#kevin is a problem in his own right
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
Text
EXPERTS ON COMMUNICATION
Kevaaron / Rated T / 3.2k words / for @billdenbrough & @naturecalls111
SUMMARY:
“What’s their deal anyway?” “Andrew’s afraid of romance,” Kevin answers, bored. With a little more concern, he asks, “I’m not on speakerphone, am I?” Aaron snorts and confirms he isn’t, and he’d have been fine anyway since there’s a whole closed door between him and Andrew. Kevin goes on. “But history suggests they will figure it out.” There’s a pause in which Aaron thinks Kevin wants him to be bolstered by his words, but he really is shit at offering any kind of real encouragement. Aaron flips his hand in the air and makes a noncommittal noise, and Kevin interprets that however he wants. “Aaron,” Kevin says, serious. It’s a complete tonal shift, so Aaron braces for what he thinks he might say next. “You and I—we’re better at arguing than they are. Do you agree?” “What,” Aaron says, relaxing but still exasperated, “are you talking about? Kevin, we argue all the time.” “Yeah, but not about anything serious. Don’t pick a fight with me right now.”
Spoiler: Aaron does pick a fight with Kevin, and on the road to resolution, they acknowledge something new—or maybe not so new—about each other.
🔗 Read it here !
✍️ Check out my writing tag !
#kevaaron#aftg#all for the game#aftg fic#tae drabbles#tae fic#flash fic game#andreil are in this too#causing problems#none more egregious than kevin#kevin is a problem in his own right
24 notes
·
View notes
Text
The amount of sadness I have for the orphans which were selected as toy experiments especially my despair over a huge ass dough made up of not one kid BUT THREE (and one of them had parents back then and we don't know if the rail was intentionally left broken 😤) and then forced to die for the sake of the main character's survival >:'[
Doctor Harley Sawyer, I hate your guts and I hope you're rotting in hell just like William Afton 😌
Prototype, you're the biggest jerk with Sawyer in second place and I hope you get what you deserve in the ending of the game 😐
You also deserve to hear the same insults that Markplier threw at Spring trap in FNAF 3
#Matthew my sweet boy you did everything without looking after yourself just for the remaining kids 😢#Kevin you had every right to get mad but you blamed the wrong person for this incident#Jack you were still a young boy and had to see your parents getting killed by your own hands as Kevin had taken over completely enraged#What do we expect from three kids to do when they share one body and trauma and have their own problems too#Doey deserved better :'(#I wish I could preorder his plushie version..#I'm gonna just look at posts that honor him and write a better alternative reality for him 🥹#Doey fanartists and fanfic writers pls never stop your work 🙇🏻♀️#I WANNA HUG THE BOYS 🥺🥺
4 notes
·
View notes
Text
DOUBLE FEATURE.

CHAPTER ONE
Lee Know x reader.
DOUBLE FEATURE MASTERLIST
Synopsis: After a strange accident on movie set, you and a stunt actor, Minho, wake up in each other’s bodies. The two of you are forced to live one another’s lives while searching for answers. But the longer both of you are stuck, the more both of you begin to see each other differently. (19,3k words)
Author's note: I know it can be confusing at times but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless and I'd appreciate it if you leave a feedback ♡
They say we all want our lives to feel like the movies.
The perfect shot. The perfect line. The slow motion kiss in the rain. The third act redemption.
But no one ever talks about what it takes to actually make a movie. No one talks about the early call times, the underpaid crew, the twelve-hour days that somehow stretch into fifteen. No one talks about the taped floor marks, the blood squibs, the rewrites at midnight. And definitely no one talks about the ones behind the camera—the ones holding the boom, wrangling the extras, fetching coffee with blistered feet and a cracked smile.
You work on a movie set, but your life is nothing like the movies. Your name’s not in lights. You’re not even in the credits half the time. Still, you show up. Day after day. Because somewhere, under all the exhaustion and underappreciation, there’s still a dream clinging to the edges of your heart. Maybe one day, you’ll get to tell your own story. But for now? You’re just trying to survive this one.
The call time was 6:00 AM, but you’ve been here since 5:15. Not that anyone noticed.
Your sneakers squeak across the slick studio floor as you juggle a tray of coffees, a clipboard, and your phone wedged between your shoulder and your ear. The walkie strapped to your waist crackles every few seconds with more problems that aren't technically your job, but end up being yours anyway.
"Yes, I did call props yesterday," you mutter into your phone. "The harnesses are here, I saw them with my own eyes. No, I haven’t spoken to the extras yet, because I’m currently delivering caffeine and peace offerings to five different department heads—"
A production assistant brushes past you without so much as a glance, nearly knocking the clipboard out of your hands.
"Thanks, Kevin," you call dryly after him. He doesn’t look back.
Your walkie buzzes again. "Hey, where’s my coffee?"
You sigh. That’s the assistant director’s voice. Your boss’s boss. The one who sends you panicked texts at 2:00 AM and calls you by the wrong name at least once a day.
"It’s in my hand," you answer through gritted teeth, speeding up your steps. "I’m on my way."
You hand off one coffee, then another. Someone asks you if the weather cover’s still on for the night shoot. Another asks if you can double-check the catering menu because apparently someone’s allergic to tofu now.
By the time you find the director, Argus Flickerman, he’s lounging behind the monitor, sunglasses on even though you’re inside. He’s surrounded by department heads all nodding as if every word he says is gospel. You take a breath, straighten your shoulders, and step forward.
"Hey," you say, trying to sound casual, confident—like a real filmmaker and not the glorified gopher everyone seems to think you are. "I just wanted to check if you had a chance to look at that script I gave you last week. My script."
He doesn’t even glance your way as you talk to him. "Yeah, yeah," he says, waving his hand as if swatting a fly. "Remind me later, alright? Go check with craft services about the vegan mix-up."
You stand there a beat longer, clutching the dog-eared binder to your chest. Then you nod, even though he’s already forgotten you exist. "Sure. Right away."
You walk away, the words burning a hole in your throat. It’s the third time you’ve tried this week. You could recite the rejection in your sleep.
As you pass the stunt zone, you catch a blur of motion out of the corner of your eye—Minho, mid-air, flipping off a crash mat like gravity doesn’t apply to him. He lands cleanly, stretching his arms behind his head as the techs scurry to reset.He glances your way. Not a nod. Not a smile. Just a look. Blank, unreadable.
You’ve worked on four films with Lee Minho now. He’s the top stunt performer on every one, and you’ve probably exchanged fewer words with him than with the craft services guy. You’re not sure if he even knows your name.
You tighten your grip on the script binder and head toward the prop room. If someone doesn’t figure out what’s wrong with the fantasy set vault door, there’s going to be another twenty-minute delay. And guess who they’ll send to fix it? Right. You.
-
You’re halfway through updating the call sheet when your walkie crackles to life again. "Hey. Can you go brief Felix on his scenes today? I don’t have time."
It’s the assistant director. Of course. You pause, already juggling three tabs on your tablet and a phone call on hold. "That’s literally your job," you mutter under your breath.
Still, you press the button and reply, “On it.”
You sigh, rub your eyes, and gather the folder with today’s shooting schedule. Your name isn’t printed on any of the official paperwork. You're just a shadow behind the people who get credited. But apparently, you brief main actors now, too.
Despite the groan you let out, you're not exactly dreading this one. Not because it's your job. But because it's Felix.
Everyone loves Felix. A movie star, the golden boy, camera darling, all charm and warmth wrapped in a heart-melting accent. But more than that, he's kind. Kind in a way that feels rare on this set, where kindness is often seen as a weakness or a waste of time. He says “please” and “thank you” to the lighting crew. He remembers your name. And he never talks down to you. Not even once.
You make your way to his trailer, weaving through cables and gear carts, past a couple of stylists arguing about continuity. You knock gently on the door.
It opens a second later, revealing his assistant. “He’s in the middle of a fitting,” the guy says, already half-turning back inside. “Come back in—”
“It’s okay,” comes Felix’s voice from behind him. “Let her in.”
The door opens wider and you step in carefully, keeping your eyes respectful and trying not to stare—even though it’s kind of impossible not to.
Felix stands near the vanity, barefoot, wearing only a pair of dark jeans as a wardrobe assistant adjusts the fit of a tailored coat across his shoulders. He flashes you that sunbeam smile. “Hey,” he says, and it’s not casual or distracted. It’s real. “Good morning. Everything okay?”
Your voice comes out smaller than you want it to. “You know I can come back later.”
He shakes his head, the coat sliding off as the wardrobe assistant nods and starts gathering pins and threads. “It’s okay,” Felix says gently. “Just give me one sec.”
You step aside, glancing down at your folder to focus your thoughts. It’s too warm in here. Or maybe that’s just your face. You try not to look as his shoulder blades shift, defined and toned, every muscle visible beneath his skin as he stretches his arms back, letting the stylist tug the coat off completely. By the time he turns toward you again, he’s pulling on a white T-shirt, the thin cotton clinging to his damp skin.
You clear your throat and hold out the folder. “Just came to brief you on today’s scenes. The AD bailed. Again.”
Felix takes the folder, motioning for you to sit on the couch. He perches on the edge across from you, elbows on his knees, giving you his full attention like you're the most important person in the room. And that’s the thing about Felix. That’s what makes people love him. He has this way of making everyone feel seen.
You go through the scenes one by one, and he asks questions, makes notes, actually listens. It’s easy. It’s the only time all day you feel like you're talking to someone who cares. You don’t let your eyes linger too long, but your mind slips anyway.
He’s way out of your league.
The thought hits without warning. Not bitterly. Just fact. He’s the lead actor. You’re the assistant to the assistant of the person who probably forgot what your title is. Still… there’s something in the way he looks at you. Not flirtatious. Not fake. Just… kind.
When you finish, he smiles and taps the folder lightly. “Thanks for this. You always make things easier.”
You smile back, grateful but painfully aware of the flutter in your chest that has no business being there. “Yeah,” you say. “No problem.”
You stand to leave and Felix kindly walks you to the door. For a second, just before you step out into the chaos of set again, you wonder what it would feel like to matter to someone like Felix. To be looked at like that… for real.
But then the walkie crackles again, reality calls and you answer.
-
Minho wakes up before the sun.
It’s just a habit now—his body knows the rhythm. The quiet stillness of 4:45 AM, the sting of cold air on bare skin, the smooth stretch of muscle over bone as he swings himself out of bed. No alarm needed.
By 5:00, he’s already moving. His apartment smells like liniment and instant coffee, the floor cold under his feet as he begins his warm-up routine—shoulder rolls, deep squats, core stretches, precision. Everything counts.
He trains in silence. There’s no music, no distractions. Just the sound of his own breath and the low groan of tension releasing from his body. The scar on his shoulder tugs as he shifts into a plank. His muscles flex with each movement—abs taut, arms roped with definition, his entire frame carved by years of impact, recovery, and discipline.
When he catches his reflection in the window, he barely looks twice. The body is just a tool. One he keeps sharp.
By 6:30, he’s showered, dressed in black athletic gear that clings to the cut of his form, and walking onto set with a quiet confidence. The others greet each other in loud bursts of conversation and clinking coffee cups. He just nods in response.
Minho sees you before you see him. You’re hunched over a clipboard, three phones ringing around you like an orchestra from hell. Your hair’s tied up in a knot that’s halfway undone, and there’s a smudge of something—ink? coffee?—on your sleeve. You’re moving fast, already issuing instructions while reading from two different pages at once.
He finds you… fascinating. Not in a romantic way. But in the way someone watches a dam somehow holding back a flood. There’s so much pressure on you, and still, you don’t crack.
“Minho!” you call, jogging toward him with the clipboard tucked under your arm. You’re already talking before you stop moving. “So—three stunts today. Two dry, one wet. You’re vaulting off the overturned truck in the salvage yard scene. We need a safety rehearsal by ten. Oh, and props says the door rig is sticking, so we might need to adjust the angle.”
He stops you for a second. “Wet?”
You wince. “Rain machine. You’re rolling out of a puddle. Not deep. Two seconds tops.”
Minho’s jaw tightens slightly. You don’t notice. Or maybe you do, but you’re already onto your next point. “And I need to double-check with effects about the glass break, but they promise it’s tempered this time. I told them you’re not doing another take if you end up cut again.”
You say it with a hint of fire in your voice, but not like you care personally. Just that you care about doing your job well. Minho wonders if anyone’s ever thanked you for that. He studies you a little too long. You look tired. Like you haven’t had a full night’s sleep in a week. You handle everything—scheduling, props, stunt details, even food crises. And no one ever says your name. Just “hey” or “you.”
“How do you even function?” he mutters before he can stop himself.
You look up, caught off guard. “What?”
He shakes his head. “Nothing.”
You don’t press him. You just nod and walk off, already answering another call.
“Minho.”
He turns to see his coach approaching—clipboard in hand, baseball cap low over his eyes. The man frowns like it’s his default expression. “You got your check-in today,” the coach says flatly.
Minho wipes a hand over his face, exhaling through his nose. “Yeah. I remember.”
“You can't skip again,” the coach warns him.
Minho hesitates. The thought of sitting in that small office, talking about that again, makes his stomach turn. “I’ll go,” he lies, then he walks away, heading straight for the mats to rehearse his stunts instead. He’d rather throw himself off a moving truck than sit in that chair again.
-
Minho stands on top of the overturned truck, breath steady, hands flexing at his sides. Gravel crunches below, voices murmur around the set, but they all fade into the background. Up here, it’s just him, the height, the wind, and the mark. The dumpster waits ten feet away, lid open, lined with thick mats and a few hidden camera rigs.
He’s done this a hundred times—jumps, rolls, crashes, fire, glass, pain. It's muscle memory by now. Still— Every single time. Right before he jumps, that sliver of fear wedges itself into his chest. The whisper that maybe this is it. Maybe today’s the day he lands wrong. Or the rig fails. Or something just—breaks. No one ever knows. No one ever sees it on his face.
Minho crouches, counts silently. Three. Two. One. He jumps. The air rushes past his ears in a roar. The world tilts. His body twists mid-air, legs tucked, arms tight. And then—impact.
A clean roll. The mats groan under his weight. He winces as his knee smacks something harder than expected, but he stays down for the beat, letting the cameras get their shot.
“Cut!” someone yells.
Cheers follow. A few claps. A PA whistles.
Minho lets out a sigh of relief as he sits up, the sting in his leg sharp and real. He checks the knee—cut open, a shallow gash, already bleeding. Nothing serious. He wipes at it with his sleeve and gets to his feet.
The adrenaline still hums under his skin. His heart thuds in his chest like it's proud of him. He loves this part. Not the danger—but the moment after. When he’s made it. When he’s sore and bruised and scraped and breathing. It makes the world slow down. It reminds him that he’s in control. He chooses the fall. He decides when to jump. When to land. And for a few glorious seconds, he has no fear. None at all.
Except the one he keeps hidden. The one that waits in dark water and tight lungs. The one he doesn't talk about. Doesn’t even name.
He pushes that thought away and grins at the medic who jogs over.
“Nice fall, Minho,” they say.
“Thanks,” he replies, brushing dust off his pants. “One more for the reel.”
He limps slightly as he walks off set, sweat cooling on his skin, bruises blooming already—but he feels good. He feels untouchable. At least, for now.
-
The set is quiet now. The kind of quiet that hums.
C-stands cast long shadows under the cooling lights. The camera rigs have been wheeled away. Most of the crew has clocked out, voices fading into the parking lot beyond the trailers. But you're still here, clipboard in hand, double-checking the call sheet for tomorrow, inventorying props, and mentally sorting through who forgot what. You move like muscle memory. This part of the day—the part where you’re invisible again—has its own rhythm.
When you spot Mr. Flickerman still lingering near the monitor setup, you hesitate. He’s alone, arms crossed, squinting at the playback of today’s final shot. For once, he’s not surrounded by producers or barking orders at someone.
This could be your moment so you take a small breath and approach carefully, your footsteps soft against the scuffed flooring. “Mr. Flickerman?” you ask gently.
He doesn’t look at you. “Hmm?”
“I—uh, I know it’s been busy, but I was wondering if maybe you had read my script? I know it's just a draft, nothing big, but I’d really appreciate any notes. Whenever you have a moment.”
You keep your voice light. Sweet. Respectful. Like you were taught. Like it’ll make a difference.
He finally glances at you, distracted, eyes already drifting back to the screen. “I'll get to it eventually,” he says absently. “Sure. Good work today. Can you make sure the prop’s ready for tomorrow?”
You swallow air. “Which prop?”
“The mirror. The one for that dream sequence. Have the stunt team check it for safety, too. Just in case.”
Of course. He didn’t hear you. Or maybe he did and just didn’t care.
“Yes, sir,” you say, already turning to go.
You’ll check the mirror. You’ll chase down the stunt coordinator. You’ll handle it, like always. Because if you don’t, no one will. And maybe—maybe—if you keep working like this, if you keep smiling and saying yes, one day he’ll see your value.
One day, he’ll say your name in a meeting. One day, he’ll hand you a camera and say, “Your turn.”
But today isn’t that day so you swallow the bitter disappointment down your throat like a real grown-up, then head toward the prop storage.
-
Minho stretches his arms above his head, the pull across his shoulders sharp but satisfying. He’s drenched in sweat, his shirt sticking to him, muscles sore in that familiar way that means he did something right—or at least didn’t break anything.
The shoot ran long today. Too many resets, too many takes. He was ready to leave an hour ago. He peels off his training top and wipes his face with a towel, already reaching for his hoodie when footsteps crunch softly outside the tent.
“Minho?” a voice calls.
Your voice and he turns on his feet. You stand at the opening, tablet in hand, eyes dimmed with exhaustion but still alert, still moving. He knows you’ve probably been running around since before the sun came up. He wonders if you’ve even had time to eat.
“Yeah?”
“Sorry to bother you,” you say, hesitating like you’re already expecting a no. “I know you’re done for the day, but Flickerman asked me to check a prop for your stunt tomorrow. He wants you to look at it too, just to make sure it’s safe.”
Minho sighs. He was already halfway out the door. His stomach’s growling and the thought of a cold shower sounds like heaven. But then he really looks at you.
You’re gripping the tablet too tight. You look like you’ve taken on ten other people’s jobs just since lunch. No one else is going to do this. No one else cares. So, he throws on his hoodie and grabs his bag.
“Alright,” he says. “Let’s get it over with.”
You look surprised. A little relieved. “It won’t take long, I promise.”
“Yeah, alright,” he mutters, falling in step beside you as you lead the way down the gravel path. The set is mostly cleared now. Someone’s wrapping up a dolly track, and a lone PA waves tiredly as they pass.
Minho watches you from the corner of his eye. You walk fast, efficient, like you don’t trust the ground to stay still unless you’re already halfway across it. You always look like you’re one errand away from collapsing, but somehow, you never do. He wonders how long you’ve been running on fumes.
The storage is tucked between the containers, bathed in the orange haze of a dying sunset. Inside, the air is thick with the smell of old paint and plywood. You walk toward the back, weaving between crates.
“This is it,” you say, stopping in front of a tall, antique mirror. “The one for tomorrow’s dream sequence.”
It towers over both of you—ornate, freestanding, with a frame that looks like it belonged in some cursed manor house. Gold leafing darkened by time, carved vines twisting along the edge. The glass itself is clean but gives off a strange, almost cold gleam.
Minho frowns. “This thing looks haunted.”
You huff a quiet laugh, running a hand along the edge of the frame. “Don’t jinx it.”
He crouches to inspect the base. “Stable. No visible cracks. Just heavy as hell.”
You kneel beside him, tapping the side of the mirror lightly. “It should be locked in place tomorrow, but Flickerman said to let you give it a once-over.”
“Yeah. Looks fine.”
You both stand at the same time—and for whatever reason, your hands reach out together to touch the mirror at the exact same moment.
The second your fingertips brush the glass, the air shifts. A sudden breeze swirls through the tent, even though nothing outside is moving. The lights above flicker once, twice—then hum sharply before returning to normal.
Minho stiffens. You both pull your hands back and look at each other.
“…What the hell was that?!” you ask, voice quiet.
Minho doesn’t answer at first. He glances at the mirror again. The reflection ripples for a heartbeat—not the glass itself, just the image, as if the two of you shimmered like a bad signal.
“That was weird,” he says finally.
You force out a half-laugh. “Maybe the mirror is haunted.”
“Or we’re just exhausted.”
You nod, though your eyes linger on the mirror longer than they should.
Minho shrugs it off and grabs his bag again. “Anyway. I’m good with it.”
“Cool,” you murmur, already taking a note on your tablet. “I’ll let them know.”
As you both step out of the storage room, the air outside feels cooler, stiller, like something’s holding its breath. Neither of you says anything about it. But behind you, the mirror pulses—once—then falls still again.
-
Minho unlocks his apartment door and steps inside, greeted by the silence he’s grown used to. He flicks on the light and toes off his shoes, the ache in his knee making him wince.
Now that the adrenaline’s gone, everything hurts. He shrugs off his hoodie, drops his duffel on the floor, and heads straight for the bathroom. The mirror above the sink catches him—sweat-damp hair, dirt streaked along his jaw, and a shallow cut on his cheekbone he hadn’t even noticed.
His body’s a patchwork of bruises: shoulder, ribs, thigh. A scrape blooms across his forearm, angry red. His knee is swelling under the dried smear of blood. The pain didn’t hit until now.
He wets a towel with warm water and starts cleaning the wounds. His jaw tightens as the sting sinks in, but he doesn’t flinch. Pain is part of the job. Pain is proof of work. Proof that he’s still standing. Bandages, antiseptic, painkillers—he moves through the motions like a ritual.
Once he’s done, he grabs the worn folder from his bag and flops onto the couch, flipping through the stunt breakdowns for the rest of the shoot. Each page is full of scribbles—timing notes, angles, padding placement, safety reminders.
Most of the stunts are familiar. Falls, fire walls, bike skids. He’s done variations of them before. But one stands out.
Scene 57 – Tank drop + underwater hold
He stares at the header. His fingers go still. There’s a big circle around it, notes scrawled in the margins from his coach: Reassess oxygen hold time. Test with shallow depth first. Not final — needs confirmation.
Minho reads it twice and the back of his throat suddenly goes dry. He closes the folder slowly. His palms are damp. It’s the one stunt he’s not sure he can do. It’s the one where the fear is real, not just a thrill. The one where water becomes a cage, and his mind forgets how to breathe. He lets the folder drop to the coffee table with a dull thud.
“I’ll deal with it later,” he mutters to himself against the silence lingering in the space, but the knot in his stomach doesn't loosen.
He turns off the lights, crawls into bed, and pulls the covers over his sore body. His muscles throb under the weight of exhaustion, but sleep doesn’t come easy. Not with the memory of water pressing against his chest. Not with the sound of a silent scream echoing in his ears. Still, he forces his eyes shut.
Tomorrow is another day and there’s no room for fear. Not yet.
-
The door shuts behind you with a soft click, and you don’t even bother turning on the lights. You kick your shoes off in the dark, bag slipping off your shoulder and landing with a dull thud somewhere near the couch. Your body moves on autopilot—keys on the hook, jacket over the chair, bathroom light on for comfort.
You collapse onto your bed face-first, the covers unmade, pillows a mess. Every part of you is sore—legs heavy, shoulders tight, eyes dry from staring at screens and squinting into sunlight all day.
However, sleep has to wait. You groan into the pillow before dragging yourself upright and reaching for your laptop. The familiar whir of it booting up is a comfort and a curse.
You open your planner, typing out tomorrow’s to-do list: Update shooting schedule. Send revised call sheet. Follow up on prop inspection notes. Confirm Felix’s trailer move. Reply to wardrobe email. Coffee for Flickerman.
You pause to let out a sigh before start replying to emails, fingers flying fast, writing and rewriting the same sentences, the same apologies, the same polite tone.
And then—your gaze lands on it. Tucked under a stack of binders and half-read paperbacks on your nightstand, your script notebook peeks out, its worn spine barely visible. You reach for it without thinking.
The cover is scuffed, soft around the edges, smudged with coffee stains and your own fingerprints. You pull it into your lap, flip it open, and the pages welcome you back like an old friend.
Scene 4 – kitchen light flickers / she doesn’t notice
Scene 12 – voiceover cuts in mid-sentence
Scene 27 – rain on the window / not metaphorical / just lonely
You remember where you were when you wrote these. Some on the subway, others between takes. One late at night with cup of noodles beside you, your mind racing with images and dialogue that wouldn’t wait. You remember the feeling—your fingers flying over the keys, heart full, eyes tired but alive. You were in love with film. Still are.
That’s the whole reason you took this job, right?
Even if it means being an assistant to an assistant director, fetching coffee, running schedules, picking up tasks no one else wants. Even if your name’s never in the credits, even if you barely get a “thanks” because it’s a step. A toe in the door.
And honestly you’re afraid. God, you are. Afraid you’ll get stuck here. That this is it. That passion isn’t enough. That you’ll burn out before anyone even gives your script a glance. But you’re not ready to give up. Not yet. Maybe—just maybe—things are about to change.
You run your hand across the page like it might come to life beneath your touch. Then you close the book gently, like a promise.
Tomorrow, you whisper to yourself. Maybe tomorrow things are about to change. For real.
-
Something feels… off.
You stir awake slowly, head heavy, limbs heavier, like you’ve been drugged or slept through an earthquake. The air smells different. Muskier. Clean, but not your detergent. And the sheets aren’t yours — they’re softer, higher thread count maybe, and way too big. You blink your eyes open, and the ceiling above you isn’t familiar. You sit up too fast and immediately freeze.
Your arm. Wait— That’s not your arm. That’s… a muscular, tan, veiny forearm, the kind you only ever see in action films and on gym freaks who live off protein powder.
“What the—”
Your voice cracks in your throat. It’s deep. It’s not your voice.
Panic claws up your chest. You throw the covers off and stumble out of bed — legs wobbling, feet hitting the ground harder than you’re used to. You glance down and—holy hell—those are not your thighs. Or calves. Or abs. Or anything, really.
You rush toward the mirror across the room, nearly tripping over a duffel bag and a foam roller on the floor and when you finally see your reflection, your heart stutters to a full stop.
Instead of you, you see someone else. Lee Minho.
Wide brown eyes. Fluffy bedhead. Bare chest. Abs. The kind of body sculpted by hours in the gym and dangerous stunts. And he's staring back at you — well, you’re staring back at you, but it’s him, but it’s you—
You grab your face with trembling hands. “Oh my god.”
You turn. The reflection turns. You lift a hand. It lifts a hand. You scream. You curse. You pace the room like a caged animal, hands running through hair that isn't yours. It feels too thick, too soft, unfamiliar against your fingers. Everything about this body feels wrong — the weight of it, the height, the strength in your legs as you move, the sheer heat of it like it runs warmer than yours ever did.
"This isn't happening. This is not happening," you mutter to yourself over and over, your—his—voice too deep in your ears, too jarring.
It has to be a dream. A really weird, lucid dream. Maybe you passed out at work. Maybe you’re still on set. Maybe you fell asleep watching some random body swap movie and your brain is just doing its thing.
"Okay," you breathe, standing still and clutching the edge of the desk like it’ll stop the world from spinning. "Okay. I just need to wake up."
You slap yourself. Hard. Nothing. You pinch your inner arm. Bite the inside of your cheek. Close your eyes and count to ten, then twenty, then thirty. Still here. Still in Minho’s body. Still in his freaking boxer briefs in a room that smells like aftershave and protein bars.
You’re two seconds away from spiraling when a knock makes you flinch so hard you nearly trip over a foam roller again.
“Hey,Minho? You up, kid?” a deep voice calls through the door.
