.

“Mhm, yes Charlie,” you whispered and dropped your panties on the floor, now being left in only your skirt.

You couldn’t help that you stared at Charlie’s boxers, which was looking extremely tight at the moment. It looked almost painful because of how hard he was. He met your eyes, and a smirk played on his lips when he saw your needy eyes.

“You want my cock, huh? You want me inside of you?” he walked closer and made you look at him by grabbing your chin.

“Mhm,” you looked into his blue eyes.

“Beg for it,” he took a step back and removed his boxers as well.

You inhaled when you saw him fully exposed, rock hard pressing against his stomach with pre cum leaking at the top.

“Please, Charlie,” you whined and rubbed your thighs together.

“Harder,” he suddenly grabbed you and pushed you down on the bed, only to hover over you and fucking rip your skirt off your body.

“C-Charlie please, I-, please fuck me,” you whimpered when you felt him against your thigh.

“That’s it baby, such a good girl, begging for my cock, huh? Come on, beg for it one more time, you’re so good for me,” he praised and rubbed against your heat, making you squeak.

“Please fuck me, Charlie. Fuck please. I need you,” your voice shook.

“Such a good little slut, you’re making me sooo hard when you’re begging for it,” he groaned and then without warning pushed himself into you.

You moaned and dug your nails into his shoulders, feeling him going so freaking deep right away. Small groans escaped him into your ear as he slowly pumped into you.

“Are you okay?” he asked and kissed you softly on your forehead.

“Y-yes.”

“Good. Baby, you’re doing so good. Taking me so well. Can I go harder?” he breathed.

You nodded desperately.

His hips snapped hard into yours and a high pitched moan escaped you. You almost clawed on his back while he feverishly drove hard into you, making you see stars. It felt like he was made just for you. The feeling of his cock inside of you was so fucking delicious.

“Fuck, Charlie!” you whined.

“I know baby, I know,” he said softly.

His fingers dug hard into your hips, and at the same time he leaned down to your neck, biting the skin gently. It was all so fucking much, so much pain but also so much pleasure. He was so fucking rough with his hips.

Tears started rolling down your cheeks, making black streaks from your mascara appear.

“Aw y/n, are you okay? You’re doing so good, taking my cock so well. Such a good slut for me. Come on, baby. You can take a little more, can’t you?” he praised.

You nodded desperately, feeling the knot in your stomach about to snap once more.

“Good girl,” he groaned.

Shortly after that, you couldn’t take it anymore and came, hard, almost screaming his name and squeezing his cock with your walls.

“F-fuck y/n!” Charlie whimpered and then you felt his hot release into you.

You both whimpered and moaned each other’s names as you rode out your orgasms. Your head felt almost dizzy from how intense your orgasm had been.

Charlie collapsed on top of you, breathing hard.

“Oh fuck,” he sighed and rolled to lay next to you.

“Shit,” you whispered.

“Hey, y/n?”

“Yeah?”

“Round 2?”

“Charlie!”

[jakekiszska]

playdate

pairing: eddie munson x female!reader

warnings: explicit sexual content, vaginal fingering, spitting, p in v intercourse, tiny bit of a master kink if you squint, spanking, praise kink. (reader and eddie are both 18+).

a/n: pls cut me some slack as a d&d 5e player. i tried my best to write as accurately to 1e & 2e as i could. :)

summary: you finally joined hellfire after months of your best friends begging… but you can’t keep your eyes off him the entire time.

if u see an error no u don’t. :)

word count: 2.9k

“shirt looks good on you.” eddie comments, winking as he passes you in the school hallway.

“thanks, perv.” you joke back, giving him a smirk. he blows you a quick kiss before facing the correct direction and walking down the hallway. you made the decision last week to start playing dungeons and dragons with eddie and his friends, so of course today you had to don your t-shirt.

you entered your final class and sat down, hardly able to focus. who really needed math anyway, right? you stared at the white board as the teacher lectured and wrote formulae down. you couldn’t stay focused, so you let your mind wander.

thinking of it, you probably did need math, especially for your dungeons and dragons game… you’d need to add or subtract your modifiers from your rolls, or add to your attacks… so maybe you’d better pay attention.

your teacher’s monotonous voice was hard to focus on, especially since she never faced the class. you took out your notebook and started scribbling tiny doodles in the corner of the page. a few ideas came to you for playing your character today, so you tried to jot them down as discreetly as you could, passing them off as notes.

you thanked all the deities you knew when the bell finally rang. you met eddie in the parking lot, standing by his van. he was chatting with his friend gareth, but quickly turned his attention to you as you approached.

“ready to go?” he asks, looking you up and down. you nod a quick yes and hop into the passenger seat of his van, throwing your stuff to the floorboard. the drive to your house was quick, but eddie stalled you before you could exit the van and head inside.

“what’s wrong?” he asks, looking over at you with a concerned look. normally you would’ve talked his ear off the whole ride over. you try to assure him that you’re fine.

“hey listen, y/n… you’ve been my best friend for like, i don’t know, six? eight years? i know when something is wrong. spill it.”

you finally turn your head and look at him. “i’m nervous to play tonight. what if i look stupid?”

“babe,” he says affectionately, making your stomach lurch, “we’re a bunch of dudes in high school playing a fantasy table-top roleplay. you’re definitely gonna look weird.” he says casually, a playful tone to his voice. you can’t help but laugh. “it’s gonna be okay. i’ll wait to bring your character into the game that way you can see how everyone else plays, okay?” he asks you, his tone comforting.

