#its already been out for like.. 2 months..

[urmum-lovesme]

Bunny (P14)

Rafe Cameron x Maybank!Reader

summary: Struggling to keep her and JJ’s home afloat, Y/N turns to the only option that guarantees fast cash- stripping at a club on the Cut. But when Rafe Cameron catches her in the act, he sees the perfect opportunity to tighten his grip around her life.

a/n: Whelp- after 2 months of waiting here's what everyone's been longing for.... Jeez Louise, I did re-write and re-read this a few times cause it's pretty intense so I hope you all feel the same heart shattering feeling I did when I re-read this for the last time.

warnings: angst angst angst, extremely violent behaviour, abuse, broken bottles, bleeding, implication of drug abuse, alcohol, injuries, abusive father, domestic abuse, mentions of past trauma, sad!rafe, sad!bunny, soft!rafe.

(P1) (P2) (P3) (P4) (P5) (P6) (P7) (P8) (P9) (P10) (P11) (P12) (P13) (P14)

The silence clung to the walls like thick and choking smoke and the heels sat perfectly placed on the coffee table like some cruel centre piece. Her eyes couldn’t leave them. Her chest was so tight she felt like her throat was constricted as she stood frozen. It was quiet except for the low buzz of the lamp beside Luke, shadows flickering on the walls and across his face. She could hear the faint hum of the fridge in the kitchen but every mundane noise around her felt too loud- like the whole house was holding its breath just like she was. Luke shifted, just slightly, a lazy movement of him casually leaning back into the couch, his eyes flicked up to her with a sick kind of amusement,

“Didn’t think I’d find out, huh?”

His voice was gravelly, thick with liquor and something else that she'd become much too familiar with- something clearly much stronger and it clung to every word. She didn’t answer right away, her mouth was too dry and her fingers were twitching at her sides, but she forced herself not to flinch. Her heart thudded against her ribs like it wanted to escape.

Run.

Hide.

She felt… small.

Small in the way she hadn’t felt in years, small like a little girl caught with something behind her back waiting for the consequence. But she vowed to herself years ago that she wasn’t a little girl anymore, so she straightened. Her spine stiff, shoulders squaring as much as she could manage under the weight pressing down on her. She made her voice as steady as she could, dragging the words up from somewhere deep inside her chest as she took a few steps away from the front the door into the house.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about...”

She hated how it sounded, too light, too rehearsed and much too defensive. Luke didn’t move- he didn’t need to. His presence was already a vice around her lungs. Instead he just gave a low, bitter laugh, shaking his head like she was the one being ridiculous.

“No?” he rasped, “Then maybe these just walked in all on their own...?”

He nodded toward the shoes with a mocking jerk of his chin and she swallowed thickly, jaw tightening,

“You went through my stuff-”

“-I live here, don’t I?”

He slurred, as if that made his actions justified. As if being under this roof gave him permission to dig into pieces of her that didn’t belong to him- that she'd worked so incredibly hard to keep a secret.

“You have no right—”

“-I have every right to know what my daughter’s doing for money.” He leaned forward now moving his elbows on his knees and even in the dim light she could see the bloodshot gleam in his eyes.

“So tell me sweetheart, how much do they pay you to walk around like a whore?”

The word hit like a slap and her whole body went stiff. There it was. No more dancing around the subject. No more fake passive tone- he’d said it out loud, and it sounded ugly. Her nails dug into her palms and the heat behind her eyes built fast, but she blinked it back.

“Don’t call me that.”

She said, voice low and he smirked like it was funny. Like she was amusing him, then he took a sip from his glass the melting ice clinking lazily around the small amount of liquid left.

“Why not? That's what you do, right? You dance for men- let ‘em stuff their dirty little bills wherever they want. Bet you like that, huh?”

She wanted to scream, to throw something at him and run. But she didn’t, she stood her ground, even though every part of her felt like it was going to collapse in on itself. She whispered out bitterly,

“You don’t know anything about me”

“Oh- I know enough.”

His words slurred at the edges a cold silence fell between them again. She looked at him- really looked at him. The man sitting on the couch wasn’t a father. Not the kind she’d spent her childhood wishing would show up to school plays or bandage her scraped knees. This was just a shell, hollowed out and rotting from the inside out, drenched and drowning in whiskey and maybe it had always been this way. She took a breath, the weight of it cutting sharp through her lungs.

“No you don't”

"Someone’s feeling brave tonight.”

Luke’s mouth twitched into something mean but she didn’t flinch- she refused to give him the satisfaction her cowering. Even when he stood up, her eyes didn’t leave the shoes on the coffee table. He stumbled slightly as he rose, and the half-empty glass he’d abandoned wobbled on the edge of the table where he'd placed it down. She took a breath, deep and slow and the floorboard beneath her creaked quietly in the otherwise suffocating silence around them.

“Where did you get those?”

She asked, voice low but clear whilst her eyes flicked up from the heels to his face, searching for confirmation of what she already knew. Luke was already pushing himself further away from the couch, movements sluggish, as he uncoordinatedly dragged his shoes against the floor. He swayed toward her, close enough now that she could smell it, cheap whiskey that clung to him.

“None of your damn business.”

Her jaw tightened, “They were under my bed,” she said slower this time, “why were you in my room....” He didn’t answer right away, just sneered. The lamp’s light hit the sharp planes of his face, deepening the shadows under his eyes, casting an eerie glow along his jaw.

"Were you looking for mone-"

“-I said,” he repeated, his voice dropping into a slurred mockery, “none of your goddamn business.”

She didn’t flinch, but she felt her pulse hammer in her throat. Her skin prickled with cold, even as heat burned in her chest. She said stiffly, crossing her arms, though her fingers trembled, “They aren’t mine” He laughed then, an ugly sound that rattled in his chest and echoed around the living room. Not amused but spiteful. “Oh, right,” he said, teeth bared in something that was definitely not a smile.

“Right. Some other girl’s little hooker heels live under your bed.”

Before she could say anything back, before the breath could even reach her lungs- he picked the heels up with one unsteady hand and hurled them. The sound was sharper than she expected, a hard clatter of plastic striking the floorboards, the left heel bouncing once before skidding to a stop at her feet. She didn’t move- stood completely still- arms at her sides, fingers trembling faintly like static was moving beneath her skin. The heels lay crooked at her feet, their rhinestones catching the warm light and glinting like they were mocking her. The other rested just beside it, half-twisted, the clear strap folded in on itself like it was ashamed. Luke’s breathing was ragged now, heavy in the quiet room. She could feel him watching her, could feel the pressure of his gaze, like it was trying to crawl under her skin, tear into whatever defences she had left. “Go on,” he muttered,

“Pick ’em up, you need ‘em for your shift tonight.”

Y/N's vision sharpened, then blurred around the edges as she kept her eyes on the shoes. She wanted to scream, wanted to cry, but instead she swallowed hard and she said nothing because if she opened her mouth now, she wasn’t sure what would come out. Not even as her father narrowed his bloodshot eyes at her, studying her with the kind of loathing that seeps deeper than a blade. Her spine stayed stiff and she slowly meets his stare. She refuses to drop her gaze. Luke lets out a rough exhale, then turns, staggering back toward the couch. She watches every movement like a hawk, the weight of her heartbeat thunderous in her ears. He reaches for a bottle on the table, half-balanced between ashtrays and pill bottles. His fingers curl around the neck of it and he tips it back. Nothing. The bottle’s empty. He stares at it, eyes vacant and lips curling in disgust and then—

He turns and throws the glass bottle across the room.

The sound is sudden. It hits the wall just behind her and shatters, exploding into glittering shards like fireworks. She gasps- a small, strangled sound- and her hands instinctively fly up to shield herself as fragments rain down and clink against the floor. One shard bounces and skims across her arm, leaving a stinging trail of red. She’s still frozen, chest rising and falling too fast, breath catching in her throat. Luke’s voice cuts through the moment, “You’re just like your mother,” he spits, tone low and cruel.

“Whoring yourself out to the whole damn island.”

Her stomach drops, “Stop,” she breathes,“Stop it.” She tries to keep her voice even, but it quivers as she glances toward the hallway- toward the small, cracked door at the end... JJ’s room. She can’t- he can’t hear this. Her voice sharpens, panicked.

“Please. Just— keep your voice down or you'll wake him up.”

Luke ignores her- he smirks, “What?” he taunts. “You’re embarrassed now?” He throws his head back and laughs amused,

“You’re embarrassed aren't you-”

“-stop raising your voice!”

She snaps, quieter than before but more desperate, her words shaking, “Please stop.” He steps toward her again. Too fast. She doesn’t even have time to move as he grabs her chin- fingers digging in hard, rough- yanking her face up to meet his. The pressure sends a bolt of pain through her jaw and she lets out a quiet gasp.

“Shut the fuck up”

He growls, his breath is hot and too close flooding her senses smothering her. Her eyes sting, and her heart is thudding against her ribs so loud it might claw its way through her skin. Her breath is barely there now, shallow and trembling. She doesn’t dare look toward JJ’s door again. For a moment- just a breath- there’s stillness and Luke’s hand drops from her chin, fingers uncurling like a slow release of pressure. She exhales shakily, chest tight with dread. Her face throbs where his grip had been but he let go and maybe that means he’s don—

His arm swings.

The slap comes without warning- a violent CRACK echoing through the small living room like a gunshot. Her head whips to the side from the impact and a choked sound leaves her throat, barely a cry. Her vision goes white for a second as the sting blooms across her cheekbone. She stumbles backward- legs buckling- and she crashes down hard onto the floor. Her hip hits the edge of a chair, knocking it sideways. Wood scrapes across the floor, loud and jarring and she lands on her ass with a thud, palms hitting the ground to catch herself. She’s dazed her ears ringing and the room sways slightly.

From down the hall, there’s the creak of a door opening.

“...What the hell?”

JJ’s voice, groggy, still thick with sleep as he mumbles more to himself than anyone else. His figure rounds the corner, rubbing his eyes with the bottom of his t-shirt which is rumpled from sleep. But then he stops- freezes mid-step. His eyes drop to the scene, Y/N on the floor dazed one hand holding the side of her face, a toppled chair beside her. They hadn’t spoken since their argument and even though it cut them deep and left them both angry and raw, it didn’t matter now. Whatever was said, whatever tension hung between them, he wasn’t about to stand there and watch their father raise a hand to her. Not after all the times she’d stood up for him- shielded him, defended him when no one else would. Luke staggered forward again with his hand raised like he’s about to strike again and JJ’s whole body snaps into motion.

“Hey-!”

He grabs Luke’s wrist mid-air just before it can strike and shoves him back hard. Luke stumbles, nearly tripping over the coffee table but steadies himself with a growl, face flushed with rage and drunkenness. His eyes burn with fury as he shoves JJ right back, sending him a step back toward the wall, feet barely avoiding the broken glass on the floor by his feet. JJ doesn’t stumble far- he’s too steady for that and the second he finds his footing again, he attempts to put himself between Y/N and their father. His arm automatically moves in front of her like a shield but Luke’s chest is heaving his voice slurring with venom as he spits over JJ's shoulder to the girl on the floor,

“Get out of this house.”

The words cut through the space harshly. Y/N’s ears are still ringing, but she hears it and it's like a slap all over again. Her head lifts slowly, lips parted. “...What?” Her voice is weak, barely a whisper whilst JJ’s eyes flash with confusion,

“What?”

He echoes incredulous but Luke isn’t listening. He pushes past JJ, snarling like a wild dog. And before either of them can react, he grabs Y/N by the hair- fist twisted tight as he yanks her up from the floor like a rag doll. She lets out a sharp cry, her hands flying up to grab at his arm, fingers scrabbling and nails digging into his skin. JJ’s shout in protest breaks like thunder, hands already reaching to wrench her free, but Luke holds steadily, dragging her upward until she’s on her knees, her neck straining under the pull. The pain is blinding and her scalp screams at the pressure- vision going spotty and through it all her heart pounds. “Stop.” JJ’s voice comes low and firm, no longer confused, no longer groggy and his hands are on Luke again, trying to pry him off her.

“Dad get off of her”

He’s practically wrestling Luke now, arms locked around his to break his grip. Y/N’s face is tight with pain quiet whimpers escaping her lips involuntarily, her knees barely finding balance on the hardwood, her scalp still burning from the pull.

“JJ stop-”

She gasps out, voice cracking, because although she doesn't want to admit it she knows this can get worse. Luke snarls and shoves JJ back, catching him off balance. The blonde boy stumbles, trying to recover, but Luke follows fast and grabs him by the collar of his T-shirt, jerking him forward like he weighs nothing. Then he shoves JJ back so violently, he knocks his shin on the coffee table and flies into the couch. The cushions buckle under his weight, and he hits the backrest hard, a grunt punched out of him as the wind is knocked from his lungs. He curls forward slightly, hand on his ribs, trying to catch his breath.

“Jay—”

Y/N calls out as she pushes herself up and takes a step toward him, reaching out instinctively- but Luke catches her by the back of her top. He wrenches her to a stop like he owns her and her breath catches in her throat as she feels the fabric of her shirt pull tight around her collarbones, choking her slightly. Voice like acid Luke speaks out;

“I won’t have a prostitute in my house.”

It’s not shouted, it’s spat, full of filth and shame.

Her entire body goes still, not just frozen- but paralysed, like her soul stepped out of her skin. JJ looks up at them, finally catching enough air to sit upright again and for the first time since he appeared, he hears what this argument is even about. Every nerve in the room goes electric and the silence that follows is louder than the violence. Y/N’s face pales and her jaw tightens- but her eyes… they’re glassy. Because in that moment, her worst fear is real- JJ's looking at her eyes wide and unmoving

He's still sitting on the couch his chest rising and falling, watching. Watching frozen as Luke picks up the heels from the floor and hurls them across the room. They bounce off Y/N’s thigh with a sharp thud, then clatter uselessly to the floor by her feet again. She flinches, her lip trembling, tears gathering like stormwater.

“Dad... please”

She whispers, her voice wrecked, her hands up now palms half-raised like she’s pleading, not sure whether to defend herself or beg. Luke turns, sneering like a madman, he points at her but addresses JJ,

“Your sister here’s been slutting herself out to the whole island” His head tips mockingly, his tone acidic.

“Haven’t you sweetheart?”

She breaks- just completely breaks. “Please,” she cries, her voice ragged, barely recognizable.

"Working as a fucking stripper thinking we wouldn't find out?

“Please stop—”

“GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!”

He bellows and Y/N snaps back, trembling from head to toe. Her face is wet with tears, her eyes red and wide with disbelief.

“I pay for this house,” she chokes out, “I pay for everything-”

Luke’s arm lashes out toward the table. His hand grabs a beer bottle, half-full, sticky, and hurls it at her CRASH. It explodes on the wall next to her and JJ flinches from his spot on the couch as the glass rains down scattering near her feet the warm alcohol landing in warm splatters over her skin.

“GET OUT!”

Luke roars out again, the veins in his neck pulsing. She’s sobbing now- deep, guttural, humiliating sobs she’s never let out before, not in public, not even alone- never like this. Her gaze flicks to JJ, still slumped slightly forward on the couch. His face is blank and she can tell he's still stunned, still trying to process. Not just the violence but the truth behind his fathers words because surely this cant be true... He’s never seen his father like this. Not this bad. “JJ,” she gasps out through her sobs.

“Please I can explain…”

But he doesn’t move- he can’t. His father is standing right in front of him, tall and wild and swaying like a storm with legs, casting a shadow over JJ like he’s eight years old again hiding defensively in his bedroom whilst he listens to his sister taking the blows of his fathers anger through the cracked wooden door.

“We don’t want your dirty fucking money”

Luke snarls, he spits the words out each syllable laced with years of resentment and JJ finally starts to rise, hands bracing against the cushions but Luke is already on her. He storms over to her like a force of nature, grabbing her by the arm, yanking her toward the front door.

“Get off me”

She sobs through her tears, but it’s useless. “Y/N!?” JJ calls out, but he’s caught between the couch and Luke as the older man throws open the door like it’s nothing, pushing her onto the porch. Her feet stumble, scraping over the wood as she tries to gain footing but Luke is relentless.

JJ pushes through the doorway now protests falling from his mouth, but Luke has momentum. He manhandles her through the porch, down the steps, and shoves her hard- her knees hit the grass outside the house. She lands with a choked sob, both palms and knees scraping against the dirt, her breath punched from her lungs as she crumples in the dark yard. The porch light flickers above her like it’s ashamed and JJ follows after her, heart pounding, reaching out but Luke twists back and-

Slams a palm into JJ’s face.

“NO!”