You know that voice. You’ve heard it on set. That’s his coach, Mr. Kim. The one always nagging him about training, safety protocols, and... something about important appointments?
“I know you only have one stunt to do today,” he calls again, lighter this time. “I didn’t see you train this morning. Are you okay?”
You don’t answer. You can’t. He thinks you're Minho because you look and sound like Minho.
The silence hangs for a beat too long. Then the coach knocks again. “You good in there?”
“Yeah!” you shout in sheer panic. It comes out deep and awkward and all wrong. “Yeah, I’m—fine. Just… getting ready!”
There’s a pause. Then a muffled “Alright. Don't be late.”
His footsteps fade down the hallway and you exhale like you’ve been holding your breath for ten years.
This isn’t a dream. This is real. Somehow. Against all logic and reason, this is happening. You throw on a hoodie and sweatpants — Minho’s hoodie and sweatpants — and grab his phone, wallet, and keys like your life depends on it, because it does. You pull the hood up, duck your head, and slip outside, praying no one recognizes you. You hail the first taxi you see and slide in.
“Where to?” the driver asks.
You give your address — your actual address — before you can even think twice. The words feel foreign coming out of this mouth, but you don’t care.
You sit back, heart hammering against ribs that aren’t yours. You need to get home. You need answers. You need to figure this out. You need to see your body. You need you.
-
Minho groans softly, shifting under the blanket.
"Come on," he mumbles to himself, voice thick with sleep. "Get up. You’ve got training."
But his body won’t move. He feels… sore. Not the usual sore. A different kind of sore. Heavy in the limbs, tight in the joints, and strangely stiff like he’s been sleeping curled up too long. The bed under him feels smaller than usual. Firmer.
He exhales, arm flopping over his face. "Just five more minutes," he mutters.
His voice sounds— Wait. That doesn’t sound like him. He peeks an eye open. And then the other.
What the hell?
This isn’t his ceiling. This isn’t his bed. And those definitely aren’t his hands.
Minho bolts upright, heart slamming against his chest — a chest that is… not his chest. He throws off the blanket and stares down at himself. Smaller frame. Softer build. One of those oversized sleep shirts from a drama set. Legs bare and—
“Holy—”
He leaps out of bed and stumbles, crashing into the wall. The jolt sends a mirror on the bookshelf rattling and he catches it just in time. That’s when he sees it. You. Your face. Blinking back at him. Wide-eyed. Messy hair. Lips parted in shock. And wearing the same panicked expression he feels right now.
"No. No no no no—"
He spins around like the room might change if he moves fast enough. But it doesn’t. It stays exactly the same. Cramped apartment. A desk buried in script drafts and empty mugs. A corkboard with storyboards and post-its. A laptop blinking in sleep mode. A poster of a cult classic taped slightly crooked on the wall.
It smells like you too. Like that citrus shampoo and burnt coffee and the scent of a candle that never quite covers it all.
“What the f—” Minho breathes, gripping the back of the desk chair for balance.
He looks down at his—your—hands again. Smaller fingers. Short nails. A callus on the side of the middle finger. He flexes them. Opens and closes them. Still here. Still real.
His mouth opens but no sound comes out. For once in his life, Minho is completely, utterly speechless. This has to be a joke. A prank. Maybe he hit his head during that dumpster stunt and this is all a concussion-fueled fever dream. But when he slaps your—his—cheek, it hurts. This feels too real. Way too real.
Minho drags a shaky hand through his — no, your — hair and starts pacing, muttering under his breath like that’s going to summon a miracle.
“Okay. Okay. Think, Lee Minho. Think.”
He spots your phone charging on the nightstand and lunges for it like it holds all the answers. The screen lights up. Passcode required.
“Of course,” he mutters. “Because this would be too easy.”
He tries 0000. 1234. His own birthday. Your name. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong again.
Minho groans in frustration and flops back into your chair, rubbing at your temple. The wrong skin. The wrong face. The wrong everything.
Then the phone starts ringing in his hand. He jumps, nearly flinging it across the room. A name flashes across the screen: Assistant Director From Hell
Who names someone that in their contacts? Oh, wait, yeah, he knows this person, the AD is the one who always wears his hat backward and yells at you.
The phone keeps ringing. Loud. Insistent. Minho stares at it, torn between throwing it out the window or letting it go to voicemail. But it just keeps ringing as he stares at it so he slides to answer.
The second the line opens, he’s met with yelling. “Where the hell are you? I’ve been standing here like an idiot waiting for that coffee and now I have to do everything myself—”
Minho winces and holds the phone an inch away from his ear. Then, with all the deadpan sarcasm he can muster, he says, “Wow. That's a character development right there. Good for you.”
And he hangs up.
Immediately, the phone starts buzzing again. He throws it on the bed like it’s cursed and stalks across the room, looking for… something. Anything. A clue. Maybe in your shelf full of book has a manual titled "So You've Turned Into Someone Else" . He rifles through the mess on your desk, scans the corkboard like it’s going to explain the universe. Nothing.
Then— Knock knock knock. Three sharp bangs on the door.
Minho freezes. He doesn’t move. Doesn’t breathe. Another round of knocking, faster this time. Frantic.
What if it’s someone else from work? What if it’s the assistant director coming to scream at you in person? He creeps toward the door, slow, quiet. Then he hears it—
“Open up!” a voice hisses. “It’s me! Minho! I mean, you!”
Minho’s heart drops. He grabs the knob, takes a deep breath, and opens the door. Standing on the other side is himself. His body. Same hoodie. Same messy hair. Same scowl.
But the eyes? Not his. It’s you. Wide-eyed. Breathless. Clutching a phone like it’s a lifeline. Your chest rising and falling like you’ve just run the whole way here.
And for the first time since he woke up… Minho feels a strange, cold relief. “You,” he says, pointing. “You’re me.”
“And you’re me!” you shoot back, flailing a hand at him — your own hand.
There’s a beat of silence. Then, in perfect sync, you both say: “What the fuck is going on?”
-
You stare at Minho. No— not Minho. You.
It’s your body standing in the doorway, hair a mess, oversized t-shirt slipping off one shoulder, eyes wild. But the way it moves, the furrow of the brows, the barely restrained panic simmering behind your usual blank expression—
It’s Minho, alright. The real one. In your body.
“What the fuck is going on?” you both blurt out at the same time.
Then—
Minho-you rubs a hand down your—his—face and mutters, “Okay. This is bad. This is very bad.”
“No kidding,” you snap, shoving past him into your apartment.
Minho closes the door behind you, slowly, as if slamming it might explode something.
You pace across the room, arms flailing. “I woke up and everything was taller and muscle-y and there were bruises everywhere and then your coach showed up and I had to lie to his face and take a taxi just to get here��”
“You took a taxi?” Minho interrupts, incredulous.
“I don’t drive motorcycles at sunrise, Minho! I also don’t wake up with an eight-pack and a death wish!”
Minho huffs and plants your—his—hands on your hips. “Okay, well, I didn’t exactly wake up in a spa either! I woke up to a man screaming at me for not bringing him coffee!”
A tense silence settles. You're both breathing hard. And then, slowly, the absurdity hits you.
Minho’s lip twitches first. Then yours. And suddenly, both of you are laughing. That hysterical, oh-no-I’m-losing-it kind of laugh. But it dies just as quickly.
“This is real, right?” you whisper.
Minho nods grimly. “Yeah. Too real.”
You sigh, rubbing your temples. “Okay. We need a plan.”
“Agreed.”
You turn to face him—except he’s you—and it’s… unsettling. It’s like looking in a mirror, but the mirror has way more attitude. You’re pacing again, arms crossed over your—his—broad chest, trying not to think too hard about the way your current biceps flex when you frown. “Okay. We need to retrace our steps. Something happened. This—this body-swap thing—it’s not random. It has to be connected to something from yesterday.”
Minho props himself up on one elbow and squints. “Okay, let’s see. I jumped off a truck into a dumpster. You wrangled five egos and still had time to brief Felix. Nothing weird about that.”
You nod slowly. “And then I stayed late to do prop checks.”
“And I stayed because you showed up to check a prop with me.”
You stop pacing. You both blink. At the same time, you say: “The mirror.”
Minho sits up fully, his eyes wide in your face. “Told you, that thing is haunted.”
“That’s explain why I felt weird after that like...” you don't dare to finish your sentence, heart racing.
Minho nods quickly. “Yeah. The lights flicker when we both touched it.”
You stare at each other. “That’s it. That has to be it.”
“Okay, so what do we do? Break the mirror? Kiss in front of it? Say a spell? Call an exorcist?”
You hesitate. “…We could try slamming our bodies into each other?”
Minho’s jaw drops. “What?”
You shrug. “Like in the movies! You know, sometimes a big impact resets the swap.”
Minho stares at you like you’ve grown a second head. Which technically, from his perspective, you kind of have. “You want me to run at you full speed and body slam you. As me.”
You nod seriously.
“That’s your big idea.”
You nod again.
“…Okay,” he says, standing up and brushing off your—his—pajama pants. “Let’s try this chaos science.”
You both position yourselves across from each other in the living room, your knees bent, arms ready.
“This is so stupid,” Minho mutters.
“On three,” you say, ignoring him. “One… two… THREE!”
You both sprint and collide. Hard. There’s a loud THUD, a crash, and you both go down like bowling pins, sprawling onto the floor with twin groans of pain.
You stare at the ceiling, your breath knocked out of your lungs. “Are we back?”
Minho, sprawled next to you, lifts your—his—arm and flexes the fingers. “Nope. Still you.”
You exhale. “Well. It was worth a shot.”
“Next time,” Minho grumbles, “let’s try the kissing idea.”
You elbow him—yourself?—in the ribs. “Not helping.”
The two of you lie there on your apartment floor, still stuck, still freaked out, and still very much not in the right bodies. You're still lying on the floor when your phone—Minho’s phone—starts ringing again from the kitchen counter. Loud, persistent, and impossible to ignore.
Minho groans next to you. “That thing has been ringing nonstop since I woke up. How do you live like this?”
You sit up and rub your—his—face. “Okay, maybe we should just stay in. Lay low. Pretend we have the flu or food poisoning or—”
“No.” Minho pushes himself up and looks at you, dead serious in your face. “We can’t stay in here forever. Staying here won’t help anything.”
You gape at him. “Are you seriously suggesting we just go out of the door? Like this?”
Minho shrugs. “We pretend to be each other. Get through the day. Figure out how to reverse this later.”
“You make it sound so easy.”
“It is,” he says. “I checked the call sheet before I went to bed—I mean, before you did. I only have one stunt to do today. One. Easy.”
You raise an eyebrow. “And what about you doing my job?”
Minho scoffs. “It’s not like you’re operating heavy machinery. You just run around getting coffee and wrangling people, right?”
You give him a sharp look. “Wow. Okay. Cool. So you think all I do is errands?”
He shrugs again, and you can tell he’s trying to downplay it more out of panic than arrogance. Still, it stings.
You point to the buzzing phone. “Great. You can start by answering that.”
Minho groans but picks it up, holding it like it’s a cursed object. “What’s the passcode?”
You tell him.
He answers. “Hello? …Yes, this is… her. What? No, I’m—I’m on my way right now. Yes. Coffee. Got it. Extra hot. Yep. Bye.”
He hangs up and looks at you, horrified. “Okay, your job is a waking nightmare.”
You cross your arms. “Still just errands, huh?”
He mutters something under his breath.
You sigh and stand. “Alright, if we’re doing this, we need rules. Ground rules.”
Minho nods. “Fine. Rule one: don’t die in my body.”
“Rule two: don’t quit my job.”
“Rule three: don’t embarrass me in front of people. Especially Felix.”
He smirks. “Especially Felix? Why? Do you like him.”
You scoff and pretend to deny it. “I do not.”
He just raises a very skeptical eyebrow and you groan before continuing. “Whatever. Rule four: don’t tell anyone what’s going on.”
Minho nods again. “Agreed. We act normal. We blend in. We switch back tonight.”
You hold out your—his—hand. “Deal?”
He shakes it with your—his—much smaller one. “Deal.”
Then you both just stand there, still completely swapped and not remotely ready. But you put on your best Minho scowl, and he straightens up like he’s about to lecture a crew full of interns.
This is going to be such a disaster.
-
Minho sits stiffly in the passenger seat—well, technically it’s not his body sitting there, it’s yours. But inside, it’s him. And that alone is enough to make his temple throb. Next to him, you—trapped in his body—are clutching the steering wheel with a white-knuckled grip, staring out at the set parking lot like it’s a battlefield.
You exhale sharply before shifting on your seat to face him. “Okay. Let’s go over this again.”
Minho leans back in the seat, arms crossed, your smaller frame feeling oddly fragile under the tension. “First, you head to the stunt tent. Warm up. Stretch with the guys. Just do what they do.”
You nod slowly. “Copy that.”
“And don’t talk too much. I don’t usually make conversation.”
You raise an eyebrow—his eyebrow. “Oh really? You don’t say.”
Minho rolls his eyes. “Just—grunts, nods, maybe crack your neck now and then. Keep it cool.”
You breathe out through your nose. “What about you?”
“I’ll do your job,” he replies, glancing out the windshield. “Run around. Look irritated. Get bossed around by people in cargo shorts.”
You snort. “It’s more than that and you know it.”
“Yeah, yeah,” he mutters. “I’ll check the props too. Especially the mirror.”
Your stomach twists at the mention. “You really think it’s that? The mirror?”
He gives a small shrug. “You got a better theory? ‘Cause I woke up in your body and you woke up in mine. That mirror’s the only weird thing that happened.”
You hesitate. “Yeah. No... you’re probably right.”
He grabs the door handle, but pauses. “Also—your stunt today?”
Your eyes widen. “What about it?”
Minho pastes on a casual smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. “Easy. Just a little jump. Nothing to worry about.”
Relief floods your face—his face. “Thank god.”
Minho doesn’t tell you the truth. He doesn’t say that the jump is high for you and that he’s not even sure you would be able to feel confident doing it. He’ll deal with it later. Hopefully, you won’t even have to do it. He’ll figure this out before it comes to that.
“Okay,” you say, reaching for your—his—door. “You handle the mirror. I’ll stretch and try not to die.”
“Good plan,” Minho mutters.
You both step out of the car, standing for a second in bodies that don’t feel like home. He glances at you one last time. “You sure you’ll be okay?”
You scoff. “Says the guy who thinks my job is just carrying coffee.”
He winces, then grins. “Alright. Point taken.”
You both head off in opposite directions, moving like strangers inside each other’s skin. Neither of you says it out loud, but you’re both thinking the same thing: This better not last forever.
-
Minho makes a beeline for the storage room, moving quickly down the corridor with your lanyard bouncing against your chest. His goal is clear: find the mirror, get answers, and fix this madness before it gets any worse. But before he can even reach the end of the hallway, a voice booms behind him like nails on a chalkboard.
“There you are!”
Minho freezes. He doesn’t have to turn around to know who it is. The assistant director—your boss—is stomping toward him with a coffee cup in hand and a permanent scowl etched into his face like it’s carved from stone.
“Do you know what time it is?” the AD barks, gesturing dramatically at his nonexistent watch. “I needed the prop list an hour ago. Felix’s call sheet is still not updated. And where the hell is my second coffee?”
Minho blinks. “You… already have a coffee,” he points out flatly.
The AD scoffs. “This one’s from makeup. Makeup, for god’s sake. Is that your job? No. Your job is assisting me, which apparently includes making my morning slightly less miserable.”
Minho bites down on his tongue, hard. It takes everything in him not to roll his—your—eyes so far back they get stuck.
The man slaps a thick clipboard into Minho’s hands. “Here. Schedule, scene breakdowns, deliveries, sign-offs. Make yourself useful.”
And just like that, he turns and walks away, muttering something about incompetence under his breath.
Minho stares at the pile of tasks like it’s a live grenade. “What the actual hell,” he mutters, your voice low with disbelief.
He glances down at the clipboard, then toward the direction the AD disappeared in. Then back at the clipboard. Then at the door to the storage room. He breathes out through his nose. Hard. “How do you do this?” he murmurs under his breath, thinking of you—really thinking of you for the first time. “How do you not lose it on that piece of shit every single day?”
His jaw tenses. The sting of someone barking orders at him, treating him like a forgettable errand runner—it’s new. Unfamiliar. Unpleasant. And this is what you’ve been putting up with? Every day?
He takes a step forward, then stops—and kicks the air in sheer frustration. It’s not satisfying. At all. “Great,” he mutters. “Just great.”
Clutching the clipboard like it personally insulted him, Minho turns and trudges toward the production trailer. He’ll do the work. He’ll grit his teeth and get through it. Because the sooner he plays his part, the sooner he gets to that damn mirror. And hopefully, the sooner he gets back to being himself.
-
You walk across the lot toward the stunt tent, trying not to let the sheer absurdity of your situation make your legs give out. With every step, you're hyperaware of the way Minho’s body moves—he’s all long limbs and muscle, the kind of strength that doesn’t just look intimidating, it feels it.
You roll your shoulders once, trying to act casual. Confident. Masculine. Whatever that means. You're Minho now. You’re a stuntman. And according to Minho, you don’t talk. You nod. You keep your cool. You keep repeating that to yourself like a mantra as you approach the tent.
Inside, a few stuntmen are already moving through their warm-up drills—stretching, light cardio, and some kind of complex joint-rolling thing that looks both impressive and mildly painful. The air smells like sweat and athletic tape, and the floor mats are covered in chalk footprints and scuff marks.
One of them bumps into you as he jogs backward in a warm-up run. He grins and claps you on the back like it’s just another Thursday. You nod. Just like Minho told you.
“Rough night?” the guy asks, chuckling, then jogs away before you have to answer.
Okay. So far, so good.
You eye the group for a second and slowly make your way toward the stretching circle, sitting down cross-legged and watching their movements out of the corner of your eye. One guy pulls a leg over his shoulder like it’s no big deal. Another does a series of pushups on his knuckles. You swallow and try not to panic. You mirror their stretches as best you can, focusing hard on making each move look smooth, like you’ve been doing it your entire life. Minho’s body helps—a lot more flexible and capable than yours—but you can feel your lack of rhythm. Your motions are just a beat too slow, too unsure.
Still, no one’s called you out. Yet. Someone claps beside you. You turn your head just enough to see one of the stunt guys—someone you vaguely remember seeing on set a few times—gesture to the crash mats behind you.
“Wanna run some practice rolls?” he asks.
Your heart stutters in panic, but you nod, keeping your expression blank.
He tosses a foam baton toward you. You catch it—barely—and follow him to the mat, mentally bracing yourself. You’re not sure what’s worse: the possibility of failing spectacularly in front of actual stuntmen or the fact that Minho’s body might get injured because you don’t know what you’re doing.
You whisper to yourself, “Okay. Just don’t die.”
And then, you lunge forward, trying to look like you belong here—even if you feel like the world’s worst impostor in someone else’s skin.
-
You’re already out of breath by the time warm-ups are done, sweat slick on Minho’s back and your lungs burning from the effort. You try not to hunch over or pant too hard—everyone else looks like they’ve barely broken a sweat, and the last thing you need is to stand out.
You're mentally begging for a moment to catch your breath when the stunt director appears, barking your name—Minho's name—and waving you over. You hesitate a split second too long before jogging toward him, muscles aching in unfamiliar places.
“We’re setting up your jump today,” he says as he checks something off on his clipboard. “Let’s go take a look.”
You nod mutely and trail behind him, hoping it’ll just be a demonstration or a quick safety walkthrough. Maybe you can fake your way through this without throwing up or falling on your face.
He leads you to the parking structure and then you follow him up flight after flight of concrete stairs, each step echoing with your own dread. By the time you reach the second floor, your legs are trembling—not from fatigue, but from the creeping realization that this isn’t just a talk. He’s going to show you the real thing.
You step out into the open and the sun stabs at your eyes. The stunt director strides toward the edge of the building, casually ducking under the safety rail. You don’t want to follow—but you do.
“Here,” he says, pointing. “You’ll come running from that corner, full speed, and jump off this edge. The dumpster down below is padded. We’ll have the rig crew ready. Should be an easy drop.”
You step forward cautiously and glance down. It’s high. The kind of high that makes your knees feel like jelly and your palms start sweating all over again. The wind whips through Minho’s hair, but it doesn’t cool the flush rising in your face.
"Easy," he says.
You want to laugh—easy, he says, as if jumping off a concrete ledge and trusting gravity and foam mats below isn’t completely terrifying. You nod slowly, trying not to show how pale you’ve gone.
“Just like the rehearsal last week,” he adds. “Same pace, same tuck on the landing. You remember the drill.”
Nope, you think. I was too busy being myself last week.
The director keeps talking—something about the angle of the camera, how fast you should be running, and where exactly to aim when you jump—but the words start to blur. All you can focus on is the open air in front of you and the distance to the dumpster below.
You swallow hard and nod again, every part of you screaming that this is a bad idea. Because you might be in Minho’s body—but you’re definitely not him.
-
Minho balances a tray of four overpriced coffees in one hand and an armful of clipboards in the other as he weaves through the chaos of the film set. Someone yells at him to move faster, and he barely restrains himself from responding with a few choice words. Instead, he forces a tight smile and mutters, “You’re lucky I’m not in my actual body.”
Your job truly is a nightmare. He’s delivered coffee, answered at least twelve emails he barely understood, got scolded for not replying sooner, and now he’s carrying props across the lot like a glorified intern. How do you survive this every day? More importantly, how have you not completely lost your mind?
He checks the time on your—his—watch and realizes he has a few minutes. Without wasting it, Minho slips away from the chaos, navigating through the back corridors until he reaches the storage room.
The door creaks open, and he steps inside, the scent of dust and old metal filling his nose. His eyes scan the dim space, skipping over piles of unused props and covered furniture—until they land on it.
The mirror. It stands leaned against the wall, cloaked partially with a thin tarp like someone tried to forget it existed. Minho walks toward it slowly, heart beating faster the closer he gets. He pulls the tarp down and the mirror’s surface glints under the single overhead bulb. It looks… normal. No glowing aura. No ancient runes. No cursed fog swirling inside.
When he looks into it—he doesn’t see himself. He sees you. Your face stares back at him from the glass, wide-eyed and confused. It’s the same expression he knows must be on his real face right now. He slowly lifts his hand and the reflection copies him. You copy him. Or—he copies you. Either way, it sends a chill down his spine.
“What are you?” he mutters under his breath, scanning the frame for any engravings, hidden switches, anything that might hint at what this mirror really is, but there’s nothing. Just that eerie reflection and the heaviness in the air like something is watching, listening.
“How do we fix this?” Minho murmurs as leans closer.
He crouches beside the mirror, eyes narrowed, fingertips brushing lightly over the cool, dust-coated frame. He doesn’t know what he expected—an inscription? A hidden compartment? Maybe the mirror to whisper "swap complete" in some demonic voice? But nothing happens. Just his—your—reflection blinking back at him. Then the static pops from the walkie-talkie clipped to his belt, and Minho flinches.
“Have you briefed Felix yet?” the assistant director barks through the device, tone already laced with irritation.
Minho clenches his jaw before pressing the button. “On it now,” he says, his voice pleasant but tight, his thumb lifting just in time to roll his eyes to the ceiling.
“Jesus fucking Christ!” He mutters it to no one in particular, then jogs out of the storage room, ducking around equipment carts and crossing the set like he actually knows where he’s going. When he finds Felix’s trailer, he barely stops before knocking.
The door to his trailer swings open almost immediately a d Felix stands there, relaxed in a loose hoodie and jeans, his signature sunshine smile already in place.
“Oh, hey!” he greets warmly.
Minho nearly scoffs. He forgets for a second that Felix is one of those people who actually means it when they smile. He also remembers—unfortunately—that you like Felix. Like like-like him. He can feel it faintly inside the borrowed body, a residual trace of admiration like perfume on a shirt collar.
Whatever. He’s not here to psychoanalyze your hopeless crush. He’s here to do your damn job.
Minho clears his throat and lifts the clipboard he’s snagged on the way over. “You’ve got three scenes today. First one’s the rooftop sequence—fight choreography’s been updated, so it’ll be a new take. Second’s that emotional bit in the stairwell, the one with your co-lead. Third is a green screen pickup at the end of the day. You’ll need the harness ready before lunch.”
He rattles it off smoothly, without emotion, and Felix listens with the same gentle attentiveness that makes everyone like him. Once it’s over, Minho doesn’t waste a second. He turns toward the door, eager to get back to the mirror, to anything else.
And then, a hand catches his wrist. Not harsh, but firm.
“Hey,” Felix says, his voice softer now, serious in a way that makes Minho pause. “Are you okay?”
Minho turns slowly, face falling into a confused frown. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
Felix tilts his head a little, studying him. “I don’t know. You just seem… different today. Like something’s bothering you.”
Minho swallows hard. He notices? Seriously? Inside, he panics. But outwardly—he smiles. Not his smile. Your smile. The one you’d probably use to brush things off. Just tight enough to be believable. Just warm enough to not raise questions.
“I’m fine,” he says with a practiced lightness. “Just… tired. It's been a long day.”
Felix nods slowly, still watching him like he’s not quite convinced, but respectful enough not to press. “Alright. If you need anything—”
“Thanks,” Minho cuts in gently, pulling his wrist free and giving a small nod before making his exit.
Once he’s outside, he lets out a long breath, picking up his pace toward the edge of the lot. He’s barely been in your shoes for a few hours and already? He’s exhausted and he still hasn’t figured out how to fix this mess.
But just as he rounds a corner and nearly collides with a crew cart, it hits him. The stunt. Your stunt. His stunt, technically—but it’s you in his body. That jump—that jump—is scheduled to be filmed this afternoon.
He rubs at his temple, groaning. “Oh, crap…”
There’s no way you can pull it off. No way you’re ready. It’s not just some minor tumble—it’s a carefully timed fall from a second-story ledge into a crash mat, flanked by sharp camera angles and tight choreography. And if he doesn’t find a way to switch back before the call time, it won’t matter how good you are at pretending to be him. You could get hurt. Badly.
-
You try not to let your nerves show, but your legs betray you. You’re pacing around the edge of the tent like a trapped animal, arms folded tightly against your chest, eyes darting every time someone walks past.
You’re dressed in Minho’s stunt gear, the padding uncomfortable against your body, the weight of it pressing down on your thoughts. You’re supposed to jump from a ledge today. A ledge. And everyone in the tent acts like it’s just another Wednesday.
You steal a glance at the other stuntmen—stretching, checking harnesses, laughing like it’s all just fun. Like they’ve done it a thousand times. Maybe they have. You haven’t. And your heartbeat won’t stop hammering in your chest.
You try to breathe through your nose. In, out. In, out. You can’t mess this up. You can’t. Minho said it was a simple stunt. You keep repeating that. It’s simple. He said it’s simple.
Still, your hands shake. You turn toward the table lined with protective gear, eyeing the elbow pads and harnesses. You’ve been trying to figure out which goes on first without making it obvious you’ve never done this before. You're one second away from panicking again when—
The tent flap lifts and you nearly jump. It’s Mr. Kim. Minho’s coach. His sharp eyes immediately scan the table, then settle on you. “Have you suited up yet?” he asks, gesturing toward the gear. “You should be getting ready.”
“I—I was just about to,” you manage to say, your voice a little higher than you’d like. You clear your throat and try again, “Yeah. Getting to it.”
Mr. Kim narrows his eyes slightly. Not with suspicion. Just… confusion. Like something about you isn’t quite adding up. He steps a little closer, eyes flicking down at the gear still untouched, then back at your face. “You feeling alright, Minho?”