“okay, eds. okay. that works.” you say, running your hands down your jeans. you open the van door and hop out, strolling over to your porch. when your feet hit the bottom step, you hear eddie call after you. “pick ya up at 6:40!” he screeches, and then you hear the tires of his van screech too as he backs out of your driveway and drives away maniacally.

you grab yourself a snack from the kitchen once you make it inside, a few strawberries your mom had left over from some cake she decorated.

you take them up to your room and set the plate on your bedside table before grabbing out your books and starting on your homework. stupid math.

you work through as many problems as you can before you can feel your eyelids starting to droop. you close your book and slide it back in your back before taking your plate of strawberry stems to the kitchen and dumping them. you quickly wash the plate and head back to your room, anxiously awaiting your evening.

for the remainder of the time you’re waiting for eddie you clean your room up and then decide to take a quick shower. you tie your hair up in a scrunchie to avoid wetting it and you quickly go through your routine. once you’re out you decide instead of wearing your jeans again that you’ll slip on a black skirt that sits just above your knee, and your hellfire shirt.

finally, 6:40 approaches, and just as he promised eddie is in your driveway at that exact moment. you grab your notebook and a pen along with the dice set he gave you and run out to meet him.

you hop in the van and your nerves return, but you try to play it cool. you make it to the school and you’re let in by some of the faculty who have to facilitate after school gatherings, but eddie assures you none of them ever sit in on the sessions.

he gets all of his stuff laid out and puts up his dm screen before sitting down on this throne-like chair. you try not to stare at him, but the way he’s sitting so relaxedly with his legs spread open is making you squirm.

you’d always thought eddie was attractive, but something about him being in his element like this was really tempting to you, and you figured that’s why you were so nervous to play.

all of his friends start pouring into the room and taking their places and eddie has to quiet them down a few times before he can begin.

“y/n won’t be playing immediately, but if you don’t mind would you tell us your characters race and class please?” he asks you, his tone a lot softer than what he uses for the boys.

“um, my character is a hobbit and my class is cleric.” you say nervously, staring at the table.

“a hobbit, huh?” eddie teases. “that’s accurate.”

you can hear his friends dustin and mike laughing insanely loud at his jest. “shove it, henderson.” you say, finally scanning the room. “you’re about 4’6, yeah?” you joke.

the rest of the room laughs at your joke and after a minute more of teasing you get right into the game. eddie was able to work your character in as someone the party met at some stables, and they figured they’d need your spellcasting abilities to help them in battle.

the session goes on for a while and you’re really having a lot of fun, but you can’t take your eyes off of eddie. his facial expressions, his tone of voice, all the gestures he makes towards the party. he’s so immersed and it’s driving you a little crazy. seeing him so passionate is nothing less than hot to you.

it’s time to wrap the game up and you’re just finishing your battle when it’s dustin’s turn to roll for attack. he just makes it and the room erupts, cheering that he finally slayed the beast you’d been fighting.

“congratulations, henderson. describe the killing blow.” eddie beams. dustin goes on to describe some disgustingly gruesome scene and you continue to stare at eddie until he catches your eye, to which you finally look away. when dustin is done talking everyone clears out, leaving you and eddie alone to pick up so he can take you home.

“you did so well tonight! i was so proud of you!” he beams, reaching out to ruffle your hair. his praise makes your body stiffen.

“something wrong?” he asks, walking up behind you and placing his chin on your shoulder. you’re not sure if you can make words but you try to force them out anyway. “um, no eds. i-i’m fine!” you manage, shuffling away from him. his hand catches your hip and spins you around to face him.

“really? you seemed to be staring at me the whole game. have i upset you?” he ponders, leaning in so his breath fans your face. it smells slightly smoky and slightly like mint, and you’re dizzy for a moment.

you assure him he hadn’t, and once again you try to move away, but his grip tightens. “well, i’m really proud of you.” he reiterates, watching you squirm under his gaze. you can almost feel your cheeks flush and your pupils dilate.

he leans in even closer, speaking into your ear. “do you like when i tell you how good you are?” he asks, his voice a bit lower, a tinge raspier.

“oh fuck off, eddie.” you choke out, pushing a hand against his chest.

“is that any way to talk to your dungeon master?”

he pulls away from your face slightly and tilts up your chin with his pointer finger. “my apologies master,” you tease sarcastically, “forgive me?”

this time it’s your turn to taunt him, so you push your hand up his chest and wrap it around the back of his throat, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. he takes a step closer to you and you shudder when you realize just how close he is to you.

“that’s a pretty little skirt you have on.” he whispers. your whole body shudders. “eddie..” you whine, tugging at his hair lightly.

“hmmm.. what is it baby?” he leans in so your noses are touching. “please eddie, kiss me.” you beg, your voice an octave higher than usual. he places his left hand on your other hip before finally closing the gap between your lips.

you aren’t expecting his lips to be so soft. you also aren’t expecting to feel so drunk off his kiss immediately. it’s experimental, but it quickens. he swipes his tongue along your bottom lip and you part your lips for him. he slides his tongue into your mouth and he moans as he feels you suck on it gently.

his hands have made their way around your backside and he slips one past your skirt, keeping it still until he can gauge your reaction. when you don’t stop him, he grabs a handful of your ass before lifting you up and placing you on the nearby table. you whine into his kiss and he presses himself between your legs.

you kiss each other hungrily for what feels like hours until you finally pull away. “hey, let’s get outta here.” you propose, and he nods, moving away so you can grab all of his stuff. his expression takes on that of a lost puppy.

you grab him by the arm and he looks over at you, so you reassure him. “eds, i didn’t wanna stop… i just don’t really wanna fuck in the school after hours.”

“f-fuck,” he stammers, “you wanna.. we’re gonna.. oh my god we’re gonna fuck?”

you shake your head yes at him. “if you want to… let’s go back to your place?” you ask. “hell yeah. hell yes we are going to my place!” he says ecstatically. you grab up all of his stuff and practically race out to his van. he gets you back to his uncle's place in record time and you go in quickly, headed for his room.

once you’re in you waste no time in reconnecting your lips to his. he disconnects to pull his shirt over his head and you moan when you can see all of his tattoos. you lightly scrape your nails over them before reaching behind you and unzipping your skirt, letting it fall to the floor.

“cute panties.” he says smugly, and you slap his arm. you made sure to wear one of your favorite pairs, baby blue and cotton with a pink heart on the front. he sits back on his bed against the headboard and you crawl into his lap, leaning down to kiss his neck. his hands find your hips and he moans as you lick a stripe just below his ear, biting it seconds after.

“kiss me again.” he says, his raspy tone going straight to your core. you connect your lips with his and soon after your tongues are meeting, sliding against each other as you makeout hungrily. your hips start grinding involuntarily but he uses his grip on your hips to help you. you can feel your cheeks flush.

“no need to be embarrassed baby,” he says, almost reading your mind, “if it feels good, then do it. feel how hard i am?”

and you could. you could tell he was straining as you continued to grind your now soaked panties across his lap. after a few more minutes you’re mewling and whining loudly, then you finally beg him to touch you.