Y/N cries out from the ground as JJ stumbles back hand flying to his cheek, eyes narrowed in pain as the sting sets in. Blood flushes to the surface, his tanned skin blooming with the red shape of a palm. Luke turns his head back towards her slowly, locking eyes with her again. His lip curling with disgust,

“Don’t fucking come back,” he growls, low and final. “You hear me?”

He turns to JJ grunting out, “Get in”

Luke mutters his voice sour, then he shoves the blonde boy one firm hand in the centre of JJ’s chest pushing him hard enough that he stumbles backward into the house, nearly tripping over the edge of the carpet. JJ barely catches himself, breath hitching in his throat. Luke doesn’t look at him again, instead, he turns back to the porch, to the night, to her. Y/N is still on her knees in the grass, chest heaving with desperate sobs, her arms limp now at her sides. The tears streak her cheeks like messy rivers and Luke sneers at the sight of her like she’s filth he stepped in and then he lifts his arm again.

Whip

The heels sail through the air- those stupid plastic heels. They hit the ground a few feet away from her with a soft thud, not nearly dramatic enough for how much they meant meerly a few moments ago. One lands upside down, the other on its side.

Pitiful.

Y/N stares at them.

Settled awkwardly in the grass like discarded trash, like they’re a symbol of everything she tried to hide, everything she gave up to survive. Luke stands there in the doorway just second longer, long enough to let the insult settle into the silence between them.

SLAM

The door crashes shut behind him, the frame trembling and Y/N is left outside alone in the dark. On her knees surrounded by the pieces of her life now scattered in the grass. She doesn’t know how long she’s been sitting there, could’ve been five minutes, could’ve been twenty. Time stopped making sense the moment the door slammed behind her, the moment the grass kissed her knees and refused to let go. Her legs are numb now, tingling from the way she's been sat in this kneeling position. Stiff from how she’s been folded on them like a prayer left unanswered. Her breath still hitches every so often broken, shivering sobs leaving her in empty exhales.

Eventually, with a soft whimper of effort, she drags herself forward. The grass is dry beneath her palms, dust rough against her skin as she reaches for the shoes- the stupid fucking heels. She picks them up, fingers curling around the plastic, the weight of them suddenly so heavy it makes her stomach twist and then she stands on shaky legs.

She doesn't even look back at the house.

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

Y/N sits in her car the engine off, the world around her still. She’s in the parking lot tucked-away in their spot. Hidden from the rest of the world. Her arms rest heavy in her lap and the heels sit beside her on the passenger seat, one of the straps dangling limply. Her fingers twitch, the pads of them an angry red. Her hands sting with every shift- scraped and bruised from the way she'd hit the ground. Her knees burn too, and her cheek is swollen and hot, the imprint of Luke’s hand still burning on her skin like a brand. Her head feels like it might split open from the ache thumping behind her eyes.

It all hurts.

Inside and out

Her hands weakly fumble into her back pocket, digging through the fabric until she finds it- her phone. When she pulls it out, the screen is cracked, not enough to kill it but spiderwebbed across the top corner. It must’ve been crushed when she fell- when Luke slapped her and her whole body crumpled like it wasn’t hers. The screen lights up:

1:37 AM.

The numbers blur as her vision wavers, her thumb hovers for a second and then moves before she can stop herself. Before she can think and before she can remember all the reasons she shouldn’t. She dials the number at the top of her call-list, it rings once then twice and her breath snags in her throat.

“Y/N?”

Rafe’s voice rings out rough and confused, it can be heard the way his tone changes over the phone, like he feels her discomforting silence crawling through the line.

“What’s wrong?”

Her lips part but nothing comes out just air and pain and then- she breaks. The sob rips out of her so fast, so hard, it nearly chokes her up in the process. She curls over herself in the driver’s seat, her forehead pressing to the steering wheel, phone clutched so tight to her ear it might snap “Y/N- hey, hey,” Rafe says, instantly alert now, voice taut,

“Are you okay? What's wrong? Talk to me- speak to me please...”

She can’t get words out, just more sobs start to wrack her body, more gasps for breath as fat tears start to drip down onto her thighs as she sits hunched over.

“Where are you, baby?” he asks, voice cracking with worry. “Where are you—”

“-our spot...”

She whispers, it’s the only thing she can manage, a broken little breath between sobs. He doesn’t hesitate after her voice slips through his phone speaker.

“Okay. Okay- stay there, yeah? Stay right there”

He says already moving. You can hear it in the background through the scraping of a chair against hard wood floor followed by the shuffle of keys and a door opening and closing.

“I’m coming- I’m coming right now just hold on for me okay?”

She nods even though he can’t see it, phone still pressed against her cheek, tears spilling faster now. He doesn't put the phone down - instead keeps their call going- his hearing straining for her every little breath to have some kind of sign she's still there- she's still okay. As Rafe slid into his car, his mind flickered back to just hours before, to the words that had rooted themselves in his skull, echoing on a brutal loop no matter how hard he tried to shut them out.

“I can’t do this with you, Rafe.”

She’d said it with tears in her eyes, voice breaking as she backed away like he was something that disgusted her- something dangerous. And maybe he was. But he hadn’t expected the rejection to feel like this, like something ripping open inside him. His grip tightened around the wheel as he remembered how he’d just stood there in the lot of the country club after she drove off, his eyes fixed on the empty space her car had occupied like she might somehow reappear if he stared long enough. He didn’t even remember the drive back to Tannyhill, just the heaviness pressing in on him.

He’d gone straight into his father’s office and sat in the leather chair like a ghost. Motionless and numb. The desk drawer had remained closed, but his thoughts had locked on it all the same, on the small plastic baggie inside that he hadn’t touched in months. The urge was there gnawing at him from the inside, whispering to him.

But he never reached for it.

Because then the call came.

And now, as he pulled out of Tannyhill’s tall gates, headlights cutting through the dark, her voice still echoed in his ear, this time not distant and cold but raw and trembling. Even after everything she’d said to him, after he’d laid his heart bare and she’d begged him not to make her feel something she wasn’t ready for- he didn’t hesitate.

Not for a single second.

She’d shut him down, left him standing there with his love hanging heavy between them but this? Her voice breaking on the other end of the line- scared, small and needing him?

There’s no version of the world where he won't run to her.

Time doesn’t move the way it used to, instead it feels like it stretches, she can't even tell how much time has passed since she first dialled his number. Her phone’s still pressed against her cheek the sound of the cars's repetitive turn signal filling the phone speaker.

She’s shifted now, her feet hanging out the open door of her car, her side pressed into the back of the seat. Her knees are drawn up a little, arm which isn't holding the phone is wrapped around herself, fingers gripping onto the material of her once white work polo. Her body aches in every direction, sharp stings in her hands and knees, the throb in her cheek- it's almost unbearable, and her head?

It aches so badly.

From all the crying.

She didn’t know it was possible to cry this much, didn’t know there could still be more left to spill. She sniffles softly, wiping at her eyes, but it does nothing. The tears keep coming. Slow and silent. Her throat is raw, her breathing shallow and she’s so tired it feels like her bones are humming. She's broken out of her trance when headlights sweep across the lot and her eyes flicker up. The familiar sleek black Range Rover rolls in slow, pulling up a few yards away from her car. It cuts its engine, and for the smallest second, the world is quiet until the driver’s door flings open. Rafe is out of the car before it fully settles, rounding it quickly, shoes hitting against the cement and he doesn’t hesitate as he jogs over to her. He doesn’t say anything at first just sees her- really sees her- and his whole face drops.

Her smeared makeup.

The swelling on her cheek.

The trembling in her hands.

The way her eyes, red and puffy, meet his with so much hurt it nearly floors him.

“It’s okay.”

He exhales softly, stepping up to her and that’s all it takes because she's breaking again, crumpling forward with a soft wrecked sob, her body tipping forward her head falling against him right into his stomach as he stands in front of her. He stiffens for the briefest second, startled by the sudden contact, her body curling so small against him. But then, without a word, one of his hands comes up to her head- fingers gently running over her hair, stroking carefully, tenderly. The other hand rubs slow circles into her back. He doesn’t flinch at the sound of her sobs soaking into his t-shirt. He doesn’t push her away- doesn't dare- he just holds her, anchors her the best he can. It’s quiet, just the sound of waves in the distance and her breathing uneven against him. Eventually, he gently guides her back to lean against the car seat, crouching down to her level. One hand lifts to her face. His thumb traces over the edge of her cheekbone, featherlight over the angry red skin, his touch is heartbreakingly soft. "Talk to me hmm?” he murmurs, voice low, eyes searching hers.

“What happened?”

Her lips part and her throat works but no sound comes out- not at first. Her eyes blink slow and heavy, glassy with exhaustion and then her voice finally breaks.

“I don’t have anywhere to go.”

The words come out small and fuck- he feels it in his chest like a punch, something fierce and ugly rising in his throat. His jaw clenches, heart physically aching at the way she says it- like she’s apologising for even existing. He kneels properly now, closer, palms on either side of her arms, grounding her.

"I don't know what to do I- I- dont know-"

“It’s okay- just breathe Y/N. You look like you're about to pass out just breathe baby.”

He says it again, quieter this time. As he kneels fully in front of her, his eyes flicker over her, taking in the brunt of her injuries, and for a second, everything slows. Her hands are both scraped raw, skin irritated and dirt-smeared, little pieces of gravel stuck to her palms. Her knees are red and scuffed, theres a cut on her arm, a thin slash still weeping slightly with red. Her cheek- god her cheek? It’s red and swollen, blooming with a bruised hue, the shape of a handprint faint but unmistakable. Her eyes are watery, lashes stuck together and mascara smudged from the crying. Her hair’s a mess looking like it's been tugged viciously out of place, and her whole body looks like it’s fighting just to stay upright. “C’mon,” he says, his voice quiet but urgent now, thumb brushing lightly against her arm to get her to look at him.

“We need to get you to a doctor-”

“-no.”

It comes out before he even finishes. She shakes her head hard, panicked, her body tensing.

“No Rafe. No doctors... please.”

He exhales sharply, biting down on the inside of his cheek as he runs a hand over his buzzed hair. He’s not mad at her- not at her. He’s mad at this. At everything that got her to this point. At the fact that she’s more scared of being helped than staying hurt. “Y/N,” he says, voice lower now, gentler in fear of scaring her.

“You’re hurt—”

“Please.” Her voice cracks. “No doctors Rafe- please don’t make me, they'll ask questions and I can't-.”

Her voice cracks at the end of the sentence and it makes his jaw tick, chest rising and falling in a sigh, but finally he just nods, forcing the tension out of his shoulders as he drops his hand to her knee. “Okay,” he says softly. “Okay. No doctors.” He stares at her for another moment, quiet, then says,

“...but you’re coming back with me to Tannyhill. You’re not staying out here by yourself.” She doesn’t answer right away, she looks unsure- frightened, even. “I know it’s not ideal,” he says quickly noticing her shift in expression, “but you’ll be safe- I’ll take care of you. I won’t let anything happen to you, alright?”

She bites her lip, staring down at the floor by the car, her hands clenching and unclenching slowly which makes her skin burn. She’s weighing it all, but she’s so drained—mentally, physically. She’s got nothing left in her so she nods, just once, barely there.

“Okay”

She whispers out and relief floods him. It doesn’t show on his face much, but he breathes it out, slow and quiet. He pushes himself up and gently helps her out of the car. She leans on him more than she realises, and he doesn't mind- he holds her steady, supporting her like she’s made of glass. She asks weakly as they near his Range Rover.

“What about my car?”

“I’ll come back and get it later don't worry 'bout that”

He says softly and she starts to open her mouth to argue, but nothing comes out- she just lets her eyes drop. There’s no fight left in her, certainly no energy to insist. He opens the passenger door for her and helps her in, mindful of every flinch, every wince she lets out subconsiously. Once she’s seated, her head drops slightly against the headrest, eyes glazed.

“Just one second...”

He murmurs reaching across her. Rafe's fingers find the seatbelt and he buckles her in, she doesn’t move really just stares at him silently. Rafe closes the door and rounds the front of the car, jaw clenched, hand in a tight fist as he moves because if he ever sees Luke Maybank—

He doesn’t even let himself finish the thought as he gets behind the wheel, and looks over at her again noting her eyes closed peacefully as she rests against her head against the seat.

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

The house is quiet for a place so big, just the faint creak of the old leather couch as Y/N shifts a little, pulling the blanket tighter around her shoulders, her knees drawn up to her chest. A glass of whiskey sits in her hands which had been sipped at with shaky breaths like it was the only thing tethering her to the room. Rafe is sitting on the couch across from her, leaned forward slightly, forearms resting on his knees, a drink in his hand too- but the liquid in his glass hasn’t moved since he poured it. It’s more for her sake really, just so she wouldn’t feel alone in whatever comfort she was trying to pull from it.

He’d cleaned her up the moment they got in, didn’t even give her the space to protest against him. He'd brought out the first aid kit he roughly knew how to use from times when his words did nothing but cause harm, and he wiped at the scrapes on her hands and knees with disinfectant, quiet apologies falling from his mouth every time she flinched. He wrapped her knees in a thin gauze, not too tight but enough to provide some pressure. An old bag of frozen vegetables came out of the freezer next, and he pressed it gently to her cheek before he handed it off to her to hold for herself. If she’d asked, he would’ve stayed right there beside her, holding it to her cheek himself all night until his arm ached and went numb from how long he’d been doing it.

But she didn't ask.

So instead they'd just… sat.

An hour passed, then another, and another and neither of them said a word. She hadn’t looked at him- but he never took his eyes off her.

Not once.

Now, the bag of vegetables was melted and her thumb was brushing slowly along the rim of her glass her eyes distant, stuck somewhere far away from the safety of his home. There’s still dirt under her nails and a small piece of bandaid is peeling at the edge from where she's been picking at it unconsciously. Her voice is so soft he almost doesn’t catch it.

“You should’ve seen the way he looked at me...”

Her eyes don’t lift as she speaks out, she just keeps staring down at the floor like it might open up and swallow her whole. Rafe’s whole body stills at her voice, his fingers tightening slightly around his untouched drink.

"Who...?"

Her voice is more breath than sound as she adds but doesn't answer his question,

“He was disgusted by me.”

He wants to ask, but something in his chest already knows.

There’s only one person she’d care enough about for it to hurt this much. Only one person whose opinion could shatter her like this and it makes his jaw tense as he looks up to her, her shoulders are hunched in on themselves like she’s trying to disappear. He swallows hard and purses his lips together.

He hates that he's right.

Rafe sets his drink down on the side table with a quiet clink of glass, the only sound in the room besides the crackling of the fire. She downs the rest of the whiskey in one breath- tilts the glass back and lets it burn its way down her throat, but it's still somehow not enough to dull the sharp edges of what’s pressing down on her chest. When she places the empty glass on the table, it clinks gently the sound little in the big room.

“I should go to sleep”

She mumbles, barely above a whisper. Rafe nods from where he’s been watching her, wordless, careful not to crowd her. He stands slowly, smooth and steady, then waits for her to move. She rises on stiff legs, blanket still clutched around her shoulders, and she follows him without a word. The hallways of Tannyhill are dim, lit only by the warm lights spaced along the walls and her footsteps are quiet behind his as he ascends the stairs.

He pushes open a bedroom door, stepping aside for her. The room is something out of a magazine, the walls are soft coloured, a large four-poster bed dressed in white sheets and a comforter that looks as soft as clouds. There’s a matching dresser and wardrobe, polished and antique. A wide window is curtained off with thick drapes which pool slightly on the floor preventing any light from coming in, and to the right a door sits cracked open, leading into a private en-suite bathroom. On the foot of the bed, a neatly folded pile of clothes waits for her- his clothes. A black t-shirt and a pair of grey sweatpants accompanied by a soft-looking towel. Rafe lingers by the door not wanting to push her boundaries as he speaks out,

“I’m a few doors down...”

He says, voice soft, hand gripping the edge of the door frame like he doesn’t want to leave her alone but knows he needs to give her space,“If you need anything just tell me. I’m not gonna close my door so you can find me”

“Okay”

She nods slowly, barely moving and he holds her gaze for a second longer, his expression unreadable, then closes her door with a quiet click. She’s left alone with the silence, her eyes flick down to the clothes. Her fingers curl around the fabric of the t-shirt first, soft from too many washes. It smells like him. Like fresh detergent and musk, it makes her chest twist. She slips out of her clothes and into the t-shirt, then pulls the sweatpants on. She looks toward the en-suite for a second and she knows she should go in to wash her face and brush her teeth. But she also knows there’s a mirror in there, and she can’t look at herself.

So, she leaves the towel on the end of the bed and climbs underneath the comforter, and exhales slowly as her aching body sinks into the mattress. The pillows are insanely soft, moulding perfectly around her head and shoulders. The sheets are crisp and cool, freshly laundered, and they feel soothing against her sore, bruised skin. Every inch of the bed smells like luxury, like money and warmth, like a place she doesn’t belong in but can finally let herself collapse inside of.