You force a stiff nod, doing your best impersonation of someone who knows what they’re doing. “Yeah. Just… focusing.”
But his eyes linger on you for a beat too long and just when you think the situation couldn’t get worse—
The tent flap flies open again. It’s you. Well, your body. Minho. His hair’s a little messy, chest heaving like he sprinted across set, and his eyes immediately land on you. There’s a flash of urgency in them before he shifts his expression into something more controlled, more you.
“Hey,” he says quickly, looking at Mr. Kim. “I need him for something. Production stuff.”
Mr. Kim frowns. “Now? We’re about to—”
“It’ll be quick,” Minho says, grabbing your wrist like it’s second nature. “I’ll have him back in five.”
Mr. Kim doesn’t look convinced, but he doesn’t stop him either. Minho’s already tugging you out of the tent, muttering a quick “Thanks” over his shoulder.
Once you’re outside, he picks up the pace, still holding onto your wrist as he drags you away from the tent, the set, and the people who are expecting you to be fearless.
You stumble a little to keep up. “Minho—”
“We need to talk,” he says, glancing over his shoulder. His voice is tight. “Now.”
You don’t argue because the look on his face tells you what you already feel deep in your gut. Something’s wrong and time is running out.
-
The space is dim, the flickering light overhead casting long shadows across crates and metal racks. You’ve been here before, but this time, your heart races for a completely different reason. You follow Minho further into the storage room, still feeling the ghost of panic clinging to your skin.
Minho walks straight toward the corner, where the tarp-covered object looms like a secret waiting to ruin your life. Without saying a word, he grabs the edge of the fabric and yanks it down.
The mirror. Your stomach flips at the sight of it. It looks ordinary. Heavy. Old. The frame is tarnished gold, the glass dark around the edges like it’s been absorbing years. But the thing that really makes your skin crawl is the reflection. Because it’s not your face staring back at you. It’s Minho’s. Still.
Minho crosses his arms, frustration settling in the crease of his brows. “I checked everything,” he says. “Every inch. There’s nothing. No switches, no marks, no inscription—nothing that says, ‘This is cursed, don’t touch it.’”
“That’s very comforting,” you sarcastically mutter, inching closer to the mirror.
The closer you get, the more your reflection—or Minho’s reflection—taunts you. You watch as he mirrors your movement exactly, down to the anxious bite of your lip. You tear your gaze away. “So… what do we do now?”
Minho doesn’t answer right away. He stares at the glass like he wants to shatter it. Then he sighs and says, “Maybe we try touching it again. Like we did last night.”
You blink at him. “You think that’ll work?”
“I don’t know,” he admits. “But we don’t have other ideas.”
You both stand in silence, neither of you moving. Because honestly? You’re scared.
“What if it only makes it worse?” you whisper.
Minho hesitates. Then nods once, slowly. “We touch it together. On three.”
You draw a shaky breath, then raise your hand alongside his.
“One…”
You swallow.
“Two…”
Your fingers hover a breath away from the glass.
“Three.”
Both of your palms press against the mirror at the same time and nothing happens. No shimmer. No jolt. No flash of light. Just silence.
You pull your hand back, disappointment crashing down like a wave. “Of course,” you mutter, stomping your foot against the ground, the sound echoing off the concrete. “Of course it wouldn’t be that easy.”
Minho lets out a breath like he's been holding it too. He rakes a hand through your hair—his hair—and looks at you. “I don’t know what else to do.”
You pace in a small circle, head spinning, and then— You stop. Your eyes snap to him. “Wait. Didn’t you say something this morning?”
Minho narrows his eyes. “I said a lot of things this morning.”
“No, you said something about—about kissing in front of the mirror. As a joke.”
He stares at you. “You’re not serious.”
You lift your shoulders in a helpless shrug. “I know it sounds dumb, but I’ve seen weirder things work in movies, okay? It’s not like we have a list of rules here.”
Minho exhales sharply and rubs the back of his neck. “This is ridiculous.”
“Do you want to be stuck in my body forever?”
He scowls. “Fine.”
The two of you stand in front of the mirror again, reflections aligned like some strange alternate reality. You’re facing each other, close enough to feel each other’s breath. The awkwardness is so thick it nearly drowns you.
“This is so weird,” you mumble, your eyes flicking down to your—his—mouth.
“You think I’m enjoying this?” Minho retorts, glaring at his own face.
Still, neither of you move away. You close your eyes first. He does too. And slowly, awkwardly, your lips meet in a kiss that’s more confused than romantic. It’s soft, hesitant—clumsy, even—but you both stay still, hoping maybe… just maybe…
Please, let this work.
After a moment, you both pull away, eyes blinking open as you glance quickly at the mirror. Still you. Still him. Nothing.
You let out a frustrated groan and wipe your mouth with the back of your hand. “Well, that didn’t work either.”
Minho sighs beside you, tilting his head back with a dramatic groan. “We just kissed ourselves. For nothing.”
You nod solemnly. “We really need a better plan.”
-
Minho takes a step back from the mirror, lips still tingling with the awkward memory of kissing himself—well, you—and the growing frustration that nothing happened. Not even a flicker. He exhales sharply through his nose and turns to say something, anything, but you beat him to it.
“This is bad,” you mutter, pacing now, hands flying in frantic gestures. “This is really bad, Minho. I can’t do that jump—I can’t—have you seen how high that is?”
Minho blinks. “Yeah. That’s kind of the point of a stunt.”
You turn to him with wide, panicked eyes. “I looked down, Minho. I got dizzy just looking down. And now they want me to leap off it? On camera?! In front of everyone?!”
You lunge for him suddenly, grabbing his arms. Minho flinches—not because of the movement, but because you’re using his strength in his body, and your fingers dig into the muscle of his—your—arms like steel clamps. “You have to fix this. You have to,” you plead, panic riding high in your voice. “I can’t do this. I’m not trained for this. I can’t even jump a flight of stairs without breaking something!”
Minho opens his mouth, but then you’re talking again, the words crashing out of you like waves.
“Why didn’t you tell me this stunt was this intense?! You said it was simple, you lied, and now I’m gonna die and everyone’s gonna see me—you—fail and fall on my face, and they’ll blacklist me forever and—”
“Hey,” Minho snaps, gripping your shoulders. He forgets for a second that he’s still in your body, and how strange it looks—you holding yourself. “Breathe. Just breathe, alright? We’ll fix this. There has to be a way.”
But you’re too far gone in panic to hear him and just then, the walkie-talkie clipped to your—his—belt crackles to life.
“Minho, where the hell are you?” Mr. Kim’s voice blares, stern and urgent. “Get back to the set. We’re rolling in ten.”
You freeze and so does Minho. His jaw clenches in either concern or panic. Or both.
Your wide, frantic eyes lock onto him. “I can’t do it, Minho,” you whisper, barely audible now. “I can’t.”
Minho’s gut twists as he watches your face—his face—completely unravel. You’re terrified. And as much as he wants to tell you to get a grip, he can’t blame you. You didn’t sign up for this. Not really. And worst of all? He doesn’t know how to fix it either.
“Okay,” he says, softer this time. “Okay. Come on. We’ll figure something out. Just… give me a second to think.”
And as the walkie-talkie continues to crackle impatiently at his hip, Minho realizes time is the one thing they don’t have.
-
Minho pulls you into an empty storage room down the hallway, shutting the door behind him with a quiet thud. You are still in full-blown panic mode, pacing the tight space and tugging at the hem of your borrowed shirt—his shirt, technically—muttering under your breath about death, embarrassment, and shattering every bone in his body.
“Stop moving,” he says, more gently than his words sounded. “Come here.”
You hesitate, but shuffle closer, visibly trembling. Minho crouches down and picks up the padding gear someone must’ve dumped in the corner earlier. “Arms up.”
You obey, albeit reluctantly, and Minho begins fastening the elbow pads, strapping them tightly around your joints with practiced hands. He tries to focus on the motions—secure, align, tighten—but it is hard when you are radiating so much panic that he can practically feel it buzzing in the air between you.
“I’ve never jumped off anything in my life,” you mutter as he move to your knees. “Not even a pool diving board. And now I have to—what—leap off a parking building?! I’m going to die. I’m going to die and they’re going to say it’s your fault and everyone will hate you and—”
“Hey.” He doesn't snap, not this time. He straightens up and catches your shoulders before your thoughts can spiral further. “You’re not going to die.”
You give him a skeptical look that mirrors his own expressions so well it is eerie. He let out a sigh and reaches for your chin, tilting your head up until your eyes met his.
It is surreal—seeing his own face like this. Pale. Anxious. Lips quivering, jaw tight. It hit him then: he’s never seen himself afraid. Not really. Not until now.
“You’re safe,” Minho says, firmly but with something softer beneath the surface. “You’ve got padding in all the right places, the rig guys triple-check everything, and the mat down there is like landing on a bed. You’re going to be fine.”
You stare at him, not entirely convinced so Minho moves his fingers to your jaw, but his gaze doesn’t waver. “All you have to do is jump. That’s it. Just one jump. You don’t even have to look down.”
“But—”
“And once it’s over,” he cut in, gently but firmly, “we’ll figure this out. The mirror, the curse, whatever it is. We’ll fix it. I promise.”
You bite your lip—his lip—and nod slowly. Minho sees it in your eyes, the fear still clinging to every thought, but also something else: trust.
His lips quirks, a small smile just for you. “See? You’ve got this.”
The walkie-talkie on his hip crackles again, Mr. Kim’s voice barking for the third time, increasingly annoyed. Minho doesn’t even bother responding this time. He flips the switch and turns it off with a pointed click. He isn’t leaving. Not yet. Not until you're ready.
-
You stand just off set, fully padded and jittery, the building looming behind you like a threat. You try not to look up at the ledge where you’re about to leap from, even though it’s all you can think about. Your heartbeat is a loud, erratic drum in your chest.
The only thing keeping you from bolting is the thought Minho planted in your head: the sooner you finish this, the sooner you can fix this. That’s it. That’s the only thing keeping your legs from locking up.
You’ve rehearsed it. You’ve gone over every step with Minho, run through the motion a dozen times on flat ground. The scene is straightforward. You just have to sprint and jump. You’ve watched Minho do stunts before—this one is small compared to the usual—but it feels colossal now that you’re the one doing it.
You stand on your mark and wait for the instruction.
“Action!”
You don’t think. You just run. The wind cuts past your ears, and the edge of the building rushes up on you faster than you expect. You hit the mark, your foot bouncing off the tape, and you leap.
Air whooshes past your face as the world tilts. Your stomach flips, your body tenses, and a sound you don’t mean to make escapes your lips. And then—impact. Soft, pillowy, like crashing into a giant marshmallow.
You lie there, limbs splayed, your eyes shut, breathing hard. It’s quiet except for your heart pounding and the distant sound of crew members moving around. You don’t move. You feel like your soul is still clinging to the top of that building.
Then you hear your voice. “Hey.”
You open your eyes and see Minho—your body—standing beside you with a hand extended. You take it, letting him pull you up.
“Oh, my God!” You gasp in disbelief, chest still rising and falling. “I can’t believe I actually did that.”
Minho scratches the back of your—his—head, lips pressing into a flat line. “Yeah, but… you’re gonna have to do it again.”
Your smile drops. “What? Why?”
He steps in closer and lowers his voice. “You screamed. You’re not supposed to scream during the jump.”
You blink, horrified. “I didn’t mean to. It just—it just came out!”
Minho doesn’t scold you. He just sighs and gives you a small, understanding nod. “It’s okay. Just do it again. Don’t think about it too much this time. Remember what I told you: shoulders relaxed, don’t lock your knees when you land, and breathe. You’ve got this.”
He crouches beside you, helping you adjust your padding again, tightening a loose strap on your elbow guard. You nod slowly, drawing in a deep breath. You have to do this. One more time. Then maybe—just maybe—you’ll be one step closer to waking up in your own skin again.
-
By the seventh take, you finally get the hang of it. Your knees don’t wobble as much, and your scream stays buried in your throat where it belongs. You land right on the mat, smooth and silent, and when you get up, the director gives a loud, satisfied “Cut! That’s the one!” You can hardly believe it. Relief floods through your body like a warm rush, and you’re already looking around for Minho—to tell him you survived, to ask if he saw it, but he’s not there.
Instead, Mr. Kim walks toward you, and your stomach sinks. His expression is unreadable at first, firm as usual, like he’s about to throw more instructions your way. You stiffen.
“Come with me,” he says, not unkindly. “We need to talk.”
You hesitate, then follow him, nerves crawling all over your skin. He still thinks you’re Minho. You have no idea what kind of relationship Minho has with this man, what you’re expected to say, or how to behave. You can only follow and pray you don’t blow your cover.
Mr. Kim leads you behind one of the trailers, where it’s quiet and out of view. He turns to face you, and when he does, something changes in his face. His features soften, his brows furrow—not in frustration, but in concern.
“Are you okay?” he asks.
You straighten up and force a small nod. “Yeah. I’m okay.”
He doesn’t buy it. His hand comes up gently, resting on your shoulder, and he makes you look at him. His voice is lower now, careful. “Minho. Are you really okay?”
Your breath catches. His eyes are sharp, too sharp. You’re afraid he’ll see right through the lie, right through you—and you can’t afford that. So you take a risk.
“I… don’t feel like myself today,” you say quietly.
It’s not a lie. Just not the whole truth. Mr. Kim studies you for a moment longer, then slowly lowers his hand from your shoulder. Something settles in his eyes—understanding. He nods once, firm but kind. “Take a day off tomorrow.”
“Oh?” You blink, surprised. “Thank you.”
But before you can fully exhale, he adds, “I’m giving it to you because I want you to go to your appointment.”
Your heart skips. Appointment? You nod quickly, masking your confusion. “Right. Of course. I’ll go.”
“Good,” Mr. Kim says. He gives your shoulder two reassuring pats before turning and walking away, leaving you behind the trailer with a dry mouth and a thousand new questions.
Once he’s gone, you let out a long, shaky sigh and run a hand down your face. What appointment? And what exactly is going on in Minho’s life that you’ve just walked into?
-
Minho feels like every inch of your body is about to shut down.
The second he finishes logging the last of the day’s call sheets and returns the borrowed walkie to the charging dock, he slumps against the nearest wall in the hallway. The ache in your lower back is sharp, and his legs—your legs—feel like they’ve been walking for ten hours straight, which, unfortunately, they have.
He hates this job— your job. Not because it’s hard—he’s used to hard. But because it’s the kind of hard that goes unnoticed, thankless. And worse, he can’t understand how you do it. How you put up with the never-ending orders, the too-long hours, the bosses who treat you like a personal assistant rather than a professional. He wonders how much you bite your tongue each day. How often you do someone else’s job because no one else will. And most of all, he really wonders how you put up with that damn AD.
Minho groans as he pushes himself off the wall and trudges toward the storage room. The mirror is still there, tucked behind shelves and crates, hidden under the dusty tarp. He yanks it back and looks at the frame, eyes narrowing. There’s still no answer. No inscription. No symbols. Nothing magical about it except the wrong person staring back at him when he looks.
However, he has a plan now. He figures if he brings it home, you and him can test it in a more controlled setting. Try again without the rush, without worrying about being caught. He can set it up, maybe even try using different lighting, mirrors in movies always need the right light, right?
With that in mind, Minho wedges his hands underneath the frame and lifts, or tries to as your arms give out halfway through.
The mirror barely rises off the floor before his grip slips, and it lands back with a dull thud. He exhales a string of curses under his breath. Your body just isn’t strong enough to carry this alone. His body could, no problem. But your frame is smaller, and your muscles are clearly not used to hauling heavy things. He huffs and pulls out your phone.
Minho scrolls through the recent calls and presses his own number—your number, technically. When you pick up, he doesn’t waste time.
“Storage room. Now. I need your help carrying this damn mirror.”
As he waits, he leans against the shelf, arms crossed, eyes flicking between the storage room door and the mirror beside him. The minutes tick by slower than he wants, and just when he considers calling again, the door creaks open and you stumble in, panting.
He frowns as he takes you in. “What took you so long?”
You open your mouth to respond, but Minho catches the glint of something white on your upper lip. His brows knit together, and without thinking, he reaches out and swipes his thumb over your skin.
“What is this?” he mutters, holding it up for inspection. Icing sugar.
You blink at him before replying, “I got hungry. Like starving. The second the adrenaline wore off, it just hit me, so I raided the craft table.”
Minho sighs sharply. “Great. So now you’re feeding my body garbage.”
You scoff, clearly offended. “Excuse me? Are you saying I’m not allowed to eat?”
“I didn’t say that,” he mutters, rolling his eyes. “Just… don’t ruin my metabolism.”
You shoot him a glare, but before the back-and-forth can spiral, he jerks his chin toward the mirror. “Help me carry it. We’re taking it.”
You blink. “Taking it where?”
“Home. Somewhere private. We need to inspect it properly and figure things out.”
You pause, then nod, surprisingly quick to get behind the plan. Together, the two of you peek out into the hallway. No one’s there. Minho grabs one side of the mirror, you take the other, and you both move in sync, quietly sneaking the thing across the back corridors of the set and out the emergency exit that leads to the parking lot. It takes some maneuvering to fit the mirror in the back of your car, but you manage it—barely—without cracking the glass or your patience. Minho exhales deeply, wiping his hands on his pants when it’s finally secure.
You straighten up beside him and say, “We should stay at my place too.”
He gives you a look. “Why?”
You shrug like it’s obvious. “Didn’t you say we need to figure this out together? Kind of hard to do that if we’re in two different places.”
Minho groans under his breath, then rakes a hand through his—your—hair. “Fine. But I swear, if I find out you’re feeding my body more sugar—”
“You’ll what? Body slam me with your fragile little arms?” you tease.
He throws dagger with his eyes but then sighs. “Just get in the car.”
-
You and Minho struggle a little getting the mirror through your front door, the frame bumping against the hallway walls before it finally lands in your living room with a soft thud. As soon as it’s upright against the wall, you sigh and wipe your forehead with the back of your hand.
Without saying anything, you bolt toward the kitchen.
Minho’s voice follows you, sharp and scolding. “Are you seriously eating again?”
“I’m hungry,” you grumble back, flinging the fridge open and pulling out whatever looks remotely edible. After the day you’ve had—stunts, screaming, and the stress from this soul-swapping thing—you feel like you’ve earned a sandwich. Maybe two.
Minho huffs behind you but doesn’t argue. Good. He doesn’t need to know about the six donuts you inhaled earlier in a post-stunt haze.
As you line up slices of bread and pile on meat and cheese like you're building a house, you glance over your shoulder. “So... what’s the plan now?”
Minho doesn’t answer immediately. He’s pacing the living room with purpose, already back in his ‘problem-solving’ mode. “We need to find out where this mirror came from. If we know its origin, maybe we’ll understand what kind of... magic or whatever is tied to it.”
You nod, even though you’re more focused on not cutting your finger with the butter knife. “Okay. Research. Got it.”
You finish assembling your sandwich and take it with you to the couch, plopping down with a content sigh as you sink into the cushions. Minho drops his backpack on the coffee table and unzips it with determination.
“What’s that?” you ask between bites.
“Props files,” he says, pulling out a stack of folders. “I swiped them from the office. Figured they might help us trace where they bought the mirror.”
You raise your eyebrows, impressed despite yourself. “You stole from the production office?”
Minho looks up and deadpans, “It’s not stealing if I’m just borrowing it... for a supernatural emergency.”
You snort and go back to chewing as Minho flips through the files, muttering under his breath and scanning each one. You watch him work while you finish your sandwich in slow, satisfying bites, the mirror quietly looming behind you both like it’s watching.
Two sandwiches later, you lie sprawled out on the sofa, legs hanging off one end, flipping lazily through a folder you’re holding above your face. The files are everywhere—on the floor, coffee table, couch cushions—like paper confetti from a very boring parade. Your eyes burn from the effort of trying to keep them open, skimming row after row of itemized props.
You groan and let the folder rest on your chest. “I’m so tired,” you mumble, the words muffled into the cushion beneath your cheek.
Minho, sitting cross-legged on the carpet with his hair messily pushed back and your hoodie sleeves rolled to his elbows, doesn’t even look up. “Keep looking,” he says, flipping a page with more intensity than necessary. “One of these has to be it.”
You roll over with a heavy sigh to lie on your stomach, dragging the folder with you. “Okay, but… let’s say we do find out where the mirror came from. Then what?”
Minho doesn’t hesitate. “Then we find out who made it, or where it’s been used before. Maybe there’s some sort of curse or enchantment or—hell, even a hidden switch or inscription somewhere. Whatever it is, we investigate it, and we figure out how to reverse whatever happened to us.”
You let out a soft “mmhmm” in response, your cheek now smushed into the armrest. His voice drones on behind you, low and steady and filled with just enough irritation to mean he’s in deep focus, but none of it really lands anymore.
Your lids grow heavier. Your limbs feel like lead. And before you can tell him you’ll take just a five-minute nap, your eyes fall shut.
Minho’s—your—voice keeps talking, but in your world, it’s already faded into a distant hum—like a lullaby, quiet and unintentional.
-
Minho continues sorting through the files, flipping each page with growing impatience. His voice fills the room, steady but tired as he lays out his plan. “Once we find the vendor, maybe we can trace who made the mirror, right? Maybe they know what kind of enchantment it has—if it’s cursed, or activated by something, or if there’s some weird ritual to reverse it…”
He exhales sharply, eyes scanning another line of paperwork. “God, I’m so tired,” he admits quietly. “But we have to figure this out. I need to get back to my body. Soon.”
He pauses as it gets so quiet all of a sudden—so much so that it draws his attention. He looks up and there you are, curled on the sofa, cheek resting on your hand, your breathing soft and even. He watches the way your—his—chest rises and falls slowly, how the tiniest hum of a sigh escapes your lips. You look peaceful. Too peaceful. As if today hadn’t completely knocked the life out of you.
Minho slumps against the end of the sofa and lets out a long sigh. “You’re exhausted,” he murmurs, softer now, more to himself than to you. “Of course you are. That jump today…” He trails off, rubbing the back of his neck. “I know it’s just you inside. I know that. But God, I hated seeing that look on my face. That fear. I’ve never seen that before—not like that.”
He lets the vulnerability bleed out of him in the privacy of the quiet room, watching you sleep. “I don’t know what I’m doing either,” he confesses, voice barely above a whisper. “I’m honestly just as scared as you.”
With a sigh, Minho rises from the carpet and walks toward your bedroom. He returns a moment later with your duvet in his arms and gently drapes it over you. His movements are careful, deliberate as if he's afraid that you'll wake up from the slightest of touch.
He stares at you for another beat, his features softening. Then he mutters to himself, “I guess we’ll try again tomorrow,” and grabs a pillow before settling on the floor nearby, finally allowing himself to rest.
-
The shrill ring of your phone splits the quiet of the morning like a blade, jolting Minho awake where he’s curled on the floor. His eyes barely open as he groans, his entire body stiff and sore from sleeping on the carpet. The ringtone is all too familiar now.
He doesn’t even need to look. “Assistant Director from Hell,” he mutters darkly, pressing the heel of his hand against his forehead. “Of course.”
From the sofa, your—his—voice muffles out from beneath the pillow. “Make it stop…”
Minho glares at the phone, fighting every urge to hurl it across the room and let it shatter into a hundred blessedly quiet pieces. But instead, he picks it up and answers with a deadpan, “Yeah?”
As expected, the AD starts yelling before Minho even finishes the word. “Where the hell are you?! You were supposed to sign off on the set design changes by now—do you think this movie’s gonna shoot itself?!”
Minho doesn’t even flinch. He stares blankly at the wall and replies flatly, “I’ll get on it,” and then hangs up.
A beat of silence. He glances down at your body sprawled out on the sofa, now cocooned in the duvet, your face still buried.
“Lucky me,” he mutters, hauling himself up from the floor like a man twice his age. “Time to be you again.”
His day hasn’t even started, and Minho already needs a nap. Even so, he drags himself up to his feet, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he trudges toward the bathroom. But before he disappears down the hallway, he turns and gives your foot a firm tug where it’s peeking out from under the duvet.
“Get up,” he says, voice still raspy with sleep. “You’ve got work to do too.”
You grumble in protest and curl tighter into the cocoon of blankets. “Mr. Kim told me to take a day off,” you mumble, your voice muffled by the pillow.
Minho stops in his tracks, confused. “What? Why?”
“Something about an appointment,” you say, yawning into the cushion. “Gave me the day off so I could go. Which reminds me—what appointment?”
There’s a pause. Too long of a pause. He stands there stiffly, his back to you, his hand half-lifted to push open the bathroom door. Then, quietly, “It’s nothing. You don’t have to go.”
You peek one eye open at him. “Nothing?”
“Yeah.” He turns just enough to glance at you, then looks away again too quickly. “Forget it. Doesn’t matter.”
You raise an eyebrow but let it go for now, too sleepy to pry. You shrug and flop back into the sofa, pulling the blanket over your head.
But Minho won’t let you stay buried for long. “Still,” he says, straightening up, “you should get up. While I’m out doing your job again, you can go through the rest of the files. Keep looking for anything about that damn mirror.”
You let out a long, dramatic groan as you push yourself upright, eyes still closed, your hair sticking out in every direction. You look like a very reluctant ghost of yourself in Minho’s body.
“Coffee,” you croak.
“You can make that after you start looking,” he replies dryly, already heading down the hall to get dressed. “No slacking off on your day off.”
And before you can argue, he leaves you grumbling and squinting around the living room at the scattered files that await you. Minho is only halfway to the bathroom when your voice rings out from behind him.
“Wait—!”
He stops, hand on the doorframe, and glances back at you with an eyebrow raised. “What now?”
“Are you gonna shower?” you ask, already sitting up straighter on the sofa, suddenly wide awake.
“Yes?” he answers slowly, suspicious of your tone.
“No!” you blurt, pointing at him. “You can’t! That means you’ll—you’ll see my body!”
Minho stares at you, deadpan. “You’re joking, right?”
“No, I’m not,” you say with a scowl. “That’s my body.”
“And I’m in your body,” Minho replies, exasperated. “You’ve already seen mine.”
“Yeah, not by choice!” you shout, standing up in protest.
But then, something shifts in your expression—your eyes widen in alarm as you look down at yourself. Your voice shoots up in pitch. “Wait, wait, wait, wait—what the hell is that?!”
Minho turns around to see what you’re freaking out about, only to find you gaping in horror at the visible bulge under your sweatpants.
“Oh my God,” you whisper. “WHAT is happening to me?!”
Minho can’t help it. He bursts out laughing, grabbing the doorframe for support. “That, my friend, is called morning wood.”
You look up at him like he’s just told you you’ve grown a second head. “Why?! What do I do with it?!”
Still laughing, Minho makes an incredibly inappropriate hand gesture and winks. “You release it.”
“Ugh! God!” you groan in disgust, clutching your head in mortification. “I’m gonna be sick.”
Minho finally relents, waving a hand. “Okay, relax. No need to be dramatic. A cold shower will do the trick.”
You nod quickly, taking that piece of information like it’s gospel. “Okay. Cold shower. Right. Cool.”
With that, Minho shakes his head and turns into the bathroom, muttering under his breath. He shuts the door behind him, and as he reaches for the buttons on your blouse, he pauses. He sighs, remembering your earlier freak-out.
“Seriously,” he mutters to himself, eyes shut tight as he starts to undress.
-
You head to the kitchen, still rubbing the sleep from your eyes as you start the coffee machine. The warm hum of it fills the quiet morning, and you lean on the counter, arms crossed, trying to shake off the last remnants of sleep. Your muscles ache slightly from yesterday’s stunt, and you groan quietly, muttering, “Never again.”