“what do you want?” he asks lowly, hands palming at your ass. “want you to touch me, eddie. please.” you whine, arching into him. he slides you off his lap and pushes you down onto the bed so that your back is arched, in a face down ass up position.

“okay, princess,” he teases, rubbing your left thigh softly, “but first you need a punishment for how you talked to me earlier. remember that?”

you let out a deep whine as you feel him grab your panties and rip them down your legs. you clench as you feel the cool air hit your core. “just one, okay? that’s all.” he says, massaging your ass. a second later his hand is gone, and is quickly replaced again with a loud crack. you could feel the cool metal of his rings stinging against your ass sharply. seconds later he leans in to kiss the spot, a gesture to make sure you’re okay.

when he can tell you’re fine he rolls you over onto your back and slides your panties off your legs completely, tossing them to the floor. he pushes your thighs apart and stares down at you, fully exposed for him.

“fuck.” he groans, taking all of you in. “you have the prettiest pussy i’ve ever seen.”

you blush at his comment and throw your arm over your face to hide it. you feel him run two fingers along your slit to gather some of your slick before dipping them into you. he leans down and spits on your clit before his thumb from his other hand rubs tight circles into it. your back arches and you begin to work your hips in time with his hands.

“fuck yeah, baby. fuck yourself on my hands. that’s my good girl.”

my good girl. you shudder again.

“eddie, i’m close!” you warn, his fingers curling inside of you and working your g-spot deliciously. “come on then, lemme see that little pussy cum for me.” he commands, and you’re teetering over the edge. it’d been a while since you came that hard, and eddie wears a proud smirk as he watches your legs shake with aftershocks.

he stands from the bed and you look him up and down, eagerly watching as he unclasps the handcuffs on his belt. his zipper is down soon after and then he’s shuffling out of his jeans, not leaving you much to the imagination. your mouth waters as you see the outline in his briefs - and he is big.

you didn’t notice your mouth hanging open. he sheds his underwear before crawling over you and you admire how tidy his pubic hair is kept… and then you wonder if that’s weird. you won’t say anything.

he positions himself between your legs and leans down to kiss your neck, whispering to you teasingly. “what’s wrong, worried it won’t fit?”

“i don’t care. i want it.” you assure him, and he slides his tip through your folds quickly before pressing his cock inside of you finally. you take it slowly, inch by inch, until he’s bottomed out.

tears prick at the corners of your eyes because of the stretch, but he wipes them away sweetly. “it’s okay, we’re gonna take our time.” he promises, and you lightly tug at his hair. “you can move, please move.”

he pulls his hips back slowly before rutting into you again, working at a slow but delicious pace. “fuck eds, that f-feels so fucking good.” you whine, your hands still tugging at his hair. each time you pull on his hair it spurs him to go faster, and soon he’s pounding into you so hard that you barely recognize the voice coming from your throat.

his fingers dig into your hips and you know the indentions from his rings will leave bruises for you to admire for days. he’s letting out soft moans above you and if he hadn’t been speaking to you so filthy this entire time they’d almost warm your heart.

“i’m not gonna last.” he warns you, his hips snapping into yours quickly. you reach your hand down between your bodies and start to rub your clit, to which he lets out a filthy whine.

“cum for me, baby. let me feel it. cum for me again.” he coaxes, his breathing laboured. a few seconds later you feel the band snap again and your body arches upward as your second orgasm hits you, the sensation washing over you and making you lose vision for a second.

seconds later he pulls out and finishes himself off in his hand.

“holy shit. you’ve been keeping that from me?” he laughs, wiping his hand with some article of clothing he found on the floor. “you could’ve had it if you’d asked.” you tell him, being completely honest.

he walks back over to you and leans down to place a gentle kiss to your forehead. when he pulls back a playful smirk tugs at his lips. “well in that case, do you wanna fuck?”

you grab a pillow from his bed and smack him with it before he lunges at you, pressing kisses into your neck and softly tickling your sides. “i think i really like this, eds.”

“me too.” he assures you, laying down and pulling you onto his chest.

tags: @alwayzthere @strangersingold @garbagevanfleet @harmonyhous @obetrolncocktails (message me to be added!)

[seiueina]

JUST TOGETHER, US ⋆·˚ ༘ *

synopsis : you are the youngest sibling of the two soccer prodigies. rin full filing his older brother duties.

contains : siblings being siblings + slice of life + rin being math tutor + mild language + mentions of bullying + 1k890wc

Rin exhaled a long and annoyed expression as he watched you pathetically struggle with your Math homework. Rin had always been a fast learner, being able to understand and know things easily was his specialty. However, with you, you found learning to be difficult.

You sat on the small dining table as he hovered over you before letting out another sigh. “You’re stupid.” He breaths out, grabbing one of your notebooks and slightly slapping the crown of your head as you misspelled a sentence.

“I am— I am trying Rin!” You exclaim as you look up at him with angry eyes, your eyes were angry but the water line was armed and ready with tears. Tears that were locked and ready to leave your eyes, but with command. “Try harder then, until then. My point still stands.” He says as he pulls a chair next to you, his head resting on his hand.

“Being mean won’t help with my understanding y’know?” Said with a bratty tone, rolling your eyes at your teal-haired brother who sat next to you. “Be quiet. I am tryna’ tutor you; help you. But you keep rambling nonsense. Do you even want my help?” He says annoyed, flicking at your temple, you gave him a glare.

“I am fine without your help! I dunno why you’re even helpin’ me in the first place.” You grumble some more, “I am helping you cause you’re stupid and you definitely need the help. Don’t want you suffering at Math like a dumbass.” Rin bickered, grabbing a protein bar that was left on the table and ripping the packaging.

You grumbled and mocked his words as a response. Irritated at him and his words. His words were getting to you and you lashed out at him. “You know what? Suffer by yourself then, I am not being paid to be your babysitter.” Cursed Rin before he abruptly got up from the dining room seat and started to walk away.

In your mind. You won. You won the battle. He wasn’t over your shoulder degrading you. But in reality; you lost. If he leaves the table and goes into his room or leaves the house— you’d suffer with your English homework. You need his help, so you swallow your pride before you grabbed his arm. “Rinnie wait!!” You pleaded, Rin only dared to deadpan at you.

“Now what?”

“I….I don’t want to admit that I need your help! But, I need your help…I promise I’ll be nice and take your advice and teachings seriously..” You cajoled your big brother, and the pleading eyes the three of the Itoshi siblings shared were everyone's kryptonite.