She doesn’t cry this time.

Instead she simply lies there, curled on her side and buried in the bed, inhaling the scent of his t-shirt and the linen sheets whilst trying to remember how to breathe right.

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

The dirt bike skids to a stop outside the Chateau, its roar cutting through the dead hush of 2AM. JJ doesn't bother to park it properly- just lets it tip over and crash onto the ground as he hops off, boots hitting the dirt hard. He’s at the door in seconds, flinging it open with a bang that echoes through the thin walls. Inside, it’s dark and still- until John B stumbles out of his room half-asleep, hair a mess, baseball bat gripped in his hands like he's ready to swing. “JJ ?” he blurts out, blinking in confusion.

“What the fuck, man? It’s-” he checks the clock behind him, “-two in the goddamn morning.”

"Where is she?"

JJ doesn’t even acknowledge the bat, his chest is heaving as his eyes dart around the dark house. John B lowers the bat a little, frowning,

“Sarah’s sleeping, man. What’re you—”

“No. Y/N."

JJ’s voice cracks around the name as he asks again, "Where is she?”

John B pauses confused, “She’s not here... ?”

JJ lets out a harsh exhale, running both hands through his hair before suddenly slamming his fist into the nearest thing sitting on the corner of the old table, an open cereal box. It hits the floor, scattering flakes across the dusty floorboards of the house. John B raises his brow,

“Dude- can you not trash my house please?”

“Sorry”

JJ mutters, instantly like muscle memory and his hands drop, shoulders sagging. He stumbles backward and drops into the couch, his head falling into his hands. John B hesitates, then sets the bat down by the door and walks over, sinking down onto the old raggedy cushions beside him. He glances sideways.

“You gonna tell me what’s going on or do I have to guess?”

JJ doesn’t answer just lets out a small groan at first, frustration deeply embedded in the sound. He sits there chest rising and falling a little too fast, like he’s still trying to calm down. Then, finally, he speaks his voice rough,

“My dad… he lost it. Like really lost it tonight with her.”

“With Y/N?”

JJ nods, jaw tightening. “I didn’t know it’d be that bad. I’ve seen him go off before but he…” He swallows hard, “I didn’t even do anything- I froze. I just sat there and watched while he shoved her out the door.”

There’s a beat of silence and then John B says, softer now,

“Where’d she go?”

JJ’s fingers rake down his face, “I don’t know. I thought maybe here. But- she’s not picking up. She just kept repeating my name and…” He shakes his head, “-and she was crying, man." John B exhales, sits back into the couch with a furrowed brow and JJ repeats himself,

"Like really crying.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah”

"Why did he kick her out?"

John B leans forward, elbows to his knees, hair falling into his eyes as he rubs his hands over his face. JJ doesn't answer at first. He’s biting at the skin of his thumb, anxious and raw, his leg bouncing like it’s the only thing keeping him upright. Then like something inside of him just snaps, he lets out a sharp breath and tells him everything. John B’s brows pull together as he listens to his best friend, sympathy coursing through his veins.

From the dark of the bedroom, the thin crack of light from the hallway spills across Sarah’s face as she shifts in bed. Her hand reaches out groggily for John B’s side of the mattress but it’s cold, the blanket already slipped down. She frowns, eyes cracking open. The room is empty. She sits up slowly, bare feet brushing against the wooden floor as she hears something, voices, muffled and low. She moves toward the door, careful and quiet, pressing her fingers against the edge to ease it open a little more. JJ’s voice filters through, tense and tight.

"She was pregnant… and she went to him?"

Sarah freezes as JJ's voice drifts through the house once more,

"My sister went to Rafe fucking Cameron...?"

The words hit her like a gut punch- Pregnant? Y/N? And...- Rafe? Her blood runs cold as the pieces start to click together, her brain scrambling to make sense of what she’s just heard. Her cheek stays pressed firmly into the door frame in attempt to hear the rest of the story spilling past the blonde boy's lips.

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

The sheets are soft, the pillows even softer, but sleep still won’t come. It’s been two and a half hours and Y/N's been tossing and turning, her body sore in all the wrong places her chest heavy with that familiar awful ache that won’t go away no matter how tightly she pulls the sheets around her.

Eventually, she gives up and sits up slowly, pushing the comforter off her legs, the cotton whispering against the mattress smoothly. Her feet touch the floor which is cold against her skin and she stands- wobbly for a second- then steadier. The guest room door looms quietly ahead and she pauses fingers brushing over the handle. Then, with a shallow breath, she opens it. The hallway outside is dark, but not completely. There’s a bluish tint filtering in from the tall windows at the end of the hall, early morning light just beginning to rise casting long shadows across the wooden floors.

She pads down the hallway barefoot, arms wrapped tightly around her own middle. Her steps falter when she sees a photo on the wall- framed in gold and hung just opposite the railing of the stairs. It’s of Rafe, much younger, standing with Sarah and Wheezie, arms slung around them, all three of them caught in time. She stares at it for a long second her lips parting just slightly. There’s something in her chest that clenches and she swallows it down before continuing on.

Rafe’s door is slightly cracked- just like he said it’d be. She stands in front of it for a moment and peers in, watching the rise and fall of his breath from across the room. He’s asleep, facing away from the door, lying on his side with one arm tucked under the pillow. Her hand brushes the door open a little wider and she slips inside moving quietly like a ghost. She stops at the edge of the bed and for a moment she doesn’t move.

Just stares at the empty space beside him.

Then- almost without thinking- she climbs under the covers. The sheets are warm where his body had heated them prior and she tucks herself into the bed, it feels so- natural. She hesitates again one breath, two... and then-

she shifts closer

Her body curls gently around his back, and her arm shakily slides over his waist, face tucking into the space between his shoulder blades. She closes her eyes and exhales against the fabric of his t-shirt clinging to the feeling of the rise and fall of his chest, like it’s the only thing keeping her tethered. His breathing is steady- peaceful.

He doesn’t stir.

And for the first time all night, she feels something close to calm. Not happy but… safe. Like maybe the pieces of her won’t completely shatter if she stays like this just a little longer. Her fingers clutch gently at the hem of the bottom of his t-shirt, her eyes fluttering closed. And then so soft it’s almost not there at all, her lips brush against the fabric at his back as she whispers- like a confession, like a secret only the night should hear.

“I love you too."

taglist: @xoxosblogsblog @moonywhisp3rs @i-love-gvf @my-name-is-baby@ltristessedureratoujours @stoned-writer @mariamadison6-blog@rafesgurl@rafecameronswhoore @lovelytoomusic @mysticbby2009 @vanessa-rafesgirl@silkenthusiasts @partygirl14 @amterasuu @xoxo-ada @icaqttt@ivysprophecy @mauvesmax @larema121 @ggraycelynn @emeloyy @pluviophilis@slut-4-gojo @willowpains @wtfisastiles @rafecqmeronslove @pleasstory@lolasangelz @beau-dabomb @psychocitylights @constantsadness @rhianthebest@emmiesummers @sfotiegiuls @ggraycelynn @larema121 @emeloyy @pluviophilis@urgoldens @insominagirlss @urfavoritebrunette007 @mauvesmax @miniiminie@kythefangirl25 @niyalovests @scream4mami @aizawawify @prettybabyyyy@barbiefan14 @keennerdslover @rafeysslut @rafeysworldim19@jennieonline@hannieskzzz@sugak00kie03@gabrielaperez11@simonejacpbsen @bambigirl10 @prettycoochieee

[morwynlefay]

i went bra shopping yesterday with my partner to help me do literally everything except try them on because while i have one, wearing it all the time makes it so its severely in need of washing, and i need one i can wear while this gets washed, just to have more than one.

and other than how absolutely terrifying it is to go, which why i had my partner with me, basically to pretend it’s them buying it and i’m just coming with, there was also not a single one that worked for me, i have like two requirements, it needs to be covering most, if not all of my collar bones, it needs a high neck, and second, it needs pads.

there was nothing!! if it had pads it didn’t cover enough and if it was covering enough it didn’t have pads, and so we left with nothing, from every place we went to, we couldn’t even find the same one in already have in the same store!!!

it’s so bad i could cry, i guess i’m just gonna keep wearing this one which hasn’t been washed since i bought it s year ago (i haven’t worn it all the time for the year, but for the last 2 months i have worn it every day)

and i can’t order online because i need to see it and preferably try it, mostly so i know it actually covers enough

and i also can’t really afford to spend more than maximum $20, which makes it harder

and so in the end i went out and did this super hard and stressful thing and didn’t even get anything out from it

probably should have seen it coming I guess but it's pretty fucking annoying everyone saw a conversation about "people don't understand how difficult it is clothes shopping as a trans woman" and proceeded to show just how much they don't understand it by assuming it's only about sizing and not the constant societal surveillance and inability to use the change rooms and fear of being kicked out of the story and unwillingness even for friends to recognise that there's barriers in your way and try and help you.

even people trying to commiserate with me complaining about the dumb responses assumed that it was just about sizing. and phrased it all like "you're so seen and valid". fucking christ.

wow it's almost like people don't understand how challenging it is clothes shopping even years into transition as a trans woman! who could have guessed??????

[blank-potato]

A Special Surprise

Pairing: Bob Reynolds x Reader

Summary:

“What’s going on?” he asks, brows raised. You say wearily, “It’s been shaking all morning… almost dancing?” You both look at it. The plant is doing a slow, rhythmic shimmy like it’s listening to music, only it can hear.  It was no longer sad, that was for sure.  You watch it…it’s almost hypnotic in its movements. Going round and round and round and— you look away, shaking your head.  “Not today, horny plant, not today.” Bob tries and fails to suppress a snort. “Did you just…. call it horny?” Or Since the plant attack a month ago, you and Bob haven't had sex, agreeing that you should take things slow. But your plant sees how pent up you both are and changes your plans.

Tags/Warnings: 18+ Explicit Content, plants being freaky asl, Bob using his telekinesis for horny reasons, orgasm control/denial, tentacle handjob (tentacle job?) oral sex (female receiving), p in v sex, hair pulling, bondage via tentacles and telekinesis, established relationship

WC: 5.8k

A/N: This is part 2 of Something Special linked below. This was another really fun one to write, more plant action as promised, hope you enjoy it!

Part 1

⋆⭒˚｡⋆⭒˚｡⋆ ⭒˚｡⋆

Since the great plant incident, the two of you had decided to take things slow. 

Really slow.

It had been almost a month, and you guys had just worked your way up to holding hands, kissing and the occasional makeout session. 

Even though you guys had had sex, it probably wouldn’t have been the natural progression of your relationship. You would have kept awkwardly not quite flirting with each other until one of you made a move. 

So, taking it slow seemed to be the best course of action. It was fine, you were both okay with it… kinda. In all honesty, you wanted each other bad.

You’d be completely normal, working on something, and you’d feel his arms wrapping around you from behind, and that is all it took. The rest of the day, you’d think about you and him in many different compromising positions.

But you had to be normal and chill, and that is something you definitely know how to do. 

Bob enters your office, and you smile up at him. You could never resist your daily dose of Bob Reynolds. “Morning, I brought you cinnamon rolls. I figured you haven’t eaten yet?

“You know me and my bad habits so well,” You say before leaning up to peck him on the lips. You taste sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon. “You’ve already eaten yours?”

“Couldn’t resist.”

He rounds the table to settle next to you, the smell of his cologne and shampoo already making you feel at home.

“How’s it looking?” he says, nodding at your flower.

You look at the plant in the corner of your lab, which has lost a few petals and curled in on itself a little. It’s looking out your window, all forlorn like it’s wishing for better days. “I swear I’ve been taking care of it, giving it enough water and sun, but it’s…”

“It looks a little sad,” Bob finishes.

The plant had taken to Bob over the past few weeks, probably because Bob was always in your lab, hovering nearby under the guise of helping or waiting for you to finish up.

It was oddly endearing, watching the way the plant seemed to lean toward him whenever he was around, as if it had claimed him, too. It was very cute how it would do a little shiver whenever you ruffled Bob’s hair or laughed at one of his awkward jokes, almost like it was rooting for you.

Sometimes, when Bob got too close to your workstation, the plant would nudge toward him, its leaves twitching like it wanted to be involved in whatever the two of you were doing.

He turns away from the plant and observes you instead. Instantly, he sees that you’re looking a little tired. “You alright?”

You mumble as ‘yes’ but honestly, without your second coffee of the day, you’d be curled up underneath your desk, asleep.

“Just didn’t sleep well last night.”

And that was the truth. You didn’t sleep well last night, he didn’t need to know that it was because you had a dream about him fucking your brains out. Another shitty side-effect of not having sex with your hot boyfriend. 

“Anything I can do to help? I could… organise your notes, or bring coffee, or I don’t know…” Bob offers, clearly trying to come up with anything useful. “I just don’t want to see you burnt out.”

You wrap your arms around his neck, pulling him close, resting your forehead gently against his. “I’ll be okay. I survived med school, okay? I’ve been more tired,” you say with a soft smile, “You’re so sweet, wanting to take care of me…”

You loved it when he got like this, all cute and tender. And the way he’d be doting on you even when you insisted you were fine. Like when he found you passed out at your desk, surrounded by papers and coffee cups, and you woke up in your bed and had a sparkling lab by the next morning. 

You glance up at his worried eyes, framed by the faintest crease in his brow. He’s so beautiful when he’s like this; it makes you want to melt into a little puddle on the floor.  There’s even a smudge of sugar on the corner of his lip from the cinnamon roll, and you just wanna kiss it right off. 

Just then, you’re overcome by that aching kind of affection, the kind that just demands an outlet, and you start pressing kisses all over his face: his cheek, his temple, the bridge of his nose.

He bursts into laughter, leaning back just slightly as you continue your playful assault. “What are you doing?” he laughs.

“This’ll keep me awake,” you murmur against his jawline.

He wraps his arms around you and lifts you in his arms like you weigh nothing.  You lock your legs around his waist like a little koala. You have no idea what has you both feeling so bold, but you like it. 

“You’re so perfect,” you say, as you move to the other side of his jaw. He lets out a moan, quaking under your praise. You knew just how to make him feel good, just how to make him feel special. 

“You have no idea what you do to me,” he says, his voice dipping even lower. Your lips leave his skin, and you look up at him to see his eyes glowing gold. All that does is turn you on even more, the fact that you got him so worked up…

Then, like that, as if you realised you weren’t exactly going slow right now, you break apart. 

“We should probably…” 

Bob hums in agreement, and you reluctantly release your python grip on his waist. It’s a near-impossible task, and you miss having him hold you as soon as he plops you down on your desk. 

You fan yourself a little and fix your shirt, trying to look composed even if you were the furthest thing from it. 

But when your eyes sweep the room, you notice the plant now turned away from the window and right at the two of you, like it was watching. 

⋆⭒˚｡⋆⭒˚｡⋆ ⭒˚｡⋆

By the next day, the plant is going wild.

Bob stops by your office, hoping to take you out to lunch, only to find you locked in a tense staring contest with the plant, before you turn and he sees why.

“What’s going on?” he asks, brows raised.

You say wearily, “It’s been shaking all morning… almost dancing?”

You both look at it. The plant is doing a slow, rhythmic shimmy like it’s listening to music, only it can hear.  It was no longer sad, that was for sure. 

You watch it…it’s almost hypnotic in its movements. Going round and round and round and— you look away, shaking your head. 

“Not today, horny plant, not today.”

Bob tries and fails to suppress a snort. “Did you just…. call it horny?”

You nod profusely before pointing an accusatory finger at it. “I know that look. I’m telling you, something isn’t right.”

“Do we have any idea why?” Bob asks, but you shake your head. 

“I’ve called a specialist, but they won’t be here by next week.” Shifting away from it, you hold onto Bob’s arm. You needed to be ready to bolt just in case, it went crazy on your asses again.

You knew exactly what this plant was capable of, the flashbacks to your completely destroyed office coming back to you all at once. You still missed the shirt that it obliterated. 

You sigh. “You still wanna get lunch?”

Bob smiles. “Only if we’re not bringing the third wheel.”

You shoot the plant a final stern look. “Stay.”

The plant, as if in response, gives another aggressive little shimmy.

⋆⭒˚｡⋆⭒˚｡⋆ ⭒˚｡⋆

Lunch was perfect, but moments with Bob often were. You shared jokes and a meatball sub from the corner shop and sat together in a nearby park. 

How could someone look so cute with sauce on his face? You wiped it off, brushing his lips with your napkin. Pretty lips, lips you wanted to devour.

You almost didn’t want to get back to work. 