Minho’s phone—your phone now—buzzes on the counter. You glance down at the screen and see Mr. Kim’s name lighting it up.
Mr. Kim: Where are you?
You quickly type back, Staying at a friend’s place. Short, simple. Hopefully enough. The phone buzzes again almost immediately.
Mr. Kim: Don’t forget about your appointment today.
You frown, reading the message twice. That appointment again. It’s clearly important, judging from the way Mr. Kim keeps reminding him—almost like he’s worried. You hesitate, thumb hovering above the keyboard, about to ask what the appointment is for when you hear the bathroom door open.
Minho walks out in your bathrobe, hair damp and sticking to your forehead, steam still clinging to your skin. You narrow your eyes the second you see him, arms slowly uncrossing.
“Did you do something weird to my body in the shower?” you ask, suspicious and sharp.
Minho freezes mid-step as he gives you a sly glance and mutter. “I’m not a pervert!”
You squint at him, trying to gauge if he’s lying, but he waves you off in a huff and walks straight past you. “I literally showered with my eyes closed,” he calls over his shoulder, already heading toward the bedroom. “I’m traumatized enough, thanks.”
You watch him disappear into the room with a scowl before glancing down at the phone again. That appointment still lingers at the back of your mind. You chew your bottom lip and sigh, debating whether to ask him about it in person or—
The sound of the coffee machine beeping derail your train of thoughts. You quickly pour yourself a cup of coffee, the scent rich and comforting as it rises with the steam. This—this cup of coffee—is the one thing you’ve earned after surviving a rooftop stunt, hauling a cursed mirror across a film set, and waking up with an entirely different anatomy. You lift the mug toward your lips, practically sighing in anticipation.
“Hey! Come here for a second,” Minho calls from the bedroom.
You stop mid-sip, your brow twitching in irritation as you lower the mug and sigh heavily. “Ugh! What now?”
You walk to the bedroom and push the door open, only to freeze at the scene in front of you. Your eyes widen in absolute horror.
Minho—still in your bathrobe—is standing in front of your open dresser, rummaging through your underwear drawer like he’s looking for spare change. “What are you doing?!” you shriek, rushing in and trying to close the drawer, fumbling to push his hands away.
“I need to get dressed, don’t I?” he says with the exhausted calm of someone who’s already fought a dozen battles this morning. “Unless you want me to wear a towel to set?”
You open your mouth to argue—but nothing comes out. Because, fine. He’s not wrong. Muttering under your breath, you reluctantly let go and take a step back, rubbing your forehead in defeat. “Okay. Just—don’t go digging through my socks or anything.”
Minho grabs a bra from the drawer, holds it up like it’s a complicated puzzle, and asks, “Okay, how do I put this thing on?”
“Close your eyes first!” you bark instantly.
He obeys without question, raising his arms and squeezing his eyes shut. First, you part his bathrobe open until it falls around his waist. You gently take the bra from his hands and guide his arms through the straps, reaching around to clasp it at his back. It’s mechanical, awkward—but you manage.
“Can I open my eyes now?” he asks.
You hesitate. “...Yeah.”
He opens his eyes, looks down at your—his—body clad only in your underwear, and just stands there blinking. You watch him watching himself, and then something changes. You feel it. Biologically, something happens inside Minho’s body, and you realize with growing horror what’s going on.
“Nope. Nope,” you say quickly, backing away and holding up your hands. “I’m out.”
You rush out of the room without another word and return to your coffee. You take a small sip and then mutter, “I just wanted to drink my coffee in peace.”
-
You sit curled up on the couch, fingers wrapped around your mug as you finally get a decent sip of coffee. It’s warm, strong, and blessedly quiet for exactly two minutes.
Then Minho walks out of the bedroom, fully dressed in your clothes—somehow making them look sharper than they ever do on you—with your phone wedged between his cheek and shoulder. He’s muttering something to whoever’s on the other end, his tone clipped and on the edge of his patience. You bet it's the AD from hell and you don't know what he says to him, but it’s clearly your job and, honestly, it makes you feel a little bad. He’s doing your work, dealing with your chaos. Still, you don’t exactly envy him either.
The moment he hangs up, he levels a glare your way. “Don’t slack off,” he says. “Get to those files.”
You take a long, pointed sip of coffee. “I’ll get to it once I’ve had my coffee.”
Minho strides toward the kitchen, snatches the car keys off the counter, and tosses them into his palm with the same grace he uses for fight choreography. Just before he steps out the door, he throws another warning over his shoulder. “I mean it. Work on those files.”
You groan dramatically. “I said I’ll do it. You want me to concentrate or not? Stop talking.”
He narrows your eyes at you—his eyes, now—and then finally leaves.
The door clicks shut behind him, and for the first time this morning, you let out a heavy sigh of relief. You sink back into the cushions, holding your coffee like it’s sacred.
“God,” you mutter to yourself, “this better not be my whole week.”
You refill your coffee mug—because there's no way you’re getting through Minho’s cursed stack of files without being fully caffeinated—and settle on the floor where papers are still scattered from last night’s half-hearted search. But one look at the dense text, the endless tables, and supplier lists, and your brain starts to fog like a computer about to crash.
“Ugh, nope,” you mutter, pushing the papers away. “Shower first.”
You shuffle to the bathroom, tugging your clothes off with a resigned sigh, already dreading the experience. Showering in Minho’s body still feels deeply wrong. You keep your eyes fixed on the tiles the entire time, navigating like a blindfolded ninja. Soap, rinse, shampoo—speed run version.
Steam clings to the bathroom walls as you step out of the shower, towel slung low on your hips, hair damp and dripping. You do everything you can not to look down—not out of modesty but from sheer avoidance. It's still his body, after all. But as you stand in front of the sink, reaching for your toothbrush, your eyes betray you. You glance up.
And there he is—Minho—reflected back at you. Broad shoulders, strong arms, water glistening along defined muscles. A sculpted chest and abs that clearly didn’t come easy. He looks—you look—like someone who’s fought to keep this form, someone who’s worked for it.
Then you notice them. Faint scars—one along his ribs, another just above his knee. A small one on his shoulder blade. They’re not glaring or grotesque, just quiet marks of something endured. You run your fingers across one near the hipbone, wondering what stunt led to it, how bad it hurt, whether he told anyone.
You’ve seen him take hits on set before. Smiled through pain. Brushed it off like it was nothing. But now you know it wasn’t nothing.
And suddenly, standing there with your hand hovering over his skin, something shifts. You’ve always thought of him as the cocky, good-looking type. Too confident. A little too smug. But this—this body—isn’t just something to admire. It’s something he’s earned.
It’s strange, really, how much a little scar can say about someone. You pull the towel tighter around your waist and step away from the mirror, heart unexpectedly full of respect you never thought you’d feel.
Minho might be a pain in the ass—but damn. He’s tough.
“Yeah, okay,” you mutter to your reflection. “You’ve got a hot body. Big deal.”
You turn away before you start spiraling, muttering about how unfair genetics are and how you’re going to absolutely lecture him about humility when you’re back in your own body.
…Eventually. First, you really need to put on some clothes.
-
Minho’s day is already testing every last ounce of his patience. Your job, he’s learned, is a never-ending cycle of chasing people down, answering too many questions at once, and carrying clipboards that magically multiply every hour. By the time noon rolls around, he’s already sweaty, cranky, and dangerously close to quitting on your behalf.
He’s jogging across the set, trying to catch someone from the lighting team when he steps on a coil of cable lying across the floor. His foot catches and suddenly, everything tilts. His arms flail out—too late—and he braces for the hard, public humiliation of falling face-first in front of the crew when a strong pair of arms suddenly wrap around him.
“Whoa—careful there,” comes a soft, familiar voice.
Minho blinks, finding himself pressed against Felix’s chest, the younger man holding him steady by the waist. Felix is smiling, sunshine-soft and warm despite the startled tension in his brows.
“You okay?” Felix asks, concern flickering in his eyes.
Minho’s body—your body—nods stiffly. He can feel the flush rising to his cheeks, which makes it worse. “Yeah. Just—there was a cable. I wasn’t looking.”
“Don’t rush around so much,” Felix says gently. “You’ll trip over something worse next time and I won't be there.”
Minho opens his mouth to respond, but it’s hard to focus with Felix’s hands still lightly gripping his sides, grounding him. Felix doesn’t even seem to realize it—like it’s the most natural thing in the world to hold him this close.
“Right,” Minho mumbles. “Thanks.”
Felix’s eyes crinkle. “Anytime.”
And just like that, he lets go—too soon, and too slowly—and jogs off toward his own mark, leaving Minho standing there with his heart doing something it shouldn’t in your chest.
He clears his throat, straightens the clipboard in his hands, and mutters under his breath, “This body has too many feelings.”
As Minho continues half jogging across the movie set, his phone buzzes in his pocket. He doesn’t even check the screen—he already knows it’s you. He answers with a curt, “What?”
“I found it,” you say, breathless. “The mirror. It’s from a thrift store not far from here. It was listed on a prop receipt under a generic ‘vintage décor’ tag, but I matched the item number to an archived invoice. I’m texting you the address.”
Minho’s grip tightens on the phone. “I’ll meet you there.”
He hangs up and spins on his heel, already halfway out when the assistant director steps directly into his path.
“Hey—where do you think you’re going?” the AD barks, waving a clipboard like some divine staff of authority. “You still haven’t checked in with the location team, and the equipment truck needs unloading, and—”
That's it. Minho’s had enough. He doesn’t even pretend to smile this time. “Do you ever do your job?” he snaps. “Because all week, I’ve been doing mine and yours—running around like a lunatic while you stand around barking orders and acting like you’re too important to say please or thank you.”
The AD's face tightens in disbelief, clearly not used to being confronted.
Minho steps closer, lowering his voice but not the bite. “If you keep pawning off your work on me and treating the crew like they’re beneath you, I’ll personally go to Flickerman and make sure he knows exactly what kind of a useless jackass you are. And I promise you, I’ll make it sound worse than it is.”
A few nearby crew members glance over, eyes wide. The AD falters. His mouth opens, then closes, face flushing deep red—less from anger, more from embarrassment.
Minho adjusts the strap of the walkie on his shoulder and says coolly, “I’m going on my lunch break and I'll only continue working when I get back, you understand?”
And without waiting for a response, he walks off the lot, phone in hand, already pulling up the map to the thrift store you texted.
-
Minho pulls into the cracked asphalt parking lot of the thrift store, the car rattling slightly as he parks. The store looks as old as its inventory—paint peeling off the signage, windows cluttered with mismatched furniture and vintage knickknacks. He kills the engine, takes a breath, and gets out.
Inside, the air smells faintly of old books and dust. The store is dim, lit by humming fluorescent lights, and he spots you almost immediately at the back of the shop. You’re standing by the counter, wringing your—his—hands as you speak to an older man with thick glasses and a skeptical look on his face.
Minho walks over, calm and composed. He catches the way your eyes immediately flit to him, anxious, as if silently pleading for help.
“Hi,” Minho says, smoothly stepping in. “We were hoping to get a bit more information about a mirror we found here.”
The owner pushes his glasses up his nose and shrugs. “You’re talking about that tall one with the weird brass frame? Look, I told your friend already, we don’t keep formal inventory on where every piece comes from. People drop off stuff, I price it, and that’s that.”
Minho bites the inside of his cheek. “No paperwork? No names? Nothing?”
The man shakes his head. “I don’t ask questions. Most folks just want to unload junk. That mirror’s been sitting in the back for months before it even sold. Could’ve been here for a year, maybe more.”
A dull throb pulses behind Minho’s eyes, but he doesn’t let his irritation show. Not yet.
“What about security footage?” he asks, nodding to a camera bolted near the front register. “Do you keep your recordings?”
“Three months, tops,” the owner says. “After that, the system wipes itself. That mirror was here way before then.”
Minho exhales slowly, disappointment settling in like heavy fog. Another dead end. He turns to look at you—and sure enough, you're fidgeting again, lower lip caught between your teeth, eyes darting around the room like you're bracing for something worse.
Minho runs a hand through his—your—hair, gaze dropping to the dusty linoleum floor. “Alright,” he says under his breath. “So this mirror really came from nowhere.”
The late afternoon sun casts long shadows across the cracked parking lot as Minho walks beside you in silence. The thrift store sits behind you both like a monument to disappointment, the door swinging shut with a hollow clang that echoes louder than it should.
Your footsteps are too fast, too jittery, and Minho can tell from the corner of his eye that you’re unraveling again. You’ve been trying to hold it together all day, but he hears it in your voice when you ask, “So… what do we do now?”
He doesn’t answer right away. He’s still thinking—still trying to stay ahead of it all, to stay calm, to fix this before it slips too far. But then he hears you sniffle, a choked sound, and he stops walking.
When he turns to face you, your—his—eyes are red and wet. You’re crying.
“Hey, hey, hey,” he snaps, too sharp. He grips your arm, not gently. “You’re crying in my body!”
“What? I can’t even get upset now?!” you shout back, voice cracking as you stomp your foot against the hot asphalt. “I don’t even get that?!”
He freezes, mouth half open, and as much as he wants to scold you again, the words don’t come. Because he gets it. He feels it too.
Every hour in your body feels like falling—like standing at the edge of something deep and unknowable and wondering if this is it. If this will be forever. And worse—so much worse—is seeing his own face twisted in panic, lips trembling, tears clinging to lashes.
Minho swallows the lump in his throat and softens. He takes a careful step toward you, places both hands on your shoulders, grounding.
“Hey,” he says again, but this time it’s soft. Softer than he’s ever let himself sound. “We’ll figure this out. I promise.”
You stare at him for a long second. Then you nod quickly and swipe at your face, embarrassed. When your eyes finally meet his again, steadier now, you ask, quietly:
“…So what do we do now?”
Minho’s jaw clenches. He looks past you, toward the car. Toward the horizon. Then back at you. He lets out a slow breath, and answers, like it’s the only truth he has left—
“I don’t know yet,” he honestly admits. “But we’ll figure it out.”
And as Minho pulls out of the parking lot, he tells himself tomorrow, you and him will try a different angle. Find a new lead. Dig deeper. Because if the mirror really did this… then something out there has the answers.
And you and him are going to find it.
-
✨ DOUBLE FEATURE: CHAPTER TWO is available on my Patreon ✨
Please support my writings by kindly reblog, comment or consider tipping me on my ko-fi!
@svintsandghosts @abiaswreck @drhsthl @biribarabiribbaem @skz-streamer @biancaness @hanniebunch @elizalabs3 @laylasbunbunny @kpopformylife @caitlyn98s @hann1bee @mamieishere @is2cb97 @marvelous-llama @bluenights1899 @sherryblossom @toplinehyunjin @hanjisbeloved @sunnyseungup @skz4lifer @stellasays45 @severeanxietyissues @imseungminsgf @silentreadersthings @rylea08 @hwangjoanna @simeonswhore @yubinism @devilsmatches @septicrebel @rairacha @ven-fic-recs @hyunjiinnnn @schniti-is-in-the-house @jisunglyricist @minh0scat @simplymoo @inlovewithstraykids @angstraykids @lenfilms @inniesfanblog @multi-fandommaniac @tirena1 @nightmarenyxx @nebugalaxy @akindaflora @iknow-uknow-leeknow @satosugu4l @fancypeacepersona
#stray kids smut#skz smut#lee know smut#skz lee know smut#lee know x reader#skz x reader#stray kids imagines#skz imagines#stray kids scenarios#skz scenarios#skz fanfics#skz fics#kpop smut#kpop fics#kpop fanfics#seospicy fics#double feature series
503 notes
·
View notes
Note
the absolute INSANITY of the pushing your s/o away thing with the crazy ass boy gang… it’s like triggering a dog’s prey drive but for serial killers w abandonment issues
CRAZY ASS BOYS GANG + PUSHING THEIR HAND AWAY/REJECTING AFFECTION
❥ who gets pissed the fuck off ❥
Billy Loomis - Is irritated off rip. Billy plays it cool but he needs physical affection from you. He’s casual about it so he flies under the radar, but this is a stage five clinger. He’s always doing something small. Touching your fingers. A hand on your back. Neck. Sitting behind you instead of putting you directly in his lap. It’s little stuff. Hovering. Smack his hand away one of these times and his jaw clenches right away. “What the hell is your problem?” Please snuggle up to him and don’t start world war 3. It’s not worth the joke.
Kevin Khatchadourian - Quick question, why do this to yourself? Kevin does not need, nor does he particularly enjoy, physical contact. Period. He is gracious enough to give you physical contact because he knows you’re built different (pathetic). For you to then turn around and spit in the face of him being kind enough to meet your needs? …. Quite crazy of you. The look he gives you is pure confusion because he’s honest to God baffled. What do you want to accomplish here? Go ahead and start begging now, because he’s not touching you for a long while.
Sparrow!Ben Hargreeves - Swings wildly between damn near dodging any physical affection you attempt to give him to hanging off you like a squid on a ship. No in-between. For you to have the audacity to reject him when he’s feeling clingy? How dare you. He doesn’t have to beg anyone for attention! Did you forget who you’re dating? Doesn’t even care if you did it with obvious playfulness. He’s sensitive. He’s tender. He’s a bitch. He goes to get up and leave entirely and you have to grab him and beg him to cuddle so this doesn’t become a week long cold war. Happy ego stroking!
Stu Macher - What you’re not about to do is ruin his mood. Baby, he’s about to ruin yours. How about that? If you push his hands off you once he enjoys a little playful bitchiness. Playing hard to get. He likes to chase, it’s cool. Twice? Okay…. We’re irritating him. Three times? He’s gonna grab your hand, stop smiling, and stare at you. When he places his hand back where it belongs, on your thigh, don’t act up again. He could make your whole week go to shit. Don’t start wars you won’t win. He’s the king of playing stupid games and winning stupid prizes.
Nathan Prescott - Has to bluster and get visibly pissed off because he is rejection sensitive to a degree that is astounding, frankly. Let you see him upset after he tried to be affectionate and you said no? Hah! Not fucking likely. Being physically affectionate in the first place doesn’t come easy to him. Quality time is more his speed. Even worse if it wasn’t a sexual advance he was making. He tried to wrap an arm around you and you shrug him off? You’ll be lucky to get a hello out of him for the next week. Good luck soldier.
David Mccall - Outwardly, he pretends to be despondent and sheepish when you bat his hand away. He’s using sadness as a shield. If he’s sad then you might feel bad and give in. He’ll use any tool in his arsenal to get his way. One of his greatest skills is speaking in a soft voice, just shy of how you’d speak to a toddler, and telling you: “I didn’t mean to upset you, sweetheart. I’m sorry.” This is all to hide the fact that you rejecting him in any way, shape, or form makes him so angry he can barely think. You might be able to catch the rage hidden behind the veil. If you’re quick enough. David puts on a convincing show, but his gentle smile is twitching at the edges.
❥ who gets sad and mopey ❥
Jordan Li - Oh you pushed them away? No, that’s cool, it’s totally fine. You can want space. Everyone’s entitled to their own space bubble. Of course. Are you having a bad day? Are you mad at them? Did they do something wrong? Did they piss you off? These are the types of questions Jordan is going to “casually” ask for the next ten minutes while they sit really close to you. They’re not touching you! They always sit with their legs spread so wide. Their arm isn’t around you, it’s on the back of the couch. You’re nitpicking here, babe. They’re staring at you with their big brown eyes. No, they didn’t get any closer while you weren’t looking.
Josh Washington - Why would you do this to him? Don’t push his hand off you unless you mean it or you’re being obviously playful about it. If you pretend to be mad at him while you do it, no matter how unconvincing of an actor you are, he will believe you. Sensitive king. He also won’t go to touch you again until you initiate the contact. Physical touch is reassuring and comforting to him but even he (category five clinger) gets touch aversion at times. As observant as he is, he knows some people are uncomfortable asserting their boundaries, so they’ll try to soften the blow of saying no by being “playful”. He cannot take the risk! You could mean it but don’t want to hurt his feelings. Josh interprets many playful no’s as real ones. Better safe than sorry.
❥ secret third worse thing ❥
Sebastian Valmont - Doesn’t take it for anything more than what it is. If you’re being playful he recognizes it. If you’re seriously not wanting to be touched at any given moment he understands that as well. However, in the case of being playful, you’ve started a war you can’t win. Because, as much as Sebastian enjoys chasing you… Sebastian also likes to be chased. Ten minutes from now you’ll go to give Sebastian’s cheek a kiss and he’s going to dodge you. Hard. To such an extent it’s bordering on insult. He’ll be wearing a cat that got the canary grin all the while.
Jason Dean/JD - Doesn’t take you seriously even if you are dead serious. I’m sorry, you’ve discovered his worst character trait by far. Most boundaries are a joke to him. He always wants to touch you. He loves you! He craves you like a drug. You should feel the same for him, in equal measure and desperation. So why wouldn’t you want him touching you? Holding you close. He’s so gentle with you (usually). His arms should feel like home. No matter how long a day you’ve had. No matter how overwhelmed you might be with sound, sight, touch. In JD’s eyes you’re one soul in two bodies. He always wants you near. He knows you want the same. You’re just a little dramatic sometimes.
#crazy ass boys gang#this was SOOOOO fucking fun to write nonny#i remembered how scary some of these fucking attack dogs are midway through writing#billy loomis x reader#stu macher x reader#jordan li x reader#josh washington x reader#kevin khatchadourian x reader#black!reader#jd x reader#sebastian valmont x reader#nathan prescott x reader#david mccall x reader#ben hargreeves x reader#umbrella academy imagine#jordan li imagine#gender neutral reader
3K notes
·
View notes
Text
I don’t know if I want to laugh or cry about the fact that Jean shows up and starts getting onto everyone about their substance abuse issues in in tgr. Like it’s very amusing watching him literally just walk around confiscating everyone’s drugs and alcohol and calling Andrew “Brisket Lungs”. On the other hand:
- The Ibuprofen Incident ™️ makes it abundantly clear that a huge part of his issue with various substances is rooted not in genuine understanding of any harmful effects but rather in Raven fear tactics
- He is the only person since Kevin left The Nest to clock his relationship to alcohol as a genuine problem that needs addressing. Literally no one has said a word to him about this or tried to help manage either the alcoholism itself or the underlying problems that caused it in the first place.
- He is, again (as far as I recall) the first person to point out to Andrew that there are going to be consequences of him smoking outside of the exy court and that maybe these decisions don’t just affect his own body that he cares so little for (again, sad in its own right that Neil’s wellbeing is placed so highly in comparison to his own)
- The fact that when he believes Jeremy about the no-backsliding deal it is a new experience for Jeremy
So yeah, maybe just the crying part.
#aftg#all for the game#the golden raven#tgr spoilers#jean moreau#jeremy knox#kevin day#andrew minyard#I’m so ill about it actually
512 notes
·
View notes
Text
A normal post a about Kevin Barnes from Poppy Playtime.
I genuinely feel so bad for Kevin…
Like that was a kid who clearly had a lot of issues from the start, instead of getting the help he needed all that happened was him being marked off as a „problem child“.
And then he was turned into a toy:/
Read more of my full thoughts and a sorta character analysis/ramblings below cut!
Like honestly no wonder he is seething if he wasn’t troubled before he definitely is now-
Obviously he has no trust in anyone, almost every adult he ever knew screwed him over in some way, hell even the kids he shares a body with would go against what he would do.

(Great example: When Doey chases us in his monster form, it's the arms of Matthew and Jack that are trying to keep his mouth from biting us, Kevin's are trying to grab for us.)
He was hurt over and over again, clearly he wasn’t aggressive just because he wanted to be but because this was his only way of making sure he wouldn’t get hurt.
It was how he had a semblance of control, a sense of protection.
But of course the irony is: That coping mechanism brought him more pain, it was what got him killed.
Sure, maybe he could've just "calmed down", but why would he? He was hurt again, he lost everything AGAIN.
All because he listened to their judgement over his own. Kevin could've killed the player and Poppy on sight, clearly his emotions easily overpowered the other two, but he didn't.
Instead he agreed to trust them as well.
He was still willing to do that, surely if he were just a mindless monster he wouldn't be.
And you know what? I believe he blames himself just as much if not more for what happened than he blames us and Poppy and projects it tenfold.
Because maybe, JUST MAYBE-
If he didn't allow himself to trust again, then everyone would still be alive.
But he did...now see what that got him?
In his mind he's proven right.
So what's an emotionally unstable child to do? After being hurt AGAIN?
That's right.
He lashes out at the first thing he sees that had something to do with his pain:
Us.
Is he in the right? Hell nah- bro we didn't mean for that to happen! But do you seriously think this kid is thinking rationally right now??? NO! He is seeing red right now, he is in fight mode! All emotions and must I reiterate that the only way he knows how to express them is through anger and violence?
There is NO reasoning with wrath try as you might! And that hurts because yeah maybe you could've dealt with that if he was still a gradeschooler but he isn't! He is 900 pounds of living dough with a thirst for blood!
It's either our life or his now. And we already know what the outcome of that is.
Honestly I think it's better that we only hear Matthew and Jack apologise for what happened, I do not think Kevin would even if he did feel bad for what he had done.
Because why would someone who has been scorned so many times be vulnerable all of the sudden? When his main character trait is biting at those who bark at him?Why would all that rage suddenly disappear? If anything the stress of dying only causes him to lash out more.
You don't need an apology from him to feel bad for him.
He is hurting anyone with two eyes can see that and for what it's worth, I do believe deep down he knew what he was doing was wrong but it was too late for him to see any other alternatives and even if he didn't and thought he was right for doing what he did it doesn't take away from the fact that he was fucked over by life.
Kevin is not the worst part of Doey, he is just a part of him.
And that part is not just a violent hunk of playdough.
It’s a scared, confused little boy that cared just as much about every toy in safe haven as his other two components did.
Because if he didn’t why would he get so angry about their death?
Anyway thanks for coming to my ted talk-
Also feel free to agree or disagree with my take, those are just my thoughts so let me hear yours, I like discussions:}
For those interested here are some Jack thoughts and Matthew!:D
And the big blue lump Doey
#doppel draws#doppel rambles#poppy playtime fandom#poppy playtime fanart#poppy playtime chapter four#poppy playtime chapter 4#poppy playtime doey#doey the doughman#kevin barnes#poppy playtime kevin#character analysis#character thoughts#I WILL DEFEND THIS FICTIONAL CHILD TO MY GRAVE#ALL THREE OF THEM SUFFERED#WHY#MY BOYS#my shaylaaaa#fan design#digitsl art#digital sketch#poppy playtime#small artist#art on tumblr#fandom#let’s discuss
679 notes
·
View notes
Text
Poppy Playtime Bigger Bodies (Antagonists) x You || General HCS
...if you were an orphan left mysteriously alive in the factory.
A/N: Aka you being protected by every bigger body brother sister significant mother huggable plush dog cat dough boy in the factory. 😀 also random note but I'd love to hear theories about chapter 5 coming out next year, I'm already ready for it lol, I think I heard its gonna be the last and there's gonna be multiple endings and I'm 100% down for all of it
Sidenote: These headcanons aren't gonna be massively romantic or anything just because they're trapped childrennnnn in animal plush forrrrms and idk writing that ifykwimeaaannn 😺someone freakier than me might attempt to tho lmao also I didn't manage to include Ms Delight in this one, I'm sorry, but girl gave me nightmares for a straight week 😭
CATNAP?
🐾 • Basically never says a word. Kitty's always staring in the back with those big, blank white eyes and gaping grin, looming over everything, lurking in red shadows. Don't think he's not always watching you, because he is. Everywhere. Anywhere. He knows.