Rin only sighed before sitting back down in the chair he left a minute ago. “I’ll help you— just don’t piss me off again.” He says coldly, and with a cheeky smile plastered on your face, you thank him.

Rin leaned over your shoulder to review the situation you were stuck in. “You really need my help with long division? That’s so easy.” He scoffed which as a result made you breathe deep down to contain your snarkiness. “Of course, it’s easy for you! You’re good at everything…I am not the smartest person like you or Sae…I don’t understand anything.”

Glancing at you with disbelief he let out a sigh before placing his hand on your shoulder. “Don’t call yourself dumb, how many times do I have to tell you you’re not dumb? Quit making up excuses that you’re dumb because you can’t understand the material.”

“I...I am trying!—” You respond as your eyes begin to swell up with tears. A few tear drops made its escape and you hurriedly wiped them away. Hoping he didn’t see that...

“Don’t you dare cry? If you cry I am not helping you out for anything.” He says, crossing his arms against his chest. “I am sorry..it won’t happen.” He hummed in response before asking you what problem you’re stuck on and what steps you did to get your current answer. As you pointed to the problem and explained your steps, he stayed quiet. Listening to what you’ve done so far in order to catch your mistake. After you were done, he pointed out your mistake.

“You did this part wrong, If you fix that, then you can work backward from what we just worked on together..” He says with a nicer tone than before and you felt ease in your heart and brain, nodding you try and fix the mistake and took his advice on working backward.

He watched and stayed quiet, he didn’t seem interested in helping you but in his mind, he was critiquing your steps, “You did that part wrong.”

“What do you mean?” You exclaim. You thought you’d finally understood the problem and were finding the steps easier, but when he said you weren’t doing it right, you gasped.

“You did the multiplication wrong. However many the number outside can go into the number is how many you subtract from the number inside.” Saying this rather annoyed that you still didn’t remember the importance of simple math but still kept a calm demeanor.

“Do you need me to repeat every step again?” He says looking at you with an unimpressed facial expression, you shook your head, “No I think I understand it now..” You spoke softly, and as he waited for you to finish the problem, which took a bit, he glanced over your paper. His eyes became big as he stared at you, “Wow, you actually did it correctly.” He exclaims before patting you on the crown of your head.

“I did?!” You squealed surprisingly. “Yep, you did. Actually surprised me for once y/N.” He said with a laugh. “—Don’t be all shocked that you got the problem right, be happy you got it right.”

“I want to be happy that I understood and was able to solve this problem but, I still need your help with the other math problems I have…” Looking up at him with a pout plastered onto your face, he only sighed before continuing. “I can’t help you with every single math problem you may get in life. This is stuff you should already know, quit making excuses and just do the problems.” Rin lectured, crossing his arms again.

“I see…thank you Rin..”

“You’re welcome…but you need to learn how to solve things on your own..you can’t always come running back to me every time something happens..” He says with a sigh ending at every word, you look towards him.

“I, I know, but it’s hard to not come back to you every time because you’re the only one I have..”

He stayed silent for some time, processing what you just said to him. It caught him off guard but he knew something like this was gonna come up at a certain point. “Well, I am not always gonna be here so you’re gonna have to start figuring things out yourself.” He finally responds, getting up from the chair but before leaving the room; he put his hand on your head, scrunching your hair up.

“I am thankful for you Rin!” You say rather than complain about how he just made your hair messy, “Of course..you’re my little sister after all, we only have each other..” He says softly before leaving the dining room. You stayed seated in your seat, stretching out your hands before protecting yourself to complete these problems!

“You have to do this alone. You shouldn’t be relying on other people..” 

“It’ll be more difficult later in life. You’ll need to get your head out of the clouds and focus on what’s important.” 

You remembered. All throughout your life someone was with you throughout the way. Even if that just meant 12 years of it. You always complained about things being too hard and difficult but never tried to put the effort in. It was a wake-up call. You had to start putting in the effort.

An hour passed and now you were 90% finished with your math homework when Rin came out again getting instant ramen from the pantry. "Do you know when Mom and Dad will be back?" You ask, tapping the lead pencil onto the table and waiting for a response.

"Nope. You know them, come and go like the wind. They always do this to us.." Rin doubts that Mom and Dad would be back anytime soon, and disappointment filled his face. "I don't like them to be honest with you...It doesn't make sense for them to show up then leave right after.." Rin continues as he fills the instant noodle bowls up with water and places them in the microwave.

Your head rested on your hand, "As long as we have each other right? We don't need them or Sae.." Trailing off with the ending of your sentence in a exhale, he turned around as he started the microwave, crossing his arms on his chest. "Well, of course as long as we have each other. But, I'd rather have our parents be here as well, stick around and actually pay attention to us...we've never had that. Like, haven't you gone over to your friend's house and met their parents and notice that they stay and pay attention to their kids?"

You inhale a long breath, pecking your lips together. "I've never been over to a friend's house before..don't get any friends y'know.." Exhaling you didn't want to go there. Rin stood there dumbfounded. For him, it felt like someone punched a hole into his heart, he was in utter shock that you didn't have any friends. "What do you mean? I thought you had friends?"

Sighing as you looked towards him, "Middle school is the worse y'know... there are rumors going around involving Mom and Dad, and because of that, everyone excludes me." Admitting the downside of your experience in school, Rin's eyes became filled with sympathy as his eyebrows furrowed, sitting down next to you before saying anything else. "Are you getting bullied? I swear if you are I am gonna—wait, have you told your teachers?"

You nod your head, "I've tried but nothing happens. Even if I have the last name of Itoshi, they don't care because I am not Sae.." He only scoffed, "That isn't fair...what did your teachers even do?"

Shrugging your shoulders before going back to the math homework that you were so close to completing, "They said they'll just look into it, but it's whatever right?—" You inhale and exhale before continuing, "When you become a big famous soccer player, everything will be better!" Optimistic tones in your voice were sounded as you tried to bring light to a touchy subject.

"I am gonna look into this, my little sister shouldn't be treated like this. The school needs to do better." His voice was filled with a wave of anger, you didn't want— need for him to fight your own battles. Placing your hand on his hand, "—Rin it's okay, I promise. I've been handling them well on my own...I don't need my big brother getting in this.."

