#WILL I MAKE IT... I AM DETERMINED...!!!!!!!

[permanentlyexhaustedpigeon88]

this. this. yes, it's the state of fandom and fanfiction in general, now. there's no real way of telling whether or not it will change. but my gosh is it ever disheartening, and honestly terribly sad to see that this is the way it will continue to go, if things remain the same as they are, right now.

now, before anyone comes at me with them, I've heard the myriad of reasons why a person might choose not to comment or leave kudos. they're shy. they forget. they don't want to leave a "footprint" on this wild little place known as the internet. they fear retaliation and hostility from authors who misinterpret comments left in good faith, and any number of other reasons, as well. and I want to make it abundantly clear that this is by no means an attempt on my part to dismiss or invalidate those reasons. at the end of the day, if someone doesn't want to interact with a given work, they won't, and as much as that may sadden me, I fully respect it as their choice. a comment that comes organically, because someone feels moved to leave it is far better than one that is forced or pressured in any way, and that is a hill I will die on.

that said, though, we will continue to lose people who are willing to share their works with us, if this trend continues. it's just a fact. while I make no attempt to speak for all of us, there are so, so many people I know that write for themselves, sure, but they share their work in the hopes that at least one (1) other person out there will be moved by what they've created. they share in the hopes that said other person will maybe want to interact with them because of it. whether the interaction leads to an unexpected friendship and mutual discussion of fic plots and characters and new releases of our favorite series, or not, the hope for it is there. the heartbreak is there, too, when we, as creators, post something we're particularly proud of, and receive nothing but silence in response. it's there when we try to make sure we present a face that is receptive to feedback and interaction. when we encourage comments, and ask questions of our readers, and yet still...silence. sure, if we're passionate about what we're creating, and/or the themes/ideas we're trying to convey, we can push on. we should push on, because I, for one, am so beyond tired of a world that tries to stifle people, and drown their voices out because they don't "fit the mold" of normal that is determined by some nameless, faceless majority. but to continue doing so, and to continue to receive silence in response? to be called 'entitled' by some readers, because we dare to ask for something...anything...other than crickets, and the sensation that we're shouting into the void?

it's really no wonder that some may choose to move on to other things.

while I've never experienced what OP's friend has with Discord, I can only imagine that such a situation only makes what I've already mentioned above so much more discouraging. it must make those it has happened to wonder what on earth is the point? if everyone is too busy sharing their reactions in their isolated little groups without ever deigning to let the creator know their feelings, or just mass-consuming it and moving on to the next thing ten seconds later, as if the first thing that caught their attention never even existed, why are we even bothering to do this at all? again, I do not speak for everyone, but I daresay the majority of us are not trying to be the next big name author. we're not trying to 'make it big' at all. this is a hobby, that we do for free, in our (mostly) limited free time, and anymore, we largely receive absolutely nothing in return. we pour pieces of ourselves out there into the world, completely free of charge. we make ourselves vulnerable in ways that are often ugly. real. to many, silence in the face of that vulnerability is exactly the same as the dismissiveness and invalidation we've already received when we're that 'real' anywhere else in our lives. it drives home the thought that our voices do not matter, and thus we should not bother speaking. and no, society and our readers at large are not responsible for our vulnerability and our emotions and our traumas that we sometimes place upon our characters as a means of processing them. but even if we aren't opening ourselves up to our readers, if it's genuinely all in "good fun", we can't legally monetize it, interaction is our form of 'earnings' from this, and by and large that sort of thing is rare, and has been for quite a while. and sure. people can read and abandon fics at will, with or without leaving some trace of their presence along the way. that is well within their right. but I have also seen these same individuals go on to harrass the creators of works that have been abandoned or deleted for doing so, despite never once trying to show any form of appreciation at all. and then they have the nerve to call us entitled for wanting that appreciation in the first place.

the fact that the "social media-ification" of fanfiction (it is not Instagram, no matter how so many may treat it as such) and the quite honestly despicable behavior from a loud minority of touchy authors who have now effectively ruined commenting for so many of the rest of us has made fanfiction what it is today is just...heartbreaking. it really, really is. and while I personally plan to stick around and do my best to fight the demons in my mind that tell me no interaction means that no one cares about my stories so I should just stop writing them, not everyone will. we're all incredibly foolish if we believe otherwise, and honestly, as awful as I feel saying it "out loud"?

if fandom culture doesn't see a change soon, and more and more talented authors continue dropping like flies?

we'll deserve it.

tl;dr? creators are not robots, people. we aren't content-mills, put on this earth specifically to serve the bidding of consumers, on their timeline, and not our own. but what do I know, right?

I'm just a so-called "entitled" author who thinks interaction with our work, no matter how small, shouldn't be a thing that we have to try to pull from behind stubbornly gritted teeth.

A writer friend told me something that broke my heart a little bit today; they're going to quit publishing their fanfic.

My instant thought was that they had been trolled or attacked or that something terrible had happened in their life because this person is so passionate about their writing. It wasn't any of that. Engagement with their works has been going down, as it has for many of us. Comments are like gold dust a lot of the time, and just looking through the historical comment counts on old fics on ao3 demonstrates this trend very clearly. It was not simply the comments dropping off which caused them to decide to stop posting, however.

My friend came across a discord server for their fandom (I should point out here that their fandom interest and mine diverged a couple of years ago, we stay in touch but don't currently read each other's posts because I'm not into their fandom and they would rather gouge their eyes out with a wooden spoon than read anything Star Wars) and specifically to share fic in that fandom. They joined, because we all love a good fic rec, only to discover that their latest multichapter fic, which has almost no comments and very few kudos, is being hotly discussed in this server as one of the best stories ever. Not one of these people has bothered to say this to them on the fic. When they asked, none of participants could see the point in telling the author of the fic they apparently loved so much that they love it.

This discovery has absolutely destroyed my friend's love of sharing fic. They share because they love seeing other people's enjoyment, and fic writers do that through comments and kudos/reblogs/likes because we don't get paid. There is no literary critic writing a blog post/article about how amazing the story is for us to copy and keep/frame. There is no money from royalties. All we have are the words of the people reading our works.

Those people on that server could have taken five minutes of the time they spent gushing about how amazing my friend's story was to other people and used it to tell the one person guaranteed to want to hear that praise how much they loved it. They could have taken a moment to express their opinion to the person who spent hours upon hours plotting, writing, editing, and posting those chapters. Instead, they deprived my friend of thing that keeps them sharing their writing, and in the process have killed their love of it. My friend now feels used and unmotivated.

I won't be sharing a link to their fic, they said I could share their experience but not their identity. I know they plan to post one final chapter. I know they intend to express their hurt at being excluded from the praise for the thing they created, and I know they intend to announce that as a consequence they will not be posting for a long while, if at all.

So please, I beg you, don't hide your love of a story from the writer. It's just about the only thing we have.

[boyfhee]

ㅤㅤㅤㅤCAT & MOUSE ，yjw

𝗘𝗣 𝗢𝟭 ❛ 𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝗅𝗈𝗈𝗄 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗂 𝗀𝗈 𝗂𝗇𝗌𝖺𝗇𝖾, 𝗂 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗄 𝗂 𝗇𝖾𝖾𝖽 𝗒𝗈𝗎.　❜

𝗦𝗧★𝗥ㅤㅤ’ ㅤ 𝑓𝘪𝘭𝘮────flirty neighbour jungwon x fem readerㅤㅤ❀ㅤㅤteasing, skinship, reader is described as someone shortㅤ 2O4Oㅤ REQUESTED

jungwon has been waiting.

with squinted eyes and frequent sighs, clock ticking on the wall and yet, he checks the one on his wrist every minute. his patience runs thin with every tick of the second hand that is in synchrony with the tap of his foot.

a minute passes. then another.

he gives up.

“you should get down and let me do that,” there’s an edge to his voice, one laced with irritation.

“i can do it—” and you speak of determination as you reach out for the bulb on your ceiling, only to miss it by a brush of your fingers. “—shit,”

it’s all out of spite.

you’re not half interested in talking to your very hot neighbour and asking him to change the fused bulb. it simply slipped out of your lips and jungwon, being the lovely guy next door he is, waltzed inside your apartment as if it belonged to him.

the light is barely within your reach and his eyes are going back and forth between you and the stool, afraid you might fall. “your stubbornness is going to land you in a hospital,”

you shoot him a glare from your periphery. “i said, i can do it!”

worse, he shouldn’t have undermined your ability to change light bulbs, despite your height, or rather the lack of it— as he says it— because now you’re set on doing it yourself.

you’re not that short, never felt it until jungwon moved in next door with his habit of patting your head every time you pass by, until he started leaning down to hear you talk knowing well he isn’t much taller than you.

it’s all his fault.

“get down. i’ll—”

“if you keep your mouth shut, i might actually be able to focus,” you cut him off sharply, barely balancing yourself on your tippy toes over the wobbly stool that’s supported by his hands.

just a little bit more.

and you aim to reach higher, extending every single muscle in your limbs if it’s even mortally possible. almost there, and then like a wisp of air, his arm wraps over your legs, the other holding your waist securely, bringing you down to the floor as if you weigh nothing.

“i almost did it, idiot!”

he scoffs at your whines, the huff in your cheeks and at the way your brows furrow in annoyance. “yeah, i’ve been seeing that for the last thirty minutes,”

the proximity between you two doesn’t even cross your mind until his arm tightens around your waist and he effortlessly moves you to the side in one swift motion.

he pushes you down gently against the nearest chair, taking a good few seconds to look at your pretty face. “you look mad,”

and it’s like he is stating the obvious. “i am mad. i would have done it on my own if you hadn’t interrupted,”

he huffs at your insistence, half annoyed half admiration. there’s that bark in your words even when you’re sitting with his hands on the arm rest, caging you in between. “give it up, shorty,”

you squint your eyes. “shut up,”

“make me,” he bends closer, head hanging dangerously low for your sanity and his too, in fact. you look attractive when you’re mad. “make me shut up,”

you want to wipe that shit eating grin off his face, to strip him off that facade and make him feel out of place just the way he does to you. your eyes move down to his lips that are slightly parted, almost invitingly.

it would be crazy to kiss him. you can do it— you shouldn’t, but then you gulp, gravitating towards him on your own, slow, hesitant, with a tilt in your head.

“oops!” and he backs off with a laugh, hands up in the air almost mockingly. he stands up on the stool to fix the light, acting ever so smug and insufferable. “duty calls,”

although, you don’t miss the way his ears turn red.

[asiatic-apple]

hallo!

Smut # 14 - Caleb - Fem! Reader cus college AU caleb lives rent free in my college self

Thank you for the request! This is my first time writing with non-MC!reader in mind bc she’s implied to be studying the same thing as caleb and is presumably in the same class as him. I hope that’s alright with you!

Private lessons

Caleb x female reader (non-MC)

Words: 1.5k

Prompt: library sex for those dark academia vibes

Content: y’all are trespassing loll but it’s not serious, public sex but no one is around to see it, possessiveness, blink-and-you-miss-it competency kink for caleb, use of “baby” as a pet name, also “my smart girl” and “good girl”, creampie

You’re not even supposed to be here. Technically, the campus library closed over an hour ago. But Caleb knows how to disable the magnetic lock on the side entrance with a flick of his wrist and a muttered ‘they really need better security’.

You’d only meant to study for the upcoming exam. Instead, you’re straddling him in the farthest corner of the engineering section, surrounded by old textbooks and barely lit by a dim red hue from the emergency exit signs.

“You were the one who said no distractions tonight,” you whisper, breath catching as he shifts beneath you. “What happened to focus?”

He smirks against your neck. “I am focused.”

His hands roam up under your shirt, callused fingertips trailing over the curve of your spine like he’s tracing the aircraft schematics from your textbooks. You shiver, more from anticipation than the chill as he hikes your shirt farther up your torso.

“It’s your fault,” he murmurs, lips brushing your skin. “You kept leaning over the table like that. Kept looking at me like you wanted to be taught a different lesson.”

You gasp as he ruts up against you, his erection thick and insistent beneath his pants. Your body jolts, accidentally bumping into the desk behind you and spilling the stack of thermodynamics printouts he’d tossed aside earlier. It’s a reminder of what you came here for in the first place.

“We’re supposed to be reviewing launch vectors,” you whine, even as you rock against him. Your mind screams that you should continue studying, lest you fail this stupid exam and have to take this class all over again. But your body could give less of a shit about the exam.

“I’m calculating a new trajectory,” Caleb replies, almost smug.

You breathe a soft laugh that turns to a moan as he cups your pussy through your shorts. His thumb rubs over the growing wet patch you leave behind, and you choke on a gasp. The sound makes him infinitely more impatient. He wastes no time shoving his hand beneath your pants and panties, running two thick fingers through your slick.

His touch is purposeful, the way he is with everything: steady, assured, thorough. Caleb is the kind of student professors love. All innocent smiles and endless charm while he uses his intelligence to impress them. But he’s also the kind of man who knows exactly how to pull a whimper from your throat without even trying—and carefully cataloging every time you shudder beneath him.

“You’re soaked,” he groans, more awestruck than teasing.

“And you’re still fully dressed,” you bite back.

That seems to spur him into action.

Caleb’s other arm tightens around your body, lifting you with him as he stands abruptly. His chair scrapes loudly against the floor before he plops you down on the messy table. There are so many books, papers, pens, and notebooks scattered around you.

But in one fluid, determined motion, he reaches behind you—with the hand not still buried in your pants—to sweep his arm across the table. Everything crashes to the floor in a messy avalanche, and the abruptness of it makes your pussy ache with even more arousal.

You barely have time to gasp before his fingers dip inside you, wanting a quick feel of how you clench around him so eagerly.

“Caleb–” you start to say, glancing at the mess of all your textbooks and notetaking supplies.

“I’ll clean it up later,” he mutters, not even sparing a glance at the chaos on the floor. His eyes are only on you.

Everything happens so quickly. His fingers slip out of your greedy cunt all too fast, but he immediately tugs your pants down your legs in the promise of filling you with something much better. Once you’re finally bared to him, he looms closer, slotting his wide body between your thighs.

His chest heaves, like he’s torn between savoring this and devouring you like you’ll disappear if he hesitates for even a second.

It seems he decides on the latter for tonight.

Caleb hurriedly unzips his pants, only pulling the waistband down enough to free his cock, and you salivate at the familiar sight of him. You want to touch, want to taste…But he shakes his head when you reach out for him. He taps your thighs, wordlessly asking you to spread them wider so he can nudge the head of his cock against your dripping entrance.

And when you tilt your hips and whimper for him, he doesn’t make you wait any longer. He pushes into you with one slow drag, stretching you open until your hands are scrabbling behind you for something—anything—to hold on to.

You’ll never get used to this feeling. The way he fills you perfectly, like your body was created to be wrapped snugly around his.

“Shit,” he groans, hands bracing the table on either side of your thighs. “That’s it, baby…take me deeper. Fuck—you can do it. Such a good study buddy for me, yeah?” His lips twitch with a smile, but through his teasing, he still manages to press a gentle kiss to your tensed jaw.

You clutch at the edge of the table for balance as he starts to thrust, his pace initially slow and controlled despite how frenzied he seemed before. Your whole body is shaking from the effort of staying quiet. Every time he slides in just right, you sob his name a bit louder. And it just spurs him on, makes him fuck you harder, determined to pull more moans from your lips.

The thrill of the risk, the setting, the way you’re surrounded by knowledge while your brain turns to mush—it all makes it even harder not to cry out. It feels wrong to be so loud in a library that’s usually only filled with hushed whispers. But no one is here to witness your debauchery. Only Caleb hears the downright pornographic sounds you’re making. And he seems to be enjoying every second.

That smug glint in his eyes makes something within you bubble to the surface—something annoyed and frustrated that he can work you up this easily. “You better hope I don’t fail the exam tomorrow,” you growl as you claw at his shirt and run your fingers up his abs. 

“You won’t,” he says a bit too confidently. “I’ve studied with you the whole semester. I’ve taught you everything you need to know.”

His words are both possessive and full of awe in your abilities. And his thumb rubs gentle circles along your clit as he says the last part—as if he’s implying he taught you more than just the drag and thrust involved in aerodynamics.

He’s your proud mentor. And you’ll never need a different tutor while he’s around, he’s made sure of that.

“You’ll ace the test,” he coos, “because you’re my smart girl, aren’t you?”

Your cheeks burn, and you hide your face in Caleb’s neck as he pounds you even harder now. You're so achingly close to coming with the way he touches your clit, but he stops for a second to pull your face back and grip your chin just tight enough to keep your dazed eyes on him.

“Say it, baby,” he demands breathlessly, words hitching with each deep thrust of his hips. “Say you're gonna ace the test.”

You barely know what you're promising as it spills out, fueled entirely by your need to come. “Yes, I'll ace it—ah—I promise!”

You clench around him, and he shudders, forehead dropping to your shoulder and pressing lazy kisses between thrusts. “Good girl,” he pants. You can feel his stupidly sexy smile against your neck, and it only turns you on more. “Come for me, baby. Let me feel you.”

Barely a breath later and you’re unraveling beneath him, your whole body convulsing with the force of your climax. Caleb bites back a curse, grinding into you as you clench around him and milk his cock for every drop of cum spilling inside in slow, pulsing waves.

When he eventually pulls out, you gasp at the mess it makes on the table beneath you. You know you should be embarrassed by what the two of you did here, but you’re still too blissed out to care too much.

For a long moment, the only sound in the empty library is the echo of your combined heavy breathing and the distant hum of the building’s power systems.

You’re still catching your breath when Caleb litters soft kisses along your cheeks and the corner of your grinning lips. “So…still want to quiz me on launch vectors?”

You snort, slapping his chest in playful annoyance. “Only if you plan on using it to get us out of trouble when campus security finds us.”

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dividers by me (please do not repost)

[velvetvisionsaurora]

Alpha ATEEZ x Assistant Omega Reader

Warnings: omega reader, alpha ateez, scenting, heats, ruts, slow burn, eventual smut, forced command, more to come!

When Y/n accepts a position as assistant to alpha K-pop group ATEEZ, she's prepared with professional skills and scent blockers to hide her omega status. What she's not prepared for is the immediate, inexplicable connection she feels with all eight members—a resonance that defies her careful boundaries.

As Y/n becomes eerily attuned to their needs, her suppressed omega nature begins to emerge: purring for the first time in years, responding to alpha growls, feeling safe in ways she never has before. When a protective incident reveals the depth of the members' attachment to her, Y/n must confront the possibility that what binds them together is something ancient and profound.

<<Previous Next>>

Masterlist Ko-Fi☕️

Chapter 21: Pack Cardio

The moment Yeosang's door closed upstairs, the living room fell into an awkward silence broken only by the sound of Wooyoung dramatically throwing himself back onto the couch.

"Well," he announced to the ceiling, "that escalated quickly."

"Wooyoung," Seonghwa warned from the kitchen doorway, though his own nostrils were flaring slightly as the combined scents of aroused omega and claiming alpha began to drift through the house.

"What? I'm just saying! One minute they're having a nice literary afternoon, the next minute our quiet little Yeosang is going full possessive alpha and dragging our mate upstairs like—"

"Like what?" San asked, appearing from the direction of the stairs looking slightly dazed. His enhanced alpha hearing had clearly picked up more than he bargained for.

"Like a romance novel hero!" Wooyoung finished dramatically. "I'm so proud. Our little bookworm finally grew some claws!"

A muffled sound from upstairs made all four alphas in the living room freeze. Hongjoong, who had been trying to read emails on his phone, closed his eyes and took a deliberately slow breath.

"This is fine," he muttered to himself. "This is completely normal. Mates. In our house. Being... mated."

"Is anyone else finding it very hard to concentrate right now?" Jongho asked quietly, his voice strained as he gripped the arm of his chair.

"The scent," Yunho said from where he'd appeared in the doorway, his eyes slightly unfocused. "It's... intense."

Wooyoung sat up suddenly, sniffing the air with exaggerated movements. "Oh my GOD, you're right. It's like... happiness and jasmine and— satisfied omega."