🐾 • If you happened to know Catnap before "Catnap" and as Theodore Grambell, there are just two things to know. Don't ever call him by his real name. And don't ever leave him.
🐾 • Cat might actually, very, very slightly be tempted to question the almighty Prototype's intentions if and when he ever demands Catnap fetch you for them for a "discussion of sorts."
🐾 • Get used to being flung up onto his back at random points of the day or night to stalk around the factory levels with him. And also get used to the red mist, because if he thinks you need sleep, then you're gonna get sleep.
🐾 • He'll only stop when he realises that you get the nightmares too. That's how you'll know he cares. In his own ways.
🐾 • And if The Player tries to interact or find you in the factory, Catnap will actually scrap his love for a cat and mouse game with them, and go straight for the kill. And there's no death screen for this one.
🐾 • He's pobably one of the most protective out of all the Bigger Bodies surrounding you in Playtime factory. He won't let you go anywhere near the train, or the main ground floor where the entrance and exit are. It's been bolted and secured by The Prototype itself, and Huggy's another willing blockade to any attempted escapes.
🐾 • I'm rambling about the others now, so let's move on to them-
DOEY?
🍭 • Let me first state (for the very obvious fact, but in case you didn't know lol) that Doey the Doughman is infact multiple mans. Three. And more boys than men- we have Kevin, the "problem child" that has an uncontrolled temper, glaring scowl on his features, and the loudest voice. We've got poor Jack, the victim of falling into literal molten dough as a child, who just wants his mum and brings out the pure blue sadness in the mix. And Matt just tries to keep everyone together as a "dream child," being the most thoughtful and caring of the bunch. So that's that.
🍭 • I feel like out of all of them, Jack would barely say a word, probably still completely traumatised by everything and numbed in pain mentally and physically to end up like a bit of a blank, unresponsive slate. But if you give him time, and maybe a few hugs, he'll soften out of his shell in his own way, and will naturally just follow after you wherever and whenever he can in the factory, even giving the other boys a bit of a tug in your direction when they're fighting for control.
🍭 • Kevin wouldn't give the boys a tug, he would physically lunge and shove against Matt's gentleness to do as he wanted, or to speak to you himself. It would be a miracle for anyone to calm him down, and if it's not Matt getting in at just the right time, it'd be you.
🍭 • Matt's a complete gentle giant in every way, and so you and he would be a dream team in helping keep up the safe haven and a sense of order amongst the others. You'd probably see him asking you for guidance and leadership after a little while too, after he's done it almost completely alone up to this point.
🍭 • All three of them would gang up in an instant to defend or protect you, no questions asked, working in perfect harmony. Just like how brutal the fight with The Player ended up being, but heightened to an extreme, because here, there's no mental or physical conflict in their motives, there's just the raw instinct of protecting their own.
HUGGY?
🧸 • Big surprise - or maybe not - that he's probably one of the softest of the bunch when it comes to you and your protection. He would absolutely steal Catnap's move of just randomly scooping you up to wander around or play in the Game Station, except you'd be carried around on his shoulder for most of the time.
🧸 • He'll play whatever game you want with you, when he's not on surveillance for intruders. Tag or It can be mildly stressful with him though, just because, he will absolutely chase the hell after you until he's knocked you off your balance and into the air- "Huggy it's just a game 😭"
🧸 • The Prototype put Huggy Wuggy in charge of securing the main entrance and level of the factory, and so he takes it completely seriously. If The Player's on the hunt to find you, they'll have to get through Huggy first. He'll be raging, screeching the whole end scene of Chapter 4, because he saw you talk to The Player.
🧸 • Very much like a golden retriever one moment and then a guard dog with snapping teeth and dead eyes the next.
MOMMY LONG LEGS?
💗ྀི • This woman is INSANE 😭 😭 like whattt girl calm down just cus Catnap was giving us a ride around the Navigation Room we aren't gonna fall off and "smash into tiny bloodied pieces," if you keep poking at the Cat he's actually going to twist one of your pink arms off-
💗ྀི • Very protective. Insanely, 24/7, obsessively so. Every other child left her to die but one, so if you go anywhere near the main ground floor or the train, get ready for a momentary mental collapse until The Prototype itself has to threaten her nerves to get her to back off a bit
💗ྀི • She can actually be a nice presence to be around if you're missing your parents or family or anything you had to give up to live in hell underground, because she's motherly to the max and will treat you like you're four and can't do anything for yourself even though you most certainly are not four, and haven't been for some time
💗ྀི • Anyone she doesn't think is protecting and watchiing over you enough on the rare occasions that you're out of her reach is gonna risk being webbed up as a corpse somewhere around the factory, just as a warning sign. She has to teach her lessons, after all.
HARLEY SAWYER?
👁️ • This guy's an absolute bitch. In every way possible.
👁️ • He'll keep you around, not because The Prototype commands it, but either because you're either (1) his child somehow - my condolences to you to have a dad who's basically the monsters inc eye in a box - or (2) you were an interesting and possible subject choice for a future test that never saw the light of day before the Hour Of Joy.
👁️ • He just has a weird obsession with you in some way, though not as strongly as The Prototype's mentality. Harley's still a psychopathic ass, so don't expect much soft treatment. Just a lot of eyes on the old, broken-down security cameras in the factory and a snarky remark whenever you come to check on him in the Doctor's Lair.
👁️ • It'd give him all the more reason to dissect The Player if he found they were trying to reach you somehow. "After my orphan, I see. How inspired. You'll save no one."
THE PROTOTYPE?
⚠︎ • The most protective 101/100 out of every single being left alive in the factory. It just goes about things in a different, "creative" way.
⚠︎ • Low-key borderline obsessed with everything about you and everything you represent in their mind. Whatever they're planning, it's for you. Poppy who?
⚠︎ • All the Bigger Bodies under his control have the sole job to follow him blindly, and to make sure you stay alive, unharmed, fed and watered, and nowhere near the exit. You're not going anywhere. Playtime birthed you, Playtime is you.
⚠︎ • It'll go after The Player in its own ways. Using Catnap and Mommy and Huggy and everyone else to beat them down, and then get The Player to watch the inevitable. That's what makes it sweet. "It's not about you."
⚠︎ • Not very soft or sweet at all, because... It's The Prototype. But it can take on many acts, like it did with Ollie, and you might've gone through the whole thing of thinking you were friends with someone else hidden in the factory that tells you they're always here for you, they love you, you look so pretty today! when it's actually The Prototype all along. Just don't expect it to admit to those same words in its usual tones.
And there we have it. Two hours ten mins of writing Poppy Playtime headcanons 😀 I'm now going to lie unconscious in bed for an appropriate amount of time, so thanks for reading.
#poppy playtime fanfic#poppy playtime headcanon#poppy playtime fandom#poppy playtime x reader#poppy playtime oc#catnap x reader#doey the doughman x reader#huggy wuggy x reader#poppy playtime fic#harley sawyer x reader#the prototype poppy playtime#leith pierre x reader
319 notes
·
View notes
Text
david wymack is such a fierce protector. he loves so deeply and so unconditionally it makes me wanna cry.
like he had just met neil when he said "you need one of us to talk to your parents? are they the ones who hurt you? [...] if your parents are a problem for you, we'll move you to south carolina early."
and he offered him his couch. and then he told him "foxes are foxes for a reason and they know we wouldn't sign you if you didn't qualify. that doesn't mean they know the specifics. it's not my place to ask and I'm sure as hell not going to tell them. did you think I made the team the way it is because I thought it would be a good publicity stunt? it's about second chances, neil. second, third, fourth, whatever, as long as you get at least one more than what anyone else wanted to give you."
he barely knew jean when he told him "your so called master and that bitch of a nephew of his. kevin told us the truth when he transferred so we'd know what we were getting into. I know you think you have to go back to evermore and I know what's waiting for you there. I will burn this house down before I let him touch you again."
and let's not forget about "wymack didn’t care if he had nine foxes or twenty-five. he’d stand behind them until the bitter, bloody end." and "it was the look of a man made ancient by his players' tragedies; it was the look of a man who'd have their backs no matter what it cost him"
and how he usually drives the bus himself because "it was apparently better to be uncomfortable but safe than to trust a stranger with his fractured team."
david wymack dedicated his life to showing kids who were dealt a shit hand in life that they can still play their cards right. I heard somewhere once that sometimes miracles are just good people with kind hearts and I thought it was a little corny but oh does it apply to someone like david wymack. he gave each of the foxes their own miracles. I know he is a fictional character but he just has the biggest heart and honestly he makes me want to have faith in humanity.
#aftg#all for the game#neil josten#jean moreau#david wymack#palmetto state foxes#psu foxes#foxes#why did you pay for the stalls coach?#maybe I knew you’d need them one day
946 notes
·
View notes
Text
Our Little Secret
Harry Da Souza x female Harrigan reader (Kevin's daughter)
Harry Da Souza Masterlist
Warning: infidelity, mention of pregnancy, kidnapping
🪽Harry had been best friends with your father since their teens though you'd rarely seen him around. He lived a busy life in London, often traveling much further to handle the problems your family was adept at creating. Everyone except you, of course.
🪽Nicknamed "Angel" for your kind disposition and heart of gold, you never caused trouble for anyone. That's probably why your parents placed their trust in you, allowing you more freedom than your incorrigible younger brother, Eddie.
🪽But despite your best intentions, trouble found you in the early hours of a sleepy Sunday morning. Harry was getting some much deserved rest when the phone startled him awake. "You stay there, I'm coming for you," he reassured you after listening to your tearful plea for help.
🪽It wasn’t like you to cause a scene which is why it distressed Harry to see your hotel suite torn apart in a violent fit of rage. He knew you couldn't have done this, your meek posture and the blood trickling from your lip enough to tell him the real culprit was elsewhere.
🪽 He didn't rush you to talk about it, accepting you into his muscular arms for a long embrace. He waited for the sobs against his chest to subside before learning the truth about the volatile boyfriend responsible for the damage. With one large hand stroking over your hair, he whispered a promise to make it right.
🪽 And he did, though he would never divulge the gory details to you in full. "He won't be a problem for you anymore," is all he would say on the matter. The news should have been cause for celebration, instead your heart sank as you thought of more birthdays and holidays alone.
🪽 Like a loyal guard dog, Harry stayed by your side until your mood lifted, listening to every anxious thought in your head that kept you from sleeping. When you eventually tired, you made one small request. "Stay with me tonight, Harry."
🪽 He tucked you into his side, stroking along your back in soothing circles as one might do for a frightened child. He didn't dare leave you in this state, so unlike the other women in your family who hated to show an ounce of vulnerability. And tho he only held you on the sofa as you slept, it felt far more intimate than anything he'd done with Jan in years.
🪽 It wouldn't be the last time he was called to keep you company during a difficult evening. He told himself he wasn't taking advantage of the situation, but in his heart he knew better. It was wrong to lead you on when he had a wife and daughter at home. And wasn't that what he was doing making jokes and ordering your fave takeaway? It all felt too comfortable.
🪽 He tried to remind himself of his duty to protect your family. If he allowed his emotions to get involved, he could no longer remain objective. However, his affection for you was rapidly compromising any shred of integrity he had left.
🪽 Meanwhile your sweet smile was giving him all the justification he needed to remain in your life. When he was with you, you made him believe in the goodness he was capable of. Not only that, you rewarded his tenderness with a patience of your own, listening to his problems in compassionate understanding.
🪽 That's when he slipped, taking you to bed if only to show you how a man ought to treat you. And once he'd made you his, there was no return, despite the numerous promises he made to himself as he washed your perfume from his skin to return home to his wife. You called to him like a siren and he returned night after night.
🪽In truth, he'd anticipated Jan's tears, but never yours. That's why it came as such a shock to see your red rimmed eyes staring back at him as you wordlessly pointed to a positive pregnancy test.
🪽 While the old Harry might have tried to compartmentalize it, treating you like another Harrigan problem to be solved, his love for you wouldn't allow him to disconnect so easily. When you asked, "What am I going to do, Harry?" he swiftly replied, "What we are going to do, yeah, is sit and make a plan. Then we have to be sure you and the baby are healthy, don't we, Angel?"
🪽 Using his connections, Harry secured a doctor who offered complete discretion. In that way, he was able to accompany you to all your appointments and watch the little life you created growing inside you. If he was nervous, he didn't show it, beaming whenever he had the opportunity to splay a hand across your growing belly to feel his son kick.
🪽 It was safer to keep this little secret for yourselves so you remained adamantly silent on the paternity of your child. And to your surprise, your parents didn't press you on the subject. They came to believe it was an old flame who had abandoned you and sympathy for your plight only grew. Somehow Jan ended up throwing the baby shower, quite unaware that the child was Gina's half brother.
🪽 Harry was at the hospital under the guise of providing protection the day his son was born, coaching you every step of the way. It was the comforting sound of his voice that guided you through labor, his tender words of love and devotion welcoming baby Theo into the world.
🪽When you succumbed to the exhaustion of the birth, he held his son in his arms for the first time. As the infant's tiny hand grasped his enormous pinkie, he swore to protect you both, not knowing how quickly that day would come.
🪽 Mere days after returning home from the hospital, you and Theo were taken in the night by a vengeful Richie Stevenson. Harry worked tirelessly for your return, going days without food or rest.
🪽 Once you'd safely arrived in the Cotswolds, he felt free to breathe a sigh of relief. That is until he was asked to a family meeting where not only the Harrigans but Jan and Gina were also present.
🪽"Harry, we wanted to convey our gratitude for your service," Maeve smiled at him sweetly, placing her hands on his shoulders to deliver a quick peck to each cheek. She took the opportunity to lean in for a private word that sent chills down his spine. "Shall I tell them about Theo or would you like to do the honors?"
150 notes
·
View notes
Text
honestly i think it's a little redundant to write any think pieces on what jean's endgame ship will be. it's going to be jerejean whether you like it or not. that's the story nora is writing. she said it herself when she announced it. this story is a love story but it's also a story about jean and his journey to recovery (and just because jeremy is the future love interest that doesn't diminish the importance kevin has on jean's life either. jean's feelings for kevin are very much still there but so is the betrayal and hurt of him leaving him in the nest. it's a very convoluted relationship of which we still don't know much about. only what jean has told us, so far. as the man who believes his feelings have not been reciprocated to the same degree, mind you. like, we still have two more books to go, one with more scenes with kevin in them where we will learn more.).
as for jeremy...lmao. have we not been talking about how little we know of him since the book dropped? and now all of a sudden people are claiming to know everything about him and decided he's no good? based on one book? and for some reason because he isn't handling his new traumatised teammate perfectly like a professional with a psychology degree he's somehow not right for jean? since when has anyone in this universe been perfect? or dealt with trauma professionally and perfectly?
do i think it's right that jeremy crossed some boundaries to get some answers about jean's past? no. do i think it's right that he overshared jean's truths to his friends without his permission? fuck no. but we're dealing with a whole different group of people here, most of which have not been traumatised to the level the foxes had been. who are not used to dealing with people like jean. jeremy has his own issues yet to be revealed, he clearly has problems standing up to his family (as seen with his sister), though he has no issue captaining his team (as seen with lucas) and it's suspect that he also doesn't think himself to be as great of a person as everyone else does given the sad look on his face when jean tells him he could never be anyone's villain. so idk why anyone thinks they know anything about him when he's so cagey in his own pov. and nowhere in that, may i add, has he ever implied he wants to "fix" jean. he wants to help him. he wants to give him reasons to enjoy his life now that he can i.e making him take that silly ceramics class for Fun. and given jean has had his whole life centred around exy (which he doesn't even enjoy anymore) i think it's actually very smart and helpful to get him doing things that "don't matter" so that he can learn from it and learn that he can actually live outside exy. that he can make mistakes and be imperfect at something and that's Okay.
at this moment in time in canon, kevin doesn't have that kind of mindset and it's probably because he was allowed the freedom to already pursue an interest outside of exy - his love of history. like are we missing the detail that he begged tetsuji to let him take that as his major and he actually allowed it? kevin, though still has a long way to go, still has something outside of exy he can hold onto and switch off from. jean doesn't have that and jeremy just so happens to come along and give him the option and for some reason that seems to get ignored. i think it's actually one of the most important things about their relationship so far. jeremy still makes all the accommodations jean needs - setting him up with class partners, taking him for a run when he needs to get out of his head, buying a bed to sleep in the room with him. but he also pushes back and insists jean try something to break him out of his unhealthy relationship with exy.
also, hello, jean literally admits to himself it's a Lie when he tells jeremy he doesn't want him to look if it's too much for him to deal with when jean is attacked by grayson. and jeremy refuses to look away. something everyone around jean has done since he was born, probably.
"Jeremy’s response was low but unhesitating: “I will not look away.” “I do not want you to look.” It frightened him how much it sounded like a lie, but he didn’t have time to dwell on it..."
jean appreciates when jeremy is so very obviously attracted to jean and openly staring, but doesn't press and removes himself from the situation if he thinks he may come on too strong.
"Threat assessment, he told himself, and it was almost the truth. He needed to see the easy way Jeremy ceded Jean’s space to him. Jean couldn’t remember the last time someone allowed him any boundaries, and the feeling was as novel as it was addicting."
hello???? that is literally jean himself telling us jeremy just allowed him a boundary. how does that get looked over?
also he's content enough with jeremy in his space that he feels safe enough to almost drift off
"In the quiet he could hear Jeremy breathing, and it was almost as comforting as the heat of another body this close to his. It thawed the parts of him the sun hadn’t reached despite soaking up its glare all day. Jean closed his eyes and let his thoughts drift far away. [...] This was the first time his room truly felt safe and right, and he was content to hold onto it for as long as he could."
mind you right after this jeremy presses that jean should have his own space and jean insists jeremy share with him and get his own bed. and let's not forget the obvious flirting that has jeremy immediately backtracking and telling jean to let him know if he ever makes him uncomfortable.
ALSO THIS
“Stop asking,” Jean said. “You only think you want these answers.”
jean may find it annoying and unfavourable that jeremy keeps pressing but idk i infer this to be more of jean not knowing how to handle someone actually giving a fuck about what was done to him when he was so used to everyone turning a blind eye.
finally (bc this is getting long) jeremy pushes himself into jean's space when he hugs him, and jean doesn't hug him back but he doesn't push him away either and jeremy is the one who has to wait for jean to let go of his shirt so he can move away.
"Jeremy heard the dismissal in it, but he waited for Jean to let go of his shirt before leaving the room."
i have made a post about this before but jean craves attention and affection, he wants to be loved and to be frank he fucking deserves it more than anyone else does.
i'll finish the post with one last line from jeremy's pov...
"...it wasn't his place to interfere with Jean's trauma or his healing."
jeremy isn't perfect, he's not meant to be.
#i actually think the push and shove dynamic he has with jean is what jean needs#anyway#just my two cents bc idk why everyone is being so doubtful all of a sudden#i also think nora knows what she's doing with the story she wants to tell#lets have a little more faith in her#jean moreau#jeremy knox#kevin day#jerejean#the sunshine court#tsc#all for the game#aftg#the golden raven#tgr
152 notes
·
View notes
Text
You know what my actual favourite Andrew Minyard line in the whole series is? It's not his sentimental lines like, "...from now until May you are still Neil Josten...". It's not even the best love confession in all of literature line, "Doesn't mean I wouldn't blow you." It's when he says "I'm not as smart as I thought I was."
That one line tells you so much about Andrew's character. That's the line that spells out for the reader that Andrew is smarter than he chooses to let on. That's the line that shows you just highly Andrew thinks of his own intelligence and how much he's been relying on it to survive and to keep his promises.
Consider that up until that point Andrew has presented himself with nothing less than the domineering kind of toughness you'd expect to see in a prison scene in a movie. He openly talks about breaking Neil, threatens multiple people with knives and makes everyone work around him. His "tough guy around town" persona and his ability to inflict violence is clearly something he prizes. AND YET. The first time he admits to any kind of dissatisfaction with himself, it's about his intelligence.
That is the point where the reader realizes that Andrew, in his own mind, is an intellectual. He doesn't actually pride himself on being the toughest guy in the room. He's aware that he's all of 5-feet-nothing and he knows at any given moment there's likely to be someone bigger and stronger than he is. What he's counting on in any given situation is being the smartest guy in the room. Fix any issues before they worsen, anticipate and eliminate any threats before they surface, think his way out of any problem that comes up. His intelligence is what he relies on to keep his promises.
That's the moment Andrew realizes that he's been letting his feelings get the better of his logic. He clocks Neil as dangerous from day one. But he's been telling himself that he's letting Neil stay for Kevin's sake or at least just until he can definitively prove Neil is dangerous. But the real reason he let Neil stay and get away with all his sketchy behaviour is because he let the fact that he likes Neil as a person, overcome his logic.
It makes you think, OH, THAT'S WHY Andrew was so interested in Neil in the first place. For someone who prides himself on his intelligence and KNOWS that no one else can match his smarts, Neil figuring out his twin switcheroo trick is the same as Neil throwing down the gauntlet and challenging him to a battle of wits. Andrew keeps trying to trip Neil up and Neil keeps batting his attempts aside and Andrew ends up helplessly charmed by Neil. Because Andrew LIKES that Neil is able to outsmart him sometimes, that Neil is his intellectual equal. And somewhere along the way, he's let himself forget that he "knows better" than to get emotionally attached, than to let someone else best him at his best quality- than to act like every other idiot in love that he's ever met.
You then realize that Andrew hasn't once thought of himself as brawny jock. That off-putting delinquent/school-shooter vibe and "psycho" reputation is a carefully calculated form of self-defense. It's self-defense in the literal sense of scaring off people who might want to fuck with him, but perhaps also in the sense of protecting himself from being seen. It makes sense, right? If people were to actually try to get to know him with an open mind, they'd soon discover that he IS difficult to get along with in ways they thought they could handle, but can't. Better to act the volatile asshole than suffer the disappointment of people changing how they treat him. And in the unlikely case that people find out that he isn't as tough as he presents himself, they might pity him. And that would be even worse. Much better to be as un-fuck-with-able as possible.
First time reading the book, I was taken in by Andrew's jock-ish façade. But the moment he admitted maybe he ought to be disappointed in himself for not being as smart as he thought he was, I had to set the book down and rethink every assumption I had made about Andrew as a character. The timing of that revelation is so perfect, because it happens just before the Thanksgiving mess. And so as the reader, you're suddenly coming to terms with the fact that Andrew is so much more vulnerable than he's ever portrayed himself to be at the same time that Andrew is being hit with probably one of the worst moments in his life. Like, that absolutely TOOK ME OUT. Which is why, that's one of the best lines in the whole series to me.
#this line is a HUGE part of the reason this series had such a big impact on me#andrew's character is just so well-written and the reveals about his character are so impeccably well-timed#andrew minyard#aftg
368 notes
·
View notes
Text
I saw something super interesting on TikTok about Kevin and the Foxes, and Jean and the Trojans (this thought isn't mine, but I couldn't say who said it), and I want to comment on it.
The comment went something like this:
Kevin needed to know when he left The Nest that he wasn't as "special" as he thought, neither in terms of playing exy nor in terms of trauma. His ego is powerful, and by watching the Foxes, he was able to know that he wasn't the only one with past traumas, nor the only one with issues, and that his mastery of exy didn't matter to anyone outside of The Nest. Ultimately, exy wasn't the most important thing (for the Foxes, it certainly isn't).
In other words, the Foxes are telling Kevin, "Hey, you're not the only one with issues, and whether you're good at exy or not doesn't matter to me because I have my own traumas." And that's good, because it makes Kevin see certain things and is a reality check for him.
But that's also why Neil's appearance is so important to Kevin, because Neil restores Kevin's importance to the former when he left The Nest, and that makes him start taking steps against the Ravens.
The Foxes show the Queen reality, and Neil empowers him again on the field.
Kevin needed both things: to know he wasn't so special or the only one with problems off the field, but also to know that he's special on it.
Something like that.
On the other hand, there's Jean and the Trojans. Jean, who needed the exact opposite of Kevin.
Jean's situation was normalized until he arrived at the Trojans, and they told him, "No, this isn't normal. Not only isn't it, but we love you, and you're special off the field. You're not just special on it. And we love you off it."
They show him that he's special both on and off the field, that what he's experienced isn't normal, and that he's important. Both what he experiences and what he desires.
It's the complete opposite of what Kevin needed.
While Kevin needed to know he wasn't the only one with problems and wasn't so "special," Jean needed to know that he is special and that what he needs matters, and that his traumas aren't normal and shouldn't be.
Now I dare say… (And this is my own thought):
Between Kevin, Jeremy, and Jean, Jean is the one who's in the best shape right now mentally.
Incredibly, Jean is the only one who's facing his problems head-on. Jeremy avoids them and dissociates (ignoring problems to the point where we don't know what's wrong with him until he verbalizes it is very close to dissociation. And what he does with sex is…) as a defense mechanism. Kevin drinks. He's practically an alcoholic. He drinks to cope with everything.
The only one here who has said "I deserve to get better" is Jean.
That's saying something.
I'm not talking about Andrew and Neil because they're separate. Andrew is bipolar and has a mental memory disorder, a curse for his trauma, and I think he goes to Betsy because he connects with her, not because he's looking to get better. Despite that, he gets better with Betsy, but I don't think that's exactly what Andrew is looking for when he talks to her.
On the other hand, Neil doesn't think he needs to get better. In the world he lives in, revealing secrets and how his mind works is dangerous. It's like a mafia boss going to a psychologist. He would lose part of his ability to act outside of morality, and Neil doesn't want that, as he needs that ability to feel calm and defend his people. His "amorality" is what makes him feel at peace with himself.
Neil doesn't think by normal standards, but by the standards of a dark and immoral world. I don't think going to therapy would do him any good because he would sabotage it himself.
I think Neil and Andrew are characters who have reached their mental "balance" to a certain point. Jean is getting there. And Jeremy and Kevin haven't yet hit rock bottom enough to say, hey, come on, we have to start climbing to get out of here.
That's why I think something will happen in TBC with Jeremy and Kevin that will make them "hit rock bottom" and begin to seek mental stability.
Jeremy's stability will arrive (or begin) in TBC, and Kevin will start working on his in TQG.
#jean moreau#the sunshine court#all for the game#the golden raven#aftg#tgr#jeremy knox#tsc#kevin day#andrew minyard#neil josten#the queens game
74 notes
·
View notes
Text
Stranger in a Bar - Part One
A DBF!Joel Fic
You meet a stranger in a bar, one who is fun and sexy and makes you wonder if the single life is all it's cracked up to be. But there's one big problem: you probably shouldn't be fucking your dad's best friend.
Pairing: DBF!Joel Miller x Female Reader
Warnings: This is smut, OK? Just a lot of smut. Protected P in V sex. Oral sex (m and f receiving). Age gap of 20 years. No use of Y/N. Minors DNI, 18+ only.
Length: 6.8k
AO3 | Fic Masterlist | Masterlist
A/N: So this was supposed to be a one shot and then it started getting out of hand. It's going to just be two parts for the moment, this is going to be a very little baby fic, OK? Small. Lil baby story. Also. there's a hefty age gap and it comes up because logistics but no power imbalance. Thanks for always putting up with my shit, y'all are the best ❤️
Bar None, Present day
One of your friends had just put Single Ladies on the jukebox when you saw him across the bar. Bar None, the place you’d picked for the night, had one of those stupid app-powered ones and the three girls you had kept in touch with from high school had been abusing it all night long. But the man across the bar was so distracting that you hardly noticed. His eyes were locked on you, so tight and hot that it would send a chill up your spine if it was from the wrong set of eyes. But they were his eyes. Dark and molten and set into a sculpted face with patchy scruff and shaggy curl streaked with gray.