He sighs, rubbing your shoulder he looks at you. “If- if you say it’s okay. I don’t want to make things worse for you..”

“Thank you Rinnie.” You grin towards the teal-haired teenager who then flicked your forehead.

[anzulvr]

Hii!! Can you do Karma reacting to reader feeling anxious during a thunderstorm? IT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW AT MY TOWN I'M TERRIFIED THAT A TREE IS GONNA COME FLYING TO MY WINDOW.

HELP ME THE WAY THE WAY YOU WERE LOOSING IT WHILE WRITING THIS?? I HOPE YOURE OKAY

Karma x Reader who is scared in a Thunderstorm

— Makes fun of you until he realizes how scared you actually are.

— “[Name] Imagine the window breaks and you fly out of it—”

— takes it back so fast when he sees your expression drop

“Kidding! You don’t seriously think that’s what’s gonna happen right?”

— Tries to distract you with conversation so you’re not as focused on the storm but does a really bad job at it.

“So like.. I heard you’re doing really bad in Phys Ed right now.”

“Really Karma? That’s what you want to talk about right now?”

“Sorry, Uhm did you want to talk about how shitty you did on yesterday’s math homework?”

You start throwing pillows, water bottles, or really anything you can get your hands on.

“Hey I didn’t mean it in a rude way! I can help you with todays assignment!” (Is too lazy to help when you bring it up later but helps if you ask enough)

— will give you his headphones if the noise is scaring you (wait that’s that one Hikaru moment not intended lolol)

— won’t be too obvious with comforting (no hugs or a serious tone in the way he talks because he doesn’t want to worry you by making you feel like something bad might actually happen)

— so he’ll downplay everything and just tells you you’ll be okay while he messes your hair up or playfully swingings your hands.

He’ll be very casual when trying to calm you down unless you’re full on crying then yeah hell acknowledge it and take a more direct approach to making you feel better. (hugs, having an arm around you)

— After it’s over the teasing starts again almost instantly and you start pretending you were never scared

“[Name] you were clinging onto me so hard it’s like you wanted to cut my blood flow.”

“Shut up you liked it.”

I was working on like 5 different things but dropped it bc it seemed like you needed this asap😭 hope you’re doing better!! 💞💞

[sokoviansimp]

can you please do one of wanda and nat x child reader and getting them to do homework and eat hahahahah i love ur fics btw it makes me feel so warm

✒ Pairings: Wanda Maximoff, Natasha Romanoff x Child!Reader (platonic)

✒ Summary: Wanda and Nat try to get you to do your homework and eat your vegetables.

✒ Tags and Warnings: Homework, stubbornness, fluff, anxiety, making friends

✒ Author's Note: I really appreciate the request! I thought this was such a good idea, hopefully, I did it justice! Sorry, it took so long. To the other requests in my inbox, I am sorry I am so slow but I will be getting to them, they're all so good :)

✒ Word Count: 4744+

✒ Read Time: 24 minutes

Masterlist : The Package AU : Socials

“It sounds like a good opportunity, I don’t think it’s ever really too early to start” Nat urged. 

“I guess, but she’s just so young,” Wanda claimed as she moved to join her friend on the couch. 

“They’ll all be her age, it’s just for a week,” Nat insisted. 

Nat had found a program for young children to learn science and math for a week, it was kind of like a day camp. The parents would drop off the young children daily for 4 hours of hands-on learning. She thought this would be good for you since you have been following very closely in Peter’s footsteps when it comes to his interest in math and science. It would also introduce you to a school setting so that it isn’t so far out of your comfort zone next year when you go to attend preschool. 

To be truthful, you and Wanda were all Nat could think about lately. She wanted so badly to be there for you two, to help you achieve success and be given opportunities that she could’ve only dreamed of at your age. This sent her down a rabbit hole searching for events or activities you could take part in. Most of them were geared toward older children, but the science camp stated all ages so she jumped on it. 

Wanda was hesitant about the program, she didn’t want to push school onto you too early. You should be able to enjoy the time before it completely takes over your life for 14+ years. Nat had a point though, it’s only a week and you would probably really love it. She wasn’t sure how you would react to being left without her all day though, hopefully, now that you have been coming out of your shell the process would be easier but it was hard to say. 

Though, it’s inevitable that this will need to happen eventually. One week of practice would be helpful to smooth out the process once it's mandatory. Wanda really admired the way Nat was so enthusiastic about this program, like the way her voice became more animated and expressive. Wanda could hear the slight rise in her tone as she described the activities that you’d get to experience, and the way she leaned closer in proximity to show off the different amenities on the webpage had Wanda holding her breath and overthinking every little movement of her body. As she got lost in the sparkle in Natasha’s eyes, she couldn't help but scrutinize herself for making everything so awkward, ‘don’t move, don’t breathe. Okay, breathe but slowly. Does she notice? why is this making me feel this way? It’s not like we’ve never been close to each other before.’

“What do you think?” Nat jolted her from her spiraling thoughts, both mentally and slightly physically as Wanda startlingly looked at her. Of course, she hadn’t been paying attention to a thing Nat was saying, but she couldn’t know that. 

“Hmm, yea that sounds great,” she admitted, hoping she hadn’t just agreed to send you to a shield boot camp or something that only Natasha would find fun. 

 “Really?” Nat was beaming at the fact that Wanda liked her idea and genuinely hoped you would have a great time. 

“Ye- yea, I mean, it’s just a week and she’s going to have to get used to spending time without us.” Wanda went on to explain.

Natasha's heart skipped a beat. Us. She knew what Wanda meant by it and even though she recognized it wasn’t anything that she should read into, Nat couldn't help but analyze it. Such a simple phrase, but it had the prospect to hold so much meaning. Wanda had included her in her vision of your future, as a unit, as us. In reality, Wanda knew Natasha would always be there for you, but Natasha couldn’t help but feel a wave of warmth and happiness wash over her at the thought of it meaning something more, causing her cheeks to flush and a smile to form on her face. 

When Wanda and Nat told you about the camp, you were initially really excited, until you found out that you’d have to go alone. Sure, they would drop you off, but then they would leave, and then, who would protect you if something went wrong? Who would be there to hold you when you got nervous around the crowd of unfamiliar faces?

“Mama?” you broke the silence as you sat snuggled into her side on the couch of the common room, enveloped in mostly darkness except for the soft glow from the television. 