Once you get back to the Tower, it’s quiet as the rest of the Avengers are now halfway across the country, fighting dangers unknown.

Like a big weighted blanket, he wraps his arms around you, walking with you in a slow, sleepy sway.

“Do you have to get to work now?” he murmurs against your temple.

You nod, sighing as you both waddle down the hall like two sleepy penguins, still tangled in each other’s warmth.

“See me after?”

“I will.”

Then, without warning, he stops and spins you around, lifting you off the ground like you weigh nothing, pressing a deep, giddy kiss to your lips.

“You really know how to sweep a girl off her feet,” you laugh breathlessly as he sets you back down.

He smiles, that soft, golden smile. “You just bring something out in me.”

Swiftly, he disappears down the hall, leaving your heart pounding and you wondering when exactly he got all suave and smooth. 

When you swing your door open, still swooning over Bob, you see something. Something…concerning?

It’s another flower. 

The door shuts behind you as you pause mid-step, squinting at it. This wasn’t the one Bob gave you. That one had soft green leaves and leaned adorably toward his voice and evidently danced. 

But this? This one had glowing yellow petals that pulsed faintly, almost like it was breathing. You hadn’t seen it before, and you certainly hadn’t grown it.

“I come in peace, plant.”

You carefully lift its pot and set it next to your other plant. If you were more attentive, or just less exhausted, then you probably would’ve noticed the faint tremble in the soil, or the way the leaves angled ever so slightly toward the door. You’d deal with it after the giant stack of papers and emails you had to get through.

You click-clack at your computer and try to focus, your body becomes heavier, the letters on your keyboard become blurry.

“Stay awake, stay awake,” you whisper to yourself, like a chant to keep you up, but it’s no use. “Just five minutes,” you murmur to yourself, as you rest your head on the desk.

What must’ve been at least an hour slips by, and when you jolt upright, disoriented and sticky-eyed—

“Of course, I fell asleep…”

You look around, scratching the back of your neck, stretching with a yawn, trying to blink the fog from your brain. But when you look to the corner, the one you’d started glancing at by habit, it’s empty.

When you wake up, the flower is gone.

Actually, both flowers are gone.

“Shit.”

You blink, disoriented, and then the sudden crack of gunfire rings out. You bolt upright, and you step out of the lab into complete chaos.

The hallway is a mess, vines are all over the ceiling and walls, snaking around furniture and lights, creeping fast. Ava is blinking in and out of sight, phasing wildly as she dodges them, while a vine nearly snags her ankle. Yelena is hanging from the chandelier on the ceiling with a gas mask, shooting at them. 

You can’t see him, but you can hear Alexei roaring in the distance, presumably batting the plant’s tentacles away with brute force.

“What the fuck is going on?!”

At the centre of the chaos, the yellow flower that was on your desk was now mad with power and trying to pull Bucky out of the elevator. And in another corner amongst overturned chairs and sparkling wires is a pink one, that had tentacles attached to John’s back, trying to pry off his clothes. 

How the fuck did they get here? Did they take the subway? A taxi?

Before you can do anything, you’re being pulled away into the air with a scream… not by a tentacle but by an invisible force.

⋆⭒˚｡⋆⭒˚｡⋆ ⭒˚｡⋆

A few minutes before the plant attack on Avengers Tower, Bob’s lying in bed, living his best life and thinking of you, like always.  

Since you were busy working, he decided he’d take a nap, five minutes tops. He had been tired these past few days as well, thoughts of you in his bed, riding him, calling out his name until your voice was hoarse, keeping him awake more and more often. The sex dreams were wreaking havoc on his sleep schedule. Every time you guys would makeout, he’d be brought back to all the filthy things you’d be whispering in his ear in his dreams. 

He’d only meant to close his eyes for five minutes.

But eventually he drifts off peacefully, the comfort of his pillow and the lingering scent of you on his shirt pulling him under. Only to wake a few minutes later to the feeling of a warm, unfamiliar weight on his chest.

A soft rustle. Something moves.

A bloom of purple petals hovers above him, looking down at him with something almost resembling fondness. The plant tilts its head, mimicking him as he shifts, confused.

It takes him a moment to realise… his sheets are gone. His wrists, tied gently but firmly to the headboard by vines. Velvet-smooth tentacles looped like cuffs around his ankles.

Bob freezes, his breath catches in his throat. His heart races too, thoughts piling up in his head faster than he can sort them.

He swallows hard, shifting his hips in a vain attempt to sit up, but the vines hold firm. One of the petals tilts curiously, responding to his movement with something too close to glee.

Still pinned, still breathless, he whispers to the ceiling:

“…This plant is going to kill me.”

As if hearing him, the plant gets to work, making quick work of his clothes, discarding the fabric in smooth, deliberate motions, like it had done this before.

Bob couldn't deny it felt good… He'd been left wanting more every time, longing to be touched more. Every heated makeout session, few and far between, cut short by your mutual agreement to take things slow.

The tendrils slither their way around his body until they found what they were looking for, his cock. They wrap around him, the substance that was oozing from the tentacles onto his cock making him feel weak.  

His whole body shivers when they start moving. They fluctuate between pulsing around him and jerking him off, making it impossible to focus on anything. 

He bites back the no doubt embarrassing moan that was bound to come out. But he can’t keep them back for too long.  The moan that rips through him is more of a pathetic whine. They use his reactions against him, rubbing wherever made him whimper the loudest. But instead of moving as fast as they can, they slicked up his cock, moving just slow enough to leave him wanting. 

His breath is short, and his limbs feel heavy, too heavy for him to do anything, but he’s not sure he wants to do anything right now. 

“Fuck…”

He feels himself getting closer and closer, but one of the tentacles curls around the base of his cock and squeezes. Denying him the release, he very much needed. His legs shake as he groans and slams his head against the headboard, denting it. 

“Please…,” he lets out, his eyes dazed, and if you asked him what he’s begging for, he wouldn’t be able to tell you. 

The plant isn’t done with him yet; it starts moving again. The tentacles are making themselves right at home, working their hardest to get him to another orgasm. It's hell-bent on draining all his energy and leaving him a complete mess. He moans, bucking his hips up into its grip, causing it to squeeze around him harder. 

“I can’t, I can’t…” he gasps, before collapsing into a quiet sob, trembling under its iron grip pressing down on him.

He turns his head to the side, burying his face in the pillow, his hair sticking to his forehead with sweat. His breathing quickens, shallow and erratic, as his toes curl in pleasure.

It’s not long before he feels it coming again, another dry orgasm he’s too weak to do anything about except whimper.

“Please, let me—”

His back arches off the bed as he has a second dry orgasm. All he can think about is you, how he wanted to kiss you and hold you in his arms… and fuck you senseless.  He wanted to hear you, wanted to make you feel good. His eyes start to glow gold as he moans out your name over and over. 

“Please, please, please—”

With the thought of you fresh in his mind, he finds his orgasm hitting him that much faster and harder. No matter how much he begged, the plant wouldn’t let him finish. But that’s not what really hurt; what hurt is the fact that you weren’t here right now with him. And he needed you. 

The tentacles keep moving, but start exploring the rest of his body more. He felt boneless and unbelievably horny, like he was about to go crazy. 

He needed relief. He needed you. To feel your body pressed against his, to feel your pussy squeezing down on his dick.

He flexes his hand and thinks of you, hoping that you’d come to him.

And you did. You were still mid-yell when you flew in there, as he slammed the door shut behind you with his telekinesis. 

Not even in your wildest dreams could you have imagined seeing Bob like that when you floated into his room.

Vines around his body, his abs twitching, panting out your name in desperation. He was practically gift-wrapped. 

“Holy—” You start, but you see Bob nod his head, and your clothes literally go flying off your body. 

“Need you right now,” He breathes out, and your body floats over to him. Good to know that Bob could throw you around with his mind. You land on his lap, just as the vines fall away from around him. 

He only wants to focus on having you.  

“Bob, what happened?” you ask gently, caressing his cheek.

He’s so sensitive to your touch that he lets out a soft moan, eyes fluttering shut under your fingertips.

He doesn’t answer with words. Instead, he leans in, mouth finding your collarbone, marking it with slow, desperate kisses. He’s been craving you, and that's evident.

“Bob…,” you whine, getting lost in his touch. You’re sure he can’t be affected by the sex pollen capabilities of the plant, so it must have found a way around it. 

He kisses his way from your collarbone to your neck to your earlobe, gently nibbling on it. 

“I’ve been wanting to be inside of you for weeks,” he confesses, finally saying it, feeling like a weight off his shoulders. 

Your heart jumps in your chest, and something about the way he says it, all breathy and needy, goes straight to your core. 

“Oh yeah?”

He nods, every movement he makes methodical. “Every time you’d climb in my lap or grip my hair when we’re kissing, all I could think of was how you looked lying out on that examination table that day.”

His hand runs down your stomach until he’s gently pressing on your aching pussy, not moving yet. “How good you felt to touch… You have no idea how many times I’ve wanted to just bend you over and…”

You gasp, feeling him start to move his hand, rubbing your clit in slow circles. “And just fuck you,” he says finishing his sentence. 

“Need to fill you up,” he says and moves you until you’re over his dick. “Can I?” 

You nod excitedly. Who were you to deny him when he’s so cute asking for permission? 

He slides in, and you remember just how good it feels to have him inside of you. Your walls stretching to accommodate his size, the biting pain that melts into pleasure, there’s nothing like it. He makes the most of it immediately, moving in sync with you. 

“So perfect,” he moans, like he’s finally gotten that relief he’s needed so badly. 

It’s clear he’s desperate for you, and only you.

“Want my cum to be dripping out of you for days,” Bob rasps, as he thrusts harder. 

That was a surprise.

“O-okay,” you squeak. He looks at you like he’s starving, like only you can satiate this aching hunger that’s eating him alive from the inside out.

You had never heard Bob talk like this, but you kinda liked it. 

He locks eyes with you, something fierce and tender flickering there, then pulls you flush against his chest. He starts thrusting into you with inhumane force, which makes you drool. His breath brushes your ear as he whispers, “You feel that? That’s all for you.”

“Bob!” you scream as he bounces you up and down on him with vigour.  You cry out his name so loud, you swear the other Avengers might hear it over the potted plant chaos. It feels so good, you swear you’re about to lose your mind.

“Tell me you’re mine.”

“I’m yours,” you reply immediately.

He slows down, holding you by the hips and rocking you gently, the head of his cock pushing right against your sensitive spot. He leans in and kisses you like he’s scared you’re going to disappear, his whole body pressing into the moment, as he pours every ounce of feeling into it.

You're his world, and in that kiss, there’s no mistaking it. He wants you just as much as you want him.

He pulls back, kissing you on the forehead. Before you can even think of whining at the loss of him, you’re in the air as he flips you over with his mind. That was going to take a lot of getting used to. 

You end up back on the bed, legs spread, waiting for him to fill you up again. The anticipation is almost killing you and just when he decides to tease you, pushing the head of his cock against your entrance but not giving you want. 

“Bob, please…,” you beg, looking behind you to try and convince him with doe eyes and a pouty lip, but an invisible hand forces you to face the front and arch your back. You can feel Bob’s both of actual hands replacing his dick, spreading your wet folds apart.

“Don’t tease me like this,” you complain, still at the mercy of Bob’s invisible hold on your hair. Then catching you off guard he gets underneath you and starts licking at your pussy.

“Bob!”

He sucks your folds hungrily, like he was starved of you, before flipping you around over like a rotisserie chicken to get more access. You land on your back, chest heaving as you look up at Bob, so determined to please you. 

“You’re so beautiful, can’t believe I have you all to myself,” he praises before diving back in and turning your brain to soup.

You’re about to close your legs, too sensitive to the feeling, but the plant now sprang back to life with impeccable timing, catching them to keep them open. The vines deepen the stretch of your legs to allow Bob all the access he could ever want.

You watered it every day, gave it sun, and now it betrays you, just when you think you know a plant. Traitor.

He laps you up, your slick coating your lips as you continue to squirm. “Gonna die…,” you breathe out, and you’re surprised you’re not already dead. 

You try sitting up, but again that invisible force pulls your body around like you’re a puppet. He takes your arms with his mind and pins them above your head as he continues to please you with his mouth. 

“So…mean…” you whine to which you feel the vibration of his chuckle on your pussy. 

When you look down, you catch his eyes, glowing gold and full of desire for you. 

Just when you feel like you’ve had enough, you feel his fingers rubbing on your clit and more fingers pressing on your g-spot? Or at least you thought it was his fingers, but when you looked down, Bob’s hands were under your knees, so he was doing it with his mind. You didn’t know he had that much control, but you’re glad he did. 

“Bob, you’re fucking magical,” you say, as you let your head loll against the sheets. 

If his telekinesis wasn’t keeping you flat, you’d be arching your back off the bed as you scream out his name again. 

The moment you finish is something you’ll never forget. You’re whining because you can feel the orgasm coming but a final lick on your clit, as he looks up at you sends you crashing.

You fight against the hold the plant has on your legs, and the hold Bob has on…well, the rest of you, but it’s no use. The orgasm rolls through your whole body as you’re practically forced to stay still. 

He finally lets you go and shoo the plant away from your thighs. 

“Are you okay?” he asks, checking up on you, and you nod. You may be slightly (very) disorientated but you could fuck until the sun came down and then continue to fuck until the sun came up again. 

He pulls you up to a seated position, arms wrapped gently around you, letting you catch your breath as he whispers sweet nothings in your ear, words soft and warm enough to melt you.

“Want to keep going?” he murmurs, voice low, lips brushing your skin.

“More than anything,” you breathe, and before he can respond, you shift, taking him by surprise as you climb on top of him, eyes locked with his.

The look on his face?

Completely undone.

His Adam’s apple jumps and he gulps, eyes locked on you like he’s trying to memorise every inch.

You were so beautiful, so sure, so sure of him. It made something ache deep inside him.

“You want no one else?” he asks, voice barely above a whisper, needing that confirmation. 

“Just you,” you say without hesitation, and it’s all he needs to hear.

You run a finger slowly down his abs, watching the way his muscles tense beneath your touch.

Then your desire takes over, and then leaning down, licking a line from the bottom of his abs to the top, savouring the way his breath catches, the quiet, broken sound he makes in response.

He's yours, and right now, you're making sure he feels it. You even feel his whole body shiver when you do that, a subtle tremble beneath your touch, and it gives you a quiet satisfaction. It’s something special, knowing you can unravel him like this. That even someone as powerful as Bob Reynolds can fall apart in your hands.

 He’s looking up at you with wide eyes, “Always wanted to do that.”

They were perfectly crafted. What were you supposed to do, not lick them?

You hop back on top of him and start rubbing his cock against your entrance, knocking him out of his stupor. He reaches for you immediately with a quiet beg, “Please.”

You can never handle it when he asks you for anything, so you oblige. Slowly, you lower yourself on his cock but when it comes to riding him, it’s hard and fast. 

He’s crying out your name as he clutches at your hips. 

You roll your hips faster and the plant comes to help you this time, pulling his hands from you and holding his arms down. Even though he could break the hold at any time, he’s rather enjoying being entranced by you. The way your body moves made him want to give you anything and everything. 

“You like this?” he asks, voice needy but happy. He loved seeing you feel good; he loved being the one making it happen. 

“I like everything you do to me,” you say back, breath hitching, fingers threading through his hair as you pull him closer.

And the way he looks at you then, like you just gave him the universe, makes your heart stutter in your chest.

You slow your pace for just a moment, catching your breath, and his eyes, before leaning in to press a soft, tender kiss to his forehead.

It’s gentle, the kind of kiss that says I’m here.

But next thing you know, you’re being plucked off of him and placed at the edge of the bed so your trembling bottom half hangs off of it. He was putting you through your paces today, that’s for sure. 

You feel him suddenly behind you as he runs his fingers over your body with reverence and lays a soft kiss on the small of your back. He pushes you legs apart and pushes in without warning but at this point, to his cock, your pussy was a second home. 

You grip the sheets as once again you’re being ganged up on by Bob and the plant. You feel tendrils wrap around your legs and ankles, lifting you in the air to create more space for Bob and invisible hands grab your hands from their death grip in the linen to place them behind your back.

He’s fucking you so hard, the bed is shaking. You can quite literally hear the legs groaning under the pressure and screws coming loose as it scrapes, inch by inch, across the floor.

“More, please, more…” you blurt out, your mind halfway across the world

In response, the plant wraps around you more, pushing you back to meet his thrusts. The sound of your hips meeting his echoes in the room so loud, it’s obscene. 

“Only want you,” he says, his voice sounding completely wrecked. 

He’s so deep inside you now, stretching you out so perfectly,  you can barely handle it.

Your legs spasm and shake, you know you’re close, and so does he.