"Wooyoung!" Seonghwa hissed, though his own control was clearly being tested as he unconsciously moved closer to the stairs.

"I'm just appreciating the experience!" Wooyoung defended. "This is educational! Scientific! I'm learning about pack dynamics!"

Another sound from upstairs—definitely your voice this time—made Mingi appear from the kitchen looking like he'd been punched. "I'm going for a run," he announced abruptly.

"Good idea," Hongjoong said immediately. "Long run. Very long run."

"I'll come with you," San added quickly, already heading for the door.

"Make that four," Yunho called, following them. "Y/n is becoming incredibly valuable to our cardio."

Wooyoung watched four of his packmates flee the house before turning to the remaining alphas with theatrical despair. "Am I the only one with any self-control here? Any emotional maturity? Any—OH HOLY MOLY THAT WAS LOUD."

He promptly buried his face in a couch cushion.

"That's it," Seonghwa announced, his composed facade finally cracking. "I'm going to meditate. Very intensely. With noise-canceling headphones."

"Can I join your meditation session?" Jongho asked hopefully.

"Absolutely not. Find your own coping mechanism."

As Seonghwa stalked toward his room, Jongho looked around the now mostly empty living room before grabbing the TV remote with grim determination.

"Action movies," he muttered to himself. "Very loud action movies. With explosions."

Wooyoung lifted his head from the cushion long enough to give him a thumbs up. "Good strategy. I'm going to lie here and contemplate the cruel irony of being surrounded by my mate's happiness while being unable to participate."

"You could go for a run too," Jongho suggested, turning the volume up considerably.

"And miss this?" Wooyoung gestured wildly toward the ceiling. "The mating habits of bookish alphas in their natural environment!"

"You're insane."

"I'm INVESTED in their relationship success!" Wooyoung declared, then immediately dove back into the cushions as another particularly clear sound drifted down. "But maybe also a little dead inside."

The opening explosions of Jongho's action movie filled the air, providing blessed auditory cover for whatever was happening upstairs. Both remaining alphas settled in for what was clearly going to be a very long evening of aggressive distraction techniques.

"Next time," Wooyoung said conversationally, his voice muffled by the cushion, "I'm investing in better soundproofing. For my mental health."

"Next time," Jongho replied, eyes fixed determinedly on the screen, "we're installing a separate wing for private time."

"With industrial-grade ventilation systems."

"And really, really loud ceiling fans."

Another explosion from the TV masked whatever response they might have heard from upstairs, and both alphas silently agreed that action movies would be their new favorite genre.

*****

Yeosang held you against his chest as the aftershocks faded, his hands gently smoothing over your bare back, breath syncing with yours as your heartbeat slowed. He brushed damp hair from your forehead and pressed a kiss there, lingering.

"Are you alright?" he whispered, voice worry-soft but full of awe, his thumb tracing slow, grounding circles along your spine.

"Mmm. Never better," you murmured, nuzzling into his shoulder, boneless and utterly safe. You could feel the smile against your hair as Yeosang wrapped both arms around you, cocooning you in warmth and careful strength.

He stayed quiet for a long moment, simply holding you close, his scent mingled with yours in the cool darkness. Then, softer still: "You're incredible. You know that, right?"

You managed a sleepy smile. "Only because you see me that way."

He let out a quiet laugh, so affectionate it warmed you from the inside out. "No—because that's exactly what you are. I… I've never felt this close to anyone."

You looked up, caught his gaze, and felt your heart stutter at the vulnerability there. "Me neither. I like… being yours, Yeosang."

His breath caught, the words hitting him somewhere deep. He answered with another gentle kiss, tender and slow, before tucking you back beneath the covers. "Rest, angel. I've got you."

You yawned, drifting as his fingers stroked lazy shapes along your skin. "Stay?"

"Always," he promised. And he did, until your eyelids fluttered shut, your breathing deep and soft, finally lulled to sleep in his arms.

Yeosang lay there a little longer, just listening to your quiet breaths, his hand protectively spanning your waist.

After a while, he slipped from the bed, dressing quietly. He hesitated in the soft light, smiling over your sleeping form—so peaceful, so wholly his. Then, padding softly down the hallway, he made his way to the kitchen, mind still humming with the memory of your touch, your scent, and the words you'd let him claim.

---

The living room was still glowing with the blue light of Jongho's action movie when Yeosang descended the stairs, though the volume had been mercifully lowered. Wooyoung was sprawled across one end of the couch, no longer hiding behind cushions but instead lounging with the satisfied air of someone who had thoroughly enjoyed the evening's entertainment. Jongho sat rigidly upright in his chair, determinedly focused on the screen where explosions continued to light up the night.

Both alphas' heads turned immediately when Yeosang appeared, their enhanced senses picking up the combined scents that clung to him—satisfaction, contentment, and the unmistakable proof of a thoroughly claimed omega.

Wooyoung's face immediately split into the most delighted grin Yeosang had ever seen.

"Well, well, well," Wooyoung practically purred, sitting up with theatrical slowness. "Look who's finally emerged from his literary den of passion."

Yeosang paused halfway to the kitchen, color rising to his cheeks as he realized there was no hiding what had transpired upstairs. "Wooyoung—"

"Oh no, don't 'Wooyoung' me," he interrupted with a dramatic wave of his hand. "I am LIVING for this character development. Quiet, bookish Yeosang discovers his inner alpha and claims his mate with such enthusiasm that half our pack fled the premises in terror."

Jongho made a strangled sound that might have been a laugh or a cry for help, his face turning steadily redder as he kept his eyes glued to the TV screen.

"You should be proud!" Wooyoung continued, hopping up from the couch to follow Yeosang into the kitchen. "I mean, the passion! The intensity! The way you just growled at me and dragged her upstairs like some kind of—"

"Please stop talking," Jongho called from the living room, his voice slightly higher than usual.

"Like some kind of romance novel alpha!" Wooyoung finished triumphantly, completely ignoring Jongho's plea. "I'm getting secondhand satisfaction just from witnessing your happiness. It's beautiful. Inspiring."

Yeosang had reached the refrigerator and was pulling out a bottle of water with hands that were definitely not shaking. "I just came down for water."

"Water," Wooyoung repeated with obvious amusement. "Yes, hydration is very important after such... vigorous literary discussions."

"Oh my god," came Jongho's mortified voice from the other room.

"What? I'm being supportive!" Wooyoung called back before turning his attention back to Yeosang, who was drinking water with the focused concentration of someone trying very hard to ignore the conversation happening around him.

"So," Wooyoung continued conversationally, hopping up to sit on the kitchen counter, "on a scale of one to ten, how completely ruined are you for anyone else? Because honestly, the scent of satisfied omega has been driving us all absolutely feral, and I'm just wondering if we should prepare for more emergency runs in the future."

Yeosang nearly choked on his water. "Wooyoung!"

"I'm asking the important questions! For pack management purposes! Seonghwa would want to know these things for schedule planning!"

Before Yeosang could formulate a response to that particular brand of logic, the front door opened and four very windswept alphas stumbled inside, clearly having run much further and harder than any sane person would on a casual evening jog.

Mingi collapsed against the door frame, Hongjoong on the couch, breathing hard. San bent over with his hands on his knees, while Yunho leaned against the wall looking like he'd just finished a marathon.

"Did we run enough?" Yunho panted. "Please tell me we ran enough."

Wooyoung leaned around the kitchen doorway to survey the returning runners with obvious delight. "Judging by the fact that you all look like you've been fleeing a natural disaster, I'd say you ran the appropriate amount."

"Is it safe?" San asked between breaths. "Are they... done?"

"Our darling Yeosang just came down for water," Wooyoung reported cheerfully. "Looking thoroughly satisfied and glowing with post-coital bliss. So yes, I'd say the immediate crisis has passed."

Hongjoong, who had maintained his composure better than the other three runners, straightened and fixed Wooyoung with a look. "Where's Y/n?"

"Sleeping peacefully upstairs," Yeosang answered quietly, his voice carrying a note of possessive satisfaction that made all the alphas in the room shift uncomfortably. "In my bed."

"Right," Hongjoong said, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "Okay. We need to... we need to figure something out. Because if every individual bonding session is going to affect the pack this intensely, we're all going to lose our minds."

"Agreed," Seonghwa's voice came from the stairs as he descended, looking like he'd just emerged from the most stressful meditation session of his life. "I could hear everything even with noise-canceling headphones."

"See?" Wooyoung said, gesturing broadly. "This is what I mean about the soundproofing. It's a real issue."

"It's not just the sound," Mingi said, finally catching his breath enough to speak properly. "It's the scent. The... energy. It's like the house itself was vibrating with satisfaction."

"Very poetic," Wooyoung observed.

Hongjoong looked around at his pack—exhausted from running, frazzled from failed meditation, and generally looking like they'd all been through some kind of ordeal—and made a decision.

"This can't continue," he said firmly. "We need a better solution than half the pack fleeing the house every time two of us are intimate."

"Actually," Wooyoung said, suddenly sitting up straighter with an expression that suggested he'd just had a revelation, "I have an idea."

"Oh no," Jongho muttered from the living room.

"No, hear me out," Wooyoung continued, hopping down from the counter with renewed energy. "The problem isn't that they're being intimate. The problem is that we're not bonded enough to handle it properly."

"What do you mean?" Seonghwa asked, though his tone suggested he suspected where this was going.

"I mean," Wooyoung said, spreading his arms as if the solution was obvious, "we complete the bond. All of us. Full mating claim."

The silence that followed was deafening.

"Think about it," Wooyoung continued, apparently taking their stunned silence as encouragement. "Right now, we're all partially bonded but not claimed. So when two people are intimate, the rest of us feel left out, possessive, confused. But if we all have an equal claim, if we're all fully mated, then instead of feeling excluded, we'd feel... included. Like their happiness is our happiness."

"That's..." Yunho started, then stopped, clearly working through the logic.

"That's actually not completely insane," Hongjoong finished, sounding surprised.

"See?" Wooyoung beamed. "I have my moments of brilliance. We just need to make it official. Full pack bond, complete mating claim. Then instead of running away when two of us are together, we can all just bask in the collective satisfaction like a proper pack."

"You're suggesting we all mate with her," San said slowly, as if making sure he understood correctly.

"I'm suggesting we formalize what's already happening," Wooyoung corrected. "We're already her mates. The bonds are already there. We just need to make it official so our alphas stop freaking out every time someone else gets lucky."

Yeosang, who had been quietly listening to this entire exchange while leaning against the kitchen counter, finally spoke up. "She'd have to agree to it."

"Well, obviously," Wooyoung said with a dismissive wave. "We're not cavemen. But considering how happy she looked being thoroughly claimed by you tonight, I'm thinking she might be amenable to the idea."

"This is a huge decision," Hongjoong said seriously. "A full pack mating bond is... permanent. Life-changing. We can't just spring it on her because we're having trouble with jealousy."

"True," Wooyoung agreed. "But we also can't keep pretending this is a temporary arrangement. She's not going anywhere, we're not going anywhere, and our alphas are only going to get more possessive as time goes on. Better to deal with it properly now than wait until someone actually loses their mind."

The logic was sound, even if it was coming from Wooyoung in his typical dramatic fashion. Around the room, you could see the others processing the idea, weighing the implications.

"It would solve the territorial issues," Yunho said thoughtfully.

"And the scent confusion," Mingi added.

"Plus," Wooyoung said with a grin, "think of how happy she'd be. Eight alphas all officially, completely devoted to her happiness and satisfaction. What omega wouldn't want that?"

"We'd need to discuss it with her properly," Seonghwa said, his practical mind already working through the logistics. "Make sure she understands what it means, what we're offering."

"And that she wants it," Hongjoong added firmly. "This only works if everyone is completely willing."

"Oh, she wants it," Wooyoung said with complete confidence. "Trust me. I have excellent instincts about these things."

"Your instincts once told you that putting pineapple on pizza was a good idea," Jongho called from the living room.

"That was completely different!" Wooyoung protested. "And pineapple pizza is delicious! Don't change the subject!"

Despite the teasing, the idea was taking root. You could see it in their faces—the possibility of finally formalizing what they all felt, of creating a bond that would make sense of the complex emotions and territorial instincts they'd been struggling with.

"So," Hongjoong said slowly, "we talk to her. All of us. Make sure she understands what we're offering and what it would mean."

"And if she says yes?" San asked.

Hongjoong looked around at his pack—exhausted, confused, but unified in their love for you and their desire to build something lasting together.

"If she says yes," he said finally, "then we give her everything. Complete devotion, full claim, the kind of bond that legends are made of."

"Perfect," Wooyoung said with satisfaction. "Operation Claim Our Omega is officially a go."

"We are not calling it that," Seonghwa said immediately.

"Operation Formalize Our Feelings?"

"No."

"The Great Mating Initiative?"

"Absolutely not."

"Fine," Wooyoung sighed dramatically. "But when this works and we're all blissfully happy and properly bonded, I want full credit for the brilliant idea."

"You'll get credit," Hongjoong assured him with a small smile. "Assuming she says yes."

"She'll say yes," Wooyoung said with complete confidence. "Trust me. I know our omega. She wants this just as much as we do."

Looking around the room at seven alphas who were all nodding in agreement, Yeosang couldn't help but think that Wooyoung might actually be right for once. The bond was already there—they just needed to make it official.

And judging by the way you'd responded to him tonight, the way you'd surrendered so completely to being claimed and cherished, he had a feeling you'd be more than ready to take that final step with all of them.

"Tomorrow," Hongjoong decided. "We talk to her tomorrow."

"Tomorrow," the others agreed, and for the first time all evening, the house felt peaceful again—filled with anticipation rather than frustration, hope rather than confusion.

Tomorrow, they'd offer you everything. And hopefully, you'd say yes.

——

After the pack meeting concluded, Yeosang had quietly made his way back upstairs, his heart full of anticipation for what tomorrow might bring. The house had finally settled into peaceful quiet, the earlier chaos replaced by hopeful planning and shared understanding.

He slipped back into his room to find you exactly as he'd left you—curled up in his bed, breathing softly, looking utterly content in the cocoon of his sheets that now smelled like both of you. The sight made something warm and possessive unfurl in his chest.

Carefully, so as not to wake you, Yeosang undressed and slid back under the covers, immediately pulling you against his chest. You stirred slightly, a soft sound of contentment escaping your lips as you instinctively nestled closer to his warmth.

"Yeosang?" you murmured sleepily, not quite awake but sensing his presence.

"I'm here," he whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to your hair. "Go back to sleep, angel."

You hummed in response, your arm sliding around his waist as you settled back into deep sleep. Yeosang lay there for a long time, just holding you, his mind drifting between memories of the evening and anticipation of the conversation they'd have with you tomorrow. Eventually, lulled by your steady breathing and the rightness of having you in his arms, he drifted off to sleep.

---

You woke slowly, consciousness returning gradually as you became aware of the warm body pressed against your back, the strong arm wrapped securely around your waist, and the familiar scent of bergamot and books that could only belong to Yeosang. A smile tugged at your lips as memories of the previous evening came flooding back—the bookstore, the ride home, the way he'd claimed you so thoroughly that you'd fallen asleep still trembling with satisfaction.

You were just beginning to stretch languidly in his arms when you became aware of another presence in the room. Opening your eyes fully, you found yourself staring directly into Wooyoung's bright, mischievous face. He was lying on his side on top of the covers, his head propped up on his hand, watching you with obvious delight.

The moment your eyes focused on him, his face split into the most ridiculous grin and he gave you a slow, exaggerated eyebrow wiggle that was so absurdly theatrical you couldn't help but burst into giggles.

"Good morning, Tulip," Wooyoung said cheerfully, his voice pitched just loud enough to wake the alpha behind you. "Sleep well? Dream of anything... educational?"

Behind you, Yeosang's arm tightened protectively around your waist as he was pulled from sleep by your laughter and Wooyoung's voice. A low groan rumbled from his chest as he realized what was happening.

"Wooyoung," Yeosang's voice was rough with sleep and exasperation, "what are you doing in my bed?"

"Technically, I'm on top of your bed, not in it," Wooyoung replied with mock seriousness. "Very important distinction. I'm respecting boundaries while also being adorably intrusive."

"How long have you been watching us sleep?" you asked, still giggling at his antics while trying to pull the sheet higher to maintain some modesty.

"Oh, only about ten minutes," Wooyoung said with a dismissive wave. "And I wasn't watching you sleep, I was waiting for you to wake up. Much less creepy."

"It's literally the same thing," Yeosang pointed out, though his tone had shifted from exasperation to fond amusement as your continued giggles made it impossible to stay truly annoyed.

"Semantics," Wooyoung dismissed airily. "The point is, I bring news! Important pack business! Time-sensitive information!"

"What time is it?" Yeosang asked, reaching blindly for his phone on the nightstand.

"Time for a pack meeting!" Wooyoung announced before Yeosang could find his phone. "Everyone's gathering downstairs to discuss very important matters that definitely cannot wait for you two to finish your post-coital cuddle session."

"Post-coital?" you repeated with a laugh, your cheeks flushing at his blunt terminology.

"Very fancy words for someone who couldn't spell 'sophisticated' last week," Yeosang observed dryly.

"Hey! I've been expanding my vocabulary!" Wooyoung protested. "Seonghwa gave me a word-a-day calendar. Very educational. Yesterday's word was 'perspicacious.'"

"Do you know what it means?" you asked with amusement.

"Having keen insight," Wooyoung replied promptly, then grinned. "And perspicaciously speaking, I can tell that you two had a very good time last night based on the way you're both glowing and the fact that your scents are so mixed together I can't tell where one ends and the other begins."

Yeosang made a sound that was half groan, half laugh. "You're impossible."

"Impossibly charming," Wooyoung corrected. "Now come on, pack meeting time! Everyone's waiting!"

"Can't the pack meeting wait until we're dressed?" you asked reasonably.

Wooyoung's grin turned absolutely wicked. "Clothing optional, actually. Very progressive of us, don't you think?"

"Absolutely not," Yeosang said immediately, his arm tightening around you possessively. "You can wait downstairs while we get dressed."

"But I'm comfortable here," Wooyoung whined, making himself more comfortable on the bed. "Besides, after last night's audio-visual experience, I think we're all past the point of being shy around each other."

"Audio-visual experience?" you squeaked, your face turning an even deeper shade of red.

"Oh yes," Wooyoung said with obvious delight. "The whole house got a very thorough education in the mating habits of of you two. Very informative. Jongho nearly had a heart attack."

"Oh my god," you groaned, burying your face in your hands.

"Don't be embarrassed!" Wooyoung said quickly, his tone shifting to something more genuinely reassuring. "It was beautiful! Inspiring! The scent of happy omega had us all practically floating on clouds of secondhand satisfaction!"

"That's not helping," Yeosang pointed out, though he was rubbing soothing circles on your back.

"I'm being supportive about your romantic success!"

"You're being a menace," Yeosang corrected, but his tone was fond. "Now get out so we can get dressed for this pack meeting."

"Fine, fine," Wooyoung sighed dramatically, rolling off the bed with exaggerated reluctance. "But first..."

Before either you or Yeosang could react, Wooyoung was leaning over you, his hand gently cupping your face as he pressed his lips to yours. What started as what you expected to be a playful peck transformed into something deeper, more intense. His mouth moved against yours with surprising tenderness, passionate yet reverent, as if he was pouring all of his affection for you into the contact.

Your head spun from the sudden shift, the unexpected intimacy making your heart race and your omega purr with delight. Without conscious thought, your hand reached up to fist in his shirt, trying to pull him closer, your omega instincts suddenly demanding more contact, more connection with this alpha who was kissing you like you were something precious.

"Wooyoung," you breathed against his lips, your voice carrying a note of need that made both alphas in the room go very still.

Wooyoung pulled back slowly, his eyes dark with desire but also filled with such tender affection it made your chest tight. "Good morning, beautiful," he whispered, his thumb stroking across your cheek before he straightened up.

Behind you, Yeosang's arm had tightened possessively around your waist, though his expression showed more understanding than jealousy as he watched the exchange.