“Yes, detka?” she glanced down at you as your head tilted up to meet your eyes with hers. 

“Do I have to go to da sciewence schoowl?” you asked softly, just barely above a whisper, not wanting to make trouble but you couldn’t get the fact that you would have to go alone out of your mind. 

Wanda immediately shifted her full attention to you in an attempt to create a safe and open space for you to express your worries, “I thought you were excited?”

“Well, I am- I was, but, I don't want to go wiffout you or Natty.” you admitted as you translated your fears from thoughts into words. 

"I see, I understand that you're feeling nervous about going without us, and that's completely okay, my love. It's natural to feel a little anxious when we step out of our comfort zone," she said as she gently rubbed your arm in soothing motions. She wanted to help you work through these feelings instead of blocking off new opportunities due to fear. In the end, she wouldn’t force you to go, but she would do everything she could to get you open to the experience. 

“You know, even adults get feelings like these when they're about to try something new or go to unfamiliar places. I remember when I first joined the Avengers, I felt a mix of excitement and nerves. But you know what?” 

“What?” 

“It turned out to be an incredible journey filled with wonderful people and unforgettable adventures. I got to meet my two favorite people in the whole world"

“Me?” your expression shifted from nervous to curious, as you wondered where Wanda was going with this. 

“Yes you, and Nat,” she says unable to mask the smile that forms near automatically from the mention of her best friend.

“What if, der is no one der for me?” you wonder 

"You will have so many other kids there that are your age that you can make friends with, malysh"

“What if dey don’t wike me?” You were genuinely worried about meeting other kids your age. You’ve only ever been around adults and you weren’t quite sure what to expect. Would they all already know each other? Would there be a certain way you were expected to act around them? 

"What’s not to like? You have the kindest heart and the most beautiful spirit of anyone I know.” she was speaking from the heart as she genuinely believed what she told you. Wanda watched you go from this scared little girl who was being held captive in a Hydra base to a kid who gets excited to talk about the solar system and wildlife habitats with Peter. She watched you open up and accept these people, even the men on the team,  into your life despite your wariness. She’s sure you are capable of anything you really put your mind to, “Making friends has one simple rule and if you follow it, it's practically foolproof, do you know what that is?”

You just shook your head in response, waiting for her to continue.  

“Just be yourself. If you do that you'll attract real friends who appreciate you for who you are," she said as she tapped your chest, pointing to your heart. 

“Be myself?” you wondered what it meant as you repeated the words on your own tongue. You don’t recall ever acting like someone else. “Who else would I be?”

Wanda couldn't help but chuckle at your innocence and how cute you were, “Some people try to change for others. They change their personalities, their opinions, and sometimes even their looks just to fit in with other people.”

“Oh. so, wike, pwetending?”

"Exactly! You are capable of so much more than you realize, my little one. Have faith in yourself."

You thought over her words as the show continued to play in front of you on the TV. You were so close to being on board with it, but you couldn’t get over the possibility of being stuck there without a way out. The way Wanda spoke so highly of you, gave you the confidence you needed to believe you could make friends, but what if everything really did go horribly wrong, would you be stuck there all day? 

“Mama?” you continued the conversation after a few minutes of watching tv had passed. 

“Hmm?”

“I want to go to da sciewence schoowl, but what if I need you when I der?”

Wanda thought about this for a moment, You're far too young to have a cell phone, but a communication line wouldn’t be such a bad thing for you. It could help calm your anxiety and in her line of work, anything could happen so it would make things safer. 

“Well, if there is something really important, you can tell your teacher and she can get ahold of me,” Wanda explained. You didn’t seem too satisfied with that answer though as you gave a somber acknowledgment. What if you weren't able to get the teacher's attention, or the teacher just plain refused, the plan just didn't seem very solid. 

Wanda could see that you weren’t content with her solution, “Or I can show you a trick,” she offered. 

Your face perked up, immediately intrigued, your little hands clutching a stuffed toy tightly, gazed up at Wanda with wide-eyed wonder, “a trick?” you asked

“Close your eyes, my little one,” Wanda explained and you did as she instructed, “now, take a deep breath. Imagine a warm light surrounding us, enveloping us like a soft, protective blanket. or a big fluffy cloud”

As you sat with your eyes closed, a serene smile graced Wanda's face. She concentrated, allowing her own powers to flow through her, and extended her thoughts toward you. With a gentle touch of her mind, she created a bridge between your thoughts, a telepathic connection unique to you.

"Now, detka," Wanda whispered, "I want you to think of something you want to tell me, but without saying it out loud. Just focus on the feeling and the words in your mind."

Your brows furrowed and your face scrunched in concentration, your little face reflecting the effort of trying to convey your thoughts through this newfound connection. Wanda could feel your tiny mind reaching out tentatively, like a fragile thread stretching between the two of you.

With each passing moment, the connection grew stronger, and soon your eyes fluttered open, revealing a mixture of surprise and delight. "Mama, can you hear me?" your innocent voice echoed softly between your minds, blending with the quiet hum of the room.

Wanda's heart swelled with joy as she nodded, her eyes shimmering with pride. "Yes, dorogoy, I can hear you!" she exclaimed, "Our thoughts are connected now, and no matter where we are, we can talk to each other like this. Whenever you need me, I will be there for you,” she explained.

In that magical moment, your minds intertwined, You two shared a connection that transcended words. With telepathy, you could communicate your deepest thoughts, dreams, and feelings, strengthening the unbreakable bond between mother and child. Perhaps most importantly to you though, you were able to reach Wanda without the confines of distance. 

As you sat there, immersed in your newfound ability, Wanda couldn't help but marvel at the wonder of it all. She knew that this telepathic connection would serve as a source of comfort and reassurance for you, a constant reminder that you were always connected, even when physically apart.

With that, you were content with the decision to attend the science camp. Not only that, but you were excited again. Instead of focusing on the parts that worried you, you were able to shift your focus onto all the exciting things you were bound to learn and discover. Your mind ran wild with outrageous theories, like discovering fossils or trying to figure out the speed of a flamingo by simply racing beside it. 

The first day of camp approached rather quickly. In the days leading up, you would often use your new ability to have silent conversations with Wanda. Sometimes you would do it to practice and make sure that you still could when you needed to, and other times you did it to express feelings and emotions that you had trouble translating into words. 

Wanda and Nat were both there to drop you off on your first day, you were less nervous than they expected you to be which they were grateful for. Now that you were able to contact Wanda you felt safe in exploring new experiences alone, and maybe that's because you never felt alone, because she would always be there for you if you needed. 

The camp was divided into different age groups. The majority of the kids were 4th and 5th graders, but there was a small group of children your age. Wanda and Nat were grateful that you would have enough children to socialize with but not so many that it would seem overwhelming. Hopefully, with the smaller group, it would be easier to make friends. 

In fact, you didn't even get to the classroom before you made your first friend, “Hi, I’m Matthew, what's your name?” you turned to the voice that spoke behind you, “Hi! I’m Y/N” you greeted. “Y/N! Dat’s a cool name! You wike space too? I wove space!” he mentioned as he noticed your shirt that showed a playful astronaut floating in space, holding a slice of pizza in one hand and giving a thumbs-up with the other reading Pizza Planet Explorer, “Wanna be fwreinds?” he asked. 

You were caught off guard by how quickly he spoke and became distracted, but of course, you wanted to make friends and you already had something in common, “Yes, we can be fwreinds, I love space too. My favowite planet is Saturn” you enthusiastically replied. 

“I wike Jupiter da most cuz it’s da biggest,” Matthew responded. 

The two of you sat next to each other throughout the demonstrations and even shared a table at lunch. Wanda had packed you a container of yogurt, sliced strawberries and baby carrots, and some Mini turkey and cheese roll-ups which were basically just a turkey sandwich rolled into bite-sized pieces for easy eating. At the bottom of your lunch box, there was a note that read, 

My Dearest Y/N,

I hope you're having a wonderful day at school! I am so incredibly proud of you. Remember, my little superhero, you have the power to do anything you set your mind to. Each day, you're growing stronger, smarter, and more amazing. I can't wait to hear all about your day when you come home. Keep shining bright, my sunshine.

With all my love,

Mama

You couldn’t help but smile as you attempted to read the note, you still weren’t really able to read but you were able to pick out keywords like love, smarter, amazing, and superhero, so you got the vibe and felt comforted by it, which is all Wanda had hoped for.

 “What’s dat?” Matthew asked as he saw you set the note down next to your baby carrots. “Oh, my mama wrote me a note” you explained. 

“Oh wow, she must really love you,” he stated as he wondered why he never received any notes with his meal. 

“Yea, she does,” you said with a gleaming smile. 

You managed to survive the entire day without contacting Wanda at all. She hoped it was a good sign as she and Nat headed to pick you up. They were made sure to be there 5 minutes before pick-up so that you wouldn’t have to wait, knowing you’d be excited to see them and tell them all about how it went. 

As soon as the door opened for dismissal, you immediately found Wanda’s green eyes and ran full speed with your arms stretched out reaching for a hug. She enveloped tightly you as she lifted you off the ground for a long embrace. The two were happy to see that your face was filled with nothing but joy. 

Wanda continued to carry you as the three of you headed toward the car. Wanda ducked into the driver's seat after getting you settled into your car-seat and Nat took the seat next to you in the back so that she could hear all about your day. 

“Sooo, how was it? Tell us all about it!” Nat insisted. 

“Was so fun! We learned bout uhm- OH! JUPITER HAS A RAINSTORM! And Mafwew said dat if we went to space, der wouldn’t be any noise.” 

“Matthew?” Wanda asked as she caught glimpses of you speaking through her rear view mirror. 

“Yea mama! My new fwiend! He wikes space tew!” you excitedly announced. You went on to tell them all about the things that you learned and how much fun you had with Matthew. Tomorrow couldn't come quick enough. 

“Did they give you any homework?” Nat asked once you had finished. 

“Oh yea, is in my bag” you answered as you showed Nat where it was in your bag. She read over the instructions and mentioned that you could do it right when you got home. The assignment wasn’t anything too difficult, but it sure was time-consuming. 

The project was about energy and showing how much we consume every day. The worksheet was laid out so that all you had to fill in were blocks of color. You were given a piece to plug into your outlets and once you had the item mentioned plugged in, it would show an amount. Then you had to fill in the bubble that corresponded with the range on your outlet. 

Nat and Wanda both helped you through this but you soon became bored and no longer wanted to do it. It was so repetitive and your toys were sitting right there just waiting to be played with. Eventually you got through it without making too much of a fuss and you could finally get on with what you wanted to do, except that didn't last long because before you knew it, Wanda was telling you it was bathtime. 

“But mama, I just stawrted pwlayin” you said somberly. 

Wanda wanted to give you more time to play but it was already getting late and you had to be up early tomorrow, “I know, I’m sorry baby, but it’s late and you need a bath before camp tomorrow.” Without a fight, you reluctantly followed hoping that tomorrow would be better. 

When you arrived home from camp the next day, the same dreaded question was asked, “Do you have any homework today?” You remembered how long and grueling your homework was last night, and instead of showing them the papers that your teacher gave you, today, you simply shook your head. Of course, Nat, the trained super spy, noticed the hesitation in your response as the gears turned in your brain and saw right through you. Deciding that she would look in your bag herself once you all arrive at the compound.

You immediately ran to the common room to play with your toys. Natasha, in the kitchen with Wanda, investigated your bag as Wanda cleaned your lunch box. “No homework huh?” Nat muttered as she held up your papers for Wanda to see. They shared a knowing look as Nat mentioned she would talk to you while Wanda finished cleaning out your lunch. 

Natasha entered the common room, a concerned expression on her face, holding your backpack in her hand. She had a feeling something was off when you claimed there was no homework. She sat down next to you, as you played with your toys.

"Hey, sweetheart," Natasha said gently, placing the bag on the coffee table. "I happened to find something interesting in your backpack. Do you want to explain why you said you didn't have any homework?"

Your eyes widened, realizing you had been caught in your little white lie. You fidgeted with your toys, avoiding Natasha's gaze. "I... I didn't want to do it. It- it takes SOO long, and den I don’t get to play." you admitted. 

Natasha reached out and gently turned your face towards her, meeting your eyes. "Sweetheart, I understand that homework can sometimes feel dull, but it's important to be honest with us. We're here to help and support you, but we need to know what's going on."

Wanda entered the room once your bag was all cleaned. Sensing the tension, she knelt down beside Natasha and spoke in a reassuring tone. "Y/N, we want you to succeed in everything you do. And that includes being honest, even when it's hard. We're a family, and families trust and support each other."