No, you thought, he couldn’t spark anything but desire.
“We should do the dance!” Your friend Emily slurred, tugging your arm. “C’mon! Now that you’re a single lady again, you have to own it.”
She flashed her empty ring finger as Beyonce sang, a cocky - if half drunk - look on her face as she did.
You smiled at her.
“He did put a ring on it,” you twisted the stem of your martini glass. “That’s why there was a problem when he put his dick in someone else. I think I’ll pass on the Beyonce. But thank you.”
“Come on drunky,” your friend Dana looped her arm around Emily’s waist. “Let’s go dance.”
“Woooo!” Emily threw her arms in the air and Dana gave you an exasperated but happy smile over her shoulder as she guided her to the dance floor.
“Jesus, is it that late?” Parker looked at her Apple watch. You half smiled and took a small sip of your drink as she rifled through her clutch for her phone and let out a relieved sigh. “Thank God, Kevin hasn’t been texting with a ton of stupid questions. Why did I think letting a baby get totally attached to me was a good idea? The fact that she only said mama for two weeks was great at first but now that she refuses to do bedtime without me, I’m having regrets…”
“Do you need to go?” You asked, brows raised.
She winced.
“Would you hate me if I left you with the party animals?”
You laughed.
“No,” you said. “Go home, see your husband and kid. I really do appreciate the warm welcome back, you have no idea.”
“See?” She reached across the small table and gave your arm a squeeze. “I told you, just like old times.”
“Did you go back home at 10:30 to make sure a baby was properly put to bed when we were 18?” You teased. “I forgot that part…”
She rolled her eyes.
“Almost old times,” she said. “Besides, you love Bella.”
“I do love Bella,” you said. “And I love you. Go home, I’m good.”
“You’re sure?”
“Positive. Text me when you get there?”
“Of course,” she slipped off the bar stool and came around to give you a hug and kiss your cheek. “I really am glad you’re back. Even if it’s because Reid was a dumbass.”
You just smiled a little and watched her leave, Parker pausing to wave to Dana on her way out the door.
“This seat open?”
The man from across the bar stood beside you, nodding to the seat Parker had just vacated. You smiled a little and nodded once.
“You have very convenient timing.”
“Well,” he shrugged. “Leaving a pretty girl all alone at the bar seems like a crime. Trying my damndest to stay on the right side of the law.”
“And how’s that going for you these days?”
He smirked a little. His cheek dimpled.
“Well enough.”
You looked at him, tracing the creases in his face with your eyes, the streaks of gray catching the low light of the bar. He was probably the oldest man there but damn, did he wear it well.
“You in town for a visit?” He asked, turning his beer bottle in his fingers and nodding to your friends on the dance floor. “Seeing friends?”
You cocked a little smile at him.
“No, actually. Just moved back.”
He raised his eyebrows, a look you couldn’t quite place passing over his warm features. His eyes drifted to your ring finger before he seemed to catch himself and look back at your face. You saved him the trouble, lifting your bare left hand and turning it so he could see. The indentation from your three carat engagement ring was still on your finger but your hand was empty.
“I think we should talk, Joel.”
Bar None, 10 years earlier
The man across the bar had no damn business being that good looking.
It was almost pissing you off how good looking he was. Tall, broad, with golden skin and thick, dark hair, he had the kind of face you wanted to explore intimately, in the way you could only do when someone was inside of you. The way men couldn’t control their expressions then was almost addicting. The way their eyes would roll back and their mouths would fall open, the way they stopped fucking around with pretense and just let themselves feel something - even if it was just your cunt - was beautiful and fascinating and almost elemental. It was like you could look into the very core of them for a moment, the way they always seemed to be able to look into you with just a glance. You wanted that with this man, whoever he was, this man who you caught glancing at you out of the corner of his eye.
“Aww,” Parker pouted happily at her phone. “Kevin misses me!”
“Misses you?” Emily snatched the phone from her grasp, gaping at the screen. “You’ve been gone like two hours!”
“Will you just…” Parker snatched the phone back and looked at the text again. “And I think it’s sweet.”
“You’re ditching us, aren’t you?” Emily sighed.
“I think so,” Parker winced. “Is that OK?”
You just smiled a little.
“Go see the guy who’s got you all crazy,” you said. “But I’ll see you again before I leave town, yeah?”
“Course!” She came and gave you a hug. “Good luck getting rid of me. Have fun at that thing tomorrow!”
“Yeah,” you laughed. “I’ll try.”
Emily rolled her eyes and judged Parker for a bit but it was less than an hour before she was leaving, too, with a man who’d asked her to dance and bought her a beer.
“You sure you’re alright?” She asked as she went to leave.
“Babes, I know how to be at a bar on my own. And my hotel is two doors down. I think I can figure it out.”
She kissed your cheek.
“Love you,” she said. “Try to have some fun!”
You watched her go, thinking about just how long you wanted to be sitting by yourself at a bar versus in a Holiday Inn Express standard room when a voice appeared beside you.
“This seat open?”
The man from across the bar nodded to the seat Emily had just abandoned. You smiled a little and nodded once.
“You have very convenient timing.”
“Well,” he shrugged. “Leaving a pretty girl all alone at the bar seems like a crime. Trying my damndest to stay on the right side of the law.”
“And how’s that going for you?”
He smirked a little. His cheek dimpled.
“Well enough.”
You smiled and introduced yourself before holding out your hand. He took it.
“Joel,” he said. “Don’t think I’ve seen you here before.”
“Because I’ve never been here before,” you smiled. “I’m in from out of town, my hotel is a few doors down. This was convenient and hey, the Yelp reviews weren’t the worst.”
“What brings you to the great city of Austin, Texas?” He asked, settling in on the seat beside you. He was older than you but you kind of liked men that way now that you were in your mid 20s and exhausted by every man you’d dated in college. You liked them a little older, more established, men who knew how to cook their own damn food and give you your own damn orgasm. “Business or pleasure?”
“Neither,” you smiled a little, taking a sip of your drink. “Family event.”
“That’s not pleasure?”
You laughed once.
“Not the way my family does it.”
“That why you’re in a hotel and not stayin’ with them?” He asked, brows raised.
“Bingo,” you replied. “I get in, I get drunk, I get out.”
He nodded slowly.
“Good system.”
“Worked well enough for me over the years.”
The two of you ended up talking about music and books and UT football until last call - far later than you’d intended to stay out.
“Mind if I walk you back to your hotel?” Joel asked. “Not tryin’ to be a creep but… I’d sleep a lot better tonight knowin’ you got back safe. Promise it’s not a ploy.”
“Damn, it’s not?” You asked, tucking your purse on your arm and heading for the door. “Because I was going to ask you to come up to my room if it was.”
“Well shit,” he said, catching up with you. “Maybe it is a ploy then.”
You found yourselves drawing out the walk back all the same, pace more of an amble than a brisk walk, but the hotel was so close that it really only added a few minutes to your walk all the same.
“Well,” you smiled at the door to the lobby. “This is me.”
“Yeah,” he nodded once, looking inside for a moment before looking back at you. “Look… you don’t owe me anything, alright? I’m not the kind of guy who wants to force something. I can just head on back to my truck, no hard feelings…”
“Well maybe none for you,” you teased a little. “But I might have some. Unless you really don’t want to fuck me.”
“Oh, I want to,” he said. “Trust me on that…”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah,” he laughed. “Been at the top of my list since you first walked in that place, baby, lemme tell you.”
“Well then,” you jerked your head toward the door. “Why don’t we cross it off the list?”
You took his hand in the elevator, his palm so broad, his fingers thick and long and callused in yours. You pressed your back against the wall and pulled him onto you so his hips were on yours and his nose brushed your own. His eyes ranged over your face, hungry and soft and open.
“You sure about this?” He asked, looking down at the rest of your body for a moment before going back to your face. “Sure you don’t have something better to do than some old man?”
“I’m sure,” you smiled at him, draping your arms over his shoulders. “Besides, I like old men. How old are you, anyway?”
“Forty-five,” he said. “How old are you?”
You snorted.
“I’m not sure I should say,” you said, holding him a little closer all the same. “Since you’re all hung up on age…”
“Not hung up on it,” he rolled his eyes. “Just… don’t need to be some youthful mistake is all. Wait, Jesus, please tell me you’re at least out of college, tell me you’re not a teenager…”
You laughed.
“No,” you shook your head. “Not a teenager. And I’ve been out of college a few years, I’m 25.”
“God,” he closed his eyes and shook his head once, like he was trying to shake the idea of you loose. “Still, that’s… you’re…”
You pressed your lips ever so slightly against his, more a quick brush than anything else, giving him every opportunity to pull back.
He didn’t take it.
Instead, he pressed his lips to yours, his hands going to your waist and tugging you tightly to his body while he pushed you back against the wall. Your arms got tighter to him and you opened your mouth, his tongue licking into you almost immediately. Joel didn’t need an engraved invitation, all he needed was a sign that you wanted him and fuck, you wanted him. More and more, each passing second, you wanted him. There was heat in you that was starting to flare so molten and hot that you pulled at his clothes, forgetting that you weren’t alone, not really.
The elevator dinged and he all but sprang back from you, both of you panting for breath.
“Fuck,” he breathed, looking you up and down, pupils blown.
“C’mon,” you took his hand. “I’m down the hall.”
You pulled him along behind you and fumbled to get your room key out of your bag. Joel’s wide, thick hands slipped around your waist as you did, tugging your ass back against his growing bulge and fuck, but he was huge. Thick and long and you knew his zipper had to be fucking killing him, cock that big and hard restrained by mere fabric and a slip of metal. His lips found the hinge of your jaw, your neck, down to your shoulder and you groaned a little as you clumsily forced the keycard in the door, the little beep the mechanism gave one of the best damn sounds you’d heard all night.
The two of you practically fell into your hotel room. You dropped your purse on the first table inside the door and started stepping out of your heels as Joel turned you around to face him, manipulating your body to put you right where he wanted you and the fire in you sparked higher, brighter as he manhandled you. Every touch he gave was loaded with need, the air thick and heavy with it as he pawed at your clothes and skin, licking into your mouth at every opportunity, taking your chin firmly in his heady grip to tug you open further for him, all but forcing you to give him everything.
You were as rough with his clothes as he was with your body, pulling so hard and fast at the buttons of his shirt that two popped free, pinging off the glass of the mass produced art that hung on the wall.
“Shit,” you panted, looking around the dark of your room for the buttons.
“Don’t give a fuck,” Joel replied, breathless, clutching you close and tight before you could pull away. “Didn’t really like this shirt, anyway.”
You shoved it down and off as he tugged your dress down your body, leaving it in a pile on the floor before turning you so the backs of your legs were against the bed. He deftly unhooked your bra with one hand then, ripping the straps down your arms but almost reverently lowering the cups, panting for breath as he exposed your breasts to his gaze. Joel tossed your bra to the side before taking the soft weight of your tits in his hands, cupping them, brushing his thumbs over your hardening nipples as he looked down at you with a look of near awe on his face. You half expected him to shove you back down onto the bed after his race to get you undressed but instead, his arm went around your waist, his hand splaying wide over the smooth skin of your back and he pulled you tight against him, making you gasp.
He moaned, deep and low, and dropped his head to your bared shoulder before trailing his nose over you to your neck, the wet heat of his breath on your skin.
“Fuck, you’re so goddamn soft,” he groaned, almost pained, and pressed his lips to your throat, making your breath catch. You clung to the broad expanse of his back, fingertips pressing into him, trying to get at every inch of his skin that you could find.
His mouth found yours and he gently, delicately, lowered you back onto the bed. He cradled your body against his own, keeping the firm line of him taut to you as he kissed you. Joel rested you on the mattress and you let your legs fall open so he could settle between your thighs, the heady weight of him pressing against your clit and making you moan.
“You got a problem if I explore this pretty body of yours?” He asked, his lips still brushing yours when he spoke. “Because fuck, baby, seems like a sin to not touch every goddamn inch of you.”
He rocked his thick, hard, still clothed cock against your core, as if to make his point, and took your responding moan as the yes it was. He trailed his lips slowly over your body, down your throat, your breast bone, your stomach, your navel. His nose brushed against you, his breath covering you in warm and needy pants. When he reached your underwear - the last thing still on your body - his fingers looped through the band before he paused, looking up at you over your stomach and between your breasts.
“You still with me, pretty girl?” He asked, mouth so close to your skin that the wetness of his lower lip had caught on your stomach. “Still good with this?”
“Yes, Joel, please,” you were practically squirming. He was so close to precisely where you needed him it seemed like you might melt with the want of him. “Fuck, please…”
“Fuck, you’re even prettier when you beg,” he said and started to pull your panties down over your hips. You lifted yourself up off the bed to help and it wasn’t long before you were naked below him. He knelt in front of you and took your knees in his hands, parting your thighs for him and groaning when he did.
“Goddamn,” he breathed, so quiet you weren’t sure you were meant to hear it or if he’d meant to say it out loud at all. “Just… fuck.”
He opened your legs enough to lay between them, settling with your thighs over his shoulders. His thumb traced a slow, tender path over your slit, brushing your clit and making you gasp when he did.
“Swear you’ve got the prettiest fucking pussy I’ve ever seen,” he said before he pressed his lips to your leaking hole. He moaned as he did and you couldn’t help but thrust against him once. He pulled back from you just a little, his nose barely touching your clit as he did. “Needy little pussy, too, huh?”
Your fingers knotted in the bedspread and Joel’s mouth found your clit, softly sucking the sensitive nub between his teeth to tease with his tongue. You fought the urge to rock your hips against his face, trying to remember that this man was practically a stranger, not a lover whose tastes you knew intimately. But that was hard to remember as he worked his way lower, his tongue slipping inside of you with a deep groan.
Joel ate you like you were a delicacy he longed to savor. He started slow, tasting and teasing you open, before delving deep like he couldn’t resist it, his thick tongue exploring and finding the soft and tender places inside you. His thumbs spread you open wide to him, his nose against your clit and you couldn’t stop yourself, you rolled your hips against him. He moaned into you and you forced your hips down on the bed, trying to clear your head enough to be still.
“Sorry,” you panted. “I didn’t mean to do that, you’re just… really fucking good at that.”
He stopped and pulled back from you enough to look up your body again, a frown on his face, your slick glistening on his beard in the light from the parking lot outside.
“You think I don’t want you fucking my face?” He asked. “Fuck, baby, I want nothing more than for you to take exactly what you need. Want you to make yourself come on my face, you understand?”
You swallowed and nodded.
“What are you going to do?” He asked, voice almost stern.
“Make myself come on your face?” You more asked than answered.
“Better sound more sure than that,” he said, fingers moving to your clit. You gasped and moaned at the contact. “Come on baby, what are you going to do? Say it. Own it.”
“Come on your face,” you panted. “Fuck, Joel… I’m going to come on your face, I’m going to make myself come on your face, please…”
“Good,” he said, going back to eating your pussy.
It was like he’d been holding back before but had nothing stopping him now. His tongue pressed deep, his nose nestled in your slit to nudge your clit, his arms looped over the thickness of your thighs to keep you open for him while also pressing the softness of you to the sides of his head. Your orgasm built quickly, the heat in you sinking to your core, everything inside you there going taut and tense. You were just on the edge of it, whimpering below his tongue and his touch when one hand left the warmth of your thigh and moved to your slit, his finger sliding inside you alongside his tongue. He pressed into the soft, tender place inside you that seemed to elude other men, finding it with an almost practiced ease and moaning when he did, sending the sparks of your climax shooting through you.
He groaned, needy, as he ate you through it, not letting up, not even for a second until your orgasm had subsided and your head was swimming.
“Fuck you feel amazing,” he pulled himself from you, sucking the finger that was inside you clean before wiping your slick from his beard while his other hand traced over the smooth softness of your inner thigh. “Should’ve asked this sooner but… please tell me you’ve got a damn condom. I wasn’t exactly lookin’ for this tonight, not until I saw you, so I’m not exactly prepared.”
“I do,” you propped yourself up on your elbows, trying to remember where the hell you left your suitcase in the dark. You spotted it on the dresser, thankfully still mostly organized since you’d arrived that afternoon. You nodded to it. “Suitcase, top zipper pouch inside the lid.”
He got one, the crinkle of foil strangely loud in the silence of the room.
“Here,” you sat up and reached for him as he came to stand between your legs at the edge of the bed. “Let me do it…”
He gave you the packet and you opened it before palming the condom, holding it tight in one hand while slipping the other into the open zipper of his jeans and into his underwear to find his thick, heavy cock.
You moaned as you wrapped your fingers around his length, hard as steel wrapped in silken skin, and you stroked him, just half way up his cock at first before going from root to tip. He was dripping there, his arousal making his head slick and wet. You brushed your thumb over his leaking tip, the smooth skin making your mouth water. You looked up at him through your eyelashes as you leaned forward to lick him before taking just the very end of his cock between your lips. You suckled at him gently, lapping up his precome, Joel’s breaths getting heavier and faster as you did, before you took him into your mouth. He moaned as you sucked him, his hand going to the back of your head and holding you against him, your nose brushing against the base of his stomach. You took his head into your throat and moaned around him as you sucked him, making him hiss in pleasure, his grip on your skull tightening.
“Fuck, woman,” he managed as you kept sucking him. “Gonna make me come if you keep doin’ that…”
You pulled back from him slowly, his hold on you easing as you did, until he slipped from your mouth, still slick with your spit.
“Should probably stop then,” you said, a little breathless. You took the condom - warm now from the heat of your hand - and put it over his head before rolling it over his thick shaft. You stroked him once, twice and leaned forward again, sucking his tip for a moment when it was in place and his head tipped back, staring at the ceiling as he groaned.
“Jesus,” he panted. “Fuck, you gonna let me inside that soft little pussy of yours or make me come in your mouth?”
You laughed once, needy and low, before pulling yourself backwards on the bed, Joel’s eyes hungry on your body as you went. He shucked his jeans and underwear off before crawling, finally naked, between your thighs. His head brushed against your sex and he took the base of his cock in his hand, trailing his tip up and down your dripping slit before spreading you open for him, your pussy swollen and tender as he did. He put his tip against your dripping entrance, pressed just the very end of him inside, barely opening you to him. His hands moved to your thighs, brushing over them to your knees before trailing back toward your center, his fingers splayed wide over you soft flesh.
“You ready, baby?” He asked, needy.
“Yes,” you breathed. You’d passed ready a long time ago. You were desperate now, aching and all but begging for him to take up every empty space inside your body.
“Good,” he pressed forward until his head was fully inside your tight channel and you both moaned with it, one of your hands finding the smooth skin of your breast and squeezing it. He groaned at the sight as he started fucking just the tip of him into you, rocking in and out of you in short, sharp bursts. “Fuck, there you go baby. Just like that.”
He started feeding you more of his cock then, driving further into you with each stroke until he fucked all the way into you, his hips flush to yours, his thick length stretching you open, the burn of him meshing with the heady pleasure of being so utterly full.
“Goddamn,” he breathed, his cock buried inside you totally. “This pussy… fuck me.”
One of his hands went from your thigh to over your hip coming to rest and the soft swell of the base of your stomach. He spread wide over your skin, his palm swallowing the space over where he was inside of you and pressing down, making you moan as the tight fullness inside you got more intense. His thumb stretched down toward your clit and he started working you there as he just held himself within you, making your cunt throb once around him. He groaned at the feeling.
“That’s right,” he said. “So full of this cock ain’t you baby? Taking me so damn well…”
He kept working your clit for a minute, not moving inside you, just pressing into your skin until you were practically writhing below his touch. He was so big, you were so full, the pleasure in your body so tight. It made your head spin.
“Joel,” your fingers scratched at the blankets. “I need you to move, please, please, please…”
“Please what, pretty girl?” His voice was dark, low.
“Please fuck me,” you begged. “Please, please fuck me, please…”
He drew back then, achingly slow at first, watching where his cock was pressing into you with a hungry look on his face, before thrusting back in, deep and firm.
This, you thought, was why you liked fucking older men. Joel knew what he was doing. He worked your body with expert skill, grinding his cock deep inside so his head pressed against the most sensitive parts of you, the thick drag of him making your back arch and toes curl. He kept rubbing your clit with his thumb, the pressure and pace keeping your pleasure building and building but never quite cascading over the edge.
He kept fucking into you that way until you were desperate, your whole being drawn tight and achy around his cock. He’d stopped watching where your bodies were joined and had moved to your face, his gaze drinking in your desperate little moans and the way your eyes would scrunch closed as you got so close to coming but didn’t quite make it, whimpering as your climax fell just out of reach yet again.
“Got you so tight and needy, hm?” He said, breathless. You just nodded, trying to rock your hips up against him but held in place by his hand on your stomach. “Why don’t you tell me what you need? Tell me exactly what it is you need.”
“To come,” you whimpered. “Fuck, I need to come, you need to let me come, please let me come…”
“Think I’ve been keepin’ you on the edge too long?” He asked. “Think I should let this little pussy come? Let her just milk me dry?”
“Fuck, please,” you begged, not caring if you sounded pathetic. It’s not like you’d see this man again after tonight, anyway.
He took his thumb off your clit but before you had a chance to whimper in protest, he adjusted your legs to drive somehow deeper and leaned over you, pressing his bare skin to yours before kissing your neck, sucking and licking at the tender skin there as he fucked into you, making you whimper, your nails scrabbling over his back. His lips moved from your neck to your ear, his large hand coming to cup the crown of your head, his pace never relenting.
“Come for me,” he whispered, low and needy. “You can come, want you to come, want to feel you come. Just let go for me, just give in to me.”
His hips rocked against your clit, his cock buried so deep and you saw stars for a moment before you cried out, your orgasm hitting you hard after being on the edge of it for so long. It broke your whole body down, muscle clenching desperately, blood rushing, fingers clinging. You felt it everywhere, starting at your core and radiating out in hot, aching waves.
“Goddamn, that’s it,” he fucked you through it as your core fluttered over him. “Just keep comin’ for me, just like that, feeling so damn good baby just…”
He pressed deep as your orgasm started to fade and moaned, the sound going straight to your raw, fucked out cunt. The pulsing of his cock, in you to the root, rolled you into another orgasm, this one less intense but still making your pussy grip him close and tight as he spilled into the condom.
He collapsed on you for a moment as both of your climaxes eased, his chest heaving. Before his weight became too much, he adjusted, rising up enough to kiss you as he slid his softening cock from your body and falling flat on his back on the bed beside you.
“Damn,” you panted after a moment, staring up at the ceiling.
He laughed lightly beside you.
“Know the feelin’.”
You lay there next to each other, listening to each other as your breaths came back into a normal, steady cadence. Goosebumps started to pebble over your skin, the air cold as you were naked without his body on yours, the air conditioner below the window humming along.
You turned your head to look at him and he did the same.
“Should probably go…” his voice trailed off but he sounded reluctant. Or maybe you just hoped he did.
“You don’t have to,” you said, probably a little too quickly for a man you’d just met. Even in the dim light of the moon and the parking lot lights out your window, you could tell he raised his eyebrows. “I’m just… you can stay, if you want. It’s a big bed. Think we can manage it.”
“Wouldn’t want to impose…”
“You’re not,” you said. “You can leave, too, if you’d rather but… don’t feel like you have to rush out.”
He smiled a little.
“Then I’ll stay. I’d like to stay.”
You smiled back, that blissed out and relaxed feeling you had after you came settling over you.
“Good.”
The two of you settled far across the bed from each other at first but drifted quickly, until your head was on his chest and you were curved around his side as his arm wrapped around your shoulders, his fingers trailing up and down your arm until you fell asleep.
He was somehow even more beautiful in the light of day.
You realized it as the two of you went about the strange intimacy of getting ready for the day side by side with someone you didn’t know. He blinked sleep from his eyes when first woke up and stretched his back before getting out of bed, his curls haphazard and messy and his body soft and warm. He got dressed and ran his fingers through his hair, trying to tame it. You offered him your travel toothbrush as you got dressed and he watched you pull on your jeans as he leaned against the bathroom doorframe.
“Been a while since I’ve done this,” he said, a little hesitant.
“Just how long?” You asked, teasing as you pulled on your shirt.
“Longer than I want to admit,” he said, small smile making his cheek dimple. “Long enough that I don’t remember exactly how this is supposed to work but… I’d like to take you to breakfast. If you want.”
You smiled.
“Sure,” you said. “I’d like that.”
Joel walked back to the bar and picked up his truck before taking you to a diner not too far from your hotel. You laughed with him about menu typos and the questionable song choices coming from the speakers over greasy eggs and toast soaked in butter.
“Know we just met,” he said as you were on your fourth cup of coffee and you were both avoiding the fact that you’d have to leave this table and go your separate ways soon. The remains of your hashbrowns had long gone cold, ketchup smeared across the plate and you weren’t ready to say goodbye to him yet. “And that you’re in town for some family thing but… if you’re not busy tonight, would you want to come with me to this party? Buddy of mine is throwin’ in, supposed to be nice. Think he gave me a plus one in hopes I’d actually use it.”
“Damn,” you winced a bit. “I really wish I could but the thing I’m in town for is tonight.”
“Damn’s right,” he smiled a little. “Think you’d be my best shot for a good time at that thing.”
“Yeah, back at you for my thing,” you laughed.
“Here,” he pulled his phone from his pocket and unlocked it before handing it over. “Put your number in. Maybe we could still get together later…”
You took it but hesitated, thumb tapping on the side of his phone case.
He frowned.
“What?”
“I live hours away,” you said. “Is this really smart?”
He shrugged.
“Don’t really care if it’s smart or not. Just want to see you again. If you’ll let me.”
You smiled a little and shook your head before putting your number in his phone.
“There,” you said, handing it back over. “Let me know when you’re done with your thing. I can think of a few more ways to get some good use out of my hotel room.”
Two more cups of coffee later, Joel dropped you off at your hotel. You kissed him goodbye in the cabin of his truck, moaning against his mouth before pulling away.
“Alright, go before I come back in with you,” he said playfully, reaching across you to open your door.
You laughed.
“Don’t tempt me,” you got out and paused before closing your door, taking one last chance to look him over. “If we don’t see each other again… It was good meeting you.”
“Good meeting you, too,” he said. “But don’t worry. I’ll see you again.”
You went inside, looking back over your shoulder once you were in the lobby, Joel’s truck still sitting near the doors as he waited to make sure you were safely inside.
There was an odd sense of loss in you as you got ready for your parents’ big anniversary party. You hadn’t expected to meet anyone when on your trip back to your hometown, let alone someone you liked so much. You’d been single for a while, doing things alone didn’t really bother you. But now, you felt this tug of desire to have him getting ready beside you where you could help him with his tie and he could zip you into your dress.
But that was stupid. You knew it was stupid. Your job had taken you to Memphis and you liked it there. You weren’t in a rush to move back to your hometown. And Joel had a business here. It wasn’t going to happen. It’d be a lot easier in the long run if you just accepted that now.
You showed up early to the party, your older sister wanting help to get things set up in the tents outside.
“Who all is coming to this shindig anyway?” You asked as you put pictures of your parents out around a guest book near the entrance of the tent.
“Oh, you know,” your sister waved you off.
“Not really,” you said. She gave you a look. “What! I haven’t been home for a family party in… well, it’s been a minute.”
“Yeah, and I’ve been the one doing all the work to help with those for a while,” she said.
“And you’re definitely not bitter about that…”
“Not one bit,” she teased. “But the usual people. The closest neighbors, the aunts and uncles, Mom’s book club, church people, Dad’s friends…”
“Dad has friends?” You gaped at her. “Since when?”
“He’s had friends for years!”