“I’m close too, I know,” he says like he’s reading your mind and picks up the pace. You’re barely holding on, moaning so loud you might lose your voice. 

You wanted to be fucked senseless and you suppose this is it. 

The toe curling, leg shaking, drool inducing pleasure tears through you once again as you slobber out a series of “Fucks” and “Bobs”.

And before you can catch your breath you feel his cock twitch inside of you then you’re being flooded with his cum, it feels never ending. He just keeps pumping you full of his load before he presses down on top of you, kissing everywhere he can reach. 

“I love you so much,” he pants out, almost quiet enough that you don’t catch it.

He freezes.

Then suddenly, he’s off you, untangling himself, backing away like he’s afraid he said too much. Your limbs, once wrapped up in Bob and the tentacles, now lie free and cold in the absence of him.

He won’t look at you. His hands fidget. His breathing’s uneven. He’s spiralling. He’s thinking too hard.

What if it was too soon? What if you thought it was stupid? What if—?

“I love you too.”

His head snaps up, eyes wide, meeting yours. You’re looking right at him, that beautiful, grounding smile on your face, the one that always reminds him of sunshine after a hurricane.

“I love you,” you say again, slower this time, to make sure he knew you meant it.

Then you hold out your hand.

And when he hesitates for half a second, you yank him back down onto the bed, right next to you, where he belongs. 

The moment you two settle, you hear a creak, then another, and before you know it, the whole bed collapses with a definitive thud. All you could do was laugh, breathless and tangled in sheets with him.

“I’m sorry. Got a bit carried away,” he says sweetly, laying a gentle peck on your cheek. Bob Reynolds, folks. Talking to you all sweet as if he wasn’t railing you so hard, his bed collapsed.

You look around and see the plant sitting there innocently, like it hadn’t just caused a full-scale disaster. The state of Bob’s bed has the place looking like a tornado tried to redecorate.

“Seems you had a lot pent up,” you say, brushing his hair out of his eyes. “So did I.”

He nods, quiet for a beat. “One of us should’ve said something.”

“I agree. So let’s agree to communicate,” you reply, exasperated but softening, “instead of letting a plant interfere and tear the tower apart… again.”

He smiles, small, sheepish. “Deal.”

Slowly, his eyes flick to the plant in the corner. “Do you think that’s why the plant did this?”

The plant had been oddly in tune with both of you, following your every move like you were its favourite reality TV show. You sigh, dragging a hand down your face.

“Fuck, probably…”

Then, the door slams open.

“Wait! There are naked people in here!” you yell instinctively, cuddling up to Bob, who yelps and fumbles for the blanket.

Alexei freezes mid-step, unbothered. “Just checking you and Bob still alive,” he says, then nods toward the chaotic hallway behind him. “There’s a team meeting. Everyone’s… angry.”

You groan into Bob’s shoulder. “Of course they are.”

You both get dressed and peek your head out in the hall. The vines are gone, but there’s a significant amount of damage (those flowers could pack a punch) that they left behind.

When you step into the living room, you’re happy to see everyone’s alive and unfucked. 

The yellow and pink flowers sit peacefully without a care in the world in the middle of the room, with the rest of the Avengers, who look like they just survived a hard-fought battle. 

You and Bob waddle out of the wreckage and stand in front of them.

“Hey guys…,” you say sheepishly, brushing a leaf out of your hair. This was the second time a plant-related attack happened on your watch, so safe to say you weren’t feeling too great.

“Again? Really?” John throws his hands up. The plants got him the worst, as he was only left with his beret, boxers and his shield. “How did the other two get here?!”

You shrug, half-defeated. “I think the first plant summoned the other two?”

A collective groan and chorus of exasperated sighs ripple through the room. You think you hear Ava mutter about “never trusting a flower again.”

“How?” Yelena asks, exhaustion rife in her voice. 

“With a dance?” you say, instantly regretting your own words. “It was a kind of shimmy,” Bob adds, trying to be helpful, and you squeeze his hand with a smile. 

There’s a long pause.

Bucky sighs, rubbing a hand down his face. “That’s it, we’re banning plants. Or we won’t have a tower left to work out of.”

“Agreed,” you and Bob say in unison. 

Main Masterlist || Marvel Masterlist

[pt2change]

landing softly — kim taehyung

pairing: singledad!taehyung x reader

genre: takes place months after, nari loves y/n, tae being vulnerable for a sec, they’re already a family without knowing it :’)

word count: 1,914

a/n: the long awaited part 2 hahah i’m sorry it took so long!!!! i hope it does it justice i woke up in the middle of the night to finish this instead of going back to bed and letting it collect even more dust

↣ bts masterlist

or read part 1 here

⭒☆━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━☆⭒

it had been a couple of months since you met taehyung and nari on the flight.

you and taehyung had exchanged phone numbers at the airport once the flight reached its destination.

you thought nothing of it really, at first the whole situation was just a funny story you would tell your friends.

but then he texted you one day, it was a picture of nari with the plushie she had tried giving to you on that flight, she wants to let you borrow it again, the text read

from that moment, it turned into weekly texts, spontaneous park meetups, and exchanged voice memos about awful work days. then there were “nari wants to see you and say hi” facetime calls that turned into long conversations that would continue deep into the night after nari would run away after about 3 minutes.

somewhere in between, there was having dinner together, the 3 of you. it had become its own tradition.

tonight was dinner at taehyung’s place. sometimes you cooked, and sometimes taehyung did. sometimes it was just “i accidentally ordered too much take out, why don't you come over?”

you knocked on the door three times, and from the other side you hear rapid tiny footsteps running across the hardwood floor, “nari! slow down” you could hear taehyung call out to his daughter from the other side of the door.

the door swings wide up, and nari smiles up at you, already wearing her pink pajama set that you had given to her the last time you saw her.

the smell of cleaning products hits your nose suddenly. it makes sense, after all taehyung had spent the entire day cleaning, he scrubbed every inch down, the counters on the kitchen, the bathroom shined bright, and taehyung vacuumed as much as he could.

nari was only tasked with picking up her toys (which did not get done)

“y/n!” nari exclaims, wrapping her arms around your legs. . “hey, nari,” you place your hands on her tiny back to keep her steady, “oh, i brought that chocolate cake you guys like”

nari yells in excitement, “you need to have dinner first, nari” taehyung says, walking over, and he gives you a quick hug, before taking the cake out of your hands.

you walk in further into taehyung's all too familiar apartment, and start removing your purse and shoes, putting them in their designated places. nari stays close to you, talking about a new show she has started watching.

as you remove your shoes, her little hands grab them and place them onto the shoe rack.

back when you all first started sharing meals, there was a moment of concern from nari because there was no space for your shoes on the shoe rack or that there wasn't a place for you to put your purse. so taehyung and nari spent one afternoon together clearing out the rack, making enough space for your belongings.

“come on, i want you to play with me!” nari says, holding onto your hand, tugging you towards her small bedroom. as you let nari drag you to her bedroom, you pass taehyung and mouth to him a quick “sorry”

when time passes by, taehyung begins to set the table, plates and silverware clinking together, filling the apartment with noise. taehyung hears nari talking and your funny responses get closer to the kitchen as your footsteps fill the small hallway.

“let’s help your dad set up, huh?” he hears you say, to which nari replies a quick “okay”

“ooo, it smells good in here” you think out loud, taehyung faces you to see you holding nari’s hand in one and a pink bunny plushie, one of nari’s favorites, in the other. taehyung can't help but notice how you grab it with such delicacy, both nari’s small hand and her bunny. it’s a sight that makes him smile.

nari then makes her way over to the table, sitting in the chair, placing her doll on the table. “it’s spaghetti,” taehyung says, beginning to serve in a small hello kitty bowl, “i also made garlic bread.”

you grab the served bowl from taehyung, placing a small fork in it, and place it in front of nari.

it’s a routine, taehyung finishes serving your plates and you place them both on the table, both of you at nari’s sides. taehyung grabs the basket of garlic bread and places it in the middle. you grab 2 wine glasses and a green cup with frogs on it, taehyung grab the wine and apple juice from the fridge.

you both sit down, and the 3 of you start eating. the conversation flows great, it’s easy and full of laughter, as it always does. you talked about the different things you have done since the last time you saw each other, work, nari’s current obsession with her barbie playhouse, what she’s learned at school. after dinner, you bring out the chocolate cake, watching nari’s eyes sparkle. you cut each of them, and yourself, a slice.

the conversation continues, and you stay at the table, enjoying each others company.

eventually, nari starts to nod off in her chair. everytime taehyung says something, she sits right back up, saying she’s not sleepy at all. after about the 5th time, taehyung goes around and lifts her out of the chair, lifting her into his arms.

“it’s time for bed” he says, rubbing her back softly. “i don’t want to” she mumbles into his shoulder, yawning seconds later. taehyung pats her back softly, “you can see y/n another day”

you get up from your chair, placing your hand on the small of nari’s back, “let’s get you to bed nari” you whisper.

taehyung turns his head slightly over his shoulder, “you want to help?”

you nod in response, in a way that says “of course i want to help,” and you follow him down the hallway into nari’s bedroom. she’s already half asleep when he lays her down, her small body falling against the sheets and pillows.

you move quickly to her side, pulling her blanket and tucking her in gently. “i’ll come see you again soon, okay nari?” you whisper, and her eyes open just slightly, she nods. just before you walk away, you hear her voice, “y/n?”

you get down to her eye level, “yeah?” you feel her tiny hand reach out to yours, she squeezes it slightly. “i wish you could stay” her voice is soft and serious.

your heart flutters, “s-stay?”

nari nods softly, “like stay forever” she responds, just barely above a whisper, “i wish you lived her…. or we lived with you” her words slowed as her eyes fluttered “i like you alot, y/n” she mumbles.

you brush her hair back, “i like you alot too nari” you whisper. and nari falls back into her sleep, her soft breathing fills the room.

all the while taehyung watched stood at the door, watching in silence. his stomach fills with anxiety.

it’s been him and nari for so long, and now you’re here. you stole nari’s heart, and in a way you stole his too. but he knows you, he knows you have a future full of opportunities. you don't need someone like him infiltrating your life and taking it all away.

you leave nari’s bedside, and walk over to taehyung, placing your hand on his bicep, giving it a light squeeze before walking back over to the kitchen. taehyung takes a deep breath, before shutting nari’s door.

taehyung walks towards kitchen, seeing you stack the plates together and walking over to place them in the sink. “don’t worry about it, y/n”

“it’s okay, i’ll help”

“y/n,” taehyung follows you helplessly, “it’s okay really.”

you start the water, “it’s the least i can do since you cooked for us tonight.”

he stands next to you, your shoulders bumping slightly, “you wash, i’ll dry them”

taehyung grabs a washcloth and waits as you scrub the first bowl. there’s a comfortable silence that fills the air as you wash the dishes. you finish the dishes, and taehyung dries them, putting them all away where they belong.

you lean against the counter. after putting away the last dish, taehyung clears his throat, “she’s comfortable with you” he says softly.

you hand him a bowl, “i’m comfortable with her too” you reply, your voice just as soft. and there’s a silence, “and you taehyung”

you look over at him, handing him the last fork. and he’s smiling. you tilt your head slightly, “what?” you chuckle

taehyung walks closer to you, “i just never expected any of this you know?” you nod in response before he continues, “that day at the airport, i was just so tired, and i thought all i need to do is get on this flight and go home. that was gonna be it”

you nod, “but then nari tried to climb over the airplane seat” you tease

he laughed in response. his eyes lingered on you for a moment, before he looked away. “nari’s mom isn’t around” he says quietly. “she left not long after nari was born. it’s been hard, for the both of us”

you don't say anything, letting the silence sit between the two of you. “nari doesn't ask much about her.” he says, “but when she does, i don't know if im saying the right thing. i don't want her to feel like she's missing something.”

you reach your hand out to grab his, rubbing your thumb so delicately over his knuckles. “i don't think she does. she is so full of joy and curiosity. and she is so deeply loved, taehyung. that’s all you”

his eyes meet yours again, and he takes a deep breath. “she’s so lucky to have you”

in an even quieter voice, “i think i’m lucky too, to have you both in my life” you add.

taehyung’s eyes linger on you, and tension fills the air. you pull taehyung closer by dragging him by his belt loops until your noses are touching. taehyung closes the distance between you two.

you kiss him open-mouthed, the dragging of your tongues slow. your hands slip under the hem of taehyung’s shirt, training his soft skin. taehyung kisses you with more desperation, his hands cupping your face

when you break apart, you're both panting. you rest your forehead against taehyungs, as you try to catch your breath, running your hand down his back

“thanks for tonight,” you whisper, your noses brushing against each other, “it was nice”

taehyung kisses your cheek softly, “i’m glad you came”

you pull away from taehyung, regret visible on your face, “i should probably go, i have work early tomorrow” taehyung nods, and leads you to the door, grabbing your purse as you slip your shoes back on. taehyung places the bag on your shoulder, enjoying the way your cheeks blush.

“I’ll stay” you whisper, and taehyung blinks slowly. “I’ll stay if you ask me to,” you say, bolder this time, “forever, like nari said.” there’s a pause, “or for as long as you’ll have me”

he lets out a quiet breath, “i’m asking”

you can barely holding in the smile that looms across your face, “okay, then i’ll stay”

taehyung doesn’t say anything after that. he didn't have to.

he steps closer, pressing his forehead against yours.

and down the hall is a small girl who is completely unaware that her wish was coming true.

[soo0hee]

HR meets Heart

Pairing — HR!Xu Minghao x HR!afab!Reader

Summary — When you didn't get the promotion you were licking your fingers for, you weren't at all amused. When it was the one person you were sure was out for your every last nerve to get said promotion, you were even less amused. Now stuck with a new boss you loathed you were sure you'd go insane — but what if it's in a different way then you thought....

Genre — fluff, enemies to lovers au

Warnings — suggestive, language, alcohol

Word Count — 5.4k

Rating — PG-13

A/N — i thank my coworker who ping ponged dialoge at work with me for almost 2 hours and one of my dance girls who beta read this after my emotional breakdown over the deadline for this. Neither have tumblr but still thanks S & E💕

Disclaimer: this fic is written and copyrighted by ©soo0hee on tumblr. do not rewrite or repost on any other plattforms without my permission.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED!

This work is part of the SHOWBIZ collab by @studioeisa ! Please check it out!

The rain pattering against the windows of your office started to get on your nerves. Its been a few hours since you started your day and the grey of the sky, the chill of the wind and the constant patter against the glass left you unsettled in a way you hadn't been in a longtime. Your nerves frayed and more then a little tired you stared down at the file that had landed on your desk. It felt like the bad weather of the last week had drained every bit of energy you had and you desperately waited for the sunny days that came with the season of spring.

You were restless, shifting in your chair and tapping your ballpoint pen against the surface of the desk, clicking over and over again. The report seeming to glare as much as a disgruntled wife for not having been worked over yet.

The list of possible future artists for Sebong Company demanding attention you couldn’t concentrate on giving at that moment and you cursed the man who had put it down in front of you with that much to smug grin of his. Given it wasn’t much of a grin, more a barely contained tug of the corner of his mouth but you knew what it meant. What it implicated as he almost strutted out of your office.

Xu Minghao. Manager of HR. Pain in your ass and the man who had gotten the very same promotion you had worked towards to.

"Seokmin has reviewed the audition tapes already, now it's on you to get them signed." He had said seeing the baffled look on your face.

Unsure you had taken the folder from the man grating on your nerves with every time he'd open his month.

"Isn't that Soyeon's job? Who's literally 2 offices down the hall, mind you?"

"And now it's yours. I think you're more then capable of a task like this as Soyeon will leave for a 3 week vacation."

"And now it's yours. I think you're more then capable of a task like this as Soyeon will leave for a 3 week vacation.”

It had taken everything for you now to reach for the stapler and throw it right at his head right then and there and you were sure, had he stayed in your office for one moment longer you might have actually done it. Minghao, as annoying as he always had been, was a smart man. He knew that working with future clients was not your expertise and that you, even with all your dedication to your job, were not the logical choice to take over for Soyeon in her absence. There were others in the department that were far better at handling clients then you were and you had now qualms in admitting to it.

But instead of throwing something you had only grated your teeth together and nodded.

Even accepting the siuggestion of bringing the forms right to his office instead of mailing them and saving yourself the torture of going to the office that should have been yours in the first place instead of his.

The office of the Head Manager of Sebong Corporates HR department.

The very same promotion you had been in the run for alongside Minghao. Him getting the promotion instead of you had not sparked your immense dislike for the man, it had been there long before that. About as long as you had started working for the, back then much smaller Company, around the same time as he did.