"Now that," Wooyoung said with a satisfied grin, though his voice was slightly rougher than usual, "was a proper good morning. Much better than my eyebrow wiggle, don't you think?"

You could only stare at him, still slightly dazed from the kiss and the way your omega had responded so immediately to his touch.

"You're definitely a menace," Yeosang said, but there was warmth in his voice as he pressed a gentle kiss to your shoulder, grounding you.

"But I'm your menace," Wooyoung replied cheerfully, heading for the door. "Now seriously, get dressed. Important pack business waits for no one, not even thoroughly satisfied mates who've just been properly kissed."

He paused at the threshold to look back with a grin that was somehow both mischievous and genuinely happy.

"For what it's worth," he said, his voice losing some of its theatrical edge, "you two look really happy together. It's nice seeing our quiet alpha finally getting properly appreciated."

The genuine warmth in his words made your heart flutter, and you saw Yeosang's expression soften considerably.

"Thank you, Wooyoung," you said sincerely.

"Don't mention it. Now seriously, get dressed. Hongjoong's already on his second cup of coffee, which means he's reached maximum leader patience levels."

With that warning, Wooyoung disappeared down the hallway, his cheerful humming fading as he made his way back downstairs.

"He's absolutely insane," Yeosang said with a mixture of exasperation and affection.

"But he's our insane," you replied, turning in his arms to face him properly. "And he's right—we should probably get downstairs before Hongjoong reaches his limit."

"Probably," Yeosang agreed, though he made no move to let you go. Instead, he leaned down to press a soft kiss to your lips. "Good morning, by the way."

"Good morning," you replied with a smile that was pure contentment. "Last night was..."

"Perfect," he finished for you, his own smile soft and satisfied. "Absolutely perfect."

"Now come on," you said, reluctantly pulling away from his warmth. "Let's go see what this mysterious pack meeting is about."

As you both began the process of finding clothes and making yourselves presentable, you couldn't help but wonder what could be so important that it required an immediate pack meeting. But judging by Wooyoung's excitement and the way he'd talked about "important pack business," you had a feeling it was going to be something significant.

"Ready?" Yeosang asked, holding out his hand once you were both dressed.

"Ready," you confirmed, taking his hand and letting him lead you toward whatever awaited you downstairs.

Though judging by the butterflies in your stomach and the anticipation in Yeosang's eyes, you suspected your life was about to change in a very big way.

Next>>

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[mermazeablaze]

01: Do you have a good relationship with your parents?

My mom is a diagnosed narcissist with bipolar & is suspected of having schizophrenia by health professionals, but won't let them diagnose that one. She physically, mentally, verbally & psychologically abused me as far back as I can remember. She is a raging bigot. We went no contact in Dec 2024.

My dad & I are mostly estranged with rare contact. He was a drug addict (over 5yrs recovered) most of my life & hardly ever around. But is there when I need him.

02: Who did you last say “I love you” to?

My husband, wife, daughters & I say it all the time.

03: Do you regret anything?

Everybody has regrets.

04: Are you insecure?

This question is a bit broad. I have anxieties, not sure about insecurities.

05: What is your relationship status?

V-shaped poly marriage. I am the point of the 'v'. My husband & wife hinge off of me. My wife & husband are just friends. My wife is a nonbinary ace bisexual lesbian. My husband is cis heteroflexible. I am gender fluid pan. We all live together.

06: How do you want to die?

I don't. I actually have extreme anxiety to the point of anxiety & panic attacks about it. Funnily enough, I am a professional paranormal investigator, multiclair & psychopomp.

07: What did you last eat?

Gullon butterfly cookies with blackberry preserves.

08: Played any sports?

Tennis, volleyball, flag football, kickball & t-ball.

09: Do you bite your nails?

No.

10: When was your last physical fight?

I can't remember.

11: Do you like someone?

My spouses.

12: Have you ever stayed up 48 hours?

Yes, almost 4 days during a sleepover contest. The runner up made it to 48. Caffeine was involved & pure determination - I am competitive.

13: Do you hate anyone at the moment?

Ha, that's a loaded question. Most of it revolving around political powers that be .

14: Do you miss someone?

Several people.

15: Have any pets?

Four dogs - Fox (Male, Yorkie & Wire Hair Mix), Ori (Female, Beagle & Pointer Mix), Astrid (Female, Greyhound & Bully Mix) & Gremlin (Shiffon)

16: How exactly are you feeling at the moment?

Meh.

17: Ever made out in the bathroom?

I've done waaaaay more than that! 😈

18: Are you scared of spiders?

Anything bigger than a quarter.

19: Would you go back in time if you were given the chance?

No, it would imply I regret my family (spouses & children) & the events that shaped them into who they are.

20: Where was the last place you snogged someone?

My husband & I are still very affectionate after nearly two decades together.

21: What are your plans for this weekend?

Currently, a movie marathon & becoming one with the sofa.

22: Do you want to have kids? How many?

I have three daughters - 13/15/17yrs old

23: Do you have piercings? How many?

Currently, only my ears. But have had my lips, tongue, nose, eyebrows, nipples, bellybutton, hips & clit pierced. I also have several tattoos.

24: What is/are/were your best subject(s)?

I am a high school dropout, but straight A college student. I am getting my Bachelor of Arts in Native American Studies.

25: Do you miss anyone from your past?

Of course.

26: What are you craving right now?

Chinese buffet particularly coconut shrimp in the cream sauce.

27: Have you ever broken someone’s heart?

Yes, I was a serial dater before settling down.

28: Have you ever been cheated on?

Yes.

29: Have you made a boyfriend/girlfriend cry?

Yes.

30: What’s irritating you right now?

Being poor in a fascist regime.

31: Does somebody love you?

Multiple people.

32: What is your favourite color?

I love colors in general. It's hard for me to dislike colors especially when I know complementary colors can make others palatable.

33: Do you have trust issues?

Yes.

34: Who/what was your last dream about?

I have a lot of liminal & shadow work dreams.

35: Who was the last person you cried in front of?

My wife, I had a legit mental breakdown at my last job a couple of years ago & she had to take me to an emergency therapy appointment. Where I proceeded to sob uncontrollably. I hate crying even in front of loved ones.

36: Do you give out second chances too easily?

I used to, but now I am jaded & overly critical of new acquaintances even if I really like them. But I don't make it their problem.

37: Is it easier to forgive or forget?

Depends on the situation.

38: Is this year the best year of your life?

It is a very transformatory one, but not the best.

39: How old were you when you had your first kiss?

I was 12.

40: Have you ever walked outside completely naked?

I am not prude & a bit of an exhibitionist.

51: Favourite food?

Most Asian, Mediterranean, South American, Mexican, African, Southern & Soul Food cuisines.

52: Do you believe everything happens for a reason?

Yes, but I don't believe in predestination or pre ordination.

53: What is the last thing you did before you went to bed last night?

Unless I am sweltering, I have to take my hair down. I have pavloved myself into - hair up (awake) & hair down (bed time).

54: Is cheating ever okay?

No. I believe in ethical monogamy & non-monogamy.

55: Are you mean?

I am a very direct person & refuse to be a doormat, that doesn't make me mean.

56: How many people have you fist fought?

Too many to count, but haven't fought anyone in over 15yrs.

57: Do you believe in true love?

Obviously.

58: Favourite weather?

Stormy weather especially if I have a skylight, a solarium is even better.

59: Do you like the snow?

I like the idea of snow.

60: Do you wanna get married?

I am legally married to my husband of nearly 20yrs & have known my wife just as long, but we've been an item almost 6yrs since she moved in.

61: Is it cute when a boy/girl calls you baby?

I prefer babe. I reserve baby for my children.

62: What makes you happy?

Living my life with my loved ones.

63: Would you change your name?

I used to want to, but have grown to accept my name.

64: Would it be hard to kiss the last person you kissed?

I would hope not.

65: Your best friend of the opposite sex likes you, what do you do?

Consent is sexy & there's lots you can do with it.

66: Do you have a friend of the opposite sex who you can act your complete self around?

A few.

67: Who was the last person of the opposite sex you talked to?

My husband.

68: Who’s the last person you had a deep conversation with?

I regularly have deep conversations with every member of my household & the people who live in my phone.

69: Do you believe in soulmates?

I don't believe in predestination or pre ordination, so no. I believe in synchronicities & have strong bonds with my spouses because of them.

70: Is there anyone you would die for?

My spouses & children.

70 horrible questions ... Fuck it

01: Do you have a good relationship with your parents? 02: Who did you last say “I love you” to? 03: Do you regret anything? 04: Are you insecure? 05: What is your relationship status? 06: How do you want to die? 07: What did you last eat? 08: Played any sports? 09: Do you bite your nails? 10: When was your last physical fight? 11: Do you like someone? 12: Have you ever stayed up 48 hours? 13: Do you hate anyone at the moment? 14: Do you miss someone? 15: Have any pets? 16: How exactly are you feeling at the moment? 17: Ever made out in the bathroom? 18: Are you scared of spiders? 19: Would you go back in time if you were given the chance? 20: Where was the last place you snogged someone? 21: What are your plans for this weekend? 22: Do you want to have kids? How many? 23: Do you have piercings? How many? 24: What is/are/were your best subject(s)? 25: Do you miss anyone from your past? 26: What are you craving right now? 27: Have you ever broken someone’s heart? 28: Have you ever been cheated on? 29: Have you made a boyfriend/girlfriend cry? 30: What’s irritating you right now? 31: Does somebody love you? 32: What is your favourite color? 33: Do you have trust issues? 34: Who/what was your last dream about? 35: Who was the last person you cried in front of? 36: Do you give out second chances too easily? 37: Is it easier to forgive or forget? 38: Is this year the best year of your life? 39: How old were you when you had your first kiss? 40: Have you ever walked outside completely naked? 51: Favourite food? 52: Do you believe everything happens for a reason? 53: What is the last thing you did before you went to bed last night? 54: Is cheating ever okay? 55: Are you mean? 56: How many people have you fist fought? 57: Do you believe in true love? 58: Favourite weather? 59: Do you like the snow? 60: Do you wanna get married? 61: Is it cute when a boy/girl calls you baby? 62: What makes you happy? 63: Would you change your name? 64: Would it be hard to kiss the last person you kissed? 65: Your best friend of the opposite sex likes you, what do you do? 66: Do you have a friend of the opposite sex who you can act your complete self around? 67: Who was the last person of the opposite sex you talked to? 68: Who’s the last person you had a deep conversation with? 69: Do you believe in soulmates? 70: Is there anyone you would die for?

[beabatoru]

10 things I hate about you 𝜗ৎ hockey player! gojo x reader

pt. 1/2

pairing ⊹ ࣪ ˖ college au - hockey player! gojo x reader

summary : getting accepted into one of the ivy league universities was supposed to be you getting the best education you could get, not the centerpiece of a bet created by none other than the hockey team, the players challenge satoru that he can't make you fall for him in 10 days in which he allows his pride take over to go out of his way to take on the bet thinking it would be easy. what he didn't expect was to fall for you instead, but after you find out his ulterior motives, your trust in him shatters and so does his heart. now with the truth out, he is now more determined than ever to get you back, but this time, he isn't playing games.

warning / tags ⟢ fluff, angst, brief smut, college au, this fic is based on the film '10 things I hate about you', partial angst with readers father regarding sickness, reader is low income.

w.c : 10k

a / n . this is a reupload from my old blog ! and yes this fic was inspired by '10 things I hate about you'

transferring from a community college to one of the top 10 universities was a huge step for you. you weren't even sure how you did it. but those two years of attending your local community college that wasn't even ten minutes away from your house paid off. one that made you feel ashamed in going since it felt like a detour from your actual goals.

growing up, you promised your family members that they'd see you majoring in the best schools and in becoming something they would be proud of to call a daughter. thats why you studied so hard in grade school, getting the best grades not allowing them to go below an 85%. but after your mother left shortly after your father got diagnosed with cancer. your dreams had to take a backseat to allow you to become the backbone of your family that consisted of you, your father, and your two younger brothers.

money came in short with your minimum paying job and it just wasn't enough to pay off any college funds. your brother who just turned sixteen always helped you out with groceries and bills now that your father retired from his job, after you forced him to, making sure he was taken care of at all times. hospital bills were also pricey, sometimes your insurance wouldn't cover all the costs and they had to be paid directly from your personal money.

so after applying to yale and actually receiving an acceptance letter in the mail a week after had you trembling in both excitement and fear. you were happy you could finally get the education you've been longing for, but on the other hand you wouldn't want to leave all the responsibility to your brother. he disagreed and encouraged your dreams instead when you sat him down to talk.

"y/n you've always been wanting to go to university. im sixteen now, im not the ten year old you know anymore, I am more than willing to take care after dad and matt."

you let out a sigh as you averted your gaze back down to the letter in your hands. the bold lettering called out your name and you tried to resist. but you couldn't.

"anything happens, you call me immediately." you firmly ordered. the pink haired boy chuckled, the corner of his lips lifted up as well as the corners of his eyes wrinkled before nodding. "got it."

thats how you found yourself packing the last bit of your shirts. no matter how hard you tried to, you just couldn't help the bit of tears that spilled from your eyes. you paused, letting out a shaky breath before feeling a pair of arms wrap around your waist. you looked down to see the soft face of your brother, Matt.

"sissy dont cry. me papa and yuji will be okay!" he promised.

you knelt down to wrap your arms around him as well, holding onto the warmth you were going to leave behind in a few hours. then, another pair wrapped around you both, a much stronger set of arms, then another, your fathers, who was weaker than before but still full of love. before you knew it, your whole family was cuddling together in the comfort of your own room.

no words were exchanged for a few minutes.

"ill miss those blueberry pancakes you make" your father whispered, making everyone giggle. you raised your head up, propping it on top of matt.

"ill leave the recipe for you guys."

your father placed a small delicate peck on your forehead.

airports were your least favorite method of transportation. you couldn't handle hearing the incoherent voice in the speakers call out the plane that was about to board in twenty minutes, or the panicked looks on peoples faces when they realize they booked the wrong flight, or the people just in general, so many people. the whole process was messy and annoying.

your family walked you to where the escalators headed up to your gate. with a sigh, you turned to face them watching as they held back tears. "ill miss you guys." a beat passed. then another. and you found yourself in another family hug.

it was still weird with the missing pair of warm arms that belonged to your mother. but looking back, maybe they weren't warm at all. they were always cold and empty whenever you hugged her. you reminded yourself that she left willingly. you quickly pushed those negative thoughts behind, not wanting to think about her when you had the next best four years of your life right ahead of you.

"call me if you need anything." you said with your voice more steady.

your father nodded before everyone let go at the sound of the speakers calling out your gate number. with one final look and a last goodbye, you stood on the escalators holding back tears of your own.

if the process of checking into the airport wasn't annoying enough, the next five hours boarding the plane itself would be. the man snoring next to you couldn't be any louder, the baby crying behind you wouldn't shut up, and the women gossiping in front of you was the only source of entertainment you could get.

but it all came to this. yale. the beautiful sight of the university's campus. you took it all in, seeing how students walked in with luggages or boxes of their own with the assistance of their parents or friends.

the sun casted a glow on the building itself making it appear straight out of a movie. you stood there for a moment, continuing to take it all in before your main character moment was interrupted by someone bumping into you.

he had white hair that resembled snow itself. he stumbled a bit before regaining his balance. the boys behind him that you figured were his friends laughed at the sight.

"oh uh sorry." he quickly apologized, glancing your way smiling like he meant the entire opposite of his apology before playfully nudging his friend as they continued making their way into the building. you blinked, continuing to watch as he disappeared. he was oddly.. beautiful.

after picking up a few papers form the directory, you followed the directions on the map to where the dormitories were located. you found out that you would be sharing your dorm with a roommate, you didn't mind as you saw this as an opportunity to make your very first friend.

and you were right because the second you twisted the door knob, not fully getting to turn it around before it swung open on its own, introducing a rather tall girl with the prettiest aesthetic and the sweetest smile plastered on her face that comforted you in ways you didn't know you needed.

"hi! I'm miwa!" the girl said in which you returned her greeting with your name. she moved to the side allowing you to step in. you took in the large room. it looks like she already has claimed her part of the room on the left side. band and show posters plastered all over her walls neatly with stuffed animals lying peacefully on her bed. it reminded you fondly of matt recalling how he has millions of plushies on his bed.

"need some help with that?" she pointed at your suitcases. you hesitated at first not wanting to bother her but it wouldn't hurt, right? "yes please." you chuckled which made her grin.

"great, roommate bonding begins now!"

hours pass by full of cleaning and organizing and chatter between you and the blue haired girl. you found out that she's been here for the past two years and you explained to her that you were a transfer. somewhere in between hanging fairy lights and folding blankets, she let it slip that she's crushing on a boy that is on the hockey team.

"didn't know they had a hockey team here." you said as you placed the last piece of clothing in the closet provided by the school. miwa gasped dramatically. "okay now I need to take you out to watch a game sometime!"

she flopped down onto your bed next to you. "its like an essential yale culture."

"deal. i'd like to see how good looking this boy you claim is the most handsome boy in all of yale to exist really is."

"he is!"

the first day of school wasn't until next week, yet you could already feel the nerves setting in as well as the homesickness. you pulled out your phone, dimming the brightness now that miwa was asleep and all the lights were turned off. pressing on yujis contact you sent him a message.

you || 9:04 P.M

everything alright?

yuji || 9:10 P.M

everything's great

you let out a sigh of relief at his words.

the first day was full of chaos, at least for you. you woke up a bit late after your alarm failed to do its job, you lost your map that showed the entire campus, and on top of that you had no idea what to wear.

after brushing your teeth and washing your face, you quickly slipped on a pair of pants and a cute top before rushing out of your dorm all while brushing your hair. you made it on time thankfully, but you surely learned your lesson to set your alarm to full volume.

your classes finally came to an end and you dragged your tired body that was aching from carrying all the syllabus and textbooks in your bag towards your dorm. miwa was already there scrolling through her phone.

"oh hey!," she flinched as she took a closer look at you. "you look rough"

you placed your bag down on the floor before flopping on your bed. "I am rough" you said with a grumble. she moved from her bed towards yours. "hey lighten up, tomorrow will be better. its the second day of school and the first hockey game"

"already?"

"yeah. since its the same previous team as last year versus some other school. coach said he wanted to kick off this season early for some reason. im not complaining, I get to see kokichi!"

"oh right your man" you teased which made her chubby pale cheeks turn a light pink shade before she bolted towards her closet pulling out two tops. "okay so which one says 'hey cute hockey player over there! wanna go out with me?'"

you burst out laughing before pointing at the one on the right hand. "that one, definitely that one."

you were never the type of person to enjoy sports. your brothers and dad enjoyed them though. they always connected both the couches together and gathered a bunch of blankets and snacks whenever a big game came up. now you are here witnessing one happen right in front of you, not on a screen.

you pulled out your phone to snap a picture to send to the family group chat. one you created after you had to delete the previous one with your mother in it. you angled the phone carefully, snapping a picture of the players already spread out ready to kick off the game.

you stared at your screen for a second before sending the message to the group chat. the second you sent it, the announcer's voice came to the speakers and the crowd erupted.

"there he is!" miwa squealed as she pointed at the dark haired boy, kokichi. he was rather attractive and you could see why she liked him. they definitely would make a cute couple. he was walking with a friend who had white hair. your eyes squinted as you looked a bit closer.

it was the same boy who bumped into you a week ago. his white locks were messy and he had a grin plastered over his face. it seemed that he was popular with the girls because they went wild at the sight of him.

you were interrupted from your thoughts when miwa's elbow made contact with your shoulder. "look, he waved at me!"

your eyes traced back to kokichi. "yeah, I saw." but your eyes kept wandering back to the boy with white hair. number ten. you watched as he placed his helmet on and slid across the rink to get into position.

a buzzer sounded across the arena, putting the game to a start and sending the crowd into a loud roar. you sat a bit straighter as you tried to keep track of the hockey puck. all the players were a blur of white and blue as they slid through the ice rink.

number 10 was sharp.

he was focused and quick, weaving through the other players. he stole the puck clean with a swift movement of his stick, gliding towards the opposite teams net. the air was thick with anticipation and it seemed that the entire arena was holding it's breath, and you didn't realize that you were holding yours as well.

then he hit it straight into the back of the cage with a satisfying clank.

applause echoed and so did the screams of the players' name.

satoru.

he rushed to his teammates doing a small celebration before continuing the game. maybe hockey wasn't too bad.

the game ended as soon as the buzzer could be heard, with your school winning. people made their way towards the exit or down to the rink. the hockey cheerleaders, glittering with their tiny ass skirts, made their way to their boyfriends who were players.

but most of them?

they went to satoru, congratulating him like he had just saved the world itself from an apocalypse. his hands reached to take off his gear, forehead dripping with a thin layer of sweat.