A family. 

Natasha noticed the term and felt elated that she was included in the phrase. The three of you were a family. It didn’t matter whether Wanda and Nat were best friends, or something more than that; the three of you were family. You felt their endless love, even if they hadn’t figured out that part of that love lay within each other. 

Your lower lip quivered, realizing the weight of your actions. "I'm sorry, Natty. I didn't mean to lie."

Natasha's expression softened, and she pulled you into a comforting hug. "It's okay, sweetheart. We all make mistakes, and the important thing is to learn from them. Let's work on being honest with each other, alright?"

Wanda joined the hug, enveloping you both in her warm embrace. "We love you, Y/N, no matter what. And we're here to help you with your homework too. It doesn't have to be boring. We can find fun and creative ways to learn together."

You sniffled, feeling a mix of relief and remorse. They were right. Lying wasn't the solution, and you knew deep down that they were always there to support her. You nodded, determined to make things right.

“It can be fun?” you wondered how they planned to turn such a mundane task into something, fun.

“We can turn it into a special challenge!" Nat chimed in

You looked up, curious about the proposal. "A challenge?"

Wanda chimed back in, joining the conversation. "That's right, sweetheart! We'll create a reward system for each task you complete. Once you finish your homework, we can all have a movie night or make your favorite dessert together."

Your eyes lit up with excitement. "Really? We can have a movie night?"

Natasha nodded. "Absolutely! But first, we need to get those homework assignments done. Let's break it down into smaller tasks, so it feels less overwhelming. We'll be right here with you, cheering you on."

Wanda took your hand and sat beside you at the table. Nat and Wanda each took turns reading different questions out for you. 

With their gentle encouragement and the promise of a fun reward, you felt motivated. They both stayed by your side, offering guidance and praise as you worked through each task. They made the process enjoyable by adding some playful moments and even turning math problems into little games.

As you completed each question, you couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. With every finished task, you grew more confident and proud of yourself. By the time you completed your last assignment, you practically beamed with joy. Almost as if homework was just as fun as playtime with your toys. 

Natasha and Wanda gathered around you, excitedly applauding your efforts. "Great job, Y/N! You did it!" Natasha exclaimed.

Wanda hugged you tightly. "We're so proud of you, sweetheart."

You grinned, feeling a sense of pride and happiness wash over you. With your two favorite people by your side, even homework could turn into an adventure filled with love and support; and as promised, you all enjoyed a delightful movie night, celebrating your achievements. You had shocked both Wanda and Nat with your choice of movie for the night, Planet 51, purely because it was something other than Frozen. 

For the rest of the week, Natasha and Wanda made it a point to create a positive and engaging homework routine for you. They turned studying into a fun activity, incorporating games, rewards, and plenty of encouragement. You learned that honesty and open communication were far more rewarding than any short-lived escape from homework.

Together, you tackled assignments, explored new concepts, and celebrated each milestone. You discovered that learning could be an exciting journey, especially when shared with your favorite people.

//

A few days later, the aroma of a freshly cooked meal wafted through the air of the kitchen, tempting your taste buds and filling the room with mouthwatering scents as you sat patiently at the table. Once Wanda had begun serving up plates of food, you noticed that the meal was something that you had no interest in eating. Your once adventurous appetite had transformed into a discerning palate, making mealtime a challenge for your loving guardians, Natasha and Wanda. 

"Come on, Y/N," Natasha coaxed, her voice gentle but firm. "You need to eat your vegetables. They'll make you strong like a superhero."

Your bottom lip jutted out, and you crossed her arms, proclaiming, "I don't like vegables, Natty!"

Wanda, with her patient demeanor, joined in, her voice filled with warmth. "But sweetheart, vegetables have magical powers! They can give you energy to run fast like-" Wanda abruptly cut her sentence short at the sudden realization that you had never met her brother. Pietro never had the chance to become an uncle before his life was tragically taken from her, him. She struggled to come up with a new comparison, as her mind was scrambling to revive her sentence. Nat immediately picked up on Wanda’s distress and quickly put a reassuring hand on Wanda’s shoulder as she took over, “They can make you strong like Mr. Bucky and Peter,” Nat concluded. 

The presence of Nat’s hand on her shoulder quelled Wanda’s mind from running in circles trying to backpedal as she focused on the way it felt to have Nat soothingly move her hand from her shoulder to her back in a messy circular motion, subconsciously leaning into her ever so slightly.

You glanced skeptically at the colorful array of vegetables on your plate. "Really?"

Natasha nodded, a playful sparkle in her eyes. "Absolutely! And if you eat your vegetables, you might even develop some superpowers of your own."

You carried the skepticism into your look back to Nat, “I alweady hab powers!” You said as you called her out. 

Nat’s eyes widened ever so slightly as she remembered that little detail but you didn’t catch the slight crack in her resolve. She was so used to treating you like a kid, like a normal kid, that she began to suppress the fact that you are in fact enhanced yourself, “New ones,” she responded as she covered up her slight oversight.

Wanda smiled as she watched the interaction, her voice filled with excitement. "Perhaps you'll develop the power to talk to animals or create beautiful flowers with just a wave of your hand."

Your imagination ignited, and you tentatively reached for a small piece of broccoli, eyeing it with newfound intrigue. Hesitantly taking a bite, to your surprise, a burst of flavor danced on your tongue.

"Yummy!," You exclaimed, a hint of both shock and amazement in your voice.

Natasha and Wanda exchanged triumphant glances, their plan unfolding successfully. They knew that sometimes a dash of imagination and a sprinkle of superhero magic were all it took to conquer a picky eater's heart.

Encouraged by your enthusiasm, Natasha and Wanda continued to weave tales of vegetable-powered adventures, turning each bite into a step closer to unlocking extraordinary powers. With every vegetable conquered, your confidence grew, and soon the plate was empty—a victorious battle won against the picky eater dilemma.

As you savored the last bite, you looked up at Natasha and Wanda, a bright smile lighting up your face. "I did it! I ate all my vegebles, just wike a real superhero!"

Natasha and Wanda shared a proud glance, their hearts brimming with joy. Together, they celebrated the triumph of a small victory, knowing that love, creativity, and a touch of superhero magic had transformed a picky eater into a courageous little hero.

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