And if you had learned one thing with time was that Xu Minghao was exceptionally good at getting a rise out of you with the slightest raise of his perfectly plucked eyebrow and his far to heavy accent that made your stomach flip.

With disgust of course. (Of course…what else could it be;))

There were days where it seemed Minghao would leave you alone, leave you be and work in peace. And then there were days in which you felt he tried everything to get a reaction.

Appearing behind you without notice while you talked to someone in the hallway, startling you to the point where multiple reports or coffee cups were almost sent flying. Additional shift in which you were paired up with him and in which you forced yourself not to jump his throat. Emails send to your Inbox filled with nonsense like memes telling you to keep working. Him always using the last of copy paper and never filling the printer back up so you always ran out and had to do it yourself and the uneasy you felt when he called you something in mandarin.

Google translate has left you not knowing any better with that last one and you hated it.

And now you were still stuck staring at the file like it had personally wronged you, which, in a way, it had. Or at least, the person who’d brought it to your desk had.

You sighed, running a hand through your hair and watching the grey light from outside cast shadows across your screen. The soft clink of your pen dropping to the desk was the only sound you allowed before finally standing, pushing your chair back with a squeak that echoed just a little too loudly for comfort.

Yes, you absolutely could have mailed the damn thing just to spite him. Minghao, after had never explicitly said you had to bring it yourself. But the spiteful little part of you, the part that had been sitting in your heart since the day you watched Minghao move into the bigger office, said if he was going to try and test you with work that wasn’t yours, he’d at least have to look you in the eye when you handed it off with a smile so tight it made your jaw hurt.

The hallway to the corner office felt longer today. Or maybe that was just your mood clinging to your shoes and dragging your steps. You didn’t bother knocking as Minghao never did either when he barged into your space with his smug little quips and printouts, and the door creaked slightly as you pushed it open.

There he was.

Leaning back in the ridiculous leather chair that squeaked only when you sat in it, one leg crossed over the other like he had all the time in the world, like he wasn’t infuriatingly, effortlessly perfect in a way that made your blood boil and your skin prickle in the most inconvenient way.

Minghao looked up, his eyes catching yours instantly, as if he’d known you were coming. “I was wondering how long it’d take,” he said smoothly, setting his pen down and gesturing toward the desk with that damned smile of his. “Just put it there.”

You didn’t move.

You stared at him, expression carefully neutral because if you weren’t careful, you’d either start yelling or throwing something, or worse, you’d blush and you couldn’t afford that. Not now. Not with the way he was looking at you like he knew something you didn’t.

“You’re enjoying this,” you said finally, stepping forward and placing the folder down with a thump, as controlled as you could manage without slamming it straight into the table and his keyboard.

“Giving me extra work that you know I’m not the best fit for. Watching me try not to murder you on office grounds. It’s like your personal brand of entertainment.”

He tilted his head, just a little, eyes flicking from the folder to your face and back again. That infuriating almost smile threatened the corners of his mouth, but he didn’t let it bloom. At least not yet.

“I wouldn’t say entertainment,” he replied, his tone slow, deliberate, “but I do enjoy keeping you on your toes.”

Your jaw tightened when he looked entirely to innocent while those words came out of him

“I’m not your toy.”

“I never said you were,” he said, voice softening slightly, in that way that always threw you off more than it should. “You’re…a lot of things. But not a toy.”

You squinted. “Is that supposed to be a compliment?”

He gave a quiet, breathy laugh — the kind you were sure had made interns and assistants weak in the knees more than once. You hated that you knew exactly what it sounded like.

“You can take it however you like.”

You opened your mouth to fire something back, something cutting, probably a little mean, because that’s how the two of you worked — but stopped short when your eyes flicked down to the desk and landed on the two coffee cups sitting near his keyboard. One was his usual order, you recognized it from the corner café downstairs. The other was yours.

The exact kind you always bought for yourself, right down to the extra coconut syrup and low fat milk.

He followed your gaze and leaned back in his chair with that air of maddening ease. “I thought you might need a boost-” he said casually, “given how grumpy you’ve been today. Or well, last few months...”

“I’m not grumpy,” you said immediately, then realized how that sounded. Defensive, sharp and grumpy.

His smile finally appeared in full, slow and devastating and far too pleased with himself.

You rolled your eyes and turned on your heel before he could say anything else. “If you keep this up, I really will throw the stapler next time.”

His voice followed you, low and amused, like he knew the exact kind of chaos he left behind every time he pulled stunts like this. “I’ll make sure to duck.”

The coffee was left behind.

You were many things and one of them was proud. To proud to take the little peace offering he seemed to have gotten.

Huffing you stormed back into your own office.

This man really was something. Did he really think a simple cup of coffee was gonna change the way you two dance around each other like some rivaling predators ready to pounce to defend their territory?

Oh really absolutely not. Not when Minghao tried to get a rise out of you at every possible moment.

Which is also why you nearly screamed when you came back from the restroom and found said coffee sitting on your desk with a bright pink post it attached to it.

"You forgot this in my office. Enjoy :)"

Very tempted to throw it away you left it sitting there feeling it's presence like a rain cloud from outside while you wend through your mails. The tiredness in your bones still hadn't went away over the last hour and maybe you were craving the sweet taste of your favorite beverage. And maybe you reached for it after reading the 4th complaint of one of your coworkers in other departments in which they complained about the construction site outside their office window. Like you were responsible in any way for the city to renew the street around the company.

Fuck. Minghao really had ordered it just how you liked.

“You're grumpy again."

Jumping out of your skin at the sudden appearance of your boss you glared at the chinese man as he leaned against the door frame, glasses almost slipping from his nose from sitting so low.

“I'm not."

Minghao huffed a laugh but didn't move closer. Rather he settled more against the frame.

"Tell that to your desktop. The poor screen is gonna go up in flames soon."

You eyed him once and softened your features. Even if just the slightest bit.

"Do you need something?"

The man shrugged and entirely ignored the question.

"How was the coffee?"

You stopped and turned to look at him. His presence filling the room but not in a smug way. He looked soft , put together and entirely to curious for your taste.

"You got it wrong."

It was a lie and you both new it.

"Sure it is."

"I repeat, do you need something?"

"Nothing, just thought you might miss me băobèi." His little shrug left you speechless and with your jaw almost on your desk to the point you even ignored the mandarin he had yet again slipped into his sentence.

“Wow,” he said lightly, breaking the silence that followed, voice now quieter then before.

“That might be the first time I’ve ever seen you speechless. Should I be worried? Or flattered?”

Still nothing.

But his eyes flickered to your mouth, just for a second and when his eyes met yours again, there was something in them.

You blinked slowly, needing a moment to recover, but the pause had already said too much.

Minghao tilted his head, letting the silence stretch, letting you sit with the fact that he had once again caught you of guard. This time however differently to what he usually did or said.

“Di- did you hit your head in your office just now?” you spluttered with wide eyes the hand on the computer mouse having gone completely still.

“Are you worried?”

“You- what- no!

“But you didn’t deny it.”

Your mouth opened, then closed again, and you were sure your brain had just done a hard reboot mid-thought.

“I didn’t deny it,” you said finally, fingers tightening slightly on the mouse, “because I was too busy trying to figure out if you’ve finally lost it.”

Minghao raised an eyebrow in amusement.

“So still no denial.”

You rolled your eyes, heart annoyingly loud in your chest. “I’m not worried, Minghao. I’m just… trying making sure you’re not having some kind of stroke. You know, suddenly deciding to be nice to me?”

“I’m always nice.”

You snorted. “No, no, no, no. If you were always nice, I wouldn’t have three separate folders on my desktop labeled ‘HR pain in my ass – Volumes I, II and III.’”

He didn’t even blink. “So you think about me often enough to label my niceness.”

You gaped. “That’s not—! It’s called workplace trauma, Xu!”

His smile spread wider.

“And yet you still haven’t denied it.”

And gone he was.

With a heavily beating heart you stared at the spot where the door gently clicked shut.

God you needed a drink. Now!

The break room was empty when you entered, which you were quite thankful for in that moment.

You needed a moment to take a breath. Or maybe three. Anything to take your mind off whatever it had been that had just happened.

What the freak had that been? And what was Minghao trying to achieve with it?!

You yanked open the fridge door and stared blankly at the contents like your life depended on it. It didn’t, but your hands were still warm from where they’d curled around your mouse during that completely unnecessary and maybe u settling conversation, and you swore you could still hear his voice echoing in your ears. That was unfair. That was workplace harassment. That was—

“Okay,” came a voice behind you, loud and mildly scandalized. “Who got under your skin this time?”

You jumped, whipping around with the fridge door still open and nearly knocking into Boo Seungkwan, Marketing Manager and full-time chaos detector.

He took one look at you and narrowed his eyes like a seasoned drama critic watching Vernon act out his newest movie in real time.

“Why do you look like someone just whispered something very not HR conform in your ear during a board meeting?”

“No Idea what you mean.” you said immediately, too fast and a bit high pitched which triggered Seungkwan’s distrust even more.

“Sure.” He crossed his arms, expression unchanging. “You’re fidgety. Your lips are almost bleeding from chewing on them and you’re staring into that fridge like it holds the answers to your entire emotional breakdown.”

“I’m not having a breakdown.” You grumbled a bit petulant.

He held up one hand, as if to signal he’d allow the lie just this once. “Okay. Fine. Not a breakdown. Got it.”

You groaned and closed the fridge. “Can’t I just be in the middle of a caffeine crisis without being interrogated like this?”

“Oh, babe, no.” he said, slipping past you to grab his sparkling water with far too much smugness. “Not when you come in here looking like you’ve just had a near death experience with that Hongjoong guy from your screensaver.”

You opened your mouth. Closed it.

You shouldn’t have and one look at the Marketing Manager told you that you would regret it.

Seungkwan’s eyes lit up like he’d just found the plot twist *and* the end credits.

“Oh my god. It was Hao, wasn’t it?”

You tried your best to safe your pride. “I didn’t even say anything!”

“You didn’t have to,” he sang, now grinning like a cat that had caught itxs prey.

“That face says everything. Did he finally flirt you into a corner?”

“No,” you hissed, though your voice cracked halfway through. “It wasn’t flirting. It was—it was just a conversation.”

One that left you reeling but if you said that out loud, Seungkwan would never let you live in peace again.

Not that he did that in the first place.

“Right.” Seungkwan sipped his water like it was wine while sittibg down at the long table. “The kind of conversation that leaves you breathless and checking your pulse in front of a fridge.”

“I hate you.” You grabbed your coffee, ready to flee. “And you’re enjoying this way too much.”

“Absolutely. Because finally” he called after you as you headed for the door, “ you started to catch up on what everyone else here sees when he looks at you.”

You stopped.

Turned slightly.

Ehh?????

“…What the hell do you mean the rest of us?”

Seungkwan smirked.

“Oh babe, we all noticed. Minghao is sarcastic with everyone. But with you, there’s this little sparkle in his eyes and he’s a lot softer in the way he talks to you then anyone else in this place.”

And with that, he pulled out his phone and started his break. Acting like he hadn’t just thrown you into a rollercoaster of emotions.

A few days later at a corporate gala you’re dressed to kill after trying to avoid Minghao for the past 3 days like your life depends on it and clinging onto your champagne to keep your cool.

The gala was everything you’d expected from Sebong Corporation and more. Something straight out of a movie and a sea of dressed to the nines people pretending they didn’t hate networking just as much as you did.

You stood near one of the bar, a half-empty glass of champagne in hand, nodding politely at someone from legal who was still talking about last quarter’s contract revisions. You hadn’t understood a single thing.

Way to busy with scanning the room.

More specifically, busy making sure Xu Minghao wasn’t within a 3 meter radius.

So far he wasn’t. You’d spotted him once a bit earlier. Tall and unfairly sharp looking in a black suit that fit like it a glove and his hair slicked back, his smile polite, and his eyes–

No! You wouldn’t allow your thoughts to go there.

You had successfully dipped every time he came even remotely close for the past hour.

Your new personal record, especially after the week you’d had, which consisted ignoring his mails,, escaping to “urgent meetings” the moment he entered a room, and very nearly ducking behind the office ficus once when he passed by too close to your desk.

You hadn’t done that but the thought was there.

You were in denial. And the champagne was helping you stay there.

“I see you’ve upgraded from ‘fidgety’ to ‘liquid courage’.” Came a voice to your right.

You didn’t need to look to know who it was.

Seungkwan, looking flawless in a silk tie and an expression that said he lived for nights like this — social chaos, good lighting, and corporate gossip served with shrimp cocktails. Everything you only survived with some strong whisky quickly thrown back before leaving your apartment.

“I’m networking” you said, sipping your drink.

“You’re pretending to network while checking for one specific threat like he’s Bowser in Super Mario 64 and you’re Princess Peach.”

“You really have a thing for over dramatizing things. Thats not even remotely what I was doing and Bowser at least had a castle.”

“Oh?” Seungkwan smiled into his glass. “So the running away, the drink refills every ten minutes, and the fact that you keep track of him to dip in time to not run into him is just… coincidence?”

You sighed, pressing your fingers to your temple. “I’m just trying to have one evening without… stress.”

“That being him breathing in your direction and making you question your entire personality?”

You pulled a face that very clearly showed how unamused you were by his deduction.

Seungkwan took pity. Just a little.

“Look, I get it. You two have that… thing. The tension. The banter. The enemies-but-not-really thing that feels like foreplay but sounds like an HR violation, which buy the way would land on your own desk if it came out. Or his.”

You nearly choked on your drink.

He just grinned. “All I’m saying is that pretending nothing’s happening might not be the best strategy.”

Before you could say anything his gaze flicked over your shoulder and instantly light up.

“Oh,” he said, far too pleased. “And look who just noticed you.”

You stiffened. “No.”

“Yes.”

“Don’t say it Seungkwan.”

“He’s walking this way, babe.”

You turned, fully prepared to escape once again but it was too late. Minghao was already behind you and stepping into your personal space with the kind of calm that made your nerves bubble like your chmpagne

“Evening,” he said, voice smooth and low and criminal in the way it made your insides flutter.

You forced a smile. “Minghao.”

His eyes flicked to your glass. “Third one?”

You blinked. “Fourth actually.”

He hummed. “That’s cute.”

Seungkwan coughed, conveniently and very loudly. “Well. I’ll leave you two to whatever this is.”

He gestured wildly and disappeared before you could stare him down.

You turned back to Minghao, who was definitely fighting a smirk himself.

You hated him.

Hated the way he was looking at you like he knew exactly what yyou had been doing for the past hour. Like he’d let you run just to see how many times you’d try to flee from him.

“Enjoying yourself?” you asked, trying for neutral.

“It’s tolerable,” he said. “The view helps.”

You froze.

And again. EHH????

He raised his glass slightly in your direction. “You look good tonight.”

Your throat dried.

“Dito” you managed to grumble while keeping your voice low. “You look… good.”

“Mm.” That smirk was back. “So you’ve been looking.”

You downed the rest of your champagne and prayed someone would pull the fire alarm.

The air outside felt amazing on your skin. Cool, gentle, not enough to sober you, but just enough to make your head feel lighter than it already was.

You leaned against the iron railing of the terrace, empty champagne glass dangling between your fingers and the bubbles long gone but the warmth still bubbling in your system.

The heels on your feet hurt, your vision just the slightest bit swimming every time you blinked too slowly, and your brain was somewhere between *I need food* and *I miss the old Winx Club*.

More than anything, though, you were trying very hard not to think about Minghao.

Which of course, only made you think about him more.

The way he looked tonight. The sleek suit that did nothing to help your composure, the soft way his hair curled behind his ears, the tie just the slightest bit loose at his collar like even perfection had its limit. And the way he’d kept glancing your way even while conversing with a sponsor from all the way across the hall just long enough to make your stomach twist.

You were fine. Tipsy, sure. A little warm. A little emotionally unstable. But totally, completely fine.

And then the door behind you opened.

You felt him before you saw him. That presence, all calm and unsettlingly quiet, like standing too close to a fire that hadn’t caught flame yet.

“Didn’t take you for an escape artist.” Minghao said gently as he came to stand close enough for you to feel the heat of his body through your dress without touching you.

You snorted into your glass, too tired and too buzzed to be anything but honest.

“Didn’t take you for someone who would notice.”

“I always notice you.”

You turned your head, slowly. He wasn’t smirking or teasing. Just looking at you with that same steady gaze that made you feel weak in the knees.

“I came out for air.” you said, blinking harder than necessary. “And also because if I stood in that room for one more minute I was going to throw myself into the chocolate fountain.”

A soft laugh escaped him, low and surprised. “That’s fair I guess..”

You squinted at him. “What are you doing out here? Shouldn’t you be networking? Charming sponsors and artists? Making everyone wonder how you’re both terrifyingly polite and smug all at once?”