"im gonna go talk to kokichi." miwa said as she stood up from the bleacher already feeling the nerves settling down her stomach. you nodded, following her. she wrapped her arms around the boy, a hug in which he returned as well.

"thanks for coming." he said in a low voice placing his lips on hers practically melting the poor girl setting her rosacea on fire. you stood there a bit awkward not realizing that a pair of eyes was placed on your figure.

"hey, is she new?" a player asked his friends, pointing directly at you.

the other boy shrugged. "I guess, never seen her before." he turned to satoru who was busy untying the shoelaces of his skates, whistling at him. "yo satoru! remember when you were whining about not having any other girl to crack?"

satoru's eyebrows furrowed in confusion for a bit before he approached his friend. "yeah, what about it?" the guy grinned, jerking his chin toward the bleachers.

"what about her?"

he could barely see you due to his poor eyesight now that he had taken off his contacts. he saw you with a girl he knew was in a situationship with kokichi, his friend. "who the hell is that?"

"she's new. go after her."

satoru grumbled. "she looks like a total loner." his friend shrugged, untying his long black hair. "you like a challenge though, don't you?" he tossed his stick into his bag. "ten days. thats the bet"

"woah we're making this a bet?" satoru raised his eyebrow. there was a beat of silence, long enough to make him think this through. it's been a while since he's been laid, not wanting to continue the life of being a frat boy and a 'play boy.' he really just wanted to focus on his studies and hockey as well, if he found a girl somewhere throughout that then he'd settle down.

he grabbed his water bottle, taking a sip from it. "ten days." he repeated, mostly to himself. "suguru I don't know-"

"you backing out?" suguru questioned, wanting to stir something.

no matter how much he wanted to resist, he just couldn't because no matter how much he swore that he stopped doing that shit, he missed it just a bit. "fine, ten days."

his jaw was tightened watching as his friend smirked. the group chuckled a bit, like it was just another 'harmless' game. satoru glanced at you.

pretty.

you and miwa made your way to the exit after the little make-out session with her now new boyfriend. she kept squealing about how she couldn't believe she finally got together with him. you were incredibly happy for the both of them.

"he kissed me! like he actually kissed me! I thought I was going to pass out!"

satoru debated, standing still for a moment. you were a step away from leaving, your arm wrapped around your friends, chattering about whatever. part of him wanted to plan this through, something smoother than just..

"fuck it." he mumbled.

his legs moved before his brain ordered them to. "hey-" he called out, jogging a bit to fully reach you. you turned slowly, miwa did too with her eyebrows furrowed. he realized that maybe this wasn't the best option. his lips parted a bit before continuing.

"uh.." he scratched the back of his neck. "you dropped something."

you stared at him in confusion. "no I didn't.." you looked down to confirm that you in fact, didn't drop any item.

"right uhm, that was supposed to be my opening line" he cursed at himself, but it made you chuckle. satoru was dorky, you thought. he had an uneven smile before he looked back at you.

"im satoru"

"I know" you felt like everyone in this damn school knew who he was. "oh im y/n." you quickly introduced yourself after the small pause. for some reason, satoru didn't feel like this was the beginning of a bet he agreed to, but a beginning for something he wasn't ready for.

"go out with me."

miwa snapped her head so fast towards you, you could have sworn you heard a crack. you blinked at satoru, unsure if you heard him right.

"what?"

"go out with me, please." he repeated confident just like the first time. you weren't entirely convinced. "is this a joke?" satoru froze. of course this was a joke. he always played around with random girls so why did it make him feel guilty this time.

"no. I want you, pretty." he smiled softly, showing off his pearly whites that could have any girl soaking her panties in under 10 seconds.

you could feel miwa vibrating next to you, begging you to say yes, or at least something. "I think i'll pass." you mumbled, not unkindly just firm enough to make your point, staring at him for a bit before turning your heel to leave with miwa who now had a disappointed look on her face.

"whyyy?" she whined.

a grunt left satoru's lips. "I can take you out somewhere, anywhere! real nice places sweetheart!"

"like the 7/11 in broadway?" you shot back. he froze before chuckling a genuine laugh, shaking his head. "even better!"

the corner of your lips tugged up a smile as you giggled with miwa at his advances as you both left.

"well look at you missy, pulling mr captain of the hockey team."

"im just that good." you continued to hold your smile, not letting it drop.

and neither did he.

every night at eight, you'd have a video call with your family, just to make sure everything was alright back at home.

"he had an appointment today." yuji said while he was washing the dirty plates, handing them to matt to dry. you used to always put the dishes away back to their original places, but you were no longer there to do your job and that hurt you a bit.

it stung seeing how they had to adapt to live without you and you recalled how you all had to do the same when your mother left. you watched how matt didn't hand it to anyone, he just placed them down.

"and the results?" you asked, your voice quiet and steady but ready for any news you didn't want to hear. not yet.

"not out yet, but im sure nothing has changed since last time he got checked up."

yuji turned off the sink, handing the smaller kid the last dish before drying his hands with a towel. "how's yale treating you? saw the picture you sent."

you hummed looking back at how the day went. "it's going great I guess. our school won the game by the way, oh and a boy wants to take me out."

"you agreed?" yuji has always been the overprotective type, despite you being older.

you answered by shaking your head. "no, he's sketchy."

"how come?" now he was completely alert. a boy is hitting on his sister hundreds of miles away from home? not on his watch. you shrugged.

"he has a whole fangirl club or something."

matts voice could be heard from afar. "he's a red flag!" his words made you chuckle. "you been teaching him new vocabulary?"

yuji rolled his eyes. "its the kids at his school. but seriously, trust your gut. if you don't feel like something is right about that gut, don't take his offer."

you nodded, pressing the sleeve of your sweater up to your nose taking in the scent of old memories. it hasnt been washed since you left home and that nostalgic smell lingered.

one that you desperately wanted to go back to.

satoru could've sworn he left dissecting frogs back in high school, but here he was again, poking around at the laid back amphibians internal organs. "no way am I doing this shit." with a mutter, he placed the tweezers down gagging, shaking his hands in disgust before pulling out his cigarette box, sliding one out placing it in between his pretty pink lips, far too pretty for a man. "smoking in class? you'll set the smoke alarm off." suguru scooted closer to his friend.

"better than doing a bbl on a frog." satoru grumbled, looking away not being able to stare at the gross mess that was right in front of him. "that girl from yesterday.." he narrowed his eyes in thought, trying to remember your name. "y/n" he mumbled after it finally reached him.

"she didn't want to go out with me." he continued. the black haired boy scoffed, not comprehending the words that were coming out of the school's playboy. " you're satoru fucking gojo, this should be easy as hell for you!"

"look man, I dont do this shit anymore."

suguru rolled his eyes, shaking his head as he looked at the frog's corpse. "I'll pay you." satoru grunted bringing the lighter up to his cigarette, huffing it slowly before blowing it towards suguru, in which he looked down at the smoking boy unimpressed.

"I have enough money, I don't need your pocket change."

suguru paused in deep thought. "you're right, heard she's only into pretty guys anyways." satoru brought a hand up to his chest as if he was truly hurt, because he was.

“are you telling me im not a pretty guy?” he took out the cigarette from his mouth, before crushing it down against the table, which left a nasty dent on the cheap laminate. "why do you want me to play with her?"

suguru brought his pierced tongue out to lick his dry lips. "I guess I just miss the old you. seriously satoru, I'll pay you. 300 bucks if you take her out on a date," he scooted closer to his friend. "500 if you get in her panties. and 1000 if you manage to make her your date to hoco."

as if divine intervention occurred, the door creaked open, pausing the chatter between the two boys. there you were. wearing a well put together outfit that just made satoru's hormones run crazy, as you made your way to your desk. the sight of you made gojo straighten his posture suddenly hyper aware of every detail of himself. quickly running a hand through his hair and gulping, his adams apple bobbing.

he turned to look at suguru who was already giving him a pointed look.

"bet."

another thing that you like about yale's campus is that its not too far away from shopping areas. you found a nearby barnes and noble not even a few blocks away from the school. it soon became your go to stop where you would buy books and cd's. you weren't able to fit any of your beloved music or novels when you were packing, so you started a new collection that was placed neatly back at your dorm.

you entered, the bell placed on top of the door notifying any workers of your entrance quickly making your way to the music disc section, straight shelves full of cd's. you're surprised to see many new arrivals.

some were year old music, and some were rare old ones from the 2000's. you reached out to grab a few, a soft smile plastered on your face as you scanned the labels. so deep into it, you didn't notice the bell chiming again.

'debut' by bjork was being held by your hand right now, having an inner battle with yourself whether to be financially responsible for today. you placed the cd back when you remembered that the hospital bill from your fathers last visit would soon come back. and you were not looking forward to seeing the multiple zeros behind whatever number was in front of it.

"excuse me, have you seen any cd of bjork?" the smooth voice behind you asked. "oh yeah-" you answered, turning to look back at the voice.

halfway through your sentence, you took a good look at who was behind you. satoru. "oh, it's you." your eyes narrowed as they focused on him. the boy slid his glasses on the crown of his head. you didn't know he even wore those. satoru seemed to have noticed your observation.

"lost my contacts."

"are you stalking me?" you asked defensively which just made him laugh. his body got closer to yours as he skimmed through the cd's.

"you not getting that bjork one?" he asked tilting his head as his long pale fingers slid the music disc right out of its place. the plastic creaked the second he held it.

"uh its a bit expensive.." the words came out in a mumble, almost embarrassed to admit you couldn't afford a fifty dollar cd. you shifted your weight onto your right leg, looking anywhere but him.

he looked at you before looking down at the case. "guess I'll get it."

you blinked. "didn't know you liked her."

"I dont. but I like you, so I'll get it for you, baby. anything else you want?"

you head snapped towards him, watching how he didn't even let you answer as he placed the bjork case that contained the disc you've been wanting for a while into a shopping basket. you were so shocked you didn't even realize the term of endearment.

"its fifty.." you reminded him.

"be a sweetheart and dont mention the prices, I dont care one bit about it." your eyes dropped to the basket, lips parting to say anything but nothing came out. nothing but a, "can I get the post one..?"

you couldn't find how much one has ever spent at barnes and nobles, but you were pretty sure you may have broken whatever record there was. satoru didn't mind, just like he said.

when the cashier asked how he'd like his receipt he declined it. when he saw the total on the screen in bold green letters, he ignored it. and when he handed you the bags full of books, cd's, and figures, some that you didn't even ask for. he just noticed you staring at them for a little too long and he'd just grab it and place it in the basket, he had a smile plastered right on those pink lips.

"I think I deserve a kiss for all of this.."

its the least you could do, right? besides he didn't tell you where he wanted the kiss. so you stepped up on your tippy toes a bit to place your lips on his cheek.

"thank you. seriously thank you." his smirk softened to a smile, returning the kiss but on your forehead making your breathing stutter.

"any time," he mumbled kissing your nose before backing up. "oh here, give me your phone"

your hand pulls out your phone from your back pocket, handing it to him. "what for?"

"im putting my number in.." his fingers typed quickly, the dumb smirk on his face not leaving, before slipping it back into your hands.

'my sugar daddy'

you visibly cringed at the name he chose. "you've got to be kidding me." you said with pure disbelief. he nodded, proud of his decision. "I did buy you all this didn't I?" he tucked a strand of loose hair behind your ear, leaning down to whisper into it.

"ill send you a picture to set up as my contact photo. perhaps a nude?"

"perhaps not."

miwa's eyes widened when she saw you stumble into the shared dorm with heavy bags on each hand. "woah.. didn't know it was black friday." she half joked, getting up from her bed to help you out. you exhaled in relief when the weight was taken from your poor limp arms. "and I didn't pay a single penny."

she averted her gaze from the bags up to you. "who did pay for them? your sugar daddy?" your face burned at that damn name. "you're not wrong. it was satoru." you held up your phone, opening this contact name you knew would have miwa laughing.

she squinted, looking at it before she burst into giggles.

"hes so extra." you set the bags down on the desk, taking one thing out at a time. miwa wiped the tears that spilled from her eyes. "how'd this happen?"

you dragged a hand down your face, shrugging. "he saw me at the store and offered to buy me whatever. but I swear I didn't ask for all of this."

"he likes you."

you paused for a second. "does he now?"

it was a dumb question. who else would buy a random person they have no interest in hundreds of dollars worth of barnes and noble? no one, except him of course.

you retold the same ridiculous events to yuji, who still wasn't pleased at the idea of you getting hit on not even a month into school. his arms were crossed over his chest as he was lazily sitting on his desk chair, same as you.

"return everything."

you scoffed. "no way! even if I did I wouldn't be able to, he didn't ask for a receipt."

"he shouldn't be buying you shit. didn't you tell me yesterday how your gut was telling you something was off?"you moved from your desk to your bed, sighing as your back hit the mattress. "well maybe I was wrong about him."

satoru felt proud of being able to treat you like a princess, buying you all sorts of things, showering you with everything you wanted. he remembered how you hesitated on buying that cd. it bothered him a bit.

'did she have a problem with money?'

his phone rang with a message from suguru.

'party tonight at the frat, you coming?"

of course he was, he hasn't missed a single function since he joined yale. his fingers typed out, "Omw!" but before he could send it, he stopped, and then deleted it. why was he thinking about you right now?

why is he declining a party?

"im not in the mood tonight."

he stared at the screen for a moment, realizing that he actually sent that. a calloused hand rubbed his cheekbone, exhaling before he received another notification, this time not from any of his friends but from spotify.

'the marias are performing near you! click to see ticket prices and shows available!'

the marias? where had he heard that name.. his mind instantly flashed to you. you were holding the marias disc, the one he bought you along with all the other cd's. it was as if his body was moving without him knowing because a second later, he was buying two tickets.

your first day was an unconfirmed barnes and noble date. but your second day, the concert, would be an actual date.

he clicked the 'pay now' button without hesitation.

you weren't expecting to see a screen showing the digital receipts slip right into your line of sight while you were halfway through placing some textbooks in your locker. the bold blue letters read, 'THE MARIAS'

"hi pretty.. got these for you and me." your eyes widened at the familiar voice. the white haired individual really had a habit of sneaking up behind you didn't he? "you.. you got-" you stammered, blinking at the sight of the tickets, then back at him.

"got these for you and me." he repeated himself, both his voice and gaze softening. not sure to be flattered or continue being suspicious, you slowly reached for his phone, taking it from his pale hand to make sure what you were seeing was real.

not only did he buy you both tickets to a music artist you liked, but he also got the best seats. "you got the marias tickets.." you said mostly to yourself. his smirk was still there, but it showed no sign of being cocky.

"mhm, thought you'd like it."

"satoru.. you already spent so much on me yesterday.." how come a boy you barely knew was dropping a thousand on you each day. "I told you I like you. this can be our first date." he gently grabbed back his phone.

you swallowed, your mind trying to wrap itself around the unexpected layers of satoru you’d been seeing over the last few days. and you wondered if you were the first one to see this version of him.

"one date." you said firmly as you lifted up your finger, finally agreeing to his advances. his charm was different.. it was bold, yes, but real. "don't push your luck, im only accepting because its bjork."

"there will be more than one date, pretty." there was short pauses between his words allowing each syllable to sink in. like he meant it.

you had no idea why you were allowing him to score another point at this game he was forcing you to play. "at least let me pay for the gas.. or for the food." you offered but satoru only scrunched his face up shaking his head.

"don't do that."

he had some extra cash on him. 300. just like suguru promised when he said he'd pay satoru 300 if he managed to take you out on a date.

"just wear something pretty for me, and easy to remove."

you rolled your eyes. "im not sure about that second part, you're pushing your luck here sir."

"mm no not sir baby, its sugar dadd-"

your hand shot out to cover his mouth, cutting him off before he even had the chance to finish. he was shocked for a bit before he licked a long stripe against your hand moaning.

you recoiled immediately, gagging with a mix of shock and disgust. he chuckled at your discomfort and the sight of you wiping your hand on his chest.

"you like that baby?"

"no!" you shot back, closing your locker before rushing to the bathroom to properly clean your hand.

"ill see you later my love!" he called out.

miwa helped you get ready for the concert date after school. she straightened your hair pin straight while you both talked about what could happen later. your phone vibrated with a notification from 'sugar daddy'

"you still wearing something easy to remove right?"

you stared at the message. any past thoughts of him not being that bad quickly vanished. obviously, you weren't going to give him the satisfaction of your reply, so you left him on read. guess that hurt his feelings because a few minutes later he texted again.

"im joking baby :("

"still haven't changed that contact name?" miwa asked, finishing up the last strand for the final section. you grumbled a little 'shut it'

"im kind of nervous.." you admitted. this was going to be your first date after all.

miwa stopped, her hands hovering in mid air, before she turned your chair to face each other. her expression softened, a mix of understanding and excitement. "hey, it’s okay to be nervous. besides you kind of already know him.."

"briefly." you couldn't help but sigh, your eyes following her figure as she chose an outfit from her side of the closet to lend you.

"he wanted something easy to remove right?"

"dont."

you both met up to where you agreed, which was just outside the girls dormitories. the second he saw you, his heart fluttered.

you looked, no, you are gorgeous.

"...hey" a smile crept up on his face. he was dressed casual while you went all out thanks to miwa.

"hi" you smiled softly.

"you're so beautiful.." you'd be lying if you said you weren't flustered. even if you tried lying, the dark tint of pink on your cheeks would say otherwise. "thank you"

with a chuckle, he led you to his car. a model of the year, typical for a rich ass boy like him. being the gentleman he was, he opened the passenger door for you before closing it as you settled yourself down.

he made his way over to the drivers seat. "can't believe I finally landed a date with you" he mumbled before reaching over to hold your hand in his.

why was he acting like this? it was just a bet.. right?

you stared down at your hands that were now intertwined. you'd expect his to be cold from how pale they were and the amount of time he spends playing hockey in the cold rink.

your eyes lifted to his face, he was focused on the road now, a quiet little smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, like just having you next to him was enough.

"im going to be honest, i don't know any of this bands songs."

your breath caught in your throat. "you bought the tickets without knowing how they were?"

he shook his head. "I bought the tickets because I knew you knew who they were." his hand squeezed yours, keeping his eyes on the road. "have I told you how absolutely sexy you are? I mean look at this.." his hand moved from yours to tug at your skirt, making you gasp.

"feel good, baby?" he continued squeezing your thigh, biting his lower lip as he felt the warmth of your skin.

he slapped it playfully, moving his hand onto the steering wheel leaving you flustered.

"pervert.."

the concert was beautiful. the music reached your heart it made you tear up, of course some songs hit close to home. gojo couldn't help but admire you from time to time. watching as your pretty mouth sang along to the unknown lyrics.

"lets take a picture pretty." he said out of nowhere. "a picture?" he nodded before pulling out his phone, wrapping his arm around your waist and pressing his cheek against yours, snapping a few pictures of you and him throughout the night, mostly of you. you did the same, filling up your gallery with endless pictures and videos.

he pressed his lips on your temple before pulling away to continue enjoying the performance.

as the night came to an end, he drove you safely back home, both of you discussing the songs you enjoyed being performed the most.

"I think I enjoyed back to me the most"

"no way! paranoia was clearly the most enjoyable."

he rolled his eyes. "yeah well I think what I enjoyed the most was seeing you sing. you're gorgeous baby."

"you already told me that like twenty times."

"and ill continue to tell you for the rest of my life and beyond that." his words made your stomach twist. not in a bad way. definitely not. you watched how the dim light lit up his face making him look even more handsome than he already was.

"want to go to the ice rink?" he asked.

'right now? I dont think im wearing the appropriate clothing for skating.."

satoru grinned, pulling up to the building where the arena was in. "good thing I came prepared then." he reached towards the backseat, pulling out a duffel bag.

"you can thank your friend miwa."

you stared down at the clothes, which belonged to you, now on your lap. light pink thighs and a sweater as well as leg warmers. "you guys planned this?"

"she helped me out. I wanted to make this the best first date."

it was late, so the place was quieter than usual, dimly lit, making the place peaceful. the cold air nipped at your cheeks as you both stepped inside, and you tried your best not to show how nervous you were.

"ive never skated before." you admit.

"good thing your man is a hockey player." he finished tying up his laces before getting down on one knee to tie yours. he said it so casually. 'your man'

satoru looked up at you all while he continued fumbling around with the laces on your skates. "I really hope we have that romcom moment where you slip on the ice and fall right into my arms."

"what type of movies are you watching?" you giggled, feeling the heat creep up to your neck.

he finished the second skate, placing it on the ground before gripping your thighs. "like I said.. romcoms." he murmured, bringing you closer to his face. he darted his tongue out to lick the inside of your thigh.

a gasp left your lips. "h-hey.."

he didn't stop there.

he was starved. his lips traveled all throughout your inner thighs, nipping once in a while. "pretty.."

a shaky hand pushed his head away, watching as a string of saliva connected his lips with you. "so uhm.. you gonna teach me how to skate..?"

the fog of tension shattered the moment you placed your hand on his forehead, pushing him away. he licked his lips before chuckling. "yeah, come on."

the second you stepped onto the ice, you were already struggling. it was more slippery than you'd expect it to be, but satoru's large hands, placed on your waist, kept you steady.

"lean on me."

you held onto his arms, following his step wobbling once in a while.

"I got you doll."

twenty minutes was all you needed to learn how to maintain your balance on the ice. you excitedly followed satoru, holding his hand as you both made rounds around the rink, your skates gliding smoothly. he glanced at you, smiling as he watched you. "look at you... natural born skater" just as he said that, you bumped into his shoulder.

"natural born liar."

he chuckled seeing how your eyes showed signs of being tired. he wrapped his hands around your waist, lifting you up with ease. "lets get you out of here. kind of sad we didn't have that cute moment."

"what cute moment?" you wrapped your arms around him before he placed you down the carpet when he got you both out the ice rink. "the one where you fall right into my arms and we kiss."

you rolled your eyes. "maybe next time."

he raised an eyebrow, kneeling down again to take off your shoes. "so is that a confirmation that we will have another date?"

"mhm." you hummed quietly and before you knew it, you were leaning into a kiss with no control over your body, like it was possessed by a curse or something.

he hesitated for a second, deciding not to kiss you back. it was just a bet.

"lets go."

you stared at him in hurt and betrayal. this is what he wanted wasn't it? you felt your heart sink deeper as the seconds passed. you didn't allow him to put your shoes on, doing it yourself instead.

"baby.."

"dont." your voice wasn't firm, it was soft. barely even a whisper to be honest. "you're just messing with me aren't you?" he looked startled, like he had gotten caught with his hand down the cookie jar, because he did.

"no..no you're not something to play around with."

you were mad. furious even. "feels like it."

opening the door after gathering your clothes, you left without a goodnight. or a kiss. once you were out of view, satoru dragged his hands down his face groaning. he's grown attached to you without knowing it in the span of three days. and he's hurt you by denying your kiss.

he rushed after you.

"let me walk you."

"its fine. my dorm isn't that far."

"damn it y/n." he pressed his lips against yours, cupping your jaw. the kiss was full of frustration and it was desperate. his other hand found your hip, bringing you closer to him. he wanted to deepen the kiss, but he noticed you weren't kissing back.

he pulled away before smashing his lips against yours again, hoping that you'd kiss back this time but you didn't.

"I'll see you later.." you mumbled out.

he watched you walk away quickly in the direction of your dorm. now it was his heart who was sinking. he didn't remember any of his last 'bets' hurting this much.

so why does it feel like you were ripping out his heart right now?

when you reached your dorm, ready to get any call from your brothers, you already planned not to mention anything. not the concert date with satoru and definitely not how yuji was right about him. you couldn't let him have that 'I told you so' moment.

your phone vibrated at the back of your pocket as soon as you dropped your bag onto the floor. miwa was staying over at her boyfriends tonight, giving you and satoru any privacy if things went to a more heated direction.

it did. sorta.

with a sigh, you slid your thumb across the screen, answering the call from yuji.

"took you a while."

you forced a laugh. "sorry, you woke me up." you allowed your body to rest, flopping down on your messy bed with a 'thump', the back of your head sinking into the pillows.

"I'm just calling you to let you know that a hospital bill might reach you."

you quirked an eyebrow, staring at the ceiling. "its going to be sent out to me? all the way to yale?" yuji let out a small 'mhm', casual like he was commenting on the weather.

"yeah, from dad's last check up."

"oh," you rubbed your face, feeling a different kind of tired. "thats right."

"its just from his prescriptions and shit.. I would've paid it myself but.." his voice trailed off.

"no, no dont worry about it. not like i'm already drowning in student loans or whatever"

"of course not." you could hear him chuckle from the other side of the phone.

after the call ended, you let the silence settle. you received your mail usually by the end of the week in your small issued mailbox that was located in the front of the school. most of the time it was just flyers for clubs you had no intention of joining. but soon, a hospital bill that you desperately wanted to leave behind home, where it belongs, will appear right inside the small box.

after dreading to see the ridiculous amount you had to pay for oral chemotherapy medication, your mind circled back to satoru, a finger brushed against your lips, reliving the moment he placed his against yours in a kiss you wanted to return, but didn't.

you felt like it wasn't real.

why would he hesitate in the first place? your hand dropped back down against the mattress, gripping the bed sheets to brace yourself from any tears that might come out.

miwa dragged you to watch kokichi practice in the ice rink. the memories from last night hit you like a wave every other minute you sat on the bleachers. the same spot you were rejected.

you were annoyed.

no. pissed. pissed at how he dodged your kiss like it meant nothing and honestly you have every right to be. because why is he hesitant to kiss you when he’s the one that was so desperate. is this some sort of sick joke?

you didn't want to mention it to miwa or anyone. you were too embarrassed and the poor girl was happy she even had the opportunity to help out satoru with last nights date. you couldn't take that away from her. when she asked how it went you spared the details and just gave a brief summary.

"it was fun, he took me to the concert, we sang. then the ice rink, thanks by the way, and he taught me how to skate."

"thats so cute!" her face lit up.

you both continued to see the hockey players glide across the arena. but someone was missing. number 10. your thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a microphone starting.

“can't take my eyes of off you..” a voice murmured into the microphone, a voice you instantly recognized. satoru. you blinked once. and then again-unsure if you were hearing correctly or if the loud ass volume you listen to your music in was finally catching up to you.

you squinted your eyes to see the white haired boy stand right in the middle of the rink, the whole team joining him as well. his body stepped forward, then another, until he broke into a dance. you let out a few chuckles of disbelief as you watched him make a fool of himself.

“i love you baby!” you wanted to crawl into a corner and die from embarrassment. “and if it’s quite alright, i need you baby..” his finger pointed right at you. a few people around you chuckled as well, one yelling, "go verona!"

you brought your hands up to you face covering it in embarrassment as a flush appeared. he was so off key now, yelling out the lyrics as he did little tricks around the ice, nearly slipping but catching himself with a dramatic spin. he made a bee line towards the top of the bleachers. you wanted to escape but he was quick, wrapping an arm around your waist.

“oh pretty baby..” he panted as the chorus died down. he placed the microphone down, grabbing your cheeks without a warning with both hands planting a long and sweet kiss on your plump lips. this time, you kissed back without hesitation from either of you.

"satoru.." you managed to say before he continued his desperate kisses, sliding his tongue into your mouth leaving no room for the words that were swirling in your head. miwa was ecstatic, clapping with others, who were surprised that the ex-playboy was acting straight out of a 2000's movie.

"shut up.. let me just kiss you." his fingers threaded through your hair.

and kisses continued all the way to his dorm, no sign of stopping any time soon as he pushed you down his bed.

"im sorry about yesterday.. let me make it up to you."

"I think you did already with your little performance."

he chuckled, shaking his head. "nah, you need more than a song."

satoru wears everything on his face. like everything. you could tell what he was feeling with just a glimpse at his blushed face that turned from his usual pale color to a deep red. his mouth was open when he sank into you.

he smirked when he watched you struggle to take him. the small moans you let out made him twitch. "you look so fucking good. taking my cock like this." he wrapped your legs around his bare waist before his large hand found your neck, wrapping lightly around it.

"sa..satoru.." you whimpered.

"mmf- yeah that feels good. so.. tight and wet f'me. should've done this yesterday." he rolled his hips against yours gently. satoru has never been this gentle during sex towards anyone. he slid in and out of you slowly, making sure you felt every single one of his veins.

"oh fuck.. not going to last long inside this warm fucking pussy."

he licked your lips before shoving his tongue down your throat. satoru pulled away, forcing your jaw to open to spit right into your mouth.

"swallow."

you obeyed, swallowing his shared spit, opening your mouth to show him.

"good girl."

you screamed, gripping his shoulders when he slipped almost all the way out before slamming all the way in. he was loving this, almost forgetting the amount of money he would receive for getting into your panties.

it wasn't until you both finished, and his arms were wrapped around you in a comfortable position to cuddle, placing loving kisses on your forehead, that he finally remembered that this was all a bet. was.

he was scared that maybe he didn't want this to be just a game. his breath stilled, his fingers still tracing random shapes on your back as he pulled back slightly, taking a close look at your peaceful expression.

he didn't want it to end.

he took a look at his calendar that was placed on his nightstand. he counted the days knowing he didn't have that much left with you.

"love?"

you hummed, opening your eyes, your expression soft, when he called out to you.

"i'm playing tomorrow.. then we're having a sort of 'hoco' type of thing at the frat.. come with me?"

you nodded, placing your head on his chest listening to the way his heart beat at a steady pace. "course.." you murmured, he did tire you out after all. his body relaxed at your answer. there were still so many things left unsaid, so much you both needed to figure out. but he was okay with just having you this close to him right now.

you didn't call your family that night. your phone was put on do not disturb, laying on top of the nightstand. satoru's arms were still wrapped tightly around you.

but across the country, yuji grew worried, because not only were hospital bills going to reach you, but terrible news as well.

he paced back and forth outside the hospital room, the one where your father was currently staying, checking his phone every second to see if you have seen his messages or calls.

nothing from you.

he tried to come up with a reason. you were probably studying, or just busy in general. he wanted to cry because the feeling of being the one now responsible for everything was finally sinking in. he didn't know why your father collapsed. he didn't know if your aunt was on her way to pick up matt from school. and he didn't know when the hell you would answer your phone.

"answer.. please." he prayed.

the next day when you woke up to the sound of shuffling, you were met with several forehead kisses.

"sorry baby, have to go straight to the rink." your eyes fluttered open slowly, eyes adjusting to the morning light. you remembered the game today, and the party as well.

"practice hard.." your morning voice came out groggy, in which he let out a soft laugh.

"ill see you later baby." with that he left.

you looked around, still groggy, seeing the clock on his wall. eleven o clock.

your eyes widened. shit. you were late for class. you threw the blanket off of you, quickly putting on the same clothes from yesterday. when you reached for your panties, you noticed they were ripped. the sudden pain you felt on your stomach was a reminder of your poor decisions from last night.

you slipped on your skirt, praying you wouldn't flash anyone by the time you got to your dorm. after grabbing your bag, you reached for your phone before bolting out of his room.

when you made your way to class, you felt a deep feeling in your gut telling you, no, yelling, that something wasn't okay.

the cold air of the rink hit you the moment you stepped through the doors, crisp and biting against your skin. the faint sound of blades carving across ice echoed through the space, mixed with low shouts and the occasional laughter of teammates mid practice.

miwa was buzzing beside you, excited to see her boyfriend play, and for the party he asked her out to. you caught sight of satoru not that far away talking with a boy with gauges.

"I'll be back: you said to her.

"okay! I'll go grab us some seats then!"

you watched as the blue haired girl quickly made her way up the bleachers, snatching a good spot for the both of you. you approached satoru, ready to scare him as you snuck behind him.

"dude, I'm telling you I fucked her already, pay up." he grumbled.

your entire world stopped for a second. were you hearing correctly? the other boy laughed. "thought you didn't want to take this bet?" his hand reached for his pocket, pulling out his wallet to slip out a few hundred dollar bills.

it all suddenly clicked.

"it's whatever. honestly, she's everything i've wanted in a girl." the boy you thought you could trust accepted the bills into his hand. how could you have thought that this actually meant something. that you actually meant something to satoru.

"are you fucking kidding me?" you stared at him, feeling so many emotions all at once. anger, betrayal, and even denial. your mind was processing what you just heard. you wanted to hear it wasn't real, that he wasn't only after you because of a bet and that he actually likes you. but you knew you were better than that, you couldn't help but connect all the dots. the way he just randomly went up to you? the way he spent so much money on you?

it wasn't fate. it was orchestrated. and you felt stupid for now realizing.

there was horror written all over gojos face. "no baby.. baby listen to me." but you refused, shaking your head. you refused because the following words were going to be the confirmation that you dreaded to hear. without another word, you turned away pushing though the crowd. "y/n!" he shouted, but you didn't turn back. as you made your way down the hall, his hand wrapped around your wrist, "please, PLEASE listen to me!" in which you yanked back.

"it was all a bet huh? and for what? I knew I shouldn't have trusted yo-" you were interrupted by his lips molding against yours. no matter how much you wanted to melt into it, you didn't. your hands landed on his chest, pushing him off you before wiping your lips. the boy stood there, stunned, as his sad blue eyes watched you walk out.

how could he do this to you? after you accepted his dates. after you let him use your body for pleasure. after everything?you felt horrible for leaving miwa alone, but you didn't want to ruin her day. her boyfriend was playing hockey, with satoru.

it was when you pulled out your phone, ready to block him, when you saw the several missed calls from yuji and from your fathers doctor. your heart sank even more. you quickly found a secluded spot.

satoru wanted to follow after you, desperate to fix things. but he couldn't, not with a game he needed to play. but in all honesty he was done playing.

yuji was screaming at you through the phone. his voice was raw. one you haven't heard in years.

"I called you twenty fucking times y/n! all of last night, where the hell were you?!"

you were hyperventilating. the situation sinking in, the one with gojo and the one where your dad was on the brink of death. "with.. with this guy.."

silence.

"with a guy?" he spat. “you were with some guy while dad was- y/n, he’s in critical condition. they had to resuscitate him last night. and im over here wondering that something important was going on with you only to find out you were busy sucking some guy off. was it the guy you told me about?"

"..yeah..but it didn't end well."

"I dont fucking care about that right now. honestly im glad, let this be a lesson. we thought we were gonna lose him. and you were out playing house with some asshole?”

you didn't answer, too busy trying to even breathe. "im sorry... im sorry." yuji didn’t respond right away.

"i already paid half of the shit," his sharp voice continued. "if you could send some money over that would be great. and those bills, have you paid them yet?"

you swallowed hard, tears stinging the backs of your eyes. “o, I… I haven’t had time, yuji,”

“you haven’t had time?” he repeated like the words physically hurt him. there was a long pause. when Yuji spoke again, his voice had softened.

".. just please pay his medication.. my job isn't paying that well."

"I will.." you said quietly. "where is matt?"

"he's with aunt teresa. i'll call you if anything happens again, please answer next time."

you sniffled, wiping your runny nose. "okay. I love you."

click.

the call ended with him not saying those words back. you still had your phone up to your ear, wishing that magically yuji would say it back.

you felt so unwanted

unloved.

you could feel your eyes stinging even more and your throat closing up on you. you felt like you were losing everyone, your father slipping away in a hospital bed miles from here, your brother who had always been your anchor, your voice of reason, now too exhausted to carry you, and satoru.

satoru.

that night your phone was blowing up. call after call, text after text- all from him.

satoru : y/n please.

satoru : call me, return my calls lets talk pretty.

satoru : it was a bet, but believe me when I tell you that I truly love you.

satoru : I love you. say it back baby. please I need you. can't lose you, im sorry love please don't leave..

you remembered when you planned to block him before the call with yuji, your finger hovered over the red block button. but you simply put your phone on dnd and headed to sleep recalling the horrible events of tonight. tear stains were placed on your cheeks, mascara ruined, just like how your life felt.

miwa had tried, she really did. she tried her best to comfort you, but she understood you needed space. the sweet girl provided you with extra blankets as well as water, she even rubbed off the remaining makeup on you.

satoru hasn't felt this horrible since he accidentally flushed down his sisters goldfish back in first grade. but it wasn't the same.

the goldfish didn't hate him. you did.

and he hated himself for how he made you feel. he hated himself for doing this to you. but god was he grateful to have taken on that bet. not for the money, but for you. because of the bet, he met such a wonderful girl who he was completely smitten for. too bad that the girl now hates his guts.

the weather matched how gojo felt. he looked like hell.

his usual outfits was replaced by a simple white t-shirt with sweatpants. the confident boy was now just a regular burnt out college student who looks like he missed out on eight hours of sleep to study for his physics final. he hasn't eaten since yesterday, deciding his body didn't deserve to be rewarded with food.

he made his way to the small mailroom provided for students. his face lit up when he saw you there, not looking so good like him.

"baby."

his voice startled you, making you drop your mail, watching as they scattered all throughout the tile floor.

you crouched down to gather your mail, avoiding his eyes, heart pounding in your chest from too many things at once, his voice, your brother’s call, the reminder of your father, the unbearable guilt, and now him standing here, looking like someone you didn’t know how to love right now.

satoru knelt beside you, brushing your fingers by accident as he helped you collect the envelopes. the moment your skin touched, a sharp breath escaped his lips.

thats when saw it. a bunch of letters from kaiser permamente.

"what's this..?"

you froze, hand curling tighter around the envelope like you could hide it, like you could make it disappear if you just willed it hard enough. but he had already seen.

you stood quickly, clutching the papers to your chest. “it’s nothing.”

“sweetheart…” His tone shifted, serious now. “that’s a hospital.”

"i know, i can read." you shot back.

satoru rose to his feet slowly, eyes still locked on you, his earlier exhaustion now sharpened with concern. “y/n?” His voice cracked. “is everything okay?”

you didn't know how it came to this. but you were hugging him tightly, crying into his chest like he wasn't part of the reason why you were going through it.

.

.

.

[gukcnt]

TEDDY & SECRETS ⭒ JJK

in which you discover your shy coworker jungkook, has been leaving teddy bears and plushies with questionable notes on your doorstep to confess his secret crush for you

pairing — secret admirer!jungkook x coworker!femreader

genre — workplace au, friends to lovers, mystery elements, slice of life, romantic comedy, lots of fluff

warnings/tags — shy!jungkook, cozy vibes, teddy bear obession, slowburn, confrontation, adorable gestures, romantic notes, nervous confession, stalker vibes turned sweet, happy ending, no warnings because it's literally the cutest shit bfr

wc — 1.1k

a/n — I decided to write this short oneshot quickly because I was craving some fluff, and I haven’t had the urge to write in weeks TT but I hope y'all love this one! <3

m. list

────🧸────

You’ve always adored teddy bears ever since you were a kid.

Their soft squishy forms always brought you comfort in a way that you couldn’t deny.

They were like your silent friends.

A safe place.

Your apartment was the proof of this obsession—lined with bears and plushies of every size, from a mini one to a massive teddy that takes up half your couch.

At work, you’ve mentioned it during a random talk, gushing about a new bear arrival that you’ve seen at the market.

Apparently someone was listening.

For the past two weeks a new teddy bear has appeared at your doorstep every morning.

Each one unique.

Fluffy pastel ones, simple brown ones, and now you had bears of all unique colors and designs.

The one that stuck out the most

Was the pink polka dotted teddy with a bow tie.

And for some reason it was exactly the one you’ve been eyeing in the market, which confirms that it was someone from your work.

Each teddy came with a note tucked into their paws.

The handwriting was shaky and uneven, almost like the writer's hands trembled while writing.

“You light up my dark” — the first one said.

“I’m closer than you think” — another one.

The one you received yesterday felt like a soft plea.

Like the person sending these was facing a desperation, a need.

“Please notice me”

At first you thought it was a silly prank, maybe a friend teasing you for your love for plushies.

But all your friends denied it and your neighbors—an old couple—obviously weren’t the type to do such things.

The mystery was charming.

A little creepy, yes.

But each bear was tugging at your heart at the same time.

Endearing in some way but making you curious.

Tonight, you're done wondering.

You set an alarm for 3 am, determined to catch the culprit.

You stand by the window, coffee in hand as your eyes scan the quiet street.

The moonlight was the only source of light, your heart racing with anticipation.

After a few minutes or so you see a hooded figure approaching your door with careful steps, and they hold a small teddy bear.

A brown choco colored one with a tiny red bow.

He kneels to place it on your doorstep.

You don’t hesitate and rush to your door, flinging it open.

“Hey!” you shout.

The figure stumbles, and before you could react, he starts running away but you’re quicker, not caring about your bare feet.

You grab hold of his sleeve.

“Who are you? why are you doing this?”

The hood falls, revealing a familiar face—jeon jungkook, your quiet coworker with a shy smile and doe eyes that always seem to find you.

His cheeks are flushed, breaths shaky and he looks like he’d rather be anywhere else.

Almost like he got caught stealing

“jungkook?” you gasp.

“You’re the teddy bear guy?”

He cringes, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Uh… yeah, I—I’m sorry,” he stutters.

“I didn’t mean to freak you out.”

You release his sleeve, stepping back as you cross your arms over your chest.

“What’s with these bears?”

jungkook fidgets, staring at his sneakers like they hold his answers.

“You mentioned it at work. A lot, actually and I thought you’d like them, so I wanted to do something special—“

“But I couldn’t just… approach you.”

Your mind flashes to those coffee break chats and your rants about teddies.

You imagine he’d listened sitting somewhere far.

Nodding quietly, his shy grin hiding how much your words had taken to his heart, valuing your wishes like they were the most precious thing.

“Why didn’t you just… talk to me?” you ask

“I tried talking, I mean. But every time I got near you… I—I don’t know.”

“You’re so…”

He trails off, then mumbles quietly.

“You’re you. And I’m just me.”

Your heart flutters strangely.

jungkook’s always been sweet at work—bringing you coffee when you’re too busy to look after yourself.

Laughing at your dumb jokes.

You never thought much of it, but now looking at his nervous gaze

It clicks.

The notes are starting to make sense.

“The notes,” you say, softly.

“They were about me?”

He swallows hard, eyes flicking up to meet yours.

Doe eyes glassy.

“I’ve liked you—uhm—for a long while actually, and I thought the bears might be… romantic? but then I realized it was probably weird, I didn’t know how to stop without explaining and—“

He rambles and cuts himself off.

He exhales sharply, heart pounding out of his chest.

“I’m an idiot for doing this stupidity.”

You glance at your doorstep, where the brown bear sits, a note in its paw like always.

You pick it up, unfolding the paper.

“I’m scared, but I love you”

Your breath catches, lips parting as jungkook watches you now like he’s waiting for rejection.

You clutch the bear to your chest, heart skipping a beat.

The softness of the bear grounding you just like previous ones given by him.

“jungkook, this isn’t stupid.” you whisper.

A smile on your lips.

“It’s… adorable. Scary at first yes, but adorable.”

“You picked bears because of me?”

He nods.

“I thought they’d make you smile and you always light up when you talk about them.”

“You’re not mad?”

He asked, restless.

His eyes still wide with uncertainty, the fear of rejection still there.

You can't help it—you laugh, shaking your head.

“Oh god, you’re just ridiculous you know that? but I love them, every single one.”

You pause, meeting his gaze.

“And I think maybe… the guy leaving them, too.”

“Really?”

Hope in his voice, along with a slight tremble.

“Really.” you grin.

“Next time, maybe just ask me out instead of leaving stuffed animals in the dark like a little stalker.”

He laughs, a nervous yet joyful sound.

The sound warming you despite standing outside in the cold night air.

“So coffee tomorrow?”

You hum, looking at him while pretending to consider, enjoying teasing him and watching him squirm.

“Is that a yes…?”

His smile fades slightly.

“Depends. Only if you promise to keep leaving me bears.”

jungkook chuckles, the tension calming.

“Sure, but if I bring a bear for every date, you’ll need more space. Think you can handle my teddy bear game?”

His tone now cheeky, his smile bright.

“Bring it on, teddy guy.”

You both share a giggle, and you wonder why you didn’t notice him sooner.

As you invite him inside to escape the cold, you glance at the bear in your arms that you are hugging to yourself even tighter.

And the fluff in your arms feels like the start of something.

A promise

For the future.

────

💌 permanent taglist: @chaelvrx @wintaemoonjen @slutology00 @furioustrashlover @kelsyx33 @kooever @svnbangtansworld @xcviis @snuglymalicioussea @nellbyy @minewlove @l4yl44 @captainengineer-trixie @cristy-101 @fangirl-coco-goddess @lachesismoonmist @angelfuzzy2 @levisnumber1 @angelsdecalcomania @magicalnachocreator @hynjamkook @koodollylvr @withmuchluv-tannie @istarag @elmarimochi9513 @wtfanu @kooklv @endlesslysassy @nanisblogg @tatamicc @mokaliciouss @armybomb-infires @jiniminisworld @seokjinthescientist @gyeomibearr @xmiaacxio @n0chuprettykook @gizaspicebag @aaclariww @dollytingz @pokalunolino @bunnies-only @cuntygguk

[scribefindegil]

I've been realizing how much my conception of various personal relationships and certain types of boundaries are determined by other people, not in the sense that I don't know what I am or want, but in the sense of "you are using a scale/categorization schema that I'm very disconnected from, so I feel how I feel and you get to put me wherever is most comfortable for you."

Like, is this relationship platonic or romantic? It's not really a meaningful distinction for me, but it's usually a VERY important distinction for other people, so they get to make the call. (My first marriage was romantic and my second is platonic and the love feels exactly the same to me)

It's similar when it comes to physical affection. I don't want sex, but if you take that off the table (and start viewing other acts of physical intimacy on their own terms instead of as stepping stones with an end goal of sex) I'm pretty indiscriminate and other people probably have a much stronger personal sense of what is desired/appropriate than I do. Nothing feels especially marked or hierarchical to me, but I still have to navigate that some things are much more societally loaded than others. Really I just want to live in a fantasy setting where I can soulbond with all my best friends but sadly that isn't an option irl so the closest substitute is as much physical affection as possible of whatever kind people are happy to give me.

Honestly gender is kind of the same: my internal sense of gender is "null," but I'm going to get gendered by existing in the world and that doesn't really bother me (my experiences are not universal and this bothers some agender people a great deal, obviously), but it's something that people do for their own comfort & understanding rather than reflecting any kind of meaningful truth.

I don't really know where I'm going with this, but like. It's interesting. For a while I was very hung up on the idea that if a category or feeling was real/important to other people I had to figure out some way to make it real for me as well, and I'm glad I've chilled out and stopped tying myself into knots about it. And simultaneously, sometimes when you hit a point of "this isn't real to me" it can be tempting to swerve into "this isn't real, full stop" which is also not great because other people's experiences are important too. You gotta be dialectical about it, I guess. Sometimes a concept is real when someone you care about needs it to be and otherwise it isn't, and that's fine.

[thy1quitcentral]

K pop demon hunters

Huntrix vs Saja Boys

X Honmoon! NB oc

Part 1 * Part 2 * Part 3 * Part 4 *

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

.................💓...................

Another day

The girls and god were out and about

"oh I just love going out with you three" honey skipped along and smiled. They hummed a small tune

"mkay so this guy is like a genius and I am sure he will fix this" Zoey typed in her phone and grinned happily, she skipped with Honey. The three girls had to hide themselves while Honey only had to hide their very being to not be noticed by the human eye.

"can we go fabric shopping after this? I have several ideas in my sketchbook and I know it will look elegant on you three" Honey grinned happily.

"sure" Mira smiled gently.

They stopped at the building and paused "human doctors are so silly" Honey giggled as they read the advertisement of the doctor on the door. "Usually they work at more.... professional places" Mira raised a brow, obviously skeptical of the whole thing.

Zoey whined "I think we should give it a shot" Rumi pushed, looking hopeful and almost desperate.

******

"that human was so funny!" Honey grinned happily and giggled. "See I told you he was so legit" Zoey said puffing her chest out proudly.

They chanted "we got the tonics!"

"next stop, recovered voice and Golden Honey!" Mira roared in determination. Zoey laughed and jumped up and down.

Rumi laughed as she held the big box of tonics.

They walked along. Chatting "for the fans, for Honmoon!" Rumi, Zoey and Mira exclaims. Honey laughed at their antics. "Now for my fabric shopping" they state with a huff.

"yep as promised" Mira said.

They all stopped and looked down the alley, they froze "shit, fans" Mira asked as she and Zoey scrambled to hide. So they hide behind Rumi

Down that all was a group of 4 guys, cute ones and rather. Very familiar ones.

"demon boys" Honey whispers, both Rumi and Honey looked to their friends and they were DROOLING.

As they came closer.

Abby looks over and smirks towards Honey and flexes his bicep as he casually ran his fingers through his hair. He got a peak of Mira and bit his lip as a bonus.

Romance only smiled and winked while kissing the hair, he had looked at Mira and bowed his head charmingly.

Baby smiled boredly, giving a casual head tilt to Honey as he walked by.

Mystery only stared at Honey as he passed.

Then there was jinu, he looked up and noticed Honey first. Honey looked back at him and pursed their lips with a small sigh and pretended not to know him and glanced over to what Jinu looked at next.

Rumi was winded, her breath taken away by this tall, dark haired man. Jinu bumped into her, and she falls

Honey swiftly takes her waist and kept her from falling. They looked over and saw the mess "Jinu" They rolled their eyes at Jinu's antics.

"watch yourself" Jinu snapped.

Rumi gasped and glared "watch yourself asshole!" She yelled out. Honey sighed "you okay?" They asked Rumi.

"yea Im peeerfectly fine...and pissed. Both sound accurate" Rumi huffs. She turns and exclaims "look at this mess"

They all cleaned up

"they're so meh"

"no more like BLEH"

The three paused

"mmmmmBLEEH"

Honey snickers. And looked down the alley 'if what he said is true....and all they are here for is music, they shouldn't be a threat right?'

They all heard the music.

They got closer.

They were performing and they were Good

They had the crowd going wild, somebody better hold onto Their Ommas before their souls get sucked out.

Honey shimmied at the music and smiled, the music was so bright and catchy it made them glow. Rumi looked to them in shock

Someone else's song is making Honey glow and vibrate around them. But a different hue of color.

Honey felt enchanted.

They yelp as they were dragged in, somehow they followed their moves perfectly. And it was actually pretty fun.

Jinu smiled and twirled Honey around and sang.

Rumi, Mira and Zoey gasped.

"they just dragged Honey on there" Mira frowned at that. "Wait but Honey is actually really good at dancing" Zoey smiled and clapped for them as the song continued.

Rumi would be lying if she said she didn't feel jealous. The way Jinu was looking at Honey and how Honey looked back in familiarity, she frowned and crossed her arms.

She had to admit, Honey looks so pretty dancing and the song was honestly perfect for them to dance to.

They have a real connection don't they?

The light reflected off of the boys skin and they saw it, the patterns.

All three girls gasped in shock and concern "they are demons"Mira and Rumi glared.

They contemplated killing them but it was too public to do so. "Let's just get Honey away from them" Rumi states.

"right, protect Honmoon" Mira and Zoey huff as they moved further into the crowd.

As the song progressed, Mira tries grabbing Honeys arm but Romance took their hand and swirled them around away from her clutches.

"grrr" Mira growled.

Zoey huffs and circled before trying to tackle Honey but Mystery swoops in and guides her away and into Mira. Both toppling over.

The both groan and Zoey sat up with a mad but blushing face. Mystery only blew her a kiss and she yelps as the heart hits her face.

..

Honey smiled brightly as the song ran its course and they shown so bright, a wave of light was released, echoing far and wide, a magenta pink color.

With all the struggle the deity started to notice, but baby only took his hands and grinned as he guided them to Jinu who took their hand.

"my little soda pop" he winked. He was gonna dance with them more before Rumi jumps and took Honeys other hand.

Jinu looked at Rumi and Rumi back at him, they both glared at each other harshly. "Uh?" Honey spoke up but Jinu lets Honey go and pushes them to Rumi.

Jinu smirked softly at that and waved to the crazy fans.

The song ends.

"you okay?" Rumi asked Honey Gently

Honey blinked slowly "hmm? Oh yea I feel great" they giggle and flipped onto Rumis head like they were drunk.

Rumi frowned at the state Honey was in and looked over to Jinu, Jinu caught her eye and smirked as he wiped his shoulder, the same shoulder that had bumped into Rumi.

She grits her teeth

"jerk"

***

The girls gathered around

"you girls okay?" Honey asked checking up on them curiously. They spot a cut on Zoeys cheek, so they reached into their pouch of needles and other random stuff and takes out a band-aid

"there"

"thank you" Zoey smiled.

"what happened there? You were so into it. And it was like you couldn't hear us call you" Mira asked. Honey stared "oh really? Their music was just so groovy I got distracted I think..."

"let's just go, we have to think about how to get rid of them" Rumi pushed them off.

****

Once home

"oooo you know I'm ready to stop demon scum!" Zoey cawed loudly as she goes to put her outfit on.

"girls lotion" Honey huffs as they throw the bottle to Mira. "Right"

Rumi got ready and looked at Honey, she couldn't stop thinking about it. A demon boy band managed to make Their Honmoon glow like they did.

"so about the glow?" The leader of the trio spoke up, both Mira and Zoey stopped for a moment and looked. "Did you know you can be influenced by demons too?" Rumi asked.

Honey thought for a moment and looked at their sewing kit. "Well, all music and song always catch my interest, their music was hypnotic and catchy....I didn't mean to glow" Honey explained

They fiddled with their fingers and frowned "I'm sorry"

"no it's okay! You liked their music and that's okay" Zoey frowned softly

Mira pursed her lips "but we really do have to keep you away from them, they could try and destroy you in one fall swoop" she puts her hand on Honeys shoulder.

"right"

.................💓...................

[kathlare]

hi hi i absolutely love your writing and this universe so much, i was wondering (totally fine if you’re not comfortable with writing this but i just thought i’d ask) if you could write something set in 2025 where lando and amelie have sex on her period… i need the comfort rn 🙃😩 i know this is a bit much to ask but i love your smut chapters sm

Hii!! 💕 First of all, thank you so, so much for all the love and support — it really means the world 🥺 And thank you for feeling comfortable enough to ask for this! You’re absolutely not asking too much, and I’m so happy to say that I’ve gone ahead and written this chapter for you. Here it is — I really hope you like it and that it gives you the comfort you’re looking for 💗🔥

If you ever have more requests, you know where to find me! 🌙✨ Enjoy!!

woman

Lando Norris x Amelie Dayman

Summary: Amelie finds herself struggling with discomfort during a work trip, and Lando steps up to support and care for her.

Wordcount: 4.4 k

Warnings: smut

full masterlist // request over

June 11th, 2025 - Lake Como, Italy

Lando was standing by the edge of the terrace overlooking the shimmering waters of Lake Como, the early afternoon sun casting a warm glow over the scene. The TUMI campaign shoot was in full swing, and Lando, dressed sharp in a sleek navy blazer with crisp white shirt and matching tailored pants, was effortlessly posing with the brand’s latest luggage collection. His usual easy charm was on full display — the half-smile, the cocked eyebrow, the subtle lean against the vintage wooden railing.

Behind the scenes, Amelie sat quietly beside a couple of Lando’s team members — his race engineer and a photographer who had flown in specially for this shoot. She was wearing a loose linen blouse and light jeans, hair pulled back casually, watching Lando with that familiar mix of admiration and playful affection that never failed to make him feel like the luckiest guy alive.

—Hey, Ames, did you see that?— one of the crew nudged her, laughing.

—What?— Amelie grinned, sipping a bottle of sparkling water.

—That look he just gave the camera. Total model shit.—

She laughed softly, eyes never leaving Lando as he shifted stance, his focus razor sharp but his mind clearly half on her.

Then, suddenly, Amelie’s face tightened ever so slightly. A sharp, unfamiliar twinge settled low in her abdomen.

—Fuck.— She muttered under her breath.

The pain was subtle but insistent — a dull ache crawling its way into discomfort. Her mind raced through the possibilities. Could it be her period arriving? She hadn’t really tracked it well lately with everything going on, but this felt like that familiar warning.

She excused herself gently from the conversation, murmuring, —I’ll be right back.—

The path to the bathroom felt longer than it was, every step tinged with that low, growing ache that made her wince when she wasn’t careful. Her purse bounced against her hip as she finally shut the door behind her.

She quickly checked — and yep, there it was. A small but unmistakable crimson stain on her panties.

—Okay, Ames, you got this.— She pulled out a tampon from her bag, carefully handled the situation, and took a deep breath before washing her hands and looking at herself in the mirror.

The sharpness in her stomach was still there, but now manageable.

Back outside, she smoothed down her blouse, feeling a little stronger, and headed back to the shoot.

As she approached the group, her eyes locked onto Lando’s across the sunlit terrace.

He caught the moment, his brows knitting for a heartbeat before his lips moved silently—no sound coming out, but the message clear: You okay?

Amelie gave him a small, determined thumbs-up and a half-smile that said, I’m fine. Just hang tight.

She sat down again beside the team, feeling the ache still lurking beneath her skin like a ticking timer, knowing the worst wasn’t over yet.

Lando’s eyes never left her. Even as the camera clicked around him and the photographer shouted out directions, his focus kept drifting back to where Amelie sat, trying to look casual but clearly unsettled. The way she shifted in her seat, one leg crossed then uncrossed, her hand resting—then pressing—lightly against her lower stomach. The crease between her brows she kept trying to smooth away.

He felt a familiar pang—protective, concerned, and honestly a little helpless. This wasn’t like the usual behind-the-scenes nerves or tiredness after long flights. He knew that look, that subtle discomfort, from the months they’d spent figuring out each other’s quirks and lows.

Lando’s smile faded just a little as he glanced away from the camera, lips pressed together. The photographer was yelling something about “more intensity, Lan!” but Lando barely heard it. His eyes flicked back to Amelie, who was fidgeting again—shifting on the chair, trying to settle, her fingers tracing small circles over her stomach like she was trying to rub the pain away.

Without missing a beat, Lando raised a hand toward the shoot’s assistant.

—Hey, mate, can we take a quick break?— he said, voice calm but firm.

The assistant nodded, and the crew began to pause, some lowering their cameras.

Lando walked over to Amelie with long strides, kneeling down beside her chair.

—Hey, Ames, you okay? You don’t look so good.—

Amelie forced a small smile but shook her head slowly.

—Just cramps, Lan. It’s fine.—

He shook his head.

—No, not fine. Let’s get you out of here for a bit. Someone from the team will walk you back to the hotel, yeah? I’ll catch up later.—

Amelie stood up, a little unsteady, clutching her purse.

—I can wait here, really.—

Lando reached out, pulling her gently back by the waist.

—Nope. You’re not waiting here looking like you’re about to pass out. You’re going back, and I’m making sure of it.—

He glanced at the nearby assistant.

—Mate, grab her things, please.—

The assistant nodded and hurried over, picking up Amelie’s bag and some of her things.

Lando gave Amelie a quick, reassuring kiss on the temple.

—I’ll be back soon. You rest, yeah? Call me if you need anything.—

Amelie’s eyes softened, and she nodded.

—Thanks, Lan.—

They started toward the exit, the assistant leading the way with her belongings.

Lando glanced back over his shoulder at the shoot as they walked.

—Don’t have too much fun without me.—

Amelie smirked, leaning into his side.

—No promises.—

Lando chuckled, squeezing her hand gently.

—You’re a bloody mess sometimes, Ames.—

—You love it.—

—More than you know, baby.—

They disappeared through the doors, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows over Lake Como as they left the shoot behind, ready to face whatever the day had next — together.

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

liked by sainzspice, papayafam, and others

ameliesunshine: Amelie spotted with a fan in Italy today 🇮🇹♥️ looking like an actual angel (as always) and making someone’s day brighter!

View all 27,015 comments

sainzspice: amelie making italy her runway like it's NOT a grocery run 😭 → paddockbabes: @sainzspice LANDO ON HIS KNEES RN

f1babygirl: amelie in italy? lando already booking a flight. mark my words. → l4ndo4ever: @f1babygirl jet-set boyfriend era is so real rn 😌✈️

strawberriie: amelie in italy? lando about to teleport there in .5 seconds 😭 → pitlanepass: @strawberriie he’s already googling flights rn

papayadrive: no way she looks that cute in candids too?? unfair!! → lanmelieluvr: @papayadrive lando punching air somewhere

papayafam: she’s too cute like how is lando functioning knowing she’s out here looking like this 😩

paddockvibes: lanmelie doing long distance? nah he’s def about to teleport to italy

gridgirlie: ames in italy = lando looking for “urgent sponsor meetings” near milan 😂 → lane4melie: @gridgirlie LANDO IS ALREADY ON FLIGHTRADAR I BET

ameliesfiles: she’s so pretty but lowkey looks tired 🥺 someone get this girl some tea and a blanket → lanmeliequeen: @ameliesfiles lando already taxiing the jet as we speak

papayadrama: ames looking a lil pale… lando get ur girl some rest!! 😭

f1tealeaks: ames pls rest up!! we don’t want a sick queen 😞 → lanmelie4ever: @f1tealeaks lando’s calling room service for a gallon of tea rn

tracksidegossip: she looks like she needs a long nap and a cuddle 😔 → lanmelieluv: @tracksidegossip and lando’s probably sending a “you okay? 🥺” text every 5 mins

f1circuitcrush: ames pale as a ghost and STILL serving?! iconic. → gridgossip_: @f1circuitcrush lando in the background like “you’re done. bed. now.” 😂

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

The camera was already recording when Lando sank down into the couch, brushing hair out of his eyes, grinning sheepishly. The setup was crisp and clean: a cozy corner of the hotel room, warm afternoon light pouring in from the windows, and his well-worn, much-traveled TUMI backpack resting on the table in front of him.

—Hey, everyone,— he started, brushing a hand down the surface of the bag, the faintest smirk tugging at his lips. —So, I guess this is the ‘What’s in my bag’ video… which, full disclosure, is kind of a mess. But that’s sort of the point, right?—

With a shrug, he pulled the zipper and started unpacking.

The first thing he pulled out was a sleek laptop. —That’s mine. Not too exciting. Just where I review data, watch movies… reply to Amelie when she doesn’t text back quick enough.— He winked at the camera, brushing hair from his forehead.

Then came a charger and a set of noise-canceling headphones. —Standard stuff. Got to have music for the flights. Might be Amelie’s too, I’m honestly not sure anymore. We just… share everything at this point.—

He gave a soft chuckle and pulled out a small, cream-colored zippered pouch. —Alright, this one? Definitely Amelie’s.— He waved it for the camera. —That’s where she puts like… hair ties, lip balm, this tiny roller thing for headaches. Basically, the ‘I didn’t bring a bag so can I shove this in your backpack’ kit.—

He pulled out a pack of painkillers, then a neatly wrapped heating patch. —Yep. Those aren’t mine, obviously. Someone had cramps often and it ends up in here. Not complaining though. You’ve got to be prepared when you travel, right?—

Next came a sleek travel-sized bottle of Amelie’s favorite perfume. Lando smiled, brushing a finger over it like it was some sort of treasure. —She tucks this in sometimes. Never noticed until she’s like ‘smell this’ in the car or whatever. So now, I just carry it. Because why wouldn’t I?—

A hair scrunchie emerged, pastel and soft. Lando gave it a glance and shrugged. —More evidence that this bag isn’t just mine anymore. Honestly? It’s worth it. Means she’s with me, in some way, even when she’s not.—

Then came a granola bar, a small packet of gummies, and a little case of tea bags. —Yep. All Amelie. Because she swears I forget to eat when I’m working. So she sneaks snacks and tea into my bag every time. Not mad about it, to be fair.—

He pulled out a Polaroid photo next. Amelie, hair windswept and grinning, and him making a stupid face beside her. He smiled at it for a long moment before holding it closer for the camera.

—This one’s mine. Goes with me everywhere. Doesn’t matter where I am, track, hotel, airport, this makes it feel like home.—

Lando laughed quietly to himself and reached further inside the bag, fishing out a small, plain black case.

—Okay, full honesty here…— he said, cheeks reddening just a little as he held it up for the camera. —This is… uh… emergency boyfriend material.— He gave a sheepish grin, glancing sideways like he was trying to avoid full exposure. —Yeah, I forgot I even had them in here. But you know, gotta be prepared, right? Responsible and all that.—

He paused, then shrugged.

—Look, you never know. Plus, if you’re gonna be a decent boyfriend, it’s all part of the package.—

Lando chuckled again, shifting the bag slightly and digging deeper.

—Oh, and here’s one more thing...— he pulled out a small, worn set of keys on a familiar keychain, with a tiny charm that Amelie had given him. —These are the keys to my heart... or well, her place anyway.— He winked. —Officially stolen, no returns.—

The camera caught the faintest flicker of a smile, the warm glow in his eyes that only showed when he talked about her.

—Honestly, most of this stuff is… hers. Or stuff she says I need. And I’m not complaining. It’s kinda nice knowing you’re carrying around someone you care about with you everywhere you go.—

He paused, brushing a lock of hair behind his ear, the grin softening.

—So yeah, that’s my bag. A little chaotic, a little Amelie, a lot of boyfriend things. If you ask me, it’s the best kind of travel companion.—

Lando gave the camera a quick thumbs-up, then leaned back with that relaxed, cheeky grin.

—Alright, that’s enough oversharing for today. Catch you later, yeah?—

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

liked by sainzspice, papayafam, and others

lando_update24: Lando’s living that model life 🇮🇹✨ Spotted on TUMI Travel’s Insta, looking fresh and sleek while filming their latest campaign in Italy. Can’t wait to see the full drop!

View all 46,228 comments

paddockqueen: italian vibes got him looking like a whole snack 🍝👀 → norrisfanatic: @paddockqueen honestly, he’s making us all hungry for more than just pasta

vroomvroom_vibes: can he just stop flexing so hard pls my heart can’t take it 💔

speedqueen: lando out here flexin in italy 🏎️💨

driftgod: TUMI really said “hold my bags” and handed it to lando 🤩 → norrisstan101: @driftgod the way he’s serving looks makes me wanna quit racing and join fashion 😂

amelieloverx: bet ames is lowkey on set too, can’t wait for collab pics 🙌

lanmelie_4ever: italy trip confirmed for the power couple 🇮🇹✨ → speedqueen: @lanmelie_4ever I’m screaming they’re living their best lives rn

savage_pitstop: lando lookin like a snack, ames better be bringing the sauce 🍝😏 → lanmelie_4ever: @savage_pitstop 100%, italian vibes got him glowing

driftgod: ok but if ames is there, pls show us pics 😭🙏 → ameliefan99: @driftgod we’re all waiting on that lanmelie content

norrisstan101: the fact that lando’s working and ames probs nearby makes me soft 🥹

f1memequeen: lando out here multitasking: racing, modeling, boyfriending 🤡 → speedqueen: @f1memequeen the MAN is unstoppable

amelieloverx: send good vibes to our king he’s doing everything 😍

amelie_fanatic: she’s probably hyping him up behind the scenes 💖 → lanmelie_4ever: @amelie_fanatic 100%, queen supporting her king always

norrisstan101: lando’s smile in these pics is giving me “in love” vibes not gonna lie → lanmelie_4ever: @norrisstan101 that’s our lovebird for ya 🥰

f1memequeen: lando really out here making all of us jealous, the man’s got it all 👏

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

The key card clicked, and Lando pushed open the heavy door to their hotel suite. The Italian sun, which had been so vibrant outside, seemed to have retreated, leaving the room in a soft, diffused light. His tie was already loosened, and his blazer slung over his arm. The day had been long, a whirlwind of cameras, curated smiles, and endless directions, but all of it faded from his mind the moment he stepped inside.

—Amelie?— he called out softly, dropping his bag near the entrance. No immediate answer. He walked further into the room, past the small sitting area, and into the bedroom.

There she was. Curled on the plush king-sized bed, a rumpled duvet partially covering her, looking utterly miserable. Her face was pale, almost ashen, and a fine sheen of sweat was visible on her forehead despite the cool air conditioning. Her knees were drawn up tight to her chest, and one hand was pressed firmly against her lower abdomen, as if trying to physically contain the agony. She looked… shit. Really, truly awful.

—Ames,— Lando said, his voice instantly laced with concern. He moved swiftly, discarding his blazer and tie on a nearby chair. His shirt was unbuttoned as he walked, revealing the toned expanse of his chest. Within moments, he had shed his trousers, leaving him in just his fitted black boxers. The usual playful energy he carried had been replaced by a quiet, focused tenderness.

He carefully eased himself onto the bed beside her, the mattress dipping slightly under his weight. He didn't speak, just gently pulled her closer, wrapping an arm around her, letting her head rest against his shoulder. He started to stroke her hair, a soothing, repetitive motion.

She let out a small, pained whimper, her body still tense. Even nestled against him, the pain wasn't letting up. She tried to shift, seeking a position that might offer some relief, but it seemed futile. Each subtle movement brought another grimace to her face.

Lando pressed a kiss to her temple, feeling the clamminess of her skin. —Still really bad, huh?— he murmured, his thumb rubbing small circles on her arm.

Amelie just nodded, her voice choked. —It's… it's so much worse now, Lan. I feel like I'm going to throw up.—

He held her tighter, a familiar helplessness bubbling inside him. He hated seeing her like this, so vulnerable and in so much pain. His mind raced, trying to recall anything, anything that might help. Then, a random fact, something he'd skimmed in an article months ago while procrastinating on an email, resurfaced.

He hesitated, a faint blush creeping up his neck. It sounded… well, it sounded like an excuse. But he had read it. —Hey,— he began, his voice a little unsure. —I… I read something once. About how, uh, sex can sometimes help with cramps?—

Amelie, even in her agony, managed to crack one eye open and squint at him. If this were any other day, she would have burst out laughing, probably accusing him of being a "horny bastard" or asking if he'd just pulled that out of his ass. But today, the pain was too overwhelming for witty comebacks or playful banter. She was desperate.

She let out a slow, ragged breath, her eyes closing again. After a long moment, barely audible, she whispered, —Really?—

Lando nodded, his chest vibrating against her. —Yeah, I swear. Something about… muscle contractions, or blood flow? I don't know the science, but I read it.—

Another pause, punctuated by a faint groan from Amelie. Then, a sigh of resignation. —Okay,— she mumbled, the single word heavy with pain and a surprising flicker of trust. —Okay, fine.—

A wave of relief, mixed with a healthy dose of awkwardness, washed over Lando. He gently disentangled himself from her, the warmth of her body leaving him feeling strangely cold. —Right,— he said, pushing himself up. —Just… let me get a towel first.— He didn't want to make things any more uncomfortable for her than they already were. He quickly scanned the room for a fresh bath towel, his heart a little lighter, knowing he might actually be able to offer her some real comfort.

He found a large, soft bath towel from the closet, laying it carefully over the pristine white sheets beneath where Amelie lay. As he turned back, he finally shed his last piece of clothing, his boxers pooling at his ankles before he kicked them aside. He then knelt beside the bed, his hand gently finding the waistband of her jeans.

—Let’s get these off, baby,— he murmured, his touch feather-light as he helped her unbutton and slide them down her hips. She was still wearing the loose linen blouse, but he carefully eased that off too, her body a pale, trembling landscape beneath his hands. When he reached her underwear, he paused, his eyes meeting hers. She nodded subtly, trusting him. He delicately removed them, his gaze falling on the small, crimson evidence of her period. Without a word, he took the tampon, discreetly disposing of it in the trash can in the en-suite bathroom before returning to her side.

He then returned to her side, his gaze gentle, his heart aching with concern for her. She was still curled, eyes squeezed shut, but there was a flicker of anticipation, a desperate hope for relief in her posture.

He leaned down, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. —Mi amor,— he whispered, his voice thick with tenderness. —Are you sure, baby? We don't have to.—

Amelie shook her head, a slight tremor running through her. —No. Just… please, Lan. Try.—

He nodded, understanding. He shifted, gently positioning himself over her, supporting his weight on his forearms so as not to press down on her tender abdomen. Her eyes fluttered open, meeting his, and he saw a raw vulnerability there that made his breath catch. He leaned in, kissing her softly, trying to convey all his care and adoration through the press of his lips.

As he moved closer, a soft gasp escaped her lips. The usual warmth and welcoming embrace he was accustomed to was amplified by her pain-induced tension. She was incredibly tight, a sensation that would normally drive him wild with a primal urge for dominance and speed. But now, it only fueled his resolve to be as gentle, as patient as possible. He moved slowly, deliberately, a silent question in his every careful push forward.

Her body, usually so pliant and eager, was resisting slightly, not out of unwillingness, but from the involuntary clenching of her muscles. He took his time, murmuring soft reassurances against her neck, his touch feather-light. He felt the subtle tremors running through her, and his heart clenched.

—It’s okay, baby,— he whispered, his voice low and soothing. —Just breathe. I got you.— He waited, letting her body adjust to his presence, his own breathing slowing to match hers. He felt the tightness, the delicate barrier, and he pressed forward with agonizing slowness, until finally, with a soft, strained sigh from Amelie, he was fully within her.

He paused, letting them both adjust, feeling the exquisite, almost painful grip she had on him. It was a maddening sensation, a challenge to his usual control, but he held it in check. His focus was entirely on her, on easing her discomfort. He started to move, slowly at first, barely a rhythm, just a gentle, rocking motion.

—You’re so good, mi amor,— he praised, his voice a soft murmur in the quiet room. He felt her shift, a tiny, almost imperceptible softening in her muscles as his words washed over her. Amelie always blossomed under his praise, and even now, in her agony, a faint hint of it reached her. —So beautiful. So strong.—

He watched her face, searching for any sign of change. The grimace was still there, but subtly, slowly, it began to ease. He deepened the rhythm, still tender, still gentle, but with more purpose now. He leaned down, kissing her eyelids, her cheeks, her lips, his body a warm, comforting weight against hers.

As the waves of pleasure began to build, he felt the rigidness in her slowly, mercifully begin to melt away. The tightness remained, a delicious, demanding pressure that whispered of her vulnerability and her need, driving him to be even more deliberate, more tender. He loved this feeling of being in control, but right now, his control was dedicated to her comfort, to helping her find that elusive relief.

Her breathing deepened, becoming less ragged, more rhythmic. A soft moan escaped her lips, not of pain, but of building sensation. He felt her hands tangle in his hair, her fingers gripping lightly as she arched against him, finally surrendering to the rising tide.

He kept the praise flowing, soft words of adoration, knowing how much it pleased her. —You’re amazing, Amelie. Absolutely incredible.— He felt the powerful clench of her muscles around him, a shudder running through her, and then a profound, utter release. The tension drained from her body, replaced by a soft, yielding warmth.

Suddenly, a different energy surged through Amelie. The desperate edge of pain had vanished, replaced by a deep, throbbing pleasure that coursed through her. She gasped, her eyes flying open, no longer clouded with misery but alight with desire. Her legs, which had been drawn up in a defensive crouch against the cramps, now instinctively wrapped around his waist, drawing him in even deeper, closer.

—Lando,— she breathed, her voice low and husky, entirely different from the choked whispers of moments before. Her hips began to move against his, a new, urgent rhythm emerging. —Go faster, Lan. Please.—

His breath hitched. He saw the change in her, the way her eyes now locked onto his, demanding. The subtle shift in her grip, the playful challenge in her voice despite its softness. The pain was gone. And in its place, the Amelie he knew, the one who loved to push him, to pull him deeper into their shared passion, had returned.

A dark, possessive gleam entered his eyes. His tenderness didn't vanish, but it deepened, transforming into a more powerful, unleashed care. This was what he craved, this raw, uninhibited connection with her. He leaned down, capturing her lips in a hungry kiss, and began to move as she asked, faster now, matching her newfound urgency, their bodies finally truly in sync, no longer fighting against the invisible enemy of pain. Each thrust was met with a moan from her, each deepening kiss a silent promise of pleasure.

As Lando picked up the pace, guided by her breathless pleas, the room seemed to fade away. It was just them, their intertwined bodies, the crescendo of their shared desire building with every powerful thrust. Amelie’s fingers dug into his shoulders, her moans growing louder, sweeter, no longer hinting at pain but pure, unadulterated pleasure. He felt her arch beneath him, her whole body trembling as she rode the waves, her internal muscles clenching around him in a final, exquisite grip. A raw cry tore from her throat, and moments later, with a guttural groan, Lando followed, burying his face in her neck as the tremors shook them both.

They lay tangled for a long moment, their breathing ragged, the humid air of the room heavy with their exertion. The silence that followed was profound, broken only by the slowing beat of their hearts. Lando felt the last vestiges of her tension completely dissipate, replaced by a pliant, contented softness. He lifted his head, gazing down at her, a soft smile gracing his lips. Her eyes, still heavy-lidded, met his, and a faint, satisfied blush crept across her cheeks.

—Are you… are you okay, mi amor?— he whispered, his voice still a little breathless.

Amelie let out a soft, almost purring sigh. —Yeah, Lan. More than okay. It… it actually worked.— A small, incredulous laugh escaped her. —You’re a genius.—

Lando chuckled, a warm feeling spreading through his chest. He gently shifted, pulling himself out of her body, the separation a soft, squishy sound in the quiet room. He then reached for the towel he'd laid down earlier, carefully dabbing her clean. He was meticulous, tender, ensuring she felt cared for and comfortable. As he moved, his gaze briefly flickered to his inner thigh, where a faint, dark smudge of red stained his skin. He registered it, then, without a word, simply ignored it, his focus entirely on Amelie.

Once he was sure she was as clean as possible, he pulled the duvet up, tucking it around her before carefully sliding his arms under her, lifting her easily. She was light in his arms, her body still warm and pliant from their exertion.

—Come on, baby,— he murmured, pressing a kiss to her damp hair. —Let’s get you properly clean. A nice warm shower.—

Amelie wrapped her arms loosely around his neck, resting her head against his shoulder. —Okay,— she whispered, her voice sleepy and content. She didn’t object, didn’t comment on the lingering mess, or the dampness beneath them. She simply trusted him, allowing herself to be carried, utterly exhausted but finally, blessedly, pain-free. Lando carried her from the bed, his bare feet padding softly on the cool marble floor towards the bathroom, leaving the rumpled, stained sheets behind.

[bigheartbuck]

i keep these longings locked

part i part ii mentions of abbytommy/tommy-centric/eventual bucktommy

tw: internalized homophobia/homophobic language

I promise the next bit is going to be more lighthearted!

tag list: @sweaters-and-silly (lmk if you wanna be added too) ______________________________

His chest is tight as fuck. Tommy breathes through it. Head between his knees, feels his pulse uncomfortably loud and present in his neck. Lockers have emptied out mostly. His vision is swimming. He feels like throwing up.