“OK, he’s never had friends,” you said. “Where is he finding friends? Shit’s unnatural…”
“Don’t let them catch you saying shit,” she said. “And there are a few from work, one from this basketball league he joined…”
“Ew,” you crinkled your nose. Your sister laughed.
“Definitely not ew,” she said. “At least not the basketball friend one, he’s weirdly hot, it’s disturbing…”
“Well, there’s no accounting for taste, is there?” You teased.
“You’ll eat those words when you meet the guy,” she said. “Just wait.”
“Whatever you say,” you rolled your eyes, skeptical. You and your sister had never had the same taste in men, you didn’t see any reason for that to have changed.
But still, you were keeping an eye out for this mysterious hot friend of your father’s as people started to arrive for the party. Or trying to, anyway. You kept getting pulled away by distant relatives you hadn’t seen since your cousin’s wedding or to do a favor for your mom as she frantically rushed around trying to take care of everyone while also trying to have fun at the party that was being thrown in her honor.
Everything was in full swing when you heard your father call your name from across the large, increasingly full tent. He waved you over, leaning around a man he was talking to, and you worked your way around the dance floor, trying not to think about how much you’d like to have a date at this damn thing - how much you’d like to have Joel as your date at this damn thing - when you froze beside your dad. The man standing next to him was devastatingly familiar, even from behind. Tallest man in the room, broad shoulders, thick curls. Your heart beat faster.
“Hey honey,” your dad said, tugging you closer. “Want you to meet my friend. Joel, this is my youngest that I’ve told you so much about.”
He turned around, a beer bottle in his hand a smile on his face that fell the moment he saw you. Your dad was saying something else but you didn’t hear it, too busy staring at the man who had been inside you less than 24 hours earlier.
The man who had you thinking about what life alongside another person would be like.
The man who was apparently your father’s friend.
“Hi,” he said after your dad had stopped talking. You hadn’t noticed.
“Hi,” you said, still staring at him.
Fuck, you were in trouble.
Part 2
A/N: Here's whatever this is. He's unhinged, I don't know what's happening to the Joels who live in my head lately but they're just going crazy up there. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it! Love you!
#fanfic#joel miller x female reader#joel miller x reader#joel miller x you#joel miller x oc#smut fic#dbf!joel x reader
868 notes
·
View notes
Note
OH OH YK WHAT I NEED BAD? KO SIBLING X CODY OOOOO I NEED IT I NEEDDDD IT
NEW BEGINNINGS
(Cody Rhodes x Non-described!Owens!Reader, can be read as adopted or not)
Anger issues and complaining runned in the Owen’s family. It was what your family did, most of you on the side, but your brother, he did it for his literal career. Like seriously, Kevin just complained for a living- he got on a microphone and yelled. As jealous as you were, it wasn’t your gimmick unfortunately. The two of you grew up side by side, falling in love with wrestling together, and eventually even growing in the business together. Though you had pretty similar styles, Kevin loved being in the WWE and everything he stood for there, and you loved being in TNA, and all of the accomplishments you’ve made in the company.
Though you were on separate paths, whenever they happened to cross, you’d sit down and have lunch, or dinner, or whatever else you could manage and do what Owens’ did best- complain together.
“How’s working with all of the Bloodline guys, still?” You ask after taking a gulp from your soda. Before you can even finish, he’s rolling his eyes and groaning with a mouthful of cheeseburger.
“Still fucking terrible. There’s more of them! Like an endless amount, they just keep popping up out of nowhere, and the more that come, the crazier they fucking get,” His exasperated sound makes you laugh. “I’m serious!”
You shake your head while he takes another massive bite out of his burger.
“Who’d you just work with? Uh, what’s his name? That woo woo woo guy? Zak Ryder!” You nod, taking a bite of your own food after muttering the ‘You Know It’ part of the catchphrase.
“He’s Matt Cardona now- that’s his actual name. He’s a nice guy…a lot, but nice. Like so much, really, all smiles and enthusiasm all the time. When Chelsea won the title, he brought a replica the next day and everyone thought it was the real one.”
This was how it usually went- catch up through each others feuds and how annoying everyone else was, and eventually the chatter would die down and you’d eat for a little, and then someone would pick up an actual conversation. The only problem here though, was there was one more feud of Kevins you were trying to avoid, but it was kind of hard. He was a massive deal in the company and a massive part of Kevins life right now.
“I know what you’re doing.” Kevin states causally, leaning back in his chair after starting on his fries.
“What?” You try to laugh it off, but you don’t look up from your own plate.
“Cody. You don’t wanna ask me about him.”
“….I just figured you’d want to keep your mind off it with the match at the Royal Rumble coming up.” You try, but he shakes his head. That was still in a couple weeks.
“Dude. I know you’re a fan- you literally still have the shirt from when he did the Dashing thing years ago. You liked Stardust, you know who else liked Stardust? No one.“
“Okay, I get it, you don’t have to publicly shame me about it. You can complain about everyone else, that’s my exception.” The two of you are quick to go back to silence while you try to finish your meal, and he chugs down another soda. The man ate ridiculously fast, nothing could stop him.
“You know,” He broke the quiet again. “You would really like WWE. Paul keeps bugging me about talking to you.”
“So you’ve told me,” You shrug. “I don’t know. TNA’s my home at this point, I can’t imagine leaving.” A laugh rips through you at a sudden thought and he nods his head for you to continue. “Maybe, maybe if you got Cody to ask-“ His eyes close with a sigh, and he immediately starts shaking his head, which only makes you laugh harder.
“Don’t push it.”
That had been about a week ago. You’d both gone back to your regularly scheduled program, him on Fridays and you on Thursdays. His feud with Cody continued, with a whole bunch of shit happening over there, and you moved on to work with other TNA superstars. After another long Thursday night you’re ready to conk out from the very fun, but tiring, on top of the night of wrestling, celebration with Joe Hendry for his new, recent title win (you’d already given your condolences to Nic).
As soon as your head hits the pillow, your phone rings. And you know it’s Kevin because you had set his theme song for his ringtone.
“What’s wrong?” You answer on the first ring. It’s late, and this is unusual, the first thing your mind goes to is that something happened.
“Did you see the news?”
“What fucking news Kevin, you’re freaking me out-“
“WWE and TNA signed a contract, anyone can go anywhere,” He rushes out, your name following it. “Anyone can go anywhere.”
You aren’t even sure what to say, and the phone line goes quiet while you stammer before Kevin interrupts.
“I gave Paul your number- he wants you in the Rumble.”

And now, here you were. This was fucking crazy! Of the entire TNA roster, you, Joe Hendry, and Jordynne Grace had been picked to join the Royal Rumble. Everything was so different here, you could see why Kevin liked it. Everything reminded you of him, and to be able to see him this much was so great. You traveled together, for the first time since your teenage years, and with all of the excitement you felt that young again too.
The Guerrilla was packed. It was great to see people you had worked with in the past, like Naomi and AJ Styles, but it was also great to meet new faces. Maxxine Dupri was the nicest person you had ever met, and so pretty. And you finally got to meet Chelsea! She wanted to keep in touch in case Matt tried to take her actual belt next time, apparently she hadn’t known he bought the replica.
Right now, the women’s rumble was seconds from kicking everything off so it was mostly women in the area, but a couple guys were wandering around too. Joe Hendry had stayed near you, which both of you were thankful for, he was actually a pretty shy guy behind cameras and you hated being alone around so many people. Jordynne and Naomi were a lot more acquainted than you were with her, so they snuck off to the side to have a chat.
The match was quick to begin with Iyo Sky and Liv Morgan before others started to quickly fill in. Your number was later on, you’d gotten 22. You didn’t want to be so late, and had tried to fight Paul about it but he was adamant the crowd would be excited, plus you had enough spots behind you to stay in for a while. The crowd started to wear out in Geurilla, and eventually you found yourself in the small room everything led to, with about ten other entrants, Maxxine had just went through the curtain at number 14.
“So,” Kevin strolls up from behind you with a bowl of something from catering. “I don’t want to hear a single word of this. But I called in a favor.” Your eyebrows furrow as you turn to him, and he holds up a hand. “Not a word.” And then he walks out. What the fuck?
You don’t have time to think about that anyways, now you’re wishing Jordynne (number 19) good luck as the buzzer rushes. After her, is the great return of Alexa Bliss, who is granted the biggest pop so far, which Zelina Vega follows, and then all that’s left in front of you is the grey curtain covering the biggest opportunity you’ve received in your life.
That was both the longest and shortest minute and a half of your entire life, but when the crowd counts down, and the buzzer rings out, and your music starts playing, you’ve never heard anything louder. You fight to your last breath, and then you keep fighting. You make it pass Nia Jax’s mass elimination, and lots of other attempts, and somehow, its just you and Charlotte Flair. You give it your best, but the nerves get the best of you, and Charlotte ends up throwing you over the rope.
As disappointed as you are, you made it farther than you could’ve dreamed of, and as the fans yell for your attention while you walk back up the ramp, you can’t help but be proud. You walk through the curtain to find your fellow (past, and present) TNA stars cheering you on, and you’re too busy taking the praise with embarrassment and a shy gaze to the ground, that you don’t notice Kevins favor until you’re snapping a picture with HHH for media.
In all of his glory, standing directly across from you all the way across the room, is Cody Rhodes. Clapping. And staring at you, with that one smile. Y’know, the one, the Dashing Cody Rhodes shit eating grin.
“Oh my God, Kevin,” You mutter under your breath when the pictures are over and you can turn away. “What the fuck. Kevin. What the fuck.” Kevin is no where in sight, and Paul is laughing at you so hard.
“Heard you’re a pretty big fan,” You can hear him approaching from behind you and there’s nothing else you can do but face him and hope not to embarrass yourself any further.
“I’d say I’m an avid watcher, if that’s what you’d like to consider me, yes.” He’s still grinning at you like that, and it’s making this so much harder. The rest of the room is funneling out.
“Oh, okay, okay. Just a big Stardust fan, then?” Your lips purse into a fine line when you find you have no explanation.
“How much did he tell you, exactly?” God, you’re never coming back to this company ever again. Only to get back at Kevin for this. He shrugs.
“I’m just teasing, don’t worry,” His grin relaxed, and suddenly he looks more like the American Nightmare Cody, and his hand is resting on your shoulder. “I’m a pretty big fan, too. You were great out there.”
“Oh, I tried my best, thanks,” Your face is heating up again, and you try to push it off.
“Really, you were great. I hope I get to see you around some more.” You still can’t find any words, and the room seems to be getting hotter by the second. “Or, out of it either. Not to be this straight forward, and feel free to tell me to back off, but if you’re around tomorrow, I’d love to take you to dinner or something.”
“Uhm, uh-“ I’m between your sputtering you find yourself laughing. “You’re about to go fight to the death with my brother.” He laughs, looking down at his ring gear, and nods his head, because yes, he’s going to go beat the shit out of your brother.
“I’m guessing that’s a back off?” He looks back up through his eyelashes with the grin that makes you melt.
“No, no, please, bring him to hell and back.” You grin back, before nodding shyly. “Dinner would be great.” Before you have the chance to keep talking, Pauls calling him over, and he gives you an apologetic look and tells you somehow, he’ll get ahold of you before he rushes over to HHH. Kevin comes in shortly after, and laughs at you with no clue that his worst enemy thinks your fine as hell, and that you’re going to go chase Jey Uso down for his phone number. You sit in the Guerrilla for just a second longer and watch them both disappear behind the curtain before you run off to take a shower, and text everybody you’ve ever known that Cody Fucking Rhodes just asked you out.
Maybe you would be coming back to WWE a couple more times.

Wow look at me goooo it feels like its been so long since i wrote for Cody (prolly cuz it has been)
I’m hungry, sick, and tired but I’m ignoring all of my problems and sat down during raw and couldn’t stop so here you go ig
Enjoy this you probably wont get much more from me this month but im gonna try my best i think the seasonal depression hit me mostly last month but its supposed to snow on Wednesday so that’s when we’ll really see
#LIV writes;*!#Cody Rhodes x reader#wwe x reader#Cody Rhodes#Jey uso#kevin owens#tna x reader#i love tna#so much#idk what else to tag
141 notes
·
View notes
Text
Covering the Classics Part 15 | Bob Floyd x OC
Summary: Anna felt safe at Bob's house. A few days there, and she was sleeping and eating better than she had in years. It all felt so easy. But for Bob, her presence was both a balm and a temptation that he didn't know how to handle.
Warnings: Angst, fluff, bruises on Anna's arm, adult language, masturbation, 18+
Length: 6200 words
Pairing: Robert "Bob" Floyd x Female OC (this story is part of the Beer Boy/Sugar and Jake/Jessica universe)
Covering the Classics masterlist. Check my masterlist for more!

On Wednesday morning, Anna woke up in some sort of warm cocoon. She didn't feel the drafty air on her face like she usually did when she slept on her mattress on the floor. She felt like she was being absorbed by some sort of soft, fancy bedding, and her pillow was moving slightly beneath her.
"Anna. We have to get ready for work."
She knew that voice intimately. It was sweet and sincere but laced with a bit of sleepiness she'd never witnessed before. She felt goosebumps on the back of her neck as she realized she must still be asleep and dreaming of Bob.
"Not yet," she mumbled. "I'm having a good dream."
Her pillow moved a little more as she tried her hardest to cling to the last threads of sleep. She didn't want to have to get up and leave this warmth behind. Especially not to go to work where Kevin could easily find her and make her life hell again.
"We have to get up."
Anna groaned and opened her eyes, and she instantly realized she wasn't in her bed, nor was she alone. She jolted, fingers grasping along what she thought was her pillow when in fact it was Bob's chest. With her hands braced on his shoulders, she tried to push herself off of him, and that's when she noticed he was smiling softly.
"What were you dreaming about?"
How was she supposed to answer that question? She was curled up on his chest, warmer and more comfortable than she ever remembered being in her life, and of course she'd been dreaming about him. It wasn't until that moment that she remembered why she was here, and then the smile that was forming on her own lips slipped away.
"We should get ready for work," she whispered, scrambling out of his bed. When she grabbed some clean clothes and headed for the bathroom, she glanced back at him with his hands propped behind his head, his eyes following her every move.
Was she insane? She should have insisted on sleeping in the other room. The problem was that she wanted Bob so badly, and even though he knew everything now, she didn't want to hurt him. She could deal with hurting herself, but not him again. But all she was going to be able to think about for the rest of the day was snuggling with him, and then she was going to have to come back here again tonight. He would probably insist on that.
She got ready as quickly as she could, changing into her work outfit while she was in the bathroom and then braiding her hair. When she opened the door, Bob was standing there in his flight suit with the sleeves tied at the waist, making her heart skip around in her chest. His unshaven face and messy hair had her practically panting, dying to reach out for him. And then his eyes trailed down to the bruises on her arm, reminding her that she would need to wear her cardigan again all day.
"I'll make breakfast," he promised. "Just give me a couple minutes to shave."
"Okay."
She took some time to separate out her dirty laundry, knowing she would need to take care of that later, and then she went downstairs. She started poking around in the refrigerator, trying to see if there was something she could start making so he didn't have to do it. Then Bob was there again, right behind her. When she looked at him, his soft hair was perfect, and his face was smooth.
"Do you like scrambled eggs?" he asked, looking past her into the refrigerator.
"I like everything," she told him, wishing she could just kiss him like she wanted to.
"I can make them fancy with some cheese," he said with a cute little grin. "Maybe tomorrow if we get up earlier, I can do omelettes."
Anna wasn't going to make it. How was she supposed to just be here with Bob and not touch him? He knew about Kevin, and he was still being so lovely, she wanted to scream. "That sounds great," she whispered. "But you have to let me do the dishes later."
He agreed, and soon Anna was eating a hot breakfast, something she hadn't had in a very long time. And that wasn't all, because after she took the dishes to the sink, Bob insisted on packing her a lunch. In his own khaki green lunchbox that said TOP GUN BOB on it and had a velcro enclosure at the top. When he went to hand it to her, she threw her arms around his neck.
"Thank you," she breathed, inhaling his scent and remembering how warm he kept her all night.
He chuckled and said, "It's nothing special. Jess should be here soon to pick you up. Will you... text me if Kevin shows up?"
Anna wanted to ask him what he would do about it if Kevin did in fact show up, but she simply promised him that she would let him know. Then Jess pulled up, and Bob handed her his spare house key which was on a twenty sided die keychain. She smiled down at her palm before looking up at him. "Have a good day, Bob."
"I'll pick you up later if Jess doesn't bring you back here first."
She nodded, took one last look at him in his flight suit, and then ran out to Jessica's car at the curb with her work bag and lunch. "Good morning," Anna sang in a cheery voice, making her friend laugh.
"Girl. Do I even want to know why you're staying with Bob?"
Anna sighed as she looked out the window at the neighboring houses as Jessica started to drive. "Kevin's in town, and he bruised my arm, and he tracked me down at work, and then he also knows where I live. But Bob pushed him against the wall, and I thought he was going to punch him, and then he insisted I come stay with him where it's more secure, and now I'm going to figure out how to get my manuscript."
Jessica swerved slightly. "What?!"
Anna laughed softly. "It's all good." And she honestly believed it was. For now.
--------------------------
"Tally! Coyote at five o'clock low!"
Nat responded seamlessly to Bob's commands, immediately dipping down below the horizon to get Javy on missile lock. Bob loved these kinds of drills, because he was always the fastest WSO to catch on to the training schemes. And Nat always followed his instructions, making her the fastest pilot to respond.
Honestly, he felt like he was on cloud nine right now. Waking up to Anna's body draped across his and her cheek resting over his heart was almost too good to be true. He didn't move for twenty minutes while she continued to doze, rather he used the time to count her freckles in the soft, early morning light. He could have gladly stayed there all day, and he thought she would have as well. However, she did seem a little startled when she woke up fully, but when he handed her the lunch he packed, she was back in his arms one last time.
It didn't really matter though. He wouldn't touch her without permission. As Nat soared past Javy, Bob made a face. Clearly he wasn't opposed to accepting Anna's touches though. He just wished this whole scenario made more sense to him. Clearly Anna and Kevin were over. She told him as much before, but now Bob had seen it with his own eyes. He was absolutely disgusted by the way Kevin yelled at her, but it just made him want her more. And the fact that Anna wanted to keep fighting made him feel like he needed her.
"Bob! High or low?" Nat shouted, and he had to scramble to locate Javy again.
"High! Eight o'clock high, Phoenix!"
With one swift maneuver, she took him out, and when they landed, she wrapped him up in a hug. "You're unbeatable today. Nobody else stood a chance." She narrowed her eyes and added, "You have a look about you. Oh my god! You got laid again! Don't tell me it was Anna."
She looked both delighted and terrified, and Bob just rolled his eyes. "Can't I look happy without getting laid?"
"Hmm, I know I can't," she said with a smirk. "Go ahead and keep your secrets," she murmured before running off to harass Bradley.
As Bob started walking back to the lounge, he dug his phone out of his helmet bag and almost tripped when he saw that Anna sent him a selfie of her eating lunch an hour ago. She was all smiles with the sandwich he made in her hand, and his heart thudded in his chest as he read the text accompanying it.
Anna Webber: Thanks for making me the perfect lunch. And you know that particularly good dream I had last night? It was about you.
"Fuck," he whispered, feeling even more exhilarated by his text thread than he did from being in the air. He dropped his bag at his feet on the tarmac and quickly typed back to her.
I can try to make you another perfect lunch tomorrow. And if you decide you want to share my bed again and have another particularly good dream tonight, you should tell me about it as soon as you wake up. Before you get out of bed.
He hit send. He had nothing to lose. Kevin could eat shit for all he cared. He would have pounded him into the wall if Anna didn't stop him. Not that he wanted to resort to violence himself. He just couldn't stand it when Anna was in tears getting screamed at.
"You coming, man?" Mickey asked, waving his hand in front of Bob's face. "I have something so cool I want to show you for our campaign. Jess will probably hate it, but I think it's great."
Bob followed him to the lounge, but he kept his phone in his hand just in case Anna wrote back, and when she did, he stood up and completely ignored Mickey's rambling.
Jess said she can drive me back to your house since we're both done at 4:30 today. And if you're going to keep insisting I sleep in your bed, then I'm going to keep insisting we share it. Besides, I always feel better when you're around.
"Man, what is with you?," Mickey asked as Bob wandered all the way to the other end of the lounge, running his fingers through his hair. "Almost nothing can distract you from D&D."
"It's Anna," he said quietly, his heart doing cartwheels in his chest.
"Yep, that'll do it then," Mickey muttered. "As soon as she gets divorced, you better propose."
Bob knew his friend was teasing him, but the thought alone left him staring out the window, imagining all of her books in his house and sharing a bed forever.
-----------------------------
Anna felt so good, it was incredible. She had a delicious sandwich for lunch, complete with ham, swiss cheese and some sort of fancy multi-grain bread with spicy mustard. And that wasn't even it, because Bob also made her a little container of fruit salad. He packed peanuts and ginger ale too. She wasn't starving for dinner at 5:00 like she usually was, but the closer Jessica got to Bob's house, the more excited Anna got.
"Do you know what time he usually gets home? Does Jake get home at the same time every day?"
"Hmm, well the weather's good, so I'm sure they didn't get out early," Jessica replied. "Bob usually stops in the locker room to shower and change out of his flight suit on days when they are in the air, so I would guess he would be home just before six?"
"Okay," Anna said, trying to calm her excitement. While her students took their quiz earlier, she had some time to ponder and also daydream. According to the conference for the National Neurological Physicians Association, Kevin would probably be in town through Tuesday. She knew well enough now to know that whatever she planned on doing next, she would have to share it with Bob. The very subject of her daydreams. The cozy man she snuggled up with all night. She wanted to cook him dinner, but she needed to get to his house early enough to surprise him.
When Jessica stopped to drop her off, Anna hugged her quickly before picking up her bag and heading up the walkway with the spare key in her hand. "Make good choices when it comes to Bob!" Jessica shouted as she rolled down the window. "And when it comes to Kevin, too! You know what? Just make good choices in general!"
Anna waved as she unlocked the front door and ducked inside, locking it behind her immediately just as Bob had instructed. She had less than an hour to get something started for dinner, so she tossed her bag aside and ran for the refrigerator. He had everything. More groceries than she'd seen in months. Fresh vegetables and fruit and different kinds of cheese. Everything.
She found a pack of ground beef, a jar of tomato sauce and some spaghetti. It wasn't going to be the fanciest thing in the world, but she had time to make it. While the water boiled, she ran upstairs to get her laundry and brought it down. The small laundry room was near the kitchen, so she was able to start browning the meat and check on it while she loaded the washing machine.
Anna was running back and forth when she saw Bob's truck pull up through the front window. "Shit," she groaned. He was a little earlier than she thought he would be. She stuffed the rest of her clothes inside and then turned to lean back against the washing machine while Bob walked inside.
"Anna?" he called out, and her heart skipped a beat. What if this kind of thing could be normal for her? She could save up enough money to buy her own car again, and she could come back to Bob's house after work and wait for him to get home. They could eat dinner together.
"I'm doing laundry!" she called out, and a few seconds later, he was in front of her, leaning into the room while he held both sides of the doorframe. He was wearing snug, black gym shorts, sneakers and a white undershirt, and he smelled clean like soap. His biceps flexed as he held on and smiled at her.
"Are you cooking dinner?" he asked, cheeks a little pink as he let go of the doorway and stepped inside. When she nodded, he said, "You didn't have to do that."
Before she could stop herself, her hand found the front of his shirt, and his eyes went wide. "I wanted to," she whispered, bunching the cotton fabric against her palm and tugging slightly. Bob closed the distance between them, bracing his hands on the washing machine on either side of her. He was big and warm, and she knew she needed to be the one to make the next move to get his body touching hers.
Anna let her hand trail up his abs to his chest and around the back of his neck, his cheeks deepening in color with each inch, but he didn't move away. Then she pushed up onto her toes and kissed him, her lips barely brushing his. The front of his body met hers, pressing her butt back against the washing machine. He felt strong and solid, and the slippery fabric of his shorts met her other hand as both of his went to her hips. This is what she wanted, and she would make herself better and better until Bob deemed her good enough for him. If that's what it took, she would figure out a way to do it.
When she pulled away slightly after a few seconds, Bob's lips followed hers until she was treated to a kiss that was a little needier. A little bit rough around the edges. She gasped his name as she inhaled the smell of his clean skin, and then she said, "Oh, shit. Dinner."
As soon as she ducked out of his grasp, Bob let her run from the room toward the kitchen. She grabbed the spatula and checked to make sure the ground beef hadn't burned, and he was right behind her.
"I'm trying to make you spaghetti," she told him, reaching for the jar of sauce which she struggled to open. "But I guess I could use your help." She wanted his lips back on hers, but she didn't want to rush anything, so she simply handed the jar over to him when he held out his hand. With one quick twist of his wrist, the lid popped. "Show off," she muttered, earning a laugh as she dumped the sauce into a pan. "There should be enough for Suzanne, too. If you want to invite her over."
Bob just looked at her with a smile. "That's sweet. I'll take a plate over to her. I think I'd rather it just be the two of us here tonight."
"Okay," she told him. Being alone with Bob right now was definitely something she could get used to.
---------------------------------
It had been so long since anyone else cooked for Bob, so this was a welcome surprise. Anna was just moving her clothing to the dryer when the timer went off for the pasta. "I'll take care of it," he said, just as she hung up a particularly intriguing looking black bra in his laundry room to let it dry. It was made out of sheer lace, and he immediately wondered if he'd be able to see her freckles through the fabric.
One kiss. It was just one kiss, and he was already dizzy over her again. But it was more than just the kiss. It was also her hand pulling him closer and the way she whispered his name. Bob dragged himself from his thoughts and plated the food she had cooked. He set everything on the table along with ginger ales, and when he went to get her from the laundry room, he saw that the bra had some matching panties with it now.
"Food's ready," he said, voice coming out even deeper than usual.
Anna followed him to the table and took the seat across from him. "You know, I'm sure it's fine if you want me out of your space. I highly doubt Kevin is going to come looking for me again, especially after you scared him off yesterday."
Bob gripped his fork a little tighter. "I can't make you stay here. But I want you to. I want to know you're safe."
Her brown eyes were soft as she picked up her own fork. "Okay," she said softly.
"Okay," he replied, already feeling better again.
Dinner was pretty quiet, just a simple exchange of what happened to both of them that day at work. When he asked if she'd heard from Kevin at all, she assured him she had not. Then he asked if she knew how long she thought he would be in California.
"Yeah," she told him as she collected the dirty dishes from the table. She unlocked her phone and set it down in front of him. "He's giving a closing speech on Tuesday morning, so he's probably heading back to New Jersey later that day." Bob looked at the tab she had opened and saw Kevin's name listed under a few events for each day, including a three hour dinner reception on Sunday evening. He was a busy man. It seemed like he'd done well for himself with all of Anna's money, and Bob just fucking hated him.
He set her phone aside. "I'll feel better when there's some more distance between you and him."
A cute little smile found her lips as she took the dishes away. Bob let her clean up, but he couldn't stop walking past the laundry room and looking inside. Even after she sat down to correct quizzes while he took some food over to Suzanne, the lacy set was still hanging in there. Even after Anna folded her laundry and started organizing it in neat piles on top of Bob's bedroom dresser, he knew those two pieces weren't with the rest.
He would have kept thinking about it, but then Anna yawned and turned to look at him. "I'm going to take a shower, and then I'm either sleeping in here with you again, or I'm sleeping in the other bedroom."