“I got bored,” he said. Then with a shrug: “And I saw you leave.”

You made a small sound; somewhere between a scoff and something more startled, annd looked back out over the city od Seoul.

“You’re gonna give me a complex one of these days.”

Minghao didn’t answer at first. Then, after a moment: “You’re glowing.”

Your head tilted slightly. “That’s the champagne.”

He hummed. “No. It’s you. When you’re not pretending you don’t like me.”

You laughed a little startled and a little too loud in the silence of the night.

“I don’t like you,” you said, but your voice cracked halfway through.

Minghao smiled slowly. “You’re drunk.”

You lifted your chin with an unconscious pout on your lips.

“I’m *tipsy.* That’s different.”

Minghao moved just slightly closer, enough that your breath caught a little in your throat.

“You’re soft when you drink.” he murmured. “It suits you.”

You narrowed your eyes — or tried to. The effect was more squinty than threatening.

“You think you can just… say things like that and not get punched?”

“Oh Băobèi, you won’t punch me.”

“Don’t test me, Xu.”

He laughed again, and something about the sound pulled at your chest like a thread unraveling.

“So tell me. Why were you running?”

“I wasn’t running,” you mumbled, nose wrinkling and still pouty t as you swirled that last drop of champagne around the glass.

“I was… briskly walking away from poor decisions.”

Minghao chuckled under his breath. “And I’m the poor decision?”

You didn’t answer. You just shrugged and gave him a side glance. The kind that was equal parts playful and infuriatingly unreadable.

“I didn’t say that.”

“But you thought it.”

You sighed dramatically, leaning your elbow on the railing and pressing your cheek to your knuckles, suddenly very aware of how your earring brushed against the skin of your neck when you moved.

“You’re very full of yourself, you know that?” you said lightly.

Minghao chuckled.

“I get that a lot.”

“You should.” You nodded.

Minghao laughed again, softer this time, like he couldn’t help it, like it was just falling out of him now.

And when he looked at you again, it was different. Warmer and honest.

“You’re dangerous when you’re tipsy,” he murmured, more to himself than to you.

You peeked up at him, eyes wide and a little too shiny from champagne, night air and the light of the skyline reflecting in them. “Why?”

“Because you’re cute,” he said, honestly. “And unpredictable. And because I want to kiss you so badly it’s starting to mess with my sense of logic.”

Your breath caught but instead of melting, you narrowed your eyes, lips pulling into a lazy, smug little smile.

“I am unpredictable” you said. “So maybe I’ll kiss you.”

He went still.

You leaned closer, just barely and lowered your voice. “Or maybe I’ll go back inside and pretend this never happened.”

He exhaled a soft breath through his nose, smiling like someone trying very hard not to break apart in real time. “You’re going to be the death of me.”

You tilted your head, eyes fluttering slightly. “Yeah? Well, if you die dramatically enough, I promise to attend the funeral in black and cry over your grave.”

Minghao shook his head with a breathless laugh, running a hand down his face. “God, you are so annoying.”

“And yet.” You blinked up at him, biting back a grin. “You’re still here”

He looked at you then. Really looked and you could see it happen. The silent unraveling. The moment he stopped trying to keep it together and let himself feel you.

All of you.

The pout. The teasing. The stubbornness. The ache and affection under every attempt to dodge his flirting.

“I am so screwed,” he said softly.

You let out a tiny hum. “You’ve been screwed since the first time I rolled my eyes at you when we started working at Sebong.”

“I knew it,” he whispered, eyes wide with mock offense. “That was flirting.”

You grinned, tipsy and victorious, and lifted your glass like a toast. “No it wasn’t.. and if it was you can’t prove it.”

“I don’t have to.” He closed the tiny gap still left between you.

“Because if you don’t kiss me in the next five seconds, I’m going to.”

You raised a brow, head tilted to the side and your lips pursed. “Is that a threat?”

He leaned in, not quite touching but close enough that your breath brushed against his face.

“No,” he whispered, voice lower now. “That’s a promise.”

And for a moment, just one long champagne-dizzy second you didn’t push him away.

You didn’t tease.

You just stayed there, quiet and breathless, as the walls you had pulled up trembled in the presence of someone who saw through all of them.

You didn’t say a single clever thing.

You couldn’t even think of one and just looked at him.

Really looked.

At the way his hair curled ever so slightly at the ends. The way his eyes flew your face like he was memorizing every single detail on it. The way his breath caught just barely when your own hitched.

And then, before either of you could thinkk to much, you closed the space yourself.

It was barely a movement.

Just the softest lean forward, the smallest tilt of your head, the faintest brush of lips and still enough to ruin you completely.

Because the moment you kissed him, the world went quiet.

Minghao froze for the briefest second, like he couldn’t quite believe you would actually lean in and then melted into you like butter in the sun.

His hand found your waist. Not urgent or demanding, just there, steady and warm through the thin fabric of your dress. His other hand rose slowly, fingers ghosting over side of your face as his thumb brushed your cheek so gently it made your eyes flutter shut all over again.

It wasn’t a hungry nor was it rushed.

It was deliberate like something that had been waiting to happen for a long time.

Like Minghao wanted to savor every soft breath, every angle, every little noise that left you.

You kissed him back with that same slow ache, the champagne still bubbling through your veins but fading now under the heat blooming in your chest. Your hand curled lightly into the lapel of his jacket, anchoring yourself, like if you let go, you might float right out of your skin.

When you finally pulled back, just a breath apart, his eyes opened slowly.

He looked dazed.

Wrecked, in the quietest, most beautiful way.

“Okay,” he whispered, voice rougher now. “I take it back.”

You blinked up at him, still catching your breath. “Take what back?”

His thumb traced your jaw.

“I’m already yours.”

Your heart stuttered.

You tried to smirk — tried to throw up one last wall, one last quip, but it didn’t quite make it. It dissolved on your lips as he leaned his forehead gently against yours.

And for once, you let it happen.

You didn’t fight him.

Didn’t outrun the way your body leaned into him like it belonged there.

You just stayed.

Minghao’s arms around you, the city glowing quietly beyond the terrace, the kiss still burning on your lips.

No more games.

No more fighting.

Just this.

Inside were Seungkwan and Vernon, who high fived each other and threw their drinks back like it was apple juice.

Finally

[happyk44]

[ID: 1. Screenshot of a Wikipedia article titled “Cassandra Complex (disambiguation)” that reads, “The Cassandra complex is a psychological phenomenon in which an individual’s accurate prediction of a crisis is ignored or dismissed.”

2. Tweet from nn. @/eternaldroplets: “do not borrow grief from the future” but what if I can already see the headlights? I can hear the humming. I cannot ignore it. You will be gone. I will lose you. That is a certainty that has awaited me. I am nowhere near ready.

3. Tumblr post from @/soracities: maybe a lot of life really is just figuring out who you’d sit and do the dishes with even while the world ends

4. Tumblr post from @/inloveforevr: Even when the world feels like it’s ending, there are good friends. There are always good friends.

5. Painting. Two people’s hands are shown peeling an orange. One hand is dark-skinned and covered in light scars. The other hand is light-skinned. The painting is attached to a tumblr post from @/bagginshield, which reads, “fruit (affectionate)”.

6. Tumblr from @/judas-redeemed: been thinking a lot about anticipatory grief lately. I love you so much that I know losing you will devastate me. I haven’t lost you yet but I already miss you. We still have time, but it won’t be enough. I think about what I would say at your funeral, and say some of it to you now cause I need you to know how loved you are before you go. You will go where I cannot follow, but you will never really leave me. it won’t make it hurt less but it is a part of healing somehow.

7. Tumblr post from @/inanotheruniverse: In another universe we had five more minutes

8. Tumblr post from @/cemeterything: A prophecy is a type of echo which originates from the future instead of the past. [1]

9. Text reading: got worse and every part of me hurt for months. [highlight] I couldn’t believe it. I feared becoming sick again for so long, the actual event was almost anticlimactic.

Fear never produces itself on its own. [end highlight] A young, sick child, I’d linger in the horror aisles at the local Blockbuster, picking up cassette after cassette. I was

10. Highlighted text reading: I know how this story ends; I think about it a lot. /end ID]

Sources: 1. Wikipedia; 2. @/eternaldroplets on Twitter; 3. @/soracities; 4. @/inloveforevr; 5. @/bagginshield; 6. @/judas-redeemed; 7. @/inanotheruniverse; 8. @/cemeterything; 9. The Girl, The Well, The Ring by Zefyr Lisowski; 10. Story of Your Life by Ted Chian

The Cassandra Complex- webweave (a story on grief and the end of the world)

[bellrxy]

An Accidental Connection

Joel Miller x Reader

Summary: After a long time surviving the outbreak, a traumatic experience leaves you waking up in Jackson and being given a new home by Tommy Miller, where you also take a job at a supply shop. Little did you know, a new but oddly familiar face would show up and a new chapter in your life starts to unravel.

Warnings (!little bit of a spoiler!): Reader has brown hair down to their ribs and slight curves,blue eyes, also wears subtle makeup, POV swaps ( Joel and reader), reader is in mid 20’s, switching between past and present, use of Y/N, swearing, blood, talk about traumatic past events, drinking, drug usage, PTSD, lots of flirting, reader and Joel have a 20 ish age gap, and LOTS of romance ;) (some of these are included in part 2)

A/N: My very first fic AHH!! I thought I’d start with just some heartfelt romance and get into the nitty gritty in later stories. I don’t have any fancy photos or separators yet, but again probably in future. I am Australian so any slang I forget about or differently spelled words I apologize in advance for. Don’t be afraid to give me any advice whatsoever and I hope you enjoy it! :) Also Part 2 will be coming soon!

This gorgeous person inspired me to write my first fic!! If you could read this and give me any advice I would appreciate it sm 🫶 @lonely-ey3s

6 Months Ago

It had been a harsh winter, with food running out and your group which used to be 5, now down to 2. You had been hiding out in an abandoned supermarket, and one of the 2 of you needed to go out to find something to eat; neither of you budged. So you sat in what used to be a manager's office with your other group member.

You were stubborn, everyone you had known knew that, and it didn't help that the last person out of your group that had also survived this far was Brock. You and him barely shared a past, other than him being the biggest dick to you since you met around 3 months ago. He was bigger and taller than you, with blonde hair that always hung over his annoyingly gorgeous green eyes. Brock was known for his sarcasm and his terrible aim.

You sat on the cold, rock hard floor, a bandana wrapped over your face to fight off the cold. As you stared off into the distance, you heard Brock tossing and turning. He had been half asleep for what seemed like hours, which was his way of saying, ‘I’m gonna stay here until you do something because I’m too fucking annoying to do anything.’ After another 10 minutes or so, you decided to go outside for some fresh air, because this late into the winter there were usually no infected around.

As you made your way to the back exit of the store, you heard a sound you never had gotten used to… a clicker. You instantly panicked, and as you tried to sneakily get back to where Brock was, you stepped on a pile of glass. You flinched, instantly lifting your foot back off of the ground, but it was too late.

The clicker ran towards you, knocking old stock off of the shelves. Hearing the commotion, Brock ran out and attempted to shoot the clicker, but missed horribly. This then caused it to avert its attention from you to Brock. The clicker then started to chase after him, and realising you left all your ammo back at the room, you took that chance to run back to the Manager's office and grab everything.

As you started to run back out, you heard Brock screaming for help, but when you got to him, you realised he was already gone. A pool of blood slowly surrounded him, and despite how much you hated him, he still protected you and now you had nothing.

Everything from there on was somewhat a blur, you remember running out of the store, tears clouding your vision. You kept running, and after not long you ran into someone, causing you to fall back and hit your head. As you were losing consciousness, all you remember is hearing a man.

‘Oh shit’

‘Can you hear me?’

‘We need to grab them!’

Someone helped pick you up, and before you knew it you were sitting in a bed, waking up in what you were told was Jackson.

Present Day

You’ve gotten more used to living in Jackson now. Despite your stove and heater not working in the house, it’s been pretty nice. After recovering from the incident not long ago, Tommy Miller and his wife Maria said they need someone to run a supply store they just had newly built. Seeming that you needed a distraction (and practically owed them your life), you took the job with no hesitation.

You have always wondered who the people were that brang you here, but Maria said they asked to stay anonymous. So you try not to worry about it too much. Annoyingly, you are now left with a scar on the right side of your head from the fall, but everyone here seemed to not care as they have enough to worry about. That’s one of the reasons you like it here; everyone has their own story, their own trauma, so they mostly aren't too nosy about what happened.

The sun had mostly risen when you woke up, annoyingly tangled in your sheets and sweating profusely because summer in Jackson wasn’t very forgiving, also because you'd have been having nightmares. But you tried not to think of it much since you liked to think of Jackson as a new start. You stretched your legs and slowly hopped out of bed and into the shower, turning the water to cold to try and cool yourself down.

When you got out and dried yourself off, you wrapped your towel around your hair and went back to your room to get changed. Putting on a pair of tight black jeans, a loose grey shirt, and black sneakers, not caring about trying to make your body look good (even though those jeans do make your hips and ass look amazing). You then put on a little bit of the mascara that Maria was kind enough to give you, and threw your hair up into a ponytail.

The walk to the Supply store was pretty short, around 5 minutes or so. You could admit that even though the sun was scolding the back of your neck, the morning breeze felt amazing. You finally made it, going around back to unlock the door and putting your stuff down in the office. After that you started to organize the new stock and get on with your day.

The store was never really busy, with maybe max 5 customers a day since it was mostly the people working construction that came through. Today seemed to go by really slow, and with not much to do you started to go through and check that everything was in the right place, (knowing you’d done this nearly 3 times already). As you walked through a little aisle, notepad in hand, you heard the front door open.

“Be there in a sec!” You yelled out from around the back of the store.

“Yep, no rush!” Someone called out. It was a man from what you could hear, their voice rough like gravel, layered with masculinity and a hint of country.

Joel’s POV

Joel hadn’t been in Jackson too long, he and Ellie were situated in a pretty nice house not far from Tommy’s. To give back what he owed to his brother, he helped build stores and houses. Even helping with people’s plumbing or just normal household problems. Being back in what felt like an almost town was abnormal to him, like he couldn't fully process it.

Around 6 months ago when he and Ellie were not far from Jackson, passing a couple old stores, someone ran towards them, and him being protective, he used his body to shield them and knocked them down. They were small, most likely female, but had something covering their face so he couldn't see what they looked like. They had a cut gushing blood out the right side of their head. It took Joel a lot of convincing from Ellie, but he took them back to Jackson and told Tommy and Maria to just not say anything.

He didn't know where they were or who they were, and he honestly didn't care that much. All he cared about was that Ellie and him were safe and could now live a somewhat normal life.

Readers POV

You were quickly finishing up with the box you were looking through and tried to put it back on the shelf when you heard heavy footsteps coming your way. You were on your tiptoes, trying to reach high enough on the shelf when you heard that voice again.

“Ya need some help there darlin’?” You turned around slowly to find a broad-shouldered, over six foot man leaning up against the shelf looking down at you with his arms crossed over his chest.

‘Fuck he’s handsome’ You thought to yourself, not giving two craps if it was rude to stare or not. He had salt and pepper hair, scruff around his jawline and these big brown eyes that if you swore you looked into them for long enough you would see his soul.

“Ya know it’s rude to stare” He said, with this stupidly attractive smirk on his face.

You quickly snapped out of your thoughts, “Shit, sorry” You laughed, “Could you put this box up there please?” You asked, batting your lashes up at him, not having a care in the world.

He reached his arms out and and you handed the box to him smiling, and once he was done he looked back at you, staring into your blue eyes and how they almost look green in the sunlight. You could’ve sworn he looked you up and down but it was so quick you couldn’t tell if you were seeing things.

“I’m Joel” He puts his hand out signalling for you to shake it.

You shook his hand and smiled “I’m Y/N, it’s nice to meet you.”

He nods and smiled back, “I jus’ needed some supplies for this plumbing job but I know what I need” He said, “I’m just gon’ grab stuff and head out.”

You nodded and walked away to the front desk to sit down, giving him a little wave, and he started walking around and checking where everything was. You would usually help people but he seemed confident enough.

After around 10 minutes he started to walk out but when you smiled to say goodbye, something about him seemed so familiar. You walked up to him, signalling him to stop, and he did.

“I swear I recognise you from somewhere” You said, tilting your head to the side as if to get a better look at him.

He looked back at you and his eyebrows furrowed, “I’ve probably walked past you a couple times, not too sure though” He then waved and left, leaving you to think about the interaction till you closed up.

Joel’s POV

He had been standing in his kitchen, silently sipping on his coffee to try and wake himself up. That was before Ellie came rushing in almost hyperventilating because she was so puffed out. Joel instantly put his coffee down and walked over to her thinking something was wrong.