"Kinard? Oh shit, hey."

He can hear fast footsteps, and then a warm, big hand on his shoulder. "You got it," the voice says and Tommy's brain is desperately trying to place it. His hands are shaking. "Inhale.... hold your breath, three, two, one, ....exhale. Good. Again, come on."

By the time Tommy emerges from what feels like the deepest, darkest sea and comes up for air, he's realized that the warm hand and firm voice belong to his new captain. Hen had given him a week tops. But Nash has persevered. Four weeks and counting. Tommy would've rather been found dead before ever letting Gerrard see him like this but Nash has a softness to him. His whole lets have dinner together shtick, his we're a family and we ride together pathos, his unwavering determination to make them act like a team -- Tommy's not sure he quite fits in there. Right now, though, he's glad it's Nash who found him like this and not Howie or Hen. They'd stage an intervention immediately.

Nash hands him a water bottle, sits down next to him. "Better?"

Tommy lets out a shaky breath. “Thanks cap. I, uh, I don’t know what just happened." He rubs his hand across his face. “I don’t usually get… like this.” He forces a smile. "Guess it was a couple of tough calls."

Nash eyes him, somewhat curiously. Several beats. "Everything alright at home?" Tommy shrugs. He should go home. Sleep it off. He meets Nash's steady gaze, but there's a flicker of genuine concern. Tommy can't handle it, Nash's empathy.

"Yeah. Everything's good," he lies and reaches for his bag. Nash stops him. "Not so fast. I uh -- I'd been meaning to talk to you."

Tommy blinks, confused, his hand still hovering near the strap of his bag. He’s not sure where this is going. "Uh oh," he says dryly. His pulse is still racing and only slowly returning to normal. "Am I being fired, too?" Deluca is still pissed at Nash but Tommy knows it was the right call. He's been putting in the work, though. Doing his part. It would be really shitty timing for Nash to let him go as well.

Nash’s gaze sharpens for a moment, like he’s sizing Tommy up, and then he exhales softly. “No, you’re not getting fired.” He pauses, like he’s choosing his words carefully. Tommy's shoulders relax. "But?" he asks.

"But..." Nash continues, "I've been wondering if maybe you're not exactly who you're supposed to be."

"That so?" Tommy asks, aiming for casual. Nash doesn't know, does he? Fuck. He wonders sometimes if it's all over his face. Tommy Kinard thinks about kissing boys. Tommy Kinard is a queer. Don't ask, don't tell. But look at him, he tries so hard to be a big guy but he'd take it lying down, wouldn't he? Fuck. He needs to get his dad's voice out of his head. It's funny, the way he is still such a fuck up. How he tried to make it work so hard and how he still failed. He would've given everything to be happy with Abby.

He juts his chin forward. Nash looks at him with so much kindness it makes Tommy want to crawl out of his skin.

"You're a pilot," his captain says, oblivious to the dark spiral of Tommy's mind. Tommy exhales. Breathe. For fuck's sake. Breathe.

"And you're competent, skilled, you're quick. I'd love to keep you here. But I keep thinking maybe you belong elsewhere. And I hear the Harbor is looking for someone like you."

Tommy must look genuinely surprised because Nash lets out a huffed laugh. Tommy hasn't considered flying in years. "Seriously?"

Nash nods. "You're one of my best. But I saw the way you lit up when we called in air support last week. You loved working with them. So, my guess is, that's where your heart is."

Tommy thinks no one's ever paid attention to him like this before. His stomach unknots slowly. Shoulders uncurl.

"I'll -- I'll think about it."

Nash squeezes his shoulder. "You should. It can feel like suffocating. Denying yourself what you want."

Tommy stares down at his hands.

"Yes, cap," he says, throat working.

"Bobby." Nash points to the jeans he's wearing. "Off shift. I'm just Bobby."

"Bobby." Tommy echoes. His legs still feel like jelly.

He takes a few sips from the water. "I might --" His tongue feels heavy in his mouth.

"I might have to look for a new place soon."

He hasn't talked to Abby yet. But he needs to, has to. He wakes up, shirt soaked through with sweat at least twice a night. The darkest, deepest sea in his mind and his father's voice are so hard to turn off. He can't live like this anymore. He's been googling apartments. Abby doesn't even know yet.

"I really uh --" Tommy doesn't know why he keeps talking. "I tried to make a good thing work and it didn't work."

Bobby nods. "And that's causing the panic attacks?" He asks it matter of factly.

Tommy clears his throat. "One panic attack." Lie. But Bobby doesn't have to know or be right about everything. "And I guess --" He hesitates. "Gotta figure out some stuff. Big stuff."

Bobby doesn't say anything for a while. Keeps his gaze steady. Tommy thinks he could probably confide in him. Bobby would see the ugly, dark, twistedness of Tommy's insides and tell him it was okay. That it gets better. And the thing is, Tommy knows. He knows. He saw some kid online the other day on YouTube. They were what, 15? When Tommy was 15 -- well. He's mid thirties now, not any less terrified. It's difficult to explain, out loud. How his head works. How the stuff that goes for others, doesn't apply to him. How he's less deserving of it.

"The big stuff," Bobby says after a while. He looks at Tommy, face open. He says it like a question, gently prompting Tommy to continue.

Tommy's eyes prickle. He should go.

He exhales. "Yeah. Been pretending to be... Someone I'm not."

He's a teenager and his dad caught him with a magazine of naked men and his hand down his pants. He's in the army and Micah is kissing him. He's 34 and engaged to a beautiful woman and he feels nothing when she shakes around him.

His mouth is dry as cotton.

Bobby squeezes his shoulder. "I hear you." A beat. "Don't need to say anything else."

They sit like this for a little while longer. Then, Tommy gathers his things, shoulders his bag. The ground feels a little less shaky. His knees don't buckle. He'll find an apartment. And he'll tell Abby.

"Kinard," Bobby says when Tommy's already at the door. Tommy turns around. "Promise me you'll think about transferring, yeah? Go after what you want?"

Tommy huffs out a laugh. Shakes his head. His chest is lighter. "Aye aye cap." He gives a half hearted mock salute. What he means to say is thank you.

He's pretty sure Bobby hears it anyway.

On the way home, at a red light stop, a jeep comes to a halt next to his car. A guy leans out of the window and asks for directions to the LAFD training academy. He's young. Bright smile, short blond hair. Tommy tells him where to go and the guy thanks him profusely. "Starting a new chapter," he says enthusiastically and adjusts his backwards hat. Out of his stereo Tommy can hear hip hop blaring. Eminem. "Me, too" Tommy shouts back and watches the lights switch to orange. "Good luck then!" the guy shouts over the revving engine and grins. "See you around!"

Tommy laughs.

"You, too!"

Lights turn green.

[twiishaa]

𝄞⨾𓍢ִ໋‎♪ what you want t.oikawa x reader , comfort approx 650 words warnings i think it deteriorates pretty quickly also this is very much based on me

content you feel insecure about your future and begin to wonder how your boyfriend can follow his passion so fearlessly.

--

𓈒ㅤׂ 𝜗𝜚 “SAY, tooru,” you begin to ask the brunette boy in front of you. he stops walking and turns back to look at you. there they were again– his intense eyes always make you dizzy. it must be nice, you wonder for a second before carrying on.

“you’re going to go pro, aren’t you? –with volleyball, i mean. when you graduate?” the clauses were all mixed up and oikawa took a second to process the question before answering.

“i am, yeah– was there something wrong?” he asks in response. the evening breeze blows through your hair. it makes you look ethereal, he thinks. but there’s something else in your expression– he can tell. it’s bittersweet, and pensive.

“no! nothing wrong!” you exclaim quickly. “just thinking, it must be nice to have your heart dead set on something, and know what you’re doing. i really wish i had the guts to follow my dreams like that…” your voice trails off in something like fear, but not quite. i’ve said too much, you think quickly– you’d never bared your feelings like this before. oikawa, your boyfriend, looks… surprised? suddenly the calm evening breeze feels bitter, seeping through your skin. oikawa jogs to where you are, and clasps your hands between his.

“oh, baby,” oikawa says, a half-whisper, warm unlike the air around him. the amount of feeling spilling out from those two words made your heart ache, tears beginning to build up.

oikawa knew exactly what you meant– something was off with you ever since you handed in your career form. why didn’t he figure it out earlier? holding you in a tight hug, his warmth surrounding you, he asks again, “have you been thinking about this for a while?”

you don’t want to tell him the truth– you know it’ll hurt him. you know it’ll confirm his fears– that you’ve been jealous of your own boyfriend– envying his courage and ability to follow his dreams without any fears. but you can’t hide it anymore. softly, you nod.

oikawa knows what that means. he’s angry– not at you– at himself, because he didn’t figure it out earlier. but quickly, he looks at you, crying in his arms– and the evening breeze goes from cold to unbearable.

oikawa can tell you’re scared, more than anything. “hey, just because i’m going pro, doesn’t mean i’m not scared. i worry every night– that i’m not going to make it.”

“you’re talented though, tooru– you’ll definitely make it,” you whisper into his shoulder. he chuckles at your response. “that’s exactly what i think of you too, baby.”

the familiar scent of oikawa’s cologne grounds you. after a pause, you whisper carefully, as if sharing a secret– in a sense it was, something you’d held close to your heart forever; but you were certain oikawa would understand.

“a singer.” the collection of vinyls in your room makes sense now, oikawa thinks to himself– so did the tiktoks you reposted of covers of your favourite songs. there were little clues along the way– a genuine smile gently washes over his face. “i think you’d be an amazing singer,” he whispers genuinely; voice so full of love it was about to burst at its seams.

other than volleyball– maybe even more than it, this is what oikawa dreamt about the most– being able to be vulnerable with someone else. no one else saw you like he did, and he took pride in it. maybe it made him a selfish person– he didn’t care; all that mattered to him was you.

heartbeat ringing in your ears, you feel light. the ‘childish’ dream you’ve had since you were five begins to feel a little real on this dimly lit road– and all it took was whispering it to the person you treasured the most.

you look up at oikawa. now, you meet his eyes full of determination with yours, a hidden passion slowly starting to emerge, colouring your irises brighter than ever before. “can i go and change my career form?” you ask, giggling.

“of course.” oikawa grabs hold of your hand and starts running back to school, the breeze warming up as the evening gives way.

note this is your sign to follow your dreams💞 i've been having this crisis in my head for so long

⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆ like what you read? here’s the masterlist! ٩(๑❛ᴗ❛๑)۶

[winningmymind]

Some twinyard angst for ya

Aaron gets a head injury during exy against a particularly rough team and he passes out briefly. When he wakes up, Aaron can't remember anyone but Nicky, and is diagnosed with temporary amnesia. Ofc the Foxes are concerned and try to jog his memory quicker, but the Monsters are the main ones viscerally affected that Aaron only remembers Nicky and can't remember his twin Andrew at all.

Andrew especially is determined to get Aaron to remember him, Betsy Dobson notes in their solo therapy sessions (the joint twin one is postponed due to Aaron's amnesia) how Andrew feels uncomfortable that Aaron can forget his existence and how he wants to kill the away team's striker for causing Aaron's head injury.

Aaron, on the other hand, is surprised and a bit heartened at this many people caring about his wellbeing. The Monsters find hope in Aaron instinctively reacting to things that piss him off like Kevin's annoying health diet he keeps pushing on everyone or Neil's uncontrolled lovey dovey eyes towards Andrew or Nicky's inappropriate flirting when a hot man is around. It's small signs that Aaron can come back to them and Andrew latches onto it because even though his brother is physically here with him, it's not the same emotionally, and it makes Andrew long for the letter Aaron originally sent him when his twin wanted to know everything about Andrew instead of looking at Andrew like a stranger that shares his face.

"You don't remember who I am?"

"No. Sorry."

"But you killed for me."

[magisav]

Shadows of the Hamato Master list

Summary:

A year after the Kraang invasion, Leo still struggles with his failures and the weight of leadership. Determined to grow stronger, he makes the painful decision to leave for Japan, training to become the leader his family deserves. But after a year, a deep unease stirs within him through his ninpo. He returns home—only to find the lair in ruins, his family gone, and the Foot Clan's insignia flying over what was once their home. Believing them dead, Leo wages a ruthless one-man war against the Foot, hunting them relentlessly.

But his family is alive—held captive by Shen, the new, ruthless leader of the Foot. A cunning and powerful mystic, Shen seeks to steal the Hamato Clan’s ninpo, intending to ascend beyond mortality and reshape the world in her image. With the Foot under her control and power within reach, she will stop at nothing to claim what she believes is hers.

Unaware of the full extent of her plans, Leo has one goal: to destroy the Foot and make their leader pay.

Ao3 Link: Shadows of the Hamato

My Art

Character Sheets: Leo,

Title

Cover

Ch. 3 The Journey

Ch. 14 Return to Ruin

Fanart

Ch. 10 Portal Leo by @eggbem It's beautiful and amazing and I am in awe!

Ch. 3 Journey by @shaotie The colors, the background, I can't take my eyes off it.

[callofthefae]

1. My eighteen-pocket coat that I sewed 18 years ago (it fits everything in it!), my phone, and all of my Loreena McKennitt records.

2. Annachie Gordon by (big shock here) Loreena McKennitt. It’s arguably the most haunting song of all time and I highly recommend it.

3. I love reading, listening to music, daydreaming, singing, writing, learning new things, ranting about topics I’m interested in, sewing, and playing the many instruments I can.

4. I don’t really celebrate holidays that much, but I participate at the local Beltane festival every year, and it’s mystical in a way I cannot describe.

5. I am a singer, author, instrumentalist, actress, anthropologist, and painter.

6. I’m going to be honest, I have too many different friend groups to choose one person who I hang out with. (I also have quite the tendency for reclusiveness, so….) If I had to choose one person, it would probably be my friend and band member, Dan Walsh, who I’ve known since I was eight.

7. One hundred percent night owl. I’ve been staying up till sunrise reading since I was four.

8. If I had to choose, probably llamas! They’re adorable and interesting!

9. I am nothing if not extremely introverted. It’s one of the reasons why I don’t tour often (also why I don’t act that much despite many offers). People usually exhaust me.

10. No! Quite frankly, I’m very glad I don’t.

11. Sort of cottagecore mixed with light and dark academia. I do dress more casually often, though, but I love wearing more fashionable outfits.

12. I love bad movies, so my favourite movie would probably be Joshua and the Promised Land, a horrid movie that I found on DVD at a thrift store last year. The animation’s awful, the story’s confusing, it’s a Christian movie, it’s so bad it’s perfect. My friend Tony is a film buff, so I enjoy traumatising him and making him watch these with me.

13. Crushes? Mayhaps, but despite my hopelessly romantic nature, I am romantically hopeless.

14. Libra. Honestly, I despise the idea that these in any way, shape or form determine your personality.

15. Anything that involves bread or cheese!

16. I am a musician and anthropologist, travelling is a part of the job. My travels throughout the world have influenced the music I make.

17. Again, it’s kind of part of the job, although I may have gone a bit overkill with them. I can play twenty-nine, most notably the harp, hurdy-gurdy, Byzantine Lyra, bagpipes, fiddle, piano, accordion, bouzouki, cello, and oud.

18. I don’t really have anyone I’d call my best friend, but Dan, as I mentioned earlier, has been my friend for the longest and is one of the most wonderful people I’ve ever met.

19. Maybe not a least favourite, but I distaste the taste of chocolate. I also despise seafood.

20. Áine Noelle O’Cleary. Áine for the Queen of the Elves, and Noelle for…actually, I have no fecking clue why that’s my middle name. I guess my parents just liked the sound?

21. Actually, not at all! I love savoury and salty things, though.

22. I don’t really have any nicknames. Perhaps it’s because my name’s already short? A friend of mine who constantly will come up with the oddest wordplays for another friend of ours whose last name starts with Mc has tried some with my surname, but nothing has stuck.

23. The phrase “lock in”, proshippers, socialism, people who don’t understand that you can think something is immoral without thinking it should be illegal, bi erasure, ace/aro erasure, gender roles/stereotypes, conformity, people who don’t believe in true love, people who don’t have a sense of wonder, people who don’t take anything seriously, people, monolingualism, anti-intellectualism, over-consumption.

24. No, but I’ve thought about getting a cat!

25. Staying at home!

QUESTIONS TO ANSWER AS YOUR 𝒟R 𝒮ELF ✸

ib this post from @zaddizu & heavily ib premiumbitch ★

#1. what are 3 items you can’t live without?

#2. favorite song?

#3. what are your hobbies?

#4. favorite holiday?

#5. what do you do for a living?

#6. who is someone you always hangout with?

#7. are you a night person or a morning person?

#8. favorite animal?

#9. introvert or extrovert?

#10. do you have siblings?

#11. how do you dress?

#12. favorite movie / tv show?

#13. do you have a crush / significant other?

#14. what’s your zodiac sign?

#15. what’s your favorite snack?

#16. do you travel a lot?

#17. do you play instruments?

#18. who is your best friend?

#19. least favorite food?

#20. what’s your name?

#21. do you have a sweet tooth?

#22. nicknames your family or friends call you?

#23. what is something that annoys you?

#24. do you have a pet?

#25. do you prefer going out or staying at home?

[shosweet]

try again (02)

timeskip!kageyama x reporter!reader

pt 1 here

the wind blows through your hair as you sit on a small bench, the buildings below illuminating the sky. an uncomfortable silence sits in the air, throats shut tight as you somehow managed to look away from him.

“so… how is it? playing for adlers,” you say, breaking the silence. he blinks.

“it’s good… i thought this wasn’t the interview yet,” he states.

“it isn’t, just seeing how you’re doing,” you huff. he’s still as clueless as ever, words jumping right over his head as he replies with a small “oh.”

“i’m sorry,” he suddenly says. you look at him, a little taken aback.

“no, don’t be, that was rude of m—”

“you didn’t let me finish.” he snaps not out of anger, but out of desperation. a need to get things off his chest. you purse your lips and let him continue.

“i’m sorry for everything.”

he’s still looking away, fingers gripping his pants as his bangs danced in the wind.

“i should’ve said something to you, should’ve told you a lot more while we were still talking.” you know he’s right, heck, he’s taking the words right from your mouth.

“not just you, tobio. you were just caught up with volleyball. i know how much it meant to you, so i let you leave.” he winces with defeated eyes, knowing you’re right, too.

“but, i can’t stop, tobio.” he looks at you, eyes widened with a shimmer of hope.

“i can’t stop my work, my career, my life — i worked so hard just to be where i am now, and i’m only getting started. i just can’t stop that for you. but, i won’t stop you from yours, either.” he lowers his head again, feeling a loss that weighed heavier than when he’d lose a game. you blink away tears, your body splitting apart at the seams.

“i won’t stop either, then,” he says, facing you, determined and headstrong. you return his gaze, his expression softening yet unwavering.

“i won’t stop trying to make it right,” his voice a hushed tone, leaning a bit towards you.

“because never once did you stop running through my mind.”

he’s closer now, almost inches away from your face as his knee brushes against yours.

“i can’t put into words how much you mean to me, how sorry i am. but, i can show you, only if you let me.”

you pause, looking down at his fingers gripping his pants. his knuckles white with restraint as he so desperately wants to reach out to you again. you think everything over, head dizzy with all these thoughts and feelings. you could never tell what was weighing on him back in high school, all the words he never got to tell you.

but, one thing’s for certain — you knew he was trying.

and right now, his desire to reach you again was unshakable and beyond undeniable, every fiber in his body trembling with a need for you.

as much as you wanted to reject it, you felt the same way.

“meet me for the interview then, saturday, 8 o’clock. our spot?”

you see a shooting star through his eyes — or maybe, it’s just that shimmer of hope he’s been waiting for. as he’s about to smile, he tilts his head to the side with an eyebrow slightly raised.

“i thought this was our spot though…?”

“that restaurant by the school, dumbass,” you chuckled as you rolled your eyes.

“stealing lines now, are we?” he chuckles back. you share a small laugh, leaning into each other. a feeling washes over you, one you never thought would come again — it all just feels right.