Bob studied her pretty face and her messy braid. "Should I get in bed and wait for you?" She nodded and bit her lip before scampering out of his room toward the bathroom. Then he had to change for bed while she showered, and he started getting hard as soon as he touched the elastic band of his boxer briefs. Anna and all of her things were all over his house, and she'd only been here for a little more than a day.
When he looked down at his flat abs and saw his cock bobbing to attention, he didn't think he was going to have time to jerk off. "No, no, no," he whispered. He tossed his gym shorts into his hamper and tried to walk it off, but it was no use. He felt like a teenager as he dove into bed as soon as he heard her turn the shower off. With his eyes squeezed closed, he lay there on his back under the covers, trying to think about something unsexy. Doing push ups, going to the dentist, buying bulk cat food at Costco for Suzanne.
He was working up a mental image of Mickey throwing up in the Hard Deck parking lot when Anna breezed back into his bedroom with damp hair and a white tank top that left nothing to the imagination. Not that he couldn't vividly recall her naked body beneath his. And the sounds she made when he fucked her. Bob tossed his glasses onto his nightstand with a groan, hoping that if he couldn't see how cute she looked in those ugly flannel pants, maybe he would get soft again.
But that didn't happen, and a few seconds later, Anna was slipping into bed with him just like last night. And then she linked her fingers with his again. When he turned off the lamp, she curled up next to him, and his fingers brushed against her bare skin. Her knee nudged along the top of his thigh; a few more inches and she was going to be able to feel him.
"Good night," she whispered into the darkness, and he could tell her face was near his.
When he turned his head toward her and whispered, "Good night," she surprised him with a kiss. One that lingered. Her body was halfway on top of his, fingers combing lazily through his hair, and there was no way she couldn't feel how his cock was pressing shamelessly against her leg. When she didn't stop kissing him, he brought his hand up to rest on her back. She treated him to kiss after kiss, but she didn't take it any further. That was okay with him; this was more than enough.
Her lips brushed his one last time before she settled in with her cheek resting on his chest, and soon she was asleep while Bob held her, wondering if there was some way he could help her get her manuscript so she could finally leave Kevin behind.
----------------------------
As the week wore on, Anna spent her free moments thinking about Bob and also trying to figure out if there was a way to defeat Kevin. She wanted access to her writing, because she wanted to move on with her life. However, she was starting to come around to the idea of just letting Kevin have it so she could have Bob. She was still bleeding money to her lawyers, and even though she was staying at Bob's place, she still had to pay the astronomically high rent to her landlord, too.
If she had to still be married to Kevin, then there had to be some sort of benefit to it. On Friday at lunchtime, she was thinking about it while she sat between her friends and ate the beautiful sandwich that Bob packed for her. She could tell both of them wanted more information than she'd been sharing about her week at Bob's house. Jessica was practically vibrating every day on the drive to campus, but Anna knew she didn't want to pry.
But it was her other friend who said, "That's another nice looking sandwich you have today. It looks like Bob has been spoiling you."
"He sure has," Anna said with a dreamy sigh.
"Does that mean you're sleeping together?!" Jessica asked, her voice getting an octave higher at the end of the sentence.
Anna hummed and licked some mustard from her lip. "Define sleeping together."
"Fucking!" Jessica hissed. "Are you fucking?"
"No. But we are sleeping together," she replied with a smile.
"What does that mean?!"
"I think it means they are literally sleeping together," Advanced Calculus said as she dipped a carrot stick into the spicy hummus Bradley made. "Beer Boy said Bob looks like he won the lottery every morning, so I would assume that's why. And I would also assume that they are making out. Maybe a little under the clothing action going on?"
Anna was blushing furiously as her friend casually bit into the carrot stick, and Jessica nearly fell off the bench. "That's um.... well maybe just a tiny bit of the under the clothing part, but the rest is pretty accurate."
"Okay," Jessica said while slapping her own thigh. "You could have told me this when I drove you in every day this week! And I hope you know Bob loves you."
Anna smiled. She felt more confident than she had in years. She finally felt like she could let go of the one thing she thought she needed, because she found other things and other people that made a difference in her life. "That's convenient, because I'm in love with him, too. And I think... once I know Kevin is back in New Jersey and won't try to corner me again... I think I'm going to just finalize the divorce as is."
"Your manuscript!" both women gasped in unison.
Anna nodded. "I know, but I think I need to let go of it and just move on."
Neither of her friends mentioned it again after that, for which she was grateful. After she gave her afternoon lectures and started to pack up for the weekend, she got a text from Bob.
Bob Floyd: I'm on my way to pick you up. Pizza for dinner?
She wrote back and told him that was fine as long as he let her pay for it, and thirty minutes later, there was a soft knock on her office door. "It's Bob," he told her, and she threw the door open and pulled him inside by his khaki collar.
He didn't hesitate or try to stop her as she kissed him with both hands in his hair before she whispered, "Hi, Bob."
He was all smiles after that, and his hand was at her lower back as she locked the door behind them and headed toward the elevator. He pulled her a little closer as she told him about her day and thanked him for making her lunch.
"So I'll pay for the pizza. Did you order it already?"
"Yep," he replied as they held hands in the elevator. "It'll be ready in ten minutes."
But when they got there, she realized Bob had already put it on his credit card. "You're impossible," she told him as she shoved five bucks into the tip jar.
"I'm not going to apologize for buying us a pizza," he said casually, and it turned out to be one of the best pizzas Anna had ever had in her life.
They sat side by side on the couch with paper plates and napkins while they watched Pride & Prejudice. "New Jersey is supposed to have good pizza," she whispered in awe.
Bob just shrugged and said, "I think southern California might be superior."
"In every way," Anna whispered before she finished her crust. She loved it here. She loved her friends and her job. She loved Bob. She knew what she had to do now, and she knew it would be okay. "You know what else southern California has?"
"Enlighten me," he said as he wiped his hands with his napkin.
"A surplus of men in uniforms," she said, running her finger down his sleeve and along his name tag. "I didn't know how much I'd like these things." Bob was blushing as she kissed his cheek. "But I liked you way before I knew you were in the Navy."
She was thinking of him as Sky Writing as he turned and kissed her, and once again, they ended the evening in his bed. And this time, there was a lot more touching under their clothing.
-------------------------------
Bob looked at Anna as she moaned in delight while she ate the soup he made for dinner on Saturday. It was pouring rain, and he didn't feel like going out to play Dungeons & Dragons. He wanted to stay inside where it was warm. Where Anna would end up in his arms after they cleaned up the kitchen.
"What time do you have to leave?" she asked him, and he thought he saw a little flash of sadness on her face.
"In about a half an hour." He took the chance and added, "I don't have to go. I could stay here."
"No! Mickey and Jess will be devastated! She told me so much about her Barbarian on the drive to work yesterday, she'll never get over it if you skip tonight. Besides, I have something I can do to keep myself busy."
"Alright," Bob agreed. "But I probably won't be home before eleven, so you don't have to wait up."
He helped wash the dishes and went to search for the umbrella he hardly ever had to take out with him. He packed up his dice and character sheet and put his shoes on. When he found Anna again, she was curled up on the couch with one of his books.
"You love poetry," he told her as he ran his thumb along the back of her hand.
"I love some poetry," she whispered. "I love your poetry."
He wanted her to say she loved him. He thought she did. Everything was moving along now, but Kevin was still in California, and Bob wasn't sure exactly how to go about all of the details with Anna. So he simply said, "I'll be back in a little bit. Keep all the doors locked? Call me if you need me?"
"I will."
He took one last look at her freckles and her big, brown eyes, and then he ventured out into the wet night. He offered to pick Jessica up since she'd been driving Anna around all week, but she said she'd drive herself there. He was surprised she didn't want to pump him for all of the information related to him and Anna, but perhaps Anna had already told her? The idea of that made him a little warm. He wondered what she might have said. Obviously they had already had sex last month, but this time it felt exactly right when they touched and kissed each other.
God, Bob really hated Kevin. The bruises on Anna's arm were finally fading to yellow. And she didn't seem as worried now. It was obvious that she was comfortable in his house, and he wanted her there. He didn't know how he was going to make it through several hours of this campaign tonight when she was all snuggled up on his couch.
When he arrived and got ready to play, he thought maybe she had moved to his bed by now. He could picture her in those ugly pants, her nipples peaked against her cotton tank top. Her red hair impossibly dark.
"I said you need to roll for initiative."
Bob looked up and quickly picked up his twenty sided die. He was distracted and rolling like shit tonight, and he kept relying on everyone else to bail him out of each round of fighting. He could barely even pay attention to the story, and that was usually his favorite part. Jessica had to keep poking him in the side when he was supposed to take his turn.
"Are you okay?" she whispered.
He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "I'm thinking about Anna. I can't stop thinking about her," he muttered. "She's... probably already in bed, and being there with her as we fall asleep together is kind of my new favorite thing."
Jessica cleared her throat and loudly announced. "My stomach hurts. So bad. Can we stop a little early tonight?"
She was literally the worst liar in existence. She was even worse than Bob. He was trying not to laugh as everyone nodded sympathetically at her as they started to pack up. "Thanks," he murmured, and she just winked at him as she adjusted her glasses.
"No problem. Go home and snuggle."
He drove carefully back home in the rain until he was passing through the deserted streets of his neighborhood. He parked right in front of Suzanne's car like he always did, and he killed the engine. Maybe he should just tell Anna how he felt, although he was sure she already knew. He didn't exactly need to hear the words back, but he wanted them to be out there. He didn't even need a title on whatever their relationship was, but he didn't want it to be nothing either.
Quickly, he dashed through the rain, shooed Sylvester inside his neighbor's front door before closing it, and then he unlocked his own door. The living room was dark unlike earlier, and at first he didn't hear anything.
"Anna?" he called out softly as the hairs at the back of his neck stood on end. He froze when he realized he heard a voice coming from upstairs. Halfway up the steps, he realized it was her, and she sounded distraught. "Anna," he gasped, taking the steps two at a time until he was standing on the top landing.
She was definitely in his bedroom, and he almost tripped as he lunged for the door, pushing it open just in time to hear her moan his name.
Bob's jaw dropped open at the sight before him. Anna was spread out on the middle of his bed, red hair all over the place, and she was wearing nothing but that black bra and panty set he hadn't been able to stop thinking about. Her eyes were squeezed shut tight, hand tucked in the front of her underwear as she stroked her clit and turned her face until it was buried in his pillow. He watched her inhale deeply as his hand rested on his hard cock which was pressing against the fly of his jeans.
"Fuck," she grunted after thrashing around a little bit in his bed. She still hadn't seen him yet, but his gaze was fixed firmly on her body. "Fuck me, Bob," she moaned, and he stumbled forward. "Oh, god. I want you!"
Her back arched slightly off the bed as he took another step closer, unzipping his pants. He no longer had to wonder if he'd be able to see her freckles through the sheer fabric. He definitely could, which made the little black set even sexier, but he also wanted her naked. He wanted to be inside her. He watched as she came on her own fingers.
"Anna," he groaned as his hand met his length, and her eyes snapped open as she yanked her hand back out of her panties.
"Oh my god!" she practically shrieked, face flushing pink. "Bob! You're back early!"
He nodded and watched her wide eyes as she realized he was stroking himself. "I wanted to come back home as soon as I left. I wanted to be with you. And now I want to fuck you."
"Oh," she sighed, getting up so she was kneeling in the middle of his bed, licking her lips like his most depraved fantasy. Her hair was a mess, and her nipples were hard peaks as she nodded and came crawling toward him. Her breath ghosted along the tip of his cock as it hung out of his jeans. She looked up at his face, licked at his precum and said, "That's exactly what I want you to do."
------------------------------
Get. It. Bobby. Leave no doubt in her mind that you love her, but get it, baby. Thanks @beyondthesefourwalls
PART 16
@thedroneranger
@theamuz
@cherrycola27
@katiedid-3
@yuckosworld
@je-suis-prest-rachel
@callsign-magnolia
@avaleineandafryingpan
@t-nd-rfoot
@eddiemunsonreader
@wintercap89
@the-fever-of-mankind
@sio-ina-bottle
@lovingperfectionsblog
@daisydont-lie
@sappy-seresin
@birdy-bat-writes
@cutelittlefakejourneys
@cottagecori
@fandom-princess-forevermore
@sotalife
@novastories
@xoxabs88xox
@rileyanntoinette
@mannsachds
@midnightmagpiemama
@greatszu
@zetasaturno99
@lovingrobertfloyd
@taytaylala12
@captain-fandomwriter58
@grxcisxhy-wp
@hobireasns
@wolfquake23
@paintlavillered
@seitmai
@noonenuts
@amiets2
@imnotcreativeenoughforthisblog
@lonelysoul50
@sweetwhispersofchaos
@cruelmissdior
@sagittarius-flowerchild
@angelbabyange
@eternallyvenus
@sgt-barnesveins
@kmc1989
@libbyaller
#bob floyd x oc#robert bob floyd x oc#bob floyd#robert bob floyd#bob floyd imagine#bob floyd fic#robert floyd imagine#bob floyd fanfiction#robert floyd fanfiction#robert floyd#robert floyd fic#robert floyd x oc#top gun imagine#top gun maverick imagine#top gun fanfiction#top gun maverick fanfiction#roosterforme#covering the classics
370 notes
·
View notes
Text
(Wholesome twinyards, slight kevaaron, slight neilaaron reluctant besties) Aaron sleepwalks and cuddles people part 1
Aaron's always had an infrequent sleep schedule.
He grew up never really having a bed time be enforced on him. He grew up being in a drowsy drugged state where days blissfully and perplexingly blurred like nonsensical dreams.
Sometimes he'd pass out like the dead whether from exhaustion as an exy player or a pre-med student or both.
Other times the paranoia would keep him up all night, body itching with no amount of scratching nails satiating the greedy hunger, the fiending for his monopolozing addiction like it's the first callous day of his withdrawal.
Then, of course, are the nightmares when he finally realized the lengths Andrew will go to make sure Aaron is the Minyard twin worth achieving his potential.
So, it comes as no surprise that all of the burdens and the habits that make Aaron, well, Aaron manifest into an outlet none of the Foxes are prepared for during finals week.
Sleepwalking.
On the cusp of Christmas break and tail end of the semester, Aaron is sleepwalking.
"Shit." Matt says when groggily returning from using the bathroom in the middle of the night. He spots the empty bed on side of the dorm room and a snoozing Nicky on the other side.
Instantly, Matt checks the time and sees its almost two in the morning. He puts on slippers and tries to hunt Aaron's trail before anyone finds out the secret the Foxes backliners have been hiding from the rest of their teammates.
Matt scans the kitchen and common area. No signs of Aaron. Their dorm door leading directly to the hallway is wide open, though. Matt zooms out, looking left and right, hoping Aaron hadn't gone far. To his luck, Matt spots a slow paced blond in a hoodie that's stolen "borrowed" from Andrew's wardrobe, heading toward the ding of the elevator.
Matt tries to channel his inner striker, envisioning Kevin or Neil's running legs as his own, and charges the hall. The elevator doors ease open in a creaky slide, revealing Andrew, Kevin, and Neil as its passengers coming back from night practice.
Kevin and Neil are busy debating over future game plays while Andrew stalks behind them in silence. They all stop dead in their tracks, instincts taking over, when seeing Aaron approach them and a barreling Matt closing the distance between the backliners.
Matt's about to reach Aaron, arm outstretched, hand grasping for probably a sleeve or hem, when Aaron unexpectedly sidesteps out of the way. Is it luck or a sixth sense? They don't know, but Matt ends up crashing into one of the hallway garbage bins, knocking the contents everywhere, but thankfully breaking his fall.
Aaron's sleep self takes advantage of Matt's fumble, continuing his walking without missing a beat. Kevin blinks rapidly, for once Wymack's features dominating Kayleigh Day's genes, as the Queen of Exy tries to process what he's just witnessed. Neil's observing poker face quickly melts into concern for Matt's wellbeing. Andrew, slightly mirrors Neil, except his eyes are only for Aaron who seems very off to the goalie.
The noise Matt made should've stirred a few dorm residents awake, it being quiet hours in Fox Tower because more unfortunate sports teams had morning practice. They hear a muffled "shut the fuck up!" from a dorm room door Aaron strolls by.
By now, Kevin, Neil, and Andrew have stepped off the elevator. Kevin stays in place, unsure of what to do while Neil immediately speedwalks to Matt and Andrew stalks after to Aaron.
Problem is, Neil is naturally faster than Andrew and has to get around Aaron to get to Matt, and the closer the shortest striker on the team gets to the shortest backliner on the team, the more details sharp blue eyes take in on the unexplained situation.
Aaron's eyes are completely shut. His face is slack. Dried drool connects the corner of his mouth to the edge of his chin. The bedhead is distracting, yet overpowered by the literal soft snoring escaping from Aaron. Oh and despite wearing a hoodie, Andrew's twin is outside in a public area wearing only his boxers and one sock from the waist down.
"Wait! Neil! Don't!" Matt warns, too little, too late.
Just like earlier, when even though Aaron's back was turned to Matt and he evaded capture, Neil watches in slow motion Aaron's innate slumbering ability to know when someone has breached his personal space.
Neil is fast. Aaron is faster.
In one swift swoop of fanned out arms, Neil is halted, sleepwalking Aaron blocking his twin's not-boyfriend mafioso in a bone crushing hug.
He presses Neil to him with zero chances of letting go. Neil struggles against Aaron's embrace once the initial shock fades to no avail. He's trapped having Aaron's arms around him like a kid squeezing the stuffing from a teddy bear. Neil frowns when Aaron buries his head in the crook of Neil's shoulder and snores louder in his ear.
It's weird and not on Neil's bingo card. Getting treated like a body pillow to one of his least liked people. It's also fascinating that Aaron is still 100% unconscious and still standing up straight.
"Oh, man." Matt jogs to them at the same time Andrew makes it to them.
"What the hell?" Neil whines, disturbed and irritated that Aaron can be this strong.
"Uh, yeah, about that?" Matt nervously gulps. "You guys weren't supposed to know."
Wrong words to say as Andrew's eyes flash with rage. The more volatile Minyard twin absolutely hates not knowing what's going on with his twin.
"Explain." Andrew demands, one eye on Matt, and the other examining the hold Aaron has on Neil.
Kevin's presence doesn't add any value. "Did you see how he stopped Neil? His reflexes are better asleep than awake? We need to figure out how to get him to do that on court!"
"Not now, Kevin." Neil grits through teeth. If he could turn his head, he'd glare daggers at Kevin, but the way Aaron has grappled him pisses Neil off so bad.
Matt sighs, rubbing the back of his neck and talks.
"It's finals week. Aaron's stressed out over taking back to back science shit. He's been studying like crazy, drinking energy drinks, and running on fumes. Katelyn told Nicky and me to be on the lookout if he starts sleepwalking. Aaron, I guess, does this now. He slept walk when staying overnight in Katelyn's dorm or when he's taking a nap in his study group at the library."
"You've been keeping secrets from the team." Kevin growls.
"You've been keeping secrets from us." Neil is more hurt that Matt wouldn't tell all of the Monsters, specifically him over Kevin or Andrew.
"You and Nicky are deadmen walking." Andrew didn't give a shit about Honor Among Backliners, this seemed to vaguely be considered a medical condition, and Andrew would've preferred Aaron had seen trained professional Abby rather than Matt and Nicky winging it.
"Whoa, dude, c'mon." Matt put up placating hands in front of him at the threat. "I was just following Nicky and Katelyn's lead. He should be back to his normal factory resetting when finals are done. No harm, no foul."
"I'll be the judge of that." Andrew leans in to survey Aaron. His brother looks peaceful and is now drooling on Neil's shoulder without abandon.
"No harm he says, I'm losing years of my life here." Neil demonstrates when fighting against the hug warrants, again, Aaron to squeeze tighter to keep him in place. "This is torture. Aaron's spit is seeping through."
"You'll live." Andrew hushes him and is about to shake Aaron awake, hand going for the shoulder, when Matt blurts out "It's bad to wake up a sleepwalker."
Andrew pauses his movement to narrow his eyes at Matt. "Why?"
"Well, um, I just heard it is. Like, the person could become disoriented or panicked. He would definitely be both of those things if he sees Neil's pretty face instead of his alarm clock or ceiling, y'know."
Andrew's jaw ticks and he clenches his open palm to a fist in frustration. Neil's getting tired of supporting Aaron's weight, his muscles still sore from night practice. He's so close to Aaron that he can smell the same shampoo and conditioner all the Cousins use. Neil just wants to go to bed, maybe have a brief hookup with Andrew as Kevin does his 17 step skin care routine before calling it a day.
"What do you do then? When he gets like this?" Andrew finally asks Matt.
"Usually he doesn't get this far. He just stands in our room until Nicky or me herd him back to bed."
"Fine. We herd my needy half." Andrew orders. Matt is about to steer a conjoined Aaron and Neil to the backliners' dorm when Andrew grunts, "No. You idiots lost Aaron privileges. He's moving back in with me, temporarily."
"Andrew, for real? We have it handled." Matt argues and Andrew isn't hearing it.
"Had your chance. Failed with flying colors. I'm watching him until finals are over."
"But you don't understand. Aaron has no idea he sleepwalks."
And there it is, clicking into place for both Andrew and Neil. Nicky must've not wanted Aaron to know about this strange habit of his. Not during this crucial time. He just admitted honestly to Bee that he hasn't had nightmares about Andrew and Drake in months. He doesn't need a new issue to worry about.
"Okay. I'll deal with it." Andrew stares Matt down in challenge and arches a brow. "Anything else you and Nicky have been hiding from Aaron and me or is the rest a surprise?"
"No. That's it."
"Good. Go away now."
Matt hurries off, giving an apologetic look to Neil first. Andrew guides Aaron and Neil to their dorm door so Neil doesn't trip while walking backwards. Aaron, clingy and a force apparently when out like a light, follows after Neil's backpedaling scarily easy. Kevin unlocks the door and they all enter inside. Andrew guides them to the beds.
"Don't make me sleep with him, Andrew." Neil begs, eyes latching to Andrew's impassive and unblinking hazel.
"Aaron has a 7am final in cell biology. His 3rd ranked hardest class. Needs at least a C average to pass. You will not move an inch so he gets all the rest he can get. Got it, runaway."
"Your investment in Aaron's future is impressive for someone allergic to books." Neil blankly responds.
"I like what's mine to be taken care of."
"I don't feel very taken care of, right now."
"Stop flirting and let your twin cuddle Neil in peace. We have finals too." Kevin interrupts, already undressing and putting on his expensive silk pajamas.
Andrew grabs a discarded pillow and aims it at Kevin's face, headshot successful. The men try their best to settle down. Neil awkwardly lays on his back with sleepwalking Aaron snuggling into him affectionately, the effort to change into a different shirt or in a pair of jogging pants impossible. Neil's used to Andrew's solid and comforting form draped over him, not the twin that thinks he doesn't deserve Andrew. What if Aaron wakes up and starts choking him to death out of a mix of embarrassment and anger?
Neil cocks his head to the side, his disgruntled gaze catches on Andrew's scrutiny with no intentions of sleeping, sitting on the bottom bunk to smoke in the dark like a discount Batman scanning Gotham, the window cracked to air out the smoke.
Andrew's calm facade shields his whirling thoughts. He has a lot of emotions brawling for top priority. His possessiveness is kicking up, a trait Bee would lightly scold Andrew for entertaining. No one should be sharing a bed with Neil besides him. Also, Andrew never knew Aaron was a subconscious hugger. His identical copy always scowled at Nicky's overly sentimental physical contact. Andrew's seen Aaron clack racquets with Kevin or Matt, accept a pat on the back or shoulder from Wymack, and be disgustingly cutesy with Katelyn. Aaron's never hugged Andrew, not since the incident at the Hemmick's.
Besides, Aaron isn't technically consenting. He isn't aware of what he's doing. Still, Andrew wonders if he had gotten to Aaron first before Neil, would it be him lugging around his adhesive of a brother? He's mad at himself for not picking up that Aaron was stressed enough to develop this problem. He's furious at Matt and Nicky and don't get Andrew started on Katelyn. They all knew and didn't mention a peep to him or Abby. Bee is going to get an earful from Andrew as soon as daylight breaks.
On the top bunk, Kevin tosses and turns. He should be able to turn his brain off. He should've poured himself a night cap. Nope. He is preoccupied on why having Aaron and Neil glued to each other bothers him so much. For a laughable second, Kevin thinks he's leveled up in empathy, but dismisses the idea instantly. He turns on his side and stares below, seeing Neil look imprisoned and ready to bite off his limbs like a wounded animal in a bear trap with every sigh of content Aaron breathes on his neck.
Kevin's confused. He wouldn't mind having Aaron's grip on him. A Raven would jump at the opportunity with glee. But Kevin's not a Raven, he's a Fox, and according to that nature documentary he binged about The History of Forest Animals, foxes enjoy nuzzling in the same manner as Aaron.
In the end, the guareented Exy Court hailing from PSU's Foxes pulled an all nighter due to the presence of Aaron. The tension and anticipation of Aaron's reaction had Andrew absently smoke his last few cigarettes, Kevin curiously baffled at his desire to switch places with Neil, and Neil obeying Andrew by not moving an inch. The birds chirp and the sky remained sunless. It's 6am and if Aaron doesn't get ready for the day, they'll draw straws on who wakes him up.
Luckily, Aaron twitches into the living, blinking lethargically and yawning his morning breath into Neil's scrunching nose. It stunk of Redbull and leftover pizza. Kevin would have a fit at the poor diet. Aaron finally releases Neil, sitting up to rub at his eyes and wipe the drool from his mouth.
"Mrghrnf." Aaron speaks gibberish, groggily climbing over Neil to stand.
For a moment, they all think Aaron's sleepwalking again, but it turns out he's not a morning person. They watch Aaron make his way to the bathroom and maybe it's muscle memory because this did use to be Aaron's room once upon a time ago. When Aaron returns, he is more cognizant.
"Why are you guys in my dorm?"
"You're in our dorm." Neil retorts.
"Huh?" Aaron tilts his head, squinting. "What the...?"
Andrew takes over. "You sleepwalk. You came here. Eat breakfast. Drink coffee. Leave."
"I what now?" Aaron widens his eyes and Andrew wastes no time herding his twin.
"Talk later." He drags Aaron to the kitchen counter and shoves a protein bar in his hands.
"Andrew wait - "
"Talk later." Andrew emphasizes and Aaron shuts up. He does as he's told and leaves for his own dorm.
Andrew texts Bee. Then, he texts Abby.
Kevin and Neil spy on him through the bedroom threshold.
"You think he'll pass?" Neil asks, not wanting his sacrifice as Aaron's plushie to be in vain.
Andrew scoffs. "It's Aaron."
Kevin confidently nods in agreement. "He is the brains. But only because history majors don't get the deserved respect as doctors in training, mind you."
Neil and Andrew share a look, wordlessly communicate in record time, and since Andrew isn't close Neil subs for him and smacks Kevin the back of the head.
This is, sadly, just the beginning. Finals just started. They have a week of Aaron plausibly sleepwalking. He was fortunate to run into Andrew, Kevin, and Neil when he got pass Matt and Nicky. The three of them weren't willing to risk Aaron running into a stranger with unsavory musings.
Andrew won't let anything happen to his brother. He'd burn the building and up his body count if a single hair got touched on Aaron.
Bee and Abby couldn't come fast enough.
#this was fun!#i plan on writing sleepwalking aaron giving andrew/kevin/neil grief#nicky and matt in the doghouse in andrews opinion#aaron minyard#andrew minyard#kevin day#neil josten#the twinyards#twinyards#twinyard#wholesome twinyards#neilaaron bestfriendisms#neilaaron worsties
54 notes
·
View notes