“Is everythin’ okay? What’s wrong?” He asked, putting his hands around her arms trying to keep her still.

“The.. girl..” She couldn’t even form a sentence without having to take a huge breath. So Joel sat her down on the couch and let her recover.

Ellie took a last breath in and out before speaking again. “Remember that girl we brang back? I overheard people talking and she works at the supply store, her name is Y/N.” Ellie said, looking up at Joel, “I ran back here because I thought you’d want to meet her.”

Joel took a deep breath, relieved it was nothing bad, “Why do I need to know that? We didn’t tell her it was us for a reason,” He brushed Ellie's hair out of her face, trying to hide the fact that he was shit scared a second ago.

“Apparently she’s really pretty, people were practically gawking over her,” She slowly got up, “I just thought you’d want to know” She then walked back to her room, leaving Joel thinking of endless possibilities of how this could turn out.

He did need to already go to the store, so he could act casual about it. What would he do? Go up to her and just say ‘Hey! I am actually the one that probably gave you a huge scar on your head but hey, you’re safe now right?’. He sighed and poured the coffee down the sink, grabbing his stuff and leaving.

As he walked in he heard a voice, your voice.

“Be there in a sec!” He heard from down the back,

“Yep no rush!” He answered back, trying to not sound so eager.

But before he could stop himself he was already walking towards where he heard you, running his fingers through his hair since he forgot to check himself in the mirror this morning. As he rounded a corner, he saw you, and it felt like time itself slowed down.

You were wearing these black jeans that made your ass look amazing, but his jaw nearly dropped to the floor when he saw you reaching up, causing your shirt to ride up and show just that little bit of skin. Just before he thought it could get better, you turned to him, your hair moving in that way he only thought it did in the movies, and those gorgeous blue eyes. But something caught his eye, your scar. ‘It really is you.’

After the short interaction he had with you, he went to walk out and you stopped him, making him want to scream.

“I swear i recognise you from somewhere” You said, his brain short-circuited for a second, the way you tilted your head so innocently, he swore he would drop to his knees if he didn’t snap out of it in time. ‘Just act casual, don't tell her yet’

“I’ve probably walked past you a couple times, not too sure though” ‘Fuck, was that too casual?’

Before he could overthink it more, he decided to just wave and leave, and when he turned his back to you, he couldn't help but smile.

[howi99]

From the Nest 29

(back to Beacon, on the roof)

Blake: *looking at her partner with a concerned expression* ... Jaune-

Jaune: *sigh* Blake, i already told you; I'm fine! Just had an awkward conversation with my friend before we parted ways, that's all.

Blake: *looking nervous* Does... Does it have anything to do with her eyes?

Jaune: ... *Taking a deep breath, feeling the future headaches* Of course you noticed...

Blake: Hard not to, especially when she was kicking your ass. *Looking to the side* ... And... *slight blush* I might have heard you two talk a bit?

Jaune: *annoyed* For fuck sake-

Blake: It wasn't my intention! I swear! I just- I wanted to ask you two about Adam and... *Looking down, guiltily* Well...

Jaune: And you choose the moment when we walked away from y'all? *Rub his eyes in exasperation* I swear, you never heard the saying "Curiosity killed the cat", did you?

Blake: ... You really used that expression because i'm a cat faunus?

Jaune: It wasn't intentional *shake his head with a frown* and that's beside the point. I don't want you to be in danger! ... Well, in more danger than you already are, i mean.

Blake: *rolling her eyes* Please, i'm not a child. I can take care of myself.

Jaune: *Flick her forehead* If that was really the case, you wouldn't be in Beacon, hiding your identity with a bow and prayers.

Blake: I have my reasons...

Jaune: *deadpan* And I'm pretty sure those reasons start with "White" and finish with "Fangs". *Fold his arms* Am i wrong?

Blake: ... H-how did you-

Jaune: *rolling his eyes* The heirs of the SDC sign up to Beacon, far away from the protection of Atlas. It's the perfect opportunity for a kidnapping, even more so during initiation. *Looking at Blake with a smirk* I might not have known who the SDC really was or how far the White Fang had fallen at first, but it doesn't take a genius to understand why a faunus would try hiding their identity here!

Blake: *frown* If you know what i am, why not denounce me?

Jaune: *poke her head* Because, Blake Belladonna, you are my partner. *Poke her again* You are Adam's friend and, more importantly, you saw how Weiss really was. *Smile genuinely* Tell me, do you still plan on kidnapping her, knowing she is nothing like her father and is probably the best bet for the SDC to change its way in the near future?

Blake: ... *Sigh* No.

Jaune: *turning around, satisfied by her answer* In any case, you should try forgetting what you've heard. Ignorance is bliss, that's the only truth when it comes to whatever shitshow Vernal, Raven and I are in.

_ meanwhile _

Ilia: *blink* You want to attack Beacon? W-why? Isn't Blake taking care of kidnapping the SDC bitch?

Sienna: It has been 2 months and we haven't received a single word from her. Either she was found out, or she defected.

Ilia: *slamming her hands on the table* Impossible! Blake would never abandon our cause!

Sienna: *sigh* That may be so, but she IS a Belladonna. And with the rise of Adam Taurus and his faction, some of our more moderate members have already sided with his views.

Ilia: Then let me come! If my partner has failed, it is my duty to rectify her mistake!

[tincanton]

my thoughts on jrwi ep 110 :DD

- THEY FUCKING EXPLODED????

- NOT THE FUCKING STICK FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU

- LET THEM HAVE THE STICK YOU MONSTER

- honestly glad chip cant get another deal because thats double fucked

- erm i dont think you should let niklaus decide when the dread queen comes back maybe its just me but that seems. KINDA BAD :DD

- dude not. dont call him papa possibility :((

- CAPTAIN ROSE CAUSED IT??????

- THE STICK 😭😭😭

- yeah chip lost something valuable alright THE STICK. oh yeah and his heart too I Guess 🙄🙄

- [looking at his exploded friends] u alright? ._.

- theyre speaking spanish :> my beloveds.

- augh chip and queen hug :(( i love them so much :(( also WWHO TF IS QUEEN need their backstory asap

- OH MY GOD AAAUGH THE REFERENCE

- "nice forearms. and nicer staff :))" "did you just walk up and say that to me???" 😭😭 (did not even listen to the entirety of the old campaign) (like one episode at most)

- "M̶͈͉̌͐Y̵̼̆͂ ̵͕͆͆T̸̩͖͌͆I̶̘̐̇M̸̭̲̔̇E̵̯̜̍͒ ̶̝̀H̴̲̹͊͌Ą̷͌̅Ș̴̛̉ ̴͚͝Ċ̴̬O̷̻͚̊̕M̴̲̭͐̉Ë̷̢͉́͘.̶͈̰͐̀" "should we call them back who was that :}" gilly my silly 

- awh chip and jay conversation :(( jay feeling guilty because chip had his heart taken away because she didnt get her limbs taken off (girl its okay nobody wants to be amputated) and chip reassuring her that its fine even though its definitely not fine

- get that leg fixed goddamn. dont hide it no-

- Tree Powers Activate >:D [tree powers do not activate]

- "that barrel you sleep in? thats made of trees!" "but... it doesnt have any branches..." 

- starts weeping sexily

- what is happening. i cant keep up with their silly banter this is so funny help

- "H̴͔͌͊Ę̵̢̂̔Ẻ̴̯E̷͓̓͛Y̸̱͂͑Y̴̤̹̅Ỹ̷̧̪Y̷̘̆͝Y̷͓̙͆." "omg i didnt know you were chill like that."

- idk if anyone noticed but gillion is my silly. my favorite little guy if you will. gilly. he is my everything. he is bantering with a tree.

- HELP JAY AND CHIP ARE JUST STANDING THERE

- GOD DONT LET GILL ASK THE TREE AHAHAHHSHDHSHD

- "do u like blue color or red color more?? :∆"

- HOW MANY TREES ARE THERE??? NONONONONO GILLY DONT DO IT-

- "what do they call you?" "how long until you die :3"

- HELP GILLION WIKI. LISTENING TO JRWI IN PUBLIC IS SO HARD IM SO GLAD I HAVE A MASK BECAUSE I CANT STOP SMILING OMG

- Gillion Motherfucking Titty Sucking Tidestrider

- omg the prophecy lore pls i need the truth too

- i did not understand any of that but cool

- "who are you without your titles?" "i dont know" ow. okay.

- god i hate how jrwi can go from so funny to so emotional so quickly. i love it. i hate it.

- albatrio my beloved. my found family

- "if the world explodes, at least we get exploded together :))" aw... i think...

- "what do you see in these fishy eyes 0-0" "what color are gills eyes?" "Bloo :]"

- GRAGHH GILL ASKED WHAT THEY SEE IN HIM. THEY SEE A FRIEND. THEY SEE FAMILY. THEY SEE A GOOD PERSON. HURGH. IM GONNA THROW UP. THEY SEE SOMEONE WHO WILL LAUGH WITH THEM WHEN THEYRE IN DANGER. GOD IM GONNA BE SICK.

Gill: What if there's nothing?

Jay: Have you enjoyed it?

Gill:  I think I had a pretty rough start, but yeah. Even the worse parts. Maybe more than I should have. Yeah I have.

Chip: Then fuck it.

Jay: That's all that matters.

OH SO YOU WANT TO HURT ME. OH SO YOU WANT TO KILL ME.

- "Even if its all inevitable I'm glad we got written in the same story." Dont. Dont do this to me.

- HELP NOT THE INTERVALS OF GILL JUST BREAKING DOWN IN BETWEEN SENTENCES

- NO LITERALLY DO NOT GIVE ANYONE THE DECK OF MANY THINGS PLEASE

- noo haha chip dont pull a card from the deck of many things youre so sexy hahaa (i already made this joke befo

- "gambling is not destiny"

- woah theres a wicked looking sword in the corner

- BABY BLADE????? yeah were movin on.

- dont eat chip's hotmode swords pretty please

- charlie has made nuh uh and yuh huh a part of my vocabulary this sucks

- istg if "it is what it is" becomes the new "it is my destiny".... 

- naw gill trying to defy the gods by not sleeping 😔😔 bbg just go sleep

- they gotta get outta here man i dont wanna know what happens if they get too many corruption points jays ALREADY AT 5...

- WHAT DID THEY DO TO EARL???? HELP LMAO

gill: Oh Well you know if you need anyone Else to cast the spell for you... Maybe theres like a PALADIN or someone-

chip: i can try :))

gill: *fucking leaves*

- chip jumpscaring igneous for a bit is so silly of him please use chip being dead as a prank more lmao 

- hnnghhnghhnb star saying that they have to make their own hope while holding zamia hrrrghhr oh theyre In Love in love

- "Life keeps going on. And so do the holes. In the sea. And they call to us." - Jay Ferin

- "he was there one moment and then he turned to dust and died. Wait im thinking about the tree. Green is fine :))"

- he gave gill his seed. yuh huh. yurp.

- gill has two moms that share custody of him :] and also theyre gods :]

- "i have ceremony prepped if you want to make it official :>" HAHSHAHDHS GILL #1 SUPPORTER OF STAR/ZAMIA FRRR

- ZAMIA BLUSHING PLEASEEE

- BAHAHAHSHSH "not a big deal ive officiated a wedding before :)) NOT THAT IT WAS HONORED 👀😒😒🙄🙄"

- TIL DEATH DO US PART. AND CHIPS DEAD. ALL IT TOOK WAS TAKING CHIPS HEART TO GET DIVORCED.

- "ive seen this before :DD do you guys wanna get married?" lmao so this is why i saw some ship art of chip and igneous.

- "i share my finances with them already [gesturing to gill and jay]" is this supposed to imply that you are married to your captains chip nolastname. chip jrwi. 

- jay: nononono we're not adding another Person to that though. oh so you ARE in a polyamorous relationship huh. huh.

- gill: i never thought of it like that ._. (he was in the poly and he didnt even realize)

- wait so have they just decided that if they both roll nat 20s they would get married. ermm. chip i think you. i think you forgot smth... (/hj)

- chip got 0 game just go to your fish man already

- "as a cleric i feel obligated to stop y" "no dont." "sure ._." dang they really want to go into this hole dont they.

- nonono no mold hallway no please no no

- lol did they just forget to mention the literal teleporter they have that can bring them out of the black sea at any point.

- honestly i love that the riptide pirates are just bad at being pirates. like go off and make friends and throw your money off the ship.

- igneous part of the riptide pirates :DD (literally run away from these dumbasses)

[rhaenyras-alicent]

can't stop thinking abt the concept of arthur hearing about this 'emrys' throughout different occasions here and there in the beginning of s4, and at first not thinking much of it, then when the name keeps getting repeated from different villains/sorcerers he interacts with, it finally catches his attention and he becomes genuinely concerned. he makes it a bit of a personal mission to find out who he is, but it's all a very lowkey side plot that's not the main focus (think of the 'traitor' arc also in s4). of course he talks about it with merlin, but to avoid suspicion, merlin shuts him down every time and tries to make him think this mysterious sorcerer is nothing to worry about.

as more time goes on, and the more arthur learns about this powerful sorcerer always protecting him from harm, and as much as he hates to admit this to anyone, most of all himself, as he's only ever been taught to hate magic and anything to do with it- he starts realizing 'emrys' is less of this evil entity that he has to hunt down and kill, and more of a guardian angel that he has genuine interest now in getting to meet. which would also be interesting in terms of contradicting morgana's plot in the same season.

then, in the s4 finale, something that merlin does or says at the end makes him finally connect the dots. he says nothing. the season closes with him just.......... left with the unbearable conflict of it all. the feeling of absolute betrayal from his own friend- the closest person to him that he turned out to not really Know at all, the anger at being lied to and his own obliviousness, all with also the gratitude to this man who has been protecting him without asking for anything in return, the confusion of why he's doing any of it, and the question deep down whether he even deserves it. he is just. left with so many questions and contradicting feelings that he just... says nothing. and we are left with this as the cliffhanger for s4's ending.

[oh-no-its-bird]

On top of everything else that's happened in the last month or so

(girlfriend breaking up with me / me running off in the night w the friend I was supposed to be maid of honor with bc her (now ex) fiance came home drunk and scared us, while ofc we also both were in swimsuits and had like NO money or even shoes due to incredibly poor timing / Getting stuck in Dallas for TWO MONTHS longer than I meant to be due to bullshit work transfer systems (and admitedly my own inability to remember that deadlines exist) / that same friend going BACK to her shit boyfriend alone to a city 4 hours away from anyone she may call for help if things go wrong / me now no longer having a place in dallas to stay for these next 2 months bc I was SUPPOSED to stay with that friend but her bastard boyfriend doesn't want me in his house anymore bc he knows I'd tell his girlfriend to dump his ass)

I have now lost my fucking house keys.

Anyways I may or may not be way less active for a bit so this is the formal apology and explanation for that. Sorry guys, we are NOT going back to ur normally scheduled rapid fire ninja content as promised for like. A minute. Possibly. We'll see. Sometimes my own motivation wave surprises me.

Tbh it's my own fault for daring to become a fanfic author tbh. Should have known the "sorry I didn't update, my house burned down teehee <3" curse would come for my ass

[strawglicks]

u dont get how crazy i am about the new trailer for the firesetter plushies .

the animation is so cool it makes me so giddy and happy i absolutely adore the animations in this game tbh they look so great and expressive and theyve gotten so good in recent times, esp with that new update a couple months back

ANYWAY i like a lot of the little details . like how graham perks up seeing flint and then turning around to let his BF have the spotlight .. FLINT SLIDING INTO FRAME HAS REARRANGED MY WHOLE BRAIN i assure you ive forgotten important life facts bc flint sliding into frame is taking up that space in my mind . i adore it sm they actually look bold and confident for once . i am so used to their nervous and timid characterization that it makes me so happy to see them genuinely confident. and graham being confident the whole time and enjoying himself in the spotlight but then moving aside to make room for flint . AUGHH.

ALSO. this is the first time we're really seeing flint with his bass in ACTION, in ANIMATION. the only thing we had before this was that one image Mailman (a crew member) made and now we really get to see it in action .

i assume the trailer isnt like. a canon event. but its still all cool and i like the details :] its fun to look way deeper than what it actually is. which is. just a trailer LMAO

[liuisi]

lowkey o-(-( right now

[synthshenanigans]

What do you mean its been a month since the last power hour???

Time shouldnt work that way????

[mbat]

oh my singing monsters, why must you have limited time holiday events when im not far along enough in the game to get the little guys that come with them </3

[deus-ex-mona]

series i’m gatekeeping from my family vs series i’m ✨ok✨ with my family knowing i’m into: